Kenya has been experiencing the problem of drug abuse especially chewing Khat (miraa) by the youth. The control of khat consumption has been intensified by the international community by them issuing trade bans, but this has not lead to drastic reduction of khat consumption. The Purpose of the study was to assess control of khat consumption among youths in Igembe South district, in Meru County, Kenya. The study objectives were to establish factors leading to consumption of khat by youths, to determine the level of awareness of khat consumption, to find out the strategies emoloyed in the control of khat consumption and to determine the challenges faced in the control of khat consumption among the youth. It adopted the use of descriptive research design. The data was gathered from the youths from secondary schools in Maua, health care workers and guidance and counseling teachers of sampled schools in Maua in Igembe South. Simple random sampling was used to select the youths while purposive sampling was used to select the health care workers and guidance and counseling teachers. Data collection was done using questionnaires, focused group discussion and observation schedule. The questionnaires were administered to the youths in secondary schools, guidance and counseling teachers and health workers. The data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze data both quantitatively and qualitatively. The research found that majority of the youths who participated in the research have never taken Khat, but those who do started consuming Khat at the ages between 10-15 years. The research showed that Khat, it is the most popular drug of abuse taken by the youth in Igembe South District. Among the factors contributing to khat consumption by the youth include, the ease of availability with majority of the respondents indicating that it is easily available. The research further sought for the attitude of the respondents towards the consumption of different drugs of abuse and it emerged that khat consumption has the highest approval rate compared to the others, among them, alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine and heroin. In addition, the most popular source of help when it comes to drug abuse problems of the respondents indicated that they would seek help from their teachers if they needed help in dealing with drug abuse matters. Efforts have been made in schools to keep the students from taking drugs of abuse. Among the strategies used are random checks of the students' personal items and suspension of those found to be taking drugs within the school compound. There are challenges in controlling khat consumption such as easy availability and lack of expertise in drug abuse control. Among the recommendations made for the control of khat include the formation of clubs in schools that deal with issues of drug abuse and no sale of khat to persons below 18 years of age. Data analysed was presented in form of tables, and percentages. The study is significant because it provides a wholistic view of the factors leading the youth aged between 14-24 years to consume khat and the challenges faced in controlling khat consumption. The information obtained from the study will guide the government, parents and other stakeholders in the fight against drug abuse


The percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) is a relatively common interventional procedure used to treat a multitude of nephro-urological conditions. Traditionally, interventional radiologists use ultrasound guidance, needles, catheters, and guidewires to access the collecting system percutaneously. The placement of a nephro-ureterostomy stent may be precluded by challenging renal calyx anatomy or an underlying disease process that obstructs placement. In cases of complex obstruction, accessing the renal collecting system may require deviation from conventional methods. We present a case that after many failed attempts with a wide variety of guidewires and catheters, a steerable microcatheter (SMC) was used to safely and effectively access the renal collecting system. This novel technique utilizes the SMC to efficiently achieve complicated PCN stent placement, relieving the renal drainage system obstruction and potentially minimizing or avoiding complications, such as urosepsis and/or renal failure.


The Asia /Pacific basin is currently the centre of business activity. One particular area in this basin which has caught the attention of businessmen is the Asean region especially the countries of Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Investment has poured into these nations and there is rapid development. One particular business which has developed very rapidly is the health care segment. The economies of these countries are flourishing and the standard of health care management has improved. This means there is a ready market for heath care. The thesis begins with a brief introduction to the country profiles and then moves to the health care system of the three countries. The pharmaceutical industry of the three nations are highlighted. The manufacturing base is small Malaysia but is extensive in Thailand and Singapore. Singapore's Economic Development Board is luring high technology based Industries and showering them with generous benefits. Multinationals feel that having Singapore as their base they could tap the entire Asia/Pacific region. Patent rights has become a major issue in Thailand and the relaxed rules has encouraged the mushrooming of generics which has threatened the very existence of multinationals. The distribution network of the pharmaceutical industry is mentioned. Special mention is made to the G.P.O in Thailand which acts as a major purchasing, manufacturing and distributing unit. The various drug regulations in the three countries are published, with special mention given to the registration exercise which is being conducted in Malaysia. The advertising code, O.T.C products and self medication has found a place in the thesis. The cross country analysis throws light on the pharmaceutical business in the three nations. The emergence of Japan as a future source for pharmaceutical technology is explained briefly. The conclusion and the mention of Singapore as the venue for the pharmaceutical business takes us through the last pages of the thesis.


Interdisciplinary, collaborative research capable of capturing the feedbacks between biophysical and social systems can improve the capacity for sustainable environmental decision making. Networks of researchers provide unique opportunities to foster social-ecological inquiry. Although insights into interdisciplinary research have been discussed elsewhere, they rarely address the role of networks and often come from the perspectives of more senior scientists. We have provided graduate student perspectives on interdisciplinary degree paths from within the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network. Focusing on data from a survey of graduate students in the LTER Network and four self-identified successful graduate student research experiences, we examined the importance of funding, pedagogy, research design and development, communication, networking, and culture and attitude to students pursuing social-ecological research. Through sharing insights from successful graduate student approaches to social-ecological research within the LTER Network, we hope to facilitate dialogue between students, faculty, and networks to improve training for interdisciplinary scientists.


This article proposes a model updating technique based on modal participation factors for a beam structure. In this model updating technique, the error functions of the dynamic characteristic differences between measurement and model are generated as the number of modes under consideration and minimized using the multiobjective optimization techniques. A modal influence factor defined by modal participation factors for each mode is presented for the selection of the best solution from among Pareto solutions. The selection rule represented in this article makes it possible to reflect the contributions of each mode on the behavior of a structure. The model is updated using natural frequencies measured in an impact hammer test of a beam structure and the validity of the updated model is confirmed by the strain responses measured from the test. It is found that the bending stiffness of the beam structure as the parameter for model updating can be identified by the proposed techniques. Furthermore, through comparing the models updated by the simple sum model updating and the technique in this research, it is verified that the proposed technique is more appropriate for the model updating.


The present work is focused on the evaluation of the Maytenus senegalensis roots effect on bronchial hyperleukocytosis and the search of its antioxidant potential both in vitro and in vivo. The roots of M. senegalensis (Celastraceae) are traditionally used for the treatment of cough and asthma. This study evaluates the effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of the roots of M. senegalensis on the bronchial hyperleukocytosis that occur during airway inflammation and determine its antioxidant capacity. In an eight days mouse asthma model sensitized to ovalbumin, the effect of the hydroethanolic extract of M. senegalensis on infiltration of leukocytes in general and eosinophils particularly in the airways was studied. The antioxidant activity of the extract was evaluated in vitro by the tests of DPPH, nitric oxide and AAPH then in vivo by the malondialdehyde dosage. The extract significantly inhibited bronchial infiltration of leukocytes in general, and eosinophils particularly (p<0.01; p<0.001). In vitro and in vivo, antioxidant tests revealed the reducing effect and the inhibitory of membrane lipoperoxidation potential of the extract. Phytochemical tests have shown that the extract contains polyphenols such as flavonoids. These compounds would be partly responsible for the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the extract. This study suggest that M. senegalensis roots would have an anti-inflammatory effect in asthma, which would be partially related to its antioxidant potential.

 Key words: Maytenus senegalensis, asthma, bronchial inflammation, antioxidant.


Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are drug-delivery systems and they are made out of solid and fluid lipids as a core matrix. It was demonstrated that NLCs uncover a few points of interest for medication treatment conventional carriers, including increased solubility, the ability to enhance storage stability, improved permeability and bioavailability, prolonged half-life, reduced adverse effect, and tissue-targeted delivery. NLCs have pulled in expanding consideration as of late. This survey depicts developments in drug delivery utilizing NLCs procedures. The structures, preparation methods, and physicochemical characterization of NLCs are deliberately clarified in this review. The capability of NLCs to be utilized for different administration routes is highlighted. Uncommon consideration is paid to parenteral injection and topical delivery since these are the most widely routes for exploring NLCs. Pertinent issues for the introduction of NLCs with business sector, including pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications, are talked about. The related licenses of NLCs for drug delivery are additionally checked on. At last, the future advancement and current impediments waiting be resolved are elucidated.


We derive the equations that describe adsorption of diffusing particles onto a surface followed by additional surface kinetic steps before being transported across the interface. Multistage surface kinetics occurs during membrane protein insertion, cell signaling, and the infection of cells by virus particles. For example, after nonspecific binding, additional kinetic steps, such as binding of receptors and coreceptors, must occur before virus particle fusion can occur. We couple the diffusion of particles in the bulk phase with the surface kinetics and derive an effective, integro-differential boundary condition that contains a memory kernel describing the delay induced by the surface reactions. This boundary condition takes the form of a singular perturbation problem in the limit where particle-surface interactions are short-ranged. Moreover, depending on the surface kinetics, the delay kernel induces a nonmonotonic, transient replenishment of the bulk particle concentration near the interface. Our approach generalizes that of Ward and Tordai, and Diamant and Andelman, to include surface kinetics, giving rise to qualitatively new behaviors.


This work presents a systematic study for obtaining the optimal temperature profile in a continuous plug flow crystallizer (PFC). The proposed PFC consists of multiple segments where the temperature of each segment can be controlled individually. An optimization problem is formulated for a target crystal size distribution (without fines) with the temperature of the segments as decision variables. The results indicate that for the crystallization kinetics considered, dissolution steps are necessary for the reduction of fines due to nucleation. A systematic study on the form of growth and dissolution kinetics suggested that the key factor that determines whether the dissolution steps will be successful in reducing fines, without compromising the final size of the crystals from seed, is the size dependence of the growth and dissolution kinetics. Best fines removal is achieved when the larger crystals grow faster than the smaller ones and the smaller crystals dissolve faster than the larger ones. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 4582–4594, 2013


Since overwintering populations of brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) and white-backed planthopper (Sogatella furcifera) in Taiwan are very low based on field observations, immigrant planthoppers have become the most important source of serious damage to rice crops (Oryza sativa). Backward trajectory analysis was conducted using trap catch data from 1990 to 2005 to estimate the source of immigrant planthoppers, taking into account the emigration periods and weather conditions, and showed that southern China, Vietnam and the Philippines (Luzon Island) were possible source areas. Southern China was found to be the most important source of emigration. Of all the immigration cases tested, the sources from southern China were estimated to be about 77% in the first rice crop and 65% in the second rice crop. Vietnam came second with about 37% and 56% in the first and second rice crops, respectively. Typhoons were the most important weather factor, inducing mass emigrations from China and Vietnam. Since the population properties are known to differ among the emigration regions and Taiwan, careful monitoring of these insects in the emigration sources and Taiwan is needed in order to establish better pest management practices.


This paper presents our design and development of an 8-channel adaptive beamforming antenna for new developments in radio technology: the emergence of chip-based components implementing the recently completed IEEE 802.16d-2004 (WiMAX) radio standard. WiMAX offers the potential of long range (up to 50 miles) and high bandwidth (up to 50 Mb/s) radio links. Although the new WiMAX standard offers the potential for using smart, adaptive antennas, this functionality has not been implemented. Our design will serve as a common platform for testing adaptive array algorithms including direction of arrival (DOA) estimation, beamforming, and adaptive tracking, as well as complete wireless communication with a WiMAX Radio. Heavy emphasis will be placed on ease of implementation in a multi-channel / multi-user environment. In the future, we hope to expand this interface to support dynamic radio channel selection via direct interaction with radio hardware or implementation of a cognitive radio system.


Yookoso! is the first volume of a two-volume series for beginning and intermediate Japanese. Employing an eclectic approach based on modern principles of second language acquisition, it is the first beginning Japanese text to integrate the teaching of all four linguistic skills. Each chapter contains listening, speaking, reading, and writing exercises of various types. All Japanese-language material after the introductory section is written in natural kanamajiri style with furigana, and 175 kanji are presented for active master. Grammar is treated as a tool for developing communication skills, not as the focal point of the text, and the chapters are organized in a way that accommodates many different teaching and learning styles. Brief English descriptions of contemporary and traditional Japanese culture, each related to the theme of the chapter, provide a context for language learning, and the illustrations, including photographs, line drawings, and realia, enhance student interest and serve as starting points for classroom exercises. In addition Yookoso! is unique in having a full set of ancillary materials: audio and video tapes, a student workbook and laboratory manual, software (to be announced), and an instructor's manual with test bank and tapescript.


I am sorry to have again to bring before the Society this session another loss it has sustained by the death of our respected friend Mr. Coutts, which took place on the 19th March last, in the 76th year of his age. He was a member of the Society for the last eleven years, but was long previously known to many of us who were also members of the Natural History Society, of which he had been a member for nearly 20 years. Although his studies in natural science were taken up only after he had considerably passed the prime of life, yet he showed an enthusiasm in pursuit of them that was worthy of a younger frame. During all his membership he was a most regular attender of the meetings and excursions, and his familiar form will on these occasions be missed by all his friends. Mr. Coutts attended my Class of Geology in the Mechanics' Institution for nearly ten sessions, and at the age of 66 or 67 he presented himself at the Government Science and Art Examinations, gaining from the Department a 2nd class certificate for geology, an honour which he was deservedly proud of. He wrote several short papers on geological subjects, which were printed in our Transactions, or in the Proceedings of the Natural History Society, and was a constant exhibitor at our meetings of a great variety of specimens, invariably accompanied by a note of remarks which he had worked up in the most This 250-word extract was created in the absence of an abstract


Whether a change in myocardial contractility is accompanied by a change in diastolic extensibility was studied by altering stimulation frequency, including paired stimulation, as the inotropic intervention. Isometric and isotonic contractions of isolated cat papillary muscles were examined. Apparent changes in diastolic extensibility were observed with paired stimulation in isometric preparations. Rapid changes were seen only in muscles that had spontaneous aftercontractions between driven beats. These changes were believed not to reflect true extensibility changes but rather a change in timing between the relaxation of a beat driven by a paired stimulus and the onset of an aftercontraction. In continuous isotonic (not afterloaded) preparations, end-diastolic length depended on beat frequency. The muscle crept to a longer length when diastole was prolonged by decreasing the heart rate. In isotonic experiments without aftercontractions myocardial extensibility remained unchanged during paired electrical stimulation and changes in beat frequency.


lysosomes are of interest since lysosomal enzymes are involved in the acute inflammatory reaction.2 In previous observations we have found that the actions of some antiinflammatory aromatic acids and antiinflammatory steroids are concentrationdependent.3 The anti-inflammatory activity of steroids has been related to their stabilising action on lysosomes.5 It was therefore of interest to investigate the effect of concentration of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs azapropazone, oxyphenbutazone, and phenylbutazone on lysosomes. The gastrointestinal ulcerogenic action of antiinflammatory drugs may result, in part at all events, from lysosomal damage consequent on high local concentration of these compounds, such as may be achieved after oral administration. We have shown that this may result in the intracellular release of acid hydrolases such as cathepsins, with consequent damage to surrounding tissues.3 In experiments on isolated lysosomes we have consistently shown a biphasic effect of azapropazone, oxyphenbutazone, and phenylbutazone on the release of acid hydrolases. The equilibrium concentrations which are attained under normal therapeutic conditions stabilise lysosomes, and this property may be a significan factor in their anti-inflammatory action.' However, at higher concentrations, such as may be attained locally in the gastrointestinal tract, lysis of lysosomes with liberation of powerful proteolytic enzymes has been demonstrated. The effect of phenylbutazone was very much more powerful than that of the other drugs. Phenylbutazone was shown to have a much more powerful ulcerogenic action than azapropazone in experimental animals (rats, rabbits), though the latter drug was not devoid of action in high concentrations such as those which may be released locally after oral administration of therapeutic doses. Both drugs were demonstrated to be capable of producing ulcers in the pyloric region, with which lysosomal damage was correlated, while duodenal ulceration was induced by phenylbutazone but not by azapropazone. Using the quantitiative index of ulcerogenic effect proposed by Munchow6 as a measure of the severity of ulceration azapropazone was less than one-quarter and one-half as strongly ulcerogenic as phenylbutazone and flufenamic acid respectively. Its effect was approximately equal to that of mefenamic acid. The therapeutic ratio between ulcerogenicity ED50 and anti-inflammatory ED50 was 2-2-5 for azapropazone, 10 for phenylbutazone, 2-0-2-5 for mefenamic acid, and 12 for flufenamic acid and indomethacin. Evidence of liberation of lysosomal enzymes in the tissues was histochemically demonstrable in subulcerogenic doses, thus raising the possibility that these drugs may induce a preulcerogenic state in concentrations insufficient to produce ulcers. Thus our results have shown that even in the absence of anticoagulants azapropazone has ulcerogenic potential, though admittedly much less than that of phenylbutazone. The importance of Dr Powell-Jackson's observations is that an enhanced ulcerogenic activity of azapropazone is demonstrable in the case of patients concurrently treated with warfarin and is presumed to be due to an interaction between the drug and warfarin analogous to that which takes place with phenylbutazone. No studies appear to have been carried out on the' interaction between azapropazone and warfarin. However, azapropazone has no significant effect on normal prothrombin time, and does not enhance the effect of nicoumalone. The mechanism of the ulcerogenic action of azapropazone in patients on anticoagulants is clearly worthy of further investigation, but the conclusions to be derived from our experimental work is that ulcerogenesis can occur with this drug even in the absence of anticoagulants, though it is far less likely than with phenylbutazone. R J ANCILL


The vector of Grapevine Flavescens Doree phytoplasma, the American grapevine leafhopper (Scaphoideus titanus) has been in Europe since 1924. In Romania, the first populations were detected in 2009 in the central, eastern and southern part of the country. Later, the leafhopper was found also in West Romania in 2014. In 2015 and 2017, altogether, 14 sampling sites were studied in two vine regions of this area. The Scaphoideus titanus could be detected in 10 of them with relatively small abundances. During the studies, the yellow sticky traps proved more effective methods than sweep netting. To prevent vineyards from disease, we should do everything against the vector from prevention to chemical protection.


In this book, Jennifer French presents a new synthesis of the archaeological, palaeoanthropological, and palaeogenetic records of the European Palaeolithic, adopting a unique demographic perspective on these first two-million years of European prehistory. Unlike prevailing narratives of demographic stasis, she emphasises the dynamism of Palaeolithic populations of both our evolutionary ancestors and members of our own species across four demographic stages, within a context of substantial Pleistocene climatic changes. Integrating evolutionary theory with a socially oriented approach to the Palaeolithic, French bridges biological and cultural factors, with a focus on women and children as the drivers of population change. She shows how, within the physiological constraints on fertility and mortality, social relationships provide the key to enduring demographic success. Through its demographic focus, French combines a 'big picture' perspective on human evolution with careful analysis of the day-to-day realities of European Palaeolithic hunter-gatherer communities—their families, their children, and their lives.


Introduction to Disciplined Agile Delivery provides a quick overview of how agile software development works from beginning-to-end. It describes the Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) process decision framework and then works through a case study describing a typical agile teams experiences adopting a disciplined agile approach. The book describes how the team develops the first release of a mission-critical application while working in a legacy enterprise environment. It describes their experiences from beginning-to-end, starting with their initial team initiation efforts through construction and finally to deploying the solution into production. It also describes how the team stays together for future releases, overviewing their process improvement efforts from their Scrum-based beginnings through to a lean continuous delivery approach that fits in with their organizations evolving DevOps strategy. The DAD framework is a hybrid of existing methods such as Scrum, Kanban, Agile Modeling, SAFe, Extreme Programming, Agile Data, Unified Process and many others. DAD provides the flexibility to use various approaches and plugs the gaps not addressed by mainstream agile methods. In a nutshell, DAD is pragmatic agile. DAD describes proven strategies to adapt and scale your agile initiatives to suit the unique realities of your enterprise without having to figure it all out by yourself. Heres an overview of what each chapter covers: * Chapter 1: Introduction. This chapter provides a quick overview of the book and a brief history of Disciplined Agile. * Chapter 2: Reality over Rhetoric. This chapter explores several common myths about DAD and more importantly disproves them. * Chapter 3: Disciplined Agile Delivery in a Nutshell. This chapter provides a brief yet comprehensive overview of the DAD framework. * Chapter 4: Introduction to the Case Study. This chapter introduces us to the team, describes the market opportunity that they hope to address, and describes the environment in which theyre working. * Chapter 5: Inception. The teams initiation effort includes initial requirements modeling and planning with their stakeholders in a streamlined manner, initial architecture modeling, setting up their physical work environment, setting up the start of their tooling infrastructure, initial risk identification, and finally securing stakeholder support and funding for the rest of the first release. * Chapters 6 through 10: Construction. These chapters each describe a single Construction iteration, sharing the teams experiences during each of those two-week timeboxes. * Chapter 11: Transition. The two-week transition phase focuses on final testing and fixing, training the support/help-desk staff, finishing a few short end-user how to videos, and deploying the solution into production. * Chapter 12: Future Releases. This chapter overviews the teams improvement efforts over the next few releases, describing how they evolve from the agile Scrum-based lifecycle to a leaner approach and eventually to continuous delivery. * Chapter 13: Closing Thoughts. This chapter overviews the disciplined agile resources that are available to you. * Appendix: The Disciplined Agile IT Department. This short appendix overviews our ongoing work on the Disciplined Agile framework to address the full scope of an IT department. At 102 pages, you should find this book to be a quick, informative read.


As a district nurse, you'll assess the healthcare needs of patients and families monitor the quality of care they're receiving be professionally accountable for its delivery Your patients could be any age, but they'll often be elderly, while others may have been recently discharged from hospital, be terminally ill or have physical disabilities. Download transcript [1] You'll be visiting patients every day or more than once a day, offering help, advice and support. You may work on your own or with other groups, such as the social services, voluntary agencies and other NHS organisations and help to provide and co-ordinate a wide range of care services.


This paper aims to estimate the surface mesh size related discretization uncertainties using the γ-Reθ transition model combined with the SST k-ω turbulence model. For comparison, the present work employs an available experimental study performed with a 6:1 prolate spheroid. The grid convergence index (GCI) study is performed for axial force, surface skin friction, and pressure coefficients with three levels of meshes. The transition model estimates the axial force coefficients, approximately half of which are obtained using fully turbulent calculations with higher GCI values. The GCI values around the axial force coefficients for the level-2 mesh are less than 1% based on fully turbulent calculations. However, with the transition model, these values for the same mesh level increase to 10%. While the GCI values of surface pressure coefficients are very small based on both fully turbulent and transition model calculations, these coefficients show differences at the trailing part of the spheroid. Significant differences are also observed in the surface friction coefficients. While the model captures drastic changes in terms of transition in the surface friction coefficients at the suction side of the spheroid, such drastic change is not observed in fully turbulent calculations. On the other hand, there is no sign of any transition phenomenon at the pressure side, contrary to the observations of experimental measurements. The transition model is not able to estimate the transition front geometry correctly. The GCI values of the surface friction coefficients increase dramatically, up to 765% around the transition regions.


Residue systems of representation, like Residue Number Systems (RNS) for primary field(GF(p)) or Trinomial Residue Arithmetic for binary field (GF(2k)), are characterized by efficient multiplication and costly modular reduction. On the other hand, conventional representations allow in some cases very efficient reductions but require costly multiplications. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the complexity of those two different approaches in the summations of products. As a matter of fact, the complexities of the reduction in residue systems and of the multiplication in classical representations are similar. One of the main features of this reduction is that it doesn't depend on the field. Moreover, the cost of multiplication in residue systems is equivalent to the cost of reduction in classical representations for special well-chosen fields. Taking those properties into account, we remark that an expression like A * B + C * D, which requires two products, one addition and one reduction, evaluates faster in a residue system than in a classical one. So we propose to study types of expressions to offer a guide for choosing a most appropriate representation. One of the best domain of application is the Elliptic Curves Cryptography where addition and doubling points formulas are composed of products summation. The different kinds of coordinates like affine, projective, and Jacobean, offer a good choice of expressions for our study.


An Alternative to Copper-Based Interconnect Technology With an increase in demand for more circuit components on a single chip, there is a growing need for nanoelectronic devices and their interconnects (a physical connecting medium made of thin metal films between several electrical nodes in a semiconducting chip that transmit signals from one point to another without any distortion). Carbon Nanotube and Graphene Nanoribbon Interconnects explores two new important carbon nanomaterials, carbon nanotube (CNT) and graphene nanoribbon (GNR), and compares them with that of copper-based interconnects. These nanomaterials show almost 1,000 times more current-carrying capacity and significantly higher mean free path than copper. Due to their remarkable properties, CNT and GNR could soon replace traditional copper interconnects. Dedicated to proving their benefits, this book covers the basic theory of CNT and GNR, and provides a comprehensive analysis of the CNT- and GNR-based VLSI interconnects at nanometric dimensions. Explore the Potential Applications of CNT and Graphene for VLSI Circuits The book starts off with a brief introduction of carbon nanomaterials, discusses the latest research, and details the modeling and analysis of CNT and GNR interconnects. It also describes the electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, and structural behavior of these materials. In addition, it chronicles the progression of these fundamental properties, explores possible engineering applications and growth technologies, and considers applications for CNT and GNR apart from their use in VLSI circuits. Comprising eight chapters this text: Covers the basics of carbon nanotube and graphene nanoribbon Discusses the growth and characterization of carbon nanotube and graphene nanoribbon Presents the modeling of CNT and GNR as future VLSI interconnects Examines the applicability of CNT and GNR in terms of several analysis works Addressesthe timing and frequency response of the CNT and GNR interconnects Exploresthe signal integrity analysis for CNT and GNR interconnects Models and analyzes the applicability of CNT and GNR as power interconnects Considersthe future scope of CNT and GNR Beneficial to VLSI designers working in this area, Carbon Nanotube and Graphene Nanoribbon Interconnects provides a complete understanding of carbon-based materials and interconnect technology, and equips the reader with sufficient knowledge about the future scope of research and development for this emerging topic.


Distributions of open source software packages dedicated to specific programming languages facilitate software development by allowing software projects to depend on the functionality provided by such reusable packages. The health of a software project can be affected by the maturity of the packages on which it depends. The version numbers of the used package releases provide an indication of their maturity. Packages with a 0.y.z version number are commonly assumed to be under initial development, implying that they are likely to be less stable, and depending on them may be less healthy. In this paper, we empirically study, for three open source package distributions (Cargo, npm and Packagist) to which extent 0.y.z package releases and ≥1.0.0 package releases behave differently. More specifically, we quantify the prevalence of 0.y.z releases, we explore how long packages remain in the initial development stage, we compare the update frequency of 0.y.z and ≥1.0.0 package releases, we study how often 0.y.z releases are required by other packages, and we assess whether semantic versioning is respected for dependencies towards them. Among others, we observe that package distributions are more permissive than what semantic versioning dictates for 0.y.z releases, and that many of the 0.y.z releases can be regarded as mature packages that are no longer under initial development. As a consequence, the version number does not provide a good indication of the health of a package


: Workplace burnout is characterized as feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one's job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between personality traits and burnout among nurses at Nakuru County Hospital. A cross sectional study design was adopted. The majority of the respondents were fully employed (84%), aged 21-50+, gender 80.3% female, 47.4% single, 44.7% married. Most respondents (68.4%) attained ≤ Diploma while 31.5% had ≥ BSc.N with work experience of 1-≥15. Findings: Most of the nurses had traits of conscientiousness (44.7%) and agreeableness (34.2%). Overall, 44.2% of nurses had moderate-high emotional burnout, 77.6% depersonalization of moderate-high and 21% moderate-high decreased personal competence. Conscientiousness scored significantly high on emotional exhaustion (moderate-to-high 36.6%) and depersonalization (moderate-to-high 34.1%). The agreeableness trait scored high on depersonalization ((moderate-to-high 36.6%). There is significant prevalence of burnout among nurses with conscientiousness and agreeableness personality traits. In-depth qualitative assessment of burnout experience among different personality traits among nurses is recommended.


Adult acquired chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIP) has mainly been attributed to secondary forms of pseudo-obstruction associated with systemic inflammatory disorders such as progressive systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus, endocrine disorders and neurological disorders. However, recent case series from large tertiary centres have described adults without any known predisposing disease, so-called idiopathic CIP.1 2 In this issue of Gut , Selgrad et al ( see page 25 )3 report their findings of JC (John Cunningham) virus proteins in glial cells of the myenteric plexus in 7/10 adult patients with idiopathic CIP. These findings seem to implicate a role for JC virus, a DNA virus that belongs to the family of polyomaviruses, in the pathogenesis of CIP.

JC virus is the causative agent in progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy (PML),4 a disease that almost exclusively occurs in immnocompromised patients. Today HIV/AIDS is the most prevalent state of deficient cell-mediated immunity associated with a risk for developing PML. In recent years PML has also occurred in patients treated with certain biological drugs such as natalizumab, an antibody against the cellular adhesion molecule α4-integrin, and rituximab, an antibody against the cluster of differentiation 20 (CD20), which is widely expressed on the surface of B cells.5 Reactivation of a latent JC virus infection is believed to be the main mechanism by which the virus ultimately can …


A growing literature on how economic decision making is influenced by firms' geographic location has emerged. We add to this stream of research by assessing the effects of geography in an asset pricing context from the firm's perspective. We introduce a new concept of location for asset pricing accounting for the location of firms' income-producing assets and use the information of the assets' geographic allocation to provide a trading strategy. We use real estate and mining companies in the US to map the extract location of their income-producing assets – the properties and the mines – and to distinguish between firms with concentrated and dispersed business operations as defined by the Herfindahl index. We find that the dispersion of firms' income-producing assets has a positive effect on returns yielding an alpha. On the other hand, concentrated firms underperform the market. Those vary with size and specialisation degree of the firms with small and specialised firms being more strongly negatively affected by the concentration effect and large and don-specialised firms more strongly positively affected by the dispersion effect. The research provides new insights into the role of location for asset pricing and shows that asset concentration can be a useful tool for strategic investment. The findings are in line with the information asymmetry theory that investors need to be rewarded for investing in a company for which it is hard to obtain and assess information about the firm's assets due to its dispersion.


This paper explores the effectiveness of organic and plastic mulching for potato production in the Czech Republic. The mulching with chopped grass (GM) and black textile mulch (BTM) were compared to non-mulching control variant (C) with mechanical cultivation. Especially in plots with BTM were first formed ridges and covered by the black polypropylene non-woven textile and then they were planting. During vegetation the infestation of Colorado potato beetle (CPB), weeds biomass, course of soil temperature and soil water potential were assessed. The results showed that surface of GM had a positive effect on soil temperature reduction, soil water potential depression. This study also indicated a positive effect of GM on the larvae of CPB diminution, on the other hand higher incidence of larvae and higher defoliation was observed in BTM. GM had a significant effect on the yield of potatoes. The yield of ware potatoes was higher by 27 % higher on plots with GM and by 16 % lower on plots wit BTM in comparison with C. NeemAzal T/S decreased statistically significantly % of defoliation and increased yield of ware potatoes by 35 % in comparison with control.


Lightweight ciphers designed with a fully unrolled architecture, capable of encryption/decryption in a single clock cycle, have gained momentum in the last few years. They've shown that very low latency encryption/decryption is possible with modest costs in comparison with traditional round-based designs. This paper explores how to most efficiently perform side-channel analysis against such unrolled cryptographic hardware in a setting where the adversary may freely choose the plaintexts processed by the target cipher. We present a method for choosing plaintexts for a straightforward recovery of the encryption/decryption key by side-channel analysis without any template attack-like profiling phase of the device. Finally, we demonstrate the validity of our method with experiments on fully unrolled implementations of PRINCE and MANTIS. The result shows that our chosen-input attack is significantly more efficient than the corresponding known-input attacks.


We present a numerical analysis of the particle creation for a quantum field in the presence of time dependent boundary conditions. Having in mind recent experiments involving superconducting circuits, we consider their description in terms of a scalar field in a one dimensional cavity satisfying generalized boundary conditions that involve a time-dependent linear combination of the field and its spatial and time derivatives. We evaluate numerically the Bogoliubov transformation between {\it in} and {\it out}-states and find that the rate of particle production strongly depends on whether the spectrum of the unperturbed cavity is equidistant or not, and also on the amplitude of the temporal oscillations of the boundary conditions. We provide analytic justifications for the different regimes found numerically.


The report covers 15 sessions from the 7th Annual Investors Conference on CLOs and Leveraged Loans, which was held May 23–24, 2018, at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. The covered sessions include the three general sessions, the two keynote addresses, and the two pre-conference workshops. The issues that received the most attention in the sessions were (1) the replacement of LIBOR, (2) the elimination of US risk retention requirements for most CLOs, (3) manager tiering, and (4) weaker loan documentation. The event attracted nearly 1,900 registered attendees and the prevailing mood was one of a strongly positive outlook for the CLO sector.


The nuclear receptor corepressor N-CoR plays a crucial role in the repressive activity of diverse transcription factors, yet little is known about what regulates its cellular level. We have found that estrogen markedly down-regulates N-CoR protein levels in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer cells without affecting N-CoR mRNA levels, whereas levels of the related corepressor SMRT are unaffected. This effect is attributable to estrogen up-regulation of the ubiquitin ligase Siah2, which is a rapid and primary transcriptional response mediated by the ER, and precedes the loss of N-CoR. Treatment with proteasomal inhibitor or with small interfering RNA against Siah2 prevented the down-regulation of N-CoR by estrogen. Furthermore, the expression of 24-hydroxylase, a gene repressed by unliganded vitamin D receptor through its interaction with N-CoR, was up-regulated by estrogen and required Siah2. Our results illustrate a mechanism by which the estrogen-ER complex markedly reduces the level of N-CoR through a process involving the up-regulation of Siah2 and the subsequent targeting of N-CoR for proteasomal degradation. These findings reveal that, although estrogen directly regulates the transcription of many genes, by regulating a gene such as Siah2 it can exert profound "secondary" effects on cellular activity through mechanisms such as targeting regulatory proteins for degradation. This estrogen-evoked down-regulation of N-CoR could have a global derepressive effect on genes whose repression depends on N-CoR and thereby have broad impact on the activity of transcription factors and nuclear receptors whose actions involve N-CoR.


Background In SLE, musculoskeletal manifestations have an impact on quality of life, disability and clinical trial outcomes, but are harder to assess than in RA and PsA. We previously showed that joint swelling lacks sensitivity, specificity and responsiveness compared to ultrasound. USEFUL was a multicentre longitudinal study to determine clinical features predicting ultrasound synovitis and whether patients with ultrasound synovitis respond better to therapy. Methods SLE patients were recruited if the referring physician deemed they had inflammatory pain warranting treatment. Swollen joints were not required. At baseline, physicians recorded the features that led them to diagnose inflammatory pain and features of concurrent fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. Stable doses of prednisolone (≤5 mg/day), antimalarials or immunosuppressants were allowed. Participants received depomedrone 120 mg IM then were assessed at 0, 2 and 6 weeks for 66/68 swollen and tender joint counts, BILAG-2004, SLEDAI-2K, physician global and MSK-VAS, inflammatory markers, patient pain and disease activity-VAS, HAQ-DI, LupusQoL, ultrasound of hands and wrists (blinded to patient and clinical assessor). An internal pilot determined the primary endpoint: EMS-VAS at 2 weeks (adjusted for baseline) between patients with ultrasound-synovitis vs. normal ultrasound at baseline. Sensitivity analyses adjusted for prednisolone and immunosuppressants. Results 122/133 patients recruited completed all visits. There was significant disagreement between clinical examination and ultrasound. 78/133 had ultrasound synovitis; 68% of these had ≥1 swollen joint. Of 66/133 patients with ≥ 1 swollen joint, 20% had normal ultrasound. Ultrasound-synovitis was more likely with joint swelling, a symmetrical small joint distribution and active serology. Physician-determined EMS, other lupus features or prior response to therapy were not associated. Fibromyalgia or osteoarthritis did not reduce the probability of ultrasound synovitis. In the full analysis set (n=133) there was no difference in EMS VAS at 2 weeks according to ultrasound synovial status as baseline (difference -8 mm, 95% CI -19, 4 mm, p=0.178). 32 patients had fibromyalgia. After excluding these patients, we found a statistically and clinically significantly better clinical response to depomedrone in patients with ultrasound-synovitis at baseline (baseline-adjusted EMS VAS at 2 weeks -12 mm, 95% CI -24, 0 mm, p=0.049). This difference was greater in the treatment-adjusted sensitivity analysis (-12.8 (95% CI -22, -3 mm), p=0.007) and the per-protocol-adjusted sensitivity analysis (-14.8 mm (95% CI -20.8, -8.8 mm), p<0.001). Patient with ultrasound synovitis had higher rates of improvement in the musculoskeletal BILAG-2004 (56% vs. 26%, p=0.09) and SLEDAI-2K (37% vs. 15%, p=0.03). Conclusions In lupus arthritis distribution and serology, but not other features, help identify ultrasound-synovitis. Ultrasound-synovitis was independent of features of fibromyalgia, but fibromyalgia confounded assessment of response. Excluding fibromyalgia, response to therapy was better in patients with abnormal ultrasound compared to normal. Ultrasound should be used to select patients for therapy and clinical trials, especially when there are inflammatory symptoms without swollen joints. Acknowledgements This project was funded by a grant from Lupus UK.


The large-scale introduction of the Univer- sal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) must be forwarded by a suitable evaluation of possible effects of its radiowave signals on end-users. For this purpose, a rigorous characterization of its radio-signals must be per- formed from a radioprotection point of view, spectral and power behaviour being among the most important issues. In this paper UMTS radiowave signals are accurately in- vestigated. An algorithm is proposed for the numerical generation of such signals, so that real operating condi- tions can be accurately simulated, and bioelectromagnetic interactions studied. Results demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed algorithm, as well as the amenability of the attained signals to model the bioelectromagnetic interac- tion up to cellular scales.


A numerical method commonly referred to as smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is implemented in two dimensions for solid mechanics in general and fracture mechanics in particular. The implementation is tested against a few analytical cases: a vibrating plate, a bending plate, a modus I crack and a modus II crack. A conclusion of these tests is that a better way of treating a shortcoming of SPH called tensile instability is needed. A study is made on the best choice of a vital parameter called the smoothing radius, and it is found that a good choice of the smoothing radius is roughly 1.5 times the initial particle spacing.


Various possible ore shoot controls in the Antamok mines have been recognized by using actual veins as models. The results indicate that ore shoots are of two distinct types: (1) subhorizontal pitching ore shoots and (2) moderately to steeply pitching ore shoots. The former typifies a regionally controlled ore shoot where the bottoms of the veins are at almost the same elevation, resulting from the interplay of orogenic uplift, gravity, and pressure of ore solutions; the latter type appears to have been determined by structural controls and to have developed locally. The two ore shoot types occur together and, if the veins are studied individually, the subhorizontal aspect can be easily overlooked.Regionally controlled ore shoots, being dependent to a large extent on the episodic nature of vertical orogenic movements, can be correlated to some mappable manifestations of orogeny. This idea was tested by mapping various levels of stranded terrace gravels to gain some insight into the vertical extent of an ore shoot. Local controls are manifested by accurate mapping of veins on both plan and longitudinal sections and by correlating them with existing ore blocks of the mine.


PURPOSE
Longitudinal studies are highly valuable in pediatrics because they provide useful data about developmental patterns of child health and behavior over time. When data are missing, the value of the research is impacted. The study's purpose was to (1) introduce a three-step approach to assess and address missing data and (2) illustrate this approach using categorical and continuous-level variables from a longitudinal study of premature infants.

METHODS
A three-step approach with simulations was followed to assess the amount and pattern of missing data and to determine the most appropriate imputation method for the missing data. Patterns of missingness were Missing Completely at Random, Missing at Random, and Not Missing at Random. Missing continuous-level data were imputed using mean replacement, stochastic regression, multiple imputation, and fully conditional specification (FCS). Missing categorical-level data were imputed using last value carried forward, hot-decking, stochastic regression, and FCS. Simulations were used to evaluate these imputation methods under different patterns of missingness at different levels of missing data.

RESULTS
The rate of missingness was 16-23% for continuous variables and 1-28% for categorical variables. FCS imputation provided the least difference in mean and standard deviation estimates for continuous measures. FCS imputation was acceptable for categorical measures. Results obtained through simulation reinforced and confirmed these findings.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
Significant investments are made in the collection of longitudinal data. The prudent handling of missing data can protect these investments and potentially improve the scientific information contained in pediatric longitudinal studies.


Abstract. This work, carried out with an integrated methodological approach, focuses on the use of near surface geophysics techniques, such as ground penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and geomorphological analysis, in order to reconstruct the cave distribution and geometry in a urban context and, in particular, in historical centres. The interaction during recent centuries between human activity (caves excavation, birth and growth of an urban area) and the characters of the natural environment were the reasons of a progressive increase in hazard and vulnerability levels of several sites. The reconstruction of a detailed cave map distribution is the first step to define the anthropic and geomorphological hazard in urban areas, fundamental basis for planning and assessing the risk.


Emotional deception and emotional attachment are regarded as ethical concerns in human-robot interaction. Considering these concerns is essential, particularly as little is known about longitudinal effects of interactions with social robots. We ran a longitudinal user study with older adults in two retirement villages, where people interacted with a robot in a didactic setting for eight sessions over a period of 4 weeks. The robot would show either non-emotive or emotive behavior during these interactions in order to investigate emotional deception. Questionnaires were given to investigate participants' acceptance of the robot, perception of the social interactions with the robot and attachment to the robot. Results show that the robot's behavior did not seem to influence participants' acceptance of the robot, perception of the interaction or attachment to the robot. Time did not appear to influence participants' level of attachment to the robot, which ranged from low to medium. The perceived ease of using the robot significantly increased over time. These findings indicate that a robot showing emotions—and perhaps resulting in users being deceived—in a didactic setting may not by default negatively influence participants' acceptance and perception of the robot, and that older adults may not become distressed if the robot would break or be taken away from them, as attachment to the robot in this didactic setting was not high. However, more research is required as there may be other factors influencing these ethical concerns, and support through other measurements than questionnaires is required to be able to draw conclusions regarding these concerns.


Background: It has been reported that maternal gestational environment may be programmed to have a significant impact on foetal and offspring health later in life. Studies have shown that children born to pre-eclamptic mothers are prone to obesity, hypertension, and diabetes in their adult life. However, such findings are yet to be established in an African population. This protocol is for a study aiming to investigate the relationship between pre-eclampsia (PE) and cardiovascular risk in children born to pre-eclamptic mothers in a South African population of African descents. Methods: A prospective case-control design will be employed to recruit pre-eclamptic and normotensive pregnant women and their offspring after birth. Pregnant women will be assessed for cardiovascular risk factors including PE, obesity, haemodynamics, lipids, glycaemic indices, oxidative stress, and vascular function at 30 weeks of gestation. The cardiovascular risk profile of their offspring will be assessed at birth and 6 weeks later. The difference in cardiovascular risk profile between children born to the pre-eclamptic and normotensive mothers will be compared and the correlation between maternal and offspring cardiovascular risks will be investigated. Discussion: This will be the first prospective study to assess the in-utero effect of cardiovascular risk in offspring born to pre-eclamptic women of African ancestry. It is expected that findings from this study will provide information on the cardiovascular effect of in-utero exposure to PE in a population of African ancestry. This knowledge will advise policy on the management of women with PE with a view of protecting cardiovascular health in offspring.


Opaline bodies in certain Victorian soils have been regarded in the past as sponge spicules. It is now shown that the majority of these opaline bodies are the same as those developed in certain plants, hence they are recorded as opal phytoliths. This corrected identification of the opaline bodies is of fundamental significance in affecting certain aspects of the interpretation of the history of such components of soils. It is no longer necessary to consider these bodies of opal as sponge spicules carried into soils by wind transportation or other means. They are released from plants containing them and shed into the soils on the decomposition, or destruction during grass and forest fires, of phytolith-bearing vegetation, or sometimes via the dung of graminiferous animals. A few smaller phytoliths do become wind-borne, as evidenced by their occurrence in "red rain" and "red snow" residues. It is also shown that distilled water should always be used in treating soils for examination of their phytolith populations, because a small quantity of the smaller phytoliths (and diatoms) occurs in tap-water.


In this thesis we study non-local boundary value problems for elliptic differential operators on manifolds with smooth boundary. First of all a theory for general elliptic operators is developed. Among other things we prove that all weak solutions to a given boundary value problem are strong ones if and only if the boundary condition satisfies a certain regularity estimate. The boundary conditions considered in this thesis are subject to the following condition. The operator and its commutator with a generator of the Sobolev scale on the boundary are bounded on the full Sobolev scale. In comparison with the existing literature this class of boundary conditions is rather general and covers spectral as well as some non-pseudolocal boundary conditions. As is shown in the appendix, the operators satisfying the above-mentioned commutator condition form a C*-Algebra. This turns out to be crucial for the whole theory. The central object in our regularity theory are the Calderon projection and its range, the Cauchy data space. We give a simplified proof for the fact that the Calderon projection of an arbitrary elliptic differential operator is a classical pseudodifferential operator on the boundary. The most important analytic properties of an extension, regularity, well-posedness and self-adjointness, may be characterised in terms of the pair of spaces formed by the Cauchy data space and the boundary values satisfying the given condition. In the case of pseudodifferential conditions this leads to well-known criteria. For formally self-adjoint operators we show that the set of regular self-adjoint extensions is parametrised by the Fredholm Langrange Grassmannian associated to the Cauchy data space. Then we apply the general results to the most important classes of geometric differential operators, namely Dirac and Laplace operators. We show, e.g., how cobordism invariance of the index of Dirac operators can be deduced from properties of the Cauchy data space using merely elementary Fredholm theory. For Laplace operators we discuss some classical boundary value problems first. Those boundary conditions leading to self-adjoint are described in detail. Moreover we establish a necessary and sufficient criterion for semi-boundedness.


For the analysis of cooling effect, the cutting inserts were heated to 900°C and then exposed in the room-air and cold-air with different pressure respectively. The temperature variation were recorded by infra-red (IR) pyrometer. The temperature-dependent global heat transfer coefficients were estimated by the theoretical analysis and experimental data. The finite element analysis (FEA) was employed to simulate the cooling process and modify the estimated heat transfer coefficients. The heat transfer coefficients decreased from 55.1 W/m2•°C (800°C) to 9.32 W/m2•°C (350°C) in the natural cooling and approximately 300 W/m2•°C (600°C) to 60 W/m2•°C (300°C) in the cold-air cooling. Cold-air cooling greatly increased the heat transfer coefficients, but it seemed the air pressure had little pressure on the heat transfer coefficients.


Summary
1. The expanding use of selective pest-control agents provides a unique opportunity to study food web interactions in the field while addressing major environmental issues. Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) is the most commonly used microbial agent to control mosquitoes worldwide.

2. Using breeding house martins Delichon urbicum as a model species, we assessed the effect of Bti spraying on foraging rates and chick diet prior to and during 3 years of Bti spraying in the Camargue, France. Some 9051 feeding flights and 14 857 prey items were recorded in the early, mid and late nesting season at up to three control and three treated sites. Breeding parameters were assessed during 1 year at two control and two treated sites.

3. Intake of Nematocera (Diptera sub-order including midges and mosquitoes) and their predators (spiders and dragonflies) decreased significantly at treated sites, concurrently with increase of flying ant intake. Small prey ( 7·5 mm) at control sites, with lower foraging rates at treated sites.

4. Clutch size and fledgling survival were significantly lower at treated sites relative to control with respectively 2·3 vs. 3·2 chicks produced per nest. Breeding success was positively correlated with intake of Nematocera and their predators at the nest level.

5. No previous study has provided compelling evidence of Bti affecting vertebrate populations following the suppression of prey species. Indirect effects caused by repeated application of Bti through food web interactions warrant more attention.

6. Synthesis and applications. Bti is considered the most selective and least toxic agent currently available to control mosquitoes. Mosquito-control programmes should integrate non-biased awareness campaigns and mitigation measures balancing the social demands for mosquito reduction with the factors involved in mosquito proliferation and dispersion. Such measures could consist in improved wetland management; reduction in areas and periods of Bti spraying; consideration of alternatives to Bti spraying, such as mosquito traps; specific measures to reinforce animal populations affected by Bti; and suspension of mosquito control in environmentally sensitive areas where nature preservation is a priority.


In the magical-religious folk worldview the basic division of time separatedthe temporal time from the eternal time. The first one consists of the cycle of human life where the livelihood of agricultural communities defined by the annual pace of seasonschanges in the nature. The most important dates for a traditional farmer organizationof his work on the farm were marked by holidays and special days devoted toa specific Saint. The eternal time is situated in a completely different dimension. It is theafterlife, "the second world" or "the other world" – a form of the space-time where thespiritual beings exist. From it souls and spirits penetrate into the human world. Theyfulfill specific tasks, voluntarily or recalled by the people who host them during specialmoments of the ritual year.


Vasoconstrictor responses are augmented in porcine coronary arteries in hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis, leading to an occurrence of coronary vasospasm in the latter condition. The role of the endothelium in the vascular hyperreactivity in hypercholesterolemic and atherosclerotic coronary arteries was examined, particularly in response to aggregating platelets and related vasoactive substances. Male Yorkshire pigs underwent balloon endothelial denudation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and 2percent; high-cholesterol feeding for 10 weeks. Electron microscopic examination demonstrated a full lining of endothelial cells in the LAD and the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX). Endothelium-dependent responses were examined in vitro. In cholesterol-fed animals, endothelium-dependent relaxations to aggregating platelets, serotonin, ADP, bradykinin, thrombin, and the calcium ionophore A23187 were depressed in LAD (atherosclerosis), while the relaxations to aggregating platelets, serotonin and ADP were depressed in LCX (hypercholesterolemia). Serotonin-induced contractions were endotheliumdependentiy augmented in atherosclerotic LAD; the endothelium-dependent component of the contractions was inhibited by blockers of cyclooxygenase. Bioassay studies demonstrated a depressed release of endothelium-derived relaxing factors) from the atherosclerotic LAD in response to serotonin. These experiments indicate that the endothelium-dependent relaxations to aggregating platelets and related vasoactive substances are severely unpaired in atherosclerosis and moderately impaired in hypercholesterolemia. Since coronary atherosclerosis was induced by a combination of balloon endothelial injury (and regeneration) and high-cholesterol feeding in this study, the combined effects of those factors must account for the severely impaired responses in atherosclerosis. The depressed release of the endothelium-derived relaxing factoids) and the concomitant release of vasoconstrictor product(s) of cyclooxygenase appear to be responsible for the impaired relaxations.


ABSTRACT The occurrence of Echinops siculus Strobl, previously considered endemic to Italy, is for the first time reported from the Balkan Peninsula based on plants collected in Corfu (Greece). Morphological similarities with other taxa of Echinops L. recorded in Greece are briefly discussed. Presence of Echinops albidus Boiss. & Spruner is excluded from Italy, E. spinosissimus Turra subsp. neumayeri (Vis.) Kožuharov is confirmed for Albania. Further notes concerning the occurrence of these three species on the Ionian Islands are provided. The names of the three taxa are lectotypified.


Chitin extraction from shrimp shells involves two processing steps that are demineralization followed by deproteination process. Lactobacillus acidophilus FNCC 116 and Bacillus licheniformis F11.1 were used in demineralization and deproteination respectively. The overall objectives of this experiment were to determine fermentation systems which resulted in the highest mineral and protein removal. The demineralization experiments consisted of three different batch fermentation designs: batch fermentation (A m ); subsequent batch fermentation 1, in which 100% medium was replaced with fresh medium after 24 h fermentation (B m ); and subsequent batch fermentation 2, in which 50% medium was replaced with the same amount of fresh medium after 24 h fermentation (C m ). The demineralization was conducted at 30±2 °C, 50 rpm for 60 h. The deproteination experiments consisted of 3 different batch fermentation designs: batch fermentation 1, inoculum was added once at the beginning of the fermentation (A p ); batch fermentation 2, inoculum was added twice, at the beginning and after 24 h fermentation (B p ); and subsequent batch fermentation, 100% medium was replaced with fresh medium after 24 h fermentation (C p ). The deproteination was carried out at 55 °C, pH 7.8-8.0, aeration 2.3 vvm, and agitation 275 rpm for 96 h. The experimental results showed that in the demineralization process, fermentation design B gave the highest ash removal. Ash removed in the fermentation design A , B , and C was 97.19, 99.69, and 97.69%, respectively. The protein removed in the fermentation design A , B , and C was 94.42, 94.51, and 95.37%, respectively.


This work reports a new technology providing light-controlled creation, annihilation and reconfiguration of microchannels within seconds. The technology is based on local thawing of a solidified compound using a low power optoelectronic effect. A light pattern of a microchannel network is projected onto an optoelectronic reconfigurable chip containing frozen liquid resulting in the formation of corresponding microchannels. When the light pattern is modified, the microchannel network reconfigures accordingly. Both single-phase and two-phase flows have been demonstrated in reconfigurable microchannels. Moreover, several aqueous phase compounds and nonaqueous phase compounds, including water, have been successfully used as working media.


Objective: To examine the perinatal characteristics, associated anomalies and clinical outcomes of newborns with omphalocele admitted to Queen Mary Hospital (QMH), Hong Kong during a 10-year period. Methods: We identified all newborns with omphalocele who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at QMH from 2005 to 2014. Maternal and patient demographic data, associated anomalies and outcome data were reviewed retrospectively. Results: A total of 19 infants with omphalocele were identified. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks with a median birth weight of 3140 g. Fifty-three percent (10/19) were diagnosed with at least 1 other anomaly, with congenital heart defect being the most common associated anomaly. Median age at first operation (either primary closure or application of silo) was on day 1 of life, with delayed closure in staged operations being carried out at a median age of 8 days. Infants with non-liver containing omphaloceles were more likely to have primary repair compared to those with livercontaining ones (7/8 [88%] vs. 4/11 [36%], p=0.03). Overall survival rate at discharge was 84% (16/19). Two out of 3 cases died of lethal congenital anomaly (alveolar capillary dysplasia) while the other one suffered from postoperative midgut volvulus. Postoperative complications occurred in 6 patients (6/17 [35%]), with ventral hernia being the most common complication. Long-term medical problems including failure to thrive (6/12 [50%]), gastroesophageal reflux (5/12 [42%]), developmental delay (3/12 [25%]) and recurrent lung infections (1/12 [8%]) were identified. Conclusions: Associated anatomic and genetic anomalies are common in omphalocele. Postnatal workup should include screening of these anomalies. Prognoses for isolated omphaloceles with no major postoperative complications are good in the longterm.


With intensification of agricultural production based on irrigation, management of required inputs such as nitrogen (N) is vital from economic and environmental standpoints. Ideally, the applied N has to be most efficiently used by the crop, and loss of N from cropped land has to be eliminated or minimized to avoid water pollution. As both nitrate (NO3) and ammonium (NH4) in the soil profile are plant available, it is termed mineral N (Nmin, NO3-N + NH4-N), and has to be considered in making fertilizer recommendations. Despite the development of irrigation schemes in Turkey and the associated intensity of cropping, there is little rational basis for N fertilizer application rates. Thus, in the Akarsu Irrigation District (9,495 ha) in the Seyhan Plain of southern Turkey, we sampled soils with profile depth of 0–90 cm at points adjacent to 107 drainage observation wells, once in 2009 and again in 2010, and analyzed the samples for NO3 and NH4. Maps were prepared based on inverse-distance-weighted interpolation. In the surface horizon, NO3-N concentrations were 82.8 and 57.8 mg kg−1 compared to the ammonium values of 3.1 and 2.6 mg kg−1in consecutive two years. Although NO3 was considerably greater than NH4 in all cases, both forms decreased with depth. Though this broad survey established some high levels of N in the soil (110 and 106.6 kg Nmin ha−1in 2009 and 2010), which would require applying less fertilizer N, there was no evident relationship with soil or cropping practices, which would require detailed N-budget analysis for each field or crop. For effective management of such irrigation schemes to reduce N loads in drainage waters, soil N is only part of a strategy that includes N in groundwater, soil and water salinity, and effective drainage.


Interest in supporting undergraduate research programs continues to grow within academic librarianship. This article presents how undergraduate research program coordinators perceive and value library support of their programs. Undergraduate research coordinators from a variety of institutions were surveyed on which elements of libraries and library services they valued, and where libraries could improve and develop services for undergraduate researchers and their faculty mentors. This article seeks to present a critical perspective on library support for undergraduate research programs from an important external constituent group of faculty and administrators. The data and recommendations can further conversations and aid collaboration between librarians and their campus colleagues.


Abstract The Corncrake is a strictly protected species in Hungary and a qualifying species of many Natura 2000 sites. Despite its Least concern global conservation status, it receives much attention and was elected as "Bird of the Year" by MME BirdLife Hungary in 2016. In this paper, we estimate its population trends and analyse the suitability of the protected area system and agri-environment schemes for the species. We compiled information on major threatening factors and conservation measures applied for the species. We reviewed international publications on the ecology and conservation management of the species to extract information for practical conservation. We estimated that 500–2000 pairs of Corncrakes breed in Hungary. Although their breeding sites are well covered by protected areas, Natura 2000 sites (42%) and High Nature Value Areas (67%), their population has declined by 55% over the last 20 years. We found that most of the major threatening factors are addressed by conservation management, and appropriate measures are applied in most cases. Recent research findings and recommendations by the BirdLife International Corncrake Conservation Team suggest that mowing of grasslands around nesting places should be delayed until 1–15 August either in the entire field or at least on 2 hectares around nests. Prescriptions of agri-environment schemes should also be adjusted to the above requirements and more farmers should be encouraged to enrol in Corncrake conservation programmes. We strongly suggest that more emphasis should be devoted to combat important threats for the most important breeding sites such as aridification and flooding.


People differ in their willingness to share, as well as their reasons to do so. An open collaboration community of willing sharing members thrives on a virtuous cycle: increased sharing often offers stronger reasons for more people to share. However, it may also decline when the cycle goes the opposite direction and turns vicious. What determines the dividing line? We offer insights into this important question based on an analytic understanding of the concept of rational sharing, which is sharing for net gain in personal utility. In a nutshell, a community thriving on rational sharing is essentially an economic system, a platform for creating mutual benefit through exchanges.
 This analysis is based on our prior work in statistical modelling of peer–to–peer systems. There are two salient features. First, the shared content is modelled as a mixture of different types of goods. Members' sharing is pooled and organized into supply, which in turn is brought to match with demand from the members themselves, and a wider community also in the case of open access. The importance of the goodness of match between supply and demand is therefore apparent. Second, incentive schemes are modelled simply as dependence between the quality of service a member sees and the level of sharing. Being simplistic, it points to an interesting generic observation: no incentive is strong enough to break the catch–22 situation during startup unless some seed content is present.
 We are not suggesting rationality as the only conscious basis of sharing for individuals. Quite the contrary, we gauge the limits of rational sharing thereby, and identify when and how non–rational bases of sharing is needed. For instance, high quality open access Wikis we witness today would not have been sustainable if sharing had been purely rational, as meaningful reward in quality gain has to be reserved for enticing rational members.


[1] In the laboratory, we have investigated the growth and composition of frost flowers. Their ionic composition has shown little difference from those of field measurements. Young frost flowers grown on sea ice are saline, leading us to speculate that wicking occurs continually during their growth on sea ice. The surface area of frost flowers is only a little larger than the area of ice underneath, consistent with recent field measurements from the Arctic. Time-lapse photography has allowed us to observe the extreme mobility of freshly forming sea ice, at the stage at which the mush has become rather solid, and continuing while the flowers grow. This mobility results in new brine being expelled to the surface, which therefore remains wet. During various stages of frost flower growth, we observed their freshly formed dendritic parts rapidly diminishing in size after contacting the surface, consistent with repeated wicking. Frost flowers proved to be very stable in the presence of wind, such that no aerosol was observed when wind was blown across them in the laboratory chamber. This is consistent with recent field observations of frost flowers coexisting with wind-blown snow.


Abstract— Biological processes can alter the chemistry and mineralogy of meteorites in a very short time, even in cold or hot deserts. It is thus important to assess the diversity of microorganisms that colonize meteorites in order to better understand their physiological capabilities. Microscopy observations of Tatahouine meteorite fragments that were exposed for 70 years in the Sahara desert showed that they were colonized by morphologically diverse biomorphs. A molecular diversity study based on 16S rRNA gene amplification of DNA supported the conclusion that a huge taxonomic diversity of prokaryotes colonized the Tatahouine meteorite in less than 70 years in the Tatahouine sand. Eleven different bacterial divisions were evidenced, among which Cytophaga‐Flexibacter‐Bacteroides (CFB), Cyanobacteria, and Alpha‐Proteobacteria were dominantly represented. Crenarcheota were also detected. Most of the Tatahouine meteorite phylotypes were related to sequences identified in the surrounding Tatahouine more generally to sequences detected in soils. Some of them, in particular many of the archaeal phylotypes, were detected in arid regions in association with desert varnish. The results suggest that the diversity of the clone library generated from the meteorite fraction was reduced compared with that of the Tatahouine sand clone library, which can be explained as the result of partial colonization of the meteorite and/or a specific selection of colonizing bacteria by the substrate. We discuss the possibility that several groups detected in this study may play a prominent role in the various alteration processes detected at the surface of the Tatahouine meteorite.


1. Acknowledgements 2. Prologue 3. Soils in the Field Mineral Particles - the Soil Framework 4. Organic Materials - Alive and Dead 5. The Arrangement of Particles and Pores - Soil Structure 6. Water in Soils 7. Air in Soils - Supply and Demand 8. Particle Surfaces and Soil Solutions 9. Soil Acidity and Alkalinity 10. The Availability of Plant Nutrients - Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium 11. Phosphorous and Sulphur 12. Nitrogen in Soils 13. The Availability of Water in Soils 14. Soil Fertility 15. Salinity and Sodicity 16. Pesticides and Metals 17. Epilogue 18. Appendices 19. References


In this paper a new technique is proposed based on the comparison between Conventional Transistorized Flip-flop and Data transition Look ahead D flip flop here we are checking the working of DLDFF and the conventional D Flip-flop after that we are analyzing the characteristic comparison using power & area constraints after that we are proposing a Negative Edge triggered flip-flop named as Switching Transistor based D FlipFlop(STDFF) with reduced number of transistors which will reduce the overall power area as well as delay. The simulations are done using Microwind & DSCH analysis software tools and the result between all those types are listed below. Our proposed system simulations are done under 50nm technology and the results are tabulated below. In that our proposed system is showing better output than the other flip-flops compared here.


This document consists of three main chapters. Each chapter considers a topic within functional analysis.

The first chapter focuses on fixed point theory. Our main result in this chapter is to show the existence of a fixed point free contractive map on a weakly compact and convex set. This answers a long-standing open question. We also prove a theorem about transfinite iterates of contractive maps on weakly compact sets converging to a fixed point.

The second chapter concerns summability theory. We prove a theorem quantifying the extent to which iterated Cesaro averaging can (and cannot) bring a divergent sequence closer to convergence. We develop a method which generates Banach limits which are invariant under certain operators which generate summability methods, including the Cesaro method. We also develop a constructive method for defining transfinite iterates of a "translated" Cesaro operator corresponding to certain limit ordinals. These iterates usually have non-constructive definitions.

In the third chapter we consider a couple unusual reformulations of the derivative in Banach spaces and sees what becomes of the theory of differentiation. We show that through the use of "difference transforms" one can re-work much of the foundation of Banach space differential calculus. Sometimes this re-working leads to a much more efficient development of the theory. Sometimes the results generated are different from their ordinary Frechet derivative counterparts. And sometimes, as is the case with the Inverse Function Theorem, the results and proofs are necessarily very similar to their known versions. Our main theorem is to show that in the presence of certain geometric conditions relating to smoothness, these difference transforms can be made to vary continuously in a way that is more consistent with their behavior in Hilbert spaces. We also clarify Henri Cartan's use of the term "strong derivative".


Based mainly on a critical appreciation of the pending tasks of the development process of Chile, this essay is structured in two parts. The first one (Contextual frame), proposes two postulates of character of values, places the Human development as a value and as superior to the other analyzed dimensions of the development and discusses two obstacles to reach a total Human Development: a) the social inequalities (poverty, indigence,wage inequality, exclusion), main limit given its pronounced magnitudes in Latin America; and b) Centralism, inherited form the Napoleonic model of state-nation organization, reflection of the progressive obsolescence of the effective public institution to promote innovating initiatives of development in the subnational territories and to solve with effectiveness the demand of a society of the inserted participation in global dynamics. In such context it is postulated that there is a feedback between these two obstacles, reinforcing the vicious circle of the sub-development, which implies the necessity to impel innovating strategies able to interrupt that vicious dynamic. This means to impel structural reforms, now more urgent, given the globalization process, that, although it opens important opportunities of new development, it also generates manifold negative impacts, social and territorial inequalities, and governability problems. Between the most urgent reforms to impel (at least in the case of Chile), a substantial and maintained decentralization process is considered, accompanied by a significant fortification of the capacities in the sub-national levels (micro-local and pull-regional). In the second part (Proposals), an Alternative Model of Public Management is postulated "To decentralize the State from the Region", whose profit is limited by deficiencies of the very own regions (a) pertinent and own knowledge (b) qualified and motivated Human Capital (c) Social Capital. As an answer to these deficiencies there are described, as an example, three initiatives in process of construction in Chile: (1) An Agreed Agenda of Decentralization Reforms (political,administrative, financial and of greater citizen participation). (2) The Regional Sinergia Network, from 20 regional universities, directed to generate knowledge from the demand of the communities and territories and to form new leaders for the local and regional development, with perspectives of student and labor mobility.(3) The installation of Regional Systems of Innovation, differentiated according to territories, based on the joint of related actors and the application of prospective instruments, territorial planning technological monitoring and social observation. Being from a different nature and a different genesis, these three initiatives are interdependent and concur to a same intention: to obtain a Human development and territorial balance, with governability, in globalization context.


Although object-oriented programming techniques have evolved into an accepted technology with recognized benefits for software development, conventional text-based programming languages together with state-of-the-art browsing tools seem to be insufficient for a software engineer to cope with the complexity of class libraries, especially application frameworks. Both visualization techniques and visual programming seem appropriate to partially overcome these shortcomings of object-oriented programming. Software development based on an application framework requires learning its high-level language. This contribution discusses concepts and corresponding tools to support the learning of such a language: a design book visualizes the design of an application framework; an active cookbook guides the programmer through typical adaptation steps.


The July 2005 London bombings rapidly resulted in 'major incidents' being declared by the emergency services, thereby triggering the three-tier major incident command and control framework used in the UK.1 This framework includes Bronze (operational), Silver (tactical) and Gold (strategic) levels2 with a Strategic Co-Ordinating Group (SCG) which, at the time of the London bombings, was supported by a Health Advice Team (HAT).2 The organisations involved in responding to the London bombings included: Transport for London, London Underground, the emergency services, the NHS, central government and other agencies/organisations including the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

Environmental sampling and analysis play a vital role in informing public and occupational health risk assessments and in influencing the development of incident management strategies. Important lessons related to environmental monitoring and risk assessment were identified during the response to the London bombings, which are discussed here with reference to updated guidance recently issued by the UK Government on major incident management.

In the aftermath of the explosions, hazard profiling was undertaken by the emergency services on the London Underground network, which included visual/photographic inspections of train carriages and airborne asbestos fibre monitoring at Kings Cross, Russell Square, Aldgate, Edgware Road and Covent Garden underground stations (table 1).

View this table:

Table 1
Summary …


A few decades ago, human resources not represent the company much, because people at that time not realize the important of having human resource in the company until now the human resource become the most important key in the successful company. Without human resource management, the company can face the unstable population in the company and it can lead to the surplus or shortage of employee in the company. At PETRONAS Chemicals Group , the company uses a system to collect and process all the data which will serves as the basis for other HRIS data be updated at the same time the system is the avenue whereby organizational hierarchy and positions are updated or maintained in order to support business objectives. HRIS or human resource information system is one of system that using by the organization to smooth the function of the organization it also plays the big role especially in organization. The primary focus of an HRIS is to assist an employee to achieve the organization goals and objective. In this research study, the objective of having this research is to identify the common practice of that lead to effectiveness of HRIS, to examine the level of effectiveness of HRIS and also to identify the relationship between common practices and the level of HRIS effectiveness. The population
for this research will be focus on the planner in the PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCGB) itself. There a basically 20 of planners in each of company branch. In order to increase the reliability of data an employee and HRIS team need to realize of that their validation and protection of data highly important when managing specified and partly confidential information.
The availability of management and validity of data make the HRIS a truly significant and useful tool for overall human resource management and development work.


Aiming at medium distance transportation of excavated spoil and constructional components in the tunnelling process, this paper combines with a water-conveyance tunnel engineering and analyzes the influence factors that affect the construction efficiency of earth pressure balance shield(EPB shield), and then works out an available scheme based on that the transport link should well match with shield tunnelling. The field condition indicates that the equipment lectotype, marshaling and transport organization in this scheme guarantee the transport capacity and continuity for tunnelling, which ensures construction progress. The idea in this design can provide similar engineering with reference.


Movement-based interactive systems for play came into the spotlight over a decade ago, and were met with enthusiasm by the general public as well as the Human-Computer Interaction research community. Yet a decade of research and practice has not fully addressed the challenge of designing for the moving body and play. This thesis argues that often, the role of the technology to sustain the play activity, and to drive the design process, has been over-emphasized, and has resulted in limited design possibilities. This thesis explores an alternative design approach to address the problem through combining the design of the technology with designing aspects of the social and spatial context where the play activity takes place. The work is grounded in an embodied perspective of experience, action, and design. Methodologically, it belongs to the Research through Design tradition (RtD).A core concept and a characterization of design practices are presented as key contributions. The concept of embodied core mechanics is introduced to frame desirable and repeatable movement-based play actions, paying attention to the way these are supported by design resources including rules, physical and digital artifacts, and the physical and spatial arrangement of players and artifacts. The concept was developed during the two main design cases: the Oriboo case, targeting dance games for children, and the PhySeEar case, targeting rehabilitative therapy for the elderly. It was further substantiated in subsequent external design collaborations. To support the design process, this thesis presents embodied sketching: a set of ideation design practices that leverage the embodied experience and enable designers to scrutinize the desired embodied experience early in the design process. Three forms of embodied sketching are presented: embodied sketching for bodystorming, co-designing with users, and sensitizing designers.Through reframing the design task as one of designing and studying embodied core mechanics, this thesis establishes an alternative approach to design for movement-based play in which significant aspects of the embodied play experience, lead, drive, and shape the design process and the design of the technology.


We describe a method for determining haptoglobin with a centrifugal analyzer that is based on haptoglobin combining stoichiometrically with hemoglobin to form a complex that has peroxidase-like activity proportional to the quantity of haptoglobin present. Under assay conditions, unbound hemoglobin exhibits only a small fraction of the total peroxidase activity. Activity is measured colorimetrically at 405 nm after reaction with o-dianisdine and ethyl hydrogen peroxide. The procedure is standardized by saturating aknown amount of hemoglobin with a serum whose hemoglobin binding capacity exceeds the amount of hemoglobin in the assay system. The mean and mean within-run precision of our method, determined by performing 17 replicate assays of both a pooled normal serum and a 10-fold dilution of the serum, was 1.13 g/liter (CV, 2.9%), and 106 mg/liter (cv, 5.8%), respectively. The 95 percentile estimate of the normal range by our method is 0.45-1.85 g/liter hemoglobin binding capacity. When results by our automated method were compared to those by a manual method [Scand. J. Clin. Lab. 2nvest. 18, 80 (1965)], the slope of the unweighted linear least-squares regression line was .970 the y-intercept 26 mg/liter, and the correlation coefficient .995.


Objectives: The objective of this research work is to discuss the various techniques which can be used for mining of big data viz. sampling, incremental learning, and distributed learning. Methods: For this study, literature survey was done to identify the various techniques employed by different authors to handle large (and streaming) data sets. For each technique, one or more algorithm was chosen and applied on large data sets. The platform for each technique was standardized (R libraries were used for each algorithm). The algorithms were compared on accuracy and time-consumed. Findings: The findings of this research work which conform to the existing literature is that the distributed learning is the best approach in terms of accuracy and time-complexity, for large data sets. However, if the data sets are streaming data sets and we want to perform real-time analysis then sampling or incremental approach are better than distributed approach. Incremental approach provides better accuracy, whereas sampling reduces time-complexity. Novelty: This study is important in the sense that it brings all the three techniques together on a single platform, which hasn't been done earlier.


The "war on terror" and the battle in Iraq provided the framework for George W. Bush's first term in office. As he embarked on a second term, the president reaffirmed his administration's commitment to a transformative Middle East agenda that now includes the challenges of promoting democracy, non-proliferation, and Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Saban Center at the Brookings Institution commissioned a group of its experts to critique the Bush administration's first-term performance and present alternative approaches for its second term. The Road Ahead covers the full set of challenges confronting President Bush in his second term: from fighting Binladenism to promoting Arab reform; from achieving Middle East peace to saving Iraq; and from tackling Iran to engaging Syria and Saudi Arabia. The contributors argue that the Bush administration will need to develop an integrated Middle East strategy that improves the prospects for achieving a priority identified during the 2004 presidential campaign: strengthening alliances and utilizing them to ease the burden on American leadership. The Road Ahead provides the necessary elements for a genuinely integrated strategic framework that will help decisionmakers manage both the changes and the continuities in America's post-9/11 Middle East policy. Contributors: Martin Indyk, Flynt Leverett, Kenneth Pollack, James Steinberg, Shibley Telhami, and Tamara Cofman Wittes, all connected with the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution. A Saban Center Report