Cyanide- and isocyanide-bound molybdenum complexes containing maleonitriledithiolate (mnt = 1,2-dicyanoethylenedithiolate = S2C2(CN)2) as coligands were prepared from the synthon [Et4N]2[MoIVO(mnt)2] (1) as [Et4N][(PPh3)(mnt)23−˙MoIII(μ-CN)MoIII(PPh3)(mnt)23−˙] (3), [Et4N][MoIII(PPh3)(CN)(mnt)23−˙]·CH2Cl2 (4), and [MoIII(CNSiMe3)2(mnt)23−˙](5) using trimethylsilylcyanide (Me3SiCN). Triphenylphosphine (PPh3) was used as a blocking group and also as a competing ligand to cyanide to control the geometry and reactivity for forming the cyanide-bridged molybdenum dimer 3 or with terminal cyanide for the monomer 4. The known tetramer [Et4N]4[MoIII4(μ-CN)4(mnt)8] (2) formed in the absence of PPh3 showed a remarkable reaction with the excess Me3SiCN, where the monomeric species [MoIII(CNSiMe3)2(mnt)2] (5) was formed with Me3SiNC coordination. Overall, the Mo(IV) bis (dithiolate) complex showed diverse reactions with Me3SiCN in the presence and absence of the coligand PPh3 and under protic and aprotic media. The precursor molybdenum complex in the IV oxidation state was reduced to the III state in the complexes 3, 4, and 5, where one of the coordinating chelating ligand mnt2− was oxidized to mnt1−˙. This chemistry was supported by the EPR, electrochemical studies and X-ray crystallography results and corroborated by the DFT level of calculations. The complexes 3 and 4 were blue-emitting materials with a long lifetime in the millisecond range. Further DFT and TD-DFT calculations were carried out to understand the electronic states and the origin of the electronic absorptions.


Salmon farmers face an uncertain production environment and considerable price volatility, making planning a vital success criteria. This thesis describes the sources of uncertainty that are most important when planning sales, and demonstrates how this uncertainty can be taken into consideration by the use of stochastic programming. The basis for this thesis is the tactical planning problem of deciding when to harvest salmon and how to allocate sales between available contracts and sales in the spot market. Uncertainty relevant to the planning problem is described, and a multistage stochastic model that maximizes profit is proposed. The goal of the model is to provide salmon producers with a tool that can aid them in making profitable decisions regarding harvesting and future sales, by taking into account the uncertainty associated with biomass and price development. The model is implemented in three versions; a deterministic model, a two-stage stochastic model, and a multistage stochastic model. The implemented models are somewhat simplified, the most important simplification being that price is assumed deterministic in the stochastic models. This is done in order to make the stochastic models computationally tractable for a personal computer. All three models are written in Mosel, implemented in Xpress-IVE, and solved by the Xpress Optimizer. The implemented models are applied to Marine Harvest Region Mid, illustrating how the models can be used to solve a realistic salmon sales planning problem. In addition, a quantitative assessment of the gains from implementing a stochastic solution is demonstrated. The results obtained show that using the two-stage stochastic model provides almost no additional value over the deterministic model. For the multistage stochastic model, this value is substantially higher, though still marginal, largely due to the simplifications made in the implementation. Based on the simplifications made in the implemented models, possible extensions to the thesis are suggested.


Multilevel modelling is used on problems arising from the analysis of spatially distributed health data. We use three applications to demonstrate the use of multilevel modelling in this area. The first concerns small area all‐cause mortality rates from Glasgow where spatial autocorrelation between residuals is examined. The second analysis is of prostate cancer cases in Scottish counties where we use a range of models to examine whether the incidence is higher in more rural areas. The third develops a multiple‐cause model in which deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease in Glasgow are examined simultaneously in a spatial model. We discuss some of the issues surrounding the use of complex spatial models and the potential for future developments.


The increase in the development of the expedition business from year to year requires companies to maintain competitive advantage in order to maintain product quality, relationship with partners, and improve company's performance. The object of this study is a trucking company named PT. Sumber Djaja, which was founded in 1970, where they saw a decline in performance as time goes by. This study aims to see the effect of supply chain capabilities and supply chain flexibility on the business performance of PT. Sumber Djaja. The method used in this research is quantitative, with a research sample of 45 respondents using purposive sampling method. Data collection was carried out using questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares method. The results of data analysis showed that supply chain capability and supply chain flexibility have a significant effect on business performance.


While growing up is recognized as an important transitional period that lays the foundations for future gendered expectations, behaviours and trajectories, we know little of how this process is negotiated within the context of specific organizations. This paper advances life course approaches to age and employment through developing the popular cultural concept of 'adulting' as a lens through which to understand the ongoing process of growing up in the context of work, and how ageing traverses gender in this regard and vice versa. Drawing on 31 interviews with employees from a UK hedge fund, it presents three analytical motifs to help illuminate the gendered negotiation and reproduction of adulting at work. These concern: how men and women entered the hedge fund and progressed within it; decisions around starting a family; and how parenthood is navigated in this organization. Situating our findings within relevant debates surrounding gender, age and organizational life, we argue that adulting provides a way of articulating some of the complex ways that gender manifests in the formative stages of men and women's career trajectories. Equally, the broader destabilizing of emerging adulthood notwithstanding, our analysis also suggests the enduring seduction and attraction of 'stabilizing' gendered ageing practices, shedding some light on why they might continue to persist.


The extent to which sugars serve as targets for superoxide was examined using glycolaldehyde as the simplest sugar and using superoxide dismutase (SOD)-replete and SOD-null strains growing under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Glycolaldehyde was more toxic to the SOD-null strain than to its SOD-replete parent, and this differential effect was oxygen-dependent. The product, glyoxal, could be trapped in the medium by 1,2-diaminobenzene and assayed as quinoxaline. The SOD-null strain produced more glyoxal and eliminated it more slowly than the SOD-replete parent strain. Glyoxal was ∼10 times more toxic than glycolaldehyde and was more toxic to the SOD-null strain than to the parental strain. 1,2-Diaminobenzene protected against the toxicity of glycolaldehyde. TheseEscherichia coli strains contained the glutathione-dependent glyoxalases I and II, as well as the glutathione-independent glyoxalase III. Of these enzymes, glyoxalase III was most abundant, and it was inactivated within the aerobic SOD-null strain and also in extracts when exposed to the flux of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide imposed by the xanthine oxidase reaction. Thus, it appears that short chain sugars are oxidized by superoxide yielding toxic dicarbonyls. Moreover, the defensive glyoxalase III is also inactivated by the oxidative stress imposed by the lack of SOD, thereby exacerbating the deleterious effect of sugar oxidation.


Apicomplexans are human and animal protozoan pathogens responsible for diseases including malaria, cryptosporidiosis and toxoplasmosis. As obligate intracellular parasites they are highly organised cells with numerous novel and specialised sub-compartments that form the basis of their invasion biology, host defence evasion, and novel metabolic traits. However, our understanding of these cells is highly constrained by our limited knowledge of the locations and functions of most of the cell's proteome. Even in the best-studied apicomplexans (Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii) only a small fraction of proteins' locations have been experimentally determined, with most assignments based on predictions from orthologues in distant relatives. Moreover, many parasite proteins are annotated as 'hypotheticals', for example 4113 of 8121 Toxoplasma proteins, and many are unique to parasites stymying even predictions of location or function by comparative biology. To address this deficit in our basic understanding of the compositional organisation of the apicomplexan cell, we have used a spatial proteomics method called hyper LOPIT to simultaneously capture the steady-state subcellular association of thousands of proteins in the apicomplexan Toxoplasma. These protein atlases reveal: extensive protein association networks throughout the cell providing testable hypotheses of their function; conservation and novelty of compartment proteomes between apicomplexans; differential selective pressures across the different cell compartments; and clear instances of protein relocation from one organelle to a different one during apicomplexan speciation. This new, global view of the organisation of the apicomplexan cell proteome provides a much more complete framework for understanding the mechanisms of function and biology of these cells.


Oxidation
reactions are fundamental transformations in organic synthesis and chemical
industry. With oxygen or air as terminal oxidant, aerobic oxidation catalysis provides
the most sustainable and economic oxidation processes. Most aerobic oxidation
catalysis employs redox metal as its active center. While nature provides
non-redox metal strategy as in pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-dependent
methanol dehydrogenases (MDH), such an effective chemical version is unknown.
Inspired by the recently discovered rare earth metal-dependent enzyme Ln-MDH,
here we show that an open-shell semi-quinone anionic radical species in
complexing with lanthanum could serve as a very efficient aerobic oxidation
catalyst under ambient conditions. In this catalyst, the lanthanum metal serves
only as a Lewis acid promoter and the redox process occurs exclusively on the
semiquinone ligand. The catalysis is initiated by 1e--reduction of
lanthanum-activated ortho-quinone to
a semiquinone-lanthanum complex La(SQ-.)2,
which undergoes a coupled O-H/C-H dehydrogenation for aerobic oxidation of
alcohols with up to 330 h-1 TOF. This study suggests a possible functional
mode of semiquinone radicals, widely observed with quinoproteins in Nature. Moreover,
this unique reductive activation strategy as well as the resulted radical anion
as redox ligand creates a new turning point in the development of efficient aerobic
oxidation catalysis.


Nominations are being accepted for the 2017 Linus Pauling Medal Award. Sponsored jointly by the American Chemical Society's Puget Sound, Oregon, and Portland local sections, the award is presented annually in recognition of outstanding achievement in chemistry in the spirit of and in honor of Linus Pauling, a native of the Pacific Northwest. The medal will be presented at a symposium this fall at Portland State University. Nominations should consist of a concise curriculum vitae that lists significant publications, honors, and awards, along with a summary (400–1,000 words) of scientific achievements, including explanations that clearly outline the importance of the nominee's work. Letters seconding the nomination are encouraged. Scientists of all nationalities are eligible for this award. The award will not be given for work for which the nominee has already received a Nobel Prize. Pauling expressed a preference that the award honor younger scientists whenever possible. Nominations are due


We present deep unbiased spectroscopy of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (UDF) carried out using the slitless grism spectroscopy mode of the Advanced Camera for Surveys on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The Grism ACS Program for Extragalactic Science (GRAPES) achieves continuum detection as faint as zAB = 27.2 using 40 orbits (9.2 × 104 s) on HST. The data were taken at four orientation angles to correct for the overlap of spectra. GRAPES data provide a unique, uninterrupted, low-resolution (R = 100) spectral coverage for 5500 Å < λ < 10500 Å and allow us to detect high-redshift galaxies at 4 < z < 7 whether they have Lyα lines or just show the Lyman break, as well as find low-luminosity active galactic nuclei in an unbiased fashion. This paper describes in detail the observations and the data reduction and examines the quality of the extracted spectra. Subsequent papers will deal with the analysis of the data. The extracted and calibrated GRAPES spectra will be available from MAST at STScI.


We present here an extended version of an invited talk we gave at the international conference 'Turbulent Mixing and Beyond'. The dynamical and statistical description of stably stratified turbulent boundary layers with the important example of the stable atmospheric boundary layer in mind is addressed. Traditional approaches to this problem, based on the profiles of mean quantities, velocity second-order correlations and dimensional estimates of the turbulent thermal flux, run into a well-known difficulty, predicting the suppression of turbulence at a small critical value of the Richardson number, in contradiction to observations. Phenomenological attempts to overcome this problem suffer from various theoretical inconsistencies. Here, we present an approach taking into full account all the second-order statistics, which allows us to respect the conservation of total mechanical energy. The analysis culminates in an analytic solution of the profiles of all mean quantities and all second-order correlations, removing the unphysical predictions of previous theories. We propose that the approach taken here is sufficient to describe the lower parts of the atmospheric boundary layer, as long as the Richardson number does not exceed an order of unity. For much higher Richardson numbers, the physics may change qualitatively, requiring careful consideration of the potential Kelvin–Helmoholtz waves and their interaction with the vortical turbulence.


Financial service companies, such as banks and accounting firms, and product software companies, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) software companies, previously from discrete industries, are beginning to adopt Software-as-a-Service principles, potentially leading them into a new environment. The motivation for this research is to understand what is beginning to occur between these software and service industries, as a result of the convergence phenomenon. However, a similar phenomenon has already happened among the mobile and landline communications, computer, and TV broadcasting industries. Through reviewing and analyzing literature on the convergence phenomenon in the industries in which it has already developed, the main aspects are identified and integrated into one comprehensive framework with which to analyze the phenomenon as a whole. Their inter-relations and dynamics are explored via mobilization of institutional theory. The framework's applicability is then explored against the historical case of the telecommunications, broadcast and computer industries. Future research suggestions are offered to further test and corroborate the framework to increase its generalizability and applicability for analyzing the convergence phenomenon in all industries experiencing it at different paces.


Background: Multiple sequence alignment (MSA) plays a central role in nearly all bioinformatics and molecular evolutionary applications. MSA reconstruction is thus one of the most heavily scrutinized bioinformatics fields. Evaluating the quality of MSA reconstruction is often hindered by the lack of good reference MSAs. The use of sequence evolution simulation can provide such reference MSAs. Furthermore, none of the MSA viewing/editing programs currently available allows the user to make direct comparisons between two or more MSAs. Considering the importance of MSA quality in a wide range of research, it is desirable if MSA assessment can be performed more easily. Results: We have developed SuiteMSA, a java-based application that provides unique MSA viewers. Users can directly compare multiple MSAs and evaluate where the MSAs agree (are consistent) or disagree (are inconsistent). Several alignment statistics are provided to assist such comparisons. SuiteMSA also includes a graphical phylogeny editor/viewer as well as a graphical user interface for a sequence evolution simulator that can be used to construct reference MSAs. Conclusions: SuiteMSA provides researchers easy access to a sequence evolution simulator, reference alignments generated by the simulator, and a series of tools to evaluate the performance of the MSA reconstruction programs. It will help us improve the quality of MSAs, often the most important first steps of bioinformatics and other biological research.


While foreign trade and joint ventures between Germany and the People′s Republic of China and Brazil have grown considerably, many of the attempts at economic co‐operation have collapsed. One major explanation can be attributed to cultural differences between German expatriate managers and their local subordinates. Therefore predeparture training and development becomes more significant. This study investigates the extent and significance of predeparture training and development for expatriates in China and Brazil in German companies. When, how often and which strategies are used to prepare the expatriate for his/her assignment in an effective and efficient way? It raises some important questions on the appropriate strategy in international human resource management.


This research focuses on consumption in the everyday imagination in order to develop a contextualised understanding of how different aspects of consumption sit in relation to other concerns of everyday life. I consider how the imagination has been approached in consumer research in comparison to other fields concerned with its study and note a rather narrow approach that conceptualises and studies the imagination in terms of pleasurable, future orientated, desire-based daydreams created around consumer goods and experiences, where such goods are considered central to, and key resources in, the creation of imagined scenarios. I argue that the methodological framing of this dominant approach may restrict a broader understanding of the imagination and the role of consumption within it. Drawing from phenomenological interviews with 20 individuals about their everyday experiences of imagining I suggest a reframing of the imagination in consumer research, in which I present a taxonomy of imagination that helps to define and distinguish forms of imagining according to a number of characteristics, specifically the; degree of abstraction; temporal location; level of elaboration; and emotion. It also accounts for different levels of presence for consumption practices, consumer goods and services, and consumer culture, as well as a number of precursors and outcomes for imagining. I further note a number of complexities with regard to imaginative practices and the relationship between the imagination and material reality, including the journey of dream pursuit and actualisation. I consider the imagination as a place where we manage our emotions and outcomes for material reality, but that is also managed by material reality as we think about and imagine in-line with what is likely to transpire so as to prevent disappointment in material reality. And far from a private and individualised sphere, the imagination emerges as a highly social domain.
In developing this contextualised understanding I argue that in the imagination we are able to avoid the prominence of consumption practices and consumer goods and services in daily life as we experience a transient autonomy that is conditional on imagining remaining ideal. This autonomy enables us to focus on more warmly human scripts and concerns, yet the pervasiveness of the broader consumer culture continues to provide a compelling narrative to our imagined scenarios, and once attempts at actualisation are made this autonomy is lost.


Living organisms survive through their generation and use of internal models of themselves and of their environments. Homo sapiens internalizes the environment through modeling in such a way that it can effectively be artificially present at any number of different external locations. While this capacity is clearly advantageous for survival, it may well have yet another 'meaning'. We believe that entities internalize their environment in a local attempt to reunify the fragmented global landscape of which they are a part. This paper charts the argumentational route which must be taken to justify this hypothesis.


: Awareness of the possibility of sepsis constitutes the single most important step needed to effectively diagnose and treat a bone or joint infection. Once suspected, the diagnosis can usually be confirmed by identification of the causative microorganism. Treatment can be curative but requires prompt use of appropriate antibiotics and adequate drainage to achieve optimal results, that is, the restoration of the preinfectious level of musculoskeletal function.


The future of the U.S. health care system has been the subject of heated debates prior to almost every recent U.S. presidential election. The United States is the only industrialized country that does not provide nationwide health coverage to all its citizens. In addition, the U.S. health care system has to face other challenges. In a 1999 study, it was estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 American die each year from medical error and inappropriate treatment. Adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems can extend the efficiencies and effectiveness of health care services in health professionals' offices and improve the health care quality for patients. An important issue in using EHRs in different health care organizations is the exchange of information and data sharing among different EHR systems. The major problem facing the U.S. health care system is the integration of health information to construct a large-scale 'network of networks'. Health care organizations throughout the nation have recognized the importance of a transition from the current highly fragmented and disconnected health care information system to a secure and reliable nationwide health care information network for sharing critical health information at the point the clinical decision has to be made. The main goal of Nationwide Healthcare Information Network (NHIN) is to develop a secure, reliable, and interoperable infrastructure that all patients, healthcare providers, and other health care related organizations -like health insurance companies, public health centers, and health care research instituteswill be able to create, update and access the health information they need, at the time, and in the form that is useful regardless of the origin of data.


Understanding and exploiting topographical data via standard machine learning techniques is challenging, mainly due to the large dynamic range of values present in elevation data and the lack of direct relationships between anthropogenic phenomena and topography, when considering topographic–geology couplings, for instance. Here we consider the first hurdle, dynamic range, in an effort to apply Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) approaches for prediction of human activity. CNN for learning 3-D elevation data relies on data normalization approaches, which only consider locally available points, thereby discarding contextual information and eliminating global contrast cues. We present a fully invertible and data-driven global partitioning elevation normalization (GPEN) preprocessing technique, which is intended to ameliorate the impact of limited data dynamic range. Global elevation populations are derived and used to formulate a distribution, which is used to adopt a partitioning scheme to remap all values according to global occurrence frequency, while preserving partition contrast. Using USGS 3-D Elevation Project and Microsoft building footprint data, we conduct a binary classification experiment predicting building footprint presence from elevation data, with and without a global remapping using the SegNet convolutional encoder-decoder model. The results of the experiment show more rapid model convergence, reduced regionalization errors, and enhanced classification metrics when compared to standard normalization preprocessing techniques. GPEN demonstrates performance over 10% higher than the next best conventional preprocessing method, with a mean overall accuracy of 94.76%. GPEN may show promise as an alternative normalization for deep learning with topological data.


Background/Aims: Hospitalizations account for 41% of the total cost of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) care. Carnitine deficiency is common among dialysis patients, and some studies have shown improvements in anemia, and cardiac and skeletal muscle function upon administration of L-carnitine. We hypothesized that L-carnitine may be associated with decreased hospital utilization in these patients. Methods: The Fresenius Medical Care North America dialysis database was used for this retrospective analysis. Adult patients who received carnitine for at least 3 months, and had at least 3 months of pre-carnitine follow-up were included in the study. Hospitalization and hospital day rates were compared before and during carnitine therapy, and with a matched population. Results: Carnitine therapy at a mean dose of 1.5 ± 0.7 g per administration for an average of 9.7 ± 5.4 months was associated with a significant reduction in hospital utilization. Patients with cardiovascular disease, defined as hospitalizations for angina, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, cerebral vascular disease or peripheral vascular disease prior to receiving carnitine, and those with anemia and hypoalbuminemia derived the greatest benefit from carnitine therapy. In a multivariate analysis, compared to 3 months prior to the initiation of carnitine, the adjusted relative risk for hospitalization was 11, 11, and 15% lower at 3, 6, and 9 months, respectively. Among patients with cardiovascular disease, the reduction in risk was even more significant (24, 31, and 34% lower at 3, 6, and 9 months, respectively). Similar results were observed with adjusted relative risk for hospital days. Conclusion: Administration of L-carnitine to chronic hemodialysis patients is associated with lower hospital utilization.


Numerous conditions lead to portal hypertension and the development of esophageal or gastric varices, or both. Treatment of patients with acute bleeding should progress in a logical, stepwise fashion. Initial therapy includes vasopressin, somatostatin, or balloon tamponade with a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube. The next step is treatment with sclerotherapy, variceal ligation, or a combination of both. Continued bleeding is managed by more invasive measures, which may include radiologic embolization or shunting, esophageal transection, distal splenorenal shunt, or liver transplantation.


The methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is an organosulfur compound having sulfonyl functional group. It is occurred naturally in some primitive plants and used in disease related to chronic pain, inflammation, and arthritis. This study was attempted to evaluate the impact of biofield energy treatment on the physical, thermal, and spectral properties of MSM. The study was performed in two groups viz. the control group was remained as untreated, while the treated group was subjected to Mr. Trivedi's biofield energy treatment. After that, both the control and treated samples were analyzed using surface area analyzer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysisderivative thermogravimetry (TGA-DTG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The surface area analysis exhibited a significant decrease in the surface area of treated sample by 22.96% as compared to the control. The XRD analysis showed the significant increase in average crystallite size by 49.20% in the treated sample with respect to the control. The DSC analysis showed the significant increase (67.20%) in latent heat of fusion of treated sample with respect to the control. The TGA analysis showed the onset temperature of thermal degradation at 170°C in the control sample that was slightly decreased to 168.05°C after biofield treatment. Moreover, the Tmax (maximum thermal degradation temperature) was also decreased slightly from 186.66°C (control) to 183.38°C (treated). This indicated the early phase of vaporization in treated sample as compared to the control. The FT-IR spectroscopic study exhibited the alteration in wavenumber of S=O group that suggests the effect of biofield treatment on force constant and bond strength of MSM molecules.
Altogether, the surface area, XRD, thermal analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy suggests that Mr. Trivedi's biofield energy treatment has the impact on physical, thermal, and spectral properties of MSM.


Scoliosis is common in cerebral palsy (CP), typified by rapidly progressive curves that impact patient function and quality of life. With age, these curves become rigid, resulting in functional disabilities including sitting imbalance, decubitus ulcers, decreased socialisation, increased caregiver demands, and, in some cases, decreased pulmonary function.  The incidence of scoliosis has been correlated to disease severity, necessitating clinical and radiographic surveillance based on functional level according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS).
The use of bracing for scoliosis in CP is to support the collapsing spine rather than to prevent curve progression, and should not be expected to alter natural history. Scoliosis correction surgery, however, is indicated for progressive curves greater than 40-50°, with the primary surgical goals being achieved with a balanced spine over a level pelvis, allowing for a more stable sitting platform and improved quality of life. Identifying and treating the causes of concomitant pelvic obliquity are important to achieve optimal sitting balance. Hip displacement and scoliosis are often coincident in CP, but the order of surgical management remains controversial.
The mainstay of treatment for scoliosis involves posterior instrumentation and fusion from the upper thoracic spine to the pelvis. Though several options are available, the best evidence to date would suggest that segmental pedicle screw fixation achieves better curve correction and an improved risk profile over other implant choices. Often proposed as a benefit of scoliosis surgery in CP, the true impact of curve correction on pulmonary function has not been well studied and is currently unknown. Substantial comorbidities increase the peri-operative risk profile – including swallowing difficulties, aspiration risk, recurrent respiratory infections, epilepsy, and malnutrition – necessitating patient counseling and mitigating strategies to optimize surgical outcomes. Optimizing medical and nutritional management pre- and peri-operatively are important to tip the balance in favour of benefits over risks. The best evidence to date would suggest that scoliosis surgery improves quality of life and is warranted in spite of the risks involved.


Tamil people living in the countryside. They are living their lives by putting their thoughts on natural products. Folklore rewards the good and evil of the stars in the sky. The Sun or Moon appears after the disappearance of the people and is considered a new beginning. People believe that appealing to the deity can convey rain through rituals. The folk believe that appeals to the deity can be communicated by laws such as showers of rain. People believe that the gods and the evil spirits stay in the plants so that some plants are worshiped and some are taken away from their lives. People believe that animals are related to their body organs and that they are beneficial. Thus the confidence in the thoughts of the people is developed. Such beliefs are the cause of people who think that the benefits are good. They have established themselves in the community. That emerges as a community-based culture.


Norms represent the expected behavior of an agent in a multi-agent system. Generally, norms describe the actions that can be performed, must be performed, and cannot be performed in the system. Due to the number of norms defined to govern a multi-agent systems (MAS), norms may conflict with each other. Norms are in conflict when the fulfillment of one norm violates the other and vice-versa. There are several works that analyze the conflicting norms. However, to the best of our knowledge, these works only analyze conflicts between pairs of norms. There are situations that conflict can only be detected when we analyze several norms together. This work presents an approach to check for conflicts among multiple norms and a strategy to minimize the complexity of this NP-hard problem.


A systematic and unified approach which accomplishes performance monitoring, performance improvement and fault prediction in control systems is proposed. The feature vector which is a vector formed of the coefficients of the estimate of the sensitivity function and the influence matrix which is the Jacobian of the feature vector with respect to the physical parameter are shown to contain the relevant information to realize an autonomous control system. The feature vector is estimated using a robust, accurate and reliable linear predictive coding algorithm. The influence matrix is computed by perturbing the physical parameters one at a time and estimating the feature vectors for each case. The proposed scheme is evaluated both on simulated as well as on actual control systems.


RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
A valid tool to measure clinical competency early in medical school could identify students who may require special educational attention. The overall aim is to assess the relationship between students' scores on an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) given in the second year of medical school and their subsequent performance on Step 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE Step 2).

METHODS
Participants were 390 second-year medical students participating in a required OSCE; complete data (Medical College Admission Test, OSCE, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 scores) were available for 340 students (87%). Univariate correlations and linear regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS
Total OSCE score was moderately correlated with USMLE Step 2 score (r = 0.395, P < 0.001), as were two skills subscores of the OSCE, differential diagnosis (r = 0.343, P < 0.001) and identification of abnormality (r = 0.322, P < 0.001). In linear regression analysis, neither OSCE total score nor any of the subscores independently predicted Step 2 scores; only Step 1 score (beta = 0.687, P < 0.001) and female sex (beta = 0.152, P < 0.001) remained independent correlates of Step 2 score.

CONCLUSION
OSCEs early in medical school can be useful in the early assessment of clinical competence.


Abstract. The development of an unpowered permeation device for continuous calibration of in-situ instruments measuring atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is described. Being lightweight and compact, and containing only negligible amounts of chemicals, the device is especially suited for field use such as on board aircraft. Its speciality is to maintain the permeation process in thermal equilibrium, so that the instantaneous permeation rate can be ascribed to a simple temperature measurement. This equilibrium state is maintained by a combination of three features: (i) a thin PTFE membrane as permeation medium which guarantees short stabilization times, (ii) a water bath as heat buffer, and (iii) a vacuum-panel based insulation, in which features (ii) and (iii) minimize temperature drifts to ~30 mK h−1 per Kelvin temperature difference to the environment. The respective uncertainty of the permeation rate due to thermal non-equilibrium is kept below 1%. An extensive theory part details the major permeation processes of gases through porous polymers, being Fick's diffusion, Knudsen flow, and viscous flow. Both the measured stabilization time and the measured temperature dependence of the permeation rate independently indicate that the permeation can be described by a viscous flow model, where diffusion of the gas molecules in large pores (having a diameter of >0.05 μm) dominates.


Motivated by concerns about Canada's tax system being overly complex, this study examines the Canadian corporate income tax system complexity faced by multinational corporations and compares it to the average complexity from other OECD countries, using the survey data of the Tax Complexity Index. I find that, with regard to the Canadian tax code, the most complex regulations are those on corporate reorganization, transfer pricing and controlled foreign corporations; while in relation to the Canadian tax framework the most complex areas are tax audits, tax law enactment and tax guidance. Relative to the other OECD countries, Canada has a medium level of total complexity. However, the tax code is slightly more complex than the average of the other OECD countries, driven by a higher overall complexity level of certain tax regulations in Canada, such as those on corporate reorganization. In contrast, the tax framework is similarly complex as the average of the other OECD countries. There are no substantial differences in the overall complexity level of the tax framework areas between Canada and the other OECD countries.


Immunotherapy is a medically performed therapy where the subject immune system is either boosted or suppressed based on the condition to treat cancer cells and auto immune disorders. In these two types of treatment are used Activation immunotherapy and Suppressive immunotherapy. Immunity Activating agents like Immune modulators have been used on the therapy to Amplify the patient immune response. Granulocyte colony stimulation factor (GCSF) known for stimulating the bone marrow to produce granulocytes and stem cells is an example of these Immunity Activating agents. Modulators like Interleukins, Chemokines, Immunomodulatory imide drugs are used


The study was undertaken to analyze marketed surplus and price spread for Cauliflower in S. Chotanagpur of Jharkhand. Cluster sampling techniques was used to select the sample villages and respondents. Primary data were collected by personal interview of respondents. Simple statistical tools were employed to accomplish different objectives of the study. The marketed surplus of the medium category of farms have slightly higher surplus than marginal, large and small categories of farms. Their relative proportion was 94.84 per cent, 94.51 per cent, 94.49 per cent and 94.48 per cent respectively of the total production. The share of producer in consumer rupee is high in channel were there are less number of intermediaries. The marketing cost incurred by wholesaler in different channels were estimated 5.01 per cent, 6.39 per cent and 7.88 per cent of the consumer price respectively and their corresponding net margins were 9.68 per cent, 9.61 per cent and 10.23 per cent of the price paid by the consumer.


While the brain has traditionally been considered to be an immune-privileged site, evidence supporting the use of immunotherapeutics has been rapidly accumulating. Given that virus-based cancer therapies can be immunostimulatory and immune-checkpoint inhibitors block tumor-induced T-cell exhaustion, the combination of these two approaches offers a potentially synergistic interaction. One of the molecular underpinnings of T-cell exhaustion is the expression of Programmed Death-1 (PD1) on T-cells that recognizes its ligand PD-L1. AdV-tk is an immunostimulatory virus-based approach, known as Gene-Mediated Cytotoxic Immunotherapy (GMCI), that involves the intra-tumoral delivery of a non-replicating adenoviral vector carrying the Herpes virus thymidine kinase gene(TK) followed by administration of an anti-herpetic prodrug(ganciclovir-GCV) and recently showed encouraging results in a Phase II trial in glioblastoma(Wheeler et al.,2016). To provide a rationale for this therapeutic combination we investigated PD-L1 expression during GMCI therapy in human and mouse glioma cells in vitro and found that there was a consistent increase in cell surface PD-L1 levels. Interestingly, this was not associated with an increase of mRNA or protein. We also show that GMCI induces a type-I interferon response, and that the release of IFNβ is at least partially responsible for autocrine/paracrine PD-L1 up-regulation. In vivo studies using an intracranial GL261 model showed high levels of long term survivors in the GMCI/PD1 combination (11/14), compared with GMCI (6/16), anti-PD1 (5/12) and controls (0/11). In addition, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes after GMCI showed an increase in CD8+, CD8+/GranzymeB+, and CD8+/IFNγ+/TNFα+cells suggestive of cytotoxic T-cell activation. However, there was also a significant increase in CD4+, CD4+/FoxP3+, and IL-10 indicating a significant infiltration by Tregs, releasing immunosuppressive cytokines. Additionally, there was a significant increase in PD1+/TIM3+ T-cells, indicative of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Overall, our data show that GMCI/anti-PD1 combinatorial therapy is effective in a syngeneic tumor model, and strongly support clinical trials of GMCI/checkpoint inhibitor combinations in glioblastoma patients. Citation Format: Maria Carmela Speranza, Kazue Kasai, Franz Ricklefs, Sarah R. Klein, Carmela Passaro, Hiroshi Nakashima, Johanna Kaufmann, Agnieszka Bronisz, Estuardo Aguilar-Cordova, Brian W. Guzik, Gordon J. Freeman, David A. Reardon, Patrick Wen, E. Antonio Chiocca, Sean E. Lawler. Preclinical analysis of combinatorial glioblastoma therapy with the prodrug-mediated gene therapy vector AdV-TK and immune checkpoint inhibition in GBM therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; 2016 Sept 25-28; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A075.


Structured knowledge about concepts plays an increasingly important role in areas such as information retrieval. The available ontologies and knowledge graphs that encode such conceptual knowledge, however, are inevitably incomplete. This observation has led to a number of methods that aim to automatically complete existing knowledge bases. Unfortunately, most existing approaches rely on black box models, e.g. formulated as global optimization problems, which makes it difficult to support the underlying reasoning process with intuitive explanations. In this paper, we propose a new method for knowledge base completion, which uses interpretable conceptual space representations and an explicit model for inductive inference that is closer to human forms of commonsense reasoning. Moreover, by separating the task of representation learning from inductive reasoning, our method is easier to apply in a wider variety of contexts. Finally, unlike optimization based approaches, our method can naturally be applied in settings where various logical constraints between the extensions of concepts need to be taken into account.


Thirty-two tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) or L. pimpinellifolium (L.) Mill. accessions were inoculated with race T2 of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria (Xcv) in a field experiment at Wooster, Ohio, in 1995. Plants from accessions which segregated for race T2 resistance in greenhouse tests were selected and these are designated by hyphenated extensions below. The eight most resistant accessions from 1995 and PI 262173 were retested in 1996. Lycopersicon esculentum accession PI 114490-1-1 had virtually no Xcv symptoms either year. Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium accessions LA 442-1-Bk and PI 128216-T2 expressed a high level of resistance in 1995, but only partial resistance in 1996. Accessions with partial resistance for both seasons were PI 79532-S1, PI 155372-S1, PI 126428, PI 271385, PI 195002, PI 262173, Hawaii 7998, and Hawaii 7983. PI 79532-S1 is a L. pimpinellifolium accession and the remaining seven are L. esculentum. Twenty accessions tested in 1995 for T2 plus 10 other accessions were also tested for race T1 resistance in Presidente Prudente, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1993. Hawaii 7983, PI 155372-S1, PI 114490, PI 114490-S1, and PI 262173 had greater resistance to T1 than the susceptible control, 'Solar Set'. Comparisons with earlier experiments, in which accessions were inoculated with race T1 or T3, indicated that the most consistent source of resistance to all three races was PI 114490 or selections derived from it.


The pattern of influence of helium-neon laser irradiation on the process of revascularization, one of the most important stages of wound healing, is described. By the 16th day of the experiment, microvessels in the experimental animals were found to occupy than half of the area of the "regeneration table" of a transparent chamber implanted into the rabbit ear, while in the control animals only one-fourth of the area was occupied. Complete revascularization of the regenerating tissue in irradiated animals was completed by 20-22 days of the experiment and in controls only by 25-27 days. The results indicate the stimulating effect of laser rays on the process of restoration of hemomicrocirculation in damaged tissues.


This paper studies the physical consequences of a class of unobservable state-and-topology cyber-physical attacks in which both state and topology data for a sub-network of the network are changed by an attacker to mask a physical attack. The problem is formulated as a two-stage optimization problem, which aims to cause overload in a line of the network with limited attack resources. It is shown that unobservable state-and-topology cyber-physical attacks as studied in this paper can make the system operation more vulnerable to line outages and failures.


The MISG examined the problem of scheduling production of air conditioners at Seeley International. Seeley's objective was to meet their demand in a more cost-effective way. Two models are proposed to achieve this objective. A long term master production schedule with a yearly planning horizon was formulated to give Seeley a broad based schedule for planning production to meet forecast demands and production constraints. Output from this model is designed to provide the appropriate number of units of each product type or sub-assembly item to be produced in the following week. This output is then designed to be the input to a more detailed short term model for scheduling production at the machine level. The short term model is formulated to handle a mixture of both finished products and sub-assemblies. The objective of the short term model is to minimise total production time to free up the use of resources in order to allow for external orders. Directions for further work are discussed.


Working Papers are interim reports on work of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and have received only limited review. Views or opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the Institute or of its National Member Organizations.


Introduction: Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) and surgical site infections (SSI) are a global public health problem. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of SSIs at the Surgical Clinics of the University Clinical Centre Banja Luka and to identify risk factors for the development of SSIs. Methods: In order to determine the frequency of SSIs through the incidence compared to the patients operated at the Surgical Clinics of the University Clinical Centre Banja Luka, we conducted a prospective cohort study which encompassed 11.216 operated patients, in the period from November 11th, 2014 to September 30th, 2015. In order to identify risk factors for the development of SSIs, a nested case-control study of risk factors for SSIs was conducted. The study group consisted of patients who were diagnosed with SSIs in the period of monitoring, while the control group was consisted of patients without SSIs who corresponded with the study group in age and sex. Results: The highest values of incidence of SSIs were observed at the Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (2.65%), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery (2.48%) and the Department of Vascular Surgery (2.15%), and the lowest ones at the Department of Urology (0.59%). Among the cases of SSIs, deep infections of the surgical site were the most represented (82.7%). Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the following independent risk factors: length of pore-operative stay in hospital (p=0.000; OR=1.062; 95% CI=1.037-1.087), reintervention (p=0.000; OR=22.409; 95% CI=6.361-79.071) and cotrticosteroids (p=0.023; OR=4.141; 95%CI=1.221-14.047). Conclusion: The incidence of SSIs at the Surgical Clinics of the University Clinical Centre Banja Luka is at the level of hospitals in developed countries. There are a number of risk factors for SSIs, which may be prevented.


Driven piles commonly generate excess pore water pressures in the surrounding soil. The reconsolidation of the clay around the piles is investigated, assuming that the Mechant model can be used to describe the visco-elastic features of the soil. The initial excess pore distribution away from the pile varies according to the cylindrical cavity expansion theory. The governing equation is derived under the continuity condition. The three-dimensional analytic solution of dissipation of the excess pore water pressures induced by pile driving is solved by the methods of separation of variables and using the Laplace transform and inverse transform. Then, a case is analyzed making use of the solutions. The results show the dissipation speed of excess pore water pressures around the pile is faster than that far away from the pile and the vertical dissipation rate increases along the depth.


An experimental study was conducted to determine the most important greenhouse
gas that behaves in a similar way to glass in a greenhouse effect and to study the
effect of greenhouse gasses towards environment. Besides, the project also focus on
the objectives to investigate the outcome of carbon dioxide (CO2)
trichlorofluoromethane (CCI3F), and pentane (CH3(CH2)3CH3) act upon temperature
of surroundings. The presence of greenhouse gasses in the environment has become
a major threat to plant, animal and human life due to their effect. The projects
involved experiment based. Four reflecting mirrors are prepared to fit the bases of
the beakers. Carbon dioxide is introduced into one of the beaker using delivery tubes
connected to the source. The temperature recorded in this beaker will rise and attain
a new steady value. The investigation will be using other gas for instance
trichlorofluoromethane (CCI3F). The study also will investigate pentane (CH3
(CH2)3CH3) that is vapour of volatile liquids act upon temperature in beaker. The last
beaker will be controlled beaker for open air (without gas). The parameters that will
be controlled are the distance of photoflood light bulb from the mirror in order to
find the temperature increase or decrease. The procedure will be repeated for 20 cm,
and 25 cm heights.


Background and Aim: Falling and its consequences is one of the main concerns of the elderly adults. Introducing techniques for improving balance of elderly and preventing them from falling is the critical goals of the health system in any society. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immediate effect of massage and mobilization of the feet and ankles on balance for elderly adults. Materials and Methods: In this study men and women over 60 years of age were randomly assigned into two groups of 15 persons. In the intervention group, the therapeutic protocol included 20 minutes of massage and mobilization on the feet and ankles. In the control group, shortwave diathermy was used for 20 minutes in the off mode (placebo) on the feet and ankles. In this study the subjects in both groups were analyzed by two clinical balance tests namely "one leg standing test" and "Lateral reach test" before and after the start of the protocol and the results were compared before and afterward. Results: Findings showed that in the "one leg standing test" the balance is improved significantly in the intervention group after 20 minutes of massage and mobilization (P < 0.05) and the interaction between time and group was also significant in the "one leg standing test" with P < 0.01 in the intervention group. In "Lateral reach test", although there was not a significant difference before and after the intervention in both groups, a numerical increase was noticed in the lateral reach distance in the intervention group. The interaction between time and group was significant in the intervention group with P < 0.01. Conclusion: According to the results, massage and mobilization of the feet and ankles has an immediate effect on balance in the elderly adults. Key words: Massage, Mobilization, Balance, Elderly


We consider a base medium with index of refraction n containing aligned anisotropic ellipsoidal inclusions having coincident optical and geometrical axes, specified by three indices of refraction ni and depolarization factors Qi (with i = a,b,c). From Maxwell–Clausius forms for the bulk dielectric constants, we construct the difference of two indices of refraction ηa − ηb = τ (to third order in ni − n) for comparison with birefringence measurements. We obtain simple explicit expressions for τ(n) (showing both intrinsic and form birefringence) and for the special value n = nˆ corresponding to an extremum of τ. The dependence of nˆ on na and nb, and on Qa and Qb is emphasized.


The cellular response to ionizing radiation includes growth arrest and DNA repair followed by prolifer- ation. Induction of immediate early response genes may par- ticipate in signal transduction preceding these phenotypic responses. We analyzed mRNA expression for different classes of immediate early genes (JUN, EGRI, and FOS) after cellular x-irradiation. Increased expression of the EGRI and JUN genes was observed within 0.5-3 hr following x-ray exposure. Pre- incubation with cycloheximide was associated with superin- duction of JUN and EGRI in x-irradiated cells. Inhibition of protein kinase C activity by prolonged stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate or the protein kinase inhibitor H7 prior to irradiation attenuated the increase in EGRI and JUN transcripts. FOS expression was not coregulated with that of EGRI following x-irradiation, suggesting a distinct regulatory pathway of this gene as compared with its regulation following serum and phorbol ester. These data implicate the EGR1 and JUN proteins as signal transducers during the cellular response to radiation injury and suggest that this effect is mediated in part by a protein kinase C-dependent pathway.


National rates of juvenile incarceration show that about 33% of the population in correctional confinement has disabilities such as behavioral disorders or specific learning disabilities. All students identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) as having a disability are entitled to special education and transition services when they are incarcerated if they need specialized services. Despite the requirements for education and transition, research shows that rates of recidivism increase from about 55% for the general population of incarcerated youth to approximately 85% for youth with disabilities. This article addresses three related questions: (a) What educational and transitional services does IDEIA require schools to offer students in juvenile correctional facilities in the United States? (b) How are parents involved with the education and rehabilitation of their children with disabilities in correctional confinement? (c) What are the challenges associated with parental involvement and transition to and from incarceration for students with disabilities?


This paper addresses the two-dimensional finite element simulation of steel continuous casting using a global non steady-state approach. The method aims at the calculation of the thermomechanical state (temperature, deformation, stresses) of steel all along the continuous casting machine. Both plane deformation and axisymmetric versions have been developed. The first one addresses the simulation of continuous casting of slabs, taking into account the possible curvature of the machine, whereas the second one applies to cylindrical billets. The implementation of the method is validated by comparison with results from the literature. It is applied to the study of a slab continuous caster for which successive depressive and compressive stress states are revealed in the secondary cooling region.


A multifactorial morphologic study was performed in 72 children (49 boys and 23 girls) aged from 2 to 16 years, operated on because of osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma of 12 anatomical sites. It is shown that different variants of early stages of osteogenic tumours correspond to different levels of cell differentiation and atypia. The smallest foci of dysplasia found near the tumour should be considered as pretumorous bone dysplasia.


HEART is a software architecture to support distributed multimedia multiuser applications in high-speed networks. The proposed HEART software architecture consists of three layers, MMCP (Multimedia Multiuser Communication form) layer, the CASE (Common Application Service Elements) layer and the target application layer. The MMCP provides structured and dynamically-configured communication services to the individual applications of the CASE layer, which provides various types of basic application service elements. These can be flexibly configured and integrated for the development of target applications. The proposed HEART architecture will help to develop various distributed multimedia multiuser applications.


MECHANISMS OF LAYER-TRANSFER RELATED TO SILICON-ON-INSULATOR STRUCTURES by Bo Chen The objective of this dissertation was to study the mechanisms that affect an efficient hydrogenation process in silicon and to validate a hypothesis concerning the hydrogenation mechanism of pre-implanted silicon wafers under hydrogen-plasma processing. These studies are related to a general process. A trapping layer for hydrogen was introduced by ion beam implantation into the silicon wafer. Next, this wafer was hydrogenated using a hydrogen plasma. It was hypothesized that the trapping layer acts as a getterer for the hydrogen diffusing into the silicon wafer. It was found that a large amount of hydrogen could be absorbed in the trapping layer by hydrogen plasma processing. The depth of layer transfer and surface blistering could be controlled by the trapping layer after annealing. This research focused on the mechanism of hydrogen plasma reacting with the buried, heavily disordered silicon layer, deep level defects in the wafer, and nano-/microcrack growth enhanced by the effect of inertial gas bubbles and hydrogen plasma processing. This dissertation also studied suitable wafer bonding methods for a novel method to produce nanoscale silicon-on-insulator materials. Silicon wafers were implanted by different elements (He, N, Ne, Ar) at appropriate energy. A hydrogen trapping layer formed in the depth of —100 nm based on calculations. Two different types of trapping layers were formed, one composed of a vacancy cluster, and the other was a gas bubble formation. In the trap layer, there were many vacancies, interstitials and micro-voids. Due to the presence in the plasma of molecular and atomic hydrogen and extremely strong acids H3+ and H2+, the surface of Si wafer could be modified by H+, H2+, H3+ in H-plasma. The surface strained Si-Si bonds were damaged. H2 readily dissociated, bound to the surface and diffused into the Si bulk at low temperatures (150-200 °C). At higher temperatures (300-350°C), the trapped in silane-like species was detrapped, and hydrogen atoms diffused deeper into the Si bulk. When these atoms met the buried disorder layer and bubbles, they formed another Si-H structure and molecular hydrogen accumulated in the interstitial voids. In plasma-ion-immersion-implantation processing, compared with non-implantation samples, less hydrogen was trapped in the disordered structure and many hydrogen was trapped in the internal surface of the voids. Many small defects could be generated in normal H PIII processing. Inertial gas pre-implantation may help remove these small defects and produce good quality transferred layer in the later layer exfoliation It is found that many voids could be generated in bonding wafers by using only RCA clean activation, annealed at temperature above 200 °C. These voids could not disappear until annealed to above 1050 °C. These voids were induced from dissociated H2 from water and evaporated CHx. Plasma activation and hot nitric acid activation for direct wafer bonding may be a good choice for SOI fabrication. MECHANISMS OF LAYER-TRANSFER RELATED TO SILICON-ON-INSULATOR STRUCTURES


AbstractWith increased use of internet in daily lives, its negative effects are also being observed on physical, psychological and social health of individuals.Objective: To determine the effect of internet addiction (IA) on dietary behavior and lifestyle characteristics among university students.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the subjects were students selected from four universities in Lahore, Pakistan through two-stage sampling (n = 322). Levels of Internet Addiction (IA) were assessed using Young Internet Addiction Test and demographics, dietary behavior and lifestyle factors using self-reportedquestionnaire.Results: Severe and moderate IA was present in 9.6% and 41.9% of population respectively. High prevalence was found among males, Private Sector University and engineering students. Frequent breakfast skipping, increased meal size and habit of snacking while using internet was found associated with IA. Internet Addicts were also used to eat less than recommended daily servings of dairy and fruit and more servings of meat group than their no internet addict counterparts (p < 0.05). Fast food and fried items were most consumed snacks, while carbonated beverages were most consumed beverages among internet addicts. IA was found associated with lesser physically activity, shorter duration of physical activity, disorganized sleep pattern and less duration of sleep (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Unhealthy dietary behavior and lifestyle habits were exhibited by internet addicts. University students should be educated regarding importance of balanced diet and healthy lifestyle for effectual primary prevention of numerous chronic diseases


In this work, we perform an extensive investigation and construct a portfolio of S-boxes suitable for secure lightweight implementations, which aligns well with the ongoing NIST Lightweight Cryptography competition. In particular, we target good functional properties on the one hand and efficient implementations in terms of AND depth and AND gate complexity on the other. Moreover, we also consider the implementation of the inverse S-box and the possibility for it to share resources with the forward S-box. We take our exploration beyond the conventional small (and even) S-box sizes. Our investigation is twofold: (1) we note that implementations of existing S-boxes are not optimized for the criteria which define masking complexity (AND depth and AND gate complexity) and improve a tool published at FSE 2016 by Stoffelen in order to fill this gap. (2) We search for new S-box designs which take these implementation properties into account from the start. We perform a systematic search based on the properties of not only the S-box but also its inverse as well as an exploration of larger S-box sizes using length-doubling structures. The result of our investigation is not only a wide selection of very good S-boxes, but we also provide complete descriptions of their circuits, enabling their integration into future work.


Over the last 2 decades mandatory prison sentences, longer prison terms, and more restrictive release policies have lead to a dramatic increase in the number of persons in jails and prisons. Currently, more than 2 million individuals are incarcerated in the United States. (1) Psychiatric illness is over-represented in correctional populations compared with the general population--more than half of all inmates have a mental health diagnosis. (2) Correctional facilities are legally obligated to address the medical and mental health needs of the persons committed to them. As a result, more psychiatrists are practicing in jails and prisons. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This article explains correctional facilities' obligation to provide for inmates' mental health needs and describes correctional mental health processes and how psychiatrists can play a role in screening, evaluation, and suicide prevention. Lack of training Despite the increasing number of psychiatrists working in correctional institutions, most have had little or no training, education, or even orientation to these settings. Forensic psychiatry fellowship requirements include experience in treating acutely and chronically ill patients in correctional systems. (3) Although general psychiatric training doesn't preclude correctional experience, it is not required. The forensic component of general psychiatric residency is limited to evaluation of forensic issues, report writing, and testimony. Professional organizations--including the American Psychiatric Association, (4) the American Public Health Association, (5) the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, (6) and the American Correctional Health Services Association (7)--have developed standards and position statements on providing medical and mental health care in correctional facilities. Although psychiatrists' work in correctional settings generally has been reserved for consultation and medication management, it is important for these clinicians to understand and appreciate the wider landscape and environment in which they practice. Psychiatrists can help develop and implement mental health processes that lead to better services and improved clinical outcomes. Right to treatment Convicted persons have a constitutional right to medical and mental health treatment under extension of the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. (8) In 1976, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that "deliberate indifference to serious medical needs of prisoners constitutes the 'unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain' ... proscribed by the Eighth Amendment." (9) This coverage was expanded to mental health needs when the court found "... no underlying distinction between the right to medical care for physical ills and its psychological or psychiatric counterpart." (10) Correctional facilities also are obligated to provide medical and mental health treatment for persons in custody who are not yet convicted of an offense. (8) In subsequent litigation, the court formulated 6 components of a minimally adequate correctional mental health treatment program; these are described in Table 1." (11) Table 1 Components of minimally adequate mental health system in correctional facilities A systematic screening and evaluation program to identify inmates requiring mental health treatment Treatment that encompasses more than simply segregating the mentally ill inmate and increasing correctional supervision Treatment by trained mental health professionals in sufficient numbers to identify and treat inmates suffering from serious mental disorders Maintenance of accurate, complete, and confidential records of the mental health treatment process A suicide prevention program Appropriate use of psychotropic medication (prescription and monitoring by appropriately trained and licensed staff to treat bona fide mental disorders rather than solely as a means of behavioral management) Source: Reference 11 Jails vs prisons The type of psychiatric treatment provided differs based on whether the facility is a jail or a prison, how long inmates are confined, and whether the facility serves a special mission or population, such as serving as a reception center for a prison system or housing only juveniles. …


Kuwait has a vision to become an active economic and financial hub by 2035, and
educators were recently asked by the Emir to review the educational system to
see if it meets the requirements of the job market to fulfil this purpose. The higher
education sector in Kuwait is thus expected to play a significant role in preparing the country's future workforce; however, the literature on Kuwaiti higher education
makes clear that the higher education system needs revision.
This study examines and analyses the perceptions of key stakeholders towards
the educational technology programme of the Educational Technology
Department in Kuwait, in terms of its programme pedagogy, technology and
resources. This study investigates whether, and to what extent, the department is aligned with the government's vision.
To this end, the study applies an interpretivist paradigm, an inductive qualitative
methodology approach and a case study strategy. Interviews and focus groups
were appropriate methods for the research because there were various
perceptions of the programme, and each research participant had her or his own
interpretation. The data collection involved semi-structured interviews with 12
academic staff members of the programme and with eight managers at the MoEIA
(Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs), one of the main recipients of the programme's graduates, as well as 16 focus group discussions with 78 final-year
students of the programme. The theories that underpin the current study include
both socio-constructivism and technological pedagogical content knowledge
(TPACK). The data were analysed by applying thematic analysis.
The study yields several important findings. Academic staff and students perceive
the educational technology programme pedagogy to be ineffective (for example, vi
involving outdated curriculum content), and they suggest that the programme does
not meet the job market demands. In addition, both academic staff and students
view the technology used in the programme as inadequate and not in line with the
predominance of information and communication technology (ICT) in the 21st century. In this regard, they point to the programme's reliance on face-to-face
lecturing and communication in the current digital era. Moreover, academic staff
and students indicate that the programme lacks resources; for example, they cite
defunct computers and poorly equipped classrooms and media studios. MoEIA
managers also report that the educational technology programme offers outdated
technology solutions, and that its graduates lack professionalism and experience of organisational culture – arguing that graduates exemplify a student culture
rather than a work one. To illustrate this point, the managers mention students not
being on time for work and being uninterested in job tasks. In general, the MoEIA
managers who participated in the research stated that there is a mismatch between the programme's teaching and the MoEIA's expectations.
Academic staff and students made many suggestions for improvements in the
educational technology programme, suggesting that the programme should
implement pedagogy (e.g., digital content and blended learning), make greater
use of technology (e.g., using websites and smartphone apps) and improve its
resources (e.g., equipping classrooms and providing Internet access in the
department). Similarly, MoEIA managers clearly defined their expectations of the programme's graduates, which include teamwork skills, being prepared for an
organisational culture, critical thinking, problem-solving, ICT communication skills,
and digital media skills in video, sound and graphic design.
The study concludes by offering a set of recommendations that aim to improve the
educational technology programme in terms of pedagogy, technology and vii
resources, enabling it to contribute to the achievement of the government's Kuwait
2035 vision.


We linearize the Einstein-scalar field equations, expressed relative to constant mean curvature (CMC)-transported spatial coordinates gauge, around members of the well-known family of Kasner solutions on $(0,\infty) \times \mathbb{T}^3$. The Kasner solutions model a spatially uniform scalar field evolving in a (typically) spatially anisotropic spacetime that expands towards the future and that has a "Big Bang" singularity at $\lbrace t = 0 \rbrace$. We place initial data for the linearized system along $\lbrace t = 1 \rbrace \simeq \mathbb{T}^3$ and study the linear solution's behavior in the collapsing direction $t \downarrow 0$. Our first main result is the proof of an approximate $L^2$ monotonicity identity for the linear solutions. Using it, we prove a linear stability result that holds when the background Kasner solution is sufficiently close to the Friedmann-Lema\^{\i}tre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) solution. In particular, we show that as $t \downarrow 0$, various time-rescaled components of the linear solution converge to regular functions defined along $\lbrace t = 0 \rbrace$. In addition, we motivate the preferred direction of the approximate monotonicity by showing that the CMC-transported spatial coordinates gauge can be viewed as a limiting version of a family of parabolic gauges for the lapse variable; an approximate monotonicity identity and corresponding linear stability results also hold in the parabolic gauges, but the corresponding parabolic PDEs are locally well-posed only in the direction $t \downarrow 0$. Finally, based on the linear stability results, we outline a proof of the following result, whose complete proof will appear elsewhere: the FLRW solution is globally nonlinearly stable in the collapsing direction $t \downarrow 0$ under small perturbations of its data at $\lbrace t = 1 \rbrace$.


In this letter, we develop a general delivery system for streaming using various coding standards over DiffServ (DS) networks. In the delivery system, the coder at the application layer pre-marks the compressed data according to their importance in terms of the current configuration and characteristics of the coder. Then the system maps these pre-marks to a fixed number of source marks at the real-time transport protocol layer. In terms of the current network congestion state, the edge router of a DS network uses the improved two rate three color maker to map these source marks to differentiated services code points. At last, the core routers transmit these packets according to the per-hop forwarding behaviors. Experimental results show that this system can greatly improve the end-to-end delivery quality of a streaming application.


Balacaturbhadrika churna (BC) is an important pediatric preparation in Ayurveda. It is used to treat various diseases of gastro-intestinal tract particularly diarrhea in children. Free radicals cause oxidative damage in the intestine and are correlated with its diseases. In the current study, total phenolic and flavonoid contents of BC extracts were determined and their antioxidant evaluation in various in vitro models was carried out. Procedures mentioned in The Ayurvedic Formulary of India were followed to prepare in-house BC; alcoholic (BCAL) and aqueous (BCAQ) extracts were prepared and tested by standard procedures. BCAL was tested for antidiarrheal activity in castor oil induced model. The ethanolic extract showed better antioxidant activity in many of the models as compared to aqueous extract. The present study showed substantial amounts of flavonoids and phenolics in churna extracts. BCAL showed significant antidiarrheal activity against the tested model. The potential antioxidant and antidiarrheal activities displayed by Balacaturbhadrika churna extracts could be attributed to these contents.


Tin sulphide (SnS) has a direct energy band gap of 1.35 eV and it consists of abundant, non-toxic elements. It is therefore of interest for use as an absorber layer material in thin film photovoltaic solar cells. In this work, SnS layers with thicknesses in the range 2-3.6μm, were thermally evaporated onto glass substrates using substrate temperatures in the range 280°C to 360°C, and the way the structural and optical properties of the layers varied with the deposition conditions investigated. X-ray diffraction spectra showed a strong (040) reflection as the most prominent peak for films formed between 320°C to 360°C. The peak intensity ratio, crystallite size and grain size were observed to increase with increasing substrate temperature whilst the strain decreased. All the layers were highly light absorbing with the optical absorption coefficient, α > 104 cm−1. The optical energy band gap was found to be in the range, 1.30-1.34eV, it not changing substantially with substrate temperature. Other optical parameters such as the refractive index and optical conductivity were also evaluated for the layers grown at different substrate temperatures.


Heavy metal contamination of agricultural lands poses serious threat to food security. Lead (Pb) and Chromium (Cr) are among the most toxic heavy metals reported but least studied. Their presence in soils has detrimental effects on crop productivity. Among different ways of remediating contaminated sites, phytoremediation technology like phytoextraction is now receiving greater attention. It involves the use of plants for cleaning heavy metal polluted media. It is environment-friendly, aesthetically appealing, cost-effective and can be applied in-situ. The plant species that are used for this process are metal tolerant and some of them called hyperaccumulators possess the ability of accumulating high concentrations of specific metals in the above-ground tissue. They have developed several mechanisms both at the genetic and molecular levels for their adaptability and efficiency. The molecular mechanisms could either be enzymatic or non-enzymatic. The enzymatic mechanism involves the participation of different antioxidant enzymes while the non-enzymatic strategies are based on the production of different antioxidant compounds for scavenging reactive oxygen species which are produced in heavymetal stressed plants. For tolerance and metal accumulation in the above-ground parts of an hyperaccumulator, metal homoestasis through over-expression of different genes have also been reported. In this review, heavy metal toxicity, phytoremediation options and mechanisms of hyperaccumulation and tolerance in plants are discussed with focus on Pb and Cr.


Background
Maintaining physical activity is important for older adults. "Self-care agency" is the ability to perform self-care, which is defined as people following their own will, managing themselves, and maintaining activities. We investigated the relationship among physical activity and self-care agency, demographic factors and physical condition in older adults.

Methods
Self-care agency was assessed by using the Self-Care Agency Questionnaire developed for Japanese patients with chronic diseases. Among 175 older adults aged 65 years or older living in a rural area, responses from 83 who performed physical activities were analyzed. Correspondence analysis was conducted to characterize demographic factors and self-care agency.

Results
A higher proportion of women than men were engaged in physical activity. Irrespective of age and sex, many of the participants performed stretching exercises, walking, radio exercises, TV exercises, and participated in community circles. Participants who engaged in physical activities had significantly higher self-care agency scores than inactive participants. Among the active participants, the self-care agency score was significantly higher for women than men (P = .04) and was also significantly higher for participants aged ≥ 75 years compared to those aged < 75 years. Individuals with a high self-care agency tended to participate in local programs and perform brief physical activities at home.

Conclusion
Physically active older adults demonstrated high self-care agency. Their activities were easily carried out in their daily lives, with activities varying by age and sex. Support from community health experts is needed to promote suitable physical activity among older adults tailored for age and sex, especially among older adults who have low self-care agency.


BACKGROUND
Various scoring systems have been developed to determine the trauma severity and prognosis of patients following multiple blunt trauma (MBT). However, these scoring systems do not provide exactly the desired severity assessment. In recent years, serum concentration of many specific microRNAs (miRNAs), especially for head trauma, has been shown to play an important role in determining the diagnosis, severity, and prognosis of injury. To date, however, no studies have investigated serum miRNAs in patients with MBT. Thus, this study measured the expression of miRNA-93 and -191 in the serum of adults with MBT and examined the correlations of Injury Severity Score (ISS) and Revised Trauma Score values with serum miRNA-93 and -191 levels in these patients with the aim of predicting trauma severity based on the miRNA levels.

METHODS
This prospective case-control study enrolled 50 consecutive adults with MBT and age- and sex-matched 60 healthy controls. The patients were divided into ISS >16 (Group 1, major or severe trauma) and ISS ≤16 (Group 2, minor or mild-moderate trauma) groups. Serum miRNA-93 and -191 levels were assessed using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR. We evaluated whether the miRNAs were differentially expressed in major and minor MBT patients and determined their utility for assessing the severity of injury.

RESULTS
The mean serum miRNA-93 and -191 levels were significantly elevated in the patients compared to the controls and were higher in patients with ISS >16 compared to those with ISS ≤16, although the difference was not significant. In the patients with multitrauma, ISS was significantly, negative and weak correlated with serum miRNA-191 level (rho=-0.320, p=0.023) but not with the serum miRNA-93 level. No optimal cutoff for the serum miRNA-93 level was found with respect to trauma severity (AUC 0.617, [0.455-0.779]). However, an optimal cutoff value for serum miRNA-191 was identified, with values <1.94 indicating severe trauma (AUC 0.668 [0.511-0.826]; 65.6% sensitivity, 77.8% specificity).

CONCLUSION
miRNA-191 and -93 levels were significantly upregulated in multitrauma patients compared to controls. The level of miRNA-191 in conjunction with ISS, but not that of miRNA-93, may be a useful biomarker for determining injury severity in patients with multitrauma.


A research proposal is an important process of any research. The success of any research is depending on the quality of research proposal. The science and art of writing a research proposal depending on several factors, these include the time deadlines, quality benchmarks and associated costs. A research proposal should provide an overview of research, it gives the reader sufficient information about the research work, the complete work plan, the value and the scope of the research. A research proposal does not only communicates what researchers are trying to accomplish, but is also a tool for researchers to obtaining research fund. There are no specific rules on structure or format on writing a research proposal – it is depend on institution, funding agency and supervisor of thesis or dissertation. A research proposal may refine as the research on progress – it is not uncommon when comes to the final submission it might be a totally different document. Aim of this paper is to provide some guides and tips on writing a research proposal to new researchers, as well undergraduate or post graduate students. Keywords: Writing, Research, Proposal


Your expert guide to building Microsoft SharePoint applications in the cloud Deliver custom, cloud-based business solutions using SharePoint 2010 and Windows Azure together. By applying hands-on techniques from Microsoft cloud development expert Steve Fox, you'll learn how to increase the reach, resource capability, and reusability of your apps. Get the practical code exercises and solid advice you needwhether you're planning to build complete data-driven applications or hybrid solutions with simple Web parts. Discover how to: Deliver data from Windows Azure Marketplace DataMarket into SharePoint and Microsoft Office applications Use Microsoft Business Connectivity Services to connect to SQL Azure data Create advanced web parts to surface SQL Azure data in Bing Maps, using the SharePoint client object model Manage files in Windows Azure using BLOB storage Deploy Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) services to Windows Azure Build business intelligence solutions, using SQL Azure, Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) Get code samples on the web Ready to download at http://go.microsoft.com/FWLink/?Linkid=000000. For system requirements, see the Introduction.


Discussion | Nearly 35% of all adults and 50% of those aged 60 years or older were estimated to have the metabolic syndrome, a concerning observation given the aging US population. Previous analyses of NHANES through 2006 demonstrated increasing rates of the metabolic syndrome, whereas our study suggests that the prevalence has remained stable overall since 2007 and declined in women.5 Greater awareness of the metabolic syndrome and its health consequences may have contributed to improvements in optimizing treatment of risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes. Furthermore, recent NHANES data demonstrate that obesity prevalence in the United States also appears to have stabilized, which also may contribute to the stabilizing prevalence of the metabolic syndrome.6 Limitations of our study include potential misclassification of individuals taking diabetes or hypertension medications for other reasons. In addition, our study did not evaluate differences in the prevalence of individual components of the metabolic syndrome. Even though we used concurrent use of hypertension or diabetes medication as satisfying those components of the metabolic syndrome, only data for cholesterol medication in general were available for analyses and not specifically for treatment of triglycerides or HDL cholesterol. We did not include these to avoid overestimation of metabolic syndrome prevalence.


Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) raises concerns as to whether it contributes to an increased mortality. The incidence of CAPA varies widely within hospitals and countries, partly because of difficulties in obtaining a reliable diagnosis. We implemented a routine screening of respiratory specimens in COVID-19 ICU patients for Aspergillus species using culture and galactomannan (GM) detection from serum and/or bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL). Out of 329 ICU patients treated during March 2020 and April 2021, 23 (7%) suffered from CAPA, 13 of probable, and 10 of possible. In the majority of cases, culture, microscopy, and GM testing were in accordance with CAPA definition. However, we saw that the current definitions underscore to pay attention for fungal microscopy and GM detection in BALs, categorizing definitive CAPA diagnosis based on culture positive samples only. The spectrum of Aspergillus species involved Aspergillus fumigatus, followed by Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus nidulans. We noticed changes in fungal epidemiology, but antifungal resistance was not an issue in our cohort. The study highlights that the diagnosis and incidence of CAPA is influenced by the application of laboratory-based diagnostic tests. Culture positivity as a single microbiological marker for probable definitions may overestimate CAPA cases and thus may trigger unnecessary antifungal treatment.


Abstract The aim of the present study is to measure the rheological properties of nanohybrid resin composite of three shades in pre-polymerized phase using different thermomechanical stimulations. Nanohybrid composite (Kerr Herculite XRV Ultra) in enamel, dentin, and incisal shades was included. Rheological measurements were made with a rotational rheometer in dynamic oscillation mode using three methods: (a) Strain Sweep test explored a range of deformation γ0 from 0.025 to 3% with a frequency ω = 1 Hz (temperature set at 25 and 65 °C), (b) Frequency Sweep test explored frequencies between 1 and 100 rad/s applying a deformation γ0 = 0.5% (temperature set at 25; 45; 65 °C), and (c) Ramp Temperature test explored a heating phase from 25 to 75 °C then a cooling phase back to 25 °C applying a γ0 = 0.5% and a ω = 10 rad/s. Data were analyzed using a three-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Viscosity measurement (p < 0.05) and shade of the composites (p < 0.05) significantly affected the results. Viscosity turned out to be subordinate to strain amplitude, frequency, temperature, and axial force applied during each test. Enamel shade was the most viscous whereas dentin shade was 8% less viscous (p < 0.05). The incisal shade was significantly less viscous (70%) than enamel (p < 0.05). Pre-heating decreased viscosity of incisal shade (30%) above 50 °C but this value was 90 and 98%, respectively, for strain and frequency sweep test. Preheating had a side effect as in the cooling phase, viscosity increased from 66 to 450% exceeding the value recorded at the beginning of the test. Preheating was not effective to reduce viscosity, and may reveal some side effects. The composite tested might not be pre-heated above 45 °C.


BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death in Australia. Electronic medical record (EMR)-based clinical decision support (CDS) tools have the potential to support absolute CVD risk (ACVDR) evaluation and management. The objective of this study was to test the acceptability and feasibility of the Treat to Target CVD (T3CVD), an EMR-based CDS tool, for the evaluation of ACVDR in general practice.

METHODS
Five general practitioners (GPs) piloted the T3CVD tool in their clinic. Interviews with the clinicians explored the acceptability and feasibility of the T3CVD tool.

RESULTS
The T3CVD tool was acceptable and, in the small pilot, was shown to have the capacity to support GPs in ACVDR assessment and management, and to encourage patient participation and motivation. Technical and structural factors important to ensure feasibility of the tool were identified.

DISCUSSION
With further development, the T3CVD tool has the potential to improve ACVDR assessment and management in primary care.


The United States and Cuba have a long history of tumultuous relations, including overt and covert interventions, trade disputes, and migration crises. Yet it was the rise of the Castro regime on the island that cemented the frustration of relations between the neighboring countries. Shortly after Castro's seizure of power, the United States began using executive power to reinstall some form of democratic governance. And though each subsequent administration modified their approach toward Cuba, some form of executive embargo has existed since the Kennedy regime. But as with all executive power, a new administration maintains the flexibility to modify previous acts in light of new circumstances. Only congress can remove this control through the promulgation of statutes, which is what they did with two statutes enacted in the 1990s. This codification effectively cemented the U.S.-Cuba embargo and tied the executive's hands in managing relations with the island. In this article, I contend that the foreign affairs power laid upon the executive through the Constitution grants that office broad control over political and economic relations with foreign states, including power over embargos. Thus, I posit that no congressional approval is required for the executive to lift the embargo against Cuba and normalize relations with the island.


Selecting a right way to provide students with error feedback in their writing has proved to be a complex task for researchers in language pedagogy. Although a lot of studies have been conducted to examine this issue, the teachers are still following their own way of error feed back. So the researchers feel that there is a need to conduct different sort of studies to find out an effective way of error feedback. The present study with 20 participants in second trimester university level proves that students prefer coded feedback more as in this process of error feedback teachers show the error and its type by using a certain code or symbol. This study also shows that the students benefit more from having coded feedback over non-coded feedback. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/sje.v7i0.14463 Stamford Journal of English; Volume 7; Page 62-86


Abstract In the current study, different types of thermal barrier coatings with various mass fractions were investigated in terms of oxidation, hot corrosion, and thermal shock resistance. The thermal barrier coatings consisted of six different samples, which included the usual YSZ, Al2O3, hybrid composites with 65 wt.% YSZ and 35 wt.% Al2O3, 50 wt.% YSZ and 50 wt.% Al2O3, 35 wt.% YSZ and 65 wt.% Al2O3 and the final one, which was a double layer composite (Al2O3 and YSZ). High temperature isothermal oxidation behavior of the coatings was tested at 1050 °C, using an air furnace for 48 h, 80 h, and 120 h respectively. Hot corrosion tests were applied at 1050 °C using a 45 wt.% Na2SO4 and 55 wt.% V2O5 mixture of salts. The microstructure and phase stability of coatings were evaluated by means of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. The usual YSZ showed better hot corrosion and thermal shock resistance, while Al2O3 showed the lowest hot corrosion and oxidation resistance. Thermally grown oxide formation, thermal expansion coefficient mismatch and phase transformation in the thermal barrier coatings could be the main causes of degradation after thermal shock testing.


In this thesis the influence of the drying pressure on interfibre bond strength was investigated. Five different drying pressures, 0.7, 2.9, 4.5, 6.7, and 15 kPa, were applied during the preparation of fiber-fiber cross test pieces. The nominal overlap area of each fibre-fibre cross was measured in a transmission light microscope. A tensile tester was used to record the loaddeformation behavior of each fiber-fiber cross. The final results of the interfibre bond strength were defined by both the overlap area and the maximum force of each bond. The results showed that the influence of drying pressure to the average strength were very weak, although a maximum could be seen at 2.9 kPa of drying pressure. Moreover, the results suggested the overall trend of decreasing strengths at very high drying pressures. Finally, a statistical significance study of the results was presented. In addition, the influences of fiber type (spring wood vs. summer wood) and press type (steel vs. steel or steel vs. rubber) on interfibre bond strength were also discussed.


The oral hypoglycemic agents methyl 2-tetradecylglycidate (McN-3716) and 2-tetradecylglycidic acid (McN-3802), synthesized in an effort to design a specific inhibitor of long-chain free fatty acid (FFA) oxidation, were tested for their effects on rat hemidiaphragm oxidation of various substrates to CO2. When added in vitro, both compounds were more potent (100-1000 times) in inhibiting long-chain FFA oxidation than either a-bromopalmitic or 4-pentenoic acid. When fasting normal or diabetic rats were pretreated with McN-3716, the ability of the diaphragms to oxidize palmitate-1-l4C to 14CO2 incubated in vitro was also diminished. Closely related nonhypoglycemic analogs of McN-3716 failed to inhibit oxidation. The failure of McN-3716 to inhibit the oxidation by diaphragm of short-chain fatty acids, palmitoyl camitine, glucose, glycolytic intermediates, β-hydroxybutyrate, succinate, or citrate when added in vitro or after treatment of rats suggests that glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the intramitochondrial β-oxidation of fatty acids were not inhibited. While depressing FFA oxidation, McN-3716 increased the ability of hemidiaphragms from normal and diabetic rats to oxidize glucose-14C to 14CO2. This supports an intimate relationship between FFA oxidation and glucose utilization in hemidiaphragm. The locus of this stimulation appears to be the glycolytic pathway. The earliest onset for the impairment of diaphragm muscle FFA oxidation and the rise of plasma FFA after treatment of fasting rats with McN-3716 preceded the stimulation of hemidiaphragm glucose oxidation and the lowering of plasma glucose and tissue glycogen stores. These results suggest that the carbohydrate changes are secondary to the inhibition of FFA oxidation.