Proper understanding and monitoring of household savings are crucial to effective macroeconomic policies targeted at balanced and sustainable economic growth. Remittances, as a financial flow of foreign capital, can create a vital part of private savings. This paper is aimed at identifying whether remittances contribute to household savings in the Baltics along with other macroeconomic variables in a post-crisis period, during which the relative smoothing and convergence of economic development of the Baltic countries after the sharp financial distress in 2009 can be observed. The following methods of panel data regression analysis were employed: fixed effects and OLS. The results of the econometric analysis based on both fixed effects and OLS methods reveal that remittances are an essential driver of savings in the Baltics in the long run. Savings in the Baltics are not significantly influenced in the short term by sharp economic fluctuations, but are dependent on demographic factors and foreign capital, which can bring instability in economic development and financial flows of the region.
AcknowledgmentThis research was funded by Vega research project no. 1/0037/20: "New challenges and solutions for employment growth in changing socio-economic conditions", and VEGA research project no. 1/0287/19 "Integration of immigrants in EU countries from the point of view of migration policies".


The antibacterial effect of the lactoperoxidase/thiocyanate/hydrogen peroxide system (lactoperoxidase system) was tested against strains of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolated from poultry. The effect was studied at different pH-values and temperatures in UHT-milk (control); UHT-milk containing lactoperoxidase, sodiumthiocyanate and hydrogen peroxide (lactoperoxidase system); UHT-milk containing lactoperoxidase, sodiumthiocyanate, hydrogen peroxide and sodiumpyrosulfite (inactivated lactoperoxidase system). The lactoperoxidase system had a strong bactericidal effect against C. jejuni and C. coli . The bactericidal effect was more rapid at 37°C compared to 20°C. The effect of lactoperoxidase system decreased with decreasing pH-values. The fastest reduction in viable numbers was obtained at pH 6.6 and 37°C.


1 Richardson JR, Ferguson J, Hiscox J, et al. Noninvasive assessment of cardiac output in children. 3'Accid Emerg Med 1998;15:304-7. 2 Childs C, Goldring S, Tann W, et al. Suprasternal Doppler ultrasound for the assessment of stroke distance. Arch Dis Child 1998;79:251-5. 3 Little RA, Kirkman E, Driscoll P, et al. Preventable deaths after injury: why are the traditional "vital" signs poor indicators of blood loss? Jf Accid Emerg Med 1995;12:1-14. 4 Mowat DHR, Haites NE, Rawles JM. Aortic blood velocity measurement in healthy adults using a simple ultrasound technique. Cardiovasc Res 1983;17:75-80.


Small-scale spatial variation in the distribution of the macrofauna of marine intertidal shores has long been recognized, but there have been few quantitative studies about the scales of patchy distribution of the microbenthos on rocky shores. Patchiness has important implications for comparative and descriptive studies of distribution and abundance because it confounds comparisons of abundance at the largest spatial scales unless the smaller scales are appropriately incorporated into the sampling designs. Spatial variation in the distribution of a number of species of intertidal microgastropods across 2 different habitats (sediment and coralline turf) in Botany Bay, Australia, is described using a nested, hierarchical sampling design. Significant variation was detected mainly at small scales, ranging from less than 1 to 10 m. Moreover, the species showed different patterns of variation depending on the type of habitat and the time of sampling. There was no relation between these patterns and the taxonomic relations of the species. These data illustrate the scales of variability that must be considered when planning long-term or baseline investigations of microbenthos to assure that the study adequately represents different habitats and that subsequent ecological inferences are valid.


Black pepper (Piper nigrum L. ) is one of the important spices in the world. Pepper
has numerous uses and functions to consumers however the occurrence of pests and
diseases have become main problem to pepper cultivation. Conventional approach of
pepper breeding is hampered by absence of pest and disease resistance genes in the
species. Molecular biological approach of plant breeding could assist and
complement the conventional approach of breeding for pest and disease resistance. In
order to adopt molecular biological approach of pepper breeding, the present study
was conducted to develop an efficient regeneration and genetic transformation
system for pepper. A successful regeneration of somatic embryos was obtained using
micropylar of seeds cultured on MS medium supplemented with 0.3% activated
charcoal) When maintenance extended to four months, cyclic secondary somatic
embryo formation on root pole explants enabled mass production of pepper plantlets.
The in vitro generated somatic embryos were used as source of explants for
developing transformation system whilst a number of somatic embryos were left to
grow into plantlets to determine the genetic relatedness from field grown mother
plants. For developing a transformation system for pepper, Agrobacterium-mediated
and particle bombardment approaches were applied by initially monitoring the
transient gene expression. However, due to gxplants browning problem, the GUS
reporter gene was found unsuitable for use in Agrohacterium -mediated
transformation technique. Consequently, GFP reporter gene was employed in particle
bombardment method and transient green fluorescent spots were discovered on
transformed explants. The p35SCaMV-sgfpS65T construct co-bombarded with
pCambia 1300 showed the highest transient expression spots among all the GFP constructs examined. After optimization of bombardment parameters, 1.0 μm
microcarriers, 900 psi pressure and 6 cm distance were found optimal for producing
green transient fluorescent on explants. However, no single transgene was detected
from in vitro regenerated putative transformed plantlets via PCR analysis. Based on
the result from RAPD analysis, no genetic variation was detected among mother
plants and somatic embryo plantlets themselves respectively. However, small
polymorphism was found when compared mother plant and somatic embryo plantlets
using OPD 05, OPM 04 and OPP 16 primers.


Monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is an atomically thin, direct bandgap semiconductor crystal potentially capable of miniaturizing optoelectronic devices to an atomic scale. However, the development of 2D MoS2-based optoelectronic devices depends upon the existence of a high optical quality and large-area monolayer MoS2 synthesis technique. To address this need, we present a thermal vapor sulfurization (TVS) technique that uses powder MoS2 as a sulfur vapor source. The technique reduces and stabilizes the flow of sulfur vapor, enabling monolayer wafer-scale MoS2 growth. MoS2 thickness is also controlled with great precision; we demonstrate the ability to synthesize MoS2 sheets between 1 and 4 layers thick, while also showing the ability to create films with average thickness intermediate between integer layer numbers. The films exhibit wafer-scale coverage and uniformity, with electrical quality varying depending on the final thickness of the grown MoS2. The direct bandgap of grown monolayer MoS2 is analyzed using internal and external photoluminescence quantum efficiency. The photoluminescence quantum efficiency is shown to be competitive with untreated exfoliated MoS2 monolayer crystals. The ability to consistently grow wafer-scale monolayer MoS2 with high optical quality makes this technique a valuable tool for the development of 2D optoelectronic devices such as photovoltaics, detectors, and light emitters.


: Two cases of abnormality in the normal embrionary migration of the thyroid gland are reported with hyoid and sublingual location. Both cases where misdiagnosed and operated as thyroglossal cysts. The methods of treatment are reviewed and emphasis is placed on the convenience to make gammagraphic studies in patients with a mid-line cervical mass.


Researches investigate new types of scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications to support cell proliferation and growth as well as tissue repair and regeneration. Although, there are several types of polymeric materials and various kinds of preparation techniques are already used today; there is still no consensus on the answer of the question "what is the best scaffold for tissue repair and regeneration?". Cryogels, which is a kind of hydrogels and, cryogelation, which is the technique for cryogel preparation, are rather new for tissue engineering applications. Here in this study, dextran and carboxymethyl cellulose functional polysaccharides blended collagen cryogels were prepared and characterized by chemical, structural and biological evaluations. Results show that, these collagen cryogels with their polysaccharides functional components have proper chemical and thermal characteristics and show good bio and hemocompatibility. Therefore, these cryogels can be used as a candidate scaffold for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.


We investigate the 'determinants' of spatial variations in youth unemployment and NEET rates, and the presence of spatial clusters, for Italy, Spain and the UK. Using Labour Force Survey data for the period 1993-2011 at a 'regional' level we obtain broadly consistent measures of quarterly youth unemployment and NEET rates. Our findings suggest that youths are sensitive to aggregate labour market conditions with older youths being more cyclically sensitive than are teenagers. We find a discouraged worker effect, again larger for older youths than for teenagers. In the UK and Spain, temporary jobs are preferred to part-time jobs, perhaps as a way of avoiding unemployment, whereas in Italy the opposite occurs. There is evidence of spatial clustering of youth unemployment and NEET rates. Our paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for regional and labour market policies.


Standard real-business-cycle models must rely on total factor productivity (TFP) shocks to explain the observed co-movement between consumption, investment and hours worked. This paper shows that a neoclassical model consistent with observed heterogeneity in labor supply and consumption, can generate co-movement in absence of TFP shocks. Intertemporal substitution of goods and leisure induces co-movement over the business cycle through heterogeneity in consumption behavior of employed and unemployed workers. The result is due to two model features that are introduced to capture important characteristics of US labor market data. First, individual consumption is affected by the number of hours worked with employed consuming more on average than unemployed. Second, changes in the employment rate, a central explanator of total hours variation, then affects aggregate consumption. Demand shocks --- such as shifts in the marginal efficiency of investment, government spending shocks and news shocks --- are shown to generate economic fluctuations consistent with observed business cycles.


The susceptibility to hydrogen absorption and hydrogen thermal desorption of titanium alloys has been investigated in a neutral 2.0% NaF solution at 37°C under various applied cathodic potentials. Ti-0.2Pd, Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-11.3Mo-6.6Zr-4.3Sn alloys absorb hydrogen under less noble potentials than −1.5 V, −1.9 V and −1.4 V versus a saturated calomel electrode, respectively. The amounts of absorbed hydrogen of Ti-0.2Pd, Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-11.3Mo-6.6Zr-4.3Sn alloys under an applied potential of −2.0 V for 24 h are approximately 1200, 100 and 1100 mass ppm, respectively. Upon immersion in the 2.0% NaF solution under an applied potential, the hydrogen thermal desorption behavior of Ti-0.2Pd alloy differs from those immersed in acid fluoride solutions, whereas the hydrogen thermal desorption behaviors of Ti-6Al-4V and Ti-11.3Mo-6.6Zr-4.3Sn alloys are similar to those immersed in acid fluoride solutions. The present results indicate that in a neutral fluoride solution, the effects of an applied potential on the hydrogen absorption and desorption behaviors of Ti-6Al-4V alloy are considerably smaller than those of commercial pure titanium reported previously, Ti-0.2Pd and Ti-11.3Mo-6.6Zr-4.3Sn alloys.


Introduction "There exists what is called 'The Black Church' is crosses denominational boundaries and is without a formal structure. Yet it is a reality cherished by many Black Christians, who feel at ease joining in prayer and in Christian action with one another. This Black church is a result of our common experience and history had made it possible for many Blacks to understand and appreciate each other." (Cone, 1969) This church is responsible for creating a community which offers social acceptance, moral, cultural and financial support all embodied in a common worship experience. The church for African Americans is a source of freedom, a place, which has significantly participated in historical liberation. This participation is universal in the United States and is imperative in any analysis of the church and African Americans. Thus the church cannot be understood apart from the social and historical context of its foundation. The reality of racism and discrimination birthed this most effective, and highly criticized institution in the lives of African Americans. Religion in Black Churches has always included the politics of liberation as part of the worship experience. Historically the Black church developed in response to the racism in society and represented an opportunity for African Americans to worship, congregate and organize. Often this organization during slavery became a place to assemble insurrections, disseminate anti-slavery information, educate the slaves and hide fugitive slaves. Hence liberation was part of the original doctrine of the church and in many ways defined Black religion. Thus the development of the Black church and its constant role in initiating change in the lives of African Americans represents the radical nature of religion and how this type of radicalism translates into self-help and social change. Self-help, defined as a value system which demands that the victims of oppression change their circumstances, was a part of the church's agenda. This agenda created an oppositional subculture and competing discourses within the hegemonic culture. This oppositional culture created by the Black church through self-help in three primary areas 1) civil rights, 2) education and 3) self-employment which gave African Americans the opportunity to reinterpret their social space and carve out a new existence which included freedom. In essence, the church is a representation of the African American community because it embodies the beliefs, values, struggles and culture of people of African descent. The Black church is a representation of this community and it crosses class and geographic lines and is part of this tradition of social reform, community activism and spiritual renewal. The Early Black Church In practice the black church was formed because the extreme system of racial oppression and segregation did not permit interracial worship. Consequently, slave owners made allowances for their slaves to attend, congregate and hold separate worship services to carry out Christian practices (Frazier, 1964). For the slaves the church was the only vehicle where they could exercise a measure of autonomy. In a system, which dehumanized the slaves in every arena, the church was a place to gain self-esteem, encouragement and skills. The church was a place for survival and it was here that the practice of self-help began. "The origins of the black self-help tradition were found in the attempts of slaves to help each other survive the traumas and terrors of the plantation system in any way they could." (Lincoln and Mamiya, 1990:242) As an organization, the Black church was an independent institution funded by its membership. The black church promoted economic independence and self-sufficiency as a liberation strategy for the African American community. In the black church there was a common view which held that real freedom only comes with the attainment of a measure of economic independence and creation of an independent economic base. …


Although glanders has been eradicated in most of the developed world, the disease still persists in various countries such as Brazil, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Iran, Bahrain, UAE and Turkey. It is one of the notifiable diseases listed by the World Organization for Animal Health. Occurrence of glanders imposes restriction on equestrian events and restricts equine movement, thus causing economic losses to equine industry. The genetic diversity and global distribution of the causing agent, Burkholderia (B.) mallei, have not been assessed in detail and are complicated by the high clonality of this organism. Among the identification and typing methods, PCR-based methods for distinguishing B. mallei from its close relative B. pseudomallei as well as genotyping using tandem repeat regions (MLVA) are established. The advent and continuous advancement of the sequencing techniques and the reconstruction of closed genomes enable the development of genome guided epidemiological tools. For achieving a higher genomic resolution, genotyping methods based on whole genome sequencing data can be employed, like genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms. One of the limitations in obtaining complete genomic sequences for further molecular characterization of B. mallei is its high GC content. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the widely used detection and typing methods for B. mallei and illustrate gaps that still require development. The genomic features of Burkholderia, their high homology and clonality will be first described from a comparative genomics perspective. Then, the commonly used molecular detection (PCR systems) and typing systems (e.g., multilocus sequence typing, variable number of tandem repeat analysis) will be presented and put in perspective with recently developed genomic methods. Also, the increasing availability of B. mallei genomic sequences and evolution of the sequencing methods offers exciting prospects for further refinement of B. mallei typing, that could overcome the difficulties presently encountered with this particular bacterium.


SIR,-Your leading article on this subject (20 March, p 673) suggests that perforation due to tuberculosis has become rarer (our italics) in Britain. However, in a recent series of 15 patients with abdominal tuberculosis treated in Manchester' we found three patients with perforated bowels: one had multiple free perforations in the small bowel leading to generalised peritonitis; another had chronic perforation at the ileocaecal valve site leading to retrocaecal abscess formation; and in the third patient, who presented in a most bizarre fashion as a possible case of cholera with voluminous rice-water stools developing within days of her arrival in Britain, the symptoms were due to perforation of the diseased ileocaecal valve into the third part ofthe duodenum. Our experience leads us to suggest that abdominal tuberculosis can no longer be considered a rarity in our multiracial society, and an awareness of the diverse manner in which the disease can present is important if diagnostic delays are to be avoided.


This article assesses the performance of small-scale manufacturing enterprises during the process of structural adjustment in Cameroon. It seeks to determine whether all segments of the industrial sector have been similarly affected by down-scaling, or whether some categories have adapted better to the liberalization of trade and regulatory parameters. Survey results show that a large segment of the manufacturing sector, mostly larger-scale units originally established within a highly subsidized and protected economic environment, is experiencing difficulty in adapting to liberalization measures. On the other hand, small-scale enterprises, which did not benefit from the same kind of protection as their larger counterparts, are experiencing growth. However, if current trends are maintained, the vitality of the small-scale sector will probably not be sufficient to prevent deindustrialization of the country.


Mobile edge computing (MEC) reduces the computational distance between the source and the servers by fortifying near-user site evaluations of data for expedited communications, using caching. Caching provides ephemeral storage of data on designated servers for low-latency transmissions. However, with the network following a hierarchical layout, even the near-user site evaluations can be impacted by the overheads associated with maintaining a perpetual connection and other factors (e.g., those relating to the reliability of the underpinning network). Prior solutions study reliability as a factor of throughput, delays, jitters, or delivery ratio. However, with modern networks supporting high data rates, a current research trend is in ultrareliability. The latter is defined in terms of availability, connectivity, and survivability. Thus, in this paper, we focus on the ultrareliable communication in MEC. Specifically, in our setting, we use drones as on-demand nodes for efficient caching. While some existing solutions use cache-enabled drones, they generally focus only on the positioning problem rather than factors relating to ultrareliable communications. We present a novel neural-blockchain-based drone-caching approach, designed to ensure ultrareliability and provide a flat architecture (via blockchain). This neural-model fortifies an efficient transport mechanism, since blockchain maintains high reliability amongst the peers involved in the communications. The findings from the evaluation demonstrate that the proposed approach scores well in the following metrics: the probability of connectivity reaches 0.99; energy consumption is decreased by 60.34%; the maximum failure rate is affected by 13.0%; survivability is greater than 0.90; reliability reaches 1.0 even for a large set of users.


OBJECTIVE
Few previous studies evaluating the benefits of diagnostic decision support systems have simultaneously measured changes in diagnostic quality and clinical management prompted by use of the system. This report describes a reliable and valid scoring technique to measure the quality of clinical decision plans in an acute medical setting, where diagnostic decision support tools might prove most useful.

DESIGN
Sets of differential diagnoses and clinical management plans generated by 71 clinicians for six simulated cases, before and after decision support from a Web-based pediatric differential diagnostic tool (ISABEL), were used.

MEASUREMENTS
A composite quality score was calculated separately for each diagnostic and management plan by considering the appropriateness value of each component diagnostic or management suggestion, a weighted sum of individual suggestion ratings, relevance of the entire plan, and its comprehensiveness. The reliability and validity (face, concurrent, construct, and content) of these two final scores were examined.

RESULTS
Two hundred fifty-two diagnostic and 350 management suggestions were included in the interrater reliability analysis. There was good agreement between raters (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.79 for diagnoses, and 0.72 for management). No counterintuitive scores were demonstrated on visual inspection of the sets. Content validity was verified by a consultation process with pediatricians. Both scores discriminated adequately between the plans of consultants and medical students and correlated well with clinicians' subjective opinions of overall plan quality (Spearman rho 0.65, p < 0.01). The diagnostic and management scores for each episode showed moderate correlation (r = 0.51).

CONCLUSION
The scores described can be used as key outcome measures in a larger study to fully assess the value of diagnostic decision aids, such as the ISABEL system.


Rheumatic diseases include a variety of chronic multisystem disorders with a high percentage of autoimmune conditions. Many of these diseases affect women of child-bearing age, and so pregnancy poses an important challenge for doctors looking after these women. Knowledge about medication safety, the effect of pregnancy on such diseases, and vice versa, together with preconception counseling and multidisciplinary team care, are basic pillars needed to provide the best obstetric and medical care to these women. In this review, the management of the most common autoimmune rheumatic diseases prior, during and after pregnancy will be discussed, along with the most relevant issues regarding medications.


This paper investigates the impacts of free trade on the structure of urban systems, skill distribution, and income disparities. The paper proposes a model that integrates international trade theory and the theory of urban system. This is done in a two sector, spatial general equilibrium model of a North-South trade. Each country is populated with a continuum of unskilled workers with heterogeneous potential ability. Through differential training costs, workers with different potential ability can achieve the same productivity. Workers can acquire a skill by investing in training. Thus, skill distribution in both countries is determined endogenously in the model through self-selection. The economy produces a final good with the use of a high-tech intermediate input and unskilled workers. Horizontally differentiated skilled workers produce the high-tech intermediate input. Cities are formed in this model as a result of investment in setup cost, i.e., public infrastructures. I characterize two different types of spatial equilibria: a closed-economy equilibrium, in which each country consists of a system of cities without trade, and a free-trade equilibrium, in which we allow for trade between cities and countries.


Semantic segmentation of high-resolution aerial images is of great importance in certain fields, but the increasing spatial resolution brings large intra-class variance and small inter-class differences that can lead to classification ambiguities. Based on high-level contextual features, the deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) is an effective method to deal with semantic segmentation of high-resolution aerial imagery. In this work, a novel dense pyramid network (DPN) is proposed for semantic segmentation. The network starts with group convolutions to deal with multi-sensor data in channel wise to extract feature maps of each channel separately; by doing so, more information from each channel can be preserved. This process is followed by the channel shuffle operation to enhance the representation ability of the network. Then, four densely connected convolutional blocks are utilized to both extract and take full advantage of features. The pyramid pooling module combined with two convolutional layers are set to fuse multi-resolution and multi-sensor features through an effective global scenery prior manner, producing the probability graph for each class. Moreover, the median frequency balanced focal loss is proposed to replace the standard cross entropy loss in the training phase to deal with the class imbalance problem. We evaluate the dense pyramid network on the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) Vaihingen and Potsdam 2D semantic labeling dataset, and the results demonstrate that the proposed framework exhibits better performances, compared to the state of the art baseline.


One of the major health concerns of our generation is the increase in individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. With this trend comes a need for new systems of support and a concern for quality of care. Ongoing medical research includes not only treatments for the body and brain but also the importance of environmental design. Along with the medical profession, architects also have the ability to design environments that can positively effect the well-being of individuals, through careful attention to the particular sensorial needs of those with Alzheimer's. This thesis proposes
utilizing sensory and spatial design research regarding Alzheimer's disease to design a Haptic Retirement Residence for Alzheimer's that will promote enhanced well-being. Although each individual is unique, the similarity of possessing the senses of sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste provides a common departure point for design.


Oleic acid protects oocytes against the detrimental effects of saturated free fatty acids During the last four decades, the fertility of high-producing dairy cows has declined dramatically. This decline in fertility has been linked to the equally marked increase in milk production, and the consequent more severe negative energy balance (NEB) that dairy cows experience during the early post-partum period. This NEB results from the high energy costs of milk production, which cannot be compensated by energy intake from food in the initial weeks after calving. A major metabolic characteristic of a NEB is an elevation in free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations in the blood, due to the mobilization of body fat reserves. The released FFAs serve as an alternative energy supply for aerobically functional tissues. However, marked elevations of the saturated FFA level in particular can become toxic to these tissues. In this thesis the impact of an elevated level of FFAs on the bovine oocyte and its immediate microenvironment was investigated, as the potential link between NEB and reduced fertility. The three dominating FFAs in blood and follicular fluid were the saturated palmitic and stearic acids, and mono-unsaturated oleic acid. Elevated levels of the two saturated FFAs had detrimental effects on the in vitro developmental competence of maturing oocytes, as evidenced by inhibited blastocyst formation. By contrast, the mono-unsaturated FFA was harmless to oocytes. Interestingly, the mono-unsaturated oleic acid also prevented the negative impact of the saturated FFAs on oocyte developmental competence. Remarkably, oocytes exposed to a nearly two-fold increase of the FFA concentration in follicular fluid during maturation in vivo, triggered by inducing metabolic stress in non-pregnant cows by restricted feeding, did not show any signs of reduced developmental competence. The follicular fluid appeared to have a relatively high oleic acid, but low stearic acid, content in comparison to blood; moreover, the cumulus cells that surround the oocyte incorporated, and thereby effectively sequestered, large amounts of the FFAs into their lipid droplets. Stimulating FFA storage is a protective mechanism by which oleic acid is known to help prevent lipotoxic effects on somatic cell types like skeletal muscle. The combination of a relatively high oleic acid concentration in follicular fluid, and the capacity of the surrounding cumulus cell layer to store FFAs, appears to protect the oocyte against lipotoxicity. In conclusion, elevated levels of saturated FFAs can have lipotoxic effects on the maturing oocyte; however, lipotoxicity is prevented by oleic acid and the cumulus cells that surround the oocyte. The protective environment provided by follicular fluid and the multiple cumulus cell layers surrounding the oocyte are absent during early follicular growth. Future research should examine whether elevated levels of FFAs are lipotoxic to oocytes during the early stages of follicular development.


Abstract Evidence suggests that citizens evaluate government performance differently when equivalent performance information is presented with either a positive or negative framing—but do experienced public managers also suffer from this framing effect? To address this question, we conducted an experiment with 191 public service professionals in the U.S. in which we experimentally varied the framing of performance information about customer satisfaction, job satisfaction and goal achievement for various federal government agencies. Our findings show that public service professionals—just like ordinary citizens—are susceptible to framing effects. Specifically, they tend to evaluate federal agency performance more negatively when percentages of "job dissatisfaction" and "targets not met" were presented, as opposed to logically equivalent percentages of "job satisfaction" and "targets met." The pattern is the same for "customer dissatisfaction" versus "customer satisfaction" rates, although the results are not statistically significant. These findings provide a deeper understanding about the use of government performance information, as well as how such information is comprehended and perhaps misunderstood by decision makers.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the reported increase in the expression of the glucose transporter GLUT-1 in borderline and malignant ovarian epithelial tumors and its relationship to prognosis.

STUDY DESIGN
In this study, areas in which immunohistochemical membranous staining with GLUT-1 were most evident were selected, and the proportions of GLUT-1 expression in 46 benign, 11 borderline and 42 malignant cases of ovarian epithelial tumors were determined quantitatively with a computer and Zeiss Vision KS 400 3.0 (Göttingen, Germany) for Windows (Microsoft, Redmond, Washington, U.S.A.) image analysis.

RESULTS
GLUT-1 expression was determined in all borderline tumors (11 of 11) and in 97.6% of malignant tumors (41 of 42). No GLUT-1 expression was observed in benign tumors. The intensity of GLUT-1 staining was lower in borderline tumors than in malignant cases. This was statistically significant (p = 0.005). As differentiation in malignant tumors increased, proportions of GLUT-1 expression showed a relative increase, but this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.68).

CONCLUSION
When GLUT-1 expression in borderline and malignant ovarian epithelial tumors was analyzed against prognosis, no statistically significant difference was identified. Assessment of GLUT-1 expression using the image analysis program was more reliable, with higher reproducibility than in previous studies.


Iron is known to be a common constituent of vertebrate teeth, yet little is known about the form it takes or the extent to which it modifies the structural properties of the tooth. Analytical electron microscopy was used to study the iron-rich tooth cap of the butterflyfish Chaetodon ornatissimus Cuvier, 1831. Images of thin sections of the tooth cap showed three distinct layers of hydroxyapatite crystals; a densely packed cuticle, a crystallographically organized superficial enameloid and randomly oriented inner enameloid. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (edXa) showed that iron was concentrated in the cuticular layer of the tooth cap, the concentration increasing to a maximum at the tip. Elemental analysis showed the level of calcium to be inversely related to iron concentration. An identical relationship was found for synthetic iron-doped hydroxyapatite. The implications of these results for the functional role of iron in the tooth caps are discussed.


In 1997 Danfoss Drives A/S and the Institute of Energy Technology at Aalborg University in Denmark started an initial four-year collaboration called "The Danfoss Professor Program". The main goal of the program is to attract more students to the multidisciplinary area of power electronics and drives by offering a world-class curriculum taught by world-class teachers. During the four years of the program distinguished professors will visit the university, giving advanced courses in their specialty areas and interacting with postgraduate students. A new curriculum in power electronics and drives is also now being implemented at the university, based on courses developed together with professors from the program. Another goal is to strengthen the research team at the university in the area by fostering new contacts and research areas. Finally, training and education of engineers in industry is a major aim of the program. After 2 1/2 yr, the Danfoss Professor Program has resulted in a significant increase in the number of students and research output of Aalborg University in the power electronics and drives area. It is beginning to be recognized world wide as a model of successful Industry/University collaboration. This paper describes the major goals, implementation and an evaluation of the program.


Building a reservoir model from seismic data interpretation can be very time consuming and cause incorrect or poor quality results without any specific methodology. Limitation of the seismic scale regarding to the reservoir detail needs, incomplete horizon or fault picking and structural 3D incoherencies can prevent from getting structural surfaces adapted to structural reservoir modeling. In addition, geomodel software limitations must also be taken into account in order to ensure that critical structural heterogeneities described from seismic interpretation will be ranked and adapted for an appropriate modeling . The following paper proposes a methodological workflow that enables the delivery, of representative and appropriate structural surfaces, ready for reservoir modeling. The workflow underlined how artifacts, incoherencies and software limitations can be corrected. All specialists, geophysicist, geologist and reservoir engineer must work together early in the process in order to define structural modeling strategy and choices in agreement with structural, sedimentology and dynamic criteria. In any case such workflow will ensure a better description of essential heterogeneities. In addition, as the reservoir grid remains consistent with seismic data then lithoseismic cubes can be considered to constrain the facies and petrophysical modeling.


in this paper, the texture evolution of cold rolling and recrystallization of dual phase steel sheets is studied. The experimental results show that the cold rolling texture components are γ fiber (<111>//N.D.) and α fiber (<110>//R.D.). After heat treatment (austenizing temperatures 960°C and 980°C, 0.7°C/S cooling to 650°C, a rational holding time to form ferrite and martensite microstructure), the texture components are still γ fiber and α fiber, the recrystallization texture in dual phase steel sheet is remarkable different compared to the recrystallization texture in the pure (single phase) ferrite.


We report interferometric ice particle imaging and sizing in an icing wind tunnel with wind speeds of 70 m/s. Single particle interferograms are first analysed, size measurements are performed, and examples of possible reconstructed shapes are deduced from the interferometric images. Particle sizing is also performed in the case of ice particles whose out-of-focus images overlap, with or without Moiré phenomena. Results show that the IPI technique can be carried out for irregular rough particles in a critical environment such as in an icing wind tunnel with high wind speeds.


As part of the regulations published in October of 2019, PHMSA requires operators that do not have reliable records to conduct material verification in accordance with §192.607. As part of the material verification process, §192.607(d)(2) compels the operator to "[c]onservatively account for measurement inaccuracy and uncertainty using reliable engineering tests and analyses" when utilizing nondestructive examination (NDE) methods. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has completed extensive testing to develop approaches that utilize nondestructive measurements to estimate grade. As part of this work, a supervised classification machine learning (ML) model was developed to predict pipe grade using NDE chemical composition measurements as inputs. While using the ML-based model provides substantial improvement over yield strength (YS) in predicting pipe grade, measurement uncertainty from NDE tools must be considered per §192.607(d)(2). Moreover, some amount of uncertainty is present in any measurement regardless of precision, and this measurement uncertainty may ultimately affect the ML model's pipe grade classification.
 This paper presents a methodology for incorporating this variability into the authors' ML classification model using a Monte Carlo-based simulation approach. In addition, this study will discuss the various metrics that were developed for interpreting the most probable pipe grade from the large number of simulation results, including the average probability, range of probability, and the number of simulations where each grade was identified as having the highest probability. Since any ML model can misclassify a sample and there are such slight differences between adjacent grades, it is necessary to have a method of systematically validating the results based on prior knowledge. Several case studies using field data will be presented to illustrate this approach, including validation cases where the pipe grade is known.


In this paper we study how to provide metadata for a pre-print archive. Metadata includes, but is not limited to, title, authors, citations, and keywords, and is used to both present data to the user in a meaningful way, and to index and cross-reference the pre-prints. We are particularly interested in studying different methods to obtain metadata for a pre-print. We have developed a system that automatically extracts metadata, and that allows the user to verify and correct metadata before it is accepted by the system.


For spacecraft applications, energy storage sources are required to produce a high yield with minimum size and mass. Flywheel systems have the potential to fill this need while also providing attitude control for the guidance of the craft. Other advantages include on-board peak power management, extended service life (as compared to chemical batteries), and provisions for redundant systems with minimum effect on the projected payload of the craft. This paper reviews the results of flywheel design projects carried out at The University of Texas at Austin Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM), discusses the role of composites in design development, and presents a detailed discussion of a flywheel design currently under study.


Aims at providing fast and easy access of public services to citizens through mobile devices. Mobile services are quickly emerging as the new frontier in transforming government and making it even more accessible and citizen-centric by extending the benefits of remote delivery of government services and information. Delivering timely and accurate information to citizens and an established system of two-way communication between the government and people is one of the keys to strengthening democracy by facilitating enhanced utilisation of public services, participation and empowerment of citizens. The use of mobile technologies has been prominent in government departments especially in agriculture, health care, financial services, retail trading, utilities, communications, manufacturing, transportation and services. Businesses too have woken to the popularity of mobile phones and are introducing services, especially in the Banking sector. Mobile banking is the future because of its cost effectiveness and ability to reach out to customers in remote areas. Time is ripe for India to take a step forward from e-governance to m-governance in a big way in various areas such as health, education and various financial services


Contrary to the classical view, recent neuroimaging studies claim that phonological processing, as part of auditory speech perception, is subserved by both the left and right temporal lobes and not the left temporal lobe alone. This study seeks to explore whether there are variations in the lateralization of response to verbal and nonverbal sounds by varying spectral complexity of those sounds. White noise was gradually transformed into either speech or music sounds using a "sound morphing" procedure. The stimuli were presented in an event‐related design and the evoked brain responses were measured using fMRI. The results demonstrated that the left temporal lobe was predominantly sensitive to gradual manipulation of the speech sounds while the right temporal lobe responded to all sounds and manipulations. This effect was especially pronounced within the middle region of the left superior temporal sulcus (mid‐STS). This area could be further subdivided into a more posterior area, which showed a linear response to the manipulation of speech sounds, and an anteriorly adjacent area which showed the strongest interaction between the speech and music sound manipulations. Such a differential and selective response was not seen in other brain areas and not when the sound "morphed" into a music stimulus. This gives further experimental evidence for the assumption of a posterior‐anterior processing stream in the left temporal lobe. In addition, the present findings support the notion that the left mid STS area is more sensitive to speech signals compared to the right homologue. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The immune system consists of a large number of different types of cells and proteins that function to distinguish between normal and abnormal cellular components and between 'self' and 'non-self'. As an example, when a thorn gets stuck in the body, the immune cells are able to recognized the thorn as a foreign object (i.e. 'non-self') and attack it. The same is true for bacteria, viruses or other organisms that can invade our bodies. A more subtle distinction between self and non-self occurs in the recognition of cancer cells by the forces of the immune system. The cancer cells are recognized and attacked because they differ from the normal 'self' from which they arose.


Today's world is Internet world. Now-a-day popularity of E-commerce is increasing tremendously. Using E-commerce people do their financial transaction online like online shopping etc. Most popular mode for online and offline payment is using credit card, use of credit card has dramatically increased. So as credit card is becoming popular mode for online financial transactions, at the same time fraud associated with it are also rising. In this paper Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is used to model the sequence of operation in credit card transaction processing. HMM is trained using Baum-Welch algorithm with normal behaviour of cardholder. If an incoming credit card transaction is not accepted by the trained HMM with sufficiently high probability, it is considered to be fraudulent. At last we will see the performance of this system with the help of True Positive (TP) and False Positive (FP) parameters.


A system consisting of two species in a fluctuating environment, when the interspecies competition for resources is strong, will have a stochastic outcome: only one of the species will survive, but there is no a priori way of knowing which one this will be. It is natural in such a situation to ask what will be the probability of one or another of the species surviving. This probability is calculated as a function of the average growth rates and the strengths of the interaction between the species and of the randomness. This is an example of a class of stochastic problems in which multiple final states are available for occupation. We refer to the choice of final states as state selection, and the probabilities of final states being occupied as state-selection probabilities. The calculation of these probabilities is carried out in the context of a model of the system which consists of two coupled stochastic differential equations. By reformulating these equations in terms of path integrals, the powerful methods based on the use of optimal paths may be utilized to calculate the probability of one outcome or the other. The analytical results obtained by using this technique agree well with numerical simulations when both species have the same growth rate. Although the method adopted rests on the assumption that the strength of the fluctuations, D , is small, remarkably the analytic results are still found to be in good agreement with the numerical results when D is of order 1.


In this paper a formulation and experimental results are presented for a novel application of a 3-degree of freedom (DOF) parallel manipulator to simulate point seismograms and three-dimensional (3-D) earthquake motion. The rigid body acceleration is analyzed to simulate real 3-D earthquakes. Furthermore, first experimental results are reported to analyze earthquake effects on scaled civil structures.


The music major provides aspiring musicians and/or scholars with a wide range of ways to think about music (performance-related, theoretical, historical, cultural, and compositional) and to concentrate on the aspects of music that most interest them—from popular and world music to computer music. Our faculty engage in cultural studies (i.e., ethnomusicology) and with current literary theory, connect with faculty of other departments (i.e., English, Philosophy, and Psychology), and are on the cutting edge of technological change. Students who have a passion for music and who have already developed basic skills in areas including performance, music history, composition, or ethnography, should consider a major in music.


The issue our group locations is best conveyed in the accompanying inquiry: Given the quantity of dealers, shoppers, and money related organizations in the U.S., how might we assemble a recordkeeping framework that enhances the ease of use, availability, and supportability of customer exchange records. A current review demonstrates that 80% of the U.S. populace gets one to three receipts a day, 11% of which promptly escape With America's retailers creating roughly 228.7 million pounds of receipt paper every year, this means 22.87 million pounds of paper that in a flash move toward becoming refuse . Promote, the present framework does not make receipts promptly open to traders and shoppers when they require them. In this venture, our group means to enhance the administration of shopper exchange records while diminishing the quantity of receipts imprinted in the United States. An answer for this issue will likewise furnish buyers with a more advantageous approach to screen their ways of managing money. The framework is made out of four sections: an electronic UI, a deride money enroll, a receipt administration database, and a XML convention that conveys between the money enlist and the receipt database. On the off chance that executed on a national scale, this electronic receipt administration framework would permit clients (dealers, shoppers, and monetary organizations) access to all receipt information in one area and in one steady configuration, in this way wiping out the requirement for paper receipts.


How do people form place attachments through interaction with others and with places over time? I propose that there are seven distinct processes through which people form bonds with places. This framework was developed from the analysis of 104 depth interviews conducted in California and Colorado, newspaper and magazine columns and letters, memoirs, and first person essays. This framework proposes that seven distinct processes interact at the individual, group, and cultural level to shape place attachment. Each of the seven processes has a unique nature and develops differently over time and space.


Introduction: Prior studies demonstrate that ischemic preconditioning (IP) alters adenosine metabolism. The significance of this effect is not fully understood, but evidence suggests that reduction in extracellular adenosine may represent use as an alternative fuel. Transformation into AMP/ADP may also replenish intracellular total adenine nucleotides (TAN), improving the potential high-energy phosphate bonds available in cells facing ischemia. In both cases, adenosine supports cell energy requirements and may be a key component of IP's protective mechanisms. There are no previous studies of brain adenosine in human patients undergoing remote IP. Methods: In adults with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), 3-4 remote IP sessions were conducted on non-consecutive days, 4-12 days after hemorrhage. Each session consisted of 4 5-min cycles of lower extremity blood pressure cuff inflation to 30mmHg above systolic blood pressure, followed by 5-min reperfusion. Patients had microdialysis (MD) probes to compare brain adenosine, inosine, xanthine and hypoxanthine before, immediately after, and 24h after RIPC. MD samples from 4 SAH ICU patients without IP were used as controls. Results: Five RIPC sessions in 3 patients resulted in complete MD data for comparison over time. In all, brain adenosine levels dropped from their baseline (pre-RIPC) level. Average pre-RIPC adenosine went from 19.2 (SD 14.4) fmol/mg to 7.9 (SD 8.6) immediately following the session (p=0.095) and to 3.2 (SD 4.5) by 24h (p=0.048). Adenosine metabolites inosine, xanthine, and hypoxanthine decreased or did not change over the same period, suggesting adenosine consumption rather than non-energy related catabolism. These changes in adenosine were not reflected in CSF levels, which did not change (p=0.5). Brain adenosine in control subjects did not decrease (baseline 0.26±0.17, 24h 6.6±9.3, p=0.27). Conclusion: Remote IP leads to decreased brain adenosine in SAH patients by 24 hours. Failure to demonstrate a concomitant rise in levels of metabolites suggests that adenosine is consumed by cells in the brain, as previously shown in animal models. This shift toward the energetic metabolism of adenosine may play a key role in the mechanisms of protection induced by IP.


As for cosmological red shift, which is generally explained by space extension, there is a considerable amount of observational data that don't comply with the theory of purely cosmological origin of red shifts in the spectra galaxies and quasars. Such data are provided, for example, in [1]. In elaboration of the results presented in [2] the red shift is also regarded in this investigation as a widening of electromagnetic radiation spectra, determined by the existence of gravitational radiation of a banded spectrum of the same level as electromagnetic. Irremovable curvature of space-time related neither to matter nor gravitational field [2] offers another explanation for the nature of the microwave background radiation. It turns out that this radiation is not coming from the deepness of space-time but rather is a thermal radiation of such a black body as vacuum with non-zero energy corresponding to the irremovable curvature. PACS 1999 – 04.90.+e, 52.55.Ez, 23.40.-s.


The robust control problem is investigated for a class of uncertain nonlinear time-delay systems. Via the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzification, we obtain the T-S fuzzy systems with each local model in the form of time-delay systems with uncertain nonlinear functions. The mismatched nonlinear functions satisfy the Lipschitz condition, while the matched parts are bounded by nonlinear functions with unknown coefficients. Based on the input matrix, the system is decomposed into two cascade subsystems. The virtual controller is designed for the first subsystem, and then, a memoryless adaptive controller is presented. By employing a new Lyapunov Krasovskii functional, we show that the resulting closed-loop system is exponentially stable and the solutions are uniformly ultimately bounded. Finally, simulation examples are given to show the effectiveness of our main results.


Oxidation of monometallic Pd and bimetallic Pd3Au alloy surfaces are observed by in situ ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) at an elevated pressure (100 mTorr O2 ambient). It is directly evidenced that the alloying with Au hinders the surface oxidation of Pd3Au surfaces compared with monometallic Pd surfaces. Remarkably, the oxidation behavior is clearly different between Pd3Au(111) and (100) surfaces. The (100) surface has a relatively Pd-rich surface composition, and the surface oxide layer is formed, whereas the (111) surface has a Au-rich composition, and the surface oxidation is quite limited. A combined approach of experimental and theoretical techniques reveals that Pd/Au surface composition and atomic arrangement are key factors determining the oxidation behavior.


Drug encapsulation in nanocarriers such as polymeric nanoparticles (Nps) may help to overcome the limitations associated with cannabinoids. In this study, the authors' work aimed to highlight the use of electrospraying techniques for the development of carrier Nps of anandamide (AEA), an endocannabinoid with attractive pharmacological effects but underestimated due to its unfavourable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties added to its undesirable effects at the level of the central nervous system. The authors characterised physicochemically and evaluated in vitro biological activity of anandamide/ɛ-polycaprolactone nanoparticles (Nps-AEA/PCL) obtained by electrospraying in epithelial cells of the human proximal tubule (HK2), to prove the utility of this method and to validate the biological effect of Nps-AEA/PCL. They obtained particles from 100 to 900 nm of diameter with a predominance of 200-400 nm. Their zeta potential was -20 ± 1.86 mV. They demonstrated the stable encapsulation of AEA in Nps-AEA/PCL, as well as its dose-dependent capacity to induce the expression of iNOS and NO levels and to decrease the Na+/K+ ATPase activity in HK2 cells. Obtaining Nps-AEA/PCL by electrospraying would represent a promising methodology for a novel AEA pharmaceutical formulation development with optimal physicochemical properties, physical stability and biological activity on HK2 cells.


Various aspects of the structural behavior of doweled joints, including load transfer, in rigid airport pavement systems are investigated by using nonlinear three-dimensional finite element methods. The finite element models include two concrete slab segments connected by dowels. The concrete slab and supporting layers are simulated by continuum solid elements. Solid elements can capture the severe local deformation in the concrete slab in the vicinity of wheel loads. They allow the modeling of nonlinear material response of the supporting layers and of frictional contact between the concrete slabs and supporting layers. These features generally are not considered in classical analytical approaches. The structural behavior of the doweled joint is investigated for various design and loading conditions, including tire pressure, slab thickness, dowel looseness, and different landing gear configurations. An attempt is made to quantify the amount and efficiency of load transfer through the dowels. According to the finite element results, 15% to 30% of the applied wheel load is transferred to the adjacent slab segment by the dowels in an intact joint, depending on design and loading conditions. In addition, 95% of the transferred shear force is carried only by the 9 or 11 dowels that are closest to the applied load.


Different types of stress play important roles in the onset and modulation of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. The physiological effects of psychological and physical stressors on gut function and brain-gut interactions are mediated by outputs of the emotional motor system in terms of autonomic, neuroendocrine, attentional, and pain modulatory responses. IBS patients show an enhanced responsiveness of this system manifesting in altered modulation of gastrointestinal motility and secretion and in alterations in the perception of visceral events. Functional brain imaging techniques are beginning to identify brain circuits involved in the perceptual alterations. Animal models have recently been proposed that mimic key features of the human syndrome.


Over the last years, an increased number of students are taking time out from study after completing high school – often referred to as a"gap year". This fact along with wider participation in higher edu-cation and changes in the specification of qualifications for high school students have made traditional assumptions about the knowledge of entrants to university courses obsolete. According to our experience at the Media Technology Department (Medialogy) in Aalborg University, one area in which this seems to be particularly true is mathematics. Related research has proved that this conclusion is valid for many other technical and non-technical studies. The major problem facing many undergraduates is a lack of basic skills in number and algebra, which severely hinders the exposition and development of mathematical ideas. However, these mathematical ideas are very important for basic technical courses of Medialogy, e.g. computer graphics programming. Moreover, this poor performance in mathematics is one of the main causes for dropout at university level. This paper presents our ongoing research aiming at tackling with this problem by developing dynamic and multimodal media for mathematics teaching and learning which will make mathematics more at-tractive and easier to understand to undergraduate students. These tools realise an interactive educational method by giving mathematics learners opportunities to develop visualization skills, explore mathematical concepts, and obtain solutions to self-selected problems. They are also multimodal by supporting different modes of interaction. The proposed media will be used for two consecutive years during the"Mathematics for Multimedia Application" course and combined with Problem Based Learning, which is already applied as a teaching method at Aalborg University. The impact of its use will be evaluated by analysing video transcriptions of lectures, student performance, in-terviews and evaluation questionnaires. For our evaluation we adopt a multisemiotic approach in an attempt to define a broader concept of learning. We believe that the multimodality and interactivity of our method can engage students with different learning styles and therefore enable them to assimilate the mathematics knowledge required despite their academic deficiencies.


Key innovations in factory automation systems have enabled many millions of leading-edge products to be developed and ramped at very high yields and speed in multiple factories in a very short time. These include fully automated operations which have been deployed pervasively, manufacturing, engineering and cycle-time breakthroughs, and automated process control and analysis capabilities that enable the output and quality predictability needed when manufacturing highly complex products on such a large scale. The talk will also discuss use of common platforms for rapid automation solutions deployment across the manufacturing chain, and cover the use of modeling and machine learning techniques that are used extensively to optimize development and manufacturing.


Abstract Background Studies evaluating mass drug administration (MDA) in malarious areas have shown reductions in malaria immediately following the intervention. However, these effects vary by endemicity and are not sustained. Since the 2013 version of this Cochrane Review on this topic, additional studies have been published. Objectives Primary objectives To assess the sustained effect of MDA with antimalarial drugs on: ‐ the reduction in malaria transmission in moderate‐ to high‐transmission settings; ‐ the interruption of transmission in very low‐ to low‐transmission settings. Secondary objective To summarize the risk of drug‐associated adverse effects following MDA. Search methods We searched several trial registries, citation databases, conference proceedings, and reference lists for relevant articles up to 11 February 2021. We also communicated with researchers to identify additional published and unpublished studies. Selection criteria Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non‐randomized studies comparing MDA to no MDA with balanced co‐interventions across study arms and at least two geographically distinct sites per study arm. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed trials for eligibility and extracted data. We calculated relative risk (RR) and rate ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to compare prevalence and incidence, respectively, in MDA compared to no‐MDA groups. We stratified analyses by malaria transmission and by malaria species. For cluster‐randomized controlled trials (cRCTs), we adjusted standard errors using the intracluster correlation coefficient. We assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. For non‐randomized controlled before‐and‐after (CBA) studies, we summarized the data using difference‐in‐differences (DiD) analyses. Main results Thirteen studies met our criteria for inclusion. Ten were cRCTs and three were CBAs. Cluster‐randomized controlled trials Moderate‐ to high‐endemicity areas (prevalence ≥ 10%) We included data from two studies conducted in The Gambia and Zambia. At one to three months after MDA, the Plasmodium falciparum (hereafter, P falciparum) parasitaemia prevalence estimates may be higher compared to control but the CIs included no effect (RR 1.76, 95% CI 0.58 to 5.36; Zambia study; low‐certainty evidence); parasitaemia incidence was probably lower (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.92; The Gambia study; moderate‐certainty evidence); and confirmed malaria illness incidence may be substantially lower, but the CIs included no effect (rate ratio 0.41, 95% CI 0.04 to 4.42; Zambia study; low‐certainty evidence). At four to six months after MDA, MDA showed little or no effect on P falciparum parasitaemia prevalence (RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.56; The Gambia study; moderate‐certainty evidence) and, no persisting effect was demonstrated with parasitaemia incidence (rate ratio 0.91, 95% CI 0.55 to 1.50; The Gambia study). Very low‐ to low‐endemicityareas (prevalence < 10%) Seven studies from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (two studies), Vietnam, Zambia, and Zanzibar evaluated the effects of multiple rounds of MDA on P falciparum. Immediately following MDA (less than one month after MDA), parasitaemia prevalence was reduced (RR 0.12, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.52; one study; low‐certainty evidence). At one to three months after MDA, there was a reduction in both parasitaemia incidence (rate ratio 0.37, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.55; 1 study; moderate‐certainty evidence) and prevalence (RR 0.25, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.41; 7 studies; low‐certainty evidence). For confirmed malaria incidence, absolute rates were low, and it is uncertain whether MDA had an effect on this outcome (rate ratio 0.58, 95% CI 0.12 to 2.73; 2 studies; very low‐certainty evidence). For P falciparum prevalence, the relative differences declined over time, from RR 0.63 (95% CI 0.36 to 1.12; 4 studies) at four to six months after MDA, to RR 0.86 (95% CI 0.55 to 1.36; 5 studies) at 7 to 12 months after MDA. Longer‐term prevalence estimates showed overall low absolute risks, and relative effect estimates of the effect of MDA on prevalence varied from RR 0.82 (95% CI 0.20 to 3.34) at 13 to 18 months after MDA, to RR 1.25 (95% CI 0.25 to 6.31) at 31 to 36 months after MDA in one study. Five studies from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (2 studies), and Vietnam evaluated the effect of MDA on Plasmodium vivax (hereafter, P vivax). One month following MDA, P vivax prevalence was lower (RR 0.18, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.40; 1 study; low‐certainty evidence). At one to three months after MDA, there was a reduction in P vivax prevalence (RR 0.15, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.24; 5 studies; low‐certainty evidence). The immediate reduction on P vivax prevalence was not sustained over time, from RR 0.78 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.95; 4 studies) at four to six months after MDA, to RR 1.12 (95% CI 0.94 to 1.32; 5 studies) at 7 to 12 months after MDA. One of the studies in Myanmar provided estimates of longer‐term effects, where overall absolute risks were low, ranging from RR 0.81 (95% CI 0.44 to 1.48) at 13 to 18 months after MDA, to RR 1.20 (95% CI 0.44 to 3.29) at 31 to 36 months after MDA. Non‐randomized studies Three CBA studies were conducted in moderate‐ to high‐transmission areas in Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Nigeria. There was a reduction in P falciparum parasitaemia prevalence in MDA groups compared to control groups during MDA (DiD range: ‐15.8 to ‐61.4 percentage points), but the effect varied at one to three months after MDA (DiD range: 14.9 to ‐41.1 percentage points). Authors' conclusions In moderate‐ to high‐transmission settings, no studies reported important effects on P falciparum parasitaemia prevalence within six months after MDA. In very low‐ to low‐transmission settings, parasitaemia prevalence and incidence were reduced initially for up to three months for both P falciparum and P vivax; longer‐term data did not demonstrate an effect after four months, but absolute risks in both intervention and control groups were low. No studies provided evidence of interruption of malaria transmission.


This paper is the second in a series in which we present intermediate-resolution, wide-wavelength coverage spectra for a complete sample of 14 compact radio sources, taken with the aim of investigating the impact of the nuclear activity on the circumnuclear interstellar medium (ISM) in the early stages of radio source evolution. In the first paper (Holt, Tadhunter & Morganti), we presented the kinematic results from the nuclear emission-line modelling and reported fast outflows in the circumnuclear gas. In this paper, we use the line fluxes to investigate the physical conditions and dominant ionization mechanisms of the emission-line gas. We find evidence for large electron densities and high reddening in the nuclear regions, particularly in the broader, blueshifted components. These results are consistent with the idea that the young, recently triggered radio sources still reside in dense and dusty cocoons deposited by the recent activity triggering event (merger/interaction). In addition, we find that the quiescent nuclear and extended narrow components are consistent with active galactic nucleus (AGN) photoionization, split between simple-slab AGN photoionization and mixed-medium photoionization models. For the nuclear broader and shifted components, the results are less clear. Whilst there are suggestions that the broader components may be closer to shock plus precursor models on the diagnostic diagrams, and that the electron temperatures and densities are high, we are unable to unambiguously distinguish the dominant ionization mechanism using the optical emission-line ratios. This is surprising given the strong evidence for jet-cloud interactions (broad emission lines, large outflow velocities and strong radio-optical alignments), which favours the idea that the warm gas has been accelerated in shocks driven by the radio lobes expanding through a dense cocoon of gas deposited during the triggering event.


We provide a review and synthesis of polyhedral approaches to machine scheduling problems. The choice of decision variables is the prime determinant of various formulations for such problems. Constraints, such as facet inducing inequalities for corresponding polyhedra, are often needed, in addition to those just required for the validity of the initial formulation, in order to obtain useful lower bounds and structural insights. We review formulations based on time–indexed variables; on linear ordering, start time and completion time variables; on assignment and positional date variables; and on traveling salesman variables. We point out relationship between various models, and provide a number of new results, as well as simplified new proofs of known results. In particular, we emphasize the important role that supermodular polyhedra and greedy algorithms play in many formulations and we analyze the strength of the lower and upper bounds obtained from different formulations and relaxations. We discuss separation algorithms for several classes of inequalities, and their potential applicability in generating cutting planes for the practical solution of such scheduling problems. We also review some recent results on approximation algorithms based on some of these formulations.


bribe to keep the secret. I was shocked. Was this child sexual abuse in our house? Only a few weeks earlier I had attended a day's workshop on child sexual abuse and learnt that it usually occurred within the household-perpetrated by an older member of the family who often used bribes. I decided that I must challenge my son straight away, and the same evening I questioned him in the most non-accusatory voice I could muster. He didn't say much and denied the part involving my daughter touching him. I wasn't too surprised so did not press him further but concluded our talk with the advice that it was not appropriate to do this with his sister, who was much younger than him. From then on I made sure the two of them were not left alone together. I was alone at the time as my husband was working abroad. I shared my concern with a close friend (a paediatrician and mother), who supported my action. When I did tell my husband on his return I found him unhelpful. He would make no comment, nor would he talk further to our son. However, he has never talked to our son about sexual concerns, and when our son was 17 and met a girl it was I who watched the relationship develop into a caring and sexual one, I who advised on birth control, and I who insisted that they did not sleep in the same bedroom in our house. We have all undergone our sexual development and have all had sexual experiences good and bad. We are talking about it more, especially in schools, but sadly not enough-not enough to little children when they are receptive to discussion about their bodies, not enough to growing children so that they know they can talk about what is happening to them, and not enough so that when they are adult they can confide in others if they are having problems. Perhaps if more families could be more open about sexuality there would be fewer problems of sexual and related abuse. These problems could and should be prevented.


The three-dimensional (3D) turbulent mixing zone (TMZ) evolution under Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov conditions was studied using two approaches. First, an extensive numerical study was made, investigating the growth of a random 3D perturbation in a wide range of density ratios. Following that, a new 3D statistical model was developed, similar to the previously developed two-dimensional (2D) statistical model, assuming binary interactions between bubbles that are growing at a 3D asymptotic velocity. Confirmation of the theoretical model was gained by detailed comparison of the bubble size distribution to the numerical simulations, enabled by a new analysis scheme that was applied to the 3D simulations. In addition, the results for the growth rate of the 3D bubble front obtained from the theoretical model show very good agreement with both the experimental and the 3D simulation results. A simple 3D drag-buoyancy model is also presented and compared with the results of the simulations and the experiments with good agreement. Its extension to the spike-front evolution, made by assuming the spikes' motion is governed by the single-mode evolution determined by the dominant bubbles, is in good agreement with the experiments and the 3D simulations. The good agreement between the 3D theoretical models, the 3D numerical simulations, and the experimental results, together with the clear differences between the 2D and the 3D results, suggest that the discrepancies between the experiments and the previously developed models are due to geometrical effects.


The UK Information Literacy website was launched in March 2006 and can be found at http://www.informationliteracy.org.uk. The website is dedicated to the enhancement of the important field of Information Literacy (IL). The site has been established through a partnership with the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Community Services Group (CSG) sub group on Information Literacy1, Eduserv2, Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL)3, the Museum Libraries and Archives Council (MLA)4, the Higher Education Academy Information and Computing Sciences Centre (HEA-ICS)5 and the Schools Library Group6. To find out more about the partners visit their websites listed at the end of this article.


Complete assignment of the 1 H and 13 C NMR chemical shifts of new coumarin derivate was described in this paper. A new coumarin derivate was synthesized in good yield by reaction of 4chloro-3-nitrocoumarin and 6-nitrobenzothiazol-2amine in ethyl acetate in the presence of triethylamine. The complete spectral assignment was achieved using of 1D ( 1 H and 13 C NMR) and 2D ( 1 H1 H-COSY, NOESY, HSQC and HMBC) NMR experiments.


Changes in plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, and lipoprotein concentrations were assessed in three male endurance cyclists who consumed isoenergetic diets for 28-day periods in which carbohydrate, polyunsaturated fat, or saturated fat contributed about 50% of the daily energy intake. Dietary cholesterol was similar among the diets. Maximal aerobic capacity was maintained at 62 ml 02/(kg. mm). Body weights were held within 3% of admission levels. The polyunsaturated fat diet significantly (p < 0.05) reduced mean fasting plasma total cholesterol in comparison to the saturated fat and carbohydrate diets (160 versus 254 and 243 mg/dl, respectively). Similarly, the polyunsaturated fat diet depressed (p < 0.05) mean plasma triglycerides relative to the saturated fat and carbohydrate diets (37 versus 62 and 79 mg/dl, respectively). No significant dietary effects were seen on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The observed changes in plasma total cholesterol were not significantly different than the values predicted by the Keys' equation, �CHL = l.35(2�S-�P) + l.5�Z. We conclude that under controlled conditions in which physical activity is constant 1) dietary lipid differences influence fasting serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations among men with high energy expenditures, and 2) the Keys' equation gives useful predictions of changes in plasma total cholesterol among vigorous men consuming different types and amounts of dietary lipid. Am J Clin Nuir 1984;39:35-44.


Worldwide, 61 million children are not in school. Despite many campaigns and initiatives, this number has not decreased over the last 10 years. There is a growing recognition that especially the most marginalised children will not be reached by simply expanding the current education system. Innovative education technology, coupled with a context specific approach, could provide opportunities. This thesis describes a project that attempts to provide education for hard to reach children. To support children to learn, without additional instruction from teachers, it was decided to design and develop a mathematics game, targeting children in Sudan with no ready access to education (in remote areas, nomadic or Internally Displaced People). The overall question of this thesis is: How can children in remote villages in Sudan learn mathematics from playing a mathematics game without additional instruction from teachers? As there was no existing curriculum-based, Arabic mathematics game, a new game had to be designed. Following a research-based approach, a set of requirements for a mathematics game that could reach these children was identified. Then the mathematics game was designed, developed and evaluated. To study whether children in remote villages in Sudan can learn mathematics from playing the game autonomously, two pilots were carried out. Pilot I focused on the question whether out-of-school children in remote villages in Sudan can learn mathematics from playing the game at all. Following positive results, sustained learning was studied in pilot II; a longer pilot, including more children and more, diverse, learning objectives. The question whether children can learn can be answered with a wholehearted 'yes'. Children who played the game have learned as much as, and probably more than, children in the control groups (no education in the same period; informal education in the same period). The set of requirements that was identified and the careful game design have resulted in a mathematics game that is engaging and motivating for the target population, leading to significant learning results. Unintentionally, even the flexibility of the game-based learning approach was proven: children only played an average 2-3 days a week instead of the planned five days a week and still increased their test scores significantly. This shows that skipping a few days a week, or even a whole week once in a while, does not get in the way of learning. Finally, the influence of child-related and context factors on learning effect was studied. The distance to the nearest primary school, self-esteem and self-efficacy showed positive correlations with test results, with a medium effect. At the same time, self-esteem has increased during the pilot. For the Sudan game, this does not mean immediate changes are necessary. When taking the game to a school context, changes should be made. At the same time, the design process and the game components can and have been used to adapt the game. The mathematics game has been adapted for Lebanon and Jordan, with Syrian refugees in mind. In addition, a literacy game for Sudan and Jordan was designed and developed.


We theoretically study the optical absorption property of twisted bilayer graphenes with various stacking geometries, and demonstrate that the spectroscopic characteristics serve as a fingerprint to identify the rotation angle between two layers. We find that the absorption spectrum almost continuously evolves in changing the rotation angle, regardless of the lattice commensurability. The spectrum is characterized by series of peaks associated with the van Hove singularity, and the peak energies systematically shift with the rotation angle. We calculate the optical absorption in two different frameworks; the tight-binding model and the effective continuum model based on the Dirac equation. For small rotation angles less than $10^\circ$, the effective model well reproduces the low-energy band structure and the optical conductivity of the tight-binding model, and also explains the optical selection rule analytically in terms of the symmetry of the effective Hamiltonian.


Pizzas, profiteroles, panzanella—these are all things that gluten-free and dairy-free people dream of. Bestselling author Grace Cheetham takes the stress out of baking free-from food, and reveals how to create truly delicious baked goodies

Melt-in-the-mouth Red Velvet Cake; delicate Fondant Fancies; delicious Fig and Rosemary Pizza... For many celiacs or people allergic or intolerant to gluten and/or dairy, making any of these seems far too difficult. But best-selling author and leading expert in the thriving free-from community, Grace Cheetham shows how easy it is to work with gluten-free flours and grains, and dairy-free products, to transform their culinary lives. Intolerant to both gluten and dairy, Grace has spent years developing delicious recipes from alternative ingredients to inspire those who follow her popular blog. And now with every large supermarket stocking a wide range of these gluten- and dairy-free ingredients, it's never been easier to cook up a feast! From breads and cookies to cakes and desserts, and even baked main meals, Grace's new book offers so much variety you'll never feel like you're missing out again. Soft bread studded with sun-dried tomatoes and fragrant thyme leaves, Carrot and Cardamom Cake with a fluffy lime frosting, or Turkish Lamb Pizzas made from Flatbreads—these are just a few of the dishes you can create. What's more, all the irresistible recipes in The Best Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Baking Recipes take the stress out of baking free-from food—whether you are an experienced cook or just starting out in the kitchen. With stunning photography and design, this book is the ultimate guide to gluten-free and dairy-free baking.


Background: Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is actually the most common surgical technique used in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), worldwide. In EVAR, as we know, the most common complication is endoleak (EL), which is the most common cause of failure in the endovascular treatment of AAA. We can deduce that the surveillance and mid-term/long-term follow-up is mandatory and very important to detect EL. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has been proposed as the gold standard in EVAR follow-up because its ability to detect EL (especially if they are at low flow like type II) and because it is a cheap technique, reducing direct costs and X-ray exposure to the patients. Methods: We started using CEUS as the first-level examination to detect EL in every EVAR patients. CEUS is performed at 3–6–12 months after EVAR and then annually. Computed tomography scan is performed to every patient, to confirm the diagnosis of EL and in any case of sac enlargement without evidence of EL during CEUS. The procedure consists in the administration of 2.5 ml SonoVue® (Bracco Farmaceutici-Milano) bolus followed by 5 ml sodium chloride 0.9% and is performed on Philips IU22 (Philips, Netherlands). We used to start collecting time at the end of the bolus injection. Results: In our 31 patient population, we recorded 13 cases of EL (41.93%), in particular, 3 cases of type I-III (9.68%) and 10 cases of type II (32.25%); in the whole group, sensibility and specificity (Se and Sp) of CEUS to detect EL (not type-specific) were 92% and 100%, respectively. These data are as other data of more important case-series. Conclusions: CEUS is considered the gold standard technique to detect early EL for more authors worldwide. In our experience, we can confirm this matter because CEUS has high Se and Sp (about 100%, in any cases).


In July 2012, Mammoth Lakes, California declared bankruptcy. After disputing with a developer for nearly a dozen years, the town faced a judgment nearly three times its annual budget. The mood of the ski resort, a town of 8,000 tucked in an isolated patch of the Eastern Sierra, was darkened and anxious as reality set in; jobs would be lost, services would be cut. People questioned if the Town would be able to continue to function, or if the Mammoth dream would soon die. "The Town: Bankruptcy at Mammoth Lakes" is an interactive video documentary about an ambitious small resort town. We start in the early 1940s with the dream of a man named Dave McCoy. With only a rope tow, McCoy eventually founded the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. He helped the town became a popular destination for vacationers all over the state. By the 1990s, big development arrived in Mammoth Lakes. Intrawest, a resort developer known for shaping a number of North American ski resorts, bought a stake in Mammoth Mountain, and additionally acquired all of the available real estate in the area. The developers wanted to transform the town into a world-class tourist destination. Mammoth chose development to ensure its financial fortunes. But there was a missing link to the grand design: a destination resort needed a modern airport. The town drafted an agreement with a developer named Terry Ballas. Ballas would make improvements at the airport, in return, he would retain the right to develop at the airport, including a hotel and/or condominium complex. In December 2000, the Federal Aviation Administration approved the airport layout plan. But not everyone liked the FAA's decision. Conservationists grew concerned. An expanded airport meant potentially tens of thousands of visitors to the Eastern Sierra, which would leave an unknown tread on the environment. These conservationist organizations, along with the state of California, sued the US Department of Transportation — including the FAA — for approving the project. They argued the environmental impact on the Town was never fully considered. The judge sided with the state and conservationists. He blocked the plan, saying it would move forward only if the airport performed an additional environmental examination. The FAA, now on the defensive, told the Town it needed to reevaluate the Development Agreement with Ballas if they wanted to continue to receive FAA grants. But the development agreement between the Town and Ballas had already been signed, granting him the rights to develop regardless of the FAA's grant assurances. The Town would not move forward with Ballas until the FAA issues were resolved. Ballas and his partners sued Mammoth Lakes for breach of development agreement. The jury ruled in favor of the developer, and the town was ordered to pay $32 million in damages. The verdict struck the nerves of residents. Some felt the jury, culled from outside of Mammoth Lakes, sought to punish the posh ski town with its verdict. Others blamed the Town's legal defense team for not calling the proper witnesses. The Town pushed all the way to California's Supreme Court. In March 2011, the Town was told its appeal was denied. More troubling, interest had been accruing on the Town's judgment, and now exceeded $42 million. By the summer of 2012, the Town Council had run out of options. The town settled a few months later for approximately $43 million. Mammoth must pay $2 million a year for the next 23 years. Despite the painful settlement, the mood of the local government is optimistic. Town Council members believe an ambitious new marketing campaign coupled with increased development will pull them out of the mess. Their designs strongly resemble the approach that got them into this mess in the first place. The project concludes with a reflection about the cyclical nature of Mammoth Lakes.


The annotation of the results of database transformations was shown to be very effective for various applications. Until recently, most works in this context focused on positive query languages. The provenance semirings is a particular approach that was proven effective for these languages, and it was shown that when propagating provenance with semirings, the expected equivalence axioms of the corresponding query languages are satisfied. There have been several attempts to extend the framework to account for relational algebra queries with difference. We show here that these suggestions fail to satisfy some expected equivalence axioms (that in particular hold for queries on "standard" set and bag databases). Interestingly, we show that this is not a pitfall of these particular attempts, but rather every such attempt is bound to fail in satisfying these axioms, for some semirings. Finally, we show particular semirings for which an extension for supporting difference is (im)possible.


Snubber studies for switched reluctance motor (SRM) drives are nonexistent even though the power converter topologies are unique and do not fall under the category of inverter topologies applicable to AC motor drives. The importance of the snubbers does not come into picture until either the power rating of the converter is high and in the multi-kW range or the switching frequency requirement is in the 20 kHz range. Such requirements are coming to the fore recently in many product development applications such as extruders, general purpose drives, integral starter generators for aircraft, electric vehicles, high speed spindles and centrifuges, etc. This paper is concerned with extending the Undeland snubber configuration to the two-switches per phase power converter topology of the SRM drive including the energy recovery feature. The energy recovery snubbers are then analyzed in terms of the various modes of operation encountered in the converter. A design procedure for the energy recovery snubbers is developed. The design procedure and the operation of the proposed snubber configuration in the SRM drive are experimentally verified with a laboratory prototype SRM drive. The impact of the proposed snubber on the power converter efficiency and its comparison with conventional snubber based systems, such as RCDs, is evaluated to assess the advantages of the proposed energy recovery snubber.<<ETX>>


This paper analyzes whether or not the econometric methods usually applied to test for absolute convergence have provided this hypothesis a "fair" chance. I show that traditional (absolute and conditional) convergence tests are not consistent with even the simplest model that displays convergence. Furthermore, claims of divergence on the grounds of bimodalities in the distribution of GDP per capita can be made consistent with models in which neither divergence nor twin peaks are present in the long run.


Poor diagnosis, treatment and prevention practices had characterised Patent Medicine Vendor (PMV) activities in malaria control despite expectations on their contributions to check the menace. Interventions reversing this situation reduces disease burden and legitimise PMV inclusion in basic healthcare delivery. This study seeks to identify and review studies addressing this priority problem. Steps outlined in PRISMA guidelines were adopted to search and conduct reviews via electronic databases. Randomized trials with intervention effects on PMVs were considered and thirteen articles were ultimately reviewed and narratively evaluated. Analysis of search outputs identified intervention types, methods used, sample sizes, intervention periods, knowledge, attitude and practice variables, other outcomes and listing of priority systematic review topics, using pre-determined criteria. All reviewed studies were found to be effective despite adopting different intervention approaches. Furthermore, identifying and prioritizing reviews greatly improves future malaria interventions and results thereof, thereby maximising opportunities to deliver appropriate and evidence-based healthcare.


The nasciturus fiction has been applied in South African law to claim delictual damages on behalf of a child born with a handicap resulting from an injury sustained in ventre matris. In the present case the court had to decide whether an unborn child had a claim for damages against the Road Accident Fund, and in particular whether the nasciturus fiction found application. In the end the court chose to decide the matter in accordance with the general principles of the law of delict. This case is particularly interesting in the light of the wrongful life claims which have been instituted on behalf of children born with handicaps in Europe and elsewhere. Although this case is not an example of a wrongful life claim, after the decision in the case under discussion, one could easily conceive of such a claim being allowed in instances where a child is born severely handicapped as a result of negligence on the part of the obstetrician. After all, if the average motorist owes a legal duty to the generic unborn child (as was held in the present case), it is not too far-fetched to construe a similar legal duty on the part of the obstetrician who is caring for the pregnant mother of the unborn child.


In Serbia, appearance of the first anime concurred with their appearance in the rest of Europe. However, reception of the Japanese popular culture was dramatically slower due to the long time Serbia had spent in isolation and under sanctions. Unfortunate regressive consequences of this isolation have even affected reading habits. With the closure of this dark period, Serbian public was left alone and forced to fight for its preferences. Today, the situation is much better since new generations have the opportunity to learn about the Japanese popular culture thanks to growing internet and the work of Sakurabana Association and other individuals. Young people show great interest in Japanese comics since the nature of this media is to convey massages in a very easy and efficient manner. Fact is that there is already a considerable number of people in Serbia who share their love for the Japanese popular culture, which promises even wider acceptance and a growing audience.


Learning modules provide an effective means of encouraging cognition and active learning. This paper discusses several such modules that have been developed within a course on weather radar applications intended for students from Electrical Engineering and Meteorology. The modules were designed both to promote interdisciplinary exchange between the students and to guide them from a theoretical to an applied understanding of weather radar and the interactions of radio waves with geophysical media. The learning modules introduce students to various means of acquiring weather radar data from real-time and archival sources and ways in which to query and visualize them. They are also tasked with analyzing data from several actual and significant meteorological events and asked to assess the strengths and limitations of current methods of retrieving rainfall rates. Data sources include both weather radars and complementary surface-based instrumentation. The modules may be used in a variety of locations and by a diversity of students. Although developed for weather radar applications, the concepts discussed are applicable to other interdisciplinary classroom environments.


Countless enterprise blockchains fail to live up to high expectations, often because the supporting governance structures are insufficiently established or have become stagnant. Based on interviews with 153 blockchain executives and an analysis of publicly documented use cases, this article offers a guide for blockchain scholars and practitioners. Its framework highlights the coordination and control challenges that exist in blockchain governance contexts and presents four generic governance modes to address them: chief, clan, custodian, and consortium. Managers can use these governance modes as a basis for four strategic moves (connecting, isolating, loosening, and tightening) to navigate blockchain governance challenges.


Most work done in areas such as counseling, therapy, leadership, and coaching involves some aspect of decision making. New electroencephalographic (EEG) electromagnetic tomographic analysis (ETA) imaging techniques provide a mechanism for exploring decisions, while the individual is directly engaged in everyday choice making, by exposing our precognitive emotional responses to identified thoughts, feelings, and actions. This article discusses gamma wave activity research, at the precognitive level, and its use for describing approach-avoidance decision making. Armed with these new insights, an individual can better understand the emotional triggers that affect our daily decisions.