Post-industrial societies are distinguished by the development of knowledge and its use both as an economic commodity and as a means to create new technologies in order to attain and maintain a competitive edge. With the support of economic strength, effective institutions that include labour, product, and capital markets, and human capital, developed industrial nations have transformed their economies into knowledge-based economies (KBEs) through the allocation of funds for research and development (R&D), innovation, and technological development. The open nature of these economies with enhanced competition policies has also contributed to the development of a KBE in these particular countries.
Qatar, as one of the oil-rich countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has been focusing on strategies to diversify its economy beyond its traditional emphasis on oil and gas. Although these sources of revenue have been instrumental in the unprecedented success of the Qatari economy, even to the extent of avoiding the notion of the 'resource curse', the sustainability of generating wealth via alternative methods remains a challenge for Qatar and other similar countries. Indeed, the development of a KBE is perceived as such an alternative for Qatar; for which the country has initiated a number of strategies among its economic, financial, education, and regulatory sectors.
This study, thus, aims to explore the notion transforming Qatar into a KBE as a means to enhance economic diversity, thereby investigating the nature of, and developments in, the macro and micro business environments of the country and its economy. The policies of the Qatari government are also similarly explored, so as to identify Qatar's readiness to become a KBE. Further, this study aims to gauge the perceptions of Qatari university students towards the idea of a KBE, detailing their awareness of the Qatari government's policies for such an economy and their expectations for the future of Qatar.
To fulfill the research aims and objectives of this project, a quantitative research method is predominantly employed to analyse the primary data. Initially, the World Bank's specialist Knowledge Assessment Methodology, or KAM, will be used in relation to secondary data, so as to assess Qatar's readiness for becoming a KBE in comparison to other potential economic competitors. Despite the demonstration of Qatar's strength arising from its economic variables, the KAM results show that when compared to other countries, Qatar faces certain challenges, including in the areas of innovation and human resources. Although the recent institutional changes have been encouraging, additional policies should be developed to reiterate these efforts. Correspondingly, developments related to education and training should also be continued in order to support this transformation into a KBE.
The research was further expanded to investigate the opinions of Qataris with regard to Qatar's need for a KBE and its readiness for this transformation; an enquiry was similarly made into these individuals' understanding of 'knowledge', the concept of a KBE, and into their own efforts towards this transition. To this end, a questionnaire survey was conducted in order to gather primary data from university students; the results indicate that their awareness and attempts to develop themselves are rather limited. Further, the results illustrate that this demographic group is not absolutely convinced by the positive impact of Qatarisation, even though most of the students questioned thought that Qatar should adopt a KBE. And yet these same students' knowledge of Qatar's policies for the creation of a KBE was limited.
Qatar's policies for diversifying its economy should ultimately be perceived as a step in the right direction; the transition to a KBE, however, still requires further strategic planning and the bold implementation of these strategies. The economic strength of the country is considered to be a foundation on which such an aforementioned future can be built, notwithstanding the obstacles posed by human resources at present, especially when given the lack of trust displayed for the policy of Qatarisation by the participants of the questionnaire. The shortcomings in institutionalisation in the economy should also be considered as an important obstacle.


Abstract. A major limitation factor for the low productivity in peas is weeding. A particularly critical moment in the race between the crop and weeds is the early period of growth and development. Given the influence of the varying climatic and soil conditions on the diversity and density of weed species, a differentiated approach is needed to remove them by using chemical and agrotechnical means. Studies on the varietal susceptibility to herbicides in forage pea in Bulgaria are very limited due to the fact that varietal diversity was not available in the recent past. The objective of the paper is to present a short analysis of the studies relating to weeding in peas and the control of the more important weed groups in it as well as to establish an individual approach in applying agrotechnical and chemical methods for weed control in growing different pea varieties of winter and spring forms. The use of pea varieties different in biological type as well as the possibilities to use varieties from the European variety list in modern agriculture determines the need to test the reaction of each individual variety not only to the herbicides recommended for this crop, but also to new herbicidal preparations and doses. Determining the composition of weed associations, applying suitable herbicides and herbicide mixtures in weed control of pea, combined with proper agrotechnics, is a prerequisite for optimizing the biological productive potential of the crop.


The task of monitoring the execution of a software-based controller in order to detect, classify, and recover from discrepancies between the actual effects of control actions and the effects predicted by a model, is the topic of this thesis. Model-based execution monitoring is proposed as a technique for increasing the safety and optimality of operation of large and complex industrial process controllers, and of controllers operating in complex and unpredictable environments (such as unmanned aerial vehicles).In this thesis we study various aspects of model-based execution monitoring, including the following:The relation between previous approaches to execution monitoring in Control Theory, Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science is studied and a common conceptual framework for design and analysis is proposed.An existing execution monitoring paradigm, ontological control, is generalized and extended. We also present a prototype implementation of ontological control with a first set of experimental results where the prototype is applied to an actual industrial process control system: The ABB STRESSOMETER cold mill flatness control system.A second execution monitoring paradigm, stability-based execution monitoring, is introduced, inspired by the vast amount of work on the "stability" notion in Control Theory and Computer Science.Finally, the two paradigms are applied in two different frameworks. First, in the "hybrid automata" framework, which is a state-of-the-art formal modeling framework for hybrid (that is, discrete+continuous) systems, and secondly, in the logical framework of GOLOG and the Situation Calculus.


ABSTRACT This study presents an innovative field experiment exploring ethnic discrimination in contacts between local public officials and members of Swedish society. Using a correspondence study design, fictitious individuals with Arabic- and Swedish-sounding names contacted Swedish municipalities via email, asking questions about access to preschools. The findings indicate disadvantageous treatment of individuals with Arabic-sounding names in terms of the informal tone of the replies, as Swedish-sounding names were replied to in a friendlier, more welcoming way. Regarding the more formal aspects of the emails – i.e., whether they were replied to at all and the questions posed were directly answered – no statistically significant signs of discrimination emerge (although differences were of some substantial size, to the disadvantage of Arabic-sounding names). Still, informal disadvantageous treatment is sufficient cause for concern and noteworthy in the case of Sweden, considering its reputation as being egalitarian, immigration friendly and democratically well functioning.


Objectives: To explore the potential role of the work context associated with tobacco use patterns among manufacturing workers in India
Methods: We used cross-sectional survey data from the Mumbai Worksite Tobacco Control Study. Workers from manufacturing worksites in the greater Mumbai region were surveyed from 20 worksites that were recruited between July 2012 and July 2013 on rolling basis for a randomized controlled trial.
Results: A total of 6880 workers out of 7633 that employed in 20 manufacturing worksites were surveyed. Current tobacco use was higher among production (23.5%) than non-production (19.2%) workers. In contrast, past tobacco use was somewhat lower among production (6.2%) than non-production (8.4%) workers. Production workers who used smokeless tobacco were twice as likely to report their workplaces did not have a policy or rule prohibiting tobacco use as compared to smokers or non-tobacco users. The prevalence of past tobacco use - compared to current use - was associated with workers' education, economic index and number of co-workers using tobacco.
Conclusions: The current study underscores the important role of co-workers and worksite tobacco control policies (that cover both smoking and smokeless forms) to support reductions in tobacco use among manufacturing workers.


The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to analyse the prevalence of associated pathologies with mid-trimester loss (MTL) (12–24 weeks) and to determine the subsequent spontaneous abortion rate. Methods 543 consecutive women with a history of at least one MTL who attended clinic over a period of 20 years between 1988 and 2008, underwent an investigative protocol that included a thrombophilia screen, a preconceptual hysteroscopy and screening for bacterial vaginosis. Results 247 women (45.4%) had 1 prior MTL while 296 (54.5%) presented with a history of two or more MTL. Among the possible pathological causes and associations, we identified 106 (19.5%) women with antiphospholipid syndrome alone, 122 (22.5%) women with cervical weakness and 84 (15.5%) women with evidence of bacterial vaginosis alone. No identifiable aetiology was elicited in 226 (41.6%) women, while 120 (22.0%) women had evidence of dual pathology for example, a combination of cervical weakness and bacterial vaginosis or cervical weakness and antiphospholipid syndrome. 408 women had a subsequent pregnancy; 92 (22.5%) women had a further pregnancy loss; 45 (11%) <12 weeks; 47 (11.5%) suffered a further MTL. 28/47 (60%) with recurrent MTL, had dual pathologies. 316 pregnancies continued to the third trimester; 56/316 (17.7%) deliveries <34 weeks and two (0.6%) stillbirths. Conclusions An MTL history poses an increased risk of further spontaneous abortion and ostensibly a higher incidence of pre-term delivery. Further research is required to elicit other associated pathologies which may inform treatment options to optimise subsequent outcomes.


Evolutionary algorithms are well suited for solving the knapsack problem. Some empirical studies claim that evolutionary algorithms can produce good solutions to the 0-1 knapsack problem. Nonetheless, few rigorous investigations address the quality of solutions that evolutionary algorithms may produce for the knapsack problem. This paper focuses on a theoretical investigation of three types of (N+1) evolutionary algorithms that exploit bitwise mutation, truncation selection, plus different repair methods for the 0-1 knapsack problem. It assesses the solution quality in terms of the approximation ratio. Our work indicates that the solution produced by both pure strategy and mixed strategy evolutionary algorithms is arbitrarily bad. Nevertheless, an evolutionary algorithm using helper objectives may produce 1/2-approximation solutions to the 0-1 knapsack problem.


We have proposed body area networks using magnetic coupling between coils worn on an arm, and confirmed that the transmission characteristics were improved more than 20 dB compared with those of the conventional human body communication using electrodes in contact with the body. However, the arm will be bent with various angles in daily life. In this paper, electromagnetic characteristics such as transmission characteristics between the wearable coils worn on the bent arm and magnetic field distributions around the coils and arm were investigated. As a result, the transmission characteristics were stable and hardly influenced against bending the human arm with various angles, and sufficient biocompatibility with specific absorption rate less than 2 W/kg was confirmed.


One of the most important and typical application of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is target tracking. Although target tracking, can provide benefits for large-scale WSNs and organize them into clusters but tracking a moving target in cluster-based WSNs suffers a boundary problem. The main goal of this paper was to introduce an efficient and novel mobility management protocol namely Target Tracking Based on Virtual Grid (TTBVG), which integrates on-demand dynamic clustering into a cluster- based WSN for target tracking. This protocol converts on-demand dynamic clusters to scalable cluster-based WSNs, by using boundary nodes and facilitates sensors' collaboration around clusters. In this manner, each sensor node has the probability of becoming a cluster head and apperceives the tradeoff between energy consumption and local sensor collaboration in cluster-based sensor networks. The simulation results of this study demonstrated that the efficiency of the proposed protocol in both one-hop and multi-hop cluster-based sensor networks.


In our paper, we address the unique characteristics of Australian society and we examine the nature, complexities and challenges that the police face in policing indigenous communities. We provide a synopsis of the historical context shaping contemporary policing in Australia, and we identify the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody as the landmark inquiry shaping recent reforms in policing. We discuss recent trends and policy initiatives that have emerged since the Royal Commission. In particular, we examine police initiatives to implement community policing, restorative justice processes, recruitment and training programs, diversionary programs, and customary law initiatives and how they relate to the recommendations from the Royal Commission.


The increasing number of students requiring special education support is a plea for students to be taught the way they learn best. Through the authentic educational experiences of a diverse family, this paper explores the impact of theories of motivation to support all learners. This exploration proposes that educators may be able to support the needs of all learners in inclusive classrooms by integrating the theories of self-efficacy, self-determination, and implicit theories of intelligence.


AIM
The purpose of this study was to investigate the oral health in monozygotic twins where one twin had coronary heart disease (CHD) and the other twin had no clinical signs of the disease.

METHODS
Ten monozygotic twin pairs (age 55-81 years, eight male, and two female pairs) were recruited from the Swedish twin register. The inclusion criterion for participation was discordance regarding the presence of CHD within every twin pair. All participants underwent a full dental clinical examination including a panoramic radiograph.

RESULTS
Twins with CHD had 51.5% bleeding on probing compared with 21.1% without CHD (p=0.01), and more pathological pockets (> or = 4 mm) were detected among those with CHD (20+/-15 versus 8+/-5), p=0.047). Twins with CHD had a reduced horizontal bone level in comparison with the healthy group (73%versus 78%, p=0.03). Logistic analyses using odds ratio (OR) showed that an increase of one periodontal pocket (> or = 4 mm) resulted in an increased risk for the actual twin of belonging to the CHD group (OR 1.17, p=0.03).

CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates worsened periodontal conditions among twins with CHD compared with their siblings with no history of CHD. This strengthens the association between periodontal inflammation and the presence of atherosclerosis.


Received Mar 5, 2022 Revised Nov 2, 2022 Accepted Nov 20, 2022 Leprosy, unlike other high-fatality diseases, is a long-term, chronic illness that can cause long-term disability. People's experiences with leprosy in Indonesia, indicating a need for responsive leprosy services to meet the wide range of requirements, including care for those who are not formally afflicted with the disease. This study aimed to explore live experience of people affected by leprosy in the community in Banten province, Indonesia. This study employed inductive phenomenological research methods with a semi-structure interview. We used snowball sampling, and people who could not communicate or did not want to take part in the study were not included. The majority of the participants were below 45 years, and 21 were male and 19 were female. Among total participants, only 15% could not read and write. The data were examined using Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis, which involves collecting and analysing data in parallel until no new information is acquired. We established trustworthiness in qualitative studies. The following themes emerged from this study: i) public understanding about leprosy; ii) psychological response; iii) perceived stigma; iv) health seeking behavior; and v) leprosy's impact on economic condition. This study identified the meaning of leprosy patients' lives through their own voices. People who have leprosy should also get spiritual help, coping skills, and training in self-care skills.


OBJECTIVES--To assess the incidence of post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTS), to correlate the presence of PTS with its most common signs and symptoms, and to compare results from the Swiss Paraplegic Centre with those reported in the medical literature. METHODS--A total of 449 recent traumatic paraplegic and tetraplegic patients admitted to the Swiss Paraplegic Centre in Zurich between 1 January 1987 and 31 December 1993 were prospectively analysed. Yearly clinical tests with conventional radiographs and additional T1 and T2 weighted images were performed as soon as PTS was diagnosed. RESULTS--Of these 449 patients 20 patients displayed symptoms of PTS (4.45%). Ten non-operated patients remained clinically stable (average time: 37 months). Ten worsened--three refused operation, seven were operated on. Mean worsening time was 97 months. Deterioration was closely related to the enlargement of the cyst whereas in operated patients neurological improvement or stabilisation correlated with collapse of the cyst. CONCLUSIONS--Delay between appearance of the first symptoms of PTS and deterioration making surgery necessary may be long (mean five years in the seven operated patients) underlining the need for regular tests. "Slosh" and "suck" mechanisms could explain cyst enlargement as surgical realignment of the spine resulted in a complete cyst collapse in two of the operated patients (normalisation of CSF flow? ). Cord compression, tense syrinx at the fracture site, and kyphosis seemed to be closely linked to the enlargement of the cyst with subsequent further neurological deterioration.


Managed care means a system of providing health care that includes: the selective association of providers in a community, the requirement that patients use these providers if they are to receive insurance coverage, and the active intervention by an outside agent in the doctor-patient relationship to control the health care delivery process.


Work hardening, presented in this paper as a "new" service for the industrially injured, is actually well grounded in the traditional models and practices of occupational therapy. From the profession's early roots in industrial therapy to the development of a variety of programs for the industrially injured through the 1950s and 1960s, the historical and philosophical bases of occupational therapy support the use of work as an evaluative and therapeutic medium. What is actually new is the adoption of terminology, technology, and a program format that fits in with the needs of consumers in the 1980s. Recent developments that created the need for the specialized services that occupational therapists are uniquely qualified to provide include growth of private sector vocational rehabilitation, changes in workers' compensation laws, and increasing costs of vocational rehabilitation. This paper describes work hardening in its present form. A case example is given that demonstrates how work hardening can be a cost-effective and time-saving bridge which spans the gap between curative medicine and the return to work.


Normal 0 false false false This work proposes a new method called Center Symmetric Local Binary Pattern Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrix (CSLBPGLCM) for the purpose of extracting second order statistical texture features in ultrasound kidney images. These features are then feed into ultrasound kidney images retrieval system for the point of medical applications. This new GLCM matrix combines the benefit of CSLBP and conventional GLCM. The main intention of this CSLBPGLCM is to reduce the number of grey levels in an image by not simply accumulating the grey levels but incorporating another statistical texture feature in it. The proposed approach is cautiously evaluated in ultrasound kidney images retrieval system and has been compared with conventional GLCM. It is experimentally proved that the proposed method increases the retrieval efficiency, accuracy and reduces the time complexity of ultrasound kidney images retrieval system by means of second order statistical texture features.


The authors' philosophy and regimen of treatment, based on experience with 103 pressure ulcers in 75 patients, are presented. This experience illustrates that the problem of pressure ulcers can be managed well by the application of sound surgical principles in a community hospital with a rehabilitation unit. With some simplification, the standard treatment procedures can be applied easily in this setting.


We describe a measurement and evaluation system of the computer input ability of patients with tetraplegia. We measure the position locus of the mouse cursor when a patient operates the computer using a computer input device such as a ball mouse, a trackball, and a touch pad. We analyze the position locus of mouse cursor in order to analyze the computer input ability of patients. Using this system, we can measure and evaluate the computer input ability of patients using various kinds of computer input devices, and then recommend the best computer input device for each patient. Based on the experiment result using this system, we developed a new computer input device for the patient with tetraplegia. It makes clear that the new computer input device is useful for the patient with tetralegia.


Mouse embryo cells (MEC) taken from a LACA pregnant female mouse, were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium with 20% horse serum. In the experimental group (10 bottles), the first 3 generations of MEC were treated with estradiol valerate (E) and hydroxyprogesterone caproate (P) at doses of 5.2 micrograms/ml and 261 micrograms/ml medium in the original and the 2nd generations, and at double doses in the 1st generation. In the control group (10 bottles), the MEC were cultured without E and P. The MEC in both groups was subdivided into 3 bottles from 1 every seven days. In the experimental group (44 bottles), the morphological transformation emerged in 2 bottles of MEC (the 5th and 7th generations) after 79 day's treatment by E and P. Meanwhile, the nonmorphological transformed cells (the 3rd, 5th and 7th generations) had the ability to grow in ouabain-contained medium (Anti-Oua+). It implies that the mutation had already occurred before transformation. The transformed cells had the ability to form colonies in soft-agar medium, could be agglutinated by concanavalin A and form fibrosarcoma in the subcutaneous region after inoculation. Basing on the above results, we suggest that E and P directly act as a carcinogen on the MEC and cause the latter to undergo malignant transformation.


Molecular analyses have revealed a clade which equates with the genus name Mycetinis Earle. An overall survey of this genus, however, has not been forthcoming. The current study summarizes taxa which are placed in Mycetinis based on morphological and/or molecular data. Fifteen taxa are accepted: Mycetinis scorodonius f. diminutivus and Mycetinis yunnanensis are proposed as new, while Mycetinis cinnamomeus, Mycetinis olidus, Mycetinis prasiosmus, Mycetinis subalpinus and Myctinis virgultorum are newly recombined binomials. Phylogenies based on molecular data show overall disposition in Omphalotaceae, Gymnopus and allied genera, and taxa of Mycetinis.


This research argues that cooperatives have become uncategorizable in terms of their identity, especially when one attempts to distinguish them from investor-owned firms and hence it is further argued that they should have specified objectives that match with their historical not-for-profit objectives so that they can easily distinguishable. The cooperatives have become uncategorizable mainly due to the gradual adaptation of the idea of investor owned firms into cooperatives and the possibility of organizing business enterprises in the form of cooperatives. The problems are further exacerbated in Ethiopia due to (1) the existence of state incentives to cooperatives,(2) the legislative failure to properly define cooperatives,(3) the policy failure to properly define cooperatives objectives (4) the absence of state regulation of cooperatives or self- regulation by the cooperatives themselves. Cooperatives could easily be categorized if they have specified objectives that match with their historical not-for-profit objectives. Historically, they were intended to solve problems left unsolved by market forces or state intervention or even the charities. Currently, it is the issue of trust that remains unsolved by these alternatives. Although trust is a foundation of any society, it is an attribute which is in decline due to changing nature of community. Consumer cooperatives are viable alternatives of reviving trust by rebuilding traditional communities in a contemporary world.

This argument is advanced by reviewing academic writings and critically analyzing the Cooperative Society Proclamation No. 147/1998 in comparison to the Commercial Code of Ethiopia. This is further followed by critical examination of policy documents of the Federal Government of Ethiopia concerning cooperatives. The actual motives and practical regulation of Ethiopian Cooperatives are evaluated on the basis of interviews. Academic literature is used to review the importance of trust and the role of the cooperative in safeguarding and rebuilding it.


The study assessed symptoms and manifestations of technostress among workers. The study was carried out to determine the levels of technostress among academic and administrative staff of an open and distance learning institution, ascertained the influence of age and gender on manifestations of technostress and inquired the relationship between computer hassles and stress manifestations. 101; academic (52) and administrative (49) participants, in the age range of 20-69, mean age: 35 years, were randomly selected for the study. They responded to a 22 item, likert-type, two sub-scale, technostress questionnaire designed for the study. Their responses were analyzed with mean, SD, t-test, ANOVA and correlation statistics. (i) Academic staff manifested significantly higher levels of technostress than the non-academic staff (at t = 6.97 (computer hassles); 6.89 (stress reaction), critical t = 1 69). (ii) Older respondents manifested higher levels of technostress than younger respondents. (iii) No significant differences were obtained for male and female participants on technostress manifestation. (iv) A positive correlation was observed between computer hassles and stress reaction (at obtained value .55, Critical r = .195). Improved ICT training and stress management interventions were suggested as important process for enhancing individual and professional well-being.


The Villeperdue oil field is a composite stratigraphic and structural trap. The study focuses on the stratigraphic control, i.e. the relationship between stratigraphy and sedimentology, and a sedimentological model constrained by core data, outcrop analogues, and thorough petrographic analyses. The Callovian oolite limestones are subdivided into three stratigraphic units each with its own oolitic shoal facies; the upper two units form two separate complex reservoirs with porosity zones which are hard to correlate though they are probably interconnected.


In the last decade, graphene has been frequently cited as one of the most promising materials for nanoelectronics. However, despite its outstanding mechanical and electronic properties, its use in the production of real nanoelectronic devices usually imposes some practical difficulties. This happens mainly due to the fact that, in its pristine form, graphene is a gapless material. We investigate theoretically the possibility of obtaining rectifying nanodevices using another carbon based two dimensional material, namely the graphenylene. This material has the advantage of being an intrinsic semiconductor, posing as a promising material for nanoelectronics. By doping graphenylene, one could obtain 2-dimensional p-n junctions, which can be useful for the construction of low dimensional electronic devices. We propose 2-dimensional diodes in which a clear rectification effect was demonstrated, with a conducting threshold of approximately 1.5 eV in direct bias and current blocking with opposite bias. During these investigations were found specific configurations that could result in devices with Zener-like behavior. Also, one unexpected effect was identified, which was the existence of transmission dips in electronic conductance plots. This result is discussed as a related feature to what was found in graphene nanoribbon systems under external magnetic fields, even though the external field was not a necessary ingredient to obtain such effect in the present case.


ABSTRACT Background: The primary-secondary transition is recognised as a challenging time for students, and poor transition processes can negatively affect the students' development. School professionals play an important role in enhancing the students' transition experience, but international literature calls for more research concerning their perspective on this transition. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate what lower secondary school leaders and teachers in Norway emphasise when supporting the primary to lower secondary school transition. Methods: A qualitative single case study approach was used. The participants were ten form teachers, their team leader and the principal (n = 12) within one lower secondary school. These were the individuals overseeing the transition process on behalf of a cohort of students who transferred to their school in August 2017. Data were collected through observations and focus group interviews. The data were transcribed and analysed qualitatively, inspired by the constant comparative method of analysis. Findings and conclusion: Framed by their own experiences, the leaders and teachers emphasised ensuring predictability, establishing a safe psychosocial learning environment, giving the students time to learn to be lower secondary school students, and collaboration at the school level and with the families. These efforts are largely in line with what the research recommends. The findings indicate, however, that the teachers need more support during this process. The article concludes that a closer dialogical interaction with colleagues at the primary and secondary levels, parents and students could support the leaders and teachers to promote an even better transition.


Biomass is one of the Earth's most abundant and precious resources. It offers not only food but also energy, materials used for construction, chemicals and much more. Biomass has always been used for generating energy since fire was discovered. The term of biomass covers a wide range of products, derived products and waste obtained from agriculture, forestry, including those derived from farming, domestic and industrial waste. This paper aims at investigating the main characteristics of the briquettes made out of wood, wood chips and sawdust.


The present period represents an era of state capitalist offensives against the working classes and oppressed globally. It is played out in specific local maneuvers but is global in character. The main thrusts are austerity policies mean to break the infrastructures and resources on which the working classes and oppressed rely and to weaken possibilities for resistance and make people desperate and despairing. Conditions of austerity are effected through social and economic policies that limit the rights of workers on the labor market and at work and which remove alternatives to waged labor (such as welfare or low cost education). Along with austerity is the creation of crises and manufactured fear in the political fantasies of contagion (by terrorism, radicalism, or the foreign outsider). This fear is used to legitimize the deployment of repressive policies and practices (aggressive laws and policing patterns). This is also a period in which the previous models of social change and resistance—notably Marxism/Leninism and the vanguard party, national liberation, and social democracy—have been discredited and/or discarded. New generations of people, with no particular prejudices, biases, or commitments toward the radical political models of the past and their associated claims on rightness (and righteousness) have become politicized on new terms and from new beginnings. This poses both great possibilities and great perils. On the one hand, there is the danger of starting over from scratch—of needlessly making the same mistakes that experience might avoid, of reinventing the wheel (as a flat tire), of pursuing false leads and getting caught in dead ends (reformism and adventurism, statism and electoralism, guerrilla moralism and vanguardism). On the other hand, and more hopefully, there is the real possibility that new and more effective approaches will be developed, refined, and pursued. Forgotten voices and lost wisdom will once again be engaged in meaningful ways. This is already being realized in the widespread, and growing, engagement with anarchism, indigenous thinking, radical unionism, syndicalism, and horizontalism and direct action. This period poses new challenges for intellectual workers, particularly academic social scientists. The challenges for criminologists (and criminology more broadly as a discipline) are even more pressing given that this is a period marked largely by punitive advances of capital and its (neo)liberal democratic management regimes. Criminal justice systems, and their diverse institutions, have been key weapons in the capitalist offensive against the working classes and oppressed. Criminologists, perhaps more than other social scientists, have an obligation to take a stand against the assaults of states on populations made increasingly vulnerable by the actions of economic and political powerholders.  . . .  A radical criminology must act in solidarity with those individuals and groups targeted by institutions of the state.


In laboratory experiments we measured the saturation effects on the acoustic properties in carbonates and the results question some theoretical assumptions. In particular, these laboratory experiments under dry and wet conditions show that shear moduli do not remain constant during saturation. This change in shear modulus puts Gassmann's assumption of a constant shear modulus into question and also explains why velocities predicted with the Gassmann equation can be lower or higher than measured velocities.


Gates in dams and irrigation canals have been used for the purpose of controlling discharge or water surface regulation. To compute the discharge under a gate, discharge coefficient (Cd) should be first determined precisely. From a novel point of view, this study investigates the effect of sill shape under the vertical sluice gate on Cd using four artificial intelligence methods, which are used to estimate Cd, (i) random forest (RF), (ii) deep learning (DL), (iii) gradient boosting machine (GBM), and (iv) generalized linear model (GLM). A sluice gate along with twelve different forms of sills was fabricated and tested in the University of Tabriz, Iran. Different flow rates were considered in the hydraulic laboratory with four gate openings. As a result, a total of 180 runs could be tested. The results showed that the installation of sill under the vertical gate has a positive effect on flow discharge. Sill shapes can be characterized by their hydraulic radius (Rs). Sensitivity analysis among the dimensionless parameters proved that Rs/G (the ratio of the hydraulic radius of the sills with respect to the gate opening) has a significant role in the determination of Cd. A semi-circular sill shape has a more positive effect on the increase of Cd than the other shapes.


Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of diode laser irradiation (970 nm) of a one-step self-etch adhesive (Clearfil S3Bond/CS3B) and of the bonding agent of a two-step self-etch adhesive (Clearfil Liner Bond F/CLBF) placed on dentin before polymerization on the shear bond strength.Material and methods: Forty sound premolars were sectioned buccally to obtain flat dentin surfaces. The specimens were divided into 4 groups (n=10): Group (OS) – CS3B + polymerization. Group (OS-L) – CS3B + laser + polymerization. Group (TS) – CLBF (bonding agent only) + polymerization. Group (TS-L) – CLBF (bonding agent only) + laser + polymerization. The diode laser was irradiated through an 8 mm bleaching tip for 10 seconds, (0.4 W, 10 Hz, 4 J). All samples were cemented to composite blocks submitted to 4000 thermal cycles. The samples were tested for shear bond strength in a universal testing machine. Data obtained was analyzed using Two-way (ANOVA) (P ≤ 0.05) and the Bonferroni post-hoc test. Representative samples from each group were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: GroupTS-L– (7.43 MPa) displayed statistically significant higher shear bond strength in comparison to that of group TS – (5.13 MPa). No statistically significant difference was found between group OS-L – (6.49 MPa) and group OS – (7.28 MPa). Group TS-L exhibited the highest resin penetration beyond the hybrid layer under SEM. Conclusions: Diode laser irradiation of a bonding agent placed on dentin without prior priming increased the bond strength to dentin and is promising as a new dentin adhesion protocol.


: The concentration of procaine in the CSF of 10 adult nonpregnant cows was determined after epidural injection of 5% procaine hydrochloride solution. Samples of CSF were removed through a catheter introduced into the subarachnoid space at the lumbosacral intervertebral space and advanced craniad to the same level as the epidural injection site. The position and the location of the catheter and spinal needle were confirmed radiographically. Segmental analgesia was achieved 8 to 20 minutes after completing the procaine hydrochloride injection and extended between spinal cord segments T12 and L3 on one or both sides of the animal. The average duration of analgesia, as determined by response to superficial and deep muscular pinpricks at the L1 dermatome, was 81.3 +/- 22.8 minutes (min-max, 45-127 minutes). The average subarachnoid concentration of procaine 10 minutes after epidural injection was 120.4 +/- 42.9 microgram/ml. The highest average procaine concentration recorded was 160.7 +/- 63.7 microgram/ml at 25.0 +/- 6.7 minutes after injection. Average procaine concentration was 47.8 +/- 13.5 microgram/ml at cessation of analgesia. A similar concentration of procaine was recovered from the subarachnoid space during either unilateral or bilateral analgesia. Procaine was not found in arterial plasma after the epidural administration of procaine hydrochloride. Subarachnoid threshold concentrations of local anesthetic necessary to produce spinal analgesia were reached after repeated epidural injections, but not after a single administration. It is concluded that segmental epidural analgesia is principally due to anesthesia of dura-covered nerve roots within and outside the epidural space and is minimally, if at all, dependent on the production of analgesia of nerves within the subarachnoid space.


Over the years, there has been an arising worry about the farm labour accessibility which has been diminishing as a result of occupational changes, peoples attitude, Government policies and reforms, making it crucial to explore into the dynamics of the scarcity of agricultural labour and the reasons contributing to this. A study was undertaken considering the status of labour scarcity in agricultural economy with special reference to North Eastern Karnataka. A stratified sampling procedure was adopted to select the sample respondents. A total of 180 farmers were interviewed for the study. It was found that the labour demand exceeded supply for almost seven months and reached its peak during the sowing and weeding operations in both rabi and kharif seasons. According to the sample respondents, migration of labourers to the nearby villages for higher wages was the most serious problem leading to labour scarcity.


The climate change causing rice production decreases, particularly on rice drying process before being milled rice. At the observation at UD Sumber Rejeki that the drying process of rice in the rainy season suffered a loss of 900,000/ton. To minimize the production process failed in drying rice process, made a rice dryer technology with automatic dialing systems, as well as controlling the temperature and moist content in the precision can be set as needed (Spin Dry-Pad). The Result when using Spin Dry Pad, UD Sumber Rejeki can increase domestic rice production during rainy season with operational cost only 191.500/ton and the quality of rice produced according to the standart PUSLITBANG agriculture department of Indonesia, which the moisture of rice is 14%.


In this paper, we propose a dynamic service discovery framework from Web services representation chain. The major components include Web service chains precategorizing module, service exploration engine, services container, chain change detection module with associated control parameters. From the working research prototype, our proposed mechanism enables businesses to easily retrieve up-to-date Web services linked and nested multi-level deep in the service description documents. In addition, a federated Web services discovery portal is illustrated to show how the research results are aggregated from hyperlinked WSIL documents as well as UDDl registries for achieving more accurate services exploration result.


Hypoalbuminemic patients often have sufficient fluid accumulation to mandate diuretic therapy but are often resistant to diuresis. Studies have suggested that hypoalbuminemia itself impairs delivery of effective amounts of diuretic agent into the urine, the site of action. Therefore, administration of mixtures of albumin and loop diuretics may enhance responses. Thirteen patients with biopsy-proven cirrhosis and ascites (age, 51.2 +/- 8.1 yr; Child-Pugh score, 8.5 +/- 1.0; serum albumin concentration, 3.0 +/- 0.6 g/dl) were studied in this randomized crossover study. Sodium balance was maintained throughout the study with a metabolic diet. All patients received spironolactone, but administration of all other diuretic agents was discontinued. Each patient received all of the following four treatments intravenously: (1) 40 mg of furosemide, (2) 25 g of albumin, (3) 40 mg of furosemide and 25 g of albumin premixed ex vivo, and (4) 40 mg of furosemide and 25 g of albumin infused simultaneously into different arms. Responses were assessed by measuring urinary sodium excretion and relating the urinary furosemide excretion rate to the sodium excretion rate. Additionally, the pharmacokinetics of furosemide were assessed. Furosemide pharmacokinetics were similar for all treatment arms. Albumin alone had negligible diuretic effects. Neither albumin regimen increased the response to furosemide. Moreover, the relationship between the urinary furosemide excretion rate and the sodium excretion rate was unaffected by albumin. In conclusion, albumin failed to enhance the diuretic effects of furosemide in cirrhotic patients with ascites. Therefore, the coadministration of albumin and furosemide for the treatment of cirrhosis, and likely other hypoalbuminemic conditions, should not be used clinically.


Introduction: The world of technology is growing. Smartphones are one of today's most important social media technologies. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of smartphone addiction and its relationship with personality traits, loneliness, and daily stress of students of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences in 2014.

Methodology: This is a random, cross-sectional, analytical study on 233 students of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences. These students were randomly selected. Smartphone Addiction Inventory was used to examine the prevalence of smartphone addiction. Loneliness Scale, Stress Resources Questionnaire and Daily Stress Inventory (DSI) were used to measure the extent of loneliness and stress. NEO Personality Inventory-Revised was employed to find the relationship between the personality traits and smartphone addiction. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and statistical tests (t-test and Chi-square) were used to analyze the data in SPSS v.19.

Results: The results indicate that 97.8% of students are addicted to smartphones. According to the t-test, loneliness and daily stress have no significant relationship with the smartphone addiction (p-value>0.05). However, loneliness and daily stress are higher among the addicted students. According to multivariate regression, conscientiousness, which is a dimension of personality traits, is found to have a significant relationship with the smartphone addiction. It determines 57% of the variance (p-value<0.05).

Conclusion: Most of the participants are addicted to smartphones, assigned into the "conscientious" type.


This paper examines the use of the abstract comic form for persuading online charitable donations. Persuading individuals to contribute to charitable causes online is hard and responses to the appeals are typically low; charitable donations share the structure of public goods dilemmas where the rewards are distant and non-exclusive. In this paper, we examine if comics in abstract form are more persuasive than in the plain text form. Drawing on a rich literature on comics, we synthesized a three-panel abstract comic to create our appeal. We conducted a between-subject study with 307 participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk on the use of abstract comic form to appeal for charitable donations. As part of our experimental procedure, we sought to persuade individuals to contribute to a real charity focused on Autism research with monetary costs. We compared the average amount of donation to the charity under three conditions: the plain text message, an abstract comic that includes the plain text, and an abstract comic that additionally includes the social proof. We use Bayesian modeling to analyze the results, motivated by model transparency and its use in small-sized studies. Our experiments reveal that the message in abstract comic form elicited significantly more donations than text form (medium to large effect size=0.59). Incorporating social proof in the abstract comic message did not show a significant effect. Our studies have design implications: non-profits and governmental agencies interested in alleviating public goods dilemmas that share a similar structure to our experiment (single-shot task, distant, non-exclusive reward) ought to consider including messages in the abstract comic form as part of their online fund-raising campaign.


The objective of this research was to obtain different chemical, physical and sensorycharacteristics of baked brownies from various formulations of corn tempeh flour and wheat flour, and to obtain the formulation of corn tempeh flour and wheat flour which produces brownies with the best chemical, physical and sensory properties. The research was arranged in a Complete Randomized Block Design with six treatments and four replications. The treatments used were A1 (100%:0%), A2 (90%:10%), A3 (80%:20%), A4 (70%:30%), A5 (60%:40%) and A6 (50%:50%). The data were analyzed using ANOVA and further tested using Honestly Significance Difference (HSD) at levels 5%. The results showed that the best treatment was on A6 (50% corn tempeh flour : 50% wheat flour) with moisture of 17,14%, ash content of 1,96%, protein content of 8,54%, fat content of 13,60%, carbohydrate content of 58,77%, development degree of 77,83%, the resulted color blackish brown with RGB (Red, Green, Blue) index value with 0,293 of red, 0,240 of green and 0,467 of blue, an aroma score was slightly typical of corn (2,61), a taste score was slightly taste typical of corn (3,02), a texture score was slightly tender (3,21) and an acceptance of overall score was like (3,63).

Keywords: brownies baked, corn tempeh flour, wheat


Values for tibiofemoral contact area used in simulations to represent in vivo conditions are usually approximated from data taken from in vitro experiments. However, it is uncertain that in vitro data could represent perfectly in vivo conditions. The aim of this study was to analyse the sensitivity of the outcomes of a model calculating knee joint dissipation during gait to a change of tibiofemoral contact area taken from in vitro experiments from literature. The sensitivity of four different outcomes corresponding to three articular dissipative mechanisms was analysed by varying the tibiofemoral contact area by a constant. These mechanisms are referred to frictional drag, intrinsic viscoelasticity and surface friction. Differences in the magnitude of the maximum peaks reached during gait were analysed. Varying tibiofemoral contact area yielded negligible changes (< 1%) for the frictional drag and the intrinsic viscoelasticity mechanisms and minor changes (1--4%) for the surface friction mechanism. The dissipative model was found to be insensitive to a variation in tibiofemoral contact area.


Introduction: This study aimed to assess and evaluate Mumbai based orthodontists based on recommended (Centre of Disease Control) infection control procedures followed by them in their practice. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online questionnaire of 24 questions which was sent by personal e-mail and communication through the phone to active orthodontic professionals in Mumbai (n = approximately 300) from January to February, 2018. The questionnaire was accessible for 2 months. The data generated were collected and analyzed. Results: The results showed that 50.9% of respondents sterilized their instruments at the end of each day and 66.7% used a steam sterilizer. Twenty point three percent sterilized their instruments between patients and 56.4% used heat/self-sealed pouches to package instruments. Twenty-four point four percent stored them in a sterilized environment and 25.6% ran equipment maintenance every month. Eighty-two point two percent sterilized tried-in preformed molar bands before putting them back in storage and only 36.2% used steam sterilization for the same. Twentyseven point five percent placed the bands in an ultrasonic cleaner before sterilization. Sixty six point five percent used pre-determined lengths of elastomeric chain. Ninety-two point two percent used pre-determined lengths of ligature wire. Twenty-nine point seven percent disinfected alginate impressions. Fifty-three point two percent used a plastic barrier on the dental chair's light handle while only 24.3% used a barrier around the anesthetic spray canister. Seventy five point nine percent followed standard hand scrub protocol between patients. Thirty-one point four percent had their offices fumigated on a regular basis. Fourteen point nine percent had sterilization efficacy tests done. Eighty-five point six percent had themselves and their staff vaccinated against Hepatitis B while 72.8% had received the booster dose. Sixty-seven point six percent have been vaccinated against Hepatitis A. Fifty-three point four percent underwent regular health check-ups. Conclusion: The survey displayed a varying percentage of Orthodontic practitioners who follow recommended centres of disease control and prevention (CDC) infection control and aseptic core orthodontic clinical procedures in Mumbai. There is a need to increase knowledge and awareness regarding general aseptic dental procedures and maintenance of equipment. This demands a more proactive attitude towards knowledge acquisition and implementation of aseptic procedures by the orthodontists of Mumbai in a dental office.


OBJECTIVES
This report describes the creation and successful implementation of a complicated pneumonia care algorithm at our institution. Outcomes are measured for specific goals of the algorithm: to decrease radiation exposure, surgical risk, and patient charges without adversely affecting clinical outcomes.

METHODS
We describe steps involved in algorithm creation and implementation at our institution. To depict outcomes of the algorithm, we completed a retrospective cohort study of hospitalized pediatric patients with a diagnosis of complicated pneumonia at a single institution between January 2010 and April 2016 who met criteria for the algorithm. Charts were manually reviewed and data were analyzed via Wilcoxon rank sum, χ2, and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS
Throughout the algorithm creation process, our institution began to see a change in practice. We saw a statistically significant decrease in the number of patients who underwent a chest computed tomography scan and an increase in patients who underwent a chest ultrasound (P < .001). We also saw an increase in the use of chest tube placement with fibrinolytics and a decrease in the use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery as the initial chest procedure (P ≤ .001) after algorithm implementation. These interventions reduced related charges without significantly affecting length of stay, readmission rate, or other variables studied.

CONCLUSIONS
The collaborative creation and introduction of an algorithm for the management of complicated pneumonia at our institution, combined with an effort among physicians to incorporate evidence-based clinical care into practice, led to reduced radiation exposure, surgical risk, and cost to patient.


Background: Adenocarcinoma of the stomach and esophagogastric junction (EGJ) remains a tumor entity with a poor prognosis. While meaningful advances have been made in the treatment of other solid tumors in the past years, numerous phase III studies in gastric cancer have had negative outcomes. Successes of targeted therapies so far include the introduction of trastuzumab in the first-line treatment of HER2-positive gastric cancer, and second-line anti-angiogenic treatment with the anti-VEGF-2 receptor antibody ramucirumab. Taxanes have become established in the perioperative setting and in second-line treatment and have set new standards. However, evidence for improved overall survival in the first-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer with taxanes is not convincing. Methodology: Expert consensus discussion on the scientific and clinical evidence for sequential systemic treatment for advanced gastric and EGJ cancer, taking into account data clinical outcomes from randomized controlled phase II and phase III trials. Summary: In first-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer, taxanes in combination with a platinum- and 5-fluorouracil-based regimen are generally not recommended because they lack a survival benefit and confer high toxicity. However, taxanes in first-line can be a treatment option for patients presenting with high tumor burden and strong pressure to achieve remission. Since the publication of several positive studies in second- and third-line therapy, sequential therapy is playing an increasingly important role in metastatic gastric and EGJ cancer. Key Message: Standard of care for the first-line treatment of gastric cancer is a platinum-fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy doublet combination. The standard of care after failure of platinum-based first-line therapy is ramucirumab in combination with paclitaxel. Data supporting this combination after previous taxane therapy are not yet available.


Purpose: The goal of this study was to understand factors that predict mothers' decisions to participate as data informants in a randomized controlled trial of a fatherhood intervention for African-American non-resident fathers. Method: Baseline data from 178 fathers and 125 mothers in the Dedicated African American Dad (DAAD) study were examined. Prior research and theoretical frameworks by Feinberg and Morawska informed father variable selection. Data were analyzed via bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Mothers were likely to participate as data informants when they had younger children, the father reported higher stress, less conflict with the mother, and the mothers' female relatives were less supportive of the father. Conclusion: Mothers' decisions to participate as data informants in a fatherhood intervention are shaped by a complex array of social, interpersonal and family relationships that impact co-parenting. More research is needed to explore maternal characteristics and additional factors that could influence maternal predictors of participation. Future intervention research with African American non-resident fathers should seek to capitalize on the importance of the co-parenting relationship, by intervening prenatally, bolstering social support, and including extended family and kin networks.


Transmitter power control can be used to concurrently achieve several key objectives in wireless networking, including minimizing power consumption and prolonging the battery life of mobile nodes, mitigating interference and increasing the network capacity, and maintaining the required link QoS by adapting to node movements, fluctuating interference, channel impairments, and so on. Moreover, power control can be used as a vehicle for implementing on-line several basic network operations, including admission control, channel selection and switching, and handoff control. We consider issues associated with the design of power-sensitive wireless network architectures, which utilize power efficiently in establishing user communication at required QoS levels. Our focus is mainly on the network layer and less on the physical one. Besides reviewing some of the developments in power control, we also formulate some general associated concepts which have wide applicability to wireless network design. A synthesis of these concepts into a framework for power-sensitive network architectures is done, based on some key justifiable points. Various important relevant issues are highlighted and discussed, as well as several directions for further research in this area. Overall, a first step is taken toward the design of power-sensitive network architectures for next-generation wireless networks.


Background: As the second most diagnosed cancer among women in the US, breast cancer has been, and continues to be, a life threatening disease affecting thousands. Mammography has been the primary tool used in screening for breast cancer for decades, despite minimal advancement in the area of its main limitation, dense breast tissue. Recently gamma imaging has undergone significant improvements in the area of breast specific imaging and appears primed to address the needs of a population where mammography is insufficient. The purpose of this systematic review is to compare the efficacy of Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) and mammography as a screening tool in detecting breast cancer, using GRADE criteria to evaluate the evidence and the strength of the recommendations made. Method: An extensive search of available medical literature was conducted using variations of the keywords: Breast Cancer, Gamma Imaging and Mammography. Three observational articles were used for this systematic review. Results: A large study of 936 participants with BI-RADS rated dense breast tissue where mammography and Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) were compared for screening sensitivity and specificity. Two smaller studies evaluated BSGI's ability to find occult foci after positive screening on mammography. Overall BSGI demonstrated superior sensitivity and specificity over mammography in all three studies. Conclusion: Based on the results BSGI is recommend as adjunct imaging. The articles used were evaluated using GRADE and were found to be of moderate level of evidence, with the recommendations contingent upon further research.


High-performance interior permanent magnet (IPM) machine drives using a current source inverter (CSI) are being studied for hybrid electric vehicle applications. This paper focuses on extending the constant-torque and constant-power operation ranges of an IPM machine by utilizing the voltage-boosting capability of the CSI. An equivalent circuit model of the IPM machine, including the inverter ac filter capacitors and the motor core-loss resistor, is presented and used to ensure the tracking of the torque-producing current of the PM machine to the commanded value under all operating conditions. A novel control strategy is proposed to achieve both minimum system losses and high system performance over the entire operating range, including the field-weakening region. Simulation and experimental results are presented to validate the functionality of the boost mechanism, the effectiveness of the equivalent circuit model, and the proposed control scheme.


Summary form only given. We have constructed a prototype of an /sup 87/Rb fountain clock. We collect 10/sup 10/ /sup 87/Rb atoms in a vapor cell magneto-optic trap (MOT). The laser system for trapping and cooling is entirely solid state--a grating stabilized laser injects a separate slave laser for each of the six beams of the MOT. We launch the atoms by frequency shifting the three downward propagating laser beams and then increasing the detuning and gradually reducing the intensity of the slave lasers to adiabatically cool the atoms to low temperatures in the fountain.


Background Low Back Pain (LBP) is a major public health problem and is classified by the Global Burden of Disease Study among the ten diseases most responsible for Disability-Adjusted Life Years worldwide. All ages may be affected, mostly young adults, with a prevalence going up to 50%. Medical students may be particularly vulnerable due to sedentary lifestyle and high stress levels. Objectives The primary objective is to evaluate the prevalence of LBP in Lebanese medical students. The secondary objective is to identify predictive factors associated with LBP and to identify prevalence and components of inflammatory back pain (IBP). Methods PAX-I is a cross-sectional study, completed at the St-Joseph University of Beirut from April to June 2016. All students from the first to the sixth year of medicine were invited to fill a questionnaire about their demographic data, lifestyle habits, Patient Health Questionnaire for Depression and Anxiety (PHQ4) and LBP characteristics, including components of IBP as per ASAS criteria. Student test and ANOVA were used for quantitative variables, chi-square test was used for qualitative variables and logistic regression was used for predictive factors for low back pain. Analysis were performed on IBM SPSS Statistics 23. Results Response rate was 51.3% (258/502). Mean age was 20.86 years (SD 1.92). 54.3% were female, 76.7% drank caffeine, 66.3% had a regular sports activity and 9.7% were smokers. 38% had the habit of walking while studying. All habits were similar across years of studying except for sports activities which decreased over the years (p 0.018). 80% were satisfied with their studies. Only 46% were satisfied with their quality of sleep. Mean PHQ4 score was 7.17 and increased with the years of studies (p 0.045). 55.8% of students reported a LBP event during the past year, with a mean number of 3.6 episodes per year. 91% of these students had LBP while studying, with high reported intensity (5.18/10), 62.5% reported LBP after exercise. 80% had episodes of less than one month and 7% of more than three months duration. 12% had IBP according to the ASAS criteria (Details of IBP in Figure 1). Predictive factors for LBP in univariate analysis were: smoking (p 0.040), alcohol consumption (p 0.005), caffeine consumption (p 0.041), television watching (p 0.042) –positive association-, and number of hours of sleep (p 0.011) and satisfaction with sleep quality–negative association- (p 0.017). Satisfaction with sleep quality remained the only significant association in multivariate analysis (p 0.014). Conclusions LBP is a frequent problem among medical students with high intensity, especially when studying, and a high recurrence rate. The main predictive factor was poor satisfaction with sleep quality. A significant percentage fulfills IBP criteria by auto-questionnaire and should benefit from further investigation. References Hoy D et al. The global burden of low back pain: estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. Ann Rheum Dis 2014;968–74. Sieper J et al. New criteria for inflammatory back pain in patients with chronic back pain: a real patient exercise by experts from the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS). Ann Rheum Dis 2009;68:784–8. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Timber-concrete composite structures are used with the intention of providing greater
capabilities than regular structures composed of a singular material. With its benefits,
the combination of the two materials comes with challenges that have to be
overcome. Moisture damage is one of the possible risks in combining these materials
and it has to be check thoroughly to ensure minimum risk of mould growth. Risk
of mould growth is either regulated by specifying the limit of humidity allowed for
a certain material, or by growth prediction through numerical modelling. Although
both are used in the construction industry, modelling is considered to be a more
detailed numerical approach as a means for assessing mould growth.
The composite structure focused in this study was a floor section with the combination
of CLT and cast-in-situ concrete. The general aim was to identify possible
moisture damages on the CLT when exposed to the properties of fresh concrete
through transient heat and moisture simulation, and evaluated with a mould growth
model. The obtained results were used to evaluate moisture safety by observing the
possible levels of mould growth in the construction.
Several types of concrete were used as the moisture source: fresh concrete with 0.38
and 0.6 water-cement ratios, and hardened concrete with 0.5 water-cement ratio for
a comparison. The vapour diffusion resistance of the fresh concrete materials had to
be modified based on the findings of previous studies. This was done to overcome
one of the limitations of the program, in which it was not capable to model fresh
concrete. Different parameters were tested for the simulations, which were the curing
and drying conditions, regional climates, initial concrete condition, addition of
vapour retarder and influence of building envelope. No possible moisture damages
were observed in the CLT for the case with fresh concrete materials under all the
simulated variables. For hardened concrete, at fully saturated condition, it did not
achieve moisture safety requirements under all the defined parameters. However,
lowering the initial relative humidity of the concrete to 95% was enough for the
construction to obtain satisfactory moisture performance.
Although the simulation results of fresh concrete showed that it was below the mould
growth safety limit under the simulated variables, in reality it could be higher. This
was due to the limitation of the program mentioned previously in regards to modelling
fresh concrete. Furthermore, the program did not take gravity force into
account, and it did not able to model non-porous material such as steel. However,these two factors were assumed not to impact the results by a large margin. Based
on these limitations, this study can be further improved by conducting experiments
to validate the results.


Forty years after the Bangkok Declaration, which established the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a new document was drafted as a result of "bold and visionary recommendations" of an ASEAN Committee of Eminent Persons. The ASEAN Charter, which came into force in 2008, provides ASEAN's legal status and institutional framework. In effect, it is a legally binding agreement among the 10 ASEAN Member States. In many respects, however, the Charter is more important as an aspirational document. Written by one of the persons involved in the negotiations leading to the adoption of the Charter, this meticulously researched publication helps readers navigate the ambiguities of the Charter by detailing an insider's background, provision by provision, of the debates that went into the making of the ASEAN Charter. It not only explains how the provisions of the Charter came to be drafted, but also how they relate to the realities of diplomatic practice. This volume will be an indispensable reference for scholars, working diplomats, and businesses and institutions that have a stake in ASEAN.


: The relationships between migration and mental illness have been perhaps the most important research topic of Social Psychiatry. Studies on this issue conducted in Latin America have in general reached the conclusion that migration, and the experience of modernization related to it, is a major risk factor of emotional disturbance. This hypothesis was tested with data from a survey based on a representative sample of 1549 adults living in a low-income neighborhood in Bahia, Brazil. The survey employed the QMPA, a 43-item symptom scale which was developed and tested especially for studies in that sociocultural setting; it showed high sensitivity (.93) and specificity (.72) and adequate overall misclassification rate (.12). Seven trained interviewers applied a family questionnaire (20 items on demographic and socioeconomic information) and the QMPA to all the families (493) in the sample. Multiple classification analysis and covariance analysis were used to control for the effect of potential confounding factors. Crude analyses showed a statistically significant association between migration status and poor mental health. However, taking into account the combined effect of age, marital status and education as confounders resulted in non-significant levels for the association under study. Sex and economic position, despite being themselves related to emotional disturbances, did not appear as confounders or interaction terms in these analyses. The results on rural-urban origin did not provide any evidence in support to the modernization hypothesis.


Intermetallic (IMC) layers (Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn) are an essential component of a solder joint for good metallurgical bonding. However, the mechanical and physical properties of IMC layers differ significantly from the solder and substrate, and excessive IMC layers can lower the reliability of solder joints due to their brittle nature. Moreover, continuous miniaturization of packages and joints has increased the volume fraction of IMCs to a point where smaller joints could be completely composed of IMCs. Further miniaturization of joints may result in statistical grain size effects. One of the most common types of IMCs in microelectronic joints is Cu6Sn5, which is formed in a variety of bonding materials with different compositions of Sn, Cu, and Ag. Due to its large percentage of volume in solder joint; to predict the reliability of micro solder joints, it is necessary to characterize single crystal Cu6Sn5 IMC completely. This study reports the information on grain growth orientation and elastic-plastic properties such as young's modulus, hardness, yield strength and strain hardening exponent of single grain of Cu6Sn5 in Sn-3.5Ag/Cu solder alloy system. IMCs materials were grown using reflow process using an experiment in which the time and temperature of reflow process was varied. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis was conducted after the reflow to measure the grain size and determine the preferred grain orientation. It was found that the growth orientation is in the orientation of the c-axis. Nanoindentation was carried out in 4 individual grains with different crystallographic orientation along normal to the growth axis to determine the elastic properties of Cu6Sn5 single crystal. Plastic properties were predicted using the nanoindentation results and Dao reverse analysis model. The results indicate that the hardness for Cu6Sn5 grains with different orientation along normal to growth axis is statistically indistinguishable. Lower elastic modulus was observed for a grain with [010] direction parallel to the loading direction. Yield strength of a grain with (001) plane parallel to the loading direction was slightly lower than other grain orientations. Overall, the experimental results obtained were found to be within the range shown in the literature.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


The administration of sublethal doses of Escherichia coli O111:B4 endotoxin to starved rats results in significant increases in plasma ammonia, free fatty acids, and serum lactate compared with starved controls. These metabolic alterations are associated with Reye syndrome-like histological findings of hepatic microvesicular fatty accumulation and hepatic ultrastructural evidence of mitochondrial pleomorphism with matrix disruption. This sublethal endotoxin model may help elucidate the relationship between the hepatic mitochondrial injury, characteristic metabolic impairment, and encephalopathy seen in patients with Reye syndrome.


Nowadays, modelling and computer simulation are used in structure design to reduce the use of experimental investigations and laboratory tests required in a real layout structure. Using the potential-flow theory, the hydrodynamic pressure deduced from sea wave's propagation has been computed based on the non linear theory of Stocks. The extension to the floating breakwater behaviour due to such excitations is indicated in this paper. Analytical expressions for functional performance variables of wave reflection by vertical breakwater, and stress analysis of the floating breakwater have been obtained, yielding to the optimisation of its geometrical shape. These expressions have been numerically verified to demonstrate the capability of this analytical model.


The primary function of equipment managers is to replace the right equipment at the right time and at the lowest overall cost. In this paper, the opportunities and challenges associated with equipment replacement optimization (ERO) are discussed in detail. First, a comprehensive review of the state-of-the art and state-of-the practice literature for the ERO problem is conducted. Second, a dynamic programming (DP) based optimization solution methodology is presented to solve the ERO problem. The Bellman's formulation for the ERO deterministic (DDP) and stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) problems are discussed in detail. Finally, comprehensive ERO numerical results and implications are given.


Chronic migraine (CM) is a prevalent and disabling neurological disorder. Few prophylactic treatments for CM have been investigated. OnabotulinumtoxinA, which inhibits the release of nociceptive mediators, such as glutamate, substance P, and calcitonin gene‐related peptide, has been evaluated in randomized, placebo‐controlled studies for the preventive treatment of a variety of headache disorders, including CM. These studies have yielded insight into appropriate patient selection, injection sites, dosages, and technique. Initial approaches used a set of fixed sites for the pericranial injections. However, the treatment approach evolved to include other sites that corresponded to the location of pain and tenderness in the individual patient in addition to the fixed sites. The Phase III REsearch Evaluating Migraine Prophylaxis Therapy (PREEMPT) injection paradigm uses both fixed and follow‐the‐pain sites, with additional specific follow‐the‐pain sites considered depending on individual symptoms. The PREEMPT paradigm for injecting onabotulinumtoxinA has been shown to be safe, well‐tolerated, and effective in well‐designed, controlled clinical trials and is the evidence‐based approach recommended to optimize clinical outcomes for patients with CM.


The reproduction number, R0, is commonly used, and sometimes misused, in conjunction with the classic Kermack and McKindrick theory based on the assumption of homogeneity, in order to estimate herd immunity threshold (HIT). This provides a crude first estimate of HIT, with more elaborate modelling required to arrive at a more realistic value. Early estimates of HIT for Covid-19 were based on this simplistic homogeneous approach, yielding high HIT values that have since been revised downwards with more sophisticated network modelling taking account of R0 heterogeneity and with reference to the low HIT found from serological sampling in Stockholm County. The aim of this paper is to describe a simple model in which host susceptibility is directly linked to the heterogeneous R0 distribution, to shed further light on the mechanisms involved and to arrive at a bimodal R0 distribution consistent with the Covid-19 HIT observed in Stockholm County.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
Sleep deprivation has a profound effect on cardiovascular regulation through the autonomic nervous system. This study examined the effect of 24-hour total sleep deprivation on muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), which is a direct measurement of the postganglionic sympathetic efferent innervating the vascular bed in the skeletal muscle and other circulatory structures.

DESIGN
The study was performed on 6 young healthy men. The factors exerting influence on MSNA, such as aging, obesity, body posture, activity, intensity of illumination, and food and beverage consumption were strictly controlled. Burst rate and burst incidence were used as parameters of MSNA. The burst rate, burst incidence, heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured after total sleep deprivation and control sleep. To perform a linear regression analysis of arterial baroreflex (ABR), the incidence of MSNA bursts corresponding to a given diastolic blood pressure (%MSNA) was examined.

MEASUREMENT AND RESULTS
The diastolic blood pressure was significantly higher after total sleep deprivation than after control sleep (66.5 +/- 1.7 vs 57.4 +/- 3.3 mm Hg). The burst rate (9.6 +/- 1.8 vs 13.3 +/- 2.7 bursts/min) and burst incidence (21.6 +/- 4.5 vs 30.3 +/- 8.9 bursts/100 heart beats) of MSNA were significantly lower after total sleep deprivation than after control sleep (P < .05). Analysis of the ABR disclosed a significant linear regressive relation between %MSNA and diastolic blood pressure in every subject after both total sleep deprivation and control sleep. This result implies that the ABR regulates the occurrence of MSNA bursts under different diastolic blood pressure conditions. The threshold (X-axis intercept) of the blood pressure regression line (ie, an indicator of the ABR set point) shifted by 12 +/- 4.3 mm Hg toward a higher blood pressure level after total sleep deprivation (P < .05). The ABR sensitivity, or the slope of the regression line, tended to be less steep after total sleep deprivation than after control sleep, although it was not statistically significant (P = .09).

CONCLUSIONS
The diastolic blood pressure increased and both burst rate and burst incidence of MSNA decreased after total sleep deprivation. The results show that resetting of the ABR toward a higher blood pressure level occurred after total sleep deprivation. This ABR resetting probably brings about an increase in arterial blood pressure after total sleep deprivation.


The paper proposes an automated method for extracting 27 feature points from a 3D facial image. It also shows that 3D facial caricaturing can be realized by such a small number of feature points and that these 27 feature points can be extracted automatically. As a result, it was clarified by comparing a 3D caricature of a 3D PICASSO system with that of a famous caricaturist, Mr. Yoshida, that 3D features of the facial image could be utilized to generate a more impressive facial caricature than the 2D version.


We present an approach for the inspection of vertical pole-like infrastructure using a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle and shared autonomy. Inspecting vertical structures, such as light and power distribution poles, is a time consuming, dangerous and expensive task with high operator workload. To address these issues, we propose a VTOL platform that can operate at close-quarters, whilst maintaining a safe stand-off distance and rejecting environmental disturbances. We adopt an Image based Visual Servoing (IBVS) technique using only two line features to stabilise the vehicle with respect to a pole. Visual, inertial and sonar data are used, making the approach suitable for indoor or GPS-denied environments. Results from simulation and outdoor flight experiments demonstrate the system is able to successfully inspect and circumnavigate a pole.


Epitaxial III-V on silicon multi-junction solar cells allow to increase the conversion efficiency of single-junction silicon devices. We report progress on the development of high-efficiency GaInP/GaAs/Si triple-junction devices over the last two years. The AM1.5g conversion efficiency has been increased from 19.7% to 22.3%, 24.3%, and finally a value of 25.9% could be achieved. The improvement was enabled by a reduction of nucleation-related crystal defects in the silicon to gallium phosphide transition and a reduction of parasitic absorption within the metamorphic GaAsP buffer structure which was limiting the current in the silicon subcell. By increasing the bandgaps in the graded buffer structure, a ∼2x reduction of the threading dislocation density was observed and the short-circuit current density increased by 22% relative. A majority barrier was identified and could be suppressed to obtain a new record conversion efficiency of 25.9% with an open-circuit voltage of 2.647 V, a short-circuit current density of 12.2 mA/cm2 and a fill factor of 80.2%.


Magnetic domain wall motion is an intensively studied subject because of its possible applications for data storage. High density, non-volatile computer memories could be fabricated if novel concepts based on domain wall motion are realized. In this thesis domain wall motion, using an unconventional driving mechanism based on the precession torque, is studied. Precession torque driven domain wall motion in magnetic nanostrips with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The theoretical investigation is done using a collective coordinates model and object oriented micromagnetic framework simulations. Both methods show that when an in-plane magnetic field pulse is applied to a domain wall in a PMA system, the domain wall is indeed moved by the precession torque. When realistic values of the material parameters are used, high domain wall velocities, in the order of 100 m/s, are predicted. The influence of the strength of the applied pulse, Gilbert damping parameter and the chirality of the domain wall are investigated and the observed behaviour is discussed. Experimentally, we study the depinning of domain walls as a function of the applied in-plane field pulse and the results are compared to quantitative predictions from the model. The observed behaviour does not correspond to the predictions. Further analysis indicates that in order to observe effects from the precession torque, pulses with a rise time in the order of a nanosecond are required, a requirement not fulfilled in our setup. During the experiments, we observed a chiral dependence of the domain wall depinning on static in-plane fields along the nanostrip. This unexpected behaviour can be explained by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, DMI. This allows for a novel way to study the DMI, using well-defined structures and relatively simple measurements.


Smartphone mode classification is essential to many applications, such as daily life monitoring, healthcare, and indoor positioning. In the latter, it was shown that knowledge of the smartphone location on pedestrians can improve the positioning accuracy. Most of the research conducted in this field is focused on pedestrian motion in a horizontal plane. In this research, we use supervised machine learning techniques to recognize and classify the smartphone mode (text, talk, pocket and swing) while accounting for the movement up and downstairs. We distinguish between the going up and the down motion, each with four different smartphone modes, making eight states in total. This classification is based on the use of an optimal set of sensors that varies according to battery life and the energy consumption of each sensor. The classifier was trained and tested on a dataset constructed from multiple user measurements (total of 94 min) to achieve robustness. This provided an accuracy of more than 90% in the cross validation method and 91.5% if the texting mode is excluded. When considering only stairs motion, regardless of the direction, the accuracy improves to 97%. These results may assist many algorithms, mainly in pedestrian dead reckoning, in improving a variety of challenges such as speed and step length estimation and cumulative error reduction.


The peculiarities of the mechanism of the lomefloxacin bactericidal action on Mycobacterium tuberculosis were studied. The electron microscopy of ultrathin sections of the cells of M.tuberculosis H37Rv exposed to 10 micrograms/ml of lomefloxacin for 24 hours revealed severe changes in their ultrastructure: exfoliation of the cell wall from the cytoplasmic membrane, loosening and fragmentation of the cytoplasmic membrane, lowering of the cytoplasm thickness, vacuolization and twisting of the mesosomes. The exposure of the cells to lomefloxacin for 72 hours resulted in their complete destruction: the cells proved to be a mass of unidentifiable fragments. Some destructions such as exfoliation of the intracytoplasmic membrane and the cytoplasm loosening and vacuolization were observed in the tubercle bacilli localized inside the phagosomes of the murine lung macrophages exposed to lomefloxacin. Such destructions were evident of the antibiotic good penetration not only into the macrophages but also through the phagosome walls as well as of the lomefloxacin intracellular bactericidal activity. In the experiments with the culture of the lung tissue from the tuberculosis foci of mice the basic mechanism fo the lomefloxacin action on M.tuberculosis was demonstrated: the lomefloxacin bactericidal effect was realized through the pathway of mechanism A of the antimicrobial action of fluoroquinolones.


This article explores, in four main sections, the idea of designing and applying human-environment paradigms. First, Caring Ecology criteria for human-environment paradigms are proposed that combine the principles of caring in Partnership Studies, with compatible ecological conceptions of humans' dependent and integrated relationship within Earth systems. Next, these criteria are used to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of five environmental paradigms which sets the stage for the following section critiquing the current "Anthropocene" paradigm and proposing a counter-paradigm: the "Apprenticene." Paradigms suggest roles and actions and "Apprenticene Practices" are proposed, calling for humans to see our dependence on Earth systems, heal our story as we accept past failures, and learn by apprenticing ourselves to the Earth system. Finally, these Apprenticene Practices are illustrated in an example of a creative practice called Earth Systems Journey that engages youth with an integrated experience of their human-natural environment. The paper concludes with reflections on how Partnership Studies and ecological principles can work together to support a thriving future for humans and the rest of nature.


Nonselective cation channels promote persistent spiking in many neurons from a diversity of animals. In the hermaphroditic marine-snail, Aplysia californica, synaptic input to the neuroendocrine bag cell neurons triggers various cation channels, causing an ∼30 min afterdischarge of action potentials and the secretion of egg-laying hormone. During the afterdischarge, protein kinase C is also activated, which in turn elevates hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), likely by stimulating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase. The present study investigated whether H2O2 regulates cation channels to drive the afterdischarge. In single, cultured bag cell neurons, H2O2 elicited a prolonged, concentration- and voltage-dependent inward current, associated with an increase in membrane conductance and a reversal potential of ∼+30 mV. Compared with normal saline, the presence of Ca2+-free, Na+-free, or Na+/Ca2+-free extracellular saline, lowered the current amplitude and left-shifted the reversal potential, consistent with a nonselective cationic conductance. Preventing H2O2 reduction with the glutathione peroxidase inhibitor, mercaptosuccinate, enhanced the H2O2-induced current, while boosting glutathione production with its precursor, N-acetylcysteine, or adding the reducing agent, dithiothreitol, lessened the response. Moreover, the current generated by the alkylating agent, N-ethylmaleimide, occluded the effect of H2O2. The H2O2-induced current was inhibited by tetrodotoxin as well as the cation channel blockers, 9-phenanthrol and clotrimazole. In current-clamp, H2O2 stimulated burst firing, but this was attenuated or prevented altogether by the channel blockers. Finally, H2O2 evoked an afterdischarge from whole bag cell neuron clusters recorded ex vivo by sharp-electrode. H2O2 may regulate a cation channel to influence long-term changes in activity and ultimately reproduction. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is often studied in a pathological context, such as ischemia or inflammation. However, H2O2 also physiologically modulates synaptic transmission and gates certain transient receptor potential channels. That stated, the effect of H2O2 on neuronal excitability remains less well defined. Here, we examine how H2O2 influences Aplysia bag cell neurons, which elicit ovulation by releasing hormones during an afterdischarge. These neuroendocrine cells are uniquely identifiable and amenable to recording as individual cultured neurons or a cluster from the nervous system. In both culture and the cluster, H2O2 evokes prolonged, afterdischarge-like bursting by gating a nonselective voltage-dependent cationic current. Thus, H2O2, which is generated in response to afterdischarge-associated second messengers, may prompt the firing necessary for hormone secretion and procreation.


The cannabinoid (CB) signalling cascade is widely located in the human body and is as-sociated with several pathophysiological processes. The endocannabinoid system comprises canna-binoid receptors CB1 and CB2, which belong to G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). CB1 recep-tors are primarily located on nerve terminals, prohibiting neurotransmitter release, whereas CB2 are present predominantly on immune cells, causing cytokine release. The activation of CB system con-tributes to the development of several diseases which might have lethal consequences, such as CNS disorders, cancer, obesity, and psychotic disorders on human health. Clinical evidence revealed that CB1 receptors are associated with CNS ailments such as Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and multiple sclerosis, whereas CB2 receptors are primarily connected with immune disorders, pain, inflammation, etc. Therefore, cannabinoid receptors have been proved to be promising targets in therapeutics and drug discovery. Experimental and clinical outcomes have disclosed the success sto-ry of CB antagonists, and several research groups have framed newer compounds with the binding potential to these receptors. In the presented review, we have summarized variously reported heter-ocycles with CB receptor agonistic/antagonistic properties against CNS disorders, cancer, obesity, and other complications. The structural activity relationship aspects have been keenly described along with enzymatic assay data. The specific outcomes of molecular docking studies have also been highlighted to get insights into the binding patterns of the molecules to CB receptors.


The present study examines the transformation of Goethe's Faust (1808-1832) central theme in twentieth century Russian literature. The first chapter establishes the methodology and offers a brief overview of the translations and artistic expressions which brought the image of Faust into the Russian cultural field. The second chapter focuses on the reception of Goethean tragedy in the nineteenth century, while the main body of the dissertation concentrates on twentieth century Faustian works. The death of Stalin (1953) is a useful watershed which divides the century into two halves. The guiding path of this examination is the supposition of the existence of a "Russian Faustism", based on the individuation of a series of characters or attitudes that are connected to Goethe's Faust, even if they typologically remains Russian. The reworking of the Faustian motif in the twentieth century on the one hand registers a descendent course for the Russian Faust, on the other hand points to its gradually becoming a specific ideological revealer. The metamorphic dynamics of the Faustian motif indicates the glorification or demystification that any singular work achieves towards the social and cultural context to which they refer.
This dissertation takes into account, in particular, the dramas A. Lunacarskij's Faust i Gorod (1916), S. Alesin's Mefistofel' (1942) and I. Sel'vinskij's Citaja "Fausta" (1947), the novels E. Zamjatin's My (1924) and M. Bulgakov's Master i Margarita (1926-1940), the farce E. Radzinskij's Obol'stitel' Kolobaskin (1968), the tale N. Elin's and Vl. Kasaev's Osibka Mefistofelja (1984), the sketch M. Kreps' Vizit satany (1986). The analysis shows how Lunacarskij, Alesin and Sel'vinskij retell positively the Faustian story, from the point of view of a Faust converted to socialism and defender of ethical-ideological values of communist doctrine; Zamjatin and Bulgakov show the progressive deprivation of power of the hero who, divested from the oppressive authority, of the possibility to express his own identity, becomes an anti-Faust. This Faust, for his artistic and sentimental vocation, is insane and socially 'superfluous'. On the contrary, Radzinskij, Elin and Kasaev, Kreps create the image of a mean, disenchanted Faust, without elevated expectations, a type who aims to achieve material pleasures, a poslyj man, a social climber, boastful and obsessed with the thirst of success.
This research has proved that the transformation of the Russian Faust is strictly conditioned by the historical, ideological, political, social and cultural context into which this figure of world literature is positioned.


Objective: The present study was carried out to design an efficient formulation to target the drug loaded liposomes exclusively to the inflamed colonic region by protecting the payload from releasing in the upper gastro intestinal tract (GIT) by using two polymers. Methods: Liposomes were prepared by lipid film hydration method followed by chitosan coating and finally encapsulation with eudragit S-100. The coated as well as uncoated liposomes were characterized for entrapment efficiency, size and surface charge. In vitro drug release study was carried out using three step pH gradient method. Acetic acid was used to induce colitis. Ex vivo tissue drug entrapment study was done using excised tissues of male albino rats. In vivo efficiency study was done by comparatively studying the histopathology and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Results: Formulations showed entrapment efficiency (93-91%) and size (99-290nm). Formulation showed T lag of 6 hrs and by the end of 16 th h, 82% drug release was achieved. Ex vivo studies revealed higher tissue-drug entrapment (22.58±2.52%) in inflamed colon when compared to healthy colon (22.58±2.52%). Histopathological studies showed marked reduction in inflammation in case of ECLs (eudragit encapsulated chitosan coated liposomes) treated groups than standard drug treated rats. The reduction in healing was further confirmed by the MPO assay which showed significant reduction in MPO (900.25±1.31 ng/ml) levels of ECL treated groups than standard drug treated (1990.32±2.11 ng/ml) and IBD group (2125.54±1.56 ng/ml). Conclusion: The ECLs showed site specific release of liposomes and increased accumulation of liposome entrapped drug in the inflamed colon. Key words: Acetic acid induced rat colitis, Colon targeting, Ex vivo tissue entrapment, Histopathological studies, IBD, MPO activity.