Fermentation and sprouting have been shown to increase nutrient bioavailability and modify the functional properties of foods. Application of these methods in the preparation of infant foods and complementing cereals with legumes will address nutrient density and viscosity problems associated with infant foods. Infant foods were formulated from blends of treated bambaranut and pearl millet and chemical composition of the samples were studied. Millet and bambaranut were soaked separately in water and allowed to ferment for 48 hr at room temperature. While for sprouting, millet and bambaranut were soaked for 12 and 24 hr, respectively, at room temperature, and soaked seeds were separately sprouted for 48 hr. After fermentation and sprouting, the seeds were oven-dried and then milled into a flour of 0.6 mm size. The flours were formulated to six (A, B, C, D, E, and F) complementary diets. The results show that blending treated bambaranut with pearl millet significantly increased the protein, fibre, fat and ash content from 14.46, 0.68, 6.21 and 3.32% to 19.35, 1.21, 8.01 and 5.35% respectively; while, the moisture and carbohydrate contents were significantly reduced. In the same vein, blending treated bambaranut with pearl millet significantly increased all the amino acids composition of the blends. However, blending treated bambaranut with pearl millet increased the trypsin, hydrogen cyanide, oxalate and phytate contents; though, the values fall within the safe consumption limit. Hence, this study revealed that, blending treated bambaranut with pearl millet is beneficial in increasing the nutrient density of infant food.


Debris-flow events often comprise a sequence of surges, sometimes termed "roll waves." The reason for this surging behavior is still a matter of debate. Explanations include the growth of hydraulic instabilities, periodic sediment deposition and release, or grain size sorting. High-resolution field measurements together with triggering rainfall characteristics are rare. We present results for 3 years of monitoring debris-flow events at Lattenbach Creek in the western part of Austria. The monitoring system includes a weather station in the headwaters of the creek, radar sensors for measuring flow depth at different locations along the channel, as well as a two-dimensional rotational laser sensor installed over a fixed cross section that yields a three-dimensional surface model of the passing debris-flow event. We find that the debris flows at Lattenbach Creek were all triggered by rainstorms of less than 2 hours and exhibited surges for each observed event. The velocities of the surges were up to twice as high as the front velocity. Often, the first surges that included boulders and woody debris had the highest flow depth and discharge and showed an irregular geometry. The shape of the surges in the second half of the flow, which carried smaller grain sizes and less woody debris, were rather regular and showed a striking geometric similarity, but still high velocities. The results of our monitoring efforts aim to improve our understanding of the surging behavior of debris flows and provide data for model testing for the scientific community.


Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) offer a promising alternative to traditional deep learning frameworks, since they provide higher computational efficiency due to event-driven information processing. SNNs distribute the analog values of pixel intensities into binary spikes over time. However, the most widely used input coding schemes, such as Poisson based rate-coding, do not leverage the additional temporal learning capability of SNNs effectively. Moreover, these SNNs suffer from high inference latency which is a major bottleneck to their deployment. To overcome this, we propose a scalable time-based encoding scheme that utilizes the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) to reduce the number of timesteps required for inference. DCT decomposes an image into a weighted sum of sinusoidal basis images. At each time step, the Hadamard product of the DCT coefficients and a single frequency base, taken in order, is given to an accumulator that generates spikes upon crossing a threshold. We use the proposed scheme to learn DCT-SNN, a low-latency deep SNN with leaky-integrate-and-fire neurons, trained using surrogate gradient descent based backpropagation. We achieve top-1 accuracy of 89.94%, 68.3% and 52.43% on CIFAR-10, CIFAR-100 and TinyImageNet, respectively using VGG architectures. Notably, DCT-SNN performs inference with 2-14X reduced latency compared to other state-of-the-art SNNs, while achieving comparable accuracy to their standard deep learning counterparts. The dimension of the transform allows us to control the number of timesteps required for inference. Additionally, we can trade-off accuracy with latency in a principled manner by dropping the highest frequency components during inference.


Abstract In this short review, we explain the need for a multidimensional analytical framework for exploring how the construction of men and masculinities has shaped Hong Kong's social and political development, and how politics both enable and constrain men in their lived experiences and practices in various life spheres at the city's current political juncture. We observe that the majority of the extant research on men and masculinities in Hong Kong is depoliticized, whereas studies on current Hong Kong politics are largely gender-blind. However, the ever-tightening grip of the Chinese Communist Party and the instances of political resistance in response, namely, the Umbrella Movement of 2014 and Fishball Revolution of 2016, suggest that the influence of the wider political situation has penetrated every dimension of life, which has considerable implications for masculine identities and practices. Rather than continuing to conduct the depoliticized masculinity studies and genderless political studies we have seen to date, it is time for a thorough investigation of the dynamic intersection of men's practices and the political context of Hong Kong.


We analyze photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) using a hyperspectral imager that records spectrally resolved luminescence images of a GaAs solar cell. Thanks to the absolute calibration, we first investigate the reciprocity relations between Solar Cell and LED and determine the External Quantum Efficiency (EQE) from EL images for a specific range of voltage. Spatial variations are observed due to series resistance effect that we can evaluate. Second, the PL experiment allows us to plot the recombination current at a given spatial location versus the quasi Fermi level splitting at the same location. Indeed, under reasonable assumptions a link can be done with the classical plot of the short circuit current versus the open circuit voltage. We therefore can optically determine optoelectronic properties such as the saturation currents. The assumptions made in this experiment are discussed in order to correctly investigate polycrystalline solar cells in the future where strong lateral variations exist.


Hard water is water that contains salts of calcium and magnesium in large enough quantities. These salts are usually in the form of bicarbonate salts, chlorides, sulfates and nitrates. Calcium and magnesium compounds react with soap to form sludge and prevent foam in water. Therefore, the compounds of calcium and magnesium is relatively poorly soluble in water, the compounds tend to separate from the solution in the form of sludge or precipitates which eventually became crust. In use long enough hard water can cause kidney disorders due to sediment accumulation of CaCO3 and MgCO3 in the kidney. To obtain fresh water suitable for consumption needed a better way of processing. One widely used method is filtration (filter). This method can be applied in rural areas that are on the edge of a river or other water source. Media filter normally used are sand, gravel, fibers, activated charcoal and zeolite. in Indonesia zeolite apparently has not received adequate attention as a clean water filtration media. Though Indonesia is geographically located on the path that has the potential volcanic zeolite is large enough. In order to study alternative methods to reduce water hardness, in this study used natural zeolite as an ion exchanger (ion exchange). The principle of ion exchanger is in the process of insoluble compounds, in this case the resin, receive a certain positive or negative ions from solution and release other ions into the solution in an amount equivalent to the same. If the ions are exchanged in the form of a cation, then the resin is called cation exchange resin, and if ions are exchanged in the form of anion, the resin is called an anion exchange resin.
The series of ion exchangers tool consists of three tanks, the tank cation exchanger, anion exchanger tank, and activated carbon tanks, each of which is made of FRP. At the top of the tank there is a way valve to the filter, fast rinse and back wash. The method used in the analysis of the levels of Ca and Mg is complexometry titration is the method in which the titrant and titratnya each other to form neutral complexes that dissociate in solution. In this lab to test the hardness is done by means of Ion Exchanger and Ion Exchangers combination of activated carbon, with a total of 110 liters of water 10 ml samples were taken every 10 minutes for 6 times. Results of observations obtained for impairment hardness using a combination of zeolite 9 kg and activated carbon which is 1.4 ppm, 1 ppm, 0.09 ppm, 0.09 ppm, 0.09 ppm and 0.09 PMM. As for the results of the impairment hardness with a combination of zeolite ion exchanger 5 kg of activated carbon obtained 1.4 ppm, 0.4 ppm, 0.3 ppm, 0.2 ppm, 0.2 ppm, 0.2 ppm. It can be concluded the use of Ion Exchanger combination of zeolite 9 kg and activated carbon is more effective, because the function of activated carbon as an adsorbent that is able to absorb Ca and Mg ions contained in the water.
(Hardness, ion exchangers, activated carbon, resin)


Abstract:This article explores the formation and characterization of early modern addiction through the interactions of mind, body, and will, focusing particularly on the work of the sixteenth-century Christian philosopher Pierre de La Primaudaye. In La Primaudaye's writings addiction is a wholly internalized behavior, the product of repeated interactions within the mind. Intended for the purpose of cultivating virtuous behaviors, these interactions could become corrupted, resulting in negative addictions formed between overwhelming passions, a clouded judgment, and an inflexible will. The specific types of addiction a person inclined toward were determined by a host of variables, including temperament, age, and gender. As this article reveals, in early modern accounts of addicted behavior young men were associated with lust and old men with contemplation, while women were considered more vulnerable to all addictions, virtuous and sinful. The image of addiction that emerges from this examination is one not of a disease or a disorder, but of a natural function of the body that could on occasion be led astray.


Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in eyes with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in early and advanced stage. Material and methods: Retrospective review of patients treated with SLT in our hospital with a follow-up time of 6 months. SLT was performed in eyes with primary or pseudoexfoliation OAG. Indications for the procedure were insufficient intraocular pressure (IOP) control or poor compliance to medical treatment. IOP records were obtained preoperatively, 2 weeks, 2 and 6 months after laser treatment. There were considered as success criteria in early glaucoma group a reduction of IOP 20% of the initial IOP, and for advanced glaucoma group a reduction of IOP 20% from baseline. Results: Forty-four eyes from 34 patients were included in the study. In early glaucoma stage group, it was observed a mean IOP reduction of -7.46 mmHg (p 20% of the preoperative value was observed in 76.9% of eyes at 6 months of follow-up. In advanced glaucoma stage group, it was observed a mean IOP reduction of -5.30 mmHg (p 20% of the preoperative IOP was observed in 78.9% of eyes at 6 months after completion of SLT. There were no reports of complications associated with SLT. Conclusions: At 6 months the SLT seems to be a safe and effective procedure in the treatment of eyes with OAG in early and advanced stage.


BACKGROUND
Sub-Saharan Africa is vulnerable to several natural and man-made disasters. We used the CDC Automated Disaster and Emergency Planning Tool (ADEPT) to develop all-hazards disaster management plans at district level in three eastern African countries.

METHODS
During July 2008-February 2011, we used the automated disaster and emergency planning tool to conduct training on disaster planning and management in the three east African countries namely Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. We trained district disaster teams per country. We held 7 trainings in Tanzania, 8 in Uganda and 10 in Kenya respectively. The district disaster management teams trained comprised five district administrative personnel and a national Red Cross officer. The training took 5 days.

RESULTS
A total of 100 districts teams (40 in Uganda and 35 in Kenya and Tanzania respectively) were trained using the ADEPT and consequently 100 district disaster response plans were developed during 2008-2011. A total 814 district disaster team members from these districts were trained. Our experience has shown that the Automated Disaster Emergency Planning Tool is a relatively quick, easy, practical, participatory and inexpensive approach to developing emergency operating plans at the sub-national (district) level.

CONCLUSIONS
The ADEPT can be used relatively easily, quickly and inexpensively at the sub-national levels to develop emergency operating procedures to improve disaster management. Although the ADEPT enables district disaster response teams to generate their disaster response plans, the use of the ADEPT may be hampered by lack of computer skills and knowledge of MS computer programme by district personnel in resource limited settings.


Data from the 1960, 1970, and 1980 Censuses of Population and the Current Population Surveys of 1980 and 1985 are used to describe and analyze the economic position of children with special emphasis on cross-section differences and variation over time in the incidence of poverty. Between 1959 and 1979 the income available to children tended to follow the same pattern as adult income, but between 1979 and 1984 the trends for children were very unfavorable. Poverty rose, average income fell, and income inequality increased. Contrary to popular belief, the increase in femaleheaded households played only a small part in the growth of poverty among children since 1979. Income available to children fell because households with children are highly dependent on labor income- -which fell for all age groups. The elderly (65+), who derive 75 percent of their income from nonlabor sources (e.g., social security, private pensions, interest), were the only age group to experience gains in real per capita income during 1979-84. The conclusions about trends in the money income available to children and adults are relatively unchanged when estimates of the value of nonmarket production and in-kind government social welfare programs are added to money income.


Increasing market competition and quickly moving globalization require companies to improve their competitive advantages through both incremental and radical innovations. The new technologies, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, radio-frequency identification (RFID), big data analysis, and internet of things (IoT), play important roles on a company's innovation performance and sustainable competitive advantages. In this paper, ERP system is chosen as a specific case representing a major category of new technologies, to illustrate our analysis on those new technologies. In the current post-implementation age, when nearly every Fortune 500 companies and many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have installed their ERP systems, this research investigates the relationship between new technology implementation, flexibility of new technology, and innovation performances. This study proposes a research framework for the decision makers to systematically improve their overall competitive advantages through flexible new technologies and strategic management on innovations. This paper also identifies several potential future research opportunities for other researchers.


Introduction: Reflection exposes performance gaps and is a step in the process of behavior change among adult learners. However, little is known about the relationships between reflection and behavior change in CME. Our objectives were to measure associations between validated reflection scores and behavior change among CME participants and to identify associations between reflection and characteristics of CME presentations. Methods: This was a cohort study of attendees at a national hospital medicine CME course. Participants provided reflection scores for each presentation and planned commitment-to-change (CTC) statements at the conclusion of the course. Reflection scores from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) were averaged for each presentation. CTC statements were linked to their accompanying presentations. A 3-month postcourse survey was conducted to assess if planned CTCs were successfully implemented. Results: In all, 223 of 281 participants (79.4%) returned evaluations. Of the 195 planned CTC statements available for postcourse analysis, 128 (65.6%) were implemented. Reflection scores correlated with the number of planned CTC statements across all presentations (Pearson correlation, 0.65; P < .001). In addition, higher reflection scores (mean [SD]) were associated with the presence of audience response opportunities (Yes: 4.13 [0.18] versus No: 3.96 [0.16]; P = .01) and the use of clinical cases (Yes: 4.09 [0.18] versus No: 3.86 [0.12]; P < .01). Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to show a relationship between participant reflection and CTC in conference-based CME. Presentations that incorporate clinical cases and audience response systems seem to stimulate participant reflection and behavior change.


Subsequent to the National Epidemiologic Surveillance Program developed in 1997 by the National AIDS Program, anti-HTLV-I/II antibodies among blood donors in Santa Fe Province started to be detected. On the basis of this initial finding, it was regarded of interest to evaluate the true HTLV-I/II seroprevalence in this population during a four-year survey. Thus, from 1997 up to 2002, 9425 samples were studied from 17 out of the 19 provincial departments. Out of the total sampling, 38 proved reactive by agglutination techniques, 18 of which were confirmed by western blot (WB). Out of the latter, 10 were HTLV-I/II seropositive with a final prevalence of 0.1% (10/9425), whereas 7 were indeterminate and 1 negative. Among these 10 confirmed sera, 2 (0.02%) were HTLV, 3 (0.03%) HTLV-I and 5 (0.05%) HTLV-II. It should be highlighted that the presence of HTLV-I/II infection in blood donors in Santa Fe Province was demonstrated for the first time, with a prevalence greater than that reported for blood donors in non-endemic Argentine areas. Such findings confirm the need of corresponding systematic screening through regulatory blood bank norms in Santa Fe Province.


The horseshoe crabLimulus polyphemusexhibits rhythmic locomotor behavior that is controlled by both internal clocks and external tidal cycles. Recent findings demonstrate that adult horseshoe crabs from a 2 tides d-1environment usually express 2 bouts of activity d-1, while adults from areas with 1 dominant tide d-1, or with negligible tides (atidal), generally express 1 bout of activity d-1. Horseshoe crabs from these different environments are genetically distinct, so it is not known if these behavioral differences are driven by genetics or by the tides they experience early in life. To address this question, freshly spawned horseshoe crab eggs from populations that experience these 3 distinct environmental tidal regimes were reared in the laboratory under 1 of the above 3 artificial tidal conditions. Then the activity of individual larval and 2ndinstar juveniles was recorded over 3 wk using video tracking software. Endogenous circatidal rhythms were present in most (88/108) of the freshly molted juveniles from all 3 populations, even when they were raised in atidal conditions, indicating a strong genetic influence. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the presence of genetically driven endogenous circatidal rhythms in an individual juvenile marine organism. Nevertheless, the early environment was also capable of having an impact, because it significantly affected rhythm expression in crabs in the 1 tide d-1population. Thus, overall, the tidal environment to which horseshoe crab eggs are exposed during development appears to have less of an influence than genetics on their expression of tidal rhythms of locomotion.


ABSTRACT Chinese strong-flavored liquor (CSFL) accounts for more than 70% of all Chinese liquor production. Microbes in pit mud play key roles in the fermentation cellar for the CSFL production. However, microbial diversity, community structure, and cellar-age-related changes in pit mud are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the prokaryotic community structure and diversity in pit-mud samples with different cellar ages (1, 10, 25, and 50 years) using the pyrosequencing technique. Results indicated that prokaryotic diversity increased with cellar age until the age reached 25 years and that prokaryotic community structure changed significantly between three cellar ages (1, 10, and 25 years). Significant correlations between prokaryotic communities and environmental variables (pH, NH4 +, lactic acid, butyric acid, and caproic acid) were observed. Overall, our study results suggested that the long-term brewing operation shapes unique prokaryotic community structure and diversity as well as pit-mud chemistry. We have proposed a three-phase model to characterize the changes of pit-mud prokaryotic communities. (i) Phase I is an initial domestication period. Pit mud is characterized by abundant Lactobacillus and high lactic acid and low pH levels. (ii) Phase II is a transition period. While Lactobacillus abundance decreases dramatically, that of Bacteroidetes and methanogens increases. (iii) Phase III is a relative mature period. The prokaryotic community shows the highest diversity and capability to produce more caproic acid as a precursor for synthesis of ethyl caproate, the main flavor component in CSFL. This research provides scientific evidence to support the practical experience that old fermentation cellars produce high-quality liquor.


Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is commonly used at home for patient with nocturnal hypoventilation caused by a chronic respiratory failure. Monitoring NIV is required to optimize the ventilator settings when the lung condition changes over time, and to detect common problems such as unintentional leaks, upper airway obstructions, and patient–ventilator asynchronies. This review describes the accuracy and limitations of the data recorded by the ventilator. To efficiently interpret this huge amount of data, clinician assess the daily use and regularity of NIV utilization, the unintentional leaks and their repartition along the NIV session, the apnea–hypopnea index and the flow waveform, and the patient–ventilator synchrony. Nocturnal recordings of gas exchanges are also required to detect nocturnal alveolar hypoventilation. This review describes the indication, validity criteria, and interpretation of nocturnal oximetry and transcutaneous capnography. Polygraphy and polysomnography are indicated in specific cases to characterize upper airway obstruction. Telemonitoring of the ventilator is a useful tool that should be integrated in the monitoring strategy. The technical solution, information, and limitations are discussed. In conclusion, a basic monitoring package is recommended for all patients complemented by advanced monitoring for specific cases.


In the past decade the importance of non-O1 and non-O139 strains of Vibrio cholerae has been highlighted globally. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of non-O1 and non-O139 V. cholerae in Pakistan. Data of stool specimens yielding growth of non-O1 and non-O139 V. cholerae isolated at a national referral laboratory from 1999 to 2012 were retrospectively analysed and evaluated for resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, co-trimoxazole and ofloxacin. A total of 95 800 stool samples submitted over 1999-2012 yielded 3668 strains of V. cholerae, of which 6% were non-O1 and non-O139 V. cholerae. A high isolation rate was found in the summer season, with a peak in the year 2003. Antimicrobial susceptibility data revealed increasing resistance to co-trimoxazole and ampicillin, but strains remained highly susceptible to ofloxacin. Active surveillance of serotypes and antimicrobial susceptibility is essential to predict future epidemics and define measures to curtail the disease.


From the Publisher:
Knowledge Management (KM) is strongly rooted in the discipline of Knowledge Engineering (KE), which in turn grew partly out of the artificial intelligence field. Despite their close relationship, however, many KM specialists have failed to fully recognize the synergy or acknowledge the power that KE methodologies, techniques, and tools hold for enhancing the state of the art in Knowledge Management.Knowledge Management: Learning from Knowledge Engineering addresses this vacuum. It gives concise, practical information and insights drawn from the author's many years of experience in the fields of expert systems and Knowledge Management. Based upon research, analyses, and illustrative case studies, this is the first book to integrate the theory and practice of artificial intelligence and expert systems with the current organizational and strategic aspects of Knowledge Management.The time has come for Knowledge Management professionals to appreciate the synergy between their work and the work of their counterparts in Knowledge Engineering. Knowledge Management: Learning from Knowledge Engineering is the ideal starting point for those in KM to learn from and exploit advances in that field, and thereby advance their own.


With the convergence of internet and wireless communications, a plethora of new services will originate. A natural application for cellular radio networks is that of radiolocation, in which the mobile unit can be positioned based on the signals received at several base stations. In this paper, we derive the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB), which serves as an optimality criterion, for the estimation of channel parameters and source localization in time division multiple access (TDMA) mobile radio systems operating over multipath fading channels. The CRB for the mobile's position that we obtain do not assume any particular trilateration method, and is expressed as a function of the line-of-sight (LOS) signal parameters that are estimated at one or more base station (BS) equipped of cluster of antennas with arbitrary directional characteristics. As an application example, we study the achievable positioning accuracy and the effects of local scattering for a typical global system for mobile communications (GSM) digital cellular system.


Centuries of zoological studies amassed billions of specimens in collections worldwide. Genomics of these specimens promises to rejuvenate biodiversity research. The obstacles stem from DNA degradation with specimen age. Overcoming this challenge, we set out to resolve a series of long-standing controversies involving a group of butterflies. We deduced geographical origins of several ancient specimens of uncertain provenance that are at the heart of these debates. Here, genomics tackles one of the greatest problems in zoology: countless old, poorly documented specimens that serve as irreplaceable embodiments of species concepts. The ability to figure out where they were collected will resolve many on-going disputes. More broadly, we show the utility of genomics applied to ancient museum specimens to delineate the boundaries of species and populations, and to hypothesize about genotypic determinants of phenotypic traits.


Reinforced concrete (RC) wall panel have becoming increasingly popular as load bearing structure member and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) play their role by introducing prefabrication technology as the method offers advantage in terms of speed of construction, better quality, easy handling and economical. Steel fiber reinforced lightweight concrete (SFR-LWC) wall panel were introduced in order to replace normal weight concrete towards benefit of reducing self-weight, overall cost of construction and most importantly sustainable. Demands for opening at wall panel are generally for doors, windows and pathway ventilation in which may create stress concentration especially at perimeter opening. In this research paper, wall panel with and without opening was model using the finite element LUSAS 14.7 software. The behavior of load bearing wall and stress concentration factor was evaluated when subjected to direct compression axial load. The model is 2000 mm wide 3000 mm high and 150 mm thick wall with 800 mm width 800 mm height and 150 mm thick size of opening. The SFR-LWC without opening (SW) showed higher ultimate load of 3911.48 kN compared to wall with opening (WO) of 1659.44 kN. The maximum compression vertical and horizontal displacements for SW were 3.43 mm and 0.454 mm respectively, meanwhile for WO was 1.96 mm and 0.031 mm respectively. Single curvature deformation profile is dominant due to applied boundary conditions of pinned at upper end and fixed at lower end. Stress concentration factor for WO is 2.91 focusing at comer. The wall panel with opening were have critical effect on the ultimate load carrying capacity, as the result shown by having opening size area of 11% from the total wall section were reduced the ultimate load carrying capacity by 56% than SW. The addition of steel fiber is superior resistance to cracking and control crack propagation of SFR-LWC as the cracks were appear when the concrete exceeded tensile strength in which stress concentration were develop.


Screw-Propelled Vehicles (SPV's) have been widely used for terrestrial applications such as transportation over mud, snow, and amphibious environments. Similar vehicles have also been applied to industrial processes such as dewatering. Typical designs rely on a large pontoon shaft and relatively small blades to prevent unwanted sinkage or blade damage. These types of vehicles were considered during the design of the first lunar rover, given their success in aqueous and arctic media and simplicity compared to tracked vehicles. Studies have looked at the mobility of SPV's on the surface of granular media but there are not any computational and experimental studies on propulsive buried screws. Understanding the role of screw design and its angular velocity on thrust force is key to the advancement and control of SPV's. This study presents experimental and computational results of a submerged, double-helix Archimedes screw generating propulsive force against a bed of soda-lime glass beads. Thus, this research forms the basis for design of a future miniaturized exploration vehicle for space applications. In our study, we used two different screw designs (5 cm radius, 10 cm length, 63 and 44 degrees helix angle corresponding to 4 cm and 8 cm pitch, respectively) submerged in 2mm glass beads (90% roundness with sizes 1.8 mm to 2.2 mm), For both screws, a similar trend is observed between rotational speed and thrust force. We used EDEM, a Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) software for computational studies of the screw interactions with granular media. There is 5-20% discrepancy between our computational and experimental results. We will discuss possible sources of error and the potential for using DEM as a design tool for SPV's.


During any meaningful conversation about youth justice in Scotland it is all but inevitable that The Kilbrandon Report will be mentioned given that it continues to act as a touchstone for practitioners, policymakers, researchers and politicians. As noted by Professor Stewart Asquith in the Preface to the reprinted version of the report, "The Kilbrandon Report was, and still remains, one of the most influential policy statements on how a society should deal with 'children in trouble'" (Asquith, 1995: vi). The release of this briefing paper falls, by chance, almost exactly half a century on from the presentation to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Scotland of The Kilbrandon Report in April 1964. At such a significant juncture it seems apposite to take stock of the state of youth justice in Scotland.


Inefficiency and physical complaints can be caused by poor workstation and job design. The main roots of these problems are identified and some solutions suggested. These solutions include redesigning automated workstations according to ergonomic principles, based on an analysis of the workstation use and its users. Suggestions for improving job design to optimise health include incorporating alternate work breaks, encouraging autonomy and improving feedback on operator performance.


We herein present a simple, low-cost, and ultrasensitive colorimetric sensing strategy for the detection of mercury ions (Hg2+) that takes advantage of the natural pore structure in rose petals to encapsulate gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). AuNPs easily aggregate in high salt concentrations, which restrict their application, for example, as a catalyst in real sample analysis. Rose petals offer a three-dimensional (3D) space for more efficient dispersability of AuNPs in their extensive network of channels, which will increase the specific surface area, thereby enhancing the catalytic capability of AuNPs. The presence of Hg2+ triggers the formation of gold amalgam, which results in remarkable enhancement of the catalytic ability of citrate-capped AuNPs. On the basis of this effect, a colorimetric signal amplification is achieved via the use of gold amalgam to catalyze the reaction of methylene blue (MB) and sodium borohydride. A limit of detection (LOD) as low as 10 fM can be obtained by naked eye observation. Our sensor has promising potential for detection and quantitation of Hg2+ in environmental samples.


Probiotic Lactobacillus sp. is considered a potential resource for improving the performance of broiler chicken in Indonesia. Administration of Lactobacillus sp. Probiotics could increase the Average Daily Gain (ADG) and body weight of broiler chickens by increasing intestinal villi permeability, so that nutrient absorption could be optimal. Use of Lactobacillus sp. in the ration is often combined with other probiotics, prebiotics, phytoadditives, and organic acids to support the feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Lactobacillus sp. also able to produce various bioactive compounds such as the enzyme manase which could be in symbiosis with mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) to increase the bodyweight of broiler chickens and bacteriocins that against pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. Probiotic metabolic activity of Lactobacillus sp. could suppress the growth of pathogenic bacteria by creating an acid digestive environment. In addition, immunity and hematological conditions such as erythrocytes, hematocrit, leukocytes, MCV, MCH, and MCHC were maintained well by Lactobacillus sp. supplementation in the ration. This review aims to highlight the potential of probiotic Lactobacillus sp to modulate broiler microbiome and metabolic status to enhance performance and health.


&NA; The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among menopausal symptoms, sleep quality and fatigue in women with endometrial cancer. Participants were 95 women (mean age = 57.44 ± 10.15 years) diagnosed with endometrial cancer and who had completed their treatment before data collection. Each woman completed three structured questionnaires: the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy‐Endocrine Symptoms (endocrine symptom subscale), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy‐Fatigue. Participants' worst menopausal symptom was sexual pain. In addition, menopausal symptoms were worse in women with surgical menopause than with natural menopause. The majority of women had poor sleep quality (55%), and women with fatigue reported worse sleep quality and menopausal symptoms than those without fatigue. However, higher fatigue was significantly related to shorter time since diagnosis. Together, three variables (time since diagnosis, menopausal symptoms and sleep quality) explained 39% of the variance in fatigue, with menopausal symptoms being the strongest predictor. Healthcare providers can assess menopausal symptoms and sleep quality during and after treatment of women with endometrial cancer. Such assessments would allow timely interventions to alleviate fatigue and menopausal symptoms in this population, thus improving their quality of life.


Gebeng is the main industrial area of Pahang, where, Tunggak is a strategic river. The anthropogenic impact on the river is as a result of rapid industrialization in Gebeng. This river is of particular importance in the study of surface water quality status because effluents from industries of Gebeng discharge into it thereby deteriorating the quality. Water quality parameters were analyzed across the river with the objective to disclose the spatial variation of the river water quality. To conduct the study, water samples were collected monthly from 10 sampling station across the river basin. The physicochemical parameters were analyzed using APHA & HACH standard methods as well as the
trace elements were determined using ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry). Data analyses were done using SPSS statistical software. The study revealed that, pollution from non-point source was associated with runoff from construction sites of newly developed industrial areas and the point source contributing the major pollutants especially from industrial wastes. According to Interim National Water Quality Standard (INWQS) based on DO, COD, ammoniacal nitrogen and some selected trace elements, major part of the river specially the mid-region was categorized as class V (very highly polluted) while some part was found in class IV (highly polluted) and rest of class III
(polluted) as well. Furthermore, classification of the river based on DOE-WQI showed that seven (7) stations (2-8) were in class IV (highly polluted); station 1, 9 & 10 were found to be polluted. So, from the study it is concluded that pollution is higher in the middle stations of the river compared to the upper and lower stream. This was due to less industry at upper stream and the tidal interference was present in lower stream and obviously the industrial
wastes were mixing in the middle stations most.


Abstract Objectives. Whereas animal models indicate that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a role in anxiety-related behaviour, little is known about BDNF in patients with an anxiety disorder. We tested the hypothesis that serum BDNF levels are low in patients with an anxiety disorder as compared to healthy controls. We further examined the associations of gender and some of the clinical characteristics of anxiety with BDNF levels. Methods. Serum BDNF levels were determined in 393 unmedicated, non-depressed patients with social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and generalised anxiety disorder (66.7% females) and in 382 healthy controls (62.0% females). Results. Overall, there were no differences in BDNF levels among patients and controls, regardless of type of anxiety disorder. Analyses stratified by gender revealed that female patients had lower levels of BDNF relative to female controls (P < 0.05, d = 0.19), which was stronger in female patients with > 1 anxiety disorder (P < 0.01, d = 0.32). BDNF levels were similar among male patients and controls and unrelated to the clinical characteristics of anxiety. Conclusion. Our results mirror preclinical findings indicating that gender plays a role in the association between BDNF and anxiety and suggest that BDNF might play a role in the pathophysiology of anxiety in women.


Antalya has become a world known city with the rapid development in the recent years. This rapid development brings a lot of problems like density of the population and building areas. Because of this rapid development, suburban areas become urban areas such as Konyaaltı which is most significant town with its new buildings and park areas. The park furniture can be change the view of the park with its function and esthetic properties. At the other hand, it is accepted that the park furniture always interaction with user many kinds of way. In this research it is determine that the satisfaction of user from the park furniture which are in the Konyaaltı's parks by the way of the public survey. It is tried to define their positive or negative aid to that parks. And the last it is tried to bring some offer for to remediation of the current


This paper contributes another round in the debate over how to analyze object agreement in Hungarian, a form of
 differential object marking that is found among other Uralic languages as well. I have previously argued that the choice of
 conjugation is determined not by the syntactic category of the object, but rather on the basis of semantic factors, primarily: on
 the Lexical Familiarity Hypothesis (LFH), selected lexical items are assigned a definiteness feature in virtue of a certain type
 of familiarity presupposition that they carry. Subsequent work has raised challenges for the LFH. This paper considers what would
 be necessary in order for these challenges to be met. I conclude that the LFH can be defended, if supplemented by a certain set of
 independently-motivated assumptions. In fact, this theory enjoys certain advantages over the most recent alternative.


Entire world is adapting digital technolo- gies, converting from legacy approach to Digital approach. Data is the primary thing which is available in digital form everywhere. To store this massive data, the storage methodology should be efficient as well as intelligent enough to find the redundant data to save. Data de-duplication techniques are widely used by storage servers to eliminate the possibilities of storing multiple copies of the data. De-duplication identifies duplicate data portions going to be stored in storage systems also removes duplication in existing stored data in storage systems. Hence yield a significant cost saving. In this paper, we, investigate about data de-duplication its techniques and changes introduced in de-duplication due to virtualized data centre and evolution of current cloud computing era.


This paper investigates the application of FACTS devices to extend voltage stability margin in electric power systems. Most of methods proposed for allocation of FACTS devices consider only the normal state of network. Nevertheless, voltage collapses usually initiated by a single contingency. Therefore, in this paper a strategy for location of FACTS devices based on contingency studies is proposed. Using modal analysis, a probabilistic index is defined which can be used to rank of system buses based on their effect on system voltage stability enhancement under all possible contingencies. It is shown that this method leads to a uniform reactive power supply in the system. Consequently, it will be effective in more contingency conditions. The IEEE 14-bus test system is used to demonstrate the proposed approach of placing shunt FACTS devices. The obtained results show that allocation of FACTS devices using the proposed approach improves the system voltage stability under contingency conditions with smaller size of FACTS to be installed compared to other methods.


: This investigation was undertaken to study whether cationic blue O staining might be used to improve the cytological diagnosis of H. pylori infection at gastric and extragastric sites. One hundred and sixty-four patients with chronic inflammatory diseases of the stomach and gallbladder were examined with cytological and molecular studies. Impression smears from the gastric mucosa and bile portions A, B, and C were studied. The stain proposed by the authors ensures a high efficiency in detecting H. pylori in different biological materials (gastric biopsy specimens, bile) with the determination of the degree of contamination makes it possible to evaluate the morphological changes in the gastric mucosa and bile epithelium. The detection results of smear H. pylori correlated with those of DNA in this microorganism, by using the polymerase chain reaction. The proposed cytological study may be recommended for both the primary diagnosis of H. pylori infection in patients with diseases of the stomach, duodenum, and gallbladder and the monitoring eradication therapy and its deserves extensive use by cytological laboratories.


Data literacy education is a new service territory for many academic libraries. This paper reports our experience from a two-year Science Data Literacy (SDL) project through four areas of activities: (1) survey on faculty's perceptions and practices in data management, (2) design of SDL learning modules, (3) delivery of the course, and (4) assessment of learning outcomes. We found from the faculty survey that there was a low level of awareness of research data management importance, methods, and tools in general and that the data management practice is associated with the size and complexity of the data produced by their research. Science data literacy training was difficult to be integrated into formal curricula due to their structure, even though the need for such training was on the rise. The lessons learned from the two-year project and how libraries and library and information science education might turn this challenge into opportunities are discussed.


Hierarchically exchangeable data are characterized by the exchangeability of a population of units and the exchangeability of observations from each individual unit. A flexible model for such data is the hierarchical logistic-normal model, which provides unconstrained sampling distributions at the within-unit level and an unconstrained covariance structure at the betweenunit level. Also, the sampling distribution at the between-unit level is unimodal in a weak sense. Parameter estimation and inference for the hierarchical logistic-normal model is relatively straightforward via Markov chain Monte Carlo or an approximate EM algorithm. These and other features of the hierarchical logistic normal model are explored, and the model is applied to the analysis of tumor locations in a mammalian population. A comparison is made to a similar data analysis based on Dirichlet distributions. Some key words: nonparametric Bayes, logistic normal, multivariate normal, multinomial, Dirichlet distribution, repeated measures.


Dynamic service compositions pose new verification and validation challenges such as uncertainty in service membership. Moreover, applying an entire test suite to loosely coupled services one after another in the same composition can be too rigid and restrictive. In this paper, we investigate the impact of service selection on service-centric testing techniques. Specifically, we propose to incorporate service selection in executing a test suite and develop a suite of metrics and test case prioritization techniques for the testing of location-aware services. A case study shows that a test case prioritization technique that incorporates service selection can outperform their traditional counterpart — the impact of service selection is noticeable on software engineering techniques in general and on test case prioritization techniques in particular. Further-more, we find that points-of-interest-aware techniques can be significantly more effective than input-guided techniques in terms of the number of invocations required to expose the first failure of a service composition.


This paper examines the question of whether an artificial intelligence agent is treated as a social character and is subject to the same social norms as face-to-face interactions. The latest research indicates that the communications that occur between users and computer agents are social interactions. In daily communication, expressions of emotion not only present internal feelings but also may influence inter-person relationships. The use of artificial emotional agents creates the possibility of directly displaying facial expressions in human-agent interaction. An experiment was performed to determine whether the expressions displayed by agents strongly influence users' feelings. The results indicated that users responded to the agents as if they are dealing with other humans. Social norms such as "independent judgment is fairer than self judgment" and "someone smiling at your achievement is friendlier than someone crying at your success" are followed in the human-agent communication. The expressions presented by agents are found to strongly influence the feeling and evaluations of the participants.


An immunoassay that targets the nonstructural secreted glycoprotein decoy antigen of Ebola virus detects infection earlier than PCR. Detecting disease with a decoy Low-cost, rapid diagnostic tests that perform as well as PCR and can be used at the point of need can help contain outbreaks of infectious diseases. Fontes et al. developed an immunoassay to detect Ebola virus secreted glycoprotein (sGP), a decoy antigen present in infected blood. The assay detected sGP-spiked human and nonhuman primate serum samples and human blood samples spiked with Sudan ebolavirus and Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The immunoassay had a lower limit of detection than other lateral flow rapid diagnostic tests for Ebola virus and detected sGP earlier than PCR using samples from infected nonhuman primates. Results support the use of the immunoassay for rapid detection of Ebola virus. Ebola virus (EBOV) hemorrhagic fever outbreaks have been challenging to deter due to the lack of health care infrastructure in disease-endemic countries and a corresponding inability to diagnose and contain the disease at an early stage. EBOV vaccines and therapies have improved disease outcomes, but the advent of an affordable, easily accessed, mass-produced rapid diagnostic test (RDT) that matches the performance of more resource-intensive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays would be invaluable in containing future outbreaks. Here, we developed and demonstrated the performance of a new ultrasensitive point-of-care immunoassay, the EBOV D4 assay, which targets the secreted glycoprotein of EBOV. The EBOV D4 assay is 1000-fold more sensitive than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved RDTs and detected EBOV infection earlier than PCR in a standard nonhuman primate model. The EBOV D4 assay is suitable for low-resource settings and may facilitate earlier detection, containment, and treatment during outbreaks of the disease.


This paper undertakes a corpus-based linguistic investigation of the spelling variation in 16th century Slovene both from the diachronic and synchronic points of view. The investigation is based on a manually annotated sample (approx. 14,000 word tokens) from Primož Trubar's Ta pervi deil tiga Noviga teſtamenta, 1557, and Hiſhna poſtilla, 1595, and Jurij Juricic's Poſtilla, 1578, and it concentrates on clitics and clitic-like elements. Statistical analysis, based on comparison of the spelling conventions of the early modern period to those of contemporary Slovene using normalised forms of the originals, where we observe cases where one orthographic word is nowadays written as two or more words (1–n mapping) or vice-versa (n–1 mapping), shows that the overall percentage of split and joined word tokens is 5.7%, with JPo 1578 having the highest percentage, and TPo 1595 the lowest, less than half of that of JPo 1578. Of these, the vast majority is for cases where a word is now split. The most predominant among the bound words are non-syllable prepositions v 'in(to)', k 'to', and z 'with', followed by negative proclitic ne 'not', enclitic particle li 'whether, if' and in rare instances conditional particle bi, reflexive particle se, na 'on', ob 'at, by', pri 'at, beside' and za 'for, behind' (the absolute numbers of specific clitics partially correlate with the prevalence of bound variants in comparison with the freestanding variants of those clitics, with the most frequent being predominantly bound while the least frequent are predominantly freestanding). Individual instances of two accented words written together can be attributed to German influence (figino_drevo, der Pfeigenbaum 'fig tree').The cases where one modernised word correlates to two original words are, with the exception of superlative adjective/adverb prefix naj-/nar- 'the most' that is orthographically bound with its root in about 25% of instances, sporadic or can be identified as errors in the original books. Of interest are also cases when beginnings of words that are homonymous with non- or one syllable prepositions are separated from the remainder of the word with an apostrophe (eg. s'_nameinja 'signs', s'_derſhati 'to endure', do_bruta 'goodness', sa_doſti 'enough'). The normalisation also enables the identification of the orthographical variants of the most commonly bound clitics, i. e. non-syllable prepositions k, z and v. K and its allomorph /h/ have 5 attested spelling variants, of which one is limited to hosts starting with a v-. For z with a voiced allomorph /z/ and voiceless allomorph /s/ three variant spellings were discovered that only partially correspond with a voiceless/voiced distinction of the initial sound of the host word, and the cases of merging with the host that begins with s-/z- were identified. Additional positional spellings probably represent other allomorphs: for palatalized /ž/ in front of a palatal n and , >ſo/so> for syllabified /za/, /zo/. The preposition v shows the highest degree of orthographical variation of all analysed words as it has 10 different spellings: general bound and and freestanding ; , and in front of a vowel; and attested only in front of a v-, as well as and merged with the initial v- of the host.The analysis of spelling variation in non-syllable prepositions showed that even a relatively limited hand-corrected annotated sample enabled identification of majority of spelling variants identified in previous works, while with the use of noSketch Engine tool further information about their relative frequency and distribution was obtained. As the hand-corrected corpus is expanded such research will yield even more relevant information for the study of the 16th century Slovene literary language that will significantly supplement existing findings (based on traditionally collected examples) with the help of a large amount of statistically relevant data.


Evidence is accumulating that insects are frequently killed by operating wind turbines, yet it is poorly understood if these fatalities cause population declines and changes in assemblage structures on various spatial scales. Current observations suggest that mostly hill‐topping, swarming, and migrating insects interact with wind turbines. Recently, the annual loss of insect biomass at wind turbines was estimated for Germany to amount 1,200 t for the plant growth period, which equates to about 1.2 trillion killed insects per year, assuming 1 mg insect body mass. Accordingly, a single turbine located in the temperate zone might kill about 40 million insects per year. Furthermore, Scheimpflug Lidar measurements at operating wind turbines confirm a high insect activity in the risk zone of turbines. These numbers and observations are alarming, yet they require further consolidation, particularly across all continents and climate zones where wind energy industry is expanding. We need to understand (a) how attraction of insects to wind turbines affect fatality rates and interactions of insect predators with wind turbines. (b) We have to connect insect fatalities at wind turbines with source populations and evaluate if these fatalities add to the decline of insect populations and potentially the extinction of species. (c) We need to assess how fatalities at wind turbines change insect‐mediated ecosystem services. An ever‐growing global wind energy industry with high densities of wind turbines may have long‐lasting effects on insects and associated trophic links if negative impacts on insects are not considered during the erection and operation of wind turbines.


Changes in select adipose tissue volumes may differentially impact bone mineral density. This study was performed to assess cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between computed tomography-determined visceral (VAT), subcutaneous (SAT), inter-muscular (IMAT), and pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) volumes with respective changes in thoracic vertebral and lumbar vertebral volumetric trabecular bone mineral density (vBMD) in African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Generalized linear models were fitted to test relationships between baseline and change in adipose volumes with change in vBMD in 300 African American-Diabetes Heart Study participants; adjustment was performed for age, sex, diabetes duration, study interval, smoking, hypertension, BMI, kidney function, and medications. Participants were 50% female with mean ± SD age 55.1±9.0 years, diabetes duration 10.2±7.2 years, and BMI 34.7±7.7 kg/m2. Over 5.3 ± 1.4 years, mean vBMD decreased in thoracic/lumbar spine, while mean adipose tissue volumes increased in SAT, IMAT, and PAT, but not VAT depots. In fully-adjusted models, changes in lumbar and thoracic vBMD were positively associated with change in SAT (β[SE] 0.045[0.011], p<0.0001; 0.40[0.013], p = 0.002, respectively). Change in thoracic vBMD was positively associated with change in IMAT (p = 0.029) and VAT (p = 0.016); and change in lumbar vBMD positively associated with baseline IMAT (p<0.0001). In contrast, vBMD was not associated with change in PAT. After adjusting for BMI, baseline and change in volumes of select adipose depots were associated with increases in thoracic and lumbar trabecular vBMD in African Americans. Effects of adiposity on trabecular bone appear to be site-specific and related to factors beyond mechanical load.


The use of solar energy has become a promising method to reach energy efficient solutions throughout the last century. Improving the thermal properties of building members will contribute to the efficient use of energy by preventing heat gain/loss through the building envelope. Phase change materials (PCMs) are favorable materials for thermal applications because of their large contribution to the thermal mass of a building and thus providing "inertia" against temperature fluctuations. In this experimental study, glass fiber‐reinforced cementitious composites were modified using a commercial microencapsulated PCM to improve their thermal performance. The thermal and the mechanical performances of the composites were investigated. With the use of PCMs, the latent heat capacity of the composites increased while the thermal conductivity decreased. Conversely, the mechanical properties of composites declined with increases in PCM amount. The main conclusions of the experimental study are as follows: PCMs provide a great potential to fiber‐reinforced cementitious composites to support the efficient use of energy, thereby enhancing the thermal features of the composites. The performance of PCM composites shows a serious variation according to different service temperatures. Therefore, the effect of service temperature must be considered particularly with respect to safe utilization of these materials. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38:e13061, 2019


In the last years, energy efficiency has become an important issue for the EU and Slovenia, who both strive for more sustainable use of energy in buildings. As an innovative approach to such matter, green walls are vertical structures that can serve both as a facade or an insulation layer as well as an aesthetic design for building application. This thesis contains calculated annual heat (transmission) losses through different wall assemblies with and without a constructed green wall in front of them. The goal is to compare values of heat losses between those wall assemblies and the explanation of such results which will determine if green walls present a viable energy-efficient structure for buildings.


Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the vitamin D status of pregnant mothers and its effect on anthropometric measures in the offspring. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Department of Pediatrics, Narayan Medical College and Hospital, Sasaram, Rohtas, Bihar, India, between February 2019 to January 2020. Convenient sampling technique was employed and all mothers attending the antenatal clinic in their 3 trimester, after taking the proper informed consent were enrolled in this study. Gestational age was calculated using mother's 1 day of last menstrual period and/or 1 trimester ultrasonography. Fetal growth restriction of the baby was defined as birth weight below the 10 percentile for the gestational age. Venous blood samples were taken and transported to the biochemistry laboratory. Serum separation was done without delay and stored at appropriate temperature. Length of Infant was measured with an Infantometer. Nonstretchable plastic tape was used to measure head circumference of Infants. Results: Total 102 pregnant mothers in their third trimester were enrolled in this study for final analysis. Maternal serum 25(OH) D<12 ng/ml was found in 19% of the mothers and 46% mothers had values 12-20 ng/ml. This means 65% of women in their 3 trimester were not having sufficient Vitamin D3 in their body. Maternal Mean serum PTH was 27.1 (SD: 21.23). However, maternal serum PTH showed a significant negative correlation with maternal 25(OH) D (r= -0.317, p= 0.0007). Further, median level of PTH was significantly higher (p=0.001) in 25 (OH) D deficient group (21.9 pg/ml) when compared to nondeficient group (11.17pg/ml) according to Mann-Whitney test. PTH showed a significant correlation to calcium, alkaline phosphatase and inorganic phosphorus according to Spearman's correlation coefficient test. Anthropometry of the infants at birth and at one month of age was taken. Correlation between biochemical parameters (vitamin D, PTH) and growth (weight, length, OFC) was not significant. Conclusion: A significant rate of vitamin D deficiency was observed in pregnant mothers. There was no correlation between maternal vitamin-D3 levels in 3 rd trimester of pregnancy and neonatal anthropometry in this study.


One of the major controversies surrounding proton therapy is that despite the high cost of proton therapy relative to conventional x-ray radiotherapy, the clinical benefit of proton therapy has not been clearly demonstrated in the literature. The majority of clinical studies comparing proton and photon therapy have compared passive scattering proton therapy (PSPT) with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). However, the delivery of proton therapy, while predominantly in the form of PSPT, is likely to be superseded by intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT). Improvement in dose distribution by IMPT in a representative series of patients compared to IMRT has been reported. It appears that IMPT will have the opportunity to justify adopting the proton therapy in the routine care for majority disease.This session will begin with a short introduction explaining the current state of the art for IMPT. This introduction will be followed by four presentations. The first presentation will cover the efficacy of proton therapy for prostate cancer from a clinician's point of view. The second presentation will provide more detail on the current state of the art for proton therapy, introduce future research directions for IMPT technology, and address the impact of the research on proton therapy. The third presentation will cover the clinical and operational reasoning behind an all-scanning-beam facility and the expertise needed to build such a facility. In the fourth presentation, a physicist and a physician will present their center's experience with implementing IMPT techniques for lung, head and neck, and central nervous system tumors and present relevant clinical protocols and data.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Describe the current machine delivery systems and treatment planning, quality assurance, and dose verification techniques for IMPT. 2. Explain the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of proton therapy. 3. Differentiate the capabilities of IMPT from those of PSPT and IMRT and explain how the unique capabilities of IMPT improve the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of proton therapy. 4. Provide examples of working clinical protocols, workflow, and quality assurance procedures for the use of IMPT in routine patient care.


This paper presents an intuitive approach for mobility analysis of thin-panel origamis based on a coplanar 2-twist screw system, which consists of a pair of parallel/concurrent line vectors. In this study, we first proved that in any thin-panel origami, the allowable instantaneous mobility for any two facets connected to a third one can be described by a coplanar 2-twist screw system because this mobility is generated by two coplanar creases in the third facet. Second, the mobility of the basic origami units with a single facet loop was analyzed by using this coplanar 2-twist screw system. Third, the mobility analysis approach was extended to analyze the mobility of other planar/circular arraying origami patterns with multiple facet loops; typical origami patterns such as leaf-fold, Miura-ori were subjected to this analysis process. Furthermore, we proved that the proposed approach can be applied to the mobility analysis of complicated origamis; this approach proved to be considerably more intuitive than the traditional approach for mobility analysis.


Levels of Cd and Pb in adductor muscle, gonad and other tissues (i.e. viscera, mantle and gill) of the scallop ( Pecten alba ) collected from four sites of Port Phillip Bay, Australia were determined. Cd in gonad and other tissues (3.8 ± 0.1 and 3.76 ± 0.69 μg/g dry wt. respectively) were similar but significantly higher than that in the adductor muscle (2.71 ± 0.3 μg/g dry wt.). Pb in gonad and other tissues (18.75 ± 3.88, 14.06 ± 0.72 μg/g dry wt. respectively) were also significantly higher than that in the adductor muscle (5.54 ± 0.78 μg/g dry wt.). The results indicated that Cd and Pb are mainly sequestered in gonads and other tissues but not adductor muscle. The mean concentration of Cd in all tissues from all sites were under the Australian statutory limit. Although levels of Pb in adductor muscle from all sites were also below the limit, levels of Pb in edible parts (gonads and adductor muscle) of scallops from Williamstown and Frankston were over the Australian health standard. The level of Pb was 2.5 to 4.5 times higher than that of Cd in the same tissue type. Concentrations of both metals in scallops tend to decrease from north to south and east-west, and correlated with known point source discharges in the catchment area of the Bay.


Formation of excess free radical causes cellular oxidative stress, which has been shown to be associated with a variety of pathologic conditions. While electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy has been the only method to demonstrate the presence of free radicals, its application to tissue samples has been challenging. We report here the successful ESR detection in thin-sliced fresh tissues or frozen sections in a rat model. Ferric nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) induces oxidative renal tubular damage that ultimately leads to high incidence of renal carcinoma in rodents. Twenty minutes after administration of 5 mg iron/kg Fe-NTA to rats, a thin-slice of the kidney was mounted on a tissue-type cell and analyzed by ESR spin trapping with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO). An ESR signal from alkylperoxyl radical adduct was obtained, and the signal was inversely proportional to renal alpha-tocopherol content which was modulated through diet. Furthermore, we undertook ex vivo study using frozen sections. Fe-NTA (1 mM) was added to a rat kidney frozen section for 10 min. After washing the specimen was mounted on a tissue-type cell and analyzed with ESR spin trapping using DMPO. Alkylperoxyl radical signal was dependent on thickness, incubation time and renal tissue levels of alpha-tocopherol, and was reduced by preincubation with catalase or dimethyl sulfoxide but not with alpha-tocopherol outside tissue. This versatile method facilitates identification of free radicals in pathologic conditions, and may be useful for selection of antioxidants.


Although public management reforms around the world have given business experts an enhanced role in the governance of public sector organizations, the impact of this change is poorly understood. Drawing from the literature on board human capital as a theoretical framework and focusing on the case of hospital boards in the English National Health Service, this concern is addressed by investigating whether increasing the presence of individuals with business expertise has any significant relationship with organizational performance. The findings show that while business expertise appears to have no influence on service quality, it does have a positive effect on financial performance. However, this only applies to governing boards that are less experienced in terms of their collective tenure. The findings lend partial support to board capital theory but also show that in certain conditions generic business expertise can be a valuable asset for public sector organizations.


This issue summarizes key findings of the 1998 Project Performance report, and reflects results, and insights from recent GEF evaluations. A comprehensive portfolio overview of projects under implementation, and trends in performance , is analyzed, noting that the principal causes for unsatisfactory performance included, lower than expected implementation capacity by executing agencies, complex and over-ambitious designs, while market conditions also influenced performance, particularly those projects with issues relating to climate changes. The report specifies the need for longer term, and more flexible approach, in addressing global environmental problems, focusing attention on: policy framework, funding sources, awareness, and ownership to achieve sustainability; how to identify additional resources, leveraged by GEF programs; and, capacity building, to increase knowledge and awareness of environmental issues, transfer of technology, and, to promote increased interaction among government, academic and business organizations, and non-governmental organizations.


BACKGROUND
Given that, in most clinical circumstances, enteral nutrition (nasal gastric tube feeding) may not necessarily be superior to parenteral nutrition (IV feeding), consideration of patient preference should be included in decisions on the method of feeding.

OBJECTIVES
To evaluate patient preference for nasal gastric versus IV feeding.

METHODS
We administered a written questionnaire to 101 hospitalized oncology patients and 98 outpatients without gastrointestinal illness (controls). Statistical analyses included comparisons of group means with Student t tests, comparisons of proportions with chi2 tests, and logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS
Demographic variables of the 2 groups were comparable. In both groups, most individuals preferred IV to tube feeding. Preference for IV or tube feeding was related to patient perception of the comfort of these interventions. In logistic regression analyses, the strongest influences on preference were age and perceived comfort of IV feeding. Older individuals preferred IV to tube feeding. Gender, education level, physician's recommendation, and cost did not influence patient preference.

CONCLUSIONS
Most patients prefer IV to nasal gastric feeding. Awareness of this patient preference is helpful in making decisions regarding the method of nutrient delivery.


Many have documented the positive benefits of Living and Learning Communities (LLCs), but creating an environment that truly integrates living and learning across campus can be a challenge. In this paper we chronicle an LLC program that was intentionally built upon a broad foundation. By including faculty, staff, and student leader representation from across the campus from admissions and academic affairs to student engagement, residence life, and enrollment management Cabrini College has created a program that has gone beyond the numerical targets of increased retention and increased academic success. We believe the program has created transformational experiences for many student participants, and that these experiences are the result of the LLC's integrated design. After providing a history of the program and its unique institutional structure, and offering suggestions for other institutions designing LLCs, we present both quantitative and qualitative measures of success. Richard D. Gebauer is the Director of the First-Year Experience at Cabrini College in Radnor, Pennsylvania. Nancy L. Watterson is an Associate Professor, Social Justice, at Cabrini College. Eric Malm is an Associate Professor of Economics and Business at Cabrini College. Michelle Filling-Brown is an Assistant Professor of English at Cabrini College. John W. Cordes is an Associate Professor in Communication at Cabrini College.


Author(s): Kim, Caroline | Advisor(s): Jassby, David | Abstract: Biofilm formation is a concerning issue for many industrial processes, especially for water treatment membranes, because it leads to fouling and poor performance of the system. Combinations of physical and chemical cleaning methods are commonly used to remove the deposited biofilms. However, there is little understanding of the interactions between chemical cleaning agents and the biofilm. Therefore, companies perform a series of iterations whereby a certain cleaning product or process is applied to the surface with the hope of dislodging the biofilm. This leads to indiscriminate use of cleaning agents and inconsistent results of biofilm removal. The goal of this project is to give insights to the impact of representative cleaning agents on individual biofilm components and ultimately, to design an efficient microbial cleaning strategy for biofouled surfaces, which will help to ensure a safe and sustainable operation of water supply and enhance the performance of membrane-based water treatment processes.In this study, the interaction between a homogeneous layer of a single biofilm component (polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids) and different cleaning solutions (base, oxidizer, surfactant, chelating agent) was evaluated by comparing permeate flux of an ultrafiltration membrane and frequency shift measured by a quartz crystal microbalance. The efficacy of cleaning agents towards model biofilm component mixtures designed to mimic gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial biofilms and an actual bacterial biofilm component extracted from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (a gram-negative bacteria) were tested. The presence of calcium in the feed solution hindered the ability of the cleaning solutions to completely remove the foulants except when a chelating agent was used. The usage of a base and an oxidizer showed the best performance yet did not fully removed the model biofilm component mixtures or the bacterial biofilm component. Overall, it was determined that the presence of proteins in biofilms determines their susceptibility to cleaning.


This study provides stochastic frontier analyses of private philanthropy in financing public universities in the United States. Panel data estimates of private giving –fundraising production frontiers and inefficiency effects are provided for an aggregate of 353 universities and separately for research intensive, doctoral granting, and master level institutions over the 2006-09 academic years. Inefficiency effects are modelled as set of university specific covariates, including medical schools, hospitals, executive employment and a time trend to capture potential effects of the global financial crisis on university fundraising efficiency. Efficiency scores are estimated across university levels and indicate that mean efficiencies range from 53% to 27% for research compared to master level universities. Medical school presence represents a fundraising advantage. Faculty productivity is positive among research and doctoral universities. University executives produce efficiency improvements but only in doctoral granting universities. Some evidence of crowding out exists and suggests government funding reduces private philanthropy. The findings suggest recession induced declines in private giving may have been lessened as a result of university wide fundraising efficiency improvements. Although data improvements are needed, the paper is believed to be the first to offer the rigor of frontier analysis in evaluating fundraising production and efficiencies and should be of interest to university and public policy decision-makers.


Post Graduate Study has a very important role in people's career planning. Besides, it helps for gaining expertising on their fields. Specializing must be in the right area to reach their targets in line with people's interests. The aim of the study is to propose a model for students that determines which courses will be chosen on master course selection and this model gives an application example. In this study, course selection problem is discussed for post graduate students in Industrial Engineering Department of Kirikkale University. All criteria that are effected for selecting a course are identified by the help of survey then, significance levels are determined with using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) which is a Multi-Criteria Decision Making Method. According to the weights which are determined before in AHP results, six classes weighted by PROMETHEE method in Industrial Engineering Department.


but'few symptoms, if these bodies can again soon be eliminated; and, lastly, the injection of urea into the blood of animals, owing to its rapid elimination, produces even less toxic 'effects than the administration of acetone, though the retention of urea plays undoubtedly'un important part' in' the causation of urcemia. How and #here these bodies are formred is as Yet a matter of speculation. It is not easy to see how they can be formed from 'oxydation, 'r further, ferrnentatidn of sugar. It'seems more likely 'especially according to the ob6rotions of Jaksch and Rosenfeld, that acetone at least is formed from the albuminous bodies; and if so, we can someWhat und6rstand why the sudden change from a mixed to a pure nitrogenous diet shouild bring on the symptoms of coma. There remain yet, however, a nulmber of cases where the symptoms of diabetic coma with mnarked dyspiiea appear, and where yet no acetone is contained in the exhaled air, and no aceto-acetic acid is found' in the urine. These cases I would relegate to our first group-the dia. betic collapse-from which they seem to differ only in one additional symptom-dyspncea. I cannot help feeling that rather too much stress has been laid on this " Kussmaul's symptom," which simply indicates, I think, that the respiratory centre is profoundly implicated. We miss the dyspncea in otherwise typical cases of diabetic coma ; and that it may be present in collapse or coma, independent of diabetes, is seen in the cases of pernicious anamia related by Riess. Whether some of these cases may not 'be due to an intoxication by an alkaloid, a ptomaine, produced by fermentative changes in the body, is a point about which at present we have but too little positive evidence ; but about which, considering the activity displayed in that 'line of research by Brieger, Bouchard, and others, we shall, no doubt, hear more before long. And now a few words as to treatment. However much physicians may differ as to the pathology of diabetic coma, I think it is admitted generally that the appearance of the acetone breath and the presence of perchloride of iron reaction always indicate that we have a severe case of diabetes to deal with, and that in these cases a slight cause nay bring on a fatal coma. Such patients should be forbidden active exercise; they should avoid mental worry anid excitement. As obstinate constipation has occasionally been assigned as an exciting cause, the condition of the bowels should be attended to, but only gentle laxatives be given. If the symptoms come on soon after a course of an exclusive nitrogenous diet, a mixed diet should be at once recommended. WNe may in this way succeed in averting the svmptoms of coma, for when once these are present, our therapeutics are powerless. Intravenous inj(ction of pliosplhate of soda and cliloride of sodium, recommnended by Fagge, onaly delayed the fatal event for' a few h'ours; not more success was obtained by transfusion. Stadelmann believing, as we saw, that the symptoms 'of diabetic coma depended oh the pre'sence of increased acid in the blood, gave in one case large doses of bicarbonate of soda ; there was somne slight temporary improvement, but the fatal result followed a few hours later. The different antiseptics have been tried, but with no better result; in fact, several cases of diabetes died from coma dtiring a course of treatment with carbolic acid. The inhalation of oxygen, and the administration of stimulants, such as ethet and camphor, gave no better re'sult the latter are, however, inidicated in diabetic collapse. IVery gloomy indeed is thus' the progress of diabetic coma,. and only too true the saying of Proutt, who conlpare's a person with diabetis to one who is walkinog on the' brink of a precipice.


Education assumes an import job in the advancement and improvement of a state. Advancement of any nation relies on its proficiency rate and nature of instruction in that nation. In this way, it is the key needs of countries. Sadly, our own nation Pakistan is a regressive one with respect to its proficiency rate. Indeed, even numerous poor nations have higher education rate as contrast with Pakistan. Our policy framework and priority is in charge of this. Higher education has incredible significance in the improvement of a nation. Be that as it may, sadly, its significance is yet to be acknowledged in Asian nations. For over 70 years, Pakistan have been attempting to inspire their instructive standard by giving quality advanced education to their natives yet there are numerous deterrents and obstacles that are rising. These difficulties (amount, value, quality, and so on) are exceptionally normal in nature however require appropriate methodology to address in the best way. The study explain on major initiatives in higher education institutions in Pakistan according to experts, likewise investigates the job of Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan in presenting these changes. By utilizing subjective research technique the examination embraces an illustrative research way to deal with present an all-encompassing perspective on the key change activities in HEIs both as far as substance and procedure, study highlights the major issues, policies, challenges and reforms in higher education of Pakistan in the minds of University professors from public and private sectors.


In the Equivalent Transformation (ET) computation model, a program is constructed by the successive accumulation of ET rules. A method by meta-computation by which a correct ET rule is generated has been proposed. Although the method covers a broad range in the generation of ET rules, all important ET rules are not necessarily generated. Generation of more ET rules can be achieved by supplementing generation methods which are specialized for important ET rules. A Specialization-by-Equation (Speq) rule is one of those important rules. A Speq rule describes a procedure in which two variables included in an atom conjunction are equalized due to predicate constraints. In this paper, we propose an algorithm that systematically and recursively generate Speq rules and discuss its effectiveness in the synthesis of ET programs. A Speq rule is generated based on proof of a logical formula consisting of given atom set and dis-equality. The proof is carried out by utilizing some ET rules and the ultimately obtained rules in generating Speq rules. Keywords— Equivalent transformation, ET rule, Equation of two variables, Rule generation, Specialization-by-Equation rule


Purpose of review— The Kallikrein-kinin system (KKS) constitutes a complex multi-enzyme cascade that produces several bioactive kinin peptides and their derivatives including bradykinin. In addition to the classical notion of the KKS as a potent vasodilator and a mediator of inflammatory responses, recent studies suggest a link between the KKS and oxidative stress. A number of established mouse model with altered levels of KKS components opened the way to evaluate precise functions of the KKS. Here we review recent findings on the role of the KKS in cardiovascular diseases and chronic kidney diseases, and discuss potential benefits of KKS activation in these diseases. Recent findings— Deletion of both B1R and B2R in a diabetic mouse model exacerbates its renal phenotypes, suggesting that the KKS exerts protective effects on diabetic nephropathy by suppressing oxidative stress, presumably via nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandins (PGs). Summary— Accumulating evidence has highlighted the importance of the KKS as a protective system against oxidative stress and organ damage in the heart and kidney. The activation of the KKS by ACE inhibitors and vasopeptidase inhibitors is likely to be beneficial in senescence-associated cardiovascular diseases and chronic kidney diseases.


Gendered Enterprise and Markets (GEM) is Oxfam GB's approach to market systems development. The GEM approach facilitates change in market systems and social norms, with the aim of ensuring more sustainable livelihood opportunities for marginalized women and men. The GEM DFID AidMatch Programme (June 2014–February 2018) worked within the soya, milk and vegetable value chains targeting women smallholder farmers in areas of poverty. The programme aimed to benefit 63,600 people (10,600 smallholder households) living in Zambia, Tajikistan and Bangladesh through increases in household income, women having greater influence over key livelihood decisions within their households and communities, and engaging in livelihoods more resilient to shocks, such as natural disasters and market volatility. This evaluation was designed to investigate if and how the GEM programme contributed to its intended outcomes – not only in the lives of individual women smallholder farmers targeted by the programme but also in terms of changes in their communities and the larger market system. It also sought to capture any potential unintended outcomes of the programme. This summary report outlines the key findings from the three individual country evaluations in Bangladesh, Tajikistan and Zambia - for which the full reports are also available.


Abstract : One of the biggest considerations for an Aerospace Expeditionary Force (AEF), in terms of cost and airlift requirement, is the use of aircraft spares kits to support combat operations. To date, these kits are built on the assumption that there would be no resupply for the first 30 days of a contingency. However, with more efficient transportation and information resources available today, it seems logical that resupply would occur much more quickly. If so, the Air Force should be able to trim its wartime stocks of aircraft spares. This thesis investigated the effect of improving the logistics pipeline on the size and cost of Air Force mobility readiness spares packages (MRSPs). By using the Aircraft Sustainability Model (ASM), it was shown that order and ship time was the most significant determinant of kit size and cost. Also, through an innovative use of the Forward Support Location (FSL) Option, a potential for significant savings in both airlift requirement and spares costs was identified. In addition, evidence to support the efficiency of the 'pipeline on the fly' concept was presented. Under this model, aircraft spares would flow simultaneously from a depot as well as in a spares kit with a deploying unit.


In this paper, nonlinear system identification utilizing generalized total least squares (GTLS) methodologies in neurofuzzy systems is addressed. The problem involved with the estimation of the local model parameters of neurofuzzy networks is the presence of noise in measured data. When some or all input channels are subject to noise, the GTLS algorithm yields consistent parameter estimates. In addition to the estimation of the parameters, the main challenge in the design of these local model networks is the determination of the region of validity for the local models. The method presented in this paper is based on an expectation-maximization algorithm that uses a residual from the GTLS parameter estimation for proper partitioning. The performance of the resulting nonlinear model with local parameters estimated by weighted GTLS is a product both of the parameter estimation itself and the associated residual used for the partitioning process. The applicability and benefits of the proposed algorithm are demonstrated by means of illustrative examples and an automotive application.


In thiswork, plate likeNi(OH)2 nanocrystalswere synthesized with a simple hydrothermal synthesis method. The pretreated electrode was prepared by electropolymerizing thionine with Cyclic Voltammetry(CV) in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) containing thionine for 40 cycles. Then the next film was prepared by dropping nano-Ni(OH)2 solution onto the poly(thionine)(PTH)/glass carbon electrode(GCE) surface.Additionally, the as-prepared nano-Ni(OH)2/PTH/GCE showed awell electrocatalytic oxidation property towards phenol in 0.1MPBS pH7.0 via CV.Under the optimal conditions, the electrocatalytic response current of this sensor was proportional to the phenol concentration in the range of 0.08 iM ~ 180 iM with a detection limit down to 0.02 iM (S / N = 3). The phenol sensor exhibited lowdetection limit, fast response time, high selectivity. In consequence, the paper provided a quite effective and sensitive method for phenol detection.


BACKGROUND
Approximately 1 in 10 pregnancies is affected by meconium passage at delivery, which can result in meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). MAS can cause respiratory complications and, very rarely, death. Antibiotics have been prescribed for neonates exposed to meconium in amniotic fluid, with the intention of preventing infection due to potential bacterial contaminants.

OBJECTIVES
We conducted this review to assess the efficacy and safety of antibiotics for:1. prevention of infection, morbidity, and mortality among infants born through meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF) who are asymptomatic at birth; and2. prevention of infection, morbidity, and mortality among infants born through MSAF who have signs and symptoms compatible with meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS).

SEARCH METHODS
We performed a literature search using the following databases: MEDLINE (1966 to July 2016); Embase (1980 to July 2016); the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL; 1982 to July 2016); and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2016, Issue 7) in the Cochrane Library. We also searched clinical trials databases, conference proceedings, and reference lists of retrieved articles.

SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials that compared antibiotics administered via any route versus placebo or no treatment for prevention of infection among neonates exposed to MSAF, or who developed MAS. We excluded cohort, case control, and any other non-randomised studies and applied no language restrictions. We included studies of term and preterm infants, and we included studies examining use of any antibacterial antibiotics. We included studies that reported on any outcomes of interest.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We assessed the methodological quality of included trials by reviewing information provided in study reports and obtained by personal communication with study authors. We extracted data on relevant outcomes, estimated effect size, and reported values as risk ratios (RRs), risk differences (RDs), and mean differences (MDs), as appropriate. We conducted subgroup analyses for treatment of MAS and for prophylaxis (asymptomatic neonates exposed to meconium).

MAIN RESULTS
Four randomised controlled studies including a total of 695 participants were eligible for inclusion. Three studies evaluated neonates with MAS, and one study assessed asymptomatic neonates exposed to meconium in amniotic fluid. These studies exhibited varying degrees of methodological rigour: Two studies were at low risk of bias, and two were at unclear risk. We graded evidence derived from these studies as low quality. We downgraded overall evidence owing to the large number of participants lost to follow-up in one trial, the small sample sizes of all trials, and unclear methodological details provided for two trials.The primary outcome was risk of early- and late-onset neonatal sepsis. Antibiotics did not decrease the risk of sepsis in neonates with a diagnosis of MAS (RR 1.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.27 to 8.96; RD 0.00, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.03; 445 participants, three studies; I² = 0%) nor in asymptomatic neonates exposed to meconium in amniotic fluid (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.25 to 2.34; RD -0.01, 95% CI -0.07 to 0.04; 250 participants, one study; I² = 0%). Results show no significant differences in mortality or duration of stay in hospital between groups given antibiotics and control groups of symptomatic and asymptomatic neonates. One study in asymptomatic neonates reported a significant reduction in duration of mechanical ventilation for the control group compared with the antibiotic group (MD 0.26, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.37; 250 participants, one study; I² = 0%).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Upon review of available evidence, we found no differences in infection rates following antibiotic treatment among neonates born through meconium-stained fluid and those with meconium aspiration syndrome. The overall quality of evidence is low owing to the small number of included studies. Well-controlled studies of adequate power are needed.


Driven by the increasing complexity of modern marketing and the growing pressure to justify the contributions of marketing activities to firm performance, marketers have shown considerable interest in implementing and improving marketing performance measurement systems (MPMSs). However, there is an ongoing debate about the usefulness of adopting MPMSs. As limited empirical research has been conducted in this area, scholars call for more studies to advance the understanding of the effects of MPMSs on firm performance (Homburg, Artz & Wieseke, 2012; O'Sullivan & Abela, 2007).
Drawing on the marketing performance measurement literature, dynamic capabilities (DC) theory and contingency theory, this study aims to develop an integrated framework to explain how and under what circumstances MPMSs influence firm performance. Using survey data collected from 209 Irish-based companies and interview data collected from 13 managers, this study finds that 1) the comprehensiveness of MPMSs influences firm performance through the impact on the use of MPMSs and marketing capabilities; 2) the interactive use of MPMSs improves firm performance by enhancing crucial marketing capabilities, while their diagnostic use leads to inferior firm performance potentially due to the negative impact on such capabilities; and 3) technological turbulence and competitive intensity strengthen the positive impact of MPMSs on firm performance.
This study contributes to the literature and practice in several ways: 1) a novel practices-uses-capabilities-performance approach is developed to explain the effects of MPMSs on firm performance, 2) this study empirically confirms that contingencies influence the effectiveness of MPMSs, 3) it extends DC theory by empirically supporting the critical role of management practices in building marketing capabilities, and 4) it provides insights into how companies can use their MPMSs to develop marketing capabilities and improve firm performance in different contexts.


The aim of this research was to investigate the curvature and face/core debond influence on the vibration behavior of curved composite sandwich beams made up of carbon/epoxy laminate skins over a polyurethane foam core. Flat and curved sandwich beams with debond were prepared by keeping the arc length of the sandwich beams equal to the length of the flat sandwich beams. Sandwich specimens with three different curvatures and debond between the top and bottom face/core were manufactured. Systematic vibration and static experiments were carried to determine the response and to study the effect of curvature and debond. Flexural stiffness and strength of the sandwich beams were determined by four-point bending tests. The natural frequencies and damping loss factors of the sandwich beams were determined using impulse frequency response technique under free—free boundary conditions. Four-point bending test results indicate that stiffness of the beams decrease with presence of debond. Vibration test results show that face/core debond causes reduction of the natural frequencies whereas damping loss factor values increase with presence of debond. The effects of debond and curvature on damping loss factor is higher than that on natural frequency.