The Llano de la Paciencia is a thrust sheet top basin in which the sedimentological and topographic evolution can be linked to thrust tip propagation. It is an elongate gravel plain which borders the Salar de Atacama, a major intermontane basin in the Andean forearc of northern Chile. The Llano is bounded to the west by the Cerros de Purilactis a Cretaceous–Paleocene sequence uplifted by the Frontal Domeyko Thrust. The eastern margin of the Llano is formed by the Cordillera de la Sal which was uplifted by a linked back thrust-frontal thrust system. The Salar de Atacama is thus divided into a number of discrete sub-basins: the Llano de la Paciencia, the Pampa Visachita and the western sub-Llano which from east-west are bounded by the Cordillera de la Sal, the northern imbricates and the ignimbrite back thrust. Two phases of sedimentological evolution can be distinguished within the Llano on the basis of Quaternary to Recent sediment dispersal patterns. Initially, Phase 1 alluvial fan lobes prograded eastwards into the main Salar de Atacama basin. Subsequently, uplift of the Cordillera de la Sal deflected drainage systems southwards parallel to the structural strike. These Phase 2 alluvial deposits drain into the Salar de Atacama at the lateral termination of the Cordillera de la Sal frontal thrust. In places where thrust tip ramps are emergent within the Llano, gullies have been incised into the drainage pathways. This has resulted in the reworking of the early Phase 1 gravels and progradation of the Phase 2 fan lobes. The evolution of the Llano de la Paciencia illustrates the close link between topography and syntectonic alluvial drainage patterns in an arid intermontane basin.


A 19-year-old Japanese woman had melena 2 months after systemic lupus erythematosus was diagnosed. Colonoscopy showed diffuse ulceration with bleeding in the ileum, suggesting that the melena was due to ischemic enteritis associated with lupus enteritis. Because treatment with high doses of steroid, anticoagulants, and cyclophosphamide pulse was ineffective, surgical intervention was planned. On exploration, it was impossible to determine the extent of resection visually. Intraoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy clearly revealed the border between the ulcer and normal area, permitting successful resection of the ileum and ileostomy. This is the first report to document the usefulness of esophagogastroduodenoscopy in surgical treatment of ischemic enteritis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.


Nowadays the Hungarian government finances the sports in many ways; one of these grant forms is the group of 16 prioritized sports (biking, boxing, fencing, gymnastic, judo, track and field, kayak-canoeing, modern pentathlon, rowing, shooting, skating, swimming, tennis, table tennis, volleyball and wrestling) which are supported notably by the Hungarian Olympic Committee (HOC) till 2020. The purpose of the 1st sport vocational audit was to identify the current status of these sports, and also to create a database in many fields as a benchmark of the development. The sport management department of the Semmelweis University, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences (TF) contracted with the Hungarian Olympic Committee (HOC) in order to carry the sport vocational audit out. A sport develops if the numbers of the athletes grow or the results of the national teams are better. The coaches are the key persons in this development, if they could gather more children into the sport or they work better with the elite athletes the development has already done. It was examined the existence of the coach education programs; all the federations were running coaching programs for adults (OKJ) in both levels (coach assistant, coach). By 14 associations existed the first level of the higher education coaching program (BSc) and in 13 federations operated the MSc coaching program as well. All these coaching courses were common programs with schools, or universities. It was no evidence found that the federations run own coaching program but coaching license system existed in two sports at the time of the investigation.


Type Ia supernovae are thought to be the outcome of the thermonuclear explosion of a carbon/oxygen white dwarf in a close binary system. Their optical light curve is powered by thermalized gamma-rays produced by the radioactive decay of $^{56}$Ni, the most abundant isotope present in the debris. Gamma-rays escaping the ejecta can be used as a diagnostic tool for studying the structure of the exploding star and the characteristics of the explosion. The fluxes of the $^{56}$Ni lines and the continuum obtained by INTEGRAL from SN2014J in M82, the first ever gamma-detected SNIa, around the time of the maximum of the optical light curve strongly suggest the presence of a plume of $^{56}$Ni in the outermost layers moving at high velocities. If this interpretation was correct, it could have important consequences on our current understanding of the physics of the explosion and on the nature of the systems that explode.


Like Topsy this article grew. It began life in 1992 during visits to civil engineers throughout South Africa. It was then no more than a burr under the skin arising from a deep-rooted frustration among members. Our work was seldom appreciated and we were doubting our own worth. Two years later a workshop to direct the Institution's Strategic Plan brought many of these frustrations to the surface. A paper to the American Society of Civil Engineers by Michel Bruneau (1993) of the University of Ottawa helped direct the research that underpins this article and confirmed that we were not alone. Finally, a workshop at the Institution's Port Elizabeth congress in April 1995 and another with government and industry representatives in September 1995 added flesh to the bones.


Objectives Vitamin D deficiency and high parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels have been linked with hypertension. Nondipper hypertension is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We aimed to investigate the relationship of vitamin D and PTH levels with nondipper hypertension and nocturnal decline in untreated hypertensive patients. Patients and methods This cross-sectional study included a total of 73 hypertensive and 34 normotensive participants. Each patient underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, routine biochemical tests, vitamin D, and PTH analysis. Results The study population was divided into three groups according to ambulatory blood pressure monitoring records: 40 nondippers (mean age; 59.8±10.8 years, 24 women and 16 men), 33 dipper hypertensives (mean age; 58±11.8 years, 13 women and 20 men), and 34 normotensives (mean age; 56.9±11.7 years, 19 women and 15 men). Nondipper hypertensives showed lower levels of vitamin D than dippers and normotensives (9.7±6.1 vs. 14.9±10.1 vs. 16.4±9.5 ng/ml, P=0.001, for both) and higher levels of PTH than dippers (74.8±34.7 vs. 53.3±19.9 ng/ml, P=0.001). A significant positive correlation was observed between vitamin D and nocturnal decline (r=0.34, P=0.001), whereas a significant negative correlation was present between PTH and nocturnal decline(r=−0.26, P=0.006). In multivariate analysis, PTH level was correlated independently with nocturnal decline (&bgr;=−0.07, 95% confidence interval: −0.114–0.025, P=0.003). Conclusion In this study, vitamin D levels were significantly lower and PTH levels were significantly higher in nondippers. The vitamin D level was correlated positively and the PTH level was correlated negatively with nocturnal decline. In addition, PTH level was associated independently with nocturnal decline in hypertension.


Reversed-phase HPLC and UV spectrophotometric techniques using water as solvent have been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of amoxicillin and cloxacillin in capsules. For both techniques, the linearity range of 60.073x2013;140.0 µg/mL was studied. The spectrophotometric data show that non-derivative techniques, such as absorbance ratio and compensation, and ratio spectra first-order derivative could be successfully used for the co-assay of amoxicillin and cloxacillin. Based on the statistical comparison of spectrophotometric and chromatographic data, the interchangeability between HPLC and UV spectrophotometric techniques has been suggested for the routine analysis.


We audited the value of overnight shunt pressure monitoring in 17 children with symptoms of possible shunt dysfunction but no other supportive evidence. The shunt was accessed by a 25G butterfly connected to a disposable arterial pressure monitor positioned on the ipsilateral shoulder whose output was recorded continuously, while noting posture, sleep state and symptoms. Initially traces were analysed only for the portion spent both asleep and supine or prone. Six showed pressure peaks while asleep: of these four underwent shunt revision with remission of their symptoms and two resolved spontaneously, one with a simultaneous resolution of a peritoneal CSF collection, but the other had a recurrence of symptoms after six months. Two more subsequently shown to have blocked shunts had normal traces while asleep but abnormal pressure peaks when awake and upright. Two showed pressure troughs: one responded to insertion of an antisyphon device and one resolved spontaneously. Five had normal traces while asleep and awake: symptoms resolved in three and persisted in two in whom later prolonged extradural monitoring with a fibre-optic transducer was also normal. Studies failed in two. We conclude that prolonged overnight shunt pressure monitoring with this technique is useful in diagnosing shunt dysfunction and that abnormalities detected while awake and upright are as significant as those detected asleep and supine or prone.


P-glycoprotein lowers the intracellular concentration of a variety of unrelated compounds including doxorubicin by actively removing them from the cell. Mathematical modeling techniques have been applied to the transmembrane transport of doxorubicin in a nonresistant HL-60 cell line and in a P-glycoprotein-containing resistant subclone, HL-60R, to obtain clearances for inward and outward transport. Distribution of [14C]doxorubicin from extracellular fluid into the cell pellet was analyzed with a closed two-compartment system that fitted experimental measurements of drug concentrations in the extracellular fluid and in the cell pellet, represented by a third compartment that includes trapped extracellular doxorubicin along with the intact cells. Transmembrane diffusion clearance was similar for the two cell lines (1.00 vs. 1.06 microliters sec-1), yielding an apparent doxorubicin permeability coefficient of 7.4 x 10(-5) cm sec-1. However, the total efflux clearance averaged 0.99 +/- 0.05 microliters sec-1 in HL-60 and 2.29 +/- 0.62 microliters sec-1 in HL-60R. The estimated P-glycoprotein-mediated efflux clearance in HL-60R averaged 1.23 +/- 0.51 microliters sec-1. This experimental approach provides direct estimates of transport parameters in intact cells and should be useful in studying the mechanism of action and interactions of inhibitors of P-glycoprotein.


Classifiers trained on data sets possessing an imbalanced class distribution are known to exhibit poor generalisation performance. This is known as the imbalanced learning problem. The problem becomes particularly acute when we consider incremental classifiers operating on imbalanced data streams, especially when the learning objective is rare class identification. As accuracy may provide a misleading impression of performance on imbalanced data, existing stream classifiers based on accuracy can suffer poor minority class performance on imbalanced streams, with the result being low minority class recall rates. In this paper we address this deficiency by proposing the use of the Hellinger distance measure, as a very fast decision tree split criterion. We demonstrate that by using Hellinger a statistically significant improvement in recall rates on imbalanced data streams can be achieved, with an acceptable increase in the false positive rate.


Aims: We examined all available literature and some unpublished data on the We examined all available literature and some unpublished data on the grasslands dominated by Lygeum spartum from Southern Europe and North Africa to produce a formalised classification of this vegetation and to identify the main factors determining its plant species composition.

Location: Mediterranean Basin and Iberian Peninsula.

Methods: We used a dataset of 728 releves, which were resampled to reduce unbalanced sampling effort, resulting in a dataset of 568 releves and 846 taxa. We classified the plots by TWINSPAN, interpreted the resulting pools, and used them to develop formal definitions of phytosociological alliances characterised by L. spartum vegetation. The definitions were included in an expert system to assist automatic vegetation classification. We related the alliances to climatic factors and described their biogeographical features and ecological preferences. The floristic relationships between these alliances were analysed and visualised using distance-based redundancy analysis.

Results: We defined eleven alliances of L. spartum vegetation, including the newly described Launaeo laniferae–Lygeion sparti from SW Morocco and the Noaeo mucronatae–Lygeion sparti from the Algerian highlands and NE Morocco. Biogeographical, climatic, and edaphic factors were revealed as putatively driving the differentiation between the alliances. Vegetations of clayey slopes and inland salt basins displayed higher variability in comparison with those of coastal salt marshes.

Main conclusions: A comprehensive formal classification, accompanied by an expert system, of the grasslands from Southern Europe and North Africa dominated by Lygeum spartum vegetation was formulated. Eleven phytosociological alliances were recognised, whose plant species composition is influenced by biogeographic, climatic, and edaphic drivers. The expert system, containing formal definitions of the phytosociological alliances, will assist in identifying the syntaxonomic position of new datasets.


This paper develops a model of pricing and advertising in a matching environment with capacity constrained sellers and uncoordinated buyers. Sellers' search intensity attracts buyers only probabilistically through costly informative advertisement. Equilibrium prices and profit maximizing advertising levels are derived and their properties analyzed. The model generates an inverted U-shape relationship between individual advertisement and market tightness which is robust to alternative advertising technologies. The well known empirical fact in the IO literature reflects the trade-off between price and market tightness matching effects. Finally, in this environment we can alleviate the discontinuity problem, allowing for unique symmetric equilibrium price to be derived.


Compared with other spectroscopic techniques, Raman spectroscopy has not generally been applied to problems of quantitative analysis, primarily because it is assumed that spectral irreproducibility due to source, sample or optical parameters requires standardization of the Raman signal. However, a custom-built Raman spectrometer with a 785 nm excitation source has yielded a spectral peak height reproducibility of 0.5% relative standard deviation. Quantitative studies of glucose in water, ethanol in water and p-xylene in m-xylene, described here, illustrate the linearity and precision of the Raman system. In order to estimate the linear dynamic range of the instrument, detection limits were determined for benzene in water and in CCl4, demonstrating a range from sub-ppm to 100% concentration. Specific factors affecting spectral reproducibility, and therefore quantitative results, are discussed. The quality of the results presented indicates that Raman spectroscopy should be a more common quantitative spectroscopic technique. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The density but not the affinity of beta-adrenergic receptors declined significantly with age in rat pineal gland, corpus striatum, and cerebellum, as determined by the binding of tritiated dihydroalprenolol. Exposing rats to light for 12 hours increased the binding of this radioligand in 3-month-old but not in 24-month-old rats. The reduced responsiveness to catecholamines seen in aging may be due to a decrease in the number of beta-adrenergic receptors which, in turn, may be caused by an impaired capacity of receptors in aged animals to adapt to changes in adrenergic neuronal input.


Abstract Retroperitoneal abscess secondary to acute appendicitis is a relatively rare, but serious surgical infection. Adequate drainage and coverage with the appropriate antibiotics has led to improved outcome of retroperitoneal abscesses in recent years. We report the case of a 52 years old patient operated in emergency for perforated retrocecal appendicitis. A retroperitoneal abscess was diagnosed 5 days later, by computed tomography. The drainage of the abscess and the antibiotic therapy have ensured the total recovery of the patient. The alternatives of therapy are discussed.


For decades, the incessantly tethered over-involvement of African American/Black (AA/BL) families with the U.S. Child Welfare System (CWS) has been uniquely troubling. Child welfare researchers have asserted "poverty" over "racism" as the root determinant of the historical disproportionate overrepresentation of AA/BL children in CWS. This commentary explores the extent this assertion holds once an apples-to-apples comparison of poor AA/BL and WH children in the CWS is examined. Using 2018 and 2019 National Child Abuse and Neglect Data Systems (NCANDS) Child File data, rates of disproportionality and disparity for AA/BL and White (WH) children receiving public assistance (PA) (2018: N = 333,640; 2019: N = 321,273) were computed at two CW decision points [disposition of maltreatment investigation and subsequent services administered]. Among these poor children, AA/BL were found to be disproportionately overrepresented and WH children underrepresented compared to their proportion of the U.S. child population at each decision point. AA/BL children were also found to be three times more likely to have their maltreatment substantiated and subsequently be placed in foster care compared to their WH counterparts. The issues of racial disproportionality and disparities still exists when comparing poor AA/BL to poor WH children, which suggests "racism" is operational at decision points in the U.S. CWS and should not be minimized or omitted as a consequential determinant.


In recent work, two of us proposed a nonsingular Ekpyrotic cosmology making use of an S-brane which forms at the end of the phase of Ekpyrotic contraction. This S-Brane mediates a transition between contraction and expansion. Graviitational waves passing through the S-Brane acquire a roughly scale-invariant spectrum, and if the S-Brane has zero shear, then a roughly scale-invariant spectrum of cosmological perturbatiions results. Here, we study the production of gauge field fluctuations driven by the decay of the S-Brane, and we show that the reheating process via gauge field production will be efficient, leading to a radiation-dominated expanding phase.


The study was carried out in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu state to analyze the differences in management efficiency among dairy farmers in three localities namely, urban, peri-urban and rural areas. A sample of 50 families comprising small ( £ 4) and large (> 4) herd owning categories was selected from each of the urban, periurban and rural areas by applying proportionate random sampling technique, leading to a total sample size of 150 families. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents of urban area were found to be highly efficient in management of their dairy units as against one half of the respondents in peri-urban area and less than a half in rural area. The large herd owning respondents were significantly more efficient in the management of their dairy units than those owning small herds in rural and overall samples. Regardless of the localities, respondents maintaining large herds exhibited significantly higher mean score than those maintaining small herd in terms of their ability in planning, information seeking, rational marketing and risk orientation.


Signs and symptoms of SCAD deficiency may appear during infancy or early childhood and can include vomiting, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), a lack of energy (lethargy), poor feeding, and failure to gain weight and grow at the expected rate (failure to thrive). Other features of this disorder may include poor muscle tone (hypotonia), seizures, developmental delay, and a small head size (microcephaly).


The damage behaviors induced in a SiC by a spherical particle impact having a different material and size were investigated. Especially, the influence of the impact velocity of a particle on the cone crack shape developed was mainly discussed. The damage induced by a particle impact was different depending on the material and the size of a particle. The ring cracks on the surface of the specimen were multiplied by increasing the impact velocity of a particle. The steel particle impact produced the larger ring cracks than that of the SiC particle. In the case of the high velocity impact of the SiC particle, the radial cracks were generated due to the inelastic deformation at the impact site. In the case of the larger particle impact, the morphology of the damages developed were similar to the case of the smaller particle one, but a percussion cone was formed from the back surface of the specimen when the impact velocity exceeded a critical value. The zenithal angle of the cone cracks developed into the SiC decreased monotonically as the particle impact velocity increased. The size and material of a particle influenced more or less on the extent of the cone crack shape. An empirical equation was obtained as a function of impact velocity of the particle, based on the quasi-static zenithal angle of the cone crack. This equation will be helpful to the computational simulation of the residual strength in ceramic components damaged by the particle impact.


Music has been argued to contribute to well-being in multiple ways, through its links to identity, social relationships, emotion, and memory. We investigated the phenomenon of "couple-defining songs (CDSs)," in which members of a couple come to jointly identify their relationship with a particular song. Two hundred participants who were currently in a romantic relationship, diverse in age and relationship length and status, reported whether they had a CDS. Those who reported a CDS described its origins and meaning, and any memories and emotions elicited by thinking about their song. In addition, participants completed measures of music appreciation and relationship intimacy. We found that CDSs were common, relatively unique to romantic relationships, and associated with higher music appreciation and higher intimacy. CDSs tended to be acquired early in relationships, and they cued positive emotions and specific memories. These findings suggest that CDSs represent a common and understudied phenomenon. We propose that the multifaceted nature of music may contribute to the prevalence of CDSs in intimate relationships.


In this paper, we established a service supply chain competition model based on bargain between the service suppliers and service integrators under demand uncertainty. According to the game between different service supply chain structures (distributed structure, integrated structure, bargaining structure), we solved their equilibrium solutions. It shows that the bargaining power between service suppliers and service integrators has an important impact on the choice of channel structure. It also gives the corresponding structure evolution process and the scope of the equilibrium results through the comparison of the Nash equilibrium, this provides theory basis to the choice of service channel structure with uncertainty environment.


Software defect prediction, which predicts defective code regions, can help developers find bugs and prioritize their testing efforts. To build accurate prediction models, previous studies focus on manually designing features that encode the characteristics of programs and exploring different machine learning algorithms. Existing traditional features often fail to capture the semantic differences of programs, and such a capability is needed for building accurate prediction models. To bridge the gap between programs' semantics and defect prediction features, this paper proposes to leverage a powerful representation-learning algorithm, deep learning, to learn semantic representation of programs automatically from source code. Specifically, we leverage Deep Belief Network (DBN) to automatically learn semantic features from token vectors extracted from programs' Abstract Syntax Trees (ASTs). Our evaluation on ten open source projects shows that our automatically learned semantic features significantly improve both within-project defect prediction (WPDP) and cross-project defect prediction (CPDP) compared to traditional features. Our semantic features improve WPDP on average by 14.7% in precision, 11.5% in recall, and 14.2% in F1. For CPDP, our semantic features based approach outperforms the state-of-the-art technique TCA+ with traditional features by 8.9% in F1.


rs1801133 is a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located in the sequence of MTHFR on human chromosome 1. The alleles of this SNP affect the activity of the MTHFR enzyme. People bearing C/T genotype have 66% activity of MTHFR while people with T/T genotype have only 25% activity. These reduced activities of MTHFR cause homocysteinemia. There are several publications on the relationship between homocysteinemia and human diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, abnormal fetus, infertility and cancer. In this study, we built a molecular protocol for genotyping rs1801133 using real-time PCR HRM technique. This protocol could be used for diagnosis of molecular mechanism of homocysteinemia causing the mentoned above diseases as well as for the study of the relationship between rs1801133 and other human diseases. We successfully designed the primer pairs for genotyping and nucleotide sequencing rs1801133 by real-time PCR HRM and Sanger sequencing method. We also examined the optimal MgCl2 concentration for clear differentiation of three rs1801133 genotypes. Performance characteristics of the real-time PCR HRM protocol included of specificity, repeatability, reproducibility was evaluated and it showed good results. Comparison of genotyping results of rs1801133 between the realtime PCR HRM method and the Sanger nucleotide sequencing method showed good concordances. Finally, this real-time PCR HRM protocol for rs1801133 genotyping was applied on 100 human DNA samples to evaluate the clinical utility of the protocol.


[1] Knowledge of the vertical plasma drift velocity observed by the Jicamarca incoherent radar in seven events is assimilated into a theoretical model for the ambient F region plasma density. Comparisons of the calculated plasma density model and the observed plasma density show that, apart from the signature effects of equatorial plasma bubbles, the ambient model captures much of the detail of the plasma density profiles. Rayleigh-Taylor growth rates calculated with the ambient model show a good correlation with the occurrence of spread F.


This guide provides resources to support student as they learn a range of issues related to housing and home design.


Based on the Drucker-Prager yield criterion which matches with the Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion under the plane strain condition, this paper sets up a cusp catastrophe model of maximum horizontal and vertical displacements to strength reduction factor by using the cusp catastrophe theory. And the catastrophe criterion of slope failure is quantified to the control variable (u) and discriminant (△) which are evaluated by comparing with zero. Taking the above study as the foundation, the cusp catastrophe model is applied to solve one of the standard test ACADS examples. On the two criterions for slope failure of horizontal and vertical displacements catastrophe model, the safety factor of the slope is 0.988 which is consistent with those by ACAS. It shows that the cusp catastrophe model in slope failure analysis is feasible and practical.


An uncertainty and data fusion approach was developed and tested. This fusion algorithm is based on the interaction between two constraints: (1) the principle of knowledge source corroboration, which tends to maximize the final belief in a given proposition (often modeled by a probability density function or fuzzy membership distribution), if either of the knowledge sources supports the occurrence of this proposition, and (2) the principle of belief enhancement/withdrawal, which adjusts the belief of one knowledge source according to the belief of the second knowledge source by maximizing the similarity between the two source outputs. This method has been tested using various features from synthetic and real data of various types of many dimensionalities, resulting fused data which satisfy both principles.<<ETX>>


Neuroacanthocytosis (NA) syndromes are a group of genetically defined diseases characterized by the association of red blood cell acanthocytosis, progressive degeneration of the basal ganglia and neuromuscular features with characteristic persistent hyperCKemia. The main NA syndromes include autosomal recessive chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) and X-linked McLeod syndrome (MLS). A series of Italian patients selected through a multicenter study for these specific neurological phenotypes underwent DNA sequencing of the VPS13A and XK genes to search for causative mutations. Where it has been possible, muscle biopsies were obtained and thoroughly investigated with histochemical assays. A total of nine patients from five different families were diagnosed with ChAC and had mostly biallelic changes in the VPS13A gene (three nonsense, two frameshift, three splicing), while three patients from a single X-linked family were diagnosed with McLeod syndrome and had a deletion in the XK gene. Despite a very low incidence (only one thousand cases of ChAc and a few hundred MLS cases reported worldwide), none of the 8 VPS13A variants identified in our patients is shared by two families, suggesting the high genetic variability of ChAc in the Italian population. In our series, in line with epidemiological data, McLeod syndrome occurs less frequently than ChAc, although it can be easily suspected because of its X-linked mode of inheritance. Finally, histochemical studies strongly suggest that muscle pathology is not simply secondary to the axonal neuropathy, frequently seen in these patients, but primary myopathic alterations can be detected in both NA syndromes.


Service design is a thought process using creativity, empathy in responding to a customer's need and rationality in an analysis of a recommended, innovative solution. In this paper, we propose a research methods system which enables designers to integrate design and systems thinking into a system dynamics model of a creative project. Based on these research methods, topics and problems can be detected, and solutions can be proposed. The communicative game "Close the Loop!" which uses elements of visual language, and modifies the Grounded Theory method and its three processes: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The aim of the game is to create a Causal Loop Diagram which expresses a dynamic hypothesis, a Stock and Flow Diagram, which solves the problem visually and follows the Causal Loop Diagram. The accuracy of this set of method is demonstrated by its application in a case study from the service area. The article is intended for researchers who endeavour to use research methods in order to improve their services and meet a customer's requirements.


Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a widespread disease of cereals, including barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), that causes substantial grain yield losses and grain quality deterioration. Resistant varieties provide the greatest potential for reducing FHB. In the present study, we adapted two methods for screening FHB severity using Fusarium culmorum. We used a cut-spike method and a spray inoculation method in the field conditions for screening different spring barley genotypes of Latvian and foreign origin. Screening with the cut-spike method was done for 126 different genotypes in 2008 and in 2009 and for 180 genotypes in 2010. In the years 2011 and 2012, the field inoculation method was used to screen 207 and 164 genotypes, respectively; part of material was tested simultaneously by both methods. A significant effect of genotype was found for both cut-spike and field inoculation methods (p < 0.001); field inoculation method showed a greater proportion of genotype effect and a higher heritability. Using area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) and score obtained at 26 days after inoculation were equally effective. Correlations between results obtained by both methods in different years were not significant, though, the data of the same year correlated significantly (r = 0.36–0.47, p < 0.05). Results suggest that differences between breeding material can be assessed by both methods; however, the information obtained was contradictory for a number of genotypes. Considering the results and the fact that field inoculation method can more likely provide results of equal value to those in natural conditions in respect to identification of resistant and susceptible genotypes, field inoculation method was recognized as preferable for the assessment of spring barley breeding material. Significant correlation (r = 0.71, p < 0.05) between visual estimate of disease severity and mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) concentration in grain was found in 2011, but in the environmental conditions of 2012 formation of DON was inhibited.


Nanophotonic quantum information processing systems require spatially ordered, spectrally uniform single photon sources (SPSs) integrated on-chip with co-designed light manipulating elements providing emission rate enhancement, emitted photon guidance, and lossless propagation. Towards this goal, we consider systems comprising an SPS array with each SPS coupled to a dielectric building block (DBB) based multifunctional light manipulation unit (LMU). For the SPS array, we report triggered single photon emission from GaAs(001)/InGaAs single quantum dots (SQDs) grown selectively on top of nanomesas using the approach of substrate-encoded size-reducing epitaxy (SESRE). Systematic temperature and power dependent photoluminescence (PL), PL excitation, time-resolved PL, and emission statistics studies reveal high spectral uniformity and single photon emission at 8 K with g(2)(0) of 0.19 plusminus 0.03. The SESRE based SPS arrays, following growth of a planarizing overlayer, are readily integrable with LMUs fabricated subsequently using either the 2D photonic crystal approach or, as theoretically examined here, DBB based LMUs. We report the simulated optical response of SPS embedded in DBB based nanoantenna-waveguide structures as the multifunctional LMU. The multiple functions of emission rate enhancement, guiding, and lossless propagation derive from the behavior of the same collective Mie resonance (dominantly magnetic) of the interacting DBB based LMU tuned to the SPS targeted emission wavelength of 980 nm. The simulation utilizes an analytical approach that provides physical insight to the obtained numerical results. Together, the combined experimental and modelling demonstrations open a rich approach to implementing co-designed on-chip integrated SPS-LMU that, in turn, serve as basic elements of integrated nanophotonic information processing systems.


This paper discusses an "industry+academia+consultancy" collaboration between Australian electric appliance manufacturer Breville, the 3rd year industrial design studio of the University of Canberra ( UC) and Eco-Innovators, an eco-design consultancy office. Initially, the paper describes the thinking and planning process for this studio, planned with the aim of fulfilling the diverse needs of academia, industry and the consultancy within a collaboration which should be beneficial for all stakeholders. Main aspects of this initial stage are course curriculum change, the selection of the projects and diverse evaluation criteria within the different aims of the three institutions. Subsequently, the unit outline, design brief and projects are briefly described. Afterwards, some concrete examples developed by the students are used to illustrate tangible outcomes of the collaboration. Finally, the paper evaluates the whole experience, highlighting aspects that worked as well as aspects that could be improved for the future, within the framework of action research in design education. Main conclusions of the paper describe the benefits for each of the stakeholders, which in summary were: 1) providing a broad array of innovative ideas for industry, 2) an integrated teaching of eco-innovation and advanced CAD within a real-life-project context for the design students, and 3) a trial test and evaluation of some of the educational material developed by the consultancy. This paper is useful for design educators, industry, consultancies and many of the diverse stakeholders related to new product design and innovation as it provides concrete example of possible collaborations between multiple institutions.


Browsing online ratings and viewers' comments is an integral part of the experience of choosing and watching a movie. Current theories have broadened the concept of entertainment beyond amusement (hedonic motives) to include experiences of meaning, value, and self-development (eudaimonic motives). With a between-subjects design, we examined the role of reviewers' ratings (medium rating vs. high rating), comments (hedonic vs. eudaimonic) and participants' gratification styles on their interest in watching a movie. Results showed that participants (N = 383) reported a higher preference for the high rating movie. Results also revealed a match between comment type and individual gratification style, with participants with hedonic motives reporting more interest for the movie with hedonic comments, and those reporting eudaimonic motives for the movie with eudaimonic comments.


The major aim of this program is to define clearly the most appropriate system and process for the reproducible fabrication of low resistance, high strength, non-magnetic bonds to PbTe and PbTe-SnTe alloys . During this study we have investigated the applicability of the refractory metals MO , Nb , Ta , W , and Zr as electrode materials in both diffusion and braze bonding. In conjunction with these refractory metals, SnTe , SnTe-0. 1% Fe , AgSbTe2 , and AgBiTe2 have been studied as brazes. The Ta-SnTe electrode-braze-composite is the most promising of the various combinations studied. The metallurgical nature as well as the electrical properties of SnTe-Ta braze-bonded PbTe are discussed. A process for the diffusion-bonding of N-PbTe and P-PbTe-SnTe with pure W has been developed. Initial results indicate that this structure is somewhat superior to the braze bond. Problems associated with diffusion and thermal expansion mismatch have been carefully evaluated. By employing a refined bonding procedure which involves a precise lapping technique, W-diffusion bonded structures have been prepared without deterioration of the electrical and mechanical properties of the "as prepared" thermoelement. The results of measurements of the thermoelectric properties of bonded and unbonded P and N type thermoelements are described in detail. Results of a study to determine the rate of sublimation of cold pressed and sintered P and N type thermoelements are presented.


A sugarcane field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of a range of K rates (0-1920 Kg/ha) from cane juice stillage (residue from alcohol production) applied broadcast or in the furrow and KGl on cane and sugar yields and juice quality. Determination of soil pH, AI, Ca, Mg, K, Na, and P and analyses of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg in the +3 leaf, 3-6 sheaths, and 8-10 internodes were made throughout the crop. At harvest, yield of primary stalks and tillers were recorded, juice analyzed for Pol, brix, reducing sugars, fiber and ash, and total nutrient uptake determined. Yields of cane and sugar increased up to 120 Kg K/ha from both stillage and KCl broadcast applications. At this K rate, soil K concentration at 15 days after application was 0.22 meq/lOO g and +3 leaf, 3-6 sheath, and 8-10 internode K concentrations were 1.99 and 1.51, respectively, at 4 months and 0.98, 2.43, and 0.75, respectively, at 10 months of age. Since these soil and tissue K levels were associated with the highest statistical yields from K broadcast, it may be concluded that they are adequate for sugarcane growth. It was necessary to add approximately 100 m3 of stillage to supply 120 Kg of K. Rates of K from stillage up to 480 kg/ha appear to have no detrimental effects on cane and sugar yields. However, 960 and 1920 Kg K/ha from stillage increased cane, but decreased sugar yields and juice quality. These negative effects of high stillage rates on sugar yields seem to be related to the N added with stillage. Addition of dolomite with high stillage rates raised soil pH and increased stillage N mineralization resulting in lower plant N and higher juice quality. vi Ripener (Polaris) application 10 weeks prior to harvest also lowered plant N and improved juice quality. Stillage applied in the furrow immediately after planting at 240 Kg K/ha resulted in the highest yields. This was probably due to the increased germination, emergence and early growth rates observed in these treatments. Soil pH, Ca, Mg, and especially K increased with stillage application while soil Al decreased, particularly at high stillage rates. Application of high stillage rates may induce Ca and ~lg deficiencies because more K is added relative to Ca and Mg which leads to a high K/Ca + Mg ratio. Application of dolomite improved this ratio resulting in higher yields. Leaching of soil K increased with increasing stillage application rates. Concentrations of Ca and Mg decreased whereas K increased in plant tissues with increasing K rates. Therefore, if high stillage rates are to be applied, soil Ca and Mg levels should be determined to predict possible deficiencies. The 3-6 sheaths and 8-10 internodes appeared to be the most sensitive to plant K, Ca, and Mg status. All three tissues were adequate for plant N. A sugarcane yield response curve to K fertilization may be used to determine the amount of stillage K to be applied. In addition, since stillage Nand K composition are highly variable, these should be determined to quantify the amounts of these nutrients supplied by stillage. If high amounts of stillage are to be applied for waste management, problems such as difficulty in cane ripening, lower juice quality and soil salinization should be considered. However, ripener application can overcome the delayed ripening and improve juice quality.


Supporting the successful realization of young people from different ages and social status with the priority of the children and young people with unequal social status is the main aim of the project. Some General objectives of the project are to develop skills for independent choice in children and young people in risk, to stimulate their willingness to take active part in social society, to create conditions for their including at different education and social activities according their interests, to activate the social activity of children in unequal social status with involving them in public activities and arts as a possibility for spontaneous and direct expression. To make a provision for optimum circumstances for civil and professional education, physical, mental and moral progress of the children and young people from Veliko Tarnovo municipality, to support their realization and social integration. The project is based on the activities for children and young people: in the sphere of arts – music, art and ceramics, theatre, dance, literature in the sphere of education social work with children in unequal status.


An on-line magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) system using a micrometer-sized cation exchanger was developed for strontium determination by microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometry (MP-AES). Micro-magnetic silica-based particles chemically immobilizing diethyl sulfone functional groups were pseudo-stationarily placed inside a knotted tube reaction flow-coil under the influence of an external magnetic field from two sandwiched magnets. In this study, the effect on the analytical impact was investigated using Sr as a model analytical target. The adsorption of Sr was carried out under acidic conditions, and its elution was performed with a nitric acid solution followed by MP-AES detection. The calculated detection limit was 0.59 μg L−1 with a 10-times sensitivity enhancement factor.


The uniform microporous organic polymer (MOP) was obtained in one-pot and one-step polymerization process through Schiff base chemistry under thermal conditions. The obtained anthraquinone–melamine based MOP (AM-MOP) displays high surface area (215 m2/g). AM-MOP was manually filled into a column with high pressure and used as packing material in the high-performance liquid chromatographic applications. The analysis of compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, flavonoids, and phenolic acids was performed to display a possible application by using AM-MOP packed column. Compared to the commercial columns, AM-MOP exhibits better selectivity factor and column efficiency arising from its strong π–π interaction activity. Furthermore, it has similar solvent uptake in both polar and nonpolar media, which explains good compatibility of the material with all mobile phases, from acetonitrile to methanol and water.


Within the shifting territories of craft practice, the handmade has become a relational form of contemporary activity that transforms our understanding of place through a hands-on minds-on process of collective making. The conceptual significance of craft is activated through a chance encounter with the hand-made in daily life
The point of departure for this paper was a conference Outside: Activating Cloth to Enhance the Way We Live held in the winter of 2012 at the University of Huddersfield, the conference convened by the authors attempted to explore:
Cloth's value, relevance and impact on societies today, recognising the constantly evolving fields of expression, often sited beyond art mediated contexts, to bring a fresh encounter with the latent possibilities of cloth, its ability to bear witness to events, often the visceral evidence of peoples' lives.
A recently published book of the same name develops the ideas and experiences a step further. This paper is the next stage, bringing a line of continuity from our previous enquiry. During the paper we will consider with renewed interest the collective activities and the confluence between crafting, social engagement, volunteering and the realms of education and creative practice that we have both experienced first-hand. We hope this paper will be a useful signpost for exploration of this rich area of practice that we hope to extend to a co-curated exhibition in the year 2016/17.
What will be revealed will be the voice of practitioners' collectively exploring cloth's potential as a metaphor for consciousness, carrier of narrative, and catalyst for community empathy and cohesion. We will discuss the events and projects that we have experienced, created, or participated in. This will include work by the American artist Jennifer Marsh, whom we have collaborated with since 2008, through her developing Dream Rocket Project. This global collaborative crafting project exemplifies the active process of inclusive community engagement. We will also present colloquial, intimate reflections as portrayed in Betsy Greer's anecdotes and reflections on the hand-made and use of the internet and on-line crafty sharing. We will explore Claire Barber's insights into cross-cultural craft exchange during her recent involvement in an intergenerational project conducted in partnership with Professor Lesley Millar. These collective visual narratives will inform our perception of Craft in Unexpected Places and bring visibility to a selection of craft interventions through a visual juxtaposition of evocative photography inviting the delegates to take an active part in making links between the wide reaching possibilities for craft based practices and the social


The study investigated users' motivation and satisfaction as predictor of lecturers' use of library resources in colleges of education in southwest, Nigeria. This is to reveal that library user motivation and satisfaction will predict lecturers' effective use of library resources. . The descriptive research design was adopted, while a multi-stage sampling procedure was used in the study. Simple random sampling method was employed to select respondents from the selected colleges of education. A total of 568 lecturers (297 males and 271 females) participated in the study. A structured questionnaire tagged "Questionnaire on Users' Motivation, Satisfaction and Library Material on Lecturers Use of Library in Colleges of Education South West Nigeria (QMSLMLULCESWN), four research questions were answered. The results showed that the motivational level lecturers in colleges of education on the use of library is low, although the finding revealed that majorly of them frequently use the library. Also, the finding revealed that lecturers' level of satisfaction is at average level and users' motivation and satisfaction can predict lecturers' use of library. Therefore lecturers' motivation and satisfaction is necessary to enhance their use of library resources.


Morphology, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) restriction fragment polymorphisms (RFLPs) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) fingerprinting were used to clarify relationships among the morphologically similar Ophiostoma and Leptographium species associated with mycangia of three Dendroctonus bark beetles (Ophiostoma clavigerum associated with both D. ponderosae and D. jeffreyi, and L. pyrinum associated with D. adjunctus), as well as a closely related nonmycangial bark beetle associate (L. terebrantis). Most isolates of O. clavigerum form long (40–70 μm), septate conidia, while all isolates of L. terebrantis and L. pyrinum form conidia less than 17.0 μm in length. The conidia of L. pyrinum are pyriform, with truncate bases, while the conidia of the other species form only slightly truncate bases. Conidial masses of L. terebrantis are creamy yellow, while the conidial masses of the other species are white. Nuclear DNA fingerprints resulting from probing PstI restrictions with the oligonucleotide probe (CAC)5 and HaeIII and MspI restrictions of mtDNA, exhibited three major clusters. In the dendrogram developed from mtDNA RFLPs, the L. pyrinum isolates formed one cluster, while the majority of O. clavigerum isolates, including all D. jeffreyi isolates, formed another. A third cluster was composed of all L. terebrantis isolates, as well as several O. clavigerum isolates from D. ponderosae. The inclusion of some O. clavigerum isolates in the L. terebrantis cluster suggests that horizontal transfer of mtDNA has occurred among these fungi. The nDNA dendrogram also exhibited three clusters, and most isolates of L. pyrinum, L. terebrantis and O. clavigerum grouped separately; however, one isolate of O. clavigerum grouped with the L. terebrantis isolates, while one isolate of L. terebrantis grouped with O. clavigerum. No genetic markers were found that distinguished between O. clavigerum associated with D. ponderosae and O. clavigerum associated with D. jeffreyi. Ophiostoma clavigerum might be a recently diverged morphological variant of L. terebrantis, with special adaptations for grazing by young adults of D. jeffreyi and D. ponderosae. The anamorph of O. clavigerum, Graphiocladiella clavigerum, is transferred to Leptographium.


A method of determining binary adsorption isotherms from the flow–rate and composition responses of a packed column to a step change in input composition has been described previously by Mason and Buffham (1996 Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 452, 1263–1285). The method involves adding a small perturbation stream to a carrier gas mixture passing through a chromatographic column. The bulk of the observed effects arise from the small change in composition of the gas in the column caused by adding the perturbation gas. However, the increase in flow caused by adding the perturbation stream raises the pressure in the column and, under certain circumstances, this increase of pressure can cause significant adsorption (Mason and Buffham 1996 Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 452, 1287–1300). Apart from changing the amount of adsorption, the change in composition also alters the viscosity of the gas in the column and this too can affect the column behaviour. The change in viscosity is small but can have two consequences. The first is minor and is a small shift in the mean pressure in the column. The second effect is peculiar to the apparatus used in the previous experiments. A capillary flowmeter was used to monitor flow and capillary flowmeters respond to viscosity as well as flow. The effect of the change in viscosity in the capillary flowmeter is significant, even for gas mixtures with almost linear variation of viscosity with composition. Both effects can be corrected for by theory. The second effect might be removed by the addition of a delay line between the column and the flowmeter. A delay line is simply an empty tube which delays the arrival of gas of different viscosity and enables the capillary flowmeter to act as an ideal flowmeter for the limited period that the composition front is passing through, and leaving, the column. Precise isotherms for nitrogen–argon mixtures on 5A molecular sieve at 50 °C have been obtained and they are compared with binary Langmuir isotherms. The comparison is in terms of the gradients of the isotherms of each of the two components. Partial differentials of the amounts adsorbed in terms of the concentrations of nitrogen and argon are also obtained.


D-Gluconhydroximo-1,5-lactam and its oxime-substituted derivatives were prepared and assessed for inhibition and pharmacological chaperone (PC) activities in Gaucher disease cell lines derived from N370S. The most active compound, O-(D-glucopyranosylidene) amino-Z-N-dodecylcarbamate (38), gave a nearly 2.0-fold increase in N370S β-GCase activity at 12.5 μM with no inhibition to other commercially available glucosidases. Docking studies of ligand–enzyme interactions have also been conducted to account for the results of enzyme activity increase. All these results demonstrate that compound 38 is a promising PC for the treatment of GD.


In the first year of program delivery (January to December 2006), the Ideas Project operated in two prisons, HMP Downview and HMP Wandsworth. During year two of this program delivery (January to December 2007), Inside Innovation expanded to work in HMP Brixton and HMP Highdown. In the third and fourth year of project delivery (January 2008 to December 2009) the Ideas project has rolled out its service to 6 further prisons around London.
This report provides details of the projects successfully funded by UnLtd over the four years of the Ideas Project delivery, as well as evaluating the four-year pilot scheme as a whole.


Abstract Motivation Infectious diseases caused by novel viruses have become a major public health concern. Rapid identification of virus–host interactions can reveal mechanistic insights into infectious diseases and shed light on potential treatments. Current computational prediction methods for novel viruses are based mainly on protein sequences. However, it is not clear to what extent other important features, such as the symptoms caused by the viruses, could contribute to a predictor. Disease phenotypes (i.e. signs and symptoms) are readily accessible from clinical diagnosis and we hypothesize that they may act as a potential proxy and an additional source of information for the underlying molecular interactions between the pathogens and hosts. Results We developed DeepViral, a deep learning based method that predicts protein–protein interactions (PPI) between humans and viruses. Motivated by the potential utility of infectious disease phenotypes, we first embedded human proteins and viruses in a shared space using their associated phenotypes and functions, supported by formalized background knowledge from biomedical ontologies. By jointly learning from protein sequences and phenotype features, DeepViral significantly improves over existing sequence-based methods for intra- and inter-species PPI prediction. Availability and implementation Code and datasets for reproduction and customization are available at https://github.com/bio-ontology-research-group/DeepViral. Prediction results for 14 virus families are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4429824. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


Main task of this research is to make suggestions for further research on land cover change and to use land cover change analysis as indicator of micro-climate change in example of Lithuanian Baltic Sea coastal zone.
Coastal zones are among those areas that have been subject to intense human pressure due to their natural resources. As a transitional zone, between land and sea, coastal zones hold some of the most valuable and productive habitats on earth. Huge amounts of energy circulate in these zones, which attracts all sort of human interest and activities (Rivis et al, 2016; Schlacher et al., 2014; Bicknell et al., Sperb et al., 2006). A large number of population lives near the coastal zone.
Analysis on the land use and land cover change as a consequence on human livelihoods as well as on the environment is a matter of concern for sustainable development and management of natural resources. The Baltic Sea and coast is one of the most vital natural resources of Lithuania. Only a small part of the Baltic Sea coast belongs to Lithuania (~91 km.) and almost half of it belongs to the National park area and Natura 2000 or other prohibited area (State Cadastre of Protected Areas, 2014).
Retrospective analysis of land cover dynamics and its driving force has been undertaken using satellite images of Landsat5 TM year 1989, Landsat5 TM year 2000 and Landsat8 TM year 2014 and 2016 with 30 m spatial resolution of Lithuanian Western part. Analysis of building's geodatabase (year 1997 and 2016) applied on orthophoto of Lithuanian Western part was made in order to identify socio-economic change and its difference's impact to nowadays land cover change. In detail statistical, mathematical analysis of ongoing processes have been made using national statistical data and in field trips of most areas of interest. Results showed that during research period landscapes in terms of agriculture, urbanization and human behavior had changed the most. Further research will be carried out in terms of micro-climate change evaluation.


Background: There is an urgent need to find new xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitors with few adverse effects and potent activity, not only for treating gout but also to fight diseases associated with XO activity such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Objective: Screening of Saudi medicinal plants for XO inhibitory activity, to quantify the polyphenol–flavonoid content and to study ultra high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectroscopy (UHPLC-ESI-MS) profile of compound with best promising XO inhibitory activity among screened extracts. Materials and Methods: Sixteen methanol extracts used traditionally for treating gout and/or rheumatism were screened for total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, XO inhibitory, and antiradical activity via 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The degree of XO inhibition was determined by measuring the increase in absorbance at 295 nm associated with uric acid formation. The dose-dependent inhibition profiles of the most active plants were further evaluated by estimating the IC50 values of their corresponding extracts. The most promising XO inhibitory extract, i.e., Dodonaea viscosa extract was subjected to secondary metabolites profiling using UHPLC-ESI-MS in negative ionization mode and LC-MS analysis. Results: Among screened plants, D. viscosa leaves, Punica granatum flowers, Ruta chalepensis leaves, and Solanum incanum fruits exhibited the highest activity with an inhibition of 94.4%, 83.4%, 76.2%, and 65.7%, respectively. Extracts of R. nervosus leaves, P. granatum flowers, and D. viscosa leaves showed the highest antiradical activity in the DPPH assay with IC50 values of 25.8, 27.4, and 71.2 μg/ml, respectively. The LC/MS spectrum of D. viscosa revealed the presence of 13 known compounds along with unknown compounds which belong to flavonoid, terpene, and fatty acid derivatives class. Conclusion: The findings obtained from this study revealed that the methanolic extract of D. viscosa leaf showed the highest xanthine oxidase inhibition activity and therefore is promising species for isolating active compound between the polyphenol and flavonoid content and the XO inhibitory and radical activity.


Total quality management concepts, increasingly being introduced into hospitals, offer opportunities for integrative leadership concepts because of their multidimensional character viewed from the aspects of results and from the standpoint of organisational design. Customized for leadership and organisation of hospitals in Germany, questions of introduction strategies as well as recommendations for the integration of total quality understanding into the daily practice of management and employees are discussed. The active support of top and middle management and a combination of radical change in selected problem areas and continual incremental improvements on a broad base have been proven as significant factors for the success in the introductory phase. For a lasting integration of the principles of a comprehensive quality management concept in a hospital, it will be necessary to carry out regularly relevant measurements of success. The results become an important part of agreements with management.


This paper examines the relationship between urban governance structures, traders and their organisation in accessing a place to sell as well as the traders' role in market management and provisioning. The report further analysed female economic activities and space. The female economic activities basically remain within the household compound spaces in keeping with restricted contact between men and women as dictated by Islamic and cultural codes of conduct that defines public and private space for males and females in a predominantly Hausa Fulani Islamic communities. The report notes that the intensifying female economic activities in household spaces are linked to the market space without demanding for a place.


There is a rich literature on why the value premium exists, but little clarity on how it is realized. The author identifies free cash flow (composed of dividends, share buy-backs, and takeovers) as the mechanism by which the value premium is realized by index investors. He examines the per-share earnings of the S&P/Barra 500 Growth and Value indexes from 1976 to 2000 with their returns from 1974 to 2002. Over this period, the growth in per-share earnings and the price return for the two indexes are virtually identical. It follows that the difference in their total return can be attributed entirely to the difference in their free cash flow yield. The author shows that this result is not an artifact of data mining, but rather an inescapable consequence of the regular rebalancing that these indexes undergo. He proposes a simple positive model of corporate earnings growth that predicts it. A curious aspect of the risk of the two indexes is that the per-share earnings of the S&P/Barra 500 Value index are more volatile than the per-share earnings of the S&P/Barra 500 Growth index, while the returns of the growth index are more volatile than those of the value index.


Criminal cases involving children as criminal actor is carrying different phenomenon. Given that children is suppose to be an individual with unstable emotion that not yet become law subject, therefore management of crime case with children actor need to be taken interest by its law enforcement institution.  This experiment is taking problem formulation as follows: 1. How is the implementation of Article 53 and 54 Statute No. 3 year 1997 about children court in State Attorney Office Kepanjen? 2. What is dealt by State Attorney Office during implementation of article 53 and 54 Statute No. 3 year 1997 about children court? 3. What is the effort made by State Attorney Office to overcome obstacles during implementation of article 53 and 54 Statute No. 3 year 1997 about children court?  The experiment used sociology juridical approach, data collection technique is interviews with respondent, samples in this experiment is prosecutor whom had taking case of children criminal court by direct observation to the experiment site in State Attorney Office Kepanjen. Data obtained from the experience is analyzed descriptively.  Conclusion taken is, in State Attorney Office Kepanjen, there are none attorney who had SK (decree) from Attorney General and to overcome this matter usually Head of State Attorney Office appointed female prosecutor in implementing indictment toward children criminal actor. Keyword : Pelaksanaan, Peradilan Anak, Kejaksaan Related Link :  http://skripsi.umm.ac.id/files/disk1/343/jiptummpp-gdl-s1-2009-agungprima-17144-PENDAHUL-N.pdf


Mapping the functionality of GTPases through small molecule inhibitors represents an underexplored area in large part due to the lack of suitable compounds. Here we report on the small chemical molecule 2-(benzoylcarbamothioylamino)-5,5-dimethyl-4,7-dihydrothieno[2,3-c]pyran-3-carboxylic acid (PubChem CID 1067700) as an inhibitor of nucleotide binding by Ras-related GTPases. The mechanism of action of this pan-GTPase inhibitor was characterized in the context of the Rab7 GTPase as there are no known inhibitors of Rab GTPases. Bead-based flow cytometry established that CID 1067700 has significant inhibitory potency on Rab7 nucleotide binding with nanomolar inhibitor (K(i)) values and an inhibitory response of ≥97% for BODIPY-GTP and BODIPY-GDP binding. Other tested GTPases exhibited significantly lower responses. The compound behaves as a competitive inhibitor of Rab7 nucleotide binding based on both equilibrium binding and dissociation assays. Molecular docking analyses are compatible with CID 1067700 fitting into the nucleotide binding pocket of the GTP-conformer of Rab7. On the GDP-conformer, the molecule has greater solvent exposure and significantly less protein interaction relative to GDP, offering a molecular rationale for the experimental results. Structural features pertinent to CID 1067700 inhibitory activity have been identified through initial structure-activity analyses and identified a molecular scaffold that may serve in the generation of more selective probes for Rab7 and other GTPases. Taken together, our study has identified the first competitive GTPase inhibitor and demonstrated the potential utility of the compound for dissecting the enzymology of the Rab7 GTPase, as well as serving as a model for other small molecular weight GTPase inhibitors.


The combination of the concept of metallopolymers with urethane chemistry offers a versatile approach for the synthesis of new polyurethane materials. Polyurethanes are a distinct class of materials with tremendous industrial importance, and it is of interest to develop these materials with modified thermal and liquid crystalline behavior for advanced applications. Generally, polyurethanes suffer a major disadvantage of poor thermal stability. This can be improved upon by chemical modification of their structures by the incorporation of thermally stable heterocyclic ring structures along with transition metals. Metal-containing polyurethanes prepared from a polymeric diol, diisocyanate and a metal containing diol (metallodiol and metallomesogenic diol) as a chain extender are attracting contemporary research interest. The addition of a polymeric diol (polyol) induces flexibility to the polyurethane by reducing the glass transition temperature, increases its solubility and imparts elastomeric properties. Multifunctional polymers are materials poised for applications in different avenues with preference for plastic electronics. An introduction-cum-overview of synthesis and applications of metal-containing polyurethanes is presented in this chapter.


The effects of pre-synthesized V2O5/Sb2O3 compound, SbVO4 and Sb2O3 on the microstructure and electrical properties of ZnO-V2O5 based varistor ceramics have been studied. The general homogeneous microstructure and phase composition of the ceramics have not been influenced by the antimony doping form changes, except for the gradual decrease in average grain size and the increase in spinel formation within the ceramics. The ultimate cause of micro-structural variations with the antimony doping form changes seems to have been the gradual increase in Sb3+ concentration within the ceramics. This change in micro-composition, together with the changes in microstructure, caused the electrical characteristics of the ceramics to vary. The pre-synthesized V2O5/Sb2O3 compound is the most effective antimony dopant in term of its effect on the ceramics.


Goal. To determine the technical efficiency of fungicidal treatments against helminthosporiosis, rust and fusarium ear rot in the conditions of the western forest-steppe of Ukraine.
Methods. Field. The research scheme included 13 variants with different amounts of fungicidal treatments. The following fungicides were used in the experiments: Abacus e.c. (epoxiconazole 62.5 l/ha + pyraclostrobin 62.5 l/ ha), Coronet 300 SC (trifloxystrobin 100 g/l + tebuconazole 200 g /l), Custodia CS (tebuconazole 200 g/l + azoxystrobin 120 g/l), Acanto KS (picoxystrobin — 250 g/l. Records of diseases were performed according to generally accepted methods in the phase of wax ripeness.
Results. Studies have shown that fungicidal treatments reduce the development of helminthosporiosis by 14.9—25.9%, rust — by 4.0—19.4% and fusarium ear rot by 3.2—6.3%. The weighted average development of maize diseases depended on the period of application and the amount of fungicidal sprays. Among the one-time treatments, the lowest level of disease development was when spraying in the phase of panicle ejection, among double treatments — 10 leaves and panicle ejection. Three uses of fungicides in the phase of 10 leaves, shedding of panicles and after flowering reduced the development of helminthosporiosis to 4.4%, rust — to 3.5%, fusarium ear rot — to 1.2%. The highest level of protection was obtained in the variant of four preparations in the phase of 10 leaves, ejection of panicles, after flowering and grain filling, where the development of helminthosporiosis was 4.4%, rust — 2.9%, fusarium ear rot — 1.1%. The technical efficiency of the studied drugs increased with increasing number of fungicidal treatments and was the highest in the variant of four applications of fungicides, which is 86.6% against helminthosporiosis, 87.0% against rust and 85.5% against fusarium ear rot.
Conclusions. The technical effectiveness of fungicides depends on the period of application of the drug and increases with an increase in the number of treatments. High technical efficiency was noted in the variant of the three-time introduction of fungicides in the phase of 10 leaves, throwing out the panicle and after flowering. The highest efficiency is in the variant of the four-time introduction of fungicides in the phase of 10 leaves, throwing out the panicle, after flowering and filling the grain.


Kriging is one of the important interpolation methods in geostatistics, which has been widely applied in engineering project. In this paper, we present an efficient method for the parallelization of universal Kriging interpolation on shared memory multiprocessors. By using OpenMP directives, we implement a portable parallel algorithm, which enables an incremental approach to add parallelism, without modifying the rest part of sequential code. To achieve optimal performance, the parallel grain size has been considered and analyzed. Numerical experiments have been carried out on two multicore windows workstations, the results of which demonstrate this method could enhance the overall performance significantly.


Supervised machine learning algorithms require training data whose generation for complex relation extraction tasks tends to be difficult. Being optimized for relation extraction at sentence level, many annotation tools lack in facilitating the annotation of relational structures that are widely spread across the text. This leads to non-intuitive and cumbersome visualizations, making the annotation process unnecessarily time-consuming. We propose SANTO, an easy-to-use, domain-adaptive annotation tool specialized for complex slot filling tasks which may involve problems of cardinality and referential grounding. The web-based architecture enables fast and clearly structured annotation for multiple users in parallel. Relational structures are formulated as templates following the conceptualization of an underlying ontology. Further, import and export procedures of standard formats enable interoperability with external sources and tools.


During the 1990s, while overall employment rates for working-aged men and women either remained roughly constant (men) or rose (women), employment rates for people with disabilities fell. During the same period the fraction of the working-aged population receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) benefits increased quite dramatically. We present simple time series and cross-state evidence suggesting that the growth in the DI program can account for much of the decline in the relative employment position of men and women with disabilities.


The study analysed the assessment of organic fertilizer usage by vegetable farmers in Ondo State South West, Nigeria. Primary data were collected from one hundred randomly selected vegetable farmers through a multistage sampling procedure in the study area. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, budgetary analysis and probit regression analysis. Findings of the study revealed that larger percentage (77.0%) of the vegetable farmers fall between age (31-50) years with mean age 43. About 59% of the respondents were female with majority (79.0%) having access to credit. Majority (63.0%) of the respondents suffer from high pest infestation. The budgetary analysis revealed that vegetable production has a high return on investment. The probit analysis showed that gender, age and farm size decreased farmer's adoption of organic fertilizer while marital status, education and farming experience increased adoption of organic fertilizer in the study area. The study recommended that farmers should keep reasonable farm size that can easily be managed in other to improve adoption of organic fertilizer and they should be encouraged by government to participate in adult education and training that will improve their skill in the use of organic fertilizer in other to increase the productivity of vegetable production.

 Key words: Organic, fertilizer, farm size, budgetary analysis.


Feature
 Issue on Optical Performance Monitoring (OPM). We report on the
 performance of an optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) monitor with the
 polarization-nulling technique. The results show that this monitor was robust to
 polarization-mode dispersion and in-band cross talk. For a demonstration, we
 monitored the OSNR of the optical signal transmitted through a 2×60 km long aerial
 fiber link for one week and confirmed that the OSNR could be measured with accuracy
 better than ±0.3 dB (when the OSNR is lower than 26 dB).


Religion is relevant to all of us, whether we are believers or not. This book concerns two interrelated topics. First, how probable is God's existence? Should we not conclude that all divinities are human inventions? Second, what are the mental and social functions of endorsing religious beliefs? The answers to these questions are interdependent. If a religious belief were true, the fact that humans hold it might be explained by describing how its truth was discovered. If all religious beliefs are false, a different explanation is required. In this provocative book Herman Philipse combines philosophical investigations concerning the truth of religious convictions with empirical research on the origins and functions of religious beliefs. Numerous topics are discussed, such as the historical genesis of monotheisms out of polytheisms, how to explain Saul's conversion to Jesus, and whether any apologetic strategy of Christian philosophers is convincing. Universal atheism is the final conclusion.


The image of the movie-obsessed gay man is a widely circulating and readily recognizable element of the contemporary cultural landscape. Using psychoanalytic theory as his guide while inflecting it with insights from both film theory and queer theory, Brett Farmer moves beyond this cliche to develop an innovative exploration of gay spectatorship. The result, Spectacular Passions, reveals how cinema has been engaged by gay men as a vital forum for "fantasmatic performance"—in this case, the production of specifically queer identities, practices, and pleasures.

Building on the psychoanalytic concept of the fantasmatic, Farmer works to depathologize gay male subjectivity. While discussing such films as Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Pirate, Suddenly Last Summer, and Sunset Boulevard, and stars ranging from Mae West to Montgomery Clift, Farmer argues that the particularities of gay men's social and psychic positionings motivate unique receptions of and investments in film. The Hollywood musical, gay camp readings of the extravagant female star, and the explicit homoeroticism of the cinematic male body in gay fanzines are further proof, says Farmer, of how the shifting libidinal profiles of homosexual desire interact with the fantasy scenarios of Hollywood film to produce a range of variable queer meanings.

This fascinating and provocative study makes a significant new contribution to discussions of cinema, spectatorship, and sexuality. As such, it will be welcomed by those in the fields of film theory, queer theory, and cultural studies.


ABSTRACT Information discernment has become a much needed twenty-first century skill and an essential outcome for university education. Technology has enabled more organisations to gain access to effective mass media to disseminate both accurate information and disinformation. As information sources have proliferated, information users are confronted by a plethora of superficially credible, contradictory 'facts' and opinions. A curriculum redesign project at an Australian university provided an opportunity to embed information discernment into a first-year unit, and to strengthen students' capacity to engage critically with contradictory sources and competing worldviews. The review found that: (1) it was necessary to explain the importance of information discernment, (2) a restriction of information sources was helpful to the initial development of discernment, (3) the purposes of (university) education required explicit discussion, (4) it was useful to discuss the relationship between research and personal experience, and (5) later modules must consolidate and extend information literacy learning.


For pt.III see ibid., vol.6, p.429-38, Jan. 1991. Pollution buildup characteristics of various representative insulator designs were studied, and influential meteorological parameters were measured. Using the rapid flashover test technique, the electrical performance of naturally polluted insulators was assessed through laboratory investigations. The study revealed that considerably heavy pollution is experienced in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, exceeding 0.1 mg/cm/sup 2/ in about ten months of natural exposure. The pollution contains sodium chloride and silica as the major soluble and insoluble ingredients. Insulator bottom surface geometry has a significant effect on pollution buildup, whereas the top surfaces behave almost identically with only a marginal influence in some cases. Prevailing desert meteorology characterized by limited rainfall, has a negligible self-cleaning effect on deep-ribbed insulators. Electrical performance assessed using the rapid flashover test technique gave different orders of merit based on equal-creepage and equal-height criteria among the tested insulators. >


Background; Stroke is a global health problem. Stroke is responsible for major disabilities in adult population, and is 2 nd leading cause of deaths all over the world. Different studies have reported dyslipidemia as major cause of stroke in different populations. Objective; To determine the frequency of dyslipidemias in patients with ischemic stroke at Nishtar Hospital Multan. Material and methods; All the cases of stroke (n=240) Patients having finding on CT scan brain (plain) consistent with ischemic stroke of either sex aged less than 80 years were enrolled in this cross-sectional study from department of Medicine, Nishtar Hospital, Multan. Complete history about onset of illness, diabetes, hypertension and cardiac illness of the patients was taken. Baseline laboratory investigations including lipid profile and Hb A 1 c were done. Results; Of these 240 study cases, 155 (64.6 %) were male patients and 85 (35.4%) were female patients. Mean age of our study cases was 68.37 ± 14.55 years (with minimum age was 34 years while maximum age was 79 years). Out of these 240 study cases, 138 (57.5 %) were from poor families, 53(22.1 %) were diabetic and only 11 out of 53 (20.75%) had controlled glycemic levels. Hypertension was present in 182 (75.8%) of our study cases and 39 (16.3 %) were obese. Smoking was present in 101 (42.1%), previous history of stroke was present in 35 (14.6%) and 83 (34.6%) were Saraikis. Mean duration of illness was 2.24 ± 0.53 months and 135 (56.3%) had disease duration more than 1 month. Mean serum cholesterol level was 202.06 ± 45.36 mg/dl, mean serum LDL level was 91.13 ± 10.24 mg/dl, mean serum triglyceride level was 147.51 ± 20.21 mg/dl and mean serum HDL level was 42.92 ± 3.85 mg/dl and dyslipidemia was present in 85 (35.4 %). Conclusion; Frequency of dyslipidemia was high among patients having ischemic stroke in our study. Dyslipidemia was significantly associated with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking, previous history of stroke and ethnicity. Early diagnosis followed by timely management can help reduce disease morbidity and improve clinical outcomes in these patients. Keywords; ischemic stroke, dyslipidemia, frequency.


In the conventional intersection recognition method, shape information is used. In order to recognize an intersection composed of roads divided by grass and asphalt, it is necessary to distinguish them. There is almost no difference in shape between grass and asphalt. For this reason, it is difficult to distinguish them by the method using shape information. Therefore, we use reflection intensity by LiDAR to distinguish grass and asphalt. In this paper, we compare the reflection intensity of the ground surface at points where distances from LiDAR are equal. The appropriate threshold for distinguishing materials of the ground is dynamically calculated for each distance using Discriminant Analysis Method. We accumulate the drivable region using the dynamically calculated threshold value in chronological order taking the relative movement amount into account. We add probabilistic processing to the drivable region accumulated in chronological order to extract more stable drivable region. Finally, an intersection is detected by combining the drivable region extracted using the reflection intensity and the drivable region extracted using the shape information. Intersection detection method uses Toe-Finding Algorithm. In order to show the usefulness of our method, we compare our method with two method, Partition Line Method and the proposed method unaccumulated the drivable region.


An iterative parallel segmentation algorithm, which avoids the problem of dependency on the order in which portions of the image are processed by performing the globally best merges first, is presented. The segmentation approach and two implementations of the approach on a massively parallel processor (MPP) are discussed. Application of the segmentation approach to data compression and image analysis is described, and results of the application are given for a Landsat thematic mapper image.<<ETX>>


Celastrus orbiculatus is a woody vine of the Celastraceae family. It is commonly called Oriental bittersweet. Other common names include Chinese bittersweet, Asian bittersweet, Round-leaved bittersweet, and Asiatic bittersweet. Celastrus orbiculatus was introduced into North America in 1879, and is considered to be an invasive species in eastern North America. It closely resembles the native North American species, Celastrus scandens, with which it will readily hybridize.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to challenge the dominance of the mainstream discourse and practice of diversity management (DM) by identifying and problematizing three distinct but related issues that it encompasses: first, its tendency to displace all alternative approaches; second, its general neglect of the social-historical context and third, its almost exclusive focus on the business case rationale for supporting diversity. Design/methodology/approach – Employing ethnographic research methods, the empirical material was collected in an international manufacturing corporation based in Sweden. It consists of three different, but interconnected approaches: archival research, interviews and observations. Findings – The paper shows that in neglecting power, identity, intersectionality and the changing socio-historical context of diversity, a well-meaning corporate diversity programme tended to obscure ethnic and age-related disadvantages at work. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this research relate largely to its dependence on a single case study and the limited focus on diversity as it affected able-bodied, white male immigrant workers. A broader study of the multiplicity of types of discrimination and ways in which diversity is managed in a range of countries and organizations could facilitate a more in-depth exploration of these issues and arguments. Originality/value – Although not entirely new, the three arguments that have been drawn upon to discuss, analyse and illustrate DM through our data have rarely been brought together in one theoretical and empirical study.


A self-consistent numerical Poisson-Schrodinger-drift-diffusion solver is described for simulation of multiple-quantum-well (MQW) Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/As-GaAs solar cells. The rates of escape, capture, and recombination of photoexcited carriers in quantum wells embedded in the intrinsic region of a p-i-n device are self-consistently incorporated in the model. The performance of the device for various quantum-well configurations is investigated and the device characteristics are related to the dynamics of capture, escape, absorption, and recombination of carriers in the quantum wells. Our results show that the incorporation of MQWs in the intrinsic region of a p-i-n solar cell can improve the conversion efficiency of non-optimal devices, if the device is designed based on careful consideration of the behavior of the photoexcited carriers in the quantum wells. Specifically, we found out that an Al/sub 0.1/Ga/sub 0.9/As-GaAs cell with multiple quantum wells of 150 /spl Aring/ is more efficient than an identical single bandgap Al/sub 0.1/Ga/sub 0.9/As cell with no quantum wells, but less efficient than a single bandgap GaAs cell without such quantum wells.


The main purpose of this research is to analyze the impact of lifestyle and financial literacy on financial management. The method of this research is quantitative research. The population of this research are young workers in Jakarta with accidental sampling tehniques using 30 samples as a pre test and 135 samples as a main test. The analysis techniques use multiple regression, t test and F test. The result of t test showed that lifestyle and financial literacy partially affected on financial management. And the result of F test showed that lifestyle and financial literacy simultaneous affected on financial management.


Background: The decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which is characteristic of obstructive uropathy, was suggested to be associated with attenuated nitric oxide (NO) generation. Since availability of L-arginine, the sole precursor for NO, governs NO synthesis, we aimed to determine the role of glomerular arginine transport in rats subjected to 24 h of bilateral ureteral ligation (BUO). Methods: Glomerular arginine transport was measured by uptake of radiolabeled arginine ([3H]-L-arginine), cationic amino acid transporters (CAT)-1 and -2 and arginases I and II mRNA expression were determined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. CAT-1, arginase I, and arginase II protein contents were evaluated by Western blotting. Results:L-Arginine transport by freshly harvested glomeruli from BUO rats was significantly augmented than in controls. The aforementioned findings were associated with a significant increase in glomerular CAT-1 mRNA expression, while CAT-2 mRNA was unchanged. Western blotting demonstrated a significant increase in CAT-1 abundance in BUO. Expression of both glomerular arginase I and II mRNA and protein content were significantly elevated in BUO. Conclusions: BUO induces an increase in glomerular arginine transport via upregulation of CAT-1, probably due to increase in arginine utilization by a non-NO pathway.


Emrick's model is a latent class or state model for mastery testing that entails a simple rule for separating masters from nonmasters with respect to a homogeneous domain of items. His method for estimating the model parameters has only restricted applicability inasmuch as it assumes a mixing pa rameter equal to .50 and an a priori known ratio of the two latent success probabilities. The maximum likelihood method is also available but yields an in tractable system of estimation equations which can only be solved iteratively. The emphasis in this pa per is on estimates to be computed by hand but nonetheless accurate enough for most practical situ ations. It is shown how the method of moments can be used to obtain such "quick and easy" estimates. In addition, an endpoint method is discussed that assumes that the parameters can be estimated from the tails of the sample distribution. A monte carlo experiment demonstrated that for a great variety of parameter values, test lengths, and sample sizes, the method of moments yields excellent results and is uniformly much better than the endpoint meth od.


Abstract
Sulfalene and trimethoprim were used individually and in association in the treatment of nonimmune or slightly immune adult patients infected with falciparum malaria caused by six strains of parasite, some of which were resistant and some sensitive to chloroquine, pyrimethamine, and chlorguanide. Doses of 0.25 gram or 1.0 gram of sulfalene were administered to 33 patients, 14 of whom, all infected with pyrimethamine-resistant strains, were not cured. Trimethoprim, in a course of 1.5 gram daily for 7 days, cured 5 of 10 patients. The two drugs together produced a variable response when given for 2 days or less; a 3-day course consisting of sulfalene 1.0 gram and trimethoprim 1.5 gram daily (in divided doses) cured 10 of 14 patients, but the parasitemia in 2 patients who were not cured was not cleared even temporarily by the treatment. These 2 patients were not cured when they received 5-day courses at the same daily dosage, assay of plasma levels confirming absorption of the trimethoprim component. Patients whose infections had broken through prophylaxis by the sulfone di-formyl-DDS were unlikely to be cured by sulfalene and trimethoprim, but their parasites when transferred to other people proved sensitive to these drugs. Alternative explanations are proposed: 1) in some persons, unidentified host factors interfere with the action of the absorbed drug upon a sensitive parasite; 2) the parasite develops some degree of drug resistance in certain hosts but loses it upon transfer to other hosts.


Summary: In this article, an important and troublesome trend of the EC's environmental and social policy is discussed. This trend is best described as a new governance model. In this new model, the government and private sector work together to make new laws (the co-operative approach), and, conversely, corporations are required to assume social responsibilities. Thus, there are two sides to this trend: public government is privatised and corporate government is publicised.
The first part of this article discusses the co-operative approach, which has become popular in the environmental area. The main reason for this approach's popularity is that it is believed to avoid the pitfalls of the adversarial approach. The second part analyses the European Commission's ideas about corporate social responsibility (CSR) as set forth in a green paper on this topic. The definition and scope of CSR, the objectives and instruments proposed by the Commission, the CSR stake-holder model, and the management structure and tools required to implement CSR are discussed. The merits of the co-operative approach and CSR are discussed in the third section. The fourth section focuses specifically on the stakeholder model on which CSR is founded. In the next section, some issues that the CSR debate has neglected are brought to the forefront. A final assessment of the co-operative approach and the CSR model is set forth in the final section.


Background and purpose: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulty in social functioning, communication, and the presence of stereotypic and repetitive behaviors. Due to various problems of these children, their families, especially their mothers experience extreme stress. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy on mental health and irrational beliefs of mothers with autistic children. Materials and methods: In this study a quasi-experimental design including pre-test, post-test and control group was used. First, a sample size of 30 women with autistic children were selected and tested. In pre-test, the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and Jones Irrational Beliefs Test (IBT) were administered individually to experimental group (n = 15) and control group (n = 15). Then, cognitive behavioral therapy (consisting of ten weekly 75-minute sessions) was conducted in experimental group whereas no intervention was done in control group. After the intervention, the general health and irrational beliefs were measured again. Results: The MANCOVA analysis showed that cognitive behavioral therapy was effective in reducing irrational beliefs in experimental group (179.45±20.64) (P<0.0001). Also, the intervention improved the scores for general health among experimental group (36.06±10.92) (P<0.0001). Conclusion: Cognitive behavioral therapy as a useful therapeutic intervention could be of benefit in improving mental health and irrational beliefs in mothers with autistic children.


The isomorphisms holding in all models of the simply typed lambda calculus with surjective and terminal objects are well studied these models are exactly the Cartesian closed categories. Isomorphism of two simple types in such a model is decidable by reduction to a normal form and comparison under a nite number of permutations (Bruce, Di Cosmo, and Longo 1992). Unfortunately, these normal forms may be exponentially larger than the original types so this construction decides isomorphism in exponential time. We show how using space-sharing/hash-consing techniques and memoization can be used to decide isomorphism in practical polynomial time (low degree, small hidden constant). Other researchers have investigated simple type isomorphism in relation to, among other potential applications, type-based retrieval of software modules from libraries and automatic generation of bridge code for multi-language systems. Our result makes such potential applications practically feasible.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
Few studies have compared the precision of various diagnostic tests used to determine the presence of Barrett's esophagus. The aim of this study was to compare the results of histological, endoscopic, and manometric tests for patients with Barrett's esophagus in two closely spaced examinations.

METHODS
In a Veterans Administration Cooperative Study, 192 patients with complicated gastroesophageal reflux disease had esophageal manometry and endoscopy performed at baseline and after 6 weeks. At each examination, the endoscopist localized the most proximal level of Barrett's epithelium and the lower esophageal sphincter and obtained esophageal biopsy specimens.

RESULTS
One hundred sixteen patients met the criteria for Barrett's esophagus on at least one of the two endoscopic examinations. Among patients with specialized columnar epithelium, 20% had specialized columnar epithelium found on only one of the two examinations. Although the mean lower esophageal sphincter level did not change, approximately 10% of patients had a change > or = 4 cm on endoscopy and manometry between examinations. This led to an apparent change in the diagnosis in 18% of patients with Barrett's esophagus.

CONCLUSIONS
From one endoscopic examination to another, inconsistencies in the ability to detect specialized columnar epithelium are common. This may lead to substantial problems in establishing an accurate diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus.