Automated analysis of the sentiments presented in online consumer feedbacks can facilitate both organizations' business strategy development and individual consumers' comparison shopping. Nevertheless, existing opinion mining methods either adopt a context-free sentiment classification approach or rely on a large number of manually annotated training examples to perform contextsensitive sentiment classification. Guided by the design science research methodology, we illustrate the design, development, and evaluation of a novel fuzzy domain ontology based contextsensitive opinion mining system. Our novel ontology extraction mechanism underpinned by a variant of Kullback-Leibler divergence can automatically acquire contextual sentiment knowledge across various product domains to improve the sentiment analysis processes. Evaluated based on a benchmark dataset and real consumer reviews collected from Amazon.com, our system shows remarkable performance improvement over the context-free baseline.


The protein PA1024 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 is currently classified as 2-nitropropane dioxygenase, the previous name for nitronate monooxygenase in the GenBankTM and PDB databases, but the enzyme was not kinetically characterized. In this study, PA1024 was purified to high levels, and the enzymatic activity was investigated by spectroscopic and polarographic techniques. Purified PA1024 did not exhibit nitronate monooxygenase activity; however, it displayed NADH:quinone reductase and a small NADH:oxidase activity. The enzyme preferred NADH to NADPH as a reducing substrate. PA1024 could reduce a broad spectrum of quinone substrates via a Ping Pong Bi Bi steady-state kinetic mechanism, generating the corresponding hydroquinones. The reductive half-reaction with NADH showed a kred value of 24 s−1 and an apparent Kd value estimated in the low micromolar range. The enzyme was not able to reduce the azo dye methyl red, routinely used in the kinetic characterization of azoreductases. Finally, we revisited and modified the existing six conserved motifs of PA1024, which define a new class of NADH:quinone reductases and are present in more than 490 hypothetical proteins in the GenBankTM, the vast majority of which are currently misannotated as nitronate monooxygenase.


Purpose: To report two patients with spontaneous scleral perforation and bleb formation associated with Marfan syndrome (MFS); which one of them also showed bilateral optic nerve dural ectasia. Case reports: An 11-year-old girl was referred with progressive myopia. Past medical history was negative. Slit-lamp examination revealed bilateral scleral thinning and perforation with bleb formation, shallow anterior chamber (AC), and microspherophakia. Systemic evaluation confirmed the diagnosis of MFS. B-scan ultrasonography and orbital MRI showed bilateral optic nerve dural ectasia. A 23-year-old man, known case of MFS, also presented with spontaneous scleral perforation with bleb formation and microspherophakia. In this case, ancillary tests didn't show optic nerve dural ectasia. Both patients underwent lensectomy with vitrectomy and iris-fixated intraocular lens implantation in both eyes. Conclusion: MFS may be associated with new and rare findings as part of generalized connective tissue disorder.


To characterize how ophthalmologists are using social media in their practice. A survey regarding ophthalmologists' personal and professional use of social media was distributed online through a university alumni listserv. Data collection occurred over 4 weeks from January to February 2020. In total, 808 ophthalmologists opened the survey email, and 160 responded (19.8%). Of 160 respondents, 115 (71.9%) participated in social media for personal use. Professional use of social media was noted by 63 (39.4%) respondents. Age >40 years old correlated with less personal (X2 = 5.06, p = 0.025) but not professional use (p = 0.065). Private practice was associated with more use of social media professionally compared to those in an academic or Veteran's Affairs hospital (X2 = 6.58, p = 0.037). A majority of respondents (58.7%) were neutral regarding the effect of social media on their practice. The present survey showed that nearly 40% of respondents are involved in social media in a professional context. Private practice correlated with increased use of social media professionally, but providers were most commonly neutral regarding the impact of social media on their practice. This finding suggests further avenues of research including how providers using social media professionally are defining and assessing successful use.


People with centronuclear myopathy begin experiencing muscle weakness at any time from birth to early adulthood. The muscle weakness slowly worsens over time and can lead to delayed development of motor skills, such as crawling or walking; muscle pain during exercise; and difficulty walking. Some affected individuals may need wheelchair assistance as the muscles atrophy and weakness becomes more severe. In rare instances, the muscle weakness improves over time.


In this paper, we describe a path-based intrinsic monitoring protocol that can efficiently associate SNMP based MIB information to a network path within a single administrative domain. Our method is based on intrinsic monitoring, a lightweight metric collection protocol that makes use of the IPv6 Router Alert hop-by-hop option. The main advantage of our approach is that operators can rapidly associate node specific MIB metrics to paths within the network. This can dramatically reduce the overhead associated with correlating node specific MIB information to topology information and network paths. It provides the network operator with a tool that can be used to focus on monitoring individual paths in the network, where the nodes along the path are not known beforehand. We compare the performance overhead associated with our proposed approach to conventional SNMP get/response message exchanges. The results demonstrate a dramatic reduction in the collection time of node specific metrics. Our approach also implicitly relates collected metrics to the network path, thus removing the need to correlate metrics to topology and path information.


This article contributes to discussions of the social acceptance of renewable energy (RE) by developing an analytical framework that considers three dimensions (community, market, and political-regulator) at three different scales (macro, meso, and micro). This framework is conceived in order to identify those dynamics that are potentially counterproductive to the energy transition and need further policy emphasis, as well as supporting those that demonstrate a positive impact. Using this framework, we critically reflect on the 2010 National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) policies of three European countries with high wind resources: Denmark, Ireland, and the UK. Within the RE policy landscapes of these three countries lies the contentious issue of social acceptance of wind power. The framework analysis reveals similar policy profiles for each country, characterized by a heavy focus on the market dimension at all scales, an effort to allow private business to steer the transition, and a low focus on the community dimension. In doing so, our research reveals how policy-making processes have privileged the voice of actors who are able to communicate quantifiable data and evidence to support their position, and these actors thereby have greater influence to shape national energy policies.


This paper reveals a new appeal of the recently emerged large-kernel Convolutional Neural Networks (ConvNets): as the teacher in Knowledge Distillation (KD) for small-kernel ConvNets. While Transformers have led state-of-the-art (SOTA) performance in various fields with ever-larger models and labeled data, small-kernel ConvNets are considered more suitable for resource-limited applications due to the efficient convolution operation and compact weight sharing. KD is widely used to boost the performance of small-kernel ConvNets. However, previous research shows that it is not quite effective to distill knowledge (e.g., global information) from Transformers to small-kernel ConvNets, presumably due to their disparate architectures. We hereby carry out a first-of-its-kind study unveiling that modern large-kernel ConvNets, a compelling competitor to Vision Transformers, are remarkably more effective teachers for small-kernel ConvNets, due to more similar architectures. Our findings are backed up by extensive experiments on both logit-level and feature-level KD ``out of the box", with no dedicated architectural nor training recipe modifications. Notably, we obtain the \textbf{best-ever pure ConvNet} under 30M parameters with \textbf{83.1\%} top-1 accuracy on ImageNet, outperforming current SOTA methods including ConvNeXt V2 and Swin V2. We also find that beneficial characteristics of large-kernel ConvNets, e.g., larger effective receptive fields, can be seamlessly transferred to students through this large-to-small kernel distillation. Code is available at: \url{https://github.com/VITA-Group/SLaK}.


Regulation of proteasome abundance to meet cell needs under stress conditions is critical for maintaining cellular homeostasis. However, the effects of aging on this homeostatic response remain unknown. In this report, we analyzed in young and aged rat hippocampus, the dynamics of proteasome recovery induced by proteasome stress. Proteasome inhibition in young rats leads to an early and coordinate transcriptional and translational up‐regulation of both the catalytic subunits of constitutive proteasome and the proteasome maturation protein. By contrast, aged rats up‐regulated the inducible catalytic subunits and showed a lower and shorter expression of proteasome maturation protein. This resulted in a faster recovery of proteasome activity in young rats. Importantly, proteasome inhibition highly affected pyramidal cells, leading to the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins in perinuclear regions of aged, but not young pyramidal neurons. These data strongly suggest that age‐dependent differences in proteasome level and composition could contribute to neurodegeneration induced by proteasome dysfunction in normal and pathological aging.


Natural gas has transformed to become one of the most important energy source globally surpassing w4orld's oil demand due to the increase in energy demand and decreasing of conventional energy. With this increasing in energy demand, the oil and gas industry are forced to reevaluate previous reserve that seems economically unfeasible for processing. These reserves are abandoned due to high carbon dioxide content. Motivation towards conducting this study is due the unfeasibility of current conventional method for carbon dioxide capture in natural gas stream where they are unable to cater the high CO2 content from CO2 rich natural gas reservoirs. Therefore, the development of new alternative materials and technology is needed to overcome this problem.
The objective of this study is to synthesis and characterize covalent organic polymer (COP-1) for CO2 capture in natural gas stream. Development of COP-1 was chosen as the material due to its high CO2 uptake and its ability to withstand harsh hydrothermal conditions. However, current studies for COP-1 development are mainly focused towards removal of CO2 from flue gases. There are lack of information on its application in natural gas stream. Therefore, this study is focused on filling the gap for COP-1 application in natural gas industry.
Synthesis of COP-1in this study is done on a laboratory scale apparatus where the main raw materials for formation of COP-1 is by using Cyanuric chloride and Piperazine. Qualitative characterization of COP-1 conducted in this study is FTIR, XRD, and FESEM while the quantitative analysis includes the thermogravimetric analysis, BET surface area measurement, CO2 and CH4 uptake capacity and the hydrothermal stability.
Findings from this study shows promising outcome for the application of COP-1 in removal of CO2 from natural gas stream. It's significantly high CO2 uptake capacity and high stable under harsh hydrothermal conditions shows potential as alternative of current conventional method for CO2 removal from natural gas stream.


The importance of tissue remodelling is widely accepted, but the mechanism by which the remodelling process occurs remains poorly understood. At the tissue scale, the concept of tensional homeostasis, in which there exists a target stress for a cell and remodelling functions to move the cell stress towards that target, is an important foundation for much theoretical work. We present here a theoretical model of a cell in parallel with a network to study what factors of the remodelling process help the cell move towards mechanical stability. The cell-network system was deformed and kept at constant stress. Remodelling was modelled by simulating strain-dependent degradation of collagen fibres and four different cases of collagen addition. The model did not lead to complete tensional homeostasis in the range of conditions studied, but it showed how different expressions for deposition and removal of collagen in a fibre network can interact to modulate the cell's ability to shield itself from an imposed stress by remodelling the surroundings. This study also showed how delicate the balance between deposition and removal rates is and how sensitive the remodelling process is to small changes in the remodelling rules.


This study examines consumers' awareness of fair trade coffee and their purchase interest concerning fair trade coffee. The research uses a survey instrument that was administered through the use of a personal interview. The random sample of 200 coffee purchasers was collected in San Luis Obispo County, California. San Luis Obispo County was designated the best test market in the United States by Demographics Daily (Jackoway 2001). San Luis Obispo was found to be the best of 3,141 counties to represent a microcosm of the United States based on 33 statistical indicators. This research uses simulated test marketing research to examine consumer interest in purchasing a branded fair trade coffee and finds that the branded fair trade coffee is appealing to only a small percentage of coffee consumers. Consumers indicate that the very desirable characteristics of coffee when making a purchase decision are: is flavorful, has a rich taste, high in quality, reasonably priced, and is a good value for the money. The fair trade coffee examined in this research rates lower in consumers' perceptions than the conventionally produced coffee of the same brand on four of the most desirable characteristics: is flavorful, has a rich taste, reasonably priced, and is a good value for the money. Thus, consumers perceive the fair trade product to be inferior.


Since Moloney and Coval1 have demonstrated that antibodies to insulin can be produced in the guinea pig, it seemed feasible that these antibodies could be labeled with fluorescein isocyanate by the method of Coons and Kaplan2 and used as an immunochemical stain for insulin. The results obtained from the application of these labeled antibodies to frozen sections of pancreas are reported in this paper.


This paper examines potential designs of videoconferencing systems for communicative language learning in learner-centered communication from the viewpoint of self-awareness. In this study, we focused on the effect of the presence of images on learning. We compared four types of videoconferencing systems: (a) videoconferencing with both the learner's own and the partner's image, (b) one with only the partner's image, (c) one with only the learner's image, and (d) one without images (audioconferencing), each supporting the use of formulaic expressions concerning communication strategies as the learning objective. We investigated the effect of each type of videoconferencing on two features of language learning: the perceived effectiveness of the images and the assistance they provided during communication and learner performance. The results showed that the presence of both self- and partner images had a main effect on learning awareness as well as on some aspects of learner performance. In addition, path analysis revealed that both self- and partner images had a direct and indirect significant effect on learner performance by raising perceived awareness.


With the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0, many work tasks are becoming knowledge intensive. At the forefront of the change are workers that are already mobile, working in the field with customers. We describe the human-centred design process that resulted in the Mobile Service Technician 4.0 concept. The concept illustrates how industrial field maintenance work could benefit from knowledge-sharing solutions based on Industry 4.0. The solutions utilize industrial internet, virtual and augmented reality as well as wearable technologies to improve mobile service technicians' daily work performance and work satisfaction. The Mobile Service Technician 4.0 concept illustrates the user experience of future maintenance work: feeling competent, feeling connected to the work community, and feeling of success and achievement by being better prepared for maintenance visits, getting situationally relevant support in maintenance operations, sharing knowledge with peers, and making maintenance reports effortless.


This experiment was conducted with the objective of evaluating cysteamine (CS) supplementation in broiler chick diets with different energy density patterns. A total of 980 chicks of the Cobb 500 strain at one day of age were allocated into 28 plots. A completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with 7 replications, was adopted. The factors under study were the supplementation (or absence) of cysteamine (60 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg of feed in the starter and growth/finishing phases, respectively) and two patterns of apparent metabolizable energy corrected by nitrogen balance (AMEn) in the diets. The energy levels (Mcal/kg of feed) practiced in pattern 1 were 3.00; 3.10; and 3.20, and for pattern 2, they were 3.05; 3.20; and 3.30 in the starter, growth and finishing phases, respectively. The diets were on the basis of corn and soybean meal with a feeding program with three diets. Feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion, feasibility and carcass yield were evaluated. There was no interaction between the CS supplementation and AME patterns in the diet upon the performance and/or carcass characteristic evaluated. Broilers fed the diet supplemented with CS presented improved feed conversion along the rearing cycle, but feed intake and weight gain were not affected by the supplementation of CS. The highest pattern of energy density (2) provided increased weigh gain in the starter phase of rearing and better feed conversion of the birds over the whole rearing period. The carcass yield was not influenced by the cysteamine supplementation and/or energy levels studied.


Date Awarded 2002 Document Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Department American Studies Advisor Richard S Lowry Abstract "The Still Life" explores debates over single manhood in the culture of the nineteenthcentury United States. Until recently, the "bachelor" was less an identifiable social type than a battleground for discourses of privacy and intimacy, sympathy and sentiment, and labor and leisure. Representations of the bachelor tended to excite readers' concerns about the relationships among emotion, public behavior, and intellectual prowess. Concentrating on constructions of the bachelor within specific discursive arenas, this dissertation examines "bachelorhood" as a way culture organized a wide range of ideologies and experiences. Though the bachelor's particular significance faded in the twentieth century, a conceptual roadblock dramatized by the figure remains: the notion that an emotionally rewarding family life and the production of works of public significance are fundamentally at odds.;The Introduction traces the evolution of the notion of "bachelor" from European religious, martial, and academic origins to its United States version. Distinguishing "bachelorhood" from "single manhood," it sets the terms of inquiry within the theoretical context of cultural studies of masculinity.;The first chapter explores an apparent paradox: while much American writing of the early nineteenth century declared the single male a dangerous figure, Washington Irving's use of the bachelor as narrator evoked a quite different response. as a sentimental male narrator, Irving's bachelor participated in the construction of sympathy (crucial to post-Revolution politics) by observing the family and re-uniting alienated members of the body politic.;Chapter Two moves this discussion into the writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance and Melville's Pierre suggest a very different relationship between manhood and the domestic than Irving's model, one that criticized domesticity. Subverting the language of domestic spheres, these stories suggest that intimacy and privacy could be at odds.;The final chapter argues that we see competitive individual masculinity as a complex product of a shared domestic life. It focuses on fin-de-siecle still life paintings by William Harnett and John Peto that depicted men's paraphernalia. These paintings and the contemporary popular literature of masculine domesticity suggest that the new urban bachelor culture was a companionate one, forged in shared living spaces. DOI https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-rxd1-cj24 Rights © The Author Recommended Citation Cohen, Matthew, "The still life: Domesticity, subjectivity, and the bachelor in nineteenthcentury America" (2002). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539623409. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-rxd1-cj24  Download


There is increasing interest in the use of bio-organic nitrogen (N) sources to suppress turfgrass diseases. The objectives of this field study were to evaluate nine N-sources for their effects on dollar spot (caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa F. T. Bennett) severity; to elucidate the relationship among N-sources, tissue N, soil microbial activity, and the severity of dollar spot; and to evaluate N-source effects on thatch and soil organic matter levels, and plant parasitic nematodes. Nitrogen sources included urea, sulfur-coated urea (SCU), Milorganite (Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Milwaukee, WI), Sustane Medium (Sustane Corporation, Chaska, MN), Earthgro 1881 Select (Earthgro Inc., Lebanon, CT), Earthgro Dehydrated Manure, Ringer Lawn Restore (Ringer LR, Ringer Corporation, Minneapolis, MN), Com-Pro (Blue Plains Sanitation Commission, Silver Spring, MD), and Scotts All Natural Turf Builder (Scotts ANTB, Scotts Company, Marysville, OH). The N was applied annually at a rate of 200 kg N ha -1 yr -1 between 1994 and 2000 to a stand of fairway height Southshore' creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.). Data were collected between 1998 and 2000. Ringer Lawn Restore (all 3 yr) and urea (1999 and 2000) delayed dollar spot to within an acceptable threshold from May to early or mid-June, when disease pressure was low to moderately severe. Com-Pro (all 3 yr), however, enhanced dollar spot. No N-source reduced dollar spot when data were averaged over-the-season. No N-source was consistently associated with higher levels of soil microbial activity. There was a weak negative correlation between soil microbial activity and dollar spot on one date in 2000, when disease pressure was low. When disease pressure was moderately severe, there was a strong negative correlation between the amount of foliar N and dollar spot severity in June 1999, but no correlation was found in 2000. Only Sustane Medium-treated plots had higher organic matter levels in the upper 2.5 cm of soil on all rating dates, but there was no increase in soil organic matter in the 2.6 to 5.0 cm soil zone with any N-source.


Using cheap and porous diatomite or zeolite as silicon sources, we prepared firstly Li4SiO4 matetials for high temperature CO2 capture through solid-state method, and mainly investigated effects of silicon sources on the CO2 absorption properties of Li4SiO4 materials. Phase composition was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, and the CO2 absorption properties were studied by the simultaneous thermal thermogravimetric analyzer (TG-DSC). The results showed that Li4SiO4 materials using zeolite as silicon source showed little CO2 absorption properties, while Li4SiO4 materials using diatomite as silicon source showed excellent CO2 absorption properties. Compared with the existing literatures, the preparation cost of Li4SiO4 materials was lowered


The transfer of surface-generated meltwater to the subglacial drainage system through full ice thickness crevassing may lead to accelerated glacier velocities, with implications for ice motion under future climatic scenarios. Accurate predictions of where surface meltwater accesses the ice/bed interface are therefore needed in fully coupled hydrodynamic ice-sheet models. We present a spatially distributed modelling routine for predicting the location and timing of delivery of surface-derived meltwater to the ice/bed interface through moulins and supraglacial lake drainage. The model is explained as it is applied to the Croker Bay glacial catchment of Devon Ice Cap, Canada. The formation of moulins, drainage of lakes, and the transfer of meltwater through the full ice thickness are modelled for the 2004 and 2006 ablation seasons. Through this case study we assess the model's sensitivity to degree-day factors, fracture toughness, tensile strength and crevasse width, and confirm that parameters influencing the rate at which water fills a crevasse are the most significant controls on the ability of a crevasse to reach the bed. Increased surface melt production, therefore, has the potential to significantly influence the spatial and temporal transfer of meltwater through surface-to-bed connections in a warmer climate.


Purpose
To analyze the proportion and cross-sectional area of myofibers containing myosin heavy chain slow-twitch (MyHCI) and myosin heavy chain slow tonic (MyHCsto) in extraocular muscles of autopsied amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with either spinal or bulbar site of disease onset.

Methods
Whole-muscle cross sections from the middle portion of the medial rectus were labeled with antibodies against MyHCI or MyHCsto and laminin. Myofibers labeled with the MyHC antibodies (MyHCI+sto) and the total number of myofibers were quantified in the orbital and global layer of 6 control individuals and 18 ALS patients. The cross-sectional area of myofibers labeled for either MyHC was quantified in 130 to 472 fibers/individual in the orbital and in 180 to 573 fibers/individual in the global layer of each specimen.

Results
The proportion of MyHCI+sto myofibers was significantly smaller in the orbital and global layer of ALS compared to control individuals. MyHCI+sto myofibers were significantly smaller in the global layer than in the orbital layer of ALS, whereas they were of similar size in control subjects. The decreased proportion of MyHCI+sto fibers correlated significantly with the age of death, but not disease duration, in patients who had the bulbar-onset variant of ALS but not in patients with spinal variant.

Conclusions
ALS, regardless of site of onset, involves a loss of myofibers containing MyHCI+sto. Only in bulbar-onset cases did aging seem to play a role in the pathophysiological processes underlying the loss of MyHCI+sto fibers.


As an introduction to a theme issue on the politics and practices of geoengineering, this paper outlines a framework for thinking about the 'geoengine' that underpins concepts of planetary modification. It reviews some of the ways in which geoengineering has been framed as a technological, governance, and promissory discourse and examines the contradictions inherent within some of these framings. Questioning some of the motivations and forms of participation that are evident in the governance of geoengineering, and its current challenge to existing forms of global democracy, the paper speculates on the wider geopolitical implications of operating at the scale of the planet, and what this means for how we currently understand the 'geo' in geopolitics. While there is a big mismatch between the restricted decision-making processes around geoengineering and the potential scope and impact of those decisions, there are also opportunities for geographers to make incisive contributions to this debate to change what geoengineering is and becomes as a material–discursive practice. This paper suggests that only by attending to the geo-ontological formations inherent in the fabrication of an engineerable earth, can a new geopolitics be accommodated within political thought that takes account of a much more active 'geoengine' that is being opened to political and material modification. Keywords: geoengineering, climate change, geopolitics, geophilosophy, weather modification, Anthropocene


We present a fuzzy (or quantitative) version of the van Benthem theorem, which characterizes propositional modal logic as the bisimulation-invariant fragment of first-order logic. Specifically, we consider a first-order fuzzy predicate logic along with its modal fragment, and show that the fuzzy first-order formulas that are non-expansive w.r.t. the natural notion of bisimulation distance are exactly those that can be approximated by fuzzy modal formulas.


Background Diarrheal diseases are a major cause of child mortality and one of the main causes of medical consultation for children in sub-Saharan countries. This paper attempts to determine the risk factors and neighborhood inequalities of diarrheal morbidity among under-5 children in selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa over the period 1990–2013. Design Data used come from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) waves conducted in Burkina Faso (1992–93, 1998–99, 2003, and 2010), Mali (1995, 2001, 2016, and 2012), Nigeria (1990, 1999, 2003, 2008, and 2013), and Niger (1992, 1998, 2006, and 2012). Bivariate analysis was performed to assess the association between the dependent variable and each of the independent variables. Multilevel logistic regression modelling was used to determine the fixed and random effects of the risk factors associated with diarrheal morbidity. Results The findings showed that the proportion of diarrheal morbidity among under-5 children varied considerably across the cohorts of birth from 10 to 35%. There were large variations in the proportion of diarrheal morbidity across countries. The proportions of diarrheal morbidity were higher in Niger compared with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Nigeria. The risk factors of diarrheal morbidity varied from one country to another, but the main factors included the child's age, size of the child at birth, the quality of the main floor material, mother's education and her occupation, type of toilet, and place of residence. The analysis shows an increasing trend of diarrheal inequalities according to DHS rounds. In Burkina Faso, the value of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.04 for 1993 DHS and 0.09 in 2010 DHS; in Mali, the ICC increased from 0.04 in 1995 to 0.16 in 2012; in Nigeria, the ICC increased from 0.13 in 1990 to 0.19 in 2013; and in Niger, the ICC increased from 0.07 in 1992 to 0.11 in 2012. Conclusions This suggests the need to fight against diarrheal diseases on both the local and community levels across villages.


The balance between privacy and utility is a classical problem with an increasing impact on the design of modern information systems. On the one side it is crucial to ensure that sensitive information is properly protected; on the other side, the impact of protection on the workload must be limited as query efficiency and system performance remain a primary requirement. We address this privacy/efficiency balance proposing an approach that, starting from a flexible definition of confidentiality constraints on a relational schema, applies encryption on information in a parsimonious way and mostly relies on fragmentation to protect sensitive associations among attributes. Fragmentation is guided by workload considerations so to minimize the cost of executing queries over fragments. We discuss the minimization problem when fragmenting data and provide a heuristic approach to its solution.


Host cells use a number of factors to defend against viral infection. Viruses are, however, in an arms race with their host cells to overcome these defense mechanisms. The tumor suppressor protein p53 is an important sensor of cell stress induced by oncogenic insults or viral infections, which upon activation induces various pathways to ensure the integrity of cells. Viruses have to counteract many functions of p53, but complex DNA viruses such as cytomegaloviruses may also utilize some p53 functions for their own benefit. In this study, we discovered that the M25 proteins of mouse cytomegalovirus interact with p53 and mediate its accumulation during infection. Interaction with the M25 proteins sequesters p53 molecules in nuclear dot-like structures, limiting their availability for activation of a subset of p53-regulated target genes. Understanding the interaction between viral proteins and p53 may allow to develop new therapeutic strategies against cytomegalovirus and other viruses. ABSTRACT To ensure productive infection, herpesviruses utilize tegument proteins and nonstructural regulatory proteins to counteract cellular defense mechanisms and to reprogram cellular pathways. The M25 proteins of mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) belong to the betaherpesvirus UL25 gene family that encodes viral proteins implicated with regulatory functions. Through affinity purification and mass spectrometric analysis, we discovered the tumor suppressor protein p53 as a host factor interacting with the M25 proteins. M25-p53 interaction in infected and transfected cells was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. Moreover, the proteins colocalized in nuclear dot-like structures upon both infection and inducible expression of the two M25 isoforms. p53 accumulated in wild-type MCMV-infected cells, while this did not occur upon infection with a mutant lacking the M25 gene. Both M25 proteins were able to mediate the effect, identifying them as the first CMV proteins responsible for p53 accumulation during infection. Interaction with M25 proteins led to substantial prolongation of the half-life of p53. In contrast to the higher abundance of the p53 protein in wild-type MCMV-infected cells, the transcript levels of the prominent p53 target genes Cdkn1a and Mdm2 were diminished compared to cells infected with the ΔM25 mutant, and this was associated with reduced binding of p53 to responsive elements within the respective promoters. Notably, the productivity of the M25 deletion mutant was partially rescued on p53-negative fibroblasts. We propose that the MCMV M25 proteins sequester p53 molecules in the nucleus of infected cells, reducing their availability for activating a subset of p53-regulated genes, thereby dampening the antiviral role of p53. IMPORTANCE Host cells use a number of factors to defend against viral infection. Viruses are, however, in an arms race with their host cells to overcome these defense mechanisms. The tumor suppressor protein p53 is an important sensor of cell stress induced by oncogenic insults or viral infections, which upon activation induces various pathways to ensure the integrity of cells. Viruses have to counteract many functions of p53, but complex DNA viruses such as cytomegaloviruses may also utilize some p53 functions for their own benefit. In this study, we discovered that the M25 proteins of mouse cytomegalovirus interact with p53 and mediate its accumulation during infection. Interaction with the M25 proteins sequesters p53 molecules in nuclear dot-like structures, limiting their availability for activation of a subset of p53-regulated target genes. Understanding the interaction between viral proteins and p53 may allow to develop new therapeutic strategies against cytomegalovirus and other viruses.


Background: Multiple scoring systems have been developed in order to identify patients who need emergency appendicectomy and those who are unlikely to have acute appendicitis.RIPASA and Alvarado scoring systems are two of these systems. The aim of this article was to compare both systems in terms of diagnostic accuracy.
Methods: The study was carried out in the period from August 2010 to January 2012.RIPASA and Alvarado scores were performed for all patients above 14 years in whom decision to operate was already made by independent surgeons. Sensitivity,specificity,predictive values and accuracy were calculated. Data analyzed using SPSS 16 and STATA 11.
Results: 600 patients were included with mean age 26.52 years. Negative appendicectomy rate was 17%.Sensitivity for RIPASA and Alvarado scores were 93.2 and 73.7,respectively(P value


We describe one approach to build an automatically trainable anaphora resolution system. In this approach, we use Japanese newspaper articles tagged with discourse information as training examples for a machine learning algorithm which employs the C4.5 decision tree algorithm by Quinlan (Quinlan, 1993). Then, we evaluate and compare the results of several variants of the machine learning-based approach with those of our existing anaphora resolution system which uses manually-designed knowledge sources. Finally, we compare our algorithms with existing theories of anaphora, in particular, Japanese zero pronouns.


Background: Recently, there have been several reports on minimally-invasive surgery for extended pancreatectomy (MIEP) in the literature. However, to date, only a limited number of studies reporting on the outcomes of MIEP have been published. In the present study, we report our initial experience with MIEP defined according to the latest the International Study Group for Pancreatic Surgery (ISPGS) guidelines. Methods: Over a 14-month period, a total of 6 consecutive MIEP performed by a single surgeon at a tertiary institution were identified from a prospectively maintained surgical database. EP was defined as per the 2014 ISPGS consensus. Hybrid pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) was defined as when the entire resection was completed through minimally-invasive surgery, and the reconstruction was performed open through a mini-laparotomy incision. Results: Six cases were performed including 2 robotic extended subtotal pancreatosplenectomies with gastric resection, 1 laparoscopic-assisted (hybrid) extended PD with superior mesenteric vein wedge resection, 2 robotic-assisted (hybrid) PD with portal vein resection (1 interposition Polytetrafluoroethylene graft reconstruction and 1 wedge resection) and 1 totally robotic PD with wedge resection of portal vein. Median estimated blood loss was 400 (250–1500) ml and median operative time was 713 (400-930) min. Median post-operative stay was 9 (6–36) days. There was 1 major morbidity (Grade 3b) in a patient who developed early post-operative intestinal obstruction secondary to port site herniation necessitating repeat laparoscopic surgery. There were no open conversions and no in-hospital mortalities. Conclusion: Based on our initial experience, MIEP although technically challenging and associated with long operative times, is feasible and safe in highly selected cases.


A PSO Algorithm with Team Spirit Inertia weight (TSWPSO) is presented based on the study of the effect of inertia weight on Standard Particle Swarm Optimization (SPSO). Due to the theory of group in organization psychology, swarm is divided into multiple sub-swarms and search is run in a number of different sub-swarms which are parallel performed. Try to find or modify a curve which is compatible with optimized object within many inertia weight decline curves, in order to balance the global and local explorations ability in particle swarm optimization and to avoid the premature convergence problem effectively. The testes by five classical functions show that, TSWPSO has a better performance in both the convergence rate and the precision.


In connection of introducing electronic commerce and business in practice of firms, corporation and banks there conducted changes in the character of carrying out commercial and financial transactions, interrelations with partners and clients, elaborations and introduction business strategies and competition itself. In the article there investigated the issues of development of information services in Uzbekistan in globalization and role of information and communicative technologies in development international business and trade.


The position of the mitotic spindle determines the cleavage plane in animal cells, but what controls spindle positioning? Kern et al. (2016. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201510117) demonstrate that the microtubule plus end–associated SKAP/Astrin complex participates in this process, possibly by affecting dynein-dependent pulling forces exerted on the tips of astral microtubules.


The dynamic response of any structure submerged in water is significantly modified by the effect of added mass. The inertia of the fluid that the body must accelerate during its vibrational motion decreases its natural frequencies. This frequency shift between the air and still water conditions must be taken into account during the design phase to foresee any resonance problems.
However, if cavitation takes place, which is a rather common phenomenon when dealing with submerged systems or machinery, the variability in the structural response remains unknown.
This thesis presents an experimental study of the influence of sheet cavitation and supercavitation on the added mass effects experienced by a 2-D NACA0009 hydrofoil. A High Speed Cavitation Tunnel was used to generate and control the cavitation, and an innovative non-intrusive excitation and measuring system based on piezoelectric patches mounted on the hydrofoil surface was used to determine the natural frequencies of the fluid-structure system. The appropriate hydrodynamic conditions were selected to generate a range of stable partial cavities of various sizes and to minimize the effects of other sources of flow-induced noise and vibrations. The main tests were performed for different sigma values under a constant flow velocity of 14 m/s and for incidence angles of both 1º and 2º. Additionally, a series of complementary experiments and numerical simulations were performed to assure the validity of the results and to clearly separate the effects of cavitation from other factors that may also affect the hydrofoil's natural frequencies. In this context, mode shape visualization was performed under different flow conditions to guarantee the equivalence among the tests. In addition, the effects of the lateral wall in the test section and the obtained results indicate that the maximum added mass effect occurs under conditions of still water. When cavitation occurs, the added mass decreases as the cavity length is increased. Consequently, the added mass reaches a minimum under supercavitation conditions. This behavior is well characterized by the linear correlation found between the added mass coefficient and the entrained mass of fluid that accounts for the mean density of the cavity, its dimensions and its location relative to the specific mode shape deformation.


Systematic macro investors' use of the regime-switching models that have been developed in academia over the last several decades is infrequent at best and, when used, generally tangential to their core investment process. The roots of this less-than-enthusiastic uptake can be found in two familiar sources: models that possess an overly complex formal structure and poor predictive ability. As a remedy to the current state of affairs, the authors present a new foundation for regime-based investing, one based on spectral clustering, a graph theoretic approach to classifying data. Drawing inspiration from the work of Hyman Minsky and John Geanakoplos, the authors present a macro framework that uses measures of growth, inflation, and leverage to define regimes and drive portfolio decisions. To the latter end, the authors show how the framework can be used to build portfolios using information about regimes as defined, to outperform a no-information equal-weight portfolio both out-of-sample and in bootstrapped and cross-validated simulations. The authors thus show that spectral clustering can provide both an elegant mathematical description of the leverage cycle and a robust foundation for quant-macro investing.


Resident attrition is a significant issue facing graduate surgical education, with broad implications for trainees, their families, educators, and society at large. Resident attrition is costly and often may represent a poor initial selection process, inadequate training in medical school, or insufficient feedback and mentoring while the resident is in the postgraduate program. Promoting an environment that encourages mentorship may be an important first step to help residents maximize their professional potential. The successful mentoring of surgical residents is crucial because the entire specialty depends on how today's residents face tomorrow's challenges.


The research in this thesis aims to enable robots to imitate humans. Learning by imitation is a fundamental part of human behaviour, since it allows humans to acquire motor skills simply by demonstration; seen from a robotic viewpoint you can easily "program" your fellow humans by showing them what to do. Would it not be great if the same mechanism could be used to program robots? A robot is programmed by specifying the torque of its motors. The torque can be regarded as the force or strength that is the result of muscles contracting or relaxing. Typical approaches to determine motor torques that will lead to a desired behaviour include setting them manually, i.e. on a trial-and-error basis, or specifying them by mathematical equations. Neither of these are intuitive to most humans, so most robot behaviours are programmed by engineers. However, if an engineer was to design a preprogrammed housekeeping robot, it would be very hard to program all the possible behaviours the robot could be expected to perform, even in such a limited domain. It is much more cost-efficient to make the robot learn what to do. This would allow the robot to adapt to its human owner, and not the other way around. Since humans easily learn new behaviours by imitating others, it would be ideal if humans could use the same technique to transfer motor knowledge to robots. I believe research in this area could be of great help to bridge the human-robot interaction gap that currently exists, so that you could have truly intelligent robots that could assist people in everyday life. To understand imitation learning, knowledge of psychology and neuroscience is required. The research in this thesis has taken an interdisciplinary approach, studying the desired mechanism on both a behavioural and neuroscientific level. I have focused on imitation in a musical setting. The system can both see and hear, and seeks to imitate the perceived behaviour. The application has been to create an intelligent virtual drummer, that imitates both the physical playing style (i.e. the movement of the arms) as well as the musical playing style (i.e. the groove) of the teacher. The virtual drummer will then both look and sound like a human drummer. The research in this thesis presents a multi-modal architecture for imitation of human movements. I have been working on simulated robots due to limits of time and money, however the principles of my research have been developed in a platformindependent way, so it should be applicable to real robots as well.


Strategies often proposed to combat the growing traffic congestion problems of urban environments target enhancements to increase the use of bus transit. Therefore, service providers are keen to identify and understand factors that could attract more transit riders. Other than affordability, most researchers explored convenience and stress factors such as schedule uncertainty, waiting time, travel time, crowding, noises, and smells. However, few studies evaluated the significance of ride quality. The high cost to collect and analyze roughness data likely deters such studies. This work developed a low-cost smartphone based method and associated data transforms to characterize ride quality for non-uniform speed profiles. The method distinguished between vibrations induced from road unevenness and operator behavior. The authors validated the accuracy of the method by conducting surveys to characterize the perceived roughness intensities from buses traveling routes of distinctly different roughness levels. The surveys found that smooth rides mattered to most passengers, and that rough rides could even lead to some loss of ridership. Additionally, the authors proposed a theory of roughness acclimation and provided some evidence that unlike objective measurements, subjective assessments of ride quality could lead to significant biases and inconsistencies.


The efficacy and safety of benoxaprofen and sulindac were compared in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. A double-blind, crossover protocol was used with three placebo periods. Fixed doses--600 mg of benoxaprofen once a day and 200 mg of sulindac twice a day--were used. Rheumatoid arthritis patients showed significant improvement in most measurements with both drugs, but overall results favored benoxaprofen, particularly in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and physician's global assessment. Results were fairly equal in osteoarthritis patients. Propoxyphene consumption was less during the benoxaprofen therapy period for both groups of patients. Adverse reactions in combined rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients generally were mild to moderate. Gastrointestinal complaints were more common with sulindac, while skin reactions were more common with benoxaprofen. No serious abnormalities in laboratory values were noted.


Tumor cells utilize different strategies to communicate with neighboring tissues for facilitating tumor progression and invasion, one of these strategies has been shown to be the release of exosomes. Exosomes are small nanovesicles secreted by all kind of cells in the body, especially cancer cells, and mediate cell to cell communications. Exosomes play an important role in cancer invasiveness by harboring various cargoes that could accelerate angiogenesis. Here first, we will present an overview of exosomes, their biology, and their function in the body. Then, we will focus on exosomes derived from tumor cells as tumor angiogenesis mediators with a particular emphasis on the underlying mechanisms in various cancer origins. Also, exosomes derived from stem cells and tumor‐associated macrophages will be discussed in this regard. Finally, we will discuss the novel therapeutic strategies of exosomes as drug delivery vehicles against angiogenesis.


This paper discusses full-dimension multiple-input-multiple-output (FD-MIMO) technology, which is currently an active area of research and standardization in wireless communications for evolution toward Fifth Generation (5G) cellular systems. FD-MIMO utilizes an active antenna system (AAS) with a 2-D planar array structure that not only allows a large number of antenna elements to be packed within feasible base station form factors, but also provides the ability of adaptive electronic beamforming in the 3-D space. However, the compact structure of large-scale planar arrays drastically increases the spatial correlation in FD-MIMO systems. In order to account for its effects, the generalized spatial correlation functions for channels constituted by individual elements and overall antenna ports in the AAS are derived. Exploiting the quasi-static channel covariance matrices of users, the problem of determining the optimal downtilt weight vector for antenna ports, which maximizes the minimum signal-to-interference ratio of a multi-user multiple-input-single-output system, is formulated as a fractional optimization problem. A quasi-optimal solution is obtained through the application of semi-definite relaxation and Dinkelbach's method. Finally, the user-group specific elevation beamforming scenario is devised, which offers significant performance gains as confirmed through simulations. These results have direct application in the analysis of 5G FD-MIMO systems.


It is argued that the procurement of weapons by the US armed services is in crisis. Even before the bribery scandals, there was ample evidence that the whole process was in disarray. The author, a retired civil service electronics engineer, offers his personal opinion of how this happened. Two unsuccessful programs are discussed: an airborne radar designed for the US Air Force to search for vehicles moving on the ground and the Sergeant York, the US Army's attempt to build a radar-pointed, long-range, anti-aircraft gun.<<ETX>>


Air infiltration contributes to a heat loss typically representing up to one third of the heating demand of a building. The building airtightness, also quantified as air leakage, is the fundamental building property that impacts infiltration. The steady (de)pressurization method (blower door) is the widely accepted standard process for measuring building air leakage. However, this method requires the enclosure to be pressurised to a typical range of 10-60 Pa, which is not physically representative of the pressures experienced by buildings under natural conditions. The Pulse technique is a novel alternative method, which measures air leakage at low pressures; quoting it at a reference pressure of 4 Pa. An experiment was designed to test the leakage characteristics of a detached house in the UK and compare them with the infiltration rate; which were measured by tracer gas techniques, utilising the decay method. The blower door and Pulse tests were both performed multiple times during a six week period to cover a range of different environmental conditions. Initial results have shown that there might be correlation between the infiltration rate and air leakage at 4 Pa and 50 Pa. It was concluded that Pulse technique's results induce less uncertainty when predicting air infiltration. Further experimental testing is required to be carried out in a range of properties to investigate how this conclusion stands and how the results given by existing infiltration models compare with the experimentally obtained infiltration rate.


The aim of this study was to analyze the relevance of callous–unemotional (CU) traits in incarcerated juvenile delinquents. A sample of 160 incarcerated male youths was used. Results showed that youths with high CU traits had an earlier age of crime onset and of trouble with the law, and also had higher levels of conduct disorder. When controlling for age of crime onset, youths with high CU traits showed higher levels of general psychopathic traits and of psychopathy taxon membership as well as lower levels of prosocial behavior, but no differences were found for self-reported delinquency, crime seriousness, impulsivity-conduct problems, and general conduct problems. Also, no significant associations of CU traits with self-reported delinquency and crime seriousness were found when controlling for age of crime onset. Future studies of CU traits should take into account the specific importance of age of onset.


This paper analyzes the expected impacts of improved border-crossing services on international freight transportation in Central Asia (CA). It develops a freight traffic network-assignment model based on the user equilibrium principle, and the developed model is combined with a global general equilibrium model to analyze the impacts of infrastructure development on regional economy and trade. Three cases are simulated to assess the improved border-crossing services. The results show that improvements in border-crossing service provision significantly decrease international transportation costs and boost trade flows in and out of CA in the short run. However, further growth of regional trade causes traffic congestion, which leads to an increase in international transportation costs, potentially reducing long-run trade volumes to and from CA. The analysis thus suggests that further improvement of CA transportation services is a prerequisite for the sustainable growth of regional trade.


BACKGROUND
Recent evidence supports the hypothesis that the CellSearch assay, used in the enumeration of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), may underestimate the number of CTCs, especially in tumors, such as renal cell carcinoma, frequently lacking cytokeratin expression. According to the CellSearch guidelines, all objects with no clear cytokeratin staining are defined as "suspicious objects", and are not counted as CTCs. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of CTCs and "suspicious objects" in 25 patients affected by metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Twenty-five patients were enrolled in the study, all with a diagnosis of metastatic clear cell RCC. The CellSearch™ system was used to count the CTC in 7.5 mL of whole blood. A further 10 ml blood obtained from each patient was used to isolate CTCs through CELLection™ Dynabeads®. The expression of cytokeratin (CK) 8, 18, 19 and CD44 were evaluated by RT-PCR.

RESULTS
Standard CTCs and suspicious objects were found in 16% and 60% of the patients, respectively. CK-8/18/19 transcripts were found in 15% and CD44 in 68% of the 19 patients with evidence of classical CTC or "suspicious objects" as assessed by Cellsearch.

CONCLUSION
The low number of CTCs detected through CellSearch in renal cell carcinoma may be due to the presence of a CTC population with atypical characteristics and a peculiar gene expression profile, characterized by lack of cytokeratin expression and gain of CD44.


Guided by the theory of interpretive validity argument, this study investigated the plausibility and accuracy of five sets of warrants which were deemed crucial to the validity of a self-assessment (SA) scale designed and used in a local EFL context. Methodologically, this study utilized both the Rasch measurement theory and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the five warrants and their respective rebuttals. Results from Rasch analysis indicated that the scale could reliably distinguish students at different proficiency levels. Among the 26 can-do statements in the SA scale, only one statement failed to fit the expectations of the Rasch model. Furthermore, each category was found to function as intended, though the first category was somewhat underused. Confirmatory factor analysis of the SA data supported the tenability of the Higher-Order Factor model which is consistent with the current view of L2 ability. Structural regression analysis revealed that the association between students' self-assessments and their scores on a standardized proficiency test was moderately strong. The multiple strands of evidence generated by various quantitative analyses of the SA data generally supported the validity of the SA scale. Future research, however, is warranted to examine other inferences in the validity argument structure, particularly in relation to the utility of the SA scale in English teaching and learning.


The Big 4 accounting firms have expanded their legal service arms to historic proportions over the last decade, employing thousands of lawyers around the world. Although most of the Big 4's revenue from legal services is presently generated outside the U.S., they are now making inroads into the U.S. legal market, and rule changes are being considered that would further allow the Big 4 to offer legal services in the U.S. This essay summarizes the current status of Big 4 firms as legal service providers, discusses potential implications of legal offerings for their U.S. audit practices, and suggests directions for future research. Our proposed research questions are informed by several literatures, interviews with former Big 4 partners and practicing attorneys, and a survey of the general public. They center on the fundamental difference between audit and law practices, brand equity considerations, and culture changes within the Big 4.


The cascaded transmission line theory of Paul and McKnight is used in this paper to predict near-end crosstalk (NEXT) and far-end crosstalk (FEXT) in a bundle of twisted wire pairs. The approach is validated using the CST Cable Studio commercial software and experimental data. NEXT and FEXT along twisted pair bundles are then evaluated using a pure deterministic approach for the electromagnetic coupling while taking into account the random distribution of victim and aggressor pairs in the bundle. The results obtained using the presented approach are compared with available simplified empirical expressions (ANSI/FSAN). It is shown that the simplified expressions are able to predict the overall trend of the power sum loss. However, they do not always provide the worst case values. The presented theory can find important applications in the design of data transmission systems for which accurate crosstalk modeling is a vital task. It can be used for example as a replacement for the experiments in obtaining the parameters of simplified models for NEXT and FEXT.


................................................................................................................................. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ x LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .................................................................. xii CHAPTER ONE ...........................................................................................................................


For at least two decades, major cities in Turkey have been subjected to endless waves of urban development that has left scores of building demolitions in its wake. The construction waste produced is immense but its removal or abatement is completely ignored by the state. Who will deal with all this waste? Enter the reclaimers (çkmacs), an informal network of building salvagers, who have stepped in to create a new form of assemblage that fills this gap. Erdogan Onur Ceritoglu makes an in-depth ethnographic study of the under-the-radar livelihood of the reclaimers long-term. He also focuses on incremental architecture through the reuse of second-hand building elements.


In order to increase the capacity of a mobile radio network, it is desirable to exploit the spatial domain in an efficient way. A common technique is to use a sector antennas. Sectors can be formed by using antenna arrays which add spatial domain selectivity in order to improve the Signal-to-Noise and Interference Ratio (SNIR). In this paper an interference cancellation scheme is presented that combines the different areas of beamforming and Blind Signal Separation (BSS). An important feature in the proposed spatial interference canceler scheme is that it does not require any a priori knowledge of the transmitted signals. Consequently there will be no reduction in the system capacity, which is caused by the transmission of training (pilot) signals. Simulation results will show how the different components in the proposed scheme effects the over all performance.


The Spitzer Survey of Stellar Structure in Galaxies (S4G) is the largest available database of deep, homogeneous middle-infrared (mid-IR) images of galaxies of all types. The survey, which includes 2352 nearby galaxies, reveals galaxy morphology only minimally affected by interstellar extinction. This paper presents an atlas and classifications of S4G galaxies in the Comprehensive de Vaucouleurs revised Hubble-Sandage (CVRHS) system. The CVRHS system follows the precepts of classical de Vaucouleurs morphology, modified to include recognition of other features such as inner, outer, and nuclear lenses, nuclear rings, bars, and disks, spheroidal galaxies, X patterns and box/peanut structures, OLR subclass outer rings and pseudorings, bar ansae and barlenses, parallel sequence late-types, thick disks, and embedded disks in 3D early-type systems. We show that our CVRHS classifications are internally consistent, and that nearly half of the S4G sample consists of extreme late-type systems (mostly bulgeless, pure disk galaxies) in the range Scd-Im. The most common family classification for mid-IR types S0/a to Sc is SA while that for types Scd to Sm is SB. The bars in these two type domains are very different in mid-IR structure and morphology. This paper examines the bar, ring, and type classification fractions in the sample, and also includes several montages of images highlighting the various kinds of "stellar structures" seen in mid-IR galaxy morphology.


Among many significant environmental problems related to agricultural production, the matter of the first importance is the decrease in water quality. European Community policy has been concerned with this issue for over twenty years. But whilst the initial directives concerned themselves mainly with water for human consumption, more recent directives, suchas those on nitrates from agricultural sources (Directive 91/676/EEC) have placed increased emphasis on the environmental effects of excess nitrogen, in particular eutrophication. In the context of agriculture there are two main objectives of the Nitrate Directive: to reduce water pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources and to prevent further pollution of this kind. In order to achieve the objectives, the member states have to identify waters affected by, and those subject to pollution, and designate these areas as Vulnerable Zones. In these areas, as well as promoting crop rotations, soil winter cover or limitations per crop, the Nitrate Directive implements the use of non-fertilised grass strips and hedges along watercourses and ditches to serve as buffer zones (Duer, 2003; Report COM(2002)407). The importance of permanently vegetated land strips in controlling diffuse pollution from agricultural sources has been proved in many studies, most of them concerned with the efficiency of riparian plant buffer zones (Haycock et al.,1977). In addition to these, much has been published on shelterbelts and grasslands functioning as biogeochemical barriers reducing pollutants in ground water in upper parts of drainage areas (Bartoszewicz, 1994b, 2000, 2001; Prusinkiewicz et al., 1996; Ryszkowski et al., 1989, 1996; Szpakowska et al., 1994). Although a great deal has been published on this matter there is still some uncertainty about barrier size requirements for site-specific locations and a need for accepted methods for biogeochemical barrier design. As T.A. Dillaha and S.P. Inamdar pointed out (1997, after Castelle et al., 1994) buffers that are undersized place aquatic resources at risk. On the other hand, buffers that are larger than necessary needlessly deny landowners the use of a portion of their land. The difficulties with establishing rules for designing biogeochemical barriers are related to the complexity of landscape processes, which require evaluations based on different scale analysis of all landscape components. When considering practical aspects of the issue, local scale analyses are of critical importance. As the evaluation of biogeoche- mical barrier requirements is a very complex task, there is a need for a method for practical use in landscape planning. A way for it would be an estimation of the spatial structure of afforestations in subcatchments where surface and groundwater are highly polluted from agricultural sources, which suggests high barriers requirements. The obtained values, of the indexes proposed, can be compared to those in similar landscape types in order to evaluate afforestations requirements there. The aim of this study is to attempt to evaluate the structure of agricultural landscape afforestations and answering the question: what are the main spatial characteristics of suchinsufficient structure in two subcatchments located in two different agricultural landscape types?


An important functional difference among restitutionary remedies is between giving a plaintiff the monetary value of the defendant's unjust enrichment or giving the plaintiff an identifiable asset that constitutes the defendant's unjust enrichment. This difference commonly is labeled by scholars to be a difference between a money judgment and "specific restitution." This terminology obscures important concepts, such as that a plaintiff's asset-based remedy might be for a fund of money or that recovery of an asset might not constitute "specific" relief-that is, the plaintiff might not get the thing to which the plaintiff originally was entitled. In many of its uses by scholars, there is nothing "specific" about specific restitution. This article situates the term specific restitution within the larger context of how the term "specific" is used in the law, and it examines how scholars and courts have used "specific restitution." Finally, the article turns to the American Law Institute's ongoing project to produce a Restatement (Third) of Restitution and Unjust Enrichment. The article recommends that the Restatement dispense with the term "specific restitution" and rely on the more accurate term "asset-based restitution."


This article develops a theory integrating
psychological safety and psychological availability within the context of human
resource development (HRD) objectives. While
research on psychological safety, a willingness to take an interpersonal risk,
has blossomed over the past two decades, no theoretical modeling has been offered
with links to psychological availability as originally proposed by Kahn (1990). Through the employment of Dubin's (1969) theory-building
method, this article develops the integration of psychological safety and
psychological availability with a systems framework. A literature review is conducted to define
and assess the proposed operational units within the theoretical model focused
on inputs, mediating processes, outputs, and feedback input. Implicit voice is proposed as a feedback
input that attempts to assess the role of an individual's prior experiences in
the system process. Dubin's (1969) remaining
steps for theory construction are completed, up to the point of empirical
research. Finally, implications of
research, theory, and practice within the field of HRD are examined.


Ischemic heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death worldwide. Nonetheless, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating cardiac and cerebral ischemic injury is very modest and our ability to develop therapies arresting and/or reversing detrimental events that spread from the ischemic core to the surrounding tissue is limited. Ischemia occurs when oxygen is unavailable to tissues due to occlusion of an artery (myocardial infarction, stroke, and pulmonary embolism), hemorrhage, organ transplantation, or hypotension in septic shock. The mitochondrion is a key target of ischemia. Alterations in mitochondrial morphology, dynamics, and functions result in energy deficits and contribute to the pathogenesis of ischemic injury. Phosphorylations of mitochondrial proteins and protein kinases that mediate them are important regulators of mitochondrial functions and tissue ATP levels. Thus, mitochondrial protein kinases could serve as targets for therapeutic interventions to mitigate the effects of ischemic injury. This will review the mitochondrial proteins regulated by phosphorylation, protein kinases mediating these reactions, and their implications in mitochondrial functions in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced injury.


Homologous recombination is a double-strand break repair pathway required for resistance to DNA damage and maintaining genomic integrity. In mitotically dividing vertebrate cells, the primary proteins involved in homologous recombination repair are RAD51 and the five RAD51 paralogs, RAD51B, RAD51C, RAD51D, XRCC2, and XRCC3. In the absence of Rad51d, human and mouse cells fail to proliferate, and mice defective for Rad51d die before birth, likely as a result of genomic instability and p53 activation. Here, we report that a p53 deletion is sufficient to extend the life span of Rad51d-deficient embryos by up to 6 days and rescue the cell lethal phenotype. The Rad51d-/- Trp53-/- mouse embryo-derived fibroblasts were sensitive to DNA-damaging agents, particularly interstrand cross-links, and exhibited extensive chromosome instability including aneuploidy, chromosome fragments, deletions, and complex rearrangements. Additionally, loss of Rad51d resulted in increased centrosome fragmentation and reduced levels of radiation-induced RAD51-focus formation. Spontaneous frequencies of sister chromatid exchange were not affected by the absence of Rad51d, but sister chromatid exchange frequencies did fail to be induced upon challenge with the DNA cross-linking agent mitomycin C. These findings support a crucial role for mammalian RAD51D in normal development, recombination, and maintaining mammalian genome stability.


Can humans and artificial intelligences share concepts and communicate? One aim of Making AI Intelligible is to show that philosophical work on the metaphysics of meaning can help answer these questions. Cappelen and Dever use the externalist tradition in philosophy of to create models of how AIs and humans can understand each other. In doing so, they also show ways in which that philosophical tradition can be improved: our linguistic encounters with AIs revel that our theories of meaning have been excessively anthropocentric. The questions addressed in the book are not only theoretically interesting, but the answers have pressing practical implications. Many important decisions about human life are now influenced by AI. In giving that power to AI, we presuppose that AIs can track features of the world that we care about (e.g. creditworthiness, recidivism, cancer, and combatants.) If AIs can share our concepts, that will go some way towards justifying this reliance on AI. The book can be read as a proposal for how to take some first steps towards achieving interpretable AI. Making AI Intelligible is of interest to both philosophers of language and anyone who follows current events or interacts with AI systems. It illustrates how philosophy can help us understand and improve our interactions with AI.


Long-term exposure to low arsenic concentrations in drinking water causes different diseases including cancer. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are exposed to arsenic in drinking water. Within Europe, Hungary, Serbia and Croatia are likely most affected. Elevated arsenic concentration has been found in several wells used by the Water Supply Company in Mako, Hungary. Groundwater in southern Hungary typically contains also ammonia, methane, some iron and manganese. Situation is very similar in several other surrounding countries. There are intensive efforts to find affordable approach for treatment of such complex arsenic contaminated groundwater. UNESCO-IHE has been developing an innovative arsenic removal technology (IHE ADART), based on adsorption on iron oxide coated sand (IOCS) and an in-situ regeneration of exhausted adsorbent. The paper presents results from field-testing of the IHE-ADART technology in Southern Hungary. Two pilot plants have been operated at several arsenic-contaminated wells with arsenic concentrations from 20 to 260 μg/l. Very consistent arsenic removal below 10 μg/l was achieved at all testing wells and throughout the 18 months of continuous testing. In addition methane, ammonia, iron and manganese were removed highly effectively. Life cycle cost analysis showed that overall treatment costs would be below 0.10Euro/m 3 .


Following oral or rectal administration of toxic doses of dissociable iron salts in dogs and rabbits, the rapidly and excessively absorbed iron produced a profound metabolic acidosis with blood pH values as low as 6.7. The acidosis was mainly due to the hydrolysing effect of ferric ions and partly due to an increase in lactic and citric acid. The latter findings suggest a possible interference of the absorbed iron with enzymes in the Krebs cycle. The respiratory changes were those seen in metabolic acidosis: greatly increased respiratory rate and minute volume, lowering of the blood CO2, excessive CO2 output. The cardiac output decreased progressively due to diminished venous return, but a normal blood pressure was maintained by arteriolar constriction until the final collapse occurred, which was preceded by respiratory failure. A marked capillary congestion and increased capillary permeability were noted, the latter possibly being the result of a direct action of the high non-protein bound serum iron upon the capillary wall. The increased capillary permeability caused a reduction in plasma volume and hemoconcentration. No abnormal hemoglobin derivatives were found.


The article summarises experience of co-operation within three years (2010-2012) of the Institute of Education and Home Economics (IEHE) of Latvia University of Agriculture (LLU), Zemgale Region Competence Center and schools of Zemgale in consulting of research work of pupils. A topical problem – research work of pupils in the process of studies – has been investigated. The lecturers of the LLU support the teachers of schools in advising the learners' research work. The aim of the article is conscious and substantiated necessity for co-operation of the university and schools in development of research papers of pupils. In the article 439 research papers of learners are theoretically and empirically analysed, summarized and evaluated. The influence of society on the development of the learners' research skills has been clarified. The research work competition winners get LLU certificates that allow for entering the faculties of the university without competition after finishing school. Receiving of the certificate is a stimulus for further research.


The differences between the character of the Schwarzschild and Ernst spacetimes are illustrated by comparing the photon capture cones, and the embedding diagrams of the sections of the equatorial planes of both the ordinary and optical reference geometry of these spacetimes. The non-flat asymptotic character of the Ernst spacetime reflects itself in two manifest facts: the escape photon cones correspond to a purely outward radial direction, and the embedding diagrams of both the ordinary and optical geometry shrink to zero radius asymptotically. Using the properties of the embedding diagrams, regions of these spacetimes which could have similar character are estimated, and it is argued that they can exist for the Ernst spacetimes with a sufficiently low strength of the magnetic field.


A study was carried out on the health education level among primary and secondary school teachers in the municipality of Artemisa, in relation with the prevention of the most frequent oral diseases. So, a sample representing 60% of the universe under study was surveyed. An assessing method was established rating sanitary education levels as good, deficient and poor. Comparisons were made among the different groups--by age, sex, educational level, and negative points which influenced most on the rating in connection with the health education levels. Finally, it is concluded that the health education level is deficient for the largest percent of the group under study.


The current autonomous stack is well modularized and consists of perception, decision making and control in a handcrafted framework. With the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and computing resources, researchers have been pushing the development of end-to-end AI for autonomous driving, at least in problems of small searching space such as in highway scenarios, and more and more photorealistic simulation will be critical for efficient learning. In this research, we propose a novel game-based end-to-end learning and testing framework for autonomous vehicle highway driving, by learning from human driving skills. Firstly, we utilize the popular game Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) to collect highway driving data with our proposed programmable labels. Then, an end-to-end architecture predicts the steering and throttle values that control the vehicle by the image of the game screen. The predicted control values are sent to the game via a virtual controller to keep the vehicle in lane and avoid collisions with other vehicles on the road. The proposed solution is validated in GTA V games, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of this end-to-end gamification framework for learning human driving skills.


Biological and physical factors interact to determine habitat use by animals. While sessile organisms inhabiting intertidal areas have been well studied, the processes underlying the use of intertidal areas by highly mobile animals such as fishes remain poorly understood. This study examines whether an intertidal fish, the mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus, preferentially uses habitats where growth rate is maximized or, like most sessile animals, is restricted to habitats providing escape from strong negative biological interactions but compromising growth. I compared growth rates and predation rates on adult F. heteroclitus at 3 Rhode Island salt marshes in 2 seasons (summer and fall). Salt marshes varied in the types of habitat (creek, pond, channel, mudflat) available to fishes within each marsh. Growth rates of marked mummichogs held in cages were determined in each habitat and each marsh for 6 wk. Predation risk was assessed by determining mortality of F. heteroclitus tethered in each habitat in each of the 2 seasons. Habitat use was quantified by trapping fish in each habitat in each season. Both growth rate and predation risk influenced habitat use by F. heteroclitus in these intertidal salt marshes. Overall, salt marshes offered opportunities for both higher growth rates and shelter from predation compared to areas outside salt marshes. However, mummichogs often faced trade-offs between predation refuge and growth in specific habitat types. When predation risk was high across all habitat types in a marsh, habitats associated with the highest growth rates were used. If a predation refuge was available, habitat use increased, even when growth rates in the habitat were low. A habitat characterized by both shelter and high growth rates, e.g. Coggeshall Cove ponds in fall, were used almost exclusively. Variation in quality of the same habitat type in different marshes led to differences in overall marsh quality. Determination of profitability of habitat for fishes cannot be assessed through habitat use alone; measurement of factors, such as predation risk and growth, which influence habitat quality are also necessary.


Social and health policies and political participation are associated with each political tradition related to public health outcomes. However, there is a lack of evidence for the relationship between policy and outcomes. This study seeks to determine the relationship between politics, labour and welfare state indicators, economic inequality, and health outcome indicators. Data to test the model was obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) that belongs to the 81 provinces of Turkey. Path analysis was used to model the associations between policy, labour and welfare states, economic inequality, and health outcomes. To test the goodness of fit of the model, multiple criteria of model fit indices were utilised. The fit of the respecified path analytic model data is good (normed fit index [NFI] is 0.91, comparative fit index [CFI] is 0.92, goodness of fit index [GFI] is 0.91, and adjusted goodness of fit index [AGFI] is 0.93). Study results illustrate a strong relationship between voter partisanship, employment rate, satisfaction from both social security and health services, and life expectancy at birth and mortality. These results represent an important step towards understanding the elusive relationship between policy and health outcomes. Designing socially inclusive policies, considering labour market opportunities, and enhancing the population's well-being are advisable strategies for policymakers who wish to optimise public health outcomes.


Despite broad application, few silicone-based surfactants of known structure or, therefore, surfactancy have been prepared because of an absence of selective routes and instability of silicones to acid and base. Herein the synthesis of a library of explicit silicone-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) materials is reported. Pure silicone fragments were generated by the B(C(6)F(5))(3)-catalyzed condensation of alkoxysilanes and vinyl-functionalized hydrosilanes. The resulting pure products were coupled to thiol-terminated PEG materials using photogenerated radicals under anaerobic conditions.


A previously published technique that combined a homomorphic transformation with a locally adaptive algorithm for image restoration in the presence of signal-dependent noise has been adapted for the case when the model for the. signal-dependent noise is unknown. The noise variance required for the homomorphic transformation is estimated from measurements over a small window, and the homomorphic transformation to make the noise additive is incorporated noise into the locally adaptive algorithm, resulting in a modified James–Stein algorithm valid for any signal- dependent noise.


This case study explored the influence tactics used by successful information services project managers at Harley-Davidson. The participants were chosen via purposeful sampling for this study. Face-to-face interviews were conducted, which brought out some themes on the qualities needed to be successful as an information services project manager. The predominant skills sets included active listening, effective communication, relationship building and organization. The influence strategies primarily mentioned by the participants were consultation and bargaining, which was similar to what was found in the review of prior research. Other findings from this research included the challenges faced by project managers and the methods they use to overcome these obstacles, the participants' definition of project success and failure, and their description of successful project managers. Although there were many similarities in the responses of the participants, there were some key differences that are noted in the findings section. All of the project managers spoke of the strong desire to deliver a product that met the customer's expectations and needs.


A recent review of guidelines for the management of osteoarthritis has highlighted the agreement of recommendations across guideline organisations regarding the pharmacological treatment of osteoarthritis [1]. Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is consistently recommended as the mainstay frontline analgesic for treating non-inflammatory pain (in addition to non-pharmacological interventions such as education, self-management and exercise), with NSAIDs as the second line analgesic. However, this recommendation appears to be based on limited evidence in terms of direct comparisons between NSAIDs and paracetamol, which would be most informative for clinical decision making. A review published in 2004 identified more guidelines (n=9) than trials (n=5) directly comparing NSAIDs to paracetamol in patients with osteoarthritis, highlighting gaps in the quantity and quality of evidence [2]. Based on three trials of adequate methodological quality, this review showed a small difference in pain relief in favour of NSAIDs compared with paracetamol (standardised mean difference -0.33, 95% confidence interval -0.51 to -0.15). Similarly in back pain, a Cochrane review identified only three trials with direct comparisons, demonstrating a small benefit for NSAIDs compared with paracetamol (standardised mean difference -0.21, 95% confidence interval -0.43 to 0.02) [3]. Over the past 10 years numerous guidelines have been published, while the evidence base has also expanded. A more recent meta-analysis identified 15 trials in hip or knee osteoarthritis still showing small benefits of NSAIDs over paracetamol (pooled effect size: -0.29 (95% confidence interval -0.35 to -0.22) [4]. New trials are unlikely to sway the evidence for the effectiveness of NSAIDs for non-inflammatory pain, or change guideline recommendations. However, there still is a lack of data on long-term outcomes, inadequate reporting of safety data, potential publication bias, and relatively few head-to-head comparisons [5]. More advanced approaches to meta-analysis, including trial sequential analysis and network meta-analysis, enable the estimation of comparative effectiveness and ranking of treatment options, providing more useful information to clinicians and patients when making decisions regarding pain relief [e.g. 5]. The lecture will discuss the usefulness of these approaches and how they may inform treatment guidelines or offer guidance regarding the design of future trials. References Nelson AE, Allen KD, Golightly YM, Goode AP, Jordan JM. A systematic review of recommendations and guidelines for the management of osteoarthritis: The chronic osteoarthritis management initiative of the U.S. bone and joint initiative. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2014;43(6):701-12. Wegman A, van der Windt D, van Tulder M, Stalman W, de Vries T. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs or acetaminophen for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee? A systematic review of evidence and guidelines. J Rheumatol 2004 Feb;31(2):344-54. Roelofs PD, Deyo RA, Koes BW, Scholten RJ, van Tulder MW. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Jan 23;(1):CD000396. Verkleij SP, Luijsterburg PA, Bohnen AM, Koes BW, Bierma-Zeinstra SM. NSAIDs vs acetaminophen in knee and hip osteoarthritis: a systematic review regarding heterogeneity influencing the outcomes. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2011;19(8):921-9. Bannuru RR, Schmid CH, Kent DM, Vaysbrot EE, Wong JB, McAlindon TE. Comparative effectiveness of pharmacologic interventions for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med 2015;162(1):46-54. Disclosure of Interest None declared


(1) Institute of Software Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China; (2) Graduate University Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing 100190 China


A systematic study was carried out over all the seasons for two consecutive years (March 2003 to May 2005) to monitor the most important physico-chemical parameters of the Siang river water, Arunachal Pradesh, India in order to establish the baseline data of the river water. Water samples were collected from nine locations covering a stretch of 45 km of the river, in and around Pasighat, the district headquarters of East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh. Alarge number of parameters such as temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total solids, total dissolved solids, total hardness, dissolved oxygen, chlorides, sulphates, phosphates, silicates, bicarbonates, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium were found to be well within the permissible limits for drinking water. Concentration of iron is very high in the study stretch, but all other metals were well below the maximum permissible limits. Levels of metals such as Cu, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn are attributed to lithogenic contribution in absence of industrial and large scale agricultural activity in the study area.


Since choanal atresia may be associated with other cranio-facial malformations, including various degrees of nasal fossa malformation, and be a part of paramedian facial clefts, (as described by Tessier), they can be integrated into the larger group of neurocristopathies. We identified four such cases with combined clinical elements corresponding to Tessier's paramedian facial cleft, including eyelid coloboma, mild to severe choanal and nasal fossa anomalies, ethmoidal hypoplasia and anterior skull base malformation, sometimes with proboscis lateralis. These various malformations are due to abnormality of the olfactive placode and the adjacent mesenchyme. These discoveries incited us to elaborate a conception first of all on the pertinent embryology involved, second, to propose a new classification based on anatomical and pathogenic embryological considerations. And finally, since endonasal laser therapy is particularly dangerous in such cases, to propose the use of transpalatal approach to restore choanal permeability. Pediatric ENT surgeons should pay special attention to any small stigmatism of facial cleft when dealing with children affected by choanal atresia.


OBJECTIVES People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at increased risk for falls and fall-related injuries. Depressive disorders (DEP) are common in individuals with CKD and may increase the risk of falls and fall-related injuries. However, not much is known about the relationship between DEP and falls in people with CKD. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of DEP on the relationship between CKD, falls, and fall-related injuries. METHOD Using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we identified 16,574 adults with CKD. Patients with CKD were stratified by history of self-reported DEP (SRDEP), and multivariate logistic regression was conducted to determine the odds for falls and fall-related injuries among those with and without SRDEP. RESULTS In unadjusted regression analysis, falls (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 2.08-2.76) and fall-related injuries (OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.72-2.59) were higher in individuals with CKD and history of SRDEP compared to those with CKD and no history of SRDEP. Adjustment for confounders had little effect on the relationship between a history of SRDEP and either falls (AOR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.60-2.19) or fall-related injuries (AOR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.26-1.97). CONCLUSIONS People with CKD and DEP are at increased odds for falls and fall-related injuries even after adjustment for sociodemographic, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. Prospective studies are warranted to further understand this relationship, but it may be prudent for clinicians, in particular nurses, to consider fall risk when treating DEP in patients with CKD.


The Canadian system of housing finance proved to be resilient and efficient during the global financial crisis and its aftermath. The system's effectiveness is the result of a rigorous prudential regulatory and supervisory regime coupled with targeted government guarantees of mortgage insurance and securitisation products. In the post-crisis period, household debt levels and house prices have risen, owing, in part, to accommodative monetary conditions necessary to support the economic recovery. These vulnerabilities were mitigated by tightening macroprudential policy, specifically mortgage insurance rules, and strengthening mortgage-underwriting standards. Looking ahead, the housing finance framework needs to be adjusted and strengthened by rebalancing the risk exposures away from the government towards the private sector participants in the housing finance market. Although some measures have already been taken for this purpose, more adjustments may be needed to create the right incentives and achieve a sustainable rebalancing in risk exposures. Measures should also be considered to promote a liquid private-label mortgage securitisation market in Canada.


Background The number of HIV-positive pregnant women receiving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to prevent mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV has increased rapidly. Objective To estimate the reduction in new child HIV infections resulting from prevention of MTCT (PMTCT) over the past decade. To project the potential impact of implementing the new WHO PMTCT guidelines between 2010 and 2015 and consider the efforts required to virtually eliminate MTCT, defined as <5% transmission of HIV from mother to child, or 90% reduction of infections among young children by 2015. Methods Data from 25 countries with the largest numbers of HIV-positive pregnant women were used to create five scenarios to evaluate different PMTCT interventions. A demographic model, Spectrum, was used to estimate new child HIV infections as a measure of the impact of interventions. Results Between 2000 and 2009 there was a 24% reduction in the estimated annual number of new child infections in the 25 countries, of which about one-third occurred in 2009 alone. If these countries implement the new WHO PMTCT recommendations between 2010 and 2015, and provide more effective ARV prophylaxis or treatment to 90% of HIV-positive pregnant women, 1 million new child infections could be averted by 2015. Reducing HIV incidence in reproductive age women, eliminating the current unmet need for family planning and limiting the duration of breastfeeding to 12 months (with ARV prophylaxis) could avert an additional 264 000 infections, resulting in a total reduction of 79% of annual new child infections between 2009 and 2015, approaching but still missing the goal of virtual elimination of MTCT. Discussion To achieve virtual elimination of new child infections PMTCT programmes must achieve high coverage of more effective ARV interventions and safer infant feeding practices. In addition, a comprehensive approach including meeting unmet family planning needs and reducing new HIV infections among reproductive age women will be required.


To ratify possibilities for worldly linguistic connectivities and critical theorising there is a need to forgo the exclusionary preoccupation with English and Western critical theories. The debates informing the international circulation of Bourdieu's (1977, 1993, 1999, 2004) ideas provide methodological lessons for moving from critical sociology of education to educational research for critique. This study reports on the use of Chinese metaphors to critically theorise evidence of Australian education. It provides an analysis of the translation of Chinese metaphors, their use as theoretical tools and the preempting of the antagonistic reception of Chinese metaphors by Western Anglophone educators. A worldly education of linguistic connectivities and critical theorising is shown to engage in the reflexivity necessary for making Chinese research students' bi- or multilingual competence a presence in Australian teacher-researcher education. At the, same time they are articulating claims for reconfiguring its internationalisation.