This is a guide to business telecommunications which gives information about the following areas: how to choose the right system for your organisation; what equipment is available -- what it can and can't do; what it costs; what services are available and what they cost; what the new regulations mean and what rights and obligations are; Europe and how it affects you; and glossary of terms.


The purpose of this paper is two fold: we study the behaviour of the forgetful functor from S-modules to graded vector spaces in the context of algebras over an operad and derive the construction of combinatorial Hopf algebras. As a byproduct we obtain freeness and cofreeness results for those Hopf algebras. Let O denote the forgetful functor from S-modules to graded vector spaces. Left modules over an operad P are treated as P-algebras in the category of S-modules. We generalize the results obtained by Patras and Reutenauer in the associative case to any operad P: the functor O sends P-algebras to P-algebras. If P is a Hopf operad the functor O sends Hopf P-algebras to Hopf P-algebras. If the operad P is regular one gets two dierent structures of Hopf P-algebras in the category of graded vector spaces. We develop the notion of unital infinitesimal P-bialgebras and prove freeness and cofreeness results for Hopf algebras built from Hopf operads. Finally, we prove that many combinatorial Hopf algebras arise from our theory, as it is the case for various Hopf algebras defined on the faces of the permutohedra and associahedra.


This paper explores digital platform led industry transformation. Scholars agree that digital platforms spur efficiency and innovation, opening the way for radical change in different industrial settings. However, little is yet known about the dynamics of a digital platform led industry transformation. Using the example of the introduction of a digital platform in the UK grocery retail industry, we illustrate how a digital platform led industry transformation evolves over time. Based on our results, we propose that the digital platform led industry transformation evolves in three distinct phases. First, data creates data due to positive network effects, then the platform takes a dominant role in the industry and finally the platform creates more platforms.


There is something of a 'women in comics' thread running through this issue. The first two articles deal with the perennial issue of the sexualisation of women within comics but with a twist, for both articles deal with comics that represent women's sexuality to predominantly female audiences. Both articles explore reader consumption of the comics. 'To read what was never written: the licentiousness of history in Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie's Lost Girls' by Nico Dicecco deals with Lost Girls (2006) which was produced to appeal to sexual desires in female audiences. However, Nico Dicecco is more interested in how the presumed female audiences interpret and evaluate the narrative through the lens of history, adaptation and pornography. Similarly, in 'Girly porno comics: contemporary US pornographic comics for women', Jude Roberts notes how there are many articles about Boy's Love and shojo manga, yet so far in theWest, very few on pornography for women. Examining the output of two American creators, in sometimes graphic detail, Roberts illustrates how Jess Fink and Colleen Coover, encourage mixed responses from readers ranging from identification to critical analysis. In both articles female characters are regarded as active agents in exploring their own pleasures. Women as active agents is a key feature of the third article, 'Women cross borders: economic migration in contemporary Italian and Polish graphic novels', by Paolino Nappi and Ewa Stańczyk. In this article, Nappi and Stańczyk show how female economic immigrants challenge stereotypes of the immigrant as a predominantly male phenomenon. The remaining three articles are tenuously connected through their exploration of real life themes within the fictional universes of the comic. The first, Frank Bramlett's, 'The role of culture in comics of the quotidian', uses Modan's Exit Wounds (2008) and Jacques's Questionable Content, to show how the everyday is articulated in the 'slice of life' comic. Bramlett then proposes that all comics express the everyday in some form. Bramlett concludes that, 'the culture of the world inside comics must be accounted for in most any attempt to understand the quotidian in comics'. To a certain extent, Kristin M. Barton's article, 'Roamers versus biters: a rhetorical examination of the differences between Woodbury and the Prison Group in The Walking Dead comics', reiterates this idea. In this article, Barton illustrates how the rhetoric employed by two opposing groups with different world views provides the storyworld of the zombie with verisimilitude. The third essay deals with fans legitimization of 'whiteness' in American superheroes using the internet controversy over the proposal of a Hispanic/ African American Spider-Man as case study. Albert Fu suggests that fans use the notion of an officially recognized universe to construct their perceptions of the ethnicity and identity of the superhero. Given the current plethora of fan debate in the gender assignment of Thor as female, there is scope for further discussion of the legitimization of character's identities in the comics canon. There follows an interview with Benjamin Marra, founder and publisher of Traditional Comics. Jeffery Klaehn's interview discusses the influences on his storytelling and the uniqueness of sequential art as a storytelling form. There is another interview with Marra on the AQNB website for anyone wanting to know more about Marra's work (http://www. aqnb.com/2013/06/24/an-interview-with-benjamin-marra/). Two book reviews deal with Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 2015 Vol. 6, No. 3, 199–200, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21504857.2015.1061820


Patients who develop these unusual pseudotumors, localized around the biliary tract, appear to have a propensity to form lithogenic bile and a history of prior biliary tract interventional procedure, such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or papillotomy. 1,2 Histologically, xanthogranulomatous choledochitis is characterized by varying proportions of acute and chronic inflammation, numerous lipid-laden macrophages, focal multinucleate giant cells, small bile lakes and fibrosis. 1 We present a case of intrahepatic xanthogranulomatous choledochitis that clinically, radiologically and on gross pathological examination mimicked cholangiocarcinoma. This is also the first published report to illustrate the gross pathology of this novel disease entity. A 75-year-old female patient was admitted to our hospital with a history of recurrent cholangitis. Bile calculi were removed from her biliary tree during ERCP. During this endoscopy, a choledochoduodenal fistula was observed. Magnetic resonance imaging 20 days later showed an ill-defined T2 hyperintense mass lesion in her left hepatic lobe. This mass was found to be associated with selective dilatation, irregularity and stricturing of the left intrahepatic bile ducts. Because cholangiocarcinoma was strongly suspected she underwent a left hepatic segmentectomy and cholecystectomy. A 4.5 ¥ 2.7 ¥ 2.2 cm ill-defined, yellow-brown necroticappearing soft intrahepatic mass with focal hemorrhage was identified, within which dilated and fibrotic bile ducts measuring up to 1.2 cm in diameter were recognized (Fig. 1a). Microscopically, there was extensive peribiliary chronic inflammation (Fig. 1b) comprised largely of CD68-positive and cytokeratin-negative foamy macrophages, admixed with a polymorphous lymphocytic and plasmacellular infiltrate (Fig. 1c). Stains and microbiological cultures for mycobacteria and fungi were negative. Michaelis–Gutman bodies were not observed. There were focal areas of active cholangitis, ductal ulceration and inspissated bile, and also areas of extravasated bile that had evoked a foreign body giant cell reaction (Fig. 1d). Marked biliary ductal epithelial hyperplasia and reactive atypia was also seen (Fig. 1e). The pathogenesis of xanthogranulomatous choledochitis is believed to represent an inflammatory response to extravasated bile, 1 as has been proposed for xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis. 3 Macrophages accumulate in an attempt to phagocytose the liberated bile pigment, resulting in the formation of xanthoma cells. The histological differential diagnosis in this anatomic region includes cholangiocarcinoma, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, atypical lymphoid lesions and malakoplakia. 1,4,5 The diagnosis can be especially problematic when lipid-laden macrophages appear as spindle-shaped cells, 3 or when the biliary ductal epithelium exhibits marked reactive atypia as demonstrated in this case. While chronic inflammation and a histiocytic reaction are common to all of these entities, the superimposed finding of bile lakes with giant cells is seen only in xanthogranulomatous choledochitis. 1


Automatic measuring of speaker sincerity degree is a novel research problem in computational paralinguistics. This paper proposes covariance-based feature vectors to model speech and ensembles of support vector regressors to estimate the degree of sincerity of a speaker. The elements of each covariance vector are pairwise statistics between the short-term feature components. These features are used alone as well as in combination with the ComParE acoustic feature set. The experimental results on the development set of the Sincerity Speech Corpus using a cross-validation procedure have shown an 8.1% relative improvement in the Spearman's correlation coefficient over the baseline system.


The vision of itinerant computing with its ubiqui tous access has stimulated much attention in the Mo bile Ad Hoc Networking (MANET) technology. Mobile Ad hoc Networks called as MANET is a self reliant system comprising of self organizing and self configuring nodes connected by wireless links. However, its pro mulgation sturdily depends on the availability of reliable ro uting mechanisms. In the open, collaborative MANET environment practically any node can maliciously or selfishly d isrupt and deny communication of other nodes. An active research is going on to find reliable transmission technique s in the presence of dynamic topology. This paper h elps the researcher by proving the survey about various rout ing algorithms involved in MANET.


Their book is anchored in the USA context. Language Testing is an international journal and, at the surface, it may seem that a review of The bell curve is inappropriate for inclusion here. However, second/foreign language assessment perhaps because of its multinational academic personality is in a unique position to evaluate the central argument of The bell curve, a point to which this review will return. The substance of Herrnstein and Murray's argument is divided into four general parts comprising 22 chapters. The four parts are labelled '(I) The emergence of a cognitive elite', '(II) Cognitive classes and social behavior', '(III) The national context' and '(IV) Living together'. There is an introduction and various front matter, and there are seven appendices, which amplify technical considerations of the book's analyses. The book is heavily footnoted for bibliography and content, and the content footnotes


The invention relates to an automatic transmission-based emergency running mode control method, which has high safety and reliability, is particularly suitable for special drivers such as old people and women with relatively slow response, and solves the technical problems that the driving mode in the prior art has poor safety and low reliability, the special drivers such as old people and women cause major safety accidents due to unexpected conditions in the driving process, the drivers and riders is endangered directly if the major safety accidents are serious, and the like. The method comprises the following steps of: setting n different reference stress values on a control unit to form n+1 reference stress value comparison sections; comparing a stress value G detected by a force sensor on a steering wheel with each stress value comparison section to determine the comparison section to which the stress value G belongs; and selectively executing enforced stop or downshift operation or current state maintenance by using the control unit according to the current shift.


To make a decision under certainty, multicriteria decision methods aims to choose, rank or sort alternatives on the basis of quantitative or qualitative criteria and preferences expressed by the decision-makers. However, decision is often done under uncertainty: choosing alternatives can have different consequences depending on the external context (or state of the word). In this paper, a new methodology called Cautious Ordered Weighted Averaging with Evidential Reasoning (COWA-ER) is proposed for decision making under uncertainty to take into account imperfect evaluations of the alternatives and unknown beliefs about groups of the possible states of the world (scenarii). COWA-ER mixes cautiously the principle of Yager's Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) approach with the efficient fusion of belief functions proposed in Dezert-Smarandache Theory (DSmT).


When dealing with pigments for Coatings the compliance with EU environmentalregulations is nowadays as important as selling argument as the aesthetics and the functionality they can provide. Pigments manufacturers have been challenged to increase the "gieen" profile of their products to meet the growing Coatings market requirements. Inorganic pigments have been under high pressure for years, mostly as regards their heavy-metals content. In the early 2000s Nubiola Inorganic Pigments Identified this environmental concern as an opportunity to offer a differentiated product portfolio of higher added value. To develop "ecofriendly" anticorrosive pigments and to upgrade the pigment performance of an "already green" product as Ultramarine Blue, hardly used in coatings, were the targets. The successful results of all the work carried out since then are now in the market.


A detection process and device for electronic injection control of a multicylinder engine of an automobile en gine, which performs the functions of measuring the speed of rotation of the engine, pinpointing the angular position of the top dead center of each cylinder of the engine, and identifying at any time which one of the cylinders for which the injection of fuel is to take place. The device includes a multipolar ring provided with multiple north and south magnetic poles distributed alternately on the circumference of the ring; a pair of sensors sensitive to the magnetic field produced by the multipolar ring mounted facing the ring and spaced angularly from one another; and an electronic process ing interface connected to the sensors to deliver signals to a computer for control of the electronic injection of the engine.


The present work was carried out to evaluate the physicochemical (Composition, hunter color, and paste clarity) and functional properties (water and oil absorption capacities, swelling power and solubility, least gelation concenteration and bulk density) of flour and starch fraction of tartary buckwheat grains. Process of isolation of starch removed all other components such as protein, fibre and fat which resulted in production of good quality of starch isolate with high proportion of starch and low level of other components except amylose. Chemical composition of flour showed better nutritional value of buckwheat flour than strch. Color of starch was having slight yellowness but higher luminosity increase scope of its utilization as a food ingredient. Paste clarity and gelation capacity of starch was higher than flour indicating it a better thickening agent. Swelling power of starch was higher than flour indicating its suitability for application in processed foods. Solubility, oil absorption and water absorption capacities of flour and starch representing their technologically important properties meeting the demand of consumer preference in food industry. KeywordsStarch; Functional; Flour; Buckwheat.


An experimental study using Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) has been carried out to investigate the developing laminar flow inside a 180 degree(s) U-tube. A previous experimental loop was modified for the purpose of measuring both the axial and secondary velocities. The uncertainties of velocity, the Reynolds number, and the Dean number were found to be under 1.52%, 2.37% and 2.60%, respectively. .


Psychosocial adaptation is crucial for mission success as well as the safety and well-being of people working in isolated and confined environments (ICEs), such as space and Antarctica. Exposure to such environments has been associated with significant psychosocial responses. Notably, people tend to experience an increase in emotional and interpersonal stress just past the midpoint of the mission, an observation known as the "third-quarter phenomenon". In this review, evidence for and against the existence of this phenomenon from different types of ICEs was presented. Factors that might contribute to this phenomenon and implications for coping strategies were discussed. We concluded that the adaptation patterns might be influenced by many factors instead of any single one. Psychological studies and lessons must be valued in helping people cope with these extremely stressful environments.


Since it can be obtained from renewable sources and has a high heat value, hydrogen is a promising energy source. Chemical hydrides, such as sodium borohydride (NaBH4), is used as hydrogen resources thanks to their relatively high hydrogen content and recyclability. In this study, Ni-B catalysts with Ti addition were prepared for the hydrolysis reaction of NaBH4. In the preparation of Ni-Ti-B catalysts, the chemical reduction technique was used. NiCl2 salt was used as the Ni source, TiCl3 salt was preferred as the Ti source and the variations of the catalyst activities were determined. With the evaluation of the results, subsequent studies carried out with the most effective Ti metal salt concentration. The effect of catalysts in different Ti/(Ni+Ti) molar ratios were examined according to the temperature, catalyst loading amount, NaBH4 and NaOH concentrations. The microstructure and elemental analysis of each catalyst were explained by SEM-EDS. After determining the highest performance Ti/(Ni+Ti) molar ratio, calcination process was performed at different temperatures. For Ni-B catalysts, 5 wt. % NaOH and 5 wt. % NaBH4 were determined as the optimum fuel composition. Moreover, the Ti doped catalysts demonstrated longer durability and hydrogen production rate for hydrolysis of NaBH4.


: Cystic artery pseduoaneurym is a rare cause of haemobilia. A 78 year old man who was over-warfarinised, developed jaundice, upper abdominal pain and melena. He also required blood transfusions due to rapidly reducing haemoglobin. Computed tomography showed a cystic artery pseudoaneurysm caused by possible cholecystitis or gallbladder cancer. He successfully underwent angiographic coil embolisation. Haemobilia should be considered a differential cause of gastrointestinal bleeding if the above clinical features are present and especially if the patient is over anticoagulated.


The nonionic reverse micelles used for degumming of mulberry silk were prepared with a non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100 (TX-100) by injecting small amount of papain aqueous solution. The weight loss of mulberry silk degummed at different concentration of papain in TX-100 reverse micelles was investigated. The effect of the amount of solubilized water was also discussed. The polarizing optic microscope was employed to observe the surface morphology of the mulberry silk. The results indicated that the weight loss of the mulberry silk was increased with increasing concentration of papain, but the W values exhibited the reverse trend. The good degumming of mulberry silk with papain was obtained in TX-100 reverse micelles. The strength of mulberry silk decreased with increasing concentration of papain.


Summary: The ratio of helium gas in the presence of hydrocarbons, although not very widespread in the world, have been studied by Russian researchers for nearly six decades. Helium originates from the radioactive decay of elements such as uranium and thorium, which are present in minerals of sedimentary rocks. It has been migrating from the basement up to the surface. In the presence of hydrocarbons, these acts as sponges, accumulating particles of Helium, acting the last as a tracer of hydrocarbons; because it is known that the concentrations of He in accumulations of oil / gas are tens to hundreds of times greater than in air and water because of chemical properties of solubility. Helium is present in an average concentration of 0.65 ml/l in water associated with the reservoir; of 7 ml/l in oil and of 100 ml/l in free gas in the reservoir. For data acquisition is needed only: a portable Helium gas detector, a computer to record the data and a small auger for drilling and collocation of the meter, it is also necessary to place monitoring stations positioned at strategic locations to take background measurements for each area. When performing the measurement of the concentration of helium in the surface and make the identification of areas of increased concentrations of gas, it is possible to establish the mapping and identification of reservoir regions of low and high probability of exploring, which reduces risks and cost of exploratory process. In addition, previous studies indicate that drainage zones and high permeability as fractures also have anomalous Helium measures.


With the improvement of operation requirements of power equipment, the stable operation of insulation of equipment is very important. Among them, insulating paper is one of the main factors affecting the state of equipment. Therefore, it is important to improve the performance of insulating paper. The pure cellulose model and h‐BN/cellulose composite model are established to analyze the improvement of thermal and mechanical properties of insulating paper cellulose. The effects of different contents of h‐BN doping on the properties of cellulose are studied by comparing the mechanical parameters, cohesive energy density, thermal conductivity, mean square displacement, and free volume of cellulose before and after h‐BN doping through molecular dynamics method. The results indicate that the thermal conductivity and thermal stability of cellulose are improved by more than 15% at the h‐BN mass fraction of 2% and 3%, the shear modulus and elastic modulus are enhanced by more than 50%, and the deformation resistance and ductility of the composites are enhanced when the mass fraction of h‐BN is 2%. The doping of h‐BN has an important impact on improving the thermodynamic properties of cellulose, which is of great significance to improving the insulation performance of power equipment and reducing equipment faults.


Higher insulin following sedentary behavior may be due to increased insulin secretion (IS), decreased hepatic insulin extraction (HIE), or a combination of both. Ten healthy adults completed glucose tolerance tests following seven days of normal activity and seven days of increased sitting. There were no differences in IS, however HIE 120 minutes post-ingestion (85.4±7.2% vs. 74.6±6.6%, p<0.05) and area under the curve (73.6±9.4% vs. 67.5±11.3%, p<0.05) were reduced following 7 days of increased sedentary time.


© 2020 Indian Dermatology Online Journal | Published by Wolters Kluwer Medknow Sir, Topical steroid dependent/damaged face (TSDF) is defined as a semi‐permanent or permanent damage to the skin of the face precipitated by the irrational, indiscriminate, unsupervised, or prolonged use of topical corticosteroids (TC) resulting in a plethora of cutaneous signs and symptoms and psychological dependence on the drug.[1] Once damaged, the management becomes challenging as the treatment options are very limited and results are unpredictable. We present a case of recalcitrant TSDF with excellent response to topical 10% tranexamic acid (TXA).


A new, not previously reported, toroidally wound switched reluctance machine (TSRM) with a single continuous multi-tapped winding (CW) driven by either a 6 or 12 switch asymmetric converter, supplying uni-polar or bi-polar coil currents respectively, is presented. The TSRM magnetic design and power electronic control is described, and its performance compared to a conventional switched reluctance machine (CSRM) and, a previously reported TSRM which has utilized 6 discrete coils in a 3-phase wye (or star) connection (WSRM) driven by a 6 switch voltage source inverter (VSI) bridge and uni-polar or bi-polar excitation. A comparative analysis of the three machine topologies is offered based upon a fixed 6-4 CSRM magnetic circuit design. The machines are compared via detailed static and dynamic finite element studies.


Abstract : The rate constants for the formation and dis sociation of Ni(II) and Co(II) complexes with one, two and three glycine, diglycine, or imida zole molecules were determined by the temperature jump technique. The approximate time scale of the reactions studied ranged from 0.1 to 500 msec. The rate-determining step of the complex building reaction, following initial formation of an ion pair, is the dissociation of a water molecule from the inner hydration sphere of the metal ion. The measured rate constants can be normalized with respect to electrostatic and steric factors by dividing out the calculated ion-pair equilibrium constant. The rate constant of dissociation thus obtained is characteristic of a given metal ion, and, in nearly all the re actions studied, was 20 to 25 times greater for Co(II) than for Ni(II). The difference in acti vation energies corresponding to this rate ratio is of the order of magnitude predicted on the basis of crystal-field theories. For glycine, these normalized rate constants tend to increase in reactions involving the higher complexes, in dicating a loosening of the hydration shell due to the fact that the glycine is bound to the metal via the negatively charged carboxyl group. These rate constants are independent of the number of ligands bound if the bonding takes place via uncharged groups. (Author)


Objective: The aim of this research was to determine the rate and effects of second-stage cesarean delivery at a tertiary referral center. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study rev...


Abstract Given a measure ${{\bar{\mu }}_{\infty }}$ on a locally symmetric space $Y=\Gamma \backslash G/K$ obtained as a weak- $*$ limit of probability measures associated with eigenfunctions of the ring of invariant differential operators, we construct a measure ${{\bar{\mu }}_{\infty }}$ on the homogeneous space $X=\Gamma \backslash G$ that lifts ${{\bar{\mu }}_{\infty }}$ and is invariant by a connected subgroup ${{A}_{1}}\subset A$ of positive dimension, where $G=NAK$ is an Iwasawa decomposition. If the functions are, in addition, eigenfunctions of the Hecke operators, then ${{\bar{\mu }}_{\infty }}$ is also the limit of measures associated with Hecke eigenfunctions on $X$ . This generalizes results of the author with A. Venkatesh in the case where the spectral parameters stay away from the walls of the Weyl chamber.


gathered at the International Center for Contemporary Art for the Bucharest meeting of Cafe Europa were supposed to discuss "The Flavor of Postmodernism," and as one might expect from a highly diverse and polyglot group, postmodernism seemed to have almost as many flavors as Baskin-Robbins. But the speakers and respondents spent far less time discussing what postmodernism was than when it happened. In fact, no one seriously disagreed with the notion that postmodernism is a thing of the past. Chris Keulemans, the youngest participant, said that the topic made him nostalgic for the bookstore discussions he remembered from the Amsterdam of the 1980s. (And on the flight back to the U.S., the thirtyish woman seated next to me, director of adult education at the Chicago Art Institute, asked, "Are people still talking about that?") Several Romanians agreed that the term described for them a state of mind and a kind of writing that subverted official communist esthetics by avoiding politics, overt commitment, and formal closure. Antonje Zalica, a Bosnian emigre novelist and filmmaker, dismissed the term by contrasting "post" with "ex" and remarked that concentrating on the first was like climbing a mountain backward in order to see where you'd been rather than where you were going. People from the Balkans tended to be impatient with too much emphasis on undecidability and detachment.


Erb's palsy is the commonest obstetric brachial plexus injury followed by total plexus palsy. The prevalence of Klumpke's birth palsy in modern obstetric practice is currently unknown. We studied a series of 110 consecutive cases of this condition. Based on the publications in the English language literature for the past 10 years its prevalence is 0.6%.


The copy by Gabriel Beranger of the same subject (preserved as Wat. 13 in the Special Collections in the Library of University College, Dublin) gives the author of the original drawing as Col. Charles Vallancey. This means that Austin Cooper could have been copying a Beranger copy of the original. In the page facing this image in 'Antiquities of Abbeys' is as follows: "The figure above the door is that of the Saviour sculptures in relief, partly on the key stone & partly in the stone over it. and [sic] on each side of the architecture there is a human head, also in relief, as in the doorway of Kells Church". The drawing shows a view of the doorway of the Round Tower at Donaghmore, County Meath, Ireland, showing the figure of the crucified Christ above the door and a head on each side of the doorway. (www.nli.ie)


Fair value is a kind of value estimation mode. But with the breakout of financial crisis, people started to doubt the impact of this value estimation mode. This article starts with the disputes from various parties about the fair value in the financial crisis, introduces the background of financial crisis and analyzes the manifestation problem of fair value based on the facts that the fair value has an effect of risk amplification and its measurement intensifies the fluctuation of enterprise business performance. Then it also proposes some corresponding countermeasures to perfect the measurement property of fair value based on the confirmation of the fair value measurement.


The mechanism for opening and closing an operating cover of a printer having a discharge guide that remains in the same posture while moving in conjunction with opening and closing the operating cover prevents the gap between the discharge guide and the cover case of the operating cover from widening when the operating cover opens and closes. In a roll paper printer 1, the top end part 32a of the cover case 32 of an operating cover 3 is pivotably attached on the side of the discharge guide 5, which remains in the same posture while moving in conjunction with the cover 3 opening and closing. So that the cover case 32 does not separate from the cover frame 31 when the cover 3 opens and closes, a torsion spring 37 constantly urges the cover case 32 to open and close in unison with the cover frame 31 through an intervening connector arm 34. When the cover 3 opens and closes, a large gap is not formed between the top end part 32a of the cover case 32 and the discharge guide 5, and this gap does not increase in conjunction with the cover 3 opening and closing.


Photoluminescence has been measured from 100 to 300 nm epitaxial thin films of MnF2 prepared on Si(1 1 1) substrates and having a-PbO2 orthorhombic structural type. The dominant luminescence consists of a broad band peaking around 575 nm with a gradual tail extending to longer wavelengths. Weak spectral line features are observed on the short-wavelength side of the main band and are associated with magnon sidebands of Mn excitons that are perturbed by Mg and Ca impurities. Of note is a blue shift (B12 nm) of these sidebands when compared to their positions in bulk MnF2. The shift can be associated with different crystal field for Mn 2+ ions in orthorhombic phase. r 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.


How do we remember persons, objects, and events? This volume explores the dynamics of cultural memory in a variety of contexts. The authors show how memory is shaped, and how it operates in uniting society and creating images, pointing to the relationship between memory and culture.


Rows seats distance is a key parameter for the comfort on coaches. This distance it is also important for the passenger safety and also for example to extend the use of rearward facing CRS in a safer way. This study analyses what could be the minimum distance (based on comfort from volunteer) and how this comfort distance is affecting the passengers level of protection in R80 frontal impact with respect the minimum distance requested in current Regulations R36/R107. Volunteer testing have been performed to obtain the comfort sitting positions for coach seat geometry. Also CAE software has been used to determine minimum row seats comfort distance for a wider sample of seats geometry. In later phase, R80 sleds tests with two and four Hybrid- III dummies and with two types of seats (2-point and 3-point safety belts) have been performed, to assess the level of protection of the passengers in frontal impact at the current R36/R107 row seats distance and with the proposed one. This study present a recommendation for a minimum row seat distance to guarantee passengers comfort and how this distance is affecting the passengers safety in frontal impact with the injury assessment criteria of both R80 and R94 for the Hybrid-III dummy. With 3-point safety belts seats, the increment on the row seat distance is beneficial for the passengers safety, except when they are unbelted and if the design of the seat is maintained. With 2-point safety belts seats, the level of protection is similar for both distances. The R94 neck injury criteria and tibia displacement are over exceeded even with the lower R80 impact speed (55 kph vs 30 kph). This study shows the status of coaches frontal impact protection levels after the 2003/20/CE Directive has been made compulsory the use of the safety belts in coaches even in the city and road travels. The full text of this paper may be found at: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/esv/esv21/09-0197.pdf For the covering abstract see ITRD E145407.


In this paper, we report on the growth optimisation and characterisation of GaInN/GaN Multiquantum Well (MQW) RCLED structures emitting at 500nm. The device structures, which include GaInN/GaN MQW and GaAlN/GaN Bragg mirrors, have been grown by MOCVD, and their physical properties were optimised using High Resolution X−Ray Diffraction (HR−Xray) and room temperature photoluminescence mapping measurements. The correlation of some physical properties of the epitaxial structures with the device characteristics, such as the optical performances or the reliability, has been investigated. The growth of GaInN/GaN MQW heterostructures is not straightforward, and the well/barrier interface optimisation is a critical step of the RCLED MOCVD process due to the large difference in the growth parameters of GaN and GaAlN. A drastic improvement of the luminescence efficiency of the GaInN/GaN MQW heterostructures has been obtained for MQW/Barriers grown at low temperature (700°C/980°C) with thickness around 8A/90A. This breakthrough in the optical properties can be explained by the fact that the thin quantum wells grown at low temperature may favour the quantum dot formation and a good lateral carrier confinement due to an inherent built in piezo−electric field across the well. The 300K photoluminescence efficiency obtained at 499nm was found to be 100 times higher as compared to the previous MQW heterostructures emitting at the same wavelength, with a different design (30A/90A) and grown at higher temperatures (820°C/1150°C). Figure 1 shows a room temperature photoluminescence mapping of the peak wavelength ( = 499nm ) related to


This paper extends the author's previous works on quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithm (QEA). It investigates the characteristics of QEA which is based on the concept and principles of quantum computing such as quantum bit and linear superposition of states. QEA has many advantages such as automatic balance ability between global search and local search, inclusion of individual's past history, having fewer individuals without degrading performance, less computation time, and clearer termination-condition. The experimental results on the knapsack problem are presented to verify these characteristics of QEA.


High-accuracy source standards preparation in radionuclide metrology is based on a properly described and reliable weighing procedure able to achieve relative standard uncertainties below 0.1%. However, the results of uncertainty budget comparison CCRI(II)-S7 put in check the ability of the former pycnometer and substitution weighing methods to attain this goal. As a result, a question arises about the validation of mass measurements performed from the elimination weighing method when appropriate uncertainties are required. In order to address this problem, a comprehensive in situ validation methodology is proposed for the results of the pycnometer, substitution, elimination and modified elimination (MEM) methods. Mass comparisons are applied to evaluate the compatibility between weighing methods' results. It is possible due to a developed weighing sequence, which allows for the performing of all methods by only one drop deposition in the range of mass from 10 mg to 200 mg. As a result, the high degree of compatibility between the MEM and elimination method for uncertainties below 0.1% has been achieved, as well as for higher uncertainties to pycnometer and substitution methods. Numerical simulations indicate that the validation results remain valid on improved technical implementations for these last two methods.


Parameters like the number of genetic elements or their position within the cell nucleus can give valuable hints for diagnosis or cancer treatment. They are determined by commercial or specially designed hybridization markers which are applied in a biochemical procedure to tissue or blood samples. Analysis of microscopic images reveals the necessary data, possibly after a statistical evaluation. We design a business model for one or more service providers in the biochemical, optical, or informatical branches. As this model is very flexible, it offers several possibilities for realization. We have implemented all experimental and computational steps of the model, some in several variants and simulated the whole diagnostic pipeline as a proof of principle, especially for the breast cancer gene Her2neu. We also point out the possible problems which arise in the context of medical data handling, computational algorithm licensing, monitoring, accounting, and billing. It is therefore still a challenge to organize the whole diagnostic pipeline within the framework of our business model. KeywordsWorkflow, Cancer Diagnostic, Fluorescence in situ Hybridization, Healthcare, Grid and Cloud Computing, COMBO-FISH, Cell Nucleus Architecture, Genomic Aberration


Significance Three clades of mpox (monkeypox) virus are recognized: Clade I is present in the Congo Basin, causes up to 10% human mortality, and is transmitted by rodents with little human-to-human spread; clade IIa exists in West Africa, has a low mortality, and is also a zoonosis; clade IIb is currently spreading globally by human transmission. The genetic basis for differences in virulence and transmission has not been determined. A roadblock is the need for a small animal model that can be studied under required stringent safety conditions. Here, we demonstrate that the clades exhibit highly significant differences in CAST/EiJ mice in the order clade I > clade IIa > clade IIb similar to the severity of clinical disease in humans.


Abstract Objectives SlowMo is the first blended digital therapy for paranoia, showing significant small‐moderate reductions in paranoia in a recent large‐scale randomized controlled trial (RCT). This study explored the subjective service‐user experience of the SlowMo therapy content and design; the experience of the blended therapy approach, including the triangle of the therapeutic alliance; and the experience of the digital aspects of the intervention. Design Qualitative co‐produced sub‐study of an RCT. Methods Participants were 22 adult service users with schizophrenia‐spectrum psychosis and persistent distressing paranoia, who completed at least one SlowMo therapy session and a 24‐week follow‐up, at one of 3 sites in Oxford, London, and Sussex, UK. They were interviewed by peer researchers, using a topic guide co‐produced by the Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) team. The transcribed data were analysed thematically. Multiple coding and triangulation, and lay peer researcher validation were used to reach a consensus on the final theme structure. Results Six core themes were identified: (i) starting the SlowMo journey; (ii) the central role of the supportive therapist; (iii) slowing things down; (iv) value and learning from social connections; (v) approaches and challenges of technology; and (vi) improvements in paranoia and well‐being. Conclusions For these service users, slowing down for a moment was helpful, and integrated into thinking over time. Learning from social connections reflected reduced isolation, and enhanced learning through videos, vignettes, and peers. The central role of the supportive therapist and the triangle of alliance between service user, therapist, and digital platform were effective in promoting positive therapeutic outcomes.


IN THE CONTEXT OF A COMMUNITY WHICH HAS NEITHER PUBLIC NOR COMMERCIAL TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES, THE LIFE SATISFACTION OF THE AGED IS RELATED TO DIFFERENTIALS IN THE AVAILABILITY OF MEANS OF PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION. OLDER PERSONS HAVING PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE TO THEM HAVE HIGHER LIFE SATISFACTION SCORES THAN THOSE OLDER PERSONS NOT HAVING TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE FOR THEIR USE. HOWEVER, THE CONSEQUENCES OF TRANSPORTATION DIFFERENTIALS FOR THE SATISFACTION ARE SOMEWHAT GREATER FOR THE AGED WHOSE RESIDENCES ARE MORE DISTANT FROM THE CENTRALIZED RESOURCES, FACILITIES, AND SERVICES OF THE COMMUNITY. LOW LEVELS OF LIFE SATISFACTION ARE ESPECIALLY CHARACTERISTIC OF OLDER PERSONS WHO DO NOT HAVE PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE AND WHO LIVE MORE THAN ONE-HALF MILE FROM THE CENTER OF THE CITY. FOR THOSE LIVING CLOSER TO THE CENTER OF THE CITY, LIFE SATISFACTION IS UNRELATED TO TRANSPORTATION DIFFERENTIALS. FINALLY, THE HIGHEST PROPORTIONS OF OLDER PERSONS WITH LOW LIFE SATISFACTION SCORES ARE FOUND AMONG THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE TO THEM, WHO LIVE AT THE GREATER DISTANCES, AND WHO ARE OF LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OR IN POORER HEALTH. /AUTHOR/


Objective:To evalue the clinical effection of application of CDIC conical spiral implant in the humble knifing-alveolar of the posterior mandibular.Methods:Direct implanting CDIC conical spiral implant in 6 cases which the mandibular is humble in the posterior while not applying the technology of bone-splitting and grinding the abutments,use the casting conectted rod to fix.After an half year,the connected metal porcelain crown were restorated.Result :26 dental implants in the 6 cases were all succeed,the rate of success is 100%.Conclusion:CDIC conical spriral implant have the unique advantage in the humble knifing-alveolar of the mandibular.


Abstract MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is an effective method for diagnosis of diseases. The MRI system is made of some important units including RF (radio frequency) devices [1]. The RF coil is one of the important parts in the RF unit. During the imaging, the RF coil radiates EM (electromagnetic) pulse to the human body and in response receives the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) signals emitted from the nuclei, which constitutes the human body. Therefore, it is necessary to estimate the SAR (specific absorption rate) in the human body due to the radiated EM energy from the MRI coils. However, in recent years, MR imaging is used not only for the head but also for other parts of the body. Especially, in this study, the SAR distributions in the head and abdomen of a human model are investigated. Electric and magnetic field distribution also seen around the human model. Keywords: electromagnetic field, FDTD (finite difference time domain method), human model, MRI coil, SAR (specific absorption rate)


The new use of Internet-based technologies of things, allow to enhance the applications of our tools that we use daily. As it is the case of mHealth that allows patients to be connected to services that include health information, health record management. This document presents an IoT-based approach through the implementation of OpenMRS and DHIS2 to offer smart medical alerts based on telemedicine and mHealth, in patient monitoring. The proposed system is evaluated through a case study on continuous monitoring of the patient and population for the timely detection of possible diseases.


In Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) clouds, stepping-stone attacks via hosted virtual machines (VMs) are critical for the credibility. This type of attack uses compromised VMs as stepping stones for attacking the outside hosts. For self-protection, IaaS clouds should perform active responses against stepping-stone attacks. However, it is difficult to stop only outgoing attacks at edge firewalls, which can only use packet headers. In this paper, we propose a new self-protection mechanism against stepping-stone attacks, which is called xFilter. xFilter is a packet filter running in the virtual machine monitor (VMM) underlying VMs and achieves pinpoint active responses by using VM introspection. VM introspection enables xFilter to directly obtain information on packet senders inside VMs. On attack detection, xFilter automatically generates filtering rules based on packet senders. To make packet filtering with VM introspection efficient, we introduced several optimization techniques. Our experiments showed that the performance degradation due to xFilter was usually less than 16%.


0681014 Background and Objectives: Gamification means the use of elements and mechanics of a game in a non-game environment increasingly used in learning environments as a way to increase student motivation and learning outcomes. While several studies have been conducted to investigate the effectiveness of gamification in education, there are blind spots regarding the precise application of gamification elements using new educational tools in various educational fields. In this study, using the educational tools of Kahoot and Mentimeter with a focus on the leaderboard, the effect of the elements of competition and cooperation on learning and approach motivation of math lesson has been investigated. Methods: The statistical population of the study included all grade 4 male students in Divandarreh in the academic year 2020-2021. The study sample was selected using the available sampling method from the classes of the city, consisting of two classes of 20 people that placed in experimental groups. The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test design. The research instruments included researcher-made tests and Aminifar and SalehSadeghpour 's motivation questionnaire whose reliability coefficients were calculated with Cronbach's alpha criterion and found to be 0.93 for the test and 0.81 for the approach motivation respectively. The learning environment of the experimental groups was presented simultaneously and separately surveyed for ten sessions using the educational tools of Kahoot and Mentimeter influenced by gamification's elements of competition and cooperation. Findings: Mean and standard deviation indexes were used to evaluate descriptive statistics. The difference between the mean pre-test and post-test learning of students who were trained in a gamified environment using Kahoot the competition-based educational tools


By C.0 contraction we mean a contraction T ∈ B(H) such that its adjoint is strongly stable (‖T ∗nx‖ → 0 for all x ∈ H). A bounded operator T is called hyponormal if T ∗T − TT ∗ is a positive operator (equivalent: ‖T ∗x‖ ≤ ‖Tx‖ for all x ∈ H). Since pioneering papers by Putnam where it was proved that nonunitary part of hyponormal contraction is C.0, Duggal and Kubrulsy extended this result. We show this property for further generalization of hyponormal contractions. In our presentation we consider the following classes of operators (which extend class of hyponormal operators):


The invention relates to a navigation device capable of taking public transit facilities as searching objects and a navigation path exploration method thereof, and particularly relates to a navigation device also capable of guiding co-passengers through searching the public transit facilities without affecting the travel of users, and a navigation path exploration method thereof. The navigation device can search a 2nd guiding path for reaching a 1st destination via getting on and off stations of the public traffic facilities at the destination of the passengers, and can also set searching conditions according to requests of the users when searching the 2nd guiding path, thereby meeting various needs of the users.


We present semi analytical, approximate model of nonlinear operation of planar waveguide laser manufactured on the base of 2D photonic crystal. We consider laser structure with F-P cavity and take into account the gain saturation effect, transverse as well as longitudinal field distribution. Our model, based on energy theory, allows to investigate in relatively easy way the influence of the real structure parameters such as photonic crystal geometry, waveguide geometry, losses as well as strength of feedback (i.e. cavity parameters) on output power level. The laser characteristics obtained reveal optimal feedback strength for given laser structure, which provide maximal power efficiency for given pumping level.


Idiopathic hemosiderosis of lung tissue is a rare disease with lung damage caused by massive hemorrhage into the lung tissue, with iron-containing hemosiderin deposition. Mainly it occurs in childhood. The article describes the clinical case of idiopathic hemosiderosis of lung tissue in a 3 years 11 months old child. The girl was observed for anemia of unclear etiology, she was repeatedly treated at a hospital and received erythrocyte transfusions. In the future, respiratory syndrome joined the anemic syndrome. It should be noted that a correctly collected anamnesis, timely diagnosis of the disease and the appointment of immunosuppressive therapy make it possible to prevent the rapid progression of the process and the development of complications, including pneumosclerosis.


Purpose
Resiliency is essential for achieving the necessary level of performance and ensuring the survival of a new business during difficult times. However, neither this characteristic nor its antecedents have been exhaustively studied. Using a configuration approach, this study aims to analyze the neuropsychological and business-related characteristics of entrepreneurs that may explain their resilience during the business development process.

Design/methodology/approach
Using the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the authors investigated distinct characteristics of Costa Rican agro-entrepreneurs with high levels of entrepreneurial resilience. The fsQCA methodology identifies combinations of causal measures that result in the outcome.

Findings
From the mixture of configurations, the authors found four combinations of individual's characteristics that explain the profile of a resilient agro-entrepreneur.

Originality/value
This work contributes to the literature on agricultural entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial resilience. This study identifies four distinct combinations of entrepreneurs' characteristics that produce entrepreneurial resilience in the agricultural industry. Moreover, it incorporates individuals' business-related attributes into examining characteristics combinations that affect resilience. Also, this research offers agro-entrepreneurs' stakeholders, valuable insights to develop more resilient entrepreneurs.


Rice production is vital because of its impact on the national economy. An important factor in achieving the production target is the capability of farmers to manage their agricultural land. This study aims to determine whether there is a correlation between rice production and the empowerment program of farmers in Tetebatu Village, Toddotoa Village, and Julubori Village using a descriptive approach. The assessment parameters are rice production, government programs, and farmers' knowledge in managing land. This approach was carried out by field observations and interviews with informants such as the Head of the Division of Food Crops in Gowa Regency, extension agents, farmer group leaders, and farmers. Primary and secondary data are comparatively analyzed. This aims to be able to see and describe the phenomena regarding the empowerment of farmers in the three villages. The results showed that the empowerment of farmers usually done by doing field school, socialization, technology demonstration, and making demonstration plots. The highest rice production in 2018 is in Julubori Village which is 15 tons/ha, the intermediate rice production is in Tetebatu Village which is 6.9 tons/ha, and the lowest production is in Toddotoa Village which is 6.8 tons/ha. The main contributing factor for the success of rice production is the implementation of government-supported programs. The inhibiting factors are the low quality of human resources, the distribution of seeds and the planting season that is not a series of time, the limitation of agricultural equipment, and the inadequate availability of irrigation networks.Rice production is vital because of its impact on the national economy. An important factor in achieving the production target is the capability of farmers to manage their agricultural land. This study aims to determine whether there is a correlation between rice production and the empowerment program of farmers in Tetebatu Village, Toddotoa Village, and Julubori Village using a descriptive approach. The assessment parameters are rice production, government programs, and farmers' knowledge in managing land. This approach was carried out by field observations and interviews with informants such as the Head of the Division of Food Crops in Gowa Regency, extension agents, farmer group leaders, and farmers. Primary and secondary data are comparatively analyzed. This aims to be able to see and describe the phenomena regarding the empowerment of farmers in the three villages. The results showed that the empowerment of farmers usually done by doing field school, socialization, technology demonstration, and makin...


Taking construction psychology as the media of guiding commercial pedestrian street space design,integrating with the space expressive form of Shapingba pedestrian street,from the aspects of clear image and definite node,it discusses how to make space environment meet human behavioral and psychological needs in the process of commercial pedestrian space design,so as to lay a foundation for designing more successful commercial pedestrian street.


The modified couple stress and nonlocal strain gradient small-scale models are manipulated to scrutinize generally the rate of surface energy layer changes on the wave propagation analysis of a rectangular magneto-electro-thermo-elastic (METE) nanoplate. The METE nanoplate is a compound of BiTiO3–CoFe2O4 nanomatters. The presented model considers concurrently modified couple stress, nonlocal, strain gradient, and surface energy hypotheses. Using the refined plate theory (RPT), which is a suitable plate theory in comparison with the other models, the nonclassical governing equilibrium equations are derived according to Hamilton's principle. The RPT has been implemented for the first time, based on the authors' knowledge, to derive the presented governing equilibrium equations through the modified couple stress hypothesis. With incorporating the impacts of diverse external in-plane loads, an analytical solution is utilized in order to compute the rate of surface energy variations upon the wave propagation of a rectangular METE nanoplate. For exactness of the anticipated model, the procured results are compared with those formerly mentioned outcomes in the literature. The results of the present study represented that for the wave propagation analysis of the METE nanoplate, the modified couple stress and strain gradient small-scale coefficients would have a reverse influence on the rate of surface layers changes in comparison with that of nonlocal one.


Objectives: In this study, we present the treatment outcomes of patients with acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT) associated with congenital agenesis of the inferior vena cava (IVCA).
 Patients and Methods: In this retrospective study, the clinical findings and follow-up data of patients who were scheduled for an interventional procedure due to acute DVT in 2019-2021 and who were found to have IVCA in venography were analyzed retrospectively.
 Results: A total of 11 patients with acute DVT associated with IVCA were identified during the study period. Eight of the patients (72.7%) were male. The mean age of the patients was 25.5±6.5 years (16-36 years). Five of the patients were followed up with conservative medical treatment. Endovascular procedure was performed in six patients. At the end of the first year, moderate post-thrombotic syndrome was found in 1 patient and mild post-thrombotic syndrome was detected in 2 patients. Patients who received only medical treatment had a significantly higher Villalta score at the end of the first year than patients who received endovascular treatment (6.6±4.1 and 2.1±1.9, p=0.04).
 Conclusion: Congenital IVCA is a rare diagnosis that should be kept in mind in young patients with deep venous thrombosis. In these patients, endovascular approach may be effective to prevent postthrombotic syndrome.


The fungal cell wall represents an exclusive structure that confers mechanical strength and osmotic resistance to fungal cells. The fungal cell wall's structure contains mainly mannan, chitins and glucans in different proportions depending on the species. These structural components are unique to fungi and are currently being investigated as targets for novel antifungals. Currently, glucan component of the cell wall is the predominant target for therapeutic applications and developments of antifungals. Three classes of glucan inhibitors in application includes the lipopeptides e.g. echinocandins, the glycolipid papulacandins and the acid terpenoids including enfumafungin and ascosterosides. These agents are known 1,3-β-d glucan synthesis inhibitors and have been shown to possess antifungal activity in vitro as well as in vivo in many different animal models against yeasts e.g. Candida and filamentous fungi e.g. Aspergillus. The other targets, chitin and mannan are however being investigated given the limited applications of some of the glucan synthesis inhibitors. Chitin inhibitors available includes the related polyoxins and nikkomycins produced by Streptomyces while those that target the mannan component of the cell wall are Pradimicins and benanomicins by Actinomadura spp. Both groups have been found to possess broad spectrum activity against most medically important fungi e.g. Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida and Coccidioides immitis. The mechanism of action of these agents as well as their activity of against fungal pathogens is discussed.


This paper illuminates the far-reaching applications that renewable energy programming offers Extension employees' rural and urban clientele. An online survey was sent to attendees of the inaugural National Extension Energy Summit, which revealed the need for increased energy programming in Extension. Following survey analysis, focus group interviews were conducted at the National Extension Sustainability Summit to determine the best way to respond to the reported need for energy programming. The results provide readers with an understanding of the role and relevancy that renewable energy programming can provide Extension in the 21 century. Introduction In the face of climate change, geopolitical tension, and diminishing returns on energy investments, a clean and secure energy supply is one of the most pressing societal issues of the 21 century. One of Extension's earliest energy outreach efforts was the integration of electricity to rural homeowners in partnership with the Rural Electrification Administration from the 1930s to 1950s (Geiger, 2014). During the 1970s oil crisis, multiple authors of Extension publications began arguing that energy is an important topic in which Extension should provide education and expertise (Born, 1980; Hamlen, 2012; Liles, 1978). Since the 1970s, many of Extension's energy programs became 1 This manuscript was co-authored by Blake H. Thomas and Dr. Roslynn Brain 16 sporadic or nonexistent (Western Extension Directors Association, 2008). Today, the mounting importance of a clean and secure energy supply can be seen in the Obama Administration's policies, which have contributed to a doubling of the United States' renewable energy generation since 2008 (White House, 2012). As the nation moves away from an economy of agrarian dominance, recent publications have questioned Extension's relevancy in the 21 century (Bull, Cote, Warner, & McKinnie, 2004; Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, 2002; Franz & Cox, 2012; McDowell, 2004). Renewable energy outreach and education could be the intersection where Extension's relevancy is revived by providing instruction and practical demonstration that applies to both rural and urban individuals, households, and communities. Given the rising societal relevance of renewable energy generation, and growing interest in this type of information, a mixed-methods needs assessment was completed to examine what type of programming Extension currently offers on the topic and its associated opportunities and restraints. This article discusses the results of that needs assessment, conducted to better understand the self-identified benefits of and barriers to renewable energy outreach within Extension from the faculty that are pioneering this emerging field. Methods The research study consisted of two parts: an online survey and focus group interviews. The online survey was distributed in March 2013 to all attendees of the inaugural National Energy Extension Summit in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Summit had 17 57 eligible attendees, all of whom received the survey instrument via e-mail. Participants were eligible if they worked for Extension and their primary job responsibilities involved energy programming, outreach, or education. The survey was designed around Dillman's Tailored Design Method with minor modifications (Dillman, Smyth, & Christian, 2009). Participants were electronically sent a pre-notice letter, two follow-up reminder letters, and a thank you note upon completion (with approval of the university's Institutional Review Board). Extension faculty from Utah State University, the University of Wyoming, Colorado State University, and the University of Montana piloted the survey. The survey consisted of 27 questions, six of which were brief demographic questions. Due to the limited amount of literature on renewable energy in Extension, the survey used an exploratory approach. Topics covered in the survey included: (1) the opportunities and barriers of renewable energy in Extension, (2) the size and scale of renewable energy projects that Extension agents engage in, and (3) perceived clientele support and interest in renewable energy programming. Of the survey's 27 questions, 11 used a 5-point Likert agreement scale for response choices. The survey also included ranked-order and open-ended questions. Results were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software package. The focus group interviews were conducted October 2013 at the inaugural National Extension Sustainability Summit in Park City, Utah. The interviews served as an opportunity to further expound upon the themes that emerged from the exploratory online 18 survey distributed earlier that year. Interview facilitators were given nine questions to guide the discussion. The nine questions explored: (1) the existence, role, and importance of renewable energy outreach in participants respective Extension offices, (2) the opportunities for and constraints on renewable energy programming, outreach, and education within Extension, and (3) the message framing, marketing, and communication of renewable energy programs to clientele. Five facilitators conducted hour-long focus group interviews with 26 Extension employees from across the nation. Participants were selected for their role in Sustainable Living programs; most had expertise in energy programming. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, then analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding techniques (Neuman, 2013). Results The online survey achieved a 72% response rate, and the 26 focus group participants (and five facilitators) represented 52% of National Extension Sustainability Summit attendees that opted-in to and met participant selection criteria for the interview. Descriptive statistical analyses to the online survey results and focus group coding resulted in four common themes emerging from the data in each study. Therefore, survey and focus group results presented hereafter are merged, offering breadth and depth to the following four themes that appeared most frequently in both data collection instruments: 1) There is a need for increased energy programming in Extension. This theme was mentioned 62 times during the focus group interviews, while the second most frequent theme was mentioned 39 times. A focus group participant stated, "We have maybe a few people who know something about this [renewable energy 19 outreach and education], but they may not know enough. I think some thoughtfulness needs to be given...to assembling the people who are experts within our system and then reaching out to others." The experts who are already delivering renewable energy programs in Extension have been received well. Their assessment of public reception to renewable energy programs is outlined in Table 2-1. 2) Extension's history of providing unbiased, research-based information must remain central to renewable energy programming and outreach efforts. Extension's purpose is to "provide useful, practical, and research-based information" to communities of all sizes (Cooperative Extension System Offices, 2014). This theme appeared multiple times in open-ended comments on the online survey and Table 2-1. Level of Agreement to Statements about Clientele Reception to Renewable Energy Programming in Extension Ranking* 1 2 3 4 5 Mean N The majority of my clientele are open to the idea of renewable energy as an alternative energy source. 0 (0%) 1 (3%) 10 (30%) 16 (49%) 6 (18%) 3.82 33 In teaching about renewable energy, I feel my approach connects well with my clientele. 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 7 (21%) 19 (58%) 7 (21%) 4.00 33 I receive more positive than negative feedback regarding the renewable energy outreach materials and training I have delivered. 0 (0%) 1 (3%) 5 (15%) 13 (39%) 14 (43%) 4.21 33 *1 = Strongly Disagree; 5 = Strongly Agree


This document summarizes the steps to convert the year 2000 Input-Output (I-O) table of the Philippines (NSCB, 2006) into GTAP format. Although the original I-O table contains detailed sectors, further processing was required to address abnormalities in the raw data and to transform the table into the required GTAP format. All data processing was undertaken using GEMPACK software.


The development swift and violent facing science and technology is looked upon as with applying what be brought about inactive consequence,many west scholar technology reason commending to be displayed in large scale being one of whose main cause.The west Marxism theoretician has carried out the self-examination and investigation and discussion on science and technology rationality problem,with the technology reason criticize same capitalist system criticizing the comparatively rich and incisive ethics outlook on values having been tied in wedlock,taking form organically.The technical rational flaw lies in the tool rationality and value rational departing from,overcomes this flaw the basic way to lie in the tool rationality and the value rationality unifies.


The fire floor of a hotel fire that resulted in serious casualties in Taiwan was reconstructed as the site of a full-scale evacuation test. Health status assessments were conducted on 50 adults between ages of 25 and 75, and then their horizontal movement speed was measured as a function of three physical conditions: normal health, wheelchair bound and on crutches. The 50 subjects were divided into nine groups for three kinds of evacuation strategies in order to measure the evacuation time of each group. In addition, taking into consideration the three aforementioned kinds of physical conditions, 40 of the 50 subjects were organized into six types of conditions to conduct exit width tests by measuring the evacuation time for passing through exits with widths of 0.75 m and 1.2 m. The two kinds of evacuation test results can be used as a reference for improving fire safety strategies for future hotel construction. Language: en


Global temperature increases will affect Fusarium head blight (FHB) levels in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). A pressing question is whether current sources of resistance will be effective in a warmer environment. We evaluated phenotypic response to disease in 238 soft winter wheat breeding lines and cultivars grown in 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 under control and warmed (+3 °C) conditions. Warming was achieved with heating cables buried 3 cm in the rhizosphere. We measured heading date, plant height, yield, FHB rating, Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK), deoxynivalenol (DON), leaf blotch rating, powdery mildew rating and leaf rust rating. There were significant (p < 0.01) differences among genotypes for all traits measured. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified 19 and 10 significant SNPs in the control and warmed treatments, respectively. FDK and DON levels were often significantly (p < 0.05) higher in warmed than in control when we contrasted alleles at important quantitative trait locus (QTL) such as Fhb1, Rht-B1 and D1 and all vernalization and photoperiod loci. Increased rhizosphere temperature resulted in a significantly (p < 0.01) earlier heading date (~3.5 days) both years of the study. Rank correlation between warmed and control treatments was moderate (r = 0.56). Though encouraging, it indicates that selection for performance under warming should be carried out in a warmed environment.


Abstract In Arabidopsis thaliana, cell fate in developing ovules is determined by the action of the homeodomain factor BELL1 (BEL1) and of the MADS-box factors SEEDSTICK (STK), SHATTERPROOF1 (SHP1) and SHP2. The analysis of the bel1 and the stk shp1 shp2 mutants revealed that the functional megaspore is formed, however, it does not proceed into megagametogenesis. In the bel1 stk shp1 shp2, quadruple mutant megasporogenesis does not take place. In this article we describe a detailed morphological analysis of the quadruple mutant, and we discuss the possibility that BELL1, STK, SHP1 and SHP2 not only control integument identity determination and development, but that they might also play a role during megasporogenesis.


The article examines the dilemmas experienced by children and adolescents deported to Auschwitz or born in the camp, about which there are testi-monial sources. The text analyzes the narrative of a temporary exhibition organized at the German Resistance Memorial, in Berlin, in 2015, commem-orating the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the extermination camp. The mentioned exhibition, entitled "Never forget your name: the children of Aus-chwitz", was based on information from the book of the same name by Alwin Mayer (Vergiss deinen Namen nicht. Die Kinder von Auschwitz, 2015), both illustrative of the theme, with solid information, but without critical analysis. Analyzing the experience of these survivors, whether in the camp or after the liberation, is the main objective of this article, theoretically inspired by the concepts of the gray zone present in Primo Levi's works.


Nowadays, the organization can be called a boundaryless organization, as moving from one organization to another and from one place to another is inevitable. In this regard, understanding the condition and characteristics of a society and culture is a must for a leader. A leader, especially a change leader, has to understand the culture, as he or she has to influence subordinates to follow the organization's objectives, without employees' commitment and support, the organizational change will be hard to achieve. Meanwhile, Indonesia consists of thousands of islands with various ethnics and cultures, making Indonesia a very diverse country, which then makes a leader should have an understanding of the characteristics of the people in the organization. The ethnic of Bugis-Makassar is the majority of the ethnic who stay in Makassar city. This study uses a qualitative approach with FGD as the tool in data collection. The number of participants is 30. The results show that the majority of the participants prefer to have a leader with the role of Coach compared with the other two roles. This result is expected to have contributed to the change leader that will be assigned in the organization with the majority of people from Bugis-Makassar.


A compact triple frequency microstrip antenna for WLAN/WiMAX applications is presented in this work. The proposed antenna consists of a rectangular microstrip patch embedded with an inverted L‐shaped open ended slot and a ground plane with horizontal H shaped and rectangular slots. The designed antenna operates over the frequency ranges 2.30–2.751, 3.199–3.816, 5.06–6.15 GHz necessary for 2.4/5.2/5.8 GHz WLAN and 2.3/2.5/3.5/5.5 GHz WiMAX applications. Maximum size reduction of the proposed antenna obtained is about 83.17%. Good agreement is achieved between simulated and measured results. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:2125–2129, 2015


I have a slightly different approach regarding two issues, and my clinical practice therefore differs slightly.

Target value for the concentration of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH): I choose a measurement of 1–2 mU/L to compensate for autoimmune hypothyroidism. Since in patients who have had surgery one objective is to avoid repeated surgery, I believe that the TSH concentration and growth stimulus should be lower. I therefore select a low-normal target range of 0.5–1 mU/L. In patients in whom dosage adjustment proves difficult, in whom the required dosage is high, and in patients with cardiac risk I would rather accept a normal TSH value that is slightly on the high end of the acceptable range than one that is on the lower end; an actual low value is never acceptable.) After correcting the dosage I will measure the TSH concentration 6 weeks later.

Combination with iodide: In view of the still prevailing but less severe iodine deficiency, I don't see the need for additional medication with iodide in thyroid volumes below 6 ml and substitution of more than 50% of the thyroid hormone requirement, especially as during the transformation of T4 into T3, iodide is split off and released. In larger residual volumes—for example after hemithyroidectomy—I combine a residual volume of more than 8 ml with iodide.


Finding suitable parameter values in solving optimization problems with the Hopfield net is of crucial importance. The authors present a systematic approach, based on analyzing dynamical stability of valid solutions for finding relationships among the parameters which make their selection much easier. This technique can show whether the problem formulation is flawed. As an example they discuss the Hopfield-Tank formulation of the traveling salesman problem and show that it is dynamically unstable, hence obtaining valid solutions is difficult. The modified formulation given by S.Y.B. Aiyer et al. (1990) which overcomes the instability problems is also discussed.<<ETX>>


Schmidt, Eric, Cohen, Jared: The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and Business. 1 st ed. New York: Knopf, 2013, 315 stran, ISBN 978-0-307-95713-9.


Serious games offer a promising technology for training complex skills. But there are few implementation guidelines and even fewer empirical studies that unequivocally demonstrate a benefit of game-based training over conventional alternatives. To address the first issue, we developed a structured query framework that links elements of game design (e.g., feedback, challenge, fantasy) to training objectives. The framework is a synthesis of serious game, multimedia instruction, cognitive psychology, and instructional design literatures. This tool helps instructors incorporate gaming elements into their curriculum to improve the motivation, learning, and performance of key cognitive, psychomotor, and problem-solving skills. This framework also specifies the types of gaming environments that work best for each skill. To address the second issue, we applied the framework to develop a serious game to train an operational task: programming an aircraft's flight management system (FMS). A training needs analysis revealed the FMS to be a good candidate for "gaming up" since its 1970's interface and opaque logic are unfamiliar to many of today's pilot trainees, where the intrinsic motivation to practice component skills is low. Yet learning to program the device quickly and accurately – and being able to recognize and correct errors – requires repeated practice in varied contexts. The training effectiveness of the FMS game is being evaluated using students from Arizona State University's flight training program and co-located Mesa Airlines' new-hires as subjects. A randomized design is used where half the students receive gamed FMS instruction and half conventional computer based training. A transfer of training task criterion test is then given using a physical replica of the FMS device, where comparisons of relative performance index game impact. The paper will provide graphic examples of the framework and quantitative results of the evaluation.


ABSTRACT Leisure research among the elderly has not kept pace with its significance in their lives. While the centrality of work is often discussed, a comparable role for leisure is seldom acknowledged. Through a blending of life-course and structural-level perspectives this paper discusses the need for conceptual innovation in leisure research. A broader perspective on the nature of leisure, its structure and the emerging need to address leisure as a form of consumption is advocated. Recognition of the identity-affirming nature of leisure and consumption will greatly enhance the focus of leisure research.


We report on the phosphorescence emission spectra of the complexes of lutetium(III) and gadolinium(III) with tetraphenylporphyrin in thin films of polytretbutylmethacrylate, polystyrene, polyvinylchloride, polycarbonate, methyland diacetylcellulose. The complexes were photoexcited at 420 nm and display room temperature phosphorescene (with a peak at 780 nm) that is quenched by molecular oxygen at room temperature. This effect was first exploited for these substances to optically sense oxygen. The response time is about 1.0 s, and the detection limit is 0.05% of oxygen in the gas.


In order to meet the new requirements for scientific research on equipment manufacturing in universities against the backdrop of "Made in China 2025", this article presents the necessity and urgency of carrying out the construction of innovative experimental center. By integrating the laboratories of electromechanical system modeling, simulation, design, test and diagnosis, the direction and the development ideas for related laboratories construction are proposed, which have the reference to the establishment of the innovative experimental center in universities. Keywords—Innovative Experimental Center; College education; Laboratory construction; advanced manufacturing


Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction Continuity and Change Charting a New Course Building a Reserve of Trust The Collapse of the GDR Moscow's Acceptance of German Unification Conclusion Selected Bibliography Index


BACKGROUND
Phosphoinositide-Dependent Kinase 1 (PDK1) is now widely studied in malignant solid tumors. We as well as other researchers have previously revealed that targeting PDK1 could be thought of as a promising anticancer treatment strategy. The aim of this study was designed to evaluate the anticancer activity of GSK-470, a novel and highly specific inhibitor of PDK1, in Pheochromocytoma (PCC) tumor model.

METHODS
PC12 cells were xenografted into nude mice to build PCC tumor model. Animals were treated with GSK-470 vs vehicle. Mean tumor volume was calculated and compared across groups. TUNEL was used to detect apoptosis. The effects of PDK1 inhibitor GSK-470 on activation of the Akt signaling and its downstream Akt/mTOR pathway in xenotransplant tumor tissues were examined by western bolt.

RESULTS
The mean tumor volume in GSK-470 group was significantly less than that in control group. TUNEL results found that cell apoptosis were markedly increased in GSK-470 gourp compared with control group. The western bolt analysis showed that the phosphorylation of Akt at threonine 308 was significantly reduced in GSK-470 group. Also, GSK-470 strong inhibited phosphorylation of mTOR on Ser2448, a marker for mTORC1 activity, as well as phosphorylation of p70S6K, the best characterized targets of mTOR.

CONCLUSION
Our results showed that GSK-470 exhibited potent anticancer activity in PC12 tumor-bearing mice. Also, we found that this effect appeared to be mediated by inhibition of the Akt/mTOR pathway. The present study once again provides new insights into the therapeutic effects of inhibiting PDK1 in treatment of malignant PCC. Therefore, we propose that GSK-470 might be an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of malignant PCC.


The second generation sequencing technology made a revolutionary breakthrough in the field of sequencing technology with advantages,including high throughput,high precision and low cost.It provided a new method for the research in rice genomics.Here,we reviewed the theory and development of the second generation sequencing technology including sequencing by synthesis and sequencing by ligation,and summarized its applications in genomics,involving structural genomics and functional genomics,and transcriptomics of rice.Finally,the prospects of current sequencing technologies and their applications in rice research were also discussed.


Knowledege based economy will be a matter of time for Indonesia's future competitiveness. Therefore, to get there, several basic requirements have to be early prepared. Among others, human capital is perhaps the most important requirement for a country to be able to develop an economic condition based on the capability and capacity of knowledge. Human capital is not just Indonesia concern, it is the concern of all countries. In fact, only some countries can create a condition for human capital to grow effectively and efficiently. Mostly, Higher Education Institution (HEI) or university is the main organization that has objective to develop human capital. The pupose of HEI is to develop academic and non-academic capability for student by mean of educating them with a structured curriculla. However, in today's environmental condition even with similar curriculla, any HEI may ends up with different quality. From this point of view, this paper will discuss and elaborate further on a policy and strategy that enable a HEI can create a competitive education environment for student to grow up to their best competitive conditions.


A constitutive equation for natural rock salt should take into consideration stress, strain, volume change until failure, as well as failure itself, under various conditions. Therefore, equipment for precise true triaxial tests on cubic specimens and a special test procedure for quasistatic failure tests on rock salt have been developed. Deformation, volume change, and irreversible stress work were calculated from the empirical data as a function of time. Failure strength was determined as well. The results of seven compression tests at various mean stresses are discussed. The volume change at failure is between 2 and 7 % in these tests. The calculated stress work at failure that is related to volume change (opening of micro cracks) is between 0.5 and 1 MJ/m 2 , whereas the stress work related to the change of shape (creep, initiation and propaga tion of microcracks) is dependant on the mean stress and is between 1.5 and 9 MJ/m 2 • The results will be used to derive an elasto-viscoplastic constitutive equation.


It is perhaps fitting that, in the year that marks the establishment of the Sir John Monash Centre at Villers-Bretonneux, the cultural and historical ties between France and Australia have been further strengthened through the hosting of The Art of Science: Baudin's Voyagers 1800–1804 by the National Museum of Australia (NMA) in Canberra. The material for the exhibition is primarily drawn from the Lesueur Collection at the Mus eum d'histoire naturelle du Havre and has been touring Australia since 2016. This initiative has been supported by the diplomatic bodies of France and Australia, the municipality of Le Havre and several other French and Australian cultural institutions. The exhibition presents a small fraction of the ethnographic and scientific drawings executed by artists Charles-Alexandre Lesueur and Nicolas-Martin Petit during the French expedition to Australia. Headed by Nicolas Baudin and financed by Napoleon Bonaparte, it aimed to map the coast of Australia, collect botanical samples and study the region's wildlife and people. While not explicit in its aims, it is apparent that the exhibition attempts to give its visitors a tour d'horizon of Baudin's expedition and to evoke 'the sense of wonder' experienced by the French during their journey across Australia. Contained in a single room, the exhibition began with an account of Napoleon's expedition to Egypt and his subsequent funding of ventures in the Caribbean to collect botanical specimens. By opening with a wide angle of inquiry, Baudin's expedition was contextualised very well and the viewer was given a good sense of the way that the Enlightenment ideals of knowledge and scientific discovery were fused with the desire for imperial conquest. The drawings of Lesueur and Petit were presented in chronological order as they voyaged from France towards Africa and made their journey around the coast of Australia. The majority of the drawings were hung on the three walls of the exhibition room while a double L-shaped screen in the centre created two smaller spaces for glass cabinets. While the exhibition's content was organised logically, it was somewhat hampered by the compactness of the room. The viewer's eye and the traffic naturally followed the artwork on the walls and so the movement from the exhibition's periphery to the centre caused a sudden break in the flow of content.


The seventh biennial public address conference brought together a remarkable range of scholarly talent for three days of sustained and invigorating discussion. In this it shared with previous iterations of the conference a collective commitment to the study of rhetoric in its public, political, and cultural expressions. As the conference organizer, I could think of no one better suited to its launching than Martin J. Medhurst. The reasons are not far to seek: Professor Medhurst enjoys a well-earned reputation as a prolific and influential scholar; he is a leading proponent of public address studies; and he is a keen observer of disciplinary dynamics, traditions, and challenges. As the editor of this journal and that of several university press series, moreover, Medhurst lends to his insights knowledge that comes from enabling the work of others—no small matter when it comes to asking so much of so many so soon. Needless to say, I was, like everyone else attending the conference, delighted with Medhurst's presentation, and I am grateful for the opportunity to reflect on it here. The conference keynote address is a convention unto itself, with all the possibilities and limits such genres entail. Professor Medhurst's deft synthesis of critique, praise, and challenge meets and exceeds what we might ordinarily expect from its occasional setting. Refreshingly free from the usual blandishments of the genre, "The Contemporary Study of Public Address: Renewal, Recovery, and Reconfiguration" provides us instead with a series of observations and prescriptions that demand our further consideration. To that end, I comment briefly in the following pages on three issues: the place of rhetoric and public address in the contemporary communication department; the promises and perils of interdisciplinarity; and the vexed question of research specialization. Before addressing these specific issues, I would like to comment, appropriately I think, on the rhetorical form of the story Medhurst chooses to tell. His is, so to speak, a Whig history of the discipline, alive to the twists and turns of public address studies but forward-looking, confident, and forgiving. It is not for that reason naive: to the contrary, Medhurst has his facts in hand and he knows whereof he speaks—indeed not a few of the books and articles he cites have been nurtured through his own editorial labors (from which, let it be said, I have myself benefited). But like all such Whiggish histories, its very seamlessness, its optimism and coherence, can suggest to 512 RHETORIC & PUBLIC AFFAIRS


Squamous cell lung cancer (SCC) is the second leading cause of lung cancer death in the US with a 5-year survival rate of 16.8%. Since most SCC is diagnosed at a late stage, chemoprevention or early detection could improve survival. SCC develops through a series of histological alterations including dysplasia and carcinoma in situ. Previous studies have identified genetic changes in epithelial progenitor cells in dysplastic lesions. The goal of this project is to establish a correlation between specific genetic changes in epithelial progenitors and their function. A tissue stem cell is a progenitor cell that is capable of long-term self-renewal as well as differentiation to all the cell-types that make up a specific tissue and therefore is multipotential. Because the normal function of a progenitor cell is to repair and regenerate a native epithelium after injury, histologic changes in dysplasia led us hypothesize that "normal function of airway progenitors is altered in dysplasia". To address this hypothesis we purified and established clonal cultures of basal progenitors from normal, moderate and severely dysplastic biopsies and compared their self-renewal and differentiation abilities. These analyses revealed that the self-renewal capacity of progenitor cells decreased as dysplasia grade increased. The progenitors from normal biopsies differentiated to all three cell-types (basal, secretory or mucin-secreting and ciliated) of the airways. In contrast, progenitors from dysplasia generated increased numbers of basal cells (p Citation Format: Moumit Ghosh, Ichiro Nakachi, Robert L. Keith, Daniel T. Merrick, Wilbur A. Franklin, York E. Miller. Malfunction and mutation of airway stem/progenitor cells in preneoplastic bronchial dysplasia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr B19.


A quasi-SOI power MOSFET has been fabricated by reversed silicon wafer direct bonding. In this power MOSFET, the buried oxide under the channel and source regions is removed and the channel region is directly connected to the source body contact electrode to reduce the base resistance of the parasitic n-p-n bipolar transistor. The quasi-SOI power MOSFET can suppress the parasitic bipolar action and shows lower product of the on-resistance and output capacitance than that of the vertical double diffused MOSFET.


Purpose of reviewThe prescribing of opioid medicines is increasing progressively despite a substantial body of literature identifying potential limitations and harms of therapy. Production and dissemination of best practice guidance in relation to prescribing do not yet seem to have an impact on this trend. This article highlights updated concerns about and unanswered questions in relation to opioid treatment to provide focus for further scrutiny and evaluation of opioid treatment for pain. Recent findingsThe literature cited in this paper confirms that opioid prescribing is prevalent despite an established evidence base spanning a decade that indicates that efficacy of opioids in long-term pain management remains uncertain and that harms of therapy are well defined. In particular, problems with treatment are more likely to occur when high doses are used and in certain patient populations and many recent high-quality studies highlight these problems. Although much is to be learned regarding clinical decision making, it is clear that current prescribing activity does not reflect the existing knowledge base. SummaryAuthors are unanimously agreed that the literature answers some important questions about opioid therapy but there are substantial knowledge gaps, particularly in relation to benefits and harms of long-term therapy in day-to-day clinical practice. Evidence-derived guidance clearly identifies common and important pitfalls in relation to opioid use but promotion of adherence to guidance remains a substantial challenge.


This study investigates whether any relationship exists among real income, advertising expenditure, exchange rate and M2 monetary aggregate in Russia from 2002Q1 to 2012Q2 using quarterly data. The Unit Root test, Johansen-Juselius Cointegration test, VAR Granger Causality are used in this study to examine the whether cointegration and/or causality relationship exists among the variables. Indeed, the finding that all the estimated variables are I(1) and cointegration and causality relationship do not exist among the variables of real income, exchange rate and M2 monetary aggregate. However, the results show that bidirectional relationship exists between advertising expenditure and real ruble balances in granger causality in the short run. This study provides sufficient evidence that the advertising expenditure is an important factor of money demand.


A study conducted in the autumn of 1998 took stock of various farm restructuring initiatives in Ukraine, including projects managed and financed by international donors and spontaneous locallevel restructuring initiatives. The results based on a survey of managers and member-employees in large farms, supplemented by field visits and interviews with donor representatives, fail to reveal major breakthroughs in large-farm restructuring. While farm enterprises have changed their registered legal form and distributed land and asset shares to individual members, the internal farm structure largely remains that of the former collective. As a result, only limited improvements in profitability and efficiency have been achieved, and physical yields mostly remain at pre-reform levels. Despite the disappointing overall accomplishments, both workers and managers are responding positively to the attempted reforms through improved work discipline and confidence in better future performance. Buying and selling of land is virtually nonexistent in Ukraine, and yet the legal framework allows transactions in land shares among individuals and between individuals and enterprises, thus creating a mechanism for adjustment of farm sizes. Individual farms grow mainly by leasing, and the state is no longer the sole source of leased land. Contrary to earlier concerns, the individual leasing practice has not resulted in massive rural unemployment: the large individual leaseholders employ on their farms the same proportion of shareowners as the corporate farm enterprises (about one-half; the other half are pensioners and passive shareholders). Private farms established by individuals and families outside large farm enterprises report encouraging economic results. Yet at the present stage exit from former collective structures and transition to independent private farming appear to be an option only for the bravest. The majority of the rural population prefer the safety umbrella of former collectives, but for these families salaries already account for a smaller share of family income than household plot production. The major reason for limited accomplishments of agrarian reforms in Ukraine appears to be the lack of improvements in the country's overall economic and policy environment. The continuous decline in the macro economy and the stagnation of the non-agricultural components of the rural sector have further limited the scope for any meaningful achievements of farm privatization and restructuring.