In global era, mastering language skills as a means for communication, which focus not only on "transmitting knowledge / cognitive aspects" but also "experiencing authentic-language" based on the context, becomes a fundamental demand for all of language learner in certain educational settings as well as writing skill. The ability in producing a scientific writing by considering the context and aspects of writing is very crucial for higher education students. Therefore,   this research, which is an ethnographic classroom study in form of reflective-qualitative point of view in period of eight-week-learning meetings, is intended to investigate and design teaching Instruction by using Experiential Learning (EL) in writing class especially for English Education students in Islamic university. In summary, EL may be effectively implemented as an alternative method in writing class by considering some essential points and contexts.


Mechanotransduction, the conversion of mechanical stimuli into electrical signals, is a fundamental process underlying several physiological functions such as touch and pain sensing, hearing and proprioception. This process is carried out by specialized mechanosensitive ion channels whose identities have been discovered for most functions except pain sensing. Here we report the identification of TACAN (Tmem120A), an essential subunit of the mechanosensitive ion channel responsible for sensing mechanical pain. TACAN is expressed in a subset of nociceptors, and its heterologous expression increases mechanically-evoked currents in cell lines. Purification and reconstitution of TACAN in synthetic lipids generates a functional ion channel. Finally, knocking down TACAN decreases the mechanosensitivity of nociceptors and reduces behavioral responses to mechanical but not to thermal pain stimuli, without affecting the sensitivity to touch stimuli. We propose that TACAN is a pore-forming subunit of the mechanosensitive ion channel responsible for sensing mechanical pain.


In discrete manufacturing, a just-in-time schedule is pursued so as to respond better to the market. It is also required in oil refinery. However, the existing techniques for short-term scheduling in oil refinery are based on the push production mode. This paper addresses the short-term scheduling problem for crude oil operations in a pull production way. A target refining schedule resulting from production planning is given as a constraint to make an executable schedule. The system is modeled by a timed hybrid Petri net. This model is structurally simple and can describe the dynamic behavior and all the constraints of the system without any difficulty. Based on the model, an efficient heuristic algorithm is proposed to test the realizability of a target refining schedule. If it is realizable, a feasible short-term schedule realizing it is created. A real-life industrial case study is presented to show the industrial application of the proposed method.


ABSTRACT The General Urban Development Plan for Lourenço Marques (today Maputo) was approved on 25th April 1955. Coordinated by architect João Aguiar, director of the Colonial Planning Office. it was developed based on the first urban plan for the city, which had been drawn up by Joaquim José Machado and António José de Araújo in 1887. A further new Master Plan for Lourenço Marques was drawn up between 1967 and 1969. This new one was the last before Mozambique gained independence in 1975 and it was drafted by a specialist team coordinated by the engineer and urbanist Mário de Azevedo. The orientations applied in Aguiar's Urban Plan were quite distinct from those of Azevedo's Master Plan. The innovative element was that it opposed the 'conception of a city closed in on itself, limited in size and structure'. Azevedo's plan furthered a regional interpretation of the territory and placed the emphasis on the provision of an entire transport infrastructure network by land, sea, and air. This paper seeks to throw light on the evolution of Portuguese urbanism in the Portuguese African colonies in the last years of colonization with a view to highlighting the different approaches.


Application-specific hardware accelerators can significantly improve a system's performance. In a Java-based system, we then have to consider a hybrid architecture that consists of a Java Virtual Machine running on a general-purpose processor connected to the hardware accelerator. In such a hybrid architecture, data communication between the accelerator and the general-purpose processor can incur a significant cost, which may even annihilate the original performance improvement of adding the accelerator. A careful layout of the data in the memory structure is therefore of major importance to maintain the acceleration performance benefits.
 This article addresses the reduction of the communication cost in a distributed shared memory consisting of the main memory of the processor and the accelerator's local memory, which are unified in the Java heap. Since memory access times are highly nonuniform, a suitable allocation of objects in either main memory or the accelerator's local memory can significantly reduce the communication cost. We propose several techniques for finding the optimal location for each Java object's data, either statically through profiling or dynamically at runtime. We show how we can reduce communication cost by up to 86% for the SPECjvm and DaCapo benchmarks. We also show that the best strategy is application dependent and also depends on the relative cost of remote versus local accesses. For a relative cost higher than 10, a self-learning dynamic approach often results in the best performance.


B chromosomes (Bs) were described in most taxa of eukaryotes and in around 11.9% of studied Orthopteran species. In some grasshopper species, their evolution has led to many B chromosome morphotypes. We studied the Bs in nine species (Nocaracris tardus, Nocaracris cyanipes, Aeropus sibiricus, Chorthippus jacobsoni, Chorthippus apricarius, Bryodema gebleri, Asiotmethis heptapotamicus songoricus, Podisma sapporensis, and Eyprepocnemis plorans), analyzing their possible origin and further development. The studied Bs consisted of C-positive or C-positive and C-negative regions. Analyzing new data and considering current hypotheses, we suggest that Bs in grasshoppers could arise through different mechanisms and from different chromosomes of the main set. We gave our special attention to the Bs with C-negative regions and suggest a new hypothesis of B chromosome formation from large or medium autosomes. This hypothesis includes dissemination of repetitive sequences and development of intercalary heterochromatic blocks in euchromatic chromosome arm followed by deletion of euchromatic regions located between them. The hypothesis is based on the findings of the Eyprepocnemis plorans specimens with autosome containing numerous intercalary repeat clusters, analysis of C-positive Bs in Eyprepocnemis plorans and Podisma sapporensis containing intercalary and terminal C-negative regions, and development of heterochromatic neo-Y chromosome in some Pamphagidae grasshoppers.


We investigate solution sets of a special kind of linear inequality systems. In particular, we derive characterizations of these sets in terms of minimal solution sets. The studied inequalities emerge as information inequalities in the context of Bayesian networks. This allows to deduce structural properties of Bayesian networks, which is important within causal inference.


This paper examines trends in infrastructure investment and its financing in low-income developing countries (LIDCs). Following an acceleration of public investment over the last 15 years, the stock of infrastructure assets increased in LIDCs, even though large gaps remain compared to emerging markets. Infrastructure in LIDCs is largely provided by the public sector; private participation is mostly channeled through Public-Private Partnerships. Grants and concessional loans are an essential source of infrastructure funding in LIDCs, while the complementary role of bank lending is still limited to a few countries. Bridging infrastructure gaps would require a broad set of actions to improve the efficiency of public spending, mobilize domestic resources and support from development partners, and crowd in the private sector.


The subtitle of the book defines the author's intentions. He does not succeed in guiding readers through history whilst keeping their minds on health care reforms. 'Historic' finishes after the Renaissance and we are thus deprived of the essential background of recent health care reforms. It is arguable that the present situation which exponentially escalating costs is unprecedented and thus historic perspectives are irrelevant. This exuberantly erudite account deals with historic events and personalities, medical ethics and politics, and the authors' opinion thereupon. References range from arcane historical tomes to the Readers Digest. There are 359 densely packed pages resulting in data overload for the historically naive and medical matters are often not mentioned for several pages. There are numerous classical quotations which confirm the author to be well read. But quotations are not necessarily true or helpful, even when printed in italics! The ominously titled section 'intimations for the present', dealing with present health care reforms, is (perhaps appropriately?) inserted between Graeco-Roman medicine and the Middle ages. The author does not approve of the American health care reforms or the weaknesses ofthe American Medical Association. He feels that physicians must fight for their civil rights, that the population do not realise that they are spending their own money on health case, and that voluntary free-market incentives will solve problems. Private medicine is the solution. Governments should not interfere (but what do we elect governments for if not to interfere?). Some would argue that health care is too important for governments to allow it to be subject to commercial market forces.


This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). A search of PUBMED, EMBASE, Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science, Chinese Biomedicine Literature (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wang-Fang Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and other available resources was made for studies (up to February 2019). Searches were limited to studies published in English and Chinese. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to the efficacy and/or safety of acupuncture for CP/CPPS were included. Two investigators independently evaluated the quality of the studies. A total of 11 studies were included, involving 748 participants. The results revealed that compared with sham acupuncture (MD: −6.53 [95% CI: −8.08 to −4.97]) and medication (MD: −4.72 [95% CI: −7.87 to −1.56]), acupuncture could lower total NIH-CPSI score more effectively. However, there are no significant differences between acupuncture and sham acupuncture in terms of IPSS score. In terms of NIH-CPSI voiding domain subscore, no significant differences were found between acupuncture and medication. Compared with sham acupuncture (OR: 0.12 [95% CI: 0.04 to 0.40) and medication (OR: 3.71 [95% CI: 1.83 to 7.55]), the results showed favorable effects of acupuncture in improving the response rate. Acupuncture plus medication is better than the same medication in improving NIH-CPSI total score and NIH-CPSI pain domain subscore. In conclusion, the evidence suggests that acupuncture may be an effective intervention for patients with CP/CPPS. However, due to the heterogeneity of the methods and high risk of bias, we cannot draw definitive conclusions about the entity of the acupuncture's effect on alleviating the symptoms of CP/CPPS. The adverse events of acupuncture are mild and rare.


Cyber security ensures a secure information exchange and enables communication through the Internet. The data needs to be protected from unauthorized access and transmitted to the intended receiver with confidentiality and integrity. Cryptography enhances security by encrypting and decrypting raw data in a secured network. Many cryptographic algorithms are available, and they fall under either symmetric or asymmetric techniques. To choose an algorithm for secure data communication, the candidate algorithm should provide higher accuracy, security and efficiency. This paper presents the implementation limitations of existing cryptographic algorithms such as DES, 3DES, CAST-128, BLOWFISH, IDEA, AES, and RC6 of symmetric techniques and RSA of asymmetric techniques. This paper also analyzes parameters like key exchange, flexibility and security issues of the algorithms which determines the efficiency of the cryptosystem.


Fatigue is a common symptom of neurological diseases that affect basal ganglia function. We used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) to study the metabolic functions of the basal ganglia in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) to test the hypothesis that fatigue in CFS may have a neurogenic component. 1H MRS of left basal ganglia was carried out in eight non-psychiatric patients with CFS and their results were compared to age- and sex-matched healthy asymptomatic healthy controls. A highly significant increase in the spectra from choline-containing compounds was seen in the CFS patient group (p < 0.001). In the absence of regional structural or inflammatory pathology, increased choline resonance in CFS may be an indicator of higher cell membrane turnover due to gliosis or altered intramembrane signalling.


It is difficult to establish a definitive diagnosis of tuberculosis in rural areas where there is no access to a large hospital. The Warao people of the Delta Amacuro State in Venezuela, have a very high prevalence of adult TB, and we suspected that the Warao children would also have a high prevalence of the disease, almost entirely undiagnosed. We applied a simple methodology to select children suspicious for tuberculosis that is based on a rating system using clinical criteria, reactivity to tuberculin and intradomicilliary contacts. Of the 502 children under the age of 15 that were evaluated with this rating system, 27 were determined to be suspicious of TB and were further evaluated by a chest X-ray. Radiologic confirmation of TB was found in 16 (60%) of the 27 suspicious children. Of these 16 patients, 13 (81%) were PPD positive and 3 were PPD negative. Additionally, 7 of the 16 children with pathologic x-ray changes had one or more confirmatory findings: 3 were positive by culture or smear examination and 5 had a positive serologic B diagnostic test. In conclusion this methodology proved to be highly efficient in diagnosing childhood tuberculosis in this population, and should also be useful in other rural populations with a high prevalence of adult TB.


Speech is one of the most useful and effective communication medium used as the biometric feature of human being. Speech Recognition is considered as important part of various applications for biometric recognition and translation. Speech can be acquired inexpensively using some mic or phone device. But because of different noise factors that can be included during acquisition increases the complexity in recognition process. Because of this, there is the requirement of more effective and reliable approach for speech recognition. In this present work, a statistical analysis based predictive model is defined to improve the speech recognition. The presented work is defined in the form of a layered model. In first layer of this model, the speech signal improvement is done. To achieve this, the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) and spectral subtraction based approach is defined for noise reduction. This layer improves the speech features. In second layer, the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) improved statistical model is defined to generate the speech features. This layer uses the segmented mean value, standard deviation, variation analysis as the statistical features. In final stage, Distance based mapping is applied on all these features collectively to perform the recognition. The work is implemented for Hindi word recognition. The work is implemented in Matlab environment.


For eight years a group of nonprofessional human relations trainers conducted a community-based Adult-Youth T-Group Program in a suburban community under the auspices of the Board of Education. Their history provides the material for this case analysis, which will focus on two sets of issues. One set of issues surrounds the fact that these group leaders were "independent nonprofessionals": trained but noncredentialed persons performing functions usually reserved for professionals (or performed under professional supervision) and performing them outside of institutional and professional boundaries. A second set of issues, only partially related to the first, surrounds the organizational dilemmas and social-political conflict which beset this team and the program which they conducted.


An object in the peripheral visual field is more difficult to recognize when surrounded by other objects. This phenomenon is called "crowding". Crowding places a fundamental constraint on human vision that limits performance on numerous tasks. It has been suggested that crowding results from spatial feature integration necessary for object recognition. However, in the absence of convincing models, this theory has remained controversial. Here, we present a quantitative and physiologically plausible model for spatial integration of orientation signals, based on the principles of population coding. Using simulations, we demonstrate that this model coherently accounts for fundamental properties of crowding, including critical spacing, "compulsory averaging", and a foveal-peripheral anisotropy. Moreover, we show that the model predicts increased responses to correlated visual stimuli. Altogether, these results suggest that crowding has little immediate bearing on object recognition but is a by-product of a general, elementary integration mechanism in early vision aimed at improving signal quality.


PURPOSE
To compare the topical use of 0.025% ketotifen fumarate and 0.1% olopatadine hydrochloride in the treatment of patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis.

METHODS
A study performed in one center, simple masked, parallel-group compared ketotifen and olopatadine. These patients were evaluated on four visits during the treatment (days 1, 7, 14 and 21), defined by ratings scores. Adverse events were the main variable of safety rating.

RESULTS
On evaluating ocular itching, burning, tearing, conjunctival hyperemia, mucous discharge and photophobia, the ketotifen group showed a significant improvement of total signs and symptoms (p<0.05). Between the baseline and the 2nd visit, treatment with olopatadine resulted in decreased burning, but after the 4th visit, ketotifen was slightly better. Sand sensation, papillae and Horner-Trantas dots were not significantly different in both groups.

CONCLUSION
Both drugs were efficient and safe relieving the main symptoms and signs of vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Between the same timepoints, there was a significant difference in favor of ketotifen-treated patients (p<0.05), showing improvement of itching, tearing, conjunctival hyperemia, mucous discharge and photophobia.


'Rewriting History' is a reappraisal of Shakespeare's history cycle, exploring its origins, its popularity and its effects before challenging its dominance on critical and theatrical perceptions of the history plays. A critical history of the cycle shows how external factors such as patriotism, bardolatory, character-focused criticism and the editorial decision of the First Folio are responsible for the cycle, more so than any inherent aspects of the plays. The performance history of the cycle charts the initial innovations made in the twentieth century which have affected our perception of characters and key scenes in the texts. I then argue how the cycle has become increasingly restrictive, lacking innovation and consequently undervaluing the potential of the histories. Having accounted for the history of the cycle to date, the second part of my thesis looks at the consequent effects upon each history play, and details how each play can be performed and analysed individually. I close my thesis with the suggestion that a compromise between individual and serial perceptions is warranted, where both ideas are acknowledged equally for their effects and defects. By broadening our ideas about these plays we can appreciate the dramatic potential locked within them.


The paper lists 422 fish species from north east India, belonging to 133 genera and 38 families. The maximum diversity is observed in the family Cyprinidae, which is represented by 154 species. Families Anguillidae, Engraulidae, Chacidae, Aplocheilidae, Syngnathidae, Sciaenidae, Osphronemidae, Ophichthidae, Pristigastiridae and Tetraodontidae are represented by a single species each. The habitat, economic importance, distribution (within Northeast India) and threat criteria are listed. The names of the species are corrected after following the new nomenclature. The list includes plain, torrential and estuarine, as well as exotic species. The species are listed from findings of the documented references that have been known till December, 2011. The threats criteria have been finalised from the IUCN & NBFGR reports and physical verification of the habitat, in different seasons and the existing natural and anthropogenic hazards that prevail. It has been found that the fish diversity of these hotspots faces serious threats which would lead to a catastrophic loss of our biodiversity. Further, this survey shows that the north eastern region of India contains more than 62.81% of total freshwater fish available in the country, as against the 667 freshwater species reported. The findings provide 48 endangered, 69 near threatened, 103 vulnerable, 153 least concerned, 23 data deficient and 26 not evaluated species from the list. The different natural and anthropogenic threats are evaluated. The impact of the different threats and the present conservation status of the fish fauna from the north eastern region of India raises several questions regarding their sustainance as well as the need for a future environmental impact analysis.


Contact with environmental alkylating agents brings about modification of DNA bases, mispairing, mutations, and cancer. Nucleophilic compounds may be able to consume these toxins, thereby providing an alternative reaction pathway and preventing DNA damage. Owing to promising results from animal trials, oxidovanadium compounds present a potential class of nucleophilic complexes for preventing cancer. We are studying the reactivity of alkylating toxins with oxidovanadium-ligand compounds. The complexes K[VO(2)(salhyph(R)(2))], where salhyph is the salicylidenehydrazide ligand, are the focus of this study. By changing the electron donating or withdrawing ability of the -R substituents upon the salhyph(R)(2) ligand (R = -NO(2), -H, -CH(3), -OCH(3)), a family of compounds is obtained to investigate. Conductivity measurements reveal significant ion-pairing of all compounds in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solutions. Kinetic analysis shows that this ion-pairing causes a reduction in reaction rates. Reactivity of K[VO(2)(salhyph(R)(2))] is attributed exclusively to the non-ion-paired "free" [VO(2)(salhyph(R)(2))](-) anion in solution. Both (1)H and (51)V NMR spectroscopic studies show that direct alkylation of K[VO(2)(salhyph(H)(2))].CH(3)OH generates a VO(OCH(2)CH(3))(salhyph(H)(2)) intermediate which then protonates to release CH(3)CH(2)OH and a proposed [VO(salhyph(H)(2))](+) compound. Upon hydrolysis the dinuclear {[VO(salhyph(H)(2))](2)O} end product is formed. This mechanistic understanding and ability to exert control over reactions between inorganic compounds and alkylating toxins may aid in the future development of pharmaceuticals for preventing DNA damage.


The Grand River is a major contributor of nutrients and dissolved and suspended solids to the eastern basin of Lake Erie. To better understand the impact of the Grand River plume on the surrounding receiving waters, we integrated data analysis and modelling of the Grand River plume transport in the eastern basin of Lake Erie using a high-resolution depth-integrated nonlinear barotropic finite element model. An extended domain of receiving waters with closed boundary was applied in this numerical study due to the lack of observations needed for specifying the open boundary conditions. The size of closed domain was chosen by considering balance between the computing time and stabilizing the hydrodynamic flow. Numerical simulations of the influence of wind on the plume transport in the vicinity of the Grand River mouth were performed. The root mean square error values of alongshore and cross-shore current components were 5 and 2.85 cm s -1 , respectively. The transport simulations compare favorably (±20%) with observations of conductivity in the vicinity of the Grand River mouth. This study demonstrates that a two-dimensional numerical model can reasonably predict the river plume transport in a large lake during unstratified periods. Plume movement is primarily controlled by the wind-driven coastal current. Our simulations indicate that the frequent reversals of this current should effectively limit the plume's alongshore extent and may result in a continuous coastal band of turbid water extending alongshore in either direction in the vicinity of the river mouth.


We provide new examples of Cayley graphs on which the quantum walks reach uniform mixing. Our first result is a complete characterization of all $2(d+2)$-regular Cayley graphs over $\mathbb{Z}_3^d$ that admit uniform mixing at time $2\pi/9$. Our second result shows that for every integer $k\ge 3$, we can construct Cayley graphs over $\mathbb{Z}_q^d$ that admit uniform mixing at time $2\pi/q^k$, where $q=3, 4$.
We also find the first family of irregular graphs, the Cartesian powers of the star $K_{1,3}$, that admit uniform mixing.


The development of factor markets has opened Chinese agriculture for the penetration of capitalism. This new round of rural transformation—China's agrarian transition— raises the agrarian question in the Chinese context. This study investigates how capitalist forms and relations of production transform agricultural production and the peasantry class in rural China. The authors identify six forms of nonpeasant agricultural production, compare the labor regimes and direct producers' socioeconomic statuses across these forms, and evaluate the role of China's land-rights institution in shaping these forms. The empirical investigation presents three main findings: (1) Peasant differentiation : capitalist forms of agricultural production differentiate peasants into a variety of new class positions. (2) Market-based stratification: producers in capitalist agriculture are primarily stratified by their positions in labor and land markets; their socioeconomic statuses are linked with their varying degrees of proletarianization. (3) Institutional mediation: rural China's dual-track land system plays a crucial role in shaping the diverse and unique forms of capitalist production.


Vitamin C is a water-soluble compound found in living organisms. It is an essential nutrient for various metabolism in our body and also serves as a reagent for the preparation of many materials in the pharmaceutical and food industry. In this perspective, this chapter can develop interest and curiosity among all practicing scientists and technologists by expounding the details of its sources, chemistry, multifunctional properties and applications.


With increasing interest in new catalytic materials based on doping of ceria with lower-valence metal cation, in this paper, a series of Ce1–xZnxO2-δ (Ce–Znx) solid solution catalysts were prepared by a surfactant-free coprecipitation method. The catalytic activity of ceria nanostructures was enhanced by increasing density of oxygen vacancy defects in these catalysts by doping. The morphology of the nanodisks can be facilely controlled by changing reaction parameters such as dosage of reagent, reaction time, and temperature. In addition, Ce–Znx catalyst supported with Au nanoparticles was also prepared, and its activity for CO oxidation was greatly enhanced, due to the acceleration of gas-phase oxygen activation and transferring via spillover. It turns out that the synthesized Ce–Znx materials supported with Au nanoparticles exhibit excellent activity for removing CO by catalytic oxidation with a 100% conversion at 85 °C, demonstrating promising applications in environmental remediation.


INVOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WITH POLICY PROCESSES by TIFFANY DAWN WILLIAMS (Under the Direction of Rebecca Moore) ABSTRACT The primary purpose of this research is to evaluate the journalistic norms found in mass media coverage involving environmental issues with policy processes. This information will give a better understanding of how the quality and quantity of environmental coverage affects the public's awareness and perception concerning these issues. Specifically this research employs a content analysis model to analyze magazine articles involving acid rain and CFCs from the years 1980-1989 to assess the journalistic trends of this decade and apply these findings to current environmental coverage. The qualitative findings of the study indicate that
mass
media
present
 information
in
a
framed
manner
leaving
audiences
with
values
of
how
to
view
respective
 environmental
issues.


ABSTRACT Informational cascades are theorized as an underlying mechanism of herding. That is, an individual, having observed the actions of those ahead of him/her, chooses to follow the behavior of the preceding individuals even though his/her private information suggests other options. Empirical identification of informational cascades is challenging because individual users' private information is unobservable. Our study utilizes a unique data set on post-adoption discontinuance of app usage to revisit herding and informational cascades in software adoption. We find that with the download of apps being controlled, a higher software ranking is associated with more post-adoption discontinuance of app usage, which empirically illustrates the decision deficiency of following others' observed behavior in adopting popular software apps and supports the theoretical perspective of informational cascades. We further show that the association between app ranking and post-adoption discontinuance is stronger for apps with higher ratings and with higher complexity levels. Moreover, as apps become more complex in the app life cycle, updated app versions with a higher level of complexity are associated with a weaker relationship between app ranking and post-adoption discontinuance. Our study contributes to the literature by confirming the informational cascades effect and its interaction with other informational mechanisms (e.g., user rating) and software internal feature (e.g., product complexity) in software adoption. The findings help software vendors gain insights in users' herding behavior in software adoption and optimize their software releasing strategies and promotional effort allocation.


ABSTRACT In September 1955 in Argentina a coup d'état backed by a heterogeneous coalition of military and civil actors overthrew the elected government of Juan Domingo Perón and set out to profoundly alter most of his policies. One key aspect to be addressed was that of housing and, by extension, the role of shantytowns in the urban landscape. Indeed, after a decade of significant social and economic change, urban employment had grown faster than housing provision and shantytowns had expanded rapidly, gaining sudden visibility. This article analyses the 1956 Plan de Emergencia, the first shantytown eradication programme launched in Argentina, in order to uncover the conceptions of housing sustained by the state at a crucial historical juncture. It argues that the Plan re-cast earlier ideas about housing and planning, and updated them to a new political context. The article argues that such changes reflected several historical contradictions, for example, by recommending state-sponsored clearance alongside state withdrawal from housing funding. Furthermore, as the Plan intertwined local concerns with inter-American discussions, it engaged with emerging professional networks of the Cold War Americas and set a key antecedent for subsequent housing and urban plans during the 1960s and 1970s.


Over the past year the recovery in the UK economy appears to have slowed. That weakness in UK demand has been driven by falling consumption, reflecting the challenging environment facing households. This article examines the factors affecting households' budgets and spending decisions using the latest survey of households carried out for the Bank of England by NMG Consulting in September 2011. The survey suggests that most households had experienced an income squeeze, and credit conditions remained tight. Around half of households reported that they had been affected by, and had responded to, the fiscal consolidation. Reported levels of financial distress had remained elevated but had been contained by the low level of Bank Rate and some forbearance by lenders. Looking ahead, households were uncertain about future incomes and expected to continue to be influenced by the fiscal tightening. Households in aggregate, did not expect to change the amount they saved.


Significant increases in processing power, coupled with the miniaturization of processing units operating at low power levels, has motivated the embedding of modern control systems into medical devices. The design of such embedded decision-making strategies for medical applications is driven by multiple crucial factors, such as: (i) guaranteed safety in the presence of exogenous disturbances and unexpected system failures; (ii) constraints on computing resources; (iii) portability and longevity in terms of size and power consumption; and (iv) constraints on manufacturing and maintenance costs. Embedded control systems are especially compelling in the context of modern artificial pancreas systems (AP) used in glucose regulation for patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Herein, a review of potential embedded control strategies that can be leveraged in a fully-automated and portable AP is presented. Amongst competing controllers, emphasis is provided on model predictive control (MPC), since it has been established as a very promising control strategy for glucose regulation using the AP. Challenges involved in the design, implementation and validation of safety-critical embedded model predictive controllers for the AP application are discussed in detail. Additionally, the computational expenditure inherent to MPC strategies is investigated, and a comparative study of runtime performances and storage requirements among modern quadratic programming solvers is reported for a desktop environment and a prototype hardware platform.


Eight clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium highly resistant to gentamicin (MIC, > 1,000 mg/liter) from patients in six hospitals on three continents were investigated for evidence of spread of either a clone of high-level gentamicin-resistant (HLGR) E. faecium or wide dissemination of a gentamicin resistance (Gmr) plasmid. A combination of ribotypes, plasmid profiles, and extended antimicrobial susceptibilities enabled us to distinguish all but two of the isolates and did not suggest clonal dissemination of a single strain. Two isolates from hospitals situated close together appeared identical by these methods. All of the isolates carried Gmr plasmids which appeared to be closely related following digestion with restriction endonucleases. Cross-hybridization studies confirmed extensive DNA homology between these plasmids. The fragments of these plasmids which hybridized with a probe specific for the aac6'aph2" resistance gene did not resemble those seen in the Gmr transposon Tn5281, which was characterized previously in E. faecalis HH22. This study suggests that there has been widespread dissemination of a single Gmr plasmid and its derivatives amongst isolates of HLGR E. faecium, although a Gmr plasmid from an HLGR E. faecium isolated in the United States showed little homology with the other Gmr plasmids studied.


Study on cuscus hunting as a form of wildlife utilization by Biak ethnic group surrounding the North Biak Strict Nature Reserce (CABU) was carried out through direct observation and interview with hunter respondents and other key respondents among four villages that purposively chosen i.e. Inswambesi, Kayomi, Wasani, dan Sansundi at the Warsa District of Biak Numfor, Papua. Two species of cuscus occurs in the study site were common cuscus (Phalanger orientalis) and spotted cuscus (Spilocuscus maculatus) and they were observed as hunting target in CABU. Hunting was performed partly as routine activity used various traditional tools (slash blade, trap, spear, and calling cuscus) and modern weapon (firearm). Cuscus hunting was done to supply animal protein for households, inspite some hunting results raised for consumption and market purposes. For one period of hunting 3-4 cuscus were caught and it was lower than five years ago. It was indicated that the population condition was vulnerable on overharvest and at the present time cuscus population tend to decreased. Traditional wisdom of Biak ethnic group should be explored and practiced again as the form of local law in order to manage cuscus hunting for the future cuscus conservation program. Key words: cuscus, hunting, biak ethnic group


Abstract Grammatical and lexical cohesion are necessary conditions to guarantee a text's coherence (Halliday and Hasan 1976). Grammatical cohesion is classified into four types of relation: reference, conjunction, substitution, and ellipsis. This study aims to investigate the use of the cohesive device of reference in written discourse produced by users/learners of French as a foreign language, to explore the kind of references they prefer and to highlight the difficulties they come across. Our study is based on a learner corpus composed of written productions of Greek-speaking users/learners of French who participated in National Foreign Language Exam System (Κρατικό Πιστοποιητικό Γλωσσομάθειας, ΚΠΓ). We used a sample of texts produced by candidates who participated in the examination willing to be certified at the levels B (Independent user) and C (Proficient user) of language proficiency according to the 6-level scale of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (Council of Europe 2001).


A heat-stable microparticle platform improves oral micronutrient delivery. Mitigating micronutrient deficiency Particularly within the developing world, micronutrient deficiencies that impair growth and contribute to disease remain leading public health concerns. Although fortification of food can help treat deficiencies, heat used during cooking and other conditions can degrade vitamins, preventing adequate absorption. Anselmo and colleagues used the polymer BMC to encapsulate micronutrients. Microparticles encapsulating 11 micronutrients showed improved stability against oxidation, heat (such as boiling water used for cooking), and other conditions, and micronutrients were absorbed by the intestine when microparticles were administered to rodents. Data from two clinical trials and experiments using human intestinal tissue demonstrate how microparticle formulations were optimized to enhance iron loading, improve bioavailability, retain stability against cooking, and allow for scale-up. This microparticle platform could help improve oral delivery of micronutrients. Micronutrient deficiencies affect up to 2 billion people and are the leading cause of cognitive and physical disorders in the developing world. Food fortification is effective in treating micronutrient deficiencies; however, its global implementation has been limited by technical challenges in maintaining micronutrient stability during cooking and storage. We hypothesized that polymer-based encapsulation could address this and facilitate micronutrient absorption. We identified poly(butylmethacrylate-co-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)methacrylate-co-methylmethacrylate) (1:2:1) (BMC) as a material with proven safety, offering stability in boiling water, rapid dissolution in gastric acid, and the ability to encapsulate distinct micronutrients. We encapsulated 11 micronutrients (iron; iodine; zinc; and vitamins A, B2, niacin, biotin, folic acid, B12, C, and D) and co-encapsulated up to 4 micronutrients. Encapsulation improved micronutrient stability against heat, light, moisture, and oxidation. Rodent studies confirmed rapid micronutrient release in the stomach and intestinal absorption. Bioavailability of iron from microparticles, compared to free iron, was lower in an initial human study. An organotypic human intestinal model revealed that increased iron loading and decreased polymer content would improve absorption. Using process development approaches capable of kilogram-scale synthesis, we increased iron loading more than 30-fold. Scaled batches tested in a follow-up human study exhibited up to 89% relative iron bioavailability compared to free iron. Collectively, these studies describe a broad approach for clinical translation of a heat-stable ingestible micronutrient delivery platform with the potential to improve micronutrient deficiency in the developing world. These approaches could potentially be applied toward clinical translation of other materials, such as natural polymers, for encapsulation and oral delivery of micronutrients.


Tourmaline is commonly an accessory, locally abundant, mineral in granite-related hydrothermal Sn deposits and records information about the nature and evolution of mineralizing fluids and ore-forming processes. The world-class San Rafael lode-type Sn deposit, located in the northern part of the Andean Tin Belt in southern Peru, is characterized by volumetrically important tourmaline alteration, which resulted from massive fluid-rock interaction. Based on their paragenetic position, several generations of tourmaline have been identified in the San Rafael deposit both of magmatic and hydrothermal origin. They correspond to three major episodes of tourmaline formation that were characterized texturally and compositionally (major and trace elements, and oxygen isotopic signatures) by in situ analysis (SEM, EPMA, LA-ICP-MS, SIMS). The first one, magmatic tourmaline, is found in peraluminous granites. It is texturally homogeneous, has dravite composition with high Li, K, Na, and Zn contents, and shows a narrow range of δ18O values (10.4-11.6 ‰). The second episode corresponds to hydrothermal tourmaline formed during post-magmatic subsolidus alteration and veining-brecciation. It shows complex textural features at microscopical scale, and ranges in composition from dravite to schorl, with similar trace element and δ18O signatures (10.4-14.1 ‰) as the magmatic tourmalines. The last episode formed tourmaline with a schorl-foitite composition, high Sr, Be, Cr, Ni, and HREE contents, and lower δ18O values (7.1-9.7 ‰). It precedes the main quartz-cassiterite-chlorite ore stage and shows particularly high Sn contents (up to 1'000 ppm). Tourmaline formation at San Rafael results thus from multiple fluid circulation episodes in a protracted magmatic-hydrothermal system. Oxygen isotope data indicate precipitation from magmatic-dominated fluid, as recorded previously also for the main ore stage at San Rafael.


Ultrasonic technologies offer the potential for high accuracy and resolution in-pile measurement of numerous parameters, including geometry changes, temperature, crack initiation and growth, gas pressure and composition, and microstructural changes. Many Department of Energy-Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) programs are exploring the use of ultrasonic technologies to provide enhanced sensors for in-pile instrumentation during irradiation testing. For example, the ability of single, small diameter ultrasonic thermometers (UTs) to provide a temperature profile in candidate metallic and oxide fuel would provide much needed data for validating new fuel performance models. Other efforts include an ultrasonic technique to detect morphology changes (such as crack initiation and growth) and acoustic techniques to evaluate fission gas composition and pressure. These efforts are limited by the lack of existing knowledge of ultrasonic transducer material survivability under irradiation conditions. To address this need, the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) was awarded an Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility (ATR NSUF) project to evaluate promising magnetostrictive and piezoelectric transducer performance in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor (MITR) up to a fast fluence of at least 1021 n/cm2 (E> 0.1 MeV). This test will be an instrumented lead test; and real-time transducer performance data will be collected along with temperature and neutron and gamma flux data. By characterizing magnetostrictive and piezoelectric transducer survivability during irradiation, test results will enable the development of novel radiation tolerant ultrasonic sensors for use in Material and Test Reactors (MTRs). The current work bridges the gap between proven out-of-pile ultrasonic techniques and in-pile deployment of ultrasonic sensors by acquiring the data necessary to demonstrate the performance of ultrasonic transducers.


Objective: To clarify the incidence and clinical features of cholesterol crystal embolization (CCE). Methods: Analysis of the relevant data of 842 diagnosed cases of CCE filed in the Dutch National Pathology Information System from 1973 through 1994. Results: No report of CCE was recorded from 1973 through 1979. Since then, its incidence rose from 0.9 case per million population in 1980 to 6.0 cases per million population in 1985, but stabilized thereafter. Among autopsy reports, the relative percentage of CCE was similar over the years, with 0.35% in 1982 and 0.30% in 1994 (mean, 0.31%; range, 0.20% to 0.42%). Nine patients in whom CCE was found in their renal transplant were excluded from the study. Thus, among a total of 833 elderly (mean age, 72.1 years), predominantly male (73.9%) patients, 1066 CCE sites were found in 323 biopsy reports, 264 resection reports, and 287 autopsy reports. Conclusions: In the Dutch population, CCE is reported steadily, with an average frequency of 6.2 cases per million population per year since 1985. It occurs predominantly in elderly men with a history of atherosclerotic disease and hypertension. Symptoms may be absent, go unrecognized, or mimic other disease processes. It can also be a coincidental finding. The primary CCE site is the kidney, followed by the skin and the gastrointestinal tract. (Arch Intern Med. 1996;156:653-657)


Self-Organizing Network (SON) functions aim at automating mobile network management in three key areas: self-configuration, self-optimization and self-healing. This paper's focus is self-healing, the detection of outages and other faults in the network. The first step in every healing process is the detection of abnormal operation, also called anomaly or outlier detection. In this paper we propose a simple but effective statistics-based method for anomaly detection in mobile networks, using performance and failure Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to detect anomalies in cell behavior. The algorithm is aimed to be easy to setup, and is computationally less demanding than machine learning based algorithms, making it suitable for large networks or environments with low processing power. Results are presented on real mobile network data showing that the detector yields good results, outperforming basic failure indicator mechanisms.


This guide is intended to help Moorpark College students learn about a variety of resources for conducting research in sociology


Abstract 18 audio-frequency magnetotelluric (MT) sites were occupied along a profile across the northern Main Ethiopian Rift. The profile covered the central portion of the Ethiopia Afar Geoscientific Lithospheric Experiment (EAGLE) line 1 along which also a number of broadband seismic receivers were deployed, a controlled-source seismic survey was shot, and gravity data were collected. Here, a two-dimensional model of the MT data is presented and interpreted, and compared with the results of other methods. Shallow structure correlates well with geologically mapped Quaternary to Jurassic age rocks. Within it, a small, shallow conducting lens, at less than 1 km depth, beneath the Boset volcano may represent a magma body. The 100 Θm resistivity contour delineates the seismically inferred upper crust beneath the northern plateau. The Boset magmatic segment is characterized by conductive material extending to at least lower crustal depths. It has high velocity and density in the upper to mid-crust and upper mantle. Thus, all three results suggest a mafic intrusion at depth, with the MT model indicating that it contains partial melt. There is a second, slightly deeper, more conductive body in the lower crust beneath the northern plateau, tentatively interpreted as another zone containing partial melt. The crust is much more resistive beneath the southern plateau, and has no resistivity contrast between the upper and lower crust. The inferred geoelectric strike direction on the plateaus is approximately parallel to the trend of the rift border faults, but rotates northwards slightly within the rift, matching the orientation of the en echelon magmatic segments within it. This follows the change in orientation of the shear wave splitting fast direction.


IP address lookup provides forwarding decision based on incoming packet's destination address. Due to the rapid growth of the Internet traffic, IP address lookup became a bottleneck in the Internet routers since it should be performed in wire-speed on packet-by-packet basis. It has been required efficient algorithms and architectures for IP address lookup in terms of lookup performance, memory size requirement, scalability, and update. In this paper, we propose an IP address lookup architecture which shows very good performance in search speed while requires a single small-size memory. In the proposed architecture, using leaf pushing, each of the prefixes becomes disjoint, and the disjoint prefix set constructs a balanced tree that exploits outstanding storage efficiency. The proposed scheme performs binary search on the routing table, in which each of prefixes is stored in ascending order. By confining the binary search space using first 8 bits of prefix, the proposed architecture also improves the search performance greatly. Performance evaluation results show that the proposed scheme requires a single 266.6 KByte SRAM to store about 41000 routing entries, and an address lookup is achieved by 10.4 memory accesses in average.


Background: Several studies suggest that, in patients with COPD, Eos is associated with (i) exacerbation frequency and (ii) the effect of inhaled corticosteroid for exacerbation prevention. Aim: To determine whether Eos defines patients9 groups exhibiting attributes of COPD clinical phenotypes, we compared the clinical features and mortality rate between COPD patients with ≥2% (Eos+) and Methods: The following data were collected at inclusion: medical and smoking history, occupational exposures, dyspnea, cough and sputum production, exacerbations in the previous year, history of allergy and asthma, nasal symptoms, BMI, SGRQ score, post-bronchodilator spirometry and plethysmography, comorbidities, CRP and medications. Three-year survival was available for all patients. BOD and ADO scores were calculated. Results: Eos was available in 458 patients (mean age: 62 years, 72% male, mean FEV1: 51%), including 235 Eos+ patients (49%). No difference between Eos+ and Eos- groups was observed in univariate analyses except for diabetes (17% in Eos-, 8% in Eos+, p=0.02) and SGRQ score (mean, 48 units in Eos -, 40 units in Eos+, p=0.007). In particular, there was no difference in term of exacerbations rate (mean, 1.6/patient/year) or history of asthma (15% of the population). Three-year mortality rate was 17% in Eos- vs 13% in Eos+ (NS). Conclusion: Apart from differences in health-related quality of life and frequency of diabetes (which warrant further investigation), Eos+ COPD patients exhibit no specific clinical characteristic, especially regarding symptoms, lung function, exacerbations and prognosis.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Vertebrobasilar insufficiency, a direct result of compromised blood flow in the vertebrobasilar circulation, may be caused by stretching and/or compression of the vertebral arteries, particularly if superimposed on underlying atherosclerosis of the vessels. This is an important consideration when using manipulative therapy techniques. The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of atherosclerosis and to calculate the relative associated decrease in blood flow in the third and fourth parts of the vertebral artery, in a sample of the adult population.

METHOD
A laboratory-based experimental investigation was used to study 362 vertebral arteries from embalmed adult cadavers that were routinely processed for light microscopic study. The incidence of each grade of atherosclerosis in the vessels was recorded. Atherosclerosis was classified as grades 0-5, where Grade 0 represented no atherosclerosis and Grade 5 a fully developed plaque occluding more than 75% of the vessel lumen. From mean measurements of 188 of these arteries, the estimated decrease in luminal cross-sectional area and the relative decrease in blood flow in the atherosclerotic vessels were calculated.

RESULTS
The highest incidence of atherosclerosis found was Grade 3 (third part of the vertebral artery (VA3): 42.0%; fourth part of the vertebral artery (VA4): 35.2%). An estimated decrease in artery luminal cross-sectional area to 6.2% of normal in Grade 5 atherosclerosis was found. Because blood flow is proportional to the fourth power of the vessel radius, relative decreases in blood flow in grades 1-5 atherosclerosis from 100% to 0% (with critical closing pressure in vessels), respectively, are likely to occur.

CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that, as significant numbers of the sample showed marked (Grade 3+) atherosclerosis, concomitant with decreased blood flow in the vertebral arteries, this population is at risk for developing vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Because other Western populations may be similarly at risk, particular care should be taken when considering the use of rotational manipulative therapy techniques in treatments of the cervical spine.


We present, implement, and analyze a new scalable centralized algorithm, called OFT, for establishing shared cryptographic keys in large, dynamically changing groups. Our algorithm is based on a novel application of one-way function trees. In comparison with the top-down logical key hierarchy (LKH) method of Wallner et al., our bottom-up algorithm approximately halves the number of bits that need to be broadcast to members in order to rekey after a member is added or evicted. The number of keys stored by group members, the number of keys broadcast to the group when new members are added or evicted, and the computational efforts of group members, are logarithmic in the number of group members. Among the hierarchical methods, OFT is the first to achieve an approximate halving in broadcast length, an idea on which subsequent algorithms have built. Our algorithm provides complete forward and backward security: Newly admitted group members cannot read previous messages, and evicted members cannot read future messages, even with collusion by arbitrarily many evicted members. In addition, and unlike LKH, our algorithm has the option of being member contributory in that members can be allowed to contribute entropy to the group key. Running on a Pentium II, our prototype has handled groups with up to 10 million members. This algorithm offers a new scalable method for establishing group session keys for secure large-group applications such as broadcast encryption, electronic conferences, multicast sessions, and military command and control.


Metallopharmaceutics is regarded as the subject in which drugs are complex with metals like platinum, zinc iron, etc. It is becoming the field of interest in medical sciences including oncology and diabetes. In this study, molybdenum and cobalt are used to prepare the metal complexes using glucomannan as the ligand. Pre-formulation studies performed for the drug proved to be of optimal results, which included angle of repose and swelling index. Stability studies were conducted for a time period of three months. The post-formulation studies including UV analysis and dissolution studies using egg membrane were performed. The drug had a distinct but weak peak at 267 nm. Formulation batch F5 had the best dissolution rate in terms of sustainability. Release kinetic studies showed that F5 (Glucomannan 500 mg + cobalt 1000 mg) had a linearity of 0.997 in the Higuchi diffusion plot. This infers that the plant-based extracts which possess low but significant therapeutic activity can be


The seasonal, annual and geographical changes in the Relative Condition Factor of a total of 65,113 individual biological data of Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) were analysed. These data were collected in three areas of the North Atlantic (NAFO Div. 3LNO and 3M, and ICES Div. IIb) in commercial fishing and scientific surveys from 1992 to 2003. The condition stage varied significantly among areas considering the season and sex, with a slightly increasing general trend in 3M and IIb, and descending in 3LNO in the studied period, but any clear pattern over time in any area. This index showed high differences among the three areas in the individuals ≥80 cm. This group showed a similar condition in Div. 3LNO and 3M but smaller in IIb, however the values were similar in inferior sizes for the three areas. There was a decrease of the condition in the intermediate sizes (30-60 cm) in the three areas in all the seasons. In general, the condition of males was slightly higher than in females, but both sexes presented annual oscillations. Relationship between the condition stage and the estimated biomass was not appreciated.


Patient telemonitoring results in an aggregation of significant amounts of information about patient disease trajectory. However, the potential use of this information for early prediction of exacerbations in adult asthma patients has not been systematically evaluated. The aim of this study was to explore the utility of telemonitoring data for building machine learning algorithms that predict asthma exacerbations before they occur. The study dataset comprised daily self‐monitoring reports consisting of 7001 records submitted by adult asthma patients during home telemonitoring. Predictive modeling included preparation of stratified training datasets, predictive feature selection, and evaluation of resulting classifiers. Using a 7‐day window, a naive Bayesian classifier, adaptive Bayesian network, and support vector machines were able to predict asthma exacerbation occurring on day 8, with sensitivity of 0.80, 1.00, and 0.84; specificity of 0.77, 1.00, and 0.80; and accuracy of 0.77, 1.00, and 0.80, respectively. Our study demonstrated that machine learning techniques have significant potential in developing personalized decision support for chronic disease telemonitoring systems. Future studies may benefit from a comprehensive predictive framework that combines telemonitoring data with other factors affecting the likelihood of developing acute exacerbation. Approaches implemented for advanced asthma exacerbation prediction may be extended to prediction of exacerbations in patients with other chronic health conditions.


In his most recent book, "The Maya and Catholicism: An Encounter of Worldviews," John Early examined the relationship between the Maya and the Catholic Church from the sixteenth century through the colonial and early national periods. In "Maya and Catholic Cultures in Crisis," he returns to delve into the changing worldviews of these two groups in the second half of the twentieth century--a period of great turmoil for both. Drawing on his personal experiences as a graduate student, a Roman Catholic priest in the region and his extensive archival research, Early constructs detailed case histories of the Maya uprisings against the governments of Guatemala and Mexico, exploring Liberation Catholicism s integral role in these rebellions as well as in the evolutions of Maya and Catholic theologies. His meticulous and insightful study is indispensable to understanding Maya politics, society, and religion in the late twentieth century."


Given two coprime polynomials $P$ and $Q$ in $\Z[x,y]$ of degree bounded by $d$ and bitsize bounded by $\tau$, we address the problem of solving the system $\{P,Q\}$. We are interested in certified numerical approximations or,
more precisely, isolating boxes of the solutions. We are also interested in computing, as intermediate symbolic objects, rational parameterizations of he solutions, and in particular Rational Univariate Representations (RURs), which can easily turn many queries on the system into queries on univariate polynomials. Such representations
require the computation of a separating form for the system, that is a linear combination of the variables that takes different values when evaluated at the distinct solutions of the system.
 We present new algorithms for computing linear separating forms, RUR decompositions and isolating boxes of the solutions. We show that these three algorithms have worst-case bit complexity $\widetilde{O}_B(d^6+d^5\tau)$, where $\widetilde{O}$ refers to the complexity where polylogarithmic factors are omitted and $O_B$ refers to the
bit complexity. We also present probabilistic Las-Vegas variants of our two first algorithms, which have expected bit complecity $\widetilde{O}_B(d^5+d^4\tau)$. A key ingredient of our proofs of complexity is an amortized analysis of the triangular decomposition algorithm via subresultants, which is of independent interest.


By using fixed point results of mixed monotone operators on cones and the
 concept of Φ-concavity, we study the existence and uniqueness of positive
 solutions for some nonlinear fractional differential equations via given
 boundary value problems. Some concrete examples are also provided
 illustrating the obtained results.


In the new paradigm of territorial development, an important role is attributed to the cooperation of local government units with the society, considered as a factor of local development. This cooperation is determined, among others, by engaging citizens in local matters, including through social economy entities. Local authorities of the entities of social economy perceive and evaluate this activity in a slightly different way, which is not conducive to the development of cooperation or the region. Thus, the purpose of the article is to assess the role and level of social participation in local development in the light of the opinions of local governments and entities of social economy. The following methods were used in the study: literature analysis, comparative analysis of the results of surveys carried out in the communes of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship and among social economy entities operating in this area (research was carried out in 2017-2018), inference and plus evaluations. They enabled (1) a synthetic assessment of the role and level of social involvement in local development and an indication of differences in its perception by the surveyed entities, as well as (2) formulating recommendations for improving cooperation between local governments and the society and social economy entities.


Most contracts that individuals enter into are not written from scratch but depend upon forms and terms that have been successful in the past. In this paper we study the structure of the form construction contracts published by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). We show that these contracts are an efficient solution to the problem of procuring large, complex projects when unforeseen contingencies are inevitable. This is achieved by carefully structuring the ex post bargaining game between the Principal and the Agent. The optimal mechanism corresponding to the AIA construction form is consistent with decisions of the courts in several prominent, but controversial, cases, and hence provides an economic foundation for a number of the common-law excuses from performance. Finally, the case of form contracts for construction is an example of how markets, as opposed to private negotiation, can be used to determine efficient contract terms.


2′-Azaflavonone (6) and 3′-azaflavonone (7); were synthesized by a simple environmentally friendly microwave-assisted one-pot method for the cyclization of 2′-hydroxy β′-2-azachalcanon-β-ol (1), 2′-hydroxy (E)2-azachalcone (2), 2′-hydroxy (E)-3-azachalcone (3) under solventless conditions using K-10 clay. In addition to these synthesis, 3-(pyridin-2-yl methyl)-2′-azaflavone (8) and 3-(pyridin-3-yl methyl)-3′-azaflavone (9) were synthesized using silica-supported sodium hydrogen sulphate then the treatment with base, respectively. Additionally, for antimicrobial activities N-alkyl substituted 3′-azaflavonium and 2′-azaflavonium bromides (1012) were prepared from compounds 3, 4 5 and 8 9.


LAszI6 Lukacs, MD Gyorgy Szant6, MD Imre Kassai, MD Maria Lengyel, MD From January 1966 through December 1985, 29 adolescents and adults underwent surgical repair of a partial atrioventricular septal defect at our institution. The patients included 20 females and 9 males, whose ages ranged from 16 to 47 years (mean, 27.6 ± 10.1 years). Preoperatively, 24 patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I or 11, and 5 were in class Ill. The pulmonary artery systolic pressure ranged from 22 to 62 mmHg (mean, 38.3± 12.7 mmHg). The pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio ranged from 1.4 to 2.9 (mean, 2.3 ± 0.5). Upon left ventriculography, regurgitation through the left atrioventricular valve was trivial or nonexistent in 4 patients (13.8%), mild in 14 (48.3%), moderate in 10 (34.5%), and severe in 1 patient (3.4%). All patients underwent patch closure of the ostium primum defect, and all but 2 underwent partial or complete suturing of the septal commissure. One patient died within 30 days, for a hospital mortality of 3.4 %. The follow-up period ranged from 7 to 25 years (mean, 15.2± 5.3 years). Postoperatively, all patients were evaluated with 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography. One patient underwent early implantation of a permanent pacemaker for persistent complete heart block. Three patients succumbed to late death 10, 15, and 21 years after operation. Among the 25 long-term survivors, 1 patient required late valve replacement because of severe left atrioventricular valve regurgitation. Nine (37.5%) of the other 24 long-term survivors had little or no regurgitation. Of the 11 patients with moderate-to-severe preoperative left atrioventricular valve regurgitation, 4 had moderate postoperative regurgitation. Seventeen patients had a moderate or severe persistent apical systolic murmur At the latest follow-up in 1991, 5 (20%) of the 25 long-term survivors had significant arrhythmias. At 25 years, the actuarial survival rate was 78.9% ± 25.6%. All 25 surviving patients were in New York Heart Association class I or 11. The rate of freedom from reoperation was 77.7% ± 25.9%. We conclude that, in adolescents and adults, correction of a partial atrioventricular septal defect entails little risk and is likely to improve the patient's functional status. Repair of the left atrioventricular valve yields good results, even at long-term follow-up. (Texas Heart Institute Journal 1992;19:265-9)


Almost 4,000 Canadians kill themselves annually but few suicides merit news coverage because of long-standing newsroom policies and attitudes. These policies are shaped by recommendations from mental health professionals who say the publicity around one suicide can trigger copycat acts. Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook provide new venues for journalists to learn about suicides and glean personal details of the deceased. A review of the media coverage of the suicides of Rehtaeh Parsons, Amanda Todd and Jamie Hubley shows that information published on social media influenced how journalists reported on these deaths. Through interviews with journalists and mental health professionals, this thesis examines changing societal attitudes to mental health and suicide and implications for media coverage. It concludes that social media is changing the reporting of suicides and that guidelines meant to influence such reporting remain important to help deter copycat acts, provided they respect journalistic integrity.


The influence of Soviet-made antidepressants pyrazidol and incazane on some clonidine-induced effects (hypolocomotion, reactions of synchronization and desynchronization in the EEG, aggression) were studied. Pyrazidol and incazane reduce the effects of low doses of clonidine--the hypolocomotor one and the synchronization reaction in the EEG and enhance the effects of a high dose of clonidine--aggression and the desynchronization reaction in the EEG. The reduction of the sedative effects of clonidine as well as the enhancement of its activating effects by antidepressants can reflect the activation of adrenergic transmission by them. The adrenopositive effect of pyrazidol and incazane is more pronounced that that of imipramine.


This paper proposes a sigma—delta fractional-N frequency synthesizer-based multi-standard I/Q carrier generation system. With reasonable frequency planning, the system can be used in multi-standard wireless communication applications (GSM, WCDMA, GPRS, TD-SCDMA, WLAN (802.11a/b/g)). The implementation is achieved by a 0.13 μm RF CMOS process. The measured results demonstrate that three quadrature VCOs (QVCO) continuously cover the frequency from 3.1 to 6.1 GHz (65.2%), and through the successive divide-by-2 prescalers to achieve the frequency from 0.75 to 6.1 GHz continuously. The chip was fully integrated with the exception of an off-chip filter. The entire chip area is only 3.78 mm2, and the system consumes a 21.7 mA @ 1.2 V supply without output buffers. The lock-in time of the PLL frequency synthesizer is less than 4 μs over the entire frequency range with a direct frequency presetting technique and the auxiliary non-volatile memory (NVM) can store the digital configuration signal of the system, including presetting signals to avoid the calibration process case by case.


Problematic aspects of the synergy of youth and migration policy, which acquire additional relevance for Ukraine in the war conditions, in the article were considered. The aim of the article is the scientific substantiation of the conceptual provisions regarding the regulation of youth migration mobility with the detection of modern priorities for Ukraine. The analysis of the legislation of Ukraine in the social sphere made it possible to reveal the importance of the issue of state support for youth among the conceptual-strategic and program-target priorities. At a time when developed countries are actively promoting the idea of «Talent on the Move», youth migration in Ukraine is taking on threatening characteristics due to the lack of systematic regulation of it. The results of a sociological survey of young people with migration experience, based on the example of the Lviv region of Ukraine, proved that youth re-emigration intentions were extremely low even before the Russo-Ukrainian War 2022. The emigration of Ukrainian youth is intellectualizing, changing the previous migration labor wave. The current wave of forced emigration also has the face of children and youth, who are highly likely to successfully integrate into host societies. Taking into account the risks of irreversible demographic losses and the social functionality of the state, it is necessary to implement a new concept of regulating the youth migration mobility, which includes measures to influence migration movements and migration potential, as well as support for the main areas of youth life. The new concept should be developed in accordance with the regulated priorities of national security, human and sustainable development, the expediency of youth policy regionalization in the conditions of a successful decentralization reform. The basis of the migration potential regulation is the organization of migration mobility monitoring in the context of the development and capitalization of human potential, that is, the clarification of the consequences of migration for the person and the region (state) of origin. It is mandatory to support of social ties with diaspora institutions. The new concept of regulating the youth migration mobility should aim to stimulate their re-emigration with a promising transition to ensuring circular migration during the post-war recovery period of Ukraine. The obtained results are the basis for further research in the part of determining the mechanisms of stimulating the re-emigration of young people to Ukraine and attracting their potential during further stay abroad.


This paper explores the connections between independence from Spain and Portugal and economic backwardness in Latin America. The release of the fiscal burden was offset by higher costs of self-government, while opening up to the international economy represented a handmaiden of growth. Independence had a very different impact across regions and widened regional disparities. The commitment to the colonial mercantilism conditioned the new republics' performance but, on the whole, GDP per head increased in the half a century after emancipation. It appears that inherited Iberian institutions cannot be blamed for Latin America's poor performance relative to the US, especially if the scope is widened to include the post-independence performance of former European colonies in Africa and Asia. It is suggested that before jumping to the usual negative assessment of nineteenth century Latin America, a comparison of post-independence performance in other world regions will be required.


In this study, time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TR-LIFS) and ultrasonography were applied to detect vulnerable (high-risk) atherosclerotic plaque. A total of 813 TR-LIFS measurements were taken from carotid plaques of 65 patients, and subsequently analyzed using the Laguerre deconvolution technique. The investigated spots were classified by histopathology as thin, fibrotic, calcified, low-inflamed, inflamed and necrotic lesions. Spectral and time-resolved parameters (normalized intensity values and Laguerre expansion coefficients) were extracted from the TR-LIFS data. Feature selection for classification was performed by either analysis of variance (ANOVA) or principal component analysis (PCA). A stepwise linear discriminant analysis algorithm was developed for detecting inflamed and necrotic lesion, representing the most vulnerable plaques. These vulnerable plaques were detected with high sensitivity (>80%) and specificity (>90%). Ultrasound (US) imaging was obtained in 4 carotid plaques in addition to TR-LIFS examination. Preliminary results indicate that US provides important structural information of the plaques that could be combined with the compositional information obtained by TR-LIFS, to obtain a more accurate diagnosis of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque


Increasing density of microelectronic packages, results in an increase in thermal and mechanical stresses within the various layers of the package. To accommodate the high-performance demands, the materials used in the electronic package would also require improvement. Specifically, the damage that often occurs in solders that function as die-attachment and thermal interfaces need to be addressed. This work evaluates and characterizes thermo-mechanical damage in two material systems – Electroplated Tin and Sintered Nano-Silver solder. Tin plated electrical contacts are prone to formation of single crystalline tin whiskers which can cause short circuiting. A mechanistic model of their formation, evolution and microstructural influence is still not fully understood. In this work, growth of mechanically induced tin whiskers/hillocks is studied using in situ Nano-indentation and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). Electroplated tin was indented and monitored in vacuum to study growth of hillocks without the influence of atmosphere. Thermal aging was done to study the effect of intermetallic compounds. Grain orientation of the hillocks and the plastically deformed region surrounding the indent was studied using Focused Ion Beam (FIB) lift-out technique. In addition, micropillars were milled on the surface of electroplated Sn using FIB to evaluate the yield strength and its relation to Sn grain size. High operating temperature power electronics use wide band-gap semiconductor devices (Silicon Carbide/Gallium Nitride). The operating temperature of these devices can exceed 250oC, preventing use of traditional Sn-solders as Thermal Interface materials (TIM). At high temperature, the thermomechanical stresses can severely degrade the reliability and life of the device. In this light, new non-destructive approach is needed to understand the damage mechanism when subjected to reliability tests such as thermal cycling. In this work, sintered nano-Silver was identified as a promising high temperature TIM. Sintered nano-Silver samples were fabricated and their shear strength was evaluated. Thermal cycling tests were conducted and damage evolution was characterized using a lab scale 3D X-ray system to periodically assess changes in the microstructure such as cracks, voids, and porosity in the TIM layer. The evolution of microstructure and the effect of cycling temperature during thermal cycling are discussed. Materials Science & Engineering Doctoral Defense Characterization of Thermo-Mechanical Damage in Tin and Sintered Nano-Silver Solders Irene Lujan Regalado Advisor: Dr. Nikhilesh Chawla April 13, 2018; 10 AM; ECG 347 School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy


We analyze several puzzling features of a recent experiment with a noninteracting gas of atoms in a quadrupole trap. After an initial momentum kick, the system reaches a stationary, quasi-thermal state even without collisions, due to the dephasing of individual particle trajectories. Surprisingly, the momentum distribution remains anisotropic at long times, characterized by different "temperatures" along the different directions. In particular, there is no transfer of the kick energy between the axial and radial trap directions. To understand these effects we discuss and solve two closely related models: a spherically symmetric trap $V(r)\simeq r^\alpha$ and a strongly confined gas along one direction (a "pancake" trap). We find that in the isotropic trap, the gas unexpectedly also preserves the anisotropy of the kick at long times, which we are able to explain using the conservation of angular momentum and the virial theorem. Depending on the value of $\alpha$ we find that the kick can cool or heat the orthogonal directions. The pancake trap case is quantitatively similar to the quadrupole one. We show that for the former, the temperature anisotropy and memory of the kick direction are due to the change in the 2D effective potential resulting from the kick, thereby also explaining the quadrupole experimental results.


The technological progressions have affected the society so as to take a leap towards success. Every technological reform is the small step towards advancement and progress of mankind. Developments in information technologies also have been impact upon educational organizations.
The Education became growingly important for people of all nations during the past century, and that model will be no less true, during the 21st Century. Modern Distance Education became strong by networks depending on the ICT and the tools of internet, supplies large benefits that are leveling the domain of global playing, on one hand of supplying the access and the chances for the education. Using Mobile technology integrated with satellite technology especially the satellite IMT-Advanced systems based on SAT-OFDM technology in Distance Education may be pressing to evolve nations, where a lot of their populations are dispersed in the rural and remote areas. A system of M-School Management is the comprehensive web-based Software for Management of School. It is a powerful tool based on Mobile technology and the tools of internet resource planning platform for enterprise that collects the core functions of different systems into the single overall package, included System of Student Information (SIS), System of the Course Management (CMS), Fingerprint Recognition Student Attendance system, Examination, Library, Video conference and VoIP.
The Satellite IMT-Advanced systems based on SAT-OFDM technology can supply trustworthy and ubiquitous communication services anywhere on a universal basis. In this article, we present research that is concerned with building a System of M-School Management depending on Mobile technology integrated with the Satellite IMT-Advanced Systems based on SAT-OFDM technology for Iraq environment, where a proportion of its population are scattered in rural and remote areas. It is designing for best interaction amongst the students, the tutors, the parents and administration of the school. This software of management very safely processes all requirements for simple school management.


Autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA) or Kjer disease (MIM #165500) is a primary inherited nonsyndromic optic neuropathy that results in loss of retinal ganglion cells, leading to the clinical appearance of optic atrophy. It is caused by mutations in optic atrophy 1 (OPA1), a dynamin-related protein of the inner mitochondrial membrane. Recent evidence supports a role for OPA1 in the regulation of the process of cristae remodelling during apoptosis, by which the complete release of mitochondrial stores of cytochrome c is achieved, supporting a role for apoptosis in the pathogenesis of ADOA. Here we review the basic clinical features of ADOA, the biology of OPA1 and its role in the regulation of mitochondrial shape changes during apoptosis.

Key concepts

Mitochondrial shape changes during apoptosis.

Cristae are the main store of cytochrome c.

The complete release of cytochrome c is accompanied by the remodelling of the cristae.

The dynamin-related protein OPA1 regulates the shape of the cristae.

Dis-oligomerization of OPA1 is a key event in the release of cytochrome c during apoptosis.

Keywords:

mitochondria;
apoptosis;
fusion;
fission;
cristae remodelling;
cytochrome c release


The objective of this study is to examine the future of the UK design industry. It aims to identify challenges and opportunities facing the UK design industry over the next decade and to develop a framework to signpost and support change.
The project focuses on the UK design consultancy sector, with specific reference to brand and corporate identity, multimedia, new product development, packaging, and service design. The project does not consider designer-makers or craft-based designers.
Research has been conducted in two stages. The first involved a review of literature and focus group research, which identified key issues and concerns within the sector, and has informed the development of a conceptual framework and scenario tools. A second stage involved interviews and focus groups with three sets of stakeholders: (i) design practitioners and design consultancies, (ii) design buyers/clients (including both private and public sectors), (iii) design policymakers and design educators. These stakeholders were consulted in order to establish the nature of the transactions between all parties in the knowledge supply chain.
The findings present a conceptual framework as a model of the business context for design that identifies the driving forces in the market. Four future scenarios are described as well as the design industry's response to these which include the development of ten potential business models for the sector. Five of these models were identified as viable by policy maker respondents: Small Independents, Specialist Design Groups, Mega Design Corps, and Design Strategists. All of these business models which exist to some extent today. However a new model thought to be likely to gain credibility was the Special Interest Groups (SIG) Niche Network. Design respondents identified with five models: UK Design Centres in BRIC Economies, Specialised Innovation Services, Design Strategists, UK Export Engine,and Mega Design Corps.
Analysis of the responses to these scenarios and models revealed the dimensions of the framework that required further attention which included: revising design education, creating a single professional body for accreditation, and encouraging design companies to radically rethink their business models.


Subsea pipelines are widely used across the globe for transportation of large quantities of hydrocarbons from offshore wells to onshore locations, playing an important role in procurement of fuel for power generation and transport. Although the recorded failure rates in oil and gas subsea pipelines are relatively lower than pipelines in other facilities such as water distribution or wastewater collection systems, a damaged subsea pipeline has significant environmental risk due to the hazardous properties of hydrocarbons and inaccessibility of the facilities. The loss of asset integrity may also delay production resulting in significant financial consequences for the industry operators. To prevent this, frequent inspections and maintenances are essential. Companies however may incur substantial costs to perform regular maintenance activities in such environment with limited accessibility.
This Ph.D. thesis aims at providing a risk-based integrity management framework for maintenance scheduling of subsea pipelines. This method, unlike previous approaches that were mostly concerned with accidents resulting from component failures, focuses on structural deterioration due to fatigue and corrosion phenomena. In this research, advanced probabilistic techniques such as Bayesian Network (BN) are adopted to account for the uncertainty of parameters that are influential in the problem. By estimating the life of a structure and evaluating the consequences of failure, the proposed framework provides a cost-effective maintenance planning solution that ensures a safer and more reliable operation.
In the first stage, this study develops a probabilistic methodology for modelling the useful life of a subsea pipeline degraded by corrosion-fatigue damage. Deterioration of the pipeline, in the presence of corrosive agents and cyclic loads, starts with nucleation of corrosion pits which continue to grow in size. These defects can provide the required condition for initiation of fatigue damage and the growth of cracks which may lead to fracture. The entire process is influenced by many factors such as material and process conditions, each incorporating a high level of uncertainty. This methodology presents an integrated Dynamic Bayesian Network (DBN) model, incorporating the temporal nature of the damage process and its varying growth rates. It is observed that the established model is an efficient tool for predicting the fatigue life of subsea pipelines.
This is mainly due to the computational efficiency of BN in considering a large number of parameters and its updating capacity that enables the inclusion of monitoring results in the analysis.
A fracture in a subsea pipeline may result in an underwater release of hydrocarbons with detrimental impacts on the species in the sea environment. United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) provides an Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) framework for analyzing risks involved in such accidents. The present study attempts to develop a novel methodology, based on this framework, to predict the exposure concentration of contaminants in a marine environment. For this purpose, the stochastic fate and transport of spilled oil is estimated using a level IV fugacity model. A hierarchical Bayesian approach (HBA) is adopted to estimate the probability distribution of time to reach a concentration, based on the observational data. The estimated times can be utilized for the preparation of contingency and remediation plans by operation and safety managers. Probability distributions are also developed for the exposure concentration in different media in contact with oil (e.g. water column, sediment), using the results of fugacity model. To establish a Bayesian-based ERA methodology for accidental release of oil in marine environment, the 95th percentile of Predicted Exposure Concentration (PEC95%) is used, along with 5th percentile Predicted No Exposure Concentration (PNEC5%). The model incorporates causal effects from the likelihood of each event (e.g. exposure to contaminant) into the risk assessment methodology. Additionally, the presented method uses a DBN model for including the seasonal effects on the ecological risk profile. Upon obtaining the likelihood of fatigue failure and estimating the associated risk with these accidents, a dynamic risk-based methodology is developed for maintenance planning of deteriorating subsea pipelines. The established DBN model of the deterioration process is extended to an Influence Diagram (ID) for identifying the optimum decision alternative, being possible maintenance actions (e.g. continuing operation, repairing the structure). The presented model is able to consider the consequences of failure as well as the cost of each decision alternative, while estimating the expected utilities. Observation of damage state is added into the model to improve the reliability of predictions and efficiency of the decision making process. This methodology can assist asset managers to select the optimum approach for mitigating the consequences of failure while minimizing the maintenance costs.
This thesis overall attempts to provide a comprehensive source of knowledge and technique to form a better understanding of the failure of subsea pipelines and associated consequences due to deterioration processes. It will assist in ensuring a safer and more reliable operation of these structures through a more efficient maintenance planning approach.


South African politics has taken a different turn since the dawn of the democratic era in 1994. After 28 years of democracy, there has been some populists' and constitutionalists' tension in democratic South Africa. The Mandela and Mbeki presidencies are marked for constitutionalism, while the Zuma tenure of nine years is marked as the era of populism. The constitutional republic already experiences the tension between the politics of the populists and of the constitutionalists. This article aims to identify and analyse the concepts of populism and constitutionalism and invites public theology to dialogue with these political ideologies in order to bring harmonious coexistence in democratic South Africa. Through the literature study and latest press release statements, incidents and concepts were discovered to give definitions and the analyses of populism, constitutionalism, and public theology. Public theology is chosen against political theology, due to the emphasis of dialogue as a manner of making theological statements. It is realised that populists are full of charisma, and they use this to charm the masses, offering them promises of prosperity and peace, while in fact they regard themselves as the masses, as they are the sole representatives of the people. They carry the agenda of entitlement. On the other hand, the research finds that constitutionalists apply rationality to constitutional dictates in order to govern for democratic stability in society. They would like to see the state where the rule of law guarantees citizens' safety and security and economic prosperity. By reading this article one finds that this research emphasises that public theology through its dialogical nature, prophetic calling, anthropological centricity, engaging methodology, is inherently missional in the politically chaotic world. As a discipline, public theology is intradisciplinary, therefore engages other theological fields, including natural and social disciplines in order to reinforce its missional character. The conclusion is that public theology should be at the forefront, inviting politicians from different spectrums and convictions to the table of dialogue. Dialogue paves the way towards understanding, synergy, and trust. Theo-political interactions are crucial towards justice formation, which builds societal harmony and peaceful coexistence. Political tensions in South Africa offer public theology a golden opportunity to assert itself in civil affairs, and makes its voice audible in the marketplace.Contribution: The interdisciplinary approach in this article contributes towards the importance of a relationship between the political studies and theology. Legal studies, history, and current affairs enrich the theological role in public affairs. Populism and constitutionalism are political ideologies in tension, and public theology through dialogue, contributes towards peaceful life in a democratic state.


Introduction:
 Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired autoimmune disorder characterized by a platelet count < 100 x 109 / L due to accelerated platelet destruction and impaired platelet production (McMillan 1981). At present, there are 3 available thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) approved for treatment of chronic ITP in adults. All three agents have high response rates, 40-90%, depending on the criteria used to define response (Ghanima et al 2019). Previous studies illustrate efficacy of Romiplostim and Eltrombopag having surprisingly high response rates when switching from one to the other, particularly if there was a response to the first TPO-RA (Gonzalez-Porras et al 2015; Lakhwani et al 2017; Cantoni et al 2018) but no studies have compared all 3 approved TPO-RA. Herein we describe 7 patients with difficult to treat chronic ITP who received all 3 TPO-RA and assess responses of the 7 to each of Eltrombopag, Romiplostim and Avatrombopag.
 Methods
 This was a retrospective review of all patients with chronic ITP seen at the Platelet Disorders Program at Weill Cornell Medicine-NY Presbyterian Hospital between July 2019 (following FDA approval of Avatrombopag) and June 2020 who had been treated with Eltrombopag, Romiplostim and Avatrombopag. Seven patients were identified (most had been followed for many years) and information collected on demographics, laboratory results, and clinical data including response and tolerance to ITP treatments, in particular the 3 TPO-RA.
 Results
 There were 4 females and 3 males with median age of 64 years (range 33-77). All had primary ITP with median 3 (range 2-13) separate ITP treatments, including investigational therapies, preceding treatment with their first TPO-RA (Table 1). All 7 patients had difficult to treat ITP with episodes of severe thrombocytopenia despite chronic treatments, requiring periodic rescue with IVIg and/or steroids. Three patients received Eltrombopag as their first TPO-RA and 4 patients Romiplostim. All 7 patients received Avatrombopag as their third TPO-RA and all also received other therapies either in conjunction with or in between TPO-RAs (Figure 1). No patient went directly from one TPO-RA to another without intervening treatment.
 All 7 patients (100%) responded to their first TPO-RA. For the 3 initially on Eltrombopag, duration of treatment ranged from 1 week to 8 years. When these 3 were switched to Romiplostim as a second TPO-RA, they responded with median time on treatment 27 months (range 21-48 months). Reasons prompting the switch from Eltrombopag to Romiplostim included: lost response (1), allergic reaction (1), insurance/financial issues (1).
 The 4 patients who started with Romiplostim had a median duration on treatment of 18 months (range 4-96 months). Two of these 4 who switched to Eltrombopag as their second TPO-RA responded to Eltrombopag with median time on treatment 5.5 months. Reasons for switching from Romiplostim to Eltrombopag included: unstable platelet response (2), patient preference for an oral agent (2).
 Prior to taking Avatrombopag, 5 patients returned to a TPO-RA they had previously responded to with 3 requiring higher doses on re-exposure. These patients (4, 6, 7) had switched from that initial agent due to patient preference (1), financial issues (1) and unstable platelet response (1). Five/7 patients (71%) responded to the third TPO-RA, Avatrombopag. Reasons prompting the switch to Avatrombopag from the previous TPO-RA included: patient preference (4), lost response (2), unclear/suboptimal response (1). The 5 responders remain on only Avatrombopag with durations of 3 months to 11 months.
 Conclusions:
 All 7 patients responded initially to TPO-RA whereas response rates of around 70% were seen when patients are switched to a second and subsequent third TPO-RA; response was very good to all 3 agents without clear preference of one over the others. Responders to distinct second and third TPO-RAs included patients who switched due to lack of response to a preceding TPO-RA as well as those who switched due to preference (for an oral agent without dietary restrictions) or intolerance/side effects. Loss of response to one TPO-RA should not preclude trying another. Patients may not respond as well on re-exposure to a previously seen TPO-RA; hence, ideally treatment would be maintained if possible with the initial agent.

 Bussel: RallyBio: Consultancy; Momenta: Consultancy; Dova: Consultancy; 3SBios: Consultancy; Regeneron: Consultancy; Principia: Consultancy; Rigel: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Argenx: Consultancy; UCB: Consultancy; CSL Behring: Consultancy; Shionogi: Consultancy.


Several thermal processes were tested to inactivate foot-and-mouth disease virus in beef miniburgers using a dry oven to grill and a steam oven to finish the cooking. A satisfactory product free of foot-and-mouth disease virus was obtained by grilling the contaminated miniburgers in the dry oven for 299 s at 208°C, followed by steam cooking in the moist oven for 190 s with a minimum average exit temperature of 99.4°C. It was found that a temperature indicator device is a reliable tool to verify the thermal process.