In literature, scepticism on the effect of language propaganda is dominant. Researchers observe that it is almost impossible to stop lexical interferences from becoming current in standard languages such as Dutch (or Southern Dutch in Belgium) through language purification literature or through languagerelated articles and transmissions in the media or (last but not least) through concise dictionaries. The question we have to ask ourselves is, whether the dictionaries' influence in a minority language such as Frisian is limited as well. Most speakers of Frisian are, as far as writing is concerned, illiterate in their own language. They are not accustomed to written Frisian word forms and unsure when it comes to how their language should be written correctly. A Frisian speaker will be more inclined to consult a dictionary when writing something in his own language, than a speaker of a majority language or a national language would do. On the basis of that assumption, you would expect that including purisms and avoiding or marking interferences in dictionaries, would significantly affect the written language at least. In this survey, I looked at four loan-words, including the loan-translations and purisms (if any) that go with them. I compared the occurrences (and non-occurrences) of these words as dictionary entries to their respective frequencies of occurrences in two major databases. On the one hand, we see that, throughout the years, the purisms included in the dictionaries perform considerably better than the equivalent loan-words and loan-translations. The purisms not in the dictionaries perform considerably worse. On the other hand, we notice a trend among writers of Frisian to use interference words in the last few decennia. So, at first glance, dictionaries seem to have influenced language purification. However, one cannot tell for how long that will be the case. It will depend on speakers' attitudes towards their language. After all, it is very difficult to control a language as has been proven in the case of Dutch, and the same might hold for Frisian.


Better insights into bird migration can be a tool for assessing the spread of avian borne infections or ecological/climatologic issues reflected in deviating migration patterns. This paper evaluates whether low budget permanent cameras such as webcams can offer a valuable contribution to the reporting of migratory birds. An experimental design was set up to study the detection capability using objects of different size, color and velocity. The results of the experiment revealed the minimum size, maximum velocity and contrast of the objects required for detection by a standard webcam. Furthermore, a modular processing scheme was proposed to track and follow migratory birds in webcam recordings. Techniques such as motion detection by background subtraction, stereo vision and lens distortion were combined to form the foundation of the bird tracking algorithm. Additional research to integrate webcam networks, however, is needed and future research should enforce the potential of the processing scheme by exploring and testing alternatives of each individual module or processing step.


Research Background: Although, insurance services are offered by the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation and other private companies in Nigeria; however, there has been a low level of involvement of farmers in the purchasing of insurance premiums in Kogi state. The empirical evidence on the factors accountable for the low patronage of the Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Schemes (AIS) in Kogi State are not known. The identification of these factors inhibiting the access and use of AIS by farmers and the provision of appropriate and efficient solutions by the relevant stakeholders can mitigate the catastrophic effects of risks and uncertainties on the farmers. Purpose of the article: The research was carried out in order to ascertain the determinants of access and extent of use of AIS by farmers in the study area so as to of provide appropriate and efficient solutions capable of mitigating the catastrophic effects of risks and uncertainties inherent in agriculture on the farmers means of livelihood. This makes the analysis of the level of access and extent of use of and the factors influencing farmers' willingness to participate in the agricultural insurance scheme a compelling necessity. Methods: Data for the study was collected through the help of a well-structured questionnaire administered to 150 farmers whom were selected through a multi-stage random sampling technique. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and Heckman's two-stage model. Findings and value added: Farmers in the study area were males, literate, and experienced farmers. The determinants of access to AIS were awareness of AIS, age, income, and marital status, while age, awareness of AIS, and income significantly influenced the extent of use of AIS by the farmers in the study area. Farmers in the study area can access and use more of AIS through increased awareness of the insurance scheme as well as increasing farmers' income level through affordable loan scheme or outright government grants.


Reducing face-to-face visits for skin cancer assessment using patient-led teledermatology: a retrospective review of experience with the MySkinSelfie platform P. Hampton, C. Goodhead and B. Wright Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, Newcastle, UK and North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol, UK Teledermatology has made massive progress throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but significant debates are emerging about the correct way to use technology and deliver services in a nonpandemic future where all face-to-face (F2F) options will be available again. Some very fixed views are emerging, and it is important that future national guidelines are both evidence-based and pragmatic. Improvements in phone camera technology allow patients to take high-quality skin images. Adequate assessment of moles does require dermoscopy, but many other skin lesions can be accurately triaged without it, as was commonplace until relatively recently. There is now extensive literature confirming the ability to make safe and secure diagnoses of skin cancers using teledermatology. Debates around the optimal uses of teledermatology are now in progress. We report retrospective data from two pilot studies, for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and 2-week wait (2WW), using patient-led skin images taken using the MySkinSelfie app and viewed on the MySkinSelfie web portal. The aim was to evaluate the number of F2F visits that had been prevented. In each pilot, patients were initially referred by their general practitioner in the usual way, without images. The BCC pilot was conducted prepandemic. Patients were sent a letter inviting them to submit images. Once images had been received, they were booked into a telephone clinic for assessment. In total, 288 patients were invited and 76 submitted images. Thirty-two (42%) needed further F2F review, 37 (49%) were booked for a surgical procedure, five (6%) were prescribed a cream and two (3%) lesions resolved. The 2WW pilot was conducted during the pandemic. Patients referred on a 2WW pathway were telephoned by administration staff and invited to submit images followed by a telephone consultation. In total, 1385 were invited and 704 submitted images. Two hundred and sixty-five (37 6%) needed further F2F review, 170 (24 1%) were booked for a surgical procedure, 219 (31 1%) were discharged and 50 (7 1%) received a cream. The agreement between diagnosis via digital images of nonpigmented skin lesions and a final diagnosis was 83%. Compared with a standard F2F model, 58% (BCC) and 62% (2WW) avoided a first F2F appointment, providing benefits for patients' travel time, infection risk and missed time at work for patients and carers. A larger prospective study is now needed to document image quality, diagnostic concordance and health economic effects with more precision.


Several studies have shown conceptually that assets form a more robust basis for identifying the poor than do flow variables like expenditures or income. Asset-based poverty classification can be used to distinguish structural from stochastic poverty and can enable projection of poverty dynamics through time. Nonetheless, little work has empirically compared poverty measurement based on assets and expenditures to indicate the practical implications of the choice of poverty measure. This article uses panel data (between 1994 and 2004) from Ethiopia to generate asset- and expenditures-based poverty classifications. Asset dynamics are then explored to test for the existence of multiple asset index equilibria that could constitute evidence of poverty traps. Results provide evidence of multiple equilibria and show that the asset-based poverty classifications predict future asset and expenditures poverty status more accurately than expenditures-based measures. The findings confirm that the asset-based measure could be used to more carefully target poverty interventions.


A retrospective review was conducted of all consecutive giant cell tumors treated by the senior author (JOJ) between 1975 and 1990 using the technique of aggressive curettage through a large bone window followed by acrylic cement reconstruction. Steinmann pins were used as reinforcement bars within the methacrylate in large lesions. Thirty-eight patients with a mean followed of 5.2 years (range, 2–16 years) were identified. Three (8%) recurrences are reported. There were no infections or mechanical failures of the construct. Functional results were good to excellent in 84% of patients. Ninety-five percent of patients reported good or excellent stability, no deformity, and emotional acceptance of the procedure. The recurrence rate with this protocol (8%) approached that associated with wide resection or amputation (0%-5%), and was lower than that seen with simple curettage and bone grafting (27%-55%). Acrylic cement reconstruction is a safe and effective procedure that provides local adjuvant therapy and immediate stability for early rehabilitation. The authors emphasize the importance of aggressive curettage of the lesion through a large bone window and suggest the use of reinforcement bars within the cement for large defects.


This paper presents a question answering (QA) system developed for spoken lecture processing. The questions are presented to the system in written form and the answers are returned from lecture videos. In contrast to the widely studied reading comprehension style QA – the machine understands a passage of text and answers the questions related to that passage – our task introduces the challenge of searching the answers on longer text where the text corresponds to the erroneous transcripts of the lecture videos. Our initial experiments show that searching answers on longer text degrades the performance of the QA system drastically. Therefore, we propose splitting the transcriptions of lecture videos into short passages and determining passage-question matching using question aware passage representations. The proposed approach lets us utilize competitive neural network-based reading comprehension models for our task and improves the performance of the developed QA system.


This entry is our account of a study selected by Drug and Alcohol Findings as particularly relevant to improving outcomes from drug or alcohol interventions in the UK. Unless indicated otherwise, permission is given to distribute this entry or incorporate passages in other documents as long as the source is acknowledged including the web address http://findings.org.uk. The original study was not published by Findings; click on the Title to obtain copies. Free reprints may also be available from the authors – click prepared e-mail to adapt the pre-prepared e-mail message or compose your own message. Links to source documents are in blue. Hover mouse over orange text for explanatory notes. The Summary is intended to convey the findings and views expressed in the study. Below are some comments from Drug and Alcohol Findings.


Attachment can be strong between people and their pets. The present study was conducted to determine: (1) specific variables associated with the final rite and disposition of the deceased pet, and (2) those criteria associated with emotional and social factors pertaining to elderly-animal postmortem attachment. Results suggested four most frequently stated variables of final rite and disposition, and eight emotional and social factors of elderly-animal postmortem attachment.


Nonwoven samples are collected from industrial equipments in four nonwoven factories. The processing parameters and equipment parameters are also obtained. The fiber diameters of the nonwoven samples are measured by using the image analysis method and compared with the predicted fiber diameters by solving the polymer air drawing model. The results show that the predicted fiber diameters coincide with the measured fiber diameter very well, which confirms that the polymer air drawing model is effective in predicting fiber diameters of nonwoven fabrics produced by industrial equipments in nonwoven factories. The results reveal the practical value of this theoretical research on the melt blowing technology.


The usual way to try to ground knowing according to contemporary theory of knowledge is: We know something if (1) it's true, (2) we believe it, and (3) we believe it for the "right" reasons. Floridi proposes a better way. His grounding is based partly on probability theory, and partly on a question/answer network of verbal and behavioural interactions evolving in time. This is rather like modeling the data-exchange between a data-seeker who needs to know which button to press on a food-dispenser and a data-knower who already knows the correct number. The success criterion, hence the grounding, is whether the seeker's probability of lunch is indeed increasing (hence uncertainty is decreasing) as a result of the interaction. Floridi also suggests that his philosophy of information casts some light on the problem of consciousness. I'm not so sure.


The resonant sphere technique, RST, has been developed for measurements of elasticity and anelasticity of small crystal specimens. This method has advantages over other methods, especially in high‐temperature and high‐pressure measurements. New methods of data acquisition have made it convenient to measure resonance frequency at high temperatures (using a buffer rod), making a 1 K temperature interval measurement possible; this opens up many possibilities in the determination of physical properties of solids. Preliminary measurements of resonance frequency were performed by RST up to 100 MPa, which showed interference of vibration modes between the specimen and the pressure medium, even for helium gas as the pressure medium. This interference may become more serious at higher pressures or under liquid pressure. In order to evaluate such effects, the cavity resonance method was developed by Ohno in 1993, with a spherical shell structure with a spherical specimen at the center. This gives clear boundary con...


ABSTRACT This paper describes a pilot of art psychotherapy groups using a dyadic approach as an intervention for parents and infants in order to improve their relationships. The pilot was developed as a collaboration between an Art Psychotherapist and a Developmental Psychologist. It sought to use standardised measures of parental well-being and object relations as well as developing an observational tool that could be applied to video footage of groups to measure change in the duration of attachment behaviours across the span of the intervention. The paper demonstrates a positive change within the dyads' relationships and the viability of evaluating groups using these measures. It will describe the process of developing the observational tool and argue for the next steps to be taken. Plain-language summary We are researching whether making art together in an art therapy group might help improve the bonding between parents and their young children. The experiences we have with our caregivers in the first years of life are crucial for our well-being for the rest of our lives. It makes a difference to have a caregiver who is emotionally available and who is responsive. We think that when infants and their parents make art together it encourages lots of positive behaviours between them that can help to improve the way they relate to each other – their attachment. Art encourages lots of joint looking and shared sensory experiences which can help them to communicate better and, importantly, to have fun together and enjoy each other's company. Our research looked at an Art Therapy approach where a group of parents and infants did art and messy play together for 12 weeks with the support of a qualified art psychotherapist. We showed that there were improvements in the well-being of parents and in the way they viewed their relationships following the art therapy group and the change in well-being was statistically significant. We also measured the length of time each parent–infant pair spent engaged in behaviour that would be seen as positive for attachments and saw that this increased from the first to last session. This is really promising pilot evidence that Art Therapy might be a useful tool to help with struggling parents and their very young children.


Exfoliated graphite (EG) particles covalently functionalized with phenoxazine-based molecules have been used to prepare bulk-modified electrodes. The electrodes are of two types: 1) binder-less covalently modified EG pellets and 2) sol-gel derived composites of silicate and modified EG particles. The covalent modification is confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. The electrochemistry of attached molecules has been carried out to decipher the catalytic activity of immobilized phenoxazines towards NADH oxidation. Fast response time of about 4-6 seconds and a low detection limit of 20 µM have been achieved using these electrodes. The sensor is found to yield a linear range of current response versus concentration between 0.02 and 1 mM of NADH. Biosensing in presence of alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme and NAD + shows a linear response between 1 and 13 mM and the response time for alcohol sensing is found to be 20-30 s. These electrodes are found to be very stable during operation and can be stored without any deterioration over a period of several months.


У статті проаналізовано соціальне служіння Римо-католицької церкви у складних суспільно-політичних умовах 20-30-х рр. ХХ ст. Мирське служінння, доброчинна діяльність, задоволення життєво необхідних потреб людини, духовне відродження й гармонійний розвиток кожної особистості визначаються
основними складовими соціального служіння церкви у досліджуваний період, особливо під час Голодомору 1932–1933 рр.
(The article is devoted to questions of social service of the Roman Catholic Church in the difficult socio-political conditions of the 20-30-ies of the 20th century. The article
analyzes the main vectors of social work of the Church. The author notes that despite numerous prosecutions by the Soviet authorities the Roman Catholic Church continued to bear its social service in the lands of southern Ukraine. Mercy, charity, the satisfaction of needs of human spiritual revival and harmonious development of every person is determined the key tasks of the Church within the period under study.
Creating of charitable organizations, women, youth, children's clubs and associations of the Roman Catholic Church sought to meet the social needs of parishioners,
but also to ensure that it continues functioning at post-Soviet territories. At the same time, the author draws attention to the fact that the Soviet government substantially restricted the development of religious life in the region. The social activity of the Church subject is to clear regulation by the authorities. The priests were forbidden to carry out religious instruction and education of minors. Leading source of faith and religious education is now becoming a family.
The article notes that an outstanding role in the social service of the Church belonged to the women who fulfill their duty within the family. They took on the challenging
function of the spiritual upbringing of the younger generation. In the family circle, they introduced the children with the basics of the Catholic faith, giving them
spiritual guidance, taught confessional traditions.
Women have served an important mission within religious communities. The members of the community were provided spiritual and psychological help, who contributed
to the adaptation converts the parishioners, visited the sick and the needy,helped conduct religious services helped to maintaining the spiritual connection between
members of a religious community. The author come to the conclusion that due to the selfless social service of women not only maintained a spiritual atmosphere in
the parish were kept, and religious traditions, but also to ensure the vital activity of the Church as a whole. Unconditional manifestation of the social service of the Roman Catholic Church was the organization of famine relief during the Holodomor of 1921-1923 and 1932-1933, the Ordinary laity, the priests, the international charity
and the Roman Catholic charitable organizations by all possible means tried to help the starving people of the South of Ukraine.
The author notes that the repression of the second half of the 30-ies of the 20th century against the clergy and believers, were directed by the Soviet government on
the final liquidation of the Roman Catholic Church and the deprivation of her social influence.)


Continued improvement in silicon carbide (SiC) material processing has allowed development of efficient high temperature devices which are uniquely suited to power electronics circuit designs. The 4H-SiC structure has several intrinsic characteristics that facilitate optimal speed and power handling during high temperature device operation. These characteristics include wide bandgap (3.2 eV), high dielectric breakdown (3.5 MV/cm), and high thermal conductivity (4.9 W/cm-K)[1,2]. By combining these properties, SiC bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) can achieve fast, low impedance switching at high voltages (1.2 kV). New generation devices are being developed with increased current handling capability, as well as improved forward voltage characteristics. The device considered here, along with its on-state DC characteristic, is shown in figure 1. The BJTs are approximately 5mm by 5mm, and are nominally rated for a maximum Ice of 50A. Measurements on the Tektronix 371B curve-tracer indicate current gains over 60 at 25 oC and roughly 40 at 150 oC. These results were obtained at collector currents up to 20A. The base current for BJTs is typically 300 to 800 mA, depending on device temperature and the maximum device current required. In order to meet current handling requirements of up to 80A, as required for power conversion in modern military systems such as the hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV), it is necessary to configure these devices in parallel with minimal external cooling. The resulting switching circuits must therefore be validated for operation at high temperatures (package temperatures of 90 oC, and junction temperatures to 150 oC). Validation includes characterization of the devices in clamped inductive circuits with devices configured both alone and in parallel over time. Figure 4 shows measurement waveforms obtained during continuous clamped inductive switching. The primary focus of this work is to establish the overall performance and reliability of these newer generation SiC BJTs in power conversion circuits. Failure analysis and critical performance issues, such as current sharing, energy loss, and total reverse recovery charge are addressed. The initial results of the experiments indicate that these SiC switches have the potential to perform reliably in high temperature power conversion.


The main objective of this thesis is to investigate the fundamental combustion process of ammonia-based fuels and the application on swirl-stabilised flames in the context of engineering type gas turbine combustion. The present study begins with a fundamental validation and mechanism reduction for chemical kinetics of ammonia/methane combustion. Different-sized reduced mechanisms of the well-known Konnov's mechanism were compared at high-pressure conditions relevant to gas turbine devices. The reduced models can benefit the future simulation work with considerably less computational cost. Then characteristics of ignition delay time, laminar flame speed and emissions were obtained over a wide range of equivalence ratios and ammonia fractions. Prediction results showed a good potential of ammonia/methane to be used in gas turbine engines with relatively low emission.
In the second part of this dissertation, in order to identify reaction mechanisms that can accurately represent ammonia/hydrogen kinetics at industrial conditions, various mechanisms were tested in terms of flame speed, combustion products and ignition delay against experimental data. It was preliminarily found that the Mathieu mechanism and Tian mechanism are the best suited for ammonia/hydrogen combustion chemistry under practical industrial conditions. Based on the Mathieu mechanism, an improved chemical mechanism was developed. Verification of the established model was quite satisfying, focusing particularly on elevated conditions which are encountered during gas turbine operation.
Finally, a first assessment of the suitability of a chosen 70%NH3-30%H2 (%vol) blend was performed for utilisation within a gas turbine environment. It was found that stable flames can be produced with low NOx emissions at high equivalence ratios. Also, results showed that high inlet temperature conditions representative of real gas turbine conditions can significantly improve the combustion efficiency and reduce NOx emissions. A numerical gas turbine cycle calculation was performed indicating more research are required to enable higher efficiencies using ammonia/hydrogen.


Many clinicians in the area of drug addiction believe that emotional problems arise from particular styles of parenting. To investigate this link, 63 young male and female addicts who had sought treatment completed the Parental Bonding Instrument which tapped their perceptions of their relationship with each parent. Addicts reported early parental experiences differing from those of a control group. Drug abusers judged their parents as cold, indifferent, controlling and intrusive. In addition, these perceptions were shared by male and female addicts. These results, together with previous research suggest that these perceptions might well point to a general risk factor for the development of a broad range of psychological and psychiatric disorders. In addition, the issue of family factors in the design and implementation of drug treatment programs needs to be addressed.


OBJECTIVE: Examine the occurrence of and risk factors for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in a sample in drug treatment. DESIGN: Cross-sectional/stratified design. SETTING: Ten methadone treatment centers in a large Midwestern metropolitan area in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred forty participants (290 men [45.3%]; mean [SD] age, 46.54 years [8.85 years]) were included in the study. Sixty-one percent were African American, and 93.5% had a history of smoking cigarettes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PAD was defined as an ankle brachial index of less than 0.90 in at least 1 leg. Measures included demographic, health, and illicit drug use history questionnaires; the Walking Impairment Questionnaire; and body mass index. The Positive Attitude Toward Physical Activities/Exertion Questionnaire was added 9 months into the study; this decreased the sample size of the logistic regression for the predictors of PAD to 498. MAIN RESULTS: PAD was identified in 16.7% of the sample; the mean ankle brachial index value for persons with PAD was 0.84 (SD, 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis found that sex (women) (odds ratio [OR], 2.10), history of ever smoking cigarettes (OR, 5.16), years of smoking cigarettes (OR, 1.60 per 10 years' smoking), and having a positive attitude toward physical activities/exertion (OR, 0.63) made significant contributions to the predictors for PAD after controlling other background and risk variables. CONCLUSION: PAD is prevalent in persons undergoing drug treatment and is best accounted for by cigarette smoking, sex differences, and physical inactivity. PAD in drug abusers should be evaluated, and the current findings merit further investigation.


Summarization is a complex task that requires understanding of the document content to determine the importance of the text. Lexical cohesion is a method to identify connected portions of the text based on the relations between the words in the text. Lexical cohesive relations can be represented using lexical chains. Lexical chains are sequences of semantically related words spread over the entire text. Lexical chains are used in variety of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Information Retrieval (IR) applications. In current thesis, we propose a lexical chaining method that includes the glossary relations in the chaining process. These relations enable us to identify topically related concepts, for instance dormitory and student, and thereby enhances the identification of cohesive ties in the text. We then present methods that use the lexical chains to generate summaries by extracting sentences from the document(s). Headlines are generated by filtering the portions of the sentences extracted, which do not contribute towards the meaning of the sentence. Headlines generated can be used in real world application to skim through the document collections in a digital library. Multi-document summarization is gaining demand with the explosive growth of online news sources. It requires identification of the several themes present in the collection to attain good compression and avoid redundancy. In this thesis, we propose methods to group the portions of the texts of a document collection into meaningful clusters. Clustering enable us to extract the various themes of the document collection. Sentences from clusters can then be extracted to generate a summary for the multi-document collection. Clusters can also be used to generate i summaries with respect to a given query. We designed a system to compute lexical chains for the given text and use them to extract the salient portions of the document. Some specific tasks considered are: headline generation, multi-document summarization, and query-based summarization. Our experimental evaluation shows that efficient summaries can be extracted for the above tasks.


Health care is an activity sector with an enormous personal, social and economic importance. The procurement process in the public hospital is critical and very complex due to the need to satisfy in a timely manner the numerous requests for purchase of a large quantity of goods and services, quite diversified, while ensuring the demand for adequate quality and quantity, cost containment and compliance with the extensive legal regulations governing this process. The Public Procurement Code, by allowing the use of electronic platforms, created a potential for innovation in the procurement process of public entities. However, a significant effort is still needed to change traditional work practices, and to adopt new routines and behaviours, so that the organization will profit from the potential benefits of digital transformation. This paper presents a project developed in a public hospital that seeks to increase the speed in meeting the needs of goods and services, and to maintain the governance of the process, based on: (i) elimination of activities; (ii) training of employees; and (iii) automation of activities.


We extended research on the role of noncontingent positive reinforcement following a functional analysis of attention-maintained self-injurious behavior to self-injury maintained by negative reinforcement in 2 young males with developmental disabilities. During a pretreatment functional analysis, each participant's self-injury was shown to be differentially sensitive to escape from instructional activities as negative reinforcement. During noncontingent escape, escape from learning activities was provided on a fixed-time schedule that was not influenced by the participant's behavior. One participant was also exposed to differential negative reinforcement of other behavior. During this condition, escape from instructional activities was provided contingent on the omission of self-injury for prespecified intervals. Results showed that the provision of escape, even when noncontingent, resulted in significant reductions in self-injury. These results are particularly interesting in light of the experimental history of noncontingent reinforcement as a control rather than as a therapeutic procedure. Noncontingent escape is discussed as a form of extinction that may be less likely than other forms of extinction to produce severe side effects.


This paper compares the cutting process characteristics of organic and inorganic coolant for milling process. RBD(refined, bleached & deodorized) palm olein, refined canola and soy bean oil were selected as based oil for soluble mixture(organic) while Jetkool SC95 as inorganic metalworking fluid (MWF). Throughout the research, carbide coated cutting tool and JIS SS400 mild steel are used with various feed rate, depth of cut and fixed spindle speed to determine the cutting temperature, forces and also surface roughness. Heat capacity, pH and tool wear assessment are carried out as well with same material. From the research, cutting temperature, cutting force and surface roughness are proportional to the feed rate and depth of cut. The MWFs pH level also drops after cutting process. Each MWFs showing their different strength on different assessments, overall from the results obtained, palm oil has a high potential to be marketed as organic MWF.


In this letter, a four-stage 235 GHz heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) amplifier is reported. Each stage uses a single-emitter 0.15 × 3 μm2 InP HBT with collector current density of 25 mA/μm2, maximum frequency of oscillation (fmax) greater than 500 GHz, and a cutoff frequency (fT) of 320 GHz. The MMIC amplifier is realized in inverted microstrip topology. The amplifier demonstrates measured small signal gain of 12.7 dB and output power of 2.6 mW with a power gain of 9.4 dB. This corresponds to transistor output power density of 5.7 mW/μm2 at 235 GHz. This is the highest HBT transistor output power density published to date at frequencies above 170 GHz, which indicates high power InP HBT power amplifiers should be viable with on-chip power combining.


There has been a general concensus about the role of motivation on the productivity and effectiveness. And it is commonly accepted that individual and organizational succes depends on the willingness of people. The motivation or willingness to work can be seen as the job satisfaction which depends on some variables such as physical conditions of work, income, leisure and the benefits of job. In this paper, an index of job satisfaction which includes these variables will be presented and discussed. This paper uses results of a survey designed and implemented by the author to create an indicator of job satisfaction for İ stanbul labor market


Recent studies have shown that the low-power ZigBee based wireless sensor networks (WSN) are vulnerable to the interference generated by nodes of Wi-Fi wireless local area networks (WLAN). Mutual interference can be mitigated at nodes of either technology when energy detection (ED) is enabled in clear channel assessment (CCA). From our experimental studies on ZigBee and Wi-Fi coexistence issue, it is determined that a significant amount of ZigBee packet losses occur due to the Wi-Fi interference induced corruption of the physical layer header of ZigBee packets, which could happen even when the ED mechanisms of the Wi-Fi and ZigBee devices are able to detect each other's signal and CSMA/CA algorithms are applied accordingly. To study this phenomenon, a series of experiments were carried out, followed by thorough analysis of the recorded data. The study led to the design of a simple but effective technique named Protective Dummy-byte Preamble Padding (PDBPP) that improves the performance of ZigBee packet transmission in terms of packet loss rate (PLR) and transmission efficiency. The experimental performance evaluation results confirmed the effectiveness of PDBPP in improving PLR and transmission efficiency of a ZigBee network exposed to interference generated by collocated WLAN. Some material in this paper is part of a pending patent.


Using population-wide Swedish register data on cognitive abilities and productive personality traits, we show that employment growth has been monotonically skill-biased in terms of these general-purpose intellectual skills, despite a simultaneous (polarizing) decline in middle-wage jobs. Employees in declining mid-wage occupations have comparably little of these general intellectual skills. Conversely, growing low-wage occupations are more (intellectually) skill-intensive than other low-wage jobs. Employment has primarily increased in occupations where workers are endowed with verbal and technical abilities, and social maturity. Existing occupational projections imply that the relationship between employment growth and skills in the projected future will resemble the past.


We introduce Adaptive Smooth Simulcast Protocol (ASSP) for simulcast transmission over best-effort networks. ASSP is a new multiple-rate protocol that implements a single rate TCP-friendly protocol as the underlying congestion control mechanism for each simulcast stream. ASSP is build on top of the RTP/RTCP protocol and exploits the RTCP sender and receiver reports for the dissemination of feedback information. The key attributes of ASSP are: a) TCPfriendly behavior, b) adaptive per-stream transmission rates, c) adaptive scalability to large sets of receivers and finally d) smooth transmission rates that are suitable for multimedia applications. We evaluate the performance of ASSP and investigate its behavior through simulations conducted with the network simulator software (ns2).


Life cycle design (LCD) is a framework for designing product systems which are both economically and ecologically sustainable. Key elements of this framework are systems analysis, multicriteria analysis and multistakeholder participation. This paper illustrates the application of life cycle design for a comparative evaluation of a prototype sand-cast 2.0 1 aluminum manifold for the 1995 Ford Contour and a 2.0 1 equivalent of the 1.9 1 multi-tube brazed aluminum manifold for the 1995 Ford Escort. A life cycle inventory analysis was performed for the intake manifolds by evaluating the energy and wastes in the raw material acquisition, material processing, manufacturing, use and retirement stages. The environmental data for the two manifolds were integrated with life cycle cost and performance data to enhance product design and decision making. The stakeholders for this study consisted of different levels of suppliers (tier 1, tier 2, tier 3, etc.), Ford, users, dismantlers, shredders, non-ferrous processors, scrap metal dealers, waste managers, and regulators. The interaction of these diverse stakeholders and their individual needs defined the design requirements of the manifold system. These requirements were identified and evaluated by a crossfunctional team from Ford including powertrain product, manufacturing and environmental engineering, materials research, energy analysis, environmental quality, casting operations, advanced vehicle technology and their vehicle recycling program. The results of the analysis show that the life cycle energy, most air emissions and waterborne waste are lower for the multi-tube brazed manifold. Life cycle solid wastes are lower for the sand-cast manifold. Life cycle cost of the two manifolds are almost identical.


In this study, we investigated whether phloroglucinol (1, 3, 5 - trihydroxybenzene) has therapeutic effects in cellular and animal model of Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is the second most common, chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease, and is clinically characterized with motor dysfunctions such as bradykinesia, rigidity, postural instability, gait impairment, and resting tremor. In the brains of PD patients, dopaminergic neuronal loss is observed in the Substantia nigra. Although the exact mechanisms underlying PD are largely unknown, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are thought to be critical factors that induce the onset of the disease. Here, phloroglucinol administration was shown to attenuate motor functional deficits evaluated with rota-rod and apomorphine-induced rotation tests in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced PD animal models. Moreover, phloroglucinol ameliorated the loss of synapses as assessed with protein levels and immunoreactivity against synaptophysin in the midbrain region of the 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. In addition, in SH-SY5Y cultures, the cytotoxicity of 6-OHDA was reduced by pre-treatment with phloroglucinol. The increase in the reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl formation and 8-hydroxyguanine caused by treatment with 6-OHDA was attenuated by phloroglucinol in SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, phloroglucinol treatment rescued the reduced levels of nuclear Nrf2, antioxidant enzymes, i.e., catalase and glutathione peroxidase, in 6-OHDA-treated cells. Taken together, phloroglucinol has a therapeutic potential for treatment of PD.


In this paper the problem of the synthesis of plucked strings by means of physically inspired models is reconsidered in the context of the player-s interaction with the virtual instrument. While solutions for the synthesis of guitar tones have been proposed, which are excellent from the acoustic point of view, the problem of the control of the physical parameters directly by the player has not received sufficient attention. In this paper we revive a simple model previously presented by Cuzzucoli and Lombardo for the player-s touch. We show that the model is affected by an inconsistency that can be removed by introducing the finger/pick perturbation in a balanced form on the digital waveguide. The results, together with a more comprehensive model of the guitar have been implemented in a VST plugin, which is the starting point for further research.


An allene to allene protocol for the synthesis of beta-allenyl butenolides in moderate to high yields from 2,3-allenoic acids and propargylic carbonates catalyzed by Pd(OAc)(2)-TFP has been developed; the products were applied successfully to the Diels-Alder reaction with electron-deficient alkynes to afford polysubstituted benzene derivatives with an excellent regioselectivity.


Objective: To describe 3 cases of patients with alcohol dependence whose primitive reflexes resolved upon initiation of acamprosate 666 mg 3 times daily. Case Summaries: A 57-year-old man had a long-standing history of alcohol dependence and a prominent snout reflex. The snout reflex resolved within 24 hours of starting treatment with acamprosate. A 45-year-old man with a long history of alcohol dependence had both a snout and a grasp reflex. These reflexes were present throughout 3 admissions for alcohol detoxification and continued until the end of his third admission, when he elected to begin treatment with acamprosate. Within 24 hours of starting treatment, the snout and grasp reflexes were absent. A 55-year-old man who drank heavily for 35 years presented with both a snout and a grasp reflex on admission. These persisted throughout his detoxification until the day after he had begun treatment with acamprosate. His primitive reflexes remained resolved through the next 4 days until discharge. All 3 of these patients remained on acamprosate at discharge. Discussion: Alcohol dependence is a common, debilitating disorder. One of the difficulties in treating alcohol dependence is its adverse effect on the brain, as higher aspects of cortical function necessary to maintain abstinence are eroded by alcohol. Acamprosate is a drug intended to help prevent relapse among patients with alcohol dependence. Unexpectedly, acamprosate may resolve primitive reflexes—a neurologic finding that suggests cognitive impairment—among patients with alcohol dependence. Conclusions: Acamprosate may relieve snout and grasp reflexes among patients with alcohol dependence.


During natural vision, objects rarely appear in isolation, but often within a semantically related scene context. Previous studies reported that semantic consistency between objects and scenes facilitates object perception, and that scene-object consistency is reflected in changes in the N300 and N400 components in EEG recordings. Here, we investigate whether these N300/N400 differences are indicative of changes in the cortical representation of objects. In two experiments, we recorded EEG signals while participants viewed semantically consistent or inconsistent objects within a scene; in Experiment 1, these objects were task-irrelevant, while in Experiment 2, they were directly relevant for behavior. In both experiments, we found reliable and comparable N300/400 differences between consistent and inconsistent scene-object combinations. To probe the quality of object representations, we performed multivariate classification analyses, in which we decoded the category of the objects contained in the scene. In Experiment 1, in which the objects were not task-relevant, object category could be decoded from around 100 ms after the object presentation, but no difference in decoding performance was found between consistent and inconsistent objects. By contrast, when the objects were task-relevant in Experiment 2, we found enhanced decoding of semantically consistent, compared to semantically inconsistent, objects. These results show that differences in N300/N400 components related to scene-object consistency do not index changes in cortical object representations, but rather reflect a generic marker of semantic violations. Further, our findings suggest that facilitatory effects between objects and scenes are task-dependent rather than automatic.


BACKGROUND
 Approximately 70% of mental health disorders appear prior to 25 years of age and can become chronic when ineffectively treated. Individuals between 18 and 25 years old are significantly more likely to experience mental health disorders, substance dependencies, and suicidality. Treatment progress, capitalizing on the tendencies of youth to communicate online, can strategically address depressive disorders.

 OBJECTIVE
 We performed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that compared online mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-M) combined with standard psychiatric care to standard psychiatric care alone in youth (18-30 years old) diagnosed with major depressive disorder.

 METHODS
 Forty-five participants were randomly assigned to CBT-M and standard care (n=22) or to standard psychiatric care alone (n=23). All participants were provided standard psychiatric care (ie, 1 session per month), while participants in the experimental group received an additional intervention consisting of the CBT-M online software program. Interaction with online workbooks was combined with navigation coaching delivered by phone and secure text messaging.

 RESULTS
 In a two-level linear mixed-effects model intention-to-treat analysis, significant between-group differences were found for the Beck Depression Inventory-II score (difference –8.54, P=.01), Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms score (difference –4.94, P=.001), Beck Anxiety Inventory score (difference –11.29, P<.001), and Brief Pain Inventory score (difference –1.99, P=.03), while marginal differences were found for the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire–Nonjudging subscale (difference –2.68, P=.05).

 CONCLUSIONS
 These results confirm that youth depression can be effectively treated with online CBT-M that can be delivered with less geographic restriction.

 CLINICALTRIAL
 Clinical Trials.gov NCT03406052; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03406052


: The effect of the synthetic tetrapeptides and amino acids composing them, in concentration 10(-12) M, was investigated in organotypic tissue culture on the cell proliferation and apoptosis development in six tissue explants (ecto-, meso- and entodermal genesis) in 3 and 24 months old rats. The tetrapeptides demonstrated the greater tissue-specificity, as compared to the amino acids. Each tetrapeptide stimulated proliferation in only one corresponded tissue type. The amino acids stimulated proliferation and apoptosis in three-five tissues. It can be suggested, that tissue-specificity in these biologically active substances is depended on the structure complexity. An active amino acids number decreased in old tissues, but tetrapeptides stimulated proliferation both in young and old tissues.


What is it like to be a white Danish male heterosexual engineer? What is it like to enjoy societal privileges without even noticing it? In a liberal egalitarian and consensus-seeking country like Denmark, theses questions are hard, if not impossible, to ask. We are very used to talking about and diagnosing "the Others" (in various forms) but what happens when the analytical gaze is turned towards the unproblematized majority – "the Firsts"? This article share insights from a fieldwork among a group of "perfectly normal" engineers in a large Danish consulting company and suggests firstness as an im/perceptible position depending largely on context and what kind of "Other" it relates to. The article also proposes ways to navigate when engaging methodologically and analytically with firstness.


The elderly are generally defined as those over 60 or 65 years old, but they are a heterogeneous group and may be subdivided into categories based on age and health status. The incidence of epilepsy is highest in the elderly. With a progressive increase in life expectancy, this is the fastest growing segment of patients with epilepsy. Older patients most often have focal seizures, with less prominent auras and automatisms, and longer duration of postictal confusion compared to younger patients. Status epilepticus is common and has a high mortality. The most common specific etiology is cerebrovascular disease, but the cause remains unknown in many patients. Diagnosis can be challenging because of several patient-related, physician-related and investigation-related factors. Over-diagnosis and under-diagnosis are common. Treatment is complicated by the presence of physiological changes related to aging, co-morbidities and cognitive problems as well as concerns regarding drug interactions and medication adherence. Seizures can be controlled in most patients with low doses of a single anti-epileptic drug (AED). Tolerability is an important factor in selection of an AED, as elderly patients tend to be highly sensitive to side effects. Drug-resistant epilepsy is uncommon. Epilepsy surgery, especially temporal lobectomy, can be performed in older patients with good results. More studies addressing the pathophysiological mechanisms of epilepsy in this age group, and greater inclusion of the elderly in clinical trials, as well as development of comprehensive care models are needed to provide optimal care to these patients.


This study is describting of using VR media to improve the effectiveness of learning in the course of manufacturing processes. VR media are used based on specific competency goals in the Event Unit Class (SAP) courses manufacturing process. VR Media (prototype) can be a bridge between the theoretical material in the classroom with laboratory or industrial conditions in actual reality. With VR media is expected that students can improve their learning performance. The use of VR media in the learning manufacturing process course, carried as a complement or supplement. The questionnaire model is developed, then a questionnaire is distributed to students who have been following and using VR media in the learning. From the questionnaire data processing has been obtained: the result of the perception of the effectiveness of this VR media in selected university, indicating (1) to achieve successful learning with VR media, it needs proper planning and methods. Constructivism learning using VR media can be said to be effective ("learning success") if it satisfies some of the indicators that is effective, efficient (feasible and does not require effort/many effort), the performance of both media (has appeal). (2) Regarding the perception of the effectiveness of learning by using VR media in learning, the respondent's answer to this is pretty good (quite effectively) to achieve the target competencies, and if the sample has been comprehensively would be better (effective) in achieving the targeted competencies. Advices are given based on the results of this study for further development, namely: for non-constructivism learning effectiveness is not yet known how the role of the media and the results when using VR, need to be investigated further learning how to achieve effective, efficient and attractive.


PURPOSE
The objective of this study is to develop the Sexual Orientation Myths Scale (SOMS) and to specify its validity and reliability.

DESIGN AND METHODS
This is a methodological research. Voluntary participiants studying at a state university in Turkey constituted the samples of the research.

FINDINGS
The Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale is 0.85. In the factor analysis carried out with the remaining 19 items on the scale, a five-factor structure that explained 57.628% of the variance and had a factor loading value of above 0.40 emerged. Factorial model of scale was found an excellent fit.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
The scale can be beneficial for individuals to determine their adoption levels of sexual orientation-related myths and for providing data for health education programs planned to be created.


OBJECTIVES
We examined the association between insurance continuity and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake in a network of federally qualified health clinics (FQHCs).

METHODS
We analyzed retrospective electronic health record data for females, aged 9-26 years in 2008 through 2010. Based on electronic health record insurance coverage information, patients were categorized by percent of time insured during the study period (0%, 1%-32%, 33%-65%, 66%-99%, or 100%). We used bilevel multivariable Poisson regression to compare vaccine-initiation prevalence between insurance groups, stratified by race/ethnicity and age. We also examined vaccine series completion among initiators who had at least 12 months to complete all 3 doses.

RESULTS
Significant interactions were observed between insurance category, age, and race/ethnicity. Juxtaposed with their continuously insured peers, patients were less likely to initiate the HPV vaccine if they were insured for less than 66% of the study period, aged 13 years or older, and identified as a racial/ethnic minority. Insurance coverage was not associated with vaccine series completion.

CONCLUSIONS
Disparities in vaccine uptake by insurance status were present in the FQHCs studied here, despite the fact that HPV vaccines are available to many patients regardless of ability to pay.


The lymphatic system has three primary roles: transporting lipids, transporting immune cells, and maintaining fluid balance. Each one of these roles are influenced by the presence of flow. Inflammation increases lymph flow, lipid uptake is enhanced by flow, cancer cell migration increases in the presence of flow, and lymphatic permeability and lymphatic contractility respond to changes in flow. Flow is very important to lymphatic function, and yet, there are no in vitro models that incorporate both luminal (flow along cell lumen) and transmural (flow through cell lumina) flow for lymphatics. To address this need, a microfluidic device has been developed that can incorporate both of these types of flow. This is achieved by driving flow through a channel which creates a pressure gradient that drives fluid through a porous membrane into an adjacent channel. Following several design iterations, the device can be easily fabricated, imaged, and cells can grow and survive in it. Permeability experiments have been performed in static and flow, 0.175 mL/min (0.5 dyne/cm²), cases. The effective permeability of dextran in the static and flow cases was calculated to be 0.0083 μm/s and 2.05 μm/s respectively. While the effective permeability of bodipy in the static and flow cases was calculated to be 0.0053 μm/s and 2.57 μm/s respectively. The static values are similar to values obtained in a transwell study by Dixon et al. As mentioned, lipid uptake is increased in the presence of flow and these numbers suggest the same. In addition to permeability studies, experiments were performed with cancer cells suspended in a collagen gel. Two image processing techniques were used to quantify cancer cell migration. The first technique was used to calculate the number of cells present at the beginning of the experiment and the number of cells that were ever present during the experiment in that particular z slice. The static case yielded a cell flux of 15 additional cells. While the two flow cases, within interstitial flow range, had a flux of 24 and 40 cells. This suggests that flow increases migration in cancer cells and is in agreement with the literature. The second technique was used to show that the cells in the static and flow cases are similarly motile, but the flow case is more directed in the z direction towards the membrane. The future work for this device is quite extensive, but a strong foundation centered around basic capabilities like inducing flow, seeding cells, and imaging has been formed.


Analysis of a multi‐species network of western Siberian ecotone sites revealed pulses of tree invasion into genuine treeless tundra environments in the 1940s and 1950s and after the early 1970s. In addition, increases in radial stem growth synchronous to the late 20th century treeline change are observed. Both treeline changes and growth increases correspond with decadal‐scale periods of temperature that are warmer than in any other period since observations started, suggesting ‐ even if indirect ‐ the sensitivity of large‐scale treeline changes to this climatic forcing. The mid 20th century recruitment period reported here for the western Siberian network is compared with local findings from Europe and North America suggesting a circumpolar trend perhaps related to climate warming patterns. For western Siberia, the presence of relict stumps, nevertheless, indicates that this present colonization is reoccupying sites that had tree cover earlier in the last millennium.


Literature shows that international travel as part of tertiary studies can result in transformational learning and increased global citizenry. There is a growing body of research in this field but most has focused on study abroad programmes, mainly in North American universities, based on the delivery of course content in a setting outside the country of origin. This present study examines the experience of participants from a university on a tertiary travel award with specific educational intent, but not based on a credit-bearing course delivering subject-specific content. Fifteen participants and four chaperones from five annual intakes (2013-2017) were interviewed and themes from the interviews provide evidence of the transformative educational outcomes of such an undertaking, and of how such an experience can nurture global citizenry. Findings provide evidence of all three aspects of global citizenry emanating from the travel award experience: global awareness, global-mindedness and global competence.


The book tries to answer the questions on what are the advantages, possible disadvantages or the key challenges of membership in the EU. In addition to the main negotiation chapters, other issues which will mostly affect the life and work of Croatian citizens are also discussed. During the implementation of this project the research team was led by often emphasized need to present the complex effects of EU membership in a simple and accessible way to citizens. Therefore, key advantages and challenges of the EU membership are summarised at the end of each chapter. The challenges stated in this book are not and should not pose an obstacle for future successful development of the Republic of Croatia. The publication, edited by Sanja Tisma, Visnja Samardžija and Kresimir Jurlin, is the result of work of IRMO's scientists and external experts, experts in particular areas. Foreword to the book was written by Ambassador Paul Vandoren, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Croatia and the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, Ms. Vesna Pusic.


Theory suggests that spatial segregation of similar, co-occurring species may be driven by alternative innate life history and dispersal strategies, and that it operates through catastrophic events. An inventory of the evolutionary closely related small-bodied newts Lissotriton helveticus and L. vulgaris in the northwest of France demonstrated the species' spatial partitioning, with L. vulgaris dominating in two pond-rich and historically disturbed coastal areas and L. helveticus prevailing inland where ponds are sparser. Population numbers were followed over several decades (1975–2021) in a pond within the narrow (ca. 2000 m wide) species transition zone. Early in the temporal survey (1986) a massive die-off was observed of two-third of the L. helveticus breeding population from a late frost event. Yet, the contribution of L. helveticus to the newt assemblage was more or less stable around 60%, even though the total population size fluctuated by an order of magnitude. Lissotriton vulgaris and a third species, Ichthyosaura alpestris, made up ca. 30% and 10% of the total till 1993, after which date their relative contributions reversed. These data suggest that a state shift may have occurred among the latter two species and that the assumed two-species dynamics of Lissotriton underlying the study has been an oversimplification. The local decline of L. vulgaris is paralleled by the loss of well-vegetated ponds from the wider agricultural terrain that affects this species more than L. helveticus and I. alpestris.


Read before the Ophthalmic Section of the American Medical Association. The so-called sympathetic diseases of the eye still hold a first place in the interest of ophthalmic surgeons, not only because of their intrinsic importance, but also because of the doubt which still hangs over their pathogeny. It is not my present purpose to attempt a full discussion of the important questions involved in the study of these affections of the hitherto sound eye, clinically related to pathological processes in the injured eye; but to relate briefly the history of a case which seems to call in question the correctness of the opinion which regards the consecutive affection as always of sympathetic origin. Injury to Ciliary Region. Neuro-Retinitis in Uninjured injured Eye; Consecutive Serous Iritis .—John D., aet. 14. Dec. 26, 1882, was struck in the left eye by the arrow from a boy's gun. The propelling force was a rubber


We propose the product-of-filters (PoF) model, a generative model that decomposes audio spectra as sparse linear combinations of "filters" in the log-spectral domain. PoF makes similar assumptions to those used in the classic homomorphic filtering approach to signal processing, but replaces hand-designed decompositions built of basic signal processing operations with a learned decomposition based on statistical inference. This paper formulates the PoF model and derives a mean-field method for posterior inference and a variational EM algorithm to estimate the model's free parameters. We demonstrate PoF's potential for audio processing on a bandwidth expansion task, and show that PoF can serve as an effective unsupervised feature extractor for a speaker identification task.


Part I (Aho-Mantila L. et al 2012 Nucl. Fusion 52 103006) presented a detailed analysis of outer divertor plasma conditions in low-density L-mode discharges in ASDEX Upgrade. In this paper, we analyse the local migration of carbon that originates from 13CH4 injected into these plasmas from the vertical outer target. Notable changes are observed in the local carbon deposition patterns when reversing the magnetic field in the experiments. Kinetic impurity-following simulations are performed using the 3D ERO code package with 2D background plasma solutions calculated with the SOLPS5.0 code package. The modelling shows that the measured changes are due to the changes in plasma collisionality, dissociation and ionization rates, and E × B drift of the impurities. These conditions affect the direction and rate of impurity migration inside and out of the divertor, having wider consequences on the global migration of impurities in a divertor tokamak. It is further shown that the migration pathways are largely determined by carbon ions and, hence, relevant for impurities in general. Neutral carbon and hydrocarbons are deposited only in the near vicinity of the injection, where they affect the local re-deposition efficiency. In this limited region, a perturbation of the local plasma conditions by the methane puff appears likely, yielding a significant uncertainty for interpreting the deposition efficiencies. The local deposition is largely influenced by the magnetic presheath electric field, the structure of which is the main uncertainty in the SOLPS5.0-ERO simulations.


People trade for both cognitive and emotional reasons. They trade because they think they have information when they have nothing but noise, and they trade because trading can bring the joy of pride. Trading brings pride when decisions turn out well, but it brings regret when decisions do not turn out well. Investors try to avoid the pain of regret by avoiding the realization of losses, employing investment advisors as scapegoats, and avoiding stocks of companies with low reputations.


An overview of the electro-thermal-chemical launcher (ETC) research program at the Propulsion Physics Laboratory, Soreq NRC, Israel is presented. The main avenue explored is a detailed study of solid propellant ETC (SPETC) performance and optimization. A better knowledge of the physical phenomena taking place inside the device and in parallel efforts to tackle the engineering aspects of specific weapon systems based on the SPETC concept. Theoretical and experimental tools have been developed. Permanent efforts towards developing optimal and efficient components for such systems are invested. A second avenue is the design and the construction of a small caliber ETC demonstrator, as an answer for present military demands for urban combat conditions. All system options are dealt with including a novel inductive pulse power supply.


Outside the field of statistics, the literature on observational studies offers advice about research designs or strategies for judging whether or not an association is causal, such as multiple operationalism or a doseresponse relationship. These useful suggestions are typically informal and qualitative. A quantitative measure, design sensitivity, is proposed for measuring the contribution such strategies are then evaluated in terms of their contribution to design sensitivity. A related method for computing the power of a sensitivity analysis is also developed.


This study presents the effect of the spot weld and sheets thickness on the fatigue life of the of the spot-weld joints to predict the lifetime and location of the weakest spot-welds due to the variable amplitude loading conditions. A simple model was used to illustrate the technique of spot-weld fatigue analysis. Finite element model and analysis were carried out utilizing the finite element analysis commercial codes. Linear elastic finite element analysis was carried out to predict the stress state along the weld direction. It can be seen from the results that the predicted life greatly influence the sheet thickness, nugget diameter and loading conditions of the model. Acquired results were shown the predicted life for the nugget and the two sheets around the circumference of the spot-weld at which angle the worst damage occurs. The spot-welding fatigue analysis techniques are awfully essential for automotive structure design.


In up to date instances, some study believes the challenge of comfortable with efficient public data integrity auditing for unified dynamic data. On the other hand, these techniques are still no longer relaxed beside the collusion of cloud storage server as good as revoked group clients for the duration of person revocation in sensible cloud storage system. In this paper, we found out that the collusion attack within the exiting scheme. An effective public integrity auditing scheme with relaxed workforce user revocation based on vector commitment plus verifier-local revocation group signature. We designed a concrete scheme with a new constitution known as Decrypt key, which presents effectivity and reliability assurance for convergent key administration on mutually user along with cloud storage sides. The design is to use de-duplication to the convergent keys to affect secret sharing approaches.


ABSTRACT In this work we characterize the function of the flagellar protein FliL in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Our results show that FliL is essential for motility in this bacterium and that in its absence flagellar rotation is highly impaired. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-FliL fusion forms polar and lateral fluorescent foci that show different spatial dynamics. The presence of these foci is dependent on the expression of the flagellar genes controlled by the master regulator FleQ, suggesting that additional components of the flagellar regulon are required for the proper localization of GFP-FliL. Eight independent pseudorevertants were isolated from the fliL mutant strain. In each of these strains a single nucleotide change in motB was identified. The eight mutations affected only three residues located on the periplasmic side of MotB. Swimming of the suppressor mutants was not affected by the presence of the wild-type fliL allele. Pulldown and yeast two-hybrid assays showed that that the periplasmic domain of FliL is able to interact with itself but not with the periplasmic domain of MotB. From these results we propose that FliL could participate in the coupling of MotB with the flagellar rotor in an indirect fashion.


To report ophthalmic findings of patients without colobomas, and with a clinical and molecular diagnosis of CHARGE Syndrome. Retrospective study of ophthalmic findings in 67 CHARGE patients—clinically confirmed diagnosis with positive CHD7 mutation—seen in the Ophthalmology department of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center between January 1, 2008 through September 25, 2018. Criteria for inclusion in this study was absence of any form of a coloboma in either eye. In our cohort, all patients had a positive CHD7 mutation, in addition to a clinical diagnosis. 19.4% (13/67) of CHARGE patients did not have a coloboma in either eye. 69.2% (9/13) had strabismus, 76.9% (10/13) had a refractive error that warranted refractive correction, 23.1% (3/13) had amblyopia, 38.5% (5/13) had nasolacrimal duct obstruction, 30.8% (4/13) had dry eye syndrome and exposure keratopathy, 15.4% (2/13) had ptosis, 15.4% (2/13) had blepharitis, 15.4% (2/13) had Cortical Visual Impairment, 7.7% (1/13) of patients had optic nerve drusen, 7.7% (1/13) had Marcus Gunn Jaw Winking, and 7.7% (1/13) with an eyelid nevus. There are numerous ophthalmic findings in individuals with CHARGE Syndrome without colobomas. No study to date has evaluated the ophthalmic findings in CHD7 positive CHARGE patients without colobomas. These findings need to be assessed and treated to ensure optimal vision in the CHARGE patient population. Absence of coloboma does not rule out a diagnosis of CHARGE syndrome, and if there is a clinical suspicion, clinical confirmation then genetic testing would be warranted.


Objective To determine whether the cervico-ocular reflex contributes to gaze stability in patients with unilateral vestibular hypofunction. Study Design Prospective study. Setting Tertiary referral center. Patients Patients with unilateral vestibular hypofunction (n = 3) before and after vestibular rehabilitation and healthy subjects (n = 7). Interventions Vestibular rehabilitation. Main Outcome Measures We measured the cervico-ocular reflex in patients with unilateral vestibular hypofunction before and after vestibular rehabilitation and in healthy subjects. To measure the cervico-ocular reflex, we recorded eye movements with a scleral search coil while the trunk moved at 0.3, 1.0, and 1.5 Hz beneath a stabilized head. To determine whether the head was truly stabilized, we measured head movement using a search coil. Results We found no evidence of cervico-ocular reflex in any of the seven healthy subjects or in two of the patients with unilateral vestibular hypofunction. In one patient with chronic unilateral vestibular hypofunction, the cervico-ocular reflex was present before vestibular rehabilitation only for leftward trunk rotation (relative head rotation toward the intact side). After 5 weeks of placebo exercises, there was no change in the cervico-ocular reflex. After an additional 5 weeks that included vestibular exercises, cervico-ocular reflex gain for leftward trunk rotation had increased threefold. In addition, there was now evidence of a cervico-ocular reflex for rightward trunk rotation, potentially compensating for the vestibular deficit. Conclusion The cervico-ocular reflex appears to be a highly inconsistent mechanism. The change of the cervico-ocular reflex in one patient after vestibular exercises suggests that the cervico-ocular reflex may be adaptable in some patients.


The most feared complication after coronary stent implantation is the acutely occurring stent thrombosis, which usually leads to a myocardial infarction with its relatively high mortality. Dual antiplatelet therapy with acetylsalicylic acid and clopidogrel is currently the standard therapy after coronary stent implantation to prevent a life-threatening stent thrombosis. Surgery appears to increase the risk of stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and death, particularly when patients undergo surgery early after stent implantation. The incidence of complications is further increased when dual-antiplatelet therapy is discontinued preoperatively. This article reviews the current data of perioperative problems in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention.


We present a method to solve numerically the Fokker-Planck equation for a uniformly magnetized nanoparticle. This approach is an algebraic formulation scheme that uses integral variables associated with space and time elements. This new method is compared with a spectral collocation method, similar to that referenced in a previous article. The stationary distribution, the eigenvalues of the Fokker-Planck operator, and the self-covariance function obtained from the two approaches are compared. The numerically calculated stationary distributions are also checked against analytical results.


"Twelve Good Men and True" brings together some of the most ambitious and innovative work yet undertaken on the history of an English legal institution. These eleven essays examine the composition of the criminal trial jury in England, the behavior of those who sat as jurors, and popular and official attitudes toward the institution of jury trial from its almost accidental emergence in the early thirteenth century until 1800. The essays have important implications for three problems central to the history of criminal justice administration in England: the way in which the medieval jury was informed and reached its verdict; the degree and form of independence enjoyed by juries during the early modern period when the powers of the bench were very great; and the role of the eighteenth-century trial jury, which, although clearly independent, was, by virtue of the status and experience of its members, arguably a mere extension of the bench.This extensive collection marks the first occasion on which scholars working in several different time periods have focused their attention on the history of a single legal institution. Written by J. M. Beattie, J. S. Cockburn, Thomas A. Green, Roger D. Groot, Douglas Hay, P.J.R. King, P. G. Lawson, Bernard William McLane, J. B. Post, Edward Powell, and Stephen K. Roberts, the essays utilize sophisticated techniques to establish from a variety of manuscript sources the wealth, status, and administrative experience of jurors.Originally published in 1988.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


Increased vascular 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), a cytochrome P450-arachidonic acid metabolite, promotes vascular dysfunction, injury and hypertension that is dependent, in part, on the renin angiotensin system (RAS). We showed that in cultured human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC), 20-HETE (5 nM) increases angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) mRNA, protein, and cellular and extracellular ACE activity via EGFR-tyrosine kinase-MAPK-IKKβ- signaling pathway. Here we show that treatment of HMVEC with EGF (100 ng/ml) alone or with 20-HETE (10 nM) did not induce or further increase ACE mRNA levels. Pretreatment of cells with a neutralizing antibody against EGF did not prevent the 20-HETE- or 20-HETE+EGF-mediated ACE induction, indicating that the induction of ACE by 20-HETE is EGF-independent. The NF-kB inhibitor JSH-23 prevented the 4.58-fold (±0.78; p<0.05) 20-HETE (10nM)-mediated induction of ACE. EMSA of 20-HETE-treated cells showed increased NF-kB binding activity in nuclear extracts. In cells transfected with luciferase promoter-reporter constructs for the somatic or germinal ACE promoter regions, 20-HETE (10 nM) increased promoter activity by 4.37-fold (±0.18; p<0.05) and 2.53-fold (± 0.24; p<0.05), respectively. 20-HETE-stimulated ACE promoter activity was abrogated by the 20-HETE antagonist 20-HEDE and by inhibitors of EGFR, MAPK, IKKβ and NF-kB activation. Sequence analysis demonstrated the presence of two (Chr 17: S1: 61554061-61554075 , S2: 61554157-61554171) and one (Chr 17: S3: 61562250-61562264) putative NF-kB binding sites on the human somatic and germinal ACE promoters, respectively. CHIP assay indicated that 20-HETE stimulates the translocation and subsequent binding of NF-kB to each of the putative binding sites (S1: 3.43±0.3, S2: 3.72±0.68, S3: 3.20±0.18-fold enrichment vs vehicle; p<0.05). In vivo, increased vascular 20-HETE levels are associated with increased phospho-IKK and ACE levels that are prevented by treatment with 20-HETE antagonists. This is the first study to identify NF-kB as a transcriptional factor for ACE and to implicate a distinct EGFR/MAPK/IKK/NF-kB signaling cascade underlying 20-HETE-mediated transcriptional activation of ACE mRNA and stimulation of ACE activity.


BACKGROUND
 Patients with chronic diseases often need to adhere to long-term individualized home exercise programs (HEPs). Limited adherence to long-term exercise given during physical therapy (PT) visits reduces the capacity of exercise to manage or improve symptoms related to chronic disease. In addition, a lower socioeconomic status negatively impacts exercise adherence. To mitigate this, apps that motivate people to exercise could be a viable option. Using an app through telehealth may help adults with chronic diseases to achieve long-term HEP adherence. However, because apps for rehabilitation are an emerging field, the feasibility of the app needs to be evaluated.

 OBJECTIVE
 To address HEP adherence in participants with chronic diseases who are experiencing financial distress, we aim to evaluate the feasibility of and satisfaction with the Hudl Technique app and telehealth and satisfaction with PT care and to monitor HEP adherence and compliance (ie, percentage of participant-recorded videos sent) in participants using the app with telehealth compared with those using standard HEPs on paper.

 METHODS
 We recruited patients scheduled for outpatient PT. We performed a randomized controlled trial in which the experimental group received weekly HEP demonstrations through app videos on a tablet with feedback on their self-recorded HEP video performance from the telehealth physical therapist. The control group received HEPs on paper without feedback, as is customary in PT practice. Demographic, clinical, and health coverage information was collected for screening and baseline measurements. Adherence and compliance were evaluated. Both groups completed surveys at 8 and 24 weeks on their satisfaction with PT care, and the experimental group also completed a survey on their satisfaction with the app with telehealth use. Descriptive and nonparametric statistics were used for within-group and between-group comparisons and analyzed with JMP, version 13.

 RESULTS
 Overall, 45 adults with chronic diseases who were experiencing financial distress were randomized into experimental (23/45, 51%) and control (22/45, 49%) groups, with 74% (17/23) and 86% (19/22) participants completing the 24-week HEP, respectively. The experimental group had an HEP adherence frequency of 4 (SD 2) to 5 (SD 2) times per week at 8 and 24 weeks (P=.14), whereas HEP adherence decreased in the control group from 4 (SD 2) to 3 (SD 2) times per week (P=.07), with a significant difference (P=.01) between groups at 24 weeks. Of the total participants, 68% (15/22) sent videos. They sent 68% (16/24) of the requested number of videos on average. The average score for PT care satisfaction was maintained at 87% in the experimental group (P=.99), whereas it decreased from 89% at 8 weeks to 74% at 24 weeks (P=.008) in the control group. App-related adverse events were not observed.

 CONCLUSIONS
 The Hudl app/telehealth platform is feasible for delivering HEPs and maintaining HEP adherence in participants with chronic diseases who are experiencing financial distress.

 CLINICALTRIAL
 ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02659280; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02659280


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The key study problem of level control of boiler (or steam generator) in power plants exists because they are typically non-linear and multi-variable with multiple control objectives. The conventional controls such as PID compensators do not have the flexibility necessary to provide a good performance over a wide region of operation in this system. Since application of modern optimal control techniques in this system yields system performances that are optimal at only one operating point, it cannot provide the required robustness. A goal of intelligent control design is to obtain a controller based on input/output information only. The immune algorithm (IA) is a method that holds promise for such a control system design using the mechanics of antibody against antigen. Boiler level control of power plant is studied using immune algorithm based fuzzy rule tuning.


This study aims to evaluate the industrial work practice program at the Integrated Islamic Vocational School through the Context, Input, Process, Product, and Outcome approaches. This research is a quantitative description. The method in this study using a questionnaire. The research sample was one principal, two deputy heads of industrial relations, one deputy head of curriculum, four teachers who supervised the industrial practice program, and 133 students. The results of the study show the suitability or relevance of the dimensions: 1) Context consists of the goals, competencies, and work ethic of students as well as links and matches; 2) Input consists of planning, provisioning, curriculum, students, human resources, infrastructure, and financing; 3) Process, consisting of mapping, implementation, monitoring, effectiveness; 4) Product consists of a competency test and certification; 5) Outcome consisted of student absorption and change in attitude skills. The results of the research can contribute to evaluating the overall industrial work practice program from various dimensions so that it can increase the competency absorption of Integrated Islamic Vocational Schools in the business and industrial world.


Road traffic injuries are the most common cause of fatal injuries among children in the European Region (Sethi
et al., 2008). Impacting the front passenger seat back is one of the main injury mechanism of AIS2+ head
injuries for children aged 3-13 (Bohman et al., 2011a). Occupant and vehicle kinematics prior to and during a
crash play an important role in the probability of the head impacting either the front seat or side door interior
while seated in the rear seat. Studies also show that children who are placed on a belt positioning booster are
less likely to sustain injuries than if only using a seat belt (Durbin et al., 2003). In a majority of cases with
head contacts in frontal impacts, a steering or braking maneuver has preceeded the crash event in an attempt
to avoid impact with the other vehicle or object (Bohman et al., 2011a). In order to understand the principals
behind vehicle occupant injuries different anthropomorphic test devices (ATD) are available. The Q6 is an
ATD representation of a six year old child available as both a physical dummy and as a finite element (FE)
model. Little is known on its kinematics when in
uenced by low longitudinal and lateral accelerations as are
present during a pre-crash maneuver. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate and compare the kinematics
of the physical Q6 ATD (Q6 ATD) and the Q6 FE-model (Q6 model) placed on a booster in such maneuvers.
Physical tests were carried out comprising two turning maneuver tests (50km/h, 14m radius) and six
emergency braking maneuver tests from 70km/h. During the braking maneuver test the Q6 ATD was positioned
in three different positions; upright (T0), tilted 1 (T1) and tilted 2 (T2). Video images and vehicle data was
used to analyze the head trajectories during the different maneuver tests.
The FE-simulations were carried out using FE models of a Volvo V60 vehicle body, rear seat, front seat and
a model of a booster. The upright positioned Q6 model was simulated during a turning maneuver pulse similar
to the physical turning maneuver test. It was also subjected to a braking maneuver pulse corresponding to the
physical braking test. The same brake pulse was then used to carry out tests with the Q6 model seated in two
different tilted positions, T1 and T2. In addition, two methods of pre-tensioning the belt was used for the
FE-simulations.
The physical tests resulted in the turning maneuver causing the Q6 ATD to tilt sideways to a 14 angle.
The braking maneuvers caused the Q6 ATD to have a forward forehead displacement of 115mm (T0), 130mm
(T1) and 165mm (T2) respectively. The FE turning maneuver caused the Q6 model to tilt sideways to a 15
angle. The FE braking maneuver caused the Q6 model with a manual pretensioner to have a forward forehead
displacement of 210mm (T0), 220mm (T1) and 220mm (T2). The FE braking maneuver using the automatic
pretensioner caused the Q6 model's forehead to have a forward displacement of 230mm (T0), 185mm (T1) and
220mm (T2). During both the physical tests and the FE-simulations; the forward displacement increased with
a larger tilting angle prior to braking.
The Q6 ATD and Q6 model showed similar behavior, as the tilting angle prior to braking had similar effects
on the Q6 ATD and Q6 model. In pre-crash scenarios when turning occurs before braking, it is concluded that
both the Q6 ATD's and the Q6 model's head has a greater longitudinal displacement with increasing tilting
angle. This indicates that a combination of pre-crash maneuvers, may increase the risk of impacting the head.
While using the Q6 model for low pulse maneuvers has proven to be possible, it is important to keep in
mind that both the Q6 ATD and Q6 model are designed for crash scenarios and are not validated for low
pulse simulations. In order to use the Q6 ATD and Q6 model as a tool for evaluating child kinematics during
pre-crash maneuvers comparisons with data from driving studies with real children need to be carried out.


Abstract : Policies work by bringing the resources of government-money, rules, and authority-into the service of political objectives, and using those resources to influence the actions of individuals and institutions. The first generation of policy implementation research focused primarily on whether results were consistent with intentions. The second generation focused on variations in the response of individuals and institutions, and on the conditions of successful implementation. The next generation, we believe, should build on the lessons of the first two by focusing on the instruments common to different policies and on the conditions under which those instruments are most likely to produce their intended effects. Over the past decade, implementation research has developed as a major strand of policy analysis. Numerous studies with an implementation focus have documented the importance of local context in understanding the variable effects of policy (McLaughlin, 1987). This research tradition has played a significant role in moving institutional analysts beyond an almost sole concentration on policy enactment and in infusing evaluation research with a more sophisticated notion of the process that shapes policy outcomes. Yet implementation research has come under increasing criticism for its lack of parsimonious theory (Ingram, forthcoming), its neglect of longer- term policy effects, and its primary focus on discrete federal programs. Keywords: Military publications, Reports, Periodicals.


Although it is often assumed that the common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) norm has been the key instrument in structuring normative and practical functioning of the international climate regime, I argue that this principle has never become collectively shared and coherently applied. I propose three interrelated sites of contestation that have prevented this principle from reaching a status of a collectively shared norm: first, developed countries have failed to internalize it; second, developing countries have failed to unite behind it; and third, CBDR's key tenets have become so fiercely contested that they have prevented a coherent political implementation. This dynamic has undermined the legitimacy of the climate regime and disillusioned many members of the developing bloc. Since the CBDR principles are key to a well-functioning climate regime, a radical action by the developed countries must be taken to advance CBDR into a collective shared normative status and political guidance.


The optimization problem with sparsity arises in many areas of science and engineering such as compressed sensing, image processing, statistical learning and data sparse approximation. In this paper, we study the dual-density-based reweighted (cid:2) 1 -algorithms for a class of (cid:2) 0 -minimization models which can be used to model a wide range of practical problems. This class of algorithms is based on certain convex relaxations of the reformulation of the underlying (cid:2) 0 -minimization model. Such a reformulation is a special bilevel optimization problem which, in theory, is equivalent to the underlying (cid:2) 0 -minimization problem under the assumption of strict complementarity. Some basic properties of these algorithms are dis-cussed, and numerical experiments have been carried out to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithms. Comparison of numerical performances of the proposed methods and the classic reweighted (cid:2) 1 -algorithms has also been made in this paper.


The neural network approach to generate efficient classification rules. Convolution neural network algorithm is a multilayer perceptron that is the special design for identification of two-dimensional data information. Always have more layers: input layer, convolution layer, sample layer and output layer. Deep learning refers to the shining branch of machine learning that is based on learning levels of representations. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) is one kind of deep neural network. To perform classification task of heart disease dataset, the neural network is trained using convolutions algorithm. The experiment is conducted with heart disease dataset by considering the single and multilayer neural network modes. The proposed algorithm gives detailed analysis of the process of CNN algorithm both the forward process and back propagation. Then we applied improved convolutional neural network to implement the typical heartdata recognition using weka tool. The experimental result show the best classification accuracy compare with existing classification algorithm.


Dance experts often view dance as a hierarchy of information, spanning low-level (raw images, image sequences), mid-levels (human poses and bodypart movements), and high-level (dance genre). We propose a Hierarchical Dance Video Recognition framework (HDVR). HDVR estimates 2D pose sequences, tracks dancers, and then simultaneously estimates corresponding 3D poses and 3D-to-2D imaging parameters, without requiring ground truth for 3D poses. Unlike most methods that work on a single person, our tracking works on multiple dancers, under occlusions. From the estimated 3D pose sequence, HDVR extracts body part movements, and therefrom dance genre. The resulting hierarchical dance representation is explainable to experts. To overcome noise and interframe correspondence ambiguities, we enforce spatial and temporal motion smoothness and photometric continuity over time. We use an LSTM network to extract 3D movement subsequences from which we recognize dance genre. For experiments, we have identified 154 movement types, of 16 body parts, and assembled a new University of Illinois Dance (UID) Dataset, containing 1143 video clips of 9 genres covering 30 hours, annotated with movement and genre labels. Our experimental results demonstrate that our algorithms outperform the state-of-the-art 3D pose estimation methods, which also enhances our dance recognition performance.


Cities, small and large, are at the forefront of receiving displaced persons who are fleeing from both recent, as well as longer-standing, humanitarian crises. In the imaginaries of many on the move, cities are spaces of opportunity and hope, where many seek to build new lives. They are also spaces where displaced persons may wait in transit, often for long periods of time. While cities have long been resilient to change, the current period is seeing the emergence of a range of new humanitarian challenges, particularly in a context where state policies are falling short and there is an increasing fragmentation in interests, policies and priorities. Taking a range of examples from across the world, this report will examine how new arrivals are received and integrated into cities within formal and informal spaces; how cities address everyday issues relating to housing and shelter, health and education; how urban citizens build socio-cultural communities of solidarity in periods of uncertainty and transition; and the role of civil society in these processes to support and engage with displaced populations. It examines the idea of cities as humanitarian actors, highlighting good practices and initiatives in different urban contexts that address current humanitarian challenges relating to migration and forced displacement.


35 years ago, the city of Bhopal, India, witnessed a horrific gas leak that originated from a facility operated by Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), which had as its parent company, the American-based Union Carbide Corporation (UCC). Thousands were killed, with many more injured. 145 cases were filed throughout various U.S. federal district courts on behalf of the victims asserting that UCIL and UCC were liable. Eventually, these cases were consolidated through the Multi-District Litigation (MDL) process and placed onto the docket of federal Judge John Keenan. In 1986, Judge Keenan issued his famous forum non conveniens opinion, which stated that the Indian courts – and not the U.S. federal judiciary – were the proper venue for hearing these claims.

Between 1986 and 1993, Judge Keenan dismissed all of the other MDL-Bhopal cases he heard. Then, between 2000 and 2014 a set of distinct, non-MDL Bhopal matters appeared in front of Judge Keenan. In all of these too, he issued dismissals. Indeed, the original MDL-process – coupled with the existence of internal federal courthouse rules – created a type of path dependence, allowing for all of the Bhopal-Union Carbide matters to come before Judge Keenan.

The thesis here is that following the MDL-consolidation, Judge Keenan became only more deeply wedded to the position he staked-out back in 1986. Subsequent, non-MDL Bhopal plaintiffs, seeking an independent assessment of their claims, found themselves tethered to the initial MDL-decision from years past. The broader lesson – beyond just this case study – is that in order for deserving plaintiffs to receive a fresh review in federal court, there needs to be an alternative imagination for how to deal with later cases that, although seemingly connected, are nevertheless distinct from the earlier MDL-process.