ABSTRACT The traditional description of "the scientific method" as a stepwise, linear process of hypothesis testing through experimentation is a myth. Although the teaching and learning of the scientific method have been a curriculum and assessment goal, the notion of the 'scientific method' itself has been identified as being problematic. Many researchers have recognised there is no single scientific method. However, there does not seem to be any useful guidelines for how best to deal with the nature of scientific methods in school science, including in high-stakes summative assessment. The article presents the use of a framework to illustrate the diversity of scientific methods that goes beyond the traditional limitations of a scientific method, to provide a more comprehensive and inclusive account, including non-manipulative parameter measurements. The framework not only clarifies the definition of scientific methods but also is adapted as an analytical framework to trace how scientific methods are framed in high-stakes chemistry examination papers from three examination boards in England. Such analyses can potentially point to what is emphasised in chemistry lessons, given how instrumental high-stakes testing is for driving teaching and learning. Results from an empirical investigation of examination questions are presented, highlighting an imbalance in the representation of methods in chemistry tests.


In French, a phonological phrase (PP) can either be isomorphic with an accentual phrase (AP) or else be produced as two separate APs, when possible. The PP has also been recently found to be directly involved in lexical access processing, in that a PP boundary might remove a temporary lexical ambiguity. In a set of two experiments, we show here that a temporary lexically ambiguous sequence can also be removed by the presence of an AP boundary. Specifically, reaction times for word monitoring were faster for ambiguous sequences when an AP boundary was present. These results suggest that tonal cues and other phonetic/phonological properties of the auditory stimuli have an impact on word recognition and must be considered for lexical access in French.


A comprehensive study was performed to assist the new graduate and novice contact lens practitioner in the choice of the optimal lens for each case scenario, as well as provide guidance for inventory selection. The survey was distributed to the clinical staff at the State University of New York, State College of Optometry, in order to take advantage of the knowledge of the experienced contact lens fitter. There appear to be clinically significant relationships between lens characteristics and performance ratings.


Increased demand for long-term care (LTC) services alongside precarious working conditions has resulted in labour shortages in the LTC sector, which has led to an increasing share of workers of migrant origin filling these jobs. Previous research on migrant care workers has also highlighted the seeming gap in working conditions relative to native workers. However, lack of disaggregated data on migrant and native care workers, alongside single-case studies, may have concealed potential disadvantages faced by certain groups and insufficiently accounted for differences in migration regimes and organisation of LTC sectors. To address these gaps, we carried out a comparative study on various working conditions of migrant and native LTC workers in Austria and Sweden. Using the international Nordcare survey on care sector working conditions, carried out in Austria in 2017 (n = 792) and in Sweden in 2015 (n = 708), we employed t-tests and multivariate logistic regressions to compare the working conditions of migrant and native carers in home and residential care in each country. We found that worse working conditions in Sweden compared to Austria may be explained by differences in training requirements of the LTC workforce and the relatively large for-profit private sector. Country of origin also plays a paramount role in the differences in working conditions experienced by migrants compared to native care workers, with non-European migrants being more likely to face a number of precarious working conditions. Our findings highlight the need to continue addressing precarious working conditions across the sector, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic where poor working conditions have been linked to increased COVID-related deaths in nursing homes. Our findings also emphasise the importance of policies that consider the various challenges experienced by different migrant groups in the LTC sector, who may particularly be at risk of presenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic.


The subject of engaging mothers in appropriate family support continues to be debated and this paper explores the complex factors that influenced one mother's willingness to accept support. In addition, it captures how her family support worker built and sustained a "help-providing" and "help-receiving" relationship despite the mother's resistance. This paper reports on data that were gathered as part of a larger research study based in two Sure Start Children's Centres and draws on one case study as an exemplar that illustrates the nature of family support. By presenting Zoe's story, this paper draws on personal construct theory to examine the reasons why one mother refused to engage in support services based on her negative self-construct. The findings identify that the building and sustaining of relationships with vulnerable and excluded mothers is complex and requires workers to manage and negotiate their everyday interactions and adapt the support offered. In addition, they identify how these "help-providing" and "help-receiving" relationships enable mothers to access the support that they need and refine their negative self-constructs and predict more positive outcomes for their family.


Zimbabwe's economic meltdown decade of 2000-2009 virtually paralyzed all socio-economic sectors including services delivery in urban areas. Economic sanctions imposed by the West, coupled with the climate change threat have only exacerbated the urban services delivery nightmare, especially the water delivery system. Notwithstanding, not all hope is lost. This study sought to assess the urban domestic water supply challenges and opportunities in Gweru's Mtapa (or Mutapa) suburb using questionnaires, interviews and direct observations. Questionnaires were self-administered to 56 systematically selected residents of Mtapa Sections 5 and 6, while interviews were conducted with 3 purposively sampled key respondents who included Gweru Residents Association Organizing Secretary, Councillor for ward 6 which covers Mtapa suburb, and Chief Water Technician responsible for water supply. Results confirm that Mtapa suburb faces serious water supply challenges. Over 50% of the respondents confirmed that the unreliable water supply situation has affected their use of the toilet and they now live in fear of diarrhoeal diseases due to this unsanitary situation. Over 80% of the respondents have a negative perception in terms of water service delivery. Women have been largely affected by this situation in that they cannot fetch enough water for all domestic purposes mainly due to the distance to the alternative water sources (boreholes). There are, however, a number of feasible opportunities which can be pursued to improve this poor water supply situation in Mtapa and the city of Gweru in general. The study recommends that Gweru City Council avoids politicizing agreements with international organizations to help reduce the water problems because this will block these organizations from financially and technically helping in service delivery. The study also recommends that City Council resume pumping of water into reservoir tanks so that in cases of emergency or breakdown of pumps, water will be available for domestic use by residents. This can be achieved since there is now the involvement of international organizations for financial assistance.


Between 1827 and 1829, John Ruskin underwent a rite of passage to being admitted as a participant in his parents' personal correspondence. Simultaneously, in his juvenilia, he composed dialogues between children and parents in imitation of conversations in Aikin and Barbauld's Evenings at Home and in Maria Edgeworth's Frank: A Sequel and Harry and Lucy Concluded. This article investigates how Ruskin's management of fictional dialogues under his control intersected with his participation in family letters, which was managed by his parents, particularly his mother, Margaret Ruskin. She discouraged his preoccupation with the materiality of letter writing since, in her view, the purpose of family letters lay in sincere confession of feeling. At the same time, anxious that he uphold a respectful epistolary relationship with his father, Margaret consulted letter-writing manuals for rules to manage John's epistolary rhetoric as well as material presentation. Ruskin subverted these constraints in his invented parent-child dialogues, by reversing or deflecting Barbauld's and Edgeworth' lessons of self-control and humility. Thus, Ruskin staked a place in his parents' correspondence on his own terms, persisting in fashioning a distinctly material emphasis in his epistolary bond with his father.


The objective of this symposium piece is to explore why shareholder derivative suits are rare in Continental Europe, while they are the central mechanisms of corporate governance enforcement in the United States. I focus on Germany, France and Italy, and provide more limited references regarding derivative suits in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. The two points I seek to make can be summarized under the headings of the "Anna Karenina Principle" and "The Path of Least Resistance."Jared Diamond popularized the "Anna Karenina Principle" based on the first line of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel, according to which "all happy families are alike." Diamond varies the idea to explain that an animal species, to be susceptible to domestication by humans, needs to meet a list of criteria. It fails the test if a single one is not met. An analogous point can be made for derivative suits. Only the US and Japan seem to "get it right" with respect to all necessary criteria to make derivative litigation an attractive model for shareholders. In other words, no single factor suffices to explain the scarcity of derivative litigation in Continental Europe. Each country fails the test with respect to at least one criterion, most fail with respect to several. I survey the available explanations and additional ones, focusing on minimum share ownership requirements, the allocation of litigation risk, access to information, and limitations regarding potential defendants.The small number of derivative suits is often seen as a reason why Continental European corporate law is underenforced. While I do not attempt to disprove this claim, I suggest that that there is a significant degree of corporate law enforcement in Continental Europe. If derivative suits are difficult, disgruntled shareholders will take the "Path of Least Resistance" and resort to other enforcement mechanisms. I therefore address other ways in which shareholders can seek judicial recourse that do not take the shape of derivative litigation, namely rescission suits, which are common in several countries, but subject to a particularly intense debate in Germany; criminal enforcement, on which shareholders are able to "piggyback" e.g. in France; and the Dutch model of judicial "inquiry proceedings." Each of these provides makes it easier for shareholders to seek redress than derivative suits, who are likely to seek the "path of least resistance" in litigation. While the success of these mechanisms that corporate law is equally strongly enforced as it is in the United States, we can identify some partial functional equivalents.


Using input from the public, a new type of vehicle emissions information system has been developed which utilizes an innovative variable message sign to display individual vehicle emissions information to passing drivers. Called the Smart Sign, the system merged highway messaging and on-road vehicle emissions sensing into a costeffective public information system. The Smart Sign used a combination of words, colors, and graphics to connect with its audience. During its operational test period the system proved to be a viable technical concept which can be operated dependably and safely in even high traffic areas (in excess of 1000 vehicles per hour). The system was subjected to a wide range of operating conditions including weather extremes (-20 to 100 °F, heavy rain, hail, snow) and between May 16, 1996 to May 15, 1997 recorded unattended emissions information of more than 3 million readings from an estimated 250 000 individuals. The ability to operate the system without constant human supervision has created a cost-effective messaging system capable of delivering real-time vehicle emissions information for a long term estimated cost of $60 000/yr or about $0.02 per test and demonstrated the potential for intelligent highways of the future to detect gross polluting vehicles. Using information from a companion license plate reading system a sample of 474 motorists (14% poor, 43% fair, and 43% good) were interviewed by telephone. Seventy-six percent of the weighted population had a favorable impression (5% unfavorable) of the Smart Sign with the majority (61%) expressing its informative nature as the main reason. Eight percent of the total sample planned to do something in response to the sign. Respondents in the "POOR" stratum (31%) were almost twice as likely to respond to the system as those in the "FAIR" stratum (16%) and five times as likely as those in the "GOOD" stratum (6%). Sixteen percent of the poor's (1.6% of the overall fleet) reported to have already taken corrective action as a result of the Smart Sign. This produces an estimate that more than 4000 voluntary repairs were made as a result of Smart Sign readings during the year.


This document and the accompanying datasets provide six things: (i) a dataset covering 26 years (1990-2015) of medical malpractice ("med mal") insurance premia, compiled with extensive data cleaning from the only available source for these rates, annual surveys conducted by Medical Liability Monitor (MLM); (ii) an accompanying codebook; (iii) the Stata code we use to clean the raw data; (iv) merger of the MLM data with related datasets from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the American Medical Association; (v) a survey of prior uses of the MLM data; and (vi) a summary analysis of the data. We hope that the availability of this cleaned dataset will prompt further research on the effects of med mal premiums on provider behavior. We provide separate raw and cleaned datasets. We plan, but do not promise, to update the dataset as additional annual releases become available.The dataset, codebook, and code are available on SSRN at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2716911.


One of the main goals of the Cancer Dependency Map project is to systematically identify cancer vulnerabilities across cancer types to accelerate therapeutic discovery. Project Achilles serves this goal through the in vitro study of genetic dependencies in cancer cell lines using CRISPR/Cas9 (and, previously, RNAi) loss-of-function screens. The project is committed to the public release of its experimental results quarterly on the DepMap Portal (https://depmap.org), on a pre-publication basis. As the experiment has evolved, data processing procedures have changed. Here we present the current and projected Achilles processing pipeline, including recent improvements and the analyses that led us to adopt them, spanning data releases from early 2018 to the first quarter of 2020. Notable changes include quality control metrics, calculation of probabilities of dependency, and correction for screen quality and other biases. Developing and improving methods for extracting biologically-meaningful scores from Achilles experiments is an ongoing process, and we will continue to evaluate and revise data processing procedures to produce the best results.


OBJECTIVE Structural brain abnormalities are key risk factors for brain diseases, such as dementia, stroke, and depression, in type 2 diabetes. It is unknown whether structural brain abnormalities already occur in prediabetes. Therefore, we investigated whether both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are associated with lacunar infarcts (LIs), white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), and brain atrophy. RESEARCH DESIGN and METHODS We used data from 2,228 participants (1,373 with normal glucose metabolism [NGM], 347 with prediabetes, and 508 with type 2 diabetes (oversampled); mean age 59.2 ± 8.2 years; 48.3% women) of the Maastricht Study, a population-based cohort study. Diabetes status was determined with an oral glucose tolerance test. Brain imaging was performed with 3 Tesla MRI. Results were analyzed with multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses. RESULTS Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes were associated with the presence of LIs (odds ratio 1.61 [95% CI 0.98–2.63] and 1.67 [1.04–2.68], respectively; Ptrend = 0.027), larger WMH (β 0.07 log10-transformed mL [log-mL] [95% CI 0.00–0.15] and 0.21 log-mL [0.14–0.28], respectively; Ptrend <0.001), and smaller white matter volumes (β −4.0 mL [−7.3 to −0.6] and −7.2 mL [−10.4 to −4.0], respectively; Ptrend <0.001) compared with NGM. Prediabetes was not associated with gray matter volumes or the presence of CMBs. CONCLUSIONS Prediabetes is associated with structural brain abnormalities, with further deterioration in type 2 diabetes. These results indicate that, in middle-aged populations, structural brain abnormalities already occur in prediabetes, which may suggest that the treatment of early dysglycemia may contribute to the prevention of brain diseases.


Abstract. We describe a new extant species of freshwater turtle from Brazil: Mesoclemmys sp. nov., a medium-sized toad-headed turtle (mean carapace length = 189.5 ± 25.8 mm), which to date has only been found in the Brazilian Amazon Basin, western Pará State, Central Amazon, and the lower Amazonas River Basin. It is easily distinguished from its sympatric congeners by differences in body size, head size, carapace shape, and coloration. The head is triangular and completely black, with large red eyes positioned anteriorly and a pair of long, light yellow barbels positioned anteriorly close the mandible. The carapace is oval and colored dark reddish brown. The plastron is black in the central region and burnt-yellow along the edges and ventral aspects of the marginal scutes and bridge, with dark seams. The plastral formula is 3-5-7-4-1-6-2. The new species inhabits temporary rainwater ponds under closed-canopy rainforest and has a known geographic range of 2183 km2. Sequences of fragment mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S) of the new species were determined and compared with the available GenBank sequences. Our phylogenetic results indicate that the specimens represent a divergent taxon within Mesoclemmys and a robust analysis of morphological data corroborates the existence of a new distinct species of Mesoclemmys, described herein.


Direct coupling analysis (DCA) is a powerful tool based on protein evolution and introduced to predict protein fold and protein-protein interactions which has been applied also to the prediction of entire interactomes. We have used DCA to analyse three proteins of the iron-sulfur biogenesis machine, an essential metabolic pathway conserved in all organisms. We show that, although based on a relatively small number of sequences due to its distribution in genomes, we can correctly recapitulate all the features of the fold of the CyaY/frataxin family, a protein involved in the human disease Friedreich's ataxia. This result gave us confidence in the use of this tool. Application of DCA to the iron-sulfur cluster scaffold protein IscU, which has been suggested to function both as an ordered and a disordered form, allows us to clearly distinguish evolutionary traces of the structured species, suggesting that, if present in the cell, the disordered form has not left any evolutionary imprinting. We observe instead, for the first time, direct indications of how the protein can dimerize head-to-head and bind 4Fe4S clusters. Analysis of the alternative scaffold protein IscA provides strong support to a coordination of the cluster mediated by a dimeric rather than a tetrameric form as previously suggested. Our analysis also suggests the presence in solution of a mixture of monomeric and dimeric species and guide us to the prevalent one. Finally, we used DCA to analyse protein-protein interactions between some of these proteins and discuss the potentialities and the limitations of the method.


In this study, an aeration volume control strategy for an activated sludge process is evaluated in a pilot plant at Hammarby Sjostad in Stockholm, Sweden. The main idea has been to let the DO concentration in some of the aerated compartments be determined by the DO concentration in other compartments. In this way only sensors for measuring the DO concentrations are needed for the decision of time varying DO set-points. The high reliability of such sensors implies robust input values for the proposed control strategy. The suggested manipulations of the DO set-points are indirectly determined by the current load into the plant. Compared to constant DO control, the suggested aeration volume control strategies could reduce the effluent nitrate and ammonium concentrations significantly without increasing the aeration energy. A simulation study including an evaluation of different controller design parameters has also been performed.


PURPOSE
To identify peptides of the LG4 module of the laminin alpha5 chain that mediate human conjunctival epithelial cell adhesion to the laminin-10 isoform.

METHODS
A peptide corresponding to a major heparin- and cell-binding domain of the LG4 module of the laminin alpha5 chain was analyzed. The attachment of conjunctival epithelial cells to the peptide compared with laminin-10 was determined by colorimetric adhesion assay. The role of glycosaminoglycans in mediating adhesion to the peptide was determined by altering their function at the cell surface and by blocking adhesion with exogenous glycosaminoglycans. The role of syndecan-4 in cell adhesion to the peptide was examined by adhesion assay. The role of the peptide in cell signaling was examined by phosphotyrosine Western blot analysis.

RESULTS
The peptide facilitated the adhesion of conjunctival epithelium, although not as efficiently as laminin-10. Heparinase had no effect on adhesion to the peptide. In contrast, adhesion to the peptide decreased in glycosaminoglycan-deficient cells, heparatinase-treated cells, cells blocked with exogenous heparan sulfate proteoglycan, and cells treated with antibodies to the ectodomain of syndecan-4. Cell adhesion to the peptide for 90 or 120 minutes resulted in a significant increase in focal adhesion kinase (FAK) tyrosine phosphorylation, compared with the nonadherent control.

CONCLUSIONS
Human conjunctival epithelial cells use a heparin- and cell-binding peptide of the LG4 module of laminin alpha5 chain in adhesion to laminin-10. Syndecan-4 is one mechanism by which the peptide facilitates adhesion. In addition to adhesion, the peptide may function in cell-signaling events.


The fabrication of dense Si3N4 nano-ceramics via a high-energy mechanical milling process and subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS) was reported in this paper. A thermodynamically stable β-Si3N4 powder mixed with 5-mol% Y2O3 and 2-mol% Al2O3 was used as starting powders for high-energy mechanical milling. Milling resulted in the significant decrease of crystalline size and the amorphization of the starting powders. Based on XRD measurements, the amount of the amorphous phase and the grain sizes of the remaining crystalline silicon nitride depended on the charge ratio. Milled powders could be SPSed at relatively low temperature. A homogenous dense silicon nitride ceramics with grain diameter of about 70 nm could be fabricated through SPS at a low temperature of 1600oC for 5 min. The significant decrease of grain size greatly increased the hardness of obtained ceramics.


National identity, how one sees oneself as a member of a given nation, is an important form of social identity. Feelings toward one's country are a matter of both individual and collective concern. In an increasingly diverse world, the issue of identifying with a nation is complex and consequential for individual identity formation as well as collective political identity. How do young people think about what it means to be an American in the United States of America today? Using an in-depth interview approach, I investigate youth experiences in micro-contexts, the local contexts in which young people have concrete experiences that inform their developing identities, to illuminate important elements of the multiple pathways to American identity. Results point toward specific experiences that affect how young people form American identity: attachments to the ideals of America, the mismatch between American ideals and reality, experiences with diversity, opportunities for civic and political participation, and ideas about concepts such as the American dream.


Cost-effectiveness of nonpoint-source pollution reduction programs in an agricultural watershed depends on the selection and placement of control measures within the watershed. Locations for best management practices (BMPs) are commonly identified through targeting strategies that define locations for BMP implementation based on specific criteria uniformly applied across the watershed. The goal of this research was to determine if cost-effectiveness of BMP scenarios could be improved through optimization rather than targeting. The optimization procedure uses a genetic algorithm (GA) to search for the combination of site-specific practices that meets pollution reduction requirements, and then continues searching for the BMP combination that minimizes cost. Population size, replacement level, crossover, and mutation parameters for the GA were varied to determine the most efficient combination of values. A baseline scenario, a targeting strategy, and three optimization plans were applied to a 1014 ha agricultural watershed in Virginia. All three optimization plans identified BMP placement scenarios having lower cost than the targeting strategy solution for equivalent sediment reduction. The targeting strategy reduced average annual sediment loss compared to the baseline at a cost of $42 per kg sediment reduction/ha. The optimization plan with the same BMP choices achieved the same sediment reduction at a cost of $36 per kg/ha. Allocation of BMPs varied among optimization solutions, a possibility not available to the targeting strategy. In particular, the optimization solutions placed BMPs on several stream-edge fields that did not receive BMPs in the targeting strategy.


In this paper, we study the vaporization process of a polydisperse ensemble of liquid drops on the basis of a nonlinear set of balance and kinetics equations for the particle‐radius distribution function and temperature in the gaseous phase. We found an exact parametric solution to this problem using a modified time variable and the Laplace integral transform method. The distribution function of vaporizing drops as well as its moments, the temperature dynamics in gas, and the unvaporized mass of drops are found. The initial particle‐radius distribution shifts to smaller particle radii with increasing the vaporization time. As this takes place, the temperature difference between the drops and gas decreases with time. It is shown that the heat of vaporization and initial total number of particles in the system substantially influence the dynamics of a polydisperse ensemble of liquid drops.


Abstract Cement-slag-bentonite slurry walls are self-hardening structures, and they are mainly used to retard contamination transport into the groundwater stream. Whilst permeability of a mixture is an initial criterion in slurry wall design and material selection, long-term performance is mainly influenced by curing ages and stress-state caused by adjacent soil. In this study, the steady-state of effective stresses at 7 days and 28 days of curing age is predicted. The effect of the modulus of horizontal subgrade reaction, interface friction, and transition of the earth pressure from at-rest to the active condition was applied to develop the model. Unlike the quantities that the geostatic model presented, this method gives a slight decrease of stresses after a certain depth, and the trend is in good agreement with trends provided by previous studies. Furthermore, the predicted stresses are then applied to estimate the permeability of the wall at each depth and compare it with those obtained in the laboratory. Finally, predicted effective stresses stay lower than geostatic stress, and the slurry wall consolidation along with the sidewalls' lateral squeezing leads to keeping the stress state under control.


Observations show that the Greenland ice sheet has been losing mass at an increasing rate over the past few decades, which makes it a major contributor to sea-level rise. Here we use a threedimensional higher-order ice-flow model, adaptive mesh refinement and inverse methods to accurately reproduce the present-day ice flow of the Greenland ice sheet. We investigate the effect of the ice thermal regime on (1) basal sliding inversion and (2) projections over the next 100 years. We show that steady-state temperatures based on present-day conditions allow a reasonable representation of the thermal regime and that both basal conditions and century-scale projections are weakly sensitive to small changes in the initial temperature field, compared with changes in atmospheric conditions or basal sliding. We conclude that although more englacial temperature measurements should be acquired to validate the models, and a better estimation of geothermal heat flux is needed, it is reasonable to use steady-state temperature profiles for short-term projections, as external forcings remain the main drivers of the changes occurring in Greenland.


Background: Indoor air pollution (IAP) was recently recognized as the single largest environmental risk to health. In India, residents of non-notified urban slums face a disproportionate threat associated with this health risk due to their high dependence on biomass fuels for cooking.
Purpose of the study: To provide a detailed analysis of the contextual factors shaping people's choices, views and needs with respect to cooking equipment in non-notified urban slums of Bangalore. Furthermore, an implication for designing and implementing a solution to reduce IAP exposure in these settings is explored.
Methodology: An ethnographic study was conducted across three heterogeneous non-notified slums in Bangalore, India. Data was collected over 3 months in the form of observations, interviews (22) and community forums (3), focusing on understanding how participants experience living in slums and how these experiences shape their cooking practices.
Findings: The study identified interrelated and co-dependent factors spanning across social, financial and ecological dimensions and are engaged in a complex interplay. These include insecure living conditions, constrained physical and social space, varying views on comfort, hygiene and cleanliness, perception of smoke as irritant, and limited temporal and financial resources.
Conclusions: The highly heterogeneous and dynamic character of the slums points towards the need to adopt a flexible, adaptive and context-conscious approach to the design and implementation of a solution to IAP. Furthermore, there is an emerging need to focus on alternative incentives, different from the ones traditionally addressed by initiatives and studies on IAP. The knowledge of slum dwellers vis-a-vis their surrounding environment, cooking practices and equipment points towards the indispensability of employing a participatory approach whereby the end-users are engaged with other stakeholders in co-creating a solution to IAP and other issues impinging upon its adoption and sustainability.


For a period of more than ten years a very successful Host Company Program has been running at the School of Engineering at Jonkoping University (JTH), Sweden. This program enables close collaboration between the university and its staff and the 500 regional host companies (HCs) who support the quality assurance of the engineering education given at the School of Engineering.With the introduction of the principles of CDIO at JTH, the host company program and the engineering methodology course was seen as a pre-existing building block of CDIO. This paper will explain in more detail how the HCP is orchestrated at JTH as well as how it is perceived by university staff, the engineering students, and the HCs. Also, how the HCP fits the principles of CDIO will be discussed further together with what is needed to be refined within the HCP.


The article addresses subjectivity in relation to assessment of drawing as Fine Art practice within Higher Education contexts. How can we measure the quality of a drawing in contemporary Fine Art? What standards can one take recourse to, or use, to define boundaries and definitions for excellence? The role of outsider art, and of art not produced or valorised within institutional norms, is an area of tension within academic contexts. Do we overly valorise rejection of norms and traditions, or to the contrary, do we create neo-conformism in the way we teach drawing within Fine Art? This article asks to reconsider aesthetics as a potential way of redressing the need to build overarching standards and measuring codes, independent from agents and institutions which have become interested parties and stake holders: the curatorial function of museum and gallery, market forces, Research Council and Arts Council. A more meaningful dialogue with different types of public needs to be sought, to redress criticism that contemporary arts practices are elitist and removed from the realities of everyday life.


In this paper, we present an area-efficient, globally asynchronous, locally synchronous network-on-chip (NoC) architecture for a hard real-time multiprocessor platform. The NoC implements message-passing communication between processor cores. It uses statically scheduled time-division multiplexing (TDM) to control the communication over a structure of routers, links, and network interfaces (NIs) to offer real-time guarantees. The area-efficient design is a result of two contributions: 1) asynchronous routers combined with TDM scheduling and 2) a novel NI microarchitecture. Together they result in a design in which data are transferred in a pipelined fashion, from the local memory of the sending core to the local memory of the receiving core, without any dynamic arbitration, buffering, and clock synchronization. The routers use two-phase bundled-data handshake latches based on the Mousetrap latch controller and are extended with a clock gating mechanism to reduce the energy consumption. The NIs integrate the direct memory access functionality and the TDM schedule, and use dual-ported local memories to avoid buffering, flow-control, and synchronization. To verify the design, we have implemented a 4 × 4 bitorus NoC in 65-nm CMOS technology and we present results on area, speed, and energy consumption for the router, NI, NoC, and postlayout.


In order to study high strength and other characteristics of high strength concrete, scanning electron microscopy and mercury pressure method were used to analysis the surface morphology, organization, structure, composition and fractal features of C100 high strength concrete materials in terms of the microscopic mechanism, and the material strengthen mechanism and the causes of failure were revealed. The results shows that, as the adequate hydration and particle hydrates increase in C100 concrete, more gel-like mesh or wrinkles are generated, and there is a strong bonding effect between fine particles. As the use of mixing composites material in C100 high strength concrete, the density of the material is improved and the proportion of harmful hole is lowed, and its mechanical properties and durability are all improved. When concrete is damaged, cracks increase and coalescence show an increase of fractal value.


In Lesotho, agriculture remains a major source of income for more than 80% of rural population. The arable land accounts for about 9% of the total land area and the current crop yields are half the level achieved in the late 1970s. Despite its contribution to Lesotho's development, the rural economy has been languishing due to poor land management and farming practices, declining soil fertility, poor weather conditions and poor management of water resources. Communities living in marginal lands and whose livelihoods are highly dependent on natural resources are among the most vulnerable to climate change. In Lesotho, about six farming technologies, namely, block farming, mono-cropping, conservation farming, keyhole garden, double digging and the Machobane Farming systems are practiced. We assessed the distribution and diversity of Bacillus spp., the non-symbiotic Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria (NFB) and physico-chemical variables including soil texture, pH, organic carbon, and available phosphorus as quality indicators of soils from various farming systems in Lesotho in an attempt to elucidate the adaptive capacity of various farming systems to climate change. Amongst the six farming systems assessed, the Machobane Farming System (MFS) practicing fields exhibited significant level of soil quality improvement in microbial composition and physico-chemical property compared to other farming systems. These findings provide, for the first time, scientific evidence that the MFS, which combines indigenous knowledge and technology, may show better resilience to climate change for high and sustainable production of variety of crops throughout the year.

 Key words: Indigenous farming technology, adaptability, traditional knowledge, farming practices in Lesotho, soil microorganisms, soil fertility.


Measurement of non-invasive blood glucose is one way to increase the frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). For NIR reflectance spectroscopy, its application in non-invasive constrained by high value of standard error of prediction. The mean standard error of prediction was 25 mg/dL. Theoretically, NIR reflectance spectroscopy still can be used to predict blood glucose levels in certain conditions such as hypoglycemia (l55 mg/dL), controlled fasting blood glucose (FBG) (70-115 mg/dL), and hyperglycemia (g225 mg/dL), which the difference between the three conditions is more than 25 mg/dL. The results showed that there are significant differences in standards values of photometer measurement between controlled FBG and hyperglycemic conditions (P = 0.002). The results also showed that the photometer can be used to assist the monitoring of blood glucose in FBG under control and hyperglycemic conditions. It can be seen from the average percentage of the daily controlled FBG conditions in patients conducting SMBG in photometer-assisted compared to in patients only use SMBG once a day (28% versus 18%, P = 0.344).


Nitric oxide (NO), being a free radical, has a unique biological chemistry that, since its elucidation as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system, has been implicated in a range of diverse biological functions. Both cardiovascular disease, exacerbated by hypertension, and antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are major yet unavoidable public health concerns. Atypical NO synthesis may be a factor these pathologies and exogenous NO may provide an alternative therapeutic strategy when endogenous NO synthesis is atypically low.

Furoxans are an old, yet largely untapped resource of nitric oxide donor compounds. A panel of twelve such compounds were developed through heterocyclic synthetic chemistry and assessed for their potential biological activity. The compounds have had their NO release characterised via the Griess assay and have been investigated for both novel antibacterial and vasodilatory effects.

Direct toxicity was explored using an optimised MTT assay to assess cell viability post incubation in three bacterial species: Staphylococcus epidermis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The lead compound RJP06A was then exposed to bacterial biofilms, investigating its ability to prevent initial biofilm formation and promote its dispersal before determining its mechanism. Vasodilatory potential of the compounds was studied using rat thoracic aorta, pulmonary artery and renal artery.

Results demonstrate that these compounds elicit a toxic effect against all three bacterial species with IC50 values ranging from 31-745 uM, which was enhanced in the presence of S-nitrosoglutathione, despite having negligible toxicity itself. Biofilm investigations of RJP06A demonstrate its ability to disperse mature single-species bacterial biofilms in a dose-dependent manner.

Isometric tension data show that three quarters of the compounds produced strong, sustained relaxation of contracted aorta, and two in particular caused almost complete reversal of contraction at concentrations of 250 and 350 nM respectively. Mechanism studies suggest that the lead furoxan, RJP06A exerts its effects primarily through a cGMP-mediated NO-activated pathway, but may also have a small component whereby thiols can bypass this step and activate calcium channels directly. RJP06A has been shown to be better at inducing relaxation of resistance vessels, such as aorta, rather than pulmonary or renal artery.

In both investigations, nitric oxide from RJP06A appears to be the key molecule involved in the observed effects, with scavenging evolved NO using haemoglobin attenuating its effect, and importantly the two mechanisms identified in very different models imply an evolutionarily conserved pathway of nitric oxide biology.


Abstract Introduction: Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is defined by the PML-RARA fusion gene. APL treatment can have significant side effects, therefore the development of optimal therapeutic options is crucial. Although the study of miRNAs is still in its infancy, it has been shown that these molecules are involved in the pathogenesis of neoplasms by modulating the expression of target genes. miRNAs can be considered possible biomarkers in APL and can be used as therapeutic targets or as markers for the therapeutic response. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether differentially expressed putative miRNAs that have RARA as a target gene could be considered reliable biomarkers for APL. Methods: Using bioinformatics tools, a panel of 6 miRNAs with possible tropism for the RARA gene was selected from miRDB. We evaluated their expression levels in samples from patients with APL (n=20) or from healthy subjects without mutations in genes associated with leukemia or myeloproliferative diseases (n=21). Results: All 6 putative miRNAs were identified using electrophoresis (hsamir-4299, hsa-mir-4328, hsa-mir-7851-3p, hsa-mir-6827-5p, hsa-mir-6867-5p, hsa-mir-939-5p). Of the six miRNAs, hsa-mir-4328 is deeply downregulated in subjects diagnosed with APL compared to healthy subjects, whereas hsa-mir-4299 and hsa-mir-7851-3p show small differences in expression between the two study groups, but without statistical significance. Our results suggest that hsa-mir-4328 may have a role in the pathogenesis of APL and may represent a new biomarker for this type of leukemia. Key Words: miRNA, APL, leukemia, bioinformatics.


The oxygen isotopic compositions (δ18O) of minimally altered phosphate minerals and fossils, such as conodont elements, are used as a proxy for past ocean temperature. Phosphate is thermally stable under low to moderate burial conditions and is ideal for reconstructing seawater temperatures because the P-O bonds are highly resistant to isotopic exchange during diagenesis. Traditional bulk methods used to measure conodont δ18O include multiple conodont elements, which can reflect different environments and potentially yield an aggregate δ18O value derived from a mixture of different water masses. In situ spot analyses of individual elements using micro-analytical techniques, such as secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), can address these issues.
 Here we present 108 new δ18O values using SIMS from conodont apatite collected from four Lower to Upper Ordovician stratigraphic successions from North America (Nevada, Oklahoma, and the Cincinnati Arch region of Kentucky and Indiana, USA). The available elements measured had a range of thermal alteration regimes that are categorized based on their conodont alteration index (CAI) as either low (CAI = 1−2) or high (CAI = 3−4). Though individual spot analyses of the same element yield δ18O values that vary by several per mil (‰), most form a normal distribution around a mean value. Isotopic variability of individual spots can be minimized by avoiding surficial heterogeneities like cracks, pits, or near the edge of the element and the precision can be improved with multiple (≥4) spot analyses of the same element. Mean δ18O values from multiple conodonts from the same bed range between 0.0 and 4.3‰ (median 1.0‰), regardless of low or high CAI values. Oxygen isotopic values measured using SIMS in this study reproduce values similar to published trends, namely, δ18O values increase during the Early−Middle Ordovician and plateau by the mid Darriwilian (late Middle Ordovician). Twenty-two of the measured conodonts were from ten sampled beds that had been previously measured using bulk analysis. SIMS-based δ18O values from these samples are more positive by an average of 1.7‰ compared to bulk values, consistent with observations by others who attribute the shift to carbonate- and hydroxyl-related SIMS matrix effects. This offset has implications for paleo-temperature model estimates, which indicate that a 4 °C temperature change corresponds to a 1‰ shift in δ18O (‰). Although this uncertainty precludes precise paleo-temperature reconstructions by SIMS, it is valuable for identifying spatial and stratigraphic trends in temperature that might not have been previously possible with bulk approaches.


Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Approximately 15-20% are triple negative breast cancer (TNBC: no protein expression of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, nor human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), representing one of the most challenging molecular subtypes of breast cancer. TNBC encompasses a heterogenous group of breast cancers that are not generally responsive to targeted therapies for hormone and growth factor receptors. Compared to their hormone receptor-positive counterparts, TNBC cases are associated with poor prognosis, worse overall survival and earlier recurrence. The purpose of this review is to describe the clinicopathologic features, molecular variants, associations with the BRCA genes, and therapeutic approaches for TNBC. New TNBC-targeted drug therapies are currently under investigation and include poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, platinum-based drugs, anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF) inhibitors. Both clinical trials and basic research are needed to further our understanding of the best treatment options for patients with TNBC. Keyword: Triple negative breast cancer.


Power consumption has become an increasing concern in high performance microprocessor design in terms of packaging and cooling cost. The fetch unit including instruction cache contributes a large portion of the total power consumption in the microprocessor The instruction cache itself suffers some hidden power consumption due to dynamic control flows. Although capturing the dynamic control flows to boost performance, conventional trace caches (CTC) may increase power consumption in the fetch unit due to its simultaneous access to both the trace cache and the instruction cache. By avoiding this simultaneous accesses, sequential trace caches (STC) achieve lower power consumption, but suffer a significant performance loss at the meantime. In this paper we propose dynamic direction prediction based trace cache (DPTC) which avoids simultaneous accesses to the trace cache and the instruction cache with the guide of fetch direction prediction. Experimental results show that dynamic prediction based trace cache can achieve 38.5% power reduction over conventional trace caches and an additional 7.2% reduction over STC, on average, while only trading a 1.8% performance loss compared to CTC.


This article engages in a critical discussion of the ways in which public visibility of the Islamic lifestyle is governed through the practices within visual culture in Turkey. It is possible to observe that in a society with a predominantly Muslim population, the media is dominated by the secularized imagery of everyday life, which is systematically abstracted from Islamic signifiers. Following a Foucauldian theoretical framework, this article shows that visual culture provides the necessary ground for the Kemalist modernization project to legitimize particular drives, which are inherently reproduced by a state of anxiety and fear against the Islamic lifestyle. Recent controversies the Turkish context show that Islamophobia should not solely be regarded as a phenomenon, which originated and still operates mainly in the West. Rather, the case of Turkey encourages one to critically negotiate the boundaries of visual culture, which is invested with particular strategies of power that reproduce the images of Islamic lifestyle as undesirable signifiers of culture.


Rising feed expenditures demand that our industry pursues strategies to lower the cost of production. One option is the adoption of the NE system, although many producers are hesitant to proceed without proof that NE estimates are reliable. The objective of this experiment was to compare the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy and nutrients and the N retention (NR) of diets formulated using the NE system with increasing quantities of coproduct ingredients. The 5 dietary treatments included a control corn-soybean meal diet (CTL); the CTL plus 6% each of corn distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS), corn germ meal, and wheat middlings and NE equal to the CTL by adding soybean oil (CONS-18); the CONS-18 diet, without oil added, with NE content lower than the CTL (DECL-18); the CTL plus 12% each of corn DDGS, corn germ meal, and wheat middlings and NE equal to the CTL by adding soybean oil (CONS-36); and the CONS-36 diet, without oil added, with NE content lower than the CTL (DECL-36). Diets were formulated for both the growing period (GP; 40 to 70 kg) and the finishing period (FP; 70 to 110 kg). Forty gilts (PIC 337 × C22 or C29; 38.5 ± 0.4 kg initial BW) were randomly assigned to treatment and received feed and water ad libitum (8 pigs per treatment). For the last 13 d of the GP and FP, pigs were transferred to metabolism crates, where 2 total urine and fecal collections (d 4 to 6 and d 11 to 13) were performed. The GP fed diets with coproduct ingredients had lower ATTD of DM, N, and GE than those fed the CTL ( < 0.050). The ATTD of N and GE progressively decreased as coproduct inclusion increased from 0 to 18 to 36% in the FP ( < 0.010). In the GP and FP, there were no differences in ATTD of DM, N, or GE between CONS-18 and DECL-18 or between CONS-36 and DECL-36 ( > 0.050). The NR declined on all coproduct diets in the GP ( = 0.010) and tended to decline in the FP ( = 0.079). There were no differences in NR between CONS-18 and DECL-18 or between CONS-36 and DECL-36 ( > 0.050). In conclusion, digestion of diets containing up to 36% coproducts and formulated using NE resulted in expected DE and ME values; NR of diets with coproducts was lower than that of the simple CTL, which is not related to the accuracy of the energy estimations but rather to other factors such as imbalances in the AA concentrations or to postabsorptive energy metabolism, factors not accounted for by the current energy systems approach.


Chronic low-back and lower extremity pain is mainly caused by lumbar disc herniation and radiculitis. Various surgery and nonsurgical modalities, including epidural injections, have been used to treat lumbar disc herniation or radiculitis. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to assess the effects of the 2 interventions in managing various chronic low and lower extremity pain. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials, which compared the effect of local anesthetic with or without steroids. The outcomes included pain relief, functional improvement, opioid intake, and therapeutic procedural characteristics. Pooled estimates were calculated using a random-effects or fixed-effects model, depending on the heterogeneity between the included studies. Ten randomized controlled trials (involving 1111 patients) were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that 41.7% of patients who received local anesthetic with steroid (group 1) and 40.2% of patients who received local anesthetic alone (group 2) had significant improvement in pain relief, and the Numeric Rating Scale pain scales were significantly reduced by 4.09 scores [95% confidence interval (CI), −4.26 to −3.91] and 4.12 (95% CI, −4.35 to −3.89) scores, respectively. Similarly, 39.8% of patients in group 1 and 40.7% in group 2 achieved significantly improved functional status. The Oswestry Disability Indices in the 2 groups were reduced by 14.5 (95% CI, −15.24 to −13.75) and 12.37 (95% CI, −16.13 to −8.62), respectively. The average procedures per year in group 1 were 3.68 ± 1.17 and 3.68 ± 1.26 in group 2, with an average total relief per year of 31.67 ± 13.17 and 32.64 ± 13.92 weeks, respectively. The opioid intake decreased from baseline by 8.81 mg (95% CI, −12.24 to −5.38) and 16.92 mg (95% CI: −22.71 to −11.12) in the 2 groups, respectively. This meta-analysis confirms that epidural injections of local anesthetic with or without steroids have beneficial but similar effects in the treatment of patients with chronic low-back and lower extremity pain.


This paper aims to understand conceptual and methodological ambiguities of perceived behavioral control (PBC). Theory of Planned Behavior has been much debated and criticized recently. PBC, the independent construct theory of planned behavior (TPB), is added to understand nonvolitional elements. However, role of PBC has been criticized due to the moderation effects of PBC and other variables. This discussion focuses the literature criticism on the moderating role of PBC and its methodological considerations for future research.


: Modern Healthcare's annual Contract Management Survey reveals that hospitals are casting an ever-more-critical eye on their basic services to see what they can and cannot do well. Those that can be done cheaper and better by outsiders are likely to be handed over to the mushrooming contract management system.


The Fort Bend Independent School District (a large, growing school district in Sugar Land, Texas) elected to become a Reading Recovery Teacher Training site and faced many decisions regarding effective implementation, including campus (school) selection. They began slowly with only two campuses the first year, added four to five the second year, and five in the third year. The plan of campus selection is a multi-tiered model which serves to: (1) ensure that campuses which implement Reading Recovery are committed to its effective implementation; (2) create a partnership between the central office and campuses; (3) result in full-implementation at each campus; and (4) institutionalize Reading Recovery as a vital part of the district's overall literacy program. The district uses three steps in the selection process: application, interview, and classroom observation. The site selection process for Reading Recovery is only a small part of program implementation; however, it is a crucial component of overall program effectiveness. Selecting the correct match between campuses and the innovation can better ensure that Reading Recovery does indeed provide an important component in schoolwide success. (RS) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.


Abstract Introduction Benefits of community participation and physical activity for the health and wellbeing of older adults are well documented. This review aims to answer the question; "How is community participation considered for older adults in the transition from hospital to home?" Materials and methods This scoping review searched key databases using subject headings and keywords. Two independent reviewers selected studies based on a systematic procedure. Inclusion criteria were adults aged ≥60 years, transitioning from hospital to home, reporting on community participation, inclusive of leisure activities, social activities, and physical activity. Results Of 2206 initial unique articles, 19 met inclusion criteria. Articles covered a range of diagnoses, most frequently stroke, hip replacement, or fracture. Numerous measures of community participation were reported, identifying "low" and "reduced" community participation in ten studies. Measures of physical activity, health-related quality of life, sleep quality, and loneliness were variable. Five studies reported interventions and four reported improved components of community participation. Numerous barriers to community participation were identified, with recommendations for future transition care services considered. Conclusion There are considerable barriers to promoting community participation in transition care services for older people. Older adults need information to prepare for returning home from hospital and to regain valued leisure and social activities for health-related quality of life. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Community participation is an important component of healthy ageing which health professionals should consider beyond discharge. Levels of mobility and endurance should be considered in terms of facilitating community participation for older adults. Transition care services should provide adequate information to prepare individuals expectations of returning home following hospital stay, whilst attempting to maintain valued leisure and social activities.


Corrosion is one of the major problems for the existing structures and may cause significant decrease in drift capacity and strength of RC (reinforced concrete) columns due to reduction of effective cross-section of reinforcing bars, alteration of bond characteristics between reinforcing bars and concrete, and cover cracking along the reinforcing bars. Therefore, rehabilitation of corrosion-damaged columns is extremely important, particularly in seismic regions and if a substandard construction methodology is used. In this paper, an experimental work is presented on the seismic performance of rehabilitated/retrofitted substandard RC columns, which were damaged due to corrosion of reinforcing bars. For this purpose, four substandard columns were tested under high axial load and reversed cyclic lateral loads. The columns were constructed with extremely low quality concrete and plain round bars. The spacing and details of transverse reinforcing bars did not comply with the code regulations as well. Then, the specimens, except the reference one, were subjected to accelerated corrosion process. One of the corrosion-damaged specimens was tested before rehabilitation/retrofitting procedure, while the other two specimens were tested after rehabilitation/retrofitting procedure. The test results clearly demonstrated the efficiency of the applied rehabilitation/retrofitting procedure, both in terms of strength and ductility. Furthermore, analytical predictions about strength and failure modes of the specimens are compared with experimental findings.


COVID-19 which is a global public health emergency of current time has been creating big impact to the social and economy welfare across globe despite its far-reaching casualties since 2019. There are growing concern with surges in the cases, casualties, and economic recession because of this global pandemic. Times, efforts, and resources have been pumped to the actions including early detection, isolations, care, and vaccines or medicines against COVID-19.This study which is focused on Bhutan is a qualitative research that made use of authentic secondary data. It was established in the form of published records from government report, media, and website along with relevant literatures as the base reference resources. Small country Bhutan has its own story to tell. Its conditions and impacts as visible are not that alarming as expected by this deadly global pandemic. Bhutan has more of success story to share in case of its strategic approaches with holistic planning and effective implementations in its actions towards the control and combating COVID-19 which have proven to be successful. The favorable outcome from this study is a realistic goal can be fulfilled with collective plans and actions in times of needs.


Glass eels are known to reach the shores of Holland by using ocean currents and selective tidal transport (DM ? Downstream Movements). Most of the fish ladders that are installed at the interface of salt and fresh waters, however, are designed for fish that are attracted by freshwater currents and that actively move upstream (Upstream Migratory (UM) behaviours). From this, we questioned the efficiency of these fish ladders for glass eel immigration. We tested our hypothesis of UM versus DM behaviours by comparing the catch of glass eel in two experimental fish ladders: a siphon and an eel trap, appealing to DM and UM behaviours respectively. These traps were installed at two sluice complexes in Holland and operated at night during the glass eel season of 2005. These experiments were supplemented by direct scuba observations. The results showed that most glass eels gained access to inland waters by DM instead of UM behaviours. At low tide, none of the glass eel were observed to reach fresh waters as the water velocities in the cracks of the sluice doors were too high for upstream migration. At high tide, many glass eels were observed to reach fresh waters by DM-behaviours and small cracks in the sluice doors. These results suggested that DM-behaviours are important to glass eel migration at the interface of fresh and salt waters. Access to inland waters may be improved by providing small openings in or around sluice doors that allow for DM behaviours at night


In the test system of intelligent munition, a test module of insulation resistance has been designed using the test resource of the system. The test module used virtual instrument technology,database technology and modularization method.It optimizes allocation of resources and simplifies hardware design. It has a good human-computer conversational enviroment and it is easy to operate and record for users. Introduced measuring methods of insulation resistance,designed hardware and measuring circuit,developed test software and realized the test data storage and management by using database technology.It realized automatic test.


OBJECTIVE Osteoprotegerin ligand (OPGL) is a newly discovered molecule, which is expressed by osteoblasts/bone stromal cells. This ligand and M-CSF are now known to be essential for osteoclast differentiation from marrow and circulating precursors. This study examined whether OPGL and its soluble receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG), influenced osteoclast formation from human arthroplasty derived macrophages, to determine if the effects of OPGL and OPG on these cells could contribute to the osteolysis of aseptic loosening. METHODS OPGL (± dexamethasone/M-CSF) was added to cultures of macrophages isolated from the pseudomembrane of loosened hip arthroplasties incubated on glass coverslips and dentine slices. OPG was added to cocultures of arthroplasty derived macrophages and UMR106 osteoblast-like cells. Osteoclast differentiation in long term cultures was assessed by expression of macrophage (CD14) and osteoclast markers (tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), vitronectin receptor (VNR) and lacunar resorption). RESULTS In the absence of osteoblastic cells, the addition of OPGL alone was sufficient to induce differentiation of macrophages (CD14+, TRAP-, VNR-) into TRAP+ and VNR+ multinucleated cells, capable of extensive lacunar resorption. OPG was found to inhibit osteoclast formation by arthroplasty macrophages in a dose dependent manner. OPG (100 ng/ml) more than halved the formation of TRAP+ and VNR+ cells and the extent of lacunar resorption in co-cultures of UMR106 cells and arthroplasty macrophages. CONCLUSIONS This study has shown that macrophages, isolated from the pseudomembrane surrounding loose arthroplasty components, are capable of differentiating into osteoclastic bone resorbing cells and that OPGL is required for this to occur. OPG inhibits this process, most probably by interrupting the cell-cell interaction between osteoblasts and mononuclear phagocyte osteoclast precursors present in the pseudomembrane.


In the winter term of 1979/80 a postal user survey among students and faculty was conducted by the Vienna University Technology Library. For the university teachers a full survey approach was used; the response rate was 55% (N = 692 respondents). In this dissertation, the results for this target group are analyzed, particularly the following variables: aspects of the usage behaviour (literature needs, preferences for sources of literature information, document delivery), use of libraries within and outside the Vienna University of Technology (importance, frequency, image issues), use of the main library of the Vienna University of Technology (awareness and use of catalogs and public services, opening times, requests and criticism). The faculty status of the respondents, their subject specialties, the duration of their contact with the university and their main focus of work are investigated as potential determinants of these variables.


Abstract The influence of marketing on infant and young child feeding and health is well recognized, and an International Code was adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 1981 to reduce inappropriate marketing and protect breastfeeding. Yet the marketing and influencing continue. This scoping review systematically examined the published research evidence on the nature and extent of exposure to International Code violations from 1981 to August 2021. We used several search strategies involving multi‐language databases, organization websites, citation tracking, and expert consultation, to find research items meeting our inclusion criteria. We evaluated 657 items and retained 153 studies from at least 95 countries in the review. The majority of the studies (n = 113) documenting exposure to inappropriate marketing were published since 2010. Studies reported a broad range of marketing violations targeting mothers and families, health workers, and the general public. Marketing via digital platforms and brand extension has become more frequent. The evidence shows the use of misleading and inaccurate labeling and health and nutrition claims in breach of the Code. Our review confirms that violations of the Code have not ceased and calls for renewed attention from the WHA and national governments to protect the health of children and their mothers.


This article draws on a research project which employed a sequential mixed-method approach with a sample of fifteen year olds (n=95) as a pilot study to guide the development of a large scale qualitative study investigating youth substance use patterns, processes, settings and drug transitions within the south east region of Ireland (Van Hout 2009a-d; 2010). The focus here is on the qualitative strand of the pilot research although reference is also made to the survey data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 73 young people (30 male and 43 female) to provide insight into their 'lived experience', with the varied levels of youth alcohol, cigarette and drug involvement confirming the different profiles, processes and 'reinforcers' for recreational substance use within normative peer contexts.The research was used to inform the development of localised school- and project-based drug prevention interventions relating to cigarette, alcohol, cannabis and drug use with specific focus on gateway transitions, social norms and harm reduction modalities.


The antihypertensive efficacy of nitrendipine was investigated with 24 h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring in a double-blind, randomized study. Eleven patients participated in the nitrendipine group, and 12 in the propranolol group. The study design consisted of a 2 week placebo period, and 14 weeks of titration and efficacy phases. At the end of the placebo period and during the efficacy phase of drug treatment, 24 h ambulatory BP monitoring was carried out with a Del Mar Avionics P-3 machine. The nitrendipine group showed office systolic (S) BP to be 150 ± 15 mm Hg and diastolic (D) BP 100 ± 4 mm Hg on placebo, and SBP 134 ± 9 mm Hg and DBP 87 ± 4 mm Hg on active medication. Measurements made in a similar fashion with the propranolol group demonstrated a drop in SBP from 150 ± 13 to 133 + 17 mm Hg and a decrease in DBP from 98 ± 2 to 85 ± 5 mm Hg with treatment. These BP drops were statistically significant (p<0.01). Mean 24 h ambulatory SBP and DBP dropped from 137 ± 16 to 128 ± 13 mm Hg and from 91 ± 6 to 87 ± 6 mm Hg, respectively. On propranolol, ambulatory SBP and DBP decreased from 142 ± 15 to 128 ± 18 mm Hg and from 89 ± 6 to 85 ± 7 mm Hg, respectively. In summary, this study demonstrated that nitrendipine is at least as effective as propranolol as an antihypertensive drug. The changes in BP were significant when the drug was administered two times daily, and DBP remained below 90 mm Hg most of the time during waking hours, as well as during sleep.


The dynamic behavior of a solid oxide fuel cell gas turbine hybrid system (SOFC/GT) from both open and closed loop transients in response to sudden changes in fuel composition was experimentally investigated. A pilot-scale (200kW – 700kW) hybrid facility available at the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory was used to perform the experiments using a combination of numerical models and actual equipment.In the open loop configuration, the turbine speed was driven by the thermal effluent fed into the gas turbine system, where the thermal effluent was determined by the feedforward fuel cell control system. However, in the closed loop configuration, a load-based speed control system was used to maintain the turbine speed constant at 40,500rpm by adjusting the load on the turbine, in addition to the implementation of the fuel cell system control.The open loop transient response showed that the impacts of fuel composition changes on key process variables, such as fuel cell thermal effluent, turbine speed and cathode feed stream conditions in the SOFC/GT systems were propagated over the course of the test, except for the cathode inlet temperature. The trajectories of the aforementioned variables are discussed in this paper to better understand the resulting mitigation/propagation behaviors. This will help lead to the development of novel control strategies to mitigate the negative impacts experienced during fuel composition transients of SOFC/GT systems.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


Steganography is the science and art of covert communication, which aims to hide the secret messages into a cover medium while achieving the least possible statistical detectability. To this end, the framework of minimal distortion embedding is widely adopted in the development of the steganographic system, in which a well designed distortion function is of vital importance. In this paper, a class of new distortion functions known as uniform embedding distortion function (UED) is presented for both side-informed and non side-informed secure JPEG steganography. By incorporating the syndrome trellis coding, the best codeword with minimal distortion for a given message is determined with UED, which, instead of random modification, tries to spread the embedding modification uniformly to quantized discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients of all possible magnitudes. In this way, less statistical detectability is achieved, owing to the reduction of the average changes of the first- and second-order statistics for DCT coefficients as a whole. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme is verified with evidence obtained from exhaustive experiments using popular steganalyzers with various feature sets on the BOSSbase database. Compared with prior arts, the proposed scheme gains favorable performance in terms of secure embedding capacity against steganalysis.


In this paper, we aim at maximizing quality playback of received video streaming perceived by users in video on-demand systems (VoDs) over wireless mesh networks (WMNs). To do so, we exploit the benefits of both multi-source multi-path (MSMP) delivery scheme and broadcast nature of wireless media in WMNs. In this way, a new user can efficiently receive the descriptions of a video streaming from different peers (i.e., the available users who have cached the video) via the best parallel selected paths between each peer-user pair. Based on MSMP delivery scheme, we propose an optimization problem and solve it for optimal encoding rate (i.e., optimal bit allocation) of the video streaming encoded by multiple description coding (MDC) in order to provide the user with maximum reconstructed quality playback. In this technique, the optimal bit allocation is found in connection with not only the skewed lossy characteristic of multi-path but also the skewed intra popularity of the video streaming modeled by Zipf-like distribution. Furthermore, we apply MDC embedded forward error correction (MDC-FEC) for more robust in video transmission. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method efficiently improves the quality playback of MSMP P2P video streaming in VoDs over WMNs.


Background: Physical activity (PA) is a strong contributor to enhancing a healthy lifestyle and preventing numerous chronic diseases. As ethnic minorities engage in low levels of PA, psychosocial and activity-based interventions for sustaining PA are crucial. Methods: The 6-month intervention incorporated culturally tailored educational workshops and weekly PA classes at a community center. Educational workshops were led by six trained community health workers (CHWs). Participants (n=37) completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires regarding PA related self-efficacy, outcome expectations, social support, enjoyment, self-regulation, goal setting, and overall PA. Results: Following the intervention, study participants exhibited increases in weekly PA levels. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test revealed higher median scores for Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (ESES), Identified Regulation, and Intrinsic Motivation. Positive changes were observed for Physical Outcome Expectations, Social Outcome Expectations, Self-Evaluative Outcome Expectations, Physical Activity Enjoyment, Social Support for Exercise Scale – Family, Social Support for Exercise – Friends, and Exercise Goal-Setting. Conclusion: Community-based PA interventions may provide potential benefits to Filipino Americans, an ethnic Asian minority group, in identifying exercise benefits, developing proper exercise goals, increasing motivation, promoting PA behavior, and facilitating long-term PA adherence.


Background Advances in clinical management have improved life expectancy in the ACHD population; as a result, implantable cardiac devices remain in situ for longer periods than ever before. These patients pose unique challenges, including; young age at implant, multiple device procedures during their lifetime, complex venous and cardiac anatomy, and co-morbidities which may predispose to infection. In the non-ACHD population, there is useful long-term research which helps to guide clinical decision-making; however, small numbers and incomplete outcome data has lead to limited comparability against ACHD patients. Aims This study aimed to examine 20 years of pacing experience in a large ACHD centre, using novel data-mining techniques to generate comprehensive lead survival data. Methodology A retrospective analysis was performed of pacing and defibrillator leads implanted between June 1996 and December 2016 in a 173 patient ACHD cohort. Automated text searching algorithms with manual review of over 1 00 000 pieces of clinical correspondence was used to maximise identification of outcomes. Lead-specific complications, non-elective removal and overall lead survival were compared for surgical and transvenous leads in patients with complex and non-complex ACHD anatomy. Results 340 leads with complete implant and follow-up data were identified of which 53% were in patients with complex ACHD anatomy and 15% were in patients with tricuspid valve abnormalities. Median lead survival time was 13.6 years in transvenous leads and 15.9 years in surgical leads (p=n .s.) Transvenous leads were associated with a higher risk of major infection than were surgically-implanted leads (11.5% vs 0% p<0.05) while surgical leads had a higher rate of pacing failure or lead damage (25.9% vs 8.0% p<0.001). Complication rates were not affected by complex ACHD anatomy or abnormal tricuspid valve function. Conclusion In this large cohort of patients with ACHD, lead survival appears to be reasonable regardless of whether a transvenous or surgical approach is used. A higher incidence of infection in transvenous leads is offset by a higher electrical failure rate in surgical leads. Further work examining large cohorts is required to determine optimal pacing strategies tailored to patient-specific anatomical challenges. Abstract 23 Figure 1 Time to lead failure/non-elective removal Abstract 23 Table 1


The emerging Web of Data utilizes the web infrastructure to represent and interrelate data. The foundational standards of the Web of Data include the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and the Resource Description Framework (RDF). URIs are used to identify resources and RDF is used to relate resources. While RDF has been posited as a logic language designed specifically for knowledge representation and reasoning, it is more generally useful if it can conveniently support other models of computing. In order to realize the Web of Data as a general-purpose medium for storing and processing the world's data, it is necessary to separate RDF from its logic language legacy and frame it simply as a data model. Moreover, there is significant advantage in seeing the Semantic Web as a particular interpretation of the Web of Data that is focused specifically on knowledge representation and reasoning. By doing so, other interpretations of the Web of Data are exposed that realize RDF in different capacities and in support of different computing models. ar X iv :0 90 5. 33 78 v1 [ cs .A I] 2 0 M ay 2 00 9 2 Marko A. Rodriguez


We present a novel framework based on hidden Markov models (HMMs) for matching feature point sets, which capture the shapes of object contours of interest. Point matching algorithms provide effective tools for shape analysis, an important problem in computer vision and image processing applications. Typically, it is computationally expensive to find the optimal correspondence between feature points in different sets, hence existing algorithms often resort to various heuristics that find suboptimal solutions. Unlike most of the previous algorithms, the proposed HMM-based framework allows us to find the optimal correspondence using an efficient dynamic programming algorithm, where the computational complexity of the resulting shape matching algorithm grows only linearly with the size of the respective point sets. We demonstrate the promising potential of the proposed algorithm based on several benchmark data sets.


The Covid-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented situation, when education worldwide moved online, leading to what is called Emergency Remote Teaching. Finalized one month after the suspension of face-to-face activities in schools and universities, this paper aims to capture the actions taken in Romania for the continuity of education in online environment, the strategies adopted in schools and universities to support this process, the collaboration between the educational actors and the involvement of the whole society. How prepared was the country in terms of infrastructure, teacher training, digital competences of teachers and students? How did the parents and the society get involved? What measures were taken by the Ministry of Education and Research and the educational institutions? Does this crisis make a difference even greater than the one already existent, in terms of the access to education? What educational technologies have been used, what is the role of Open Education practices and projects, the integration of Open Educational Resources and Massive Open Online Courses, of open pedagogies? How do we compare ourselves with countries with similar infrastructure, such as Bulgaria and Moldova? How have we been able to benefit from the many international initiatives, projects and resources? What are the results of the studies already carried out on the efficiency of the actions taken? What can be done better until the return to the face-to-face activities in schools and universities, expected to be in the coming months? What are the lessons learned and how do we apply this knowledge for a better future? What current practices will have an impact on the teaching-learning activity, on the opening of education?


Through the use of information technology, the students no longer find it difficult to look for sources/learning materials, interact and discuss with each other any time and any where they are.  One form of the roles of information technology which can facilitate students in individual learning, group learning and learning together with the teacher in the classroom and outside of the classroom is blended learning. The fact in schools shows that not all of the learning process can be optimized by using blended learning. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate comprehensively any time and any where they are (evaluators). For this purpose, the appropriate evaluation model to be used is mobile phone-based CIPP. By using this model, then the evaluator can study evaluating the use of blended learning overall through of the context, input, process and product that will be able to provide appropriate recommendations for the improvement of the learning process using blended learning in school.


A new design methodology is presented for outputting digital information from asynchronous analogue circuits, which allows signed frequency encoded signal transfer along a single channel. The circuit outputs data as a series of rate and pulse-width encoded spikes: pulse-width modulation is used to represent vector and pulse frequency modulation is used to represent magnitude symbiotically. This technique can be used to increase the bandwidth of multiplexed neural signals, such as for address event registration, or by using a time-to-first-spike system, to multiplex signals on a single channel. Additionally, feedback has been used to improve the switching speed of current starved inverters, reducing their power consumption by over an order of magnitude.


(one myocardial infarction; one atrial fibrillation). At four hours postadmission, 14 more patients tested positive (13 myocardial infarction and one angina). At 12 hours postadmission, a further seven patients tested positive (five myocardial infarction and two angina). Of the 19 patients diagnosed as myocardial infarction, a positive troponinT was only present in one patient on admission, and in 13 patients at four hours postadmission. All patients with myocardial infarction had a positive troponin test at 12 hours postadmission. The TropT slides may be useful at 12 hours to exclude myocardial injury but do not offer improvements in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction in the first hours after presentation at an accident and emergency department. Through the trial we made some observations which should be carefully considered when using TropT slides, especially in areas outside the clinical laboratory. (1) A good light source is required to read the slide, as the positive line can often be faint and the stick needs to be carefully assessed. (2) It is essential to ensure that 20 minutes elapse before reading the slide, as samples with levels of troponin T close to the sensitivity of the assay only develop after this time. The negative control line often develops within 10 minutes and this could lead to the stick result being misinterpreted in the absence of careful timing. These factors are likely to lead to problems in busy clinical areas, where necessary care with the timing and interpretation of the result may not always occur. (3) Sample handling is also important, and well mixed blood free from haemolysis is required. Since whole blood is used, haemolysis is only apparent on causing a red/brown colouration of the reading area. We believe that when designing slide tests for use outside the laboratory, manufacturers should ensure that the strength of signal line for a positive result is clear, especially at low levels of the measured analyte. The strength of the negative control line should be equivalent to the signal line obtained by a weakly positive test and should appear after the assay reaction time has been reached to ensure that slides are not read inappropriately early. In summary, the use of slide tests appears to be very simple but valid results are only obtained with careful and consistent use. The crucial role of the laboratory in the safe use of glucose meters outside of the laboratory is widely accepted.4 When clinicians are evaluating slide based tests for use at the patient's bedside they should seek the advise of their laboratory in the choice, evaluation, and training of staff in the use of these systems. Only with such collaboration will such assay systems lead to improvements in patient care.


Substitution Markov chains have been introduced [7] as a new model to describe molecular evolution. In this note, we study the associated Martin boundaries from a probabilistic and topological viewpoint. An example is given that, although having a boundary homeomorphic to the well-known coin tossing process, has a metric description that differs significantly.


INTRODUCTION
As part of hospital discharge planning, occupational therapists often provide recommendations to improve the interaction between a person and their home environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the number and type of recommendations made by occupational therapists during a home assessment visit compared to hospital-based assessment for patients recovering from hip fracture. A secondary aim was to explore adherence rates to the different types of recommendations.

METHODS
Process evaluation of a randomised controlled trial of 65 participants recovering from hip fracture, returning to community living after hospital discharge. All participants received inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation and hospital-based assessment by an occupational therapist (usual care). In addition, the intervention group participated in a single home visit with an occupational therapist prior to hospital discharge. Analysis included the number and type of occupational therapy recommendations, adherence to recommendations at 30 days after discharge, and mediation analysis.

RESULTS
Participants in the home visit group received more recommendations than the usual care group (mean difference [MD] 2.8, 95% CI 1.6 to 3.9) and adhered to a greater proportion of recommendations for assistive technologies (MD 11.4%, 95% CI 2.6 to 20.2) and task modifications (MD 10.0%, 95% CI 0.7 to 19.3). Participants in both groups had lower rates of adherence to recommendations for home modifications compared with other types of recommendations. Adherence to recommendations was a mediator in the relationship between participants' involvement in a pre-discharge home visit and reduced hospital readmissions.

CONCLUSION
There was greater adherence to occupational therapy recommendations when patients recovering from hip fracture participated in a home visit compared to hospital-based assessment, contributing to reduced readmissions to hospital in the first 30 days. Home visits offer additional benefits to hospital-based assessment through the use of a collaborative approach to decision making in the home environment.


A partitioning inter-well tracer test (PITT) is a dynamic tool to measure the residual oil saturation (SOR) in the swept volumes of oilfields. Knowledge about SOR is an important parameter in the design of many IOR projects. Such projects are increasingly important to satisfy the global demand for hydrocarbons, as the worldwide number of mature oilfields steadily grows and very few large hydrocarbon rich basins are left unexplored. By performing a PITT before and after an IOR project is implemented, the performance of such project can also be evaluated.
PITTs were first used in hydrogeology and introduced in the oil industry in the early 1970s. PITTs never became a routine tool for the characterization of oil reservoirs, however have been receiving increasing attention in recent years. The first PITTs were performed with tracer compounds successfully used in hydrogeology or selected based on the easiness of their analysis. This led often to unsuccessful tests, as the behaviour of the tracers was not well understood in the conditions encountered on the oilfield. Furthermore, environmental regulations on oil&gas production were introduced in recent years (as for example, on the Norwegian continental shelf) which restrict the chemicals possible to use as tracers. The small number of compounds thoroughly investigated and qualified for use as PITT tracer is one of the major obstacles for the dissemination of this technology. It is therefore important to develop new, functional, and environmentally acceptable partitioning tracers.
Alkylpyrazines are heterocyclic aromatic compounds which are major natural constituents of flavour and aroma of many roasted and fermented foods and beverages. Their worldwide annual production is limited to a few tons primarily used by the food industry. Both scientific studies and legal guidelines consider the use of alkylpyrazines as flavour or odor agents in food products to be safe. Many alkylpyrazines exhibit physico-chemical properties which make them interesting oil/water partitioning tracer candidates.
In the present work, we present the studies and laboratory testing performed on selected alkylpyrazines. Experimental and physical-chemical data was analysed to assess the possibility of using compounds from this class of chemicals as inter-well oil/water partitioning tracers. Results suggest that these alkylpyrazines, used primarily as food additives, can be transferred from "the dinner table to the oilfield" as a new class of partitioning tracers to measure SOR in the inter-well region.


The end of this decade is marked by a paradigm shift of the industrial information technology towards a pay-per-use service business model known as cloud computing. Cloud data storage is efficiently used to store the out- sourced data (data that is not stored/retrieved from the customers own servers). In this work we observed that, from a customer's point of view, the data need to be accessed with minimum time when the data is requested from the cloud servers. This can be achieved only when internal architecture of cloud supports for efficient Query processing mechanisms. This paper proposes the efficient available Query Decomposition and data localization techniques for efficient retrieval of data to satisfy the customer needs.


Ground-motion records from aftershocks of the 1994 Northridge earthquake are used to estimate site response in the urban Los Angeles area. Over 1300 shear-wave records from 61 sources and 90 sites are used in a linear inversion for source and site-response spectra. The methodology makes no assumptions about the shape of the source spectrum. To obtain a stable unique inverse, a Q model and geometrical spreading factor are assumed. In addition, the site response at a hard-rock site is constrained to be approximately 1.0 with a kappa of 0.02. The site-response spectra compare favorably with the results of previous and on-going investigations in Los Angeles. A couple of first-order effects are lower site response in the surrounding mountains, dominated by Mesozoic and Tertiary rocks, and higher values in the San Fernando and Los Angeles Basins, containing surficial Pleistocene and Holocene alluvial deposits. Results show good correlation of high site-response spectral values with localized areas of severe damage (Interstate 10 collapse, Sherman Oaks, Northridge, Interstate 5/14 collapse). However, widespread trends in site response across the sedimentary basins are not obvious. The data suggest that site responses are lower near the southern margin of the San Fernando Valley for sources to the north, due to north-dipping sedimentary structures. But the general pattern of site response is characterized by high variability on length scales less than a kilometer. Variations of a factor of 2 in site response are observed over the length scale of 200 m and for the same surficial geologic unit. For some of the alluvial basin sites, surface-wave generation is a significant contributor to elevated site response at lower frequencies, below 2 Hz. The total damage pattern for the Northridge earthquake is influenced by strong source directivity to the north and strong local site effects. The correlation of weak-motion site-response estimates with areas of significant damage demonstrates the value of these field measurements in future urban planning and in the reduction of seismic risk in urban areas.


This cross-sectional survey study was conducted to determine if California community colleges designated as Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) assess incoming students for basic computer skills, provide learning support for these skills, as well as assess the attitude of administrators towards basic computer skills of incoming students. Prior published research documented the false assumption in higher education incoming students are "digital natives", capable of effectively using technology expected on college campuses; however, there was no research focused on community colleges designated as HSIs. The study adds to the body of literature about the assessment of and support for basic computer skills on college campuses. For purposes of the study, "basic computer skills" were defined in five categories:  The ability to use word processing software (most commonly Microsoft Word);  The ability to use spreadsheet software to prepare charts and graphs (most commonly Microsoft Excel);  The ability to use software for classroom presentations and speeches (most commonly Microsoft PowerPoint);  The ability to navigate the Internet for research; and  The capability of learning and participating in online classrooms using various platforms or software. The participants in this study were administrators in key academic positions representing all 55 community colleges HSIs in the state. All participants in the study held an administrator position at the time of the study. Each participant was asked a series of nine survey research questions, distributed via e-mail. All participants were asked the same questions and responses were electronically recorded and analyzed. The survey determined the following: 1. Community college HSIs in California do not assess incoming students for basic computer skills. 2. Community college HSIs in California have varying academic support for basic computer skills. 3. Basic computer skills courses are not prerequisites for non-computer skill courses or programs. 4. Most California community college HSI administrators believe computer skills are basic college level skills. 5. However, most California community college HSI administrators are not concerned about the level of basic computer skills of the student body. The responses from participants in the study emphasize the need for institutional change. © 2019 by Jason Wayne Hough All Rights Reserved


Historically, Singapore was home to a heterogeneous and highly multilingual population from across the Asian region and elsewhere in the world. In contrast with its historical past, or even the early days of the post-colonial period, Singapore's earlier diverse and linguistically heterogeneous society has evolved into a multi-ethnic nation state, with four official languages, of which three are recognised 'mother tongues'. This paper reviews the historical and contemporary dynamics of multilingualism in the Singapore community, and also serves as an introduction to the five other papers in this symposium on 'English in multilingual Singapore'.