While fabrication technologies have been in use in industry for several decades, expiring patents have recently allowed the technology to spill over to technology-enthusiastic "makers". The big question now is whether the technology will further progress towards consumers, which would allow the technology to scale from hundreds of thousands of users to hundreds of millions of users. Such a transition would enable consumers to use computing not just to process data, but for physical matter. This holds the promise of democratizing a whole range of fields preoccupied with physical objects, from product design to interior design, to carpentry, and to some areas of mechanical and structural engineering. It would bring massive, disruptive change to these industries and their users. We analyze similar trends in the history of computing that made the transition from industry to consumers, such as desktop publishing and home video editing, and come to the conclusion that such a transition is likely. Our analysis, however, also reveals that any transition to consumers first requires a hardware + software system that embodies the skills and expert knowledge that consumers lack: (1) hardware and materials that allow fabricating the intended objects, (2) software that embodies domain knowledge, (3) software that embodies the know-how required to operate the machinery, and (4) software that provides immediate feedback and supports interactive exploration. At the same time, sustained success will only be possible if we also consider future implications, in particular (5) sustainability and (6) intellectual property. We argue that researchers in HCI and computer graphics are well equipped for tackling these six challenges. We survey the already existing work and derive an actionable research agenda. P. Baudisch and S. Mueller. Personal Fabrication. Foundations and Trends © in Human-Computer Interaction, vol. 10, no. 3–4, pp. 165–293, 2016. DOI: 10.1561/1100000055.


Increasing agricultural productivity by environmental manipulations is subjected to limited availability and support of natural resources. Biotechnology, therefore, offers a new approach to increase and maintain the sustainability of plant productivity through the utilization of biological systems within microorganism, animal and plant cells. A number of experimental success proved that biotechnology has a bright future and may serve as a complement for existing conventional plant breeding. Some of new development in plant breeding involving biotechnology have been the induction of haploid and doubled-haploid plants, protoplast fusion of two different genotype or even genera, the use of somaclonal variation as a source of genetic variation, in vitro mutagenesis using chemicals and physical mutagens, and the introduction of foreign gene into plant individual that is recognized as molecular breeding. All these will end up to the creation of plants with desired characteristics, such as resistant to pest/disease, tolerant to environmental stress, high quantity and quality of yield, etc. Despite of its advantages, however, plant biotechnology is associated with problems regarding scientific ethic, ecosystem stability, as well as misuse of the technology.


The brushless doubly fed reluctance machine (BDFRM) is the least known of a group of electrical machines that include the classic cascaded induction machine, the brushless doubly-fed induction machine (BDFIM), and the double-fed slip ring induction machine (DFSRIM). Since its initial development some 30 years ago, the BDFRM has been largely ignored because of the performance limitations imposed by the reluctance rotor design. However, improvements in reluctance rotors, a by-product of the development of the synchronous reluctance machine, have resulted in renewed interest in the BDFRM. This together with the promise of higher efficiency and simpler control compared to the BDFIM means that further investigation of the BDFRM is warranted. This paper is designed to be a starting point for research into the BDFRM. It develops the fundamental modelling equations that are required to carry out research into its dynamics and control. The approach is partly tutorial in nature as it presents some "well-known" analysis techniques that are scattered throughout the literature on the machine. It develops from first principles the space vector model of the machine, which is then used to derive the steady-state BDFRM equations. Standard sinusoidal spatial variation and linearity assumptions are used throughout the analysis. Where relevant, the physical concepts behind the machine's operation are emphasized. In addition to the full dynamic model of the machine, the paper also introduces a per-unit system that forms the basis for machine-independent performance expressions.


A series of Ti/TiN multilayer films were prepared by reactive DC magnetron sputtering onto Si(111) substrates. The resistivity and optical reflectance of these thin films were measured as a function of the modulated, multilayered thickness and the number of layered structures. The resistivity decreased with increase in the number of layers in the film up to 4 layers. The reflectance in the near infrared region increased with increase in layer thickness but after a certain thickness, the change in reflectance was minimal. An optimum thickness of 25 nm for the modulated film realized a maximum of 0.829 in the near infrared reflectance. With the number of layers greater than 15, an interfacial layer of Ti2N was observed.


The government of Indonesia currently focuses on improving the public railway services to be more effective and efficient by formulating suitable railways infrastructure charges. This paper examines a possibility to determine the track access charge (TAC) for Indonesia railways infrastructure based on a benchmark to other countries. Compared to existing charge that used basic price and product factor, the alternative proposed concept also considers multiplicative surcharge and load component. In-depth interviews will be conducted with related stakeholders from government bodies, operator, and academics to gain more insights and further to validate the research outcomes. The result shows that the suitable TAC value for the railway's operator ranging from 56% to 66% from total proposed payable TAC, while government subsidy will cover the rest of 34% to 44% of determined track access charge to liberalize railways industry in Indonesia.


This thesis aims to deepen our understanding of the barriers that migrant children face
in accessing quality education in their host country. It has identified gaps in the
research on education of cross-border migrant children in a setting which promotes
integration into the host community, and which does not use camps. The research is
based in a small border town in northern South Africa and focuses on the recent influx
of Zimbabwean migrants into South Africa as a result of political crisis and economic
collapse in their homeland. This community was chosen because it is believed to be
illustrative of the broader problems faced by cross-border migrant children.

The thesis is structured around three central questions, focusing on (i) understanding
who these migrant children are and their reasons for migration, (ii) the barriers they
face in accessing quality basic education and (iii) the social and institutional networks
that influence these children and the role the networks play in overcoming these
barriers. The research examines the role of the state and the international community
in the provision of support for this marginalised group. It further assesses the influence
of social and institutional networks on migrants and the tactics they employ to
overcome the barriers to educational success.

The study used both quantitative and qualitative research methods, with the majority
of data collected through an in-depth survey of 100 migrant children, between the
ages of 6 and 17, and 35 parent/guardians. In addition, focus group discussions with
teachers and interviews with 12 school principals were conducted. The views of
members of the local Municipality involved with migrant children were also sought. The literature review revealed that, while there has been some research on barriers to
education in camp settings, there is very limited research on educational access for
migrant children integrating into host communities. This study has been able to
contribute to this thin body of knowledge by demonstrating that as well as facing the
traditional educational access barriers (lack of infrastructure, educational costs,
enrolment requirements and social exclusion), integrating migrant children are faced
with additional access barriers largely linked to their legal status (civil status,
residence, status of guardians).

The research identified the difficulties of obtaining the necessary legal status and some
important shortcomings of the current migrant classification system. Getting the right
documentation to obtain legal status often placed unreasonable burdens on the
children and forced them into a catch 22 situation where they needed to return to
their homeland to procure documents required for admission to school but doing so
automatically invalidated the claims to refugee status. This particular study also
highlighted the difficulty in classifying migrants who have fled from a country
(Zimbabwe) that is not officially recognised as a conflict zone despite the
characteristics of the Zimbabwean migrant situation being largely indistinguishable
from classical conflict driven migration.

The thesis concludes by recommending steps to change the definition and typology of
migrants and points to the policy changes, with regard to support of migrant children
that are required. The definitions should be changed to cater for the individual needs
of the children so that legal and bureaucratic requirements do not present such an
impediment to education.

The thesis identified the large role of both the social and institutional networks of the
migrant children in overcoming access barriers. This points to an area of valuable
further research, which could provide a foundation for better policy development and
implementation strategies that recognise the social and institutional dynamics that
influence the decisions and choices made by migrant children and their parents.


OBJECTIVE
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) is a widely used instrument that has been tested for reliability and validity in many settings; however, some negative-worded items appear to have caused it to reveal low reliability in a number of studies. In this study, we revised one negative item that had previously (from the previous studies) produced the worst outcome in terms of the structure of the scale, then re-analyzed the new version for its reliability and construct validity, comparing it to the original version with respect to fit indices.

METHODS
In total, 851 students from Chiang Mai University (mean age: 19.51±1.7, 57% of whom were female), participated in this study. Of these, 664 students completed the Thai version of the original RSES - containing five positively worded and five negatively worded items, while 187 students used the revised version containing six positively worded and four negatively worded items. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied, using a uni-dimensional model with method effects and a correlated uniqueness approach.

RESULTS
The revised version showed the same level of reliability (good) as the original, but yielded a better model fit. The revised RSES demonstrated excellent fit statistics, with χ²=29.19 (df=19, n=187, p=0.063), GFI=0.970, TFI=0.969, NFI=0.964, CFI=0.987, SRMR=0.040 and RMSEA=0.054.

CONCLUSION
The revised version of the Thai RSES demonstrated an equivalent level of reliability but a better construct validity when compared to the original.


We theoretically investigate the orientation of the cold KRb molecules induced in a switched electrostatic field by numerically solving the full time-dependent Schrodinger equation. The results show that the periodic field-free molecular orientation can be realized for the KRb molecules by rapidly switching off the electrostatic field. Meanwhile, by varying the switching times of the electrostatic field, the adiabatic and nonadiabatic interactions of the molecules with the applied field can be realized. Moreover, the influences of the electrostatic field strength and the rotational temperature to the degree of the molecular orientation are studied. The investigations show that increasing the electrostatic field will increase the degree of the molecular orientation, both in the constant-field regime and in the field-free regime, while the increasing of the rotational temperature of the cold molecules will greatly decrease the degree of the molecular orientation.


Sorghum is a staple crop and source of energy and minerals for people in semi-arid tropics of Africa and Asia. Thirteen improved and twenty seven farmer varieties of sorghum from southern Africa were analyzed for grain macro- and micronutrient content to identify germplasm with potential for breeding for mineral dense varieties. Improved sorghum varieties ELT-1-17, MMSH-1040, MMSH-1257 and MMSH-1324 exhibited higher grain macronutrient contents than farmer varieties and ranked high for grain K, Mg, S and P contents. Grain K content ranged from 278.3 to 717.8 mg/100 g, Mg (109 to 224.1 mg/100 g), S (112.5 to 275.3 mg/100 g), and grain P content ranged from 195.1 to 468.5 mg/100 g. Farmer varieties showed superiority for grain Fe content that ranged from 2.74 to 8.18 mg/100 g (ZMB5788, MW734, TZ4255) and grain Zn content ranging from 2.03 to 5.53 mg/100 g (TZ4031, TZ3966 and ZMB7111).Sorghum varieties with brown grains exhibited significant higher grain content for grain Ca, K and B than white grained varieties. Most promising improved varieties for high grain Mg, P, S and K contents and farmer varieties for high grain Fe and Zn contents are potential candidates for replicated and multilocational field experiments.

 Key words: Sorghum, farmer varieties, improved varieties, macronutrients, micronutrients, semi-arid tropics, nutrition.


: While introduction of laparoscopic technologies into clinical practice the extrahepatic bile--efferent ways damages during cholecystectomy performance had increased from 0.1-0.2 to 0.4-0.7%. The necessity of elaboration of a simple and mostly complete classification of such damages had occurred. The advantages and faults of the main world-wide now existing classifications of the extrahepatic biliary ducts damages were analyzed. Classification of their own, reflecting, without unnecessary details, the majority of possible variants of the biliary ducts damages, was proposed, making it convenient for practical application.


After an initial discussion (§i) of what a theory of criminal law might amount to, I sketch (§ii) the proper aims of a liberal, republican criminal law, and discuss (§§iii–iv) two central features of such a criminal law: that it deals with public wrongs, and provides for those who perpetrate such wrongs to be called to public account. §v explains why a liberal republic should maintain such a system of criminal law, and §vi tackles the issue of criminalization—of how we should determine the proper scope of the criminal law.


Autonomic computing systems is a new paradigm and they are characterized with the self-management properties. Autonomic computing systems are emerging as a significant new strategic comprehensive type of information systems, aimed at the design of complex distributed computing systems. Their work was inspired by the functioning of the human nervous system and is intended for designing and building self-management systems. These systems are continually evaluated in terms of their optimization and automatically adjust to changing conditions. Meeting these challenges, autonomic computing systems requires scientific and technological achievements in various fields, also new architectures that will support the effective integration of technologies used in these systems. For the realization of self-activity in the autonomic computing systems is required to provide appropriate systems, technologies and services. In recent decades is characteristic extended parallel and distributed computing that support network environment. The technologies of autonomic computing systems can integrate with existing programming systems, in order to realize self-management applications. The aim of this paper will be to define systems, technologies and services that are necessary for realization of the basic concepts and functions in autonomic computing systems and applications. It also would include the implementation of these systems, in terms of techniques of autonomic computing system that can be used with dynamically allocated servers to provide maximum functional usefulness. Also, will be presented system with self-managed properties that will be capable for reallocation of servers in case when there are changes in overload or when an error occurs on the server. The end of the paper will be presented performance evaluation and metrics of the autonomic computing systems. Namely, it is necessary to determine the indicators through wich will evaluate the performance and effectiveness of autonomic computing system.


GNU TeXmacs [vdH01, vdH02, Gro01] is a free software, which can both be used as a scientific text editor and as a front-end for computer algebra systems. The editor allows you to write structured documents via a wysiwyg (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) and user friendly interface. New styles may be created by the user. The program implements high-quality typesetting algorithms and TEX fonts, which allow the user to produce professionally looking documents.The high typesetting quality still goes through for automatically generated formulae, which makes TeXmacs suitable as an interface for computer algebra systems, or other types of "plugins". Currently, there are interfaces with Axiom, Giac, GNUplot, Graphviz, Gtybalt, Macaulay2, Maxima, Mupad, GNU Octave, Pari, Qcl, GNU R, Reduce, Scilab and Yacas. TeXmacs also supports the Guile/Scheme extension language, so that you may customize the interface and write your own extensions to the editor.In our demonstration, we plan to show briefly how to edit mathematical texts with TeXmacs, how to use computer algebra systems, and how to add interfaces with new systems in a very efficient way.


Potential functionals have been introduced recently as an important tool for the analysis of coupled scalar systems (e.g. density evolution equations). In this contribution we investigate interesting properties of this potential. Using the tool of displacement convexity we show that, under mild assumptions on the system, the potential functional is displacement convex. Furthermore, we give the conditions on the system such that the potential is strictly displacement convex in which case the minimizer is unique.


Methanol is oxidised to formaldehyde by the Formox process, in which molybdenum oxides, usually doped with iron, are the catalyst. The active phase of the catalysts and the reasons for the selectivity observed are still unknown. We present a density functional theory based study that indicates the unique character of Mo(VI)¢Mo(IV) pairs as the most active and selective sites and indicates the active sites on the surface, the controlling factors of selectivity, and the role of the dopant. Iron reduces the energy requirements of the redox Mo(VI)¢Mo(IV) pair by acting as an electron reservoir that sets in if required. Our present study paves the way towards a better understanding of the process.


Microwave-assisted acid decomposition and oil-in-water emulsification were evaluated as sample pretreatment procedures to determine Al, Ba, Mo, Si and V in lubricating oils by high-resolution continuum source flame atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS FAAS). Average recoveries of Al, Ba and V in oil digests (107, 103 and 101%) were close to those obtained for emulsions prepared in kerosene medium (94, 113 and 95%). Average recoveries for Mo were close to 105 and 46% for emulsions and digests, respectively. Improved average recoveries (101%) were obtained for Mo in digests using the analyte addition technique. Silicon was successfully quantified only in digested samples. Limits of quantification for Al, Ba, Mo and V were 1.4, 31.5, 1.5 and 11.4-fold lower than those obtained by line-source FAAS. Enhanced sensitivity, multi-elemental capability, and high sample throughput are among the main advantages of HR-CS FAAS in comparison with the line-source FAAS technique.


This context statement provides a critical overview of my work on D.W. Winnicott, as seen in the submitted works, and demonstrates that my critical orientation develops the field, and thus justifies my claim for the award of PhD by published works. To provide a background to my work, I begin with an outline of the context in which my work on Winnicott emerged. This is followed by a brief presentation of the publications of D.W.Winnicott to illustrate the nature of my task in organising his work. I introduce a summary of the submitted works and show how they relate to each other. I begin the second section with a concise account of the evolution of psychoanalysis that results in a Freudian paradigm, in order to illustrate the context out of which Winnicotfs work evolved. This is followed by a resume of the principal theories in Winnicott's work to show that my comprehensive organisation of the themes and concepts provides a demonstration that Winnicott's theoretical matrix extends psychoanalytic thought and proves him to be one of the most significant innovators in psychoanalysis since Freud. This section is an exemplification that my work on Winnicott, as seen in the main volume of the submitted works - The Language of Winnicott- and
elaborated by the other submitted works - constitutes an original contribution to knowledge.
I further my claim for a PhD by published works by showing that in addition to my organisation of Winnicott's work I make a step towards extending Winnicott's theory through my introduction of the notion of a "surviving object. In The Lanauaae of Winnicott I lay stress on two fundamental concepts at the heart of Winnicott's theoretical matrix - 'the use of an object and violation of the self. In my clinical paper, Squiggles, clowns and Catherine Wheels, I discuss further these core concepts and show how they allude to the beginning of a new concept - "the surviving object". Here I elaborate this concept with reference to my clinical work. This section offers further evidence that my original contribution to knowledge, as seen in the submitted works and underpinned by this statement, advances the field for future research in Winnicott's theories.
In the third section I explore my development as a researcher and describe my methodology in writing the submitted works. I discuss my style of learning and the value of my trainings in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, and comment on the distinction between the psychoanalytic paradigm I carry with me in my clinical practice and the research paradigm I make use of in my research. This is followed by a reflection on the limitations of my research and I conclude this context statement with an outline of the consequences of my work. Thus the submitted works, in conjunction with this statement, affirm that my work on Winnicott provides a way of thinking through the question concerning a Winnicottian paradigm shift in psychoanalysis.


The C(19)-steroid 5alpha-reductase activity in the microsomal fraction of rat adrenal tissue under various hormonal treatments was examined. In intact control rats the activity is similar in both males and females, and after gonadectomy it is markedly increased. Treatment with oestradiol (150mug/day per animal for 7 days) or testosterone propionate (2mg/day per animal for 7 days) lowered the activity of 5alpha-reductase in castrated animals to approximately the values for intact animals in both sexes, and in intact animals the activity was also decreased by these treatments. The enzyme activity was also decreased by adrenocorticotrophin treatment but to a lesser extent than by the steroid hormones. The activity of the 5alpha-reductase enzyme in the Snell adrenocortical tumour 494 is very low when incubated as a whole homogenate, but the activity in microsomal material of the tumour was measured and unexpectedly found to be similar to that in intact controls.


Nowadays Smart Home seems to be getting popular. An essential element of Smart Home is its sensor network to convey environment information to the control station. There have been many communication protocols for this sensor network. A problem from previous protocols is unbalanced energy consumption among sensor nodes. Even though they tried to overcome unbalanced energy consumption, they could not solve this problem completely yet. In this paper, we found that the basic reason for this unbalanced energy consumption is that there is normally one base node. Because of this architectural problem, the nodes around this sink node lose their energy more easily in relevance to other nodes. So, we propose the sensor network model with 2 and only 2 base stations with simulations, and its corresponding communication protocol.


Let l be a prime and G a pro-l group with torsion-free abelianization. We
produce group-theoretic analogues of the Johnson/Morita cocycle for G -- in the
case of surface groups, these cocycles appear to refine existing constructions
when l=2. We apply this to the pro-l etale fundamental groups of smooth curves
to obtain Galois-cohomological analogues, and discuss their relationship to
work of Hain and Matsumoto in the case the curve is proper. We analyze many of
the fundamental properties of these classes and use them to give an example of
a non-hyperelliptic curve whose Ceresa class has torsion image under the l-adic
Abel-Jacobi map.


Optical fibre communication is the backbone of the internet. As essential core technologies are approaching their limits of size, speed and energy-efficiency, there is a need for new technologies that offer further scaling of data transmission capacity. Here we show that a single optical frequency-comb source based on a silicon nitride ring resonator supports data capacities in the petabit-per-second regime. We experimentally demonstrate transmission of 1.84 Pbit s –1 over a 37-core, 7.9-km-long fibre using 223 wavelength channels derived from a single microcomb ring resonator producing a stabilized dark-pulse Kerr frequency comb. We also present a theoretical analysis that indicates that a single, chip-scale light source should be able to support 100 Pbit s –1 in massively parallel space-and-wavelength multiplexed data transmission systems. Our findings could mark a shift in the design of future communication systems, targeting device-efficient transmitters and receivers.


The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to examine the general efficacy of different types of Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) on the errors of the target structure (past simple tense) in the short and long term and 2) to compare the possible difference in the effect that different WCF types might have on improving the target structure in the short and long term. One hundred and five EFL (English as Foreign Language) Iranian learners participated in this quasi-experimental study. They were divided into four experimental groups (20 in each) that received different WCF, that is, metalinguistic, direct, indirect, reformulation and a control group (n=25) that did not receive any feedback. The effects of the WCF types were measured using a Picture Description Test and an Error Correction Test as a pre-test, an immediate post-test, and a delayed post-test. It was found that all experimental groups performed better than the control group in the short term, but the metalinguistic and indirect WCF did not lose their effect in the long term. The findings from the delayed post-test confirmed the superiority of the metalinguistic and indirect WCF over the reformulation and direct WCF in the long term.


This study employed cross-sectional, descriptive design with convenience sampling to explore rural parent perceptions of child obesity, use of Body Mass Index (BMI) in schools, preferences for receipt of BMI information and, the rural school's role in obesity prevention/treatment. The survey "Parental Perceptions of BMI and Obesity in the School-Age Child" was used. Of the 183 surveys distributed, 65 were returned (35.5%). Fifty-five percentage of parents were in agreement of school-based BMI screening. Fifty-four percentage of parents selected a combination of ways to receive BMI information (letter from school nurse, face-to-face conference with nurse, or via report card). Few parents (6.2%) were reluctant to schools addressing obesity. Significant relationships were identified between non-White, overweight parents who had overweight children (n = 3). They were more likely to disagree with removal of junk food, increasing physical activity, and recommending weight loss. Recommendations to involve parents in BMI screening are presented.


Bananas are one of domesticated crops prehistoric in Arabian region. However, domestication history of this crop in this region did not receive attention by researchers. The strategic location of the Arabian Peninsula at the intersection of several main Old World trade routes has made it an incubator for bananas coming from different continents of the world. Tracing the history of bananas in this region and understanding the drivers of their diversity under inhospitable conditions may help maintain and further develop banana cultivation in similar areas of the world, especially where this issue has not been extensively studied. Domesticated banana cultivars presently found in the Arabian Peninsula are not indigenous to the region. The Islands of Southeast Asia and Southern China are the strongest candidate to be the primary sites of banana domestication, the subsequent phases of cultivation and translocation to other parts of the world during the prehistoric era. The Gulf ports, in particular Omani coastal ports and Indian Ocean trade effectively contributed to the exchange of plant genetic resources including bananas between the Arabian Peninsula areas and the Indian subcontinent, Africa and China. There is a relationship between ancient coastal ports and the presence of a variety of banana subgroups in some areas of the Arabian Peninsula such as Oman.

 Key words: Maritime routes, ancient ports, linguistic, archaeological, translocation, banana history.


The authors' experience with a point matching algorithm for image registration belonging to a commercially available software package for conformal radiotherapy, is reported. The algorithm IFS (Image Fusion System) permits the registration of two image data-sets in two different manners: by use of a stereotactic localization frame, dedicated to brain studies, and by means of point markers that may be internal anatomical landmarks or external fiducials fixed on the patient skin. Position errors were obtained by evaluating the stereotactic coordinates of seven sources detectable by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT), for the first method. The comparison of the geometric centers of cylindrical rods enclosed in a second phantom was employed to evaluate the registration accuracy of the second algorithm. The mean differences in source identification between CT and MRI images are inferior to 1 mm with both techniques, if MRI distortion phenomenon and patient movements are excluded. The software utility of the IFS algorithm to draw, after fusion, a target ROI that is the synthesis of the two information modalities undergoing registration may be a useful tool for the optimization of a radiotherapy treatment planning.


Traffic accidents cause to a large quantity of personnel casualty and economic loss every year. The safety in vehicle crash has been one of important criterions in vehicle design. In this study a three-dimensional finite element model was established and the front crash process of car bodywork was analyzed. The simulation results show that the structure design of car bodywork is reasonable and of safety for the passengers. The investigation of this study not only validates the rationality of the car bodywork design but also provides a detailed numerical simulation model for further investigation as well as improvement and optimization of the car bodywork structure.


The purpose of this study was to develop poloxamer-based in-situ gel of chloramphenicol aiming to increase bioavailability and prolong corneal contact time, controlling drug release, and enhancing ocular bioavailability. The in-situ gel was prepared using different concentrations of poloxamer 407 combined with hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) or carbapol 940 to achieve gelation temperature about physiological temperature and improve rheological behavior and gelling properties of poloxamer gel. The prepared formulations were evaluated for their appearance, pH, and sol-gel transition temperature. The formulations F2, F3, and F5 have a gelation temperature within the accepted range 35-370C and were evaluated for their isotonicity, rheological studies, ocular irritation test, sterility and release studies. The selected formulations (F2,F3, and F5) isotonic, pseudoplastic, non irritant, pass sterility test, and the in vitro release demonstrated a diffusion-erosion controlled release of chloramphenicol over a period of 4 hr., 6 hr., and 6 hr. respectively.
Key words: Chloramphenicol, in-situ gel, ocular dosage form, poloxamer.


Abstract. At present, major dust storms are occurring at mid-latitudes in the Middle East and Asia, as well as at low latitudes in Northern Africa and in Australia. Western Europe, though, does not experience such dramatic climate events, except for some African dust reaching it from the Sahara. This modern situation is of particular interest, in the context of future climate projections, since the present interglacial is usually interpreted, in this context, as an analog of the warm Eemian interval. European terrestrial records show, however, major dust events during the penultimate interglacial and early glacial. These events are easily observed in loess records by their whitish-color deposits, which lie above and below dark chernozem paleosols in Central European records of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 age. We describe here the base of the Dolni Vestonice (DV) loess sequence, Czech Republic, as the reference of such records. The dust is deposited during intervals that are characterized by poor vegetation – manifested by high δ13C values and low magnetic susceptibility – while the fine sand and clay in the deposits shows grain sizes that are clearly different from the overlying pleniglacial loess deposits. Some of these dust events have been previously described as "Markers" or Marker Silts (MS) by one of us (G. Kukla), and are dated at about 111–109 ka and 93–92 ka, with a third and last one slightly visible at about 75–73 ka. Other events correspond to the loess material of Kukla's cycles, and are described as eolian silts (ES); they are observed in the same DV sequence and are dated at about 106–105 ka, 88–86 ka, and 78.5–77 ka. These dates are determined by considering the OSL ages with their errors measured on the studied sequence, and the comparison with Greenland ice-core and European speleothem chronologies. The fine eolian deposits mentioned above, MS as well as ES, correspond to short events that lasted about 2 ka; they are synchronous with re-advances of the polar front over the North Atlantic, as observed in marine sediment cores. These deposits also correlate with important changes observed in European vegetation. Some ES and MS events appear to be coeval with significant dust peaks recorded in the Greenland ice cores, while others are not. This decoupling between the European eolian and Greenland dust depositions is of considerable interest, as it differs from the fully glacial situation, in which the Eurasian loess sedimentation mimics the Greenland dust record. Previous field observations supported an interpretation of MS events as caused by continental dust storms. We show here, by a comparison with speleothems of the same age found in the northern Alps, that different atmospheric-circulation modes seem to be responsible for the two categories of dust events, MS vs. ES.


The Ascension of Authorship traces the history of the idea of the author in the ancient world, beginning with the attribution practices of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism. Jed Wyrick explores the testimony of Josephus on the succession of prophetic scribes and their superiority to Greek historiographers, and interprets the formation of the biblical canon in this light. The Ascension of Authorship also examines the Greek scholarly methodology that questioned traditional connections between names and texts, a methodology perfected by Hellenistic grammarians and inherited by early Christian scholars. Wyrick argues that the fusion of Jewish and Hellenistic approaches toward attribution helped lead to St. Augustine's reinvention of the writer of scripture as an author whose texts were governed by both divine will and human intent.


Effective quality management practices are critical to successful project delivery. However, the quality challenges in developing countries such as Nigeria, which is the focus of this research, have been a concern to construction practitioners and other interested parties such as clients and regulatory bodies. Some scholars suggest that part of these challenges can be attributed to ineffective quality management systems; thus, leading to consequences such as building collapse, poor organisational/industry reputation, poor/lack of traceability, poor documentation process, and lack of planned audit. This research aims to develop a contextual model that is intended to improve the culture of quality that can facilitate effective quality management practices in construction organisations in Nigeria. A mixed (quantitative and qualitative) methodological approach was deployed based on a pragmatic research philosophy paradigm. A questionnaire (quantitative) survey was adopted to gather data and results from the data analysis and reviewed literature were discussed, and the findings supported the development of a conceptual quality management model in construction as the outcome of this research. The designed model comprises eight integrated components. The model is a quality system that construction organisations can use: to identify some typical barriers hindering effective QMSs implementation; to assist them to develop cultural values that can drive effective QMSs implementation; to undertake effective QMSs practices as they relate to construction, and to recognise the potential results and longer-term benefits obtainable from implementing effective QMSs. The model was evaluated and validated by professional construction practitioners and academic experts for its usefulness and applicability. Future study should focus on the practical validation of the model.
Keywords: ISO 9001; Quality Management Practices; Quality Management System.


This essay analyzes the creation and evolution of an informal network of managers, engineers, and technicians that influenced the modernization of management practice and culture in Italy between the late 1940s and the 1960s. One level of analysis deals directly with practices; the second describes the channels and the forms through which business knowledge spread during the postwar decades. On the first level, I analyze the reengineering processes in two leading Italian light manufacturing industries, Olivetti and Necchi, explaining their characteristic technological and institutional circumstances and the ways in which they attempted to adapt earlier versions of scientific management learned in the interwar period to new economic and technological conditions. On the second level, I trace the creation of a network for diffusing this information via published journals and public seminars and through foreign connections originating primarily in the institutions linked to the U.S. Technical Assistance and Productivity Program. My work allows us to identify the carriers of Americanization and, moreover, to understand how they acted and whether or not they succeeded.


&NA; Date Presented 3/30/2017 This study aimed to determine if relationship status, minority status, or working while in college impacted stress or resilience in college students. This topic will improve understanding of how resilience and stress relate to the personality characteristics and mental health of students. Primary Author and Speaker: Katharine Holle


Trends of rainfall in East Africa during the period 1922-1975 are examined using two independent approaches. namely the graphical and statistical methods. Under the graphical method the original and smoothed rainfall series were displayed visually on a graph. while the Spearman rank correlation test and the analysis of variance approach were employed in the statistical approach. The data used included the monthly. seasonal and annual rainfall records of about 100 stations during the period 1922-1975. The results of the study indicate significant trends of annual rainfall at nine stations when the Spearman rank correlation test was used. The smoothed graphs indicated similar tendencies at these stations during the period of study. The use of analysis of variance technique. however. indicated no significant difference between long-term averages and the averages of some standard periods at six of the nine stations. The only three stations where significant rainfall trends were indicated with both methods were Lodwar, Wajir and Magadi. All methods indicated an increasing annual rainfall tendency at these stations during the period of study. The results from the monthly. seasonal and regional rainfall records revealed no significant trends on the regionally averaged annual rainfall records. or on the monthly and dry season records. The wet seasons had characteristics close to those of the annual series.


The CMDS Symposia were initiated in 1975. CMDS 11, organised in Ecole des Mines de Paris, welcomed 66 participants from 14 countries. With the aim to stimulate interdisciplinary research, it gathered scientists in various areas (physics, mechanics, materials sciences, applied mathematics, engineering sciences), working on properties and applications of physical systems, where the interaction between a discrete and a continuous description plays a major role. These Proceedings collect the content of most lectures given at CMDS 11, and covering the following topics: statistical mechanics, mechanics of complex fluids, of solid microstructures and of granular media, fracture at different scales, modelling of living structures, of composite media and of metamaterials, leading to new optical or acoustical properties.


Kendari city had serious issues related to emerging a hundred of fast food sellers in 2017, including in Mokoau Health Centre area. However, there were only two health environmental staffs in that health care centre. Therefore, involving cadres in the fast food control become necessary. This study aimed to analyse the relationship between cadre's capacity and Assessing to the food seller's performance in food hygiene and sanitation management in Mokoau Health Centre in Kendari City since March 2019. There were 15 active cadres who controlled 35 fast food sellers. This study used the One-Group Pretest- Posttest Design. Data analysis used Paired T-test, Mann-Whitney test and Chi-Square test. This study found that 93.3% cadres had a senior high school diploma and only 6.7% of them had a Bachelor degree. There were 60.6% active cadres who had been in social health work for more than 5 years. The majority of cadres have got training about less than 15 times (86.7%). Involving cadres in the fast food control affected to seller's performance change in fast food hygiene and sanitation management (P=0.006). Cadre with bachelor degree (P=0.006), were active in the social health work for less than 5 years (P=0.003), and got training less than 15 times (Pvalue= 0.026) influenced significantly to cadre's assessing for the seller's performance in food hygiene and sanitation management. This study suggested that improving cadre's or community volunteer's knowledge and skill related to fast food control technique becomes necessarily in fast food control.


Direct shear tests were performed to study the shear rate effects of reticulate red clay around Dongting Lake. In the direct shear tests, four sets of undisturbed specimen of reticulate red clay were sheared under the different vertical pressure of 50kPa, 100kPa, 200kPa and 300kPa. Specimens were sheared with six different shear rates of 0.04mm/s, 0.02mm/s, 0.01mm/s, 0.007mm/s, 0.004mm/s and 0.003mm/s under each vertical pressure. Test results show that: (1) shear strength of reticulate red clay increases along with the vertical pressure; (2) shear rate effects of reticulate red clay are affected by vertical pressure significantly; (3) due to its reticulate structure of reticulate red clay, it shows some differences in shear rate effects comparing with other clay.


Through an analysis of archival documents and the published writings of experts, this paper explores the relationships between the emerging field of sexology, the state, and the Catholic Church in post-1956 Poland, as these relationships play an important role in the history of sexuality under state socialism. In the period in question, experts in sexuality, mainly medical doctors, focused on how to improve sexual relations within marriage. They developed a notion known as the 'culture of sexuality' based on progressive values such as equality, rationality, and psychological health. Experts drew a connection between an improvement in people's marital sex lives and the health and welfare of both society and the nation. The Party-State supported these developments and also used them to their advantage in their political struggle with the Catholic Church. However, the experts' proposal to restrict access to abortion (in 1961) was met with decisive resistance on the part of the Party-State.


Public opposition to antiracism laws-an expression of prejudice toward immigrants-is widespread in Switzerland as well as in other European countries. Using data from the European Social Survey 2002 (N = 1,711), the present study examined across Swiss municipalities individual and contextual predictors of opposition to such laws and of two well-established antecedents of prejudice: perceived threat and intergroup contact. The study extends multilevel research on immigration attitudes by investigating the role of the ideological climate prevailing in municipalities (conservative vs. progressive), in addition to structural features of municipalities. Controlling for individual-level determinants, stronger opposition to antiracism laws was found in more conservative municipalities, while the proportion of immigrants was positively related to intergroup contact. Furthermore, in conservative municipalities with a low proportion of immigrants, fewer intergroup contacts were reported. In line with prior research, intergroup contact decreased prejudiced policy stances through a reduction of perceived threat. Overall, this study highlights the need to include normative and ideological features of local contexts in the analysis of public reactions toward immigrants.


SIR,-In the light of the figures supplied in your issue of 26 January (p 261), which show that perinatal mortality has almost halved in a decade, is it not time that correspondents such as Dr M J Boscoe, whom I note writes from Holland, stopped talking about our "appalling" perinatal mortality statistics? In my view we should leave such hyperbole to journalists and advertising agents who have a different axe to grind than those of us who are trying to improve the care offered to mothers and babies at delivery. The first step might be to recognise that this is as much a social as a medical matter and that so far as our figures are unsatisfactory (and mortality is not the whole story) we should draw the attention of the Government and the fourth estate to the fact that young married women are the most downtrodden section of our community whereas in any civilised society, and particularly one that subscribes to the Christian myth or even one whose only aim is biological survival, their needs should be put first and not last. It might even be that were we to increase children's allowances to an adequate sum much of the pressure from married men with children for higher wages would abate.


Advances in whole genome sequencing (WGS) platforms and DNA library preparation have led to the development of methods for high throughput sequencing of bacterial genomes at a relatively low cost (Loman et al. 2012; Medini et al. 2008). WGS offers unprecedented resolution for determining degrees of relatedness between strains of bacterial pathogens and has proven a powerful tool for microbial population studies and epidemiological investigations (Harris et al. 2010; Lienau et al. 2011; Holt et al. 2009; Ashton, Peters, et al. 2015). The potential utility of WGS to public health microbiology has been highlighted previously (Köser et al. 2012; Kwong et al. 2013; Reuter et al. 2013; Joensen et al. 2014; Nair et al. 2014; Bakker et al. 2014; D'Auria et al. 2014). Here we report, for the first time, the routine use of WGS as the primary test for identification, surveillance and outbreak investigation by a national reference laboratory. We present data on how this has revolutionised public health microbiology for one of the most common bacterial pathogens in the United Kingdom, the Salmonellae. DATA SUMMARY 1. PHE Salmonella sequencing data is deposited in the Sequence Read Archive in BioProject PRJNA248792. IMPACT STATEMENT The first human genome cost around $3 billion, and took around 10 years to complete. Advances in DNA sequencing technology (also referred to as whole genome sequencing (WGS)) allow the same feat to be accomplished today for less than $10000 and less than 2 weeks. This remarkable improvement in technology has also led to a step change in microbiology, increasing our understanding of the evolution of major human pathogens such as Yersinia pestis, Salmonella Typhi and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While these kinds of academic studies provide unparalleled context for public health action, until now, this approach has not been routinely employed at the frontline. At Public Health England, WGS has been implemented for routine public health identification, characterisation and typing of an important human pathogen, Salmonella, replacing methods that have changed little over the last 100 years. Analysis of WGS data has identified outbreaks that were previously undetectable and been used to infer rare antimicrobial resistance patterns. This paper will serve as a notification to the community of the methods PHE are using, and will be of great use to other public health labs considering switching to WGS.


PURPOSE
Medical procedures can be difficult to perform on anatomy that is constantly moving. Respiration displaces internal organs by up to several centimeters with respect to the surface of the body, and patients often have limited ability to hold their breath. Strategies to compensate for motion during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures require reliable information to be available. However, current devices often monitor respiration indirectly, through changes on the outline of the body, and they may be fixed to floors or ceilings, and thus unable to follow a given patient through different locations. Here we show that small ultrasound-based sensors referred to as 'organ configuration motion' (OCM) sensors can be fixed to the abdomen and/or chest and provide information-rich, breathing related signals.

METHODS
By design, the proposed sensors are relatively inexpensive. Breathing waveforms were obtained from tissues at varying depths and/or using different sensor placements. Validation was performed against breathing waveforms derived from MRI and optical tracking signals, in five and eight volunteers, respectively.

RESULTS
Breathing waveforms from different modalities were scaled so they could be directly compared. Differences between waveforms were expressed in the form of a percentage, as compared to the amplitude of a typical breath. Expressed in this manner, for shallow tissues, OCM-derived waveforms on average differed from MRI and optical tracking results by 13.1% and 15.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSION
The present results suggest that the proposed sensors provide measurements that properly characterize breathing states. While OCM-based waveforms from shallow tissues proved similar in terms of information content to those derived from MRI or optical tracking, OCM further captured depth-dependent and position-dependent (i.e., chest and abdomen) information. In time, the richer information content of OCM-based waveforms may enable better respiratory gating to be performed, to allow diagnostic and therapeutic equipment to perform at their best.


The thermal precursor Tp′Rh[P(OMe)3](Me)H was used to generate the active [Tp′Rh[P(OMe)3]] fragment, which activates C–H bonds of various hydrocarbons to form products of the type Tp′Rh[P(OMe)3](R)H (Tp′ = tris-(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate). Only one single activation product was observed in each case. The structures of Tp′Rh[P(OMe)3](R)X (X = H, Br, Cl) have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray crystallography. The kinetics of reductive elimination of RH from Tp′Rh[P(OMe)3](R)H as well as competition experiments between substrates allow measurement of the Rh–C bond strengths relative to the Rh–Ph bond strength. Two separate linear correlations of the Rh–C bond energies versus H–C bond energies were found based on whether the alkyl group is α-substituted or not. While the correlation for α-substituted substrates gives a slope of 1.45, smaller than the slope (1.55) for unsubstituted hydrocarbons, the Rh–C bond energies of the former group are higher by ∼7 kcal mol−1. In comparison with the analogous [Tp′Rh(PMe3)] and [Tp′Rh(CNneopentyl)] systems, replacing the spectator ligand with a more electronic donating group slightly increases metal–carbon bond strengths as the trend in slopes of the correlations follows an order of CNneopentyl < P(OMe)3 ≤ PMe3.


The array measurements of microtremors were carried out at nine sites to estimate the subsurface S -wave velocity ( β ) structures of the sedimentary deposits beneath the metropolitan area of Anchorage, Alaska. The data were recorded by ten three-component accelerometers arranged in a triangular manner for three different array sizes. The phase velocities ( C ( f )) were estimated at each site from the vertical component of the recorded microtremor data by using the frequency-wavenumber technique. The C ( f ) data from different arrays were combined after checking their consistency for a series of overlapped frequency bands from different arrays and were inverted using a stochastic least-squares inversion technique to estimate the 1D β -structure underneath each site. The inversion results show that the engineering basement ( β >750 m/sec) lies at a relatively shallower depth (∼40 m) in the eastern part of the basin along the foothills of the Chugach Mountains (cm) and at deeper depths toward the southcentral (∼100 m) and western (∼150 m) parts of the basin in accord with the general dip of the basin. Below the engineering basement, a well- developed low-velocity zone (lvz) with β -values in the range of 900–1040 m/sec is found to be present in the eastern as well as along the Knik Arm side in the western part of the basin at a depth of 200 m and 900 m, respectively. Moreover, the central part of the basin is associated with a weakly developed lvz below the engineering basement depth. In the rest of the basin, the β -value increases gradually with depth. The spatial variations of β in the basin at different depths from 20 to 500 m are represented by using 2D interpolation of the β -structures obtained from the inversion of C ( f ) data. The depth to the crystalline basement of the basin, however, could not be ascertained and it seems to be much deeper than the maximum depth (2000 m) resolved by the data gathered in this study. To validate the results of inversion, the spectral ratio between the horizontal and vertical components (h/v) of the recorded microtremor data at each site has been compared with the computed h/v of Rayleigh waves based on the respective β -structure. The results showed good agreement in the frequency range of about 0.4–6.0 Hz. In this frequency range, the h/v peaks are due to the overall effect of the velocity contrasts between layers representing the subsurface β -structure.


X-ray diffraction tomography (XRDT) is an exciting imaging modality because of its capacity to combine volumetric imaging with material discrimination. Despite this fact, practical implementation of such systems to security workflows have been fraught with challenges due to real world" constraints" one of the most notable being a limitation on the total photon budget. This challenge is exacerbated given that one of the more pronounced trade-offs in XRDT system design is that between imaging performance and the quantity of relevant, scattered photons collected. Consequently, two approaches have emerged that operate at different ends of this trade-off continuum. At one extreme, direct tomography (DT) uses a high degree of collimation to realize robust resolution but suffers from low signal levels. At the other extreme, coded aperture XRDT (CA-XRDT) employs coded apertures which allow for detection of a substantially greater number of photons but at the cost of signal multiplexing and potentially less robustness to object extent. While these two systems differ only slightly in hardware (i.e. whether a collimator or coded aperture is used), a fair and fundamental comparison between the two is not straightforward and has never been performed. Furthermore, such an analysis is important for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each system and thereby identifying an optimal architecture. In this paper, we first present our methodology to define the theoretical resolution of DT and CA-XRDT systems, focusing on the case of a pencil beam geometry. After using this approach to tweak system design in simulation such that both systems have the same theoretical average resolution, we then conduct a numerical investigation of the imaging performance of each system as a function of the measurement SNR and target object width for linear and area array detector geometries. We find in our particular simulation study that, while there are cases where both systems can identify and localize an object equally well, there are certain imaging scenarios where CA-XRDT outperforms DT and vice versa. In addition, we find that DT generally provides more information per photon than CA-XRDT but that there can be comparatively less information overall.


Presolar grains in meteorites and interplanetary dust particles carry non-solar isotopic signatures pointing to origins in supernovae, giant stars, and possibly other stellar sources. There have been suggestions that some of these grains condensed in the ejecta of classical nova outbursts, but the evidence is ambiguous. We report neon and helium compositions in particles captured on stratospheric collectors flown to sample materials from comets 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup and 55P/Tempel-Tuttle that point to condensation of their gas carriers in the ejecta of a neon (ONe) nova. The absence of detectable 3He in these particles indicates space exposure to solar wind irradiation of a few decades at most, consistent with origins in cometary dust streams. Measured 4He/20Ne, 20Ne/22Ne, 21Ne/22Ne, and 20Ne/21Ne isotope ratios, and a low upper limit on 3He/4He, are in accord with calculations of nucleosynthesis in neon nova outbursts. Of these, the uniquely low 4He/20Ne and high 20Ne/22Ne ratios are the most diagnostic, reflecting the large predicted 20Ne abundances in the ejecta of such novae. The correspondence of measured Ne and He compositions in cometary matter with theoretical predictions is evidence for the presence of presolar grains from novae in the early solar system.


CRISPR/Cas is the prokaryotic adaptive immune response to viral invasion. Its mechanism is reminiscent of the eukaryotic RNA interference. The host actively incorporates short sequences from invading genetic elements (viruses or plasmids) into a region of its genome that is characterized by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and a number of CRISPR-associated (cas) genes. The molecular memory of previous infections can be transcribed and processed into small RNAs (crRNAs) that guide a multiprotein–nucleic acid interference complex to recognize and cleave incoming foreign genetic material. Three pathways (I, II, III) are defined by their protein machinery and target specificity (DNA vs. RNA). In types I and III, the main protagonist of the interference complex is the Cas7 protein. Up to six copies of Cas7 constitute the complex's main building block that assembles around the crRNA and provides a platform for protein interactions and target binding.
During my PhD work, I solved the crystal structures of two Cas7 orthologs from different archaeal species, at 1.8 A for Thermofilum pendens (Tp) Csc2 and at 2.37 A for Meth- anopyrus kandleri (Mk) Csm3. The crystal structures of Mk Csm3 and Tp Csc2 were solved by experimental phasing and revealed a core RRM-like domain with a β1-α1-β2-β3-α2-β4 arrangement of secondary structure elements. The core is flanked by three peripheral domains that are defined by insertions within the core. Structural superposition of the RRM-like core domains of Mk Csm3 and Tp Csc2 with the representatives of other Cas families (5/6/7) revealed the highest homology beyond the RRM with a Cas7 family homolog. Thus I showed that Cas7 family proteins share equivalent insertions, forming homologous peripheral domains.
Using the information obtained from structural data, I investigated the RNA binding properties Mk Csm3, Tp Csc2 and a Cas7 protein from subtype I-A, Thermoproteus tenax (Tt) Csa2. All orthologs bound RNA in a sequence-independent manner, according to their physiological function of spacer binding. Furthermore, a combined approach consisting of mutation analysis, UV-based protein–RNA crosslinking, mass spectrometry and fluorescence anisotropy mapped the RNA interacting regions to two structurally highly conserved positively charged surfaces.
Taken together, this thesis describes a comprehensive structural study of the Cas7 family, defining the family's structural features. These structural data from single proteins and the mapped RNA binding interfaces agree with protein–RNA interactions observed in the Escherichia coli interference complex.


Metachromatic leukodystrophy is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder in man associated with deficient arylsulfatase-A activity (aryl-sulfate sulfohydrolase, EC 188.8.131.52). The same enzyme deficiency has been noted in clinically normal individuals, a condition known as pseudo arylsulfatase-A deficiency. With a nonselective method, somatic cell hybrids were obtained from cultured fibroblasts of these two types of individuals; the hybrids showed no restoration of arylsulfatase-A activity. Thus, metachromatic leukodystrophy and pseudo arylsulfatase-A deficiency are allelic conditions. Although these conditions cannot be distinguished by simple quantitative arylsulfatase-A activity assays, they can be differentiated with sucrose density gradient centrifugation, Cellogel electrophoresis, or isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels. In each case, a small amount of activity with characteristics of arylsulfatase-A was found only from fibroblasts of pseudo arylsulfatase-A-deficient individuals and not from those of metachromatic leukodystrophy patients. This residual enzyme has the same pH optimum, heat stability, inhibitor sensitivity, and Km as the normal enzyme but slightly different isoelectric points. In conclusion, although pseudo arylsulfatase-A deficiency and metachromatic leukodystrophy have very different clinical outcomes, they are due to mutations of the same structural gene, coding for arylsulfatase-A. These two conditions can be differentiated now by simple electrophoretic analysis of the residual arylsulfatase-A activity.


The number of operative procedures involving the creation of an intestinal stoma is likely to increase as the population ages. Understanding the role of age on postoperative outcomes such as quality of life (QoL) and self-efficacy is critical to developing appropriate supportive strategies. A descriptive survey study was conducted among 18 patients (11 men seven women, age range 47 to 90 years) who had an intestinal ostomy created during a 3-year period at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Stoma Quality of Life Survey and a self-efficacy survey examining self-care, activities of daily living, and instrumental activities of daily living were administered. Patient records were ob- tained through a retrospective chart review; of the 57 patients identified, 18 were still alive, had not undergone stoma re - versal, were cognitively competent, and agreed to participate. Seven patients were 65 versus 26.1%, for patients <65 years old), no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups for stoma-associated QoL and self-efficacy scores. In patients who had stoma surgery in 2011, older patients on average had higher QoL scores (65.21 versus 61.87, maximum score 100, P = 0.56), but lower self-efficacy scores (32.50 versus 35.25, maximum score 40, P = 0.50). These findings are similar to previously reported study results. However, the small study sample size limits analysis of the variables that may affect QoL in stoma patients. This study supports the need for additional prospective studies to help clinicians develop effective support strategies.


Large coherent vortices are abundant in geophysical and astrophysical flows. They play significant roles in the Earth's oceans and atmosphere, the atmosphere of gas giants, such as Jupiter, and the protoplanetary disks around forming stars. These vortices are essentially three-dimensional (3D) and baroclinic, and their dynamics are strongly influenced by the rotation and density stratification of their environments. This work focuses on improving our understanding of the physics of 3D baroclinic vortices in rotating and continuously stratified flows using 3D spectral simulations of the Boussinesq equations, as well as simplified mathematical models. The first chapter discusses the big picture and summarizes the results of this work.In Chapter 2, we derive a relationship for the aspect ratio (i.e., vertical half-thickness over horizontal length scale) of steady and slowly-evolving baroclinic vortices in rotating stratified fluids. We show that the aspect ratio is a function of the Brunt-Vaisala frequencies within the vortex and outside the vortex, the Coriolis parameter, and the Rossby number of the vortex. This equation is basically the gradient-wind equation integrated over the vortex, and is significantly different from the previously proposed scaling laws that find the aspect ratio to be only a function of the properties of the background flow, and independent of the dynamics of the vortex. Our relation is valid for cyclones and anticyclones in either the cyclostrophic or geostrophic regimes; it works with vortices in Boussinesq fluids or ideal gases, and non-uniform background density gradient. The relation for the aspect ratio has many consequences for quasi-equilibrium vortices in rotating stratified flows. For example, cyclones must have interiors more stratified than the background flow (i.e., super-stratified), and weak anticyclones must have interiors less stratified than the background (i.e., sub-stratified). In addition, this equation is useful to infer the height and internal stratification of some astrophysical and geophysical vortices because direct measurements of their vertical structures are difficult. We verify our relation for the aspect ratio with numerical simulations for a wide variety of families of vortices, including: vortices that are initially in (dissipationless) equilibrium and then evolve due to an imposed weak viscous dissipation or density radiation; anticyclones created by the geostrophic adjustment of a patch of locally-mixed density; cyclones created by fluid suction from a small localized region; vortices created from the remnants of the violent breakups of columnar vortices; and weakly non-axisymmetric vortices. The values of the aspect ratios of our numerically-computed vortices validate our theoretically-derived relationship for aspect ratio, and generally they differ significantly from the values obtained from the much-cited conjecture that the aspect ratio of quasi-geostrophic vortices is equal to the ratio of the Coriolis parameter to the Brunt-Vaisala frequency of the background flow.In Chapter 3, we show numerically and experimentally that localized suction in rotating continuously stratified flows produces three-dimensional baroclinic cyclones. As expected from Chapter 2, the interiors of these cyclones are super-stratified. Suction, modeled as a small spherical sink in the simulations, creates an anisotropic flow toward the sink with directional dependence changing with the ratio of the Coriolis parameter to the Brunt-Vaisala frequency. Around the sink, this flow generates cyclonic vorticity and deflects isopycnals so that the interior of the cyclone becomes super-stratified. The super-stratified region is visualized in the companion experiments that we helped to design and analyze using the synthetic schlieren technique. Once the suction stops, the cyclones decay due to viscous dissipation in the simulations and experiments. The numerical results show that the vertical velocity of viscously decaying cyclones flows away from the cyclone's midplane, while the radial velocity flows toward the cyclone's center. This observation is explained based on the cyclo-geostrophic balance. This vertical velocity mixes the flow inside and outside of cyclone and reduces the super-stratification. We speculate that the predominance of anticyclones in geophysical and astrophysical flows is due to the fact that anticyclones require sub-stratification, which occurs naturally by mixing, while cyclones require super-stratification.In Chapter 4, we show that a previously unknown instability creates space-filling lattices of 3D turbulent baroclinic vortices in linearly-stable, rotating, stratified shear flows. The instability starts from a newly discovered family of easily-excited critical layers. This new family, named the baroclinic critical layer, has singular vertical velocities; the traditional family of (barotropic) critical layer has singular stream-wise velocities and is hard to excite. In our simulations, the baroclinic critical layers in rotating stably-stratified linear shear are excited by small-volume, small-amplitude vortices or waves. The excited baroclinic critical layers then intensify by drawing energy from the background shear and roll-up into large coherent 3D vortices that excite new critical layers and vortices. The vortices self-similarly replicate to create lattices of turbulent vortices. These vortices persist for all time and are called zombie vortices because they can occur in the dead zones of protoplanetary disks. The self-replication of zombie vortices can de-stabilize the otherwise linearly and finite-amplitude stable Keplerian shear and lead to the formation of stars and planets.


Since the 1960s, the United States has undergone a surge in immigration. The share of the U.S. population that is foreign born surpassed 10% in 2000, with new immigrants accounting for nearly half of recent U.S. population growth. Three policy issues are central to the current debate about immigration. One is what should be the level and composition of legal immigration. The United States admits relatively large numbers of immigrants with low levels of education and other discernible skills. Rising immigration of the less skilled may lower wages of native workers. A second issue is what to do about illegal immigration. Illegal aliens account for one third of new U.S. immigrants. An open question is whether U.S. policy should attempt to replace illegal immigration with large-scale temporary immigration of foreign workers. A third issue is whether immigrants should be eligible for public assistance. Denying eligibility could reduce immigration and lower fiscal transfers from natives to immigrants. In this paper, we examine immigration in the United States over the last several decades in order to gauge the potential for and the consequences of changes in U.S. immigration policy. Our study has six main sections, following an introduction. In section 2, we review U.S. immigration policy and trends. Current U.S. policy sets a quota on overall immigration, with first priority for admissions given to family members of U.S. citizens and legal residents. In recent years, fewer than 15% of new immigrants have been admitted based on their skill level. Whether intended or not, this policy favors immigrants with relatively little schooling. Recent immigrants tend to concentrate in specific regions and industries, and tend to earn much less than natives. In section 3, we consider how U.S. regional economies adjust to immigrant inflows. Despite the geographic concentration of recent immigrants, wages have not fallen perceptibly in the gateway communities in which immigrants settle. Regions have adjusted to immigrant inflows through other mechanisms, including skill upgrading of the native labor force, outmigration of native workers, and shifts in output mix towards immigrant-intensive industries. If education levels of the U.S. labor force stabilize, as they are expected to do, the wage impacts of immigration may be more pronounced. In section 4, we examine the factors that influence U.S. illegal immigration. Most illegal immigrants enter the country either by crossing the Mexico-U.S. border or by overstaying entry visas. Mexico is the largest source country for illegal immigration and illegal entry tends to surge following economic downturns in the country. The U.S. government impedes illegal immigration by policing borders and monitoring employers, with the vast majority of resources dedicated to border enforcement. These efforts appear to have had limited success, as the inflow of illegal immigrants continues unabated. In section 5, we examine the fiscal impact of immigration. Prior to U.S. welfare reform in 1996, immigrants were more likely than natives to receive public assistance. New laws restrict immigrant access to many benefits, one important exception being costly public education. For some types of public assistance, individual U.S. states have the discretion to offer benefits after an individual has been in the country for at least five years. Excluding immigrants from public assistance has been subject to numerous judicial challenges. Despite immigrant use of public assistance, the net fiscal transfer from natives to immigrants appears to be very small at the national level, though it is higher in a few specific states that have both generous welfare benefits and large immigrant populations. In general, the older and the less educated the adult immigrant population is, the larger are native-to-immigrant net fiscal transfers. In section 6, we examine the political economy of U.S. immigration policy. We find that individual opinions about immigration policy are influenced by expectations about its impact on outcomes in the labor market and on public services and the welfare state. In particular, less-skilled workers and political conservatives are among those most opposed to freer immigration. Congressional representatives seem to respond to these concerns in their districts when voting on legislation. In section 7, we conclude by discussing current policy choices facing the United States. Key decisions for U.S. policy makers include whether to replace family-based immigration with skills-based immigration, whether to continue to exclude immigrants from access to public assistance, whether to expand temporary immigration, and how to balance border and interior policing in enforcing against illegal immigration.


To the Editor.— During the summer of 1971 I noticed teenagers living on Cape Cod had less evidence of acne than those in the Adirondacks. Intriguing, for both groups were casually similar: healthy, rested New England teenagers with good diets, no pressures," and enjoying fun outdoors. Their sport and water activities varied, though both groups were obviously outside a lot. The Adirondack and Cape Cod areas enjoyed comparable good weather. Neither suffered a wet, miserable July so the ultraviolet light factor should have been equal. Why the difference? Could it be salt? Water dries by evaporation. Fresh water dries clean; salt water leaves a fine film that is characteristically sticky and granular. Many people dislike the feeling of this residual salt deposit, and shower it off after swimming in the ocean. But teenagers rarely bother. The salt remains on the face, shoulders, and back. Salt dries the skin. Indeed, the


Background: Cardiac myxomas are commonly located in the left atrium but rarely affect the right side of the heart. We retrospectively analyzed 28 patients receiving surgical treatment for right heart myxomas at our center and aimed to summarize the clinical features and surgical outcomes of right heart myxomas. Methods: Between May 2001 and June 2022, 244 patients with sporadic cardiac myxomas underwent complete surgical resection. Twenty-eight patients (28/244, 11.48%) were right heart myxomas. Among the 28 right heart myxoma cases, 25 underwent median sternotomy and 3 underwent robotic or total thoracoscopic procedures. The clinical features, operative information, and follow-up data of right heart myxoma were comprehensively reviewed, and clinical characteristics between right heart myxoma and left heart myxoma were also compared. Results: A significant difference was noted in sex between right heart myxoma and left heart myxoma (P < .05). Right heart myxoma had a higher asymptomatic rate (17.86% vs. 3.70%, P = .007) and a lower embolization rate (3.57% vs. 30.09%, P = .003) than left heart myxoma. The most common attachment site of right heart myxoma is the atrial septum. The mean operative duration and cardiopulmonary bypass time of right heart myxoma resection were 207.71 ± 53.40 minutes and 63.86 ± 29.73 minutes, respectively, with an in-hospital mortality rate of 3.57%. During the follow-up, 2 patients died of noncardiac causes. The overall 1-, 2-, and 5-year actuarial survival rates after right heart myxoma resection were 95.8%, 90.8%, and 84.7%, respectively. Conclusions: As a rare cardiac tumor, the clinical characteristics of right heart myxoma are different from typical left heart myxoma in some aspects, such as sex, asymptomatic rate, and embolization rate. Prompt surgical resection of right heart myxoma gives excellent early and mid-term results.


This article analyzes the motivations and recruitment of female suicide terrorists. Biographical accounts of 30 female and 30 male suicide terrorists were coded for method of recruitment, motivation for attack, and outcome of attack. A log-linear analysis found that female suicide terrorists were motivated more by Personal events, whereas males were motivated more by Religious/nationalistic factors. Females were equally likely as males to be recruited through peer influence, exploitation, or self promotion, whereas males were more likely to be recruited as a result of religious persuasion. The results highlight the need for continued research into female terrorism.


Identity development in adolescence is characterized by many risks and challenges, and becomes even more complex by the situation of migration and deafness. In particular, the condition of the second generation of migrant adolescents involves the comparison between the family context in which everybody speaks a language and deals with a specific culture (usually parents' and relatives' original culture), the social context (school, peer groups, sports groups), where a foreign language is spoken and a new culture is faced, and finally in the context of the "deaf" world. It is a dialectic involving unsolved differences that have to be treated in a discontinuous process, which will give complex outcomes and chances depending on the process of elaboration of the themes of growth and development, culture and deafness. This paper aims to underline the problems and opportunities for each issue which immigrant deaf adolescents must deal with. In particular, it will highlight the importance of a multifactorial approach for the analysis of personal resources (both intra-psychic and relational); the level of integration of the family of origin in the migration context; the elaboration of the migration event, and finally, the tractability of the condition of deafness. Some psycho-educational support objectives will be also highlighted for the identity development of deaf immigrant adolescents, with particular emphasis on the construction of the adolescents' useful abilities to decode complex emotions, to develop self-esteem and to get critical thoughts about the inevitable attempts to build their identity. Remarkably, and of importance, the construction of flexible settings which support adolescents in a supple, "decentralized" way in order to avoid the regressive defenses that do not allow for the development of an authentic self. Keywords—Immigrant deaf adolescents, identity development, personal and social challenges, psycho-educational support.


Background: Adipose tissue (AT) is involved in several physiological functions, including metabolic regulation, energy storage, and endocrine functions. Objectives: In this review we examined the evidence that an additional function of AT is to modulate persistent organic pollutant (POP) toxicity through several mechanisms. Methods: We reviewed the literature on the interaction of AT with POPs to provide a comprehensive model for this additional function of AT. Discussion: As a storage compartment for lipophilic POPs, AT plays a critical role in the toxicokinetics of a variety of drugs and pollutants, in particular, POPs. By sequestering POPs, AT can protect other organs and tissues from POPs overload. However, this protective function could prove to be a threat in the long run. The accumulation of lipophilic POPs will increase total body burden. These accumulated POPs are slowly released into the bloodstream, and more so during weight loss. Thus, AT constitutes a continual source of internal exposure to POPs. In addition to its buffering function, AT is also a target of POPs and may mediate part of their metabolic effects. This is particularly relevant because many POPs induce obesogenic effects that may lead to quantitative and qualitative alterations of AT. Some POPs also induce a proinflammatory state in AT, which may lead to detrimental metabolic effects. Conclusion: AT appears to play diverse functions both as a modulator and as a target of POPs toxicity.


Metal hydride complexes find widespread application in catalysis and their properties are often understood on the basis of the available crystal structures. However, some catalytically relevant metal hydrides are only spontaneously formed in situ, cannot be isolated in large quantities or crystallised and their structure is therefore ill defined. One such example is the paramagnetic Ti(iii)-hydride involved in homogeneous Ziegler–Natta catalysis, formed upon activation of CpTi(iv)Cl3 with modified methylalumoxane (MMAO). In this contribution, through a combined use of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) and hyperfine sublevel correlation (HYSCORE) spectroscopies we identify the nature of the ligands, their bonding interaction and the extent of the spin distribution. From the data, an atomistic and electronic model is proposed, which supports the presence of a self-assembled ion pair between a cationic terminal Ti-hydride and an aluminate anion, with a hydrodynamic radius of ca. 16 Å.


Trade liberalisation, burgeoning technological development and growing significance of intellectual property rights, have catalysed the change in global economic paradigm. In tandem with this flux in the contours of international trade, amendments have constantly been introduced in the sphere of national laws. A veritable example of the ripples created by international developments across national frontiers is that of General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT), later subsumed by World Trade Organisation (WTO), which inaugurated the free trade regime. The advent of GATT/ WTO necessitated certain changes in domestic laws of member states, including laws appertaining to intellectual property rights. As the vanguard for protection of human ingenuity, creativity, innovation and enterprise; intellectual property rights have been elevated to a venerable position. The incontrovertible significance of IPRs is further reinforced in the contemporary knowledge driven economies, which thrive on innovation, enterprise and industrial-technical progress. However, owing to rapid technological advancement, IPR protected goods can be easily imitated and pirated. Under such circumstances, the exporters of products endowed with IPRs strive to protect their goods from unwarranted encroachments and imitation in importing countries. Differential treatment of imported IP protected goods also leads to ludicrous results. In order to meet such situations and to ensure that IPRs do not obliterate free trade, the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights provides for minimum standards of IP protection. All the WTO member countries are under an obligation to comply with the provisions of TRIPs agreement. India, as a WTO member reconciled the divergences between TRIPs and its domestic intellectual property laws, most importantly the Indian Patent Act, 1970. But India's journey towards TRIPs compliance has been enmeshed by the mailbox dispute and the ensuing amendments in 1999, 2002 and 2005. Against this backdrop, the paper attempts to delve into some of the significant issues like the rationale behind the TRIPs agreement, the TRIPs mandate with regard to Patent Rights and its impact on the Indian Patent Regime. Besides briefly dealing with the Pre-TRIPs position, the paper expatiates upon the Post-TRIPs Regime of Patent Rights in India. The involvement of India in the mailbox dispute catapulted some very important changes in the Indian Patent Act, 1970 and therefore the case has been dealt with in sufficient detail.


This study explored the information needs and sources used by engineers in Nigeria with a questionnaire randomly administered to 120 respondents using a survey research approach. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. There were more male (89.7%) than female engineers, the higher greater percentage (45.2%) being between 41 and 50 years, and many (40.5%) had PhD degrees, with most being senior lecturers. The main areas of specialisation were materials and metallurgy, electrical and electronic engineering and agricultural engineering. Their primary areas of information needs were research (79.8%), current developments (61.9%) and new designs (47.6%). The most popular information sources used at least once a month were formal sources, including 'books' and journals (print and electronic), software, technical report papers, theses and dissertations; and informal sources such as face-to-face and email discussions, social networking, conference and seminar attendance. The main methods of accessing the sources include contacts with colleagues and personal procurement of useful sources. Barriers to meeting information needs were irregular power supply, insufficient funding and inadequate resources (laboratories, workshops, facilities, and libraries). Some findings suggested that sufficient funds, well-equipped and functional engineering workshops, laboratories, libraries and other facilities be provided by the parent organisations, and that the Nigerian government should ensure a regular power supply. These provisions will enable engineers to make meaningful contribution to national development in an environment supported with current, accessible and relevant information.


Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis, an apparently emerging disease of equids. In this study, the antibody response of horses to the structural proteins of EAV was evaluated using gradient-purified EAV virions and baculovirus-expressed recombinant EAV structural proteins (GL, GS, M, N) as antigens in a Western immunoblotting assay. Thirty-three sera from horses that previously had been naturally or experimentally infected with EAV were evaluated, including samples from mares, geldings, and both persistently and nonpersistently infected stallions. Sera also were evaluated from 4 horses that had been vaccinated with the commercial modified live EAV vaccine. The data suggest that the serologic response of individual horses to EAV may vary with the infecting virus strain and duration of infection. The M protein was most consistently recognized by the various serum samples, whereas the response to the N and GL proteins was variable and the GS protein was bound by only 1 serum sample. The immunoblotting assay definitively established the protein specificity of the humoral response of horses to EAV; however, it clearly is less sensitive than the standard serum neutralization (SN) test—2 of the 37 sera that were serpositive by th SN test failed to react in the immunoblot assay with any EAV structural protein. Furthermore, the GL protein expresses the known neutralization determinants of EAV, yet only 22 of the 37 sera that had SN antibodies bound the GL protein in the immunoblotting assay. Information from this study will assist ongoing efforts to develop improved methods for the serologic diagnosis of EAV infection of horses.


Pollinator populations in North America are in decline, including the iconic monarch butterfly. In order to determine if public knowledge of monarchs informs opinions on butterfly conservation, we surveyed the public to assess their knowledge of monarchs. We also asked participants about their attitudes towards general butterfly conservation and if they believe that butterfly gardens contribute to conservation. Respondents generally had some knowledge of monarchs but were unaware of monarch population declines and the necessity of milkweed to their life cycle. Respondent knowledge was correlated with more positive attitudes about butterfly conservation. Furthermore, membership in an environmental organization increased the likelihood that the participant had prior knowledge of monarchs and cared about monarch conservation. Respondent socioeconomic factors of age and sex were also significantly correlated with conservation attitudes—older and female participants had more positive attitudes towards general butterfly conservation. Interestingly, females were also less likely than males to admit having prior knowledge of monarchs, indicating that gender may also play an important role in conservation outreach efforts. Our study indicates that educational efforts need to be directed more toward individuals not already associated with an environmental organization as these individuals are predisposed to regard conservation positively.


In the mid-1970s, my approach to popular music was shaped by aesthetical categories developed in the fields of Euroclassical music and continental philosophy. In fact, my interest in the avant-garde movements of the 20th century predated my involvement with popular music. In 1980, however, when I completed my philosophy thesis on Arnold Schonberg at the "Universita degli Studi" in Milan, Italy, I had already been working for years in the field of rock, jazz, and folk music. Now that the borders between musical languages have become more porous, my double background in classical and popular music would not be unusual. In late-1970s Italy, it was. Yet in my mind, the two worlds co-existed and have co-existed since. From this dual commitment to the intellectual reasons of criticism and the raisons du coeur of passionate involvement with all genres of music, four themes have emerged in my scholarly production:
Section A. The 1977-1982 sociological phase now revived thanks to the new edition of my first book and the volume on music and society in Italy I have edited in 2015.
Section B. Articles written mostly in the 1980s and up to 2004, in which I combined post-romantic aesthetics, psychoanalysis, and hermeneutics in a parallel analysis of contemporary minimalism and the "music of the spheres" theme.
Section C. Writings on Bob Dylan and American culture (1998 to now), in which I also found the way to expand on the "poetry and music" theme dating back to my Schonberg thesis.
Section D. Articles on songwriters and songwriting in which I have combined different critical approaches such as historical survey, "portrait-of-an-artist," and in-depth analysis of specific songs and of their cultural relevance.
Conclusions. An excerpt from my current work on descriptive categories that I intend to apply to the study of popular music.


Recently, inference privacy has attracted increasing attention. The inference privacy concern arises most notably in the widely deployed edge-cloud video analytics systems, where the cloud needs the videos captured from the edge. The video data can contain sensitive information and subject to attack when they are transmitted to the cloud for inference. Many privacy protection schemes have been proposed. Yet, the performance of a scheme needs to be determined by experiments or inferred by analyzing the specific case. In this paper, we propose a new metric, \textit{privacy protectability}, to characterize to what degree a video stream can be protected given a certain video analytics task. Such a metric has strong operational meaning. For example, low protectability means that it may be necessary to set up an overall secure environment. We can also evaluate a privacy protection scheme, e.g., assume it obfuscates the video data, what level of protection this scheme has achieved after obfuscation. Our definition of privacy protectability is rooted in information theory and we develop efficient algorithms to estimate the metric. We use experiments on real data to validate that our metric is consistent with empirical measurements on how well a video stream can be protected for a video analytics task.


This article asks whether the necessity of many public services results in a readiness of individuals to share personal data, and thus sacrifice a certain level of privacy, in connection with their provision. It will explore the value of privacy in the context of the on-going debates around personal data sharing, with particular focus on the public sector in England, using the UK government's care.data project as an example. The impact on trust relations between the government, the National Health Service (NHS) and the citizen will be considered. The importance of anonymisation of personal data as a method of minimising privacy risks and increasing trust will be discussed. Using the results of the author's exploratory empirical study into attitudes to sharing personal data with the public sector, the article will suggest that the benefits-versus-costs privacy problem is particularly significant in relation to data sharing projects in the public sector. The lack of definitive answers in relation to the risk of re-identification contributes to the problem. Finally, the article will suggest that future work may wish to investigate how trust in, and acceptance of, data sharing initiatives could be improved by a bottom-up institution-led approach.


New platinum (II) complexes were synthesized from two types of amine compounds as Ligands. The first type derived from the reaction of ethylenediamine with 3-phenylpropylbromide with molar ratio [1:1] and [1:2] respectively , the other type was new Schiff base derived from condensation of o-phenylenediamine with [ 2- furaldehyde, ferrocenecarboxaldehyde and acetyl ferrocene ] with different molar ratio [ 1:1 and 1:2 ]. The ligands and their platinum (II) complexes were characterized by FT-IR , UV-Vis , 1H-NMR and CHN elemental analysis . The spectroscopic analysis results demonstrate that the coordination sites are the nitrogen atom of NH2 groupor the azomethine nitrogen atom of the Schiff base . The conductivity values between 3.00 – 7.70 ohm-1.cm-1.mol-1in DMSO imply the presence of non-electrolyte species. With the help of different spectral like IR , UV-Vissible , 1H-NMR , CHN the geometrical structure of the complexes was proposed to be a square planar . Antibacterial activity of synthesized amino compounds and their complexes were tested against Staphylococcus aureus (+ev) gram and Escherichia coli (-ev) gram . The DNA cleavage activity of the complexes were assayed using UV-Vis spectrum. The result shows that there was overlap between the complexes and human DNA.