In this paper, a fractional-order Cohen–Grossberg-type neural network with Caputo fractional derivatives is investigated. The notion of almost periodicity is adapted to the impulsive generalization of the model. General types of impulsive perturbations not necessarily at fixed moments are considered. Criteria for the existence and uniqueness of almost periodic waves are proposed. Furthermore, the global perfect Mittag–Leffler stability notion for the almost periodic solution is defined and studied. In addition, a robust global perfect Mittag–Leffler stability analysis is proposed. Lyapunov-type functions and fractional inequalities are applied in the proof. Since the type of Cohen–Grossberg neural networks generalizes several basic neural network models, this research contributes to the development of the investigations on numerous fractional neural network models.


Spontaneous cervical artery dissection (sCAD) is a major cause of stroke in young adults. Multiple sCAD is a rarer, more poorly understood presentation of sCAD that has been increasingly attributed to cervical trauma such as spinal manipulation or genetic polymorphisms in extracellular matrix components. The authors present the case of a 49-year-old, otherwise healthy woman, who over the course of 2 weeks developed progressive, hemodynamically significant, bilateral internal carotid artery and vertebral artery dissections. Collateral response involved extensive external carotid artery-internal carotid artery anastomoses via the ophthalmic artery, which were instrumental in maintaining perfusion because circle of Willis and leptomeningeal anastomotic responses were hampered by the dissection burden in the corresponding collateral vessels. Endovascular intervention by placement of Pipeline embolization devices and Atlas stents in bilateral internal carotid arteries was successfully performed. No syndromic or systemic etiology was discovered during a thorough workup.


Character strengths represent positive durable attributes of individuals, and their deployment is hypothesized to positively affect mood and well-being. Furthermore, strengths deployment may serve as a mood-repair strategy which promotes growth. Close relationships, being potential facilitators of personal growth, were hypothesized to amplify these two effects. These hypotheses were examined in a quasi-experimental diary study. Participants (N = 150) completed daily measures of strengths deployment and mood. They were randomly assigned to a relationship-exercise condition (writing a daily note to a loved one), or to one of two control conditions. Previous-day strengths deployment was associated with more positive daily mood, and previous-day adverse mood predicted increased strengths deployment. The first effect seemed to be somewhat stronger in the relationship-exercise condition. These results highlight positive daily effect of strengths deployment, demonstrate the use of strengths to combat adverse mood, and suggest that close relationships enhance the positive effects of strengths deployment.


In the search for new therapeutic chemicals, lab-on-a-chip systems have recently emerged as innovative and efficient tools for cell-based assays and high throughput screening. Here, we describe a novel, versatile and simple device for cell-based assays at the bench-top. We created spatial variations of porosity on the surface of a membrane filter by microcontact printing with a biocompatible polymer (PDMS). We called such systems Micro-Printed Membranes (μPM). Active compounds dispensed on the porous areas, where the membrane pores are not clogged by the polymer, can cross the membrane and reach cells growing on the opposite side. Only cells immediately below those porous areas could be stimulated by chemicals. We performed proof-of-principle experiments using Hoechst nuclear staining, calcein-AM cell viability assay and destabilization of the cytoskeleton organisation by cytochalasin B. Resulting fluorescent staining properly matched the drops positioning and no cross-contaminations were observed between adjacent tests. This well-less cell-based screening system is highly flexible by design and it enables multiple compounds to be tested on the same cell tissue. Only low sample volumes in the microlitre range are required. Moreover, chemicals can be delivered sequentially and removed at any time while cells can be monitored in real time. This allows the design of complex, sequential and combinatorial drug assays. μPMs appear as ideal systems for cell-based assays. We anticipate that this lab-on-chip device will be adapted for both manual and automated high content screening experiments.


The "Archive of the Working Group of the Memelland Districts" is sustained by the umbrella organization of the former (mostly German speaking) Memelland inhabitants and their descendants – the "Working Group of the Memelland Districts e.V." ("Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Memellandkreise", AdM). The archive was founded in 1991 in the town of Cloppenburg in Lower Saxony by pooling several older collections and museum inventories. It is looked after exclusively in an honorary capacity, is located in a private house, and for this reason has limited accessibility. Due to a lack of space, a part of its inventory was relocated to Oldenburg in 2005, where it is also temporarily limited in use. In addition to its archival records, in a narrower sense the archive contains an extensive library in both the German and the Lithuanian language including literature from and about Memelland and the rest of East Prussia. All together, the inventory makes up to at least 100 shelf meters. The archive inventory consists of printed and hand-written documents, photographs and postcards, graphic artwork, water-colour paintings, films and video documentations as well as individual artefacts such as models etc. Among the printed objects worth mentioning in particular are older newspaper issues or single volumes of the 19th century from the city of Memel and Memelland. Among the hand-written documents there are extensive written reminders such as reports on events and autobiographies of a number of Memellanders. Not least of all of further historical interest are the complete documentations of the activity of the organization of Memelland expellees and their individual local groups dating back to 1948. It is planned to record a considerable part of the inventory electronically to also make it digitally visible and usable (internet). No decision, however, has yet been made concerning the future of the whole inventory.


This thesis dissertation investigates longevity of deep-sea and Antarctic octopodiform species using life history traits and the quantification of growth increments in the octopods' beaks (chitinous jaws).
The first chapter investigates how life history traits including embryonic development, hatchling size, size- and age-at-maturity are correlated with habitat characteristics (water temperature and depth of occurrence), using published data of 26 octopodiform species.
The second chapter tests the hypothesis that the incirrate benthic octopods living in the vicinity of the Antarctic Peninsula (-2 to 2°C) have longer lifespans than their temperate and tropical relatives. Age was investigated in specimens of the family Megaleledonidae (Pareledone spp., Adelieledone spp. and Megaleledone setebos) and in Muusoctopus rigbyae, using the quantification of growth increments deposited in their beaks. Age estimates are discussed and were compared to those in other octopod species in which the periodicity of beak growth increments has been validated to be daily.
The third chapter also uses the quantification of growth increments in beaks to assess if the deep-sea pelagic octopodiforms Japetella diaphana and the vampire squid Vampyroteuthis infernalis have longer lifespans compared to benthic relatives. Their remarkable low metabolic rates and reproductive biology rather suggest that growth increments in the beaks may require more than one day to be formed.


OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to assess dentists' attitudes toward providing dental care for older adults with disabilities in Singapore and the factors influencing their willingness to provide care.

BACKGROUND
Dentists face a rapidly ageing patient demographic. Practitioner unwillingness to circumvent the attending challenges of care provision prevents older adults from accessing the dental care necessary for better oral and systemic health. Previous studies have reported on dentists' attitudes toward caring for older adults with disabilities; however, these are mostly limited to dependent older adults and exclude frail, community-dwelling older persons.

METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 using a self-administered questionnaire. Quantitative data analysis was presented in the form of descriptive statistics, followed by bivariate analyses.

RESULTS
There were 193 respondents, a response rate of under 9%. Dentists were less willing, confident and involved in the care of older adults with disabilities as the individual's severity of impairments increased. Less than half of respondents were willing to treat individuals with severe disabilities in cooperation (23.3%), swallowing (30.6%), mobility (33.7%) and communication (45.1%). Dentists with training in geriatric dentistry were more willing to provide care. However, younger dentists, general dental practitioners, private practitioners and public sector dentists had specific restraining and driving forces, which further modulated their willingness to provide care.

CONCLUSIONS
The current areas of training needs among Singapore dentists are in severe impairments of swallowing, communication, cooperation and mobility. Further geriatric dentistry training may effectively increase dentists' willingness to provide care; however, additional specific targeted interventions are also needed.


Over the past few decades, increasing more research has examined the cognitions (knowledge and beliefs) of second language (L2) teachers. Such research has provided insight into what constitutes teachers' beliefs and knowledge about teaching, how these cognitions have developed and how they are reflected in classroom practice (see Borg, 2006). Although numerous studies have been conducted into the curricular areas of grammar and, to a lesser extent, reading and writing, even fewer have examined teachers' cognitions into pronunciation instruction. The purpose of the present study, therefore, is to explore some of the dynamic relationships that exist between L2 teachers' cognitions and their actual pedagogical practices, but with a specific focus on how these cognitions have developed over time. In particular, the cognitions and practices - as they relate to the teaching of pronunciation - of five experienced ESL teachers are investigated. Overall, findings reveal that the amount of training teachers have received in pronunciation pedagogy strongly affects not only their knowledge of pronunciation and pronunciation pedagogy, but also their confidence in that area. Results further show that L2 learning experiences, teaching experience and collaborative work with colleagues can also influence teachers' practices and cognitions.


The Tampa Bay estuary has undergone a remarkable ecosystem recovery since the 1980s despite continued population growth within the region. However during this time, the Old Tampa Bay (OTB) segment has lagged behind the rest of the Bay's recovery relative to improvements in overall water quality and seagrass coverage. In 2011, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, in partnership with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, began development of an integrated set of numerical and empirical modeling approaches to evaluate management actions to improve the ecology of the OTB estuarine segment. The goal was to integrate watershed, hydrodynamic, water/sediment quality, and ecological models (light and biota) to simulate changes in OTB ecology in response to the future implementation of large-scale management actions. The potential management actions evaluated: 1) completely diverting stormwater/freshwater input from a portion of the subwatershed that historically drained to the Gulf of Mexico, 2) diverting 100 percent of the directly discharged advanced wastewater treatment effluent to OTB from the subwatershed, 3) physically altering causeways along road expanses that intersect OTB, 4) reducing stormwater nutrient loads by 25 percent throughout the subwatershed, and 5) various combinations of these actions, as well as, other secondary management actions. The integrated set of models were used to evaluate the net environmental benefits to OTB's water quality (light environment and dissolved oxygen conditions), sediment quality (reduced accumulation of organic-rich sediments), potential expansion of seagrasses, and benthos/nekton habitat suitability. Based upon this evaluation, management actions that produced the greatest simulated improvements relative to costs are being considered for further evaluation in the OTB segment and subwatershed.


This paper examines participatory arrangements for students with physical disabilities in mainstream education, cooperation between teachers and therapists to ensure that these arrangements are efficient and the organizational prerequisites for such cooperation. The study comprises data obtained from 14 'groups', with each group consisting of a student with physical disabilities aged 9–19 years, their main teacher and the relevant therapists from the local habilitation centre. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews, field observations and a review of relevant documents, including legislation. The results reveal a lack of cooperation between teacher and therapist which results in students with disabilities receiving suboptimal participatory arrangements in school. Differences in the perspectives of the teachers and therapists and in the way they act and perceive their responsibilities were anchored in institutional and societal documents and the distribution of resources. The implications for students with disabilities are discussed.


We consider the metric uncapacitated facility location problem(UFL). In this paper we modify the (1 + 2/e)-approximation algorithm of Chudak and Shmoys to obtain a new (1.6774,1.3738)- approximation algorithm for the UFL problem. Our linear programing rounding algorithm is the first one that touches the approximability limit curve $(\gamma_f, 1+2e^{-\gamma_f})$ established by Jain et al. As a consequence, we obtain the first optimal approximation algorithm for instances dominated by connection costs.

Our new algorithm - when combined with a (1.11,1.7764)-approxima- tion algorithm proposed by Jain, Mahdian and Saberi, and later analyzed by Mahdian, Ye and Zhang - gives a 1.5-approximation algorithm for the metric UFL problem. This algorithm improves over the previously best known 1.52-approximation algorithm by Mahdian, Ye and Zhang, and it cuts the gap with the approximability lower bound by 1/3.

The algorithm is also used to improve the approximation ratio for the 3-level version of the problem.


This master thesis work presents the development of a parameterized automated generic model for the structural design of an aircraft wing. Furthermore, in order to perform finite element analysis on the aircraft wing geometry, the process of finite element mesh generation is automated. Aircraft conceptual design is inherently a multi-disciplinary design process which involves a large number of disciplines and expertise. In this thesis work, it is investigated how high-end CAD software"s can be used in the early stages of an aircraft design process, especially for the design of an aircraft wing and its structural entities wing spars and wing ribs. The generic model that is developed in this regard is able to automate the process of creation and modification of the aircraft wing geometry based on a series of parameters which define the geometrical characteristics of wing panels, wing spars and wing ribs.Two different approaches are used for the creation of the generic model of an aircraft wing which are "Knowledge Pattern" and "PowerCopy with Visual Basic Scripting" using the CATIA V5 software. A performance comparison of the generic wing model based on these two approaches is also performed. In the early stages of the aircraft design process, an estimate of the structural characteristic of the aircraft wing is desirable for which a surface structural analysis (using 2D mesh elements) is more suitable. In this regard, the process of finite element mesh generation for the generic wing model is automated. The finite element mesh is generated for the wing panels, wing spars and wing ribs. Furthermore, the finite element mesh is updated based on any changes in geometry and the shape of the wing panels, wing spars or wing ribs, and ensure that all the mesh elements are always properly connected at the nodes. The automated FE mesh generated can be used for performing the structural analysis on an aircraft wing.


We present an object class detection approach which fully integrates the complementary strengths offered by shape matchers. Like an object detector, it can learn class models directly from images, and localize novel instances in the presence of intra-class variations, clutter, and scale changes. Like a shape matcher, it finds the accurate boundaries of the objects, rather than just their bounding-boxes. This is made possible by 1) a novel technique for learning a shape model of an object class given images of example instances; 2) the combination of Hough-style voting with a non-rigid point matching algorithm to localize the model in cluttered images. As demonstrated by an extensive evaluation, our method can localize object boundaries accurately, while needing no segmented examples for training (only bounding-boxes).


This paper presents an analog current-mode VLSI implementation of an unsupervised clustering algorithm. The clustering algorithm is based on the popular ART1 algorithm, but has been modified resulting in a more VLSI-friendly algorithm that allows a more efficient hardware implementation with simple circuit operators, little memory requirements, modular chip assembly capability, and higher speed figures. The chip described in this paper implements a network that can cluster 100 binary pixel input patterns into up to 18 different categories. Modular expansibility of the system is directly possible by assembling a V/spl times/M array of chips without any extra interfacing circuitry, so that the maximum number of clusters is 18/spl times/M and the maximum number of bits of the input pattern is N/spl times/100. Pattern classification and learning is performed in 1.8 /spl mu/s, which is an equivalent computing power of 4.4/spl times/10/sup 9/ connections per second plus connection-updates per second. The chip has been fabricated in a standard low cost 1.6 /spl mu/m double-metal single-poly CMOS process, has a die area of 1 cm/sup 2/, and is mounted in a 120-pin PGA package. Although internally the chip is analog in nature, it interfaces to the outside world through digital signals, and thus has a true asynchronous digital behavior. Experimental chip test results are available, obtained through digital chip test equipment. Fault tolerance at the system level operation is demonstrated through the experimental testing of faulty chips.


School discipline is a core indicator of school effectiveness. Learner management is crucial and educational researchers need to focus on factors leading to indiscipline in schools. Guided by Planned Behaviour Theory that explores on guidance, counseling and good classroom management the study used the survey research design to sample 91 teachers randomly selected from 13 schools. Purposive sampling was used to select 13 head teachers. The research instruments used was Head Teachers' and Teachers' Questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.76. Data obtained was coded and analyzed quantitatively using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS ver. 19). Its presentation was done by use of charts, tables, percentages and frequencies. The study found out that 55% of the teachers used guidance and counseling in enforcing discipline in schools while 7.1%) still use corporal punishment. The study concludes that absenteeism, truancy and lying were found to be prevalent in many schools and those teachers and parents are to take a great role in discipline management of learners. We recommend re-training of teachers on alternative methods of discipline. It is expected that the findings of the study will benefit education policy makers to use acceptable disciplinary procedures in schools.


Since resistance to several oral antimicrobials useful for the treatment of pediatric urinary tract infections (UTI) is overwhelming in Argentina, an in vitro investigation was performed testing 400 isolates obtained from urines of children suffering UTI's, 200 collected in 1990 and 200 in 1991. Their susceptibility against oral antimicrobials marketed in Argentina and appropriate for the treatment of UTI was determined by the agar dilution methods. An increase of the resistance to aminopenicillin combined with beta-lactamase inhibitors and to fluoroquinolones was observed comparing the two periods. Cefpodoxime (CPD), cefixime and fluoroquinolones except norfloxacin were the sole oral antimicrobials showing in vitro activity at the 90 per cent level. Unfortunately fluoroquinolones are not yet approved for pediatric use. Consequently we realized an in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic study in order to determine CPD activity against E. coli isolated in UTI cases. Five children (6-10 y) showing E. coli UTI infections received 10 mg/kg/d CPD in a single oral daily dose and were treated up to 10 days, 3 had lower UTI and 2 upper UTI. All patients were clinical and bacteriologically cured. Cultures obtained up to 4 weeks after treatment were negative. CPD serum levels at 2 hours after the first dose of treatment showed a median of 2.7 mg/l (2.3-3.4 range). Bactericidal serum titers at the same time against the patients own strain and an E. coli TEM-1 hyperproducer strain (MIC 4,096 mg/l for ampicillin and 0.5 mg/l for CPD) showed a median value of 1/8 against patients strains and 1/2 against the THP strain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


This study tracked the development of teacher knowledge through a professional development experience called lesson study. Lesson study is a Japanese professional development process in which a group of teachers develop a series of lessons using the following stages: planning lessons, teaching/observing the lessons, reflecting on lessons taught as well as sharing and discussing the lessons with their colleagues (Lewis, 2002). The aim of this study was to explore how the lesson study process influenced teacher knowledge of mathematics content and pedagogical content. Study participants were four secondary mathematics teachers from a rural high school in the Northeast. All participants were certified in teaching secondary mathematics and varied in their educational background and teaching experience. These four teachers and the researcher created a Mathematics Lesson Study Group at the high school level. Throughout the 2004-2005 school year, this group met to plan three different mathematics lessons. After planning each lesson, one teacher from the group taught the lesson to his/her class of students while the other teachers observed. Following the teaching/observing stage of the lesson development, the teachers had a debriefing meeting to reflect on how the lesson went and to propose possible revisions. Each stage of the lesson study process planning, teaching/observing, and debriefing was examined carefully in order to determine how the various aspects of that stage contributed to the development of the teachers' mathematics content and pedagogical content knowledge. This information was gathered from videotapes and teachers' notes taken at all meetings, journal reflections following the meetings, initial and final interviews, and classroom observations. All data was analyzed qualitatively. Results indicate that the teachers' mathematics content knowledge in the form of substantive and syntactic knowledge was influenced throughout all stages of the lesson study process. In addition, during each of the stages of lesson study the teachers' pedagogical content knowledge evolved in the areas of prior knowledge connections, anticipating student misconceptions, questioning, choosing example problems, assessing student understanding during the lesson, and curriculum knowledge. Lastly, the results support how important the components of planning and reflection, within the lesson study model, are to the enrichment of teachers' knowledge and classroom practices.


We generalize the results of [6] by giving necessary and sufficient conditions for the planar analytic nilpotent germs to have an analytic first integral in (R, 0). The proof of our main result is based on a new method to compute the analytic first integrals of the nilpotent germs, the use of the weight homogeneous polynomials, and the method of characteristic curve for solving linear partial differential equations. Applications of our results to the Kukles-like cubic system are considered.


The first step in the estimation of probabilistic seismic hazard in a region commonly consists of the definition and characterization of the relevant seismic sources. Because in low-seismicity regions seismicity is often rather diffuse and faults are difficult to identify, large areal source zones are mostly used. The corresponding hypothesis is that seismicity is uniformly distributed inside each areal seismic source zone. In this study, the impact of this hypothesis on the probabilistic hazard estimation is quantified through the generation of synthetic spatial seismicity distributions. Fractal seismicity distributions are generated inside a given source zone and probabilistic hazard is computed for a set of sites located inside this zone. In our study, the impact of the spatial seismicity distribution is defined as the deviation from the hazard value obtained for a spatially uniform seismicity distribution. From the generation of a large number of synthetic distributions, the correlation between the fractal dimension D and the impact is derived. The results show that the assumption of spatially uniform seismicity tends to bias the hazard to higher values. The correlation can be used to determine the systematic biases and uncertainties for hazard estimations in real cases, where the fractal dimension has been determined. We apply the technique in Germany (Cologne area) and in France (Alps).


Usutu virus (USUV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus accounting for large-scale deaths in resident bird populations. In this study, we show the introduction of USUV to Eastern Germany resulting in massive death of birds, particularly blackbirds (Turdus merula). We found that three diverse USUV lineages ("Europe 3," "Africa 2," and "Africa 3-like") circulated simultaneously. Moreover, we detected USUV in Culex pipiens in a region where no dead birds were reported, strengthening the need for mosquito monitoring to uncover the spread of arboviruses. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses revealed that mutations accumulated, in particular, in the NS3 region within short time periods. In addition, comparison of whole-genome sequences showed that diverse isolates of the cluster "Africa 3-like" are cocirculating in Germany due to independent introduction events.


For preparing medium range weather forecasts, two global coarse resolution models at different resolutions were used at the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), India. In order to improve the forecasting skill, an ensemble prediction system (EPS) was implemented on experimental basis. For generating initial perturbations a breeding method was implemented. Experimental forecast runs with 8-member ensemble were carried out and results are analyzed for a monsoon season. The ensemble mean of rainfall forecasts shows that over the broad region of Gangetic Plains, the EPS brings out the monsoon activity (active and weak spell) reasonably well six days in advance. However, over the eastern parts of India, the ensemble mean rainfall is good only in short-range. The ensemble spread becomes quite large from about day-4 forecast and beyond. An examination of the rainfall pattern from day-1 to day-6 forecasts by the model and the ensemble spread shows there is no linearity in the increase of spread with the rainfall amount. The model has a systematic tendency to enhance rainfall activity over the central Bay of Bengal and eastern parts of India as the length of forecast is increased. At the same time, the model tends to dry up over the equatorial Indian Ocean region, however, in the high-resolution model, the same tendency is not seen. In circulation fields, the model also has large systematic errors. These results suggest that to obtain maximum benefit from the ensemble prediction system, the systematic biases in the model must be reduced as the breeding method only takes care of the uncertainties in the initial conditions.


Limited land availability and the amount that is not balanced with the needs anddesires of human beings is so great trigger rand disputes. Land dispute is a case that always dominate the case in court Factors affecting the enforcement of law against land disputes among other laws and regulations that are not singkron either vertially or horizontally, law enforcement agencies who are not professionals and have no moral integrity, and attitude of society is less obedient to the regulations. Land disputes that occurred should be resolved comprehensively and with more emphasis terintegral principles of justice through litigation or non litigation path
Keywords: principles ofjustice, Land Disputes, Interest, Development


The HtrA family of serine proteases is found in most bacteria, and plays an essential role in the virulence of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori. Secreted H. pylori HtrA (HtrAHp) cleaves various junctional proteins such as E-cadherin disrupting the epithelial barrier, which is crucial for bacterial transmigration across the polarized epithelium. Recent studies indicated the presence of two characteristic HtrAHp forms of 55 and 52 kDa (termed p55 and p52, respectively), in worldwide strains. In addition, p55 and p52 were produced by recombinant HtrAHp, indicating auto-cleavage. However, the cleavage sites and their functional importance are yet unclear. Here, we determined the amino-terminal ends of p55 and p52 by Edman sequencing. Two proteolytic cleavage sites were identified (H46/D47 and K50/D51). Remarkably, the cleavage site sequences are conserved in HtrAHp from worldwide isolates, but not in other Gram-negative pathogens, suggesting a highly specific assignment in H. pylori. We analyzed the role of the amino-terminal cleavage sites on activity, secretion and function of HtrAHp. Three-dimensional modeling suggested a trimeric structure and a role of amino-terminal processing in oligomerization and regulation of proteolytic activity of HtrAHp. Furthermore, point and deletion mutants of these processing sites were generated in the recently reported Campylobacter jejuni ΔhtrA/htrAHp genetic complementation system and the minimal sequence requirements for processing were determined. Polarized Caco-2 epithelial cells were infected with these strains and analyzed by immunofluorescence microscopy. The results indicated that HtrAHp processing strongly affected the ability of the protease to disrupt the E-cadherin-based cell-to-cell junctions. Casein zymography confirmed that the amino-terminal region is required for maintaining the proteolytic activity of HtrAHp. Furthermore, we demonstrated that this cleavage influences the secretion of HtrAHp in the extracellular space as an important prerequisite for its virulence activity. Taken together, our data demonstrate that amino-terminal cleavage of HtrAHp is conserved in this pathogen and affects oligomerization and thus, secretion and regulatory activities, suggesting an important role in the pathogenesis of H. pylori.


Background and objectives: It is predicted that 23.4 million people will be died of acute coronary syndrome up to 2030. Health education based on the awareness of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and changing of patients' attitude of patients are among important factors affecting the prognosis of these diseases. This study was conducted to determine the changes of awareness and attitudes of patients with acute coronary syndrome toward their disease during their hospitalization in CCU.   Materials and Methods : In this descriptive study, 60 patients admitted to the CCU of Vali-Asr Hospital of Birjand were included using census method. Patients' awareness and attitude were measured at the times of admission and discharge using a researcher-made questionnaire. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using content validity and Cronbach's alpha test respectively. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and t test was used for comparison of the means of the dates of admission and discharge.   Results : The findings of this study indicated that the rate of patients' awareness at the discharge time was not significantly increased compared to the corresponding value of the admission time. The patients' attitude toward the intensity of the perceived risk for recurrent morbidity was equals to or greater than the intermediate level. The average time of patients' education during their hospitalization by nurses was 3.83 ± 2.87 minutes.   Conclusion : According to the results of this study, more and extensive training courses for patients are warranted to improve the level of their awareness and attitude toward the disease of acute coronary syndrome .


Androgen metabolites synthesized by neural aromatase and 5α–reductase are implicated in many aspects of mammalian brain development and, in particular, in the masculinization of distinct central nervous system structures and brain functions. The present study was designed to determine (1) the developmental profile of aromatase‐ and 5α–reductase type I mRNA expression in the mouse hypothalamus and (2) to relate ontogenetic sex differences in aromatase activity which have been described in the past to sex‐specific aromatase gene expression. In addition, we analysed the effect of androgens on the perinatal regulation of hypothalamic aromatase and 5α–reductase type I mRNA expression. By applying semiquantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction analysis, we found hypothalamic aromatase mRNA expression to be developmentally regulated and to display sex differences at birth and on postnatal day 15 with higher mRNA levels in males. Newborn males and females, which were treated in utero with the androgen receptor antagonist cyproterone actetate, exhibited significantly reduced aromatase mRNA levels compared with untreated controls. In contrast to aromatase, expression levels of hypothalamic 5α–reductase mRNA did not reveal a clear‐cut developmental profile or sex differences, and no regulatory role for androgens in controlling 5α–reductase mRNA expression was found. In conclusion, these results demonstrate perinatal sex differences in hypothalamic aromatase‐ but not 5α–reductase gene expression and suggest that sex differences in perinatal aromatase activity are reflected by corresponding differences in mRNA levels. Androgens are found to control brain estrogen formation pretranslationally at the level of aromatase gene expression. Our findings imply that sex differences in androgen availability and responsiveness are important regulatory factors for aromatase expression in the developing male hypothalamus.


The Wanless Report â?~Securing Our Future Health: Taking A Long-Term Viewâ?T - an independent review by Derek Wanless - is the first ever evidence-based assessment of the long-term resource requirements for the NHS.
It concludes that in order to meet peopleâ?Ts expectations and to deliver the highest quality over the next 20 years, the UK will need to devote more resources to health care and that this must be matched by reform to ensure that these resources are used effectively.
 - aims: 1. To examine the technological, demographic and medical trends over the next
two decades that may affect the health service in the UK as a whole.
2. In the light of (1), to identify the key factors which will determine the financial
and other resources required to ensure that the NHS can provide a publicly
funded, comprehensive, high quality service available on the basis of clinical
need and not ability to pay.
3. To report to the Chancellor by April 2002, to allow him to consider the possible
implications of th


We propose a new specification test for assessing the validity of fuzzy regression discontinuity designs (FRD‐validity). We derive a new set of testable implications, characterized by a set of inequality restrictions on the joint distribution of observed outcomes and treatment status at the cut‐off. We show that this new characterization exploits all of the information in the data that is useful for detecting violations of FRD‐validity. Our approach differs from and complements existing approaches that test continuity of the distributions of running variables and baseline covariates at the cut‐off in that we focus on the distribution of the observed outcome and treatment status. We show that the proposed test has appealing statistical properties. It controls size in a large sample setting uniformly over a large class of data generating processes, is consistent against all fixed alternatives, and has non‐trivial power against some local alternatives. We apply our test to evaluate the validity of two FRD designs. The test does not reject FRD‐validity in the class size design studied by Angrist and Lavy (1999) but rejects it in the insurance subsidy design for poor households in Colombia studied by Miller, Pinto, and Vera‐Hernández (2013) for some outcome variables. Existing density continuity tests suggest the opposite in each of the two cases.


Recent research has demonstrated the vulnerability of fingerprint recognition systems to dictionary attacks based on MasterPrints. MasterPrints are real or synthetic fingerprints that can fortuitously match with a large number of fingerprints thereby undermining the security afforded by fingerprint systems. Previous work by Roy et al. generated synthetic MasterPrints at the feature-level. In this work we generate complete image-level MasterPrints known as DeepMasterPrints, whose attack accuracy is found to be much superior than that of previous methods. The proposed method, referred to as Latent Variable Evolution, is based on training a Generative Adversarial Network on a set of real fingerprint images. Stochastic search in the form of the Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy is then used to search for latent input variables to the generator network that can maximize the number of impostor matches as assessed by a fingerprint recognizer. Experiments convey the efficacy of the proposed method in generating DeepMasterPrints. The underlying method is likely to have broad applications in fingerprint security as well as fingerprint synthesis.


Water accumulation in the heart is important in ischemia-reperfusion injury and operations performed by using cardiopulmonary bypass, with cardiac dysfunction associated with myocardial edema being the principal determinant of clinical outcome. As an initial step in determining the role of aquaporin (AQP) water channels in myocardial edema, we have assessed the myocardial expression of AQPs in humans, rats, and mice. RT-PCR revealed expression of AQP-1, -4, -6, -7, -8, and -11 transcripts in the mouse heart. AQP-1, -6, -7, and -11 mRNAs were found in the rat heart as well as low levels of AQP-4 and -9. Human hearts contained AQP-1, -3, -4, -5, -7, -9, -10, and -11 mRNAs. AQP-1 protein expression was confirmed by Western blot analysis in all three species. AQP-4 protein was detected in the mouse heart but not in the rat or human heart. To determine the potential functional consequences of myocardial AQP expression, water permeability was measured in plasma membrane vesicles from myocardial cells of wild-type versus various AQP knockout mice. Water permeability was reduced by AQP-1 knockout but not by AQP-4 or AQP-8 knockout. With the use of a model of isolated rat heart perfusion, it was found that osmotic and ischemic stresses are not associated with changes in AQP-1 or AQP-4 expression. These studies support a possible functional role of AQP-1 in myocardium but indicate that early adaptations to osmotic and ischemic stress do not involve transcriptional or posttranslational AQP-1 regulation.


Chromium chloride (CrCl3) or chromium sulfate(Cr2(SO4)3) content increased trivalent chrome deposition rate. The addition of formic acid and the relative content change of potassium hydroxide decreased the trivalent chrome deposition rate. Industrially applicable trivalent chromium layers with more than 200 µm thick were well prepared at the conditions of pH with the range of 1.3-1.8, electrical current density of 5.0-5.6 A/cm2 and applied voltage of 4.0-5.9V. Average microhardnesses of the chromium layers prepared in the chromium chloride and chromium sulfate solutions are about 803-820 and 700-712 Hv, respectivevly. The wear resistance of the trivalent chromium layers was improved by plating voltage which was related to residual compressive stress on the chomium layer.


This study is one in a series of activities undertaken by CIFOR to reach a better understanding of the impact of commercialisation on forest resources and what factors influence the market demand for forest products. For example, two international workshops were organized by CIFOR in 1995 and another the following year to analyse key research issues in the field of NTFP development. These workshops recognised that the process of NTFP commercialisation interacts with people's welfare, forest management, tenure and control of resources, and forest structure and function (through ecological processes). Earlier review and analysis had generated a number of hypotheses, theories and conclusions related to the effects of commercialisation. Forest and resource tenure are likely to both affect the way a resource is managed and utilised, and be affected by changes in value due to commercialisation. Many authors have suggested that NTFP harvesting will be less damaging to biodiversity and other environmental values than management for timber. Others suggest that market pressures are likely to lead to the decline and eventual disappearance of valuable products and to severe impacts on the ecosystem. While there is a growing understanding (and acceptance) of the economic importance of forest products, especially for the poor, the potential impact of NTFP commercialisation needs to be better understood. A recommendation from the workshops was to undertake a thorough overview of the available literature to synthesise the key lessons about these areas of interaction. Such a review would critically examine the available information and analyses and identify key research areas needing further attention.


Disaster management has been a subject of interest to libraries and librarians, because of its implications for disaster preparedness and control. This paper is a review of literature on disasters experienced by libraries in some developing nations, with a view to discovering workable solutions that would help to either prevent or manage future occurrences. It examined library disasters in Egypt, Philippines, Nepal, Jamaica, Nigeria and Malawi among others. The paper observed that the initial response of the affected libraries to these disasters was poor. It therefore advocated for the need for disaster plan and preparedness among libraries and librarians in developing countries. It further suggested the following as the way forward – conduct of risk assessment, formulation of disaster plan and policies, mitigation, quick response to disaster and workable recovery plan among others. As a result of this research, it was concluded that disasters would be prevented and better managed in libraries if these precautions and recommendations are implemented.


Background Neovascularization and inflammatory response are two essential features of corneal allograft rejection. Here, we investigated the impact of Piperlongumine (PL) on alleviating corneal allograft rejection, primarily focusing on pathological angiogenesis and inflammation. Methods A murine corneal allograft transplantation model was utilized to investigate the role of PL in preventing corneal allograft rejection. PL (10 mg/kg) or vehicle was intraperitoneally injected daily into BALB/c recipients from day -3 to day 14. The clinical signs of the corneal grafts were monitored for 30 days. Corneal neovascularization and inflammatory cell infiltration were detected by immunofluorescence staining and immunohistochemistry. The proportion of CD4+ T cells and macrophages in the draining lymph nodes (DLNs) was examined by flow cytometry. In vitro, HUVECs were cultured under hypoxia or incubated with TNF-α to mimic the hypoxic and inflammatory microenvironment favoring neovascularization in corneal allograft rejection. Multiple angiogenic processes including proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation of HUVECs in hypoxia with or without PL treatment were routinely evaluated. The influence of PL treatment on TNF-α-induced pro-inflammation in HUVECs was investigated by real-time PCR and ELISA. Results In vivo, PL treatment effectively attenuated corneal allograft rejection, paralleled by coincident suppression of neovascularization and alleviation of inflammatory response. In vitro, PL distinctively inhibited hypoxia-induced angiogenic processes in HUVECs. Two key players in hypoxia-induced angiogenesis, HIF-1α and VEGF-A were significantly suppressed by PL treatment. Also, TNF-α-induced pro-inflammation in HUVECs was hampered by PL treatment, along with a pronounced reduction in ICAM-1, VCAM-1, CCL2, and CXCL5 expression. Conclusions The current study demonstrated that PL could exhibit both anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory effects in preventing corneal allograft rejection, highlighting the potential therapeutic applications of PL in clinical strategy.


The efficacy of laboratory produced xylanase enzyme from Aspergillus niger on highly fibrous feeds and feedstuffs was investigated. Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) from grass hay and rice husk (Oryza sativa) from crop by-product characterised with high fibre content served as substrates (Feeds and Feedstuffs) for the experiment. The enzyme xylanase was prepared from Aspergillus niger (fungal extracts). The two substrates were treated with three levels of aqueous enzymes xylanase (0.02 ml/g, 0.04 ml/g, 0.08 ml/g). Substrate with no enzyme treatment (0 ml/g) served as control. Substrates were subjected to xylanase enzyme treatment at different time interval to determine the optimum incubation period for maximum fibre digestibility. Rice husk and guinea grass were analysed to determine the level of digestibility of fibre fractions such as crude fibre, hemicellulose, acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre and lignin. The results indicate an improvement in fibre digestibility for rice husk and g uinea grass treated with enzyme when compared with the control. There was no significant different in the fibre digestibility of substrate treated different levels of xylanase enzyme. Results obtained on the period of application showed no significant different across the time intervals (0 hr, 24 hr, 48 hr and 72 hr). The results therefore, suggest that optimum fibre digestibility could be obtained at level 0.02 ml/g of xylanase treatment at any time interval. Key Words: Aspergillus niger, Xylanase, Rice husk, Guinea grass, Laboratory


Radiocaesium is an isotope that can enter the food chain after having been absorbed by plants from soil. Our ability to predict the consequences of an accidental release of 137 Cs depends mainly on the level of understanding of the mechanisms involved in 137 Cs interactions with different components of agricultural and natural ecosystems and their formalization into predictive models. In this study the impact of some environmental and physiological factors, such as root density and presence of AM (Arbuscular mycorrhizal) fungal hyphae, on the ability of plants to uptake and accumulate radiocaesium through the roots was investigated. Three plant species were used: pea, soybean and oats. Experimental data suggested that, as roots explore new volumes of soil during growth, the plant will continue to accumulate this radionuclide at high rates in the early stages of ontogenesis. If plants are established on a contaminated site they may not be able to remove all of this radionuclide from soil, especially if a substantial amount of the radionuclide has been leached below the root zone which is commonly 30-40 cm in depth. Laboratory experiments indicate that certain plants may be able to remove radionuclides, especially 137 Cs, from soil over a time period of 5-20 years.


Introduction: Crista terminalis is a fibromuscular vertical ridge of smooth myocardium within the right atrium of the heart. Material and Methods: We examined eighty human hearts obtained from the cadaver to see morphological pattern of Crista terminalis, Musculi pectinati and Taenia sagittalis. In 40% cases musculi pectinati oriented perpendicular to the Crista terminalis followed by Parallel in 18.75%. We also observed single and multiple trunks of Taenia sagittalis in 56.25% and 6.25% cases respectively. In the present study we tried to provide a guideline of gross morphological arrangement of principal muscular bundles for the interventional operator so that they have precise anatomical information prior to interventional procedure.


RGS14 is a multifunctional scaffolding protein possessing two distinct G protein interaction sites including a regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) domain that acts as a GTPase activating protein (GAP) to deactivate Gαi/o‐GTP proteins, and a G protein regulatory (GPR) motif that binds inactive Gαi1/3‐GDP proteins independent of Gβγ. GPR interactions with Gαi recruit RGS14 to the plasma membrane to interact with Gαi‐linked GPCRs and regulate Gαi signaling. While RGS14 actions on Gα proteins are well characterized, consequent effects on Gβγ signaling remain unknown. Conventional RGS proteins act as dedicated GAPs to deactivate Gα and Gβγ signaling following receptor activation. RGS14 may do the same or, alternatively, may coordinate its actions to deactivate Gα‐GTP with the RGS domain and then capture the same Gα‐GDP via its GPR motif to prevent heterotrimer reassociation and prolong Gβγ signaling. To test this idea, we compared the regulation of G protein activation and deactivation kinetics by a conventional RGS protein, RGS4, and RGS14 in response to GPCR agonist/antagonist treatment utilizing bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET). Co‐expression of either RGS4 or RGS14 inhibited the release of free Gβγ after agonist stimulation and increased the deactivation rate of Gα, consistent with their roles as GTPase activating proteins (GAPs). Overexpression of inactive Gαi1 to recruit RGS14 to the plasma membrane did not alter RGS14′s capacity to act as a GAP for a second Gαo protein. These results demonstrate the role of RGS14 as a dedicated GAP and suggest that the G protein regulatory (GPR) motif functions independently of the RGS domain and is silent in regulating GAP activity in a cellular context.


This guide is intended for Dr. Scott's Death and Dying class. The resources listed will guide the students in using the library for their projects.


Universities have to evaluate the health status of students every year according to 'Student Physical Health Standards', and report the results to the National Physical Health Standards Database. With the existing drawbacks of traditional manual evaluating method, like low efficiency, heavy workload, error-prone and low precision, the students physical health evaluating system based on 'Campus Card' was proposed and build. The system components, main functions and key techniques are described and the efficiencies before and after the application of this system are compared. The result shows that this system actively improved the management level of university students' physical health evaluating, which will help to construct the high-level intelligent university.


abstract:Facts about Sin Saimdang, the most famous female artist in Korean history, are scattered and none of the remaining works attributed to her can be confirmed as authentic. Since her death every century has contributed new ideas about the painter and her oeuvre. By discussing texts from the sixteenth century through the twentieth, this article investigates how concepts of "feminine space"—in the sense of ideas of femininity in an artist's oeuvre and in the physical, economic, and social spaces of women—changed and created a phantom of an artist whose personality and artwork have disappeared due to the continuous reconstruction and manipulation of (art) history.


Under controlled laboratory conditions, lasers represent a source of energy with well-defined parameters suitable for mimicking phenomena such as ablation, disintegration, and plasma formation processes that take place during the hypervelocity atmospheric entry of meteoroids. Furthermore, lasers have also been proposed for employment in future space exploration and planetary defense in a wide range of potential applications. This highlights the importance of an experimental investigation of lasers' interaction with real samples of interplanetary matter: meteorite specimens. We summarize the results of numerous meteorite laser ablation experiments performed by several laser sources—a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire laser, the multislab ceramic Yb:YAG Bivoj laser, and the iodine laser known as PALS (Prague Asterix Laser System). The differences in the ablation spots' morphology and their dependence on the laser parameters are examined via optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and profilometry in the context of the meteorite properties and the physical characteristics of laser-induced plasma.


ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, the application of indicator mineral methods to mineral exploration has expanded significantly such that they are now used to explore globally for a broad spectrum of commodities. Indicator mineral suites have been identified for a variety of ore deposit types including diamond, Au, Ni-Cu, PGE, metamorphosed volcanogenic massive sulphide, porphyry Cu, U, Sn and W. Indicator minerals, which include ore, accessory and alteration minerals, are sparse in unconsolidated sediments, thus sediment samples must be concentrated in order to recover and examine them. Because most indicator minerals have a moderate to high specific gravity, processing techniques involving density separation, in combination with sizing and magnetic separation, are used to recover them from sediment samples. This paper reviews the commonly used processing methods including panning, hydroseparation, tabling, Knelson concentrators, spiral concentrators, dense media separators, jigs and various types of magnetic separators, as well as mineral selection and mineral chemistry determinations. Monitoring of quality control is essential at each stage in these processing, picking and analytical procedures. When reporting indicator mineral results, processing methods, fraction weights and size ranges, and laboratory name should all be recorded, in addition to indicator mineral abundance data.


This book has a series of distinguished authors of 21 different chapters and an excellent index. The book not only has specific references to the process of evaluation that may lead to a court appearance by an expert witness, but also has specific recommendations about the material presented by the expert that concerns attorneys and judges. There is a uniformity among the chapters that enhances the value of this book markedly. This uniform approach gives initial case examples for each topic, followed by the legal issues, the evaluation process, various difficulties, follow-ups on cases, specific guidelines for action, and suggested readings at the end of each chapter. It is clear that the expertise of the authors comes from their distinguished backgrounds, not only in psychiatry and child psychiatry but in private practice, pediatrics, law, obstetrics and gynecology, and psychology. The general topics include cogent advice about testifying as an expert


Dispersion and aggregation of nanomagnetite (Fe3O4) and silica (SiO2) particles are of high importance in various applications, such as biomedicine, nanoelectronics, drug delivery, flotation, and pelletization of iron ore. In directly probing nanomagnetite–silica interaction, atomic force microscopy (AFM) using the colloidal probe technique has proven to be a suitable tool. In this work, the interaction between nanomagnetite and silica particles was measured with AFM in aqueous Ca2+ solution at different pH levels. This study showed that the qualitative changes of the interaction forces with pH and Ca2+ concentrations were consistent with the results from zeta-potential measurements. The repulsion between nanomagnetite and silica was observed at alkaline pH and 1 mM Ca2+ concentration, but no repulsive forces were observed at 3 mM Ca2+ concentration. The interaction forces on approach were due to van der Waals and electrical double-layer forces. The good fitting of experimental data to the DLVO model and simulations supported this conclusion. However, contributions from non-DLVO forces should also be considered. It was shown that an increase of Ca2+ concentration from 1 to 3.3 mM led to a less pronounced decrease of adhesion force with increasing pH. A comparison of measured and calculated adhesion forces with a few contact mechanics models demonstrated an important impact of nanomagnetite layer nanoroughness.


Tailored ion imprinted polymer materials for the preconcentrative separation of noble metals. This study deals with the synthesis, separation,characterization and analytical application of the noble metals especially palladium and platinum. Platinum group metals(PGM) are currently receiving world wide attention. This group include Palladium(Pt),rhodium(Rh), ruthenium(Ru), iridium(Ir) and osmium(Os).PGM are used as catalysts for a wide variety of hydrogenation, oxidation, isomerization,cyclization,dehydrogenation and dehalogenation reactions.The corrosion resistance of PGM enables them to use in jewellery,electrical and glass industries,extrusion of synthetic fibres,manufacture of laboratory utensils,dental and medical devices. This study clearly establishes selective recovery of platinum from other noble and transition elements.


Self-regulatory skills have been associated with positive outcomes for learners. In the current study, we examined the self-regulatory skills of students who are firstgeneration online learners over the course of their first semester of online instruction. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the online selfregulatory skills of learners changed across time as associated with being immersed in their first online learning environment. The results of the current study indicate no significant differences in the online self-regulatory skills of learners across time. Results suggest that environmental factors such as being immersed in an online learning environment for the first time is not, in and of itself, associated with the development of self-regulatory skills of online learners. We conclude that the design of online courses needs to consider ways of developing self-regulatory skills as these skills are not automatically developed with students' online learning experiences. Keywords: self-regulation; online learning DOI: 10.1080/09687761003657572


INTRODUCTION Energy conservation has emerged as a prominent issue within American society. Scientific research has found that an increase in electricity usage has caused the U.S. carbon footprint to expand in size. Just recently, the Senate Energy Chairman Jeff Bingaman began drafting legislation to cap greenhouse gas emissions from energy power plants (Bravener, 2010). The attention placed on the harmful effects of energy consumption can be attributed to environmental groups and government organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency. These organizations have found that the industrial, transportation, commercial and residential sectors have created many of the greenhouse gas effects (Energy Information Administration, 2009). According to Figure 1, the residential sector has surpassed the commercial, industrial and transportation sector in energy consumption and thus greenhouse gas emissions. Many policy makers, environmental organizations and business are beginning to request information regarding how energy and environmental conservation can become a way of life. This paper will explore such a question by examining age cohorts and their energy consumption patterns. LITERATURE REVIEW Researchers from various disciplines have begun to link the need for socioeconomic and psychology exploration in the quest for environmental conservation. Van den Bergh's (2008) critique of the economic and psychological literature suggests formal testing by researchers to examine the influence of socioeconomic and psychological determinants on residential energy consumption. Fairs, Cook & Neame (2007) concluded that environmentally conscience individuals operate in a social context with the influence of culture, social and emotional factors coupled with learning and awareness. Kotchen & Moore (2006) adaptation of the psychology literature discovered that a conservationist will voluntarily constrain harmful environmental consumption habits and are also willing to pay a premium to consume environmentally friendly products (Kotchen & Moore 2006). Diamantopoulos, Schlegelmilch, Sinkovics, & Bohlen (2003) performed a synthesis of the literature and concluded that socio demographic variables help to profile one's environmental knowledge and attitudes with limitations on behavioral aspects. Arkesteijn & Oerlemans (2005) found that early adaptors of the green electricity program are persons who are knowledgeable about sustainable energy and who take a positive supportive view of the environment. Age cohorts, defined by Noble & Schewe (2003), are a proposed group of individuals who are born during the same time period and who experienced similar external events during their formative or coming-of-age years. Within in Noble & Schewe (2003) study, they perform a survey based upon gathering the individuals' age and their values based upon a 9 point Likert scale. Their results explained that individuals born within the age of the Great Depression were highly impacted through this historical event, these individuals were more likely place a high level of importance on social obligation, personal and financial safety. Schewe & Meredith (2004) also found that historical events experienced during one's coming-of-age years create values that remain relatively unchanged throughout one's life. This paper will seek to first discover if there is a relationship between age cohorts and their energy consumption habits. Once the relationship has been established, the authors will offer antidotal hypotheses for such findings. THE MODEL The authors will utilize variables from the 2007 National American Household Survey database as proxies to identify the variation in demography such as age and gender on residential energy usage. The authors first perform a bivariate association, which is similar to analysis developed by Van Liere & Dunlap (1980) and Diamantopoulos , Schlegelmilch, Sinkovics, & Bohlen (2003). …


Cash transfer (CT), a mechanism for the provision of cash payments directly to the very poor, are increasingly perceived as an effective tool for poverty alleviation especially among vulnerable groups. We are living in a context of high vulnerability, and consequently it is an era in which comprehensive social protection that guarantees citizens of basic minimum standard of living is on top of global and national development agenda. The Hunger Safety Net Programme (HSNP) is a social protection project being conducted in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) of northern Kenya. The ASALs are extremely food-insecure areas highly prone to drought, which have experienced recurrent food crises and food aid responses for decades. The HSNP is intended to reduce dependency on emergency food aid by sustainably strengthening livelihoods through cash transfers. Whereas several studies and reviews are carried out to assess the socio-economic impact of the programme on beneficiaries, this study uniquely attempted to understand the role of HSNP CT in promoting social cohesion among communities in Turkana, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were: To examine the community's level of awareness about HSNP CT and its processes, to assess the role of cash transfer in promoting social cohesion among the communities in Turkana, to analyse the effects of HSNP CT in enhancing reciprocal relationship at the household, community and state level and to examine the perception of the community on the 3 HSNP targeting methods in view of their fairness and contribution to social cohesion. The study was carried out in Turkana Central District, Central and Turkwel divisions. A cross sectional design was employed and it purposively selected 80 beneficiaries and conveniently selected 45 nonbeneficiaries. The study collected both quantitative and qualitative data through informant interviews and questionnaires. Twenty key informants were interviewed and their responses are integrated in the analysis. Data analysis was done using SPSS and descriptive analysis were done. For both beneficiaries and non beneficiaries the average household size was 6.08 persons per household which is higher than the national average of 4.4 in the 2009 population census. The HSNP processes disbursed payment to beneficiaries in cycles of Kshs 3000 bimonthly and most of the beneficiaries were in their tenth cycle at the time the field work took place. The findings of this study revealed that the HSNP used three targeting methods that comprised community based, social pension and dependency ratio and both beneficiaries and non beneficiaries highly preferred the community based targeting which had employed open and transparent processes in beneficiary identification and hence promoted cohesion. The study also revealed a high degree of awareness among beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries alike about the purposes and mechanisms of beneficiary identification. Beneficiaries showed improvements across all the five livelihood areas: Increased number of meals, ability to access health care, improved ability to withstand the effects of drought, ability to send children to school and improved shelter. There was collaboration between beneficiaries and non beneficiaries in several activities and evidence showed that this was further enhanced by the availability of cash in some households. HSNP has promoted innovation in business and diversification of livelihoods. The beneficiaries are buying more livestock; and some women beneficiaries have started small kiosk (shops), and involved in petty trading. The CT has also improved state citizen relationship with increased interaction and trust harnessed through rights awareness that accompanied the CT programme. Changes of perception were realized where community's response to government mobilization on public issues has risen and there is increased participation in meetings organised by government barazas. The CT has also reduced the gap between the haves and have not's, as the beneficiaries are regarded worthy and their opinions are considered. No evidence was found that the CT has led to the erosion of the traditional roles of elders hence resulting in disharmony. It has to the contrary enhanced their role in conflict resolution, performing of traditional rituals, making important decisions that affect families and communities. On the other hand the CT has also enhanced the unification of families as testimonies from respondents indicated a number of young people returning from towns such as Eldoret and Kitale. The study concludes that improved economic wellbeing increases capability and willingness to voluntarily engage in reciprocal support and hence the study recommends increasing the coverage of the cash transfer programme will go a long way in promoting social cohesion and thereby strengthen state citizen relationship.


This study aims to examine the effect of explicit and implicit learning in children, as well as a sequential application of learning modes, in the acquisition of the basketball shooting skill in an ecological setting. Participants (n=80) were novices in basketball, ages 9 to 12 years old. The experimental groups followed one of the three different methods of training, which combined technical and tactical aspects: (a) explicit, (b) implicit, or (c) sequential (implicit first and then explicit). The control group participated only in the measurements. A pre-test and a post-test measured the performance of basketball shooting skills in isolation. A transfer test in a 3-on-3 game condition was also applied. Results indicate that all intervention groups improved in a similar manner as a consequence of practice and there was no difference between the groups in the performance of the basketball shooting skill in isolation and under game condition. The sequential group obtained a performance drop similar to the explicit group in the transfer test, which may be due to the amount of explicit knowledge accumulated by them. The current findings indicate similar effects of implicit and explicit motor learning when they are applied in complex environments with children.


Thermal conductivity measurements are made on a variety of systems in order to probe low energy quasiparticle excitations. In particular, thermal conductivity measurements were made on the iron based superconducting material LaFePO at temperatures from 60 mK to 1 K and in fields from 0 T to 5 T in order to shed light on the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter. A substantial non-zero electronic contribution to the thermal conductivity is observed and interpreted as sub-gap electronic quasiparticles which is clear evidence for a nodal gap symmetry. A high scattering rate and non-T temperature dependence of the conductivity is evidence against the d-wave scenario. However, the field dependence does seem to suggest that the anisotropic s± picture is a likely candidate for the order parameter, although more theoretical work is required to confirm this. Thermal conductivity measurements were also made on the spin-ice system Ho2Ti2O7 between 50 mK and 1.4 K in applied magnetic fields from 0 T to 8 T in an attempt to observe the much debated magnetic monopole-like quasiparticles. An applied magnetic field of 8 T was applied along to [111] direction as to fully polarize the magnetic moments in order to extract the phonon contribution of the thermal conductivity. The low field thermal conductivity reveals evidence for an additional heat transfer mechanism that also scatters phonons which is magnetic in nature. This is taken to be evidence for the existence of monopole-like excitations out of the spin-ice ground state and is described by existing Debye-Hückel theory. Thermal transport was used in conjunction with charge conductivity to study the unconventional quantum critical point (QCP) in the heavy-Fermion superconductor βYbAlB4 at temperatures down to 60 mK and in fields up to 2 T. The results show that the Wiedemann-Franz law (WFL) is obeyed down to the lowest measured temperatures indicating that the Landau quasiparticles remain intact near the QCP. A small suppression of the Wiedemann-Franz ratio (L/L0 = κ/σTL0) is seen at finite temperatures (T < 1 K) with minimal dependence on magnetic field. Comparing with other similar quantum critical systems, it becomes apparent that inelastic scattering events have little effect on the transport and are mainly field independent in β-YbAlB4. An overview of the design for a new thermal conductivity mount is also presented. The design hinges around the idea of building the experiment mount into a small copper box rather than on an open frame. Not only does this provide mechanical stability for safe transportation, it also reduces the noise caused by electromagnetic interference (EMI) in the sample thermometers by more than a factor of ten over the old wire frame design.


OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic performance of hepatobiliary phase hypointensity and Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) major imaging features in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatic lesions with arterial phase hyperenhancement (APHE) measuring 10-19 mm in patients at high risk of HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS. A composite reference standard of pathologic analysis and imaging follow-up was used. The diagnostic performance (sensitivity and specificity) of hepatobiliary phase hypointensity and LI-RADS major imaging features other than APHE for the diagnosis of HCC was assessed and compared by means of a logistic regression model. RESULTS. This retrospective dual-institution study included 189 LI-RADS LR-3 and LR-4 lesions measuring 10-19 mm and having APHE in 144 consecutively registered patients (96 men, 48 women; mean age, 58 years). Hepatobiliary phase hypointensity had significantly higher sensitivity (84% [92/109], p < 0.00001) than major imaging features in the diagnosis of HCC but lower specificity (84% [67/80]; p = 0.01). However, hepatobiliary phase hypointensity in LR-3 observations measuring 10-19 mm and having APHE had moderately elevated sensitivity (73% [44/60]) and specificity (85%, 64/75). All three major imaging features had high specificity for the diagnosis of HCC, including 95% (76/80) for washout, 100% (80/80) for enhancing capsule, and 99% (79/80) for threshold growth. CONCLUSION. Major imaging features have high specificity for the diagnosis of HCC in lesions measuring 10-19 mm that have APHE. The finding of hepatobiliary phase hypointensity significantly improves sensitivity while moderately high specificity is maintained for the diagnosis of HCC in LR-3 lesions measuring 10-19 mm that exhibit APHE.


We examined the effect of isocaloric substitution of dietary fish oil for lard on the properties of low density lipoproteins (LDL) important in binding to arterial proteoglycans (PG). Cynomolgus monkeys (n = 10) were fed atherogenic diets enriched in fish oil or lard in a crossover study consisting of two 15-week phases of atherogenic diet separated by a 6-week monkey chow "wash-out period." LDL were isolated from plasma during each dietary phase, characterized for chemical and physical properties, and assessed for their ability to interact in vitro with arterial PG. Plasma LDL cholesterol was similar during fish oil and lard consumption (356 +/- 34 and 331 +/- 17 mg/dl, mean +/- SEM), but during fish-oil feeding relative to that of lard, LDL size was smaller (4.2 +/- 0.1 versus 4.9 +/- 0.1 g/mumol) and LDL particles differed in chemical composition. When animals were fed fish oil, significantly fewer (p less than 0.05) LDL particles bound to PG in both dietary phases: 1.00 +/- 0.27 (x10(12)) versus 5.31 +/- 0.83 (x10(12)) particles/micrograms PG in phase 1 and 3.56 +/- 0.67 (x10(12)) versus 6.00 +/- 0.52 (x10(12)) in phase 2 for LDL from animals fed fish oil and lard, respectively. These studies indicate that dietary fat-induced changes in LDL particles lead to altered in vitro interactions with artery wall PG and suggest a novel mechanism for the protective effect of fish oil against atherosclerosis.


The euroFOT project is the first large-scale Field Operational Test (FOT) of multiple Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in Europe. It will evaluate the impact of ADAS on safety, traffic efficiency, environment, driver behaviour and user-acceptance in real life situations with normal drivers by means of collected data from instrumented vehicles. By offering valuable information for the short- and long-term impact of ADAS the euroFOT project aims to encourage the deployment of ADAS. Altogether, about 1000 vehicles equipped with different ADAS technologies take part in the field operational test. The FOT is coordinated by five Vehicle Management Centers (VMC) and carried out at various operation sites across six European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom). Within this paper the approach for conducting a field operational test for assessing the impact of ADAS at the German1-VMC and selected first results for user acceptance with respect to adaptive cruise control and collision warning system are presented.


1‐3 piezoelectric composites are widely used as the transduction materials for underwater and ultrasonic transducers. In order to guide the design of the composite material and the devices based on it, a dynamic model is developed to precisely predict the dependence of the thickness drive on various parameters. For example, the velocity of the longitudinal wave, the dispersion curves of the wave propagation in 1‐3 piezoelectric composite, and the antiresonance frequency, as well as the electromechanical coupling coefficient of the fundamental thickness mode, can be exactly predicted. The effect of the loss of the polymer phase on the properties of the 1‐3 piezoelectric composite is also included in this theory; as a consequence, the quality factor of the 1‐3 piezoelectric composite and its dispersion can be described. The origin of the lateral modes in the 1‐3 composite plate can also be elucidated from this model, which shows quite different behavior from the early models such as the stop‐band edge reson...


Modal noise caused by the nonuniform quantum efficiency of a detector is analyzed. Laser partition noise is taken into account in the analysis. The signal-to-noise ratio degrades to about 30 dB in the presence of only a 2% nonuniform detector quantum efficiency. The signal-to-noise ratio dependence on laser-partition noise is clarified.


1,7-Dihydroxy-3,4-dimethoxyxanthone (XAN) is a bioactive compound isolated from Securidaca inappendiculata Hassk. and validated with antiproliferative activities on a panel of cancer cell lines. This study was designed to investigate its growth inhibitory effects on multidrug resistance (MDR) non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell line A549/Taxol and explore the possible linkage between modulation of MAPKs and the bioactivities. Its growth inhibitory potency on the cells was estimated by MTT assay, and flow cytometric analysis was employed to investigate its potential cell cycle arrest and proapoptosis effects. Expressions of hallmark proteins were assessed by Western-Blot method. The results showed A549/Taxol cells were sensitive to XAN. XAN inhibited the proliferation of A549/Taxol cells in the time and concentration dependent manners. It acted as a potent inducer of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the cells. Western-Blot investigation validated the proapoptosis and cell cycle arrest activities of XAN and the potential of MDR reversion. Upregulation of p38 by XAN, which accounted for the cell cycle arrest at G2 phase, and the downregulation of ERK associated with the proapoptosis activity were also revealed. Further analysis found p53 may be the central role mediated the bioactivities of MAPKs in A549/Taxol cells. Based on these evidences, a conclusion has been deduced that XAN could be a potential agent for MDR NSCLC therapy targeting specifically MAPKs.


The geological conditions in Shizuoka prefecture vary widely, from young volcanic rock area in the eastern part to old sediment or metamorphic rock in the western area. Dissolved element and isotopic compositions in springwater, which is located at the top of a river, would reflect the geological characteristics with the exception of effects of atmospheric deposition and human activity. This study aims to evaluate the usefulness of strontium isotope ratio ( Sr/Sr) for determining the geographical origin of Japanese horseradish ( Wasabia japonica ) cultivated in the springs. We collected 58 springwater samples and 59 horseradish samples from 21 sites in Shizuoka prefecture. These samples were subjected to trace elements and Sr/Sr analyses. The Sr/Sr values differed, based on the geological characteristics of their site locations, and the value of horseradish sample was well accorded with that of water sample in the same location. The combination of trace element content, e.g. vanadium, and Sr/Sr value of the horseradish allowed us to distinguish the production area clearly.


Simultaneous heat and mass transfer from partially liquid-covered surfaces is examined experimentally using a surface made of cylinders with the voids filled with liquid. The steady-state evaporation rate, surface temperature of the liquid and exposed solid, and location of meniscus are measured for various ambient air velocities and temperatures. Using these, the authors examine the effect of the extent to which the liquid covers the surface on the evaporation mass transfer rate resulting from the convective heat transfer from the ambient gas to this surface. The results show strong Bond and Reynolds number effects. For small Bond and Reynolds numbers, the presence of dry (exposed solid) surface does not influence the mass transfer rate. As the Bond or Reynolds number increases, a critical liquid coverage is found below which the mass transfer begins to decrease. Heat transfer from the exposed solid to the liquid is also examined using the measured surface temperature, a conduction model, and an estimate of the liquid and solid surface areas (using a static formation for the liquid meniscus). The results show that at the liquid surface an analogy between heat and mass transfer does not exist.


Underwater acoustic sensor networks (UWASNs) can revolutionize the subsea domain by enabling low-cost monitoring of subsea assets and the marine environment. Accurate localization of the UWASNs is essential for these applications. In general, range-based localization techniques are preferred for their high accuracy in estimated locations. However, they can be severely affected by variable sound speed, multipath spreading, and other effects of the acoustic channel. In addition, an inefficient localization scheme can consume a significant amount of energy, reducing the effective life of the battery-powered sensor nodes. In this paper, we propose robust, efficient, and practically implementable localization schemes for static UWASNs. The proposed schemes are based on the Time-Difference-of-Arrival (TDoA) measurements and the nodes are localized passively, i.e., by just listening to beacon signals from multiple anchors, thus saving both the channel bandwidth and energy. The robustness in location estimates is achieved by considering an appropriate statistical noise model based on a plausible acoustic channel model and certain practical assumptions. To overcome the practical challenges of deploying and maintaining multiple permanent anchors for TDoA measurements, we propose practical schemes of using a single or multiple surface vehicles as virtual anchors. The robustness of localization is evaluated by simulations under realistic settings. By combining a mobile anchor(s) scheme with a robust estimator, this paper presents a complete package of efficient, robust, and practically usable localization schemes for low-cost UWASNs.


Acute abdomen during late pregnancy is a rare event. A 35-year-old second gravida with a history of previous early pregnancy loss, and two in vitro fertilization failures was hospitalized following the development of hypertension at 25 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. She conceived under donar oocyte program because of low ovarian reserve due to stage IV endometriosis. She was type II diabetes mellitus and her blood sugars were controlled with Metformin and Insulin. At 32 weeks and 4 days of gestation, she had sudden onset pain abdomen and developed eclampsia. Preterm labor and placental abruption were suspected but there were no findings suggestive of abruption on ultrasonography. She had persistent diffuse pain abdomen and developed tachycardia and worsening pallor over 4 hours for which laparotomy was performed. At laparotomy, there was 1.5 L of hemoperitoneum due to ruptured endometriotic cyst which was adherent at fundus of uterus. Alive male baby 1.9 kg was delivered and partial cystectomy was undertaken. Both mother and baby were discharged after 14 days. Endometriosis though believed to regress during pregnancy, it can rupture during pregnancy and result in life-threatening situation.


Natural fibres have been used to reinforce materials for over 3000 years. More currently they have been employed in combination with plastics. Many types of natural fibres have been investigated for use in plastics including flax, hemp, jute, sisal and banana. Natural fibres have the advantage that they are renewable resources and have marketing appeal. These agricultural wastes can be used to prepare fibre reinforced polymer composites for commercial use. Application of composite materials to structures has presented the need for the engineering analysis the present work focuses on the fabrication of polymer matrix composites by using natural fibres like coir,banana and sisal which are abundant nature in desired shape by the help of various structures of paterns and calculating its material characteristics(flexural modulus, flexural rigidity, hardness number,% gain of water) by conducting tests like flexural test, hardness test, water absorption test, impact test, density test, and their results are measured on sections of the material and make use of the natural fibre reinforced polymer composite material for automotive seat shell manufacturing.


This short but highly significant study is the first real sequel to Professor Martin Hengel's classic and monumental work Judaism and Hellenism. It demonstrates from a wealth of evidence, much of it made readily available here for the first time, that in the New Testament period Hellenization was so widespread in Palestine that the usual distinction between 'Hellenistic' Judaism and 'Palestinian' Judaism is not a valid one and that the word 'Hellenistic' and related terms are so vague as to be meaningless. The consequences of this for New Testament study are, of course, considerable. Martin Hengel was Professor of New Testament and Early Judaism in the University of Tuebingen.


Feminist geographers have indicated that ethnographic research is an inter-subjective process constructed in relation to the intersection between the gender and other social dimensions of both the researcher and the informants relevant to the field. In particular, the matching and adaptation of masculinities in the research context is a complex methodological issue that receives relatively little attention. Using my fieldwork experience, this article builds on the contribution of feminist geographers to discuss how my masculine self-presentation was negotiated with the research topic, the caring masculinity endorsed among my middle-aged male informants, the sociocultural milieu and my positionalities and bodily representations in producing collaborative ethnographic data. My young age and doctoral student status, combined with my 'soft and meek' self-presentation, produced wen masculinity within the Chinese cultural context, which facilitated the paradoxical reception of me as both a son and a consultant in the men's groups. This masculine embodiment not only facilitated our rapport but also signified my cultural competence to participate in decision-making and activist activities in the discussion groups, which brought me to some unexpected research lands. The effect of my masculine embodiment on the ethnographic research process indicates that fieldwork is not only situated in a place but is also itself a space constructed through cultural understanding of social interactions and embodied gender representations.


In this article, self-excited full-vehicle oscillations (power-hops) are introduced. Initially, results of full-vehicle measurements are shown followed by the presentation of a specially build test rig (longitudinal dynamics test rig). Subsequently, these oscillations are investigated by using simulation-based tools within multibody simulation–related full-vehicle modeling. Tire–road interaction is evaluated in this process either by characteristic curves or by a proprietary quasistatic tire model that returns overall tangential forces by evaluating the state of every discretized element within the footprint area.


Portable computers are now common, a fact that raises the possibility that file service clients might move on a regular basis. This new development requires rethinking some features of distributed file system design. The authors argue that existing approaches to file replica management would not cope well with the likely behavior of mobile clients, and they present their solution; a lazy server-based update operation. This operation facilitates fast, scalable, and highly fault tolerant implementations of both read and write operations in the usual case. To cope with the weak semantics of the update operation, the authors propose a new file system service interface that allows applications to opt for UNIX semantics by use of a slower, less fault-tolerant read operation.<<ETX>>


Background. The efficiency of patient safety interventions is not well studied, especially laboratory monitoring for drug therapy. More than one-third of preventable adverse drug events are associated with inadequate monitoring. Current knowledge of decreasing adverse drug events through expanded monitoring programs is lacking. Design. The authors focused on a laboratory monitoring program (above usual practice) of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) agents to prevent adverse events of hyperkalemia and acute renal failure. They used a probabilistic decision model to estimate cost savings and cost effectiveness (at $30,000 and $10,000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY)). Costs included the monitoring program, and offsets from reduced care in 3 populations (overall, chronic kidney disease [CKD], and diabetes). Main results. Adverse events were most common in those with CKD. Intervening on all new users or the subset with diabetes was almost never expected to be cost saving (probability <1%). But a monitoring program restricted to patients with CKD was expected to be cost saving (probability = 95%). A strategy that intervened on all patients, or those with diabetes, was never cost effective, (probability <1%). But intervening on patients with CKD was estimated to be cost effective (at either cost-effectiveness threshold) at least 95% of the time in the base case. Conclusions. The authors' findings illustrate that for laboratory monitoring to be cost effective, the patient population must be at high enough risk of adverse events. Further inquiry into the willingness to pay for patient safety interventions is needed.


From the early exploits of Teddy Roosevelt in Africa to blockbuster films such as March of the Penguins, Gregg Mitman's Reel Nature reveals how changing values, scientific developments, and new technologies have come to shape American encounters with wildlife on and off the big screen. Whether crafted to elicit thrills or to educate audiences about the real-life drama of threatened wildlife, nature films then and now have had an enormous impact on how Americans see, think about, consume, and struggle to protect animals across the globe. Winner of the History of Science Society's Watson Davis and Helen Miles Davis Prize in the History of Science. (Text from University of Washington Press Website )


Over two billion people worldwide lack any type of formal social security protection. Poor people are the least likely to benefit from coverage, yet they are the most vulnerable to risk and economic stress. Responding to this situation requires the involvement of a range of actors. Currently in the spotlight, micro-insurance is one of many financial services that helps manage risk. Micro-insurance is the protection of low-income people against specific perils in exchange for regular monetary payments (premiums) proportionate to the likelihood and cost of the risk involved. As with all insurance, risk pooling allows many individuals or groups to share the costs of a risky event. To serve poor people, micro-insurance must respond to their priority needs for risk protection (depending on the market, they may seek health, car, or life insurance), be easy to understand, and affordable. This report covers the dos and don'ts of micro-insurance for donors.


BACKGROUND
Vestibular function (specifically, horizontal semicircular canal function) can be assessed across a broad frequency range using several different techniques. The head impulse test is a qualitative test of horizontal semicircular canal function that can be completed at bedside. Recently, a new instrument (video head impulse test [vHIT]) has been developed to provide an objective assessment to the clinical test. Questions persist regarding how this test may be used in the overall vestibular test battery.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this case report is to describe vestibular test results (vHIT, rotational testing, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, and balance and gait performance) in an individual with a 100% unilateral caloric weakness who was asymptomatic for dizziness, vertigo or imbalance.

DATA COLLECTION AND/OR ANALYSIS
Comprehensive assessment was completed to evaluate vestibular function. Caloric irrigations, rotary chair testing, vHIT, and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials were completed.

RESULTS
A 100% left-sided unilateral caloric weakness was observed in an asymptomatic individual. vHIT produced normal gain with covert saccades.

CONCLUSIONS
This case demonstrates the clinical usefulness of vHIT as a diagnostic tool and indicator of vestibular compensation and functional status.


Workshop was organized as part of CICM multiconference. It had two parts: MIR symposium and MIR happening. The Math IR Symposium is a traditional-style workshop with scientific contributions about mathematics information retrieval. Topics include but not limited to: MIR systems design and descriptions * requirements for mathematics information retrieval: use cases and typical queries * formula normalization, similarity, indexing and search algorithms * mathematics retrieval corpora preparation and tagging * semantically enhancing mathematical corpora for IR (from math OCR or presentation MathML in DML) * extracting semantic relations from corpora. * evaluation of MIR (methods and test corpora). The MIR 2012 workshop featured a friendly competition for the systems presented at the workshop. Since math information retrieval is still quite young and developing, we will not make this an official competition, but a happening, where we get together and test our system on a common set of problems. We expect the happening to transcend the workshop proper. The aim of the MIR happening was jointly gain a better understanding into the information retrieval needs of mathematicians and the respective strengths and weaknesses of the respective IR approaches and systems. As a tangible result of the happening the organizers will compile a survey paper and report of this newly-gained understanding. In particular, it was not an aim of the MIR happening to determine "winners" of the competition in any form. That may be an aim of a subsequent competition, when we have a better grip on the problems and possible evaluation approaches.


The BOVINOSE project (www.bovinose.eu) aims to develop an electronic nose to detect estrus in a dairy cow, and thus to determine the optimal timing of artificial insemination. The physical principle is based on detection of sex pheromones that are secreted by the cow, exclusively during estrus. These pheromones are the natural olfactory signal for the bull that the cow is in heat. This technology aims to help the dairy farmers in the EU, the vast majority being micro-enterprises run as family businesses. © Selection and peer-review under responsibility of FET11 conference organizers and published by Elsevier B.V.


The recognition by the IMF on the importance of commercial property price index motivates this study, which attempts to develop the first commercial property price index in the country, in specific the Kuala Lumpur Office Price Index (KL-OPI). The transactions data used in the study are sourced from the National Property Information Centre (NAPIC), spanning from 2006 to 2011, comprising office lots in purpose-built office buildings in Kuala Lumpur. At the initial point of the study, more than 6,000 transactions data are utilised. Having gone through the cleansing and validation process, the final data set comprises 3,247 transactions. The transaction-based methodology, namely the Hedonic technique is employed based on the review carried out on literature as well as in practice. Furthermore, the familiarity of the industry with Hedonic technique as employed in Malaysian House Price Index and Purpose-Built Office Rental Index provides another platform justifying the employment of the technique for KL-OPI. Three hedonic price models are examined, which are the Conventional Hedonic Price Model, the Laspeyres Time-Varying Parameter Hedonic Price Model and the Chained Time-Varying Parameter Hedonic Price Model. The study reveals that all the three Hedonic Price Models are plausible to be employed in modelling KL-OPI. In order to determine the degree of precision of the models, Signal-to-Noise Ratio is used. The results show that though the three Hedonic Price Models have quite similar predictive power, the Conventional Hedonic Price Model records the best precision performance. This indicates that the Conventional is deemed as the most suitable model for KL-OPI.