The Title of this paper is English Used by Art Shop Attendants in Kuta Area. I am interested in investigating this topic since I want to know about the English used in real life by certain people. The analysis concerns with English functions and expressions that are used by art shop attendants and tourist.
In analyzing those English functions and expressions, this paper applied the theory of English functions taken from the book Function in English by John Blundell (1987) as the main theory and the supporting theory was taken from the book of Leo Jones in his book entitled Function of Language (1977) . Beside the other theories about, some theories that are considered relevant to the topic were also use in this paper.
In collecting the data, I used field research technique by applying the method of recording and note taking. The data collected then analyzed based on the scope of discussion. Then the data they analyzed by according to their functions and formality of the expressions used by the art shop attendants.
After all the data analyzed, I can make some conclusions such as there are eight language functions appears in their conversation with the tourists. The eight functions are: greeting, inviting, giving information, offering something, refusing, asking quantity, thanking and saying goodbye. The art shop attendants used the English function in informal expression although there were some art shop attendants used the formal expressions in using the English functions. Most of them used ungrammatical sentences to express the English functions but their purpose can be understood by the tourists when they serve the tourists in a friendly and polite manner.


The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND) is a proposal for a giant observatory of ultra-high energy cosmic particles (neutrinos, cosmic rays and gamma rays). It will be composed of twenty subarrays of 10 000 antennas each, to be deployed after 2030 at various locations around the world, totaling a detection area of 200 000 km². According to simulations, GRAND will reach unprecedented sensitivity to neutrinos of astrophysical origin with energies above 10^17 eV, sufficient to guarantee their detection. GRAND sub-degree angular resolution will also make it possible to hunt for point sources and possibly start neutrino astronomy. This, combined with the large instantaneous field of view expected from the location of the sub-arrays in different continents and hemispheres, will make GRAND a key instrument in the forth-coming era of multi-messenger transient astronomy, during which the century-long mystery of the nature and origin of the particles with highest energy in the Universe may be solved.


THERE is general agreement among historians about the pioneering phase in the history of blood transfusion. It is recognized that the first effective blood transfusions on animals were undertaken by Richard Lower, who demonstrated his experiment to distinguished scientists at Oxford in February 1666. Within the year the technical details were published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, making the experiment accessible to virtuosi throughout Europe. The medical potentialities of transfusion were quickly recognized; the French physician, Jean Denis, being the first to perform a medical transfusion, apparently without ill effects, in 1667. Transfusion experiments became one of the most attractive novelties at the meetings of the fledgling scientific societies, giving grounds for considerable debate on the background to the innovation. The pre-history of transfusion was quickly established. Lower himself was adamant that he was the first to reason out the experiment and carry it to a successful conclusion. He knew of no earlier speculations about transfusion, or attempts to perform the experiment before 1665.1 During this year it is probable that he and members of the Royal Society independently began experiments on transfusion. However, the Royal Society obtained only inconsequential results until they were assisted by details of Lower's experiments. If transfusion had any significant ancestry, Lower argued that it was indebted to the technique of intravenous injection, which had originated at Oxford in 1656 and subsequently shared much of the appeal of transfusion.2 With minor reservations, modern commentators agree with Lower. The general therapeutic value of blood had certainly been the subject of comment for centuries. By the seventeenth century the idea of direct transfusion had evolved, the best known reference to this coming from the celebrated chemist, Andreas Libavius. But the evidence is diffuse and scattered, indicating little more than a passing curiosity about transfusion and injection.3 The only figure who is known to have attempted the


A relationship between epilepsy and damage to mesial temporal structures has long been recognized. Recent advances have clarified somewhat the issue of whether the pathological changes seen in mesial temporal sclerosis represent the cause or the effect of seizures. This paper reviews mesial temporal sclerosis from an historical perspective and summarizes recent developments in the fields of excitotoxicity, selective vulnerability, and synaptic reorganization as they pertain to the pathogenesis of mesial temporal sclerosis.


Synthesis of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) Thin film on three microscope glasses using sol-gel method has been studied intensively. The starting materials were titanium(III)chloride, Ammonium Hydroxide. The components were mixed together to form the sol. Then, at 50 heating and ageing was applied to form stable sol-gel . Every glass substrate dipping in sol-gel beaker for period time (1,3,5)min respectively, for obtaining different thickness films. To evaluate the performance of films, After annealing at 500 the crystallinity of the films was determined by using the x-ray diffractometer (XRD). The change on the surface morphology was observed using Atomic Force Microscope(AFM). Finally, Optical properties measurements Absorbance (A) and transmittance(T)) for (TiO 2 ) films were studied by UV-Visible spectrometer. analysis on the films. It has been successfully shown that the anatase crystalline phase was observed when the TiO 2 thin film was annealing at 500°C. The roughness and the crystalline size of TiO 2 thin film changed with the thickness. The minimum grain size( 6.92) nm for thickness 1.2µm UV-visible studying that absorption is maximum at UV spectrum (opaque) and the transmittance is maximum at the visible spectrum


Engineering an assistive robot, capable of serving human needs and performing daily chores, has been a long-sought-for goal for the Robotics field as a whole. One of the main challenges facing researchers is on how to build the robot to be accepted by humans. There are many factors involved in having a robot and a human effectively collaborating, including technological limitations, anthropomorphic elements, ethical concerns, social factors, etc. One of the less explored aspects of this problem is physical interaction between a human and a robot. Envision a robotic assistant that is helping a human, moving a piece of furniture. Since the human and the robot are haptically coupled, every small movement/force of the robot is perceived by the human and can be interpreted as a clue for the next action. At the same time, the human expects the robot to understand the cues he/she is giving. In other words, the human expects the interaction to be fluid and natural, as it is with a human partner. Note that in a physical interaction between two humans, the kinesthetic cues serve as a communication channel that guarantees the success of the collaboration, even in cases when the verbal communication is missing.

In this thesis, we focus on the physical interaction between a human and a robot. We first study the characteristics of a natural human-human physical interaction and explore different features of cooperation between two humans. In particular, we propose an abstract model for the quality of cooperation, a mathematical model for the motion trajectory during the interaction and a novel approach in modeling the interaction force between two humans. Based on these models that we construct for a natural human-human interaction, we propose a set of control policies that replicates the same interaction features and mimics human's behavior during a physical interaction between a human and a robot.


The target figures for development of the national economy of the USSR in 1959-1965, adopted by the 21st Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union envisage a grandiose program for the upbuilding of communism in our country. Problems of further upbuilding of the economies of the constituent republics and the economic districts play an important role in the seven-year plan. An example of the unflagging attention given by the Communist Party and the Soviet government to the development of the economy and culture of formerly backward nationality areas is that of Kazakhstan. The volume of industrial production in the Kazakh SSR rose 43 times from 1913 to 1958.


China, like many other middle-income countries, is currently undergoing rapid motorization and urbanization. As a side effect, thousands of people lose their lives and are injured each year in road traffic crashes. This has made China one of the world's most dangerous countries to drive in. In order to improve safety on the road, the Chinese government has taken various efforts in the past decades. Even though all these efforts have been adopted for years, the effectiveness of them has not been analyzed in detail. This research fills this gap and evaluates all the efforts critically based on a law and economics analysis. Moreover, based upon such an analysis, this research also covers other issues, such as what should be done to reduce the amount of traffic fatalities and injuries, what should be done to improve safety on the road, as well as how to effectively compensate traffic victims and spread accident losses. The study of these issues provides useful insights to scholars, legislators, policy makers, insurance companies, traffic users, etc. Furthermore, based on these insights, this research proposes several concrete proposals to further prevention and to better compensation of traffic victims in China. These proposals could also be applied in other middle-income countries and elsewhere with similar traffic situations.


Purpose/Objectives: With the burgeoning evidence of a cancer stem cell architecture in a number of solid tumors, many of our assumptions about optimal dose and scheduling for radiation therapy are being called into question. Further, it is well established that spatial heterogeneity in oxygen concentration can cause regions of relative radiation resistance. How these two forms of heterogeneity synergize, however, is not known. We use a cellular automaton model of a cancer stem cell-driven tumor to identify characteristic cellular-oxygen distribution signatures of tumours and derive optimal therapeutic strategies, which we then utilize for planning of spatially heterogeneous dose maps to optimize tumor control for individual patients, in silico. Materials/Methods: We have extended a previously developed computational model of a stem cell-driven tumor to include host tissue interactions, oxygen uptake and heterogeneous vascularization. We simulate tumor growth on domains, which represent imaging voxels, under a variety of assumptions regarding vascular density/patterning and cell proliferation/differentiation. We correlate the distribution of cells (by type: stem vs. nonstem) versus the oxygen concentration that each cell experiences. Results: By simulating tumors with a range of biological parameters, we have identified a family of cellular-oxygen distribution signatures (cell number vs. oxygen concentration), each of which responds to radiation differently based on the spatial distribution of vessels and stem fraction. We then optimize dose and fractionation for each of these distributions under different assumptions governing repopulation and reoxygenation, allowing for optimization to be done at the voxel level. Conclusions: The ability to generate spatially resolved radiation sensitivity signatures for individual patients could usher in a new paradigm of imaging driven personalized radiotherapy. To achieve this, we have developed a novel method by which to optimize radiation dose and fractionation for solid tumors given a theoretical measure of spatially resolved cellular-oxygen distribution and stem distribution. While our result is preliminary, the cell scale resolution of the model offers the possibility of translation of this method using information gleaned from MRI and PET (CD-133 and F-MISO) imaging.


This conference proceeding contains papers presented at the 6th International Conference on Machinery, Materials Science and Engineering Applications (MMSE 2016), held 28-30 October, 2016 in Wuhan, China.

The conference proceeding contributions cover a large number of topics, both theoretical and applied, including Material science, Electrical Engineering and Automation Control, Electronic Engineering, Applied Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Science and Technology, Computer Science and Information technology and other related engineering topics. MMSE provides a perfect platform for scientists and engineering researchers to exchange ideas, build cooperative relationships and discuss the latest scientific achievements.

MMSE will be of interest for academics and professionals working in a wide range of industrial, governmental and academic sectors, including Material Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Information Technology and Telecommunications, Civil Engineering, Energy Production, Manufacturing, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Transportation and Aerospace Science and Technology


This study examines how marketing strategies of produce managers affect consumer expenditures for fresh fruit. A non-linear Almost Ideal Demand System was used to model the share equations for Gala apples, Fuji apples, Red Delicious apples, other sweet apples, tart apples, pears, bananas, and oranges. Seventy-nine weeks of data on weekly store sales were collected from two grocery stores in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. The objective of this paper is to discuss those variables that were examined but found to be insignificant in the demand model. Those variables include displays, traffic flow, in-store specials, Food Alliance labeling and signage, lagged prices and advertisements, damage-quality measure, incorrect use of inserts and advertisements, nutritional/health information, and the availability of a smaller product. Reasons for the exclusion of these variables and the lessons learned are discussed.


Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze effects of internal marketing activities on nurse`s motivation based on the Herzberg`s two factor theory. Methods: The subjects of this study were 521 nurses who were working in the 4 general hospitals located in Seoul and Incheon area. The data were collected by self-reporting questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and path analysis. Results: The mean score of nurse`s perception of internal marketing was 3 point, and it was similar to previous studies results. In the motivation factors, the most satisfied factor was a responsibility. Advancement was the most unsatisfied factor. In the hygiene factors, the most satisfied factor was a technical supervision. Policy and administration were the most unsatisfied factors. Internal marketing activities affecting on nurse`s motivation were different by each motivation-hygiene factors. In an aspect of motivation factors, the statistically significant internal marketing factors were paid-leave, employee welfare and communication, however, in hygiene factors, education, employee welfare and reward. Conclusion: These results will be used to develop a macro or micro internal marketing strategies to enhance nurse`s motivation based on motivation factors and hygiene factors.


Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the new countries established after the break up of the former Yugoslavia. One of the unfortunate legacies of this country due to the 1992-1994 war is the destruction of human and material resources. Despite many negative events, steady progress can be seen in social, technological and cultural aspects of life. According to the global public health recommendation, infants should be breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, health and development. Therefore, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe food, with Breastfeeding (BF) extended up to and beyond two years of age. In Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) majority of mothers (estimated at 95%) have initiated breastfeeding. However, Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) is not commonly practiced, and BF ceases by the age of five months. After 1995, a number of programs were introduced by WHO and UNICEF in B&H with a primary goal to ensure that babies were given a healthy start in life. Through implementation of Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), enabling exact public health survey – the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), it would be possible to create comparable health indicators and make a step forward to promote and support breastfeeding practice as the best option for infants.


The recent philosophical debate about the nature of time is peculiarly focused on the divide between presentism and eternalism. As a matter of fact, after Einstein's General Relativity theory most theoretical physicists opted for eternalism, also known as "block-universe theory". This view finds support in Minkowski's famous paper Space and Time (1908). Even if theoretical physicists commonly accept nowadays the concept of spacetime as a mathematical tool, the situation is much more complex for what concerns the consensus about its very nature. For instance, for Rovelli's Quantum Gravity (QG) theory our perception of space and time as continua reveals itself as an illusion, that is, a blurry sight of elementary processes. My aim in this paper is to demonstrate that a) the opposition between eternalism/spacetime theory and QG theory is rooted in their underestimation of subjective experience; b) such a divide could be fruitfully overcome by transcendental phenomenology, based on the idea that the very experience of time is intuitively given as a continuum; c) the formalization of spacetime is possible only under this basic subjective experience.


Neonatal intensive care has become a widely accepted component of our health care system. Its acceptance and growth are related to increased technology and specialization. However, little consideration has been given to the process of making decisions about the use of neonatal intensive care from the perspective of the patient's family. This article reviews the existing literature related to parents' opinions and perceptions of care in the NICU and proposes a framework for the exploration of the value systems of parents of infants requiring neonatal intensive care.


In recent years it has been widely discussed the use of continuous improvement in all kind of business and particularly in companies belonging to the automotive industry. Many authors mention improvements, in key indicators of production through the use of continuous improvement tools. At the same time, different authors talk about how to sustain the continuous improvement over time, and try to identify inhibitors and enablers for the sustainability of continuous improvement. But despite this, one can still find first tier suppliers in the automotive industry which have not implemented systems of continuous improvement. This study aims to identify, classify, prioritize and discuss the different enablers and inhibitors which can be found in automotive suppliers companies. For that reason some interviews were conducted with first tier suppliers in the automotive industry that have succeeded or failed in implementing continuous improvement. We have tried to understand better the problems for the implementation and sustainability of continuous improvement.


The objective of this article is to discuss the actors involved, and the arguments used, in the process leading to the implementation of The Road Plan for Sweden. The Road Plan, a 20-year program to improve and modernize Sweden, aimed to rebuild and adapt the country's network of roads to suit the needs of mass motorization. It marked a breakthrough as a new kind of far-reaching societal planning, with the car as the point of departure. This article analyzes the means by which technical ideas and planning approaches developed elsewhere found their way into the plan. The Swedish road system was connected to the European road network, but the technical ideas of traffic engineeringon which the plan rested derived from an even wider base that reached all the way to the United States. This article investigates and explains the influence of the international road and car lobby—specifically the International Road Federation and its "local branch" the Swedish Road Federation—in encouraging the adoption of American-based traffic engineering ideals in the Swedish Road Plan.


Nonlinear wave propagation is observed in the noise created by many sources such as fighter jet aircraft, explosions, gun fire, sonic booms etc. The wave acquires nonlinearity which becomes more pronounced with distance when the fluctuations in the state variables are high enough when compared with the ambient values. This paper describes a frequency domain algorithm to predict nonlinear noise propagation. The propagation of the sound generated by high-speed jets, as mentioned, experiences nonlinear propagation. This nonlinear behavior, which includes the transfer of energy to high frequencies, is captured in the present algorithm. The generalized nonlinear Burgers equation, which includes atmospheric absorption and dissipation, is solved for the pressure signal in the frequency domain. The results are then obtained as a function of time. A test case of a sinusoidal wave is considered, and the results are compared with the existing analytical Blackstock Bridging Function (BBF) and Fubini solutions. The predicted results of the sinusoidal wave case agree fairly well with the analytical results. Data from the Boeing Low Speed Aeroacoustic Facility (LSAF) are used for the broadband noise prediction. The experimental and predicted Power Spectral Density (PSD) plots are compared for microphones at different radial locations. The predicted results are in good agreement with the experimental results at all the microphone locations, and the PSD plots show a lift at high frequencies due to the nonlinear steepening of the waves. The skewness of the experimental and predicted signal is discussed for the Boeing LSAF data. Full scale F/A-18E engine tie-down data are propagated using the nonlinear and linear predictions and the differences in the results are discussed. Ground reflection effects are then presented for both the Boeing LSAF and F/A-18E engine data.


This paper applies an innovative method to estimate poverty in India in the absence of recent expenditure data. The method utilizes expenditure data from 2004-05, 2009-10, and 2011-12 to impute household expenditure into a survey of durable goods expenditure conducted in 2014-15. At the $1.90 per day international poverty line, the preferred model predicts a 2014-15 head- count poverty rate of 10 percent in urban areas and 16.4 percent in rural areas, implying a poverty rate of 14.6 percent nationally. The implied poverty elasticity with respect to growth in per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is within the range of past experience, and states with higher gross domestic product growth saw greater predicted poverty reductions. In validation tests, the model's predictions perform comparably to the World Bank's current adjustment method when predicting for 2011-12 but they are far more accurate when predicting for 2004-05. Three alternative specifications give moderately higher estimates of poverty. The results indicate that survey-to-survey imputation, when feasible, is a preferable alternative to the current method used to adjust survey-based poverty estimates to later years.


Nora, a character from Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll House, was a model for liberal-thinking Chinese women during the May Fourth Era of the 1920s and 1930s. Nora-like figures appeared often in modern Chinese literature to illustrate the issue of women's emancipation. Casting Off the Shackles of Family explores the reception and transformation of the Nora theme in the works of Lu Hsun, Mao Tun, Ting Ling, and other May Fourth writers. In particular, it uses female heroic journey theories to trace women's pursuit of independence and freedom in modern China.


We study the Gilets jaunes movement, which blocked most of France off in November 2018. We first analyze the complementarity/substitutability between the different forms of mobilization and find that blockades were planned online and later reinforced online activism. Second, we do textual analysis and show that online discussions evolved from local concerns to widespread critique. Finally, while the Gilets jaunes refused to designate candidates for the subsequent European elections, we ask whether the movement had electoral consequences nonetheless. We show that blockades boosted the performance of the government's party in its bastions, except when they nurtured further online dissent.


Flaviviruses, such as dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, yellow fever, and Zika viruses, are serious human pathogens that cause significant morbidity and mortality globally each year. Flaviviruses are single‐stranded, positive‐sense RNA viruses, and encode two multidomain proteins, NS3 and NS5, that possess all enzymatic activities required for genome replication and capping. NS3 and NS5 interact within virus‐induced replication compartments to form the RNA genome replicase complex. Although the individual enzymatic activities of both proteins have been extensively studied and are well characterized, there are still gaps in our understanding of how they interact to efficiently coordinate their respective activities during positive‐strand RNA synthesis and capping. Here, we discuss what is known about the structures and functions of the NS3 and NS5 proteins and propose a preliminary NS3:NS5:RNA interaction model based on a large body of literature about how the viral enzymes function, physical restraints between NS3 and NS5, as well as critical steps in the replication process. WIREs RNA 2017, 8:e1437. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1437


This paper investigates EFL student reading speed and describes a quasi-experimental study that attempted to quantify the effects of repeated reading and the use of NLP language patterns in the instructions. An experimental group (n=30) and a control group (n=30) carried out the same timed reading activity three times each lesson for five lessons. The instructions for the experimental group included NLP language patterns designed to promote faster reading. It was shown that the repeated reading is clearly correlated with gains in reading speed. With regard to the NLP language patterns, although there was an increase in mean reading speed, this was not shown to be statistically significant either within the lesson or over the course of the five lessons.


Executive Summary Kentucky, a leading tobacco producing state in the U.S. and home to Brown and Williamson and Commonwealth Brands tobacco companies, has a significant historic, economic, and social heritage tied to tobacco. Until 2004 tobacco was grown in all but one county in the state, mostly on small family farms. The significant tobacco industry presence created a historical resistance to tobacco control efforts. To influence policymakers, between 1994 and 2010 the tobacco industry contributed $311,614 to Kentucky political parties and individual candidates running for state-level offices, focusing contributions around pivotal elections, with candidates for governor and key legislative leadership being the largest recipients. Additionally, between 1993 and 2012, the tobacco industry spent $9.7 million in lobbying expenditures. In 1988, the first statewide tobacco control coalition focused their initial efforts on youth as a noncontroversial strategy to introduce tobacco control issues in the tobacco growing state. Beginning in 1994 state tobacco control advocates worked with state policymakers and tobacco farmers to create the Coalition for Health and Agricultural Development. The coalition set a statewide and national precedent for tobacco control advocates and tobacco farmers working together to address tobacco-related health and economic issues. In 1994, the tobacco industry used efforts by tobacco control advocates to reduce youth smoking by passing a state law prohibiting youth access to tobacco products as an effective medium to lobby for the enactment of a weak youth access law that included state preemption to prohibit community-level activity to limit youth access to tobacco products. The 1994 legislation also included a provision that required designated smoking areas in government buildings where smoking was restricted. Later, this requirement would dissuade local governments from covering workplaces since government workplaces would be exempt or forced to install expensive ventilation equipment. Since 1997, the prevalence of youth tobacco use in Kentucky has declined. In 2011, the youth tobacco use rate was 24.1 percent, a decrease from 26.1 percent in 2009. However, in 2011, the prevalence of youth tobacco use in Kentucky (24.1 percent) was still higher than the national average (19.5 percent) and Kentucky was ranked 1st for the highest youth tobacco use rates. Between 2001 and 2010 there were increases in smokeless tobacco use among youth and adults, and in cigarette smoking rates among low socio-economic status adults. The 1998 Master Settlement Agreement was an important event for tobacco prevention and control in the tobacco growing state. Tobacco farmers in Kentucky had a shift in attitude and were more receptive and willing to work with state tobacco control advocates to use a portion of the state's Master Settlement Agreement monies for tobacco control programming. In 2000, state tobacco control advocates secured 2.5 percent ($5.5 million for the first biennium 2001-2002) of the state's Master Settlement Agreement monies for tobacco prevention and control programming, with most of the funding going to build policymaking capacity at the local level. The local health department tobacco control programs worked to create awareness about tobacco use issues that synergistically worked with state tobacco control advocacy efforts on smoke-free air policies. Between 1971 and 2012, the state tobacco excise tax had only been raised twice from 3-cents to 30-cents in 2005 and from 30 cents to 60 cents in 2009. While state tobacco control advocates wanted to increase the tobacco excise tax to reduce youth tobacco use, the state tobacco excise tax increase was used to mitigate significant state budget shortfalls. Between 2000 and 2012, the state program worked with local health department programs and state agencies, and used contracts with the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville to provide technical assistance in achieving the local program goals and objectives. The state program experienced success in reducing exposure to secondhand smoke through local communities working to achieve smokefree air. In 2004, state tobacco control advocates successfully enacted the first local smoke-free air ordinance in the state in Lexington-Fayette. The tobacco industry unsuccessfully tried to overturn the law through litigation, and by state legislation to preempt local smokefree air policies. State tobacco control advocates used the Smoke-Free Lexington-Fayette campaign as a model to garner public support to protect workers and public health through additional local smoke-free air policies throughout the state. Between 2005 and 2012, state tobacco control advocates, led by the University of Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy (KCSP) successfully enacted 35 smokefree policies (22 were comprehensive) to protect 34.1 percent of the state's population. In 2006, state tobacco control advocates successfully pushed for legislation to allow local governments to prohibit smoking in local government buildings without being required to assign designated smoking areas, which allowed state tobacco control advocates to begin strengthening local smoke-free measures to include all workplaces. Local governments had been reluctant to include workplaces in smokefree ordinances since it could not include local government workplaces. In addition, Governor Fletcher issued an Executive Order to prohibit indoor smoking in state government buildings controlled by the Executive Branch. For the first time in the history of the state, smoking was prohibited in most state government buildings. In 2010, state tobacco control advocates implemented the Smoke-Free Kentucky campaign and five-year plan to advocate for a statewide smoke-free air law. In 2012, the smokefree air legislation was voted out of the House Health and Welfare Committee, which represented a significant step forward since previous efforts did not pass in committee. Tobacco control advocates should continue to work to protect, strengthen, and pass local smokefree air policies and other tobacco control policies, advocating for the repeal of preemption of local control for youth access, and for increases in tobacco excise taxes. State tobacco control advocates can further strengthen their efforts by exposing the tobacco manufacturer ties, through campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures, to legislators who propose to threaten the advances that have been made in tobacco control. State tobacco control advocates should continue to seek higher tobacco excise taxes and for increased tobacco control funding for a sustained tobacco prevention media campaign. State tobacco control advocates should build on their successful track record by giving priority to continuing to protect, strengthen, and pass local smokefree air policies and 100% tobacco free schools. Recognizing the politically hostile environment in tobacco growing state legislatures, state tobacco control advocates should take a strong public position that state preemption of local smokefree air policies is a "deal breaker" for any state smokefree law and pledge to work to kill any such law, regardless of the other provisions.


Nanostructured materials have recently attracted much interest due to their unique properties which make them appealing for the next generation of efficient and novel optical/electrical devices. In particular, two-dimensional (atomically thin) materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been extensively researched and shown to exhibit, e.g., strong optical absorption when compared to their bulk counterparts, with potential applications in photovoltaics for solar energy. The optical absorption in such materials may be further improved by decoration with metal nanoparticles (MNPs) due to a plasmonic enhancement effect. While such an effect has been demonstrated experimentally, it is hard to show theoretically from an ab initio point of view due to the computational demand of such calculations: the state-ofthe-art approaches commonly used to determine the optical spectra of, e.g, the semiconducting TMD (i.e. density functional theory (DFT) and many-body perturbation theory) may not be applied to the full TMD-MNP structure as the MNP is often on a much larger scale than the semiconductor rendering the ab initio methods infeasible. In this thesis, we develop a dynamical, hybrid approach (the projected equations of motion (PEOM) method) where a composite material is split into subsystems which are then coupled electromagnetically. The primary system (e.g., the TMD) may be treated using any timedependent theory, while the secondary system (e.g., the MNP) is modelled entirely through its frequency-dependent polarisability which is fitted to obtain parameters which enter into the PEOMs. As a proof of concept, the PEOM method is first applied to a semiconducting quantum dotMNP system and the obtained energy absorption rates and population dynamics are compared with results from existing analytical approaches. Good agreement between the two methods is shown, while the PEOM proves to be an improvement when investigating ultrafast excitations in such systems. The method is then further tested by comparing absorption spectra in bilayers of hexagonal boron nitride and MoS2 obtained via the PEOM approach with those obtained by time-dependent DFT and the Bethe-Salpeter equation. Again, the two approaches are in good, qualitative agreement.The thesis is left open as a starting point towards investigating the TMD-MNP structures, as well as stating the limitations of the PEOM method and suggesting possible improvements.


In orthographies studied to date, children learning to spell tend to omit one consonant of a cluster—for initial clusters, the second consonant, and for medial nasal clusters, the nasal. Explanations have included a special status for the initial consonant of a word, and the fact that in English nasal clusters are not true clusters but consist of a nasalised vowel plus a consonant. We tested children's spelling of initial and medial clusters consisting of a nasal consonant followed by another consonant, but non-nasalised vowels, in Kiswahili. For both initial and medial clusters, the nasal was spelled wrongly more often than the other consonant. The initial position in a word does not seem to have special properties. Rather, the spelling of clusters seems to depend on the properties of the individual phonemes, nasals being particularly difficult to spell. It is concluded that cross-linguistic studies of spelling development are necessary to draw generalised conclusions about phonological processing.


In this book, we elaborate on the dynamic process of leadership sharing in creative project networks by pointing out that the boundaries and relationships of the networks change over time. As the project requirements evolve, new leaders emerge, make their contribution, and move into support positions. This leadership sharing dynamic is a necessary condition for mature LMX and member-member exchange (MMX). This insight about the sharing of leadership within networks directs us to the process of microbehavior being transformed to meso-options and being converted to macrostrategies. This sequence of micro to macro directs us to a marriage of the formal with the informal organization. At this stage we are post Simon, March, and Weick. This book is about putting authentic people back into the social creations we call productive organizations-warts and all. The design of these organizations is as old as human civilization. It helped construct ancient Greece, Egypt, and China. It was improved in the West by the Romans and in the East by the Chinese. During more recent times it was improved by the British Empire whose command and control models gradually gave way to the knowledge models of today. This book is about how we can discover the alternative processes by which fallible humans use sense making to continuously improve organizations at the macrostrategy level.


SUMMARY Thermal comfort sensations are often studied in isolation, with the subjects' attention specifically directed towards their evaluation, both by instructions and by the recurrent act of questioning. A closer approach to the field situation, in which room temperature is at most a background stimulus, is made possible by the method of spontaneous magnitude estimation of thermal sensation. Thirty-six male and 36 female 17-year-old subjects in standard cotton uniforms (0·7 clo) were exposed in groups of 4 in a climate chamber to patterns of changing air temperature typical of conditions in occupied classrooms. Temperatures remained within the range 20–29° C. and did not increase more rapidly than 4° C./hr. Each individual recorded his thermal sensation on a dial voting apparatus, registering changes spontaneously as a secondary task while performing mental work during three successive 50 min. periods, with 10 min. breaks between. It was thus possible to obtain a measure of the time course of thermal discomfort sensations, including the extent to which they distracted attention. Significant differences were found between the responses of males and females, males in general feeling hotter and reacting more rapidly to changes in temperature. Response distributions are given in detail.


You enter the world of this spellbinding book through one of its many dreamlike portals. Each time you enter, it's the same place but it has been arranged differently. You were a woman. You were a man. This is a story of adventure, an encounter with the unknown, a knight's undaunted journey into the kingdom of death. This is a story of the world you've always known, that first primer where "on page three a dog appeared, on page five a ball," and every familiar facet has been made to shimmer like the contours of a dream. Faithful and Virtuous Night tells a single story, but the parts are mutable and the great sweep of its narrative mysterious and fateful, heartbreaking, and charged with wonder.


A modern wave of programming technology has been at the frontline of functional languages, experiencing growing success as well as impact. Hughes published an article entitled 'Why Functional Programming Matters', that has now been one of the most recent references in the field.Safe programming defines the method used by software engineers to include multiple safety mechanism for their system.Secure programming can be broken down into two subgroups to analyse its correlation with software design: access control, secure programme initialization, input validation, cryptography, secure networking, secure random number generation, and anti-tampering. In this paper we provide a review of various functional programming in Haskell for encryption. The inkling of functional programming is to make programming more closely related to mathematics. We describe crucial features and trade-offs that has to be well-thought-out while selecting the right method for secure computation.


Steering system is one of the most important systems that a vehicle should have and consider. It is not only important but also a necessity to every vehicle in today's challenging world. With the new and improved networks of road, the need for compatible steering system is ever increasing day by day. This is what we're trying to exaggerate from this project. Mostly, this project is about the available steering systems in the automotives industry nowadays. We will try to bring out the systems and types of steering system that usually taken for granted by some individuals who will only think of steering system usability aspect and not from what this system can contribute to their driving experience. As our special study case, we chose the power assisted steering system or commonly known as "power steering" system. This system incorporates the principles of hydraulics to help absorb some of steering effort applied by the driver to maneuver their vehicles. Besides the advantages of this system that will be discussed later on, there are also some disadvantages that can be associated to this system. This will also be discussed later on as we go along. There will be some explanation regarding other steering system such as the "rack-and-pinion", "recirculating-bail, and some of the latest innovations regarding steering systems in the automotives world. All this can be found under the sub topic " Future of Power Steering"


The recent rise in the prevalence of obesity in the UK population includes women of reproductive age and children. For both groups there are specific health concerns consequent on excess bodyweight, including obstetric complications, fetal growth abnormalities and a range of obesity co-morbidities seen in children that were rarely found in young people a generation earlier. This paper identifies some of the issues which challenge policy-makers: guidelines for gestational weight gain and for weight loss after pregnancy; inequalities and interventions in pregnancy; interventions to prevent child obesity; and the role of individuals, government and the commercial sector in implementing policies for promoting healthy weight.


A highly flexible tris-imidazole ligand N(CH2-m-C6H4-CH2-imidazole)3 (L) constructed using a tris(xylyl) backbone was synthesized. Its reactions with three cadmium(II) salts gave various Cd(II) coordination polymers, namely [CdL2](ClO4)2 (1), [CdLCl2] (2), and [CdL(OAc)2] (3). X-ray studies revealed that 1 crystallized in the trigonal space group R with high symmetry, while 2 and 3 crystallized in lower symmetrical space groups due to Cd–anion coordination. The flexibility of ligand L was evidenced in these structures, showing different conformations of L upon coordination and crystallization. In addition, complex [CdL2]Cl2 (4) was obtained by the anion exchange of 1 with sodium chloride via a single crystal to single crystal transformation. Similar to 1, complex 4 also crystallized in the trigonal space group R with a = 13.0945(3), b = 37.4353(10), and V = 5559.2(2). Importantly, this single crystal to single crystal transformation is crucial to afford this Cd(II) coordination polymer with unbound Cl− anions, as the direct reaction of L and CdCl2 gives complex 2 with Cd-bound Cl−. This work shows the importance of flexible ligands in constructing various coordination polymer structures through the regulation of anions.


Abstract Agriculture informatization level is an important part of one country's modernization. It is important to construct reasonable agriculture informatization evaluation indicator system and propose the evaluation method for promoting the agriculture informatization. This paper firstly analyzes the research status of the indicator system and evaluation method of informatization at home and abroad. On the basis of the relative literatures, the evaluation indicator system of the agriculture informatization in China is constructed, and the evaluation model of the agriculture informatization based on two-tuple and the relative operators are also constructed. This model not only can be used to rank the orders of the different areas according to the informatization level, but also can realize the qualitative evaluation of the agriculture informatization of the different areas according to the evaluation system. Finally, the application example shows that the evaluation system of the agriculture informatiza...


Gravitational lensing time delays are well known to depend on cosmological parameters, but they also depend on the details of the mass distribution of the lens. It is usual to model the mass distribution and use time-delay observations to infer cosmological parameters, but it is naturally also possible to take the cosmological parameters as given and use time delays as constraints on the mass distribution. This paper develops a method to isolate what exactly those constraints are, using a principal-components analysis of ensembles of free-form mass models. We find that time delays provide tighter constraints on the distribution of matter in the very high dense regions of the lensing clusters. We apply it to the cluster lens SDSS J1004+4112, whose rich lensing data includes two time delays. We find, assuming a concordance cosmology, that the time delays constrain the central region of the cluster to be rounder and less lopsided than would be allowed by lensed images alone. This detailed information about the distribution of the matter is very useful for studying the dense regions of the galaxy clusters which are very difficult to study with direct measurements. A further time-delay measurement, which is expected, will make this system even more interesting.


The growth form of a strain of Claviceps purpurea in axenic culture has been controlled by the amino nitrogen source. Within the pairs asparagine/aspartic acid or glutamine/glutamic acid the amide promoted sphacelial growth of the colony whereas the acid supported differentiation of plectenchymatic sclerotial tissue and synthesis of ergot alkaloids. Sclerotial colonies showed purple pigmentation. The mycelium had a greater lipid content, rich in ricinoleic acid, and sporulation was much less than in sphacelial colonies. Changes in the relative distribution of amino acids between the free and peptidyl components of the cells was most marked with respect to lysine; growth on asparagine resulted in more than half remaining free, whereas less than 10% remained free on aspartic acid. Lysine supplied exogenously as a nitrogen source did not promote sclerotial differentiation. Frequent transfers to fresh medium of colonies grown on dialysis membrane accentuated the extent of sphacelial or sclerotial growth; four transfers during an 18-day growth period yielded mycelia with an alkaloid content (0-4%, w/w) similar to that of parasitic ergot sclerotia. Asparagine and glutamine were taken up more rapidly from liquid media than their corresponding acids, but each acid exerted a dominant effect over the amide, in a mixture providing equivalent nitrogen, resulting in differentiation from sphacelial to sclerotial growth analogous to that occurring during parasitism. The apparently greater (w/w) proportion of total amino acids in sphacelial mycelia than in sclerotial mycelia mainly reflected the lower lipid content of these tissues, but this factor was insufficient to account for the persistence of a significant proportion of the total lysine amongst the free amino acids. The promotion of sclerotial growth by aspartic and glutamic acids was not confined solely to the experimental strain of the fungus. Although some isolates failed to differentiate into plectenchymatic mycelia on these nitrogen sources, the extent of their sphacelial growth, as indicated by the degree of sporulation, was always much reduced with respect to that promoted by asparagine.


D uring these last years, the demand of miniaturized voltage transformers increased with the fast multiplication of portable equipment's. The miniaturization of the electromagnetic transformer is more difficult. An interesting solution consists of the use of the piezoelectric transformer of small dimensions which coupling among the primary and the secondary is assured by a mechanical vibration. The aim of this study is to show the possibility of using typical micro piezoelectric transformers to realize strongly integrated systems of millimeter-length size. As application, the produced energy by the piezoelectric transformer is stored in a battery. A micro controller connected in series with a chopper is used in order to control the power accumulated in the battery. In this paper we introduced the mechanical losses in the model of the piezoelectric transformer in order to improve the efficiency of the piezoelectric transformer .


The effects of particle size distribution (narrow, Gaussian, binary and flat) on high-temperature defluidization behavior of iron powder were investigated. The fluidization characteristics were studied involving minimum fluidization velocity, bubbling velocity and bed voidage. The thermo-mechanical analysis was applied to examine the sintering temperature and surface viscosity of iron powder due to surface softening. The results indicated that the effects of PSD on defluidizaton were dependent on temperature. The Gaussian distribution was favorable to fluidization and presented better fluidization quality at lower temperatures. However, at higher temperatures, the narrow distribution exhibited a higher defluidization temperature and thus a lower agglomeration tendency due to a larger apparent viscosity and lower particle stickiness. Therefore, the PSD apparently affected not only hydrodynamic behavior, but also particle adhesion of bed materials for defluidization.


Background Thalassemia is a group of congenital disorders which is characterized by a deficient synthesis of alfa or beta globulin chains in hemoglobin molecules. Due to the problems resulting from changes in face, especially in dento-maxillary regions, such patients require special attention regarding oral health. Thus in this study, we aimed to assess the dento-maxillofacial changes in Beta-thalassemia major (BTM) children and Adolescent patients in Northern Iran. Methods  BTM subjects aged 2-15 years and their systemically healthy controls were evaluated in this case-control study. Dento-maxillary changes (spacing, crowding, Posterior cross bite, open bite, deep bite, overjet), dental occlusion, and facial changes (maxillary protrusion, malar prominence, saddle nose and frontal bossing), were evaluated. Data was analyzed SPSS version 22.0. Results  There were 66 BTM patients and 66 healthy controls in this study, including 40.9% male and 59.1% females. The average age was 12 ±3.31years. Open bite (P 0.05). Conclusion  With regarding to high prevalence of facial changes of BTM patients (57.6 %), preventive care, education and early dento-maxillofacial evaluation and management is advised.


The student teacher relationship is changing towards a more digital environment. It enables a new form of innovative learning, but is not without its challenges. Not only does the learner have different views on how to communicate, but the educators must also make use of technology they might not be so familiar with. This paper presents experiences, problems overcome and identified challenges ahead in digital education. It bases itself on experience from more than 15 years in e-learning from vocational, secondary and university college level, and we will use real-life examples to discuss best practices when it comes to using text, pictures and videos in an online educational environment in a way that best supports the teaching environment. We will through this paper present the view from the lectures perspective, both on teaching environments and technology. Traditional teaching centers around a teacher standing at a black board or a projector presenting directly in front of students. This is not directly available in an e-learning environment. In contrast, one of the most significant challenges with e-learning is that students online do not have the teacher / instructor available for questions at any given time in class. To avoid students sitting back with questions, the online environment should use text, pictures and video in such a way that it answers all questions students might think of - and that it accounts for most situations that arises when students are following instructions. In addition to this we have also implemented a hybrid form of teaching, using live-stream and real-time chats in order to bring back the possibilities for students to ask questions during lectures. This will include the online students in the campus-based environment, thereby propose best practice guidelines for online education and training.


Pain (nociceptive) input soon after spinal cord injury (SCI) expands the area of tissue loss (secondary injury) and impairs long-term recovery. Evidence suggests that nociceptive stimulation has this effect because it promotes acute hemorrhage. Disrupting communication with the brain blocks this effect. The current study examined whether rostral systems exacerbate tissue loss because pain input drives an increase in systolic blood pressure (BP) and flow that fuels blood infiltration. Rats received a moderate contusion injury to the lower thoracic (T12) spinal cord. Communication with rostral processes was disrupted by cutting the spinal cord 18 h later at T2. Noxious electrical stimulation (shock) applied to the tail (Experiment 1), or application of the irritant capsaicin to one hind paw (Experiment 2), increased hemorrhage at the site of injury. Shock, but not capsaicin, increased systolic BP and tail blood flow in sham-operated rats. Cutting communication with the brain blocked the shock-induced increase in systolic BP and tail blood flow. Experiment 3 examined the effect of artificially driving a rise in BP with norepinephrine (NE) in animals that received shock. Spinal transection attenuated hemorrhage in vehicle-treated rats. Treatment with NE drove a robust increase in BP and tail blood flow but did not increase the extent of hemorrhage. The results suggest pain input after SCI can engage rostral processes that fuel hemorrhage and drive sustained cardiovascular output. An increase in BP was not, however, necessary or sufficient to drive hemorrhage, implicating other brain-dependent processes.


Begun with Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India in 1953, Manipal University Health Sciences Library, India is one of the largest libraries in South East Asia. Library offers a rich array of information resources for pursuing discovery and research. The library has access to variety of e-resources, including 18 online databases, more than 2500 online journals and e-books which have been made available to library users via various interfaces. Frustrated with navigating these different interfaces, Manipal University became aware of the fact that Health Sciences Library required a solution to access all library e-resources from a single entry point. This paper goes into the details on the ERMSS software which has provided library users with a single point access for effective searching of e-resources held by library. ERMSS meets the challenge with a feature-rich system combined with a robust administrative module and enabling a single point of access to entire e-resource collection of the library.


Cerebral cortical brain networks possess a number of conspicuous features of structure and dynamics. First, these networks have an intricate, non-random organization. In particular, they are structured in a hierarchical modular fashion, from large-scale regions of the whole brain, via cortical areas and area subcompartments organized as structural and functional maps to cortical columns, and finally circuits made up of individual neurons. Second, the networks display self-organized sustained activity, which is persistent in the absence of external stimuli. At the systems level, such activity is characterized by complex rhythmical oscillations over a broadband background, while at the cellular level, neuronal discharges have been observed to display avalanches, indicating that cortical networks are at the state of self-organized criticality (SOC). We explored the relationship between hierarchical neural network organization and sustained dynamics using large-scale network modeling. Previously, it was shown that sparse random networks with balanced excitation and inhibition can sustain neural activity without external stimulation. We found that a hierarchical modular architecture can generate sustained activity better than random networks. Moreover, the system can simultaneously support rhythmical oscillations and SOC, which are not present in the respective random networks. The mechanism underlying the sustained activity is that each dense module cannot sustain activity on its own, but displays SOC in the presence of weak perturbations. Therefore, the hierarchical modular networks provide the coupling among subsystems with SOC. These results imply that the hierarchical modular architecture of cortical networks plays an important role in shaping the ongoing spontaneous activity of the brain, potentially allowing the system to take advantage of both the sensitivity of critical states and the predictability and timing of oscillations for efficient information processing.


Myofibroblast activation is one of the major mechanisms of scar formation and interstitial myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction (MI) and subsequent heart failure. Elucidating the mechanisms of myofibroblast activation will provide a strategy to treat heart failure. Histone Deacetylases (HDAC) were reported to regulate myofibroblast differentiation and extracellular matrix deposition in lung, kidney and liver fibrosis. Furthermore, HDAC inhibitors were shown to retard myocardial remodeling, interstitial fibrosis and improve cardiac function after MI. However, the mechanisms are unclear. Here we examined whether HDAC1/2 are up-regulated after MI, identify which myocardial cell type is predominately expressing HDAC, and examine the effects of HDAC inhibition on myocardial fibrosis. MI was created in rats by ligation of the left coronary artery. We found that, in sham rats, HDACs were uniformly expressed in both right and left ventriculars. On the other hand, we observed up-regulation of both HDAC1 and 2 in the infarcted LV following MI. In addition, HDAC1 and 2 were co-localized with cardiac fibroblast markers CD90, Vimentin, and αSMA in the infarcted area. Treatment of CD90+ cells isolated from both CHF and sham atrial culture with pan HDAC inhibitor (100 nM, or 300 nM) TSA diminished cardiac fibroblasts activation as indicated by the decrease in αSMA and the increase in E-cadherin gene expressions. Similarly, treatment of CD90 cells with a specific HDAC class I inhibitor (2 μM, Mocetinostat) upregulated E-cadherin and diminished the markers of fibrosis (αSMA, MMP-2, and Collagen III).The decrease in fibroblast activation by HDAC inhibition was associated with increase in p-Gsk3β/Gsk3β ratio and β-catenin protein content. In addition, Mocetinostat treatment of CD90+ cells up-regulated cleaved-Caspase3, an indicator of apoptosis. Taken together, diminishing cardiac fibroblast activation using HDAC class I inhibitor appears to be dependent on Gsk3β/β-catenin pathway.


The origin of brains and central nervous systems (CNSs) is thought to have occurred before the Palaeozoic era 540 Ma. Yet in the absence of tangible evidence, there has been continued debate whether today's brains and nervous systems derive from one ancestral origin or whether similarities among them are due to convergent evolution. With the advent of molecular developmental genetics and genomics, it has become clear that homology is a concept that applies not only to morphologies, but also to genes, developmental processes, as well as to behaviours. Comparative studies in phyla ranging from annelids and arthropods to mammals are providing evidence that corresponding developmental genetic mechanisms act not only in dorso–ventral and anterior–posterior axis specification but also in segmentation, neurogenesis, axogenesis and eye/photoreceptor cell formation that appear to be conserved throughout the animal kingdom. These data are supported by recent studies which identified Mid-Cambrian fossils with preserved soft body parts that present segmental arrangements in brains typical of modern arthropods, and similarly organized brain centres and circuits across phyla that may reflect genealogical correspondence and control similar behavioural manifestations. Moreover, congruence between genetic and geological fossil records support the notion that by the 'Cambrian explosion' arthropods and chordates shared similarities in brain and nervous system organization. However, these similarities are strikingly absent in several sister- and outgroups of arthropods and chordates which raises several questions, foremost among them: what kind of natural laws and mechanisms underlie the convergent evolution of such similarities? And, vice versa: what are the selection pressures and genetic mechanisms underlying the possible loss or reduction of brains and CNSs in multiple lineages during the course of evolution? These questions were addressed at a Royal Society meeting to discuss homology and convergence in nervous system evolution. By integrating knowledge ranging from evolutionary theory and palaeontology to comparative developmental genetics and phylogenomics, the meeting covered disparities in nervous system origins as well as correspondences of neural circuit organization and behaviours, all of which allow evidence-based debates for and against the proposition that the nervous systems and brains of animals might derive from a common ancestor.


We have studied the distribution of myosin and tubulin molecules inside the same tissue culture cells by using two antibodies labeled with contrasting fluorochromes. Antimyosin raised against human platelet myosin was labeled with rhodamine. Antitubulin raised against sea urchin vinblastine-induced tubulin crystals was labeled with fluorescein. The two antibodies stained entirely different structures inside the same flat interphase cell: antimyosin bound to stress fibers and antitubulin bound to thin, wavy fibers thought to be individual microtubules. Compact interphase cells stained diffusely with both antibodies. From prophase through early anaphase both antibodies stained the mitotic spindle, although the fluorescence contrast between the spindle and the cytoplasm was much higher with antitubulin than with antimyosin. From anaphase through telophase, strong antimyosin staining occurred in the cleavage furrow, while antitubulin stained the region between the separated chromosomes. This study established the feasibility of high-resolution fluorescent antibody localization of pairs of motility proteins in the cytoplasm of single cells, an approach which will make it possible to map out the sites of the various contractile protein interactions in situ.


An increased prevalence of the digit sucking habit among Nigerian children has been reported. Certain factors are believed to influence its occurrence. This study was carried out to assess these factors and determine possible correlation with the onset and persistence of the habit. The sample population consisted of 81 children--52 females and 29 males aged 3-16 years who were still actively digit sucking. Findings in this group were compared with a control group made up of 80 children aged 2-16 years who were not digit suckers and had no history of the habit. Results showed no correlation between mode of infant feeding and the digit sucking habit. The duration of breast-feeding was found to have a significant effect on the habit. About 79% of non-suckers had been breast-fed for more than 6 months while only 43.2% of digit suckers were breast-fed for the same duration. The digit sucking habit was observed more frequently in children with mothers in high cadre occupations (53.1%) compared to non-suckers (23.8%). More digit suckers (22.2%) than non-suckers (12.5%) were reported to have a history of pacifier use. Neither family size nor position of the child in the family had a significant effect on the occurrence of the habit. In addition, 48.1% of the sample population had siblings with the same habit compared to 16.2% of the controls. The identification of significant factors may be useful in targeting interventions in order to prevent consequences of the prolonged habit.


Background : Few studies have reported the magnitude of intestinal parasitic infections among under-five children in tropical countries. Moreover, there is little information on maternal awareness about intestinal parasitosis. Objective : To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitosis among under-five children, and assess maternal awareness about it in Shesha Kebkele, Wondo Genet, Southern Ethiopia. Methods : A cross-sectional study involving 288 under-five children was conducted and stool samples were collected and examined for intestinal parasites using Kato-Katz and formol-ether concentration methods. In addition, a total of 130 mothers of under-five children were interviewed regarding their awareness about intestinal parasitic infections. Results : Of the 288 children, 245 (85.1%) were found infected with one or more intestinal parasites. The prevalence of Trichuris trichiura, Schistosoma mansoni and Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, and Hymenolepis nana infections as determined by Kato-Katz were 74.7%, 37.2%, 25.7%, 5.9%, and 4.5%, respectively. On the other hand, the prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis, Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, and Entamoeba coli infections as determined by formol-ether concentration method were 0.69%, 13.2%, 0.35%, and 2.1%, respectively. Most mothers were reasonably aware of the mode of transmission of ascariasis, amoebiasis and giardiasis while they had very limited knowledge of bilharzia and hookworm transmission. Almost all of the respondents reported that infections with intestinal parasites could cause retardation of growth and death in children unless treated. Conclusion : Intestinal parasitic infections were prevalent in varying magnitude among under-five children in Wondo Genet area, Southern Ethiopia. Mothers in the study area had a fairly good knowledge of the impact of infections but limited knowledge of the mode of transmission of intestinal parasitic infections. Improvement of sanitation and health education are required besides preventive chemotherapy to control worms (except for schistosomiasis in under-five which need treatment on an individual basis) and other intestinal parasitic infections in the area.


Purpose - The first goal of this research is to analyse the effects of lean production (LP) on the policy of human resource management (HRM). The second is to determine whether or not implementation of HRM practices associated with LP explains the differences in organizational performance between manufacturing plants. Design/methodology/approach - The paper developed a questionnaire for data collection. Findings are presented from 76 establishments (79.17 per cent of the total sample) that specialise in single-firing ceramic tiles in Spain. Findings - Companies that make the most of LP practices are also those that take care to train workers in using these practices as well as improving their employment security. However, the same is not true for the pay for performance system. The combination of LP with HRM practices reduces inventory and boosts productivity but does not appear to affect the other performance variables analysed. Research limitations/implications - For certain variables very little variation was found between the plants in the samples. The data are cross-sectional, so causality cannot be definitively determined. Practical implications - This paper indicates the HRM practices associated with the LP and the results obtained. It can thus be used to help human resource and production departments in improving organizational performance. Originality/value - The paper extends the work of other researchers by focusing on a sector and a country that have been very little studied to date. The sample consists of a set of plants that are fairly homogeneous, which facilitates the analysis of the relationships between the selected variables, while keeping other variables controlled.


This proposal takes a long view to revenue reform. It seeks to fundamentally align the sales tax with the digital foundation of the 21st Century economy. The core policy question is whether California is willing to change the way it defines sales tax exemptions; is it willing to move from product-centric to person-centric exemptions. Certified tax determination systems can be relied upon. A key element in this proposal is the encryption of exemption certificates in IDs (smart cards with biometric identifiers that will allow the poor or handicapped to make certain purchases tax free). This proposal suggests that (for example) instead of exempting all bread purchased for human consumption, California should exempt only bread purchased for human consumption by the poor, the disabled or other groups or classes of people that it deems entitled to an exemption because of their economic status. Bread purchased for human consumption by the general population would be taxed. The result is to expand the tax base. This is not an unheard of approach to structuring sales tax exemptions. Most of the exemptions in the Japanese Consumption Tax work this way; and South Carolina takes this approach to exemptions with its senior citizens. It is characteristic of sales tax systems designed in the 1930's to strive for "rough justice" in this area. In the 1930's we could not easily distinguish among taxpayers - we could not quickly and accurately sort the entitled from the un-entitled. As a result, the California decision was to benefit everyone. It did not need to be this way. Ten states approached the same problem and took a different road to "rough justice" - they tax all purchases of food for human consumption. In the 21st Century economy California can do better. If California decided to redefine the exemption for food and instead of granting a universal exemption to anyone who purchased food for human consumption, it determined that this exemption would only be available to that portion of the population living at or below the poverty level then an additional $5.748 billion would be collected.


Presents data on mutagenic, gonadotoxic, embryotoxic and teratogenic activities of phosphorus, fluorine and their derivatives. The investigations have revealed the mechanisms of these chemical substances toxic action on the genetic apparatus, reproductive organs, progeny. The problem is interesting and needs further investigations.


We present a formalism called addressed term rewriting systems, which can be used to model implementations of theorem proving, symbolic computation and programming languages, especially aspects of sharing, recursive computations and cyclic data structures. Addressed Term Rewriting Systems are therefore well suited to describing object-based languages, and as an example we present a language called $\lambda{\cal O}bj^{a}$, incorporating both functional and object-based features. As a case study in how reasoning about languages is supported in the ATRS formalism, we define a type system for $\lambda{\cal O}bj^{a}$ and prove a type soundness result.


Methods for analysing fish stomach contents are listed and critically assessed with a view to their suitability for determining dietary importance-this term is defined. Difficulties in the application of these methods are discussed and, where appropriate, alternative approaches proposed. Modifications which have practical value are also considered. The necessity of linking measurements of dietary importance to stomach capacity is emphasized and the effects of differential digestion upon interpretation of stomach contents outlined. The best measure of dietary importance is proposed as one where both the amount and bulk of a food category are recorded.


Interest in deep learning, machine learning, and artificial intelligence from industry and the general public has reached a fever pitch recently. However, these terms are frequently misused, confused, and conflated. This paper serves as a non-technical guide for those interested in a high-level understanding of these increasingly influential notions by exploring briefly the historical context of deep learning, its public presence, and growing concerns over the limitations of these techniques. As a first step, artificial intelligence and machine learning are defined. Next, an overview of the historical background of deep learning reveals its wide scope and deep roots. A case study of a major deep learning implementation is presented in order to analyze public perceptions shaped by companies focused on technology. Finally, a review of deep learning limitations illustrates systemic vulnerabilities and a growing sense of concern over these systems.


: Postoperative pain management in children has been subject to increasing interest during the last decade, but is still insufficient. A survey is presented concerning postoperative pain management in children. The value of monitoring the pain as well as the opioid side effects in children is stressed, and such methods are presented. Acute Pain Service is mentioned and the most important pharmacological aspects regarding non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, paracetamol, opioids and local anaesthetics are discussed. The management of postoperative pain in neonates is reviewed separately. It is concluded that the present insufficient management of postoperative pain in children is not due to the lack of methods and techniques, but rather to lack of sufficient utilization and comprehension of the possibilities. Moreover, pain management in children should be individualised. It is also necessary to be more aware of side effects of the pharmacological treatment.


Food intake in humans is guided by a variety of factors, which include physiological, cultural, economic and environmental influences. The sensory attributes of food itself play a prominent role in dietary behaviour, and the roles of visual, auditory, gustatory and tactile stimuli have been extensively researched. Other than in the context of flavour, however, olfaction has received comparatively little attention in the field of food acceptability. The investigation was designed to test the hypothesis that olfactory cues, in isolation of other sensory cues, play a functional role in food choice and acceptability. Empirical studies were conducted to investigate: the effects of exposure to food odours on hunger perception; the effects of exposure to food odours with both high and low hedonic ratings on food choice, consumption and acceptability; and the application of odour exposure in a restaurant environment. Results from these studies indicated that exposure to the food odours led to a conscious perception of a shift in hunger, the direction and magnitude of which was dependent on the hedonic response to the odour. Exposure to a food odour with a high hedonic rating prior to a meal significantly increased consumption and acceptability (p<0.05), and exposure to a food odour with a low hedonic rating had no significant effect (p>0.05). When applied to a restaurant environment, exposure to a food odour with a high hedonic rating significantly influenced food choice and acceptability (p<0.05). Subject and stimulus variables, contributing to the role of olfactory cues, were identified from the results, facilitating the development of a conceptual olfactory cueing model. The model demonstrates how a series of independent variables, relating to odour exposure, may lead to either an enhancement of dietary patterns or suppression of food intake. The application and implications of the model are discussed. As such this research establishes direct links between stimulus and response in an ecologically valid environment.


Over the past several decades the use of polymers in applications such as microelectronics fabrication and nanocomposite materials has steadily increased. In these applications polymer chains are often confined to length scales comparable to their size. While it is well known that these confining environments alter polymer properties, a generalized understanding of how different confining geometries alter polymer behavior has not been established. Here we investigate changes to polymer conformation and diffusion under cylindrical and planar confinement using a combination of computational and experimental techniques. Using molecular dynamics simulations of polymer melts, we systematically examine changes in the polymer radius of gyration, shape anisotropy, and entanglement network under geometric confinement for a range of polymer chain sizes and confinement lengths. We found that conformational changes in confined polymers follow similar trends in cylindrical and planar confinement, though changes are more pronounced in cylindrical confinement. Conversely, measurements of polymer diffusivity show distinctly different behavior in the two geometries, with diffusivity in planar confinement increasing continuously with increasing confinement while in cylindrical confinement polymer diffusion is nonmonotonic, initially increasing then decreasing. The results of these simulations are compared to experimental measurements of polymer diffusion in anodic aluminum oxide nanopores over a range of temperatures using elastic recoil detection (ERD). The ERD measurements indicate slower diffusion in confinement for all temperatures, with greater changes observed at higher temperatures. These results differ from the simulation measurements, most likely due to differences in the starting conditions of the systems (i.e., polymers starting inside the pore in simulations versus outside the pores in experiments). Finally, we used small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and dynamical theory analysis (DTA) to investigate polymer conformation under planar confinement using a unique confining template that enables measurements of polymer conformation in confined and unconfined directions simultaneously. While the DTA model could reproduce the scattering from an empty channel template, the polymer scattering was too weak to isolate from the overall scattering pattern using the current template design. Single component templates and contrast matched polymers are necessary to reduce the scattering contributions from the template and to better isolate polymer scattering. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Materials Science & Engineering First Advisor Karen I. Winey


A plasmonic frequency diplexer in a metal–insulator–metal waveguide at mid-infrared range is presented. The diplexer consists of two bandpass filters connected to a power splitter. A circuit-based model is used to successfully design the configuration. The effect of metal loss is carefully considered in our simulations. The performance of the designed diplexer is outstanding in terms of the frequency selectivity and loss. The proposed scheme is scalable in the infrared range and can also be used to realize frequency multiplexers.


Artificially evolving foraging behavior in simulated legged animals has proved to be a notoriously difficult task. Here, we co-evolve the morphology and controller for virtual organisms in a three-dimensional physically realistic environment to produce goal-directed legged locomotion. We show that following and reaching multiple food sources can evolve de novo, by evaluating each organism on multiple food sources placed on a basic pattern that is gradually randomized across generations. We devised a strategy of evolutionary "staging", where the best organism from a set of evolutionary experiments using a particular fitness function is used to seed a new set, with a fitness function that is progressively altered to better challenge organisms as evolution improves them. We find that an organism's efficiency at reaching the first food source does not predict its ability at finding subsequent ones because foraging efficiency crucially depends on the position of the last food source reached, an effect illustrated by "foraging maps" that capture the organism's controller state, body position, and orientation. Our best evolved foragers are able to reach multiple food sources over 90% of the time on average, a behavior that is key to any biologically realistic simulation where a self-sustaining population has to survive by collecting food sources in three-dimensional, physical environments.


UNLABELLED
Total of 3 water-soluble quaternary-based chitin/chitosan derivatives, which have an identical molecular weight and anion, were synthesized and characterized. Their antibacterial activities against Salmonella cholerae-suis and Bacillus subtilis were evaluated in vitro. The polysaccharides exhibited the antibacterial efficiency. Their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values vary from 0.02 to 20.48 mg/mL, and their minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values vary from 0.08 to 40.96 mg/mL against S. cholerae-suis and B. subtilis, respectively. Futhermore, the extent of Bacillus subtilis cells damage was examined via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to show how N,N,N-trimethylchitosan (TMC) gradually destroyed and killed B. subtilis cells when they were treated with TMC. One of those quaternary polymers, O-([2-hydroxy-3-trimethylammonium])propyl chitin (OHT-chitin), which can be directly and easily synthesized from chitin in bulk quantities, also was demonstrated its antibacterial activity. These water soluble quaternary-based chitin/chitosan derivatives that have antibacterial effect should be potentially used as antimicrobial agents in many fields.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION
The main practical application behind the investigation and evaluation antibacterial activity of 3 water-soluble quaternary-based chitin/chitosan derivatives could be potentially used as antimicrobial agents in many fields. These polysaccharides represent a renewable source of natural biodegradable polymers and meet with the emergence of more and more food safe problems.


This project is concerned with the development of software to invert seismic reflection data for acoustic impedance, with application to the YY-reservoir area in Gialo Field, Sirte Basin. The problem was that of inverting post-stack seismic reflection data from two seismic lines into impedance profiles. The main input to the inversion process is an initial guess, or initial earth model, of the impedance profile defined in terms of parameters. These parameters describe the impedance and the geometry of the number of layers that constitute the earth model. Additionally, an initial guess is needed for the seismic wavelet, defined in the frequency domain using nine parameters. The inversion is an optimisation problem subject to constraints. The optimisation problem is that of minimising the error energy function defined by the sum of squares of the residuals between the observed seismic trace and its prediction by the forward model for the given earth model parameters. To determine the solution we use the method of generalised linear inverses. The generalised inverse is possible only when the Hessian matrix, which describe the curvature of error energy surface, is positive definite. When the Hessian is not definite, it is necessary to modify it to obtain the nearest positive definite matrix. To modify the Hessian we used a method based on the Cholesky factorisation. Because the modified Hessian is positive definite, we need to find the generalised inverse only once. But we may need to restrict the step-length to obtain the minimum. Such a method is a step-length based method. A step-length based method was implemented using linear equality and inequality constraints into a computer program to invert the observed seismic data for impedance. The linear equality and inequality constraints were used so that solutions that are geologically feasible and numerically stable are obtained. The strategy for the real data inversion was to first estimate the seismic wavelet at the well, then optimise the wavelet parameters. Then use the optimum wavelet to invert for impedance and layer boundaries in the seismic traces. In the three real data examples studied, this inversion scheme proved that the delineation of the Chadra sands in Gialo Field is possible. Better results could be obtained by using initial earth models that properly parameterise the subsurface, and linear constraints that are based on well data. Defining the wavelet parameters in the time domain may prove to be more stable and could lead to better inversion results.


Reports of antimony speciation analysis in biological matrices are so far limited. More specifically, only inorganic antimony (V) and antimony (III), mono-, di- and tri-methylantimony species, along with four complexes of SbV with lactate and citrate ligands, and two complexes of SbIII with glutathione have been so far identified. The limited progress may partly be attributed to the lack of suitable analytical methodologies. The main problems and challenges faced are (1) to achieve quantitative Sb extraction from solid biological materials, (2) species instability and their preservation during sample processing and analysis, (3) low chromatographic recovery of Sb from chromatographic columns with increased potential for species conversion when using stronger eluting mobile phases, and (4) trace level Sb species present at too low concentrations for molecular mass spectrometric identification. In the present article the hitherto used analytical methods and techniques are reviewed, with emphasis on identifying their main limitations, as well as highlighting recent breakthroughs. Re-assessing some of our current practises seems appropriate if we want to further advance the Sb speciation field, especially concerning the identification of Sb-complexes. Because of the generally low extractability, future antimony speciation studies may have to also rely on solid state analytical methods. In the case of sufficient extractability further advances in new separation methods are urgently required in order to achieve high column recoveries and maintain intact Sb species for further detection.


We study structure formation in non-minimally coupled dark energy models, where there is a coupling in the Lagrangian between a quintessence scalar field and gravity via the Ricci scalar. We consider models with a range of different non-minimal coupling strengths and compare these to minimally coupled quintessence models with time-dependent dark energy densities. The equations of state of the latter are tuned to either reproduce the equation of state of the non-minimally coupled models or their background history. Thereby they provide a reference to study the unique imprints of coupling on structure formation. We show that the coupling between gravity and the scalar field, which effectively results in a time-varying gravitational constant G, is not negligible and its effect can be distinguished from a minimally coupled model. We extend previous work on this subject by showing that major differences appear in the determination of the mass function at high masses, where we observe differences of the order of 40 per cent at z = 0. Our new results concern effects on the non-linear matter power spectrum and on the lensing signal (differences of ≈10 per cent for both quantities), where we find that non-minimally coupled models could be distinguished from minimally coupled ones.


Coordinate measuring machines are widely used in the precision measurement of manufacturing workpieces. However, the nature of a point-by-point probing characteristic limits their efficiency in the measurement of complex parts, which normally requires dense sampling points for fully evaluating machining errors with high fidelity. To address this problem, this article proposes a generative model-driven sampling strategy to reduce the number of sampling points while preserving the measurement accuracy. Specifically, the reconstruction of surface errors with sparse sampling is transformed as a point cloud super-resolution task, which constructs a generative model to estimate accurate dense results from sparse sampled data. A multiscale neural network architecture is designed to achieve reconstruction, and the fractional Brownian motion is applied to simulate machining errors and synthesize a large-scale dataset for model training. The generalized neural model can then utilize sparse measurements to reconstruct global machining errors, which dramatically reduces the sampling time and increases measurement efficiency. Both computer simulations and actual measurements are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.


We analyze the association between self-reported arthritis and mortality in the U.S. elderly disabled and non-disabled individuals using unique disability-focused data from the large-scale population-based National Long Term Care Survey. Males and females who reported arthritis/rheumatism have about 20% smaller risks of death than those who did not report those conditions. This inverse relationship is even more pronounced in disabled individuals. For females, this effect is age insensitive, while for males it is limited to ages below 85. Demographic and 19 major geriatric conditions have trivial effect on these risks supporting the view that a better survival of diseased individuals can be attributed to the effects of medical treatment. Given the widespread prevalence of arthritis/rheumatism and disability in elderly populations in the world and the increasing population of the elderly, these findings call for comprehensive analyzes of factors driving better survival and medical costs associated with


The transition to a democratic system in Afghanistan and Pakistan has not silenced ethnic and religious tensions. The paper argues that sub-national identities in both countries have been politicized as a result of the unequal access to political power and economic resources and of foreign interference. While attempts to foster national cohesion by reference to a common religion may backfire, as the Pakistani case illustrates, more needs to be done to involve all elements of civil society, irrespective of their sub-national belonging, in the state-building process, to promote freedom of expression and purge textbooks from ethnoor religious-centric narratives.


Cheetahs and other apex predators are threatened by human-wildlife conflict and habitat degradation. Bush encroachment creates one of the biggest forms of habitat change, thus it is important to understand the impact this has on habitat use. We investigated habitat preferences of five male cheetahs in Namibian farmlands degraded by bush encroachment. Cheetahs were tracked using satellite based Global System for Mobile (GSM) collars providing a higher resolution on ranging behavior. We aimed to investigate: 1) habitat characteristics; 2) evidence for habitat selection; 3) temporal activity partitioning; and 4) whether revisits to locations were related to habitat type. There were differences in habitat characteristics, showing that cheetahs were able to utilise different habitats. Fecal pellet counts revealed that warthog, oryx, scrub hare and kudu were most abundant. The cheetahs spent more time in high visibility shrubland, suggesting they selected rewarding patches within predominantly bush-encroached landscapes. The usage in marginal habitat was strikingly influenced by habitat type, with both previously cleared and open vegetated areas showing high proportions in edge use. Individuals exhibited significant temporal activity partitioning, showing peaks between late afternoon and early morning hours. This finding could be key to managing human-wildlife conflict by showing that increased protection such as the use of herders and livestock guarding dogs should be used as mitigation methods to minimize the impact of cheetah specific temporal patterns at all times as defined in this research. Visits to the same locations were not correlated to habitat type; revisits may be dictated by other reasons such as social interaction, prey density or avoidance of other predators. Findings from this study will help build existing knowledge on the effects bush encroachment has on cheetah habitat preference.


In this article we apply age-standardization methods to the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) and the National Crime Survey (NCS) to determine whether the drop in the nation's Crime Rate from 1980 to 1988 (the Reagan period) is due to changes in the age structure of the population. Our major findings are that the age-adjusted Crime Index increases 7% in the UCR but declines 7% in the NCS. This contrasts to a 4% drop in the crude UCR index rate and 17% drop in the crude NCS index rate. Overall, the age adjustment explains the entire drop (100% +) in the reported or crude index rate in the UCR and about 60% of the drop in the NCS. When examined over a longer period — 1976 to 1988 — the UCR shows rates that, fluctuate but tend to rise overall, whereas the NCS shows fairly stable or slightly declining rates. The crime-fighting stance of the Reagan years which emphasized stricter enforcement and greater sanction threat (aimed mainly at street crime and drug trafficking) dramatically increased rates of imprisonment. But no discernible reduction in crime rates occurred, suggesting that no law enforcement strategy can be confidently recommended as a remedy to the nation's crime problem.


This paper describes the conceptual framework of the Latitudinal Gradient Project that is being implemented by the New Zealand, Italian and United States Antarctic programmes along Victoria Land, Antarctica, from 72°S to 86°S. The purpose of this interdisciplinary research project is to assess the dynamics and coupling of marine and terrestrial ecosystems in relation to global climate variability. Preliminary data about the research cruises from the R/V "Italica" and R/V "Tangaroa" along the Victoria Land Coast in 2004 are presented. As a global climate barometer, this research along Victoria Land provides a unique framework for assessing latitudinal shifts in 'sentinel' environmental transition zones, where climate changes have an amplified impact on the phases of water.


ABSTRACT Digital platforms are under public scrutiny and face a negotiation process regarding their social responsibility. In this institutional discourse about moral responsibilities, corporate actors aim at defending the legitimacy of digital platforms. This study conceptualizes strategic communication as a means for conveying conformity to legitimacy expectations, to shape legitimacy judgments, and to discursively conduct institutional work. A critical discourse analysis of Zuckerberg's testimony before the European Parliament finds that pragmatic, moral, and cognitive legitimacy is signaled through corporate ability, responsibility, and conformity narratives, respectively. Moreover, Zuckerberg's techno-libertarian talk advocates Silicon Valley ideology through utility narratives of artificial intelligence. Thus, Zuckerberg conducts institutional work as an institutional entrepreneur whose strategic communication seeks to manipulate views as well as institutions.