ABSTRACT This study investigated the use of reflective diaries by novice teachers in the teaching practicum course. In these diaries, novice teachers wrote about the activities they had undertaken during the week in detail. These novice teachers were also interviewed in order to garner rich, in-depth, and nuanced perceptions of their experiences in writing reflective diaries and ascertain whether the diaries helped or hindered their teaching. Fifty Saudi pre-service teachers who taught English in intermediate schools participated in the study. The in-service teachers in these schools were interviewed so that their voices and evaluations regarding the reflective diaries could be added to the study; this was done because they were considered as secondary supervisors for the pre-service teachers. Results revealed that the majority of pre-service teachers and all of the in-service teachers showed positive attitudes toward reflective diary use. Although most of the diaries were descriptive rather than reflective, the pre-service teachers did focus on key classroom elements such as teaching techniques, activities, teaching resources. The results also suggested that a number of participants recommended that the diaries should be mandatory and embedded in the teaching practicum course. Dedicated coaching, mentoring, and modelling could further develop their approach to professional reflection.


The PRO is working collaboratively with the American Medical Peer Review Association (AMPRA), the Group Health Association of America (GHAA), the American Medical Care and Review Association (AMCRA) and the California Association of HMOs, Inc. to develop meaningful and acceptable methodology for future review. It has become clear that both the PRO and the HMO must modify systems in order to accomplish stated objectives in the unique IPA setting. Internally, the HMO must rethink management information systems in order to provide data in a timely fashion. The PRO, as well, must strive to understand how an IPA model differs from fee-for-service Medicare review and be prepared to modify exiting systems so defined by their contract with HCFA. Managed care in any model imposes the same responsibility for quality as other health care delivery systems. Only by cooperation and support of the quality process in concert with providers and review organizations can the IPA model measure whether the quality of its services meet professionally recognized standards of health care and whether appropriate health care services have been provided in appropriate settings.


The approach of whole-genome shotgun sequencing coupled with the availability of computational algorithms to facilitate the assembly, gene prediction, and functional annotation of entire genomes has sparked a revolution in our understanding of the biology of free-living organisms. More than 40 bacterial genomes have been sequenced to date, of which several are important human pathogens. The capacity to sequence and assemble entire genomes of bacteria, pathogenic protozoans, and fungi in a rapid and cost-effective way has energized every aspect of microbial science. Comparative genome analysis allows us to dissect the evolutionary forces at work and provides insights into adaptations of microbes to their unique ecological niches. Factors that shape host-pathogen interactions and their outcomes include genetic polymorphisms in the microbial pathogen and host, both of which can impact on microbial virulence or host immune responses to infection. The availability of the genome sequence of entire organisms, together with the use of high-throughput sequence-based genomic technologies to define microbial and host physiological states, provides the unparalleled opportunity to better define clinical outcomes in the field of infectious diseases. There is one overarching lesson: completion of the genomic sequence of any species answers many questions, while at the same time it invites totally new questions.


Abstract The genesis of thick accumulations of carbonate lake deposits on the siliciclastic floodplains of perennial rivers situated below the regional spring line requires (1) a significant source for calcium in the watershed and (2) a protected area to accumulate calcite. The Phanerozoic record of fluvial deposits shows that anastomosing rivers with carbonate-rich provenance situated in distal areas below the spring line are the best environments for floodplain accumulation of significant carbonate lake deposits. Anastomosing rivers exist below the regional spring line and have isolated flood basins generally protected from bedload by high levees, receiving suspended and dissolved load during flooding events. Numerical modeling to test the rate of accumulation for these carbonate sediments was performed using stratigraphic data from the Pennsylvanian succession containing floodplain limestones of the Stewart Quadrangle of Athens County in Ohio (USA). Limestone volumes for six limestone units (Upper Pittsburgh, Fishpot, Sewickley, Benwood/Arnoldsburg, Uniontown, and Waynesburg limestones) were calculated with the assumption of overland input of dissolved calcite from carbonate source areas. In comparing the calcium input rate to the amount of calcium calculated from limestone unit volumes, overland transport of calcium ions, not spring input, can supply sufficient ions to accumulate thick carbonates over the short lifetime of floodplain lakes within anastomosing river systems.


Introduction IDA affects up to 5% of the adult population in the developing world. There is an association between H. pylori (Hp) infection and incidence of unexplained IDA, but the mechanisms remain unclear. In children it has been suggested that Hp disturbs the iron regulatory mechanism via hepicidin. This peptide hormone induces internalisation and degradation of the iron transporter protein ferroportin thus limiting iron absorption and release. Hepcidin expression is induced by inflammation, but how this relates to Hp and IDA has not been fully elucidated, particularly in adults. This pilot study aimed to characterise local and systemic iron transporter expression in IDA patients with and without Hp infection, in comparison to Hp negative dyspepsia controls. Methods Patients undergoing routine endoscopy for IDA (HpIDA and IDA groups, n = 18 and 40 respectively) or without IDA (control group, n = 18) donated blood and biopsy samples with informed consent and ethical approval. Hp status was assessed by three biopsy based tests and by serology. Duodenal and gastric biopsies were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for ferroportin and hepcidin, in addition to H&E staining for inflammation and atrophy grading. All scoring was carried out by experienced blinded histopathologists. A commercial ELISA assay was used to quantify serum Hepcidin-25. Results As expected, anaemia parameters were significantly lower in the HpIDA and IDA groups compared to the controls (P < 0.0001). Surprisingly, serum hepcidin concentrations were significantly reduced in the HpIDA and IDA groups compared to the controls (9 fold, P = 0.009 and 5 fold, P < 0.0001 respectively). Hp infection was associated with gastric expression of hepcidin, particularly in the corpus when compared to controls. This corresponded with the cytoplasmic relocalisation of ferroportin (n = 12; 67%) in the duodenal enterocytes of patients with HpIDA compared to controls, where the ferroportin was actively expressed. Hepcidin was also found to be expressed in the duodenum of both controls and HpIDA. Significant atrophy was observed in both IDA groups. Conclusion IDA was associated with significantly lower levels of serum hepcidin in contrast to previous studies. Local or systemic factors such as inflammatory mediators could be driving this response as more severe atrophy was observed in both IDA groups. We now aim to perform quantitative analysis of hepcidin in the gastric specimens using RT-qPCR to further evaluate whether local Hp transcriptionally upregulated hepcidin expression might cause these effects on iron transport. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


Objective: For the past several years the screening and diagnostic tests for Down syndrome have evolved rapidly with the introduction of the non-invasive prenatal testing. However, not all of the women are aware of new test options. That is why the aim of our survey is to investigate the women's awareness towards prenatal Down syndrome tests in Bulgaria.

Methods: А survey was conducted among 500 randomly selected females from 18 to 47. It was designed as a prospective study carried out both online and at the genetic counseling office in the Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Varna. All the information was collected between January 2018 and June 2018.

Results: 384 (76.3%) of the women received information about the different tests option from their obstetrician. The rest 116 (23.7%) were self-educated. In total 345 (68.5%) of the females were satisfied with the Down syndrome tests information provided by their obstetrician. They had better knowledge of what biochemical screening is - 128 (25.4%) marked very good and 207 (41.2%) - good . When asked about the NIPT test, 202 (40.2%) did not know what NIPT was. 222 (44.4%) defined their knowledge about the amniocentesis as very good or good. However, only 65 (13.0%) would definitely undergo this procedure, if indicated. According to the results, for 346 (68.8%) women the accuracy of the test is most important when choosing a method for Down syndrome testing. Although the price was placed third as a factor for preferring a prenatal Down syndrome test, almost 80% of the questioned women said that they are willing to pay no more than 150 euros.

Conclusion: The results from the survey demonstrate the lack of knowledge about the offered screening and diagnostic tests for Down syndrome, especially NIPT. Better education and counseling of women during their pregnancy consultations are recommended


Image posterization is converting images with a large number of tones into synthetic images with distinct flat areas and a fewer number of tones. In this technical report, we present the implementation and results of using fuzzy logic in order to generate a posterized image in a simple and fast way. The image filter is based on fuzzy logic and bilateral filtering; where, the given image is blurred to remove small details. Then, the fuzzy logic is used to classify each pixel into one of three specific categories in order to reduce the number of colors. This filter was developed during building the Specs on Face dataset in order to add a new level of difficulty to the original face images in the dataset. This filter does not hurt the human detection performance; however, it is considered a hindrance evading the face detection process. This filter can be used generally for posterizing images, especially those have a high contrast to get images with vivid colors.


This paper presents an algorithm for reconstructing phase and magnitude responses of the impulse response when only the output data are available. The system is driven by a zero-mean independent identically distributed (i.i.d) non-Gaussian sequence that is not observed. The additive noise is assumed to be Gaussian. This is an important and essential problem in many practical applications of various science and engineering areas such as biomedical, seismic, and speech processing signals. The method is based on evaluating the bicepstrum of the third-order statistics of the observed output data. Simulations results are presented that demonstrate the performance of this method. Keywords— Cepstrum, bicepstrum, third order statistics


In most studies on globalization and transnationalism, diaspora is positioned in a conflicting and antagonistic relationship with the nation-state regime. Nevertheless, the global ascendancy of neoliberalism as a market-based mode of governing populations has brought certain changes to the relationship between the diaspora and home countries which call for further research. This essay investigates the implications of neoliberalism for diasporic kinship ties by examining emergent discourses in contemporary Indonesia that constitute an elite-led project on diasporas known as the Indonesian Diaspora Network (IDN) Global. Based on a social constructionist analysis of data gathered from activities, media reporting, and promotional materials associated with IDN Global, this essay argues that neoliberal reconfigurations of Indonesian diasporic identities manifest in two ways: unequal representation between manual workers and professionals and change of rhetoric on kinship ties as a strategic asset. Such findings reveal a more complicated and calculative relationship between the Indonesian diaspora and the Indonesian home country that complicate the valorization of diaspora against national regimes.


INTRODUCTION
Septal deviation is often found in conjunction with other pathological conditions that adversely affect nasal patency. Anterior septal deviation, together with contralateral alar collapse, is a relatively rare type of anatomical and functional incompetence. In our experience, it can often be resolved with septoplasty, without the necessity of surgery involving the external valve. The aim of this paper was to verify this hypothesis prospectively.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Twelve patients with anterior septal deviation and simultaneous alar collapse on the opposite side were prospectively enrolled in the study. Subjective assessment of nasal patency was made on post-operative day 1, and again 6 months after surgery, using a subjective evaluation of nasal breathing. The width of the nostril (alar-columellar distance) on the side with the alar collapse was measured during inspiration pre-operatively, 1 day after surgery and again 6 months after surgery.

RESULTS
Immediately after surgery, all patients reported improved or excellent nasal breathing on the side of the original septal deviation. On the collapsed side, one patient reported no change in condition. With the exception of one patient, all measurements showed some degree of improvement in the extension of the alar-columellar distance. The average benefit 6 months after surgery was an improvement of 4.54 mm.

CONCLUSION
In our group of patients (anterior septal deviation and simultaneous contralateral alar collapse and no obvious structural changes of the alar cartilage) we found septoplasty to be entirely suitable and we recommend it as the treatment of choice in such cases.


LSP tests are having a growing demand nowadays, especially business
English. LSP tests comprise academic and occupational or professional purposes. This
article shows an overview of the most important aspects LSP practitioners have to take
into account when preparing LSP tests, as they are different from general language ones.
LSP tests should be valid to measure the learner�s professional needs in terms of
authenticity, and their design would also require the involvement of experts in the field.
Teacher assessment has to be systematically complemented by self as well as peer and group
assessment. Finally, LSP assessment needs to reach a balance between the evaluation of both
process and product as authors highlight.


In Veterinary Medicine, Computer Tomography (CT scan) is used more often in dogs and cats than in large animals due to their small size and ease of manipulation. This paper, however, illustrates the use of the technique in horses. CT scan was used in the diagnosis of two conditions of the head and limbs, namely alveolar periostitis and Navicular disease. The advantages of the technique are evident in the clarity with which the lesions are seen, as well as the precise identification of the affected tooth or bone. The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 21 2001: pp. 32-33


Language Modeling (LM) is a fundamental research topic in a range of areas. Recently, inspired by quantum theory, a novel Quantum Language Model (QLM) has been proposed for Information Retrieval (IR). In this paper, we aim to broaden the theoretical and practical basis of QLM. We develop a Neural Network based Quantum-like Language Model (NNQLM) and apply it to Question Answering. Specifically, based on word embeddings, we design a new density matrix, which represents a sentence (e.g., a question or an answer) and encodes a mixture of semantic subspaces. Such a density matrix, together with a joint representation of the question and the answer, can be integrated into neural network architectures (e.g., 2-dimensional convolutional neural networks). Experiments on the TREC-QA and WIKIQA datasets have verified the effectiveness of our proposed models.


The γ and δ rings have by far the largest radial perturbations of any of the nine known Uranian rings. These two rings deviate from Keplerian orbits, having typical root-mean-square residuals of about 3 kilometers (compared to a few hundred meters for the other seven known rings). Possible causes for the perturbations include nearby shepherd satellites and Lindblad resonances. If shepherd satellites are responsible, they could be as large as several tens of kilometers in diameter. The perturbation patterns of the γ and δ rings have been examined for evidence of Lindblad resonances of azimuthal wave number m = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. The β ring radial residuals are well matched by a 2:1 Lindblad resonance. If this represents a real physical phenomenon and is not an artifact of undersampling, then the most plausible interpretation is that there is an undiscovered satellite orbiting 76,522 � 8 kilometers from Uranus, with an orbital period of 15.3595 � 0.0001 hours and a radius of 75 to 100 kilometers. Such a satellite would be easily detected by the Voyager spacecraft when it encounters Uranus. The 2:1 resonance location is 41 � 9 kilometers inside the δ ring, which makes it unlikely that the resonance is due to a viscous instability within the ring. In contrast, no low-order Lindblad resonance matches the γ ring perturbations, which are probably caused by one or more shepherd satellites large enough to be clearly visible in Voyager images.


In 1938, Dr Henry Milch described a maneuver for the reduction of acute anterior shoulder dislocations consisting of shoulder abduction and external rotation with "pulsion" of the humeral head. Although many methods may be used to reduce the dislocated glenohumeral joint, the Milch technique is unique because of its gentle, effective, and relatively painless nature. This article studied the effectiveness of this technique on 76 consecutive acute anterior shoulder dislocations in 75 patients seen in our institution's two campuses over an 18-month period. Twelve shoulders had concomitant fractures of the greater tuberosity. All 76 shoulders were reduced on the first attempt. No anesthesia was used, and no complications were reported from the reduction maneuver. The Milch method is an ideal first line treatment for all acute anterior shoulder dislocations including those associated with fracture of the greater tuberosity.


In this paper, two relevant computational aspects related to the design of nonlinear oscillators are considered: sensitivity to electrical parameter variation and sensitivity to small- amplitude injected signals. First, the analysis of the perturbation induced by parameter fluctuation is theoretically investigated, and a set of formal equations is deduced that allows us to correctly decompose amplitude and period variations. Second, the analysis of the perturbation induced by a generic weak signal is considered. This analysis is based on a well-consolidated approach that employs the Floquet eigenvector v1 (t) to project perturbation into the phase domain. It is shown that the same system of equations that formalizes the parameter-sensitivity problem can be exploited to calculate the v1 (t) projection vector. An efficient and reliable numerical implementation of a formal perturbation analysis is then proposed that allows the oscillator designer to evaluate both parameter sensitivity and signal-injection sensitivity in a homogeneous frame.


Fuzzy ARTMAP, one of a rapidly growing family of attentive self-organizing learning, hypothesis testing, and prediction systems that have evolved from the biological theory of cognitive information processing of which ART forms an important part is discussed. It is shown that this architecture is capable of fast but stable online recognition learning, hypothesis testing and adaptive naming in response to an arbitrary stream of analog or binary input patterns. The fuzzy ARTMAP neural network combines a unique set of computational abilities that are needed to function autonomously in a changing world and that alternative models have not yet achieved. In particular, fuzzy ARTMAP can autonomously learn, recognize, and make predictions about rare events, large nonstationary databases, morphologically variable types of events, and many-to-one and one-to-many relationships. The system's fast learning of rare events and error-based learning and alternatives are described, and uses for ART systems and the development of unsupervised ART systems are reviewed.<<ETX>>


Social media platforms such as Twitter provide convenient ways to share and consume important information during disasters and emergencies. Information from bystanders and eyewitnesses can be useful for law enforcement agencies and humanitarian organizations to get firsthand and credible information about an ongoing situation to gain situational awareness among other uses. However, identification of eyewitness reports on Twitter is challenging for many reasons. This work investigates the sources of tweets and classifies them into three types (i) direct eyewitnesses, (ii) indirect eyewitness, and (iii) vulnerable accounts. Moreover, we investigate various characteristics associated with each kind of eyewitness account. We observe that words related to perceptual senses (feeling, seeing, hearing) tend to be present in direct eyewitness messages, whereas emotions, thoughts, and prayers are more common in indirect witnesses. We believe these characteristics can help make more efficient computational methods and systems in the future for automatic identification of eyewitness accounts.


For achieving optimized
jet grout parameters and W/C ratio it is concluded to set trial tests in
constant local soil as the conclusion depends on local soil and presence of the
extensive range of the effective parameters. Considering the benefits, due to
abundance of the involved variables and the intrinsic geological complexity,
this system follows a great expense in the trial and implementation phases.
Utilizing the soft computing methods, this paper proposes a new approach to
reduce or to eliminate the cost of the trial phase. Therefore, the Adaptive
Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) was utilized to study the possibility of
anticipating the diameter of the jet grout (Soilcrete) columns on the trial
phase based on the Trial and Error procedure. Data were collected from several
projects and formed three sets of data. Consequently, parameters were held
constant (as input) and the diameters of the Soilcrete columns were recorded
(as output). To increase the precision, aforementioned data sets were combined
and ten different data sets were created and studied, with all the results
being assessed in two different approaches. Accordingly, Gaussian Function
results in a huge number of precise and acceptable outcomes among available
functions. Based on the measurements, Gaussian Function achieves the values of
the R which are frequently more than 0.8 and lower values of the RMSE.
Therefore, utilizing Gaussian Function, mainly a congruent relation between the
R and RMSE is experienced and it leads to close proximity of the actual and
predicted values of the Soilcrete diameter.


The exercise of power has been an implicit theme in research on the use of social media for political protest, but few studies have attempted to measure social media power and its consequences directly. This study develops and measures three theoretically grounded metrics of social media power—unity, numbers, and commitment—as wielded on Twitter by a social movement (Black Lives Matter [BLM]), a counter-movement (political conservatives), and an unaligned party (mainstream news outlets) over nearly 10 months. We find evidence of a model of social media efficacy in which BLM predicts mainstream news coverage of police brutality, which in turn is the strongest driver of attention to the issue from political elites. Critically, the metric that best predicts elite response across all parties is commitment.


The modification of the protein bovine cupri-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD) by methoxy polyethylene glycol 5000 (MeO-PEG 5000) has been shown to increase the effective pharmacological lifetime of SOD in vivo while maintaining physiological activity. Polyethylene glycol modification has been extensively employed, for similar purposes, in protein chemistry, peptide chemistry, and polymeric drug development. The modification of SOD is accomplished by the reaction of a number of its lysine residues with an active ester of MeO-PEG 5000. The extent of the modification of the SOD must be ascertained for a number of reasons: optimization of activity, control of in vivo half-life, and manufacturing uniformity, as well as regulatory concerns. The classical method used to determine the extent of protein modification by polyethylene glycols has been a titration with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). Other techniques which have been employed to determine SOD modification include MALDI mass spectrometry, capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), and ester hydrolysis with subsequent determination of protein and MeO-PEG 5000 by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). This report describes an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) infrared technique which estimates the MeO-PEG 5000 content of the modified SOD by measuring absorbance intensity of the C-O-C stretch near 1090 cm-1 in its infrared spectrum. The spectroscopic technique requires no preparation of the modified protein sample, and the spectrum is determined in the saline/phosphate buffer drug formulation.


Gamblers in the real world have been found to successfully navigate complex multivariate problems such as those of poker and the racetrack but also to misunderstand elementary problems such as those of roulette and dice. An account of gambling behaviour must accommodate both the strengths and weaknesses of decision making and yet neither of the dominating decision making traditions of heuristics and biases or Bayesian rational inference does. This thesis presents evidence supporting a model-based approach for studying gambling behaviour. The account is built on the premise that decision making agents hold a highly structured mental representation of the problem that is then refined through adjustments made by evaluating incoming evidence. In Study 1, roulette games played at a casino illustrate the range of tactics beyond simple data-driven strategies that are used in chance-based games. In Study 2, an experimental manipulation of the framing of a chance-based dice game highlights the role of prior beliefs about underlying outcome-generating processes. Studies 3 and 4 examine the impact of prior beliefs on subsequent information processing, using a laboratory-based slot machine paradigm. To complement these findings on a computational level, a modelling exercise in Study 5 shows indirectly that assuming a similarity mechanism of judgment is insufficient for predicting the impact of prior beliefs over time. Studies 6 and 7 used racetrack and poker betting experimental paradigms to show that, although priors were integrated into decisions without evaluation, incoming evidence underwent information search and hypothesis and data evaluation processes. Implications for users of gambling research and for future directions of the field are discussed.


BACKGROUND
The estimated impact of illicit drug use and mental disorders upon population health needs to be understood because there is evidence that they produce substantial loss of life and disability, and information is needed on the comparative population health impact of different diseases and risk factors to help focus policy, service and research planning and execution.

AIMS
To provide an overview of a global project, running since the end of 2007-Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2005.

METHODS
The new GBD aims to update comprehensively the findings of the first GBD exercise. It aims to provide regional and global estimates of the burden of disease attributable to hundreds of diseases, injuries and their risk factors. Groups have been assembled to provide expert advice on the parameters needed to inform these estimates; here, we provide a brief summary of the broad range of work being undertaken by the group examining illicit drug use and mental disorders.

DISCUSSION
The estimates of the contribution of mental disorders and illicit drugs to GBD will inform and potentially shape the focus of researchers, clinicians and governments in the years to come. We hope that interested readers might be encouraged to submit new data or feedback on the work completed thus far, as well as the work that is still under way and yet to be completed.


This paper will explore the shape effect of building against the wind load using design software STADD pro and the load analysis are done on the basis of FEA method. For high rise construction needs to know the expected wind loads on the building so that to work out proper resistance systems to counteract the wind loads. The present study looks to examining the wind loading patterns on various shapes of building on direction basis. The computed wind loads are also benchmarked against standards code, IS:875-1987(part-3).In present paper the test models of G+20, G+40, G+60, G+80 with different shapes like square, rectangular, circular, Hexagonal are established and then find out their results for maximum displacement and compare software results with manual analysis.


Rat lung phosphatidylglycerol contained about 21% of saturated species, a predominant of which was dipalmitoyl. The biosynthetic features of molecular species of the phospholipid were investigated by incubating rat lung slices with radioactive precursors. The labeling profiles of molecular species of phosphatidylglycerol by [2-3H]glycerol and [1-14C]palmitate were significantly different from that of diacylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine. Mono- and dienoic species of phosphatidylglycerol were shown to have extremely high reactivity with [3H]glycerol, but the labeling of saturated species were almost half of the saturated diacylglycerol. The rate of [14C]palmitate incorporation was significantly lower in the saturated species of phosphatidylglycerol as compared to that in diacylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine. It was also noted that the lung tissue can utilize 1-[1-14C] palmitoyl lysophosphatidylglycerol to form tetraenoic and polyenoic phosphatidylglycerol by the direct acylation and saturated phosphatidylglycerol probably by the transacylation. The data indicate that the saturated species of phosphatidylglycerol may be synthesized de novo via phosphatidic acid CDP-diacylglycerol route and also via transacylation pathway, but it may not be synthesized by the direct acylation pathway.


The world's current geopolitical landscape is in its most fragile state since World War II, as the specter of environmental disaster due to climate change and environmental degradation lies at the center of and looms over social, political, and economic conflict. This paper incorporates applied science, social sciences, environmental science, and the humanities into an interdisciplinary analysis of the climate change debate as well as possible solutions from the conservative perspective. Chapter 1 employs quantitative and statistical data of the natural sciences of environmental chemistry and ecology. It uses data from the United Nations IPCC report on climate change to reinforce the increasingly pressing need to address the current climate crisis in terms of scientific evidence of environmental degradation as well as its direct economic cost to society. Chapter 2 draws from the social sciences, incorporating environmental politics in analyzing statistics regarding republican opposition to environmental policy, and explains why right-leaning Americans tend to do so. It presents statistics on both national environmental movements and anti-environmental movements, such as disinformation campaigns and climate denial. Chapter 3 also engages the social sciences, focusing on environmental economics and presenting the subject through a conservative lens as a potential asset to the political right. Chapter 4 utilizes disciplines of the humanities and social sciences, specifically environmental history and politics, to present the environmental crisis as a threat to national security, mainly sighting the destabilizing effects that have factored into the historical violence and insurgency seen in Middle Eastern countries. Chapter 5 incorporates the disciplines of the natural sciences and the social sciences, providing information on the adverse effects that many forms of environmental degradation have on human health. Chapter 6 again draws from the humanities and social sciences, offering recommendations for new pieces of legislation, and suggestions for individual civilians to begin effectively addressing the climate crisis in today's world.


Abstract Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical factors associated with hyponatremia in patients with preeclampsia. Study design: This is a descriptive study of all patients who delivered at our institution from 2013 to 2014. Patients with preeclampsia were identified from electronic medical records. Preeclampsia with and without severe features was defined using the criteria outlined in the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Hypertension in Pregnancy guidelines. As sodium levels have been shown to be approximately 5 mEq/L lower in pregnancy, hyponatremia was defined as a sodium level <130 mEq/L. Results: We identified 332 pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia, including 277 singletons and 55 twins. Hyponatremia was noted in 32 (9.7%) patients. Preeclampsia with severe features was present in the majority of patients with hyponatremia, and hyponatremia was more common in those with preeclampsia with severe features compared to those without (P<0.001). Hyponatremia also occurred more frequently in twins (P=0.001) and in older women (P=0.017). Only one patient without hyponatremia had an eclamptic seizure. Conclusion: Hyponatremia is not uncommon in preeclampsia, and is even more common in those with preeclampsia with severe features and twin gestations. As women with preeclampsia are at risk for hyponatremia, serum sodium should be monitored, especially in women with preeclampsia with severe features or twin gestations.


In recent years, the power systems research community has seen an explosion of novel methods for formulating the AC power flow equations. Consequently, benchmarking studies using the seminal AC Optimal Power Flow (AC-OPF) problem have emerged as the primary method for evaluating these emerging methods. However, it is often difficult to directly compare these studies due to subtle differences in the AC-OPF problem formulation as well as the network, generation, and loading data that are used for evaluation. To help address these challenges, this IEEE PES Task Force report proposes a standardized AC-OPF mathematical formulation and the PGLib-OPF networks for benchmarking AC-OPF algorithms. A motivating study demonstrates some limitations of the established network datasets in the context of benchmarking AC-OPF algorithms and a validation study demonstrates the efficacy of using the PGLib-OPF networks for this purpose. In the interest of scientific discourse and future additions, the PGLib-OPF benchmark library is open-access and all the of network data is provided under a creative commons license.


Numerous brain imaging studies have demonstrated structural changes in the basal ganglia, thalamus, sensorimotor cortex, and cerebellum across different forms of primary dystonia. However, our understanding of brain abnormalities contributing to the clinically well‐described phenomenon of task specificity in dystonia remained limited. We used high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with voxel‐based morphometry and diffusion weighted imaging with tract‐based spatial statistics of fractional anisotropy to examine gray and white matter organization in two task‐specific dystonia forms, writer's cramp and laryngeal dystonia, and two non–task‐specific dystonia forms, cervical dystonia and blepharospasm. A direct comparison between both dystonia forms indicated that characteristic gray matter volumetric changes in task‐specific dystonia involve the brain regions responsible for sensorimotor control during writing and speaking, such as primary somatosensory cortex, middle frontal gyrus, superior/inferior temporal gyrus, middle/posterior cingulate cortex, and occipital cortex as well as the striatum and cerebellum (lobules VI‐VIIa). These gray matter changes were accompanied by white matter abnormalities in the premotor cortex, middle/inferior frontal gyrus, genu of the corpus callosum, anterior limb/genu of the internal capsule, and putamen. Conversely, gray matter volumetric changes in the non–task‐specific group were limited to the left cerebellum (lobule VIIa) only, whereas white matter alterations were found to underlie the primary sensorimotor cortex, inferior parietal lobule, and middle cingulate gyrus. Distinct microstructural patterns in task‐specific and non–task‐specific dystonias may represent neuroimaging markers and provide evidence that these two dystonia subclasses likely follow divergent pathophysiological mechanisms precipitated by different triggers. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society


Aim The aim of this study was to determine the proportions of patients with a head injury and a Glasgow Coma Scale of 15 with an abnormal computed tomographic (CT) head scan and to explore its predictors. Methods We conducted a retrospective study on adult patients with such injuries. Patients were risk stratified to undergo a head CT and subsequently discharged or admitted to a neurosurgical (NS) intensive care unit (ICU)/high-dependency (HD) NS or general ward (GW) and observation ward [Emergency Diagnostic and Therapeutic Centre (EDTC)]. The primary outcomes were proportions of abnormal CT results and NS interventions. The secondary outcomes included rates of disposition status, and the distribution and predictors of abnormal CT results. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. We identified predictors of an abnormal head CT using logistic regression and reported their odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. Results We reviewed 2038 complete records. A total of 1088 scans were performed; 115 (10.6%) were abnormal. There were 962 (47.2%) discharges and 1076 (52.8%) admissions; six (0.6%) required NS interventions and ICU/HD admission. The proportions of GW admissions (n=1070) were as follows: EDTC 78.0%; NS 18.0%; and medical 4.0%. The proportions of abnormal CT results among these disposition statuses were as follows: NS ICU/HD 6/6 (100%); EDTC 59/835 (7.1%); NS GW 47/188 (25.0%); and medical GW 3/33 (9.1%). We identified three predictors, namely, vomiting [OR 2.23 (1.39–3.58)]; loss of consciousness [OR 1.56 (1.03–2.36)]; and amnesia [OR 2.08 (1.30–3.31)]. Conclusion Abnormal CT and NS interventions were infrequent in patients with a head injury and a Glasgow Coma Scale of 15. We identified three predictors of abnormal head CTs.


Pericytes (PCs) have been recognized for a long time only as structural cells of the blood vessels. The identification of tight contacts with endothelial cells and the ability to interact with surrounding cells through paracrine signaling revealed additional functions of PCs in maintaining the homeostasis of the perivascular environment. PCs got the front page, in the late 1990s, after the identification and characterization of a new embryonic cell population, the mesoangioblasts, from which PCs present in the adult organism are thought to derive. From these studies, it was clear that PCs were also endowed with multipotent mesodermal abilities. Furthermore, their ability to cross the vascular wall and to reconstitute skeletal muscle tissue after systemic injection opened the way to a number of studies aimed to develop therapeutic protocols for a cell therapy of muscular dystrophy. This has resulted in a major effort to characterize pericytic cell populations from skeletal muscle and other adult tissues. Additional studies also addressed their relationship with other cells of the perivascular compartment and with mesenchymal stem cells. These data have provided initial evidence that PCs from different adult tissues might be endowed with distinctive differentiation abilities. This would suggest that the multipotent mesenchymal ability of PCs might be restrained within different tissues, likely depending on the specific cell renewal and repair requirements of each tissue. This review presents current knowledge on human PCs and highlights recent data on the differentiation properties of PCs isolated from different adult tissues.


Sexual crime case against children's in Indonesia are increasing rapidly from time to time. The more tragic fact is that most of the suspect origins from their own kin or around the neighborhood, such as family, school officer, and their playmates sphere. According to Indonesian Child Protection Commision (KPAI), there are 2,275 cases occurred on 2011, 887 amongs them are sexual crime case with violent against children. The protection law towards children vastly consist of criminal law aspect, legal law aspect, material-formal law aspect, state administration law aspect, and of course, the legal law aspect. Sexual abuse against children are criminal case which has been coded in criminal law in Indonesia and also viewed theoritically from Islamic criminal law. Therefore, this Thesis is researching about how are the criminal sex cases againts children viewed from criminal law in Indonesia and Islamic criminal law aspect? And also how is the analysis of Law No. 35/ 2014 (Undang-Undang Nomor 35 Tahun 2014) concerning chemichal castration sanction viewed from Islamic Criminal Law? This research categorized as normative law research which pointing to laws and criminal law principal in Indonesia and also Islamic criminal law. This research using comparative-analysis-descriptive method which describe systematically the fact about cases by comparing the research description. This research compare the Indonesian criminal laws principal and Islamic criminal law principal, criminal law formula and Islamic criminal law formula, and also the rules about the chemichal castration sanction to the convicted sex crime againts children in Indonesian criminal law and Islamic criminal law. This research also analize the law no. 33/2014 concerning the sanction specially  on the implementation of the law in society. Exclusive study on the Islamic criminal law theory concerning the goverment step on applying the rule, are also executed. There are two points earn from this reearch; the first one is sex crime against children is special crime case. The sanction of the violation arranged in the law no.35/2014 about child protection. In Islamic criminal law (fiqh jinayah) the chemichal castration sanction againts children is in form of jarimah ta'zir. Secondly, in the law no. 35/ 2014 about child protection consist the criminal law aspect, the urgent application about the law is the penal policy which include the protection for the child as the sex crime victim, law enforcement, and justice. The solution for the victim by using Restorative Justice concern measure and the effect againts children as the sexual crime victim. In non penal policy by the role of the parents, family, society, goverment, and the country, on their obligation to protect the child. Chemichal castration sanction studied in Islamic criminal law to give contribution needed by Islamic Law and inline with the principal of Islamic criminal law, especially to preserve the heredity (hifzu- nasli).


"In an article on montage written for Cahiers du cinema , Jean-Luc Godard made an observation that has been quoted many times in many contexts: If direction is a look, montage is a heartbeat…what one seeks to foresee in space, the other seeks in time….Cutting on a look is…to bring out the soul under the spirit, the passion behind the intrigue, to make the heart prevail over the intelligence by destroying the notion of space in favor of that of time. This passage appeared in 1956, almost three decades before Gilles Deleuze published Cinema 1: The Movement-Image and Cinema 2: The Time-Image in 1983 and 1985, respectively. Yet despite the distance between those dates, the young critic's remark anticipates key aspects of the philosopher's film-theoretical stance. The need to displace the notional bias toward space with a conception of time as a concrete and dynamic force is the single most vital element in the thinking of Henri Bergson, whose ideas about this subject – ramified into such areas as affect, memory, perception, language, and the ontological properties of mind itself – play indispensable roles in Deleuze's writings on cinema and allied areas of immanence, multiplicity, and difference..."


The generation of hepatic spheroids is beneficial for a variety of potential applications, including drug development, disease modeling, transplantation, and regenerative medicine. Natural hydrogels are obtained from tissues and have been widely used to promote the growth, differentiation, and retention of specific functionalities of hepatocytes. However, relying on natural hydrogels for the generation of hepatic spheroids, which have batch to batch variations, may in turn limit the previously mentioned potential applications. For this reason, we researched a way to establish a three-dimensional (3D) culture system that more closely mimics the interaction between hepatocytes and their surrounding microenvironments, thereby potentially offering a more promising and suitable system for drug development, disease modeling, transplantation, and regenerative medicine. Here, we developed self-assembling and bioactive hybrid hydrogels to support the generation and growth of hepatic spheroids. Our hybrid hydrogels (PC4/Cultrex) inspired by the sandcastle worm, an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) cell adhesion sequence, and bioactive molecules derived from Cultrex BME (Basement Membrane Extract). By performing optimizations to the design, the PC4/Cultrex hybrid hydrogels can enhance HepG2 cells to form spheroids and express their molecular signatures (e.g., Cyp3A4, Cyp7a1, A1at, Afp, Ck7, Ck1, and E-cad). Our study demonstrated that this hybrid hydrogel system offers potential advantages for hepatocytes in proliferating, differentiating, and self-organizing to form hepatic spheroids in a more controllable and reproducible manner. In addition, it is a versatile and cost-effective method for 3D tissue cultures in mass quantities. Importantly, we demonstrate that it is feasible to adapt a bioinspired approach to design biomaterials for 3D culture systems, which accelerates the design of novel peptide structures and broadens our research choices on peptide-based hydrogels.


In this paper we analyze the definition of quantum superpositions within orthodox Quantum Mechanics (QM) and their relation to physical reality. We will begin by discussing how the metaphysical presuppositions imposed by Bohr on the interpretation of QM have become not only interpretational dogmas which constrain the limits of the present Orthodox Line of Research (OLR), but also how these desiderata implicitly preclude the possibility of developing a physical representation of quantum superpositions. We will then continue analyzing how most interpretations of QM argue against the existence of superpositions. Firstly, we will focus on those interpretations which attempt to recover a classical representation about ''what there is'', and secondly, we will concentrate on the arguments provided by Dieks and Griffiths who, staying close to the orthodox formalism, also attempt to ''get rid of the ghost of Schrodinger's cat''. Contrary to the OLR, we will argue -based on our definition of Meaningful Physical Statements (MPS)- that from a representational realist perspective which stays close to the orthodox Hilbert space formalism, quantum superpositions are not only the key to the most important -present and future- technological and experimental developments in quantum information processing but also, they must be considered as the kernel of any interpretation of QM that attempts to provide a physical representation of reality. We will also argue that the price to pay for such representational realist development must be the abandonment of the (dogmatic) idea that 'Actuality = Reality'.


Community Health Worker (CHW) programs have had a positive impact on public health across many settings worldwide. However, due to the nature of their vocation and the challenging health infrastructure in which they often work, these individuals commonly face significant barriers that threaten their performance as health promoters, educators, and liaisons. This qualitative research study assessed the perceived challenges for volunteers of a rural Promotoras de Salud program in Bolivia. Data were collected by way of in-person interviews with 20 active Promotoras de Salud of ten communities in the north central region. Results showed that two commonly reported sources of perceived challenges were community inter-related systems and Promotoras' level of health training and knowledge. Potential solutions to these challenges include improved communication between Promotoras , community members, local leaders, and clinic staff; consistent and uniform incentives for Promotoras ; and more detailed and efficient training sessions. This study focused on a specific community setting but findings are likely to be generalizable to other CHW programs serving disadvantaged populations in Bolivia and beyond.


Background RAGE is expressed by many cells in blood and joints of RA and interacts with a variety of pro-inflammatory ligands, especially HMGB1 that are enriched in inflamed joint. The RAGE-ligand interaction leads to a sustained inflammatory response. Soluble RAGE (sRAGE) lacks the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain of the cell surface full-length RAGE (flRAGE) and function as a decoy for RAGE ligand. Relatively little is known about factors that regulate sRAGE levels in human subjects and whether circulating levels reflect tissue RAGE expression and activity is unclear. The relationship between the up-regulation of flRAGE/HMGB1 and the level of "protective" sRAGE levels in RA is of obvious clinical interest. Objectives To elucidate the balance between the expression of flRAGE on peripheral blood monocyte and dendritic cell (DC), and the plasma concentration of sRAGE and HMGB1 in patients with active RA compare to controls; To ascertain whether flRAGE expression profiles, plasma sRAGE and HMGB1 level correlated with disease activity or inflammatory markers in RA patients. Methods 40 consecutive patients attending the rheumatology clinic at Prince of Wales Hospital, who fulfilled the 2010 ACR/RULAR classification criteria with active RA (28 joint disease activity score 28–4 [CRP] (DAS28)>3.2) and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were recruited for this cross-sectional study. The expression profile of cellular transmembrane RAGE on peripheral blood monocyte (ILT3+CD123-), total DC (ILT3+CD14-CD16-), myeloid DC (ILT3+CD14-CD16-CD123-) and plasmacytoid DC (ILT3+CD14-CD16-CD123+), plasma levels of HMGB1 and soluble RAGE in all RA patients and healthy controls were measured at baseline using flow cytometry and ELISA. In RA patients, associations with disease activity and severity variables were analyzed by simple and multiple linear regressions. Results Protein expression of flRAGE on peripheral blood monocytes (ILT3+CD123-), total DCs (ILT3+CD14-CD16-) and myeloid DCs (ILT3+CD14-CD16-CD123-) were significant increased in RA patients with active disese compared with control subjects (all p<0.01) (no enough cells for flRAGE detection on plasmacytoid ILT3+CD14-CD16-CD123+ DCs). Also, the flRAGE was more common in patients with cardiac affection. There was no statistically significant difference of the plasma level of HMGB1 from active RA patients as compared healthy controls (p>0.05). The plasma sRAGE level was significantly lower in patients compared to healthy controls (p<0.001), which correlated negatively with serum levels of CRP, ESR, DAS28 and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (all p<0.05). Linear regrssion analysis detected CRP as significant predictors for sRAGE level. Conclusions Autoimmunity-mediated inflammation might induce aberrant expression and activation of flRAGE while decreasing the plasma level of sRAGE in RA patients, subsequently leading to the augmented inflammatory response. Moreover, membrance flRAGE and sRAGE were associated not just with RA inflammation and autoantibody protein, but also with classical vascular risk factors for end-organ damage. These data suggest that RAGE activity influences co-development of joint and vascular disease in RA patients. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Stem cells are known to have the ability to renew themselves and differentiate into a diverse range of specialized cell types. Currently, the differentiation potential of human peripheral blood mononucleated cells in suspension as stem cells is not well-understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the differentiation potential of suspension mononucleated cells from human peripheral blood to differentiate. The osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation potential of suspension peripheral blood mononucleated cells were examined by molecular, biochemical and cell morphology analyses. The expression of osteoblast marker (osteonectin, SPARC) and osteoclast marker (tartrate resistant acid phosphatase, TRAP) as well as high alkaline phosphate (ALP) and TRAP enzyme activity were observed at days 14 and 10 of osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation, respectively. Morphology analyses showed that mononucleated cells successfully differentiated into osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The existence of stem cells in mononucleated cells was evaluated by the expression of a stem cell factor (KIT) and a haematopoietic stem cell marker (signalling lymphocytic activation molecule family member 1, SLAMF1). This study has shown that these suspension mononucleated cells possess differentiation potential through in vitro study. Human peripheral blood suspension mononucleated cells that have multi-lineage differentiation potential may provide a new source of stem cells that may be used for bone regeneration and tissue engineering applications.


Approaching switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) as a multifunctional energy plant, it is important to comprehensively study the composition and partitioning of organic substances in the biomass. The character of carbohydrates and lignin concentration variation was assessed in switchgrass biomass cut at two maturity stages (heading and seed filling) in the first and second harvest years. Quality components partitioning in the biomass of aboveground plant parts was examined in leaves, stems and panicles of the most productive switchgrass accessions cut at seed filling. The concentrations of lignocellulose (NDF), cellulose (Cel), sum of structural carbohydrates (holocellulose – HoCel), sum of nonstructural and structural carbohydrates (ΣCH2O) and lignin in switchgrass biomass of both plant development stages in the second harvest year were significantly higher, whereas an average hemicellulose (HCel) concentration was significantly lower compared with the respective parameters in the first harvest year. The concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) and their individual fractions (water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and starch) in biomass were similar both in the first and second harvest years. The concentrations of NDF, Cel, HoCel and ΣCH2O and particularly lignin at seed filling were significantly higher compared with the respective data at heading in both harvest years. High lignin concentration (105 g kg-1 dry matter (DM)) in switchgrass biomass at seed filling in the second harvest year showed its great suitability for solid biofuel production. Considerable amount of ΣCH2O (693–742 g kg -1 DM) indicated that switchgrass biomass at this stage fits for the second-generation bioethanol production. At heading, switchgrass in the second harvest year produced quite a high NSC yield (an average 28.4 g plant-1) and low lignin output (an average 19.3 g plant-1), which is a favourable feature of feedstock for biogas production, biomass at seed filling is less suitable for that than at heading. Switchgrass plant part significantly (P < 0.01) affected the concentration of all biomass quality attributes tested, but did not affect HCel concentration. Accessions' DM yield correlated positively with NDF (r = 0.781, P < 0.05), Cel (r = 0.882, P < 0.01) and lignin (r = 0.517) and negatively with WSC and NSC (r = −0.982, −0.959; P < 0.01).


In the final days of the Second World War, Hugh Selwyn Mauberley scrawls his desperate account on the walls and ceilings of his ice-cold prison high in the Austrian Alps. Officers of the liberating army discover his frozen, disfigured corpse and his astonishing testament - the sordid truth that he alone possessed. Fascinated but horrified, they learn of a dazzling array of characters caught up in a scandal and political corruption. Famous Last Words is part-thriller, part-horror story; it is also a meditation on history and the human soul and it is Findley's fine achievement that he has combined these elements into a web that constantly surprises and astounds the reader.


Intracellular immune receptors of the nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR or NLR) proteins often function in pairs, with "helper" proteins required for the activity of "sensors" that mediate pathogen recognition. The NLR helper NRC1 (NB-LRR protein required for HR-associated cell death 1) has been described as a signalling hub required for the cell death mediated by both cell surface and intracellular immune receptors in the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana. However, this work predates the availability of the N. benthamiana genome and whether NRC1 is indeed required for the reported phenotypes has not been confirmed. Here, we investigated the NRC family of solanaceous plants using a combination of genome annotation, phylogenetics, gene silencing and genetic complementation experiments. We discovered that a paralog of NRC1, we termed NRC3, is required for the hypersensitive cell death triggered by the disease resistance protein Pto but not Rx and Mi-1.2. NRC3 may also contribute to the hypersensitive cell death triggered by the receptor-like protein Cf-4. Our results highlight the importance of applying genetic complementation to validate gene function in RNA silencing experiments.


Many Phanerozoic time-scale boundaries are characterized by oceanic anoxia and mass extinction events with the deposition of black shale. The Re-Os isotope system in black shale can be used to provide depositional ages for these rocks, thus yielding direct radiometric ages for time-scale boundaries. We demonstrate that the Re-Os black shale geochronometer can yield precise ages useful for time-scale research through study of the Devonian-Mississippian boundary within the Exshaw Formation, Canada. The Re-Os date determined places the Devonian-Mississippian boundary at 361.3 ± 2.4 Ma (2σ including λ uncertainty, model 1, mean square of weighted deviates = 1.2), in accord with recent calibration interpolated from U-Pb zircon dates (360.7 ± 0.7 Ma) for the Hasselbachtal section, Germany.


This research specifically addressed the photodegradation of selected model chlorophenol (CP) congeners, 4-chlorophenol (4-CP), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP), by an organic oxidant, p-nitrobenzoic acid (PNBA), in basic media. The reactions were followed by high-pressure liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis for residual concentration and the identification of photodegraded products respectively. Initial degradation was confirmed by the formation of ring cleavage compounds, and subsequent mineralization was evidently marked by an increase in release of chloride ions in the time course profile. The presence of fewer/no chlorine atoms in the degraded compounds corroborated the mineralization by UV/PNBA action. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) was also observed to fall appreciably to the extent of 73% during all CP congeners' degradation. The maximum COD decrease was observed in PNBA-assisted 4-CP degradation. The overall degradation kinetics conforming to second-order reaction is observed to follow the order 4-CP > 2,4,6-TCP ∼ PCP ∼ 2,4-DCP. The findings of this investigation elucidated the fact that PNBA was capable of successfully degrading/mineralizing the selected CP congeners.


Re-oxidation is an important thermal process to minimize oxygen vacancies and produce high reliable Ni-MLCCs. The re-oxidation of these devices is then investigated with a series of "in-situ" impedance measurements between 400 and 500 °C in air. From the relative impedance change, chemical diffusion coefficients, associated activation energy and effective equivalent circuit model are determined. Those values were found to be reasonable compared with previous researchers' data. Moreover, the proposed effective equivalent circuit model successfully represents the real Ni-MLCC morphology. From transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), it is found that the electrical properties and reliabilities of the Ni-MLCCs re-oxidized under different conditions are identical.


NCAM, a neural cell adhesion molecule of the immunoglobulin superfamily, is involved in neuronal migration and differentiation, axon outgrowth and fasciculation, and synaptic plasticity. To dissociate the functional roles of NCAM in the adult brain from developmental abnormalities, we generated a mutant in which the NCAM gene is inactivated by cre-recombinase under the control of the calcium-calmodulin-dependent kinase II promoter, resulting in reduction of NCAM expression predominantly in the hippocampus. This mutant (NCAMff+) did not show the overt morphological and behavioral abnormalities previously observed in constitutive NCAM-deficient (NCAM-/-) mice. However, similar to the NCAM-/- mouse, a reduction in long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of the hippocampus was revealed. Long-term depression was also abolished in NCAMff+ mice. The deficit in LTP could be rescued by elevation of extracellular Ca2+ concentrations from 1.5 or 2.0 to 2.5 mm, suggesting an involvement of NCAM in regulation of Ca2+-dependent signaling during LTP. Contrary to the NCAM-/- mouse, LTP in the CA3 region was normal, consistent with normal mossy fiber lamination in NCAMff+ as opposed to abnormal lamination in NCAM-/- mice. NCAMff+ mutants did not show general deficits in short- and long-term memory in global landmark navigation in the water maze but were delayed in the acquisition of precise spatial orientation, a deficit that could be overcome by training. Thus, mice conditionally deficient in hippocampal NCAM expression in the adult share certain abnormalities characteristic of NCAM-/- mice, highlighting the role of NCAM in the regulation of synaptic plasticity in the CA1 region.


The management of risk is fundamental to the operation of any distributed computing infrastructure. Identifying the cause of incidents is essential to prevent them from re-occurring. In addition, it is a goal to contain the impact of an incident while keeping services operational. For response to incidents to be acceptable this needs to be commensurate with the scale of the problem. The minimum level of traceability for distributed computing infrastructure usage is to be able to identify the source of all actions (executables, file transfers, pilot jobs, portal jobs, etc.) and the individual who initiated them. In addition, sufficiently fine-grained controls, such as blocking the originating user and monitoring to detect abnormal behaviour, are necessary for keeping services operational. It is essential to be able to understand the cause and to fix any problems before re-enabling access for the user. The aim is to be able to answer the basic questions who, what, where, and when concerning any incident. This requires retaining all relevant information, including timestamps and the digital identity of the user, sufficient to identify, for each service instance, and for every security event including at least the following: connect, authenticate, authorize (including identity changes) and disconnect. In traditional grid infrastructures (WLCG, EGI, OSG etc.) best practices and procedures for gathering and maintaining the information required to maintain traceability are well established. In particular, sites collect and store information required to ensure traceability of events at their sites. With the increased use of virtualisation and private and public clouds for HEP workloads established procedures, which are unable to see 'inside' running virtual machines no longer capture all the information required. Maintaining traceability will at least involve a shift of responsibility from sites to Virtual Organisations (VOs) bringing with it new requirements for their logging infrastructures. VOs indeed need to fulfil a new operational role and become fully active participants in the incident response process. We present an analysis of the changing requirements to maintain traceability for virtualised and cloud based workflows with particular reference to the work of the WLCG Traceability Working Group.


This study investigated the effects of smoking and alcohol consumption in pregnancy on length, head circumference, upper arm circumference and ponderal index, of neonates born to 1513 Caucasian women who delivered at St George's Hospital, south London. All measurements were adjusted for gestational age, maternal height, parity and sex of infant. Babies of smokers were shorter, had lower ponderal index and smaller upper arm circumference than those of non-smokers. After controlling for alcohol consumption, these differences remained (but with reduced statistical significance). There was no statistically significant difference in head circumference between smokers and non-smokers. Alcohol consumption at booking had no effect on growth measurements in non-smokers but had a significant, negative effect on all measurements in smokers. Drinking later in pregnancy had less effect. Alcohol appears to enhance the growth-retarding effect of smoking. It is suggested that both smoking and alcohol also have an inhibitory effect on fat deposition in babies, which contributes to the reduction in birthweight associated with smoking and drinking.


Human body upright standing is inherently unstable, and as a bipedal creature, the body can implement several functions such as upright standing, walking and running, with the help of the central nervous system. Understanding the stability control of the human body during upright standing is important for prosthetic design and joint prostheses, walking restoration, diagnosis of nervous system diseases. Also, it is essential to anthropology, clinical research, aerospace science and kinesiology. Therefore, the objective of this work is to model the musculoskeletal system of human upright standing posture for analysis and control design of body sway. An asymmetric Gaussian function is proposed to model the force-length relationship and compared with other existing force-length models. By using least square curve fitting tools with a set of rabbit experimental data, and simulated data that represent sarcomere of the frog. Also, the implicit and explicit ordinary differential equations, are used to model muscle-tendon unit and compare the simulation results in term of singularity. In addition to, the equilibrium analysis is used to determine sway ranges during upright standing, and the equilibrium points can be used to linearize the model for feedback control design and stability analysis of the musculoskeletal system. Furthermore, a switching function is designed to model the intermittent activity of the MG muscle, where the parameters are optimised using the centre of gravity and electromyography data with Genetic Algorithm tool. The musculoskeletal system of the human body is modelled as a single inverted pendulum, which rotates around the ankle joint, in the sagittal plane only. The calf muscles especially the medial gastrocnemius activated intermittently, and soleus activated continuously are included in the model of the musculoskeletal system. The developed musculoskeletal system model is linearized in order to have clear stability analysis using Routh-Hurwitz stability criterion and eigenvalue analysis. The results show that the musculoskeletal system cannot be stabilised at the upright standing without feeding back angular velocity. The equilibrium analysis reveals how the sway range (sway points) depends on the used anatomical and anthropometry data. Finally, the stability analysis shows that during forwarding sway the calf muscles are shortening paradoxically and lengthening during backwards sway, which supports some existing experimental results. The model-based analysis which used in modelling the body upright standing, will help in analysis and understands the dynamics of the body during upright standing. Also, it assists in medical research, in clinical diagnostics and application.


This is a study of the Historical Jesus that pays close attention to the role of space and place, from house to kingdom, for understanding Jesus' identity. Halvor Moxnes employs a sociological and anthropological approach that promises to give greater depth to our perceptions of Jesus.


Intracapsular femoral neck fractures are seen commonly in elderly people following a low energy trauma. 2-3% of all femoral neck fractures occurs in adults younger than 50 years and is often the result of high-energy trauma. Femoral neck fracture continues to be considered as an unsolved fracture in view of poor prognosis and variable outcome reported after different procedures. In developing countries the fracture often remains untreated as the patients do not seek treatment due to non availability of treatment facility or may be treated primarily by osteopaths or operated under suboptimal theatre conditions with poor quality implants. We prospectively studied the outcome of 54 patients managed with non vascularised fibular graft and cancellous screws between 2010-2015. ANOVA test was used as a test of significance and functional results were assessed by Modified Askin and Bryan criteria. To conclude, in patients younger than 60 years of age with neglected femoral neck fracture, non vascularised fibular graft acts as a reliable biological implant for revascularisation and gives excellent functional outcome.


This paper presents modeling and simulation of a silicon-based group IV semiconductor injection laser diode in which the active region has a multiple quantum well structure formed with Ge(0.9)Sn(0.1) quantum wells separated by Ge(0.75)Si(0.1)Sn(0.15) barriers. These alloy compositions were chosen to satisfy three conditions simultaneously: a direct band gap for Ge(0.9)Sn(0.1), type-I band alignment between Ge(0.9)Sn(0.1) and Ge(0.75)Si(0.1)Sn(0.15,) and a lattice match between wells and barriers. This match ensures that the entire structure can be grown strain free upon a relaxed Ge(0.75)Si(0.1)Sn(0.15) buffer on a silicon substrate - a CMOS compatible process. Detailed analysis is performed for the type I band offsets, carrier lifetime, optical confinement, and modal gain. The carrier lifetime is found to be dominated by the spontaneous radiative process rather than the Auger process. The modal gain has a rather sensitive dependence on the number of quantum wells in the active region. The proposed laser is predicted to operate at 2.3 μm in the mid infrared at room temperature.


Abstract: Malaria remains a serious threat in Indonesia. Resistances of Plasmodium falciparum to malaria drugs, like chloroquine, are one of the  causes of malaria incidence. Therefore, it is  necessary to search a more effective malaria drug. Artocarpus has been traditionally used for the treatment of malaria. Indonesia is reported to have 30 species of Artocarpus genus from 50 species that exist in around the world. Artocapus contais flavonoid that has some particularities ie prenylated on C-3 and B ring oxygenated at C-4' or C-2', C-4' or C-2', C-4', C-5'. In addition prenilated can also  occur at C-6, and C-8. Such patterns are very rare in other plant considering the biosynthesis of  flavonoids derived from a combination of acetate malonate pathway and shikimic pathway. Some flavonoids with that framework have an antimalarial activity. Antimalarial test against Plasmodium falciparum strains 3D7 and K1 showed that prenilated in C8 improve antimalarial activity of flavonoid compounds from Artocarpus. Scrining phytochemical against the roots of Artocarpus odoratissimus indicate the presence of flavonoid. Based on the chemotaxonomic flavonoids contained in the bark of A. odoratissimus must be have the same pattern, so flavonoids of A. odoratissimus will be potentially for an antimalarial. Key words : Artocarpus odoratissimus, prenylated, oxygenated, flavonoid, antimalarial.


Author(s): Deus, Thomas Andres | Advisor(s): Echeverria, Begona | Abstract: With English language education increasingly viewed worldwide as an important mechanism for global economic development, many policy makers in developing countries are promoting the English language as the vital skill necessary for successful competition in an ever changing world. Perhaps nowhere is this phenomenon more momentous than in the United Arab Emirates, where the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has committed its vast economic resources towards a new curriculum mandating the change from Arabic to English language instruction in core subjects like Science and Math. To date, few studies have emerged from the Middle East examining the roles teachers play in the growing phenomenon of English language education reform. Conducted in a small, suburban secondary school in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this dissertation investigates the ways teachers' beliefs impact how they interpret, and subsequently implement, the official curriculum. More specifically, this study examines how teachers' beliefs about the nature of teaching and the role of language in the world impact their interpretations of a government-mandated English language curriculum. Drawing on extensive interview and participant observation data, this study focuses on how teachers use narratives to both construct the role of the teacher and to negotiate the value of the English and Arabic languages. The findings indicate that although teachers at the Najah Boy's High School incorporated their beliefs in often unpredictable ways, particular beliefs shared common structures corresponding to shared cultural frameworks. Drawing from cognitive anthropology, this study found that two such structured belief systems manifested through the utterances and behaviors of teachers at Najah: the teacher as enthusiastic motivational speaker and the teacher as familial role model. The findings also indicated that although the contextual constraints teachers encountered in the school setting (including the mandate that they follow the curriculum verbatim) impacted their interpretations of the school curriculum, teachers' beliefs, in particular those linked to one or more poignant episodes in a teacher's past, had the capacity to trump the impact of contextual social constraints on their interpretations of the curriculum. The findings of this study suggest that teachers are the key to the realization of educational policy. Instead of treating teachers as obedient automatons, policy makers must find ways to include them in the change process.


Recently the present author has given some convergence theorems of general nature for Levin's nonlinear sequence transformations. In this work these theorems are extended and sharpened to cover the case of power series, both inside and on their circle of convergence. It is shown that one of the two limiting processes considered in the previous work can be used for analytic continuation and a realistic estimate of its rate of convergence is given. Three illustrative examples are also appended.


This study investigated the optimal strategy for model specification search under the latent growth modeling (LGM) framework, specifically on searching for the correct polynomial mean or average growth model when there is no a priori hypothesized model in the absence of theory. In this simulation study, the effectiveness of different starting models on the search of the true mean growth model was investigated in terms of the mean and within-subject variance-covariance (V-C) structure model. The results showed that specifying the most complex (i.e., unstructured) within-subject V-C structure with the use of LRT, ΔAIC, and ΔBIC achieved the highest recovery rate (>85%) of the true mean trajectory. Implications of the findings and limitations are discussed.


Sybex's new CompTIA Complete Study Guide 3 Book Set includes everything you need to succeed in today's competitive job market. Each Study Guide is CompTIA authorized and includes: Coupon for 10% Off CompTIA Certification Exams Access to a robust set of learning tools, featuring electronic flashcards, assessment tests, robust practice test environment, with hundreds of practice questions, and electronic flashcards CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide: Exams 220-801 and 220-802, 2nd Edition (ISBN: 978-1-118-32405-9) CompTIA A+ is the de facto certification for IT technicians. Some vendors even require employees to achieve certification as part of their job training. This book prepares you for both required exams: 220-801 and 220-802. Totally updated to cover the 2012 exams, this popular prep guide covers all the exam objectives and provides access to additional study tools, including the Sybex Test Engine with bonus practice exams, electronic flashcards, and a glossary of important terms in searchable PDF form. A complete study guide to both exams required for CompTIA A+ certification, the standard certification for software and hardware vendors and major technology companies Covers personal computer components, laptops and portable devices, operating systems (including mobile), printers and scanners, networks, security, safety and environmental issues, communication, and professionalism Provides clear and concise information on crucial hardware and operating system maintenance and troubleshooting topics Offers practical examples, real-world insights, exam highlights, and end-of-chapter reviews CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: SY0-401, 6th Edition (ISBN: 978-1-118-87507-0) If you're an IT professional hoping to progress in your career, then you know that the CompTIA Security+ exam is one of the most valuable certifications available. Since its introduction in 2002, over a quarter million professionals have achieved Security+ certification, itself a springboard to prestigious certifications like the CASP, CISSP, and CISA. TheCompTIA Security+ Study Guide: SY0-401 covers 100% of the Security+ exam objectives, with clear and concise information on crucial security topics. Covers key topics like network security, compliance and operational security, threats and vulnerabilities, access control and identity management, and cryptography Employs practical examples and insights to provide real-world context from two leading certification experts Provides the necessary tools to take that first important step toward advanced security certs like CASP, CISSP, and CISA, in addition to satisfying the DoD's 8570 directive CompTIA Network+ Study Guide: Exam N10-006, 3rd Edition (ISBN: 978-1-119-02124-7) The CompTIA Network+ Study Guide is your one-stop comprehensive resource in preparing for exam N10-006 Bestselling author and networking Guru Todd Lammle guides you through 100% of all exam objectives detailing the fundamental concepts you will need to know to prepare for the exam. Coverage includes network technologies, installation and configuration, media and topologies, security, and much more, plus practical examples drawn from real-world situations. Review 100% of the Network+ exam objectives Get clear, concise insight on crucial networking maintenance topics Study practical examples drawn from real-world experience


Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC) is known as tropical soybean with high nutritional content. Lack of information on the variance components and heritability of winged bean breeding is one of the reasons for the lack of winged bean breeding programs in Indonesia. This reseach aimed to obtain information on variance components, heritability and relationship between winged bean traits. The experiment was conducted in three environments, from January 2019 to June 2020. Two environments located in Bogor and one in Palembang. Eleven genotypes of winged bean were tested and 11 traits were observed. The result showed that flowering time and seed number per pod performed wide genetic variability. High heritability was observed on seed number per pod (89.48%), flowering time (83.32%), young pods length (70.97%), and weight of 100 seeds (68.63%). The results of correlation analysis and path analysis showed that young pod productivity (1.07), seed weight per plot (0.81), flowering time (0.29), young pod length (0.17), young pod width (0.12), seed weight per plant (0.09), and 100 seeds weight (0.01) had a positive direct effect on wing bean productivity. Flowering time, seed number per pod, seed weight per plant are suitable characters for selection criteria for breeding high productivity winged bean.


The national school uniform remained a requirement for all primary and secondary school students in Malaysia since its first introduction by the British missionaries in the nineteenth century. Although it is commonly thought that wearing uniforms improve cohesion among students, little research has been done to investigate the perception of national school uniforms and perceived cohesion among Malaysian students. The aim of the current study is to explore the experiences of former students, teachers and school counselors in relation to Malaysia's national school uniform policy, their influence on student life, and their relationship to school and national cohesion. Three studies were conducted. In Study 1, Malaysian secondary school graduates (N = 192) completed a self-report questionnaire with close and open-ended questions. In Study 2 and study 3, secondary school teachers (N = 10) and school counselors (N = 6) participated in semi-structured interviews, respectively. Although students felt the uniforms were unattractive, they had neutral to somewhat positive feelings about them overall. They did not report greater school cohesion or national identity related to uniforms but did report that uniforms lessened the importance of socioeconomic and other differences. Teachers and counselors reported similar views; they did not perceive much influence on national or school identity but did see advantages in terms of discipline and the lessening of student inequality. Generally, teachers and counselors were in favor of school uniforms but some suggested that uniform designs could be more culturally inclusive, particularly in regard to Muslim and non-Muslim students. Limitations of using non-representative sampling and future direction for Malaysian school uniforms were discussed. This study highlights the important characteristics that should be taken into consideration by educators and policymakers for future improvement of the national school uniform policy in Malaysia.


This paper proposes a new communication model based on synchronized behaviors. If people talk about real world information, they use non-verbal expressions to draw otherpsilas attention to the target. To achieve the reference to the information, we focus on behaviors which occur simultaneously. The simultaneous behaviors are the evidence that both humans share the same context in interaction. We employ this communication evidence for the communication robot. By generating simultaneous gestures, the robot make a human feel that the robot share the same context with him/her.


Adsorption removal of a cationic dye, rhodamine B (RhB) from water onto rectorite and sepiolite was investigated. The rectorite and sepiolite were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Attempts were made to fit the isothermal data using Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The experimental results have demonstrated that the equilibrium data are fitted well by a Freundlich isotherm equation. Pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models were considered to evaluate the rate parameters. The experimental data were well described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The results indicate that the rectorite exhibited higher adsorption capacity for the removal of RhB than sepiolite and could be employed as a low-cost alternative in wastewater treatment for the removal of cationic dyes.


Diagnostics of electrical insulation is increasingly performed with the frequency and amplitude of the applied voltage varied over wide ranges. Cable terminations and high-voltage machine end-windings have stress grading systems whose response alters measured capacitance and loss components even in measurements at power frequency. Non-linear stress grading materials also contribute harmonic currents to the measured response. Excitation at frequencies other than power frequency changes the grading's potential-distribution, affecting the measured capacitance and possibly inciting partial discharges that contribute to measured loss and harmonic currents. Understanding of the effects of such stress grading systems is important for analysis and possible compensation of dielectric measurement data.


Hypotheses of hybrid origin are common. Here we use next generation sequencing to test a hybrid hypothesis for a non-model insect with a large genome. We compared a putative hybrid triploid stick insect species (Acanthoxyla geisovii) with its putative paternal diploid taxon (Clitarchus hookeri), a relationship that provides clear predictions for the relative genetic diversity within each genome. The parental taxon is expected to have comparatively low allelic diversity that is nested within the diversity of the hybrid daughter genome. The scale of genome sequencing required was conveniently achieved by extracting mRNA and sequencing cDNA to examine expressed allelic diversity. This allowed us to test hybrid-progenitor relationships among non-model organisms with large genomes and different ploidy levels. Examination of thousands of independent loci avoids potential problems produced by the silencing of parts of one or other of the parental genomes, a phenomenon sometimes associated with the process of stabilisation of a hybrid genome. Transcript assembles were assessed for evidence of paralogs and/or alternative splice variants before proceeding. Comparison of transcript assemblies was not an appropriate measure of genetic variability, but by mapping reads back to clusters derived from each species we determined levels of allelic diversity. We found greater cDNA sequence diversity among alleles in the putative hybrid species (Acanthoxyla geisovii) than the non-hybrid. The allelic diversity within the putative paternal species (Clitachus hookeri) nested within the hybrid-daughter genome, supports the current view of a hybrid-progenitor relationship for these stick insect species. Next generation sequencing technology provides opportunities for testing evolutionary hypotheses with non-model organisms, including, as here, genomes that are large due to polyploidy.


The control of vibrating structures using piezoelectric elements attached to simple control circuits, known as shunts, is a widely studied field. Many different shunt circuits have been researched that have been shown to obtain effective performance in both narrow and broadband frequency ranges. Yet, the choice for the exact parameters of the circuit elements for these vibration-suppressing shunts can be found by various methods. In this study, a new method of selecting the circuit parameters of a negative capacitance shunt is presented. The method predicts the magnitude of the strain-induced voltage caused by the vibrating substrate computed from a single voltage measurement. Therefore, minimizing the strain-induced voltage will mean that the deflection of the structure is also minimized. The tuning theory is confirmed experimentally, which validates that it is possible to experimentally obtain the shunt parameters that produce maximum control through measurement of the shunt response. The suppression ability of the shunt is also compared to the maximum power dissipated. It is found that at high frequency, the parameters that cause maximum power dissipated obtain maximum suppression, but there is no correlation between maximum power dissipated and maximum suppression at low frequency.


A waste-to-energy firm that recycles organic waste with energy recovery performs two environmentally beneficial functions: it diverts waste from landfills and it produces renewable energy. At the same time, the waste-to-energy firm serves and collects revenue from two types of customers: waste generators who pay for waste disposal service and electricity consumers who buy energy. Given the process characteristics of the waste-to-energy operation, the market characteristics for waste disposal and energy, and the mechanisms regulators use to encourage production of renewable energy, we determine the profit-maximizing operating strategy of the firm. We also show how regulatory mechanisms affect the operating decisions of the waste-to-energy firm. Our analyses suggest that if the social planner's objective is to maximize landfill diversion, offering a subsidy as a per kilowatt-hour for electricity is more cost effective, whereas if the objective is to maximize renewable energy generation, giving a subsidy as a lump sum to offset capital costs is more effective. This has different regulatory implications for urban and rural settings where the environmental objectives may differ.


Course guide to support Comp Lit 364 01: Literature and Ethics: The Art of War taught by Lionel Cuille, Spring 2012.


The Cole Royal Commission into the Construction andBuilding Industry has generated heated debate, makingrecommendations that go to the heart of establishedcultures, power structures and management practices.While the Cole Report had a difficult birth, theimplementation of the reforms is likely to be more painful.Unlocking the untapped productive potential, which Coleargues exists, will depend upon addressing the manyimpediments to reform that exist in the construction andbuilding industry. This paper explores these impediments,suggesting a number of strategies to overcome them at aproject, company and government level. It concludes thatunless there is a fundamental shift in the established powerstructures and relationships within the industry, change islikely to be hard won.


Taking its departure in the transactional theory of coping and socialization theories, this questionnaire study investigates how coping with climate change among late adolescents (N = 705) relates to proenvironmental behavior and communication with significant others about societal problems. Deemphasizing the problem was negatively associated with proenvironmental behavior, whereas problem-focused and meaning-focused coping were positively associated with proenvironmental behavior. Two communication patterns with fathers, mothers, and friends were identified: one solution oriented and supportive, and one dismissive and doom-and-gloom oriented. The positive patterns correlated positively with problem-focused and meaning-focused coping, whereas the negative patterns correlated positively with deemphasizing. Communication with fathers was particularly important in explaining deemphasizing and problem-focused coping. A structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis showed that coping mediates the effects of communication patterns on behavior, whereas problem-focused coping mediates the influence of other coping strategies on behavior. The study demonstrates the importance of considering coping as a factor in the socialization of proenvironmental behavior.


BACKGROUND
Meatpacking plants were major sources of COVID-19 outbreaks, posing unprecedented risks to employees, family members, and local communities. The effect on food availability during outbreaks was immediate and staggering: within 2 months, the price of beef increased by almost 7% with documented evidence of significant meat shortages. Meatpacking plant designs, in general, optimize on production; this design approach constrains the ability to enhance worker respiratory protection without reducing output.

METHODS
Using agent-based modeling, we simulate the spread of COVID-19 within a typical meatpacking plant design under varying levels of mitigation measures, including combinations of social distancing and masking interventions.

RESULTS
Simulations show an average infection rate of close to 99% with no mitigation, 99% with the policies that US companies ultimately adopted, 81% infected with the combination of surgical masks and distancing policies, and 71% infected with N95 masks and distancing. Estimated infection rates were high, reflecting the duration and exertion of the processing activities and lack of fresh airflow in an enclosed space.

CONCLUSION
Our results are consistent with anecdotal findings in a recent congressional report, and are much higher than US industry has reported. Our results suggest current processing plant designs made rapid transmission of the virus during the pandemic's early days almost inevitable, and implemented worker protections during COVID-19 did not significantly affect the spread of the virus. We argue current federal policies and regulations are insufficient to ensure the health and safety of workers, creating a justice issue, and jeopardizing food availability in a future pandemic.


Pascale M. Manning, "'There is nothing human in nature': Denying the Anthropocene in Richard Jefferies" (pp. 473–501)
 This essay contends that the work of the nineteenth-century British writer and naturalist Richard Jefferies embodies both a recognition and a radical denial of the Anthropocene, expressing a nascent form of the ambivalence that stalks our contemporary recognitions and misrecognitions of the human in/and nature. Drawing upon a range of Jefferies's writings—both his essays and his autobiography in addition to his fiction—it argues that there exists in Jefferies's work a recurring vein of anti-ecological thought, particularly evidenced in the way it frequently depicts strict boundary lines, whether between agricultural and urban spaces, between civilization and wild nature, or between the human and the natural world. Taking issue with recent ecocritical accounts of Jefferies's post-apocalyptic novel After London (1885), this essay rereads Jefferies's novel in light of the wider range of his writings to argue that it is most usefully read not as a proto-ecological rebuke to the unsustainability of human agro-industrial practices, nor as a prophetic evocation of a world re-greened by the collapse of those practices, but rather as the irresolute culmination of a career spent both testifying to the essential inviolability of nature and bearing witness to the mounting evidence of anthropogenic rupture.


The acceptability of neonatal circumcision among mothers at Rutsanana and Hatcliffe clinics in Harare.
Background Male Circumcision is regarded as part of an integrated response to HIV prevention. Zimbabwe has not started implementing neonatal male circumcision. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that may facilitate or hinder the acceptance of neonatal circumcision.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out on 258 pregnant and mothers of newly born babies at Harare City Health department clinics, Rutsanana and Hatcliffe clinics. Data was collected using face to face interviews and group discussions. Data was analyzed using Stat version 12. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis and the chi square test were used to determine the independent association between each variable.
Results: There was a significant association between acceptance of neonatal circumcision and knowledge levels. Those with adequate knowledge levels were more likely to accept neonatal male circumcision (OR=2.04, 95% CI; 1.10-3.80), and this was statistical significant, p=0.025. Women with circumcised partners were more likely to have circumcised sons, OR=5.27, 95% CI (2.02 – 13.71) and this was statistically significant, p=0.001
Conclusions All participants thought that the male circumcision for infants and young boys was the best above the age of one with 25% agreeing that they favored the policy of within the first 8 weeks after delivery. The respondents were aware of the benefits of neonatal male circumcision as an HIV prevention strategy though they deferred the decision to circumcise their new born to a later stage.