Although land terracing is promoted as a management practice for effective soil conservation in hilly areas, construction of terraces causes changes in soil properties. This study evaluated the effect of land terracing on some soil physical properties across slope positions and profile depths in medium and high altitudes of eastern and north-eastern Rwanda. Soil samples were collected from top, middle and bottom slopes of four year-old terraced and non-terraced lands. Results showed that soil textures were mainly sandy clay loams. At medium altitude, silt (19.6, 18.6%) and hydraulic conductivity (237.9, 129.8 mm h−1) were significantly ( p < 0.05) higher in terraced than non-terraced land, while clay (29.2, 27.8%) and total available water content (TAWC) (222.2, 201.7 mm m−1) were higher in non-terraced than terraced land. At the high altitude, hydraulic conductivity (194.3, 124.1 mm h−1) was higher in terraced than non-terraced land, while soil bulk density (1.42, 1.35 g cm−3) and TAWC (251.6, 235.3 mm m−1) were higher in non-terraced than terraced land. Terracing increased silt content and hydraulic conductivity, and slightly decreased clay and water retention capacity. These changes are important in soil water and fertility management, and therefore need to be considered when using terraced lands.


Digital Scene Simulation is Digital Productions' philosophy for creating visual excellence in computer-generated imagery and simulation. The approach it advocates requires the use of powerful hardware, sophisticated software, and top creative talent. With a CRAY supercomputer at the heart of its computer network and its own proprietary image rendering and simulation software, Digital Productions is revolutionizing state-of-the-art computer graphics. At the forefront of computer graphics technology, Digital Productions is redefining traditional methods of visual communications and creating new forms of self-expression, instruction, and entertainment.


Abstract : The POPEYE system is a grey level computer vision system developed for research and development. It provides a convenient environment for research by coupling a powerful microprocessor with a large base of support software. The particulars of the system's hardware configuration and software support are given after an explanation of the desires which motivated its fabrication. In addition to providing general computation and display capabilities, the system provides open loop manual or software control over the camera parameters of pan, tilt, focus, and zoom. This offers many advantages over fixed arrangements such as the ability to investigate focusing and elementary tracking algorithms. This work describes the implementation of several standard automatic focusing algorithms on the POPEYE system and provides experimental evaluation and comparison. This leaves the system with a valuable enhancement and provides a starting point for the implementation of a production focusing system. There are many possible uses for such a system, including robotic assembly and inspection tasks. One application is the development of industrial inspection algorithms for the Factory of the Future Project. Part of this project involved the inspection of fluorescent lamp mount assemblies. Algorithms for the automated inspection of the assemblies are described which represent the solutions to difficult inspection problems currently beyond the capabilities of commercial vision systems. Suggestions for the implementation of a production focusing system are given alone with suggestions for possible hardware improvements to the POPEYE system.


CONTEXT
Each year, nearly one in four U.S. women at risk of unintended pregnancy experience one or more months of contraceptive nonuse. Understanding what factors are associated with risky contraceptive use patterns can inform programs and policies designed to reduce levels of unintended pregnancy.

METHODS
A nationally representative sample of 1,978 adult women at risk for unintended pregnancy was surveyed over the telephone in 2004. Respondents provided information on contraceptive use over the past 12 months. Multiple logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with different contraceptive use patterns.

RESULTS
Ambivalence about avoiding pregnancy was strongly associated with both contraceptive nonuse and having a gap in use while remaining at risk of unintended pregnancy (odds ratios, 2.4 and 2.0, respectively). Other significant predictors of either of these risky contraceptive behaviors were having less than a college education, being black, being 35-44 years old, having infrequent sexual intercourse, not being in a current relationship, being dissatisfied with one's method and believing that contraceptive service providers were not available to answer method-related questions (1.7-3.8).

CONCLUSIONS
Providers could better help women avoid unintended pregnancy by initiating regular assessments of method use difficulties, improving counseling on method choice and pregnancy risk, and identifying and assisting women at higher risk for inconsistent method use because of disadvantage, relationship characteristics or ambivalence about pregnancy prevention. In addition to providers' efforts, broader societal commitment is critical for increasing contraceptive knowledge and expanding access to contraceptive care for all women who are at risk of having an unintended pregnancy.


Abundance, biomass and diversity patterns of bathyal and abyssal Mediterranean megafauna (fishes and invertebrates) were analyzed in the western Balearic Sea, the western Ionian Sea and the eastern Ionian Sea. Sampling was conducted with a Otter-trawl Maireta System (OTMS) at depths ranging from 600 to 4000 m. A series of ecological indicators were computed: total abundance and biomass, Margalef species richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity and Pielou's index of evenness. A multidimensional scaling was applied, indicating that the megafauna communities were grouped by depth, while geographic area had a less defined influence. Margalef richness declined with depth in all three areas, but more steeply in the western Ionian Sea. Pielou's evenness behaved differently in the three zones, showing a V-shaped curve in the eastern Ionian while showing a decreasing pattern in the other two areas. At lower slope depths, massive presence of the fishes Alepocephalus rostratus in the western basin and Bathypterois mediterraneus in the central basin caused a sharp reduction in evenness.


Domestic violence is the most common form of gender-based violence, considered a major contributor to physical and mental ill health of women. This study aimed at assessing prevalence and risk factors of domestic violence against married working women in Alexandria, Egypt. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted among 400 married working women attending Health Insurance Clinics in Alexandria, using a modified FVPF questionnaire. Results Overall prevalence of domestic violence was 67%, where psychological abuse was most common (48%) followed by physical violence (40%), sexual abuse (38%), financial abuse (30%). Out of the following studied significant factors (wife education, husband education, number of childern in the family, number of daughters in the family, positive history of cirumcision, wife's exposure to physical violence during childhood, mother's wife exposure to domestic violence, alcoholic husband, drug misuser husband, husband's exposure to physical violence during childhood, easily tempered, depressed/frustrated, jealous husband, husband's corrupt freinds, psychologically ill and introvert husband), only 4 were found to be positively and significantly related to domestic violence in stepwise logestic regression namely:husband's exposure to physical violence during childhood (OR 6.1); depressed/frustrated (OR 3.5); positive history of cirumcision (OR 3.2); number of daughters in the family (OR 2.1). Conclusion Domestic violence against women is an important neglected public health problem in the Egyptian community that needs multidisciplinary approach to understand its causes and plan effective preventive measures. Healthcare providers can play a crucial role in addressing and treating victims of domestic violence.


The extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms are increasing rapidly and becoming a major problem in the area of infectious diseases. This study was carried out to detect and document ESBL production among clinical isolates of Escherichia coli in our institution and to determine their antibiotic susceptibility pattern.Fifty-two clinical isolates of E.coli were identified from various clinical specimens brought to the diagnostic medical microbiology laboratory of University College Hospital, Ibadan, in Nigeria. These were subjected to the double-disc synergy test to detect ESBL production among them. 76.9% of these isolates were found to be ESBL producers. The highest production of ESBL was found among the isolates from wound swabs (40%), followed by urine (30%), sputum (10%), and ear swabs (10%).The activities of imipenem, meropenem, gentamycin, amikacin, and ampicillin/sulbactam against the ESBL producers were 80%, 100%,60%, 50% and 10% respectively.The limitation of this study was that confirmatory tests for ESBL production were not done. Characterization of the beta-lactamase enzymes prevalent in this environment is also of utmost importance . The use of third-generation cephalosporins should also be restricted to control the spread of ESBL producers.


In this article, two power factor corrector (PFC) control strategies for a bidirectional inductive power transfer (IPT) system are proposed. These control strategies are presented for a novel power circuit without input and output interfaces for a wireless electric vehicle battery charger application. This compact topology comprises: unfolding rectifier, primary resonant bridge, and secondary-side active rectification. Two PFC controls are described in detail: a primary-side PFC control, performed in the primary resonant bridge; and a secondary-side PFC control, implemented in the secondary-side active rectification stage. Both strategies are based on a duty-cycle control operating close to the resonance frequency, integrating different functionalities, i.e., PFC, current shaping (CS), and power control on a single control strategy. We analyze each control strategy, evaluating them for different operating points of the charging process. The performance of the wireless charger applying both control strategies is evaluated in terms of power losses, power factor, harmonic distortion, and bifurcation. Additionally, the theoretical results are validated using a GaN-based experimental prototype. The presented analysis and experimental results clearly identify the advantages and limitations of each control strategy leaving no doubt about their usefulness for the future IPT systems.


Abstract The forecast research program of the Techniques Development Laboratory is summarized. This program combines dynamical, statistical, and synoptic techniques in an effort to improve and automate operational weather forecasting. Principal accomplishments of the Laboratory during the five years of its existence are described, and plans for future work are outlined. Weather elements for which forecast techniques are being developed include temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, ceiling, visibility, severe local storms, wave heights, and storm surges.


OBJECTIVE
We aimed to classify Japanese adults without diabetes into different categories based on the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and characterize their insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The OGTT was performed on 1,085 Japanese individuals without diabetes (aged 20-64 years); blood glucose and insulin levels were measured at 0, 30-, 60-, 90-, and 120-min. Fasting blood chemistry, hematology, and urine were analyzed. The participants were classified into four categories based on the following: (A) 30 min post-load plasma glucose levels < 157 mg/dL and/or (B) 120 min post-load plasma glucose levels < 126 mg/dL and Matsuda index > 4.97. Category 1 satisfied both conditions, category 2 satisfied condition A but not B, category 3 satisfied condition B but not A, and category 4 satisfied neither condition.

RESULTS
Overall, 46%, 21%, 13%, and 20% of the participants were classified into categories 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Compared with category 1, the characteristics of the other categories were: 2, low insulin sensitivity and high blood glucose levels during the later period; 3, low insulin secretion and a rapid increase in blood glucose levels; and 4, combined characteristics of categories 2 and 3. Most blood test values besides glucose metabolism in category 4 were also worse than those in category 1. Categories 1 and 2 had a high proportion of females, whereas categories 3 and 4 had a low proportion.

CONCLUSIONS
Japanese adults without diabetes are classified into four categories with different insulin sensitivities and insulin secretion using OGTT results. Each category has different characteristics of age and sex distribution and clinical values besides glucose metabolism.


English as a foreign language has been studied as a compulsory subject by all senior high school students in China since the early 1980s. However, little research has delved into how English foreign language literacy (L2 literacy) is understood by teachers and students nor how it has been enacted in classrooms. This study aims to add to the research in this area by building an understanding of senior high school English teachers' perceptions of L2 literacy and presenting a picture of their teaching practices. This study also gave voice to students who shared their experiences and perceptions of how foreign language teaching was enacted in their classrooms.

A phenomenological case study design was utilised. Drawn from interviews and classroom observations with six English teachers as well as focus-group interviews with students in two case schools, the data provided a comprehensive perspective of current L2 literacy teaching and learning in both school contexts. The picture was enriched by an analysis of the curriculum documentation and the textbooks.

This study aimed to answer the questions regarding Chinese EFL teachers' perceptions of L2 literacy and their teaching practice. The collected data however indicated that in attempting to answer the questions it actually raised more questions that I have been unable to answer. The teacher participants' perspectives of L2 literacy differed from the prevailing views or practice on literacy and L2 literacy in western literature (e.g. Luke & Freebody, 2000; Kress, 2003; Gee, 2008; Cope & Kalantzis, 2009), in spite of official curriculum documentation having some parallels with western perspectives. The traditional Chinese beliefs and practices with respect to literacy development continue to shape the teachers' perceptions and practices of English teaching and learning. Moreover, the findings of this study identified tensions between what were expected of students' L2 literacy development and what actually occurred in the classroom due to the social, cultural and historical contexts in China.

Given my background as a school EFL teacher in China and the experience of conducting academic study in Australia, this study was not only about the investigation of the teachers in case study schools but also a reflection of myself. Based on the findings of the study and my self-reflection, a number of recommendations were provided for EFL teachers, schools, policy makers as well as those who have an intention to study in a country where English is the medium of instruction and socialization.


Antinociceptive activity of intraventricularly administered acetylcholine was quantitated in mice by the tail-flick and phenylquinone tests. A doseresponse curve was established for acetylcholine (ED5,, = 7.3 pg) which was potentiated by intraventricular neostigmine and blocked by intraperitoneal atropine, but not by atropine methyl nitrate or mecamylamine. The antinociceptive effect of morphine was potentiated by intraventricularly administered acetylcholine. The acetylcholine-induced antinociception was blocked by 5 narcotic antagonists in the same rank order of potency in which they antagonized the effects of morphine. However the stereospecificity of two narcotic antagonists, pentazocine and cyclazine, was reversed in blocking acetylcholine and morphine-induced antinociception. The results of this study have established a phenomenon of acetylcholine-induced antinociception and identified the central, muscarinic nature of this response. In addition, several experiments have demonstrated similarities between this phenomenon and morphine-induced antinociception. These data implicate the possible involvement of central cholinergic mechanisms in the antinociceptive action of morphine.


The charge generation and recombination dynamics in fullerene-attached poly(3-hexythiophene) (P3HT)-based diblock copolymer were studied in comparison with those in blend films of P3HT and a fullerene derivative (PCBM) in order to understand the potential advantage of diblock copolymer-based polymer solar cells. Upon photoexcitation, P3HT singlet excitons are promptly converted to P3HT polarons with a time constant of ∼30 ps in both P3HT-PCBM diblock copolymer and P3HT/PCBM blend films. This similar charge generation dynamics is indicative of analogous phase-separated morphology both in these films on a scale of nanometers. After the charge generation, a part of polarons in disorder phases geminately recombine to the ground state in diblock copolymer films, while no geminate recombination is observed in blend films. This geminate recombination loss is probably due to defects of phase-separated structures in diblock copolymer films. On the other hand, charge carrier lifetime is as long as 15 μs in diblock ...


We present and evaluate a novel interface for tracking ensemble performances on touch-screens. The system uses a Random Forest classifier to extract touch-screen gestures and transition matrix statistics. It analyses the resulting gesture-state sequences across an ensemble of performers. A series of specially designed iPad apps respond to this real-time analysis of free-form gestural performances with calculated modifications to their musical interfaces. We describe our system and evaluate it through cross-validation and profiling as well as concert experience.


The second part of Pitigliani's essay examines the phenomenon of investment trusts, which guarantee higher returns to small savers and the spreading of saving to the lower classes, a sort of 'popularization' of wealth answering the need for a conciliation between capital and labor. Among the merits of American capitalism, the author highlights its ability in contrasting industrial trusts by means of effective legislation, and also the widespread investments in public companies by private citizens. The possible risks of American financial capitalism derive from the scarcer competence and tradition of managers, and the higher speculative attitude of Americans if compared to Europeans. A much more substantial work on these themes and on the comparison with Italy would later be published by Pitigliani (The Italian Corporative State, King and Son, London, 1933).


Most studies of skinned smooth muscle have been performed in whole tissue preparations. In this study, we report the development of a chemically skinned single smooth muscle cell preparation from the toad, Bufo marinus, stomach. Isolated smooth muscle cells were skinned using saponin. The effect of various ionic environments (i.e., changing free Ca2+ and MgATP2-) on skinned cell contractile response was assessed by measuring cell lengths from populations of cells using a computer-assisted length-measuring system. Comparison of cell length histograms were used to determine the extent of cell shortening in response to a given ionic perturbation. Once skinned, the single cells shortened with a sensitivity to free calcium (ED50 = 1.5 microM Ca2+) that was three orders of magnitude lower than potassium depolarized cells (ED50 = 1.5 mM Ca2+). In addition to the calcium sensitivity, the effect of free MgATP2- on the extent of cell shortening was investigated. The extent of cell shortening was dependent on free MgATP2- with the maximum shortening response occurring at MgATP2- greater than 1 mM.


Tropical stream food webs are thought to be based primarily on terrestrial resources (leaf litter) in small forested headwater streams and algal resources in larger, wider streams. In tropical island streams, the dominant consumers are often omnivorous freshwater shrimps that consume algae, leaf litter, insects, and other shrimps. We used stable isotope analysis to examine (1) the relative importance of terrestrial and algal-based food resources to shrimps and other consumers and determine (2) if the relative importance of these food resources changed along the stream continuum. We examined 815N and 813C signatures of leaves, algae, macrophytes, biofilm, insects, snails, fishes, and shrimps at three sites (300, 90, and 10 m elev.) along the Rio Espiritu Santo, which drains the Caribbean National Forest, Puerto Rico. Isotope signatures of basal resources were distinct at all sites. Results of two-source 613C mixing models suggest that shrimps relied more on algal-based carbon resources than terrestrially derived resources at all three sites along the continuum. This study supports other recent findings in tropical streams, demonstrating that algal-based resources are very important to stream consumers, even in small forested headwater streams. This study also demonstrates the importance of doing assimilation-based analysis (i.e., stable isotope or trophic basis of production) when studying food webs.


A best evidence topic in thoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether surgery could ever be justified in non-small cell lung cancer patients with an unexpected malignant pleural effusion at surgery. Eight papers were chosen to answer the question. The authors, journal, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes and results of these papers were tabulated. Study limitations included a lack of retrospective studies, the heterogeneous patient population and various treatments applied. Three papers found that surgery--compared to exploratory thoracotomy--was associated with a survival advantage in cases of minimal pleural disease. One paper showed that the median survival time of 58.8 months in patients with pleural effusion was better than that of patients with more extensive pleural dissemination as pleural nodule (10 months; P=0.0001) or pleural nodule with effusion (19.3 months; P=0.019). Another study showed that pleural effusion patients with N0-1 status had a median survival time more than 5 years longer than patients with similar or more extensive pleural dissemination but with N2-N3 status. A further study showed a better 5-year survival time in patients with pleural effusion, than in patients with pleural nodule (22.9% vs 8.9%, respectively; P=0.45). In two papers, surgery vs exploratory thoracotomy had better survival in cases of N0 status and of complete tumour resection independently of pleural dissemination. Different strategies were employed to obtain freedom from macroscopic residual tumour, including pneumonectomy, lobar resection or, to a lesser extent, pleurectomy in patients having pleural dissemination. Only one paper reported a worse median survival time after pneumonectomy than for more limited resections (12.8 vs 24.1 months, respectively; P=0.0018). In the remaining papers, no comparison between the different resections was made. In all studies except one, surgery was a component of multimodal treatment. Intrapleural chemotherapy was largely applied with systemic adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The study period and/or year of publication of most papers was 10 years or more, this may explain the different chemotherapy regimens used in the various studies. No current guidelines support surgery over conservative therapy and the identified studies in this review are not strong enough to change this recommendation.


Sickle cell disease results from the presence of abnormal beta globin chains within hemoglobin and may be manifested in anemia, vaso-occlusion, and superimposed infection. The gene that causes sickle cell disease is particularly prevalent in populations of African origin; approximately 8% of African Americans and 40% of the members of some African tribes carry the gene for hemoglobin S. Over time, the disease produces various musculoskeletal abnormalities as a result of chronic anemia; these include marrow hyperplasia, reversion of yellow marrow to red marrow, and, occasionally, extramedullary hematopoiesis. Familiarity with the imaging features of sickle cell disease is important for the diagnosis and management of complications. Ischemia and infarction are common complications that may have long-term effects on the growth of bone; these conditions have characteristic radiographic appearances. Infection may be more difficult to identify. Both infection and infarction may occur in muscle and soft tissue alone, without involving bone. However, osteomyelitis must be diagnosed early and treated immediately to prevent bone destruction and deformity; therefore, care must be taken to achieve an accurate diagnosis by identifying or excluding bone involvement. The clinical and radiographic features of acute osteomyelitis may be particularly difficult to distinguish from those of bone infarction. In that context, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging may be useful. At MR imaging, findings of cortical defects, adjacent fluid collections in soft tissue, and bone marrow enhancement are suggestive of infection.


Wearable and embedded wireless sensor platforms are often highly constrained in size and power consumption in order to operate in unintrusive ways. To meet these constraints, the memory is kept as small as possible to reduce area and power, but at the same time it poses new challenges on programming. To address these problems, this dissertation proposes (1) a framework for synthesis of host-assisted scripting engines, (2) a minimum-overhead yet powerful runtime system based on recursive threaded code, and (3) a host-assisted memory optimization technique that exploits high-level knowledge in models of computation. The benefits are three-fold: first, the interactive access between programmer and embedded system improves productivity of programmers. Second, the low runtime overhead and memory requirements enable this runtime system to run on compact platforms while providing high flexibility and composability. Third, a new memory optimization scheme combined with the dispatching structure exposes regularity of dataflow models to enable memory and scheduling optimizations, sometimes in ways better than manual coding.
Experimental results show that systems developed using these techniques have unleashed the power of these resource-constrained networked embedded systems. As memory is currently the limiting factor, the lightweight runtime system and systematic memory optimization technique presented in this dissertation are enabling technology for a new class of real-world, ultra-compact networked embedded systems.


Antropogenic waste CO2 and NH3 both provide enormous environmental challenges. The amount of CO2 emitted by fossil fuel power plants is now about an order of magnitude larger than the NH3 processed by waste water treatment plants but the NH3 production is growing faster than CO2 production. Recent experimental and theoretical studies have established that CO2 and NH3 react without additional energy input to form carbamic acid, NH2COOH, which exists primarily as a dimer when adsorbed on a cryogenic surface. Might it be possible to react effluent streams of CO2 and NH3 to form carbamic acid and then to store the carbamic acid (or use it as a source for other industrial chemicals)? Can two environmental wrongs make a right? © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2010


OBJECTIVE
To develop and improve the technique of bladder replacement with ileum in patients with interstitial cystitis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
A consecutive series of 27 patients (23 women and four men, median age 61 years, range 40-79) with chronic severe interstitial cystitis refractory to conservative therapies underwent cystectomy and bladder replacement using an ileal pouch. The relief of pain was assessed over a median follow-up of 30 months (range 2-48).

RESULTS
Pain relief was complete in all patients and the median neo-bladder capacity was 520 mL (range 350-700). Only four patients required intermittent self-catheterization to drain post-micturition residual urine. Bladder calculi formed in two patients and were removed successfully at cystoscopy.

CONCLUSION
Bladder replacement with ileum in the form of the Kock pouch is an effective surgical treatment for intractable interstitial cystitis.


Incremental sheet forming (ISF) is a novel die-less process for forming sheet metals at very low production time and cost, and is mainly used for small batch type productions. ISF process is usually carried on a 3-axis CNC milling machine using a hemispherical tool. The tool follows a predefined trajectory, created using the CAD geometry of the required component, which greatly influences the formability of the sheet material being formed. Process parameters, such as spindle speed, feed rate and pitch size, also influence the formability of the sheet material. Understanding the influence of these parameters on the formability of the sheet material is vital for improving the formability of the material and the present study is aimed for the helical tool path strategy of the ISF process, as the research in this area is very limited.
In the present study, ISF experiments were performed on 2 mm thick commercially pure Al sheets using the helical tool path strategy. An axisymmetric dome of 80 mm diameter was formed for different combinations of tool speeds (50, 500 and 3000 rpm) and feed rates (50, 1000 and 2500 mm/min) in a CNC milling machine with a 10 mm hemispherical forming tool. The obtained parts were scanned using the FAROARM Laser scanner and analyzed for springback, amount of thinning and maximum forming depth using the Solid Works software. The results showed that when the tool speed was increased by keeping the feed rate constant, the forming depth and amount of thinning were increased. On contrary, when the feed rate was increased by keeping the tool speed constant, the forming depth and thinning were decreased. The forming depth was found to be higher (i.e. 38.83 mm) for the higher tool speed (i.e. 3000 rpm) and lower feed rate combination (i.e. 50 mm/min), and lower (i.e. 33.56 mm) for the lower tool speed (i.e. 50 rpm) and higher feed rate (i.e. 2500 mm/min) combination. The amount of thinning was always higher along the sidewalls of the dome and maximum at the higher wall angle region. Springback increased greatly when the feed rate was increased rather than for the increase in tool speed. Maximum springback of - 17.6% was observed for the higher feed rate (2500 mm/min) and lower spindle speed (50 rpm) combination, and minimum springback value of -4.6% was recorded for the higher spindle speed (3000 rpm) and lower feed rate (50 mm/min) combination. Frictional heating between the tool and sheet metal, and dissipation of heat were found to attribute for the different formability behavior of the material.


The tungsten oxide (WO3) nanofibers were grown directly onto an ITO-coated glass via an electrospinning method for electrochromic applications. The electrochromic properties of WO3 nanofibers were investigated in the presence of different electrolytes including a series of ionic liquids and classic LiClO4-PC system. A significant optical modulation of 20.82% at 760 nm, reversible coloration with efficiency of 64.58 cm2/C and excellent cycling stability were achieved for the nanofiber electrochromic device (ECD) with ionic liquid based gel electrolyte.


The telemedicine concept for a mission to Mars is presented including the basic operational units and subsystems, and problems of elaboration and creation of the telemedicine system with the use of multilevel structure functional modeling.


This paper describes work carried out within the European Union (EU)-Russia Buterfli project to look at the control of transition-causing "target" stationary cross flow vortices, by the use of distributed plasma actuation to generate sub-dominant "killer" modes. The objective is to use the "killer" modes to control the "target" modes through a non-linear stabilizing mechanism. The numerical modelling and results are compared to experimental studies performed at the TsAGI T124 tunnel for a swept plate subject to a favorable pressure gradient flow. A mathematical model for the actuator developed at TsAGI was implemented in a linearized Navier–Stokes (LNS) solver and used to model and hence predict "killer" mode amplitudes at a measurement plane in the experiment. The LNS analysis shows good agreement with experiment, and the results are used as input for non-linear parabolized stability equation (PSE) analysis to predict the effect of these modes on crossflow transition. Whilst the numerical model indicates a delay in transition, experimental results indicated an advance in transition rather than delay. This was determined to be due to actuator-induced unsteadiness arising in the experiment, resulting in the generation of travelling crossflow disturbances which tended to obscure and thus dominate the plasma stabilized stationary disturbances.


This early paper concerning the DataLex Project concerns features of legal experts systems which may be grouped as their 'communications' aspects. These have received relatively little attention compared with inferencing methods, and the closely related questions of the most suitable form of knowledge representation and knowledge acquisition.
Knowledge-based technologies are not limited to inferencing techniques. There is also a need for both practical development and theoretical discussion of the communications aspects of these technologies. These communications aspects are of greater importance in the legal domain than in most other problem domains, for reasons related to the nature of law and its use. Legal reasoning is irreducibly based on language and its interpretation, whereas most other expert systems domains are largely concerned with causal relationships between physical objects and processes.
The expression 'communications aspects' is used to group these features because they are all concerned with the communication of the meaning of the primary legal texts (statutes and cases) on which such systems are based. It is therefore preferred to categories such as 'user interface' or 'knowledge utilisation. The contents of the paper are:
Introduction The Interpretation Aspect ........The 'deductive model' of a legal expert system ........The 'interpretative' model of a legal expert system ........Interpretation techniques The Elucidation Aspect ........Noise' in legal texts ........Elucidation techniques The Efficiency Aspect ........ Efficiency techniques ........Completeness and complexity The Explanation Aspect ........Explanation techniques ........Legal integrity in programs Conclusions
Some of these techniques are employed in two legal expert system shells, LES and X-SH, and a number of demonstration applications (INTEST, COPYRITA and FINDER), developed by the authors as part of the DataLex Project. These are used for illustration purposes in the paper.


KCa3.1 has been suggested to be involved in regulating cell activation, proliferation, and migration in multiple cell types, including airway inflammatory and structural cells. However, the contributions of KCa3.1 to airway inflammation and remodeling and subsequent airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in allergic asthma remain to be explored. The main purpose of this study was to elucidate the roles of KCa3.1 and the potential therapeutic value of KCa3.1 blockers in chronic allergic asthma. Using real-time PCR, Western blotting, or immunohistochemical analyses, we explored the precise role of KCa3.1 in the bronchi of allergic mice and asthmatic human bronchial smooth muscle cells (BSMCs). We found that KCa3.1 mRNA and protein expression were elevated in the bronchi of allergic mice, and double labeling revealed that up-regulation occurred primarily in airway smooth muscle cells. Triarylmethane (TRAM)-34, a KCa3.1 blocker, dose-dependently inhibited the generation and maintenance of the ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation associated with increased Th2-type cytokines and decreased Th1-type cytokine, as well as subepithelial extracellular matrix deposition, goblet-cell hyperplasia, and AHR in a murine model of asthma. Moreover, the pharmacological blockade and gene silencing of KCa3.1, which was evidently elevated after mitogen stimulation, suppressed asthmatic human BSMC proliferation and migration, and arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. In addition, the KCa3.1 activator 1-ethylbenzimidazolinone-induced membrane hyperpolarization and intracellular calcium increase in asthmatic human BSMCs were attenuated by TRAM-34. We demonstrate for the first time an important role for KCa3.1 in the pathogenesis of airway inflammation and remodeling in allergic asthma, and we suggest that KCa3.1 blockers may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for asthma.


The development of hip deformities is strictly dependent on the congruence between the head of the femur and the acetabulum. The routine radiological examination shows this relationship in one plane only. The combination of the anterior-posterior and the frontal projection opens the view into the third dimension of the hip joint. The frontal projection is especially suitable for measuring the anteversion of the acetabulum which in combination with a marked antetorsion of the femoral neck leads to a reduction of the weight-bearing articular surface. As every decentration of the femoral head should be considered for operative procedures the frontal projection is of special interest in the radiological examination of the hip joint.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the topic and review the contributions of the special issue papers on cross-sector dialogue for sustainability. The paper also presents avenues for further research.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a review of the current literature on cross-sector partnership and dialogue. It explores the current issues in cross-sector partnerships through a discussion of the papers accepted for the special issue, their focus, findings and key contributions.

Findings
It highlights three main key research themes and learnings from the special issue papers: a high level of "hybridity" of collaboration forms, which involve important tensions; a need to understand partnership in its context and the importance of the individual level in cross-sector collaboration.

Practical implications
The authors call for attention to be paid to two forms of myopia: a tendency to view partnerships primarily from a resource-based view (without much attempt to measure societal impact) and a reluctance to be explicitly critical (despite empirical evidence of some suboptimal aspects of partnerships).

Social implications
The authors call for researchers to move away from a resource-based approach to one that is situated in exploring the value derived from partnerships in the broader societal context. The authors suggest some avenues for further research to move the discussion beyond the partnership imperative.

Originality/value
The paper outlines the need to critically revisit the very essence of what real partnership means and whether dialogue is really taking place.


This essay examines the proposal that psychological essentialism results from a history of natural selection acting on human representation and inference systems. It has been argued that the features that distinguish essentialist representational systems are especially well suited for representing natural kinds. If the evolved function of essentialism is to exploit the rich inductive potential of such kinds, then it must be subserved by cognitive mechanisms that carry out at least three distinct functions: identifying these kinds in the environment, constructing essentialized representations of them, and constraining inductive inferences about kinds. Moreover, there are different kinds of kinds, ranging from nonliving substances to biological taxa to within-species kinds such as sex, and the causal processes that render these categories coherent for the purposes of inductive generalization vary. If the evolved function of essentialism is to support inductive generalization under ignorance of true causes, and if kinds of kinds vary in the implicit assumptions that support valid inductive inferences about them, then we expect different, functionally incompatible modes of essentialist thinking for different kinds. In particular, there should be differences in how biological and nonbiological substances, biological taxa, and biological and social role kinds are essentialized. The functional differences between these kinds of essentialism are discussed.


ABSTRACT A new empirical approach to identify local housing markets (LHM's) is proposed, which focuses on the spatial correlation between local house price indices constructed from repeat sales data. It extends the work of Pryce who claimed that if housing in different locations are perfect substitutes, their house price indices should be perfectly correlated over time. Pryce's work represents a paradigmatic change in identifying local housing markets using revealed preferences rather than hedonic pricing. It requires spatial panel data for house prices which we construct using repeated sales data to generate house price indices for Tel Aviv (1998–2014) for over 100 census tracts. These price indices are used to define LHMs. The number of LHMs varies inversely with the degree to which house prices in locations belonging to the same LHM, are expected to be correlated. It also varies directly with the order of contiguity of these locations. Results point to considerable spatial heterogeneity in house price movement. This belies the popular impression that the Tel Aviv housing market is relatively homogeneous, characterised by expensive housing and uniform house price movements.


The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics is a book published in 1924, written by Paul Kammerer, who studied developmental biology in Vienna, Austria, in the early twentieth century. The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics summarizes Kammerer's experiments, and explains their significance. In his book, Kammerer aims to explain how offspring inherit traits from their parents. Some scholars criticized Kammerer's reports and interpretations, arguing that they were inaccurate and misleading, while others supported Kammerer's work. Kammerer said that the results of his experiments demonstrated that organisms could adapt to different environments by acquiring new features during the course of their lifetimes, and that they transmitted those acquired features to their offspring.


We determined the basic parameters, such as the central black hole mass (M), the boosting factor (or Doppler factor) (δ), the propagation angle (Φ) and the distance along the axis to the site of γ-ray production (d) for 23 γ-ray-loud blazars using their available variability timescales. In this method, the absorption effect depends on the γ-ray energy, emission size and property of the accretion disk. Using the intrinsic γ-ray luminosity as a fraction λ of the Eddington luminosity, L γ = λLLedd. and the optical depth equal to unity, we can determine the upper limit of the central black hole masses. We found that the black hole masses range between 107M⊙ and 109M⊙ when λ = 0.1 and 1.0 are adopted. Since this method is based on gamma-ray emissions and the short time-scale of the sources, it can also be used for central black hole mass determination of high redshift gamma-ray sources. In the case of the upper limit of black hole mass there is no clear difference between BLs and FSRQs, which suggests that the central black hole masses do not play an important role in the evolutionary sequence of blazars.


The aim of the present study was to examine changes in innate immune factors in the milk of mastitic dairy cows treated with antibiotics. Cows in the antibiotics group (n = 13) were infused into the mammary gland with cefazolin on the sixth day after mastitis was diagnosed (the day of the mastitis diagnosis = day -6). The control group (n = 12) was not treated. Milk samples were collected once every 2 days from days -6 to 12 and somatic cell count (SCC), lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP), and lactoferrin (LF) concentrations and lactoperoxidase (LPO) activity were measured. SCC and LF concentrations in the antibiotics group markedly decreased after the antibiotic treatment. When cows in the antibiotics group were divided according to SCC on day 0, LAP concentrations and LPO activity in cows with a lower SCC on day 0 (<5 × 10(6) cell/mL) were significantly higher and lower than those in cows with a higher SCC, respectively. These results suggest that LF concentration decreased with decrease in SCC after treatment and that LAP concentration and LPO activity differed depending on the severity of mastitis. This is the first report to reveal the dynamics of innate immune factor in milk of cows treated for clinical mastitis.


Serum immunoglobulin G antibodies to purified heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) from human (LTh) and porcine (LTp) Escherichia coli strains and cholera enterotoxin (CT) were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sera from patients with LTh E. coli infection showed a prominent response with LTh, an intermediate response with LTp, and a meager response with CT. Of 47 persons with clinical LTh-producing E. coli (herein shortened to LTh E. coli) infections, significant rises in antitoxin were detected against LTh in 36 (77%), against LTp in 30 (64%), and against CT in only 13 (28%) patients; seroconversions also occurred in 11 of 14 (79%) patients with subclinical LTh E. coli infections. In North Americans with experimental LTh E. coli infection, anti-Lth did not remain at high levels for more than 3 months. Persons with cholera manifested antitoxin responses that were similarly potent against all three toxin antigens; in fact, net optical density values were often slightly higher against LTh than against CT. The ratio of CT/LTh ELISA net optical density in convalescent sera proved to be a sensitive means to differentiate LT E. coli from cholera infection. All 11 cholera patients tested had CT/LTh ratios of greater than 0.70, whereas in only 1 of 47 LTh E. coli infections did the ratio exceed that value (it was 0.71) (P less than 0.0000000001). In single serum specimens, a net optical density of greater than or equal to 0.30 against LTh was shown to be a useful cutoff in screening sera for recent LTh E. coli or past cholera infection. The CT/LTh ratio was then used to differentiate definitively. Sera from healthy 3- to 5-year -olds and 15- to 19-year-olds in Maryland, Chile, and Bangladesh were tested against LTh and CT. The serological results fit known epidemiological observations. (i) LTh infections are rare in the United States (only 2 of 60 sera had LTh net optical density values of >/= 0.30. (ii) In contrast, evidence of recent LTh E. coli infections was very common in Chilean (69%) and Bangladeshi (57%) 3- to 5-year-olds and not uncommon in 15- to 19-year-olds (38 and 31%, respectively) in those countries. (iii) Only Bangladeshi sera showed serological evidence of cholera infections (CT/LTh ratios of > 0.70). The immunoglobulin G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measuring antibodies to purified LTh and CT represents a practical and effective tool for the serological study of LTh E. coli and cholera diarrheal infections.


In nontumoral epilepsy surgery, the main goal for all preoperative investigation is to first determine the epileptogenic zone, and then to analyze its relation to eloquent cortex, in order to control seizures while avoiding adverse postoperative neurologic outcome. To this end, in addition to neuropsychological assessment, functional neuroimaging and scalp electroencephalography, extraoperative recording, and electrical mapping, especially using subdural strip‐ or grid‐electrodes, has been reported extensively. Nonetheless, in tumoral epilepsy surgery, the rationale is different. Indeed, the first aim is rather to maximize the extent of tumor resection while minimizing postsurgical morbidity, in order to increase the median survival as well as to preserve quality of life. As a consequence, as frequently seen in infiltrating tumors such as gliomas, where these lesions not only grow but also migrate along white matter tracts, the resection should be performed according to functional boundaries both at cortical and subcortical levels. With this in mind, extraoperative mapping by strips/grids is often not sufficient in tumoral surgery, since in essence, it allows study of the cortex but cannot map subcortical pathways. Therefore, intraoperative electrostimulation mapping, especially in awake patients, is more appropriate in tumor surgery, because this technique allows real‐time detection of areas crucial for cerebral functions—eloquent cortex and fibers—throughout the resection. In summary, rather than choosing one or the other of different mapping techniques, methodology should be adapted to each pathology, that is, extraoperative mapping in nontumoral epilepsy surgery and intraoperative mapping in tumoral surgery.


Subject‐specific and marginal models have been developed for the analysis of longitudinal ordinal data. Subject‐specific models often lack a population‐average interpretation of the model parameters due to the conditional formulation of random intercepts and slopes. Marginal models frequently lack an underlying distribution for ordinal data, in particular when generalized estimating equations are applied. To overcome these issues, latent variable models underneath the ordinal outcomes with a multivariate logistic distribution can be applied. In this article, we extend the work of O'Brien and Dunson (2004), who studied the multivariate t‐distribution with marginal logistic distributions. We use maximum likelihood, instead of a Bayesian approach, and incorporated covariates in the correlation structure, in addition to the mean model. We compared our method with GEE and demonstrated that it performs better than GEE with respect to the fixed effect parameter estimation when the latent variables have an approximately elliptical distribution, and at least as good as GEE for other types of latent variable distributions.


Research to study the effect of application of rock phosphate (RP) enriched with SP36 to soybean on Ultisol was conducted at ILETRIs' green house from July to October 2008. Treatment consisted of combination of rock phosphate from Lamongan and Bojonegoro at rates of 162 kg P2O5/ha with three rates of SP36 (0, 9, 18 and 27 kg P2O5/ha). The treatments were arranged in randomized complete block design and replicated three times. The result showed that application of RP from Lamongan and Bojonegoro to Ultisol Lampung at rates of 162 kg P2O5/ha increased soil pH by 0.3 and 0.5, available P (Bray 1) by 400% and 823% respectively compared to check. Highest soybean yield was attained by application of RP from Lamongan combined with SP36 at rates of 18 kg P2O5/ha or RP from Bojonegoro combined with SP36 at rates of 9 kg P2O5/ha which yielded 4.98 and 5.21 g/pot respectively. This result indicated that RP from Lamongan and Bojonegoro can be applied directly as P fertilizer for soybean in acid soil, and combining them with SP36 will increase their effectiveness. Keywords: rock phosphate, SP36, soybean, ultisol


Over 500,000 people in the UK have heart failure (HF). After an initial insult to the heart, sympathetic drive increases which leads to detrimental remodelling of cardiac β-adrenergic receptors (βAR) and further cardiac dysfunction. The main βAR expressed in the heart are the β1AR and β2AR. In heart failure, remodelling is characterised by reduced β1AR density, desensitisation of the remaining β1AR and aberrations of normal βAR signal compartmentalisation.
Caveolae, flask-shaped lipid rafts, are present in most cells including cardiac myocytes and are characterised by the presence of caveolin and cavin proteins. Caveolar proteins create distinct micro-domains within the membrane and play a key role in compartmentalisation of signalling from both the β1AR and β2AR. Isolated reports of changes in caveolar structure and proteins in HF have implications for β-AR signalling, however the full array of caveolar protein changes in HF has not previously been assessed. Here we establish how the expression and membrane location of β-AR cascade and caveolar proteins changes in rat models of right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) failure induced by monocrotaline and aortic banding, respectively. For the RV model, we examined changes in β-AR responsiveness, and tested the potential for reversing functional and caveolar remodelling using a common LV therapy (the β-blocker metoprolol). Quantitative analyses of caveolar protein expression in myocyte and myocardial samples was also carried out using custom-designed calibrating peptides (CavCATs).
Both HF models showed a reduction in caveolar protein expression, with protein redistribution also found in the RV model. Decreased expression of β-AR signalling proteins (β1AR, adenylyl cyclase) accompanied by increased expression of inhibitory proteins (Gαi, GRK2) was also observed in both models, with some remodelling of membrane distribution. β-blocker treatment in RV failure partially recovered expression of caveolar and β-AR cascade proteins. Cardiac β1AR responsiveness was reduced in RV failure and again, this was partially recovered by β-blocker treatment. Quantitative work highlights the importance of studying non muscle-specific caveolar protein isoforms in the cardiac myocyte given e.g. similar expression of Cav 3 and Cav 1 in these cells.
Caveolae are dynamic membrane compartments which change in HF. This work suggests that caveolar changes affect β-AR signalling protein membrane location, which contributes to aberrations of signalling which (in the case of RV failure) can be reversed by β blockers.


In this paper, experimental study is carried out to evaluate the flexural performance of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with different ratios of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. Four rectangular reinforced concrete beams strengthened with different reinforcement ratios of CFRP laminates are tested to failure under transverse bending on a simply supported span of 1.9 m. The increase of ultimate strength provided by the bonded carbon fiber is assessed and failure mode is identified. The results indicated that the flexural capacity of beam was significantly improved as the layers of laminates increased. It is concluded that the attachment of CFRP laminates has substantial influence on the performance of CFRP strengthened beams. However, de-bonding of CFRP laminates from the concrete surface is still a concern for the case of multi-layer strengthening of beam. Based on the observed results, recommendations are made to prevent the premature de-bonding failure of strengthened beams.


Abstract The article addresses Lithuania's foreign policy vis-à-vis the Eastern Partnership programme in 2009-2014 from the perspective of small states' abilities to influence decision making processes within the European Union. The author aims at revealing the puzzle of Lithuania's marginal capacities of absolute power being disproportional to the output of its foreign policy towards implementation of the Eastern Partnership programme and hence utilising "smart state strategy" conceptualised by Anders Wivel. The novelty of the study rests on expansion of applying the smart state strategy towards the post-negotiation stage of the policy implementation. The article contributes to the debate over the applicability of the "smart state strategy" approach towards the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, by arguing that Lithuania's foreign policy vis-à-vis the Eastern Partnership programme in 2009-2014 does indeed serve as an example of such behaviour, however recognising Lithuania's initial shift from utilising "small state policy" to "smart state strategy".


Nowadays, the Internet of Things gains more and more attention through cheap, highly interconnected hardware devices that are attached with sensors and actuators. This results in an instrumented environment that provides sufficient context information to drive what is called situation recognition. Situations are derived from large amounts of context data, which is difficult to handle. In this article, we present SitRS XT, an extension of our previously introduced situation recognition service SitRS, to enable situation recognition in near real time. SitRS XT provides easy to use situation recognition based on Complex Event Processing, which is highly efficient. The architecture and method of SitRS XT is described and evaluated through a prototypical implementation.


The Euclidean k-means problem is arguably the most widely-studied clustering problem in machine learning. While the k-means objective is NP-hard in the worst-case, practitioners have enjoyed remarkable success in applying heuristics like Lloyd's algorithm for this problem. To address this disconnect, we study the following question: what properties of real-world instances will enable us to design efficient algorithms and prove guarantees for finding the optimal clustering? We consider a natural notion called additive perturbation stability that we believe captures many practical instances. Stable instances have unique optimal k-means solutions that do not change even when each point is perturbed a little (in Euclidean distance). This captures the property that the k-means optimal solution should be tolerant to measurement errors and uncertainty in the points. We design efficient algorithms that provably recover the optimal clustering for instances that are additive perturbation stable. When the instance has some additional separation, we show an efficient algorithm with provable guarantees that is also robust to outliers. We complement these results by studying the amount of stability in real datasets and demonstrating that our algorithm performs well on these benchmark datasets.


Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) is implicated in many biological events, including embryonic development, cell differentiation, apoptosis, and insulin response. GSK3β has now been shown to induce activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase MEKK1 and thereby to promote signaling by the stress-activated protein kinase pathway. GSK3β-binding protein blocked the activation of MEKK1 by GSK3β in human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation analysis revealed a physical association between endogenous GSK3β and MEKK1 in HEK293 cells. Overexpression of axin1, a GSK3β-regulated scaffolding protein, did not affect the physical interaction between GSK3β and MEKK1 in transfected HEK293 cells. Exposure of cells to insulin inhibited the activation of MEKK1 by GSK3β, and this inhibitory effect of insulin was abolished by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin. Furthermore, MEKK1 activity under either basal or UV- or tumor necrosis factor α-stimulated conditions was reduced in embryonic fibroblasts derived from GSK3β knockout mice compared with that in such cells from wild-type mice. Ectopic expression of GSK3β increased both basal and tumor necrosis factor α-stimulated activities of MEKK1 in GSK3β−/− cells. Together, these observations suggest that GSK3β functions as a natural activator of MEKK1.


In this paper, an effective method is proposed for robust proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control that is easily implementable on commonly used equipment such as programmable logic controller (PLC) and programmable automation controller (PAC). The method is based on a two-loop model following control (MFC) system containing a nominal model of the controlled plant and two PID controllers. Basic features exhibited by the MFC structure are presented, and a technique to tune both component controllers is given. The proposed structures have been implemented in a programmable logic controller and tested on control plants with perturbed parameters. Also, the proposed control system has been checked for its performance in cases when the operation of PID controllers is based on fuzzy logic. Tuning rules for the fuzzy controllers in the presented MFC system have been proposed. Results of tests lend support to the view that the proposed control structures may find wide application to robust control of plants with time-varying parameters.


This publication describes the state of dental health of Australian children examined by school dental service staff in 2009 and provides insights into the dental health of rural children. The findings are drawn from the Child Dental Health Survey 2009, in which the data of 87,269 children aged 5-14 from most states and territories, except New South Wales and Victoria, were collected and analysed. Any comparisons with previous years or international statistics should be made with caution due to missing data from New South Wales and Victoria. Dental decay is relatively common among Australian children Just over half (51%) of children aged 6 attending a school dental service had a history of decay in their deciduous ('baby') teeth-that is, 1 or more decayed, missing or filled deciduous teeth (dmft). On average, children aged 6 had 2 or more dmft each (mean dmft = 2.36). Among children aged 12, nearly half (45.0%) had experienced decay in their permanent teeth, with 1 or more decayed, missing or filled permanent teeth (DMFT). On average, children aged 12 had just over 1 affected tooth (mean DMFT = 1.05). A minority of children experience a greater amount of dental decay The one-tenth of children aged 6 with the most extensive history of deciduous tooth decay had almost 10 deciduous teeth affected-more than 4 times the average for children of that age. The one-tenth of children aged 12 with the most extensive history of permanent tooth decay had 4.83 permanent teeth affected-about 4 times the average for children of that age. Dental decay varies across the regions Children who lived in Remote/Very remote areas were at increased risk of dental decay compared with those who lived in Major cities. The mean number of dmft at age 6 and the mean DMFT at age 12 were higher among children in Remote/Very remote areas than among those in Major cities. Conclusions Dental decay was relatively common among Australian children who attended a school dental service. A minority of children still experience a much greater amount of dental decay than average burden of disease. Children in Regional and Remote areas were at increased risk of dental decay in their deciduous teeth compared with those in Major cities.


The occurrence of intestinal parasitic helminths in dogs from a public institute of veterinary medicine in Rio de Janeiro was assessed. Samples of fresh feces were collected in March 2004 and analyzed by Willis and centrifugal-flotation in sucrose solution methods. Of 204 samples, 45.6% were positive for helminths.


Elizabeth Corbett's New Amazonia: A Foretaste of the Future (1889) imagines what the late-Victorian world would look like if it were run by women. Inspired by the Women's Penny Paper , a pro-suffrage journal devoted to showcasing women's writing and interests, Corbett used utopian fiction to explore an alternative to the patriarchal values of Victorian England. The women of New Amazonia live in a future Ireland where their freedom from restrictive clothing and other limitations imposed on women has turned them into seven-foot-tall athletic goddesses. The highest posts in the all-female government are reserved for a cadre of celibate women and reproduction is controlled through Malthusian measures and eugenics. Corbett sees a combination of science and common sense as being the key to the health and prosperity of the New Amazonians. In this study I will explore the appeal of scientific progress to late Victorian feminists, and the role of science in shaping hopes for an improved society. I will argue that rather than being a utopian dream, Corbett's vision for an alternative Ireland was grounded in her experiences as a wage-earner and suffrage campaigner, and in her involvement in the alternative women's subculture built up around the Women's Penny Paper .


: Photoablation is a new type of laser-tissue interaction that allows the removal of corneal tissue with submicron precision. To date, three potential applications have been developed: (1) peripheral keratectomies; (2) reprofiling of the central cornea; (3) corneal smoothing. Mimicking conventional incision techniques, excimer laser keratectomies indirectly influence the central cornea by mechanically relaxing the peripheral part. The most important clinical application is the correction of astigmatism. By irradiating the central cornea directly, small lenticules of tissue can be removed by making the curvature of the cornea flatter. Complications can arise from repair mechanisms leading to glare or reduction in the initial amount of optical correction. Corneal smoothing using an immersion fluid can be used after lamellar keratoplasty or to remove superficial pathological structures such as band keratopathy and superficial scars.


METHODS
The relation between geometry and the distribution of trabecular and cortical bone mass and density in the human femoral neck was evaluated with quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Quantitative computed tomography data were obtained from 2-mm thick computed tomography slices of 20 human femur necks in vitro. A standardized scan position in each femur was used with the smallest cross-section as reference point.

RESULTS
When trabecular bone mass (TrBM) and cortical bone mass were presented as percentage of total bone mass (ToBM), it was found that, starting at the cranial (head) side, ToBM consists of 78% TrBM. About 21% of ToBM can be found as TrBM at the caudal (trochanter) side. At the smallest cross-sectional volume TrBM is 33% of ToBM. For every 2-mm slice, an average decrease of 5% TrBM can be seen.

CONCLUSIONS
These data show that geometry and bone mass distribution are related. Whereas total bone mass remains relatively stable, the cortical and trabecular bone mass changes extensively. This implies that QCT measurements in the femoral neck depend highly on midneck positioning.


In the context of ever-increasing petroleum prices combined with concerns about climate change, timing of adoption and rate of diffusion of land-based fuels and backstop technologies for transportation use are examined in this paper. A global model of land allocation joined with a Hotelling model has been developed. Using this framework, effects of climate and energy policies on world agricultural and energy markets have been explored. Further, their regional impacts are also analyzed. Whereas mandatory blending bio-fuels have substantial effects on world food prices and do not succeed in curbing down carbon emissions fluxes, carbon targets are expected to speed up date of adoption of backstop technologies. Then, sensitivity scenarios with regards to technological parameters reveal that higher is the rate of technological change, earlier backstop technologies are adopted and lower is the stock of carbon accumulated into the atmosphere. Finally, interplay between land-based fuels and deforestation has been studied. Results show that land-based fuels production speeds up world deforestation and causes substantial carbon emissions due to conversion of forests into agricultural lands.


The baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) feature in the clustering of matter in the universe serves as a robust standard ruler and hence can be used to map the expansion history of the universe. We use high force resolution simulations to analyze the effects of galaxy bias on the measurements of the BAO signal. We apply a variety of Halo Occupation Distributions (HODs) and produce biased mass tracers to mimic different galaxy populations. We investigate whether galaxy bias changes the nonlinear shifts on the acoustic scale relative to the underlying dark matter distribution presented by Seo et al. For the less biased HOD models (b < 3), we do not detect any shift in the acoustic scale relative to the no-bias case, typically 0.10% ± 0.10%. However, the most biased HOD models (b > 3) show a shift at moderate significance (0.79% ± 0.31% for the most extreme case). We test the one-step reconstruction technique introduced by Eisenstein et al. in the case of realistic galaxy bias and shot noise. The reconstruction scheme increases the correlation between the initial and final (z = 1) density fields, achieving an equivalent level of correlation at nearly twice the wavenumber after reconstruction. Reconstruction reduces the shifts and errors on the shifts. We find that after reconstruction the shifts from the galaxy cases and the dark matter case are consistent with each other and with no shift. The 1σ systematic errors on the distance measurements inferred from our BAO measurements with various HODs after reconstruction are about 0.07%–0.15%.


We have developed a novel railway signal control system that operates as a distributed system. It consists of a central control unit (called LC) and terminal devices (called FC) that are distributed at the railroad wayside and operate signal devices. The Internet technologies and optical LAN technologies have been used as communication methods between the LC and the FCs. While handling enormous amount of electric cables may cause human errors, the system is expected to reduce troubles of the current signal system at construction works thanks to the Internet technologies. The FC is a distributed terminal device that has its own processor and placed at the railroad wayside to control the field signal devices. The LC is a centralized computer device that has software arranged by the function of the field devices. An optical network system and multiple communication paths between the LC and the FCs realize durable transmissions. Moreover, the assure performance of controls and transmissions have been investigated, and the autonomous distributed signal control system is also discussed as the next steps of the system.


Poor process causes more injustice than poor professional practice

Two years ago the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, in the course of a letter to every doctor in England and Wales, said that he doubted whether the public realised the extent to which "when things go wrong, the true cause lies in weakness within the system rather than the culpable actions of an individual."1

One area where the British public sense that things have gone badly wrong is in the field of suspected child abuse. The quashing of Sally Clark's conviction for the murder of two of her children in January,w1 and the collapse of the Crown Prosecution case against Trupti Patel in June,w2 have shaken public confidence. In each case the issue at stake was whether it could be shown—beyond reasonable doubt—that a death originally certified as due to natural causes had, in retrospect, been caused by a parent. In each case suspicion only arose after a second child died. The Attorney General has now set up a review of these and other related cases,w3 and the actions of individuals are under scrutiny. A landmark ruling in the Court of Appeal in the last week has also brought much needed clarity to the issue of whether children have a right to legal redress if decisions about their care are taken negligently.2

Sir Roy Meadow, a senior paediatrician with a life-time's experience of investigating cases of suspected abuse, was an expert witness in both the murder trials. A comment about the likelihood of unexplained sudden death claiming two young children in a single family formed part of his testimony in the first case. It went unchallenged at the …


It is true, to a certain extent, that "the identity of a fashion centre is constituted not by a particular national style or regional costume, but by the localised capabilities that produce new styles or redefine old ones. Such capabilities include the presence of key industry activities – production, design marketing and distribution… [and] the interaction and coordination between industry actors" (Rantisi 2015: 261). For a viable fashion centre, several key factors are believed to be fundamental (ibid). They can be categorised as (a) place-specific elements, namely training and research institutes, cluster of skill and specialised subcontractors, promotional infrastructure and links between fashion and other cultural industries (Scott 2002); (b) fashion centre as a site for consumption (Gilbert 2006) and (c) the interaction and coordination within the fashion industry. In recent years, emerging fashion centres from Seoul to Stockholm to Shanghai to Hong Kong have taken production, design marketing, distribution, consumption and links within and across the fashion industry as key infrastructure for the construction of their own fashion system. Yet, can an identity for a fashion centre be constituted without a distinctive look and/or an outstanding style? How did a recognisable style or look be constituted in the first place? Is there a mechanism for its construction?

This article discusses the construction of fashion identity through two cases: Paris and Korea. While Paris provides a definitive checklist constituting to a viable fashion identity, the rise of Korean fashion provides an alternative insight into its making in the 21st century.


First-principle calculations of structural, electronic, elastic and phonon properties of SnMg2O4, SnZn2O4 and SnCd2O4 compounds are presented, using the pseudo-potential plane waves approach based on density functional theory (DFT) within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The computed ground state structural parameters, i.e. lattice constants, internal free parameter and bulk modulus are in good agreement with the available theoretical results. Our calculated elastic constants are indicative of stability of SnX2O4 (X=Mg, Zn, Cd) compounds in the spinel structure. The partial density of states (PDOS) of these compounds is in good agreement with the earlier ab-initio calculations. The phonon dispersion relations were calculated using the direct method. Phonon dispersion results indicate that SnZn2O4 is dynamically stable, while SnMg2O4 and SnCd2O4 are unstable.


Catastrophic wildfires are often a result of dynamic fire behaviours. They can cause rapid escalation of fire behaviour, increasing the danger to ground-based emergency personnel. To date, few studies have characterised merging fire behaviours outside the laboratory. The aim of this study was to develop a simple, fast and accurate method to track fire front propagation using emerging technologies to quantify merging fire behaviour at the field scale. Medium-scale field experiments were conducted during April 2019 on harvested wheat fields in western Victoria, Australia. An unmanned aerial vehicle was used to capture high-definition video imagery of fire propagation. Twenty-one junction and five inward parallel fire fronts were identified during the experiments. The rate of spread (ROS) of junction fire fronts was found to be at least 60% higher than head fire fronts. Thirty-eight per cent of junction fire fronts had increased ROS at the final stage of the merging process. Furthermore, the angle between two junction fire fronts did not change significantly in time for initial angles of 4–14°. All these results contrast with previous published work. Further investigation is required to explain the results as the relationship between fuel load, wind speed and scale is not known.


Scotland is committed to be a carbon-neutral society by 2040 and has achieved the important initial step of decarbonizing power production. However, more ambitious measures are required to fully decarbonize all of the electricity, transport and heating sectors. We explore the potential to use low-carbon GeoEnergy resources and bioenergy combined with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) in the Midland Valley area to decarbonize the Scottish economy and society. The Midland Valley has a long history of geological resource extraction and, as a result, the geology of the region is well characterized. Geothermal energy and subsurface energy storage have the potential to be implemented. Some of them, such as gravity and heat storage, could re-use the redundant mining infrastructure to decrease investment costs. Hydrogen storage could be of particular interest as the Midland Valley offers the required caprock–reservoir assemblages. BECCS is also a promising option to reduce overall CO2 emissions by between 1.10 and 4.40 MtCO2 a−1. The Midland Valley has enough space to grow the necessary crops, but CO2 storage will most likely be implemented in North Sea saline aquifers. The studied aspects suggest that the Midland Valley represents a viable option in Scotland for the exploitation of the majority of low-carbon GeoEnergy resources. Thematic collection: This article is part of the 'Early Career Research' available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/SJG-early-career-research


By many measures, the economy of the Third District closely tracks the national economy. Thus far in the current housing cycle, this appears to be the case in the region's housing market. It is clear that the widespread boom in the U.S. housing market that began around 1991 came to an end over the last few years. By many measures — house prices, housing permits, and housing starts among them — this nationwide housing cycle has been mirrored to a greater or lesser extent in the residential real estate industries of the Third District states. However, the Third District did not experience as large a housing boom as the rest of the nation during the rising phase of this cycle. Pennsylvania, in particular, saw slower growth in housing starts and housing prices than did the country as a whole. By contrast, New Jersey and Delaware cycled more or less in line with the nation. The nationwide downturn in the housing cycle lagged the corresponding downturns in Delaware and New Jersey and led that of Pennsylvania, but almost all of the most recent data indicate downward trends in the Third District. House price inflation over the past decade has been about the same as in the U.S. as a whole but lower than in some metropolitan areas in the West and South. Deceleration in house prices has followed a path similar to that of the nation. Mortgage delinquencies are now higher than they have averaged over the past three years, but in general, they are not at historic peaks in the Third District.


of a dissertation at the University of Miami. Dissertation supervised by Professor Theodore H. Fleming. No. of pages in text. (167) The buffy flower bat (Erophylla sezekorni) is a neotropical leaf-nosed bat (Phyllostomidae) that is endemic to the Greater Antilles. Although this species is one of the most common and abundant species of mammals in the West Indies, very little is known about its ecology and evolution. To address this deficiency, I studied the genetic structure and mating system of the buffy flower bat on several islands throughout its range, focusing a more intensive study on the island of Exuma, Bahamas. I first studied the effects of ocean barriers on genetic diversification within Erophylla and two related endemic genera of endemic West Indian bats, Brachphylla, Phyllonycteris (Chapter II). I found evidence that ocean barriers inhibit gene flow and promote speciation within these genera. Focusing on genus Erophylla (Chapter III), I found that ocean channels usually act as barriers to gene flow among island populations within species. However, relatively shallow and narrow ocean channels formed semi-permeable barriers allowing gene flow between some island populations. Within the buffy flower bat, Erophylla sezekorni (Chapter IV), genetic diversity of mitochondrial DNA fragments was positively correlated with island size, with small islands having reduced genetic diversity. However, genetic diversity at several nuclear microsatellite loci was not correlated with island area and levels of genetic diversity were high for most island populations. In addition, island populations within the Great Bahamas Bank and Little Bahamas Bank showed high levels of gene flow between island and showed no evidence of genetic bottlenecks. Populations of E. sezekorni on Exuma (Chapters IV and V) exhibited a polygynous mating system that included vigorous visual, acoustic, and olfactory male display behaviors. However, the social structure that I observed had a negligible effect on genetic diversity and genetic structure within these populations. Overall, the buffy flower bat exhibits very few of the genetic symptoms of island life, such as reduced genetic diversity and increased genetic isolation, and is evolutionarily adapted to persist on small oceanic islands.


This paper studies the rise of a Taylor bubble in a long, vertical liquid-filled conduit such as the riser of an oil production or exploration well. It is shown that, as the bubble rises and expands due to the gradually decreasing hydrostatic pressure, a situation may be reached in which the character of the expansion abruptly transitions from moderate to very violent. The phenomenon can be particularly dangerous with very deep wells, in which a "gas kick," i.e., the intrusion of gaseous hydrocarbons in the riser, can result in a violent and destructive "blowout." As an example, with its expansion, a 1-m-long bubble rising in a 1000-m-long tube causes the liquid to spill out of the top of the tube with a velocity of the order of cm/s for the better part of an hour, until it rises to the order of 10 m/s in the last several seconds. This process is considered to have been responsible for the DeepWater Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The same phenomenon underlies volcanic eruptions of the Strombolian type, which are characterized by the intermittent ejection of material up to heights of tens or even hundreds of meters. In this paper the process is studied with a quasiequilibrium model, a dynamic model, and a drift-flux model, all of which give results in substantial agreement with each other. The quasiequilibrium model leads to a very simple relation which, while approximate, gives a robust criterion for the occurrence of violent bubble expansions. The results of an illustrative calculation with OpenFOAM are also presented.


We consider the question of when a rational homology $3$-sphere is rational homology cobordant to a connected sum of lens spaces. We prove that every rational homology cobordism class in the subgroup generated by lens spaces is represented by a unique connected sum of lens spaces whose first homology group injects in the first homology group of any other element in the same class. As a first consequence, we show that several natural maps to the rational homology cobordism group have infinite-rank cokernels. Further consequences include a divisibility condition between the determinants of a connected sum of $2$-bridge knots and any other knot in the same concordance class. Lastly, we use knot Floer homology combined with our main result to obstruct Dehn surgeries on knots from being rationally cobordant to lens spaces.


This commentary takes up conceptual issues raised in the introduction. Discussing the contributions to this volume, we offer three points. First, the concept of fragmentation needs theoretical clarification, which can be provided to some extent by sociological differentiation theory. We suggest a typology of different types of fragmentation. Second, differentiation theory helps to improve understanding of the different causes of fragmentation. Third, a high level of institutional differentiation is an important characteristic of modernity at many levels of politics. It is not fragmentation per se, but rather the (lack of) coordination of fragmented or differentiated institutions, that is a problem for global governance.


Our lives changed tracks the day our daughter was born. My wife and I felt settled in the United Kingdom—we'd even bought a house 6 months earlier—but the arrival of our daughter forced a moment of reflection. We wondered whether we should move back to our native Brazil. I remember looking down at our newborn baby and thinking about how different her life would be there. In our native country, we'd be closer to our family and culture. But in the United Kingdom, I had the funding and lab resources I needed for my costly and highly specialized research program. Would such a move sink my career?

> "I had been away from my extended family and my culture for too long."

We had left Brazil 10 years earlier so that I could spend the last year of my Ph.D. program in France. Meanwhile, my wife started a Ph.D. in the United Kingdom. We maintained a long-distance relationship for the first few years. But by the time our daughter was born, we'd settled down in the same location; I had a research assistant position and my wife had a postdoc.

I was in an amazing scientific environment, working next to Nobel laureates. But I had been away from my extended family and my culture for too long. I missed acai, acaraje, pao de queijo, samba, bossa nova, capoeira, Brazilian jujitsu, and sunny skies. I worried that I might never return to Brazil.

My wife missed our homeland as well. As a mathematician, it was also easier for her to imagine doing her work in Brazil; unlike me, she didn't need fancy lab equipment and expensive reagents. So with a newborn baby at home, we started to ask ourselves whether a move was in order.

Several events over the next few months nudged us further in the same direction. We heard that new professor positions had opened up at a university in our hometown, in departments that matched both of our research programs. Then, a few weeks later, I received a call in the wee hours of the morning from my brother, who told me that our father had passed away. The great happiness I had felt about my daughter's birth suddenly gave way to a deep sadness. I felt that I was losing precious time with my loved ones.

After that, we had no doubt it was the right time to return to Brazil. We applied for the professorships and both received offers. It felt like our personal and professional lives were falling into place.

It wasn't easy getting started with my research in Brazil, however. I didn't receive any startup funding for my lab, so I couldn't recruit grad students or hire postdocs. I was able to perform a few experiments myself thanks to reagents I had brought with me from my lab in the United Kingdom, as well as equipment I shared with other professors. Eventually, I secured Brazilian funding, which allowed me to form a team of bright undergraduate and graduate students and buy reagents and lab equipment on my own.

Nine years later, I still haven't been able to perform the kind of experiments that U.K. funding would have allowed. And the antiscience views of the current Brazilian government have added to my worries about my squeezed budget.

But looking back, I'm happy that my wife and I put our personal well-being first and made the decision to move back to our home country. We've been able to have big meals with our extended family on weekends. We had a second child, and our kids are growing up close to their cousins who are around the same age. And I was able to resume Brazilian jujitsu training, which I hadn't been able to do during my years abroad.

We are living the lives we wanted to live—working on rewarding research while staying true to what we feel is best for ourselves and for our family. Any scientist from a developing country who is considering a move home has to weigh the pros and cons, and the situation will be different for everyone. But for us, returning home was worth the costs.


1. Abstract In this paper, we consider the optimal design of a straight pipeline system. Suppose a gas pipeline is to be designed to transport a specified flowrate from the entry point to the gas demand point. Physical and contractual requirements at supply and delivery nodes are known as well as the costs to buy and lay a pipeline or build a compressor station. In order to minimize the overall cost of creation of this mainline, the following design variables need to be determined: the number of compressor stations, the lengths of pipeline segments between compressor stations, the diameters of the pipeline segments, the suction and discharge pressures at each compressor station. To facilitate the calculation of the design of a pipeline, gas engineers proposed, in several handbooks, to base their cost-assessments on some optimal properties from previous experiences and usual engineering practices: the distance between compressors is constant, all diameters are equal, and all inlet (resp. outlet) pressures are equal. The goals of this paper are (1) to state on which assumptions we can consider that the optimal properties are valid and (2) to propose a solid proof of the optimal properties (based on nonlinear programming optimality conditions) within a more general framework than before. 2.


A technique for actively stabilizing the repetition rate of a mode-locked vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser is presented using an optically triggered semiconductor saturable absorber mirror. This method enables a significant reduction of the timing jitter measured in the frequency range [100 Hz, 10 MHz] and makes this kind of externally locked laser suitable for high-speed sampling of microwave signals. The experimental demonstration shows jitter reduction by a factor of 16 from 8 ps down to 423 fs for a 1.68-GHz repetition rate pulse train. The hold-in locking bandwidth and stabilization efficiency are shown to be a function of the average power and modulation index of the optical control signal.


This paper presents empirical evidence on the competitive structure in the banking industry in the EU as a whole as well as in individual EU countries. The study is based on a non-structural estimation technique to evaluate the elasticity of total interest revenues with respect to changes in banks' input prices. The significant positive values of the competitiveness measure indicate that banks do not exhibit monopoly behaviour in any of the EU countries. Rather, European banking sectors operate under conditions of monopolistic competition, albeit to varying degrees. The results also support the conventional view that concentration impairs competitiveness. Finally, we demonstrate that our findings cast some doubt on the generally perceived effects of EMU on European banking in the medium to long run.


Pluripotent stem cells are classified into naïve and primed based on their growth characteristics in vitro and their potential to give rise to all somatic lineages and the germ line in chimeras. In this chapter, I describe the similarities and differences between the naïve and primed pluripotent states as exemplified by mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), mouse epiblast stem cells (mEpiSCs), human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). I also review the efforts for derivation of naïve human pluripotent stem cells by manipulating culture conditions during reprogramming of somatic cells and attempts to revert primed hESCs to the naïve state. Understanding the requirements for induction and maintenance of the naïve pluripotent state will facilitate studies on early human embryonic development and understanding the mechanisms involved in X inactivation in vitro . In addition, the development of naïve hiPSCs will improve the efficiency of gene targeting for the purpose of modeling human diseases as well as for generating gene‐corrected autologous pluripotent stem cells for regenerative medicine.


The paper aims to identify the nature of poverty of squatter of Kathmandu valley in the context of exploring urban poverty. It has conceptualized poverty, urbanization, slum, and squatter. It has explored the social, economic and political background of squatter people. This paper also explores the nature of access of squatter people to basic requirements. It has discussed that squatter is a social formation formed by rural-urban migration of poor people to search options of livelihood. Keywords : Poor; slum area; migration; urbanization; livelihood DOI: 10.3126/dsaj.v4i0.4519 Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Vol.4 2010 pp.179-192


We propose in this paper a method to integrate inertial navigation systems with electro optic imaging devices. Our method is based on updating the inertial navigation system in a Kalman filter structure using line of sight measurements obtained from a camera. The proposed method is analyzed based on a UAV scenario generated by our trajectory simulator and the results are provided here. The results show that even a single vision aid can improve the performance of inertial navigation system


A new series of Os(II) diimine complexes with the general formula [Os(N(wedge)N)(CO)(2)I(2)], N(wedge)N = 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) (1), 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine (dbubpy) (2), 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (dpphen) (3), 2-(2'-pyridyl)benzoxazole (pboz) (4), and 5-tert-butyl-2-(2'-pyridyl)benzoxazole (bupboz) (5), were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic methods and by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study on the dpphen complex 3. The corresponding photophysical properties were studied using UV-vis and emission spectrometry. The resulting phosphorescence features both in solution and as a solid film, in combination with the MO calculation, lead us to conclude that the emissions originate from mixed halide-to-ligand (XLCT approximately 70%) and metal-to-ligand (MLCT approximately 30%) transitions instead of the typical MLCT transition. Using complexes 4 and 5 as the dopant emitters, we evaluated their potential to serve as a phosphor for organic light emitting diodes by examining their electroluminescent performances. Reddish orange electroluminescence centered around 600 nm was observed for organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) fabricated using complex 5 as the emitter; the device efficiency was shown to be as high as 2.8% (and 5.0 cd/A or 2.7 lm/W), and the peak luminance was shown to be 5600 cd/m(2) at a driving voltage of approximately 15 V.


A member of the Liliaceae family, garlic (Allium sativum) is highly regarded throughout the world for both its medicinal and culinary value. Early men of medicine such as Hippocrates, Pliny and Aristotle encouraged a number of therapeutic uses for this botanical. Today, it is commonly used in many cultures as a seasoning or spice. Garlic also stands as the second most utilized supplement. With its sulfur containing compounds, high trace mineral content, and enzymes, garlic has shown anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and antioxidant abilities. Diseases that may be helped or prevented by garlic's medicinal actions include Alzheimer's Disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease (including atherosclerosis, strokes, hypertension, thrombosis and hyperlipidemias) children's conditions, dermatologic applications, stress, and infections. Some research points to possible benefits in diabetes, drug toxicity, and osteoporosis.


This paper on managing the challenges of women and youth empowerment programmes in Nigeria has the following objectives; to determine the challenges facing women and youth empowerment programmes in Nigeria and to determine the prospects for youth and women empowerment in Nigeria. Mostly secondary data were used in the study. Findings reveal that there are so many challenges working against youth and women empowerment in Nigeria namely; instability in government policies, failed health facilities, unplanned strikes, Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen menace, kidnapping, lack of necessary infrastructure, and so on. Prospects for women and youth empowerment include but not limited to; reduction in the rate of unemployment, stability in government policies. installation of effective, efficient and result oriented economic team, profitable negotiation, land use law reforms, improvement in the provision of quality and well-equipped health facilities and basic infrastructure.


Diabetes mellitus contributes for initiation and progression of micro vascular and macro vascular complications. Complication includes coagulation impairment however Shortened activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) values may reflect hypercoaguable state, which is associated with increased thrombotic risk and adverse cardiovascular events.  Objective : The present study was conducted to study the aPTT and PT levels in patients with diabetes mellitus type II. Material and method : A sample of 50 persons were selected, 30 patients suffering from DM as type II from Al-wahda teaching hospital, Derna-Libya.  At the same time a group of 20 randomly selected healthy adults to participate in the study as control group. Result : The mean value of APTT in T2DM individuals was significant lower (28.95 ±7.54) seconds as compare with control, (34.12±2.82) seconds (P = 0.06).  The mean value of prothrombin time (PT) among T2DM individuals was (14.04 ±2.96) seconds and the mean value of PT among healthy individuals was (13.5 ± 1.54) seconds. There was no significant difference in PT of T2DM individuals P ≥ 0.05. Conclusion: From this study, it may be concluded that shorted APTT confirms that T2DM is a hyper-coagulable state due to which there is increased risk of thrombotic events.