The bonding procedures used in the Incognito system are now well known. Practitioners can work with either a protocol for Maximum-cure which utilizes a hydrophobic and chemo-polymerizable adhesive or an adhesive that is dual and hydrophilic, the association Nexus 3/Excite. Clinically the two protocols provide equivalent results in the quality of the bonding seal for attachments. They are simple to use, but in applying them practitioners must scrupulously follow the manufacturer's recommended stages of procedure.


Purpose We aimed to clarify the distance between the anteromedial (AM) bundle and posterolateral (PL) bundle tunnel-aperture centers by simulating the anatomical femoral tunnel placement during double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using 3-D computer-aided design models of the knee, in order to discuss the risk of tunnel overlap. Relationships between the AM to PL center distance, body height, and sex difference were also analyzed. Patients and methods The positions of the AM and PL tunnel centers were defined based on previous studies using the quadrant method, and were superimposed anatomically onto the 3-D computer-aided design knee models from 68 intact femurs. The distance between the tunnel centers was measured using the 3-D DICOM software package. The correlation between the AM–PL distance and the subject's body height was assessed, and a cutoff height value for a higher risk of overlap of the AM and PL tunnel apertures was identified. Results The distance between the AM and PL centers was 10.2±0.6 mm in males and 9.4±0.5 mm in females (P<0.01). The AM–PL center distance demonstrated good correlation with body height in both males (r=0.66, P<0.01) and females (r=0.63, P<0.01). When 9 mm was defined as the critical distance between the tunnel centers to preserve a 2 mm bony bridge between the two tunnels, the cutoff value was calculated to be a height of 160 cm in males and 155 cm in females. Conclusion When AM and PL tunnels were placed anatomically in simulated double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, the distance between the two tunnel centers showed a strong positive correlation with body height. In cases with relatively short stature, the AM and PL tunnel apertures are considered to be at a higher risk of overlap when surgeons choose the double-bundle technique.


We demonstrate outstanding resistance-drift (R-drift) mitigation and void elimination as reliability benefits of a thin metallic liner. By tuning the resistivity of the liner, the confined PCM with a metallic liner yields an extremely low R-drift coefficient (∼0.01). We also show for the first time that confined PCM could have a self-recovering property by incorporating a metallic liner. The experimental results with real-time in-situ transmission electron microscope (TEM) exhibit the robustness of the confined PCM that can recover by itself without any extra circuits.


Background Parent and teacher ratings of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms yield high estimates of heritability whereas self-ratings typically yield lower estimates. To understand why, the present study examined the etiological overlap between parent, teacher and self-ratings of ADHD symptoms in a population-based sample of 11–12-year-old twins. Method Participants were from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS). ADHD symptoms were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) hyperactivity scale completed by parents, teachers and children. Structural equation modeling was used to examine genetic and environmental contributions to phenotypic variance/covariance. Results The broad-sense heritability of ADHD symptoms was 82% for parent ratings, 60% for teacher ratings and 48% for self-ratings. Post-hoc analyses revealed significantly higher heritability for same-teacher than different-teacher ratings of ADHD (76% v. 49%). A common pathway model best explained the relationship between different informant ratings, with common genetic influences accounting for 84% of the covariance between parent, teacher and self-rated ADHD symptoms. The remaining variance was explained by rater-specific genetic and non-shared environmental influences. Conclusions Despite different heritabilities, there were shared genetic influences for parent, teacher and self-ratings of ADHD symptoms, indicating that different informants rated some of the same aspects of behavior. The low heritability estimated for self-ratings and different-teacher ratings may reflect increased measurement error when different informants rate each twin from a pair, and/or greater non-shared environmental influences. Future studies into the genetic influences on ADHD should incorporate informant data in addition to self-ratings to capture a pervasive, heritable component of ADHD symptomatology.


We examined physical and biological indices from Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. surveys and commercial fisheries to index nearshore rearing habitats used by age-0 and age-1 Sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria in the eastern Gulf of Alaska and as indicators for their recruitment to age2 during the period 2001–2013. The best-fitting general linear model used to estimate age-2 Sablefish recruitment included chlorophyll- a concentration during late August and an index of juvenile Pink Salmon O. gorbuscha abundance during the age-0 stage of Sablefish. The model and biophysical indices from 2012 and 2013 produced a forecast of 23 million age-2 Sablefish for 2014 and a forecast of 8 million Sablefish for 2015. This study highlights the opportunity to use proxies for direct ambient physical and biological observations of rearing habitats in estimating groundfish recruitment to older ages.


This article uses a comparative case study of two ride-hailing platforms—DiDi Chuxing in China and Uber in the United States—to explore the comparative politics of platform power in surveillance capitalism. Surveillance capitalism is an emerging economic system that translates human experiences into surveillance assets for behavioral predictions and modifications. Through this comparative study, we demonstrate how DiDi and Uber articulate their operational legitimacy for advancing their corporate interests and visions of datafication in the face of legal uncertainty. Although DiDi and Uber are both "sectoral platforms" in urban mobility with similar visions of datafication and infrastructuralization, we highlight that they deploy different discursive legitimation strategies. Our study shows that Uber adopts a "confrontational" strategy, while DiDi employs a "collaborative" strategy when they need to legitimize their data and business practices to the public and regulatory authorities. This study offers a comparative lens to examine the social and political dynamics of platform firms based in China and the United States and, therefore, contributes to understanding the various aspirational logic of platform thinking in different political contexts.


New classes of univalent harmonic functions are introduced. We give sufficient coefficient conditions for these classes. These coefficient conditions are shown to be also necessary if certain restrictions are imposed on the coefficients of these harmonic functions. By using extreme points theory we also obtain coefficients estimates, distortion theorems, and integral mean inequalities for these classes of functions. Radii of convexity and starlikeness of the classes are also considered.


BACKGROUND
Research has shown that adolescents who begin drinking at an early stage in life are at greater risk of developing alcohol dependency, as well as a variety of negative outcomes, for instance, delinquent behavior. Most of these studies have focused on those who begin drinking in middle adolescence, but little attention has been paid to youth who initiate drinking under the age of 13. Twenty percent of adolescents have begun using alcohol by the age of 13. The purpose of the study is to examine whether initiating alcohol use before the age of 13 exacerbates negative outcomes in late adolescence.

METHODS
Data for the study were derived from 2 school-based statewide surveys conducted in Florida: the 2005 YRBS and the 2006 FYSAS. The sample included 12,352 11th and 12th grade students divided into 3 groups: students who initiated alcohol use under the age of 13, students who initiated alcohol use at age 13 or later, and students who never used alcohol.

RESULTS
Results showed that after adjusting for gender, ethnicity/race, and grade, adolescents who initiated alcohol use before age 13 were more likely to report problems with school performance and display delinquent behaviors (carrying a gun, carrying a weapon to school, and recent marijuana use).

CONCLUSION
Although no temporal relationships can be determined between drinking alcohol before age 13 and delinquent behavior outcomes, the results suggested that adolescents under the age of 13 need to be included in national epidemiological surveys on alcohol use and more efforts need to be directed toward the implementation of prevention programs early in elementary and middle schools.


This article reports the development and first five years experience of the Western Domiciliary Care Service, Adelaide, South Australia. This service began accepting referrals in July 1971. Referrals are accepted without regard to age or degree of disability. Assessments are made in the patients' homes by social workers and therapists, who maintain close contact with the general practitioners. Liaison with The Queen Elizabeth Hospital has been a tremendous advantage. Of the 1,800 active patients, about 700 would be in nursing homes if this service did not exist, and many referrals to The Queen Elizabeth Hospital have been avoided. The scheme has proved very economical.


The identification of cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) can greatly advance our understanding of gene regulatory mechanisms. Despite the existence of binding sites of more than three transcription factors (TFs) in a CRM, studies in plants often consider only the cooccurrence of binding sites of one or two TFs. In addition, CRM studies in plants are limited to combinations of only a few families of TFs. It is thus not clear how widespread plant TFs work together, which TFs work together to regulate plant genes, and how the combinations of these TFs are shared by different plants. To fill these gaps, we applied a frequent pattern-mining-based approach to identify frequently used cis-regulatory sequence combinations in the promoter sequences of two plant species, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and poplar (Populus trichocarpa). A cis-regulatory sequence here corresponds to a DNA motif bound by a TF. We identified 18,638 combinations composed of two to six cis-regulatory sequences that are shared by the two plant species. In addition, with known cis-regulatory sequence combinations, gene function annotation, gene expression data, and known functional gene sets, we showed that the functionality of at least 96.8% and 65.2% of these shared combinations in Arabidopsis are partially supported, under a false discovery rate of 0.1 and 0.05, respectively. Finally, we discovered that 796 of the 18,638 combinations might relate to functions that are important in bioenergy research. Our work will facilitate the study of gene transcriptional regulation in plants.


As the technological hurdles are overcome and optogenetic techniques advance to have more control over neurons, therapies based on these approaches will begin to emerge in the clinic. Here, we consider the technical challenges surrounding the transition of this breakthrough technology from an investigative tool to a true therapeutic avenue. The emerging strategies and remaining tasks surrounding genetically encoded molecules which respond to light as well as the vehicles required to deliver them are discussed.The use of optogenetics in humans would represent a completely new paradigm in medicine and would be associated with unprecedented technical considerations. To be applied for stimulation of neurons in humans, an ideal optogenetic tool would need to be non-immunogenic, highly sensitive, and activatable with red light or near-infrared light (to maximize light penetration while minimizing photodamage). To enable sophisticated levels of neuronal control, the combined use of optogenetic actuators and indicators could enable closed-loop all-optical neuromodulation. Such systems would introduce additional challenges related to spectral orthogonality between actuator and indicator, the need for decision making computational algorithms and requirements for large gene cassettes. As in any gene therapy, the therapeutic efficiency of optogenetics will rely on vector delivery and expression in the appropriate cell type. Although viral vectors such as those based on AAVs are showing great potential in human trials, barriers to their general use remain, including immune responses, delivery/transport, and liver clearance. Limitations associated with the gene cassette size which can be packaged in currently approved vectors also need to be addressed.


Removing hazardous fuels to reduce the risk of wildfire has become a priority for land managers across the United States. Utilizing biomass taken from forests to cover the cost of fuel reduction is an attractive ideal. Effective utilization could also address important national challenges such as improving forest health, increasing domestic energy supplies, reducing carbon emissions, and revitalizing rural economies. However, getting woody biomass from the forest to the consumer is economically and logistically difficult, and efforts to make biomass utilization profitable have been disappointing so far. JFSP-funded researchers have found that, while there is no recipe for building a successful economy around forest biomass, certain elements are essential: commitment and budget support from land-management agency leaders, processing and transportation infrastructure, developed or potential markets, and the ability of community members to work together. The researchers' findings give land managers and community leaders a basis for assessing whether biomass utilization can be successful in their communities.


This experiment was aimed to identify characteristics and comparative merits of Iranian sheep wool breeds. Fiber characteristics of 75 male and 137 female of 1, 2, 3 and 4 yr of age belonging to Afshari, Zandi, Mehrabani, Lori, and Baluchi sheep breeds were studied. Samples of fiber were taken from the left midside of sheep and analyzed using standard objective measurements for staple length (SL), mean fiber diameter (MFD), coefficient of variation of fiber diameter (FDCV), inner coat fiber ICF, outer coat fiber (OCF), kemp fiber (KF) and yield (Y). A general linear model including sex and age as fixed effects and breed as random effect was used to analyze the data. The mean (and s.e) for SL, MFD, FDCV, ICF, OCF, KF and Y were 110.8±0.1 mm, 36.9±0.5 µm, 50.2%±0.8%, 84.2%±0.6%, 9.8%±0.4%, 5.9%±0.4% and 69.3%±0.7% respectively. MFD of 22% of all  wool samples was between 22-30 µm. MFD of a further 36% and 42% of wool samples was between 31-37  µm and coarser than 37 µm.  SL of 12% of wool samples was shorter than 100 mm and 38% of samples between 100-120 mm and 50% of samples were longer than 120 mm. There is substantial scope to improve the quality of fiber produced by Iranian sheep breeds through genetic selection.


This thesis will explain and summarize my work and involvement in experiments aimed at producing nuclear spin polarization of post-accelerated beams of ions with the tilted-foils technique at the REX-ISOLDE linear accelerator at CERN. Polarizing the nuclear spin of radioactive beams in particular may provide access to observables which may be difficult to obtain otherwise. Currently, the techniques commonly employed for nuclear spin polarization are restricted to specific nuclides and experimental measurement techniques. Tilted foils polarization may provide a new tool to extend the range of nuclides that can be polarized and the types of experiments that can be performed.

The experiments rely not only on the production but also on the method to measure the degree of attained polarization. Two methods will be treated, based on particle scattering in Coulomb excitation that may be utilized for stable beams, and the beta-NMR that requires beta-decaying nuclei. The experimental setups and measurements will be described with interpretation of collected data and final results.

Experiments have already been proposed utilizing the setup developed for this project. Furthermore, since the tilted foils polarization technique may be a tool to produce a new range of polarized beams at the upcoming HIE-ISOLDE facility, and is most efficient with low energy beams, post-acceleration of the beam is of major interest. Reaching the intermediary energy range after post-acceleration may allow Coulomb excitation and transfer experiments to use polarized beams of exotic isotopes. The thesis will conclude with initial studies for post-acceleration at the HIE-ISOLDE linac.


Information integration is fundamental to many aspects of human behavior, and yet its neural mechanism remains to be understood. For example, during face-to-face communication we know that the brain integrates the auditory and visual inputs but we do not yet understand where and how such integration mechanisms support speech comprehension. Here we show that two independent mechanisms forge audiovisual representations for speech comprehension in different brain regions. With a novel information theoretic measure, we found that theta (3-7 Hz) oscillations in the posterior superior temporal gyrus/sulcus (pSTG/S) code speech information that is common (i.e. redundant) to the auditory and visual inputs whereas the same oscillations in left motor and inferior temporal cortex code synergistic information between the same inputs. Importantly, redundant coding in the left pSTG/S and synergistic coding in the left motor cortex predict behavior - i.e. speech comprehension performance. Our findings therefore demonstrate that processes classically described as integration effectively reflect independent mechanisms that occur in different brain regions to support audiovisual speech comprehension.


The relationship between left-ventricular end diastolic pressure (Pllv) and size (llv) in secondary ventricular fibrillation was investigated in 28 diseased cardiac patients. A critical level is identified in the Pllv:llv ratio at the time of secondary ventricular fibrillation, that is assumed to precondition this kind of arrhythmia. The demonstrated relationship is similar to the relation of atrial fibrillation to the critical balance achieved between the respective left-atrial parameters.


Thiophosgene (CSCl2), a chemical reagent used in numerous organic syntheses, exists in the monomeric form while its heavier silicon analogue [siliconthiodichloride (SiSCl2)] has been isolated so far as a dimer at room temperature and as a tetramer at 180 °C. Herein, we report on the first synthesis, isolation, and characterization of cyclic alkyl(amino) carbene (cAAC) stabilized siliconthiodichloride (cAAC)SiSCl2 (3) in the neutral monomeric form. 3 is synthesized via reaction of (cAAC˙)2Si2Cl4 (1) or (cAAC)2Si2Cl2 (2) with S8 in the temperature range of -78 to 20 °C. An NHC [NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene] analogue of 3 is not isolated when (NHC)SiCl2 is reacted with S8. The bright yellow colored compound 3 is soluble in polar organic solvents. It is stable at room temperature for a month under an inert atmosphere. 3 decomposes above 160 °C. The monomeric molecular structure of 3 has been unambiguously confirmed by X-ray single crystal diffraction. 3 is also characterized by NMR, UV-vis, and IR spectroscopy. The bonding and electron density distributions of 3 have been further studied by theoretical calculations.


This paper proposes to analyze the first book published by a woman migrant to California. By 1856, the year when California In-doors and out came out, its author, Eliza W. Farnham, was well-known for her involvement in prison reform (she became the first matron of Sing Sing women's prison) and her book on Illinois (Life in Prairie Land, 1846). She was also the widow of Thomas Farnham, an author of several books on the West who had bought the land in Santa Cruz where Eliza and her children settled during the time of the Gold Rush. California In-doors and out offers a unique insight into the early phase of California's settlement, as well as a complex narrative of personal adaptation to a new environment. Its vivid and at times humorous descriptions of agrarian life, embryonic political institutions, social relations and violence, are permeated with the spirit of Manifest Destiny. The book can indeed be read at once as an entertaining tale and a vibrant utopia picturing California as a rough land destined to become "the world's nursery of freedom". Yet, the deep originality of Farnham's account lies in its gendered perspective. For Farnham was not simply a woman gone west; she was a feminist convinced of the spiritual superiority of the female sex. In order to finance her trip to California, she initially tried to set up a project inciting hundreds of poor and virtuous eastern women to migrate west and civilize the male dominated territories. The project failed, but Eliza Farnham moved to Santa Cruz, built her own farm, and called, through her book, for the feminization of California, without which the process of democratization could not take place. This paper will analyze Farnham's book as an account of California worth examining along race, class and gender lines; special attention will be paid to the disrupted dialectics of public and private spaces which traditionally founded the cult of domesticity. The paper will also highlight the autobiographical dimension of the narrative as well as the budding theory that the author subsequently developed in a voluminous work aiming to demonstrate the absolute superiority of the female sex (Woman and her Era,1864).


Diphallia or penile duplication is a rare congenital abnormality thought to result from duplication of the cloacal membrane in the early developmental stages in the uterus. The present case concerned a 4-year old intact male German shepherd dog. The patient presented with a complaint of paraphimosis. Clinical, laboratory, radiological and ultrasonographic examinations were carried out. Semen samples collected prior to surgery were examined. Following amputation, the penis with paraphimosis was sent for histopathological investigation. Karyotype analysis of the patient was also performed. As well as the first report of this abnormality in Turkey, this case report represents the first report of this condition in a German shepherd dog.


E.C. FREDERICK. Synthesis, experimentation, and the biomechanics of economical movement. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 44–47, 1985. An issue that should concern sports biomechanists is the need for more synthesis of ideas and experimental testing of those ideas. Descriptive analysis is overemphasized at present, and more stress on synthesis of existing data and experimental testing of new ideas should generate new theories that will give us insights into the mechanical behavior of structures and the kinetics and kinematics of sports movements. One area where this approach may be especially helpful is in studying the question of what makes movements energetically economical. Twenty-six behavioral and mechanical factors have been shown to have an association with the economy of movement. A synthesis should be undertaken which probes the meaning of these various data. Trends in these findings point to intra- and intersegmental energy transfer, center of mass excursion, and elastic energy storage as potential areas for expanding our understanding of the biomechanics of economical movement. These possibilities might be explored by enhancing link-segmental mathematical models to predict what makes movements economical and then testing these predictions by using biofeedback techniques to train subjects to perform the correct movements while being monitored. Optimization models might offer an additional strategy for developing a theory of mechanically and energetically economical movement.


Summary We propose a new design principle for construction of iterated cryptographic hash functions: computations in the iterative part of the compression function to start with variables produced in the message expansion part that have complexity level of a random Boolean function. Then we show that to reach the cryptographic strength that will withstand all currently known techniques for finding collisions, much lower number of iterations is necessary. Concretely we use the recently proposed nonlinear technique "Quasigroup Fold" together with the mentioned principle to design a hash function that has only 8 iterative steps. Besides increasing the security, the reference C code for the obtained hash function shows that it is at least 3% faster than original reference code for SHA-1.


Today's internationalized business demands global mindset, intercultural sensitivity and the ability to skilfully negotiate through cross-cultural interactions. Therefore, the overall aim was to investigate the influence of emotional intelligence (EI) on cross-cultural adjustment (CCA) of British expatriates working on International Architectural, Engineering and Construction assignments in Sub-Saharan Africa, China, Middle East and Indian Sub-Continent. Specifically, the causal relationship between EI and three facets of CCA i.e. work, general and interaction adjustment was explored. A sequential exploratory mixed methods design was adopted. These include extensive review of existing literature, eighteen unstructured interviews, and questionnaire survey of 191 British expatriates operating in 29 different countries from the four regions under investigation. Structural equation modelling was used to assess the causal relationship between EI and CCA. Results show that EI accounted for 91, 64 and 24% of the variance in work, interaction and general adjustment respectively. Overall, the model was able to explain 60% variance in CCA, suggesting that EI competencies play a huge role in facilitating an expatriate understand and adapt to host country culture. The findings would help decision-makers (HR managers) during expatriate selection process, in understanding that along with technical skills, it is the emotional competencies that are crucial in assisting expatriates adjust to foreign way of life.


The functional validation of a complex digital design is a laborious, ad-hoc and open-ended task. Many circuits are too complex to be formally verified in their entirety. Instead, simulation of a register transfer level (RTL) model is used. This research explores techniques to make the validation task more systematic, automated and efficient. This can be accomplished by using information embedded in the RTL model to extract the set of "interesting behaviors" of the design, represented as interacting finite state machines (FSM). If all such interesting behaviors of the RTL could be tested in simulation, the degree of confidence that the design is correct would be substantially higher. This work provides two tools towards this goal. First, a test vector generator is described that uses this information to produce a series of test vectors that exercise all the implemented behaviors of the design in RTL simulation. Secondly, the information can be used as the basis for coverage analysis of a pre-existing test vector suite. Previous coverage metrics, such as toggles on a node in the circuit or code block execution counts, often give good first order indications of how thorough a circuit has been exercised but do not usually give an accurate picture of whether multiple or concurrent events have been exercised. In this thesis, a new method is proposed of analyzing test vector suite coverage based on projecting a minimized control state graph onto control signals that enter the datapath part of the design.
The fundamental problem facing any technique that uses state exploration is state space explosion. Two techniques are proposed to minimize this problem; first, a dynamic state graph pruning algorithm based on static analysis of the model structure to provide an exact minimization and second, approximation of the state graph with an estimation of the state space in a more compact representation. These techniques help delay the onset of state explosion, allowing useful information to be obtained and utilized, even for complex designs. Results and practical experiences of applying these techniques to the design of the node controller (MAGIC) of the Stanford FLASH Multiprocessor project are given.


Some high tax countries concerned about outward flight of capital have reacted by imposing so called dual income tax systems. The idea is to keep high taxes on labour while holding low tax rates on capital income received by individual investors and entrepreneurs, matching those on corporations. A popular method is to state by law that capital income exceeding a certain level of return should be taxed as labour income. In specifying this level, cost of capital calculations have been used to determine what it should be to avoid serious distortions. This paper claims that such cost of capital comparisons across closely held companies and entrepreneurial ventures on the one hand and widely held companies on the other could easily be misleading. Contrary to current practice they should not be based on equal level assumptions regarding the investors' required rates of return, net of taxes. Theoretical considerations as well as empirical evidence show that the return requirements are much higher on investments by entrepreneurs in venture start-ups than on those by well diversified investors. Using earlier results based on the capital asset pricing model (CAPM), the paper shows that the difference can be as high as a factor three. Given this observation, the paper argues that by more or less neglecting it, dual income tax systems used in the Nordic countries are seriously discriminating against entrepreneurship and growth of small firms. The argument is supported by numerical illustrations for the case of Sweden. The conclusions send an important message to other countries in Europe and elsewhere considering the mitigation of effects of capital mobility by a dual income tax (i.e. by using standardized measures of the amount of capital income to be taxed at lower rates than labour).


The effect of weeds on the diminution of agricultural production is considered to be between 30 and 50%. Imazethapyr is a herbicide which acts on the enzyme ALS, the first common enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of valine, leucine and isoleucine. Euphorbia heterophylla is a common species in soybean fields in Brazil and different populations resistant to herbicides of the sulfonylurea and imidazolinone groups are currently being reported. The objectives of this work were: to determine the resistance of three different biotypes named RI, RII and RII to the herbicide imazethapyr: to establish the level of resistance to this herbicide, and to evaluate the behaviour of the biotypes to other herbicides with a similar mode of action. The response of plants treated with imazethapyr confirmed the existence of resistance in the biotypes denominated as RI, RII and RIII. The imazethapyr concentration required to reduce the activity of the enzyme ALS by 50% (I50) should be greater than 500 microM for biotypes RI, RII and RIII and 39.47 microM for the susceptible biotype. Applications made in the greenhouse at field doses of ALS inhibiting herbicides showed cross resistance in the case of imazamox and imazamethabenz but not in the cases of the other ALS inhibitor herbicides used. ALS activity results demonstrated that the imazethaphyr resistance in different biotypes of E. heterophylla is target site mediated.


This chapter deals with electron diffraction and imaging in the transmission geometry at kilovolt and higher beam energies for the purposes of crystal structure determination. Techniques such as low-energy electron diffraction, gas electron diffraction and reflection electron diffraction are not considered. Following a brief review of the history of the subject and its relationship to X-ray diffraction, the fundamental theory is presented by J. M. Cowley in Section 2.5.2. Unlike X-rays, which diffract from the electron density in a crystal, electrons are scattered elastically by the Coulomb potential, which is related to the density through Poisson's equation and includes the nuclear contribution. Electrons are much more strongly scattered than X-rays and have much smaller wavelengths. (This leads to a very 'flat' Ewald sphere and the simultaneous excitation of many Bragg beams.) Electron sources have comparable brightness to third-generation synchrotrons fitted with an undulator, so that Bragg intensities are very high. Because of their limited penetration, samples for transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) usually have thicknesses of less than a micron, while for interpretable atomic resolution images, thicknesses of tens of nanometres are preferred. Multiple scattering complicates TEM image interpretation and diffraction for larger thicknesses. The current (2006) spatial resolution of the best aberration-corrected TEM instruments is about 0.8 nm. Microdiffraction patterns may be obtained using a beam width of sub-nanometre dimensions, while the analysis of characteristic X-rays excited by such a probe provides chemical information. For organic monolayers (such as proteins), the amount of structural information obtained per unit of radiation damage (which is a strong function of resolution) exceeds that obtainable by X-ray diffraction. Cowley's treatment includes sections on electron scattering factors, Bethe's 1928 multiple scattering theory, Born's series, sign conventions, two-beam dynamical theory and single-scattering theory. This is followed by the theory of electron microscope imaging at high resolution, including the weak-phase object and other approximations, and the Scherzer focusing condition. The section ends with treatments of atomic resolution imaging in crystals and the factors which limit it, with Fourier or Talbot self-imaging, and with a brief discussion of coherent nanodiffraction. Section 2.5.3 by P. Goodman describes the convergent-beam electron diffraction (CBED) method used for space-group determination. This information is obtained in the microdiffraction mode, allowing nanocrystals to be analysed. A cone of illumination is used, which broadens the Bragg spots into discs, whose internal symmetries are analysed together with the symmetry of the whole pattern of discs. This section reviews the history of the subject, and provides tables which allow a systematic deduction of point and space groups from these data in most cases. Multiple scattering effects, in particular, can be used to distinguish between centrosymmetric and noncentrosymmetric crystals, while cancellation along symmetry-related multiple scattering paths allows identification of screw and glide elements. Examples from the literature are cited and sources of useful multiple-scattering software for simulating CBED patterns are noted. Section 2.5.4 by B. K. Vainshtein and B. B. Zvyagin is devoted to the use of transmission electron diffraction patterns to solve the structures of thin crystal structures using the kinematic theory. Texture and polycrystalline patterns are considered, as is the relationship to X-ray work. Section 2.5.5 by B. K. Vainshtein again outlines the theory of high-resolution electron imaging, extending this to include image processing, image cross-correlation and alignment, and image filtering and enhancement. Section 2.5.6 by B. K. Vainshtein discusses the problem of three-dimensional image reconstruction from projections, widely used in cryo-electron microscopy of proteins, and increasingly also now in materials science. The real-space methods of Radon, the method of back-projection, iterative methods and reciprocal-space techniques are described in full. Section 2.5.7 by D. L. Dorset summarizes solutions to the phase problem which may be applied to electron diffraction data. These include many of those currently in use for X-ray diffraction, including Patterson maps, direct methods and trial-and-error search techniques. Much of the section concerns electron diffraction data from thin organic films, analysed using the three-phase invariants of the direct methods approach to phasing. The tangent formula is reviewed and useful software is suggested. Density modification and maximum entropy methods are outlined. Because of the strong dependence of multiply scattered electron diffraction intensities on the thickness of the sample, and on local orientation changes (effects which are not accounted for in the structure analysis of the data), the thinnest possible samples must be used, and phasing measures are sought which are robust with respect to multiple scattering perturbations. Conversely, the ability to obtain data from nanometre-sized regions can greatly assist the effort to obtain high-quality perfect-crystal data free of defects, bending or thickness variation.


Three hundred thirty-three nursery pigs (initially 23.7 lb) were used in a 21-d growth assay to determine the lysine bioavailability of spray-dried blood meal, blood cells, and crystalline lysine on growth performance. Regardless of lysine source, ADG improved linearly as dietary lysine increased. However, pigs fed diets containing blood cells gained faster then those fed diets with spraydried blood meal. Pigs fed diets containing crystalline lysine and blood cells had greater ADFI then pigs fed spray-dried blood meal. Feed efficiency improved by 11.6, 13.6, and 12.7% with increasing amounts of L-lysine HCl, spray-dried blood meal, and blood cells, respectively. If L-lysine has a lysine bioavailability of 100%, the lysine bioavailabilities of spray-dried blood meal and blood cells, as determined by a sloperatio, were 103 and 102%, respectively.


The
determination of the mineralogical composition of rocks that underlie Okom-Ita
area, in Oban Massif became necessary for the interpretation of the
petrogenesis and protoliths of rocks in the area. Twelve representative rock
samples were selected for thin section petrography and bulk rock geochemical
analysis. The results reveal that the dominant intrusive rocks in Okom-Ita area
are pegmatites, quartz veins and dolerites emplaced within gneisses, schists
and phyllites host rocks. The quartz veins and pegmatites are leucocratic
consisting predominantly of quartz, plagioclase and subordinate amount of
Muscovites. The dolerite is dark grey, fine to medium grained and texturally
ophitic and consists dominantly of pyroxenes, olivine and opaques. Three varieties
of gneisses were recognized: feldspathic, banded and biotite gneisses. The
gneisses, schists, and phyllites are dominated by SiO2 in the range
of (60% - 75%). The rocks exhibit higher molecular concentration {Al2O3 > (CaO + Na2O + K2O)}, high alkali concentration with
Na2O > K2O, high Al2O3 to alkali
ratios and low TiO2, CaO and MgO concentrations. These distribution
trends suggest a compensation for the high silica and alumina concentrations
and support a granitic protolith for the pegmatites and their host gneisses and
schists. The dolerites and amphibolites are impoverished in SiO2,
but relatively enriched in lime and alkali oxides. Plots in the AFM, TiO2-K2O-P2O5 and Na2O/Al2O3-K2O/Al2O3 diagrams show that the pegmatite was derived from calc-alkaline magmatic
source, while the dolerite was derived from tholeiitic basalt magma.


This article has examined the impact that telecommunications technologies may have on the way in which health care services are delivered. A number of scenarios of how that might occur were discussed. Some of these scenarios are already being realized. Telemedicine, for instance, is being used in certain geographic regions of the United States. Various community health information networks are in the developmental stages or at varying degrees of operability. Two such networks in Colorado and Wisconsin were offered as examples. The impact of these developments on confidentiality and security of patient information, issues central to the responsibilities of health information managers, has been discussed. These technological advancements will have consequences for health information managers in other ways, too. The types of tasks that are performed and how those tasks are performed related to storing and retrieving information will be different in the future. In the transition period, blurring of job functions may occur as different types of practitioners strive to carve their niche in the electronic environment. For instance, as electronic patient records are linked to bibliographic databases of medical literature, where do the responsibilities of health information managers end and medical librarians begin? The best way to ensure a position on the health care team of the future is to recognize the opportunities provided by this dynamic period in health care.


This paper presents the structural analysis and constructional method for the stabilization and strengthening of the foundation of the two entrance gates in Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH). The holy shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH) is a great complex in the city of Mashhad in Iran. It was founded nearly 1000 years ago and has developed and become extensive through the times. There are several entrances and wide courts around the oldest section in the centre of the complex. Recently, the extension scopes of this complex, required excavation and construction in the basements near the two main gates, called Saat and Naghareh Khaneh Edifice. These activities, near the 400 years old edifices, needed special mobilization, like, monitoring the historical buildings and strengthening their foundations. A deep study was performed, which pursued two purposes. The first purpose was to strengthen the foundation of the buildings and the second was to make a tunnel through the foundation of the buildings because of some operational benefits for the client. At the first glance these two purposes, seemed contradictory, but finally, a new structural system for the foundation were designed and built, which was able to carry the superstructure loads to the ground while a wide tunnel was constructed as well. Special scheduled sequences of construction were prepared, which was flexible and sufficiently reliable so as to overcome any undesirable circumstances and obstacles. Monitoring the buildings behaviour during the constructional phase was conducted to assist the execution directions. This project was carried out successfully and it is in use.


This article shares findings from case studies of two eighteen-year-old songwriters, Bradley and James. The study investigated songwriter motivation, writing methods, and school experiences. Data was collected over the course of one year through two in-depth interviews per songwriter, two teacher interviews, and 101 songwriting artifacts. Grounded theory and constant comparison methods were used during data analysis. This study found that Bradley's and James's music emphasizes acceptance of others and critical engagement with social issues. They see songwriting as a masculine alternative to journaling, and they have strong preferences regarding their writing tools, time, and spaces. Additionally, these songwriters prefer to write one line at a time, to skip pre-writing, and to have a choice of topic—preferences that sometimes conflicted with their school experiences. This article concludes by offering suggestions for supporting songwriting in school.


Abstract Faster, sensitive and real‐time methods for detecting organophosphate (OP) pesticides are urged for in situ monitoring of these widely spread contaminants. For this reason, several efforts have been addressed for the development of performant biosensors. The thermostable enzyme esterase‐2 from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius (EST2), with a lipase‐like Ser‐His‐Asp catalytic triad with a high affinity to OPs, is a promising candidate as a bioreceptor for biosensor development. Within this EU‐FORA fellowship project, two different components of the biosensor were evaluated: (i) the use of the enzymatic bioreceptor in solution or immobilised in a solid membrane; (ii) the measurement of fluorescence quenching by direct measurement of the fluorescence probe intensity signal or by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the tryptophans located in the catalytic site of the enzyme to a binded fluorescence probe. Fluorescence spectroscopy is among the most used techniques in analytical chemistry laboratories, mainly due to its high sensitivity and simplicity. To this aim, the developed IAEDANS‐labelled EST2‐S35C mutant has been used. Fluorometric measurements with both methods showed linearity with increased EST2‐S35C concentrations. No significant interference on FRET measurements was observed due to changes in medium pH or due to the addition of other organic components (glucose, ascorbic acid, yeast extract). Both methods presented similar sensitivity towards detecting OPs, with fluorescence quenching due to the presence of paraoxon at environmentally relevant concentrations from 0.09 µM. The obtained results are of high relevance to further development of biosensors for the pesticide monitoring that: (i) decrease the expenses of the analysis; (ii) simplify the procedures for pesticide detection; (iii) reduce the time of response. Furthermore, the use of biosensors for pesticides real‐time and in situ detection of pesticides promises to increase the number of samples analysed, providing a larger amount of data for food safety risk assessment.


Elliptic curves are proposed for the asymmetrical cryptography by Neal Koblitz and Victor Miller in 1986 separately. Elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) is utilized by hardware embedded solutions on mobile equipments and smart cards after 2000. Currently, software implementation of ECC faces the computational speed problem. One of the proposed solutions is to do the arithmetic operations on different Euclidean coordinate systems. This paper concentrates on the research of this technique and delineates the performance results of the implementation of the aforementioned technique on the different cryptographic libraries such as CRYMPIX, GMP and MIRACL


Abstract Climate change is one major challenge that has brought substantial costs to the United States. To implement mitigation measures and gain public support, it is critical to understand Americans' attitudes toward this issue. Our study investigates how carbon dependency, social capital, and political orientation influence public response to climate change by perceiving its threat, changing behaviors, and supporting policies. We first build an integrative paradigm to explore the theoretical connections. Next, we employ data from different sources to measure these key concepts at individual and state levels and then estimate the relationships empirically. Multilevel regression results show that carbon dependency inhibits public response while social capital enhances such response. Democrats and liberals are motivated to respond and residents of Democratic Party controlled states are also more likely to believe in climate change and perceive the risk than their counterparts. These factors can be leveraged to mobilize public engagement in climate activism.


This study aims to determine the dominant factors in potential mountaineering tourism and analyze potential strategies in terms of SWOT. This research was using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The strategy was analyzed using Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) methods on indicators of natural tourist attraction in the form of land, accessibility, management and service, climate, facilities / infrastructure, availability of clean water, security, and marketing. Quantitative data was collected using a questionnaire with a Likert scale, while qualitative data was collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. Respondents for quantitative data were 100 tourists, and those for qualitative data were 21 informants consisting of technical field managers, communities, community climbers, and traveler. The results of the study showed an analysis of the potential of mountain climbing tourism in Mount Gede Pangrango National Park is quite potential and development strategy is needed. The findings in this study show SWOT matrix analysis of policy strategies for potential mountain climbing tourism in Mount Gede Pangrango National Park has the power and opportunity to develop more Progressive Strategy by making Mount Gede Pangrango National Park excellent mountain climbing tourism with its natural beauty and uniqueness.


The VL30 family is a retroviruslike gene family with no apparent nucleic acid homology to any known retrovirus. Over 100 copies of VL30 DNA elements are dispersed throughout the mouse genome. Sequence analysis of the VL30 long terminal repeat (LTR) units showed that, whereas the LTR units of a given VL30 DNA element were almost identical, the LTR units associated with distinct members of the family were very different from one another. Comparison of the LTR sequences possessed by two particular VL30 DNA elements revealed a pattern of extensively homologous DNA segments adjacent to only distantly related DNA sequences. With the aid of sub-LTR probes, it was shown that a certain LTR is composed of both U5 sequences that are abundantly present in all species of the genus Mus and a U3 region detected only in Mus musculus. In addition, we isolated a VL30 DNA element in which the LTR units were replaced by the LTR units of an apparently novel retroviruslike family. These findings suggest that recombinations have played a role in generating the diverse population of VL30-associated LTRs.


Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been recognized as a nosocomial pathogen in Europe and North America for 3 decades. More recently it has emerged as a problem in long-term care facilities. It is less frequently considered a pathogen in nonfacility, community-acquired infections, where it is most often seen in intravenous drug users. There are no studies in the literature specifically describing the clinical features of MRSA pneumonia. Presumably its presentation and outcome are similar to that of pneumonia caused by susceptible strains. Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia is more often nosocomial- or nursing home-acquired, has a variable association with influenza, has clinical and laboratory features similar to other types of community-acquired pneumonia and carries a relatively high mortality of 20% to 84%. MRSA should be considered resistant to all classes of beta-lactam (beta) antibiotics. In addition, these isolates are frequently resistant to a number of other antibiotics, with vancomycin and only antibiotic to have consistently shown activity against MRSA. Therefore, vancomycin remains the treatment of choice for infections caused by MRSA, although treatment failures have been reported. The use of alternative antibiotics should be based on results of susceptibility testing of the strain isolated from the patient.


To ensure its appeal to both academics and front-line workers, Injury Prevention regularly includes a News and Notes section and many other special features: program reports, guest editorials, commentaries, fillers, book reviews, and letters. Above all, the papers reflect the Journal's international orientation. As well as regular contributions from the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, in the past year papers have appeared from Taiwan, Pakistan, Brazil, Ghana, and Sweden. The large and distinguished editorial board represents 20 different countries.


In this paper, we investigate into a new lossless compression framework for video. We are to exploit fuller scale of temporal redundancy, and propose an adaptive optimal compression plane (OCP) determination process to be used with the standard intra-frame lossless predictive coding scheme. The essence of the scheme is to perform the prediction on the plane formed by two axes (among X, Y and T) corresponding to signal correlation evaluation, which enables better prediction (therefore better compression). In spite of the simplicity of the proposed method, simulation results show that the rate saving of the resultant system is 27.0% on average with respect to JPEG-LS, for a large number of videos with different visual content.


Pervious concrete as a paving material rehabilitate on a new interest due to its efficiency to permit water to drainage over itself to flow groundwater and reducing storm water runoff. The employment of Recycled Coarse Aggregates (RCA) from site of construction and destruction wastes to product green concrete as a sustainable solve with varied environmental interests. Three different series (A, B, and C) of pervious concrete were used in this work, every series consisting of four mixtures, The (series A) mixtures with RCA replacement were 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% by weight of Natural Coarse Aggregate (NA), and (series B) mixtures using the same replacement ratios of RCA in addition of (silica fume SF) of 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 12% by weight of cement to strengthen the cement past of pervious concrete. Finally, the (series C) mixtures were included the similar ratios of RCA and SF in addition to glass fibers of volume fraction 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.15%, and 0.2%. The properties of RCA pervious concrete investigated from density, hydraulic conductivity coefficient, porosity, and strength indices were compressive, flexural, and splitting tensile strengths. The test results shows that the use of RCA slightly affect hydraulic conductivity and nugatory effect on compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths where the use of silica fume and glass fibres more strong effect on the hydraulic conductivity and positive effect on pervious concrete flexural, splitting tensile strengths.


Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced under oxidative stress, such as high oxygen concentration and during the metabolic consumption of oxygen molecules. Male reproductive tissues appear to be continuously exposed to ROS produced by active metabolism. In addition, spermatozoa must pass through a high oxygen environment during the mating process. Thus, to maintain viable reproductive ability, a protective mechanism against oxidative stress is of importance. Here, we overview our current understanding of the cooperative function of antioxidative and redox systems that are involved in male fertility. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase are major enzymes that scavenge harmful ROS in male reproductive organs. In turn, glutathione and thioredoxin systems constitute the main redox systems that repair oxidized and damaged molecules and also play a role in regulating a variety of cellular functions. While glutathione functions as an antioxidant by donating electrons to glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin donates electrons to peroxiredoxin as a counterpart of glutathione peroxidase. In addition, aldo-keto reductases, which detoxify carbonyl compounds produced by oxidative stress, are present at high levels in the epithelia of the genital tract and Sertoli cells of the testis. Since these systems are involved in cross-talk, a comprehensive understanding will be required to maintain the physiological functions of male reproductive system.


Abstract This article argues that Americans operate with a concept and practice of political autonomy centered on a notion of "mastery," which is inextricably linked to race, gender, and class hierarchy. I adopt Max Weber's concept of mastery and use it to broaden the construct of a Herrenvolk democracy beyond its traditional association with White supremacy. I then use this theoretical framework to illuminate the emergence of segregation in Atlanta between 1880 and 1910. This period marks a crucial transformation in the concept of race in the United States, as the paternalism of Southern agricultural relations is transposed by Southern Progressives into more urban and industrial settings. I conclude by raising the possibility that the concept of political autonomy currently operative in the United States shares important common ground with the ideological achievements of the Southern Progressives, confounding institutional attempts to foster citizen autonomy.


SETTING
Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease among adolescents; however, very little is known about asthma in this age group.

OBJECTIVE
To explore asthma in adolescence using cross-sectional and retrospective representative data.

DESIGN
A population-based sample of adolescents was selected from 578 classes in 186 schools of eight metropolitan educational districts in France and invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire (National Adolescent Health Survey [NAHS]).

RESULTS
Of 14,278 adolescents selected, 12,466 (87%) participated in the survey. Prevalence of 'ever asthma' was higher among boys, among those in the south and west, among those from French overseas departments, in active smokers, and in those with other allergies, including food allergy. It was lower in adolescents whose mother was a housewife. Puberty was not associated with 'ever asthma'; however, asthmatic boys without signs of puberty usually had more attacks than those with. Severe asthma was associated with early onset and female sex. Asthma medications and consultations did not depend on socio-economic status. Asthmatic adolescents were found to need more health care in terms of medication use, consultations and hospitalisations other than for asthma than other adolescents; this relationship was strongest among severe asthmatics.


Having graduated with a Master's degree in Natural Sciences, the educational aspects that I engaged in during my studies seemed to have ignited my latent affinity for education, which prompted me to pursue a scholarship in education. Fortunately, I did not have to choose between the two disciplines but could merge the Natural Sciences into the field of education. However, I obtained my entrance to the field of education through enrolling for a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE). This qualification assumes that I am engaged in a professional education practice which I could comply with when I became a Life Sciences teacher-educator for postgraduate student-teachers. Obtaining the PGCHE qualification revolved around the continuing improvement and/or innovation of my education practice through a comprehensive action research project. From the onset it became clear that being a good scientist does not mean that one is a good educator. Through this action research project I quickly learned that it is not only the improvement of my professional education practice that is under scrutiny, but, since learning is personal and fundamentally holistic in nature, my personal development is also under investigation. This also provided the impetus to extend my action research project into my proposed autoethnographic PhD scholarship. I was surprised by how the simplistic cyclic conception of action research could be transformed to support a complex endeavour of cycles and spirals in which personal development of the highest order to maximise one's potential (being not only central but also an ethical imperative in education) could so effectively be fulfilled through action research.


Effect of irrigation water salinity was investigated on both the yield and quality of sainfoin and soil salinization under greenhouse conditions in 35 cm wide and 65 cm long PVC columns. Sainfoin was chosen because it is grown in arid and semiarid region with salinity problems and it is cold resistant. 5 levels of water salinity (0.27, 3.5, 7, 10 and 13 dS m -1 ) and two levels of alkalinity (SAR=0.35 and 10) were evaluated as a factorial in a randomized - plot design with three replicates. Sainfoin was harvested twice. Plants got shorter and dry hay yield and crude protein ratio were declined as the levels of salt and alkalinity increased for both harvests. There were no live plants in the second harvest when salt concentration and alkalinity was highest. Increase in soil salinization was also observed with increasing water salt level.


Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) enzymes have considerable structural similarity within limited regions (X and Y) implicated in catalysis. The role of residues contained within a highly conserved sequence present in the X region was investigated by site-directed mutagenesis of PLC-delta 1 isoenzyme. Seven residues (Ser-308, Ser-309, Ser-310, His-311, Thr-313, Tyr-314, and Gln-319) were individually replaced by alanine or glutamine (His-311). Replacement of two residues, His-311 and Tyr-314, resulted in a dramatic reduction of enzyme activity. The kcat of hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate by H311A and Y314A mutants was reduced 1000- and 10-fold respectively, with little effect on Km. Further analysis of H311A and Y314A mutants, using limited proteolysis and circular dichroism, had shown that no major structural alterations had occurred. Since site-directed mutagenesis demonstrated the importance of histidine residues, their role in enzyme function was also analysed by chemical modification with diethyl pyrocarbonate. This modification of histidine residues resulted in the reduction of enzyme activity and also indicated that more than one residue could be important.


Mobile input technologies can be bulky, obtrusive, or difficult to use while performing other tasks. In this paper, we present Hambone, a lightweight, unobtrusive system that affords quick access, subtlety, and multitasking capabilities for gesture-based mobile device interaction. Hambone uses two small piezoelectric sensors placed on either the wrist or ankle. When a user moves his hands or feet, the sounds generated by the movement travel to Hambone via bone conduction. Hambone then transmits the signals digitally to a mobile device or computer. The signals are recognized using hidden Markov models (HMMs) and are mapped to a set of commands controlling an application. In this paper, we present the hardware and software implementation of Hambone, a preliminary evaluation, and a discussion of future opportunities in bio-acoustic gesture-based interfaces.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of information theory as a testing technique to diagnose the different levels of Spanish vocabulary skills. This study is not an attempt to analyze mistakes or to debate which language proficiency test is the best in testing language abilities or expertness. This test was constructed to determine the readability and the validity of information theory as a testing tool. A secondary purpose was to determine whether this technique could help increase a person's ability to comprehend reading material at their level of second language learning. Vocabulary skills were tested at the beginner, intermediate, advanced and native stages of language proficiency. This study consisted of three experimental groups. The first was composed of fifty students from the Allendale Columbia School who are learning Spanish as a second language. Their ages ranged from twelve to nineteen years old. This group was further categorized as non-native language learners at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of language development. The second group consisted of non-educated native Spanish speakers and language trained non-native Spanish speakers and finally, the third group was composed of non-language trained educated Spanish speakers and language trained native Spanish speakers. The first group was tested with a variety of reading materials in the target language. This was done to verify their language level. The materials presented consisted of two to three paragraphs with part of the information deleted. The objective of the test was for the subjects to encode the missing letters within a five minute time frame. All three groups were presented with a similar testing procedure at different levels of difficulty. The reading passages consisted of approximately 200 to 250 bits of information each. Shannon's citation for calculating redundancy was used to compute the predictability of the passages, as well as, to determine the level of each subject tested. The subjects in group one made significant improvement on test scores at their instructional level. The second and third group made positive, yet not significant improvements at their level of language proficiency. Within the limitations of this study the following conclusions can be drawn: 1. The findings of this project suggest that the results of this study must be interpreted with caution and can only be generalized to a similar population. 2. The findings failed to show any significant difference between a language trained non-native Spanish speaker and a non-language trained native Spanish speaker. 3. The findings suggested that for classroom applications and implications further research is warranted.


In order to increase the component lifetime of SiC based materials in combustion environments, environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) based on ceramic oxides are used to improve corrosion resistance of SiC, due to their high chemical stability. In this work, mullite and barium-strontium-aluminosilicate (BSAS) coatings were deposited by slurry dip coating on SiC substrates. Slurries were prepared by suspending commercial powders in water or ethanol, using appropriate dispersants. Substrates were dipped into the slurry and subsequently dried and heat treated at high temperature to promote densification. SEM observations were carried out to investigate the microstructure of the obtained coatings and to evaluate crack formation, porosity and adhesion.


This volume provides a perceptive background to modern Japanese culture. Ishida attempts a balanced evaluation of modern Japan, seeking to explain why the basic characteristics of Japanese society permit two almost opposite assessments. He divides the development of modern Japan into two stages: first, the period starting from the Meiji Restoration (1868) up to the end of World War II; second, from the defeat of Japan in World War II up to the present. Ishida investigates the essential features of the modern Japanese value system and the social structure, which comprise both traditional and modern elements. He examines how Japanese society has adapted Western influences to suit its own needs--the real "miracle" of modern Japan. As the Japanese economy grows and Japan becomes an economic superpower, political self-confidence is also emerging. Ishida, however, remains critical of Japanese society, because he feels that Japan lacked the internal resources to change the political system from within until its defeat by the Allies forced it to introduce various reforms ordered by the occupation authorities. Despite the rapid changes taking place in Japanese society, certain attitudes, such as conformity and competition, are common to both the prewar and postwar periods. The final section is devoted to the field of peace research. Ishida presents differences of meaning in the concepts of peace in ancient Hebrew, Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Indian cultures in order to characterize the Japanese concept of peace, which, akin to the Chinese, emphasizes harmony rather than justice. He goes on to discuss Japan's images of Gandhi, which, according to the author, were projections of ultranationalist prejudice and missed the significance of his nonviolent direct action. Ishida emphasizes the importance of such nonviolent action as a means to carry out social change toward the realization of justice.


To identify a person with diabetes at risk for foot ulceration, examine the feet annually to seek evidence for signs or symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and peripheral artery disease. (GRADE strength of recommendation: strong; Quality of evidence: low) In a person with diabetes who has peripheral neuropathy, screen for a history of foot ulceration or lower‐extremity amputation, peripheral artery disease, foot deformity, pre‐ulcerative signs on the foot, poor foot hygiene and ill‐fitting or inadequate footwear. (Strong; Low) Treat any pre‐ulcerative sign on the foot of a patient with diabetes. This includes removing callus, protecting blisters and draining when necessary, treating ingrown or thickened toe nails, treating haemorrhage when necessary and prescribing antifungal treatment for fungal infections. (Strong; Low) To protect their feet, instruct an at‐risk patient with diabetes not to walk barefoot, in socks only, or in thin‐soled standard slippers, whether at home or when outside. (Strong; Low) Instruct an at‐risk patient with diabetes to daily inspect their feet and the inside of their shoes, daily wash their feet (with careful drying particularly between the toes), avoid using chemical agents or plasters to remove callus or corns, use emollients to lubricate dry skin and cut toe nails straight across. (Weak; Low) Instruct an at‐risk patient with diabetes to wear properly fitting footwear to prevent a first foot ulcer, either plantar or non‐plantar, or a recurrent non‐plantar foot ulcer. When a foot deformity or a pre‐ulcerative sign is present, consider prescribing therapeutic shoes, custom‐made insoles or toe orthosis. (Strong; Low) To prevent a recurrent plantar foot ulcer in an at‐risk patient with diabetes, prescribe therapeutic footwear that has a demonstrated plantar pressure‐relieving effect during walking (i.e. 30% relief compared with plantar pressure in standard of care therapeutic footwear) and encourage the patient to wear this footwear. (Strong; Moderate) To prevent a first foot ulcer in an at‐risk patient with diabetes, provide education aimed at improving foot care knowledge and behaviour, as well as encouraging the patient to adhere to this foot care advice. (Weak; Low) To prevent a recurrent foot ulcer in an at‐risk patient with diabetes, provide integrated foot care, which includes professional foot treatment, adequate footwear and education. This should be repeated or re‐evaluated once every 1 to 3 months as necessary. (Strong; Low) Instruct a high‐risk patient with diabetes to monitor foot skin temperature at home to prevent a first or recurrent plantar foot ulcer. This aims at identifying the early signs of inflammation, followed by action taken by the patient and care provider to resolve the cause of inflammation. (Weak; Moderate) Consider digital flexor tenotomy to prevent a toe ulcer when conservative treatment fails in a high‐risk patient with diabetes, hammertoes and either a pre‐ulcerative sign or an ulcer on the distal toe. (Weak; Low) Consider Achilles tendon lengthening, joint arthroplasty, single or pan metatarsal head resection, or osteotomy to prevent a recurrent foot ulcer when conservative treatment fails in a high‐risk patient with diabetes and a plantar forefoot ulcer. (Weak; Low) Do not use a nerve decompression procedure in an effort to prevent a foot ulcer in an at‐risk patient with diabetes, in preference to accepted standards of good quality care. (Weak; Low)


A novel learnable dictionary encoding layer is proposed in this paper for end-to-end language identification. It is inline with the conventional GMM i-vector approach both theoretically and practically. We imitate the mechanism of traditional GMM training and Supervector encoding procedure on the top of CNN. The proposed layer can accumulate high-order statistics from variable-length input sequence and generate an utterance level fixed-dimensional vector representation. Unlike the conventional methods, our new approach provides an end-to-end learning framework, where the inherent dictionary are learned directly from the loss function. The dictionaries and the encoding representation for the classifier are learned jointly. The representation is orderless and therefore appropriate for language identification. We conducted a preliminary experiment on NIST LRE07 closed-set task, and the results reveal that our proposed dictionary encoding layer achieves significant error reduction comparing with the simple average pooling.


INTRODUCTION
This retrospective study examined the relationship between the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) at hemodialysis (HD) initiation and overall/cardiovascular mortality.

METHODS
A total of 264 patients starting HD between 2014 and 2015 at a single center were studied. Follow-up persisted until therapy change, death, or study end (December 31, 2021), with a median of 6.8 years.

RESULTS
Patients with a higher GPS more frequently had emergent HD initiation and showed increased eGFR at initiation. During follow-up, 60% of patients died, with cardiovascular disease being the leading cause. Univariate analysis revealed a significant difference in median survival time across GPS classes. Cox proportional hazard models confirmed a significant association between GPS and mortality.

CONCLUSIONS
We report a significant association between GPS at HD initiation and mortality. GPS may prove useful as a prognostic tool for identifying high-risk patients, underscoring the need for future research to validate these findings and explore the potential of GPS-based interventions.


We report numerical simulations of wicking through micropores of two types of geometries, axisymmetric tubes with contractions and expansions of the cross section, and two-dimensional planar channels with a Y-shaped bifurcation. The aim is to gain a detailed understanding of the interfacial dynamics in these geometries, with an emphasis on the motion of the three-phase contact line. We adopt a diffuse-interface formalism and use Cahn-Hilliard diffusion to model the moving contact line. The Stokes and Cahn-Hilliard equations are solved by finite elements with adaptive meshing. The results show that the liquid meniscus undergoes complex deformation during its passage through contraction and expansion. Pinning of the interface at protruding corners limits the angle of expansion into which wicking is allowed. For sufficiently strong contractions, the interface negotiates the concave corners, thanks to its diffusive nature. Capillary competition between branches downstream of a Y-shaped bifurcation may result in arrest of wicking in the wider branch. Spatial variation of wettability in one branch may lead to flow reversal in the other.We report numerical simulations of wicking through micropores of two types of geometries, axisymmetric tubes with contractions and expansions of the cross section, and two-dimensional planar channels with a Y-shaped bifurcation. The aim is to gain a detailed understanding of the interfacial dynamics in these geometries, with an emphasis on the motion of the three-phase contact line. We adopt a diffuse-interface formalism and use Cahn-Hilliard diffusion to model the moving contact line. The Stokes and Cahn-Hilliard equations are solved by finite elements with adaptive meshing. The results show that the liquid meniscus undergoes complex deformation during its passage through contraction and expansion. Pinning of the interface at protruding corners limits the angle of expansion into which wicking is allowed. For sufficiently strong contractions, the interface negotiates the concave corners, thanks to its diffusive nature. Capillary competition between branches downstream of a Y-shaped bifurcation may result ...


Large quantity of the food consumed in Abia State comes from the Northern part of the country. The insurgence in the north has created an atmosphere of panic and this has affected agricultural production and trade in the northern region. This study assessed north insurgency and the performance of food dealers in Abia state, Nigeria. Specifically this study examined the constraining experience of the food dealers due to insurgence, examined the frequency of travelling to the north by the food dealers and analyzed the cost effect of the insurgency on the performance of food dealers in Abia State. The towns of Aba and Umuahia were selected for the study because of the huge presence of food marketers. A multi stage random sampling technique was adopted to select the food dealers. Firstly, a purposive selection of two major markets in the towns of Aba and Umuahia which include Ariara Main Market and the Ubani Ultra Modern Market Umuahia. . In order to give each of the food dealers an equal opportunity of been selected a random sampling technique was used to select 25 food dealers from the markets respectively to make a sample size of 50 food dealers. Both questionnaires and interviews were used to elicit the required data from the selected food dealers. Descriptive statistics and cost and return analysis were used to achieve the objectives of this study. The study clearly shows that majority of the food dealers are females representing 64% of the sampled food dealers and majority of the food dealers had basic education. The major constraining experiences due to the insurgence were the decrease in the number of food dealers in Abia State and in the North and the continuous increase in the cost and selling price of the food items. The states of the North Central Zone are the most visited as shown by 55.9% of the food dealers response, while the North East Zone got the lowest number of visit of 8.9% as shown by the food dealers' response. The insurgence had a 19.5% estimated reduction on the net profit of the food dealers. Buying through an agent and the encouragement of local production of the food products mostly purchased in the North are the measures to curb the effect of the insurgency on the performance of the food dealers. The government should thoroughly consider the plight of these food dealers who put their life in danger in order to make food available in the state. The security of these traders should be paramount; they should consider organizing a system of purchasing the food in bulk with the aid of security agent and through trade agents. A plan to improve the agricultural system in the state in order to boost local production of some essential food commodities will reduce the risk of the insurgency on the food dealers.


This study investigates the emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from a single hydrogen-oxygen proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell (FC) under different flowrates, temperatures, sampling periods, and membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs). The results show that Nap, PA, BeP, FL, Pyr, BbC, Ant, and Flu were dominant in anode and cathode emissions of the single PEMFC under different operating conditions. The emission concentrations of Total-PAHs and Total-BaP equivalent carcinogenic potency (BaP_(eq)) were lower from the anode than from the cathode emission. Moreover, the concentrations of molecular-weight (MW) classified PAHs were in the order low (L) MM- > high (H) MW- > middle (M) MW-PAHs. When the anode/cathode gas flowrates were greater or smaller than 52/35 sccm but at the same sampling volume, the emission concentrations of Total-PAHs and Total-BaPeq increased. The concentration of Total-PAHs decreased but the mass of Total-PAHs increased with the increase of sampling time. However, 64% and 82% of PAH mass were emitted within 12 and 24 h, respectively, based on 36 h sampling at anode/cathode gas flowrates = 52/35 sccm. The concentrations of Total-PAHs or Total-BaP_(eq) of anode or cathode emission were slightly higher at 90°C than at 65°C. The performances of commercial MEAs were in the order SGL < E-TEK < GORE. Nevertheless, the concentrations of anode or cathode emission Total-PAHs or Total-BaP_(eq) for the PEMFC using different MEAs followed the order GORE > E-TEK2 > E-TEK > SGL, while the sums of anode and cathode Total-PAHs emission factors varied with the order SGL > E-TEK > E-TEK2 > GORE (13.3 ± 0.55, 11.5 ± 0.21, 7.91 ± 0.47, and 3.17 ± 0.22 μg g^(-1)-MEA, respectively). When using the (lab-made) E-TEK2 as the MEA of PEMFC, the PAH profiles of anode and cathode emission gases were similar to those of some carbon materials.


This research examines the influence of teamwork, working environment on job satisfaction and job performance of Clove Cigarette Factories in East Java, Indonesia. This study was a survey research used for the explanatory or confirmatory purpose. The research was used to test several hypotheses by explaining the effects of variables or causal relationship among variables through hypothesis testing. This research was conducted at the cigarette factories in East Java which covered 200 cigarette rollers as respondent. The sample was drawn using proportional random sampling method. Data were obtained by distribution and collection of the returned questionnaires and then analyzed using Structural Equation Model. Five hypotheses were proposed in the study where four hypotheses had significant effects and one hypothesis had non-significant effect. The hypotheses that had significant influences were including: the effect of teamwork on job satisfaction, the effect of teamwork on job performance, the effect of work environment on job performance, the effect of job satisfaction on job performance. The hypothesis having non-significant impact is the effect of work environment on job satisfaction. Relationship model between variables under study showed that Teamwork and work environment were significantly correlated with job satisfaction and job performance of the cigarette rollers in three clove cigarette factories in East Java. Finding of the research are explained as follows: work environment have no direct significant effect of cigarette role on job satisfaction. Keywords: teamwork, work environment, job satisfaction, job performance


Debt relief and the scaling up of aid to low-income countries should allow for greater fiscal space for expenditure programmes to create long-term growth and lower poverty rates. But designing a suitable medium-term fiscal framework that fosters a sustainable delivery of better public services and infrastructure while maintaining a credible commitment to fiscal prudence confronts many challenges. This paper discusses what low income countries can do to shape fiscal policy frameworks that are ambitious in trying to absorb additional aid while still ensuring longer-term sustainability for government expenditure programmes and finances. It suggests what approaches can be used to manage the greater fiscal policy risks associated with a scaled up aid environment, including coordination with monetary policy. The paper also discusses what institutional changes are needed if donors and countries are to facilitate the implementation of a higher level of aid-financed spending programmes.


Previous studies showed that virtual reality (VR) environments can affect emotional state and cause significant changes in physiological responses. Aside from these effects, inadvertently induced cybersickness is a notorious problem faced in VR. In this study, to further investigate the effects of virtual environments (VEs) with different context, three dynamic VEs were created. Each VE had a particular purpose: evoking no emotion in Campfire (CF), unpleasant emotions in Hospital (HH), and cybersickness symptoms in Roller Coaster (RC). We made use of objective measurements of physiological responses such as pupil dilation, blinks, fixations, saccades, and heart rate, as well as subjective self‐assessments via pre‐ and post‐VE session questionnaires. While previous studies investigate different subsets of these measures, our study makes a comprehensive analysis of them jointly in dynamic VEs. The results of the study indicate that cybersickness produced higher saccade mean speed, whereas unpleasant context caused higher fixation count, saccade rate, and pupil dilation. Moreover, CF decreased anxiety, whereas HH and RC increased it and they also decreased comfort. Participants felt cybersickness in all VEs even in CF which is designed to minimize the effects.


Quantum machine learning is at the crossroads of two of the most exciting current areas of research; quantum computing and classical machine learning. It explores the interaction between quantum computing and machine learning, investigating how results and techniques from one field can be used to solve the problems of the other. Here, we investigate quantum support vector machine (QSVM) algorithm and its circuit version on present quantum computers. We propose a general encoding procedure extending QSVM algorithm, which would allow one to feed vectors with higher dimension in the training-data oracle of QSVM. We compute the efficiency of the QSVM circuit implementation method by encoding training and testing data sample in quantum circuits and running them on quantum simulator and real chip for two datasets; 6/9 and banknote. We highlight the technical difficulties one would face while applying the QSVM algorithm on current NISQ era devices. Then we propose a new method to classify these datasets with enhanced efficiencies for the above datasets both on simulator and real chips.


China, the world's largest market for electric vehicles (EV), has put in play a state industrial policy that is seeking to upend global automakers (see Financial Times, October 12, 2017 and May 20, 2018). Exemptions from taxes and subsidy programs have favored the purchasing of an EV, which are also exempt from driving restrictions in large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Policies that target manufacturers include meeting production targets for EVs (the so-called dual-credit policy by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology). China may be on the verge of becoming a global disruptor in an industry that has home market advantages of scale, lower fossil fuel imports, and significant reduction of air pollution in cities while exploiting related technologies such as lithium batteries where China has world class industrial competence. It is in China's national interest to be a game changer in the global automotive industry from fossil fuel to electricity. And building infrastructure – supercharging stations included – fits the government-directed approach that aspires to establish the country as an undisputable global leader in a high-tech sector of global significance.


Palaeozoic palaeomagnetic data from Scotland and Ireland have been compared on a terrane model, and early Caledonide clockwise rotation of a terrane through 65º ± 30° (Connemara Massif) and later anticlockwise rotation of up to 50° (in the vicinity of Clew Bay) have been deduced. These are the firfirst estimates of terrane rotations in the European part of the Caledonian–Appalachian orogen. Terrane analysis of orogenic belts is currently a major field of study. To a large extent this has been stimulated by studies in the North American Cordillera where large rotations and translations have been determined palaeomagnetically (see Beck et al. 1986 and references therein). Terrane analysis may be applied to older orogenic belts such as the Caledonides, which have been particularly intensively studied. Previously published palaeomagnetic data from Connemara (Morris & Tanner 1977) and NW Galway (Morris et al. 1973) had indicated local block rotations, but furnished few constraints on either their age and magnitude, or on the identities of the blocks. This paper relates the currently available palaeomagnetic dataseto a terrane model of W. Ireland (Hutton & Dewey 1986), see Fig. 1. New data. New palaeomagnetic data from the Irish Caledonides comprise the following. Connemara Gabbro (Robertson 1988). The Dalradian rocks of the Connemara Massif are unique in the British Caledonides in lying to the south of a Caledonian ophiolite and also south of a thick sequence of Ordovician shales and volcanics of low metamorphic grade (in Clew Bay and the South Mayo Trough respectively). The structural


This work aims to use the Weibull distribution to analyze the data obtained from the tests flexion of the prepared ceramic bodies of evidence according to the NBR 13818: 1997. The flexural strength to break of each specimen was calculated and the data obtained were used for a comparative analysis by Weibull distri- bution with two and three parameters. The results did not show a significant variation in strength to the bodies of evidence analyzed, but it indicated the presence of two different mechanisms of failure.


Automatic exposure (AE) is a common method implemented in consumer cameras to calculate the best exposure that tries to minimize under and over exposed pixels for a scene. We present a generalized framework for an AE algorithm for high dynamic range (HDR) imaging inspired by tone mapping operators (TMO) and pointing devices. Compared to other methods such as [Neumann et al. 1998] we propose a more general framework and an approach that enables exploring images and videos in different areas of the image/frame.


A manager's current and potential future employers are continually assessing her or his ability. Such assessment is a crucial component of corporate governance and this chapter provides an overview of the research on that aspect of governance. In particular, we review how assessment generates incentives (both good and bad), generates risks that must be faced by both managers and firms, and affects the contractual relationships between those parties in important ways. Assessment (or learning) proves a key perspective from which to study, evaluate, and possibly even regulate corporate governance. Moreover, because learning is a behavior notoriously subject to systematic biases, this perspective is a natural avenue through which to introduce behavioral and psychological insights into the study of corporate governance.


MOTIVATION
Sample size calculation is important in experimental design and is even more so in microarray or proteomic experiments since only a few repetitions can be afforded. In the multiple testing problems involving these experiments, it is more powerful and more reasonable to control false discovery rate (FDR) or positive FDR (pFDR) instead of type I error, e.g. family-wise error rate (FWER). When controlling FDR, the traditional approach of estimating sample size by controlling type I error is no longer applicable.

RESULTS
Our proposed method applies to controlling FDR. The sample size calculation is straightforward and requires minimal computation, as illustrated with two sample t-tests and F-tests. Based on simulation with the resultant sample size, the power is shown to be achievable by the q-value procedure.

AVAILABILITY
A Matlab code implementing the described methods is available upon request.


This article aims to analyze and interpret the views on international relations and international law expressed in Adam Smith's little studied Lectures on Jurisprudence, in connection with the works of Grotius, Hobbes and Pufendorf. In order to do so, the article first tries to unravel Smith's account of the formation of society and government in domestic orders, understood as a complex intertwinement of human and economic factors. The article then goes on to analyze Smith's stated reasons why the seemingly universal human and economic processes leading to the formation of domestic societies and governments are failing when they are to apply in the international order. Finally, this article explores Smith's views on the idiosyncratic rules governing international relations, i.e. the Law of Nations. The conclusion of the article then attempts to formulate insights for a more harmonious international society based on Smith's premises.


Plumbism and cadmium poisoning are a combination of a symptom complex responsible for metal-intoxications. The express of allergy during treatment with fixed appliances usually results from nickel influence. symptoms of nickel allergy, visible on oral mucosa, follow nickel-release during orthodontic treatment. Furthermore, additional factors, such as diet, nicotine, and individual sensibility may intensively promote contribution of heavy metals in the etiology of serious illness. Cadmium and lead intoxication symptoms are widely discussed in the literature. Cadmium and lead also influence the prevalence of caries and periodontal diseases. The aim of the study was to present the literature review concerning either oral environment (accumulated cadmium and lead reservoirs influencing health status of oral cavity) or expression of hypersensivity to nickel as the factors potentially endangering orthodontic patients treated with fixed appliances. Heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and nickel take part in chemical reactions simultaneously damaging functions of the organism. subsequently, designation of accumulation of cadmium and lead in the oral cavity as well as observation symptoms of hypersensitivity to nickel may play a significant role in marking the level of environment contamination by heavy metals. Although individuals particularly endangered are those working with alloys and battery production, permanently increasing interest towards treatment of malocclusion makes orthodontic patients jeopardized as well, especially these surrounded by environment polluted with either lead or cadmium (Dent. Med. Probl. 2010, 47, 4, 465–471).


. Nowadays customer needs are changing rapidly, resulting in shorter product life cycles and a need for a higher product introduction rate. This requires manufacturers to introduce new products whilst keeping production efficiency at a satisfactory level and production costs low. Based on these challenges, there is a need to consider both production efficiency and potential assembly line investment costs during the planning of new product introductions. Hence, this paper aims to support decision-making regarding whether to introduce and produce a new product in an already existing assembly line or to invest in a new assembly line. To its support, a tool which illustrates how to support manufacturing investment decisions through line balancing techniques has been developed. The tool was based on theoretical findings from two literature reviews, investigating assembly line balancing techniques and assembly line investment costs, and through data collected in a single case study, including how a company is currently supporting investment decisions and performing line balancing. The case study was conducted with a large Swedish company from the automotive industry. Data was collected through semi- structured interviews, document studies and a focus group. The proposed decision-supporting tool conducts line balancing for both combined and separate assembly lines, and converts the results into costs. These costs are then compared with the potential investment costs of either producing in an already existing assembly line or investing in a new assembly line. The final output is a summarization of the potential costs related to both alternatives which provides the user with the most economically beneficial alternative by taking both production efficiency and investment costs into consideration.


This study investigated how color stimuli that consisted of green foliage plants (Epipremnum aureum) with same sized area of Kalanchoe spp. plants with four different flower colors (white, yellow, pink, and red; Kalanchoe spp.) on a dark green background influenced the brain waves and emotions of 30 undergraduate students. Electroencephalography tests were performed in order to monitor the brain-wave responses in the prefrontal, frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes in response to the different plant color stimuli. Fourteen pairs of adjectives on the semantic differential scale were used to measure emotional changes. A statistical analysis showed that all of the color stimuli correlated with some emotional keywords and physiological responses. Green plants (E.aureum) produced more positive attitudes, and brain functions were more active compared to those observed after the participants were exposed to white, yellow, pink, or red flowers on a green background. In addition, when participants looked at the green plants, the relative fast alpha power spectrum increased, indicating the involvement of improved concentration, creativity, and attention. However, optical stimuli from the yellow flowers had a positive effect on the parietal and occipital lobes, producing a high relative theta power spectrum and indicating that concentration was improved and that the subjects were happier. The choice of adjectives and the EEG patterns were weakly but significantly correlated. These results may have practical applications because green plants can be used in places where comfort and high concentration are required, plants with white and yellow flowers can be used to make a place more pleasant, and red flowering plants can be used to create a luxurious environment. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 39, 307–316, 2014; Published online 28 December 2012 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/col.21788.