This book has been written as a practical, step-by-step guide for construction safety planning from design to completion and as a ready reference for landowners who are going to build, for architects and engineers who will design a structure, for construction managers who will oversee a project, for construction superintendents who will supervise various phases of work, and for the safety professional who, as a member of the planning team, will be responsible for seeing that safety is incorporated into all construction phases of a project. The lack of a safety rationale in our social systems by which we insure against loss, mete out justice, and govern is probably the greatest hinderence to our achieving a safe workplace; and this deficiency, coupled with the frailties of human nature exhibited by management and workers alike in communicating hazard information, has created a monster that will be difficult to remedy with a single, all-encompassing stroke. Safety engineering is not the simplistic activity most people think it is, as it must consider all available options and the hazards inherent in each option. Safety planning provides us the opportunity to pursue the option that has the fewest or most easily controlled hazards.


Simple photoconductive optical detectors for 1.55 μm wavelength have been fabricated on InGaAsP grown by He-plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy. Characterization of the photodetectors shows that their speed is determined by the free carrier trapping time, with a full width at half-maximum impulse response of approximately 6 ps.


An infusion planning system that improves timeliness and efficiency of patient care and includes methods, systems, and apparatuses for planning, visualizing, and coordinating medication delivery. These methods, systems and apparatuses can include improved scheduling capabilities for infusion pumps and other medical devices in hospitals or health care facilities. Some embodiments relate to improved recording and reporting of medical care information as well.


Naval Research Laboratory is starting to study the connection between plasma instabilities and fast ion acceleration for neutron production on a dense plasma focus (DPF). The experiments will be performed on the HAWK generator (665 kA) that has a fast rise time,  $1.2~\mu \text{s}$ , and a high inductance, 720 nH. There is a conjecture that the neutron yield on a DPF may be enhanced on a high-impedance generator, since the assembly on the axis will not significantly reduce the current drive. Furthermore, to prevent the upstream breakdown during the implosion, there are plans to inject the gas load as plasma far from the insulator stack. As an introductory study, we performed MHD simulations using the Athena code. Athena is a Eulerian 3-D, unsplit finite volume MHD code that includes shock capturing with Riemann solvers and resistive diffusion for the magnetic field components. The simulations are coupled to an equivalent circuit model for HAWK. We report the dynamics and implosion time as a function of the initial injected plasma distribution and study the implications of nonideal effects. We also calculated a stochastic particle acceleration resulting from the motional electric field.


EDITORIAL COMMENT: We have published this pair of letters as a feature rather than in the correspondence column so it will not be lost to reference in the literature. Readers are also referred to a recently published review of the world literature concerning the risks of trisomies 18 and 21 in the second‐trimester fetus with an isolated choroid plexus cyst (A). This study concluded that 'the likelihood of trisomy 18 was 13.8 times greater than the a priori risk in fetuses with isolated choroid plexus cysts diagnosed in the second trimester. However, the likelihood of trisomy 21 was not significantly greater than the a priori risk with isolated choroid plexus cysts.' N.B.


A study was conducted during winter (rabi) of 2006–08 at New Delhi using 49 diverse wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol) genotypes and three sowing dates (15 November, 15 December and 5 January) to assess the relationship of physiological parameters with grain yield under hot environment. From the analysis of normal, late and very late sowing date, it is evident that all the characters are showing sufficient amount of variability in all three environments among all the 49 bread wheat genotypes. All the characters expressed significant interaction with environments, indicating that all characters respond to high temperature in different ways in different genotypes. This variability gives sufficient scope for further selection of the traits under consideration. Maximum variation was observed for characters, like canopy temperature depression and membrane injury. Most of the characters had high heritability (broad sense) in pooled analysis. Traits, like canopy temperature depression (at anthesis), canopy temperature depression (10 days after anthesis), membrane injury, had high heritability estimates and can be utilized as selection criteria in stress environments. Grain yield showed positive and significant genotypic correlation coefficients canopy temperature depression at anthesis, canopy temperature depression at 10 days after anthesis and membrane injury per cent. Based on the genotypic coefficient of variation, phenotypic coefficient of variation, genetic advance and heritability, characters canopy temperature depression at anthesis, canopy temperature depression at 10 days after anthesis, membrane injury per cent and relative water content can be used as selection criteria for improving the grain yield in the hot environments.


SUMMARY Due to the nature of the work, customer call centres are noted high-stress environments when compared to other subsets of the same business and to other industries. Two studies in two separate call centres were performed to assess the impact of a portable heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback device on employee performance ratings and stress-related complaints. Results from the first study indicated a significant improvement in call scores (objective third-party call ratings about quality of service) in the intervention group compared to the control, whereas results from the second study revealed a significant reduction in subjective stress-related complaints. Implications for employee health and performance are discussed.


In some clinical situations, using a provisional fixed restoration for an extended period of time is unavoidable. However, traditional materials are unable to withstand this, resulting in restoration fracture, which leads to repair and/or replacement as well as increased chair time and treatment costs. Many practitioners have been developing their protocols to improve physical properties and longevities of these restorations. Currently, many manufacturers have launched novel products and several fabrication techniques; some are claimed to be "semi-permanent restoration" with improved strength and survivability. The purpose of this review article is to assist clinicians to decide the most appropriate provisional restorative materials for long-term usage in complex treatment procedures, including fabrication and cementation techniques.


Abstract Problems can be encountered in assessing the maturity of petroleum and petroleum source rocks using vitrinite reflectance and conventional biomarker data especially when the source rocks have been subjected to rapid heating and contain abundant land plant remains or when the crude oil has been biodegraded. A new maturity indicator based upon reactions of cadalene, a common constituent of source rocks and crude oils of Tertiary age, has been proposed. This maturity indicator is based on the relative abundances of cadalene and isocadalene and changes in a uniform manner through the oil window and into the more mature zone where condensates form. The proposed maturity indicator has been shown to change in a uniform manner with increase in sample depth in two exploration wells from the South Sumatra Basin. Values of the maturity indicator for a range of crude oils and condensates show that the new parameter has a wide range of values and can be used for immature oils through to very mature condensates. The method is also applicable to biodegraded crude oils.


I an der-ivation of a of using the implicit function from which the to be relatively the delta method in by on the distribution of residuals, which the in Fienberg, and The asymptotic theory is illustrated by two


A compilation map showing structural terrane from the Baboquivari Mountains to the Transition Zone of the Colorado Plateau. One geologic map sheet and one sheet with cross sections.


The embodiment of the invention discloses an information processing method and first electronic equipment. The first electronic equipment comprises a support frame and a detection unit arranged on the support frame, and the first electronic equipment can maintain the relative position relationship with the head of a user of the first electronic equipment through the support frame. The method comprises the following steps that when a first preset condition is met, the first electronic equipment is controlled to be in the first state; the first information is obtained through the detection unit; the first information represents the moving information of the human body part of the user of the first electronic equipment; a first path data is determined on the basis of the first information, and the first path data represents the moving track of the human body part of the user of the first electronic equipment; when the first path data is matched and consistent with the first preset path data, the first electronic equipment is controlled to be switched to a second state.


This study is carried out to find out types and functions of hedges in J.K
Rowling's interview with Oprah Winfrey Show. J.K Rowling's is one of inspiring
women nowadays. Considering her existence to inspire people especially women,
this pragmatics study attempts to find the types and functions in J.K Rowling's
utterances. The theory that is applied to find types of hedges is the taxonomy of
hedges by Salager-Meyer (1997), while the theory of multiple functions by Coates
(1996) is applied to find functions of hedges. It is found that Rowling's utterances
a lot of hedges, classified into seven types and four functions of hedges. The most
frequent type is Modal auxiliary verbs. The second most frequent is
approximators of degree, introductory phrases, if clause, adjectival, adverbial and
modal phrases, modal lexical and the last is compound hedges. Furthermore,
functions of hedges that appear the most is expressing doubt and confidence,
which is followed by searching for the right word, and avoiding playing the
expert. In addition sensitivity to other's feeling as one of functions of hedges that
could not be found, because in her utterance, Rowling's only talked about herself
without involving other people.
Keywords :
Hedges, types and functions, interview


We have evaluated the synergism of five tetraalkyl phosphonium bromide salts with N-vinylcaprolactam based polymers by carrying out high pressure rocking cell experiments with a structure II-forming natural gas mixture. (n-Pe)4PBr was shown to be a superior synergist than (n-Bu)4PBr when used in combination with three different N-vinylcaprolactam based commercial polymers used in kinetic hydrate inhibitor formulations. These are poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCap), a N-vinylcaprolactam:N-vinylpyrrolidone 1:1 copolymer, and a N-vinylcaprolactam terpolymer. (n-Pe)4PBr and (n-Pe)4NBr were found to have very similar synergistic capacities and to perform better (n-Bu)4NBr when used with PVCap. (n-Bu)4PBr and (n-Bu)3(iso-Hex)PBr were better synergists than (n-Bu)4NBr with PVCap. They exhibited the same synergistic performances with PVCap even though (n-Bu)3(iso-Hex)PBr had been shown to be a better tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrate crystal growth inhibitor. (n-Bu)3hexadecylPBr showed a synergistic performance similar ...


The scope of this thesis was the development of various methodologies which would include digital image processing algorithms and techniques in order to provide various information about sky and atmosphere measurements, using as input specific images produced by an automated mechanism in pre-provisioned size and analysis. Those images were taken from a specific area periodically.


The author has had the full co-operation of her subject in this biography of one of the leading novelists of post-war America. Mary McCarthy wrote "The Group", a novel which made a considerable impact, and a book about her extraordinary childhood - "Memories of a Catholic Girlhood".


SPRING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM Past Keynote Speakers Each year we feature a keynote speaker for the Department's annual Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium. We are honored to have had speakers who are alumni of the department and are willing to come back and share with our students their experiences of "life after JMU". We thank each of these speakers and look forward to future alumni participation in the Department of Chemistry Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present indicators of sustainable tourism development in the Skadar Lake Zone in Montenegro. Acctualy tourism is one of the most important industries in Montenegro, and therefore deserves the most attention. Local community plays very important role in future tourism development in this area and their environmental awareness is the crucial factor for ensuring sustainability. Design – In order to understand the concept of sustainable tourism well, this paper explains the concept of sustainable development, the principles of sustainable development, goals and indicators of sustainability. Sustainable development is treated as a global strategy. There is a special focus on the concept of sustainable tourism and indicators of sustainable tourism. Methodology – For the purpose of this paper special survey was conducted among the households situated in the zone of Skadar Lake. Closed questionnaire was prepared and 51 people – households' representatives who are directly and / or indirectly associated with the industry of tourism answered it. Some interviews were done in pearson, some by telephone and e-mail. Statistical analysis was used for data processing. Approach – Sustainability of tourist destination is an actual issue that our and future generations have to deal with. Thanks to natural beauty and resources, Montenegro has become a tourist destination. National parks are one of the most important characteristics of Montenegro, but tourism in national parks and around is not developed enough and we cannot say that represents sustainable development of tourism. Findings – Research conducted in the zone of Skadar Lake shows that ecological awareness of the people who live there is at relatively low level. Ecological initiatives and adequate educational programs can ensure the sustainability of this zone as a tourist destination. Destination planning is fundamental for development of sustainable tourism. Originality – This paper can provide assistance in the sustainable tourism planning and analysis of the Skadar Lake area.


In real-time embedded systems, there is requirement for adapting both energy consumption and Quality of Services (QoS) of tasks according to their importance. This paper proposes an adaptive power-aware resource allocation method to resolve a trade-off between the energy consumption and QoS levels according to their importance with guaranteeing fairness. The proposed resource allocator consists of two components: the total resource optimizer to search for the optimal total resource and QoS-fairness-based allocator to allocate resource to tasks guaranteeing the fairness. These components adaptively achieve the optimal resource allocation formulated by a nonlinear optimization problem with the time complexity O(n) for the number of tasks n even if tasks' characteristics cannot be identified precisely. The simulation result shows that the rapidness of the convergence of the resource allocation to the optimal one is suitable for real-time systems with large number of tasks.


Like research, design is an activity. Its learning, unlike the fact and method absorbing process in engineering science subjects, involves developing a way of problem solving where the task as given is often ill-defined, with many influencing parameters and no unique solution. This paper outlines the design process, with reference to a representative bibliograpy, and summarises the approach to teaching Mechanical Engineering Design used at the University of Canterbury. There is a focus on final year Design, looking at how students can be better prepared for industry, and how Design can be better integrated with other engineering courses. Examples are given of projects which have increased student motivation.


Pizzetti's work is considered as bridging the gap between Helmert and Fisher. By means of an orthonormal transformation Pizzetti decomposed the total sum of squares in the linear normal model into its constituent and independent parts, thus providing the theoretical basis for the analysis of variance in the fixed effects model. He calculated a table of the X 2 distribution, which he used for finding probability limits for s/σ. He derived the estimates of the components of variance in the random effects model for the one-way classification.


Masses of baryons {3/2}^+ are calculated on the base of representations of dynamical "pseudounitary" q-deformed algebra u(4,1)_q which provides necessary breaking of the 4-flavor symmetry realized by the assumed q-algebra su(4)_q. It is demonstrated that, contrary to the case of su(3)_q octet baryons {1/2}^+, one and the same q-analog of mass relation for baryons {3/2}^+ from decuplet embedded into 20-plet of su(4)_q follows from evaluations within all the different admissible "dynamical" representations.


Industrial and technological advancements are growing rapidly, closely related to various machine tools, including the metal and construction industries. In the field of machinery many metal elements such as steel are involved. The progress of the metal industry has an important role, especially in the automotive world which uses a lot of metal materials. Therefore an attempt arises to change its mechanical properties in order to change the level of violence. This study aims to determine the level of medium carbon steel hardness (indopart gear motor), and determine the interaction between the two variables and determine the most optimal level of hardness. The method used in this study is the method of observation and literature on the fundamental theories, the sample used in this study is medium carbon steel (indopart gear motor) which is heat treated with a holding time of 60 minutes, 120 minutes and 180 minutes and with water, oil, diesel and air cooling media. Then hardness testing is done. Based on the results of the analysis of the data obtained there is a significant difference in the effect of the average cooling media on the level of violence, there is no significant difference in the effect on the average hardness between the holding time, there is a difference in the effect of the interaction between the holding time and the cooling media. The optimal treatment process is where the holding time is for 180 minutes using water media.


During the annual meeting 2013, the editors and the board of the Zoologica Scripta have implemented slight changes to the journal's scope (for details, see http://onlinelibrary. wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291463-6409/homepage/ProductInformation.html) to encompass recent trends in the dynamic field of systematics. The goal is to further strengthen the Zoologica Scripta as one of the leading journals in the field and to offer authors an adequate outlet for high-profile research in animal systematics. Adaptations of journals scope in response to the developing needs of the scientific community have happened several times. The scope of the first volume of the Zoologica Scripta published in 1970 as an extension of the Arkiv f€or Zoologi was rather loosely phrased. Manuscripts "within evolutionary zoology, covering aspects of systematics, structure and function" were targeted. Accordingly, the journal published a mixture of descriptive, morphological papers, along with taxonomic studies during the first years. Authors were predominantly based at northern European institutions, and rather few articles had more than just one author. Later on, the scope was refined; for example, articles with more functional aspects were referred to the sister journal Acta Zoologica. Nevertheless, in the beginning of the 80s, the journal still published a mixture of purely descriptive morphological as well as taxonomical papers, although the proportion of taxonomic studies had increased. The first paper using biochemical information for a taxonomic purpose (in that case, it was isozymes) dealt with Scandinavian hydroids and was published in 1982. A year later, the first paper using "phylogeny" in the title appeared, which addressed the phylogeny of two turbellarian genera. However, even four years later in 1987, only three articles using "phylogeny" in its title had appeared in the Zoologica Scripta. Instead, the focus of the journal shifted more towards taxonomic, descriptive articles, many of which were entitled "A new species of ..." or "Revision of ...". At the same time many articles focused on the taxonomy of marine species. It took until 1990 that a Zoologica Scripta article used the term "cladistics" in a paper on oligochaete systematics. In 1993, a new chief editor and executive editor were appointed by the board, which marked the start of the process to change the publication profile of the Zoologica Scripta. While in the following years, the scope remained basically unchanged, the journal strongly encouraged submission of manuscripts on phylogeny and systematics rather than descriptive taxonomy. The journal′s front page was updated to its current layout to further emphasize the new publication profile, and it was added that Zoologica Scripta is an International Journal of Systematic Zoology. In an Editorial published in 1994, the editors explained that the journals move away from purely descriptive, taxonomic manuscripts towards papers on phylogeny applying the tree of life concept. The one day symposium "Phylogenetic systematics: past, present and future" held in 1997 to celebrate the journals 25th anniversary featured invited speakers such as P. Stevens, J.S Farris, F. Ronquist, R.J. O′Hara, M. Pagel and A.G. Kluge. All of them have had a substantial impact on modern systematics, and the articles from the respective issue have been cited nearly 700 times. The symposium pretty much functioned as an eye-opener bringing the journal to the attention of a broader readership. The first paper based on DNA data, a discussion of how RAPD data could be used for phylogeny estimates, appeared in 1996. Two years later in 1998, the first paper including DNA sequences (18S rDNA) was published. Although the journal still published many taxonomic papers during the last decade of the 20th century, the number of analytical, systematic papers increased steadily during this period. Along with the changed publication profile, the impact factor of Zoologica Scripta increased from 0.4 to 0.5 in the early 1990s to constantly >1 since 1996. By the end of the century, the scope of the journal had almost changed to exclude purely descriptive papers, unless the findings were placed in a wider systematic/phylogenetic context. Manuscripts dealing with more general and conceptual issues of systematics started to appear, and today, there is hardly any paper that does not refer to "phylogeny", and the application of "molecular markers" is the norm rather than the exception. Another major change in the journal′s publication profile is the increasing number of systematics studies of vertebrates and protists. The perception of the Zoologica Scripta as a journal for marine invertebrate taxonomy is gone! Again, the changes were reflected in increasing impact factors; for many years, it has been >2, and the Zoologica Scripta is well established as one of the leading journals in the field. Ever increasing molecular data sets in combination with the development of more sophisticated analyses tools have transformed the entire field of systematics. The analytical


PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cosmetic composition suitable for topical application.SOLUTION: According to the present invention, there is provided a cosmetic composition suitable for topical application. In some embodiments, the cosmetic composition may include undecylenoylphenylalanine, hexyldecanol, and bisabolol. According to the present invention, there is also provided a method for reducing the synthesis of melanin using the cosmetic composition.SELECTED DRAWING: None


Providing Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees is an important challenge in the design of next generations of wireless networks. In particular, real-time services involving stringent delay constraints are expected to be increasingly popular among users of mobile equipments. In Rayleigh channels, the delay requirement is usually expressed in terms of a probabilistic delay constraint composed by two terms: the target delay and the probability of exceeding the target delay.


The intent of this paper is to give a historical overview of the Bioenvironmental
Engineering program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T SU).
Founded in 1891, NC A&T SU is one of two land-grant universities in North Carolina. Included in this
history of the program are statistics relative to graduates, faculty, and staff since the inception of the
program. Major developments over the years are emphasized. Areas of expertise and research
interests of current faculty members are given. A brief overview of alumni and current students is
provided. The Agricultural Engineering program began at NC A&T SU in 1950 and has undergone
various modifications to meet the ever-changing demands of society. The program was the first
nationally accredited Agricultural Engineering program at a minority institution in the USA and is one
of two such programs at minority institutions. To its credit this program has graduated more African-
American Agricultural Engineers than any other program in the USA.


Introduction: Each type of condylar fracture, the treatment method must be chosen taking into consideration the presence of teeth, fracture height, patient's adaptation, patient's masticatory system, disturbance of occlusal function, and deviation of the mandible. Aim: To study the incidence etiology and various types of mandible fractures esp. condylar and subcondylar fractures, indications and techniques for closed and open treatment of condylar and subcondylar fractures. Materials and Methods: A prospective study conducted. During the study period, 175 cases of Faciomaxillary injuries reported. Among them, 43 were condylar and subcondylar fracture. Cases were chosen for open reduction and closed reduction according to the clinical and radiological criteria. Results: Among 43 cases, 13 cases unilateral condylar fracture, 11 cases bilateral condylar fracture, 16 cases unilateral subcondylar fracture, and 5 cases bilateral subcondylar fracture. Among the 43 cases, 26 cases underwent open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), and 17 cases underwent CRMF. Occlusion is normal in all ORIF cases. In ORIF, the most common approach used is combined approach. In ORIF group complications such as temporary facial nerve palsy (2 cases) severe painful mouth opening (3 cases) hematoma (1 case) infected implant, 1 case loosening, and displacement of screw recorded. In CRMF group restricted mouth opening (6 cases) malocclusion (4 cases), shortening of the vertical height of mandible 4 cases recorded. Conclusion: Treatment type should be selected considering patient's age, fracture type, patient's systemic status, other fracture, teeth, and possibility of occlusal restoration by intermaxillary fixation, and existence of foreign materials.


Aspects of drug addiction and neuroplasticity can be modeled in animals through the development of behavioral sensitization to repeated drug administrations. Long-term depression (LTD) in the brain has been proposed to be a cellular substrate for learning and memory, and more importantly, disruption of LTD through interference with regulated AMPA receptor endocytosis, has been found to block the expression of amphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization. We investigated the effects of repeated co-administration of an interference peptide during the induction of behavioral sensitization. Interestingly, the interference peptide attenuated the maintenance of sensitization and blocked the further development of sensitization to subsequent amphetamine injections in the absence of peptide.

Extended Abstract:
RATIONALE: Drug addiction is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder in which repeated administration of certain drugs, including amphetamines, cocaine, nicotine, heroin, and alcohol, induces long-lasting behavioral and neuronal changes. Addiction is also defined as a chronic relapsing disorder, as individuals who have successfully abstained from drug use for long periods of time are still susceptible to repeated episodes of craving and drug-taking following a single exposure to environmental stimuli associated with previous drug use, or to a small amount of the drug itself. The strong tendency to relapse represents one of the greatest challenges in effectively treating human drug addiction. Preclinical studies have been employed to define the neurological substrates of drug addiction by studying the molecular adaptations following repeated drug exposure. There is increasing evidence to support the hypothesis that addiction may involve mechanisms of neural plasticity that are also implicated in learning and memory, and protein-protein interactions have been determined as one of the underlying mechanisms of this adaptation. Aspects of drug addiction and neurobehavioural plasticity can be modeled in animals through the development of behavioral sensitization to repeated drug administration. Long-term depression (LTD) in the brain has been proposed to be a cellular substrate for learning and memory, and more importantly, disruption of LTD in the nucleus accumbens (Nac) with a GluR2-derived peptide (GluR23Y), through interference with regulated a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazole-4-propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) endocytosis, has been shown to block the expression of D-amphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization.

RESULTS: The present study extended our analysis of the role of AMPAR-mediated LTD in the development of behavioral sensitization. Repeated intravenous co-administration of GluR23Y during induction of behavioral sensitization with five injections of D-amphetamine (1mg/kg, every other day), blocked the maintenance of sensitization to amphetamine when challenged with a lower dose of the stimulant (0.5 mg/kg) 14 days later. Pairing of the GluR23Y peptide with initial exposure to d-amphetamine blocked the further development of sensitization to 5 subsequent amphetamine injections in the absence of peptide, suggesting long-term effects of disrupting regulated AMPAR endocytosis. Interestingly, bilateral microinjection of GluR23Y into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) produced similar patterns, whereas microinjection into the NAc had no significant effect on induction or maintenance of behavioral sensitization.

CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence for a region-specific role of regulated AMPAR endocytosis in short- and long-term amphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization, within the reward-circuitry of the brain. Furthermore, the use of the GluR23Y interference peptide to disrupt synaptic and behavioral plasticity related to drug addiction provides a novel target for drug-development strategies.


Objective To establish the method of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS-MS) in order to determine selenocystine(SeCys) and selenomethionine(SeMet).Method The chromatographic column was Waters Symmetry C_ 18(150 mm × 3.9 mm,diameter 5 μm).The mobile phase was methanol+0.1% heptafluorobutyric acid(35+65) at a flow rate of 500 μl/min.SeMet and SeCys were detected by monitoring the ion transition of m/z 198.1→181.0,198.1→152.0 and 337.0→248.0,337.0→88.2,with nitrogen as collision gas and using multiple reaction monitoring(MRM) mode.Results The determination limits of SeCys and SeMet were 2.0 and 0.5 ng/ml,respectively.The linear regression equations of SeMet and SeCys were y=707x+990,r= 0.999?3 and y=64.3x+695,r= 0.999?9,respectively.Conclusion SeMet and SeCys could be completely separated and determined for on-line in one injection by this method.The method could meet requirements of fast and accurate determination of SeMet and SeCys.


This study was conducted in glass house at Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Giza during both 2018 and 2019 experimental seasons to investigate the possibility of using leafy wood stem cuttings of 10 selected guava seedlings trees for using to propagate them vegetatively. Whereas, rooting ability of their cuttings in response to genotypes and dipping in 4000 ppm IBA and 100 ppm TIBA were investigated. Besides some growth measurements i.e., number of both roots and shoots per rooted cuttings and their length, as well as No. of leaves per each and average leaf area were also included. Data obtained during both seasons cuttings of only five genotypes (seedling trees) succeeded to root while other fives completely failed. On the other hand ability of the leafy soft wood stem cutting of the five succeeded genotypes varied specifically from one seedling tree to another.  Hence tree No. 10 was the superior while both 7th and 8th ones were the inferior and two other trees (No. 2 & 6) were in between. The specific effect of growth regulators mired was also observed TIBA was more effective than IBA especially during 2nd season whereas difference was significant. In addition, the most effective combination was always in closed relationship to the dipped cuttings of genotype 10 in TIBA 100 ppm fallowed by cuttings of the same trees treated by IBA 4000 ppm. Throe of dipped cuttings in either IBA or TIBA 100 ppm for the 7th & 8th trees were the inferior while other four combinations of two other trees (2nd & 6th) were in between. The same trend was detected with the different growth measurements of the survived rooted cuttings of fire successed five genotypes with few exceptions scarcely observed during two seasons.


Pullulan is a unique biopolymer with many useful characteristics and hundreds of patented applications.However,despite the fact that pullulan has been commercial production for more than 25 years,few of these potential uses have been widely adopted because of the relatively high price of pullulan.Nevertheless,the last few years is applied in higher value health and pharmaceutical.


To investigate the characteristics of a computer touchpad as a pointing device, 14 participants used their right hand to manipulate the touchpad on a laptop computer. They were required to move a cursor over different distances (7.5 cm, 15 cm) from a home location to targets of different diameters (8 mm, 16 mm), situated to the upper left, middle, or right of a computer screen. A kinematic analysis of movement onsets and cursor trajectories indicated the nature of inefficiencies of the touchpad compared with other devices, primarily excessive submovements. Upper leftward movements were poorer, which can be explained by asymmetries in the finger-wrist system. This result implies that screen accessibility can vary as a function of users' interaction with cursor controllers and that the default placements of key icons might need to vary as a consequence.


View Online Nano-Micro Conf., 2017, 1, 01008 | 1 Published by Nature Research Society http://nrs.org Terahertz filter and demultiplexer with photonic crystal waveguide HongJun Liu,* Zhaolu Wang, Nan Huang, Jing Han State Key Laboratory of Transient Optics and Photonics Technology, Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Science, No.17 Xinxi Road,New Industrial Park, Xi'an Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China Corresponding Author. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Received: 15 May 2017, Accepted: 09 June 2017, Published Online: 05 October 2017 Citation Information: HongJun Liu, Zhaolu Wang, Nan Huang, Jing Han. Nano-Micro Conference, 2017, 1, 01008 doi: 10.11605/cp.nmc2017.01008 Abstract Terahertz (THz) wave is finding growing applications in various important fields such as space science, communications, and security screening [1]. Besides sources and detectors, development of THz technologies also requires devices to guide and manipulate THz waves. The demand for high performance quasi optic components such as frequency filters, demultiplexer, attenuators, splitters, and polarizers is increasing [2]. We theoretically propose and investigate a magnetically tunable narrow-band terahertz filter and a multi-channel THz wavelength division demultiplexer based on photonic crystal waveguide. The optical properties of the filter have been analyzed in detail. It is found that a single resonant peak with the central frequency of ~1 THz is existed in the transmission spectrum, which has a narrow full width at half maximum of <2 GHz. Moreover, under the control of an external magnetic field, transmission frequency and width of passband are adjustable, which reveals that the 2-D silicon photonic crystal waveguide with point and line defects can serve as a continuously tunable bandpass filter at the terahertz waveband. THz division demultiplexer consists of an input waveguide that perpendicularly coupled with a series of defects cavities, each of which captures the resonance frequency from the input waveguide. Coupled-mode theory and finite element method are used to analyze the transmission properties of the structure. It is found that the transmission wavelength centered around 1 THz can be adjusted by changing the geometrical parameters of defects cavities, which equals to THz waves generated by optical methods such as difference frequency generation and optical rectification.Terahertz (THz) wave is finding growing applications in various important fields such as space science, communications, and security screening [1]. Besides sources and detectors, development of THz technologies also requires devices to guide and manipulate THz waves. The demand for high performance quasi optic components such as frequency filters, demultiplexer, attenuators, splitters, and polarizers is increasing [2]. We theoretically propose and investigate a magnetically tunable narrow-band terahertz filter and a multi-channel THz wavelength division demultiplexer based on photonic crystal waveguide. The optical properties of the filter have been analyzed in detail. It is found that a single resonant peak with the central frequency of ~1 THz is existed in the transmission spectrum, which has a narrow full width at half maximum of <2 GHz. Moreover, under the control of an external magnetic field, transmission frequency and width of passband are adjustable, which reveals that the 2-D silicon photonic crystal waveguide with point and line defects can serve as a continuously tunable bandpass filter at the terahertz waveband. THz division demultiplexer consists of an input waveguide that perpendicularly coupled with a series of defects cavities, each of which captures the resonance frequency from the input waveguide. Coupled-mode theory and finite element method are used to analyze the transmission properties of the structure. It is found that the transmission wavelength centered around 1 THz can be adjusted by changing the geometrical parameters of defects cavities, which equals to THz waves generated by optical methods such as difference frequency generation and optical rectification. References [1] L. Ho; M. Pepper; P. Taday, Terahertz spectroscopy: Signatures and fingerprints. Nature Photonics. 2(9), 541 (2008). doi:10.1038/ nphoton.2008.174 [2] H. Bin; W. Qi Jie; Z. Ying, Broadly tunable one-way terahertz plasmonic waveguide based on nonreciprocal surface magneto plasmons. Optics Letters. 37(11), 1895-1897 (2012). doi:10.1364/ OL.37.001895


Norwich Castle's life as a royal fortification was short-lived, and it served much more time as a county gaol. Lucia Marchini pays a visit to an exhibition that charts the changes to the structure over the centuries.


Objective:To make a items system on the comprehensive quality of the military medical students and bring forward the method of process evaluation on the comprehensive quality. Method: Made the process evaluation software on students' quality by means of Access database. And applied the items system to 60 students respectively selected from the "3+2"innovational mode and the "4+1"traditional mode at random. Result: There are significant differences on moral quality, professional quality, psychological quatity, physical quality, basic quality and compreheusive qualtiy between the average scores of class A and class B. But there is no signifcant difference on scientific and cultural quality.Conclusion: With the items system,we can make process evaluation on individuals;meanwhile,it can be applied to the evaluation on the effect of the teaching reform.


The invention provides an intelligent out-of-oven conveying and cooling system for calcium carbide. The system comprises a closed-loop type rail system, a plurality of sets of chain type transmission devices, a plurality of sets of stone pot trolleys, a plurality of sets of automatic mold opening and closing calcium carbide pots with mechanical locking devices and a set of automatic control system. The rail system comprises an oven-region rail and a cooling rail, wherein the oven-region rail surrounds a calcium carbide oven and extends to the cooling region, and the cooling rail is arranged appropriately according to time required by cooling and the size of a plant; the oven-region rail and the cooling rail form a closed loop. N columns of stone pot trolleys are arranged on the rails of the rail system. M sets of transmission devices are arranged in a foundation pit below the position between the two rails of the rail system. Each transmission device comprises a gear motor, a transmission base, a coupler, a driving chain wheel, driven chain wheels with tensioning devices, transmission chains and chain guide rails; the driven chain wheels and the corresponding driving chain wheels form a closed-loop chain structure through the corresponding transmission chains. According to the intelligent out-of-oven conveying and cooling system for calcium carbide, the structure is simple, the process of out of oven, cooling and out of pot can be fully automatic and subjected to unmanned operation, the investment and fabrication cost is low, and the production efficiency is high.


Abstract Objective To determine how much of the variation in nutritional status of Bangladeshi children under 5 years old can be attributed to the socio-economic status of the family. Design Nutritional status used reference Z-scores of weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ) and weight-for-height (WHZ). A 'possession score' was generated based on ownership of a radio, television, bicycle, motorcycle and telephone, and the availability of electricity, with categories of 0 to 4+ possessions. A five-point (quintile) 'poverty index' was created using principal component analysis. Setting The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2004 was the source of data. Subjects A sample of 4891 children aged <5 years was obtained. Results Some 57·8 % of the sample was either stunted, wasted or underweight (7·7 % were stunted, wasted and underweight). Of those stunted (48·4 %), 25·7 % were also underweight. Underweight and wasting prevalences were 40·7 % and 14·3 %, respectively. Mean WAZ, HAZ and WHZ did not differ by sex. Children of mothers with no education or no possessions were, on average, about 1 sd more underweight and stunted than those with higher educated mothers or with 4+ possessions. The possession score provided much greater discrimination of undernutrition than the poverty index. Nearly 50 % of children from households with no possessions were stunted, wasted or underweight (only 27 % in the poorest quintile), compared with only 3–6 % of children from households with 4+ possessions (over 13 % in the richest quintile). Conclusions Maternal education and possession score were the main predictors of a child's nutritional status. Possession score was a much better indicator of undernutrition than the poverty index.


Electron multiplier devices are widely applied in many electronic instruments like mass spectrometers and atomic clocks. It is considerably crucial for a multiplier to possess a high electron gain, and this index can be directly determined by secondary electron yield (SEY) of the dynodes. Al 2 O 3 and MgO possess a relatively high SEY level among majority of dynode materials, and their film products are excellent dynode candidates. the results also reveal that the dielectric surface film possesses a great ability to modulate the surface SEY. However, SEY becomes less dependent on film thickness as the incident energy increases, and it results from the increase of penetration depth for the incident electrons. This work reveals the mechanism of the SEE characteristics for ultrathin Al 2 O 3 and MgO nanofilms, which is of great significance for the subsequent research on the use of nanoscale high SEY dielectric films as the SEE functional layer in electron multipliers.


Since its initial description by Prendiville et al. (1989), loop diathermy excision of the transformation zone has become a common method for the local treatment of colposcopically detected abnormalities of the transformation zone. A number of studies including Luesley et al. (1990,1992), have analysed patient symptoms retrospectively and noted that these were in the main related to vaginal discharge and bleeding of short duration. We report here a prospective study objectively documenting patient bleeding and discharge following loop diathermy. Monsel's solution has been shown to be an effective haemostat at cone biopsy (Gilbert etal. 1989); we determined to see if Monsel's solution applied following loop diathermy would reduce vaginal discharge.


Hepatitis B immune tolerance phase is a period of peaceful coexistence between hepatitis B virus and immune cells.Currently, vast majority of patients with hepatitis B immune tolerance are induced by the route of motherto-child transmission(MTCT), and most of them need not receive antiviral therapy. Current the molecular mechanisms of hepatitis B immune tolerance are not yet clear. However, studies on the molecular mechanisms of hepatitis B immune tolerance can help us to design some drugs to treat active and inactive phase of chronic hepatitis B. In this paper, the research literature about the relationship between expression product of HBV, hepatic innate immune cells and T cells with hepatitis B immune tolerance was reviewed, and the recent progress on the molecular mechanisms of hepatitis B immune tolerance was analyzed.


A brief review of the Siesta project is presented in the context of linear-scaling density-functional methods for electronic-structure calculations and molecular-dynamics simulations of systems with a large number of atoms. Applications of the method to different systems are reviewed, including carbon nanotubes, gold nanostructures, adsorbates on silicon surfaces, and nucleic acids. Also, progress in atomic-orbital bases adapted to linear-scaling methodology is presented.


The effects of various chelating agents on the cytotoxicity induced by hexavalent chromium, potassium dichromate, were examined. HeLa cells were incubated in Eagle's minimum essential medium (MEM) with or without the chromate alone, or both chromate and any one of DL-penicillamine, glutathione (reduced and oxidized form), L-cysteine, 2, 3-dimercapto-1-propanol (BAL) and ethylene-diaminetetra-acetic acid (2Na-EDTA and 2Na·Ca-EDTA). After a given period of incubation, cell growth and the amount of chromium in the cells were measured. The results obtained were as follows. 1) The growth of HeLa cells in MEM with 3.4 μM chromate at 3 days of incubation was approximately 15% of that of the control cells. The growth of HeLa cells in MEM containing 3.4 μM chromate and 670.2 μM DL-penicillamine was 96%. However, no remarkable antagonism against the chromate toxicity was induced by 0.3 to 325.4 μM reduced glutathione, 0.2 to 163.2 μM oxidized glutathione, 0.6 to 56.9 μM L-cysteine, 0.8 to 8.1 μM BAL, 0.3 to 268.6 μM 2Na-EDTA, 0.2 to 224.0 μM 2Na·Ca-EDTA. 2) DL-penicillamine could not restore the cell growth inhibited by a preincubation in MEM with 3.4 μM chromate for 6 or 24 hours. 3) The chromium content (as Cr) of HeLa cells in MEM with 3.4 μM chromate at 6 hours of incubation was 0.148 μg/106 cells. When 670.2 μM DL-penicillamine was added to MEM containing 3.4 μM chromate, the chromium content decreased to 0.0141μg/106 cells (70% reduction). Other chelating agents, 325.4 μM reduced glutathione, 569.3 μM L-cysteine and 805.2 μM BAL, also remarkably reduced the chromium content. However, 163.2 μM oxidized glutathione, 268.6 μM 2Na-EDTA and 224.0 μM 2Na·Ca-EDTA did not reduce the chromium content. These results suggest that DL-penicillamine might inhibit the chromium uptake by HeLa cells and thus prevent the chromium-induced cytotoxicity.


A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA-NIGERIA
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTERS OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING (M.S.c WREE)
DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING,
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA


The 1985 NSRP Design for Production Manual describes the use of a Build Strategy as a basis for improved shipbuilding performance through front-end involvement of all departments and better communication. A number of U.S. shipbuilders are known to have used the approach. However, the extent of its use and the experience of the users was unknown. To remedy this situation the SP-4 Panel conceived a project to determine: (1) how widely the Build Strategy approach was known and used by U.S. shipbuilders, and (2) a suitable Build Strategy framework with examples of its use for two typical ship types. This paper summarizes the performance of the project and briefly describes the findings of the U.S. and foreign shipyard surveys and visits, the required prerequisites for use of a Build Strategy and benefits from its use. It also includes the contents list for the proposed Build Strategy framework.


The spread of food borne pathogens is one of the most serious threats for the human health. In India, spices are used not only for cooking, adding color, flavor, taste and it also provide infinite medicinal benefits. Traditionally the people of India have a long-standing practice of using wide variety of herbal products in treatment of diseases or as preservatives in foods. In the past few decades, antibiotic resistance is an emerging problem worldwide (Walsh, 2000; Cohen, 2002). This has lead to the search for new, safe and effective antimicrobial agents from alternative natural resources like plant products. In comparison to chemical or synthetic additives herbal additives are preferred as these are safer, flavor enhancer and without any side effects (Brull and Coote, 1999). Herbal extracts are fast becoming popular as natural antimicrobial preservatives or additives (Akarpat et al., 2008; Pazos et al., 2008; Cox et al., 2010). Cinnamon is one of the major spices used in India (Das, 2012). Streptococcus pyogenes is a very important bacterial pathogen in children and adults causing community-acquired upper respiratory tract infections like tonsillopharyngitis, skin and soft tissue infections which are among the most frequent reasons for seeking of medical advice (Gueye et al., 2009). Pseudomonas aeruginosa is wellrecognized as a nosocomial pathogen, which exhibits inherent drug resistance (Liu et al., 2007). Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen causing widespread infections by numerous virulence factors. Increasing resistance to antibiotics makes the ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 3 Number 2 (2014) pp. 177-178 http://www.ijcmas.com


Survivors of community traumatic events (CTEs) are thought to be at an increased risk for suicide. Current studies of the impact of CTEs on suicide have (a) produced varied results and (b) not accounted for co-occurrences or series of CTEs. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between the temporal distribution of CTEs and the temporal distribution of suicide and calls to the crisis hotline in a Louisiana parish, taking into account co-occurrences and series of CTEs. The sample consisted of 11 years of data on suicidal deaths and 5 years of data on calls to the crisis hotline. Poisson regression was used to assess whether suicide patterns and hotline call volume were affected by CTEs. The distributions of suicide and calls to the crisis hotline were not affected by the presence of single, co-occurring, or series of CTEs. Though suicide prevention efforts are often increased after CTEs, this study indicates suicide prevention efforts should be ongoing and have a community-wide focus. Given the varied results across studies of CTE impact on suicide distributions, further research should focus on co-occurrence and series of CTEs rather than the historical trend of focusing on a single CTE. Also, psychological autopsies of people who died by suicide in the wake of a CTE should be conducted using phenomenology as the guiding qualitative paradigm. Language: en


Our objective is to develop a new assay based on quantum dots(QDs)to determine squamous cell carcinoma antigen(SCCa)by immunofluorescence assay.The magnetic particles(MPs)and biotin were used to label two different monoclonal antibodies of anti-SCCa.Both of the labeled antibodies combined with SCCa to form a sandwiched immunoreaction and then added streptavidin labeled QDs.After the washing procedure,the fluorescence intensity values were measured which were directly proportional to the amount of analyte present in the sample solution.The method showed high sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.03ng/mL.The coefficient of variation of intra-assay imprecision and the inter-assay imprecision were less than7%.A correlation analysis against an established assay generated a correlation coefficient of 0.9937.The proposed method demonstrates an acceptable performance for quantifying serum SCCa and is suitable for the clinical lab.


In order to study the influence of adhesive fillet radius on bond strength as well as notch-stress t-shaped specimens of Norway spruce wood (Picea abies Karst.) bonded with a rapidly curing epoxy adhesive were tested in tension. In general, increasing tensile strength was observed with increasing fillet radii and web thickness. The effect of small fillet radius was more pronounced for thin webs. Highest notch-stress reduction was found for samples of small fillet radii and thin webs.


The paper presents a new thermal transient tester, which has unique features, both in the hardware design both in the evaluating software. Those features are presented in the paper that have general significance and scientific advance in the thermal transient measurement technique. Thermal test dies are related devices to support the thermal characterisation of IC packages. The aim of our work was to provide a set of actual test dies as well as IP designs of a scaleable size, starting from 2x2mm 2 through 6x6mm 2 up to a size of 24x24 mm 2 , to cover the widest possible field of applications. The new features of this test die series are also presented in the paper, together with some application examples 1. Introduction Thermal gradients in place and time are the most important factors describing and determining the thermal behaviour of electronic equipment. These latter govern temperature changes in time, which are called thermal transients. Thermal transient testers measure the time dependence of the temperature at a spot, as the result of heating or cooling. Heating or cooling is applied as a step function by switching power on or off, either at the location of the measuring spot or at a different location. Measuring at the location where heating takes place provides data about self-heating and in this case so called driving point impedances can be calculated, while thermal transfer impedances can be derived from data measured at a location different from the powering point [1],[2].


In general, if the maximum delay spread is longer than guard interval (GI), the system performance is significantly degraded. The conventional time-frequency interferometry (TFI) for OFDM does not consider with timevariant large delay spread channel. In this paper, we propose a novel time domain inter-symbol-interference (ISI) cancellation scheme with replica signal based inter-carrierinterference (ICI) compensation for TFI-OFDM.


Long face morphology is a relatively common presentation among orthodontic patients. Despite being described extensively in the orthodontic literature, the long face morphology still remains unclear. The term "long face syndrome" depicts only the vertical component of the three dimensional problem which exists in these patients. Most studies to date concentrate on only the open bite variant of this multifaceted problem. The aim of this article is to comprehensively review the literature and present the varied clinical manifestations, etiology and available treatment modalities of the "Long Face Syndrome".


Through the experiments on the improved pull-out tests of full-thread glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) anchor bolts,the bonding behavior between the bolts and rock mass is studied. By studying the anchorage force of different GFRP anchor bolts,the parameters for application of GFRP anchor bolts to engineering practice are proposed. The testing results indicate that the anchorage force of the bolts increases with the increases of bolt diameter,anchorage length and mortar strength;the bonding strength of bolts increases with the increase of mortar strength,but decreases with the increases of bonding length and bolt diameter. And the results are explained with the bonding stress distribution of the GFRP anchor bolts. By the results,several conclusions are drawn:(1) the recommend diameter of the GFRP anchor bolts in engineering is 12–32 mm;(2) the anchorage length of the GFRP bolt should be larger than 20 times of its diameter;and (3) the compressive strength of the mortar used as anchor agent should be more than 15 MPa.


Background Lack of adherence to medication in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can worsen disease activity. Objectives To evaluate the risk of non-adherence to disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) in RA patients treated with subcutaneous (SC) biological therapy. Methods ARCO was a retrospective study in RA patients ≥18 years-old from 42 Spanish hospitals on SC biological therapy. The risk of non-adherence to oral DMARD was evaluated using the Compliance Questionnaire in Rheumatology (CQR), a questionnaire validated against an electronic medication-monitoring system, for a cut-off point of taking ≤80% of the doses. Patients completed the Beliefs About Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) and the Carbonell satisfaction questionnaire (Spanish validated questionnaire on satisfaction with medication). Results 364 patients were included (mean age 54.9 years [SD 12.5]; 77.5% women median RA duration 7.8 years). Complete CQR was available for 304 patients, of which 21.7% showed risk of non-adherence to oral DMARD (95% CI: 17.4 – 26.7%). The percentage was similar in men and women, and greater in extremes of age (>63 and ≤48 years-old), in those currently working and in patients with no comorbidities (Table). There was a trend to a higher percentage at risk of non-adherence in non-Caucasian patients, those with higher educational level and in those with risk of alcoholism (AUDIT questionnaire) (Table). The percentage with risk of non-adherence was similar in patients with 1, 2 or >2 oral drugs for RA, and in those treated or not with SC methotrexate, and it was higher in those who considered that the effect of their treatment for RA on the symptoms had been less than expected (38.1% vs 17.9% in those who thought it had been greater, p=0.029). No differences were seen with regard to the result of the BMQ. Risk of non-adherence to DMARD according to socio-demographic characteristics Risk of non-adherence p Age (years) Q1: (≤48) 37.4% <0.001 Q2 (>48–56) 15.0% Q3 (>56–63) 11.1% Q4 (>63) 21.7% Gender Men 26.5% 0.361 Women 20.3% Ethnic group Caucasian 20.5% 0.107 Others 38.1% Risk of alcoholism (AUDIT) No 21.0% 0.429 Yes 30.4% Educational level Primary 16.0% 0.143 Secondary 24.2% Professional 21.6% University 30.5% Employed No 17.8% 0.039 Yes 27.2% Comorbidities No 29.6% 0.050 Yes 18.5% Conclusions In patients with RA treated with SC biological therapy, 21.7% showed risk of non-adherence to DMARD according to the CQR (taking ≤80% of the doses). The percentage was higher in extremes of age, patients with university degree, employed, without comorbidities and in those who considered that the treatment effect on RA had been lower than expected. Acknowledgement The ARCO study was funded by Merck Sharp & Dohme Spain. Disclosure of Interest None declared


In cities worldwide, the geographic and functional
mismatch between urban governance structures and the actual
dynamics of urban activities has hindered efforts to achieve
sustainable and equitable development at the metropolitan scale.
Overcoming this mismatch requires coordination between typically
fragmented government agencies-and this coordination requires
inter-organizational collaboration. In Portugal, the twin
challenges of declining urban centers and sprawling suburbs,
combined with the absence of a metropolitan planning structure,
have heightened the importance of inter-agency collaboration,
especially in terms of land use and transportation. In contrast to
typical studies of policy integration, which tend to focus on
barriers to collaboration, in this thesis I examine forces which
contribute to its emergence. I consider two questions: first, what
conditions and factors have actually led to inter-organizational
collaboration in the Portuguese context? Second, what is the
potential for a particular scenario-building process to lead to
further collaboration among those who participated? Study of
existing collaborative arrangements reveals five conditions which
appear to contribute to the emergence of collaboration. A
qualitative and quantitative analysis of scenario-building
workshops conducted with stakeholders in Portugal suggests that
these exercises have increased the likelihood of the future
collaboration among participants to a small degree. Finally,
recognizing that collaboration is necessary, but not sufficient,
for better metropolitan-level development, I suggest ways in which
government policy can take advantage of pro-collaboration
forces.


Page 21 of 29 Aflatoxin Contamination of Foods in Mozambique: Occurrence, Public Health Implications and Challenges Alberto Romão Sineque1,2*, Filomena Rosa Dos Anjos3, Custódia Lina Macuamule4 1Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique 2DREAM Laboratory, Comunidade de Sant'Egídio, Maputo, Mozambique 3Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary, Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique 4Department of ParaClinicas, Faculty of Veterinary, Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique


This paper presents the implementation of the dy- namic programming model (introduced in a previous paper) for the resolution of the adaptive resource allocation problem in stochastic multimodal project networks. A distributed platform using an Ob- ject Oriented language, Java, is used in order to take advantage of the available computational resources.


In order to resolve the scalability and load balancing challenges in the existing parallel mining algorithms for common itemsets. We can apply the map reduce programming model, by using this model we can achieve reduction storage and avoid conditional pattern bases. It can be executed with Hadoop cluster which it is aware to data distribution and dimension since item sets with different lengths. We need to look up the performance so we built up the work load balance across the cluster node. It will integrate Hadoop with data placement mechanism on heterogeneous cluster. So data placement scheme is used to balance the amount of data stored in each heterogeneous cluster node in order to improve data processing performance. The energy saved and thermal management will be of future generation to ensure our life. So this project will propose various approaches to improving energy efficiency of Hadoop running on clusters.


A modified set of primers was developed to increase the sensitivity of nested PCR amplification of glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) gene to detect and genotype Giardia duodenalis cysts in stool specimens. This modified set of primers had a significantly higher sensitivity (82%) than that of a previously published PCR primer set (53%).


When implemented using a reasonable Hamiltonian, the tomography of a three-level Ξ atom is complicated by the equidistant energy levels of the atom. This restricts the possible transformations to those in the SO(3) subgroup of SU(3). Although complete reconstruction is possible for a single Ξ atom using a continuous set of tomograms, the discrete optimal set of tomograms, related to mutually unbiased bases in dimension 3, are not accessible by time evolution. We discuss here the search for an optimal set of discrete basis states compatible with the reduced SO(3) symmetry of the system.


OBJECTIVE To analyze the characteristics of Klebsiella pneumoniae and the result of sputum culture and its clinical significance.METHODS The sputum was cultured to detect the susceptibility to antibiotics,as well as to accumulate the data of clinical cases.RESULTS Total of 82 strains were obtained.Imipenem sensitivity was 100.00%,followed by levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin,with sensitive rates(95.10% and 92.7%).Thirty-two ESBLs producing strains were accounted for 39.02%.CONCLUSIONS Part of the K.pneumoniae strains are extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae and insensitive to the commonly used antibiotics.It is suggested the antibiotics be used according to drug sensitivity.


Audio data can be embedded in digital video stream for broadcasting. This paper studies the principle of audio embedded in digital HD video according to the SMPTE299M standard, designs and implements the audio demultiplexing system based on FPGA. The system can demultiplex 16 channels audio data sampled at 48K and play out the audio of selected channels which are concerned. It could be used in digital studio for monitoring and playing out the audio in each channel.


We show that the normal derivative of a harmonic function which vanishes on an open subset of the boundary of a Dini domain cannot vanish on a subset of positive surface measure.


Just five years ago most users tested chips one at a time, tested each type on a different machine, and tested digital, mixedsignal, RF and memory separately. Today almost every tester company makes multiple test platforms, each with a different operating system, its own system hardware, and incompatible applications solutions. With the emergence of SOC technology now is the ideal time to address this situation.


Abstract High-pressure X-ray scattering study of NH4LiSO4 has been made up to 16 kbar at room temperature in a gasketted diamond anvil cell. It undergoes phase transitions at about 6.5 kbar from the ferroelectric phase to an intermediate pressure phase, then to a super structure phase (a=2a0, b=2b0, c=c0) at about 12.4 kbar. Symmetries of the intermediate and super structure phases have been determined as P2111(Z=4) and C111 (Z=48). Crystal structure was analyzed at 5.7, 6.9 and 9.5 kbar.


The invention relates to a method for preparing a baking-free brick by using pulverized fuel ash and modified plant fibers. The process of the method is simple, and the utilization rate of solid wastes is high. The baking-free brick is light in weight, higher in strength, high in durability, high in toughness and crack resistance, lower in energy consumption and pollution-free to the environment. Cement, the pulverized fuel ash, the modified plant fibers and the like are adopted as raw materials. The method comprises the following steps: uniformly mixing and stirring the raw materials; performing vibration and extrusion molding in a mold to obtain a green brick; performing steam curing, and then placing the green brick outdoors at normal temperature for a period of time to obtain a finished product.


Controllable step functions on a compact metric space (X, d) are defined on partitions of X into subsets whose size is subject to an entropy condition. The paper deals with the class A(X) of all bounded real-valued functions f ∈ M(X) which can be approximated uniformly by controllable step functions. We show that every function f ∈ A(X) is a controllable step function itself or can be approximated by a sequence of controllable step functions on an ascending chain K = (n)∞n=1 of controllable partitions n. For functions f chain-approximable in this sense a discrete version of the formula representing the corresponding approximation quantities ân(f) can be derived. Furthermore, chain-approximable functions turn out to be quasi-continuous. On the m-dimensional cube [–1, 1]m with the maximum metric d∞ chain-approximable functions are even Riemann integrable. In the case m = 1 all quasi-continuous regulated functions prove to be chain-approximable.


Four new shallow water species of the genus Pacifigorgia were found in recent surveys along the Pacific coast of Panama. One of the species was only found in dense patches at two shallow seamount-like localities inside the Coiba National Park, Gulf of Chiriqu . Two other species were patchily distributed at several localities in the Gulf of Chiriqu . A fourth species was widely distributed around the gulfs of Chiriqu and Panama encompassing a broad range of habitats and depths. The new species are described and illustrated in detail with scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of the sclerites, and colour photographs of the colony forms. The suspected occurrence of a particular Pacifigorgia species for this region is confirmed and two other new records are added to the species list. With the new four species, a total of 15 are established for Panama, making 31 species for the eastern Pacific to date.


The invention relates to novel compositions for the oxidation dyeing of keratin fibers comprising at least one diaminopyrazole derivative particular, the dyeing method using this composition, new diaminopyrazole derivatives and their preparation process.


Simple Summary Culex quinquefasciatus is a major vector of several human and animal diseases. This species' ability to develop resistance to synthetic insecticides can lead to failure to control it. Therefore, we conducted toxicity bioassays of imidacloprid, acetamiprid, emamectin benzoate, spirotetramat, and indoxacarb on five field populations of Cx. Quinquefasciatus from Pakistan. These five populations showed susceptibility to high resistance against imidacloprid, susceptibility to moderate resistance against acetamiprid, susceptibility to emamectin benzoate, susceptibility to spirotetramat, and low–high resistance against indoxacarb. Correlation analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and spirotetramat median lethal concentration values, indicating the possibility of cross-resistance. Meanwhile, there were no significant correlations among the median lethal concentration values of other tested insecticides, indicating the possible absence of cross-resistance. Our findings provide a useful background for the public health authorities, medical entomologists, and pest managers to control Cx. quinquefasciatus. Abstract Culex quinquefasciatus is a major vector of several pathogens and is capable of breeding in various aquatic habitats. The extensive and injudicious use of synthetic chemicals against the mosquito species has led to the problem of insecticide resistance. To explore this resistance in detail, toxicity bioassays of imidacloprid, acetamiprid, emamectin benzoate, spirotetramat, and indoxacarb were performed on five Cx. quinquefasciatus field populations from Pakistan in addition to a laboratory susceptible strain. Compared with the susceptible strain, results for the five Cx. quinquefasciatus field populations were as follows: susceptibility to high resistance against imidacloprid (resistance ratio (RR): 0.09–11.18), susceptibility to moderate resistance against acetamiprid (RR: 0.39–8.00), susceptibility to emamectin benzoate (RR: 0.002–0.020), susceptibility to spirotetramat (RR: 0.01–0.07), and low to high resistance against indoxacarb (RR: 3.00–118.00). Correlation analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and spirotetramat median lethal concentration (LC50) values, indicating the possibility of cross-resistance. In contrast, there were no significant correlations between the LC50 values of other tested insecticides, indicating the possible absence of cross-resistance. These results can assist public health authorities, medical entomologists, and pest managers to manage the insecticide resistance of Cx. quinquefasciatus as well as the associated pollution and human health issues.


Polycrystalline copper nitride thin films were deposited on glass substrates by reactive DC magnetron sputtering at various N_2-gas partial pressures and RT substrate temperatures.X-ray diffraction shows that the nitrogen partial pressure has influence on the preferential orientation of the thin films.The films′ growth prefers the\ direction at low nitrogen pressure and the、 direction at high nitrogen pressure.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicates that the film consists of Cu_3N and Cu at low nitrogen pressure,while at high nitrogen pressure,the film consists of Cu_3N and few Cu.


Abstract : A formula for the bremsstrahlung radiation cross section from thick targets has been derived for monoenergetic electrons impinging normally on the absorber and has been extended to the case where electrons are allowed to have an energy spectrum and an angular distribution. The basic theory makes use of the Bethe-Heitler formula for thin targets and includes corrections for the absorption and buildup of photons, electron penetration in the target including multiple electron scattering, electron backscattering out of the target, electron energy loss in the target, and electron - electron bremsstrahlung. (Author)


Upon hearing of the death of Professor Kathy Charmaz (27 July 2020), I reflected on her life's work, bringing together Grounded Theory and constructivism, and holding a titan status among qualitative researchers revered around the world. For me, I was transported to a little over five years ago, where I was attending a supervision meeting with my master's thesis supervisor at the University of Liverpool. I was writing up the results of my first ever qualitative research project, which was an examination of gender identity in never married, older women in the United Kingdom, and I was using Grounded Theory to analyse interview data I had collected. Whilst much of the meeting's content now blurs into a distant fog of the past, there is one question my supervisor asked me, which remains firmly and vividly rooted in my memory: 'Why have you used a classical approach to Grounded Theory, and not followed Kathy Charmaz's version?'.


The utility model provides a vertical film coating device for producing flat-plate solar heat absorbing coated plates. The device comprises a slide rack, a front vacuum locking chamber, a front holding chamber, a front buffer zone, a continuous film coating chamber, a rear buffer zone, a rear holding chamber and a rear locking chamber, and is characterized in that the slide rack composed of proximate matter or metal plates is included, where one or a plurality of metal substrates can be hung; a reducer dragging transmission mechanism for driving the slide rack to move comprises a concave wheel connected with a reducer and sealed by magnetic fluid and the round bar-shaped bottom at the lower part of the slide rack, or a flat wheel and the bottom at the lower part of the slide rack; and substrate hooks are arranged on one or two sides of the upper end part of the slide rack. Solar heat absorbing coated plates produced by the device has high absorptivity and low emissivity; and the utility model has the advantages of high production efficiency and low cost.


Using Bogoliubov-de Gennes (BdG) equation and Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (BTK) theory, we calculate the quasiparticle transport coefficients and the differential conductance in the normal metal/d-{x+2-y+2}+id-{xy} mixed wave superconductor tunnel junctions. It is found that: (1) the slipping of the zero-bias conductance peak is influenced by the impurities scattering, the d-{xy}-wave component, the strength ratio of the two components of mixed wave, the potential scattering of interface and the orientation of superconducting crystal axis etc., among which the second and the fifth are the key factors; (2) the formation condition of the zero-bias conductance peak is Δ-2=0 or α=nπ4, when θ is π4; (3) the incidence angle of particles have notable influence on the height of conductance peak.


The satellite communications market has previously been served by klystrons with grounded collector. Now, CPI has developed a new generation of air-cooled, permanent-magnet (PM) focused, high-efficiency klystrons utilizing a multistage depressed collector (MSDC). We describe the development and production of the VKU-8891M series, pioneering MSDC technology in the direct broadcasting satellite (DBS) market. With a saturated efficiency of 40 percent this klystron far surpasses the performance of a conventional klystron. As a result, this technology saves more than 50 percent of the power required by existing products in this market in average field-operating conditions.


Baased on current status,the locality distribution and imbalance of economy-developed,economy-developing and economy-underdeveloped counties in Fujian and the causes are analyzed.In view of the practical conditions and characteristics of county economy development and according to the principle of instruction in categories,the policy of county economy development is proposed in terms of reform driving plan-promoting and policy accelerating.


Proposes a versatile visual servoing control scheme with a Jacobian matrix estimator. The Jacobian matrix estimator does not need a priori knowledge of the kinematic structure and parameters of the robot system, such as camera and link parameters. The proposed visual servoing control scheme ensures the convergence of the image-features to desired trajectories, by using the estimated Jacobian matrix, which is proved by the Lyapunov stability theory. To show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme, simulation and experimental results are presented.<<ETX>>


Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs) involve satellites, ground stations and user equipment, and are now used to support many activities within modern societies. Among them, precise positioning for geodetic, surveying and critical real-time machine guidance applications requires a substantial investment in ground infrastructure in the form of continuously operating reference stations (CORS) and associated ICT components. The federal government, state governments and the government of New Zealand are currently establishing CORS networks to address several precise positioning 'markets'. The foundation infrastructure in Australia is funded under the AuScope initiative and, together with other geodetic CORS will by mid-2011 see well over 250 stable CORS across Australia and New Zealand to support national datum and global geodesy goals. The latter include support for the International GNSS Service (IGS) and the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS).


Abstract Introduction: Cerebral Palsy (CP) patients who have spastic hemiparesis usually present asymmetrical weight shift between the affected and non-affected side. Objective: To assess the effects of upper limb (UL) weight-bearing exercises on trunk symmetry, weight shift to the affected side and possible secondary effects on gait (speed and quality). Method: eleven participants with CP were randomized into two groups: Intervention Group (IG) and Control Group (CG); IG (n = 6) performed stretching exercises of the major muscle groups of UL and lower limbs (LL) and UL weight-bearing exercises in prone and seated position for 12 weeks. The CG (n = 5) did not undergo any kind of motor therapy during the study period but received the same exercises that IG after the study. The variables analyzed were: Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88); Pediatric Berg Scale; Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS); Six-minute walking test (6MWT); Ten meters walking test (10MWT); Timed Up & Go (TUG); Edinburgh Visual Gait Scale (EVGS); and ground reaction force. Results: The IG showed improvement on 6MWT, TUG, TIS and Pediatric Berg Scale (p < 0.01), and CG showed improvement on GMFM-88 (p < 0.04) only for the intragroup analysis. Conclusion: The exercises were effective to improve static and dynamic balance, increasing gait speed and identifying a trend of improvement on body alignment and weight shift to the affected side.


In previous papers, we have reported the results of studies on the histologic changes produced experimentally by the administration of arsphenamin, 1 neo-arsphenamin, 2 mercury 3 and bismuth. 4 The results have shown that these compounds in certain amounts may produce degenerative effects in some of the internal organs, notably the liver, by arsphenamin and the kidneys by neo-arsphenamin, mercury and bismuth. Since investigations of this kind have proved of value and interest clinically in relation to the chemotherapy of syphilis, and since the iodids are frequently used in conjunction with these substances, a similar study was undertaken to determine their effect on certain organs, that is, the brain, heart, lung, spleen, suprarenal glands, kidney and liver. Investigation on the action of the iodids appears to have been confined largely to clinical and functional studies. We were able to find but few references to previous morphologic work on the organs


The overall aim of this thesis was to explore surgical nurses' experiences of being confronted with patients' existential issues when caring for patients with cancer, and to examine whether an educ ...


While the Enlightenment has long been synonymous in the scholarly mind with moral universalism, I argue that the two leading thinkers of the Scottish Enlightenment, David Hume and Adam Smith, both held context to be crucial in the formation of moral standards.The way in which these standards are *formulated* may be the same everywhere and always, for these thinkers, but the *content* of these standards – what actually counts as moral – is in large part socially determined, and so varies with varied circumstances. This is evident in the most sustained discussions of moral diversity in their works, namely the under-studied dialogue that Hume appended to his second Enquiry and part 5 of Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments.


AC chopper power circuit driven by asymmetrical Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is a method which used for improving input power factor. The PWM is created by two signals: a saw-tooth signal and a slop reference signal. Originally, the modulation signal has two selective operation modes: 1) varying the level of the referent signal up or down, 2) varying the slope of the referent signal up or down. This paper proposes an alternative operation mode of the modulation signal which use for driving the ac chopper circuit. On this mode, the slope and the average level of the referent signal can be increased or decreased at $\omega t=0$, while the two characteristics of the signal are fixed at $\omega t=\pi $. The modulation signals obtained from this method can apply for driving the AC chopper power circuit like the two precedent modes. The circuit results are performed by Pspice simulation.


The study area encompasses 250 ha in the district of Montecaseros, Department of Gral. San Martín, Mendoza, located in the northern plain (Travesía de Guanacache). Its natural vegetation belongs to the Monte phytogeographic province. The main land use in this region is agriculture, although it has not been able to modify the whole territory. Patches of natural vegetation, characteristic of a fragmented area, are observed in a matrix dominated by cultivated lands. The analysis of natural plant communities in an area of Mendoza plains – fragmented by agricultural activity – is the objective of this thesis. There is no information about studies of plant communities in Montecaseros. Plant communities present in the study area, and their diversity at the species level, were characterized using the phytosociological method. Sites representative of each plant community were selected, and pertinent soil analysis were conducted for each of these communities. Finally, a floristic list with 108 species was prepared for the study area. Six plant communities were differentiated along a gradient, from maximum modification in 1) cultivated plots, to vegetation with practically no evidence of alteration; 2) sand dunes, 3) scrubland, 4) groves of "chañar" (Geoffroea decorticans var. decorticans), and 5) stands of "algarrobo" (Prosopis flexuosa), including parcels previously cleared and cultivated, and later abandoned, that were identified as 6) parcels under recovery. The dominant physiognomy in the area is scrubland with species of the genera Larrea, Atriplex and Lycium. Groves of Prosopis flexuosa are small in extent (open, semi-closed or closed) and located where they can utilize groundwater. Geoffroea decorticans var. decorticans grows in areas with finer soil texture, at the foot of sand dunes or in depressed spots. On sand dunes, psammophilus vegetation is well represented by species such as Portulaca grandiflora, Ibicella parodii, Mimosa ephedroides, Larrea divaricata and Panicum urvilleanum. Adventitious species grow in cultivated fields, where they depend on a good water supply, such as Melilotus albus or Taraxacum officinale, as well as other species capable of surviving and reproducing in less favorable conditions like Flaveria bidentis or Wedelia glauca. In the parcel under recovery, clearing, tillage and later abandonment of crops 25 years ago generated new edaphic conditions, and natural revegetation result in communities with a different floristic composition than the initial ones. In this area, the original scrubland has turned into a steppe with shrubs, halophile species in part, and grasses with small young trees. It is concluded that the natural edaphic limitations existing initially in the terrain are worsened by tillage and crop abandonment, which hampers re-establishment in the parcel of several species that grow in the 8 surrounding areas, even the halophyles. The results obtained provide information on the plant communities present on sites fragmented by agricultural activity in the eastern zone of Mendoza. Moreover, the need is demonstrated for using assessment methodologies prior to clearing, which will allow for recognition and valuation of species indicative of edaphic limitations. This is particularly important because such limitations hinder or raise the costs of establishment of certain crops and affect their productivity. This study also gives value to the conservation of natural communities in fragmented private areas.


This paper is a digest tutorial on some properties of capillary optical fibers (COF). Two basic types of capillary optical fibers are clearly distinguished. The classification is based on propagation mechanism of optical wave. The refractive, singlemode COF guides a dark hollow beam of light (DHB) with zero intensity on fiber axis. The photonic, singlemode COF carries nearly a perfect axial Gaussian beam with maximum intensity on fiber axis. A subject of the paper are these two basic kinds of capillary optical fibers of pure refractive and pure photonic mechanism of guided wave transmission. In a real capillary the wave may be transmitted by a mixed mechanism, refractive and photonic, with strong interaction of photonic and refractive guided wave modes. Refractive capillary optical fibers are used widely for photonic instrumentation applications, while photonic capillary optical fibers are considered for trunk optical communications. Replacement of classical, single mode, dispersion shifted, 1550nm optimized optical fibers for communications with photonic capillaries would potentially cause a next serious revolution in optical communications. The predictions say that such a revolution may happen within this decade. This dream is however not fulfilled yet. The paper compares guided modes in both kinds of optical fiber capillaries: refractive and photonic. The differences are emphasized indicating prospective application areas of these fibers.


Increased arterial stiffness and excessive pressure pulsatility have emerged as important risk factors for a number of common disorders of aging, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, cognitive impairment, and renal disease. The triple-threat combination of robust associations between arterial stiffness and the foregoing disorders, a marked increase in arterial stiffness with advancing age and the graying of our society, has led to intensive efforts to identify mechanisms that contribute to arterial stiffening and widening pulse pressure to define interventions to prevent or reverse stiffness and potentially reduce the substantial burden of related disease.

Wave reflections complicate the task of evaluating arterial hemodynamics and play an unclear role in the foregoing diseases. When the heart ejects, ventricular outflow interacts with characteristic impedance of the proximal aorta to produce the forward pressure wave, which travels down the normally compliant aorta at a finite pulse wave velocity (PWV). When the forward wave encounters impedance mismatch, such as a branch point or a change in diameter or wall properties, a partial reflection occurs. Innumerable reflections arising from locations distributed throughout the arterial tree summate into a remarkably discrete reflected pressure wave with amplitude ≈40% of the incident wave. The summated reflected wave returns to the central aorta in midsystole, creating an inflection point and secondary late systolic pressure rise that often augments central aortic systolic and pulse pressure.1 Variable timing of this retrograde-traveling reflected wave creates regional inequalities in systolic and pulse pressure and, therefore, complicates interpretation of single point pressure measurements, such as standard brachial blood pressure, which may differ from central aortic pressure.

Augmentation index (AI), which expresses late systolic pressure augmentation as a percentage of pulse pressure, is frequently used to assess wave reflection (Figure). AI, which depends on both timing and amplitude of the reflected wave, has also been widely …


We present a new theory of asset pricing and portfolio choices under asymmetric reasoning , contrast the predictions with those under asymmetric information, and present experimental evidence in favor of our theory. The Efficient Markets Hypothesis and its formal foundation, the Rational Expectations Equilibrium, predict that asymmetric information is irrelevant because prices correctly aggregate all available information. We argue here that asymmetric reasoning is fundamentally different: prices may not reflect all (types of) reasoning because (some) agents who observe prices that cannot be reconciled with their reasoning drop their reasoning while not giving prices the benefit of the doubt, and hence become sufficiently ambiguity averse so that they no longer directly influence prices. Views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessary reflect the views of any funding agency. We present the results from an experiment, where, through manipulation of aggregate risk, we separately test the price and choice implications of our theory. Consistent with our theory, we find that i) a significant fraction of our subjects become price-insensitive, that ii) mispricing decreases as the fraction of price-sensitive agents increases when there is no aggregate risk, and iii) price-insensitive agents tend to trade to more balanced portfolios when there is aggregate risk.


The global financial crisis is changing the landscape for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and identifying new M&A targets that indicate a shift with significant impact to our global business practices. Even more now than ever before, companies are implementing strategies that include gaining access to new geographies. They are responding to the crisis by focusing on growth outside their home country regions, expanding their geographic diversification and investment in secondary markets. Previous M&A activity was focused in the triad of US, Europe and Japan, the world's largest consumer markets. However, as the triad's share of the global consumer market declines companies are looking to new consumer markets that are expanding and open for opportunity. Our research examines the increased complexity and challenges that cross-border acquisitions need to address in their effort to succeed globally in an environment of instability fueled by ongoing financial turmoil. New development in formulating innovative deal structures and defining creative terms is apparent. Looking deeper into the supply chain to identify acquisition targets is becoming attractive particularly in cross-border M&A to diversify risk, and maximize control, efficiencies and productivity. Increasing the influence of shareholders, maximizing legal arrangements and giving consideration to international political implications are all finding their way into the acquirer's deal structure. M&A advancement in growth markets augments global business innovation and vitality in challenging economic conditions. Cross-border M&A is contributing to the change into our macro global political, social and economic integration.


Gout occurs as a response to monosodium urate crystal, that is present in joints, bones and soft tissue. The classic symptoms of gouty arthritis are recurrent attacks of acute, markedly painful monoarticular or oligoarticular inflammation; but polyarthritis and chronic arthritis can also occur. Differential diagnosis from infectious arthritis is important. A definitive diagnosis requires the direct identification of urate crystals in the joint, and the exclusion of infection. We report the case of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), developed from acute polyarticular gout. SIRS is characterized by loss of local control of inflammation, or an overly activated response resulting in an exaggerated systemic response. The SIRS was presumably due to systemic effects of a localized inflammatory response to urate crystals.


Purpose
In recent years, customer engagement (CE) with brands, which has been shown to yield enhanced firm sales, competitive advantage and stock returns, has risen to occupy a prominent position in brand management research and practice. Correspondingly, scholars have explored CE's conceptualization, operationalization and its nomological networks as informed by different theoretical perspectives. However, in spite of important advances, the knowledge structure of the overall corpus of CE research remains tenuous. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the intellectual structure of CE research.

Design/methodology/approach
Based on this gap, this study deploys bibliometric and network analysis to map CE's literature-based landscape. Using bibliometric analysis, important CE-publishing journals, authors and influential CE articles (2005–2020) are uncovered. Using network analysis, prominent CE themes are also unearthed.

Findings
The results document key CE-publishing journals and authors and their respective contributions to the literature. Five CE themes are also identified, including CE measurement/methods, online CE, CE's value co-creating capacity, CE conceptualization and customer/consumer brand engagement. Further, an agenda for future CE research is provided based on the presented network analysis results.

Practical implications
The reported findings generate important implications for brand managers. For example, the identified critical role of online (vs offline) CE offers a range of strategic opportunities, as outlined.

Originality/value
This paper offers a pioneering bibliometric and network analysis of the CE literature, thus mapping the field. From the identified CE themes, important avenues for further CE research are also identified.


The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) was created in 1969 to provide political rich insurance to promote U.S. direct (private) investments in less developed countries. This study examines the effect of the program on the overall levels of U.S. direct investments in Africa. Results show that no significant change in the levels of U.S. direct investments in Africa attributable to the availability of OPIC political rich insurance is evident from the model used. However, the rate at which relative U.S. direct investments in Africa was declining has slowed since the OPIC program. When measured against the strengths of respective domestic economies, U.S. direct investments in Africa are found to be actually higher than previously thought. Finally, it is found that both the GDP growth rate and the availability of OPIC political rich insurance are relatively related to the level of U.S. direct investments in Africa. The latter findings, while contrary to expectations, make rational economic sense.