The present monograph aims to emphasize and offer significant insights in the field of a topical contemporary issue, i. e. sustainable leadership. One can find a number of scientific articles and research studies on the essence of leadership; however, there is a shortage of scientific literature that would combine two important factors: leadership and sustainability. This monograph is 276 volumes of pages. In Chapter 1, the concepts of sustainable leadership and sustainable management are defined, the evolution of the concept of leadership is presented in a systemic way, and a logical sequence of the emergence of sustainable leadership via the evolution of leadership theories is disclosed. The theory of sustainable leadership is revealed. Chapter 2 analyzes the impact of personal qualities onthe outcomes of the performance by assuring sustainable leadership; by means of research, the significant qualities of leaders in seeking sustainable leadership are identified, a model of education of managers 'characteristics and skills is provided, and the motives encouraging one to accept the responsibility of leadership are looked into. Chapter 3 presents the factors of sustainable development. The factors shall be  analyzed in the following sequence: starting with an individual level, i. e. leader's personality,and continuing to team (group) activity, i. e. the group level, and the organizational level, where the significance of the organizational culture will be discussed, followed by social and organizational needs–oriented social responsibility of creating a sustainable organization. There were used more than 500 scientific sources.


A systematic search for feed contamination by aflatoxin-B1 as well as for lesions indicating an acute or chronic aflatoxicosis was made in three groups of industrially raised hens in Cote-d'Ivoire. The contamination rates were low although they were 6 to 10 times higher than the official standards. No lesion due to an acute or chronic intoxication by aflatoxins was observed. However, the repeated intake of small amounts of aflatoxins might eventually have repercussions on the technics-economical performance either by a direct action of the toxin or via the development of an immune depression in the animals.


We introduce the concept of post-placement interconnect entropy: the minimal number of bits required to describe a well-placed netlist, which has connection lengths distributed according to Rent's rule. The entropy is a function of the number N of cells in the netlist and the Rent exponent p. We derive an expression for the entropy per cell and show that it converges as N approaches infinity. The entropy provides an achievable lower bound on the number of configuration bits in a programmable logic device (PLD) [or field-programmable gate array (FPGA)] and a useful measure of its routing flexibility. Specific numerical values are computed for practical situations. For example, any scalable FPGA composed of 4-input lookup table cells would require 31 configuration bits per cell. We compare this to the actual number of configuration bits in a standard FPGA architecture. We generalize the bound to dimensions higher than two, and show that for any p there is an optimal dimension that minimizes the bound.


Background For a long time, Axis has mainly focused on network cameras. But lately
Axis is turning its focus towards a different kind of approach, looking
more at the customers and their needs, which has given end-to-end
solutions and customer segments increased attention in different
departments within Axis. A sustainable portion of Axis' offering is its
accessories, but this branch of products has never received any particular
interest. This case study aims to deepen the knowledge on how Axis
communicates accessories and find ways to improve it both internally and
externally.
Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop a framework that underlines the
areas that high-technology companies can work with in order to improve
their marketing communication of accessories.
Method The project has been conducted as a case study in combination with
explorative and problem-solving approaches for the different research
questions. The case study is a qualitative study based on interviews with
18 different stakeholders with insight to the marketing communication
and sales of accessories at Axis Communications.
Conclusions Existing literature offers little guidance for high-technology companies
who wishes to improve their marketing communication of accessories.
This study shows that there are good reasons for companies to evaluate
their work, and that is why a new framework has been proposed with the
intention to work as an inspiration and guidance for the companies who
want to improve their marketing communication of accessories.
Furthermore, a call-to-action plan has been created for Axis, which
contains concrete measures and improvement areas that has been
identified on the basis of the framework during the study.


OCTAVIA HILL:SOCIAL REFORMER AND FOUNDER OF THE NATIONAL TRUST. Gillian Darley. Francis Boutle Publishers, 2010. £14.99. 358 pp. ISBN 978-1-903427-53-8 This biography of Octavia Hill, first published in 1990, has been revised for the centenary of her death in 2012. Occupational therapists have become interested in Octavia Hill due to her influence on Elizabeth Casson, and through her to the creation of Dorset House, the first school of occupational therapy in the United Kingdom. Although there is little direct reference to the profession, this account of Octavia's life, and the principles that guided her, demonstrates how her beliefs and thinking contributed to the founding of occupational therapy and other professions. Born in Wisbech in 1838 to James Hill and his second wife Caroline Southwood Smith, she was named Octavia as she was her father's eighth daughter. Although never wealthy, her family experienced financial problems, resulting in a move to London. At 14 years of age, and supported by her mother, she started her first job through the Ladies Guild, a craft workshop, teaching toymaking to a group of girls from a Ragged School. She instilled in the children a sense of achievement in their work and supplemented this with education, organising outings and encouraging saving some of their wages to cook nourishing food which they ate together. Later she began her most significant work in housing management, finding and improving housing stock for the poor, and collecting rent on her weekly visits to the tenants, thus helping them manage their meagre income. Over the years her influence spread and the number of houses she managed increased. Her interest in her tenants extended beyond housing to encourage them to participate in activities to improve their quality of life. Her involvement in the Open Spaces movement led to her role as a founder of the National Trust. She was a woman of many talents, and some flaws, with an undoubted ability to influence a wide variety of people to work for the causes she championed. Her connection to occupational therapy can be seen at a location very close to the British Association of Occupational Therapists building in London. Red Cross Garden, one of her projects, was restored, and opened by our Patron, HRHThe Princess Royal, in 2006. It was here in Red Cross Hall and Cottages that Elizabeth Casson worked for 5 years before leaving to train as a doctor. Those interested in the history of the profession may find that the biography contains useful insights, and university libraries may wish to purchase a copy. However, perhaps borrowing it from your local Public Library would support a tradition with ideals that Octavia herself would have supported.


Background: Diabetic patients receiving insulin should have periodic intraoperative glucose measurement. The authors conducted a care redesign effort to improve intraoperative glucose monitoring. Methods: With approval from Vanderbilt University Human Research Protection Program (Nashville, Tennessee), the authors created an automatic system to identify diabetic patients, detect insulin administration, check for recent glucose measurement, and remind clinicians to check intraoperative glucose. Interrupted time series and propensity score matching were used to quantify pre- and postintervention impact on outcomes. Chi-square/likelihood ratio tests were used to compare surgical site infections at patient follow-up. Results: The authors analyzed 15,895 cases (3,994 preintervention and 11,901 postintervention; similar patient characteristics between groups). Intraoperative glucose monitoring rose from 61.6 to 87.3% in cases after intervention (P = 0.0001). Recovery room entry hyperglycemia (fraction of initial postoperative glucose readings greater than 250) fell from 11.0 to 7.2% after intervention (P = 0.0019), while hypoglycemia (fraction of initial postoperative glucose readings less than 75) was unchanged (0.6 vs. 0.9%; P = 0.2155). Eighty-seven percent of patients had follow-up care. After intervention the unadjusted surgical site infection rate fell from 1.5 to 1.0% (P = 0.0061), a 55.4% relative risk reduction. Interrupted time series analysis confirmed a statistically significant surgical site infection rate reduction (P = 0.01). Propensity score matching to adjust for confounders generated a cohort of 7,604 well-matched patients and confirmed a statistically significant surgical site infection rate reduction (P = 0.02). Conclusions: Anesthesiologists add healthcare value by improving perioperative systems. The authors leveraged the one-time cost of programming to improve reliability of intraoperative glucose management and observed improved glucose monitoring, increased insulin administration, reduced recovery room hyperglycemia, and fewer surgical site infections. Their analysis is limited by its applied quasiexperimental design.


Liz Hodgkinson, Jane Metcalfe Vermilion, pounds sterling 8.99, pp 150 ISBN 0 09 178980 X

Unconventional clinics for patients with cancer have long existed in other parts of the world, but not in Britain. In 1971 so great was the public interest in the Issels clinic in Bavaria—after the athlete Lillian Board had been a patient there—that Sir David Smithers and two other cancer specialists were asked by the government of the day to visit and report back. They found little to say in its favour, but this probably served only to increase the enthusiasm of Penny Brohn, an acupuncturist and young mother, devastated to find some years after this that she had localised breast cancer.

After "nine long, lonely weeks" in the clinic at a cost of around pounds sterling100 a day she returned to Bristol, where she "talked excitedly, feverishly, about her plans for setting up something like the Issels Clinic in the UK"—saying to her friend and cofounder, Pat Pilkington, "together, we've got …


Library science education in Nigeria has experienced several stages of developments and changes in curricula. There is some research on the history of library science education in Nigeria. However, little research has been conducted on curriculum development per se from a historical perspective. This study examines the historical and current status of curriculum development in Nigeria. It compares the changes in curricula from various stages and analyzes the factors influencing the curriculum development. The main problems in curriculum development are discussed. Suggestions and recommendations are helpful for library schools to successfully adapt themselves to the digital age and to develop future curriculum effectively.


A new Schiff base 4-chlorophenyl)methanimine (6R,7R)-3-methyl-8-oxo-7-(2-phenylpropanamido)-5-thia-1azabicyclo[4.2.0]oct-2-ene-2-carboxylate= (HL)= C23H20 ClN3O4S) has been synthesized from β-lactam antibiotic (cephalexin mono hydrate(CephH)=(C16H19N3O5S.H2O) and 4chlorobenzaldehyde . Figure(1) Metal mixed ligand complexes of the Schiff base were prepared from chloride salt of Fe(II),Co(II),Ni(II),Cu(II),Zn(II) and Cd (II), in 50% (v/v) ethanol –water medium (SacH ) .in aqueous ethanol(1:1) containing and Saccharin(C7H5NO3S) = sodium hydroxide. Several physical tools in particular; IR, CHN, 1H NMR, 13C NMR for ligand and melting point molar conductance, magnetic moment. and determination the percentage of the metal in the complexes by flame(AAS). The ligands and there metal complexes were screened for their antimicrobial activity against four bacteria (gram + ve) and (gram -ve) {Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus}. The proposed structure of the complexes using program, Chem office 3D(2006). The general formula have been given for the prepared mixed ligand complexes Na2[M(Sac)3(L)], M(II) = Fe (II), Co(II) , Ni(II), Cu (II), Zn(II) , and Cd(II). HL= C29H24 ClN3O4S, L= C29H23 ClN3O4S -. Key words— (Cephalexin antibiotics, Saccharin, Schiff base, Spectral studies drugs mixed ligand complexes, and antibacterial activities. Figure(1):structural of the HL (3D)


Masked Modeling (MM) has demonstrated widespread success in various vision challenges, by reconstructing masked visual patches. Yet, applying MM for large-scale 3D scenes remains an open problem due to the data sparsity and scene complexity. The conventional random masking paradigm used in 2D images often causes a high risk of ambiguity when recovering the masked region of 3D scenes. To this end, we propose a novel informative-preserved reconstruction, which explores local statistics to discover and preserve the representative structured points, effectively enhancing the pretext masking task for 3D scene understanding. Integrated with a progressive reconstruction manner, our method can concentrate on modeling regional geometry and enjoy less ambiguity for masked reconstruction. Besides, such scenes with progressive masking ratios can also serve to self-distill their intrinsic spatial consistency, requiring to learn the consistent representations from unmasked areas. By elegantly combining informative-preserved reconstruction on masked areas and consistency self-distillation from unmasked areas, a unified framework called MM-3DScene is yielded. We conduct comprehensive experiments on a host of downstream tasks. The consistent improvement (e.g., +6.1% firstname.lastname@example.com on object detection and +2.2% mIoU on semantic segmentation) demonstrates the superiority of our approach.


Renal carcinoma and urolithiasis combine rather rarely. Postnephrectomy patients often consult the urologist when the condition is serious because of complications resultant from uroliths in the contralateral kedney. In view of solitary kidney, progressive chronic pyelonephritis, associated chronic renal failure surgical treatment of the condition becomes risky and necessitates individual approach to choice of therapeutic policy and definition of indications to urolithiasis treatment in patients after nephrectomy for renal carcinoma. This includes the decision whether to perform nephrolithiasis before or after nephrectomy and whether to attempt any surgery in the absence of urolithiasis clinical symptoms.


The Quottoon plutonic complex (part of the great tonalite sill) was emplaced into eastern parts of the Coast shear zone along the west flank of the Coast Mountains. U-Pb crystallization ages range from 72.3 to 55.5 Ma. A regional compilation of K-Ar hornblende dates from the tonalite sill indicates a west to east decrease from ~60 Ma to ~54 Ma across the intrusive suite. Paleomagnetic samples were collected at 160 sites (♢ 8 samples per site) along six transects across the Quottoon complex between the Skeena River and Willard Inlet. Directions of characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) were successfully determined by principal component analysis of thermal demagneti- zation data for about half of the samples collected. Site-mean ChRM directions were determined for 56 sites from the Skeena River, Quottoon Inlet, Steamer Passage, and Wales Island transects, using criteria of ♢ 4 sample ChRM direc- tions per site and 95% confidence limit (α95) ≤ 25°. For Filmore Island and Willard Inlet, few sites provided adequate determinations of site-mean ChRM directions, but many sample ChRM directions were well determined and consistent. The mean direction from the Skeena River - Quottoon Inlet collection is nearly concordant with the expected Eocene direction. Mean directions from other transects have clockwise-rotated declinations and inclinations that are shallower than the expected direction by up to 23°. Consistent with expectations for east-side-up tilting of crustal panels, sites from the western part of each transect have mean directions farther from the Eocene expected direction than do sites from the eastern part of the transect. The magnitude of east-side-up tilt varies along strike: the Skeena River to Quottoon Inlet segment experienced little or no tilt; Steamer Passage south of Portland Inlet records 15° tilt; north of Portland Inlet, tilts are 40° for Wales Island and 35° for Filmore Island; farther north, tilt decreases to 12° for Willard Inlet. Tilting was driven by Eocene extension of the Coast Mountains, with tilted crustal panels bounded by northwest- striking, east-side-down normal faults and northeast-striking transfer faults or shear zones. The ACCRETE seismic transect imaged east-dipping reflectors down to ~15 km depth, which likely correspond to the east-side-down normal faults. The most significant of the northeast-striking transfer structures must underlie Portland Inlet. Based on a tilting domino model, about 30% extension is required to produce the 40° tilt of crustal blocks at Wales and Filmore islands.


The structure and electronic properties of Nb-doped anatase (TNO) were studied from first principles using the density functional theory based band structure method. Four independent types of unit cells were studied; i.e., pure anatase, anatase with Nb dopant at Ti sites (Nb(Ti)), and cells with either interstitial oxygen (O(i)) or oxygen vacancies (V(O)). In addition, a unit cell with a Nb(Ti) and O(i), and a cell with Nb(Ti) and V(O) were investigated to clarify the role of nonstoichiometry in TNO. From the calculated results, the importance of the adjacent Nb(Ti)-V(O) and Nb(Ti)-O(i) structures was pointed out, and the experimental observation of the relationship between nonstoichiometry and electronic conductivity was rationalized. The shape of the impurity states found in these structures was used to comprehend the experimental observation of carrier concentration and the charge state of Nb dopant. The changes in lattice constants supported the existence of these structures as well. On the contrary, the cell with a simple Nb(Ti) did not show significant changes in structure and electronic properties, other than the emission of an electron in the conduction band. A stabilization of the impurity state was observed in the adjacent Nb(Ti)-V(O) structure compared to the V(O). The possibility of an essential role of this state in electric conduction was discussed. The formation of the adjacent Nb(Ti)-O(i) structure by O(2) gas annealing was discussed using statistical mechanics. The Gibbs free energies were calculated for O(i) atoms in TNO and compared to that of O(2) molecules in the gas phase. The analysis was qualitatively consistent with experimental behavior under the assumption of the Nb(Ti)-V(O) structures.


Male infertility is a common problem. There is growing evidence that infertile men may harbor significant illness and disease. Many of the genetic causes of male fertility have implications on other systemic illnesses. This review aims to discuss various genetic conditions and gene mutations and alterations associated with male infertility and evidence for associated systemic conditions. These findings highlight the importance of a thorough workup in men presenting for a fertility assessment.


In June 2017, a media frenzy ensued after Michelle Carter was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the state of Massachusetts for facilitating the suicide of Conrad Roy. The verdict stirred controversy and cast a spotlight on facilitation of suicide, i.e., a person's act(s) done with the purpose of helping another to die by suicide. One form of facilitation, physician-assisted suicide, has been extensively debated in the existing literature. In this article, we set out to explore the legal and forensic ramifications of non–physician-assisted suicide, which we refer to as facilitated suicide. We first conducted a review of all fifty states' legislation regarding facilitated suicide: forty-four states prohibit it by statute, and three states prohibit it through common law. Thirteen states specifically outlaw verbal facilitation of suicide. We then surveyed the case law to identify legal precedent to the Commonwealth v. Carter verdict. Final Exit Network, Inc. v. State and State v. Melchert-Dinkel provide contrasting yet complementary perspectives on the interplay between speech and assisted suicide. Finally, we detailed the role of forensic psychiatry in investigating facilitated suicide, specifically among adolescents and youths.


This paper discusses a model for developing a master's degree curriculum for systems engineering professionals. The model provides guidelines and recommendations that can be used for developing a new program or for modifying an existing program. The model was developed as part of the BKCASE (Body of Knowledge and Curriculum to Advance Systems Engineering) project to develop a guide to the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBoK) and a Graduate Reference Curriculum for Systems Engineering (GRCSE). This paper describes the content of the SEBoK used to drive the core body of knowledge in a systems engineering program, and discusses the GRCSE purpose, organization, content, development process, and implementation.


Abstract One of the main elements of dendrochronological standardization is removing the biological trend, i.e. the progressive decline of ring width along a cross-sectional radius that is caused by the corresponding increase in stem size and tree age over time. The "conservative" option for removing this biological trend is to fit a modified negative exponential curve (or a straight line with slope ≤ 0) to the ring-width measurements. This method is based on the assumption that, especially for open-grown and/or shade-intolerant species, annual growth rate of mature trees fluctuates around a specific level, expressed by a constant ring width. Because this method has numerical and conceptual drawbacks, we propose an alternative approach based on the assumption that constant growth is expressed by a constant basal area increment distributed over a growing surface. From this starting point, we derive a mathematical expression for the biological trend of ring width, which can be easily calculated and used for dendrochronological standardization. The proposed C-method is compared to other standardization techniques, including Regional Curve Standardization (RCS), of tree-ring width from ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex P.Lawson & C.Lawson) located at the Gus Pearson Natural Area (GPNA) in northern Arizona, USA. Master ring-index chronologies built from ring area, RCS, and C-method reproduced stand-wide patterns of tree growth at the GPNA, whereas other standardization options, including the "conservative" one, failed to do so. In addition, the C-method has the advantage of calculating an expected growth curve for each tree, whereas RCS is based on applying the same growth curve to all trees. In conclusion, the C-method replaces the purely empirical "conservative" option with a theory-based approach, which is applicable to individual ring-width measurement series, does not require fitting a growth curve using nonlinear regression, and can be rigorously tested for improving tree-ring records of environmental changes.


We have performed a microscopic calculation of the dielectric response function in highly anisotropic layered superconductors and used the developed approach to obtain the frequency-dependent London penetration length and conductivity in the case of {ital d}-wave pairing for currents perpendicular to the layers. We consider a BCS model with coherent interlayer tunneling of electrons and take into account contributions from both superconducting electrons and quasiparticles to the dielectric response. We show that quasiparticles change the low-temperature behavior of the penetration length in the intermediate frequency range where the frequency is smaller than the superconducting order parameter but larger than the inverse quasiparticle scattering time. The obtained results are used to describe the low-temperature behavior of the Josephson plasma resonance, in particular the temperature dependence of the resonance frequency and the resonance linewidth in zero external magnetic field. We compare our results with the available experimental data for Tl{sub 2}Ba{sub 2}CuO{sub 6} and Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8+{delta}} (Bi-2212) and show that results of a BCS model with coherent interlayer tunneling for the dc {ital c}-axis resistivity in the superconducting state are inconsistent with experimental data for underdoped and optimally doped Bi-2212 crystals. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}


Employment scholarship focuses too much on laws and not enough on norms. Yet norms capture the complete terms of employment more accurately than most legal contracts. Virtually every aspect of the employment relation that falls outside the realm of contract lawyers - corporate culture, office politics, trust, future planning, and the complex social matrix of organizational life - are the exclusive domain of norms. Bundled together, work norms form a contract, a relational contract, which is more important to the parties in most situations than any formal written agreement. Whereas scholars have frequently examined legal aspects of employment contracts, employment at will, and wrongful discharge, little attention has been paid to systematically developing an enforceable theory of employment norms. This article fills this scholarly gap by defining employment as a relational contract forged by the behavior of the parties. Part I of this article defines employment as a relational contract. Part II establishes the sources of relational contract at work. Part III presents two case studies that show maintenance of relational contract is critical for the successful organization. Part IV devises an opportunism-based enforceable theory of relational contract in the employment context.


The age of first calving (AFC) is one of the most important factors that have a significant impact on cow productivity in different lactations and its whole life. A belated AFC leads to reduced reproductive performance and it is one of the main reasons for reduced longevity. Cows that calved in time period from 20012007 and in this time finished at least four lactations were included in the database. Data were obtained from 68841 crossbred Holstein Black and White (HM), crossbred Latvian Brown (LB), and Latvian Brown genetic resources (LBGR) cows. Cows were distributed in four groups depending on age at first calving. The longest lifespan was conducted for LBGR cows, but they were also characterized with lowest lifetime milk yield and life day milk yield. HM breed cows had the shortest lifespan, but in the lifespan of 2862.2 days was obtained in average 37916.4 kg milk accordingly 13.2 kg milk in one life day. HM breed cows were also characterized with longer calving intervals (CI) in first four lactations, but LBGR cows had the shortest CI in the study group. Age at first calving significantly affected the length of CI in different lactations (p<0.05). HM cows that first time calved >30 months old in the fourth lactation had the longest CI in all study groups (421.4 days). The LBGR cows were characterized with the shortest CI, but there was slight increase in second and third lactation. Age at first calving had a significant impact on cows' age in each calving time. In the analysis, cow group was conducted that cows with age at first calving <24 months or in average 580.5 days at the time of fifth calving were 2156.7 days (5.9 years) old, but cows with age at first calving >30 months (932.6 days) at the time of fifth calving were 2560.9 days (7.3 years) old. Keywords—Age at first calving, calving interval, longevity, milk yield.


The two-level model for a double quantum dot coupled to two leads, which is ubiquitously used to describe charge oscillations, transmission-phase lapses and correlation-induced resonances, is considered in its general form. The model features arbitrary tunnelling matrix elements among the two levels and the leads and between the levels themselves (including the effect of Aharonov-Bohm fluxes), as well as inter-level repulsive interactions. We show that this model is exactly mapped onto a generalized Anderson model of a single impurity, where the electrons acquire a pseudo-spin degree of freedom, which is conserved by the tunnelling but not within the dot. Focusing on the local-moment regime where the dot is singly occupied, we show that the effective low-energy Hamiltonian is that of the anisotropic Kondo model in the presence of a tilted magnetic field. For moderate values of the (renormalized) field, the Bethe ansatz solution of the isotropic Kondo model allows us to derive accurate expressions for the dot occupation numbers, and henceforth its zero-temperature transmission. Our results are in excellent agreement with those obtained from the Bethe ansatz for the isotropic Anderson model, and with the functional and numerical renormalization-group calculations of Meden and Marquardt [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 , 146801 (2006)], which are valid for the general anisotropic case. In addition we present highly accurate estimates for the validity of the Schrieffer-Wolff transformation (which maps the Anderson Hamiltonian onto the low-energy Kondo model) at both the high- and low-magnetic field limits. Perhaps most importantly, we provide a single coherent picture for the host of phenomena to which this model has been applied.


The article argues that modern media and public relations play a significant role in addressing environmental issues. It is shown that in order to create favorable conditions for the implementation of ecological PR, it is necessary to take into account the relations not only between the enterprises and their target audiences but also between the subjects of environmental PR. It is proved that carrying out environmental PR is possible with the use of РR-tools, which can be various, depending on measures, such as publications in mass media; events for journalists; environmental measures; social-environmental advertising. Based on generalized literature sources, it has been proved that modern market relations for the support of socially responsible businesses require the use of such aspects of motivation during environmental PR that shape the consumer with a caring attitude to the environment and their health. It is proved that along with the production of environmentally friendly products, the opposite phenomenon is observed – greenwashing. Therefore, examples of social responsibility of enterprises that carry out environmental PR and are responsible for ecological problems form social responsibility for environmental protection for all market participants.


The authors propose a novel linear-time algorithm for identifying, in a large combinatorial circuit, a large set of faults that are undetectable by a given test vector. Although this so-called X-algorithm does not identify all the undetectable faults, empirical evidence is offered to show that the reduction in the number of remaining faults to be simulated is significant. The algorithm is intended as a simple, fast preprocessing step to be performed after a test vector has been generated, but before the (often lengthy) process of fault simulation begins. The empirical results indicate that the X-algorithm is both useful (indicated by the utility factor) and good (indicated by the effectiveness factor). It provides as much as a 50% reduction in the number of faults that need to be simulated. Moreover, the algorithm seems to identify a large fraction of the undetectable faults.<<ETX>>


Gain-Cell embedded DRAM (GC-eDRAM) has recently been recognized as a possible alternative to traditional SRAM. While GC-eDRAM inherently provides high-density, low-leakage, low-voltage, and 2-ported operation, its limited retention time requires periodic, power-hungry refresh cycles. This drawback is further enhanced at scaled technologies, where increased subthreshold leakage currents and decreased in-cell storage capacitances result in faster data deterioration. In this paper, we present a novel 4T GC-eDRAM bitcell that utilizes an internal feedback mechanism to significantly increase the data retention time in scaled CMOS technologies. A 2 kb memory macro was implemented in a low-power 65nm CMOS technology, displaying an over 3× improvement in retention time over the best previous publication at this node. The resulting array displays a nearly 5× reduction in retention power (despite the refresh power component) with a 40% reduction in bitcell area, as compared to a standard 6T SRAM.


The study is an investigation into the various ways pulpit preachers in Christian religion elicit responses from their congregation. The data for the study consists of messages delivered from the pulpit at denominational, non-denominational and interdenominational Christian services in South-Western Nigeria. Working within the framework of Sociolinguistics and Discourse Analysis, the analyses reveal that preachers control the discourse, while the worshippers share in the process of creation of the text as it unfolds. For instance, they determine what responses are given, how they should be given and when to give them. It was also observed that response elicitation is done through the use of interrogatives, declaratives and imperatives, and such responses may come in forms of speech, physical action, and mental behaviour. Our analyses reveal a preponderance of spoken responses in the data. Five kinds of spoken responses are identified in the data, namely: Conventional Answer (CA), Response to Prayers (RP), Repeated Statements (RS), Gap Filling (GF), and Corrected Statement (CS). The study concludes that despite that the way responses are elicited depends largely on the practices of any religious community, certain patterns of elicitation are common in ECPD. The degree of control and the kind of response elicited by a preacher are determined by the language expectations of the community. Such expectations include knowledge of the language code, principles, norms, use, situation and the world of such religious communities.


We describe effects of matter-wave interference of spinor states in the ${}^{87}$Rb Bose-Einstein condensate. The components of the $F=2$ manifold are populated by forced Majorana transitions and then fall freely due to gravity in an applied magnetic field. Weak inhomogeneities of the magnetic field, present in the experiment, impose relative velocities onto different ${m}_{F}$ components, which show up as interference patterns upon measurement of atomic density distributions with a Stern-Gerlach imaging method. We show that interference effects may appear in experiments even if gradients of the magnetic field components are eliminated but higher-order inhomogeneity is present and the duration of the interaction is long enough. In particular, we show that the resulting matter-wave interference patterns can mimic spontaneous pattern formation in the quantum gas.


We describe a model for episodic, open-ocean triple-junction migration based on observations of actual triple-junction evolutions. Migration progresses by repeated episodes of rift propagation, microplate formation, and microplate accretion to an adjacent, larger plate. These episodes may be highly variable in space and time depending on triple-junction geometry, velocity triangle, and other factors affecting local thermal and rheological conditions. Resulting tectonic features may include an abandoned transform fault, straight and potentially curving pseudofaults, sheared and potentially rotated abyssal-hill fabric, and a paleomicroplate with no associated failed rift. This model, developed mainly from the evolution of the Pacific-Antarctic-Nazca triple junction, may be relevant for other types of triple junctions such as the Bouvet and Azores triple junctions and ridge-ridge-ridge triple junctions in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Episodic migration is found to occur even when the triple junction is kinematically stable. This model highlights the difference between predicted kinematic stability of triple junctions and observations of their true tectonic history.


Taking control of cellular NAD+ concentrations Cellular concentrations of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) are critical for proper metabolism and are often altered in aging and disease. To enable better understanding of these processes, Titov et al. altered the concentration of NAD+ in particular cellular compartments. They did this through expression of a bacterial enzyme targeted to specific compartments of human cells in culture. Their experiments emphasize the important role of the electron transport chain in redox transfer of electrons to NADH, rather than proton pumping, in mitochondrial pathogenesis. Science, this issue p. 231 The process of borrowing a bacterial enzyme to control nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide concentrations in mammalian cells is discussed. A decline in electron transport chain (ETC) activity is associated with many human diseases. Although diminished mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate production is recognized as a source of pathology, the contribution of the associated reduction in the ratio of the amount of oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to that of its reduced form (NADH) is less clear. We used a water-forming NADH oxidase from Lactobacillus brevis (LbNOX) as a genetic tool for inducing a compartment-specific increase of the NAD+/NADH ratio in human cells. We used LbNOX to demonstrate the dependence of key metabolic fluxes, gluconeogenesis, and signaling on the cytosolic or mitochondrial NAD+/NADH ratios. Expression of LbNOX in the cytosol or mitochondria ameliorated proliferative and metabolic defects caused by an impaired ETC. The results underscore the role of reductive stress in mitochondrial pathogenesis and demonstrate the utility of targeted LbNOX for direct, compartment-specific manipulation of redox state.


Nucleating mechanism and controlling methods of Al2O3-TiO2 inclusion formed during steel cooling process is analyzed in this paper. According to the theory of nucleation, only TiO2 could satisfy the critical requirement of homogeneous nucleation to solidify stably when the temperature declines to less than 1863K. Furthermore, the generation of Al2O3 adhering on the surface of solid TiO2 is going to take place through heterogeneous nucleation, and then Al2O3 interacts with TiO2 to form Al2O3-TiO2 complex oxide. There would be no Al2O3-TiO2 complex oxide or much less Al2O3 on condition that the wTi·wO2 is less than 3.96×10-8. Both deeply deoxygenating treatments and controlling the mass of Ti-Fe alloy added into steel are effective means for improving steel quality.


The economic threshold level (ETL) is a key factor to be studied for insect pests control. It is difficult to monitor cotton insect pests separately, and it is not reasonable to base decision-making for spraying on an ETL of individual insects and ignore sub-levels of other cotton insect pests. So, we want to use a combined ETL in a way of insect units, to put all major insect pests to consideration as an insect pests' complex. This means delaying the first spray to give a chance for natural enemies to develop and then lower the number of sprays and consequently reduce the cost of production.


Most studies on regional inequality in China are based on macro regions and provinces. Studies on intraprovincial inequality remain limited, although there is a growing literature on Guangdong and Jiangsu. Zhejiang is a leading coastal province of China experiencing rapid economic growth and has been known for its Wenzhou model of development based on private enterprises. This paper uses time-series county data to examine regional inequalities in Zhejiang from 1952 to 1998, with a focus on the reform period of 1978-98. We find that intermunicipal and intercounty inequalities in Zhejiang increased substantially, and overall inequality also increased, especially in the 1990s when more radical market reforms were implemented. While cities like Hangzhou and Ningbo have maintained their higher level of wealth, some counties, particularly coastal counties in municipalities like Wenzhou and Taizhou, have recorded dramatic growth, centred on private enterprises. However, municipalities such as Quzhou, which were favoured by Mao's industrialisation policy, recorded slower growth, as did the traditionally poorer municipalities. We have analysed the role of localities, the state, and globalisation in the changing patterns of regional development in Zhejiang, with an emphasis on local agents of development. Copyright (c) 2004 by the Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG.


The article considers changes in the political reputation of the outstanding modernist poet T.S. Eliot, whose socio-political ideas elude the one-dimensional characteristics. Attention is paid to Eliot's views on culture, which are traditionally attributed to the conservative political spectrum and give basis to blame him in anti-Semitism or even in pro-fascist mentality. The author argues that Eliot's political views have for the most part never been specially articulated and systematized into political concepts or manifesto. His support for the French conservative writer and activist Maurras was broadly in line with the strategy of the magazine "Criterion" edited by T.S. Eliot: it consisted in acquaintance of the public with the widest possible range of aesthetic phenomena and personalities of modern culture. The poet's views on the imperfection of human nature, the moral foundation of social and political action, the apologia of the European Christian culture correlated with the core of traditionalist cultural conservatism. The convergence of aesthetic modernism with right-wing and left-wing political radicalism is a key characteristic of the interwar period and can be traced in many cultural phenomena. However, the priorities of T.S. Eliot have not been associated with either socialist or fascist projects, in which the refined poet have seen the worst manifestation of the "uprising of the masses". The mass popularity of his complicated texts in contemporary mass culture, show business and film industry represents a paradoxical turn in the public interpretation of his heritage. Nowadays, public perception of his rhetoric is becoming more balanced and sometimes his ideas are defined as supra-political. The crisis of traditional "big" parties and ideologies and the flowering of new forms of political activity give the possibility to find in T.S. Eliot's mistrust to Western political institutions capability to foresee trends in Western European culture and society. doi 10.17072/2219-3111-2018-2-155-163


In this paper we improve the upper bound on the multi-color Ramsey numbers of paths and even cycles. More precisely, we prove the following. For every $r\geq 2$ there exists an $n_0=n_0(r)$ such that for $n\geq n_0$ we have $$R_r(P_n) \leq \left( r - \frac{r}{16r^3+1} \right) n.$$ For every $r\geq 2$ and even $n$ we have $$R_r(C_n) \leq \left( r - \frac{r}{16r^3+1} \right) n + o(n) \text{ as }n\rightarrow \infty.$$ The main tool is a stability version of the Erdős-Gallai theorem that may be of independent interest.


The interactive effect of overburden pressure and root confinement on root elongation in a fine-structured loam soil has been examined using fine-metal probes to simulate a plant root. Substantial increases in probe resistance with simulated overburden pressure were found only at high soil bulk densities and high ratios of probe to soil volumes. These findings suggest that for low root to soil volumes (root density) and the maximum soil density used, 1.63 g cm~, the elongation rate of plant roots at a depth of 150 cm would be only 4% less than in the surface layer. For root densities in excess of 0.01 and the same bulk density and depth of overburden, the model predicts a 30% reduction in elongation rate. Additional


Efforts to promote work have been the centerpiece of welfare reform over the past ten years. In signing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, President Bill Clinton pledged that the sweeping overhaul would "end welfare as we know it" by promoting work, responsibility, and family. To accomplish these goals, policymakers relied on two sets of tools: strict limits on eligibility for traditional benefits and a set of programs designed to make work pay. When Work Is Not Enough presents the first comprehensive analysis of the work support system. Drawing on both state and national data, Robert Stoker and Laura Wilson evaluate a broad range of policies that provide cash or in-kind benefits to low-wage workers, low-income working families, and families moving from welfare to work. These programs include minimum wage rates, Earned Income Tax Credit programs, medical assistance programs, food programs, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families earned income disregards, childcare grants, and rental assistance. Stoker and Wilson break new ground by examining the adequacy and coverage of the work support system in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. They address the prospects for reforming the system, as well as its impact on the politics of redistribution in the United States. Rich in analysis, When Work Is Not Enough will be essential reading for anyone interested in the impact and future of welfare reform.


We have measured angle-dependent photoemission spectra for one-photon and two-photon excitation from Ag(111). The observed dispersion of the $sp$-band transition of Ag(111) can be reproduced using a nearly-free-electron model for the initial and final states involved. The observed dispersion agrees with the known band structure. We illustrate how the strong refraction of low-energy electrons becomes a limiting factor to obtain quantitative band-structure information. Conversely, low-energy electrons of a well-defined direct optical interband transition can provide a sensitive probe of the inner potential. We observe asymmetric two-photon photoelectron intensity distributions with respect to detection along the surface normal. These intensity distributions can be well described by a phenomenological model which employs the Fresnel equations to calculate the electric field components of the incident radiation inside the sample. Very good agreement is found using tabulated optical constants and a momentum matrix element, which is oriented along the surface normal. In contrast, the observed intensity distribution for one-photon photoemission from Ag(111) does not fit the simple Fresnel model. We interpret this as the influence of surface photoemission. By comparison to Cu(001), we show that the expected intensity distributions of the Fresnel model for one-photon photoemission and two-photon photoemission are valid for an orientation of the momentum matrix element along the surface normal if the influence of additional effects like surface photoemission can be neglected.


Summary Specific exercises designed to strengthen trunk muscles are an integral part of most Milwaukee brace treatment protocols. To assess the effectiveness of these exercises, we established a prospective study evaluating a closely monitored exercise program coordinated with the use of a Milwaukee brace. Between 1973 and 1979, 24 girls treated with a Milwaukee brace for documented progression of primary right thoracic idiopathic scoliosis were selected for the study. All patients were instructed to perform a standard set of exercises based on the program of Blount and Moe (The Milwaukee Bruce [Williams and Wilkins, 1973]). Twelve patients who were regular exercisers constituted the exercise group: 12 patients noncompliant in performing regular exercises composed the control group. Both groups remained faithful brace wearers. No significant difference was found between the two groups regarding age at onset, initial curve degree, skeletal maturity, total time in brace, or general activity level. There was no statistically significant difference in curve improvement between the two groups (p = 0.95). This preliminary study suggests that the Milwaukee brace alone is as effective in halting curve progression as a Milwaukee brace plus standard prescribed exercises.


This paper analyzes the circulating current which is produced by HT-7U superconducting toroidal power supply-two sets of two-reverse-star converter with an interphase-reactor in parallel running on the basis of the output voltage mathematical equation of three-phase semi-wave converter circuit. A new idea of omitting interphase-reactor between two converters is proposed, and the parameter design of interphase-reactor of HT-7 toroidal power supply is presented. Simulated results demonstrate the validity of this new project.


Examination of blood serum and cellular elements of 45 patients with postoperative diffuse purulent peritonitis shows that in the majority of examined persons before and in the first days after the operation immunodepression exists. The dynamics of immunologic disturbances (antibody titers, phagocytosis, immunoglobulines, T- and B-lymphocytes) are sufficiently informative and as a rule, correlate with clinical course of peritonitis. Adequate reaction of the organism to infection resulted in a favourable outcome. Low values of immunologic indices in postoperative period necessitate the use of stimulant therapy in combined treatment of this complication.


Arteriovenous malformations have only rarely been implicated as a cause of basal ganglia dysfunction. In four instances where such a lesion was uncovered, abnormal involuntary movements were present. In two, tremor involving the contralateral limbs occurred, while in others the head and neck were involved in dystonic movements and posture. The clinical and angiographic characteristics of these four patients have been assessed and are presented in detail in this report. The possible mechanism by which arteriovenous malformations may disturb the internal circuitry of the basal ganglia and induce symptoms are discussed.


Extreme stratospheric wave activity has been suggested to be connected to surface temperature anomalies, but some key processes are not well understood. Using observations, we show that the stratospheric events featuring weaker‐than‐normal wave activity are associated with increased North American (NA) cold extreme risks before and near the event onset, accompanied by less frequent atmospheric river (AR) events on the west coast of the United States. Strong stratospheric wave events, on the other hand, exhibit a tropospheric weather regime transition. They are preceded by NA warm anomalies and increased AR frequency over the west coast, followed by increased risks of NA cold extremes and north‐shifted ARs over the Atlantic. Moreover, these links between the stratosphere and troposphere are attributed to the vertical structure of wave coupling. Weak wave events show a wave structure of westward tilt with increasing altitudes, while strong wave events feature a shift from westward tilt to eastward tilt during their life cycle. This wave phase shift indicates vertical wave coupling and likely regional planetary wave reflection. Further examinations of CMIP6 models show that models with a degraded representation of stratospheric wave structure exhibit biases in the troposphere during strong wave events. Specifically, models with a stratospheric ridge weaker than the reanalysis exhibit a weaker tropospheric signal. Our findings suggest that the vertical coupling of extreme stratospheric wave activity should be evaluated in the model representation of stratosphere‐troposphere coupling.


The aim of this work was to investigate the metabolism of juvenile tambaqui (Colosssoma macropomum) fed 4 different protein (35, 30, 25 e 20,5 %) and lipids (4, 8, 11 e 14,5 %) levels in isoenergetic diets. The experiment was carried out in the facilities of the Adaptative Biochemistry Laboratory, located in the Genetics and Evolution Department of the Federal University of São Carlos. Fish growth, hematological parameters, digestives enzymes (unspecific proteases, unspecific lipase and amylase), metabolites (glucose, lactate, piruvate, ammonia, protein, fat acids, triglycerides, amino acids and glycogen), and the enzymes LDH, MDH, GDH, ASAT and ALAT were assayed. The hematological parameters presented no significant alterations. Tambaqui digestive enzymes were responsive to dietary levels of protein and lipids. Fish from the treatments I and II depicted the best growth. In contrast, the lowest one was observed in fish fed with the treatments III and IV. We detected glycolysis, glycogenolysis and lipolysis in livers in accordance the increase of the dietary lipid. It was observed muscular glycogenesis and gluconeogenesis from amino acids and lipolysis to energetic supply in fish fed with high lipid levels. The plasma metabolic profile reflected the function of blood metabolite deliver among the tissues underlining biochemical adaptations due to alterations on the fish feeding. In conclusion, dietary protein and lipid levels induced tambaqui digestive enzymes. The increase of dietary lipid resulted in fish growth decreased, augmented the liver glycolysis and glycogenolysis, increase the muscular glucogenesis and the gluconeogenesis. The fish metabolism seemed to be predominantly lipolitic.


This scientific opinion of the Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids deals with the safety evaluation of the powder mixture of the active substances sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate coated with sodium carbonate and sodium silicate (FCM substance No 1009), bentonite (CAS No 1302–78-9, FCM No 393), sodium chloride (CAS No 7647–14-5, FCM No 985), sodium carbonate (CAS No 497–19-8, FCM No 1008) which are intended to be used as combined oxygen generator and carbon dioxide absorber in packaging containing whole fresh fruits. The powder mixture is placed in a nonwoven polyethylene sachet separated from the food by a pad. In the presence of moisture, sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate first decomposes into sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide which decomposes into water and oxygen. Sodium carbonate reacts with carbon dioxide to form sodium bicarbonate. Because the sachet is not placed in direct contact with the food or food exudates, only hydrogen peroxide which decomposes to water and oxygen may be released with no other potential migration of volatile compounds. Based on the conclusion drawn in the EU Risk Assessment Report that hydrogen peroxide is not classified as a mutagen and the results from a subchronic toxicity study with hydrogen peroxide, the Panel concluded that hydrogen peroxide does not raise a safety concern under the intended conditions of use. Therefore the CEF Panel concluded that sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate coated with sodium carbonate and sodium silicate, bentonite, sodium chloride and sodium carbonate do not raise a safety concern for the consumer when used as combined oxygen generator and carbon dioxide absorber, for packaging of whole fruits. The substances should be used in sachets which prevent the release of the powder mixture into the food. Sachets should not be in direct contact with food or food exudates.


We present a new family of two-dimensional and three-dimensional orthogonal wavelets which uses quincunx sampling. The orthogonal refinement filters have a simple analytical expression in the Fourier domain as a function of the order /spl lambda/, which may be noninteger. We can also prove that they yield wavelet bases of L/sub 2/(R/sup 2/) for any /spl lambda/>0. The wavelets are fractional in the sense that the approximation error at a given scale a decays like O(a/sup /spl lambda//); they also essentially behave like fractional derivative operators. To make our construction practical, we propose a fast Fourier transform-based implementation that turns out to be surprisingly fast. In fact, our method is almost as efficient as the standard Mallat algorithm for separable wavelets.


OBJECTIVE
Adipose tissue secretes pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), which may increase local IGF action through cleavage of IGF-binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4). We tested whether this mechanism was operational in human visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (i.e. VAT and SAT).

DESIGN
Explants of VAT and SAT from 26 obese subjects (hereof 17 women, BMI 39.5 (37.2; 42.8) kg/m2 (median (25%; 75% confidence interval) and SAT from eight lean, age-matched women (BMI 23.6 (22.4; 24.9) kg/m2) were incubated with or without GH (100 µg/L) and the media were harvested.

METHODS
Media were assessed for concentrations of PAPP-A, intact and PAPP-A-cleaved IGFBP-4, IGF-I and IGF-II, and IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) activation by bioassay.

RESULTS
In obese subjects, VAT media contained higher concentrations than SAT of PAPP-A (4.4-fold) and both PAPP-A-generated IGFBP-4 fragments (C-terminal: 3.3-fold, N-terminal: 1.5-fold) (all P < 0.0005). Intact IGFBP-4 levels were similar in SAT and VAT. VAT media contained elevated IGF-II (1.4-fold; P < 0.005), but similar IGF-I concentrations compared with SAT. Still, VAT media contained a 1.8-fold increased ability to stimulate the IGF-IR (P < 0.005). IGF-I protein concentration and IGF-IR activation increased more in VAT media than SAT media following GH stimulation (both P < 0.05). At baseline, SAT media protein levels from lean and obese women were similar, with the exception of PAPP-A being 1.8-fold elevated in VAT media (P < 0.05). GH induced a similar increase in IGF-I media levels in SAT from obese and lean women.

CONCLUSION
Human adipose tissue cultures secrete enzymatically active PAPP-A, IGFBP-4 and IGF-II in a depot-specific manner, suggesting differential regulation of IGF activity. Further, IGF-II appears to be more prominent than IGF-I. Finally, VAT appears more GH responsive than SAT.


The ubiquitously expressed Abl protein is a non‐receptor tyrosine kinase that undergoes nuclear–cytoplasmic shuttling and is involved in many signaling pathways in the cell. Nuclear Abl is activated by DNA damage to regulate DNA repair, cell‐cycle checkpoints and apoptosis. Previous studies have established that ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) activates nuclear Abl by phosphorylating serine 465 (S465) in the kinase domain in response to ionizing radiation (IR). Using a peptide biosensor that specifically reports on the Abl kinase activity, we found that an Abl‐S465A mutant, which is not capable of being activated by ATM through the canonical site, was still activated rapidly after IR. We established that DNA‐dependent protein kinase (DNAPK) is likely to be responsible for a second pathway to activate Abl early on in the response to IR through phosphorylation at a site other than S465. Our findings show that nuclear and cytoplasmic Abl kinase is activated early on (within 5 min) in response to IR by both ATM and DNAPK, and that although one or the other of these kinases is required, either one is sufficient to activate Abl. These results support the concept of early Abl recruitment by both the ATM and the DNAPK pathways to regulate nuclear events triggered by DNA damage and potentially communicate them to proteins in the cytoplasm.


We report the case of an 84-year-old woman with abdominal pain, distension and inferior veno-caval compression due to a large non-parasitic hepatic cyst. She was treated by instillation of tetracycline hydrochloride into the hepatic cyst. Six months after treatment, the patient is asymptomatic, with no reaccumulation of the hepatic cyst. We conclude that symptomatic hepatic cysts may be successfully treated by tetracycline hydrochloride instillation sclerosis.


We previously identified an RNA binding protein, CUGBP1, which binds to GCN repeats located within the 5' region of C/EBPbeta mRNAs and regulates translation of C/EBPbeta isoforms. To further investigate the role of RNA binding proteins in the posttranscriptional control of C/EBP proteins, we purified additional RNA binding proteins that interact with GC-rich RNAs and that may regulate RNA processing. In HeLa cells, the majority of GC-rich RNA binding proteins are associated with endogenous RNA transcripts. The separation of these proteins from endogenous RNA identified several proteins in addition to CUGBP1 that specifically interact with the GC-rich 5' region of C/EBPbeta mRNA. One of these proteins was purified to homogeneity and was identified as calreticulin (CRT). CRT is a multifunctional protein involved in several biological processes, including interaction with and regulation of rubella virus RNA processing. Our data demonstrate that both CUGBP1 and CRT interact with GCU repeats within myotonin protein kinase and with GCN repeats within C/EBPalpha and C/EBPbeta mRNAs. GCN repeats within these mRNAs form stable SL structures. The interaction of CRT with SL structures of C/EBPbeta and C/EBPalpha mRNAs leads to inhibition of translation of C/EBP proteins in vitro and in vivo. Deletions or mutations abolishing the formation of SL structures within C/EBPalpha and C/EBPbeta mRNAs lead to a failure of CRT to inhibit translation of C/EBP proteins. CRT-dependent inhibition of C/EBPalpha is sufficient to block the growth-inhibitory activity of C/EBPalpha. This finding further defines the molecular mechanism for posttranscriptional regulation of the C/EBPalpha and C/EBPbeta proteins.


Purpose of review Acupuncture is now recommended for several chronic pain conditions. Despite supportive evidence of its effectiveness, this ancient approach is often misunderstood, and may still be underused in mainstream practice. A critical review on its effectiveness and practice integration, and mechanisms of action is essential to the medical community that is continuing to seek nonopioid therapies for chronic pain. Recent findings Mounting evidence supports the effectiveness of acupuncture to treat chronic low back, neck, shoulder, and knee pain, as well as headaches. Additional data are emerging that support the use of acupuncture as an adjunct or alternative to opioids, and in perioperative settings. Findings related to its mechanisms of action include transient receptor potential cation channel vanilloid 1 activation in the periphery, microglial suppression in the cerebral cortex and spinal cord, and regulation of cytokines and other key inflammatory factors in the spinal cord. Incremental integration of acupuncture into pain medicine practices and training programmes continues to grow. Summary Acupuncture is effective, safe, and cost-effective for treating several chronic pain conditions when performed by well-trained healthcare professionals. Further studies on its use as an adjunct or alternative to opioids, and in perioperative settings are needed.


Tidal responses to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) are investigated for the first time using reanalysis data‐driven simulations covering 21 years. The simulation is carried out with the Ground‐to‐topside Atmosphere‐Ionosphere model for Aeronomy (GAIA) during 1996–2016, which covers nine ENSO events. ENSO impacts on diurnal tides at 100 km altitude are analyzed and cross‐compared among temperature (T), zonal wind (U), and meridional wind (V), which reveals the following salient features: (1) Tidal response can differ significantly among T, U, and V in terms of magnitude and latitudinal structure, making detection of ENSO effects sensitive to the parameter used and the location of a ground station; (2) the nonmigrating DE3 tide in T and U shows a prominent hemisphere asymmetric response to La Niña, with an increase between 0° and 30°N and a decrease between 30° and 0°S. In contrast, DE3 in V exhibits no significant response; (3) the migrating DW1 enhances during El Niño in equatorial regions for T and U but in off‐equatorial regions for V. As the first ENSO study based on reanalysis‐driven simulations, GAIA's full set of tidal responses in T, U, and V provides us with a necessary global context to better understand and cross‐compare observations during ENSO events. Comparisons with observations during the 1997–98 El Niño and 2010–11 La Niña reveal good agreement in both magnitude and timing. Comparisons with "free‐run" WACCM simulations (T) show consistent results in nonmigrating tides DE2 and DE3 but differences in the migrating DW1 tide.


This article reports on outcomes from the evaluation of a collaborative project between a University and a Fire and Rescue Service where research and education were developed to inform understanding of fire risks associated with dementia. Project outcomes were determined using a mixed-methods approach (survey, reports, statistics, case studies, course evaluation forms). Main outputs were a research report that identified dementia-specific fire risks and safety strategies, and an education package for Fire and Rescue Service staff and volunteers. The evaluation demonstrates the value of collaborative partnerships to develop understanding of risks pertinent to particular vulnerable groups and research-informed education.


Following Benjamin Franklin's announcement of the lightning rod in 1752, a protection system was devised for ships of the Royal Navy which used a chain conductor draped into the sea from the top of the mast. This system had only limited success since the chain, raised when lightning was expected, often was not installed when lightning struck; interfered with seamen manning the rigging; and was not capable of conducting some lightning strokes without damage to itself or the ship. In 1820, William Snow Harris invented a system of fixed lightning conductor plates which were routed along the aft side of the mast down through the hull to the copper sheathing on the bottom of the ship. Harris spent the next twenty-five years trying to persuade the British Admiralty to test his system and require its installation. For years, old prejudices against lightning conductors, notions of economy, and bureaucratic suspicions of technological innovation frustrated his efforts. It took a successful trial installation on eleven ships, an extensive campaign by Harris to publicize the extent of lightning damage to the navy, the favorable recommendations of two study committees, and administrative changes in the Admirality before the Royal Navy finally adopted the Harris conductors in 1842.


During the development of SoC (System on Chip) Systems, the thermal design aspects have proved crucial to its reliable operation. Reducing thermally induced stress and preventing local overheating remain major concerns when optimizing the capabilities of the LAIC (Large Area Integrated Circuits) based technology. Thermal monitoring is essential in integrated circuit (IC) and VLSI chip which are a multilayer structure and a stack of different materials. Thermal phenomena research activities on micro-scale level are essential for SoC and MEMS-based applications. However, various measurement techniques are needed to understand the thermal behavior of VLSI chip. In particular, measurement techniques for surface temperature distributions of large VLSI systems are a highly challenging research topic. This paper presents an approach and the experimental result of silicon-die thermal monitoring using embedded sensor cells unit. Sensor implementation results and analysis are also presented.


Active share is a statistic that describes the degree to which the holdings of an investment fund differ from the holdings of the fund's benchmark. Practitioners and academics have produced numerous papers on active share; some portray it as a powerful metric that can be used to isolate effective active managers, whereas others highlight its imperfections and warn of its limited utility. The authors of this article evaluate how active share can be used to guide individual manager selection decisions and to assist in ongoing manager monitoring. After considering multiple perspectives, the authors assert that active share is indeed a useful statistic for evaluating investment strategies, but investors must take into account several limitations to use it appropriately. They also present a new application of active share by employing it at the asset class level. Specifically, they use active share to evaluate multi-manager, US large-cap equity portfolios. The authors chose US large-cap equity because this subasset class is widely viewed as highly efficient, and it provides a particularly robust data set for analysis. With this exercise, the authors demonstrate how investors can apply active share to help determine the optimal number of managers to include in a multi-manager portfolio. The intent of the article is to help investors improve both the quality of individual manager selection decisions and the portfolio construction process for multi-manager portfolios. TOPICS: Portfolio management/multi-asset allocation, manager selection, performance measurement Key Findings • In an effort to diversify the risk of adverse manager selection, institutional investors often hire multiple investment managers to fill their allocations to various asset classes. However, many investors are subsequently disappointed with the results because the benefits of diversification are often exceeded by the costs in terms of active share dilution, higher investment management fees, and greater oversight requirements. • Using large-cap US equity as a test case, this article demonstrates how active share can help quantify the impact of manager diversification on active management efficiency in multi-manager portfolios. In addition, the article quantifies the incremental fee impact of adding investment managers to the portfolio. The results demonstrate how active share can decline rapidly after a relatively small number of managers is added to a large-cap equity portfolio. Simultaneously, both indirect and direct costs of portfolio oversight steadily and meaningfully increase with each new manager. • The results suggest that investors should conduct a thorough cost–benefit analysis before determining the number of investment managers to include in a multi-manager portfolio. To support such endeavors, we encourage investors to quantify the incremental impact of additional managers on active share, investment management fees, and general oversight requirements. After quantifying these costs, investors can weigh them against the potential diversification benefits and identify the number of managers that provides the optimal balance.


Abstract Background Athletes presenting with 1st-degree atrioventricular block (AVB) on 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) may present a diagnostic conundrum, especially when significantly prolonged and associated with higher degrees of block. A pragmatic stepwise approach to the evaluation of these patients is, therefore, crucial. Case summary A 19-year-old waterpolo player was referred for assessment of a 1st-degree heart block and one isolated episode of syncope. All other cardiac investigations were within normal limits except for a 24-h ambulatory ECG which showed Mobitz 1 AVB and episodes of 2:1 block occurring in the context of Wenchebach. An electrophysiological study (EPS) was performed which effectively excluded infranodal conductive tissue disease, confirming physiological intranodal block. Discussion The increase in vagal tone is one of the physiological adaptations to an increased demand in cardiac output in athletes, which explains the presence of 1st-degree AVB in up to 7.5% of athletes. The presence of 2:1 AVB on 24 h ECG raises doubts whether the 1st-degree AVB on resting ECG is pathological or physiological, especially considering this particular patient had suffered an episode of syncope. When this diagnostic uncertainty persists despite non-invasive investigations, including cardiopulmonary exercise testing, invasive EPS may be required to assess the refractoriness of the AV node and at what level within the cardiac conductive system block occurs. The electrophysiological study can effectively rule out infranodal disease by confirming physiological intranodal block using incremental atrial pacing.


The sustainability of corporations globally is becoming increasingly problematic. Combined with the unique challenges of an operating entity, this could potentially expose the profitability of sustainable businesses on a daily basis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate employees' justice perceptions of performance management practices in a company in the chemical industry. The population includes all the employees in the chemical industry that was used in this study. A total of 140 questionnaires were issued to all the employees in an organisation which had undergone a performance appraisal and 102 respondents completed the surveys, giving a response rate of 72 per cent. A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. The justice perceptions were measured according to an existing framework developed by Thurston and McNall (2010). The framework is founded on a hypothesised four-factor model constructed according to theories on organisational justice. The employees of the organisation in the chemical sector were involved in this study. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to measure perceptions of justice based on theories on organisational justice. The measuring instrument used was based on recognised models and theories. The study supports the construct validity of the measuring instrument and the reliability of the scales used. The justice constructs were used to identify specific items in the performance management practice that required improvement. The implications of the results are that continual interventions are required if employee commitment and productivity levels are to improve, resulting in a positive impact on business performance. Significant differences in perceptions by demographic groups were reported and discussed. This study explored the importance of understanding justice perceptions of performance management practices as an enabler for sustained business performance. Further, the study confirmed that justice perceptions have a direct impact on both the organisational climate and employee morale.


The organizing committee members of 26th World Nursing and Nurse Practitioner Conference have finally revealed the theme for this year`s Nursepractice Nursing 2020" conference and it is going to be held on May 10-11, 2020 Tokyo, Japan. Conference Series and the organizing committee of Nursepractice Nursing 2020 acknowledges the efforts and contribution of scholars, researchers, academicians, and scientists in the field of Nursing, Nursing Education, Midwifery, and has decided to introduce various achievement awards for all the participants. Nursepractice Nursing 2020 conference will offer various awards to outstanding researchers, scientists, exceptional graduates or early academicians who have a notable contribution to the field and possess keen interest towards the conference theme. The awards strive in providing a strong professional development opportunity for all researchers at different levels of their careers. Moreover our conferences will provide a much needed time and space for all to interact with colleagues from different parts of the world and to create long lasting networks and relations.


One of the important tools needed to assess the severity of various braking cycles and quantify the capacity of braked wheel treads to resist thermal spalling is a reliable and easy to use computational method for predicting the associated tread temperature rise. Such a simple analytical procedure is developed and satisfactorily correlated with available experimental results in this paper.
 It is based on a transient one dimensional thermal solution for surface and near surface temperature histories and takes into account tread heat transfer losses to the rail as well as to the air stream. The procedure is implemented in a spread sheet computer program that accepts any train operation and air brake system input history and computes the resulting train speed and tread temperature histories.
 Correlations and comparisons are made to published results as well as some previously unpublished test data obtained by the Association of American Railroads (AAR). The method proposed is well suited to predict the results of stop braking and short time drag braking histories but its analytical assumptions are less satisfactory for long time drag braking simulations.


In women, a single dose of the antiprogestin mifepristone (RU486) in the secretory phase rapidly renders the endometrium unreceptive and is followed by endometrial breakdown and menstruation within 72 h. This model provides a system to identify progesterone-regulated genes, which may be involved in endometrial receptivity and the induction of menstruation. We used cDNA microarrays to monitor the response of the endometriuim over 24 h following administration of mifepristone in the mid-secretory phase. We identified 571 transcripts whose expression was significantly altered, representing 131 biochemical pathways. These include new progesterone regulated members of the Wnt, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), prostaglandin (PG) and chemokine regulatory pathways. Transcripts involved in thyroid hormone metabolism and signalling such as type II iodothyronine deiodinase and thyroid receptors were also found to be highly regulated by progesterone antagonism in the endometrium. Transcripts required for thyroid hormone synthesis such as thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and thyroglobulin (TG) were also expressed, indicating that the endometrium may be a site of thyroxin production. These results add to the existing knowledge of the role of the Wnt, chemokine, MMP and PG pathways in receptivity and early menstrual events. They provide in vivo evidence supporting direct or indirect regulation of many new transcripts by progesterone. We have also identified for the first time the very early transcriptional changes in vivo in response to progesterone withdrawal. This greatly increases our understanding of the pathways leading to menstruation and may provide new approaches to diagnose and treat menstrual disorders.


Problem Statement and Background. The evaluation of professionalism often relies on the observation and interpretation of students' behaviors; however, little research is available regarding faculty's interpretations of these behaviors. Method. Interviews were conducted with 30 faculty, who were asked to respond to five videotaped scenarios in which students are placed in professionally challenging situations. Behaviors were catalogued by person and by scenario. Results. There was little agreement between faculty about what students should and should not do in each scenario. Abstracted principles (e.g., honesty, altruism) were defined and applied inconsistently, both between and within individual faculty. There was no apparent "shared standard" that faculty held for professional behavior in students, and similar behaviors (e.g., lying) could be interpreted as either professional or unprofessional. Conclusions. Future efforts at evaluation need to look beyond the behaviors, and should incorporate the reasoning and motivations behind students' actions in challenging professional situations.


"One day I looked at the sun and blinked and saw the residual flashing image familiar to me since childhood. I looked and blinked again. This time I saw different shapes and realised it was because a cloud had just passed over the sun. I died this many times during the summers of 2006 and 2010, during fierce days and cloudy days, drawing and painting my findings in ink. The shapes and their intensity changed, but these were limited in number, at least to me. I've counted eight. There may be more, but this is dangerous work and my eyesight is already poor enough.
Since way before Carl Jung we've known that archetypes fix the human experience of being here in irreducible images. Having realised the fleeting sun flashes I was seeing were part of the lexicography of human experience, I had to see how they fitted. I'm stubborn and don't accept ideas as presented to me, so I felt compelled to research the symbolic archetypes of the sun.
This exhibition shows some of what I saw. I saw no spirals, wheels, fiery crowns or swastikas. Maybe these shapes are elsewhere."


Kinetic and fluid treatments of nonlinear wave interactions (wave mixing and electromagnetic wave scattering) in plasmas are considered and the difference between the two approaches is discussed. Solving the kinetic equation by the method of moments makes it possible to substantiate the validity and find the applicability range of the fluid approach to the study of nonlinear plasma processes. In particular, the detailed study of nonlinear processes in a plasma With external magnetic fields is performed. In the case of wave transformation, when mixed waves satisfy linear wave equations, both fluid and kinetic approaches yield similar expressions for the inducing current. In the case of electromagnetic wave scattering by thermal fluctuations, the results of the fluid and kinetic approaches are in accordance only in the limiting case of cold plasmas when thermal effects may be completely disregarded (these are thermal corrections to the wave dispersion equation and the additional Langevin source in the constitutive equation for fluctuations). Different expressions for the inducing current, obtained from various versions of hydrodynamic equations, reduce to the same form in the cold plasma limiting case.


Introduction The IBD-Control Questionnaire is a self-completed patient reported outcome measure developed to rapidly capture disease control from the patient perspective.1Eight of the question items generate a summary score (IBD-Control-8) ranging from 0 (worst control) to 16 (best control). We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of capturing the items electronically (rather than on paper) and to validate their measurement properties independently within the setting of a large-scale UK patient experience survey. Method The IBD2020 survey was an electronic (online) questionnaire of patient experiences of healthcare across Europe, promoted in the UK by the national charity, Crohn's and Colitis UK. The survey included items about sociodemographics, disease type, treatments, self-reported disease activity (last 3 months), relapse status (last 12 months), disease impact and a wide range of questions about care experiences. The IBD-Control-8 questions were incorporated into the UK survey, allowing an opportunity to validate its performance. Results 818 UK patients completed the survey (Female n = 611; Under 30 years, n = 259; 30–44 yrs n = 352; 45–59 yrs 1n=42, 60 yrs plus n = 45; CD n = 483; Previous surgery n = 275; Current stoma n = 69). Self-reported disease activity in last 3 months: Remission 10.8%, Minimal 21.1%, Mildly 28.0%, Moderately 22.1%, Severely 8.7%, Missing 9.3%. 701/818 (85.7%) completed all IBD-Control-8 questions, (mean score [sd]: 7.3 [4.9]; range: 0–16). Internal consistency was strong (Cronbach's alpha: 0.82). Construct validity of IBD-Control-8 was confirmed by: (a) moderately strong negative correlation (Spearman's rho values) with 'Disease Activity In Last 3 months' (Overall -0.68; CD -0.67; UC -0.66; Post-surgery -0.65) and 'Number of Relapses in Last 12 months' (Overall -0.61; CD -0.59; UC -0.60; Post-surgery -0.58) and (b) Significantly higher mean [sd] scores for remission versus any level of disease activity (13.1 [3.1] versus 6.4 [4.5]; p < 0.001). Utility of IBD-Control-8 as a screening test to identify 'quiescent' patients (score of 13+) was confirmed (specificity: 88.2% versus self-reported 'remission' status; 95% versus remission or minimal activity). Conclusion The IBD-Control-8 items from the IBD-Control Questionnaire are well suited to large-scale electronic surveys, with excellent completion rates within a lengthy patient experience survey. This study provides independent confirmation of its previously reported psychometric properties in a large cohort of UK patients. Disclosure of interest None Declared. Reference Bodger, et al. Gut. 2014;63(7):1092–102


On the development of nano-world, nanotechnology provides enormous opportunities in daily routine products and further future sustainable innovations. The nanotechnology extends its benefits to various fields such as engineering, medical, biological, environmental, and communication. However, the exponential growth of nanomaterials production would lead to severe complications related to their hazardous effects to the human health and environment. Moreover, negative impact of nanomaterials toxicity on human health is one of the significant issues on exhausting nano-products. The most vulnerable situation is associated with the use of nanomaterials in the biomedical application. The several efforts have been ongo-ing to study the nanotoxicity and its interaction with the biomolecules. Neverthe-less, it is hard to assess and validate the nanotoxicity in a biological system. This chapter aims to study the challenges in determining the toxicity of nanomaterials. The toxicity assessment and hurdles in determining the impact on biological systems are epoch making. In-vitro , in-vivo , and in-silico studies are summarized in this chapter in assessing the toxicity of engineered nanomaterials. The different approaches of toxicity assessment have their difficulties faced by researchers while characterizing nanomaterials in powder form, solution-based, and interacting with biological systems. The assessment tools and characterization techniques play a vital role in overcoming the challenges, while the cytotoxic assays involve nanoparticle shape, morphology, and size consideration.


The task of obstacle avoidance using maritime vessels, such as Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV), has traditionally been solved using specialized modules that are designed and optimized separately. However, this approach requires a deep insight into the environment, the vessel, and their complex dynamics. We propose an alternative method using Imitation Learning (IL) through Deep Reinforcement Learning (RL) and Deep Inverse Reinforcement Learning (IRL) and present a system that learns an end-to-end steering model capable of mapping radar-like images directly to steering actions in an obstacle avoidance scenario. The USV used in the work is equipped with a Radar sensor and we studied the problem of generating a single action parameter, heading. We apply an IL algorithm known as generative adversarial imitation learning (GAIL) to develop an end-to-end steering model for a scenario where avoidance of an obstacle is the goal. The performance of the system was studied for different design choices and compared to that of a system that is based on pure RL. The IL system produces results that indicate it is able to grasp the concept of the task and that in many ways are on par with the RL system. We deem this to be promising for future use in tasks that are not as easily described by a reward function.


BACKGROUND
The concept of a 'specialist nurse' has existed for many years and related education programmes are proliferating. However, while literature clearly outlines the roles and practice of registered nurses and advanced practice nurses, those of specialist nurses remain unclear and nursing specializations across Europe need clarifying.

AIM
This pilot study aimed to explore the competencies, education requirements and regulation of specialist nurses in Europe.

DESIGN
A descriptive cross-sectional survey.

METHODS
An online questionnaire named 'Specialist nurse and specialization in Europe' was sent to 550 members of the European Federation of Nurse Educators and ten members of the European Specialist Nurses Organizations. Snowball sampling was then used to build a convenience sample of nurse educators, clinical nurses and specialist nurses, national nursing association members, and chief nursing officers from all European countries. Besides quantitative aspects, responses to open-ended questions were analysed using a qualitative content analysis process.

RESULTS
A total of 77 experts from 29 European countries responded to the questionnaire. Findings highlighted variations in titles, levels and length of education, certification, regulation and scope of practice for specialized nurses in Europe. Analysis of the promoted competencies revealed dominant clinical and technical aspects of the role with a high level of knowledge.

CONCLUSIONS
The study emphasized the need to improve standards for education, certification and regulation for specialist nurses. Interpretation of the role and competencies is diverse with a weak presence of health policy that would enhance and develop the specialities.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY
To address the current lack of provisions for automatic recognition of specialist nurses, common training frameworks corresponding to the relevant level of the European Qualifications Framework should promote lifelong learning and mobility, and enhance levels of health care and patient safety.


Democratic backsliding by incumbents is one of the most prevalent forms of backsliding in recent global trends of democratic erosion. Understanding the attitude of voters toward backsliding incumbents is crucial because popular support is the basis of legitimacy for these incumbents. This article studies voter attitudes in the Philippines, where democracy was subverted by the incumbent president, Rodrigo Duterte, who served from 2016 to 2022. Specifically, we examine the validity of the claim that Filipino voters are acquiring a "taste for illiberal rule" made by some scholars. First, we analyzed the survey data regarding the support for various types of political systems, where part of the data comes from our originally commissioned survey at the Social Weather Stations. Second, we explored Pulse Asia's longitudinal survey data on martial-rule support. Our investigation of these survey data did not find substantive support for the "taste for illiberal rule" proposition. Further, we argue that Filipino voters are contingent supporters of illiberal politics while supporting the procedural principles of democracy at the baseline.


: Trabecular endothelium and collagen fibers of the posterior wall of Schlemm's channel, obtained in sinusotrabeculectomy from patients with various stages of primary open-angle glaucoma were examined by electron microscopic and biochemical methods. Endothelial cell destruction, damage, rejection, and dissociation in intertrabecular space, progressing in severity, were observed. "Denudation" and degradation of collagen fibers and fibrils were observed. The content of lipid peroxides in aqueous humor and blocks of Schlemm's channel trabecular wall increased from stage to stage, while the level of biogenic antioxidant glutathione decreased.


Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a gene regulatory process that dictates mRNA 3'-UTR length, resulting in changes in mRNA stability and localization. APA is frequently disrupted in cancer and promotes tumorigenesis through altered expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Pan-cancer analyses have revealed common APA events across the tumor landscape; however, little is known about tumor type-specific alterations that may uncover novel events and vulnerabilities. Here we integrate RNA-sequencing data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to comprehensively analyze APA events in 148 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAs). We report widespread, recurrent and functionally relevant 3'-UTR alterations associated with gene expression changes of known and newly identified PDA growth-promoting genes and experimentally validate the effects of these APA events on expression. We find enrichment for APA events in genes associated with known PDA pathways, loss of tumor-suppressive miRNA binding sites, and increased heterogeneity in 3'-UTR forms of metabolic genes. Survival analyses reveal a subset of 3'-UTR alterations that independently characterize a poor prognostic cohort among PDA patients. Finally, we identify and validate the casein kinase CK1α as an APA-regulated therapeutic target in PDA. Knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of CK1α attenuates PDA cell proliferation and clonogenic growth. Our single-cancer analysis reveals APA as an underappreciated driver of pro-tumorigenic gene expression in PDA via the loss of miRNA regulation.


The application of relationship management strategies to the online environment has been met with great enthusiasm. However, research indicates that many of the traditional drivers of effective relationships may need to be re-interpreted when applied in Cyberspace. This chapter proposes an enhanced model for the management of customer relationships (CRM) in an online context. It builds on the traditional strengths of CRM, namely processual efficiency and profitability, to ensure that a greater emphasis is given to the interpersonal nature of relationship development.


Fine jets of slightly conducting viscous fluids and thicker jets or drops of less viscous ones can be drawn from conducting tubes by electric forces. As the potential of the tube relative to a neighbouring plate rises, viscous fluids become nearly conical and fine jets come from the vertices. The potentials at which these jets or drops first appear was measured and compared with calculations. The stability of viscous jets depends on the geometry of the electrodes. Jets as small as 20 ,um in diameter and 5 cm long were produced which were quite steady up to a millimetre from their ends. Attempts to describe them mathematically failed. Their stability seems to be due to mechanical rather than electrical causes, like that of a stretched string, which is straight when pulled but bent when pushed. Experiments on the stability of water jets in a parallel electric field reveal two critical fields, one at which jets that are breaking into drops become steady and another at which these steady jets become unsteady again, without breaking into drops. Experiments are described in which a cylindrical soap film becomes unstable under a radial electric field. The results are compared with calculations by A. B. Basset and after a mistake in his analysis is corrected, agreement is found over the range where experiments are possible. Basset's calculations for axisymmetrical disturbances are extended to those in which the jet moves laterally. Though this is the form in which the instability appears, calculations about uniform jets do not seem to be relevant. In an appendix M. D. Van Dyke calculates the attraction between a long cylinder and a perpendicular plate at a different potential.


The usage of automatic fingerprint identification systems as a means of identification and/or verification have increased substantially during the last couple of years. It is well known that small deviations may occur within a fingerprint over time, a problem referred to as template ageing. This problem, and other reasons for deviations between two images of the same fingerprint, complicates the identification/verification process, since distinct features may appear somewhat different in the two images that are matched. Commonly used to try and minimise this type of problem are different kinds of fingerprint image enhancement algorithms. This thesis tests different methods within the scale-space framework and evaluate their performance as fingerprint image enhancement methods. The methods tested within this thesis ranges from linear scale-space filtering, where no prior information about the images is known, to scalar and tensor driven diffusion where analysis of the images precedes and controls the diffusion process. The linear scale-space approach is shown to improve correlation values, which was anticipated since the image structure is flattened at coarser scales. There is however no increase in the number of accurate matches, since inaccurate features also tends to get higher correlation value at large scales. The nonlinear isotropic scale-space (scalar dependent diffusion), or the edge- preservation, approach is proven to be an ill fit method for fingerprint image enhancement. This is due to the fact that the analysis of edges may be unreliable, since edge structure is often distorted in fingerprints affected by the template ageing problem. The nonlinear anisotropic scale-space (tensor dependent diffusion), or coherence-enhancing, method does not give any overall improvements of the number of accurate matches. It is however shown that for a certain type of template ageing problem, where the deviating structure does not significantly affect the ridge orientation, the nonlinear anisotropic diffusion is able to accurately match correlation pairs that resulted in a false match before they were enhanced.


There are seven main sources of contamination of clean operative wounds, namely, instruments, drapes, hands of operating personnel, droplet infection from nose and throat, suture material, air-borne bacteria and organisms in the skin. Hart, 1 Meleney, 2 Weaver, 3 Dandy 4 and many others have carried out investigations to prove the existence of these sources of contamination and have devised methods of combating all of them with the exception of bacteria of the skin. In a previous publication, 5 it has been shown that most of the transient organisms of the skin are superficial and can be removed by mechanical and chemical cleansing. The resident bacteria are situated so deep in the hair follicles and sebaceous glands that they cannot be removed by mechanical means without injury to the skin. The antiseptics generally used do not penetrate sufficiently to reach the organisms located in the deeper parts of these structures.