In Rio de Janeiro more people are choosing for individual transport and this results in a decrease in bus passengers and other negative consequences. To let the passengers choose for the bus, IFluxo is developing a service which gives the potential bus passenger information via text message about the departure time of a bus of interest. Three important aspect in this project are:
1) Stakeholder demands and wishes
2) Software for the text message service
3) Estimating the time of arrival of the buses
In this thesis the first and third aspect are viewed. Demands for the public transport operator and the potential passenger have to be matched and the input of one influence the output of the other en the other way around.
The estimation of the arrival time of buses in Rio de Janeiro consists of two parts, the continuous prediction and the incidental prediction. This thesis will start with the analysis of the incidental prediction.
The objective of this research is to develop a table for all possible incidents during bus rides, whereby the table is quantified in order to determine the nature of the incident and as a result of that estimate a reliable time of arrival.
In this thesis the events on a bus ride are viewed, as well visual as with a GPS Travel Recorder. Incidents and irregularities are tried to be recognized and attempted to be distinguished in the data and the influence on the travel time is examined.
Result of the literature research where as follows. One can say that there is done a lot of research on the subject of predicting arrival times, but every research uses other types of data collecting and most researches have their focus on the continuous part of travel time prediction and not on the incidental part. In this thesis, because of the lack of a big GPS database, the focus will be on the change in the arrival time caused by incidents, but as well caused by irregularities. Herby, incidents are non-recurring and irregularities are recurring traffic events.
To recognize the irregularities and incidents in the GPS data and to give the delay caused by them first, all travel times of the different bus lines (2 lines, 2 directions) had to be matched to the same Points of Interest (PoI) which are in this case bus stops. This is called map-matching and this is done in combination with the nearest neighbourhood method. This method chooses the nearest point to the PoI and allocates this point to the PoI. Finally, this will result in average sections times between the points of interest.
Results of the analysis of recognizing the irregularities and incidents in the GPS data, separated from the visual data are negative. It is impossible to recognize the irregularities or incidents in the GPS data, because first, one incident / irregularity has the same characteristics as another incident / irregularity. Second, the incident / irregularity has within the incident / irregularity different characteristics.
Because incidents and irregularities can not be distinguished in the GPS data, the delays are predicted using both, GPS data and visual data. Only (1) 'a lot of passengers getting in or out the bus', (2) 'road maintenance' and (3) 'congestion' occurred. Incident (1) always occurs in the same section, incident time (time difference with the average section time) is small and fluctuations are minimal. This incident can be included in the continuous prediction. Incident (2) sometimes occurs in the same section, incident time is short and fluctuations are minimal. This can be included in the continuous prediction. However, there are times, appearing in the data, that road maintenance not occur in the same sections and incident times are big, varying from one to two minutes. Incident (3) always occurs in the same section, but incident time is big and is fluctuating from one minute to 7,5 minutes.
Because only three kinds of incident occur in the data an interview is held. This interview gives more insights in the procedures, number of occurrence and incident times of the other incidents. All irregularities can be taken within the continuous prediction. When more data is available the incidents can maybe distinguished and the delay can be predicted, but in this stage it is not possible.


This paper analyses how the risk-sharing capacity of the financial system varies over the business cycle, leading to procyclical fragility. We show how financial imperfections contribute to underinsurance by entrepreneurs, generating an externality that leads to the build-up of systematic risk during upturns. Increased asset price uncertainty emerges as a symptom of the sectoral concentration that builds up during booms. The liquidity of the collateral asset is shown to play a key role in amplifying the financial cycle. The welfare costs of financial stability, in terms of the efficiency costs due to financial frictions and the volatility costs due to amplification, are also illustrated.


Cell-free extracts of Ureaplasma urealyticum strains Pi and T960 (CX8) (serovars 6 and 8, respectively) metabolized inorganic pyrophosphate (PP,). The inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPase) activity was greatest with Mg2+ as cofactor, but MnZ+ acted as a poor substitute. The PPases of the two serovars differed electrophoretically. Although the highest PPase activity was obtained using PP, as substrate, the enzyme could also utilize to a lesser degree both tripolyphosphate and trimetaphosphate. No activity was observed against P-glycerophosphate, naphthyl phosphates, glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, thiamin pyrophosphate, phosphoribosylpyrophosphate, ADP or ATP. Acidand alkalinephosphatase activities were observed with naphthyl phosphates as substrates, but they did not have the same electrophoretic mobility on gels as the PPase activity. U . urealyticum PPase was in hi bi ted by oxidized glutat hione, 1 -e t hyl-3-( 3-dimet hylaminopropyl)carbodiimide, p henylglyoxal, p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, Mn2+, Zn2+ and Ca2+. Neither reduced glutathione, Lcysteine nor Co2+ enhanced activity. PP, can act as a substrate or regulator of certain metabolic reactions, and PP, metabolism can function in bacterial bioenergetics; its role in ureaplasmas is presently unclear.


We present a new statistical method for associating earthquakes with their source faults in the Southern California Earthquake Center's 3D Community Fault Models (CFMs; Plesch et al., 2007) in near‐real time and for historical earthquakes. The method uses the hypocenter location, focal mechanism orientation, and earthquake sequencing to produce the probabilities of association between a given earthquake and each fault in the CFM as well as the probability that the event occurred on a fault not represented in the CFM. We used a set of known likely associations (the Known Likely Sets) as training or testing data and demonstrated that our models perform effectively on these examples and should be expected to perform well on other earthquakes with similar characteristics including the full catalog of southern California earthquakes (Hauksson et al., 2012). To produce near‐real‐time associations for future earthquakes, the models have been implemented as an R script and connected to the Southern California Seismic Network data processing system operated by the California Institute of Technology and the U.S. Geological Survey to automatically produce fault associations for earthquakes of M ≥ 3.0 as they occur. To produce historical associations, we apply the method to the most recent CFM version (v.5.2), yielding modeled historical associations for all events of M ≥ 3.0 in the catalog of southern California earthquakes from 1981 to 2016. More than 80% of these events and 99% of moment within the geography covered by the CFM had a primary association with a CFM fault. The models can help identify clusters of small earthquakes that indicate the onset of activity associated with major faults. The method will also assist in communicating objective information about the faults that source earthquakes to the scientific community and general public. In the event of a damaging southern California earthquake, the near‐real‐time association will provide valuable information regarding the similarity of the current event to forecast scenarios, potentially aiding in earthquake response.


: An operation for the repair of prominent ears is presented that includes the best features of the cartilage incision and cartilage suturing techniques. By using the best of several procedures, an operation has been developed which gives consistent, reproducible results in the treatment of prominent ears; and which is easily adaptable for children.


Interstitial nitrides and carbides of early transition metals in groups IV-VI exhibit platinum-like electronic structures, which make them promising candidates to replace noble metals in various catalytic reactions. Herein, we present the preparation and characterization of nano-sized transition metal nitries and carbides of groups IV-VI (Ti, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, and W) using mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (mpg-C3N4), which not only provides confined spaces for restricting primary particle size but also acts as a chemical source of nitrogen and carbon. We studied the reactivity of the metals with the template under N2 flow at 1023 K while keeping the weight ratio of metal to template constant at unity. The produced nanoparticles were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, CHN elemental analysis, nitrogen sorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The results show that Ti, V, Nb, Ta, and Cr form nitride phases with face centered cubic structure, whereas Mo and W forme carbides with hexagonal structures. The tendency to form nitride or carbide obeys the free formation energy of the transition metal nitrides and carbides. This method offers the potential to prepare the desired size, shape and phase of transition


Historically, in the majority of judicial systems, the protection of trademarks with reputation differs from the protection of normal trademarks. It is widely recognised that reputed trademarks have an "added value" deserving wider protection. The contribution analyses the evolution of the protection of trademarks with reputation in the European Union legislation and the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The First Directive strengthened the protection of trademarks with reputation both in the field of registration and in the field of infringement. Article 5(2) of the TMD leaves to Member States the possibility to protect well-known trademarks against dilution. Third parties can be prevented by the proprietor of the trademark with reputation from using signs identical or similar to this trademark. The use must take place in the course of trade, the products or services with which it is related should be similar to those for which the trademark is registered and it must take unfair advantage of the distinctiveness of the trademark or be detrimental to it. Considering the internet features, its availability worldwide and the growing number of users, it is evident that is essential for a trademark to expand its reputation and monitor if it is used by third parties that can damage its reputation or take advance of it. The protection of reputed trademarks on the internet is very discussed and problematic. Many actions have been brought for trademark infringement by the use of similar or identical signs ad keywords in search engines. The ECJ tried to order and clarify the application of EU legislation to these particular cases (Vuitton v Google, L'Oreal v Ebay and Interflora v Marks and Spencer).


PURPOSE
To report clinical experience with an implantable capsule for treating endobronchial carcinoma by means of bronchoscopic insertion and retrieval.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The capsule consists of a plastic cylinder containing high-activity iodine-125 seeds and four restraining legs. Twelve patients with recurrent (n = 11) or inoperable carcinoma (n = 1) received a median dose of 4,500 (range, 2,633-6,299) cGy at a 1-cm radius from the center of the implant.

RESULTS
No acute toxicities were observed. Five patients had complete regression of the endobronchial tumor, evidenced at bronchoscopy 2 months after therapy, and four patients had partial regression. Three patients failed to return for bronchoscopy. Symptomatic relief was achieved in eight of 10 patients with dyspnea, four of nine with cough, and two of three with hemoptysis. The median survival of the 12 patients was 6 months. The actuarial 1-year survival rate was 25%.

CONCLUSION
This capsule is safe and efficacious in treating recurrent or inoperable carcinoma of the lung.


Inequality between men and women in Latin America persists in everything from wages to health care, education, and access to credit. Based on studies for an IDB-sponsored forum in Guadalajara, Mexico, this book examines the respective roles of men and women in development. Prevailing social policies in the region often view men as income earners and women as wives and mothers, neglecting the role of women in the work force and as community leaders. Based on the central tenet that understanding gender differences is vital to development planning, this book focuses on the status of women in social policy, the labor force, the political process, and the environment. It also examines how the concept of gender equity could be better incorporated into mainstream development policy.


A Fe3O4 based magnetic fluid with different concentrations ranged between 0.15 ng/cell to 10 ng/cell (nano gram/cell) was used in the in vitro toxicity test on several cancer cell lines, Sarcoma 180, HeLa and H358. It shows that the fluid with a concentration of Fe 3O4 below 1.2 ng/cell is completely non-toxic for these cell lines. Even through in the presence of the highest concentration of 10 ng/cell, the cell viability still reaches more than 60%. The magnetic fluid with Fe3O4 concentration of about 0.1 ng/cell was also used to search ex-vivo the possibility of Sarcoma 180 extermination by magnetic heating with an AC field of 120Oe and 184 KHz. The result shows that after a heat treatment for 30 min., 40% of Sarcoma 180 cells was killed. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd. Author Keywords: Cancer treatment; Hyperthermia; Magnetic fluid


In Western countries, entry into the labour market is difficult for humanitarian migrants, especially women. The aim of our study was to examine the association of health, native Finnish friends and having under school-age children with employment among humanitarian migrants. The data were drawn from the Finnish Migrant Health and Wellbeing Study. The sample comprised 479 migrants of Kurdish and Somali origin (men n=248; women n=231). We analysed the associations of self-rated health, having Finnish friends and under school age children with employment using multinomial regression modelling. After adjustment for several well-established determinants of employment, having Finnish friends and good health were robustly associated with employment among women. In the age-adjusted model, having 3–6 years old children was related to lower employment among women, but after all adjustments, the association became nonsignificant. All these associations were nonsignificant among male migrants. To conclude, good health and bridging social relations with natives play a role in strengthening employment opportunities among female humanitarian migrants.


Introduction It is now 30 years since Professor N. H. Winchell first discussed the history of Saint Anthony falls and 20 years since his final description of "The Recession of the Falls of Saint Anthony" was published. 2 The conclusions which he then reached have stood without revision or notable modification to this time. Both his description of the sharply defined gorge in which the Mississippi river runs from the falls at Minneapolis to near its junction with the Minnesota river and his interpretation of the gorge as the work of the gradually receding waterfall appear to have been generally accepted as final. The Saint Anthony gorge stands therefore today with that of Niagara falls, as one of the great geological timepieces by which the duration of time since the Glacial period may be calculated. The gradual recession of Saint Anthony falls for the distance of about 8 miles in about . . .


A block-level placement and routing scheme called Fishbone is presented. The routing uses a two-layer spine topology. The pin locations are configurable and restricted to certain routing grids in order to ensure full routability and precise predictability. With this scheme, exact net topologies are determined by pin positions only; hence during block placement, net parameters such as wire length (and delay) can be derived directly. The construction of Fishbone nets is much faster than for Steiner trees; this enables the integration of block placement and routing; there is no separate routing stage.


This paper proposes an advanced energy management system (EMS) for a stand-alone hybrid energy system. The considered hybrid system includes a photovoltaic panel, a fuel cell, an electrolyzer and a battery bank. The EMS aims to optimize the utilization cost of the hybrid power system and to improve its energy balance with the elimination of any energy deficit.The hybrid power system has been tested by simulation using models implemented in Matlab/Simulink software. The simulation is performed over a long period of time in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the management strategy. The simulation results confirm the efficiency of the proposed control strategy, as it increases the reliability of the system and improves its energy balance.


My research comprises a study focused on Artistic Dress circa 1848-1900, presenting a roughly chronological survey that seeks to further our knowledge on its development, varied manifestations, and influence, both during its time and on subsequent fashion trends. While Artistic Dress is a category that is acknowledged in the current literature on fashion history, it has had limited and at times conflicting treatment. It is most often employed to describe sartorial codes in which significant arts practitioners and patrons—particularly those associated with Pre-Raphaelitism, the Arts and Crafts Movement, Aestheticism, and Art Nouveau—wore (and at times designed and promoted) clothes that were frequently labelled in contemporary literature as 'artistic' or 'aesthetic'. These descriptors designated such clothing to be of a unique and creative calibre, but also outside the norm. As such, it has been a subject of interest for art and fashion historians, but usually only approached marginally within the scope of larger studies on related artistic movements, or within studies of larger fashion histories on nineteenth century dress and/or Dress Reform.

This thesis offers a closer examination of Artistic Dress than has previously been undertaken. The methodology for this research was to compile a history of the phenomenon of Artistic Dress derived from relevant primary source material, including (where possible) actual clothing, images (photographs and paintings), and text (correspondence, memoirs, and periodicals) related to selected 'artistic dressers.' Through this, I hope to identify whether there are in fact differences in the aforementioned related terms, and whether we might be able to position Artistic Dress as an umbrella term that is the most appropriate classification for the alternative sartorial trends found in artistic circles in Victorian Britain, offering a solution to this terminological quandary in dress history. It is hoped that in clarifying this term, other styles such as Aesthetic Dress and Reform Dress—and their relation to artistic practice—may be better understood. In this way, it is intended that this research will enrich the body of knowledge in the areas of both the History of Fashion, and of British Visual Culture.


Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a very important clinical imaging tool. It combines different fields of physics and engineering in a uniquely complex way. MRI is also surprisingly versatile, 'pulse sequences' can be designed to yield many different types of contrast. This versatility is unique to MRI. This short book gives both an in depth account of the methods used for the operation and construction of modern MRI systems and also the principles of sequence design and many examples of applications. An important additional feature of this book is the detailed discussion of the mathematical principles used in building optimal MRI systems and for sequence design. The mathematical discussion is very suitable for undergraduates attending medical physics courses. It is also more complete than usually found in alternative books for physical scientists or more clinically orientated works.


OBJECTIVES
The present study was conducted to assess the awareness and attitude regarding prenatal sex determination and Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic techniques Act among pregnant women.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A cross sectional study was carried at tertiary care teaching hospitals of Kasturba Medical College in Mangalore, India among 132 pregnant women. Data was collected using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire and was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences(SPSS) version 11.5 and results were expressed in percentages.

RESULTS
The study included 132 participants and the mean age of study subjects was around 27 y. Majority of the study subjects (91.7%) knew that prenatal sex determination was possible. Three fourth (74.4%) of the participants prenatal sex determination was a punishable offence. One of the participants was ready to terminate pregnancy if sex of the fetus was revealed to be female before second trimester. Majority of participants (67.4%) were willing to educate people about PCPNDT act and motivate them against sex determination and sex selective abortions.

CONCLUSION
Our study showed that higher proportion of participants knew about the prenatal sex determination and it was a punishable offence, still majority of them preferred to know the sex of unborn child which shows the need to implement the act effectively.


In this article, the author contributes to the growing body of scholarship on critical mathematics pedagogy. In particular, the author advances this scholarship by outlining how critical pedagogy in the mathematics classroom can support students to engage in transformational resistance. Using a critical practitioner research approach, the author retells (some of) her experiences as a high school mathematics teacher of ninth-grade Latin@ students in an Algebra I classroom. Beginning the course with activities to build a beloved community and connecting mathematics with social justice issues, the author strived to facilitate a learning space that supported transformational resistance. Through a culminating youth participatory action research project, students developed a critique of societal oppression, a motivation for social justice, and critical mathematical literacy.


Until the present day the majority of medical schools continue to train students to make great diagnoses and save lives. But the reality remains that we must take care, much more than heal. Improve as much as possible the quality of life for patients until they die, instead of trying to save them at any cost. On January 14 last year, the Institute of Medicine Professor Fernando Figueira began its activities in the palliative care ward. In little over a month, we received 16 medical students of the Faculty of Health Pernambuco. They remain on the ward for 2 weeks. During this period, they have contact with patients with advanced cancer and learn how to treat pain and other symptoms, in addition to communication skills in situations of risk. Working in interdisciplinary teams is also experienced. Upon being asked to give feedback to the end of this stage mandatory, the majority reported that despite feeling anxious at dealing with the proximity of death, they thought they had learned important skills to alleviate the suffering of people and especially the real meaning of care palliative are. That cannot heal; it is not the same thing cannot do anything. And that having an incurable disease that does not mean you will die soon after knowing this. Therefore, realized the importance of caring for these patients throughout the time they need.


Experiences that do not fit squarely into known categories pose a challenge to notions of organizational learning that rely primarily on scientific or experiential approaches. Making sense of, responding to, and learning from such unusual experiences requires reflection and novel action by organizational actors. We argue that narrative development processes make this organizational learning possible. By developing narratives, organizational actors create situated understandings of unusual experiences, negotiate consensual meanings, and engage in coordinated actions. Through the accumulation of narratives about unusual experiences, an organization builds a memory with generative qualities. Specifically, through narratives, actors evoke memories of prior unusual experiences and how they were dealt with, and this generates new options for dealing with emerging unusual experiences. We outline a framework detailing how narrative development processes enable organizational learning from unusual experiences and conclude by summarizing how this approach differs from and yet builds upon scientific and experiential approaches to learning.


This is a pioneering study on total accrual reversals, i.e. long-term reversals and their role in company performance in an emerging market. This study observes the impact of total accrual reversals on company performance more exclusively. The sample consists of 100 non-financial companies listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSE). The purpose is to examine the role of long-term reversals in the performance of companies by observing the impact of total accrual reversals for the current period as well as the previous period on the earnings as it is used as a proxy for company performance. The Pooled OLS Robust method with Driscoll-Kraay standard errors is used. The result indicates that total accrual reversals of the previous and current period affect the earnings of companies positively. This result rejects the perception that accrual reversal does not predict the earnings in the long-term perspective. The study concludes that the role of reversals of total accruals in the performance of companies is positive, which is beneficial for growing companies in an emerging market. Hence, companies should increase the total accrual reversals to enhance their performance and attract foreign investors.


The responses of oribatid communities to heavy metal contamination were studied. Concentration of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc in oribatid species along Ismailia water canal, Egypt was measured. Metal levels observed in both soil and irrigation water was compared with standard values of FAO and established permissible levels reported by different authors. Mean concentration of heavy metals determined in irrigation water were much above the recommended levels. Concentrations of all the metals (mg kg−1 dry weight) in the studied agricultural soil were below the permissible level standard. The comparison of mean concentrations of heavy metal in examined soil with that of typical uncontaminated soil in this area revealed that Ismailia water canal using in irrigation of agricultural soil has increased the levels of heavy metals. All studied oribatid species appeared to be accumulator's different amount of heavy metals characterized by the highest bioconcentration factors. The results of the study show that the abundance and structure of the soil oribatid communities in the sampling locations were not influenced by levels of heavy metals in the soil. They also show that the diversity index can be valuable tools for assessing the impact of pollutants on different species of oribatid mites.


Glaucoma secondary to penetrating keratoplasty can be challenging and multiple surgeries may be needed to control the intraocular pressure (IOP), including the use of glaucoma drainage implants. However, late failure of these drainage implant surgery is common, mostly because of excessive scarring or bleb encapsulation which may require further surgical intervention. We present a case of a young patient referred for advanced glaucoma secondary to penetrating keratoplasty and chronic uveitis. He presented with elevated IOP under maximal therapy, already with 2 failed trabeculectomies and a nonfunctional Ahmed Valve. As no bleb was seen overlying the plate of the valve, an exploratory surgical revision was scheduled. The cause for defective aqueous humour drainage was identified as a fibrovascular ingrowth into the valve's plate slit. We proceeded with removal of this membrane, as well as confirmation of patency with trypan blue and application of mitomycin C to prevent recurrence of the fibrous ingrowth. With a 6 month follow-up, a diffuse bleb exists over the plate, with IOP values within the target values for this patient (<16 mm Hg). This exploratory procedure identified an unusual cause for drainage device failure, as well as reporting its management without explanting the device.


Abstract The study presents an edition of a previously unknown manuscript by Vojta Náprstek from 1847, the original of which is deposited in the Vienna University Archive. It is a detailed description of Náprstek's arrest and stay in custody in the year 1847; during his second year studying law in Vienna. This is an authentic testimony of Vojta Náprstek that he wrote as a defence after the police had warned the university about the incident. The document represents one of a few pieces of proof of Náprstek's first clashes with the Austrian police. At the same time it allows a new, more sober interpretation of this event, than the one that used to be presented especially in older litetarure.


There is a need to develop new and innovative polymer carriers to be used as drug delivery systems and/or imaging agents owing to the fact that there is no universal polymeric system that can be used in the treatment of all diseases. Additionally, limitations with existing systems, such as a lack of biodegradability and biocompatibility, inevitably lead to side effects and poor patient compliance. New polymer therapeutics based on amino acids are excellent candidates for drug delivery, as they do not suffer from these limitations. This article reports on a simple yet powerful methodology for the synthesis of 3-arm star-shaped polyglutamic acid with well-defined structures, precise molecular weights (MW), and low polydispersity (Đ = <1.3). These were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCA) in a divergent method from novel multifunctional initiators. Herein, their exhaustive physicochemical characterization is presented. Furthermore, preliminary in vitro evaluation in selected cell models, and exhaustive in vivo biodistribution and pharmacokinetics, highlighted the advantages of these branched systems when compared with their linear counterparts in terms of cell uptake enhancement and prolonged plasma half-life.


UNLABELLED: ANTECEDENT: Through sphygmokynetocardiography (SKCG) an exploratory method that records an electrocardiographic signal, a carotid pulse (CP), and two vibriograms (kinetocardiograms) of the left ventricle (LV) recorded in the left hemithorax (anterior kinetocardiogram, AKC) and the subcostal region of left abdomen (posterior kinetocardiogram of PKC, vibrations transmitted through the hemidiaphragm) we observed a systolic precocious reflection wave (Rw) in the CP and prolongation of LV ejection time (LVET) measured in AKC or in PKC of the previous sinusal pre-extrasystolic beat (PEB) vs control beats (CB) in cases with ventricular extrasystoles (VEs). OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate whether the intervals just mentioned are associated with ventricular extrasystoles. METHOD: Sixty cases: 30 with VEs, group A, and 30 without arrhythmia, group B, were studied through SKCG. The LVET and the arterial reflection index or ARI = Ta-rw/LEVT, Ta-rw = time between initial ventricular impulse to reflexive wave, were measured. RESULTS: Demography was similar in both groups. PEB had a longer LVET than the CB (291 +/- 41 vs 279 +/- 39, p < 0.01) and ARI was shorter (0.36 +/- 0.17 vs 0.58 +/- 0.21, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: 1) Distention of the LV due to Rw, possibly through the well-known experimental mechanism of electromechanic feedback, is believed to underlie the arrhythmia. 2) The observation has important clinical implications.


Background & Aims : Nursing Services is one of the most important areas that impact on patient satisfaction. Organizations use different methods to improve the quality of care and enhance the patient's satisfaction. One of them is the system of clinical governance. In this study, the researcher evaluated the impact of implementing the clinical governance system for enhancing the patient's satisfaction with nursing care. Material & Methods : This descriptive study was conducted at two hospitals on Fars province, Iran. Totally, 600 patients were selected by convenience sampling during 3 stages (prior to the implementation of clinical governances, 6 months and 1 year after the implementation). Data were collected using questionnaire of satisfaction with nursing care quality. Data analyzed with One- way ANOVA, Tucky HSD post-hoc test, the independent t-test and chi-square test using SPSS software v15. Results : The results show that the average satisfaction score of nursing care was not significantly different between baseline and 6 month after implementing clinical governance but the score one year after implementing clinical governance was significantly different from the baseline (p<0.05). Conclusion : It seems that implementing clinical governance was effective in patients' satisfaction with nursing care. Implementing these programs is depended on spending a lot of time and money, involvement of employees and valuing the program by senior managers. Therefore, in order to manage the integrity and quality improvement, it's better that all employees have taken an active role in these programs.


An advance decision to refuse treatment made by a man with motor neurone disease, who communicated only through eye movements, is valid and his life can "peacefully end," a judge has ruled at the Court of Protection in London.

Mrs Justice Theis said she was "entirely satisfied" that he had the capacity to take the decision after hearing evidence from doctors, carers, and the man's wife.

His wife had downloaded an advance decision template from the internet, and the document was read to him last November in the presence of a doctor, his wife, and …


Objective - To determine how second generation pericardial valves perform in patients with small aortic roots. Design - Ninety patients who underwent isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) with 19 or 21 mm Mitroflow® or Carpentier-Edwards (Perimount®) valves between 1989 and 1996 were studied. Mean age was 78 years. Concomitant coronary bypass surgery was performed in 41%. Results - Thirty-day mortality was 5.6%. Ninety-seven percent had acceptable transprosthetic mean pressure gradients (25 mmHg or less) 1 week after surgery. Follow-up was 100% complete and 76% of the patients were alive after a mean of 5 years. There was no structural valve failure or valve thrombosis. One patient required reoperation for perivalvular leak. Four patients had transient ischemic attacks and seven had strokes. These figures are, however, within the expected range for the age. Conclusion - Second generation pericardial valves perform well in elderly patients with small aortic roots. Postoperative hemodynamics are acceptable, valve durability of up to 8 years adequate, and the clinical results good, considering the age of the patients.


A thermal-responsive polymer was prepared by partially acetalyzing poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The completely reversible polymer aggregation and dissolution occur above and below a low critical solution temperature (LCST) for the aqueous solution of the modified PVA. The partially acetalized PVA (APVA) with higher molecular weight and higher degree of acetalysis exhibited a lower LCST transition and was used as an anionic polymer for polymer complexation. Water-soluble polymer, cationic polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (CPHGH) with antimicrobial property, was also prepared. In conjunction with APVA, CPHGH created the unique antimicrobial polymer multilayers on the surfaces of rayon fibres via layer by layer (LbL) assembly. AFM images revealed that the particles generated by multilayers became larger after the material was treated at 60°C; while the roughness of the surfaces was increased as the layer number increased and then decreased. Moreover, antimicrobial tests also demonstrated that the rayon fiber assembled with (CPHGH/APVA) multilayers exhibited higher antimicrobial activity against E. coli and s. aureus.


Rice grassy stunt virus (RGSV), a member of the genus Tenuivirus, causes significant economic losses in rice production in South, Southeast, and East Asian countries. Growing resistant varieties is the most efficient method to control RGSV; however, suitable resistance genes have not yet been found in natural rice resources. One of the most promising methods to confer resistance against RGSV is the use of RNA interference (RNAi). It is important to target viral genes that play important roles in viral infection and proliferation at an early stage of viral replication. Our recent findings obtained from an RNAi experiment with Rice stripe virus (RSV), a tenuivirus, revealed that the genes for nucleocapsid and movement proteins were appropriate targets for RNAi to confer resistance against RSV. In this study, we transformed rice plants by introducing an RNAi construct of the RGSV genes for the nucelocapsid protein pC5 or movement protein pC6. All progenies from self-fertilized transgenic plants had strong resistance against RGSV infection and did not allow the proliferation of RGSV. Thus, our strategy to target genes for nucleocapsid and movement proteins for conferring viral resistance might be applicable to the plant viruses in the genus Tenuivirus.


From the 1950s to the late 1990s, agents of the state spied on, interrogated, and harassed gays and lesbians in Canada, employing social ideologies and other practices to construct their target -- people who deviated from the so-called norm -- as threats to society and enemies of the state.

Reconstructed from official security regime documents released through the Access to Information Act and interviews with gays, lesbians, civil servants, and high-ranking officials, The Canadian War on Queers offers a passionate, personalized account of a national security campaign that violated people's civil rights and freedoms in an attempt to regulate their sexual practices. Gary Kinsman and Patrizia Gentile disclose not only the acts of state repression that accompanied the Canadian war on queers but also forms of resistance that raise questions about just whose security was being protected and about national security as an ideological practice.

This path-breaking account of how the state used national security to wage war on its own people offers ways of understanding, and resisting, contemporary ideological conflicts such as the "war on terror." It is required reading for students, scholars, and social activists in lesbian, gay, and queer studies or anyone interested in the issues of national security, state repression, and human rights. (UBC Press)


Procedural content generation via machine learning (PCGML) has demonstrated its usefulness as a content and game creation approach, and has been shown to be able to support human creativity. An important facet of creativity is combinational creativity or the recombination, adaptation, and reuse of ideas and concepts between and across domains. In this paper, we present a PCGML approach for level generation that is able to recombine, adapt, and reuse structural patterns from several domains to approximate unseen domains. We extend prior work involving example-driven Binary Space Partitioning for recombining and reusing patterns in multiple domains, and incorporate Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) for generating unseen structures. We evaluate our approach by blending across 7 domains and subsets of those domains. We show that our approach is able to blend domains together while retaining structural components. Additionally, by using different groups of training domains our approach is able to generate both 1) levels that reproduce and capture features of a target domain, and 2) levels that have vastly different properties from the input domain.


Purpose Aim of this study is to report real-life experience on the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) with a specific drug-coated balloon (DCB), and to evaluate potential prognostic factors for outcomes. Materials and Methods This is a retrospective study reporting outcomes in patients with PAD who were treated with the Lutonix DCB during a four-year period. Major outcomes included: all-cause mortality, amputation, clinical improvement, wound healing and target lesion revascularization (TLR). Mean follow-up was 24.2±2.3 months. Results Overall, 149 patients (mean age: 68.6±8.3 years; 113 males) were treated, either for intermittent claudication (IC) (n=86) or critical limb ischemia (CLI) (n=63). More than half the target lesions (n=206 in total) were located in the superficial femoral artery and 18.0% were below-the-knee lesions. CLI patients presented more frequently with infrapopliteal (P=0.002) or multilevel disease (P=0.0004). Overall, all-cause mortality during follow-up was 10.7%, amputation-free survival was 81.2% and TLR-free survival was 96.6%. CLI patients showed higher all-cause mortality (P=0.007) and total amputation (P=0.0001) rates as well as lower clinical improvement (P=0.0002), compared to IC patients. Coronary artery disease (CAD), gangrene and infrapopliteal disease were found to be predictors for death whereas CLI and gangrene were found to be predictors for amputation, during follow-up. Conclusion PAD treatment with Lutonix DCBs seems to be an efficient and safe endovascular strategy yielding promising results. However, CAD, gangrene, CLI and infrapopliteal lesions were found to be independent predictors for adverse outcomes. Larger series are needed to identify additional prognostic factors.


This is a completely new and fully comprehensive edition aimed at anyone who has contact with the construction industry. Written in a simple, easily accessible fashion the book contains major features on sustainability and the environment, hazard, vulnerability and uncertainty management together with new categories on business and finance, sustainability, water and transport. This edition offers easy and extensive cross referencing and definitions designed to help students to learn and associate ideas making this the perfect guide for anyone interested in any aspect of civil engineering.


In prior work we have shown that titanium oxide (Ti-O) thin films have good blood compatibility. However, as well as being hemocompatible, biomaterials used in contact with blood should be cell compatible also. In the work described here, Ti-O films were synthesized using unbalanced magnetron sputtering (UBMS) and were modified by immobilizing laminin on the film surface for improving human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) adhesion and growth. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and contact-angle measurements were used to investigate the surface characteristics of the Ti-O films and the modified Ti-O films. The results suggest that Laminin can be biochemically immobilized on the Ti-O film surface. The modified layer of Laminin can improve the hydrophilicity and wettability of Ti-O films. In vitro HUVEC investigations reveal that Laminin immobilized on the film surface greatly enhances cell adhesion and growth on Ti-O films.


Animal operations in Georgia have been placed under increasing regulatory pressure due to their impacts on water quality. This has created an interest at the State level in the development of assistance programs such as cost share to aid the producers in developing environmentally sound solutions. Many programs propose to fund Best Management Practices at the farm level which may offer short term improvements in water quality but may not solve the real problem which is nutrient imbalance. This paper shall propose programs to facilitate nutrient management planning and develop or improve manure markets. These programs could be in the form of grants or low interest loans to encourage composting operations, energy production, expanded markets, or new "crops" dependent on animal manures. Not only will these activities reduce the amount of manure being excessively land applied on the farm, but they should also create more market demand for manure. In addition, the industries these investments could potentially develop will stimulate economic growth in rural areas of Georgia.


Direct microscopy using potassium hydroxide as a clearing agent is a diagnostic procedure commonly used for the detection of fungal hyphae in suspected dermatophytoses, tinea versicolor, and candidiasis. Although this method is quick, simple, and inexpensive, it lacks sensitivity (especially when hyphae are sparce in the specimen), and often the physician must rely on culture results. A practical, more sensitive method for the detection of fungal infections of the skin would be useful to the office practitioner. Routine histopathologic stains for fungi (eg, PAS, silver methenamine) and fluorescent techniques are time-consuming, complex, and certainly not amenable to routine office settings. Many investigators have attempted to find an improvement on the routinely used potassium hydroxide wet mount. Early investigators used Parker's blue ink in an alkaline solution for staining of fungal hyphae.1-5Swartz and Medreck6described a rapid-staining procedure using Parker's ink and rose bengal, which provided for a


AbstractBACKGROUND: African-American and low-income women have lower rates of cancer screening and higher rates of late-stage disease than do their counterparts.
 OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of primary care, health insurance, and HMO participation on adherence to regular breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening.
 DESIGN: Random-digit-dial and targeted household telephone survey of a population-based sample.
 SETTING: Washington, D.C. census tracts with ≥30% of households below 200% of federal poverty threshold.
 PARTICIPANTS: Included in the survey were 1,205 women over age 40, 82% of whom were African American.
 MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adherence was defined as reported receipt of the last 2 screening tests within recommended intervals for age.
 RESULTS: The survey completion rate was 85%. Overall, 75% of respondents were adherent to regular Pap smears, 66% to clinical breast exams, 65% to mammography, and 29% to fecal occult blood test recommendations. Continuity with a single primary care practitioner, comprehensive service delivery, and higher patient satisfaction with the relationships with primary care practitioners were associated with higher adherence across the 4 screening tests, after considering other factors. Coordination of care also was associated with screening adherence for women age 65 and over, but not for the younger women. Compared with counterparts in non-HMO plans, women enrolled in health maintenance organizations were also more likely to be adherent to regular screening (e.g., Pap, odds ratio [OR] 1.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11 to 3.17; clinical breast exam, OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.21 to 3.44; mammogram, OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.31; fecal occult blood test, OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.83.)
 CONCLUSIONS: Organizing healthcare services to promote continuity with a specific primary care clinician, a comprehensive array of services available at the primary care delivery site, coordination among providers, and better patient-practitioner relationships are likely to improve inner-city, low-income women's adherence to cancer screening recommendations.


A comparative study has been made on two groups of 102 mothers each who delivered children in the postnatal ward of obstetrics and gynaecology department of Calcutta National Medical College before and after the introduction of BFHI (Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative). The study revealed that only 14.3% of the babies who were delivered normally were given their first breast feed in time, the ideal time of half an hour, while not a single baby delivered by caesarean section were given their breast feed within the stipulated time period of 4-6 hours. However, there has been a significant overall reduction in the time gap between the birth and the first breast feed in all types of delivery. BFHI has also made significant reduction of prelacteal feeds and in-between feeds in the newborns especially those delivered normally. The fact that babies of first order and those delivered by caesarean section are lagging behind as far as exclusive breast feeding is concerned has been highlighted in the study.


Aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs) are emerging as an attractive new electrical energy storage system. Despite the recent breakthroughs in AIB technology, state-of-the-art cathode materials suffer from mediocre volumetric capacity (∼0.74 mA h cm−3) and AIBs in the widely used coin-cell configuration are rarely reported. Here, we present the synthesis of free-standing monolithic nanoporous graphene foam with a high density and a new strategy to stabilize coin-cell type AIBs. Our designed coin-cell AIBs demonstrate a volumetric capacity up to 12.2 mA h cm−3, a gravimetric capacity of 151 mA h g−1 and good low temperature performance.


We have evaluated the energetics of 38 solar eruptive events observed by a variety of spacecraft instruments between 2002 February and 2006 December, as accurately as the observations allow. The measured energetic components include: (1) the radiated energy in the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 1–8 Å band, (2) the total energy radiated from the soft X-ray (SXR) emitting plasma, (3) the peak energy in the SXR-emitting plasma, (4) the bolometric radiated energy over the full duration of the event, (5) the energy in flare-accelerated electrons above 20 keV and in flare-accelerated ions above 1 MeV, (6) the kinetic and potential energies of the coronal mass ejection (CME), (7) the energy in solar energetic particles (SEPs) observed in interplanetary space, and (8) the amount of free (non-potential) magnetic energy estimated to be available in the pertinent active region. Major conclusions include: (1) the energy radiated by the SXR-emitting plasma exceeds, by about half an order of magnitude, the peak energy content of the thermal plasma that produces this radiation; (2) the energy content in flare-accelerated electrons and ions is sufficient to supply the bolometric energy radiated across all wavelengths throughout the event; (3) the energy contents of flare-accelerated electrons and ions are comparable; (4) the energy in SEPs is typically a few percent of the CME kinetic energy (measured in the rest frame of the solar wind); and (5) the available magnetic energy is sufficient to power the CME, the flare-accelerated particles, and the hot thermal plasma.


This book is devoted to Slime mould Physarum polycephalum, which is a large single cell capable for distributed sensing, concurrent information processing, parallel computation and decentralized actuation. The ease of culturing and experimenting with Physarum makes this slime mould an ideal substrate for real-world implementations of unconventional sensing and computing devices The book is a treatise of theoretical and experimental laboratory studies on sensing and computing properties of slime mould, and on the development of mathematical and logical theories of Physarum behavior. It is shown how to make logical gates and circuits, electronic devices (memristors, diodes, transistors, wires, chemical and tactile sensors) with the slime mould. The book demonstrates how to modify properties of Physarum computing circuits with functional nano-particles and polymers, to interface the slime mould with field-programmable arrays, and to use Physarum as a controller of microbial fuel cells. A unique multi-agent model of slime is shown to serve well as a software slime mould capable for solving problems of computational geometry and graph optimization. The multiagent model is complemented by cellular automata models with parallel accelerations. Presented mathematical models inspired by Physarum include non-quantum implementation of Shor's factorization, structural learning, computation of shortest path tree on dynamic graphs, supply chain network design, p-adic computing and syllogistic reasoning. The book is a unique composition of vibrant and lavishly illustrated essays which will inspire scientists, engineers and artists to exploit natural phenomena in designs of future and emergent computing and sensing devices. It is a 'bible' of experimental computing with spatially extended living substrates, it spanstopics from biology of slime mould, to bio-sensing, to unconventional computing devices androbotics, non-classical logics and music and arts.


Ten monoclonal antibodies raised against Alzheimer's neurofibrillary tangles (ANTs) were characterized for reactivity with heat-stable microtubule fractions from bovine and human brain. Five of the antibodies showed very little reaction, but the other five reacted strongly with heat-stable microtubule associated proteins (MAPs). The proteins recognized by these antibodies have estimated molecular weights similar to those of known heat-stable MAPs, tau (52-68 kd) and MAP2 (200-250 kd). That the proteins are indeed tau and MAP2 is demonstrated by reaction of electroblotted proteins with antibodies raised in mouse and guinea pig against bovine brain tau and MAP2. One anti-ANT antibody reacts only with tau, two bind strongly to tau and weakly to MAP2, one recognizes both tau and MAP2 equally well, and one primarily stains MAP2. Extraction of ANT with 2% SDS does not remove tau or MAP2 epitopes from ANT, indicating that epitopes shared with heat-stable MAPs are integral components of ANT. The existence of tau epitopes in ANT is also demonstrated by immunoblotting of ANT-enriched fractions with anti-tau antibodies. Most of the material recognized by anti-tau antibodies in ANT-enriched fractions is present in large molecules excluded by 3% polyacrylamide gel upon electrophoresis. Anti-tau antibodies immunostain ANT in immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase studies. The immunostaining can be blocked by absorption of anti-tau antibodies with purified tau proteins from bovine brain. Not all ANTs in any given tissue section or isolated Alzheimer perikarial preparations, however, are stained by anti-tau antibodies. These results are consistent with previous studies that have demonstrated heterogeneity of ANTs. Whether this heterogeneity is due to biochemical modification of MAPs or absence of MAPs in some ANTs is unknown. The significance of what appear to be shared epitopes recognized by monoclonal antibodies in tau and MAP2, and the implications this may have on the pathogenesis of ANT formation, requires further investigation.


Flow over ducted shallow cavities can excite fluid resonant oscillations. These resonances often generate noisy environment at the work place and may eventually lead to structure failure of associated equipment. A common industrial application is the flow in corrugated pipes that can be modelled as a series of consecutive shallow cavities. In the current study, the effect of the separation distance on the aeroacoustic source of multiple shallow cavities is investigated. The source is measured using the Standing Wave Method (SWM) where two sets of three microphones are equipped, upstream and downstream of the cavities section, to measure the discontinuity in the acoustic pressure generated by the flow over the cavities. Two and threecavity configurations are tested with a separation-to-cavity length ratio in a practical range from 0.5 to 1.375. At low and intermediate sound levels, extremum spacing ratios of 0.5 and 1.375 show constructive interference with high source values. However, at high excitation levels, 10% and higher, the source strength becomes inversely proportional to the separation distance. These findings are observed in both the double and triple-cavity configurations. On the other hand, the destructive interference spacing ratio is shown to be a function of the number


Over most of south-central Ohio, the sedimentary Paleozoic rocks exposed at the surface are relatively flat-lying, but in the Serpent Mound area of Highland and Adams Counties they show a circular feature, four miles in diameter, in which the rocks are com- plexly faulted. This structure has not yet been satisfactorily explained; two of the hypotheses proposed to explain its origin are 1) that it was caused by a "cryptovolcanic" event and 2) that it is an "astrobleme," produced by the impact of a meteoritic body. These two possible mechanisms might be distinguished by the attendant differences in the den- sity variations produced: the cryptovolcanic structure could be associated with large lateral variations in density at the level of the basement rocks, while the meteoritic im- pact could produce shatter zones and brecciated layers, and small reductions in density in the rock lying closer to the surface. A closely-spaced network of gravity stations extending beyond the limits of the surface expression of the ring structure shows no gravity anomaly pattern that can be related to the surface features. Supporters of the astrobleme hypothesis are more likely to find this evidence useful than are the cryptovolcanists.


In system development life cycle (SDLC), a system model can be developed using Data Flow Diagram (DFD). DFD is graphical diagrams for specifying, constructing and visualizing the model of a system. DFD is used in defining the requirements in a graphical view. In this paper, we focus on DFD and its rules for drawing and defining the diagrams. We then formalize these rules and develop the tool based on the formalized rules. The formalized rules for consistency check between the diagrams are used in developing the tool. This is to ensure the syntax for drawing the diagrams is correct and strictly followed. The tool automates the process of manual consistency check between data flow diagrams.


In this monumental and densely-packed book on Germany identity in the later Middle Ages – the only monograph of on the subject in any language, the author informs us – Len Scales gives us a new view of Germany and the empire that is sure to be of great importance for medieval historians' perceptions of the empire, of Germany, and of the forces behind the shaping of identity. Scales shows convincingly that during precisely the centuries when the empire seemed to be losing its grip on Germany, a sense of German identity is increasingly manifest in a wide range of sources, and, paradoxically, this notion of German-ness is very closely connected with the idea of empire. Germans were well aware of the weakness of the emperor's political control over the empire's constituent parts; they were also very conscious that the empire was 'German', which fact in itself seems to have contributed to a growth in a sense of German identity.


This definitive work thoroughly explores, for the first time, the often complicated ways in which ethnicity and social rank interacted to determine the relationships that were forged among four categories of women in the Revolutionary and early National Lowcountry. Betty Wood analyzes the experiences of enslaved African and African American women, free women of color, elite women of European ancestry, and underclass women of European descent.Studying interactions between female slaves and free women of color, between plantation mistresses and their female slaves, and between the members of a "ladies" charitable society and the young "women" who received their help, Wood brings their diverse worlds to life, including colorful details of their work, religious practices, and even the hidden agendas in their social circles. She offers evidence of extensive family, racial, and social barriers to their awareness and development of a shared identity as women and concludes that although the boundaries between these groups were sometimes permeable, ties of gender seldom superseded considerations of social rank and ethnicity.


This study examined the potential psychological and physiological benefits of yoga for African American high school students who attended a rigorous college preparatory program. We hypothesized that yoga exercises would improve perceived stress levels, lower resting heart rate and blood pressure, and increase blood oxygen saturation. Our sample consisted of twenty-two students who participated in yoga or track (the control), with eleven in each group. The yoga group was a pre-existing afterschool program, while the track control group was matched as closely as possible to the yoga group by gender, age and blood pressure levels. We measured the perceived stress, resting heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation levels prior to the first class and after the last class. We found that the perceived stress levels of yoga participants decreased 13% compared to the control group, which only decreased 1%; however, this was not a statistically significant difference. There were no significant differences between or within the groups' resting heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Our results suggest that yoga does not have a significant effect on healthy high school students, possibly due to a lack of motivation among participants, although the generalizability of our findings are limited by the small sample size.


Finding participants for experiments has always been a challenge. As technology advanced, running experiments online became a viable way to carry out research that did not require anything more than a personal computer. The natural next step in this progression emerged as crowdsourcing became an option. We report on our experience of joining this new wave of practice, and the difficulties and challenges we encountered when crowdsourcing a study. This led us to re-evaluate the validity of crowdsourced research. We report our findings, and conclude with guidelines for crowdsourced experiments.


In this paper, we discuss the application of a compartmental model to study the sensorial response, in terms of taste intensity versus time, in an oral solution for pharmaceutical use. The numerical model was developed from sensorial response curves obtained by a panel of three trained individuals. Parameter identification was carried out by means of a least-squares procedure that obtained the linear coefficients in the model by solving an exact linear least-squares problem conditional on the values of the nonlinear parameters for each iteration. Thus, nonlinear estimation was done in terms of the first-order kinetic parameters only, and ill-conditioning of the Hessian matrix present in these models was solved. Results of modeling for a set of formulations were used to determine the effects of various ingredients (sweeteners and an essence) on a baseline unflavored formulation of acetaminophen in a mixture of cosolvents. The first moment of the area under the curve of taste intensity versus time was found to be the best global indicator of taste for the purpose of product design. It was found that a mixture of sweeteners and an essence was the most efficient way of masking the bitter taste of this active ingredient.


Spiritual dimension of adult learning is beginning to enter the domain of research but is not very visible in the
literature yet. Attending to the spiritual dimension of adult learning has been suggested as part of respecting the
learner as the author of her/his own life in the quest for meaning. In the health context, spirituality is increasingly
recognized as an important resource for patients learning to live with challenges of life-threatening illness such
as breast cancer. The learning experience is also often transformational. This literature review seeks to explicate
the concept of spirituality and transformative learning in the health context. The purpose is to provide understanding
the importance of spirituality and spiritual learning processes in the lives of breast cancer survivors. The focus,here is also to provide an awareness of Islamic perspectives of spirituality and transformative learning. The literature suggests that cancer survivors' experiences with cancer and their learning processes must be understood
within the appropriate cultural context. This is especially so for spirituality. The common emphasis of spirituality
on relationship to God, self and to others, may significantly influence how people learn living with cancer.


The purpose of this research was to investigate temporal and spatial trends in the Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Effect (MRE) on the North Sea coast of Scotland throughout the Holocene. The MRE is a 14C age offset between contemporaneous marine derived carbon and its terrestrial counterpart, owing to the extended residence time of 14C in oceanic environments. This results in marine samples being depleted in 14C relative to contemporaneous terrestrial samples and consequently, the production of 14C ages that are erroneously old. The offset between contemporaneous marine and terrestrial entities varies through space and time on a global scale and so a single correction factor cannot be universally applied. In order to gain a coherent understanding of the MRE, its variability and its full impact on the radiocarbon dating of samples containing marine derived carbon, a brief background to the fundamental principles of radiocarbon dating is presented. This is followed by a global overview of variability in the MRE before focussing on the UK coastal environment, and in particular the North Sea coast of Scotland. Using contemporaneous multiple terrestrial and marine entities from secure archaeological contexts, this thesis investigates the MRE as represented by 13 contexts from 9 archaeological sites spanning a geographical range from Aberdeen in the north to Dunbar in the south. The sites are predominantly Medieval in age, owing to sample availability, and cover a calendar age range of c. 600 – 1500 AD. This thesis recommends the use of the multiple paired sample approach for ΔR calculations and the publication of ΔR using histograms alongside weighted mean values and the standard error for predicted values in order to provide a more accurate estimate of where ΔR values measured in the future for a similar site and location may lie. In so doing, a weighted mean for the sites studied in this thesis has produced a ΔR for the period described above of -19 ± 52 14C yrs. This thesis also compared ΔR values calculated using mollusc shell with those calculated from fish bone and found that although fish bone produces a slightly increased ΔR, this offset is not significant using the standard error for predicted values. When the fish bone results are included in the weighted mean for the study region; ΔR = -29 ± 51 14C years. This thesis highlights the variability inherent within the calculation of ΔR values and places caution on drawing definitive conclusions using ΔR as a proxy for large scale changes in oceanographic/climatic regimes. It also provides new methods of interpreting and presenting ΔR values and their associated errors for publication, alongside recommending best practice statistical treatment of the data used in ΔR calculations.

Previous MRE research in this geographic area is limited and therefore this thesis contributes significantly to the understanding of the temporal and spatial trends in the MRE on the North Sea coast of Scotland within the Medieval period.


The wick method for sampling of interstitial fluid from subcutis was applied in fluid balance studies in young pigs. Colloid osmotic pressure was measured in serum (COPs) and interstitial fluid (COPi) using a membrane colloid osmometer. Our aims were to determine the 'true' COPi, and to find the optimal duration of wick implantation. In series I (n=6) a 'crossover' experiment was performed using wicks soaked in different priming solutions (nondiluted and diluted serum protein solutions or isotonic salt solution). Circulatory arrest was induced just before wick insertion in order to eliminate the vascular part of the acute inflammation. In series II (n=6) wicks were removed in sequence after 60, 90, 120 and 180 min sampling time in anaesthetized pigs in vivo. COPs, COPi and haematocrit (HCT) together with haemoglobin (Hgb), serum albumin and total protein concentrations were determined in the same animals. In series I average COPs and COPi were 13.7 (1.4) and 7.2 (1.4) mmHg respectively (SD). In series II the optimal wick implantation times were estimated to be 60–90 min for wicks soaked in diluted protein solution, and 90–120 min for dry and saline-soaked wicks. COPs averaged 13.0 (0.7) mmHg, HCT 30.0 (1.6)%, Hgb 8.3 (0.9) g/dl, s-albumin 22.7 (0.6) g/l and s-protein 47.3 (2.3) g/l. Compared to commonly reported reference values, we found surprisingly low values for most of the measured variables. This may be related to the fact that we used immature pigs. An analysis of the validity of the wick method based on our own results and published reports is presented. We conclude that sampling of interstitial fluid with subcutaneous wicks is easy to perform in young pigs. However, the COP-values measured in wick fluid have to be carefully evaluated especially when sampling is performed in vivo.


BACKGROUND
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rippled across the world from Wuhan, China, to the shores of the United States within a few months. Hospitals and intensive care units were suddenly faced with a "tsunami" warning requiring instantaneous implementation and escalation of disaster plans.

EVIDENCE REVIEW
An evidence-based question was developed and an extensive review of the literature was completed, resulting in a structured plan for the intensive care units to manage a surge of patients critically ill with COVID-19 in March 2020. Twenty-five sources of evidence focusing on pandemic intensive care unit and COVID-19 management laid the foundation for the team to navigate the crisis. Implementation The Critical Care Services task force adopted recommendations from the CHEST consensus statement on surge capacity principles and other sources, which served as the framework for the organized response. The 4 S's became the focus: space, staff, supplies, and systems. Development of algorithms, workflows, and new processes related to treating patients, staffing shortages, and limited supplies. New intensive care unit staffing solutions were adopted.

EVALUATION
Using a framework based on the literature reviewed, the Critical Care Services task force controlled the surge of patients with COVID-19 in March through May 2020. Patients received excellent care, and the mortality rate was 0.008%. The intensive care unit team had the needed respiratory and general supplies but had to continually adapt to shortages of personal protective equipment, cleaning products, and some medications.

SUSTAINABILITY
The intensive care unit pandemic response plan has been established and the team is prepared for the next wave of COVID-19.


ABSTRACT Inclusion-rich echinoderm-syntaxial cements comprise up to 38% of the intergranular cements in Mississippian skeletal calcarenites of the Lake Valley Fm., N.M. These cements have crystal morphology, substrate selectivity, and luminescence characteristics identical to previously interpreted fresh water phreatic cements, yet contain microdolomite inclusions, implying that they were originally Mg calcite. These petrographic characteristics, plus the restriction of the microdolomite-rich syntaxial cements to the lower part of the Lake Valley Fm., argue for their having precipitated in the zone of mixing between meteoric and marine phreatic groundwaters. Petrography of these cements, their association with interpreted fresh water phreatic cements, and their regional restriction to the south, suggest that the mixing zone cements were formed mainly daring the slowing down stages of a late Mississippian global sea level drop. These cements plus other microdolomite-rich calcites reported on elsewhere indicate that coarse crystals of Mg calcite commonly act as closed or semi-closed systems during re-equilibration to low-Mg calcite, rather than undergoing complete loss of Mg through conventional incongruent dissolution.


Sport event organizers often face the possibility of potential planning failure due to the nature of sport itself. That is, once the games begin there is no time for major changes in the organizational process, and that may affect customers' satisfaction. However, science and information technology offers effective alternatives to overcome this issue. That is, by modeling and testing the effectiveness of different organizational process of the events with the use of specific software. For the purpose of elaboration, in this study, organizational scenarios were simulated prior to a mass sport event's implementation. As a result, sport managers were provided with a number of organizational alternatives to choose from, in order to make the best decision for planning purposes. An orienteering race registration process was 2 used as a case. However, this simulation process may apply to a number of similar sport management operations, especially to mass sport events.


Ethical consumer behaviour is subject to change. Consumer segmentation has, previously, conformed to preconceptions of demographics and psychographics, which fail to reflect the dynamics of consumer purchase behaviour towards fair trade purchase. Employing a longitudinal qualitative grounded theory approach, this paper examines the discrepancy between the stated and actual behaviour in the substantive area of fair trade. Data were collected from thirty two respondents, using in-depth interviews, in tandem with till receipts. The findings reveal that ethical consumer behaviour is often inconsistent and open to change. This study develops the concept of behavioural mutability and explicates the causes of behavioural change when consumers are faced with the choice of buying a fair trade product. The major contribution of this paper is the recognition of theoretical and methodological shortcomings in existing fair trade consumer behaviour literature regarding consumer segmentation, and the challenges these shortcomings pose, including understanding the behavioural change in the context of fair trade purchase. This paper provides a valuable tool for academics and practitioners to better understand the dynamics and nuances of consumer behaviour towards Fairtrade.


A rabbit model for the diabetic pregnancy was used to investigate the etiology of delayed pulmonary maturation observed in infants of diabetic mothers. Pregnant rabbit does were made glucose intolerant and insulinopenic by injection of alloxan, a pancreatic beta-cell cytotoxin. At 28 d (term approximately 31 d) fetuses of these animals were hyperglycemic, but were not hyperinsulinemic and did not demonstrate tissue overgrowth. Fetal pulmonary maturity was assessed by measurement of pressure-volume relationships on the fetal lungs. Fetuses of glucose-intolerant does demonstrated less retention of air on deflation. Phospholipid components of pulmonary surfactant were assayed on fluid obtained from lavage of the fetal lungs. Levels of disaturated phosphatidylcholine (per-cent total-lavage phospholipids) were diminished in fetuses of glucose-intolerant does compared to control fetuses (20.5 +/- 4.2 vs. 38.0 +/ 4.3%; P less than 0.01). Lecithin/sphingomyelin ratios were similar in both groups and phosphatidylglycerol was not detected in either group. There was a direct correlation between the percentage of alveolar disaturated phosphatidylcholine and retention of air on lung deflation. These findings suggest that in this model pulmonary instability was a result of diminished alveolar disaturated phosphatidylcholine, and this diminution did not result from fetal hyperinsulinemia.


There has been growing interest in building large-scale distributed monitoring systems for sensor, enterprise, and ISP networks. Recent work has proposed using principal component analysis (PCA) over global traffic matrix statistics to effectively isolate network-wide anomalies. To allow such a PCA-based anomaly detection scheme to scale, we propose a novel approximation scheme that dramatically reduces the burden on the production network. Our scheme avoids the expensive step of centralizing all the data by performing intelligent filtering at the distributed monitors. This filtering reduces monitoring bandwidth overheads, but can result in the anomaly detector making incorrect decisions based on a perturbed view of the global data set. We employ stochastic matrix perturbation theory to bound such errors. Our algorithm selects the filtering parameters at local monitors such that the errors made by the detector are guaranteed to lie below a user-specified upper bound. Our algorithm thus allows network operators to explicitly balance the tradeoff between detection accuracy and the amount of data communicated over the network. In addition, our approach enables real-time detection because we exploit continuous monitoring at the distributed monitors. Experiments with traffic data from Abilene backbone network demonstrate that our methods yield significant communication benefits while simultaneously achieving high detection accuracy.


CLINICAL RESEARCHThe death of a volunteer in a gene therapy experiment at the University of Pennsylvania in September triggered a flood of publicity; now, the consequences have landed on researchers and other patients at Penn. On 19 January, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stopped all seven clinical trials run by Penn's Institute for Human Gene Therapy--perhaps the most respected and best funded center of its kind--after finding "serious deficiencies" in the way the institute monitors its trials. The FDA had already halted the trial in which 18-year-old Jesse Gelsinger died.


The crystal structure and oxide ion conduction properties of La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.9Mg0.1O2.9 were compared with those of LaGa0.8Mg0.2O2.9 with the same oxygen vacancy concentration. Although La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.9Mg0.1O2.9 had a smaller free space through which oxide ions pass compared to LaGa0.8Mg0.2O2.9, the activation energy of oxide ion conduction in the former was lower. This was attributed to the large displacement of La and Ga in La0.9Sr0.1Ga0.9Mg0.1O2.9. The GaO6 octahedral tilts in the LaGaO3 perovskite structure were reduced by double doping with Sr and Mg. Reduction of the GaO6 octahedral tilt proved effective for oxide ion conduction.


ABSTRACT The effort to degrade and defeat the Islamic State is like many other multilateral military efforts – characterized by widely varying contributions to the effort. This article seeks to understand the patterns of contributions. Three sets of explanations are applied: the lessons of Afghanistan and Libya, variations in how potential contributors feel the threat posed by the Islamic State, and domestic political dynamics. While there may be some political processes that overlap with the big lessons and with the threat of the Islamic State, the patterns of contributions thus far suggest that the key drivers of reactions to the Islamic State are the desire not to repeat Afghanistan combined with some impetus provided by Islamic State attacks in the various homelands. The conclusion suggests some policy implications as well as some ideas for future research.


This paper describes the student error diagnosis component of the T-algebra problem solving environment. In T-algebra students solve different expression manipulation problems step-by-step using different transformation rules and following the three stage input dialogue. When designing the T-algebra we followed the principle that all the necessary decisions and calculations at each solution step should be made by the student. For making a single solution step the student has to choose a transformation rule from the list of available rules, select the operands (certain parts of expression) for this rule and input the result of application of the rule. Introduced scheme gives the student possibility to make different kinds of errors. The errors can be made either when selecting the rule or unsuitable objects of the rule or while applying the rule – inputting the resulting expression. The program diagnoses different errors and attempts to identify the misconception underlying the mistake. The program checks whether suitable rule is selected, whether the form and number of selected objects and also form of entered result is suitable for the selected rule. T-algebra also checks for the correctness of every single part of the result entered into separate boxes. In general the introduced solution step scheme gives the program more information on the student's intentions than simple entering of the transformed expression. The program can explicitly and without guessing evaluate the decisions about operation and operands. The program can compute the result corresponding to the intentions of the student, and compare it with actual input. This makes the diagnosis of student errors more precise and easier to implement. The paper also presents the categorization of errors types that are diagnosed. As an example two transformation rules are discussed (combining like terms, multiplication of polynomials) and lists of all diagnosable error types and common student misconceptions are presented. This categorization is what distinguishes T-algebra from other problem solving environments. We have designed 20 different categories and put all diagnosed error types into them. Categories include for example selection of objects of wrong form, selection of objects that are not compatible, errors in form of entered subexpression, calculation errors, errors in calculating the sign of entered subexpression and other categories.


To assess the role of the kynurenine pathway in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the expression and localization of key components of the kynurenine pathway including the key regulatory enzyme tryptophan 2,3 dioxygenase (TDO), and the metabolites tryptophan, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, quinolinic acid and picolinic acid were assessed in different brain regions of triple transgenic AD mice. The expression and cell distribution of TDO and quinolinic acid, and their co-localization with neurofibrillary tangles and senile β amyloid deposition were also determined in hippocampal sections from human AD brains. The expression of TDO mRNA was significantly increased in the cerebellum of AD mouse brain. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the density of TDO immuno-positive cells was significantly higher in the AD mice. The production of the excitotoxin quinolinic acid strongly increased in the hippocampus in a progressive and age-dependent manner in AD mice. Significantly higher TDO and indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase 1 immunoreactivity was observed in the hippocampus of AD patients. Furthermore, TDO co-localizes with quinolinic acid, neurofibrillary tangles-tau and amyloid deposits in the hippocampus of AD. These results show that the kynurenine pathway is over-activated in AD mice. This is the first report demonstrating that TDO is highly expressed in the brains of AD mice and in AD patients, suggesting that TDO-mediated activation of the kynurenine pathway could be involved in neurofibrillary tangles formation and associated with senile plaque. Our study adds to the evidence that the kynurenine pathway may play important roles in the neurodegenerative processes of AD.


Introduction Reliable evidence syntheses, based on rigorous systematic reviews, provide essential support for evidence-informed clinical practice and health policy. Systematic reviews should use reproducible and transparent methods to draw conclusions from the available body of evidence. Narrative synthesis of quantitative data (NS) is a method commonly used in systematic reviews where it may not be appropriate, or possible, to meta-analyse estimates of intervention effects. A common criticism of NS is that it is opaque and subject to author interpretation, casting doubt on the trustworthiness of a review's conclusions. Despite published guidance funded by the UK's Economic and Social Research Council on the conduct of NS, recent work suggests that this guidance is rarely used and many review authors appear to be unclear about best practice. To improve the way that NS is conducted and reported, we are developing a reporting guideline for NS of quantitative data. Methods We will assess how NS is implemented and reported in Cochrane systematic reviews and the findings will inform the creation of a Delphi consensus exercise by an expert panel. We will use this Delphi survey to develop a checklist for reporting standards for NS. This will be accompanied by supplementary guidance on the conduct and reporting of NS, as well as an online training resource. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval for the Delphi survey was obtained from the University of Glasgow in December 2017 (reference 400170060). Dissemination of the results of this study will be through peer-reviewed publications, and national and international conferences.


CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML) Jamshedpur established its institutional repository – Eprints@NML inSeptember 2009. The study looks at the use of the repository based on the repository log data. It was found that NMLScientists received 1847 enquires for their articles/projects until September, 2012 which motivated them further to enrich therepository by uploading their research outputs. As a result, by the end of September 2012 there were 5071 uploads as against3972 documents uploaded in December 2011. A total of 27, 40,343 hits were received from different countries duringAugust 2011 to September 2012 and a cumulative total of over 4.86 million hits since inception. The maximum number ofhits was 0.27 million in August, 2012. More than 75% of NML scientists/researchers have registered with Eprints@NMLfor uploading their documents. The top twenty countries accessing the repository were United States, India, Russia, China,UK, Hong Kong, Germany, Netherlands, Iran, Japan, France, Italy, Canada, Korea, Ukraine, Brazil, Poland, Australia,Turkey and South Africa.


An adult, male common buzzard (Buteo buteo) with a leg fracture and multiple proliferative cutaneous nodules on its feet was brought to Akdeniz University Burdur Veterinary Faculty by a farmer who found the bird at his farm. There were similar small nodules on the eyelids and beak. The fractured bone ends had become necrotized. The buzzard was euthanized. On histopathological examination of nodules, large, eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies (Bollinger bodies) were seen. Avipox was diagnosed on the basis of the typical gross and microscopic features.


The effect of gamma irradiation and subsequent thermal treatment on the wear resistance and friction behavior of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been studied. Irradiation of the polymer was performed using a 60Co γ-emitter at laboratory temperature. Radiation dose 50 kGy was applied. Some irradiated samples were thermally treated at 150˚C for period of 30 min. and then slowly cooled to room temperature. A linear reciprocating tribometer was used to investigate the wear behavior of UHMWPE against Co-Cr-Mo alloy. The tests have been performed in unlubrication conditions. An important increase in wear resistance of the modified UHMWPE in comparison with the original material was proved. Besides wear rate the selected mechanical characteristics (friction coefficient, Young's modulus, yield strength, fracture strength, and hardness) of original and modified samples of UHMWPE have been determined.


Dark photons are predicted by various new physics models, and are being intensively studied in a variety of experiments. In the first part of this paper, we obtain partial wave unitarity constraints on the dark photon parameter space from the allowed $VV\rightarrow VV$ scattering processes in the limit of large center-of-mass energy, where $V=W,Z$. In the second part of the paper, searches are performed using the expected differential rates with a realistic detector simulation including a comprehensive set of background processes on dilepton and dilepton plus a photon events at the High Luminosity LHC. In these searches, sensitive differential distributions are used in an optimized way to determine the sensitivity to dark photon parameter space. It is shown that remarkable sensitivity to the dark photon model is achieved and kinetic mixing strength can be probed down to $(1.4-10)\times 10^{-4}$ for dark photon mass between $15$ GeV to $2$ TeV. We also investigate the sensitivity of a future muon collider suggested by the Muon Accelerator Program (MAP) to the dark photon model at different center-of-mass energies. It is shown that a future muon collider is able to reach a sensitivity to kinetic mixing at the order of $10^{-4}$.


This paper introduces a novel algorithm to approximate the matrix with minimum nuclear norm among all matrices obeying a set of convex constraints. This problem may be understood as the convex relaxation of a rank minimization problem and arises in many important applications as in the task of recovering a large matrix from a small subset of its entries (the famous Net ix problem). O-the-shelf algorithms such as interior point methods are not directly amenable to large problems of this kind with over a million unknown entries. This paper develops a simple rst-order and easy-to-implement algorithm that is extremely e cient at addressing problems in which the optimal solution has low rank. The algorithm is iterative and produces a sequence of matrices fXk; Y kg and at each step, mainly performs asoft-thresholding operation on the singular values of the matrix Y k. There are two remarkable features making this attractive for low-rank matrix completion problems. The rst is that thesoft-thresholding operation is applied to a sparse matrix; the second is that the rank of the iteratesfXkg is empirically nondecreasing. Both these facts allow the algorithm to make use of very minimal storage space and keep the computational cost of each iteration low. On the theoretical side, we provide a convergence analysis showing that the sequence of iterates converges. On the practical side, we provide numerical examples in which 1; 000 1; 000 matrices are recovered in less than a minute on a modest desktop computer. We also demonstrate that our approach is amenable to very large scale problems by recovering matrices of rank about 10 with nearly a billion unknowns from just about 0.4% of their sampled entries. Our methods are connected with the recent literature on linearized Bregman iterations for `1minimization and we develop a framework in which one can understand these algorithms in terms of well-known Lagrange multiplier algorithms.


ABSTRACT Repositioning empty container and leasing container from leasing company are mainly the outcomes of imbalance in trade flows. How to make decision on repositioning or leasing remains a challenge in running shipping service efficiently and economically. To address such challenge, this study aims to derive guide leasing prices. If the realistic leasing price is lower than the guide price, shipping companies should consider leasing containers from leasing company; otherwise repositioning empty container is a more economical option. Both time-varying short-term and long-term guide leasing prices are determined in a shipping network with consideration of empty container devanning and laden container transportation. A two-stage approach is applied to model development. At the first stage, an empty container repositioning model is proposed with consideration of holding, transportation and lifting-on/off costs. Then, inverse optimization technique is applied to deriving the second model in order to determine the guide leasing prices. A realistic shipping network is adopted to compare long-term guide leasing prices among different ports and short-term guide leasing prices on different paths between a pair of ports. The results show that short-term guide leasing prices at a deficit port vary on different paths and they are correlated to the schedule of vessels.


This volume is composed of papers delivered by their authors at a symposium of the American Psychological Association, now somewhat revised and presented for a wider professional audience. Each author from his own experience and theoretical point of view presents his rationale for using other than oral communication as a basis for psychotherapeutic effort. The results for this reviewer were mixed and overlapping. This creates a need for discussion of the book in general, as well as the individual papers. In a sense, the whole volume is a tribute to the quiet pragmatism which has been felt in the psychological healing arts for the past 25 years. The prospect or possibility of respected and respectable members of the psychological community seriously suggesting other than oral therapeutic intervention at some earlier date seems inconceivable. In this sense, this volume ranks along with other more familiar and more dramatic


Abstract As disruptions and uncertainty have become emergent themes within the supply chain literature, attention has shifted towards the choices enacted to combat the negative effects of disruptions. Extant research highlights the importance of system states – namely robustness and resilience – towards mitigating the probability and magnitude of disruptions, however, there appears to be a lack of conceptual guidance surrounding two popular strategies – redundancy and flexibility – that have been proposed to mitigate the impact of disruptions. To address this issue, we review and investigate contextual factors from empirical research that may offer insight into conceptual strategies that can be utilised to improve post-disruption system performance utilising a methodology based upon an abductive approach to conceptual theory building. In this paper published research on resilience and robustness in supply chains is considered, alongside research in other areas such as risk, systems theory, and ecology. Inference drawn from empirical research is often highly contextualised, but collectively highlights unique generalisable factors. Our research proposes four broad conceptual strategies – insurance, expediting, strategic adaptive capability and reconfiguration – that each uniquely serve to reduce the probability and magnitude of supply chain disruptions. Our research concludes that the difference in utility between redundancy and flexibility as means to enhance resilience and robustness is influenced by interactions between the supply chain, the disruption characteristics (inclusive of speed of onset and time horizon) and the decision maker.


Abstract Since its establishment in 1923, the Republic of Turkey has assumed a sacred character, owing primarily to the influence of republicanism, the country's dominant political religion. Processes of modernization, inherent in republicanism, became the main instigators for the improvement of women's rights in Turkey from the 1920s and 1930s onwards. However, thanks to the subsequent Europeanization process in Turkey, coinciding with the new millennium, modernization has acquired new meanings. The new interpretations of modernization, do not necessarily support the dominant political religion in Turkey. Gender policy is a crucial area to gauge how modernization and republicanism clash and/or converge with each other. This article comprehensively examines how, very recently, the demands of gender rights activists have accentuated differences between republicanism and modernization. We argue that the schism among womens' groups in the public sphere regarding rights has been important for triggering debate and questioning the ongoing salience of republicanism. The article contributes to literature on political religions by suggesting that the sacralization of the republic, driven by Turkish nation‐building processes in our case, may be hampered by the process of modernization once this process becomes autonomous from sacralization and generates its own momentum.


The proposed work aims to develop an automated machine learning based network model for heart disease prediction with better accuracy. In the pre-processed data, the most significant features are selected using the White Shark Optimization based Linear Discriminant Analysis (WSO-LDA) technique, reducing computational complexity. Finally, the selected features are fed to the Hybrid Artificial Neural Network (HANN) with a Multi-Objective Spotted Hyena optimization (MOSHO) based classification stage. This stage classifies heart disease with minimized processing time.


New agricultural structures, especially those for cattle farming, have an undeniable impact on the landscape. The main problem is due to the size of the livestock buildings, which depends on the number of animals. The stables of the traditional rural complexes were mostly of limited size and often also integrated, in an almost complementary way, into residential buildings. The number of animals was very small, as they were only intended for family subsistence. Today, a cattle farm requires a much larger number of animals to be sustainable and, consequently, sufficient space for the welfare of the animals and to improve the quality of the final product.
The impact on the landscape becomes a fundamental issue that the project must address consciously, together with the other aspects that increasingly characterize this type of architecture.
The Department of Architecture and Design of the Polytechnic of Turin, the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria, and Valle d'Aosta, with the collaboration of the "La Granda" consortium, conducted a research study aimed to define the characteristics of a stable for Piedmontese cattle breeding by translating the needs of animal welfare, environmental sustainability and integration with the surroundings into an architectural model.