Cyber incidents are increasing in the United States and critical infrastructure is no exception. Aging operational technology is reliable, but much of it was not conceived in this century and lacks the security measures required to deal with worldwide interconnectivity. In order to bring security to the forefront of the critical infrastructure operator's priorities, there must be incentive. Insurance may provide the answer, as transferring risk is an attractive option which can be used to incentivize risk reduction, making it more attractive to both the insured and insurer. The incentives built into insurance contracts today, whether negative or positive reinforcement, have a profound effect on our behavior. This research explores the foundations of insurance theory and adopts behavioral manipulation methods used by mature insurance industries into cyber insurance. This cyber security framework builds on established research to incentivize security investment via insurance contracts by including coinsurance and deductible options. The model is validated by applying power industry performance data from 2013 through 2015. The results show how the addition of coinsurance and deductibles can serve as risk reduction incentives that create trade space in constrained budgets and ultimately make the power industry more secure from a cyber perspective if adopted.


Abstract A local multilevel product algorithm and its additive version are analyzed for linear systems arising from the application of adaptive finite element methods to second order elliptic boundary value problems. The abstract Schwarz theory is applied to verify uniform convergence of local multilevel methods featuring Jacobi and Gauß–Seidel smoothing only on local nodes. By this abstract theory, convergence estimates can be further derived for the hierarchical basis multigrid method and the hierarchical basis preconditioning method on locally refined meshes, where local smoothing is performed only on new nodes. Numerical experiments confirm the optimality of the suggested algorithms.


An investigation is reported of the temperatures in the sawing of granite with a circular sawblade under a wide range of machining parameters including cutting fluids and cutting modes. Temperature responses in the sawing contact zone were measured using a foil thermocouple. The measurement was subsequently used to analyze the influence of operating parameters on the sawing temperatures and the energy partition. For either down-cutting or up-cutting, either with cutting fluids or without cutting fluids, the temperatures in the sawing zone were found to increase with depth of cut, sawblade speed, and workpiece speed. The maximum temperature in the sawing without cutting fluids was found to be up to 400°C whereas it was reduced to around 250°C while using cutting fluids. The energy partition conducted to the workpiece is about 7% ~10% in dry sawing and about 2% ~5% in wet sawing.


Nanotechnology is the process of modulating shape and size at the nanoscale to design and manufacture structures, devices, and systems. Nanotechnology's prospective breakthroughs are incredible, and some cannot even be comprehended right now. The blood-brain barrier, which is a prominent physiological barrier in the brain, limits the adequate elimination of malignant cells by preventing the concentration of therapeutic drugs at the target tissue. Nanotechnology has sparked interest in recent years as a way to solve these issues and improve drug delivery. Inorganic and organic nanomaterials were found to be beneficial for bioimaging approaches and controlled drug delivery systems. Brain cancer (BC) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are two of the prominent disorders of the brain. Even though the pathophysiology and pathways for both disorders are different, nanotechnology with common features can deliver drugs over the BBB, advancing the treatment of both disorders. This innovative technology could provide a foundation for combining diagnostics, treatments, and delivery of targeted drugs to the tumour site, with further supervising the response, by designing and delivering materials by employing atomic and molecular elements. There is currently limited treatment for Alzheimer's disease, and reversing further progression is difficult. Recently, various nanocarriers have been investigated to improve the bioavailability and efficacy of many AD treatment drugs. Nanotechnology-assisted drugs can penetrate the BBB and reach the target tissue. However, further research is required in this field, to ensure the safety and efficacy of drug-loaded nanoparticles. The application of nanotechnology in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours and Alzheimer's disease is briefly discussed in this review.


In this paper, we present a method to construct a loop transformation that simultaneously reshapes the access patterns of several occurrences of multidimensional arrays along certain desired access directions. First, the method determines a direction through the original iteration space along which these desired access directions are induced. Subsequently, a unimodular transformation is constructed that changes the iteration space traversal accordingly. Finally, data dependences are accounted for. In particular, this reshaping method can be used to improve data locality in a program.


The enantiomeric separation of eight anticholinergic drugs was first systematically examined on a derivative polysaccharide chiral stationary phase (CSP), i.e. Chiralpak ID in the normal phase mode. Except for scopolamine hydrobromide and benzhexol hydrochloride, the other six analytes including atropine sulfate, phencynonate, dipivefrine hydrochloride, tropicamide, homatropine methylbromide and oxybutynin were either completely or partially separated under the optimized mobile phase conditions with resolutions of 3.98, 2.52, 2.02, 2.14, 1.80 and 0.41, respectively. The influences of organic modifier types and content, and base/acid additives on enantiomeric separation were evaluated and optimized. Furthermore, a simulation study was also used to explain the chiral recognition mechanisms of this class of drug enantiomers on Chiralpak ID for the first time. The modeling data were in agreement with the chromatographic results concerning enantioselectivity.


Background Extensive evidence exists regarding the effectiveness of secondary prevention measures in patients with cardiovascular disease. Aim We aimed to examine the management and risk perceptions of cardiovascular events in people with established cardiovascular disease. Methods We analyzed data on 1453 patients, ≥55 year old, with a history of cardiovascular disease, from the Australian Hypertension and Absolute Risk Study. Results Compared with those 533 patients with stroke/transient ischemic attack, the 743 patients with coronary artery disease were twice as likely to have been prescribed secondary prevention therapies even after adjustment for potential confounding variables (adjusted relative risks 1·85; 95% confidence interval 1·56–2·19, 42% vs. 73% for use of the combination of blood pressure-lowering, lipid-lowering and antiplatelet therapies) and to have better control of lipid and blood pressure levels. General practitioners estimated that only 27% of patients with stroke/transient ischemic attack – 38% of those with coronary artery disease and 41% of those with both conditions – were at a high risk (≥15%) of a recurrent event. Patients similarly underestimated their risk of recurrent cardiovascular events, with only 8% of stroke/transient ischemic attack, 11% of coronary and 15% of combination disease patients rating themselves at 'high' or'very-high' risk. Conclusions This study reaffirms the large treatment gap in the uptake of secondary prevention for cardiovascular disease in primary care settings, being much greater for patients with cerebral compared with cardiac cardiovascular disease. This appears to be related to differential perceptions of cardiovascular risk across different vascular territories in both patients and doctors.


The role of vitamin D in the prevention and treatment of non-skeletal health issues has received significant media and research attention in recent years. Costs associated with clinical management of low vitamin D (LVD) have increased exponentially. However, no clear evidence supports vitamin D screening to improve health outcomes. Authoritative bodies and professional societies do not recommend population-wide vitamin D screening in community-dwelling adults who are asymptomatic or at low risk of LVD. To assess patterns of physicians' management of LVD in this conflicting environment, we conducted a scoping review of three electronic databases and the gray literature. Thirty-eight records met inclusion criteria and were summarized in an evidence table. Thirteen studies published between 2006 and 2015 across seven countries showed a consistent increase in vitamin D lab tests and related costs. Many vitamin D testing patterns reflected screening rather than targeted testing for individuals at high risk of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. Interventions aimed at managing inappropriate clinical practices related to LVD were effective in the short term. Variability and controversy were pervasive in many aspects of vitamin D management, shining a light on physicians' practices in the face of uncertainty. Future research is needed to inform better clinical guidelines and to assess implementation practices that encourage evidence-based management of LVD in adult populations.


Sediment yield is an important issue in climate impact studies. Potential impact of climate change on sediment yield in the Xunhe River basin is investigated using a combination of climate, hydrological, and sediment yield models. Twenty general circulation methods under representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 4.5/8.5 are downscaled using the quantile mapping method to reduce the uncertainty in future climate change. The lumped Xin'anjiang (XAJ) hydrological model and the conceptual sediment yield model are then used to simulate the runoff and sediment transport process in the case of future climate change. The model performance is influenced by the selection of the calibration data set, which increases the simulation uncertainty. Furthermore, the input data, model structure, and parameters should all be considered sensibly, as they also increase uncertainty. The evaporation coefficient CKE in the XAJ hydrological model is found to be the most sensitive parameter according to the multiparametric sensitivity analysis method. In addition, the maximum slope sediment concentration CM and the mean gully sediment concentration CGM in the conceptual sediment yield model are found to be relatively sensitive parameters. The aforementioned sensitive parameters are closely related to climate change. Under RCP4.5/8.5 scenarios, the average annual precipitation, runoff, and sediment yield might tend to increase in the future with a larger increase under RCP8.5. The average monthly sediment yield is less sensitive to climate change than the average monthly runoff. Future precipitation, runoff, and sediment yield display varying tendencies in different months owing to seasonal variation characteristics. These results suggest that future sediment yield might increase under the influences of climate and runoff change, which will serve as a guideline for sediment resource management.


Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the intraobserver and interobserver reliability of the Lenke classification among spine surgeons from the city of Salvador, Bahia. Methods: Preoperative imaging (front, profile and lateral inclinations) examinations of 20 patients at the Outpatient Clinic of the of Santa Izabel Hospital Orthopedic Department, Salvador, Bahia, who had been diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, were selected to be evaluated by 15 spine surgeons two times at an interval of 30 days, for analysis of the intraobserver and interobserver reliability of the Lenke classification. The project was first submitted for ethical analysis to the Institutional Review Board of the Santa Izabel Hospital - Santa Casa de Misericórdia da Bahia / Prof. Dr. Celso Figueirôa and approved with voucher number 002650/2019. All the participants signed the Informed Consent Form (ICF). Results: Analyzing the concordance using the Kappa index, interobserver reproducibilities of 0.755, 0.525 and 0.840 were obtained for the type of curve and the lumbar and sagittal modifiers, respectively, while the intraobserver reliabilities for the same parameters were 0.921, 0.370 and 0.929. Conclusion: For the study population, the reliability of Lenke's classification was moderate to almost perfect. Level of evidence III; Interobserver and intraobserver reliability.


An n-gram may be a sub-sequence of n things from a given sequence. N-grams square measure employed in varied areas of applied mathematics linguistic communication process and genetic sequence analysis. During which sequence analysis is that the method of comparison the sequence or series of attributes so as to seek out the similarity. Malware is nothing however malicious computer code that\'s designed by attackers for worrying computers. Malware variants can have distinct computer memory unit level representations whereas in principal belong to a similar family of malware. The computer memory unit level content is completely different as a result of tiny changes to the malware ASCII text file may end up in considerably different compiled code. During which programs square measure used as operational code (opcode) density histograms obtained through dynamic analysis. Dynamic analysis is that the method of testing and analysis of application or a program throughout period. A SVM is employed for classification or regression issues. It uses a way known as the kernel trick to remodel your information and so supported these transformations it finds associate degree optimum boundary between the doable outputs. We have a tendency to use static analysis to classify malwares. So in this paper we are using three algorithms for finding the malware those are naive baives, J48, random forest. It known a prefilter stage victimisation hex values of files, that may scale back the feature set and so scale back the coaching effort. The result shows that the relationships between options square measure complicated and straightforward statistics filtering approaches don't give a sensible approach. However, hex decimal primarily based produces an appropriate filter. The whole systems are going to be enforced in WEKA tool.


The present study was designed to elucidate the possible beneficial effects of naftidrofuryl on ischemia-induced endothelium damage. For this purpose, an in vitro model was developed wherein human endothelial cells isolated from umbilical vein were submitted to hypoxia. Long-term hypoxia incubation (6 h) induced cell mortality, and naftidrofuryl strongly protected endothelial cells against this mortality in a dose-dependent manner and at concentrations as low as 10(-9) M. 66% protection was still observed after 16 h of hypoxia. Naftidrofuryl had to be present during the hypoxia incubation to exert its action; preincubation up to 24 h in the presence of naftidrofuryl could not protect endothelial cells incubated under hypoxia without naftidrofuryl. Short-term hypoxia, which does not induce mortality, strongly activates the endothelial cells with an increase in the cytosolic calcium concentration, in the phospholipase A2 activity, and in the synthesis of prostaglandin and of platelet-activating factor. It also enhances the adherence of polymorphonuclear neutrophils. Naftidrofuryl was able to markedly inhibit this whole cascade of events in a dose-dependent manner. We also demonstrated that naftidrofuryl could block the decrease in ATP concentration that results from the hypoxic conditions. These results indicate that by preserving the energetic level of the cells, naftidrofuryl prevents the activation of endothelial cells and the cell mortality induced by hypoxia. By maintaining an intact endothelium in vivo during ischemia, naftidrofuryl could prevent the further damage induced by leukocyte recruitment and activation.


It is shown that a pulsed laser can efficiently extract energy from an inverted molecular medium even when the transitions involved are highly forbidden. This is accomplished by injecting pulses that are strong enough to drive the molecules from the excited to the weakly coupled ground state. It is well known that this Rabi flopping can be accomplished with a π pulse. We show that essentially the same energy requirements are associated with optically bleaching the inverted medium in the rate-equation limit.


Learning Object Repositories (LOR) are an essential component of the e-Learning ecosystem and have being normally serving the purpose of cataloging, storing, retrieving and delivering Learning Objects to be used inside e-Learning applications. Next generation of LORs needs to overcome some major shortcomings current LORs present and involve other entities that are part of the e-learning process (teachers, students, lessons, courses, activities, learning paths, etc.) in a way that they are all fully integrated and linked-up. Semantic web technologies such as RDF are the natural choice to implement these requirements into Semantic Learning Repositories. One important factor limiting the implementation of this kind of systems is the uncertainty about their performance. The present paper describes an initial study that compares the performance of two distinct RDF native database implementations (4store and Jena Apache) in the specific context of a Semantic Learning Repository. The performance tests were run to evaluate two different aspects of the databases implementation: the time to upload the RDF data to the databases, and the response time for running the queries. The results showed that 4store performed better than Apache Jena for all the scenarios we evaluated.


The quantitative analysis of the watershed is vital to understand the hydrological structure of any topography. The present study deals with quantitative assessment of Manair Basin, Telangana, India, based on IRS LISS III satellite data and Cartosat DEM 30 m resolution data. Morphometric parameters of the watershed were assessed by computations of linear and areal aspect using standard  methodology in GIS environment. ARC GIS software was utilized for morphometric component study and delineation of the watershed using Cartosat digital elevation model (DEM). In this study, Manair basin a tributaries of Godavari River has been selected for thorough morphometric analysis. Three sub-watersheds Upper Manair, Mid Manair and Lower Manair are also delineated within this basin to calculate the selected morphometric parameters , e.g., stream order, stream length,  bifurcation ratio,  drainage density, drainage frequency,  drainage texture, form factor, circularity ratio, elongation ratio, etc  and their  hydrological implications were discussed. The generated data base of morphometric parameters can provide  scientific material for site  selection of water-harvesting structures and flood management activities  in the basin. The results observed from this work would also be useful in classification of watershed for future water management. The drainage area of the basin is 6668.76 km 2 and shows sub-dendritic to dendritic drainage pattern. The study area is designated as Fifth order basin with the drainage density value being as 0.41 km/km 2 .


With the steady increase in accuracy, size and complexity of astroparticle physics experiments the need for an extensive amount of high precision Monte Carlo simulations is rapidly growing. Contrary to the increasing demand is the demise of ``Moore's law'' which leads to situations where the system structure of high-performance computing is fundamentally changing and large amounts of money are invested in new infrastructure. In the field of astroparticle physics CORSIKA 7 is currently the most commonly used simulation program, therefore the presented work is focused on this software. All methods provided are also currently transferred to the new CORSIKA 8 framework which will replace CORSIKA 7 in the near future. Due to various constraints on hardware, geometry and physics no experiment is able to observe the full air shower particle cascade developing in the atmosphere. The removal of the non-visible phase space of the cascade at an early stage of the simulation has immense potential to reduce the expense of calculations without changing the results of the simulation for the experiment. Fast machine learning models allow the identification and removal of particles from those regions to speed up the simulations. This works for example for neutrinos by orders of magnitude. First results are shown to demonstrate this technique.

Furthermore, when showers are simulated with the IACT configuration around 75\% of the time is spent on the Cherenkov photon creation and propagation. We also show results from parallelizing this part of the simulation on GPUs and CPUs with OpenCL.


The success of soil management to maintain soil quality depends on an  understanding of how soils respond to land use and practices over time. As a result, the important soil quality indicators were investigated under two land use systems to provide base line data for future research in the Fincha'a Valley Sugar Estate  (FVSE), within the Nile basin of Western Ethiopia. The evidences provided by this study indicated that land use changes caused changes on soil bulk density (ρb), soil water content, Particle size distribution (sand, silt and clay), soil pH, electrical  conductivity (EC), soil organic matter (SOM), total N, carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N) and available phosphorous (Av. P). The study revealed that soil organic matter (SOM), sand content and total N decreased with increase in soil depth. While bulk density (ρb), EC and clay content increased with soil depth. Particle size distribution (sand, silt, and clay) varied with land use, soil depth and soil type. Particle size distribution was changed from Sandy clay to clay due to land use change. Bulk density (ρb), EC, soil organic matter (SOM) and C:N varied significantly (P<0.01, P<0.05), respectively, with land use and soil depth. Land use changes caused bulk density (ρb) to be increased. The study indicated that soil pH was higher in irrigated land than the un irrigated land. This attributed to the transportation of soluble cations from the upstream to the downstream irrigated land by water soil erosion. The different soil fertility management practices also contributed to the variation. On the other hands, soil organic matter (SOM) and total N were lower in irrigated land. Relatively, the lower soil organic matter (SOM) and total N contents in irrigated land attributed to the optimum soil moisture content throughout the year that created favorable environmental condition for SOM decomposition. The study also revealed that soil management groups and soil water holding capacity at field capacity and permanent wilting point were affected by irrigation (land use).It was identified more than 50% of the soil quality indicators increased with depth. This might be the influence of irrigation water in accelerating leaching process. The main degradation process overcome the study area was waterlogging and soil  compaction. The irrigation development in the area requires improved drainage  network and proper land management. Therefore, reducing the intensive mechanized tillage practices and use of integrated inorganic and organic fertilizers could  replenish the degraded soil quality for sustainable agricultural production in the study area. It is therefore, suggested that appropriate and integrated land  management options for different land use systems together with identification of soil management groups and water retention characteristic curves are required to sustain agricultural productivity while protecting the environmental degradation. Keywords : Soil Quality Land Use Soil Type Environment Sugarcane Land  Management Fincha'a Valley Western Ethiopia Fertilizers


Intellectual disabilities (ID) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior which includes conceptual, social and practical skills. 1 out of 4 individuals with ID have co-existing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recently, cell therapy has shown great potential in management of ID with ASD due to their ability to address the underlying pathophysiology via immunomodulation and synaptogenesis. We administered autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells intrathecally in a 20-year-old male patient diagnosed as ID with ASD. Over 3 years follow up, there were no adverse events and along with symptomatic improvements, IQ scores improved from 46 to 56 and scores on ISAA improved from 134 to 70. Comparative positron emission tomography– computed tomography brain showed improved metabolism in bilateral frontal, temporal cortices and cerebellum. Autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell therapy may be effective to improve quality of life in individuals of ID with ASD even in adulthood.


SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISM OF THE GROWTH HORMONE RECEPTOR (GHR) ENCODING GENE IN ORYCTOLAGUS CUNICULUS
Deyana Gencheva1, Svetlana Georgieva1, Krasimir Velikov2, Tsvetoslav Koynarski3 and Svetlin Tanchev1

Authors' addresses:
1Department of Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Faculty of Agriculture, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
2Department of Special branches, Institute of Animal Science – Kostinbrod, 2232 Sofia, Bulgaria
3Department of General Livestock Breeding, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

Correspondence:
Deyana G. Gencheva
Faculty of Agriculture,
Trakia University
6000, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
Tel.+359 889 90 87 84
е-mail:firstname.lastname@example.com

ABSTRACT
Considered the rabbit Growth Hormone Receptor (GHR) gene as a candidate gene for growth efficiency, understanding the genetic variation in this locus is of particular relevance. The aim of the present research was to investigate populations from the rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with respect to the GHR gene through PCR-RFLP assay. Genotype profiles were established in a total of 100 rabbits from two populations (New Zealand White, NZW, n=51 and Californian, n=49), reared at The Institute of Animal Science, Kostinbrod. As expected, a 479bp amplicon of the polymorphic site (exon 3) of GHR gene was amplified using PCR and digested with endonuclease enzymes HinfI. The restriction pattern obtained in agarose gel electrophoresis was constituted by three bands (210bp, 162bp and 107 bp) for allele C and by two bands for allele G (317bp and 162 bp). The obtained restriction fragments revealed three genotypes: CC, CG and GG, observed in 7.8%, 53% and 39.2% of the NZW rabbit population and in 28.6%, 51% and 20.4% of the Californian rabbit population, respectively, without departure from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P>0.20) in the investigated groups. The allele frequencies determined a prevalence of the G allele (0.657) over the C allele (0. 343) in NZW rabbit population, while in the Californian rabbits, the frequency of the C allele (0.541) was higher than allele G (0.459). Observed heterozygosity was higher than expected, resulting in a negative inbreeding coefficient (Fis= -0.174 for NZW rabbits and Fis= -0.027 for Californian rabbits), indicating a sufficient number of heterozygous forms in both studied groups of rabbits. The obtained results from the present investigation confirmed the presence of the SNP in rabbit GHR gene. Therefore, the genetic variability established in this polymorphic locus could be applied in further association studies with growth traits in domestic rabbits.
Key words: Oryctolagus cuniculus, Growth Hormone Receptor (GHR) gene, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), PCR-RFLP


1. This paper describes a neurophysiological investigation of the initiation and co-ordination of the peristaltic waves in Urechis. 2. Peristaltic waves are (a) initiated in the proboscis and propagated posteriorly, and (b) initiated in the hind gut and propagated anteriorly, provided that nerve cord, body-wall and peripheral nerves are intact. 3. There is a hierarchy of pacemaker regions in the nerve cord, effective over lengths as small as 30 mm. This hierarchy is normally dominated by the pacemaker in the proboscis. 4. The pacemakers respond with increased frequency to oxygen, epinephrine and acetylcholine in concentrations of 10-6M. Eserine potentiates the acetylcholine response. The system is insensitive to 5-hydroxytryptamine. 5. The giant fibres conduct at 1.5 m./sec. and mediate a startle response; they are not involved in the conduction of the peristaltic wave.


Audio Introduction as a Supplementary Tool in AD The paper presents a novel solution that aims to supplement audio description (AD): audio introduction. The fi rst part of the article tackles the problems connected with writing AD. Then the functions of the audio introduction are described, as well as its form and application. The further part of the paper consists of comparative analysis of two audio introductions, the English and the Polish one, to the fi lm Man on Wire. The analysis takes into account the audiences' opinions on the audio introductions.


Summary and Conclusions
The acute toxicity of piperonyl butoxide was studied in animals by oral administration of the chemical in an emulsion and in undiluted form, and also in a deodorized petroleum oil spray concentrate containing pyrethrins; by subcutaneous injection of the undiluted chemical; and by application of the undiluted chemical, of oil solution containing it alone and in conjunction with pyrethrins, and of a water emulsion containing the chemical and pyrethrins, both to the eyes as a test for primary irritation, and to the skin in tests for primary irritation, chronic irritation and toxicity, and sensitization. The results of inhalation tests made by a cooperating laboratory are also cited briefly.
Small doses of a 5 per cent emulsion of piperonyl butoxide were not toxic to rats and rabbits fed respectively 6 and 3 doses at weekly intervals. Undiluted piperonyl butoxide was fatally toxic to rats and rabbits only when fed by stomach-tube in very large doses repressenting high dosage rates. The LD50 dose fell between 7.5 and 10 ml./kg. for rats, and between 2.5 and 5.0 ml./kg. for rabbits, and was apparently above 7.5 ml./kg. for cats and dogs.
A Special Spray Concentrate containing 20 per cent of piperonyl butoxide and 2.5 per cent of pyrethrins in base oil gave an oral toxicity LD50 of above 7.5 ml./kg. for both rats and rabbits, and seemed little if any more toxic for rats than deodorized petroleum oil alone. The relatively non-toxic and non-irritating nature of piperonyl butoxide was strikingly revealed by its lack of toxicity, and non-absorption, when injected subcutaneously into rats, and by the absence of marked eye or skin irritation when the undiluted chemical and oil solutions and a water emulsion of it were applied to the eye and skin of albino rabbits as a test for primary irritation. The undiluted chemical was mildly irritating to rabbit skin upon repeated application, but not oil solutions containing four per cent of it with and without pyrethrins, nor a water emulsion containing four per cent of it plus pyrethrins. Neither the undiluted chemical nor the solutions containing it caused sensitization. Tests at a cooperating laboratory showed no convincing evidence of toxicity in groups of rats exposed for 30 minutes a day on 24 days to abnormally heavy concentrations of insecticidal sprays and aerosols containing piperonyl butoxide and pyrethrins.
It is concluded that, since piperonyl butoxide is not a markedly toxic compound alone, and since solutions containing practical concentrations of it are relatively non-toxic and non-irritating to animals, there should be no appreciable toxicity or irritation hazards involved in the practical use of this compound in insecticides, and that piperonyl butoxide is one of the safest and least toxic insecticides.


In this study we report on our experiences of creating and running a student fieldtrip exercise which allowed students to compare a range of approaches to the design of technologies for augmenting landscape scenes. The main study site is around Keswick in the English Lake District, Cumbria, UK, an attractive upland environment popular with tourists and walkers. The aim of the exercise for the students was to assess the effectiveness of various forms of geographic information in augmenting real landscape scenes, as mediated through a range of techniques and technologies. These techniques were: computer-generated acetate overlays showing annotated wireframe views from certain key points; a custom-designed application running on a PDA; a mediascape running on the mScape software on a GPS-enabled mobile phone; Google Earth on a tablet PC; and a head-mounted in-field Virtual Reality system. Each group of students had all five techniques available to them, and were tasked with comparing them in the context of creating a visitor guide to the area centred on the field centre. Here we summarise their findings and reflect upon some of the broader research questions emerging from the project.


Tourists in France force actors and territories to adapt to the demand and needs of visitors from different countries and cultures. This intercultural requirement requires, in particular, a more detailed knowledge of the practices, perceptions and feelings of foreign tourists, particularly Chinese tourists, whose numbers are increasing sharply in France, Europe and the world. The article proposes an exploratory approach to the representations associated with these practices in France through the use of websites and our teaching at the university over the past 3 years and leads to a first typology. The protocol for analysing tourist practices developed for this example makes it possible to understand the level of tourist satisfaction, to analyses what shapes their complex behaviour based on their feelings on the spot, to better characterise the tourist experience in the broad sense and to imagine a model. From a more operational point of view, the approach makes it possible to envisage an improvement in the dialogue between tourist operators and end users, a finer adaptation of supply and demand, an improvement in the well-being of tourists and a strengthening of the attractiveness of the territories.


Abstract Xenocrysts and xenoliths in Upper Cretaceous pyroclastics on Mount Carmel (northern Israel) represent a series of similar magma-fluid systems at different stages of their evolution, recording a continuous decrease in oxygen fugacity (fO2) as crystallization proceeded. Corundum coexisting with Fe-Mg-Cr-Al spinels, other Fe-Mg-Al-Na oxides, and Fe-Ni alloys in apparent cumulates crystallized at fO2 values near the iron-wüstite (IW) buffer (fO2 = IW±1) and is zoned from high-Cr cores to lower-Cr rims, consistent with fractional crystallization trends. The reconstructed parental melts of the cumulates are Al-Cr-Fe-Mg oxides with ca. 2 wt% SiO2. Corundum in other possible cumulates that contain Cr-Fe (Fe 45 wt%) alloys has low-Cr cores and still lower-Cr rims. Corundum coexisting with Cr0 (fO2 = IW-5) in some possible cumulates has low-Cr cores, but high-Cr rims (to >30% Cr2O3). These changes in zoning patterns reflect the strong decrease in the melting point of Cr2O3, relative to Al2O3, with decreasing fO2. The electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) analyses show that all Cr in corundum that coexists with Cr0 is present as Cr3+. This suggests that late in the evolution of these reduced melts, Cr2+ has disproportionated via the reaction 3Cr2+(melt) → 2Cr3+(Crn) + Cr0. The most Cr-rich corundum crystallized together with β-alumina phases including NaAl11O17 (diaoyudaoite) and KAl11O17 (kahlenbergite) and β″-alumina phases; residual melts crystallized a range of (K,Mg)2(Al,Cr)10O17 phases with the kahlenbergite structure. The parental melts of these assemblages appear to have been Al-Cr-K-Na-Mg oxides, which may be related to the Al-Cr-Fe-Mg oxide melts mentioned above, through fractional crystallization or liquid immiscibility. These samples are less reduced (fO2 from IW to IW-5) than the assemblages of the trapped silicate melts in the more abundant xenoliths of corundum aggregates (fO2 = IW-6 to IW-10). They could be considered to represent an earlier stage in the fO2 evolution of an "ideal" Mt. Carmel magmatic system, in which mafic or syenitic magmas were fluxed by mantle-derived CH4+H2 fluids. This is a newly recognized step in the evolution of the Mt. Carmel assemblages and helps to understand element partitioning under highly reducing conditions.


Summary In this article, we propose a new generalized index to recover relationships between two sets of random vectors by finding the vector projections that minimize an L 2 distance between each projected vector and an unknown function of the other. The unknown functions are estimated using the Nadaraya–Watson smoother. Extensions to multiple sets and groups of multiple sets are also discussed, and a bootstrap procedure is developed to detect the number of significant relationships. All the proposed methods are assessed through extensive simulations and real data analyses. In particular, for environmental data from Los Angeles County, we apply our multiple‐set methodology to study relationships between mortality, weather, and pollutants vectors. Here, we detect existence of both linear and nonlinear relationships between the dimension‐reduced vectors, which are then used to build nonlinear time‐series regression models for the dimension‐reduced mortality vector. These findings also illustrate potential use of our method in many other applications. A comprehensive assessment of our methodologies along with their theoretical properties are given in a Web Appendix.


Let F be a set of relational trees and let Forbh(F) be the class of all structures that admit no homomorphism from any tree in F; all this happens over a fixed finite relational signature $\sigma$. There is a natural way to expand Forbh(F) by unary relations to an amalgamation class. This expanded class, enhanced with a linear ordering, has the Ramsey property.


This chapter discusses the role of sex work in the social construction of sexuality, mainly in the context of Chinese culture as well as a few examples from the Vietnamese or the Korean context. In our approach to sex work, one of the main working hypotheses is the relevance of cultural constraints such as the Confucian ideas or the Taoist lore on the analysis of sexual cultures. Cogently, the aim is not to overestimate cultural factors at the expense of social and economic factors, but to identify the different factors involved in the social construction of sexuality. All these factors are closely interrelated to shape a sexual culture where sex work lies at the core of the ideological and behavioural configuration - sex work thus becoming part of an 'unspoken' set of sexual norms and values paralleling the 'straight' set (heterosexuality, connubiality, intimacy, and reproduction over pleasure). One should bear in mind that a culture undergoes a continuous process of interpretation, and is not therefore a fixed system giving a ready reference to all the beliefs and behaviour of the people in society. Indeed, at the present, sexual cultures are in transition and produced within a complex nexus of divergent forces, including traditional sexual mores, modern medical discourse, women's movements, patriarchal imperatives, consumerism, and corporate globalization. In this context, representations of sexuality and sexual behaviours are embedded in a social world structured by and saturated with power relations of gender and class. Sexuality therefore provides a consistent site for exploring the various aspects of the social sphere. Our approach explicitly diverges from those relying perhaps too easily on the notion of 'structure' to define culture and comprehend tradition.


This paper presents a differential evolution algorithm with a new encoding mechanism for efficiently solving the optimal layout of the wind farm, with the aim of maximizing the power output. In the modeling of the wind farm, the wake effects among different wind turbines are considered and the Weibull distribution is employed to estimate the wind speed distribution. In the process of evolution, a new encoding mechanism for the locations of wind turbines is designed based on the characteristics of the wind farm layout. This encoding mechanism is the first attempt to treat the location of each wind turbine as an individual. As a result, the whole population represents a layout. Compared with the traditional encoding, the advantages of this encoding mechanism are twofold: 1) the dimension of the search space is reduced to two, and 2) a crucial parameter (i.e., the population size) is eliminated. In addition, differential evolution serves as the search engine and the caching technique is adopted to enhance the computational efficiency. The comparative analysis between the proposed method and seven other state-of-the-art methods is conducted based on two wind scenarios. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method is able to obtain the best overall performance, in terms of the power output and execution time.


We show how initial wealth differences between low-skilled minorities and white workers can generate differences in their labor-market outcomes. This even occurs in the absence of a taste for discrimination against ethnic minorities or exogenous differences in distance to jobs. Because of the initial wealth difference, minorities cannot afford to buy a car while whites can. Car ownership allows whites to reach more jobs per unit of time, which gives them a better bargaining position in the labor market. As a result, in equilibrium, ethnic minorities end up with both higher unemployment rates and lower wages than whites. Furthermore, we also show that it takes more time for minorities to reach their jobs even though they travel less miles when employed. Those predictions are consistent with the data. Better access to capital markets or better public transportation will reduce the differences in labor-market outcomes.


The geometrical product specifications (GPSs) from new generation are composed of sev‐ eral standards issued by the ISO/TC 213. They are related to the way of denoting the re‐ quirements in the design engineering drawings, such as drawing indication, definition of tolerance and values of specifications, characteristic, parameters and definitions of actual features. They also include requirements relating to compare verification, measure instru‐ ment and calibrate size, distance, radius, angle, form and position of geometrical features, roughness profile, waviness profile, primary profile, surface imperfection and edges. A lot of new and mathematical terms, the size system, indications of dimensions other than linear sizes by using geometrical tolerances, uncertainty series, etc. are introduced in this chapter. The aim of this chapter is to explain the new requirements of new generation standards for geometrical product specifications related to positional deviation. The ad‐ vantages and disadvantages of the possibility to indicate the accurate requirements for lo‐ cation of surfaces and axes are discussed.


The third edition of this widely praised, best-selling textbook (formerly Recombinant DNA and Biotechnology) provides clear, indispensable information in cell and molecular biology that explains the exciting advances in biology and biotechnology. Because the field changes so rapidly, the need to provide crucial background information has never been more urgent. This text provides the vital information, latest knowledge, and clear-headed approaches that provide a basis for rationally discussing the interrelationship of science, technology, and society. Additionally, the authors significantly added to their explanations of the societal issues that this new research raises. They provide critical thinking tools and processes to analyze issues such as gene flow in plants, animal cloning, genetic screening, and embryonic stem cells. In addition to providing the latest information on scientific foundations and technological applications of biotechnology, the book provides numerous activities to bring this exciting science to life. Specifically, the text addresses biotechnology applications and attendant societal issues including therapeutic cloning, embryonic stem cells, genetic testing, food safety, and potential environmental impacts. The teacher volume includes all of the information contained within the student volume, and it also incorporates numerous pedagogical resources. For instance, the instructor's volume includes a comprehensive CD-ROM containing chapter figures, templates and worksheets, laboratory resources, and teaching resources. Additionally, the authors explain the nuts and bolts of runing a molecular biology laboratory, such as aseptic technique, using micropipettes, keeping microbial cultures well fed and happy, and crucial safety steps. Key Features*Updates and revises the best-selling text formerly titled Recombinant DNA and Biotechnology* Written in a clear, easy-to-understand language that makes complicated information accessible to those with minimal background in this area* Serves as both a textbook and a laboratory activities manual* Designed for those instructors interested in "problem-based" approaches for teaching and learning* Includes activities for both wet and dry laboratory settings* Teaches essential critical thinking skills* Provides a companion instructor CD-ROM with many valuable teaching implements including worksheets, templates, and teaching tips* Presents activities that have been field tested, most for more than a decade


This study sought to determine the public perception of self-efficacy of the older people to take care of themselves. It was also intended to determine the factors influencing the uptake of formal care services in Kenya. The study engaged 400 respondents from Nakuru County, who were selected through purposive and stratified random sampling. Data was collected using questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The results reveal that indeed the level of awareness of the existence of the formal care services in Kenya is very low and that majority of the interviewed respondents were reluctant to enrol their relatives to the formal care homes. The result further indicates that health and the psychosocial status of the older people influence the decision of the members of the community interviewed to enrol the older relatives in formal care homes. It emerged from the results that the majority of the people declined the use of the services despite agreeing that their older relatives faced challenges that would warrant their enrolment for the services. We, therefore, recommend that a marketing plan for the services to be designed with an inherent system societal perception re-engineering so that a positive attitude towards services be formed. Psychosocial therapy provision should also be a key service of the care services since it emerged that older people suffering neglect and abuse were the most likely to be enrolled where there's the availability of services.


ABSTRACT The stress field of oceanic lithosphere controls the distribution of submarine petit-spot volcanoes. However, the eruption sites of these petit-spot volcanoes are considered to be limited to concavely flexed regions of lithosphere off the outer rise. Here, we present new data for a recently identified petit-spot lava field on a convexly flexed section of the lithosphere adjacent to the subduction zone offshore of northeast Japan in an area containing more than 80 volcanoes. This area is marked by strongly alkaline lavas that were erupted on the convexly flexed region. As for the concavely flexed region where the petit-spots previously reported, the base of the lithosphere beneath the eruption sites is under extension, whereas the upper part of the lithosphere is under compression. This change in the stress field, from the lower to upper lithosphere, causes ascending dikes to stall in the mid-lithosphere, leading to metasomatic interaction with the surrounding peridotite. The new geochemical data of rocks and xenocrysts presented in this study indicate that strongly alkaline magmas erupted on the convexly flexed region would have ascended more rapidly through the mid-depth of lithosphere because of the extensional regime of the upper lithosphere and decreasing the degree of metasomatic reaction with the surrounding mantle peridotite. The results indicate that the degree of metasomatism and the compositional variations of petit-spot magmas are controlled mainly by the stress field of the lithosphere.


With regard to the organizational strengthening of information security, in addition to establishing protective mechanisms from the technical perspective and formulating standards and conduct audits from a management perspective, enabling organizational information security policies and making employees actively or passively comply with information security policies have become important discussion topics in recent years. This study combines organizational citizenship behavior and group engagement models, and uses organizational citizenship behavior to explain extra-role behavior. Group engagement models to strengthen in-role behavior can enable employees to be more involved with work and comply with standards. Furthermore, we examine the causes of organizational citizenship behavior and engagement. This study conducted questionnaire surveys in Taiwanese organizations that have obtained ISO 27001 accreditation. This will contribute to theoretical expansion and provide a theoretical basis for promoting and encouraging information security policies. Organizational identification will be used to improve organizational citizenship behavior and engagement.


With the advent of community psychiatry it has become imperative to reconsider the role and meaning of such basic concepts as ego development, oedipal conflicts, object relations, etc. So much of life in the ghetto has been reduced merely to the struggle for survival. This is even more dramatically evident in dealing with the emotional and behavioral problems encountered among the children. Psychological intervention in any dimension must recognize and adapt or redefine these concepts within the context of the particular cultural and social environment. This varies widely when dominated by violence, disruption, and chaotic life experiences. Cases are cited to demonstrate the problems facing the practitioner who must attempt to treat a host of multi-faceted problem areas.


Due to the significance of the Dan Ryan reconstruction project with a total cost close to $1 billion and its proximity to downtown Chicago and the densely populated suburbs; IDOT has taken some extra measures to ensue safety and mobility during the construction of the project. The main objectives of this study are to review and document information pertaining to the reconstruction project; review work zone safety practices, safety programs, and implementation of transportation management plans; analyze the roles and responsibilities of various parties involved in the project; and assess the work zone impact on safety and mobility of the transportation network. Based on our interviews and collected information, the project has been very successful without any worker fatality; fewer crashes are recorded in the work zones; and its impact on the mobility of the transportation network in the Chicago area is minimal. Our observation shows that construction worker safety is a concern. Contractors take a sole responsibility of their workers' safety. Worker injury data is not reported. Two areas are recommended for improvement for the purpose of continuous work zone safety and mobility enhancement: 1) enhancing vehicle crash and worker injury data collection, and 2) establishing training programs for safety inspectors and supervisors.


Free viewpoint video (FVV) is one of the new trends in the development of advanced visual media type that aims to provide a new immersive user experience and interactivity that goes beyond higher image quality (HD/4K TV) and higher realism (3D TV). Potential applications include interactive personal visualization and free viewpoint navigation. The goal of this paper is to provide an overview of the FVV system and some target application scenarios. Associated standardization activities and technological barriers to overcome are also described. This paper is organized as follows: a general description of the FVV system and functionalities is given in Section I. Since an FVV system is composed of a chain of processing modules, an in-depth functional description of each module is provided in Section II. Examples of emerging FVV applications and use cases are given in Section III. A summary of technical challenges to overcome for wider usage and market penetration of FVV is given in Section IV.


This report deals with a case of Hodgkin's disease presenting during its evolution with autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura and a nephrotic syndrome with extramembranous glomerulonephritis. The histopathological study of renal tissue demonstrated the presence of IgG and the C3 fraction of complement in the extramembranous deposits. The same type of immunoglobulins and C3 existed in the serum as circulating immunocomplexes, suggesting that the glomerulonephritis was due to the deposition of such immunocomplexes in the glomerular membrane. A review of the literature discloses 32 cases of autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura associated to Hodgkin's lymphoma, and 47 cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma associated to the nephrotic syndrome. However, the association of both complications in the same patient with lymphoma has been heretofore unreported. The possible etiopathogenic mechanisms of these autoimmune complications and its pathological features are discussed along with the response to treatment. Generally the activity of such disorders parallels that of the lymphoma, thus making them potentially useful parameters to appraise lymphomatous activity.


Objectives This article examines the association between readmissions of pneumonia and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients to Ontario hospitals in 1998/99, and reductions in length of stay and recent hospital administrative mergers. Data source The data are from the 1998/99 Discharge Abstract Database, maintained by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Analytical techniques Cross-tabulations were used to assess unadjusted associations between hospital and patient characteristics and readmission risk. Hierarchical nonlinear models were used to calculate odds of readmission, adjusting for hospital and patient characteristics. Main results Hospital characteristics that may indicate restructuring— a decrease in mean length of stay or a recent administrative merger—were not associated with readmission of pneumonia or AMI patients within 30 days of discharge. Patients with two or more related hospital admissions in the previous year were at increased risk of readmission.


Abstract The design of the closed-loop control system must take into account the system performance to load-disturbance and set-point changes and its robustness to variation of the controlled process characteristics, preserving the well-known trade-off among all these variables. This paper face with this combined servo/regulation performance and robustness problem. The proposed method is formulated as an optimization problem for combined performance (not for independent operation modes), including also the robustness property as a constraint. The accomplishment of the claimed robustness is checked and then, the PID controller gives a good performance with also a precise and specific robustness degree. The proposed robust based PID control design is tested against other tuning methods.


Marijuana use as well as abuse is a significant public health and public safety concern in the United States and using hair to identify marijuana users and abusers has been gaining acceptance in a number of venues including workplace, court ordered, and substance abuse treatment monitoring. After the presentation of a fully validated 2-dimensional gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the detection of 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THCA), the chief metabolite of the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), we evaluated the usefulness of fingernail clippings as an alternative specimen type to hair by the analysis of a set of 60 matched pairs of head hair and fingernail clippings. The limit of detection was 10 fg/mg, the limit of quantitation was 20 fg/mg, and the assay was linear from 20 fg/mg to 500 fg/mg. The intra- and inter-assay imprecision and bias studies at 4 different concentrations (50, 100, 500, and 1000 fg/mg) were acceptable where all % Target observations were within 16% of their expected concentrations and all %CV calculations were less than 13.5%. THCA was detectable in more fingernail specimens (53.3%) than hair specimens (46.7%) and the mean concentrations in nails were on average 4.9 times higher than in hair (1813 fg/mg and 364 fg/mg, respectively). The THCA concentrations in hair and nail were strongly associated (r = 0.974, P < 0.01, n = 60) and the association was significant. The study demonstrated that fingernail clippings are a suitable alternative specimen type to hair to monitor for marijuana use and abuse.


Television broadcasters often exhibit bias in the reporting of sport events. Through framed discourse, networks embed multiple storylines to build and maintain audiences over the duration of an event. Research has typically focused on mega-events occurring every four years. This study, through content analysis of American Broadcast Company's announcer discourse of a smaller annual event, the 2007 National Basketball Association finals series, found that the framing function of the media continued to be employed. Findings also revealed significant associations existed for play-by-play and colour commentary on the two competing teams that would serve to reinforce viewer beliefs. Commentary on the winning team emphasized skill, speed and creativity, whereas star players became the focus of the losing team. Sport marketers can gain practical utility for use of framing in broadcasts by providing commentators with prepared frames that could support viewer beliefs or expectations.


Studies showed that two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) educational content contributes to learning. Although there were many studies with 3D stereoscopic learning environments, only a few studies reported on the differences between real, 2D, and 3D scenes, as far as cognitive load and attentional demands were concerned. We used electroencephalographic measurements to study and compare the theta (θ), alpha (α), beta (β) and gamma (γ) frequency bands of 36 adult female participants. The participants observed three environments with the same content, a real, a 3D and a 2D environment. Brain activity was recorded for each environment and their two versions, i.e., a before version and an after version, where the position of specific objects changed. Our study's findings indicated that all participants perceived the three environments, their depicted objects, and the change of the objects' position. The participants' cognitive load and attentional demands were higher in all environments before the change of the objects' position. Working memory load, working and spatial memory, were also higher in the two digital environments (3D and 2D) before the change of the objects' position. However, the opposite was observed in the case of the real environment. This was attributed to the participants observing the real environment firstly. Overall, we propose that empirical studies with biometric data on cognitive load and attentional demands will support the design of better learning environments.


These are expository notes from the 2008 Srńı Winter School. They have two purposes: (1) to give a quick introduction to exterior differential systems (EDS), which is a collection of techniques for determining local existence to systems of partial differential equations, and (2) to give an exposition of recent work (joint with C. Robles) on the study of the Fubini-Griffiths-Harris rigidity of rational homogeneous varieties, which also involves an advance in the EDS technology.


Abstract A stepwise development is proposed for the construction of a model that comprehensively solves the disaster planning and response problem. In addition to traditional logistics costs, the suggested approach incorporates response time sensitivity, social costs related to post-disaster deprivation, the impact of material convergence, and measurable and epistemic uncertainty. Starting from a stochastic model based on previously published scenarios, the global costs of the scenarios are minimized using the expected value of the parameters, in a risk-averse bi-objective function that also optimizes the robustness of the model by minimizing the variability of the parameters whose probabilities are known. Finally, the complexity arising from imprecise parameter values with unknown probabilities is addressed by using chance-constrained fuzzy programming to optimize the risk associated with inter-scenario cost variability and feasibility of the constraints. This formulation is applied to real case study data, demonstrating that both the overall costs and the social cost component of the costs decrease progressively from the base formulation. The model allows the decision-maker to test the sensitivity of the results and thus set the uncertainty parameters and the incorporation of multiple objectives accordingly.


The analysis and representation of multicomponent signals, embedded in additive Gaussian noise, is of interest in many signal processing applications and has been studied for years, mainly for the case of stationary signals. However, in the non-stationary case only a few methods are available, one of which is parameter analysis from the time-frequency distribution (TFD) of the signal. A new positive distribution free of cross-terms, named minimum cross entropy-TFD (MCE-TFD) was introduced previously. Based on this TFD, an algorithm for signal reconstruction from the MCE representation is introduced. The algorithm synthesizes the instantaneous frequency (IF), the phase /spl phi/(t) and the amplitude a(t) of each signal component and thus the entire original signal. Together with the MCE-TFD iterative approach, the proposed reconstruction algorithm provides a powerful tool for the representation and analysis of non-stationary multicomponent signals.


The problem of identifying voice commands has always been a challenge due to the presence of noise and variability in speed, pitch, etc. We will compare the efficacies of several neural network architectures for the speech recognition problem. In particular, we will build a model to determine whether a one second audio clip contains a particular word (out of a set of 10), an unknown word, or silence. The models to be implemented are a CNN recommended by the Tensorflow Speech Recognition tutorial, a low-latency CNN, and an adversarially trained CNN. The result is a demonstration of how to convert a problem in audio recognition to the better-studied domain of image classification, where the powerful techniques of convolutional neural networks are fully developed. Additionally, we demonstrate the applicability of the technique of Virtual Adversarial Training (VAT) to this problem domain, functioning as a powerful regularizer with promising potential future applications.


This study aimed, first, to test the widely held belief that meaning-based processing ('deverbalisation') results in better-quality simultaneous interpretation (SI), by the indirect method of correlating users' quality judgments with linguistic reformulation and elaboration, and additionally, with transcript-based measures of accuracy, style and fluency. Twenty-four French SI-with-text versions of two English speeches by experts and novices were played to a panel of users from international organizations, and the transcripts independently scored by a panel of interpreters for these specific parameters. Analysis showed major errors to be a significant predictor of user quality judgments (although users did not have access to the original speeches), as well as some positive effect of lexical and cohesive elaboration, but none for restructuring per se.  Secondly, since interpreting quality evaluation may vary between peers (the traditional judges), users, and other product-based methods, the study also explored ways of triangulating different sources — user judgments, transcript scores, and computer analysis of output text features — to learn more about the determinants of interpreting quality.


The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of low-temperature aluminizing process on the microstructure and dry sliding wear properties of Mirrax steel. Low-temperature aluminizing process was applied on Mirrax steel at 600, 650, and 700 °C for 2, 4, and 6 h. The packs for the process were prepared using pure aluminum powder as aluminum deposition source. Ammonium chloride NH4Cl and Seydisehir Al2O3 powder were used as the activator and the inert filler, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM)/energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis were applied for characterization of the coating surfaces. The through-thickness variation in the layer microstructure was determined and it was found to vary between 1 µm and 45 µm which increased with higher process temperature and time. After the deposition process, the coating layer hardness increased to 1000 HVN, whereas the hardness of the matrix was 250 HVN. The wear tests were performed using a ball-on-disc tribometer under 5 N load at room temperature and 500 °C on aluminized and untreated Mirrax steel. In both room temperature and high-temperature wear tests, it was determined that the aluminizing process increased the wear resistance of Mirrax steel. Increasing aluminizing time and temperature also increased the wear resistance. The uncoated and thin-coated samples generally exhibited wear in the form of plastic deformation and adhesion related ruptures. A high degree of tribological layer was observed on the wear trace on samples with high coating thickness, especially in high-temperature tests. Therefore, the volume losses in these samples were induced by fatigue crack formation and delamination.


This study of Thomas Hardy's The Return of the Native (1878) examines the context of the 1840s when the narrative is set, when the celebration of November Fifth had become an annual occasion of radical violence. Through the symbol of the bonfire The Return of the Native examines contemporary fears of violence in England in the wake of the French Revolution against an indigenous, age-old culture of economic unrest and rebellion. This division between political and economic radicalism is figured in the distinction between Eustacia Vye's association with bonfires and Paris and the Egdon laborers whose bonfire burning is an age-old act of rebellion that, in the 1840s, had associations with radical violence on account of economic grievances. Bonfire Night in The Return of the Native thus gives expression to the political and economic issues that underlie the narrative and the economic issues that remain unresolved, thus reflecting the complex and divided radical climate of England in the wake of the French Revolution. This reading of the significance of the 1840s as a setting for the narrative provides a coherent framework for understanding the seemingly disparate elements in the novel, namely bonfires as a structural motif, Clym's return from Paris and his educational program, the breakdown of the Yeobrights' marriage, the death of Eustacia, and Hardy's addition of the epilogue, "Aftercourses," as a revised ending.


Introduction The medical specialty of occupational medicine was established in Israel in 1990. Despite the gradual growth in the number of Occupational Health Physicians (OHP) over the years, their ratio to the number of workers in Israel was never systematically analysed. The objectives of this study were to determine the trends in OHP/workers ratio in Israel and the required future actions in order to attain the standards of developed countries. Methods Physicians' sociodemographic data was obtained from the Israeli Association of Occupational Medicine, and Maccabi Health Services and via personal communication (telephone calls and mails). Data regarding the working population was obtained from publications of the Ministry of Health and the National Insurance Institute. Results As of March 2014, there are 157 registered OHPs in Israel, 104 active specialists and 25 residents. Among the specialists 78 work in Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs), 18 in the public sector (other than HMOs) and 8 in the private sector. Despite the increase in the number of workers every year, the number of OHP has remained unchanged in the past 10 years averaging 90–100 physicians. The ratio of OHP/workers in the HMOs is 1:48,000. Conclusions The ratio of OHP/workers in Israel is equivalent to that found in developing countries like Mongolia (1:33,000) and Brazil (1:24,000) and 8-10 times lower than ratios in other developed countries such as Finland (1:1,000), Netherlands (1:4,000), Germany (1:3,300), France (1:4500) and Sweden (1:5,700). Summary In order to amend the current status, we suggest that the number of residents per year should be doubled with the necessary resources and that employer payments for the financing of occupational health services should be implemented. It is our opinion that regulatory authorities are not exempt from providing their share of financing.


Despite the availability of many newer antihypertensive agents, hypertensive patients remain at higher risk of premature death than the general population. This persistence of morbidity and mortality may be accounted for by the frequent failure to achieve adequate blood pressure reduction despite an extensive array of available antihypertensive agents. Such considerations have led to reassessment of the potential role of fixed-dose combination agents in the antihypertensive armamentarium. The rationale for combination therapy relates to the concept that antihypertensive efficacy may be enhanced when 2 classes of agents are combined. In addition, combination therapy enhances tolerability-1 drug of a fixed combination can antagonize some of the adverse effects of the second drug. Fixed-dose combination therapy simplifies the treatment regimen, preventing treatment failures that might result from missed doses. An additional novel concept is the possibility of enhancing salutary effects on target organs, including regressing left ventricular hypertension and retarding progression of renal disease, by combination therapy over and above the effects expected from the fall in arterial pressure alone. The recent approval by the Food and Drug Administration of 2 fixed-dose angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/calcium antagonist combinations has focused attention on and prompted reexamination of this issue.


With the emerging importance of the tumor immune environment in both invasive and preinvasive breast cancer, vaccine therapy may provide a well-tolerated, durable therapy for preinvasive breast cancer by preventing both recurrent preinvasive disease and progression to invasive disease. Preinvasive breast cancer is ideal for vaccines because the disease is slow growing and the patients are not immunosuppressed. However, design of the vaccines are critical including consideration of appropriate antigens, selecting Th1 stimulating epitopes, and using multiantigen vaccines to address tumor heterogeneity.


Abstract : The Telops polarimetric-hyperspectral imager combines polarimetric and hyperspectral technologies to enable enhanced scene characterization. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency funded research at AFIT to leverage this capability to provide more accurate scene information to radiation transport models that will allow for more effective location of radiation sources within a region of interest. To support the objectives of the DTRA effort, there is a requirement for highly accurate radiometric, polarimetric, and spectral data on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The complex nature of the Telops instrument combined with working in the thermal IR waveband makes achieving this accuracy a challenge. This thesis develops a calibration methodology that enables high data accuracy in all three domains. In the process, a mathematical calibration framework was developed that links standard Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) calibration with standard polarimetric calibration in a straightforward manner. This provided a framework for understanding the influence of various instrument parameters (both ideal and non-ideal) on ultimate calibration performance. The framework developed is utilized to quantify the non-idealities of the system and to characterize the performance of the spectro-polarimetric calibration. Additionally, fundamental performance limits are characterized including the noise equivalent spectral radiance and noise equivalent degree of linear polarization of the system.


Electrodeposition of CuAg alloy films from plating baths containing 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (DAT) as an inhibitor yields high surface area catalysts for the active and selective electroreduction of CO2 to multicarbon hydrocarbons and oxygenates. EXAFS shows the co-deposited alloy film to be homogeneously mixed. The alloy film containing 6% Ag exhibits the best CO2 electroreduction performance, with the Faradaic efficiency for C2H4 and C2H5OH production reaching nearly 60 and 25%, respectively, at a cathode potential of just -0.7 V vs RHE and a total current density of ∼ - 300 mA/cm2. Such high levels of selectivity at high activity and low applied potential are the highest reported to date. In situ Raman and electroanalysis studies suggest the origin of the high selectivity toward C2 products to be a combined effect of the enhanced stabilization of the Cu2O overlayer and the optimal availability of the CO intermediate due to the Ag incorporated in the alloy.


Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries of Semarang District is an institution in charge of livestock and animal health. Basically the Animal Husbandry Department has provided standardization for quality livestock cattle with superior seeds that usually can be judged or measured by various criteria.They are weight, age and value of BCS (Body Condition Score). They needed a system that could help the Department of Livestock and Fisheries of Semarang District in determining the electoral process cattle with superior seeds. In this research, the manufacture of Decision Support Systems in the determination cattle with superior seedsis using a combination of two methods is Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Simple Addictive Weighting (SAW). In AHP will perform an importance value calculation criteria that will be paired up with an alternative to the SAW the next process is the sum of the weight from performance rating of all the attributes to each alternative, a ranking conducted to determine the result of cattle with superior seeds. Suggestions on this system, can be developed further by combining other methods to determine the recommendation that more effective. Keyword: decision support systems, cattle, superior seeds, analitical hierarchy process, simple addictive weighting.


Shortcomings in the quality and level of social workers' communication with children have led to queries about the role qualifying training plays in equipping students for this challenging aspect of their practice (SWTF, 2009; House of Commons, 2009). This thesis seeks to clarify some of the factors and processes which support qualifying students in learning to become effective communicators with children. The evidence for what should be taught to students to enable them to communicate effectively with children and the programme structures and pedagogic approaches which best facilitate students' learning and development are explored. An original framework for practice is outlined which constitutes a taxonomy of 32 evidence-informed 'dimensions' of 'Communicative Capability' needed for effective social work practice with children, set within 'domains' of 'Knowing' (knowledge and understanding), 'Doing' (skills and techniques), and 'Being' (ethics, values, personal qualities and emotional capacities). The compass of the dimensions is broad and diverse, so requires teaching and learning opportunities across the whole curriculum including in fieldwork placements, rather than just through a discrete course or specific pedagogical model (Lefevre et al, 2008).
The Communicative Capabilities taxonomy has been used as a framework for analysing data collected from social work students on an MA qualifying programme which I teach. Taking a realist approach (Robson, 2011), as an insider (Drake, 2010), I sought to learn more about students' journeys towards qualified practice so as to identify any factors or processes which support or hinder students' learning and development. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected at four time points during the programme using self-efficacy scales, course feedback, and written responses to a case vignette, which were analysed for students' awareness of the Communicative Capabilities. Baseline data on student characteristics, intentions and experiences were gathered so that individual trajectories could be identified and mapped against these. Once students had been qualified for between 16-18 months, follow-up interviews were conducted with a sub-sample of five participants using a semi-structured questionnaire. There were a number of limitations and methodological constraints, most notably those engendered by the lack of a comparison group and small sample, so findings must be regarded as emergent and tentative.
An analysis of students' learning journeys indicated trajectories were rooted in specific experiences, strengths and learning styles. Students would benefit from developing a personalised learning plan which would enable them to maximise their potential and plug gaps in their capabilities. Ways need to be found to enable students to build up from generalist proficiencies in communication, so that first generic, then child-focused, and finally child-specialist applied capabilities in communication can be developed to at least a basic level at the point of qualification. Drawing on Kolb (1984), a cyclical model of the teaching and learning process has been mapped to the development of Knowing, Being and Doing capabilities. Students enter qualifying training with pre-course concrete experience of communication which provides a valuable source for inductive learning through critical reflection. Related theoretical input enables them to conceptualise processes of communication (developing Knowing). Skills may be acquired and honed through active experimentation with techniques and methods both in the university and in placements which are subject to observation and feedback (Doing). Tutor modelling and experiential approaches to capability-building help engender the kind of thoughtful, ethical, contained and engaged use of self by students (Being) which matters to children. Learning needs to be integrated and consolidated so that it is not forgotten or absorbed solely into tacit professional knowledge (Eraut, 1994). The learning cycle has been developed into a proposed framework for how qualifying programmes could ensure a coherent and integrated learning experience.


Theranostic nanomedicine is capable of diagnosis, therapy, and monitoring the delivery and distribution of drug molecules and has received growing interest. Herein, a self-monitored and self-delivered photosensitizer-doped FRET nanoparticle (NP) drug delivery system (DDS) is designed for this purpose. During preparation, a donor/acceptor pair of perylene and 5,10,15,20-tetro (4-pyridyl) porphyrin (H2TPyP) is co-doped into a chemotherapeutic anticancer drug curcumin (Cur) matrix. In the system, Cur works as a chemotherapeutic agent. In the meantime, the green fluorescence of Cur molecules is quenched (OFF) in the form of NPs and can be subsequently recovered (ON) upon release in tumor cells, which enables additional imaging and real-time self-monitoring capabilities. H2TPyP is employed as a photodynamic therapeutic drug, but it also emits efficient NIR fluorescence for diagnosis via FRET from perylene. By exploiting the emission characteristics of these two emitters, the combinatorial drugs provide a real-time dual-fluorescent imaging/tracking system in vitro and in vivo, and this has not been reported before in self-delivered DDS which simultaneously shows a high drug loading capacity (77.6%Cur). Overall, our carrier-free DDS is able to achieve chemotherapy (Cur), photodynamic therapy (H2TPyP), and real-time self-monitoring of the release and distribution of the nanomedicine (Cur and H2TPyP). More importantly, the as-prepared NPs show high cancer therapeutic efficiency both in vitro and in vivo. We expect that the present real-time self-monitored and self-delivered DDS with multiple-therapeutic and multiple-fluorescent ability will have broad applications in future cancer therapy.


Abstract Histories of Afro-Asian solidarity rarely dwell on intimacy, yet they tend to presume an affective reciprocity between people of African and Asian descent that has come to define postcolonial politics in its characteristically utopian form. In fact, there is every indication that the terms of endearment between African and Indian communities were strained at best across the landscapes of the decolonized and decolonizing world – and that narratives of fraternity are not the whole story of interracial contact, intimate or otherwise. This essay focuses on the life story of K. G. Naidoo (1906–99), a Tamil doctor known as Dr Goonam who treated Indian, coloured and African patients and whose practice drew her into the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Her autobiography, Coolie Doctor, is an intimate history of racial knowledge that challenges easy readings of solidarity or conflict between Indians and Africans in and around twentieth-century Durban. Goonam's text allows us to appreciate the embodied experience of interracial hierarchy in the context of both progressive medicine and anti-racist politics of the kind that was unfolding in South Africa in the 1940s and after. I read Coolie Doctor as an embodied, materialist account of African–Indian relationships in the context of apartheid politics in KwaZulu-Natal – an account that, in turn, archives histories of racial encounter, collision and citation with ramifications for postcolonial histories of all kinds.


With the movement towards 3D input devices in gaming, we explored the use of 3D user interfaces in the context of Swordplay, an immersive sword-fighting and spell-casting game aimed toward casual gamers. Developed as part of a course on "innovating game development" at Brown University, Swordplay is an attempt to determine what types of interaction techniques could be useful with natural human expression in virtual 3D environments. The result is a fun, lightning-fast game intended to push the skills and dexterity of its users, similar to the popular button-mashing games of the early 1980s


Multicultural education is a set of strategies to strengthen national integration aimed at facing possible threat to national security. Multiculturalism reflects Indonesia's socio-political realities due to the existing ethnic and cultural background of the nation.  The diversity is both a priceless wealth and, at the same time, a potential threat factor that could endanger Indonesia's national security. Therefore, the government needs a breakthrough by implementing and strengthening its national vigilance among Indonesian people through multicultural education. The latter would widen and deepen the people's understanding of diversities that exist in society as well as enforce a sense of belongingness and solidarity. The implementation of multicultural education must be a join effort of government and the civil society in the forms of formal, informal, and non formal curricula.


COVID-19 has become a global health pandemic forcing governments introducing unprecedented steps to contain the spread of the virus. On the 23rd of March, 2020, the UK government addressed the nation to announce extraordinary measures as a response to slow down the spread of the coronavirus, which have influenced the well-being and finances of millions of people. As a result people had to make difficult adjustments and to follow different coping strategies in order to respond to income losses. The main objective of this study is to examine the impact of various coping strategies, due to the lockdown measures, on the respondents' subjective well-being by gender and ethnic background. We apply a difference-in-differences framework using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) combined with the UKHLS COVID-19 survey conducted in April 2020. Furthermore, using the Life Satisfaction Approach (LSA), we estimate the well-being costs of the coping strategies adopted that denote the amount required to revert individual's well-being into the levels were before Covid-19 period. The results show that coping strategies with the earning losses have a significant detrimental impact on well-being and the related costs range between £250-3,500, which are significantly varied by gender and ethnic group.JEL Classification: C1, I14, I31


In this paper, we present a real time biologically motivated 3D motion classifier cells integrating the depth information generated from a stereo input implemented in an active vision system. The proposed approach is accurately able to detect and estimate multiple interfered 3D complex motions under the absence of predefined spatial coherence. Moreover, the system has ability to examine the response of input 3D motion vector fields to a certain 3D motion patterns (3D motion classifier cells) such as motion in the Z direction representing movements towards the system, which is very important to overcome typical problem in autonomous mobile robotic vision such as collision detection and inhibition of the ego-motion defects of a moving camera head. The output of the algorithm is part in a multi-object segmentation approach implemented in an active vision system.


Freidlin‐Wentzell theory of large deviations for the description of the effect of small random perturbations on dynamical systems is exploited as a numerical tool. Specifically, a numerical algorithm is proposed to compute the quasi‐potential in the theory, which is the key object to quantify the dynamics on long time scales when the effect of the noise becomes ubiquitous: the equilibrium distribution of the system, the pathways of transition between metastable states and their rate, etc., can all be expressed in terms of the quasi‐potential. We propose an algorithm to compute these quantities called the geometric minimum action method (gMAM), which is a blend of the original minimum action method (MAM) and the string method. It is based on a reformulation of the large deviations action functional on the space of curves that allows one to easily perform the double minimization of the original action required to compute the quasi‐potential. The theoretical background of the gMAM in the context of large deviations theory is discussed in detail, as well as the algorithmic aspects of the method. The gMAM is then illustrated on several examples: a finite‐dimensional system displaying bistability and modeled by a nongradient stochastic ordinary differential equation, an infinite‐dimensional analogue of this system modeled by a stochastic partial differential equation, and an example of a bistable genetic switch modeled by a Markov jump process. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Mandible fracture repair is commonly undertaken by otolaryngologists. Although the essential principles of reduction and immobilization are undisputed, the approach used to obtain these goals varies considerably. We performed a critical evaluation of all mandible fractures treated at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center by the otolaryngology service between January 1988 and February 1992, with the purpose of better defining the indications for plate fixation and for the use of more traditional techniques. One hundred eighty-three fractures in 112 patients were evaluable. Thirty-six (32.1%) of these patients had at least one plate placed (group A); 39 (34.8%) underwent an open procedure, with Interosseous wire fixation (group B); and 37 (33.0%) were treated with closed techniques (group C). The severity of fracture (Indexed by comminution, presence of infection, teeth in the fracture line, interval to repair, and whether the fracture was open or closed) was similar in plated and nonpiated mandibles. Mean (± standard deviation) operative times for the three groups were 3.2 ± 1.6 hours for group A, 3.0 ± 0.9 hours for group B, and 1.4 ± 0.5 hours for group C. The number of follow-up visits required was not statistically different (group A, 5.6 ± 3.8 visits; group B, 5.2 ± 2.5 visits; and group C, 5.3 ± 2.0 visits). The overall Incidence of major complications was 14.3% (16 of 112), including 11 of 36 (30.6%) in group A, 4 of 39 (10.3%) in group B, and 1 of 37 (2.7%) in group C. The approximate cost of one compression plate with four screws is $550, compared with $12 for wire suitable for fixation (24 gauge). We conclude that plates are more expensive than wire fixation, are associated with a higher incidence of major complications, and should be reserved for situations in which traditional techniques are not feasible.


Abstract Our laboratory developed cell based cancer vaccines (STINGVAX) that was formulated with cyclic dinucleotides that and sensed by STING to phosphorylate interferon regulatory factor3 (IRF3) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer (NF-κB) to induce B cells and myeloid cells to secrete IFN-β. IFN-β can active NK cells through Tyk2-STAT1 signaling pathway, and we found increased number of activated NK cells in tumor bearing mice treated with STINGVAX. In the context of formulation with GM-CSF secreting cellular vaccines, the anti-tumor effect of CDN was dependent on IFNα/β receptors. We found that CDN activated NK cells both in vitro and in vivo, and at the molecular level, CDN increased TYK2-STAT1 signaling. When we tested STINGVAX9s anti-tumor efficacy with NK depletion, its anti-tumor effect was abrogated. Citation Format: Juan Fu, Qi Zhen, Drew Pardoll, Tom Dubensky, Young Kim. Cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) activated DC and NK cells in antitumor immunotherapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy: A New Chapter; December 1-4, 2014; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2015;3(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B42.


The article analyzes the perception of the nature of relations with the state by Russian small entrepreneurs and, in particular, the success of state support provided to small businesses during the pandemic. The data for the analysis were obtained during the summer (2021) survey of 580 small business owners, a sample of which was formed from the database of the Institute's project "Public Opinion Foundation" "Sociology of Small Business (SMBiz Project)". This database was gained in years of all-Russian population surveys conducted on random samples. The main hypotheses of the study were confirmed. They are formulated as follows: (1) Small business is not homogeneous in its attitude to the policy pursued by the state, which can be influenced by different circumstances and factors (experience in business, its success, location, etc.). (2) Participation in certain state support programs increases the level of confidence in the state and has a positive effect on the assessment of its policy. (3) The measures implemented by the Russian state during the pandemic have had different coverage and different effectiveness in the perception of their beneficiaries. In the concluding part, evidence and recommendations are formulated for the bodies implementing the policy on SMEs in Russia.


The role of heart-type cytosolic fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) in mediating whole body and muscle-specific long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) and glucose utilization was examined using exercise as a phenotyping tool. Catheters were chronically implanted in a carotid artery and jugular vein of wild-type (WT, n = 8), heterozygous (H-FABP(+/-), n = 8), and null (H-FABP(-/-), n = 7) chow-fed C57BL/6J mice, and mice were allowed to recover for 7 days. After a 5-h fast, conscious, unrestrained mice were studied during 30 min of treadmill exercise (0.6 mph). A bolus of [(125)I]-15-(p-iodophenyl)-3-R,S-methylpentadecanoic acid and 2-deoxy-[(3)H]glucose was administered to obtain rates of whole body metabolic clearance (MCR) and indexes of muscle LCFA (R(f)) and glucose (R(g)) utilization. Fasting, nonesterified fatty acids (mM) were elevated in H-FABP(-/-) mice (2.2 +/- 0.9 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.1 and 1.3 +/- 0.2 for WT and H-FABP(+/-)). During exercise, blood glucose (mM) increased in WT (11.7 +/- 0.8) and H-FABP(+/-) (12.6 +/- 0.9) mice, whereas H-FABP(-/-) mice developed overt hypoglycemia (4.8 +/- 0.8). Examination of tissue-specific and whole body glucose and LCFA utilization demonstrated a dependency on H-FABP with exercise in all tissues examined. Reductions in H-FABP led to decreasing exercise-stimulated R(f) and increasing R(g) with the most pronounced effects in heart and soleus muscle. Similar results were seen for MCR with decreasing LCFA and increasing glucose clearance with declining levels of H-FABP. These results show that, in vivo, H-FABP has reciprocal effects on glucose and LCFA utilization and whole body fuel homeostasis when metabolic demands are elevated by exercise.


The value of services in knowledge-intensive organizations like the hospitals is created by the tacit knowledge of the health staff. The weak knowledge transfer activities among the health staff effects on the performance level of the health care services. Hospitals are dependent on continuously learning from mistakes and to make improvements and then to transfer this newly acquired knowledge between units and workers in the organization. It is important to enhance the knowledge transfer behaviors of knowledge source and recipients in the hospitals. This study aims to investigate the extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors that would be adopted to improve the knowledge transfer processes among the health staff. The data of this study were collected from 475 doctor and nurses that work in three Jordanian hospitals; Albashir Hospital, Jordan University Hospital and Al-Issra Hospital. The collected data were analyzed using many tests such as validity, reliability, demographic and descriptive analysis. The significant results show that there are many extrinsic motivational factors would be adopted to improve the knowledge transfer by the knowledge source and recipients such as reward, ideal salaries, promotions, satisfaction of work position, stability of labor and reputation feedback. On the other hand, there are many intrinsic motivational factors that would be applied to enhance the knowledge transfer such as arduous relationship, altruism, shared understanding, champions and enjoyment to help others. This study helps the hospitals to identify the motivational factors that would be adopted to improve the knowledge transfer processes in order to enhance the quality of health care services.


Research on the Ecological Assessment Pencil Orchid (Vanda hookeriana Rchb.) in Lakes Dusun Besar Nature Reserve held on February to December 2013. This study is located in the region of Nature Reserve Bengkulu. This study used purposive sampling techniques in site selection and using 2 m x 2 m plot for sampling. The results are found that orchid pencils are very rare nowadays. Orchids are found generally still yet flowering buds. In the research that has been carried out it was concluded that the Important Value Index (INP) of Vanda hookeriana is the lowest one is 19.65 % while the highest INP value is Imperata sp. (Graminae) 78.60 %. Besides, the population of Vanda host is the daffodil (bakung putih) also considered well too. Vanda is an epifit organism, it really need host to grow up. Vanda hookeriana life depends on ecological factors such as temperature, humidity, sunlight penetration and the pH of the water. The low value of INP Vanda hookeriana is because the flower rare. The flower is hunted by people because it is a very commercial nature orchid in the world oforchid lovers. Related to preserv of the orchidin their natural habitats, it's really need the government enforcing the new regulation about the orchid preservation. It also consider to conserve as the Vanda's host.