Microsimulation based frameworks have become very popular in many research areas including travel demand modeling where activity-based models have been in the center of attention for the past decade. Advanced activity-based models synthesize the entire population of the study region and simulate their activities in a way that they can keep track of agents' resources as well as their spatial location. However, the models that are built for these frameworks do not take into account this information sufficiently. This paper describes the importance of accurate information by analyzing a travel survey and proposes a methodology to generate the actual alternatives that individuals had when making their trips using Google Maps API and RTA's Goroo TripPlanner. The study reveals how some alternative modes' travel information are limited\unavailable in the traditional travel time skim matrix which must be taken in to account in our mode choice models. Also, statistics regarding available alternatives and the constraints people encounter when making a choice are presented and considered accordingly. In order to examine the importance of accurate alternative information for mode choice modeling, two mode choice models are then developed for comparison. One of the models is estimated from the accurate alternative information described in this paper and the other is estimated from the traditional travel time skim matrix obtained from the regional travel demand model. Once the superiority of the proposed method is approved through the comparison, a nested mode choice model encompassing all modes is estimated based on the developed choice set and model significance and goodness-of-fit measures are presented accordingly


This paper examines the presence of asymmetry in the response of the Libyan economy to fluctuations in oil prices, subsequent to discovery of oil in the country. Three Vector Autoregressive (VAR) models are illustrated and estimated along with a multivariate rolling VAR approach. All sectors are found to react asymmetrically to shocks in oil prices over the 1962-2012 period. The magnitude of the adverse effect of the negative oil shocks on the manufacturing and agriculture sector appears to outweigh the positive effect of the positive oil shocks. The services sector, on the other hand, is able to overcome the shocks of the oil prices, due to absence of external competition. In addition, the results of the Multivariate rolling VAR highlight the existence of structural changes in the relationship between sectors of the Libyan economy and oil prices. The essay recommends implementing fiscal policy reform to de-link the real sector from fluctuations in oil prices. It also advises promoting the development of the financial sector in order for it to contribute in the diversification of the economy.


The quote from Pierre Boulez, given as an epigraph to this article, inspired French researchers to start developing technology for spherical loudspeaker arrays in the 1990s. The hope was to retain the naturalness of sound sources. Now, a few decades later, one might be able to show that even more can be done: In electroacoustic music, using the icosahedral loudspeaker array called IKO seems to enable spatial gestures that enrich alien sounds with a tangible acoustic naturalness. After a brief discussion of directivity-based composition in computer music, the first part of the article describes the technical background of the IKO, its usage in a digital audio workstation, and psychoacoustic evidence regarding the auditory objects the IKO produces. The second part deals with acoustic equations of spherical beamforming, how the IKO's loudspeakers are controlled correspondingly, how we deal with excursion limits, and the resulting beam patterns generated by the IKO.


We present a dynamic process model for workload, developed according to a conducted experiment, which recorded the pupil dilation during an air traffic controller simulation. We describe how we built such a dynamic system based on the collected data. Logged events that happened in our simulation were used as system input and the recorded pupil dilation as output. Afterwards, we used the MATLAB system identification toolbox to identify the transfer function between input and output. The identified model is validated with a validation data set that has been excluded from the identification process. Results show that we are able to explain nearly 50% of the variance of the recorded pupil dilation data in the air traffic controller simulation. Moreover, the model explains some contrary results of the statistical analysis from our experiment.


Anthropogenic impacts from urbanization, deforestation, and agriculture have degraded the riparian margins of waterways worldwide. In New Zealand, such impacts have caused changes in native vegetation, enhanced invasion by exotic grasses, and altered river bank morphology. One consequence has been a great reduction in obligate spawning habitat of a diadromous fish, Galaxias maculatus. Juvenile G. maculatus comprise a culturally important fishery that has been considerably reduced over recent decades. Rehabilitation of riparian vegetation needed for spawning is relatively straightforward, but slow. We hypothesized that artificial spawning habitats could accelerate restoration of fish egg production by creating an environment that would support at least the same density and survival of eggs as non‐impacted vegetation. We tested three artificial devices (straw bales, straw tubes, and moss tubes) in degraded and intact sites. Eggs were laid in all of these with numbers and survival usually exceeding that in riparian grasses. Where habitat was degraded, artificial spawning habitats yielded up to 10,000 eggs compared to none in nearby natural spawning habitat. The ground‐level environment of artificial habitat was similar to that of intact vegetation in buffering ambient temperature and humidity fluctuations. Crucial properties of the artificial habitats were (1) shelter to provide shade and hold moisture; (2) accessibility to allow adult fish to deposit and fertilize eggs; and (3) robustness to provide reliable surfaces and protection for the eggs during their development. We show that artificial spawning habitats are a viable short‐term alternative to rehabilitating spawning habitat while legacy effects abate and riparian vegetation recovers.


Curability and effective management of breast cancer are dependent on its early detection. Early diagnosis strategies focus on providing timely access to breast cancer treatments by reducing barriers and improving access to effective early diagnosis. Mammography is the screening method of choice but suffers from degrading effects of scatter photons obstructing visualization of ductal carcinoma in situ and micro-calcifications in the breast. Quantitative evaluation of scatter suppression by anti-scatter grid using the beam stopper method has been investigated. Breast tissue equivalent phantom, polymethyl methacrylate was evaluated at X-ray mammographic nominal energy ranges. The anti-scatter grid used had aluminium interspace material and carbon fibre covers with varying grid features. Transmitted scatter and primary photon to the detector was analysed and evaluated. A scintillator type detector–model a Dexela 2315 MAM of size 290.8 ×229.8 mm having a resolution of 3072×3888 pixels was used. Transmitted scatter values in the range of 0.123 to 0.243 across the polymethyl methacrylate thickness of 10 mm to 80 mm were observed, whereas transmitted primary values recorded ranged from 0.713 to 0.495. Object, anti-scatter grid and X-ray energy exposure factors influenced the scatter fraction significantly. Improved mammography images showed significant improvements with this scatter reduction method using anti-scatter grid.
Keywords: Digital mammography; Anti-scatter grids; Breast screening; Scatter image artifacts; Beam stopper method;


Blood damage caused by traditional vacuum-operated suction tubes, particularly when air is aspirated along with the blood, usually exceeds damage from all other components. In addition to platelet injury, there is a high degree of hemolysis, which leads to high plasma hemoglobin levels and reduces the number of red blood cells available for reinfusion during cases of blood conservation, such as autologous transfusion and cardiac bypass. This work was undertaken to minimize hemolysis, and the accompanying platelet destruction, during aspiration, with the design of a jet-driven aspirator that separates and removes air from blood immediately within the suction tip. The jet-driven aspirator can suction blood at a range of rates from 100 to at least 700 ml/min, separates and removes 80-100% of aspirated air, operates at any orientation, and generates subatmospheric pressures on the order of only 1 inch H2O. In-vitro hemolysis testing showed a significant reduction in average plasma hemoglobin release, from 19.4 mg/dl to 1.8 mg/dl, when air was removed during blood aspiration. In comparative testing with a conventional vacuum suction tube, the jet-driven aspirator showed significantly less hemolysis than the conventional aspirator at comparable rates of air and blood aspiration.


Justifications for state interventions which seek to influence the consumption patterns of goods, services and activities are usually based on notions of equity or efficiency: the market either fails to offer a fair outcome in distributional terms or it fails to arrive at an efficient outcome in terms of aggregate welfare. But these justifications, implicitly and unintentionally, often incorporate elements which focus on the correction of another kind of failure: that of individual reasoning. They do this either because the concepts of equity and efficiency are invoked to justify state intervention beyond the analytic competence of these principles, or because support for specific public policies or institutions require additional principles to justify the particular form these institutions take. In short, justifications from equity and efficiency are underdetermined. But in order to support interventions which are at least partly correcting individual reasoning failure, we need a defensible theory of state paternalism. Existing discussions of paternalism fail to explain why the state should know better than the individual what is in his or her own best interests, even if it is acknowledged that individual reasoning can be sub-optimal. The thesis concludes with a discussion of criteria which do support the superior decision-making of the state in certain circumstances: where the benefits (or costs) of consumption are likely to occur a long period into the future; where direct experience of the particular form of consumption is problematic; and where technical complexities make judgement about appropriate consumption difficult. The thesis concludes with an analysis of some applications and implications of these proposals for state intervention in consumption.


Objective: The effect of Celiac Disease (CD) on children's bone is the decrease in bone mineral density (BMD). Osteoporosis is a consequence of this decrease and usually manifests in adult ages. Studies in CD patients generally show that bone density of these patients can be different at the same ages for the same duration of disease. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between age and bone mineral density of CD patients at first diagnosis. Material and Methods: Ninety one patients (M/F: 36/55; age range: 3-16; mean age: 9.6±3.5) with diagnosis of CD were included in the study. BMD survey from L1-L4 lumbar spine and total hip of the patients was evaluated at presentation. We evaluated the patients in 3 groups according to their ages: Group 1: pre-school (3-7 years old), Group 2: elementary school (8-11 years old) and Group 3: adolescent (12-16 years old). Results were compared using Student's t test and correlation analysis. Results: The mean disease duration of the patients was 16.4±16.3 months. Mean height and weight of the patients were 124.8±17.9 cm and 27±9.3 kg, respectively and height and weight of 37 patients were in ≤ 3. percentile according to age. The BMD values of both lumbar spine and total hip and Z-scores of lumbar region were in mild correlation with age (r>0.5). There was significant difference between mean ages of patients with low bone mass for chronological age and normal bone densitometry values (p<0.05). There were 27, 36 and 28 patients in Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3, respectively. The difference between mean BMD values of these groups were statistically significant (p<0.05). The mean values of lumbar Z- scores of patients were -1.08±1.27, -1.42±1, -1.86±1.14, respectively for these three groups. Conclusion: Bone mineral densities of CD patients in childhood were lower in elder children at the time of diagnosis. This confirms the opinion that the diagnosis at earlier age results better treatment chance before bone mineral loss appears in CD patients. (MIRT 2011;20:59-62)


The article discusses issues related to the value of human work. Work is considered as something more than just gaining revenues. Most of all, it carries multiple values which allows individuals to strive for self-development and improvement of his or her personality. Through work individual not only produces material goods, but also introduces intended and valuable changes in his or her environment. Working people should have a sense of dignity and freedom, be aware of their freedom, responsibility and sensitivity to their humanity subjected to the test of time in the phenomena of work. The article is an overview of the concept of work in terms of ethics.


We performed the luminescence measurements in 1% Nd3+/10% Yb3+ co-doped yttrium silicate (Y2O3: SiO2) nanopowder at atmospheric pressure and a vacuum (0.01 mbar) with the near-infrared (808 nm) laser diode excitation. The sample was synthesized by sol-gel method and annealed at 1250 °C for 12 h. The emission was observed with the wide bands corresponding to the energy transitions of Nd3+ ions and the energy transfer between Nd3+ and Yb3+ at various excitation power densities. The emitted light intensity was not stable at atmospheric pressure while it was more stable at 0.01 mbar. It was seen that the thermal effects due to the laser absorption, duration of the measurement and also focusing arrangements play a more important role in the luminescence behavior at atmospheric pressure. We report the anomalous 's'-shape pump power dependency of the up-converted green and red emissions obtained under vacuum (0.01 mbar). We have also investigated the luminescence dynamics of these emissions by analyzing the rise and decay patterns. The threshold power to obtain very bright white light was decreased under vacuum condition and the color quality parameters were also analyzed for all the experimental conditions.


The anomalous magnetic moment (g-2) of the muon was measured with a precision of 0.54 ppm in Experiment 821 at Brookhaven National Laboratory. A difference of 3.2 standard deviations between this experimental value and the prediction of the Standard Model has persisted since 2004; in spite of considerable experimental and theoretical effort, there is no consistent explanation for this difference. This comparison hints at physics beyond the Standard Model, but it also imposes strong constraints on those possibilities, which include supersymmetry and extra dimensions. The collaboration is preparing to relocate the experiment to Fermilab to continue towards a proposed precision of 0.14 ppm. This will require 20 times more recorded decays than in the previous measurement, with corresponding improvements in the systematic uncertainties. We describe the theoretical developments and the experimental upgrades that provide a compelling motivation for the new measurement.


Lockdown (COVID-19) brought changes in the mode of teaching and learning process. It transformed traditional classes to digital classes. Digital classes are new to the students, guardians and teachers in our society. It might have positive and negative impacts. To find the attitude of guardians towards online classes is the main concern of this study. Its findings assist to the educational planners, teachers and guardians for better improvement of digital classes. The target population for this study were selected from the guardians of Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality. Stratified and random sampling procedures were applied for the study. Close ended questions were structured and administered to the respondents. The hypothesis of this study was expected to be positive but the result is negative. Almost 80% guardians showed their attitude unsatisfactorily. To make effective and productive digital classes, proper management is highly demanded from local to national government. Lack of trained teachers, insufficient digital devices and its services to the guardians, lack of digital knowledge about handling it are the major obstacles to conduct digital classes.


Angiogenesis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of resveratrol, a polyphenol with antiangiogenic activity in DN. In a type 1 diabetic rat model, resveratrol treatment blunted the increases of urine albumin excretion, kidney weight and creatinine clearance rate. The increases of glomerular diameter, mesangium accumulation, glomerular basement membrane thickness and renal fibrosis in diabetic rats were also reduced by resveratrol treatment. In the diabetic kidney, increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Flk-1 and angiopoietin 2, and reduced expression of Tie-2 were observed. These changes in angiogenic hormones and associated receptors were attenuated by resveratrol treatment. No changes in angiopoietin 1 expression were detected among each group of rats. Resveratrol also significantly downregulated high glucose-induced VEGF and Flk-1 expressions in cultured mouse glomerular podocytes and endothelial cells, respectively. These effects were attenuated by knocking-down silent information regulator 1 (Sirt1) expression. In contrast, upregulation of Sirt1 in cultured endothelial cells reduced Flk-1 expression. Increased permeability and cellular junction disruption of cultured endothelial cells caused by VEGF were also inhibited by resveratrol pretreatment. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that resveratrol may attenuate DN via modulating angiogenesis.


In this research work, we studied the effect of alcoholic extract of plant Premna latifolia (leaves) on the enzymes associated with metabolism of carbohydrate and lipid in the rats models with induced diabetes employing Streptozotocin. Administration of alcoholic extract of Premna latifolia was made to these diabetic rats at doses of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg once a day for three weeks. Various changes specifically, glucose levels in blood, insulin, total cholesterol content in serum, triglycerides, High Density Lipoprotein levels, Low Density Lipoprotein levels along with variations in the body weight were measured. Numerous enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrate and lipids viz. amylase, lipase, Aldolase, Glucose-6-phosphatase, Phosphogluco isomerase, Fructose-1,6-diphosphatase, and Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase have been evaluated. Further, the histopatholgical changes in pancreas have been studied and reported. This study substantiates that the alcoholic extract of Premna latifolia normalizes the blood glucose, insulin, lipid profile by regulating pancreatic and hepatic enzyme levels in diabetic rats. Alcoholic extract of Premna latifolia lowers glucose and lipid levels in the blood of diabetic rats.
Keywords: Antidiabetic; Premna latifolia; Glucose-6-phosphatase; Insulin; streptozotocin; Pancreatic b-cells.


Polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposites embedded with manganese iron oxide (MnFe2O4) nanoparticles were prepared as thin films by electropolymerizing aniline monomers onto indium tin oxide (ITO) glass slides pre-spin-coated with MnFe2O4 nanoparticles. The shift of the characteristic peaks of PANI/MnFe2O4 in UV-visible absorption spectra and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra indicates the formation of composite films and the chemical interaction between the PANI matrix and MnFe2O4 particles. A coloration efficiency of 92.31 cm2 C−1 was obtained for the PANI/MnFe2O4 nanocomposite film, higher than that of the pristine PANI film, 80.13 cm2 C−1, suggesting a synergistic effect between the MnFe2O4 particles and the PANI matrix. An enhanced areal capacitance of 4.46 mF cm−2 was also achieved in the PANI/MnFe2O4 nanocomposite film compared with 3.95 mF cm−2 in the pristine PANI film by CV at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1. The enhanced performances of the composite films were attributed to the pseudocapacitive properties of MnFe2O4 and rougher morphology caused by the embedment of MnFe2O4 particles into the PANI matrix. Finally, the sulfuric acid (H2SO4) concentration and temperature effects on the supercapacitive behavior of the pristine PANI and PANI/MnFe2O4 nanocomposite films were studied, suggesting the positive effects of decreasing H2SO4 concentration and increasing temperature in a low temperature range; higher temperatures can destroy the PANI structure and cause the degradation of PANI.


REDD+ implementation DTU Orbit (16/12/2018)  Economics of forest and forest carbon projects. Translating lessons learned into national REDD+ implementation The financial implications of implementing a new forest management paradigm have not been well understood and have often been underestimated. Resource needs for e.g., stakeholder consultation, capacity building and addressing the political economy are seldom fully accounted for in the resource needs estimates put forward in connection to REDD+. This report investigates the economics of implementing forest and REDD+ projects through eight case studies from Africa, Latin America and Asia, analyzing real forest and REDD+ investments. The report is part of efforts to share financial experiences and lessons learned with policymakers, project developers and stakeholders, with the objective to inform forest project and strategy development. It presents experiences and advice on the risks, costs and revenues of forest projects, thereby informing not only the development of future REDD+ initiatives but also the testing of advanced market commitments as a finance option for sustainable forest management. The findings in the report underline the fact that only through sound and transparent financial information will forest projects and national forest initiatives become interesting for private financial institutions and comparable with other investment opportunities. It is therefore important to include robust analysis of the operations business case and its financial attractiveness to commercial investors, early in the design process. As for the economics of forest and forest carbon projects, it appears that REDD+ payments alone, especially at current prices, will not deliver the revenues that cover all expenses of transparent and long-term mitigation of forest carbon emissions. Instead the findings underline the importance of building up forest operations which effectively manages risk and delivers several revenue streams. These findings are aligned with the advocacy efforts of UNEP and the UN-REDD Programme on multiple benefits and the combination of various funding and revenue streams. Only through this wider approach can our management and utilization of forest resources be ensured to deliver long-term benefits to national development, local livelihoods and climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. A transformation towards a low carbon green economy is also likely to present new market opportunities. While building on the traditional forest revenue streams (trade in timber and non-timber forest products) the emerging trade opportunities should also be included in the business model. As the demand for traditional forest goods is increasing and a green economy creates demands for new services, goods and solutions, it is foreseeable that with the right enabling conditions from the public sector, much more private sector investment will be directed towards forests in order to capitalize on a green economy.


Abstract The RepeatsDB database (URL: https://repeatsdb.org/) provides annotations and classification for protein tandem repeat structures from the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Protein tandem repeats are ubiquitous in all branches of the tree of life. The accumulation of solved repeat structures provides new possibilities for classification and detection, but also increasing the need for annotation. Here we present RepeatsDB 3.0, which addresses these challenges and presents an extended classification scheme. The major conceptual change compared to the previous version is the hierarchical classification combining top levels based solely on structural similarity (Class > Topology > Fold) with two new levels (Clan > Family) requiring sequence similarity and describing repeat motifs in collaboration with Pfam. Data growth has been addressed with improved mechanisms for browsing the classification hierarchy. A new UniProt-centric view unifies the increasingly frequent annotation of structures from identical or similar sequences. This update of RepeatsDB aligns with our commitment to develop a resource that extracts, organizes and distributes specialized information on tandem repeat protein structures.


A key capability of a long-term tracker is to search for targets in very large areas (typically the entire image) to handle possible target absences or tracking failures. However, currently there is a lack of such a strong baseline for global instance search. In this work, we aim to bridge this gap. Specifically, we propose GlobalTrack, a pure global instance search based tracker that makes no assumption on the temporal consistency of the target's positions and scales. GlobalTrack is developed based on two-stage object detectors, and it is able to perform full-image and multi-scale search of arbitrary instances with only a single query as the guide. We further propose a cross-query loss to improve the robustness of our approach against distractors. With no online learning, no punishment on position or scale changes, no scale smoothing and no trajectory refinement, our pure global instance search based tracker achieves comparable, sometimes much better performance on four large-scale tracking benchmarks (i.e., 52.1% AUC on LaSOT, 63.8% success rate on TLP, 60.3% MaxGM on OxUvA and 75.4% normalized precision on TrackingNet), compared to state-of-the-art approaches that typically require complex post-processing. More importantly, our tracker runs without cumulative errors, i.e., any type of temporary tracking failures will not affect its performance on future frames, making it ideal for long-term tracking. We hope this work will be a strong baseline for long-term tracking and will stimulate future works in this area.


Recently academic publishing has entered in a new era, namely that of open access publishing. This has resulted in the appearance of numerous new open access journals. Scholars who want to publish their work today have endless publishing possibilities to choose from, but who is able to tell them which journal is reliable? This used to be the job of librarians, but with approximately 17000 journals they are no longer able to keep up. For this reason several websites and services have started to gather information about open access journals in order to make an overview of reliable and unreliable journals. One of these services is called Quality Open Access Market (QOAM). In this article six other services (Directory of Open Access Journals, JournalReviewer, SciRev, Journalysis, Journalguide, PRE-val and Eigenfactor) will be compared to QOAM in order to find out which service offers the best results. QOAM is taken as a starting point here because the research presented in this article was commissioned by them (namely: Saskia de Vries and Leo Waaijers) in order to find out what value they can actually add.


With universities adopting a learner-centered, constructivist approach to learning and greater use of technology, combined with the pressures of 21st century living and the increasing number of people taking up tertiary study, there is a greater need than ever to determine how a learner constructs and uses his/her learning environment, and what drives that process of construction and use. This thesis investigates the learner's learning environment from the learner's perspective. Through the analysis of semi-structured interviews, and personality type as determined by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, it identified three drivers that impact upon the construction and use of the learner's learning environment. These three drivers are: 1) the learner's impetus to learn; 2) the self-perceived technology ability of the learner; and 3) the personality type of the learner. This thesis looks at the construction of the learner's learning environment as part of constructivist theory, recognizing that, as in the construction of new, individual representations of knowledge, each learner forms new, individual representations of his/her own learning environment, determined by the drivers that impact on this construction and use. The thesis also examines the learner's learning environment in light of the provided environment for the unit of study they are enrolled in. It shows that pedagogical approaches, learning environment design and choice of elements included in the provided environment, may be at odds with the learner's drivers and the way in which they construct their learning environment. As a consequence, the educator cannot guarantee the learner will use the provided environment as intended or envisaged, which may impact on the learning outcomes for the learner. These findings therefore, provide insights into the ways in which a learner incorporates the provided environment into his/her own unique learning environment, offering practical information for the design and development of the provided environment.


Objectives. Experience with anti-TNF agents for a decade can be used to research the safety and effectiveness of anti-TNF agents in the long term. The objective of this article is to describe drug survival, disease activity, daily functioning, quality of life and adverse events of TNF-blocking agents in daily clinical practice after 5 years of follow-up. Methods. Data from the Dutch Rheumatoid Arthritis Monitoring (DREAM) register of 1560 RA patients were used for analyses (5-year follow-up, n = 174). Drug survival and time to first serious infection or malignancy were analysed by Kaplan–Meier analysis. Several outcome measures at several follow-up moments were analysed per intention to treat and per protocol. Results. The 5-year drug survival of the first anti-TNF was 45%, and 60% for total use of TNF-blocking agents. Baseline 28-joint DAS (DAS-28) was 5.1 ( S . D . 1.3). After 5 years, the mean DAS-28 was 3.2 ( S . D . 1.3) in all patients who had started with TNF-blocking agents and 2.9 ( S . D . 1.1) in patients who were still on TNF-blocking agents. In the latter group, the HAQ score was 0.88 ( S . D . 0.7) and the EuroQol five dimensions (EQ-5D) utility score was 0.7 ( S . D . 0.2). Incidence rates of serious infections and malignancies were 2.9 and 0.6 per 100 patient-years, respectively. Conclusion. Five-year follow-up of RA patients treated with TNF-blocking agents showed a 60% drug survival accompanied by sustained low disease activity, normalized function and quality of life similar to that in the general population. The benefit to risk ratio for long-term TNF-blocking therapy remains favourable.


GENERATIVE INFLUENCES: AN OVERVIEW The initial conditions leading to the formation of the discipline and study of philosophy in Islam were complex, but in general it can be said that this philosophical tradition was almost entirely based on Arabic translations of Greek texts. What is commonly designated as "Islamic philosophy" is marked by wide-ranging textual traditions in the genesis and development of a predominantly syncretic yet systematic philosophy in Islamic civilisation from Andalusia to India from the ninth century to the present. The majority of its texts are in Arabic, but a large number came to be written in Persian, a process which accelerated after the twelfth century. Islamic philosophy grew out of the desire by learned members of the community to uphold the authority of Islamic revelation against arguments increasingly posed by members of the many divergent peoples who were living in lands united by the conquests of the seventh and eighth centuries. After the establishment of the Abbasid caliphate in Baghdad (750), subjects of various faiths contributed to an atmosphere of relatively free debate concerning the main constructs of religion, such as God, creation, causality, free will and divine authority. Increasingly, Muslims were forced to uphold the universalist ideology of Islam from a rational perspective and within civil institutions. Thus, although the majority of the practitioners of philosophy in the Islamic world were Muslims of differing cultural, social and linguistic backgrounds, their ranks also included many notable members of other religions.


Background: In recent years, the continuous noninvasive hemoglobin measurement has been offered by devices using advanced pulse oximetry technology. Accuracy has been established in healthy adults as well as in surgical and intensive care unit patients but not in the setting of acute hemorrhage. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy of such a device in the clinical setting of preoperative phlebotomy thereby mimicking a scenario of acute blood loss. Methods: This prospective study included patients undergoing surgical repair of congenital heart disease (CHD) for whom preoperative phlebotomy was planned. Blood was removed after the induction of anesthesia and prior to the start of the surgical procedure. Replacement with crystalloid was guided by hemodynamic variables and cerebral oxygenation measured by near-infrared spectroscopy. Hemoglobin was measured by bedside whole blood analysis (total hemoglobin [tHb]) before and after phlebotomy, and concurrent measurements from the pulse co-oximeter (noninvasive, continuous, or spot-check testing of total hemoglobin [SpHb]) were recorded. Results: The study cohort included 45 patients ranging in age from 3 months to 50 years. Preoperative phlebotomy removed an average of 9.2 mL/kg of blood that was replaced with an average of 7.2 mL/kg of crystalloid. The pre- and postphlebotomy tHb values were 13.0 ± 1.9 and 12.4 ± 1.8 g/dL, respectively. The absolute difference between the tHb and SpHb (▵Hb) was 1.2 ± 0.1 g/dL. Bland-Altman analysis revealed a bias of 0.1 g/dL, a precision of 1.5 g/dL, and 95% limits of agreement of −2.8 to 3.1 g/dL. In 52.2% of the sample sets, the SpHb was within 1 g/dL of the actual hemoglobin value (tHb), and in 80% of the sample sets, the SpHb was within 2 g/dL. No variation in the accuracy of the deviation was noted based on the patient's age, weight, or type of CHD (cyanotic versus acyanotic). Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that the accuracy of continuous, noninvasive hemoglobin measurement was not affected by acute blood loss simulated by preoperative phlebotomy. Although the device provided a clinically acceptable correlation with the actual hemoglobin value and offers the value of a continuous trend monitor, given the precision of the device, it does not appear that actual transfusion decisions can be based on the device alone.


This paper will look at Tabu (Miguel Gomes, 2012) as an instance where the indictment of colonialism emerges from the gaps between the different layers of reality and between these and the concurring narrative media utilised. The story is told from the point of view of split subjectivities who are at pains in recognising themselves in their memories of the Portuguese colonial actions in Africa. In Tabu, memories appear in the form of allegories and parables of legendary tales, such as One Thousand and One Nights and Robinson Crusoe, which reconstruct the coloniser as a suicidal explorer changed into a crocodile. This in turn is revealed to be the subject of a film within a film that clashes against the parodic use of music and voiceover commentary. The chapter will focus on the ways in which these narrative strategies rely on the creation of atmosphere in order to convey meaning.


The Federal Aviation Administration emphasized the need to focus on and develop human factors training as early as 1993 in official Human Factors Policy Order 9550.8. The purpose of this study was to conduct a detailed qualitative phenomenological analysis of the risk perceptions and decision-making model of collegiate aviation pilots for unstabilized approaches. The study focused on understanding how collegiate aviation pilots perceive unstable approaches, the risk associated with unstable approaches, and the factors that trigger pilots to execute a go-around. The International Air Transportation Association warns that continuing an unstabilized approach can lead to runway excursions, hard landings causing damage to aircraft, or even controlled flight into terrain. The theoretical framework guiding this study was the risk compensation theory. The researchers recruited 15 participants through purposeful sampling for a phenomenological analysis using semi-structured interviews and a short questionnaire. A phenomenological methodology enabled the researchers to bring forth into consciousness preconceived ideas about unstabilized approaches and then set them aside. To address the research questions, information collected from individual interviews was analyzed and triangulated using a qualitative questionnaire. Three major themes emerged from the data: (a) effect of internal perceptions, (b) external pressures, and (c) unique worldviews. The findings validated the risk compensation theory's principles by exposing the influence of mental and environmental factors impairing participants' judgment of an unstabilized approach. Further research is required for developing standardized and objective stabilization criteria that the general aviation community can accept.


Micro‐hydroforming is a down‐scaled metal forming process, based on the expansion of micro‐tubes by internal pressurization within a die cavity. The objective of micro‐hydroforming is to provide a technology for the economic mass production of complex shaped hollow micro‐components. Influence of size effects in metal forming processes increases with scaling down of metal parts. Investigations into the change in formability of micro‐tubes due to metal part scaling down constituted an important subject within the conducted fundamental research work. Experimental results are presented, concerning the analysis of the formability of micro‐tubes made from stainless steel AISI 304 with an outer diameter of 800 μm and a wall thickness of 40 μm. An average ratio of tube wall thickness to grain size of 1.54 of up to 2.56 was analyzed. Miniaturised mechanical standard methods as well as bulge tests with internal hydrostatic pressurization of the tubular specimens were applied to analyze the influence of size‐dependent effects. A test device was developed for the bulge experiments which enabled the pressurization of micro‐tubes with internal pressures up to 4000 bar. To determine the attainable maximum achievable expansion ratio the tubes were pressurized in the bulge tests with increasing internal pressure until instability due to necking and subsequent bursting occurred. Comparisons with corresponding tests of macro‐tubes, made from the here investigated material, showed a change in formability of micro‐tubes which was attributed to the scaling down of the hydroforming process. In addition, a restricted applicability of existing theoretical correlations for the determination of the maximum pressure at bursting was observed for down‐scaled micro‐hydroforming.


Star formation in galaxies relies on the availability of cold, dense gas, which, in turn, relies on factors internal and external to the galaxies. In order to provide a simple model for how star formation is regulated by various physical processes in galaxies, we analyse data at redshift $z=0$ from a hydrodynamical cosmological simulation that includes prescriptions for star formation and stellar evolution, active galactic nuclei (AGN), and their associated feedback processes. This model can determine the star formation rate (SFR) as a function of galaxy stellar mass, gas mass, black hole mass, and environment. We find that gas mass is the most important quantity controlling star formation in low-mass galaxies, and star-forming galaxies in dense environments have higher SFR than their counterparts in the field. In high-mass galaxies, we find that black holes more massive than $\sim10^{7.5}$ M$_\odot$ can be triggered to quench star formation in their host; this mass scale is emergent in our simulations. Furthermore, this black hole mass corresponds to a galaxy bulge mass $\sim2\times10^{10}$ M$_\odot$, consistent with the mass at which galaxies start to become dominated by early types ($\sim3\times10^{10}$ M$_\odot$, as previously shown in observations by Kauffmann et al.). Finally, we demonstrate that our model can reproduce well the SFR measured from observations of galaxies in the GAMA and ALFALFA surveys.


The physical nature of quasi-static and transient anomalies in the geomagnetic field induced by underground explosions or earthquakes is reviewed. New theoretical results obtained recently and so far little known to general circles of geophysicists are presented. The physical nature of residual magnetic and electrotelluric fields at the explosion point are considered. The seismic waves from explosions or distant earthquakes are suggested to be used as a tool for the preliminary probing of the Earth's crust sensitivity to various seismo-electromagnetic effects. The use of magnetic induction effects for tsunami detection and for crust sounding is outlined. The nature of ULF magnetic impulses related with earthquakes is discussed.


In recent decades, gated communities for affluent groups have gained academic attention worldwide. However, in nations with large inequalities such as Mexico, which are also affected by issues of insecurity, corruption, and violence, these enclaves have become more common for middle-income groups. Their existence is usually associated with the search for prestige and exclusivity, along with fear of crime and violence. However, this article focuses on other structural conditions that contribute to the proliferation of these fortified spaces, such as the connections between global economic forces and the changes in national planning, financial, and housing policies since the 1990s. Since then, Mexican peripheries have become more fragmented and disconnected and gated communities have proliferated. This discussion takes place in a context of global polarisation, both in the Global North and South, in which planners have been urged to respond to issues of growing fear, inequality, and violence. This article addresses the contradictions of polarisation, because some Mexicans are defending the right to build walls to protect from insecurity, while there is also social condemnation of the proposed wall by President Trump. The discussion about macro-economic policies in the development of middle-class gated communities in Mexico is helpful in identifying the future risks and challenges that may come from the normalisation of exclusionary places.


In view of the defect that TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) can not deal with imprecise data properly in multiple criteria decision making. And the weights are often hard to reflect the fact because of subjective preference of decision makers. We proposed a hybrid model combines TOPSIS and imprecise DEA model to improve the disadvantages. Ideal DMU and anti-ideal DMU were built, and the corresponding positive ideal point and negative ideal point were established. Imprecise DEA was set up and an upper-lower limit method is utilized to formulate the imprecise efficiency scores of the two hypothetical DMUs. Based on the distances between DMU0 and the two hypothetical DMUs respectively, imprecise relative closeness was formulated to rank the superiority of all DMUs. The imprecise DEA model based on TOPSIS can avoid too subjective weights and make the evaluation more rational. A numerical example indicated the efficiency of the hybrid measure.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and their association with sociodemographic variables and with the characteristics of the work environment.

METHODS
A cross-sectional study comprising 464 workers employed at ceramics manufacturing facilities located in the city of Várzea Grande, Brazil. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire comprising questions regarding sociodemographic variables, work environment characteristics, and respiratory symptoms. Data were analyzed by means of prevalence ratios and their respective 95% CIs between the dependent variable (respiratory symptoms) and the other explanatory variables. In the multivariate analysis, two hierarchical models were built, the response variables being "all respiratory symptoms" and "severe respiratory symptoms".

RESULTS
In the sample studied, the prevalence of "all respiratory symptoms" was 78%, whereas that of "severe respiratory symptoms" was 35%. The factors associated with "all respiratory symptoms" were gender, age bracket, level of education, type of occupation, exposure to dust, and exposure to chemical products. The factors associated with "severe respiratory symptoms" were level of education, exposure to dust, and exposure to chemical products.

CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate the presence of upper and lower airway disease in the population studied.


Wondering what to read this summer? Browse these lists for suggestions! Take your pick of action/adventure books, fantasies, science fiction books, mysteries, realistic fiction, audiobooks and more.


ABSTRACT This study aims to reveal the meanings attached to the concept of childhood and discuss how it is conceptualized and shaped with cultural attributes by parents and preschool teachers. The study was based on both quantitative and qualitative stance. One hundred and thirty parents and 125 preschool teachers participated in the first phase of the study. As a follow-up study, face to face interviews were also conducted with 11 parents and 13 preschool teachers to provide in-depth explanations for the definitions of childhood. Results showed that parents and preschool teachers placed the child as the representative of the moral values as well as emphasizing the obedience as one of the main qualities that a child should have. Their expectancies from their children seem to be in parallel with the meaning they attribute to childhood. Cultural, educational and psychological factors seem to be influential in the ways parents and preschool teachers define childhood.


Physiotherapy student attitudes to ageing and generic skills change after two weeks of introductory clinical placement in residential aged care facilities. 1Laakso, L. and 2Kilsby, E. 1School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, and 2School of Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. Background: There are critical workforce shortages of physiotherapists in all sectors in Australia especially aged care. An emphasis on generic skills training for health professionals is essential in introductory clinical placements when educating physiotherapists for the real world. Aims: Introduce physiotherapy students to the aged care sector with the aim of addressing critical workforce shortages in the longer term. Expose students to aged care early and measure their attitudes to ageing (A2A) over time. Define and emphasise generic skills development in beginner physiotherapy students. Method: All beginning physiotherapy students in 2 cohorts were immersed in residential aged care facilities for an intensive 2 week introductory clinical experience under supervision primarily of the nursing team (& physiotherapist when available). Data collection & analysis: Students' attitudes to ageing were measured (frequency distribution & cross-tabulations) at entry to the physiotherapy program; and prior to & after completing the Introductory placement. Quantitative and qualitative feedback from students, facility staff & residents was collated. Student perceptions of generic skills development was measured at exit points (self-reflective survey tool & Likert scales). Results: Of 27 items on the A2A questionnaire, 15 items demonstrated a positive change, 7 items demonstrated a negative change & 5 items demonstrated no change. Qualitative / thematic analysis demonstrated the benefits of the experience to students, staff and residents. Generic skills development improved in all skill areas in the majority of respondents. Conclusions: Changes to students' attitudes to ageing and generic skills development are possible under this model. Some bias toward a negative change in attitude for some students was probably based on the type of resident/s they may have been exposed to in the facilities.


This review covers the multiconfiguration time‐dependent Hartree (MCTDH) method, which is a powerful and general algorithm for solving the time‐dependent Schrödinger equation. The formal derivation is discussed as well as applications of the method. Recent extensions of MCTDH are treated in brief, namely, MCTDHB and MCTDHF, for treating identical particles (bosons and fermions), and the very powerful multilayer (ML‐MCTDH) formalism. Compact representations of potential energy surfaces (PESs) are also discussed, as the representation of a PES becomes a major bottleneck when going to larger systems (nine or more dimensions) while employing a full‐dimensional, complicated, and nonseparable PES. As applications of MCTDH, we discuss the calculation of photoionization and photoexcitation spectra of the vibronically coupled systems butatriene and pyrazine, respectively, and the infra‐red spectrum of the Zundel cation (protonated water dimer) H5O+2. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


: We report the first three documented cases of murine typhus imported into Europe from Indonesia, discuss clues for the diagnosis of the disease, and urge that murine fever be considered in the diagnosis of febrile disease in travelers.


Disordered eating (DE) is a subclinical eating disorder that includes a wide range of unhealthy behaviours, spanning from occasional dieting and use of laxatives to chronic dieting that may eventually evolve into a clinical eating disorder. Several studies indicate that disordered eating is associated with distress and impairment, underscoring the need for intervention, as it is the most common indicator of the development of an eating disorder. However, little is known about factors that trigger and maintain disordered eating behaviours. For example, the literature supports the possible role of a dysfunctional attachment style, as well as proximal negative affect and immediate context, in precipitating disordered eating behaviours. Moreover, hormonal changes seem to be responsible for exacerbating disordered eating symptomatology in accordance with a particular phase of the menstrual cycle (e.g., prior to or during menstruation).
This dissertation examined the role of attachment style, negative affect, immediate context and menstrual cycle as possible antecedents of eating in disordered and normal eaters. Longitudinal changes one-hour prior to and after eating, and over a one-week period have been investigated. Moreover, the influence of menstrual cycle on eating intake in the disordered eating sample and general population has been studied.
The research utilised Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), a design that involved repeated assessments of current psychological and situational states in participants' natural environments. Forty-six male (Mean = 28.8 years old) and ninety female participants (Mean = 28.7 years old) with disordered eating (N = 55) and healthy controls (N = 81) were recruited from the community to make multiple daily ratings of affect, hunger levels, menstrual status (for the female sample), time and location using random-, interval-, and event-contingent recordings. They had to record their food intake, mood and location over a one-week period, to investigate their eating pattern, and over a two-week period to study the impact of menstrual cycle on eating behaviours. Hierarchical regressions, Generalised Estimating Equations, repeated-measured Manova/Anova and Mixed Model analyses were used to examine between-day differences and within-day changes in psychological, situational variables relative to eating and menstrual status in disordered eating individuals and controls.
The results showed that the feeling of loneliness might predict disordered eating behaviours when moderated by an anxious attachment style [B (SE) = -1.62, p = .029)]. Levels of shame [Estimate (SE) = -.483 (.222), p = .030] and disgust
[Estimate (SE) = -.428 (.177), p = .016] were higher at eating episodes, while guilt [Estimate (SE) =.639 (.189), p = .001] increased mostly after eating. Moreover, the results confirmed the importance of situational factors in precipitating disordered eating behaviours [e.g., being at home [OR (95%IC) = .847 (.753-.952), p =. 005], absence of others [OR (95%IC) = .883 (.786-.993), p = .037)]. This is the first study to demonstrate that there are within-person situational processes in disordered eating revealing that the absence of others might be a unique antecedent of eating pathology. In addition, loneliness, shame, disgust and guilt might play a unique role in triggering and maintaining disordered eating.
Menstrual cycle seemed to play an important role in influencing eating pattern in disordered eating individuals. Disordered eating females experienced cravings (F = 41.25, p < .001) and bloating (F = 3.39, p < .001) more frequently on menstrual days compared to non-menstrual days, while controls did not show much difference.
To conclude, findings suggest that the absence of others, high levels of negative affect and the menstrual cycle might precipitate disordered eating behaviours in a subclinical disordered eating population.


Treatment of MCS, an illness characterized by reaction to a multiplicity of factors coming from within the patient and from the social and physical environment, must incorporate multiple types of help, all directed toward supplying what these patients require. Medical, psychiatric, and social work treatment are all significant and all different, with overlap in several areas. As in all practice in the medical setting, the overall function of the social worker is to enable the MCS patient to make use of what the physician has to offer by supporting the patient's capacity to cope with the social and emotional impact of his/her illness.


Learning structured representations of the visual world in terms of objects promises to significantly improve the generalization abilities of current machine learning models. While recent efforts to this end have shown promising empirical progress, a theoretical account of when unsupervised object-centric representation learning is possible is still lacking. Consequently, understanding the reasons for the success of existing object-centric methods as well as designing new theoretically grounded methods remains challenging. In the present work, we analyze when object-centric representations can provably be learned without supervision. To this end, we first introduce two assumptions on the generative process for scenes comprised of several objects, which we call compositionality and irreducibility. Under this generative process, we prove that the ground-truth object representations can be identified by an invertible and compositional inference model, even in the presence of dependencies between objects. We empirically validate our results through experiments on synthetic data. Finally, we provide evidence that our theory holds predictive power for existing object-centric models by showing a close correspondence between models' compositionality and invertibility and their empirical identifiability.


BACKGROUND
Graves' disease (GD), including Graves' ophthalmopathy or orbitopathy (GO), is an autoimmune disease with an environmental and genetic component to its etiology. The genetic contribution to the GO clinical phenotype remains unclear. Previous data from our laboratory and others have suggested that GO has no specific genetic component distinct from GD itself, while other reports have occasionally appeared suggesting that polymorphisms in genes such as CTLA4 and IL23R specifically increase the risk for GO. One of the criticisms of all these reports has been the clinical definition of the GO phenotype as distinct from hyperthyroid GD devoid of clinically significant eye involvement. The objective of this study was to take advantage of a phenotypically pure group of GD patients with GO and examine a series of genes associated with GD to determine if any were more definitively associated with GO rather than Graves' thyroid disease itself.

METHODS
To further examine whether specific susceptibility genes are associated with GO, we have performed further genetic association studies using highly characterized GO patients, many of whom had undergone orbital decompression surgery for their exophthalmos. We genotyped HLA, CTLA4, IL23R, and TSHR genes in a group of 256 Caucasian patients with severe GO (n=199) and less severe GO (n=57), and 90 patients with GD but no clinically apparent GO.

RESULTS
We found that the allele and genotype frequencies were not statistically different between GO and non-GO patients for any of the genes and gene combinations assessed.

CONCLUSIONS
These results provide further evidence that patients with GO do not have a distinct genetic susceptibility to their eye disease and again suggest that environmental and/or epigenetic influences are at play.


This thesis is the first comprehensive study of Indian moulded terracotta sculpture made between the second century BC and first century AD. Over 3000 images dispersed in more than 50 international collections have been studied. They hail from archaeological sites that spread from the Northwest Frontier in Pakistan through the Indian Gangetic plain to Nepal and Bangladesh. While the stone imagery from sites like Bharhut, Sanchi and the Western Indian caves are reasonably well known, contemporary terracotta plaques have been marginalised by scholarship. Unlike their stone counterparts, the mass-produced terracotta plaques belong to a separate genre of cultic belief and patronage. Made of easily renewable and inexpensive clay, the use of these images was not precluded to the wealthier donors of contemporary stone sculpture, who were given mostly to patronising Buddhism or Jainism. Before any hypothesis could be made about the religious affiliation of the terracotta images, the first objective of this study was to collect the data, and categorise it empirically. In this process, a pattern of related similarities and differences emerged in the imagery. A stylistic study has also been conducted that compares the inter-regional relationships between the sculptures from five areas: the Northwest, the Indo-Gangetic Divide, Upper-Gangetic Valley, Middle-Gangetic Valley and Bengal. This study revealed a complex and shared iconography of images spread over the South Asian Subcontinent before the Common Era. However, identifying their iconography and nature of the cult(s) that used these images can only be speculated at this stage. A preliminary study has shown that the closest textual descriptions that mirror the iconography of these images lie embedded in the later myths of the major Indie divinities. It appears that the myths and magico-religious nature of pre-Kusan divinities were subsumed by the mythoiogies of the emerging 'great' gods like Shiva, Vishnu and Devi. These images form perhaps the first ciear iconographic programme of sculptures found in the Subcontinent. This leads us to assess what factors (religious, ritualistic, economic and artistic) might have influenced the sudden creation of this imagery in India. Finally, in so doing, this dissertation questions who would have used this imagery, and why. The thesis concludes that many Indian gods and goddesses, epic narratives and their heroes, often forgotten by the subsequent tradition, found their first visual reference in Early-Historic terracotta. It also highlights the important ritualistic and apotropaic function of early images. The vast majority of this material has never been published. Approximately 450 illustrations accompany the dissertation.


The authors investigate the relationship between three layer feed forward back-propagation nets (using the terminology of Rumelhart et al., see Nature vol.323, p.533 et seq., 1986) and the committee net of (Nilsson, see Learning Machines, McGraw-Hill, 1956), and show that a simple modification to the algorithm of the latter makes them, in respect of their power to classify data sets, equivalent. Two algorithms may, however, be equivalent in power but differ greatly in their practicality. In the second part the authors conduct some experiments in order to determine whether the modified committee algorithm can compete with back-propagation in a variety of applications. It is found that the committee algorithm (a) is about ten times as fast in some applications and (b) is much less prone to getting trapped in local minima. The theoretical interest in the paper stems from the ease of analysing the committee algorithm together with the equivalence. The experimental interest is that this method of speeding up back-propagation may be used with other improvements to reduce training times in some applications. >


In this chapter we provide an overview of computational modeling for semantic change using large and semi-large textual corpora. We aim to provide a key for the interpretation of relevant methods and evaluation techniques, and also provide insights into important aspects of the computational study of semantic change. We discuss the pros and cons of different classes of models with respect to the properties of the data from which one wishes to model semantic change, and which avenues are available to evaluate the results.


We report the case of a 32-year old female without previous illness. At hospital admission she reported having four days with clinical symptoms such as: intense abdominal pain, gastric vomit, and feces absence. At physical examination, mass in lower quadrant, non-mobile, and painless. Normal laboratory results. Abdominal radiologic studies and ultrasound with 10 x 12 cm mass. The patient was with acute appendicitis diagnosis and laparotomy was done. Transoperatory finding was: ileo-ileal necrotic intussusception. Intestinal resection and anastomosis were performed. Postoperatory evolution was normal. Pathologic study reported: multiple intestinal lipomatosis, mucous erosion, and acute inflammatory process. Frequency of this uncommon pathology is analyzed in the world literature.


In this paper, we investigate whether capital structure differs between for-profit and nonprofit sectors by focusing on two key aspects of the latter: the non-distribution constraint and the stakeholder oriented governance system. We develop a theoretical model and show that the former negatively affects leverage, defined as the amount borrowed over the total investment, whilst the latter has a positive effect. We then analyze a longitudinal data set of balance sheets of 800 firms operating in the social residential sector in Italy and show that, once controlled for observable characteristics, for-profit companies have a leverage 18% higher than nonprofit enterprises, even if the latter face lower credit costs. We explain this finding by arguing that the effect of the non-distribution constraint prevails over the effect of stakeholder orientation.


The authors have developed a force-sensing mechanism composed of a force sensor device and an outer shell end-effector. The sensor can be used to sense force at any position on the body and calculate the position of a contact point without the need for a sensor array. The present study applies the force sensing mechanism as a haptic interface similar to a touch panel. Some technical issues for touch panel application in human environment are also shown. Finally, experimental results reveal that the proposed mechanism works as both a touch panel and a force sensor.


Depression and anxiety currently rank as the second and fifth most common causes worldwide of years lived with disability-a reality that has intensified the search for new treatments. There are many studies of herbal extracts and secondary metabolites from plants used in traditional medicine due to their antidepressant and anxiolytic properties. Clinical and preclinical studies about some of the mechanisms of action of metabolites like alkaloids, terpenes, flavonoids, and sterols, among others, have documented effects similar to those produced by clinically effective drugs. These metabolites have shown anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in various experimental models of anxiety by interacting with γ -aminobutyric acid subtype A receptors (GABA A -receptors) and by stimulating the serotonergic, noradrenergic, and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems. These pharmacological effects can be attributed to plant metabolites that share structural similarities with monoamines, which allow them to bind to receptors. The objective of this chapter is to summarize the various mechanisms of action that have been identified in secondary metabolites with anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. Terpenes, alkaloids, flavonoids, and sterols can interact at different levels of the neurotransmission systems involved in the neurobiology of anxiety and depression, suggesting their potential for treating these mental illnesses. on MAO-B in the three


Background/Aims To compare ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVDs) in protecting the cornea from endothelial cell loss during cataract surgery. Methods A systematic review yielded 21 randomised controlled trials including 1769 patients. OVDs were classified according to the Arshinoff classification. Traditional pairwise meta-analyses were performed for each direct comparison. Mixed treatments comparisons (MTC) analysis was also performed to combine all direct and indirect comparisons. The outcome measure was loss in endothelial cell density 3 months after surgery. Results Direct comparison meta-analysis showed that viscoadaptives lead to a lower loss in cell density compared with very low viscosity dispersives, and compared with super viscous cohesives. The soft shell technique, a combination of viscous cohesives and medium viscosity dispersives, showed a lower loss compared with viscous cohesives, but was not compared with the other treatments. The MTC analysis shows that comparing all treatment options together, all mean differences were ≤100 cells/mm2. The probability of being the best treatment option is 80% for viscoadaptives and 18% for the soft shell technique. Conclusion Viscoadaptives may be superior to the other OVDs, but absolute differences in loss in endothelial cell density are <100 cells/mm2.


ABSTRACT The Darwin–Hatherton Glacial system (DHGS) connects the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) with the Ross Ice Shelf and is a key area for understanding past variations in ice thickness of surrounding ice masses. Here we present the first detailed measurements of ice thickness and grounding zone characteristics of the DHGS as well as new measurements of ice velocity. The results illustrate the changes that occur in glacier geometry and ice flux as ice flows from the polar plateau and into the Ross Ice Shelf. The ice discharge and the mean basal ice shelf melt for the first 8.5 km downstream of the grounding line amount to 0.24 ± 0.05 km3 a−1 and 0.3 ± 0.1 m a−1, respectively. As the ice begins to float, ice thickness decreases rapidly and basal terraces develop. Constructed maps of glacier geometry suggest that ice drainage from the EAIS into the Darwin Glacier occurs primarily through a deep subglacial canyon. By contrast, ice thins to <200 m at the head of the much slower flowing Hatherton Glacier. The glaciological field study establishes an improved basis for the interpretation of glacial drift sheets at the link between the EAIS and the Ross Ice Sheet.


Pockets Full of Memories consists of an installation and accompanying Web site. The installation invites visitors to digitally scan an object in their possession and answer a set of questions regarding this object. An algorithm classifies the scanned objects in a two-dimensional map based on similarities in their descriptions. Users can review each object's data and add their own personal comments and stories. The result of the project is a growing map of possible relations between items that range from the merely functional to a signifier of personal value. At the core of Pockets Full of Memories is the notion of the archive and "database," yet the project operates on the threshold between logical classification and the meanings that aren't quantifiable. George Legrady, United States Pockets Full of Memories, 2001 Digitized image data


OBJECTIVES
We examined the incidence, the impact of subsequent cerebrovascular events and the clinical or procedural predictors of leaflet thrombosis (LT) in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

METHODS
MEDLINE/PubMed was systematically screened for studies reporting on LT in TAVI patients. Incidence [both clinical and subclinical, i.e. detected with computed tomography (CT)] of LT was the primary end point of the study. Predictors of LT evaluated at multivariable analysis and impact of LT on stroke were the secondary ones.

RESULTS
Eighteen studies encompassing 11 124 patients evaluating incidence of LT were included. Pooled incidence of LT was 0.43% per month [5.16% per year, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.21-0.72, I2 = 98%]. Pooled incidence of subclinical LT was 1.36% per month (16.32% per year, 95% CI 0.71-2.19, I2 = 94%). Clinical LT was less frequent (0.04% per month, 0.48% per year, 95% CI 0.00-0.19, I2 = 93%). LT increased the risk of stroke [odds ratio (OR) 4.21, 95% CI 1.27-13.98], and was more frequent in patients with a valve diameter of 28-mm (OR 2.89: 1.55-5.8), for balloon-expandable (OR 8: 2.1-9.7) or after valve-in-valve procedures (OR 17.1: 3.1-84.9). Oral anticoagulation therapy reduced the risk of LT (OR 0.43, 95% CI: 0.22-0.84, I2 = 64%), as well as the mean transvalvular gradient.

CONCLUSIONS
LT represents an infrequent event after TAVI, despite increasing risk of stroke. Given its full reversal with warfarin, in high-risk patients (those with valve-in-valve procedures, balloon expandable or large-sized devices), a protocol which includes a control CT appears reasonable.


A network of Science, Technology & Innovation actors and their collaborative actions are described in this study. The development of those actions is essential to improve the efficiency and the effectiveness of the Chinese aeronautic process and to maintain its global competitiveness. The paper analyzes the dynamic cooperation network model of the Chinese aeronautic sector based on the case study executed in joint with the Industrial Promotion and Coordination Institute – an organization responsible for the industrial support and infrastructure programs to improve the quality and the training of this sector. As a result, this work identifies some critical factors for success related to the cooperation network model for the growth of the sector competitiveness potential.


Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a progressive muscle disease caused by the absence of functional dystrophin protein, is associated with multiple cellular, physiological, and metabolic dysfunctions. As an added complication to the primary insult, obesity/insulin resistance (O/IR) is frequently reported in DMD patients; however, how IR impacts disease severity is unknown. We hypothesized a high-fat, high sucrose diet (HFHSD) would induce O/IR, exacerbate disease severity, and cause metabolic alterations in dystrophic mice. To test this hypothesis, we treated 7-wk old mdx (disease model) and C57 mice with a control diet (CD) or a HFHSD for 15 weeks. The HFHSD induced insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia in C57 and mdx mice. Of note, mdx mice on CD were also insulin resistant. Additionally, visceral adipose tissue weights were increased with HFHSD in C57 and mdx mice though differed by genotype. Serum creatine kinase activity and histopathological analyses using Masson's trichrome staining in diaphragm indicated muscle damage was driven by dystrophin deficiency but was not augmented by diet. In addition, markers of inflammatory signaling, mitochondrial abundance, and autophagy were impacted by disease but not diet. Despite this, in addition to disease signatures in CD-fed mice, metabolomic and lipidomic analyses demonstrated a HFHSD caused some common changes in C57 and mdx mice and some unique signatures of O/IR within the context of dystrophin deficiency. In total, these data revealed that in mdx mice, 15 weeks of a HFHSD did not overtly exacerbate muscle injury but further impaired the metabolic status of dystrophic muscle.


Plants are colonized on their surfaces and in the rhizosphere and phyllosphere by a multitude of different microorganisms and are inhabited internally by endophytes. Most endophytes act as commensals without any known effect on their plant host, but multiple bacteria and fungi establish a mutualistic relationship with plants, and some act as pathogens. The outcome of these plant-microbe interactions depends on biotic and abiotic environmental factors and on the genotype of the host and the interacting microorganism. In addition, endophytic microbiota and the manifold interactions between members, including pathogens, have a profound influence on the function of the system plant and the development of pathobiomes. In this review, we elaborate on the differences and similarities between nonpathogenic and pathogenic endophytes in terms of host plant response, colonization strategy, and genome content. We furthermore discuss environmental effects and biotic interactions within plant microbiota that influence pathogenesis and the pathobiome.


ABSTRACT We previously showed that a noncoding subgenomic flavivirus RNA (sfRNA) is required for viral pathogenicity, as a mutant West Nile virus (WNV) deficient in sfRNA production replicated poorly in wild-type mice. To investigate the possible immunomodulatory or immune evasive functions of sfRNA, we utilized mice and cells deficient in elements of the type I interferon (IFN) response. Replication of the sfRNA mutant WNV was rescued in mice and cells lacking interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3) and IRF-7 and in mice lacking the type I alpha/beta interferon receptor (IFNAR), suggesting a contribution for sfRNA in overcoming the antiviral response mediated by type I IFN. This was confirmed by demonstrating rescue of mutant virus replication in the presence of IFNAR neutralizing antibodies, greater sensitivity of mutant virus replication to IFN-α pretreatment, partial rescue of its infectivity in cells deficient in RNase L, and direct effects of transfected sfRNA on rescuing replication of unrelated Semliki Forest virus in cells pretreated with IFN-α. The results define a novel function of sfRNA in flavivirus pathogenesis via its contribution to viral evasion of the type I interferon response.


We consider the problem of shape correspondence and retrieval. Although our focus is on articulated shapes, the methods developed are applicable to any shape specified as a contour, in the 2D case, or a surface mesh, in 3D. We propose separate methods for 2D and 3D shape correspondence and retrieval, but the basic idea for both is to characterize shapes using intrinsic measures, defined by geodesic distances between points, to achieve robustness against bending in articulated shapes. In 2D, we design a local, geodesic-based shape descriptor, inspired by the well-known shape context for image correspondence. For 3D shapes, we first transform them into the spectral domain based on geodesic affinities to normalize bending and other common geometric transformations and compute correspondence and retrieval in the new domain. Various techniques to ensure robustness of results and efficiency are proposed. We present numerous experimental results to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approaches.


Engaging personalized recommendations are critical to the success of music streaming services. In this paper we experiment with a scalable design for building online personalized contextual recommenders across different music styles. We break down the architecture prominently into an online contextual recommender selection step and an online contextual content selection and ranking step. We discuss the value of this architecture by presenting experimental results on a genre-based personalized recommender on the home page of a global music streaming service.


BACKGROUND
Consumption of liquid calories from beverages has increased in parallel with the obesity epidemic in the US population, but their causal relation remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to examine how changes in beverage consumption affect weight change among adults.

DESIGN
This was a prospective study of 810 adults participating in the PREMIER trial, an 18-mo randomized, controlled, behavioral intervention trial. Measurements (weight, height, and 24-h dietary recall) were made at baseline, 6 mo, and 18 mo.

RESULTS
Baseline mean intake of liquid calories was 356 kcal/d (19% of total energy intake). After potential confounders and intervention assignment were controlled for, a reduction in liquid calorie intake of 100 kcal/d was associated with a weight loss of 0.25 kg (95% CI: 0.11, 0.39; P < 0.001) at 6 mo and of 0.24 kg (95% CI: 0.06, 0.41; P = 0.008) at 18 mo. A reduction in liquid calorie intake had a stronger effect than did a reduction in solid calorie intake on weight loss. Of the individual beverages, only intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) was significantly associated with weight change. A reduction in SSB intake of 1 serving/d was associated with a weight loss of 0.49 kg (95% CI: 0.11, 0.82; P = 0.006) at 6 mo and of 0.65 kg (95% CI: 0.22, 1.09; P = 0.003) at 18 mo.

CONCLUSIONS
These data support recommendations to limit liquid calorie intake among adults and to reduce SSB consumption as a means to accomplish weight loss or avoid excess weight gain. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00000616.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between thromboxane A2 receptor (TXA2R) gene promoter rs2271875, rs768963 polymorphism and acute cerebral infarction in Chinese Han population.

METHODS
A prospective study was conducted. From October 2009 to May 2013, 223 patients with cerebral infarction (cerebral infarction group) and 142 cohorts with normal physical examination results (control group) from Taizhou City Central Hospital in Zhejiang Province were enrolled. Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were determined by enzymatic colorimetry, whereas blood glucose was determined with hexokinase. The genotypes of rs2271875 and rs768963 polymorphism in TXA2R gene were detected by the polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction (PCR-LDR) technique. Differences in gender, age, serum TG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, concentration of blood glucose, and blood pressure (systolic pressure, diastolic pressure) between cerebral infarction group and control group were compared as well as TXA2R promoter rs2271875, rs768963 genotype and allele frequencies distribution.

RESULTS
The significant differences in males (147 cases vs. 57 cases, χ(2)=23.385, P=0.000), serum TG (2.02±1.14 mmol/L vs. 1.56±0.79 mmol/L, t=4.663, P=0.000), blood glucose (6.40±2.50 mmol/L vs. 5.28±0.92 mmol/L, t=6.084, P=0.000), systolic pressure (146.64±21.34 mmHg vs. 135.73±18.09 mmHg, t=5.234, P=0.000), diastolic blood pressure (86.29±11.79 mmHg vs. 80.74±11.23 mmHg, t=4.468, P=0.000) between cerebral infarction patients and controls were found. The results from multi-logistic regression analysis suggested that male was an independent risk factor for cerebral infarction [odds ratio (OR) 3.300, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) 1.905-5.175, P=0.000]. There were statistically significant differences between infarction group and the control group both in aspects of genotype (TT: 0.112 vs. 0.183, TC: 0.498 vs. 0.535, CC: 0.390 vs. 0.282, χ(2)=6.298, P=0.043) and the allele frequency distribution (T: 0.361 vs. 0.451, C: 0.639 vs. 0.549, χ(2)=5.839, P=0.016) of TXA2R gene rs768963. No statistical significant difference was found in rs2271875 in respect of genotype (GG: 0.336 vs. 0.352, GA: 0.480 vs. 0.451, AA: 0.184 vs. 0.197, χ (2)=0.302, P=0.859) and the allele frequency distribution (G: 0.576 vs. 0.577, A: 0.424 vs. 0.423, χ(2)=0.001, P=0.974). Coefficient of both linkage disequilibrium (D') of rs2271875 and rs768963 was 0.684. When the pair was haplotype AT, the frequency in the infarction group was significantly lower than that in the control group (0.034 vs. 0.081, χ(2)=7.883, P=0.005).

CONCLUSIONS
rs768963 gene mutation, but not that of the rs2271875, showed significant correlation with the occurrence of cerebral infarction. There was a loose linkage disequilibrium between rs2271875 and rs768963 of TXA2R. Haplotype AT reduces the risk of cerebral infarction.


The Miocene epoch witnessed major changes in climate. The marine oxygen isotope record, our best single continuous representation of the time interval, contains large shifts indicating substantial changes in the glaciation of Antarctica and/or deep ocean temperatures, with the interval of the most depleted isotopic composition occurring between ~18 and 13.9 Ma (mid‐Miocene Climatic Optimum [MCO]). We present here a record of alkenone unsaturation estimates from a borehole penetrating marine sediments spanning most of the Miocene at ~56°N. Marine temperatures reconstructed for the Miocene are up to 20°C warmer than present day. A maximum occurs at the time of the MCO. The record is strikingly similar to discontinuous alkenone results published from other North Atlantic sites. As in the southern hemisphere, ocean temperature gradients were extraordinarily low in the North Atlantic in comparison to today. Our findings suggest that the MCO was a global temperature maximum and link the partial deglaciation of the Antarctic and subsequent "refrigeration" to a global forcing process. However, the small magnitude of the ocean cooling from ~14 to 10 Ma suggests a highly nonlinear (threshold) relationship between East Antarctic ice volume and global temperature.


Abstract The paper analyzes the costs of production of wood sawdust briquettes, manufactured by the company Brykiet-Pol2, based in Goleszów in southern Poland. In addition, production technology, raw material supply and distribution of the finished product were analyzed. The costs of producing one ton of briquettes for the four assessed variants ranged from PLN 364.8 (option D) to PLN 648.7 (option A). The cost structure was dominated by the purchase of raw material and depreciation of the technological line. The most economically advantageous production variant was option C, currently implemented in the company (production costs: PLN 458.7·t−1), and the proposed option D, using two briquetting presses. The latter option increased production efficiency and reduced unit costs of briquette production in a three-shift system around the clock.


Background The classification of ancient animal corpses at the species level remains a challenging task for forensic scientists and anthropologists. Severe damage and mixed, tiny pieces originating from several skeletons may render morphological classification virtually impossible. Standard approaches are based on sequencing mitochondrial and nuclear targets. Methodology/Principal Findings We present a method that can accurately classify mammalian species using dental pulp and mass spectrometry peptide profiling. Our work was organized into three successive steps. First, after extracting proteins from the dental pulp collected from 37 modern individuals representing 13 mammalian species, trypsin-digested peptides were used for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis. The resulting peptide profiles accurately classified every individual at the species level in agreement with parallel cytochrome b gene sequencing gold standard. Second, using a 279–modern spectrum database, we blindly classified 33 of 37 teeth collected in 37 modern individuals (89.1%). Third, we classified 10 of 18 teeth (56%) collected in 15 ancient individuals representing five mammal species including human, from five burial sites dating back 8,500 years. Further comparison with an upgraded database comprising ancient specimen profiles yielded 100% classification in ancient teeth. Peptide sequencing yield 4 and 16 different non-keratin proteins including collagen (alpha-1 type I and alpha-2 type I) in human ancient and modern dental pulp, respectively. Conclusions/Significance Mass spectrometry peptide profiling of the dental pulp is a new approach that can be added to the arsenal of species classification tools for forensics and anthropology as a complementary method to DNA sequencing. The dental pulp is a new source for collagen and other proteins for the species classification of modern and ancient mammal individuals.


This study was carried out to determine the direction of flow of groundwater and overland flow at Ndele, Emuoha local Government area of Rivers state, Nigeria. The Global Positioning System (GPS) was used to determine the longitude, latitude and the elevation above mean sea level at ten (10) locations spread across the study area. Water level meter was also used to measure the depths to water table which was used to calculate the hydraulic head in each of the ten (10) hand dug wells analyzed. Surface elevation and hydraulic head contour maps were then generated using surfer 8 computer software. The surface elevation and hydraulic head contour maps developed revealed that the overland flow and groundwater flow are towards the same direction; South to South-Western parts of the region. This makes the watershed area more vulnerable compared to other locations in the study area. More efforts should be made towards establishing eco-friendly practices in the North, North-Western and North-Eastern parts of the community to minimize groundwater contamination. It is recommended that boreholes be sited in the North, North-Western and North-Eastern parts of the community to avoid contamination of potable water sources. Moreso, an appropriate geophysical survey must be carried out before any borehole is drilled in the area.


Published in two volumes, these books provide a student audience with an excellent scholarly edition of Malthus' Essay on Population. Written in 1798 as a polite attack on post-French revolutionary speculations on the theme of social and human perfectibility, it remains one of the most powerful statements of the limits to human hopes set by the tension between population growth and natural resources. Based on the authoritative variorum edition of the versions of the Essay published between 1803 and 1826, and complete with full introduction and bibliographic apparatus, this edition is intended to show how Malthusianism impinges on the history of political thought, and how the author's reputation as a population theorist and political economist was established.


Aquaculture is the fastest growing food-producing sector in the world. Worldwide, people obtain 25% of their animal protein from fish and shellfish. A significant issue affecting aquaculture production in Nigeria is loss of stock through disease. When faced with disease problem, immediate response has been to use antimicrobial drugs. However, as a result of the growing awareness of the adverse effects of antibiotics and the increasing demand for environmental friendly aquaculture, the use of probiotics in aquaculture is now widely accepted. This review provides summary of benefits of probiotics, selection criteria, safety and evaluation of probiotics using molecular techniques. Current status, challenges and prospects in Nigeria aquaculture industry were also discussed.


The computationally expensive nature of molecular dynamics simulation limits the access to length (nanometer) and time scales (nanosecond) that are orders of magnitude smaller than the experiment it models. This limitation warrants a careful estimation of statistical uncertainty associated with the properties calculated from these simulations. The assumption that a simulation is long enough so that the ergodic hypothesis applies is often invoked in the literature for the computation of properties of interest from a single molecular dynamics simulation. Here, we demonstrate that making this assumption without validation results in poor estimates of the self-diffusion coefficient from a single molecular dynamics simulation of Lennard-Jones fluid. This problem is shown to be even more severe when the diffusion coefficient of macromolecules is calculated from a single molecular dynamics simulation. We have shown that conducting multiple independent simulations is necessary to obtain reliable estimates of diffusion coefficients and their associated statistical uncertainties. We show that even a "routine" calculation of the self-diffusion coefficient for a Lennard-Jones fluid, as determined from a linear fit of the mean squared displacement of particles as a function of time, violates the key assumptions of linear regression. A rigorous approach for addressing these issues is presented.


Porous manganese oxide (OMS-2) and platinum supported on OMS-2 catalysts have been shown to facilitate the hydrogenation of the nitro group in chloronitrobenzene to give chloroaniline with no dehalogenation. Complete conversion was obtained within 2 h at 25 °C and, although the rate of reaction increased with increasing temperature up to 100 °C, the selectivity to chloroaniline remained at 99.0%. Use of Pd/OMS-2 or Pt/Al2O3 resulted in significant dechlorination even at 25 °C and 2 bar hydrogen pressure giving a selectivity to chloroaniline of 34.5% and 77.8%, respectively, at complete conversion. This demonstrates the potential of using platinum group metal free catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of halogenated aromatics. Two pathways were observed for the analogous nitrobenzene hydrogenation depending on the catalyst used. The hydrogenation of nitrobenzene was found to follow a direct pathway to aniline and nitrosobenzene over Pd/OMS-2 in contrast to the OMS and Pt/OMS-2 catalysts which resulted in formation of nitrosobenzene, azoxybenzene and azobenzene/hydrazobenzene intermediates before complete conversion to aniline. These results indicate that for Pt/OMS-2 the hydrogenation proceeds predominantly over the support with the metal acting to dissociate hydrogen. In the case of Pd/OMS-2 both the hydrogenation and hydrogen adsorption occur on the metal sites.


Ab s t r Ac t Aim and objective: This research compares the abilities of the preparation of ProTaper Next (PTN; Dentsply-Maillefer) and XP-endo Shaper (XPS; FKG, Switzerland) files in mesial canals of lower molars with separate binary canals and one foramen with isthmus connection using μCT imaging. Materials and methods: The comparison showed 20 roots matched according to the similarities in preoperative canal volume, specimen length, and root curvature using preoperative scans, and then they were indiscriminately separated into two groups and prepared either with PTN or XPS instruments. After chemomechanical preparation, the roots were resubmitted to postoperative scans. Results: There was no variance in instrument systems for the volume of removed dentine, surface area as well as the amount of accumulated debris in the isthmus region (p >0.05). Change in canal surface area and amount of accumulated hard tissue debris (AHTD) was more in the PTN group for total root canal space (p <0.05). PTN instruments increased surface area in a shorter period. Conclusion: Both instrument systems with different design and metallurgic properties had reached the desired volume in different periods; however, neither technique was able to fully prepare the isthmus-containing mesial roots of lower molars.


Background: Net survival adjusts for age and other causes of death (background mortality).The CONCORD-2 study reported net survival data on cancer patients in 67 countries, including the United States. The purpose of this analysis is to describe lung cancer net survival by race and stage among 37 participating states covering approximately 80% of the US population. Methods: We focused on adults (15-99 years) diagnosed 2001-09 with an invasive, primary cancer of the lung and bronchus (International Classification of Disease Oncology 3rd edition topography codes: C34.0-C34.3; C34.8-C34.9) and followed up to 31 December 2009. We categorized stage at diagnosis using Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Summary Stage (SS) 2000. We analyzed two calendar periods (2001-03 and 2004-09) because of changes in the way summary stage data was collected during these time periods in the United States. We estimated the percent five-year net survival with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using the cohort approach for patients diagnosed in 2001-03 and the complete approach for patients diagnosed during 2004-09. We utilized bar-charts and funnel plots to graphically present trends, geographic variations, and differences in survival by race between 2001-03 and 2004-09. Results: Our study included 1,404,724 invasive, primary lung cancers. US five-year net survival for all races increased from 16.4% (95% CI: 16.3%-16.5%) in 2001-03 to 19.0% (95% CI: 18.8%-19.1%) in 2004-09. Between the two calendar periods, most states also showed a small increase in five-year net survival for lung cancer. The increase was more than 2.6% (the US increase) in most states in the Northeast, but less than 2.6% in many states in the South, Midwest, and West. During 2004-09, blacks had lower percent five-year net survival than whites for the following stage categories: all stages [blacks (14.9%; 95% CI: 14.5%-15.2%) versus whites (19.4%; 95% CI: 19.2%-19.5%)]; localized [blacks (45.9%; 95% CI: 44.4%-47.4%) versus whites (55.8%; 95% CI: 55.3%-56.2%)]; regional [blacks (22.0%; 95% CI: 21.0%-23.0%) versus whites (26.7%; 95% CI: 26.4%-27.0%); and unknown [blacks (11.0%; 95% CI: 10.0%-12.1%) versus whites (14.0%; 95% CI: 13.5%-14.5%)]. Blacks and whites had similar percent five-year net survival for distant stage [blacks (4.4%; 95% CI: 4.1%-4.7%) versus whites (4.7%; 95% CI: 4.6%-4.8%). Conclusions: Lung cancer net survival is lower in blacks than in whites. Although the US overall and many states showed a small increase in the percent net survival from 2001-03 to 2004-09, the five-year net survival for lung cancer 2004-09 is much lower than for other common cancers. Only 46% of black patients and 56% of white patients diagnosed with local stage lung cancer survive five years. Citation Format: Thomas B. Richards, S Jane Henley, Mary C. Puckett, Hannah K. Weir, Bin Huang, Thomas C. Tucker. Trends in racial disparities in five-year net survival for lung cancer, United States, 2001-2009. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B29.


Abstract This study examined psychometric properties of figure rating scales, particularly the effects of ascending silhouette ordering, in 153 children, 9 to 13 years old. Two versions of Collins's (1991) figural rating scale were presented: the original scale (figures arranged ascendingly) and a modified version (randomized figure ordering). Ratings of current and ideal figure were elicited and body dissatisfaction was calculated. All children were randomly assigned to one of two subgroups and completed both scale versions in a different sequence. There were no significant differences in figure selection and body dissatisfaction between the two figure orderings. Regarding the selection of the current figure, results showed that girls are more affected by the silhouette ordering than boys. Our results suggest that figure rating scales are both valid and reliable, whereby correlation coefficients reveal greater stability for ideal figure selections and body dissatisfaction ratings when using the scale with ascending figure ordering.