Poor, uninsured, and minority patients depend disproportionately on hospital outpatient departments (OPDs) and freestanding health centers for ambulatory care. These providers confront significant challenges, including limited resources, greater demand for services, and the need to improve quality and patient satisfaction. The authors use a survey of patients in OPDs and health centers in New York City to determine which aspects of the ambulatory care visit have the greatest influence on patients' overall site evaluation. The personal interaction between patients and physicians, provider continuity, and the general cleanliness/appearance of the facility stand out as high priorities. Access to services and interactions with other facility staff are of significant, although lesser, importance. These findings suggest ways to restructure the delivery of care so that it is more responsive to the concerns of low-income patients.


Previously undocumented late Eocene diatomaceous sediments are present near Fundo Desbarrancado (FD) in southern Peru. These sediments are similar to Miocene diatomite from the same area but, unlike the Miocene diatomite, the FD sediments contain cherty layers, are enriched in CaCO/sub 3/, have a diverse and abundant radiolarian fauna, and possess varved-massive and millimeter- and meter-scale biogenic-terrigenous alternations. The FD sediments are part of an Eocene sequence that includes the clastic sediments of the Paracas Formation, and they are correlative to the Chira Formation of northern Peru. The Paleogene biogenic sediments of western South America show that coastal upwelling developed in the eastern Pacific before the latest Eocene, argue for the existence of a proto-Humboldt current at this time, and suggest that the terminal Eocene event was the culmination of gradual changes and not a catastrophic event at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary.


Rate-compatible punctured LDPC codes have shown to perform well over a wide variety of code rates, both theoretically and practically. However it has been reported that the belief propagation (BP) decoding for these codes converges slower than for unpunctured codes. Layered BP algorithm is a modified BP algorithm that accelerates the decoding convergence by means of sequential scheduling of check node updates. In this letter, we propose an efficient scheduling of check node updates for rate-compatible punctured LDPC codes that performs well. We show that the convergence speed of the proposed scheduling outperforms conventional (random) scheduling and conventional BP decoding. Performance improvements become more distinctive with the growing fraction of punctured bits


Degenerate primers, br1-F and br1-R, designed based on the conserved amino acid sequence of STE3 pheromone receptor in Schizophyllum commune, were used to amplify genomic DNA of monkaryotic parental strains(H_(2), J_(3)) and fifty-nine monokaryons of their F_(1) progenies in Auricularia auricula. A fragment of the PCR product 811bp in length were amplified from the parental strain H_(2), nine monokaryons of the H_(2) mating –type and fifteen ones of the J_(3) mating –type of F_(1) progenies. After cloning, sequencing the fragment, and analyzing the sequence by BLAST searching, no homologous sequences were found. However, the putative protein sequences translated from the DNA sequence had homeodomain protein called fungal STE3 pheromone receptor, and seventy-six homologous sequences were hit, with their e values ranged from 2e-35 to 6.6. It is predicted by the use of SOSUI program that the putative protein is a membrance protein including five transmembrance domains. The recombination ratio was 62.7% between the fragment of STE3 pheromone receptor gene and the mating type locus among F_(1) progenies of Auricularia auricula. This result indicated that the pheromone receptor gene was not linked to the mating type factor, as reported in Pholiota nameko, a bipolar edible mushroom. This study would lay a foundation for cloning the complete pheromone receptor gene and testing its function in the future.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of serologic status for Neospora caninum on short-term weight gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency (feed intake/gain).

DESIGN
Longitudinal observational study.

ANIMALS
34 weaned mixed-breed beef steers.

PROCEDURE
Serologic status for N. caninum was determined for each steer on days 0 (weaning), 88, 116, 144, 172, and 200, using an agglutination test. Individual steer body weight was measured on days 0, 88, 116, 144, 172, 200, and 242 (slaughter). Daily feed intake was monitored from days 116 through 242. Serologic status was matched to animal performance for the period immediately following serum sample collection. A mixed mode, using repeated-measures with an unstructured covariance matrix, was used in the analysis. Breed, age, and pen effects were controlled for in the analysis.

RESULTS
A reduction in average daily gain for the period following a positive serologic result was detected for the entire trial (6 measurements/steer). This may have been attributed to a significant impairment in feed efficiency rather than to an impairment in feed intake. Changes in serologic status in individual steers over time were common; additionally, the effects of serologic status on steer performance were also transitory.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Significant reductions in short-term weight gain and feed efficiency were associated with the presence of antibodies against N. caninum in postweaning beef steers.


In 2010, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) delivered a landmark judgment concerning the requirements of the 'complete independence' of national data protection supervisory authorities ( Commission v. Germany , C-518/07). Two and a half years later, the Court has taken a far more moderate view when assessing the level of independence of the Austrian Data Protection Commission ( Commission v. Austria , C-614/10). For the author, who had criticized the previous judgment, the more recent one is a major step forward – towards a fair balance to be struck between the necessary independence of these authorities and  the likewise necessary coherence of general State organization, State responsibility and State budget. The more recent judgment is also more in line with a) the wording of Article 8(3) of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, b) the level of independence enjoyed by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), the French Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertes (CNIL) and the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) under the 'Paris Principles', and c) the  previous case law ( Commission v. ECB ). Nevertheless, even this more moderate level of independence required for data protection authorities seems to exceed the one deemed sufficient for the judiciary. This is highly problematic given the fact that the judiciary is not just a branch of State organization completely separated from data protection authorities but, on the contrary, is called upon to legally review the decisions of data protection authorities. So also Commission v. Austria will, most probably, not yet be the end of the story – the more so, because the arguments raised in both judgments in favour of 'complete independence' are not intrinsically linked to the issue of data protection, but are likewise applicable to all kinds of regulatory bodies or institutions with a specific remit to secure fundamental rights, and, thus, in principle with horizontal relevance.


Exploration geochemical and mineralogical studies by the U.S. Geological Survey at the Pebble porphyry Cu-Au-Mo deposit were designed to (1) determine whether the concealed deposit can be detected with surface samples, (2) better understand the processes of metal migration from the deposit to the surface, and (3) test existing methods for assessing concealed mineral resources and/or develop new ones. Surface water (ponds, streams, and springs), pond and stream sediment, soils subjected to various leaching techniques, and glacial till samples were collected. The tilted nature of the undisturbed orebody, varying depth of cover, and later glacial processes, strongly influence the geochemical responses and processes active on the various sample media. The multimedia approach aids in identifying possible processes that caused the significant geochemical variations within and among the various media. These processes include the following:

1. In the Pebble West zone, thin cover and local exposure of the orebody have facilitated the oxidation of pyrite and other sulfides, and associated ferrous-ferric iron reactions, resulting in the local natural acidification of ponds observed in the West zone, and in associated metal anomalies in waters, sediments, and soils.

2. In contrast, the East zone is concealed by both glacial deposits and underlying thick cover rocks, which precludes the oxidation of sulfides in the underlying orebody. Low-level geochemical anomalies in circumneutral spring and pond waters from the East zone are discernible only by using high resolution-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry with lower limits of determination two and perhaps three orders of magnitude lower than traditional methods. A variety of partial leaches of soils over the East zone reveal geochemical anomalies in a similar suite of elements that may be related to upwelling waters from depth along graben-bounding faults.

3. The indicator minerals gold, jarosite, and andradite in till reveal a displaced mineralogical anomaly to the west and south of the Pebble orebody, as ore-related minerals were scraped from the orebody and deposited in till downice of the deposit. Geochemical anomalies in pond water and sediment over the displaced till are attributed to the ore-related minerals in till. This orientation study demonstrates the strong control of local geologic and geochemical settings on the effectiveness of different traditional and newer reconnaissance geochemical exploration techniques and thus has important implications for exploration.


The addition of Ag to Cu-Ga-In precursors for reaction to form (AgCu)(InGa)Se2 has shown benefits including improved adhesion, greater process tolerance and potential for improved device performance. In this study, sequential layer sputtering of Ag-Ga, Cu-Ga, and In targets with different layer sequences is characterized. Ag/(Cu+Ag) and (Ag+Cu)/(Ga+ln) ratios were fixed at 0.25 and 0.9, respectively. The most uniform morphology is achieved in Ag-Ga/Cu-In-Ga co-sputtered precursors. No metallic In phase was found in this case, and only the Ag(In,Gah phase was detected. Varying the sputtering sequence for stacked layers results in dissimilar morphologies and structural phases. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses reveal that the Ag-Ga and In layers intermix when they are in contact, forming a Ag(In,Gah phase. Incorporating a Cu-Ga layer between the Ag-Ga and In layers prevents the formation of such a phase. Finally, solar cells fabricated from the Cu-Ga/In/Ag-Ga metal precursor sequence showed the highest overall performance. Index Terms (AgCu)(InGa)Se21 metal precursors, thin film,


Edible insects are identified as a valuable source of proteins and micronutrients with the potential to contribute in alleviating malnutrition especially in developing countries where the practice is traditional. In these countries, the communities depend mostly on collection of the insects from the natural environments. Knowledge on the actual contribution of wild harvested insects to nutrition security is still limited as there are limited studies to this effect. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate how wild harvested edible insects can contribute to nutrition security in developing countries. In this study, we used two wild harvested edible insects (Eulepida mashona and Henicus whellani) consumed in Zimbabwe as case study. A survey on the consumption patterns of edible insects showed that that insect consumption was significantly higher in rural (89.7%) than in urban (80.0%) areas.  Taste and nutritional value are the main motives of consumption for both rural and urban.  Availability of edible insects influences both urban (64.0%) and rural (83.0%) respondents' consumption of insects. Nutritional analysis that the protein content ranged between 52-56% (Eulepida mashona) and 59-70% (Henicus whellani), which is comparable to that of animal-based protein sources. Essential amino acids of both insect species did meet the WHO/FAO (277 mg/g protein) requirement for adult humans. The iron (24.2- 52.9mg/100g) and zinc content (10.0-20.9mg/100g) are high for both species.  The fat content of both species was low (<10%), with PUFA/SFA and omega 6/3 ratios recommendable for a healthy diet. Raw insects had a higher protein in vitro digestibility than the boiled and roasted insects, and the maximal decrease in protein digestibility was around 25%. Iron was the least bioaccessible mineral in both insects. Eulepida mashona had a much higher iron bioaccessibility (30.7%) as compared to Henicus whellani (8.11%). Boiling resulted in about 50% decrease in iron and zinc bioaccessibility in both species while roasting did not. It is necessary to extend shelf life of harvested insects by drying to improve availability.  However, lipid oxidation can affect shelf life of dried insects. Monitoring the concentration of the volatile lipid oxidation products (VLOPs) revealed that lipid oxidation occurred during storage at 4oC and 50oC for both insect species dried at 40oC and 100oC. The high protein and mineral content of wild harvested insects justifies the current traditional insect value chain.


the use of American trade names for drugs means that one example outlined is not understandable to a wider readership. Those with some knowledge of the field will find some points of interest in Dr Dyer's exploration of the underlying theme. It is not a suitable book on its own as an introduction to ethics for trainee psychiatrists. The book is published only in hardback at £35 and is worthwhile for a library purchase.


The emerging field of eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) aims to bring transparency to today's powerful but opaque deep learning models. While local XAI methods explain individual predictions in form of attribution maps, thereby identifying where important features occur (but not providing information about what they represent), global explanation techniques visualize what concepts a model has generally learned to encode. Both types of methods thus only provide partial insights and leave the burden of interpreting the model's reasoning to the user. Only few contemporary techniques aim at combining the principles behind both local and global XAI for obtaining more informative explanations. Those methods, however, are often limited to specific model architectures or impose additional requirements on training regimes or data and label availability, which renders the post-hoc application to arbitrarily pre-trained models practically impossible. In this work we introduce the Concept Relevance Propagation (CRP) approach, which combines the local and global perspectives of XAI and thus allows answering both the "where" and "what" questions for individual predictions, without additional constraints imposed. We further introduce the principle of Relevance Maximization for finding representative examples of encoded concepts based on their usefulness to the model. We thereby lift the dependency on the common practice of Activation Maximization and its limitations. We demonstrate the capabilities of our methods in various settings, showcasing that Concept Relevance Propagation and Relevance Maximization lead to more human interpretable explanations and provide deep insights into the model's representations and reasoning through concept atlases, concept composition analyses, and quantitative investigations of concept subspaces and their role in fine-grained decision making.


Abstract Trials of steady-state operation (SSO) in the Large Helical Device (LHD) were started when a continuous wave (cw) gyrotron with the output power up to 0.2 MW was introduced to the electron cyclotron heating (ECH) system on LHD in 2003. During the first trial of SSO in the seventh LHD experimental campaign in 2004, severe temperature increase on the waveguide transmission line and, as a result, intense pressure increase in the evacuated waveguide occurred, which terminated the operation at 756 s. Additional pumping sections and cooling structures on the transmission line worked well, allowing a 3900-s sustainment of plasma with ne = 0.15 × 1019 m−3 and Te0 = 1.7 keV by 0.1 MW injection power in 2005. The improvement of the ECH system by introducing cw gyrotrons with higher power for further improvement of plasma performance in SSO is in progress. Investigations on electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) physics have been advanced a few years after the proof of ECCD in LHD. By obliquely injecting second-harmonic X-mode EC waves in toroidal direction, stable current up to 5.5 kA is driven, which was evaluated as a difference in plasma currents of the co- and counter-ECCD discharges with 0.1-MW EC wave power. It takes a few seconds for the driven current to saturate. Change in profile of rotational transform by ECCD and profile of driven current density are investigated by use of motional Stark effect measurement. Peaked and localized driven current profile at the plasma core region was confirmed for on-axis second-harmonic ECCD discharges.


The use of Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOSs) became an attractive solution to simplify the design of safety-critical real-time embedded systems. Due to their stringent constraints such as battery-powered, high-speed and low-voltage operation, these systems are often subject to transient faults originated from a large spectrum of noisy sources, among them, the conducted and radiated Electromagnetic Interference (EMI). As the major consequence, the system's reliability degrades. In this paper, we present a hardware-based intellectual property (IP) core, namely RTOS-Guardian (RTOS-G) able to monitor the RTOS' execution in order to detect faults that corrupt the tasks' execution flow in embedded systems based on preemptive RTOS. Experimental results based on the Plasma microprocessor IP core running different test programs that exploit several RTOS resources have been developed. During test execution, the proposed system was exposed to conducted EMI according to the international standard IEC 61.000-4-29 for voltage dips, short interruptions and voltage transients on the power supply lines of electronic systems. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed approach is able to provide higher fault coverage and reduced fault latency when compared to the native fault detection mechanisms embedded in the kernel of the RTOS.


Introduction: Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a public health problem in Jakarta. Its outbreak seems to be highly associated with the rainfall rate (RR) and Aedes aegypti distribution. However, due to global climate change in dry-rainy season, the DHF trend has become irregular. The aim of this study was to determine the trend of DHF in Jakarta and its association with the RR and Ae. aegypti distribution represented by house index (HI) in order to establish an early warning system (EWS). Methods: This study used secondary data of DHF cases (NC), HI, and RR measurement from each region of Jakarta in 2008-2010. One-way anova test was used to analyze the relationshipbetween NC, HI, and RR. Results: It showed fluctuative occurences of DHF, with the peak number of NC has been progressively shifted from May 2008 to earlier in March 2009 and 2010. No significant difference between NC and RR (p=0.073) and between NC and HI (p=0.213) but there was significant difference between RR and HI (p<0.001). Conclusion: NC was not associated with RR and HI but there was association between RR and HI. The EWS was proposed to be performed in the beginning of November before the raising in RR and HI in the later months. J Indon Med Assoc. 2012;62:3-9 Keywords: Dengue haemorrhagic fever, number of cases, rainfall rate, house index, early warning system


Platelet-derived serotonin contributes to FcγRIIA/CD32A-induced IgG-dependent anaphylaxis. Potent platelets Anaphylaxis results from inappropriate immune responses to allergens. Human platelets express the IgG receptor FcγRIIA/CD32A and release inflammatory mediators in response to their engagement, but their contribution to anaphylaxis is not well understood. Beutier et al. developed mouse models that express either human FcγRIIA/CD32A alone or the full human IgG receptor complexity to understand the role of platelets in anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis induced a marked decrease in platelet levels, but preventive platelet depletion reduced anaphylaxis severity. A clinical study of patients with drug-induced anaphylaxis revealed that a severe reaction was likewise associated with fewer circulating platelets. Activated platelets released serotonin, which contributed to anaphylaxis severity. These results reveal a critical role for platelets in IgG-mediated anaphylaxis. Platelets are key regulators of vascular integrity; however, their role in anaphylaxis, a life-threatening systemic allergic reaction characterized by the loss of vascular integrity and vascular leakage, remains unknown. Anaphylaxis is a consequence of inappropriate cellular responses triggered by antibodies to generally harmless antigens, resulting in a massive mediator release and rapidly occurring organ dysfunction. Human platelets express receptors for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and can release potent mediators, yet their contribution to anaphylaxis has not been previously addressed in mouse models, probably because mice do not express IgG receptors on platelets. We investigated the contribution of platelets to IgG-dependent anaphylaxis in human IgG receptor–expressing mouse models and a cohort of patients suffering from drug-induced anaphylaxis. Platelet counts dropped immediately and markedly upon anaphylaxis induction only when they expressed the human IgG receptor FcγRIIA/CD32A. Platelet depletion attenuated anaphylaxis, whereas thrombocythemia substantially worsened its severity. FcγRIIA-expressing platelets were directly activated by IgG immune complexes in vivo and were sufficient to restore susceptibility to anaphylaxis in resistant mice. Serotonin released by activated platelets contributed to anaphylaxis severity. Data from a cohort of patients suffering from drug-induced anaphylaxis indicated that platelet activation was associated with anaphylaxis severity and was accompanied by a reduction in circulating platelet numbers. Our findings identify platelets as critical players in IgG-dependent anaphylaxis and provide a rationale for the design of platelet-targeting strategies to attenuate the severity of anaphylactic reactions.


The purpose of this paper is to organize and clarify the work of the past decade on burst-correcting codes. Our method is, first, to define an idealized model, called the classic bursty channel, toward which most burst-correcting schemes are explicitly or implicitly aimed; next, to bound the best possible performance on this channel; and, finally, to exhibit classes of schemes which are asymptotically optimum and serve as archetypes of the burstcorrecting codes actually in use. In this light we survey and categorize previous work on burst-correcting codes. Finally, we discuss qualitatively the ways in which real channels fail to satisfy the assumptions of the classic bursty channel, and the effects of such failures on the various types of burst-correcting schemes. We conclude by comparing forward-error-correction to the popular alternative of automatic repeat-request (ARQ).


This paper suggests a conceptual shift in the way we approach information sharing
by foregrounding the role of categorization. We argue that the establishment of
professional categories, while being central to institutional intervention, is contingent
on the complexities of everyday inter-professional encounters. It is important
therefore to analyse situations in professionals report on the negotiation of categories
as well as how professionals account for a failure to align sender and receiver
frames. The data analysed in this paper consists two excerpts each from a public
inquiry in the UK (the Victoria Climbie Inquiry) and one in Belgium (the Parliamentary
Commission Dutroux). In conclusion, we address a number of themes in contemporary
debates about improving interagency and within-agency communication. In
particular, we advocate the promotion of language awareness rooted in interactional
analysis and the need to understand the on-the-ground dynamics of evolving
everyday practice as important prerequisites for bringing about and responding to
change.


This chapter presents a transceiver sensitivity modeling and link characterization over-the-air (OTA) for K/Ka-band frequency for next-generation 5G and low earth orbit (LEO) communication applications. The transceiver system is simulated using estimated link budget parameters. The simulated transceiver includes a DQPSK modulator, a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier, and mixers optimized to meet industry specifications. The transmitter front-end shows a 24.6 dBm output power with an input transmission power of 0 dBm. The receiver simulation shows a gain of 48 dBm and an intermediate frequency output power of 35.8 dBm. The simulated sensitivity of the receiver spans from -115 dBm to -110 dBm, indicating good coverage over the channel bandwidth.


To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the National Museum of Scotland this book showcases over 100 of its treasures, from the departments of Scottish History and Archaeology, Art and Design, Science and Technology, Natural Sciences and World Cultures


Design modifications to improve testability usually introduce large area overhead and performance degradation. One way to reduce the negative impact associated with improved testability is to take testability as one of the constraints during high- level design phases so that systems are not only optimized for area and performance, but also from the testability point of view. This thesis deals with the problem of optimizing testing-hardware resources by taking into account testability constraints at high-levels of abstraction during the design process. Firstly, we have provided an approach to solve the problem of optimizing built-in selftest (BIST) resources at the behavioral and register-transfer levels under testability and testing time constraints. Testing problem identification and BIST enhancement during the optimization process are assisted by symbolic testability analysis. Further, concurrent test sessions are generated, while signature analysis registers sharing conflicts as well as controllability and observability constraints are considered. Secondly, we have introduced the problem of BIST resources insertion and optimization while taking wiring area into account. Testability improvement transformations have been defined and deployed in a hardware overhead minimization technique used during a BIST synthesis process. The technique is guided by the results of symbolic testability analysis and inserts a minimal amount of BIST resources into the design to make it fully testable. It takes into consideration both BIST components cost and wiring overhead. Two design space exploration approaches have been proposed: a simulated annealing based algorithm and a greedy heuristic. Experimental results show that considering wiring area during BIST synthesis results in smaller final designs as compared to the cases when the wiring impact is ignored. The greedy heuristic uses our behavioral and register-transfer levels BIST enhancement metrics to guide BIST synthesis in such a way that the number of testability improvement transformations performed on the design is reduced.


This study presents an analysis of AIDS cases and seroprevalence of HIV infection among Mexican women, from the onset of the epidemic through June 1994, as well as the analysis of the social and cultural factors that put women in a powerless situation regarding the adoption of preventive measures. Since 1985, when the first AIDS cases among women were reported in Mexico and until June 1, 1994, a total of 2,767 cases have been reported, representing 14.8% of the total number of cases. The first cases of AIDS among women were associated to infected blood transfusions; however, in 1986, heterosexually transmitted cases began to appear. Currently, only 35% of newly reported AIDS cases are associated to blood transfusions while 64% of them are related to heterosexual transmission. In fact, two epidemics are evident: one transmitted through blood, showing a downward trend (duplication time 45 months), and a second one, heterosexually transmitted, increasing twice as fast (duplication time 27 months). The latter is expected to dominate AIDS epidemiology among women in the future. In general, women are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS biologically, but also socially and culturally. Women's economic, social and cultural subordination to their sexual partners results in a situation that makes it difficult for them to assess their infection risk and even more, to negotiate taking preventive measures. This situation is even more disadvantageous to rural women and, together with the recent trend of the AIDS epidemic to ruralization and with internal and international migration (temporary work force migration to the USA), can result in deep demographic and social effects. We conclude that it is necessary to work on the design and assessment of preventive measures under women's control, that empower them to protect themselves even without their partner's awareness. Also, it is necessary to promote sexual education among young heterosexual couples on how to talk about sexual issues and negotiate the use of preventive measure according to their actual sexual practices.


Diapause performs two main functions in the life-cycle of an insect. In addition to protecting the organism from adverse seasonal conditions it synchronises active stages of development with optimal conditions for growth. In most temperate species studied photoperiod and temperature are the two principal zeitgebers involved in insect periodicity and diapause expression. Generally insects respond to either quantitative changes in day-length or according to a fixed critical threshold of light. The rate of diapause development is controlled primarily by temperature, as numerous studies have demonstrated that chilling hastens termination of dormancy in a large number of autumnal-hibernal diapausing insects. This study focused on the effects of photoperiod and temperature on a number of diapausing insect species found around County Durham. In the cranefly Tipula subnodicornis, larvae subjected to a critical regime equal to or below L:D 12:12 pupated significantly later than individuals kept on a regime of L:D 14:10 and above. In the carabid beetle Nebria salina, long-day suppressed ovarian maturation whereas short-day favoured egg development. Male reproductive development occurred irrespective of the applied photoperiod. In Tipula fusca and Coleophora alticolella, chilling hastened development towards hatching and adult emergence, respectively. Intraspecific variation in response to the combined effects of chilling and photoperiod was observed in C. alticolella and the relevance of such findings in the field were discussed.


Providing secure and efficient access to large scale outsourced data is an important component of cloud computing. In this paper, we propose a mechanism to solve this problem in owner-write-users-read applications. We propose to encrypt every data block with a different key so that flexible cryptography-based access control can be achieved. Through the adoption of key derivation methods, the owner needs to maintain only a few secrets. Analysis shows that the key derivation procedure using hash functions will introduce very limited computation overhead. We propose to use over-encryption and/or lazy revocation to prevent revoked users from getting access to updated data blocks. We design mechanisms to handle both updates to outsourced data and changes in user access rights. We investigate the overhead and safety of the proposed approach, and study mechanisms to improve data access efficiency.


The modern stage of development of Byelorussian economy demands search of new solutions to old problems, especially with respect to agriculture. Despite of external well-being and measures taken for development of agriculture, the majority of enterprises can not effectively go on with production on their own. In many branches of production the state subsidies are granted. Various sorts of state grants If to consider structure of profit of the agricultural organizations its greater part represents a. In article are considered problems of innovative development of agriculture of Belarus, in particular the enterprises of dairy sector.


To analyze the effect of high temperature on material properties of steel casing Q125 and V140 in complex deep wells, some experiments of casing material have been done at the temperature of room temperature to 350°C, and based on the former results the material property model of high-grade steel casing under the effect of temperature was established. To facilitate the design of oilfield, uniform strength reduction factor at 150°C and 200°C was given, which was applied to casing string and tubing string design under high temperature. Taking an ultra-deep field as an example, the results show that casing mechanical properties decreases with the temperature increasing; in the design process of high temperature well, the temperature effect is needed to consider.


Abstract Organizations and individuals can benefit from the ability to reason about the causal relationships that lie behind the products and processes they manage. Cause and effect thinking helps individuals understand wh at they observe and predict the outcomes of their actions. This paper discusses the characteristics of a process knowledge base, a special type of information system that facilitates effective decision making through the application of models that capture the causal structure of the process. In doing so, they also capture how the various structural elements of the process relate to one another, and how the activities constituting the process are sequenced over time. The purpose of the paper is to define th is particular class of computer information systems so as to focus attention in both research and practice. We will operationally define what is meant by the term 'process knowledge base', and discuss the different sources of knowledge that can contribute to the development of a process knowledge base. A scheme for representing process cause and effect is given, and we summarize how the use of a process knowledge base can effect both individual and organizational learning.


Essential differences are established between the activities in enzymes of monophosphohexoses' transformation in the Zajdela hepatoma and liver of tumour-bearing rats. So, a very low hexokinase activity is observed in the liver, the activity of phosphoglucomutase and glucose-6-phosphate being high. In hepatoma cells the activity of hexokinase is relatively high and that of phosphoglucomutase, glucose-6-phosphate phosphatase and dehydrogenases--glucose-6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate inhibiting the activity of phosphoglucomutase is considerably lower. Significant differences are also found in the ratios of the glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, fructose and fructose-6-phosphate concentrations, that evidences for changes in the regulatory mechanisms in the hepatoma cells.


We examine the differential effects of income smoothness on value-relevance of current future earnings (termed as earnings response coefficient, ERC, and future earnings response coefficient, FERC, respectively) as affected by different information environments. In theory, if reported earnings are permanent, earnings should explain concurrent returns fully. In this case, the FERC should approach zero. However, a rich information environment provides more information that helps the market better assess the firm's future profitability. To the extent that current permanent earnings cannot fully predict future realized earnings, we should find a positive FERC in rich information environment. Based on the premise that smoothing brings reported earnings closer to permanent earnings, we predict and find that for firms with poor information environment, income smoothness improves ERC but not FERC. For firms with superior information environment, income smoothness improves FERC. We also find higher FERC when earnings are less smoothed for firms in poorer information environment. Many recent studies have focused solely on FERC in assessing the informativeness of earnings. We remind researchers that theoretically more value-relevant earnings do not effectively improve FERC in an environment with little or no other information.


Digital services provided on demand by academic libraries offer simple and fast access to collections and services tailored to users' information needs from anywhere in the world through computer networks in an online environment. This case study was conducted at the Victoria University of Wellington Library. It has investigated the extent of and reasons for different perceptions and expectations relating to digital services between different user communities, and between users and librarians. The research, which sheds light on the users' satisfaction of the digital services, follows Taylor's (1986) user-centered and value-added theories, and Parasuraman's (1988) Gap Model. In addition, some evaluation indicators used in this research were also extracted and revised from some previous evaluation models (e.g., SERQUAL). Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used in this research. Questionnaire surveys collected data on the perceptions and expectations of the digital services from the perspectives of undergraduates, postgraduates, academic staff and librarians individually. The comparative results from the survey data identified variations of perceptions and expectations between users communities, and between users and librarians. Issues raised in the questionnaires were explored in more depth through follow-up interviews with librarians. The research concluded with a range of recommendations for ways to improve the digital services offered by the VUW Library with a view to helping the Library meet the information needs of its user communities.


On the basis of two case studies taken from unrelated languages, Berber (Afroasiatic) and German (Indoeuropean), this paper shows that the linear order of nonconcatenative markers in templates corresponds to their relative hierarchical position. In Berber, a VSO language, the linear order of the markers in the verb template is head-final. In Standard German, an SOV language, it is head-initial. The linear order of nonconcatenative markers in templates is thus predicted by the Mirror Principle. In a second step, I show that the co-occurrence of morphosyntactic features in a single templatic position is constrained by syntactic locality: A given templatic site may only host multiple morphosyntactic features, if those features belong to the same syntactic domain.In summary, the nonconcatenative morphological phenomena discussed in this paper are subject to general principles of syntactic structure. I put forth the hypothesis that this observation holds universally. Nonconcatenative marking cannot be considered an exotic characteristic of a particular language, or family of languages, e.g., Afroasiatic or Semitic. It is part of Universal Grammar. The theory of grammar cannot treat it as exceptional.


By researching on the main factors affecting the active zone area strain of electroactive dielectric elastomers, the suitable conditions of area strain for the material in the application as artificial muscles actuator was determined. In the experiments, the strain characteristics of the material was investigated under uniaxial pre-stretching, uniform biaxial pre-stretching and non-uniform biaxial pre-stretching respectively. In addition, the strain rates of the materials active zone under different ratio of the active zone to the window radius of the materials were investigated. The experimental results show that the area strain of active zone would have inflexion under any pre-stretching condition, and the area strain increased with applied voltage increasing, decreased with the ratio of the active zone to the window radius increasing. It could be found that the strain conditions have an important influence on the area strain of the active zone.


IntroductionHarmonization of different data sources from various electronic health records across systems enhances the potential scope and granularity of data available to health data research, providing more opportunities for research by improving the generalizability and effective sample size of a range of outcome metrics.
Objectives and ApproachThis study describes data harmonisation for a UK longitudinal birth cohort, the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) which was linked to routine inpatient and emergency department, and, where available, general practice and child health records for 1838 Welsh and 1431 Scottish consenting MCS participants. Datasets requiring harmonisation were: from Wales, Patient Episode Dataset for Wales (PEDW) and Emergency Department Data Set (EDDS) data and from Scotland, Scottish Medical Record 01 (SMR01) and Accident and Emergency dataset (A&E2). Heterogeneous variables were created by transforming variable names, concepts, codes to improve scope for analysis.
ResultsA harmonized dataset of 2166 participants and 5747 hospital admissions were derived of cohort members who had at least 1 hospital inpatient or A&E event before their 14th birthday. Harmonisation included: dealing with date granularity by generating random dates of birth; standardising periods of data collection; identifying inconsistencies and then mapping and bridging differences in definitions of periods of care and levels of diagnostic and operational coding across countries and datasets.
Conclusion/ImplicationsHeterogeneous variables from different data sources were pooled and converted into standardised data for research, extending existing harmonisation work, including curation of a population based anonymously linkable longitudinal cohort. [AA1] These methods are reproducible and can be utilised by other researchers and projects applying to use these routine data sources.


This paper describes a method by which incoming Level 4 (First-Year) students might be supported by academic librarians in their transition into Higher Education in the area of research and academic standards. Previous research indicated that students transitioning into higher education found it difficult to narrow down topics, were uncertain about the expectations of their lecturers, were overwhelmed by the breath of resources available and were confused over how to conduct university level research. In order to address these issues, the idea of threshold concepts (Meyer and Land 2003, 2005) needed to be addressed as part of a redesigned programme. The "backward design process" outlined in Understanding by Design (Wiggins and McTighe 2006) formed the basis for changes to the workshops. This method of design means that one can move the process along from experiences which merely focus on knowledge that is worth being familiar with (which is what is happening in our research workshops at the moment) to experiences which promote enduring knowledge, skills and understanding. Whereas previous workshops for Y13 students focussed on the "how", the new workshops centred on a genuine Level 4 assignment which students were asked to complete in small groups. We moved the session away from computer based searching for the first session to a brainstorming session covering three aspects of the search. Feedback was then sought both in written format ("3-2-1" technique) and informally to gauge students engagement with the exercise. Initial findings indicated that students left the sessions with a better understanding of the expectations of university level work. Students indicated surprise over the variety of sources which they might use (in particular, primary research) and some indicated an understanding of how research skills could be transferred into everyday life. (288 words) References Meyer, J.H.F and Land, R. (2003) Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge (1): Linkages to Ways of Thinking and Practising [Internet]. Occasional Report 4. London, Economic and Social Research Council. Available from: http://www.etl.tla.ed.ac.uk/docs/ETLreport4.pdf [Accessed 15 October 2012]. Meyer, J. H. F. and Land, R. (2005). Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge (2): Epistemological considerations and a conceptual framework for teaching and learning, Higher Education [Internet], 49(3), pp. 373-388. Available from: http://web.ebscohost.com [Accessed 15 October 2012]. Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J. (2006) Understanding by Design. Ohio, Pearson.


How UNreliable are adult-reported suicide attempts? An examination of correlates and underlying causal mechanisms of discordant reporting over time. Niki P. Palmetto, MPhil, MPH The challenge of capturing suicide attempts in the population, plague its examination. The reliability of adult-reported lifetime suicide attempts had not been rigorously explored prior to this work, and therefore estimates have remained largely unchallenged. This dissertation explicitly sought to fill this research gap by utilizing a longitudinal study, comprising two waves of data collection, in which information on suicide attempts was obtained at both time points. Chapter 1 presents a systematic review of the literature depicting the state of the literature with regards to the reliability of suicidality measures (e.g. ideation, plans, and attempts). Few studies assessed correlates of discordant reporting, and no studies examined the reliability of adultreported suicide attempts. Drawing upon the correlates reported within studies, as well sources of heterogeneity across studies, I posited four plausible causal mechanisms underlying discordant suicidality reporting; recall failure, reinterpretation, conscious denial, and lack of construct comprehension. Extending these findings, I proposed that the likelihood of each mechanism is influenced by factors such as the severity of the suicidality, amount of time passed since the suicidal event, social desirability effects, mood context, and suicide construct validity. In Chapter 2, I assessed the reliability of adult-reported lifetime attempts as reported in a large, population-based longitudinal study, and found reports to be moderately reliable, with a Kappa coefficient of 0.51. I hypothesized that discordant reporters would be more similar to individuals who reported a past attempt at both waves (Concordant yes responders), compared with individuals who reported no attempt at both waves (Concordant no responders). I found that indeed, discordant reporters were more similar to the former, potentially signifying that discordant reporters are true attempters who underreported their attempt at one time point. Further, I hypothesized that discordant reporters would be less likely to have a history of depressive disorders compared with Concordant yes responders; positing that this history would serve as a marker for attempt severity, and that discordants would have less severe attempts, which would therefore be more easily forgotten or reinterpreted. Contrary to this hypothesis however, discordants were as likely as Concordant yes individuals to have a history of depressive disorders, and unexpectedly, discordants were much less likely to have a history of suicidal ideation. It is therefore plausible that a history of suicidal ideation serves as a marker for attempt severity, and/or that discordant reporters are characterized by more impulsive attempts. In Chapter 3, I examined how a respondent's current depressed mood may influence the recall, and hence reporting of attempts. Based on established mood-recall theories, I tested three competing hypotheses to determine if a current depressed mood would enhance (moodcongruent recall), inhibit (mood memory deficit effect), or have no effect on the recall (moodindependent recall) and reporting of attempts. I hypothesized that discordant reporters would demonstrate a mood-congruent pattern of reporting, such that a depressed mood at the time of the interview would increase the likelihood that a respondent would report an attempt at that wave. There were in fact, distinct mood-congruent reporting effects among Recanters, yet moodindependent effects detected among New endorsers. This may indicate that New endorsers are a unique group of discordant responders, which warrant further examination. Still, because respondents in our sample were over 20 times more likely to recant than newly endorse, and comparatively, there was limited power within our New endorser group, I believe these results may be generalized to assert that overall, discordant responders report in a mood-congruent


This article presents an empirical analysis of a unique dataset of 1240 former members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA). We highlight the shifting sociological and operational profile of PIRA's cadre, and highlight these dynamics in conjunction with primary PIRA documents and secondary interview sources. The effect of these changes in terms of the scale and intensity of PIRA violence is also considered. Although this is primarily a study of a disbanded violent organization, it contains broad policy implications beyond the contemporary violence of dissident movements in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We conclude with a consideration of how a shifting sociological profile impacts upon group effectiveness, resilience, homogeneity, and the turn toward peaceful means of contention.


Whole-life consumption of the pure Tokaj wine (The Furmint variety) with documented antioxidative activity significantly elongated (p<0.05) the life of laboratory animals in comparison to the control group consuming water and in comparison to group consuming ethanol (10%). Whole-life intake of ethanol (10%) diluted with water neither shortened nor elongated life of laboratory animals in comparison to control group consuming water. An increased dosing of the Tokaj wine combined with water shortened life expectation (p<0.001). Obviously mixing of wine and water increases the absorption of toxic elements influenced by an acid medium through the change of anions to cations, but also increased appetite resulting into obesity on the basis of hyperphagia.


The forests are indispensable for the natural balance on Earth. Without the existence of the forest the life is not possible because this ecosystem provides many goods and services. The many clear cut forest surfaces have led to the lack of balance of ecosystems causing risks for the environment. The globalization promotes multinational companies, which have an important role in the exploitation of the forest. Because of the many advantages, the forest must be protected from the bad influence of the globalization, a thing possible due to the fact that the world is heading to a new economic order. The paper presents the situation of the forests in Romania for the 2005-2007.


Medical records of 320 persons, who were injured in terrorist attacks in 1999-2003, were analyzed. The main errors in rendering the anesthetic-and-resuscitation care were pointed out. An algorithm of actions is elaborated for the anesthesiologist working at the reception, surgical and intensive care departments of a hospital. Owing to the mentioned algorithm, the lethality rate of wounded persons dropped from 18 to 10%.


A collection of 106 Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida strains and 19 Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae strains, including reference and type strains, were genetically characterized using AFLP. The total genomic DNA of each bacterial strain was digested using restriction endonucleases HindIII and TaqI. Using numerical analysis, six clusters were recognized. The largest cluster (n = 106) contained the majority of the strains tested and consisted exclusively of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida. The Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae strains fell outside this cluster. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments showed 77% DNA binding between the two subspecies, indicating a close genetic relationship. This clearly demonstrates the applicability of AFLP in studying the taxonomic position of Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida. In addition, AFLP proved to be a useful genotypic technique for epidemiological surveys of the pathogen, since it was able to discriminate between Mediterranean and Japanese Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida isolates.


: An evaluation of the end results of combined treatment for osteogenic sarcoma by standard chemoradiotherapy (n = 66) and novel thermochemical therapy (n = 108) using local ultrasound hyperthermia (total number--174) demonstrated their dependence on the temperature range in target tumor tissues. Use of subhypertemperatures of 39--41-45 deg.C (TTD--36 Gy) did not improve the results of treatment. However, 41-45 deg.C (TTD--36 Gy) was followed by a significant increase in 3- and 5-year survival and improved quality of life in cured patients as compared with those receiving standard radiotherapy (TTD--60-110 Gy). Hyperthermic therapeutic effect in osteogenic sarcoma depends on certain conditions. Effective temperatures can generally be reached in patients with relatively large-size tumors and rather thin coats of subcutaneous fat.


The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Usher syndrome types I, II and III in Sweden and to estimate possible regional differences in the prevalence of different Usher syndrome subtypes within the country. Probands were ascertained through multiple sources and almost complete ascertainment was achieved. A total of 370 subjects with a referring diagnosis of Usher was ascertained. Of those, 77 subjects proved to have an incorrect preliminary diagnosis. Of the remaining 293 individuals, 140 were found to have Usher syndrome type I, 122 subjects were diagnosed as type II, and 27 subjects had Usher syndrome type III. The corresponding prevalence in Sweden was estimated to be 1.6/100,000 for type I, 1.4/100.000 for type II and 0.3/100.000 for type III. The prevalence of Usher I was found to be significantly higher (8.6/100.000) in the two northernmost counties. This is consistent with an earlier report made in the 1950s. Similar geographic concentrations of Usher II and III were not observed. Usher syndrome types IB, ID and IIA were found to be the most common subtypes in Sweden. The age of diagnosis in all 3 types was late and the prevalence was higher at older ages. To our knowledge this is the largest genetic/epidemiological study on patients with Usher syndrome carried out to date. It provides critical information for genetic counselling and public health planning of this important disorder.


Background: Testosterone has been postulated as a 'social' hormone, but the relationship between testosterone and personality traits linked with socially oriented behaviors such as extraversion remains unclear. The objective of our study was to investigate the association between baseline salivary testosterone levels and the Big Five personality traits. Methods: We studied the relationship between salivary testosterone (morning and evening) and NEO-FFI (Five-Factor Inventory) personality traits in 1,611 participants with lifetime or current depression and/or anxiety and 482 participants without depression/anxiety of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). Results: The personality domain of extraversion was independently associated with higher salivary testosterone, both in healthy subjects (β = 0.094; p = 0.04) and in subjects with lifetime or current depression and/or anxiety (β = 0.092; p < 0.001). In multivariable adjusted analyses, extraversion remained the only personality trait that was positively associated with salivary testosterone (β = 0.079; p = 0.006). Conclusion: We conclude that salivary testosterone is consistently and positively related to extraversion, supporting the notion of a hormonal basis of this personality trait, which may be linked to the tendency to strive for and maintain social status.


Kropotkin's anarchism looked to a future defined by communalism. However, his understanding of this potential communal future has rarely been subject to analysis. Particularly important was his distinction between communalism and the tradition of communal experimentation in the US, which drew heavily on the ideas of Charles Fourier. Kropotkin was influenced by Fourier, but thought that attempts to found phalansteries had been disastrous, vitiating the power of communalist propaganda. To defend the idea of a communal future, Kropotkin therefore advanced a tripartite critique of the US model of utopian experimentation. The image of American utopianism he created consequently served as a useful rhetorical device, allowing him to advance a counter-image of the anarchist communal theory that lay at the heart of his political theory.


The United Nation's International Decade for People of African Descent and Nova Scotia's Ministry of African Nova Scotian Affairs recognize that students of African descent continue to experience inequities. As previous studies indicate, parents of Black learners identified that many educators lack knowledge and experience in understanding students of African descent.This study explored student achievement from the perspective of parents of children of African descent attending public schools in Nova Scotia. Participants included individual interviews and focus groups with parents from rural and urban areas. Based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory framework, a thematic analysis of the data was conducted, a dominant storyline related to the families' experiences in school and subsequent themes emerged: we are treated differently; we don't feel connected; we know there are challenges: the resistance of parents; and we deal with injustices but persevere. These findings provide recommendations to improve the educational success for Black learners.
Keywords: African Canadian, academic achievement and success, Black students, education, schooling challenges, students of African descent


Background/Aims: Overexpression of cytosolic sulfotransferase 2B1b (SULT2B1b) has been commonly found in colorectal and hepatocellular carcinoma, suggesting that SULT2B1b might act as a potential oncogenic protein. However, its clinical significance and biological role in gastric cancer progression remain largely unknown. Methods: Expressions of SULT2B1b in clinical gastric cancer (GC) samples were examined using qRT-PCR and Western blot. Results: SULT2B1b was markedly overexpressed in human GC samples, and positively correlated with vessel density and associated with poor clinical features. We also demonstrated that overexpression of SULT2B1b resulted in increased tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth in mouse GC models. In addition, ablation of SULT2B1b in human GC cells lines BGC823 and MKN45 decreased the capability of the cells to recruit endothelial cells. Moreover, depletion of SULT2B1b in GC cells reduced VEGF-A expression by downregulating SP1 and AP2. Conclusion: Our results suggested that the SULT2B1b-mediated angiogenic pathway could serve as biomarkers for GC diagnosis and prognosis, and suppressing SULT2B1b-mediated angiogenic signaling might be a promising strategy for developing novel GC treatment.


Patient anatomy specific orthopaedic implant design, fabrication and identification of the most suitable position to fix implants onto bone fractures are challenging problems for surgeons to overcome of the existing shortcomings of commercially available implants. In this work, a 3D finite element model of the left tibial bone of an adult male is developed from Computed Tomography scan images. Proximal tibial fracture type B1 (as per Association for the Study of Internal Fixation) is simulated on the bone model. A geometry specific implant is obtained in order to promote better bone ingrowths and uniform stress distribution, by extracting the surface features of the bone. Finite Element Analysis is performed to evaluate and compare the mechanical properties such as stress, strain and displacement of the bone and implant of four various thicknesses which are fixed at two different positions. The design objectives such as low stress and displacement combination is obtained through the antero-lateral position with 1.8 mm implant thickness. Various material properties are assigned to cortical, cancellous, trabecular regions of the bone and to implants made up of titanium alloy. The results obtained from the Finite Element Analysis are used to evaluate the stability and suitability of the implant for that particular fracture.


Heating and current drive systems must fulfil several roles in ITER operating scenarios: heating through the H-mode transition and to ignition; plasma burn control; current drive and current profile control in steady state scenarios; and control of MHD instabilities. They must also perform ancillary functions, such as assisting plasma start-up and wall conditioning. It is recognized that no one system can satisfy all of these requirements with the degree of flexibility that ITER will require. Four heating and current drive systems are therefore under consideration for ITER: electron cyclotron waves at a principal frequency of 170GHz; fast waves operating in the range 40-70MHz (ion cyclotron waves); lower hybrid waves at 5GHz; and neutral beam injection using negative ion beam technology for operation at 1MeV energy. It is likely that several of these systems will be employed in parallel. The systems have been chosen on the basis of the maturity of physics understanding and operating experience in current experiments and on the feasibility of applying the relevant technology to ITER. Here, the fundamental physics describing the interaction of these heating systems with the plasma is reviewed, the relevant experimental results in the exploitation of the heating and current drive capabilities of each system are discussed, key aspects of their application to ITER are outlined, and the major technological developments required in each area are summarized.


A surge of interest in the geomechanical and petrophysical properties of mudrocks (shales) has taken place in recent years following the development of a shale gas industry in the United States and elsewhere, and with the prospect of similar developments in the UK. Also, these rocks are of particular importance in excavation and construction geotechnics and other rock engineering applications, such as underground natural gas storage, carbon dioxide disposal and radioactive waste storage. They may greatly influence the stability of natural and engineered slopes. Mudrocks, which make up almost three-quarters of all the sedimentary rocks on Earth, therefore impact on many areas of applied geoscience. This volume focuses on the mechanical behaviour and various physical properties of mudrocks. The 15 chapters are grouped into three themes: (i) physical properties such as porosity, permeability, fluid flow through cracks, strength and geotechnical behaviour; (ii) mineralogy and microstructure, which control geomechanical behaviour; and (iii) fracture, both in laboratory studies and in the field.


CASE
Nadia is a 7-year-old girl who you have followed since her discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Her parents are here today for an urgent visit with behavioral concerns, such as inattention, hyperactivity, and aggression.Nadia is a former 40-weeker born through vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery at 9 pounds 7 ounces. Her delivery was complicated with shoulder dystocia, which resulted in resuscitation. Her Apgar scores were 1, 3, and 4 at 1, 5, and 10 minutes, respectively. After intubation and stabilization on mechanical ventilation, Nadia was transferred to the NICU. Her neonatal course included systemic hypothermia using "cool cap" for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) for a duration of 72 hours. She was extubated on day of life 3. She had an occupational therapy consultation for poor suck/feeding, and it quickly improved. She was discharged on day of life 14. On discharge, Nadia was referred to early intervention (EI) and the NICU follow-up clinic. Nadia was followed by EI until 12 months of age and in the NICU follow-up clinic until 18 months of age, as there were no concerns meeting her developmental milestones or her neuromotor development.At this urgent visit, Nadia's parents report that she attended a family child care from 1.5 to 3 years of age, Head Start from 3 to 5 years of age and the local public school from 5 years to present. Since starting child care, Nadia's teachers have reported that she requires a lot of redirection and refocusing, fidgets a lot in class, and can be aggressive toward her peers when unprovoked. Since her parents had not seen these behaviors at home, they thought it was a phase that she would grow out of. However, as they began to work with her to complete school assignments, they noticed that it was very difficult for Nadia to sit still and focus on work. They also struggled in the mornings to get her ready and off to school.The parents bring in Conners scales completed by themselves and her lead teacher, and with these and our clinical observations, we diagnose her with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), combined type. We discuss risk factors and ADHD management with her parents. During our discussion, Nadia's father, who has done some reading on ADHD, remembers reading an article about HIE and NICU stay being risk factors for ADHD. He wonders if this affects the choice of management of her ADHD symptoms. How would you address his query?


Creation and effective management of marine protected areas (MPAs) have lagged behind those of protected areas on land, but they are just as important. The world urgently needs a comprehensive system of MPAs to conserve biodiversity and to help rebuild the productivity of the oceans. The aim of these guidelines is to help countries establish systems of MPAs as a key component of integrated management of coastal and marine areas and as part of their sustainable development. The various actions to make an effective MPA are set out, from early planning stages to implementation. These guidelines aim to help policy-makers, planners and field managers, whether working on conservation of nature or sustainable use of marine resources


As a result of disparities in the educational system, numerous scholars and educators across disciplines currently support the STEAM ( Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics ) movement for arts integration. An educational approach to learning focusing on guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking through interdisciplinary instruction, STEAM values proficiency, knowledge, and understanding. Despite extant literature urging for this integration, the trend has yet to significantly influence federal or state standards for K-12 education in the United States. This paper provides a brief and focused review of key theories and research from the fields of cognitive psychology and neuroscience outlining the benefits of arts integrative curricula in the classroom. Cognitive psychologists have found that the arts improve participant retention and recall through semantic elaboration, generation of information, enactment, oral production, effort after meaning, emotional arousal, and pictorial representation. Additionally, creativity is considered a higher-order cognitive skill and EEG results show novel brain patterns associated with creative thinking. Furthermore, cognitive neuroscientists have found that long-term artistic training can augment these patterns as well as lead to greater plasticity and neurogenesis in associated brain regions. Research suggests that artistic training increases retention and recall, generates new patterns of thinking, induces plasticity, and results in strengthened higher-order cognitive functions related to creativity. These benefits of arts integration, particularly as approached in the STEAM movement, are what develops students into adaptive experts that have the skills to then contribute to innovation in a variety of disciplines.


This study presents an investigation about the damage characteristics and mechanical properties of Al2O3/ZrO2 laminate composites under low velocity biaxial and transient loading (BLTL). These multilayer laminates have different layer thickness therefore residual stresses and are compared to a 13-layer alumina specimen. Impact tests were conducted using a drop-weight test facility with impact energies ranging from 0.033-0.160 kgm. Optical microscopy was used to observe the damage characteristics of the impacted specimens. The load-time and energy-time histories produced by the impact tests in conjunction with the observation of the optical photographs give a good view of the behaviour that characterize the multilayers of Al2O3 (A) and Al2O3/ZrO2 (AZ) ceramics under the selected experimental conditions.


Factor analysis (FA) is applied to identify climate-forming factors and quantitatively evaluate their importance in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea region. Monthly data from 7 meteoro- logical stations are used: average maximum and average minimum of air temperature (T1 and T2), atmospheric pressure (P), wind speed at a height of 10 m (v), monthly precipitation (Q), duration of sunshine (S) and partial pressure of water vapour (e). FA reveals that the variables form 2 main groups (meteorological complexes): a hygrothermal complex— T1, T2 and e—and a baric-radiational complex— P, Q and S. Both meteorological complexes exist almost independently of each other (in cold seasons in particular), i.e. it is possible to distinguish the 2 most important types of climate- forming processes in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea region. One of them is advection related to the input of various air masses whose features are best reflected by air temperature and humidity. The other process mostly takes place within 1 pressure system (cyclone or anticyclone): air mass transfor- mation, vertical mixing, formation of clouds and related precipitation and input of solar radiation.


The main objective of this study was to examine the factors that influence
customers' preference of the mobile phone operators in Tanzania. Methodological
triangulation was used in order to supplement information on the factors influence
customers' preference. The data were analyzed by using both qualitatively and
quantitatively methods cross the sectional study. This was preferred because the
mobile phone providers are recent introduced in Tanzania, also little is known about
the factors influence customers' choice of mobile phone service providers. Survey
interview were administered to mobile phone companies in order to investigate
customers views on the service provided by the company, how customer interpret the
service provided to them by the service provider and how they seek solutions. The
majority of mobile phone customers pointed out that, good customer care has been
the leading influential factors for customers' preference and mobility from one
mobile phone operator to another. Mobile phone investments in Tanzania is
seemingly not stagnant, various characteristic features are observed every now and
then given the new technologies innovated in the telecommunications sector. The
observed factors for shifting tendency might not be the reasons in the near future
unless new technologies are not discovered. Therefore changes in the whole
communication sector are usually anticipated due to the ongoing changes that are
continuously being observed. Recommendation of this study basically centers to the
all stakeholders including the mobile phone users (customers), the companies
(mobile phone operators), the government and the telecommunication sector in
general.


For the characteristics and needs of temperature and humidity control in current industrial environment, the paper proposes a fuzzy-based embedded temperature and humidity control system,which enables consumers monitor and control temperature and humidity parameters through the PDA when moving. The article first introduces the hardware structure of the temperature and humidity fuzzy control system, then based on the theory of fuzzy set and the fuzzy number operations of l - cut set, focusing on the transition rules of fuzzy controlling fuzzy conditions of the temperature and humidity control systems, and finally introduce the key technologies of embedded software system of the PDA,. The experimental results show that the system is very practical and flexible.


Background With more than 65% of adults actively using social media each week it is important to ensure that hospices are developing new ways to engage with this population group to encourage fundraising and provide support to patients and carers. Social media provide exciting opportunities for hospices to widen their influence and activity, but also raise practical and ethical issues which must be addressed. Methods This research appraised 150 hospice websites in England and Wales to determine the prevalence of social media and how it is being used to engage, educate and support hospice users, volunteers and staff. Numbers of users and type of use (fundraising, support, awareness raising) were recorded and factors such as prominence on website explored. Social media sites were also searched for links to hospice and palliative care issues. Results In total, 35% of hospice websites used Facebook and 33% used Twitter to communicate with the public, 28% of websites accessed did not use any form of social media. The majority of social media sites were used to encourage and provide information regarding fundraising. Very few websites used a forum, an opportunity for hospices to provide support to hospice users whilst also educating and encouraging fundraising in a more secure environment. The extended search of social media sites highlighted areas of discussion, support and awareness raising distinct from and not tapped into by hospice sites. Discussion The rewards and disadvantages of forum use for hospices are explored alongside recommendations for improving public awareness of the hospice social media sites. To date, UK hospices are underusing social media both in volume of traffic and scope (overwhelmingly for fundraising only). This leaves hospices self-excluding from much of the potential of social media to inform, support and debate, and at risk of being left behind.


Strategies to Low Achieving Students Abstract In this action research study of an eighth grade Math Intervention class, we investigated the following: • the direct teaching of problem-solving strategies to low achieving students; • the effect the academic achievement has on these students; and • students' perceptions of themselves as problem solvers. We discovered that students tended to have a positive experience with problem-solving activities when given direct instruction on a variety of strategies. Through the use of a four-point rubric, students' written responses tended to be more comprehensive about their understanding of the problem. Over a span of four weeks during the spring semester in 2006, the researchers provided instruction on specific problem-solving strategies in Math Intervention class. Then students were given the opportunities to apply these strategies to several "Habits of Mind" problems presented in the Math 8 classrooms. As a result of this research, we plan to expand the current curriculum to include more problem-solving challenges for low achieving students.


Objectives To identify the agriculture, food, and nutrition security interventions that facilitate sustainable food production and have a positive impact on health. Methods Systematic review methods were used to synthesize evidence from multiple systematic reviews and economic evaluations through a comprehensive search of 17 databases and 10 websites. The search employed a pre-defined protocol with clear inclusion criteria. Both grey and peer-reviewed literature published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese between 1 January 1997 and November 2013 were included. To classify as "sustainable," interventions needed to aim to positively impact at least two dimensions of the integrated framework for sustainable development and include measures of health impact. Results Fifteen systematic reviews and seven economic evaluations met the inclusion criteria. All interventions had some impact on health or on risk factors for health outcomes, except those related to genetically modified foods. Impact on health inequalities was rarely measured. All interventions with economic evaluations were very cost-effective, had cost savings, or net benefits. In addition to impacting health (inclusive social development), all interventions had the potential to impact on inclusive economic development, and some, on environmental sustainability, though these effects were rarely assessed. Conclusions What is needed now is careful implementation of interventions with expected positive health impacts but with concurrent, rigorous evaluation. Possible impact on health inequalities needs to be considered and measured by future primary studies and systematic reviews, as does impact of interventions on all dimensions of sustainable development.


Road traffic accidents are on the increase in Kigoma, causing injuries, loss of lives and damage of properties. The process of urbanization, the resultant motorization and the recent developments in road infrastructure, more specifically the construction of tarmac roads, are seen to contribute to more road accidents. Therefore the study has endeavored to answer the question as to what extent road users in Kigoma-Ujiji municipality are knowledgeable and aware of road traffic rules. The study poses that knowledge of traffic rules is essential for application of safety measures, which leads to responsible behavior on the road and consequently result in reduction of road traffic accidents. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, the researcher chose the setting of his study to be Lumumba to Ujiji, Katonga and Mwandiga Roads, both being the heaviest traffic lanes and also the most affected by road accidents. Samples totaling 100 respondents were drawn from 4 major groups of respondents, namely pedestrians and passengers, drivers, and motorists/cyclists, and key informants. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews and direct observation. Research results show that knowledge of traffic rules varies greatly among respondents by type of road user, with vehicle drivers scoring highest and pedestrians being the least knowledgeable of all. The researcher recommends increasing and diversifying road user education, tailored to specific needs of each group, and enforcement of traffic rules and strengthening with corrective measures, and improvement of road infrastructure through increase of road signs and markings.


Improvisatory and lyrical in style, this is Butler's version of abstract cocktail lounge music. It takes inspiration from a phonograph recording of Debussy playing the piano with a truly magical tone, luminous and deep. There are also (for those with very quick ears) one or two fleeting quotes from his works.


Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems are sensitive to frequency errors, which cause intercarrier interference among subcarriers. A new cancellation method to reduce the effects of frequency offset errors is presented. The main feature is to map each data symbol a/sub k/ which is to be transmitted onto a pair of non-adjacent subcarriers, with weightings +1 and -1, rather than to a single subcarrier. The carrier-to-interference ratio gain of the proposed method over normal OFDM varies between 10 to 30 dB. This method also offers a frequency diversity effect in a multipath fading channel.


Abstract A Youth Alcohol Forum was conducted in Perth, Western Australia, to provide the opportunity for students to learn about alcohol harm and to develop methods for reducing such harm in their community. Seventy-five Year 10 students, from 10 high schools in Perth, participated in the forum. The event consisted of a three day, peer-led residential programme where students could talk about alcohol use and harm in a non-judgemental setting and in turn access information that was of immediate practical use in minimising harms related to their own and others' use of alcohol. After the forum, project groups continued to work together to implement their community action plans. The participating students were surveyed immediately prior to the forum on their consumption patterns, their knowledge of alcohol and related harms and their attitude to alcohol issues pertinent to their age group. They were surveyed again at the conclusion of the forum on knowledge and attitudes and once again, comprehensively, six months later. Their consumption patterns were compared with the National Drug Household Survey sample of 14–19 year olds (AGB McNair, 1995; Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services, 1996). Participants' knowledge and attitudes changed significantly during the course of the forum and this change was substantially preserved six months later. There was also some indication that participants did not progress to more risky consumption patterns as would be expected of young people their age. Participants knew more about alcohol and held attitudes about alcohol related issues that were more knowledge based, when followed up six months subsequent to their participation in the forum. In this regard the forum seems to have been both useful and influential for the participants. Achieving sustained change in knowledge and attitude with a brief, intense intervention, albeit with follow up, suggests that such forums can be important components in school drug education.


Mergers and acquisition refers to where two or more companies combine corporate resources to operate as a unit with an aim of improving their performance. Previous study on this topic give conflicting findings on how firms performance react to merger and acquisition The objective of the study is to investigate the effects of merger and acquisition on the financial performance of financial institutions in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive study design using event study model to analyse the relationship existing between the accounting ratios (ROA and ROE) as measures of financial performance. The study found that that merger and acquisition events results into either increase or decrease in the financial performance. Abnormal financial performance was calculated for the pre and post-merger period. The cumulative abnormal average return (CAAR) for all the banks involved in the study found ROA to be 5.274, thus concluding that merger and acquisition positively affect financial performance. However, the CAR for ROE found -1.823 as a result of the variability of the extreme negative performance of Equatorial Commercial bank. This leads to the conclusion that merger and acquisition event results into an increase in financial performance of the companies. The study recommends that management teams need to take advantage of the benefits of mergers and acquisitions. However, analysis need to be done when choosing a firm to merge with or a company to acquire in order to ensure that the merger exercise will add value to the firm competitive advantage.


Taxpayers sometimes engage in complex transactions with uncertain tax treatment, such as mergers, acquisitions, demergers and spin-offs. With the rise of global value chains and proliferation of multinational corporations, these transactions increasingly involve transnational financial arrangements and cross-border dealings, making tax treatment even more uncertain. If improperly structured, such transactions could have costly tax consequences. One approach to dealing with this uncertainty is to create a private rulings regime, whereby a taxpayer applies for a private ruling by submitting a statement detailing the transaction (proposed or completed) to the tax authority. The tax authority interprets and applies the tax laws to the requesting taxpayer's specific set of facts in a written private ruling. The private ruling offers taxpayers certainty as to how the tax authority views the transaction, and the tax treatment the taxpayer can expect based on the specific facts presented. Private rulings are a common feature of many tax systems around the world, and their main goal is to promote tax certainty and increase investor confidence in the tax system. This is especially important in a developing country like Uganda, whose tax laws are often amended and may not anticipate emerging transnational tax issues. Private rulings in Uganda may be applied for in writing prior to or after engaging in the transaction. The Tax Procedures Code Act (TPCA), which provides for private rulings, requires applicants to make a full and true disclosure of the transaction before a private ruling may be issued. This paper evaluates the Ugandan private rulings regime, offering a comparative perspective by highlighting similarities and contrasts between the Ugandan regime and that of other jurisdictions, including the United States, Australia, South Africa and Kenya. The Ugandan private rulings regime has a number of strengths. It is not just an administrative measure as in some jurisdictions, but is based on statute. Rulings are issued from a central office – instead of different district offices, which may result in conflicting rulings. Rather than an elaborate appeals process, the private ruling is only binding on the URA and not on the taxpayer, so a dissatisfied taxpayer can simply ignore the ruling. The URA team that handles private rulings has diverse professional backgrounds, which allows for a better understanding of applications. There are, however, a number of limitations of the Ugandan private rulings system. The procedure of revocation of a private ruling is uncertain. Private rulings are not published, which makes them a form of 'secret law'. There is no fee for private rulings, which contributes to a delay in the process of issuing one. There is understaffing in the unit that handles private rulings. Finally, there remains a very high risk of bias against the taxpayer because the unit is answerable to a Commissioner whose chief mandate is collection of revenue. A reform of the private rulings regime is therefore necessary, and this would include clarifying the circumstances under which revocation may occur, introducing an application fee, increasing the staffing of the unit responsible, and placing the unit under a Commissioner who does not have a collection mandate. While the private rulings regime in Uganda has shortcomings, it remains an essential tool in supporting investor confidence in the tax regime.


Dayak onion (Eleutherine palmifolia (L.) Merr) is a typical plant in Central Kalimantan. This plant has been passed down for generations by Indonesian people for various treatments. The potential of dayak onions that have various pharmacological activities needs to be increased in their use as modern medicinal ingredients. The purpose of this literature study is to review the various uses, the secondary metabolites content, and the action mechanism as an anticancer both in vitro, in vivo, and in silico. The results of this literature study show that traditionally the Indonesian people use the bulbs for the treatment of breast cancer, colon cancer, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, stroke, fever, dysuria, intestinal inflammation, dysentery, boils, cysts, prostate, lowering cholesterol and triglycerides, breastfeeding and sexual disorders. In the empiric treatment of cancer, this plant is used by drying the bulbs and chewing it. Dayak onion bulbs (Eleutherine palmifolia (L.) Merr) are known to contain flavonoid compounds wich isoliquiritigenin, polyphenols group wich oxyresveratrol and naphtoquinon group, and its derivatives such as elecanacine, eleutherine, eleutherol, eleutherinol, eleutherinon, eleuthoside B, eletherinoside A which has anti-cancer activity. Pre-clinical studies with in vitro and in vivo mechanism showed that dayak onion bulbs (Eleutherine palmifolia (L.) Merr) extracts have pharmacological activities, which are anti-cancer that can inhibit cell signaling through apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Also, the mechanism of in silico showed anti-cancer activity from the inhibition of VHR receptors, BCL-2 receptors, VEGFR-2 receptors and alpha estrogen receptors (ERα).


A Venus-flytrap-inspired pH-responsive polybenzimidazole (PBI) porous membrane is designed and fabricated for flow battery application. In the design, PBI membranes with tunable pores are firstly created by introducing hydrophilic sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) into the casting solution. Then internal crosslinking networks are built on the pore walls by in situ acid–base reaction between PBI and SPEEK to improve membrane selectivity, while keeping high conductivity. The in situ acid–base reaction process closely resembles the trapping mechanism of the Venus flytrap plant, whose lobes close when they sense contact with an external force. Moreover, a vanadium flow battery (VFB) with the resultant membrane exhibits outstanding battery performance with a coulombic efficiency of 99.5% and an energy efficiency of 89.1% at a current density of 80 mA cm−2, which are much higher than for commercial Nafion 115 (93.4%, 82.5%). Most importantly, a VFB with the prepared membrane keeps stable after continuously running for more than 10 000 cycles at a current density of 140 mA cm−2, showing super-high stability. This work provides a simple and biomimetic strategy to fabricate membranes with high conductivity and stability.


It is estimated that over 400,000 embryos are currently cryopreserved in the United States, and many of these will never be used by their creators. Although many options exist for the disposition of unwanted embryos, such as donation to research or destruction, one option, embryo donation to another individual for implantation, has met with resistance from some religious institutions such as the Catholic Church, and remains largely unregulated in American law. This practice, which offers the possibility of life for the embryo and the possibility of parenthood for the recipient, should be morally acceptable in the Catholic tradition and properly regulated by legislatures.This paper argues that the current contract law approach to embryo donation is not sufficient to ensure permanence of the agreement, and the practice is not intrinsically unethical based on principles of Catholic bioethics. This thesis proposes that reconceptualizing the practice of embryo donation as embryo adoption can resolve both the legal insufficiencies and the Catholic ethical concerns. Approaching embryo donation within an adoption framework definitively establishes the allocation of parental rights and provides them with judicial support. Viewing the practice as a form of adoption instead of a reproductive technology also avoids a violation of Catholic moral principles and establishes embryo donation as an ethical option for those wishing to adopt abandoned embryos.


Nowadays, many important activities in our lives involve the web. However, the software and protocols on which web applications are based were not designed with the appropriate level of security in mind. Many web applications have reached a level of complexity for which testing, code reviews and human inspection are no longer sufficient quality-assurance guarantees. Tools that employ static analysis techniques are needed in order to explore all possible execution paths through an application and guarantee the absence of undesirable behaviours. To make sure that an analysis captures the properties of interest, and to navigate the trade-offs between efficiency and precision, it is necessary to base the design and the development of static analysis tools on a firm understanding of the language to be analysed. When this underlying knowledge is missing or erroneous, tools can't be trusted no matter what advanced techniques they use to perform their task. In this Thesis, we introduce KPHP, the first executable formal semantics of PHP, one of the most popular languages for server-side web programming. Then, we demonstrate its practical relevance by developing two verification tools, of increasing complexity, on top of it a simple verifier based on symbolic execution and LTL model checking and a general purpose, fully configurable and extensible static analyser based on Abstract Interpretation. Our LTL-based tool leverages the existing symbolic execution and model checking support offered by K, our semantics framework of choice, and constitutes a first proof-of-concept of the usefulness of our semantics. Our abstract interpreter, on the other hand, represents a more significant and novel contribution to the field of static analysis of dynamic scripting languages (PHP in particular). Although our tool is still a prototype and therefore not well suited for handling large real-world codebases, we demonstrate how our semantics-based, principled approach to the development of verification tools has lead to the design of static analyses that outperform existing tools and approaches, both in terms of supported language features, precision, and breadth of possible applications.


: No single approach to the recognition of affective disorders worked in a ten percent sample of a family practice population, screened in the summer of 1975. Among 298 adults followed prospectively for two years, about six percent developed an affective disorder (3.8 percent anxiety, 1.9 percent depression, and 0.4 percent episodes of both). The sex ratio was predominantly female (2.7:1). Most of the cases were recognized by clinical problem lists, but 23 percent of the cases would have been missed without a computerized search of prescribed drug profiles. Self-rating tests (Zung for depression and Reeder for anxiety) performed poorly at predicting cases prospectively, and unimpressively in retrospect. The burden of these disorders is considerable, with a prevalence in this population of at least 19 percent. Of these cases, 22 percent had "mixed" episodes of depression, anxiety, and combinations seen at various visits. Criteria for diagnosis need to be clarified for more precise diagnosis, proper medication, as well as better estimates of incidence and patient load.


Long-tailed data is still a big challenge for deep neural networks, even though they have achieved great success on balanced data. We observe that vanilla training on longtailed data with crossentropy loss makes the instance-rich head classes severely squeeze the spatial distribution of the tail classes, which leads to difficulty in classifying tail class samples. Furthermore, the original crossentropy loss can only propagate gradient short-lively because the gradient in softmax form rapidly approaches zero as the logit difference increases. This phenomenon is called softmax saturation. It is unfavorable for training on balanced data, but can be utilized to adjust the validity of the samples in long-tailed data, thereby solving the distorted embedding space of long-tailed problems. To this end, this paper proposes the Gaussian clouded logit adjustment by Gaussian perturbation of different class logits with varied amplitude. We define the amplitude of perturbation as cloud size and set relatively large cloud sizes to tail classes. The large cloud size can reduce the softmax saturation and thereby making tail class samples more active as well as enlarging the embedding space. To alleviate the bias in a classifier, we therefore propose the class-based effective number sampling strategy with classifier retraining. Extensive experiments on benchmark datasets validate the superior performance of the proposed method. Source code is available at https://github.com/Keke921/GCLLoss.


Monobodies are small engineered binding proteins that, upon expression in cells, can inhibit signaling of cytosolic oncoproteins with outstanding selectivity. Efficacy may be further increased by inducing degradation of monobody targets through fusion to the von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) substrate receptor of the Cullin2-E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. However, potential therapeutic use is currently limited, because of the inability of monobody proteins to cross cellular membranes. Here, we use a chimeric bacterial toxin, composed of the Shiga-like toxin B (Stx2B) subunit and the translocation domain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (ETA-II) for delivery of VHL–monobody protein fusions to target endogenous tyrosine kinases in cancer cells. Depending on the expression of the Stx2B receptor Gb3 on the cell surface, we show that monobodies are taken up by an endocytic route, but are not degraded in lysosomes. Delivery of monobodies fused to a nuclear localization signal resulted in accumulation in the nucleus, thereby indirectly, but unequivocally, demonstrating cytosolic delivery. Delivery of VHL fused to monobodies targeting the Lck tyrosine kinase in T-cells resulted in reduced Lck protein levels, which was dependent on the expression of Gb3. This led to the inhibition of proximal signaling events downstream of the T-cell receptor complex. This work provides a prime example of the delivery of a stoichiometric protein inhibitor of an endogenous target protein to cells and inducing its degradation without the need of genetic manipulation of target cells. It lays the foundation for further in vivo exploitation of this delivery system.