This research is directed to two main things namely, (1) factors that influence the occurrence of underage marriage in the village of Muncang. (2) the legal awareness of the community about underage marriage to children's education right. The results showed that the factors affecting underage marriages were economic problems, there had been a soulmate, and fears of the parents would be undesirable. Regarding public awareness of the law can be said that society is not aware of the law especially for those who do underage marriages. This is because public awareness is limited to the knowledge of the understanding of underage marriages. The conclusion of the study is the legal awareness of Kampung Muncang community regarding the prohibition of underage marriage to the right of children's education can be said to be not aware of the law because only knowing about the notion of marriage under Without knowing the rules governing it. Then the relation to obtaining the right of education is, if they do the marriage before the specified age limit means they have not been able to get the maximum education they can.


The seven pathovars of Xanthomonas hortorum and Xanthomonas hydrangeae, referred to as the X. hortorum – X. hydrangeae species complex, cause disease on a multitude of plants, including crops, ornamental and wild plants. Cross-pathogenicity was proven for some of the strains within this species complex. It is thus important to have highly specific and fast diagnostics methods for members of the X. hortorum – X. hydrangeae species complex. A comparative genomic analysis was conducted for representative members within the complex to identify singletons for use as genomic targets for the assays. Seven loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) diagnostics assays were developed for the detection of six clades within the X. hortorum – X. hydrangeae species complex, in addition to one assay specific for the entire species complex. Primer sets were tested on a set of 62 reference strains. The primer sets amplified their respective targets within 15 minutes. Based on the reference set, all assays had a sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency of 100%. The assays were used on a validation set of 60 strains. According to the LAMP results, out of the 60 strains, 39 strains were assigned to one of the clades within the complex, 9 were assigned to the complex but to yet undefined clades within the complex, and 12 strains were previously misclassified as X. hortorum since their genomic DNA did not yield amplification with any of the assays. The seven genome-based assays are promising for use as diagnostic tools for various members within the X. hortorum – X. hydrangeae species complex, and for assigning new and historical isolates to this complex.


Abstract:This paper evaluates the process of children's participation in resisting forced evictions in Delhi, securing basic human rights in off-site resettlements, and promoting active citizenship in the new settlements. Methodologically, this is a longitudinal case study looking at advocacy efforts, projects and programs undertaken by a group of individuals and organizations in collaboration with hundreds of directly affected children over a five-year period. The initial process was child-centered, with facilitating adults initiating projects and sharing decisions with children. Gradually, children themselves initiated and led projects in collaboration with adults. This long process fulfilled several of the conditions of effective participatory projects with children. There was also expansion of the democratic space in which children's struggles gained wide societal legitimacy and limited official acceptance. However, this process did not affect policy change at a broader social structural level.


The in vitro study was designed to evaluate total gas production, dry matter degradability (DMD), and VFA profile; while in vivo study was designed to evaluate nutrient intakes, blood metabolites, and performance of sheep fed native grass mixed with Calliandra calothyrrus (CC), Leucaena leucochepala (LL), Moringa oleifera (MO), Gliricidea sepium (GS), and Artocarpus heterophyllus (AH). The best three from the in vitro results were used to formulate diets in in vivo study. Sixteen male growing sheep (average BW 20 kg) were fed 100% native grass (NG) as control; 70% NG + 30% GS; 70% NG + 30% MO; and 70% NG + 30% AH. Nutrient consumptions, DMD, blood metabolites, and sheep performances were analyzed by using Completely Randomized Design. The in vitro results showed that the total gas production and DMD of CC and LL were the lowest (P<0.05) while the highest was found in GS, MO, and AH treatments (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the in vivo results showed that nutrient intakes (DM, CP, and CF) of GS and AH rations were the highest. The ADG, concentration of albumin, and globulin in all treatments were similar, while total serum protein, triglycerides, and glucose concentration in MO and AH rations were higher than others. Serum cholesterol concentration in MO ration was the lowest, meanwhile the concentration of IgG was the highest (P<0.05). Supplementation of 30% MO was the best choice for optimum rumen fermentation and  maintaining  health status of local sheep.


Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are common and distressing postsurgical symptoms [1] which continue to be a significant concern for anesthesiologists. PONV occurs in 20% to 30% of the general population underwent surgery and in up to 70% to 80% of high risk patients [2,3].

PONV is a complex physiologic phenomenon involving multiple neurophysiologic pathways with both central and peripheral receptor mechanisms. A variety of factors have been associated with an increased incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. The most frequently described patient-specific risk factors for PONV are female gender, non-smokers, types of surgery such as laparoscopic surgery [4,5] or head and neck surgery, previous history of PONV or motion sickness, and use of intra-operative or postoperative opioids [3]. Postoperative analgesia with opioids is associated with an incidence of PONV of over 30% [6].

Thyroidectomy is also associated with a relatively high incidence of PONV. The incidence of PONV after thyroidectomy has a reporting rate of 60-76% according to previous study [7]. PONV after thyroidectomy surgery might be the main source of discomfort, and it may be perceived as the most unpleasant aspect of postoperative recovery [8]. Being able to identify patient-specific risk factors should help clinicians determine appropriate prophylactic treatment for PONV.

Many clinicians have used different types of anti-emetics such as anticholinergic drug, 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 (5-HT3) antagonist or NK-1 antagonist for the treatment of PONV. Ramosetron is a newly developed 5-HT3 receptors antagonist with a more potent and longer receptor antagonizing effect compared with other 5-HT3 receptors antagonists [9].

In this issue of the Korean Journal of Anesthesiology, Lee et al. [10] report on the antiemetic effect of ramosetron with thyroidectomy for PONV. This clinical trial demonstrates the preventative effect of ramosetron for PONV in women undergoing total thyroidectomy with propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA). The authors concluded that ramosetron was effective at reducing the incidence and severity of postoperative nausea in women that underwent total thyroidectomy with propofol-based TIVA during first 6 hours postoperatively. Nevertheless there are some debatable points in this paper.

The incidences of postoperative nausea in the control and the ramosetron groups were 29% and 12% during first 6 postoperative hours respectively. From a statistical point of view, ramosetron is obviously more effective than control during first 6 postoperative hours (P = 0.029). But there were no differences between ramosetron and control (saline) after 6 hours postoperatively. Also postoperative vomiting was not different all time periods on both groups. The incidence of PONV on the control group was not that high and widely different compared to the ramosetron group in this study as the authors mentioned. While many practitioners believe that 5-HT3 antagonists are relatively safe medications, it is uncertain whether the antiemetic effects of 5-HT3 antagonists are better than inexpensive drugs such as droperidol or metoclopramide clinically. There is also uncertainty about benefit of ramosetron in patients undergoing TIVA.

Cost-effective management is often referred to as an important medical issue. Recently, medical budgets are not sufficient for medical services of all patients in our country. Therefore, we need to be concerned about reduction of medical costs. In Korea, ramosetron (approximately US $55 for 0.3 mg) is much more expensive than other commonly used antiemetics, such as metoclopramide.

Many risk scoring systems for predicting PONV have been mentioned at present [3]. An evaluation of these risk factors allows clinicians to appropriately plan for prophylaxis and treatment of PONV. Eberhart suggests the use of simplified algorithms that could lead to a benefit for a larger proportion of patients [11]. Clearly, such a risk score-adapted preventive strategy for PONV may be viewed as an efficient method for PONV treatment.

The first strategy in reducing the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting is to reduce the baseline risk factors for each patient. Patients with a low risk of PONV generally do not require prophylactic medication. Patients at moderate or high risk should receive antiemetic therapy with high cost-effective drugs.

Additionally, inexpensive and comprehensive multimodal managements for preventing PONV should be considered perioperatively. The use of propofol and the avoidance of nitrous oxide add to reductions of the incidence of PONV [12,13]. Other simple methods such as maintaining adequate hydration, minimizing the use of opioid analgesics for preventing postoperative pain in high risk patients, and P-6 acupoint stimulation [14] are also available.


A 19-month record of total and single-layered low (,3km), middle (3‐6km), and high (.6km) cloud fractions (CFs) and the single-layered marine boundary layer (MBL) cloud macrophysical and microphysical properties was generated from ground-based measurements at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) Azores site between June 2009 and December 2010. This is the most comprehensive dataset of marine cloud fraction and MBL cloud properties. The annual means of total CF and single-layered low, middle, and high CFs derived from ARM radar and lidar observations are 0.702, 0.271, 0.01, and 0.106, respectively. Greater total and single-layered high (.6km) CFs occurred during the winter, whereas singlelayered low (,3km) CFs were more prominent during summer. Diurnal cycles for both total and low CFs were stronger during summer than during winter. The CFs are bimodally distributed in the vertical with a lower peak at ;1km and a higher peak between 8 and 11km during all seasons, except summer when only the low peak occurs. Persistent high pressure and dry conditions produce more single-layered MBL clouds and fewer total clouds during summer, whereas the low pressure and moist air masses during winter generate more total and multilayered clouds, and deep frontal clouds associated with midlatitude cyclones. The seasonal variations of cloud heights and thickness are also associated with the seasonal synoptic patterns. The MBL cloud layer is low, warm, and thin with large liquid water path (LWP) and liquid water content (LWC) during summer, whereas during winter it is higher, colder, and thicker with reduced LWP and LWC. The cloud LWP and LWC values are greater at night than during daytime. The monthly mean daytime cloud droplet effective radius re values are nearly constant, while the daytime droplet number concentration Nd basically follows the LWC variation. There is a strong correlation between cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentration NCCN and Nd during January‐May, probably due to the frequent low pressure systems because upward motion brings more surface CCN to cloud base (well-mixed boundary layer). During summer and autumn, the correlation between Nd and NCCN is not as strong as that during January‐May because downward motion from high pressure systems is predominant. Compared to the compiled aircraft in situ measurements during the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX), the cloud microphysical retrievals in this study agree well with historical aircraft data. Different air mass sources over the ARM Azores site have significant impacts on the cloud microphysical properties and surface CCN as demonstrated by great variability in NCCN and cloud microphysical properties during some months.


High concentrations of ions produced by cosmic rays have an effect on the fair weather electric field which may produce significant and observable changes in local aerosol population properties.  Cosmic ray ions may lower nucleation barriers promoting charged nanoparticle growth into the Aitken range and even beyond 100 nm to become cloud condensation nuclei. A twofold assumption was made.  On one hand, it was hypothesized that artificially generated direct current corona effect ions would become attached to existing aerosols and these charged aerosols would be far more effective than neutral aerosols in growing via condensation, coagulation and collision which would consequently enhance the deposition rate. On the other hand, the ions may behave as catalyzers of cloud microphysical processes if they reach the cloud bases. This paper evaluates the results obtained in an experiment designed to verify the enounced hypothesis. An ionization station was installed about 8 miles south of downtown Laredo, Texas, in order to measure the impact of unipolar, corona effect ionization on aerosol population and some meteorological phenomena. The station was operated from October, 2005 through August, 2007. Real time airborne spectrometer measurements were obtained and meteorological data were recorded. Data analyzed since the conclusion of the Laredo experiment produced no evidence to support the assumption that ionization had an impact on precipitation, but the hypothesis that ionization does produce gravitational deposition of atmospheric particles was supported by the airborne measurements performed.


ABSTRACT The influenza A virus NS1 protein, a virus-encoded alpha/beta interferon (IFN-α/β) antagonist, appears to be a key regulator of protein expression in infected cells. We now show that NS1 protein expression results in enhancement of reporter gene activity from transfected plasmids. This effect appears to be mediated at the translational level, and it is reminiscent of the activity of the adenoviral virus-associated I (VAI) RNA, a known inhibitor of the antiviral, IFN-induced, PKR protein. To study the effects of the NS1 protein on viral and cellular protein synthesis during influenza A virus infection, we used recombinant influenza viruses lacking the NS1 gene (delNS1) or expressing truncated NS1 proteins. Our results demonstrate that the NS1 protein is required for efficient viral protein synthesis in COS-7 cells. This activity maps to the amino-terminal domain of the NS1 protein, since cells infected with wild-type virus or with a mutant virus expressing a truncated NS1 protein—lacking approximately half of its carboxy-terminal end—showed similar kinetics of viral and cellular protein expression. Interestingly, no major differences in host cell protein synthesis shutoff or in viral protein expression were found among NS1 mutant viruses in Vero cells. Thus, another viral component(s) different from the NS1 protein is responsible for the inhibition of host protein synthesis during viral infection. In contrast to the earlier proposal suggesting that the NS1 protein regulates the levels of spliced M2 mRNA, no effects on M2 protein accumulation were seen in Vero cells infected with delNS1 virus.


Research in other parts of the world suggests that adolescents invoke a multiplicity of causes to explain juvenile offending. The extent to which the different explanations are endorsed appears partly to be a function of cultural and demographic characteristics. The aim of this study was to investigate South African adolescents' explanations for delinquency and to examine cultural differences in these explanations. A total of 554 secondary school pupils from two Eastern Cape high schools rated 39 explanations for juvenile offending on a Likert scale. Principal component analysis and a varimax rotation of the responses identified seven factors - Home Environment, Antisocial Tendency, Influencability, Social Control, Emotional Adjustment, Deprivation and Social Alienation. The results showed that there were large differences between the Black and White learners in terms of the perceived importance of a number of the explanatory causes.


Research question: This paper introduces a new parameter for evaluating the sensitivity of development paths in ELECTRE (ELimination Et Choix Traduisant la Realite) based stepwise benchmarking model. Motivation: The aim of the research was to devise a 'path sensitivity coefficient' which measures the sensitivity of a development path depending on parameters set by decision-maker (DM). The need for such measure comes from the fact that the hierarchical pre-order of benchmarking units are affected by the DM's subjective decisions on the threshold for declaring outranking relations among them. This consequently may disrupt the sequence of intermediate benchmarks - transitional targets to be followed on the route to the ultimate policy goals. The proposed approach is an extension of a stepwise benchmarking procedure devised by Petrovic et al. (2014) which evaluates development paths based on their gradualism. Idea: In this paper, we propose to characterize development paths by considering both gradualism and sensitivity to outranking thresholds. The standpoint of our research is that in order to make a reliable final choice the DM should be aware that the most gradual path is not necessary the most stable one. Tools: The proposed 'path sensitivity coefficient' combines four level of uncertainty coming from two threshold values set by DM. The coefficient has a relative nature, it points to the "distance" from the theoretically ideal solution - a path fully indifferent to threshold values. An approach to merge coefficients associated with gradualism and stability is also introduced. Data: To illustrate the proposed approach we applied it in the field of digital transformation of EU countries. We exploited indicators and data from Digital Agenda Scoreboard regarding specific policy goals to be achieved until 2020. Findings: The findings imply that the decision on the most gradual development path should be reconsidered in regards to the influence of model parameters. The final choice depends whether DM's prefers the smoothness of the path or the overall stability in terms of underlying partial preorder.  Contribution: This work contributes to the existing ELECTRE-based stepwise benchmarking by reducing the uncertainty coming from subjective parameterization and allows the DM to be more confident in the final path selection.


The virulence of the bacterium Pantoea agglomerans pv. gypsophilae (Pag) on Gypsophila paniculata depends on a type III secretion system (T3SS) and its effectors. The hypothesis that plant-derived indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) plays a major role in gall formation was examined by disrupting basipetal polar auxin transport with the specific inhibitors 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA) and N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA). On inoculation with Pag, galls developed in gypsophila stems above but not below lanolin rings containing TIBA or NPA, whereas, in controls, galls developed above and below the rings. In contrast, TIBA and NPA could not inhibit tumour formation in tomato caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The colonization of gypsophila stems by Pag was reduced below, but not above, the lanolin-TIBA ring. Following Pag inoculation and TIBA treatment, the expression of hrpL (a T3SS regulator) and pagR (a quorum-sensing transcriptional regulator) decreased four-fold and that of pthG (a T3SS effector) two-fold after 24 h. Expression of PIN2 (a putative auxin efflux carrier) increased 35-fold, 24 h after Pag inoculation. However, inoculation with a mutant in the T3SS effector pthG reduced the expression of PIN2 by two-fold compared with wild-type infection. The results suggest that pthG might govern the elevation of PIN2 expression during infection, and that polar auxin transport-derived IAA is essential for gall initiation.


The aim of the present study is to investigate the influence of accelerated weathering conditions (temperature and humidity) on the mechanical and physical properties of the flax fibre reinforced poly lactic acid (PLA) biocomposites. Two different types of biocomposites namely New Non-woven (NNW) and Conventional Non-woven (CNW) were developed for this study. After 500 h of exposure to humid environment with 95% relative humidity at 30 and 60 ◦ C temperatures, the mechanical (tensile and flexural) and physical (surface roughness and hardness) behaviours were evaluated and compared with that of the dry specimens. Tensile and flexural properties were found to decrease significantly upon 500 h of exposure to accelerated weathering. The tensile strength of the biocomposite specimens exposed to 30 ◦ C temperature and 95% RH demonstrated noteworthy improvement. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray micro CT images of fractured surfaces showed delamination, plasticization of matrix and fibre debonding due to exposure to various environmental conditions.


This paper discusses the effects of carbonation on the microstructure of portland cement concrete for longterm durability applications. A class C40 concrete (characteristic compression strength between 40 MPa and 44 MPa on the 28 th day, according to Brazilian standard NBR 8953) was chosen for the experimental study of the carbonation effects, from which test samples were molded for accelerated test under a 100%-CO2 atmosphere after physical and mechanical characterization. It was observed that carbonation provoked a reduction of 5% to 12% of the concrete open porosity accessible to water. Flexural strength values obtained after the carbonation tests revealed a decrease of 12% and 25% in relation to the values obtained before tests on the 28 th and 91 st days, respectively.


The aim of the paper is to discuss the conception of design in the field of human-computer interaction. From an activity-theory perspective, three aspects of design issues in HCI are stressed. They are, first, a broader conception of what it means to design and which artefacts are to be designed; second, a more molar unit of analysis than merely the design of the computer system, including an extended time frame for the design process; and, third, taking designers most often neglected, namely the practitioner, seriously. Our method is to take a detailed case study as our point of departure, where the case begets the concepts, and at the same time works as a test bench for the generated ideas. Thus, methodologically we ask what a detailed case might tell about design related to HCI.


A new core test wrapper design approach is proposed which transports streaming test data, for example scan test patterns, into and out of an embedded core exclusively via (some of) its functional data ports. The latter are typically based on standardised protocols such as AXI, DTL, and OCP. The new wrapper design allows a functional interconnect, such as an on-chip bus or network-on-chip (NOC) to transport test data to embedded cores, and hence eliminates the need for a conventional dedicated test access mechanism (TAM), such as a TestRail or test bus. The approach leaves both the tester, as well as the embedded core and its test unchanged, while the functional interconnect can handle the test data transport as a regular data application. The functional interconnect is required to offer guaranteed throughput and zero latency variation, a service that is available in many buses and networks. For 672 example cases based on the ITC'02 System-on-Chip (SOC) Test Benchmarks, the new approach in comparison with the conventional approach shows an average wrapper area increase of 14.5%, which is negligible at the SOC level, especially since the dedicated TAM can be eliminated. Futhermore, the new approach decreases the core test length by 3.8% on average.


BACKGROUND
Recovery from life-threatening illness may be experienced as more demanding and lasts longer than patients first expect. Many patients experience recovery after life-threatening illness, as filled with complex problems. These problems are primarily physical and psychological, although also social, and adversely affect daily life as well as perceived quality of life. Patients experience uncertainty about living with the legacy of a life-threatening illness and how it negatively limits their daily lives and experienced health.

AIM
The purpose is to illuminate experiences of the meaning of recovery from life-threatening disease.

ETHICAL APPROVAL
Approval for the study was obtained through a Regional Research Ethics Committee.

METHODS
This study was conducted as a qualitative narrative study. This means that written stories of human recovery beyond suffering from life-threatening disease were collected and analysed with a phenomenological hermeneutic method.

RESULTS
The findings reveal two major areas - intrapersonal meanings and relational meanings. Four themes were found in these areas, each of which was divided into subthemes as follows: obstacles, for example disappointment of life, alienation of self and opportunities/resources: for example balance, own knowledge, hope and gratitude; relational obstacles, for example a lack of care, stigmatisation and economic stress; and relational resources such as informal care and professional care.

STUDY LIMITATIONS
The informants were predominantly women that may be explained by the fact that females seem to be more often engaged in social media and willing to participate in these kinds of studies. Another limitation is that we only reached out to Swedish speaking Facebook groups when recruiting our informants.

CONCLUSIONS
In the narratives of their recovery process, surprisingly few focused on professional health care as a resource. Experiences from the study may be used to further develop care, especially to support patient self-care regarding intrapersonal and relational resources that promote patient recovery beyond suffering from life-threatening disease.


Background Causal quests in non-randomized studies are unavoidable just because research questions are beyond doubt causal (e.g., aetiology). Large progress during the last decades has enriched the methodical toolbox. Aims Summary papers mainly focus on quantitative and highly formal methods. With examples from clinical psychology, we show how qualitative approaches can inform on the necessity and feasibility of quantitative analysis and may yet sometimes approximate causal answers. Results Qualitative use is hidden in some quantitative methods. For instance, it may yet suffice to know the direction of bias for a tentative causal conclusion. Counterfactuals clarify what causal effects of changeable factors are, unravel what is required for a causal answer, but do not cover immutable causes like gender. Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) address causal effects in a broader sense, may give rise to quantitative estimation or indicate that this is premature. Conclusion No method is generally sufficient or necessary. Any causal analysis must ground on qualification and should balance the harms of a false positive and a false negative conclusion in a specific context.


A low complexity approach to coding-enhanced multi-user detection is developed to mitigate the problems associated with the near-far effect and to permit a more efficient assignment of channel resources relative to current multiple access (MA) communications systems. Through prudent integration of error correction decoding, multi-user and inter-symbol interference equalization and stripping, a low complexity near-far resistant multi-user joint detector/decoder has been developed which exhibits significant performance gains relative to the best known low complexity joint detection/decoding procedures reported in literature. Empirical analysis of the coding-enhanced multi-user detector (CMD) for a case of heavy intersymbol interference and multi-user interference shows a 3 dB improvement over these best known methods.


The most common physical formalisms are the Lagrangian formalism and the Hamiltonian formalism. From the superficial point of view, they are one and the same, but rewritten in other terms. However, it seems that the Hamiltonian formalism has a richer structure and is more convenient for studying the electromagnetic field, especially in the formalization of its geometrization. Unfortunately for field problems, there is a whole set of Hamiltonian formalisms. The authors study the applicability of different variants of the Hamiltonian formalism to the problems of electrodynamics. In this paper we consider the Hamiltonian formalism with constraints.


This paper presents a new numerical integration technique on arbitrary polygonal domains. The polygonal domain is mapped conformally to the unit disk using Schwarz–Christoffel mapping and a midpoint quadrature rule defined on this unit disk is used. This method eliminates the need for a two‐level isoparametric mapping usually required. Moreover, the positivity of the Jacobian is guaranteed. Numerical results presented for a few benchmark problems in the context of polygonal finite elements show that the proposed method yields accurate results. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Author(s): Tal, Gil; Lee, Jae H; Chakraborty, Debapriya; Davis, Adam | Abstract: Very little research has been conducted on the second (and third, and thereafter) owners of new technologies. For light duty vehicles, the research has been focused on the first owners. In the case of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), understanding the secondary market is especially important for many reasons, including the vehicle market development and on-road usage. The second owner is also an adopter of new technology, many times taking greater risk than the original owner by purchasing a vehicle close to, or after, the end of the warranty. Data on vehicle ownership at the zip code level was used to explore the total number of vehicles, the number of electric vehicles (EVs) owned by the original owner, and the number of EVs owned by a second or third owner. Results suggest that in areas with few EVs overall, used PEVs make up a higher share of all PEVs, but a lower share of all vehicles. Used PEVs are slightly less spatially concentrated than new ones, possibly because of a weaker neighborhood effect and possibly because their lower cost makes them accessible to slightly more people. The study finds that at least in this phase of the market development, used PEVs are not trickling down at a high rate, but more research is needed to evaluate the reasons for this phenomenon. Policies that focus on the progression of used PEVs to secondary owners by improving the information provided to used car buyers, reducing the risk of purchasing a new technology, improving the availability of charging, and addressing other barriers, can help communities with low rates of PEV adoption and improve the market growth in the future.View the NCST Project Webpage


We study first order methods to compute the barycenter of a probability distribution $P$ over the space of probability measures with finite second moment. We develop a framework to derive global rates of convergence for both gradient descent and stochastic gradient descent despite the fact that the barycenter functional is not geodesically convex. Our analysis overcomes this technical hurdle by employing a Polyak-Lojasiewicz (PL) inequality and relies on tools from optimal transport and metric geometry. In turn, we establish a PL inequality when $P$ is supported on the Bures-Wasserstein manifold of Gaussian probability measures. It leads to the first global rates of convergence for first order methods in this context.


Draft is an annual event, which distributes players coming from college and overseas among a pool of eligible teams. Selecting a player in the draft is probably one of the most important decisions for NBA front offices. In this study we examined the relationships between NBA draft order of selection and career longevity between 1978 and 1998 using generalized additive models. Retrospective data of 1091 players selected in the NBA draft from 1978 to 1998 was considered. Data was extracted from the NBA official website (http://stats.nba.com/draft/history/) and from a specialized website in basketball (https://www.basketball-reference.com/). The variables considered for analysis were order of player's selection pick, years played in the league and the year of the NBA Draft. We assumed the possibility of non-linear patterns in the relations between Draft pick order, career longevity and years of draft selection, hence modeling these variables using a bivariate tensor spline. On average, players selected in the first five picks of the NBA had a longer career (~14 career years). Controlling for draft years, a non-linear trend of career longevity was observed with a decrease in the career longevity from the first pick until the 30th pick, leveling of thereafter. When accounting for draft pick, a non-linear trend was observed for career longevity per draft year. Career longevity increased between 1978 and 1985, leveling between 1985 and 1993 and increasing in the following years until 1998. Overall, the longevity of NBA careers has increased for players selected in the first picks of the NBA drafts of the most recent draft years.


Abstract Abstract Health systems globally demand more competent workers but lack competency-based training programs to reach their goals. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a competency-based curriculum (EQUIP-FHS) for trainers and supervisors to teach foundational helping knowledge, attitudes and skills, guided by the WHO/UNICEF EQUIP platform, to improve the competency of in-service and pre-service workers from various health and other service sectors. A mixed-methods, uncontrolled before-and-after trial was conducted in Nepal, Peru, and Uganda from 2020 to 2021. Trainees' (N = 150) competency data were collected during 13 FHS trainings. Paired t-tests assessed pre- to post-change in ENACT competency measures (e.g., harmful, helpful). Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. EQUIP-FHS trainings, on average, were 20 h in duration. Harmful behaviors significantly decreased, and helpful behaviors significantly increased, across and within sites from pre-to post-training. Qualitatively, trainees and trainers promoted the training and highlighted difficult competencies and areas for scaling the training. A brief competency-based curriculum on foundational helping delivered through pre-service or in-service training can reduce the risk that healthcare workers and other service providers display harmful behaviors. We recommend governmental and nongovernmental organizations implement competency-based approaches to enhance the quality of their existing workforce programming and be one step closer to achieving the goal of quality healthcare around the globe.


BACKGROUND
Lower urinary tract symptoms are highly prevalent in older men, have been shown to affect men's quality of life, and may be associated with more serious outcomes.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the prevalence of LUTS among men aged 50 years or older registered at family practice centers in Israel and to assess the effect of these complaints on different aspects of their life.

METHODS
In a random sample cohort of men aged 50 years and older, fluent in Hebrew, drawn from those registered in four family clinics in Israel, patients identified with LUTS were interviewed by phone using a structured questionnaire.

RESULTS
The prevalence of LUTS in our study was 21%. Less than a third of these patients had low severity LUTS (28%), 59% were rated moderate, and 13% had severe symptoms. Age had a positive correlation with the severity of LUTS, and increasing severity of symptoms had a negative effect on the daily function and quality of life of patients.

CONCLUSIONS
Our community-based study shows that LUTS is a common finding among men above the age of 50 (21%) and has a significant negative effect on their quality of life and daily function. Knowledge of these data should make primary care physicians more aware of this common problem and thus improve the treatment and quality of life of these patients by better identification and prompt treatment.


From Savage to Sensational, from lawyer to hulking beast, from advocate to Avenger and from independent woman to hyper-sexualised feminista – She-Hulk provides a case study in what occurs when 'great power' meets the 'great responsibility' of the legal professional. This article seeks to fill a gap in the fledgling field of Law and Comics via an analysis of She-Hulk, revealing a character defined by binaries, constructed through real world and imagined patriarchal forces, whose superpowers do not make her immune from the struggles faced by the female voice within the legal system. Yet She-Hulk offers a solution to this exclusion – the realm of the abject, the monstrous, splintering the law to protect her client's interests. She-Hulk reveals that superhero powers are needed to overcome the challenges of feminist lawyering.


Boon or Bane? Others' Unemployment, Well-being and Job Insecurity The social norm of unemployment suggests that aggregate unemployment reduces the wellbeing of the employed, but has a far smaller effect on the unemployed. We use German panel data to reproduce this standard result, but then suggest that the appropriate distinction may not be between employment and unemployment, but rather between higher and lower levels of labour-market security, at least for men. Men with good job prospects, both employed and unemployed, are strongly negatively affected by regional unemployment. However, insecure employed men and poor-prospect unemployed men are less negatively, or even positively, affected. There is however no clear relationship for women. We analyse labour-market inequality and unemployment hysteresis in the light of our results. JEL Classification: I31, D84, J60


BACKGROUND
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a chronic, infectious disease caused by protozoa of the genus leishmania. The incidence of this disease is high in Brazil, with 19,746 new cases having been detected in 2008. The presence of amastigotes in the cytoplasm of histiocytes constitutes diagnosis of the disease; however, their presence is rarely found in late lesions, making histological diagnosis difficult. Polymerase chain reaction has been shown to represent a highly sensitive and specific technique for the diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

OBJECTIVES
To use polymerase chain reaction to evaluate paraffin-embedded skin biopsies with histopathological features consistent with cutaneous leishmaniasis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Polymerase chain reaction amplification of a 120-base-pair fragment of Leishmania kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) minicircles was performed on 90 skin biopsies. The male/female ratio was 75/15. Mean age was 32.36 years, with a median of 31 years, range 4-72 years. Samples were histologically compatible with cutaneous leishmaniasis but a definitive diagnosis could not be made since amastigotes were not found. All cases were histologically classified according to the patterns described by de Magalhães.

RESULTS
According to the de Magalhães classification, the most common histological pattern was type IV (exudative granulomatous reaction), which was found in 65.6% of cases (56/90), followed by type I (exudative cellular reaction) in 21.1% of cases (19/90) and type III (exudative and necrotic granulomatous reaction) in 12.2% of cases (11/90). Leishmania DNA was found in 96.7% of the biopsies (87/90).

CONCLUSION
Polymerase chain reaction performed by amplifying kDNA is able to confirm a diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis with a high degree of sensitivity in cases in which histopathology is consistent with a diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis but not definitive.


The largest source of year-toyear variability of winter weather in the extratropical Northern Hemisphere is an oscillating pattern of atmospheric pressure that has poles near Iceland and in the subtropical North Atlantic, commonly called the Arctic Oscillation/ North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/NAO). The AO/NAO directs the tracks of storms crossing the Atlantic, affecting temperature and rainfall in North America, Europe, and northern Asia. It has been thought that the pattern of interannual variability of the AO/NAO is random and a consequence of the internal dynamics of the climate system. However, it also has been noted that, over the past 30 years, the AO/NAO has exhibited a trend; this has led to the proposal that it is modulated by soil moisture, secular changes of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, sea-surface temperatures, the stratosphere, or sea-ice cover. Saito and Cohen add another ingredient to this olio by showing that continental-scale snow cover in North America and Eurasia varies with the atmosphere, leading the atmosphere by several months and influencing the AO/NAO on annual to decadal time scales. — HJS


We disclose a new approach to the catalysis of alkane fluorination employing ultraviolet light and a photosensitizer, 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene (TCB). The process is efficient, mild, and operationally straightforward. We demonstrate reaction utility on a variety of substrates, from simple hydrocarbons to complex natural products. In a showcase example, we establish that the well-known photochemical rearrangement of α-santonin can be supplanted by a highly selective catalyzed fluorination.


A pervasive goal in the study of how children learn word meanings is to explain how young children solve the mapping problem. The mapping problem asks how language learners connect a label to its referent. Mapping is one part of word learning, however, it does not reflect other critical components of word meaning construction, such as the encoding of lexico-semantic relations and socio-pragmatic context. In this paper, we argue that word learning researchers' overemphasis of mapping has constrained our experimental paradigms and hypotheses, leading to misconceived theories and policy interventions. We first explain how the mapping focus limits our ability to study the richness and complexity of what infants and children learn about, and do with, word meanings. Then, we describe how our focus on mapping has constrained theory development. Specifically, we show how it has led to (a) the misguided emphasis on referent selection and ostensive labeling, and (b) the undervaluing of diverse pathways to word knowledge, both within and across cultures. We also review the consequences of the mapping focus outside of the lab, including myopic language learning interventions. Last, we outline an alternative, more inclusive approach to experimental study and theory construction in word learning research. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Language Psychology > Theory and Methods Psychology > Learning.


According to the WHO; nurses and midwives account for nearly 50% of the global health workforce. There is a global shortage of
health workers, in particular nurses and midwives, who represent more than 50% of the current shortage in health workers. Investing
in nurses and midwives is good value for money. The report of the UN High Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth concluded that investments in education and job creation in the health and social sectors result in a triple return of improved health outcomes, global health security, and inclusive economic growth. As we are already living in the era of industry 4.0 and digital transfromation, the whole nursing practice is subject to a major transformation where the advanced technology (e.g., robots and IoT) allows nurses to be more engaged in patient care while simultaneously reducing the amount of time and energy required to care for each patient. This presentation aims to answer the question on how nurses will stay relevant while facing the dramatic change in the entire healthcare industry and how surses should learn how to adapt to advancing technology and how to supplement and enhance their skills, there are ways nurses can stay relevant in a technologically advanced future.


The Influence of Nozzle Spacing and Diameter on the Acoustic Emissions of Closely Spaced Supersonic Jet Arrays Ian S. Coltrin Department of Mechanical Engineering, BYU Master of Science The acoustic emissions from supersonic jets represent an area of significant research needs; not only in the field of aero-acoustics, but in industry as well where high pressure let down processes have been known to cause acoustically induced vibrations. A common method to reduce the acoustic emissions of such processes involves dividing the single larger supersonic flow into several smaller ones. Though this is common practice, there is not yet a current model which describes the reduction of acoustic emissions from an array of smaller supersonic jets. Current research which studies supersonic jet arrays are mainly focused on the effects of screech. Though screech is important, due to its high amplitude acoustic pressure, this research focuses on the overall acoustic emissions radiated from supersonic jet arrays which can cause severe acoustic loadings. This research investigated the acoustic emissions and shock formations from several eight by eight arrays of axisymmetric jet experimentally. The array nozzle diameters investigated ranged from 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch and the spacing over diameter ratio ranged from 1.44 to 3. The net pressure ratios investigated ranged from 2 to 24. Results revealed a strong correlation between the acoustic emissions and the shock formations of the flow. Up until a critical net pressure ratio, the overall sound pressure levels were comparable to that of a single jet within an array. At net pressure ratios beyond the critical the overall sound pressure levels transitioned to higher decibel levels; equivalent to a single jet with an equivalent exit area of an entire array. Also, the characteristic acoustic frequency emitted from a nozzle array remained ultrasonic (above 20 kHz) at lower net pressure ratios and then shifted to audible levels (between 20 Hz to 20 kHz) at net pressure ratios beyond the critical. Also, before the critical net pressure ratio the shock cells from the jets within the array remained unmerged, but at net pressure ratios beyond the critical the shock cells merged and formed lattices of weak oblique shocks at first and then strong oblique shocks as the net pressure ratio continued to increase. The critical net pressure ratio was investigated by non-dimensional analysis. The nondimensional analysis revealed that the critical net pressure ratio was a strong linear function of the spacing over diameter ratio. A linear model was derived which is able to predict the critical net pressure ratio, and in turn, predict a critical shift in the acoustic emissions of a nozzle array.


This report presents the methods used to model a steel deck truss bridge over the New River in Hillsville, Virginia. These methods were evaluated by comparing analytical results with data recorded from 14 members during live load testing. The research presented herein is part of a larger endeavor to understand the structural behavior and collapse mechanism of the erstwhile I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that collapsed on August 1, 2007. Objectives accomplished toward this end include investigation of lacing effects on built-up member strain measurement, live load testing of a steel truss bridge, and evaluation of modeling techniques in comparison to recorded data. The most accurate model was used to conduct a failure analysis with the intent of then loading the steel truss bridge to failure. Before any live load testing could be performed, it was necessary to confirm an acceptable strain gage layout for measuring member strains. The effect of riveted lacing in built-up members was investigated by constructing a two-thirds mockup of a typical bridge member. The mockup was instrumented with strain gages and subjected to known loads to determine the most effective strain gage arrangement. The results of the testing analysis showed that for a built-up member consisting of laced channels, one strain gage installed on the middle of the extreme fiber of each channel's flanges was sufficient. Thus, laced members on the bridge were mounted with four strain gages each. Data from live loads were obtained by loading two trucks to 25 tons each. Trucks were positioned at eight locations on the bridge in four different relative truck positions. Data were recorded continuously and reduced to member forces for model validation comparisons. Deflections at selected truss nodes were also recorded for model validation purposes. The model validation process began by developing four simple truss models, each reflecting different expected restraint conditions, in the hopes of bracketing data from recorded results. The models included a simple truss model, a frame model with only the truss members, and a frame model that included the stringers. The final, most accurate model was selected and used for a failure analysis. This model showed where the minimum amount of load could be applied to learn about the bridge's failure behavior and was to be used for a test to be conducted at a later time. Unfortunately, the project was terminated because of a lack of funding before the actual test to failure of the steel truss bridge was conducted. Nevertheless, findings from the study led to two important recommendations: (1) When instrumenting a steel truss bridge for load testing by placing strain gages on built-up members, four gages, one placed on each flange of each channel, should be used and (2) When modeling deck truss bridges, the system should be considered to be a frame and should include the stringers in the model.


The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) is the standard disease-specific instrument for assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). A German translation has not been validated. 415 outpatient IBD-patients (Crohn's Disease n = 306, Ulcerative Colitis n = 109) completed the German version of the IBDQ (Competence network IBD, IBDQ-D), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale German Version (HADS-D) and the Questions on Life Satisfaction FLZ. Face validity was assessed by a physicians' and patients' panel. Disease activity was measured by the German Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index (GIBDI). With 97.3 % completed items the acceptance was high. The Cronbach's alpha for the subscales ranged from 0.88 to 0.89. The correlation coefficients with comparable subscales of other instruments ranged between 0.09 and 0.70. Patients in remission and different disease activities differed significantly (p < 0.001) in all IBDQ-D-subscales.


Background and Aims: Sleep disturbances are common among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of sleep disorders in Greek diabetics and differences between an urban and semi-urban population. Materials and Methods: The study population was comprised of 308 T2D patients [139 patients from Piraeus (urban population, group A) and 169 patients from Sitia (semi-urban population, group B)]. In all patients, quality of sleep was evaluated by administering the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) through an interview. The PSQI is a self-report questionnaire that assesses sleep quality and quantity over a month-long period. Results: Mean PSQI score of group A was 11.22 ± 6.44 and 88.5% (n=123) of the participants had a PSQI score ≥5, indicating poor quality of sleep. Mean PSQI score of group B was 12.48 ± 5.85, and 88.8% (n=140) had a PSQI score ≥5. Incidence of a PSQI score ≥5 did not differ between the two groups (P=0.13). Logistic regression analysis, after adjustment for sex, BMI, presence of hypertension and dyslipidemia, smoking, diabetes complications, and oral antidiabetic treatment, showed that PSQI ≥5 in total sample population was associated with insulin treatment [odds ratio (OR): 0.03, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.31-0.99], and HbA1c (OR: 6.56, 95% CI: 1.93-16.14). In group A, poor sleep quality was associated with insulin treatment (OR: 0.02, 95% CI: 0.10-0.84), and HbA1c (OR: 7.55, 95% CI: 1.97-18.81). In group B, poor sleep quality was associated only with age (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.06-1.74). Conclusion: Our study suggested that Greek patients with T2D have a high prevalence of sleep disorders with similar incidence for urban and semi-urban population. Insulin treatment and HbA1c were the greatest predictors of sleep disorders. Identifying sleep disorders in T2D and treating them early might improve patient9s quality of life. Disclosure A. Papazafiropoulou: None. M. Stamatelatou: None. E. Xourgia: None. L. Mpoumi: None. E. Georgopoulos: None. G. Tziomalos: None. S. Solidaki: None. M. Dasenaki: None. A. Melidonis: None.


New structures to be applied with the extended true-single-phase-clock (E-TSPC) CMOS circuit technique, an extension of the traditional true-single-phase-clock (TSPC) are presented. These structures, formed by the connection of proper data paths, allow circuits to handle data with rates that are twice the clock rate. Examples of circuits employing such structures are shortly reported and to illustrate more complex applications, the design of a dual-modulus prescaler (divide by 128/129) in a 0.8 /spl mu/m CMOS process is fully depicted. This prescaler, according to simulations, reaches a maximum 2.19-GHz operation rate at 5 V with a 46 mW power consumption. This new approach is also compared with a previous design (implemented with the E-TSPC technique and attaining a 1.59 GHz operation rate) and with other recently published circuits.


You cannot go back to every place you have ever been. But you can return to some. For social science researchers, it is all too common to conduct field research, learn what one can, and then be done with a place. This article argues there can be great value to engaging communities with research and taking results back to the "streets" after academic research has been completed. Not only is it generally morally right and the responsible thing to do, but it can also hold great meaning for people who contributed to research, provide an opportunity for new insights and validation of findings, and even stimulate new research topics as new issues arise. "Engagement" has become a buzzword across many scientific and social science fields, but has taken on a variety of meanings, and it has rarely been considered how to best engage after a project has been completed. While post- research engagement may not be appropriate or feasible for every setting or research project, this article urges researchers to think ahead about future engagement at the moment the research is being conducted, or even prior to setting foot on the ground. I discuss the literature on engagement from anthropology and political science. I then detail my recent engagement process of sharing results from a study of nonviolent mediation during civil conflict with the community of La India in Colombia.


Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) can gather in situ real data measurements and work unattended for long periods, even in remote, rough places. A critical aspect of WSN design is node placement, as this determines sensing capacities, network connectivity, network lifetime and, in short, the whole operational capabilities of the WSN. This paper proposes and studies a new node placement algorithm that focus on these aspects. As a motivating example, we consider a network designed to describe the distribution of helium-3 (3He), a potential enabling element for fusion reactors, on the Moon. 3He is abundant on the Moon's surface, and knowledge of its distribution is essential for future harvesting purposes. Previous data are inconclusive, and there is general agreement that on-site measurements, obtained over a long time period, are necessary to better understand the mechanisms involved in the distribution of this element on the Moon. Although a mission of this type is extremely complex, it allows us to illustrate the main challenges involved in a multi-objective WSN placement problem, i.e., selection of optimal observation sites and maximization of the lifetime of the network. To tackle optimization, we use a recent adaptation of the ant colony optimization (ACOR) metaheuristic, extended to continuous domains. Solutions are provided in the form of a Pareto frontier that shows the optimal equilibria. Moreover, we compared our scheme with the four-directional placement (FDP) heuristic, which was outperformed in all cases.


In this paper the effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on a 30 stacked InAs/GaAs, molecular beam epitaxially grown quantum dot infrared detector (QDIP) device is studied. Temperatures in the range of 700 - 900/spl deg/C for 60 s, typical of ion implantation induced interdiffusion, are used. Double crystal X-ray diffraction (DCXRD), photoluminescence (PL), cross sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) and device electrical characteristics were used to monitor changes due to RTA. The QDIP devices had good PL signal which improved upon annealing. However the device performance after RTA was poor and DCXRD and XTEM results clearly indicate that strain relaxation is occurring. The role of strain relaxation on optical and electrical properties has been discussed.


In this paper, bit error performance of the cooperative diversity system based on quadrature signaling with 16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) is analyzed. An adaptive cooperative diversity system based on quadrature signaling is proposed to increase bit error performance. The level of square envelope of fading coefficients of interuser channels and main channels between users and base station with respect to a threshold value is taken as the cooperation criterion for the proposed system. This threshold value is optimized by using computer simulations to minimize the bit error probability. An analytical upper bound expression is derived for the bit error probability of the proposed system. It is shown by computer simulations that the adaptive cooperation based on quadrature signaling significantly improves the system performance.


Antibodies protecting mice against 10-1000 lethal doses of Pneumococcus Type II were found in the fresh serum of 21 of 32 normal rabbits tested in this study. In general, the protective effect of the serum in mice was closely correlated with the bacteriostatic action of the heparinized blood and both sorts of reaction appeared to be type-specific; the best evidence being the absorption of the protective antibody by killed cells of Pneumococcus Type II, but not by R cells.
 Partial or complete loss of the antibody during 3 weeks' storage at 2 to 5 C, its preservation for 3 months at −15 to −20 C, its fluctuating titre in the circulating blood of some animals and its persistence in one rabbit for as long as 9 months were observed.
 These findings, associated with the fact that no normal rabbit whose serum failed to protect mice against 1 lethal dose of Pneumococcus Type II gained that capacity after injection of soluble antigen from Pneumococcus Type I (Dubos' soluble antigen), pose a question of the validity of a number of reports that a soluble pneumococcal antigen may elicit, in rabbits, the production of antibodies capable of protecting mice against heterologous types.


This paper presents a technique to detect the moisture conditions of walls supporting frescoes in order to detach its in case and to understand causes of the surface wetting. An important feature of the testing procedure is to be nondestructive and appropriate to analyze large surfaces as it is based on thermographic image processing. The goal is to classify the wall surface on the basis of its moisture condition. We choose the thermal inertia as the most suitable parameter for this purpose, because the heat capacity of a porous body increases to a great extent by varying its water content. The test works modifying the wall inner thermal conditions and detecting temperature variations of the fresco, in time and space domain. For this purpose a convective thermal flux is uniformly applied to the surface while an infrared camera views it. In such a way temperature gradients appear, whose maximum directional variation curves are used to segment the surface and the mean temperature time difference is used to label each area. The key point of the proposed procedure is the freedom from the knowledge of the wall composition and its thermal and hydrologic dynamic status, depending on weather history. Other topics as the environmental radiometric reflection and emission, the 'Narcissus effect' in thermograms mosaic composition and the perspective distortions are considered. Experimental results on a XVI century church at Padua (Italy) are presented.


Insulin is secreted in sustained oscillatory fashion from isolated islets of Langerhans. This finding has led to the assumption of an underlying synchronizing process that coordinates insulin oscillations. This assumption was tested by developing a mathematical model of oscillatory insulin secretion in which we included degree of synchrony as a parameter. We first evaluated insulin oscillations in perifused isolated rat islets, using spectral analysis to determine their regularity and frequency. A parsimonious mathematical model was developed to account for these characteristics. The model postulates a group of secretory units discharging at discrete intervals with the same underlying period. Variation from two sources, phase differences between units (synchrony) and regularity within units, is introduced by adding two normally distributed random variables with standard deviations (Sg and Si, respectively) to the secretory period. Sets of 100 simulations for different values of Sg and Si were run. Results of the simulations suggest that the system tolerates a relatively large degree of asynchrony yet still demonstrates regularity of oscillations on spectral analysis. Comparison with perifusion data suggests that a moderate degree of asynchrony between islets can best account for the pattern of insulin oscillations observed. This model provides a theoretical basis for the study of mechanisms for insulin oscillations.


Composite services are widely popular for solving complex problems where the required QoS levels are often demanding. The composite service that provides the best utility while meeting the QoS requirements has to be found. This paper proposes a network model where many complementary candidates could be selected for each service class to improve the benefits, while the conventional model limits the selection to a single service candidate or service level per service class. The selection of services step is NP-hard because it can be reduced to a multi-constraint knapsack problem. Yet, the decision has to be reached rapidly so that it does not increase the overall workflow time. Large-size networks and problems with high restriction levels (strong QoS requirements) are the most problematic. Traditional multiple-constrained-shortest-path (MCSP) heuristics are improved in this paper using the novel concept "potential feasibility". When our modified MCSP heuristic algorithms are compared to the CPLEX solver, one of them demonstrates a significantly smaller average runtime. Further, it provides solutions within a 2.6 percent optimality gap on average for small networks, and a 10 percent optimality gap on average for large networks, regardless of the restriction level. Our algorithm uses a general utility function, not derived from the QoS parameters.


Telecom today has become an essence of life. Everywhere we see people using their smart phones for calling, checking email or accessing internet. To handle all these kinds of services without any intrusion is a very challenging task. This study deals with software testing which helps to ensure the quality of service to the end user. Software testing is an essential part in the software development process. Software development for telecom domain might not look as safety critical as of an airplane or nuclear reactor but it is arguably more complex. The main focus of this study is to provide automation to the unit testing of different types of radio connections that can be assigned to the end user based on the requested service and capacity of the 3G network. This research is sponsored by Ericsson to improve the testing of User Equipment Radio Connection Handling system that controls multiple possible radio connection configurations. This research attempts to identify and test all possible transitions between radio connection states. This will improve the existing manual state testing system, where changes in connection states cause dramatic impacts on test fixtures. As a solution, an automatic test case executor is proposed that generates possible transitions, which are later executed and verified automatically.


Introduction: Although femoral neck fractures in young patients are rare and their complications are well-documented, there is a paucity of data on patient-reported outcomes for this population. The purpose of this study was to describe the quality of life and the effect of clinical complications on the outcomes of young patients with femoral neck fractures in a Chinese cohort. Methods: In this prospective observational cohort study, patients aged 18 to 55 years admitted to one of three participating trauma hospitals in China for treatment of a femoral neck fracture were recruited. The primary outcome was the patient's health-related quality of life using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) Health Survey at 1 year after injury. Associations between the primary outcome and potential predictors were explored with univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Results: One hundred seven patients (mean age, 44 years) completed 1-year follow-up. Nearly all patients were treated with closed reduction and screw fixation. Nine cases of nonunion, 7 cases of malunion, and 11 cases of osteonecrosis were identified. The mean SF-36 Physical Component Score was 48.6 ± 8.5, and the mean Mental Component Score was 51.0 ± 7.4. Fracture displacement, quality of reduction, and nonunion were associated with a poor Physical Component Score outcome. Discussion: Our results demonstrate that the quality of life for patients after closed reduction and screw fixation of femoral neck fractures is similar to that of the general population, particularly when complications of nonunion and malunion are avoided. Level of Evidence: Level I


Based on the transformation media theory, we proposed a way to control the scattering of a cavity, or trench, located on a metallic plane. Specifically, we show how is possible to design transformation medium to fill up a cavity with arbitrary cross section, which is capable of enhancing the specularly reflection wave. As the inverse problem, we also address the design of transformation medium coating, which is laid on the metallic plane, to mimic the scattering of the cavity. Based on the effective medium theory, the transformation medium for the case of a polygonal cavity can be realized by oblique layered structures, and each layered structure is consisting of two kinds of isotropic dielectrics, thus leading an ease of practical fabrication.


This paper considers the performance of radial basis function neural networks for the purpose of data classification. The methods are illustrated using a simple two class problem. Two techniques for reducing the rate of misclassifications, via the introduction of an "unable to classify" label, are presented. The first of these considers the imposition of a threshold value on the classifier outputs whilst the second considers the replacement of the crisp network weights with interval ranges. Two network training techniques are investigated and it is found that, although thresholding and uncertain weights give similar results, the level of variability of network performance is dependent upon the training approach


Becker nevus (BN) is a common benign condition occurring most often in young men, much more often than in women. Acne isolated within a BN is a rare phenomenon hypothesized to occur, at least in part, due to increased androgen sensitivity within the nevus. We present a rare case of papular acne with in a BN of a 14 year-old girl.


We study the optical filtering technique for dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) channel allocation of millimeter-wave fiber-radio signals in the optical double-sideband (DSB) format. First, we investigate both theoretically and experimentally the dispersion effect of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) used as the filter on DWDM millimeter-wave optical signal transmissions. This result suggests that the dispersion effect has to be considered in the DWDM channel allocation for millimeter-wave fiber-radio access systems. Next, we propose a DWDM allocation for millimeter-wave fiber-radio systems, which adopts the optical single-sideband (SSB) filtering technique at the receiver side by using a square response of FBG filter. It can realize the minimum WDM channel interval for optical DSB signals, while it enables the optical frequency interleave between the neighboring channels without any serious signal degradation due to the interchannel interference. Then, we experimentally demonstrate the error-free DWDM transmission of two 60-GHz-band, 155.52-Mb/s differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) fiber-radio signals over 25-km-long single-mode fiber (SMF) with the minimum channel interval of 83.6 GHz (=0.68 nm) by using the test-square response FBGs. Finally, we show that based upon the experimental results, in the micro- or pico-cellular DWDM broad-band millimeter-wave fiber-radio access network 1000 antenna base stations (BSs) under the coverage of the single central office (CO) would be feasible by sectorizing the zone.


The dynamic behavior of a ball-beam system is highly nonlinear and its characteristic is difficult to define. In this paper we present a new ball-beam balancing control system using machine vision to feedback the beam angle and ball position on the beam. Adaptive threshold based continuously mean shift vision tracking algorithm is applied to record the ball position and the beam angle with highly captured frame-rate. The proposed vision tracking algorithm is tolerant to lighting influence, highly computing efficiency and more robust than traditional template pattern matching or edge detection algorithm under non-ideal environment. The vision tracking performance is experimentally tested on a ball-beam benchmark system, where a PD controller is applied to control the motion of the ball to maintain balance. Experimental result shows that the beam angle measurement, ball tracking and balancing control of the vision feedback system are robust, accurate and highly efficient.


The Airbus fish-head is machined using a 5-axis Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) milling machine, which consists of many complex shapes that are built into it. A conventional CNC machining requires tremendous effort in programming and investment due to the increasing in features complexity of the fish-head to be machined. An alternative method through advanced manufacturing processes namely vacuum casting, Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and three dimensional printing (3DP) is reviewed. The fish-head prototypes are manufactured through the concept of reverse engineering and rapid prototyping. The fish-head master pattern is digitized using a three dimensional laser scanner and edited using a surface modelling software to generate the Standard Triangulation Language (STL), which is common to most rapid prototyping (RP) machines. The fish-head prototypes are fabricated through FDM and 3DP using the STL data files, whereas the master pattern is used to fabricated silicone mould for vacuum casting. The quality of the prototypes is accessed in terms of dimensional accuracy and time to produce a single prototype. The dimensional accuracy is analysed using coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The dimensional accuracy error is found to be less than 5%. However, all prototypes require secondary surface treatment processing in order to achieve the desired surface roughness quality. All three prototypes can be manufactured less than 24 hours per prototype. The advanced manufacturing processes allows parts to be fabricated similar to parts manufactured through CNC but at a lower cost and faster.


In this study, it was investigated that effect of games including physical activity on digital game addiction of 11-14 age group middle-school students. Along with the determination of digital game addiction, conducting applied experimental study is important regarding showing results of application with theoretical knowledge towards solving problem. Within this framework, it was thought that "games including physical activity" will be important tool for decreasing the level of digital game addiction. Experimental Design method was used in the study in which was adopted Quantitative Research model. When 11-14 age group students who addicted digital games consisted of the population of the study, the sample of the study consisted of 29 girls and 51 boys who have studied. In the study, personal information form and digital game addiction scale that was developed by the researcher were used as measurement tools. During data collection period, by accepting applied pre-test to students as criterion sample process, students who have high addiction level (total scale score is 49 and above) were detected and control (n = 40) and experimental (n = 40) groups were created with unbiased assignment method. After the 12-weeks period "games including physical activity" training, the data which was collected from the control and experimental groups by taking post-test data was evaluated with SPSS 20 packaged software. It was found that there was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test of both sub-dimensions and total addiction scores and post-test scores were lower than pre-test scores. It was shown that post-test addiction scores were significantly higher than pre-test addiction scores in control group. When investigating post-test addiction scores of control and experiment groups, it was shown that addiction level of experimental group significantly decrease comparing control group. It was determined that pre-test/post-test scores of experimental group students did not show significant differences in terms of gender, age, education level of mothers, education level of fathers, number of siblings. It was also found that pre-test/post-test addiction scores of experimental and control groups showed significant differences regarding playing digital game duration. When playing digital game duration decreased in experimental group, playing game duration increased in control group. Therefore, it was concluded that addiction levels of students who are digital game addict decreased because of interesting games including physical activity. As a result; physical moving games and sports can be said to be an important tool in dealing with digital game addiction. It can also be said that an important way to protect children from such addictions is to do sports.


This paper argues for the discoursal motivation of constructions and the constructional motivation of a Modern Greek indefinite article, by focusing on generics and some other nominal constructions in Modern Greek containing the indefinite determiner enas/mia/ena ("a/an", masc./fem./ neut. respectively). Moreover, it illustrates the cross-linguistic relevance of Construction Grammar. A family of indefinite nominal constructions is identified, including the Indefinite Generic Construction, the Indefinite Proper Noun Construction, the Indefinite Predicate Nominal Construction, and the Proverbial Indefinite Construction, which is further shown to be primed by specific pragmatic and discoursal features. On the basis of the proposed analysis, and consistently with established views on semantic change (Traugott 1989), I suggest that the expressivity and the discoursal characterization associated with this family of indefinite constructions in Modern Greek motivate the partial de-semanticization of the indefinite determiner, its synchronic variability (after Hoffmann & Trousdale 2011) and, ultimately, its function as an article in the language.


Patterns of word learning Emily Thom University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Catherine Sandhofer University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Abstract: Around the age of two, many children enter a period of rapid vocabulary growth. The Naming Boom is commonly conceptualized as an increase in the rate of word learning across all categorical domains. However, recent research has suggested that the development of rapid word learning may occur within specific categorical domains as the result of previous experience learning words within the domain. The current study further tested this idea by analyzing patterns in childrens vocabularies at the onset of the Naming Boom. Childrens vocabularies were assessed; words that each child knew were sorted according to categorical domains (such as animals or vehicles). Most vocabularies exhibited a pattern of domain clumping: children knew many words in some domains, but few words in others. Results lend further support the to idea that rapid vocabulary growth develops within specific categorical domains and suggests that the Naming Boom may be better conceptualized as a series of domain-specific boomlets.


This article, which is based on an empirical survey of Norwegian football fans, illustrates that frequent viewership of football on TV can make it difficult to maintain attendance levels at the stadium. Fans of clubs that were featured the most often on free-to-air TV channels attended fewer matches than others. Hence, regulations on televised football might be necessary to maintain attendance levels. Fans that had strong preferences for foreign football attended less frequently. This represents a challenge for football clubs in smaller nations, such as Norway, for example, since they are unable to regulate televised matches featuring foreign leagues. Identification with the club was demonstrated to be the most effective instrument in maintaining attendance levels. As a result, a strategy aimed at strengthening the bonds between fans and clubs may be beneficial in the long run. No difference was measured between those who attended matches often and those who attended less frequently regarding the emphasis they placed on the uncertainty of outcome.


We study the anisotropy of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Ray (UHECR) events collected by the Telescope Array (TA) detector in the first 40 months of operation. Following earlier studies, we examine event sets with energy thresholds of 10 EeV, 40 EeV, and 57 EeV. We find that the distributions of the events in right ascension and declination are compatible with an isotropic distribution in all three sets. We then compare with previously reported clustering of the UHECR events at small angular scales. No significant clustering is found in the TA data. We then check the events with E > 57 EeV for correlations with nearby active galactic nuclei. No significant correlation is found. Finally, we examine all three sets for correlations with the large-scale structure (LSS) of the universe. We find that the two higher-energy sets are compatible with both an isotropic distribution and the hypothesis that UHECR sources follow the matter distribution of the universe (the LSS hypothesis), while the event set with E > 10 EeV is compatible with isotropy and is not compatible with the LSS hypothesis at 95% CL unless large deflection angles are also assumed. We show that accounting for UHECR deflections in a realistic model of the Galactic magnetic field can make this set compatible with the LSS hypothesis.


Students participating in service-learning classes experience many benefits, including cognitive development, personal growth, and civic engagement. Student development of empathy is an understudied area, especially with respect to how students develop empathy through interactions in their service-learning placements.?This article describes a project designed to pilot teaching tools (e.g., self-assessment, reflective writing) related to empathy development in 12 undergraduate students. This study examined changes in level of student empathy across the semester, critical incidents linked to such changes, factors that enhanced or challenged empathy development, and student metacognition related to empathy. Findings suggest that certain experiences, such as observing the emotional experiences of others or being given more responsibility at a community site, might prompt changes in level of empathy for service-learning students. Strategies for integrating findings from this pilot project into other service-learning courses and future directions for empathy research are also described.


We consider a discrete-time birth-death process on the non-negative integers with - 1 as an absorbing state and study the limiting behaviour as n -+ oo of the process conditioned on non-absorption until time n. By proving that a condition recently proposed by Martinez and Vares is vacuously true, we establish that the conditioned process is always weakly convergent when all self-transition probabilities are zero. In the aperiodic case we obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for weak convergence.


The article deals with pluralistic society whose analysis is based on the case of the university as a democratic institute. The authors substantiate three theses. The major one states that the biggest advantage of democracy (freedom of thought) leads to the fight and involves its biggest disadvantage – violence. According to the minor (second) thesis, university as part of democratic society embraces not only the freedom of thought, but also fight. The third thesis says that democracy is constituted "from below". This insight is used as a point of departure to substantiate the first two theses.


We present first analytical results on transport properties of many-mode waveguides with rough surfaces having long-range correlations. We show that propagation of waves through such waveguides reveals a quite unexpected phenomena of a complete transparency for a subset of propagating modes. These modes do not interact with each other and effectively can be described by the theory of 1D transport with correlated disorder. We also found that with a proper choice of model parameters one can arrange a perfect transparency of waveguides inside a given window of energy of incoming waves. The results may be important in view of experimental realizations of a selective transport in application to both waveguides and electron/optic nanodevices.


The effects of dual coplanar electrodes on a Hg-free flat fluorescent lamp were studied. For a dual coplanar lamp, brightness and efficacy were improved by 80% compared to a conventional coplanar lamp. The improvement is regarded as the result of reduced diffusion loss and the effective usage of the discharge volume in the dual coplanar lamps. An efficacy of 35.9 lm/w (14900 cd/m/sup 2/) was achieved for 250 torr of a Xe(30%)/Ne(70%) gas mixture, by a 20-kHz ac pulse driving.


The tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect and the bias voltage dependence of tunnelling conductance spectra were measured in L10 Mn-Ga/Fe/MgO/CoFe magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). The TMR ratio and bias-voltage dependences on annealing conditions and Fe-layer thickness were investigated. The TMR ratio showed an increase subsequent to Fe-layer deposition under the optimum annealing condition, and a maximum value of 24% was achieved in an MTJ with a perpendicularly magnetized Fe layer of thickness of 1.1 nm at room temperature; this corresponded to a 57% TMR ratio in the case of completely antiparallel magnetization configuration. In the tunnelling conductance spectra, an anomalous dip, the so-called zero-bias anomaly, was observed for all the samples. The zero-bias anomaly is speculated to have appeared because of an increase in magnon excitation at the magnetic layer/barrier interfaces according to the model by Zhang et al (1997 Phys. Rev. Lett. 79 3744). In our experiments magnitude of the zero-bias anomaly depended on both the annealing condition and the Fe-layer thickness. We discuss our observation of the variation in the Curie temperature of the magnetic layer at the barrier layer interface depending on the the preparation conditions of the Fe insertion layer, which caused the change in the magnitude of the zero-bias anomaly.


Many symptoms can be caused by allergies. A 5-year-old Chinese boy was referred to a private clinic with cervical lymphadenitis, severe epistaxis and atopic symptoms. On inquiry, he revealed a multitude of symptoms, including nasal stuffiness, sneezing, snoring, cough, and skin peeling of hands. Clinically all the symptoms could be explained by atopy. The mother was not keen for any investigations, and she was concerned with the usage of inhaled topical corticosteroids for rhinitis and hyperactive airway disease. The boy was empirically treated with 4 mg daily of Montelukast and all his symptoms resolved within 4 weeks. This report serves to alert the general public on the diversity of allergic symptoms and on the fact that undertreatment may lead to a spectrum of secondary symptoms. Montelukast may be considered as a monotherapy in such patient, which obviates the need to use multiple inhaled and oral treatments.


The concept of "spin doctoring" has become significant in recent years for some interlocking reasons, including the rising role of production and allocation of symbolic resources in sustaining the established social structure, the media's heightened political role. In the spin doctor age, the interrelationship between politicians, the media and the public, which is dialectical, has become more sophisticated. By and large, these three players in the political process are interdependent on each other at the one hand, but conflict with each other on the other hand. Despite the criticism of spin doctoring, it seems that in the foreseeable future, spin doctors will remain well alive or even flourish.


Breast Engorgement was damming milk due to narrowing ductus lactiferous or by glands not emptied perfect. The mechanism of Engorgement is vasoconstriction caused by prostaglandins. Strategies to reduce the engorgement by using Asam Jawa and salt. When the intervention is bad then engorgement can disrupt milk production and inhibit breastfeeding. The purpose of this research is to analyze the effectiveness of Asam Jawa and salt to engorgement of breastfeeding mother at Mumbulsari Community Health Center. The research design Quasi-experiment "Pre and post-test one group design". Sample: 15 breastfeeding mothers with breast engorgement. The research instrument used observation sheet to assess the level of the Engorgement. Resulth Wilcoxon test obtained ρ value 0.000  < α (0.05) which means an Asam Jawa and salt effective for breast engorgement in breastfeeding mothers. Based on the result of the research above, in Asam Jawa and salt contains essential oil, flavonoid, tanin and natrium clorida, all of them can prevent biosynthesis of prostaglandin so it could reduce swelling and pain, antibacterials, and natrium can reduce edema. Asam Jawa and salt effective to resolve breast engorgement.


A former "boylesque" performer explores his personal experiences within the Toronto-based male burlesque company Boylesque TO, examining the presentation of male bodies in traditional and contemporary burlesque. Can men in Burlesque reclaim aesthetic dignity for the male body through the emulation of a traditionally female art form, or does their presence in the burlesque community simply serve to further "expose" the male physique, in all its shapes and sizes, to socialized reactions from its audience? In popular culture, and the performing arts, the performer's penis remains a source of shock or hilarity, a symbol of depravity or comedy. Does its presence in a traditionally female performance style simply encourage this further, remaining appropriate for only size-jokes or covered eyes, or can it help the male member become a truly sensual object in the spirit of traditional burlesque?


In end stage renal disease (ESRD exploration of the Quality of life (QOL) is an important treatment modulator. This study evaluates the correlation between factors for a decreased quality of life and proposes serum cystatinC as an alternative marker. Methods: Our study included 52 maintenance HD patients. Quality of life of these patients was assessed using Kidney Disease Quality of Life Instrument (KDQOL-SFTM1.3). Clinical, laboratory and socio-demographic variables were investigated. Mean scores were compared for individual domain scores and for the three composite summary scores, namely the mental component summary (MCS), the physical component summary (PCS) and kidney disease component summary (KDCS). Results: Our study concludes with the overall mean score for QOL was 52.98. Where domains with very low scores were 'burden of kidney disease', 'work statuses', 'role limitations-physical', 'general health' and 'role limitations-emotional'. Beside that domains with very high scores were 'dialysis staff encouragement', 'social support' and 'quality of social interaction'. The mean scores for KDCS, MCS and PCS were 59.6, 41.4and 35.6 respectively. There was a positive correlation between KDCS and MCS (r= 0.425, P= 0.002); and between KDCS and PCS (r=0.388, P=0.004). Positive correlation was also evaluated between time on HD and KDCS and negative correlation between age and CystatinC on KDCS, age and Calcium on MCS, and between Hemoglobin and PCS respectively. Conclusion: There is a correlation between socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory factors for a decreased quality of life in this population. Beside the traditional biochemical markers we propose serum cystatinC as an alternative option for renal function estimation and evaluation of QOL in CKD patients. The possible factors related to QOL were: age, time on HD, employment status, education level, BMI, albumin, serum hemoglobin, serum calcium, serum phosphorous, serum cystatinC, serum uric acid levels.


Abstract Literature and industry standards do not mention inclusive guidelines to generate safety recommendations. Following a literature review, we suggest nine design criteria as well as the classification of safety recommendations according to their scope (i.e. organizational context, stakeholders addressed and degree of change) and their focus, the latter corresponding to the type of risk barrier introduced. The design and classification criteria were applied to 625 recommendations published by four aviation investigation agencies. The analysis results suggested sufficient implementation of most of the design criteria. Concerning their scope, the findings showed an emphasis on processes and structures (i.e. lower organizational contexts), adaptations that correspond to medium degree of changes, and local stakeholders. Regarding the focus of the recommendations, non-technical barriers that rely mostly on employees' interpretation were introduced by the vast majority of safety recommendations. Also, statistically significant differences were detected across investigation authorities and time periods. This study demonstrated how the application of the suggested design and classification frameworks could reveal valuable information about the quality, scope and focus of recommendations. Especially the design criteria could function as a starting point towards the introduction of a common standard to be used at local, national and international levels.


Wireless sensor network (WSN) is gaining popularity in condition monitoring (CM) fields. However, enormous datasets obtained by data acquisition systems with high sampling rate cannot be transmitted effectively via a WSN due to its limited transmission speed. This may lead to the loss of significant information for condition monitoring and fault diagnosis, hence affecting the accuracy of diagnostic results. Local processing can be employed to improve the transmission efficiency; in that the acquired data is processed to extract the features locally for data compaction, and then only the analysis result is sent through the WSN. Therefore, the transmission load is reduced significantly and all the useful information is guaranteed to be transmitted for examining accurate detection results. However, the commercially available wireless sensors are usually not competent enough to fulfill complicated signal processing algorithms. In this paper, an intelligent WSN node capable of signal processing is proposed to improve the transmission efficiency of the WSN system and the envelope analysis algorithm is implemented on the sensor for bearing fault diagnostics. A bearing test rig is set up to verify the performance of this design. According to the test results, if a band-pass filter with 1000 Hz bandwidth is applied in the envelope analysis process, the data to be transmitted could be reduced by nearly 95%, which will make the real-time transmission effectively.


Delamination is one of the major failure mechanisms for composites and traditionally the simulation requires high expertise in fracture mechanics and dedicated knowledge of the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tool. Yet, the simulation cycle times are high. Geometrically nonlinear analysis approach, which is based on the Reissner-Mindlin-Von K´arm´an type shell facet model, has been implemented into the Elmer FE solver. Altair ESAComp software runs the Elmer Solver in the background. A post-processing capability, which enables the prediction of the delamination onset from the FEA output, has been implemented into the AltairESAComp software. A Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) specifically developed for shell elements defining the Strain Energy Release Rate (SERR) related to the different delamination modes at the crack front is used. The onset of delamination is predicted using the relevant delamination criteria that utilize the SERR data and material allowables in the form of fracture toughness. The modeling methodology is presented for laminates including initial through-the-width delamination. Examples include delamination in the solid laminate and debonding of the skin laminate in the sandwich structure. Rather coarse FE mesh has proved to yield good results when compared to typical approaches that utilize the standard VCCT or Cohesive Zone Elements.


Primary school languages education continues to be a challenging issue for all states in Australia. In Victoria, LOTE study is provided at the primary level to address the needs of linguistically diverse communities, as well as to provide an enriching learning experience for monolingual speakers of English. The challenge remains to ensure that programs that are run are effective, address the needs of the community and are embraced as a valuable and enriching component of the school curriculum. This study looks at the provision of LOTE in 2003 in Victorian primary schools and in particular, through an analysis of the geographical location of community groups and primary LOTE programs, how effectively community needs are being met. We also analyse the nature of LOTE programs through an examination of teachers' qualifications, time allotment and program type. Factors identified by some schools as impinging on LOTE study at the primary level, such as literacy concerns and multilingual diversity, will also be examined.


There is a serious problem with the labor and employment law system in the United States today: Unions have declined to the point where they represent less than 8 per cent of the private sector workforce, employee wages have stagnated for more than three decades, employers are cutting back on workers' health insurance and pensions, and there is a dramatic growth in the numbers of the working poor. At the same time, there has been a rising chorus of complaints from labor scholars and activists that the labor law has become an obstacle to rather than a facilitator of workplace justice. This essay offers an analytic understanding of the history of labor law to explain why the field of labor and employment law is in such dire straits. It contends that the labor and employment laws no longer provide redress for the most pressing problems of workers today. The changing nature of work has caused new problems to arise in the operation of the labor market, problems that call for new kinds of regulatory interventions. According to the author, there are two possible scenarios for the future of labor law. One scenario is that labor law will continue to atrophy, unions will continue to decline, and individual employment rights will be chipped away. The other scenario is that labor laws will evolve in a way that represents a marked break with the present in order to address the needs and concerns of individuals in the new workplace. The author discusses the prospect of chances such as (1) a collapse of the distinction between labor law and employment law; (2) an expanded use of legislation rather than collective bargaining to set employment conditions; (3) an expansion of collective bargaining to new groups, such as independent contractors, atypical workers, immigrants, unemployed workers, and geographically-defined groups; (4) a broadening the field of labor and employment law to include issues such as health care policy, training and education, welfare, intellectual property protection, pensions and social security, housing policy, and other areas of social law; and (5) the creation of a new type of social safety net to focus on the problem of transitions and gaps in people's labor market experiences.