Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) provides a platform for early professional socialization, potentially affecting the accuracy of stereotypes among health professions students. The purpose of this study was to implement an interprofessional simulation with nursing, respiratory therapy (RT), and speech language pathology (SLP) students, and using the Student Stereotype Rating Questionnaire, evaluate how an IPE simulation approach may alter stereotypes that learners carry with them related to themselves and professions other than their own. Methods and Findings: Participants rated the extent to which they believe attributes, based on nine professional characteristics, apply to either their own profession (autostereotypes), other professions (heterostereotypes), or their own profession as seen by others (perceived autostereotypes) with the Student Stereotype Rating Questionnaire (SSRQ). A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used, and descriptive and analytical statistics conducted within and across groups. Participant impressions of the IPE experience are presented. Main limitations included smaller sample size of RT and SLP participants. Conclusions: Results showed a significant difference from preto post-IPE simulation in nursing heterostereoptype, autostereotype, and perceived autostereotype scores. No significant difference was seen in hetereostereotypes of RT and SLP students. Overall, student impressions were positive. Recommendations include study replication for larger sample size.


THE revision of American Standard C50, "Rotating Electrical Machinery," resulted in various suggestions for changing the method of measuring the temperature rise of motors and for establishing temperature-rise limits to be used with these methods. A review of the temperature tests taken in the past indicated that they are of little value for comparing the various methods. Few tests included temperature measurements by more than one method, and none of them had enough embedded detectors to measure accurately the hot-spot temperature. In order to obtain accurate data the authors were asked to make temperature tests on fractional-horsepower motors and to report the results. It was believed that the data thus obtained would be valuable to the standardizing committees of the AIEE, the American Standards Association, and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, as well as to motor users.


In a long needed paper, R. T. Lacoss (1971) has presented many examples of spectra obtained by the maximum likelihood method and by the maximum entropy method and has shown that these newer techniques are in general superior to the more conventional spectral analysis methods. This short note shows that there exists a simple, exact relationship between maximum entropy spectra and maximum likelihood spectra when the correlation function is known at uniform intervals of lag. The data are of this form in almost all practical cases of time series analysis as well as in the special case of wavenumber spectral analysis of wave propagation as seen by a linear array of equally spaced sensors. The wavenumber case will be explicitly considered in this note since it requires the complex variable form of the theory.


Mixed-valent iron–iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by the reduction of Fe2+ to Fe0 followed by aerial oxidation, and were fully characterized using powder XRD, FE-SEM, EDX, and XPS. A clock reaction of organic dyes (methylene blue, nile blue and crystal violet) was performed with iron–iron oxide nanoparticles, where periodic colour changes were observed. The decolourization of the dyes was very fast (within 7–12 min), whereas colour regeneration took a relatively longer time (up to 90 min). Furthermore, this clock reaction was found to be dependent on light and atmospheric oxygen. Light speeds up the generation of electron–hole pairs that are responsible for the reduction of the dyes, whereas oxygen is required for the colour regeneration.


The topic of this article is one of the biggest problems associated with retaliation under the World Trade Organization dispute settlement procedure - the sequencing issue. Namely, despite very strict, precise, applicable and tractable procedural rules in the World Trade Organization dispute settlement system, one thing has remained unclear and unresolved thus far - the mismatch of articles 21.5 and 22 of the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Understanding. A critical reading of these two articles, aside from possible practical problems, is enough to conclude that these two articles must be brought in accordance; otherwise, problems in implementation may arise. More than a decade ago, such a problem occurred, involving important world trade "players" and lasting over a considerable period. In order to explore the aforementioned problem, this article will outline the procedural issues, identify the problem, indicate the substance of the problem and, finally, suggest possible solutions.


Network-on-Chips (NoCs) are likely to become a critical shared resource in future many-core processors. The challenge is to develop policies and mechanisms that enable multiple applications to efficiently and fairly share the network, to improve system performance. Existing local packet scheduling policies in the routers fail to fully achieve this goal, because they treat every packet equally, regardless of which application issued the packet. This paper proposes prioritization policies and architectural extensions to NoC routers that improve the overall application-level throughput, while ensuring fairness in the network. Our prioritization policies are application-aware, distinguishing applications based on the stall-time criticality of their packets. The idea is to divide processor execution time into phases, rank applications within a phase based on stall-time criticality, and have all routers in the network prioritize packets based on their applications' ranks. Our scheme also includes techniques that ensure starvation freedom and enable the enforcement of system-level application priorities. We evaluate the proposed prioritization policies on a 64-core CMP with an 8×8 mesh NoC, using a suite of 35 diverse applications. For a representative set of case studies, our proposed policy increases average system throughput by 25.6% over age-based arbitration and 18.4% over round-robin arbitration. Averaged over 96 randomly-generated multiprogrammed workload mixes, the proposed policy improves system throughput by 9.1% over the best existing prioritization policy, while also reducing application-level unfairness.


Higher education sector has become a highly competitive marketplace and universities
in the UK have to raise money to fund research, buildings and services to increase their
competitive edge. However, due to the budget reduction in higher education sector,
universities have to seek other sources of funding. Among all the possible funding
sources, debt funding is widely used in higher education sector.
There are many researches that analyze the financial management in higher education
institutions, but did not analyze debt funding in depth. Therefore, the aim of this
research is to find the current situation and problems of debt funding in universities in
the UK and put forward some suggestions about debt funding.
The researcher interviewed a financial director and collected secondary data to analyze
current debt funding in universities in the UK. Universities in the UK have similar income
sources and they rely heavily on tuition fees. The researcher also finds that external
borrowing in higher education sector has an increasing trend during the past few years
and universities' external borrowing's proportion of total income are different. Some
universities use no debt funding, while others raise a huge amount of debt for working
capital.
Although debt funding has many advantages, financial directors have to notice its
problems. The uncertainty of long term debt to universities makes banks unwilling to
borrow to universities. The difficulty of external borrowings and high costs also require
universities to find other sources of funding. The researcher presents some possible
method for universities to raise money.
The researcher recommended that universities could use debt funding in the short run,
but should generate surplus and reserves to reduce vulnerability to risks and become
financially self-sufficient. The high reliance on tuition fees as income might have a
negative impact on cash flow when some political issues reduce the number of enrolled
students. In terms of debt management, universities can cooperate with debt
management companies to create a plan about how to manage debt.
The researcher reviewed and summarized the current financial condition about debt
funding in higher education sector in the UK. Financial directors of universities can
compare their use of debt funding with peers and measure the financial performance
using the conclusions from this research. The recommendations might be helpful
financial directors when making decisions.
Key words: debt funding, external borrowings, United Kingdom universities


The reverse Stackelberg game provides a suitable decision-making framework for hierarchical control problems like network pricing and toll design. We propose a novel numerical solution approach for systematic computation of optimal nonlinear leader functions, also known as incentives, for reverse Stackelberg games with incomplete information and general, nonconcave utility functions. In particular, we apply basis function approximation to the class of nonlinear leader functions, and treat the incentive design problem as a standard semi-infinite programming problem. A worked example is provided to illustrate the proposed solution approach and to demonstrate its efficiency.


While students in school have free speech rights, those rights are not absolute. In a series of cases, the Court has modified the students' rights jurisprudence in ways that do not make it clearer but, instead, more obscure and more difficult to apply. The circuit courts have tried to take account of the Court's changing views and have come up with very different and sometimes incompatible ways to apply the doctrine. Until the United States Supreme Court offers a coherent analysis of the existing jurisprudence that offers guidance on several issues on which there is a split, lower courts will continue to offer increasingly incompatible interpretations of the jurisprudence — they will issue decisions that are increasingly at odds with each other and which, considered together, will increasingly undermine good public policy and the perception that the law treats individuals fairly and consistently.


Objectives: 1. To assess church9s ability to increase screening and awareness for different cancers 2. To describe how one church was able to create cancer screening opportunities for their community Background: It has been documented that faith-based health programs are capable of producing positive results in health education and cancer prevention. With a little more than half of the African American population reporting church attendance at least once a week, church health ministries are capable of having a strong impact on cancer prevention. While many churches have wellness ministries, the presence of a cancer ministry is often overlooked. Having a cancer ministry can help increase participation in cancer prevention, cancer awareness, and screening in the African American community. Introduction: Fallbrook Church is a local African American church in the northern part of Houston, Texas. The church boast a membership of over 7,000 and holds two worships services every week. Although Fallbrook has an established wellness ministry, a motivated survivor wanted to start a cancer ministry based on her own experience with diagnosis and treatment. The member reached out to the Faith Health and Family Collaborative at MD Anderson Cancer Center for support in developing a cancer ministry. Methods: The National Outreach Network Community Health Educator met with the Combat Ready Cancer Ministry to plan events and identify community partners who could assist with screening and education. After meeting with the group and sharing different resources that were available from MD Anderson Cancer Center and other community partners, the ministry was able to not only focus on being a support group for members who were diagnosed with cancer, but also schedule four prevention and education events for the 2017 calendar year. Results: The first event focused on oral cancer. The event featured a local dentistry office that was able to perform oral exams and educate participants on oral cancer. The event was attended by 42 participants. The second event focused on colorectal cancer and featured the National Cancer Institute9s Screen to Save initiative. This event featured a presentation from the NON CHE at MD Anderson Cancer Center, a walk-through adventure colon, and an opportunity to receive a free FOBT kit for early detection of colorectal cancer. The event had more than 200 attendees and 25 people participated in the City of Houston9s Colorectal Cancer Awareness Program to receive free FOBT kits. Their third event focused on prostate cancer, a cancer that affects more African American men than any other ethnic group. This event featured education from a local urologist and an opportunity to get a free PSA test for prostate cancer detection. Seventy-two men attended the event and 86% of the men received free PSA screenings. The group9s fourth event is scheduled for November and will focus on providing onsite mammograms for members of the church. The cancer ministry partnered with The Rose (local mammography and diagnostic imaging center). This partner will perform onsite mammograms, and for every two insured participants The Rose will provide one free mammogram. Discussion: Cancer health disparities continue to be an issue in the United States. The African American church has proven to be a great tool to help reach many of our underserved communities. Creating a ministry that focuses on cancer and connecting the ministry to resources provides the opportunity to increase education, awareness, and screening for many of the cancers that affect African Americans more than other ethnic groups. Citation Format: Terrence R. Adams. Increasing cancer prevention education and cancer screening in African Americans through a cancer health ministry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr C15.


The sparsity of photons at very low light levels necessitates a nonlinear synaptic transfer function between the rod photoreceptors and the rod-bipolar cells. We examine different ways to characterize the performance of the pathway: the error rate, two variants of the mutual information, and the signal-to-noise ratio. Simulation of the pathway shows that these approaches yield substantially different performance at very low light levels and that maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio yields the best performance when judged from simulated images. The results are compared to recent data.


A semi-quantitative inventory of spider diversity was done in the Blouberg Nature Reserve (BNR) and Western Soutpansberg Conservancy (WSC) situated in the Savanna Biome of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Two hundred and ninety-six samples of one person-hour work each, comprised of five methods (vegetation beating, sweep netting, aerial hand collecting, ground hand collecting and leaf litter sifting) were divided between four relatively homogenous sites (plant communities) within a vegetation type of the BNR and WSC, respectively, an average of 37 per site. In addition, 25 pitfall traps were left open for a total of 20 days in each of the eight plant communities, 200 in total. We collected 1328 adult spiders representing 186 species of which 31% were singletons in the BNR vegetation type and 909 spiders in 222 species of which 41% were singletons in the WSC vegetation type. The number of species present was estimated using six estimators. The estimates varied between 233 and 307 for the BNR and 302 and 386 for the WSC. Inventory completeness was more than 70%. However, the fit to a lognormal distribution suggests that there are 370 species (750 000 individuals) and 445 (850 000 individuals) species in the universes (16 ha) sampled within the two vegetation types. Collector experience had no effect on the results of the inventory, whereas time of day had a very small yet significant effect. Seasonality only affected abundance and richness, but not assemblage composition. Sampling methods used had the biggest effect on our results. These results are used to design an optimized sampling protocol for standardized inventories in the Savanna Biome.


Part I concluded with the suggestion that certain general-phonetic features, those of rounding and spreading, and those of vowel closure, might profitably be given a prosodic statement for the word as a whole, as:— I. a 3-term system: y/w/ә II. a 2-term system: o/c A given word might thus be assigned to a prosodic category, to the ' y ', the ' w ', or the ' ә ' term, and treated as a ' y word ', ' w word ', or ' neutral word ' (yW, wW, әW). Similarly a given word might be assigned to either term of the closure system, and treated as a ' close word ' or as an ' open word ' (cW, oW). Theoretically it is a matter of indifference which of the two systems should be stated first. Since, however, they cannot be stated simultaneously in practice, the method of statement adopted here gives priority to the w/y/ә system; the exponents of ' w ', ' y ', and ' ә ' are stated in turn. The o/c system is considered within the framework of these three categories, the exponents of o/c being given for wW, yW, and әW in turn, immediately after the exponents of ' w ', ' y ', and ' ә ' respectively.


Forty children with Down's syndrome have been identified among 633 patients in the cooperative pediatric BFM studies for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) since 1987. The following features were characteristic for these patients: (1) a 500-fold higher than expected incidence of megakaryoblastic leukemia (M7) with a peak incidence under 4 years of age; (2) a myelodysplastic prephase with thrombocytopenia lasting for several months up to a few years; (3) frequent involvement of the red cell lineage as suggested by dyserythropoiesis in the bone marrow; (4) coexpression of the lymphoid cell surface antigen CD7 on the leukemic blasts; (5) absence of the translocation t(1;22), instead presence of complete or partial trisomies involving chromosomes 8 and 1; and (6) a good response to chemotherapy. Nearly half of the patients did not receive any or only palliative chemotherapy and subsequently died. In 21 patients treatment according to the AML-BFM protocols was intended, however, with major dose or protocol reductions in six patients. Four died early, 15 (71%) achieved remission. Nine of 11 patients remaining alive for 0.6-6.5 years had received intensive treatment including high-dose cytosine arabinoside (HD-Ara-C). The 5-year survival estimate of 48% +/- 12% was similar to patients without Down's syndrome. In conclusion, these clinical and biological features suggest that M7 leukemia in children with Down's syndrome (M7-Down) is distinct from megakaryoblastic leukemia in other children. Children with Down's syndrome show a favorable outcome if treated adequately. However, overtreatment should be avoided and life-threatening infections pose a particular problem. Therefore, standard-risk AML therapy (including HD-Ara-C) should be considered in children with Down's syndrome and AML.


This paper will discuss the use of devore printing as an additional design feature to ink jet printed fabrics. Ink jet printed fabrics are an ideal basis for bespoke fabrics to be generated in small-scale productions. To begin with this paper will discuss the production of ink jet printed fabrics in repeat using textile CAD software. The original design will include all embellishments as part of the original repeat; as an overlay.
Before the application of a devore effect, the ink jet printed fabric will need to be finished conventionally, then the shrinkage which occurs can be taken into consideration and the overlay modified in repeat.
To conclude the paper will discuss the extension of this process into other possible methods of embellishment such as overprinting and resist techniques, which can be used with ink jet printing onto textiles. These techniques will display alternative methods for producing high quality customised fabrics.


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) commonly develops in patients with underlying chronic liver disease. Additionally, the tumorous lesions of HCC patients are consistently characterized by the lack of iron accumulation even when arising in iron-loaded liver. However, the molecular mechanism leading to this observed phenomenon is currently poorly understood. In this study, all tumorous tissues from 24 HCC patients with chronic HBV infection were stained negative for iron when histologically assessed by Perls' Prussian blue stain, whereas excess iron deposits were present in 17 of the 24 adjacent non-tumorous liver tissues. To elucidate the concerted regulation of iron homeostasis in these patients, we studied the gene expression profiling of 42 relevant iron-regulatory genes in the tumorous and adjacent non-tumorous liver tissues of these HCC patients along with 10 normal liver controls. Expression for most of the iron-regulatory genes, including hepcidin, transferrin receptor 2 (TfR2), transferrin (Tf), ceruloplasmin (Cp) and iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1), were significantly down-regulated in the tumorous tissues of these patients compared to the adjacent non-tumorous liver tissues and normal liver controls. On the other hand, expression of hepcidin, TfR2, ferroportin 1 and DMT1 were significantly up-regulated in iron-loaded non-cirrhotic non-tumorous liver tissues as compared with normal liver controls. Hence, the reduction of hepcidin expression within the iron-depleted tumorous lesions likely reflects the physiological consequence of the obligate demand for iron in the rapidly growing neoplastic cells, whereas the up-regulation of hepcidin expression in the iron-loaded adjacent non-tumorous liver tissues is likely a physiological response.


Invasive species often threaten native wildlife populations and strain the budgets of agencies charged with wildlife management. We demonstrate the potential of cost-effectiveness analysis to improve the efficiency and value of efforts to enhance sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) roosting habitat. We focus on the central Platte River in Nebraska (USA), a region of international ecological importance for migrating avian species including sandhill cranes. Cost-effectiveness analysis is a valuation process designed to compare alternative actions based on the cost of achieving a pre-determined objective. We estimated costs for removal of invasive vegetation using geographic information system simulations and calculated benefits as the increase in area of sandhill crane roosting habitat. We generated cost effectiveness values for removing invasive vegetation on 7 land parcels and for the entire central Platte River to compare the cost-effectiveness of management at specific sites and for the central Platte River landscape. Median cost effectiveness values for the 7 land parcels evaluated suggest that costs for creating 1 additional hectare of sandhill crane roosting habitat totaled US $1,595. By contrast, we found that creating an additional hectare of sandhill crane roosting habitat could cost as much as US $12,010 for some areas in the central Platte River, indicating substantial cost savings can be achieved by using a cost effectiveness analysis to target specific land parcels for management. Cost-effectiveness analysis, used in conjunction with geographic information systems, can provide decision-makers with a new tool for identifying the most economically efficient allocation of resources to achieve habitat management goals. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.


Abstract There have been many plans developed by governmental agencies to restore the coastal landscape in the Pontchartrain Basin. This article traces the development of coastal restoration planning in Louisiana and highlights the elements of three state and federal plans that have been developed in the last decade. While some specifics have changed, the fundamental approaches on which the plans are based largely remain the same: diversions of Mississippi River water and sediment, marsh creation using material dredged from another location, and shoreline protection. All plans accept that change is inevitable at the coast but more recent plans are less constrained by the impacts of these changes on local populations. Rather they anticipate adjustment and change within communities as well. Questions remain as to whether these measures will be enough in the face of the great uncertainty the twenty-first century holds and how science will be applied to support implementation.


The impact of increased transistor count, higher frequency, and greater complexity presents many difficult challenges for test. The current trend toward 3D IC integration, driven in part by the need to increase circuit density as Moore's Law scaling slows, makes testing even more difficult. The use of the third dimension, the incorporation of new structures such as Through Silicon Vias (TSV) and new processes developed for thinning and bonding layers for stacked 3D structures all present new challenges for test technology. Test cost may be the most difficult of these many challenges. The solutions to meet these challenges must begin at design with the incorporation of on-chip and on-package design for test (DFT) and built in self test (BIST) infrastructure. The difficult challenges and potential solutions for test are discussed.


Spatial structure is a truss-like, lightweight and rigid structure with a regular geometric form. Usually from these structures is used in covering of long-span roofs. But these structures due to the lightness, ease and expedite of implementation are a suitable replacement for bridge deck. However steel and concrete is commonly used to build bridge deck, but heavy weight of steel and concrete decks and impossibility of making them as long-span bridge deck is caused engineers to thinks about new material that besides lightness and ease of implementation, provide an acceptable resistance against applied loads including both dead load and dynamic load caused by the passage of motor vehicles. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is design and analysis bridge deck that's made of double-layer spatial frames compared with steel and concrete deck. Then allowable deflections due to dead and live loads, weight of bridge in any model and also economic and environmental aspects of this idea is checked. As a result, it can be said that the use of spatial structures in bridge deck is lead to build bridge with long spans, reducing the material and consequently reducing the structural weight and economic savings. For geometric shape of the spatial structure bridge is used of Formian 2.0 software and for analysis of bridges is used of SAP2000 with finite element method (FEM).


The seminal work by Markowitz in 1959 introduced portfolio theory to the world. The prevailing notion since then has been that portfolio risk is non linear i.e. you cannot use Linear Programming (LP) to optimize your portfolio. We will in this paper show that simple portfolio drawdown constraints are indeed linear and can be used to find for example maximum risk adjusted return portfolios. VaR for these portfolios can then be estimated directly instead of using computer intensive Monte Carlo methods.


The paper appraised the nexus between electricity consumption, agriculture, GDP, oil production, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Nigeria using a decoupling approach. The result showed that agriculture, electricity, and GDP were predictive variables for CO2 emissions in the Granger causality analysis. The relationship between GDP and CO2 emissions also indicated that the amount of CO2 released tends to rise as the economy's output and industrial sectors grow, making GDP and CO2 emissions increasingly relevant indicators as a driver of CO2 emissions. Modern agriculture is reliant on large-scale use of fossil fuels and fertilizer production, as well as GHG emissions from crop and livestock production. However, increasing per capita real production can help to enhance quality of the environment, and speed up the uptake of renewable energy which can consequently help to ameliorate global warming. As a result of this study's policy implications, policies in the agricultural sector that could combat CO2 emissions, including deforestation, land clearing, fertilization with highly environmentally destructive chemicals, neglected integration of agroforestry, and social forestry practices, can help reduce CO2 emissions in the agricultural sector. In addition, the study recommends that the financial markets' monetary policy should regulate the GDP to charges to compensate for their various sectors' contributions to CO2 emissions. This investigation might help policymakers in Nigeria to define the CO2 emission monetary and fiscal strategies. In addition, more alternative energy sources such as biofuels, hydropower, solar energy, and other renewable resources should be embraced in Nigeria as sustainable substitutes for fossil fuels.


Background Endometriosis is likely to affect sexuality and intimate relationships but the effect endometriosis has on partners remains overlooked and the existing studies show conflicting results. The effect of the disease and its treatment on the couple may be pronounced given the absence of an obvious cause or cure, the likelihood of chronic recurring symptoms, and the potential impact on both sex and fertility. Materials and methods We followed the PRISMA guidelines to conduct this systematic review, which involved a database search of published available research related to the effects of endometriosis treatment on sexual function, couple's relationship and on the partner published between 2000 and 2020. Results The studies considered revealed that women with endometriosis report a significant effect of the disease on sexuality and relationship. Also, most of the published studies suggest that the impact on partners may be profound, affecting many life domains including sex, intimacy and the relationship in general. Conclusions Data suggests that male partners should not be overlooked in the treatment of endometriosis and that psychosocial support including sexual and couple therapy might be beneficial.


Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), which arise from the interstitial cells of Cajal, are the most common nonepithelial tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. It is now well known that imatinib, a new molecularly targeted tyrosine kinase receptor blocker, results in a dramatic response and markedly improved long-term survival in patients with GISTs. The increasing recognition of GISTs and the prolonged survival have made imaging increasingly important not only for diagnosis but also for monitoring the effects of treatment and detecting tumor progression. Computed tomography (CT) is the imaging modality of choice for these purposes. The imaging findings at initial presentation, during treatment, and at tumor progression were studied in 113 patients with primary and advanced GISTs before and up to 37 months after imatinib treatment. GISTs occur anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract, most commonly in the stomach and small bowel. At contrast material-enhanced CT, localized primary GISTs are typically exophytic, large, hypervascular masses. When the tumors respond to treatment, the changes in tumor size may initially vary; however, GISTs typically become homogeneous and hypoattenuating, with disappearance of enhancing tumor nodules and tumor vessels in the early posttreatment period. Development of a nodule within the treated tumor is unique to GISTs and indicates recurrence regardless of changes in tumor size.


I argue that the imagination plays a central role in the thought of the Cambridge Platonist Henry More. First, physiological descriptions of melancholy and imagination were at the heart of his attack against enthusiasm and atheism. Second, in order to defend his metaphysical dualism, he had to respond to traditional accounts of the imagination as a mediating faculty between body and soul. Third, More also opposed the traditional view that the imagination was a material faculty, because in the context of 17th century philosophy and medicine, such ideas could lead to materialism. More's metaphysics led him to propose a novel view in which the imagination was part of the immaterial soul and at the same level as reason. In his physiological descriptions, however, he retained a gradualist view on the imagination that suggested intermediate stages between material and immaterial substances. Although his metaphysical and physiological descriptions seem to conflict, I suggest that the conflict can be mitigated by his interpretation of the body as the instrument of the soul.


In this paper, the Multiscale Entropy (MSE) analysis of acceleration data collected from a wearable inertial sensor was compared with other features reported in the literature to observe falling behavior from the acceleration data, and traditional clinical scales to evaluate falling behavior. We use a fall risk assessment over a four-month period to examine >65 year old participants in a community service context using simple clinical tests, including the Short Form Berg Balance Scale (SFBBS), Timed Up and Go test (TUG), and the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), with wearable accelerometers for the TUG test. We classified participants into fallers and non-fallers to (1) compare the features extracted from the accelerometers and (2) categorize fall risk using statistics from TUG test results. Combined, TUG and SFBBS results revealed defining features were test time, Slope(A) and slope(B) in Sit(A)-to-stand(B), and range(A) and slope(B) in Stand(B)-to-sit(A). Of (1) SPMSQ; (2) TUG and SPMSQ; and (3) BBS and SPMSQ results, only range(A) in Stand(B)-to-sit(A) was a defining feature. From MSE indicators, we found that whether in the X, Y or Z direction, TUG, BBS, and the combined TUG and SFBBS are all distinguishable, showing that MSE can effectively classify participants in these clinical tests using behavioral actions. This study highlights the advantages of body-worn sensors as ordinary and low cost tools available outside the laboratory. The results indicated that MSE analysis of acceleration data can be used as an effective metric to categorize falling behavior of community-dwelling elderly. In addition to clinical application, (1) our approach requires no expert physical therapist, nurse, or doctor for evaluations and (2) fallers can be categorized irrespective of the critical value from clinical tests.


: A socio-dental investigation involving a clinical examination and structured interview was carried out during 1986 on a sample of 83 people aged between 55 and 64 years in Hertfordshire. The sample was not representative of the population; subjects were employed on the staff of two retailing chains. The main purpose of the study was to estimate likely future needs of older people in such a sample. The clinical examination showed a proportion of individuals with natural and heavily restored teeth. Most subjects had one or more exposed non-carious root surfaces. The periodontal condition of the sample was favourable. Problems could occur in the future as this group ages if their currently favourable dental health deteriorates and root surfaces become carious in large numbers or the periodontal condition worsens. Conservative treatment, if required in the future, especially for housebound people, may be a problem unless domiciliary services are planned to this end. A preventive approach may help to limit operative requirements.


BACKGROUND
Vitamin D (VD) and phosphate (Pi) load are considered as contributors to cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease and the general population, but interactive effects of VD and Pi intake on the heart are not clearly illustrated.

METHODS
We fed normal male rats with three levels of dietary VD (100, 1100 or 5000 IU/kg chow) and Pi (0.2, 0.6 or 1.6%) (3X3 design) for 8 weeks and examined renal and cardiac function and histology.

RESULTS
High dietary Pi decreased plasma and renal Klotho and plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and increased plasma Pi, fibroblast growth factor 23 and parathyroid hormone without affecting renal function, while low Pi increased plasma and renal Klotho. Both low and high VD diets enhanced high Pi-reduced Klotho expression. Low dietary VD reduced-plasma Klotho was rescued by a low Pi diet. High dietary Pi reduced-cardiac ejection fraction was not modified by a low or high VD diet, but the dietary VD effects on cardiac pathologic changes were more complex. High dietary Pi-induced cardiac hypertrophy was attenuated by a low VD and exacerbated by a high VD diet. In contrast, high dietary Pi -induced cardiac fibrosis was magnified by a low VD and attenuated by a high VD diet.

CONCLUSIONS
High Pi diet induces hypertrophy and fibrosis in left ventricles, a low VD diet accelerates high Pi-induced fibrosis, and a high VD diet exacerbated high Pi -induced hypertrophy. Therefore, cardiac phosphotoxicity is exacerbated by either high or low dietary VD in rats with normal kidney function.


Ubiquitous classical (typical) calpains, calpain-1 and calpain-2, are Ca+2-dependent cysteine proteases, which have been associated with numerous physiological and pathological cellular functions. However, a clear understanding of the role of calpains in the CNS has been hampered by the lack of appropriate deletion paradigms in the brain. In this study, we describe a unique model of conditional deletion of both calpain-1 and calpain-2 activities in mouse brain, which more definitively assesses the role of these ubiquitous proteases in brain development/function and pathology. Surprisingly, we show that these calpains are not critical for gross CNS development. However, calpain-1/calpain-2 loss leads to reduced dendritic branching complexity and spine density deficits associated with major deterioration in hippocampal long-term potentiation and spatial memory. Moreover, calpain-1/calpain-2-deficient neurons were significantly resistant to injury induced by excitotoxic stress or mitochondrial toxicity. Examination of downstream target showed that the conversion of the Cdk5 activator, p35, to pathogenic p25 form, occurred only in the presence of calpain and that it played a major role in calpain-mediated neuronal death. These findings unequivocally establish two central roles of calpain-1/calpain-2 in CNS function in plasticity and neuronal death.


The dream of establishing an African common market that would lead to an African Economic Community begun in the 1980s, when the Lagos Plan of Action for the Economic Development of Africa was adopted. The establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which came into force on 30th May 2019 provides the most recent, and perhaps the most critical milestone in the integration process because it provides a foundation upon which an African Customs Union can materialize. It is recognized that for the AfCFTA to meet its general objectives under Article 3 of the AfCFTA Framework Agreement; States Parties need to cooperate on competition policy which is part of the second phase of the negotiations that will culminate into a Protocol on Competition Policy. At the time of writing this paper, the negotiations on the cooperation on competition policy are on the horizon. As such, this paper seeks to inform the design and implementation of the proposed competition policy under the AfCFTA by espousing the benefits, potential and challenges of adopting a continental competition policy framework. More importantly, building upon the literature on competition policy under free trade areas (FTAs), this paper also seeks to answer a pertinent question on the mind of the majority of stakeholders which is: how should a competition policy under the AfCFTA be fashioned?


Theoretical study on earthquake damage under seismic load about of concreate structure,in order to better study the damage evolution mechanism of reinforced concrete frame structure in earthquake. The two-parameter seismic damage factor model,which is based on deformation and dissipation,was improved using the theoretical analysis method in this study .Using the three-level earthquake-resistant design damaging index based on the importance of structure as the collapse criteria for evaluation. Using the nonlinear dynamic finite element method and do a collapse numerical simulation analysis of a three layers concrete frame. Calculate the dynamic response and damaging factor of each time step, and study the damage evolution.The results show that the improved damage index calculating model can calculate both on the maximum damage index and structure damage index quantificationally and continuously and describe the process of collapse damage of the integral structure.


High-voltage laboratory experiments show that discharges in air, generated over a gap of one meter with maximal voltage of 1 MV, may produce X-rays with photon energies up to 1 MeV. It has been suggested that the photons are bremsstrahlung from electrons accelerated by the impulsive, enhanced field during collisions of negative and a positive streamers. To explore this process, we have conducted the first self-consistent particle simulations of streamer encounters. Our simulation model is a 2-D, cylindrically symmetric, particle-in-cell code tracing the electron dynamics and solving the space charge fields, with a Monte Carlo scheme accounting for collisions and ionization. We present the electron density, the electric field, and the velocity distribution as functions of space and time. Assuming a background electric field 1.5 times the breakdown field, we find that the electron density reaches 2 ⋅ 10 21 m − 3 , the size of the encounter region is ∼ 3 ⋅ 10 − 12 m 3 and that the field enhances to ∼ 9 times the breakdown field during ∼ 10 − 11 s. We further find that the radial component becomes comparable to the parallel component, which together with angular scattering leads to an almost isotropic distribution of electrons. This is consistent with laboratory observations that X-rays are emitted isotropically. However, the maximum energy of electrons reached in the simulation is ∼ 600 eV, which is well below the energies required to explain observations. The reason is that the encounter region is small in size and duration. For the photon energies observed, the field must be enhanced in a larger region and/or for a longer time.


[Abstract] The topology of membrane proteins and enzymes can be determined using various methods including reporter protein fusions and accessibility of cysteine residues to alkylating agents. Here we describe a variation of the substituted cysteine accessibility method to determine membrane topology and activity of enzymes containing an active site cysteine. Membrane topology of proteins can be predicted using different programs and the actual membrane topology can be determined by monitoring the accessibility of cysteine residues introduced in periplasmic (exposed) or cytoplasmic (not exposed) loops to alkylating agents. A two-step protocol is described where whole Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells are first treated with or without a membrane impermeable thiol reagent (2-sulfonatoethyl)-methane thiosulfonate (MTSES) and subsequently labeled with an alkylating reagent maleimide polyethyleneglycol (malPEG). When cysteine residues are accessible to MTSES, and thus exposed to (or accessible from) the periplasm, their free thiol groups covalently react with MTSES and consequently, are blocked for alkylation with malPEG. The thiol groups of cytoplasmic or membrane-embedded cysteine residues are not accessible to MTSES and proteins can be alkylated with malPEG resulting in an increase in molecular weight of 5 kDa. In the second part of the protocol, accessibility of cysteine residues is used to address the acylation state of enzymes that form stable thioester acyl intermediates. Thioesters can be specifically cleaved by neutral hydroxylamine, leading to a free thiol group of the active site cysteine that can then be alkylated with malPEG.


The professional sport of pedestrianism declined towards the end of the nineteenth century due to the increased influence of the middle-class amateurs who imposed new rules and regulations as a means of controlling the working-class pastime. The Amateur Athletic Association (AAA), established in 1880, no longer welcomed professional pedestrian competitions, banning both the athletes and trainers of the sport in their new athletic constitution. The working-class patrons of pedestrianism found new entertainments but the athletes who were reliant on the professional activities for economic gain struggled to recover. However, due to the perceived transferrable nature of athletic training, some professionals obtained employment in soccer whilst others migrated to foreign countries where coaching was viewed more pragmatically. Many made the transatlantic journey to American where private organisations, athletic clubs and college teams secured the services of successful English trainers who became responsible for the conditioning and wellbeing of a diverse range of athletic performers. This paper will de-construct the biography of James Robinson, considering the structures that shaped his sporting career from working-class pedestrian to influential athletic trainer, providing insight into the changing nature of the athletic environment during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.


Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDIMS), first introduced in 1988 by Hillenkamp and Karas, has become a widespread analytical tool for peptides, proteins and most other biomolecules. In MALDI (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization) analysis, the analyte is first co-crystallized with a large molar excess of a matrix compound, usually an ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing weak organic acid, after which laser radiation of this analyte–matrix mixture results in the vaporization of the matrix which carries the analyte with it. The matrix therefore plays a key role by strongly absorbing the laser light energy and causing, indirectly, the analyte to vaporize. The matrix also serves as a proton donor and receptor, acting to ionize the analyte in both positive and negative ionization modes, respectively. The efficient and directed energy transfer during a matrix-assisted laser-induced desorption event provides high ion yields of the intact analyte and allows for the measurement of compounds with high accuracy and subpicomole sensitivity. The ability to generate such accurate information can be extremely useful for protein identification and characterization. For example, a protein can often be unambiguously identified by the accurate mass analysis of its constituent peptides (produced by either chemical or enzymatic treatment of the sample). This article discusses basic MALDI concepts and instrumentation and focuses on applications in the field of peptides and proteins, specifically on the utility of MALDI in protein identification, protein structural studies, and as a clinical assay.


The snowcover is a memory of the time and a record of the history of the building up of the snowpack. The episodes of February 1991, from which an instable snow cover resulted, are illustrated with a daily record of nivometeorological parameters measured and observed at the standard test site on Weissfluhjoch at 2540 m a.s.l. During the period from the 9th to the 20th February, for two sequences, the computed avalanche probabilities and the observed avalanche events are in good agreement. These probabilities were computed with the local forecast model NXD (Buser, 1987). The total snow depth, the quantity of new snow, the penetration depth of the ram sonde, air and snow temperatures as well as the number of sunshine hours show variations which could help to explain qualitatively the instability of the snowpack. The wind speed peaked two days before the avalanche event. Taking into account these parameters and additional information, the avalanche bulletin mentioned the critical situation in this area. The 17th February, between 8h and IOh and at an elevation range from 2000m to 2300m, many locally well confined soft snow slabs occurred on slopes with an NE to E aspect. The superposition of the instable snowpack on a locally favourable topography aspect, slope angle and roughness of the terrain induced the avalanches which are documented with photographs. The lighting conditions did not favour the contrast. One example of a digital image processing using edge detection algorithms clearly show the size and shape of a few avalanches. These events are in good agreement with the instabilities as postulated by Salm (1986, 1992).


We present initial estimates of the physical properties of meteoric and marine ice in Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctic Peninsula, as derived from quality factor (Q) and amplitude-versus-angle (AVA) analysis of reflection-seismic datasets. The data were acquired during the 2008-09 austral summer in the south-eastern sector of the ice shelf, using explosive sources deployed in shallow shot holes, and 48 vertical-component 100 Hz geophones. 24 of these phones were installed horizontally and transverse to the acquisition line, such that compressional (P), verticallypolarised shear (SV) and horizontally-polarised shear (SH) could be recorded. The recorded data are rich in reflection events, with different phases identifiable as primary and multiple P-waves, SV- and SH-waves, and also P to SV mode conversions. The AVA character of these reflections is applied in a joint inversion, with a Bayesian statistical analysis used to obtain best-fit densities and wavelet velocities for the meteoric and marine ice, which allows estimates of the ices' Young's moduli and Poisson's ratios. We further use prestack Q inversion (PSQI) to determine P- and S-wave quality factors for the two ice types, and consider these in terms of ice temperature and permeability. Our estimates of the physical properties of the meteoric and marine ices will ultimately be used to inform predictive models of the flow and fracture mechanics of Larsen C Ice Shelf.


Febrile agglutination tests were done by using as antigens Brucella abortus, Salmonella group D, Proteus OX19, and Pasteurella tularensis. Comparison of results from 23 sera showed that the microtechnique, rapid slide, and test tube methods gave similar titers, although those from the microtechnique were generally higher. The sensitivity of the microtechnique depended upon the concentration of antigen, and, to obtain reproducible results, the optimal concentration of antigens had to be determined by preliminary titrations against specific, positive control antisera. Readability of reactions in the microtechnique was enhanced by adding the dye Safranin O to diluent for antigen and by use of V-type, rather than U-type, microtiter plates. Tests were also done to determine the effects of dye and salt concentrations, pH, and temperature of incubation upon the titer of agglutinations by the microtechnique. Our results indicated that the microtechnique could be used for agglutination tests involving febrile antigens. The procedure is less time-consuming than the tube method and requires less antigen and serum than the latter method or the rapid slide method.


Accusations of doping in bicycle racing (proven or presumed) are nothing new. Right from the early days of the sport the use of "performance enhancers" have been a staple of the sport's rumour mill. The last two decades of the 19th century were the time when bicycle racing was the ultimate professional spectator sport. At bicycle racing tracks vast crowds would come to watch, and bet on, the riders who were at the time literally the fastest men (and women) on earth. In this environment, a manager or trainer often had what seemed like total control over his riders. The most famous, some say notorious, of these trainers was Lancashire-born James Edward "Choppy" Warburton. His "little black bottle" was believed to have magic powers to restore, or sometimes destroy, his riders. Was the bottle really filled with a magic potion, laced with doping substances? This book exposes what is known about Choppy and his riders, several of whom, like Choppy himself, died a tragic death.


While the field of Sport for Development (SFD) has grown over the last several decades, there remain gaps within program evaluation. Given that there are multiple models of programming SFD, Goals for Girls, a U.S. based SFD non-profit organization that uses soccer-based trips abroad to empower young women, provided a strong platform for study. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of a SFD trip abroad on American young women. Through interviews with over 30 young women spanning 13-years of programming, three themes and five sub-themes emerged. Collectively, the trips impacted the young women in the areas of relationship building, expansion of perception, and desire for change. The authors suggest that programming like Goals for Girls highlights both the strengths and challenges inherent in SFD.


This paper is concerned with the exact solution of mixed-integer programs (MIPs) over the rational numbers, i.e., without any roundoff errors and error tolerances. Here, one computational bottleneck that should be avoided whenever possible is to employ large-scale symbolic computations. Instead it is often possible to use safe directed rounding methods, e.g., to generate provably correct dual bounds. In this work, we continue to leverage this paradigm and extend an exact branch-and-bound framework by separation routines for safe cutting planes, based on the approach first introduced by Cook, Dash, Fukasawa, and Goycoolea in 2009. Constraints are aggregated safely using approximate dual multipliers from an LP solve, followed by mixed-integer rounding to generate provably valid, although slightly weaker inequalities. We generalize this approach to problem data that is not representable in floating-point arithmetic, add routines for controlling the encoding length of the resulting cutting planes, and show how these cutting planes can be verified according to the VIPR certificate standard. Furthermore, we analyze the performance impact of these cutting planes in the context of an exact MIP framework, showing that we can solve 21.5% more instances and reduce solving times by 26.8% on the MIPLIB 2017 benchmark test set.


Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is strongly associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the viral HBx protein plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of liver tumors. Because the protooncogene pituitary tumor–transforming gene 1 (PTTG1) is overexpressed in HCC, we investigated the regulation of this protein by HBx. We analyzed PTTG1 expression levels in liver biopsies from patients chronically infected with HBV, presenting different disease stages, and from HBx transgenic mice. PTTG1 was undetectable in biopsies from chronic hepatitis B patients or from normal mouse livers. In contrast, hyperplastic livers from transgenic mice and biopsies from patients with cirrhosis, presented PTTG1 expression which was found mainly in HBx‐expressing hepatocytes. PTTG1 staining was further increased in HCC specimens. Experiments in vitro revealed that HBx induced a marked accumulation of PTTG1 protein without affecting its messenger RNA levels. HBx expression promoted the inhibition of PTTG1 ubiquitination, which in turn impaired its degradation by the proteasome. Glutathione S‐transferase pull‐down and co‐immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that the interaction between PTTG1 and the Skp1–Cul1–F‐box ubiquitin ligase complex (SCF) was partially disrupted, possibly through a mechanism involving protein–protein interactions of HBx with PTTG1 and/or SCF. Furthermore, confocal analysis revealed that HBx colocalized with PTTG1 and Cul1. We propose that HBx promotes an abnormal accumulation of PTTG1, which may provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of HBV‐related pathogenesis of progressive liver disease leading to HCC development. (HEPATOLOGY 2010;51:777–787.)


Researching Forensic Linguistics is an informative hands-on guide to conducting research in forensic linguistics that can underpin legal and justice practices and address social justice problems involving language. Georgina Heydon takes readers step by step through the research process using case studies that draw on different types of forensic and legal language data such as police interviews, anonymous reports of sexual assault, threatening letters and justice stakeholder interviews. Each chapter is framed by a language problem arising from either forensic linguistic case work or a key issue in language and the law. Up-to-date research methods in forensic linguistics are presented, including authorship attribution using online corpora, practice-based linguistic analysis and experimental techniques. This is an ideal companion for linguists who want to apply their skills to a forensic setting, for practitioners in the legal and justice fields seeking to understand how linguistic analysis can support their work, and any student undertaking research in forensic linguistics within English language, linguistics, applied linguistics and legal studies.


We propose algorithms for allocating multiple resources to competing services running in virtual machines on heterogeneous distributed platforms. We develop a theoretical problem formulation and compare these algorithms via simulation experiments based in part on workload data supplied by Google. Our main finding is that vector packing approaches proposed in the homogeneous case can be extended to provide high-quality solutions in the heterogeneous case, and combined to provide a single efficient algorithm. We also consider the case when there may be bounded errors in estimates of performance-related resource needs. We provide a heuristic for compensating for such errors that performs well in simulation, as well as a proof of the worst-case competitive ratio for the single-resource, single-node case when there is no bound on the error.


Rabbit syndrome (RS) is an antipsychotic-induced rhythmic motion of the mouth/lips resembling the chewing movements of a rabbit. The movement consists of a vertical-only motion, at about 5 Hz, with no involvement of the tongue. Long-term exposure to typical antipsychotics has clearly been associated with RS, but little is known of the risk of RS due to exposure to newer atypical antipsychotics. There have been isolated reports of RS in patients treated with the atypical agents risperidone, aripiprazole, olanzapine, and clozapine. We present the case history of a 44-year old female patient treated for paranoid schizophrenia for 22 years and RS during her last 10-month clozapine treatment. Background information from the literature is also discussed.


Climate adaptation is a priority for Arctic regions which are witnessing some of the most rapid warming globally. Studies have documented examples of adaptation responses in the Arctic, but assessments evaluating if and how progress is being made over time remain scarce. We identify and examine adaptation progress in the Arctic using a systematic tracking methodology to compare adaptations documented during 2014–19 to those documented for the period 2004–2013 in a benchmark study by Ford et al (2014). Utilising the peer reviewed literature as out data source, we find no noticeable increase in reported adaptations across the two time periods, with the profile of adaptations undertaken remaining largely the same. The majority of documented adaptations continue to be reported in North America, are being undertaken most often in the subsistence-based hunting and fishing sector, are primarily developed in response to a combination of climatic and non-climatic stimuli, are reactive and behavioural in nature, and are mainly carried out at the individual/community scale. Climate change is observed, however, to have a more prominent role in motivating adaptation between 2014–19, consistent with intensifying climate-related exposures in the Arctic. There is limited evidence in the reported adaptations analysed that potential opportunities and benefits from the impacts of climate change are being targeted. The paper provides a general characterisation of adaptation across the Arctic and how it is evolving, and needs to be complimented in follow-up work by studies using alternative data sources on adaptation and research at national to regional scales.


Background
 Severe bleeding is a rare but serious complication of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). A standard approach to treatment is lacking and the delivery of emergency care is often disjointed. The objective of this study was to describe 1) the treatments and outcomes of ITP patients who present to the emergency department (ED) with severe thrombocytopenia and bleeding; and 2) predictors of worsening bleeding or death among ITP patients presenting to the ED.
 Methods
 We did a retrospective cohort study of all patients with ITP who presented to the ED with severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count <20 x109/L) and bleeding in 4 academic hospitals affiliated with McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada between January 2008 and April 2016. Patients were followed from arrival to the ED until 10 days after hospital admission, discharge or death. We extracted demographic data, bleeding symptoms at presentation, all ITP treatments administered, new or worsening bleeding, thrombosis and mortality. Bleeding was graded using the ITP Bleeding Score. We defined major bleeding as intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), pulmonary bleeding, or gross gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). We summarized the results descriptively by frequencies (percentage), and medians (interquartile range [IQR]). Ethics approval was obtained from the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board. Funding was provided by the Platelet Disorder Support Association.
 Results
 We identified 110 patients who presented to the ED (n=139 ED visits) with platelets <20 x109/L and bleeding. Median age was 59 years (IQR: 38-74) and 57% were female. For 63 patients (57%), this was their initial presentation of ITP; for the remaining 47 patients, 36% had previously been treated for ITP and had received a median of 3 (IQR: 2-4) ITP therapies. Twenty-eight patients presented to the ED with major bleeding; the remaining 82 patients had ED visits with minor bleeding only.
 There were 31 ED visits with major bleeding at presentation including GIB (n=23 visits), ICH (n=4), pulmonary hemorrhage (n=3) and GIB plus ICH (n=1). Median platelet count among patients with major bleeding was 3 x109/L (IQR: 3-8 x109/L). Patients received a median of 3 ITP therapies (IQR: 2-4) after presentation to the ED, including intravenous immune globulin (IVIG; 90% of visits), corticosteroids (77% of visits), platelet transfusions (74% of visits), and romiplostim (3% of visits). Median time from ED presentation to first treatment was 7.6 (4.5-9.5) hours. Treatment for bleeding was initiated by Internal Medicine or Hematology consultants in 19/31 visits (61%) or Emergency Department physicians in 12/31 visits (39%). One patient developed arterial thrombosis and 2 patients died, both from bleeding. There were 6 patients who initially presented to the ED with minor bleeding but who subsequently developed major bleeding after a median of 2 days (range: 1-7). All 6 patients had oral purpura and 4 had frank hematuria before or coincident with the development of major bleeding.
 Conclusions
 Management of ITP-associated bleeding in the ED consisted mostly of IVIG, corticosteroids and platelet transfusions. Time to first ITP treatment was greater than 7 hours from ED presentation. Oral purpura and hematuria were associated with the development of new or worsening bleeding. A standardized protocol for the management of ITP bleeding in the ED would help identify patients at risk for new or worsening bleeding, and improve health care delivery by making appropriate treatments available in a timely manner.

 Arnold: Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; UCB: Consultancy; UCB: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding.


Phytoplankton bloom cycles were followed for 9 d in two 20 l carboy mesocosms filled with water from the offshore plume of Mobile Bay Alabama, USA, and incubated under fluorescent light. One of the blooms was enriched by addition of nitrate+phosphate (+nutrients), and both blooms were used to study how dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentrations and biological consumption varied over the bloom cycles. Peaks of algal biomass (15-22 µg chlorophyll a l-1) in the blooms were followed within 1 d by peaks of the DMS precursor, particulate dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSPp; 100-140 nM). DMS concentrations increased rapidly during the early bloom, rising from 1 nM on Day 1 up to 12 nM in the unamended carboy and up to 17 nM in the +nutrient carboy on Day 6. Maximum values for DMS concentrations, DMS consumption rates (as measured with 35S-DMS), and bacterial production were observed during the early decline of phytoplankton biomass. DMS consumption rates were initially 0.8 nM d-1 and increased to 3.1 nM d-1 in the unamended carboy and to 9.1 nM d-1 in the +nutrient carboy. Rate constants for DMS consumption (0.25-0.95 d-1) initially decreased as DMS concentrations increased, resulting in longer turnover times for DMS during the peak and early decline of the blooms. Assimilation of DMS-sulfur by bacterioplankton accounted for 4-22% of the total DMS consumption and higher rates of DMS assimilation occurred in the +nutrients bloom. Despite a bloom and decline of total heterotrophic bacterial abundances, bacterial community composition at the major phylogenetic group level remained relatively constant in both blooms, although the alpha proteobacteria showed a temporal increase in abundance in the +nutrient carboy. The concentration ratios of DMS:chlorophyll a and DMS:DMSP displayed non-linear, sigmoidal patterns over the bloom cycles and these ratios were not substantially affected by the nutrient amendment. Our results demonstrate that uncoupling of DMS production and biological consumption can occur early in a bloom cycle, causing DMS concentrations to rise significantly before biological consumption responds to draw down the DMS.


A new method for the determination of the Mixing layer Height (MH) by the DOAS technique is proposed in this article. The MH can be retrieved by a combination of active DOAS and passive DOAS observations of atmospheric trace gases; here we focus on observations of NO 2 . Because our observations are sensitive to the vertical distribution of trace gases, we refer to the retrieved layer height as an ''effective trace gas mixing height'' (ETMH). By analyzing trace gas observations in Shanghai over one year (1017 hourly means in 93 days in 2007), the retrieved ETMH was found to range between 0.1 km and 2.8 km (average is 0.78 km); more than 90% of the measurements yield an ETMH between 0.2 km and 2.0 km. The seasonal and diurnal variation of the ETMH shows good agreement with mixing layer heights derived from meteorological observations. We investigated the relationship of the derived ETMH to temperature and wind speed and found correlation coefficients of 0.65 and 0.37, respectively. Also the wind direction has an impact on the measurement to some extent. Especially in cases when the air flow comes from highly polluted areas and the atmospheric lifetime of NO 2 is long (e.g. in winter), the NO 2 concentration at high altitudes over the measurement site can be enhanced, which leads to an overestimation of the ETMH. Enhanced NO 2 concentrations in the free atmosphere and heterogeneity within the mixing layer can cause additional uncertainties. Our method could be easily extended to other species like e.g. SO 2 , HCHO or Glyoxal. Simultaneous studies of these molecules could yield valuable information on their respective atmospheric lifetimes.


Increased production has been the major goal of animal breeding for many decades, and the correlated side-effects have grown to become a major issue in animal welfare. In this paper, the main genetic mechanisms in which such side-effects may occur are reviewed with examples from our own research in chickens. Pleiotropy, linkage and regulatory pathways are the most important means by which a number of traits may be affected simultaneously by the same selection pressure. Pleiotropy can be exemplified by the gene PMEL17 which causes a lack of black pigmentation in chickens and, simultaneously, predisposes them to become the victims of feather pecking. Linkage is a probable reason why a limited region on chicken chromosome 1 affects many different traits, such as growth, reproduction and fear-related behaviour. Gene regulation is affected by stress, and may cause modifications in behaviour and phenotype which are transferred from parents to offspring by means of epigenetic modifications. Insights into phenomena, such as these, may increase our understanding not only of how artificial selection works, but also evolution at large.


Introduction Labeledpediatric indications for prescription of fluoroquinolones (FQ) are limited. Furthermore, the safety of systemic FQ for growing children has been debated for a long time.1,2 Nevertheless, prescribing FQ for children can be advantageous. First, FQ cover a broad spectrum of bacteriae.3 Second, pharmacokinetic (PK) characteristics of systemic FQ are favourable. The bioavailability of common FQ agents is usually high and FQ typically penetrate in deep compartments.4,5 In this retrospective multicenter drug utilisation study, we aimed to investigate indications for FQ prescription in a population of children hospitalised in two Belgian university children's hospitals. Additionally, another goal was to assess the adequacy of prescribed doses, and risk factors for incorrectly dosed FQ prescriptions within our population. Methods Using data obtained from electronic medical files, the study included all children who received a sys-temic FQ prescription in two Belgian university children's hospitals between 2010–2013. Two authors reviewed pre-scribed daily doses. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyse risk factors for inadequately dosing. Results A total of 262 FQ prescriptions for unique pa-tients were identified. Most children (57.6%) had signifi-cant chronic comorbidity such as any type of cancer, a neurologic disease, or congenital anomalies of the kid-neys and urinary tract. Ciprofloxacin was by far the most frequently prescribed FQ, representing 253 prescriptions (96.6%). Overall, the number of on-label FQ prescriptions was 43 (16.4%), and prescription was guided by a micro-bial culture in 62 cases (35.1%). 79 prescriptions (30.2%), of which 78 ciprofloxacin prescriptions, were considered to be inaccurately dosed. Underdosing was the most common type, as 57.1% of all inaccurately dosed pre-scriptions were underdosed. In the univariate logistic regression analysis, children younger than 6 years of age were at particular risk of receiving an inadequately dosed prescription. In the final multivariate logistic regression model, when controlled for the sort of FQ prescribed, Odds Ratios for infants and preschool children remained statistically significant. Conclusion FQ were often prescribed off-label and not guided by bacteriological findings in our study popula-tion. Dosing errors were common, particularly in infants and preschool children. FQ prescriptions for children should be improved by specific paediatric antimicrobial stewardship teams.


Doping lies at the heart of modern semiconductor technologies. Therefore, for two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), the significance of controlled doping is no exception. Recent studies have indicated that, by substitutionally doping 2D TMDs with a judicious selection of dopants, their electrical, optical, magnetic and catalytic properties can be effectively tuned, endowing them with great potential for various practical applications. Herein, and inspired by the sol-gel process, we report a liquid phase precursor-assisted approach for in situ substitutional doping of monolayered TMDs and their in-plane heterostructures with tunable doping concentration. This highly reproducible route is based on the high-temperature chalcogenation of spin-coated aqueous solutions containing host and dopant precursors. The precursors are mixed homogeneously at the atomic level in the liquid phase prior to the synthesis process, thus allowing for an improved doping uniformity and controllability. We further demonstrate the incorporation of various transition metal atoms, such as iron (Fe), rhenium (Re) and vanadium (V), into the lattice of TMD monolayers, so as to form Fe-doped WS2, Re-doped MoS2, and more complex material systems such as V-doped in-plane WxMo1-xS2-MoxW1-xS2 heterostructures, among others. We envisage that our developed approach is universal and could be extended to incorporate a variety of other elements into 2D TMDs and create in-plane hetero-interfaces in a single-step, which may enable applications such as electronics and spintronics at the 2D limit.


Vegetated coastal ecosystems along the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coasts of Saudi Arabia thrive in an extremely arid and oligotrophic environment, with high seawater temperatures and salinity. Mangrove, seagrass and saltmarsh ecosystems have been shown to act as efficient sinks of sediment organic carbon, earning these vegetated ecosystems the moniker 'blue carbon' ecosystems. However, their role as nitrogen and phosphorus (N and P) sinks remains poorly understood. In this study, we examine the capacity of blue carbon ecosystems to trap and store nitrogen and phosphorous in their sediments in the central Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. We estimated the N and P stocks (in 0.2 m thick-sediments) and accumulation rates (for the last century based on 210Pb and for the last millennia based on 14C) in mangrove, seagrass and saltmarsh sediments from eight locations along the coast of Saudi Arabia (81 cores in total). The N and P stocks contained in the top 20 cm sediments ranged from 61 g N m−2 in Red Sea seagrass to 265 g N m−2 in the Gulf saltmarshes and from 70 g P m−2 in Red Sea seagrass meadows and mangroves to 58 g P m−2 in the Gulf saltmarshes. The short-term N and P accumulation rates ranged from 0.09 mg N cm−2 yr−1 in Red Sea seagrass to 0.38 mg N cm−2 yr−1 in Gulf mangrove, and from 0.027 mg P cm−2 yr−1 in the Gulf seagrass to 0.092 mg P cm−2 yr−1 in Red Sea mangroves. Short-term N and P accumulation rates were up to 10-fold higher than long-term accumulation rates, highlighting increasing sequestration of N and P over the past century, likely due to anthropogenic activities such as coastal development and wastewater inputs.


We report the use of the spray pyrolysis method to design self‐assembled isotropic ternary architectures made up of reduced graphene oxide (GO), functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes, and nickel oxide nanoparticles for cost‐effective high‐performance supercapacitor devices. Electrodes fabricated from this novel ternary system exhibit exceptionally high capacitance (2074 Fg−1) due to the highly conductive network, synergistic link between GO and carbon nanotubes and achieving high surface area monodispersed NiO decorated rGO/CNTs composite employing the liquid crystallinity of GO dispersions. To further assess the practicality of this material for supercapacitor manufacture, we assembled an asymmetric supercapacitor device incorporating activated carbon as the anode. The asymmetric supercapacitor device showed remarkable capacity retention (>96%), high energy density (23 Wh kg−1), and a coulombic efficiency of 99.5%.


abandoned after a short trial owing to the time-consuming nature of the shunt procedure, as well as the emotional problems associated with patients under these conditions. General anaesthesia was then offered as the only alternative. As is well known, there are many problems which confront the anaesthetist involved in these cases, not least of which must be mentioned the possibilities of anaemia, metabolic acidosis, and electrolyte imbalance, especially involving serum potassium levels. To complicate the issue further these patients tend to vomit, and have an unstable response to variations in circulating fluid volume. At the Royal Free Hospital shunts are inserted using local analgesia at the site of insertion, with the occasional demand for general anaesthesia in certain patients. In view of the problems just mentioned, for the last six months we have used dehydrobenzperidine (Droperidol) combined with local infiltration of lignocaine at the shunt site as a preferable alternative -to general anaesthesia. The advantages of this scheme are that it calms very apprehensive introspective patients; it has minimal effects on blood pressure; patients are co-operative; and their reflexes remain fully active. The antiemetic effect of this drug is a considerable advantage, and its length of time of action (8-12 hours) ensures adequate operating conditions for what is often a lengthy procedure. Early discharge from hospital is possible. Initially these patients are given 5-10 mg. dehydrobenzperidine orally one to two hours before the procedure, and a further dose of 5 mg. is repeated intravenously in theatre if required. Local infiltration of 2% lignocaine without adrenaline at the shunt site is then performed. This procedure has given such satisfactory results that it is now used routinely for the insertion of all shunts in this hospital.-I am, etc.,


Although the implementation of e-learning initiatives has reached advanced stages in developed countries, it is still in its infancy in many developing nations and the Middle East in particular. Recently, few public universities in Iraq have initiated limited attempts to use e-learning alongside traditional classrooms. However, different obstacles are preventing successful adoption of this technology. The present research aimed to highlight challenges that hinder effective implementation of e-learning in Iraq and recommend possible solutions to tackle them. A total of 108 respondents voluntarily participated in this research. They consisted of academic staff (N=74), professors in charge of e-learning (N=3), and undergraduate students (N=31). Three methods were used to collect data: a survey instrument, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. Data was then analyzed and reported quantitatively and qualitatively. This provided in-depth understanding to the current status of e-learning in public Iraqi universities and highlighted major hindrances of its successful application. Based on this analysis, the study proffered many recommendations that should be considered in order to fully benefit from e-learning technologies.


Abstract : The Air Force Armstrong Laboratory, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, has supported the research and development of Radio Frequency Soil Decontamination. Radio frequency soil decontamination is essentially a heat-assisted soil vapor extraction process. Site S-1 at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, was selected for the demonstration of two patented techniques. The site is a former sump that collected spills and surface runoff from a waste petroleum, oils, and lubricants and solvent storage and transfer area. In 1993, a technique developed by the ITT Research Institute using an array of electrodes placed in the soil was demonstrated. In 1994, a technique developed by KAI Technologies, Inc. using a single applicator placed in a vertical borehole was demonstrated. Approximately 120 tons of soil were heated during each demonstration to a temperature of about 150 degrees Celsius.


We consider multihop wireless networks carrying unicast flows for multiple users. Each flow has a specified delay deadline, and the lossy wireless links are modeled as binary symmetric channels (BSCs). Since transmission time, also called airtime, on the links is shared among flows, increasing the airtime for one flow comes at the cost of reducing the airtime available to other flows sharing the same link. We derive the joint allocation of flow airtimes and coding rates that achieves the proportionally fair throughput allocation. This utility optimization problem is nonconvex, and one of the technical contributions of this paper is to show that the proportional fair utility optimization can nevertheless be decomposed into a sequence of convex optimization problems. The solution to this sequence of convex problems is the unique solution to the original nonconvex optimization. Surprisingly, this solution can be written in an explicit form that yields considerable insight into the nature of the proportional fair joint airtime/coding rate allocation. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the utility fair joint allocation of airtime/coding rate has been analyzed, and also one of the first times that utility fairness with delay deadlines has been considered.


AIMS
Foreshortening of apical views is a common problem in echocardiography. It results in an abnormally thick false apex and a shortened left ventricular (LV) long axis. We sought to evaluate the impact of foreshortened (FS) on LV ejection fraction (LVEF) and layer-specific 2D speckle tracking based segmental (S) and global (G) longitudinal strain (LS) measurements.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We examined 72 participants using a GE Vivid E9 system. FS apical views were collected from an imaging window one rib-space higher than the optimal images. Ejection fraction as well as layer-specific GLS and SLS measurements were analysed by GE EchoPAC v201 and TomTec Image Arena 4.6 and compared between optimal and FS images. On average, LV long axis was 10% shorter in FS images than in optimal images. FS induced a relative change in LVEF of 3.3% and 6.9% for GE and TomTec, respectively (both, P < 0.001). Endocardial GLS was 9.0% higher with GE and 23.2% with TomTec (P < 0.001). Midwall GLS measurements were less affected (7.8% for GE and 14.1% for TomTec, respectively, both P < 0.001). Segmental strain analysis revealed that the mid-ventricular and apical segments were more affected by foreshortening, and endocardial measurements were more affected than midwall.

CONCLUSION
Optimal image geometry is crucial for accurate LV function assessment. Foreshorhening of apical views has a substantial impact on longitudinal strain measurements, predominantly in the apex and in the endocardial layer. Our data suggest that measuring midwall strain might therefore be the more robust approach for clinical routine use.


Flexible and fast control of the phase and amplitude of coherent light, enabled by digital micromirror devices (DMDs) and spatial light modulators, has been a driving force for recent advances in optical tweezers, nonlinear microscopy, and wavefront shaping. In contrast, engineering spatially partially coherent light remains widely elusive due to the lack of tools enabling a joint analysis and control sequence. Here, we report an approach to coherence engineering that combines a quasi-monochromatic, thermal source and a DMD together with a ptychographic scanning microscope. The reported method opens up new routes to low-cost coherence control, with applications in micromanipulation, nanophotonics, and quantitative phase contrast imaging.


This thesis examines how policy practitioners negotiate difficult subjects, specifically the difficult subjects entailed in negotiations around community cohesion policy. The research applies a governmentality perspective to consider how people working within government (using techniques of governmentality to govern populations) are subject to regimes of governmentality themselves. A substantial body of the research is based on detailed ethnographic work (both participant observation and extensive semi-structured, reflexive qualitative interviews with policy practitioners) in Hackney, an inner London borough with a very diverse population (in terms of ethnicity, economic status, migration histories, beliefs and experiences). Hackney rarely appears in narratives of community cohesion policy, and local practitioners have framed it as a place that is comfortable with diversity – a success story of twenty-first century multiculturalism. Often this story is told (in everyday talk and in official documents) by reference to places which have come to epitomise 'community cohesion problems', specifically Oldham (representing segregation between white and Asian communities, the potential for explosive violence), Barking and Dagenham (standing for problems with a disenfranchised 'white working class' turning to racist extremism) and Peterborough (as a place coping with sudden large-scale new immigration). The thesis follows these narratives, interviewing policy practitioners in each of these places to understand how they negotiate community cohesion policy from within the narrative, as well as policy practitioners working with local government at the national level who shed light on how places, communities and the practice of policy are understood from this location. The thesis raises questions of how to understand practices of government, and the uncomfortable and ambiguous ethical negotiations such practices sometimes entail; the importance of place and place-branding in governing; the relationship of narrative, place and governing to questions of material power inequalities; and the potential for understanding government through a 'sociological imagination'.


We report the results of a four-stage genome-wide scan in a schizophrenia study sample consisting of 134 affected sib-pairs collected in Finland. In stage I we genotyped 370 markers from the Weber 6 screening set (N = 52 affected sib-pairs); in stage II we followed up 40 markers by typing first-degree relatives of the sib-pairs; in stage III we genotyped 15 markers in 134 families; and in stage IV we genotyped a denser marker map in the two most promising regions, one on chromosome 1 and another on chromosome 7, in all families. Diagnoses were based on three nationwide health care registers and consensus diagnosis based on review of all medical records. The most significant finding was a two-point lod score of 3.18 with marker D7S486 using a dominant model and treating all individuals with either schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or other schizophrenia spectrum disorder as affected. Multipoint analysis with MAPMAKER/SIBS resulted in a MLS of 3.53 between markers D7S501 and D7S523 using the broadest diagnostic model, including major depressive disorder and bipolar type I as affecteds in addition to the aforementioned phenotypes. These results were obtained by including in the analyses only individuals from the late settlement region of Finland settled in the 16th century. Additionally, some support was obtained for linkage to chromosome 1, in a region previously identified in a genome-wide scan of a study sample from a sub-isolate of Finland. Our data demonstrate the importance of genealogical information for studies aiming at identification of predisposing loci in complex diseases. INTRODUCTION


Background: Cutting-edge issues for nanomedicine involve knowledge of the problems associated with toxicity and environmental effect of nanoscale substances (substances whose structure is on the dimensions of nanometers, i.e. billionths of a meter). Nanoparticles are able to reach inner biomolecules, which is not possible for larger debris. Materials and Methods: The nanosuspension turned into analytically characterized and subjected to regulatory aspects. Scientific facts used to make regulatory decisions about merchandise starting from cosmetics to chemotherapy agents to food packaging, FDA has lengthy encountered the combination of promise, threat and uncertainty that accompanies emerging technologies. Nanotechnology is not specific on this regard. Present article covered about regulatory aspects of Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) and Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). Conclusion: The objective of this review is to know about the FDA regulations towards nanotechnology and various techniques used to analyze this tiny technology for


A philosophy of hierarchical modelling is espoused in which models of intermediate complexity bridge the gap between comprehensive simulations and theory. These diagnostic models may have part of the solution constrained by observations, allowing the study of isolated processes in a simplified but realistic setting. To illustrate the use of such models examples are given from the influence of mountains and sea surface temperature variations on the large scale atmospheric circulation. Aspects of the problem such as time dependence, nonlinearity and transient feedback are discussed in turn and the models developed to address these problems are described. Emphasis throughout is on modelling techniques rather than on physical mechanisms.


The research involved in developing a prefabricated-type straight-through joint for 275 kV cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) cable is described. Based on a review of the results of electric field analysis, a compact insulation structure using a molded epoxy insulation unit and a molded ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) stress-relieving cone was designed. The AC and lightning impulse voltage test as well as the short-circuit test and the offset test were conducted on the joint developed. The results have shown that the joint possesses excellent assembly properties and superb insulation performance. The accelerated long-term aging test was also conducted for six months and provided verification that the joint developed has adequate long-term reliability.<<ETX>>


Fine needle aspiration biopsy of the major salivary glands was performed on 160 patients. In 146 patients with satisfactory samples, the cytologic diagnosis was correlated with clinical follow-up and histologic findings. There were 122 benign lesions, including 47 tumors. There were 24 malignant lesions, 10 of which were primary and 14 metastatic. The overall accuracy was 98%. The sensitivity of the technique was 87.5%. There was no false-positive diagnosis. There were three false-negative diagnoses due to sampling errors and inexperience during the initial period of the study. This study documents that needle aspiration biopsy cytology of the salivary glands is accurate, simple, rapid, inexpensive, well tolerated and harmless to the patient.


In this paper, it is shown how various familiar problems in control design and system identification can be formulated as interpolation problems, where powerful methods that have been recently developed can be used. This leads to new, more effective, and more practical solutions to classical system and control problems. Numerical issues and computer algorithm development are also discussed.<<ETX>>


This paper addresses the problem of sentiment classification of short messages on microblogging platforms. We apply machine learning and pattern recognition techniques to design and implement a classification system for microblog messages assigning them into one of three classes: positive, negative or neutral. As part of this work, we contributed a dataset consisting of approximately 10, 000 tweets, each labeled on a five point sentiment scale by three different people. Experiments demonstrate a detection rate between approximately 70% and an average false alarm rate of approximately 18% across all three classes. The developed classifier has been made available for online use.


High-quality preschool lays the foundation for a child's educational career. Preschool is where children are learning how to self-regulate, make friends, communicate, and express their wants and needs while preparing for their educational career within the K-12 system. If children do not have the behavioral and social-emotional skills needed to effectively participate in preschool programs, they are missing critical opportunities to grow and learn. Teachers and parents are often the "first responders" to address challenging behaviors and need knowledge, resources and support to nurture positive social-emotional development as a foundation of learning. This report includes resources to inform early childhood stakeholders at the state and local level interested in developing policy and guidance for programs to prevent and reduce suspension and expulsion. www.ceelo.org| firstname.lastname@example.com 2 CEELO POLICY REPORT – March 2017 ECE Suspension and Expulsion


Designs are the instructions that turn knowledge into things that people value and are willing to pay for. In human cultures, almost all value inheres in designs. Designs in turn span the whole universe of human artifacts and activities. Tangible products and their production processes, intangible services and experiences, methods of transacting, contracting, governance and dispute resolution, and peaceful, representative government - all of these things are human artifacts and have designs. And fundamentally, the wealth of an economy equals the total value of the designs that can be realized within its boundaries. Small designs can just "get done" by single actors or small groups. Large, complex designs require design architectures. A design architecture divides a to-be-designed system into parts and sets up interfaces between its those parts. In effect, design architectures organize knowledge and people into networks capable of creating large, new designs whose parts will work together. Design architectures are the starting point, hence the "forward-looking" or "future-oriented" aspect of design processes. (In contrast, complete designs are the end result of design processes, and thus are "backward-looking" and "past-oriented.") Just as physical architectures both create and constrain opportunities for movement in physical spaces, design architectures create and constrain opportunities in the "design spaces" wherein the search for new and better designs takes place. Because they organize the search for new designs, design architectures are an important source of innovation, economic value and consumer welfare in a knowledge-based economy. But, despite their pervasive influence, such architectures are not much discussed by social scientists, managers and policy-makers.


ALISA R. MCLEAN: A Comparative Study of the State of the Principalship in North Carolina from the Principals' Executive Program Surveys of 2003 and 2008 (Under the direction of Dr. Fenwick English) This study was designed to identify salient characteristics and feat ures that can be added to the current body of literature on school administration as it pertains to the role of the principal in the 21st century; particularly as it relates to concerns prol iferating around the role in North Carolina. The purpose of the study was to utilize data collected b y the Principals' Executive Program in 2003 from the "State of the Principalship" survey to compare with principal perceptions of their roles from the re-administration of that same survey in 2008. These two surveys were designed to ask questions in four main areas that are grounded in research for the study. They were (a) demographic trends, (b) aspects of being a principal, (c) aspects of principal job responsibilities relating to di mensions of school improvement, and (d) aspects of professional development for principals. The researcher reviewed secondary data sets from the two years and investi gated issues pertaining to how time was spent, preparation for the principalship, professional development, principal priorities, district leadership and recent issues as dra wn from the two survey administrations. To examine these issues, the major research quest ion wa "How has the role of the principal and the perceptions of principals in North Carolina changed from 2003 to 2008 as judged by the "State of the Principalship" surveys?" Five v hundred seven (44%) participants completed the survey in 2003, and 651 (56%) completed the survey in 2008. Based on results, the study concluded that while only a few areas of significanc e were reported between the two years, principal respondents provided important data that will be useful to the Principals' Executive Program in its quest to deliver contem porary, effective professional development for principals in North Carolina. Major findings included that the job has become more demanding and the need for professional development in the following areas are of great concern for principals servi ng in that capacity today: curriculum, instruction, and student achievement. According to pri ncipal respondents in both administrations, the Principals' Executive Program is still c onsidered the most rewarding professional development experience for principals in North Carolina. The data also suggested that universities continue to play an important r ole in the preparation of principals. Patterns from the comparison of the two data sets by principal respondents suggested that principals report spending the majority of their time on instruc tional leadership (meaning curriculum and instruction, school improvement and student achievement) while principals in 2003 reported issues surrounding management routines as most important. Central Office and district support in school improvement was a lso reported more favorably in 2008 than in 2003. The PEP surveys were not perfect matches in all aspects of the principal's job when comparing responses between the two y ars. The data produced by them, however, is and will remain valuable and a continuing source of information about principal leadership in the state for policy makers, universitie s, local