For most financial institutions today, lending is a multi-step process that often is separated from credit review. In an ideal situation, the credit proposal delineates the inherent risks to the transaction. However, the thrust of the credit approval is more often the internal selling of the deal. As such, the credit proposal, if it does err, errs in overselling the strengths of the credit and in underestimating the risks in the transaction. The author examined some twenty loan agreements, and in every company or industry that was analyzed, the problems experienced could not have been discovered by traditional credit analysis. There can be no substitute for the initial step of appropriate due diligence of past and expected results. Bankers should run scenario testing of pro forma financials, which applies probabilities to various future states, and a joint expected value is then calculated. The concept can only be effective if research is conducted to determine the causal factors that affect loan repayment. There is a gap in the literature in analyzing the behavior of corporate borrowers. The author suggests that non-performing loan experience should be studied over several years to develop regressions on various independent variables.


The annual congress of the South African Society for Cultural History was held on 25 and 26 September 1997 at the Vaal Teknorama Museum in Vereeniging. The theme of the congress was ""Transport: a dynamic cultural phenomenon"". From the seventeen papers that were read during the congress it became clear that transport makes an important contribution towards shaping the spiritual and material world in which we live. The papers dealt with themes such as roads, vehicles, sea transport and military transport, as well as several other topics, including the influence of transport on the written word, the geographical distribution of people, architecture, and agriculture. The congress once again confirmed that cultural history is a comprehensive concept. It is the embodiment of the whole world in which we live; it is by its very nature complex and kaleidoscopic: and it is a discipline that to some extent embraces every aspect of human activity. Cultural history endeavours to give an account of the life experiences of every individual, nation and of the human race, and thus also of our transport vehicles and of transport as a cultural phenomenon. At the end of the congress, Prof. Andre Wessels read the concluding paper (summary). In this article his findings and comment are represented in an adapted form, and a summary of the congress proceedings is given.


Large population displacements are usually observed after nature disasters. The best approximations to real world population movement in such a short temporal scale are the users' movements patterns derived from the cell phone usage data. However, due to a lot of political, economic and privacy constraints, these sensitive data are not always available. On the other hand, population movements are usually observed on the underlying road network. The correlation between the cell phone users' movement and the road network has yet been examined. The aim of this research is to compare the topological structure and the network metrics of the road network to the cell phone users' movement network in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire, and to inspect the correlations of movement volume and road connectivity. A flooding scenario was assumed to inspect the responds from both the movement network and road network. Our analysis shows that the cellphone users' movement network and the road network present significant similarities in terms of network partition. Our research also indicates that the road topology could be utilized as a proxy to approximate the population movement volume on above. We present an initial step to help the data-scarce area understand the population movement pattern from more readily-available road network data. Furthermore, our results suggest that traditional evacuation planning should consider the social perspective of population connections and periodical movements.


The fabrication of alginate hydrogel microparticles with embedded liposomes and magnetic nanoparticles for radiofrequency controlled release of encapsulated chemical cargo was considered. An extractive gelation process was implemented in a microfluidic device, which enabled the production of uniform composite microparticles of dimensions comparable to those of blood cells (between 5 and 10 μm). The critical parameters that control the extractive gelation process were systematically explored and feasible values that provide microgel particles of a defined size and morphology were identified. First, the initial water-in-oil droplet is formed in a flow-focusing junction whose size is controlled by the flow-rate of the oil phase. Then, the train of droplets is sandwiched between two streams of oil containing calcium ions. In that way, a flux of water molecules from the droplets towards the continuous phase as well as a transport of calcium ions towards the disperse phase are initiated. The final microparticle properties were thus found to be sensitive to three elementary sub-processes: (i) the initial droplet size; (ii) the extraction of water into the oil phase, which was controlled by the volume of the oil phase and its initial moisture content; and (iii) the kinetics of ionic cross-linking of the alginate matrix, which was controlled by the varying calcium concentration. The size and morphology of the final composite microgels were fully characterized.


Dietary and medicinal phytochemicals may contribute to the reportedly low incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Tibetan highlanders, despite elevated hematocrit levels and a diet high in saturated fat and low in fruits and vegetables. Antioxidant activity was measured in 14 plant species most commonly incorporated in Tibetan medicines prescribed for the treatment of cardiovascular related disease according to indigenous pharmacopoeias. Methanol extracts of Terminalia chebula, Syzygium aromaticum, Aquilaria agallocha, Santalum album, Amomum subulatum, Justicia adhatoda and Myristica fragrans displayed strong free radical scavenging activity using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. These plants were further partitioned into a hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and water fraction, and re-tested with DPPH assay. Fractions displaying strongest activity were examined in vitro for their ability to protect human low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from Cu 2+ - catalyzed oxidation measured using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) production and formation of conjugated dienes. The hexane fraction of S. aromaticum displayed an ability to reduced LDL susceptibility to oxidation (1339.96 ± 7.01 min lag time) three-times longer than Trolox ® (431.02 ± 21.9 min lag time), a hydrophilic analog of a-tocopherol. Approximately half of all plants included in this study contained fractions that displayed significant antioxidant activity. Our results suggest that these spices and medicinal plants may provide a therapeutic benefit towards CVD prevention and treatment, and reinforces the merits of traditional Tibetan medicine.


Lustre pottery unearthed at Mas Llorens constitutes one of most interesting collections of late 16th and early 17th centuries lustre pottery from Catalonia. The collection is formed by an unparalleled set of more than 200 complete dishes and bowls, which were buried in the same place and at the same time, thus becoming of paramount archaeological interest. Consequently, this set of lustre pottery has become of pivotal importance for the study of this type of ceramic not only because of the number and integrity of the pieces that were found, but also by its homogeneity. This multidisciplinary study has revealed the importance of this pottery in terms of economy, trade, and social status in Modern times Catalonia. The main purpose of this paper is to determine provenance and technology of production of lustre and other glazed wares from Mas Llorens. We present the results of the archaeometrical characterization of 21 ceramic sherds, recovered from the excavations of Mas Llorens. The sampling includes 11 lustre ceramics, 4 blue-on-white tin-lead-glazed ceramics, and 6 plain lead glazed objects. Chemical and mineralogical composition of the ceramic pastes were analyzed by XRF, NAA, and XRD, and statically compared to 16th-17th tin-lead glazed pottery produced by the main Catalan workshops (e.g. Barcelona, Reus, Vilafranca del Penedes). The chemical data show a high homogeneity in the composition of lustreware pastes, as seen in other proto-industrial fine ceramic productions, evidencing a Barcelonan provenance. Chemical composition and microstructures of the glazes and lustre decorations were observed and analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electron Probe Microanalyzer (EPMA) and Elastic ion backscattering spectroscopy (EIBS). Successful lustre exhibits a red-copper color and metallic shine; it contains more copper than silver (average concentration, 9.5 wt% and 3.4 wt% respectively) with a ratio of wt% Cu/(Cu+Ag) = 62%, in the form of copper and silver nanoparticles which are concentrated in a thin layer (<300 nm) very close to the surface. On the contrary, in the unsuccessful brown lustre lacking metallic shine, although the copper to silver ratio is similar - wt% Cu/(Cu+Ag) = 63% -, the copper nanoparticles are distributed in a thick layer (1 micron thickness) but in lower concentration (average concentration in the layer 3.4 wt%), while the silver nanoparticles appear concentrated on a thinner surface layer. The lack of metallic shine in those samples is explained by the low concentration of silver and copper nanoparticles in the layer. This may be related to a deficient reducing firing capable of reducing copper to the metallic state and stopping its diffusion into the glaze.


The optimum circulation distribution and hence the maximum theoretical thrust obtainable for contra-vanes fitted behind propellers is markedly dependent on the number of guide vanes. The outer portion of the vanes, even if projecting considerably beyond the edge of the propeller slipstream, still contribute appreciably to this theoretical gain of thrust. But, owing to the always existing friction of the vanes, the limit of the optimum vane length lies at relatively small diameters. A large hub unloads the vanes. Hence, the guide vanes are best attached to suitable parts of the bodies which would, in any case, be subjected to the slipstream.


The authors examine the suitability of hedge funds in taxable investment portfolios. They apply standard mean-variance analysis to taxable portfolios that include hedge funds as an asset class. They first review the performance characteristics of hedge fund portfolios and then describe the problems faced by taxable investors and the tax structures available for holding assets. Third, they specifically add hedge funds to portfolios of traditional assets. Lastly, the authors provide general guidelines on the appropriate allocation to hedge funds for taxable investors. They conclude that hedge funds significantly improve portfolio efficiency for taxable investors and find that sizeable allocations are appropriate, even for conservative portfolios, though they concede that their results also show that more aggressive taxable investors should commit much less to broad hedge fund portfolios than nontaxable investors.


It is critical to periodically reexamine the basic language used within a profession. Language not only reflects past and current practice, it also guides the future. As the practice advances and changes, so must the language to describe it. This reexamination of basic terms used in developmental education and learning assistance provides an opportunity to transform its work, expand borders, and redefine its essential role within postsecondary education. The glossary is grounded in the previous version of it as well as extensive review by practitioners and leaders in the field. The complexity of the language has increased as well as its connection with other fields within education. This glossary is offered to help guide practices to better meet institutional and student needs.


Monetary policy currently pursued by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation is a reflection of external market conditions. Regulatory approaches should, in particular, help reduce the dependence of monetary policy on external factors — such as oil prices, foreign loans, access to foreign markets, etc. This is not about completely isolating the monetary sphere of the Russian Federation from parameters and the external environment. It is required to refuse close, automatic communication with the given parameters. It is necessary to increase the stability of the monetary system of the Russian Federation and the economy as a whole in relation to external shocks. This can be done through more active use of a wide range of tools available to the regulator. These include monetary and regulatory mechanisms (interest rates, reserve requirements, foreign exchange positions, etc.), gold reserves, verbal interventions, etc., which can have a stimulating effect on economic growth. The high volatility of the ruble now observed makes it extremely difficult for enterprises to plan and forecast, thereby making it impossible for the normal course of investment processes and expanded reproduction. In order to use monetary mechanisms to stimulate economic growth and eliminate the negative effects of current monetary policy (in particular, implemented since autumn 2014), a departure from inflation targeting and free floating of the ruble exchange rate is necessary. At the same time, it is obviously necessary to abandon many components or closely related elements (for example, "monetary contraction"). In addition, steps will be needed to stabilize the foreign exchange market, which would have positive effects (falling volatility, lower inflation, etc.). Under current conditions, with limited access to external financial resources, it is important to use mechanisms for generating financial flows based on internal sources. In other words, the monetary base should be formed due to internal factors, and not depend on the dynamics of energy prices. In previous years, the main emphasis in the Russian economy was placed on the external sphere as a source of growth financing. Restricting access to external cheap financial resources (due to low oil prices, sanctions, etc.), as well as continuing geopolitical tensions with regard to Russia, reduce the possibilities for implementing longterm investment projects in the economy. This increases the relevance of national mechanisms and sources of formation of the resource base (including long) necessary to refinance previously taken loans, as well as to implement structural changes in the Russian economy.


Touch DNA evidence is left behind when a person comes into contact with an item and deposits dead skin cells on the item or surface. These shed epithelial cells contain DNA that has the potential to aid in criminal investigations. One of the major issues surrounding touch DNA samples is the fact that the quantity of DNA in these samples is low. This can affect downstream DNA processing and yield in incomplete or unusable results. Conducting research on ways to improve these results is important, but can also be difficult. This is because the initial quantity of DNA in the fingerprints is unknown and the amount of DNA present in the sample varies between individuals. In order to resolve some of the issues regarding touch DNA samples, this project has developed mock fingerprint samples that can be used as positive controls for true fingerprints. These samples contained a known quantity of DNA, which reduced the chance of variability and allowed for analysis regarding percent recovery to be conducted. These mock fingerprints were utilized in the optimization of collection and extraction protocols by testing different swabbing solutions and techniques, as well as modifications to the incubation phase during extraction. From these experiments it was determined that the addition of an overnight incubation and a single wet swab, wetted with 2% SDS, resulted in the largest percent of DNA recovered. A standard curve was also generated using the mock fingerprints, which then allowed for true fingerprints from various surfaces to be plotted on the curve. The final experiment employed the mock fingerprints in order to determine where DNA is lost throughout the collection and extraction process. By pipetting the mock fingerprints directly into extraction tubes, onto swabs or onto glass slides it was revealed that a large percentage of DNA is left on the swab after extraction. Overall, the mock fingerprints were effectively used as positive controls throughout this project, and therefore it is recommended that future research continues to use them to obtain a better understanding of the nature of true touch DNA samples.


Ribosome profiling provides a detailed view into the complex dynamics of translation. Although the precise relation between the observed ribosome footprint densities and the actual translation elongation rates remains elusive, the data clearly suggest that elongation speed is quite heterogeneous along the transcript. Previous studies have shown that elongation is locally regulated by multiple factors, but the observed heterogeneity remains only partially explained. To dissect quantitatively the different determinants of translation speed, we here use probabilistic modeling of the translation dynamics to estimate transcript-specific initiation and local elongation rates from ribosome profiling data. Using this model-based approach, we estimate the fraction of ribosomes (~9%) undetected by the current ribosome profiling protocol. These missing ribosomes come from regions harboring two or more closely-stacked ribosomes, and not accounting for them leads to a substantial underestimation of translation efficiency for highly occupied transcripts. We further quantify the extent of transcript- and position-specific interference between ribosomes on the same transcript, and infer that the movement of ~2.5% of ribosomes is obstructed on average, with substantial variation across different genes. The extent of interference also varies noticeably along the transcript sequence, with a moderately elevated level near the start site and a significantly pronounced amount near the termination site. However, we show that neither ribosomal interference nor the distribution of slow codons is sufficient to explain the observed level of variation in the mean elongation rate across the transcript sequence. Surprisingly, by optimizing the fit of statistical linear models, we find that the hydropathy of the nascent polypeptide segment within the ribosome plays a major role in governing the variation of the mean elongation rate along the transcript. In addition, we find that positively and negatively charged amino acid residues near the beginning and end of the ribosomal exit tunnel, respectively, are important determinants of translation speed, and we argue that this result is consistent with the known biophysical properties of the exit tunnel.


The complexity of modern industrial processes makes high dependability an essential demand for reducing production loss, avoiding equipment damage, and increasing human safety. A more dependable system is a system that has the ability to: 1) detect faults as fast as possible; 2) diagnose them accurately; 3) recover the system to the nominal performance as much as possible. Therefore, a robust Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) and a Fault Tolerant Control (FTC) system design have attained increased attention during the last decades. This thesis focuses on the design of a robust model-based FDI system and a performance recovery controller based on a new performance index called Dynamic Safety Margin (DSM). The DSM index is used to measure the distance between a predefined safety boundary in the state space and the system state trajectory as it evolves. The DSM concept, its computation methods, and its relationship to the state constraints are addressed. The DSM can be used in different control system applications; some of them are highlighted in this work. Controller design based on DSM is especially useful for safety-critical systems to maintain a predefined margin of safety during the transient and in the presence of large disturbances. As a result, the application of DSM to controller design and adaptation is discussed in particular for model predictive control (MPC) and PID controller. Moreover, an FDI scheme based on the analysis of the DSM is proposed. Since it is difficult to isolate different types of faults using a single model, a multi-model approach is employed in this FDI scheme. The proposed FDI scheme is not restricted to a special type of fault. In some faulty situations, recovering the system performance to the nominal one cannot be fulfilled. As a result, reducing the output performance is necessary in order to increase the system availability. A framework of FTC system is proposed that combines the proposed FDI and the controllers design based on DSM, in particular MPC, with accepted degraded performance in order to generate a reliable FTC system. The DSM concept and its applications are illustrated using simulation examples. Finally, these applications are implemented in real-time for an experimental two-tank system. The results demonstrate the fruitfulness of the introduced approaches.


Social awareness systems aim at supporting social connectedness by providing users with subtle cues about what is happening in their social network. In developing such systems, designers are faced with many design choices that influence the way social connectedness is affected. Typically, the designs and evaluations of social awareness systems lack foundations in formal models of social connectedness. This paper first describes a conceptual model of social connectedness, which provides a guideline for the design and evaluation of a social awareness system called SnowGlobe. SnowGlobe is a lamp that creates interpersonal awareness of movement between people in two remote living rooms. It displays movement of a remote user by glowing brighter, and users can exchange nudges by users shaking their SnowGlobes, making the remote SnowGlobe blink. The user-system interactions and the effect of system use on social connectedness were evaluated in a field trial. Participants used a SnowGlobe for several weeks and experienced SnowGlobe as a complementary form of communication. Interviews and log-data show that participants enjoyed using SnowGlobe, and that it contributed to relationship saliency and closeness as dimensions of social connectedness. Key design aspects for this effect were found to be the low-bandwidth level of communication, the ambiguity of the interaction, and the physicality of the interactions.


Does doing "good" always translate into doing "well"? Debate over the "value" of corporate social responsibility is high on the agenda of corporate finance research. Deeper understanding is required on managers' incentives to pursue and implement corporate social responsibility related strategies, as is more thorough comprehension of the effect of these strategies to firms' performance levels as well as shareholder and wider stakeholder valuations of the firm. This paper provides a new lens by approaching the subject from a different methodological paradigm, grounded in the performance benchmarking methods more commonly applied in operational research. In so doing, we provide novel evidence of the effect of corporate choices on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategic investment compliance (i.e., doing good) to firms' eco‐efficiency levels (doing well). In brief, our empirical findings suggest that ESG and firm's eco‐performance are nonlinearly related. Specifically, advanced ESG policies and disclosure levels are associated with a positive affect to firms' eco‐efficiency levels, but only up to a point, after which the effect becomes "neutral," that is, ESG demonstrates a visible pattern of diminishing marginal returns. Thus, we may humbly conclude that a firm may "do well" by doing good, but it is not clear they should ever expect to "do great" just by "doing good." The threshold at which this "neutrality" appears varies systematically with the characteristics of the sector in which the firm is operating, as well as dimensions of board diversity. Finally, it is evident that ESG implementation choices can be a source of managerial agency problems.


We present tntorch, a tensor learning framework that supports multiple decompositions (including Candecomp/Parafac, Tucker, and Tensor Train) under a unified interface. With our library, the user can learn and handle low-rank tensors with automatic differentiation, seamless GPU support, and the convenience of PyTorch's API. Besides decomposition algorithms, tntorch implements differentiable tensor algebra, rank truncation, cross-approximation, batch processing, comprehensive tensor arithmetics, and more.


Accessibility is increasingly recognised as a key purpose of transport policies. Most of the common practices found both in academic studies and policy planning draw on relatively simple accessibility measures taken as 'objective' indicators that only focus on the interaction between land use and transport. Relatively little attention has been paid to heterogeneity in individual characteristics and in self-reported perceptions of accessibility ('subjective' indicators), and the corresponding differences with respect to available modal options. This study includes a comparison of (1) 'objective' indicators of accessibility to key activities by various modes of transport; and (2) individuals' own perceptions of their capability to access valuable out-of-home activities and the modal options available to them. This study examines the key differences between the two representations of accessibility. The calculated measure was developed using door-to-door travel times to supermarkets and healthcare centres using OpenTripPlanner. The self-reported measure was based on a dedicated capability-oriented travel survey of people aged 65-79 in Sweden's large metropolitan regions: Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary and multinomial logistic regressions. The results of this study allow us to gain a greater insight into the ways in which the two accounts differ and can complement one another. We find that conventional transport methods, by overlooking the heterogeneity in people's perceptions of their accessibility, tend to overestimate accessibility levels and underestimate accessibility inequalities. This study shows how perceived accounts of accessibility can be incorporated into conventional accessibility models and improve accessibility analyses.


Abstract. Past studies have suggested that ozone in the troposphere has
increased globally throughout much of the 20th century due to increases in
anthropogenic emissions and transport. We show, by combining satellite
measurements with a chemical transport model, that during the last four
decades tropospheric ozone does indeed indicate increases that are global in
nature, yet still highly regional. Satellite ozone measurements from
Nimbus-7 and Earth Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) are merged
with ozone measurements from the Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument/Microwave Limb
Sounder (OMI/MLS) to determine trends in tropospheric ozone for 1979–2016.
Both TOMS (1979–2005) and OMI/MLS (2005–2016) depict large increases in
tropospheric ozone from the Near East to India and East Asia and further
eastward over the Pacific Ocean. The 38-year merged satellite record shows
total net change over this region of about +6 to +7 Dobson units (DU)
(i.e., ∼15 %–20 % of average background ozone), with the
largest increase (∼4 DU) occurring during the 2005–2016 Aura
period. The Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) chemical transport model with
time-varying emissions is used to aid in the interpretation of tropospheric
ozone trends for 1980–2016. The GMI simulation for the combined record also
depicts the greatest increases of +6 to +7 DU over India and East Asia, very
similar to the satellite measurements. In regions of significant increases
in tropospheric column ozone (TCO) the trends are a factor of 2–2.5 larger
for the Aura record when compared to the earlier TOMS record; for India and East Asia the trends in TCO for both GMI and satellite measurements are
∼+3 DU decade−1 or greater during 2005–2016 compared
to about +1.2 to +1.4 DU decade−1 for 1979–2005. The GMI simulation
and satellite data also reveal a tropospheric ozone increases in
∼+4 to +5 DU for the 38-year record over central Africa
and the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Both the GMI simulation and
satellite-measured tropospheric ozone during the latter Aura time period
show increases of ∼+3 DU decade−1 over the N Atlantic
and NE Pacific.


The growth of pathogens potentially relevant to respiratory tract infection may be triggered by changes in ambient temperature. Few studies have examined the association between ambient temperature and pneumonia incidence, and no studies have focused on the susceptible elderly population. We aimed to examine the short-term association between ambient temperature and geriatric pneumonia and to assess the disease burden attributable to cold and hot temperatures in Hong Kong, China. Daily time-series data on emergency hospital admissions for geriatric pneumonia, mean temperature, relative humidity, and air pollution concentrations between January 2005 and December 2012 were collected. Distributed-lag nonlinear modeling integrated in quasiPoisson regression was used to examine the exposure-lag-response relationship between temperature and pneumonia hospitalization. Measures of the risk attributable to nonoptimal temperature were calculated to summarize the disease burden. Subgroup analyses were conducted to examine the sex difference. We observed significant nonlinear and delayed associations of both cold and hot temperatures with pneumonia in the elderly, with cold temperatures having stronger effect estimates. Among the 10.7% of temperature-related pneumonia hospitalizations, 8.7% and 2.0% were attributed to cold and hot temperatures, respectively. Most of the temperature-related burden for pneumonia hospitalizations in Hong Kong was attributable to cold temperatures, and elderly men had greater susceptibility.


Internet development in Africa is constrained by poor telephone infrastructure, low international bandwidth and high dials up tariffs levied on internet users. This means in Africa we find actually app. 1% of worldwide internet users whereas population share of world population may be around 13%. Nearly half of the internet users are concentrated in South Africa. Another one percent of world users is located in the Middle East. Therefore it is understandable that Africa and the Arab world are latecomers in developing net based educational systems. However today donor organizations put strong emphasis on creating Virtual Campuses for African States (EC, Word Bank) and Mediterranean countries or plan to incorporate selected African States to other institutional arrangements (Commonwealth of Nations, UNESCO). In what follows we will discuss five of these projects differing in scope, structure and funding namely the Virtual African University, the Avicenna Project, the Virtual Arab University, the Syrian Open University and the proposal for a Virtual University for the Small States. From the analysis of the respective projects some tentative conclusions will be derived.


This paper presents a novel micro-fabrication method using focused ultraviolet (UV) light to manufacture three-dimensional sawtooth structures in ultra-thick negative photoresist to fabricate a novel multi-prism x-ray lens. The method uses a lens to shape the UV beam instead of the photomask conventionally used in UV lithography. Benefits of this method include the ability to manufacture sawtooth structures in free form, for example in circular shapes as well as arrays of these shapes, and in resist that is up to 76 μm thick. To verify the method, initially a simple simulation based on Fourier optics was done to predict the exposure energy distribution in the photoresist. Furthermore, circular sawtooth gratings were manufactured in a 76 μm SU-8 resist. The UV lens was fabricated using electron beam lithography and then used to expose the SU-8 with UV light. This paper details the complete developed process, including pre-exposure with an e-beam and cold development, which creates stable sawtooth structures. The measured profile was compared to the ideal sawtooth and the simulation. The main discrepancy was in the smallest feature size, the sawtooth tips, which were wider than the desired structures, as would be expected by simulation.


This research is exploratory and is intended to help us understand the diverse interests and forces that helped shape various developments in the Nigerian banking industry, during the pre-independence era. The study investigates the activities of colonial banks in British Nigeria. Emphasis is placed on the dealings between these colonial banks and the Africans and the claim, by the Africans, that these foreign institutions were unhelpful to them. The motives and activities of the indigenous banks, subsequently established by the Africans, are also examined. Furthermore, the study investigates the different modes of bank regulation while Nigeria was a British Colony, studying the extent to which bank regulation in Nigeria has been influenced by that in other countries, and examining the complex role of banking sector regulation in a developing economy where banks have often been used overtly as instruments of political policy. Special emphasis is placed on the forces that helped shape the law and enforcement of banking regulation and the structure of the emergent regulatory institution. This research makes a contribution in a number of areas: (1) to our understanding of how banking regulation operates in a highly politicised environment (2) to our knowledge of the diffusion of banking practices and ideas and the significance of political control and social contact to the diffusion process and (3) to our appreciation of the forces shaping banking regulation over a long period.


This thesis seeks to show that nationwide fast and thanksgiving days were not the handmaidens of a puritan parliamentarian cause, but synonymous with monarchy, custom, and traditional English worship. It investigates the question of what happened to nationwide prayer days, which were ordered on royal authority, when Charles's authority was challenged in the 1640s and two rival authorities began to order occasions. It then analyses their continuities and changes through the 1650s and re-emergence in the traditional model at the Restoration.

It is argued that belief in providence was a central motivation in the ordering and observance of special worship. This is in contrast to the predominant historiographical view, which focuses almost exclusively on the relationship between these occasions and their political contexts. This is not to say that politics did not play a significant role; it did. Rather that this should not overshadow recognition that these were primarily religious events. Indeed, these occasions are worthy of investigation precisely because of their politico-religious nature. Examination of the frequency of prayer days demonstrates key turning points in this period, changes in ordering processes reveals the shifting nature of authority, while close analysis of prayer day orders and forms of prayer highlights how the civil war threw theological debates concerning providence, prayer and fasting into sharper relief.

Uniquely, this thesis examines the distribution of printed texts used for prayer days, highlighting the practical difficulties of distribution, particularly for the royalists. Similarly, it contributes to scholarly debate by demonstrating the popularity of the concept of nationwide fast and thanksgiving days, thus challenging current assumptions. The work closes by reflecting on what these occasions can tell us about contemporary debates concerning the royal supremacy, the religious settlements of 1559 and 1662, and the nature of the national church in the early modern period.


In recent years, advances in signal processing have led to small, low power, inexpensive Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). The signal processing in WSN is different from the traditional wireless networks in two critical aspects: firstly, the signal processing in WSN is performed in a fully distributed manner, unlike in traditional wireless networks; secondly, due to the limited computation capabilities of sensor networks, it is essential to develop an energy and bandwidth efficient signal processing algorithms.
Target localisation and tracking problems in WSNs have received considerable attention recently, driven by the necessity to achieve higher localisation accuracy, lower cost, and the smallest form factor. Received Signal Strength (RSS) based localisation techniques are at the forefront of tracking research applications.
Since tracking algorithms have been attracting research and development attention recently, prolific literature and a wide range of proposed approaches regarding the topic have emerged. This thesis is devoted to discussing the existing WSN-based localisation and tracking approaches.
This thesis includes five studies. The first study leads to the design and implementation of a triangulation-based localisation approach using RSS technique for indoor tracking applications. The presented work achieves low localisation error in complex environments by predicting the environmental characteristics among beacon nodes. The second study concentrates on investigating a fingerprinting localisation method for indoor tracking applications. The proposed approach offers reasonable localisation accuracy while requiring a short period of offline computation time. The third study focuses on designing and implementing a decentralised tracking approach for tracking multiple mobile targets with low resource requirements.
Despite the interest in target tracking and localisation issues, there are few systems deployed using ZigBee network standard, and no tracking system has used the full features of the ZigBee network standard. Tracking through the ZigBee is a challenging task when the density of router and end-device nodes is low, due to the limited communication capabilities of end-device nodes. The fourth study focuses on developing and designing a practical ZigBee-based tracking approach.
To save energy, different strategies were adopted. The fifth study outlines designing and implementing an energy-efficient approach for tracking applications. This study consists of two main approaches: a data aggregation approach, proposed and implemented in order to reduce the total number of messages transmitted over the network; and a prediction approach, deployed to increase the lifetime of the WSN.
For evaluation purposes, two environmental models were used in this thesis: firstly, real experiments, in which the proposed approaches were implemented on real sensor nodes, to test the validity for the proposed approaches; secondly, simulation experiments, in which NS-2 was used to evaluate the power-consumption issues of the two approaches proposed in this thesis.


Geographic information is a valuable source for applications and analysis, where location of objects and events, can enhance the decision making activities. Recently, the interoperability of geospatial data has been an ongoing research activity and goal of the geospatial information user community for decades. Focusing on data integration scenarios, the recent popularity and adoption of the internet and web services, has provided a new means of interoperability for geospatial information, differing from previous approaches to information exchange.
Currently the interoperability approaches of geospatial information with real estate data are inadequate. This thesis argues that utilizing the interoperability real estate data, with geospatial data using web services, is the best method to achieve efficient data exchange than traditional approaches. The thesis demonstrates this by developing a spatial web service to facilitate transferring data, from real estate users, to Geographic Information System (GIS) data layers. The thesis also discusses how web services affect data preparation and data updating. Various scenarios of geocoding and transferring real estate data into geospatial data will be discussed.
A web interface implementation is presented, to illustrate the validity of the interoperable spatial web service approach, with real estate for which this thesis argues. The interface has two ways communication. On one hand users will be able to use the spatial web service to integrate the property data, with GIS service provider. On the other hand, user will be able to receive a map report for the geocoded property.


Many policymakers argue that property rights decrease deforestation. Some theoretical papers also make this prediction, arguing that property rights decrease discount rates applied to a long-term investment in forestry. However, the effect is theoretically ambiguous. The paper takes a novel instrumental variables approach based on Nicaragua's agrarian reform to test for the effect, using a new dataset—Nicaragua's 2001 agricultural census. It finds that property rights significantly increase deforestation. The model, supported by the data, suggests a likely mechanism for this relationship: property rights increase investment, increasing agricultural productivity and therefore the returns to deforestation. & 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Illustrated Special Relativity shows that linear algebra is a natural language for special relativity. It illustrates and resolves several apparent paradoxes of special relativity including the twin paradox and train-and-tunnel paradox. Assuming a minimum of technical prerequisites the authors introduce inertial frames and use them to explain a variety of phenomena: the nature of simultaneity, the proper way to add velocities, and why faster-than-light travel is impossible. Most of these explanations are contained in the resolution of apparent paradoxes, including some lesser-known ones: the pea-shooter paradox, the bug-and-rivet paradox, and the accommodating universe paradox. The explanation of time and length contraction is especially clear and illuminating. At the outset of his seminal paper on special relativity, Einstein acknowledges the work of James Clerk Maxwell whose four equations unified the theories of electricity, optics, and magnetism. For this reason, the authors develop Maxwell's equations which lead to a simple calculation for the frame-independent speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum. (Maxwell did not realize that light was a special case of electromagnetic waves.) Several chapters are devoted to experiments of Roemer, Fizeau, and de Sitter to measure the speed of light and the Michelson-Morley experiment abolishing the aether. Throughout the exposition is thorough, but not overly technical, and often illustrated by cartoons. The volume might be suitable for a one-semester general-education introduction to special relativity. It is especially well-suited to self-study by interested laypersons or use as a supplement to a more traditional text.


This empirical research sets out to explore the complex domestic dynamics that shape Pakistan's contemporary alliance making with China. The study examines the actual and potential domestic political challenges to the endurance of Pakistan-China alliance. The research also aims to assess Pakistani security elites' efforts and strategies to overcome those challenges.
The leading approaches in international politics that seek to explain the logic of external alliances – Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism – do not elucidate Pakistan-China alliance in depth. While there is an inordinate amount of literature concerning the Pakistan-China relations, the literature on maintenance of this alliance is relatively scarce. Besides, scholars have neglected the way in which Pakistan has promoted its alliance with China domestically.
This work aims to fill this gap in the literature. Interpreting from the perspective of Security Elite Domestic Propaganda and International Alliance (SEPIA), this study will show that while the alliance with China is essential for Pakistan to contain the military threat posed by India, such an alliance meets with overt challenges from the Pakistani society. Specifically, the Pakistani popular support for Uighur separatism and terrorist attacks against Chinese targets confront the Pakistani security elites with the need to promote the alliance on the domestic level through a robust propaganda campaign. This study, therefore, evaluates the propaganda strategies of the security elites to cultivate the Chinese alliance within the national society. While exposing Pakistani state propaganda, the research focuses to highlight the apprehension of the Pakistani elite towards their public.
This works relies on qualitative methods including documentary analysis and elites interviews. The sources used include Pakistani cultural textbooks, security elites' newspaper articles and lawmakers' speeches to investigate the key propaganda themes aiming to legitimising the alliance. The autobiographies and other sources held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are also utilised.


"Frankel's scholarship in this carefully researched and clearly written study is impressive...The study is thoroughly documented with 70 pages of footnotes and a 14-page bibliography, refleccting Frankel's grasp of the secondary literature as well as extensive work in primary documents." -Choice Freedom's Women examines African American women's experiences during the Civil War and early Reconstruction years in Mississippi. Exploring issues of family and work, the author shows how African American women's attempts to achieve more control over their lives shaped their attitudes toward work, marriage, family, and community.


The transfer function can be determined by convolution of the pupil function over the aperture. The pupil function itself is a function of the design data of the lens system (i.e., refractive indices, radii of curvature, etc.) Of particular importance, both practically and theoretically, is the frequency response on-axis where only rotationally symmetric aberrations are present. The aberration function is obtained from an integration over the ray-trace data and is curve-fitted by Chebyschev interpolation. Unlike the least-squares method, the Chebyschev approach allows a uniform approximation over the interval. This data is substituted into the transfer function which is numerically evaluated by application of very high-order Gauss quadrature theory.


Abstract. A new method is proposed to simplify complex atmospheric chemistry reaction schemes, while preserving SOA formation properties, using genetic algorithms. The method is first applied in this study to the gas-phase α-pinene oxidation scheme. The simple unified volatility-based scheme (SUVS) reflects the multi-generation evolution of chemical species from a near-explicit master chemical mechanism (MCM) and, at the same time, uses the volatility-basis set speciation for condensable products. The SUVS also unifies reactions between SOA precursors with different oxidants under different atmospheric conditions. A total of 412 unknown parameters (product yields of parameterized products, reaction rates, etc.) from the SUVS are estimated by using genetic algorithms operating on the detailed mechanism. The number of organic species was reduced from 310 in the detailed mechanism to 31 in the SUVS. Output species profiles, obtained from the original subset of the MCM reaction scheme for α-pinene oxidation, are reproduced with maximum fractional error at 0.10 for scenarios under a wide range of ambient HC/NO x conditions. Ultimately, the same SUVS with updated parameters could be used to describe the SOA formation from different precursors.


Kolstad and colleagues (1) reported on a well-conducted prospective cohort study among 2304 patients referred to an occupational medicine department of a university hospital in Denmark to assess whether the notification of an occupational disease increases the risk of work disability. Working employees with a notification had an increased risk of work disability with a hazard ratio of 1.4 [see table 2 (1]). Their recommendation is that "compensation systems should ensure that only workers with high odds of compensation are notified and physicians should consider the risk of exclusion from the job market before notifying a patient".

This is remarkably outspoken advice for such a delicate topic in occupational health. We believe this recommendation might be one step ahead of their findings and, more importantly, might be counterproductive for the prevention of work disability.
First, regarding the evidence base, the notified group differs considerably from the non-notified group at baseline regarding prognostic factors for work disability: for instance there are more blue-collar workers (76% versus 54%), ergonomic exposures (51% versus 26%) and work-related disabling diseases such as dorsalgia (14% versus 7%), shoulder lesions (10% versus 4%), irritant contact dermatitis (8% versus 2%), Raynaud's syndrome (5% versus 1%), and carpal tunnel syndrome (5% versus 1%). In addition, no adjustments were made for physical and mental job demands. The authors are aware of this given their statement in the conclusion "… data analyses may not have fully accounted for the poorer vocational prognosis…". Moreover, work disability was in fact defined as sick leave of >12 weeks in the upcoming year, independent of the notified occupational disease. From a national survey in the Netherlands, we know that among working patients, who presume that their disease is mainly or partly work-related and who were not notified, the duration of sick leave is more than twice as long when taking into account the type of disease: 16 versus 7 days (2). A similar effect was found among Dutch patients without employment who were not notified about their occupational disease: the sickness absence lasted 1.5 times longer when the sick-listing was due to an occupational disease, and 2.6 times more often the sick-listed worker reached – after two years of sick leave – the work disability assessment required for the entitlement of disability benefits. At that time, they were granted the disability benefits twice as often.

Secondly, we consider an intervention study to be more appropriate to support this kind of recommendation, preferably a (randomized) controlled study. No description is given about the potential impact of the notification: how was the patient notified about the occupational disease? At what point in time was this done since the complaints arose? How were the consequences for return-to-work discussed and what care was provided to support sustainable return-to-work among this vulnerable population? Especially in the case of an occupational disease, timely and tailored integrated care might be necessary to accomplish sustainable return-to work, with an important role for both employer and employee and of course the occupational physician (4, 5).

Finally, by the nature of their job, occupational physicians should discuss as soon as possible the work-related aspects of a disease with their patient, regardless of the compensation mechanisms at stake. Many patients themselves have – true or false – perceptions and expectations about the work-relatedness of their complaints. In the Netherlands, more than 50% of the employees on sick leave due to mental health complaints and musculoskeletal complaints of the low back and upper extremity are of the opinion that work is mainly or partly the cause (2). Therefore, instead of a recommendation that might discourage occupational physicians from discussing the work-relatedness of the disease with their patients, a timely diagnosis and appropriate care and intervention at the workplace seems warranted to prevent work disability in the case of an occupational disease (6). We do not expect a security officer to remain silent while witnessing a theft; the same goes for an occupational physician unwilling to address the topic and consequences of an occupational disease.


Knowledge compilation (KC) is a research topic which aims to investigate the possibility of circumventing the computational intractability of hard tasks, by preprocessing part of the available information, common to a number of instances. Pioneered almost three decades ago, KC is nowadays a very active research field, transversal to several areas within computer science. Among others, KC intersects knowledge representation, constraint satisfaction, algorithms, complexity theory, machine learning, and databases.

The results obtained so far take various forms, from theory (compilability settings, definition of target languages for KC, complexity results, succinctness results, etc.) to more practical results (development and evaluation of compilers and other preprocessors, applications to diagnosis, planning, automatic configuration, etc.). Recently, KC has been positioned as providing a systematic method for solving problems beyond NP, and also found applications in machine learning.

The goal of this Dagstuhl Seminar was to advance both aspects of KC, and to pave the way for a fruitful cross-fertilization between the topics, from theory to practice. The program included a mixture of long and short presentations, with discussions. Several long talks with a tutorial flavor introduced the participants to the variety of aspects in knowledge compilation and the diversity of techniques used. System presentations as well as an open problem session were also included in the program.


To gain insight into brain tumor invasion, experiments are conducted on multicellular tumor spheroids grown in collagen gel. Typically, a radius of invasion is reported, which is obtained by human measurement. We present a simple, heuristic algorithm for automated invasive radii estimation (AIRE) that uses local fluctuations of the image intensity. We then derive an analytical expression relating the image graininess to the cell density for a model imaging system. The result agrees with the experiment up to a multiplicative constant and thus describes a novel method for estimating the cell density from bright-field images.


Low reactive-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been reported to reduce chronic and acute pain. Recently, some studies have shown that LLLT may also delay skeletal muscle fatigue during high-intensity exercise. We have hypothesized that laser irradiation may also attenuate muscle fatigue or pain experienced after sports or exercise. However, only a few reports have described the use of lasers in sports medicine. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of LLLT in aiding the recovery from exercise-induced skeletal muscle fatigue. Subjects and Methods: Isometric plantar flexion was repeatedly performed on 9 students until the force output declined to 50% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Subjects were assigned to perform 3 experiments under different LLLT conditions: laser irradiation to the neck (NKL), to the muscle (MSL), and no laser irradiation (CON). MVC and muscle hardness, girth, blood oxygen saturation, and heart rate were measured during the pre-exercise, post-exercise, and recovery phases. The neck and muscle were irradiated for 15 s using the Oh-Lase HT 2001 semi-conductor laser (830 nm; 60 mW, continuous wave), immediately after MVC measurement during the post-exercise phase.Results: The total exercise time and mean output forces were analyzed using repeated-measures and one-factor ANOVA with post-hoc tests; no significant differences were observed among the 3 conditions for the pre and post-exercise MVC levels before irradiation (NKL, 68.1% MVC; MSL, 66.4% MVC; CON, 66.1% MVC). However, the MVC at 5 and 10 min after exercise was significantly greater in the NKL and MSL groups than in the CON group (MVC after 5 min: 80.4%, 76.9%, and 69.7% for the NKL, MSL, and CON groups, respectively; MVC after 10 min: 81.8%, 81.2%, and 74.4%). Further, no significant differences were observed in the MVC recorded at 15 and 30 min. Therefore, compared to the CON group, the NKL and MSL groups exhibited early muscle-strength recovery from fatigue caused by repeated contractions.Conclusion: We concluded that LLLT at the parameters used in the present study effectively promoted the recovery of the isometric force output after muscle fatigue induced by repeated contractions, especially in the acute-exhaustion phase.


The biosynthesis, glycosylation and subcellular localization of the neutral endopeptidase-24.11 were studied in cultured human fibroblasts. The enzyme was synthesized as a precursor (Mr 88,000) containing four or five N-linked oligosaccharides. Within 1 h the synthesis-mature (Mr 94,000) endopeptidase-24.11 was formed and contained sialylated oligosaccharides. The half-life of endopeptidase-24.11 was 3.7 days and in the presence of 10 mM-NH4Cl it increased to 6 days. Mature endopeptidase-24.11 was solubilized with 0.2% saponin and partitioned into Triton X-114. In intact fibroblasts, endopeptidase-24.11 was accessible to antibodies and to neuraminidase even when the treatment was performed at 4 degrees C. The localization of endopeptidase-24.11 to the plasma membrane in cultured fibroblasts was further demonstrated by immunocytochemistry.


Abstract Bivalve death assemblages from subtidal environments within the tropical Bocas del Toro embayment of Caribbean Panama permit a test of the extent to which levels of damage are determined by the intrinsic nature of shell supply (proportion of epifaunal species, thick shells, calcitic shells, low-organic microstructures), as opposed to the extrinsic postmortem environment that shells experience. Only damage to interior surfaces of shells was used, to ensure that damage was unambiguously postmortem in origin. We find that facies-level differences in patterns of damage (the rank order importance of postmortem encrustation, boring, edge-rounding, fine-scale surface degradation) are overwhelmingly controlled by environmental conditions: in each environment, all subsets of the death assemblage present the same damage profile. The composition of shell supply affects only the intensity of the taphonomic signature (i.e., percentage of shells affected), and only in environments containing hard substrata (patch reefs, Halimeda gravelly sand, mud among patch reefs). In these environments, epifauna, whether aragonitic or calcitic and whether thin or thick, exhibit significantly higher damage than co-occurring infauna, probably due to the initial period of seafloor exposure they typically experience after death. Thick shells (>0.5 mm), regardless of life habit or mineralogy, are damaged more frequently than thin shells, probably because of selective colonization by fouling organisms. Calcitic shells show no consistently greater frequency of damage than aragonitic shells, and high-organic microstructures yield mixed patterns. Taphofacies surveys in such depositional systems could thus be confidently based on any subset of the fauna, including diagenetically residual assemblages of calcitic shells and thick-shelled molds. Further tests are needed to determine whether the higher levels of damage observed on some subsets of shells are a consequence of greater time-averaging (thus lower temporal resolution), greater exposure time, preferential attack (potential bias in relative abundance), or some combination of these. Paleobiologically, however, the implication is that ecological subsets of bivalve assemblages are not isotaphonomic, either in tangible damage or in probable bias, within hard-substrate environments, although they may be within soft-sediment environments. In actualistic studies, targeting broad classes of taxa for comparison across environments maximizes our ability to extrapolate taphonomic guidelines into the fossil record, where life habits, skeletal types, and shallow subtidal habitats have dramatically different patterns of abundance and deployment.


There is growing interest in the development of new technologies that capitalize on our emerging understanding of the multisensory influences on flavor perception in order to enhance human–food interaction design. This review focuses on the role of (extrinsic) visual, auditory, and haptic/tactile elements in modulating flavor perception and more generally, our food and drink experiences. We review some of the most exciting examples of recent multisensory technologies for augmenting such experiences. Here, we discuss applications for these technologies, for example, in the field of food experience design, in the support of healthy eating, and in the rapidly growing world of sensory marketing. However, as the review makes clear, while there are many opportunities for novel human–food interaction design, there are also a number of challenges that will need to be tackled before new technologies can be meaningfully integrated into our everyday food and drink experiences.


Introduction: Bangladesh army has a continuous process of recruit training throughout the year in its different training centers. While training, recruits suffer from a lot of health problems which hinders their physical training as well as academic activities. In this regard "Injury" is the main problem as identified. In Bangladesh, there is little data obtained as regard to the common injuries among recruits.
Objectives: To ascertain common injuries of recruits in selected military training centers of Bangladesh Army.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted from 01 July 2018 to 30 June 2019 at Chattogram Cantonment, Chattogram in two selected training centers of Bangladesh Army for the initial 06 months of the training period. The samples were selected purposively. Among 2702 study population the number of injured recruits (Respondents) was 152. A semi-structured pre-tested questionnaire and checklist were used as the research instrument.
Results: Among the 152 respondents 65(42.8%) suffered from sprain, 43(28.3%) from shin pain, 20(13.2%) from fracture, 9(5.9%) from muscle strain, 6(3.9%) from low back-pain, and 9(6%) suffered from other different types of injuries.
Conclusion: Further study is needed to conduct through out the full duration of the recruit training to ascertain more specifically the common injuries among the recruits in BD Army.
JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 17, No 2 (December) 2021: 3-6


Concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity (TA), nutrients, and oxygen in subsurface waters of the central Arctic Ocean have been investigated for conceivable time trends over the last two decades. Data from six cruises (1991–2011) that cover the Nansen, Amundsen, and Makarov Basins were included in this analysis. In waters deeper than 2000 m, no statistically significant trend could be observed for DIC, TA, phosphate, or nitrate, but a small rate of increase in apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) was noticeable. For the individual stations, differences in concentration of each property were computed between the mean concentrations in the Arctic Atlantic Water (AAW) or the upper Polar Deep Water (uPDW), i.e., between about 150 and 1400 m depth, and in the deep water (assumed invariable over time). In these shallower water layers, we observe significant above-zero time trends for DIC, in the range of 0.6–0.9 µmol kg-1 yr-1 (for AAW) and 0.4–0.6 µmol kg-1 yr-1 (for uPDW). No time trend in nutrients could be observed, indicating no change in the rate of organic matter mineralization within this depth range. Consequently, the buildup of DIC is attributed to increasing concentrations of anthropogenic carbon in the waters flowing into these depth layers of the Arctic Ocean. The resulting rate of increase of the column inventory of anthropogenic CO2 is estimated to be between 0.6 and 0.9 mol C m-2 yr-1, with distinct differences between basins.


CONTEXT
Guidelines recommend antibiotic therapy for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the evidence is based on small, heterogeneous trials, few of which include hospitalized patients.

OBJECTIVE
To compare the outcomes of patients treated with antibiotics in the first 2 hospital days with those treated later or not at all.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS
Retrospective cohort of patients aged 40 years or older who were hospitalized from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2007, for acute exacerbations of COPD at 413 acute care facilities throughout the United States.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
A composite measure of treatment failure, defined as the initiation of mechanical ventilation after the second hospital day, inpatient mortality, or readmission for acute exacerbations of COPD within 30 days of discharge; length of stay, and hospital costs.

RESULTS
Of 84,621 patients, 79% received at least 2 consecutive days of antibiotic treatment. Treated patients were less likely than nontreated patients to receive mechanical ventilation after the second hospital day (1.07%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06%-1.08% vs 1.80%; 95% CI, 1.78%-1.82%), had lower rates of inpatient mortality (1.04%; 95% CI, 1.03%-1.05% vs 1.59%; 95% CI, 1.57%-1.61%), and had lower rates of readmission for acute exacerbations of COPD (7.91%; 95% CI, 7.89%-7.94% vs 8.79%; 95% CI, 8.74%-8.83%). Patients treated with antibiotic agents had a higher rate of readmissions for Clostridium difficile (0.19%; 95% CI, 0.187%-0.193%) than those who were not treated (0.09%; 95% CI, 0.086%-0.094%). After multivariable adjustment, including the propensity for antibiotic treatment, the risk of treatment failure was lower in antibiotic-treated patients (odds ratio, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.82-0.92). A grouped treatment approach and hierarchical modeling to account for potential confounding of hospital effects yielded similar results. Analysis stratified by risk of treatment failure found similar magnitudes of benefit across all subgroups.

CONCLUSION
Early antibiotic administration was associated with improved outcomes among patients hospitalized for acute exacerbations of COPD regardless of the risk of treatment failure.


Chronic misalignment of the eyes (strabismus) during early visual development leads to many well-known functional consequences including loss of visual acuity and stereopsis in addition to a range of other deficits in form and motion processing. Much less is known about the effects of strabismus on the development of brain structure. In the current study, we performed a comprehensive survey of 28 major white matter tracts in 16 patients with amblyopia, comparing their results with 32 age-matched, neurotypical controls. We capitalized on two recent methodological developments to better characterize amblyopia: First, in addition to diffusion-based tractography, we employed a new quantitative T1 mapping procedure that has been shown to be sensitive to myelin in white matter. Second, we analyzed a tract -the Vertical Occipital Fasciculus- that bridges dorsal and ventral visual areas of the occipital lobe. We measured three properties for each tract: fractional anisotropy(FA), mean diffusivity(MD), and T1. A small global effect of amblyopia was reflected in consistently elevated MD and T1 values and decreased FA values in almost all of the tracts. Overall, the most affected property was MD. To assess which tracts were most affected, we rank-ordered the tracts on the basis of their MD effect size. The five most affected tracts showed effect sizes (d') ranging from 0.74 to 0.58, and were, in decreasing order, the Anterior Frontal Corpus Callosum, Right VOF, Left Inferior Longitudinal Fasciculus (ILF), Left Optic Radiation and Temporal Corpus Callosum. Notably, the VOF is the only long-range tract that lies entirely within the occipital lobe. The ILF connects the occipital and temporal lobes and the two callosal tracts connect frontal and temporal lobe areas. Previous work has suggested that the optic radiation is affected in visual deprivation(Xie et al.,2007).We conclude that strabismic amblyopia has subtle, but widespread effects on white matter properties. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


There is a world-wide need for the development of sustainable management strategies to control the development of phosphine (PH3) resistance in lesser grain borer (Rhyzopertha dominica). Computer simulation models can provide a relatively fast, safe and inexpensive way to weigh the merits of various management options. However, the usefulness of simulation models relies on the accurate estimation of important model parameters. Concentration and time of exposure are both important in determining the intensity of response to a toxic agent. The ability to estimate mortality or survival rate (1 - mortality) at a range of concentrations and exposure times based on experimental data is critical for the development of an accurate simulation of the evolution of resistance to phosphine. Our individual-based simulation model required predictions of finite daily survival rates at different concentrations for each of nine possible genotypes in our two-locus model. In this paper we briefly described how we used a two-parameter probit model Y = a + b log(Ct) and a fourparameter probit model Y = a + b 1 log(t) + b 2 log(C) + b 3 log(t) log(C) to fit three sets of experimental data (Collins et al, 2002, 2005; Daglish, 2004). Here C (mg/l) is the PH3 concentration, t (hour) is the exposure time and Y is the probit (= "probability unit") mortality, which is the probability of mortality transformed by the inverse cumulative distribution function (CDF) associated with the standard normal distribution. The data sets of Collins et al. (2002, 2005) and Daglish (2004) are observed from five available strains of lesser grain borer, associated with five different genotypes. We still needed to construct a model predicting finite daily survival at different concentrations for the remaining four genotypes. As a step towards achieving this, we first estimated the resistance factors for the first five genotypes (strains) based on our fitted models. The resistance factor of a genotype x for a given fumigation duration is defined as the ratio between the PH 3 concentration that achieves 50% mortality in a sub-population of genotype x and the lower PH 3 concentration that achieves 50% mortality in a susceptible sub-population. We then estimated the resistance factors for the other four genotypes by making some basic assumptions regarding genetic interactions; log-transformed resistance factors for the nine genotypes can be expressed in terms of five parameters which represent respectively the strength and the dominance of the 1 st and 2 nd genes, and the synergism between the two genes. Finally we modelled survival rates for the other four genotypes using the two-parameter probit model. We assumed that the parameter b for these genotypes was the same as the b value for one of the five strains. Finally, the value for parameter a for each of the four genotypes could then be obtained by direct substitution of the related values C, t and Y into the two-parameter probit model. Having constructed the probit models we obtained estimates of finite daily survival rates in two ways with the same total survival rate for each of the nine genotypes.


Abstract In the post-HAART era, critical questions arise as to what factors affect disclosure decisions and how these decisions are associated with factors such as high-risk behaviors and partner variables. We interviewed 1,828 HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM), of whom 46% disclosed to all partners. Among men with casual partners, 41.8% disclosed to all of these partners and 21.5% to none. Disclosure was associated with relationship type, perceived partner HIV status and sexual behaviors. Overall, 36.5% of respondents had unprotected anal sex (UAS) with partners of negative/unknown HIV status. Of those with only casual partners, 80.4% had >1 act of UAS and 58% of these did not disclose to all partners. This 58% were more likely to self-identify as gay (versus bisexual), be aware of their status for <5 years and have more partners. Being on HAART, viral load and number of symptoms were not associated with disclosure. This study—the largest conducted to date of disclosure among MSM and one of the few conducted post-HAART—indicates that almost 1/5th reported UAS with casual partners without disclosure, highlighting a public health challenge. Disclosure needs to be addressed in the context of relationship type, partner status and broader risk-reduction strategies.


Cerebral ischemic stroke is a worldwide cause of mortality/morbidity and thus an important focus of research to decrease the severity of brain injury. Therapeutic options for acute stroke are still limited. In neurons throughout the brain, "M-type" K+ currents, underlain by KCNQ subunits 2–5, play dominant roles in control over excitability, and are thus implicated in myriad neurological and psychiatric disorders. Although KCNQ channel openers, such as retigabine, have emerged as anti-epilepsy drugs, their effects on ischemic injury remain unknown. Here, we investigated the protective effects of M-channel openers on stroke-induced brain injury in mouse photothrombotic and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) models. Both photothrombosis and MCAo led to rapid, predictable, and consistently sized necrotic brain lesions, inflammatory responses, and behavioral deficits. Administration of three distinct M-channel openers at 0–6 h after ischemic injury significantly decreased brain infarct size and inflammation, and prevented neurological dysfunction, although they were more effective when administered 0–3 h poststroke. Thus, we show beneficial effects against stroke-induced brain injury and neuronal death through pharmacological regulation of ion channels that control neuronal excitability.


The networking industry, which has not undergone a substantial change within the past 20 or so years, is being disrupted by a technology known as Software Defined Networks (SDN). Even though SDN has taken the networking world by a storm, but consensus on a specific standard has caused the industry to be wary in embracing the technology. This thesis addresses this issue in a four faceted manner. By collaborating with Open Networking Laboratory (ON.LAB) we developed three major OpenFlow [12] based SDN tools. Moreover, we proposed maximum weight α scheduling algorithms for network switches, whose performance is evaluated in a SDN environment. The first tool is the OVX Testing Framework. OpenVirteX (OVX) [9] is a network hypervisor that creates virtual networks on top physical network by virtualizing OpenFlow. OVX just like FlowVisor [13] acts as a controller to data-plane and to make sure isolation between different virtual networks, OVX rewrite packet header. This very tough and complex task and language specific testing tools and technique like JUnit test etc. are not enough to makes sure OVX correct implementation. To solve this problem we designed and developed OVX Testing Framework, a tool to test OVX end to end delivery. The second tool is based on Open Networking Operating System (ONOS) [10]. ONOS is a distributed SDN controller. It is best known for scalability, higher availability and high performance. It provides useful network abstractions like network graph at northbound and plugins mechanism at southbound to allow different southbound protocols like OpenFlow, NetConf. ONOS has many applications and use cases. One of its use case involves Segment Routing. Segment Routing is the latest routing mechanism to route traffic effectively. We develop Command Line Interface (CLI) for ONOS Segment Router application thats allows the routing application to retrieve switch statistic using OpenFlow v1.3 messages. In addition CLI also allows application to create tunnels and policies. To develop CLI we develop new APIs for ONOS as existing ONOS API does not support OpenFlow v1.3. We use sdncon [16] for formatting and displaying the data. The third tool we propose aims to achieve convergence of packet and optical networks. The functionality this tool implements is amalgamation of both optical and logical layers to optimize the traffic flow, based on a cross layer control infrastructure. The SDN controller acts as a maintainer of Performance Management, which handles TE tools like Path Computation Element. This provides flexibility in access and control of traffic-flow forwarding and bandwidth assignment on both of the layers. In this project we create an emulator for both packet and optical switches. We used mininet [8] for packet switches and Linc-oe, an open source optical switch emulator for optical switches and ONOS as controller. Using this emulator, one can emulate real world scenarios, in packet-optical hybrid setting without any expense. We propose MWA scheduling algorithm provides the throughput optimality to input queued switch under the presence of hybrid data traffic for all admissible arrival processes. We are simulating our results in SDN environment which is constituted by mininet, OpenVirteX, OpenvSwitch [11], OpenFlow protocol and two POX [15] controllers.


Sixty Greek kindergarten teachers were surveyed regarding their teaching beliefs and practices using the Teachers Questionnaire based on guidelines recommended by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. A Varimax factor analysis produced four factors for the Teacher Belief Scale and five factors for the Instructional Activities Scale. Scores on developmentally appropriate factors were consistently higher than factors classified developmentally inappropriate. Correlation between appropriate beliefs and activities was significant (r = .470); correlation between inappropriate beliefs and practices was significant (r = .475). However, developmentally inappropriate beliefs were also positively correlated with developmentally appropriate practices (r = .537). Developmentally appropriate beliefs were not correlated with inappropriate practices. Results were discussed with possible theoretical and practical implications for future research and teacher development.


We explore when experimental subjects are likely to think aggregation across persons – making a decision that some parties should bear losses so that others might gain more – is permissible and when they think it is impermissible, an issue generally explored by eliciting responses to classic Trolley Problems. One central novel finding we explore in this paper is that the intuition to distinguish the two classic Trolley cases – judging the permissibility of diverting the runaway trolley on to a spur track to save potential victims on a main track rather than pushing a person to block the trolley from hitting the potential victims – is considerably weaker and more fragile than the extensive literature that emphasizes its significance has implied. At core, the intuition to divert is fragile in a variety of ways we detail that the intuition against pushing is not. Thus, in many circumstances that we describe, responses to those "killing" problems will converge to a considerable degree on the anti-aggregating position; moreover, the strictures against pushing are typically seen as mandatory (and holds even when following the strictures harms kin or more identified parties) while the requirement to divert is rarely unqualifiedly mandatory and even judgments that diverting is permissible weaken when kin and more identifiable people would be sacrificed by allowing it. At the same time, however, we also find that intuitions against aggregating in both pushing and diverting cases are far more fragile than most philosophical and psychological observers recognize. The intuition subjects display that proves far most basic and durable is the intuition that aggregation is plainly permissible, often desirable, but rarely completely mandatory when one is contemplating saving more, not fewer, people either through ex post allocation of life-saving resources or through making decisions, ex ante to establish programs that will result in fewer, rather than more, deaths in the future, even in situations in which the identity of those at increased risk of death is known at the time the initial program is proposed.


While the motivations of Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) developers have been the subject of extensive research, the motivations for their initial contribution to a FLOSS project has received only little attention. This survey of 94 newcomers to the FLOSS projects Mozilla and GNOME identifies the motivations for the modification of the FLOSS components and for the submission of these modifications back to the FLOSS project. With the responses, we test a hypothesis based on the previous qualitative research on newcomer motivations: Most newcomers modify a component because they need the modification for themselves. Surprisingly, this is not the case for our respondents, who have a variety of primary modification motivations. Newcomer occupation is discussed as a reason for this difference to previous results.


A major problem of increased urbanization is the rise in pollution caused by runoff. A solution to this problem can be found through the use of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) such as rain gardens. Previous research has focused primarily on hydrologic design including the degree to which groundwater is replenished by these systems and models have been developed to quantify the extent of that recharge. However these models do not simulate the transport or fate of pollutants. In this paper, a preliminary heavy metal retention computer model is proposed that consists of two parts: a water flow module and pollutant retention module. To describe flow behaviour a dual-permeability approach is implemented which facilitates the prediction of both matrix and macropore flow. This subroutine is then combined with the retention module, which utilizes and couples the linear, Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms with the advection-diffusion equation. Both submodels are validated using existing literature data. This validation was assessed using efficiency indexes and showed good results with an R2 > 0.93 for the matrix region, an R2 > 0.89 for the macropore region and an R2 = 0.99 for the pollutant retention module. This results in a valuable tool for the design and implementation of bioretention facilities.


Iran's third five-year development (2000/2001-2004/2005) has been considered a pivotal role for private investment in creating 700,000-800,000 jobs per annum to stabilise the rate of unemployment. This paper examines the long- and short-run determinants of the private investment function by employing the Johansen multivariate cointegration technique and a short-run dynamic model. Using annual data for the period 1960-2000, this paper finds, inter alia, that private investment is cointegrated with non-oil gross domestic product and the rate of inflation. It is found that a 1 per cent increase in inflation in the long run can immediately result in a 1 per cent decline in investment in the short run.


Objective To describe the occurrence of a high early virological failure (VF) rate and development of resistance mutations in antiretroviral-naive patients receiving tenofovir, didanosine and efavirenz. Methods HIV-infected antiretroviral-naive patients with viral load ≥30 000 copies/ml were enrolled in a pilot randomized trial of tenofovir/didanosine (250 mg)/ efavirenz with (arm A) or without (arm B) lopinavir/r for the first 12 weeks. As six cases of early VF (a drop of <2 log at month 3, or a rebound of >1 log from the nadir) were detected (five in arm B and one in arm A who had previously stopped lopinavir/r) an unplanned interim analysis was performed. Results A total of 29 out of 36 enrolled patients completed at least 3 months of follow-up and were included in the interim analysis. An intent-to-treat analysis showed treatment failure in 7/15 (46.7%) patients in arm B (five VF, one lost, one switched) versus 2/14 (14.3%) in arm A (one lost, one switched) (P=0.109). The patient in arm A who interrupted lopinavir/r at day 3 and continued with tenofovir/didanosine/efavirenz later developed VF. At baseline, 6/6 VF patients had VL >100 000 copies/ml and an advanced stage of disease (CD4 <200 plus CDC stage C or B3) versus 0/8 non-VF patients taking the triple drug regimen (P<0.001). At failure, G190S/E alone or associated with K103N and K101R mutations was detected in five patients, and K103N/L100I/V108I in the sixth patient. Additionally, L74V/I and K65R were detected in four and two patients, respectively. Conclusions A high early virological failure rate and the occurrence of resistance mutations were detected in a group of antiretroviral-naive patients treated with tenofovir/didanosine/efavirenz. Presented in part at the 13th International HIV Drug Resistance Workshop. 8–12 June 2004, Tenerife. Abstract 156.


SUMMARY: The main characteristics concerning distribution, size structure and total mortality of two of the most important decapod crustaceans of commercial interest in the Mediterranean Sea, Nephrops norvegicus and Parapenaeus longirostris, are studied along the European Mediterranean coasts. The study is based on data collected during a series of six trawl surveys performed in spring from 1994 to 1999 from the Gibraltar Straits to the Aegean Sea. The population size structure identified in the different geographical sectors is analysed taking into account two bathymetric sectors: continental shelf and upper slope. Differences in N. norvegicus population demographic structure among geographical sectors, as well as in total mortality, appear to be highly related to different exploitation levels. Size structure in P. longirostris also shows a great heterogeneity throughout the different geographical sectors. Considering that both species are heavily exploited all along the studied area, the observed differences can be interpreted as different responses to exploitation related to the widely differing life history characteristics of the mentioned species. In fact, N. norvegicus is a long-lived, benthic, burrowing species with low growth and mortality rates, and P. longirostris an epibenthic short-lived species characterised by higher rates of growth and mortality.


Effective removal of volatile organic compounds is critical for indoor air quality control. The performance of traditional technologies of volatile organic compound removal is limited by inadequate selection of filter media, poor airflow management inside the cleaning devices, insufficient catalytic reaction surface area, and poor distribution of UV light irradiation. In comparison, the relatively new regenerative air filtration systems use a plant root bed of activated carbon, porous shale pebbles, microbes, and a wet scrubber to remove volatile organic compounds and radon from the air in tightly sealed buildings. To better understand such systems and optimize their performance, the microbes were characterized in a model bio-filter system and their activities in formaldehyde removal were isolated. Golden Pothos was chosen as the model plant, and the microbes from the plant roots and pebbles. By using universal primers to amplify 16S rRNA genes, seven different strains of bacteria were identified belonging to the species of Arthrobacter aurescens, A. oxydans, Leifsonia xyli, Pseudomonas putida, and Bacillus sp., including B. cereus. In particular, a strain of A. aurescens TC1 isolated from this system was found to remove 86.2% of formaldehyde within 24 h with a starting concentration of 11.84 ppm. These results are helpful for better understanding symbiotic microbe–plant interactions and for designing more efficient bio-filters.


Is the PRC legal system pursuing a trajectory towards liberalization, or has it embarked upon a different developmental path? To provide an answer to this question, comparisons of China with an ideal legal order have been considered less useful than approaches able to account for differences, seeming aberrations or twisted paths towards the rule of law. Besides, legal change has been seen driven by historical or institutional legacies. This paper attempts to make sense of seemingly contrasting dynamics by bringing cross-fertilization between political science and law one step further. In this work, I conceive of the legal system as an entity composed by a multitude of legal and non-legal (political) institutions and organizations which are to a certain degree autonomous, and to a certain degree embedded in networks of communication, control or dependence. Any change in a given institution or organization will set in motion a chain of change which will propagate across the system or areas thereof. Outcomes will be neither regular nor predictable. To observers, at any of its states the system will seem balanced on a precarious equilibrium between progress towards the law and shifts away from the law. Holistic perspectives of the legal system are implicit in conceptions of the law as an agent of positive change. But, such perspectives have also a potential to account for the opposite development. As an illustration of how legal change can set in motion a turn for worse, I develop an analytical tool I label 'legal erosion' and use it to observe political-legal responses to protests, with a narrow focus on protests by petitioners. A progress towards 'formal legality' can be observed in this area too. Until 2003, protests by petitioners were managed through shelter and deportation (shourong qiansong). As this measure was abolished, the need to provide a renewed and different response to protests arose. But, the newer response to the policing of petitions was by no means more liberal than earlier ones. The practice to 'pick up' petitioners and bring them back, something that existed in parallel to shelter and deportation, became dominant and witnessed a process of legalization. By 2006, innovations by local organs and politicized interpretations of the law allowed to "attach" 'retrieval' to legislation on public security, and create a new class of minor offences related to petitioning. Significant continuities with the past could be observed at each stage of this process. The eventual result was a severe limitation of the right to petition, and the beginning of a vicious circle of politicization. This article begins by arguing that it would be useful to build on existing (and implicit) conceptualizations of the legal system as a complex adaptive system, to examine systemic properties that induce shifts away from the law, while of course not neglecting the study of virtuous circles of liberalization. In the second paragraph, I elaborate a concept to enable analyses of the legal system's resilience to perturbations. In the remaining part of the article I outline the adaptive process born out of changes in the means to govern petitioners. It is not clear that current models of institutional transformation can fully account for this development, as the "birth" of retrieval involved features of antithetical models of change.


What We Already Know about This Topic Balanced hydroxyethyl starch solution, as part of intraoperative goal-directed fluid therapy, is associated with better short-term outcomes than administration of a balanced crystalloid solution in patients having major open abdominal surgery The safety of modern hydroxyethyl starch solutions remains debated, with some studies in the intensive care setting have reported potential nephrotoxic effects, while others, performed in a surgical context, have not What This Article Tells Us That Is New In a long-term follow-up of a previous trial comparing hydroxyethyl starch solution and balanced crystalloid used as part of intraoperative goal directed fluid therapy in patients undergoing major open abdominal surgery, there was no evidence that one therapy had superior renal function; however, limited power tempers any ability to completely rule out a difference Disability-free survival was higher in the colloid than in the crystalloid group Background: The authors recently demonstrated that administration of balanced hydroxyethyl starch solution as part of intraoperative goal-directed fluid therapy was associated with better short-term outcomes than administration of a balanced crystalloid solution in patients having major open abdominal surgery. In the present study, a 1-yr follow-up of renal and disability outcomes in these patients was performed. Methods: All patients enrolled in the earlier study were followed up 1 yr after surgery for renal function and disability using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS). The main outcome measure was the estimated glomerular filtration rate. Other outcomes were serum creatinine, urea, pruritus, and WHODAS score. Groups were compared on a complete-case analysis basis, and modern imputation methods were then used in mixed-model regressions to assess the stability of the findings taking into account the missing data. Results: Of the 160 patients enrolled in the original study, follow-up data were obtained for renal function in 129 and for WHODAS score in 114. There were no statistically significant differences in estimated glomerular filtration rate at 1 yr (ml min−1 1.73 m−2): 80 [65 to 92] for crystalloids versus 74 [64 to 94] for colloids; 95% CI [−10 to 7], P = 0.624. However, the WHODAS score (%) was statistically significantly lower in the colloid than in the crystalloid group (2.7 [0 to 12] vs. 7.6 [1.3 to 18]; P = 0.015), and disability-free survival was higher (79% vs. 60%; 95% CI [2 to 39]; P = 0.024). Conclusions: In patients undergoing major open abdominal surgery, there was no evidence of a statistically significant difference in long-term renal function between a balanced hydroxyethyl starch and a balanced crystalloid solution used as part of intraoperative goal-directed fluid therapy, although there was only limited power to rule out a clinically significant difference. However, disability-free survival was significantly higher in the colloid than in the crystalloid group.


The observed mass-independent sulfur isotopic composition (Δ33S) of volcanic sulfate from the Agung (March 1963) and Pinatubo (June 1991) eruptions recorded in the Antarctic snow provides a mechanism for documenting stratospheric events. The sign of Δ33S changes over time from an initial positive component to a negative value. Δ33S is created during photochemical oxidation of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid on a monthly time scale, which indicates a fast process. The reproducibility of the results reveals that Δ33S is a reliable tracer to chemically identify atmospheric processes involved during stratospheric volcanism.