In Bulgaria large number of medicines yearly are included and excluded from Positive Drug List (PDL). It leads to different changes in the value per DDD paid with public funds (reference value) and utilization of medicines. The goal of the study is to analyze the main results from market policy of inclusion and exclusion of medicines in PDL as well as other factors leading to changes in reference value per DDD for all reimbursed medicines. The study is retrospective and observational analysis of Annex 1 and Annex 2 of Positive Drug List (PDL) in 2015. The changes in reference value per DDD, the rate of the decreasing or increasing of value were observed for all therapeutic groups in Annex 1 and Annex 2, where new medicines are included or excluded. We found that 109 new trademarks (belonging to 53 INNs), as well as 15 fixed dose combinations (belonging to 7 INN) in 2015 were included in Annex 1. 149 new trademarks, belonging to 67 INNs, were included in Annex 2, along with 16 fixed dose combinations (belonging to 7 INN). The number of excluded medicines is 60, belonging to 57 INNs from Annex 1, and 90 trademarks belonging to 85 INNs from Annex 2. On total the number of medicines in which the reference value is reduced is higher than medicines with the unchanged prices. The leading factor for decreasing the reference value in 2015 is a change of the price of the medicinal product within the group. It is mainly due to external reference comparison but also to generic and therapeutic competition. The next reason leading to decreasing the value is inclusion in PDL of generic medicines with lower prices.


In an effort to better understand the Pleistocene history of the Wasatch fault zone, we evaluate the deformation and displacement of the Bonneville and Provo high‐stand shorelines of Lake Bonneville along the Wasatch Front. We apply an automated shoreline elevation measurement application developed as part of this study to measure Lake Bonneville shoreline elevations along the Weber and Brigham City segments of the fault, adding to a previously published dataset of shoreline elevations on the Salt Lake City segment. Tectonically deformed shorelines on the footwall of the fault demonstrate elevation patterns that are inconsistent with the idea that the Pleasant View salient, a bedrock salient marking the segment boundary between the Weber and Brigham City segments of the fault, is a persistent barrier to fault rupture since the late Pleistocene. Shoreline features are elevated ∼20  m across the segment boundary as compared to shoreline features on the northern part of the Brigham City segment. We suggest the possibility that fault rupture through the Pleasant View salient has been common since the late Pleistocene and speculate that a similar relationship could exist between the Provo and Salt Lake City segments, based on similarities between the shoreline elevation patterns on the Brigham City and Salt Lake City segments of the fault. Vertical slip rates measured from displaced shorelines at the Pleasant View salient (Brigham City–Weber segment boundary) are generally higher compared to those at the Honeyville spur (Collinston–Brigham City segment boundary). Statistically significant vertical slip rates calculated from the Provo shoreline at the Pleasant View salient (0.8±0.5 to 0.9±0.6  mm/yr and 0.7±0.5 to 0.9±0.6  mm/yr) suggest that late Pleistocene vertical slip rates are slightly lower than Holocene rates; however, large uncertainties in the shoreline elevation measurements exist.


Multicomponent training is recommended for people with dementia living in long-term care homes. Nevertheless, evidence is limited and people with severe dementia are often excluded from trials. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate (1) the feasibility and (2) the requirements regarding a multicomponent training for people with moderate to severe dementia. The study was conducted as an uncontrolled single arm pilot study with a mixed methods approach. 15 nursing home residents with a mean age of 82 years (range: 75-90 years; female: 64%) with moderate to severe dementia received 16 weeks of multicomponent training. Feasibility and requirements of the training were assessed by a standardized observation protocol. Eleven participants regularly attended the intervention. The highest active participation was observed during gait exercises (64%), the lowest during strength exercises (33%). It was supportive if exercises were task-specific or related to everyday life. This study confirms that a multicomponent training for the target group is (1) feasible and well accepted. To enhance active participation (2) individual instructions and the implementation of exercises related to everyday life is required. The effectiveness of the adapted training should be tested in future randomized controlled trials.


Cells, sophisticated membrane-bound units that contain the fundamental molecules of life, provide a precious library for inspiration and motivation for both society and academia. Scientists from various disciplines have made great endeavors toward the understanding of the cellular evolution by engineering artificial counterparts (protocells) that mimic or initiate structural or functional cellular aspects. In this regard, several works have discussed possible building blocks, designs, functions, or dynamics that can be applied to achieve this goal. Although great progress has been made, fundamental-yet complex-behaviors such as cellular communication, responsiveness to environmental cues, and motility remain a challenge, yet to be resolved. Herein, recent efforts toward utilizing soft systems for cellular mimicry are summarized-following the main outline of cellular evolution, from basic compartmentalization, and biological reactions for energy production, to motility and communicative behaviors between artificial cell communities or between artificial and natural cell communities. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives in the field are discussed, hoping to inspire more future research and to help the further advancement of this field.


Information technologies have now matured to the point of enabling researchers to create a repository of language resources, especially for those languages facing the crisis of endangerment. The development of an online platform of corpora, made possible by recent advances in data storage, character-encoding and web technology, has profound consequences for the accessibility, quantity, quality and interoperability of linguistic field data. This is of particular significance for Formosan languages in Taiwan, many of which are on the verge of extinction. As a response to the recognition of this burgeoning problem, the key objectives of the establishment of the NTU Corpus of Formosan Languages aim to document and thus preserve valuable linguistic data, as well as relevant ethnological and cultural information. This paper will introduce some of the theoretical bases behind this initiative, as well as the procedures, transcription conventions, database normalization, in-house system and three special features in the creation of this corpus.


Objects come in three kinds: (1) physical objects (mountains, rivers, human bodies, and animals) that exist in space and in time, and are independent from subjects knowing them, even though they may have built them, as for artifacts (chairs, screwdrivers); (2) ideal objects (numbers, theorems, relations) that exist outside of space and time, and are independent from the subjects knowing them, but which, after having been discovered, can be socialized; (3) social objects, that do not exist as such in space, since their physical presence is limited to the inscription, but last in time, and whose existence depends on the subjects who know, or at least can use, them and who, in certain cases, have constituted them. This latter circumstance display us the fact that social objects, for which construction is necessary, depends on social acts, whose inscription constitutes the object. As I show through the law Object = Inscribed Act, social objects consist in the recording of acts that encompass at least two people, and are characterized by being inscribed, on a physical substrate what so ever, from marble to neurons, passing through paper and computers. If all this is true, then a theory of social objects develops naturally into a theory of the document, understood as an inquire centered on the definition of what I call "documentality", namely the properties that constitute, in each case, the necessary and sufficient conditions to be a social object. At last, there is no society if there are no documents, and documents are records with a particular social value.


Contract lore consists of "traditional beliefs" about contract law that judges, lawyers, and scholars applying and writing about contract law, employ so routinely and confidently that the principles demonstrate how we perceive contract law today. Previously, I presented three illustrations of contract lore: First, expectancy damages put the injured party in as good a position as if there were no breach. Second, the reasons for a breach, "whether willful, negligent, or unavoidable, are irrelevant to the rules of performance and remedies." Third, contract formation and interpretation focus on the parties' intentions.

None of these principles are factually or historically even close to true and are nothing more than myths. For example, expectancy damages rarely if ever make the injured party whole. Important remedial rules, such as the obligation of injured parties to pay their lawyers win or lose, the bar to the recovery of prejudgment interest, the preclusion of unforeseeable and unquantifiable damages, and the high bar to recover emotional distress damages, means that injured parties usually recover well-short of their lost expectancy.

When pressed, most people with knowledge about contract law would admit that contract lore is not law. Nevertheless, why do these people invoke these "traditional beliefs" even though they are, in reality, nothing more than myths? I reckoned that "contract lore represents contracts people's aspirations—their strong preference for how contract law should operate if realities did not preclude it." Further, people tend to seek consistency in their beliefs, which "leads them to believe things that are not true and to avoid conflicting information." As such, contract lore represents an example of the psychological phenomenon of cognitive dissonance.

In this symposium article, I delve deeper into the phenomenon of contract lore. I offer additional examples that focus on the contract lore of consent in the context of standard-form contracting, "intention of the parties" in the context of gaps in contracts, and the requirement of a "bargained-for exchange" in the context of promise enforcement. Based on these examples, I don't abandon cognitive dissonance as one explanation of contract lore, but I offer additional explanations and show that context play an important role in explaining contract lore. My ultimate goal is to show how contract lore sheds light on possible areas of contract law in need of reform.


This thesis is practically oriented towards the pricing and hedging of long-dated interest rate derivatives and equity index options under Platen's benchmark approach. It aims to be self-contained for convenience of the reader, including all proofs. Among leading banks and insurance companies there does not appear to exist a generally accepted methodology of accurately pricing and hedging such over-the-counter derivatives. This remains the case, despite significant efforts by academics and market practitioners since the early 1990s. This thesis revisits this problem in the light of empirical evidence in a much wider modelling framework than that provided by the classical risk neutral approach. The models considered in this thesis are specified by stochastic differential equations that describe the real-world dynamics of two market variables, namely the short rate and the volatility of the growth optimal portfolio (GOP). The latter is essentially a diversified equity index. This thesis assesses for these models their ability to generate reasonably accurate prices and hedges of typical interest rate term structure derivatives and equity index options. When the discounted GOP is modelled as a time-transformed squared Bessel process, fair prices differ from classical risk neutral prices, resulting in lower prices and lower values-at-risk of long-dated derivatives. Also, such models reflect well empirical market features, such as leptokurtic returns, the leverage effect and a stochastic, yet stationary, volatility structure of the equity index. The results of this analysis, which are contained in this thesis, have been supplemented by the publications of Fergusson and Platen [2006], Fergusson and Platen [2014a], Fergusson and Platen [2015b], Fergusson [2017a] and Fergusson [2017b] and the research reports of Fergusson and Platen [2013], Fergusson and Platen [2014b] and Fergusson and Platen [2015a]. In addition, as by-products of the work done in this thesis, the following papers have been published: Thompson et al. [2017], Calderin et al. [2017] and the following have been submitted to journals for publication: Fergusson and Platen [2014c], Fergusson and Platen [2017]. Finally, the following working papers are to be submitted to journals shortly: Fergusson [2017c], Fergusson [2017d], Fergusson [2017e].


ABSTRACT A question of central importance for researchers and practitioners is how information technology (IT) can help firms survive and thrive in turbulent and constantly changing business environments. To address this issue, this study develops the idea that IT architecture flexibility helps sustain competitive performance by driving the formation of IT-enabled dynamic capabilities, and that IT governance decentralisation strengthens this relationship. IT architecture flexibility and IT governance decentralisation, therefore, develop complementary effects. We argue that IT-enabled dynamic capabilities are a core antecedent for competitive performance gains, particularly under uncertain external environmental conditions. Tests of the proposed model using survey data from 322 international firms support these ideas. Our research also shows that, under conditions of high environmental heterogeneity, the value of IT architecture flexibility and IT governance decentralisation is increased, while the impact of IT-enabled dynamic capabilities on competitive performance is amplified.


The paper aims at building a framework that provides basic operators, with a clear semantics, for combining different knowledge bases and allowing the representation and the handling of temporal information. Our approach stems from two separate lines of research: the general studies on meta-level operators on logic programs introduced by Brogi et al. (1993, 1994) and temporal annotated constraint logic programming (TACLP) defined by Fruhwirth (1996). We propose a language MuTACLP that integrates the above mentioned approaches. Atoms are annotated with temporal information and such annotations are managed via a constraint theory as in TACLP. Mechanisms for structuring programs and combining separate knowledge bases are provided through meta-level operators. A top-down semantics of MuTACLP is given by exploiting meta-logic.


Experimental studies have been conducted on a new type of injector which can be used very advantageously in rocket engines designed for throttling applications. The aim is to keep the drop size constant for varying chamber pressures. The injector uses very small quantities of a gas to atomize a straight liquid jet before discharging into the combustion chamber. The concept is demonstrated over an eightfold variation of injector pressure drop. A feedback control system, which can regulate the air pressure with respect to the sensed chamber pressure, based on the input transfer function, so as to keep the drop size constant, is suggested. The transfer function is obtained from the experimental data. The major advantage of this injector is that it uses a very small quantity of gas, thereby limiting the weight penalty to a minimum. This system is much less complicated compared to variable area injector and cavitating venturi valves used for this purpose.


Rhabdochona ahuehuellensis n. sp. is described from the Balsas goodeid, Ilyodon whitei. The distinctive characters are cuticular elevations in the middle of the prostom, tricuspid ending of the distal part of the left spicule combined with a scoop shape, and an egg surface with limited, short subpolar filaments. The characters place the present species farther apart from species described from North America, except R. lichtenfelsi. This description brings the total number of species of Rhabdochona in the Mesa Central of Mexico to 4, suggesting that this genus has undergone speciation in response to basin fragmentation within the Mesa Central of Mexico.


This article claims to analyze the situation of children born by means of surrogate maternity contract since these babies are one of the most vulnerable parts of this agreement, so their rights and interests could be affected in many ways. In order to study that situation, in the first place, has been accomplished a brief analysis of the concept of the best interest of the child. Afterwards it is examined the possible violation of the best interest of the child in the cases that have already been examined by Doctrine and Jurisprudence, that is, first the case of registration of these children in the country of origin Civil Registry of the intentional parents, and, in second place, the case of maternity benefit for intentional mothers. The article concludes with a reflection about other situations in where the best interest of children can be affected , such as their right to know their biological origins or the cases of identity problems.


CD40, a member of the TNFR superfamily, is expressed on a variety of host immune cells, as well as some tumors. In this study, we show that stimulation of CD40 expressed on both mouse and human renal carcinoma cells (RCCs) triggers biological effects in vitro and in vivo. Treatment of the CD40+ Renca mouse RCC tumor cells in vitro with an agonistic anti-CD40 Ab induced strong expression of the genes and proteins for GM-CSF and MCP-1, and induced potent chemotactic activity. Similarly, administration of αCD40 to both wild-type and CD40−/− mice bearing Renca tumors resulted in substantial amounts of TNF-α and MCP-1 in the serum, increased the number of total splenocytes and MHC class II+ CD11c+ leukocytes, and when combined with IFN-γ, inhibited the progression of established Renca tumors in vivo in both wild-type and CD40−/− mice. Similarly, treatment of CD40+ A704 and ACHN human RCC lines with mouse anti-human CD40 Ab induced strong expression of genes and proteins for MCP-1, IL-8, and GM-CSF in vitro and in vivo. Finally, in SCID mice, the numbers of ACHN pulmonary metastases were dramatically reduced by treatment with species-specific human CD40 Ab. These results show that CD40 stimulation of CD40+ tumor cells can enhance immune responses and result in antitumor activity.


Abstract The Bol'shoy Patom Formation (Fm.) is part of the Upper Precambrian Patom Supergroup, which comprises a siliciclastic and carbonate succession divided into (from base to top) the Ballaganakh, Dal'nyaya Tayga and Zhuya Groups (Gr.). The supergroup was deposited within the bay-like passive margins of the Siberian craton. The Bol'shoy Patom Fm. is the lower unit of the Dal'nyaya Tayga Gr. Massive and stratified diamictites with subordinate sandstones, mudstones, siltstones, conglomerates and conglo-breccias form the Bol'shoy Patom Fm. New biostratigraphic (microfossils of Pertatataka type, Ediacaran fossils) and chemostratigraphic data (87Sr/86Sr, δ13C) point to a Vendian (Late Cryogenian and Ediacaran) age for the Dal'nyaya Tayga and Zhuya Groups. Unsorted diamictite matrix, a very wide range of size and roundness of dispersed erratic clasts, the presence of glacial grooves on boulders, dropstones and till pellets in laminated mudstones and siltstones are all evidence for intense ice rafting and ice-shelf sedimentation in the northeastern part of the Patom basin during deposition of the Bol'shoy Patom Fm.


Cerebral biopsies were obtained for electron microscopy 48 and 72 hours after the onset of encephalopathy from a child with severe Reye's syndrome. Gravely ill at the time of craniectomy to relieve cerebral hypertension, the child survived and recovered good brain function; therefore, the biopsy findings appear to reflect the organelle pathology of the brain at a severe yet reversible stage in the disease process. The cardinal ultrastructural changes in the brain in Reye's syndrome are astrocyte swelling and partial deglycogenation, myelin bleb formation and universal injury of neuron mitochondria. The mitochondrial injury consists of matrix disruption with moderate but not massive swelling. Dilatation of rough endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear changes occurred only in neurons with severely altered mitochondria. The organelle pathology of the brain in this case did not resemble the organelle pathology of the brain in human "hepatic encephalopathy" or in experimental ammonia intoxication in primates. The mitochondrial ultrastructure of the cerebral neurons resembled the unique mitochondrial ultrastructural changes seen in the liver parenchyma in Reye's syndrome.


Entomological measures of transmission are important metrics specified by the World Health Organization to document the suppression and interruption of transmission of Onchocerca volvulus, the causative agent of onchocerciasis. These metrics require testing of large numbers of vector black flies. Black fly collection has relied on human landing collections, which are inefficient and potentially hazardous. As the focus of the international community has shifted from onchocerciasis control to elimination, replacement of human landing collections has become a priority. The Esperanza window trap (EWT) has shown promise as an alternative method for collection of Simulium damnosum s.l., the primary vector of O. volvulus in Africa. Here, we report the results of a community-based trial of the EWT in northern Uganda. Traps operated by residents were compared with human landing collections in two communities over 5 months. Three traps, when operated by a single village resident, collected over four times as many S. damnosum as did the two-men collection team. No significant differences were noted among the bait formulations. The results suggest that EWTs may be effectively operated by community residents and that the trap represents a viable alternative to human landing collections for entomological surveillance of O. volvulus transmission.


Summary: Mutant λ integrases catalyze site‐specific recombination reactions inside mammalian cells. Here we demonstrate that the integrase system can be used to eliminate resistance marker genes from the genome of mouse embryonic stem cells. So‐called integrative and excisive recombination pathways led to the precise deletion of the neomycin gene, which was inserted together with a flanking pair of directly repeated recombination sites into the ROSA26 locus by standard targeting techniques. The excision of the resistance gene led to the expression of enhanced green fluorescence protein, which served as a means to sort out cells that had undergone site‐specific recombination. Southern analysis and DNA sequencing confirmed that strand exchange reactions had occurred in the genome as expected. Hence, the integrase system may be used in conjunction with other site‐specific recombinases as a tool in genome manipulation protocols. genesis 32:203–208, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Monte Carlo simulations were used to assess secondary neutron doses received by patients treated with proton therapy for ocular melanoma and craniopharyngioma. MCNPX calculations of out-of-field doses were done for ∼20 different organs considering realistic treatment plans and using computational phantoms representative of an adult male individual. Simulations showed higher secondary neutron doses for intracranial treatments, ∼14 mGy to the salivary glands, when compared with ocular treatments, ∼0.6 mGy to the non-treated eye. This secondary dose increase is mainly due to the higher proton beam energy (178 vs. 75 MeV) as well as to the impact of the different beam parameters (modulation, collimation, field size etc.). Moreover, when compared with published data, the assessed secondary neutron doses showed similar trends, but sometimes with sensitive differences. This confirms secondary neutrons to be directly dependent on beam energy, modulation technique, treatment configuration and methodology.


Comparative studies of the biological properties, antigenic structure and ultrastructure of influenza A viruses isolated in the USSR, A/New Jersey/8/76 and A/swine/31 were carried out. Antigenic differences between A/USSR/02/76 and A/swine/31 strains as well as A/New Jersey/8/76 strain were found in the hemagglutination-inhibition and neuraminidase activity-inhibition tests. These differences were confirmed by serological examination of human sera.


Objective The effect of task load on performance is investigated by simultaneously collecting multi-modal physiological data and participant response data. Periodic response to a questionnaire is also obtained. The goal is to determine combinations of modalities that best serve as predictors of task performance. Approach A group of participants performed a computer-based visual search task mimicking postal code sorting. A five-digit number had to be assigned to one of six different non-overlapping numeric ranges. Trials were presented in blocks of progressively increasing task difficulty. The participants' responses were collected simultaneously with 32 channels of electroencephalography (EEG) data, eye-tracking data, and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) data. The NASA Task-Load-Index self-reporting instrument was administered at discrete time points in the experiment. Main results Low beta frequency EEG waves (12.5-18 Hz) were more prominent as cognitive task load increased, with most activity in frontal and parietal regions. These were accompanied by more frequent eye blinks and increased pupillary dilation. Blink duration correlated strongly with task performance. Phasic components of the GSR signal were related to cognitive workload, whereas tonic components indicated a more general state of arousal. Subjective data (NASA TLX) as reported by the participants showed an increase in frustration and mental workload. Based on one-way ANOVA, EEG and GSR provided the most reliable correlation to perceived workload level and were the most informative measures (taken together) for performance prediction. Significance Numerous modalities come into play during task-related activity. Many of these modalities can provide information on task performance when appropriately grouped. This study suggests that while EEG is a good predictor of task performance, additional modalities such as GSR increase the likelihood of more accurate predictions. Further, in controlled laboratory conditions, the most informative or minimum number of modalities can be isolated for monitoring in real work environments.


Objective To evaluate the synergistic effect of intense pulsed light (IPL) and bipolar radiofrequency (RF) [Electro-optical device] on white hair in Pakistani population. Patients and methods Twenty eight women with white hair (skin phenotypes III-V) were included in the study. The chin and upper lip were treated with six treatment sessions over 5-6 months. The level of RF energy was 15-20 J/cm 2 , while optical fluences varied from 26 to 38 J/cm 2 . Hair counts and photographic evaluation were obtained at baseline, 4 months and one month after final session. Results An average hair removal of 63% was observed after sixth session. Conclusion In lighter coloured hair, combined effect of the two types of energy, radiofrequency and intense pulse light technology offer a promising solution.


Predicting ability to develop skills in practical phonetics is of particular importance for Speech and Language Therapy (SLT), where these skills are an integral part of clinical practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of two screening tests to predict later student performance in practical phonetics. SLT students with no previous phonetics training were asked to complete two tests on entry to the course: a test of phonetic skill and a test of musical aptitude. Results indicate that both tests have some predictive power, but that selection on the basis of pre-tests alone would have excluded some students who subsequently achieved near- or above-average marks in phonetics exams. The musical aptitude test is at least as effective as the phonetics test in predicting later phonetic ability.


This research was focused on quality of service experienced by passengers in lift systems where multiple cars are sharing same shafts (multi car lift systems) and destination control. These modern lift systems have opportunities and constraints for control algorithms arising by existing and additional quality of service criteria. These additional criteria have rarely been considered in existing literature, control algorithms or traffic analysis. The overall aim of the research was to determine and analyse existing and new quality of service criteria for destination control systems and multi car lift systems in terms of traffic handling and developing lift control concepts considering these criteria. Therefore, the impact on passengers' quality of service was reviewed using psychology of waiting principles. Detailed definition and analysis was done for reverse journeys in destination control systems and departure delays with a focus on multi car lift systems. To develop and analyse control algorithms known event based traffic simulation, round trip time calculation and Monte Carlo simulation were extended and applied. Traffic control algorithms and concepts were developed to improve passenger experience when using lifts. Additional to dispatching algorithms equations for improved lift kinematics and controlled stopping distances were derived to reduce departure delays in multi car lift systems. Possible improvements were shown in case studies. Compared to traditional lift systems, special opportunities and constraints of a circulating multi car lift system in traffic handling were explored and analysed. New cycle time calculations for shuttle and local group applications were developed. Results were provided using case studies, and necessary control concepts were addressed. With the results of this research, better understanding and assessments of multi car lift systems and destination controls are possible. The traffic control algorithms explored help to build better lift controllers, considering passengers perception. The introduced traffic analysis methods for circulating multi car lift systems support lift planning.


Metal-Organic frameworks (MOF) is a new class of materials that are porous and crystalline. The materials are made of inorganic coordination centers linked together by organic molecules. MOFs have the advantage of the combination of inorganic units connected with highly manipulative organic molecules. The result is materials that can be specifically designed for the area of application. The disadvantage of MOFs is the low thermal stability which leads to decomposition of the framework at higher temper- atures. The industrial applications of MOFs are few, but research for the use of MOFs for gas storage, separation and catalysis is being done. MOFs are porous and have high surface areas and this makes the MOFs interesting candidates as heterogenous catalysts with active nanoaparti- cles in the framework. The pores in the framework can define the size of the nanoparticles and also function as molecular sieves and thereby in- troduce catalytic selectivity on the reactant, intermediate and products if the catalytic process is carried out in the pores. The goal of this Master's thesis is to prepare new catalysts with gold or palladium nanoparticles deposited on the UIO-66 framework and the characterization and testing of these. The metal-organic frameworks MOF-5 and UIO-66 have been synthesized. Gold was deposited onto the UIO-66 framework by impregnation deposi- tion, reduction and encapsulation of pre-made gold nanoparticles. Palla- dium was deposited onto the UIO-66 framework by reduction deposition. The materials have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, adsorption– desorption experiments, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and X-ray absorption spectroscopy both in situ and ex situ. The Pd-UIO- 66 has been tested towards catalytic activity of the Sonogashira, Suzuki- Miyaura and Mizoroki-Heck reactions normally performed by organopalladium complexes. In this thesis the investigated methods for gold deposition gave low loading levels of gold (at best 0.39 wt%) on the framework and the particle sizes detected were too large for catalytic activity. The palladium loading levels were 2.34 wt% and 2.48 wt%. The Pd-UIO-66 showed catalytic activity for the Sonogashira, Suzuki-Miyaura and Mizoroki-Heck reactions, which has not been previously reported. However the catalyst was found to decompose after the work up.


Due to special conditions of Iran; i.e., neighboring to major centers of drug production in Afghanistan during the last few decades, it was the passageway of the drug to Europe. Moreover, because of appropriate context of social, economic and cultural situations, there was an increased addiction and drug trafficking in Iran. It is obvious that a lot of people would be involved directly and indirectly with drugs; so the drug has become a major problem in Iranian society, especially in the provinces in near of Afghanistan and Pakistan borders. The reports have indicated an increasing spread of drug addiction in Iran. Addiction among all social classes and occupational groups, age and sex, is raised. In fact, an important part of social problems, directly or indirectly related to drug dependence. Therefore, prevention of addiction as the basis of many diseases is vital priority for Iran. Fair distribution of facilities and services in society and equal opportunities for all members of society can legitimately, step forward in to deal with social ills such as addiction.


Location selection problem in banking is an important issue for the commercial success in competitive environment. There is a strategic fit between the location selection decision and overall performance of a new branch. Providing physical service in requested location as well as alternative distribution channels to meet profitable client needs is the current problematic to achieve the competitive advantage over the rivalry in financial system. In this paper, an integrated model has been developed to support in the decision of branch location selection for a new bank branch. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique has been conducted to prioritize of evaluation criteria, and multi-objective optimization on the basis of ratio analysis (MOORA) method has been applied to rank location alternatives of bank branch.


BACKGROUND
Most Canadian medical schools allocate admission based on province or territory of residence. This may result in inequities in access to medical school, disadvantaging highly qualified students from particular provinces.

METHOD
The number of medical school spaces available to applicants from each province and territory was compared to the total number of available spaces in Canada, the regional application pressure and enrolment in 2017/2018.

RESULTS
There is differential access to medical schools based on the absolute numbers of available spaces and application pressure. Applicants from Prince Edward Island are afforded the greatest number of spaces per 100,000 population aged 20 to 29 (5,568.8). Applicants from Ontario experience the lowest ratio of available spaces to relevant population (54.3).

DISCUSSION
Health workforce policy must balance equity and regional social accountability. Privileging regional residence over academic aptitude and personal characteristics may be justified by strong evidence that these applicants are likely to serve populations that would otherwise be underserved.

CONCLUSION
The availability of medical school spaces in Canada differs as a function of the province or territory from which applicants apply. Determining whether this differential is justified requires appraisal of the consequences of the policies with respect to their goals.


The paper presents results of an experiment prepared to validate the autonomous control of obstacle avoidance designed for a micro UAV. The idea of the obstacle avoidance assumes usage of two miniature laser rangefinders responsible for obstacle detection and range measurement. Measured ranges from obstacles placed on both sides of UAV can be used to simultaneous control of desired roll and pitch angles. Such combination of controls allows achieving high agility of UAV, because during a maneuver of obstacle avoidance UAV can make a turn and climb at the same time. In the experiment, controls of roll and pitch angles were verified separately to ensure high reliability of results and clearance of UAV behavior in the real flight. Because of lack of appropriate objects, which can be used as obstacles, laser rangefinders were directed vertically to the ground instead of the original horizontal configuration. So sensors determine ranges from the ground during a descent flight of UAV, and if their values are lower than defined threshold, it could be interpreted as obstacle detection. The experiment results present UAV behavior adequate to designed controls of roll and pitch angle. The vehicle turns in the opposite direction to the sensing axis of laser rangefinder detecting an obstacle and starts climbing when both sensors detect obstacles at the same range below the threshold.


Radical prostatectomy (RP) remains a standard of care surgical management for localized prostate cancer (PCa). However, with the introduction of robotic-assisted techniques, the surgical management of PCa has changed drastically. With uptake varying by country, depending on cost, insurance coverage, government healthcare approval, and patient preference, there have been frequent reports assessing its safety, perioperative outcomes, functional outcomes and oncologic outcomes, as compared to traditional open radical retropubic prostatectomy.


Finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.],
among small millets, is the most important
food crop in some parts of Asia and Africa. The
grains are a rich source of protein, fi ber, minerals,
and vitamins. A core collection of 622
accessions was developed. The aim of this
study was to develop a mini-core collection
using multilocational evaluation data of the core
collection. Six hundred and twenty-two accessions
together with six controls (four common
and two location-specifi c) were evaluated for 20
morphological descriptors at fi ve agroecologically
diverse locations in India during the 2008
rainy season. The experiment was conducted
in α design with two replications at Patancheru
and in augmented design with one of the six
controls repeated after every nine-test entry at
other locations. The hierarchical cluster analysis
of data using phenotypic distances resulted
in 40 clusters. From each cluster, ~10% or a
minimum of 1 accession was selected to form
a mini-core, which was comprised of 80 accessions.
The comparison of means, variances, frequency
distribution, Shannon–Weaver diversity
index (H`), and phenotypic correlations revealed
that the mini-core captured the entire diversity
of the core collection. This mini-core collection
is an ideal pool of diverse germplasm for identifying
new sources of variation and enhancing
the genetic potential of fi nger millet.


J.R.R. Tolkien: Six Decades of Criticism annotates over 1,600 reviews, articles, essays, books, and other commentary on the creator of Middle Earth. Author Judith A. Johnson also provides a bibliography of Tolkien novels, poems, interviews, and other published works; essays describing Tolkien's writings and summarizing the critical response to them; and an appendix listing Tolkien-related organizations, societies, and publications. American Libraries This bibliography of works by and about one of the foremost fantasy writers of the twentieth century contains notes on hundreds of reviews, articles, essays, theses, dissertations, and books. The book's organization is chronological, each chapter devoted to a particular era and time frame in the Tolkien history. Each chapter contains a brief introductory essay that describes works by Tolkien published within a particular time frame and summarizes the patterns or trends of critical response during the period covered. Following this is an alphabetical by title listing of works by Tolkien and a chronologically organized bibliography of Tolkien criticism. The final chapter offers a preview of the response of future critics to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. The appendix offers a list of all Tolkien related organizations, societies, and publications. The indexes provide access to the Tolkien criticism by the name of the critic and by individual works.


: Background: Although cases of extreme jungle fever of vivax have been recorded, information on immunological and incendiary examples is scarce. In our current research, the immunological and incendiary status of cases of slight and extreme gut disease of vivax is contrasted, while examining the immunopathological cases of this infection. Methods and Results: Identification of cases of active and detached jungle fever was carried out in 2009 at the Mayo Hospital in Lahore. A total of 228 members participated in the investigation. Those participating in the study were distributed rendering to proximity of Plasmodium vivax disease inside four clusters: uncolored (n = 95), asymptomatic (n = 63), mild (n = 54) and severely contaminated by vivax (n = 23). An analysis of the intestinal diseases was carried out by microscopy and subatomic tests. As there are currently no reasonable standards for extreme jungle fever in vivax, this survey allowed for the adjustment of consensus measures for falciparum intestinal disease. Cases having plain P. vivax disease remained younger, had lived less time in widespread region and had practiced less scenes of jungle fever in the past than those who were not infected with the intestinal disease and had mild or asymptomatic illness. There were strong and straightforward patterns of expansion of plasma levels of C-receptor protein, serum creatinine, bilirubin and gradation of illness harshness. Plasma levels of tumor putrefaction factor, interferon-gamma and, in addition, the IFN-gamma/interleukin-11 ratios remained enlarged also showed the direct pattern with a progressive increase in disease severity. Research facility parameters for organ damage and cytokine challenge remained condensed throughout parasite cure in cases through extreme illness. Conclusion: The various medical introductions of Vivax intestinal disease show a strong relationship with the implementation of stellar fire reactions and cytokine inequity. Those results are of greatest significance to advance information on the physio-neurotic ideas of this true generalized infection.


Nano-lubricants provide enhanced tribological properties in several applications like machines and engines. The presence of nanoparticles in the lubricating oil effects its wear, friction, thermal, chemical and physical properties in many ways. This article reports effect of TiO2 nanoparticles suspended in servo system lubricating oil prepared by sonication process without adding any surfactant. Four different volume concentrations (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8%) of TiO2 nanoparticles in the base lubricating oil are used for analysis. Calorific value, flash point, viscosity are the physicochemical properties of the TiO2 nano-lubricant investigated at different Volume Concentrations (VC). Wear scar diameter and coefficient of friction are the tribological properties analyzed for the prepared nano-lubricant at different VCs. Calorific value and flash point of the nano-lubricant was found to be decreasing with increasing VCs compared to base lubricant oil. Viscosity, on the other hand was almost same as the base lubricant oil for the proposed VCs. Wear scar diameter and friction coefficient was found to increase with increase in VC of TiO2 nanoparticles in the lubricant oil. It is concluded that, to obtain better results agglomeration of nanoparticles has to be avoided which can be achieved with the use of surfactant.


It is widely recognized that Charles Olson's Maximus Poems attempt a historiography that imaginatively recreates the past. This historical recreation can be understood as a form of economics or, borrowing from the original Greek origins of the word, "housekeeping." Housekeeping for Olson is a poetic rearrangement of present conditions that have been set in place by prior housekeepers and earlier economies. This process is inevitably endless and expansive, transforming domestic arrangements, material conditions, and cultural values. One important predecessor in Olson's version of American history is John Smith, the seventeenth-century explorer who is often read by critics as a hero of The Maximus Poems. This essay offers a new interpretation of Smith, using the rubric of housekeeping to demonstrate that Olson critically recreates Smith's complicated legacy. A poetics of housekeeping allows Olson to correct the potential dangers the explorer presents to the contemporary world, even as Olson embraces Smith's merits.


The overall aim of this thesis is to demonstrate how food supply chain waste (FSCW) could be used as a renewable feedstock for a product-focused biorefinery. The volumes of FSCW produced as a result of common food processing operations have been estimated using a new methodology. The latter is based on sold manufactured goods published every year by the European Union (PRODCOM) and highlights the geographical waste hot spots for common food processing operations. The use of this methodology led to the selection of waste orange peel (WOP) as a raw material for the design of an integrated biorefinery. A SWOT analysis was carried out to analyse the opportunity for the design of a WOP valorisation process aimed at the extraction of a maximum of the chemical components, while avoiding the use of acid, additives or pretreatment. The successful development of a microwave biorefinery process centred on the valorisation of WOP was designed based on the integration of microwave assisted D-limonene extraction and a low temperature hydrothermal extraction of pectin.
The work carried-out using microwave hydrothermal treatment proved that pectin can be extracted between 100 and 150 °C under acid-less conditions on a 100 mL scale. A competitive molecular weight distribution was obtained for pectin produced at a temperature of 110 and 120 °C using WOP from which D-limonene, flavonoids and sugar had been previously extracted. A CPMAS 13C-NMR technique was developed to determine the degree of esterification of pectin. D-limonene was extracted under microwave-assisted solvent-less conditions. The optimised conditions studied led to a yield of 1.09 ± 0.18% food grade D-limonene with a high reproducibility on a 1 L scale (500 mbars). Finally, the process used also allowed for the isolation and characterisation of flavonoids and monosaccharides. Following ethanol extraction, a mixture of polymethoxy flavonoids (tetra-O-methyl scutellarein, tangeritin, nobiletin and heptamethoxyflavone), hesperidin and sugar monosaccharides were obtained with yields of 5.87%, 0.24% and 18.35% respectively on a wet basis. The later fraction was composed of 74.21% glucose and 25.35% fructose, as determined by quantitative 13C NMR, showing the potential for this fraction as a fermentation feedstock.


With the growing popularity of wireless mobile ad hoc networks(MANETs), many security concerns have arisen from MANETs especially the misbehaving nodes pose a major threat. Node misbehaviour in ad hoc network is caused by lack of cooperation and goes under the name node selfishness. A selfish node does not directly intent to damage other nodes with active attacks but it simply does not cooperate in network operation, saving battery life for its own communication. The problem of identifying misbehaving nodes that drop packets selectively, in order to degrade the network performance is analysed. This paper we deal with misbehaving nodes in MANETs that drop packets supposed to be relayed, whose purpose may be either saving their resources or launching security attacks. We propose a new solution to monitor, detect and safely exclude the misbehaving node planned around six modules.


Designing off-policy reinforcement learning algorithms is typically a very challenging task, because a desirable iteration update often involves an expectation over an on-policy distribution. Prior off-policy actor-critic (AC) algorithms have introduced a new critic that uses the density ratio for adjusting the distribution mismatch in order to stabilize the convergence, but at the cost of potentially introducing high biases due to the estimation errors of both the density ratio and value function. In this paper, we develop a doubly robust off-policy AC (DR-Off-PAC) for discounted MDP, which can take advantage of learned nuisance functions to reduce estimation errors. Moreover, DR-Off-PAC adopts a single timescale structure, in which both actor and critics are updated simultaneously with constant stepsize, and is thus more sample efficient than prior algorithms that adopt either two timescale or nested-loop structure. We study the finite-time convergence rate and characterize the sample complexity for DR-Off-PAC to attain an $\epsilon$-accurate optimal policy. We also show that the overall convergence of DR-Off-PAC is doubly robust to the approximation errors that depend only on the expressive power of approximation functions. To the best of our knowledge, our study establishes the first overall sample complexity analysis for a single time-scale off-policy AC algorithm.


type="main"> We examine the sensitivity of 31 UK non-financial industries to exchange and interest rate exposure from 1990 to 2006 using first-order autoregressive exponential GARCH-in-mean (EGARCH-M) model. We find that the stock returns of UK industries are more affected by long-term interest rate risk than exchange rate risk and short-term interest rate risk. Moreover, the euro introduction decreases exchange and interest rate exposure and competitive industries exhibit higher returns volatility than concentrated industries. Furthermore, for most UK industries: increased risk does not necessarily lead to an increase in returns and persistence of volatility is much higher in some industries than others.


In addition to the general treatment, rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis, intraarterial thrombolysis, brain protecting therapy with edaravone, glycerol treatment against brain edema, and immediate anticoagulant therapy should be considered in acute phase of cardioembolic stroke. The rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis within three hours of onset is recommended in acute stroke patients who meet criteria for the therapy. Because the efficacy of immediate anticoagulation in acute cardioembolic stroke has not been established yet, it depends on balance of risk and benefit in each patient whether immediate anticoagulant therapy should be commenced or not. When we start anticoagulation with warfarin, heparin which has rapid action should be administered at the same time until PT-INR increases into therapeutic range to avoid acute recurrent stroke. However when we start with dabigatran which has rapid action, heparin is usually not required.


Hygroscopic swelling behavior of mold compounds is analyzed by a novel experimental procedure using a whole-field displacement technique. Large variation in moisture content at the virtual equilibrium state is observed, while the coefficient of hygroscopic swelling is shown to not vary significantly. An investigation on an actual package is also performed to determine the hygroscopic swelling mismatch strains at the chip/mold compound interface. The results are compared with the thermal expansion mismatch strains at the same interface and reveal much higher hygroscopic swelling mismatch strains. The hygroscopic strains must be considered for reliability assessment when a package is subjected to environments where the relative humidity fluctuates.


Liability risks may embody far-reaching financial consequences for individuals, business enterprises and professional people. This paper focuses on the underwriting process which should be taken into consideration by short-term insurers when they are underwriting the main types of liability insurance, which include employer's, householder's, personal, product, professional and public liability insurance. The improvement of financial decision-making by short-term insurers when underwriting liability insurance represents the objective of this research. A study of secondary data was done to identify the existing literature, which formed the basis for compiling a questionnaire to obtain primary data. The top 10 short-term insurers which are the market leaders of liability insurance in South Africa and who received more than 85% of the annual gross written premiums for liability insurance in South Africa, represented the sample of the empirical study. This paper highlights the importance of the underwriting factors concerning liability insurance, how often the stipulations of insurance policies should be adjusted by the short-term insurers to account for the underwriting factors, as well as the problem areas which the underwriters may experience when they are underwriting liability insurance. Possible solutions to solve the problem areas were also addressed.


The author proposes a structure of a two-level fuzzy classifier that can use both data analysis and expert opinion. The correspondence between medical diagnostic tasks and fuzzy pattern recognition is discussed. The description of the scheme, with an experimental study on a real problem from aviation medicine are reported. The results provide experimental support of the improvement of the classification accuracy.<<ETX>>


We demonstrate laser frequency stabilization to excited state transitions using cascade electromagnetically induced transparency. Using a room temperature Rb vapor cell as a reference, we stabilize a first diode laser to the D2 transition and a second laser to a transition from the intermediate 5P3/2 state to a highly excited state with principal quantum number n=19–70. A combined laser linewidth of 280±50 kHz over a 100 μs time period is achieved. This method may be applied generally to any cascade system and allows laser stabilization to an atomic reference in the absence of a direct absorption signal.


There are three parameter degeneracies inherent in the three--neutrino analysis of long--baseline neutrino experiments. We develop a systematic method for determining whether or not a set of measurements in neutrino oscillation appearance experiments with approximately monoenergetic beams can completely resolve these ambiguities. We then use this method to identify experimental scenarios in which the parameter degeneracies may be efficiently resolved. Generally speaking, with two appearance measurements degeneracies can occur over wide areas of the $(\delta,\theta_{13})$ parameter space; with three measurements they occur along lines in the parameter space and with four measurements they occur only at isolated points. If two detectors are placed at the same distance from the source but at different locations with respect to the main axis of the beam (a detector cluster), each detector will measure neutrinos at different energies. Then one run with neutrinos and one run with antineutrinos will give the four independent measurements that in principle can resolve all of the parameter degeneracies if $\sin^22\theta_{13} \geq 0.002$. We also examine scenarios with detector clusters using only neutrino beams. Without detector clusters, the measurement of neutrinos and antineutrinos at a short distance and only neutrinos at a longer distance may also work.


ABSTRACT Advertisements that elicit negative emotions (e.g., guilt) have been found effective in prompting socially desirable behaviors, such as making monetary donations to charity. This study investigates whether this principle generalizes to a specific case of high-cognitive-elaboration donations: fostering a child. Results from an advertising experiment conducted with 470 respondents indicate that this is not the case. Rather, positive emotions caused stronger reactions to the advertisements, with processing motivation and preexisting attitudes playing a critical role. Implications for marketing foster care—and possibly other, similar high-cognitive-elaboration donations—include that ongoing communication and elicitation of positive emotions is essential to first form the right processing motivations and attitudes, which then more likely will lead to behavioral change on later advertising exposures.


Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) is the technique of choice for rectum-preserving treatment of rectal tumours. However, the instruments are relatively expensive and TEM is a highly-complex technique. From 2010 a few case reports describing a new technique for local excision of rectal tumours using a single-access laparoscopic port have appeared. These single-access ports are flexible multichannel ports for transumbilical laparoscopic surgery. Even though not developed for transanal use these ports are ideal because of their shape and the material they are made from. Transanal surgery using a single-access port is a relatively simple procedure and does not require any investment in new instruments. This new technique will enable more surgeons to carry out transanal endoscopic surgery.


In this manuscript, we utilize a facile and efficient step-by-step strategy to synthesize three-layered C@TiO2@MoS2 hierarchical nanocomposites. These novel hybrids serve as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The designed structure, in which MoS2 nanosheets are uniformly grown on TiO2 coated carbon hollow spheres, can enhance the electrical conductivity of electrodes, shorten the diffusion length of Li+ ions, alleviate the expansion of electrode materials and provide more active sites for lithium ion storage. As anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the C@TiO2@MoS2 hierarchical nanocomposites exhibit a high initial specific capacity (1687 mA h g-1) and good cycling performance (993.2 mA h g-1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.2 A g-1). Furthermore, the C@TiO2@MoS2 electrode exhibits high rate capacities of 963, 860, 806, 743, 703, 664 and 633 mA h g-1 at different current densities of 200, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000 mA h g-1, respectively. The electrochemical performances stated above prove that the as-prepared C@TiO2@MoS2 nanocomposites can be promising anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.


To assess Upadhyaya model in predicting soil pressure-sinkage behaviour under field conditions, a field reflecting general character of an agricultural soil was selected and multiplate penetration tests were conducted. The soil stiffness constants in Upadhyaya model were determined from five sets of soil pressure-sinkage tests using five small rectangular plates. Upadhyaya model was then used to predict pressure-sinkage behaviour of soil under a large rectangular plate. Soil pressure-sinkage behaviour predicted by Upadhyaya model was finally verified through field tests using the large rectangular plate. The paired samples t-test results indicated that the sinkage values predicted with Upadhyaya model were significantly less than the sinkage values measured by test apparatus. Also, to check the discrepancies between the sinkage values measured by test apparatus with the sinkage values predicted by Upadhyaya model, RMSE and MRPD were calculated. The amounts of RMSE and MRPD pertaining to Upadhyaya model prediction were 0.039 m and 72.1%, respectively. Results of this study indicated that Upadhyaya model may not be suggested as an accurate and suitable model and can not be directly used to predict soil pressure-sinkage behaviour under field conditions. However, to predict soil sinkage values measured by test apparatus (z ) based on soil sinkage


Legal anthropologists and sociologists of religion increasingly recognize the importance of law in current controversies over religious diversity. Drawing on the case of South Africa, this article explores how such controversies are shaped by contestations over what counts as 'religion'. Analyzing the historical context and emergent forms of institutional secularity from which contemporary contestations over religious diversity draw, the article explores debates and practices of classification around religion, tradition, and culture, and the ways in which these domains are co-constituted through their claims on the law: on the one hand through an analysis of religion-related jurisprudence; on the other hand through an examination of the debates on witchcraft, law, and religion. I argue that the production of judicial knowledge of 'religion', 'culture', and 'tradition' is tied up with contestations over the power to define the meaning of the domains. In fact, contrary to notions of constitutionality in which rights seem to exist prior to the claims made on their basis, in a fundamental sense rights struggles help to constitute the contemporary human rights dispensation. Against the Comaroffs' claim that judicialization depoliticizes power struggles, I show that legal claims making remains vibrantly political.


Several epidemiological studies indicate that for a given number of cigarette smoked, females may be at higher risk of lung cancer compared with males. Females who smoke appear to be at higher risk of developing small cell lung cancer than squamous cell lung cancer, whereas men who smoke have a similar risk for the two histologic conditions. Molecular epidemiological studies have also indicated gender differences in the genetic and biochemical alterations in lung cancer. Higher levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts were observed in female lung cancer patients compared with males, even though the level of tobacco carcinogens was lower among the females than among the males. A higher frequency of G to T transversion mutations in the p53 gene has been observed in females compared with males. Gender differences have been identified in the expression of cytochrome P4501 A1 gene or gastrin-releasing peptide receptor gene, with females exhibiting higher gene expression. Thus, the risk for lung cancer is consistently higher in females than in males at every level of exposure to cigarette smoking; odds ratios for an association of lung cancer with smoking are 1.4-fold to 1.9-fold higher for females than for males, depending on the histologic type of lung cancer. Whether lung cancer represents a different disease in women than in men is unclear. If the hypothesis regarding gender differences in genetic susceptibility to lung cancer proves to be true, education for reducing passive and active exposure to cigarette smoke must have a high priority for female's health.


Many-year observations of 1680 children with retarded psychomotor development during the first year of life suggest that qualitative and quantitative differentiation of the development retardation should be made. Two variants of psychomotor development retardation in children of the first year of life are distinguished: a benign nonspecific, and a specific one. In the former case, the retardation is not due to a specific damage to the brain or its dysfunction, i. e. at the basis of this retardation there lie a delayed maturation of the brain structures and a slower development of their functions without qualitative changes in the nervous system. The specific retardation is always due to a damage to the brain structures and their functions. In this variant there is a dysfunction of the brain which manifests in various neurological syndromes. The authors explain the peculiarities of the nonspecific and specific retardation at various age periods, give examples of the differentiation of the specific retardation with regard to its gravity, and describe the principal neurological syndromes characterizing this retardation.


The correlation between symptomatology and pathology in children, so well known to the modern pediatrician, was pointed out to the medical world more than a century ago, by Charles-Michel Billard. Dr. Billard was born in 1800, in Pelouaille, France. He studied medicine at the Ecole secondaire of Angers from 1819 to 1823. In 1824 he went to Paris. A year later he won a prize for his essay on the mucous membrane of the gastro-intestinal tract. He spent a great deal of his time writing articles for medical journals as a means of livelihood. As a result he was not able to complete his medical education for many years. Billard took his medical degree in 1828, and the same year he published his book on diseases of the new-born and the nursling, "Traite des maladies des enfans nouveau-nes et a la mamelle." After his graduation he returned to Angers, where


The creativity of natural language poses a significant theoretical problem. One example of this is denominal verbs (those derived from nouns) such as spoon in "She spooned me some sugar". Traditional generative approaches typically posit a unique entry in the lexicon for this usage, though this approach has difficulty scaling. Construction Grammar has evolved as a competing theory which instead allows the syntactic form of the sentence itself to contribute semantic meaning. However, how people learn syntactic constructions remains an open question. One suggestion has been that they are learned through analogical generalization. We evaluate this hypothesis using a computational model of analogical generalization to simulate Kaschak and Glenberg's (2000) study regarding interpretation of denominal verbs.


The availability of significant measures in the early phases of the software development life-cycle allows for better management of the later phases, and more effective quality assessment when quality can be more easily affected by preventive or corrective actions. We introduce and compare various high-level design measures for object-based software systems. The measures are derived based on an experimental goal, identifying fault-prone software parts, and several experimental hypotheses arising from the development of Ada systems for Flight Dynamics Software at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC). Specifically, we define a set of measures for cohesion and coupling, which satisfy a previously published set of mathematical properties that are necessary for any such measures to be valid. We then investigate the measures' relationship to fault-proneness on three large scale projects, to provide empirical support for their practical significance and usefulness.


Author(s): Serrano, Christyna | Advisor(s): Gutierrez, Kris D | Abstract: This dissertation's overarching and guiding research question was: "How are education policies and schools both reproducing structural inequality and promoting educational equity and social justice?" This dissertation explores this broad question through an exemplary case: The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and its implementation in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). Three papers, representing two "planes of analysis" (Rogoff, 1995) – the federal policy formulation and local implementation levels – and structured to focus on the interplay between "policy, people, and place" (Honig, 2006), were used to explore this question. Each paper also interrogates 1) how federal policy-makers use education policy (NLSP) to position public schools as sites of intervention for mitigating broader social inequities (food insecurity), and 2) the efficacy of delivery of social provision (nutritious food) at the local level. Paper one focuses on the historicity of policy through an examination of the historical and contemporary (1930-2010) landscape of the NSLP. The paper demonstrated how the NSLP has served as a quintessential example of the "educationalized welfare state" – that is, the American preference for using education policy to redress broader social problems and schools as sites of intervention and for the delivery of social provision. Furthermore, this paper includes an analysis of the tensions between and the affordances and limitations of federal versus local level policy-making. Finally, paper one considers how the privatization of the NSLP in the 1970s-1990s reflects the dangers of education privatization, which undermines the educationalized welfare state and thus, social welfare more broadly.Paper two focuses on policy, people, and place at the federal policy-making level. Using the methods of Critical Discourse Analysis and Qualitative Text Analysis, this paper analyzed the discourse utilized by legislators and Congressional hearing witnesses throughout the Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) that led to the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 – the most recent reauthorization of the NSLP. This research finds that legislators and witnesses defined and framed the problems of childhood hunger and obesity as both a consequence of the Great Recession of 2007-2009 and children and parents' bad dietary choices. Furthermore, these problems were considered a moral responsibility of the U.S. government to resolve for the benefit of children's physical and cognitive development, a critical part of health care reform and long-term public health, and as a matter of national security as well as American competitiveness in the world. Finally, legislator's discourses led to the construction of the HHFKA as a means for expanding and increasing students' access to healthier school meals through, for example, mandated, science-based nutrition standards and the provision of universal free lunch in high-poverty schools. However, partisan politics and the tradition of placing social provision in the realm of schools also led to legislators taking away funding from the Food Stamp program (a broad food assistance program) to pay for the HHFKA (food assistance in schools). Finally, paper three focuses on policy, people, and place at the local policy implementation level. Drawing on data from a three-year ethnographic case study of the implementation of the HHFKA in OUSD, paper three examines the constraining and enabling conditions that allowed California Thursdays – an innovative farm to school initiative – to go to scale across 84 districts in California. This study finds that local level actors developed a "bite-sized implementation strategy" that broke down the process of changing school food systems into small, scaffolding manageable tasks that, through a "progress-based journey," accumulated into larger systems change. This research also finds that the Center for Ecoliteracy (CEL) in Berkeley, CA, played a critical role as an "intermediary organization" in its use of a "collective impact model" to organize school districts implementing California Thursdays into a network. The California Thursdays network shared resources and best practices through an email listserv, which advanced the initiative's "co-construction" and ability to scale across a variety of implementation contexts. Furthermore, CEL also positively shaped the discourse of school lunch through the trademarking and branding of California Thursdays, and its use and facilitation of empowering language through the listserv. Finally, this research finds that California Thursdays is reshaping the school food landscape in California and creating broader, cross-sectoral impacts.


Flaring emissions during abnormal operating conditions such as plant start-ups, shut-downs, and upsets in chemical process industries (CPI) are usually significant. Flare minimization can help to save raw material and energy for CPI plants, and to improve local environmental sustainability. In this paper, a systematic methodology based on plant-wide dynamic simulation is presented for CPI plant flare minimizations under abnormal operating conditions. Since off-specification emission sources are inevitable during abnormal operating conditions, to significantly reduce flaring emission in a CPI plant, they must be either recycled to the upstream process for online reuse, or stored somewhere temporarily for future reprocessing, when the CPI plant manufacturing returns to stable operation. Thus, the off-spec products could be reused instead of being flared. This can be achieved through the identification of viable design and operational strategies during normal and abnormal operations through plant-wide dynamic scheduling, simulation, and optimization. The proposed study includes three stages of simulation works: (i) developing and validating a steady-state model of a CPI plant; (ii) transiting the obtained steady-state plant model to the dynamic modeling environment; and refining and validating the plant dynamic model; and (iii) developing flare minimization strategies for abnormal operating conditions of a CPI plant via a validated plantwide dynamic model. This cost-effective methodology has two main merits: (i) employing large-scale dynamic modeling and simulations for industrial flare minimization, which involves various unit models for modeling hundreds of CPI plant facilities; (ii) dealing with critical abnormal operating conditions of CPI plants such as plant start-up and shut-down. Two virtual case studies on flare minimizations for start-up operation (over 50% of emission savings) and shut-down operation (over 70% of emission savings) of an ethylene plant have been employed to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed study. Keywords—Flare minimization, large-scale modeling and simulation, plant shut-down, plant start-up.


The "river of sand" concept is basically a model of sediment transport; sand is carried lengthwise along a beach from "input" end to "output" end, like a slurry in a pipe. Such transport can be seen locally, in nature, but the primary sand path is at right angles to the river of sand line. Thousands of beach ridges have tips terminating in marshland or swamp, with no attachment to any possible source of sand, commonly both ends. The termination is generally by tapering, not truncation, Others are attached at both ends, but in a pattern such that neither end was the source. Wide inlets on both sides of many beach ridge plains show that the only source of sand was offshore. Grain size studies do not indicate shore parallel motion, but show sine-like variations in size parameters: patches of coarser sand must have been derived from offshore, here and there, The dq/dx model (shore parallel movement) fails over long distances: it may hold for short segments. The dq/dy model (shore-normal) is more successful. Parallelism of ridges also requires an offshore source. The "river of sand" idea is a gross oversimplification. In the areas studied it is generally wrong.


The injection of smoke and non-smoke gases into a perfusion chamber containing monolayers of strain L or HeLa cells in a fluid medium produces cellular changes. The most striking change is surface "blebbing," produced when gas bubbles pass over the surface of the cells. This reaction can be promptly reversed by the injection of fresh medium into the chamber.


We think of Burma as a country of great linguistic and ethnic diversity. The government today classifies the population into 135 'national races', most of which they place under eight larger overarching categories. The Ethnologue website, which provides information about languages across the globe, says that there are 117 living languages in the country. This discrepancy points to both differences in classification schemes, but also perhaps highlights an expectation—common at least in the English-speaking world—that language and ethnicity should be nearly co-equal. Since the colonial era, indigenous ways of making sense of identity and community, which may or may not have been based on language, have been overtaken by a practice that the British introduced: equating language first with race, and later, as the idea of race evolved, with ethnic group.


Many studies on the creative labor market have been done with the purpose to get knowledge on the creative workers employment, working conditions, income etc. (e.g. Alper and Wassall (2006), Throsby (2001), Throsby and Hollister (2003), Heian, Løyland and Mangset (2008), Abbing (2002). Most studies have been based on interviews and this approach has of course its pros and cons. Very few studies are based on true longitudinal data making it possible to study artists income development and survival in the professions (one exception is Coulangeon et al., 2005) The aim of this study is to analyze, comparatively for different groups of artists, the factors that affect 1) the income of artists, and 2) the probability of an artist exits the artists labor market. The paper compares different groups of artists, by looking at income functions and survival functions concerning risks to exit the labor market, using event history techniques (survival functions and Cox regressions).


Abstract Attempts to elucidate chromosome structure have long remained elusive. Electron microscopy is useful for chromosome structure research because of its high resolution and magnification. However, biological samples such as chromosomes need to be subjected to various preparation steps, including dehydration, drying, and metal/carbon coating, which may induce shrinkage and artifacts. The ionic liquid technique has recently been developed and it enables sample preparation without dehydration, drying, or coating, providing a sample that is closer to the native condition. Concurrently, focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) has been developed, allowing the investigation and direct analysis of chromosome interiors. In this study, we investigated chromosome interiors by FIB/SEM using plant and human chromosomes prepared by the ionic liquid technique. As a result, two types of chromosomes, with and without cavities, were visualized, both for barley and human chromosomes prepared by critical point drying. However, chromosome interiors were revealed only as a solid structure, lacking cavities, when prepared by the ionic liquid technique. Our results suggest that the existence and size of cavities depend on the preparation procedures. We conclude that combination of the ionic liquid technique and FIB/SEM is a powerful tool for chromosome study.


Polyurethane surfaces were modified by covalent immobilization of different molecular weight heparins (fractionated Mw ~3000 Da, and unfractionated Mw ~17,000—19,000 Da) and examined by ESCA, AFM, and contact angle goniometer. The effect of these different surface-immobilized heparins on blood protein adsorption and on platelet adhesion, were examined after incubating the samples with platelet-poor and platelet-rich plasma. Protein adsorption kinetics was studied by electrophoresis and the platelets adhered on the surfaces were examined by SEM after incubation. The two heparin types clearly showed different behavior with respect to protein adsorption, especially in the early stages of blood plasma interaction. After a 5-min incubation in plasma, low molecular weight heparin-immobilized polyurethanes (PU-LMWH) showed three times less protein adsorption compared to unfractionated heparin-immobilized polyurethanes (PU-UFH). The total amount of adhered protein became more similar as the incubation time was extended. The morphology of adhered platelets on material surfaces demonstrated differences: PU-UFH had clusters with some pseudopodia extensions, while PU-LMWH surfaces had round-shaped platelets with little clustering. For contact times >15 min, the amount of adsorbed proteins and adhered platelets on the heparinized PU surfaces decreased.


ABSTRACT The Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 31831 araBDA operon consists of three l-arabinose catabolic genes, upstream of which the galM, araR, and araE genes are located in opposite orientation. araR encodes a LacI-type transcriptional regulator that negatively regulates the l-arabinose-inducible expression of araBDA and araE (encoding an l-arabinose transporter), through a mechanism that has yet to be identified. Here we show that the AraR protein binds in vitro to three sites: one upstream of araBDA and two upstream of araE. We verify that a 16-bp consensus palindromic sequence is essential for binding of AraR, using a series of mutations introduced upstream of araB in electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Moreover, the DNA-binding activity of AraR is reduced by l-arabinose. We employ quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses using various mutant strains deficient in l-arabinose utilization genes to demonstrate that the prominent upregulation of araBDA and araE within 5 min of l-arabinose supplementation is dependent on the uptake but independent of the catabolism of l-arabinose. Similar expression patterns, together with the upregulation by araR disruption without l-arabinose, are evident with the apparent galM-araR operon, although attendant changes in expression levels are much smaller than those realized with the expression of araBDA and araE. The AraR-binding site upstream of araB overlaps the −10 region of the divergent galM promoter. These observations indicate that AraR acts as a transcriptional repressor of araBDA, araE, and galM-araR and that l-arabinose acts as an intracellular negative effector of the AraR-dependent regulation.


Microalgae refer to a kind of autotrophic microorganism with rich nutrition and high photosynthetic utilization degree, which are widely living in the sea and land. Microalgae can be converted into bio energy such as biogas, biodiesel and bio oil. This thesis presents a review on the different cultivation methods and energy conversion techniques of microalgae. Through comparison with other biomass feedstocks, the advantages and disadvantages of microalgae are detailed. Since the large scale of microalgae bioenergy production has not been achieved yet, the commercial production requirements and the sustainability of microalgae are analysed. As a result, high lipid content, less cultivated land use and short life time circle are thought to be the typical advantages of microalgae that it can be considered as a potential substitute of fossil fuel.


This paper describes data collected about consistence, density and social structure of Sardinian deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus Erxleben, 1777) subspecies of European deer (Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758) from 1989 to 2004. The study area is located in the WWF Faunal Park of Monte Arcosu (south-western of Sardinia). The flora of the Reserve is typical Mediterranean vegetation. The data have been collected with two different methods, using both roaring census and direct observations. Results show a population growth of 78.8%, during the study period. The sex ratio was 1:1.9. The social structure observed show that adult male were the 20.04% of population, young male the 9.17%, female the 52.31% and the young 18.49%. The number of deer for adult male varied between 3.63 and 4.53. In the 2004 density was 28.6 deer/km 2 , 1028 deer were value in the Reserve.


A new definition of scale-space is suggested, and a class of algorithms used to realize a diffusion process is introduced. The diffusion coefficient is chosen to vary spatially in such a way as to encourage intraregion smoothing rather than interregion smoothing. It is shown that the 'no new maxima should be generated at coarse scales' property of conventional scale space is preserved. As the region boundaries in the approach remain sharp, a high-quality edge detector which successfully exploits global information is obtained. Experimental results are shown on a number of images. Parallel hardware implementations are made feasible because the algorithm involves elementary, local operations replicated over the image. >


Book synopsis: In the past decade, there has been an unprecedented upsurge of interest in Samuel Beckett's works. The New Cambridge Companion to Samuel Beckett offers an accessible and engrossing introduction to a key set of issues animating the field of Beckett studies today. This Companion considers Beckett's lasting significance by addressing a host of relevant topics. Written by a team of renowned scholars, this volume presents a continuum in Beckett studies ranging from theoretical approaches to performance studies, from manuscript research to the study of bilingualism, intertextuality, late modernism, history, philosophy, ethics, body and mind. The emphasis on burgeoning critical approaches aids the reader's understanding of recent developments in Beckett studies while prompting further exploration, assisted by the guide to further reading.


The stabilization of chiral magnetic spin structures in thin films is often attributed to the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii--Moriya interaction (DMI). Very recently, however, it has been reported that the chirality induced by the DMI can be affected by dipolar interactions. These dipolar fields tend to form N\'eel caps, which entails the formation of a clockwise chirality at the top of the film and a counterclockwise chirality at the bottom. Here we show that engineering an alternating DMI that changes signs across the film thickness, together with the tendency to form N\'eel caps, leads to an enhanced stability of chiral spin-structures. Micromagnetic simulations for skyrmions demonstrate that this can increase the effective DMI in a prototypical [Pt/Co/Ir] multilayer system by at least $0.6\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{mJ}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. These gains are comparable to what has been achieved using additive DMI, but more flexible as we are not limited to a select set of material combinations. We also present experimental results: By measuring equilibrium domain widths, we quantify the effective DMI in [Pt/Co/Ir] multilayer systems typically used for skyrmion stabilization. Upon introducing an alternating DMI, we demonstrate changes in the effective DMI that agree with our simulations. Our results provide a route toward enhancing the stability of chiral spin structures that does not rely on enlarging the chiral interactions.


A layer-by-layer stereolithographic process has been developed successfully for the fabrication of integrated lens antennas made in alumina in V-band. The role of the matching layers and corrugated surfaces to reduce the influence of multiple internal reflections has been highlighted. In particular we have designed and characterized a broadband synthesized elliptical lens antenna fed by a dielectric-loaded rectangular waveguide: its -10 dB return loss bandwidth and -1 dB directivity bandwidth equal 20 GHz and 17 GHz around 60 GHz, respectively. The experimental results are in good agreement with the FDTD predictions despite the bending effects observed on the fabricated prototype after sintering.


: The objective of the present study was to compare the immediate result of laser-assisted piston stapedoplasty with the use of prosthetic stapes of different diameter in the patients with otosclerosis. The patients of both (study and control) groups underwent the measurement of the bone conduction (BC) auditory threshold before, 10-12 days, and 1 month after surgery. The bone-air interval (BAI) was measured in the same time periods. A CO2 laser was used to form a hole 0.5 mm in diameter at the base of the stirrup bone in the patients of group 1; titanium prostheses (Heinz Kurz GmbH) were 0.4 mm in diameter and 4.25 mm in length. The patients of group 2 were treated similarly, but the hole at the base of the stirrup bone had a greater diameter of 0.7 mm while the prostheses were 0.6 mm in diameter and 4.25 mm in length. The BC auditory thresholds were not significantly different after surgery in the patients of A and B subgroups (mixed forms I and II of otosclerosis, respectively). The postoperative BAI values in the patients with a larger hole at the base of the stirrup bone and prostheses of greater diameter were significantly lower than in the patients of the other group (p≤0,05). These data suggest that the use of prostheses of greater diameter has certain advantages for stapedoplasty by the methos employed in the present study.


We propose a novel posterior nasal flap for use in endoscopic approaches to the sella and parasellar region that involve resection of the sphenoid face and a posterior nasal septectomy. It involves elevation of the mucosa of the posterior septum and sphenoid face with preservation of the angiosome based on the posterior septal artery. This flap has the advantages of maximal mucosal preservation in order to optimize postoperative healing and has been demonstrated to permit future elevation of a complete naso-septal flap for reconstruction of anterior skull base defects. An illustration of the technique is provided.


Studying the microstructures of ZL116 alloy slurry prepared by nearby liquidus electromagnetic casting (NLEMC), electromagnetic casting (EMC), and nearby liquidus casting (NLC) by means of electron microscope and image analysis apparatus. At the same time, determining the their hardness by using hardness instrument. The results show that the NLEMC can obtain the fine and uniform equiaxed grains structure, its average-area-circle grain diameter is 28.5μm, and its rheoforming parts, hardness is 129Hv. All of these also show that the slurry microstructure and rheoforming properties of ZL116 prepared by NLEMC are the best in the three kinds of ways. At the same time, discussing the mechanism of NLEMC structure fine.


We perform the numerical field evolution for the collision of two Abelian type I cosmic strings. We present evidence that, for collisions at small but characteristic relative velocities and angles, these cosmic strings do not exchange ends and separate. Rather, local higher winding number bound states are formed close to the collision point, which promote multiple local scatterings at right angles and prevent intercommutation from happening. This constitutes the simplest example of the breakdown of the intercommutation rule, usually assumed in the construction of effective models for cosmic string network evolution.


Objective: To assess the impact of a gluten-free diet on the quality of life of patients managed for irritable bowel syndrome at a tertiary care hospital
Study Design: Prospective comparative study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medicine/Gastroenterology, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan from Jul 2020 to May 2021.
Methodology: Two hundred patients with irritable bowel syndrome and diagnosed on the basis of Rome-IV criteria were included in this study. They were divided into two groups via a lottery method. Group-1 received treatment as usual, depending upon the type of irritable bowel syndrome. Group-2 received treatment as usual and a gluten-free diet. Quality of life was assessed after one month using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief scale.
Results: Out of 200 patients with irritable bowel syndrome included in the study, 93(46.5%) were male, while 107(53.5%) were female. 125(62.5%) had good quality of life after one month of treatment, while 75(37.5%) had lesser quality of life. Statistical analysis revealed that irritable use of a gluten-free diet had a statistically significant relationship (p-value<0.001) with good quality of life after one month of treatment in study participants.
Conclusion: After one month of treatment, good quality of life was found in many patients with irritable bowel syndrome. The use of a gluten-free diet in addition to treatment, as usual, was associated with good quality of life than routine treatment in these patients.


A novel fast algorithm is suggested for a coding unit (CU) mode decision using pseudo rate‐distortion based on a separated encoding structure in High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC). A conventional HEVC encoder requires a large computational time for a CU mode prediction because prediction and transformation procedures are applied to obtain a rate‐distortion cost. Hence, for the practical application of HEVC encoding, it is necessary to significantly reduce the computational time of CU mode prediction. As described in this paper, under the proposed separated encoder structure, it is possible to decide the CU prediction mode without a full processing of the prediction and transformation to obtain a rate‐distortion cost based on a suitable condition. Furthermore, to construct a suitable condition to improve the encoding speed, we employ a pseudo rate‐distortion estimation based on a Hadamard transformation and a simple quantization. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves a 38.68% reduction in the total encoding time with a similar coding performance to that of the HEVC reference model.


The objectives of this research are (1) to study the socialization process of professional industrial designer before & during their profession as well as the stability of profession. (2) to study the characteristic and conditions of professional industrial designer's identity (3) to search ways in terms of professional socialization for the industrial designer as preparation to future impact of ASEAN Economic Community or AEC in year 2015. The research was constructed using case study's qualitative research by selected purposive sampling are 9 professional industrial designers, 4 industrial designers and 5 special expert.The research results can be divided into 3 parts, In part 1 found that childhood lifestyle is influences in making characteristic to be industrial designer. In the socialization process were socialized by significant agents such as lecturer, senior, friends, social media, client and manufacturer etc. The main socialize contents are the skill for industrial design profession working. The main socialize tactics that are the informal and have model to study such as work critics and knowledge from sample work etc. The work stability depends on the individual condition and environmental condition, which consists of the love for designing and acceptance from clients etc. The results for part 2 the Industrial Designer's profession identity shows there are 7 identities, which are the imagination sense, well-round knowledge, flexible, attentive, problem solving skills, analyze & connection skills, and adaptive. The conditions of this identity occur from "the expectation to have good working skills"The results for part 3 found the ways for socialization designer as preparation to future impact of AEC including individual characteristics development, international working skills development and AEC opportunity development.


Primary liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), remains a global medical burden. Incidence rates are still high due to high prevalence of chronic viral hepatitis and the increasing numbers of obese and diabetic patients that develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which are nowadays considered major drivers for HCC development (1,2). Treatment options for advanced disease stages are still limited and overall prognosis of HCC remains dismal, although immune checkpoint inhibitors seem to hold some promise over the previously established tyrosine kinase inhibitors (3).


regression performed, to identify relation of AOP predicting CD to cervical dilatation. Results: 119 women were included in the study. 90(76%) delivered vaginally while 29 had CD (24%). Women undergoing CD had significantly narrower AOP at rest (93 versus 104, P=0.001) and under maternal pushing (102 versus 118, P<0.0001). ROC curve analysis for AOP as a predictor of CD showed AUC of 68% (95 CI 59-77%) for static and 73% (95CI 64-81%) for dynamic assessment. On univariate logistic regression analysis both static AoP (OR 1.04 (95CI 1.01-1.07, P =0.008)) dynamic AoP (1.05 (95CI 1.02-1.08), P =0.0003) were independent predictors of CD from cervical dilatation (OR 1 (95% CI 0.97-1.03), P= 0.8). Conclusions: AoP at rest and on maternal pushing can predict Caesarean delivery in the first stage independently from cervical dilatation.


Non-market strategy researchers have postulated that political and social strategies reduce the exposure of firms to risk, but those arguments have received little empirical attention. In this paper, we integrate social capital and institutional theories to examine the efficacy of managerial political ties (MPTs) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in institutional risk reduction. Using survey data from 179 firms in Ghana we find that, whereas CSR reduces institutional risk exposure, MPTs do not. We also find that the effect of MPTs on risk exposure is moderated by public affairs functions. Contrary to extant literature, we do not find evidence of complementarity between MPTs and CSR. Altogether, the findings not only show that the proposed efficacy of MPTs in risk reduction is illusive, but they also signal the need for scrutinizing the harmony between non-market political and social strategies.


Hydatid disease (HD) is an endemic illness in many countries, and it poses an important public health problem that's influenced by peoples' socioeconomic status and migration that spreads this disease. Although rare, it may occur in any organ or tissue. The most common site is the liver (59-75%), followed in frequency by lung (27%), kidney (3%), bone (1-4%) and brain (1-2%). Other sites such as the heart, spleen, pancreas and muscles are very rarely affected. Unusual sites for this disease can cause diagnostic problems. This pictorial essay illustrates various radiological findings of HD in the liver, spleen, kidney, pancreas, peritoneal cavity, omentum, adrenal, ovary, lung, mediastinum and retroperitoneum. Familiarity with the imaging findings of HD may be helpful in making an accurate diagnosis and preventing potential complications.