Abstract The relatively young field of ion mobility spectrometry has now advanced to the stage where the need to reliably exchange the spectroscopic data obtained worldwide by this technique has become extremely urgent. To assist in the validation of the various new spectrometer designs and to assist in inter-comparisons between different laboratories reference data collections are being established for which an internationally recognized electronic data exchange format is essential. To make the data exchange between users and system administration possible, it is important to define a file format specially made for the requirements of ion mobility spectrometry. The format should be computer readable and flexible enough for extensive comments to be included. In this document, we define a data exchange format, agreed on by a working group of the International Society for Ion Mobility Spectrometry at Hilton Head Island, USA (1998) and Buxton, UK (1999). This definition of this format is based on the IUPAC JCAMP-DX protocols, which were developed for the exchange of infrared spectra [1] and extended to chemical structures [2], nuclear magnetic resonance data [3], and mass spectra [4]. This standard of the Joint Committee on Atomic and Molecular Physical Data is of a flexible design. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry have taken over the support and development of these standards and recently brought out an extension to cover year 2000 compatible date strings and good laboratory practice [5]. The aim of this paper is to adapt JCAMP-DX to the special requirements of ion mobility spectra [6].


Abstract : This paper examines using Agile techniques in the software sustainment arena--specifically Air Force programs. The Software Engineering Institute has researched the viability of Agile software development methods within Department of Defense programs and barriers to the adoption of those methods for several years. How software sustainers leverage Agile methods and avoid barriers to using Agile methods are addressed in this paper. In addition, the potential use of a construct called DevOps is discussed. DevOps is a blending of development and operations.


and Implications Data from attendees of the annual World Pork Expo spanning the five-year period 1991-1995 were analyzed to determine the relationships between pork production and worker health. Self-reported or subjective health problems suggest that pork production is associated with nagging types of chronic problems for the producer and the family. Farmers were significantly more likely than non-farmers to report chronic health problems of cough/phlegm and flu-type symptoms. Pig farmers were significantly more likely than other farmers to report cough/phlegm, sinus problems, sore throat, and family being affected. Confinement farmers were more likely to report or observe effects and family member effects than were other pig farmers. Objective lung measurements did not show any significant differences in lung capacity. The lack of objective evidence is not compelling enough to conclude that the self-reported health effects do not exist, because the data's time frame may not be sufficient to reveal permanent respiratory damage. Farmers were less likely to report hearing problems than were non-farmers. Pig farmers and confinement farmers were no different in this area than other farmers. However, hearing measurements showed that farmers had significantly impaired (reduced) hearing in both ears as compared to nonfarmers. Hearing problems for confinement farmers and other pig farmers were not significantly different from other farmers. Farmers also had significantly lower hand strength than non-farmers, and pig farmers had less hand strength than other farmers. Pig farmers may be more susceptible to hand injury or repetitive motion disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome.


ABSTRACT Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), an extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli causing colibacillosis in birds, is responsible for significant economic losses for the poultry industry. Recently, we reported that the APEC pathotype was characterized by possession of a set of genes contained within a 94-kb cluster linked to a ColV plasmid, pAPEC-O2-ColV. These included sitABCD, genes of the aerobactin operon, hlyF, iss, genes of the salmochelin operon, and the 5′ end of cvaB of the ColV operon. However, the results of gene prevalence studies performed among APEC isolates revealed that these traits were not always linked to ColV plasmids. Here, we present the complete sequence of a 174-kb plasmid, pAPEC-O1-ColBM, which contains a putative virulence cluster similar to that of pAPEC-O2-ColV. These two F-type plasmids share remarkable similarity, except that they encode the production of different colicins; pAPEC-O2-ColV contains an intact ColV operon, and pAPEC-O1-ColBM encodes the colicins B and M. Interestingly, remnants of the ColV operon exist in pAPEC-O1-ColBM, hinting that ColBM-type plasmids may have evolved from ColV plasmids. Among APEC isolates, the prevalence of ColBM sequences helps account for the previously observed differences in prevalence between genes of the "conserved" portion of the putative virulence cluster of pAPEC-O2-ColV and those genes within its "variable" portion. These results, in conjunction with Southern blotting and probing of representative ColBM-positive strains, indicate that this "conserved" cluster of putative virulence genes is primarily linked to F-type virulence plasmids among the APEC isolates studied.


Conclusion : This case highlights the importance of clinical examination and pathology result review in patients with long standing CSU. To our knowledge, this is the fi rst case describing paediatric CSU (a frequently encountered clinical scenario) as the presenting symptom of CML, the latter which has a rare incidence of 1 – 2 cases/million/year.


Implementing Li–S cells using high S loading and lean electrolyte content is considered the only viable way to achieve competitive specific energy for practical applications. However, under these conditions, the cell cycle life and performance are drastically reduced due to the severe polysulfide shuttle effect, electrolyte depletion, and sluggish electrochemical S conversion. Here we demonstrate that a cationic polymer binder can efficiently mitigate the polysulfide shuttle effect. The employed cationic polymer, poly[2,2′-(2,2′′,4,4′′,6,6′′-hexamethyl-p-terphenyl-3,3′′-diyl)-5,5′-bibenzimidazolium iodide] (HMT-PMBI(I−)), possesses abundant benzimidazolium cations which interact with dissolved polysulfide anions when used as an active binder. Simultaneously, density functional theory calculations show that HMT-PMBI+ loosely binds with TFSI− and Li+, allowing HMT-PMBI(I−) to exchange its I− anion with TFSI− from the electrolyte salt to form HMT-PMBI(TFSI) containing loosely bound Li+. This forms a Li+ conducting phase within the cathode, allowing a reduced electrolyte content. Therefore, the novel active binder enables a stable cyclability of >440 cycles for Li–S batteries with relatively high S-loading (3–4 mg cm−2) and a lean electrolyte content of 6 μl mgS−1. As the cells prepared in this work use inexpensive, commercially available materials and a conventional doctor-blade fabrication approach, the results are highly relevant to practical applications.


Despite the fact that we are in the mobile computing age, student geologists still carry out geological fieldwork using centuries old tools and techniques. This thesis investigates the question "how can 3D visualization on smartphones and tablets help students learn during geological fieldwork?"
To answer this question, the thesis first reviews the types of difficulty encountered by novice geologists, narrowing it down to one particular issue: the extrapolation of 2D geological features into the 3D real world. The tasks carried out by novice geologists during introductory fieldwork were analysed systemically. This thesis then explored how apps from Android and iOS app stores may be used in the field to carry out such tasks. The overall finding is that there is limited work focused on novice geologists' difficulties during fieldwork, particularly 2D to 3D extrapolation. Then, using a perception test, the options of representing a single strike and dip measurement in a 3D environment is explored. The results of the test was that there were more accurate methods to represent a measurement than a traditional symbol (e.g. a T-shape). Then, a hypothesis was evaluated which states that instead of using 2D geological maps alone, a 3D visualization of strike and dip measurements plotted on them can assist students in understanding geological structures. The thesis then outlines functionality of a prototype that can be used by higher education institutions as a foundation for a novice geologists' field app.
Key findings of the present work are: there has been no apps developed with focus on issues faced by novice geologists doing fieldwork during the time of this study. There was only British Geological Survey's iGeology3D which was released at the time of the study which focused on 3D visualization of geological data to be used in the field. In a separate study an iPad2 was found to be accurate enough for taking strike and dip measurements. In a perception experiment a 3D visualization of strike and dip was deemed to be better for comprehending structural orientation of outcrops but found to be no better than other 2D shapes. Finally, an experiment comparing the use of 2D maps versus 2D maps overlaid with 3D visualization of structural data, the latter found to be more effective for structural interpretation by novice geologists.


L. Lirer, P. Petrosino & V. Armiero, A proposal of some geosites in the framework of a new geological map of Campi Flegrei. With the aim of drawing a new geological map in scale 1:10.000, the detailed geological survey of a large area of Campi Flegrei, from Procida up to the Sebeto valley, was carried out in the last years. In this area we highlighted some geological sites that can be considered potential geosites due to rarity, scientific, educational and historical value. Particularly, we pointed out: the Breccia-Piperno Formation, cropping out in the Soccavo-Pianura area, which represents one of the most ancient products of the phlegrean history; the Solfatara, for centuries utilized as a mine, today is one of the principal monitoring center of Campi Flegrei and with its vapours testifies the phlegrean activity; the Monte di Cuma, seat of the first Greek colony in Italy and rich of Greek-Roman archaeological remains; the Averno lake, which in Roman age was an inner sea connected to Cuma by the Viadotto of Cocceio; the Monte Nuovo, a testimony of the only historical eruption of Campi Flegrei, occurred in 1538, which completely modified the geography of this area. The authors believe that these geosites, thanks to their singular geological and historical-cultural value, satisfy all the requirements necessary to form, within the Regional Park of Campi Flegrei, the first volcanological European park: the European Geopark of Campi Flegrei. The connection between the geosites is guaranteed by present roads and, where possible, by Roman tunnels caved in ancient times for military aims. Parole chiave: Campo vulcanico, Depositi piroclastici, Geosito, Geoparco, Campi Flegrei.


This thesis examines the migration patterns shown in the Soviet Union and its successor countries during the late- and post-Soviet periods. I begin by constructing a comprehensive dataset regarding the net migration of major ethnic groups before and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and then investigate how migration, ethnic diversity, and conflict at the end of the Soviet period affected one another.
The Soviet Union was a multi-ethnic state where members of its diverse ethnic groups showed distinctive migration patterns. However, the quantitative research from the ethnic viewpoint had been limited, mainly because there was no systemic data of the migration patterns of different ethnic groups. The first main chapter of my thesis (Chapter 2), therefore, attempts to construct a dataset of the regional net migration of major ethnic groups. It shows that many members of ethnic groups were dispersed outside of their national territories during the late-Soviet period (ethnic mixing), but the "return" of these groups to their national territories became evident after the dissolution (ethnic unmixing). Then, in the next chapter (Chapter 3), I proceed to quantitative analyses of the determinants of migration emphasising the role of ethnic factors. The results from OLS and Heckman selection estimations support the idea that ethnicity had a large influence on shaping the migration patterns in both the late- and post-Soviet periods, though the direction of influence was the opposite. Lastly, in Chapter 4, I examine whether this migration patterns contributed to changing ethnic diversity in the sending and receiving regions and then to ethnic conflict and violence in these regions, concluding that both were the case.
The results of this thesis are expected not only to help better understanding the Soviet and post-Soviet migration with the enhanced dataset, but also to become a valuable addition to the discourse on the current and historical waves of globalisation and its backlash, given the relevance of the Soviet case.


A new route to Neu5Ac methyl ester (23) with a readily available sugar D-glucono-delta-lactone as starting material has been developed. A diastereoselective propargylation of alpha-acetamino aldehyde and a subsequent KMnO(4) oxidation of the terminal alkyne served as the key steps.


Post-chiasmal visual pathway lesions and glaucomatous optic neuropathy cause binocular visual field defects (VFDs) that may critically interfere with quality of life and driving licensure. The aims of this study were (i) to assess the on-road driving performance of patients suffering from binocular visual field loss using a dual-brake vehicle, and (ii) to investigate the related compensatory mechanisms. A driving instructor, blinded to the participants' diagnosis, rated the driving performance (passed/failed) of ten patients with homonymous visual field defects (HP), including four patients with right (HR) and six patients with left homonymous visual field defects (HL), ten glaucoma patients (GP), and twenty age and gender-related ophthalmologically healthy control subjects (C) during a 40-minute driving task on a pre-specified public on-road parcours. In order to investigate the subjects' visual exploration ability, eye movements were recorded by means of a mobile eye tracker. Two additional cameras were used to monitor the driving scene and record head and shoulder movements. Thus this study is novel as a quantitative assessment of eye movements and an additional evaluation of head and shoulder was performed. Six out of ten HP and four out of ten GP were rated as fit to drive by the driving instructor, despite their binocular visual field loss. Three out of 20 control subjects failed the on-road assessment. The extent of the visual field defect was of minor importance with regard to the driving performance. The site of the homonymous visual field defect (HVFD) critically interfered with the driving ability: all failed HP subjects suffered from left homonymous visual field loss (HL) due to right hemispheric lesions. Patients who failed the driving assessment had mainly difficulties with lane keeping and gap judgment ability. Patients who passed the test displayed different exploration patterns than those who failed. Patients who passed focused longer on the central area of the visual field than patients who failed the test. In addition, patients who passed the test performed more glances towards the area of their visual field defect. In conclusion, our findings support the hypothesis that the extent of visual field per se cannot predict driving fitness, because some patients with HVFDs and advanced glaucoma can compensate for their deficit by effective visual scanning. Head movements appeared to be superior to eye and shoulder movements in predicting the outcome of the driving test under the present study scenario.


INTRODUCTION
Quality and safety in anaesthesia is usually monitored by analysis of perioperative mortality-morbidity and are influenced by anaesthetic and non-anaesthetic factors.

AIM
This study was conducted to analyse the incidence of clinical indicators of quality in endotracheally intubated patients undergoing general abdominal surgeries and obstetric and gynaecological procedures under general anaesthesia and to determine contributing factors for the same.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This retrospective study was conducted at our institute over a period of 12 months and 709 case records of patients were reviewed. Patients aged 14 years and more belonging to all ASA groups undergoing abdominal surgeries for general and obstetric and gynaecological causes under General Anaesthesia (GA) with endotracheal intubation posted for both elective and emergency surgeries were included in the study. Demographic details including name, age, sex, hospital number, height, weight, body mass index, type of surgery, nature of surgery, duration, American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) physical status were recorded and presence or absence of clinical indicators of quality (presence of cannot intubate cannot ventilate scenario, occurrence of dental injury, episode of non cardiogenic pulmonary oedema, incidents of residual neuromuscular blockade, existence of aspiration pneumonia, unplanned ICU/HDU admissions, interventions for respiratory/ cardiac arrest, occasions of respiratory distress in the recovery period, occurrence of respiratory arrest within 48 hours and re-intubation) were noted and analysed for all 709 patients.

RESULTS
Total 709 patients were analysed in our study. We found that incidence of ICU admission was 1.83% and that of respiratory distress which needed intervention were 0.56%. A total of 0.28% patients needed reintubation. Residual neuromuscular blockade was seen in 0.28% patients. We did not find any case of respiratory and cardiac arrest and also there was no Cannot Ventilate and Cannot Intubate (CVCI) situation encountered in our study. SPSS for windows (version 17.0) was used as statistical software. Chi-square test was the statistical test for significance. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.

CONCLUSION
Proper optimization of patients prior to surgery and optimal perioperative care will result in better quality of care and safety in anaesthesia. Documentation of events and its management during perioperative period will help to know the fields of inappropriate management and thereby improve the quality of care and detect the incidence rates with accuracy and help to formulate protocol for institution.


This project was a study of the validity and reliability of adapted versions of Fox and Corbin's (10) Physical Self-Perception Profile (PSPP) and Perceived Importance Profile (PIP) for use with seventh- and eight-grade students. The Children's PSPP and PIP (C-PSPP and C-PIP) questionnaires were completed by 505 students. Results supported the reliability and the construct and concurrent validity of the C-PSPP scales. Factorial validity of the C-PIP was not demonstrated. Similar to Fox and Corbin's (10) results, regression analysis revealed that a large proportion of the variance in general physical selfworth (PSW) was explained by the C-PSPP scales. The hypothesis that PSW mediates between general self-worth (GSW) and the four C-PSPP scales in a hierarchical arrangement was also supported. Failure to psychologically discount the importance of perceived incompetence in specific areas impacted global self-worth. Correlations with physical fitness test scores provided evidence of concurrent validity of the C...


Experimental data and discussion are presented on the current distribution along the length of a superconducting wire when subjected to multiple parallel and perpendicular magnetic fields. The experimental data were taken on a rectangular pancake coil with the applied magnetic field in the plane of the coil. These data indicate that significant current transfer occurs in the first and last perpendicular magnetic field sections and little transfer occurs between these two sections. The implication for superconducting magnet design will also be discussed.


In 1973, the Mississippi River was out of its banks for more than 2 mo from April to June. The thickness and the texture of overbank sediments were determined for a number of depositional environments on the Mississippi River flood plain in Louisiana. Average sediment thickness ranged from 53 cm along the natural levee to 1.1 cm in the back-swamp. The texture of deposits varied from natural levee sediments with 68 percent sand to backswamp sediments with 97 percent silt and clay. The amount of lateral erosion of bordering Pleistocene bluffs increased 271 percent over the previous 9 yr of record because of the flood. Using the rate of backswamp deposition during the 1973 flood, it is suggested that backswamp deposits in this area required 10,000 to 11,000 yr to accumulate.


Hearing impairment is present in 3-6 per 1000 live born babies. Early diagnosis and adequate treatment can improve the overall development of the child. Reliable screening tests and appropriate treatment are available at present even during early infancy. The high incidence of hearing impairment, availability of screening tests and appropriate treatment fulfill all the criteria for compulsory screening for all babies during early infancy.


It is well-documented that most students do not have adequate proficiencies in inquiry and metacognition, particularly at deeper levels of comprehension that require explanatory reasoning. The proficiencies are not routinely provided by teachers and normal tutors so it is worthwhile to turn to computer-based learning environments. This article describes some of our recent computer systems that were designed to facilitate explanation-centered learning through strategies of inquiry and metacognition while students learn science and technology content. Point&Query augments hypertext, hypermedia, and other learning environments with question-answer facilities that are under the learner control. AutoTutor and iSTART use animated conversational agents to scaffold strategies of inquiry, metacognition, and explanation construction. AutoTutor coaches students in generating answers to questions that require explanations (e.g., why, what-if, how) by holding a mixed-initiative dialogue in natural language. iSTART models and coaches students in constructing self-explanations and in applying other metacomprehension strategies while reading text. These systems have shown promising results in tests of learning gains and learning strategies.


: Relates four of the classical Christian heresies--ebionism, adoptionism, docetism, and gnosticism--to the practice of pastoral counseling. Each of these heresies distorted the attempts to relate the divine and human nature of Christ. Variations of these heresies can be seen similarly distorting the practice of pastoral counseling. Reacquaintance with these traditional theological problems can help avoid parallel problems in the modern practice of Christian ministry.


Educational systems with a high level of tracking and vocational orientation have been shown to improve the allocation of school-leavers in the labor market. However, tracked educational systems are also known to increase the inequality of educational opportunity. This presumed trade-off between equality and labor market preparation is rooted in two different perspectives of the origins of differentiation in educational systems in the 19 century. Tracking was seen both as a way to prepare students for an industrializing labor market and as a way for the elite to formalize social distances in the educational system. We empirically study the trade-off with newly developed country level indicators for tracking and vocational orientation. Our country level regressions largely support the existence of the trade-off. A slightly different version of this chapter will be published as Bol, Thijs, and Herman G. Van de Werfhorst. 2013. "Educational Systems and the Trade-off Between Labor Market Allocation and Equality of Educational Opportunity." Comparative Education Review, forthcoming (May 2013). Why does education pay off?


Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), a soluble inhibitor of Wnt signaling secreted by multiple myeloma (MM) cells contributes to osteolytic bone disease by inhibiting the differentiation of osteoblasts. In this study, we tested the effect of anti-DKK1 therapy on bone metabolism and tumor growth in a SCID-rab system. SCID-rab mice were engrafted with primary MM cells expressing varying levels of DKK1 from 11 patients and treated with control and DKK1-neutralizing antibodies for 4 to 6 weeks. Whereas bone mineral density (BMD) of the implanted myelomatous bone in control mice was reduced during the experimental period, the BMD in mice treated with anti-DKK1 increased from pretreatment levels (P < .001). Histologic examination revealed that myelomatous bones of anti-DKK1-treated mice had increased numbers of osteocalcin-expressing osteoblasts and reduced number of multinucleated TRAP-expressing osteoclasts. The bone anabolic effect of anti-DKK1 was associated with reduced MM burden (P < .04). Anti-DKK1 also significantly increased BMD of the implanted bone and murine femur in nonmyelomatous SCID-rab mice, suggesting that DKK1 is physiologically an important regulator of bone remodeling in adults. We conclude that DKK1 is a key player in MM bone disease and that blocking DKK1 activity in myelomatous bones reduces osteolytic bone resorption, increases bone formation, and helps control MM growth.


River channel changes, and patterns of in-stream macroinvertebrate community
organisation, are both well explored in alluvial channels. Less is known about the behaviour of
mixed bedrock-alluvial rivers, and their patterns of macroinvertebrate community structure. In
response to relatively recent, widespread acknowledgment that sustainable and holistic river
channel management is best achieved by a strategy that accounts for large-scale controls on
long-term channel behaviour, there is a clear need to identify how spatial and temporal
variation in rates and patterns of channel adjustment constrain the long-term evolution of
mixed bedrock-alluvial channels, and their in-stream macroinvertebrate ecology.
The River Drome in south-eastern France is a fascinating example of river channel
change in response to a complex history of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Previous
work has documented a long-term trajectory of channel degradation, but a reach linking the
upper and lower sections of the river has not been explored and is of particular interest
because of its striking mixed bedrock-alluvial morphology. Over five kilometres the channel is
characterised by abrupt changes in style and substrate that naturally divide the reach into six
geomorphic zones. These indicate that long-term degradation is not a simple, linear evolution
but a complex non-linear process. The distinct pattern of geomorphological zonation along this
reach forms the central focus of this thesis, specifically in terms of its historical development,
present-day macroinvertebrate community structure, and future evolution.
The first part of this thesis documents decadal changes in channel morphology
between 1948 and 2006 by using GIS to analyse eight series of high-altitude aerial
photography. Field work in 2005 and 2006 was used to ground truth observations. Changes in
longitudinal channel profile are derived from topographic surveys from 1928, 2003 and 2005.
There have been modest overall amounts of channel constriction, narrowing and incision, but
there is substantial spatial and temporal variability in these trends. The present-day
configuration of wide alluvial, and narrow bedrock zones has developed in response to a
particular sequence of natural and anthropogenic events, emphasising the importance of
contingency and channel sensitivity to disturbance. The reach is located 200 m downstream
from le Beoux, a tributary to the Drome, and historical changes in this sub-catchment have
been manifest in the long-term behaviour of the reach. A significant flood in 1978 is the likely
catalyst of present-day zonation, which locked the reach into a geometry that has constrained
subsequent channel adjustments. While zonation remained distinct as recently as 2006, there
is evidence that the channel is now operating under different boundary conditions to those
that produced and maintained zonation before 2001. It is clear that predictions of future
changes in channel morphology require a long-term perspective of channel behaviour,
patterns and connectivities through time.
The second part of this thesis characterises the present-day macroinvertebrate
community of the study reach. Previous work in alluvial channels has considered how
 discontinuity in channel morphology influences spatial variation in patterns of
macroinvertebrate organisation, but this has not been extended to mixed bedrock-alluvial
channels. Relatively few studies have considered how spatial differences in channel behaviour
(rather than simply channel character) may drive macroinvertebrate community organisation.
Associations between channel morphology and macroinvertebrate community structure were
tested by fieldwork carried out under low-flow conditions in 2006. Fifteen quantitative surber
samples were collected at each of 10 sites along the reach. Local habitat characteristics,
including particulate organic matter, bed sediment grain size (surface and subsurface), water
quality (conductivity, temperature, pH) and flow velocity (benthic and mean) were also
measured. Results indicate that the mass of particulate organic matter and the diversity of
both surface and sub-surface grain size influence patterns of macroinvertebrate community
structure along the reach. It is also apparent that zone-scale differences in flow and sediment
regime, and differences in lateral and vertical channel dynamics are important. Variation in the
frequency and intensity of bedload dispersal, which is a result of zone-scale variation in
channel bed structure, is a dominant control on spatial patterns of macroinvertebrate
community structure. These dynamics are the product of, and maintained by, the particular
geography and history of the study reach, emphasising the primacy of place and the
importance of understanding how larger-scale morphological processes constrain smallerscale
patterns of macroinvertebrate biodiversity.
At present, there are plans to manage channel degradation, along the study reach and
in downstream parts of the river Drome, by restoring sediment supply to the channel. This will
be achieved by the remobilisation of bedload in the Beoux sub-catchment and so it is likely
that there will be future changes to the present-day morphology and macroinvertebrate
community organisation in the study reach. Combining the findings of parts one and two, the
third part of this thesis evaluates the likely impacts of this management strategy. It is
suggested that if the channel is connected to its active floodplain, and receives a sufficient
external supply of bedload, then the reach-scale dynamic of zonation is self-regulating.
Successful management intervention relies upon an understanding of this behaviour.
Compared to predominantly bedrock and predominantly alluvial sections of the reach, the
mixed bedrock-alluvial mid-reach supports significantly more diverse macroinvertebrate
communities and higher proportions of EPT taxa. These characteristics are a function of the
morphological diversity of the mid-reach, which results from the particular configuration and
the connectivity of the present-day zones. It is considered that if future bedload supply to the
channel is not deficient or excessive to present-day flow and sediment regimes, then the
present-day morphological diversity of the reach could be maintained. This would also
maintain present-day patterns of macroinvertebrate community structure. It is, therefore,
hypothesised that if the reintroduction of bedload from the Beoux secures the reach with a
moderate volume and frequent supply of sediment, then this drip feed would be a desirable
management strategy.


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Industries worldwide depend upon pumping systems for their daily operation. These systems account for nearly 20 percent of the world's industrial electrical energy demand and range from 25-50 percent of the energy usage in certain industrial plant operations. Purchase decisions for a pump and its related system components are typically based upon a low bid, rather than the cost to operate the system over its lifetime. Additionally, plant facilities personnel are typically focussed on maintaining existing pumping system reliability rather than optimizing the systems for best energy efficiency. To ensure the lowest energy and maintenance costs, equipment life, and other benefits, the system components must be carefully matched to each other, and remain so throughout their working lives. Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis is a tool that can help companies minimize costs and maximize energy efficiency for many types of systems, including pumping systems. Increasing industry awareness of the total cost of pumping system ownership through life cycle cost analysis is a goal of the US Department of Energy (DOE). This paper will discuss what DOE and its industry partners are doing to create this awareness. A guide book, Pump Life Cycle Costs: A Guide to LCC Analysis for Pumping Systems, developed by the Hydraulic Institute (HI) and Europump (two pump manufacturer trade associations) with DOE involvement, will be overviewed. This guide book is the result of the diligent efforts of many members of both associations, and has been reviewed by a group of industrial end-users. The HI/Europump Guide provides detailed guidance on the design and maintenance of pumping systems to minimize the cost of ownership, as well as LCC analysis. DOE, Hydraulic Institute, and other organizations' efforts to promote LCC analysis, such as pump manufacturers adopting LCC analysis as a marketing strategy, will be highlighted and a relevant case study provided.


AbstractThe overall aim of this thesis was threefold; first, to explore resources associated with work-life balance (WLB), with a focus on the work and private lives of human service employees. Second, to develop a workplace health promotion (WHP) intervention with a WLB focus. Third, to explore the participants' experiences of the developed WHP intervention done in the workplace. A mixed method approach was used to answer the research questions. The thesis is based on two qualitative studies, one quantitative study and one paper that describe the content and development process of the intervention. The qualitative studies were based on individual interviews and focus group interviews (I, IV). Thirteen semi-structured individual interviews and two focus group interviews were conducted with home help service nurses in Sweden (I). Eight focus group interviews and eight semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with participants in the intervention (IV). A qualitative content analysis was used for the analyses in the qualitative studies. The quantitative study was based on a questionnaire survey to a population of two municipality departments (n = 631, response rate 76%) (II). A linear regression model and logistics regressions models were used for the analyses. The planning and development of the intervention was done using an intervention mapping approach (III). The findings showed a complex picture of resources related to WLB. Resources could be found in the work domain, the private domain and the individual domain (I, II). In the work domain, it seems to be important to have a positive time experience and a meaningful job, but also to work part-time and do shift work. In the private domain, a positive time experience and social support was highlighted. Individual resources such as good health, well-being, reflection and satisfaction with one´s life situation were seen as essential to WLB. The development process of the intervention resulted in the "Balance in Everyday Life Empowerment" (BELE) program (III). The findings showed that a majority of the participants taking part in the BELE program experienced a process of change, often enhanced by an increased awareness, support and inner strength, which promoted well-being and balance in their everyday life (IV). In conclusion, it seems important to use a holistic approach where resources in the employees' overall life situation are included for the enhancement of WLB. The BELE program was an attempt to contribute to WHP with a WLB focus, and the result indicates that the program was effective with regard to promoting employee well-being. (Less)


Background Herbal medicines are now recently used as treatment options. This study was conducted to determine the effect of the combination therapy of medicinal herbs in the treatment of induced gastrointestinal injury among albino wistar rats. Methods A total of 60 Albino Wistar rats of both sexes weighing between 130g-150g were used. The control groups which consisted of negative control groups received 1ml of normal saline while the positive control group was given 20mg/kg of indomethacin and sacrificed after 6 hours. Those in the test group were given 20mg/kg of indomethacin, treated in different doses of single and combined extracts of Allium sativum, Brassica oleracea and Aloe barbadensis at 100mg/kg, 200mg/kg and 300mg/kg body weights, twice daily for 8 days and sacrificed. Results There was no visible sign of ulceration or perforation observed on the stomach and duodenum when compared with the control. The combination of all three plant extracts at different concentrations ranging from 100 – 300mg/kg cleared all visible ulcers and perforations on the stomach of wistar rats. Similarly, all ulcers in the duodenum of indomethacin induced wistar rats were cleared by the combination of the three extracts. The sections of rat stomach and duodenum given 100mg/kg herbal cocktail and indomethacin showed normal mucosa. Conclusions A mixture of the three herbs at 300mg/kg was better in healing gastric and duodenal ulcers. The mixture of the three plants extracts exhibit good anti-ulcer activity that warrants further studies.


This is an account of an investigation in which oscillations were discovered in the laminar boundary layer along a flat plate. These oscillations were found during the course of an experiment in which transition from laminar to turbulent flow was being studied on the plate as the turbulence in the wind stream was being reduced to unusually low values by means of damping screens. The first part of the paper deals with experimental methods and apparatus, measurements of turbulence and sound, and studies of transition. A description is then given of the manner in which oscillations were discovered and how they were found to be related to transition, and then how controlled oscillations were produced and studied in detail.


Background3D virtual simulation prototyping software combined with computer-aided manufacturing systems are widely used and are becoming essential in the fashion industry in the earlier stages of the product development process for apparel design. These technologies streamline the garment product fitting procedures, as well as improve the supply chain environmentally, socially, and economically by eliminating large volumes of redundant samples. Buyers can easily evaluate virtual samples that are showcased with full rotation views and visual draping effects without relying on physical prototypes before confirming orders. The approved designs can be transferred to the production line immediately, which shortens the communication, development, and production lead time between suppliers and buyers. Issues of non-standardized selection on garment sizing, ease allowance, and size of 3D avatar for creating 3D garments have been addressed by many researchers. Understanding the relationship between body dimensions, ease allowance, and apparel sizes before adopting virtual garment simulation is fundamental for satisfying high customer demands in the apparel industry. However, designers find difficulties providing the appropriate garment fit for customers without fully understanding the motivation and emotions of customers' fitting preferences in a virtual world.A statement of objective The main purpose of this study is to investigate apparel sizes for virtual fitting, particularly looking at garment ease with consideration to body dimensions and the psychographic characteristics of subjects.SignificanceThe quantitative relationship between the pattern measurements, psychological characteristics, and 3D body measurements contributes to improving virtual fit predictions for implementing mass customization in the apparel industry. This new approach and the proposed method of virtual garment fitting model prediction on garment sizes using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is significant in prediction accuracy. The results of this project provide sustainable value in providing an ideal communication tool between manufacturers, retailers, and consumers by offering "perfect fit" products to customers. The project will also achieve the concept of mass customization and customer orientation, and generate new size fitting data that could bring a new level of end-user satisfaction.MethodsThe study proposes to develop a virtual garment fitting prediction model using an ANN for improving virtual garment design in terms of its fitting and sizing. The project investigated apparel sizes for virtual fitting with consideration of body dimensions and psychographic characteristics of subjects on garment ease for improving the size prediction of 3D garments. We recruited 50 subjects between the ages 18-35 years old to conduct 3D body scans and a questionnaire survey for physical and psychological segmentation, as well as fitting preferences evaluation through co-design operations on virtual garment simulation using a commercial software called Optitex. Discussion of resultsThe ease preferences from subjects were significantly different from the preset values on the software. The results from the study demonstrate that ANN is effective in modeling the non-linear relationship between pattern measurements, psychological characteristics, and body measurements. The pattern parameters predicted by the ANN model were accurate. The squared correlation coefficient (R2) increased from 0.96 to 0.99 after considering different segmentations of psychographic characteristics. The ANN prediction model is proven to be an effective method for garment pattern drafting, which can achieve an individual fit and is useful for implementing the virtual fitting model.


This study was designed to examine faculty members' perceptions of the changes (including an American quality assurance and accreditation process) that are being implemented at the College of Education (CEDU) at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).  During the past decade the CEDU has begun a journey of change from a traditional approach to a more learning-centered constructivist approach which requires faculty members and students to adopt new roles and adapt to a new organizational culture. A qualitative case study approach, using semi-structured individual interviews, was used to collect data about some faculty members' perspectives of the changes. The grounded theory method was used to code and categorize interview data. Results revealed four major organizational changes. Five interrelated categories that described participants' perceptions about those changes emerged from the data. These were: resistance to change; communicating change; the development, maintenance, monitoring and evaluation of change; considering the inclusion of a new (research) aspect into the organization's culture; and leadership.  Recommendations and practical implications are offered in this study. While the study cannot be generalized or replicated in other institutions, the theoretical implications may be useful as other institutions review programs and plan their own changes for improvement.


We study the location-specific component of research productivity for economics and finance faculty over the last three decades. We find that there was a positive effect of being affiliated with a top 25 university in the 1970s; this effect weakened in the 1980s and disappeared in the 1990s. The decline in elite university fixed effect is due to the reduced importance of physical access to productive research colleagues, which in turn seems due to innovations in communication technology. One implication is that knowledge-based organizations should find it more difficult to capture rents vis-à-vis workers. We find that faculty salaries increased the most where the estimated spillover dropped the most. Despite the loss in local spillovers, elite universities still enjoy an edge in average productivity because of agglomeration of top researchers in prestigious institutions with high long-term research reputations. JEL Classification: D85, I23, J24, J31, J62, L23, L31, O33


Cage diving is the most important activity for the sustainable use of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias). However, information related to their behaviour during ecotourism is scarce. This study provides useful information for monitoring C. carcharias during cage‐diving activities around Guadalupe Island, Mexico. Surface behaviour of 106 white sharks was recorded for 87 days on‐board six cage‐diving boats in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Of the observed sharks, 63% were immature specimens (n = 67) and 37% were considered mature (n = 39). Seventy‐one per cent were males (n = 75) and 29% were females (n = 31). Interactions were classified into one of the 11 behaviours: parading, close inspection, horizontal attack, vertical attack, bait catching, feeding, not feeding, buoy catching, encounter, escape, and staying. Parading, close inspections, and horizontal attacks were performed more often by mature males, whereas immature females performed more vertical attacks, with no differences between mature and immature males. A total of 1,542 ethograms were registered. Each ethogram consisted on average of 6.3 ± 5.6 behaviours with a significant transitional pattern from horizontal attacks to parading and close inspections, and from vertical and horizontal attacks to bait being caught. A pattern related to feeding in a simple stimulus response reflex was observed. The shark's length seems to play an important role in the efficiency of the attacks, presumably resulting from the experience of mature individuals. Intentional feeding should be avoided to prevent negative effects related to ecotourism. This study constitutes a baseline for future research on white shark behaviour. It can be applied in other regions regardless of environmental conditions, quantity and size of the boats, and types of bait. Using this standard method could improve the monitoring, management, and conservation of this vulnerable species.


A simple predictive model, referred to as Structured Cam Clay (SCC), was proposed recently by the authors. SCC was formulated for representing the mechanical behaviour of natural soils. In this paper, the main concepts and the formulation of the SCC are described and an extension of SCC for predicting the behaviour of artificially cemented clays is also presented. SCC is then used to predict the behaviour of structured soils in 'single element' compression and shearing tests. It is seen that the new model provides satisfactory qualitative and quantitative modelling of many important and unique features of the behaviour of structured soils. By using this model in finite element calculations, the response of footings founded on structured soils to loading is obtained. Some guidelines are also given to identify the importance of the structural features of the soil in determining the response of the footing. The new model is shown to be a powerful tool for geotechnical practitioners engaged in engineering design.


We investigate whether management's decision regarding the recognition of the valuation allowance (VA) for deferred tax assets provides incremental information about the persistence of accounting losses. We introduce a classification scheme that assigns loss firm‐years into three categories based on whether management appears to have recognized a material change in the VA, and whether or not the firm has positive taxable income (e.g., a net operating loss). The results of our study show that our tax categories contain information about the persistence of accounting losses over the following three years beyond variables previously identified to predict loss persistence. This incremental information is consistent with management using private information about the firm's future prospects in setting the VA. Finally, we find that investors' pricing of the VA varies with the saliency of the tax signal and the information environment of the firm.


Energy-efficient transportation of periodical sensor readings towards a single sink in wireless sensor networks is a challenging task. In general, two data-gathering strategies exist: on-demand and bulk data forwarding. For both strategies, cross-layer techniques are a promising approach, where TDMA is tailored to the underlying routing tree. Therefore, different TDMA schemes are compared regarding achievable throughput, packet delay, and energy-efficiency for various sampling rates and scenarios. Existing schemes perform well in dedicated topologies only. The new and simple TDMA scheme presented in this paper outperforms its predecessors in all scenarios under consideration. These findings are substantiated by both theoretical analysis and extensive simulation.


Background: A great number of high school students expecting university entrance exam experience a high level of stress. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of self-acceptance group therapy on stress reduction in a group of school students expecting university entrance exam in Hamadan, Iran. Methods: Thirty 12th grade male students participated in this study. Using convenience sampling, the participants were recruited from Farzanegan pre-university center in Hamedan, Iran from April to August 2016. Next, the subjects were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups and they completed the Stress Response Inventory (SRI). The SRI includes different components such as aggression, tension, fatigue, frustration, anger, depression, and somatization. The experimental group attended self-acceptance group therapy while the control group did not participate in any group therapy. To analyze the data, statistical tests such as mean, standard deviation, and analysis of covariance were used via SPSS software. Results: The findings showed after intervention, the experimental group's means and standard deviations of depression (M=11.33, SD=1.71), tension (M=9.46, SD=1.40), aggression (M=7.86, SD=1.12), fatigue (M=10.73, SD=2.21), anger (M=10.40, SD=1.72), and frustration (M=11.13, SD=1.50) were lower than the control group. Analysis of covariance showed a significant difference between experimental and control group concerning most dimensions of stress responses, including aggression (F="32.88", P="0.003"), tension (F="26.39", P="0.008"), fatigue (F="29.39", P="0.004"), frustration (F="53.78", P="0.001"), anger (F="37.19", P="0.002"), and depression (F="51.39", P="0.001"). In other words, self-acceptance group therapy significantly reduced aggression, tension, fatigue, frustration, anger, and depression in the experimental group. Conclusions: This study underscored the pivotal role of self-acceptance in reducing stress among pre-university students expecting university entrance exam.


Summary Whey protein is a popular dietary supplement that is claimed to provide multiple health benefits. It has been shown to delay gastric emptying and impair ileal nutrient absorption. Additionally, some of the other additives like papain enzyme, soy lecithin in these protein supplements could interfere with L-thyroxine absorption. There is no evidence in the literature for the effects of protein supplements on L-thyroxine absorption. Herein, we describe a case of a 34-year-old lady who was on endocrinology follow up for primary hypothyroidism with stable thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels within the normal range while on L-thyroxine with a dose of 125 µg daily for the last 3 years, presenting with mild hypothyroid symptoms and elevated TSH level following a recent introduction of a protein supplement by her physical care adviser. Her treatment adherence and ingestion technique were good throughout, she was not on other medications or herbal remedies, there were no other changes in her food pattern or features suggestive of malabsorption, she was not pregnant, was taking the same L-thyroxine brand and TSH test was done from the routine lab. Since the only factor which could have contributed to the deranged TSH levels was the recent introduction of the whey protein supplement, we advised her to stop the protein supplement while continuing the same dose of L-thyroxine. Her TSH level was repeated in 6 weeks and was found to be normal (1.7 mIU/L). Our case report demonstrates that over-the-counter protein supplements could interfere with L-thyroxine absorption. Therefore, patients on L-thyroxine should be cautious when taking them. Learning points Over-the-counter protein supplements could interfere with oral L-thyroxine absorption. The underlying mechanism could be the effect of whey protein by delaying gastric emptying and reduced responsiveness of organic anion transporters in the ileum, and there may be a contribution from other additives like papain and soy lecithin present in these supplements. When there is an elevation of previously stable thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) value in a hypothyroid patient on oral L-thyroxine, the patient's assessment should include inquiring for a recent introduction of protein supplement, in the absence of other well-known risk factors. Discontinuation of protein supplement results in normalization of thyroid function tests. Patients on oral L-thyroxine should be cautious when taking over-the-counter protein supplementation.


We define and discuss a pure mathematics formulation of an approach proposed in the physics literature to analysing anistropy of fractal sets.


This Thesis discuss about a research with the aim of utilizing the Geographic Information System (GIS) in Real Estate sector namely specifically in Field of Estate Agency by design and develop spatial database ( a GIS system) called as GIS-Based NR Property Information System to Non Resident Management Unit or more known as NR Management Unit. The development of the spatial database is using GIS software namely ArcGIS 9.3 and some of GIS operation.This research commencing with planning stage namely study of user requirement, then followed by implementation stage namely involve process of preparation of software and hardware, data collection and creation of spatial data base. Next, analysis stage namely using GIS function such as "Select by Attribute","Select by Location", and "Intersect". Finally evaluation stage involves recommendation and conclusion. This research uses an informal method i.e. structure interview and review of existing information system in order to identify problem, selection of thesis title, and lastly decide research objective, significant and scope. There are 2 type of data used in develop this system namely spatial (geometric) and attribute data. Spatial data used is several Maps of Shah Alam areas namely Map of Community Facilities, GPS Map and Street Directory Map.Attribute data used is listing of rental houses that contain information such as type of house, rental price, rental type, contact number, contact person, number of bedroom, number of bathroom and others.


High-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) achieves high data rates and high spectral efficiency by using adaptive modulation and coding schemes and employing multicode CDMA. In this paper, we present opportunistic algorithms for scheduling HSDPA users and selecting modulation/coding and multicode schemes that exploit channel and buffer variations to increase the probability of uninterrupted media play-out. First, we introduce a stochastic discrete event model for a HSDPA system. By employing the discrete event model, we transform the scheduling problem of providing uninterrupted play-out to a feasibility problem that considers two sets of stochastic quality-of-service (QoS) constraints: stability constraints and robustness constraints. A methodology for obtaining a feasible solution is then proposed by starting with a so-called stable algorithm that satisfies the stability QoS constraints. Next, we present stochastic approximation algorithms that adapt the parameters of the stable algorithm in a way that a feasible point for the robustness QoS is reached within the feasibility region of the stability QoS


In the present study, we examined 82 parents of adult children with physical disabilities. The parents described the benefits of caregiving, and reported positive feelings about their involvement in caregiving as well as a sense of personal growth as a result of caregiving. When parents perceived caregiving as causing less emotional strain (subjective burden), and when they felt higher levels of closeness with their offspring and expressed higher levels of hope, they were more likely to indicate that caregiving yielded benefits. In the discussion, we focus on the importance of developing closeness and hope among parents who care for their adult offspring with physical disabilities. The implications for social work intervention are also discussed.


We present deep imaging of the star-forming dwarf galaxy IC 2574 in the M81 group taken with the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) in order to study in detail the recent star formation history of this galaxy and to constrain the stellar feedback on its H I gas. We identify the star-forming areas in the galaxy by removing a smooth disk component from the optical images. We construct pixel-by-pixel maps of stellar age and stellar mass surface density in these regions by comparing their observed colors with simple stellar populations synthesized with Starburst99. We find that an older burst occurred about 100 Myr ago within the inner 4 kpc and that a younger burst happened in the last 10 Myr mostly at galactocentric radii between 4 and 8 kpc. We analyze the stellar populations residing in the known H I holes of IC 2574. Our results indicate that, even at the remarkable photometric depth of the LBT data, there is no clear one-to-one association between the observed H I holes and the most recent bursts of star formation in IC 2574. The stellar populations formed during the younger burst are usually located at the periphery of the H I holes and are seen to be younger than the holes' dynamical age. The kinetic energy of hole expansion is found to be, on average, 10% of the total stellar energy released by the stellar winds and supernova explosions of the young stellar populations within the holes. With the help of control apertures distributed across the galaxy we estimate that the kinetic energy stored in the H I gas in the form of its local velocity dispersion is about 35% of the total stellar energy.


Abstract Anthoceros punctatus L. and Jungermannia borealis Damsh. et Váňa have been erroneously reported from Romania and are hereby rejected from the bryophyte checklist of Romania, until new reports. The presence in Romania of Anthoceros agrestis Paton, Cephaloziella massalongi (Spruce) Müll. Frib., Cephaloziella spinigera (Lindb.) Warnst., Marsupella apiculata Schiffn., Scapania cuspiduligera (Nees) Müll. Frib and Scapania praetervisa Meyl. is confirmed, and is commented for Nardia breidleri (Limpr.) Lindb.


Merkel cell carcinoma, also known as endocrine carcinoma of the skin, is a recently recognized and particularly aggressive form of skin cancer that exhibits histologic features similar to those of endocrine malignant neoplasms arising from other tissues. Forty-one patients with Merkel cell carcinoma arising from the cutaneous surfaces of the head and neck were seen at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital, Houston, between 1966 and 1983. Regional lymph node metastasis occur early and frequently, with a 79% overall incidence observed during the course of the disease. Treatment should consist of a wide resection of the primary tumor. A regional lymphadenectomy, when feasible, is successful in controlling nodal metastases. Postoperative radiation is recommended as an important adjuvant.


OBJECTIVE
The purposes of this study were to investigate the caries prevalence in cleft lip, cleft palate, or both in children under the age of 2 years and to evaluate parental attitudes toward bottle-feeding, dental care, and their relationship to baby bottle tooth decay (BBTD) in Taiwan.

DESIGN
Randomized and prospective study.

SETTING
Institutional setting.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
One hundred twenty-three 2-year-old children (68 boys and 55 girls) with cleft lip, cleft palate, or both were selected for this study. A questionnaire that asked questions about knowledge of oral health, knowledge and beliefs about BBTD, children's feeding habits, children's dental care, and parenting attitudes toward children with clefts was completed by the parents or caretakers. Children were divided into bottle-feeding and non-bottle-feeding groups according to the questionnaire responses of parents or caretakers. Each child was examined with a dental mirror and explorer under focused flashlight using defs index to determine the presence of BBTD.

RESULTS
Thirty-nine percent (48) subjects reported a bottle-feeding habit; the overall prevalence of BBTD was 15.4%. The habit of bottle-feeding was significantly related to BBTD (p = .019). The defs score for children who were bottle-fed was significantly higher than children who were not bottle-fed (p = .045). Parents or caretakers of both bottle-feeding and non-bottle-feeding children showed no significant differences in their attitudes toward bottle-feeding and feeding habits (p > .05). However, parents of non-bottle-fed children had significantly better dental care than parents of bottle-fed children in brushing frequency (p < .001) and brushing before bed (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS
Children with clefts who took a bottle to bed showed an increased risk of developing BBTD. The parents or caretakers of bottle-fed children also showed a lack of motivation to perform regular preventive dental home care for their children. This suggests that oral health promotion programs should begin in infancy for children with clefts and their parents.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between the urban area of origin of patients and the prevalence of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), induced by avian antigens.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
A case-control study was conducted in 1999 at the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (NIRD). Cases were 109 consecutive HP patients and controls were 184 patients: 39 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), 63 with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), and 82 with asthma. Mexico City and surrounding counties (SC) were divided into 5 geographical areas: 1) Downtown; 2) North-East (NE); 3) South-East (SE); 4) North-West (NW) and 5) South-West (SW). Statistical analysis consisted of calculation of disease prevalence by urban area; associations were assessed with odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Multivariate analysis with multiple logistic regression was performed to adjust for age, gender and socioeconomic level.

RESULTS
Eighty HP cases were located in the NE southernmost and SE northernmost areas of Mexico City (48 and 32, respectively) (OR = 3.86; 95% CI 2.17-6.96). Thirty-six controls with asthma came from the SW area, (where NIRD is located) (p < 0.05), and four from SC. Controls with PTB and IPF were scattered throughout the study area.

CONCLUSIONS
The NE southernmost and SE northernmost areas were associated with HP. The cause of HP may not be geographical; a garbage dump used to be located in this area, suggesting that exposure to organic particles might contribute to the development of HP in susceptible individuals.


Temporal event correlation is essential to realizing self-managing distributed systems. Autonomic controllers often require that events be correlated across multiple components using rule patterns with timer-based transitions, e.g., to detect denial of service attacks and to warn of staging problems with business critical applications. This short paper discusses automatic adjustment of timer values for event correlation rules, in particular compensating for the variability of event propagation delays due to factors such as contention for network and server resources. We describe a corresponding Management Station architecture and present experimental studies on a testbed system that suggest that this approach can produce results at least as good as an optimal fixed setting of timer values.


Few clinical trials report on the active intervention components that result in outcome changes, although this is relevant to further improving efficacy and adapting effective programs to other populations. This paper presents follow-up analyses of a randomized controlled trial to enhance adaptation by increasing knowledge and personal resilience in two separate brief interventions with immigrants from Mainland China to Hong Kong (Yu et al., 2014b). The present paper extends our previous one by reporting on the longer term effect of the interventions on personal resilience, and examining whether the Resilience intervention worked as designed to enhance personal resilience. The four-session intervention targeted at self-efficacy, positive thinking, altruism, and goal setting. In this randomized controlled trial, 220 immigrants were randomly allocated to three arms: Resilience, Information (an active control arm), and Control arms. Participants completed measures of the four active components (self-efficacy, positive thinking, altruism, and goal setting) at baseline and immediately after the intervention. Personal resilience was assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 3- and 6-month follow-ups. The results showed that the Resilience arm had greater increases in the four active components post-intervention. Changes in each of the four active components at the post-intervention assessment mediated enhanced personal resilience at the 3-month follow-up in the Resilience arm. Changes in self-efficacy and goal setting showed the largest effect size, and altruism showed the smallest. The arm effects of the Resilience intervention on enhanced personal resilience at the 6-month follow-up were mediated by increases of personal resilience post-intervention (Resilience vs. Control) and at the 3-month follow-up (Resilience vs. Information). These findings showed that these four active components were all mediators in this Resilience intervention. Our results of the effects of short term increases in personal resilience on longer term increase in personal resilience in some models suggest how changes in intervention outcomes might persist over time.


The BarH1 and BarH2 ( Bar ) Drosophila genes are homeobox-containing genes, which are required for the fate determination of external sensory organs in the fly. By means of a bioinformatic approach, we have identified in mouse and human two homeobox genes highly related to the Bar Drosophila genes, Barhl1 and Barhl2. While Barhl1 represents a novel gene, Barhl2 turned out to correspond to the mBH1 cDNA recently described in rat. We isolated and sequenced the full-length mouse Barhl1 and mapped both the human BARHL1 and BARHL2 genes to chromosomes 9q34 and 1p22, respectively. Detailed analysis of the murine Barhl1 expression pattern by in situ hybridization revealed that this transcript is exclusively expressed in restricted domains of the developing CNS, which suggests that this gene, similar to its Drosophila counterparts BarH1 and BarH2, may play a crucial role in cell fate determination of neural structures. In particular, Barhl1 showed specific domains of expression in the diencephalon and in the rhombencephalon where it was found to be expressed in migrating cells giving rise to the cerebellar external granular layer and to specific populations of dorsal sensory interneurons of the spinal cord. Thus, Barhl1 function may be required for the generation of these specific subtypes of neuronal progenitors. Furthermore, the mapping assignment and the expression pattern make BARHL1 an attractive positional candidate gene for a form of Joubert syndrome, a rare developmental anomaly of the cerebellum in humans.


Currently many different modeling languages are used for workflow definitions in BPM systems. Authors of this paper analyze the two most popular graphical languages, with highest possibility of wide practical usage - UML Activity diagrams (AD) and Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN). The necessary in practice workflow aspects are briefly discussed, and on this basis a natural AD profile is proposed, which covers all of them. A functionally equivalent BPMN subset is also selected. The semantics of both languages in the context of process execution (namely, mapping to BPEL) is also analyzed in the paper. By analyzing AD and BPMN metamodels, authors conclude that an exact transformation from AD to BPMN is not trivial even for the selected subset, though these languages are considered to be similar. Authors show how this transformation could be defined in the MOLA transformation language.


Cultural meaning making as reflected in, and constituted by, organizational talk is an established field of interest in organizational analysis. However, the discursive mechanics of the process whereby this cultural meaning making is created and maintained are less well understood. The premise of this paper is that taken-for-granted assumptions embedded in organizational talk can be explored through the analysis of metonymy, a trope which is under explored in the linguistic turn in organization studies. This lack of focus on metonymy is, we believe, related to the fundamentally conventional nature of the trope in use, which expresses ideas, values and relationships that seem natural, normal and routine but which are culturally bound. We address this gap and carry out a metonymical analysis of organizational talk about physical places and spaces in one organization, to show how cultural norms and meanings are reflected, maintained, and potentially changed in these figures of speech. We show how metonymic chains based on buildings can reflect, reify and simplify the symbolic order of the organization, how these symbolic meanings can be transferred on to other inanimate objects and the constructions thereby spread, how people can be constructed within this symbolic chain, and how these metonymic chains can be invoked to potentially confirm, challenge or change the organizational order.


Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) is one of movable objects that can be represented according to waqf regulation (Undang-Undang No. 41 Tahun 2004 Tentang Wakaf). The previous regulations did not mention IPR as waqf object. IPR becomes waqf object because there is a shift of  paradigm on productive waqf. However, the waqf regulation (Undang-Undang No. 41 Tahun 2004 Tentang Wakaf) has many juridical problems. For example, there is no specific explanation about IPR waqf as well as money waqf. Besides, the IPR practice is very rare due to unclear forms of IPR waqf. Juridical problems on IPR waqf are related to legal substance, legal structure and legal culture. On legal substance, there is no clear explanation and mechanism of IPR waqf. On legal structure, there is no clear explanations about who can be the wakif or nazir on IPR waqf. On legal culture, many people are still unfamiliar with intangible waqf object (the conventional waqf object is land). Therefore, the acceptance of an intangible object such as IPR as a waqf object is very low.


The increase in the numbers enrolling in university computer courses makes huge demands on resources, and maintaining standards of teaching and tutorial support is almost impossible without a massive increase in staff. To overcome this situation, the authors have developed RoboProf, an automated learning environment which, as well as generating and assessing programming exercises, provides ongoing assistance and feedback to students without extra demands on lecturer and tutors' time. This system also contains a technique for detecting plagiarism, an increasing problem in computing courses worldwide. For this research, RoboProf was used to teach Java programming to a class containing nearly 300 students in the first year of a computing degree. Use of the system by students was monitored and recorded on log files in order to investigate the extent to which usage patterns influence achieved programming skill. An analysis shows that students who complete the set of RoboProf exercises perform significantly better than those who do not. The timeliness in which these exercises are completed relative to other students is significant: early solvers get higher marks, and students solving the problems with fewer attempts get higher marks. Not surprisingly, plagiarists achieve a lower score than those who do their own work. Other factors that were found to influence programming performance included entry standards and gender. Entry qualifications impacted positively on performance, and males performed significantly better than females. There was a significant positive correlation between the score achieved in the RoboProf course and the performance in a subsequent computing course administered in the traditional manner.


© 2015 The Cochrane Collaboration. This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To assess the impact of the routine use of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in clinical practice on the process of care (including patient-physician communication, professionals awareness of patients' quality of life, diagnosis and recognition rates, treatment rates, health services and resource use, as well as patient behaviour); patients' and professionals' experiences of care; and health outcomes (both generic and disease-specific, using both routinely-used clinical measures and PROs).


The movement of progesterone (P), cortisol (F) and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) across the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier was determined using six adult male rhesus monkeys with indwelling canulae in the lateral ventricles of their brains. Tritiated steroids were given iv as a bolus followed by a constant 6 h infusion with continuous collection of CSF and periodic sampling of blood before and during the infusion. The amounts of authentic steroid in the plasma and CSF were determined by recrystallization to constant isotopic ratio and the amount of free plasma steroid was determined by equilibrium dialysis against Ringer's solution. Tritiated progesterone was undetectable in the pooled samples of CSF. The average concentration of tritiated 17-OHP in the CSF was 10.3% of the concurrent plasma level while the concentration of tritiated F was 22.5% of the concurrent plasma level. Plasma free steroid was found to be 2.2% for P, 6.3% for 17-OHP and 22.3% for F, showing a rough correlation between steroid entry into the CSF and free steroid concentration in plasma.


For more than a decade, evidence-based practice has become the desired aim behind organized health care. Although a plethora of reasons exist as to why clinicians are reluctant to adopt research-based findings, the fundamentals relate to management of change and the nature of the individuals involved. Large organizations, with their daily routines and operations, are inherently difficult to change. Hence, one has to use the very structures that drive the organization to effect 'sustained' change. In large tertiary care facilities, such as the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, these structures are policies and procedures. This paper provides details of the process developed by the Nursing Affairs Practice Committee of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre to achieve the committee mandate of: 'Establish and implement an evidence-based process for the systematic review and revision of nursing clinical standards, policies, procedures and protocols'.


Introduction: Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in
childhood and survival rate has improved during the last few decades. Only a few
studies, related to Neuroblastoma in Saudi Arabian children, have been performed.
We report epidemiologic data and our clinical experience from the department of
Pediatric Hematology Oncology (PHO), King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia. Method: A retrospective observational study of all patients, with diagnosis
of Neuroblastoma, who attended PHO-KFMC from July 2006 to June 2014 was performed.
The survival periods (overall survival and disease-free survival) and the final
outcomes for patients treated and followed at KFMC were recorded. The survival data
were statistically correlated with the clinical, pathological and biological features
of patients and tumors and compared to national and international cohorts. Results:
Eight-year data were available for the 42 patients of which 22 (52.4%) were male
and 20 (47.6%) were females. Age at diagnosis ranged 0 - 91 months with a mean and
median of 26.3 and 18.5 months respectively. 16 (38.1%) patients were under one
year and 26 (61.9%) above 1 year of age. The event-free survival (EFS) and overall
survival (OS) rates were 66.5% and 71.5% respectively. EFS and OS among those who
were detecting clinical and biologic characteristics of
aggressive disease and tailoring therapy, is needed.


Optimization problems involving eigenvalues arise in many different mathematical disciplines. This article is divided into two parts. Part I gives a historical account of the development of the field. We discuss various applications that have been especially influential, from structural analysis to combinatorial optimization, and we survey algorithmic developments, including the recent advance of interior-point methods for a specific problem class: semidefinite programming. In Part II we primarily address optimization of convex functions of eigenvalues of symmetric matrices subject to linear constraints. We derive a fairly complete mathematical theory, some of it classical and some of it new. Using the elegant language of conjugate duality theory, we highlight the parallels between the analysis of invariant matrix norms and weakly invariant convex matrix functions. We then restrict our attention further to linear and semidefinite programming, emphasizing the parallel duality theory and comparing primal-dual interior-point methods for the two problem classes. The final section presents some apparently new variational results about eigenvalues of nonsymmetric matrices, unifying known characterizations of the spectral abscissa (related to Lyapunov theory) and the spectral radius (as an infimum of matrix norms).


We present a numerical modeling workflow based on machine learning (ML) which reproduces the the total energies produced by Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT) at finite electronic temperature to within chemical accuracy at negligible computational cost. Based on deep neural networks, our workflow yields the local density of states (LDOS) for a given atomic configuration. From the LDOS, spatially-resolved, energy-resolved, and integrated quantities can be calculated, including the DFT total free energy, which serves as the Born-Oppenheimer potential energy surface for the atoms. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach for both solid and liquid metals and compare results between independent and unified machine-learning models for solid and liquid aluminum. Our machine-learning density functional theory framework opens up the path towards multiscale materials modeling for matter under ambient and extreme conditions at a computational scale and cost that is unattainable with current algorithms.


Glioblastoma is the most frequent, aggressive and maligne human brain tumor. One of the most common characteristic aberration of primary GBM is the overexpression of EGFR which is caused by increased translation and/or an amplification of the EGFR gene and is often associated with the expression of the constitutive active deletion variant EGFRvIII. In the past few years different EGFR-specific therapies such as EGFR specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and antibodies (mAB) were developed. Because glioblastoma patients do often not respond or develop resistance against these therapeutics, initial positive preclinical results could not be confirmed in clinical studies. In the present study the impact of wtEGFR and EGFRvIII on GBM initiation as well as the influence of EGFR amplification and EGFRvIII expression on the efficacy of EGFR-specific therapies and the development of TKI resistance was analyzed using EGFR amplified and EGFRvIII expressing GBM model cell lines.
Using in vivo xenograft experiments with individually fluorescence-labeled BS153 cells (RGB marking), it was demonstrated that in contrast to U87MG tumors, which showed no EGFR amplification and were EGFRvIII negative, BS153 tumors were only induced by a limited number of EGFR positive clones (< 8) with tumor initiation capacity. This supports the thesis of cancer stem cells and highlights the impact of EGFR on cancer stem cells.
Treatment of BS153 cells with the TKIs erlotinib and gefitinib induced a significant reduction of cell proliferation and migration whereas mAB cetuximab showed no inhibitory effect. Chronical treatment of BS153 cells with erlotinib, led to erlotinib resistant cell line (BS153resE), which showed increased EGFRvIII protein expression and reduction of wtEGFR (mRNA and protein) compared to the parental cell line. In contrast, the EGFR amplification of BS153resE cells was not changed in comparison to BS153 cells. EGFRvIII knock down experiments with BS153resE cells showed, that EGFRvIII contributes to the regulation of the PI3K Akt and the Ras Raf MEK Erk signaling pathway. The central importance of EGFRvIII for BS153resE cell was further elucidated by the observation that the knock down of EGFRvIII caused a resensitization to erlotinib.
In in vivo experiments with immune deficient mice, BS153 and BS153resE cells were tumorigenic and induced invasive tumors, whereas the wtEGFR/EGFRvIII phenotype was preserved. Chronic erlotinib treatment of RGB labeled BS153 cells showed, that the erlotinib resistant cell line BS153resE emerged from parental BS153 cell by a modification of gene expression and not by clonal selection. Besides a modified wtEGFR/EGFRvIII status, BS153resE cells showed increased expression of the catalytic p110δ subunit of PI3K and decreased expression of PTEN, the most important negative regulator of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. The knock down of PI3K(p110δ) caused a decrease cell proliferation and a resensitization of BS153resE cells to Erlotinib. Because PI3K(p110δ) is not expressed by healthy brain tissue, the inhibition of PI3K(p110δ) is an interesting and promising new treatment approach to overcome acquired erlotinib resistance.
One possibility to increase the efficacy of EGFR targeted therapy is the modulation of EGFR expression by epigenetic mechanisms. The present study demonstrates that the treatment of BS153 and BS153resE cells with histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) results in reduced wtEGFR and EGFRvIII expression as well as decreased proliferation, whereas cell migration is not affected by HDACi treatment. Importantly, the simultaneous inhibition of EGFR and HDAC activity by Erlotinib and HDACi caused an additive inhibition of BS153 and BS153resE proliferation. Therefore, it was possible to sensitize BS153resE cell to Erlotinib by parallel treatment with HDAC and the TKI.
In summary, the upregulation of EGFRvIII and PI3K(p110δ) seem to be central mechanisms of the erlotinib resistance of EGFR amplified and EGFRvIII expressing GBM cells. Furthermore, the inhibition of PI3K(p110δ) as well as the epigenetic modulation of wtEGFR/EGFRvIII expression by HDACi are promising treatment approaches to prevent and overcome erlotinib resistance.


Background Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients are at risk for organ involvement and premature death. The occurrence of organ involvement that is reported differs widely between various long term cohort studies; ILD 25–90%, PAH 8–32%, CI 5–30%, and SRC 4–12%. Differences in findings also apply to survival, the 5- and 10-year survival rates between studies vary from 80% to 90% and from 60% to 85% respectively (1–3). Objectives To assess the occurrence of organ involvement and death in a large, unselected cohort of Dutch SSc patients at the moment of diagnosis and during 5 years of follow-up, stratified by disease subtype and auto-antibodies. Methods Up to 2015, 690 SSc patients were included in the Nijmegen SSc cohort. Occurrence of interstitial lung disease (ILD), pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), cardiac involvement (CI), scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) and occurrence of death were determined using survival analysis, stratified by disease subtype (limited cutaneous SSc and diffuse cutaneous SSc) and auto-antibodies (ACA, ATA, anti-RNP). Results Organ involvement was already present at SSc diagnosis in 32% of patients. In 25%, organ involvement developed during follow-up, mostly ILD (22%). Significant differences between lcSSc and dcSSc were found in SRC at baseline and ILD, PAH and SRC during follow-up. Between the autoantibody subgroups, the occurrence of ILD, PAH and SRC at baseline and ILD during follow-up differed. There were no differences in survival between subtypes and auto-antibodies. The overall 5-year survival rate was 89%. Patients without organ involvement at SSc diagnosis had a better 5-year survival rate than patients with organ involvement at SSc diagnosis: 95% versus 73% respectively (p Conclusions In many SSc patients, organ involvement is already present at diagnosis or develops in the first 5 years after diagnosis. Survival is significantly worse in patients who already have involvement at the moment of SSc diagnosis. References Muangchan C, Canadian Scleroderma Research G, Baron M, Pope J. The 15% rule in scleroderma: the frequency of severe organ complications in systemic sclerosis. A systematic review. The Journal of rheumatology. 2013;40(9):1545–56. Vonk MC, Broers BM, Heijdra YF, Ton E, Snijders R, van Dijk AP, et al. Systemic sclerosis and its pulmonary complications in the Netherlands An epidemiological study. AnnRheumDis. 2008. Nihtyanova SI, Schreiber BE, Ong VH, Rosenberg D, Moinzadeh P, Coghlan JG, et al. Prediction of pulmonary complications and long-term survival in systemic sclerosis. Arthritis & rheumatology. 2014;66(6):1625–35. Disclosure of Interest None declared


The number of voluntary and compulsory quality assurance programs has been continuously increasing in all sectors of the healthcare system for many years, on both national and international levels. Based on a current, comprehensive analysis of the literature, however, the evidence of their efficacy and efficiency is limited at this time; even though positive impacts for quality management and quality assurance measures, especially on performance processes, are reported, the impact on outcomes has not been proven or has been insufficiently demonstrated up to now, and the data must be evaluated, overall, as "consistently inconsistent". Based on this evaluation, causes for the lack of evidence and the high variability of the results are first outlined, which are especially inherent in the complexity and heterogeneity of the analyzed interventions. Building on this, the implications for future evaluations of quality management and quality assurance measures are then inferred.


Towing the large-scale drilling platform without self-propulsion is difficult. Towing resistance calculation is necessary for safe pilotage. The tug power decision and the fleet arrangement should be confirmed according to the features and performance of towed vessel, water flow, air flow and other meteorological factors in towing route. The resistance calculations of towed vessel and tugboats are carried out. Whether it is suitable to be towed by the fleet will be verified in accordance with the calculations of the hauling power of tugboats. In this paper, the towing resistance of the cylindrical ultra-deep drilling platform without self-propulsion capability is studied, which could provide reference for other cylindrical structures on the implementation of towing plans.


Background: Salmonella is the main cause of thypoid fever. Lymphocyte plays a major rule in specific immunity against Salmonella. Hedyotis corymbosa contains some active components such as flavonoid which can increase the production of IL-2, and as a result, increasing the lymphocyte proliferation. The maturation of lymphocyte takes place in the spleen, a secondary lymphoid organ. The objective of this research is to know the effect of Hedyotis corymbosa's extract on spleen's lymphocyte proliferation of Balb/c mice infected by Salmonella typhimurium.

Method: A laboratory experimental study with post-test only control group design was carried out on experiment animal 30 male Balb/c mice which were randomly chosen. These mice divided into 6 groups. K1 was control group which is only given aquadest, K2 was control group infected with Salmonella typhimurium on the tenth day, whereas K3 was control group treated with Hedyotis corymbosa 80mg/day. P1, P2 and P3 were group given Hedyotis corymbosa 24mg, 80mg, and 240mg/day for 14 days then infected by Salmonella typhimurium on the tenth day. All mices were killed in day-15, and then lymphocytes from the spleen of all mices were isolated. Spleen's lymphocyte proliferation was measured by counting lymphoblasts in every 200 cells in a homogenous area.

Results: Significant differences are shown in lymphoblast count between K1-K2 (p=0.009), K1-P1 (p=0.018), K1-P2 (p=0.012), K1-P3 (p=0.016). There's no significant differences in lymphoblast count between K3-K1 (p=0.059). There's also no significant differences neither between P1 and P2 (p=0.745), P1 and P3 (p=0.289), nor between P2 and P3 (p=0.401)

Conclusions: Hedyotis corymbosa's extract cannot increase the lymphocyte proliferation on Balb/c mice infected by Salmonella typhimurium.

Keywords: Hedyotis corymbosa, spleen lymphocyte proliferation, Salmonella typhimurium


Background Performance of interdisciplinary teams and their leaders is crucial in acute medical care and can be monitored by observing specific events. Standardised operational procedures (SOP) are easily observable, whereas the unpredictability of medical emergencies makes performance monitoring in these situations difficult. The aim of this study was therefore to assess whether performance in emergency situations can be predicted by performance observed during an SOP. Methods 30 intensive care unit teams composed of one staff physician (leader), one resident and three nurses performed a simulated scenario of an elective electrical cardioversion (SOP) followed by a cardiac arrest (emergency). Video recordings obtained during simulations were used for data analysis. The primary outcome was the correlation between performance scores of electrical cardioversion and performance during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (hands-on time, time to first defibrillation). Results None of the cardioversion performance scores significantly correlated with resuscitation performance. Leadership scores during electrical cardioversion correlated positively with leadership scores during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (r=0.365, p=0.047). Moreover, there was a positive correlation of leaders being hands-off during both electrical cardioversion and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (r=0.645, p<0.0001). Conclusions Team performance in SOP carried no predictive value for emergency situations. Observing teams in easily observable SOP is therefore no suitable substitute for monitoring the performance in medical emergencies. There was a between-situation consistency for specific elements of leadership.


Efforts have been made worldwide to reduce gender parity in all aspects of life, by increasing accessibility and equity of women in various areas, decision making being one. Today, women occupy a relative amount of positions of power in the country, despite their number being small in such positions. However, women in decision making positions are faced by various challenges . Despite different research and efforts done by the Government of Tanzania and others, the situation is not promising. Generally, this study aimed at exploring the challenges faced by women leaders, their ability to cope, ways they engage in coping with the situation and suggest ways of reducing the challenges. The study employed a qualitative strategy, drawing from 10 in-depth interviews of women in decision making positions purposively sampled. Data were analyzed qualitatively based on categories and emerged major themes. The study revealed the following challenges; dominant masculine culture, negative attitude from subordinates, woman natural roles, low level of commitment and confidence, lack of time to socialize and networking. All the respondents show that are able to cope with the challenges and their coping strategies are: being hard working, balancing between the office and family, employing participatory techniques in management, further education and training, especially on management skills, setting achievable goals, avoid unethical practices such as corruption and sexual affairs, doing away with discriminatory traditions and laws, mentoring and coaching and use of alumni and role models. Grounded on the liberal feminist theory the study concluded that, women are not different from men and the existing gender inequalities are not biologically created but rather socially constructed. Therefore,  in order to bring social change and reduce gender inequality eliminating impediments and put in place policies, laws  that promote equal rights of women is crucial for attainment of 50% women representation in management and decision making positions. The study recommends that, alumni and role models share their experiences,  coach and mentor girls from low school age, priotise further education and training for women,  appointing women based on their merits,  appointees  getting proper orientation, identifying  capable girls, nurture, and mentor them, engage women in awareness campaigns, and advocate for change in discriminatory laws and practices


This poster demonstrates the suite of programs I created for the Society of Early English and Norse Electronic Texts (SEENET) to facilitate the display of its TEI-compliant documentary and critical editions of medieval texts. Poster Abstract Interface design was the uppermost concern when I set out to create a suite of programs for the Society of Early English and Norse Electronic Texts (SEENET) to facilitate the display of its TEI-compliant documentary and critical editions of medieval texts. From its inception, my project has been shaped by the tremendous potential of electronic textuality to redefine our experience of what it means to possess and read a text. This poster demonstrates these programs and surveys the principles that have given rise to their creation. The SEENET interface project has been carried out as an iterative process moving between (1) identifying the broad parameters of questions that readers might be tempted to ask of a text and (2) shaping an electronic mise en page that will engage a reader's inquisitive eye, promoting curiosity and thus the development of new insight and knowledge. The process of developing such an interface has led to the articulation of a set of axioms that have guided my work: In addition to demonstrating programs designed to display documentary and critical editions of Piers Plowman (which serves as the locus for all examples shown), the poster describes programs written to permit electronic markup of facsimile images of the medieval manuscripts as well as programs that assist editors in the TEI-compliant markup of documentary and critical texts. Poster Seek tight coordination in the display of text and facsimile image Incorporate visual cueing to guide/reinforce reader attention Provide unobtrusive, but handy, analytical tools Promote ease of navigation – build in linkages that are likely to answer and/or provoke a reader's curiosity Work in one visual space for text and images – no windows or frames, no scrolling when possible Supply information at likely points of need – avoid overload, expose what the text "knows" selectively Keep decoration to a minimum: no chrome, don't frame the view, don't let the tools distract or overwhelm. Download poster (PDF file) . This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.


Steroid-induced glaucoma affects the trabecular meshwork of the eye, caused by the effects of corticosteroids any of several steroid hormones secreted by the cortex of the adrenal glands, or any synthetic forms with similar properties. With this form of glaucoma, raised intraocular pressure is due to the reduced outflow facility of the pigmented trabecular meshwork and is usually seen within two to four weeks after starting topical steroids (medication applied to the surface of the body).