Background. Food-related allergies and intolerances are frequently occurring in dogs. Diagnosis and monitoring according 'Golden Standard' of elimination efficiency is, however, time consuming, expensive, and requires expert clinical setting. In order to facilitate rapid and robust, quantitative testing of intolerance, and determining the individual offending foods, a serological test is implicated for Alimentary Induced Diseases and manifestations. Method. As we developed Medisynx IgG Human Screening Test ELISA before and the dog' immune system is most similar to humans, we were able to develop Medisynx IgG Dog Screening Test ELISA as well. In this randomized, double-blind, split-sample, retro perspective study 47 dogs suffering from Canine Atopic Dermatitis (CAD) and several secondary induced reactions were included to participate in serological Medisynx IgG Dog Screening Test ELISA (within < 0,02 % SD). Results were expressed as titers relative to the standard OD readings to diagnose alimentary induced diseases and monitoring efficacy of an individual eliminating diet in dogs. Split sample analysis was performed by independently sending 2 times 3 ml serum under two unique codes. Results. The veterinarian monitored these dogs to check dog' results at least at 3, 7, 21, 49, 70 days and after period of 6 and 12 months on an individual negative diet and a positive challenge (retrospectively) at 6 months. Data of each dog were recorded in a screening form and reported that a complete recovery of all clinical manifestations was observed at or less than 70 days (between 50 and 70 days) in the majority of dogs (44 out of 47 dogs =93.6%). Conclusion. Challenge results showed a significant result of 100% in specificity as well as 100% positive predicted value. On the other hand, sensitivity was 95,7% and negative predictive value was 95,7%. In conclusion, an individual diet based on IgG ELISA in dogs provides a significant improvement of atopic dermatitis and pruritus including all other non-specific defined allergic skin reactions as erythema, itching, biting and gnawing at toes, as well as to several secondary manifestations like chronic diarrhoea, chronic constipation, otitis media, obesity, laziness or inactive behaviour, pain and muscular stiffness causing a movement disorders, excessive lacrimation, hyper behaviour, nervous behaviour and not possible to stay alone at home, anxiety, biting and aggressive behaviour and disobedience behaviour. Furthermore, we conclude that a relatively more severe systemic candidiasis, as shown by relatively higher titer (class 3 and 4 IgG reactions to Candida albicans), influence the duration of recovery from clinical manifestations in affected dogs. These findings are consistent with our preliminary human clinical studies. Keywords—Allergy, canine atopic dermatitis (CAD), food allergens, IgG-ELISA, food-incompatibility. A.M.C Vink, MD, is with the Medisynx Clinics, Laboratory and Scientific Institute, De Rosmolen 40, 6932 ND Westervoort, The Netherlands (e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com).


. In Ecuador, domestic violence is the government's priority as this affects the emotional balance of the injured people, leading them to the appearance of behavioral alterations. Therefore, any physical or psychological aggression damages the family nucleus. In the Constitution of the Republic of 2008, the right to personal integrity was established. However, there is still a social ignorance of the main elements that originate it and its effects on society. The incidence of violence against women, children, and adolescents reaches alarming global and national levels. According to the World Health Organization, 35% of women worldwide have been victims of physical and/or sexual violence by their partner or sexual violence by people other than their partner. It is worth mentioning that with the origin of COVID-19, it has increased problems in homes such as in the economic, family, and emotional sphere. This study's objective is to define the origin of domestic violence and its interrelation as a neutrosophic group and its modeling using neutrosophic statistics.


Previous studies have focused almost exclusively on identifying the antecedents of aggression and violence; as such, there are virtually no experimental data about the psychological consequences of fantasizing aggressive and violent actions. The present experiment aimed to fill this significant informational void in the literature by testing whether aggressive fantasy would influence people's rumination tendency and subjective well-being. We hypothesized that aggressive fantasy would make people more likely to ruminate, which would thereby lower their subjective well-being. To test this prediction, we recruited a sample of participants, who were adults in the United States (overall valid N = 113; 39 men; mean age = 36.27, SD = 11.27), and they were randomly assigned to either the aggressive fantasy condition or the control condition. At the beginning of the experiment, participants were asked to think of a person they despised and describe the characteristics of the despised person. Next, participants in the aggressive fantasy condition fantasized aggressive and violent actions toward the despised target, while participants in the control condition fantasized a control experience. Finally, their state rumination and subjective well-being were assessed. The results showed that, relative to participants who did not fantasize aggression, those who engaged in aggressive fantasy reported higher levels of rumination and lower levels of subjective well-being. Further analysis showed that enhanced rumination significantly mediated the effect of aggressive fantasy on subjective well-being. The present findings contribute to the literature by providing new insights into the psychological consequences of aggressive and violent responses and the underlying mechanism.


This paper illustrates how the capabilities of GIS and satellite imagery can be harnessed to explore and better understand the urban form of several large African cities (Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Kigali, Dar es Salaam, and Dakar). To allow for comparability across very diverse cities, this work looks at the above mentioned cities through the lens of several spatial indicators and relies heavily on data derived from satellite imagery. First, it focuses on understanding the distribution of population across the city, and more specifically how the variations in population density could be linked to transportation. Second, it takes a closer look at the land cover in each city using a semi-automated texture based land cover classification that identifies neighborhoods that appear more regular or irregularly planned. Lastly, for the higher resolution images, this work studies the changes in the land cover classes as one moves from the city core to the periphery. This work also explored the classification of slightly coarser resolution imagery which allowed analysis of a broader number of cities, sixteen, provided the lower cost.


Li-ion batteries have diversified applications in everyday life. The temperature change, overcharging, over-discharging is playing critical roles in affecting battery life in a significant manner. In this paper, the deep learning-based method is applied for the prognostics of a single Li-ion battery. The proposed design uses a recurrent neural network variant, Long short term memory. The model's parameters are optimized through a Genetic Algorithm based parameter selector The method applies to a sequence of data values comprising of the voltage, the charge capacity, the current, and the temperature. The estimation of battery capacity is not only based on the current or defined state of the battery; instead, it is generated on the complete data profile. The robustness of the model is tested by comparing with techniques such as Support vector regressor, Kalman Filter, neural networks on normal and noisy test sets. The paper also proposes a feature selection and engineering scheme for battery capacity prediction. The proposed model outperforms the techniques available in literature with high generalization to noise and other perturbations. The model is independent of the section of charging curve used for prediction of battery capacity. Various experimentation has been conducted on the model and the results have been validated.


OBJECTIVE
Plasma gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels have been reported to be low in some patients with major depressive disorder. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is often associated with major depressive disorder. Therefore, the authors sought to determine whether women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder with or without prior major depressive disorder also had low plasma GABA levels.

METHOD
Plasma GABA levels were measured in 27 women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder and 21 comparison women during the the mid-follicular and late luteal phases of the menstrual cycle.

RESULTS
In comparison women, plasma GABA levels increased from the mid-follicular to the late luteal phase. Women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder and a past history of major depressive disorder had low plasma GABA levels during both phases. In women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder but no past major depressive disorder, plasma GABA levels decreased from the nonsymptomatic, mid-follicular phase to the symptomatic, late luteal phase.

CONCLUSIONS
Decreased GABA function may represent a common biological link between subtypes of depressive and premenstrual dysphoric disorders. A trait in major depressive disorder and a state-dependent decrease in premenstrual dysphoric disorder might imply a possible continuum between the two disorders.


In This Issue: Valuation, Capital Budgeting, and Disclosure Enterprise Valuation Roundtable Presented by Ernst & Young 8 Panelists: Richard Ruback, Harvard Business School; Trevor Harris, Morgan Stanley; Aileen Stockburger, Johnson & Johnson; Dino Mauricio, General Electric; Christian Roch, BNP Paribas; Ken Meyers, Siemens Corporation; and Charles Kantor, Lehman Brothers. Moderated by Jeff Greene, Ernst & Young.


SYNOPSIS:  We examine the likely effects of a regulatory requirement for the engagement partner to be personally identified in the audit report. We develop a model in which the engagement partner determines the level of resources devoted to the audit and whether to report aggressively. As long as the partner does not personally suffer reputation damages arising from aggressive reporting, the partner makes decisions that are optimal from the firm's perspective. However, the identification of the partner misaligns the incentives between the partner and the firm. We find that audit report accuracy should increase because engagement partners will find it optimal to gather more evidence. However, engagement partners may report more conservatively than the firm would prefer, as a result of misaligned incentives between the partner and the firm. Interestingly, the effects of a partner identification requirement are predicted to be more pronounced for large firms than for small firms, possibly affecting audit mar...


Objective Both bacteria and viruses may cause acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). The objective of this study was to identify readily available clinical parameters to discriminate between them. Methods During a winter period all consecutive patients with an AECOP who were hospitalized in a non-ICU general ward were prospectively enrolled. In addition to blood tests, cultures of spontaneous or induced sputum samples, and genome detection of respiratory viruses in nasopharyngeal swab samples using multiplex RT-PCR assays were obtained. Only patients with positive microbiological results (bacteria, virus, or both) were eventually included. Mixed infections (bacteria plus viruses) were categorized into the bacterial group due to therapeutic implications (ie, need for antibiotics). Demographic and routine clinical and analytical information was collected. Results A total of 127 AECOPD patients out of 213 initially evaluated met inclusion criteria and were classified as having bacterial (70, 55.1%) or viral (57, 44.9%) infection. Although no single variable was useful to identify bacteria, the combination of serum C-reactive protein >70 mg/L (2 points), >1 day of symptoms (1.5 points), and a blood neutrophil count >9,500 x109/L (1 point) into a scoring system reached an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI=0.73–0.88) for bacterial etiologies. With this model, scoring 0 or 1 point significantly reduced the probability of a bacterial infection (likelihood ratio negative of 0.2), whereas summing up 2.5 points or more increased it sufficiently to be clinically meaningful (likelihood ratio positive >3.7). Viral infections resulted in fewer hospitalization days (78.9% of patients spent ≥3 days in hospital vs 95.7% of those with bacterial infections; P=0.008). Conclusion A simple and easy to obtain score system can help clinicians in the decision of prescribing antibiotics in AECOPD patients.


Background Governments and international donors have partnered to provide free HIV treatment to over 6 million individuals in low and middle-income countries. Understanding the determinants of HIV treatment costs will help improve efficiency and provide greater certainty about future resource needs. Methods and Findings We collected data on HIV treatment costs from 54 clinical sites in Botswana, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Uganda, and Vietnam. Sites provided free HIV treatment funded by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), national governments, and other partners. Service delivery costs were categorized into successive six-month periods from the date when each site began HIV treatment scale-up. A generalized linear mixed model was used to investigate relationships between site characteristics and per-patient costs, excluding ARV expenses. With predictors at their mean values, average annual per-patient costs were $177 (95% CI: 127–235) for pre-ART patients, $353 (255–468) for adult patients in the first 6 months of ART, and $222 (161–296) for adult patients on ART for >6 months (excludes ARV costs). Patient volume (no. patients receiving treatment) and site maturity (months since clinic began providing treatment services) were both strong independent predictors of per-patient costs. Controlling for other factors, costs declined by 43% (18–63) as patient volume increased from 500 to 5,000 patients, and by 28% (6–47) from 5,000 to 10,000 patients. For site maturity, costs dropped 41% (28–52) between months 0–12 and 25% (15–35) between months 12–24. Price levels (proxied by per-capita GDP) were also influential, with costs increasing by 22% (4–41) for each doubling in per-capita GDP. Additionally, the frequency of clinical follow-up, frequency of laboratory monitoring, and clinician-patient ratio were significant independent predictors of per-patient costs. Conclusions Substantial reductions in per-patient service delivery costs occur as sites mature and patient cohorts increase in size. Other predictors suggest possible strategies to reduce per-patient costs.


Recently, multiple-stacked pancake coils wound with rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) tapes are expected to apply for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)/MRI magnets. Since REBCO tapes are very expensive, REBCO magnets should be optimally designed so as to minimize the winding volume. Surely, a highly homogeneous magnetic field is also required for NMR/MRI magnets. To achieve the accurate homogeneity of REBCO magnets, it is necessary to compute the contribution of all REBCO layers one by one, because currents carry over very thin area compared with a whole magnet cross section. However, NMR/MRI magnets generating high-magnetic field usually consist of multiple-stacked REBCO pancake coils, and each pancake coil has >300 turns. To evaluate the field homogeneity contributed by every REBCO layer, therefore, it is necessary to repeatedly compute more than ten thousand times as one magnet shape. In a conventional optimization algorithm, it is necessary to iterate more than one million times for the optimal design of an NMR or MRI magnet. Such an iterative computation is not realistic. Based on the backgrounds, we present a fast computation method using the shift operator of spherical harmonics. In addition, to confirm the validity of the proposed method, it was applied to the shape optimization of 1.5-T MRI magnet. In this paper, the optimization result and computation time are also shown.


While Tanzania has been facing food shortage for some decades, little efforts have been made to elicit optimal crop yields. To limit this problem, there is a need for a robust agricultural policy that aims at stabilizing agricultural production and socio-economic entitlement among the farmers. The present study analyses the production trend of maize, sorghum and millet (i.e., staple food crops) under rain fed agriculture in Kongwa District, the semi-arid agro-ecological zone of Central Tanzania, and envisage their implications to food security and policy. We collected a set of crop data (1980–2015) from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. In addition, 400 respondents were sampled randomly in the study area during household survey while a series of interviews and discussions were conducted mostly basing on the expertise. The Mann-Kendall Test and Microsoft excel (window 13) and theme content methods were employed for data analyses. The results showed that the production trends for maize, sorghum and millet yields have been decreasing at R2 = 0.40, 0.35 and 0.11 respectively and this trend was supported by 80% of the respondents. This decrease was greatly influenced by the temporal decrease in the mean annual rainfall (R2 = 0.21). The diminishing production trend has already decreased food security for 30% in the area. Since agricultural policy can be among the main sources of this poor yields, an explicit and sound agricultural policy should be the central aspect in planning and implementing agricultural activities.


Background The ethnic minority groups (EMGs) in general have a higher than average prevalence of chronic diseases.1 People from different cultural backgrounds may experience language barriers, demonstrate different needs and expectations which may affect their ability to use their medicines and access services effectively.1 This may lead to poor chronic disease management and health outcomes. Purpose To assess the quality of life (QoL) among South Asian (SA) and Middle Eastern (ME) patients and to investigate factors associated with lower EuroQol 5-dimension (EQ-5D) visual analogue scale (VAS). Material and methods A cross sectional survey study was conducted with a purposive sample of 80 participants. Patients were from SA and ME origins, aged over 18 years and prescribed three or more regular medicines. Patients were identified when presenting with a prescription. The EQ-5D-3L questionnaire was administered to participants in 7 pharmacies in London. Statistical analysis was used to investigate factors associated with lower EQ-5D VAS, such as patient characteristics, healthcare of participants, number and type of prescription and non-prescription medicines used by respondents. Data were entered and analysed using the Software Package for Statistical Analysis (SPSS) 21. Results Conclusion The results add to the volume of knowledge regarding the health status of SA and ME patient. Medical, policy and individual attention should be given to the management of chronic diseases and improvement of QoL in EMGs. References and/or Acknowledgements Alhomoud F, Dhillon S, Aslanpour Z, Smith F. Medicine use and medicine-related problems experienced by ethnic minority patients in the United Kingdom: A review. Int J Pharm Pract 2013;21:277-87 No conflict of interest.


The article deals with the process of cities' changes considered in the context of the formation and transformation of historical and cultural memory. Every moment of a city's existence is a combination of "places of memory". Each of them plays its role in the general symbolic ensemble. Urban development is connecting with transformation of social and political systems. Any social and political change is expressed by creation of new and destruction of old "places of memory" in the urban space. This connection becomes even more evident if we study the history and contemporary state of the capital cities. Traditionally, capitals bear a maximum symbolic load. The development of Moscow during the Soviet period shows how architectural solutions and urban space in general express the new socialist ideology. Soviet authorities strove to affirm their values and priorities with all the means they had, including the new image of communist Moscow. The collapse of Soviet regime became a new stage of development of the urban space. For certain architectural facilities, a fragile border between oblivion and destruction and preservation of an architectural monument with its official acknowledgment depends on multiple circumstances. These include purely pragmatic aspects related to the cost of preservation and reconstruction of the facility, ideological aspects as far as many facilities are a live reminder of the past that is sometimes rather embarrassing. The destiny of "houses-communes" in post-Soviet Moscow and Casa Parlamentului in Bucharest can serve as examples. The article concludes that the process of accelerated modernization changed the face of metropolitan cities in Eastern Europe.


With the raising concerns about the environment, the ICT equipments have been pointed out as a major and ever rising source of energy consumption and pollution. Among those ICT equipments, data centres play obviously a major role with the rise of the Cloud computing paradigm. In the recent years, researchers have focused on reducing the energy consumption of data centres. Furthermore, future environmentally friendly data centres are also expected to prioritize the usage of renewable energies over brown energies. However, managing the energy consumption within a data centre is challenging because data centres are complex facilities which supports a huge variety of hardware, computing styles and SLAs. Those may evolve through time as user requirements can change rapidly. Furthermore, differently from non-renewable energy sources, the availability of renewable energies is very volatile and time dependent: e.g. solar power is obtainable only during the day, and is subject to variations due to the meteorological conditions. The goal in this case is to shift the workload of running applications, according to the forecasted availability of the renewable energy. In this thesis we propose a flexible framework called Plug4Green able to reduce the energy consumption of a Cloud data centre. Plug4Green is based on the Constraint Programming paradigm, allowing it to take into account a great number of constraints regarding energy, hardware and SLAs in data centres. We also propose the concept of an energy adaptive software controller (EASC), able to augment the usage of renewable energies in data centres. The EASC supports two kind of applications: service-oriented and task-oriented applications; and two kind of computing environments: Infrastructure as a Service and Platform as a Service. We evaluated our solutions in several trials executed in the testbeds of Milan and Trento, Italy. Results show that Plug4Green was able to reduce the power consumption by 27% in the Milan trial, while the EASC was able to augment the renewable energy percentage by 7.07pp in the Trento trial.


The synapses transmit signals between neurons in an ever-changing fashion. Changes of synaptic transmission arise from numerous mechanisms known as synaptic plasticity. The importance and complexity of the synapse has fueled research into the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptogenesis, synaptic transmission, and plasticity. Particularly, homeostatic plasticity refers to the local changes in synaptic activation to generate local synaptic adaptations and network-wide changes in activity to generate adjustments between excitation and inhibition. This review chapter will focus on synaptic phenomena and mechanisms that are likely to contribute to network homeostasis. In addition, it will be discussed a putative modulation of the signaling mechanisms serving a homeostatic function as a viable therapeutic approach for disease modification in neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. To sum up, the main role of the following players in homeostatic plasticity will be analyzed, based on what a growing body of evidence has suggested recently: BDNF-mediated TrkB system activation; adenosine modulation system; nitric oxide/soluble GC/cGMP signaling; astrocyte involvement astroglial CB1 receptors; the microtubule-associated neuronal protein Tau; the signaling of the Wnt protein family; extracellular vesicles in the intercellular communication; and estrogen involvement in non-reproductive functions.


XQuery is the recommended standard for XML Query. XQuery processing strategies can be classified into two categories: core syntax based strategy (node-oriented) and algebra based strategy (set-oriented). Neither of them can handle XQuery well. The syntax based strategy is inefficient and hard to optimize, while the current algebra based strategies can not satisfy the flexible programming characteristics of XQuery. After summarizing the current stage and unsolved problems of former algebra based works, an effective XQuery algebra system, OrientXA, is proposed in this paper, ideas from both strategies are embodied in it. OrientXA introduces the notion of Construct Pattern Tree for the first time. The Construct operator in it materializes the flexible characteristics of XQuery. Corresponding to its expressive operators, it is able to express all the queries in W3C use cases and XMark benchmark.


In addition to satisfying several competing objectives, many real-world applications are also characterized by a certain degree of noise, manifesting itself in the form of signal distortion or uncertain information. In this paper, extensive studies are carried out to examine the impact of noisy environments in evolutionary multiobjective optimization. Three noise-handling features are then proposed based upon the analysis of empirical results, including an experiential learning directed perturbation operator that adapts the magnitude and direction of variation according to past experiences for fast convergence, a gene adaptation selection strategy that helps the evolutionary search in escaping from local optima or premature convergence, and a possibilistic archiving model based on the concept of possibility and necessity measures to deal with problem of uncertainties. In addition, the performances of various multiobjective evolutionary algorithms in noisy environments, as well as the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed features are examined based upon five benchmark problems characterized by different difficulties in local optimality, nonuniformity, discontinuity, and nonconvexity


Perineal trauma caused by vaginal delivery is a problem that can occur in various ways from small lacerations to anal sphincter injury and one that negatively affects the quality of life of the woman. Specialists or midwives liable at perineal trauma repair are required to complete the intervention training for perineal trauma before their clinical practice and increase their skills with in-service training. The most important training materials used in the trainings organized for this purpose are the models consisting of materials that have very close properties to the actual tissues and organs. The aim of this study is to reveal the importance of skills training given to individuals responsible for repairing perineal traumas and to evaluate the effect of different application examples in this field.


Introduction The new communications technologies are developing at such a fast pace that it is difficult for research and theorizing to keep up. Although exploring the range of applications and instantiations of the latest forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC), texting, and video-based phone systems provides many useful insights, research and theorizing that lag behind the technological developments will run the risk of being phenomenon- and even technology-driven, making it difficult to anticipate new uses and consequences. In this chapter we therefore adopt a theory-focused approach to make some sense of the effects of the new technologies (as Kurt Lewin said, there is nothing so practical as a good theory), and a primarily experimental methodology to test this. We focus on a theoretical framework that we have developed over a number of years to gain insights into the effects of CMC in social and organizational settings: the SIDE model. We have found this model useful in helping to correct a tendency, in the literature on CMC in particular, to underestimate the role of social influences on and within these technologies, and an equal (and perhaps opposite) tendency to overestimate their capacity to counteract the impact of status and power. In particular, we think this theoretical model has been useful in helping us to understand (and predict) some of the more counterintuitive findings of behavior found using computer-mediated communication. The idea that people actually conform when isolated from and anonymous to their group is a good example of such an effect explained by the SIDE model. Gender, which is a key focus in the present chapter, also forms an interesting case study in this respect. Much theorizing and research has proposed that women might become more assertive and less submissive when liberated by the anonymity of CMC. Our research suggests that this is not necessarily the case. The SIDE model helps to explicate when and why the technology helps disempowered groups to transcend inequalities of status and power, and when it leaves them more vulnerable to the power divide. Of course, people are not just passively exposed to the effects of technologies such as CMC – a key argument is that they provide strategic opportunities for people to "manage" their identities contra "less mediated" face-to-face communication. So, for example, when women are given the chance to conceal or deceive their gender identity, do they do this, and if so, with what effect? And are these strategies and effects similar for other groups and categories? After outlining our model and providing some evidence of empirical support, we concentrate on the "gender divide" as one important test case, in which the social and power dimensions of these communications technologies in particular can be examined in some detail. Finally, we consider some of the implications of these findings for gender, as well as relations between groups divided by power and status in general.


[1] 2007 was the year of the vagina. This word, which formerly maintained semi-taboo status--as either coldly clinical or uncomfortably explicit--circulated like never before, thanks, in large part, to the brief "flashing" fad among young Hollywood women. That year Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Kim Stewart, Kim Kardashian, and Britney Spears were all photographed without their underwear. These seemingly accidental exhibitions happened when the women, exiting cars or climbing stairs in short skirts, gave the paparazzi a brief but clear shot of their naked privates. [2] For about six months in that year, it seemed like an "upskirt" or flashing photo was requisite for a particular subset of female celebrities. All were young and many (but not all) of them were members of that odd celebrity club that is comprised of reality TV stars, socialites, and tabloid regulars. Soon, even those celebrities with an apparently more "legitimate" base for their fame joined in, most notably, Britney Spears, whose enormous career as a pop star had only recently been eclipsed by her career as a tabloid queen. Although the phenomenon carried the question of intention--did these celebrities mean to go out without underwear? Didn't they realize that their skirts were too short? It is also undeniable that the fad is causally related to the increasingly specular nature of today's celebrity culture, produced in large part by paparazzi, who in turn sell images to online gossip sites. For the people who consume online gossip and tabloid magazines like Us Weekly, the paparazzi coverage and the online gossip culture that is its primary market made possible an explicit display--nay, barrage--of images of that most intimate and elusive of private parts: the "vagina." Thus the fad was born, operating in a feedback loop of exposure-hungry celebrities and money-motivated paparazzi, each anxious to expose and to capture, respectively, what came to be known in slang terms as the "vajayjay." And then, like all fads, it ended. It was too mainstream, it was played out, it was--how could it not be?--overexposed. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] [3] Part of what ended the fad was Spears' blatantly exuberant participation--she flashed six separate times in the course of one weekend. She thus demolished the necessary ambiguity between exhibitionism and voyeurism that the fad depended on, which made her flashes "uncool" to the editors and commentators of online gossip sites. The shots depended on a certain "unauthorized" quality, as though we might be catching a glimpse of the one thing most female celebrities still want to keep unexposed. Moreover, Spears' fame allowed the fad to penetrate the mainstream media sphere, unleashing middle-class, middle-American approbation and outrage. Both kinds of approbation, however, centered around one particular flashing photo which revealed not only Spears' "vajayjay," but also her Caesarean scar. [4] In the simplest sense, the scar reminded the public that Spears was not just a celebrity but also the mother of two small children. What had been sexy misbehavior for someone like Paris Hilton didn't quite work for Spears the mother--who shortly thereafter was branded "Unfitney" by perezhilton.com and other online gossip sites. Paris Hilton might be sleazy, and offensive in her privilege and willful ignorance, but Spears was a "trainwreck," unstable, a walking corpse (she was literally depicted as such on the animated show South Park). In October of that year, Spears was stripped of custody over her young sons. [5] Hypocritical as it may have been, moral outrage does not, however, fully explain the reaction to Spears' flashings. What the fad and Spears' role offer us is a particularly potent example of the deeply gendered discourses of fame and celebrity in an increasingly specular mediascape. In this essay, I argue that the image revealing Spears' scar points to a gendered understanding of a particular type of celebrity: the celebrity whose fame is based on nothing. …


OBJECTIVES
Recently, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase has garnered increased attention as a diagnostic tool in the early identification of liver disease. However, its value in liver transplant is largely unknown, as the disease processes leading to abnormal gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels and the expected temporal trends in gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels during the period after liver transplant remain unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Between January 2010 and August 2013, consecutive patients who underwent liver transplant at Vancouver General Hospital (Vancouver, Canada) were assessed longitudinally up to 1 year after liver transplant. A "gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase event" was defined as 2 abnormal gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase values (exceeding sex-specific limits of normal, at 55 U/L for female and 80 U/L for male patients) ≥ 1 week apart.

RESULTS
Our study included 147 liver transplant recipients. The median gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase level on day 1 after liver transplant was 73 U/L, which peaked to 435 U/L during the first month after liver transplant and returned to within normal parameters by 1 year. In total, there were 282 gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase events, with biliary complications (22%), acute rejection (16%), and hepatitis C virus recurrence (10%) being the most common causes. In 39% of events, no cause was identified. When attempting to identify a disease-associated event, if gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase was the initial liver biochemistry test to double in value, it had 42% sensitivity and 40% specificity. Comparatively, if gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase was the initial liver biochemistry test to become abnormal, it had 3% sensitivity and 93% specificity.

CONCLUSIONS
Although gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase almost universally becomes abnormal after liver transplant, a specific pathologic cause was not commonly identified. Interpreting the characteristics of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase elevation has limited use for identifying the underlying reason for its elevation.


The Japanese system of wage bargaining, known as Shunto, has attracted interest due to its superior macroeconomic outcomes (low unemployment and inflation). This paper examines the exact mechanisms for bringing about such outcomes by focusing on the nature of coordination among employers and unions at the industry and inter-sectoral levels. Based on interviews with Japanese employers and trade union leaders, this study found that: i) informal coordination among employers is more important than formal sanctions of employers' associations; ii) systematic coordination takes place among employers and unions at the industry level, the inter-sectoral level, and within corporate groupings, which facilitate a clear understanding of how prices in labour and product markets affect the competitiveness of leading sectors in the Japanese economy; and iii) there exists a clear labour-management consensus that the export-dependent metal sector should remain the pattern setter during wage bargaining.


The rocky mountain areas in Northern China are confronted with water resources scarceness due to the sustainable development and utilization of the precious resources. To effectively utilize limited water resources,the isotope techniques are widely used to study the movement of water in hydrological cycle. The study was conducted at the Jiufeng low mountain region of West Beijing. We identify the transforming relationships among those water sources in Jiufeng through analyzing the isotopic variations of precipitation,soil water and spring water. Results show that the water line in rainy season in Jiufeng is significantly different from the local meteoric water line in Beijing,both slope and intercept of the water line in rainy season are smaller than that of the local meteoric water line,along with the rain,the characteristics of D and18O have scheduled changes and rainfall effect,and the scheduled changes in precipitation also affect the soil water isotopic characteristics. The isotopic compositions of soil water are relatively concentrated in the study region. Both slope and intercept of evaporation line equation are smaller than that of the local meteoric water line and the rainy seasonal water line. The soil in Quercus Variabilis Mixed Forest is not sensitive to small precipitation events. The soil water movement in Platycladus Oriatalis plots is faster than that in Quercus Variabilis Mixed Forest,which can account for the affection of forest types and soil characteristics to the conversion between different water sources. The isotopic composition of spring water is relatively stable,and they mainly distribute on the bottom right of the local meteoric water line,near the intersection point with the rainy seasonal water line. There have different isotope variations among different water sources. The largest variation is in rain water and the least is in spring water. The values of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in different water sources decrease with the water cycle path from precipitation to soil water,and then to ground water.


Nonylphenol is a widely used organic compound which has been reported to have potential risk to aquatic environment. According to the result of recent studies, it has been detected in many lakes in Stockholm, Sweden, which raised great concern. In this thesis, a dynamic fate model was adopted and modified from literature in order to study the distribution and concentration of nonylphenol in small lakes, guide the field sampling and provide information for corresponding decision making. Two lakes in Stockholm, Lake Trekanten and Lake Drevviken, were selected as case studies. Another model was included for comparison purpose. Based on the model result, the most important nonylphenol removal process in both lakes was the transformation in water. A sensitivity analysis showed that the model results were most sensitive to the process of nonylphenol water inflow. In terms of sediment concentration of nonylphenol, satisfactory agreements were obtained from the comparison between model results and field data. However, problems, such as the simultaneous handling of nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylates, may cause uncertainties on the model performance. The result of the analysis about scenario load change and the seasonal variation showed that the sediment nonylphenol content is more stable to the seasonal change compare to nonylphenol water content, but the response times to load change of nonylphenol content in these two compartments are quite close and somewhat lower than the water residence time.


Psittacosis is a disease in human beings that is commonly associated with pet birds such as cockatiels and parrots, and among poultry such as ducks and turkeys. This paper proposed and developed a deterministic epidemiological model that explains the transmission dynamics of Psittacosis infection in humans and poultry. The Psittacosis deterministic model was analyzed to determine positivity of the solution set, the invariant feasible region, the basic reproduction number, the disease free equilibrium points, the endemic equilibrium points and the corresponding stability of each of the equilibrium points. The basic reproduction number is calculated using the next generation matrix and it was found to be entirely dependent on the poultry population parameters. The study established that whenever R0 1, Psittacosis keeps persisting in the population. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the contribution of each parameter to the basic reproduction number. The more sensitive parameters were found to be responsible for the further propagation of Psittacosis while the less sensitive parameters rarely contributed to the spread. Stability analysis of both the disease free equilibrium and the Endemic equilibrium were conducted. Lastly, numerical simulation was conducted to justify quantitative analysis of the dynamics of the transmission of Psittacosis.


Objectives Systematic review of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence studies undertaken in the WHO European Region to measure pre-existing and cumulative seropositivity prior to the roll out of vaccination programmes. Design A systematic review of the literature. Data sources We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and the preprint servers MedRxiv and BioRxiv in the WHO 'COVID-19 Global literature on coronavirus disease' database using a predefined search strategy. Articles were supplemented with unpublished WHO-supported Unity-aligned seroprevalence studies and other studies reported directly to WHO Regional Office for Europe and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Eligibility criteria Studies published before the widespread implementation of COVID-19 vaccination programmes in January 2021 among the general population and blood donors, at national and regional levels. Data extraction and synthesis At least two independent researchers extracted the eligible studies; a third researcher resolved any disagreements. Study risk of bias was assessed using a quality scoring system based on sample size, sampling and testing methodologies. Results In total, 111 studies from 26 countries published or conducted between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020 across the WHO European Region were included. A significant heterogeneity in implementation was noted across the studies, with a paucity of studies from the east of the Region. Sixty-four (58%) studies were assessed to be of medium to high risk of bias. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity prior to widespread community circulation was very low. National seroprevalence estimates after circulation started ranged from 0% to 51.3% (median 2.2% (IQR 0.7–5.2%); n=124), while subnational estimates ranged from 0% to 52% (median 5.8% (IQR 2.3%–12%); n=101), with the highest estimates in areas following widespread local transmission. Conclusions The low levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibody in most populations prior to the start of vaccine programmes underlines the critical importance of targeted vaccination of priority groups at risk of severe disease, while maintaining reduced levels of transmission to minimise population morbidity and mortality.


Human rights have come to represent some of the highest ideals of humanity. In Samuel Moyn's Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal World, the Professor of History and Law at Yale University traces the history of the origins of human rights and details a comprehensive narrative of their evolution through various sources. Despite their status as a legal ideology, human rights have often been colloquially invoked to describe broader social entitlements. For this reason, Moyn's work goes far beyond situating rights as legal instruments, and engages with the political philosophies that underpin human rights as an ideology that function as a reflection of their place in history. This book review is available in Osgoode Hall Law Journal: https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/ohlj/vol57/ iss1/11


Background Depression is a relapsing and remitting disease. Prior studies on the association between depressive symptoms and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) have been limited by single measurements, and few if any have examined both incident coronary heart disease and stroke in a large biracial national cohort. We aimed to assess whether time‐dependent depressive symptoms conferred increased risk of incident CVD. Methods and Results Between 2003 to 2007, 22 666 black and white participants (aged ≥45 years) without baseline CVD in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study were recruited. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses assessed the association between up to 3 measurements of elevated depressive symptoms (4‐item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score ≥4) and incident coronary heart disease, stroke, and CVD death adjusting for age, sex, region, income, health insurance, education, blood pressure, cholesterol, medication, obesity, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, C‐reactive protein, corrected QT interval, atrial fibrillation, left ventricular hypertrophy, smoking, alcohol, physical inactivity, medication adherence, and antidepressant use. The participants' average age was 63.4 years, 58.8% were female, and 41.7% black. Time‐varying depressive symptoms were significantly associated with CVD death (adjusted hazard ratio 1.30, 95% CI 1.04–1.63), with a trend toward significance for fatal and nonfatal stroke (adjusted hazard ratio 1.26, 95% CI 0.99–1.60) but not fatal and nonfatal coronary heart disease (adjusted hazard ratio 1.11, 95% CI 0.89–1.38). Race did not moderate the association between depressive symptoms and CVD. Conclusions Proximal depressive symptoms were associated with incident fatal and nonfatal stroke and CVD death even after controlling for multiple explanatory factors, further supporting the urgent need for timely management of depressive symptoms.


Measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas evolved from acidification is a method to quantify carbonate carbon (CC) in aerosols collected on quartz fiber-filters. This paper describes the installation of an add-on device in a DRI Model 2001 Thermal Optical reflectance (TOR)/Thermal Optical Transmittance (TOT) Carbon Analyzer (M-TOCA) to facilitate a direct CC measurement. In each run, a maximum of 20 filter punches (each of 0.5 cm2) were acidified with 1 mL of 20% v/v phosphoric (V) acid in a vial under a 100% helium gas environment. The CO2 evolved was reduced to methane (CH4) and detected by a flame ionization detector (FID). The optimum reaction kinetics were obtained under an operational temperature of 40 °C and ultrasonic agitation. Method precisions were ±3.5% on average for carbonate standards ranging from 3.0 to 60.0 μg and ±3.8% on average for ambient samples in masses ranging from 0.30 to 56.0 μg respectively. Method accuracy was on average 91.9%, ranging from 81.4 to 102.1%. Minimum detection limit (MDL) of the M-TOCA method was 0.048 μg cm−2, corresponding to an ambient concentration of 0.098 μg m−3 for a sampled volume of air of 7.2 m3. The MDL is >22 times lower than the value obtained using the novel method with a regular TOCA. Comparison studies on standards and ambient samples have demonstrated that the two methods do not yield systematic differences in concentrations of the carbonate. The lower MDL value provided by the M-TOCA allows a simple, precise and accurate measurement for ambient samples having a low CC concentration.


Empirical research examining whether owning a home is less costly than renting for low-income households is largely lacking. We use detailed property information provided by a set of low-income homeowners who participated in the Community Advantage Panel Sur-vey, along with a matched sample of similar rental properties from the American Housing Survey, to determine whether low-income homeowners in the United States would have expe-rienced lower housing costs by renting between 2003 and 2011. We calculate the homeown-ers' user costs directly from the survey data, and we derive hedonic measures of equivalent rent for these homeowners via pooled regressions of house prices and rents on housing char-acteristics, from which we obtain capitalization rates. For the median homeowner in our sample, we find that owning was less costly than renting a comparable property between 2003 and 2011.


Corruption is against the law and abuse of authority for the sake of self-enrichment, a group of people or corporations. Transparency International institutions 2015 and 2016 have placed Indonesia as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Corruption in Indonesia has a very bad impact on various dimensions of society and nation life and can damage the economic system, democracy, politics, law, government and others. Although corruption is already so great, efforts to combat corruption have not shown optimal results. Seeing the difficulties of eradicating corruption, there needs to be a more serious and radical effort in the future to combat corruption in Indonesia, among others through: reforming political institutions, reforming the bureaucracy, formulating and implementing political ethical standards, enforcement that can give deterrent effect to corruptors , And the proper handling of corruption complaints procedures by the public.


During the last two decades, the molecular self-assembly of the short peptide diphenylalanine (Phe-Phe) motif has attracted increasing focus due to its unique morphological structure and utility for potential applications in biomaterial chemistry, sensors and bioelectronics. Due to the ease of their synthetic modifications and a plethora of available experimental tools, the self-assembly of free and protected diphenylalanine scaffolds (H-Phe-Phe-OH, Boc-Phe-Phe-OH and Boc-Phe-Phe-OMe) has unfurled interesting tubular, vesicular or fibrillar morphologies. Developing on this theme, here we attempt to examine the effect of structure and properties (hydrophobic and H-bonding) modifying the functional C-terminus conjugated substituents on Boc-Phe-Phe on its self-assembly process. The consequent self-sorting due to H-bonding, van der Waals force and π-π interactions, generates monodisperse nano-vesicles from these peptides characterized via their SEM, HRTEM, AFM pictures and DLS experiments. The stability of these vesicles to different external stimuli such as pH and temperature, encapsulation of fluorescent probes inside the vesicles and their release by external trigger are reported. The results point to a new direction in the study and applications of the Phe-Phe motif to rationally engineer new functional nano-architectures.

publisher-specific, author manuscript: http://rsc.li/journals-terms-of-use


Corrosion of the cladding of spent Magnox nuclear fuel elements in water-filled storage ponds has produced a settled layer of fine particulate sludge (corroded Magnox sludge; CMS). CMS is believed to be predominantly composed of brucite (Mg(OH)2), and is contaminated with fragments of spent fuel, together with the associated Pu and fission products. For safe management of the ponds and eventual removal of the sludge as part of pond decommissioning, a comprehensive understanding of sludge chemistry is required. Brucite can sequester Pu from solution and, given that brucite can also form colloidal species in solution, this interaction may enhance Pu mobility within the ponds. To assess the likely effect on Pu mobility, we have measured the affinity of 'dissolved' 239Pu for a CMS simulant using a series of ultrafiltration experiments. The experiments were performed using a model Magnox storage pond liquor containing Pu, a CMS simulant, sodium carbonate, polyelectrolyte, and silica. Solution pH was controlled by the addition of sodium hydroxide, perchloric acid, and carbon dioxide gas to mimic storage pond and effluent treatment plant conditions. Multivariate analysis of the results was used to identify which parameters influenced Pu filterability. The presence of carbonate ions (0.03 M) had the largest effect on the system, allowing the majority of Pu to pass the filter. Addition of polyelectrolyte (0.35 ppm) produced a significant increase in Pu retention, even in the presence of carbonate and absence of CMS. The presence of CMS, even at only 3 ppm, increased Pu filterability, which was enhanced at higher pH. Over the pH range 7–11, Pu was generally better retained at higher pH. A 3-way interaction (the presence of CMS and polyelectrolyte at pH 11) affecting Pu filterability was also identified. The presence of silica (at 1 ppm) in the model system did not influence Pu filterability. Additional filtration experiments indicated a strong positive correlation between CMS concentration and Pu filter retention. This interaction was pH dependent, with more Pu filtered at pH 11.5 than at pH 10.8. Increased Pu filtration at high pH may reflect an increase in negatively charged surface species on the CMS particulate, and increased sorption of Pu although the precipitation of more CMS particulate at higher pH could also contribute. The pH dependence of Pu association with brucite is potentially an important control of Pu mobility within storage pond systems. The exact composition of the authentic pond sludge is unknown although it probably comprises mainly brucite, with smaller amounts of hydrous magnesium carbonate. Characterisation of the CMS simulant, synthesised from inactive Magnox swarf, showed the particulate to be primarily composed of platy brucite crystals, with a smaller but significant quantity of acicular artinite crystals.


The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of formulation variables on the release profile of diclofenac sodium from gum kondagogu matrix tablets. Experimental design was applied to evaluate the influence of concentration of the gum and type of diluent with the final goal of drug release behavior optimization. Two independent variables considered were concentration of the gum (X1) and type of diluents (X2). The considered responses were the percentage drug released at three determined times (Q4, Q7, Q10), zero order rate constant and the time to release 50% of drug. Matrix tablets were prepared by wet granulation method. Physical properties and drug release studies were carried out for the prepared tablets. The physical properties indicated good handling properties of the prepared matrix tablets. Polynomial equations and response surface plots were generated for all dependent variables. The present study indicates that both the factors have a significant effect on drug release profile. The dissolution studies indicate the release behavior of all the formulations was super case II transport mechanism with zero order kinetics. The results demonstrate the reliability of the model in the preparation of matrix tablets of diclofenac sodium for sustained release using gum kondagogu with the selected diluents.


On the basis of the ancient Chinese human ecological principles, conjugate ecological planning is a kind of social–economic–natural complex ecosystem planning to balance and/or compromise the relationship between environmental and economic development. Eight conjugate planning issues were investigated. It was used in the ecological planning research for Beijing Master Plan revision. The results of East Beijing land‐use scenario were shown and ecoservice‐based land management strategies were proposed. The executive summary of conjugate ecological planning of Beijing urban ecosystem was introduced in the end.


Leading health care reform proposals all require individuals to obtain health care coverage, but differ in how they would require employers to share in the costs of coverage for their employees. This report reviews the employer responsibility requirements in the leading proposals—often referred to as "play-or-pay" provisions—and makes recommendations on how to best structure such a requirement to ensure that relatively low paid workers are not negatively impacted by them.


We have developed an analytical solution for the rocking and overturning response of a two-dimensional, symmetric rigid block subject to a full sine wave of horizontal ground acceleration. We use this solution to provide lower-bound estimates of the peak ground acceleration at Point Reyes Station, California, during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake that toppled the San Francisco-bound train. Our results, for a 3% damping ratio, indicate that for a single cycle of a sine wave the minimum toppling accelerations at 1, 1.5, and 2 Hz are 0.35g, 0.5g, and 1.05g, respectively. For more realistic accelerograms the toppling accelerations are about 1.1g (complex synthetic) and 0.76g (Lucerne record of the 1992 Landers earthquake).


Legal discourse on implicit bias has changed the way scholars and citizens think about race in the justice system. Ever-growing scholarship, much of it empirical, has identified, confronted, and sought to address how implicit bias operates in nearly every criminal justice context—especially in policing, prosecuting, judging, and juror decision-making. This focus on racially fraught legal processes, and the subsequent search to mitigate or eliminate the operations of implicit bias within each of them, has been an illuminating force not only for those who seek to expose the reality of a biased system, but also for those who recognize that the fairness-driven ideals of the American legal system are not being realized. Thus, it is not surprising that efforts designed to "deal with" implicit bias in the criminal justice system—whether through judicial trainings, jury instructions, or structural safeguards—have become increasingly popular.
Our aim here is to strengthen the existing model of implicit bias by proposing the addition of a new theoretical layer. It is not only processes and people that allow implicit bias to seep into the criminal justice system. We argue that a comprehensive understanding of implicit bias in the criminal justice system requires acknowledging that the theoretical underpinnings of the entire system may now be culturally and cognitively inseparable from implicit bias.


From Margaret Mead and Zora Neale Hurston to Lionel Trilling and Lou Gehrig, Columbia University has been home to some of the most important historians, scientists, critics, artists, physicians, and social scientists of the twentieth century. (It can also boast a hall-of-fame athlete.) In Living Legacies at Columbia, contributors with close personal ties to their subjects capture Columbia's rich intellectual history. Essays span the birth of genetics and modern anthropology, constitutionalism from John Jay to Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Virginia Apgar's test, Lou Gehrig's swing, journalism education, black power, public health, the development of Asian studies, the Great Books Movement, gender studies, human rights, and numerous other realms of teaching and discovery. They include Eric Foner on historian Richard Hoftstader, Isaac Levi and Sidney Hook on John Dewey, David Rosand on art historian Meyer Schapiro, John Hollander on critic Mark Van Doren, Donald Keene on Asian studies, Jacques Barzun on history, Eric Kandel on geneticist Thomas Hunt Morgan, and Rosalind Rosenberg on Franz Boas and his three most famous pupils: Ruth Benedict, Margaret Mead, and Zora Neale Hurston. Much more than an institutional history, Living Legacies captures the spirit of a great university through the stories of gifted men and women who have worked, taught, and studied at Columbia. It includes stories of struggle and breakthrough, searching and discovery, tradition and transformation.


Interaction between the fuel-jet / cross-flow mixing and a pseudo-shock system was experimentally investigated to evaluate the possibility of mixing control by wall flush-mount injector configuration during a dual-mode operation. The fuel-jet was simulated by inert helium injection, and the pseudo-shock wave system was generated by back-pressurizing a Mach 2.5 airflow with a mechanical valve. Three difference injection schemes, perpendicular injection through a circular orifice, perpendicular injection through a stinger-shaped orifice, and angled injection through a circular orifice, were employed, and changes in mixing characteristics due to interaction with the pseudo-shock system were investigated. Interaction with the pseudo-shock system resulted in suppression of plume core penetration, enhancement of injectant diffusion especially in spanwise direction, and elimination of stinger-shaped orifice's superiority over the circular orifice in perpendicular case. The swept-back injection resulted in a slow mixing in near field and fast mixing in far field, so that combination with the perpendicular injection might make mixing control feasible.


Abstract Information and communication technologies enable the emergence of a new phenomenon called the "sharing economy". An increasing number of articles in the media as well as debates about the positive and negative aspects of the sharing economy show a growing interest in the subject. The paper aims to review the different approaches to the definition of the sharing economy and to present the authors' views on the concept. The reviewed literature reveals the main drivers for participating in the sharing economy. A survey was conducted to learn more about the motives of Lithuanian people participating in this concept. The survey reveals the following leading factors of using the sharing economy platforms: an easy way to make extra money; supporting individuals and/or small/independent companies; meeting new people and having an interesting experience/doing something most people haven't tried yet. The survey also reveals that most of the respondents prefer to own things rather than share them. Despite the widespread popularity of the sharing economy platforms in the world, this phenomenon is in its infancy in Lithuania.


Some chemical analysis and sensory data of the fruitbodies of eight mushroom species-Auricularia auricula, Coprinus disseminatus (Bull. ex. fr.) Fr, Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Sing. strain SH-l, Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Sing strain SM-1, Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex. fr) Kummer strain EM-l, Pluteus subcervinus (Schaeff Ex. Fr) Kummer, Termitomyces species and Volvariella volvacea (Bull ex. fr.) were investigated. Proximate composition: moisture, protein, fat, ash, carbohydrate; major mineral constituents (Na, Ca, P, K), one minor mineral (Fe) constituent and vitamin C content were determined. The protein content ranged from 6.2 to 30.9 percent; carbohydrate, a major constituent in mushroom species was highest in Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Sing. strain SH-l (77.2 percent) whilst Auricularia auricula contained 23.5 percent. Values for fat content ranged from 1.1 to 10.8 percent. Ash content ranged between 2.9 to 24.2 percent. Mineral content (P and K) in the mushroom sporophores were found to be higher than in many fruits, and vegetables. From the sensory
data Termitomyces species was the most preferred and accepted of the mushrooms studied. Journal of the Ghana Science Association Vol. 10 (2) 2008: pp. 139-144


Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the prognostic value of interarm difference of blood pressure (IAD) measured in acute ischemic stroke and to investigate its association with systemic atherosclerosis. Methods: This was a hospital-based retrospective observational study. Survival data and systolic/diastolic IAD were collected in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Systemic atherosclerosis was determined based on coronary CT angiography, transesophageal echocardiography, ankle-brachial index examination, and cerebral angiography covering both intracranial and extracranial cerebral arteries. Results: Of 834 patients, 10.3% had a systolic IAD ≥10 mm Hg, and 6.0% had a diastolic IAD ≥10 mm Hg. During a mean follow-up period of 2.96 ± 0.95 years, 92 patients died (including 68 cardiovascular deaths). In multivariate Cox regression adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors and initial stroke severity, the presence of systolic IAD ≥10 mm Hg was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16–3.35) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 2.49, 95% CI 1.39–4.46). Patients with diastolic IAD ≥10 mm Hg also had increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR 3.43, 95% CI 1.94–6.08) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 3.51, 95% CI 1.83–6.74). The presence of systolic or diastolic IAD ≥10 mm Hg was associated with peripheral artery disease in the lower limbs, but not with atherosclerosis in the cerebral artery, coronary artery, or the aorta. Conclusions: The presence of interarm systolic or diastolic blood pressure difference ≥10 mm Hg is a strong independent prognostic marker in acute ischemic stroke.


The migration as well as proliferation of coronary artery medial smooth muscle cells (SMC) into the intima is proposed to be an important process of intimal thickening in coronary atherosclerosis. In the current study, we examined the effects of the angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist valsartan on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced migration of cultured human coronary artery SMC using Boyden's chamber methods. Ang II significantly stimulated human coronary artery SMC migration in a concentration-dependent manner between 10_6 and 10_8 mol/I when cells of passage 4 to 6 were used. However, the migration response to Ang II was moderately decreased in cells of passage 10 to 12, and was markedly decreased in cells of passage 15 to 17, compared to that of passage 4 to 6. Ang II-induced migration was blocked by the Ang ii type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist valsartan in a concentration-dependent manner. By contrast, the Ang II type 2 (AT2) receptor antagonist PD 123319 did not affect Ang II-induced migration. Ang ii modestly increased the cell number of human coronary artery SMC after a 24-h incubation. This increase in cell numbers was also clearly blocked by valsartan, but not by PD 123319. These results indicate that Ang ii stimulates migration as well as proliferation via AT1 receptors in human coronary artery SMC when cells of passage 4 to 6 are used. Valsartan may prevent the progression of coronary atherosclerosis through an inhibition of Ang II-induced migration and proliferation in these cells, although in vivo evidence is lacking. (Hypertens Res 2000; 23: 677-681)


Defect structures in copper of different purity (nominally 99.99 and 99.999 wt. %) deformed via High Pressure Torsion (HPT) with varying processing parameters are investigated utilizing the radiotracer diffusion technique. While the degree of deformation is kept constant, the effects of applied quasi-hydrostatic pressure, processing temperature, post-deformation annealing treatments, and of the impurity concentration on the deformed samples are analyzed in terms of the formation of interconnected internal porosity. Furthermore, the anisotropy of the developing porosity network is examined. The porosity channels occurred to be interconnected along the direction parallel to the surface normal with a volume fraction of the order of a few ppm while no long-range penetration along the internal porosity could be detected when measured along the azimuthal or radial directions of a HPT processed sample.


A perceptual color image coder (PCIC) is presented for the YCbCr color space within the framework of JPEG2000. This coder employs a vision model based perceptual distortion metric (PDM) to approximate perceived error for rate-distortion (R-D) optimization in order to maximize the visual quality of coded images. The vision model employed in the PCIC is structurally based on an existing monochromatic multichannel vision model, which is extended for color image coding. Subjective tests with 30 viewers show that the PCIC provides superior picture quality at low to intermediate bitrates in comparison with a JPEG2000 compliant coder employing the mean squared error (MSE) and the visual distortion metric (Cvis) as distortion measures, respectively.


The last decade has witnessed the rapid development of intelligent transportation systems (ITS), which aim to improve transportation activities in terms of safety and efficiency. Intervehicle communication (IVC) is an important component of the ITS architecture that enables vehicles to communicate with other vehicles and roadside infrastructure. The GeoNet Project will bring IVC one step further by enabling transparent Internet Protocol connectivity between vehicles and the infrastructure. Integrating the IVC with existing infrastructure over Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) will also enable the use of multimedia services. Although GeoNet concluded its activity, several topics in the final specification were left open ended, including the definition of the car-to-car transport layer, multiradio support, congestion control, IPv6 encoding of GeoDestination, mapping of IPv6 addresses to GeoNet addresses, and GeoRouting protocol. This paper provides a survey of the existing GeoRouting protocols and evaluates the compatibility of these protocols with the GeoNet architecture.


Irrigation has been, and will remain, instrumental in addressing water security (Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6), food insecurity (SDG 2) and poverty (SDG 1) goals. However, the global context in which irrigation takes place is changing rapidly. A call for healthier and more sustainable food systems is placing new demands on how irrigation is developed and managed. Growing pressures from competing water uses in the domestic and industrial sectors, as well increasing environmental awareness, mean irrigation is increasingly called on to perform better, delivering acceptable returns on investment and simultaneously improving food security, rural livelihoods and nutrition, as well as supporting environmental conservation. Better integration of fisheries (including aquaculture) in irrigation planning, investment and management can contribute to the modernisation of irrigation and the achievement of the multiple objectives that it is called on to deliver. A framework illustrating how fisheries can be better integrated with irrigation, and how the two can complement each other across a range of scales, from scheme to catchment and, ultimately, national level, is presented.


This paper investigates student acquisition of creative thinking skills in Solving Real Problems, a first year engineering design course in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This class was developed around a service-learning model where teams of two to six students worked with community-based partners to design products for use in their communities. Each team also had at least one faculty member and one teaching assistant working alongside the students as additional team members. Teaching techniques used in the class included multiple in-class idea generation exercises, individual and group assignments, concept, visualization, and fabrication instruction. There were thirteen students total enrolled in the class, two of whom were upperclassmen, one of whom was cross-registered from another university. The participants of this study are the ten first-year MIT students that took Solving Real Problems (2.00B) in spring semester 2007, consisting of five females and five males. At the end of the semester, eleven students total, including each of these ten first-year MIT students, participated in focus groups and responded affirmatively to the question "Thinking about Solving Real Problems in particular, do you think that the class improved your ability to be creative?" Thirty minute follow-up interviews with each student explored this improvement in creativity and make up the core data analyzed in this paper. Common themes discussed by students in relation to creativity include the interactive lecture and lab environment, the involvement of the professors and confidence and hands-on practice, suggesting a community of practice model of learning creativity in the classroom.© 2008 ASME


Caffeine is often described as the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world. Despite a substantial amount of research examining the effects of caffeine on mood and cognition, there remain a number of unresolved issues in this field, two of which formed the focus of this thesis. The first pertains to whether caffeine has any behavioural effects beyond a reversal of withdrawal effects purported to exist in habitual consumers following caffeine deprivation. A second relates to the biobehavioural effects of caffeine when consumed in combination with other potentially psychoactive components, as is usually the case in dietary forms of caffeine. This thesis, therefore, firstly compared the cognitive and mood effects of acute administration of caffeine to habitual consumers and habitual non-consumers of caffeine. The effects of combining caffeine with other naturally concomitant compounds were then explored, firstly by examining the impact of combining caffeine with L¬theanine (an inhibitory amino acid found in tea) and then by exploring the effects of guaranâ (a caffeine-containing whole extract). Finally, following on from these latter studies, an attempt was made to establish the lowest active dose of caffeine. Each experiment followed a placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced cross-over design. In each study, treatment-related changes in cognitive performance were assessed with computerised assessment tools (the Cognitive Drug Research battery, a sentence verification task and serial subtractions), and mood was assessed using both Bond¬Lader and specifically tailored caffeine research visual analogue scales. Where appropriate, salivary caffeine levels and autonomic activity were monitored. Performance was similarly improved for habitual consumers and habitual non- consumers of caffeine following caffeine administration. The administration of caffeine in combination with L-theanine led to some modulation of the effects of caffeine. This was also demonstrated when examining the effects of guarana. A direct comparison of caffeine and guaranâ with matched caffeine levels revealed differences in the effects of the two treatments. Exploration of the lowest active dose of caffeine revealed (largely impairing) effects of caffeine at doses lower than those found in decaffeinated beverages. These findings may have important implications for caffeine research. Firstly, they suggest that behavioural effects of caffeine cannot be attributed wholly to withdrawal reversal. Secondly, they demonstrate that other components commonly co- consumed with caffeine are likely to modulate its biobehavioural effects. Finally, they suggest that levels of caffeine hitherto thought to be inactive may have (negative) psychoactive properties.


Formation of cast collections of classical sculpture peaked during the long nineteenth century (1789-1914). Many collections were neglected in later decades; cast condition declined and jeopardized their capacity to reflect their full value. This thesis explores their potential historical and archaeological significances with the under- investigated British Museum collection forming the main case study. Casts reflect nineteenth century craft techniques and attitudes to classical sculpture. Moreover, where the originals remained in situ post-moulding, they can preserve surface features lost from the originals by weathering. Yet craftsmen were also known to doctor their moulds such that a cast of a damaged sculpture would appear more complete. These interventions compare with the propensity for restoration of classical sculpture conducted to varying degrees, sometimes fancifully, in the centuries following the Renaissance. Such restorations, some now removed from the originals, may also be preserved in casts. Together with the twentieth century decline in cast condition, these factors complicate the interpretation of casts; a subject that this research will illuminate, if not fully remedy. Digital imaging techniques are evaluated for their capacity to investigate surface features of casts and to complete comparative study with the corresponding originals. The project then incorporates a broader historical scope, including examination of the Roman casts discovered at Baiae, commonly believed to have been moulded from ancient Greek bronze sculptures. These are technically similar to the nineteenth century casts and stimulate further questions regarding the production of ancient copies and casts, and the extent of craft continuity between ancient and modern times. A long historical tradition of restoration, reuse, and adaptive copying and casting of sculpture can be documented throughout much of the classical past right up to the present day. Curators, conservators, and archaeologists must consider the full weight of this history when approaching the casts and considering their future.


In light of ongoing transformations in health care policy, pressing questions have emerged concerning how to integrate social care into clinical care and what workforce and physical/digital infrastructure will be required for this integration. In response to these questions, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) 2019 Consensus Study Report on Integrating Social Care into the Delivery of Health Care: Moving Upstream to Improve the Nation's Health has challenged health and human sector leaders to systematically consider ways to integrate social care into health care delivery. Taking social work as a key profession for driving the integration of social care into health care delivery, the following article (1) outlines key components of the NASEM report and (2) articulates the necessary future steps that health and human sector leaders must take across administrative, educational, technological, and workforce arenas in order to sustainably integrate social care and health care sectors.


This thesis investigates the value of optionality in day-by-day spot contracts for PSV and AHTS in the OSV-spot market, where the charterer can replace the initial vessel with an alternative vessel in the spot market or renegotiate the contract, by using the real options embedded in the contracts. Even though there are usually replacement costs for the charterer when replacing the initially hired vessel prior to the contract's expiry, a significantly large spread between the initial contract rate and the current spot rate may still see the charterer benefit from terminating, or renegotiating, the initial contract. We perform an analysis based on a stochastic process, where parameter estimates are based on historic spot rates for various vessel types from 1996 to 2017. In addition to vessel type, we further distinguish between different exercise frequencies/options, where AHTS contracts allow for exercising the termination option every fifth day, and PSV contracts every day. We find that the optionality may add value for the charterer for both PSV and AHTS, especially in markets with high demand, hence high rates. However, we find that the value of the optionality is significant more attractive in the AHTS, despite it lower assumed exercise frequency. This is mainly due to the higher volatility of AHTS spot rates, making thus AHTS has higher probability of exercise the option. We also perform a sensitivity analysis on the parameters, which suggest that replacement cost is the most sensitive parameter affecting the value of the optionality. Additionally, our thesis discusses how a possible renegotiation process might affect the valuation of the optionality. Lastly, our conclusion provides an overview of the analyses performed, and sums up the valuation of the optionality for various contract specifications.


Stars slightly more massive than the Sun develop small convective cores during their main sequence phase of evolution. The edges of these convective cores are associated with rapid variations in the sound speed which influence the frequencies of acoustic oscillations. In this work we use an asymptotic analysis that is valid near the turning point of the oscillations, to derive the signature that tiny convective cores, such as those expected in main-sequence solar-like pulsators, produce in the oscillation frequencies. Moreover, we present a seismic diagnostic tool that is capable of isolating essential properties of that signature. The analysis presented here is an extension of that published by Cunha & Metcalfe (2007). In particular, in the current work the functional form adopted in the modelling of the sharp variation in sound speed at the edge of the core is more realistic. That results in an improved capability to extract the size of the sharp variation in sound speed at the edge of the core, a property that depends on the physical processes of mixing and diffusion taking place in that region of the star (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Luis de Molina was a leading figure in the remarkable sixteenth-century revival of Scholasticism on the Iberian peninsula. Molina is best known for his innovative theory of middle knowledge. Alfred J. Freddoso's extensive introductory essay clears up common misconceptions about Molina's theory, defends it against both philosophical and theological objections, and makes it accessible to contemporary readers.


The risk of brain neuron death supersedes that of physical harm due to muscle spasms. In fact, immediate induction of neuromuscular paralysis impedes monitoring of anticonvulsant therapy, which can be empiric but should follow a predetermined, sequential protocol so that seizures can be terminated quickly.


Apitherapy is the use of bee products such as honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom, and wax is used to prevent or treat illness and promote healing. The objectives of this study are to assess and document indigenous knowledge on the medicinal values of bee products in Ethiopia and generate baseline information on indigenous practices of the medicinal value of beehive products for further study. This study was conducted in beekeeping potential areas of Oromia Regional state by selecting seven zones and from each zone two districts and a total of 14 districts (Woreda) based on their potential for beekeeping, the existence of long-aged bee-keepers and accessibility. using a purposive sampling method and questionnaires were distributed to the elders and well-known traditional healers of the study areas. In answering the questionnaires 22-100 ages dwellers or respondents participated. The survey was conducted in 7 zones namely Jimma, Ilu ababora, West wollega, East wollega, East Shoa, West shoa, and Buno Bedele. Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data obtained by collected questionnaires. The result of the study showed that 49.3% of Apis mellifera honey and 31.9% of stingless bee honey, majorly used bee products for apitherapy, and 70.3 % of the bee products used using traditional collection method. According to this study's results, the traditional drug was prepared from honey in liquid form which comprises the biggest portion mark of 63.4% of respondents. The majority of the respondents strongly agree with bee products as a treatment for different diseases such as asthma, cough, common cold, TB, and wounds. A major challenge faced during using of bee products as medicine is the absence of awareness of apitherapy as it was reported by 28.8%. of the respondents. Thus, it can be concluded that bee products are well-known apitherapy in the Oromia region and it was recommended that awareness creation of bee products as apitherapy and further research on the medicinal value of beehive products for confirmation as medicine for different diseases since it may be a solution for various diseases resisting modern drugs.


Kinship verification from facial appearance is a difficult problem. This paper explores the possibility of employing facial expression dynamics in this problem. By using features that describe facial dynamics and spatio-temporal appearance over smile expressions, we show that it is possible to improve the state of the art in this problem, and verify that it is indeed possible to recognize kinship by resemblance of facial expressions. The proposed method is tested on different kin relationships. On the average, 72 . 89% verification accuracy is achieved on spontaneous smiles.


A is the term for a group of protein folding disorders characterized by the extracellular deposition of insoluble polymeric protein fibrils in tissues and organs. Amyloidosis is commonly systemic, occasionally organ-limited, and rarely a solitary localized mass. This latter presentation is commonly referred to as tumoral amyloidosis. Although reports exists of these often called "amyloidomas" showing up in almost every tissue/organ, the GI tract has a prevalence that is not well document making it an outstanding diagnostic challenge. A 66 year-old male with a history of IV drug abuse, comes to our hospital to be evaluated due to diarrhea that started 2 months ago; 3-5 depositions a day, watery in consistency no blood or mucus, associated with epigastric abdominal pain described as "burning" in nature, 7/10 intensity without radiation and a 50 pound weight loss. Denied fever, chills, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting; symptoms were non consistently worsened with food ingestion and did not improve with OTCmedication for diarrhea. PMH was significant for HCV diagnosed 1 month ago. On physical exam the abdomen showed a prominent liver edge 5cm below the costal margin non tender, non-distended without ascites. Laboratory work-up upon admission showed metabolic acidosis, acute kidney injury, no electrolyte disturbances and an elevated TSH. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) done the day after admission showed an esophagus that was normal and a friable mass in the antrum of the stomach that bled on contact, cold forceps biopsy was taken. A colonoscopy was also performed, with unremarkable findings; random biopsies taken. Pathology reports a tissue that on red Congo stain has apple-green birefringence indicative of amyloid fibrils in both colonic and gastric samples. The deposition of amyloid fibrils in other organs were sought out with negative results; thus giving the impression of single system involvement. Gastrointestinal amyloidosis causes severe malabsorption due to the deposition of the protein fibrils, explaining the patient's chronic diarrhea and significant weight loss. Since patient's malabsorption caused wasting and malnourishment, total parenteral nutrition was indicated while the patient received chemotherapy for the treatment of amyloidosis. This case illustrates that there is an important risk of misunderstanding and diagnosis delay of patients that present with malabsorption. Even if the clinical symptoms are not obvious upon initial presentation, the hypothesis of gastrointestinal amyloidosis should be considered among the possible diagnosis of patients with chronic diarrhea and weight loss. In doing so, quality of life as well as morbidity improvement should be evident


Harold F. Gray, of Corning, Calif., has calledmy attention to an error in the note "On the rulefor leap year" [ Science 123, 544 (30 Mar. 1956)].In the sixth paragraph of the article (page 545),the end of the second sentence should read ". . .the century years 1800, 1900, and 2100 are not divisible by 400 and, hence, are not leap years; but2000 is divisible by 400 and, hence, is a leap year."


In this article, we first define a primitive problem of secure multiparty computations, i.e., secure multiparty disjunction (SMD), and present a novel quantum protocol for SMD that can ensure information-theoretical security, i.e., unconditional security. Furthermore, based on the quantum SMD protocol, we design a quantum sealed-bid auction (QSA) scheme without an auctioneer. In the proposed QSA scheme, all bidders can jointly find the winning bidder without the help of an auctioneer while it can perfectly protect the privacy of nonwinning bidders. The proposed quantum SMD protocol and quantum QSA scheme take Bell states as quantum resources and only perform single-particle Pauli operators and two-particle Bell measurements. Finally, we simulate the related quantum protocols in Qiskit and verify the correctness and the feasibility of the proposed protocols.


Basal ganglia lesions showing an expansile high signal intensity on T2-weighted MRI are termed the lentiform fork sign. This specific finding is mainly observed in diabetic patients with uremic encephalopathy with metabolic acidosis, although there are also reports in patients with ketoacidosis, dialysis disequilibrium syndrome, intoxication, and following drug treatment (e.g., metformin). A 57-year-old Japanese man on chronic hemodialysis for 4 years because of diabetic nephropathy was admitted to our hospital for relatively rapid-onset gait disturbance, severe dysarthria, and consciousness disturbance. Brain T2-weighted MRI showed the lentiform fork sign. Hemodialysis was performed the day before admission, and laboratory tests showed mild metabolic (lactic) acidosis, but no uremia. Surprisingly, metformin, which is contraindicated for patients with end-stage kidney disease, had been prescribed for 6 months in his medication record, and his sluggish speaking and dysarthria appeared gradually after metformin treatment was started. Thus, the encephalopathy was considered to be related to metformin treatment. He received hemodialysis treatment for 6 consecutive days, and his consciousness disturbance and dysarthria improved in 1 week. At the 8-month follow-up, the size of the hyperintensity area on MRI had decreased, while the mild gait disturbance remained. Considering the rapid onset of gait and consciousness disturbance immediately before admission, diabetic uremic syndrome may also have occurred with metformin-related encephalopathy, and resulted in the lentiform fork sign, despite the patient showing no evidence of severe uremia on laboratory data.


The algorithm presented in this paper is designed to detect people in real-time from 3D footage for use in Augmented Reality applications. Techniques are discussed that hold potential for a detection system when combined with stereoscopic video capture using the extra depth included in the footage. This information allows for the production of a robust and reliable system. To utilise stereoscopic imagery, two separate images are analysed, combined and the human region detected and extracted. The greatest benefit of this system is the second image, which contains additional information to which conventional systems do not have access, such as the depth perception in the overlapping field of view from the cameras. We describe the motivation behind using 3D footage and the technical complexity of human detection. The system is analysed for both indoor and outdoor usage, when detecting human regions. The developed system has further uses in the field of motion capture, computer gaming and augmented reality. Novelty comes from the camera not being fixed to a single point. Instead, the camera is subject to six degrees of freedom (DOF). In addition, the algorithm is designed to be used as a first filter to extract feature points in input video frames faster than real-time.


Using qualitative and quantitative analyses of planktonic foraminifera assemblages, δ18O measurements, Mg/Ca–temperature relationship (Globigerinoides ruber pink sensu stricto) data and sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) derived from artificial neural network (ANN) transfer functions, a reconstruction was made of upper water mass variability in the Anegada–Jungfern Passage (AJP), northeastern Caribbean Sea, over the last c. 11,100 years. Our record is based on the study of two marine sediment cores and reveals three main circulation stages during the Holocene. In the early-Holocene (11,100–6300 cal. yr BP), ANN-based SST estimations indicate moderately cooler than present winter condition in the NE Caribbean with SSTs of ~25.5°C. These conditions presumably reflect advection of well-mixed upper water masses from the Guyana upwelling area associated with a strong Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and enhanced trade wind activity, linked to a more northerly location of the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Between 6300 and 3700 cal. yr BP, a relative warming of winter SSTs (~26.5°C) was probably related to a weaker circulation and upper water mass mixing because of less intense trade wind activity, as the ITCZ moved southwards. From 3700 cal. yr BP to the present, the region was characterised by small seasonal SST variations and generally stable winter and summer SSTs. The data suggest a minor shift in the (sub)surface inflow pattern during the last 2000 years, possibly related to changes in Northern Hemisphere large-scale atmospheric circulation also observed at higher latitude. The ANN-based temperature pattern is supported by fluctuations in the Mg/Ca-derived temperature record, although temperature maxima derived from the Mg/Ca ratio appear anomalously high. On a Holocene timescale, we conclude that the northeastern Caribbean SST and circulation regime have been mainly dependent on the position of the ITCZ, which, in turn, is controlled by changes in hemispheric solar insolation.


By three-point bending experiments on XY-plane of thin-walled super alloy honeycomb sandwich with different types and dimensions of penetrable defects, their failure modes and influence of defects of different types and dimensions on their mechanical properties are researched by observing failure modes and performance curves of test samples. Researches show that when failure occurs on sandwich structures under three-point loading, vertical to XY-plane, buckling depression occurs on center part of the upper plate along with fracture failure occurring on center part of the lower plate. Similar to three-point experiment on conventional structures, failure always occurs in the longitudinal regions near middle loading area. When lateral walls of honeycomb or strengthen points of welding are set at center loading area, fracture failure occurs on the lower plate, or only buckling deformation occurs on honeycomb cores. And by comparison, FE model can be used to evaluate its mechanical performance of thin-walled super alloy honeycomb sandwich with penetrable defects under three-point bending load. It is the experimental basis for improving the structural reliability and damage tolerance of the structure.


Context: Academic researchers publish their results of new and advanced scientific knowledge (often in close collaboration with industry) in academic journals and conferences. However, it is not know to what extent this information reaches the practitioners. So far this has not been investigated. This information will help researchers in the dissemination process of their research findings. Objectives: In this study we investigate which types of knowledge dissemination forums exist in software engineering, how frequent and aware they are to software practitioners and how useful they find it in improving their professional activities. Methods: We conducted a survey of software practitioners posted on LinkedIn, Yahoo, Facebook, Google+, Meetup and Google groups. The survey contained demographics information, seven types of forums for obtaining scientific knowledge and how important respondents felt these forums improve their professional activities. Results: The results of the survey indicate that Book Publishers, Blogs, Video Tutorial and Social Media are considerable forums of sharing new and advance scientific knowledge for software practitioners. Whilst, IT magazines, scientific journals and meetings are suggested to be less considered forums in gaining new and advanced scientific knowledge. Conclusions: We conclude that academic researchers could improve the exposure of their research findings by presenting their results not only in journals and meetings. But also in new forums where they can represent results in the form of videos, blogs or social media. This exposes their research findings to a larger audience of software practitioners.