This study analyzed the refresher training attended by extension workers in Borno State Agricultural Development Programme (BOSADP). One hundred and eighty (180) Village Extension Workers (VEWs) out of the 360 VEWs operating in the Zone were randomly selected for the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaire. Frequency counts, percentages and Chi-Square were used to analyze the data. It was found that majority of the respondents were over 30 years of age; 56.66% of the respondents had HND or B. Sc while 76% of them had more than 10 years working experience as extension workers. The study also revealed that more than half of the respondents who went on training had their training on crop subsector followed by 40.00% who had their training on the livestock subsector while only 13.33% of them had training in home economics. While 73.33% of the respondents went for training less than six times in the last five years, 71.67% of the respondents were able to deliver a maximum of 8 out of the 15 technologies tested. The educational qualification of respondents, the level of training they received and their working experience as extension workers were significant in influencing the competence of the respondents in terms of technology delivery to farmers. Lack of sponsorship to attend workshops/conferences and distance of training venues were the major constraints to the workshops/conference attendance by the respondents. It was therefore recommended that: Extension workers should be encouraged, to go for training using both the regular programme training and short courses/refresher courses; training of extension workers should cover all subsectors of agriculture; and the training venue should not be too far from the Village Extension Workers' duty post.


LEDs with enhanced light extraction efficiency and sensors with improved sensitivity have been developed using porous semiconductors. Here, the growth of porous GaN epitaxial layers oriented along the [0001] crystallographic direction on Al2O3, SiC, AlN and GaN substrates is demonstrated. A lattice mismatch between the substrate and the porous GaN layer directly affects the structure and porosity of the porous GaN layer on each substrate. Deposition of unintentionally doped n-type porous GaN on non-porous p-type GaN layers allows for the fabrication of high quality rectifying p–n junctions, with potential applications in high brightness unencapsulated GaN-based light emitting diodes and high surface area wide band gap sensor devices.


Background and Aim: Given the high global prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the need for relevant non-invasive biomarkers and algorithms to accurately stage disease severity is a critical unmet medical need. Identifying those with advanced fibrosis (≥F3) is the most crucial, as these individuals have the greatest risk of adverse, long-term, liver-related outcomes. We aimed to investigate the role of PRO-C3 (a marker of type III collagen formation) as a biomarker for advanced fibrosis in NAFLD. Methods: We measured PRO-C3 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in two large independent cohorts with extensive clinical phenotyping and liver biopsy; 150 in the derivation and 281 in the validation cohort. A PRO-C3 based fibrosis algorithm that included Age, presence of DiAbetes, PRO-C3 (a marker of type III collagen formation), and plaTelet count ("ADAPT") was developed. Results: PRO-C3 increased with fibrosis stage (rho 0.50 p<0.0001) and was independently associated with advanced fibrosis (OR=1.05, 95% CI 1.02-1.08, p= 0.003). ADAPT showed areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) of 0.86 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.91) in the derivation and 0.87 in the validation cohort (95% CI 0.83 to 0.91) for advanced fibrosis. This was superior to the existing fibrosis scores, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI), FIB-4 and NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) in most comparisons. Conclusion: PRO-C3 is an independent predictor of fibrosis stage in NAFLD. A PRO-C3 based score (ADAPT) accurately identifies patients with NAFLD and advanced fibrosis and is superior to APRI, FIB-4 and NFS.


This paper seeks to propose rational water use indicators for public schools in Recife, Brazil. The methodology consists of a cadastral survey, the use of questionnaires, and identification of leakage in the hydro-sanitary facilities. The results indicate that even though water consumption is not as high as pointed out in the literature, the schools still present a considerable amount of physical water losses, in addition to having a low perception regarding the rational use of water. Based on these results, this study supports the development and application of water conservation actions within the school environment.


For a very severely mentally disabled, deaf and blind man, it was always very difficult to carry out dental check-ups, diagnosis and treatment, even with pharmacologic support. The man cannot communicate pain. When caries and calculus were diagnosed, the man was treated under general anaesthesia. During this treatment session he was also found to have severe periodontal disease and peri-apical problems. The legal representative of the patient was unavailable for consultation on changes to the pre-prepared preliminary treatment plan. This created a dilemma for the dental treatment team. This case study was presented during the conference 'State of the art' on March 17, 2017, that was organised by the Society for the Promotion of Dental Health Care for People with Disabilities (VBTGG). In this second part of the case, the treatment that was ultimately chosen is described, considered and discussed.


We evaluated mean, peak, and instantaneous pressure gradients across the outflow conduit in a pulsatile mock circulation loop which incorporated Heartware HVADs for left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) support. Steady-state 50 Hz measurements of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) flow (Q) and pressures within the proximal and distal outflow conduit were obtained at varying pump speed, LV contractility, hematocrit (HCT), heart rate (HR), and conduit diameter and length. Experiments were conducted using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubing and results confirmed in HVAD Gelweave conduit. Conduit diameter was negatively and nonlinearly associated with mean and peak gradient in both the PVC and HVAD conduits. There were no significant differences between the PVC and HVAD conduits in terms of mean Q, systolic dQdt, mean conduit gradient, or peak gradient. Across the 10 mm HVAD conduit, mean gradient correlated linearly with mean Q, systolic dQdt, HCT, and conduit length (r = 0.91), whereas peak gradient correlated with mean Q, systolic dQdt, and conduit length (r = 0.93). A nonlinear model to determine instantaneous gradient was highly predictive (r = 0.83) across a range of pump and circulatory conditions. In summary, hemodynamically significant pressure gradients are observed across the LVAD outflow conduit under physiologic conditions, which may result in diminished pump flow.


Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) is an important obligate pathogen in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and secretes effectors into plant cells to promote infection. Identifying host targets of effector proteins and clarifying their roles in pathogen infection is essential for understanding pathogen virulence. In this study, we identified a serine-rich effector, Pst27791, from Pst that suppresses cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. Stable overexpression of Pst27791 in wheat suppressed reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and the salicylic acid (SA)-dependent defense response. Transgenic wheat expressing the RNA interference (RNAi) construct of Pst27791 exhibited high resistance to Pst virulent isolate CYR31, indicating its importance in pathogenesis. Pst27791 interacting with wheat rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma (Raf)-like kinase TaRaf46 in yeast and in planta. Knocking down TaRaf46 expression in wheat attenuated Pst infection and increased wheat immunity. Overexpression of TaRaf46 decreased wheat resistance to Pst and repressed MAPK activation in wheat. Pst27791 may stabilize TaRaf46 through inhibition of proteasome-mediated degradation in N. benthamiana. The ability of Pst27791 to enhance Pst colonization was compromised when TaRaf46 was silenced, suggesting that the virulence of Pst27791 is mediated by TaRaf46. Overall, these results indicate that Raf-like kinase TaRaf46 is exploited by the Pst effector as a negative regulator of plant immunity to promote infection in wheat.


A proof system for a shared dataspace programming notation called Swarm (a programming logic similar in style to that of UNITY) is specified. Relevant aspects of the Swarm language and model are overviewed. To illustrate the proof system, the Swarm logic is used to verify the correctness of a program for labeling connected equal-intensity regions of a digital image. Like UNITY, the Swarm proof system uses an assertional programming logic which relies upon proof of programwide properties, e.g. global invariants and progress properties. The Swarm logic is defined in terms of the same logical relations as UNITY (unless, ensures, and leads-to), but several of the concepts are reformulated to accommodate Swarm's distinctive features. >


Simulation of Fluid Structure Interaction FSI, problems becomes more and more the focus of computational engineering, where FEM (Finite element Methods) for structural mechanics and Finite Volume for CFD are dominant. New formulations have been developed for FSI applications using mesh free methods as SPH method, (Smooth Particle Hydrodynamic). Up to these days very little has been done to compare different methods and assess which one would be more suitable. For small deformation, FEM Lagrangian formulation can solve structure interface and material boundary accurately; the main limitation of the formulation is high mesh distortion for large deformation and moving structure. One of the commonly used approach to solve these problems is the ALE formulation which has been used with success in the simulation of fluid structure interaction with large structure motion such as sloshing fuel tank in automotive industry and bird impact in aeronautic industry. For some applications, including bird impact and high velocity impact problems, engineers have switched from ALE to SPH method to reduce CPU time and save memory allocation. In this paper the mathematical and numerical implementation of the ALE and SPH formulations are described. From different simulation, it has been observed that for the SPH method to provide similar results as ALE or Lagrangian formulations, the SPH meshing, or SPH spacing particles needs to be finer than the ALE mesh. To validate the statement, we perform a simulation of a shock wave propagation generated by explosive detonation. For this simple problem, the particle spacing of SPH method needs to be at least two times finer than ALE mesh. A contact algorithm is performed at the fluid structure interface for both SPH and ALE formulations.


International funding for climate change action in developing countries may enhance the legitimacy of global climate governance. However, by allowing for a fragmented approach to mobilizing funds, current multilateral commitments raise further legitimacy challenges. We analyze the potential for unilateral and coordinated approaches to advance output and input legitimacy respectively by raising adequate funds and representing interests in contributing and recipient countries that are affected by funding decisions. Achieving legitimacy will require coordinated approaches to goal-setting, oversight and effort-sharing. Vesting contributing countries with substantial discretion over funding sources may enhance taxpayers' support and boost funding more rapidly. However, multilateral coordination will be necessary to maximize opportunities for raising revenue from carbon pricing and to minimize adverse impacts of funding choices on developing countries. Our analysis provides a principled justification for the degree of fragmentation compatible with achieving legitimacy. These insights may inform future evaluation of legitimacy requirements in other spheres of environmental governance.


Background: The ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common form of congenital heart defects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of the early complications and mid-term follow-up of the transcatheter closure of the VSD using the Amplatzer VSD Occluder. Methods: Between April 2012 and October 2013, 110 patients underwent the percutaneous closure of the perimembranous VSD. During the procedure, the size and type of the VSD were obtained via ventriculography. A device at least 2 mm larger than the VSD diameter measured via ventriculography was deployed. The size of the VSD, size of the Amplatzer, and device-size to VSD-size ratio were calculated. After the confirmation of the suitable position of the device via echocardiography and left ventriculography, the device was released. Follow-up evaluations were done at discharge as well as at 1, 6, and 12 months and yearly thereafter for the VSD occlusion and complete heart block. Results: The study population comprised 62 females and 48 males. The mean age and weight of the patients at procedure were 4.3 ± 5.6 years (range: 2 to 14) and 14.9 ± 10.8 kg (range: 10 to 43). The average device size was 7.0 ± 2.5 mm (range: 4 to 14). The VSD occlusion rate was 72.8% at the completion of the procedure and rose up to 99.0% during the follow-up. The most serious significant complication was complete atrioventricular block, which was seen in 2 patients. The mean follow-up duration was 10.9 ± 3.6 months. Conclusion: The transcatheter closure of the perimembranous VSD was a safe and effective treatment with excellent closure rates in our study population. This procedure had neither mortality nor serious complications.


Long distance and beyond sight of view communication between a ground control station and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is mainly achieved using high-gain antennas, antenna trackers or satellites. These implementations demand expensive, heavy and not easily deployed equipment, while in many cases cannot provide a sufficient communication range. The current work proposes and demonstrates a lightweight and low-cost Arduino-based telecommunication subsystem that is capable of sending control commands to the UAV based on GSM or GPRS the most widely deployed cellular networks standard. During field trials control commands successfully transferred from a mobile phone as well as a laptop to the UAV autopilot, with an average time of 2.6 sec and 0.5 sec respectively. The proposed subsystem can be embedded independently or coexist with other control systems, contributing to a ubiquitous UAVs management system.


Agriculture is a sector of primary importance in Romania, both through its contribution to the economy and the share of employment. Its continuous development and improvement and the countryside must be designed and analyzed under three main aspects, namely agriculture, food and environment. The current analysis takes into account the state of Romanian agriculture today, but also economic and human potential of rural areas in the main areas of development, and their evolution in 2008-2013. The rural space in Romania is characterized by poor economic diversification and a major dependence on agricultural activities, which results in obtaining low incomes for farmers. The rural labour force should be directed to other activities, particularly in services, based on a correct and permanent information, human resource awareness and training. The rural employment strategies include measures to improve the quality of human resources to facilitate access to non-agricultural employment in connection with labour market needs.


Virtual worlds have moved from being a geek topic to one of mainstream academic interest. This transition is contingent not only on the augmented economic, societal and cultural value of these virtual realities and their effect upon real life but also on their convenience as fields for experimentation, for testing models and paradigms. User creation is however not something that has been transplanted from the real to the virtual world but a phenomenon and a dynamic process that happens from within and is defined through complex relationships between commercial and non-commercial, commodified and not commodified, individual and of the community, amateur and professional, art and not art. Accounting for this complex environment, the present paper explores user created content in virtual worlds, its dimensions and value and above all, its constraints by code and law. It puts forward suggestions for better understanding and harnessing this creativity.


Much attention has been paid to China's determination to exert its influence over the East and South China seas using both political and military power. The final few weeks of 2013 saw a rapid deterioration of the diplomatic goodwill that China had built with its maritime neighbours over the past several decades, threatening regional stability and risking an arms race with the U.S., Japan, and Southeast Asia. This article draws on some snapshots of the latest sovereignty disputes in the East and South China seas and the bilateral ties across the Taiwan Strait to discuss the continuities and breakpoints in China's strategic outreach in a multipolar world. It argues that the ability of China to pursue security interests in its maritime frontiers is largely contingent upon many circumstantial factors.


The article reviews the prognosis for Bazhen suite HC generation potential in order to select primary commercially exploitable areas. A map of generation potential density for Bazhen suite passive reserves has been plotted. It is based on published papers on calculation of organic carbon concentration using the data of exploration and prospect well gamma-ray logging. The deliverables are compared with geochemical core examination results. Lithological heterogeneity of deposits underlying the Bazhen suite is systemized in order to estimate the possible decrease of the suite generation potential due to hydrocarbon migration to underlying deposits. Three types of cross-sections are distinguished - predominately sandy, alternating silt-argillous and argillous. An estimate of the proportion of Bazhen suite generation potential required for the discovered hydrocarbon deposit formation within oilgathering fields of the first (sandy) type thoroughly explored by deep-hole drilling was carried out. Both quantitative (types 1, 3) and qualitative (type 2) estimations of decrease of the initial generation potential density are carried out for the above-mentioned types. Taking into account the specific character of shale oil development, a further work is required in order to design for each type its individual set of shale strata operating conditions.


ABSTRACT Halorubrum sp. strain AJ67, an extreme halophilic UV-resistant archaeon, was isolated from Laguna Antofalla in the Argentinian Puna. The draft genome sequence suggests the presence of potent enzyme candidates that are essential for survival under multiple environmental extreme conditions, such as high UV radiation, elevated salinity, and the presence of critical arsenic concentrations.


Risk of larval mortality is a critical component of models and debates concerning the ecology and evolution of the differing reproductive characteristics exhibited by marine invertebrates. In these discussions, predation often is assumed to be a major source of larval mortality. Despite limited empirical support, most marine larvae are thought to be palatable and broadly susceptible to generalist predators. Previous studies of larval—planktivore interactions have focused primarily on larvae that typically feed, grow, and develop for weeks to months in the plankton. Such planktotrophic species commonly produce large numbers of small larvae that disperse over vast distances. In contrast, the nonfeeding lecithotrophic larvae from sessile invertebrates that brood are often large and conspicuous, lack morphological defenses, and have limited dispersal distances because they typically are competent to settle minutes to hours after spawning. Interactions between lecithotrophic larvae and consumers are not well studied. This has limited the ability of previous authors to test broad generalities about marine larvae. We show that brooded larvae of Caribbean sponges (11 species) and gorgonians (three species) as well as brooded larvae of temperate hydroids (two species) and a bryozoan are unpalatable to co—occurring fishes. In contrast, brooded larvae of temperate ascidians (three species), a temperate sponge, and Caribbean hard corals (three species) are readily consumed by fishes, as are larvae from four of six species of synchronous broadcast—spawning gorgonians from the Florida Keys. Frequencies of survivorship for larvae attacked and rejected by fishes were high and statistically indistinguishable from frequencies for unattacked control larvae. Frequency of metamorphosis (when it occurred) of rejected larvae never differed significantly from that of unattacked control larvae. Assays testing for larval vs. adult chemical defenses for five species with distasteful larvae showed that larvae of all five species were chemically distasteful to fishes, whereas only three of five adult extracts deterred fish feeding. A comparison of larval palatability among chemically rich taxa showed that brooded larvae were significantly more likely to be unpalatable (86% of the species tested) than larvae of broadcasters (33%), and that palatable larvae were rarely released during the day (23%) while unpalatable larvae usually were (89%). Additionally, the frequency of bright coloration was high (60%) for unpalatable larvae and low (0%) for palatable larvae, suggesting that unpalatable larvae often may be aposematically colored. Results of this broad survey cast doubt on the widely accepted notion that virtually all marine larvae are suitable prey for most generalized planktivores. Among species that do not chemically or physically protect larvae against fishes, selection appears to favor the release of larvae at night, or the production of smaller more numerous offspring that grow and develop at sea as a way of escaping consumer—rich benthic habitats. Because distasteful larvae are not similarly constrained, distasteful species should exhibit reproductive and larval characteristics selected more by the fitness—related consequences of larval development mode and dispersal distance than by the necessity of avoiding benthic predators. Production of large larvae and retention of offspring in parental habitats that have proved to be suitable for growth and reproduction have both been proposed as advantageous, but these advantages often were assumed to be offset by losses due to increased larval apparency to fishes. This assumed trade—off is not mandatory because larvae can be defended chemically. Distasteful larvae tend to be conspicuous, localized dispersers that can co—occur with benthic fishes, and yet not be consumed.


The induction and maintenance of T cell memory is incompletely understood, especially in humans. We have studied the T cell response and the generation of memory during acute infection by the Puumala virus (PUUV), a hantavirus endemic to Europe. It causes a self-limiting infection with no viral persistence, manifesting as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. HLA tetramer staining of PBMC showed that the CD8+ T cell response peaked at the onset of the clinical disease and decreased within the next 3 wk. Expression of activation markers on the tetramer-positive T cells was also highest during the acute phase, suggesting that the peak population consisted largely of effector cells. Despite the presence of tetramer-positive T cells expressing cytoplasmic IFN-γ, PUUV-specific cells producing IFN-γ in vitro were rare during the acute phase. Their frequency, as well as the expression of IL-7Rα mRNA and surface protein, increased during a follow-up period of 6 wk and probably reflected the induction of memory T cells. Simultaneously with the PUUV-specific response, we also noted in seven of nine patients an increase in EBV-specific T cells and the transient presence of EBV DNA in three patients, indicative of viral reactivation. Our results show that in a natural human infection CD8+ memory T cells are rare during the peak response, gradually emerging during the first weeks of convalescence. They also suggest that the boosting of unrelated memory T cells may be a common occurrence in human viral infections, which may have significant implications for the homeostasis of the memory T cell compartment.


Focusing on the specific needs of network management in video surveillance platform, but almost all of current systems are insufficient. The development of OOP and distributed computer technology, especially the improvement of technology based on Web and the J2EE framework give an effect way to implement the distributed unified network management system. In this paper, we first introduce a mixed network management model based on SNMP and ICE protocol. And then integrating use of web technology, Spring business logic control technology, Hibernate data persistence technology, Ajax technology to design a distributed, multilayer, extendable structure based on J2EE. Finally, we present the implement of key modules on network management system in video surveillance platform. Experimental results show that the architecture design not only meet specific needs of the large scale access and scalability but also improve the flexibility of the network management system.


This article analyzes the implementation of public policy on regulation of beds in intensive care units, considering the formulated policy, the institutional conditions and the strategies used by the state and municipalities of Bahia, Brazil. A literature review is carried out, based on the rational choice institutionalism, as well as a qualitative study with three groups of street-level bureaucrats. Results show a gap between the policies formulated and implemented and the influence of bureaucrats in the implementation of public policies in health. In addition, the research observed the use of information and communication technology such as social media (WhatsApp) as regulation strategies. The informal control and assignment of beds using WhatsApp is a clientelistic strategy, indicating that, even under the aegis of the managerial state, clientelistic and patrimonial practices persist.


This paper presents a processor architecture for high-speed and reliable stereo matching based on adaptive window-size control of SAD (sum of absolute differences) computation. To reduce its computational complexity, SADs are computed using images divided into nonoverlapping regions, and the matching result is iteratively refined by reducing a window size. Window-parallel-and-pixel-parallel architecture is also proposed to achieve to fully exploit the potential parallelism of the algorithm. The architecture also reduces the complexity of an interconnection network between memory and functional units based on the regularity of reference pixels. The stereo matching processor is implemented on an FPGA. Its performance is 80 times higher than that of a microprocessor (Pentium4@2GHz), and is enough to generate a 3D depth image at the video rate of 33MHz


Based on benefits and preferences of the participants, this study segments ten provincial festivals by market. A survey followed by various statistical analyses was conducted for festival segmentation by benefit sought, and for perceived differences between satisfaction and selective attributes in each segmented festivals, and for relationship in festival type, their preferred season, and type of party. Author drew a lot of findings and conclusions such as on sources of participation, preference of choice attribute, seasonal preference and the determinants of revisit intention.


Study Design. Cross-cultural translation and psychometric testing. Objective. To translate, culturally adapt, and validate the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) version 2.0 for the French-Canadian population. Summary of Background Data. Many authors have recommended the administration of standardized instruments, rather than the creation of new scales, and advocate the adaptation of validated questionnaires in other languages. The application of these scales in different countries and by cultural groups necessitates cross-cultural adaptation. Many scales evaluate the functional incapacity resulting from low back pain. The ODI is among the most commonly used for this purpose. Methods. The French-Canadian ODI (ODI-FC) was developed by cross-cultural adaptation following internationally recommended methodology: forward translation, back translation, expert committee revision, and clinical evaluation of the prefinal version. Psychometric testing was performed on 72 patients with chronic low back pain. The subjects were recruited from a physiatry department in a university hospital and from a private practice physiatry clinic. They came from the Montreal area. The psychometric testing included internal consistency (Cronbach &agr;), test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient) with a time interval set at 48 hours, and construct validity, comparing the ODI-FC with the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire and the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (Pearson correlation coefficient). Results. In 44.4% of the subjects, the average duration of low-back pain varied between 1 and 5 years. Average score for the ODI-FC was 29.2. Good internal consistency was found (Cronbach &agr; = 0.88). Reliability was excellent, with intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.92 (95% confidence interval, 0.87–0.95). Construct validity results revealed excellent correlations between the ODI and the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (r = 0.90) and between the ODI and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (r = 0.84). Conclusion. Cross-cultural translation and adaptation of the ODI-FC were successful. Psychometric testing determined that the instrument was homogeneous, reliable, and valid. It could be employed in future clinical trials in Canada and possibly in other French-speaking countries.


The renovation of existing buildings is one of the priorities of western countries and needs to be promoted to increase the current low renovation rate, estimated to be of 0.6% per year in the European and Swiss contexts. In parallel, the implementation of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) elements during the renovation process can provide a crucial response to achieve the 2050 targets in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy savings. In this context, architects, designers and engineers have a key role in achieving these objectives, mainly because they are responsible for the design decisions during the development of the projects, especially during the early-design phase when the most influential decisions are taken. Through a real-case study built in 1968, this research shows how certain design-decisions in renovation processes can affect or compromise the final performance of the building from a global life-cycle and multi-criteria approach. Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) and Cost (LCC) results show the importance of not losing the opportunity to go beyond current practices when a building needs to be renovated and highlight the necessity to take into consideration BIPV strategies to guarantee both economic and environmental targets.


The effects of H-bonding on the redox potential and molecular vibrations of plastoquinone (PQ) that functions as a primary and a secondary quinone electron acceptor (QA and QB, respectively) in photosystem II (PSII) in plants and cyanobacteria were investigated using density functional theory calculations. Calculations were performed on the neutral and semiquinone anion forms of PQ and its H-bonded complexes, which form H-bonds with water molecules, or using amino acid models mimicking the interactions of QA and QB. The calculated redox potential (E(o)) of PQ showed a linear relationship with the number of H-bonds, and the E(o) increased by +100-200 mV with the addition of one H-bond. Vibrational analysis of the model PQ complexes showed that the CO stretching vibrations of neutral PQ are sensitive to the number and symmetry of H-bonding interactions, providing criteria to determine the H-bonding structure. Although no specific trend in the H-bonding dependency was found for anionic PQ, complex spectral features in the CO stretching region due to significant couplings with other PQ vibrations and the vibrations of H-bonding amino acids are useful monitors of the change in the H-bonding structure of anionic PQ in proteins. The calculated E(o) values and infrared spectra of the QA and QB models are consistent with the view that one additional H-bond to QB from D1-Ser264 largely contributes to the redox potential gap between QA and QB in PSII.


This paper focuses on the chosen ekphrases (i.e. literary descriptions of visual works of art) which can be found on the pages of the treatises on painting and architecture written by John Ruskin, one of the most influential Victorian critics. However, these detailed and suggestive passages did not only serve the complementary purpose of illustrating the train of thought of the art connoisseur who was sharing his impressions from the continental tour with the readers. The style of word paintings also owes much to Ruskin's intended lesson in astute observation, regarded as a necessary precondition to understanding the world, and his selfappointed function as a moralist who foresaw the danger of the spiritual decline looming over England. For this reason, first the critic's notions of truth and nature will be discussed to elucidate the importance of clear perception in Ruskin's writings. Then the ekphrases will be analyzed, paying special attention to their language which reveals the roles assumed by the critic. Simultaneously, references to the sources of Ruskin's style, the Bible and ancient rhetoric, will have to be made.


The majority of goods transportation vehicles' power is consumed in overcoming aerodynamic drag which arises due to vortex shedding over the bluff rear end of the vehicle. As such, a reduction in pressure drag via feedback control could have significant economic and environmental effects on CO2 emissions, as well as reducing fatigue acting on the body.

The difficulty in designing such controllers lies in obtaining models suited to modern control design methods, which are necessarily of much lesser complexity than typical Computational Fluid Dynamics models, or models derived from immediate spatial discretisation of the equations governing fluid flows. It is with obtaining such low-order models that the work presented in this thesis is concerned.

A computationally efficient modelling approach which is suited to obtaining low- order models of complex geometry fluid flows is described, whereby the system's overall input-output frequency response is built up by connecting together the frequency responses of a large number of computational node subsystems in an efficient manner, exploiting the inherent structure of spatially discretised PDAEs.

In order to choose a suitable formulation of the governing equations – the Navier- Stokes equations – a rigorous analysis of several of the formulations suggested in the literature is presented, whereby the dynamics of different formulations are compared both at the nodal level, and at the full system level for a 2D channel flow (for which a well studied benchmark model exists).

In the penultimate chapter, the work of previous chapters is consolidated by apply- ing the modelling technique to a 2D backward facing step flow. Slot jet actuation on the rear edge is assumed, and two separate output configurations are considered. The resulting models are compared to models obtained in a computational system iden- tification study, which prompts an interesting investigation into the dynamics of the common PISO Computational Fluid Dynamics algorithm.


Objective:
 To describe the frequency and clinical significance of microembolic signals in the posterior circulation following acute stroke.

 Background:
 Although transcranial Doppler (TCD) is frequently used in the anterior circulation following ischemic stroke, TCD use for microembolic signal detection (MES) in the posterior circulation has not been validated.

 Methods:
 We retrospectively reviewed all patients who had a TCD performed for a posterior circulation ischemic stroke between 2009-2012. Either the basilar, vertebral or posterior cerebral artery was monitored by TCD for 30 minutes. Characteristics of vessels affected, patient demographics, and occurrence of MES was recorded. Good outcome was defined as discharge home or to an acute rehabilitation facility.

 Results:
 Of the 80 patients (age 61± 15 years, 65% male) who underwent TCD monitoring of the posterior circulation, 22 (27.5%) had MES. The mean number of emboli detected was 1.6 per 30 minutes. Average length of time between symptom onset and TCD was 27 days (outpatient 101.5 days; inpatient 7.3 days). Medical comorbidities were similar in those with and without MES. Vertebral or basilar stenosis >50% was found in 32 patients (40%). Moderate (50-70%) or severe (>70%) stenosis was associated with presence of MES (p=0.002), although the number of MES was similar in those with moderate vs. severe stenosis (p=0.50). Patients with MES were more likely to have experienced a TIA (36.3% vs 12.0%, p=0.01), but not stroke (27.3% vs 29.8%, p= 0.75), prior to the index event. The presence of MES was not associated with time from event to TCD (<7 vs. ≥7 days, p=0.48), length of hospital stay (7 vs. 11 days, p=0.14), recurrent neurologic events while hospitalized (6.7% vs. 12.5%, p=.47) or discharge disposition (15.4% vs. 28.9% with good outcome, p=0.276).

 Conclusions:
 Presence of MES in the posterior circulation is associated with large vessel intracranial stenosis >50% and TIA prior to index event, but does not correlate with a worse clinical outcome. Further studies are needed to establish the utility of TCD monitoring for MES after posterior circulation stroke.


With the exponential growth in the Internet Technology, Image analysis and retrieval is a typical domain and high degree of abstraction is required for which semantic gap is major key problem. To overcome these issues, people need to organize and access the increasing amount of user-tagged multimedia. A tag gives the descriptive information of an image so it becomes necessary to incorporate both image content and tag information for image retrieval and image annotation task. The proposed technique utilizes global low level features of an image such as color, texture, pattern and edge and build similarity graph to find nearest neighbors of an image. Finally, A scalable and novel random walk for fusing the parameters to balance the visual content and tag. This Proposed System provides the improvement in the retrieval performance of Content Based Image retrieval, Text based image retrieval and image annotation. Keywords-Image analysis,Content based Image Retrieval, Text Based Image Retrieval,Semantic Gap.


Introduction Kinesio tape is an alternative non-surgical treatment approach for addressing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. The purpose of the study was to investigate individuals' experiences with the dorsal application of Kinesio tape for carpal tunnel syndrome management and its impact on pain and function. Method The study design was a limited phenomenological design study embedded in a randomized controlled trial. Daily symptom journals and semi-structured interviews were completed with 15 participants who were purposefully recruited and randomly allocated to the intervention group of a single blind randomized controlled trial. Kinesio tape was applied dorsally on the affected forearm, wrist, and digits for a duration of two weeks. Transcribed data were analyzed using descriptive coding, coding schemes, and frequency charts to identify emerging themes. Results Three themes emerged: Kinesio tape was positively perceived to be effective on decreasing pain, increasing self-efficacy, and improving daily functional performance on tasks previously avoided or abandoned. The most common problem identified was maintaining Kinesio tape on the hands and fingers, to which the majority of participants expressed a desire to learn application. Discussion Results of this study suggest that Kinesio tape is a positively perceived intervention for decreasing pain and increasing function for individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome and warrants further consideration as an alternative conservative intervention for carpal tunnel syndrome.


In this work, we investigated the deposition of the AlN thin films on silicon (100) substrates by mid-frequency pulsed magnetron sputtering of a metal Al target in an Ar-N2 gas mixture at room temperature. The films were characterized by various means for the composition, the crystal structure, the surface morphology, and the hardness and Young's modulus. AFM surface RMS (root mean square) roughness analysis revealed that the surface morphology has relation with the nitrogen flow rate in the Ar–N2 gas mixture. The highest surface smoothness was observed at the nitrogen flow rate of 30-50%. The phenomenon was interpreted by the action of the vapor-solid interface on the film growth, as well as the nonequilibrium processes occurred in the film growth.


Adequate methods to detect and screen prion related diseases could prevent the mass killing of
animals while simultaneously ensuring the safety of animal-based food products. Since
identification and quantification of proteins and their folding mechanism are very important in
disease diagnosis, nanotechnology based approaches could perhaps be used to develop detection
assays that are very sensitive with ability to differentiate between structural elements
Aim of this project is to find out silica and titania mesoporous functionalized mesostructured
materials which will be subject to an optimization process, consisting in selecting both the most
efficient functionalization "ligands" (among many now available) and the most suitable
nanostructured materials. Therefore, one of most important objective will be focalized on
preparation of functionalized mesoporous materials with specific ligand such as antibody, aptamer
(oligonucleic acid or peptide molecules that bind a specific target molecule). Controlling of
chemical and processing variables will permit the easy creation and reproduction of an amazing
library of functional-pore arrays in which tailored diffusion of substrates is possible.


An algorithm for the self-tuning regulator of a Box-Jenkins model control system is suggested. The algorithm calculates the control action by minimising the determinant of a positive definite matrix formed by the values of the input and output variables. The algorithm will gradually reduce a sequence of these matrices to a singular matrix. At this condition, the parameters of the regulator can be obtained from an eigenvector corresponding to the zero eigenvalue of this matrix. The algorithm does not need to know the delay of the process dynamics which is its strength over the algorithm of the recursive least squares self-tuning regulator algorithm.


Purpose of reviewT-regulatory cells play a key role in allergic and asthmatic inflammatory airway diseases. This review discusses the importance of a critical gene associated with T-regulatory cells. Forkhead box P3 is a forkhead-winged helix transcription factor gene involved in immune function in allergy and asthma. Recent findingsRecently, many functions of forkhead box P3 and its influence on the immune system have been elucidated. T-regulatory cells that are CD4+CD25+ and express forkhead box P3, influence the development and expression of atopy and allergic response. The exact mechanisms are not yet delineated, but multiple recent studies provide greater understanding of the mechanism of forkhead box P3 and its influence on these T-regulatory cells. SummaryGreater understanding of the molecular and immunological mechanisms underlying the T-regulatory cells and forkhead box P3 will permit the development of targeted treatment modalities to influence disease processes such as allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma.


This paper shows that we can normalize job and worker characteristics such that without frictions there exists a linear relationship between wages on the one hand and worker and job type indices on the other. However, for five European countries and the US we find strong evidence for a systematic concave relation. An assignment model with search frictions provides a parsimonious explanation for our findings. This model yields two restrictions on the coefficients that fit the data well. Allowing for unobserved heterogeneity and measurement error we find that reservation wages are 25% lower than they would be in a frictionless world. Our results relate to the literature on industry wage differentials and on structural identification in hedonic models.


Understanding stakeholder perceptions and assessing the impact of campaigns are key questions of communication experts. Web intelligence platforms help to answer such questions, provided that they are scalable enough to analyze and visualize information flows from volatile online sources in real time. This paper presents a distributed architecture for aggregating Web content repositories from Web sites and social media streams, memory-efficient methods to extract factual and affective knowledge, and interactive visualization techniques to explore the extracted knowledge. The presented examples stem from the Media Watch on Climate Change, a public Web portal that aggregates environmental content from a range of online sources.


Cook Forest State Park was established in 1927 to preserve part of Pennsylvania's original forest. Using the concept of moral landscapes, this paper examines the park's creation resulting from one of the earliest wilderness preservation campaigns. Cook Forest's moral landscape has been shaped by differing values over production and consumption, deer hunting and non-consumptive tourism, and the role of humans in nature. This paper will examine the challenges of managing for rare eastern old-growth forests, which are the park's primary draw, and for white-tailed deer, which are ubiquitous but key to Pennsylvania's deer hunting tradition. This paper discusses how altering the moral landscapes is critical to reshaping attitudes of what 'normal' forests and deer populations are as the park expands hunting acreage, considers alternative silvicultural practices, and moves to emphasize secondary old-growth in addition to the much visited primary old-growth that will be dying out over the next 100 years.


A similarity-transformed equation-of-motion vibrational coupled-cluster (STEOM-XVCC) method is introduced as a one-mode theory with an effective vibrational Hamiltonian, which is similarity transformed twice so that its lower-order operators are dressed with higher-order anharmonic effects. The first transformation uses an exponential excitation operator, defining the equation-of-motion vibrational coupled-cluster (EOM-XVCC) method, and the second uses an exponential excitation-deexcitation operator. From diagonalization of this doubly similarity-transformed Hamiltonian in the small one-mode excitation space, the method simultaneously computes accurate anharmonic vibrational frequencies of all fundamentals, which have unique significance in vibrational analyses. We establish a diagrammatic method of deriving the working equations of STEOM-XVCC and prove their connectedness and thus size-consistency as well as the exact equality of its frequencies with the corresponding roots of EOM-XVCC. We furthermore elucidate the similarities and differences between electronic and vibrational STEOM methods and between STEOM-XVCC and vibrational many-body Green's function theory based on the Dyson equation, which is also an anharmonic one-mode theory. The latter comparison inspires three approximate STEOM-XVCC methods utilizing the common approximations made in the Dyson equation: the diagonal approximation, a perturbative expansion of the Dyson self-energy, and the frequency-independent approximation. The STEOM-XVCC method including up to the simultaneous four-mode excitation operator in a quartic force field and its three approximate variants are formulated and implemented in computer codes with the aid of computer algebra, and they are applied to small test cases with varied degrees of anharmonicity.


In this paper we consider nonlinear impairments of mode division multiplexed signals with QAM modulation in optical fibers with linear mode coupling of spatial modes. We simulate simultaneous propagation of fundamental mode and two first-order vortex modes in standard single mode fiber at 850 nm and propagation of fundamental mode and first- and second-order vortices in step-index fiber with enlarged core at 1550 nm. Simulation results shows that in strong coupling regime linear coupling lead to sufficient increasing of nonlinear impairments, but QAM-modulated signal is more robust to this effect than OOK modulated signal.


Optimization research at NASA Glenn Research Center has addressed the design of structures, aircraft and airbreathing propulsion engines. The accumulated multidisciplinary design activity is collected under a testbed entitled COMETBOARDS. Several issues were encountered during the solution of the problems. Four issues and the strategies adapted for their resolution are discussed. This is followed by a discussion on analytical methods that is limited to structural design application. An optimization process can lead to an inefficient local solution. This deficiency was encountered during design of an engine component. The limitation was overcome through an augmentation of animation into optimization. Optimum solutions obtained were infeasible for aircraft and airbreathing propulsion engine problems. Alleviation of this deficiency required a cascading of multiple algorithms. Profile optimization of a beam produced an irregular shape. Engineering intuition restored the regular shape for the beam. The solution obtained for a cylindrical shell by a subproblem strategy converged to a design that can be difficult to manufacture. Resolution of this issue remains a challenge. The issues and resolutions are illustrated through a set of problems: Design of an engine component, Synthesis of a subsonic aircraft, Operation optimization of a supersonic engine, Design of a wave-rotor-topping device, Profile optimization of a cantilever beam, and Design of a cylindrical shell. This chapter provides a cursory account of the issues. Cited references provide detailed discussion on the topics. Design of a structure can also be generated by traditional method and the stochastic design concept. Merits and limitations of the three methods (traditional method, optimization method and stochastic concept) are illustrated. In the traditional method, the constraints are manipulated to obtain the design and weight is back calculated. In design optimization, the weight of a structure becomes the merit function with constraints imposed on failure modes and an optimization algorithm is used to generate the solution. Stochastic design concept accounts for uncertainties in loads, material properties, and other parameters and solution is obtained by solving a design optimization problem for a specified reliability. Acceptable solutions can be produced by all the three methods. The variation in the weight calculated by the methods was found to be modest. Some variation was noticed in designs calculated by the methods. The variation may be attributed to structural indeterminacy. It is prudent to develop design by all three methods prior to its fabrication. The traditional design method can be improved when the simplified sensitivities of the behavior constraint is used. Such sensitivity can reduce design calculations and may have a potential to unify the traditional and optimization methods. Weight versus reliability traced out an inverted-S-shaped graph. The center of the graph corresponded to mean valued design. A heavy design with weight approaching infinity could be produced for a near-zero rate of failure. Weight can be reduced to a small value for a most failure-prone design. Probabilistic modeling of load and material properties remained a challenge.


Crit Care Med 2015 • Volume 43 • Number 12 (Suppl.) empiric regimen, and time to adequate antibiotics on mortality. Adult patients admitted to the hospital with a positive CRKP respiratory culture and evidence of pneumonia were included. Patients were evaluated based on survival at 30 days. Results: This study evaluated 51 patients with CRKP pneumonia, of which, 19 (37.3%) were included in the nonsurvivor group and 32 (62.7%) were included in the survivor group. Baseline characteristics were similar, except patients in the nonsurvivor group were less likely to be male (42.1% vs. 71.8%, p=0.04), had a higher sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (10 vs. 6.5, p<0.01), and were more likely to be intubated on the day the respiratory culture was taken (94.7% vs. 71.9%, p=0.04). There was no difference in the use of combination therapy (47.4% vs. 31.3%, p=0.25), tigecycline-based therapy (42.1% vs. 43.7% p=0.91), colistin-based therapy (21.0% vs. 9.4%, p=0.24), adequate empiric therapy (15.8% vs. 28.1%, p=0.31), or time to adequate antimicrobials (54 h vs. 64 h, p=0.49) between nonsurvivors and survivors, respectively. On multivariable analysis, SOFA score was found be an independent predictor of 30-day mortality (odds ratio 1.27, 95% confidence interval 1.07–1.61, p<0.01). Conclusions: In patients receiving treatment for CRKP pneumonia, the use of combination therapy was not significantly associated with 30-day mortality.


Quantum dots show excellent promise as triggered sources of both single and polarization entangled photons for quantum information applications. Our recent progress developing nonclassical light sources with single quantum dots is presented in this paper. Following radiative emission of an exciton confined in a quantum dot, there is a finite delay before re-excitation can occur; this results in an anti-bunching of the photons emitted providing a source of single photons. Excitation of a quantum dot with two electrons and two holes leads to the emission of a pair of photons; we show here that, provided the spin splitting of the intermediate exciton state in the decay is erased, the photon pair is emitted in an entangled polarization state. The fidelity of this entangled state is shown to exceed 70%. Using quantum dots to generate quantum light allows contacts for electrical injection to be integrated into a compact and robust device. A cavity may also be integrated into the semiconductor structure to enhance the photon collection efficiency and control the recombination dynamics. We detail a process to form a submicrometer current aperture within an electrical device, allowing individual quantum dots to be addressed electrically in devices.


There are a group of young adults whose relationship with the church can best be regarded as apart and yet apart, that is to say, who associate themselves with the church but do not want to be wholly committed to it. This personal impression of the 25-40 year old age group is explored in Part One of this thesis through a look at the empirical evidence and through psychological and sociological interpretations of young adulthood. From a sociological perspective, this tension of apart and yet a part is considered in terms of believing and belonging, and asking what young adults may have to offer to a modem world where the choice seems more and more to be between an endless variety of behaving and a single belonging. Psychologically, there is a comparison to be made with the developmental tasks of identity and intimacy; here, the emphasis is placed on the interdependence of these tasks especially as they appear in a relationship of friendship. In Part Two, there is a focus on the work of James Fowler as a means of understanding the relationship of young adults and the church, not only through the theory of faith development for which Fowler is best known, but also through his more recent work on a public church. Close attention is paid to Stages 3, 4 and 5 of faith development theory, and to a full critique of Fowler's work. If Fowler highlights the importance of a sense of vocation for individual lives, the argument presented in this thesis is that an understanding of friendship can encourage and sustain that sense of vocation in young adults as they relate to the church. Part Three is given over to setting this argument on a sound footing, drawing on the resources of Methodism along the way. Following a dialogue between the work of Fowler and John Wesley centring on faith development theory, the conversation moves to a consideration of vocation and friendship as forms of covenant, seen in the light of the Methodist covenant service and Fowler's own writing on a covenant theme. This is followed by a third and final move which sets out a Methodist understanding of a public church with regard to its own tradition of living in connexion. By way of conclusion, the suggestion is made that the church's relationship with young adults is best initiated and supported by understanding that relationship as a connection of friends.


This study presents a spectral method for fatigue damage evaluation of linear structures with uncertain-but-bounded parameters subjected to the stationary multi-correlated Gaussian random excitation. The first step of the proposed method is to model uncertain parameters by introducing interval theory. Within the framework of interval analysis, the approximate expressions of the bounds of spectral moments of generic response are obtained by the improved interval analysis via the Extra Unitary Interval and Interval Rational Series Expansion. Based on the cumulative damage theory and the TovoBenasciutti method, the lower and upper bounds of expected fatigue damage rate are accurately evaluated by properly combining the bounds of the spectral parameters of the power density spectral function of stress of critical points. Finally, a numerical example concerning a truss under random excitation is used to illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method by comparing with the vertex method.


Most studies of candidate-centered electoral systems, that encourage politicians to seek personal votes, have focused on the impact of such institutions. This paper focuses instead on their origins in new democracies. It hypothesizes that voter demands for local and individual benefits and party access to government resources for such benefits are likely to lead politicians to choose a candidate-centered electoral rule during a transition to democracy. Cross-national quantitative studies of 97 new democracies from 1950 to 2008 support these claims, revealing that (1) the poorer the average voter, the more likely a candidate-centered electoral institution will be adopted and (2) where incumbent governing parties are more influential in selecting new rules, candidate-centered electoral systems are more likely to be selected. Nonetheless, (3) in highly developed countries even those governing party members tend to opt for a party-centered system; conversely, (4) in extremely less-developed countries even opposition politicians, who would otherwise select a party-centered electoral system, are likely to choose a candidate-centered system if they are dominant at the time of writing the new institution. These findings shed light on the endogeneity of electoral systems and suggest a powerful impact of social context on institutional choice. The paper also contributes more generally to theories of electoral system choice.


The integration of worst case execution time (WCET) analysis in model-based designs allows timing problems to be discovered in the early phases of development, when they are less expensive to correct than in later phases. In this paper, we show how model-based WCET analysis can improve timing calculations compared to program-based WCET analysis. The models are described by hierarchical state machines with concurrency, probabilistic transition, stochastic transitions, costs/rewards attached to states and transitions, and invariants attached to states. In these models, user-specified invariants serve to check the correctness of designs by restricting allowed state configurations. Our contribution is to use invariants additionally to determine transition combinations (paths) that can be eliminated from the WCET analysis, with the help of a decision procedure, thus making the analysis more precise. The assembly code of transitions for a specific target is generated and execution time for that code calculated. From the model, a probabilistic timed automaton (PTA) or Markov decision process (MDP) can be created. On that model, execution times of transitions are calculated as costs.


Aims. We identify the source of fast-drifting decimetric-metric radio emission that is sometimes observed prior to the so-called flare continuum emission. Fast-drift structures and continuum bursts are also observed in association with coronal mass ejections (CMEs), not only flares. Methods. We analyse radio spectral features and images acquired at radio, Hα, EUV, and soft X-ray wavelengths, during an event close to the solar limb on 2 June 2003. Results. The fast-drifting decimetric-metric radio burst corresponds to a moving, wide emission front in the radio images, which is normally interpreted as a signature of a propagating shock wave. A decimetric-metric type II burst where only the second harmonic lane is visible could explain the observations. After long-lasting activity in the active region, the hot and dense loops could be absorbing or suppressing emission at the fundamental plasma frequency. The observed burst speed suggests a super-Alfvenic velocity for the burst driver. The expanding and opening loops, associated with the flare and the early phase of CME lift-off, could be driving the shock. Alternatively, an instantaneous but fast loop expansion could initiate a freely propagating shock wave. The later, complexlooking decametre-hectometre wave type III bursts indicate the existence of a propagating shock, although no interplanetary type II burst was observed during the event. The data does not support CME bow shock or a shock at the flanks of the CME as the origin of the fast-drift decimetric-metric radio source. Therefore super-Alfvenic loop expansion is the best candidate for the initiation of the shock wave, and this result challenges the current view of metric/coronal shocks originating either in the flanks of CMEs or from flare blast waves.


To understand how youth act in the current media landscape and the growing opportunity structure for political participation, a more comprehensive approach in measuring news consumption and political participation is warranted. This study (1) examines the different types of political participation among youth based on engagement in various participatory activities, (2) examines how these different political participation repertoires are related to news media repertoires, and (3) explores the role of political knowledge, political efficacy, and personal background characteristics. Results from a survey of Dutch adolescents ( N = 1,084; age 16–21 years) reveal four distinct repertoires of political participation, each largely overlapping with a similar news media repertoire. Findings suggest that youth are either inside the virtuous circle, with high levels of news consumption and political participation, or outside the virtuous circle, avoiding both news consumption and participatory activities. In the discussion we reflect on the importance of local news and community-based activities to draw youth into the virtuous circle.


Original scientific paper Typical hall made of frontal disks, frames and metal-sheet roof structure The author presents derivation of simple models for determining response values of a typical hall composed of frontal walls or lattices, cross frames and the roof structure assembled using trapezoidal sheets and chords. The load is oriented in the transverse direction of the hall. The spatial interaction between the cited structural elements is taken into account. Two numerical examples have been prepared. Models for basic period of lateral vibration of the system itself are also provided. The contribution to the achievement of economical and esthetically favorable solutions is emphasized.


Introduction Early diagnosis of colorectal cancer results in better patient outcomes. Reported barriers to screening amongst non-responders, delays in diagnostic pathways, and current constraints in colonoscopy capacity contribute to delays in diagnosis. We hypothesise that changing the diagnostic paradigm through primary care based semi-automated robotic colonoscopy may improve access and engagement. This project involved development of a training programme with a simulation training model to understand the specific training needs and methods of fulfilling these for the potential ultimate users of primary care based robotic colonoscopy. Method Participants with varying degree of skills and background knowledge in colonoscopy enrolled included 3 expert endoscopists, 3 trainee endoscopists, 2 novices and 2 experienced video gamers. All participants performed colonoscopies on a validated 'colonoscopy suitcase' model developed at Welsh Institute of Minimal Access Therapy. Before testing each participant received both verbal and written instructions on the study and information about the semi-automated robotic endoscope along with a familiarisation period with the device. Quantitative parameters recorded related to procedure times and lesion detection during the procedure. Operators filled out a questionnaire evaluating the robotic colonoscope. Some operators participated in a follow up session to analyse the learning curve of robotic endoscopy. Results On average, experts took the shortest time to reach the caecum, followed by video gamers, trainees then novices. Polyp detection rate (proportion of total number in the model colon) was the highest in the novice group (91.67%) followed by the experts (86.11%), then equally, trainees and video gamers (79.17%). 4 out of 9 participants attended the second session where they repeated the procedure from the first session. Each participant had a lower caecal intubation time during session 2 in comparison with session 1, with range of improvement between 30% and 70%. Each of the participants also had the same or higher polyp detection rate with range of improvement between 0% and 25%. Qualitative assessment of feedback from all participants indicated that most operators felt that the role of the novel test was likely to be as a diagnostic procedure in an out of hospital setting. Expert operators felt that training in the device was easier but also provided less ability to torque steer due to automated sequences. Conclusion This project is the first step in the assessment of specific training needs and development of a training programme in robotic endoscopy. This study also shows a potential to reduce the length of time for skills acquisition associated with standard colonoscopy training through the use of semi-automated robotic devices. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


Abstract
 We present an overview of the diversity, distribution, and conservation status of all 54 taxa of Araceae that are currently known from the state of Veracruz, Mexico. We provide a reference list that gives information about overall distribution, endemism, and occurrence in Mexican states and administrative regions/municipalities of Veracruz. For this latter state, we also provide information on life form, elevational range, habitat, uses, and distinguishing characters useful for species identification. We performed an assessment of conservation status at the regional and global level for 51 and three taxa, respectively, considering International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Categories and Criteria. About 80% of aroid taxa from Veracruz belong to a threatened category, mainly because of the continued loss and fragmentation of their natural habitats caused by the lack of protected areas that include tropical humid and humid montane forests.


Morck, Yeung and Yu (MYY, 2000) show that R2 and other measures of stock market synchronicity are higher in countries with less developed financial systems and poorer corporate governance. MYY and Campbell, Lettau, Malkiel and Xu (2001) also find a secular decline in R2 in the United States over the last century. We develop a model that explains these results and generates additional testable hypotheses. The model shows how control rights and information affect the division of risk-bearing between inside managers and outside investors. Insiders capture part of the firm's operating cash flows. The limits to capture are based on outside investors' perception of the value of the firm. The firm is not completely transparent, however. Lack of transparency shifts firm-specific risk to insiders and reduces the amount of firm-specific risk absorbed by outside investors. Our model also predicts that "opaque" stocks are more likely to crash, that is, to deliver large negative returns. Crashes occur when insiders have to absorb too much firm-specific bad news and decide to "give up.". We test these predictions using stock returns from all major stock markets from 1990 to 2001. We find strong positive relationships between R2 and several measures of opaqueness. These measures also explain the frequency of large negative returns.


Experiments were done in anesthetized rats to determine systemic hemodynamic and renal functional effects of isovolemic exchange transfusion with either 5% albumin or hemoglobin cross-linked with bis (3,5-dibromosalicyl) fumarate (XLHb) in volumes ranging from 1 to 6.3 ml.100 gm-1. Hematocrit decreased in proportion to increasing exchange volumes with either fluid. Exchange with increasing volumes of albumin led to progressive decreases in blood pressure. Exchange of 1 ml.100 gm-1 of XLHb was associated with an increase in blood pressure, whereas with larger exchanges, blood pressure returned to and was maintained at control values even for exchanges as large as 6.3 ml.100 gm-1. An increase of similar magnitude in glomerular filtration rate occurred with both fluids. Net and fractional sodium excretion (FENa) increased significantly with both transfusion fluids; the increase was significantly larger for XLHb than for albumin. Maximal FENa excretion with albumin was about 8% but exceeded 6% with XLHb. Pretreatment with indomethacin (5 mg.kg-1.day-1 for 3 days) did not blunt the diuresis that occurred with an exchange of 2 ml.100 gm-1 XLHb. It is concluded that 5% XLHb, as compared with 5% albumin, better supports systemic blood pressure, especially as exchange volume increases, possibly as a result of hemoglobin-induced increased vascular tone. Although a decrease in hematocrit may play a role in the diuresis observed with either fluid, the greater diuresis with XLHb must be due to some additional factor; the mechanism does not appear to involve prostaglandins.


We use confocal microscopy to directly visualize the dynamics of ageing colloidal glasses. We prepare a colloidal suspension at high density, a simple model system that shares many properties with other glasses, and initiate experiments by stirring the sample. We follow the motion of several thousand colloidal particles after the stirring and observe that their motion significantly slows as the sample ages. The ageing is both spatially and temporally heterogeneous. Furthermore, while the characteristic relaxation timescale grows with the age of the sample, nontrivial particle motions continue to occur on all timescales.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy and safety of metformin (MET) in the Veterans' Administration Northern California Health Care System during the period from June 1995 through April 1996 when its use required approval by Endocrinology.

STUDY DESIGN
A retrospective review of patient charts and computerized pharmacy and laboratory records. Patients served as their own historical controls.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients receiving MET (n = 251) were identified from the pharmacy database. On-line laboratory data, including the intermediate outcome variable HbA1c, were retrieved by computer for the interval 4 months prior to the initial prescription to May 1996. Clinical data including weight and blood pressure were obtained from chart review.

RESULTS
Of 228 patients whose charts were available for review, 29 reported side effects, and 12 discontinued use due to these side effects. No patients were identified with lactic acidosis. Both baseline and treatment data on HbA1c were available on 164 patients. Mean HbA1c (%) data (unpaired), expressed as mean +/- SE, were as follows: between 4 months pretreatment and 1 month pretreatment, 9.41 +/- 0.19 (n = 103 tests); between 1 month pretreatment and baseline, 9.41 +/- 0.19 (n = 110 tests); 3 months of treatment, 8.79 +/- 0.16 (n = 157 tests, P < 0.05); 6 months of treatment, 8.30 +/- 0.17 (n = 79 tests, P < 0.0001); 9 months of treatment, 8.72 +/- 0.24 (n = 70 tests, P < 0.05), compared to pretreatment values. Similar analysis of unpaired weight and blood pressure data in 152 patients did not reveal any reduction in these clinical parameters over this treatment period. Serum lipids were unchanged on treatment (by paired analysis), but the number of tests was limited.

CONCLUSION
In this setting, MET provided sustained beneficial effects on glycemic control and was well tolerated. Any effects on weight, blood pressure, and serum lipids were not demonstrable in this analysis. We conclude that MET can substantially improve outcome of diabetes care.


The influence of gypsum or lime + gypsum amendments on various extractable forms of aluminum (Al) in a reconstructed acid soil (plinthic Palexerult) was investigated. The addition of gypsum depolymerized non-hydrolysable carbon (C) and increased the extraction of Al bound to organic matter. The application of gypsum or lime + gypsum lowered the levels of exchangeable Al; also, the low proportion of Al in outflow solutions suggests the immobilization of Al as a solid phase. Except for exchangeable Al, the gypsum amendment increases the proportion of all forms of Al extracted (bound to organic matter, sorbed to, oxalate and citrate) with various selected reagents relative to unamended samples. The amount of Al extracted increases with increase of gypsum added. The gypsum or lime + gypsum amendments increased soil productivity.


We recently encountered a case of native valve endocarditis caused by Corynebacterium striatum (C. striatum) in the absence of immunosuppression and a prosthetic valve. A 49-year-old woman was urgently admitted for disturbance of consciousness and nosebleeds. Careful clinical examination revealed infective endocarditis caused by C. striatum, for which replacement of aortic and mitral valves was performed. The postoperative course was favorable, and we were able to save the patient with no postoperative complications. Detection of C. striatum may be recognized as contamination because this organism is a rare pathogen. However, elderly patients and patients with immunosuppression are rapidly increasing, and it is important to keep C. striatum in mind when Gram-positive bacilli are detected in the clinical examination.


"Straight from the CEO" is a major event, because the world rarely hears directly from the great contemporary business leaders-- the chief movers and shapers of major corporations around the globe. Working closely with the Price Waterhouse management team, a wide variety of chief executives who are successfully managing today's rapid pace of economic change present their ideas about leading and motivating people, unleashing innovation and creativity, and learning from customers to revitalize their businesses. Among the many CEOs represented in the book are the heads of British Airways, Compaq Computer, Monsanto, Royal Dutch/Shell, Enron, Chase Manhattan Bank, and Warner-Lambert. The scope is worldwide: from Bangkok to Oshkosh, from Dusseldorf to Dallas. No ivory tower theorizing, no speeches, no "consultant speak", these are the practical insights of leaders who every day must find ways to test and validate new ideas, implement change to improve the bottom line, and ultimately focus on the core ideas that will truly reshape their corporations. "Straight from the CEO" is an important tool for managers at every level, focusing on such issues as creating loyalty to customers, organizing globally, fostering individual employee motivation, and leveraging corporate values to enhance performance. These are the pressing issues that face every manager who strives to sort out important contributions from impractical ideas, the gold from the dross, and then take action that gets results. As intellectually stimulating as it is practical, "Straight from the CEO" is an invaluable report from the executive trenches. Royal Dutch/Shell's Cor Herkstroter, mastermind of the most ambitious makeover among the world's energy behemoths, rewrites the book on Shell's relationships with shareholders, operating units, and managers. British Airways' Sir Colin Marshall, the marketing genius who powered the carrier's celebrated turnaround, shows how a management style shaped by early personal experiences taught him the importance of customers, customer service, and customization. Chase Manhattan's Walter Shipley, architect of one of the largest mergers ever seen in the financial sector, believes that many mergers fail to yield their promise because one partner insists on dominating the other. Shipley explains how and why his philosophy of the integrative merger, which respects the abilities of both sides and is free of power struggles, has led to several merger successes. Monsanto's Robert B. Shapiro has raised the hurdle bar on growth and profitability goals, although the company is at the peak of its form. He explains how the biotech giant is being transformed by programs that drive both growth and profits via novel incentives that are deeply embedded in a decentralized organization. Young & Rubicam's Peter Georgescu looks beyond the conventional wisdom about the present economic boom to reveal some grim truths: (1) increases in corporate profit derived from cutting fat are exhausted; (2) many thousands of factories are operating far below full capacity; (3) the no-brainer marketing ploys of the past are useless. The only way to sustain growth of sales and profits, he maintains, is through better brand-building that reflects a new and deeper relationship between brands and customers. British Aerospace's Sir Richard Evans developed one of Britain's biggest and boldest corporate change management programs an initiative that galvanized an internally divided, underperforming company and made it into a stock market favorite. Compaq Computer's Eckhard Pfeiffer has transformed himself from a successful turnaround artist into a hard-driving champion of continuous corporate renewal. Here, he demonstrates how continuous renewal has boosted his firm's competitive preparedness, its competencies, and its profits.


BALB/c mice were immunized with human factor V. The immunogen was a mixture of procofactor (factor V) and thrombin-activated cofactor (factor Va). Spleen cells were obtained from an immunized animal and fused with NS-1 murine myeloma cells. Hybrid cell cultures were assayed for the production of antibodies to human factor V and factor Va by a solid-phase radioimmunoassay. Factor V and/or factor-Va-specific antibodies were detected in 38 of the 96 cultures assayed. The cells from 10 of these positive cultures were subcloned by limiting dilution and grown as ascites tumors in BALB/c mice. Ascitic fluids were obtained and characterized with respect to their binding interaction with human factor V and factor Va. Three hybridoma cell lines produce monoclonal antibodies that react equally well with factor V and factor Va. Another antibody reacts with both antigens, but the reactivity with factor V is better than with factor Va. An additional two antibodies react with factor Va better than factor V in the radioimmunoassay (RIA). The remaining four antibodies react exclusively with factor V. A previously described murine monoclonal antibody to human factor V (alpha HFV-1) has been used to study the peptides produced during the thrombin-catalyzed activation of human factor V. This antibody binds both factor V and factor Va, releases them at high ionic strength, and has an apparent dissociation constant for factor Va of 3 x 10(-9)M. When human factor V (mol wt 330,000) is activated by thrombin and passed over an alpha HFV-1-Sepharose affinity resin, factor Va binds and subsequently can be eluted. The eluate in 1.2 M NaCl contains two fragments of apparent mol wt 93,000 and 70,000. EDTA, which inactivates factor Va, promotes release of the mol wt 93,000 fragment from factor Va bound to the antibody. Subsequent elution with 1.2 M NaCl releases the mol wt 70,000 fragment. These observations indicate that human factor Va is a two subunit protein and that the epitope for alpha HFV-1 is on the mol wt 70,000 fragment.


To increase academic rigor and student engagement in online learning, it is necessary that nursing educators identify internalized perceptions associated with what contributes to "effective" online instruction. Nursing faculty must understand the importance of effective online instruction, as many students seeking out this format for learning have tremendous extraneous obligations apart from their academic obligations.


Medical leadership is conceptualized in two ways. Physicians with formal managerial roles or physicians who act as informal 'leader' in daily practices. In formal leadership role, it is interchangeable with the term medical management. Informal leadership is an intrinsic component of physicians' daily work. Here the physicians act as 'leaders' within their clinical role, by organizing clinical work and establishing cross-departmental collaboration. This informal role transcends formal managerial work and thus applies to all physicians. Here all are leaders in their own capacity within their own working arena.


The trends and events that have led to the recent development of the Internet Protocol (IP) over dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) architectures are presented in this article. The need for such architectures arises from the overlapping functionalities that are provided in the current layered architectures. The issues encountered in such architectures and the proposed solutions in the standard committees to solve them are discussed. The issues that require further research attention are also identified. There are number of recent trends that have led to the current evolution and need for IP over DWDM networks. Some of these trends are as follows. The number of Internet hosts and the amount of Internet traffic is growing super-exponentially. The growth is said to be super-exponential to imply that the growth itself is growing exponentially. This is due to an increase in the number of hosts on the Internet and in the traffic per host resulting from the high-speed access such as cable modems and asynchronous digital subscriber line (ADSL). UUNET, one of the largest Internet service providers in the US, claimed that its traffic was doubling every four months and now every 100 days. The Moore's law for processor development has predicted doubling the processor speed every 18 months. 1 However, looking at the rate of the increase in the traffic growth, it is clear that the traffic growth in the Internet will out-pace the end-system development. This growth has challenged continually the architectures that are used for the Internet. The amount of data traffic on carrier networks now exceeds that of voice traffic. The cross-over happened for many carriers in 1998. This shift in traffic patterns in carrier networks has lead to a change in the way that networks need to be organised. In the past, the amount of data traffic on carrier networks was small compared with voice traffic. Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, the carrier networks were designed mainly for voice. The data networks were on the edges. Data could be carried on the core networks in ways mimicking the voice traffic. For example, data clients would use lease constant bit rate lines to carry data traffic over voice networks. As the amount of data traffic has now surpassed that of voice traffic, the data domain has become a lucrative market for the voice network providers. In addition, the voice revenue traffic has continued to decline due to …


This article examines the potential of a learning-as-a-part-of-a-community approach, focusing on the participatory process of learning in a community-based, teacher education program; a Community of Teachers (CoT). CoT is a preparation program for preservice teachers working toward secondary teacher certification in which they join an on-going community and remain a part of that community from 2 to 4 years. The entire process of learning as a member of CoT occurs fluidly through the reflexive relations among secondary school participation and university seminar participation, as well as through the active and reflective practices requisite for building one's portfolio of Program Expectations. In this study, 4 participant-observers used field notes, document analysis, and interview data to build grounded interpretations of community life. In this reporting of the data, we have framed these "experience-near" understandings in terms of core tensions (or illuminative dualities) and presented them in a manner that is likely to have "experience-distant" significance. By characterizing CoT life in terms of tensions or dualities, we hope to provide other educators-designers with an illuminative case study from which they can build petite generalizations-that is, use this discussion to more readily identify patterns occurring in their own interventions and navigate the challenges they face more intelligently.


We propose a parallel program representation for heterogeneous systems, designed to enable performance portability across a wide range of popular parallel hardware, including GPUs, vector instruction sets, multicore CPUs and potentially FPGAs. Our representation, which we call HPVM, is a hierarchical dataflow graph with shared memory and vector instructions. HPVM supports three important capabilities for programming heterogeneous systems: a compiler intermediate representation (IR), a virtual instruction set (ISA), and a basis for runtime scheduling; previous systems focus on only one of these capabilities. As a compiler IR, HPVM aims to enable effective code generation and optimization for heterogeneous systems. As a virtual ISA, it can be used to ship executable programs, in order to achieve both functional portability and performance portability across such systems. At runtime, HPVM enables flexible scheduling policies, both through the graph structure and the ability to compile individual nodes in a program to any of the target devices on a system. We have implemented a prototype HPVM system, defining the HPVM IR as an extension of the LLVM compiler IR, compiler optimizations that operate directly on HPVM graphs, and code generators that translate the virtual ISA to NVIDIA GPUs, Intel's AVX vector units, and to multicore X86-64 processors. Experimental results show that HPVM optimizations achieve significant performance improvements, HPVM translators achieve performance competitive with manually developed OpenCL code for both GPUs and vector hardware, and that runtime scheduling policies can make use of both program and runtime information to exploit the flexible compilation capabilities. Overall, we conclude that the HPVM representation is a promising basis for achieving performance portability and for implementing parallelizing compilers for heterogeneous parallel systems.


This paper develops an organizational identity–based rationale for why family firms strive for nonfinancial goals. We show that the visibility of the family in the firm, the transgenerational sustainability intentions of the family, and the capability of the firm for self–enhancement of the family positively influence the importance of identity fit between family and firm as well as the family's concern for corporate reputation. We suggest that the concern for corporate reputation leads the family to pursue nonfinancial goals to the benefit of nonfamily stakeholders. We also discuss reinforcing feedback loops in these processes.


The common bean is an important legume crop in East and Central Africa, providing protein, calories and cash income for rural households. This study identified the problem of lack of adequate information on the cross border bean marketing system between Northern Tanzania and Kenya. The objective of this study was to gauge the performance of the bean marketing system, by the measurement of the degree of market integration between regional markets in the study area. The study covered Arusha and Moshi markets of Tanzania, and Nairobi, Namanga and Taveta markets of Kenya. The monthly average wholesale bean prices for 2000 and 2001were collected from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Kenya) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (Tanzania). The SPSS was used to generate the Pearson's bivariate correlation coefficients while the Microfit package was used to analyse the extent of market integration under a co-integration framework using the Augmented Dickey-Fuller unit root tests and Granger causality procedures. The study revealed that in 2001, a paltry 122 tons of beans were formally exported to Kenya through Namanga border point, indicating that despite trade liberalization and the advent of the East African Community, cross-border bean marketing is still largely informal. The regional markets are weakly integrated with bean prices in deficit markets jointly interacting to form the bean prices in supply markets. This study recommends the free export of beans by Tanzanian Government and the removal by Kenya Government of the 3.5% HCDA levy on imported beans from an EAC member state.


Attitudes Toward Physician-Assisted Death From Individuals Who Learn They Have an Alzheimer Disease Biomarker Seven states have legalized physician-assisted death (PAD) for competent, terminally ill individuals; these criteria exclude persons with dementia (PWD). However, there is ethical and policy discussion around expanding access to PAD to people with Alzheimer disease (AD).1,2 Here, we present attitudes toward PAD of cognitively normal individuals enrolled in a clinical trial that required them to learn whether they have elevated amyloid-β, a biomarker that increases risk for cognitive decline owing to AD.3


PURPOSE
To evaluate whether the proportion of the local population without health insurance coverage is related to whether women undergo mammography screening.

METHODS
Survey data on 12,595 women 40 to 69 years of age from the 2000 to 2001 Community Tracking Study Household Survey were used to analyze the relation between community lack of insurance and whether the respondent had a mammogram within the past year.

RESULTS
Women age 40 to 69 were less likely to report that they had a mammogram within the last year if they resided in communities with a relatively high uninsurance rate, even after adjusting for other factors. After adjusting for individual insurance and other factors, a 10-percentage-point decrease in the proportion of the local insured population is associated with a 17% (95% CI, 13% to 21%) decrease in the odds that a woman age 40 to 69 years will undergo mammography screening within a year.

CONCLUSION
Women living in communities with high uninsurance are substantially less likely to undergo mammography screening. These results are consistent with the view that the negative impact of uninsurance extends to everyone in the community regardless of individual health insurance status.


This is a review of current concepts of rheumatoid collapse deformities, and the current treatment options available to those caring for the rheumatoid wrist and hand. It presents an overview to familiarize the clinician with the deformities and their causes, and the techniques and materials available to restore function to the rheumatoid hand.


Pipelines can be exposed at water crossings where rivers lower the channel bed. Channel bed scour may cause damage to linear infrastructure such as pipelines by exposing the pipe to the flow of water and sediment. Accurate estimation of depth of scour is therefore critical in limiting damage to infrastructure. Channel bed scour has three main components: (1) general scour, (2) bed degradation, and (3) pool depth. General scour is the temporary lowering of the channel bed during a flood event. Channel bed degradation is the systematic lowering of a channel bed over time. Pool depth is depth of pools below the general bed elevation and includes the relocation of pools that result from river dynamics.Channel degradation is assessed in the field using indicators of channel incision such as channel bed armoring and bank characteristics, through the analysis of long profiles and sediment transport modelling. Pool depth is assessed using long profiles and channel movement over time. The catastrophic nature of bed lowering due to general scour requires a different assessment. A design depth of cover is based on analysis of depth of scour for a given return period (eg. 100-years). There are three main steps to predict general scour: (1) regional flood frequency analysis, (2) estimation of hydraulic variables, and (3) scour depth modelling. Typically, four scour models are employed: Lacey (1930), Blench (1969), Neill (1973), and Zeller (1981), with the average or maximum value used for design depth.We provide herein case studies for potential scour for pipeline water crossings at the Little Smoky River and Joachim Creek, AB. Using the four models above, and an analysis of channel degradation and pool depth, the recommended minimum depth of cover of 0.75 m and 0.142 m, respectively, were prescribed. Variability between scour models is large. The general scour model results varied from 0.45 m and 0.75 m for the Little Smoky River and 0.16 m to 0.51 m for Joachim Creek. While these models are more than 30 years old and do not adequately account for factors such as sediment mobility, they nevertheless do provide usable answers and should form part of the usual toolbox in water crossing scour calculations.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


This thesis investigated the effectiveness of the "Building Bridges through Interfaith Dialogue in Schools Programme" in promoting intercultural and interreligious understanding,
 faith, empathy, trust, respect and co-operation between students from different faith, cultural and social backgrounds.
 This experiential education programme involves students in years ten and eleven and teachers from different schools and backgrounds to meet and dialogue, question and explore
 each other's lives and faiths over six sessions in a year. The researcher used a survey questionnaire and guided interviews with 84 students, 16 teachers, 15 facilitators of the small groups and four regional co-ordinators alongside the general capabilities of the new Australian curriculum and various measures of empathy and intercultural understanding to make this assessment. Results revealed a majority of participants had grown significantly in trust, respect and interreligious understanding of the other and their faith tradition through
 direct engagement with a peer of a different faith background. The small group dialogues and informal conversations over a meal proved to have greatest impact on participants' learning. The research also found that experiential interfaith education of this nature developed critical and creative thinking skills, challenged inaccurate stereotypes, increased awareness of one's
 own values and faith commitments, improved self-confidence and the social capability to work successfully in religiously and culturally diverse teams. In promoting four of the general capabilities of the Australian curriculum, the research confirmed that experiential interfaith education such as the Building Bridges Programme
 offers an excellent model for educating new generations of Australians in religion, faith and culture, for them to become competent global citizens and leaders in the twenty-first century.


Geographic Information Systems (GISs) are the major data sources for numerical groundwater modelling, and it is common practice to couple groundwater models with GISs. There are three methods for coupling the numerical groundwater models with GISs, namely, "loose", "tight", and "seamless". A seamless GIS groundwater model allows constructing, running model and visualisation of modelled results to be carried out all in a GIS environment, thus having the advantages of being easy to use and highly efficient. Currently, there is, however, no seamless GIS numerical groundwater flow model that produces groundwater levels based on hydrogeological processes; and groundwater flow modelling work is generally carried out by people with special numerical modelling skills. This was addressed by developing a BGS GISGroundwater – a simple two-dimensional finite difference groundwater flow model using C++. This model has a potential to become a spatial analysis function for any GIS capable of handling raster datasets, as demonstrated by developing its ArcGISTM add-in. The case study in the Thames Basin demonstrated that BGS GISGroundwater can be easily and efficiently applied in constructing a regional scale groundwater flow model with great flexibility; and only few hours are needed to build up a numerical regional groundwater flow model in ArcGIS using GISGroundwater. This model is valuable in developing preliminary groundwater flow models and evaluating hydrogeological conceptual models. The model, which will be downloadable free of charge, also lowers the threshold of carrying out groundwater flow simulation thus providing wider access to groundwater flow modelling.