Abstract . This study aims to measure technical efficiency and identify factors that affect technical inefficiency of Islamic rural banks (BPRS) in East Java Province, Indonesia. We also want to test whether BPRS operating in districts are more efficient than those operating in cities. Data that we use are unbalanced panel data from 2011 until 2016 using stochastic frontier analysis. This study has successfully identified that the technical efficiency of BPRS operation is 90.12 percent. It means that there is still about 9.88 percent that can be optimized to improve their performance. Factors that cause technical inefficiency are Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) and Net Performing Financing (NPF). To improve technical efficiency of BPRS operations, the effort that must be made is to ensure each BPRS has sufficient capital stock to be channeled into loans. In addition, BPRS should also ensure the risks of bad loans are minimum.


As part of the introductory level, management information systems (MIS) course, some of the topics covered during the semester include software, Decision Support Systems (DSS), the hardware and software purchase process, and individual hardware components. Considering the characteristics of today's learner, these concepts are often best learned through projects and exercises. However, due to time restrictions, learning resources must be critically evaluated to determine their overall contribution to the learning process. The author describes two approaches that were used, in a junior level MIS survey course, to address multiple MIS concepts and illustrate their interrelationships. In light of AACSB considerations, the University's University Studies Program learning goals and objectives were also examined to observe how well the intentions of the project addressed the Program's learning objectives. The question that this paper attempts to address is, "Considering the current generation of students, what approach to addressing MIS hardware and software concepts will be most effective?"


This thesis investigates social representations of citizenship in rural China. The research combines socio-cultural and political psychology to explore the transmission and appropriation of a culturally distant concept. It is assumed that knowledge transmission is contingent on communities' levels of openness and closure to the outside world, dependent on social identity and influenced by the local cultural discourses. The thesis expands the socio-cultural psychology of knowledge encounters through a model that integrates social identity and cultural discourses on the social representational process.
The research consisted of a comparative field design, combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Using multistage sampling, semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire were conducted in five different villages in Wenzhou, China, each situated in a different position of the openness/closure continuum. Purposive sampling was used to select sites and quota sampling was used to select participants.
It was found that social representations of citizenship centre on a dyad of political rights and individual rights and interests. Communities' levels of openness/closure influence people's normative evaluations of citizenship: democratic virtues are less valued in closed communities. Village leadership was found to affect people's knowledge and practice of citizenship. Identification with the shared civic identity led ordinary villagers and leaders to converge in normative evaluations.
Cognitive polyphasia was found in local cultural discourses, which channel people's normative judgements and affect the representational process. Citizenship as social representations awaken people's political mind and as embodied cognition drives citizenship phenomena. While no formal knowledge of citizenship was found, rural residents regularly exercise civic rights and duties. The impact of external influence on social representations of citizenship suggests that in time modernisation will minimise regional differences. The thesis concludes that the political landscape in rural China is changing and civic education remains a pressing political issue for the people and government of China.


Cannabidiol (CBD) has been established to have both acute and long-lasting effects to reduce fear memory expression. The long-lasting impact might be mediated by an enhancement of memory extinction or an impairment of memory reconsolidation. Here, we directly compared the effects of i.p. injections of cannabidiol (10 mg/kg) with those of the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg) and partial agonist D-cycloserine (DCS; 15 mg/kg) in order to determine the mnemonic basis of long-term fear reduction. We showed that under conditions of strong fear conditioning, CBD reduced contextual fear memory expression both acutely during the extinction session as well as later at a fear retention test. The latter test reduction was replicated by DCS, but MK-801 instead elevated test freezing. In contrast, when initial conditioning was weaker, CBD and MK-801 had similar effects to increase freezing at the fear retention test relative to vehicle controls, whereas DCS had no observable impact. This pattern of results is consistent with CBD enhancing contextual fear memory extinction when the initial conditioning is strong, but impairing extinction when conditioning is weak. This bidirectional effect of CBD may be related to stress levels induced by conditioning and evoked at retrieval during extinction, rather than the strength of the memory per se .


A time domain finite element method has been used to investigate the response to seismic waves of rigid, three-dimensional, embedded foundations. The method eliminates the influence of artificial grid boundaries by completing the transient solution prior to the arrival of any nonphysical reflections. The accuracy of the numerical procedure has been examined by comparison with analytic solutions; discrepancy is less than 5% at all frequencies up to β/a in which β=the shear wave speed of the embedment medium; and a is the foundation radius. For a hemispherical foundation, the scattering of vertically incident S waves reduces the higher frequency horizontal translation of the foundation compared with the free-field motion but introduces a significant rocking component that is absent from the free field.


The Bandwidth Allocation Models (MAM, RDM, G-RDM and AllocTC-Sharing) are management alternatives currently available which propose different resource (bandwidth) allocation strategies in multiservice networks. The BAM adoption by a network is typically a management choice and configuration task executed by the network operations and management system setup in a static or nearly static way. This paper proposes and explores the alternative of allowing BAM definition and configuration on a more dynamic way. In effect, one of the basic motivations towards BAM dynamic allocation is the fact that multiservice networks characteristics (traffic load) may change considerably in daily network operation and, as such, some dynamics in BAM allocation should be introduced in order to improve performance. A framework is presented supporting BAM dynamic allocation. The framework adopts an OpenFlow-based software-defined networking (SDN) implementation approach in order to support scalability issues with a centralized controller and management network view. The framework architecture also supports the implementation of some autonomic characteristics which, in brief, look for improving and facilitating the decision-making process involved with BAM provisioning in a multiservice network. A proof of concept is presented evaluating different BAM performance under different traffic loads in order to demonstrate the framework strategy adopted.


At central banks around the world, including the Bank of England, Sweden's Riksbank, Norway's Norges Bank, and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, policy is conducted on the basis of "inflation-forecast targeting": the central bank constructs quantitative projections of the economy's expected future evolution based on the way in which it intends to control short-term interest rates, and public discussion of those projections plays a critical role in justifying the banks' conduct of monetary policy to the public. What accounts for the appeal of this approach? Should it be adopted more widely or more explicitly? I review the long-running debate between proponents of monetary rules and proponents of discretionary monetary policy and argue that inflation-forecast targeting represents a powerful synthesis of the two approaches. I explore some common questions that arise about inflation-forecast targeting and consider how the U.S. Federal Reserve might move toward an explicit policy of inflation-forecast targeting.


In digital pathology, the spatial context of cells is important for cell classification, cancer diagnosis and prognosis. To model such complex cell context, however, is challenging. Cells form different mixtures, lineages, clusters and holes. To model such structural patterns in a learnable fashion, we introduce several mathematical tools from spatial statistics and topological data analysis. We incorporate such structural descriptors into a deep generative model as both conditional inputs and a differentiable loss. This way, we are able to generate high quality multi-class cell layouts for the first time. We show that the topology-rich cell layouts can be used for data augmentation and improve the performance of downstream tasks such as cell classification.


Nowadays, depression is a serious psychological disorder that causes extreme economic loss and social problems. Previously, we discovered that the water extract of Gastrodia elata Blume (WGE) improved depressive-like behavior by influencing neurotransmitters in rats subjected to the forced swimming test. To elucidate possible mechanisms, in the present study, we performed a proteomics and bioinformatics analysis to identify the related pathways. Western blot-validated results indicated that the core protein network modulated by WGE administration was closely associated with down-regulation of the Slit-Robo pathway, which modulates neuronal cytoskeletal remodeling processes. Although Slit-Robo signaling has been well investigated in neuronal development, its relationship with depression is not fully understood. We provide a potential hint on the mechanism responsible for the antidepressive-like activity of WGE. In conclusion, we suggest that the Slit-Robo pathway and neuronal cytoskeleton remodeling are possibly one of the pathways associated with the antidepressive-like effects of WGE.


How does losing one's right to vote again after having been eligible to vote before affect political fundamentals such as political efficacy? We draw attention to the hitherto neglected phenomenon "temporary disenfranchisement," which, for instance, occurs regularly in states that extended the franchise to underage citizens in some but not all elections. If an election with voting age 16 is closely followed by an election with voting age 18, underage voters who are eligible for the former will have no right to vote in the latter. Using original panel data on young citizens in Germany and a differences-in-differences design, we find that temporary disenfranchisement results in a decrease in external efficacy, which remains even after regaining eligibility. Our findings highlight an important side effect of selective voting rights extensions and bear insights that are relevant to other cases of temporary disenfranchisement due to residential mobility, citizenship, or felony disenfranchisement.


Further improvements of the thermal efficiency of gas turbine cycle are closely coupled to the increase of turbine inlet temperature. This requires intensive and efficient cooling of the blades. In this perspective, experimental investigations of the gas temperature and heat transfer distribution around the airfoil are of primary importance. The present work aims at the development of two measurement techniques based on applications of the thin film sensors: the two-layer gauge for the wall heat transfer determination and the dual thin film probe for flow temperature measurements. Both techniques are used in short duration tunnels of the von Karman Institute (VKI) under engine representative conditions and are able to resolve both time-averaged component and time-resolved component i.e. periodic blade passing events at ~5-7 kHz with harmonics up to 50 kHz. In order to derive the wall heat flux with the two-layer gauge, the unsteady conduction equation is solved in the two-layer substrate using the measured value of the wall temperature as a boundary condition. The gauges are extensively calibrated and the data reduction method is validated on a blade of the second stator of the VKI turbine. A very good repeatability is achieved. Measurements are also performed on the complex geometry of a blade tip in a cascade configuration revealing the high three dimensionality of the flow. The dual thin film probe combines the operation of two thin films and determines the flow temperature from two independent heat flux measurements. The probe is calibrated and then validated with measurements downstream a cascade. The robustness and the reliability of the probe are also demonstrated by measurements downstream of the rotor and the second stator of the VKI turbine.


In United States District Courts for federal criminal cases, prison sentence length guidelines are established by the severity of the crime and the criminal history of the defendant. In this paper, we investigate the sentence length determined by the trial judge, relative to this sentencing guideline. Our goal is to create a prediction model of sentencing length and include events unrelated to crime, namely weather and sports outcomes, to determine if these unrelated events are predictive of sentencing decisions and evaluate the importance weights of these unrelated events in explaining rulings. We find that while several appropriate features predict sentence length, such as details of the crime committed, other features seemingly unrelated, including daily temperature, baseball game scores, and location of trial, are predictive as well. Unrelated events were, surprisingly, more predictive than race, which did not predict sentencing length relative to the guidelines. This is consistent with recent research on racial disparities in sentencing that highlights the role of prosecutors in making charges that influence the maximum and minimum recommended sentence. Finally, we attribute the predictive importance of date to the 2005 U.S. Supreme Court case, United States v. Booker, after which sentence length more frequently fell near the guideline minimum and the range of minimum and maximum sentences became more extreme.


Context: Indomethacin is the most commonly and widely used nonsteroidal antiinflammatory analgesic and antipyretic drug. Despite its effectiveness as an antiinflammatory use, indomethacin causes inhibition of spermatogenesis leading to infertility. On the other hand, vitamin E enhances spermatogenesis. Therefore, the present study was designed to observe the protective role of vitamin E on indomethacin induced testicular damage. Objective: To observe the effects of vitamin E on indomethacin induced testicular damage in Long Evans rats. Study design: An experimental study. Place and period of study: The study was carried out in the Department of Anatomy, Sir Salimullah Medical College, Dhaka. Materials and methods: Eightyfour mature Long Evans male rats were divided into four groups (I, II, III and IV). The rats of group I, II and III were treated with indomethacin at different doses and duration. Group IV rats were treated with indomethacin and vitamin E at different doses for 49 days. Histologically the number of sperm containing and nonsperm containing seminiferous tubules were counted. Results: There was significant reduction (P<0.001) in number of sperm containing seminiferous tubules when the rats were treated with indomethacin at low (2 mg/kg body wt/day) and high dose (10 mg/kg body wt/day) for 7, 14 and 42 days, respectively. On the other hand, rats treated with indomethacin and vitamin E for 49 days showed increase in number of sperm containing seminiferous tubules compared to the other groups (P<0.001). Conclusion: It can be concluded from this study that vitamin E has potential role in the prevention of the antispermatogenic effects of indomethacin. Key words: Seminiferous tubules, Indomethacin, Vitamin E doi: 10.3329/bja.v7i1.3009 Bangladesh Journal of Anatomy January 2009, Vol. 7 No. 1 pp. 5-9


Background: As mass shootings continue to persist in the United States, their occupational impact on victims needs further understanding. The purpose of this study was to examine stories shared by survivors of mass shootings to determine whether changes in occupational participation, performance, and fulfillment of meaningful roles and performance patterns occurred following the incident. Method: Unobtrusive methods were used to collect and analyze publicly accessible audiovisual and written records following a qualitative research design. Themes were developed through thematic analysis. Results: Victims at varying degrees of association to the event experienced changes in their occupational performance, participation, and fulfillment of performance patterns. Eight themes encapsulated the common areas of concern expressed by individuals: (a) loss of occupations or independence, (b) reclaiming and "relearning" lost occupations, (c) adopting new occupations, (d) occupational participation as a coping mechanism, (e) contexts and environments facilitate or inhibit occupational participation, (f) change in relationship dynamics, (g) emergence of new performance patterns, and (h) shift in life narratives. Conclusion: Occupational therapists require knowledge of the occupational impacts of mass shootings on their victims to ensure their receipt of appropriate care. Future research on occupational therapists' roles in working with this population is needed.


This paper mainly focuses on the natural frequencies of steel I-girder continuous-span bridges with straight haunched sections. The finite element analysis is performed to model dynamic behaviour of bridges by using CSIBridge package. Continuous-span bridges (two to six) with straight haunched section are considered. All the dimensions used for generating bridge models are designed according to AASHTO LRFD Standards. Effect of various parameters such as span length, the depth ratios between haunched cross-section to mid-span cross-section (r), the length ratio between haunched section to span ( α ), span configuration and steel girder arrangement on natural frequencies are investigated by numerically generating one hundred fifty three bridge models. "r" and " α " values are set to be 0.5 - 2.0 and 0.1 - 0.5. The analysis results are given and discussed for the natural frequency of continuous-span composite steel bridges with straight haunched section.


Digital twin (DT) emerges as a key concept of the Industry 4.0 paradigm and beyond. However, the current literature lacks focus on humans and human activities as a part of complex system DTs. Acknowledging human aspects in DTs can enhance work performance, well-being, motivation and personal development of professionals. This study examines emerging requirements for human digital twins (HDTs) in three use cases of industry-academia collaboration on complex systems. The results draw together the overall design problem and four design objectives for HDTs. We propose to combine the machine and human-related aspects of DTs, and highlight the need for virtual-to-virtual interoperability between HDTs and machines alike. Furthermore, we outline differences between humans and machines regarding digital twinning by addressing human activities and knowledge-based behavior on systems. Design of HDTs requires understanding of individual professional characteristics, such as skills and information preferences, together with twinning between the physical and digital machine entities and interactions between the human and machine DTs. As the field moves towards including humans as a part of the DT concept, incorporating HDTs in complex systems emerges as an increasingly significant issue.


RESTATE is the acronyme for Restructuring Large-scale Housing Estates in European Cities: Good Practices and New Visions for Sustainable Neighbourhoods and Cities. The project focus on large housing estates built after the Second World War in ten European countries: France, Germany, Hungury, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and United Kingdom. The aim of this report is to answer the following question: - What is the philosophy behind the different existing policies with regard to large-scale housing estates in Sweden, specifically in the cities of Stockholm and Jonkoping. What are the the main aims? What are the main activities included in the policies and what is the balance between these activities? - How are these policies organised? Who participated in the policy and who has decided about this participation? Can the policy be seen as a top-down or as a bottom-up process? What are the advantages and the disadvantages of these approaches? Has the policy, the way that it is organised and the way that it is perceived by residents and others changed over the time period that it has been in place? The same kind of information for estates in other countries in the RESTATE project can be found in the parallel reports.


We report the structure of a fungal enzyme that activates the amide bond, allowing nucleophilic chemistry. The peptide bond, the defining feature of proteins, governs peptide chemistry by abolishing nucleophilicity of the nitrogen. This and the planarity of the peptide bond arise from the delocalization of the lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom into the adjacent carbonyl. While chemical methylation of an amide bond uses a strong base to generate the imidate, OphA, the precursor protein of the fungal peptide macrocycle omphalotin A, self-hypermethylates amides at pH 7 using S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) as cofactor. The structure of OphA reveals a complex catenane-like arrangement in which the peptide substrate is clamped with its amide nitrogen aligned for nucleophilic attack on the methyl group of SAM. Biochemical data and computational modeling suggest a base-catalyzed reaction with the protein stabilizing the reaction intermediate. Backbone N-methylation of peptides enhances their protease resistance and membrane permeability, a property that holds promise for applications to medicinal chemistry.


We present a new adaptive control strategy to isolate and stabilize turbulent states in transitional, stably stratified plane Couette flow in which the gravitational acceleration (non-dimensionalized as the bulk Richardson number $Ri$ ) is adjusted in time to maintain the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) of the flow. We demonstrate that applying this method at various stages of decaying stratified turbulence halts the decay process and allows a succession of intermediate turbulent states of decreasing energy to be isolated and stabilized. Once the energy of the initial flow becomes small enough, we identify a single minimal turbulent spot, and lower-energy states decay to laminar flow. Interestingly, the turbulent states which emerge from this process have very similar time-averaged $Ri$ , but TKE levels different by an order of magnitude. The more energetic states consist of several turbulent spots, each qualitatively similar to the minimal turbulent spot. This suggests that the minimal turbulent spot may well be the lowest-energy turbulent state which forms a basic building block of stratified plane Couette flow. The fact that a minimal spot of turbulence can be stabilized, so that it neither decays nor grows, opens up exciting opportunities for further study of spatiotemporally intermittent stratified turbulence.


: The devices generally used in industrial, commercial and residential applications need to undergo rectification for their proper functioning and operation. They are connected to the grid comprising of non-linear loads and thus have non-linear input characteristics, which results in production of non-sinusoidal line current. Also, current comprising of frequency components at multiples of line frequency is observed which lead to line harmonics. Due to the increasing demand of these devices, the line current harmonics pose a major problem by degrading the power factor of the system thus affecting the performance of the devices. Hence there is a need to reduce the line current harmonics so as to improve the power factor of the system. This has led to designing of Power Factor Correction circuits. Power Factor Correction (PFC) involves two techniques, Active PFC and Passive PFC. In our project work we have designed an active power factor circuit using Buck Converter for improving the power factor. Average Current Mode Control method has been implemented with buck converter to observe the effect of the active power factor corrector on the power factor. The advantage of using Buck Converter in power factor correction circuits is that better line regulation is obtained with appreciable power factor. The proposed concept can be implemented to DC motor drive Applications for two switch buck boost converter by using mat lab/Simulink software. Index Terms-Two Switch Buck Boost, Power Factor Correction, Two Mode Control Scheme.


Theories of convection from maintained and instantaneous sources of buoyancy are developed, using methods which are applicable to stratified body fluids with any variation of density with height; detailed solutions have been presented for the case of a stably stratified fluid with a linear density gradient. The three main assumptions involved are (i) that the profiles of vertical velocity and buoyancy are similar at all heights, (ii) that the rate of entrainment of fluid at any height is proportional to a characteristic velocity at that height, and (iii) that the fluids are incompressible and do not change volume on mixing, and that local variations in density throughout the motion are small compared to some reference density. The governing equations are derived in non-dimensional form from the conditions of conservation of volume, momentum and buoyancy, and a numerical solution is obtained for the case of the maintained source, This leads to a prediction of the final height to which a plume of light fluid will rise in a stably stratified fluid. Estimates of the constant governing the rate of entrainment are made by comparing the theory with some previous results in uniform fluids, and with the results of new experiments carried out in a stratified salt solution. For the case of an instantaneous source of buoyancy there is an exact solution; the entrainment constant is again estimated from laboratory results for a stratified fluid Finally, the analysis is applied to the (compressible) atmosphere, by making the customary substitution of potential temperature for temperature. Predictions are made of the height to which smoke plumes from typical sources of heat should rise in a still, stably stratified atmosphere under various conditions.


This introduction will define the plasma fourth state of matter, where we find plasmas on earth and beyond, and why they are useful. There are applications to many consumer items, fusion energy, scientific devices, satellite communications, semiconductor processing, spacecraft propulsion, and more. Since 99% of our observable universe is ionized gas, plasma physics determines many important features of astrophysics, space physics, and magnetosphere physics in our solar system. We describe some plasma characteristics, examples in nature, some useful applications, how to create plasmas. A brief introduction to the theoretical framework includes the connection between kinetic and fluid descriptions, quasi neutrality, Debye shielding, ambipolar electric fields, some plasma waves. Hands-on demonstrations follow. More complete explanations will follow next week.


Context: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) of the head and neck are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms with an increasing rate of mortality and morbidity. OSCCs are characterized by a high degree of local invasiveness and metastasis to cervical lymph nodes but show a lower rate of distant metastasis. Galectin-1 (Gal-1), a β-galactoside-binding lectin, is known to regulate tumor cell growth, angiogenesis, mediate cell-cell or cell-extracellular matrix adhesion and promote cancer cell migration. Aims: This study aims to evaluate the Gal-1 expression in different clinical stages and histological grades of OSCC. Settings and Design: Forty histopathologically diagnosed cases of OSCC, including 16 cases of well-differentiated, 18 moderately differentiated and 6 poorly differentiated carcinomas, were included in the study group. Materials and Methods: The samples were subjected to staining using primary mouse monoclonal antibodies against Gal-1 and visualized using polymer-HRP detection system. Statistical Analysis: The nonparametric Mann–Whitney U-test and Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA test were used for the statistical analysis. Results: Gal-1 expression was higher in advanced stages of OSCC, and the results were statistically significant. Immunoexpression of Gal-1 increased with advancing histological grades of OSCC with statistically significant results. Conclusion: Gal-1 plays an important role in invasion, metastasis and as a prognostic marker.


Lung cancer is the worldwide leading cause of death from cancer and has been shown to be a heterogeneous disease at the genomic level. To delineate the genomic landscape of copy number alterations, amplifications, loss‐of‐heterozygosity (LOH), tumor ploidy and copy‐neutral allelic imbalance in lung cancer, microarray‐based genomic profiles from 2,141 tumors and cell lines including adenocarcinomas (AC, n = 1,206), squamous cell carcinomas (SqCC, n = 467), large cell carcinomas (n = 37) and small cell lung carcinomas (SCLC, n = 88) were assembled from different repositories. Copy number alteration differences between lung cancer histologies were confirmed in 285 unrelated tumors analyzed by BAC array comparative genomic hybridization. Tumor ploidy patterns were validated by DNA flow cytometry analysis of 129 unrelated cases. Eighty‐nine recurrent copy number alterations (55 gains, 34 losses) were identified harboring genes with gene expression putatively driven by gene dosage through integration with gene expression data for 496 cases. Thirteen and 26 of identified regions discriminated AC/SqCC and AC/SqCC/SCLC, respectively, while 48 regions harbored recurrent (n > 15) high‐level amplifications comprising established and putative oncogenes, differing in frequency and coamplification patterns between histologies. Lung cancer histologies displayed differences in patterns/frequency of copy number alterations, genomic architecture, LOH, copy‐neutral allelic imbalance and tumor ploidy, with AC generally displaying less copy number alterations and allelic imbalance. Moreover, a strong association was demonstrated between different types of copy number alterations and allelic imbalances with tumor aneuploidy. In summary, these analyses provide a comprehensive overview of the landscape of genomic alterations in lung cancer, highlighting differences but also similarities between subgroups of the disease.


Internet of Things (IOT) is an advancement that interfaces all things and the Internet in smart spaces. By executions of information with recognizing devices, IOT has been comprehensively associated with different fields for instance homes, the application fields in keen homes consolidate brilliance into home territories for comfort, wellbeing, security, medicinal services, and vitality protection. The requirement for comfort and helpful life are particularly imperative in keen homes. In this manner, home mechanization is a standout amongst the most basic and basic segments for the IOT-based shrewd home innovation. Home robotization frameworks are utilized to control home gadgets or machines in keen homes and give programmed remote control inside or outside homes. The main target of this venture is to build up a home robotization framework utilizing hub MCU ESP 8266 and Arduino board which is remotely controlled by google partner in any Android advanced mobile phone. As innovation is progressing so houses are likewise getting more intelligent. Present day houses are step by step moving from ordinary changes to brought together control framework, including remote controlled switches. Before long, common divider switches arranged in different pieces of the house makes it troublesome for the customer to go close them to work. Altogether more it ends up being increasingly troublesome for the older or physically hindered people to do in that capacity. Remote controlled home computerization system outfits a most present day course of action with cutting edge cell phones.


SUMMARY:  Recent advances in computer image analysis techniques allow more accurate quantification of kidney pathological lesions, which are identified by histological staining or immunohistochemistry. This article provides a detailed description of the basic techniques for quantifying these lesions in digital images of light microscopy using Image J software, which is freely available over the Internet. The methods discussed include calibrating measurements, applying scales to images, assessment of object size and thickness, cell counting and point counting, and analysis of area stained. Our explanations indicate how these methods can be used to evaluate glomerular hypertrophy, tubular and vascular injury, accumulation of inflammatory cells and myofibroblasts, deposition of extracellular matrix, and the development of renal scarring.


Given the ways in which spirituality functions in the work of such Black women writers and filmmakers as Toni Morrison, Ntozake Shange, Maya Angelou, Julie Dash, and Euzhan Palcy, Judylyn Ryan proposes in this challenging new study that what these women embrace in their narrative construction and characterization is the role and responsibility of the priestess, bearing and distributing "life-force" to sustain the community of people who read and view their work. Central to these women's vision of transformation is what Ryan calls a paradigm of growth and an ethos of interconnectedness, which provide interpretive models for examining and teaching a broad range of artistic, cultural, and social texts. The focus on theology provides a new way of viewing the connections among New World African diaspora religious traditions, challenging the widespread and reductive assumption that Afro-Christianity shares no philosophical commonalities with Santeria, Candomble, Voodun, and other traditions that are not christological. In addition to exploring spirituality as epistemology, the book also provides an inter textual reading of Black women's literary and film texts that examines the ways in which these works expose, mediate, and interpret the cultural, social, and historical conditions surrounding their production. While most discussions of Black women's engagement with, and contribution to, the discursive space of the culture assume an oppositional or reactive stance, Ryan argues that the disposition reflected in the texts she examines tends to be relational and proactive, conferring an autonomy that the gravitational pull between opposites lacks. This inter textual reading constitutes a multimedia auteur criticism of a collective artistic vision.


In this study we examined the utility of manipulating artificial waters as a means of managing total grazing pressure in semi-arid rangelands of eastern Australia. We tested the efficacy of 'Finlayson trough' exclosure technology at three locations, over two summers, in paddocks with red kangaroos (Macropus rufirs) and two species of grey kangaroo (M. giganteus and M. fuliginosus). We also examined the effect of closing off five waters on the distribution of feral goat grazing intensity at one study site. Generally, there were no apparent reductions in kangaroo and goat grazing intensity following 6-10 weeks of water exclosure, the exception being a minor reduction in red kangaroo grazing intensity at one location. We concluded that kangaroo and goat grazing pressure cannot be substantially reduced by simply closing off waters in and near paddocks for several months. Key words: kangaroos, water exclosure. feral goats, grazing pressure, paddock spelling


This is the first textbook written for the purpose of teaching biblical Hebrew to college-level students who already know some modern, Israeli Hebrew. Marc Brettler provides a clear, comprehensive book with numerous well-constructed exercises to help students either make the transition from modern Israeli Hebrew to biblical Hebrew or deepen their understanding of biblical Hebrew. The book is also ideal for individuals who might like to study independently, and for serious Jewish adult-education programmes. Biblical Hebrew for Students of Modern Israeli Hebrew is unique in its emphasis on phonology, based on the conviction that a strong grounding in phonology makes it possible to learn biblical Hebrew grammar in a much more systematic fashion. This method also allows verbal conjugations to be taught much more quickly and systematically. Although the text is not inductive, it uses authentic biblical texts throughout to illustrate fundamental points, and it contains many biblical texts in the exercises. Students progressing through the book will quickly be encouraged by a sense of accomplishment as they encounter and understand well-known biblical passages.


Controlling avoidable causes of cancer may save cancer-related healthcare costs and indirect costs of premature deaths and productivity loss. This study aimed to estimate the economic burden of cancer attributable to major lifestyle and environmental risk factors in Japan in 2015. We evaluated the economic cost of cancer attributable to modifiable risk factors from a societal perspective. We obtained the direct medical costs for 2015 from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan, and estimated the indirect costs of premature mortality and of morbidity due to cancer using the relevant national surveys in Japan. Finally, we estimated the economic cost of cancer associated with lifestyle and environmental risk factors. The estimated cost of cancer attributable to lifestyle and environmental factors was 1,024,006 million Japanese yen (¥) (8,460 million US dollars [$]) for both sexes, and ¥673,780 million ($5,566 million) in men and ¥350,226 million ($2,893 million) in women, using the average exchange rate in 2015 ($1 = ¥121.044). A total of ¥285,150 million ($2,356 million) was lost due to premature death in Japan in 2015. Indirect morbidity costs that could have been prevented were estimated to be ¥200,602 million ($1,657 million). Productivity loss was highest for stomach cancer in men (¥28,735 million/$237 million) and cervical cancer in women (¥24,448 million/$202 million). Preventing and controlling cancers caused by infections including Helicobacter pylori, human papillomavirus and tobacco smoking will not only be life-saving but may also be cost-saving in the long run.


Focusing on changes in agricultural policy, this paper examines the economic impacts on MERCOSUL member country economies arising from the creation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and a free trade area between MERCOSUL and the European Union (MERCOEURO). Four simulations are run using the Global Trade Analysis Project's (GTAP) applied general equilibrium model. The results suggest these new trade alliances would cause an increase in MERCOSUL agribusiness production and a decrease in manufactures production. In all scenarios, agricultural trade flows are greatly altered, expanding MERCOSUL agribusiness exports. Economic growth for the MERCOSUL countries increases only in the MERCOEURO scenarios. The elimination of agriculture production and export subsidies by members of the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) and European Union (E.U.) has strong economic impacts on the MERCOSUL member countries.


© 2009 The Author Journal compilation © 2009 Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia Published by Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA Blackwell Publishing Ltd Oxford, UK EPAT ducational Philosophy and Theory 0013-1857 1469 5 12 © 2008 The Aut or Jo rnal compilati © 2008 P ilosophy of Education Society of Australasia 523 .11 1/j.1469-5812.20 9.00523.x M r h 2009 219??? 0 rigi l Article Notes on Contr but rs Notes on Contributors


There is a strong correlation between the like/dislike responses to audio–visual stimuli and the emotional arousal and valence reactions of a person. In the present work, our attention is focused on the automated detection of dislike responses based on EEG activity when music videos are used as audio–visual stimuli. Specifically, we investigate the discriminative capacity of the Logarithmic Energy (LogE), Linear Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (LFCC), Power Spectral Density (PSD) and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT)-based EEG features, computed with and without segmentation of the EEG signal, on the dislike detection task. We carried out a comparative evaluation with eighteen modifications of the above-mentioned EEG features that cover different frequency bands and use different energy decomposition methods and spectral resolutions. For that purpose, we made use of Naive Bayes classifier (NB), Classification and regression trees (CART), k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN) classifier, and support vector machines (SVM) classifier with a radial basis function (RBF) kernel trained with the Sequential Minimal Optimization (SMO) method. The experimental evaluation was performed on the well-known and widely used DEAP dataset. A classification accuracy of up to 98.6% was observed for the best performing combination of pre-processing, EEG features and classifier. These results support that the automated detection of like/dislike reactions based on EEG activity is feasible in a personalized setup. This opens opportunities for the incorporation of such functionality in entertainment, healthcare and security applications.


Nowadays, the amount of information grows in an exponential way, mainly because of technological advances in media. This scenario claims for the development of different skills in order to increase learning abilities, making them personal and customizable. Such factor is significant in a changing society, which implies in a range of mechanisms which would allow to identify, in a non-intrusive way, which learning style some specific student would prefer to perform in order to build knowledge from some learning object under a learning context. This requires defining some strategies in order to recognize adult learner's learning styles for some specific learning context. This work is based on theoretical references of Felder, Kolb and Gardner, proposing the implementation of a metadata annotation to identificate prime learning styles that are present in specific learning objects. This classification constitutes a starting point to recover learning objects from a repository according to apprentice's profile and experiences. As a result, the effectiveness of the use of learning objects will be improved.


Investing involves making decisions about a future that is sufficiently uncertain that we are never quite sure if we are making the best decision. As investment professionals, we may have an abundance of data and bring the best training and skill to bear on a problem and still not know the best course of action. Given this, we must fall back on systems of belief—investment philosophies, if you will—to frame our decisions. Organizations, too, have systems of investment belief, which are closely linked to an organization's culture. For an organization with a strong investing culture, the organization's investment philosophy is an integral part of all major functions of the firm, including investing, human resources, and communication. Most investment philosophies start out as the unarticulated or semi-articulated vision of a firm's founder. Sooner or later, most investment philosophies encounter a need to be articulated, cultivated, extended, focused, or updated, and to be incorporated into, or merged with, an organization's culture. Philosophies also benefit from ongoing field testing as they are used in practice. This suggests that both firms and individual professionals can benefit from being deliberate in how they develop, articulate, and curate their investment philosophies.


The use of crystalline heatspreaders to improve thermal management in optically pumped vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers is studied via finite-element analysis. The required properties of a heatspreader are examined and the effect on heat flow is discussed, as are thermal lensing effects. The advantages of diamond heatspreaders are highlighted. The power-scaling potential is compared to other approaches. Heatspreaders are found to be promising, particularly for use with low thermal conductivity semiconductors.


This research constituted to plane accident case Adam Air Boeing 737-400 is losing since 1 January 2007. Mass media becomes governmental main supporting facilities in communicating various seeking efforts and investigation process of accident. Government duty to give accurate information so that there is no crisscross of news causing public disquiet, therefore researcher calculates how many and how much central government releases statement containing public relations message of through newspaper Jawa Pos edition 2 January to 12 January 2007 in news loss of plane Adam Air Boeing 737 400 purpose of Jakarta-Manado via Surabaya.
Based on above phenomenon, researcher feels interesting to know level of governmental public relations message appearance frequency related to the fall of plane Adam Air at news Jawa Pos edition date of 2 January up to the date of 12 January 2007.
This research applies quantitative descriptive type, where type this only limited to at presentation of situation and event, without business is looking or explains relationship, doesn't test hypothesis or makes prediction. Data which has collected then is classified into coding sheet (spread sheet coding) and hereinafter is packed into tables is frequency distribution by using quantitative way. The data then is analyzed with analytical method contents of to message of communications which implied in media, in this research is public relations message of government, so that quantification becomes is important in the effort obtaining objectivity, by depicting in precise.
Result of research indicates that frequency is many governmental public relations message appearance related to the fall of plane Adam Air at news Jawa Post edition date of 2 January up to the date of 12 January 2007 that is informatively is development of seeking process with frequency (40 times or 42,55%), in persuasive is policy relates to accident (18 times or 38,3%), message communicator is Badan Sar Nasional (assisted TNI AL, AU, AD and Polri in level of province) 60 times or 43,8%), and communicant message is wide public. Thereby knowable that public relations message of central government done by plane searcher team alliance Adam Air what addressed to wide public passed news Jawa Pos about development of seeking process and policy related to the accident.


Background Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual physical and psychological discomfort. The disorder is common and has a negative impact on mental health and quality of life of women suffering from PMDD.
Aim This study was carried out to evaluate the quality of life of women with PMDD.
Participants and methods In a comparative case–control study, 34 patients with PMDD and 34 healthy controls (matched for age, educational level, and social class) were included. All were within the reproductive period.
Tools Both groups were subjected to the following psychometric tools: a semistructured interview, a structured clinical interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-fourth edition, the World Health Organization Quality Of Life instrument, the symptom checklist instrument, the psychological adjustment scale, and the Sheehan disability scale.
Results Patients and control groups were matched for age (P=0.46), marital status (P=0.35), educational level (P=0.87), and socioeconomic status (P=0.84). The mean scores of psychological and social relationships domains on the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF were lower for patients compared with the healthy control participants. Differences were statistically significant for emotional, family, and social adjustment (P
Conclusion Patients with PMDD have lower quality of life than healthy participants. They have maladjusted emotions, family relations, and social functioning. They experience higher somatization, obsessive-compulsive, depressive, and anxiety symptoms than normal participants. The burden of illness is high. Appropriate recognition of the disorder and its impact should lead to the treatment of women with PMDD. Effective treatments are available. They should reduce individual suffering and impact on families, society, and economy.


In this Ph.D. thesis we analyze the composition of the board of directors as key corporate governance mechanism in Europe. In the first chapter we present stylized features of firms? corporate governance in the main Western European Economies (the group E-17), comparing economic determinants, governance structures and institutional frameworks among countries, and along the time dimension. We describe the evolution of the European Corporate Sector in the last decade, stressing the importance of the harmonization process that has been going on since the beginning of this century. We also present key academic contributions in the field of corporate governance studies, both worldwide and in Europe. In the second chapter we analyze how the use of committees improves board efficiency and how it contributes to increase firm value. In the third chapter we analyze how European firms use board independence and CEO compensation as alternative corporate governance mechanisms. In our study, we find that firms that combine independent advising committees and independent boards are those with higher firm value. We also find a positive relation between board independence and the use of CEO equity linked compensation. Overall in our study we show that although board independence alone is not statistically related to firm value, the use of independent board of directors combined with additional instruments (such as advising committees and equity linked compensation) is associated with higher firm valuation in Europe.


The National Panel for School Counseling Evidence-Based Practice was established by the Center for School Counseling Outcome Research to improve the practice of school counseling by helping to develop the research base that is necessary for responsible and effective practice. This article presents the panel's Outcome Research Coding Protocol and its evaluation of the scientific research evidence supporting the effectiveness of the Student Success Skills and Second Step interventions.


Patch size and isolation are predicted to alter both species diversity and evolution; yet, there are few empirical examples of eco-evolutionary feedback in metacommunities. We tested three hypotheses about eco-evolutionary feedback in a gall-forming fly, Eurosta solidaginis and two of its natural enemies that select for opposite traits: (i) specialization and poor dispersal ability constrain a subset of natural enemies from occupying small and isolated patches, (ii) this constraint alters selection on the gall fly, causing phenotypic shifts towards traits resistant to generalist and dispersive enemies in small and isolated patches, and (iii) reduced dispersal evolves in small, isolated populations. We sampled patches in a natural metacommunity and found support for all hypotheses; Eurosta's specialist wasp parasitoid attacked fewer galls in small and isolated patches, generating a selection gradient that favoured small galls resistant to predation by a dispersive and generalist bird predator. Phenotype distributions matched this selection gradient, and these phenotypic differences were maintained in a common garden experiment. Finally, we found lower dispersal abilities in small and isolated patches, a phenotypic shift that aids in the maintenance of local adaptation. We suggest that the trophic rank and the species traits of consumers are central to evolution in metacommunities.


This article proposes a new validation method for GOMOS HRTP atmospheric temperature and density profiles, with the aim of detecting and removing 0.2 to 5 km scale vertical structures in order to minimise the impact of atmospheric artefacts in the comparison exercises. The proposed approach is based on the use of the "Morlet" Continuous Wavelet Transformation (CWT), for the characterisation and removal of non-stationary and localised vertical structures, in order to produce wave-free profiles of atmospheric temperature and density. Comparison of wave-free temperature/density profiles and wavy structures profiles with those estimated from a limited number of collocated SHADOZ soundings for the years of 2003, 2004 and 2008, is discussed in detail. First results suggest that the proposed approach could lead to a significantly improved HRTP validation scheme, in terms of reduced uncertainties in the estimated biases. Furthermore, this method may be adopted for the study of the vertical component of gravity waves from high spatial/temporal resolution data.


An attempt has been made to analyze the crank of a bicycle to check its structural integrity under the operating condition. Finite Element Method is used as a tool for this purpose. The elements used for this analysis are 3-D Beam and 10-node Tetrahedron (SOLID 92).The crank is analyzed in static condition. Distribution of different stress components and the maximum von mises stress have been ascertained. It has been found that the maximum von mises stress in the crank is 218.226 MPa which is below the yield strength of the crank material (245 Mpa).


Accurately predicting the effects of introduced species on native commumtles and ecosystems is a challenge. Utilizing methods of food web ecology, we measured grazing effects of the invasive freshwater New Zealand mud snail, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, in streams within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Previous results indicate that P. antipodarum can significantly reduce algal standing stocks in less than one week, but it is not yet known if grazing effects vary across streams differing in benthic algae production. In this study, we measured the strength of P. antipodarum grazing on algal resources across six streams varying widely in ambient primary production. In field enclosure experiments within each stream, we estimated direct grazing effects of snails on algae by measuring chlorophyll a, gross primary production and chlorophyll a-specific primary production. In most streams, P. antipodarum decreased overall algal standing stocks, as measured by chlorophyll a, even though gross primary production was not affected. As a result, chlorophyll-a specific primary production increased in productive streams. Finally, standardized comparisons of P. antipodarum-algae interactions indicated that grazing effects were largest in the most productive streams. The overall impact of P. antipodarum on native stream communities will be greatest in the most productive streams if these assemblages are also capable of supporting dense P. antipodarum populations.


We present *-CFQ ("star-CFQ"): a suite of large-scale datasets of varying scope based on the CFQ semantic parsing benchmark, designed for principled investigation of the scalability of machine learning systems in a realistic compositional task setting. Using this suite, we conduct a series of experiments investigating the ability of Transformers to benefit from increased training data size under conditions of fixed computational cost. We show that compositional generalization remains a challenge at all training sizes, and we show that increasing the scope of natural language leads to consistently higher error rates, which are only partially offset by increased training data. We further show that while additional training data from a related domain improves the accuracy in data-starved situations, this improvement is limited and diminishes as the distance from the related domain to the target domain increases.


Interaction between extracellular matrix (ECM) and cytokines is thought to be crucial for palatal development. The localization of transforming growth factors (TGFcx and TGFI isoforms) in craniofacial tissues suggests that they carry out multiple functions during development. In the present report, we studied TGFao, TGFI3, and TGFPi3 expressions and their effects on ECM macromolecule production of normal and cleft palatal fibroblasts in vitro, to investigate the mechanisms by which the phenotypic modulation of fibroblasts occurs during the cleft palate process. The results indicated that, while TGFamRNA was not evidenced in CLP or normal fibroblasts, a reduced TGFB3 hybridization signal was detected in CLP fibroblasts. In addition, these secreted more active TGFP3 than TGFI31, as evaluated in a biological assay. The CLP phenotype, which differed from the normal one because of its higher PG decorin expression and greater production of GAG and collagen, was further modified by the addition of growth factors. In fact, in CLP fibroblasts, TGFa and TGFf31 down-regulated PG decorin transcript, TGF13 increased collagen and GAG in both cellular and extracellular compartments, and TGF33 promoted secretory processes of cells. In conclusion, the data represent the first report in a human model in vitro that TGFI3 and 13 are differently expressed and are correlated to the CLP phenotype. Thus, strength is given to the hypothesis that TGF,B isoforms are the potential inducers of phenotypic expression in palatal fibroblasts during development and that an autocrine growth factor production mechanism may be responsible for the phenotypic modifications.


We describe several integer function properties which in combination allow direct lookup tables to be reduced in size and structure to simpler lookup trees. Our principal result is a novel table lookup method based on a mapping of a lookup tree to a row-by-column ROM with pre and post processing logic substantially reducing the table size. Our lookup architecture allows common 16-bit integer functions such as multiplicative inverse, square, and the discrete log to be realized with table size of order 2-8 Kbytes, in comparison to the 128 Kbyte size of an arbitrary 16-bits-in 16-bits-out function table. The lookup methodology is illustrated with specific development of the 16-bit integer discrete-log function. Implementation for both unnormalized and normalized indices are synthesized into standard cell netlists and performance and area results are given that demonstrate their effectiveness.


The garment industry is one of the widespread textile industries, as the rapid development in the production of clothing and the multiplicity of methods and techniques for its production have had a great impact on the development and prosperity of this industry, and despite the existence of some distinctive characteristics of fabrics of various types, especially those used in the production of outer clothing for women, it is found in them Some problems that affect the quality of these fabrics and thus the quality of the clothes made from them, including the susceptibility of some of these fabrics to droop, which affects the appearance and elegance of clothing, hence the need to identify the best textile materials used in the implementation of some of the clothing External for women to improve their final. In this research, three types of different fabrics were selected and the most used in the implementation of women's outerwear, namely (satin - chiffon - viscose), and the prolapse test was done for the three types of fabrics and then the implementation of clothing pieces is a women's dress of the three materials with the same design, then The three samples were judged by specialists in the field with the aim of identifying the effect of the coefficient of demonstration of the final shape of the product. The results of the research: The best material in the produced samples is the raw material, which has obtained the highest dropping coefficient (0.4) at a temperature of (20.5) and humidity (64%) in the three samples, followed by the chiffon material with a coefficient of (0.3). Then, viscose has a coefficient of drooping (0.2) at the same temperature and humidity, which confirmed the arbitration of the three pieces produced from the clothes, where the design implemented with the stan material got the highest ratio with an average of 95.4%, followed by the design implemented with the chiffon material at an average of 91.7%, then the design implemented from The material of viscose is an average of 87.9, which is the lowest estimate.


This study aimed to compare the changes in vital variables pertaining to type 2 diabetes (T2D) using Sugarfit's Diabetes Reversal Program (SDRP) and a group with NO personal coach assistance. This is a retrospective analysis of people with T2D who participated in SDRP compared with those who were not in SDRP. Participants of SDRP were assigned a personal coach with unlimited access via chat messages, audio & video calls. Regular monitoring was done by coaches to swap foods causing sugar spikes to a customised diet based on diabetes plate method using data points from Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) . Personalized interventions were advised in view of positive habit formation with frequent reminders. A total of 150 clients self enrolled in SDRP and 1clients were recruited as controls. Weight, Fasting blood sugar (FBS) and Hba1c levels were analysed from baseline to 90 days. In the group of SDRP, the weight from baseline was decreased from 76.94±12.44 kg to 73.87±11.53 kg (mean weight loss of 2.63±2.58 kg) compared to control where the weight from baseline was increased from 73.28±15.28 kg to 73.88±15.20 kg (mean weight gain of 0.50±2.37 kg) . In SDRP, Hba1c levels dropped from 8.7±1.65% to 7±1.32% with a mean change of 1.7±1.56% while the control group showed gain from 7.13±0.5% to 7.18±0.57% with a mean of 0.04±0.29%. FBS levels also showed a significant decrease in SDRP from 172.3±58.mg/dL to 114.03±24.24 mg/dL with mean loss of 61.4±57.7 mg/dL whereas control group saw slight decrease from 142.57±48.mg/dL to 141.15±44.88 mg/dL with a mean of 1.42±25.40 mg/dL. Overall, outcomes from SDRP positively affirm and signify the positive effects of change in behaviour and sustained lifestyle practises in people with T2D using proprietary SDRP methodology. Reduction of Hba1c and FBS through these evidence-based holistic recommendations can be life-altering & highly beneficial for people with T2D.

 C.Goyal mehra: None. A.M.Raymond: None. R.Prabhu: None. A.Tatti: None. V.Goel: None. Y.V.Ramesh: None.


We study the optimality and the (decentralized) formation of an interbank network. Banks can offer higher expected returns to depositors by establishing connections in the network. However, banks have an incentive to gamble with depositors\' money if not sufficiently capitalized. The bankruptcy of a bank negatively affects the banks connected to it (counterparty risk). We show that both the efficient network and the decentralized one are characterized by a core-periphery structure. Nevertheless, when bank capital transfers are not possible, the two network structures coincide only if counterparty risk is sufficiently low. Otherwise, the decentralized network is under-connected as compared to the optimal one. Finally, we show that bank capital transfers do not avoid the formation of inefficient networks.


Fifty years ago, Tuzo Wilson published his paper asking 'Did the Atlantic close and then re-open?'. This led to the 'Wilson Cycle' concept in which the repeated opening and closing of ocean basins along old orogenic belts is a key process in the assembly and breakup of supercontinents. The Wilson Cycle underlies much of what we know about the geological evolution of the Earth and its lithosphere, and will no doubt continue to be developed as we gain more understanding of the physical processes that control mantle convection, plate tectonics, and as more data become available from currently less accessible regions. This volume includes both thematic and review papers covering various aspects of the Wilson Cycle concept. Thematic sections include: (1) the Classic Wilson v. Supercontinent Cycles, (2) Mantle Dynamics in the Wilson Cycle, (3) Tectonic Inheritance in the Lithosphere, (4) Revisiting Tuzo's question on the Atlantic, (5) Opening and Closing of Oceans, and (6) Cratonic Basins and their place in the Wilson Cycle.


One of the prime manifestations of an anisotropic electronic state in underdoped cuprates is the in-plane resistivity anisotropy Δρ≡(ρ(a)-ρ(b))/ρ(b). Here we use a Boltzmann-equation approach to compute the contribution to Δρ arising from scattering by anisotropic charge and spin fluctuations, which have been recently observed experimentally. While the anisotropy in the charge fluctuations is manifested in the correlation length, the anisotropy in the spin fluctuations emerges only in the structure factor. As a result, we find that spin fluctuations favor Δρ>0, whereas charge fluctuations promote Δρ<0, which are both consistent with the doping dependence of Δρ observed in YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7). We also discuss the role played by CuO chains in these materials, and propose transport experiments in strained HgBa(2)CuO(4) and Nd(2)CuO(4) to probe directly the different resistivity anisotropy regimes.


Vernonia glaberrima has been reportedly used in traditional medicine as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antimalarial agent. The analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of the methanol leaf extract of V. glaberrima were evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice and carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats, respectively. The results of the study indicated that the extract (75mg/kg) exhibited significant (P<0.05) analgesic effect with 62.7% inhibition when compared to the standard drug, piroxicam (10mg/kg) with 44.3% inhibition. It also inhibited the carrageenan-induced paw inflammation at the first hour (30%) compared to piroxicam (20%), although the duration of activity was better sustained with piroxicam. The median lethal dose (LD50) of the extract (i.p.) was found to be 1265mg/kg suggesting the extract to be fairly toxic. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, steroids and terpenes. The results of this study suggest that the methanol extract of V. glaberrima contains bioactive principles which possess analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities and thus validates the use of the plant in traditional medicine for the management of pain and inflammation.


Through case studies we explore the dynamics of two environmental conflicts about industrial projects that affect significantly the natural milieus, and we consider the interactions between public and private decisions. The first case stages an alumina plant run by a French company ALTEO in Gardanne (France), which has dumped wastes called "red muds" in the Mediterranean sea as of 1967 until 2015 and which has be authorized to continue rejecting water, without solid particles, but in derogation to legal norms. The second case bears on the project of "biomass" unit by the German group E.ON to provide energy for power plant, in the same city. This very big unit is a challenge because the raw material will be collected for a part in a nearby environment of forests affected by anthropogenic pressures. One describes first the dynamics of the two projects by identifying all the stakeholders and stressing the chain of their decisions, especially focusing on the public ones. One infers the intricate imbrication of several levels of public decision reflecting the discordance between administrative divisions and real natural milieus. One also infers that beyond vested interests the attitudes of the stakeholders reflect different "values" assigned to Nature and divergent because of the fragmentation of knowledge relative to natural milieus. The collection of 1184 public positions allows matching the attitudes with the stakeholder categories. The attitudes toward the projects are also considered as a function of the distance to the plant location, and it comes out that are not necessarily linked to the direct impact for the stakeholder. The conclusion stresses the need for arenas of debate to improve the circulation of information and the convergence of knowledge for an attenuation of the conflicts.


Objective Patients with advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer often have metastatic disease in the upper abdominal region, especially to the right hemidiaphragm, which requires diaphragmatic resection in order to achieve optimal cytoreduction. The aim of this surgical video is to demonstrate repair of a diaphragmatic injury and placement of tube thoracostomy during right upper quadrant peritonectomy in a patient with recurrent ovarian cancer. Methods This is the case of a 45-year-old woman presented with platinum sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer. Abdomen computed tomography also confirmed peritoneal carcinomatosis and pelvic recurrent mass. HIPEC was administered after complete cytoreduction including bilateral upper quadrant peritonectomy, during which diaphragmatic injury occurred near the central tendon and pleural cavity was entered. We inserted a chest tube through the 6th intercostal space in the anterior axillary line in order to prevent postoperative massive pleural effusion. Diaphragmatic defect was closed primarily after the tube placement. The chest tube was withdrawn on the third postoperative day and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 25 without any complications. Results The central tendon of diaphragm is the most vulnerable part for lacerations. Diaphragmatic repairs could be performed by various techniques; interrupted or continuous, locking or non-locking sutures, with either permanent or absorbable materials. In our view, all of the techniques provide similar results and surgeons can choose any of them as long as they are comfortable with the procedure. Conclusion In most cases, these lacerations can be repaired primarily without necessitating tube thoracostomy. However, performance of HIPEC can cause massive pleural effusions which can lead to significant pulmonary morbidity. Therefore, retrograde placement of the chest tube under direct vision is quite straightforward when the diaphragm is opened.


Micro-TIG welding experiments have been used for the welding of the contacts of special lamps. Since the welded materials were different, the welded joint was a heterogeneous bound. For the joints a 0.6 mm Ni-Mn alloy or 0.4 mm Mo wire were inserted onto the hole of AISI 304 type austenitic stainless steel sheet, with a wall thickness of 0.35 mm. The micro-TIG welding was completed with a welding machine of which control characteristics corresponded to all the requirements necessary for TIG arc-spot welding. The goal of the experiments was to find the optimum regarding the quality of the lamps' welded joints that correspond with the needed production quality level. The problems that occurred throughout the welding process were due to the very high melting point of the Mo. Also, using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy have performed a proper testing in parallel with the experiments. The details, revealed that the geometry of the joint and the resistance depend very much of the arc length, shielding gas velocity and especially of the tip geometry of the tungsten electrode and its wearing. Regarding to the electrode's wearing, there have been determined the tip angle, the tapering and the effect of the electrode's material composition. The latter parameter was investigated for unalloyed, thorium-oxide, cerium-oxide and lanthanum- oxide alloyed electrodes.


The effect of equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) on the pitting corrosion resistance of anodized Al-Cu alloy was investigated by electrochemical techniques in a solution containing 0.2 mol/L of AlCl3 and also by surface analysis. The time required before initiating pitting corrosion of anodized Al-Cu alloy was longer with ECAP than without, indicating improvement in the pitting corrosion resistance by application of ECAP. Second phase precipitates were present in Al-Cu alloy matrix and the size of these precipitates was greatly decreased by application of ECAP. The precipitates composed of Si and Al-Cu-Si-Fe-Mn were not oxidized during anodization, and the anodic oxide film were absent at the boundary between the normal oxide films and these impurity precipitates. The pitting corrosion of anodized Al-Cu alloy occurred preferentially around these precipitates, the improvement of pitting corrosion resistance of anodized Al-Cu alloy by ECAP appears to be attributable to a decrease in the size of precipitates, which act as origins of pitting corrosion. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.MRA2008216]


Israeli choreographer Arkadi Zaides's solo dance Archive investigates the choreography of transgressions performed by Israeli fundamentalist settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. Screening fragments from a video archive documenting human rights violations in the occupied territories, this work invites Israeli spectators to sense the somatic impact of such actions and to consider the corporal resonance of the ongoing violence.


ABSTRACT Atmospheric heterogeneity mainly exposes itself as tropospheric-phase delay in Satellite Interferometric Synthetic Aperture radar (InSAR) observations, which smears or even overshadows the deformation component of InSAR measurements. In this study, we estimated the performance of four Global Atmospheric Models (GAMs), i.e. European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Reanalysis v5 (ERA5), ERA-Interim (ERA-I), Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications v2 (MERRA2) and Generic Atmospheric Correction Online Service for InSAR (GACOS), for tropospheric-phase delay reduction in InSAR applications in the Tibetan plateau, of which ERA5 is the latest GAM released by ECMWF. We demonstrated the effectiveness of Atmospheric Phase Screen (APS) correction using the four GAMs for more than 700 Sentinel-1 Terrain Observation by Progressive Scans interferograms covering two study areas in the southern (R1) and northwest margins (R2) of the Tibetan plateau. Topography-correlated signals have been widely observed in these interferograms, which are most likely due to the APS effects. We calculated the Standard Deviations (SD) and Pearson's Correlation Coefficients (r) between InSAR Line of Sight measurements and topography before and after applying APS correction. The results show that the SDs of non-deformation areas from the GAMs decrease to approximately 4 mm from around 10 mm and 12 mm originally on average for R1 and R2, respectively, and the r after the APS correction are reduced below 0.4 from around 0.8 for the selected interferometric pairs. In addition, as the newly released GAM, ERA5 has similar performance with GACOS products and outperforms other models generally. This suggests that GAMs, particularly ERA5, have great potential in the APS correction for InSAR applications in the Tibetan plateau.


HV1 and HV2, which located in control D-loop region of mitochondrial, are the hyper-variable parts of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Therefore, these two sequences were often used for evolutional and forensic science. In order to determine the genetic variation of populations belong to Nam-A and Nam-Dao language systems, we sequenced and analyzed the mtDNA HV2 region of individuals from four ethic groups: Kinh, Muong, Ede and Jarai which represent for those language systems. Study subjects are peripheral blood of 169 individuals belonging to four populations: Kinh, Muong, Ede and Jarai. HV2 regions were sequenced by Sanger sequencing. As a result, the analyzed mitochondrial control region sequences could be assigned to 79 different haplogroups, with the dominant proportion of three haplogroups: R, B and F. Donors representing Kinh or Muong population revealed higher haplogroup composition variation in comparison with those affiliated with Jarai or Ede. In addition, it was indicated that the 4 populations shared the genetic analogy with other populations inhabited in Southeast Asia and South Asia.


The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)infection commonly known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by a lentivirus (HIV). The prevalence of HIV is well documented globally but such statistics are sparse from Pakistan and there has been no such data from Balochistan at all. The current study was designed and conducted to assess the sero-prevalence of HIV amongst jail inmates in Quetta, Pakistan. A total of 200 out of 350 male prisoners were selected randomly for HIV testing. The prisoners included in the study, voluntarily completed a risk-factor questionnaire and blood samples were provided for unlinked anonymous testing for the presence of antibodies to HIV. All the subjects were above 18 years of age. Informed consent was obtained. We measured sero-prevalence and assessed the risk factors for HIV by using Abbot Determine® rapid screening kit (specificity 100%). Reactive specimens were further assessed for anti-HIV antibodies by enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). Of total 200 prisoners, 0.5%of the prisoners were found positive for HIV antibodies using ELISA which is equal to the HIV prevalence in world population. But being an Islamic country where extramarital sex and drugs are illegal and banned the resulted HIV prevalence in inmates of the District Jail Quetta, Pakistan is alarming and there is need to educate the prisoners to minimize the risk factors associated with HIV transmission.
Keywords: Seroprevalence; Jail inmates; Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); Quetta; Pakistan
http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2017.60010


Cancer stem cells (CSCs) or tumor-initiating cells (TICs) represent a minority population of cells in a tumor that can self-renew and re-create the heterogeneity of the entire tumor. Cell lines, patient-derived tumor cells, and patient-derived xenografts have all been used to isolate presumptive CSC populations from different tumor types. Because of their purported roles in tumor recurrence and prognosis, numerous efforts have centered around reliably identifying CSCs using cell surface markers, and in using genomics tools to identify molecular features unique to these cells. In this brief review, we will discuss different markers, CD44, ALDH1, CD271 and others that have used for identifying and isolating CSCs from primary head & neck and oral squamous cell carcinomas. In particular, we focus on the challenges associated with these experiments as this will be useful to researchers attempting similar isolations. We also discuss some important molecular features gleaned from studying these CSCs such as the expression of stem cell-related markers, loss of cell adhesion and terminal differentiation markers, and the presence of both epithelial and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) features.


A 13-year-old patient spontaneously lost tooth 47. In addition, he had for several weeks experienced numbness of the lower lip and the chin on the right side, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, and weight loss. After extensive investigation he seemed to be suffering from a Burkitt lymphoma. Spontaneous loss of permanent teeth in children has an extensive differential diagnosis. Dentists should be familiar with this differential diagnosis as all possible diagnoses are related to serious pathologies. The differential diagnosis includes infectious, metabolic, naplastic, and odontogenic causes. Systematic history taking, physical examination and laboratory investigations will lead to a proper diagnosis.


Renewable energy resources of part of the Asian region are not only able to fight against climate change issues but also could contribute to economic growth, employment, and energy safety. Biogas production and use are generally regarded as a sustainable practice that can guarantee high greenhouse gas savings. Thailand is an agricultural area suitable for growing of many plants, especially annual crops that can be used as an energy crop or raw material for biogas plant. In addition, grassland biomass is suitable in numerous ways for producing energy and is the most common material for producing biogas in the present scenario. There are several types of grasses popularly growing in Thailand. Grasses are converted to silage which will be used as feedstock for anaerobic digestion. Consequently, this chapter addresses the advances in silage preparations and utilization for efficient biogas production with several digestion methods including dry and wet fermentation processes, monodigestions, and codigestions.


A summary of current knowledge on successful responses to cyberbullying differentiating between three different response domains: reducing risks, combatting the problem, and buffering negative impact. A systematic literature search yielded thirty-six relevant studies, most of which report findings regarding general prevention strategies (e.g., anti-bullying policies or cybersafety strategies) and the use of coping strategies such as seeking support, responding (retaliation or confronting), technical solutions, and avoidant and emotion-focussed strategies. Whilst a few studies report perceived success, very few measure the success of the strategies in relation to risks and outcomes. There is a clear lack of evidence concerning successful responses.


PURPOSE
This study determined the anxiety and hopelessness levels of women during in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

DESIGN AND METHODS
This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted with 50 infertile women. The Personal Information Form, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) were used to collect data.

FINDINGS
A statistically significant difference between the BHS total score before oocyte pick-up and after embryo transfer was found (P < .05). However, no statistically significant relationship was found between state anxiety in the same process (P > .05).

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
This study showed that women had high levels of hopelessness and as a woman's state anxiety level increased, her level of hope decreased.


The dark side of ICT usage has started receiving increasing attention in recent years. As the Internet allows anonymity, some individuals are making use of social dating websites to engage in extramarital cyber affairs. In this study, we investigate factors likely to mitigate people's engagement in cyber affairs. We focus on the influence of religious beliefs by analysing US data over one year, drawn from a large dating website set up to facilitate married persons in establishing extramarital, offline companionships. Our main finding is that increased religiosity decreases cyber affair activities—after controlling other factors, the average expenses on cyber affairs by users from areas with more religious adherents becomes smaller. However, the mitigation effect weakens when religious rules concerning marriage are overly strict. Spending on cyber affair related activities is higher in countries with higher concentrations of Catholics relative to Protestants or Evangelical Christians. Further, entertainment facilities such as bars distract people from engaging in cyber affairs—expenses on cyber affair related activities actually decrease in counties with more bars. Our study provides several new insights into the relationship between religiosity and engagement in cyber affairs.


Introduction It has been documented that preservation of residual renal function (RRF) in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients could improve the quality of life as well as survival. To preserve RRF, different protective methods have been put into practice, such as sodium restriction, avoidance of nephrotoxic agents, use of reninangiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibition, and use of biocompatible solutions and so on. And well-protected RRF will contribute to a better control of fluid status. Fluid status of PD patients has been proved to play a role in the protection of RRF. Some clinicians proposed to keep PD patients overhydration in order to slow down the decline of RRF, while others hold different opinions. This article will review the evidence linking RRF and fluid status in PD patients, and discuss which kind of fluid status is more profitable to the preservation of RRF. Conclusion Optimal fluid status may lead to a better protection of RRF and achieve appropriate hydration management in return. Also the preserved RRF is helpful to maintain the optimal fluid status.


Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the 2'-reduction of ribonucleotides, thus providing 2'-deoxyribonucleotides, the monomers for DNA-biosynthesis. The current mechanistic hypothesis for the catalysis effected by this class of enzymes involves a sequence of radical reactions. A 3'-hydrogen abstraction, effected by a radical at the enzyme's active site, is believed to initiate the catalytic cycle. As models for this substrate-enzyme interaction, the photochemically induced intramolecular hydrogen abstraction in a series of 4'-benzophenone-substituted nucleoside analogues was studied. Model compounds with hydroxy-, methoxy-, mesyloxy-groups or a cyclic carbonate in 2'- and 3'-positions were investigated. Depending on the substitution pattern, two different types of photoproducts were observed: Those which result from photoenol formation (gamma-H-abstraction) and those which result from abstraction of the 3'-H-atom (delta-H-abstraction). Photoenol formation was further supported by H/D-exchange experiments. Thus, the 3'-H-abstraction postulated as the initial step in RNR action was successfully modeled by photolysis of 4'-benzophenone-substituted nucleoside analogues. The regioselectivity of the photochemical H-abstraction and thus of the product distribution as a function of the 2'- and 3'-substituents was rationalized on the basis of a conformational analysis of the four model systems, utilizing molecular mechanics simulations.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate vitreous levels of IGF-I and its binding proteins IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Because intravitreal proteins are elevated in patients with PDR due to the disruption of the blood-retinal barrier, we have corrected vitreal IGF-I and IGFBPs by total vitreal proteins to avoid this confounding factor.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
We compared 21 diabetic patients with proliferative retinopathy (group A) and 13 nondiabetic patients (group B) in whom a vitrectomy was performed. Both groups were matched by age, serum IGF-I, IGFBP-1, and IGFBP-3 levels. Serum and vitreous levels of IGF-I, IGFBP-1, and IGFBP-3 were measured by immunological methods. Vitreal proteins were assessed by turbidimetric method.

RESULTS
Vitreal levels of IGF-I were elevated in group A (median 1.35 ng/ml [range 0.3-8.7]) in comparison with group B (median 0.25 ng/ml [range 0-1.38]), P<0.001. After adjusting by vitreal proteins [ratio IGF-I (ng/ml)/protein (mg/ml)], the differences remain significant (P<0.005). Vitreal levels of IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 were also elevated in diabetic patients (IGFBP-1: group A, median 1.6 ng/ml [range 0.6-20.7]; group B, median 0.4 ng/ml [range 0.3-1.9], P<0.001. IGFBP-3: group A, median 102.6 ng/ml [range 53.9-350.8]; group B, median 29.0 ng/ml [range 3.2-87.8], P<0.001). However, when the ratio IGFBP/protein was considered, the differences were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS
Intraocular synthesis contributes to elevated vitreous concentrations of IGF-I found in PDR. By contrast, unspecific increase of intravitreal proteins is the main factor explaining the elevated vitreous levels of IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 found in diabetic patients.


A realistic and reliable estimation of future energy demand of a district is an important step in energy planning, both at the micro and at the macro levels. A number of analytical and mathematical models are available for making the estimation at the macro level. However, due to lack of adequate data, these models have to be simplified so as to arrive at a reliable figure for micro models. In this paper, an attempt has been made to predict the future energy demand of a district in India based on the past trends and the socio-economic parameters such as GDP, population growth and per capita income, both at the local and national levels. The future energy demand pattern fuel-wise is analyzed. This paper also discusses the steps needed to meet the anticipated future energy demand.


The application of reduced order modeling (ROM) techniques to hypersonic structures has gained significant momentum in recent years owing to its ability to deliver accurate structural-thermal response predictions with reduced computational costs relative to full order methods. Accurate response prediction is dependent on the selection of an appropriate basis which is relatively straightforward for single discipline problems. For structural problems, the basis is comprised of the natural mode shapes of the structure and duals, which are modes constructed to capture the nonlinear membrane stretching effect. Similarly, eigenvectors of the generalized conductance-capacitance eigenvalue problem have been shown to provide an adequate basis for thermal ROMs. Selecting a basis for multidisciplinary problems may be significantly more difficult because of the unexpected behavior that may result from the interactions between the disciplines. It is proposed here that reduced order models first be developed as above on single discipline arguments, then be adapted, specifically their bases, to account for the interaction as the computations proceed. An adaptive model is most likely needed for the thermal problem, since the corresponding eigenvalues are more densely clustered than for the structural problem, resulting in significant contributions from more modes as the thermal loading conditions change. To investigate these concepts, a representative hypersonic panel is considered here and a thermal reduced order model of it is first developed and validated under single discipline conditions. The applicability of this basis to represent the temperature distribution resulting from a fully coupled aero-thermo-structural interaction is then assessed and a methodology to adapt the thermal basis is proposed and discussed.


The effectiveness of nanofiltration (NF) to control assimilable organic carbon (AOC) and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC), the main indicators of biological stability of finished potable water, was systematically investigated at the 30,000 m3/day NF membrane plant located in Southern Florida. One year of full-scale operation showed that nanofiltration effectively reduced BDOC, but was not able to reject AOC. The insignificant AOC rejection observed was probably due to the low pH, high hardness, and high ionic strength (TDS) of the processing water. In order to verify this hypothesis, a series of well-controlled bench-scale experiments were conducted at simulated solution chemistries. The bench-scale study clearly demonstrated that AOC removal by NF membranes decreased markedly with decreasing pH (a 25% decrease in pH led to a 20% decrease in AOC removal), and increasing hardness (10-fold increase led to a 90% decrease in AOC removal) and ionic strength (a 25-fold increase led to a 50% decrease in AOC removal). These solution environments repress the electrostatic repulsion between charged AOC compounds and membranes, resulting in low AOC rejection. Lastly, an empirical model was statistically developed based on bench-scale data and utilized to estimate full-scale performance. AOC removal predicted by the model showed good agreement with values observed in full-scale operation (R2=0.98).


Wendelstein 7-AS (W7-AS) pertains to an advanced helical stellarator. A new fuelling method, the supersonic molecular beam injection (SMBI, named Gas Jet in Germany) system was installed in W7-AS in May 2001 as a cooperation research item co-supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China and the Max-Planck Institute of Plasma Physics, Garching, Germany. The experiments of the gas jet with hydrogen or deuterium on W7-AS were implemented. The experimental results exhibit the following features such as high fuelling efficiency, stable high-density plasmas and reduction of the recycling fluxes from the vessel wall during injection. These crucial points show that the new fuelling method can be applied to long and stable discharges.


This paper considers the realistic modelling of derivative contracts on exchange rates. We propose a stochastic volatility model that recovers not only the typically observed implied volatility smiles and skews for short dated vanilla foreign exchange options but allows one also to price payoffs in foreign currencies, lower than possible under classical risk neutral pricing, in particular, for long dated derivatives. The main reason for this important feature is the strict supermartingale property of benchmarked savings accounts under the real world probability measure, which the calibrated parameters identify under the proposed model. Using a real dataset on vanilla option quotes, we calibrate our model on a triangle of currencies and find that the risk neutral approach fails for the calibrated model, while the benchmark approach still works.


Abstract Image enhancement is a technique to increase the brightness of an image. It is also referred to as improving the quality of an image. In this paper, author discussed about the implementation of enhancement techniques like histogram stretching and histogram equalization. The implementation is done using MATLAB by designing an Image Enhancement based GUI prototype. The proposed GUI also supports the extraction of alphabetical and numerical character by using Optical Character Reorganization (OCR) technique. Keywords : Image enhancement, histogram, stretching, equalization, OCR Cite this Article Pravin Wararkar, Shashikant Patil. A GUI Based Application for Image Enhancement and Character Recognition using MATLAB. Journal of Advances in Shell Programming . 2019; 6(2): 28–34p.


From the moment we began our work as editors of  Revista Colombiana de Obstetricia y Ginecologia  (RCOG), we have been keenly interested in supporting national and international authors seeking to publish research conducted in this region. Our main focus is on publishing articles that provide the reader with a clear understanding of what the question is and how the authors came to it, as well as of the objective of the research. Articles should also contain a detailed description of the methodology used to answer the question, reduce the risk of bias, and present a relevant statistical analysis. Results are to be presented in a simple logical form, in line with the stated objectives and with supporting information included in the text and in the form of tables or figures. Finally, the discussion section is required to be relevant and compare the results obtained with the evidence available in relation to the problem studied, and state the weaknesses and strengths of the study. All this in a simple and agile format in response to the fact that readers are busy and need to optimize the time devoted to reading the manuscript in terms of credibility and efficiency. The use of several tools designed to improve reporting of biomedical research has been suggested in order to support the authors (1). The editors of the journal recommended the use of those tools for verifying the information to be included in the manuscript starting with the first 2014 issue (2); however, their interpretation is not always easy and their effective application requires some knowledge of epidemiology or statistics. Likewise, as of 2013, the editorial committee appointed an expert advisor in Ethics to provide advice to the authors and the committee itself on the ethical considerations of the publications. Along the same lines, we are now in the process of adhering to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) (3), and will take additional steps towards improved transparency of the editorial process in support of the authors and for the benefit of the RCOG readers. However, these changes will mean additional work from the editorial team and compliance with more demanding requirements by the authors as they start the publication process.