Locoweeds are plants of the genera Astragalus and Oxytropis (Fabaceae family) and are toxic to cattle, sheep, and horses. The toxic property of locoweeds is due to the alkaloid swainsonine (SWA), which is synthesized by an endophytic fungus Alternaria spp. section Undifilum. Although the endophyte–locoweed complex is often considered mutualistic, empirical evidence for benefits to host plants is lacking. This study: 1) compared the growth, photosynthesis, and leaf pigment and antioxidant concentrations between endophyte-infected and endophyte-free plants under well-watered and water-deficit conditions; and 2) measured SWA to determine whether SWA concentrations are attenuated by water deficit and leaf age. Locoweed species in this study were woolly loco and silky crazyweed. Endophyte-infected and endophyte-free (by removal of seed coat) seedlings, as confirmed by DNA analyses, were grown under greenhouse conditions for 6 mo, after which plants were subjected to three 12- to 15-d water-deficit periods that created sublethal drought conditions. Results suggest that the endophyte did not influence photosynthetic gas exchange and leaf pigment concentrations. Under well-watered conditions only, endophyte-infected woolly loco plants had lower shoot and root biomass and higher concentrations of α-tocopherol than endophyte-free plants. SWA analyses revealed taxon-specific effects of water deficit, with water deficit increasing SWA concentrations in young leaves of woolly loco but not affecting SWA concentration in silky crazyweed. These results suggest that the endophyte behaves as a parasite in woolly loco plants grown under optimal but not under water-limited conditions. Further, results indicate that drought conditions elevate the toxicity of woolly loco plants. Improved understanding of endophyte-locoweed interactions and factors influencing SWA levels will contribute to the development of livestock management strategies to predict toxicity in particular locoweed populations. Nomenclature: Silky crazyweed, Oxytropis sericea Nutt.; woolly loco, Astragalus mollissimus Torr.


In this paper we consider the notion of rectangularity of a set of probability measures from a somewhat different point of view. We define rectangularity as a property of dynamic decomposition of a distributionally robust stochastic optimization problem and show how it relates to the modern theory of coherent risk measures. Consequently, we discuss robust formulations of multistage stochastic optimization problems in frameworks of stochastic programming, stochastic optimal control, and Markov decision processes.


We design a lightweight overlay network, called Arigatoni, that is suitable to deploy the global computing paradigm over the Internet. Communications over the behavioral units of the model are performed by a simple communication protocol. Basic global computers can communicate by first registering to a brokering service and then by mutually asking and offering services, in a way that is reminiscent to Rapoport's "tit-for-tat" strategy of cooperation based on reciprocity. In the model, resources are encapsulated in the administrative domain in which they reside, and requests for resources located in another administrative domain traverse a broker-2-broker negotiation using classical PKI mechanisms. The model is suitable to fit with various global scenarios from classical P2P applications, like file sharing, or band-sharing, to more sophisticated grid applications, like remote and distributed big (and small) computations, to possible, futuristic real migrating computations. Indeed, our model fits some of the objectives suggested by the CoreGrid network of excellence, as described in Schwiegelshohn et al. (Schwiegelshohn et al., 2005)


Introduction: The screening of contacts of patients with recent tuberculosis diagnosis is an essential component of disease containment as it allows the early detection and treatment of new tuberculosis cases and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Portugal is still a medium incidence country and the Portuguese guidelines recommend the screening of all contacts of recently diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis through symptoms evaluation, TST and chest x-ray. The recommended treatment for LTBI is isoniazid for 9 months. Aim: To evaluate the risk of tuberculosis transmission between index cases and their contacts, their conditioning factors, as well the efficacy of contact screening and LTBI treatment in a Portuguese ambulatory tuberculosis center. Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients recently diagnosed with bacilliferous pulmonary tuberculosis and their contacts, in a Portuguese ambulatory tuberculosis center, between 2011 and 2013. Results: 138 contacts were identified accounting for 23 bacilliferous pulmonary tuberculosis cases. None had evidence of active tuberculosis, 64 (46.4%) had no evidence of LTBI and 74 (53.6%) had criteria of LTBI. Among these, 38 (51.4%) completed treatment and there is no record of active illness to date. In the remaining 36 patients, 30 patients were lost in follow-up and 6 (16.7%) developed active pulmonary tuberculosis. All of these patients were over 6 years-old and previously healthy. The majority of the index cases related to these new cases had pulmonary cavitations and were highly bacilliferous. Conclusions: The contact screening is effective when treatment is done and is the way to prevent new cases of tuberculosis.


The wind flow, the main driving force of sand movement, has already been known for its random fluctuation characteristics especially in the boundary layer. An experimental test for the wind velocity fluctuation is conducted for naturally mixed sands with a wind profiler in a field wind tunnel. On the basis of the experimental data, a fitting form of an empirical formula for the wind velocity fluctuation in the horizontal direction is obtained. After that, the influences of the wind velocity fluctuation are simulated on the particle trajectories, which demonstrate that the fluctuating velocity of the wind has greater influences on the trajectories of the particles with smaller diameter. The trajectory forms of the smaller sand particles, computed from the instantaneous velocity, might be in continuous saltation or even suspension besides smoothing parabola forms, which are obviously different from those computed only from the average velocity of the wind. For the particles with larger diameter, all the trajectories are almost the same in smoothing parabola forms under both fluctuating velocity and average velocity of the wind.


Computer-aided design tools for Markovian analysis and verification of digital circuits have gained much interest in the last few years. This is mainly due to the advent of effective data structures, e.g., binary and algebraic decision diagrams, for Boolean and pseudo-Boolean function representation and manipulation. The authors illustrate how those tools can be successfully exploited to analyse the behavior and verify the correctness of a communication protocol. They first consider the case of single protocol entities running in isolation, and present a simple application example (i.e. the sender entity of the alternating bit protocol). Then, informally illustrate how the analysis approach can be extended to the general case of multi-layer protocol stacks and complete communication systems.


Two main spatial frequency and quantitative calculations and measurements am, used to study the imaging system of three industrial digital radiography (IDR) modules for non-destructive testing (NDT), namely complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) flat-panel digital detector with 50 mu m pixel pitch, computed radiography (CR) with phosphor imaging plate with 25 mu m pixel pitch and laser-type film digitiser with 50 mu m pixel pitch. The modulation transfer function (MTF) and noise power spectrum (NPS) measurement and calculations were adapted on order to evaluate the image quality of IDR images. The MTF has been used to characterise the resolution properties of analogue and digital X-ray imaging systems and measure image deterioration due to optical factors, such as diffusion of image forming radiation. The NPS is used in determining noise in images produced and the choices of normalisation of the NPS vary slightly from researcher to researcher, but the underlying methodology is consistent. In order to easily compare these two measurements and calculations, the integral of up to the system Nyquist frequency was used as the final image quality quantitative evaluation. For the MTF measurement and calculation, four regions of interest (ROI) were, defined to portray the randomness in performing real testing. The four ROI are then compared with each other. For the NPS measurement and calculation, ten ROI were defined, scattered and averaged to have overall noise estimation. From the measurements and calculations which were done, the averaged MTF at 20% modulation for the laser-type film digitiser system is 6.55 cycles/mm, CR modulated 4.48 and CMOS modulated 2.83 cycles/mm. For NPS measurement and calculation, the result obtained in decreasing order is laser-type film digitiser, CMOS and CR. The laser-type film digitiser system modulates the best transfer function at 20% but does not have the lowest NPS. The lowest and stable NPS is the CR system but it has the lowest modulating capability at 20%. The study shows that in order to perform NDT by using the evaluated modules, the user must know the true capability, of the system and how, it is designed for specific application and discontinuity detection.


The risk of damage during the construction phase of a coastal structure was investigated by utilizing Level II and III reliability methods. Structural risks were incorporated in the planning phase of coastal projects by utilizing a practical risk management approach implemented in the Mezitli (Icel) Yacht Harbor project in Turkey. By specifying the exceedance probability of damage level at the design stage, the delay times of construction activities due to damage were obtained at the project-planning phase, which enabled the estimation of the project completion time. It is found that structural risk of damage in the construction period can be an important factor to be considered in the reliability-based project management, because coastal projects involve considerable damage risk during the construction phase. The application of Monte Carlo simulation (Level III), which is generally performed within a few minutes of CPU time in fast computers, has the advantage of robustness when compared with the second-order methods such as the Hasofer-Lind method, provided that the probability distribution of random variables and their correlation are described with an acceptable accuracy, which should be obtained from data accumulated over a sufficient number of years. In this study, by specifying the exceedance probability of "no damage level" at the design stage, the probability of construction completion times were estimated at the planning phase for the case study of Mezitli Yacht Harbor, where the probability distributions of random variables were obtained from the governmental archives.


Introduction: As cannabis use continues to increase in popularity, it is important to investigate how it impacts public health in all sectors of the population, including patients undergoing anesthetic management. This retrospective study focuses on the orthopedic trauma population presenting through an emergency department (ED) and receiving a urine drug screen (UDS) with subsequent urgent surgical intervention. We aimed to evaluate differences in response to general anesthesia in patients with exposure to THC, a major cannabinoid, compared to controls that screened negative for THC. Materials and Methods: All ED visits at UC Irvine, a level 1 trauma center between November 4, 2017 and January 7, 2020, were evaluated in this study. Only adult patients who received a UDS and underwent urgent orthopedic trauma surgery within 48 h of ED visit were included in this study. Additional inclusion criteria required an anesthesia time greater than 1 h as well as anesthesia induction and intubation while in the operating room. Overall, we analyzed a total of 221 adult patients. Discussion: When adjusting for demographic variability, there were statistically significant differences in response to general anesthesia between these two groups. The THC-positive (THC(+)) group was less likely to receive intraoperative vasopressors, had higher mean arterial blood pressure and mean diastolic blood pressure, needed less total fluid input and had a lower overall fluid balance. Chronic exposure to THC has been shown to downregulate cannabinoid 1 receptors and cause alterations in endocannabinoid tone. These are two potential mechanisms by which the THC(+) group in our study may have become more resistant to the typically observed hypotensive effects of general anesthesia. Conclusion: The present study suggests that prior use of cannabis, objectively assessed by urinalysis, results in a decreased need for blood pressure support during general anesthesia. The physiological basis for this phenomenon is unclear, but possible causes might include the downregulation of vascular cannabinoid receptor 1 and/or altered endocannabinoid levels after exposure to cannabis.


Image matching is a fundamental task in the analysis of the remote sensing data. The precision of the image matching have played an important role in the application of remote sensing images, such as three-dimensional modeling, pattern reorganization, panoramic reconstruction, super resolution, phasic analysis, etc. At present, the development of image matching technology and later use in China and abroad is mainly focused on the robust key point, which means that the extracted feature should been invariant to the translation, scale and rotation etc. In recent years, the sift algorithm has been the most popular for extracting interest points. But the calculation procedure is too slow. In this paper, our approach starts with a matching algorithm that combine Harris detector together with sift descriptor method. Our approaches start with the procedure of counting Harris method on the remote sensing image and discard the key point with low contrast. Moreover, we perform an accurate key point location. At last, we use SIFT descriptor as a feature to perform matching from the descriptor point vector in the reference image to the sets of point vector in the querying image.


The human voice is a highly flexible instrument for self-expression, yet voice identity perception is largely studied using controlled speech recordings. Using two voice-sorting tasks with naturally varying stimuli, we compared the performance of listeners who were familiar and unfamiliar with the TV show Breaking Bad. Listeners organised audio clips of speech with (1) low-expressiveness and (2) high-expressiveness into perceived identities. We predicted that increased expressiveness (e.g., shouting, strained voice) would significantly impair performance. Overall, while unfamiliar listeners were less able to generalise identity across exemplars, the two groups performed equivalently well when telling voices apart when dealing with low-expressiveness stimuli. However, high vocal expressiveness significantly impaired telling apart in both the groups: this led to increased misidentifications, where sounds from one character were assigned to the other. These misidentifications were highly consistent for familiar listeners but less consistent for unfamiliar listeners. Our data suggest that vocal flexibility has powerful effects on identity perception, where changes in the acoustic properties of vocal signals introduced by expressiveness lead to effects apparent in familiar and unfamiliar listeners alike. At the same time, expressiveness appears to have affected other aspects of voice identity processing selectively in one listener group but not the other, thus revealing complex interactions of stimulus properties and listener characteristics (i.e., familiarity) in identity processing.


Walking is the most natural way of moving within a virtual environment (VE). Mapping the user's movement one-to-one to the real world clearly has the drawback that the limited range of the tracking sensors and a rather small working space in the real word restrict the users' interaction. In this paper we introduce concepts for virtual locomotion interfaces that support exploration of large-scale virtual environments by redirected walking . Based on the results of a user study we have quantified to which degree users can unknowingly be redirected in order to guide them through an arbitrarily sized VE in which virtual paths differ from the paths tracked in the real working space. We describe the concepts of generic redirected walking in detail and present implications that have been derived from the initially conducted user study. Furthermore we discuss example applications from different domains in order to point out the benefits of our approach.


Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive after 1 year of unprotected intercourse, a definition that is based on a monthly fecundity rate of 15 to 25%. Approximately 10 to 20% of couples may experience problems conceiving, and infertility can result from a wide variety of etiologies. Female factors account for 40% of infertility.1 When investigating infertility, evaluation of both the male and female partner is warranted, as the likelihood of both partners having impaired fertility is relatively high.1 Dysfunction of the female reproductive process can occur at any of the following steps to cause infertility:

Ovarian factor: the ovaries need to produce a mature oocyte.

Cervical factor: the cervix needs to capture and transport sperm into the uterus and fallopian tubes.

Uterine factor: the uterus needs to allow the embryo to implant.

Tubal factor: the fallopian tubes need to capture the ovulated oocyte and transport sperm and embryo.

Tubal factor fertility accounts for the most common cause of female infertility (Fig. 1). Tubal adhesive or occlusive disease and peritoneal adhesions are typically due to either prior pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis. Another less common cause of proximal tubal occlusion is salpingitis isthmica nodosa.1 2

Figure 1

Causes of infertility.


There are many factors which can affect the muzzle velocity of the projectile in the system of the multi-stage synchronous inductive coilgun (SICG), and the discharge position of the armature is important one. If the discharge position of the armature with respect to a drive-coil is changed when a charge capacitor bank is switched into the drive-coil circuit, the muzzle velocity of the projectile launched by the armature will change. In this paper, discharge positions of the armature in a three-stage SICG are investigated. The results indicate that the best discharge position exists in each stage. If the capacitor bank in each stage is switched into the drive-coil circuit when the armature passes through the best discharge position in this stage, the projectile can be accelerated to the maximal muzzle velocity. The best discharge positions in the three-stage SICG are obtained.


Physicss the basic science that underlies all the natural sciences. And it is a search for the basic rules of the behavior of matter and energy on every scale: from the interaction of subatomic particles, to the motion of every day objects, to the evolution of galaxies and the universe itself. Physics consists of many fields, including particle and nuclear physics, atomic and molecular spectroscopy, optics, solid-state physics, biological and medical physics, computational physics, acoustics, astrophysics and cosmology.


According to WHO, 420 million adults worldwide are suffering from diabetes. The diabetic patient should regularly verify and control their blood glucose levels. However, the existing blood glucose meters use a needle to collect blood, thus causing problems such as pain and infections. A non-invasive blood glucose meter is a measuring instrument that can avoid these problems, but such an instrument has not been developed to date. Diabetic patients should ensure blood glucose control and exercise therapy: however, the difficulty of management and lack of guidance on exercise therapy are problematic issues that need to be overcome. In this study, a non-invasive blood glucose meter and blood glucose control system has been developed, which can be used along with a healthcare sensor equipped with a non-invasive blood glucose measurement function.


Synthesis of structure-controlled nanocrystals on target substrates presents an enticing prospect for fabricating multifunctional devices. Herein, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with different morphologies were fabricated via hydrothermal treatment on various substrate surfaces. The morphology of the LDH nanostructures from ultrathin nanosheets, parallel aligned nanoscrolls and vertically aligned nanoscrolls could be finely tuned by adjusting the reaction time, temperature and metal–salt concentration. A speculative model was proposed to illustrate the reaction process where the LDH growth units interacted with the modified surface at first, then gradually formed the nanosheets and finally developed into nanoscrolls upon termination of the reaction. The investigation confirmed that amino groups and a positively charged surface play key roles in the formation of well-defined LDH nanoscrolls. Benefiting from the unique hierarchical structure and high LDH loading, the hybrid nanofiber membranes with vertically aligned LDH nanoscrolls exhibited excellent adsorption capability toward methyl orange and Cu2+ and could effectively separate a surfactant stabilized oil-in-water emulsion solely by gravity, with high flux and oil rejection. Meanwhile, these hybrid membranes have shown great potential as highly efficient catalysts for degradation of organic pollutants, making them versatile and comprehensive materials for water remediation.


This MRP explores the experiences of male social workers working within the female dominated profession of child protection. More specifically, it was the goal to examine a) the potential obstacles that male social workers face as a result of hegemonic constructions of masculinity; b) whether these men use their position as a site of resistance to the patriarchal social order; and c) whether workplace dynamics further perpetuate patriarchy. Using the narrative approach three male social workers were interviewed. These co-researchers indicated that they experienced difficulties building rapport and engaging with clients, and expressed challenges regarding how they are perceived. They also explained that being a male social worker can have some privileges when it comes to interacting with male clients and being given more authority in their roles. When taken together, it becomes clear that patriarchal ideals and assumptions are alive and well within the context of child welfare.


The education of left-behind children is of great concern during the process of urbanization in many developing countries. Using the fixed effect model and the time-varying difference-in-difference model, we examine how left-behind experiences affect children's educational choices and identities. We find that left-behind children have an approximately 2% higher probability to drop out of school. They tend to report lower levels of education expectations and education expenditures. The negative effect of leftbehind experiences on education outcomes is significant, particularly among middle-school students. Despite improved living conditions, these findings suggest that left-behind experiences have hindered many children from enjoying educational success.


Based on projected freight truck fuel efficiency, freight railroad and equipment suppliers need to identify, evaluate and implement technologies and/or operating practices to maintain traditional railroad economic competitiveness. The railway industry uses systems that record the total energy efficiency of a train but not energy efficiency or consumption by components. Lowering the energy consumption of certain train components will result in an increase in its overall energy efficiency, which will yield cost benefits for all the stakeholders. One component of interest is the railroad bearing whose power consumption varies depending on several factors that include railcar load, train speed, condition of bearing whether it is healthy or defective, and type of defect. Being able to quantify the bearing power consumption, as a function of the variables mentioned earlier, would make it possible to obtain optimal operating condition ranges that minimize energy consumption and maximize train energy efficiency.
 Several theoretical studies were performed to estimate the power consumption within railroad bearings, but those studies lacked experimental validation. For almost a decade now, the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) has been collecting power consumption data for railroad bearings under various loads, speeds, ambient temperatures, and bearing condition. The objective of this ongoing study is to use the experimentally acquired power consumption to come up with a correlation that can be used to quantify the bearing power consumption as a function of load, speed, ambient temperature, and bearing condition. Once obtained, the model can then be used to determine optimal operating practices that maximize the railroad bearing energy efficiency. In addition, the developed model will provide insight into possible areas of improvement for the next generation of energy efficient railroad bearings. This paper will discuss ongoing work including experimental setup and findings of energy consumption of bearings as function of railcar load, train speed, condition of bearing whether it is healthy or defective, and type of defect. Findings of energy consumption are converted into approximations of diesel gallons to quantify the effect of nominal energy consumption of the bearings and show economic value and environmental impact.


Introduction:Early shared reading experiences positively predict outcomes in language and literacy development of children who experience rich communicative and affective interactions by parents during story narration. However, research is yet to be systematically explore mother's practices and perceptions towards story narration and how employment of mother may influence their perspectives and practices.Aim:To analyse the perspectives of employed and unemployed mothers of typically developing children between 2 to 5 years towards story narration. Materials and Methods: The study followed a cross sectional design. A total of 60 participants were selected in three age groups (Group I, II & III) of employed and unemployed mothers. A questionnaire was developed to analyse perceptions and practices of mother of typically developing children between 2 to 5 years towards story narration. The responses were scored and analysed using SPSS Software, where a Chi-Square Test was performed to check the association.Results:Chi-square analysis revealed no significant association of employment in maternal perceptions towards story narration activities. Conclusion:The study revealed that employment does not influence maternal perceptions towards story narration. The increase in mean score with age indicated a positive change in mother's perception. This finding is an important contributing factor to understand the role of mothers in children's developing language and early literacy skills. The study emphasises and highlights the lacuna in early interaction of mothers in pre-literacy based activities, which can contribute to better academic performance in later stages.


Innovative Management approaches have been largely explored in the scientific discussion during the recent years. The Diversity Management is an example for these innovative approaches and is recognised to be a functioning, promising Management tool to improve the outcome and the competitiveness of companies. However, there is quite a lack of research results to validate the theoretical assumptions. Additionally, the framework for an effective and efficient human resource management becomes more and more crucial for companies since the framework, e.g. shortages at the labour markets, is likely to provide strong competition. In this connection the Workplace Health Management also provides possible solutions e.g. by health maintenance of the existing employees of the company. This survey shows the positive impacts of the actions of the Workplace Health Management on the cooperation of employees within a workgroup and between different workgroups. By this, it could support the Diversity Management activities in a company.


Abstract. The analysis of the links between the extreme precipitation and the associated atmospheric conditions through an aloft circulation type approach at the 500-hPa geopotential level, for the time period of 1958–2000, is the main motivation for the present study. Four stations in the eastern Mediterranean (17.5° E to 37.5° E and 30° N to 40° N) were selected as separate case studies. The extreme precipitation conditions were defined by the two most widely used indices: the 90th and 95th percentiles. It was found that two cyclonic types (C – with its centre over the station and Cwsw – with its centre at the WSW of the station) were mainly associated with extreme rainfall conditions for all the selected stations. Generally, these circulation types are deepening during days with extreme precipitation in comparison to the general mean field of the type.


Visual landscape research is an interdisciplinary approach important for landscape and urban planning. This field of research integrates: (1) landscape planning, design and management concepts, (2) landscape perception approaches, and (3) GISc-based methods and techniques in order to map the visual landscape. It offers possible ways of getting a grip on themes like: landscape openness, cluttering of the rural landscape, high-rise buildings in relation to cityscape, historic landscapes and motorway panoramas. This article is an introduction to the field of visual landscape research and provides an overview of the different perspectives on the subject. It provides, from a specific Dutch academic context, important clues for theory, methodology and application in research and development of landscapes all over the world. It offers clues for visual landscape assessment of spaces in cities, parks and rural areas. This article provides a wide range of insights into the psychological background of landscape perception, the technical considerations of geomatics and methodology in landscape architecture, urban planning and design.


Laser light source is a potential illumination light source for non-emissive display applications, especially for liquid crystal projection displays, due to its requirement of low etendue source and highly polarized light. In order to make a conversion from a circular Gaussian beam profile to a rectangular uniform distribution, a microlens array has been proposed as a homogenizer. The analytical and experimental results show that the microlens array with a pitch of 100um under laser beam illumination works as a diffractive element, and a promising uniformity can be obtained with a stack of two microlens array.


BACKGROUND
The novel cryoballoon Advance (CB-A) has proven to achieve significantly lower temperatures and faster pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) times in comparison with the first-generation device. Although acutely very effective, to the best of our knowledge, data on mid-term clinical follow-up is lacking.

AIMS
The aim of the study was to analyse the freedom from recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) on a 1-year follow-up period, in a series of consecutive patients having undergone PVI with the CB-A for paroxysmal AF (PAF).

METHODS AND RESULTS
Forty-two patients [30 male (71%); mean age: 57.9 ± 21.1 years] were included. All patients underwent a procedure with the large 28 mm CB-A. A total 168 PVs were depicted on the pre-procedural computed tomography scan. All PVs (100%) could be isolated with the CB only. The freedom from AF off-antiarrhythmic drug treatment after a single procedure was 78% of patients at a mean 11.6 ± 2.0 months follow-up. If considering a blanking period (BP) of 3 months, success rate was 83%. Phrenic nerve palsy (PNP) was the most frequent complication occurring in 19% of individuals.

CONCLUSION
The CB-A is very effective in producing PVI and affords freedom from AF at 12 months follow-up in 83% of patients affected by drug-resistant PAF following a 3-month BP. The most frequent complication observed was PNP which occurred in 19% of patients. All PNP reverted during follow-up.


Based on in-depth interviews with 42 current and ex- street offenders, this study explores the relationship between street gang organisation and robbery. The type of robbery is affected by the level of organisation a gang is at. For recreational and territorial young street gangs, robbery is opportunistic, occurring in a diffuse manner, and conducted individually, even when the rest of the group are present as 'backup'. For criminal gangs, robbery is different in that it is often planned in advance and the proceeds of crime are divided more evenly amongst group members. Serious Organised Crime gangs are typically more specialised, thus robbery may often be the gang in question's main 'occupation'. For organized crime groups, robbery most often occurs in the illegitimate market, but can be aimed at legitimate and highly profitable institutions. We make sense of these findings with reference to street capital theory, and present implications for future research and practice.


Objectives: This study retrospectively compares the effectiveness of methylprednisolone to dexamethasone in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) requiring intensive care. Design: This is an institutional review board approved cohort study in patients with COVID-19 requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Patients admitted and requiring oxygen supplementation were treated with no steroids, methylprednisolone, or dexamethasone. Setting: This study takes place in the ICU's at a large, tertiary, public teaching hospital serving a primarily low-income community in urban Los Angeles. Patients: All eligible patients admitted to the ICU for COVID-19 respiratory failure from March 1 to July 31, 2020 were included in this study. Interventions: A total of 262 patients were grouped as receiving usual care (n = 75), methylprednisolone dosed at least at 1mg/kg/day for ≥ 3 days (n = 104), or dexamethasone dosed at least at 6 mg for ≥7 days (n = 83). Measurements and Main Results: All-cause mortality within 50 days of initial corticosteroid treatment as compared to usual care was calculated. The mortality effect was then stratified based on levels of respiratory support received by the patient. In this cohort of 262 patients with severe COVID-19, all-cause mortalities in the usual care, methylprednisolone, and dexamethasone groups were 41.3%, 16.4% and 26.5% at 50 days (P < 0.01) respectively. In patients requiring mechanical ventilation, mortality was 42% lower in the methylprednisolone group than in the dexamethasone group (hazard ratio 0.48, 95% CI: 0.235-0.956, P = 0.0385). Conclusions: In COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation, sufficiently dosed methylprednisolone can lead to a further decreased mortality as compared to dexamethasone.


This paper provides an overview of the research into deaf children's bilingualism and bilingual education through a synthesis of studies published over the last 15 years. This review brings together the linguistic and pedagogical work on bimodal bilingualism to inform educational practice. The first section of the review provides a synthesis of the research, addressing linguistic, cognitive and social aspects of bimodal bilingualism. This is followed by a focus on bimodal bilingual language experience and use in different learning contexts. These first two sections provide the context for the main focus of the review: education and learning. The third section reports on links made between bimodal bilingualism and learning with regard to deaf children's literacy development. The fourth section examines further research into bimodal bilingual pedagogies. The final section considers the theoretical and practical implications of the field to date in developing a contemporary model of bimodal bilingual education for deaf children. It also charts future research priorities.


Preparing exact and comprehensive word meaning explanations is one of the key steps in the process of monolingual dictionary writing. In standard methodology, the explanations need an expert lexicographer who spends a substantial amount of time checking the consistency between the descriptive text and corpus evidence. In the following text, we present a new tool that derives explanations automatically based on collective information from very large corpora, particularly on word sketches. We also propose a quantitative evaluation of the constructed explanations, concentrating on explanations of nouns. The methodology is to a certain extent language independent; however, the presented verification is limited to Czech and English. We show that the presented approach allows to create explanations that contain data useful for understanding the word meaning in approximately 90% of cases. However, in many cases, the result requires post-editing to remove redundant information.


An analytical model is proposed to study the grade-of-service (GOS) performance for cellular communication systems supporting heterogeneous services, where GOS includes handoff connection dropping probability (HCDP), new connection blocking probability (NCBP) and system resource utilization. In the analytical model, a higher priority is given to a handoff connection than a new connection by resource reservation. The amount of the reserved resource depends on the current traffic load, and can be adjusted to achieve different HCDP. Numerical results are given to demonstrate the GOS performance.


The prevalence of obesity continues to rise in adult and pediatric populations throughout the world. Obesity has a direct impact on all organ systems, including the reproductive system. This review summarizes current knowledge about the effects of obesity on the male reproductive system across age, highlighting the need for more data in children and adolescents. Male hypogonadism is commonly seen in patients with obesity and affects the onset, duration, and progression of puberty. Different pathophysiologic mechanisms include increased peripheral conversion of testosterone to estrone and increased inflammation due to increased fat, both of which lead to suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadotropin (HPG) axis and delayed development of secondary sexual characteristics in adolescent males. Evaluation of the HPG axis in obesity includes a thorough history to exclude other causes of hypogonadism and syndromic associations. Evaluation should also include investigating the complications of low testosterone, including increased visceral fat, decreased bone density, cardiovascular disease risk, and impaired mood and cognition, among others. The mainstay of treatment is weight reduction, but medications such as testosterone and clomiphene citrate used in adults, remain scarcely used in adolescents. Male hypogonadism associated with obesity is common and providers who care for adolescents and young adults with obesity should be aware of its impact and management.


This project goes beyond the traditional approach to work-related learning in Politics to mainstream work-related learning within the core politics curriculum. This will enhance the benefits of work-related learning to students by integrating this learning into their overall progression and improving their employability as graduates.

To achieve this we will develop innovatory case-based learning approaches to teaching and learning which have a proven track record in other disciplines, such as medicine and nursing, but have been little used in politics and cognate disciplines. Case-based learning refers to a problem-based approach to learning which draws on real-life case-studies and simulations of workplace situations. It is therefore a form of work-related learning. It involves students in active group learning and it is widely acknowledged to encourage deep learning by students


Active participation and effective leadership are two accepted substantial objects of a well-functioning local government, without those ingredients, governance of local government intuitions cannot be contented to its founding purpose. Bangladesh, an emerging South Asian economic tiger, has achieved some exemplary development within short time in many fields, is still struggling to establish a strong and vibrant local government. There are several barriers identified beyond this such as colonial legacy in the governance, extreme controlling by the central government, weak participatory mechanism, poor finance etc. With the study of union parishad, the lowest tier of rural local government, this paper aims to illustrate the actual pattern of elected representative's participation and the nature of leadership in the local government institution in Bangladesh. This is an exploratory study where multiple data collection tools are applied for collecting data from 77 elected members of 11 UPs of Kishoreganj Sadar Upazila. Major findings revealed that a significant amount of elected member does not have minimum knowledge about the laws and they do not have the proper understanding on management before entering their role. Moreover, patriarchy attitude is found as obstruction in the case of women's active participation as body member. Finally, this paper provided some policy suggestions how this problems can be resolved.

 Key words: Participation, leadership, strengthening local government, union parishad,


Information technology (IT) has become part and parcel of the business world today. In fact, it will continue to become an even larger factor in the future. Organizations will interlink their IT systems as a result of linking to the Internet, electronic data interchange (EDI), electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPoS), etc. All of this might hold an information security risk for an organization. Organizations attempt to secure their own IT environment, but they have little control over the IT systems they link with. If those external IT environments are insecure, they might pose a threat to the IT systems in the host environment. Organizations would like to obtain some proof that the IT systems of their business partners are secure before they link with their individual systems. Such proof can only be given through some security evaluation and certification process. Shows and explains the need for such a process.


Because systemic factors, such as lipoproteins, autoantigens, infectious agents, may facilitate plaque rupture, thrombus formation and coronary occlusion, the question may arise of whether thrombosis be only a local plaque event or the consequence of an acute activity of the entire coronary tree. Taking changes at the narrowest point of non culprit lesions as reflecting progression or regression of the disease when > 0.27 mm, early (within a few days) and late (within 1 month) coronarographic findings in 23 patients with first infarction were compared with those of patients with stable angina, in whom coronary angiography was performed for diagnostic purposes and was repeated 1 month later, before angioplasty. Sixteen infarction patients had progression, 4 had regression, 1 had both, and 2 had steadiness; corresponding values in stable angina group were 2 (p < 0.001), 1 (NS), 0 (NS) and 20 (p < 0.001). In the infarction group, 17 out of the 45 non culprit lesions progressed and 5 regressed; corresponding figures in stable angina group were 2 (p < 0.001) and 1 (p < 0.05). Three of the infarction patients developed interim angina at rest that was associated with progression of a culprit lesion in each of them. These results support the hypothesis that in a number of cases infarction may not reflect an arbitrary plaque event but rather a systemic coronary disease activity with maximal expression at the level of the offending plaque.


The development of silicon technology has been, and will continue to be, driven by system needs. The continuous and systematic increase in transistor density and performance, guided by CMOS scaling theory (Dennard et al., 1974) and described in "Moore's Law" (Moore, 1975), has been a highly successful process for the development of silicon technology for the past 40 years. As the silicon industry moves into the 45 nm node and beyond, significant technology challenges are imposed by silicon CMOS device scaling. Two of the most important challenges are the growing standby power dissipation and the increasing variability in device characteristics. These complaints are the embodiments of CMOS approaching atomistic and quantum-mechanical physics boundaries. They are frequently cited as the reason Moore's Law is "broken", or why CMOS scaling is coming to an end. Industry directions for addressing these challenges are developing along three primary extending silicon scaling through innovations in materials and device structure; expanding the level of integration through three-dimensional structures comprised of silicon through-via holes and chip stacking in order to enhance functionality and parallelism; and exploring post-silicon CMOS innovation with new nano-devices based on distinctly different principles of physics, new materials, and new processes, such as spintronics, carbon nanotubes, nanowires, or molecular systems


We have all heard about first mover advantage and how important it is, especially in the so-called "New Economy" and with e-related businesses. The story goes, " If we are first in the market place, we can gain market recognition, market share early and the lion's share of the market's money. We can become entrenched in the market so that our lead will be insurmountable and then we can ride the wave of momentum and relax." First mover advantage is a bit more complicated than that. In fact, being first may be a disadvantage. Ultimately, relying on being first mover as a(n) (Internet) strategy and/or competitive advantage involves a great amount of risk.


Phased Array Digital Beamforming Algorithms and Applications David Moyle Marsh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, BYU Master of Science With the expansion of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) technologies, there is a growing need for UAS Traffic Management (UTM) systems to promote safe operation and development. To be successful, these UTM systems must be able to detect and track multiple drones in the presence of clutter. This paper examines the implementation of different algorithms on a compact, X-band, frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar in an effort to enable more accurate detection and estimation of drones. Several algorithms were tested through post processing on actual radar data to determine their accuracy and usefulness for this system. A promising result was achieved through the application of pulse-Doppler processing. Post processing on recorded radar data showed that a moving target indicator successfully separated a target from clutter. An improvement was also noted for the implementation of phase comparison monopulse which accurately estimated angle of arrival (AOA) and required fewer computations than digital beamforming. The second part of this thesis explains the work done on an adaptive broadband, real time beamformer for RF interference (RFI) mitigation. An effective communication system is reliable and can counteract the effects of jamming. Beamforming is an appropriate solution to RFI. To assist in this process FPGA firmware was developed to prepare signals for frequency domain beamforming. This system allows beamforming to be applied to 150 MHz of bandwidth. Future implementation will allow for signal reconstruction after beamforming and demodulation of a communication signal.


This study aims to investigate the performance of energy service companies with support from the Korean government. In particular, we focus on the amount and quality of jobs created by energy service company businesses. From the results, we can observe some characteristics of the Korean energy service company industry, which is very volatile with a high turnover rate for the participating firms. The dwindling profitability within the industry appears to be the main reason for the high turnover rate. However, some firms have accumulated the capacities and experiences of the industry and are enjoying monopolistic profits. Job creation for firms conducting energy service company business is higher compared to other similar firms in the same industries studied. However, the quality of newly created jobs measured by the wage level is lower, which by social planners is seen as a worrying trend.


Background: Epidemiologic data suggest inverse associations between citrus flavanone intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, insufficient randomized controlled trial data limit our understanding of the mechanisms by which flavanones and their metabolites potentially reduce cardiovascular risk factors. Objective: We examined the effects of orange juice or a dose-matched hesperidin supplement on plasma concentrations of established and novel flavanone metabolites and their effects on cardiovascular risk biomarkers in men at moderate CVD risk. Design: In an acute, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial, 16 fasted participants (aged 51–69 y) received orange juice or a hesperidin supplement (both providing 320 mg hesperidin) or control (all matched for sugar and vitamin C content). At baseline and 5 h postintake, endothelial function (primary outcome), blood pressure, arterial stiffness, cardiac autonomic function, platelet activation, and NADPH oxidase gene expression and plasma flavanone metabolites were assessed. Before each intervention, a diet low in flavonoids, nitrate/nitrite, alcohol, and caffeine was followed, and a standardized low-flavonoid evening meal was consumed. Results: Orange juice intake significantly elevated mean ± SEM plasma concentrations of 8 flavanone (1.75 ± 0.35 μmol/L, P < 0.0001) and 15 phenolic (13.27 ± 2.22 μmol/L, P < 0.0001) metabolites compared with control at 5 h postconsumption. Despite increased plasma flavanone and phenolic metabolite concentrations, cardiovascular risk biomarkers were unaltered. After hesperidin supplement intake, flavanone metabolites were not different from the control, suggesting altered absorption/metabolism compared with the orange juice matrix. Conclusions: After single-dose flavanone intake within orange juice, circulating flavanone and phenolic metabolites collectively reached a concentration of 15.20 ± 2.15 μmol/L, but no effects were observed on cardiovascular risk biomarkers. Longer-duration randomized controlled trials are required to examine previous associations between higher flavanone intakes and improved cardiovascular health and to ascertain the relative importance of food matrix and flavanone-derived phenolic metabolites. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01530893.


Conformational changes in bacteriophage tail proteins after heating and ionic strength alteration leading to dissociation of tail sheath have been studied using protein fluorescence, differential scanning microcalorimetry and electron microscopy methods. Autonomous structural changes in tube-baseplate proteins have been revealed. They take place under the same conditions as those which release the bonds holding the sheath protein subunits to those of the tube in isolated sheathed tails. The conformational changes in the tube-baseplates are reversible similarly to the process of assembly and disassembly of the extended sheath. Morphological changes in the tube have been found at the temperature above the transition registered by protein fluorescence but not by calorimetry. This suggests that revealed spectral alterations reflect changes in quaternary structure of tail tube in particular.


Hospitals with academic activities offer better services to their patients. The Government of Buenos Aires City (GBAC) has an important network of health facilities, but there is little information regarding their academic activities. Our aim was to estimate the proportion of articles included in MEDLINE originated in GBAC hospitals, to evaluate their contribution regarding the whole country (Argentina), and to describe some characteristics of these papers. It is a cross-sectional study based on a MEDLINE search, using the name of each of the 33 GBAC hospitals in the "affiliation" field. Among 22 million references, 1781 belonged to GBAC hospitals (4.4% of all references from Argentina); 66.5% were in English, 83.7% were related to humans, 30.1% were from the last 5 years, 8.3% included high level scientific evidence research (meta-analysis or randomized controlled trials), and 31.1% included research in children. Regarding the rest of the references from Argentina, those from GBAC hospitals included less papers in English (66.5% vs. 90.0%; OR: 0.22; p < 0.0001), less recent papers (30.1% vs. 34.6%; OR: 0.81; p < 0.0001), more research in humans (83.7% vs. 37.3%; OR: 8.65; p < 0.0001), more randomized controlled trials (8.0% vs. 2.8%; OR: 2,9; p < 0.0001), and more research in children (31.1% vs. 9.2%; OR: 4.44; p < 0.0001). GBAC hospitals contributed with 4.4% of references attributed to Argentina in MEDLINE. References from GBAC hospitals were less recent, and included more randomized controlled trials and research in children.


The Argentine ant is an invasive species that has spread all over the world and is organized in several supercolonies. While there are many studies about factors promoting the expansion of the species, little is known about the factors affecting the variation in spread among the different supercolonies. We examined the environmental and spatial variables affecting the invasion of the Argentine ant on three islands of the Mediterranean Sea (Corsica, Ibiza, and Formentera) and in the three European supercolonies that inhabit them (Main European, Corsican, and Catalonian). We used data from two sampling periods, nine years apart in the case of Corsica and 12 years in the case of Ibiza and Formentera, coupled with historical data of first detection dates and locations on islands of Southwestern Europe. Along the coast of the three islands, we sampled each beach to detect the presence of the Argentine ant and used aggression assays to identify the supercolony they belonged to. The Argentine ant expanded its range on all three islands. Although the three supercolonies maintained their same locations and expanded to new locations, the highest expansion for the Main Supercolony was on Ibiza and Formen-tera and for the Corsican Supercolony on Corsica. Interestingly, the Argentine ant did not dominate at all our study sites. On one third of the beaches of Ibiza and Formentera, it co-occurred with native ant species even after 12 years. Human presence affected the likeliness of a beach to be invaded on Ibiza and Formentera. On Corsica, beaches that had already been invaded before our study or were invaded during our study were the ones with lower distance to already invaded beaches, suggesting the importance of secondary introductions in the local expansion of the Argentine ant. Our findings help to understand the dynamics of invasions of the Argentine ant and its different supercolonies. Long-term studies at many invaded sites are of great importance in order to obtain general patterns of the spread of this


The objective of this study was to compare the effects of three different vitrification solutions on the development of pronuclear-stage (PN) Dinnyes mouse embryos into blastocyst stage after vitrification by solid surface vitrification (SSV) technique. For this aim, it was compared three experimental groups and a control group. Experimental groups were distinguished each other by the vitrification solution used in SSV. It was used 4 % Ethylene Glycol (EG) at 37 oC equilibration temperature in the first group (SSV-EG), 4% Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) at room temperature in the second group (SSV-DMSO) and 4% Propylene Glycol (PG) at room temperature in the third group (SSV-PG). After vitrification, the survived embryos were cultured to blastocyst stage in KSOM. It was determined a significant difference between the groups of SSV-EG and SSV-PG at developing rate to 2-cell stage (P < 0.05). Similarly, SSV-PG demonstrated significant differences with SSV-DMSO and the control group at developing rate to 3-8-cell stage (P < 0.05). When compared the rates of developing to morula stage among the groups, it was determined significant differences between SSV-PG and the control group at (P < 0.05); and between SSV-DMSO and SSV-PG (P < 0.01). Finally, it was compared the developing rates into blastocyst stage and found that SSV-EG demonstrated significant differences with SSV-PG and SSV-DMSO (P < 0.01). This study has shown that EG, DMSO and PG with trehalose can be used effectively as a cryoprotective agent in the quick freezing of pronuclear-stage mouse embryos. Finally, additional studies are needed to optimize the SSV method in further stage mouse embryos.


This study was conducted in order to understand the dynamics of each country in Southern Africa by documenting barriers facing refugees in accessing health care services and aiming to make policy recommendations based on findings. A desktop search was conducted through which papers using both qualitative and quantitative methods were gathered for analysis. A total of sixty-four (n=64) papers were generated, out of which only twenty-two (n=22) were considered for analysis. NVIVO software was used for analysis as it allowed the coding and grouping of findings under themes. The emerging themes included: Availability, Affordability, and Acceptability. These results suggest that access to formal health care services remains a challenge for refugees in Southern Africa. If identified barriers are not addressed, they will continue to affect the health of both citizens and refugees negatively.


We have been studying the consequences of embryonic vestibular dysfunction caused by the monolith (mnl) mutation in zebrafish. mnl is a dominant mutation that specifically inhibits formation of utricular otoliths. However, briefly immobilizing mnl/mnl embryos in agarose with the otic vesicle orientated at certain angles selectively induces or prevents formation of utricular and/or saccular otoliths. With this noninvasive technique, we generated six phenotypic classes of mnl/mnl mutants, designated S-S, U-U, U-S, S-US, U-US, and US-US, depending on which otoliths are present on each side (U, utricular otolith; S, saccular otolith). All mnl/mnl larvae survived through day 10 of development. Thereafter, S-S larvae showed a rapid decline, probably because of starvation, and none survived to adulthood. Survival rates in all other classes of mnl/mnl larvae (those having at least one utricular otolith) were close to normal. The presence or absence of utricular otoliths also correlated with vestibular function during early larval development, as measured by three criteria: First, unlike wild-type larvae, S-S mutant larvae showed almost no detectable counter-rotation of the eyes when tilted tail up or tail down. Second, 95% of S-S mutant larvae never acquired the ability to maintain a balanced dorsal-up posture. Third, although most wild-type larvae responded to gentle prodding by swimming in a straight line, S-S larvae responded by swimming in rapid circles, showing sudden and frequent changes in direction ("zigzagging"), and/or rolling and spiraling. All other phenotypic classes of mnl/mnl larvae behaved normally in these assays. These data demonstrate that bilateral loss of utricular otoliths disrupts the ability to sense gravity, severely impairs balance and motor coordination, and is invariably lethal. The presence of a utricular otolith in at least one inner ear is necessary and sufficient for vestibular function and survival. In contrast, saccular otoliths are dispensable for these functions.


Abstract This research examined the impact of child maltreatment and grade level on perceptions of competence and explored relations between perceived competence and school functioning among a sample of 104 low-income school children, half of whom belonged to families in which child maltreatment had been officially documented. Data were collected on 76 first through third graders and 28 fourth through sixth graders, who were interviewed in a laboratory setting, and on a subset of 74 children, who were evaluated by their teachers on measures of school functioning. Results indicated that maltreated children perceive themselves and/or describe themselves differently than do their low-income peers. However, these differences took the expected negative direction only beginning around the middle of the elementary school years. In earlier grades, maltreated children demonstrated a tendency to describe themselves in exaggerated positive terms, over and above the self-enhancement bias documented here and in other research among younger nonmaltreated children. Differences between maltreated and comparison children also appeared in teachers' ratings of school functioning and in use of special educational services. These results are presented and discussed as suggestive evidence for a causal chain from parent-child relationships, to self-perceptions, to school functioning.


Distance learning can be a ―very lonely‖ experience (Brown & Early, cited by Prescott & Robinson, 1993). This isolation exacerbates all of the many issues that can occur when learners are separated from their instructor and other learners via distance. Difficulties understanding content, computer problems, uncertainty about how to employ a strategy, and disappointment when a new pedagogical approach fails are all magnified when teachers confront these issues alone. High rates of attrition in distance-based teacher training courses are in large measure due to these feelings of isolation and ―anonymity‖ (Potashnik & Capper, 1998; Hope, 2006). Indeed, without ―support, contact and confidence,‖ distance learning is not considered by learners to be ―valuable‖ (Brown & Early, 1990; Prescott & Robinson, 1993, p. 306). This paper presents a recent historical and global overview of the types of supports provided to distance education programs across the globe. Because of the diversity of distance-education programs, the paper includes a range of such modalities (print-based instruction, radio, television, and online learning).


Technological developments in recent years have brought about a rapid increase in the number and variety of organ transplants, leading to problems in finding enough organs to meet the need. Organ transplantation has also become a particularly significant issue in medical ethics, especially regarding the question of how and from whom organs are procured. Many methods have been tried in order to solve these problems and discussed from an ethical perspective. This study investigates the Spanish, Belgian and Iranian approaches to solving the organ procurement problem. The Spanish model, which is based on persuading patients and their relatives, is ethically less problematic and is also an improved version of the model applied in Turkey. This study argues that an ideal solution can be found without disregarding ethical rules. In particular, nurses can contribute by helping to run the system more efficiently. The principal aim of this article is to demonstrate the contribution of nurses to solving the current organ procurement problem in Turkey and offer some reflections on what can be done to improve the efficiency of the system.


This paper proposes a minimal test of two basic empirical predictions that ag-gregate data should exhibit if sticky prices were the key transmission mechanism of monetary policy, as implied by the benchmark DSGE-New Keynesian models. First, large monetary policy shocks should yield proportionally larger initial re-sponses of the price level and smaller real effects on output. Second, in a high trend inflation regime, prices should be more flexible, and thus the real effects of monetary policy shocks should be smaller and the response of the price level larger. Our analysis provides some statistically significant evidence in favor of a sticky price theory of the transmission mechanism of monetary policy shocks.


Field data of topography, water levels, and peat hydraulic conductivity collected over a 28‐year period have revealed the impacts of marginal drainage on uncut raised bog ecohydrology and its peat properties. Drainage of the regional groundwater body has induced changes in the hydraulic properties of deep peat, with peat compression decreasing hydraulic conductivity and storativity while simultaneously introducing localized secondary porosity and effective storage. Where peat has increased in hydraulic conductivity, there is a corresponding decline in vertical hydraulic gradients and significant localized increases in recharge to the underlying substrate. Repeated topographic surveys show intense localized areas of peat consolidation (>5%) where it is underlain by highly permeable (>10 m/day) glacial till deposits. More widely, continued subsidence (4–6 mm/year) of the bog surface has been measured over 900 m from the bog margin, resulting in the progressive loss of approximately 40% of actively growing raised bog since 1991. This loss has thus been shown to be attributable to changes in the underlying groundwater head due to deep‐cut drainage, rather than near‐surface peatland drainage. However, although reinstating regional hydrostatic pressures in order to restore this ombrotrophic peatland may control the rapid drainage through preferential flow pathways, this may not eliminate the ecological impacts resulting from changed surface morphology arising from subsidence. Hence, this longitudinal study provides new insights into the role that aquifer systems and groundwater bodies play in maintaining hydrogeological processes in ombrotrophic peatland systems, while highlighting the difficulty in ecological restoration where regional groundwater dependencies are significant.


While undertaking research on and performance testing of stormwater products at universities is generally mutually beneficial for both manufacturers and universities and should be encouraged. It is imperative to plan every step of the testing procedure and to fully understand, and not underestimate, the consequences of things going wrong. Even an apparently very simple testing program can experience a multitude of complications and require extensive extra (unbudgeted for) resources. This paper presents a case study on some of the problems encountered and the lessons learned while undertaking performance testing of a proprietary GPT system at the University of the Sunshine Coast. The background of GPTs and how they have been tested in the past is first outlined. The study methodology is then explained and the selection and verification of the monitoring equipment used in the study is summarized. Details are given of the unforseen problems that occurred before and during testing, and how they were dealt with. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are presented.


The collision threshold pressure (CTP), i.e. the smallest amount of subglottal pressure needed for vocal fold collision, has been explored as a possible complement or alternative to the now commonly used phonation threshold pressure (PTP), i.e. the smallest amount of subglottal pressure needed to initiate and sustain vocal fold oscillation. In addition, the effects of vocal warm-up (Paper 1) and vocal loading (Paper 2) on the CTP and the PTP have been investigated. Results confirm previous findings that PTP increases with an increase in fundamental frequency (F0) of phonation and this is true also for CTP, which on average is about 4 cm H2O higher than the PTP. Statistically significant increases of the CTP and PTP after vocal loading were confirmed and after the vocal warm-up, the threshold pressures were generally lowered although these results were significant only for the females. The vocal loading effect was minor for the two singer subjects who participated in the experiment of Paper 2. In Paper 3, the now commonly used audio spectral tilt (AST) is measured on the vowels of a large database (5277 sentences) containing speech of one male Swedish actor. Moreover, the new measure electroglottographic spectral tilt (EST) is calculated from the derivatives of the electroglottographic signals (DEGG) of the same database. Both AST and EST were checked for vowel dependency and the results show that while AST is vowel dependent, EST is not. Paper 4 reports the findings from a perception experiment on Swedish accents performed on 47 Swedish native speakers from the three main parts of Sweden. Speech consisting of one sentence chosen for its prosodically interesting properties and spoken by 72 speakers was played in headphones. The subjects would then try to locate the origin of every speaker on a map of Sweden. Results showed for example that the accents of the capital of Sweden (Stockholm), Gotland and southern Sweden were the ones placed correctly to the highest degree.


Ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT) is a standard process for detecting flaws or discontinuities in industrial parts. A pulse is emitted by an ultrasonic transducer through a material, and a reflected wave is produced at each impedance change. In many cases, echoes can overlap in the received signal and deconvolution can be applied to perform echo separation and to enhance the resolution. Common deconvolution techniques assume that the shape of the echoes is invariant to the propagation distance. This can cause poor performances with materials such as plastics or composites, in particular because acoustic propagation suffers from frequency-dependent attenuation. In geophysics, biomedical imaging or NDT, various frequency-dependent attenuation models have been proposed under different formulations. This communication compares the related possible constructions in order to account for attenuation in deconvolution methods. Especially, we introduce a discrete model for the data, that includes an attenuation matrix in the standard convolution model. Experimental data acquired from Plexiglas plates show that, for this material, attenuation varies roughly linearly with frequency, leading to the identification of a unique parameter. Finally, we show that such an advanced model manages a better fitting of the data, and promises improvement for the deconvolution of complex ultrasonic data.


The interview was recorded at Amman, Jordan
, on March 18, 1998
. The Interviewer was Jean Krasno. Dr. Mustafa Hamarneh was at a boarding school on the West Bank of Jordan when the Six Days War broke out in 1967. At the age of fourteen, he travelled with his brother from the Israeli-occupied West Bank to reunite with his family in Amman, Jordan.
Dr. Hamarneh became an influential Jordanian political analyst and scholar; he was one of the key contributors to building a strong Jordanian civil society in the midst of political liberalization. Internationally educated, with degrees from La Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Dr. Hamarneh became director of the University of Jordan's Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) in 1992. Under his watch, CSS became well known for its interpretations of trends within society and politics for Jordanian, Arab and Western audiences.
This interview was conducted on 14 March 1998, while Dr. Hamarneh still held his post as director of CSS. He discussed his personal experiences in the West Bank during the 1967 Six Days War and the events leading up to 1970's "Black September."


The effect of viscosity and thermal conduction on the acoustics in a shear layer above an impedance wall is investigated numerically and asymptotically by solving the linearised compressible Navier–Stokes equations (LNSE). It is found that viscothermal effects can be as important as shear, and therefore including shear while neglecting viscothermal effects by solving the linearised Euler equations (LEE) is questionable. In particular, the damping rate of upstream-propagating waves is found to be under-predicted by the LEE, and dramatically so in certain instances. The effects of viscosity on stability are also found to be important. Short wavelength disturbances are stabilised by viscosity, greatly altering the characteristic wavelength and maximum growth rate of instability. For the parameters considered here (chosen to be typical of aeroacoustic situations), the Reynolds number below which the flow stabilises ranges from $10^{5}$ to $10^{7}$ . By assuming a thin but non-zero-thickness boundary layer, asymptotic analysis leads to a system of boundary layer governing equations for the acoustics. This system may be solved numerically to produce an effective impedance boundary condition, applicable at the wall of a uniform inviscid flow, that accounts for both the shear and viscosity within the boundary layer. An alternative asymptotic analysis in the high-frequency limit yields a different set of boundary layer equations, which are solved to yield analytic solutions. The acoustic mode shapes and axial wavenumbers from both asymptotic analyses compare well with numerical solutions of the full LNSE. A closed-form effective impedance boundary condition is derived from the high-frequency asymptotics, suitable for application in frequency domain numerical simulations. Finally, surface waves are considered, and it is shown that a viscous flow over an impedance lining supports a greater number of surface wave modes than an inviscid flow.


The performance of a series of novel room temperature ionic liquids (ILs) based on the trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphoniumcation (P66614 +) and a number of novel anions have been studied in pin-on-disk tests using a 100Cr6 steel ball on AA2024 aluminium disks. The anions coupled to the (P66614 +) cation include diphenyl phosphate (DPP-), dibutyl phosphate (DBP-), bis (2,4,4-trimethyl pentyl) phosphinate (M3PPh-) and bis(2-ethyl hexyl) phosphate (BEH-). More traditional anions such as bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) amide (NTf2 -) and bromide (Br-) were also investigated. Experiments were conducted at various loads to assess the IL film forming abilities. The results suggest that the structure of the anion is important in forming a surface film that reduces the friction and wear of the aluminium disk. At 30N five of the six ILs tested showed a 30-90% reduction in wear, as determined from wear scar depth measurements, compared to fully formulated diesel oil. The IL lubricant with a diphenyl phosphate anion achieved the lowest wear coefficient, showing a better performance than a typical fluorine-containing IL anion, NTf2. To further investigate wear mechanisms and surface interactions the wear scars were analysed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).


Background: Left ventricular (LV) heart failure (HF) affects over 5 million Americans with 50% of HF patients dying within 5 years of diagnosis. Therapeutics, while only relieving symptoms and have multiple side effects, have not completely resolved this process. HF is associated with cardiac myocyte cytosolic Ca2+ overload due to impaired sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and/or membrane Ca2+ handling. We recently found that a widely expressed cell surface receptor CD47 and its high affinity ligand, thrombospondin-1 (TSP1), are expressed on cardiac myocytes. We further showed that activated CD47 increases isolated neonatal cardiac myocyte cytosolic Ca2+ levels in part through SR Ca2+ channels. We postulated that TSP1-CD47 signaling may in part play a role in LV HF secondary to dysregulation of Ca2+, though the specific Ca2+ dynamics through which TSP1-CD47 signaling controls cardiac Ca2+ remains to be determined. Methods: Isolated hearts from mutated mice lacking CD47 (CD47-/-) and wild type (WT) mice with and without 4 weeks of transverse aortic constriction (TAC) were studied in ex vivo perfused heart Langendorff using dual optical mapping of Cai transients and action potential or voltage measurements. Isolated cardiac myocyte experiments were performed using whole cell voltage-clamp analysis. Results: In TAC-stressed WT murine hearts studied in the Landendorff system, tetracaine (an inhibitor of SR ryanodine receptor2) blunted arrhythmia induced by electrical stimulation. Isoproterenol-induced Ca2+ transient irregularities in hearts from WT mice were ameliorated in CD47-/- mice. Further, hearts from WT mice treated with peptide 7N3, a TSP1 mimetic, showed induced Ca2+ transient irregularities and elicited early after depolarization which was also attenuated with K2O1 (ryanodine receptor2 stabilizer) treatment. Voltage-clamp studies of isolated adult mouse cardiac myocytes showed that 7N3 peptide increased the L-type Ca2+ channel current (ICa,L) whereas the scrambled control peptide did not alter ICa,L. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that CD47 activation may be a trigger for aberrant myocyte Ca2+ handling typically associated with HF. Targeting of TSP1-CD47 signaling may open a new therapeutic avenue to be further studied in HF.


In this seminal contribution, the world's first wholly-analytical gas volume fraction multiphase flow model is formulated and demonstrated in virtual flow meter and production allocation field applications for its differentiated ability to achieve improved reliability of phase flow rate calculations given pressure and temperature measurements at two different locations along multiphase production systems. The presented simple gas volume fraction equation is explicit in form and is validated against both lab data and oilfield flowline data. A crucial requirement for differential pressure flow meters for multiphase production systems, particularly wet gas systems in annular and annular-mist flows, is the calculation of the averaged gas volume fraction. Additional calculations include multidirectional entrainment calculations, which strongly affect the simultaneous entrainment of liquids in the gas phase and the gas in the liquid phases. Historically, prior published gas volume fraction two-phase flow models had closure relations and artificial adjustment (fitting) factors linked to controlled lab-scale conditions involving immiscible fluids that bear no resemblance to the complex petroleum mixtures undergoing phase change in uncontrolled long wellbore and flowline environments. Thus, ambiguous extrapolations were necessary leading to increased uncertainties. Using an asymptotic approximation analysis approach, an analytical gas volume fraction equation is derived that overcomes this empirical-based restriction. In terms of comprehensive validation, the presented analytical gas volume fraction equation is demonstrated first for its ability to reliably reproduce over 2600 two-phase annular and annular-mist flow experimental datasets inclusive of circular and non-circular conduits. Secondly, readily available published experimental data of both constant-diameter as well as variable-diameter sub-critical to critical choke two-phase flows are used for model validation in scenarios involving different flow obstructions. Lastly, an offshore subsea flowline dataset is used to demonstrate the improved reliability of the new equation at field-scale operational conditions.


The Krio of Sierra Leone are descendants of black people brought to Africa from Nova Scotia and Jamaica, and "Liberated Africans" freed from slave ships. They were at first favoured subjects of the British, and soon produced an elite of professionals, clergy and entrepreneurs in the white man's image. In their heyday they dominated the endigenous population. From the turn of the century the establishment of a "protectorate" in the hinterland, peopled by more numerous Mende, Temme and others eroded the Krio's privileged position. With the growth of nationalism in the run-up to Independence, relations between them and Sierra Leone's other peoples worsened, and the latter consolidated their grip on the country after the British left. The author has penetrated the character and ethos of his own people as expressed in their aspirations and the careers of their leading figures.


P45 Background: Lateral venous sinus thrombosis can be associated with mastoiditis. We encountered several cases of lateral sinus thrombosis associated with MRI abnormalities in the ipsilateral mastoid air sinus that had no clinical evidence of mastoiditis. The relationship between lateral sinus thrombosis and mastoid abnormalities was evaluated systematically. Method: The clinical records and radiology of all adult cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVT) diagnosed or treated at Auckland Hospital 1990–1999 were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Twenty-six cases of CVT were identified. Thrombosis was present in 23 lateral sinuses in 20 cases. Mastoid abnormalities were detected ipsilateral to nine of 23 thrombosed lateral sinuses (39%) and were associated with none of 29 unaffected lateral sinuses (p Conclusion: Lateral venous sinus thrombosis is commonly associated with ipsilateral MRI abnormalities in the mastoid air sinus. These abnormalities are most likely to be due to venous congestion as a consequence of venous thrombosis and do not inevitably represent infective mastoiditis. Patients presenting with lateral sinus thrombosis and mastoid congestion should have a thorough clinical assessment for the presence of mastoiditis. When there is no clinical evidence of infection, treatment should be directed at the underlying cerebral venous thrombosis; additional treatment with antibiotics is not required.


Panelists provided an expansive overview of the typical subscription credit facility transaction structure, key participants and terminology for such facilities, and related fund finance transactions. The typical comingled private equity fund is structured in the form of a limited partnership. The general partner of the fund, an affiliate of the fund's sponsor, manages all aspects of the fund, including the selection of investments. The limited partners of the fund, the investors, make capital contributions up to the amount of their capital commitments as and when called by the general partner to permit the fund to make its investments. Unfunded commitments provide the security and source of repayment for a subscription credit facility. Unlike most securitization structures, such a facility does not employ a special purpose vehicle but rather is structured in the form of a loan directly to the fund, secured by its unfunded commitments as well as the general partner's rights to issue capital calls. Credit performance for subscription credit facilities was good throughout the financial crisis and in 2013, although some credit issues are arising and lenders are likely to pay increasing attention to the quality of assets and asset-level mitigants to make up for shortcomings in investor diversity, less-than-ideal partnership agreements, and other perceived credit weaknesses.


Reproductive activities of two commercially exploited clupeid fishes (Stolothrissa tanganicae and Limnothrissa miodon) in the northern end of Lake Tanganyika (Bujumbura sub-basin) were investigated during two different years (2004-2005 and 2007-2008). We hypothesized that the timing of largest reproductive investment in these pelagic species coincides with the onset of the rainy season and the highest abundance of copepod prey. For S. tanganicae, the gonadosomatic index (GSI) was significantly higher prior to the onset of the rainy season, and this was observed in both years. For L. miodon, however, this pattern was overall weaker and only statistically significant in 2004-2005. In both species, spawning activities did not seem to be adjusted to provide optimal feeding conditions for the larvae. Instead, investment in reproduction seemed to be related to the availability of copepods in the preceding months. We conclude that the timing of reproductive activities in these clupeids is species-specific, and might be subject to strong year-to-year variation.


Advances in metering technologies and emerging energy forecast strategies provide opportunities and challenges for predicting both short and long-term building energy usage. Machine learning is an important energy prediction technique, and is significantly gaining research attention. The use of different machine learning techniques based on a rolling-horizon framework can help to reduce the prediction error over time. Due to the significant increases in error beyond short-term energy forecasts, most reported energy forecasts based on statistical and machine learning techniques are within the range of one week. The aim of this study was to investigate how facility managers can improve the accuracy of their building's long-term energy forecasts. This paper presents an extensive study of machine learning and data processing techniques and how they can more accurately predict within different forecast ranges. The Clarendon building of Teesside University was selected as a case study to demonstrate the prediction of overall energy usage with different machine learning techniques such as polynomial regression (PR), support vector regression (SVR) and artificial neural networks (ANNs). This study further examined how preprocessing training data for prediction models can impact the overall accuracy, such as via segmenting the training data by building modes (active and dormant), or by days of the week (weekdays and weekends). The results presented in this paper illustrate a significant reduction in the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) for segmented building (weekday and weekend) energy usage prediction when compared to unsegmented monthly predictions. A reduction in MAPE of 5.27%, 11.45%, and 12.03% was achieved with PR, SVR and ANN, respectively.


Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease with poorly understood etiology and pathobiology. Mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) including ERK and p38 play important roles in the mediation of downstream pathways involved in cartilage degenerative processes. Dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) dephosphorylates the threonine/serine and tyrosine sites on ERK and p38, causing deactivation of downstream signalling. In this study we examined the role of DUSP1 in spontaneous OA development at 21 months of age using a genetically modified mouse model deficient in Dusp1 (DUSP1 knockout mouse). Results Utilizing histochemical stains of paraffin embedded knee joint sections in DUSP1 knockout and wild type female and male mice, we showed similar structural progression of cartilage degeneration associated with OA at 21 months of age. A semi-quantitative cartilage degeneration scoring system also demonstrated similar scores in the various aspects of the knee joint articular cartilage in DUSP1 knockout and control mice. Examination of overall articular cartilage thickness in the knee joint demonstrated similar results between DUSP1 knockout and wild type mice. Immunostaining for cartilage neoepitopes DIPEN, TEGE and C1,2C was similar in the cartilage lesion sites and chondrocyte pericellular matrix of both experimental groups. Likewise, immunostaining for phosphoERK and MMP13 showed similar intensity and localization between groups. SOX9 immunostaining demonstrated a decreased number of positive cells in DUSP1 knockout mice, with correspondingly decreased staining intensity. Analysis of animal walking patterns (gait) did not show a discernable difference between groups. Conclusion Loss of DUSP1 does not cause changes in cartilage degeneration and gait in a mouse model of spontaneous OA at 21 months of age. Altered staining was observed in SOX9 immunostaining which may prove promising for future studies examining the role of DUSPs in cartilage and OA, as well as models of post-traumatic OA.


Research in the area of piercings and tattoos has indicated the existence of commonly held negative stereotypes and assumptions (stigmas) concerning these body practices. These stigmas have been shown to impact the hireability of those with body modification (BoM). In order to understand the experiences of women with piercings and tattoos who are entering the professional workforce, the first author interviewed 8 women attending postsecondary education between November 2011 and April 2012. Through analysis using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, with a focus on experiences with work, friends, and family, 8 main themes emerged. Interpreting the data showed that, despite the increasing number of people with BoM, postsecondary women are still experiencing and/or anticipating workplace and familial stigma.


The operation and maintenance of commercial building HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) systems is illustrative of an industry that can benefit from the insightful use of all available information sources. Modern HVAC systems using direct digital control can potentially provide useful performance data. Occupant feedback complaint data and HVAC system trend data are stored within modern maintenance management databases. This paper will address the specific issue of integration and application of these fundamental sources of information, using some modern and novel techniques. Examples are found in, but are not limited to the following areas: discrete-event, continuous, and hybrid control system theory, artificial intelligence, statistics, system identification, databases, etc. Methods specific to these areas can be used to synthesize a supervisory controller. The objective of this controller is to reduce energy costs, improve building occupant comfort, fault detection and diagnostic capability. At the same time, the entire process needs to be stable, and the influence of occupant behavior needs to be taken full advantage of. The controller will achieve these objectives by performing and/or prioritizing the appropriate actions to be taken either automatically or by facility operators. Furthermore, the cost and scalability of the entire effort described can be positively influenced by recent technological advances in computing power, sensors, and databases.


The prevalence of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli both in an ambulatory patients passing out loose stools with or without blood and/or mucus in Anua General Hospital, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital and University of Uyo Health Centre from June to September, 2008 were determined using standard microbiological techniques. Susceptibility to seven different conventional and commonly available chemotherapeutic drugs/antibiotics: ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamycin, tetracycline, cephalothin and ofloxacin were assessed using a disc diffusion technique (DDT). The macroscopic analysis of the stool samples showed that 31 of the 100 cases (31%) were diarrhea bloody and 33% mucoid. Sixty-nine diarrheagenic E. coli were isolated from 100 stool samples collected and were more prevalent in females (69.4%) than in males (30.6%). The observed percentage prevalence of diarrheagenic E. coli among the age groups (in years) 1 -15, 16 - 30, 31 - 45, 46 - 60 and 61 and above were 95, 80, 55, 70 and 45%, respectively. The results of antibiotic susceptibility showed that the E. coli were highly resistant to ampicillin (73.9%), tetracycline (75.4%) and gentamycin (68.1%), and moderately resistant to chloramphenicol (46.4 %) and cephalothin (43.5%), but highly sensitive to ciprofloxacin (71.0%) and ofloxacin (66.7%). The findings of this study showed ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin to be drugs of choice for the treatment of diarrheagenic E. coli, while ampicillin, tetracycline and gentamycin should not be used without first performing culture and sensitivity tests.

 Key words: Diarrheagenic, Escherichia coli, prevalence, chemotherapy, susceptibility.


Tomorrow's engineers are required to have a good balance between deep working knowledge of engineering sciences and engineering skills. In the Bachelor Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft, students are educated to master these competences so that they are ready to engineer when they graduate. The bachelor curriculum has three mainstreams of about equal study load: Aerospace Design, Aerospace Engineering & Technology, and Basic Engineering Sciences. The Aerospace Design stream is built up semester after semester of a design project and an accompanying design course. The main objectives of the design projects are related to contextual learning, to being a mental organiser for the students, to learning by doing together, and to learning and practicing academic and engineering skills. Over the years of study the design projects increase in complexity and openness, from knowing to application, synthesis and evaluation, from tangible to abstract, from mono- to multidisciplinary, from mostly individual to team work. All projects exploit the factors that promote intrinsic motivation (challenge, curiosity, control, fantasy, competition, cooperation, and recognition). To assure that the intrinsic motivation factors and the semester themes are well addressed, each design project is characterised by a storyline, professional role, client, real-life problem, engineering process, and certain attainment levels of engineering skills. The projects make use of 45 well-equipped student project spaces in a dedicated building and laboratories like wind tunnels, a structures and materials laboratory, a study collection of aircraft and spacecraft parts and subsystems, and a flight simulator. The organisation of the six design projects for 300-440 students per project challenges the resources of the academic staff and the logistics of the project and lab spaces.


A comparison of the stock market performance of lodging stocks and casino stocks over the past year reveals returns superior to the S&P500 for both groups. Over the 52-week period ending March 18, 1994, the average price of a sample portfolio of lodging stocks rose 61.6%, and a corresponding portfolio of casino stocks advanced 37.2%, compared with the S&P500's 4.6% return over the same period. The gain for lodging stocks represents a sharp rebound from the prior 52-week period, but a slowdown for the casino stocks. The strong showing of these stocks over the last year, as well as the changes in relative performance can be explained by an analysis of measures of fundamental value, such as the profit margin, return on equity, and return on assets, as well as structural changes in the industries. Interest in lodging and casino stocks by institutional investors is encouraging, but significant uncertainties, in particular with respect to taxation of gaming revenues and legalization of specific forms of gambling, present ongoing risks that could lead to continued stock price volatility.


The traditional important role of maps used for educational purposes has gained further potential with recent advances in GIS technology. But beyond specific courses in cartography this potential seems little realized in geography teaching. This article investigates the extent to which any learning benefits may be derived from the use of such technologies. A controlled experiment was conducted to examine whether information recall is improved when cartographic information on population distribution is presented in 2D versus 3D form. The results show statistically significant differences in learning benefits between the two formats, largely in favor of 2D representation. These findings suggest that learning benefits can be derived from paying greater attention to map format in educational settings.


The aim of this study was to analyze the association between perceived neighborhood characteristics and leisure time physical activity (PA) and the moderator effect of gender, age, schooling and time spent working/studying on perceived environment and leisure PA in adults. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 699 adults (53.1% women), distributed from 32 census tracts selected according to walkability and neighborhood income characteristics in Curitiba. Perceived neighborhood characteristics were assessed using the Brazilian version of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale-Abbreviated (A-NEWS). Leisure time PA was evaluated through the long-version IPAQ and walking and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were analyzed separately. PA classification considered ≥10 minutes/week and ≥150 minutes/week of walking or MVPA. Associations were tested using a multilevel logistic binary model. After adjusting for potential confounders, aesthetics perception was associated with ≥10 minutes/week of walking. Additionally, access to public places for leisure remained associated with ≥10 minutes/week and ≥150 minutes/week of MVPA. The relationship between perceived access to public spaces, walking and MVPA were stronger in women and younger adults. It is concluded that a better perception of neighborhood aesthetics was associated with the practice of walking and access to public spaces with the practice of MVPA, respectively.