PurposeEmail communication is indispensable for US state agencies to respond to citizen requests and engage with constituents, contributing to building trust in local governments. While prior studies examine the responsiveness of elected officials, the quality of virtual interactions between government organizations and citizens is often overlooked. This study aims to investigate how US government agencies capitalize on the potential of online interactions with constituents to manage generic queries and introduce the response engagement index (REI) consisting of response time, reactive transparency and message interactivity to evaluate levels of communicative engagement.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a field experiment encompassing emailing a request to 547 state agencies based in the five largest states and one small state. A total of 377 organizational responses were manually analyzed to reveal the usages of six communicative engagement strategies.FindingsThe results show the potential of online communication is underutilized as the average score of response engagement remains low. Human responses are less engaging than auto-reply messages and require a one-day waiting period, if not longer. Response types and gender of government communicators significantly differ in response time and engagement strategies. The findings identify divergent patterns of response engagement and provide practical implications for facilitating citizen engagement.Research limitations/implicationsThis research fills a critical gap by investigating the quality of online interactions between US government agencies and citizens. The authors develop a theory-grounded tool of response engagement to identify three features: response speed, reactive transparency and interactivity. The findings can improve the quality of email communication in state agencies, enhancing governance quality. The REI proposed here addresses what Pfau (2008) deemed problematic for communication scholarship: research is sparse on "functional issues" that examine the communication process. Pfau argued for research that provides knowledge of interest across disciplines so as to "cross-fertilize" ideas between political communication and public relations; this study sought to bridge that gap with a theoretical and practical tool for building public trust in governments.Practical implicationsTo support the evaluation of transparent and responsive governments, reliable and valid measurements are needed. The proposed REI provides practitioners with a theory-grounded tool to identify areas of engagement quality in government responses. The findings can be used to improve the quality of email communication in state agencies, enhancing governance quality.Social implicationsCitizens seek reciprocal dialogue through prompt, open and interactive communication. US state agencies should leverage the engagement features for increasing citizen trust – response time, reactive transparency and interactivity – when responding to public inquiries. Ultimately, trust in government agencies' interests in serving stakeholders cannot be strengthened without prompt and engaging responses to meet the public's needs.Originality/valueThis field experiment was one of the first to focus on US state agencies' responses to information requests. It introduces a new REI to assess communicative engagement in a government/citizen exchange.


Abstract. Following several years of incremental technological developments in airborne laser scanning, the field is currently witnessing potentially revolutionary change through the introduction of new technologies, namely Single Photon (SP) and Geiger-Mode (GM) lidar. These new sensors potentially provide more efficient approaches to perform high-resolution 3D mapping, but seemingly to the detriment of accuracy and noise. Despite concerns, the technology is perceived to offer higher efficiency with respect to conventional airborne laser scanning and additional 3D mapping capability in terms of swath width, spatial resolution, acquisition time and density of range returns. These developments have led to some European National Mapping and Cadastral Agencies (NMCAs) to consider a potential change in their production pipelines, while some mapping companies are contemplating upgrading their existing airborne sensor systems. However, few open datasets and experiences are available to inform such decisions, and the community is keen to learn more about the technology and its deployment for 3D territorial mapping. These facts and considerations motivated EuroSDR Commission 1 to launch a new initiative in 2018 to better understand, explore and report to its NMCA membership the developments in SP and GM technologies. This paper describes the activities that have thus far been conducted as part of this EuroSDR initiative, comprising: a global on-line questionnaire into awareness of the technology; a preliminary investigation into a Leica SPL100 dataset of Easton, USA; and a community workshop at which a proposal to run an international benchmarking exercise was discussed.


Brucellosis is a worldwide zoonosis that affects livestock and humans and is caused by closely related Brucella spp., which are adapted to intracellular life within cells of a large variety of mammals. Brucella can be considered a furtive pathogen that infects professional and non-professional phagocytes. In these cells Brucella survives in a replicative niche, which is characterized for having a very low oxygen tension and being deprived from nutrients such as amino acids and vitamins. Among these vitamins, we have focused on riboflavin (vitamin B2). Flavin metabolism has been barely implicated in bacterial virulence. We have recently described that Brucella and other Rhizobiales bear an atypical riboflavin metabolic pathway. In the present work we analyze the role of the flavin metabolism on Brucella virulence. Mutants on the two lumazine synthases (LS) isoenzymes RibH1 and RibH2 and a double RibH mutant were generated. These mutants and different complemented strains were tested for viability and virulence in cells and in mice. In this fashion we have established that at least one LS must be present for B. abortus survival and that RibH2 and not RibH1 is essential for intracellular survival due to its LS activity in vivo. In summary, we show that riboflavin biosynthesis is essential for Brucella survival inside cells or in mice. These results highlight the potential use of flavin biosynthetic pathway enzymes as targets for the chemotherapy of brucellosis.


ABSTRACT One of the most important breeding colonies for gadfly petrels in the sub-tropics, Henderson Island in the South Pacific Ocean, was subjected to a rat eradication attempt in 2011, but the eradication failed. Here we examine whether the current population status of the endemic Henderson Petrel Pterodroma atrata is consistent with an ongoing population decline. We collected basic biological information on Henderson Petrels in 2015 to compare estimates of breeding population size and nest survival to data from 1991. We found that the extrapolated population size of 19 987 pairs was marginally higher than the comparable estimate of 18 668 in 1991. We also estimated the nest survival of 25 nests to be 28.5%, and most nest failures occurred within 7 days of hatching when chicks were killed by rats (n = 3) or a crab (n = 1). Breeding success was higher than in 1991, and possibly sufficient for a stable population. Although differences in survey effort render it difficult to directly compare estimates from 1991 and 2015, there is currently no evidence that the conservation status of the Henderson Petrel has deteriorated since it was listed as 'Endangered' by the IUCN.


A system for mobile users' position and heading estimation in IEEE 802.11 WLAN (WiFi) using received signal strength (RSS) approach is introduced. The basic contribution the system introduces is that it doesn't need offline training or extra special hardware. It makes use of the fact that only few online RSS measurements from visible access points (AP) around the user is needed to build local propagation model at run-time. Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) is used as a non-parametric modeling that handles non-equally spaced sparse data. Due to the few learning data points, Gaussian kernels calibration and prediction happen in a single step. This enables the system to autonomously adapt to environment changes. The estimated ranges from multiple access points (AP) are used to determine position using weighted least squares. Then, the rate of change of signal strength from multiple APs is used by a novel algorithm to estimate heading. Experiments show reliable meter-level positioning accuracy and heading estimation accuracy of 16.5 degrees.


Probably the most common lower limb injury in amateur and professional athletics is strain of the hamstring muscles. Its frequent mismanagement stems from the inability of the athlete and his medical advisors to assess accurately the severity of the damage, coupled with the often premature return to competition which can result in a demoralising repeat muscle tear.


Lepidium sativum L. (family Brassicaceae), is underutilized medicinal plant with worldwide distribution. In Ethiopia, L. sativum occurs in all regions and agro-ecologies at different altitudinal ranges. The study was conducted to assess the genetic diversity of L. sativum populations from Ethiopia using molecular marker and agronomic traits. Molecular data generated from inter simple sequence repeat bands recorded was used for computing gene diversity, percent polymorphism, Shannon diversity index and analysis of molecular variance. Moreover, the inter simple sequence repeat data was used to construct unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean, neighbor joining trees and principal co-ordinate plot using Jaccard's coefficient. Tigray and Amhara L. sativum populations showed higher gene diversity (0.24) and Shannon information index (0.35). Both unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean and principal co-ordinate analysis showed very weak grouping among individuals collected from the same regions. Generally, Tigray and Amhara regions showed moderate to high diversity in inter simple sequence repeat analysis. Different geographical regions of Ethiopia, showed different levels of variation; thus, conservation priority should be given to those regions that have genetic diversity. This result also indicates the presence of genetic diversity that can be exploited to improve the productivity of L. sativum in Ethiopia.

 Key words: Genetic diversity, inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR), Lepidium sativum, morphology.


Electrical Engineers today are facing numerous problems related to design of safe and reliable electrical power distribution systems. In order to design a reliable power distribution system, it is imperative that the engineer takes into consideration all the factors that pertain to the safety aspects of the power distribution system. Ideally, a reliable power distribution system is one that is least prone to electrical hazards, and delivers electrical power at its highest quality and minimal losses. This paper deals with the design and modelling of a power management system that distributes electrical power with maximum power quality and safety and minimal losses during distribution.


Eleven patients with angiographically and/or pathologically verified cerebral sinovenous occlusions not directly caused by trauma were studied by computed cranial tomography (CCT). Static radionuclide brain scans and dynamic radionuclide flow studies were also obtained in four patients; in two, findings diagnostic of lateral sinus thrombosis were noted. These comprised a "negative on dynamic, hot on static" image, as well as a "hot on static with nonfilling on angiography." Computed cranial tomography findings included visualization of the thrombosed vein ("cord sign") or sinus ("empty triangle" or "delta sign"), multiple focal bilateral parasagittal hemorrhages, intense tentorial enhancement, gyral enhancement indistinguishable from infarct, solitary intracerebral hematoma, small ventricles, and normal scan. Excluding the patients with underlying meningioma, all three of whom survived, seven of the remaining eight patients expired during the acute phase of their illness, an 88% mortality. This group includes one patient who had normal CCT findings, albeit without contrast enhancement, who was diagnosed as pseudotumor cerebri. The need for full neuroradiological evaluation, including angiography, is thus stressed if this highly fatal yet treatable condition is not to remain undiagnosed.


IMPORTANCE
The introduction of biological tumor necrosis factor inhibitors has improved the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but at a substantial cost. These drugs have been shown to lead to superior radiological outcomes compared with a combination of conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs over 2 years.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether radiological superiority translates into better work loss outcomes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Multicenter, 2-arm, parallel, randomized, active-controlled, open-label trial. Patients with early RA (symptom duration <1 year) were recruited from 15 rheumatology clinics in Sweden from October 1, 2002, through December 31, 2005. The study population was restricted to working-age patients (aged <63 years).

INTERVENTIONS
Patients who did not achieve low disease activity after 3 to 4 months of methotrexate therapy were randomized to receive additional biological treatment with infliximab or conventional combination treatment with sulfasalazine plus hydroxychloroquine.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Monthly sick leave and disability pension days 21 months after randomization retrieved from the nationwide Swedish Social Insurance Office register. Main analyses were by intention to treat, including all patients, and adjusted for baseline sick leave and disability pension.

RESULTS
Of 204 eligible patients, 105 were randomized to biological and 99 to conventional treatment. Seven patients in the biological and 4 in the conventional treatment group never received the study drug, and 72 and 52 patients, respectively, followed the study per protocol for 21 months. The baseline mean (SD) work loss was 17 (13) d/mo (median, 16 d/mo) in both groups (mean difference, 0.6 d/mo; 95% CI, -3.0 to 3.9). The mean changes in work loss at 21 months were -4.9 d/mo in the biological and -6.2 d/mo in the conventional treatment group (adjusted mean difference, 1.6 d/mo; 95% CI, -1.2 to 4.4). Including only patients receiving at least 1 dose of assigned treatment, the adjusted mean difference was 1.5 d/mo (95% CI, -1.5 to 4.4), and in per-protocol analysis the adjusted mean difference was 0.3 d/mo (95% CI, -2.8 to 3.8).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
The radiological superiority of biological compared with conventional combination therapy did not translate into better work loss outcomes in patients with early RA who had experienced an insufficient response to methotrexate.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00764725.


There has been positive expansion of research on women's leisure constraints in various disciplines but none was on Malaysian women's sport tourism participation. Furthermore leisure constraints experienced by Malaysian women differed significantly from those experienced by the general population as they have to adhere to cultural tradition to a greater extent than others. Therefore, this study explored the leisure constraints and negotiation strategies among Malaysian women's participation in sport tourism events. Besides that it assists in understanding the evolution of leisure in general as research of different cultural backgrounds would greatly enhance the leisure
constraints literature. A self-administered questionnaire adapted from Crawford et al.'s hierarchical model of leisure constraints (1991), Chick and Dong's (2003) leisure
constraints across culture scale, and Hubbard and Mannell (2001) negotiation strategies scale was developed for this study. Multistage cluster random sampling with proportion
design was used to draw samples and data collected from 636 respondents were analyzed using SPSS-PC. The results reveal that Malaysian women perceived a combination of interpersonal constraints, structural constraints, intrapersonal constraints, and cultural constraints with interpersonal constraints most highly perceived in sport tourism participation. The identification of cultural factor reading "I am obliged to visit my parents/grandparents when I have holidays" as the leisure constraint most highly perceived by Malaysian women clearly indicates that cultural constraints component plays important role in deciding the levels of sport tourism participation among Malaysian women. Analysis revealed that age, ethnic, marital status, occupation, and monthly family income factors do partially influenced Malaysian women's perception of leisure constraints in sport tourism participation. A combination of interpersonal coordination, skill acquisition, financial resources, and time management strategies place some Malaysian women in a better position to negotiate leisure constraints in sport tourism with majority adopting interpersonal coordination factors. Age, ethnic, marital status, occupation, and monthly family income factors do partially affect the adoption of
negotiation strategies components in sport tourism participation. Significant relationship existed between negotiation strategies and the overall leisure constraints of Malaysian women participating in sport tourism controlling for age, ethnic, marital status, occupation and monthly family income groups. It could be assumed that age, ethnic, marital status, occupation and monthly family income groups did not affect the relationships between Malaysian women's adoption of negotiation strategies with the overall leisure constraints perceived in sport tourism participations.


This paper explores the use of interactive communication and dialogic relationship building strategies on political campaign Web sites. In contrast to presidential races that often feature substantially more sophisticated campaign Web sites, congressional candidates' ability and willingness to use the Web as an electioneering tool has varied greatly. The present research sought to address two broad research questions: 1 how candidates from the same electoral districts used their Web sites during the 2006 and 2010 congressional elections; and 2 to what extent could several candidate and district level variables explain the differences in Web utilization. A typology was proposed to examine the first question, while content analysis was performed to collect empirical data that addressed the second question. Results indicate that while the use of interactive Web strategies may be concentrated among candidates with certain characteristics in 2006, the adoption of social media in political campaigns has trickled down from the presidential level, and that interactive tools have become a norm in the 2010 congressional election, with virtually no observable differences emerging among candidates. Theoretical and practical implication for online political public relations is discussed.


Super-Kamiokande is the world-largest water Cherenkov detector, running for neutrino observations and proton decay search over 20 years. Because of its high statistics due to the large fiducial volume of 22.5 kt, lower cosmic-ray background environment in a mine at 1000m underground and well-calibrated detector itself, Super-K has been making the world-leading results of the Boron-8 solar neutrino measurement. We measure these solar neutrino events via neutrinoelectron scattering, with the sensitivity to the neutrino event direction. Recently, our constant efforts to improve the detector enabled to lower the analysis energy threshold down to 3.5 MeV in recoil electron kinetic energy. It contributes to the search for the solar spectrum distortion and the flux measurement. In this presentation, we will show the recent status and results of 8B solar neutrino measurement at Super-K IV over 2600 days. Then we will discuss about the measurements of solar mixing angle, the neutrino mass squared difference, day-night asymmetry of the flux and the solar spectrum distortions, referring whole SK-I to SK-IV data sets.


Objective(s): To (1) find out the association between palliative care for children with malignancies and mothers' level of education, and (2) investigate the differences in the quality of palliative care among mothers' level of education groups.
Methodology: descriptive predictive correlational design is carried out to find The Difference Between palliative care for Children with Malignancies and mothers' level of education. This study was conducted in each of Pediatric Welfare Teaching Hospital – Medical City Complex and Child's Central Teaching Hospital – Al-Karkh Health Directorate, Baghdad City. Data were collected through structured interview with the study participants for the period from December 2nd, 2022 to January 31st, 2023.  A non-probability (convenience) used to select sample of 165 mothers of children with malignancies.
Results: The study results display that the palliative care is good from the perspectives of most of mothers (n = 114; 76.0%), followed by those who perceive it as fair (n = 31; 20.7%), and those who perceive it as poor (n = 5; 3.3%).The study results reveal that there is a statistically significant difference in the Psychosocial and spiritual dimensions among mothers' level of education groups (p-value = .016).
Conclusion: Mothers who hold a bachelor's degree perceive the psychosocial and spiritual dimensions as the lowest compared to mothers of other levels of education.
Recommendations: There is a need for the pediatric nurses to devote special attention to mothers of children with malignancies whose level of education is low with the goal of raise their awareness of the palliative care their children are receiving.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the nature of disparities in hypertension awareness, treatment, and control within a sample of Whites and African Americans living in the same social context and with access to the same health care environment.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional study

SETTING
Southwest Baltimore, Maryland

PARTICIPANTS
949 hypertensive African American and White adults in the Exploring Health Disparities in Integrated Communities-Southwest Baltimore (EHDIC-SWB) Study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Hypertensive participants who reported having been diagnosed by a doctor were considered to be aware of their hypertension. Among hypertensive adults aware of their condition, those who reported taking antihypertensive medications were classified as being in treatment. Among the treated hypertensive adults who had diabetes, those with systolic BP < 130 mm Hg and diastolic BP < 80 mm Hg were considered to be controlled. Among the treated hypertensive participants who did not have diabetes, those with systolic BP < 140 mmHg and diastolic BP < 90 mm Hg were also considered to be controlled.

RESULTS
After adjusting for age, sex, marital status, education, income, health insurance, weight status, smoking status, drinking status, physical activity, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes, African Americans had greater odds of being aware of their hypertension than Whites (odds ratio = 1.44; 95% confidence interval 1.04, 2.01). However, African Americans and Whites had similar odds of being treated for hypertension, and having their hypertension under control.

CONCLUSION
Within this racially integrated sample of hypertensive adults who share similar health care markets, race differences in treatment and control of hypertension were eliminated. Accounting for the social context should be considered in public health interventions to increase hypertension awareness and management.


AIMS
To test iron-containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as bifunctional nanomaterials for imaging and thermal ablation of tumors.

MATERIALS & METHODS
MWCNTs entrapping iron were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition. The T2-weighted contrast enhancement properties of MWCNTs containing increasing amounts of iron were determined in vitro. Suspensions of these particles were injected into tumor-bearing mice and tracked longitudinally over 7 days by MRI. Heat-generating abilities of these nanomaterials following exposure to near infrared (NIR) laser irradiation was determined in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS
The magnetic resonance contrast properties of carbon nanotubes were directly related to their iron content. Iron-containing nanotubes were functional T2-weighted contrast agents in vitro and could be imaged in vivo long-term following injection. Iron content of nanotubes did not affect their ability to generate thermoablative temperatures following exposure to NIR and significant tumor regression was observed in mice treated with MWCNTs and NIR laser irradiation.

CONCLUSION
These data demonstrate that iron-containing MWCNTs are functional T2-weighted contrast agents and efficient mediators of tumor-specific thermal ablation in vivo.


The yield of infarcted hemispheres following unilateral carotid ligation in gerbils under ketamine anesthesia substantially exceeded that occurring under pentobarbital anesthesia. In addition to increasing the gerbil stroke model's efficiency, ketamine provided a shorter recovery period, thus allowing earlier observation of clinical signs of brain injury. These results support the contention that anesthetic agents may modify the response of central neuronal tissues to acute ischemia.


I SHALL explore here one facet of the therapeutic relationship and its implications for psychotherapy research: the degree to which the therapist responds appropriately and adequately to the patient's valid, realistic need for intervention. Theoretical Considerations A significant component of the patient's total needs, as manifested in therapy, may be assumed to be exaggerated and infantile. Nevertheless, his needs for clarification, timely interpretation, and empathetic understanding are legitimate. To the degree that these are inadequately met, a disappointed or angry reaction on the part of the patient rests on realistic grounds and should not be dismissed as negative transference. Cohen and Cohen 1 found a high percentage of negative responses to the therapist's questions (60%) and comments (67%). Patients' important communications frequently remained unacknowledged and legitimate questions unanswered. One patient had already, by the ninth hour, begun to dislike herself. The authors allude to the valid need for information, clarification,


The onset of >1000 years of Younger Dryas cooling, broad-scale extinctions, and the disappearance of the Clovis culture in North America simultaneously occurred 12,900 years ago followed immediately by the appearance of a carbon-rich black layer at many locations. In situ bones of extinct megafauna and Clovis tools occur only beneath this black layer and not within or above it. At the base of the black mat at 9 Clovis-age sites in North America and a site in Belgium numerous extraterrestrial impact markers were found including magnetic grains highly enriched in iridium, magnetic microspherules, vesicular carbon spherules enriched in cubic, hexagonal, and ntype nanodiamonds, glass-like carbon containing Fullerenes and nanodiamonds, charcoal, soot, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The same impact markers were found mixed throughout the sediments of 15 Carolina Bays, elliptical depressions along the Atlantic coast, whose parallel major axes point towards either the Great Lakes or Hudson Bay. The magnetic grains and spherules have an unusual Fe/Ti composition similar to lunar Procellarum KREEP Terrane and the organic constituents are enriched in 14C leading to radiocarbon dates often well into the future. These characteristics are inconsistent with known meteorites and suggest that the impact was by a previous unobserved, possibly extrasolar body. The concentration of impact markers peaks near the Great Lakes and their unusually high water content suggests that a 4.6 kmwide comet fragmented and exploded over the Laurentide Ice Sheet creating numerous craters that now persist at the bottom of the Great Lakes. The coincidence of this impact, the onset of Younger Dryas cooling, extinction of the megafauna, and the appearance of a black mat strongly


A case of nephrotic syndrome associated with hereditary spherocytosis in a 22 month old girl is reported. In an attempt to explain the relationships between these two entities and alteration of lipidic metabolism, red cells count and serum cholesterol during relapses of nephrotic syndrome were compared. Until now only two cases involving this association have been published.


The novel coronavirus disease was discovered first in Wuhan, China in December, 2019. It was later declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 11th of March, 2020. COVID-19, as popularly called, has spread rapidly to about 213 countries of the world and 2 international conveyances. There are over 5.8 million confirmed cases of coronavirus infection as at May 28th, 2020 and more than 358 thousand death cases reported globally. This staggering statistics has called for drastic and concerted efforts from governments and health workers around the globe to combat COVID-19 pandemic. With the increasing need for effective prevention of spread of the virus and development of a cure and a vaccine for COVID-19 as soon as possible, mobile health technology with all its benefits may just be the answer.

Mobile Health technology has been a vital tool in creation of awareness and dissemination of information; as a means of curtailing the spread of the coronavirus from person to person; tracking of infected persons, and reduction of person-to-person contact, virtual screening and remote monitoring of patients. Despite the aforementioned uses, the challenge of cost, information privacy and less knowledge of the application of mhealth remains. It is therefore recommended that the potential of low-cost mobile technology be maximized; laws and regulation as regard privacy and confidentiality be set and funds be made available by the government.


Much work has been done with students in colleges of agriculture across the country to assess learning styles. Although this work has been an important point of departure for further research, very little research has been conducted outside of describing various populations of students. This study attempted to examine the presence or absence of relationships between student learning styles and student critical thinking dispositions. Preparing students to think critically is a goal of many professionals in higher education. Critical thinking is also a quality sought by employers of college graduates. If relationships exist between a student's learning style and the disposition to think critically, college faculty may be able to facilitate the development of critical thinking skills in students by utilizing this information. Although the researchers identified significant differences in critical thinking disposition between males and females, there were no significant differences between field independent and field dependent learners. Many of the students in the sample studied had a low disposition for critical thinking (30.5%) while 1.7% of the students studied possessed a high disposition toward critical thinking.


Multiple regression analysis (MRA) has proven to be a useful tool to predict selling prices in a mass appraisal context. The significance of determinative value elements – identified by more conventional methods such as sale verification or pairings – can objectively be confirmed or rejected by the practicing appraiser employing MRA. This is demonstrated with the analysis of a small set of sales of rural lots in southeast Alaska. This article aims to:  Demonstrate the strength of MRA to explain rather than to predict selling price or value of real estate in dynamic markets;  Encourage an increased use of regression techniques properly applied by those who are familiar with MRA but do not routinely use statistical methods; and  Show the usefulness of MRA in supporting area market trends, in the selection of comparable sales and in the application of qualitative adjustments for difficult-toquantify property attributes in specific appraisal assignments.


The main goal of this specific study is to reveal the benefits from the use of the ANN in geotechnical engineering by focusing on the elaboration of data coming from real field measurements concerning ground movements due to tunnelling. Moreover, the Back Propagation algorithm is used so as to reveal the hierarchy of each of the parameters mainly affecting the total amount of the induced settlements due to tunnelling. The short review of our experience in applying ANN's in Geotechnical Engineering is succeeded by the main accomplishments of this study. The provided information, originally published by Attewell, concerns tunnel size and depth, maximum settlement, settlement trough width, volume and slope, ground description, geological properties and excavation method.


Upon Ag exposure, most memory T cells undergo restimulation-induced cell death. In this article, we describe a novel synthetic agonist, an N-terminal extended decamer peptide expressed as a single-chain trimer, the amino-terminal extended peptide MHC class I single-chain trimer (AT-SCT), which preferentially promotes the growth of memory human CD8 + T cells with minimal restimulation-induced cell death. Using CMV pp65 and melanoma gp100 Ags, we observe the in vitro numerical expansion of a clonally diverse polyfunctional population of Ag-specific CD8 + T cells from healthy individuals and vaccinated melanoma patients, respectively. Memory CD8 + T cells stimulated with AT-SCT presented on MHC class I/II-null cells show reduced cytokine production, slower kinetics of TCR downregulation, and decreased cell death compared with native nonamer MHC class I single-chain trimer (SCT)-activated T cells. However, both ERK phosphorylation and cell cycle kinetics are identical in AT-SCT– and SCT-activated T cells. Probing of SCT and AT-SCT peptide–MHC complexes using fluorochrome-conjugated TCR multimers suggests that nonamer- and decamer-linked peptides may be anchored differently to the HLA-A2 peptide-binding groove. Our findings demonstrate that modified peptide–MHC structures, such as AT-SCT, can be engineered as T cell agonists to promote the growth and expansion of memory human CD8 + T cells. The Journal of Immunology , 2012, 188: 000–000. of T cell activation is largely dictated by interaction TCR with peptide–MHC (p-MHC)


Abstract We present a synthesis of the tectonic and thermochronological evolution of the Eastern Tibet since the Triassic. The long-term cooling histories obtained on magmatic and metamorphic rocks of the South Songpan-Garzê, Kunlun and Yidun blocks are similar showing a very slow and regular cooling during Late Jurassic and Cretaceous, confirming the suspected lack of major tectonic events between c. 150 and 30 Ma. The exhumation linked to the Tertiary growth of the Tibetan Plateau initiated around 30 Ma and concentrates at the vicinity of the major tectonic structures. Exhumation rates increased again from about 7 Ma in the Longmen Shan. To interpret this very slow cooling rate between Late Jurassic and Early Cenozoic from granites of this area, we use a simple 1D thermal model that takes into account the thermal properties of both sediments and crust. The results suggest that: (1) high temperature (500 °C) can be kept over a long period of time; (2) during Cretaceous, cooling is mostly controlled by the thermal properties of sediments of continental origin; and (3) the initial Late Triassic rapid cooling rate was caused by the large thermal contrast between the granite body and the sedimentary rocks rather than by a high exhumation rate.


This paper is a review of computational strategies for Bayesian shrinkage and variable selection in the linear model. Our focus is less on traditional MCMC methods, which are covered in depth by earlier review papers. Instead, we focus more on recent innovations in stochastic search and adaptive MCMC, along with some comparatively new research on shrinkage priors. One of our conclusions is that true MCMC seems inferior to stochastic search if one's goal is to discover good models, but that stochastic search can result in biased estimates of variable inclusion probabilities. We also find reasons to question the accuracy of inclusion probabilities generated by traditional MCMC on high-dimensional, nonorthogonal problems, though the matter is far from settled. Some key words: adaptive MCMC; linear models; shrinkage priors; stochastic search; variable selection


Based on in vitro studies of insulin receptors in a variety of tissues, it was postulated that circulating insulin levels govern receptor number in vivo ahd that the insulin resistance characteristic of adult-onset diabetics is the consequence of reduced receptor numbers secondary to hyperinsulinemia. The quiescent T lymphocyte in vivo uniquely does not bear a receptor for insulin. The receptor appears after activation by a mitogen or antigen. Thus, free from the influence of endogenous insulin levels, this cell is an excellent model to study the intrinsic relations between diabetes and the insulin receptor. Specific binding to T cells activated by lectin in culture from 20 juvenile-onset diabetics (26 yr, 109 ± 5% fat) was 1.52 ± 0.08 × 10−21 mol/cell, no different from the 1.55 ± 0.08 in 20 normal subjects (20 yr, 100 ± 3% fat) or than in an aged non-obese group. In contrast, binding was reduced to 1.23 ± 0.05 × 10−21 mol/cell in 11 obese subjects (38 yr, 143 ± 5% fat) and even further to 1.0 ± 0.06 × 10−21 mol/cell in 21 adult-onset diabetics (53 yr, 160 ± 10% fat). The appearance of the insulin receptor on cultured stimulated T cells was analyzed by Scatchard plots, which demonstrated that receptor affinity was normal (Kd = 3−5 nM) but the receptor number was distinctly fewer (6131 ± 465 vs 2904 ± 172 sites/cell). In summary, these data show that (1) T lymphocyte insulin receptor characteristics are normal in juvenile-onset diabetics and in elderly nonobese subjects, (2) obesity itself reduces insulin receptor numbers, (3) insulin receptor binding in adult-onset diabetics is significantly less than in. obese controls and represents a defect in receptor number unrelated to in vivo insulin concentrations. We conclude that, in both obesity and adult-onset diabetes, a reduction in T cell insulin receptors is produced by a novel mechanism not attributable to classic ligand-receptor interactions.


The federation of the previously British and French Cameroons has, since 1961, tried to integrate a highly fragmented, bilingual society in which nearly every social cleavage found in Africa was present, including the complication of disparate colonial legacies.Professor Johnson describes the impact of these different colonial legacies on the traditional cultural patterns of Cameroon, attempting to explain the rise of the movement for political reunion among them. He considers the character of the federal union and the Cameroonian leaders' conception of federalism in the light of other experiences with federalism (e.g. the early United States). His conclusions involve the potential importance and limitations of federalism for the new Africa, the role and impact of political rebellion and violence, and the important conceptual distinctions that should be made between processes of political integration and nation-building.Originally published in 1970.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


Adipocyte-macrophage interaction in obesity can cause adipose tissue inflammation and contribute to insulin resistance. Here, we investigated the effect of SlimTrym®-a formulated product containing citrus polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), green tea extract, and lychee polyphenols-on 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation and obesity-induced inflammation. SlimTrym® inhibited mitotic clonal expansion (MCE) of 3T3-L1 adipocytes by inducing G1 cell cycle arrest via upregulation of p21 and p53. SlimTrym® attenuated adipogenic differentiation by downregulating adipogenic factors, such as CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), and upregulating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Pretreatment with compound C significantly reduced SlimTrym®-mediated suppression of lipid accumulation. SlimTrym® reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6, in co-cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW264.7 macrophages. C57BL/6 mice administered with SlimTrym® for 16 weeks showed markedly reduced high-fat diet (HFD)-induced infiltration of monocytes/macrophages in adipose tissue; however, the level of M2 macrophage markers (CD163 and IL-10) was increased. Taken together, these findings indicate that SlimTrym® exerts both anti-adipogenic and anti-inflammatory effects, and can potentially treat obesity and adipose tissue inflammation.


Underwater wireless sensor networks are a newly emerging wireless technology in which small size sensors with limited energy and limited memory and bandwidth are deployed in deep sea water and various monitoring operations like tactical surveillance, environmental monitoring, and data collection are performed through these tiny sensors. Underwater wireless sensor networks are used for the exploration of underwater resources, oceanographic data collection, flood or disaster prevention, tactical surveillance systems, and unmanned underwater vehicles. Sensor nodes consist of a small memory, a central processing unit, and an antenna. Underwater networks are much different from terrestrial sensor networks as radio waves cannot be used in underwater wireless sensor networks. Acoustic channels are used for communication in deep sea water. Acoustic signals have many limitations, such as limited bandwidth, higher end-to-end delay, network path loss, higher propagation delay, and dynamic topology. Usually, these limitations result in higher energy consumption with a smaller number of packets delivered. The main aim nowadays is to operate sensor nodes having a smaller battery for a longer time in the network. This survey has discussed the state-of-the-art localization based and localization-free routing protocols. Routing associated issues in the area of underwater wireless sensor networks have also been discussed.


This paper presents a paradigm for population-based studies using geodesic connectivity maps computed from DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging) data. Geodesic connectivity maps provide a measure of connectivity characterization between different regions of the brain using a tensor-based measure that combines anisotropy and orientation information. A connectivity map is constructed relative to a given region in a template space. Population based statistical analysis is then undertaken on these connectivity maps, pertaining to regions of interest. Group-wise changes in these connectivity maps therefore indicate potential disruptions of pathways connecting the ROI with the rest of the brain. This general paradigm for connectivity-based analysis is applied herein to a specific problem, namely the study of white matter maturation in a developing mouse brain, by performing voxel-wise linear regression on connectivity maps computed from several white matter regions. The study shows a significant effect of age whereas no effect of sex is observed.


In this paper, a new back propagation (BP) algorithm with adaptive momentum is proposed, where the momentum coefficient is adjusted iteratively based on the current descent direction and the weight increment in the last iteration. A convergence result of the algorithm is presented when it is used for training feed forward neural networks (FNNs) with a hidden layer. Simulation results have shown that this new algorithm has a distinct superiority in fast convergence and smoothing oscillation over the conventional BP method. Moreover, the range for the learning rate has been widened after the inclusion of such an adaptable momentum while maintaining the stability of networks.


ABSTRACT Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a commonly used high-resolution electromagnetic technique for subsurface imaging which has many applications such as landmine, cable and pipes detection. It is well known that the clutter presented in the GPR images deteriorates the image quality and decreases the performance of the target detection methods, especially for shallowly buried targets. To deal with this issue, we propose a new clutter removal method based on the low-rank approximation of the GPR image by non-negative matrix factorization (NMF). The proposed method is applied to real GPR images as well as to a realistic dataset provided by the new version of the electromagnetic software simulation tool gprMax. The visual and quantitative results obtained for different scenarios containing different soils, surfaces, burial depths and target types validate the effectiveness of the proposed method over the widely used state-of-the-art clutter removal methods.


While evidence supports the use of cadavers to facilitate the teaching and learning of human anatomy, cadaver-based teaching may not be present at the undergraduate level at many institutions due to limited laboratory access, financial constraints, and the lack of qualified faculty trained to teach in this type of setting.  The following case example outlines a unique program designed to provide cadaver-based instruction to undergraduate students, while simultaneously training undergraduate faculty to teach in this setting through peer observational methods. More specifically, the following teaching collaboration was designed with the intent to achieve the following: 1) expose undergraduate anatomy students to cadaver-based learning; 2) provide education and training to undergraduate faculty so they are better qualified to teach human anatomy in the context of a cadaver laboratory; 3) provide graduate physical therapy students additional opportunities to dissect and reinforce their anatomy knowledge; and 4) demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary collaboration.  Eighty-one undergraduate students were exposed to the cadaver laboratory for four educational sessions throughout the semester. Course evaluations revealed that 93% of the undergraduate students reported that their experiences in the cadaver laboratory served to enhance their learning, and 97% reported that the use of human cadavers should be continued in future courses. This interdisciplinary model allowed anatomy instruction to be expanded to previously unserved student groups as well as provided a mechanism for professional development of undergraduate anatomy faculty. This model may serve as a template to promote new program development to enhance faculty and student learning, while simultaneously encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration across the university.Keywords: interdisciplinary, peer observation, pedagogy, anatomy, cadaver


In this era we, human beings upon earth, revolve around religious war, be it open or covert, in which every sect claims to own God. These symptoms of ownership have found expression in the past three thousand years, with the creation of the three major religions.Is the phenomena of Monotheism new or archaic? And what is unique in "Druze" Monotheism in this context and in the context of their values and behavior? Is Monotheism embedded in human nature and is a part of us or is it a need for or a mechanism to cope with the metaphysical, unexplained natural forces? Thus, arose the choice to probe the phenomena throughout history and among cultures, and to seek context within population research and background.Kristach describes the fear of death as the first mother of all idols, upon which the pleading of people for salvation, compassion and prayer is based to keep disasters away (Tahtah, 2009). Is Monotheism a given feature exogenous to humans or an acquired one as part of an evolving process that accompanies humans?


In this study, Rhizomucor miehei lipase-coated alginate membrane was prepared and put in a biocatalytic membrane reactor to produce ethyl lactate from ethyl alcohol and lactic acid. Effects of the amount of coated lipase, reaction temperature and initial molar ratio on lactic acid conversion were investigated to evaluate the performance of the system. In order to compare the performance of the membrane reactor, the reaction was also carried out in a classical batch reactor by using lipase-immobilized membrane as a catalyst. The highest lactic acid conversion achieved was 0.63 in the membrane reactor at 50 °C, while the lactic acid conversion was 0.37 in the batch reactor under the same operating conditions. After six reaction runs, approximately 90 % of the lipase's catalytic activity was preserved in the membrane reactor.


The newborn was well and presented no problems in the postnatal period. On the 12th day of life neonatal ultrasound showed a cyst measuring 8.1 × 7 × 3.6 cm on the right side of the abdomen. At 122 days of life a laparotomy revealed a cyst of 8cm with a broad base attached to the left lobe of the liver. A partial excision with marsupilization of the cyst wall was performed. On histological examination, the capsule of the cyst was found to consist of fibrous tissue with no specific epithelium lining the cyst wall. Based on this case, we suggest that congenital cyst of the liver be considered in the differential diagnosis of large cystic masses in fetuses.


TiO2-B nanorods, with excellent properties including large specific surface area, open structures with significant voids, and continuous channels, were explored for the first time in the photoelectrochemical biosensing field. To reduce the destructive effect of UV light on biomolecules, dopamine was introduced onto the TiO2-B nanorod surface through the coordination of dopamine to the undercoordinated titanium atoms of the TiO2-B nanorods, which makes the complex a promising matrix for subsequent biosensing. Furthermore, concanavalin A as a recognition element was attached onto the TiO2-B nanorod/dopamine modified electrode surface by virtue of covalent interaction between concanavalin A and dopamine. Accordingly, a new competitive-like non-enzymatic photoelectrochemical biosensor was established by using glucose labeled SiO2 nanospheres of fixed concentration as photoelectrochemical signal inhibitors competing with target glucose of various concentrations for reaction with concanavalin A. Moreover, this ultrasensitive biosensor with excellent analytical performance was successful applied to noninvasive glucose determination in human saliva. Promisingly, the successful application of TiO2-B nanorods in this research provides a new consideration in the selection of excellent photoactive materials for photoelectrochemical sensing.


We study through extensive finite element analysis the lithium diffusion in small elements of Si anodes under the forms of spheres, rods, and circular disks for Li-ion batteries. Elastoplastic properties of the amorphous silicon are assumed to be lithium concentration-dependent. Effects of the normalized flux of Li-ions on the lithium concentrations, stresses, and total equivalent plastic strains are considered. Effects of the disk's thickness are also included. At a given normalized flux, the heterogeneity of the lithiation, stresses, and plastic deformation increases in the order: disk, sphere, and rod. The thinner disk the better performance is. Below a critical value of the normalized flux of Li-ions, silicon spheres and disks exhibit linear elasticity and homogeneous distribution of Li-ions, whereas silicon rods undergo always plastic deformation after lithiation. When the radii of these three structures are smaller than several micrometers and the normalized flux is taken as 95% of their critical value, the charge time falls in the range from minutes to several hours. Our findings will help to optimize the charge and geometrical parameters for silicon anodes.


Abstract. Social monogamy, the formation of stable male-female pairs, is uncommon among reptiles and is particularly rare among squamates, in which only a handful of cases has been reported. Only one case of persistent pair formation has ever been reported in anoles, for Anolis limifrons, at a single site in Costa Rica. Detailed studies of A. limifrons at other sites, however, have not shown evidence of pair formation. I revisited the site where pairing was originally reported to observe pair behavior in this species and to measure morphological traits of paired and unpaired animals. I confirmed that male-female pairs are commonly encountered in the wild, although a smaller proportion of the animals observed in this study were found in pairs than previously reported. I also found evidence for size-assortative pairing; larger males tended to be found with larger females and smaller males were found with smaller females. I did not find any differences in the morphology of paired and unpaired animals. Although social monogamy has not been widely reported in squamates, I suggest that more examples of this phenomenon will be described as the social behaviors of poorly known species are increasingly subject to study.


The cancer xenograft model in which human cancer cells are implanted in a mouse is one of the most used preclinical models to test the efficacy of novel cancer drugs. However, the model is imperfect; animal models are ethically burdened, and the imperfect efficacy predictions contribute to high clinical attrition of novel drugs. If microfluidic cancer-on-chip models could recapitulate key elements of the xenograft model, then these models could substitute the xenograft model and subsequently surpass the xenograft model by reducing variation, increasing sensitivity and scale, and adding human factors. Here, we exposed HCT116 colorectal cancer spheroids to dynamic, in vivo-like, concentrations of oxaliplatin, including a 5 day drug-free period, on-chip. Growth inhibition on-chip was comparable to existing xenograft studies. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry showed a similar response in proliferation and apoptosis markers. While small volume changes in xenografts are hard to detect, in the chip-system, we could observe a temporary growth delay. Lastly, histopathology and a pharmacodynamic model showed that the cancer spheroid-on-chip was representative of the proliferating outer part of a HCT116 xenograft, thereby capturing the major driver of the drug response of the xenograft. Hence, the cancer-on-chip model recapitulated the response of HCT116 xenografts to oxaliplatin and provided additional drug efficacy information.


Objectives. To determine the level of stigma related to HIV/AIDS and its association with adherence to antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study that included adult patients which were part of the HAART program during at least 6 months. Stigma was defined as the loss of value of the person infected with HIV according to Berger scale and treatment adherence as the correct consume of medications which were measured with the Simplified Medication Adherence Questionnaire. Poisson regression test was used to calculate the prevalence ratios (PR) of associated factors. Results. The results of 339 surveys were analyzed. 74% were male and the median age was 39 years (Interquartile Range [IQR]: 16). High stigma was found in 25,4% of respondents, moderate in 47,5%. A reduction of 10 points in the Berger scale was associated with an increase of 5% in adherence to HAART in men (adjusted PR [aPR]: 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91-0.99), and 7% in women (aPR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.87–0.98). Conclusions. There is a high level of stigma related to HIV/AIDS and is associated with the lack of adherence to HAART according to gender. We recommend interventions aimed at reducing stigma related to status disclosure in women and related to public attitudes in men.


In order to determine population dynamics of Anopheles sinensis, a survey based on average number of female mosquitoes per trap-night was carried out during the period of 5 years from 1987 to 1991. A. sinensis first appeared between the 2nd and 20th April, and were trapped in large number between the 5th and 12th July. The number of trapped mosquitoes began to decrease from mid-August, and a few were collected until mid-November, each year. The average number of A. sinensis in July was 542.6 per trap-night in 1987, but in 1989 increased abruptly to 1,331.4, and then decreased to considerably lower levels, 271.9 in 1990 and 372.1 in 1991. The nocturnal activity of A. sinensis to attack humans was found to become active in the early night, and it was gradually decreasing at mid-night, however, then slightly increasing toward dawn. The immature stage of A. sinensis in the rice paddies was first found in the correlation pattern with peak adult densities in early July. The highest larval density of A. sinensis in the study area was 21,226 x 10(3) in early July 1990. The larval A. sinensis showed high resistance level and resistance ratios against 3 kinds of organo-phosphorous compounds, diazinon, malathion, and fenitrothion, but low resistance against fenthion. The present results indicated that the population density of A. sinensis in Kyongbuk area is decreasing over the five-year from 1987 to 1991.


In innervated adult skeletal muscles, the Golgi apparatus (GA) displays a set of remarkable features in comparison with embryonic myotubes. We have previously shown by immunocytochemical techniques, that in adult innervated fibers, the GA is no longer associated with all the nuclei, but appears to be concentrated mostly in the subneural domain under the nerve endings in chick (Jasmin, B. J., J. Cartaud, M. Bornens, and J.- P. Changeux. 1989. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 86:7218-7222) and rat (Jasmin, B. J., C. Antony, J.-P. Changeux, and J. Cartaud. 1995. Eur. J. Neurosci. 7:470-479). In addition to such compartmentalization, biochemical modifications take place that suggest a functional specialization of the subsynaptic GA. Here, we focused on the developmental regulation of the membrane traffic organization during the early steps of synaptogenesis in mouse diaphragm muscle. We investigated by immunofluorescence microscopy on cryosections, the distribution of selected subcompartments of the exocytic pathway, and also of a representative endocytic subcompartment with respect to the junctional or extrajunctional domains of developing myofibers. We show that throughout development the RER, the intermediate compartment, and the prelysosomal compartment (mannose 6-phosphate receptor-rich compartment) are homogeneously distributed along the fibers, irrespective of the subneural or extrajunctional domains. In contrast, at embryonic day E17, thus 2-3 d after the onset of innervation, most GA markers become restricted to the subneural domain. Interestingly, some Golgi markers (e.g., alpha-mannosidase II, TGN 38, present in the embryonic myotubes) are no longer detected in the innervated fiber even in the subsynaptic GA. These data show that in innervated muscle fibers, the distal part of the biosynthetic pathway, i.e., the GA, is remodeled selectively shortly after the onset of innervation. As a consequence, in the innervated fiber, the GA exists both as an evenly distributed organelle with basic functions, and as a highly differentiated subsynaptic organelle ensuring maturation and targeting of synaptic proteins. Finally, in the adult, denervation of a hemidiaphragm causes a burst of reexpression of all Golgi markers in extrasynaptic domains of the fibers, hence showing that the particular organization of the secretory pathway is placed under nerve control.


Mary of Nazareth in 21st-century films Mary of Nazareth is for the Christians a particular figure: she is Mother of Jesus, mentioned in the New Testament. Since Jesus became protagonist of hundreds of films, also Mary has been present in numer-ous films: thus she can be found in cinematic adaptations of the Gospel, while she accompanies Jesus during his childhood, or his Passion, but usually she is not not the main character. Several publications interpret Mary in films e.g., by Catherin O'Brien or Reinhold Zwick. The paper analyzes images of Mary in three recent films: in The Passion of the Christ dir. Mel Gibson, 2004 there is a particular rapport between her and the suffering Son, in Let it be dir. Guido Chiesa, 2010 near feminist Mary becomes an independent woman, whose understanding is necessary to understand Jesus, in The Star dir. Timothy Reckart, 2017, an animation on the birth of Jesus, the pleasant figure of Mary lacks a serious psychological dimension.


Nano-sized hollow spheres self-assembled by ZnO nanocrystals have been prepared by microemulsion method with dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid sodium salt (DBS) as the modifying and protecting agent. The product was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high High-resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM) energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The results showed that the hollow sphere was composed of ZnO nanocrystals. And the PL spectrum showed a different emission at 438 nm. After heated the product, PL emission peak changed. A possible formation mechanism was also proposed.


Most memory test algorithms are optimized tests for a particular memory technology, and a particular set of fault models, under the assumption that the memory is bit-oriented; i.e., read and write operations affect only a single bit in the memory. Traditionally, word-oriented memories have been tested by repeated application of a test for bit-oriented memories whereby a different data background (which depends on the used intra-word fault model) is used during each iteration. This results in rime inefficiencies and limited fault coverage. A new approach for testing word-oriented memories is presented, distinguishing between inter-word and intra-word faults and allowing for a systematic way of converting tests for bit-oriented memories to rests for word-oriented memories. The conversion consists of concatenating the bit-oriented test for inter-word faults with a test for intra-word faults. This approach results in more efficient tests with complete coverage of the targeted faults. Because most memories have an external data path which is wider than one bit, word-oriented memory tests are very important.


Web Services are emerging technologies that enable application-to-application communication and reuse of autonomous services over the Web. Recent efforts, OWLS, model the semantics of Web Services that includes the capabilities of the service, the service interaction protocol, and the actual messages for service exchanges. However, there is a need to automate discovery, selection and execution of OWL-S services. Further, a framework that meets the quality of service (QoS) requirements for ad hoc Internet based services is rarely provided. In this paper, we have proposed a rule-based framework, called SetnWebQ, which manages workflows composed of Semantic Web Services. SemWebQ is capable of conducting QoS-based adaptive selection as well as dynamic binding and execution of Web Services according to the semantics of workflow, thereby rendering a resilient and adaptive Web based service flow. A series of experiments performed on the SemWebQ with real Web Services have confirmed the effectiveness of proposed framework with respect to adaptive selection and execution of the Web Services in Web based workflows.


A membrane bioreactor (MBR)-based wastewater treatment plant in Saudi Arabia was assessed over a nine-month period for virus removal efficiency. Viral diversity was detected using omics-based approaches. Log reduction values (LRV) of Adenoviruses (AdV) and Enteroviruses (EV) were enumerated using digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) and assessed for infectivity using fluorescence-based infection assays. MBR treatment was successful in reducing viral diversity. Plant viruses remained abundant in the treated effluent. Human enteric viruses were present in lower abundance than plant viruses, and were reduced by MBR at varying LRV. AdV copy numbers were reduced by 3.7-log. Infectious AdV was not detected in the effluent. EV copy numbers were reduced by 1.7-log post MBR and infectious EV decreased by an average of 2.0-log. Infectious EV was detected in the chlorinated effluent, occasionally in concentrations that approximate to its 50% infectious dose. Overall, results indicated that a MBR-based wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effectively reduces viral diversity, viral load, and infectious capacity by up to 4-logs. These findings suggest potential concerns associated with plant and human enteric viruses for reuse events in this country. Local guidelines for assessment of treated water quality should take into consideration both infectious viral concentration and LRV.


Many machine learning approaches for decision making, such as reinforcement learning, rely on simulators or predictive models to forecast the time-evolution of quantities of interest, e.g., the state of an agent or the reward of a policy. Forecasts of such complex phenomena are commonly described by highly nonlinear dynamical systems, making their use in optimization-based decision-making challenging. Koopman operator theory offers a beneficial paradigm for addressing this problem by characterizing forecasts via linear time-invariant (LTI) ODEs -- turning multi-step forecasting into sparse matrix multiplications. Though there exists a variety of learning approaches, they usually lack crucial learning-theoretic guarantees, making the behavior of the obtained models with increasing data and dimensionality unclear. We address the aforementioned by deriving a novel reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) over trajectories that solely spans transformations into LTI dynamical systems. The resulting Koopman Kernel Regression (KKR) framework enables the use of statistical learning tools from function approximation for novel convergence results and generalization error bounds under weaker assumptions than existing work. Our experiments demonstrate superior forecasting performance compared to Koopman operator and sequential data predictors in RKHS.


e-Learning steadily growing and the ongoing struggle to convince the skeptics of the potential of e-Learning and online virtual classrooms, quality design is the foundation for a successful distance learning program. The design of the instruction and the design of the user interface are critical elements in providing quality education with a virtual, e-Learning model. This White Paper will focus on the design of the e-Learning user interface (UI). This paper provides examples of user interface design from e-Learning prototype.


The health sector in Ghana has been undergoing fundamental,  broad-based and far reaching organisational reform. The principal  mechanism for change has been the re-organisation of the Ministry of  Health and the creation of a Ghana Health Service. Improved information  management is perceived as a key strategy to support the reform itself  and to underpin the successful provision of health care services in time to come. In the hospital setting, this brings into the spotlight the role of  medical records departments which exist to collect, process, maintain,  retrieve and distribute patient records. Records departments are charged  to provide efficient and effective service. But efficiency of service provision is dependent on factors such as physical and financial resources and more importantly the calibre of personnel providing the service. Though the  medical record services play an important role in health care delivery,  indications are that the records function suffers from lack of attention. One  of the key areas of neglect has been training and staff development. The study investigated the type and nature of training existing for medical records staff at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. The questionnaire and  interview were the main instruments for data collection. It emerged from the study that as far as training and staff development are concerned, the  medical record service has suffered from lack of attention for many years.  This neglect has far reaching implications for the quality of service required from the Ghana Health Service. The study has made a number of  recommendations for improvement.


Objective: Schizophrenia, a neuropsychiatric disorder, is known to be neurodevelopmentally progressive. Due to the extensive interindividual variability found in the responses of patients, management of schizophrenia has proven to be challenging. This interindividual variability to treatment could be justified by the variation of the enzymes in charge of metabolizing medications, especially those associated with cytochrome P450. Since genetic factors influence the phenotypic responses to drugs, researchers are involved in identifying schizophrenic genetic factors, which could impact responses and severe effects for commonly known neuroleptic drugs known as pharmacogenetics. In order to predict drug response at the personal level, genetic variants that determine drug effects need to be identified.Methods: We have chosen to investigate gene targets for risperidone and clozapine, two commonly administered drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia. The aim of this review is to contribute in the understanding of genetic influences on drug responses of risperidone and clozapine in schizophrenia. We reviewed original primary research articles, meta-analysis, and review publications on drug and gene interaction on the treatment of schizophrenia. Our main findings focused on schizophrenia, pharmacogenetics and cytochrome P450.Results and conclusion: After filtering our results to human species and English language, a total of 45 scientific articles were used for this review. A promising direction for future research in schizophrenia treatment lies behind the identification of the specific genetic contributors that affect drug response.


Public libraries are the good vehicles for dissemination of information to the mass people. It is instrumental for social change. The primary goal of a public library is to serve the community for its well-being with optimum services. Due to the services for community development the public library is rightly termed as Arsenal of Democracy. This paper presents a theoretical picture of the role of Public library as Community Information Service Provider. It also discusses the role of public libraries in overcoming the Digital divide among the rural masses.


Author(s): Woodside, Dedee P.; Vasseleu, Jenny | Abstract: The ranger profession is rallying behind the need for change, driven by external and internal pressures to strengthen the occupation and its profile. We undertook a review of ranger capacity aimed at improving the capacity, performance, and alignment of the ranger occupation globally. With an international working group, we undertook an objective and structured problem-solving process to examine current issues and links between key variables. We identified several preferred outcomes for rangers and priority targets for change and proposed a simple model for building capacity and improving performance. The model highlights three key elements of capacity: competency (skills, knowledge, and practice), critical mass (right numbers in the right places) and strong supporting systems (organizational structure, systems, policies, resources, and management). Recommendations emerging from this study include a three-stage action plan with short-, medium- and long-term measures and suggest a collective leadership approach across the entire profession. Short-term actions include harmonizing the names, ranks, and roles of rangers, developing a global code of conduct and ethics, and systematic alignment of available training and support with demand. Medium-term actions emphasize regional knowledge hubs and communities of practice while enhancing exchange of knowledge and skills. They also encourage more recruitment of locals (especially women) to improve connections with communities and engage tacit knowledge of the area, cultural knowledge, and skills for managing natural resources. Longer-term actions focus on developing a centralized ranger support body to facilitate change, advocate for the profession, and promote the essential contributions of rangers to conservation of natural and cultural heritage.


This dissertation concerns the dialogical encounters that take place between social workcr and client within the social services. The empirical material consists of 21 dialogues, 19 of which wcre recorded at two social welfare offices, one located in the center of Stockholm and the other in a suburb, and two which were recorded at the youth counseling office. In all, the material comprises 5150 individual utterances. In the literature, the type of dialogical cncounters studicd is called "institutional discourse".The theoretical approach in the analysis is based on an interactionist perspective, particularly with respect to dialogical analysis of verbal encounters. The aim of thc study is to analyse the dialogue between social worker and client from three points of de parture: participallt structure, topic, and inherent perspectives.In studying the discourse, the ini tiative-response (IR-) method of analysis was applied. The IR-method focuses on the dynamics of the dialogue, its pattern of dominance and its coherence. The results show that the social worker was interactively dominant in about two-thirds of the dialogues studied, but this dominance was most forcefully evident with respect to soliciting inititatives. With respect to content, the study concerns how the topical structure of the dialogue is constructed, i.e. which topics are taken up in the discourse and which of the parties steers the transition between topics. In the case of transitions to a topic defined as the main issue of the dialogue, it was the social worker who, in four-fifths of the cases, strategically steered the course of the dialogue. The perspective analysis undertaken in the study is concerned with investigating how different topics are treated in the dialogues, i.e. which of the parties "establishes" the perspectives and which "submits" to them . This analysis, made on a selection of seven of the 21 dialogical encounters, shows that it was the social worker who, in about two-thirds of thc cases, established by means of various interactive moves a bureaucratic or social welfare perspective on thc main topic sequences. Lastly, discursive dominance and power are discussed in the light of the prececling analyses.


Abstract. Against the background of emotional geographies, I analyse negotiations of belonging and experiences of difference. Emotions serve as the analytical lens through which these negotiations and experiences are analysed. Based on this notion, I will analyse migrants' accounts with respect to their emotional qualities and spatial articulations. In particular, I will focus on emotional accounts, such as childhood stories and other biographical stories, which are spatially situated. The emotional focus serves thereby as a lens to capture migrants' identification with the social norms and values inscribed and mediated through these spaces. These emotional accounts help us to understand complex stories about social positioning along different axes of difference, complex ways of identification, and resistance to social role models.


The effect of heparin, a sulphated glycosaminoglycan, on the solubilization of rat sciatic-nerve acetylcholinesterase (acetylcholine acetylhydrolase; AChE; EC 126.96.36.199) was studied. It was found that heparin solubilized esterase activity from ligated nerves. Sedimentation analysis revealed this activity to be mainly the 16S form. Chondroitin sulphate did not solubilize AChE activity, and protamine eliminated the solubilizing effect. Our results suggest the involvement of sulphated glycosaminoglycans in the intra-axonal localization and transport of 16S AChE.


Following recent detection of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma fraxini',
 'Ca. P. aurantifolia', 'Ca. P. solani' and
 'Ca. P. phoenicium'-related strains in Iranian vineyards, a
 survey was conducted in 2016–2017 in vineyards located in Qazvin province of
 Iran. Nested PCR analysis was performed to identify phytoplasma strains in
 leafhopper species. The overall, less than 5% of grapevine trees shows
 phytoplasma symptoms and phyto-plasma was detected in all symptomatic samples.
 Phytoplasma DNA was detected in two leafhopper species. Most leafhopper species
 in which phytoplasma DNA were detected are recorded to be grass feeders, among
 which, Stolbur phytoplasma vectors, i.e. Psammotettix alienus
 (Dahlbom 1851) and Agallia ribauti (Ossian-nilsson, 1938),
 showed a strong potential ability for 'Ca. P. solani'
 transmission in Qazvin vineyards. The possibility of phytoplasma transmission
 between leafhoppers and grapevines is discussed.


Background Genetic factors are of major importance in susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Currently there are 43 genetic loci associated with AS pathogenesis but these only explain a small proportion of the heritability which suggests that other rare genomic variants may contribute as risk factors. Given that AS is a subset of axial spondyloarthritis, it too is likely to have a strong genetic component. Objectives To identify novel rare, highly penetrant mutations associated with AxSpA segregating within well-characterized families. Methods Samples were collected from affected and healthy individuals from a large multigenerational, well-characterized family with AxSpA with Northern European Ancestry. All AxSpA patients satisfied the ASAS classification. Full exome sequencing was performed on eleven family members using the Agilent SureSelect Human All Exon kit V4 for library preparation and exome enrichment and sequencing was performed on an Illumina HiSeq 2000 instrument with TruSeq sequencing chemistry V3. Variants of interest identified by exome sequencing were confirmed using Sanger sequencing. Gene expression profiling was performed using a Taqman Gene Expression Assay (Cat#4331182, SEC16A-Hs00389570_m1, GAPDH-Hs99999905_M1) and protein expression was assessed using Western analysis using a commercial SEC16A antibody. Results Our family-based exome sequencing analysis revealed a 9-bp in-frame deletion in SEC16A which segregated with AxSpA in the family. This deletion was confirmed in extended family members with 7/9 of the clinically diagnosed AxSpA members carrying the SEC16A deletion using Sanger sequencing. All healthy (i.e., not diagnosed with AxSpA) family members did not carry the deletion. The in-frame deletion had no significant impact on gene or protein expression. Conclusions Full exome sequencing of a large multigenerational AxSpA family revealed a 9-bp deletion in SEC16A segregating in the majority of affected family members. Although this in-frame deletion had no significant impact on gene or protein expression, a detrimental impact on protein structure of SEC16A remains a possibility and is currently under investigation. The association of this deletion within the SEC16A gene with AxSpA is particularly interesting given that the gene product plays a role in protein transport from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi and mediates COPII vesicle formation at the transitional ER. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.3327


This paper investigates the impact of globalization and integration on the relative benefits of country and industry diversification. Unlike previous models, our factor model allows asset exposures to vary with both structural changes and temporary fluctuations in the economic and financial environment. First, we find that globalization and integration have lead to a gradual convergence of country to industry betas, especially in Europe. Second, not accounting for time-varying factor exposures leads to substantial biases in measures of country and industry risk. Third, even though the edge has structurally decreased, geographical diversification continues being superior to industry diversification.


Lentil is the oldest of the crops that have been domesticated in the Fertile Crescent and spread to other regions during the Bronze Age, making it an ideal model to study the evolution of rhizobia associated with crop legumes. Housekeeping and nodulation genes of lentil-nodulating rhizobia from the region where lentil originated (Turkey and Syria) and regions to which lentil was introduced later (Germany and Bangladesh) were analyzed to determine their genetic diversity, population structure, and taxonomic position. There are four different lineages of rhizobia associated with lentil nodulation, of which three are new and endemic to Bangladesh, while Mediterranean and Central European lentil symbionts belong to the Rhizobium leguminosarum lineage. The endemic lentil grex pilosae may have played a significant role in the origin of these new lineages in Bangladesh. The presence of R. leguminosarum with lentil at the center of origin and in countries where lentil was introduced later suggests that R. leguminosarum is the original symbiont of lentil. Lentil seeds may have played a significant role in the initial dispersal of this Rhizobium species within the Middle East and on to other countries. Nodulation gene sequences revealed a high similarity to those of symbiovar viciae.


Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) accompanied by other systemic autoimmune rheumatic connective tissue diseases has historically been termed 'secondary' in contrast to 'primary' SjS as a standalone entity. However it is a matter of a long-standing debate whether the prefixes 'primary' and 'secondary', notably including a temporal component, are obsolete in the terminology of SjS. We review the history and the pathophysiological, chronological, genetic, histological and clinical data underlying the concept of 'secondary' SjS. There are important unintended consequences of the nomenclature; notably 'secondary' SjS has been much less researched and is often excluded from clinical trials. We argue for further research, a change in terminology and more stringent classification. Further we highlight possible opportunities for trials in SjS and other systemic autoimmune diseases that might contribute to an advance in care for all patients with SjS.


Students and teachers find themselves increasingly surrounded by Big Data and AI technologies that facilitate the learning process and the organisation of school life. Accordingly, vast amounts of data are being collected on the working of the entire school community. This trend--referred to as the 'datafication' of education--was pushed immensely during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, already before the necessity to quickly find digital solutions for remote teaching and learning, many scholars were concerned about the privacy and autonomy of the 'datafied' student and the corresponding larger effects on public education and democracy as such. In this chapter, we approach the datafication of school education through the lens of data protection and autonomy. We point to the inadequacies in the European data protection framework, which is considered as the state of the art by many. In search of other capable legal concepts, we explore the German 'right to informational self-determination', which introduces the distinct argument that restricting data flows is a necessity for the free personal development of the individual--a notion relevant for the tumbling, ever evolving minds of children and teenagers. We find that the fuzzy realities of school life demand a nuanced governance approach that balances individual control and privacy protection with the interests, needs and visions of the school community.


Purpose: This article aims to investigate the extent to which State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in Indonesia disclose their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs to the general public. Design/Methodology/Approach: Quantitative design is used as the main method in the study. Corporate profiling is used for analyzing SOEs profile and program profiling is used to analyze the profile of CSR programs implemented by SOEs. Findings: The study concludes that, first, SOEs under study disclose their CSR programs to the general public. In terms of indicators it is difficult to conclude that CSR programs disclosed by SOEs signify corporate virtuous citizenship embedding the initial ideas of CSR. Practical implications: Practical implications of the study are two-folds. First, that SOEs in Indonesia, need to strengthen the institutional drivers of CSR, and put pressure on companies to move beyond philanthropy, rhetoric, legitimization, imagery, and public relations to substantive engagement in CSR and genuine attempts at change and development. Second, the implementation of CSR programs by SOEs is judicially liable to public auditing. Originality/Value: The value of this study strengthens arguments which hold that the implementation of CSR, even implemented by SOEs, functions more as corporate survival mechanism rather than for solving social and environmental problems.


Workplace culture and organization are evolving as they adapt to globalization and rapid technological development. Likewise, the nature and role of workplace language and the literacy demands of work are changing in the face of increasingly multicultural workplaces and global communication networks. Among these changes, recent research has highlighted the role that informal modes of interpersonal communication play in the functioning of the modern workplace. Successful participation in such interactions is seen as not just a question of fitting in socially, but of doing work through talk. Ethnographic research in the workplace has stressed the importance of understanding language by viewing it within its social setting and understanding the interactional norms of particular communities of practice. Research into language programs for the workplace reflects this shift in emphasis. In contrast to research in the field of language for specific purposes on the specialized vocabulary and formal registers of particular professions, a growing body of research focuses on teaching and learning the language of routine workplace interactions. This article reviews current research into the nature of workplace language, noting in particular the contributions from ethnographic and language socialization research. It then discusses research into four aspects of the content of language programs for the workplace: employability skills, interpersonal communication, intercultural and critical language awareness, and teaching focused on the employment interview.


Prior to modernization, indigenous peoples had strong mechanisms for  communicating, regulating and managing natural resources endowments for their survival and development. Modern knowledge and information management systems have not sufficiently improved conservation and natural resource development especially among rural folks. This study was conducted in Igbo-speaking rural communities of Obowo LGA of Imo State in SE Nigeria to elicit information on  conventional and indigenous information dissemination and exchange methods on natural resource conservation with the view to identifying the impacts of indigenous information methods on resource conservation. Data obtained from in-depth  Interview (IDIs) sessions with key stakeholders within the locality revealed the availability of medicinal plants, arable lands and rivers/streams occurring in  relatively high abundance as attested to by 71.0%, 56.0% and 48.0% of the respondents, respectively. Also, rural people access information about natural resources and environment through a variety of media/platforms (both formal and indigenous). Fractional ranking showed that the top five (5) indigenous information media were oral tradition (1.5), local authority leadership structure (1.5), village assembly (2), story-telling (4) and individual enquiry (5.5). Local authority structure among other indigenous information media manifested the highest positive influence (31.3%) on conservation/consolidation of identified resource. Specifically, local authority was the source of information rivers/streams (63.2%) and arable lands (56.0%) conservation. It is therefore imperative for governments and international agencies to see information media mix especially through recognizable local institutional channels (local authorities) as veritable instruments for sustaining and promoting sustainable development especially of natural resources at different community, national and global levels. Keywords : Indigenous information, dissemination, conservation, natural resources


To find out what is in one's own best interest, it is helpful to ask one's epistemic peers. However, identifying one's epistemic peers is not a trivial task. I consider a stylized political setting, an electoral competition of 'Masses' and 'Elites'. To succeed, the Masses need to know which alternative on offer is truly in their interest. To find out, the Masses can pool their privately held information in a pre-election ballot, provided that they can reliably find out with whom they should pool information. I investigate the process of finding the relevant peer group for information pooling by modelling this group formation process as dynamic network change. The simulations show that the Masses can succeed in finding the right peers, but they also suggest reasons why the Elites may often be more successful. This phenomenon generalizes to the notion of Epistemic Network Injustice. Such injustice arises when a subset of citizens is systematically deprived of connections to helpful epistemic peers, leading to their reduced political influence. Epistemic Network Injustice is a new form of epistemic injustice, related to but distinct from the notion introduced by Miranda Fricker.


The impending release of erythropoietin (EPO) is expected to result in a dramatic increase in hematocrit (Hct) for most hemodialysis (HD) patients. Our studies indicate that as Hct rises, dialyzer mass transport for some clinically critical solutes will be adversely affected. When whole blood clearances are corrected for solute-specific blood-water flows (QBH2O), the effect on the surrogate molecule, urea, used in urea kinetic modeling (UKM) is deceptively minimal, because only urea can diffuse almost instantly from red cells into blood water. For the critical solutes, potassium and phosphate, QBH2O is reduced to Q (plasma water). With a KoA of 690 ml/min at QB = 300, clearance of potassium falls at least 19.3% as Hct rises from 20 to 40% so that steady-state predialysis potassium could rise from 6.0 to 6.95 mEq/L. Already inadequate phosphate clearance falls at least 10% and additional loss results from physical interference by RBCs with solute diffusion. Hcts are further increased with rapid weight losses during high-efficiency dialyses (0.15 per 5% weight loss in 3 hours, r = 0.82) resulting in blood-side pressures such that most dialysis machines cannot provide adequate dialysate pressures to maintain low ultrafiltration rates (UFRs) at the high QB levels. The combination of pre-existing diffuse vascular disease, postdialysis hypovolemia, hypotension, decreased cardiac output, and increased blood viscosity has and will produce disastrous syndromes of organ ischemia, thrombosis, and infarction. Predialysis hypertension can worsen. Extreme caution and adjustment of dialysis regimen is necessary as patient Hct rises above 36%.


This dissertation investigated whether young children are sensitive to psychological cues in their social-learning partners when solving problems. Two groups of children age 20-24 and 32-36 months were presented with problem-solving situations involving toys and could interact with social learning partners who differed along the dimensions of competency and social availability. In Experiment 1, children age 20-24 months selectively sought help from a social learning partner who was high along both dimensions of competency and social availability. Experiment 2 demonstrated that by age three children not only selectively seek help from a competent and highly socially available partner, but also that some children (25%) now reliably offer help to a partner who lacks competency and social availability. Experiment 3 explored the relative impact of social availability and competency on young children's (20-24 months) selective help-seeking. Condition A served as an attempt to replicate experiment 1; in three additional conditions, children's social learning partners now exhibited novel combinations of traits along dimensions of social availability and competency. In one condition, each experimenter had one positive and one negative trait ; in two further conditions experimenters were equally high or low, respectively, along the dimension of social availability and differed only with respect to how competent they were at the task. Results replicated the findings from Experiment 1, as children preferred to seek help from a competent and socially available experimenter when she was pitted against someone lacking these traits. Children failed to show any selective help-seeking or -offering in the three remaining conditions when the contrast between experimenters was less salient. We failed to find any reliable evidence of spontaneous selective help-offering in Experiment 3.This suggests that around age 2, salient contrasts are required to elicit selective help-seeking in children. These findings are the first to suggest that young children selectively engage with social learning partners when solving problems. We discuss possible underlying causes for these constraints on selective help- seeking and propose future studies to further track the developmental trajectory of selective help-seeking and - offering during young childhood


Mobile services are pervasive in wireless network and are one of the crucial components needed for various applications and services. Security problems related to mobile phones directly influence credibility of these applications and services. Trusted Computing technology provides powerful support for the solution to security issues of mobile device in mobile network. This paper proposes a Holistic Security Service System for mobile network. It consists of a Security Service Provider, a Software Provider and a Mobile Trusted Terminal. A hardware and software solution of trusted mobile device is also proposed, and a trusted software running mechanism based on certificate access control is discussed. Our security analysis and experimental results prove that both the Holistic Security Service System and mobile trusted mechanism can be used in mobile networks.


In a pilot investigation of reality monitoring in hypnosis, 10 high and 10 low hypnotizable participants were administered a hypnotic suggestion to hallucinate a visual shape on a wall. For half the participants, an image was subtly projected onto the wall at the commencement of the suggestion and then subsequently removed. For the remaining participants, the projected image was initially absent and subsequently projected. Participants completed ratings of belief in the suggestion during hypnosis and also provided subjective reports of the suggestion during a subsequent Experiential Analysis Technique session. High hypnotizable participants who had the projected image introduced at the end of the suggestion provided comparable belief ratings when the image was present and absent. In contrast, highs who had the projected image presented first reported less belief when the image was absent than when it was present. Low hypnotizable participants rated the hallucination more strongly when the image was projected than when it was not projected. These pilot data are discussed in terms of developing a paradigm to objectively index the perceived reality of hypnotically suggested experiences.


This study finds weak evidence for long-range liquid coarticulation in a Southern California speaker. We compare vowel formants across nearly 1000 repetitions of the sentence he said it oughta be _______ , containing target words with /r/, /l/ or neither . Focusing on vowels not adjacent to the target word, we find only small effects of target liquids on F1 of said and ta . Liquid coarticulation is not affected by whether the target liquid is stressed or unstressed, or by whether it is in onset, nucleus or coda position. The lack of robust long-range liquid coarticulation is a challenge to Ohala 1981's perceptual theory of dissimilation. Although some long-range effects emerge in our study, they seem neither large enough nor consistent enough to cause misperceptions.


The purpose of this study is to look at the relationship of sleep disorders to the incidence of affective disorders. In addition, assess whether the relationship remains significant after controlled variable bullies that also affect the occurrence of sleep disorders and or affective disorders in elderly. Observational study with unmatched case control study design. Individual population age 60 years or older, sampling probability proportional to size, consist of case group that is experiencing sleep disturbance (n=165) and control group (n=330). Respondent sleep disturbance affective disorder 23.6%. There is a significant relationship of sleep disorders to affective disorders. Sleep disorders at risk 2.47 times affective disorder. Sleep disorders can be insomnia, awakening at night or waking up too early which can lead to psychological disorders such as psychological disorders such as anger, unstable emotions, sadness, distress, anxiety is also a physical disorder such as pain in the body. If not immediately addressed can continue to occur depression and even threaten psychiatric disorders. Further research needs to be done to overcome sleep disorders in the elderly.