Introduction. This paper explores the information world of people with deafblindness, i.e., a diverse group of people whose vision and hearing loss are of such severity that it is hard for their impaired senses to compensate for each other. Method. An extensive interview study conducted in five European countries. It has examined the level, form and accessibility of information available to people with deafblindness. This paper draws on these interviews, and other material and observations, in providing general characteristics and the results presented here. However, the data and quotations presented in this paper are from the interviews conducted by the authors in Sweden. Analysis. The analysis of the interviews was done using the coding scheme based on the concepts of small worlds and the theory of information world looking for emerging themes. The scheme was flexible and additional themes were included into it during analysis when they emerged from the data. Results. The study found that while the lives of most people are facilitated by an abundance of information in various forms and often in taken for granted format, this is not the case for those members of the society with deafblindness who need such information the most. The means of signification and information sources are limited for people with deafblindness not only because of dual sensory impairments, but mainly because of the limited opportunities afforded outside their small worlds. Conclusions. The improvement of information infrastructures aimed at people with deafblindness will benefit the society and its democratic foundations as a whole and will strengthen the participation of people with deafblindness.


This is the abridged edition of Nancy Cunard's classic collection. First published in 1934 and mostly neglected in Cunard's own time, Negro has attained the status of a cult classic. The list of contributors - represented in poetry, prose, translations, and music - is a who's who of 20th-century arts and literature: Louis Armstrong, Samuel Beckett, Norman Douglas, Nancy Cunard herself, Theodore Dreiser, W. E. B. DuBois, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, William Plomer, Arthur Schomburg, William Carlos Williams, and more. In its subject and international approach, Negro was generations ahead of its time. Its exploration of black achievement and black anger takes the reader from life in America to the West Indies, South America, Europe, and Africa. Though very much of its time, Negro is also timeless in its depiction of oppressive social and political conditions as well as in its homage to myriad contributions by black artists and thinkers.


Social capital theory states that civic engagement generates positive outcomes, such as social trust and political interest. Likewise, studies show that those involved in civic engagement generally report higher levels of social trust and political interest. It is still unclear, however, whether these differences are the result of socialization or selection. We used between-effects and fixed-effects regressions to examine the development of political orientations in a three-wave longitudinal sample of 1,050 adolescents. From our results, volunteering seemed to have no socialization effect whatsoever on political interest and potentially a weak enhancing effect on social trust. Associational membership did not predict social trust over time, but it seemed to socialize members into increased political interest over time. The results are discussed in light of the social capital debate about how civic engagemend in associational life and volunteering do – or do not – function as schools of democracy.


This paper describes a moving home method for home-based software distributed shared memory systems. In our system, a home node users records for access to the shared page to determine the moving its role of home. Each time a home node receives a service request for the shared page from a non-home node, it records the node ID and the type of access. If the number of the access records exceeds the threshold of request counts, the home node decides whether the non-home node, which sends the request, is suitable for a new home node of the page. To evaluate our moving method, we have implemented a prototype of DSM system from scratch. The result of our performance evaluation using SPLASH2 benchmark programs shows that our method improved the performance of the system over the fixed home node methods.


How is it that Enron, allegedly the seventh-largest company in the U.S., didn't pay any income tax for four out of the last five years? In this short commentary piece, I argue that the tax Code got it right and the accountants got it wrong. Using the MIPS transaction (a debt/equity hybrid) and an off-balance sheet partnership as examples, I argue that in Enron's case, the tax Code did a better job of measuring income than the accountants. The reason Enron didn't pay any income tax is because it didn't have any real income. On a more cautionary note, however, the article suggests that the tax bar must move quickly towards effective self-regulation if it wants to avoid the current problems facing the accounting industry.


Here we outline an approach to stylometry, which intends to be more comprehensive compared to classical stylistic metrics and its commonly used lexical frequency counts. As a prerequisite, such an approach needs language data as a basis for its stylistic analyses. In this paper, we describe the acquisition of two relevant resources: First, we depict collecting and preparing CodE Alltag, a German-language email corpus, which contains formal expressions as well as informal and personal interactions, and thus possesses a high stylistic variability. Envisaging the analysis of the vulgar, rough or obscene dimensions of style, we then detail inducing VulGer, a lexical resource covering the lower end of the German language register.


Software models for Si and GaAs pin photodetectors are described, for use in the simulation of optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs). These preliminary models, which include the effects of dark current and lumped internal impedance, are completely integrable with PSPICE software, and may be used to study the operating characteristics of independent devices and cascaded components in complex OEICs. Parametric device dependence on applied bias, doping density, and wavelength of incident light are also established. The simulation of more advanced OEICs can be implemented with the subsequent modeling of other passive and active components, including waveguide modulators and light emitting sources. The use of PSPICE simulation software in the study of optoelectronic devices and circuits described should find wide application in upper division core or elective optical electronic courses and laboratories. >


OBJECTIVES
To describe the incidence, circumstances, and severity of bicycle-related injuries among children treated in US emergency departments (EDs) and to compare injuries in children aged 1 to 4 years (young children) with those in children and adolescents aged 5-9 and 10-14 years (intermediate-age and older children, respectively).

DESIGN
Emergency department survey from the National Center for Health Statistics National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for January 1, 1992, through December 31, 1997.

PATIENTS
National probability sample of patients who sought care in EDs; data for children 1 to 14 years old were used.

OUTCOME MEASURES
Incidence and description of bicycle-related injuries among children grouped by age treated in US EDs.

RESULTS
The 6-year weighted estimate of bicycle-associated injuries was 2,176,173. Young children had 270,098 ED visits; their average annual incidence was 45,016, a rate of 28.8 per 10,000 (95% confidence interval [CI], 19.1-38.5). Children in the intermediate-age and older groups had an incidence of 82.0 (95% CI, 66.6-97.4); and 86.4 (95% CI, 70.4-102.4) per 10,000, respectively. The highest rates of bicycle-related injuries were observed among boys in the intermediate-age (108.3 per 10,000 per year) and older groups (123.8 per 10,000 per year). Few injured children were involved in collisions with motor vehicles (<1% of young and 4% of intermediate-age groups). The annual incidence of head trauma was 4.0 per 10,000 (95% CI, 0.4-7.5) for young children, 9.3 per 10,000 (95% CI, 4.3-14.2) for intermediate-age children, and 8.1 per 10,000 (95% CI, 3.5-12.8) for older children. Children aged 5 to 9 years had the highest rates of face trauma (estimated 29.8 per 10,000). The incidence of extremity fractures (range, 6.9-17.6 per 10,000) was similar for all groups.

CONCLUSIONS
Although boys in the intermediate-age and older groups have the highest incidence of bicycle-related injuries, young children are also commonly injured. The anatomic sites of injury among young cyclists (head and face trauma and extremity fractures) are similar to those observed in both other groups. Bicycle helmets are indicated for the youngest children as well.


This paper presents a visual obstacle avoidance system for low-cost autonomous watercraft in riverine environments, such as lakes and rivers. Each watercraft is equipped with a smartphone which offers a single source of perceptual sensing, via a monocular camera. To achieve autonomous navigation in riverine environments, watercraft must overcome the challenges of limited sensing, low computational resources and visually noisy dynamic environments. We present an optical-flow based system that is robust to visual noise, predominantly in the form of water reflections, and provides local reactive visual obstacle avoidance. Through extensive field testing, we show that this system achieves high performance visual obstacle avoidance.


In 2018, Kahle and Stump raised the following problem: identify sequences of finite Coxeter groups $W_n$ for which the two-sided descent statistics on a uniform random element of $W_n$ is asymptotically normal. Recently, Bruck and Rottger provided an almost-complete answer, assuming some regularity condition on the sequence $W_n$. In this note, we provide a shorter proof of their result, which does not require any regularity condition. The main new proof ingredient is the use of the second Wasserstein distance on probability distributions, based on the work of Mallows (1972).


Research into survivors of war has largely focused on suffering, rather than on the resilience, of survivors. This paper presents a cross-sectional survey that examined the factors contributing to the resilience of indigenous Quechua women (n = 151) in the aftermath of Peruvian armed conflict (1980-2000). Regular participation in civic associations, and the migratory status of returnees after the conflict, were associated with higher resilience. In contrast, low levels of education, unpaid occupations and experience of sexual violence during the conflict were all associated with lower resilience. These findings suggest that social policies that revitalise civic society and reduce gender inequalities within education and employment are crucial to enhance women's resilience in post war zones. In this study, the resilience of Quechua women, in particular their association with political activism, offers an unambiguous example of courage and active resistance to extreme adversity.


Today's software development projects have a huge demand for a comprehensive and integrated support in the team-based development of models. Since they typically rely on file-based version control systems such as CVS and assume that working with models does not differ from working with code, current solutions solve only one part of the problem. This paper addresses this gap between what is needed in practice and what is provided by existing tools. Based on the collaboration platform Jazz, a model repository prototype is developed that provides adequate versioning support and leverages the collaboration mechanisms provided by Jazz for concurrent model development. Especially the integration of concurrently developed models turned out to be a complex and collaborative task. The results of this investigation are integrated into the prototype yielding a model repository that supports team-based development to a considerable extent.


The authors present the ToCAI (Table of Content Analytical Index) framework, a description scheme (DS) for content description of audio-visual (AV) documents. The idea for such a description scheme comes from the structures used for indexing technical books (table of content and analytical index). This description scheme provides therefore a hierarchical description of the time sequential structure of a multimedia document (ToC), suitable for browsing, together with an "Analytical Index" (AI) of the key items of the document, suitable for retrieval. The AI allows one to represent in a ordered way the items of the AV document which are most relevant from the semantic point of view. The ordering criteria are therefore selected according to the application context. The detailed structure of the DS is presented by means of UML notation and an application example is also shown.


ABSTRACT Blended learning has steadily gained in popularity at the higher levels of education. This marks a change in pedagogical approaches from one-directional instruction to an interactive and technology-aided class. However, to manage fluent in-class activities and proper data analysis, real-time and fine-grained data collection activities are still needed. We propose an approach which provides rich information about student activities and automates processes which are time-consuming and which otherwise require extraneous effort. First, we implemented a program to collect real-time and fine-grained data and to provide an integrated experience during in-class activities. Second, we undertook a data analysis with the collected real-time, fine-grained data. Our blended learning is a type of flipped learning with personal response systems (PRSs) of the type commonly known as clickers. We used clickers for attendance, quizzes, and daily surveys, and collected the resulting data. Our outcome shows that the blended learning approach improves student achievement levels with a relatively small standard deviation compared to traditional classes. In addition, the present findings are factors related to student satisfaction and seat position, as analyzed from the data collected using the clickers.


In 2007, a USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant funded the creation of a Virtual Education Center (VEC) for Biorenewable Resources at three partner land-grant institutions. Three new courses are taught through the VEC, each using multiple instructors and exchanges of video lectures between sites. The most heavily subscribed of these is a graduate survey type course entitled Fundamentals of Biorenewable Resources. In this paper, we report on student survey results for the biomass production module, which covered the production of corn, soybean, hay and forage, and short rotation woody crops, as well as biotechnology basics. The survey was administered using WebCT and SurveyMonkey in spring 2010. The survey instrument gathered student perspectives on the module content and delivery, and student learning. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed.


The design and evaluation of an optically triggered, fully integrated sample and hold circuit (OS/H) is described. Measured results are presented that demonstrate operation of this circuit at 250 Ms/s and with effective resolution approaching 8 bits. The integrated circuit, which measures 2.1 mm/spl times/1.4 mm, is realized in -1.0-V threshold, 20-GHz ft GaAs MESFET technology, consumes approximately 200 mW of power, and requires one optical address. The OS/H will find applications in high precision, hybrid, and integrated signal processing systems where high speed, high levels of parallelism, and low timing jitter are important. Measured results of a series photoconducting (Auston switch) OS/H realized in the same technology are presented for comparison purposes. >


"The Bohemian Body" examines the modernist forces within nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe that helped shape both Czech nationalism and artistic interaction among ethnic and social groups - Czechs and Germans, men and women, gays and straights. By re-examining the work of key Czech male and female writers and poets from the National Revival to the Velvet Revolution, Alfred Thomas exposes the tendency of Czech literary criticism to separate the political and the personal in modern Czech culture. He points instead to the complex interplay of the political and the personal across ethnic, cultural, and intellectual lines and within the works of such individual writers as Karel Hynek Macha, Bozena Nemcova, and Rainer Maria Rilke, resulting in the emergence and evolution of a protean modern identity. The product is a seemingly paradoxical yet nuanced understanding of Czech culture (including literature, opera, and film), long overlooked or misunderstood by Western scholars.


A clinical and cytogenetic study has been made of subjects from families who have possible X linked mental retardation. The families were distinguished as those with a clinical diagnosis of Renpenning syndrome and those with other behavioural or physical abnormalities obviating such a diagnosis. All subjects with REnpenning syndrome carried a fragile Xq27-28 chromosome in more than 4% of their blood lymphocytes. In addition, two other families who did not have Renpenning syndrome but had similar clinical features also carried the fragile site Xq27-28. A female age effect was observed and one possible carrier of Renpenning syndrome exhibited the fragile X in 10% of her lymphocytes but was also mentally retarded. Subjects within the same family did not always exhibit the fragile site on a comparable proportion of their cells.


Stimuli-responsive smart-biomaterial-based approaches have been identified as a promising tool for nerve regeneration and neural tissue engineering. Understanding the stimuli-responsive behavior of the smart materials, along with the fundamentals of cellular interactions, is the key to future strategies for neural tissue engineering. Advances in the development and application of smart biomaterials and 3-D scaffold fabrication techniques as well as cellular reprogramming and transdifferentiation technologies make it possible to combine stem cells, cellular engineering, drug/gene delivery systems, nanotechnology and biomaterial-based therapies to develop experimental and clinical strategies for neural tissue engineering. The application of smart biomaterials in these technologies is likely to contribute synergistically to the improvement of therapeutic strategies for clinical translation. This review chapter focuses on the use of strategies combining stimuli-responsive smart biomaterials with other technologies in neural tissue engineering. A specific emphasis on temperature, pH, enzyme, photo-triggered, self-assembling and electrical stimuli-sensitive mono or multi-responsive smart biomaterials in neural tissue engineering is presented. A summary of the clinical potential and applications of smart materials in neural tissue engineering is also presented at the end to illustrate how smart materials can be effective in combination with these technologies to enhance neural regeneration.


This paper estimates fiscal policy feedback rules in Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom for more than a century, allowing for stochastic regime changes. Estimating a Markov-switching model by the Bayesian method, we find the following: First, the Japanese data clearly reject the view that the fiscal policy regime is fixed, i.e., that the Japanese government adopted a Ricardian or a non-Ricardian regime throughout the entire period. Instead, our results indicate a stochastic switch of the debt-GDP ratio between stationary and nonstationary processes, and thus a stochastic switch between Ricardian and non-Ricardian regimes. Second, our simulation exercises using the estimated parameters and transition probabilities do not necessarily reject the possibility that the debt-GDP ratio may be nonstationary even in the long run (i.e., globally nonstationary). Third, the Japanese result is in sharp contrast with the results for the U.S. and the U.K. which indicate that in these countries the government's fiscal behavior is consistently characterized by Ricardian policy.


The disaster management applications of geographical information systems and remote sensing are examined relative to the disaster cycle, in pre-disaster, crisis and post-disaster contexts. We focus on the uses and limitations of free or low-cost data and software. A wide range of geospatial datasets are currently freely available, from digital elevation models (DEMs) and thematic digital maps, to multispectral satellite imagery and virtual globes, such as Bing Maps. Maps of hazardous terrain and vulnerable features can be derived from sets of satellite data such as shuttle radar topography mission DEMs and Landsat imagery. The derived maps are particularly useful for district scale (1:25 to 1:100 K) disaster management in low-income countries. Detailed maps (i.e. better than 1:25 K scale) of hazardous terrain and vulnerable features generally require expensive high-resolution satellite imagery or aerial photography. Although the Internet allows the distribution of free or low-cost geospatial data, software and training materials, there are still some countries with limited Internet access. Data integration, spatial/temporal analysis and map production are also limited by the frequently high price of geoinformatic software, making it a priority to develop suitable Free and Open-Source Software.


The contemporary timber building design and procurement process has fragmented expertise creating numerous risk, knowledge and management interfaces. Fragmentation can lead to conservatism in design, material specification and material use. The university-educated and office-based designer is severed from construction practices and tactile material experiences. Opportunities to increase diversity and efficiency through digital design and fabrication processes from tree to completed building should seek to reconnect the designer with construction: concatenating the fragmented process into the designer-maker role. Contract tendering procedures often require generic solutions to be developed to prevent favouring one system or contractor over another which can stifle the partnering and collaboration that is required to maximise the benefits of the integrated designer-maker. This paper proposes that a multi-disciplinary team working under one contract best serves the emerging designer-maker role in timber. Educating and training designers and makers to be involved in the digital design and fabrication process requires exposure throughout the over-all project process from conception, through design, fabrication to erection. This paper proposes a pedagogical approach for the contemporary design-maker and presents a case study in which a timber structure was designed, prototyped, interrogated, fabricated, and erected.


Abstract : A Model A-103 Pauling Oxygen Analyzer was used to determine oxygen partial pressure in a low pressure chamber during a one month study of acclimatization to high altitude. The instrument and the experimental procedure are described. The oxygen analyzer was checked at least once daily by chemical analysis of the same atmosphere, and the results are shown graphically. Many technical considerations arose in the use of the instrument; these topics were carefully studied, and they are related. As a consequence of this investigation several definite conclusions developed: The oxygen analyzer should be checked occasionally by chemical analysis in order to ascertain if there is a deviation. It may require recalibration by taking readings at two points. Unless the water vapor pressure is known the partial pressure of oxygen cannot be accurately measured on this instrument; however the magnitude of this error is less than 3 mm. at room temperature for air at sea level, but the error increases with altitude. The instrument possesses an inherently high degree of precision. It may be reliably read to within 2 mm. of oxygen partial pressure when corrected for known water vapor pressure and when corrected for its calibration factor, which must be determined. A low range instrument, it is felt, would yield exceedingly accurate results for air analysis at high altitudes. (Author)


Transparency is increasingly seen as a critical requirement for achieving the goal of human-centered AI systems in general and also, specifically, recommender systems (RS). However, defining and operationalizing the concept is still difficult, due to its multi-faceted nature. Currently, there are hardly any measurement instruments to adequately assess the perceived transparency of RS in user studies. Thus, we present the development of a measurement instrument that aims at capturing perceived transparency as a multidimensional construct. The results of our validation show that transparency can be distinguished with respect to input (what data does the system use?), functionality (how and why is an item recommended?), output (why and how well does an item fit one's preferences?), and interaction (what needs to be changed for a different prediction?). The study is intended as a first iteration in the development of a reliable and fully validated measurement tool for assessing transparency in RS.


The Next Round of multilateral trade negotiations under the World Trade Organization is set to begin towards the end of 1999. This study was initiated to inform, substantiate and aid the development of industry and government negotiation positions for the Round. It was sponsored by Agricore, Alberta Agriculture and Food Council, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Alberta Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs, the Alberta Sugar Beet Growers, the Canadian Dehydrators Association, the Canadian Oilseed Processors Association, and the Potato Growers of Alberta. Its overall objective was to quantify the net benefits from agricultural trade liberalization in the Next Round of the WTO. The specific objectives may be encapsulated as follows: 1. Assess the relative sizes of the supply managed and non-supply managed segments in Canada's agri-food sector with the view to understanding the implications of trade liberalization on these segments. 2. Examine the implications of trade liberalization on trade by degree of value-adding. 3. Estimate the extent and distribution of government support to agriculture in Canada on a regional basis. 4. Quantify the net benefits from elimination of tariffs and other trade barriers to the agri-food sector and the economy. 5. Evaluate the impact of emerging trade issues (e.g., food safety, genetically modified organisms and biotechnology) on Canada's agri-food industries.


The molecular mechanisms underlying the quality and quantity of life extension appear to sometimes be orthogonal. For example, while resveratrol has continued to prove beneficial in reducing obesity, it has had less efficacy in extending lifespan. On the other hand, rapamycin and the chemically similar rapalogs extend lifespan across genera of life from yeast, to nematodes, to mice. Caloric restriction (CR) and bioavailable small molecules, which mimic a fasted state, upregulate autophagy, catabolism of fats over anabolism of carbohydrates, and decrease oxidative stress and inflammation. CR mimics are currently being investigated to elucidate the best dosage, route of administration, timing in life, where best to inhibit in the mTOR pathway, and effects of long-term use on mTORC1 verse mTORC2 complexes. Comparisons between rapamycin, resveratrol, and metformin targets, downstream pathway effects, dosage, and clinical trials will be discussed.


Carbohydrate antigens displaying Galα(1,3)Gal epitopes are recognized by naturally occurring antibodies in humans. These anti-Gal antibodies comprise up to 1% of serum IgG and have been viewed as detrimental as they are responsible for hyperacute organ rejections. In order to model this condition, α(1,3)galactosyltransferase-knockout mice are inoculated against the Galα(1,3)Gal epitope. In our study, two α-Gal trisaccharide epitopes composed of either Galα(1,3)Galβ(1,4)GlcNAc or Galα(1,3)Galβ(1,4)Glc linked to a squaric acid ester moiety were examined for their ability to elicit immune responses in KO mice. Both target epitopes were synthesized using a two-component enzymatic system using modified disaccharide substrates containing a linker moiety for coupling. While both glycoconjugate vaccines induced the required high anti-Gal IgG antibody titers, it was found that this response had exquisite specificity for the Galα(1,3)Galβ(1,4)GlcNAc hapten used, with little cross reactivity with the Galα(1,3)Galβ(1,4)Glc hapten. Our findings indicate that while homogenous glycoconjugate vaccines provide high IgG titers, the carrier and adjuvanting factors can deviate the specificity to an antigenic determinant outside the purview of interest.


Novel poly(ε-caprolactone)-organosiloxane hybrid containing amine group was synthesized through sol-gel method. Triethoxysilane end-capped poly(ε-caprolactone) was prepared by reaction with α,ω-hydroxyl poly(ε-caprolactone) and 3-isocyanatopropyl triethoxysilane. It was then hydrolyzed and co-condensed with aminopropyl triethoxysilane through sol-gel method. The success of hybridization was evaluated by FT-IR by new formation of siloxane group. Osteoblast-like cell responses were assessed on this new hybrid material for the potential application as a bone tissue engineering scaffold. The cell responses were compatible with those on pure poly(ε-caprolactone) used as a control.


Weight and height from infancy to age 15 years was studied in the Geelong population (n = 1200 in infancy; n = 213 at adolescence), Victoria, Australia. Body mass index (BMI) increased from 3 months to 12 months and then decreased again until 80 months after which it increased to 20.5 kg/m2 at the age of 15 years. The extent of tracking of BMI in infants classified as overweight or underweight was similar and differed from that of subjects of normal weight. Only one in four of the infants classified as overweight or underweight in infancy were still in the same category in adolescence, compared with three in four of those classified as of normal weight. Socioeconomic status has an effect on weight and height status in adolescence but not on the tracking of BMI. The age at 6-7 years is a critical age for weight and height status in adolescence. It appears that weight and height in infancy have a significant relationship with body size in adolescence but only in boys.


ABSTRACT Acid-mine drainage (AMD) into the Dee River from the historic gold and copper mine in Mount Morgan, Queensland (Australia) has been of concern to farmers in the area since 1925. This study sought to determine the levels of AMD-related metals and sulfur in agricultural produce grown near the mine-impacted Dee River, compare these with similar produce grown in reference fields (which had no known AMD influence), and assess any potential health risk using relevant Australian or US guidelines. Analyses of lucerne (Medicago sativa; also known as alfalfa) from five Dee fields showed the following average concentrations (mg/kg dry basis): Cd < 1, Cu 11, Fe 106, Mn 52, Pb < 5, Zn 25 and S 3934; similar levels were found in lucerne hay (used as cattle feed) from two Dee fields. All lucerne and lucerne hay data were generally comparable with levels found in the lucerne reference fields, suggesting no AMD influence; the levels were within the US National Research Council (US NRC) guidelines for maximum tolerable cattle dietary intake. Pasture grass (also cattle feed) from two fields in the Dee River floodplains gave mean concentrations (mg/kg dry) of Cd 0.14, Cu 12, Fe 313, Mn 111, Pb 1.4, Zn 86 and S 2450. All metal levels from the Dee and from reference sites were below the US NRC guidelines for maximum tolerable cattle dietary intake; however, the average Cd, Cu and Fe levels in Dee samples were significantly greater than the corresponding levels in the pasture grass reference sites, suggesting AMD influence in the Dee samples. The average levels in the edible portions of mandarin oranges (Citrus reticulata) from Dee sites (mg/kg wet weight) were Cd 0.011, Cu 0.59, Fe 2.2, Mn 0.56, Pb 0.18, S 91 and Zn 0.96. Cd and Zn were less than or close to, average Fe and Mn levels were at most twice, Cd 1.8 or 6.5 times, and Pb 8.5 or 72 times the maximum levels in raw oranges reported in the US total diet study (TDS) or the Australian TDS, respectively. Average Cd, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn levels in the citrus reference samples were found to exceed the maximum reported in one or both TDS surveys. Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn plant-soil transfer factor (TF) values were < 1 for all agricultural samples from both Dee and reference sites, suggesting relatively poor transfer of these metals from soil to plant. In the case of Cd, TF values for Dee pasture grass and citrus fruit samples were 0.14 and 0.73, respectively; lucerne and lucerne hay from both Dee and reference sites gave TF = 10, suggesting some potential risk to cattle, although this conclusion is tentative because Cd levels were close to or less than the detection limit. TF values for S in lucerne, lucerne hay, pasture grass and mandarin oranges from Dee sites were 18, 14, 3 and 3.6, respectively, indicating that S in soil was readily available to plant or fruit. Sulfur in pasture grass and citrus fruit (TF = 11 for both) was apparently more bioavailable at the reference sites than at the Dee sites (TF = 3.0 for pasture grass; TF = 3.6 for citrus fruit).


This paper describes the development of a Unified Flow Solver (UFS) that automatically switches between and couples the continuum‐fluid‐dynamic and kinetic solvers needed for the continuum and kinetic regimes. A Direct Numerical Solver (DNS) of the Boltzmann Equation (BE) is used in regions of moderate and high local Knudsen number, while Kinetic schemes of gas dynamics are used elsewhere. The use of kinetic schemes instead of traditional continuum solvers facilitates automatic domain decomposition for coupling the BE and the continuum solvers. Solutions of several problems with small Knudsen number and in the continuum regime are presented. Criteria for switching between the kinetic and continuum solvers are formulated and tested. The efficiency and numerical stability of the UFS is attained by using similar computational techniques for the kinetic and continuum solvers, and by employing intelligent domain decomposition algorithms. Results obtained with the UFS for different problems are presented.


Draw on the trust relationship of human society, domain model and domain trust are introduced to build domain-based level trust manage model (DLTMM). In various domains, according to physical services characteristics of their own, entities abstract representative attribution. According to their preferences the service requester preferences comprehensive evaluate the service attributions, and to determines whether transaction; After trading, the service requester will calculate the difference degree of quality of service according to the actual quality of service and the claimed quality of service, and then judge the trust degree of service provider. The simulation results show that the model can more accurate assessment of the trust entity, to some extent effective against malicious attacks, which proves the validity and accuracy of the model.


Objectives: Fetal magnetic resonance (MR) has greatly improved the ability to counsel patients with fetal diagnosis of ventriculomegaly, since it allows accurate study of the lateral ventricles as well as the whole brain structure in search for additional anomalies. Quantitative MR indices along with qualitative assessment may certainly improve the diagnostic utility of MR to predict postnatal outcomes. Our aim was to assess inter and intraobserver variability in determining fetal lateral ventricle volume using brain MR in fetuses referred for ventriculomegaly (VM). Methods: Lateral ventricle volumes were measured by using planimetry on single-shot rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement MR images obtained in 30 fetuses with sonographically diagnosed VM (atrial width between 10 and 28 mm). All fetuses aged between 20 and 26 gestational weeks. Exams were performed in a Sonata Maestro Class 1,5-T system (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) and measurements attained in a Leonardo workstation using ARGUS VA60C software. Ventricular volumes were independently assessed (60 ventricles) in the coronal section plane by two experienced observers, twice by the first observer with at least 1 month of interval between measurements. Reliability and agreement of the volumes were evaluated with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), and proportionate Bland-Altman plots were constructed. Results: Inter and intraobserver analysis showed good agreement between measurements, as shown on the dispersion and BlandAltman plots (most of the measurements were within the mean ±2 SD). ICC was 0.999 for both intra and interobserver (95% CI: 0.999; 1.000; and mean of differences was 0.01 (95% LA: ±2.26; SD: ±1.15) and 0.26 (95% LA: ±1.28 and SD: ±0.65) respectively. Conclusions: Fetal lateral ventricle volume can be readily assessed during the second and third trimesters of gestation. The reliability and validity of MR volume measurements are high, with very good interobserver agreement.


Background: The delivery of excess maternal nutrients to the fetus is known to increase the risk of macrosomia, even among infants of women without gestational diabetes mellitus. With the current obesity epidemic, maternal adiposity and its associated effects on circulating adipokines and inflammatory proteins may now have a greater impact on fetal growth. We sought to evaluate the independent effects of maternal glycemia, lipids, obesity, adipokines and inflammation on infant birth weight. Methods: We included 472 women who underwent an oral glucose tolerance test in late pregnancy and were found not to have gestational diabetes; 104 (22.0%) had gestational impaired glucose tolerance. We also measured fasting levels of insulin, low-and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, leptin, adiponectin and C-reactive protein. Obstetric outcomes were assessed at delivery. Results: The mean birth weight was 3481 g (standard deviation 493 g); 68 of the infants were large for gestational age. On multiple linear regression analysis, positive determinants of birth weight were length of gestation, male infant, weight gain during pregnancy up to the time of the oral glucose tolerance test, body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy and impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy. Leptin, adiponectin and C-reactive protein levels were each negatively associated with birth weight. On logistic regression analysis, the significant metabolic predictors of having a large-for-gestational-age infant were BMI before pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05–1.27, per 1 kg/m2 increase), weight gain during pregnancy up to the time of the oral glucose tolerance test (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.05–1.19, per 1 kg increase) and leptin level (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.30–0.82, per 1 standard deviation change). Interpretation: Among women without gestational diabetes, maternal adiposity and leptin levels were the strongest metabolic determinants of having a large-for-gestational-age infant rather than glucose intolerance and lipid levels.


The present study is aimed at predicting liver tumor temperature increase during a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) thermal ablation using the proposed acoustics-heat-fluid coupling model. The linear Westervelt equation is adopted for modeling the incident finite-amplitude wave propagation. The nonlinear hemodynamic equations are also taken into account in the simulation domain that contains a hepatic tissue domain, where homogenization dominates perfusion, and a vascular domain, where blood convective cooling may be essential in determining the success of HIFU. We also consider the energy equation for the modeling thermal conduction heat transfer. Two heat sinks are dealt with to account for tissue perfusion and forced convection-induced cooling. The effect of acoustic streaming is also included in the current HIFU simulation study. Convective cooling in large blood vessel and acoustic streaming were shown to change the temperature near blood vessel. It was shown that the acoustic streaming effect can change the blood flow distribution in hepatic arterial branches and leads to mass flux redistribution. The effect of acoustic streaming can be used to control blood drug delivery. In the current work the realistic geometry for the blood vessel and liver was reconstructed using the MRI images. The presented results may be further used to construct a surgical planning platform for the non-invasive HIFU (High-Intensity Focal Ultrasound) tumor ablating (or cauterizing) therapy in real liver geometry on the basis of the MRI image.Copyright © 2011 by KSME


Introduction: This paper describes the design, implementation, and potential use of a comparative anatomy information system (CAIS) for querying on similarities and differences between homologous anatomical structures across species, the knowledge base it operates upon, the method it uses for determining the answers to the queries, and the user interface it employs to present the results. The relevant informatics contributions of our work include (1) the development and application of the structural difference method, a formalism for symbolically representing anatomical similarities and differences across species; (2) the design of the structure of a mapping between the anatomical models of two different species and its application to information about specific structures in humans, mice, and rats; and (3) the design of the internal syntax and semantics of the query language. These contributions provide the foundation for the development of a working system that allows users to submit queries about the similarities and differences between mouse, rat, and human anatomy; delivers result sets that describe those similarities and differences in symbolic terms; and serves as a prototype for the extension of the knowledge base to any number of species. Additionally, we expanded the domain knowledge by identifying medically relevant structural questions for the human, the mouse, and the rat, and made an initial foray into the validation of the application and its content by means of user questionnaires, software testing,


It is generally accepted that superior products result from a balanced consideration of both "technology" and "aesthetic design". Nonetheless, the gap between the two professions of the "design engineer" and the "industrial designer" has not been bridged since their origination in the course of industrialization [7]. One possible approach to enhance the collaboration of both disciplines is to teach the basics of the respective other's. In Germany, the main work following this approach of trying to prepare engineers for design collaborations is the VDI guideline 2424 ("The Industrial Design Process") [21], which was worked out and released in three parts from 1984 to 1988 by a group of engineering design researchers and industrial designers. As no accepted industrial design theory could be identified at that time, the authors of the guideline tried to apply some of engineering design methodology's proven methods taken from the VDI guideline 2221 [19] that seemed to fit to industrial design. That approach ultimately failed, as the authors of the guideline had to conclude themselves in the opening remarks of its last part [21]. Even if the guideline is still officially in use for the lack of a replacement, it is hardly used in engineering education. Since then however, accepted theoretical approaches have been produced by industrial design research that allow for the definition of an interdisciplinary theory on product development. This paper introduces these approaches and arranges them together with models of engineering design methodology to serve as a basis for a design theory that explains both domains' competences and responsibilities. A function-oriented product model is set up that illustrates existing interdependencies by classifying a technical product/project according to the relative importance of its technical function (engineering's competence) on the one hand and its semiotic functions (industrial design's competence) on the other. The realization of industrial design's competence as signification and the organization of its devices according to the model of semiotic functions explain existing organizational problems of interdisciplinary design practice. It is demonstrated why industrial design cannot proceed according a purely technical design process such as the one defined in the VDI guideline 2221 and what implications that has on interdisciplinary design projects.


This study presents the results of dragonfly fauna research in the Turopolje region of Croatia. Faunal analyses were conducted in the period from 1986–2009, with some interruptions, while an ecological analysis (composition of dragonflies according to habitat characteristics such as vegetation structure, air temperature, cloudiness) was conducted in the period 2007–2009. Faunal and ecological analyses were carried out at seventeen and nine localities, respectively. A total of 35 dragonfly species was recorded, indicating high species richness in comparison to the total number of 67 species known in Croatia. Zoogeographic analysis of the recorded dragonfly species showed the domination of the Holo-Mediterranean element which indicates complex glaciation and interglaciation processes during the geological past in Europe, when the Croatian territory served as a refugium. The results show that the distribution and abundance of dragonflies are indicative of habitat characteristics (vegetal structure, cloudiness and air temperature). Dragonflies prefer mosaic habitats (diverse vegetation structure) with average air temperatures ranging from 26–28°C and sunny weather. Since this research was conducted in only a part of the whole Turopolje region, and only adult specimens were sampled, further research should be focused on the life cycles of dragonflies and their distribution throughout the entire Turopolje region.


Reliable prediction of precipitation by numerical weather prediction (NWP) models depends on the appropriate representation of cloud microphysical processes and accurate initial conditions of observations of atmospheric variables. Therefore, to retrieve reasonable cloud distributions, a 1-D variational Ice Cloud Microphysics Data Assimilation System (IMDAS) is developed to improve the predictability of NWP models. The general framework of IMDAS includes the Lin ice cloud microphysics scheme as a model operator, a four-stream fast microwave radiative transfer model in the atmosphere as an observation operator, and a global minimization method that is known as the shuffled complex evolution. IMDAS assimilates the satellite microwave radiometer data set of the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for the Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) and retrieves integrated water vapor and integrated cloud liquid water content. This new method successfully introduces heterogeneity into the initial state of the atmosphere, and the modeled microwave brightness temperatures agree well with the observations of the Wakasa Bay Experiment 2003 in Japan. It has significantly improved the performance of the cloud microphysics scheme by the intrusion of heterogeneity into the external global reanalysis data, which resultantly improved atmospheric initial conditions.


(N, F), where 'P' means wahr, 'N' unwahr, 'T true, and 'F' false. The author suggests two possible kinds of application: to sentences having different truth-values in biology and ethics, or in wave mechanics and corpuscular theory. Bicomplex two-valued logic has three kinds of negation of a sentence a: the "left-hand" negation Na, the "right-hand" negation aF, and the "total" negation NaF. The truthvalues of these negations are given in the following table:


We present a debiased dataset for the Person-centric Visual Grounding (PCVG) task first proposed by Cui et al. (2021) in the Who's Waldo dataset. Given an image and a caption, PCVG requires pairing up a person's name mentioned in a caption with a bounding box that points to the person in the image. We find that the original Who's Waldo dataset compiled for this task contains a large number of biased samples that are solvable simply by heuristic methods; for instance, in many cases the first name in the sentence corresponds to the largest bounding box, or the sequence of names in the sentence corresponds to an exact left-to-right order in the image. Naturally, models trained on these biased data lead to over-estimation of performance on the benchmark. To enforce models being correct for the correct reasons, we design automated tools to filter and debias the original dataset by ruling out all examples of insufficient context, such as those with no verb or with a long chain of conjunct names in their captions. Our experiments show that our new sub-sampled dataset contains less bias with much lowered heuristic performances and widened gaps between heuristic and supervised methods. We also demonstrate the same benchmark model trained on our debiased training set outperforms that trained on the original biased (and larger) training set on our debiased test set. We argue our debiased dataset offers the PCVG task a more practical baseline for reliable benchmarking and future improvements.


Objective: To examine the association between several subtypes of anxiety disorders and various cortisol indicators in a large cohort study. Anxiety disorders have been suggested to be linked to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, although results are scarce and inconsistent. No earlier studies have examined consistency of HPA axis findings across several anxiety subtypes and whether associations are state or trait dependent. Methods: Data are derived from 1427 participants of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety. Three groups were compared: 342 control participants without psychiatric disorders; 311 persons with a remitted (no current) anxiety disorder (social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder); and 774 persons with a current anxiety disorder, as diagnosed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview psychiatric interview. Cortisol levels were measured in seven saliva samples, determining the 1-hour cortisol awakening response, evening cortisol, and cortisol response after 0.5 mg of dexamethasone ingestion. Results: Current anxiety disorder was associated with higher awakening cortisol levels (p = .002). These findings were mainly present for patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia and anxious patients with comorbid depressive disorder. Remitted anxiety only showed a trend toward higher morning cortisol (p = .08). No associations were observed for anxiety status and evening cortisol level or cortisol suppression after dexamethasone. Conclusions: This study showed a modest but significantly higher 1-hour cortisol awakening response among anxiety patients, which was driven by those with panic disorder with agoraphobia and those with comorbid depression. HPA = hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal; AUCg = area under the curve to the ground; AUCi = area under the curve to the increase; PD = panic disorder; PDA = panic disorder with agoraphobia; GAD = generalized anxiety disorder; MDD = major depressive disorder; BAI = Beck Anxiety Inventory.


Additional index words, abscission, auxin, truitlet, Litcht chinensis Application of TP as Tipimon® or TPA as Maxim®at the young fruitlet stage significantly increased yield in three lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) cultivars: Mauritius', 'Floridian', and 'Kaimana'. Application of TP followed by TPA a week later increased yield more than did either substance alone. In all experiments, TPA increased fruit size and weight, relative to both controls and TP-treated trees. The increased yield did not prevent the increase in fruit size. Use of sprays of TPA may be an effective way of satisfying the market demand for large lychee fruit. Chemical names used: 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxypropionic acid (TP); 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridyloxyacetic acid (TPA).


Background/Aims: The prematurely closed Stent-In II trial in patients with left-sided obstructive colon cancer may have influenced clinical decision making in The Netherlands. The aim of this study was to evaluate treatment of left-sided malignant colon obstruction at a population level since then. Methods: Short-term outcomes of all patients who underwent resection for left-sided obstructive colon cancer between 2009 and 2012 were assessed based on a prospective national registry. Results: In total, 1,816 evaluable patients were included; acute resection was performed in 1,485 (81.8%), and endoscopic stent or decompressing stoma followed by resection in 196 (10.8%) and 135 (7.4%), respectively. The use of endoscopic stenting significantly decreased from 18% (2009) to 6% (2012). Overall 30-day or in-hospital mortality rate was 6.9, 5.6, and 3.7%, respectively (p = 0.107). Mortality rate after acute resection was 2.9% in patients >70 years, but mortality rates up to 32.2% were observed in high-risk elderly patients. Conclusion: Acute resection as first choice treatment seems justified for patients >70 years of age given a mortality rate of 3%. For the elderly frail patients, mortality rates over 30% after acute resection stress the need for alternative treatment strategies.


Anthocyanins have been reported to have effective chemopreventive activity. Lycium ruthenicum Murray is rich in anthocyanins and exhibits many biological activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects and possible biological mechanism of the main anthocyanin monomer (Pt3G) of Lycium ruthenicum Murray on prostate cancer DU-145 cells. The cell proliferation was detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. The cell apoptosis rates were assessed by flow cytometric analysis and TUNEL assay. The expressions of apoptosis related proteins were evaluated by western blotting. Our data demonstrated that Pt3G inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and promoted cell cycle arrest at the S phase in a concentration-dependent manner (0, 100, 200 and 400 μg mL-1). Furthermore, it was shown that Pt3G decreased the mitochondrial membrane permeability through regulating the expressions of Bax and Bcl-2. Western blot analysis indicated that Pt3G significantly increased the expression of PTEN and then activated the PI3K/Akt-mediated caspase 3 pathway. In addition, our results also suggested that Pt3G activated the PTEN gene to induce the apoptosis of DU-145 cells by stimulating the overproduction of ROS. To sum up, these results indicate that Pt3G inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis through the ROS/PTEN/PI3K/Akt/caspase 3 signaling pathway in prostate cancer DU-145 cells. Therefore, Pt3G of Lycium ruthenicum Murray may be a potential anti-proliferative agent for the prevention or treatment of prostate cancer.


The crystallographic slip activity in several grains deformed by simple tension is determined by use of in-situ deformation in combination with Electron Back Scattering Diffraction (EBSD)-investigations and Secondary Electron (SE) imaging. This technique is also used to determine grain lattice rotation paths of grains with different initial orientation, providing information on basic deformation mechanisms of grains present in texture gradients. Both slip activity and grain lattice rotation paths depend on the initial orientation and are influenced by the neighbouring grain orientations. This indicates that predictions of the forming behaviour of extruded profiles with a strong through thickness texture gradient relate to a very complex nature.


Humans are experts at reading others' actions. They effortlessly navigate a crowded street or reach for a handshake without grabbing an elbow. This suggests real-time, efficient processing of others' movements and the ability to predict intended future movements. We designed a competitive reaching task where two subjects faced each other separated by a plexiglass screen. Fingertip positions were recorded with magnetic sensors. One subject (Attacker) was instructed via headphones to tap one of two targets on the screen and the other subject (Blocker) was told to try to reach the same target as quickly as possible. Reaction times, measured as the difference in initial finger movement (finger launch) of Attacker and Blocker were fast (~150ms): much faster than reaction times to a moving dot projected on the screen (~250ms). This suggests Blockers use preparatory actions of Attackers to predict their goal before finger launch. Next, we videotaped an Attacker and projected the video onto the transparent screen. Blockers' reaction times to the videos matched those to a real Attacker. In half the blocks we cut the preparatory information from the video. Blockers were ~120ms slower responding to cut videos, suggesting preparatory information is predictive ~120ms before finger launch. Finally we played the videos from the start to various times relative to finger launch and asked subjects to report the Attacker's goal with button presses. Surprisingly when videos were cut at ~120ms before finger launch subjects' accuracy was ~70%: significantly lower than the accuracy of arm movements in response to full videos (~98%). This suggests that in the arm movement task subjects utilize implicit information that is not consciously accessible in the button press task. Taken together, these results suggest participants in a competitive interaction have implicit or unconscious knowledge of the intentions of their partner before movement begins. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


Bacterial antibiotic resistance, especially multidrug resistance (MDR), has become a global challenge, threatening human and animal health, food and environment safety. The number of human deaths accounted for by multidrug resistance (MDR) was estimated to increase to 10 million by 2050, exceeding the number of deaths arising from cancer (WHO, 2014). Although a bacterium is able to establish antibiotic resistance through spontaneous mutation (Salverda et al., 2017), development of MDR in the bacterium would take a long time if it only relies on self-adaptive mutation. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) allows bacteria to exchange their genetic materials (including antibiotic resistance genes, ARGs) among diverse species (Le Roux and Blokesch, 2018), greatly fostering collaboration among bacterial population in MDR development. Recent studies reveal emergence of 'superbugs' that carry a number of HGT-transferred ARGs on plasmids and tolerate almost all antibiotics (Mathers et al., 2015; Wang and Sun, 2015; Malhotra-Kumar et al., 2016). These MDR plasmids are able to be further transferred to different bacterial species, creating new 'superbugs' that grow in different environments. Global emergence of 'superbugs' carrying MDR plasmids (e. g. NDM-1 and MCR-1) in various environmental niches (e. g. patients, animals and soil) indicates rapid propagation of MDR among bacterial populations. Although HGT and MDR were found to be tightly linked in 'superbugs', as revealed by surveillance studies, our knowledge about how and to what extend HGT propels development of MDR under different environmental conditions remain inadequate. The 22 publications collected in the topic "Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance" show new discoveries and recent advances concerning this issue in a wide range of fields, providing a basis for collaboratively controlling MDR in the future.


Discusses building a radio telescope at Abu Simbel in the south of Egypt, for solar and stellar observations on wavelengths ranging between microwave and millimeter wave. Abu Simbel is one of the best sites in North Africa for optical and radio observations; it is a dry desert with excellent atmospheric opacity. The telescope is discussed in relation to VLBI studies.


Activated macrophages release tissue forms of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), 20-25-kD products of the IGF-I gene, thus providing an extracellular growth and differentiation signal at sites of inflammation. To examine the control of IGF-I gene expression in mononuclear phagocytes, the human macrophage-like cell line U937 was evaluated at rest and after surface activation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or Ca2l ionophore. Northern analysis and RNAse protection analysis with 32P-labeled IGF-I-specific probes demonstrated that the IGF-I mRNAtranscripts of resting U937 cells were similar in size and amount to those of resting human alveolar macrophages, mononuclear phagocytes known to express the IGF-I gene. Nuclear run-off assays demonstrated that surface activation of U937 cells increased the transcription rate of the IGF-I gene fourto fivefold, a process that was inhibited by cycloheximide, suggesting that active protein synthesis was involved in the activation pathway. Despite this, cytoplasmic IGF-I mRNAlevels after surface activation declined markedly, a process blocked by a protein kinase C inhibitor (for PMAactivation) or a calmodulin antagonist (for Ca2l ionophore activation). Like the increased transcription of the IGF-I gene, modulation of IGF-I mRNAtranscript levels required active protein synthesis; in the presence of cycloheximide constitutive IGF-I mRNAlevels increased and surface activation no longer caused a decrease in transcript number. Interestingly, surface activation caused a rapid release of IGF-I, even in the presence of a protein synthesis inhibitor, suggesting that mononuclear phagocytes have a preformed, stored, releasable pool of IGF-I. Together these observations demonstrate that IGF-I gene expression is complex and probably involves control of transcription rate, cytoplasmic mRNAlevels possibly mediated through protein kinase C, calcium influx and calmodulin, and finally, release of preformed IGF-I from a storage pool. (J. Clin. Invest. 1990. 85:448455.) macrophage insulin-like growth factor I * gene expression


Since writing ability has been found to be a key indicator of school success and successful participation in the workplace, it is important for preservice teachers to receive effective preparation in the area of writing. Reflecting on personal writing experiences allows preservice teachers to examine their own attitudes and beliefs about writing and the effects their attitudes and beliefs may have on their pedagogical decisions in the future. This article describes the findings from two focus groups conducted with preschool and elementary preservice teachers during which participants examined their attitudes towards writing that have developed over time and their plans for future writing instruction. The following three broad themes emerged related to key influences in the development of positive and negative attitudes towards writing: (a) having writing published or showcased increases positive attitudes towards writing, (b) creative opportunities and process-oriented teaching strategies provide the most meaningful writing experiences, and (c) negative feedback from teachers adversely impacts self-confidence in writing skills and leads to negative attitudes towards writing. Three themes related to views of writing instruction and pedagogical decisions for the future also emerged from the focus groups. These were: (a) embedding writing opportunities throughout the day helps provide quality writing instruction, (b) preservice teachers who struggle with writing mechanics are hesitant about teaching these skills to their future students, and (c) preservice teachers do not agree on one specific methodology for teaching writing or the amount of time that they will teach writing in the future.


Sketches are an integral part of designing user interfaces and despite advances in design tools, many user interface designers still rely on pen and paper when creating these sketches because of their reliability, familiarity and ease of use. Rough sketches are well suited for quick ideation and experimentation, but are typically lacking in detail, resulting in limited readability and clarity when presented to others. In this paper we present the SketchingInterfaces tool, which uses machine learning to translate hand-drawn UI sketches into high-fidelity UI mockups in real-time. The goals of this tool are the following: (1) to speed up the design process, (2) to allow rapid iteration on near-final design artifacts, (3) to improve group collaboration and (4) to lower the threshold of required design skills. We present the results of a study evaluating the tool with six participants to demonstrate the viability of the approach.


This paper reports on a system that can save electricity. Many times we leave the room and hall without switching off lights and fans, thus electricity is wasted. In this work we have presented a system in which energy will be saved based on number of people entering in or leaving out of the room. If there is no person in the room, then light and fan will be switched OFF. On the other hand as soon as any person enters the room, light and fan will be switched ON. On the basis of the intensity of sunlight we can increase or decrease the intensity of light. Simultaneously we can vary the speed of the fan sensing the room temperature. The more temperature the more speed of the fan. A smoke sensor module is used for detecting any smoke within the room and provides safety by alarming the audio device.


Petroleum system models (PSM) result critically depend on the computed evolution of the temperature field. As PSM typically only resolve the sedimentary basin and not the entire lithosphere, it is necessary to apply a basement heat flow boundary condition inferred from well data, surface heat flow measurements, and an assumed tectonic scenario. The purpose of this paper is to assess the use of surface heat flow measurements to calibrate basin models. We show that a simple relationship between surface and basement heat flow only exists in thermal steady-state and that transient processes such as rifting and sediment deposition will lead to a decoupling. We study this relationship in extensional sedimentary basins with a 1D lithosphere-scale finite element model. The numerical model was built to capture the large-scale dynamic evolution of the lithosphere and simultaneously solve for transient thermal processes in basin evolution, such as sedimentation, compaction-driven fluid flow, and seafloor temperature variations. Our analysis shows that several corrections need to be applied when using surface heat flow information for the calibration of basement heat flow in PSM. Not doing so can lead to significant errors of up to 30-50 °C at typical petroleum reservoir and source rock depths. We further show that resolving sediment blanketing effects in basin modeling is crucial, with the thermal impact of sediment deposition being at least as important as rifting-induced basement heat flow variations.


In the model of randomly perturbed graphs we consider the union of a deterministic graph $\mathcal{G}_\alpha$ with minimum degree $\alpha n$ and the binomial random graph $\mathbb{G}(n,p)$. This model was introduced by Bohman, Frieze, and Martin and for Hamilton cycles their result bridges the gap between Dirac's theorem and the results by Pósa and Korshunov on the threshold in $\mathbb{G}(n,p)$. In this note we extend this result in $\mathcal{G}_\alpha\cup\mathbb{G}(n,p)$ to sparser graphs with $\alpha=o(1)$. More precisely, for any $\varepsilon>0$ and $\alpha \colon \mathbb{N} \mapsto (0,1)$ we show that a.a.s. $\mathcal{G}_\alpha\cup \mathbb{G}(n,\beta /n)$ is Hamiltonian, where $\beta = -(6 + \varepsilon) \log(\alpha)$. If $\alpha>0$ is a fixed constant this gives the aforementioned result by Bohman, Frieze, and Martin and if $\alpha=O(1/n)$ the random part $\mathbb{G}(n,p)$ is sufficient for a Hamilton cycle. We also discuss embeddings of bounded degree trees and other spanning structures in this model, which lead to interesting questions on almost spanning embeddings into $\mathbb{G}(n,p)$.


Conventional estimation algorithms utilize either a tone or squarewave in the preamble for frequency estimation. However, such patterns for the preamble sequence are nonoptimal when the channel is frequency selective. Furthermore, the problem is exacerbated for packet-switched systems, such as wireless LANs, which require frequency synchronization on a per packet basis. This paper presents a low complexity frequency estimation algorithm that is robust in frequency selective fading channels. The algorithm is non-decision aided and does not require a priori frame synchronization. Compared against conventional techniques, a factor of 5-10 reduction in BER and a factor of 3 reduction in convergence time are achieved.


Electronic documents made by some application (e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint application) have traces of work like editing, and these traces exist in the format of electronic documents. In digital forensic investigation, examiners have failed to notice traces of past work. It is because of that the traces of the past work cannot be identified by its application easily. However, identifying traces of the past work is important for digital forensic investigation because this data can be essential information which is created by culprit's intention not appeared in electronic document. This paper focuses on analyzing the Microsoft PowerPoint application (version 97 ~ 2003) which has the feature that it has traces of past work. In case of Microsoft PowerPoint file, it is possible to identify traces of past work by analyzing saving algorithm of application. To detect the traces automatically, PRIX (PPT residual information extractor) tool is developed.


Carbon fiber reinforced concrete (CFRC) structures exhibit both strain sensibility and temperature sensibility, which are coupled with each other when used in traffic or health monitoring for concrete structures. This coupling property results in inaccurateness of measured deformation. In this paper Four-probe Difference Method is used to detach the above two effects according to loaded conditions of structures and different characteristics of the two effects. The theoretical and experimental results indicate that the method is feasible and effective.


Events in self-timed rings can propagate evenly spaced or as bursts. By studying these phenomena, we obtain a better understanding of the underlying dynamics of self-timed pipelines, which is a necessary precursor to utilizing these dynamics to obtain higher performance. We show that standard bounded delay models are inadequate to discriminate between bursting and evenly spaced behaviours and show that an extension of the Charlie Diagrams provides a framework for understanding these phenomena. This paper describes our novel analytical approaches and the design and fabrication of a chip to test our theoretical models.


The Poyang Lake water level is heavily influenced by the watershed inflows and also by the Yangtze River from the north of the lake basin. Observed river discharge and water level from the Yangtze River and the Poyang Lake catchment are used in this paper to further investigate the variation of the Yangtze River (blocking) effect on the change of Poyang Lake water level. The preliminary results indicate that the strong Yangtze River effect shows a long-term decrease trend according to the increase of warm season rainfall in the Poyang Lake basin. Poyang Lake water level increased obviously during 1960-2000, however, the pattern of annual lake water level variation was somewhat altered due to the modifications to the river-lake interactions caused by various reasons, especially after the completion of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) project in 2003. In accordance to the regulation of the Three Gorges Reservoir, the Poyang Lake water level varied correspondingly with decrease in October-December and slight increase in January-March. In particular, the operation of the Three Gorges Dam project may promote an earlier coming of low water season for Poyang Lake, and aggravate water supply in the lake area, especially in dry years.


Based on the assumptions of the latent state-trait theory (e.g. Steyer, Ferring, & Schmitt, 1992 ; Steyer, Schmitt, & Eid, 1999), the study examines the degree to which variations in situation-specific measures of coping are due to individual dispositions and/or to occasion-related factors. An inventory measuring three broad coping dimensions, i.e., problem solving, acceptance of situation, and emotion-focused coping (e.g. Busko, & Kulenovic, 2003), was administered to 421 military basic trainees on two occasions five weeks apart. Several multi-construct latent state-trait models with method factors were tested against the data on the three coping dimensions taken together. The less restrictive version of the model with unequal loadings and within-occasion covariances of the latent state residuals unconstrained across occasions, proved to fit the data best. According to the parameter estimates obtained, the portions of variance attributable to situational and/or interactional effects varied with the point of measurement and the type of coping used. Small but significant within-occasion correlations among the latent state residuals of the three coping constructs were also found, with somewhat more pronounced effects obtained for the second than for the first time point measures. The results are discussed in view of the latent state-trait theory and the processes of coping with low-control stressors.


Evidence from clinical epidemiology and in vivo and in vitro experiments have a strong correlation between estrogen exposure and breast cancer. However, the mechanisms of estrogen carcinogenesis are highly complex. One of the proposed pathways is the hormonal pathway, by which estrogen stimulates cell proliferation which enhances the chance of genetic error during DNA replication. Another pathway, which is the focus of this project, is the chemical
pathway in which estrogens are metabolized to form reactive o-quinones that covalently modify DNA resulting in DNA adduct formation.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been used for the relief of
postmenopausal symptoms since its introduction in the 1930s. Clinical results from the two landmark studies, the Women's Health Initiative in 2002 and the
Million Women Study in 2003, have raised questions about the use of HRT. Premarin (Wyeth-Ayerst), the most prescribed drug for HRT, is mostly made of conjugated equine estrogen. When taken into body, equine estrogen conjugates
are hydrolyzed to their parent estrogens. These equine estrogens can be oxidatively metabolized by cytochrome P450s to form 2- and 4-hydroxyl metabolites. Previous studies have shown that compared to endogenous estrogens predominantly metabolized to 2-hydroxyl metabolites, increasing
unsaturation in the B-ring shifts the metabolism of equine estrogens to mainly 4-hydroxylation. Both 4-hydroxyequilenin (4-OHEN) and 4-hydroxyequilin (4-OHEQ) will rapidly autoxidize to o-quinone and 4-OHEQ has been found to
oxidize to 4-OHEN-o-quinone. Studies suggest that 4-OHEN-o-quinone is more reactive than endogenous estrogen quinones, and potentially more toxic and carcinogenic.
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is a
neurodegenerative disorder affecting memory, cognition, and behavior. Advancing age is considered one of the greatest risk factors to develop AD. In addition, women have been found to be at higher risk of developing AD
compared to men. Postmenopausal depletion of endogenous estrogens may also contribute to increased risk. Clinical results have shown that in women, previous
history of using HRT is associated with reduced risk of AD. Anastrozole, an aromatase inhibitor which has been studied for the treatment of early breast cancer in postmenopausal women, was found to cause poorer hippocampaldependent
tasks such as verbal and visual learning and memory.


The emerging vehicular networks in the forms of intra-car, car-to-car, and car-to-infrastructure communications will enable a variety of applications for safety, traffic efficiency, driver assistance, as well as infotainment to be incorporated into future automotive designs. However, the availability of these exciting automotive applications can also lead to formidable set of exploits and vulnerable to attacks, as more and more data is being exchanged and communicated in and out of a car. In this paper, we present our initial works on embedded info-security solutions to protect the critical data for car communications via vehicular networks. We describe an info-security framework, system design, and the first solution prototype in this paper. The initial prototype shows that the proposed solution is feasible.


A statistical analysis of the time occurrence of the earthquakes listed in the USCGS catalog was performed. Except for the deep earthquakes, goodness of fit tests have rejected the simple Poisson process as a model of earthquake occurrences at a very low significance level. It was inferred that another parameter related to the Poisson index of dispersion is required to describe earthquake occurrences. Attempts to fit the distribution of the number of days with n earthquakes with standard two-parameter distributions like the lognormal and the γ distribution were not very successful. The data were tested with respect to the generalized Poisson process, a model in which there are finite probabilities for more than one event occurring at the same time instant. It was deduced that the distribution of the number of earthquakes generated in an aftershock sequence is reasonably approximated by an inverse power law distribution with exponent E being between 2.5 and 4.0. Good fits were obtained with respect to the generalized Poisson distribution, and regional variations in the parameter E could be detected.

Estimates of the autocovariance function and power spectra failed to detect definite periodicities of earthquake occurrences in the range of 2 to 256 days. Positive correlations of earthquake activity were observed for time intervals as long as 10 days.


The warm temperate agro-ecozone or high-altitude rice production areas in Bhutan represent a unique agro-ecology that is specific to adaptation needs of rice varieties. A study was undertaken to consolidate the basic agronomic parameters released and popularly cultivated rice varieties of the high-altitude areas. The agronomic parameters were assessed in relation to the weather in the zone. Ten years' weather data (2009-2018) of Paro Dzongkhag was used to relate the agronomic parameters of rice varieties to temperature and rainfall patterns. Seven improved varieties and one traditional variety were used for this study which was conducted at Tsento-Shari ((2450 masl), Paro in 2019 rice season. 50% flowering and days to maturity which are the two most fundamental indicators of adaptation of rice varieties in the warm temperate agro-ecozone were at 162-181 days and 206-236 days respectively. The mean temperatures in the trial site for 10 years during anthesis was 18.5 ºC against the optimum mean temperature requirement for rice (30-33 ºC). The mean temperature at the ripening phase was found to be 16.5 ºC as against the optimum temperature requirement of 20-25 ºC. Despite a relatively low mean temperature during ripening, all the assessed varieties matured and produced good yield indicating good cold tolerance. Rice farmers in the high-altitude areas normally transplant seedlings at about 90 days old when they are hardy enough and can gain some level of physiological maturity to help cope against low mean temperature at ripening. The mean yield of the eight varieties ranged from 2.01 t/acre to 2.98 t/acre which was higher compared to the national average yield of 1.73 t/acre.


Management strategies utilized during pre-breeding development of replacement heifers can impact fertility and the ovarian reserve. Angus-Hereford crossbred heifers (n = 233) were utilized over a three-year period to determine the effects of administration of a growth promoting implant at either branding or weaning on growth, reproduction, and ovarian development. Heifer calves were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: 1) non-implanted controls (CON; n = 79), 2) implanted at approximately 2 mo of age (average calf age = 58 d) with Synovex-C (BIMP, n = 82), or 3) implanted at approximately 7mo of age (average calf age = 210 d) with Synovex-C (WIMP; n = 72). In yr 2 and 3 a subset of heifers (yr 2 n = 16; yr 3 n = 14) were unilaterally ovariectomized. Heifers implanted at 2 mo of age were heavier at weaning, yearling (mid-February; average calf age = 332 d), and at the beginning of the breeding season (P < 0.01) compared to CON and WIMP heifers. Average daily gain (ADG) was similar among treatments from weaning to yearling and weaning to the start of the breeding season (P ≥ 0.61), however, WIMP heifers had increased (P = 0.05) ADG from yearling to the start of the breeding season compared to BIMP heifers. Antral follicle count and reproductive tract scores were not influenced by implant treatment (P ≥ 0.18). Response to synchronization of estrus was increased (P = 0.02) in WIMP compared to CON heifers, with BIMP heifers similar to all other treatments. First service conception rates tended to be increased (P = 0.09) in CON heifers compared to WIMP heifers, with BIMP heifers similar to CON and WIMP. Final pregnancy rates were similar (P = 0.54) among treatments. A treatment × yr interaction was detected (P = 0.01) for the number of primordial follicles/section with increased primordial follicles in WIMP heifers in yr 3 compared to BIMP and WIMP heifers in yr 2 and CON heifers in yr 3, as well as in BIMP compared to WIMP heifers in yr 2. Utilization of growth promoting implants did not negatively impact postweaning reproductive development or compromise pregnancy rates in beef heifers. Based on these results, administration of a growth promoting Synovex-C implant at 2 mo of age may allow for increased body weight at weaning, without hindering reproductive performance.


The main purpose of this article is an attempt to analyse the justifications of microtoponyms regarding name creation and ethnolinguistics. The research material contains over 1000 geographical names with different kind of data (e.g. information concerning semantic motivations). These geographical names were collected from 2011 to 2017 during informal conversations with the oldest- and middle-generation inhabitants of Wręczyca Wielka in the Klobuck poviat.
Name-creation justifications of microtoponyms contain not only data concerning semantic motivations, but also extensive cultural contexts which elucidate the function of designated objects at village space. The information gained from the respondents shows a naïve method of interpreting non-linguistic reality, typical for microcommunity members. Furthermore, considering the form and way of communication, small assumptions regarding the respondents can be made.


Background. Recent research has shown that a high degree of task delegation is associated with the practise staff's overall job satisfaction, and this association is important to explore since job satisfaction is related to medical as well as patient-perceived quality of care. Objectives. This study aimed: (1) to investigate associations between degrees of task delegation in the management of chronic disease in general practice, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as a case and the staff's work motivation, (2) to investigate associations between the work motivation of the staff and their job satisfaction. Methods. The study was based on a questionnaire to which 621 members of the practice staff responded. The questionnaire consisted of a part concerning degree of task delegation in the management of COPD in their respective practice and another part being about their job satisfaction and motivation to work. Results. In the first analysis, we found that 'maximal degree' of task delegation was significantly associated with the staff perceiving themselves to have a large degree of variation in tasks, odds ratio (OR) = 4.26, confidence interval (CI) = 1.09, 16.62. In the second analysis, we found that this perceived large degree of variation in tasks was significantly associated with their overall job satisfaction, OR = 2.81, confidence interval = 1.71, 4.61. Conclusion. The results suggest that general practitioners could delegate highly complex tasks in the management of COPD to their staff without influencing the staff's work motivation, and thereby their job satisfaction, negatively, as long as they ensure sufficient variation in the tasks.


To increase the efficiency of prosthetics, the use of metal, metal-ceramic and zircon dentures was determined. The issues of modern methods of dental prosthetics are highlighted. The analysis of the most common errors and complications in prosthetics with the use of fixed structures has been carried out. The assessment of the physical and technical properties of cermet structures remains poorly studied. To exclude ceramic chips, antagonizing dentures are not brought to contact, which can lead to deformation. Thus, the question of the influence of fixed prostheses on the clinical and morphological state in the absence of periodontal tissues remains unstudied.


Despite the overwhelming evidence of the health related benefits of breastfeeding for mother and infant, many parents choose bottle over breastfeeding when deciding which method of infant nutrition to choose. Little information exists in the literature regarding when or how new parents make the decision of how to feed their infant. Therefore, this descriptive study was conducted as a partial replication of an earlier study by Forrester, Wheelock, and Warren (1997). The theoretical framework for this study was based globally on Orem's Self Care Deficit theory (1995) and more specifically on Pender's Health Promotion Model (1996). Eighty-eight high school and college students completed the Forrester, Wheelock, and Warren (1997) survey tool regarding their attitudes toward breastfeeding. The surveys were completed during class at one mid-western university and two rural high schools. The purpose of the study was to identify attitudes present within a segment of the community prior to the childbirth experience. Chi squares were calculated for statistically significant differences in breastfeeding attitudes based on gender, education, and age. Statistically significant differences were noted between males and females regarding acceptable places for a woman to breastfeed. Males and females had statistically significant differences for doctor's office x2 (1, N=88) =3.94, p=0.05, church, x2 (1, N=88) =6.36, p=0.01, and park, x2 (1, N=88) =6.09, p=0.01. Similar findings with significant differences were determined for education level and age group regarding acceptable places to breastfeed. Additional statistically significant differences were noted between gender and education level when students were asked if they would breastfeed or support breastfeeding of their own future infants. Male and female responses whether they would breastfeed or support breastfeeding their own child were x2 (1, N=88) =8.64, p=0.003 and for education level a significant of x2 (1, N=88) =3.91, p=0.05. Student responses to the survey question or whether they would be embarrassed if a family member or friend breastfed in their presence showed statistically significant differences for gender x2 (1, N=88) 6.49, p=0.01, and age group at x2 (2, N=88) 6.33, p=0.04. Investigation findings were compared to the literature base. Based on the investigation findings implications for nursing practice, research and nursing education were suggested. Research into when and how attitudes are formed would be useful. A need is shown for additional studies into the impact of breastfeeding education on all members of society. Studies to determine the resulting increase in the numbers of mothers initiating breastfeeding and the duration of breastfeeding would then need to be researched. In practice health care providers should determine sources of breastfeeding education and based on research determine what methods are most effective. Educational materials need to be assessed for accuracy and effectiveness. Materials and curriculum for nurses must include accurate current breastfeeding education and promote a supportive environment towards breastfeeding for all parents. This study fits well with Orem's Grand Theory and Pender's Health Promotion Model. A partial assessment of the community by this study gives insight into attitudes toward breastfeeding held by students in two mid-western high schools and university. Orem and Pender state that an assessment of the community is vital before promotion of any health related activity.


Previous studies have presented evidence of shared idiotypic antigenic determinants located within the variable (VH) region of the heavy chains of monotypic IgMlambda and IgGkappa isolated from the serum of an individual patient, Bro, with Waldenström macroglobulinemia. Comparative N-terminal VH sequence analyses have demonstrated that the respective micron and gamma chains belong to separate VH subgroups. The entire VH sequence of the Bro micron chain has been reported, but the VH sequence of the Bro gamma chain still awaits completion. We report the results of an immunofluorescent analysis of cytoplasmic Ig of lymphoid cells isolated from the patient's peripheral blood and bone marrow. Between 6% and 9% of the cytoplasmic Ig-positive lymphoid cells exhibited fluorescent evidence for the dual presence of kappa and lambda chains are well as micron and gamma chains. These results strongly suggest that the idiotypically related Bro IgMlambda and IgGkappa paraproteins are derived from a common clonal origin. Moreover, these findings extend the results of a previous study that has demonstrated the dual presence of IgGkappa and IgGlambda paraproteins within individual myeloma plasma cells. Collectively, these studies suggest that a single neoplastic lymphoid clone may not necessarily be restricted to the synthesis of Ig proteins of the identical light chain class. These findings may have a broad implication for the understanding of surface and cytoplasmic Ig markers of neoplastic lymphoid cells in certain other lymphoproliferative disorders.


Building on oceanographic and wave physics knowledge bases assembled over the prior century, environmental acoustics research has made steady progress since the 1960's. Developments in waveguide propagation theory, acoustic theory of heterogeneous media, data acquisition electronics, data storage capability, navigational precision and computational power have each enabled this progress. An overview of these developments and the resultant scientific progress is given here.


Abstract Artificial lakes are strategic water resources in the Mediterranean region but are one of the most vulnerable areas to the impacts of climate change, particularly to the expected significant decrease in water resources; therefore, enhancing the ability of water management to improve water quality is crucial. This study contributes to the knowledge of the long-term ecological features of Mediterranean artificial lakes based on a case study of Bidighinzu Lake in Sardinia, Italy, a warm, monomitic and hypereutrophic reservoir mainly used for drinking water. Among the different restoration actions carried out in Bidighinzu Lake to improve water quality is the reduction of nutrient loads from the watershed. To study multiannual trends of the trophic state, a long-term series (1988–2012) of both environmental variables and phytoplankton was analysed. Mann-Kendall tests revealed increasing trends for total nitrogen to total phosphorus ratios (TN:TP; significant in spring, summer, and winter) and decreasing trends for ammonium (winter and autumn), TP (all seasons), orthophosphate (spring, summer, and winter), reactive silica (autumn), and pH (summer). Among phytoplankton, significant increasing trends were assessed in biomass of Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Dinophyceae, and Chrysophyceae. Cyanobacteria did not show a clear trend, although at the order level, Chroococcales significantly increased in summer and decreased in winter. Despite these major tendencies, the lake did not show significant improvement in its eutrophic state, probably due to an inherent resistance and the insufficient and/or not well calibrated or applied recovery actions.


BACKGROUND
The foot and ankle are important factors that provide balance and functional performance in older adults at risk of falling. It is important that proper posture of the foot via techniques such as taping and orthoses to increase contact with the ground. The purpose of this study was to investigate for a two-week period and prolonged effects (fourteen days) of 'Kinesio' tape on the level of functional performance, balance, muscle strength of the lower extremities, pain, and functional independence when 'Kinesio' tape was applied to the foot and ankle of older adults.

METHODS
Randomized trial. Forty-two older adults aged 65 years or more were selected randomly into one of two groups [('Kinesio' tape (n = 22) and control (n = 20)]. 'Kinesio' tape was used on the ankle and food of older adults for a two-week period. Participants were evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale, Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go Test, Mini- Mental State Examination, 30-Second Sit to Stand test and Functional Independent Measurement instrument.

RESULTS
A significant difference was found between baseline and following application in the TUG and the BBS scores (p = 0.001 and p < 0.0001, respectively) in the 'Kinesio' tape group.

CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that Kinesio tape improves balance and functional performance and reduces the risk of falling among older adults.


: A formula describing weight losses in the first approximation during space mission was derived assuming that humans may adapt to space flight effects. The process depended on two parameters one of which characterized maximum body losses and another--time of adaptation. Weight estimates of Skylab crewmembers obtained with the aid of the formula were in good agreement with actual results. The typical time of adaptation was two days. Possible ways of constructing a more precise model of weight changes and its use to diagnose the status of crewmembers are discussed.