Doppler ultrasonic methods are based on a frequency shift incurred in the reflected sound from moving objects, for example, red blood cells. According to the desired depth of penetration, ultrasonic frequencies between 2 and 10 MHz are used. Continuous-wave Doppler detects all blood flow through the path of the ultrasound beam and pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasound permits detection of flow at specific sites in the arterial lumen. Through measurement of the systolic blood pressure, the extent of hemodynamically-significant arterial occlusive disease can be assessed. With the use of the ankle-arm index, which is normally greater than 1.0, compensation is enabled for variations in systemic pressure. Localization of the occlusive lesion can be obtained by measuring the systolic pressure at various levels in the limb. Normally, the ratio of high-thigh to brachial artery systolic pressure is greater than 1.2 and the difference in systolic pressure between any two adjacent levels in the leg should be less than 20 mm Hg. Measurement of toe pressure may be helpful when the ankle pressure is falsely elevated due to arterial calcification; in normal limbs, the systolic toe pressure is about 80 to 90% of the brachial systolic pressure. The use of small cuffs on large limbs can result in spuriously high pressure and medial calcification in the arterial wall can also lead to falsely high pressures. Treadmill exercise testing with determination of the immediate drop in ankle systolic pressure and the time for recovery to resting pressure is valuable to confirm or rule out intermittent claudication as the cause of leg pain and to detect severe multiple level arterial disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


TiO 2 spindles with high crystallinity were synthesised by a two-step solvothermal reaction with the aid of diethylamine. Compared with Degussa P25, the dye sensitised solar cell (DSSC) based on a TiO 2 spindles photoanode demonstrated superior characteristics including higher affinity to N719 dye, higher light scattering effect than P25, better conductance and longer recombination lifetime. Photovoltaic measurement indicated that the TiO 2 spindles-based DSSC possesses higher short-circuit current density ( J sc ) and open-circuit voltage ( V oc ), hence, a 29% higher overall photovoltaic performance (%) than that of P25 was achieved.


Ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) have been explored as a means to enhance therapeutic techniques. Because the effectiveness of these techniques relies on the UCA concentration at a target site, it would be beneficial to estimate UCA concentration noninvasively. In this study, a noninvasive method for estimating UCA concentration was developed in vitro. Backscatter coefficients (BSCs) estimated from measurements of Definity(®) UCAs were fitted to a theoretical scattering model in the 15-25 MHz range using a Levenberg-Marquardt regression technique. The model was defined by the UCA size distribution and concentration, and therefore concentration estimates were extracted directly from the fit. Calculation of the BSC was accomplished using planar reference measurements from the back wall of a Plexiglas(®) chamber and an average of 500 snapshots of ultrasonic backscatter from UCAs flowing through the chamber. In order to verify the ultrasonically derived UCA concentration estimates, a sample of the UCAs was extracted from the flow path and the concentration was estimated with a hemacytometer. UCA concentrations of 1, 2, and 5 times the dose recommended by the manufacturer were used in experiments. All BSC-based estimates were within one standard deviation of hemacytometer based estimates for peak rarefactional pressures of 100-400 kPa.


The influence of peptide bioregulator - Livagen (Lys-Glu-Asp-Ala) separately and combined with cobalt ions, on the activity of nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) and frequency of associations of acrocentric chromosomes in lymphocytes from patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and their relatives has been studied. It is shown that combined action of Livagen and cobalt ions increases the frequency of large-sized scoring 2 NORs in both, patients and their relatives. Significant was also the influence of the studied compounds on associative activity of acrocsentric chromosomes that was expressed in sharp increase of this indicator in both studied groups. In this case more effective was the action of Livagen and cobalt ions. As activity of NOR, also the frequency of associations of acrocentric chromosomes is dependent of quality of acrocentric chromosome stalk condensation, we conclude, that by influence of Livagen and cobalt ions on the lymphocytes of HCM patients and their relatives, occurs decondensation of heterochromatinized chromatin. This may be release condition during condensation of inactivated genes in the studied groups of individuals. Our data are important because it provides new information about protective effect of Livagen and Livagen+Cobalt ions on the lymphocytes of HCM patients and their relatives and may lead to the development of a therapeutic treatment.


Abstract This study investigates the prospectivity for porphyry Cu mineralisation of the early Paleozoic Loch Lilly-Kars Belt, which follows the southern margin of the Paleoproterozoic Broken Hill (Willyama) Inlier in western New South Wales, Australia. The belt is thought to have resulted from the 515–510 Ma collision of a volcanic passive margin and an intra-oceanic island arc above a west-dipping subduction zone, with subsequent post-collisional magmatism. To identify fertility signals of selected magmatic intrusive rocks, we combined whole-rock analyses with in-situ zircon trace-element and isotopic measurements. Data reveal that both Cambrian (ca 496 Ma) and Devonian (ca 393 Ma) intrusive suites are present in the Loch Lilly-Kars Belt. Cambrian dioritic rocks are largely non-fertile for porphyry Cu mineralisation, whereas Devonian monzodiorites and monzonitic porphyries carry strong fertility signals that include high whole-rock Sr/Y (>35) and V/Sc (>10) values, associated with the occurrence of equant, stubby zircons showing relatively constant Eu/Eu* values without any significant Eu anomalies. Although only few samples were analysed and more intensive exploration is required, the results of this study indicate significant potential for porphyry Cu mineralisation in this poorly known belt.


Ballast water management is a national and international issue in the shipping industry because of potential ecological hazards caused by the release of ballast water into the marine environment. Although many international standards have been implemented in recent years, technological and practical considerations make the ballast water treatment a major challenge for many shipping companies. In this paper, a novel concept of utilizing ballast water as source water for a multieffect desalination process driven by onboard waste heat to meet the freshwater supply needs is proposed with theoretical analysis and practical considerations. A main engine with a capacity of 7500 kW in a cruise ship can serve as a potential waste heat source for water desalination of 1000 m3/d, which can provide for freshwater needs of 2000 to 4000 ship occupants. This scenario presents an attractive alternative to ballast water management and treatment as well as reducing the nonrenewable energy footprint of onboard water supplies in marine industry.


: Calculations of intramolecular interaction energy of two-stranded helical homopolynucleotide in the function of nine conformational variables have been carried out by the method of atom-atom potential functions. Four of these variables determine mutual position of base pairs, other four--deoxiribose ring conformation and other one--orientation of this ring with respect to the base. For this purpose an algorythm connecting dependent variables with independent ones has been developed. The investigation of energy function has shown that in the space of conformational parameters there are two valleys, which correspond to A-and B-families of conformations. Experimentaly determined conformations of two-stranded helical polynucleotides are located along the bottoms of these valleys. Along the bottom of each valley the intramolecular interaction energy changes rather little when conformational parameters change within a wide range. The valleys are separated by an energetical barrier.


Background Recent studies showed that aminoglycosides destroyed the cochlear cells and induced ototoxicity by producing reactive oxygen species, including free radicals in the mitochondria, damaging the membrane of mitochondria and resulting in apoptotic cell death. Bcl-xL is a well characterized anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family. The aim of this study was to determine the potential cochlear protective effect of Bcl-xL as a therapeutic agent in the murine model of aminoglycoside ototoxicity. Methods Serotype 2 of adeno-associated virus (AAV2) as a vector encoding the mouse Bcl-xL gene was injected into mice cochleae prior to injection of kanamycin. Bcl-xL expression in vitro and in vivo was examined with Western blotting and immunohistochemistry separately. Cochlear dissection and auditory steady state responses were checked to evaluate the cochlear structure and function. Results The animals in the AAV2-Bcl-xL/kanamycin group displayed better auditory steady state responses hearing thresholds and cochlear structure than those in the artificial perilymph/kanamycin or AAV2-enhanced humanized green fluorescent protein/kanamycin control group at all tested frequencies. The auditory steady state responses hearing thresholds and cochlear structure in the inoculated side were better than that in the contralateral side. Conclusions AAV2-Bcl-xL afforded significant preservation of the cochlear hair cells against ototoxic insults and protected the cochlear function. AAV2-mediated Bcl-xL might be an approach with respect to potential therapeutic application in the cochlear degeneration. Chin Med J 2007;120(14):1236-1240


Purpose – The UK has experienced a number of flood events in recent years, and the intensity and frequency of such events are forecast to further increase in future due to changing climatic conditions. Accordingly, enhancing the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – which form an important segment in a society – to flood risk, has emerged as an important issue. However, SMEs often tend to underestimate the risk of flooding which tends to have a low priority in their business agenda. The purpose of this paper is to undertake an investigation of adaptation to the risk of flooding considering community-level measures, individual-level property protection, and business continuity and resilience measures. Design/methodology/approach – A total of four short case studies were conducted among SMEs to identify their response to flood risk, and what measures have been undertaken to manage the risk of flooding. Findings – It was observed that SMEs have implemented different property-level protection measures and generic business continuity/risk management measures, based on their requirements, to achieve a desired level of protection. Practical implications – SMEs are likely to positively respond to property-level adaptation following a post-flood situation. It is important that information such as costs/benefits of such measures and different options available are made accessible to SMEs affected by a flood event. Social implications – Implementation of property-level adaptation measures will contribute towards the long term adaptation of the existing building stock to changing climatic conditions. Originality/value – The paper contributes towards policy making on flood risk adaptation and SME decision making, and informs policy makers and practitioners.


Mammalian cells attached to membrane filters or deposited on filters without attachment were exposed to gas‐phase singlet oxygen (1O2) in the absence of any other reactants. Cells were exposed in a monolayer or less, in the absence of external medium, during steady‐state 1O2 generation, ensuring that singlet oxygen impinged directly and equally on all cells simultaneously. The current methodology for cell exposure ensures that 1O2 is initially the only reactive species to which the cells are exposed. Results seen with this system can therefore be attributed solely and unambiguously to events initiated by 1O2. Further, all cells in the sample receive the same magnitude of exposure per surface area per time interval, which supports calculations of the amount of 1O2 required for irreversible cell damage, based on measured 1O2 flux and exposed cell surface area. Exposure to pure 1O2 irreversibly damaged a variety of cell types, including rat basophilic leukemia, human squamous carcinoma and Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cell lines, and murine primary hepatocytes. Cell survival curves following exposure to 1O2 followed apparent first‐order kinetics. A large number of singlet oxygen collisions (˜ 1012‐1013) were required to inactivate a cell, on average, indicating a low probability that singlet oxygen collision will reduce cell survival. Regardless of cell type or the survival endpoint measured, lethal toxicity required a fairly constant number of 1O2 collisions per cell. This poses a serious caveat in the assignment of causality in correlating 1O2‐initiated cellular damage with mechanism of death, i.e. most damage observed will not be related to death. The importance of various toxic effects of 1O2, whether lethal or nonlethal, will depend on the magnitude of exposure and therefore on the context in which exposure occurs.


Comprehensive considered actual working conditions of cold rolling mill, a high precision shape detecting system of cold rolling strip was developed to meet industrial application. Consideration to both follow-up processing technology requirements, dynamic flatness standard curves could be formulated according to different rolling conditions and product specifications, and reliable shape datum were provided for close-loop shape control. This system was successfully used in Angang 1250 mm HC 6-high reversible cold rolling mill. Then the shape index and the quality stability of cold rolling strip were increased significantly, the errors between the calculated values and measured values of the total tension were less than 3%, the precision of shape detecting is 0.2 I and shape indices was within 6 I after the close-loop shape control was input.


Objectives: Surgical fusion of the lumbar spine is an important method for the permanent stabilization after decompression surgery. Various clinical modalities of spinal fusion have been reported. Both transforaminal interbody fusion (TLIF) and posterior interbody fusion (PLIF) provide a circumferential fusion and are considered reasonable surgical options. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively assess clinical parameters such as surgical blood loss, duration of the procedure and hospitalization and complications for TLIF and PLIF for lumbar fusion. Methods: Fifty-two patients with degenerative lumbar disorders treated with posterior decompression, posterior pedicle screws instrumentation and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) or posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with cages for one-or two-level degenerative lumbar disorders were analyzed retrospectively. Perioperative data including patient's basic data, operation time, blood loss, hospitalization days and complications were compared between these two groups. Results: The mean operation time and blood loss of the TLIF group were less than those of the PLIF group. The difference in the average length of hospitalization was not statistically significant. No major complication was observed during the operations or at follow-up in both groups. There were two patients with transient neurologic deficit in the TLIF group and one patient in the PLIF group. Conclusions: Considering diminished blood loss, shortened operation time and relatively safely procedure, TLIF is considered as a more advantageous method than PLIF when been used for fusion in the treatment of degenerative lumbar disorders.


Floor heating is characterized by small horizontal and vertical temperature differences, and might be especially suitable for Japanese homes where it is customary to sit on the floor. This paper compares thermal comfort in homes while floor heating systems and air conditioning systems were in use during winter. Each dwelling had both a floor heating system and an air conditioning system, each used on alternate weeks during the survey period. Throughout the survey periods residents were asked about their current thermal sensation, thermal preference, overall comfort and foot-comfort. Air temperature, globe temperature, humidity and floor surface temperature were recorded. More than 6,000 were collected from 50 dwellings. The results showed that a floor heating system was preferred, and that it was more effective in providing a comfortable environment.


: Like neutrophils, phagocytizing macrophages undergo a "respiratory burst" in which significant quantities of oxygen are drawn into the cell. The consumed oxygen is not used in oxidative phosphorylation but, rather, in the formation of superoxide anion (O2) and H2O2. These oxygen metabolites and the products of their interaction, in particular hydroxyl radical (OH), have been implicated in the killing of ingested bacteria by neutrophils. Their role in macrophage microbicidal activity has not been fully defined. However, activated macrophages, which mediate increased resistance to infection in vivo, have a markedly increased capacity to generate O2 and H2O2 in vitro when stimulated by phagocytosis or surface perturbation. The enhanced capacity of activated macrophages to generate highly reactive oxygen metabolites during phagocytosis could contribute to the improved microbicidal and tumoricidal activity of these cells.


This challenging reservoir characterization case study is defined by the interaction between two reservoirs with different production mechanisms: a fractured basement reservoir and an overlying sandstone reservoir. The existing static geologic concept has been significantly enhanced by integrating pressure data from a unique three-year shut-in period to aid modeling of fractured reservoir connectivity. Previously, the seismic dataset was predominantly used to model the fault and fracture network and guide well planning. In the current approach, the full field data set, including all drilling parameters and new reservoir surveillance data were integrated to address uncertainty in the connected hydrocarbon volume and the relative importance of each production mechanism. The result is a reservoir management tool with which to test re-development concepts and effectively manage pressure decline and increasing gas/oil ratio (GOR) and water production.
 To achieve a fully integrated history matched model, the first step was to make a thorough review of the existing detailed seismic interpretation, vintage production logging tool runs (PLT's), wireline logs (including borehole image logs (BHI)) and drilling data to find a causal link between hydraulically conductive fractures and well production behavior. In parallel, a material balance exercise was run to incorporate the new pressure data acquired during the field's shut-in period. The results of the material balance analysis were combined with seismic and well data to define the distribution of connected fractures across the field. Additionally, the material balance analysis was used to determine the connected hydrocarbon volume, the distribution of initial oil in-place and the relative hydrocarbon contribution from each production mechanism.
 The field is covered by multi-azimuth 3D seismic and 43 vertical to highly deviated development wells, providing significant static and dynamic data for characterizing the distribution of connected fractures. Despite this high quality, diverse and field-wide dataset, prior modeling iterations struggled to sufficiently describe the production behavior seen at the well level. This has resulted in a major challenge to predicting the production behavior of new development wells and planning for reservoir management challenges. Capturing the complex interaction between production variables (including lithology, matrix versus fracture network, geomechanical stresses, reservoir damage and pressure depletion) at a field level instead of at an individual well level resulted in a unified static and dynamic model that reconciles all scales of observation.
 This oilfield represents a unique reservoir characterization opportunity. The result is a key example of how iterative, integrated geological and engineering driven reservoir modeling can be used to inform the development in a complex, mature field. This case study provides an excellent analogue for the reservoir characterization of other fractured Basement fields and/or Basement-cover reservoir couplet fields in the early to late phases of their development.


Before carrying out work in the socio-legal field, it is necessary to consider the ethical implications of the work and to go through the required ethical approval processes. Often, depending on the project, this will be straightforward, as the work will not give rise to significant ethical dilemmas. Sometimes though, in projects that will involve human subjects and sensitive issues such as mental health and sexuality, investigated either through quantitative or qualitative methods, further ethical enquiry will be necessary. This further enquiry will usually entail consideration of the project by a research ethics committee, who will be checking the application to ensure that there is no danger to the researcher or to the institution. The kind of risk considered is usually physical, financial, legal, and/or reputational. This chapter considers the likely ethical questions that will be asked of socio-legal work and how to navigate the process of dealing with these questions. I also look at an example of how a 'risky' participatory sexuality project can produce particular challenges to ethical regimes. These challenges are both to the underlying prejudices in the decision-making processes of ethics committees and to academia as a conventional and 'straight' space. I consider how we, as socio-legal scholars, might navigate these prejudices, the types of prejudice that might be encountered, the potential effects on research, and the necessity of confronting and challenging these prejudices through ethical awareness in socio-legal research.


This issue addresses the topic of ecological validity in research in human development across the life span. Although recent developments in study design, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques have greatly advanced researchers' ability to collect large amounts of data on large groups of individuals in natural settings, it is important to approach these data with a reflected understanding of their ecological validity. Just because data were collected using everyday and familiar stimuli or ecological momentary assessment methods does not mean automatically that the ecological validity of these data is guaranteed and can go unquestioned.


DNA tumour viruses have evolved a number of mechanisms by which they deregulate normal cellular growth control. We have recently described the properties of a cyclin encoded by human herpesvirus 8 (also known as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus) which is able to resist the actions of p16Ink4a, p21Cip1 and p27Kip1 cdk inhibitors. Here we investigate the mechanism involved in the subversion of a G1 blockade imposed by overexpression of p27Kip1. We demonstrate that binding of K cyclin to cdk6 expands the substrate repertoire of this cdk to include a number of substrates phosphorylated by cyclin–cdk2 complexes but not cyclin D1–cdk6. Included amongst these substrates is p27Kip1 which is phosphorylated on Thr187. Expression of K cyclin in mammalian cells leads to p27Kip1 downregulation, this being consistent with previous studies indicating that phosphorylation of p27Kip1 on Thr187 triggers its downregulation. K cyclin expression is not able to prevent a G1 arrest imposed by p27Kip1 in which Thr187 is mutated to non-phosphorylatable Ala. These results imply that K cyclin is able to bypass a p27Kip1-imposed G1 arrest by facilitating phosphorylation and downregulation of p27Kip1 to enable activation of endogenous cyclin–cdk2 complexes. The extension of the substrate repertoire of cdk6 by K cyclin is likely to contribute to the deregulation of cellular growth by this herpesvirusencoded cyclin.


The effect of red wine malolactic fermentation on the fate of seven fungicides (carbendazim, chlorothalonil, fenarimol, metalaxyl, oxadixyl, procymidone, and triadimenol) and three insecticides (carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, and dicofol) was investigated. After malolactic fermentation using Oenococcus oeni, which simulated common Australian enological conditions, the concentrations of the active compounds chlorpyrifos and dicofol were the most significantly reduced, whereas the concentrations of chlorothalonil and procymidone diminished only slightly. The effect of these pesticides on the activity of the bacteria was also studied. Dicofol had a major inhibitory effect on the catabolism of malic acid, whereas chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos, and fenarimol had only a minor effect.


This paper reported the electrodeposition of the nickel manganese alloy coatings from a sulphate bath using sodium citrate as complexing agent. The cyclic voltammetric experiments showed that the alloy initiative codeposition potential was about –0.457 V (vs.SCE). The effect of the plating conditions on the composition and the structure of the Ni-Mn were studied by energy dispersive X-ray spectrum and X-ray diffractometer, respectively. As a result, with the increase of the cathodic current density from 10 to 40 mA·cm-2, the manganese content of the deposit increased from 4.4 at% to 10.3 at%, and then it slightly decreased. The phase structure of the coating was face centered lattice (Fm3m) Ni-Mn solid solution. The corrosive polarization experiments indicated that the deposit could work as sacrificial coating for carbon steel in 3.5 wt% sodium chloride solution.


— Uncertainty in emissions from brick manufacturing is a major concern and more primary monitoring based datasets are required. This study presents latest emission factors for continuous fixed chimney bull trench brick kilns (FCBTK), which is the main technology used for brick production in India. Stack monitoring of kilns in a typical brick manufacturing cluster in India is carried out to monitor emissions of pollutants like PM, SO 2 and CO. Average concentrations of PM, SO 2 and CO in the stacks are measured to be 172±76, 114±47 and 484±198 mg/Nm 3 , respectively. Monitored stack concentrations are used to compute emission factors based on brick production and fuel consumption activities in the cluster. The computed emission factors across different kilns ranged between 0.81-1.18, 0.57-0.71 and 2.07-2.80g/kg of fired bricks for PM, SO 2 and CO, respectively. Corresponding emission factors per unit of coal used in brick kilns are found to be in the range of 13-29, 9-15, 40-56 g /kg for PM, SO 2 and CO, respectively. The differences in emission factors are mainly due to variations in the quality of coal used by different kilns. Good correlations were observed between changing calorific values, ash and sulphur content of coal and emissions monitored in the kilns. These new factors can be used for improvement in emission inventories and thereafter modelling results for the region. making


Today, 31 earthworm species, 14 genera, five families (Acanthodrilidae, Criodrilidae, Lumbricidae, Ocnerodrilidae and Megascolecidae) are known to be present in the Levant. Aporrectodea caliginosa is represented by two subspecies. Out of all recorded species, 39-42 % (12-13 species) have been introduced and 58-61 % (18-19 species) seem to be autochthonous. Eight to eleven autochthonous species (42-61 %) of the lumbricid genera Dendrobaena, Bimastos and Allolobophora s.l. are endemic to the Levant. The autochthonous Levantine earthworm fauna shows zoogeographic affinities with the one in Anatolia, Europe, Caucasus, Iran, and North Africa, but taxonomic status, and consequently distribution, of some of the included species need revision. Our data show that, contrary to other groups, the earthworm fauna of the Levant does not show a transitory character between the Ethiopic and the Eurasian fauna.


Abstract Aims: Programmes to prevent or delay chronic disease incorporate promotion of physical activity, particularly walking. The objective of this study was to test the associations of the ability to walk quickly with measures of adiposity and metabolic risk including dysglycaemia. Subjects and methods: Participants (3209), without known diabetes, in a lifestyle trial undertook a 4-minute walk test (4MWT) following measurements of fasting lipids, 75 g oral glucose tolerance test, anthropometry and blood pressure. Lower socio-economic status was defined by possession of a 'community services card' (CSC). Dysglycaemia (diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose) and metabolic syndrome (MS) were defined by WHO and ATPIII criteria, respectively. Results: Controlling for age, length of the walk-course and height, distance walked during the 4MWT decreased linearly (p < 0.001) with increasing waist, body mass index, %fat mass and MS risk. On average those with dysglycaemia walked 15.2 (95% CI 9.3, 20.8) m less than 'normal' participants independent of gender. In the best-fit regression model, distance walked was associated with reduced distances walked 1.3 (1.2, 1.5) m/year of age, 0.9 (0.8, 1.1) m/kg fat, 15.7 (11.2, 19.5) m with a CSC and 8.0 (5.8,10.2) m if currently smoking. Each additional MS factor was associated with a reduction of the distance walked by 6.6 (4.6, 8.6) m. Conclusion: Increasing numbers of MS components are associated with slower walking. The 4MWT is an easy assessment of functional limitation, which may have use in guiding intervention.


Inflammatory aneurysm of the aorta is not merely a variant of atherosclerosis, but more probably it is a manifestation of a peculiar systemic disease related to idiopathic retroperitoneal and mediastinal fibrosis. Rarely, aortitis and coronary arteritis may coexist with the inflammatory aneurysm; one of each of such unusual cases are described. Because inflammatory aneurysms of the aorta tend to occur in elderly persons, aortitis and coronary arteritis, when present, cannot be distinguished from the concomitant age-related atherosclerosis without a careful histologic examination.


Young adults who have to undergo aortic valve surgery will frequently have (relative) contraindications to oral anticoagulation therapy because either pregnancy is planned or their life-style is very active. This review focuses on the surgical options available and assesses the literature focusing on the experience with each option obtained in young adults. There are no randomized studies in this age group which compare mechanical aortic valve replacement with any alternative option with regard to survival, need for reoperation, or quality of life. Among the alternative techniques, the Ross-procedure (pulmonary autograft) and aortic valve repair are of special interest. With the Ross-procedure, there is a rather large experience in young adults, and the results up to 10 years postoperatively are excellent. Unfortunately, there is only limited experience with this technique beyond that time.


Ionic liquids are an attractive material class due to their wide liquid range, intrinsic ionic conductivity, and high chemical as well as electrochemical stability. However, the widespread use of ionic liquids is hindered by significantly higher viscosities compared to conventional molecular solvents. In this work, we show how the transport properties of ionic liquids can be altered significantly, even for isostructural ions that have the same backbone. To this end, structure-property relationships have been determined for a set of 16 systematically varied representative ionic liquids. Variations in molecular structure include ammonium vs. phosphonium, ether vs. alkyl side chains, and rigid vs. flexible anions. Ab initio calculations are used to relate molecular structures to the thermal, structural and transport properties of the ionic liquids. We find that the differences in properties of ether and alkyl functionalised ionic liquids are primarily dependent on minimum energy geometries, with the conformational flexibility of ether side chains appearing to be of secondary importance. We also show unprecedented correlations between anion conformational flexibility and transport properties. Critically, increasing fluidity upon consecutive introduction of ether side chains and phosphonium centres into the cation is found to be dependent on whether the anion is flexible or rigid. We demonstrate that targeted design of functional groups based on structure-property relationships can yield ionic liquids of exceptionally high fluidity.


Cosmopolitical action in a climate-changed city represents different knowledges and practices that may seem disconnected but constellate to frame stories and spaces of a climate-just city. The question this article asks is: how might we as planners identify and develop counter-hegemonic praxes that enable us to re-imagine our experience of, and responses to, climate change? To explore this question, we draw on Isabelle Stengers's (2010) idea of cosmopolitics-where diverse stories, perspectives, experiences, and practices can connect to create the foundation for new strategic possibilities. Our article is empirically informed by conversations with actors from three Australian cities (Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth) who are mobilizing different approaches to this ideal in various grassroots actions on climate change.


In aeronautics, passenger safety and reliability of structures are essential aspects. Helicopter blades are particularly sensitive to impact solicitations but modeling these phenomena is still difficult and experimental tests often replace the prediction. This study will be focused on the modeling of an impact on the skin of the blade. It is equivalent in a first approach to an impact on a sandwich panel made up with a foam core and a thin composite skin. The objective is to develop a representative model of the damage kinetics adapted to the modeling of the complete structure. Thus, an F.E. explicit model has been developed. It relies on the development of a multiscale approach. Damage is modeled at an intermediate scale (mesoscopic) in order to reproduce the damage kinetics observed at a microscopic scale. Numerical results obtained are correct and reproduce the behavior of the panel for a static test of indentation and low velocity impact test.


Concerted efforts are underway to establish an infrastructure for a global quantum internet to realise a spectrum of quantum technologies. This will enable more precise sensors, secure communications, and faster data processing. Quantum communications are a front-runner with quantum networks already implemented in several metropolitan areas. A number of recent proposals have modelled the use of space segments to overcome range limitations of purely terrestrial networks. Rapid progress in the design of quantum devices have enabled their deployment in space for in-orbit demonstrations. We review developments in this emerging area of space-based quantum technologies and provide a roadmap of key milestones towards a complete, global quantum networked landscape. Small satellites hold increasing promise to provide a cost effective coverage required to realised the quantum internet. We review the state of art in small satellite missions and collate the most current in-field demonstrations of quantum cryptography. We summarise important challenges in space quantum technologies that must be overcome and recent efforts to mitigate their effects. A perspective on future developments that would improve the performance of space quantum communications is included. We conclude with a discussion on fundamental physics experiments that could take advantage of a global, space-based quantum network.


Solving consensus in wireless ad hoc networks has started to be addressed in several papers. Most of these papers adopt system models similar to those developed for wired networks. These models are focused towards node failures while ignoring link failures, and thus are poorly suited for wireless ad hoc networks. The HO model, which was proposed recently, does not have this drawback. The paper shows that an existing algorithm and the HO model can be used for multi-hop wireless ad hoc networks, if extended with an adequate communication layer. The description of the communication layer is augmented with simulation results that validate the feasibility of our approach and provide better understanding of the behavior of realistic wireless environments.


Background: Fortification of corn with folic acid has beneficial effects on hyperhomocysteinemia and heart disease. Folate fortification was contributed to an increase in average folate status and a reduction in serum homocysteine concentration. Methods : In this randomized clinical trial 17 men and women aged 61±5 years old with hyperhomocysteinemia with mean homocysteine concentration of 15/32±6/13 µmol/L were recruited. Subjects received fortified bread which contained 100µg folic acid daily for 8 weeks. Three-day food record, food frequency questionnaire and BMI (Body Mass Index) data at baseline and week 8 were completed. Plasma homocysteine and serum folate at baseline and week 8 were measured. All dietary and statistical analyses were undertaken using Nutritionist III and SPSS release 15.0 software with paired t-test. Results : Mean plasma homocysteine concentration decreased significantly in hyperhomocysteinemic subjects after daily consumption of folate fortified bread for 8 weeks (P<0.001).After 8 weeks serum folate concentration increased %26 (P=0.06). Mean BMI, energy and other components of dietary intake did not change significantly. Dietary vitamin C decreased significantly (P<0.001). Conclusion : Daily consumption of folic acid fortified bread, with 100 µg folic acid, in hyperhomocysteinemic subjects for 8 weeks led to significant decrease in plasma homocysteine and an increase in serum folate.


To assure reliable locking and normal deployment of large space-born appendages, a type of lock-unlock mechanism driven by spring was proposed. The spiral spring was used as a retraction device to draw the clamp-band back due to its characteristics of storing much more energy in limited space. Centralized lock-unlock scheme was employed here to light down mass of the whole mechanism. Reliable retraction of the clamp band and no collision on the surface of satellite are inspection targets of retraction device. Effect on retraction track by varying the torque and mass of clamp band was presented in this paper. To some spaceborne flexible arm, simulation of retraction track was done under specified parameters. The result obtained from simulation reveals that clamp band can accomplish safely and reliably, and will not produce any spatial waste.


In this paper the authors analyse abuse of trust in the economy, a criminal offence recently introduced into Serbian criminal law legislature. Taking into account the relevant provisions of laws in regards to companies, the authors refer to the scope of application of this crime and thoroughly explain categories of persons that may be considered representatives and trustees as perpetrators. The authors conclude that this criminal offence is imprecisely defined, considering the fact that the criminal law legislator does not prescribe the action of crime. Therefore, they suggest that this element of criminal offence should include abuse of representative powers and breach of duties to companies. Finally, the authors devote attention to the consent of the injured in relation to this criminal offence and to high-risk activities which, under certain conditions, may also exclude the existence of this criminal offence.


The measuring space is the set of positions a flexible arm coordinate measuring machine (FACMM) can reach, and it is an important measure for the evaluation of a FACMM. To study the measuring space of FACMMs the kinematic model was established. Furthermore, a new method based on Monte Carlo method to calculate the measuring space of FACMMs was proposed. The method generates the data of joint angles with Monte Carlo method, which is used to calculate the coordinates of the FACMM's probe through the kinematic model. These coordinates make up the measuring space. The results of the analysis on the measuring space show that the measuring space of FACMMs is not a sphere usually considered as but an ellipsoid, and there is lack of flexibility near the border of the measuring space.


Traditional exploration techniques usually rely on extensive field work supported by geophysical ground surveying. However, this approach can be limited by several factors such as field accessibility, financial cost, area size, climate, and public disapproval. We recommend the use of multiscale hyperspectral remote sensing to mitigate the disadvantages of traditional exploration techniques. The proposed workflow analyzes a possible target at different levels of spatial detail. This method is particularly beneficial in inaccessible and remote areas with little infrastructure, because it allows for a systematic, dense and generally noninvasive surveying. After a satellite regional reconnaissance, a target is characterized in more detail by plane-based hyperspectral mapping. Subsequently, Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS)-mounted hyperspectral sensors are deployed on selected regions of interest to provide a higher level of spatial detail. All hyperspectral data are corrected for radiometric and geometric distortions. End-member modeling and classification techniques are used for rapid and accurate lithological mapping. Validation is performed via field spectroscopy and portable XRF as well as laboratory geochemical and spectral analyses. The resulting spectral data products quickly provide relevant information on outcropping lithologies for the field teams. We show that the multiscale approach allows defining the promising areas that are further refined using RPAS-based hyperspectral imaging. We further argue that the addition of RPAS-based hyperspectral data can improve the detail of field mapping in mineral exploration, by bridging the resolution gap between airplane- and ground-based data. RPAS-based measurements can supplement and direct geological observation rapidly in the field and therefore allow better integration with in situ ground investigations. We demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach at the Lofdal Carbonatite Complex in Namibia, which has been previously subjected to rare earth elements exploration. The deposit is located in a remote environment and characterized by difficult terrain which limits ground surveys.


Recent research shows that the high occupancy of coherence controllers (CCs) is a major performance bottleneck in scalable shared-memory multiprocessors. We propose to take microarchitectural enhancements used for microprocessors and apply them to improve the throughput of hardwired CCs. These enhancements are CC support for nonblocking execution, early fetches of directory and L3 information, and superpipelining. Nonblocking execution in the CC reduces stalls by processing subsequent coherence transactions in the presence of misses in the directory cache and tag cache. Early fetching in the CC hides misses in the directory and tag caches and, therefore, also removes stalls. Finally, superpipelining in the CC increases its processing bandwidth. These supports all serve to increase the overall throughput of CCs and improve overall system performance. Using both SPLASH-2 and parallelized SPEC95 applications on detailed simulation models, we show that CCs that support nonblocking execution and superpipelining boost the performance of machines substantially. With these CCs, a 64-processor machine with four nodes of four SMPs per node runs on average 3.56 times faster than if it used conventional CCs. In addition, the machine runs about as fast as a more costly 64-processor machine with sixteen nodes of one SMP per node and the same advanced CCs. This is despite using much less network, chassis, and node hardware. Consequently, with our proposed advanced CCs, we can reduce the system cost significantly without affecting performance.


A penetrative secondary foliation and lineation, defined by tectonically flattened and elongated fragments, are present in the Onaping Formation of the South and East Ranges of the Sudbury Basin. These elements formed not by shearing, as previously supposed, but by flowage such that maximum shortening was normal to the foliation and maximum extension was parallel to the lineation. The basin was deformed by a 'push' from the southeast and the forward motion at the surface exceeded that at depth. This caused extensive flowage, tectonic thickening and folding in the Onaping Formation, and uplift and rotation of the South Range. The deformation intensity decreased rapidly to the northwest, so that near the basin axis the rocks yielded by folding, while in the North Range the only vestige of the deformation is a local and weak foliation.Quartz grains in the Onaping Formation are generally recrystallized and the lack of a crystallographic preferred orientation suggests post-tectonic annealing recrystallization ...


Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the leading cause of disability globally in both developed and developing nations. The staggering economic costs attributable to MDD are largely a consequence of impairment in role function. Evidence indicates that disturbance in the domain of cognitive function in individuals with MDD is the principal determinant of health outcome. This is the first book to comprehensively explore the domain of cognition in MDD. The literature describing cognitive dysfunction is reviewed with particular focus on clinical determinants, pathophysiology and causative factors. The patient subpopulations most susceptible are defined. A summary of contemporary assessment tools for research and clinical purposes is provided. Multimodality treatments and prevention strategies are described. This book is an invaluable resource for psychiatrists, neuropsychologists and other members of the mental health team, as well as for policy makers, vocation rehabilitation experts, disability providers and other stakeholders interested in improving health outcomes in MDD.


The idea that an abnormality in the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor contributes to asthma has been a long-standing hypothesis. Since the discovery of functionally relevant polymorphisms in the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor gene, there has been intensive research on their impact on asthma and related phenotypes, particularly the responsiveness to bronchodilators. It is the aim of this chapter to summarize the latest developments in this interesting field of research.


The following recommended changes are similar to, but not identical with, those recommended by the US Public Health Service Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in November 1978.1 These changes focus on more effective delivery of the vaccine to older individuals, in particular to females in the childbearing age group. All comments related to the vaccine and its use pertain to all licensed vaccines available in the United States, including the recently licensed RA27/3 vaccine.
 The major objective of the National Rubella Immunization Program is the prevention of rubella infection in early pregnancy, which in turn will prevent infection of the fetus and consequent congenital rubella. Prior to vaccine licensure in 1969, approximately 15% of women of childbearing age were susceptible to rubella. At the present time, more than 83 million doses of live, attenuated rubella virus vaccine have been distributed in the United States, which has clearly resulted in a widespread reduction of epidemic rubella in preschool-and elementary school-aged children. However, since the use of rubella vaccine has not been universal in the target population (only about two thirds of the children 1 to 12 years old have been immunized) and since vaccine usage has disrupted the epidemic nature of rubella, the population for whom antibody protection is desired (women of childbearing age) is still suspected of being as susceptible, or more so, than in the prevaccine era. Indeed, serologic surveys indicate that persons in this age group have a percentage of susceptibility similar to that noted prior to 1969.


New mutants defective in RMED/V neuron specification are alleles of EOR-1 and EOR-2 Xun Huang and Yishi Jin 1. MCD biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA95064 2. Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China 3. Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, CA92093 (*: co-corresponding authors; email: firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com)


Three point mutations were isolated in the Agrobacterium tumefaciens virG gene by screening for vir gene expression in the absence of added phenolic inducing compounds. All three mutations were localized in the predicted amino-terminal phosphoryl receiver domain of the protein. One mutant (N54D) bypasses the requirement for VirA and phenolic inducers both for transcriptional activation of all tested vir promoters and for plant tumorigenesis. This mutant also activates vir gene expression efficiently at neutral pH, indicating that the step in induction that is normally stimulated by acid pH occurs before or during VirG phosphorylation. The other two mutants (M13T and H15R) require VirA for activity but are sensitized to low levels of inducing stimuli.


Bud burst and flowering dates of commercial apple and pear cultivars were monitored in three geographically and climatically distinct growing regions of Australia (Applethorpe, Queensland; Shepparton, Victoria; Manjimup, Western Australia). Whole tree field assessments were made of 5% green tip, first open flower and progression of flowering to full bloom at all sites. Initial data from 2012 and 2013 indicated significant regional and varietal variation in the timing of bud burst and flowering. Variability in the duration of the period between first open flower and full bloom among sites suggests potential effects of climate on the consistency of flowering. Relationships between phenological variability and temperature are discussed. Field measurements and temperature data are being used to develop cultivar specific models of bud burst and flowering time. These phenological models will be used in conjunction with 2030 climate forecasts to make predictions about potential impacts on the pome fruit industry in Australia. Preliminary results from the modelling analysis are presented.


Abstract According to the literature, practitioners' use of research appears to play an important role in facilitating high-quality applied practice. Previous studies indicate that teachers have a positive attitude towards using research, but that they are rarely successful in implementing it in their actual practice. There appears to be a scarcity of studies that have considered the non-teacher practitioner. This paper analyses interviews conducted with non-teacher practitioners (n=20) who work in extracurricular programmes of German primary and secondary all-day schools. The interview data suggests that some practitioners gather evidence to inform their practices. A deeper analysis of two cases revealed how research was transferred into action. They provided examples of how practitioners could use research to improve their approach with children and young people. The conclusion of this paper emphasises the need to foster evidence-based practices, as well as rigorous problem-solving and decision-making, in the field of extended education. Keywords: use of research, evidence-based practice, non-teacher practitioners, German all-day school (Ganztagsschule) ----- Bibl iography: Kielblock, Stephan/Gaiser, Johanna M.: The Impact of Using Research on Teaching Practices of Non-Teacher Practitioners within German All-Day Schools, IJREE, Vol. 4, Issue 2-2016, pp. 56-69. https://doi.org/10.3224/ijree.v4i2.25781


: An experimental analysis of various methods of photomodification of blood has shown that their use in medical practice has principle possibility to obtain effects of various directions at the expense of variation of blood irradiation regimens. UV radiation brings about processes of lipid peroxidation in plasma membrane of lymphocytes, their intensity depends on the presence of oxygen in the surroundings.


The increasing applications of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has led to the development of various SERS-active platforms (SERS substrates) for SERS measurement. This work reviews the current optimization techniques available for improving the performance of some of these SERS substrates. The work particularly identifies self-assembled-monolayer(SAM-) based substrate modification for optimum SERS activity and wider applications. An overview of SERS, SAM, and studies involving SAM-modified substrates is highlighted. The focus of the paper then shifts to the use of SAMs to improve analytical applications of SERS substrates by addressing issues including long-term stability, selectivity, reproducibility, and functionalization, and so forth. The paper elaborates on the use of SAMs to achieve optimum SERS enhancement. Specific examples are based on novel multilayered SERS substrates developed in the author's laboratory where SAMs have been demonstrated as excellent dielectric spacers for improving SERS enhancement more than 20-fold relative to conventional single layer SERS substrates. Such substrate optimization can significantly improve the sensitivity of the SERS method for analyte detection.


Stark effects in Rydberg states of xenon atoms were investigated both experimentally and theoretically. The experimental part consisted of laser-induced fluorescence-dip spectroscopy. Using a (2+1)-photon excitation scheme, xenon atoms were excited from the ground state to high-lying Rydberg ns and nd levels. Measurements were made in a controllable electric field environment, produced by applying a pulsed voltage to two parallel metal electrodes. For energy levels with principal quantum numbers ranging from 12 to 18, Stark shifts of up to 4.8 cm{sup -1} were observed for electric fields ranging from 0 to 4000 V/cm. Additionally, mixing of energy levels in high electric fields was measured for nd levels. The experimental results were compared to a theoretical calculation based on solving the Schroedinger equation for a perturbed Hamiltonian. The calculation method proved to be very accurate for predicting Stark effects in Rydberg nd levels, while for ns levels the agreement was only moderate, probably due to deviations from the assumption of a hydrogenlike atom that is used in the calculation. Finally, the feasibility of using measurements of Stark shifts of Rydberg levels as a diagnostic for electric fields in low-pressure discharges was discussed.


The studies on nitrates and nitrites food intakes in year 1991-1995 were carried out in four types of households i.e. works, worker-farmers, farmers, pensioners and retired persons and from 1993 in self-employed households and families maintaining themselves on non-income sources; altogether and with regard to the number of persons in family. Using household budget data and literature concerning nitrates and nitrites contents in food products, mean and maximum food intakes of these compounds were calculated and compared to acceptable daily intake (ADI) taking into consideration main sources of them. The obtained results indicated that the mean nitrate and nitrite food intakes did not exceed ADI but maximum intakes of one were several times higher than ADI. Nitrate and nitrite food intakes depended on type of household being highest at farmers, pensioners and the number of persons in family. Six persons families took nearly half less than did one-person one. There were no differences in main food sources of nitrates and nitrites for all types of households and number of person in families. Vegetables and their products supplied 94-98% of nitrates whereas meat products supplied 98% of nitrites.


OBJECTIVE Both type 1 diabetes (T1D) and celiac disease (CD) have been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD). We examined if individuals with both T1D and CD were at a higher risk of ATD than those with only T1D. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This study was a nationwide population-based cohort study. We defined T1D as having an inpatient or a hospital-based outpatient diagnosis of T1D at age ≤30 years in the Swedish National Patient Register between 1964 and 2009. Data on CD were obtained through small intestinal biopsy reports showing villous atrophy (Marsh histopathology grade III) between 1969 and 2008 at any of the 28 pathology departments in Sweden. ATD included hyperthyreosis and hypothyreosis, defined according to the Swedish National Patient Register. We identified 947 individuals with T1D and biopsy-verified CD. These were matched to 4,584 control subjects with T1D but no CD diagnosis. Cox regression then estimated the risk of ATD. RESULTS Among T1D, CD was a risk factor for later ATD. During follow-up, 90 T1D+CD patients developed ATD (expected n = 54). Adjusting for sex, age, and calendar period, this corresponded to a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.67 (95% CI 1.32–2.11; P < 0.001). This excess risk was highest in those who had CD for 10 years or more (HR 2.22 [95% CI 1.49–3.23]). Risk increases were seen in both males and females. CD was a risk factor for both hypothyreosis (HR 1.66 [95% CI 1.30–2.12]) and hyperthyreosis (HR 1.72 [95% CI 0.95–3.11]). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with T1D, CD is a risk factor for the later development of ATD.


Most of amino acid (AA) digestibility values for feed ingredients are obtained using pigs cannulated in the distal ileum. The ileal-cannulated pig model uses pigs older than six weeks due to difficulties related to implanting the T-cannula in distal ileum of younger pigs and complications during the post-surgical recovery. However, to properly formulate the diet of weaned pigs, the nutritive value of feed ingredients should be determined with younger pigs. Thus, 25 weaned pigs were used to determine the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, energy, and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) ileal AA digestibility of broken rice (BR), with or without multicarbohydrase (MC) and phytase (Phy) supplementation. Piglets were weaned at 23 d of age and individually housed in digestibility cages until 45 d of age. The trial consisted of 7 d of adaptation to the experimental diets and 3 d of excreta (feces and urine) collection. Ileal digesta was collected at slaughter (about 6 weeks of age). A completely randomized experimental design was used to determine the effects of MC and Phy. Reference diets (RD, 5% casein) was replaced by 30% of BR with or without MC, Phy, or MC+Phy. The RD was used to quantify endogenous AA losses. BR with Phy supplied had increased the ATTD of dry matter (p<0.05) and SID of histidine (p = 0.05), arginine, leucine, lysine, valine, alanine, and proline (p<0.05). BR with MC had been increased digestible energy and protein and SID for histidine (p<0.05). There was no interaction between Phy and MC on the BR nutrient digestibilities. Standardized amino acid digestibilities of BR, without enzymes, were lower than those values reported in the literature. The MC and Phy improved the digestibility of some nutrients and energy of BR in post-weaned piglet diets.


There are more and more precedents with offended infants of 30-40 years old — they are not emotionally abstinent, because they are in an artificial coma of infantilism, in which 'desire' has replaced 'sacrifice', and are clearly hypocritical, which is why the Holiday of Disobedience, hanging around the planet with a blinking garland of conflicts and wars, creates a turbulent zone in which the bifurcation points are taken out — beyond the orbit of common understanding, turning Consciousness into the quietest Sphinx, producing hypotheses. The saying, willingly or unwittingly, can become a "winged missile" — and destroy the whole world, good or bad, but the theory created by the presentiment of scientific research can help keep it in health and in the flesh of a divine plan, but on one condition: while maintaining peace and the will of Consciousness — the indispensable parity of the Mind, which multiplies both entities and doubt as paradox, whose mental albatrosses format our understanding. Thus, a hypothesis based on a paradox forms the Image of the Concept, and thereby builds a fundamental frame of the worldview, without belittling the elephants, and without forgetting the whale. In our world, a liar as Caesar's wife turns out to be beyond suspicion, and, therefore, discussion, and his figure is so transparent and nano-technological that it has long been soldered into the 'scale of errors' of all perception — and this is the toothless sperm whale that substituted its back for the pillars of thinking, which is why not only looms as a wise turtle, but is also perceived by a cheerful Buddha. From time to time, the whale opens its mouth — and we all find ourselves in its throat, and the liar himself is outside the Law, outside the conflict, but in the Law: in the legal field of the Absolute, who knows only the doctrine of exclusiveness and the purple of shamelessness is accustomed.


In this communication, we report on an interesting observation of wide-ranging potential for cellular imaging and manipulation: Hydrophobic QDs can be easily incorporated into the bilayer membrane of lipid vesicles. Such lipid/QD nanocontainer hybrid vesicles are capable either to fuse with live cells, thereby stain the cell's plasma membrane selectively with fluorescent QDs and transfer the vesicle's cargo into the cell or to transfer into the cytoplasm of live cells. Our results imply that cell and lipid membranes can integrate any kind of hydrophobic nanoparticle whose size matches the membrane thickness, opening novel possibilities to manipulate them as individuals or in ensemble with wide-ranging applications for nanobiotechnology.


This study aimed to go beyond a simple descriptive analysis and attempt a critical investigation of phenomena related to job satisfaction. Specifically, the purpose of study was to identify the conditions under which Korean academics work; what aspects they valued in relation to their jobs; how satisfied they were with their jobs; the challenges they faced; how these challenges influenced their job satisfaction; and whether or not there were differences in job satisfaction between particular groups based on demographic and institutional factors.

In this study, a qualitative interview and a questionnaire survey were deployed as data collection methods. Twenty-five academics from ten universities in Korea participated in the interview. In addition, 700 questionnaires were sent to academics from fourteen universities and 519 of which were returned. After some of these were deemed unusable, 498 questionnaires were used for the study.

The academics involved in this study exhibited different levels of satisfaction with different job aspects. Generally, they reported being satisfied with their work, academic freedom, recognition, development, interpersonal relationships, and job security. However, they were dissatisfied with their pay and with policy and administration, and were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their working conditions. Overall, they were slightly satisfied with their jobs. Korean academics attached more value to intrinsic aspects, e. g. work, academic freedom, development, and recognition, than to extrinsic aspects, e.g. workload, pay and administration. This was corroborated by the finding that intrinsic aspects were more likely to have a greater impact on overall job satisfaction than extrinsic aspects.

This thesis showed differences in job satisfaction between groups defined on the basis of age, gender, academic discipline, control type, and university location. Older academics exhibited higher job satisfaction than did their younger colleagues. The reason put forth is that older academics enjoy advantageous circumstances in areas such as pay, professional development, and promotions. Female academics reported lower satisfaction with most job aspects and lower overall job satisfaction than did their male colleagues. This gender gap was attributed to the male-dominated culture in academe, heavy family responsibilities, and the lack of support structure. Academic discipline influenced job satisfaction to some extent, which was thought to be attributable to differences in working conditions and culture between academic disciplines. Academics at private universities reported higher pay satisfaction than their counterparts at public universities, whereas academics at public universities reported higher satisfaction with university administration than did their counterparts at private universities. Academics at universities in Seoul reported higher satisfaction with most job aspects, as well as higher overall job satisfaction, than those at universities in provincial areas. This was likely because academics at universities in Seoul enjoyed better conditions than those at universities in provincial areas.


Abstract This study investigates the lane-changing behavior in work zone merging areas during the period from the time of starting a lane-changing maneuver to that of completing the lane-changing maneuver. With vehicle trajectory data from short-term work zone sites, we establish a spatial-temporal varying coefficient model considering possible spatial-varying and time-varying effects. Model results show that four factors including the longitudinal gap between the lane-changing vehicle and lead vehicle, lane-changing vehicle speed, through lane lag vehicle type and crash severity between the lane-changing vehicle and the through lane lag vehicle exhibit spatial-varying effects on the drivers' lane-changing behavior, while time-varying effects are found from the lead vehicle speed in the merge lane, crash severities of the lane-changing vehicle with regard to the lead vehicle and the through lane lead vehicle. Time-varying and spatial-varying effects from vehicle crash severities between the lane-changing vehicle and through lane vehicles suggest that lane-changing vehicles tend to take a risky merge as the elapsed time increases or when they are closer to the work zone.


Abstract White and yellowish precipitates were found in a gravel pit in the Kumpuselkä esker chain during the summers of 2004-2007. The esker is located in northern Finland, in the northern Ostrobothnia schist area which contains mica schists with quartz veins, which are locally enriched in Co, Cu, Au, Zn, Pb and Ni. A thin till bed lies between the esker gravel and bedrock. Precipitates were found as small grains on the till surface, encrusting twigs and around small pebbles. Ground-water ponds in the pit measured in the summer of 2006 were very acidic as was the till material. The precipitates comprise secondary sulphates, such as gypsum, pickeringite and Mg-sulphates, which are all water-soluble.


Policy and financial pressures have driven up use of observation stays for patients in traditional Medicare and the Veterans' Affairs Healthcare System. Using claims data (2004-2014) from OptumLabs™ Data Warehouse, we examined whether people in private Medicare Advantage (MA) and commercial plans experienced similar changes. We found that use of observation increased rapidly for patients in MA plans—even though MA plans were not subject to the same pressures as government-run programs. In contrast, use of observation remained constant for people in commercial plans—except for enrollees 65 and older, for whom it increased somewhat. Privately insured patients returning to the hospital after an inpatient stay were increasingly likely to be placed under observation. Our results suggest that observation is rapidly replacing inpatient admissions and readmissions for many older patients in MA and commercial plans, while younger patients continue to be admitted as inpatients at relatively constant rates.


On several occasions during the late 1860s, the novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe exhorted readers to adorn their homes with chromolithographs, color prints which reproduced original oil-paintings or, less often, depicted images created specifically for the print medium. In her 1869 domestic advice manual, The American Woman's Home, co-authored with her sister Catharine Beecher, Stowe described chromolithographs (or "chromos," as they were commonly called) as essential components of a properly embellished home interior. In proposing a hypothetical budget devoted to parlor furnishings, the authors recommended that almost one-fourth of the total be allocated to lithographic reproductions of "really admirable pictures" by some of "America's best artists." Stowe's advocacy of chromos also appeared in the promotional publications of L. Prang & Company, one of the country's largest publishers of these images. The short-lived quarterly Prang's Chromo: A Journal of Popular Art (published in five issues from January 1868 to April 1869) printed a letter in which Stowe thanked Louis Prang for sending her several free chromolithographs. After praising the "beautiful objects," Stowe concluded her note with the kind of testimonial Prang no doubt had been seeking when he sent her the complimentary items: "Be assured I shall neglect no opportunity of proving my sympathy with your so charming and beautiful mission, and bringing it to everyone's notice, so far as I can." And, though it is impossible to know what exact role Stowe's promotions played in the overall sale of chromos, it is clear that she aligned herself with a hot commodity: from 1840 to 1900, chromolithographs in America sold by the millions.


Any sedimentary rock is a complex natural formation, which was formed under the influence of many processes. One of the aims of lithologists is the occurrence and study of these processes, which is necessary for targeted searches for mineral resources associated with sedimentary rock. Analysis of order of mineral crystallization (stadial analysis) is the most successful method to solve the problems. That analysis is a brunch in lithology science aimed at reconstructing the geological history of rock. The step-by-step analysis includes methods of prospecting, optical and electronic microscopy, and diagnostics of the material composition of minerals. However, the researcher receives basic information about the processes of rock formation through microscopic observations of the features of minerals: their shapes, sizes, composition, interrelations, as well as structural and textural features. In the course of such observations, "indicator components" of rock are established with obvious signs of duration and conditions of its formation: sedimentary "indicator components" (biogenic detritus, allothigenic fragments, tufogenic material), dia- and katagenetic (nodule concretions and other varieties), metagenetic "indicator components" (crystalloblasts etc.). Further analysis of the secondary alterations in the mentioned components and their minerals allows us to make series of consistent mineral formation and, thereby, reconstruct main stages and conditions of rock formation. This, in turn, provides the key to understanding the regional geological processes that took place in sedimentary basins.


The ∼400 km 2 Clearwater River basin, located on the Pacific flank of the actively uplifting Olympic Mountains of western Washington State, contains a well-preserved flight of Holocene fluvial terraces. We have collected a large data set of numeric ages from these terraces that is used to elucidate the geomorphic, fluvial, active tectonic, and climatic processes that operate at Holocene spatial and temporal scales. Detailed field mapping reveals three prominent Holocene straths and their overlying terrace deposits. Terrace ages fall into three broad ranges: ca. 9000–11 000 yr B.P. (Qt4), 4000–8000 yr B.P. (Qt5), and 0–3000 yr B.P. (Qt6). Terrace deposit stratigraphy, sedimentology, and age distributions allow us to consider two alternative models for their genesis. The favored model states that the terrace ages are coincident with lateral incision of the Clearwater channel, emplacement of the terrace alluvium, and the carving of the straths. Vertical incision of the Clearwater channel was primarily relegated to the brief (∼1000 yr) intervals when we have no record of terraces. Alternatively, the straths were carved as the channel incised vertically during the brief time periods between dated terrace deposits, and the terrace ages record a subsequent long time of alluviation atop the straths and concomitant termination of vertical incision. In both models, we envision a Clearwater River channel at or near capacity with a temporally variable rate of both lateral and vertical incision. Small deviations from this at-capacity condition are driven by variations in the liberation and delivery of hillslope sediment to the channel. We consider several causes for variable hillslope sediment flux in this tectonically active setting including Holocene climate change and ground accelerations related to earthquakes. Holocene rates of vertical incision are reconstructed along nearly the entire Clearwater Valley from the wide distribution of dated terraces. Incision rates clearly increase upstream, mimicking a pattern documented for Pleistocene terraces in the same basin; however, the rates are 2–3 times those determined for the Pleistocene terraces. The faster Holocene incision rates may be interpreted in terms of an increase in the rates of rock uplift. However, we favor an alternative explanation in which the Holocene rates represent a channel rapidly reacquiring its stable, graded concavity following protracted periods of time in the Pleistocene when it could not accomplish any vertical incision into tectonically uplifted bedrock because the channel was raised above the bedrock valley bottom by climatically induced alluviation. These results illustrate how, even in tectonically active settings, representative rates of rock uplift inferred from studies of river incision should be integrated over at least one glacial-interglacial cycle.


The aim of this review was to assess all the studies on rotavirus G and P characterization during the pre-vaccine period (1999–2013) in Cameroon to have a better basis for post-vaccine introduction evaluations. A retrospective study was done through a comprehensive review of published (PubMed, Google Scholar) and accessible unpublished data on rotavirus G and P genotypes circulating in five regions of Cameroon. Descriptive data were expressed as frequencies tables and proportions. A total of 1844 rotavirus positive cases were analyzed. In all, 1534 strains were characterized for the P (VP4) specificity. Six different VP4 genotypes were observed, including P [4], P [6], P [8], P [9], P [10] and P [14]. The most predominant P genotypes were P [8] at 42.6%, and P [6] at 37.9%. Mixed infections were observed at 5.3%, whereas 4.1% of the strains were P non-typeable. A total of 1518 rotavirus strains were characterized for the G (VP7) specificity. VP7 genotypes G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6, G8, G9, G10 and G12 were observed. G1 (35.3%), G3 (19.5%), G2 (14.9%) and G12 (10.1%) were the predominant G genotypes while G5 and G10 were least prevalent at 0.06% each. Approximately 5.1% of all strains were G non-typeable whereas 5.3% were mixed G genotypes. A total of 1472 strains were characterized for both G and P genes, from which 38 different G–P combinations were observed. Overall, G1P [8] (22%) was identified as the predominant rotavirus strain circulating in Cameroon followed by G3P [6] (15%). In conclusion, we observed that the genotypes identified in Cameroon during 1999–2013 were partially covered by the two WHO recommended rotavirus vaccines. This review provides comprehensive up-to-date information on rotavirus strain surveillance in Cameroon during the pre-vaccination era.


We consider the dynamics of a hollow cylindrical shell that is filled with viscous fluid and another, nested solid cylinder, and allowed to roll down an inclined plane. A mathematical model is compared to simple experiments. Two types of behaviour are observed experimentally: on steeper slopes, the device accelerates; on shallower inclines, the cylinders rock and roll unsteadily downhill, with a speed that is constant on average. The theory also predicts runaway and unsteady rolling motions. For the rolling solutions, however, the inner cylinder cannot be suspended in the fluid by the motion of the outer cylinder, and instead falls inexorably toward the outer cylinder. Whilst 'contact' only occurs after an infinite time, the system slows progressively as the gap between the cylinders narrows, owing to heightened viscous dissipation. Such a deceleration is not observed in the experiments, suggesting that some mechanism limits the approach to contact. Coating the surface of the inner cylinder with sandpaper of different grades changes the rolling speed, consistent with the notion that surface roughness is responsible for limiting the acceleration.


Supercritical fluids have shown an increasing interest as reactive media (tunable properties from liquid to gas) to synthesize nanostructured materials by thermal decomposition of inorganic precursors at relatively low pressure and temperature. The particle formation process (nucleation and growth) is made by high supersaturation in the supercritical fluid. So, the adjustment of synthesis process parameters results in a precise control of particle shape, size (between 10 nm and 10 μm), and chemical composition. We present the technique of thermal, chemical-heat, and structural strength treatment of materials to produce nanostructured nickel oxinitride in supercritical ammonia (solvent and reactant) from the thermal decomposition of nickel hexafluroroacetylacetonate (280°C, 18 MPa). A preliminary study concerning magnetic properties of the material was done and a correlation between particle size and magnetic behavior was pointed out.


Rasa Shastra-Andrew Mason 2014-04-21 The first comprehensive analysis of Asian Medical Alchemy, this book describes the use of herbo-mineralmetal based medicines as used in some of the world's oldest healing traditions. It offers a detailed exploration of Âyurvedic medicinal purification practices that seek to enhance the therapeutic potential of materials, metals and gemstones, as well as offering a concise overview of traditional and modern equipment and methods used in the manufacture of these medicines. The author's unique and fascinating account of the hidden alchemical arts also explains some of the historical background behind the on-going quest amongst Asian alchemists for immortality.


A novel, fast, stable, physics-based numerical method for interactive simulation of elastically deformable objects is presented. Starting from elasticity theory, the deformation energy is modeled in terms of the positions of point masses using the linear shape functions of finite element analysis, providing for an exact correspondence between the known physical properties of deformable bodies such as Young's modulus, and the simulation parameter. By treating the infinitely stiff case as a kinematic constraint on a system of point particles and using a regularization technique, a stable first order stepping algorithm is constructed which allows the simulation of materials over the entire range of stiffness values, including incompressibility. The main cost of this method is the solution of a linear system of equations which is large but sparse. Commonly available sparse matrix packages can process this problem with linear complexity in the number of elements for many cases. This method is contrasted with other well-known point mass models of deformable solids which rely on penalty forces constructed from simple local geometric quantities, e.g., spring-and-damper models. For these, the mapping between the simulation parameters and the physical observables is not well defined and they are either strongly limited to the low stiffness case when using explicit integration methods, or produce grossly inaccurate results when using simple linearly implicit method. Validation and timing tests on the new method show that it produces very good physical behavior at a moderate computational cost, and it is usable in the context of real-time interactive simulations. CR Categories: I.3.5 [Computer Graphics]: Physically based modeling— [I.3.7]: Computer Graphics—Virtual reality


We present Poligraph, an intrusion-tolerant and decentralized fake news detection system. Poligraph aims to address architectural, system, technical, and social challenges of building a practical, long-term fake news detection platform. We first conduct a case study for fake news detection at authors' institute, showing that machine learning-based reviews are less accurate but timely, while human reviews, in particular, experts reviews, are more accurate but time-consuming. This justifies the need for combining both approaches. At the core of Poligraph is two-layer consensus allowing seamlessly combining machine learning techniques and human expert determination. We construct the two-layer consensus using Byzantine fault-tolerant (BFT) and asynchronous threshold common coin protocols. We prove the correctness of our system in terms of conventional definitions of security in distributed systems (agreement, total order, and liveness) as well as new review validity (capturing the accuracy of news reviews). We also provide theoretical foundations on parameter selection for our system. We implement Poligraph and evaluate its performance on Amazon EC2 using a variety of news from online publications and social media. We demonstrate Poligraph achieves throughput of more than 5,000 transactions per second and latency as low as 0.05 second. The throughput of Poligraph is only marginally ( ${4\%}$ – ${7\%}$ ) slower than that of an unreplicated, single-server implementation. In addition, we conduct a real-world case study for the review of fake and real news among both experts and non-experts, which validates the practicality of our approach.


Teacher training institutes in the Netherlands submit to their students tests of grammaticality judgments concerning FL sentences, in order to prepare them for their future task. Comparison of the results of these tests with results of FL production tests of the same students suggested that the former task was more difficult than the latter. The purposes of this study were to examine two questions : (1) Is production of FL grammatical structures different from, that is, more difficult than giving a judgment of grammatical acceptability concerning the same structures? (2) How do students proceed when judging the grammaticality of a given FL sentence? To this end, an experiment was designed. 30 French syntactic structures were selected which often give rise to errors. These structures were incorporated in a grammaticality judgment test and a production test. The tests were administered to matched groups of Dutch students of French of the level mentioned. The hypothesis was that the two tasks were of a different degree of difficulty. The results did not confirm this hypothesis : although differences were found between the three conditions explored (judgment of a correct sentence, of an incorrect one, and production), these differences were not significant. The grammatically judgment test was also administered to two groups of French subjects in order to compare their behaviour to that of the Dutch group. The French subjects were found to behave more homogeneously than the Dutch ones. The results of the pilot study suggest that the two tasks are not essentially different.


Membrane proteins are involved in many critical biological processes and mutations are linked to various diseases. We examined how the properties of the location of an amino acid residue within the protein structure dictates the rate at which it evolves. We tested 3 structural metrics: WCNSC, WCNCA and RSA for their effectiveness at predicting evolutionary rates within membrane proteins. WCNSC performed better than WCNCA in almost all cases and better than RSA in the majority. However, for some classes of proteins, especially those where the pore is a major feature, the effectiveness of WCN greatly diminished while that of RSA decreased by a lesser degree.


Children today are more connected and active on the Internet. Their extensive use of online social networks, which ultimately could have perplexing effects on the recognition of their identity and personality, has caused grave social concerns. In addition there is a lack of actual physical communication among children due to their preoccupation with the online self. To address these issues, an interactive robotic toy called Petimo was developed. We believe this introduction of new physical dimension improves safety and enjoyment of children in the social networking arena. As a proof-of-concept, a 3D virtual world called Petimo World is developed. It incorporates basic features of traditional online social networks to provide childern collaborative interaction and enjoyment with their friends. The concept of Petimo could be extended to any social network to create childerns applications to promote physical interaction and enhance enjoyment and safety issues in social networks.


BACKGROUND
Systemic sclerosis is a disease of unknown origin which often occurs in women after their childbearing years. It has many clinical and histopathological similarities to chronic graft-versus-host disease. Recent studies indicate that fetal stem cells can survive in the maternal circulation for many years post partum. This finding suggests that fetal cells persisting in the maternal circulation or tissues could be involved in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis by initiating a graft-versus-host reaction.

METHODS
We used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify Y-chromosome sequences in DNA extracted from peripheral-blood cells and skin lesions from women with systemic sclerosis of recent onset. To confirm the PCR findings, we used fluorescence in situ hybridization of peripheral-blood cells and cells within chronic inflammatory-cell infiltrates in biopsy specimens of affected skin.

RESULTS
Y-chromosome sequences were found in DNA from peripheral-blood cells in 32 of 69 women with systemic sclerosis (46 percent), as compared with 1 of 25 normal women (4 percent, P<0.001), and in T lymphocytes from 3 women with systemic sclerosis who had male offspring. Furthermore, Y-chromosome sequences were identified in skin-biopsy specimens from 11 of 19 women with systemic sclerosis (58 percent); 9 of the 11 were known to have carried male fetuses. Nucleated cells containing Y chromosomes were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization in paraffin-embedded sections of skin lesions from all seven women we tested whose skin-biopsy specimens contained Y-chromosome sequences.

CONCLUSIONS
Fetal antimaternal graft-versus-host reactions may be involved in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis in some women.


Oxidative stress may provide a proximate link mediating the trade-offs between the allocation of resources to growth and/or reproduction and investment in self-maintenance. Dietary antioxidants, such as carotenoids and vitamin E, provide potentially important roles in regulating these trade-offs. Recent work suggests that carotenoids may have important synergistic effects in combination with non-pigmentary antioxidants (e.g. vitamin E) on the expression of sexually-selected traits at adulthood. However, these studies involved the supplementation of antioxidants to adults and did not take into account early life-history effects. In this thesis, I test the independent and combined roles of supplementation of carotenoids and vitamin E during early growth in regulating the expression of traits at adulthood, in ring-necked pheasants, Phasianus colchicus. Individuals supplemented with a combination of carotenoids and vitamin E were larger at adulthood than individuals receiving other treatment diets (including vitamin E or carotenoids alone), but there were no differences in ornament expression, immune function or levels of oxidative damage. In addition, there were no effects of early antioxidant supplementation on primary sexual traits and I found no relationship between primary and secondary sexual traits to support the phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis. This suggests that the allocation of limited antioxidant resources is prioritised towards traits that increase competitive ability rather than sexual attractiveness or primary reproductive traits in this strongly sexually-selected species. I also measure male ornament expression to test the 'parasite-mediated sexual signalling' hypothesis that predicts that ornamentation could provide a signal to females of a male's ability to resist parasites. Allocation of dietary-derived carotenoids to sexual ornaments may trade-off with allocation to immune and/or antioxidant functions mediated by the oxidative status of individuals. In this thesis I test whether supplementation with dietary antioxidants (vitamin E) can mitigate the effects of early exposure to parasites (the nematode, Heterakis gallinarum), via the alteration of the oxidative status of individuals, and positively affect the expression of sexual ornaments at adulthood. I find that vitamin E mediated the effect of early exposure to parasites on levels of oxidative damage at 8 weeks of age and reduced the parasite load of individuals at adulthood as predicted. However, the expression of sexual ornaments, immune function, and growth were unaffected by either early vitamin E supplementation or manipulation of parasite load. In contrast to predictions, the intensity of sexual ornament expression was not related to either the parasite load or oxidative status of individuals. Finally, I present the data from a novel experiment showing that feather odour changes in response to antioxidant status, but not intestinal parasite levels, at adulthood and in light of these results describe a potential role for feather odour in mate choice.


We studied a new wind turbine system that uses an electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) as a method of effectively producing hydrogen from natural energy. Before this system can be installed and its effects considered, an outline design of the system based on the wind conditions in the installation region must be performed, and the system scale and the obtained amount of the electric power must be estimated. In this paper, the method to determine the system configuration that would effectively supply the electric energy to the hydrogen generator was examined using numerical analysis. The configuration obtained from this analysis determined the required capacity of the hydrogen generator for the amount of power generation that was needed, as well as the conditions required in order for the EDLC to effectively buffer any changes. When a system is constructed using this configuration, the electric charging and discharging of the EDLC are balanced, and it is possible to effectively supply electric energy to the hydrogen generator. When a wind turbine generator with a rated power of 500W was operated under the wind conditions on Miyako Island, the appropriate capacity of the hydrogen generator was 144W, and the corresponding EDLC capacity was 11.3Wh.


Background and objectives: Changes in teachers' work situation in Sweden since the 1990s may have contributed to an increase in common mental disorders (CMDs) and burnout. However, there is a lack of research in this field. The aim was to describe how Swedish elementary school teachers experience their health, organizational and social work environment, and the psychosocial safety climate at the workplace, and especially differences and similarities between female and male teachers. Materials and methods: Data were collected with the COPSOQ, OLBI, UWES and PSC-12 from 478 elementary teachers, 81.0% of them women, from twenty schools. The response rate was 96.4%. Results: Teachers reported relatively good general health but experienced high stress, high work pace and emotional demands, low influence at work and a poor psychosocial safety climate. These factors were especially prominent among female teachers. Both women and men experienced good development possibilities and high work engagement. Conclusions: The results of this study can help us to develop a more sustainable work environment for female and male teachers. A more sustainable work environment might attract more people to the profession and incentivize existing teachers to remain in the profession.


Are social (occupational) classes coherent, distinct entities? While they reflect an underlying reality, they are more fragmented than theory suggests. It is hypothesised that skill mismatches mean that each class includes a substantial proportion of poorly paid people who could be in the class below and highly paid people who could be in the class above, or in a class alone. This is tested for the service classes using the British Labour Force Survey. It is then shown using the British Household Panel Study that people within the service classes have differing class backgrounds, different class perceptions, and different political views depending on their hourly pay.


Objective
To determine if there are disparities associated with socioeconomic stratification, ethnicity, medical services, and geographic region in the progression of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mexican adults infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Method
We analyzed data registered by the General Direction of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health of the Federal Government of Mexico regarding the confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The analysis was limited to data from adults 20 years and older recorded up to July 10, 2020 (n=234 870). Indicators of severity of COVID-19 were hospitalization, development of pneumonia, requirement for intubation or admission to the intensive care unit, and death. Differences were estimated according to the level of municipal marginalization, belonging to an indigenous group, geographic region, and service sector. Prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated using multilevel regression models.

Results
People who lived in municipalities with greater marginalization were at greater risk of presenting the four indicators of severe forms of COVID-19 (PR=1.05 or 1.06). Indigenous people were at greater risk of pneumonia (PR=1.22), hospitalization (PR=1.14) and death (PR=1.23). Among the cases treated in the private health sector, the risk of death was lower (PR=0.40), but the use of intubation or admission to the intensive care unit was higher (PR=4.45).

Conclusions
The trends observed indicate that the effects of COVID-19 are not only related to the biological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, but also to the resources (or lack thereof) to deal with it, which are distributed by social processes.


The Atlas of North America English distinguishes "the West" from "Western Canada" on the basis of /æ/ retraction and Canadian Raising (Labov, Ash, and Boberg 2006). Since the Atlas, scholars have provided a more detailed understanding of /æɡ/ raising, /æ/retraction, and Canadian Raising throughout the Western United States and Western Canada (Boberg 2008, Fridland et al. 2016, Presnyakova, Umbal, and Pappas 2017, Roeder, Onosson, and D'Arcy 2018). In a production study, Swan (2016) found that Seattle and Vancouver, BC are differentiated primarily by Canadian Raising and pre-nasal raising of /æ/ and show minimal difference with respect to /æɡ/ raising and /æ/ retraction. Seattle and Vancouver speakers also shared different ideologies about their speech: Seattle respondents felt more confident that they could identify a Vancouver talker based on speech than vice versa. The current study builds from these observations to ask how natives of Seattle and Vancouver perceive the similarities and distinctions documented in the production literature. Can listeners differentiate a talker as being from Seattle or Vancouver? What cues are listeners relying on to judge a talker as being from Seattle or Vancouver? Do these perceptual cues align with the production differences between the cities? What does this imply for a dialectology of the West? These questions are addressed using a forced-choice dialect identification task using the variables represented by FAN, PATH, TAG, and DEVOUT. Our analysis considers signal detection theoretic measures to elucidate sensitivity and bias (Macmillan and Creelman 2005). The results suggest that differentiating Seattle and Vancouver talkers is a challenging task for listeners native to these cities. Neither Seattle nor Vancouver listeners show very accurate performance for any of the single-word stimuli or short phrase blocks of the task and are generally not able classify a talker's city of origin based on their speech. The most accurate performance emerges for Seattle listeners classifying talkers saying DEVOUT, which aligns with the production differences between the cities and is likely driven by stereotypes about Canadian English. Listeners from both cities show more own city bias for the phonetic features that are shown to be more similar across the cities (PATH and TAG) than for those shown to be more different in production (FAN and DEVOUT). A closer look at bias reveals that while Seattle listeners perform with slightly more accuracy, they also show more own-city bias. We discussion possible reasons for this pattern and implications for dialectology of the West and Western Canada. This working paper is available in University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics: https://repository.upenn.edu/pwpl/vol24/iss2/17