Indentations on the main crystallographic plane (111) of CaF2 were analyzed. Appropriate material parameters were obtained by experiments. The process of CaF2 indentations had been investigated by the finite element approach in order to obtain the initial shear yield strength. The results show a value of 110 MPa for the initial shear yield strength. Vickers hardness of plane (111) was also investigated. The results show the dependence on the orientation of the CaF2 crystal. The hardness is small at the angular direction 0° and 120°, and at the angular direction 60°, the hardness of the largest value is 1.67GPa. The Young's Modulus and Fracture Toughness are also obtained. These properties are valuable to the ultra-precise machining of CaF2 crystal.


The energy of a radio wave is reduced through the dispersion, the refraction and the absorption because the medium transferring the vibration of a radio wave is the seawater. In the end the reduced energy of a radio wave causes the reduced transmitting length for communication, the long postponed communication and the frequent error. The subsea communication for the marine environment monitoring which must overcome the weak points of the RF wave and the most practical method for the marine sensor network realization is to use the acoustic wave method, but the energy consumption rate of the acoustic wave communication method is about 100 times greater than the one of the RF wave method. So, the power supply of the sensor node in the marine sensor network system is the most important interest field. In this study, the sample which consists of an acrylic elastomer(VHB4905 film from 3M), conductible carbon grease(from MG chemical) and electric wire for the basic study of an energy harvesting strategy and technique using EAP actuator was fabricated, and the conductible carbon grease was used for an electrode. The characteristics of the fabricated sample were analyzed through the experiment. We also mixed carbon grease with aluminum powder for conductibility improvement, and the effect of the mixed electrode was confirmed through the conductivity measurement.


We present a new technique to generate heterogeneous crowd behaviors using personality trait theory. Our formulation is based on adopting results of a user study to derive a mapping from crowd simulation parameters to the perceived behaviors of agents in computer-generated crowd simulations. We also derive a linear mapping between simulation parameters and personality descriptors corresponding to the well-established Eysenck Three-factor personality model. Furthermore, we propose a novel two-dimensional factorization of perceived personality in crowds based on a statistical analysis of the user study results. Finally, we demonstrate that our mappings and factorizations can be used to generate heterogeneous crowd behaviors in different settings.


We present a simple exact analytical solution, using the Weyl-Titchmarsh-Kodaira spectral theorem, for the spectral function of the one-dimensional diatomic molecule model consisting of two attractive {delta}-function wells in the presence of a static external electric field. For sufficiently deep and far apart wells, this molecule supports both an even and an odd state, and the introduction of a static electric field turns these bound states into quasibound states which are Stark-shifted and broadened. The continuum spectrum also inherits an intricate pattern of resonances which reflect the competition between resonant scattering between the two atomic wells and between the linear potential and one or both atomic well(s). All results are analytic and can be easily plotted. The relation between the large orders of the divergent perturbative Stark-shift series and the nonperturbative widths of quasibound levels is studied.


This article examines how workers respond to changes in the racial composition of their workplaces. An analysis of the job histories of new hires into multiple work groups within a single firm reveals path dependence in the effects of group composition on turnover. Exit rates are inversely related to the level of same‐race representation at the time of organizational entry and increase when workers experience declines in same‐race representation. However, turnover rates do not decline in response to increases in representation. The results suggest that initial token status can have a lasting impact on attachment and that increases in attachment in integrated groups occur through a cohort‐replacement process. The turnover dynamics also imply that any gains in the representation of minority groups are very fragile. The challenge of workplace racial integration therefore lies not simply in eliminating discrimination in hiring, but also in managing the post‐hire consequences of changes in group composition. Implications of the asymmetric effects of compositional change for the literature on organizational demography are also discussed.


Background: Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC) of bladder is the second most common urogenital malignancy and because of its high rate of recurrence (two third of tumors recur) vigilant surveillance is necessary. There have been a lot of efforts to find a proper biomarker for detecting urothelial cancers because available methods are expensive and invasive (like cystoscopy) or have a low degree of sensitivity (like urine cytology). Urothelial malignancies, like other cancers tend to express a large amount of telomerase. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible application of voided urine human telomerase reverse transcriptase (h TERT ) m RNA assay in detecting low-grade bladder carcinoma in comparison with urine cytology. Methods: Voided urine samples were collected from 49 patients who were supposed to go under operation. Samples were examined by both Quantitative Real-time RT-PCR (for measuring h TERT m RNA level) and cytology; the results were then compared to the final pathologic studies. Results: Regardless of clinical stage and or pathological grade of tumor, sensitivity of telomerase test and urine cytology was 74% and 16% respectively. There was a strong correlation between results of urine cytology and stage and/or grade of tumor; however, sensitivity of telomerase test was acceptable regardless of stage and or grade of tumor. There was a statistically significant difference between sensitivity of urine cytology and telomerase test (p <0.001 ). Conclusion: Detection of h TERT - m RNA can potentially be used as a non-invasive method for diagnosis and follow up of bladder carcinoma instead of urine cytology. Abstract


Cerebrovascular disease has different acute, ischemic and hemorrhagic presentations and may be associated with epileptic crises during the acute phase, or a later epileptic syndrome may develop. Status epilepticus is an infrequent complication which may appear at any time during the course of the illness, sometimes as the first and only sign of epilepsy. The risk of acute crises or of an epileptic syndrome varies depending on the nature of the vascular accident: its occurrence is more likely in hemorrhagic lesions and in those involving the cerebral cortex. The acute crises may be treated with benzodiazepines or with fast acting antiepileptic drugs; parenteral administration may sometimes be necessary. The need for prolonged prophylactic antiepileptic treatment is still under discussion, since there is no evidence that this prevents later development of an epileptic syndrome. The management of status epilepticus is the same whatever the etiology, although one has to take account of the risk of side-effects related to the age and general health of the patient. When deciding on treatment for vascular epilepsy consideration should be given not only to which drugs are to be used, but also their pharmacokinetic characteristics and interactions with any treatment required by the patient for coexisting conditions such as arterial hypertension, heart failure, anticoagulation, diabetes, etc.


A new technique for recovering magnetic field maps that describe two-dimensional, coherent field structures observed in space is documented, benchmarked, and then applied to four magnetopause crossings by the spacecraft AMPTE/IRM (Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers/Ion Release Module) in which the basic observed signatures were those associated with a tangential discontinuity. The calculations required for the recovery consist of the numerical solution of the Grad-Shafranov equation, using as initial values magnetic field and plasma data collected by a single spacecraft along a straight-line trajectory, produced when structures are convected past it. The integration proceeds in small spatial steps in both directions away from the trajectory. The integration domain, which is rectangular, is limited in the transverse direction by the appearance of numerically generated singularities. Nevertheless, the method offers a substantial field of view of the region surrounding the trajectory, within which the accuracy is a few percent. For the magnetopause events examined, it is found that the simple tangential-discontinuity structure is modified by embedded strings of magnetic islands, separated by X-type nulls in the transverse field. These configurations are interpreted as being the result of the tearing mode after it has reached its saturated state. Two or more islands contained within larger islands are observed, indicating that, during the active phase of the tearing mode, the reconnection rate was not the same at all X points. The possibility exists that one dominant X point produces a pair of narrow channels of open flux, connecting the magnetosphere to the magnetosheath. Even without such open flux, the presence of the islands should allow flow of plasma along magnetic field lines, from the outermost (magnetosheath) to the innermost (magnetosphere) parts of the magnetopause current layer, thus facilitating the overall plasma transport across the layer.


Of 75 varicella-zoster virus (VZV) isolates obtained from patients in Africa, Asia, and the Far East, 74 (98.6%) were found to be positive for a BglI restriction site in gene 54. By contrast, <22% of strains from patients in the United Kingdom and in North and South America were positive for the BglI restriction site. Viruses positive for BglI were significantly more common in zoster occurring in patients of nonwhite origin (P<.05). Irrespective of the country in which the sample was obtained, 98% of strains positive for BglI clustered within a single phylogenetic group, which we termed "group A"; the exception was 1 strain that appeared to be recombinant genotype C/A. We used the BglI site to examine both the spread of type A viruses in the United Kingdom and the patterns of VZV infections within persons from different ethnic groups who grew up in the United Kingdom or abroad.


Time series forecasting has played the key role in different industrial, including finance, traffic, energy, and healthcare domains. While existing literatures have designed many sophisticated architectures based on RNNs, GNNs, or Transformers, another kind of approaches based on multi-layer perceptrons (MLPs) are proposed with simple structure, low complexity, and {superior performance}. However, most MLP-based forecasting methods suffer from the point-wise mappings and information bottleneck, which largely hinders the forecasting performance. To overcome this problem, we explore a novel direction of applying MLPs in the frequency domain for time series forecasting. We investigate the learned patterns of frequency-domain MLPs and discover their two inherent characteristic benefiting forecasting, (i) global view: frequency spectrum makes MLPs own a complete view for signals and learn global dependencies more easily, and (ii) energy compaction: frequency-domain MLPs concentrate on smaller key part of frequency components with compact signal energy. Then, we propose FreTS, a simple yet effective architecture built upon Frequency-domain MLPs for Time Series forecasting. FreTS mainly involves two stages, (i) Domain Conversion, that transforms time-domain signals into complex numbers of frequency domain; (ii) Frequency Learning, that performs our redesigned MLPs for the learning of real and imaginary part of frequency components. The above stages operated on both inter-series and intra-series scales further contribute to channel-wise and time-wise dependency learning. Extensive experiments on 13 real-world benchmarks (including 7 benchmarks for short-term forecasting and 6 benchmarks for long-term forecasting) demonstrate our consistent superiority over state-of-the-art methods.


The aim of the paper is to compare Italian healthcare-related costs and effectiveness of 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin®) vs. currently available II and III line therapies (chemotherapy; radiotherapy; stem cell transplant) for relapsing or refractory Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed from Italian National Healthcare Service (INHS) perspective. Clinical, epidemiological and healthcare-related resource consumption data were collected from four independent sources: three clinical databases created in Canada, The Netherlands and United Kingdom (currently available III line therapies) and one published clinical trial (90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan); further inpatient and outpatient healthcare-related resource consumption data were provided by a Dutch costing study. Inpatient and outpatient healthcare-related procedures were evaluated according to INHS tariffs, provided that 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan was administered in day-hospital setting. Whenever not included in INHS tariffs, drugs were mainly costed according to Italian National Therapeutic Formulary. Costs are expressed in euro 2005. Per patient cost for 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan equals 17,424.84 euro, whereas the average per patient cost for currently available II and III line therapies reaches 6,870.93 euro (95% CI: 533.67-13,208.19 euro). As far as effectiveness is concerned, 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan performs better than currently available II and III line therapies both in terms of average and median therapy-free survival (+ 0.34 years and + 0.38 years, respectively); both the differences reach statistical significance (p<0.01). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio shows that each incremental therapy-free year of life saved with 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan costs 27,834.49 euro. This amount falls well within the reference cut-off range (12,000 euro-60,000 euro) and value (US$ 50,000) for year of life saved. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of basecase results. When compared to currently available III line therapies for relapsing or refractory NHL, 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan is cost-effective from INHS perspective. However, following some European experiences, a peculiar scheme for financing 90Yibritumomab tiuxetan as well as other innovative high-cost drugs should be early considered by INHS. Results should be confirmed via an empirical health economic study carried out within a sample of INHS oncohaematology facilities.


The low proportion of women within the subject areas of Theology and Religious Studies has long been observed, and is increasingly recognised as a serious problem for staff and students. In this new study, Mathew Guest, Sonya Sharma and Robert Song chart patterns of gender imbalance among staff and students across UK TRS departments, exploring why such patterns remain so persistent. Drawing on interviews with TRS academics across the country, the report examines the professional life of female university staff, and makes recommendations for how universities might address the inequalities of opportunity and practice that emerge.


With the rapid development of the Web, Internet gambling has become a global problem, which causes nontrivial social impacts. Despite of its prosperity, in the major countries such as United States, Russia, and mainland China, Internet gambling is explicitly prohibited, and in the most remaining countries, Internet gambling is under strict regulations. However, there are so many websites that it is rather difficult to regulate Internet gambling and rather challenging to identify them. It may introduce many false positives or false negatives, if we simply grep contents of websites with keywords. In this paper, we find that the behavior of HTTP POST is a strong indicator to detect gambling sites. Based on the finding, we propose a novel approach that detects gambling sites with mined behavior models of such sites. Furthermore, we introduce graph analysis to improve our approach. Our evaluation shows that our approach achieves high precision and recall, when it detects online gambling sites from a large number of websites.


BigFintechs (BFTs) have become new giants of global finance bringing with them key new challenges, particularly for emerging and developing economies. The purpose of this Technical Paper is to garner a more robust understanding of the emerging impacts (positive and negative) of BFTs across the full spectrum of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to better inform the dialogue around a new generation of governance innovations to address such impacts, particularly with regard to least developed countries (LDCs). The current focus of research and practical approaches to Fintech regulation, governance and supervision are viewed as the domain of the financial sector and, to a limited degree, the technology sector. These approaches relate to the implications of harnessing emerging technology in delivering financial services, with a global focus on issues of privacy, financial security, money laundering, taxonomy, benchmarks and overall financial integrity and stability. However, BFTs are playing an increasing role in shaping (in both positive and negative ways) a sustainable future, including issues that have previously been considered as outside the realm of examination. To date, there has been no holistic examination of all the activities in which BFTs are involved.

Therefore, the understanding of their cross-cutting impacts across the SDGs, policy, regulatory and corporate governance is equally limited. The current narrative of the 'Fourth Industrial Revolution' and the digital economy in terms of ensuring the transformative nature of digital technologies are harnessed for sustainable economic development and that developing countries and especially LDCs are not left further behind. The narrative is premised on the notion that Fintech has an enabling capacity and that there are certain risks largely related to data governance, consumer protection and operational risk management that must be addressed. Furthermore, BFTs are examined largely within subsets of activities related to their financial service offerings rather than across their evolving ecosystem of activities and the implications of these across the full spectrum of the SDGs and for LDCs. This paper begins with the premise that the nature and scale of BFT activities carries different emerging trends, risks and vulnerabilities in LDCs. This paper broadens the examination in three key aspects: (i) it covers a fuller spectrum of BFT activities, brought into the scope of this paper through their connection to the Fintech element employed; (ii) it engages an impact lens developed to capture a fuller range of the environmental, social and economic SDGs; and (iii) the paper presents a case study and landscape analysis with a view to advancing the collective understanding of emerging trends and their impacts, particularly on LDCs.


Background and aims: The uncertainty surrounding the role of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (Map) in Crohn's disease has been compounded by possible contamination from Map present in the lumen microflora. This study used laser capture microdissection (LCM) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect Map DNA in subepithelial granulomas, isolated from 15 surgically resected, formalin fixed specimens of granulomatous Crohn's disease and from 12 granulomatous disease controls (10 bowel, 2 non-bowel). Methods: The effect of amplicon size on reliability of PCR from formalin fixed samples was examined by amplifying 435 bp and 133 bp sequences of the human APC gene. After this, nested primers were designed to detect a small fragment (155 bp) of the Map specific IS900 gene in Crohn's granulomas. LCM isolated granulomas from Map culture positive bovine intestine was used as positive control. PCR product specificity was confirmed by direct DNA sequencing. Results: The smaller, but not the larger, fragment of the APC gene amplified reliably in all samples. Amplification of the 155 bp fragment of the IS900 gene detected Map DNA in microdissected Crohn's granulomas in 6 of 15 cases, and in 0 of 12 disease control granulomas. Conclusions: LCM can be used to detect Map DNA in granulomas in a proportion of patients with Crohn's disease. However, formalin fixation requires that comparatively short DNA fragments of the Map specific IS900 gene be targeted, to permit consistent detection. Detection of Map DNA within granulomas might suggest an infectious aetiology in a subset of patients; alternatively, a transmissible agent may not be involved but mycobacterial DNA may influence pathogenesis by modifying the local cytokine responses.


OBJECTIVES
We examined the associations of intimate partner violence (IPV) and maternal risk factors with maternal child maltreatment risk within a diverse sample of mothers.

METHODS
We derived the study sample (N=2508) from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study. We conducted regression analyses to examine associations between IPV, parenting stress, major depression, key covariates, and 4 proxy variables for maternal child maltreatment.

RESULTS
Mothers reported an average of 25 acts of psychological aggression and 17 acts of physical aggression against their 3-year-old children in the year before the study, 11% reported some act of neglect toward their children during the same period, and 55% had spanked their children during the previous month. About 40% of mothers had experienced IPV by their current partner. IPV and maternal parenting stress were both consistent risk factors for all 4 maltreatment proxy variables. Although foreign-born mothers reported fewer incidents of child maltreatment, the IPV relative risk for child maltreatment was greater for foreign-born than for US-born mothers.

CONCLUSIONS
Further integration of IPV and child maltreatment prevention and intervention efforts is warranted; such efforts must carefully balance the needs of adult and child victims.


Abstract A brief description is given of a new refrigerated expansion chamber apparatus based on an Australian C.S.I.R.O. design for measuring ice nuclei concentrations. The compatibility of results between five instruments of similar construction, a comparison of data obtained with a simple version of the mixing chamber method, and homogeneity of rapid expansion measurements at sites 8 and 100 miles apart are investigated. Except for uncertainties regarding the extrapolation of results to natural clouds, all indications are that, with care, the nucleation level in the atmosphere is capable of objective, compatible measurement with standardized equipment. However, a series of measurements verified the existence of significant differences between the rapid expansion and mixing chamber techniques. Both methods reflected similar trends during appreciable increases or decreases in nucleation activity. A surprisingly uniform geographical distribution of aerosols responsible for ice crystal nucleation is sugges...


Purpose of review Vaccination in pregnancy boosts maternal vaccine-specific antibody concentration and therefore increases transplacental transfer of antibody to optimize protection of the infant. The purpose of this review is to describe what is known about placental transfer of antibody in the context of vaccination in pregnancy, focussing on the recent literature and areas of debate, particularly about the timing of vaccination. Recent findings There is a debate about the timing of pertussis vaccination in pregnancy with some studies reporting that vaccination in the third trimester results in higher pertussis antigen-specific IgG concentrations in cord blood and others finding that the concentration is higher following vaccination in the second trimester. The impact of timing of vaccination on antibody avidity in cord blood has also been investigated and one study suggests that avidity may be increased following vaccination at 27–30+6 gestational weeks compared with later vaccination. Summary Understanding placental transfer of antibody is vital in informing maternal vaccination strategy. There has been recent research about the timing of pertussis vaccination in pregnancy that has implications for the timing of both current and future vaccines to be used in pregnancy.


Most contemporary discourse on suicide in New Zealand is framed in either epidemiological terms, or as a medical problem internal to the individual. Epidemiology focuses on statistics, and has consistently over-emphasised teenage suicide numbers, obscuring the fact that suicide permeates all ages and is a significant problem in New Zealand. It necessarily rewrites individual case histories in terms of shared features, risk factors and 'effective' (statistically proven) general interventions. The medical approach frames suicide as an individual dysfunction, a 'mental health' problem, so that it becomes a manifestation of an 'internal' or 'underlying' issue affecting an individual. We argue here that suicide can neither be adequately understood through epidemiology, nor individual pathology. An adequate account needs to address the interrelational and socio-political structures that frame an individual's life-world. A sustaining and sustainable life-world grounds an individual within an A"thos that provides meaningful opportunities in which to dwell, and which is able to affirm and empower a person to live well with others. Conversely, the alienating and fiscally driven neo-liberal discourse of individualism that we have come to inhabit is failing to anchor people in a meaningful and sustainable life-world, as it erodes genuinely caring and supportive social structures. One of the more visible and tragic fall-outs of this takes the form of suicide, a possibility that we see being actualised by more and more people in our country.


Background Effective palliative care is delivered in the multidisciplinary team (MDT) setting.1 Despite this the majority of under graduate/preregistration teaching takes place in a uni-disciplinary environment. In the 2015–2016 Academic year Swindon Academy and Oxford Brooke's Nursing school sought to address this issue through a pilot program of MDT high-fidelity simulations focused on a patient in the last six months of life. This project aims to improve undergraduates' confidence in the diagnosis and management of palliative problems, as well as their understanding of each other's roles and ability to work confidently in a team. Method 44 final year Medical students and second year Nursing students undertook four scenarios that followed a patient (an actor and finally a Sim Man) from diagnosis of a terminal cancer, breaking bad news, diagnosing the dying patient and management of symptoms at the end of life. Confidence was self-assessed pre and post session on an anonymised 10 point Likert scale. Data collected was analysed for statistical significance using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results The session was rated 8.7 overall and every category of self-confidence assessment showed an overall mean improvement. All areas of self-assessment showed statistically significant improvements in pre and post scores, including in 'awareness of team member roles' and 'communicating with patients and families'. Conclusion Palliative care in a simulated environment appears to be an effective teaching tool. Inter-professional teaching seems to improve awareness of professionals' roles, thereby improving the care provided by teams of new junior doctors and nurses. An observational study is now underway on whole-day simulation workshops which we hope will further support our argument that inter-professional simulation teaching can effectively deliver palliative care education and improved ability to work in a MDT. Reference . Royal College of Physicians, National Care of the Dying Audit for hospitals, England, 2014. [Online] Available at:https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/file/903/download?token=oregrc-n Accessed:27/6/16.


The first step to create a functional and adjustable end effector, based on the human hand, is to conceive the architecture of the system, as well as its motion functions able to reflect the original ones. If the model is created with accuracy by respecting the nature of articulations and the dimensions of articulated bones, it can function as the real organ providing the same motions. Unfortunately, the human hand is hard to model due to its kinematical chains submitted to motion constraints. On the other hand, if an application does not impose a fine manipulation it is not necessary to create a model as complex as the human hand is. But anyway, the end effector has to perform a certain lot of motions in imposed workspace. The motion of the model was studied using MATLAB 7.0 in order to represent the hyper surface covering its own active workspace. To compare the fingers' tips trajectories, various possible simplified hand motions have been studied by acting only some of the model's joints. The conclusions were useful to design appropriate end effectors.


Article published in 1993 in GBG-nieuws related to a seminar on Media History in the Netherlands. Republished in 2014 in Tijdschrift voor mediageschiedenis in the context of a seminar held in september 2014 at Sound and Vision on the past 25 years of Media History and its future.


In order to determine the prevalence of asthma, allergy and atopy in southern China and the relative importance of atopy and parental history in predicting asthma and allergic diseases, we carried out a cross‐sectional study on 737 secondary school students aged 12‐20(492 boys, 245 girls; mean age = 16.4 years, so = 1.8 years) in the city of San Bu, Guangdong, China. Standard questionnaires on respiratory and allergic symptoms were distributed for completion by parents with an overall response of 98.6%. Skin‐prick tests to common aeroallergens were performed on 647 subjects (87.8%) to determine atopic status. The prevalence (and 95% CI) of a history of hay fever, eczema, wheeze or asthma ever and wheeze in past 12 months were 1.6% (0.7‐2.5), 10.4% (8.2‐12.6), 1.9% (0.9‐1.9) and 1.1% (0.3‐1.9) respectively. Forty‐nine per cent (45.2‐52.9) of students had one or more positive skin tests to common aeroallergens. Amongst atopic subjects, 87.3% reacted to house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) and 73.3% to cockroach. There was a close association between the degree of atopy and the prevalence of a history of wheeze (P < 0.05) but not with hay fever or eczema. After adjusting for age and sex, parental histories of hay fever, eczema and wheeze were strongly associated with the respective symptoms in the subjects (OR = 17.4 (3.2‐93.9) for hay fever, 27.4 (12.7‐59.0) for eczema, 79.4 (21.9‐288.4) for wheeze). It is concluded that respiratory and allergic symptoms were uncommon in Chinese school students despite a high prevalence of atopy, and that parental history is more important in predicting asthma and allergy than atopy.


Within the past decade, millions of people have discovered the economic benefits and personal pleasures of heating with wood. At the same time, many have discovered that there are serious problems associated with wood heat and iron stoves: chimney fires from creosote, air pollution from poor combustion, and structural fires caused by faulty stove installation. The masonry stove, widely used in Europe and Asia for centuries, surmounts these problems. Masonry stoves offer good solutions to many of the problems associated with wood burning. They provide clean combustion at a high temperature, good efficiency, a high degree of safety, and little or no pollution. Masonry stoves require little care, needing to be fed only once or twice a day. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes from simple to elegant and from austere to gothic. And they are easily adapted to a variety of structures including solar designs. The Book of Masonry Stoves represents the first comprehensive survey ever published of all the major types of masonry heating systems, ancient and modern. Detailed plans and building information are included in the book. As a complete introduction to masonry stoves, it will help many people rediscover an old way of warming, using masonry stoves.


Middle Ordovician mudstones of the Greenwich slice of the Hamburg klippe, an inferred early Paleozoic subduction complex in the central Appalachians, comprise three mesoscopically distinct fabric zones that reflect progressive development of scaly foliation from undeformed-zone mudstones through deposits of the transition zone into stratally disrupted deformed-zone mudstones. Scanning electron microscopic analysis of these deposits demonstrates an over-all decrease in porosity from undeformed mudstone into the deformed zone. Undeformed-zone mudstones illustrate a porous clay fabric that becomes more closely packed in the transition zone. Transition-zone mudstones also show (1) discrete, discontinuous shear zones characterized by compact domains of oriented platy grains and (2) fracture surfaces along which there has been no grain reorientation. The bulk of the mudstone, however, has apparently been compacted by distributed fabric collapse rather than shear-related compaction. Mudstones of the deformed zone display a complex array of continuous, well-defined, in some cases striated or grooved, scaly folia bound on one side by very compact domains of strongly oriented platy grains that pass outward into a more open or porous clay fabric. Deformation of Greenwich slice mudstones can be explained by strain hardening of accreted trench-fill deposits at the toe of the early Paleozoic accretionary prism. Initial deformation was probably concentrated in weak, water-rich sediment horizons sandwiched between more-consolidated strata. Strain hardening of the early deformed sediment in response to shear-related fabric collapse and dewatering, as evidenced by the scaly fabric of deformed-zone mudstone, probably resulted in lateral propagation of deformation and progressive scaly fabric development. The extent to which stratal disruption propagated may have been controlled by the slope of the water-content gradient of the deforming sediment. That is, the deformation front migrated outward from the initially deformed, water-rich sediment to that position where the strength of the sediment, as determined by its relatively low water content, precluded further sediment yield. The microscopic shear zones and fractures within transition-zone mudstones suggest that these deposits were "dry" and, therefore, strong enough to arrest further stratal disruption. Thus, the final width of a deformation zone characterized by stratal disruption and scaly clays may be inversely proportional to the slope of the water-content gradient that existed between deforming water-rich, underconsolidated sediment and stronger, more-consolidated deposits.


Mechanistic modeling of signaling pathways mediating patient-specific response to therapy can help to unveil resistance mechanisms and improve therapeutic strategies. Yet, creating such models for patients, in particular for solid malignancies, is challenging. A major hurdle to build these models is the limited material available, that precludes the generation of large-scale perturbation data. Here, we present an approach that couples ex vivo high-throughput screenings of cancer biopsies using microfluidics with logic-based modeling to generate patient-specific dynamic models of extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis signaling pathways. We used the resulting models to investigate heterogeneity in pancreatic cancer patients, showing dissimilarities especially in the PI3K-Akt pathway. Variation in model parameters reflected well the different tumor stages. Finally, we used our dynamic models to efficaciously predict new personalized combinatorial treatments. Our results suggest our combination of microfluidic experiments and mathematical model can be a novel tool toward cancer precision medicine.


This paper investigates the role of inter-firm transaction structure on industrial agglomeration by using Japanese firm-level transaction relationship data. First, we measure the industrial agglomeration for each industry. Next, we measure the intensity of transactions and inequalities of transaction partners as the measures of the micro structure of transaction networks in each industry. Then, we regress the index of agglomeration by the indexes of transaction structure. We find that the intensity of intra-industry transactions statistically enforces the agglomeration. Further, the inequality of transaction partners has a negative effect on the agglomeration. This suggests that the industries that attract a few hub-firms have a large number of intra-industry transaction partners that are not agglomerated.


This paper is motivated by a need identified by steel makers, namely, the need to produce steel products with new and often more stringent set of specifications and enhanced performances (such as fatigue life and corrosion behavior) using existing equipment cost-effectively.Manufacturing a steel product involves series of unit operations, each having a significant bearing on the properties of the end product. This paper focuses on studying the effect of one such unit operation, namely, ladle refining. The performance like corrosion behavior and fatigue life and properties of advanced high strength steel are greatly influenced by its cleanliness and by maintaining composition within specified bounds. Cleanliness of steel is assessed in terms of the count and nature of inclusions present and the levels of tramp elements such as sulfur, phosphorus and total oxygen present in the liquid steel. The desired composition is maintained with respect to alloying elements (Ni, Cr, Mn, etc.) that are added to impart certain properties to the steel. The ladle furnace is one of the key unit operations for carrying out deoxidation and desulfurization to maintain the levels of oxygen and sulfur within a tolerable limit. Deoxidation reaction during refining lead to formation of a number of which are deleterious in nature and should be removed. The effectiveness of the ladle operation is thus influenced by conflicting goals such as inclusion removal efficiency, desulfurization and the cost of refining.George Box is reputed to have observed that all models are wrong and some are useful. In keeping with George Box's observation we suggest that our challenge is to determine the set points for the ladle unit operation using computational models that at best capture the essence of reality but not reality itself. Therefore, the need is to find solutions that are relatively insensitive to the inherent uncertainties embodied in the computational model while satisficing the conflicting goals.In this paper we present a method for visualizing and exploring the solution space using the compromise Decision Support Problem (cDSP) as a decision model. We illustrate the efficacy of our method, for use by steel producers, by determining the set points for a ladle, in an industrial setting.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


Objective: To study the impact of postnatal lactation counseling by certified lactation educator on the establishment of breastfeeding in urban areas. Design: Retrospective observational study Setting: Maternity ward of a multispecialty Private Hospital in Thane City of Maharashtra. Materials and Methods: During March 2014 to February 2015, data were collected retrospectively from the hospital records of 283 mothers (study group) who had delivered healthy newborns at full term with birth weight of >2.5 kg and had received structured lactational counseling from the lactation educator. This was compared with the data from March 2013 to February 2014 when 235 mothers (control group) received lactational counseling from the maternity staff after delivery. Main Outcome Measures: Reduction in the volume of supplemental formula feed during the hospital stay and number of babies discharged on exclusive breastfeeding (i.e., no supplemental formula feed given in the 24 h before discharge). Results: The mean volume of supplemental formula consumed was significantly lesser (p<0.001) in the study group (median 50 mL, interquartile range [IQR] 0-130) than control group (median 110 mL, IQR 20-190). The study group had 205 out of 283 babies (72.4%) who were discharged on exclusive breastfeeding as compared to 113 out of 235 babies (48%) in the control group, which was significantly higher (p<0.001, relative risk [RR] 1.6, 95% confidence interval - 1.4, 2.0). Conclusion: Lactation educators are more effective than maternity staff for the improvement in breastfeeding practices; especially, in the private sector hospitals of urban areas.


Background Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are made by linking inorganic and organic units by strong bonds (reticular synthesis). The flexibility with which the constituents' geometry, size, and functionality can be varied has led to more than 20,000 different MOFs being reported and studied within the past decade. The organic units are ditopic or polytopic organic carboxylates (and other similar negatively charged molecules), which, when linked to metal-containing units, yield architecturally robust crystalline MOF structures with a typical porosity of greater than 50% of the MOF crystal volume. The surface area values of such MOFs typically range from 1000 to 10,000 m2/g, thus exceeding those of traditional porous materials such as zeolites and carbons. To date, MOFs with permanent porosity are more extensive in their variety and multiplicity than any other class of porous materials. These aspects have made MOFs ideal candidates for storage of fuels (hydrogen and methane), capture of carbon dioxide, and catalysis applications, to mention a few. Metal-organic framework (MOF) structures are amenable to expansion and incorporation of multiple functional groups within their interiors. (A) The isoreticular expansion of MOFs maintains the network's topology by using an expanded version of the parent organic linker. Examples of catalysis in MOFs are shown in the large space created by IRMOF-74-XI; Me is a methyl group. (B) Conceptual illustration of a multivariate MOF (MTV-MOF) whose pores are decorated by heterogeneous mixtures of functionalities that arrange in specific sequences. (Background) Optical image of zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) crystals. Advances The ability to vary the size and nature of MOF structures without changing their underlying topology gave rise to the isoreticular principle and its application in making MOFs with the largest pore aperture (98 Å) and lowest density (0.13 g/cm3). This has allowed for the selective inclusion of large molecules (e.g., vitamin B12) and proteins (e.g., green fluorescent protein) and the exploitation of the pores as reaction vessels. Along these lines, the thermal and chemical stability of many MOFs has made them amenable to postsynthetic covalent organic and metal-complex functionalization. These capabilities enable substantial enhancement of gas storage in MOFs and have led to their extensive study in the catalysis of organic reactions, activation of small molecules (hydrogen, methane, and water), gas separation, biomedical imaging, and proton, electron, and ion conduction. At present, methods are being developed for making nanocrystals and supercrystals of MOFs for their incorporation into devices. Outlook The precise control over the assembly of MOFs is expected to propel this field further into new realms of synthetic chemistry in which far more sophisticated materials may be accessed. For example, materials can be envisaged as having (i) compartments linked together to operate separately, yet function synergistically; (ii) dexterity to carry out parallel operations; (iii) ability to count, sort, and code information; and (iv) capability of dynamics with high fidelity. Efforts in this direction are already being undertaken through the introduction of a large number of different functional groups within the pores of MOFs. This yields multivariate frameworks in which the varying arrangement of functionalities gives rise to materials that offer a synergistic combination of properties. Future work will involve the assembly of chemical structures from many different types of building unit, such that the structures' function is dictated by the heterogeneity of the specific arrangement of their constituents. Strategies for Metal-Organic Frameworks Metal-organic frameworks are porous materials that can exhibit very high surface areas that have potential for applications such as gas storage and separation, as well as catalysis. Furukawa et al. (1230444) review the structures devised so far and discuss the design strategies that allow families of materials to be synthesized and modified with similar framework topology but vary in pore size and type of functional groups present on the linkers. Crystalline metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are formed by reticular synthesis, which creates strong bonds between inorganic and organic units. Careful selection of MOF constituents can yield crystals of ultrahigh porosity and high thermal and chemical stability. These characteristics allow the interior of MOFs to be chemically altered for use in gas separation, gas storage, and catalysis, among other applications. The precision commonly exercised in their chemical modification and the ability to expand their metrics without changing the underlying topology have not been achieved with other solids. MOFs whose chemical composition and shape of building units can be multiply varied within a particular structure already exist and may lead to materials that offer a synergistic combination of properties.


A low molecular weight high-affinity lead-binding protein (PbBP) in kidney appears to account, at least in part, for the relative insensitivity of renal delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) to Pb inhibition. A PbBP is also known to exist in brain cytosol but is not a major Pb-binding constituent in liver. This study was undertaken to examine the relative sensitivity of brain and liver ALAD to Pb inhibition in vitro and to determine if inhibition of hepatic ALAD by Pb could be reversed by addition of partially purified brain PbBP to liver cytosol. This effect was also compared with that of a previously described renal PbBP. Finally, the mechanism(s) of reversal of Pb inhibition of ALAD by these tissue-specific PbBPs were studied. A concentration-dependent reversal of Pb-induced inhibition of hepatic ALAD activity was observed for both brain and kidney PbBPs. Inhibition of hepatic ALAD activity by 0.1 to 1.6 microM Pb was partially reversed by a single concentration of brain PbBP. No differences in sensitivity of ALAD to Pb inhibition in various brain regions were observed. Kinetic analysis of both brain and liver ALAD activity at an IC50 Pb showed a "mixed" or noncompetitive inhibition pattern. Addition of brain PbBP reduced markedly the inhibitory effects of Pb on the Vmax of the liver enzyme. Incubation of 65Zn-labeled PbBP fractions from brain and kidney with purified bovine liver ALAD demonstrated that the PbBPs donate Zn to ALAD.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


UNLABELLED
Tumoral hyperprolactinemia and consequent hypogonadism have been associated with osteoporosis. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy RX absorptiometry in 24 patients with prolactinoma (15 macro and 9 micro adenomas; age range = 18 to 49 years). Student unpaired t or Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare groups, and Spearman test studied correlations. Lumbar spine (LS) was the most affected, as LS Z-score was < -2 SD in 20.83% of the patients. No difference was found in densitometric parameters for the comparison between macro and microprolactinoma, or those with normal prolactin versus hyperprolactinemia. LS BMD and LS Z-score were higher in the patients with > 8 menstrual cycles in the preceding year then in those with oligoamenorrhea (p = 0.030). The number of cycles was correlated to LS BMD (r = 0.515, p = 0.017) and body mass index to femoral neck BMD (r = 0.563, p = 0.006) and total femur BMD (r = 0.529, p = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS
Decreased bone mineral density was detected in 20.83% of our young patients with prolactinoma. The great involvement of trabecular bone skeletal regions, such as vertebrae, suggests the participation of hypogonadism in the pathogenesis of bone disease. Irrespective of prolactin levels, return to normal menses seems the best index of good control.


Amorphous carbon (a-C) based hard masks provide superior etch selectivity, chemical inertness, are mechanically strong, and have been used for etching deep, high aspect ratio features that conventional photoresists cannot withstand. Picosecond Ultrasonic Technology (PULSE™ Technology) has been widely used in thin metal film metrology because of its unique advantages, such as being a rapid, non-contact, non-destructive technology and its capabilities for simultaneous multiple layer measurement [1]. Simultaneous measurement of velocity and thickness for transparent and semi-transparent films offers a lot of potential for not only monitoring the process but offers insight into the device performance. In this paper, we show successful applications of Picosecond Ultrasonics in 3D NAND. This includes measurement of various thin metal films and simultaneous measurement of sound velocity and thickness for amorphous carbon films which has been widely used as hard mask materials.


An electronic throttle is a dc-motor-driven valve that regulates air inflow into the combustion system of the engine. An effective controller for electronic throttle is not easy to accomplish since the plant is burdened with strong nonlinear effects of stick-slip friction, spring, and gear backlash. In this brief, an adaptive inverse model control system (AIMCS) is designed for the plant, and two radial basis function (RBF) neural networks are utilized in the AIMCS. The plant is identified by a RBF networks identifier, which provides the sensitivity information of the plant to the control input. And another RBF networks is utilized as inverse model controller established by inverse system method. The RBF networks are offline learned firstly and are online trained using back propagation algorithms. To guarantee convergence and for faster learning, adaptive learning rates are developed. Simulation and experiment results show the effectiveness of the AIMCS.


Abstract Intrinsic functional connectivity MRI has become a widely used tool for measuring integrity in large-scale cortical networks. This study examined multiple cortical networks using Template-Based Rotation (TBR), a method that applies a priori network and nuisance component templates defined from an independent dataset to test datasets of interest. A priori templates were applied to a test dataset of 276 older adults (ages 65–90) from the Harvard Aging Brain Study to examine the relationship between multiple large-scale cortical networks and cognition. Factor scores derived from neuropsychological tests represented processing speed, executive function, and episodic memory. Resting-state BOLD data were acquired in two 6-min acquisitions on a 3-Tesla scanner and processed with TBR to extract individual-level metrics of network connectivity in multiple cortical networks. All results controlled for data quality metrics, including motion. Connectivity in multiple large-scale cortical networks was positively related to all cognitive domains, with a composite measure of general connectivity positively associated with general cognitive performance. Controlling for the correlations between networks, the frontoparietal control network (FPCN) and executive function demonstrated the only significant association, suggesting specificity in this relationship. Further analyses found that the FPCN mediated the relationships of the other networks with cognition, suggesting that this network may play a central role in understanding individual variation in cognition during aging.


Aloesin, [2-acetonyl-8-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-7-hydroxy-5-methylchromone], a compound isolated from the Aloe plant, is shown in these studies to modulate melanogenesis via competitive inhibition of tyrosinase. Aloesin inhibits purified tyrosinase enzyme and specifically inhibits melanin production in vitro. Enzyme kinetics studies using normal human melanocyte cell lysates and cell-based melanin production demonstrated that aloesin is a competitive inhibitor of tyrosinase from mushroom, human and murine sources. Tyrosine hydroxylase and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) oxidase activities of tyrosinase from normal human melanocyte cell lysates were inhibited by aloesin in a dose dependent manner. In a percutaneous absorption study a finite dose of aloesin penetrated the skin slowly and was recovered primarily in the surface wash. Aloesin shows promise as a pigmentation-altering agent for cosmetic or therapeutic applications.


— Ralstonia solanacearum, the causal agent of bacterial wilt disease, results in serious world-wide economic losses particularly in the tropics. Members of the family Solanaceae such as potato, tomato, chili and tobacco are the most affected. A survey was conducted in the period of short rains (October December ) the year 2015, covering Kenyan highlands and lowland regions of Nyeri, Kiambu, Nyahururu, Kirinyaga, Murang'a, and Embu counties; the major production zones of potato, tomato and capsicum to determine the prevalence, effects and management measures in practice by farmers in control of this bacterium. The findings implicated high dependence of farmers to the solanaceous crops both for income and food (68%), and extensive presence of the bacteria in all the seven study counties. The survey indicated bacterial wilt as a big challenge in production of Solanaceae crops in central Kenya. Lack of elaborate disease management measures and poor seed systems (57%) were found to be the key contributors to the extensive spread, high prevalence (68.57%) and the high incidence (17.74%) of the disease. These findings indicated an urgent need for set up of affordable up to standards seed systems of Solanaceae crops family. This output will enable experimentation of the plant extracts and organic supplements as cheap measures in management of the bacterium leading to alleviation of bacterial wilt challenges in Kenyan highlands and lowlands.


We analyse the effects of distortionary company car taxation through increased household car consumption for the Netherlands. We use several identification strategies and demonstrate that for about 20 % of households company car possession increases car ownership. The annual welfare loss of distortionary company taxation through increased car ownership is generally rather small, maximally €120 per company car, and much less than the welfare loss through increased expenditure on the company car. However, for policies that exempt households from paying tax on their company car, the annual deadweight loss is likely higher. Our first-best tax policy recommendation is to increase company car tax rates. However, our current results suggest that a second-best policy, which keeps average company car taxation constant but which reduces the marginal tax on cheaper cars and increases the marginal tax on expensive cars, would be welfare improving as overconsumption of company cars will be reduced.


We observe the breakup dynamics of an elongated cloud of condensed Rb 85 atoms placed in an optical waveguide. The number of localized spatial components observed in the breakup is compared with the number of solitons predicted by a plane-wave stability analysis of the nonpolynomial nonlinear Schrodinger equation, an effective one-dimensional approximation of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation for cigar-shaped condensates. It is shown that the numbers predicted from the fastest growing sidebands are consistent with the experimental data, suggesting that modulational instability is the key underlying physical mechanism driving the breakup.


Objectives To evaluate a multidisciplinary team (MDT) case management intervention, at the individual (direct effects of intervention) and practice levels (potential spillover effects). Design Difference-in-differences design with multiple intervention start dates, analysing hospital admissions data. In secondary analyses, we stratified individual-level results by risk score. Setting Single clinical commissioning group (CCG) in the UK's National Health Service (NHS). Participants At the individual level, we matched 2049 intervention patients using propensity scoring one-to-one with control patients. At the practice level, 30 practices were compared using a natural experiment through staged implementation. Intervention Practice Integrated Care Teams (PICTs), using MDT case management of high-risk patients together with a summary record of care versus usual care. Direct and indirect outcome measures Primary measures of intervention effects were accident and emergency (A&E) visits; inpatient non-elective stays, 30-day re-admissions; inpatient elective stays; outpatient visits; and admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Secondary measures included inpatient length of stay; total cost of secondary care services; and patient satisfaction (at the practice level only). Results At the individual level, we found slight, clinically trivial increases in inpatient non-elective admissions (+0.01 admissions per patient per month; 95% CI 0.00 to 0.01. Effect size (ES): 0.02) and 30-day re-admissions (+0.00; 0.00 to 0.01. ES: 0.03). We found no indication that highest risk patients benefitted more from the intervention. At the practice level, we found a small decrease in inpatient non-elective admissions (−0.63 admissions per 1000 patients per month; −1.17 to −0.09. ES: −0.24). However, this result did not withstand a robustness check; the estimate may have absorbed some differences in underlying practice trends. Conclusions The intervention does not meet its primary aim, and the clinical significance and cost-effectiveness of these small practice-level effects is debatable. There is an ongoing need to develop effective ways to reduce unnecessary attendances in secondary care for the high-risk population.


Emerging applications such as those running on the Internet of Things (IoT) devices produce constant data streams that need to be processed in real-time. Distributed stream processing systems (DSPs), with geographically distributed cluster networks interconnected via wide area network (WAN) links, have recently gained interest in handling these applications. How-ever, these applications have stringent requirements such as low-latency and high bandwidth that must be guaranteed to ensure the quality of service (QoS). These application requirements raise fundamental DSPs resource management and scheduling challenge. In this paper, we formulate the problem of placement of worker nodes on a geo-distributed DSPs cluster network as a multi-criteria decision-making problem and propose an additive weighting-based approach to solve it. The proposed solution finds the trade-off among different network parameters and allows executing the tasks according to the desired performance metrics. We evaluated the proposed approach using the Yahoo! streaming benchmark on a testbed and compare it against mechanisms deployed in Apache Spark, Apache Storm, and Apache Flink. The results of the evaluation show that our approach improves the performance of Spark up to 2.2x-7.2x, Storm up to 1.2x-3.4x, and Flink up to 1.4x-3.3x compared to other approaches, which makes our approach useful for use in practical environments.


We report a novel configuration of resonator microoptic gyro (MOG), which is monolithically integrated on silica planar lightwave circuit (PLC) with countermeasures for noise factors. Optical ring-resonator gyros suffer mainly from polarization fluctuation induced noise and backscattering induced noise. We discuss eigenstate of polarization in the waveguide to clarify behavior of the former and propose a countermeasure with control of the waveguide birefringence. As for the latter, binary phase shift keying (B-PSK) with a special signal processing is proposed. Thermooptic (TO) phase modulation is the only one scheme to apply B-PSK in the silica waveguide, whose bandwidth is limited to /spl sim/1 KHz. To utilize the narrow bandwidth of the TO modulator effectively, we propose an electrical signal processing scheme and a modulation waveform to compensate the frequency response. By constructing an experimental setup, suppression of the backscattering induced noise is demonstrated, and the gyro output is observed with applying an equivalent rotation.


In the last years, the gap between solution methods in literature and optimization running in production has increased. Agile development practices, DevOps and modern cloud-based infrastructure call for a revisit of how optimization software is developed. We review the state-of-the-art, propose a development framework that can be applied across different programming languages and modeling frameworks and test it with a relevant optimization use-case. The framework enables optimization experts to focus on solution methods while having the tools to deploy a scalable and reusable optimization application using the latest technologies and thus, increase the acceptance in industry.


The purpose of this research and development is to produce a model of agility exercise on badminton. This research uses Research & Development (R & D) development method from Borg and Gall. Stages in this research and development are, at the stage: (1) needs analysis, (2) expert evaluation (initial product evaluation); (3) limited testing (small group trial); (4) main test (field testing), (5) Model effectiveness test. The effectiveness test uses the court agility test to determine the level of athlete's fame in mastering the entire game area. Analysis of research data using T test with significance level 0,05. Data analysis is obtained by average value of test data agility as follows pretest: 505.40 and posttest 468.53. So this model of badminton agility training is effective in improving the agility of badminton athletes. Based on the results of the development can be concluded that: (1) With the model of agility exercise for badminton athletes can be developed and applied in the exercise at the club (2) With the agility training model for badminton athletes that have been developed, obtained evidence of this increase in the show on the test data pretest and posttest results of significant differences between before and after the treatment of the model.

Keywords: Development, Model, Agility, Badminton


ABSTRACT Previous liver regeneration studies demonstrated that the mouse forkhead box M1B (FoxM1B) transcription factor regulates hepatocyte proliferation through expression of cell cycle genes that stimulate cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) and Cdk1 activity. In this study, we demonstrated that disruption of the FoxM1B Cdk1/2 phosphorylation site at Thr residue 596 significantly reduced both FoxM1B transcriptional activity and Cdk phosphorylation of the FoxM1B T596A mutant protein in vivo. Retention of this FoxM1B 596 Cdk phosphorylation site was found to be essential for recruiting the histone acetyltransferase CREB binding protein (CBP) to the FoxM1B transcriptional activation domain. Consistent with these findings, dominant negative Cdk1 protein significantly reduced FoxM1B transcriptional activity and inhibited FoxM1B recruitment of the CBP coactivator protein. Likewise, Cdc25B-mediated stimulation of Cdk activity together with elevated levels of the CBP coactivator protein provided a 6.2-fold synergistic increase in FoxM1B transcriptional activity. Furthermore, mutation of the FoxM1B Leu 641 residue within an LXL motif (residues 639 to 641) inhibited recruitment of Cdk-cyclin complexes and caused significant reduction in both FoxM1B transcriptional activity and in vivo Cdk phosphorylation of the FoxM1B Thr 596 residue. We demonstrated that FoxM1B transcriptional activity requires binding of either S-phase or M-phase Cdk-cyclin complexes to mediate efficient Cdk phosphorylation of the FoxM1B Thr 596 residue, which is essential for recruitment of p300/CBP coactivator proteins.


Dear Editor: I found the article, &dquo;An electromyographic analysis of the elbow in pitching&dquo; (Sisto DJ, Jobe FW, Moynes DR, et al, pp 260-263) in the May/June issue to be very informative, but would like to make a couple of comments. Any pitch that ends with the forearm in supination results in large distractive forces across the medial elbow. Although the authors mention that curve &dquo;sliders&dquo; (Bryan WJ, Tullos HS: Injuries to the throwing arm, in Levy RN (ed): Sportsmedicine Clinics, Vol II, No. 1. Princeton, Associate in Medical


In aeronautical domain, ARINC-664 Part 7 specification (AFDX) [4] provides the enabling technology for interfacing equipment in Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) architectures. The complementary part of AFDX for a complete interoperability - Time and Space Partitioning (ARINC 653) concepts [1]-was already studied as part of space domain ESA roadmap (i.e. IMA4Space project) Standardized IMA based architecture is already considered in aeronautical domain as more flexible, reliable and secure. Integration and validation become simple, using a common set of tools and data base and could be done by part on different means with the same definition (hardware and software test benches, flight control or alarm test benches, simulator and flight test installation). In some area, requirements in terms of data processing are quite similar in space domain and the concept could be applicable to take benefit of the technology itself and of the panel of hardware and software solutions and tools available on the market. The Mission project (Methodology and assessment for the applicability of ARINC-664 (AFDX) in Satellite/Spacecraft on-board communication networks), as an FP7 initiative for bringing terrestrial SME research into the space domain started to evaluate the applicability of the standard in space domain.


Up to the middle of this century many coastal structures were built from blockwork, using either natural stone blocks or concrete blocks. Those blockwork structures subjected to breaking wave impacts often show a particular damage type, whereby individual blocks are shifted out of their position and moved into the sea. Engineers have suspected for a long time that wave impact pressures can travel into the water filled cracks and joints of such structures, building up pressures inside of the structure and thus destroying the structure from within. In order to verify the damage mechanism, and to investigate the characteristics of impact induced pressure pulses, model tests on the propagation of wave impact pressures into water filled cracks were conducted. It was found that impact generated pressure pulses can enter water filled cracks and that they exhibit wave-like characteristics such as finite propagation speed, reflection, superposition and attenuation. Changes in cross section were found not to affect pressure pulse magnitude or duration. The possibility of wave impact pressures to damage or destroy cracked or fissured structures from within the structure could thus be verified.


Two very different rock types, a fusulinid lime packstone to grainstone and an ostracode coaly lime mudstone, form the vast majority of northern Midcontinent Westphalia (Stranger Formation, Douglas Group, Virgilian, Pennsylvanian) outcrops. A mixed-fossil lime wackestone is the principal Westphalia rock type in the subsurface. Petrologic characteristics such as mixed faunas, abrasion and polish of grains, grading in the form of hands of larger invertebrates in the fusulinid sandstone, lime mud rip-clasts as much as 7.5 inches in long dimension, shale pebbles, local current lineation, and the concentration of trillions of fusulinids along with many other invertebrate grain fragments within the fusulinid lime packstone to grainstone are believed to record a current-transported sediment load derived from a shallow seafloor area estimated very conservatively at 1450 square miles. The ostracode coaly lime mudstone displays well-preserved lamination, extremely limited fauna interpreted as indicative of a fresh-to-brackish water habitat, and contained plant debris. This rock type lacks physical connection with the fusulinid lime packstone to grainstone facies. Both outcropping rock types overlie deposits of different types in different areas. The subsurface mixed-fossil lime wackestone facies extends over the largest area and is westward of the outcrop facies. Although widespread, the Westphalia is much less so than most Midcontinent late Missourian-early Virgilian limestones and is completely absent from large areas within its limits of extent. Ball (1964) documented the regional depositional framework for the Douglas Group, which includes the Westphalia Limestone and showed that depositional basin margins were persistently located within the area of, and to the east-southeast of, present-day outcrops. Within this depositional framework, the mixed-fossil lime wackstone of the subsurface is believed to have been the source of most constituents of the centrally-located fusulinid lime packstone to grainstone facies as well as the lime mud of the eastward facies, the ostracode coaly lime mudstone. This fit within the regional depositional setting as well as the petrologic characteristics cited above, when compared to those of Recent storm deposits given below in the introduction, indicate that the fusulinid sand and the ostracode rock are shore zone tidal and supratidal storm deposits.


A laboratory experiment was conducted to demonstrate the behavior of dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) in a complex aquifer system. The system simulated consists of two unconfined aquifers separated by a low permeable bedrock perching layer that contains a fracture. In contrast to previous work by other researchers of DNAPL migration in hydrostatic conditions, in this experiment, prior to and during the DNAPL release, ground water flow occurs from the upper to lower aquifer via the fracture. Although the experiment illustrates that DNAPL may migrate rapidly in narrow pathways, the observations were predicted rather well by a simplified analytical solution and a numerical simulation with the multi-phase flow and transport code TOUGH-2. With recharge to the lower aquifer occurring through the fracture, a DNAPL pool did not develop prior to its entry into the fracture.


The Capital Asset Pricing Model relies on the mathematical notion of
expected rates of return . It is thus important to determine just how well stock
prices mirror the fundamental value of firms. Previous studies on stock returns
have revealed certain empirical anomalies and irregularities. Past studies
conducted primarily in the US indicated the existence of "day-of-the-week"
seasonal anomaly where daily returns for certain days of the week are
consistently above or below the average. This paper attempts to observe this
phenomenon in the Malaysian stock market by using data of daily index returns.
It was found that DOTW effects observed at the KLSE were only statistically
significant during periods of economic expansion. A new finding revealed by this study was that Wednesday exhibited the highest mean daily returns at the KLSE
as opposed to the finding of Friday having this distinction in earlier studies.
However,in agreement with earlier studies; this study discovered that Monday
has the lowest mean daily return among the days of the week.Furthermore, it
was discovered that Monday persistently recorded negative daily returns. A
formal model attempting to explain the anomaly is presented. The implications of
the observed anomaly to the Efficient Market Hypothesis is then discussed.


The HabEx (Habitable Exoplanet) concept study is defining a future space telescope with the primary mission of detecting and characterizing planetary systems around nearby stars. The telescope baseline design includes a high-contrast coronagraph and a starshade to enable the direct optical detection of exoplanets as close as 70 mas to their star. In addition to the study of exoplanets, HabEx carries two dedicated instruments for general astrophysics. The first instrument is a camera enabling imaging on a 3 arc minute field of view in two bands stretching from the UV at 150 nm to the near infrared at 1800 nm. The same instrument can also be operated as a multi-object spectrograph, with resolution of 2000. The second instrument is a high-resolution UV spectrograph operating from 300 nm down to 115 nm with up to 60,0000 resolution. HabEx would provide the highest resolution UV/optical images ever obtained. Diffraction limited at 0.4 μm, it would outperform all current and approved facilities, including the 30 m class ground-based extremely large telescopes (ELTs), which will achieve ~0.01 arcsecond resolution at near-infrared (IR) wavelengths with adaptive optics, but will be seeing-limited at optical wavelengths. HabEx would observe wavelengths inaccessible from the ground, including the UV and in optical/near-IR atmospheric absorption bands. Operating at L2, far above the Earth's atmosphere and free from the large thermal swings inherent to HST's low-Earth orbit, HabEx would provide an ultra-stable platform that will enable science ranging from precision astrometry to the most sensitive weak lensing maps ever obtained. Here we discuss the design concepts of the general astrophysics optical instruments for the proposed observatory.


Purpose: Time spent sedentary is associated with poor health. Self-monitoring of walking, using pedometers for objectively measured real-time feedback, is highly effective at increasing physical activity. There is no similar device to self-monitor time spent sitting. The aim of this study was: a) to evaluate the acceptability and usability of a prototype of the novel pocket worn SitFIT (TM) as a self-monitoring device for reducing sedentary behaviour and increasing physical activity; b) to assess whether feedback on sitting time or standing time was likely to be most effective. Methods: A convenience sample of forty sedentary men (30-65 years) was randomised into one of two intervention groups. Over a period of 4 weeks, one group received a SitFIT (TM) prototype providing feedback on steps and time spent sedentary (lying/sitting); the other group received a SitFIT (TM) prototype providing feedback on steps and time spent upright (standing/walking). Incremental goals for sedentary/upright time and steps were provided in conjunction with information how to achieve the goals. Change in physical activity and sedentary behaviour was assessed using activPAL (TM) monitors at baseline and 4 week follow up, at which point all participants returned their SitFIT (TM). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants after 4 and 8 weeks. The interviews were recorded digitally, transcribed and then analysed thematically. Results: On average, participants in both groups reduced their sedentary time by 32±98 minutes/day (F=4.11, p=0.05) and increased their standing time by 23±60 minutes/day (F=5.87, p=0.02). Step count was increased by 260±2473 steps/day (non-significant). There were no between-group differences. Overall, the SitFIT (TM) was reported as acceptable and usable and seen as helpful to reduce time spent sitting. Participants provided suggestions for improving the SitFIT (TM) design, some of which were incorporated into the next version of the SitFIT (TM). Conclusions: The SitFIT (TM) has potential to be used as a self-monitoring device in interventions aiming to reduce sedentary behaviour. The effectiveness of the SitFIT (TM) for changing sedentary behaviour remains to be determined in a fully powered trial.


A method for simultaneously measuring the magnitude and phase of the harmonics generated by a microwave two-port is reported. The two-port under test is driven with a sinusoidal microwave signal strong enough to force it into nonlinear operation. Its output harmonics are measured in the frequency domain with a setup that includes a vector network analyzer. For phase calibration at the harmonic frequencies, a millimeter-wave Schottky diode is used as a reference device. The system allows the measurement of harmonics with a phase accuracy of about +or-10 degrees at 20 GHz (referred to f/sub 1/=5 GHz). It can be built for any frequency ( >


The Coconut Leaf Beetle, scientifically known as Brontispa longissima (Gestro), is an introduced species that is becoming an alarming pest of coconuts in the Philippines. The infestation caused by this pest is damaging to all stages of coconut growth. This study was conducted to assess the degree of damage and infestation caused by Brontispa longissima on the seedlings of 10 selected tall and dwarf coconut varieties in the National Coconut Research Center at Visayas State University, Leyte, Philippines. Among the selected varieties, seedlings of Baybay Tall (green and brown) and Albuera Dwarf varieties succumbed to more damage by B. longissima beetles compared with the other varieties observed with 41-80% of the first openned leaf area damaged. Seedlings of Malayan Yellow Dwarf and Malayan Red Dwarf varieties had the least damage with 0-20% of the first openned leaf area damaged. The high damage ratings of Baybay Tall and Albuera Dwarf were expected because these varieties had high infestation rates and harbored the most numbers of B. longissima adults, eggs, and larval stages, which indicated the preference of B. longissima for these varieties. The developmental period of B. longissima in Baybay Tall and Albuera Dwarf of 44 days and 45 days on the average, respectively, was shorter than in other varieties, indicating that these are suitable and preferred hosts. Baybay Tall seemed to be the most preferred variety. The beetles had least preference for Malayan Yellow Dwarf and Malayan Red Dwarf varieties.


Perforin gene (PRF1) mutations have been reported in 20-30% of patients with familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL), an autosomal recessive disorder of infancy and early childhood that impairs or abolishes lymphocyte cytotoxicity. We report the first case of FHL in an adult patient homozygous for A91V in PRF1 with tuberculosis. The monozygotic twin of the patient is healthy. A91V confers genetic susceptibility for the development of FHL, but is not enough to trigger the disease on its own. We discuss the role of the A91V change together with M. tuberculosis infection as synergistic factors in the late onset of FHL.


The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) provides multiple epoch imaging for a large fraction of the celestial sphere. Here, we describe the photometric calibration of the PTF data products that allows the PTF magnitudes to be related to other magnitude systems. The calibration process utilizes Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) r ∼ 16 mag point-source objects as photometric standards. During photometric conditions, this allows us to solve for the extinction coefficients and color terms and to estimate the camera illumination correction. This also enables the calibration of fields that are outside the SDSS footprint. We test the precision and repeatability of the PTF photometric calibration. Given that PTF is observing in a single filter each night, we define a PTF calibrated magnitude system for the R band and g band. We show that, in this system, ≈59% (47%) of the photometrically calibrated PTF R-band (g-band) data achieve a photometric precision of 0.02–0.04 mag and have color terms and extinction coefficients that are close to their average values. Given the objects' color, the PTF magnitude system can be converted to other systems. Moreover, a night-by-night comparison of the calibrated magnitudes of individual stars observed on multiple nights shows that they are consistent to a level of ≈0.02 mag. Most of the data that were taken under nonphotometric conditions can be calibrated relative to other epochs of the same sky footprint obtained during photometric conditions. We provide a concise guide describing how to use the PTF photometric-calibration data products, as well as the transformations between the PTF magnitude system and the SDSS and Johnson-Cousins systems.


The intramyocardial dissecting haematoma is an unusual rupture of the left ventricular wall, complicating acute myocardial infarction. The mechanism is an hemorrhagic dissection among the spiral myocardial fibres creating a neocavitation limited by the myocardium. It appears in 9% of left ventricular wall ruptures, complicating acute myocardial infarction. Diagnosis is often difficult and in most of the cases it is post-mortem. We present the case report of a 69 year old patient who suffered a posterolateral acute myocardial infarction treated with primary PTCA/Stent plus AAS, clopidogrel, unfractioned heparin bolus and GP IIb- IIIa inhibitors. In the following few hours he suffered this unusual form of cardiac rupture that took him into cardiogenic shock and finally led to his death. The pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of this lethal complication of acute myocardial infarction (90% mortality in the medically treated group) which is only effectively treated by surgery are also reviewed.


IT IS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED THAT A HIGH-BANDWIDTH and highly available networked communication system should overlay the transmission system topology in order to enable the control and protection envisaged today to make the grid more efficient and more reliable. The specifications for such a communication system have been difficult to develop, however, because it needs to support a great variety of applications, many of which have not yet been developed. Organizations such as the North American SynchroPhasor Initiative (NASPI) are trying to build on this vision of a communication system that can utilize phasor measurement data to initiate fast controllers, including flexible alternating current transmission system (FACTS) devices.


Salad dressing is one type of food that uses a process of mixing (homogenization) with the principle of mixing oil with water. Also used as an emulsifier component that can maintain stability so that the mixing of salad dressing is not easy to separate oil and water layers. Homogenizer is a tool designed consists of a digital LCD, stirrers, stabilizer, stative, and clamp. Homogenizer very capable for mixing at high speed up to 27.000 rpm to separate the water with oil. The purpose of the use of a homogenizer for salad dressing emulsion stability testing, using homogenization and variable rotation speed ratio of different materials.
In the test results remain variable salad dressing used is a rotary homogenizer and lemon juice ratio, while the change in variable rotational speed homogenizer is used, the ratio of soybean oil. For comparison is used as an emulsifier and egg yolks to the observation of the temperature difference salad dressing emulsion stability. Analysis conducted in this experiment was a test of density, viscosity, organoleptic, and emulsion stability test.
In the test density and viscosity obtained using the rotational speed ratio homogenasasi and different materials - different when mixing. The faster the rotation homogenizer, then the material will be homogenized so well that the density and viscosity will be smaller. The addition of egg yolk as a natural emulsifier that has its activity lowered the surface tension between two phases of different polarity and different densities, in this case the water is polar and the non-polar oil. Because of this emulsifier activity, both substances can be united with the good. Egg yolk as an emulsifier to produce density and viscosity greater after mixed with soybean oil and lemon juice.


We present a quantitative, data-driven machine learning approach to mitigate the problem of unpredictability of Computer Science Graduate School Admissions. In this paper, we discuss the possibility of a system which may help prospective applicants evaluate their Statement of Purpose (SOP) based on our system output. We, then, identify feature sets which can be used to train a predictive model. We train a model over fifty manually verified SOPs for which it uses an SVM classifier and achieves the highest accuracy of 92% with 10-fold cross-validation. We also perform experiments to establish that Word Embedding based features and Document Similarity-based features outperform other identified feature combinations. We plan to deploy our application as a web service and release it as a FOSS service.


This paper aims to discuss the concept of how businesses can build loyalty using media sharing websites such as YouTube. More specifically, this case study will discuss how Universal Music Group created a successful channel in YouTube, and how loyalty can be generated using such a method. This study will be implemented by reviewing relevant theory in loyalty and analyzing YouTube and Universal Music Group's content in its channel within. The content analysis method is applied in this study, as it is regarded as a major research technique for understanding the design and functions of websites (McMillan, 2000). Using media sharing websites such as YouTube enables businesses to showcase their products to a wider audience, creating awareness that can lead to exploration and the fostering of relationships. Based on loyalty theory, this information to gain a competitive advantage in offering product information to a wider audience, fostering relationships between themselves and the public, and building loyalty using online communities such as YouTube in particular. This paper addresses the concept of generating loyalty in media sharing websites. Such a concept is important as more and more businesses turn to the online environment to gain a competitive advantage. Disciplines Business | Social and Behavioral Sciences Publication Details Chang, J. & Lewis, C. (2009). Loyalty in media sharing websites: the case of universal music group. Journal of Internet Business, 7, 21-41. This journal article is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/commpapers/3080 Journal of Internet Business Issue 72009 20 Loyalty in Media Sharing Websites: The Case of Universal Music Group Joshua Chang Charles Sturt University, Australia Clifford Lewis University of Wollongong, Australia


Objective: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of different overlying materials, such as Intermediate Restorative Material (IRM) or resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) on the hardness of BiodentineTM, used as a pulpotomy agent in primary teeth, as a function of its hardness 24 hours after final tooth restoration. Methods: Forty extracted primary molars were mounted in stone. The teeth were randomly selected into four groups of ten teeth each. Occlusal cavities were prepared to the furcation and pulpal debris was excavated in each sample. Group 1 was restored with BiodentineTM, IRM, and a Stainless Steel Crown (SSC). Group 2 was restored with BiodentineTM, Fuji II, and a SSC. Group 3 was restored with BiodentineTM and an SSC. Group 4 was restored with BiodentineTM only. All samples were stored in an incubator at 37C and 100% humidity. After 24 hours, samples were sectioned mesio-distally and polished. The setting reaction was measured as a function of Knoop Hardness value (HK) using Leco Microhardness Tester. Each sample was measured at three zones with a 50gf load force for 30 seconds starting at one millimeter from the BiodentineTM material interface. The data was analyzed using One-Way ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey test.
Results: There was no significant statistical difference in the mean value among the four groups (p>0.05), and among the three zones. Conclusions: In this in vitro study, BiodentineTM was a suitable restorative material for primary molar pulpotomies and the overlying material showed no influence on the hardness of BiodentineTM after 24 hours.


A fluorinated poly(phenylene ether ketone) encapsulant has been identified as a high-performance chemically reworkable thermoplastic with near hermetic protection. The 12F-PEK has legacy as a high-reliability microelectronics coating for bare silicon and gallium arsenide die and microelectronics packages including PEM, CSP, PCB, COB, SCM, MCM, and MEMS. It has recently been discovered that the 12F-PEK coating is a peripheral packaging candidate for MOEMS, electro-optical, and micro-scale optical applications. Characterization of the 12F-PEK encapsulant revealed a refractive index of 1.51 from 200-900nm, <5% haze from 350-800nm, >90% transmission from 1000-2100nm, 0.07% moisture absorption, and no failures at 85/spl deg/C/85% RH/5V Bias/2500 hours with Sandia ATC 2.6 TVs. The low water absorption and long-term stability of the 12F-PEK fluoropolymer presents a novel approach for packaging optical systems that will be subjected to hostile environmental conditions.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether there is a significant difference in consumer's attitude and purchase intentions toward organic food and conventional food (non-organic food and non-genetically modified) under the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for environmental protection in the context of global warming and frequent food safety issues.

Design/methodology/approach
To understand the triple bottom line(TBL) affect the consumers' attitude and purchase intentions of organic food and conventional food from the consumer's point of view, primary data collected via 363 valid questionnaires tested the conceptual model by structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings
The results show that CSR has a significant influence on consumers' perceived value. Moreover, perceived value is an important factor in affecting consumers' attitude and purchase intentions. And consumers' attitude toward environmental concern, food safety concern and CSR also have an indirect effect on purchase intentions.

Originality/value
The findings of the study would help corporations not only pursue economic profit but also keep a balance within the environment and the ecosystem, and serve as a reference to corporations to fulfill CSR for the goal of sustainable management.


This paper presents the successive mean quantization transform (SMQT). The transform reveals the organization or structure of the data and removes properties such as gain and bias. The transform is described and applied in speech processing and image processing. The SMQT is considered as an extra processing step for the mel frequency cepstral coefficients commonly used in speech recognition. In image processing the transform is applied in automatic image enhancement and dynamic range compression.


OBJECT
Interspinous process implants are becoming more common for the treatment of lumber disc degeneration. The authors undertook this study to evaluate the effect of the In-Space interspinous spacer on the biomechanics of the lumbosacral spine.

METHODS
Seven L2-S1 cadaver spines were physiologically loaded in extension, flexion, lateral bending, and axial rotation modes. The range of motion (ROM) and intervertebral disc pressure (DP) at the level implanted with an In-Space device and at adjacent levels were measured under 4 experimental conditions. Biomechanical testing was carried out on 7 sequentially prepared specimens in the following states: 1) the intact L2-S1 cadaver spine and 2) the L2-S1 cadaver specimen implanted with an In-Space interspinous spacer at L3-4 (Group 1), 3) after an additional L3-4 discectomy (with the In-Space interspinous spacer still in place) (Group 2), and finally, 4) after removal of the In-Space interspinous spacer, leaving only the discectomized (that is, destabilized) spine model (Group 3).

RESULTS
The extension ROM at the implanted level after experimental conditions 2 and 3 above was statistically significantly reduced. An increase of ROM at the adjacent levels compensated for the reduction at the implanted level. However, there was no statistically significant change in ROM in any of the other modes of motion at any of the levels studied. Likewise, the DP reduction at L3-4 during extension was statistically significant, but in all other modes of motion, there was no statistically significant change in DP at any measured level. The In-Space interspinous spacer statistically significantly reduced the ROM of the L3-4 motion segment in Groups 1 and 2 (extension: 67%, p = 0.018 and 70%, p = 0.018; flexion: 72%, p = 0.028 and 80%, p = 0.027). After placement of the In-Space interspinous spacer, the DP was decreased at L3-4 in extension for Groups 1 and 2 in the posterior anular region (63%, p = 0.028; 59%, p = 0.043), Group 2 in the center region (73%, p = 0.028), and Groups 1 and 2 in the anterior anular region (57%, p = 0.018; 60%, p = 0.018).

CONCLUSIONS
The In-Space interspinous spacer both stabilizes the spine and reduces the intervertebral DP at the instrumented level during extension. The biomechanics for other modes of motion and at the adjacent levels are not affected statistically significantly, however. The device thus performed as intended. It significantly stabilized the motion segments at the instrumented level, but not at the segment adjacent to the instrumented level.


ABSTRACT The highest estimates of the prevalence of commercial contract cheating in Australia come from self-report surveys, which suggest that around 2% of students engage in commercial contract cheating during their higher education studies. However, self-report surveys are limited in that participants under-report socially-undesirable behaviours. In this study, we used an incentivised truth-telling method and surveyed 4098 students from six universities and six independent higher education providers in Australia. We found that 2.46 times more students admitted to commercial contract cheating, via submitting ghost-written assessments, when truth-telling was incentivised (via a Bayesian Truth Serum methodology) rather than when normal self-report survey instructions were used. Using prevalence estimation formulae that are combined with the incentivised truth-telling method, we estimate that 7.9% of students buy and submit assignments from commercial contract cheating services. Additionally, 11.4% outsource assessments via obtaining pre-written work from commercial file-sharing sites. These are substantially higher percentages of commercial contract cheating than self-reports suggest. Furthermore, having a first language other than English was the strongest demographic predictor of Australian students' engagement in commercial contract cheating. We conclude that commercial contract cheating is a more common problem than suggested by self-report surveys. We argue that academic integrity researchers should consider methods beyond standard self-reports to estimate the prevalence of academic misconduct and that efforts to curb commercial contract cheating must be increased.


Abstract The investigation of materials found in Bacon's studio is reported. The contents of the studio are examined and interpreted to identify the materials and colours most favoured by Bacon, and the range of media used. A small number of colours appear to have been heavily used. Some objects used as tools in the painting process are also investigated and explain textures seen in paint in his works. Samples of selected materials from the studio are analysed to identify the components of paints (pigments, extenders, and binders) used by Bacon. This investigation is part of a wider project examining his materials and techniques. The analytical information obtained here from the studio helps to clarify the statements made by Bacon in interviews regarding his use of materials and is proving useful in the identification of materials in his paintings, in order to help with the conservation and authentication of his works.


Automated In-Process Software Engineering Measurement and Analysis (AISEMA) systems represent a major advancement in tracking non-invasively the activities of developers. We have built on the top of an AISEMA system a model that enables to understand better how the tools are used in practical real-life development settings. In this work we evaluate to what extent experienced developers change their activities during mentoring activities in Pair Programming (PP) and, in this case, how long this effect can be observed. We compare how the experienced developers use the tools when working with other experts and when with new developers. The results indicate that there is a notable difference in the way the tools are used between the experts working together and the experts mentoring the new developers that have just joined the team. Moreover, over time the difference between pairs of experts and mixed pairs (experts and novices) working together becomes almost unnoticeable.


This paper reports on the experimental use of a recently developed musical looping app with a class of Japanese university students of English during 2014. Working in groups using shared hand-held devices, students created compositions based on lexical chunks or formulaic sequences selected freely from a fixed text. A scored example of one such group composition is included in the paper. During research, the author acted as instructor and a participant/observer role afforded an intimate view of the educational process. Self-assessment questionnaires prior to and post working with Loopy indicate that students experienced increased confidence in their ability to produce spoken English over a three-month period. The affordances and constraints of using the musical app to learn English are examined and a significant increase in speech rate when reading from a fixed text is also noted.