Analysing and visualising the run time behaviour of a distributed program requires collecting performance data during its execution. This is usually done through program instrumentation that inserts trace recording instructions into the program. The intrusiveness of inserted extra code to the original program may make the existing errors vanish, or can cause new errors to appear. It will not only change the real time execution speed, but also change the probability of making particular non deterministic choices. W. Cai and S.J. Turner (1994) proposed a logical clock approach (LCA) to control the inter process communication. It uses a logical clock in each process to reflect the real time execution of the process when running without monitoring. Not relying on any special hardware, this approach achieves minimum intrusiveness and makes the monitoring effect on the original program completely independent from the amount of time spent on monitoring activities. A main problem with LCA is that in an event of non deterministic communication and when several processes wait on each other's logical clock to advance, a deadlock may occur. LCA uses a carrier null message algorithm to break the deadlock situation. But sending an extra null message will distort the event timing information. Therefore, LCA is only suitable for debugging rather than for performance tuning. We present a major improvement to LCA, which preserves the timing information without introducing any deadlock. Our improved approach can support both debugging and performance tuning. We call our clocks virtual clocks to avoid confusion.


Each year thousands of people are potentially affected by the types of emergency preparedness and response training plans practiced in their communities. Between 1998 and 2002, 3,000 counties in the United States declared disasters that have included floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, winter storms, thunderstorms, fires, ice storms, and earthquakes. Emergency preparedness for all people, including people with disabilities, may involve natural disasters that are the most likely to occur. For example, worldwide, nearly 3 million people have died in the past 20 years from natural disasters. More recently, Hurricane Katrina lashed the Gulf Coast in 2005. Disasters with casualties emphasize the urgent need for emergency workers to receive specialized training to assist people with disabilities during emergencies. As a framework for analyzing some current emergency training practices, we explore the scope of emergency personnel training practices to assist people with mobility impairments in 3 rural and 3 urban locations in Northeast Kansas. Among the analyses, we consider barriers and facilitators to specialized training as identified by emergency services administrators and firefighters within these areas. We also discuss broader recommendations upon which to base future training programs.


The overall UAV approach discussed in this article provided satisfactory performance for the avionics systems; however, the design is limited with regard to the wireless link and the image processing. Future development will focus on redesign of the airframe platform, the wireless link, and the image processing. UAV flight characteristics need to be better understood and more thoroughly tested to accommodate less-than-ideal flight conditions. Full analyses of the link margin for spectrum management and of risk assessment to handle flight failure/termination events, e.g., loss of data link, GPS, or autopilot, are needed. Overall, the design experience demonstrated systems trade-offs present in a practical vehicle and UAV capabilities even using off-the-shelf component integration. The prototype UAV could be used for aerial mapping, environmental monitoring, and search and rescue at a cost significantly lower than using traditional full-size aircraft for the same missions.


The Chiaravalle Cross, a masterpiece of Mediaeval goldsmithery, went under restoration in 2016. This was a unique opportunity to undertake an in-depth multidisciplinary study. Several issues were addressed, as for example the chronology of the Cross, lacking any official document about it. The scientific investigations included in situ and laboratory measurements, and the analyses, part of a multidisciplinary protocol, completely characterized the gemstones adorning the Cross, the cameos, the gold, silver, jasper and glass parts, to derive indications on their provenance, authenticity and dating issues. All the results were shared with the whole collaboration of experts, which included art historians, a restorer, a conservator, a scholar in ancient glyptic, gemologists, archaeometallurgists, physicists and scientists in a very fruitful exchange of knowledge. This work is an example of a real multidisciplinary research, gathering good practices in the study of a complex piece of art.


Birdsong is a learned behaviour that displays a remarkable level of acoustic and temporal complexity. It is controlled by a well-defined neural circuit, known as the song system, which receives highly processed auditory information from specialized higher-order auditory areas. Over the past decade, sophisticated new song analysis tools coupled with the ability to record from identified neurons in adult and juvenile singing birds have revealed many fundamental insights into the neural mechanisms that underlie vocal production, storage of auditory memories and sensorimotor learning. Some of these include an understanding of how sleep drives song acquisition and how circuits homologous to the mammalian basal ganglia generate the motor variability that enables sensorimotor learning. The tractable nature of this system coupled with its shared similarities with human speech make birdsong a unique model for understanding the neural bases of vocal production and learning.

Key Concepts:

Sophisticated new methodologies in song quantification have made it possible to provide quantitative descriptions of the entire vocal imitation process in juvenile birds.

Storage of the song template likely occurs in specialized higher-order auditory forebrain areas rather than in the song system proper.

The song system is a specialized neural circuit that is necessary for song production and sensorimotor learning.

Neurons that form part of the descending motor pathway produce short (approximately 5 ms) bursts of action potentials that are precisely time locked to specific time segment of the song.

The portion of the song system necessary for song production is organized as a recurrent pathway with structures in the thalamus and respiratory brainstem projecting back up to the forebrain.

Neural variability from the basal ganglia circuit onto RA is thought to contribute to the observed motor variability in juvenile birds and likely enables the motor exploration strategy that is critical for song learning in juveniles.

Sleep plays a critical role in vocal learning by allowing offline processing of sensory and motor information.

Keywords:

songbirds;
song system;
basal ganglia;
sensorimotor learning;
sparse coding;
sleep


In the development of psychotic symptoms, environmental and genetic factors may both play a role. The reported association between childhood trauma and psychotic symptoms could therefore be moderated by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the stress response, such as FK506-binding protein 5 (FKBP5) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Recent studies investigating childhood trauma by SNP interactions have inconsistently found the hippocampus to be a potential target underlying these interactions. Therefore, more detailed modelling of these effects, using appropriate covariates, is required. We examined whether BDNF/FKBP5 and childhood trauma interactions affected two proxies of hippocampal integrity: (i) hippocampal volume and (ii) cognitive performance on a block design (BD) and delayed auditory verbal task (AVLT). We also investigated whether the putative interaction was different for patients with a psychotic disorder (n = 89) compared to their non-psychotic siblings (n = 95), in order to elicit possible group-specific protective/vulnerability effects. SNPs were rs9296158, rs4713916, rs992105, rs3800373 (FKBP5) and rs6265 (BDNF). In the combined sample, no BDNF/FKBP5 by childhood trauma interactions were apparent for either outcome, and BDNF/FKBP5 by childhood trauma interactions were not different for patients and siblings. The omission of drug use and alcohol consumption sometimes yielded false positives, greatly affected explained error and influenced p-values. The consistent absence of any significant BDNF/FKBP5 by childhood trauma interactions on assessments of hippocampal integrity suggests that the effect of these interactions on psychotic symptoms is not mediated by hippocampal integrity. The importance of appropriate statistical designs and inclusion of relevant covariates should be carefully considered.


Recent years have witnessed a turn in the field of contentious politics toward the study of political violence, yet scholars have yet to focus their lens on genocide. Moreover, research on genocide is characterized by fundamental disagreements about its definition, origins, and dynamics, leading to a lack of generalizable theory. As a remedy, this article suggests that research on genocide can be improved by incorporating concepts from social movements. After reviewing the history of research on social movements and genocide, I analyze civilian participation in the Rwandan genocide as an example of how social movement theory helps explain civilian mobilization for genocide. Finally, I propose that a contentious politics approach to genocide would consider it one among many forms of contentious collective action, analyzable within the existing framework of social movement theory.


Recommended Citation Berman, M.R., Nunez, K., Killeen, S., Rudnicky, T., Bradshaw, J., Duhring, K., Angstadt, K., Procopi, A., Weiss, D. and Hershner, C.H. 2014. James City County and City of Williamsburg, Virginia Shoreline Inventory Report: Methods and Guidelines, SRAMSOE no. 440, Comprehensive Coastal Inventory Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, 23062


In this paper we propose a particle swarm optimization based approach for designing CMOS low noise amplifier (LNA). Existence of tradeoffs between noise, gain, linearity, stability and power consumption in LNA design, forces the designer to accomplish such a long time complicated work to optimize the circuit. So the utilization of a modern optimization is inevitable. In this work the usage of PSO algorithm in LNA circuit design optimization has been investigated. The performance of LNA circuit is evaluated through HSPICE and PSO algorithm is implemented in MATLAB, so a combination of MATLAB and HSPICE is performed. A cascode LNA is designed using 0.18μm CMOS technology foe near 2.4 GHz band applications. The results of this work indicate the effectiveness of this optimization approach that is a time saver method.


We present two patterns over time in religious giving, secular giving, and religious service attendance. The first pattern describes the prewar cohort (born 1924-1938) as they aged between middle adulthood (ages 35-49) and their senior years (ages 62-76). The second pattern compares the baby boom cohort (born 1951-1965) in middle adulthood to the middle adulthood of the prewar cohort. We present patterns for all families as well as separately for Catholic and Protestant families using data from three sources. The prewar cohort increased their religious giving and attendance as they aged, but-compared to the prewar cohort in middle adulthood-baby boomers give less than expected to religion and attend less. Baby boomer giving is noticeably less than expected and attendance noticeably lower among Catholic boomers, but less so among Protestant boomers. We argue that together these patterns are evidence that changes in religious giving reflect changes in religious involvement.


Observations are reported on 2743 animals immunised against heartwater since 1958. The methods of immunisation and control of reactions are discussed. This procedure is not without risk and 0,83% of the animals died in spite of treatment. Bos indicus breeds appear to have a greater resistance to heartwater and are relatively easy to immunise. Of the Box taurus breeds the South Devon, the Jersey and the Charolais seem to be particularly susceptible. Older animals and pregnant cows are considered to be in the high risk category.


Is chronic fatigue syndrome related to infection? If so, how does this affect the approach to therapy? Because patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) frequently report an infection-like event at the onset of their condition, the possible role of viral or other infections has been extensively investigated.


Boron-doped diamond single crystals were synthesized with Fe-Ni-C-B System catalysts which content of boron carbide (B4C) were different, and their crystallographic features were tested with electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), X-rays diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrum and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The experimental results showed that doped boron in the diamond could result in the changes of its crystallographic features. There were different X-ray peak intensities in the different boron-doped diamond crystals, and the intensities were changed with the content of B4C in the catalysts. With the increase of boron content in the diamond, the boron atoms resulted in the change of growing rate in different crystalline face of the diamond. The quality of diamond synthesized with catalyst which contained 0.2 w.t.% boron carbide was worse than others.


High contaminated level of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) in soil could not be easily removed by routine method. Since thermal treatment technology becomes a promising method especially for removal of volatile organic compounds, it has not yet been widespread in China for some technical and economic reasons. Experiments were conducted in a horizontal quartz tube furnace with nitrogen as the unique carrier gas, and heating temperature was set at 500oC with retention time of flue gas desorbed from soil was about 1 min. It has been found that total removal efficiency of PCBs from soil increased with the heating time was prolonged. Thermal treated time of 60 min seems suitable for the removal of PCBs, with the removal efficiency of 95.8% in solid phase. It has also been concluded that the removal mechanism of PCBs from soil endures dechlorination and destruction reactions with anticipation of catalytic metals. Normal gaseous pollutants desorbed from soil were also studied, H2O evaporation was favored with at the beginning of thermal process; after H2O evaporation, the organic matters began to decompose; when the thermal treated time was longer than 20 min, the desorption of the normal gaseous pollutants were almost finished (except for NH3).


BACKGROUND
Disseminated coccidioidomycosis (which is caused by the endemic fungi of the genus Coccidioides) can be a life-threatening systemic fungal infection. Although conventional antifungal therapies have activity against Coccidioides, the disease can be refractory to standard therapies. Drug-associated toxicities also may limit the clinical utility of the standard antifungal drugs. In addition, relapses in patients with disseminated coccidioidomycosis are common, making long-term management of this disease challenging.

METHODS
We report the outcomes of 6 patients with coccidioidomycosis who were treated with posaconazole salvage therapy after treatment with conventional antifungal therapies failed to produce sustained clinical improvement. Patients were administered posaconazole oral suspension 800 mg/day in divided doses as part of an open-label clinical trial. A modified version of the Mycoses Study Group Coccidioides scoring system was used to evaluate the burden of disease. Posaconazole therapy resulted in rapid clinical improvements in the signs and symptoms of coccidioidomycosis.

RESULTS
At the end of therapy, 5 of 6 patients had successful outcomes. Posaconazole was well tolerated despite long-term administration (1-2 years), and 2 patients continued to receive posaconazole maintenance therapy at the time of writing.

CONCLUSIONS
The successful outcomes observed in this case series suggest that posaconazole is an effective therapy for coccidioidomycosis.


Abstract One of the challenges of child language research is to identify the relevant factors that play a role in the acquisition course of a particular linguistic feature. This article analyzes the role of stress, word position, and word length in the acquisition of coda consonants by Catalan and Spanish children. The fact that the two languages differ substantially in their coda distribution (e.g., stressed word-final codas are more frequent in Catalan than in Spanish) will allow us to test the potential effects of coda distribution in the target language on early coda production. Sixteen Catalan-dominant and Spanish-dominant two-year-olds from the Barcelona area participated in two elicitation tasks with both novel and familiar words of different phonological shapes. Coda productions were assessed in stressed vs. unstressed syllables, in word-medial vs. word-final syllables, and in monosyllables vs. polysyllables. Results showed that the distributional difference between coda consonants in the two languages has crucial effects on the children's coda production. That is, Catalan-dominant children produce significantly more stressed word-final codas than Spanish-dominant children. This result lends support to the idea that when prominence is held equal, as in a controlled experiment, there are still crosslinguistic differences in coda production that are consistent with the frequency distribution of coda consonants in the respective languages, which means that children are very closely attuned to the frequency patterns of prosodic structure in the input language and are aware of their specific distributions across the lexicon.


This paper is an attempt to analyze institutional changes in the economy synthesizing the original and new methodologies of institutional economics. The concepts of social values, interest groups, and social capital are applied in this context in order to create a theoretical framework based on a qualitative study of evolutionary dynamics of various economic orders. Researching social values and actions of interest groups, the author underscores manifold behavioral dimensions associated with the given behavioral pattern formation and habits. The long-run evolutionary vector of development of institutions and economic systems is determined by the values supported by the prevailing economic order – either ceremonial or instrumental. Analyzing the phenomenon of ceremonial dominance facilitates devising the measures of economic and social policy aimed to enhance the quality of human and social capital.


Much of the cooperative education research seeks to document the effectiveness of cooperative education programs. One branch of this research considers the impacts of participation on student performance. This study contributes to that literature by examining these impacts in further depth. Specifically, we examine the effect of cooperative education on grade point average, length of time in school, and starting salary. Statistical analyses show that cooperative education programs have significant effects on all three measures. These measurements are useful not only to students deciding whether to participate in cooperative education programs, but also to university administrators seeking to assess program effectiveness. Introduction Many colleges and universities participate in cooperative education (coop) programs in which students enroll in alternating semesters of full-time study and full-time paid employment. Typically, successful completion of the program requires at least twelve months (the equivalent of 3 semesters) of full-time work with the employer in addition to completion of the student's degree requirements. The potential benefits to students of participating in the coop experience include gaining a real-world perspective that enhances the student's academic experience, becoming a more mature individual as a result of working with professionals, and improving job placement and salary prospects at the time of graduation. In return for these benefits the student potentially delays graduation. For students and university administrators to make informed decisions these costs and benefits of cooperative education need to be quantified. Stull, Crow, and Braunstein (1997) surveyed cooperative education administrators and members of the Cooperative Education Association (CEA) Research Committee about the relative importance of a variety of research topics relevant to cooperative education. Of the 22 topics provided in the survey, research that "provides quantitative data on the impact of cooperative education participation on recruitment, retention, academic performance, and graduation (time and rate) of students" ranked as the second most important topic, receiving an average score of 4.14 on a 5-point Likert scale. The research presented here is designed specifically to address this research need. Previous research has found mixed results when measuring the effects of cooperative education. Gardner, Nixon, and Motschenbacker (1992) estimated that the coop experience added nearly $300 to starting salaries. Wessels and Pumphrey (1996) found that coop participation only raised wages for female graduates. Both Gardner, Nixon and Motschenbacker and Van Gyn, Cutt, Loken, and Ricks (1997) found that the grade point averages of coop students were higher than those of noncoop students. However, no differences between groups were found when comparing the scores on the objective form of the College Outcomes Measure Program exam (Van Gyn, Cutt, Loken, and Ricks). Lindermeyer (1967) found that coop students have higher academic averages and retention rates. Our specific objectives can be grouped into three main areas of inquiry. First, what is the effect of participation in a cooperative education experience on academic performance? Second, what are the market benefits of participating in a cooperative education program? And third, what are the costs associated with the cooperative education experience? To answer these questions we examine three main variables: cumulative grade point average at the time of graduation (GPA), the number of months from first college enrollment until graduation, and reported starting salaries. The first section of this paper describes the dataset used. The next section outlines the procedures used to perform the analysis and presents the results. To illustrate the effect of cooperative education, we estimate econometric models of GPA, duration of undergraduate enrollment, and starting salaries. …


"Elise" or "Therese"? Ever since 1867, when Ludwig Nohl published his discovery of the autograph copy of Beethoven's fortepiano piece, WoO 59, with its tantalizing handwritten notation ("Fur Elise am 27 April mit Erinnerung von L. V. Bthvn"; "For Elise on April 27 in remembrance from L. V. Bthvn"), devotees of the composer and his music have speculated on who this Elise might have been and the possible significance of the date.1 But was the recipient indeed someone named "Elise"? Or, as Max Unger postulated half a century ago, should the name properly be read "Therese," Therese closely resembling Elise in German script? If Therese is correct, the piece would conceivably have been intended for Therese Malfatti (1792-1851), since the autograph copy of "Fur Elise" eventually turned up in Munich in the possession of her niece, one Fraulein Bredl, who had received it among papers passed on to her after the death of her aunt.2 Among recent critics, William Kinderman follows Unger's widely accepted reading. Barry Cooper, however, prefers the original "Elise," noting that often in German poetry, even in an occasional German . song, Elise is simply a term of endearment analogous to the English use of "Phyllis" for "nature." Thus Cooper reasons that "Beethoven may have used it to denote These Malfatti."3 Some critics even question the pertinence of arguments over the Elise/Therese distinction. Albrecht Reithmuller, for instance, quoting Shakespeare's Juliet, asks, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet."4 Such criticism aside, however, the inscription and Beethoven's plans in 1810 warrant a reexamination. Largely on the strength of the autograph copy of "Fur Elise" having been in Therese Malfatti's possession, the probability that Therese was intended remains most plausible. Other Elise's who might be convincing are conspicuously absent in the life story of Beethoven. Neither Elise Keyser nor Elise Muller was a fortepianist (both were singers). Elise Burger appears as an object of disdain in a letter of 1809 from Beethoven to his friend Gleichenstein: "you might find , some girl at F[reiburg] ... who would perhaps now and then grant a sigh to my harmonies. But she must not be like Elise Burger." Elise seeburg, the Brunswick's cousin, is another unlikely prospect.5 Beethoven did not know Elisabeth (Elise or Elisa) van der Recke, mistress of the poet Tiedge, until he joined their circle of literati at Teplitz in the summer of 1811. In a letter to Beethoven she enclosed, along with two Tiedge poems, some verses of her own - "poetic offerings of my soul" - hoping he might "find a few of my spiritual songs worthy of composition!, giving them] a value they do not yet have."6 For the purpose of this discussion, I am assuming that Beethoven did indeed present "Fur Elise" to Therese Malfatti "in remembrance" as the autograph states - remembrance, I believe, not of the often perceived but unsubstantiated romance read into the relationship, but of heart warming intimacy with the entire family during many months of cherished association with the warm and welcoming Malfatti circle. Before turning to the details of the case, a brief summary of the history of Beethoven's relations to the Malfattis is in order. Beethoven and the Malfattis Although a story of a formal proposal of marriage from Beethoven to Therese was passed down from generation to generation, often embellished by the supposition that Beethoven was devastated by a refusal from Therese, no positive documentation exists to authenticate it. Apparently, the story was based on three considerations that are discussed below. Although each is an outgrowth of certain known "givens" stemming from actual experiences, hypothetical interpretation of these givens too often lacks a firm foundation in any verifiable fact. First, an interview of Therese's niece with Beethoven biographer Thayer many years later which - though testifying to Beethoven's fondness for Therese and perceived hope to marry her - stops short of confirming an actual offer of marriage. …


Ferromagnetism in polycrystalline ZnO doped with Co has been observed to be sustainable in recent experiments. We use first-principle calculations to show that Co impurities favorably substitute at the grain boundary (GB) rather than in the bulk. We reveal that room-temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) at the Co-doped ZnO GB in the presence of Zn vacancies is due to ferromagnetic exchange coupling of a pair of closely associated Co atoms in the GB, with a ferromagnetic exchange coupling energy of ∼300 meV, which is in contrast to a previous study that suggested the O vacancy–Co complex induced ferromagnetism. Electronic structure analysis was used to predict the exchange coupling mechanism, showing that the hybridization of O p states with Co and Zn d states enhances the magnetic polarization originating from the GB. Our results indicate that RTFM originates from Co clusters at interfaces or in GBs.


It is a rare condition; cases seen more frequently are usually secondary to other diseases or to surgical procedures. In this paper, a case of sacular diverticulum of urethra is reported in a newborn and was made evident by urinary obstruction. Treatment is discussed and review is made of the literature.


Empirical research on reference price has typically assumed that consumers use either an internal reference price (IRP) or an external reference price (ERP), but not both, in brand choice decisions. In this article, the authors assume that consumers use both IRP and ERP but may consider one of them more salient than the other. The authors develop a model that segments consumers on the basis of the differences in the importance they assign to each type of reference price as well as in their brand preferences and responses to marketing-mix variables. The authors calibrate the model on data for four categories: liquid detergents, ketchup, tissue, and yogurt. In all four categories, the proposed model performs significantly better than the one that assumes that consumers use either IRP or ERP exclusively. The authors discuss the managerial implications of this finding.


Sarcopenic obesity (OS) is a multifactorial condition characterized by the simultaneous presences of sarcopenia and obesity. It represents a natural phenomenon related to aging that can significantly increase the risk of osteoporosis, frailty, mobility, disability and mortality. It is estimated that approximately 45% of the elderly American population—about 18 million people—are affected by sarcopenia and that the risk of disability is 1.5–4.6 fold greater in elderly people suffering from sarcopenia than older people with unaffected muscle mass. The prevalence of OS is increasing in adults over 65 years of age; people with OS present greater health risks than people who are only sarcopenic or obese. Therefore, the study of OS and the search for effective treatment are important due to the constant increase of the elderly population.
OS is a relatively new concept in the panorama of age-related diseases. There is currently no single definition of the pathology; however, the evidence suggests a close correlation to the onset of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Although many questions remain unresolved today, it is important to note that OS can be prevented and treated by adopting a healthy lifestyle. The ideal approach is based on the targeted intervention to both slow down the course of sarcopenia and promote a decrease in adipose mass.The beneficial potential of physical activity, expressed through strength and resistance exercises, on OS is widely documented. The benefits obtained from aerobic exercises and strength exercises are shown at the level of muscle mass, muscle strength, muscular capacity and mitochondrial activity. However, the best results were obtained by coupling adequate nutritional treatment with regular physical activity. The adequate intake of proteins high in essential amino acids promotes protein synthesis and muscle health, effectively counteracting the onset of sarcopenia. In case of malnutrition a supplementation with BCAA-based supplements, leucine, vitamin D and β-HMB might help to improve and reduce the effects of sarcopenia.
The deficiency of muscle mass in obese elderly subjects will be one of the health challenges of the future to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.


In this work, block copolymer lithography and ultralow energy ion implantation are combined to obtain nanovolumes with high concentrations of phosphorus atoms periodically disposed over a macroscopic area in a p-type silicon substrate. The high dose of implanted dopants grants a local amorphization of the silicon substrate. In this condition, phosphorus is activated by solid phase epitaxial regrowth (SPER) of the implanted region with a relatively low temperature thermal treatment preventing diffusion of phosphorus atoms and preserving their spatial localization. Surface morphology of the sample (AFM, SEM), crystallinity of the silicon substrate (UV Raman), and position of the phosphorus atoms (STEM- EDX, ToF-SIMS) are monitored during the process. Electrostatic potential (KPFM) and the conductivity (C-AFM) maps of the sample surface upon dopant activation are compatible with simulated I-V characteristics, suggesting the presence of an array of not ideal but working p-n nanojunctions. The proposed approach paves the way for further investigations on the possibility to modulate the dopant distribution within a silicon substrate at the nanoscale by changing the characteristic dimension of the self-assembled BCP film.


Little is known about personality disorders (PDs) in offenders with histories of both sexual and (nonsexual) violent offenses. This study aimed to identify possible differences of PD profiles across three different offender groups with both sexual and violent (S+V), only sexual (S), and only violent (V) offenses. Nonviolent (N) offenders were used as a comparison group. Typing of individuals according to their offensive histories was performed on the basis of 259 psychiatric court reports that included the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID)-II for PD diagnostics. Men from the S+V group committed significantly more acts of rape and sexual coercion than the mere sexual offenders. Furthermore, S+V offenders showed the highest rates of PDs overall (68.3%), with every second offender being diagnosed with an antisocial PD and every third offender with a borderline PD. In summary, the results suggest that S+V offenders form a group of individuals with remarkable differences regarding PD profiles, the relatively highest frequencies of conduct disorders, familial addictive problems, and PDs overall.


Goldman, Minton F. Rivalry in Eurasia: Russia, the United States and the War on Terror. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2009, 261 pp. Rivalry in Eurasia examines and elucidates the delicate state of U.S.-Russia relations in the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001. From America's war on terror to which Russia became a proactive partner of the United States, this complex bilateral relationship unfolded in Russia's 'backyard' in five Central Asian Republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan with far reaching consequences. In Chapter One, Minton Goldman provides a succinct analysis of U.S. policy in the aftermath of 9/11 and how the Bush administration was bent on promoting democratization, production and marketing of oil, as well as in restraining Russia's political, military and economic clout in the ex-Soviet Central Asian Republics. Although these Republics pledged support to US in its broader goals on defeating and dismantling terrorism, on the issue of democratization, the U.S. policy suffered a setback as the Central Asian leaders for the most part were authoritarian. Goldman, however, has not sufficiently explained as to why the drive towards democratization did not take firm roots in the region and whether there were any systemic causes underneath that inhibited the growth of democratization. Chapter Two deals with the internal dynamics of Kazakhstan and how the country has made a delicate balancing act between Russia and the United States. Kazakhstan has geo-strategic significance as it bordered Russia, China and the Caspian Sea as well as other Central Asian Republics. In addition, Kazakhstan is endowed with enormous energy and other natural resources including gold, silver, zinc, coal, and iron ore. Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev in power since the 1980-made strategic partnership with Russia by becoming the first non-Slavic republics to seek membership in the entente of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, a brain child of Russian President Boris Yeltsin in 1991. At the same time, Nazarbayev diversified Kazakhstan's range of choices when he requested and was granted by President Bill Clinton to triple American aid to Kazakhstan from USD$91 million in 1994 to USD$311 million in 1995. In the period following 9/11, Kazakhstan even drew closer to the United States and offered tangible support to US war on terror that included the use of Kazakhstan territory for the refueling of American aircraft going to and from Afghanistan. As part of 'strategic partnership' with US, Kazakhstan expressed support for the U.S. policy in Iraq and the U.S.-backed Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan(BTC) oil pipeline project. Chapter Three provides an overview of Turkmenistan and its range of foreign policy choices. Whereas Russia's interests in Turkmenistan's were primarily commercial in nature and were deeply rooted in history, geography and culture, US interests were basically strategic. Turkmenistan's policy of 'positive neutrality' suited US policy makers as the latter could count on increasing military relations between US and Turkmenistan in areas such as counter terrorism, drug trafficking and enhanced border security. …


A country in transition. The emergence of compelling, new, small plotlines towards the end of an
epic story. encounters beyond growth. Women and men who want to give shape to the future.
WIR KONNTEN AUCh ANDERS is a colorful mosaic touching on the realities of life, civil involvement, self-organization and possibilities for participation. In a dozen small episodes, we meet pioneers in shrinking regions and get to know their projects
and visions. a journey along the borders of a socioecological refashioning of society. an inspired appeal for a new "politics of the little people."


OBJECTIVE
In response to new developments and interest in the area of telepsychiatry, literature on this topic has greatly increased over the past three years. Because of this increase, the authors conducted a literature review of telepsychiatry to update a previously published review that covered the years 1970 to 2000.

METHODS
A search was conducted on the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Telemedicine Information Exchange (TIE) databases for literature published from March 2000 to March 2003 on telepsychiatry applications, using the following terms: telepsychiatry, telepsychology, telemental health, videoconferencing, and video conferencing.

RESULTS
Sixty-eight publications were identified over this three-year period, exceeding the 63 publications identified in the previous literature review. The authors summarize the results of findings in six areas: novel clinical demonstrations and current program descriptions; the reliability of clinical assessments; clinical outcomes; satisfaction of patients and clinicians; cost and cost-effectiveness; and legal, regulatory, and ethical issues. Studies describing existing programs and novel clinical applications support the belief that the use of telepsychiatry is expanding. Overall, studies continued to support the notion that telepsychiatry assessments can produce reliable results, telepsychiatric services can lead to improved clinical status, and patients and clinicians are satisfied with treatment delivered via telepsychiatry. Evidence supported the notion that telepsychiatry is a cost-effective means of delivering mental health services; however, this conclusion was based on limited studies of economic models of telepsychiatry programs. Also limited were papers on the topics of legal, regulatory, and ethical issues.

CONCLUSIONS
Despite the rapid increase in information on telepsychiatry, methodologically sound studies in the area of telepsychiatry are still infrequent.


Background and aim of work: Subcutaneous tendon rupture of the Extensor Pollicis Longus (EPL) is one of the most frequent injuries of the extensor tendons of the hand. In this paper, we report our experience on 12 cases of atraumatic subcutaneous EPL lesions treated in our hospital with Extensor Indicis Proprius (EIP) transposition. Methods: This observational study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2018 in the Casa di Cura "Prof. Nobili", Castiglione dei Pepoli (Bologna). Twelve patients were included in the study, nine of whom were females and three were males, with an average age of 72 years (range: 40-84 aa). The average follow-up was 32.4 months. The preoperative diagnosis was subcutaneous atraumatic rupture of the EPL tendon in all cases. Results: The clinical outcome was excellent in all the patients at the end of follow-up. At the second clinical control, all patients achieved complete active extension of the distal phalanx of the first finger. We did not notice any intra- or extra-operative complications, and the post-operative course was regular in all cases. Conclusion: EIP transposition has allowed an almost complete recovery of the ability to extend the first finger in patients treated in our hospital, in line with what is described in the literature. In addition, patients' satisfaction rate was excellent in all cases. Based on the good results and the low rate of complications affecting the donor area, we consider EIP transposition surgery to be a valid option for inveterate EPL ruptures. (www.actabiomedica.it)


Insight to the spatial and temporal scales of coevolution is key to predicting the outcome of host–parasite interactions and spread of disease. For bacteria infecting long-lived hosts, selection to overcome host defences is just one factor shaping the course of evolution; populations will also be competing with other microbial species and will themselves be facing infection by bacteriophage viruses. Here, we examine the temporal and spatial patterns of bacterial adaptation against natural phage populations from within leaves of horse chestnut trees. Using a time-shift experiment with both sympatric and allopatric phages from either contemporary or earlier points in the season, we demonstrate that bacterial resistance is higher against phages from the past, regardless of spatial sympatry or how much earlier in the season phages were collected. Similarly, we show that future bacterial hosts are more resistant to both sympatric and allopatric phages than contemporary bacterial hosts. Together, our results suggest the evolution of relatively general bacterial resistance against phages in nature and are contrasting to previously observed patterns of phage adaptation to bacteria from the same tree hosts over the same time frame, indicating a potential asymmetry in coevolutionary dynamics.


An examination of the causes of the increases in payments made for 9 of the 17 health services provided by the New Jersey Medicaid program during calendar years 1970-74 revealed that most of the overall increase occurred because of an increase in utilization, followed by increases in prices and the number of eligible persons. An analysis of the annual rates of change for each of the three factors showed that price changes did not conform to any discernible pattern, while most of the increase in eligible persons plus a substantial amount of the increase in utilization occurred during 1970-71. The findings suggest that Medicaid payments will continue to increase in the future. However, because of uncertainty about the magnitude of price and utilization changes, coupled with uncertainty about whether the Medicaid umbrella will be expanded, as it was most recently by the 1972 Amendments to the Social Security Act, no definitive conclusions were reached about the size of future increases in Medicaid payments.


ABSTRACT Wang, Y.; Luo, C.; Yang, S.; Ma, W.; Niu, W., and Liu, H., 2020. Modified thermal lag correction of CTD data from underwater gliders. In: Zheng, C.W.; Wang, Q.; Zhan, C., and Yang, S.B. (eds.), Air-Sea Interaction and Coastal Environments of the Maritime and Polar Silk Roads. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 99, pp. 137–143. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. A real-time data quality control process and a modified thermal lag correction procedure are proposed in this paper. The data quality control process is designed for CTD sensors (conductivity, temperature and depth) installed on Petrel gliders. A modified thermal lag correction methodology, based on the hypothesis that CTD data sampled closer in time and space would be more similar, is also put forward in this paper. Therefore, in this method, each down profile and each up profile is split into two segments. The segments with closer temporal and spatial relationships are used to calibrate each other, which is the first time the limitation of using only one profile to correct the thermal lag effect in a glider-carried CTD has been overcome. Moreover, the data obtained in sea trials with a Petrel glider and a reference SBE 911 plus CTD are used to examine the modified method and the newly designed data quality control process. The excellent alignment with the reference data and significant calibrations indicate that the CTD data were successfully corrected.


Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) is widely accepted as an educational approach that allows students to cope with a growing and dynamic body of knowledge and also to learn ways of applying this knowledge to real life practice situations. However, there is a growing sense that the theoretical basis underlying PBL is inadequate, and that this is preventing progress in understanding and developing PBL for future generations. Discussion: In this paper we advocate the adoption of ideas from the Russian psychologist, Lev Vygotsky, in the study of PBL. Some relevant constructs include the artefact-mediated nature of human consciousness and the 'zone of proximal development'. These ideas can be combined with Vygotsky's emphasis on a developmental approach and his use of dialectics. Vygotskian ideas offer a way to develop a theoretical framework that can provide much-needed conceptual breadth and depth in the study and future progress of PBL.


In this research, the physical and chemical influence of polyacrylate (PA) latex on cement-based materials were studied using polymer modified mortars with polymer/cement (P/C) ratios of 0%, 5% and 10%. Physically, the mechanical performance of PA latex modified mortars was investigated with compression toughness energy and bending strength. Further more, a comparison of the pore structure and porosity between PA latex modified and unmodified mortars was conducted. The chemical reactions between PA polymer and cement hydrates were clarified with thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. It can be concluded from this research that PA polymer can refine the pore structure of cement mortars and link the cement hydration products together chemically. While, at the same time, PA latex addition can cause air entrainment which will weaken the physical behavior of cement mortars. So there is an optimum P/C ratio to achieve the best mechanical properties. And in this research, the optimum P/C ratio is 5%.


This paper is the second of two Learned Publishing articles in which we report the results of a series of interviews, with senior publishers and editors exploring open access megajournals (OAMJs). Megajournals (of which PLoS One is the best known example) represent a relatively new approach to scholarly communication and can be characterized as large, broad‐scope, open access journals, which take an innovative approach to peer review, basing acceptance decisions solely on the technical or scientific soundness of the article. Based on interviews with 31 publishers and editors, this paper reports the perceived cultural, operational, and technical challenges associated with launching, growing, and maintaining a megajournal. We find that overcoming these challenges while delivering the societal benefits associated with OAMJs is seen to require significant investment in people and systems, as well as an ongoing commitment to the model.


The main branch of Palaeo-Tethys in East Asia is represented by the Lancangjiang and Changning-Menglian suture zones of western China, the Nan-Uttaradit and Sra Kaeo suture zones of Thailand and the Bentong-Raub suture zone of Peninsular Malaysia. Other subsidiary branches are represented by the Jinshajiang, Ailaoshan and Song Ma suture zones of western China and Vietnam and the Qinling-Dabei suture zone of north and central China. A further possible Palaeo-Tethyan suture zone segment has also been recognised in southern Guangxi, south China. New data from the Palaeo Tethys remnants along these sutures, particularly in Yunnan, Thailand and Malaysia, suggest that the Palaeo-Tethys opened in the Devonian when the first of three continental slivers (comprising North China, South China, Tarim, Indochina and Hainan) rifted and separated from northern Gondwanaland. The branch of Palaeo-Tethys which separated South China and Indochina closed by Early Carboniferous times in its eastern part along the Song Ma suture, but much later in the west along the Ailaoshan suture during the Triassic. Radiolarian biostratigraphic and other data suggest that the main Palaeo-Tethys was closed when the Sibumasu-Qiangtang terranes amalgamated with Indochina/South China in the Permian-Triassic.


The paper deals with the constrained Bayesian Method (CBM) for testing composite hypotheses. It is shown that, similarly to the cases when CBM is optimal for testing simple and multiple hypotheses in parallel and sequential experiments, it keeps the optimal properties at testing composite hypotheses. In particular, it easily, without special efforts, overcomes the Lindley's paradox arising when testing a simple hypothesis versus a composite one. The CBM is compared with Bayesian test in the classical case and when the a priori probabilities are chosen in a special manner for overcoming the Lindley's paradox. Superiority of CBM against these tests is demonstrated by simulation. The justice of the theoretical judgment is supported by many computation results of different characteristics of the considered methods.


There has been a continual evolution of therapy for Crohn's disease (CD) over the past decade since the introduction of biological therapies targeting tumor necrosis factor-α. Conventional agents continue to be safe and effective for patients with mild to moderately active CD and, in population series, less than half of the patients with CD require corticosteroid therapy. In contrast, patients presenting at young ages, those with extensive disease, deep ulcerations, transmural complications or extraintestinal complications that require corticosteroid therapy have a poor prognosis. Introduction of immunosuppressives late in the course or for patients with steroid-dependent or steroid-refractory disease have not changed the 'natural history' of CD or the need for eventual surgical resections. There is increasing evidence that early intervention with immunosuppressives or biologic agents at the same time as corticosteroids, or biologic agents targeting tumor necrosis factor or adhesion molecules, can have rapid and prolonged benefits, including steroid sparing, reductions in hospitalizations and, perhaps, reductions in the need for surgery. Treatment should be optimized according to the patient status and response with whichever level of therapy is introduced and maintained.


* Author for correspondence SUMMARY Introduction: In Ghana unsafe abortion remains a major public health problem despite apparent lib- eralization of the law on abortion over two dec- ades. The contention is that the current law on abortion makes enforceability difficult and leaves room for untrained personnel to engage in danger- ous abortion procedures and that there is need for law reform. Objectives: To bring into focus how the current law affects the availability of safe abortion service in Ghana and to bring out suggestions that may be useful in future amendment of the law. Methods: Using the information gathered from literature review the current law on abortion in Ghana and relevant sections of the criminal code were critically analyzed from medico-legal per- spective. Findings: Since 1985 the Ghanaian law on abor- tion has changed from its preoccupation with pro- hibition and punishment towards liberalization of abortion but there has been delay in policy formu- lation and implementation to translate the law into services. Hence safe abortion services on medico- social grounds as permitted by the law are not readily available in national health institutions. Some aspects of the law still appear implicit and may hamper implementation of safe abortion ser- vice in the country. Conclusion: For clarity there is need for more amendments in the law in order to regulate abor- tion and to enhance the right of the woman to make a choice on her own. There is also the need to expedite action on development policy and standard guidelines for practitioners.


Reliability is becoming more and more important as the size and number of installed Wind Turbines (WTs) increases. Very high reliability is especially important for offshore WTs because the maintenance and repair of such WTs in case of failures can be very expensive. WT manufacturers need to consider the reliability aspect when they design new power converters. By designing the power converter considering the reliability aspect the manufacturer can guarantee that the end product will ensure high availability. This paper represents an overview of the various aspects of reliability prediction of high power Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) in the context of wind power applications. At first the latest developments and future predictions about wind energy are briefly discussed. Next the dominant failure mechanisms of high power IGBTs are described and the most commonly used lifetime prediction models are reviewed. Also the concept of Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) is briefly reviewed.


Background: The Joint Commission identifies high performing stroke centers through their certification program. Since the certification program does not incorporate a population based needs assessment, we hypothesized that some population centers may not contain certified centers. Furthermore, we hypothesized that inter-competitive behaviors of centers may be lead to clustering of certified centers. Methods: We identified all the primary stroke centers (PSCs) that were certified by Joint Commission through a directory maintained by the organization. We identified the addresses of all the certified stroke centers in the upper Midwest (ND, SD, MN, IA, WI) and determined the latitude and longitude coordinates for these locations. We then obtained a list of all the census blocks in the upper Midwest that included the populations and latitude and longitude coordinates for each census block. We used the Haversine formula to calculate the great circle distance between each stroke center and each census block and then identified the five stroke centers closest to each census block. From this we were able to identify the census blocks within 15 miles of multiple stroke centers in the upper Midwest. We also identified every census block within 15 miles of each stroke center. From this we calculated the total population within 15 miles of each stroke center. Results: We identified a total of 56 PSC hospitals that are serving a population of 15.4 million in 2010 in upper Midwest. Of the population served, 53% of the population lives within 15 miles of a PSC. Of these, 3%, 6%, and 1% live within 15 miles of 2,3, and 4 PSCs; 21% live within 15 miles of 5 or more PSCs. Seven PSCs have a population of ≤100,000 per PSC within 15 miles, and 49 PSCs have a population of >100,000 per PSC within 15 miles; 18 PSCs have a population of 1 million or greater within 15 miles. Conclusions: We found that almost half of the population in the Midwest does not reside within 15 miles of a PSC while one-fifth of the population resides within 15 miles of 5 or more PSCs. Such mismatches highlight the need for PSC designation to consider population needs to ensure homogeneity of care.


Objectives: To evaluate the suitability of short coconut and PP fiber as a reinforcing agent in cement concrete. Mixing and casting of untreated coconut and PP fiber in RCC check the mechanical properties of HFRC. The experimental background is cited in the literature. Methods/Statistical Analysis: From the basic tested data a mix design for M20 grade concrete at a weight of cement fraction is 1%.For this work 12nos of cube (150 mm * 150 mm * 150 mm) and 12nos of beam (700mm *150 mm*150 mm) were casted by using different fiber proportion of polypropylene fiber & coconut fiber in the laboratory; along with one set of control sample were examined and compared with the HFRC. Findings: All the cube specimens were tested by UTM and beam specimens were tested in UTM by using two points loading as per IS 516-1959. The test result shows that the weight fraction of 1% with Polypropylene 0.75 – coconut coir 0.25 combination specimens improves compressive strength and flexural strength as compared with control specimen. Applications/Improvements: The use of hybrid fiber reinforced concrete in non-structural components like Walls & Surfaces of Septic Tank, Water Storage Tanks and Dams, Sports Grounds, Industrial, Residential Floors & Warehouses etc. The major contribution of fibers in crack resistance and crack control, improve ductility of concrete.


For a study of long-distance migrants in sub-Saharan Africa, a census method was developed that combined precision and accuracy regarding bird numbers and tree choice. The number of birds present in trees and shrubs can be counted accurately, although it is time-consuming. We describe how much time is needed to detect all birds present in trees, using data collected in over 2000 plots across West Africa during the dry season (October–March in 2007–2015). The observation time per tree depended on tree size, number of birds present and the opacity of the crown. The giving-up time of the observers increased with canopy volume, but was independent of the number of birds in a tree. Detection probabilities of bird species differed relative to microhabitat choice and feeding techniques. Species-specific detectabilities hardly varied during the day or the season. All foraging birds and immobile birds (save a few percent in dense canopies) were detected using the individual-tree-approach. Bird density is expressed as number per canopy volume, but little information is lost when density is given as number per canopy surface. The variation in bird density was large and differed per tree species. Within tree species, bird density was related to the opacity of the crown, the abundance of insects and whether there were berries or flowers. These findings suggest that, to collect biologically relevant information, the density of tree-dwelling birds should be measured at the level of the individual tree, and not per surface area, habitat type or tree species (as is typical in published studies).


Many studies have investigated the effect of vibrotactile cues on task performance, but a wide range of cue and task types have made findings difficult to interpret without a quantitative synthesis. This report addresses that need by reviewing the effectiveness of vibrotactile cues in a meta-analysis of 45 studies. When added to a baseline task or to existing visual cues, vibrotactile cues enhanced task performance. When vibrotactile cues replaced visual cues; however, some effects were attenuated and others moderated by cue information complexity. To summarize such moderating effects, vibrotactile alerts are an effective replacement for visual alerts, but vibrotactile direction cues are not effective when replacing visual direction cues. This meta-analysis of vibrotactile applications underscores the benefits of vibrotactile and multimodal displays, highlights conditions in which vibrotactile cues are particularly effective, and identifies areas in need of further investigation.


Among a population with considerable fluor exposure lasting for decades and that of the corresponding district the proportion of older persons was compared per cent. In the five-year groups from 70 to 89 years without any exception a prevalence in favour of the place with fluor load was found. Cumulatively significant differences in favour of the population under influence of fluor was found. The possible causes for the suggested connections between fluor effect in the organism and obtaining of older ages are represented.


AT FIRST blush the symposium title is arresting—and perhaps an odd one to many whose practice is limited to the diseases of children. Animals are prone to diseases. These diseases may affect man, and adults would appear to be more frequently involved than children. However, animal diseases transmissible to man and called the zoonoses, are becoming more obvious in their frequency because of the changing character of infections during the past 50 years—and children contract the zoonoses frequently enough to warrant consideration.
 The beginning of the present century seemed to usher in a change in the incidence and severity of many infectious diseases and particularly the so-called "common communicable diseases of childhood." It was certainly true for diseases of bacterial etiology relating to both morbidity and mortality whereas the incidence of several viral diseases such as chickenpox, measles, rubella and mumps remained the same, but the sting of complications and the threat of death were markedly reduced. The latter is well illustrated in Table I, which shows a comparison of death rates for certain diseases using the years 1900, 1925 and 1950 as mileposts. Deaths are chosen as a measure because case information is meager for the United States at large. The period between 1900 and 1925 was the era in which rapid strides were being made toward an improvement of community hygiene, while a consciousness of the importance of personal hygiene became evident around 1910. Between 1925 and 1950 the likely influences were an improved economy, better housing and more adequate nutrition for the general population.


Natural Language Processing (NLP) models risk overfitting to specific terms in the training data, thereby reducing their performance, fairness, and generalizability. E.g., neural hate speech detection models are strongly influenced by identity terms like gay, or women, resulting in false positives, severe unintended bias, and lower performance.Most mitigation techniques use lists of identity terms or samples from the target domain during training. However, this approach requires a-priori knowledge and introduces further bias if important terms are neglected.Instead, we propose a knowledge-free Entropy-based Attention Regularization (EAR) to discourage overfitting to training-specific terms. An additional objective function penalizes tokens with low self-attention entropy.We fine-tune BERT via EAR: the resulting model matches or exceeds state-of-the-art performance for hate speech classification and bias metrics on three benchmark corpora in English and Italian.EAR also reveals overfitting terms, i.e., terms most likely to induce bias, to help identify their effect on the model, task, and predictions.


Background: Researchers are always trying to find specific markers which express specifically in cancer. These specific markers help to diagnose and treat cancer without affecting normal tissues. Cancer-testis antigens are among the new promising biomarkers, especially for targeted therapy. These markers are specially expressed in testis. Various studies have been reported individual expression of these proteins in some tumor tissues. Since testis is an immune privilege organ, abnormal expression of the above mentioned genes raises immune response and the serum antibody against them (CT antigene) can be detected as a marker of cancer. However, understanding their differential role in normal and cancer tissues may introduce them as new candidates of cancer biomarkers. The aim of this study was to evaluate AKAP3 gene expression in breast cancer and its correlation with clinicopathologic features of the disease. Methods: This study is a case-control study conducted at the Brest Cancer Research Center (BCRC)- Iran, between October 2014 to May 2016. AKAP3 gene expression was investigated with real-time PCR in breast samples including: 74 tumors, 73 normal adjacents and 15 normal tissues. On the other hand the correlation between gene expression, clinicopathologic features of the tumors and treatment regimen were evaluated. Results: Statistical analysis showed a significant correlation between lack of AKAP3 expression, tumor size (P=0.01) and stage (P=0.04). The association between poor prognosis and the absence of AKAP3 expression in normal adjacent tissues were observed. Kaplan Meier plot showed a significant better disease free survival in the normal adjacent patients group that are expressed AKAP3. Conclusion: It was observed that the better free survival in the normal adjacent group is because of the different AKAP3 expression, not treatment variations between two patient groups. As a result, AKAP3 can be a suitable candidate biomarker for breast cancer patients. Also, the study of gene expression in normal tissue of patients may be used to predict response to therapy. Abstract


Purpose of the Study
In this retrospective study, we reported our experience with FDG-PET/CT in evaluation of medullary thyroid cancer
(MTC) patients with persistent elevated calcitonin levels.
Materials and Methods
A total of 33 F-18 FDG PET/CT scans and 9 somatostatin receptor imaging (SRI) (6 In-111 octreotide and 3 Ga-68
DOTATATE PET/CT) of 25 MTC patients with persistently elevated calcitonin levels, performed for staging and
restaging, were analyzed retrospectively. The scans were compared lesion by lesion with histopathological data and
other imaging methods. Because all patients had abnormally high calcitonin levels defined as persistent disease,
negative F-18 FDG PET/CT scans accepted as false negative. Because there was no true-negative study, only sensitivity
and positive predictive value (PPV) were calculated. Calcitonin levels and SUVmax values were assessed by Mann-
Whitney U test and the ROC curve analysis.
Results
There were 11 true-positive, 11 false-positive and 11 false-negative F-18 FDG PET/CT scans. Sensitivity and PPV
were 50% and 50% respectively. Difference of mean calcitonin level between true-positive cases and the
others was nonsignificant. SUVmax of true-positive lesions were significantly higher than of the others. All 9 SRIs
were negative.
Conclusions
FDG PET/CT scan appeared to be less sensitive. However, it should be considered that F-18 FDG PET/CT was
performed to the patients with only no lesion had been detected by the other imaging modalities in this group.
Because F-18 FDG PET/CT was not performed when a residual or recurrent lesion had clearly been detected before,
sensitivity of 50% was considered to be acceptable.


An Australian study has found that very premature babies born after in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment are more likely to have some functional disability at ages 2 and 3 years than babies who were conceived naturally.

The researchers, from a number of medical institutions in Australia, looked at neurodevelopmental outcomes in 1473 infants who were born between 1998 and 2004 at less than 29 weeks' gestation. Fifteen per cent (217) of these babies were born after assisted conception, either IVF or hyperovulation.

The researchers used …


Abstract This review focuses on contaminant removal from water using hydrogel-based materials. It highlights the recent results achieved, unresolved problems, and possible developments. Polymer and graphene hydrogels are promising new materials for removing inorganic (e.g., metals and metalloids) and organic (e.g., dyes) trace contaminants from water. They can be prepared as composites with practically any desired conventional or innovative adsorbent, to enhance the removal efficiency. Obtaining a three-dimensional highly effective network is one of the significant features of hydrogels, which confer specific characteristics on them. There are number of benefits of using hydrogels: easy separation and handling, the facility for large-scale application, and the ability to regenerate and reuse the hydrogels. At present, the experiments based on hydrogels for water purification are mostly limited to the laboratory scale and further research needed to move toward large-scale industrial applications. Moreover, the present studies are currently limited to a few types of contaminants, so that further experiments needed for removal of more contaminant types and mixtures of contaminants, considering that in practical situations. All these features are described and discussed in this review, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the first comprehensive review on hydrogel applications for contaminant removal from water. Graphical abstract


Many Sadat's migrated from the land of the Arabic to Iran were choosen Mazandaran as a seat of government and a safe place for residence. Burial place of Sadat Shia is located in towns and villages of Mazandaran, as a Alavian's capital. In the history Those interested in prophet Mohhammad's family and also shia government have constructed magnificent tomb for propaganda and consolidation of Shia government. These tomb have protected valuable and  important samples of Islamic art and architecture. One of the most important shrine that was considered by people, religious leaders and historians is shrine Abraham's tomb in Babolsar. In this tomb that is one of the 9th century hegira/15th century AD in Mazandaran, Beautiful and valuable Inscriptions and decorations, such as tile work, plaster barry, enshrine metal, wooden doors and grave fund, have been used in architectural decoration. Article purposes: Access to Quranic texts and religious Concept in decorations of  holy Abraham in Babolsar. Recognizing the spiritual and religious Dimension of inscriptions and traditional art in the Abraham tomb. Article questions: Which Quranic Narratives and inscriptions are used in decorations of Abraham tomb? What is the spiritual message of Quranic verses and inscriptions in the decorations of Abraham holy tomb in Babolar? Raw data has been collected from the research on Abraham holy tomb in babolsar. Additionally, written sources and documents are found in libraries. The  descriptive-analytical researches method  has been used to explain the data. According to the study Quranic inscriptions, names of God and geometric and herbal motifs in traditional art of this tomb are manifesting the otherwise concepts of Islam in shape of forms and colors in heaven space of studied tomb. These traditional arts and religious contents are reminding and are stabilizing muslim religious beliefs.


Urbanization effects have been studied all over the world, documenting impact in species richness, abundances and changes in species communities. Birds have been broadly used as study models. In general, urbanization affects birds, reducing species richness, especially in the urban core, and increasing species richness in areas with intermediate levels of disturbance, such as suburbs. Urbanization also changes species assemblages depending on urban characteristics and resources available, creating habitats for different species. Even when more than half of the cities in the world are on the coast, the effects of urbanization on habitat use of terrestrial and marine birds in coastal urban environments has received little attention. We hypothesized that coastal cities would present different bird diversity in modified marine areas and modified inland areas as terrestrial and marine ecosystems coexist. We predict that modified marine areas will have higher species richness than modified inland areas and natural marine areas. For bird assemblages, we expect to find similar species compositions between sites with similar habitat characteristics more than closeness. We compare habitat use of marine and terrestrial avifauna in the human-modified coastal city of Valparaiso, Chile, characterized by a range of urban developments within city boundaries. We specifically compare corrected bird abundance in six different possible habitats for birds, according to distance to the coast, and human influence. Bird counts (50 m fixed radius) were conducted in winter and spring of 2019. Bird species richness and abundances, corrected by the probability of detection, were estimated. Additionally, species composition and occupancy of bird species in those habitats were calculated. Results show that coastal urban cities can provide different habitats for bird species. Modified inland habitats differ from semi-natural inland habitats and from the modified beaches in species richness and species composition. Environmental heterogeneity in coastal cities seems to allow the coexistence of marine and terrestrial bird species, showing differences in species richness and bird assemblages for marine-inland environments and natural- modified habitats. Results highlight the need to consider these factors for urban planning in order to conserve bird diversity in coastal urban areas.


It is generally claimed that brand names are a corporate asset with an economic value that creates wealth for a firm's shareholders. However, the scholarly literature has neither provided a comprehensive theoretical basis for this claim nor documented an empirical relationship between brand value and shareholder value. This exploratory study describes a rationale for, and documents, the statistical strength and functional form of a brand value-shareholder value relationship for publicly held consumer goods companies in the United States. A theoretical argument supportive of a positive relationship between a firm's accumulated brand value and market-to-book (M/B) ratio was empirically validated. However, even though firms with higher accumulated brand values have higher M/B ratios, the functional form of the relationship was found to be concave with decreasing returns to scale. Theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are outlined, as well as study limitations and directions for future research.


Glioma, the most frequently occurring primary brain tumor, has a median survival of less than 15 months, despite multimodal treatment combining surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. It has been suggested that the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) within these tumors are responsible for resistance to treatment and high probability of recurrence. As a result, there is increasing interest in specifically targeting CSCs with new therapies to improve treatment of this disease. NF-κB has been implicated in numerous forms of cancer, as its target genes regulate hallmarks of cancer such as cell proliferation, survival, and invasion. Both glioma cell lines and tumor samples show high levels of phosphorylated p65, a marker of NF-κB activation. When comparing populations from tumor explants, NF-κB is preferentially activated in the CSC subset. We are examining the effects of IKK/NF-κB inhibition on both heterogeneous glioma explants and purified (CD133+) CSCs from these explants. Inhibition of NF-κB through either genetic or pharmacological means abrogates neurosphere formation, an in vitro measure of stem cell function. Additionally, real-time PCR analysis indicates that inhibition of NF-κB leads to a decrease in target genes implicated in glioma CSC biology, such as A20 and IL-6. Through gene expression analysis, we have identified a set of NF-κB-dependent genes that potentially contribute to the CSC phenotype, including invasion. We are using ex vivo brain slices and in vivo xenograft models to examine our findings in a pre-clinical setting. Our studies indicate a significant role for the NF-κB pathway in the biology of glioma CSCs, with possible parallels in CSCs of other tumor types. Citation Format: Amanda L. Rinkenbaugh, Patricia C. Cogswell, Albert S. Baldwin. Inhibition of the IKK/NF-κB pathway impairs glioma stem cell function. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1515. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1515


Reactive arthritis can be triggered by inflammatory bowel diseases. We hypothesized that migration of mucosal immune cells from inflamed gut to joints could contribute to the development of reactive arthritis. Here we isolated gut-derived leukocytes from patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Using function-blocking mAbs and in vitro frozen section adhesion assays we studied whether these cells bind to synovial vessels and which molecules mediate the interaction. The results showed that mucosal leukocytes from inflammatory bowel diseased gut bind well to venules in synovial membrane. Small intestinal lymphocytes adhered to synovial vessels using multiple homing receptors and their corresponding endothelial ligands (CD18-ICAM-1, a 4 b 7 / a 4 b 1 -integrin-VCAM-1, L-selectin-peripheral lymph node addressins, and CD44). Of these, only ICAM-1 significantly supported binding of immunoblasts. In contrast, P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1-P-selectin interaction accounted for practically all synovial adherence of mucosal macrophages. In addition, blocking of vascular adhesion protein-1 significantly inhibited binding of all these leukocyte subsets to joint vessels. We conclude that different leukocyte populations derived from inflamed gut bind avidly to synovial vessels using distinct repertoire of adhesion molecules, suggesting that their recirculation may contribute to the development of reactive arthritis in inflammatory bowel diseases. The Journal of Immunology, 2001, 166: 4650–4657.


Name of the headquarters of District/Taluk their rural-urban status and distance from District headquarters, CD block, their rural-urban status and distance from District headquarters, Population of the District at each census from 1901 to 2001 area, number of villages/towns and population in District and taluk, CD block wise number of village and rural popuation 2001, Population of urban agglomeration (including constituent units/towns), Villages with population of 5,000 and above at CD block level as per 2001 census and amenities available, Statutory towns with population less than 5,000 as per 2001 census and amenities available, Houseless and institutional population of Taluks, rural and urban 2001.


The contextual information of Web images is investigated to address the issue of enriching their index characterizations with semantic descriptors and therefore bridge the semantic gap (i.e. the gap between the low-level content-based description of images and their semantic interpretation). Although we are highly motivated by the availability of rich knowledge on the Web and the relative success achieved by commercial search engines in indexing images using surrounding text-based information in webpages, we are aware that the unpredictable quality of the surrounding text is a major limiting factor. In order to improve its quality, we describe a multifaceted semantic concept-based indexing model which analyzes the semantics of image contextual information and classifies it into five broad semantic concept classes (or facets) of signal, object, abstract, scene, and relational. This faceted indexing model relates to the users' levels of image descriptions and meets user needs for specific/compound queries. We first highlight contextual information which is relevant for the semantic characterization of Web images and study its statistical properties in terms of its location and semantic nature. A user study is conducted to validate the results. The results suggest that there are several locations that consistently contain relevant textual information with respect to the image. The importance of each location is influenced by the type of webpage as the results show the different distribution of relevant contextual information across the locations for different webpage types. The frequently found semantic concept classes are object and abstract. Another important outcome of the user study shows that a webpage is not an atomic unit and can be further partitioned into smaller segments. Segments containing images are of interest and termed as image segments. The study shows that users typically single out textual information which they consider relevant to the image from the textual information bounded within the image segment. Hence, the second contribution is a DOM Tree-based webpage segmentation algorithm to automatically partition webpages into image segments. Its effectiveness is validated using a number of datasets including our resultant human-labeled dataset from the user study and experiments demonstrate that our method consistently achieves better results compared to other existing web image context extractors. The final contribution is a fully automatic facet classification algorithm for our proposed multifaceted semantic concept-based image indexing framework. The classification is performed on image contextual information extracted from any general webpage. Natural language processing techniques are used to break the contextual information into a set of disambiguated indexing terms (i.e. word or non-compositional phrase) and discover the syntactical relations between the terms. Then, a knowledge base is used to classify each term to the corresponding facet(s), thus, giving us the single-facet concepts. The…


We show that existence of a global polynomial Lyapunov function for a homogeneous polynomial vector field or a planar polynomial vector field (under a mild condition) implies existence of a polynomial Lyapunov function that is a sum of squares (sos) and that the negative of its derivative is also a sum of squares. This result is extended to show that such sos-based certificates of stability are guaranteed to exist for all stable switched linear systems. For this class of systems, we further show that if the derivative inequality of the Lyapunov function has an sos certificate, then the Lyapunov function itself is automatically a sum of squares. These converse results establish cases where semidefinite programming is guaranteed to succeed in finding proofs of Lyapunov inequalities. Finally, we demonstrate some merits of replacing the sos requirement on a polynomial Lyapunov function with an sos requirement on its top homogeneous component. In particular, we show that this is a weaker algebraic requirement in addition to being cheaper to impose computationally.


Computational analyses of dendritic computations often assume stationary inputs to neurons, ignoring the pulsatile nature of spike-based communication between neurons and the moment-to-moment fluctuations caused by such spiking inputs. Conversely, circuit computations with spiking neurons are usually formalized without regard to the rich nonlinear nature of dendritic processing. Here we address the computational challenge faced by neurons that compute and represent analogue quantities but communicate with digital spikes, and show that reliable computation of even purely linear functions of inputs can require the interplay of strongly nonlinear subunits within the postsynaptic dendritic tree. Our theory predicts a matching of dendritic nonlinearities and synaptic weight distributions to the joint statistics of presynaptic inputs. This approach suggests normative roles for some puzzling forms of nonlinear dendritic dynamics and plasticity.


Medical image segmentation can provide detailed information for clinical analysis which can be useful for scenarios where the detailed location of a finding is important. Knowing the location of a disease can play a vital role in treatment and decision-making. Convolutional neural network (CNN) based encoder-decoder techniques have advanced the performance of automated medical image segmentation systems. Several such CNN-based methodologies utilize techniques such as spatial- and channel-wise attention to enhance performance. Another technique that has drawn attention in recent years is residual dense blocks (RDBs). The successive convolutional layers in densely connected blocks are capable of extracting diverse features with varied receptive fields and thus, enhancing performance. However, consecutive stacked convolutional operators may not necessarily generate features that facilitate the identification of the target structures. In this paper, we propose a progressive alternating attention network (PAANet). We develop progressive alternating attention dense (PAAD) blocks, which construct a guiding attention map (GAM) after every convolutional layer in the dense blocks using features from all scales. The GAM allows the following layers in the dense blocks to focus on the spatial locations relevant to the target region. Every alternate PAAD block inverts the GAM to generate a reverse attention map which guides ensuing layers to extract boundary and edge-related information, refining the segmentation process. Our experiments on three different biomedical image segmentation datasets exhibit that our PAANet achieves favorable performance when compared to other state-of-the-art methods.


We investigate a system of two viscoelastically coupled, modified Van der Pol oscillators to compare their synchronization properties due to elastic and viscoelastic coupling. We show that viscoelastic coupling leads to in-phase synchronization while elastic coupling favours anti-phase synchronization. To study the impact of symmetry and nonlinearity, the restoring forces in the Van der Pol oscillators are extended to include nonlinear and asymmetric components. If the asymmetry, or rather the nonlinearity, of the restoring forces exceeds a certain threshold, only in-phase synchronized motion is found to be stable. Another important finding is that chaotic solutions can only be found if the restoring forces are asymmetric and the coupling incorporates viscosity.


In this paper a comparison between a memoryless nonlinear power amplifier model and a special nonlinear model with memory (Wiener-model) based on measurements on a power amplifier is presented. With moderate signal bandwidths of only 2 MHz the nonlinear model with memory outperforms the memoryless model. The amplifier model is intended to be used for pre-distortion purposes. Furthermore, an adaptive algorithm for finding the model parameters is presented.


Acknowledgments. Introduction. Part I: The Basics. Chapter 1: Introduction to Linux Toys II. Chapter 2: Finding What You Need. Part II: Multimedia Projects. Chapter 3: Creating a Web Photo Gallery. Chapter 4: Creating a Personal Video Recorder with MythTV. Chapter 5: Making Bootable Movies with eMoviX. Part III: Home Projects. Chapter 6: Customizing a Live Linux Pen Drive. Chapter 7: Automating Home Lights and Gadgets with X10. Chapter 8: Setting Up a Game Server with BZFlag. Chapter 9: Building a Dedicated SOHO Firewall. Part IV: Small Business Projects. Chapter 10: Running an Internet Radio Station with Icecast. Chapter 11: Building a Thin Client Server with LTSP. Part V: Appendixes. Appendix A: Using the Linux Toys II CD. Appendix B: ABCs of Using Linux. Appendix C: Installing Linux. Index.


Drosophila peripheral nerves, structured similarly to their mammalian counterparts, comprise a layer of motor and sensory axons wrapped by an inner peripheral glia (analogous to the mammalian Schwann cell) and an outer perineurial glia (analogous to the mammalian perineurium). Growth and proliferation within mammalian peripheral nerves are increased by Ras pathway activation: loss-of-function mutations in Nf1, which encodes the Ras inhibitor neurofibromin, cause the human genetic disorder neurofibromatosis, which is characterized by formation of neurofibromas (tumors of peripheral nerves). However, the signaling pathways that control nerve growth downstream of Ras remain incompletely characterized. Here we show that expression specifically within the Drosophila peripheral glia of the constitutively active RasV12 increases perineurial glial thickness. Using chromosomal loss-of-function mutations and transgenes encoding dominant-negative and constitutively active proteins, we show that this nonautonomous effect of RasV12 is mediated by the Ras effector phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and its downstream kinase Akt. We also show that the nonautonomous, growth-promoting effects of activated PI3K are suppressed by coexpression within the peripheral glia of FOXO+ (forkhead box O) a transcription factor inhibited by Akt-dependent phosphorylation. We suggest that Ras–PI3K–Akt activity in the peripheral glia promotes growth of the perineurial glia by inhibiting FOXO. In mammalian peripheral nerves, the Schwann cell releases several growth factors that affect the proliferative properties of neighbors. Some of these factors are oversecreted in Nf1 mutants. Our results raise the possibility that neurofibroma formation in individuals with neurofibromatosis might result in part from a Ras–PI3K–Akt-dependent inhibition of FOXO within Schwann cells.


In the "Outline of the Geology of the Upper Tertiaries of East Anglia," given by Mr. S. V. Wood, jun., and myself in the volume of the Palæontographical Society for the year 1871, we called attention to the beds at the base of the Kessingland cliff and their relation to the Crag and Chillesford clay, and gave a section of them. Up to that time the cliff had been, at the time of our visit, more or less obscured by talus, so that some uncertainty existed as to the super-position of the different beds. After a storm in the month of November 1874, however, I was fortunate enough to find the section perfectly clear; and the result of my examination of the cliff was laid in the same month before the Geological Society of Norwich; but that body does not publish any record of its proceedings. In all respects, so far as the sequence of the beds is concerned, this recent exposure confirmed the representation given by Mr. Wood and myself in 1871; but in one matter of detail, then left doubtful, some correction is necessary. As Mr. Gunn has recently submitted to this Society a paper describing his view of the section, which, in my opinion, differs entirely from what was then so clearly revealed, I think it desirable to give a short account of the facts as they then appeared to me. The beds present in the cliff-section I take to be, in ascending order, as follows:


The mechanism by which glucose stimulates insulin secretion from the pancreatic islets of Langerhans is incompletely understood. It has been suggested that malonyl-CoA plays a regulatory role by inhibiting fatty acid oxidation and promoting accumulation of cytosolic long-chain acyl-CoA (LC-CoA). In the current study, we have re-evaluated this "long-chain acyl-CoA hypothesis" by using molecular and pharmacologic methods to perturb lipid metabolism in INS-1 insulinoma cells or rat islets during glucose stimulation. First, we constructed a recombinant adenovirus containing the cDNA encoding malonyl-CoA decarboxylase (AdCMV-MCD), an enzyme that decarboxylates malonyl-CoA to acetyl-CoA. INS-1 cells treated with AdCMV-MCD had dramatically lowered intracellular malonyl CoA levels compared with AdCMV-βGal-treated cells at both 3 and 20 mm glucose. Further, at 20 mm glucose, AdCMV-MCD-treated cells were less effective at suppressing [1-14C]palmitate oxidation and incorporated 43% less labeled palmitate and 50% less labeled glucose into cellular lipids than either AdCMV-βGAL-treated or untreated INS-1 cells. Despite the large metabolic changes caused by expression of MCD, insulin secretion in response to glucose was unaltered relative to controls. The alternative, pharmacologic approach for perturbing lipid metabolism was to use triacsin C to inhibit long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase. This agent caused potent attenuation of palmitate oxidation and glucose or palmitate incorporation into cellular lipids and also caused a 47% decrease in total LC-CoA. Despite this, the drug had no effect on glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in islets or INS-1 cells. We conclude that significant disruption of the link between glucose and lipid metabolism does not impair glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic islets or INS-1 cells.


OBJECTIVE
Knowledge of Bordetella pertussis circulating in Latin America is limited. Therefore, the goal of this study was to use pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and serotyping to characterize B. pertussis strains isolated in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

METHODS
This study, conducted between 2006 and 2008, analyzed 652 nasopharyngeal swabs from suspected pertussis cases and contacts, collected from 37 sentinel hospitals in São Paulo. Randomized samples of 91 (70%) strains of B. pertussis were subtyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and serotyping.

RESULTS
Ninety-seven percent of strains from São Paulo were serotyped as Fim3. Fourteen pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles were identified; the most prevalent (57%) is also the most prevalent in the USA.

CONCLUSIONS
These data, in conjunction with surveillance activities, may impact strategies regarding prevention and control of pertussis in the region, providing useful information for introduction of new vaccination strategies and reduction of risk of transmission to infants less than 6 months of age.


In this paper, a new method of sensitivity matrix generation is presented for application in electric charge tomography system. The sensitivity matrix is the most important parameter in solid particles concentration profile computation in electric charge tomography system. The analytical method of developing the sensitivity matrix that have been developed and used in electric charge tomography is characterised by some uncertainties that give poor tomography images of flowing solid particles. The new proposed method involved subdivision of the pipeline cross-section into many subdivisions called the computational mesh. The subdivision is made by the application of the Finite Element Method (FEM). On each of the electrodynamic sensor installed to detect the electric charges carried by the moving solid particles; the effect of the particles' electric charges enclosed in each of the computational mesh is modelled into a system equation. The system equation is used to compute the effect of the charges in the form of a matrix system of size [M×N] called the sensitivity matrix. The sensitivity matrix is applied for the reconstruction of the tomography image, using the Linear Back Projection (LBP) method. The reconstructed images represented the solid particles distribution through the pipeline. This assertion is due the consistencies between the simulation and real images with respect to the simulated images and the captured real data.


In this work myoglobin (Mb) adsorption was carried out in a batch system using hydroxyapatite (HA) powder during 24 hours at 37°C. The HA samples were analyzed after protein adsorption by Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) and UV-Vis Spectroscopy in reflectance mode. UV-Vis analyses showed that Soret and Q bands shifted to lower wavelengths when Mb is associated with HA surface. This result suggests that Mb Heme group is sensitive to the protein adsorption onto HA surface. HA disks coated with myoglobin and cultured with human osteoblastic cells during 7 days showed that cell adhesion and proliferation were not inhibited by the protein coating after 7 days in cell culture.


We present a filter design scheme in which we use an all-fiber lattice filter to equalize Gaussian-like spectra. With a two-step design strategy, the designed equalization filter can flatten the Gaussian-like spectra in the maximally flat sense, and the spectrum ripples can be assessed quantitatively. The equalization performance is analyzed theoretically. It is also shown that the equalization performance can be improved only with an increased odd order of the lattice filter. As an illustrative example, the proposed scheme is applied to the design of an all-fiber equalization filter to flatten the output spectrum of a superluminescence light-emitting diode. Simulation and experimental results verify the theoretical analysis.


Selective logging in tropical forests changes the local number of animal species (alpha diversity), but it also likely affects species turnover (beta diversity). Whilst such changes are documented in many ecosystems under different disturbances, they are poorly understood in selectively logged tropical forests. By using soundscape recordings across broad spatial scales, we measured soundscape saturation and dissimilarity of pairs of soundscapes, as a proxy of alpha and beta diversity, respectively, in selectively logged and protected tropical forest in Indonesian Borneo. Soundscapes of selectively logged forests were more homogeneous than the soundscapes of never logged forest, and that soundscape saturation of protected forest was higher during the day and lower at night in comparison with selective logging concessions. Synthesis and applications. Selectively logged forests act as an important reservoir of biodiversity. Optimizing such production forests for biodiversity conservation requires the consideration of the total continuous area that is assigned to selective logging, and spatial arrangement of annual cutting blocks, as these could affect beta diversity and its recovery.


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To investigate the impact and sustainability of the Care Maker programme across England from the perspective of those involved in its delivery.

BACKGROUND
The Care Maker programme was launched in England in 2013. It aims to support the "Compassion in Practice" strategy, with particular emphasis on the 6Cs of care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment. Care Makers were recruited in an ambassadorial role. The intention was to inspire individuals throughout the National Health Service in England to bridge national policy with those delivering care.

DESIGN
A mixed methods design was chosen, but this article focuses on two of the four distinct empirical data collection phases undertaken as part of this evaluation: a questionnaire with Care Makers; and two case studies of separate National Health Service trust sites.

METHOD
Data were collected for this evaluation in 2015. An online questionnaire was distributed to the total population of Care Makers across the National Health Service in England. It included a combination of open and closed questions. The case studies involved semistructured telephone interviews with a range of professionals engaged with the Care Maker programme across the trust sites.

RESULTS
Care Makers reported that participation in the programme had offered opportunities in terms of improving the quality-of-care provision in the workplace as well as contributing towards their own professional development.

CONCLUSION
The Care Maker programme has supported and helped underpin the nursing, midwifery and care strategy "Compassion in Practice".

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
This model of using volunteers to embed strategy and policy could potentially be used in other areas of clinical practice and indeed in other countries.