Diagnostic imaging modalities such as radiography, ultrasonography, fluoroscopy, scintigraphy, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography have been used in veterinary practice. Ultrasound is a non-invasive imaging modality which uses high frequency sound waves to facilitate visualization of the internal architecture of parenchymatous and viscous organs. Its major advantages over other imaging techniques include the fact that, it is safe, non-invasive, cost effective and easy to perform. Reports and scientific literature on the ultrasonographic evaluation of abdominal disease conditions in dogs in Kenya are scanty. Data on these aspects of diagnostic, clinical and ultrasonographic features of abdominal disease conditions remain limited and thus the information from this study could help in the diagnosis of abdominal disease. The aim of this study was to enhance the use of ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool in the effective management of abdominal disease conditions in dogs presented at the Small Animal Clinic, University of Nairobi, Kenya (2011-2013). The objectives were to relate the clinical features of abdominal conditions and their ultrasound findings; to compare the ultrasonographic appearance of abdominal organs in normal and diseased dogs; and to determine a confirmatory diagnosis using ultrasound supported by other ancillary tests. These tests included: radiography, haematology and clinical chemistry, abdominal fluid analysis, exploratory laparotomy, post-mortem and histopathological examination. Organs that were selected for ultrasound scanning included: the liver, spleen, stomach, intestines, uterus in bitches, right and left kidneys and the urinary bladder. The acoustic window used to scan the uterus was the urinary bladder through the ventral midline body wall. All organs were scanned trans-cutaneously based on their corresponding anatomic locations. Thirty clinically normal dogs were scanned to serve as a control group and reference for normal tissue appearances. Dogs were evaluated by physical examination and categorized according to body weight and breed types. Investigation comprised twenty five purposively selected dogs which fulfilled the criteria of exhibiting clinical signs of abdominal disease. The abdominal organs of dogs were scanned with the organ of interest being selected as the organ whose pathology had led to the clinical signs exhibited. The following measurements were recorded for analysis: right kidney horizontal diameters (Rkh), right kidney vertical diameter (Rkv), left kidney horizontal diameters (Lkh), left kidney vertical diameter (Lkv), the stomach wall thickness (Sw) and intestinal wall thickness (Sit). Data was analysed quantitatively using the independent t- test to compare breed types and age groups. The study findings revealed at 95% confidence interval, a significant difference in the left kidney horizontal diameter (Lkh) of large breeds (p=0.02) when compared to the right kidney horizontal diameter (Rkh). The p values of the other measurements showed no significant difference (p>0.05) between both breed types and age groups.
The sonograms were descriptively evaluated based on changes in echotexture. The control group sonograms were compared with the research group's sonograms. It was found that the echotexture of the organs exhibiting pathologies was detectable on ultrasound and the changes varied from mild to severe. The ultrasound findings were related to the clinical features exhibited in the dogs diagnosed with the various abdominal conditions. These included liver cirrhosis, urinary bladder calculi, splenic hemangiosarcoma and pyometra. Results showed that the liver was viewed with best clarity compared to other organs due to its location and size. The right kidney was often not visualized due to obstruction by air in the overlapping thoracic cavity. The stomach was best visualized when filled with fluid. The urinary bladder was used as an acoustic window to view abdominal organs due to acoustic enhancement property of fluid such as urine. The uterus was visualized only when it was filled with contents such as when it contained pus or foetal parts. The spleen was best visualized on the left caudal border of the last rib. The intestines were not well visualized due to reverberation artefacts due to gas accumulation in the intestinal tract. Challenges recorded during the study were numerous artefacts seen in the sonograms such as pseudo sludge, reverberation, acoustic enhancement, clean and dirty acoustic shadows. Knowledge of the artefacts and proper ways to compensate for these helped in preventing misdiagnosis.
It was concluded that, whilst the use of ultrasonography has its challenges in the diagnosis of abdominal disease conditions, conditions such as liver cirrhosis and pyometra were easily identified. Prognosis was reached based on pathologic changes in echotexture and other ancillary tests. This varied from case to case. It was noted that ultrasound proved to be a good diagnostic imaging tool for abdominal disease conditions. Routine ultrasonography is proposed to be a beneficial procedure for the prompt, cost effective and non-invasive diagnostic procedure of abdominal disease conditions in dogs.


In order to overcome the strong limitation of the computational cost for classic explicit schemes in quasi-geostrophic limit typically involved in oceanographic flows, in this study, a highly efficient numerical method for rotating oceanographic flows modeled by Saint-Venant system with Coriolis forces is developed. To efficiently deal with the rotating flows in the low Rossby and Froude number regime, the core idea is splitting fast varying flux terms into stiff and non-stiff parts, and implicitly approximating the fast dynamic waves using central difference method with an iteration algorithm and explicitly approximating slow dynamic waves using a finite-volume hyperbolic solver with minmod limiter. The proposed approach has a second order convergence rate in the quasi-geostrophic limit. The temporal evolution is approximated using a high-order implicit-explicit Runge-Kutta method. The proposed semi-implicit scheme is proved to be uniformly asymptotically consistent in the quasi-geostrophic limit when Froude and Rossby numbers→0. The proposed numerical methods are finally verified by numerical experiments of rotating shallow flows. The tests show that the proposed numerical scheme is stable and accurate with any grid size with low Rossby and Froude numbers, which leads to significant reduction of the computational cost comparing with classic explicit schemes. AMS subject classifications: 35Q35, 76U05, 76N99, 76M12, 65M06


Whilst aimed primarily at school, youth theatre and community groups, the games in this book are equally fun - and instructional - for adults to play in workshop or rehearsal settings. They explore a wide range of core drama skills: energy, focus, teamwork, trust, character, storytelling, imagination and improvisation, as well as warming up and cooling down. Each page features clear instructions on How to Play, notes on the Aim of the Game and advice on age range, number of players, timing and skills developed.


Optical and SAR data are efficient data sources for shoreline monitoring. The processing of SAR data such as feature extraction is not an easy task since the images have totally different structure than optical imagery. Determination of threshold value is a challenging task for SAR data. In this study, SENTINEL-2A optical data was used as ancillary data to predict fuzzy membership parameters for segmentation of SENTINEL-1A SAR data to extract shoreline. SENTINEL-2A and SENTINEL-1A satellite images used were taken in September 9, 2016 and September 13, 2016 respectively. Three different segmentation algorithms which are selected from object, learning and pixel-based methods. They have been exploited to obtain land and water classes which have been used as an input data for parameter estimation. Thus, the performance of different segmentation algorithm has been investigated and analysed. In the first step of the study, Mean-Shift, Random Forest and Whale Optimization algorithms have been employed to obtain water and land classes from the SENTINEL-2A image. Water and land classes derived from each algorithm – are used as input data, and then the required parameters for the fuzzy clustering of SENTINEL-1A SAR image, were calculated. Lake Constance, Germany has been chosen as the study area. In this study, additionally an interface plugin has been developed and integrated into the open source Quantum GIS software platform. The developed interface allows non-experts to process and extract the shorelines without using any parameters. But, this system requires pre-segmented data as input. Thus, the batch process calculates the required parameters. * Corresponding author


Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) is a group of disorders observed in patients with normal anion gap metabolic acidosis. There are three major forms of RTA: A proximal (type II) RTA and two types of distal RTAs (type I and type IV). Proximal (type II) RTA originates from the inability to reabsorb bicarbonate normally in the proximal tubule. Type I RTA is associated with inability to excrete the daily acid load and may present with hyperkalaemia or hypokalaemia. The most prominent abnormality in type IV RTA is hyperkalaemia caused by hypoaldosteronism. This article extensively reviews the mechanism of hydrogen ion generation from metabolism of normal diet and various forms of RTA leading to disruptions of normal acid‐base handling by the kidneys.


Problem. The New Testament indicates that spiritual gifts occupy a crucial function in the life and growth of the church. No known empirical study has measured the effectiveness of nurture and training for gift implementation. This study was designed to investigate behavioral change in awareness and use of spiritual gifts by Seventh-day Adventist members. Methodology. The New spiritual Gifts Inventory (NSGI) was used to identify awareness of giftedness in five clusters--Teaching, Shepherding-Evangelizing, Supporting, Counseling, and Leadership. An Activity Inventory was developed for the study with 20 activity questions corresponding to the NSGI. The following statistical designs were used to analyze the data: Paired samples t-test to discover changes in subjects; one-way analysis of covariance to analyze the difference between the experimental and control groups in giftedness and activities; two-way analysis of covariance to investigate the presence of interactions between the treatment and personal values affecting spiritual gifts and activity factors. Seventy-two subjects participated in the study. The experimental group of 40 subjects was randomly selected from one West Indian (Black)congregation and one Caucasian (non-Black) congregation. The control group comprised of 32 subjects, was randomly chosen from one West Indian congregation and one Caucasian congregation. Results. Qualitatively, subjects sensed their need to use their gifts in the church as a function of their ministry. Quantitatively, treatment produced significant increases in gift awareness in the experimental group in the factors Counseling (p = .01) and Leadership (p = .00). Five experimental sub-groups whose pre-test were not primary, improved significantly in Shepherding-Evangelizing, Supporting, and Leadership awareness, and in Teaching and Shepherding-Evangelizing activities. No significant interactions were evident between the treatment and personal factors affecting gifts and activities except that Blacks increased more in counseling activities than Non-Blacks (p = .05) after the treatment. The Hawthorne effect was sufficient to produce significant increases in the control subjects' activities. Conclusions. Nurture and training increased awareness of spiritual gifts in Seventh-day Adventists in Ontario. A study of spiritual gifts with suggested activities can sensitize believers to significant involvement in personal ministries. It also seems evident that gifts are generally distributed without bias, but Blacks improve in more counseling and caring activities than non-Blacks.


"Open Access" (OA) is defined as a new model providing free access to scientific publications for libraries and researchers. Institutional repositories (IRs) are a new facility for recording, archiving and managing publications of persons who work for institutions. The development of IRs has given rise to the acceleration of studies on open archives. In this paper, we investigated the relationship between web impact factors and the information diffusion power of IRs in Turkey. Using webometric techniques, we found the number of rich files in IRs, the number of links to them from other web sites and the overall use of IRs in Turkey. The visibility of Turkish IRs (i.e., number of links to files in them) is rather low. Yet they are used quite heavily.


Context. New spectroscopic observations in the far-infrared (IR) range are expected from future planned missions. Although water ice is the only species detected so far in interstellar ices in this range, the presence of ice mixtures requires laboratory characterization of the corresponding spectra. Aims. We present an investigation on far-IR spectra of binary ice mixtures relevant in various astrophysical environments. The foremost goal is to compare the spectroscopic features of the ice mixtures to those of pure ices, and to search for changes in peak frequencies, intensities, and band strengths of the main bands. Methods. Mixtures H 2 O:CH 3 OH and H 2 O:NH 3 of different ratios have been deposited on a diamond substrate at astrophysically relevant conditions. We measured the spectra in the near- and mid-IR regions to derive ice column densities that were subsequently used to calculate the apparent band strengths in the far-IR region. We also designed theoretical models to study these mixtures and to predict their spectra. Results. We recorded spectra of amorphous phases for H 2 O:CH 3 OH mixtures of different compositions, that is 1:1, 3:1, and 10:1 at 8 K, and compared these mixtures to those obtained after warming. This process involves the appearance of new spectral features and changes in band shapes and band strengths. We also compared the spectra to those of the pure species and to theoretical predictions. We measured apparent band strengths for all the observed features. For H 2 O:NH 3 mixtures, the ratios selected were 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3. In this case the spectral variations are even more marked than for the water:methanol samples. Conclusions. Band strengths in the far-IR are missing in astrophysics literature for ice mixtures. The results presented here are valuable for detecting the presence and composition of such mixtures from future space observations in this spectral region.


The purpose of this study is to evaluate the instruments utilized in agricultural risk management. The study's goals are to highlight the hazards that Romanian farmers confront and to uncover strategies to mitigate these risks. In this regard, we present an analysis of agricultural risks, the role of agricultural insurance and the impact of risk management on the sustainability of agricultural holdings. The research methodology is based on various reports, official statistics, macroeconomic analysis, case studies, analysis of documents issued by organizations representing the SME sector and the agricultural business environment. After collecting the data, qualitative and quantitative methods were used to express the research results. The study emphasized the constraints that farmers face (depending on the size of the enterprise), the influence of climate change on agricultural output, the main financial risks (e.g., price risk, production risk), and suggested methods for implementing agricultural insurance (eg. production, income insurance). The study also shows that price and production risks such as price volatility and climate change have a significant impact on the sustainability of agricultural holdings. The main conclusion of the study shows that risk management tools encourage farmers to participate in sound risk management. Finally, the results of the research can provide important guidelines in substantiating the needs of risk management in the agricultural sector.


A patient received intensive radiation to the right renal area for abdominal Hodgkin's disease and approximately ten years later severe hypertension developed. The presence of radiation nephritis with a severely shrunken right kidney was demonstrated and this was accompanied by a substantial increase in renin activity from the right kidney. Treatment with propranolol hydrochloride temporarily lowered the blood pressure and peripheral renin activity levels. Subsequent right nephrectomy resulted in a decrease in renin activity and a reversal of the hypertension. The data implicate a renin angiotensin mechanism as probable cause of hypertension in radiation nephritis.


After the collapse of communism in Romania, in December 1989, nationalism played an important role in the development of political life. This thesis proposes an explanation for why this has been the case. I identify the Greater Romania Party as the most representative nationalist political formation in post-communist Romania and examine it as my case-study. My analysis distinguishes the core aspects of the PRM's ideology and studies how its discourse is constructed. In doing so, I argue that the success of the party could only be explained by the fact that it employs a nationalist discourse that has been consistently and continuously used over a long period of time in Romania.
I begin by engaging with the debates about nationalism in order to establish a theoretical framework, which in turn provides my analytical device to examine Romanian nationalist movements in three different political, social and cultural time frames. I use this analytical tool to identify a set of themes that characterise the nationalist discourse in all the periods I examine, and to show that these themes cut across chronological sequence, political purpose and social and cultural contexts.
Alongside with the continuity of the nationalist discourse across time, I argue that authoritarian tradition and the conditions of the transition from communism in Romania are also factors that contribute to the persistence of nationalist tendencies in post-1989 Romanian politics. The analysis of the case-study draws on these findings and shows that the same core ideological elements used effectively in the past are exploited again, by the PRM, in yet another context, with the same degree of success.
The thesis, therefore, aims to examine the most significant nationalist party in post-communist Romania, to explain the background in which it operates and to focus on the ideological tools it uses in order to rally the support of the electorate, by mapping out the particular type of nationalist discourse, which recurs in different historical political and social circumstances in Romania.


Advances in terrestrial laser scanning technology in the areas of topographic data capture, represent new and exciting opportunities for the mining industry, in particular open cut coal. Terrestrial scanning offers an alternative to traditional survey techniques. It consists of automated high speed data capture of complex surfaces in often inaccessible environments.
The use of a TLS system has been examined in this dissertation with respect to its cost effectiveness, user friendliness, and ability to comply with relevant government legislation regulating its use in the open cut coal surveys.The ability to be able to set up the TLS system in a safe location for both operator and machine and acquire all the data of a traditional survey and much more without putting the operator in the line of fire, suggests that TLS systems in dangerous working environments such as mining, will become common place in the near future.
This dissertation has been developed from the start of 2008 when the evaluation for purchase of a TLS system was undertaken, and as such prices listed for equipment are indicative for that time. Since then, the prices of TLS systems have dropped dramaticallly, which is a direct reflection of the markets acceptance of TLS technology and surveyor confidence in the stated accuracies of the machines


Ordered distributions of Al atoms in the frameworks of leucite and Cs-exchanged leucite (pollucite) are determined, under the restriction of the Al–O–Al avoidance rule. The observed 29Si MAS NMR spectra of pseudo-tetragonal leucite and Cs-exchanged leucite cannot be explained by an Al-configuration of tetragonal symmetry, but are consistently explained by one of P1121/a symmetry. On the other hand, an XRD pattern of a single crystal of leucite supports pseudo-tetragonal symmetry. This discrepancy is interpreted by the pseudo-tetragonal crystal consisting of twins of monoclinic microcrystallites. A detailed analysis of the 29Si MAS NMR spectrum of Cs-exchanged leucite of the high temperature phase (pseudo-cubic) shows that the domain size of the monoclinic phase is only several unit cells. The origin of an abnormal twist of the framework of tetragonal leucite and a driving force to transform
it to the pseudo-cubic phase at higher temperature are discussed. The degree of the long-range order, S, is newly defined for this system, and estimated from 29Si MAS NMR data as S = ca. 0.8.


This is the first annual report of the Drug Misuse Research Division of the Health Research Board. The primary objective of this report is to provide Department of Heatlh and the drug treatment centres who provide the data with ongoing information. The report takes the form of straightforward analysis of the data received. It presents data collected from attenders at drug treatment centres during 1995. Data from the two main, Total Treatment Contacts and First Treatment Contacts, area analysed on the basis of socio-demographic characteristics, aspects of the client's history of drug use, and facets of the client's injecting and needle-sharing practices.

The report is divided into two sections and the data area analysed in terms of the two geographic areas: Greater Dublin - Eastern Health Board; and the seven other health board areas. Regarding the first of these areas, the number of cases, as distinct from persons, in the total treatment group has risen by 615 or 20.7% and in the first contact group, the number has risen from 1,150 in 1994 to 1,396 in 1995 - a rise of 246 or 21% on the 1994 figures. Regarding the second general geographic area, the number of cases, as distinct from persons, in the total treatment group in 1995 was 803 and the number in the first contact group was 491.


Background : The knowledge, skills and practices medical students acquire during grossanatomy dissection are fundamental to the learning of human anatomy and eventual practice of medicine. The changes in the curriculum and the global concerns about how students acquire their anatomical skills and knowledge, made it important to find out what students in our low resource settings do in the anatomy dissection room. Methods : This was a cross-sectional descriptive survey with a qualitative component on two cohorts of 305-second year health professional students on what they do during anatomy dissection practical. Results :The overall response rate was 26.9%. Of the 82 respondents, 35 (42.7%) reported that they only observed the dissection, 25 (31.7%) read the manuals, 20 (24.4%) had actual hands on dissection and one (1.2%) had never dissected. Significantly less male students read the manuals as opposed to doing the hands on dissection (0.18, P=0.0007). The interviews highlighted some of the reasons behind the students preferred roles. Conclusion : The students' responses highlight differences between institutional expectations of dissection and the actual student practices. Specific roles like reading the manual and dissecting show significant sexual bias. There is a need to examine of the institutional definition of dissection in relation to its low resource settings.


An observed behavior of refrigerant mass distribution in multi-path heat exchangers is exploited for control purposes. In this paper, we describe the following empirical property exploited for control: as the inlet valve position is decreased, refrigerant mass flow rate entering the heat exchanger is reduced, and for some flow rates, refrigerant is shown to preferentially flow in some paths more than others, causing maldistribution. This uneven refrigerant distribution is repeatable, reduces the capacity in a continuous manner and can be exploited with feedback controllers to regulate the perzone cooling. A controller is designed to provide stability and robustness to per-zone conditions and setpoints for this controller that relate per-path superheat temperature to overall evaporator capacity is created in such a way as to be robust to changes in local zone temperatures and the overall system evaporating temperature. This strategy provides zone decoupling and ultimately creates a virtual control input for a model predictive controller. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach on a two-zone air conditioner in laboratory tests.


Symbioses involving sulfide-oxidizing bacteria and metazoan phyla dominate inverte- brate assemblages at cold seeps and hydrothermal vents worldwide. The predominant species inhab- iting cold seeps in Monterey Bay are the vesicomyid clams Calyptogena kilmeri and C. pacifica. The growth and survival of these clams depend directly upon the productivity of their chemoautotrophic endosymbionts, which is fueled by the oxidation of sulfide. For this reason, sulfide availability and sulfide-related physiology are thought to be the most influential factors governing the productivity of these associations. Both species inhabit sulfide-rich sediments and depend nutritionally on their sym- bionts, yet many aspects of their life histories differ considerably. Our results indicate that C. pacifica, which inhabits areas with lower environmental sulfide levels, is physiologically poised for the uptake and transport of sulfide, indicated by increased sulfide consumption rates, sulfide-binding ability, and internal sulfide levels. C. pacifica also has a greater potential for symbiont energy turnover, sup- ported by increased sulfide oxidation potential, enzymes involved in sulfur metabolism, and bacter- ial densities. Conversely, C. kilmeri demonstrates a less effective sulfide uptake mechanism and, therefore, a specific need for higher environmental sulfide levels. It appears that the abilities of these 2 species to process sulfide differ greatly and reflect not only the environments in which they are found but also the capabilities of their symbionts. This research represents the first comparative investigation of the physiological functioning of closely related species in chemosynthetic symbioses and elucidates the constraints and advantages posed by different modes of sulfide (energy) uptake and assimilation in these, and perhaps other, symbiotic organisms.


This follow-up study confirms our previous findings that the ER-alpha PvuII polymorphism (Pp) modulates the association between exercise and bone mass. The differences in bone properties of girls with consistently low physical activity (LLPA) and consistently high physical activity (HHPA) were evident only in those bearing the heterozygote ER-alpha genotype (Pp). In particular, areal bone mineral density of the total femur, bone mineral content and areal bone mineral density of the femoral neck, and bone mineral content and cortical thickness of the tibia shaft were significantly (p < .05) lower in the Pp girls with LLPA than in their HHPA counterparts. These findings might partly explain the genetic basis of human variation associated with exercise training.


In this paper quantitatively explores the role of immigration in the evolution of housing prices in Spain and its autonomous regions for the period 1995-2007. We use estimations of an inverted model for housing demand with and without immigrant flows. The results we have obtained suggest that housing prices in Spain are overvaluated in relation to the value determined by its fundamental variables in a 14.75 percent if we exclude immigrant flows, and in a 7.37 percent if we take them into account. We can consequently conclude that the eventual correction in housing prices to which the Spanish economy is exposed would not be as intense as it has been suggested by some international organisations. For the different autonomous regions, the greater differences in the estimations of overvaluated housing prices are found in Murcia, Canary Islands, Valencian Community, Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia and Balearic Islands, all of them regions particularly attractive for foreign immigrants as they offer the best employment opportunities. These regions also have a relatively high level of tourist activity and represent a favoured location by many European citizens for the acquisition of a second residence.


Information about the kinetic behavior and lifespan of lymphocytes is crucial to understanding the mechanisms that regulate processes such as immunologic memory. We have used in vivo labeling of dividing cells with 6,6-(2)H(2)-glucose, combined with cell sorting and gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry for deuterium enrichment, in order to analyze the kinetics of human total, naive, or memory B lymphocytes, separated from peripheral blood using monoclonal antibodies. We show that total blood B cells of young adults divide at an average rate of 1.9% (+/-1.0%) per day and at a similar though slightly slower rate, 1.5% (+/-1.3%) per day, in the elderly. Separation of naive and memory B cells according to expression of CD27 indicates that naive peripheral blood B cells divide slowly (0.46% per day), while memory cells proliferate more rapidly (2.66% per day). These data are compatible with the view that B-cell memory may be maintained by clones of proliferating B cells.


Greenhouse-gas emissions are indirectly causing future deaths by multiple mechanisms. For example, reduced food and water supplies will exacerbate hunger, disease, violence, and migration. How will anthropogenic global warming (AGW) affect global mortality due to poverty around and beyond 2100? Roughly, how much burned fossil carbon corresponds to one future death? What are the psychological, medical, political, and economic implications? Predicted death tolls are crucial for policy formulation, but uncertainty increases with temporal distance from the present and estimates may be biased. Order-of-magnitude estimates should refer to literature from diverse relevant disciplines. The carbon budget for 2°C AGW (roughly 1012 tonnes carbon) will indirectly cause roughly 109 future premature deaths (10% of projected maximum global population), spread over one to two centuries. This zeroth-order prediction is relative and in addition to existing preventable death rates. It lies between likely best- and worst-case scenarios of roughly 3 × 108 and 3 × 109, corresponding to plus/minus one standard deviation on a logarithmic scale in a Gaussian probability distribution. It implies that one future premature death is caused every time roughly 1,000 (300–3,000) tonnes of carbon are burned. Therefore, any fossil-fuel project that burns millions of tons of carbon is probably indirectly killing thousands of future people. The prediction may be considered valid, accounting for multiple indirect links between AGW and death rates in a top-down approach, but unreliable due to the uncertainty of climate change feedback and interactions between physical, biological, social, and political climate impacts (e.g., ecological cascade effects and co-extinction). Given universal agreement on the value of human lives, a death toll of this unprecedented magnitude must be avoided at all costs. As a clear political message, the "1,000-tonne rule" can be used to defend human rights, especially in developing countries, and to clarify that climate change is primarily a human rights issue.


The existence of a correlation between observed radio spectral index and redshift has long been used as a method for selecting high-redshift radio galaxy candidates. We use nine highly spectroscopically complete radio samples, selected at different frequencies and flux limits, to determine the efficiency of this method and compare consistently observed correlations between spectral index (α), luminosity (P), linear size (D) and redshift (z) in our samples. We observe a weak correlation between z and α which remains even when Malmquist bias is removed. The strength of the z–α correlation is dependent on both the k-correction and sample selection frequency, in addition to the frequency at which α is measured, and consistent results for both high- and low-frequency-selected samples are only seen if analysis is restricted to just extended radio galaxies. This fits with the popular interpretation that the spectra steepen with z because the radio lobes work against a denser intergalactic medium environment as z increases, out to z ∼ 2–3. However, we also note that the majority of sources known at z > 4 are very compact and often display a negatively curved or peaked spectrum, indicative of youth or merger activity, and therefore the low-frequency radio spectrum as a whole should be determined; this is something for which the new LOw Frequency ARray will be crucial. We quantify both the efficiency and the completeness of various techniques used to select high-z radio candidates. A steep-spectrum cut applied to low-frequency-selected samples can more than double the fraction of high-z sources, but at a cost of excluding over half of the high-z sources present in the original sample. An angular size cut is an almost as equally effective radio-based method as a steep-spectrum cut for maximizing the high-z content of large radio samples, and works for both high- and low-frequency-selected samples. In multiwavelength data, selection first of infrared-faint radio sources remains by far the most efficient method of selecting high-z sources. We present a simple method for selecting high-z radio sources, based purely on combining their observed radio properties of α and angular size, with the addition of the K-band magnitude if available.


1. Aspects of the biology of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) that occur in the Arabian Gulf off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), United Arab Emirates (UAE) are described.

2. A total of 145 turtles, incidentally captured by fishermen, were examined. These consisted of 142 green turtles of various size groups and three juvenile hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata).

3. The green turtle population appeared to consist of resident and migratory individuals (curved carapace length between 35 and 105.5 cm).

4. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) analysis showed that more turtles were caught by beach seine fishermen from RAK (CPUE: 8.5) compared with those from Ar Rams, a nearby site (CPUE: 0.73).

5. Stomach content analysis showed that green turtles in this area feed almost exclusively on two species of seagrass, Halodule uninervis and Halophila ovalis.

6. During May, the turtles consumed a significantly higher proportion of H. uninervis as compared with H. ovalis. However, in August this ratio was reversed. This may indicate that the turtles feed in deeper waters during the summer months where H. ovalis appears to be prevalent.

Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This volume contains Brecht's post-1950 adaptations of world dramatic classics for the Berliner Ensemble. Brecht's remodeled versions show all of the great dramatist's characteristic preoccupations: hatred of personal greatness, admiration of the people and hatred of war unless waged on behalf of the people who, to him, were the embodiment of wisdom and good sense. The Tutor is a 1950s adaptation of an 18th century play by J.M.R. Lenz and is a savage portrait of the subservience of German intellectuals and schoolmasters to the whims of the rich and powerful. Coriolanus is an unfinished adaptation of Shakespeare's play, using the Roman story to reflect Marxist theories of class struggle. Don Juan, a collaborative adaptation of Moliere's play, redefines the charming social parasite as both a ridiculous egoist and an example of a dangerously attractive, theatrically mythic personality type. The Trial of Joan of Arc at Rouen adapts a radio play by Anna Seghers which was based on the original records of the trial of Joan of Arc. Trumpets and Drums is an adaptation of Farquhar's 18th century Restoration comedy The Recruiting Officer, which transfers the action to the American Civil War and introduces comments on imperialism and colonial conquest.


Fractures can have variable effects on fluid flow in a porous rock. Moderately conductive fractures may enhance the rock's overall effective permeability, while highly conductive fractures may completely dominate fluid transport. Fluid flow modeling is important to quantify the impact of fractures on the performance of a reservoir. However, simulating fluid flow is computationally intensive due to the heterogeneities introduced by the fracture network. In this work, complex fracture patterns are simplified using hybrid implicit‐explicit representations to yield a computationally tractable model. Hybrid modeling requires the selection of a partitioning size to group fractures by size. Small fractures are upscaled with the rock matrix; large fractures are explicitly represented. Our study shows that, given a naturally fractured reservoir, an upper limit exists for the partitioning size and that this threshold partitioning size can be determined without trial and error. Using artificial and realistic fracture patterns, we created hybrid models using different partitioning sizes and subjected them to pressure drawdowns. Simulated production rates were compared against reference results obtained from simulations on the original fracture patterns. Beyond a threshold partitioning size unique to each fracture pattern, hybrid model results deviate significantly from reference solutions. The threshold is identified from the relationship between upscaled permeabilities and partitioning sizes and corresponds to the point where the effective permeability of small fractures begins to increase rapidly. The permeability‐size relationship is obtained using numerical flow‐based upscaling. For uniformly distributed fractures with no abutment relationships, the effective medium theory is shown to generate accurate permeability‐size relationships.


We describe a method for nanoelectrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nESI-MS) of very small sample volumes. Nanoliter-sized sample droplets were taken up by suction into a nanoelectrospray needle from a silicon microchip prior to ESI. To avoid a rapid evaporation of the small sample volumes, all manipulation steps were performed under a cover of fluorocarbon liquid. Sample volumes down to 1.5 nL were successfully analyzed, and an absolute limit of detection of 105 attomole of insulin (chain B, oxidized) was obtained. The open access to the sample droplets on the silicon chip provides the possibility to add reagents to the sample droplets and perform chemical reactions under an extended period of time. This was demonstrated in an example where we performed a tryptic digestion of cytochrome C in a nanoliter-sized sample volume for 2.5 h, followed by monitoring the outcome of the reaction with nESI-MS. The technology was also utilized for tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) sequencing analysis of a 2 nL solution of angiotensin I.


Trainees in a family medicine residency found a three-phase program for learning hyponosis to be valuable in increasing their knowledge of interpersonal communication and their effectiveness as therapeutic agents. Trainees advanced from general introduction to theories and methods of hypnosis and familiarity with hypnotic phenomena, to the practice of hypnosis in specific medical situations with individuals and eventually with groups of patients. Sessions were didactic and experiential, and reading assignments were given at weekly intervals. Trainees served as role models in settings where hypnosis had not been used before, and were able to practice hypnotic techniques clinically even during their beginning phase of training.


Progress, perhaps the fundamental secular belief of modern Western society, has come under heavy fire recently because, after three centuries, advances in science and technology seem increasingly to bring problems in their wake: alienation, environmental degradation, the threat of nuclear destruction. The idea of progress is brought into question by postmodern critique, attacking the notion of science as truth. Yet no other meaningful organization of humankind's sense of time looms on the horizon. This volume seeks to reassess the meaning and prospects of the idea of progress.Looking toward the millennium, the volume seeks to evaluate the idea's worth both in theory--is it intellectually viable and defensible today?--and practice--even if theoretically defensible, is the idea undermined in actual life? Approaching these questions from the perspectives of science, anthropology, economics, religion, political philosophy, feminism, medicine, environmental studies, and the Third World, the contributors, all distinguished scholars, provide a unique and critical balance.Ultimately, the contributors find that progress is both a fact and an illusion: it does occur in certain areas, but it does not sweep all before it as its Enlightenment votaries thought it would. This foundational idea permeates discourse in the natural and social sciences as well as the humanities and will engage historians, students of the history of science and technology, sociologists, political scientists, philosophers, literary scholars, and art critics, as well as those interested in civilization in general.Contributors include: Jill Ker Conway, Zhiyuan Cui, Leon Eisenberg, Robert Heilbroner, Gerald Holton, Leo Marx, Bruce Mazlish, Ali A. Mazrui, Alan Ryan, John M. Staudenmaier, George W. Stocking, Jr., and Richard White."A discerning reconsideration of the idea of 'progress' in a variety of carefully defined theoretical and empirical-historical contexts." --David Hollinger, University of California, BerkeleyLeo Marx is Professor of American Cultural History, Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bruce Mazlish is Professor of History, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


Using Titanium (Ti) foam as an implant material is a new approach for biomedical applications and it is important to understand the mechanical behaviors of this new foam material. In the present study, the bending of the Ti foam has been simulated and compared against recently published data [1]. FE Analysis has been performed by Abaqus software. Stiffness and Yield strength of foams between 50% (cortical bone) to 80% (cancellous bone) porosity range were considered. This study showed that crushable foam material model in Abaqus, which has developed primarily for Aluminum (Al) foam alloys, is also valid for Ti Foam before any crack or damage occurs in the sample.


More than 20 percent of all school-aged children in the United States have vision problems, and low-income and minority children are disproportionately likely to have unmet vision care needs. Vision screening is common in U.S. schools, but it remains an open question whether screening alone is sufficient to improve student outcomes. We implemented a multi-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the impact of vision screening, and of vision screening accompanied by eye exams and eyeglasses, provided by a non-profit organization to Title I elementary schools in three large central Florida school districts. We find that providing additional/enhanced screening alone is generally insufficient to improve student achievement in math and reading. In contrast, providing screening along with free eye exams and free eyeglasses to students with vision problems improved student achievement as measured by standardized test scores. We find, averaging over all students (including those without vision problems), that this more comprehensive intervention increased the probability of passing the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Tests (FCATs) in reading and math by approximately 2.0 percentage points. We also present evidence that indicates that this impact fades out over time, indicating that follow-up actions after the intervention may be necessary to sustain these estimated achievement gains.


Doing business in African countries or emerging economies requires a different set of management skills than doing business with developed nations, or nations in other parts of the developing world. This new title meets the growing requirements of business schools and senior students to apply and adapt generic management principles to real African circumstances, to assess the risks and returns confidently, so that as practitioners, they can do business effectively. The purpose of the book is to cover management principles which are addressed in any MBA or Executive Education or Management course, with reference to Africa.


Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are used to recover waste heat of the exhaust gas and convert it into electric energy in automotive applications. The temperature of the waste heat influences the voltage and internal resistor of a TEG. For the electric linking of TEGs to the on-board power supply, a DC-DC converter may be used. The control of the DC-DC converter must be robust against dynamic changes and additionally has to track the maximum power point (MPP) of the TEG. This paper presents a digital cascade controller for a boost-buck converter to charge a vehicle battery and to supply the load. To track the MPP, a hill climbing (HC) algorithm is implemented, which is also used for photovoltaics. The conversion time of the HC is minimized with an adaptive step size. Width variations of electric parameters of TEG influence the dynamic and stability of the controllers. With a closed loop identification, the parameter variation is estimated, and the control parameters can be redesigned. An experimental result show the efficiency of the adaptive control.


ABSTRACT Intimate partner violence (IPV) and suicidality are intersecting social problems. However, limited studies have examined IPV and suicidality among socially marginalized women, such as women living with HIV (WLHIV), or in low- and middle-income countries, where social services vary widely. This paper seeks to fill this gap by exploring the association between IPV and suicidal ideation among a sample of WLHIV. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 249 WLHIV across five regions of Kazakhstan, Central Asia. Both IPV (50.2%) and suicidal ideation (40.5%) were common. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated critical associations between all types of IPV and suicidal ideation: verbal (aOR = 2.5, p <.05); psychological (aOR = 3.3, p <.01); physical (aOR = 2.3, p <.05); sexual (aOR = 3.6, p <.01); injurious (aOR = 4.6, p <.01); and any IPV (aOR = 2.3, p <.05). Consistently significant covariates included marital status, social support, injection drug use, and HIV-related stigma (p <.05). Findings suggest a need to examine the crossover pathways and rates of IPV, HIV, and suicidality. Implications include the need for increased capacity building among providers to address these co-occurring problems through comprehensive assessments, safety planning, and linkage to care.


The purpose of this study is to propose a unified model integrating both the technology acceptance model (TAM) and task technology fit (TTF) model, and explore the organizational and environmental fit of the integrated model in order to investigate usage of Big Data Analytics and its effect on business performance. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 280 companies in CPG & Retail, Healthcare, Banking and Telecom in India. The data were analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Further, structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed model. The findings show that the research model for integrating the TAM for adoption and TTF model for utility provides a more comprehensive understanding of Big Data Analytics usage. The study identified task technology fit , individual technology fit, organizational data fit, organizational process fit, and business strategy fit as Tidd important variables for affecting Big Data Analytics usage using perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) as mediating variables. Competitive fit and partner support/customer fit were also found to be directly affecting Big Data Analytics usage, which in turn has significant influence on business performance. The model explained 71.4 percent of Business performance. The integrated model may be used as a guideline to ensure a positive outcome of Big Data Analytics usage in organizations. This study combined both the key ideas of TAM and TTF to show that they were necessary in predicting Big Data Analytics usage and business performance.


The current waste management system of Post Consumer Textile Waste (PCTW) in Sweden leads to vast amounts of incinerated or exported textiles. The amount of PCTW reused or repurposed within the country is small in comparison to the amounts of textile products consumed every year. Hence, there is an observed problem in terms of low value creation from textile waste. A system that allows for more textiles to be kept and reused in Sweden could create more economic value in a resource-efficient way. Hence, the purpose of this thesis is to investigate value creation from PCTW for reuse and redesign in Sweden, and to establish a framework for the antecedents of value creation in reverse textile value chains. A pre-study was conducted to map the PCTW industry structure, and served as the basis for sampling cases. Data collection consisted of multiple case studies from 4 charity organisations, 3 clothing brands and 3 redesign brands. The interviews were performed in a semi-structured manner in order to discover the state-of-art in value creation and to identify the key enabling attributes. The findings were analysed to adjust the deductive framework to the textile industry context. Results and findings shows that the state-of-art for value creation among the selected cases varies depending on its mission. Charity organisations are facing a new competition of resources from clothing brands, who have realised a potential of new differentiation by engaging in value creation from PCTW. This has led to a new mind-set among the charity organisations to work more strategically in all their activities. Redesign brands are a relatively new actor and want to work symbolically with redesign to communicate the values in textile materials. Enablers and disablers to value creation from PCTW were found in the interviews and led to the development of an empirical framework. As a whole, this thesis provides rich descriptions of the current preconditions and challenges within the field. Furthermore, it presents a framework for the antecedents of value creation along the recovery processes involved in reuse and redesign value chain. The empirical framework confirms the themes in the theoretical framework, and concludes that there is a set of generic antecedents for value creation in reverse textile value chains. However, there are also category specific antecedents, which need to be considered. The specific experiences of one actor category might as well be valuable knowledge to another, which is why increased collaboration is suggested to enhance value creation from PCTW.


The aim of this work is to investigate sunflower plants response on stress induced by silver(I) ions. The sunflower plants were exposed to silver(I) ions (0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1 mM) for 96 h. Primarily we aimed our attention to observation of basic physiological parameters. We found that the treated plants embodied growth depression, coloured changes and lack root hairs. Using of autofluorescence of anatomical structures, such as lignified cell walls, it was possible to determine the changes of important shoot and root structures, mainly vascular bungles and development of secondary thickening. The differences in vascular bundles organisation, parenchymatic pith development in the root centre and the reduction of phloem part of vascular bundles were well observable. Moreover with increasing silver(I) ions concentration the vitality of rhizodermal cells declined; rhizodermal cells early necrosed and were replaced by the cells of exodermis. Further we employed laser induced breakdown spectroscopy for determination of spatial distribution of silver(I) ions in tissues of the treated plants. The Ag is accumulated mainly in near-root part of the sample. Moreover basic biochemical indicators of environmental stress were investigated. The total content of proteins expressively decreased with increasing silver(I) ions dose and the time of the treatment. As we compare the results obtained by protein analysis – the total protein contents in shoot as well as root parts – we can assume on the transport of the proteins from the roots to shoots. This phenomenon can be related with the cascade of processes connecting with photosynthesis. The second biochemical parameter, which we investigated, was urease activity. If we compared the activity in treated plants with control, we found out that presence of silver(I) ions markedly enhanced the activity of urease at all applied doses of this toxic metal. Finally we studied the effect of silver(I) ions on activity of urease in in vitro conditions.


The technologies of expert system, ontology modeling and reasoning are studied and applied in this paper. A framework of ontology-based expert system for equipment selection and matching in fully mechanized caving face is built up. The OWL(Web Ontology Language) based equipment knowledge base is set up, and the redundant test is made in the protégé environment. The equipment selection and matching rules are built up by using SWRL(Semantic Web Rule Language). By using JAVA language, the output of equipment selection expert system is optimized based on the theory of Analytic Hierarchy Process. At last, the functions of the expert system are achieved under JESS(Java Expert System Shell) environment. Practical application shows that the equipments selected and matched by ontology-based expert system are more realistic.


A rapid procedure is described for determining total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) by use of a small, disposable resin column. Serum is saturated with excess ferric citrate, and iron not bound to protein is then removed by passing the mixture through the column of anion-exchanger. Transferrin-bound iron in the effluent, the TIBC, is determined colorimetrically (AutoAnalyzer), with 2,4,6-tripyridyl-1,3,5-triazine as color reagent. The percentage saturation with iron may be obtained from colorimetric measurement of original serum iron and the TIBC, or by radioactive counting if 'Fe is incorporated in the ferric citrate used to saturate the serum. Our method is compared with the MgCO, precipitation technique for the removal of excess iron after saturation and to an ultrafittration technique in which protein-bound iron is retained by a membrane and the filtrate analyzed for unbound iron, thus obviating absorbents in the determination of TIBC. Results from the resincolumn and ultrafiltration procedures correlated well, whereas those from the MgCO, method were consistently lower and more erratic.


The prognostic implication of SYT-SSX fusion type in synovial sarcomas is still controversial. The aim of this study is to clarify the prognostic impact of fusion type, in association with other clinical factors, in patients with synovial sarcoma in Japan. Data on 108 SYT-SSX fusion transcript-positive patients with synovial sarcoma, treated in 11 tertiary referral cancer centers in Japan, were retrospectively analyzed. The following parameters were examined for their potential prognostic impact: SYT-SSX fusion type, patient age at presentation, sex, primary tumor location, tumor size, histological subtype, histological grade, treatment modalities and disease stage at presentation. Among the patients with localized disease at presentation, 5-year overall survival (OS) for SYT-SSX1 and -2 subgroups were 84.4 and 74.9%, respectively (P=0.244). Five-year metastasis-free survival (MFS) rates were 67.8% for SYT-SSX1 and 68.5% for SYT-SSX2 (P=0.949). Univariate survival analyses for 91 patients with localized disease at presentation showed that tumor size was the only significant prognostic factor for OS (P=0.0033) and MFS (P=0.0029) and the histological grade was marginally significant for MFS (P=0.0785), whereas the SYT-SSX fusion type and other variables were not. Multivariate survival analyses further indicated that tumor size was the most significant independent prognostic factor for OS and MFS and the histological grade was also significant for MFS. In conclusion, the SYT-SSX fusion type is not a significant prognostic factor unlike tumor size, followed by histological grade for patients with localized synovial sarcoma in Japan.


A growing number of applications, often with real-time requirements, are integrated on the same system on chip (SoC), in the form of hardware and software intellectual property (IP). To facilitate real-time applications, networks on chip (NoC) guarantee bounds on latency and throughput. These bounds, however, only extend to the network interfaces (NI), between the IP and the NoC. To give performance guarantees on the application level, the buffers in the NIs must be sufficiently large for the particular application. At the same time, it is imperative to minimise the size of the NI buffers, as they are major contributors to the area and power consumption of the NoC. Existing buffer-sizing methods use coarse-grained application models, based on linear traffic bounds or periodic producers and consumers, thus severely limiting their applicability. In this work, the authors propose to capture the behaviour of the NoC and the applications using a dataflow model. This enables one to verify the temporal behaviour and to compute buffer sizes using existing dataflow analysis techniques. The authors show what is required from the NoC architecture and demonstrate how to construct an NoC model, with multiple levels of detail. Using the proposed model, buffer sizes are determined for a range of SoC designs with a run time comparable to existing analytical methods, and results comparable to exhaustive simulation. For an application case study, where existing buffer-sizing methods are not applicable, the proposed model enables the verification of end-to-end temporal behaviour.


As a first step in elucidating one molecular mechanism of adaptation to life at extreme temperatures, we purified and characterized the enzyme histidinol dehydrogenase (EC 22.214.171.124) from a number of bacilli whose growth temperatures range from 5 degrees t to 90 degrees C. The enzymes were purified by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography on Sephadex, affinity chromatography on histamine- or histidine-Sepharose and preparative gradient gel electrophoresis. All had similar mol.wts. (29200), sedimentation coefficients (S20,w 2.56S), affinities for histidinol and NAD+ (Km = 48 micron and 0.2 mM respectively) and all had pH optima at 9.6. Marked differences were observed in stability with respect to temperature and the temperature at which the initial velocity for histidinol dehydrogenation was optimal. These optima range from 25 degrees C for the enzyme from the psychrophilic species through to 41 degrees C for the mesophiles to 85-92 degrees C for the extreme thermophiles. It is concluded that the ability of the enzymes to operate at their various optimum temperatures is an intrinsic property of their amino acid sequences.


This study investigated levels of airborne bacteria in 90 indoor sampling sites with no known complaints such as kindergartens, schools, homes and dorms over three seasons. Airborne bacteria samples were collected before and during the heating season in Çanakkale, Turkey. Also, a detailed occupant questionnaire was completed by one of the occupants (n = 90) in each sampling site. Total bacteria counts (TBCs) were found to be higher in the sampling sites where coal was used as a heating source and in kindergartens where the occupancy rate was highest (p < 0.05). Meteorological parameters were associated with outdoor TBC levels (p < 0.001). Associations were found (p = 0.05) for indoor TBC and other building factors (last floor covering/wall painting/renovation times, heating/cooking fuels and the age of the building). Indoor TBC levels together with the building-related factors (environmental tobacco smoke exposure, occupancy rate, distance to traffic, heating fuel, amount of carpet covering, and last wall painting time) and personal factors (gender and daily time spent indoors) were found to be associated with at least one group of the sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms (p < 0.05). In particular, general SBS symptoms (headache, fatigue and dizziness) were observed more often in female participants (p < 0.05). In conclusion, there is a need to conduct more studies in larger populations to find the links between air pollutants and SBS symptoms.


Scholars of the welfare system have explored the racialized criminalization of mothers of color who are punished by the foster care system, through control of their children, when they are unable to meet the ideals of middle-class motherhood but have yet to fully articulate a language to understand the ways in which this criminalization and punishment extends to youth once they are placed in the foster care system. Using ethnographic interviews with agents of the care system, I explore the ways in which the system pathologizes Latinas' quotidian acts of resistance and survival like their use of silences through the behavioral diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). I argue that California's foster care system is an arm of the transcarceral continuum, marking girls of color and their strategies of resistance as pathological, thereby criminalizing them through the diagnosis of behavioral disorders.


We consider fundamental issues of the mathematical theory of the wave propagation in waveguides with inclusions. Analysis is performed in terms of a boundary eigenvalue problem for the Maxwell equations which is reduced to an eigenvalue problem for an operator pencil. We prove that the spectrum of normal waves forms a nonempty set of isolated points localized in a strip with at most finitely many real points. We show the importance of these results for the theory of wave propagation in open guiding structures and consider in more detail the surface wave spectrum of the Goubau line.


IS Leadership is distinctive from leadership in general because of the special interface between Information Technology and business. As the increasing complexity and interdependence in the Information Systems Development (ISD) context, this study proposes to examine the IS leadership from a distributed team level. Based upon Social Interdependence Theory, we argue that the inherent high level of positive interdependence in the ISD context determines the team members' interaction patterns which result in team leadership and team learning. The empirical evidence will be collected to test the model. The study results will benefit the understanding of team leadership in ISD context and explore the relationship between team leadership and team learning.


In the present work, a dynamic model has been developed for the small-scale high-temperature ORC experimental test rig at the LUT University that utilizes waste heat from a heavy-duty diesel engine exhaust. The experimental facility consists of a high-speed Turbogenerator, heat exchanger components such as recuperator, condenser, and evaporator with a pre-feed pump to boost the working fluid pressure after the condensation process constituting a cycle. The turbogenerator consists of a supersonic radial-inflow turbine, a barske type main-feed pump, and a permanent magnet type generator components connected on a single shaft. Octamethyltrisiloxane (MDM) is the chosen organic working fluid in this cycle. Matlab-Simulink environment along with the open-source thermodynamic and transport database Cool-Prop has been chosen for calculating the thermodynamic properties of the dynamic model. A functional parameter approach has been followed for modeling each block component by predefined input and output parameters, aimed at modeling the performance characteristics with a limited number of inputs for both design and off-design operations of the cycle. The dynamic model is validated with the experimental data in addition to the investigation of exhaust gas mass flow regulation that establishes a control strategy for the dynamic model.


Hundreds of different cell types emerge in the developing embryo, each of which must compartmentalize cell type specific biochemical processes in a crowded intracellular environment. To study cell type specific compartmentalization, we examined motile ciliated cells, which must assemble vast numbers of dynein motors to drive ciliary beating, as mutation of dyneins or their assembly factors causes motile ciliopathy. We show that dyneins, their assembly factors, and chaperones all concentrate together in Dynein Assembly Particles (DynAPs). These phase-separated organelles are specific to ciliated cells but share machinery with stress granules. Our data suggest that a common framework underlies ubiquitous and cell-type specific phase separated organelles and that one such organelle is defective in a human genetic disease.


India is endowed with large reserves of iron ore. Mech-anised mining generates considerable amount of iron ore fines. Additionally, large quantities of slimes are generated from washing of ores at mine-heads.Further, many coal based rotary kiln sponge iron plants are generating
huge quantities waste fines within their works. In addi-tion, in integrated steel plants, a lot of iron oxide
rich wastes are generated. Some of them are generated mixed with carbon particles or hydrocarbons (oil, etc.).
All these pose problems both with respect to economy and ecology.
In RDCIS, work was carried out to pelletise iron ore fines after mixing with up to 10% non-coking coal, and utilise these composite pellets in coal based rotary kiln DR plants. These pellets were cold bonded so that carbon is retained for- reduction purpose. After extensive laboratory investigations, these pellets were tested in a rotary kiln DR plant.Composite pellets reduced much faster as compared to lump ore.Metallisation level of over 90% was achieved consistently. Kiln productivity increased and energy consumption decreased substantially.The plant trials established the suitability of composite pellets for DRI production in rotary kilns.


BACKGROUND
Data on the postoperative outcomes for patients with infective endocarditis complicated by an aortic root abscess is sparse due to the condition's low incidence and high mortality rates. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate existing data on the impact of aortic root abscesses on the postoperative outcomes and to inform optimal surgical approach.

METHODS
The online databases MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane library were searched from 1990 to 2022 for studies comparing cohorts of surgically managed infective endocarditis patients with and without an aortic root abscess. Data was extracted by two independent investigators and aggregated in a random-effects model. Risk of bias was assessed using an adapted version of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.

RESULTS
Six clinical studies were included in the meta-analysis (n 1982). The abscess group was associated with increased in-hospital mortality (OR 1.74 95%: CI 1.18-2.56) and late mortality (HR 1.27 95% CI:1.03-1.58). The reoperation meta-analysis was complicated by high rates of heterogeneity (I2 = 59%) and found no significant differences in reoperation between abscess and no abscess groups (HR=1.48: 95% CI:0.92-2.40). Post-hoc scatter graph showed a strong linear relationship (r 0.998), suggesting hospitals with higher rates of aortic root replacement achieve lower rates of reoperation for aortic root abscess patients compared with patch reconstruction.

CONCLUSIONS
The presence of an aortic root abscess in aortic valve endocarditis is associated with elevated early and late mortality despite modern standards of care. Additionally, aortic root replacement should be considered to have a favourable postoperative profile for use in this context.


We present a case of duodenal lipoma in a 53-year-old lady causing symptoms of vomiting and abdominal discomfort, treated by laparoscopic enucleation. Lipomas of the duodenum are rare tumors with less than 230 cases reported in the literature, most of these are from autopsy records rather than clinical experience. Most recent reports are of endoscopic excision of these tumors while operative procedures, although less frequent, have been described for specific indications. We present a case of a duodenal lipoma excised laparoscopically with a review of the literature.


Introduction: Career prospects in Pharmacology are witnessing a sea change due to fast and unanticipated development in the field of clinical research. Numerous openings exist now in academia, pharmaceutical industry, Clinical Research Organizations (CRO) or as regulatory consultants, experimental pharmacologists, etc. In short, there are various options to choose from, depending on one's interest. It's high time we ponder now over the training programme for post-graduate students in Pharmacology. It needs to be revised keeping in mind the job prospects & uniqueness of the MD Pharmacology degree. Aim: To take suggestions of experienced pharmacologists on the present syllabus for MD Pharmacology and their opinion on continuation of Bioassay experiment which is currently an important part of it . Materials and Methods: A structured questionnaire was given to 30 experienced pharmacologists to seek their opinion on MD Pharmacology syllabus & continuation of Bioassay as a part of MD practical. Results: Out of 30 participants, 29 (96.6%) did not use their knowledge of Bioassay during their 10 years of post MD career, whether in pharmaceutical industry or in academics. Only 5 of them (16.6%) feel that experiment on bioassay should be continued in the current state. 76.7% of them wish it to be modified to a Dose Response Curve ( DRC) . 6.71% feel that it should be totally scrapped. All the participants feel the need of revising current MD Pharmacology syllabus. Current syllabus is inclined more towards preparing good academicians but it lacks the proper training for creating good clinical research professionals. Medical writing, writing necessary documents for clinical trials including regulatory documents, writing an article for medical journals, marketing communication, product monograph and patient information of a clinical trial could be incorporated. They should be aware of the regulatory requirements for conducting studies on investigational drugs & established drugs as well. Conclusion: Looking at the growing market of clinical research & India being favoured destination for the same, the demand of MD Pharmacologists by pharmaceutical industry is on rising trend. So the revision of the syllabus of MD Pharmacology should be the top priority of experienced Pharmacologists, so as to meet this demand.


Objective - The aim of this study was to examine to what extent the quality of family  relationships (attachment to mother, attachment to father, family cohesion) and relationships with peers (attachment to peers and social acceptance) predict global self-esteem of boys and girls in adolescence. Materials and methods - The sample included 221 high school students aged 14-18 years old. Attachments to parents and peers were assessed using the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment. Family cohesion was measured with the Family Cohesion Scale of the Colorado Self-Report Measure of Family Functioning. Adolescent perceptions of global self-worth and social acceptance among peers were measured using the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. Results - The results showed that girls are more attached to their peers than boys. Boys and girls did not differ in their attachment to mother and father, perception of family cohesion, self-conceptions of global self-worth and social acceptance. Stepwise regression analyses were conducted on the results for the boys' and girls' samples with adolescent global self-esteem as a criterion variable and measures of attachment to peers, social acceptance, family cohesion, attachment to mother and attachment to father as predictor variables. The results revealed that attachment to the same-sex parent and peer acceptance significantly contribute to boys' and girls' global self-esteem. Conclusion - The findings of this study point to the importance of approval from significant others (family and peer group) in different socialization contexts for fostering global self-esteem in adolescents.


OBJECTIVE
Data collected from 1985 to 1999 on adverse events after the IV administration of contrast media were evaluated to identify trends.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data collected on 391 adverse events after 90,473 administrations of iodinated contrast media and 19 events after 28,340 administrations of gadolinium were evaluated. Reactions were graded as mild, moderate, or severe. Data were also collected regarding contrast extravasation.

RESULTS
When only ionic iodinated contrast material was used, the adverse reaction rate was 6-8%. With the selective use of contrast material, the adverse reaction rate was 0.6% and 0.7%, respectively, for ionic and nonionic agents. The rate decreased to 0.2% with the universal use of nonionic agents. More than 90% of adverse reactions were allergic-like. Seven severe reactions (0.05%) and no deaths occurred in the ionic group. During the selective use period, one death occurred in the nonionic group. No severe reactions or deaths occurred during the first 5 years of universal nonionic use. Since then, 10 severe reactions (0.02%) and one death have occurred. Seven reactions occurred in patients after helical CT angiography. The extravasation rate for iodinated contrast material has remained constant at 0.3-0.4% annually. The adverse reaction rate to gadolinium contrast material was 0.06%.

CONCLUSION
Mild and moderate adverse events are more common with ionic contrast material than with nonionic. Most reactions are allergic-like. Severe reactions are seen equally with ionic and nonionic contrast material but differ in type. The reactions were allergic-like in the ionic group but were predominantly attributable to cardiopulmonary decompensation in the nonionic group. Helical CT angiography may play a role in reactions.


The CERN-EU High Energy Reference Field (CERF) facility is used in the calibration of neutron dosimeters for radiation protection applications in aviation and high energy physics. A comparison of the facility's microdosimetric spectra obtained with a new Silicon on Insulator (SOI) Microdosimeter and a HAWK Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC) is presented. Experimental data obtained with both devices indicates the presence of a small charged particle flux within the neutron dominated field which makes a non negligible contribution to the dose equivalent.


Communication networks are changing. They are becoming more and more "software- based." Two trends reflect this: the use of software defined networking and the use of virtualization to exploit common off-the-shelf hardware to provide a wide array of network-resident functions. To truly achieve the vision shared by many service providers of a high-performance software-based network that is flexible, lowercost, and agile, a fast and carefully designed network function virtualization platform along with a comprehensive SDN control plane is needed. The shift toward software-based network services broadens the type of networking capabilities offered in provider networks and cloud platforms by allowing network services to be dynamically deployed across shared hosts. Combining this with an SDN control plane that recognizes the power of a dynamically changing network infrastructure allows network functions to be placed when they are needed and where they are most appropriate in the network. Our system, SDNFV harmoniously combines the two fast moving technological directions of SDN and virtualization to further the goal of achieving a true software-based network.


Abstract Objective: This study utilized the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (TBIMS) National Database to examine the prevalence of depression and suicidal behaviour in a large cohort of patients who sustained moderate-to-severe TBI. Method: Participants presented to a TBIMS acute care hospital within 72 hours of injury and received acute care and comprehensive rehabilitation in a TBIMS designated brain injury inpatient rehabilitation programme. Depression and suicidal ideation were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Self-reported suicide attempts during the past year were recorded at each follow-up examination, at 1, 2, 3, 10, 15 and 20 years post-injury. Results: Throughout the 20 years of follow-up, rates of depression ranged from 24.8–28.1%, suicidal ideation ranged from 7.0–10.1% and suicide attempts (past year) ranged from 0.8–1.7%. Participants who endorsed depression and/or suicidal behaviour at year 1 demonstrated consistently elevated rates of depression and suicidal behaviour 5 years after TBI. Conclusion: Compared to the general population, individuals with TBI are at greater risk for depression and suicidal behaviour many years after TBI. The significant psychiatric symptoms evidenced by individuals with TBI highlight the need for routine screening and mental health treatment in this population.


A summary is given of the background and present status of the pure-planing theory for rectangular flat plates and v-bottom surfaces. The equations reviewed are compared with experiment. In order to extend the range of available planing data, the principal planing characteristics for models having sharp bottom surfaces having constant angles of dead rise of 20 degrees and 40 degrees. Planing data were also obtained for flat-plate surfaces with very slightly rounded chines for which decreased lift and drag coefficients are obtained.


The magnetic method has been proven to be a successful geophysical tool for the detection of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Aeromagnetic surveys are advantageous since they can acquire data over large areas. The downside is that magnetic anomalies due to multiple metallic targets can overlap significantly due to flight height restrictions. Such overlap combined with the acquisition noise may significantly decrease the signal-to-noise ratio of data. These adverse effects can mask the true level of contamination at a site during the initial assessment based on the magnetic method as well as decrease the overall effectiveness of discrimination during the active clearance stage. We propose a method to ameliorate these difficulties using stable downward continuation, which reconstructs the field at a lower observation height from the observed data. The stable algorithm formulates the downward continuation as an inverse problem and incorporates the expected power spectrum of UXO anomalies. The power spectrum preserves the spectral properties and subdues the amplification of high-frequency noise. Synthetic and field examples show that the algorithm can reliably reconstruct the magnetic anomaly at the ground surface within the limitation imposed by the noise. The reconstructed field exhibits significant enhancement compared to the original data.


We have identified in mouse hepatoma cells a third cis-acting dioxin-responsive element (DRE) within the 5' flanking region of the cytochrome P1-450 gene, which is transcriptionally activated by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The DRE can activate a heterologous promoter and functions in either orientation; therefore, it has the properties of a transcriptional enhancer. The DRE fails to activate transcription in receptor-defective cells; therefore, it requires TCDD-receptor complexes for its function. By using a gel retardation assay, we show that nuclear extracts contain a protein that binds to the DRE in TCDD-inducible, receptor-dependent, and DNA sequence-specific fashion. The protein-DNA interaction occurs within 10 min of exposure of the cell to TCDD and does not require ongoing protein synthesis. Our results imply that the TCDD-receptor complex interacts specifically with the DRE and demonstrate a relationship between protein-DNA interaction in vitro and function in vivo. Our findings also suggest that the affinity of the TCDD-receptor complex for the DRE may be relatively high in comparison to analogous protein-DNA interactions at other inducible enhancers.


A study has been made of the effect of single extensions and continuous fatigue on the structures of various natural rubber networks. The change in network structure of a conventional vulcanisate on a single extension manifests itself as permanent set. The change in network structure has been assessed by the use of the chemical probes, propan-2-thiol/piperidine, hexane-thiol/piperidine and triphenyl phosphine, which determine the polysulphide and disulphide crosslink densities and main chain modification respectively. The permanent set induced on a single extension of a conventional sulphur vulcanisate has been shown to result from the destruction and reformation of polysulphide crosslinks. The magnitude of the effect was dependent upon the degree of extension and showed a maximum at extensions corresponding to the onset of stress-induced crystallisation. The incorporation of a reinforcing filler, HAF-carbon black, magnified the effect. Vulcanisates that possessed only mono and disulphide crosslinks did not show any significant permanent set. The continuous changes in network structure during fatigue have also been determined, and the effects of carbon black and antioxidants on these changes and the fatigue life have been assessed. During fatigue the overall crosslink density increased slightly, which resulted from the destruction of polysulphide crosslinks. and their replacement by principally disulphide crosslinks. Antioxidants reduced the rate of destruction of polysulphide crosslinks and increased the fatigue life of the rubber network. The fatigue life of the network also depended upon the concentration of free chain ends. These chain ends were incorporated into the network by masticating rubber under nitrogen in the presence of bis (diisopropyl)thiophosphoryl disulphide, which improved the fatigue resistance by up to 9%.


Software can be considered a live entity, as it undergoes many alterations throughout its lifecycle. Furthermore, developers do not usually retain a good design in favor of adding new features, comply with requirements or meet deadlines. For these reasons, code can become rather complex and difficult to understand. More particularly in object-oriented systems, classes may become very large and less cohesive. In order to identify such problematic cases, existing approaches have proposed the use of cohesion metrics. However, while metrics can identify classes with low cohesion, they cannot identify new or independent concepts. Moreover, these methods require a lot of human interpretation to identify the respective design flaws. In this paper, we propose a class decomposition method using an agglomerative clustering algorithm based on the Jaccard distance between class members. Our methodology is able to identify new concepts and rank the solutions according to their impact on the design quality of the system. Finally, our method has been evaluated by two independent designers who were asked to comment on the suggestions produced by our technique on their projects. The designers provided feedback on the ability of the method to identify new concepts and improve the design quality of the system in terms of cohesion.


For the purpose of accurate inspecting IC chip by image, fuzzy gray theory is used for quantitative evaluating the IC micro-topography's influence on its image characteristics. Through extracting topography's feature-points by precise coordinate measuring apparatus, its spatial surface model is structured and the topography characteristic parameters array is established, thus a mathematical model of fuzzy gray evaluating system is obtained. After calculating the fuzzy gray relational degree between the topography characteristics and the image ones, the influence has been quantified. By experiment repeatedly the influence discipline is analyzed and the conclusions are reached. It provides theoretical foundation and technical preparation for IC image sampling condition's selection and adjustment.


The ability to process sequences of input and extract regularity across the distribution of input is fundamental for making predictions from the observed past to the future. Prediction is rooted in the extraction of both frequencyand conditional statistics from the distribution of inputs. For example, an animal hunting for food may consistently return to a particular area to hunt if relative to all other areas visited, that area has the highest frequency of prey. In contrast, humans asked to predict the next word in a sentence must make a prediction based upon higher-order regularities rather than simple frequency statistics (the most frequent word in the English language is the). The Serial Reaction Time (SRT) task, a model for studying sequential behavior, is used to quantify sensitivity to sequential constraints present in structured environments (Nissen & Bullemer, 1987). The SRT task requires S s to make a unique response to each individually presented element from a sequence of elements. The statistics of SRT sequences, such as the relative frequency of elements and simple pairwise associations between elements, can be controlled to create dependencies that can only be predicted by learning higher-order associations. Sensitivity to the sequential constraints present in the structured input is demonstrated through differences in reaction time to elements that are, and are not, predictable based upon the statistics of the input environment. Sensitivity to statistical regularity in the environment is also a critical dimension of various episodic learning methodologies. Graded associations have been demonstrated among elements extending in both forward and backward directions in episodic memory tasks, and are suggested to reflect a gradient of the underlying structural relationships among the study elements. Graded associations are beneficial to the extent that they increase the probability of recalling sequence elements. However, unlike free and serial recall tasks, backward associations, and remote associations in general, are anti-predictive in the SRT task. The formation of associations beyond the immediately predictive element in prediction tasks could be suggestive of a ubiquitous underlying associative mechanism, which universally gives rise to graded contiguity effects, regardless of the specific application (Howard, Jing, Rao, Provyn, & Datey, 2009). The following experiment employed a probabilistic SRT task to quantify sensitivity to immediately backward, backward-remote, and forward-remote associations. S s were presented sequences of elements probabilistically sampled from an underlying ring-structure, with the dependent measure S s' reaction time to elements that either followed, or deviated from, the structure. Results from the SRT task indicated that S s demonstrated a robust backward association, as well as evidence for forward-graded associations. Moreover, in an explicit test of sequence knowledge, while S s did not generate the probabilistic statistics from the structured learning environment, S s did generate a statistically significant amount of backward-transitions, relative to other remote-backward transitions. The graded associations that were formed beyond the immediately predictive element in the prediction task provide evidence that a similar mechanism that mediates episodic learning may also mediate statistical learning. Backward and graded associations may be explained by a ubiquitous underlying associative mechanism, which universally gives rise to graded contiguity effects, regardless of the specific application. ASSOCIATIVE PROCESSES IN STATISTICAL LEARNING: PARADOXICAL PREDICTIONS OF THE PAST


Continuing the analysis of [Loran F and Sheikh-Jabbari M M 2010 Phys. Lett. B 693 184–7], we classify all locally AdS3 stationary axi-symmetric unorientable solutions to AdS3 Einstein gravity and show that they are obtained by applying certain orientifold projection on AdS3, BTZ or AdS3 self-dual orbifold, respectively, O-AdS3, O-BTZ and O-SDO geometries. Depending on the orientifold fixed surface, the O-surface, which is either a space-like 2D plane or a cylinder, or a light-like 2D plane or a cylinder, one can distinguish four distinct cases. For the space-like orientifold plane or cylinder cases, these geometries solve AdS3 Einstein equations and are hence locally AdS3 everywhere except at the O-surface, where there is a delta-function source. For the light-like cases, the geometry is a solution to Einstein equations even at the O-surface. We discuss the causal structure for static, extremal and general rotating O-BTZ and O-SDO cases as well as the geodesic motion on these geometries. We also discuss orientifolding Poincaré patch AdS3 and AdS2 geometries as a way to geodesic completion of these spaces and comment on the 2D CFT dual to the O-geometries.


This paper discusses design issues for uniform rectangular antenna arrays and the requirements for channel sounding applications. Two different array realizations are presented. The first array is based on Vivaldi antennas the second on patch antennas. The arrays consist of 32 dual polarization-sensitive radiators. Both arrays operate at 2 GHz, covering the uplink and downlink bands of the UMTS standard. The resulting performance of the arrays is compared and discussed.


It was recently proposed that the interface between a graphene nanoribbon in the canted antiferromagnetic quantum Hall state and a s-wave superconductor may present topological superconductivity, resulting in the appearance of Majorana zero modes. However, a description of the low-energy physics in terms of experimentally controllable parameters was still missing. Starting from a mean-field continuum model for graphene in proximity to a superconductor, we derive the low-energy effective Hamiltonian describing the interface of this heterojunction from first principles. A comparison between tight-binding simulations and analytical calculations with effective masses suggests that normal reflections at the interface must be considered in order to fully describe the low-energy physics.


The civil aviation industry has expanded considerably in aircraft systems in the 100 years of its life. Although there are major developments in all aspects of flight, the fastest growing trend is for More electric aircraft (MEA) and low emissions; consequently, the complexity of electrical and electronic systems is increasing. It is therefore highly desirable to provide a simple, reliable, and sustainable solution to manage the aircraft system avionics through an integrated embedded network architecture that can serve end systems efficiently & reliably, while reducing maintenance and logistics support. Current health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS) are focused on detecting faults in components that are subject to vibration and rotation, mainly in order to prevent accidents due to mechanical failure. HUMS however could be extended to monitor other aircraft parameters, using a combination of flight data and equipment/component profiles. Beyond this, HUMS could also have a more interactive role to provide augmented system safety. Preventing and detecting faults could be extended to actually performing fault recovery actions such as partially reconfiguring individual sub-systems, a technology proposed as active HUMS. In addition, one should move towards a strategy that allows defence line of development (DLoD), including operation, maintenance and logistics operations, with minimum impact to the aircrafts' availability and down time. This paper provides an insight in implementing these technologies, including how active HUMS addresses DLoDs, and concludes with a discussion on enterprise architecture (EA) and future work aspects. (5 pages)


Nowadays, computers and the Internet have become an integral part of many aspects of life. Education is no exception. New media provide new means for people to interact, create dialogues, and share information and have generated new means for learning, including distance education. Distance education has become increasingly appealing in recent years. Many institutions around the world now offer distance education for learners of every age from elementary school students to adults. In the case of the University of El Salvador in the Foreign Languages Department this modality has been implemented. In education, technology is developed to enhance the learning experience for students. Schools are continually exploring strategies to implement new learning tools. These technological advancements have provided the opportunity of delivering in distance education, now, combined with some tools, such as instant messaging for feedback or questions, the virtual classrooms are more equipped with computers and laptops also the experience of face to face classroom interaction. Distance education courses were initially designed to support educational opportunities to students who were limited due to the location or lifestyle to attend face-to-face courses. The availability of online learning tools has provided flexibility and the opportunity to complete course requirements from nearly any location. According to Burton and Goldsmith [6](p.3), "the increased ease of communication between students, greater equality of participation in the discussion with the students, ability to recruit diverse population, and the ability to address more controversial topics" are some of the advantages to distance education. This research was focused on The Effectiveness of Distance Education in the students' motivation and satisfaction in the Advanced Grammar course of the Bachelor in English Teaching of the Foreign Languages Department at the University of El Salvador, semester II/2017. The purpose of this study was: to assess The Effectiveness of the Implementation of Distance Education modality in the Advanced Grammar course at the Foreign Languages Department based on the students´ motivation and satisfaction, semester II, academic year 2017


Estimates of species extinction risk under climate change are generally based on differences in present and future climatically suitable areas. However, the locations of potentially suitable future environments (affecting establishment success), and the degree of climatic suitability in already occupied and new locations (affecting population viability) may be equally important determinants of risk. A species considered to be at low risk because its future distribution is predicted to be large, may actually be at high risk if these areas are out of reach, given the species' dispersal and migration rates or if all future suitable locations are only marginally suitable and the species is unlikely to build viable populations in competition with other species. Using bioclimatic models of 17 representative European woody species, we expand on current ways of risk assessment and suggest additional measures based on (a) the distance between presently occupied areas and areas predicted to be climatically suitable in the future and (b) the degree of change in climatic suitability in presently occupied and unoccupied locations. Species of boreal and temperate deciduous forests are predicted to face higher risk from loss of climatically suitable area than species from warmer and drier parts of Europe by 2095 using both the moderate B1 and the severe A1FI emission scenario. However, the average distance from currently occupied locations to areas predicted suitable in the future is generally shorter for boreal species than for southern species. Areas currently occupied will become more suitable for boreal and temperate species than for Mediterranean species whereas new suitable areas outside a species' current range are expected to show greater increases in suitability for Mediterranean species than for boreal and temperate species. Such additional risk measures can be easily derived and should give a more comprehensive picture of the risk species are likely to face under climate change.


Factors that contribute to a higher risk in catheterization of great vessels are briefly analyzed and promising research trends targeted at preventing the complications in the discussed procedures are shortly surveyed. Both domestic and foreign instruments are critically evaluated. An invention (patent of the Russian Federation No. 2087162 dated August 20, 1997) "device for catheterization and its variations", made by the author, is suggested for introduction. The device is simple, safe, atraumatic, fast and multifunctional. A drawing, logically-substantiated descriptions and the succession of operator's manipulations are available in the paper.


Balloon Fighters is a  2-player, horizontal game in a 2D environment,in which each player attempts to push the balloon to their opposing side's end zone to score 5 points to win the game. There are three balloon modifications that will randomly spawn on the map that do different things like: make the balloon travel towards your opponent's goal, speed up the balloon's velocity, and teleport the balloon to the middle of the map while still traveling at its previous velocity. The game is a fast paced and competitive game that anyone from a child to adult will enjoy. It is very easy to pick up and at first glance seems shallow,  but there are many different play styles that are all valid ways to play this game which create for many different scenarios in each game