In this paper, simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) is considered for multi-group multicasting relay networks where there is no direct link between the source and destination nodes. Each source transmits its own multicast stream to a group of users with the help of single antenna relays which use amplify-and-forward relay protocol. Each user has energy harvesting capability. A part of the received signal is used for information decoding while the rest is used for energy harvesting. The design problem is to determine the complex relay weights and the power splitting ratios for the users. The resulting optimization problem is nonconvex and converted into a form suitable for quadratically constrained quadratic programming. In addition to the conventional relay beamforming, distributed phase-only beamformer design is also considered and both beamformer design problems are solved iteratively using feasible point pursuit-successive convex approximation algorithm. Several simulations are performed and the advantages of both approaches are outlined.


This paper presents affine-invariant shape descriptor which could be applied to both binary and gray-level images. The proposed algorithm utilizes gradient based features which are extracted along the object boundaries. We use twodimensional steerable G-Filters ([1]) to obtain gradient information at different orientations and scales. We aggregate the gradients into a shape signature. The signature derived from the rotated object is circularly shifted version of the signature derived from the original object. This property is called the circular-shifting rule ([2]). The shape descriptor is defined as the Fourier transform of the signature. We also provide a distance definition for the proposed descriptor taking the circular-shifting rule into account. The performance of the proposed descriptor is evaluated over the databases containing digits taken from vehicle license plates. The experiments show that the devised method outperforms other well-known Fourier-based shape descriptors such as centroid distance and boundary curvature.


The natural neuromuscular model has greatly inspired the development of control mechanisms in addressing the uncertainty challenges in robotic systems. Although the underpinning neural reaction of posture control remains unknown, recent studies suggest that muscle activation driven by the nervous system plays a key role in human postural responses to environmental disturbance. Given that the human calf is mainly formed by two muscles, this paper presents an integrated calf control model with the two comprising components representing the activations of the two calf muscles. The contributions of each component towards the artificial control of the calf are determined by their weights, which are carefully designed to simulate the natural biological calf. The proposed calf modelling has also been applied to robotic ankle exoskeleton control. The proposed work was validated and evaluated by both biological and engineering simulation approaches, and the experimental results revealed that the proposed model successfully performed over 92% of the muscle activation naturally made by human participants, and the actions led by the simulated ankle exoskeleton wearers were overall consistent with that by the natural biological response.


SUMMARY: Erythritol stimulated the growth of virulent strains of Brucella abortus more than that of attenuated strains. No similar correlation existed between virulence and response to erythritol with strains of B. melitensis and B. suis; these were stimulated indiscriminately by erythritol.
Erythritol was not detected in extracts of bovine white blood cells and hence is unlikely to be connected with the primary invasive process of intraphagocytic survival and growth of B. abortus. However, ultrafiltrates from extracts of bovine white blood cells stimulated the growth of B. abortus in laboratory media.


This paper proposes adaptive Gaussian backend (AGB), a novel approach to robust language identification (LID). In this approach, a given test sample is compared to language-specific training data in order to dynamically select data for a trialspecific language model. Discriminative AGB additionally weights the training data to maximize discrimination against the test segment. Evaluated on heavily degraded speech data, discriminative AGB provides relative improvements of up to 45% and 38% in equal error rates (EER) over the widely adopted Gaussian backend (GB) and neural network (NN) approaches to LID, respectively. Discriminative AGB also significantly outperforms those techniques at shorter test durations, while demonstrating robustness to limited training resources and to mismatch between training and testing speech duration. The efficacy of AGB is validated on clean speech data from National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) language recognition evaluation (LRE) 2009, on which it was found to provide improvements over the GB and NN approaches.


The month-long world cup soccer tournament held in Germany has just ended. Since the inaugural world cup tournament in Uruguay in 1930, the number of national teams that qualify for every tournament has been steadily increasing: 32 national teams competed for gold in 2006, indicating that competiton for glory and gold is continuously on the rise. A couple of these teams that were favoured, and deserved to win the gold failed for different reasons. What triggered Zinedine Zidane head-butting himself out of the world cup? Perhaps a slur on his race or a defaming remark on his mother/sister? The jury is still deliberating on this unfortunate incident. Regrettably, in sports as well as in other professions, the response is punished but not the provocation! Many of those who played for their national teams during the world cup, are also on the rosters of the premier league soccer teams in the EU, South America and elsewhere. Corporations, syndicates or wealthy families own the league teams. Coaches, assistant coaches, assistants to assistant coaches, publicists and other likeminded people manage the league teams. They acquire these players through bidding wars; whoever bids higher gets the 'hot' player. Since there are some similarities between academic institutions and professional sports with regard to recruitment and retention, it might be of interest to consider what counts as acceptable or unacceptable practices in the higher education system. In the US, like in professional sports, administrators at research institutions and universities vie with one another to attract quality students and faculty members to broaden their recognition factor. The bidding wars are especially widespread among non-state universities and research institutions. The resources necessary for such activities are not from the Government, but by donations from corporations, alumni and wealthy families, not necessarily in that order.


Submarine slopes prograde via accretion of sediment to clinoform foresets and degrade in response to channel or canyon incision or to mass-wasting processes. The timescales over which progradation and degradation occur, and the large-scale stratigraphic record of these processes, remain unclear due to poor age constraints in subsurface-based studies and areally limited exposures of exhumed systems. We here integrate 3D seismic reflection and borehole data to study the geometry and origin of ancient slope canyons developed in late Mesozoic strata of the Måløy Slope, offshore Norway. Slope degradation and canyon incision commenced during the late Kimmeridgian, coincident with the latter stages of rifting. Later periods of canyon formation occurred during the Aptian to Albian and the Albian to Cenomanian, during early post-rift subsidence. The canyons are straight, up to 700 m deep, and 10 km wide on the upper slope and die out downdip onto the lower slope. The canyons trend broadly perpendicular to and crosscut most of the rift-related normal faults, although syn-filling fault growth locally helped to preserve thicker canyon-fill successions. The headwalls of the oldest (late Kimmeridgian) canyons are located at a fault-controlled shelf edge, where younger canyons overstep this fault, which was inactive when they formed, extending across the paleo-shelf. Downslope, Aptian to Albian canyons either erode into the older, late Kimmeridgian to Barremian canyon fills, forming a complicated set of unconformities, or in the case of the Albian to Cenomanian canyons, die out into correlative conformities. Boreholes indicate that the canyon bases are defined by sharp, erosional surfaces, across which we observe an abrupt upward shift from shallow- to deep-marine facies (i.e., late Kimmeridgian canyons), or deep marine to deep marine facies (Aptian to Albian and Albian to Cenomanian canyons). Missing biostratigraphic zones indicate the canyons record relatively protracted periods (c. 2–17 Myr) of structurally enhanced slope degradation and sediment bypass, separated by > 10 Myr periods of deposition and slope accretion. The trigger for slope degradation is unclear, but it likely reflects basinward tilting of this tectonically active margin, enhanced by incision of the slope by erosive sediment gravity flows. The results of our study have implications for the timescales over which large-scale slope progradation and degradation may occur on other tectonically active slopes, and the complex geophysical and geological record of these processes. We also show that canyon formation can cause large volumes of margin-derived sediment to bypass proximal sub-basins within rifted terranes, an important process not currently captured by marine rift-basin tectono-stratigraphic models.


The traveling salesman problem (TSP) is a well-known optimization problem in graph theory, as well as in operations research that has nowadays received much attention because of its practical applications in industrial and service problems. In this problem, a salesman starts to move from an arbitrary place called depot and after visits all of the nodes, finally comes back to the depot. The objective is to minimize the total distance traveled by the salesman.  Because this problem is a non-deterministic polynomial (NP-hard) problem in nature, it requires a non-polynomial time complexity at runtime to produce a solution. Therefore, a reactive bone route algorithm called RBRA is used for solving the TSP in which several local search algorithms as an improved procedure are applied. This process avoids the premature convergence and makes better solutions. Computational results on several standard instances of TSP show the efficiency of the proposed algorithm compared to other meta-heuristic algorithms.


This paper proposes a use of the discursive approach to explicate variety in ways of strategic thinking. Such an explication of variety is both useful managerially in increasing awareness of greater discursive resources and also theoretically in critiquing views of strategic thinking as homogenous and organizationally contained. Ways of strategic thinking have been investigated using a variety of approaches including expertise perspectives (Voss, Greene et al. 1983), cognitive mapping (Eden, Jones et al. (1979); Huff (1990) ) and upper echelon theory (Hambrick 1998). More recently the linguistic turn in organizational sciences (Alvesson and Karreman 2000), and the study of strategy as practice (Whittington 1996; Hendry 2000) have seen the application of discursive methodologies to the study of strategy. One strand of discourse analysis has been used to analyse the impact of discursive changes on organizations (Hardy, Palmer et al. 2000). A discourse analysis approach can also be used to explicate greater variety in ways of strategic thinking (McAuley, Duberley et al. 2000). This paper argues that the potential of forms of discourse analysis has not been fully realised and may be used to critique the closed nature of organizational discourses assumed in much of the managerial literature (e.g. Sanchez 2001). The evidence that discourse analysis could produce would complement what other methodologies have had to say about the homogenous (Spender 1989) or heterogeneous (Bowman and Ambrosini 1997) nature of strategic thinking.


Platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard first-line treatment for patients with advanced non-smallcell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, randomized trials have recently demonstrated the efficacy of several new drugs (pemetrexed, bevacizumab, cetuximab, erlotinib, gefitinib) in this setting. Hence, the choice of optimal treatment is no longer limited to the different platinum-based doublets. In order to guide clinical management of patients with advanced NSCLC, assess the strengths and limitations of available evidence, and to suggest priorities for clinical research, the Italian Association of Thoracic Oncology organized an International Expert Panel Meeting on the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC, which took place in Sperlonga (Italy) in May 2009. Experts recommended that every effort should be made to obtain adequate tumor tissue before initiating treatment. Tumor histology/cytology subtyping is now important for the correct choice of treatment. In particular, considering efficacy data obtained with pemetrexed and safety concerns with bevacizumab, a division between squamous and non-squamous tumors is necesemetrexed sary. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation analysis, at present, is not recommended in all patients, but should be performed in subgroups of patients characterized by higher prevalence of sensitizing mutations (Asians, never smokers, women, adenocarcinoma). When a mutation is present, first-line treatment with single-agent EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitor may be considered. Finally, the potential benefit of maintenance treatment for patients without progression at the end of first-line should be carefully discussed with each patient. Although the number of treatment options for patients with advanced ntly, NSCLC has increased rece


In this paper, we study the cause of out-of-sequence measurements (OOSM) and their effect on Kalman filter based multi-sensor fusion systems. We explore the current available solutions for handling of OOSM and pinpoint how the absence of precise measurement timestamps does not allow the correct chronological order of sensor measurements. The processing of such, out-of-order measurements, leads to negative-time measurement updates in the sensor fusion process, which in turn leads to a wrong representation of the environment.Furthermore, we present methods for achieving precise measurement timestamps. We explore the suitability of set of communication standards for improving the timestamp precision. In particular we focus on IEEE 802.1AS, IEEE 802.1Qav, Qbv and SAE AS6802 standards that enable deterministic communication over IEEE802.3 standard Ethernet. We present theoretical performance studies and comparison of the said communication standards.


○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ RAMYATA LIMBU IN LUKLA omething does not make much sense here. Political instability, the royal massacre, 11 September, India-Pakistan tension, and the Maoist insurgency hurt Nepal's tourism very badly last year. So how come the number of trekkers visiting the Khumbu was not affected much in 2001 compared to the previous year? The only explanation is: Mt Everest. It is still Nepal's main draw. And adventure tourists appear less spooked by security concerns than other types of tourists. Just over 25,000 trekkers and mountaineers came to Namche Bazar in 2000, while last year the numbers dropped slightly to 22,000. Khumbu is a one-industry area, and everyone here is looking forward to the spring season. A dip is expected, but the 2001 figures give them hope that things will not be so bad. "They're still coming to see Mt Everest," says Jangbu Sherpa of Namche's Café Danfe which is called "the world's highest bar". Despite a quiet new year owing to a dawn to dusk curfew in Namche and the state of emergency, tourists are still walking up the trail from Lukla. They gather for an early drink and a round of pool at the Café Danfe and head off to their lodges before the soldiers from the barracks overlooking Namche's ampitheatre begin their patrols. There is talk of a trekker who forgot there was a curfew and ventured out at dawn to catch the sun rise over Mt Everest when an alert sentry at the barracks accosted them with a semi-automatic. But, by and large, the counter-insurgency war seems to be happening far away from the stupendously beautiful scenery of these mountains. The Maoist attack on the barracks at Salleri on 26 November that plunged the country into an emergency, and brought the army out to fight the Maoists, is the nearest that the fighting has come. But trekking agents are worried that exaggerated international news reports that cited the attacks as happening "at the foothills of Mt Everest" may have done some damage to Khumbu tourism. Lukla is a two day walk from Salleri and there are hopes here of a tourism revival following the renovation of Lukla airport at a cost of Rs 130 million. Lukla's famous inclined runway is now a modern asphalt strip. No more parking problems for aircraft, and the hair-raising landings are smoother. But the emergency has put a dampener on things. Then there was a scare in mid-January when plastic explosives, copper wire, and Maoist propaganda literature were found in a village below the airstrip after an explosion. There is no army presence in Lukla and there is just a small police contingent for the passenger security checks. Lukla airport's station-in-charge, Passang Geljen Sherpa has asked for additional security from the Civil Aviation Authority in Kathmandu. "We haven't had a response so far," he said. When asked why, a CAA official in Kathmandu told us the army was overstretched guarding five other airports and it was unlikely that soldiers could be spared for Lukla. Anticipating the inaction, Lukla citizens have got together on their own to maintain security and protect the tourism industry. They close shop early and patrols keep a check on new faces in town. "It's the best we can do," says Lukla VDC chairman, Funuru Sherpa. "There is no help from Kathmandu and after the attack on Salleri, the two dozen policemen who were here were withdrawn to the army barracks in Namche." The policemen are now back, but they haven't been able to instill much confidence in Lukla. There are up to four flights that come in every day, ferrying mainly Japanese trekkers. By the time the sun sets behind the Karyolung ridgeline, Lukla is quiet, the restaurants and hotels close early, policemen melt into their separate quarters in the town. By next morning there is a brief flurry of activity as Twin Otters fly in from Kathmandu, the tourists hire their porters, and are off on the Namche trail. But there is something other than the Maoist threat that makes Lukla residents nervous. It is the CAA's reported plan to refurbish Syangboche airstrip above Namche and make it capable of taking short-takeoff-andlanding aircraft. "If that happens, we're ruined," says a Lukla hotel owner about the business that will bypass Lukla as trekkers and mountaineers start flying directly to Namche. The decision to build Syangboche appears to be the result of a falling out between tourism minister Bal Bahadur KC and his party cadre in Lukla who staged a demonstration against him on 16 October during the inauguration ceremony of the renovated airport. "Bal Bahadur was angry about the loss of face in front of all those dignitaries," explained a Lukla lodge-owner. "His revenge was to make tourists go directly to Syangboche." KC's cadre were unhappy about the shoddy construction of the newlybuilt supporting wall along the northern edge of the runway which already looks fragile and may not survive the next monsoon. If Syangboche goes ahead, Lukla locals may repeat their 1997 sit-ins on the runway to protest cargo and passenger helicopters flying tourists directly to Syangboche. The airport opened for traffic only after the government stopped those helicopter flights. But even if Syangboche does open, it may be safer for trekkers to keep flying to Lukla to allow time to acclimatise. An engineer who flew to Syangboche to survey the runway extension recently had to be evacuated after he was felled by altitude sickness. EXCLUSIVE


Between the 2007 and 2012 Economic Censuses (EC), the count of franchise-affiliated establishments declined by 9.8%. One reason for this decline was a reduction in resources that the Census Bureau was able to dedicate to the manual evaluation of survey responses in the franchise section of the EC. Extensive manual evaluation in 2007 resulted in many establishments, whose survey forms indicated they were not franchise-affiliated, being recoded as franchise-affiliated. No such evaluation could be undertaken in 2012. In this paper, we examine the potential of using external data harvested from the web in combination with machine learning methods to automate the process of evaluating responses to the franchise section of the 2017 EC. Our method allows us to quickly and accurately identify and recode establishments have been mistakenly classified as not being franchise-affiliated, increasing the unweighted number of franchise-affiliated establishments in the 2017 EC by 22%-42%.


In this paper, we report the design and simulation of a wire scanner for the linac of the CSNS (China Spallation Neutron Source). The wire scanner is used to measure the transverse beam profile and the emittance. The effect of beam energy change upon the mechanical design of the wire scanner must be considered. The simulation results of heat on the two specified wires, tungsten and carbon, by using the finite element method software, ANSYS, are presented. In addition, the effect of wire deformation on the beam profile measurement is qualitatively analyzed, and the signal level of the wire scanner is discussed.


SIR,-Pargyline hydrochloride (" eutonyl," Abbott) is an important new aftihypertensive drug, recently introduced to clinical practice. One of its advantages is that unlike many other antihypertensives it does not cause mental depression, and indeed in many patients there is a significant and desirable mood elevation'produced by the drug. Its, mode of action in lowering bloodpressure is not understood, but its euphoriant effect is probably due to its being a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, and in the more recent literature issued by the manufacturers they advise that cheese, especially if aged or non-processed, is contraindicated with the drug. I have lately seen a patient with moderate essential hypertension who because of various side-effects with other drugs was changed to pargyline, 25 mg. every morning; this gave satisfactory control and within a fortnight the patient volunteered that he felt much less depressed, but was having nightmares. Inquiry produced the fact that he habitually ate one or two ounces (30-60 g.) of Cheddar cheese with his supper every evening. The nightmar'es were of a horrifying nature, and curiously they were concerned not with his immediate' family or friends but with people such as his workmates, with whom he was not in any particular emotional relationship. He dreamt of one, terribly mutilated, hanging from a meat-hook. Another he dreamt of falling into a bottomless abyss, When cheese was withdrawn from his diet the nightmares ceased. I am, etc., Bulawayo, J. CHARLES SHEE. S. Rhodesia.


In 2004, The Near Field Communication (NFC) forum was formed to promote and supervise the use of the NFC technology. Nowadays, 150 members are taking part init and a growing number of stakeholders are fully involved in the development of this emerging technology. Consequently, many pilots have been launched worldwide in order to test and improve it. Issues related to the level of security that should be provided by the NFC handset to store personal data and application in a safe place have then arisen. Indeed, multiple secure element alternatives, depending on the position of secure element in the handset can be considered and NFC stakeholders encounter difficulties to define which of them should be favored. After giving a brief overview over the NFC technology, the role,as well as the possible position of the secure element in the NFC enabled handset will be highlighted. Then, a discussion will be engaged in order to define what could be the most promising secure element alternatives. Afterwards, by focusing on NFC pilots in which our laboratory is taking part into, this paper will describe technical architectures currently in use. Finally, a conclusion on the topic will be provided in the last section.


Introduction Medication errors are a major global issue, adversely impacting patient safety and health outcomes. Promoting patient safety through minimizing medication errors is therefore a key global healthcare objective. The most widely used and accepted definition of the term 'medication error' is that of the United States (US) National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCCMERP), which defines 'medication error' as 'any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in control of the health care professional, patient or consumer'.1 This definition has been adopted by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). Medication error reporting within HMC is policy driven and has migrated from paper-based to computer-based system. The Performance and Monitoring Department within HMC data highlights the scale of medication errors, with 19,498 errors reported between January 2012 and September 2013. A wide variation in reporting rates was observed among different hospitals (NCCCR 897, Heart Hospital 1046, Hamad General Hospital 1516, Women's Hospital 3041, Al-Khor Hospital 3842, Rumailah Hospital 9156). Alsulami et al. recently reported the findings of the first systematic review of the literature on medication errors in Middle Eastern countries, highlighting that studies were relatively few in number and of poor quality, voicing the need for original, robust research.2 QNRF has provided funding for a two year research study which aims to explore medication error causality and reporting in HMC from the perspectives of health professionals and other key stakeholders. The data presented in this abstract represents the first phase, the aim of which is to quantify the views and attitudes of health professionals. Method Design – a web based cross-sectional survey of all health professionals (doctors, nurses and pharmacists) working in HMC hospitals. Questionnaire development, validation and piloting – questionnaire items were derived from Reason's Model of Accident Causation and Harm Error,3 the theoretical domains framework of behavioural change,4 and the 'Hospital Survey on Patient Survey'.5 The questionnaire was reviewed for face and content validity by a panel of experts in the United Kingdom and Qatar. This was followed by piloting in a sample of 100 HMC health professionals and test-retest reliability for all attitudinal items (all highly reliable, Kappa statistics, all p < 0.05). Questionnaire distribution – all health professionals in HMC were invited to complete the web based questionnaire. The study commenced at the end of October 2015 and will be data collection will continue until the end of January 2016. Data collected to 12 November 2015 are presented in the abstract and full study data will be presented at the conference. Ethics – the study was approved by HMC ethics committee and the ethics committees of Qatar University and Robert Gordon University (United Kingdom). Results To date, 767 responses have been received from 522 nurses (68.1%), 143 pharmacists (18.6%) and 102 doctors (13.3%). More than two thirds (69.4%) of respondents had been registered as health professionals for 10 years or less and most (83.8%) had direct patient contact. In terms of their involvement with medicines related processes, 14.1% were involved in prescribing, 30.1% in medicines preparation and dispensing, 55.4% in administering medicines and 45.0% in monitoring the effectiveness and toxicity of medicines. Responses to key statements from the 'Hospital Survey on Patient Survey' are given in Table 1 and responses to key statements on medication error reporting in Table 2. While there were positive responses in terms of the efforts to promote patient safety and knowing how to submit a medication error report, there were less positive responses around staff pressures, patient and information transfers and the perceived consequences of submitting a medication error report. Notably there were concerns around the lack of feedback following submitting a medication error report, fears of reprimands and potential impact on career progression. Conclusion These preliminary data indicate that there are issues which may compromise patient safety and the effectiveness and efficiency of the medication error reporting system within HMC. While these data are specific to HMC it is likely that they are generalizable to other settings in the Middle East and beyond. Full study data will be analysed in due course and will inform the next stages of the research programme. These stages comprise focus groups of samples of questionnaire respondents to discuss further the issues raised, followed by one to one interviews with key policy makers, health professional leaders, and educators. Full study data will facilitate the development of interventions to reduce medication errors, increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the medication error reporting processes and ultimately enhanced patient safety. This abstract was made possible by NPRP grant NPRP 7 - 388 - 3 - 095 from Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the author(s). We also acknowledge all supporting departments in HMC and study respondents. References 1. National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention. Available at http://www.nccmerp.org [accessed November 2015]. 2. Alsulami Z, Conroy S, Choonara I. Medication errors in the Middle East countries: A systematic review of the literature. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2013;69(4):995–1008. 3. Reason J. Human error. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 1990. 4. Michie S, Johnston M, Abraham C, Lawton R, Parker D, Walker A, on behalf of the "Psychological Theory" Group: Making psychological theory useful for implementing evidence based practice: a consensus approach. Quality Safety in Health Care 2005;14(1):26–33. 5. International Use of the Surveys on Patient Safety Culture. December 2014. Agency forHealthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patientsafetypatientsafetyculture/pscintusers.html [accessed November 2015].


India is rapidly building up its navy in order to develop blue-water capabilities and increase its prowess in the Indian Ocean and beyond, which is integral to India's grand strategy to attain a regional and global power status. This poses a threat to the regional states. It, especially, heightens Pakistan's threat perception, whose main security threat comes from India. Of all the gravest concerns for Pakistan is India's development of nuclear triad, which is mainly comprised of its nuclear powered submarine fleet, armed with a range of nuclear-tipped missiles, which gives it a second-strike capability. The paper looks at how India's development of sea-based nuclear capability would affect nuclear deterrence stability in South Asia. The paper assesses the Indian naval nuclear development and also whether a second strike capability can potentially stabilises deterrence in South Asia. It finds that the development of a nuclear triad, in general, and second strike capability, in particular, would not stabilise deterrence or bring strategic stability to South Asia. In fact, it would increase arms race tendencies. It would eventually brings instability and further uncertainty to the region with complex command and control issues involved, and the risk of accidental or unauthorised launch.


Computing infrastructures of mobile robots have grown in complexity in the last decades; They have evolved from single processor systems to networks of microcontrollers communicating through a shared bus. This has induced additional architectural constraints that do not fit well with the traditional polling-based sensors and actuators control. To address this issue, we have developed ASEBA, an event-based middleware that allows distributed control and efficient resources exploitation of multi-microcontrollers robots. ASEBA provides hardware modularity, better efficiency, and improved scalability by embedding a lightweight virtual machine in each microcontroller and providing an IDE to develop and debug the whole robot reactive control from a single place.


After 8 years of economic growth, Switzerland experienced inflationary price increases in 1990 and a recession in 1991. Swiss unemployment rose from 0.5 percent in 1990 to a post-war high of 4.5 percent in 1993. Unemployment and other economic conditions have led to lower tax revenues and greater demand for generous social programs, with a resulting higher than expected budget deficit. These factors have prompted debate of basic changes in social programs such as disability benefits and health care benefits. Unlike the United States, Switzerland subsidizes employer/ employee contributions to its social insurance programs. Funded jointly by the National Government and the 26 cantons, subsidies make up half of all disability insurance benefits paid. In the past 2 years, government disability expenditures have risen 17 percent, partly because many long-term unemployed persons have come on the disability rolls after expiration of their unemployment benefits. To limit costs, the government may increase employer/employee contributions and reduce total family benefits upon a disabled recipient' s attainment of retirement age. Health care costs have also soared because of the recession and the inflationary rise in medical costs and insurance premiums. Most Swiss are covered by one of several hundred government-subsidized sickness plans. Coverage is mandatory for those with low incomes and for all residents of the five cantons requiring coverage. For persons with low incomes, the Government subsidizes health insurance premiums, but, until recently, subsidies have been frozen at 1977 levels, resulting in increases in the unsubsidized portion of the premiums. Until 1992, 96 percent of all Swiss were covered by health insurance. Many with optional coverage have recently dropped it to avoid increasing premiums and to boost take-home pay. Higher costs for medical bills of the uninsured have increased the budget deficit. Several years ago, Switzerland's Parliament passed emergency legislation to address sharply rising medical costs and insurance premiums. These laws limited increases in medical fees in 1992 and 1993, and set up a special fund to offset a widening variation among various plans' premiums, which have come to mirror each plan's proportion of members from high-risk groups such as the elderly and the seriously ill. In 1994, the Government increased its subsidies of health insurance premiums to encourage voluntary enrollees to continue their coverage. Rising medical costs and insurance premiums have also prompted a private-sector solution: optional employer health plans are becoming popular with workers of employers offering such plans because they charge lower premiums based on better cost controls, employer subsidies, and a lower proportion of high-risk members. …


Successful diagnosis and satisfactory treatment require an accurate cast articulation that duplicates patient's maxillomandibular relationship. Whereas few studies denote that occlusal precision might not be critical for treatment success, many researchers believe that accurate cast articulation is a necessity and the final dental prosthesis would not be acceptable if inaccuracy is introduced in any stage of dental cast mounting procedure. Achieving accurate cast articulation is a challenge for both clinician and laboratory technician. Literature has shown that errors are expected to happen in any step of the cast articulation process. Shortcomings associated with the materials used, inherent limitations of the articulators, restrictions of soft tissues such as the ligaments of the TMJ and masticatory muscles, are some issues that impact either directly or indirectly the accuracy of the cast articulation. However, many of cast articulation errors can be avoided through understanding the maxillomandibular relationship, appropriate selection of the materials and methods, and careful manipulation of the devices. Controlled studies on the clinical impact of cast articulation accuracy are needed to be conducted. Likewise, the quality of cast articulation could be improved by developing a new approach that eliminates several steps necessary with conventional procedures for mounting casts in an articulator.


The technology acceptance model (TAM) is one of the most widely used models of information technology (IT) adoption. According to TAM, IT adoption is influenced by two perceptions: usefulness and ease of use. In this study, we extend TAM to the mobile commerce context. We categorize the tasks performed on wireless handheld devices into three categories: (1) general tasks that do not involve transactions and gaming, (2) gaming tasks, and (3) transactional tasks. We propose a unified conceptual model for wireless technology adoption. In this model, task type moderates the effects of four possible determinants: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived playfulness, and perceived security. We postulate that, under the mobile context, user intention to perform general tasks that do not involve transactions and gaming is influenced by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, user intention to play games is affected by perceived playfulness, and user intention to transact is influenced by perceived usefulness and perceived security. A survey was conducted to collect data about user perception of 12 tasks that could be performed on wireless handheld devices and user intention to use wireless technology. Multiple regression analyses supported the proposed research model.


Abstract. The coherence image as a product of a coherent SAR image pair can expose even subtle changes in the surface of a scene, such as vehicle tracks. For machine learning models, the large amount of required training data often is a crucial issue. A general solution for this is data augmentation. Standard techniques, however, were predominantly developed for optical imagery, thus do not account for SAR specific characteristics and thus are only partially applicable to SAR imagery. In this paper several data augmentation techniques are investigated for their performance impact regarding a CNN based vehicle track detection with the aim of generating an optimized data set. Quantitative results are shown on the performance comparison. Furthermore, the performance of the fully-augmented data set is put into relation to the training with a large non-augmented data set.


ABSTRACT In this study we investigated the interactions between capsular and acapsular strains of Cryptococcus neoformans and blood platelets. In vivo microscopic observation of blood samples from mice inoculated with C. neoformans yeast cells demonstrated that encapsulated and nonencapsulated yeast cells disappeared quickly from the bloodstream and that platelets were attached solely to yeast cells of the nonencapsulated strains. In vitro we observed that only the acapsular strains were susceptible to the fungicidal activity of thrombin-induced platelet microbicidal proteins.


Adaptive filters are widely used in acoustic feedback cancellation systems and have evolved to be state-of-the-art. One major challenge remaining is that the adaptive filter estimates are biased due to the nonzero correlation between the loudspeaker signals and the signals entering the audio system. In many cases, this bias problem causes the cancellation system to fail. The traditional probe noise approach, where a noise signal is added to the loudspeaker signal can, in theory, prevent the bias. However, in practice, the probe noise level must often be so high that the noise is clearly audible and annoying; this makes the traditional probe noise approach less useful in practical applications. In this work, we explain theoretically the decreased convergence rate when using low-level probe noise in the traditional approach, before we propose and study analytically two new probe noise approaches utilizing a combination of specifically designed probe noise signals and probe noise enhancement. Despite using low-level and inaudible probe noise signals, both approaches significantly improve the convergence behavior of the cancellation system compared to the traditional probe noise approach. This makes the proposed approaches much more attractive in practical applications. We demonstrate this through a simulation experiment with audio signals in a hearing aid acoustic feedback cancellation system, where the convergence rate is improved by as much as a factor of 10.


Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) is an important reproductive issue, affecting 1-5% of couples. It is characterised by repeated miscarriage, impairing the ability to have a live birth. The proven causes are diverse, such as cytogenetic abnormality, uterine anomalies, antiphospholipid antibody, metabolic and endocrine abnormalities, and about 50% cases of RPL remain still unexplained. To facilitate the diagnosis, different screening tests have been recommended, such as antiphospholipid antibody tests, thyroid stimulating hormone, glucose tolerance test, chromosomal assessment, ultrasound testing etc. RPL is associated with psychological trauma and financial burden. An evidence-based treatment is available for the majority of causes and it is seen that most of the women eventually become pregnant with an appropriate treatment plan, regardless of the cause. It has also been shown that patients presenting no abnormality on various tests may achieve a good rate of live births without special treatment. This study also includes certain controversial aetiologies and unconventional tests. This review touches on the management of various abnormalities in brief. Recurrent pregnancy loss has a significant negative life impact due to its repetitive nature; however, emotional care along with appropriate management improves chances of future pregnancy.


'Ghosts of a living person' (ikiryō) as the content of Subconsciousness in Murakami Haruki's Kafka on the Shore The authoress analyses the image of ikiryō, 'ghost of a living person' in Murakami Haruki's novel titled Kafka on the Shore trying to prove that ikiryō can be regarded as the manifestation of various contents of Subconsciousness according to the psychoanalytic typology presented by Carl Gustav Jung. The image of ikiryō can be found in Japanese mythology and folklore which is in accord with Jung's statement that legends and myths represent expressions of collective Subconsciousness and provide important symbols. Such symbols can be helpful in the process of transferring the contents of the Subconsciousness into the consciousness, so that they could be interpreted and integrated. The authoress shows that ikiryō in Murakami's novel has two main meanings: it is an equivalent of both the archetype of the Shadow and traumatic contents of consciousness, which were driven out to the Subconsciousness. Murakami emphasizes that without integrating such traumatic contents, the personality cannot be strong and stable. Ikiryō is also the Shadow as the absolute evil, which is not an abstract notions but psychic energy related to emotions. Psychic energy cannot be fully controlled by subjective consciousness because it also belongs to the Subconsciousness. The psychological situation of an individual who has no will to resist their own evil inclinations is represented in the archetype of the Shadow as ikiryō – 'the ghost of a living person, who cannot be controlled when it leaves the sleeping body and torments people he hates.


Both the library and the museum communities have developed conceptual models for the information they produce about the collections they hold: FRBR (Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records) and CIDOC CRM (Conceptual Reference Model). But neither proves perfectly adequate when it comes to some specific types of rare and unique materials: manuscripts, hand-press resources, annotated copies of printed books, art prints, and ephemera and clippings files. However, a combination of these two models, named FRBROO, solves the problem. The article examines in detail how each of these types of resources is modeled according to FRBROO.


In this note, a class of gun control system of tank is considered with all uncertainties, such as unknown constant parameters, unlinearly parts, unparameterized parts, unmodeled parts, unknown external disturbance and so on. An robust adaptive control law is designed with backstepping technique. Compared to exist results on tank gun control problem , our control scheme combine the robust control and the adaptive estimator of unknown constant parameters and can compensate all uncertainties Accurately. The stability of closed loop system and the tracking performance can be guaranteed by this control law. Simulation studies show that this controller is effective.


Competition is often highlighted as a major force influencing plant species diversity. However, there are multiple facets of competition (e.g., strength, intransitivity, and size-asymmetry) that may have independent and differential impacts on diversity, making understanding the degree to which competition structures communities difficult. Unfortunately, field-based experiments that decouple multiple facets of competition are lacking, limiting our ability to test theoretical frameworks and reducing understanding of the actual linkages among competition and coexistence. Here, we experimentally manipulate the size structure of local grassland communities to examine the relative impacts of competitive size-asymmetry (i.e., competitive advantage based on relative size) and intensity (i.e., mean effect of neighbours on plant growth) on species loss and gain. Increased competitive size-asymmetry was associated with increased species loss and decreased species gain, while no relationship was found between competitive intensity and species loss and gain. Furthermore, the probability of loss was not dependent on a species initial size, suggesting that small species may not always be the losers of size-asymmetric interactions. Instead, loss was dependent on species rarity, where loss was higher for rare species. Overall, these results suggest that competitive size-asymmetry may be more important for species loss than intensity in some plant communities and demonstrates the importance of decoupling different aspects of competition to better understand their drivers and ecological consequences.


This note assesses empirically the role Chinese activity plays in global commodities markets, showing that the strength of China's economic activity has a significant bearing on commodity prices, but that the impact differs across commodity markets, with industrial production shocks having a substantial impact on metals and crude oil prices and less so on food prices. The size of the impact on the prices of specific commodities varies with China's footprint in the market for those commodities; the empirical estimates indicate that, over a one-year horizon, a 1 percent increase in industrial production leads to a 5–7 percent rise in metals and fuel prices. The surprise component in Chinese industrial production announcements has a bearing on commodity prices that is comparable in magnitude to that of industrial production surprises in the United States, and this impact is much larger when global risk aversion is high.


After the initial thyroid cancer treatment, the detection of likely recurrences and/or metastases is made through the measurement of serum markers determinations and diagnostic image procedures. These techniques may be negative in spite of biochemical evidence of metastatic disease. The positron emission tomography with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) has been proposed as an accurate method to detect it. The aim of this study is to present a synthesis of the evidences obtained from a systematic review regarding FDG-PET accuracy in locating suspected metastases of previously treated thyroid cancer, when the conventional methods failed to do it. A bibliographic review of all studies related to FDG-PET and differentiated thyroid cancer was made on MEDLINE, indexed until September 2005. Two hundred and sixteen citations were collected and 17 studies included, 71% were published after 2000. FDG-PET sensibility was high, with only one study presenting a sensibility lower than 75%. The specificity, examined in 12 studies was lower than 75% in 3 studies. There was at least one test compared to FDG-PET in 41% of the studies. The results point to FDG-PET as a useful diagnostic test to detect and localize thyroid cancer metastases, with direct implications in the treatment of these patients.


IT is well known in the practice of subjective refraction measurement that when a low-power negative lens is placed before the emmetropic eye of a young subject, distant objects are still seen clearly, the eye having presumably accommodated by an amount equal to the effective power of the negative lens. When the lens is removed the distant object is' again seen clearly, which shows that the accommodation has then been relaxed. The purpose of the investigation which is to be described, is the study of this reaction of the accommodative mechanism to changes in the vergence of the light caused by placing lenses before the eye, independently of other causes for the adjustment. It may, however, be profitable first to review briefly the whole function of the adjustment of the eyes for different distances in its relation to this special case. In normal binocular vision the adjustment of the eyes for different distances is brought about by a complex voluntary innervation operating upon the recti muscles through the convergence centre and also upon the ciliary muscles via those parasympathetic fibres which pass through the ciliary ganglion. It is probable that the most powerful stimulus to this innervation is to be found in the disparity of the retinal images arising from the separation of the eyes, and although primarily this would apply only to the fusion centre and thus to convergence, its natural accompaniment of a corresponding change in the vergence of the light reaching the eyes, makes it necessary for the brain to order a change of accommodation as well as convergence. In monocular vision other factors must operate to make the subject aware that the distance has been changed; in fact, all those characteristic appearances which give rise to the monocular perception of depth will constitute potential stimuli to the mechanism for adjusting the eyes for different distances. Ittleson and Ames (1950) have shown that, under certain conditions, accommodation and convergence can be stimulated by altering only one of these factors, angular size of object, so producing an illusion of change of distance. They claim that in their experiments muscular effort of accommodation and convergence were related to a subjective change of apparent distance, with all other


This study aimed to describe the family experience in the care of the child who got burnt. An exploratory study was conducted in a hospital emergency room in the city of João Pessoa - PB, with ten companions of hospitalized burnt children. The results showed that the thermal agents were the biggest cause of children's burns. The speech of the participants shows that most accidents occurred in the presence of the caregiver, point out some wrong procedures after the accident, while some consider the experience of taking care of burnt children as negative, so highlighting the need for guidance of population as a whole and participation in the care of the burnt child.


Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were induced to mineralise with β-glycerophosphate (β-GP). Controls were cultured without β-GP. FGF-2 mRNA (~40-fold increase, P<0.001) and protein (~2-fold increase, P<0.05) expression are significantly increased in mineralising VSMCs. FGF-2 also localises to sites of calcification within human atherosclerotic plaques. The expression of syndecan-4, a heparan sulphate proteoglycan which acts as a co-receptor for FGF-2 signalling, is also increased in mineralising VSMCs (~5-fold, P<0.001) and co-localizes with FGF-2 in human calcified atherosclerotic plaques. Exogenous FGF-2 inhibits VSMC mineralisation (P<0.001) and this inhibition is reduced when syndecan-4 expression is knocked-down using siRNA. Biochemical inhibition of FGFR signalling using a pan FGFR inhibitor (BGJ398) increases transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1)-induced Smad2 phosphorylation in VSMCs. As TGF β1 increases mineral deposition by VSMCs (~2-fold, P<0.01), the relationship between FGF and TGFβ signalling in VSMC mineralisation was investigated. Inhibiting FGFR signalling using BGJ398 or knocking-down syndecan-4 expression in VSMCs using siRNA increases VSMC mineralisation (both P<0.001). These increases are prevented by inhibiting TGFÎ2 signalling with SB431542, suggesting cross-talk between FGF-2 and TGFÎ2 signalling is crucial for the regulation of VSMC mineralisation. Syndecan-4 can also regulate FGF-2 signalling via protein kinase Cα (PKCα) activation. Biochemical inhibition of PKCα activity using G6976, or knocking-down PKCα expression increases VSMC mineralisation (both P<0.05); this increase is also prevented with SB431542. Finally, the ability of FGF-2 to inhibit VSMC mineralisation is reduced when PKCα expression is knocked-down. In conclusion, our study has identified that syndecan-4/FGF-2 signalling is up-regulated in mineralising VSMCs to reduce TGFÎ2 signalling and minimise further calcification. Syndecan-4 regulates FGF-2 signalling to prevent excessive mineralisation by (a) acting as a co-receptor for FGF-2 and inducing downstream signalling via FGFR and (b) interaction with PKα. The syndecan-4/FGF-2/TGFα signalling axis could therefore represent a new therapeutic target for vascular calcification.


Liver or hepar is one of the very complex and all important organ in metabolism in body. Liver often become target organ because getting mixed up with chemical metabolism which have the character of toxic and also free radical. the free radical and toxic chemical can cause damage of
cell, network, macromolecules and also membrane. Activity of the free radical can be weakened by existence of an antioksidan. Basically hepar the functioningness as system defence of body it is of course also have antioksidan the good enoughness, however caused by hit liver shares free
radical hence liver activity not maximal, so that require to be given by antioksidan coming from outside body. In so many plant medicinize a lot of consisting in vitaminses able to share antioksidan one of them is Meniran ( Phyllantus Niruri L.). Active Compound at meniran which
is have potency as antioksidan is flavonoid.
Intention of this research is to know effect of extract herba meniran in normal rate bilirubin total of white mouse serum and to know extract concentration of herba meniran which is effective peling in normal rate bilirubin total of white mouse serum which induceed by CCL4. This Research have the character of True Experiment of Research ( real research) by using Complete Random Device ( divided RAL) to become 5 treatment and 5 restating, that is ; Normal ( I),
CCL4 ( II), Extract of Herba Meniran dose 5 + CCL4 ( III), Extract of Herba Meniran dose 10 + CCL4 ( IV), and also extract of herba dose meniran 15 + CCL4 ( V). Analysis Data which used in this research is; Test of Normalitas, Test Homogeneity, Test one way ANAVA and Test of Duncan with level 5%. obtained result of this research indicate that extract of herba meniran with dose 5%, ! 0% and 15% can degrade again rate of bilirubin white mouse serum which induceed by CCL4. Pursuant to Test of Duncan 5%, can know that extract concentration of herba most effective meniran in degrading rate of bilirubin white mouse serum is dose 15%. Thereby, in this research can be proved that Extract herba meniran can degrade again rate of bilirubin total of
white mouse serum which induceed by CCL4.


Organizational neuroscience (ON) is a rapidly emerging sub-field. Criticisms of its reductionism are common. Yet it is possible for practitioners and critics to engage. Such engagement is facilitated by realism. It agrees with the practitioners of ON that brain functions can in principle be measured and that causal influences can be identified. It agrees with the critics in stressing the centrality of context and the emergent nature of social processes. The claims and potentials of ON can best be grasped through realist principles.


Pediatric Epilepsy care is primarily managed by a neurologist. Children with epilepsy often live life with minimal complications. However, many other children have extensive complications associated with epilepsy. These complications at times extend beyond the scope of practice of a neurologist, and are best served with specialized care. A coordinated care team model can achieve this goal, but are usually available only through major medical centers. The need for collaborative care extends far beyond the scope of what a major medical center can provide due to patient volume, needs in rural areas, and ancillary medical needs. Although all non-neurology professionals with a subspecialty in epilepsy are important in the overall care of children with epilepsy, neuropsychology in the collaborative relationship with neurology will be the primary focus of this article. Identifying specific roles and providing recommendations for improved care will be discussed.


Two experiments were performed to identify and compare the Basic Color Terms (BCTs) and the Basic Color Categories (BCCs) included in three dialects (Castilian, Mexican, and Uruguayan) of the Spanish language. Monolexemic Elicited lists were used in the first experiment to identify the BCTs of each dialect. Eleven BCTs appeared for the Spanish and the Mexican, and twelve did so for the Uruguayan. The six primary BCTs (rojo "red," verde "green," amarillo "yellow," azul "blue," negro "black," and blanco "white") appeared in the three dialects. This occurred for only three derived BCTs (gris "gray," naranja "orange," and rosa "pink") but not for the other five derived BCTs (celeste "sky blue," marrón "brown," café "brown," morado "purple," and violeta "purple"). Color transitions were used in the second experiment for two different tasks. Extremes naming task was used to determine the relation between two different dialects' BCTs: equality, equivalence or difference. The results provided the first evidence for marrón "brown" and café "brown" being equivalent terms for the same BCC (brown in English) as is the case of morado "purple" and violeta "purple." Uruguayan celeste "sky blue" had no equivalent BCT in the other two dialects. Boundary delimitation task required the selection of the color in the boundary between two categories. The task was used to reasonably estimate the volume occupied by each BCC in the color space considering its chromatic area and lightness range. Excluding sky blue (celeste "sky blue") and blue (azul "blue"), the other BCCs color volumes were similar across the three dialects. Uruguayan sky blue and blue volumes conjointly occupied the portion of the color space corresponding to the Castilian and Mexican blue BCC. The fact that the BCT celeste "sky blue" only appeared in Uruguayan very probably derived from specific cultural factors (the use of the color in the flags and the arrival of an important number of Italian immigrants). Nevertheless, these cultural factors seem to nurture from a perceptive structuring of the color space, which nature is universal, as the boundaries of this category can be delimited from the responses of Spanish and Mexican participants.


Technological advances have dramatically increased the ability to access, distribute and produce child exploitation material (CEM) online, resulting in increased numbers of individuals being charged with CEM offences. This study examined the demographic, mental health, and offending characteristics of CEM offenders (n = 456) in comparison to child contact sexual offenders (n = 493) and offenders with a history of both CEM and contact offences (dual offenders, n = 256). A robust data linkage methodology was employed to link records from statewide corrections services with policing and mental health records in Victoria, Australia. The results indicated that CEM offenders differed from both contact and dual offenders, and that the groups were primarily differentiated based on two factors: antisocial orientation and sexual deviance. CEM offenders demonstrated high rates of sexual deviance but low rates of antisociality, contact offenders exhibited the opposite pattern, and dual offenders had both high sexual deviance and antisociality. The findings suggest that existing sexual offender assessment and treatment frameworks are unlikely to be suitable for exclusive CEM offenders. The implications for future research are discussed.


We present a Parametrization of the Physics Informed Neural Network (P-PINN) approach to tackle the problem of uncertainty quantification in reservoir engineering problems. We demonstrate the approach with the immiscible two phase flow displacement (Buckley-Leverett problem) in heterogeneous porous medium. The reservoir properties (porosity, permeability) are treated as random variables. The distribution of these properties can affect dynamic properties such as the fluids saturation, front propagation speed or breakthrough time. We explore and use to our advantage the ability of networks to interpolate complex high dimensional functions. We observe that the additional dimensions resulting from a stochastic treatment of the partial differential equations tend to produce smoother solutions on quantities of interest (distributions parameters) which is shown to improve the performance of PINNS. We show that provided a proper parameterization of the uncertainty space, PINN can produce solutions that match closely both the ensemble realizations and the stochastic moments. We demonstrate applications for both homogeneous and heterogeneous fields of properties. We are able to solve problems that can be challenging for classical methods. This approach gives rise to trained models that are both more robust to variations in the input space and can compete in performance with traditional stochastic sampling methods.


This paper discusses the problem of obtaining omnidirectional coverage from antennas operating between 1,000 and 3,000 megacycles on large aircraft. Electromagnetic modeling was used to determine the limitations of several single antenna sites on typical commercial aircraft. Considering all azimuth angles and \pm30 in elevation to be equally important, the best coverage obtainable from a single radiator is equivalent to the radiation from a free-space dipole for 50 per cent of the time. To improve this, dual antenna systems must be used. Dual antenna requirements depend on whether or not the airborne equipments know when they should be receiving a signal. The distance-measuring equipment (DME) is a typical system that knows when it should be receiving a signal, while radar safety beacon equipment does not know when or from what direction it is being interrogated. Direct parallel feed, the least complicated method of operating dual antennas, allows simple hybrid multiplexing to be used. With this type of operation interference occurs where the individual patterns overlap. Performance in this region is investigated on a probability basis for beacon operation and found favorable; for DME this region is uncertain. In addition, performance is predicted when the RF voltage in one of the dual antennas is (a) shifted periodically in phase, (b) delayed, and (c) interrupted periodically. Considerations involved in an antenna system common to DME and beacon are discussed.


Wellcome Trust funded research project on the history of sports medicine, 2004-07 between De Montfort University and University of Manchester


Bidirectional energy transfer capability is the central part of a lot of modern power conversion systems. Preferably, for reduction of size, weight and cost these systems use a single high efficiency power electronic conversion system. A dual active bridge converter having two DC-AC converters connected back to back through an AC inductor/transformer is a common topology used for obtaining high efficiency bidirectional power conversion. Some characteristic features of the DAB converter topology are bidirectional power flow capability, inherent soft switching, high power density, high efficiency, galvanic isolation and low number of passive components. In this paper, comparative study of Dual active bridge converter is done with flyback converters. Also efficiency of these converters are compared. Switching of devices for the two converters is also shown. Flyback converter is operated in both buck as well as boost mode. DAB is simulated in SPS (Single phase shift) mode.


ABsTRACT Globalization of software development has resulted in a rapid shift away from the traditional collocated, on-site development model, to the offshoring model. Emerging trends indicate an increasing interest in offshoring even in early phases like requirements analysis. Additionally, the flexibility offered by the agile development approach makes it attractive for adaptation in globally distributed software work. A question of significance then is what impacts the success of offshoring earlier phases, like requirements analysis, in a flexible and globally distributed environment? This article incorporates the stance of control theory to posit a research model that examines antecedent factors such as requirements change, facilitation by vendor and client site-coordinators, control, and computer-mediated communication. The impact of these factors on success of requirements analysis projects in a "flexible" global setting is tested using two quasi-experiments involving students from Management Development Institute, India and Marquette University, USA. Results indicate that formal modes of control significantly influence project success


The role of teachers in isolated remote areas is very important in empowering local human resources. Human character building was partly related to teacher's performance. The teacher's performance in conducting their responsibility depends on the quality of their social-economic conditions. To improve their spirit on daily educational activities, they should be treated by a special management. It means that there must be an equilibrium between career and economic-life and between their right and their responsibility. To implement this concept, all of related institutions should be involved in planning, implementing, and evaluating phases. These institutions are local community, universities, schools, and other institutions belonging to local governments


With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, various modern trades were born and the need to employ young workers expanded. To improve comprehension of many of the new trades and practices required by the emerging industries, various guidebooks and handbooks aimed at a young readership started to appear in the early nineteenth century, and this is a reprint collection of eight books published in different decades of the nineteenth century. Including numerous illustrations of the tools and machines, and people at work using them, the collection is a crucial source of both textual and visual data about Victorian social and industrial history. The gathered materials also provide vivid background information to enable a deeper understanding of Victorian culture and literature.


In his seminal work on national development and regional inequality, Williamson (1965) predicts that regional income inequality will pass through three distinct phases as a nation moves through the early development stages to maturity. In the early stages of economic development, regional income inequality will increase, largely because of the disequilibrating effects of factor mobility. This will be followed by a period of stability, characterized by a relatively high level of inequality between regions. Finally, a lessening of regional inequality will set in as the national economy matures and equilibrating forces take effect. This overall process, if plotted against national economic development, will result in a bell-shaped or inverted U-shapes curve. The early stages of development are also associated with rapid urbanization, though with a shift toward population dispersion as the economy matures. Other stylized facts in the process of development include industrialization, demographic transition, and changing inequality of income among population subgroups (Alonso, 1980). The concentration of population in and around large cities is usually accompanied by an increase in regional income inequality. Some researchers have argued that this population concentration and concurrent increase in regional inequality does not impede economic development, and may in fact favor it. Nonetheless, many national governments have introduced policies of balanced regional development. The main objective of this paper is to measure regional income inequality in the post-war Japan using Williamson?s weighted coefficient of variation. Based on prefectural population and GDP data, it investigates longer-term trends in regional income inequality. A sectoral decomposition analysis is also performed to examine the extent to which each industrial sector contributes to the overall weighted coefficient of variation. We hope to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between national development, industrialization, and regional inequalities in the post-war Japan.


Porous hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramic scaffolds are extensively used to induct the tissue growth for bone repair and replacement, and serve functions to support the adhesion, transfer, proliferation and differentiation of cells. Highly porous structure is always expected for its positive effect on the bone regeneration in vivo, nevertheless high porosity always accompanies a decrease in strength of the HA ceramic scaffolds. Therefore, it is significant to improve the strength of the HA ceramic scaffolds with highly interconnected porosity so that they are more suitable in clinic applications. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of starting materials on mechanical property of final scaffold in order to optimize the preparation process. In this work, three starting HA particles with different morphologies are used to prepare highly porous HA ceramic scaffolds by the polymer impregnation approach in the same preparation process. The phase composition, microstructure and mechanical properties of the sintered porous HA scaffolds are investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and compressive test. The experimental results show that the particle morphologies have influence on the slurry viscosity and further affect the coating amount on the sponge. The porous HA ceramics fabricated by spherical HA particle hold the highest compressive strength than the other two HA scaffolds for better sintering property. It is an effectively method to improve the mechanical property of porous HA ceramic scaffolds by optimizing the starting particle morphology.


This paper demonstrates a method for estimating key vehicle states and sensor biases using Global Positioning System (GPS) and an Internal Navigation System (INS). Two Kalman filters, a model based filter and a kinematic filter, are used to integrate the INS sensors with GPS heading and velocity to provide a high update rate of the vehicle states and sensor biases. Additional key vehicle parameters, such as tire-cornering stiffness, are identified and used to correct the model based estimator. The vehicle estimated states compare favorable with values predicted with a theoretical model.


Synaptobrevins are vesicle-associated proteins implicated in neurotransmitter release by both biochemical studies and perturbation experiments that use botulinum toxins. To test these models in vivo, we have isolated and characterized the first synaptobrevin mutants in metazoans and show that neurotransmission is severely disrupted in mutant animals. Mutants lackingsnb-1 die just after completing embryogenesis. The dying animals retain some capability for movement, although they are extremely uncoordinated and incapable of feeding. We also have isolated and characterized several hypomorphic snb-1 mutants. Although fully viable, these mutants exhibit a variety of behavioral abnormalities that are consistent with a general defect in the efficacy of synaptic transmission. The viable mutants are resistant to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb, indicating that cholinergic transmission is impaired. Extracellular recordings from pharyngeal muscle also demonstrate severe defects in synaptic transmission in the mutants. The molecular lesions in the hypomorphic alleles reside on the hydrophobic face of a proposed amphipathic–helical region implicated biochemically in interacting with the t-SNAREs syntaxin and SNAP-25. Finally, we demonstrate that double mutants lacking both the v-SNAREs synaptotagmin and snb-1 are phenotypically similar tosnb-1 mutants and less severe than syntaxin mutants. Our work demonstrates that synaptobrevin is essential for viability and is required for functional synaptic transmission. However, our analysis also suggests that transmitter release is not completely eliminated by removal of either one or both v-SNAREs.


Background: Existing literature on interpersonal affairs amid health professionals and patients has proliferated since the 1960s, highlighting the importance of health professionals of all sorts. Here, in the clinical setup of Liaquat University Hospital, we have another important relationship that is crucial to a patient's health care plan, is an adjunct to the health care professionals and contributes significantly more to the patients care. This relationship, often taken for granted by the health authorities, is that of a patient and a family member voluntarily staying with the patient at the hospital (commonly termed as attendant). Objective: This study hopes to unearth the major problems (particularly hospital induced psychological distress) faced by attendants and inquire what major complaints they have against the health care setup, health professionals and the hospital. Methodology: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted from May to July 2013. A data sample of 150 patient attendants at Liaquat University Hospital, Jamshoro was chosen by purposive sampling. The data was collected by self-administered structured questionnaire and was analyzed using SPSS v.16.0 and MS Excel. Results: 66% of the patient attendants were males while 34% were females. The most common attendants were sons (22%), mothers (17.3%) and brothers (12%). The most common complaint of the patients was that the attendants had no proper place to stay even if their stay was necessary. The attendants complained of inadequate sleep, health worries, anxiety, depressed mood, agitation, reduced appetite and weight loss due to improper food. Conclusion: We conclude, on the basis of our findings, that an important asset is being mistreated by our healthcare system and this mistake demands to be corrected on a priority basis. Steps should be taken to solve their problems so that they may continue to play their positive role.


The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to a better understanding of the drivers of international migration. In Chapter 1, we document that immigrants in Portugal face a high incidence of occupational-skill mismatch, and show how it affects the selection into migration. We find that the incidence of over-education leads to negative selection while correct occupational-skill matches lead to positive selection. In Chapter 2, we rely on a lab-in-the-field experiment to understand the willingness to migrate illegally of young males aged 15 to 25 in The Gambia. We first show that potential migrants overestimate both the risk of dying en route to Europe, and the probability of obtaining legal residency status. The experimental results suggestthat the willingness to migrate illegally is affected by information on the chances of dying en route and of obtaining a legal residence permit. Providing providing potential migrants with official numbers on both probabilities thus affect their likelihood of migrating. This has the potential to help migrants make informed decisions and perhaps save lives. In Chapter 3, we investigate the impact of family structure on international migration decisions. We find that children of mothers in polygynous unions are more likely to migrate internationally. We provide further evidence suggesting that this result is due to sibling rivalry: having full- or half-siblings in migration increases the likelihood of migrating. Our evidence suggests that co-wives' rivalry as documented elsewhere trickles down to children's rivalry in migration, suggesting that while neglected in the literature, family structure is crucial to understanding migration.


This paper presents the techno-economic evaluation of run-of-river small-hydropower plants. In this regard, a multi-
objective optimization procedure is proposed for the optimal sizing of the hydropower plants, and NSGAII is employed as the optimization algorithm. Annual generated energy and investment cost are considered as the objective functions, and number of generator units (n) and nominal turbine flow rate (QT) constitute the decision variables. Site of Yeripao in Benin is considered as the case study. We have categorized the river of this site using its environmental characteristics: gross head, and first quartile, median, third quartile and mean of flow. Effects of each decision variable on the objective functions are analysed. The results gave Pareto Front which represents the trade-offs between annual energy generation and the investment cost of hydropower plants, as well as the recommended optimal solutions. We noted that with the increase of the annual energy generation, the investment cost rises. Thus, maximizing energy generation is contradictory with minimizing the investment cost. Moreover, we have noted that the solutions of Pareto Front are grouped according to the number of generator units (n). The results also illustrate that the costs per kWh are grouped according to the n and rise with the increase of the nominal turbine flow rate. The lowest investment costs per kWh are obtained for n equal to one and are between 0.065 and 0.180 €/kWh. Following the values of n (equal to 1, 2, 3 or 4), the investment cost and investment cost per kWh increase almost linearly with increasing the nominal turbine flowrate while annual generated. Energy increases logarithmically with increasing of the nominal turbine flowrate. This study made for the Yeripao river can be applied to other rivers with their own characteristics.


Pathomorphology of eclampsia is reviewed on the basis of literature data and it is noted that the problem has been studied insufficiently. Morphological features of eclampsia are subdivided into two groups; changes in the microcirculatory bed, that are generalized and undergo the following stages: spasm----wall swelling or necrosis----microthrombosis; and postischemic organ changes, such as dystrophy, necroses and hemorrhages. The role of disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome is discussed in the development of some clinico-morphological features of eclampsia.


Background: many drugs affect liver and kidney functions, among these, drugs used to treat psychotic patients such as chlorpromazine (CPZ) which is used to treat schizophrenia and Trihexyphenidyl- hydrochloride ( T.H.P) which is used to treat side effects of antipsychotic medication, another drug which is used to treat epilepsy is valproic acid (VPA) which may affect the liver and kidney functions. Objective: The present study aims to assess liver and kidney functions in patients receiving antipsychotic and antiepileptic drugs for more than one year . Materials and methods:The present study is a case control study comprised of 220 subjects including 110 psychiatric and epileptic patients from Mental Health Clinics in Gaza and 110 healthy people as a control group. Laboratory investigations were carried out by collecting five ml blood from each subject into vacutainer plain tubes. The serum was separated and used for the assessment of gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase( ALT), urea, creatinine, uric acid, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total and direct bilirubin (TB, DB). They were assayed biochemically using biosystem autoanalyzer At Beit Hanoun hospital laboratories. Results: The liver and kidney function tests among epileptic patients receiving Valproic Acid (VPA) showed high statistically significant increase between cases and control groups in AST level(p< 0.01) while There was no significant difference observed in relation to ALT, ALP,GGT levels and TB,DB,urea,creatinine and uric acid concentrations as Compared to control. liver and kidney function tests in psychiatric patients suffered from schizophrenia who were receiving chlorpromazine (CPZ) with Trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride (T.H.P) showed, significant increase between cases and control group in relation to AST(p=0.004), ALP(P=0.022), GGT(P=0.005), DB(P=0.001), creatinine (P?0.01) and uric asid (P=0.029)tests. TB and urea concentrations were not Significant. Conclusion: Liver and kidney functions should be monitored regularly for psychiatric patients, in particular, those who are therapeutically managed with a combined dose of CPZ and THP. Keywords: liver & kidney function tests ,antipsychotic & antiepileptic drugs, Gaza, Palestine


Structured environment controls dynamics of light-matter interaction processes via modified local density of electromagnetic states. In typical scenarios, where nanosecond-scale fluorescent processes are involved, mechanical conformational changes of the environment during the interaction processes can be safely neglected. However, slow decaying phosphorescent complexes (e.g. lanthanides) can efficiently probe micro- and millisecond scale motion via near-field interactions with nearby structures. As the result, lifetime statistics can inherit information about nano-scale mechanical motion. Here we study light-matter interaction dynamics of phosphorescent dyes, diffusing in a proximity of a plasmonic nanoantenna. The interplay between time-varying Purcell enhancement and stochastic motion of molecules is considered via a modified diffusion equation, and collective decay phenomena is analyzed. Fluid properties, such as local temperature and diffusivity, are mapped on phosphorescent lifetime distribution and then extracted with the help of inverse Laplace transformation. The presented photonic platform enables performing contactless all-optical thermometry and diffusion measurements, paving a way for a range of possible applications. In particular, detailed studies of nanofluidic processes in lab-on-a-chip devices, challenging for analysis with other optical methods, can be performed with time-dependent phosphorescence.


Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease (HIV‐1 PR) is one of the primary inhibition targets for chemotherapy of AIDS because of its critical role in the replication cycle of the HIV. In this work, a combinatory coarse‐grained and atomistic simulation method was developed for dissecting molecular mechanisms and binding process of inhibitors to the active site of HIV‐1 PR, in which 35 typical inhibitors were trialed. We found that the molecular size and stiffness of the inhibitors and the binding energy between the inhibitors and PR play important roles in regulating the binding process. Comparatively, the smaller and more flexible inhibitors have larger binding energy and higher binding rates; they even bind into PR without opening the flaps. In contrast, the larger and stiffer inhibitors have lower binding energy and lower binding rate, and their binding is subjected to the opening and gating of the PR flaps. Furthermore, the components of binding free energy were quantified and analyzed by their dependence on the molecular size, structures, and hydrogen bond networks of inhibitors. Our results also deduce significant dynamics descriptors for determining the quantitative structure and property relationship in potent drug ligands for HIV‐1 PR inhibition.


ABSTRACT Typhoid caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi remains a major health concern worldwide. The emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of Salmonella with increased virulence, communicability, and survivability leading to increased morbidity and mortality has further complicated its management. Currently available vaccines for typhoid have less-than-desired efficacy and certain unacceptable side effects, making it pertinent to search for new immunogens suitable for vaccine formulation. The outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of Salmonella have been considered possible candidates for conferring protection against typhoid. OMPs interface the cell with the environment, thus representing important virulence factors with a significant role in the pathobiology of gram-negative bacteria and bacterial adaptation. An OMP of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium with an apparent molecular mass of 49 kDa that is highly immunogenic, evokes humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, and confers 100% protection to immunized rats against challenge with very high doses (up to 100 times the 50% lethal dose) of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium has been identified. Further, very efficient clearance of bacteria from the reticuloendothelial systems of immunized animals was seen. This protein is recognized by the antibodies present in serum of typhoid patients. When sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gel-eluted protein was further analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and two-dimensional electrophoresis, two polypeptides with the same molecular weight were resolved. These have different isoelectric points and gave two peaks with different retention times in reverse-phase HPLC. However, only one of the two bands interacted with patient serum. The immunogenicity studies (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and delayed-type hypersensitivity [DTH]) indicated that the immunoreactive protein evoked a strong immune response in rats. The N-terminal sequencing and analysis of the homology of this protein with sequences in the protein database of Salmonella resulted in a match with the N-terminal sequences of a protein in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (CT18 and Ty2 strains). The homology search further revealed it to be a hypothetical protein, whose gene had unidentified open reading frames in Salmonella serovar Typhi encoding 447 amino acid residues, corresponding to a molecular mass of 49 kDa. The nucleotide sequence of the encoding gene was deduced, and the gene was amplified by PCR using appropriate primers. An amplified 1.3-kb band was purified and sequenced to confirm its identity. These OMPs provide promising targets for the development of a candidate vaccine against typhoid.


We analyze theoretically the novel pathway of ultrafast spin dynamics for ferromagnets with high enough single-ion anisotropy (non-Heisenberg ferromagnets). This longitudinal spin dynamics includes the coupled oscillations of the modulus of the magnetization together with the quadrupolar spin variables, which are expressed through quantum expectation values of operators bilinear on the spin components. Even for a simple single-element ferromagnet, such a dynamics can lead to an inertial magnetization reversal under the action of an ultrashort laser pulse.


Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi,also known as Mujaddid-i alf-i thani, was a well-known Sufi of the Naqshbandi
order in 16th-17th century Mughal India.The period during which he lived has been seen by many as a
challenging period for the Muslim intelligentsia, in the wake of numerous religious experiments carried
out by the Mughal Emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605). The religious classes, perceiving these experiments as
attacks on Islam, tried to find politically pragmatic solutions to deal with the circumstances. Shaykh
Ahmad Sirhindialso sensed the danger ahead and tried to instill an intellectual awakening among Muslims. He not only discussed socio-religious and political matters, but also tried to inculcate the Islamic ethos and restore Islamic shariah in everyday lives.He was well versed in Islamic sciences and tasawwuf(Sufism), and as a result of his efforts to awaken Muslims from their political and religious stupor, he
came to be known as theRevivalist of the Second Millennium(Mujaddid-i alf-i thani).He attempted to halt
the waning of the influence of the Muslim religious classes in India by trying to enact an Islamic
renaissance and the implementation of a more orthodox interpretation of Islamic shariahthan that
espoused by the Mughal authorities. He had unique ideas for transforming the ruling elite and the
society. His thoughts and the politico-religious ideas of renewal (tajdid) and revival of the prophetic
tradition (ihya al-sunnah) are found in his Maktubat,Ithbatal-Nubuwah, Radd-i Rawafid and
Ma'arif Laduniyah and other writings. This paper examines Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi's political and religious
thoughts and ideas from his Arabic and Persian writings, including secondary works in Urdu and English.
Keywords: Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi, Mujaddid-i alf-i thani, tajdid, Shariah,Indian political philosophy.


We have recently reported Catalytides (Catalytic peptides) JAL-TA9 (YKGSGFRMI) and ANA-TA9 (SKGQAYRMI), which are the first Catalytides found to cleave Aβ42. Although the Catalytides must be delivered to the brain parenchyma to treat Alzheimer's disease, the blood–brain barrier (BBB) limits their entry into the brain from the systemic circulation. To avoid the BBB, the direct route from the nasal cavity to the brain was used in this study. The animal studies using rats and mice clarified that the plasma clearance of ANA-TA9 was more rapid than in vitro degradation in the plasma, whole blood, and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The brain concentrations of ANA-TA9 were higher after nasal administration than those after intraperitoneal administration, despite a much lower plasma concentration after nasal administration, suggesting the direct delivery of ANA-TA9 to the brain from the nasal cavity. Similar findings were observed for its transport to CSF after nasal and intravenous administration. The concentration of ANA-TA9 in the olfactory bulb reached the peak at 5 min, whereas those in the frontal and occipital brains was 30 min, suggesting the sequential backward translocation of ANA-TA9 in the brain. In conclusion, ANA-TA9 was efficiently delivered to the brain by nasal application, as compared to other routes.


A linear-motor-driven table supported by hydrostatic-water bearings had been developed. The table slider is supported by a single-sided recess type bearing system and preloaded by attractive force using a linear-motor magnet. Since eccentric excitation force is applied to the table slider due to the change of attractive force according to the magnet track position of the linear-motor, pitching motion of the table occurs. This paper investigates the effect of air volume contained in a water-supply tube on the pitching motion. Larger air volume results in lower natural pitching frequency of the table slider, lower logarithmic decrement of the pitching motion and larger pitching angle. When the natural pitching frequency corresponds to the frequency of the eccentric excitation force during table feed, pitching angle grows by resonation.


Mongolian and Yuan culture is the culture system which is interactive with original nomadic culture and ZhongYuan farming culture forming, whose elements, symbols and connotation is used effectively in planning and construction of small towns is reflected in the display with a town image and the key point of a town charm objectively. It is necessary to analysis the relation with the Mongolian and Yuan cultural elements and small towns as an opportunity to plan and construct the small towns of Mongolian and Yuan culture. This is the latest annotation to cultural town, and it is the language and way to express of the characteristics in small towns.


Intraoperative assessment of tissue can be guided through fluorescence imaging which involves systemic dosing with a fluorophore and subsequent examination of the tissue region of interest with a near-infrared camera. This typically involves administering indocyanine green (ICG) hours or even days before surgery and intraoperative visualization at the time predicted for steady-state signal-to-background status. Here, we describe our efforts to capture and utilize the information contained in the first few minutes after ICG administration from the perspective of both signal processing and surgical practice. We prove a method for characterization of cancerous versus benign rectal lesions now undergoing further development and validation via multicenter clinical phase studies.


Barker, R.; Loeve, R.; Li, Y. H.; Tuong, T. P. (Eds.). Water-saving irrigation for rice: proceedings of an international workshop held in Wuhan, China, 23-25 March 2001. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)


The Cultural Values of Literary Tourism. Shelagh J. Squire. Annals of Tourism Research, vol. 21, no. 1, 1994, pp. 103-20. Pergamon Press, 660 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591-5153. $270 annual subscription. Literary tourism is defined and its social and cultural meanings explored through a case study of visitors to the Lake District home of English children's writer Beatrix Potter. Johnson's circuits of culture diagram conceptualizes cultural production and consumption theoretically and is applied to literary tourism. Emphasizing consumers of the touristic experience, qualitative methods are used to assess how people


Some of the major future healthcare challenges are related to demography, finances and the technological development. In search for solutions the field of 'E-health' is often discussed. Lately, in these discussions there has been a focus on the importance of creating patient-centrered applications. Associated with the democratisation of the healthcare service and the development of "the informed patient" an important part involves the accomplishment of increased personalized medical information online. By exploring E-patients' heterogeneity, this paper aims to support the development of patient-centered E-health applications. Using a qualitative approach, the paper reports from 25 in-depth interviews performed with Swedish patients and representatives of patient associations. By means of theoretical ideas from information science, four important components of Epatients' information use environment (People, Problem, Setting, and Problem resolution) serve as instruments to illustrate and exemplify E-patients' heterogeneity. The results draw a complex and dynamic picture of the E-patient context introducing a dimension of personalization reaching further than patients' general online activities and individual medical data. This dimension of personalization is discussed in relation to tentative implications for the development of patient-centered E-health applications.


Animal production systems are developing into increasingly complex value chains involving a large diversity of actors with multiple and dynamic linkages, concurrently creating many opportunities for disease spread. Access to timely and good-quality animal health information is vital for designing effective disease management strategies. However, several factors may hamper information flows along those chains. Understanding the structure and dynamics of information networks is essential to develop effective and acceptable health information systems. We applied a qualitative network approach to understand how information about poultry health is generated, disseminated and used for decision-making along the poultry value chain in Indonesia. Maps of the value chain and information networks were generated based on data from key informant interviews to illustrate the linkages and information-sharing patterns between stakeholders. Four types of farm business models were identified: company-owned, contract, partnership and independent. Although companies and most independent farmers collected health and production data routinely, their systems were strongly siloed and still relied on a mix of digital and paper-based methods, which impaired their analytical capacity. Technical service providers from the upstream sector and industry associations were identified as key intermediaries in the information-sharing network with the ability to create informal bridges between separate business networks and public actors. These actors can play a strategic role in the development of integrated information systems to improve stakeholders' capacity to monitor, anticipate and manage disease threats at all levels of the value chain. This study contributes to fill an important knowledge gap regarding the layer sector and may help decision-makers to design effective policies and interventions tailored to the type of business model.