Radio waves propagation is dependent on many variables. Any of these variables employed must ensure that the antennae at both sides of the link can see each other. This is because the radio horizon extends beyond the optical horizon. Inspite of this porch, telecommunications' long distance signal suffer degradation. The ratio of the transmitted power to the receiver power is empirically deteriorated. The level of the received signal fluctuation is usually a function of the configured characteristics between the TX-antenna and the RX-antenna. In view of this, operating considerations are usually focused on LOS, NLOS and the FZ of the area, among other environmental issues. The study, therefore, focuses on issues associated with Radio waves propagation under Fresnel zone peak levels of 0.6, 1.0 and 2.0. Five locations were considered along a major economic route (Eket-Mobil Oil giant and Uyo capital city). Signal strength pattern along the route was evaluated using a wireless radio link established in all the surveyed interceptions. This aided to determine any impeding structure tending to obstruct signal propagation; and measurements were taken at five respective nodes along the route. Results indicated the best line-of-sight (LOS) at Etinan (-81dB signal strength). AfahaNsit, recorded the second best on the table (-82dB). On the other hand, locations like Eket and Nsit-Ubium established very poor line-of-sight (signal strength of -84dB and 83dB respectively). The study further noted that obstruction like trees along the route to Eket contributed greatly to the poor results obtained at the terminal point of the signal; except for the meticulous positioning of the antennae. The variance recorded in this work from the previously reported study by the same author, was due to modified Fresnel zone levels and corresponding decrease in transmitting frequency. Comparatively, it was observed that the reduction in the channel frequency, increased the rate of attenuation across the locations, as well as the signal strength.


Starting out as the new kid in a new school can be like performing as an extra in a movie. You can feel alone, pushed to the side, and unsure of where you could possibly fit in or if there is a place for you. Thankfully, New Kid, New Scene was written just for you. This book gives the ins and outs of navigating new surroundings, making new friends (as well as staying in touch with old ones), and finding a place that feels like your own. It is full of real-life stories from kids who have been in your shoesfacing a new school and new life and how they were able to survive and even thrive in their new environment. It is packed with useful advice and questions for when you are worried or upset. New kid, New Scene shows you that you are star in this new change in your life and not just an extra.


We model the settlement of the Galaxy by space-faring civilizations in order to address issues related to the Fermi Paradox. We are motivated to explore the problem in a way that avoids assumptions about the agency (i.e., questions of intent and motivation) of any exo-civilization seeking to settle other planetary systems. We begin by considering the speed of an advancing settlement front to determine if the Galaxy can become inhabited with space-faring civilizations on timescales shorter than its age. Our models for the front speed include the directed settlement of nearby settleable systems through the launching of probes with a finite velocity and range. We also include the effect of stellar motions on the long-term behavior of the settlement front which adds a diffusive component to its advance. As part of our model we also consider that only a fraction, f, of planets will have conditions amenable to settlement by the space-faring civilization. The results of these models demonstrate that the Milky Way can be readily filled-in with settled stellar systems under conservative assumptions about interstellar spacecraft velocities and launch rates. We then move on to consider the question of the Galactic steady state achieved in terms of the fraction X of settled planets. We do this by considering the effect of finite settlement civilization lifetimes on the steady states. We find a range of parameters for which 0 < X < 1, i.e., the Galaxy supports a population of interstellar space-faring civilizations even though some settleable systems are uninhabited. In addition we find that statistical fluctuations can produce local overabundances of settleable worlds. These generate long-lived clusters of settled systems immersed in large regions that remain unsettled. Both results point to ways in which Earth might remain unvisited in the midst of an inhabited galaxy. Finally we consider how our results can be combined with the finite horizon for evidence of previous settlements in Earth's geologic record. Using our steady-state model we constrain the probabilities for an Earth visit by a settling civilization before a given time horizon. These results break the link between Hart's famous "Fact A" (no interstellar visitors on Earth now) and the conclusion that humans must, therefore, be the only technological civilization in the Galaxy. Explicitly, our solutions admit situations where our current circumstances are consistent with an otherwise settled, steady-state galaxy.


The intensity and structure of in-cylinder turbulence is known to have a significant effect on internal combustion engine performance. Changes in flow structure and turbulence intensity result in changes to the rate of heat release, cylinder wall heat rejection, and cycle-to-cycle combustion variability. This paper seeks to quantify these engine performance consequences and identify fundamental similarities across a range of high-speed, medium-bore, lean-burn, spark-ignited reciprocating engines. In-cylinder turbulence was manipulated by changing the extent of intake port-induced swirl as well as varying the level of piston-generated turbulence. The relationship between in-cylinder turbulence and engine knock is also discussed.Increasing in-cylinder turbulence generally reduces combustion duration, but test results reveal that increasing swirl beyond a critical point can cause a lengthening of burn durations and greatly reduced engine performance. This critical swirl level is related to the extent of small-scale, piston generated turbulence present in the cylinder. Increasing in-cylinder turbulence generally leads to reduced cycle-to-cycle variability and increased detonation margin. The overall change in thermal efficiency was dependent on the balance of these factors and wall heat transfer, and varied depending on the operational constraints for a given engine and application. Single cylinder engine test data, supported with three dimensional CFD results are used to demonstrate and explain these basic combustion engine principles.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


In this paper, relay node deployment strategies are adopted into heterogeneous network scenario. The existence of cooperative relay nodes introduces more interference in the cellular domain. Firstly, we give the hetero-interference models which have great influence on heterogeneous access performance. Furthermore, outage probability and symbol error rate formula are derived under heterogeneous relay network. On this basis, Nearest-Neighbor algorithm and fixed deployment strategy are adopted to analyze cooperative network performance. Numerical results show that the Nearest-Neighbor solution can effectively improve the cellular performance in the heterogeneous environment.


The in situ chlorination of graphene on Ir(111) has been achieved by depositing FeCl3 followed by its thermal decomposition on the surface into FeCl2 and Cl. This process is accompanied by an intercalation of Cl under graphene and formation of an epitaxial FeCl2 film on top, which can be removed upon further annealing. A pronounced hole doping of graphene has been observed as a consequence of the annealing-assisted intercalation of Cl. This effect has been studied by a combination of core-level and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopies (CL PES and ARPES, respectively), near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). The ease of preparation, the remarkable reproducibility of the doping level and the reversibility of the doping upon annealing are the key factors making chlorination with FeCl3 a promising route for tuning the electronic properties in graphene.


We fabricated and characterized electroluminescence (EL) devices using ferroelectric polyvinylidene fluoride/trifluoroethylene (PVDF/TrFE) copolymer composites mixed with Mn- and Cu-activated ZnS phosphor particles. Spin-coated polymer composite films on glass substrates with transparent conductive oxides were dried at 140 oC for 1 h in vacuum due to growth of ferroelectric phase. The maximum remnant polarization and luminescence of the fabricated devices were approximately 20 μC/cm2 and 100 cd/m2, respectively. Increases of the luminescence were observed in the fabricated EL devices using PVDF/TrFE copolymer in comparison with using PVDF polymer as dielectrics. EL emission intensities were also enhanced by applying the bipolar pulses. These results suggest an effect of polarization reversal in the composite films.


International trade liberalisation often implies increased potentials for export production. For investing in increasing capacity in agriculture, farmers need to have credit access. However, farmers in many countries are credit constrained, e.g. due to collateral reasons, which is the case in Central Europe and East Africa, among others. A model illustrates the additional producer gains from having access to credit; the gains are composed of a price effect, an investment effect, and a social capital externality. Improvement of agricultural credit can be achieved by relying on existing social structures, such as farmers' social capital. This approach tackles the collateral issue and can furthermore entail benefits external to the investment decision. The paper concludes that these externalities need to be addressed when designing optimal agricultural credit institutions.


From the middle of 1900's to the end of the 1920's, several associations dedicated to dance activities appeared every year in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian federal capital. This widespread movement demonstrates the passion for that kind of association among the residents of the city. Despite the strong influence of those recreational associations on working class neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro and the political meanings of such clubs, scholars have very seldom investigated them. Most analyses neglected such practices, focusing mostly on the supposedly more relevant experience of workers in unions—even though the dance clubs attracted to their activities a large number of workers from the neighborhoods in which they were formed. Such logic ended up defining a model of working-class history in Brazil that has often assumed the discourse of union leaders as the very expression of the working class as a whole. In order to understand the limits of such analyses, it's important to pay attention to the cultural backgrounds of workers that were not necessarily engaged on unionist activities. Distant from the unions and parties, they organized themselves in associations that may convey a different image of the local working class, which takes into account issues like ethnicity and social condition. Therefore, it's important to look closer to the activities carried out on working class neighborhoods as Bangu by the members of associations like the Flor da União (Flower of the Union)—a Carnival and Dance Society in which important forms of identities and differences were forges among Brazilian workers of the period.


This document reports investigations of models of multiphase flows using
Lattice Boltzmann methods. The emphasis is on deriving by Chapman-
Enskog techniques the corresponding macroscopic equations. The singular
interface (Young-Laplace-Gauss) model is described briefly, with a discussion
of its limitations. The diffuse interface theory is discussed in more detail,
and shown to lead to the singular interface model in the proper asymptotic
limit. The Lattice Boltzmann method is presented in its simplest form appropriate
for an ideal gas. Four different Lattice Boltzmann models for non-ideal
multi-phase) isothermal flows are then presented in detail, and the resulting
macroscopic equations derived. Partly in contradiction with the published
literature, it is found that only one of the models gives physically fully acceptable
equations. The form of the equation of state for a multiphase system
the density interval above the coexistance line determines surface tension
and interface thickness in the diffuse interface theory. The use of this relation
for optimizing a numerical model is discussed. The extension of Lattice
Boltzmann methods to the non-isothermal situation is discussed.


Experimental and theoretical studies of the mechanisms that underlay ion-pair forma- tion, their properties and applications in various fields have been and still are focused by researchers since the introduction of the concept in 1926, by Bjerrum. Ion pairs are distinct chemical entities, electrically neutral, formed between ions of opposite charge and held together by Coulomb forces, without formation of a covalent bond. Investigation methods used are various, from classical conductometric measurements to up-to-date methods, such as spectrophotometry, chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. In the phar - maceutical field, ion pairs were used to develop methods of separation, identification and assay for the active substances in complex matrices, to obtain pharmaceutical formula - tions with controlled release and to explain the mechanisms of transport and action for certain drugs. The chapter is an attempt to describe new trends in the spectrophotometry of ion pairs and their applications in the pharmaceutical field. The development of the concept and types of ion pairs are first presented; further, examples of applications using molecular absorption, fluorimetry and resonance light scattering spectrophotometry are presented. Based on the literature data and the authors' experience in the field, challenges and perspectives in the ion-pair spectrophotometry are also considered.


This innovation represents a method and circuit realization of a system designed to make in-situ measurements of test solar-cell operational parameters on orbit using readily available high-temperature and high-ionizing-radiation- tolerant electronic components. This innovation enables on-orbit in-situ solar-array health monitoring and is in response to a need recognized by the U.S. Air Force for future solar arrays for unmanned spacecraft. This system can also be constructed out of commercial-grade electronics and can be embedded into terrestrial solar power system as a diagnostics instrument. This innovation represents a novel approach to I-V curve measurement that is radiation and temperature hard, consumes very few system resources, is economical, and utilizes commercially available components. The circuit will also operate at temperatures as low as 55 C and up to +225 C, allowing it to reside close to the array in direct sunlight. It uses a swept mode transistor functioning as a resistive load while utilizing the solar cells themselves as the biasing device, so the size of the instrument is small and there is no danger of over-driving the cells. Further, this innovation utilizes nearly universal spacecraft bus resources and therefore can be readily adapted to any spacecraft bus allowing for ease of retrofit, or designed into new systems without requiring the addition of infrastructure. One unique characteristic of this innovation is that it effects the measurement of I-V curves without the use of large resistor arrays or active current sources normally used to characterize cells. A single transistor is used as a variable resistive load across the cell. This multi-measurement instrument was constructed using operational amplifiers, analog switches, voltage regulators, MOSFETs, resistors, and capacitors. The operational amplifiers, analog switches, and voltage regulators are silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology known for its hardness to the effects of ionizing radiation. The SOI components used can tolerate temperatures up to 225 C, which gives plenty of thermal headroom allowing this circuit to perhaps reside in the solar cell panel itself where temperatures can reach over 100 C.


In this study, we investigated HMB-45 expression in epithelioid uterine leiomyosarcomas with clear cell areas. From 12 epithelioid leiomyosarcomas, we selected 5 that had: 1) clear cell areas and 2) spindle cell areas that were at least focally positive for desmin and caldesmon. The patients' ages ranged from 47 to 82 years (mean 64 years). Presenting symptoms were uterine bleeding (three), abdominal pain (one), and a pelvic mass (one). There was no history of tuberous sclerosis or lymphangioleiomyomatosis. One patient had stage II disease, one stage III, and three stage IV. All were treated with total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Two received radiotherapy, and three were also treated with chemotherapy. The tumors ranged in size from 4 × 3 × 3 cm to 10 × 7 × 6 cm; all had significant cellular atypia, areas of coagulative necrosis, and between 10 and 90 mitoses per 10 high power fields. Vascular invasion was seen in three cases. The epithelioid component varied from 50% to 90% in each case; and the percentage of clear cells was <1% in one case, 5% in one case, and 10% to 80% in three cases. Smooth muscle actin and desmin were positive in all cases. Four cases were positive for HMB-45 only in the clear cell areas. The tumor with <1% of clear cells was negative for HMB-45. All were negative for S-100 and c-kit. Three patients died of disease at 9, 30, and 32 months; one patient is alive with progressive disease at 6 months, and one patient (stage II disease) is alive with no evidence of disease at 8 months. Unequivocal uterine epithelioid leiomyosarcomas may have clear cells positive for HMB-45. These tumors might belong to the group of lesion designated as PEComas; however, it is advisable to designate them as uterine leiomyosarcomas. In uterine smooth muscle tumors, some epithelioid cells most likely undergo clear cell changes and become positive for HMB-45. It would be advisable to perform this stain in all epithelioid smooth muscle tumors of the uterus.


This article aimed to highlight the existence of innovation in tourism based on the international literature. From conceptualization of the research period it was found that definition can be universally valid applied in all sectors of the economy and, equally, in the tertiary sector, where there are tourist services. Coming either from English or French, "innovation" defines both a process and its results. Adapting to the constantly varying wishes of customers, innovation is a key element underpinning the survival and existence of competition in a dynamic environment that is changing radically. Current studies reveal that there are other indirect benefits of innovations such as image enhancement, improved customer loyalty, and ability to attract new ones. In this study, it was paid a special attention to the long-term prospects related to the tourism sector in countries such as Australia, Latin America, Africa, China and emerging markets such as India and Indonesia. This has resulted in tourism expenditure forecast for the period 2013 2019 performed using information provided by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.


The problem of the 'brain drain' caused by the migration of European scientists to the USA has been a major point of discussion for many years (Breithaupt, 2000; Butler, 2000; Stone, 2000). Inevitably, the movement of established senior scientists to America has received the most attention because of the high profile of the researchers in question. As a result, the focus has been shifted away from what may be an even more serious problem, namely the continuing exodus of European PhDs who choose to carry out their postdoctoral research in the USA. Postdoctoral researchers are a key part of modern research laboratories and no academic system can afford to have so many of its best and brightest young researchers choosing to work elsewhere. Even if these scientists eventually return to Europe when they start their own groups, a highly productive part of their careers will have been lost forever to European science. The loss of these researchers would not be such a problem if a similar number of American postdoctoral fellows were migrating in the other direction. However, the reality is that most US scientists believe that leaving the USA will damage their long-term prospects for academic careers in the American system. As a result, few choose to come to Europe. With the continuing increase in biomedical science funding in the USA and the general expansion of biotechnology worldwide, a shortage of postdoctoral fellows is already becoming a serious threat to the further growth of biomedical research in Europe.

It hardly needs stating that links between Europe and the USA have been and will continue to be important for science on both sides of the Atlantic. However, if the effectiveness of European science is to be maintained, it will be necessary to create conditions that succeed in retaining a higher proportion of our own postdoctoral researchers and also in attracting more American postdoctoral scientists to Europe. I suggest that a programme designed to achieve this goal should deal with the following issues.

Strange though it may seem, European scientists may actually find it easier to move to the USA than to cross national boundaries in Europe, despite the much greater distance and the requirement for permits to work in the USA. It is essential that the barriers that restrict mobility of scientists in Europe are removed. These include the high level of bureaucracy in some European countries and the extreme heterogeneity of academic organisation and scientific funding arrangements that exist across Europe. It is important to create conditions where postdoctoral fellows will feel that they can move freely between different European countries and know that they will encounter a European research ethos instead of having to grapple with the idiosyncrasies of different national systems. Greater mobility of senior researchers would also have a positive effect. For example, the fact that very few senior academic appointments in southern European countries are held by foreigners is likely to discourage foreign postdoctoral fellows from applying to work in these countries. Language can also be a problem and young scientists from non-English speaking countries may be drawn to the USA by the prospect of acquiring a good command of English that is now essential for long-term success in science. Many of the larger European laboratories already use English as the working language, and this is certainly a potential solution to this problem.

Funding is another key area that needs to be addressed. Since postdoctoral fellows tend to choose a laboratory and then apply for funds to work there, the most effective type of funding is the fellowship, which can be applied for as needed. The high level of competition for many European fellowships, such as the EU Marie Curie Fellowship scheme and the EMBO long-term fellowships, suggests that availability of funding is often a significant factor that influences decisions on where to work. It is worrying, therefore, to see that future plans for EU funding of biomedical science are directed towards large-scale projects instead of funding more postdoctoral fellowships within Europe. Fellowships that are specifically designed to promote a two-way exchange of postdoctoral personnel between European and US laboratories would also be beneficial.

Conditions of employment will also affect decisions on where to work. The days when postdoctoral researchers were prepared to work an 'apprenticeship' on low wages without benefits are almost certainly over. The postdoctoral scientists of today rightly regard themselves as highly qualified professionals and are fully aware of their value. Many have young families to provide for. If we wish to keep them in Europe, then it will be necessary to ensure that they are paid adequately wherever they are working. An arrangement that allowed pension benefits for scientists to be transferred between European countries would also be a major incentive to remain within the European research area. In addition, it is important that conditions for senior academic appointments that are designed to 'attract back' postdoctoral fellows from the USA do not end up discriminating against those who have stayed in Europe. This will only increase the problem by providing an additional incentive for postdoctoral researchers to leave the European system.

Changing perceptions may prove to be the most important task of all. There is a widespread view among European scientists that the most advantageous career path is to do one's postdoctoral work in the USA and then return to Europe to become a principal investigator. Since laboratories require both postdoctoral fellows and laboratory heads, the logical flaw in this view is obvious. If it were correct, it would also suggest that there is something seriously wrong with European science. In fact, an examination of the track record of European laboratories shows that they can provide a training environment which is every bit as good as that of their American counterparts. The injection of energy and ability that would come from retaining our best postdoctoral scientists can only further enhance the quality of science in Europe. It is time for European laboratory heads to begin to convey that message to their graduate students when they are considering where to go for their postdoctoral training.


This thesis examines the relationship between self-esteem and psychological health. In Chapter 1, I define self-esteem and psychological health, illustrate the prominence of these two psychological constructs, and review the literature on the relation between self-esteem and psychological health. As we will see, self-esteem can be defined as one's overall evaluation as a person, and psychological health can be defined as the absence of depression, anxiety, and negative affect together with the presence of life satisfaction and positive affect. Further, we will see that self-esteem and psychological health are among the most frequently researched psychological constructs. Thus, the corpus of research on the relationship between self-esteem and psychological health is massive. Nonetheless, the nature and dynamics of this relationship are complex and far from being fully understood. The empirical research presented in this thesis helps to better understand this relationship. To this end, I have conducted three empirical lines of research. The three lines of research approach the same overarching goal from three very different angles. In the first empirical chapter (Chapter 2), I report a line of research in which my collaborators and I studied the impact of one facet of psychological health - i.e., chronic mood - on self-esteem when recalling positive and negative past selves. In four studies, we found that chronically happy people assimilated towards a recalled positive self and contrasted away from a recalled negative self, which in both cases lead to a relative increase in self-esteem. Chronically sad people, on the other hand, assimilated towards a recalled negative self and contrasted away from a recalled positive self, which in both cases lead to a relative decrease in self-esteem. Thus, this research shows that psychological health in the form of chronic mood can impact self-esteem via the medium of recalling past selves. The research reported in the second empirical chapter (Chapter 3) was motivated by the conviction that a full understanding of the relationship between self-esteem and psychological health can be obtained only by placing this relationship in a larger context involving other psychological variables. Past research suggests that belongingness is the one psychological construct that is particularly relevant in this respect. Thus, Chapter 3 reports a line of research studying the relations between belongingness, self-esteem, and psychological health. In three studies, we developed and validated a novel two-dimensional measure of people's perceptions of the belongingness they experience from other people. The measure assesses the amount of belongingness experienced and the degree to which people perceive this belongingness as being unconditional or conditional on their achievements and contributions. We extended past social psychological research by demonstrating that the unconditionally of belongingness explains variance in psychological health independent of the amount of belongingness. More importantly, the data showed that self-esteem plays a central role in these relationships. Specifically, the amount of self-esteem (e.g., global self-esteem) mediated the relationship between the amount of belongingness and psychological health, whereas the conditionally of self-esteem (i.e., global contingent self-esteem) mediates the relationship between the unconditionally of belongingness and psychological health. In the final empirical chapter (Chapter 4), we wanted to elucidate why past empirical research failed to find a relationship between implicit measures of self-esteem and self-reported psychological health when controlling for explicit measures of self-esteem. One reason for this puzzling but consistent null result may be that existent implicit measures of self-esteem assess domain-specific self-esteem, but not global self-esteem. Thus, Chapter 4 reports a line of research studying the relation between psychological health and a novel implicit measure of global self-esteem. Six studies developed and validated this new implicit measure, finding that our newly developed measure predicts higher psychological health even when controlling for explicitly measured self-esteem. Finally, Chapter 5 reviews the contribution of the research presented in this thesis to our understanding of the relationship between self-esteem and psychological health. Overall, the research emphasises the complexity of the multi-faceted processes that underlie this relationship. Directions for future research are discussed.


Objectives: The purpose of this study is to describe imaging findings in a group of fetuses with suspected arachnoid cyst and to evaluate the clinical outcome of these pregnancies. Methods: This is a retrospective study on a cohort of fetuses diagnosed with suspected arachnoid cyst, between 2011 and 2018. The records of each patient, including US and MRI examinations were reviewed. Whenever possible, the results were compared with postnatal findings at the clinical, imaging and/or pathology examinations. Results: Twenty-two patients with a diagnosis of arachnoid cyst were included in the study, at a mean gestational age of 28.3w (range 19-38w). The cysts were located in the posterior fossa (12), inter-hemispheric (3), CVI area (3), suprasellar (1), supracerebellar (1), quadrigeminal cistern (1) and posterior midline (1) area. Associated malformations were present in four fetuses (2 CNS and 2 non-CNS). No chromosomal abnormalities were found. MRI was performed in 15 cases. 17 patients were delivered with average follow up of 25.9m (4-65m); out of them nine had surgery. Eleven children had normal neurological development, four had language developmental delay (one of them had also mild motoric delay and another one had microtia). One child had a mild motoric problem after surgery which required physiotherapy and one child had multi malformations, developmental delay and motoric problems. Three patients opted for TOP and two patients were lost to follow up. Conclusions: Arachnoid cyst is usually considered a finding with a favourable postnatal outcome, but most of the current evidence is from postnatal literature. In our study, more than half of the children (9/17) needed surgery, mostly because of related symptoms (compression of the cyst on adjacent structures and hydrocephaly), but the neurological outcome was mostly good.


Due to the increasing globalization of businesses, new ideas for innovation need to be disseminated rapidly both within and across different departments and divisions. Frequently, ideas and information are dispersed over globally distributed organizations or team members. As a result, the exchange of knowledge has become not only very important for innovation but also highly complex. To facilitate this knowledge exchange, electronically mediated interactions are growing rapidly, replacing traditional face-to-face communications. However, literature provides contradicting results regarding the effectiveness of computer-mediated communication (CMC) versus face-to-face communication. This study attempts to reconcile differences in the literature on the benefits of CMC technologies and co-location. Focusing on knowledge dissemination in technology development processes in high-technology firms, the study investigates the relative impact of CMC technologies and co-location of research and development (R&D) staff, as well as the mutual interaction between them. The present article hypothesizes that CMC technologies and co-location of R&D staff have a positive impact on knowledge dissemination. Further, it is hypothesized that it is more favorable to co-locate R&D staff than to invest in CMC technologies and that the effects of co-location and CMC interact negatively. These hypotheses are tested using empirical data collected from 277 high-technology firms in the United States, and the results are generalized by conducting the same test on data from 125 high-technology firms in the Netherlands. Tests are conducted in a real-world setting, differing from previous comparative studies that mainly used laboratory experiments. Empirical results support the main effects of CMC technologies and co-location of R&D staff on knowledge dissemination. Other empirical results contradict conventional wisdom. Investing in CMC technologies is found to be favorable over co-locating R&D staff for knowledge dissemination. Moreover, the two communication channels strengthen each other. The discussion section presents the contours of a firm-level theory on communication infrastructures and knowledge dissemination, focusing on the scope and the heterogeneity of knowledge dissemination, which may explain these initially surprising results. From the arguments it follows that the choice for investment in co-location or CMC technologies depends on the scope of knowledge dissemination that has to be facilitated. Furthermore, the conclusion is made that effective knowledge dissemination requires a balanced investment in co-location and information technologies to be able to deal with the heterogeneous but interdependent types of knowledge dissemination.


The purpose of this study is to create a framework for theological education in an African context. It focuses on discipleship and mediated learning experience (MLE) because it encapsulates the fundamental idea of this study, namely that the concepts and principles of discipleship and MLE can effectively contribute to construct a framework that is appropriate for theological education in an African context. In an analysis of the discourse on theological education over the past five decades the following six models for theological education are identified: classical model; vocational model; dialectical model; neo-traditional model; missional model; and ecumenical-diversified model. Further evaluation of these six models lets four central themes emerge, namely leadership stature, practical effectiveness, relational capacity, and spiritual accuracy. These four themes are then compared with a competence-based model for learning in order to conceptualise a broad outline framework for theological education in an African context. The development of this framework must address the primary challenge of competent church leaders in Africa, but also contextual challenges like access to theological education, a lack of resources, socio-political and socio-economic illness, and an Africanized scholarship and curriculum. An analysis of the concept discipleship focuses on its use in ancient Greek, the Old Testament, the Intertestamental period, and the New Testament. Discipleship developed from the general referral to an apprentice in ancient Greek, up to a specialised term in New Testament times. Discipleship in the New Testament is the result of obedience to the call of Jesus, which often requires a cost of self denial. This cost has an effect on the relational proximity within discipleship. Following leads to imitating, this leads to representation. The context of discipleship in the New Testament is the eschatological kingdom of God. Each of the four Gospels emphasises a different aspect of discipleship, which relates broadly to the central themes identified within the discourse on theological education. Discipleship in Matthew largely relates to leadership stature, Mark to practical effectiveness, x Luke to relational capacity, and John to spiritual accuracy. The conceptual analysis of mediated learning experience (MLE) focuses on its historical background, theoretical background, and core parameters of intentionality-andreciprocity, mediation of meaning, and transcendence. MLE is rooted in the belief that the human mind is modifiable. Intelligence is not fixed but is defined as a propensity for change. A lack of MLE results in cultural deprivation but can be altered by MLE interventions. A mediated approach to learning stems from constructivism but stands opposed to its direct approach to learning. In MLE a human mediator (H) is placed between the stimulus (S) and organism (O), and between the organism (O) and the response (R); thus a relational sequence of SH-O-H-R. Various research studies show that MLE brings about cognitive development for individuals in an African context. MLE and discipleship share a mediated approach to learning. Further comparison between these two concepts bring about three shared foci, namely: a focus on relationship; a focus on process (as opposed to product); and a focus on culture. A framework for theological education in an African context is constructed from two sides, namely: (1) from the previously defined broad outline framework for theological education; and (2) from the concepts and principles of discipleship and MLE. This construction first merges a competence-based model for learning with a mediated approach to learning against a contextual background. This basis is secondly fused with a shared focus on relationship, a shared focus on process, and a shared focus on culture. The third step incorporates the themes leadership stature, practical effectiveness, relational capacity, and spiritual accuracy into the framework as four competences and in so doing creates a three-dimensional diagram. The framework for theological education in an African context, developed by this research study, provides possible solutions for the contextual challenges theological education in Africa is facing. Eight recommendations, in the form of research questions, are made to advance the research findings of this study.


In this paper, we consider the ICI effect induced by time-varying channel. A simple and low-complex method is proposed to suppress ICI by windowing the received signal using Franks window coefficients in time domain and combining the extended signal interval which was not interfered by multipath to the corresponding information part of the cyclic-prefix (cp) based OFDM system. The ICI are suppressed by equivalently reducing the channel time-variation according to the useful extended signal interval. If the channel time-variation is linear in one OFDM symbol and the useful extended signal interval period as long as the information part period, the equivalent channel time-variation of information part will turn into a constant which means no ICI occurs. And then, a N-point fast Fourier-transform (FFT) and one-tap equalizer is used for demodulation and channel equalization. The complexity of the proposed method is only N log N. The analysis of Franks window coefficients for equivalent channel mitigation in linear time-varying channel are investigated and simulation results are provided to validate the performance of the proposed method.


Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activation is necessary for many insulin-induced metabolic and mitogenic responses. However, it is unclear whether PI3K activation is sufficient for any of these effects. To address this question we increased PI3K activity in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes by adenovirus-mediated expression of both the inter-SH2 region of the regulatory p85 subunit of PI3K (iSH2) and the catalytic p110 alpha subunit (p110). Coexpression resulted in PI3K activity that exceeded insulin-stimulated activity by two- to fivefold in cytosol, total membranes, and the low density microsome (LDM) fraction, the site of greatest insulin stimulation. While insulin increased glucose transport 15-fold, coexpression of iSH2-p110 increased transport (5.2-) +/- 0.7-fold with a parallel increase in GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane. Constitutive activation of PI3K had no effect on maximally insulin-stimulated glucose transport. Neither basal nor insulin-stimulated activity of glycogen synthase or mitogen-activated protein kinase was altered by iSH2-p110 coexpression. DNA synthesis was increased twofold by insulin in control 3T3-L1 adipocytes transduced with beta-galactosidase-encoding recombinant adenovirus, while iSH2-p110 coexpression increased DNA synthesis fivefold. These data indicate that (i) increased PI3K activity is sufficient to activate some but not all metabolic responses to insulin, (ii) activation of PI3K to levels exceeding the effect of insulin in adipocyte LDM results in only a partial stimulation of glucose transport, and (iii) increased PI3K activity in the absence of growth factor or oncoprotein stimulation is a potent stimulus of DNA synthesis.


[Abstract]: Turf water requirements on the Darling Downs have never been analysed and it is the purpose of this project to find the minimal water requirements to grow turf for production use. The water quantity will be measured from the initial bare soil to the date of cutting the turf. The minimum water requirement is the amount needed to sufficiently provide the sustained growth at a certain quality needed to sell the turf to the public. The irrigation application rates must be small enough that there is no water lost through deep drainage. The two turf species that were investigated were wintergreen couch and kikuyu.

The project was designed to remedy many issues, the first was the low distribution uniformity produced by the in ground solid set sprinkler system at the business of
Cabarlah Park Turf. Both Cu and Du figures were found by performing a number of catch can tests while pressure performance at pump and nozzle. Recommendations of
how to fix the low uniformity were then put forward to the grower. These recommendations were carried out and further catch can tests were carried out to see what kind of improvements were made to the distribution uniformity of the system. Using the catch can data, each part of the trial site had a known amount of irrigation application per hour.

The required irrigation times were calculated using daily ETo figures from the on site weather station. From this point the value was multiplied by a relative crop factor and the application amount was able to be received. The amount of hours that the irrigation was run was logged and the quantity of water that each part of the trial site received for the entire growth period was calculated. The turf was evaluated using a one to nine scale for strength and colour. Evaluations on which turf received the greatest ratings at the lowest water quantity were undertaken.

The results showed a low distribution uniformity of 52.4% which was improved to 57% after the distribution enhancement recommendations were carried out. The wintergreen couch was able to be grown with a minimum water requirement of 392mm over a period of a month and a half. The kikuyu trial had to be abandoned due to a pump break down for most of it's growth period therefore there was no minimum water requirement found for kikuyu during this project.

The project showed that there could be significant savings in water use by initiating an irrigation application rate derived from ETo calculations. Soil moisture meters showed
that there could be further improvement to water saving, for the purpose of turf production. The results showed that uniformity must be increased to see any decrease in
yield loss.


The developmental program of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is assumed to be involved in tumor progression, enabling cancer cells to spread from the primary tumor and form metastasis in distant tissues. At least in some cases, disseminated tumor cells display tumor-initiating properties similar to stem cells. In addition, these cells tend to resist chemo-therapy. However, it is unclear how cells gain the competency to escape chemotherapeutic treatment upon EMT.
In order to investigate the role of EMT in chemotherapeutic resistance and the underlying mechanisms, we used a HMLE RAS (Human Mammary Large T-Antigen immortalized Epi-thelial HaRas expressing cell) model system. This EMT system is composed of two different cell lines. On the one hand, the so called 24+ RAS cells display an epithelial morphology and lack efficient migration. On the other hand, the MSP RAS cells (mesenchymal subpopulation) that originate from the 24+ RAS cells have undergone EMT, accompanied by a mesenchymal cell shape and high invasivity. In this study, we applied several chemotherapeutic treatments to both cell lines to assess their response to chemotherapy.
We found that, in contrast to 24+ RAS cells, MSP RAS cells are resistant to the chemothera-peutics Cisplatin, Doxorubicin and Neocarzinostain, but also to the death ligands Trail and TNFα, as seen by reduced PARP and Caspase 3 cleavage upon treatment. Beyond that, we showed that the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bcl-xL is overexpressed in MSP RAS cells, in comparison to 24+ RAS, which enables former cells to survive chemotherapy and to continue proliferation after treatment.
We have demonstrated that retrovirus-mediated Bcl-xL overexpression in 24+HMLE renders these cells chemoresistant, as well. Conversely, knocking down Bcl-xL in MSP RAS cells rendered them sensitive to death stimuli. Strikingly, we found Bcl-xL overexpressed in human breast cancer cells at the tumor-stroma-interface, suggesting a general role of Bcl-xL in mi-grating cancer cells. We found that inhibition of Bcl-xL with the BH3 mimic Gossypol results in chemosensitivity of MSP RAS cells. The same observation was obtained upon Bcl-xL de-stabilization, mediated by the inhibition of the chaperone HSP90 in vitro and in vivo, demon-strating that we found an option to overcome chemoresistance of cells that have undergone EMT.
In conclusion, our data reveal Bcl-xL as a key mediator of apoptosis-resistance in cells upon EMT. We propose a causal relation between EMT, Bcl-xL overexpression and chemo-resistance, and we suggest Bcl-xL as a promising target in cancer therapies.


The endocrine hospitalist and inpatient diabetes management team increases access to endocrinology consultations and improves glycemic control and quality metrics such as length of stay and hospital readmission. Enhanced glycemic care is needed in both academic and community hospital settings. Endocrine fellowship programs should implement endocrine hospitalist rotations with emphasis on training endocrine fellows to deliver fast-paced inpatient endocrine care. Entrepreneurship, innovation, and a "start-up" culture within the field of Endocrinology should be encouraged and supported by healthcare systems.


In thisArchives, Armitage et al (p 445) provide additional evidence that non-Hodgkin's lymphomas occur with increased frequency in patients previously treated for Hodgkin's disease. Twenty-nine cases have been reported in the literature. It is now apparent that these cases represent the development of a second malignant neoplasm distinct from Hodgkin's disease. Although lymphocyte-depleted Hodgkin's disease can occasionally be difficult to separate from diffuse non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, none of the patients were seen with that form of Hodgkin's disease. Therefore, it is extremely unlikely that these cases represent a subsequent different diagnosis for the same initial pathologic process. The assumption that two different diseases are involved is also supported by the finding of Armitage et al that the malignant cells in these non-Hodgkin's lymphomas may have markers of either T, B, or null lymphocytes. Although the exact origin of the malignant Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin's disease remains controversial, the lymphocytic infiltrate


Seasonal variability of the depth-integrated transport in the Indonesian Seas is investigated in detail, together with its driving mechanism, by use of an Indo-Pacific ocean general circulation model that allows the circulation around Australasia. Modeled net throughflow shows an annual mean transport of 9.5 Sv from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean with a maximum (minimum) transport of 11.6 Sv (6.0 Sv) in August (January). Seventy-five percent of this transport flows through the Lombok Strait in the present model. Comparison with the result of Masumoto and Yamagata [1993], in which the circulation around Australasia was not permitted, clarifies that the magnitude of the net interbasin throughflow does not affect the seasonal variations in the depth-integrated transport through the Lombok Strait. Several additional experiments are also carried out by masking winds over particular regions to identify which part of winds is actually effective in the seasonal variations in the depth-integrated transport through the Timor Sea as well as the Lombok Strait. It turns out that the seasonal variability of the transport through the Lombok Strait is almost perfectly governed by the winds over the equatorial Indian and Pacific Oceans. On the other hand, the coastally trapped waves generated by the winds along the western and southern coast of Australia play an important role in the seasonal transport variation through the Timor Sea.


In this report, the ethyl acetate extract and its major constituent, isorhamnetin 3-o-robinobioside (I3-O-Rob), from Nitraria retusa (N. Retusa) leaf extracts were evaluated for their ability to induce apoptosis in human lymphoblastoid cells (TK6). Apoptosis of TK6 cell line was carried out using DNA fragmentation, poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage with reference to caspase-3 activity. These tested products, from N. Retusa, enhanced the apoptosis effects in the tested cancer cell line. This result was confirmed by DNA fragmentation and PARP cleavage indicating a release of caspase-3 level. Our results indicate that the original ethyl acetate extract and the I3-O-Rob have a great antiproliferative effect on human lymphoblastoid cells (TK6), which may be due to their involvement in the apoptotic pathway.


Purpose
The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical features and chest computed tomography (CT) findings of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia.

Materials and Methods
An Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective review was performed for 51 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia patients. Patients were divided into two groups depending on their clinical status: mild and severe. Clinical characteristics and chest CT findings were compared between the two groups.

Results
Among the 51 patients (22 men, 29 women; mean age, 56.5 ± 16 years; range, 22-88 years), 37 (72.5%) were in the mild group and 14 (27.5%) were in the severe group. The patients in the severe group (68.7 ± 12.5 years) were older than the patients in the mild group (51.8 ± 14.9 years, p < 0.001). Premorbid conditions and decreased lymphocyte counts were more often observed in the severe group than in the mild group (71% vs. 41%, p = 0.049 and 86% vs. 32%, p = 0.001, respectively). On chest CT, most patients exhibited a mixed ground-glass opacification (GGO) with consolidation (76%) or a GGO (22%) pattern. The majority of lesions were predominantly bilateral in the lower lung with a posterior, peripheral distribution. The patients in the severe group had higher severity scores than those in the mild group.

Conclusion
Patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia have typical chest CT findings that provide important information regarding expected disease severity.


Human Behavior
Editors treasure prompt and informative referees. Chetty et al. show that modest psychological and economic nudges can speed up how rapidly referees return their reviews without degrading their quality. In a randomized experiment involving 1500 referees at the Journal of Public Economics , they offered some referees $100 for turning in their reviews by the 4-week deadline, whereas they told others, who had agreed to a 6-week deadline, that their delivery dates would be posted publicly. From a comparison across these groups and the non-incentivized controls, they conclude that 4 weeks is enough and that both social pressure and money work.

J. Econ. Perspect. 28 , 169 (2014).


A 21-item check-list is presented that evaluates the quality of the medical interview, focusing on politeness, respect, and communication. Twenty-eight interviews conducted by family medicine residents were videotaped. Using the check-list, four teachers as well as the resident evaluated each interview. Reliability and content validity were demonstrated. This list is easy to use and may enhance the learning of interviewing skills by giving objective feedback to the resident.


Sediment rate of Mrica reservoir is much faster than its early design by which it causes life time service of Mrica reservoir becoming shorter than previous assumption. Sediment control has been being operated by flushing, but it seems less optimal. This research aims to develop both laboratory models of fluidization and fluidizer systems for controlling sedimentation in Mrica reservoir. This research was carried out to experiment model in a laboratory regarding effectiveness of fluidization system especially to support sediment flushing. Sample sediment tested was from Mrica reservoir bed. There were two models including a flushing model alone and a flushing model assisted by a fluidizer pipe. Experiment was conducted in various discharges, sediment depths, and pipe pressures. The research results show that sediment category in Mrica reservoir is cohesive material consisting around 80% of medium to coarse silt. Compared to the flushing mechanism alone, the combination of flushing and fluidization can increase the volume of sediment removal by 67.54 %, 67.88 %, and 71.26 % for the discharges of 0.123 litre/sec, 0.185 litre/sec, and 0.369 litre/sec respectively. The combination of flushing and fluidization is also able to improve model efficiency by around 4.38 %, 4.54 %, and 5.07 % for the same variation of discharges.


Objective: To investigate whether head-worn displays (HWDs) help mobile participants make better alarm management decisions and achieve better situation awareness than alarms alone. Background: Patient alarms occur frequently in hospitals but often do not require clinical intervention. Clinicians may become desensitized to alarms and fail to respond to clinically relevant alarms. HWDs could make patient information continuously accessible, support situation awareness, and help clinicians prioritize alarms. Method: Experiment 1 (n = 76) tested whether nonclinicians monitoring simulated patients benefited from vital sign information continuously displayed on an HWD while they performed a secondary calculation task. Experiment 2 (n = 13) tested, across three separate experimental sessions, how effectively nursing trainees monitored simulated patients' vital signs under three different display conditions while they assessed a simulated patient. Results: In Experiment 1, participants who had access to continuous patient information on an HWD responded to clinically important alarms 25.9% faster and were 6.7 times less likely to miss alarms compared to participants who only heard alarms. In Experiment 2, participants using an HWD answered situation awareness questions 18.9% more accurately overall than when they used alarms only. However, the effect was significant in only two of the three experimental sessions. Conclusion: HWDs may help users maintain continuous awareness of multiple remote processes without affecting their performance on ongoing tasks. Application: The outcomes may apply to contexts where access to continuous streams of information from remote locations is useful, such as patient monitoring or clinical supervision.


This revised edition is a comprehensive, authoritative set of essays. It is more detailed and analytical than the mainstream treatments of HRM.

 As in previous editions, Managing Human Resources analyses HRM, the study of work and employment, using an integrated multi-disciplinary approach. The starting point is a recognition that HRM practice and firm performance are influenced by a variety of institutional arrangements that extend beyond the firm. The consequences of HRM need to incorporate analysis of employees and other stakeholders as well as the implications for organizational performance.


Background: The treatment of displaced midshaft clavicle fractures remains controversial. Methods: We undertook a multicenter randomized controlled trial to compare effectiveness and safety between nonoperative management and ORIF (open reduction and internal fixation) for displaced midshaft clavicle fractures in adults. Three hundred and one eligible adult patients were randomized to 1 of the 2 treatment groups and followed at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 9 months after recruitment. The primary outcome was the rate of radiographically evident nonunion at 3 months following treatment. Secondary outcomes were the rate of radiographically evident nonunion at 9 months, limb function measured using the Constant-Murley Score and DASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand) score, and patient satisfaction. Results: There was no difference in the proportion of patients with radiographic evidence of nonunion at 3 months between the operative (28%) and nonoperative (27%) groups, whereas at 9 months the proportion with nonunion was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in the operative group (0.8%) than in the nonoperative group (11%). The DASH and Constant-Murley scores and patient satisfaction were all significantly better in the operative group than in the nonoperative group at 6 weeks and 3 months. Conclusions: Although at 3 months there was no evidence that surgery had reduced the rate of nonunion of displaced midshaft clavicle fractures, at 9 months nonoperative treatment had led to a significantly higher nonunion rate (11% compared with <1%). The rate of secondary surgical intervention during the trial period was 12 (11%) of the 147 patients in the nonoperative group. ORIF is a safe and reliable intervention with superior early functional outcomes and should be considered for patients who sustain this common injury. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.


This study examined the strategies used by student counsellors in promoting students' self- efficacy among secondary schools. Guided by Self-Efficacy Theory, the study adopted convergent parallel design under a mixed research approach for data collection and analysis. The study adopted probability and non-probability sampling techniques to obtain 5 Head Teachers, 5 Student Counsellors and 127 students. Cronbach Alpha was adopted to test the reliability of the research instrument at (r) = 0.73 for the quantitative data aided by SPSS version 22; while qualitative reliability was ensured through detailed field notes, recording devices and by transcription. The quantitative data were analysed descriptively (frequencies, percentages and means) and inferential statistics using Chi-Square Statistical test and presented in form of tables. The qualitative data were coded to translate the responses into specific categories and themes for narration and direct quotations from the respondents. The study found that student counsellors used the following strategies which proved effective in enhancing students' self-efficacy: encouraging students'self-verbalization, providing feedback on students' efforts, encouraging teachers to provide activities that students can accomplish with a reasonable amount of effort, encouraging peer modelling, helping students to set goals, teaching students effective study skills and helping student to identify their areas of interest. Through Chi-Square test, the study found that there was a significant association between strategies used by student counsellors and the level of students' self-efficacy. The study concluded that there was a positive relationship between strategies used by student counsellors and students' self-efficacy which greatly influenced students' academic achievements. Therefore, the study recommends that the head teachers should workout through the government to have more professional counsellors deployed in schools and that students should be encouraged to attend guidance and counselling sessions.


This article explores the hypothesis formulated by Derrida in his early work that structuralism is Aristotelian in foundation. To this end, it traces Derrida's engagement with Aristotle's Physics between the seminal essays "Force and Signification" (1963) and "Ousia and Grammē" (1968). On the one hand, it demonstrates that Derrida reads Aristotle's concept of time as the presupposition of what he designates as structuralism, that is, the teleological understanding of movement from its achieved structure and thus from a theological simultaneity. On the other hand, it shows that Derrida finds in the very text of Physics the index (grammē) for understanding movement otherwise: as the irreducible articulation of space and time, namely, the trace, inscribed in a non-simultaneous volume.


A method is presented of fitting quasicubic segments (QCS) automatically to measured electron-density profiles of the ionosphere. Any number of layers and valleys which occur in the ionosphere may be represented by this model, where the parameters are found by fitting to actual data points. The approach is similar to that adopted for the quasiparabolic-segment (QPS) model which has been developed in recent years and applied to a variety of ionospheric-propagation studies. The new model has been developed as an improvement to the QPS model, particularly when power calculations are required. The QCS model, like the QPS model, has analytic solutions for a number of ray quantities in the ionosphere and so can be used to study the same range of propagation phenomena as can be studied using the QPS model.


The estimation of the disturbance torque in a sensorless DC drive is carried out by extending the classical observer theory. Three estimation schemes are formulated according to the representation of the disturbance torque and processing of the observer states. In addition to the disturbance torque, all the schemes deliver an estimation of the motor speed. Steady-state accuracy and dynamics of the schemes are analyzed in nominal conditions, identifying the scheme with the best performance. The effects of variations in the motor parameters are also analyzed, finding that a proper modeling of the motor makes the steady-state estimation of the disturbance torque insensitive to any variation. As a test, the schemes are applied to a sensorless DC drive for both compensating for the disturbance torque and closing the speed loop. The responses obtained with the best-performance scheme are reported.<<ETX>>


Husserl's transcendental turn can be best regarded as a turn in his
 phenomenological models of intentionality. While in the Logical
 Investigations, he maintains a conception according to which intentionality
 is a structure of cognitive directedness in which objectification plays a
 formative role, in his later works the intentional relation is considered as
 a structure of consciousness founded on a sphere of purely subjective
 interiority. This paper 42 argues that if Husserl had extended the scope of
 his early phenomenological research to the problems of object formation in
 the domain of historical and cultural sciences (Geisteswissenschaften), the
 radical subjectively oriented transformation of his theory of intentionality
 would have been much more difficult, if not impossible. We also argue that in
 Simmel's theory of historical cognition and culture one can detect the
 elements of a theory of intentionality that can account for what is missing
 in Husserl, namely the attention devoted to the specific constitution of
 social and cultural objects. It is precisely the objective mediation through
 exteriorization and symbolization deployed in social and cultural values, and
 in historical time that constitutes the specificity of these objects which
 also conditions subjective experiencing, rather than remains dependent on it.


Abstract Although the aldosterone/renin ratio (ARR) is the most reliable screening test for primary aldosteronism, false positives and negatives occur. Dietary salt restriction, concomitant malignant or renovascular hypertension, pregnancy and treatment with diuretics (including spironolactone), dihydropyridine calcium blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor antagonists can produce false negatives by stimulating renin. We recently reported selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors lower the ratio. Because potassium regulates aldosterone, uncorrected hypokalemia can lead to false negatives. Beta-blockers, alpha-methyldopa, clonidine, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs suppress renin, raising the ARR with potential for false positives. False positives may occur in patients with renal dysfunction or advancing age. We recently showed that (1) females have higher ratios than males, and (2) false positive ratios can occur during the luteal menstrual phase and while taking an oral ethynylestradiol/drospirenone (but not implanted subdermal etonogestrel) contraceptive, but only if calculated using direct renin concentration and not plasma renin activity. Where feasible, diuretics should be ceased at least 6 weeks and other interfering medications at least 2 before ARR measurement, substituting noninterfering agents (e. g., verapamil slow-release±hydralazine and prazosin or doxazosin) were required. Hypokalemia should be corrected and a liberal salt diet encouraged. Collecting blood midmorning from seated patients following 2–4 h upright posture improves sensitivity. The ARR is a screening test only and should be repeated once or more before deciding whether to proceed to confirmatory suppression testing. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry aldosterone assays represent a major advance towards addressing inaccuracies inherent in other available methods.


CONTEXT
Neostigmine extends the duration of analgesia produced by caudal bupivacaine in children.

AIMS
To study the effect of different doses of caudal neostigmine on the duration of postoperative analgesia.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN
A randomized, double-blind study was conducted in 120 boys aged 1-12 years undergoing urethroplasty under combined general and caudal anesthesia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Children were administered 1.875 mg/kg bupivacaine alone (Group B) or with 2, 3 or 4 microg/kg of neostigmine (groups BN 2, BN 3 or BN 4 respectively) as caudal drug (0.75 ml/kg). Children with a pain score of 4 or more (OPS and NRS) postoperatively were administered rescue analgesic. Time to first analgesic and the number of analgesic doses administered in the 24h were recorded.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Parametric data were analyzed using ANOVA. Kaplan-Meier survival curves for the time to first analgesic administration were plotted and compared using log rank analysis. Chi-square test was used to analyze the incidence data.

RESULTS
The median [IQR] time to first analgesic in Group B (540 [240-1441] min) was similar to that in Groups BN 2 (450 [240-720]), BN 3 (600 [360-1020]) and BN 4 (990 [420-1441]). Significantly more patients in Groups B (9 [34.6%]) and BN 4 (13 [44.8%]) required no supplemental analgesic for 24h than those in Groups BN 2 and BN 3 (4 [13.8%] and 4 [13.3%]). The number of analgesic doses required in 24h in the four groups was similar.

CONCLUSION
Addition of neostigmine to 1.875 mg/kg of caudal bupivacaine did not prolong the analgesia following urethroplasty in children.


High-throughput phenotyping platforms allow acquisition of quantitative data on thousands of plants required for genetic analyses in well-controlled environmental conditions. However, analysing these massive datasets and reproducing computational experiments require the use of new computational infrastructure and algorithms to scale.


Introduction: Vedolizumab was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe ulcerative colitis [UC] and Crohn's disease [CD]. No study to date has examined the rate of postoperative infectious complications among patients who received vedolizumab in the perioperative period. We sought to determine the 30-day postoperative infectious complication rate among inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] patients who received vedolizumab within 12 weeks of an abdominal operation as compared to patients who received tumour necrosis factor &agr; [TNF&agr;] inhibitors or no biological therapy. Methods: A retrospective chart review between May 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015 of adult IBD patients who underwent an abdominal operation was performed. The study cohort comprised patients who received vedolizumab within 12 weeks of their abdominal operation and the control cohorts were patients who received TNF&agr; inhibitors or no biological therapy. Results: In total, 94 patients received vedolizumab within 12 weeks of an abdominal operation. Fifty experienced postoperative complications [53%], 35 of which were surgical site infections [SSIs] [36%]. The vedolizumab group experienced significantly higher rates of any postoperative infection [53% vs 33% anti-TNF and 28% non-biologics; p<0.001] and SSI [37% vs 10% and 13%; p<0.001]. On univariate and multivariate analysis, exposure to vedolizumab remained a significant predictor of postoperative SSI [p<0.001]. Conclusions: Thirty-seven per cent of IBD patients who received vedolizumab within 30 days of a major abdominal operation experienced a 30-day postoperative SSI, significantly higher than patients receiving TNF&agr; inhibitors or no biological therapy. Vedolizumab within 12 weeks of surgery remained the only predictor of 30-day postoperative SSI on multivariate analysis.


: Human factor X was purified by several different procedures yielding products which had varying amounts of factor VII and factor IX. Treatment with CHCl3 during the fractionation of the factor X removed 95% of the factor VII and factor IX activity and the resulting factor X activated more slowly when incubated in 25% sodium citrate. Removal of residual factor VII by DEAE cellulose chromatography yielded a factor X which activated still more slowly and less completely. When the factor VII, removed by chromatography, was added to the chromatographed factor X, the ability to be activated in 25% sodium citrate was restored. Confirmatory evidence for the role of factor VII in this reaction was the inhibition of the conversion of the factor X by both DFP and SBTI.


We report highly resolved temperature measurements in turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection in air at a fixed Prandtl number Pr = 0.7. Extending our previous work (du Puits et al 2007 J. Fluid Mech. 572 231–54), we carried out measurements at various aspect ratios while keeping the Rayleigh number constant. We demonstrate that the temperature field inside the convective boundary layers of both horizontal plates is virtually independent on the global flow pattern accompanying the variation in the aspect ratio. Thanks to technical upgrades of the experimental facility as well as a significant improvement of the accuracy and reliability of our temperature measurement—and unlike in our previous work—we find that the measured profiles of the time-averaged temperature field neither follow a clear power-law trend nor fit a linear or a logarithmic scaling over a significant fraction of the boundary-layer thickness. Analyzing the temperature data simultaneously acquired at both horizontal plates, various transitions in the cross-correlation and the auto-correlation function of the temperature signals are observed while varying the aspect ratio Γ. These transitions might be associated with a change in the global flow pattern from a single-roll mode at Γ = 1 toward a double- or a multi-roll mode pattern at higher aspect ratios.


This study investigates physical education (PE) teachers careers and professional
development in the context of Taiwanese junior high schools (pupils aged 12-14), where
a national educational reform the Grade 1-9 Curriculum was launched in 2001. In
particular, from teachers perspectives, this study addresses questions about (1) how and
why selected Taiwanese PE teachers engage in professional learning over their careers;
(2) the impact of the introduction of a new curriculum and policies; (3) ways in which
professional learning could be supported more effectively. Eight case study PE teachers,
who simultaneously worked as local coordinators, were invited as participants. Life
history method was followed by data analysis using constructivist grounded theory to
generate findings at three levels: individual life histories, cross-case themes and a
theoretical framework. In addition, the process of data analysis, both manually and
using a popular software package, is critically compared. The findings suggest that
teachers beliefs about professional development were closely connected to their
individual career histories, and these were influenced by a set of personal and
contextual factors in relation to their professional lives. Moreover, despite a major
government curriculum reform, the implementation of the new curriculum resulted in
very little change to these teachers practices, because: (1) the curriculum guidelines
were very flexible and were difficult for teachers to fully understand; and (2) there was
a lack of evaluation of, or accountability for, teachers practices. This study suggests
that the Taiwanese government s aspirations for radical changes to teachers practice
(both teaching and learning) are more likely to be realised by ensuring that policies and
the new curriculum are based on a more realistic understanding of teachers lives and
careers.


Log files helps cyber forensic process in inquiring and seizing computer, obtaining electronic evidence for criminal investigations and maintaining computer records for the federal rules of evidence. So it can be said that logging is closely related to Forensic Computing. To make the logs permissible for the use in court, there is a stipulation to prove that the logs have not been modified after being generated. Moreover, since the logs contain private information, they must be protected strictly. Therefore a secure logging scheme that ensures the integrity and confidentiality of the logs is needed. And, deploying a secure logging infrastructure involves ample capital expenses that many organizations may find devastating. Delegating log management to the cloud appears to be a feasible cost saving measure. The challenges for a secure cloud-based log management service are identified and Homomorphic Encryption Scheme is proposed for doing the same.


In experiments with decerebrated cats subject to study was the influence of new curare-like agents of non-depolarized type of action, such as diadonium, decadonium, RGH-1106, pancuronium-bromide (pavulon) and also of paramion and mellictine on the magnitude of mono-and polysynaptic potentials of the spinal cord, the time of synaptic delay, the lability of the spinal centres and cycle of the motoneurons excitability restoration. Diadonium, decadonium, RGH-1106 and pavulon when used in 1--5-fold myoparalytic doses did not affect the bioelectric activity of the spinal cord. Mellictinum (3,5--4,5 mg/kg)) produced a rise of the monosynaptic responses amplitude by 21 per cent through inhibition of the Renshow n-cholinoreceptors cells. Paramion (0.3--1 mg/kg) suppressed monosynaptic potentials, increasing the afferent proprioceptic activity.


The bilateral filter is popularly used for image enhancement. By using a range kernel along with a spatial kernel, the filter is able to smooth images without excessive blurring of edges. It has been shown that the enhancement capacity of the filter can be boosted by adapting the width of the range kernel at each pixel. A fast algorithm for grayscale images was recently proposed for this so-called adaptive bilateral filter, which is otherwise computationally expensive. This can trivially be extended for color filtering using channelwise processing. However, developing an efficient algorithm that can exploit correlations between color channels is not straightforward. We show that such a fast algorithm can be developed by first expressing the filtering in terms of the local histogram and then approximating the latter by an uniform distribution. The distribution in question is along the direction of maximum variance in the RGB space, which we compute from the local covariance (this is done efficiently using power iterations). The local covariances in turn are computed using fast convolutions. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our fast algorithm, we apply it for sharpening, detail enhancement, and deblocking.


When mass and energy transfers are involved, bridging static and dynamic modeling in a seamless way is a milestone to build reliable conceptual models of the subsurface in order to efficiently exploit its resources or use it as a storage space (energy, gas, waste…). Our purpose here is to be able to build interactive conceptual models of high energy geothermal reservoirs. As these reservoirs are always located in complex geological settings (faults and fractures are ubiquitous features) and involve the circulation of hot brines over a wide range of thermodynamical parameters, we must be able:
#1 to quickly build structural models involving geological bodies of any shape and with the occurrence of discontinuities,
#2 to produce conformable meshes of such models,
#3 to perform multiphase thermo-hydraulic simulations with phase change on these meshes without numerical artefacts.
Over the years, iso-potential surface mapping has proved an efficient framework to achieve goal #1 and it is now implemented in several commercial softwares (e.g. GeoModeller). Yet, when it comes to goal #2 the implicit nature of surfaces make volumic meshing a non-trivial task. We recently used the Computational Geometry Algorithms Library (CGAL) to build conformal simplicial (tetrahedral) meshes that exactly match any geological 3D object and its boundaries or internal 2D features such as fault surfaces. A crucial issue of this process is to provide the mesher with sharp features of dimension 1 (surface intersections) to avoid local over-refinement (or even crash of the algorithm). Finally, to reach goal #3 we used the Vertex Approximate Gradient finite volume scheme which has been adapted to model mass and energy over any polyhedral meshes with the possibility to take into account objects of codimension 1 such as fault surfaces which may act as corridors for fluid flows.
We think that the proposed workflow and computing tools can be easily adapted to any other thematic field than geothermal reservoir modeling both for engineering purposes and the simulation of geological processes over very large timescales.


Digital breast tomosynthesis is a three-dimensional imaging technique that allows the reconstruction of an arbitrary set of planes in the breast from limited-angle series of projection images. Though several tomosynthesis algorithms have been proposed, no complete optimization and comparison of all available methods has been conducted as of yet. This paper presents an analysis of noise power spectrum to examine the noise characteristics of several tomosynthesis algorithms with different imaging acquisition techniques. Flat images were acquired with the following acquisition parameters: 13, 25, 49 projections with ±12.5 and ±25 degrees of angular ranges. Three algorithms, including Shift-And-Add (SAA), Matrix Inversion Tomosynthesis (MITS), and Filtered Back Projection (FBP) were investigated with reconstruction slice spacing of 1mm, 2mm, and 4mm. The noise power spectra of the reconstruction plane at 23.5mm above the detector surface were analyzed. Results showed that MITS has better noise responses with narrower slice spacing for low-to-middle frequencies. No substantial difference was noticed for SAA and FBP with different slice spacings. With the same acquisition technique and slice spacing, MITS performed better than FBP at middle frequencies, but FBP showed better performance at high frequencies because of applied Hamming and Gaussian low-pass filters. For different imaging acquisition techniques, SAA, MITS and FBP performed the best with 49 projections and ±25 degrees. For 25 projections specifically, FBP performed better with wider angular range, while MITS performed better with narrower angular range. For SAA, narrow angular range is slightly better for 25 projections and 13 projections.


Hepatitis B virus (HBV), transmitted by hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive mothers by intrauterine infection, infecting newborns, is closely related to signs and symptoms associated with miscarriage. However, no correlation was observed between intrauterine infection of infants and the presence of antibodies of immunoglobulin M (IgM) class antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen (anti‐HBc) in maternal blood, nor was HBeAg found in maternal or cord sera. These results indicate that contamination by the mother's blood, through placental leakage, plays an important role in HBV infection in utero. Without placental leakage, maternal blood could not pass through the placenta and enter fetal circulation, and so intrauterine infection would not occur, even if very high titers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and HBeAg were present in maternal blood.


Recent advances in mobile, wireless, and sensor technologies provide new possibilities for supporting learning activities that can be spatially distributed and incorporate different physical and environmental sensory data. In this paper, we present our technical efforts in relation to the design and implementation of mobile and web applications that integrate sensory data used to support inquiry-based science learning. In order to test the validity of our solution and its functionality and novelty, we conducted a prototype experiment with high school students in the field of environmental sciences. The initial outcomes presented in this paper point towards the potential benefits of using sensor and mobile technologies with real-time geo-positioned data and visualizations, which may increase students' engagement, enabling them to conduct scientific inquiries and analyses in new ways.


Soil formation depends on bedrock, climate, relief, vegetation and time. Bioturbation and colluvial soil re-location are important and significant processes that affect the mechanisms and rate of bedrock weathering. The estimation of the relative fraction of bedrock grains which has been mixed in the soil and transported either vertically or laterally to different depths gives an indication of the degree to which bedrock weathering is controlled by the latter processes. However, despite the great effort dedicated to the analysis of these processes, little is known about the quantitative relationship between geomorphological changes and soil formation, especially for long timescales. This study presents reconstruction of soil processes by single grain optically stimulated luminescence techniques (OSL) in several profiles sampled along a hillslope. The OSL analyses provide a direct measurement of soil forming processes (e.g. bioturbation, colluviation) and with them a more precise formulation of soil formation models at longer timescales. Single-grain OSL techniques have been applied to quartz and feldspar minerals which were extracted from different soil horizons from a hillslope catena located in Sierra Morena, Cordoba, in the south of Spain. Four profiles were explored extracting twelve samples in order to study vertical and lateral mixing (e.g. soil creep, colluvial processes) of soils. The suitability of three different OSL single grain approaches, quartz OSL, IRSL (infrared stimulated luminescence) and pIRIR (post-IRSL) feldspar, was tested on four samples. From this analysis parameters from single-grain OSL age distributions (e.g. number of zeroed grains, scatter and shape of the distribution) were deduced to be used as indicators for bioturbation and/or soil-relocation. The most suitable approach was the applied to the several samples from hillslope catena. This study reveals the potential of OSL single-grain techniques in order to shed light on bioturbation and pedoturbation processes within soil formation and their interrelationship with geomorphological processes.


The immune response and its dynamic changes of anti-HBs in 98 Juveniles vaccinated with three doses of native plasma derived HB vaccine (have been were studied and) followed up for three years. The results showed that the cumulative positive rate and its mean S/N values of anti-HBs at T1 were 70.41% and 19.89 respectively, at T3, T6, T12, T24 all 98% and 65.54, 41.75, 53.95, 23.79 respectively. However out of 98 mentioned recipients 18 subjects become negative for anti-HBs at T36.


The author studies patterns of income-earning activities of Soviet urban households from the end of 1930s to the end of 1960s. The analysis focuses on the dynamic of and reasons for the increases in the labour participation rate of the Soviet urban population, and in the proportion of households in which two members were employed by the state, and the consequences. The period saw two mass drives to recruit into the state sector adults who had previously been unemployed, the bulk of whom consisted of former housewives, the first drive occurring during the Second World War and the second in the late 1950s and the 1960s. The combined pressures exerted by the law and by material hardship account for the wartime increase in participation in the labour market. On the other hand, the second period of major expansion was much more voluntary and was accompanied by improved living standards. Despite the increase in remunerated employment there were no significant changes in the way tasks within the household were allocated on the basis of gender. This put an increasing strain on women, called the 'double burden' (household duties and paid work). The consequences were twofold: a decrease in fertility, and further encouragement for the formation of the many extended and multiple family households present in the urban society of the USSR.


Gallstone disease is one of the most common reasons for hospital admission. CBD stones are classified in primary and secondary stone on the basis of the site of origin. Clinical presentation varies from asymptomatic to life threatening conditions such as acute biliary pancreatitis and cholangitis. Patients are categorized in low, intermediate and high risk of choledocholithiasis using clinical, biochemical and imaging factors. Patients with low risk of choledocholithiasis should receive cholecystectomy without further evaluation whileit has been recognized the importance of sequential use of EUS-ERCPin patients with intermediate risk of choledocholithiasis to triage patients in need of treatment. Patients with high risk of choledocholithiasis should receive ERCP before performing cholecystectomy although randomized clinical trial showed no benefit for preoperative ERCP over operative cholangiography and common duct exploration. Patients should be received an informed consent and antiplatelet and anticoagulation treatment should discontinued for the appropriate drug-specific interval in according to the recent guideline. Routine administration to all patients undergoing to ERCP is considered unnecessary unless cholangitis or immunosoppression is present or biliary drainage is predicted to be incomplete. All patients undergoing to ERCP should be administered prophylactic drugs such as rectal indomethacin or diclofenac because of consistently reduced risk of post ERCP pancreatitis according to several meta-analysis and ESGE guideline. Endoscopic treatment is based on selective incannulation of the CBD and performing adequate endoscopic sphincterotomy. In case of failed biliary access several reasonable options could be chosen. CBD stone can be removed with either a basket or a balloon catheter in 85-90% of cases and the choice of the better device depends on common bile duct and stone size. Approximately 10-15% of biliary stone are difficult to extract and several technique, such as EPBD, PBSD and ML can be used. Alternative modality for the fragmentation of refractory CBD stone are intraductal lithotripsy (eg. Laser or Electrohydraulic lithotripsy) and ESWL. Mirizzi syndrome is usually treated by surgery although although there have been case reports of endoscopic removal.Intrahepatic stones are treated by dormia basket on guidewire after balloon dilation if stricture is present or cholangioscopy with intraductal lithotripsy, per-oral cholangioscopic lithotripsy (POCSL) or percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy lithotripsy (PTCSL) and surgical resection (Hepatectomy). POCSL and PTCSL are hindered by high rates of stone recurrence. Biliary stenting as definitive treatment of difficult bile duct stone should be reserved for patients with short life expectancy.A review of case series suggest that BS is a safe and effective treatment for common bile duct stone in the pregnant patient but may be associated with higher risk of post ERCP pancreatitis than in the general population.


: The study included 94 patients with artificial heart valves aged 55.5 +/- 68 years including 47 (50%) with rheumatic heart diseases, 26 (27.7%) with infectious endocarditis, 21 (22.3%) with connective tissue dysplasia. Compliance with the treatment was estimated by the method of S.V. Davydov before and after education. The leading causes of poor compliance was insufficient socio-medical knowledge and dissatisfaction with the prescribed therapeutic regimen. The education program permitted to achieve a 3-fold decrease in the incidence of negative factors affecting compliance and 1.5-fold increase in the frequency of positive factors; socio-medical awareness and satisfaction with the prescribed treatment increased by 45.8% and 37.1% respectively (p < 0.05). The integral index of compliance before education +4.39 +/- 0.09 characterized it as a moderately positive one. It increased to +8.11 +/- 1.23 after education (p < 0.01). It is concluded that the education program based on the principle of continuity of in- and out-patient treatment improved compliance and socio-medical awareness of the patients, promoted their medico-social adaptation, increased satisfaction with the prescribed treatment and its outcome.


In this work we propose a batch multimarginal version of the Greenkhorn algorithm for the entropic-regularized optimal transport problem. This framework is general enough to cover, as particular cases, existing Sinkhorn and Greenkhorn algorithms for the bi-marginal setting, and greedy MultiSinkhorn for the general multimarginal case. We provide a comprehensive convergence analysis based on the properties of the iterative Bregman projections method with greedy control. Linear rate of convergence as well as explicit bounds on the iteration complexity are obtained. When specialized to the above mentioned algorithms, our results give new convergence rates or provide key improvements over the state-of-the-art rates. We present numerical experiments showing that the flexibility of the batch can be exploited to improve performance of Sinkhorn algorithm both in bi-marginal and multimarginal settings.


Based on twelve celebrity interviews in Mandarin Chinese and American English, broadcast in a range of talk-radio/television programs in the U.S. and China, the current study is a comparative analysis of interviewers' questioning practices and the cultural underpinnings of those questions. The analysis focuses on the interviewers' question-word interrogatives in the discourse context of multiple Turn Construction Units (multi-TCUs). The study demonstrates similar interviewing strategies between two datasets including couching queries in partial knowledge of the guest's "celebrity-induced experiences," and using the presupposition function of question-word interrogatives to "control" responses. Significant differences exist: The English interviews primarily reference the guest's behaviors/activities as context for query, and frame the interviewee's first-person accounts as particularizations of commonly shared 'tellables.' The Chinese interviews tend to use external reference-points, particularly the behavior and sentiments of others, thus constructing a comparative/contrastive angle from which the guest relays first-person accounts.


Importance of the field: The cause and cure for multiple sclerosis (MS) remain unknown. Immunomodulatory agents are only partially effective and many patients do not tolerate the side effects or fail them. Immunosuppressive agents act non-specifically and are associated with serious complications. An emerging group of biologic agents with great potential for treatment of immune-mediated disorders such as MS are monoclonal antibodies. A review of alemtuzumab in MS is presented. Areas covered in this review: Mechanisms of action of alemtuzumab and the results of Phase II clinical trials in MS. What the reader will gain: Alemtuzumab is a humanized mAb, which targets the surface molecule CD52 on all T cell populations and other cellular components of the immune system such as thymocytes, B cells, and monocytes. Alemtuzumab, which is administered intravenously, depletes T as well as B lymphocyte populations for extended periods. Adverse effects in MS patients such as thyroid disorders and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura are discussed. Take home message: Alemtuzumab may hold great promise for treatment of MS patients and serve as an option for patients refractory to immunomodulatory therapies. Due to its unique mechanism of action and profound effect on MS disease activity it enhances our knowledge about pathogenic mechanisms of MS.


Consumers rely on experience and credence attributes when purchasing beef from retailers. It is essential for all beef industry sectors to recognize the complexity of consumer buying behavior. A hedonic model is estimated to determine if there are incentives to brand beef steaks, the types of brands that entertain price premiums, and the level of existing premiums. Most branded steaks garnered premiums along with organic claims, religious processing claims, and premium cuts. Factors influencing brand value were new brands targeting emerging consumer trends, brands with regional prominence, and brands positioned as special label, program/breed specific production, and store labels.


Eu3+ or/and Sm3+ co-doped glasses based on TeO2-ZnO-ZnCl2-Li2O are prepared using the melt quenching technique and the effects of co-doping on the emission spectra of these glasses are examined. The Sm3+ doped glass under 403 nm excitations show emission bands around 561, 598 and 642 nm corresponding to the transitions of 4G5/2 →6H5/2, 4G5/2→6H7/2 and 4G5/2→6H9/2 respectively. Whereas, in Eu3+ doped glass under 397 nm excitation emission bands appear around 553, 586, 613, 650 and 699 nm that corresponds to the transitions of 5D1→7F2, 5D0 →7F1, 5D0 →7F2, 5D0→7F3 and 5D0→7F4. In addition, the emission spectra of the Eu3+/Sm3+ co-doped glass under 482 nm excitation consists of five bands in which three are contributed by Sm3+ at 561, 598 and 642 nm and two by Eu3+ at 613 nm and 699 nm respectively. Surprisingly, the emission bands of Eu3+ are still observed in the emission spectra of Sm3+ for the Eu3+/Sm3+ co-doped glasses despite the absence of the excitation wavelength 482 nm in the absorption and excitation domain of Eu3+. This observation is attributed to the partial resonance transfer of the absorption energy from Sm3+ to the Eu3+ ions.


Materials with the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) exhibit an ultrahigh mechanical response to electrical inputs, which has been widely used in applications such as sensors and actuators. Recently, the rare-earth element doped $\mathrm{BiFe}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (BFO) was found to possess a MPB between a rhombohedral polar phase and an orthorhombic antipolar phase with enhanced piezoelectric response, enabling it to be an attractive alternative to toxic Pb-based piezoelectric materials. Despite theoretical and experimental efforts, the phase transition behavior under electric fields has not been directly confirmed, leaving a gap in the understanding of the origin of enhanced piezoelectricity. Here, we have demonstrated an irreversible electric-field induced phase transition from the antipolar phase to the polar phase in Sm-doped BFO with the pre-MPB composition, and a reversible phase transition between the polar phase and the antipolar/nonpolar phase in Sm-doped BFO with the MPB composition. In situ transmission electron microscopy technique combined with thermodynamic calculation based on the Ginzburg-Landau-Devonshire theory indicates that the electric-field induced reversible phase transition leads to enhanced piezoelectric response and double P-E hysteresis loops. These results provide us a deep insight into the mechanism of exotic electromechanical response in the rare-earth element doped BFO system with the composition near the MPB.