Preface. 1. Introduction. References. 2. Transmission Properties of Coplanar Waveguides. 2.1 Rigorous, Full-Wave Analysis of Transmission Properties. 2.1.1 The Coplanar Waveguide with a Single Center Strip and Finite Ground-Plane Width. 2.1.2 The Coplanar Waveguide with a Single Center Strip and Infinite Ground-Plane Width. 2.1.3 Coupled Coplanar Waveguides. 184.108.40.206 Scattering Matrix of Coupled Coplanar Waveguides. 22.214.171.124 Coupled Coplanar Waveguides and Microstrip Lines-A Comparison. 2.2 Quasi-Static Analysis of Coplanar Waveguides Using the Finite Difference Method. 2.2.1 Introduction. 2.2.2 The Finite Difference Method as Applied to the Analysis of Coplanar Waveguide Structures. 2.2.3 The Solution of Laplace's Equation for Planar and Coplanar Line Structures Using the Finite Difference Method. 2.2.4 Application of the Quasi-Static Techniques to the Analysis of Coplanar Waveguides. 2.2.5 Characteristic Parameters of Coplanar Waveguides. 2.2.6 The Influence of the Metalization Thickness on the Line Parameters. 2.2.7 The Influence of the Ground Strip Width on the Line Parameters. 2.2.8 The Influence of the Shielding on the Line Parameters. 2.2.9 Special Forms of Coplanar Waveguides. 2.2.10 Coplanar-like Waveguides. 2.2.11 Coupled Coplanar Waveguide Structures. 188.8.131.52 Analysis of the Characteristic Parameter Matrices. 188.8.131.52 Determination of the Scattering Matrix of Coupled Coplanar Waveguides. 2.3 Closed Formula Static Analysis of Coplanar Waveguide Properties. 2.3.1 Analysis of a Generalized Coplanar Waveguide with Supporting Substrate Layers. 126.96.36.199 Structure SCPW1. 184.108.40.206 Structure SCPW2. 126.96.36.199 Structure SCPW3. 184.108.40.206 Numerical Results. 2.3.2 Static Formulas for Calculating the Parameters of General Broadside-Coupled Coplanar Waveguides. 188.8.131.52 Analytical Formulas and Results for the General Broadside-Coupled Coplanar Waveguide. 184.108.40.206 Analysis of an Asymmetric Supported BSC-CPW. 184.108.40.206 Application of the GBSC-CPW as Single CPW. 184.108.40.206 Criteria for the Coplanar Behavior of the Structure. Bibliography and References. 3. Coplanar Waveguide Discontinuities. 3.1 The Three-Dimensional Finite Difference Analysis. 3.2 Computation of the Electric Field Strength. 3.3 Computation of the Magnetic Field Strength. 3.3.1 Convergence and Error Discussion for the Analysis Technique. 3.4 Coplanar Waveguide Discontinuities. 3.4.1 Modeling the Discontinuities. 3.4.2 Extraction of the Model Parameters. 3.5 Description of Coplanar Waveguide Discontinuities. 3.5.1 The Coplanar Open End. 3.5.2 The Coplanar Waveguide Short-Circuited End. 3.5.3 The Gap in a Coplanar Waveguide. 3.5.4 The Coplanar Waveguide Step. 3.5.5 Air Bridges in Coplanar Waveguides. 3.5.6 The Coplanar Waveguide Bend. 3.5.7 The Coplanar Waveguide T-Junction. 220.127.116.11 Analysis of the Odd-Mode Excitation. 3.5.8 The Coplanar T-Junction as a Mode Converter. 3.5.9 The Coplanar Waveguide Crossing. Bibliography and References. 4. Coplanar Lumped Elements. 4.1 Introduction. 4.2 The Coplanar Interdigital Capacitor. 4.2.1 The Lumped Element Modeling Approach. 4.2.2 Enhancement of the Interdigital Capacitor Model for Application at Millimeter-Wave Frequencies. 4.3 The Coplanar Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) Capacitor. 4.4 The Coplanar Spiral Inductor. 4.4.1 Enhancement of the Inductor Model for Millimeter-Wave Frequencies. 4.4.2 Coupled Coplanar Rectangular Inductors. 4.5 The Coplanar Rectangular Spiral Transformer. 4.6 The Coplanar Thin-Film Resistor. Bibliography and References. 5. Coplanar Element Library and Circuit Design Program. 5.1 Introduction. 5.2 Modeling, Convergence, and Accuracy. 5.3 Overview on Coplan for ADSTM. 5.3.1 Data Items. 5.3.2 Library Elements. 5.4 Cache Management. 5.5 Layout. 5.6 Coplanar Data Items. 5.6.1 Overview. 5.6.2 Description of the Data Items. 22.214.171.124 Coplanar Substrate Data Definition C-SUB. 188.8.131.52 Coplanar Line-Type Data Definition C-LINTYP. 188.8.131.52 Coplanar Coupled Lines Data Definition C-NL-TYP. 184.108.40.206 Coplanar Bridge-Type Data Definition C-AIRTYP. 188.8.131.52 Coplanar Grid Data Definition C-GRID. 220.127.116.11 Process (Foundry) Used for Fabrication C-PROCES. 188.8.131.52 Technological Data Definition (Default Foundry) C-TECH. 18.104.22.168 Layer Data Definition (Default Foundry) C-LAYER. 5.7 The Coplanar Components and Their Models. 5.7.1 Coplanar Waveguide RF-Port C-PORT. 5.7.2 Coplanar Transmission Line C-LIN. 5.7.3 Coplanar Inter-Metal via (No Step) Connection C-METIA. 5.7.4 Coplanar Resistively Loaded Transmission Line C-TFG. 5.7.5 Coplanar MIM-Capacitor to Ground C-CAPLIN. 5.7.6 Coplanar Open-Ended Transmission Line C-OPEN. 5.7.7 Coplanar Short-Circuited Transmission Line C-SHORT. 5.7.8 Gap in a Coplanar Transmission Line C-GAP. 5.7.9 Step in a Coplanar Transmission Line C-STEP. 5.7.10 Coplanar Waveguide Taper C-TAPER. 5.7.11 Coplanar Air Bridges C-AIR. 5.7.12 Bend in a Coplanar Transmission Line C-BEND. 5.7.13 T-Junction in Coplanar Transmission Lines C-TEE. 5.7.14 Crossing of Coplanar Transmission Lines C-CROSS. 5.7.15 Coplanar Interdigital Capacitor C-IDC. 5.7.16 Coplanar Rectangular Inductor C-RIND. 5.7.17 Coplanar Thin-Film Resistor C-TFR. 5.7.18 Coplanar Metal-Insulator-Metal Capacitor C-MIM. Bibliography. 6. Coplanar Filters and Couplers. 6.1 Coplanar Lumped Element Filters. 6.1.1 The Coplanar Spiral Inductor as a Filter. 6.1.2 Design and Realization. 6.1.3 Results. 6.1.4 Phase-Shifting Filter Circuits. 6.2 Coplanar Passive Lumped-Element Band-Pass Filters. 6.2.1 Theoretical Background. 6.2.2 Properties of the Coplanar Hybrid Band-Pass Filters. 6.3 Special Coplanar Waveguide Filters. 6.3.1 The Coplanar Band-Reject Filter. 220.127.116.11 The Hybrid Band-Reject Filter. 18.104.22.168 The Monolithic Band-Reject Filter. 6.3.2 Coplanar Millimeter-Wave Filters. 6.4 Coplanar Edge-Coupled Line Structures. 6.4.1 Verification of Coupling Between Coupled Coplanar Waveguides. 6.4.2 End-Coupled Coplanar Line Structures. 6.4.3 Coplanar Waveguide End-Coupled to an Orthogonal Coplanar Waveguide. 6.5 Coupled Coplanar Waveguide Filters and Couplers. 6.5.1 Interdigital Filter Design. 6.5.2 Coplanar Waveguide Couplers. 6.6 Coplanar MMIC Wilkinson Couplers. 6.6.1 Conventional Wilkinson Couplers. 6.6.2 Wilkinson Couplers with Discrete Elements. 6.6.3 MMIC Applicable Wilkinson Couplers with Coplanar Lumped Elements. 6.6.4 Wilkinson Coupler in Coplanar Waveguide Technique for Millimeter-Wave Frequencies. Bibliography and References. 7. Coplanar Microwave Integrated Circuits. 7.1 Introduction. 7.1.1 The Effect of the Shielding on Modeling. 7.1.2 The Waveguide Properties. 7.2 Coplanar Transistors and Coplanar Switches. 7.2.1 Active Power Dividers and Combiners and Switches. 188.8.131.52 Power Dividers and Combiners. 184.108.40.206 Fundamental Coplanar Switch Circuits. 220.127.116.11 Results and Measurements. 188.8.131.52 Device Scaling. 188.8.131.52 Design and Realization of Coplanar RF Switches. 7.3 Coplanar Microwave Active Filters. 7.3.1 Introduction. 7.3.2 The Coplanar Active Inductor. 7.3.3 The First-Order Active Coplanar Band-Pass Filter. 7.3.4 The Fixed Center Frequency Second-Order Active Filter. 7.3.5 The Coplanar Active Tunable Filter. 7.4 Coplanar Microwave Amplifiers. 7.4.1 Coplanar Microwave Amplifiers in Waveguide Design. 188.8.131.52 Introduction. 184.108.40.206 Circuit Design and Technological Aspects. 220.127.116.11 Results and Comparison with Measurements. 7.4.2 Coplanar Lumped-Element MMIC Amplifiers. 184.108.40.206 Introduction. 22.214.171.124 MMIC Design and Results. 7.4.3 Influence of the Backside Metalization on the Design of a Coplanar Low-Noise Amplifier. 126.96.36.199 Modeling the Transistor and Its Noise Properties. 188.8.131.52 The Coplanar LNA Design. 126.96.36.199 Simulation Results. 188.8.131.52 Measurement Results. 7.4.4 Miniaturized Ka-band MMIC High-Gain Medium-Power Amplifier in Coplanar Waveguide Technique. 22.214.171.124 Introduction. 18.104.22.168 MMIC Design and Results. 7.5 Coplanar Electronic Circulators. 7.6 Coplanar Frequency Doublers. 7.6.1 Different Realization Concepts of FET Frequency Doublers. 220.127.116.11 The Single-Device FET Frequency Doubler. 22.214.171.124 The Balanced (Push-Push) FET Frequency Doubler. 188.8.131.52 The Wideband FET Frequency Doubler. 7.6.2 Realization of Coplanar Frequency Doublers. 22.214.171.124 The Coplanar Balanced Hybrid MIC Frequency Doubler. 184.108.40.206 The Coplanar Balanced Monolithic MIC Frequency Doubler. 7.6.3 A Coplanar Times Five Frequency Multiplier. 7.7 Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Oscillators in Coplanar Technology. 7.7.1 Coplanar Microwave Oscillators. 7.7.2 A 5-GHz Coplanar Voltage-Controlled Oscillator. Bibliography and References. Index.


Based on review of available literature, comparison was made between two programmes (RIDSNepal and ADB-Bhutan rural electrification programme) targeted at improving quality of life for Himalayan communities, in order to see how their different approaches to achieving these improvements worked towards meeting similar objectives within similar target audiences.

It was found that each programme approach was well suited to its context of delivery; the ADBBhutan streamlined electrification approach is deemed highly appropriate given the context of strong, able government support, and the objective for delivering equity to all populace of Bhutan as rapidly as possible, while the RIDS-Nepal holistic approach delivers amazing results given its overall limitations of resourcing and attendant challenges in delivery. Both were found to have significant impact on their target audience, towards achieving their high level objectives of improving quality of life.

The comparison revealed that the RIDS-Nepal programme had managed to achieve significantly greater relative impact on its target audience in regards to reducing levels of fuelwood consumption, and associated health, social and environmental benefits than the streamlined rural electrification approach. It had achieved this through greater focus on end benefits in programme design and delivery, and through being forced to innovate and consider achievement of high level objectives holistically, given its lower resource base.

The ADB-Bhutan electrification programmes could learn from the RIDS-Nepal experience, particularly in regard to deploying complimentary policy and technology in conjunction, or shortly after electrification. Specifically, greater focus on energy efficiency and support of other options for improving energy services are required in order to make steeper in-roads into reducing fuelwood consumption, and attendant benefits to preventative health, labour burden and the environment.

Examples of this include focus on a wider array of smokeless metal stove/heating options, and support to establish community based bathing facilities, and development of lower cost, safe bulk hot water heating devices. The opportunity to establish internal cottage industries to develop these options may also provide economic advantages.


ABSTRACT Problem: The professional practice of engineering always involves engineering management, but it is difficult to know what specifically to include in the undergraduate curriculum. Approach: The population of New Zealand practising engineers was surveyed to determine the importance they placed on specific professional practice and engineering management competencies. Findings: Results show that communication and project planning were the two most important topics, followed by others as identified. The context in which practitioners use communication skills was found to be primarily with project management, with secondary contexts identified. The necessity for engineers to develop the ability to use multiple soft skills in an integrative manner is strongly supported by the data. Originality: This paper is one of only a few large-scale surveys of practising engineers to have explored the soft skill attributes. It makes a didactic contribution of providing a ranked list of topics which can be used for designing the curriculum and prioritising teaching effort, which has not previously been achieved. It yields the new insight that combinations of topics are sometimes more important than individual topics.


Clathrin-mediated synaptic vesicle (SV) recycling involves the spatiotemporally controlled assembly of clathrin coat components at phosphatidylinositiol (4, 5)-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]-enriched membrane sites within the periactive zone. Such spatiotemporal control is needed to coordinate SV cargo sorting with clathrin/AP2 recruitment and to restrain membrane fission and synaptojanin-mediated uncoating until membrane deformation and clathrin coat assembly are completed. The molecular events underlying these control mechanisms are unknown. Here we show that the endocytic SH3 domain-containing accessory protein intersectin 1 scaffolds the endocytic process by directly associating with the clathrin adaptor AP2. Acute perturbation of the intersectin 1-AP2 interaction in lamprey synapses in situ inhibits the onset of SV recycling. Structurally, complex formation can be attributed to the direct association of hydrophobic peptides within the intersectin 1 SH3A-B linker region with the "side sites" of the AP2 α- and β-appendage domains. AP2 appendage association of the SH3A-B linker region inhibits binding of the inositol phosphatase synaptojanin 1 to intersectin 1. These data identify the intersectin-AP2 complex as an important regulator of clathrin-mediated SV recycling in synapses.


Mullite has become a strong candidate material for advanced structural and functional ceramics. Much interest has recently focused on sintering aids for mullite. The aim of this work was to evaluate Y2O3 influence on rapid sintering of commercial mullite. Mullite powder was doped with Y2O3, pressed under a cold isostatic pressure and fast sintered at 1600 oC. Sintered mullite was characterized by density determination, X ray diffraction and electronic microscopy. Rapid sintering produces low density mullite bodies, however, Y2O3 addition significantly increase the densification of fast fired doped bodies. Rise of Y2O3 content do not alter the grain size distribution of rapid sintered mullite. High heating rates produce microstructures with narrower grain size distributions.


The use of technologically based imaging tests to diagnose diseases and lesions is a fundamental function in radiology. Such tests must be evaluated before their introduction, and during their routine use, in clinical practice to ensure that their performance remains constant. One way of measuring the performance of a medical test is by evaluating its accuracy. Accuracy is defined as the ability of a test to correctly distinguish those subjects who have a target condition from those who do not. A target condition can be the presence or stage of a disease or infection. Accuracy is commonly measured by parameters such as sensitivity (the probability of a positive test result amongst those with disease) and specificity (the probability of a negative test result amongst those without disease). Other parameters include predictive values, likelihood ratios and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. In research, the accuracy of a test is estimated by comparing the results of the test of interest (index test) with the results of the best available test (reference test). For instance, one may wish to estimate the accuracy of chest radiographs in detecting a chest lesion. This may be done by subjecting a sample of patients to chest radiography and to computed tomography (CT) scanning, which is the best available test. Chest radiographs can then be compared with CT scans.


Opportunistic networks are one of the most promising evolutions of the traditional Mobile Ad Hoc Networks paradigm. Communications in an opportunistic network rely on the mobility of the users: each message is handed over from node to node, making hop-by-hop decisions to select the node that is better suited for bringing the message closer to its destination. Algorithms exploiting social-awareness are emerging as one of the most efficient categories of forwarding algorithms. However we are currently lacking analytical models able to characterize the performance of social-aware forwarding in opportunistic networks. In this paper we start to fill this gap by proposing an analytical model for the expected number of hops and the expected delay experienced by messages when delivered in an opportunistic social-aware fashion. The model is then used to characterize how the expected delay experienced by messages varies with the different social structures in the network of the users.


The book that fills the practitioner need for a distillation of the most important tools and concepts of corporate finance

 In today's competitive business environment, companies must find innovative ways to enable rapid and sustainable growth not just to survive, but to thrive. Corporate Finance: A Practical Approach is designed to help financial analysts, executives, and investors achieve this goal with a practice-oriented distillation of the most important tools and concepts of corporate finance.

 Updated for a post-financial crisis environment, the Second Edition provides coverage of the most important issues surrounding modern corporate finance for the new global economy:

 Preserves the hallmark conciseness of the first edition while offering expanded coverage of key topics including dividend policy, share repurchases, and capital structure

 Current, real-world examples are integrated throughout the book to provide the reader with a concrete understanding of critical business growth concepts

 Explanations and examples are rigorous and global, but make minimal use of mathematics

 Each chapter presents learning objectives which highlight key material, helping the reader glean the most effective business advice possible

 Written by the experts at CFA Institute, the world's largest association of professional investment managers

 Created for current and aspiring financial professionals and investors alike, Corporate Finance focuses on the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to succeed in today's global corporate world.


Objective: To review the epidemiologic literature concerning psychosocial mediators of outcome in chronic pain. These factors deserve attention in the assessment and treatment of chronic pain by mental health professionals. Method: We reviewed literature dealing with epidemiologic perspectives on abuse, depression, addiction, employment, coping skills, and psychosocial problems. Treatments considered include analgesics, psychological rehabilitation, and prevention of disability. Results: Psychosocial factors such as abuse, mood disorder, employment handicap, poor coping skills, and other psychosocial problems are commonly found in chronic pain patients referred to clinics. Conclusion: Many psychosocial factors that can be identified in chronic pain sufferers are relevant to the professional skills of mental health professionals. These factors are determinants of prognosis, course, and outcome of chronic pain.


Whale bones recovered from the excavation of a 16th century Basque whaling station in Red Bay, Labrador are providing valuable data for archaeological interpretation as well as for biological studies of extant whale populations. Zooarchaeological studies on more than 2000 bones found during exploration of the harbour, and of specific activity areas such as wharves and ovens, give insight to Basque whale hunting, flensing, oil production and carcass disposal techniques. The principal prey species, the North Atlantic Right Whale ( Eubalaena glacialis ) and the Bowhead ( Balaena mysticetus ), are endangered species not native to the area today. Work now underway will compare DNA extracted from bone dust or shavings from the archaeological specimens with DNA isolated from skin samples obtained from the extant populations of these prey species. This molecular work could help determine the historic levels of genetic variation within the whale populations, the mitochondrial sequence profiles of the populations of whales hunted by the Basques, and confirm the species identification of whale bones.


A model was built for estimating the carbon stocks and fluxes generated by the production and consumption of forest products on the territory of the Russian Federation. The paper starts with the validation of a fiber flow scheme for 1990 using various Russian statistics. Forecasts a re made for 10 economic activities, which are important for the consumption of different forest products. The projection of fiber consumption (as roundwood equivalent) is based on assumptions of technological change in both production and final consumption. Consumption-induced fiber flows are traced back to the forest. A new decomposition function in introduced to allow for discrete approximations of nonlinear decomposition. Ten by five carbon pools are considered, which vary in their decomposition pattern. The mode was designed to allow full integration with models covering the rest of the carbon system. Results are provided on a regional basis for all 89 subjects of the Russian Federation. Due to the economic slump of the Russian forest sector, the accumulated sum of yearly deviations from 1990 fluxes are estimated to be some 1.3 billion tons carbon by 2012.


Volume 1. Contents: Contributors. Preface. Acknowledgments. D.J. Herrmann, Convergence of Basic and Applied Memory Research: An Overview of Volume 1. J.F. Kihlstrom, Memory Research: The Convergence of Theory and Practice. P.E. Morris, M.M. Gruneberg, Practical Aspects of Memory: The First 2,500 Years. H.P. Bahrick, Synergistic Strategies for Memory Research. M.M. Gruneberg, P.E. Morris, R.N. Sykes, D.J. Herrmann, The Practical Application of Memory Research: Practical Problems in the Relationship Between Theory and Practice. M.K. Johnson, Fact, Fantasy, and Public Policy. T.K. Landauer, S.T. Dumais, How Come You Know So Much? From Practical Problems to New Memory Theory. P. Rabbitt, Q. Yang, What Are the Functional Bases of Individual Differences in Memory Ability? L.L Jacoby, J.M. Jennings, J.F. Hay, Dissociating Automatic and Consciously Controlled Processes: Implications for Diagnosis and Rehabilitation of Memory Deficits. A. Baddeley, Applying the Psychology of Memory to Clinical Problems. T. Curran, D.L. Schacter, Implicit Memory and Perceptual Brain Mechanisms. W. Hirst, E. Pinner, Memory and Attention. J. Grafman, H. Weingartner, A Combinatorial-Binding and Strength (CBS) Model of Memory: Is It a Better Framework for Amnesia? B.A. Wilson, Management and Rehabilitation of Memory Problems. M.A. Conway, Failures of Autobiographical Remembering. P.J. Hertel, Practical Aspects of Emotion and Memory. C. Hertzog, J. Dunlosky, The Aging of Practical Memory: An Overview. R.A. Dixon, Collaborative Memory and Aging. M.A. McDaniel, P.J. Waddill, P.S. Shakesby, Study Strategies, Interest, and Learning From Text: The Application of Material Appropriate Processing. J. Wilding, E. Valentine, Memory Expertise. K.A. Deffenbacher, Updating the Scientific Validity of Three Key Estimator Variables in Eyewitness Testimony. Volume 2. Contents: C. McEvoy, Preface. Part I: On the Relationship Between Basic and Practical Memory Research. A. Koriat, M. Goldsmith, Memory as Something That Can Be Counted Versus Memory as Something That Can Be Counted On. M. Pressley, Personal Reflections on the Study of Practical Memory in the Mid-1990s: The Complete Cognitive Researcher. Part II: Eyewitness Memory and Memory for Faces. G. Davies, A. Kurvink, R. Mitchell, N. Robertson, Memory for Cars and Their Drivers: A Test of the Interest Hypothesis. J.W. Schooler, R.S. Ryan, L. Reder, The Costs and Benefits of Verbally Rehearsing Memory for Faces. M.P. Toglia, J.S. Neuschatz, H. Hembrooke, S.J. Ceci, Children's Memory Following Misleading Postevent Information: A Contextual Approach. Part III: Remembering to Do Things. G.O. Einstein, M.A. McDaniel, Remembering to Do Things: Remembering a Forgotten Topic. D.C. Park, C.B. Mayhorn, Remembering to Take Medications: The Importance of Nonmemory Variables. A. Searleman, Personality Variables and Prospective Memory Performance. Part IV: Learning and Intelligence. D.G. Payne, M.J. Wenger, Practice Effects in Memory: Data, Theory, and Unanswered Questions. E. van der Meer, Memory and Analogical Reasoning. Part V: Memory and Surveys. G.B. Willis, The Use of Strategic Processes by Survey Respondents. F.G. Conrad, N.R. Brown, Estimating Frequency: A Multiple Strategy Perspective. P.A. Mullin, E.R. Cashman, H.R. Straub, Answering Question Sequences: Attention Switching and Memory Organization. J.B. Jobe, D.J. Herrmann, Implications of Models of Survey Cognition for Memory Theory. Part VI: Beliefs About Memory. J.R. Sehulster, Individual Differences in Memory Style and Autobiographical Memory. J.C. Cavanaugh, D. Baskind, Relations Among Basic Processes, Beliefs, and Performance: A Lifespan Perspective. C. Cornoldi, R. De Beni, Mnemonics and Metacognition. Part VII: Social and Emotional Aspects of Memory. M.A. Foley, H.H. Ratner, Biases in Children's Memory for Collaborative Exchanges. D. Manier, E. Pinner, W. Hirst, Conversational Remembering. A. Mathews, Selective Encoding of Emotional Information. T.B. Jay, Cursing: A Damned Persistent Lexicon. Part VIII: Memory Aids -- From Strategies to Automation. M.J. Intons-Peterson, Memory Aids. D.J. Plude, L.K. Schwartz, The Promise of Compact Disc-Interactive Technology for Memory Training With the Elderly. V.O. Leirer, E.D. Tanke, D.G. Morrow, Automated Voice Messages for Health Care. O.U. Vortac, A.L. Barile, C.A. Albright, T.R. Truitt, C.A. Manning, D. Bain, Automation of Flight Data in Air Traffic Control. T.M. Schlechter, Automated Instructional Systems and Ecological Notions of Memory. Part IX: Clinical Aspects of Memory. H. Buschke, M. Sliwinski, G. Kuslansky, Correlated Testing to Detect Cognitive Change. A.R. Mayes, The Functional Deficits That Underlie Amnesia: Evidence From Amnesic Forgetting Rate and Item-Specific Implicit Memory. J.M. Rybash, A Taxonomy of Priming: Implications for Aging. Part X: Interventions for Memory-Impaired Populations. B.L. Schwartz, S. Hashtroudi, R.L. Herting, T.D. Fakouhi, S.I. Deutsch, The NMDA Receptor Complex: Enhancement of Memory in Aging and Dementia. H.J. Weingartner, D. Hommer, S. Molchan, A. Raskin, J.K. Robinson, T. Sunderland, Conceptual and Practical Issues in the Development and Assessment of Drugs That Would Enhance Cognition. R. Parente, A. Elliot, M. Twum, Curious Memory Phenomena: Implications for Treatment After Traumatic Brain Injury. M.S. Bendiksen, I. Bendiksen, Multimodal Memory Rehabilitation for the Toxic Solvent Injured Population.


In response priming, the reaction times to classify an object can be affected by previous exposure to a similar object. Most priming experiments focus on how primes prime a target. In the following set of experiments, we investigate how the interaction between two primes prime a target. Specifically, we address if the offsets of the two prime verniers integrate before they prime, and which prime, if any, dominates the integration (and therefore, the priming). We show that the offsets of the primes fuse before they prime. However, other features of the primes (such as color or temporal location) changes how the primes integrate with each other and hence, priming. We see that when the two primes do not equally integrate, the second prime dominates over the first prime.


Introduction The peripheral internal jugular (IJ), also called the "easy IJ," is an alternative to peripheral venous access reserved for patients with difficult intravenous (IV) access. The procedure involves placing a single-lumen catheter in the IJ vein under ultrasound (US) guidance. As this technique is relatively new, the details regarding the ease of the procedure, how exactly it should be performed, and the safety of the procedure are uncertain. Our primary objective was to determine the success rate for peripheral IJ placement. Secondarily, we evaluated the time needed to complete the procedure and assessed for complications. Methods This was a prospective, single-center study of US-guided peripheral IJ placement using a 2.5-inch, 18-gauge catheter on a convenience sample of patients with at least two unsuccessful attempts at peripheral IV placement by nursing staff. Peripheral IJ lines were placed by emergency medicine (EM) attending physicians and EM residents who had completed at least five IJ central lines. All physicians who placed lines for the study watched a 15-minute lecture about peripheral IJ technique. A research assistant monitored each line to assess for complications until the patient was discharged. Results We successfully placed a peripheral IJ in 34 of 35 enrolled patients (97.1%). The median number of attempts required for successful cannulation was one (interquartile range (IQR): 1 to 2). The median time to successful line placement was 3 minutes and 6 seconds (IQR: 59 seconds to 4 minutes and 14 seconds). Two lines failed after placement, and one of the 34 successfully placed peripheral IJ lines (2.9%) had a complication – a local hematoma. There were, however, no arterial punctures or pneumothoraces. Although only eight of 34 lines were placed using sterile attire, there were no line infections. Conclusion Our research adds to the growing body of evidence supporting US-guided peripheral internal jugular access as a safe and convenient procedure alternative for patients who have difficult IV access.


Breast tumours make up 15% of the total cancer burden in the UK and around 8% of the total number of cancer related deaths. Protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms have been shown to be strongly modulated in many androgen sensitive tumour cell lines. Increased expression of some PKC isoforms has also been linked to immortality in many cancer cell lines. Conjugated linoleic acids(CLAs) are naturally occurring positional and geometric isomers of the fatty acid linoleic acid (LA). CLAs have been shown to reduce growth and increase apoptosis in breast cancer cells, and to alter their PKC expression both in animal models and in various human cell lines. We investigated the effect of CLA on the oestrogen sensitive MCF-7 cell line, and the oestrogen insensitive MDA-MB-231 cell line for 24 hours at two different concentrations of CLA (25Mu M and 50Mu M, optimum concentrations, previously shown in our lab). We measured the variations of three PKC isoforms (Alpha, Delta, and Iota) in the cytosol (inactive form) and the membrane (active form), as well as the mRNA expression of each in MCF-7 after 12 hours of treatment at 50Mu M concentrations. The activation of PKC was measured by Western Blot analysis, using PKC isoform specific antibodies and Beta-actin, or Claudin-3 as the housekeeping protein. Results indicate that the CLA isoforms used (the 911, 1012 and a 50/50 mix of the two) cause a decrease in cell viability in both cell lines. It was observed that the activation of PKC Alpha was decreased in MCF-7 cells, compared to the control, while the activation of PKC Delta and Iota was increased. In the MDA-MB-231 cell line PKC Iota activation was decreased at both concentrations, while PKC Alpha and Delta activation showed no particular pattern. mRNA expression of PKC Alpha and Iota was generally decreased after treatment with 50Mu M of CLA, while PKC Delta mRNA expression increased. These effects are similar (but not identical) to the ones seen in prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP and PC3), which have been previously reported by our lab. It appears that CLA supplementation influences PKC isoform mRNA expression and protein activation in breast cancer cells. While the mRNA expression occurs in a pattern which appears to fit with that found in previous research the protein activation does not follow the trends suggested by work in other cell lines. It appears that the expression and activation of PKC isoforms are not just influenced by the interactions between CLA isoforms and the PKC genes in breast cancer cells.


Traditional publishing is based on ownership, commerce, paid exchanges, and scholarship as a commodity, while library activities are based on a service model of sharing resources and free exchange. I believe library publishing should be based on those values and should not duplicate or emulate traditional publishing. University presses have mixed views of library publishing, and libraries should not adopt those attitudes. Library publishers are not gatekeepers; their mission is dissemination. Libraries need to publish because traditional publishing suffers from high rejection rates, required surrender of intellectual property, long production schedules, high cost of products, and limited dissemination. Nebraska's Zea Books is a response to these needs. Miscellaneous advice for library publishers is offered and selection and eligibility criteria are outlined. A suggestion is made for a cooperative ebook distribution network.


The electrochemical behavior of binuclear oxovanadium complex with citric acid has been studied at a glassy carbon working electrode (GCE) in aqueous 0.1 M NaClO4 as a supporting electrolyte at pH 5.9 and 8.0. It was found that (VO(Cit.))2.6H2O complex is irreversibly oxidized (VO 2+/3+ ) with anodic peak potential, Epa=+899 mV to +1260 mV vs. Ag/AgCl for scan rate 10 to 500 mVs -1 . It should be mentioned that dependence of Ipa on  1/2 is linear without any intercept, suggesting that the anodic process is diffusion controlled. It is observed that the oxidation of the complex, (VO(Cit.))2.6H2O becomes more difficult with increasing pH. IR bands at 934 cm -1 indicating the presence of oxovanadium(IV)complex. The title complex shows two absorption peaks, one in UV region at 300 nm and second peak at 567 nm in visible region in their electronic absorption spectra.


This study identifies the influence of environmental conditions, temperature and noise (objective and selfreported), and waiting time, on patients' spatial perceptions of three hospital waiting rooms. The sample consisted of two hundred and fifty-three female patients. We used Ortega ́s Environmental Evaluation Scale. A multiple regression analysis indicated that the spatial perception of waiting rooms defined by characteristics such as big, pleasant, spacious, among others, is determined by the physical valuation which has to do with qualities such as warm, silent, relaxing and others and by exposure to environmental conditions such as comfortable temperature levels, low levels of noise and short waiting times.


We analyzed 83 fully sequenced great ape genomes for mobile element insertions, predicting a total of 49,452 fixed and polymorphic Alu and long interspersed element 1 (L1) insertions not present in the human reference assembly and assigning each retrotransposition event to a different time point during great ape evolution. We used these homoplasy-free markers to construct a mobile element insertions-based phylogeny of humans and great apes and demonstrate their differential power to discern ape subspecies and populations. Within this context, we find a good correlation between L1 diversity and single-nucleotide polymorphism heterozygosity (r2 = 0.65) in contrast to Alu repeats, which show little correlation (r2 = 0.07). We estimate that the "rate" of Alu retrotransposition has differed by a factor of 15-fold in these lineages. Humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos show the highest rates of Alu accumulation—the latter two since divergence 1.5 Mya. The L1 insertion rate, in contrast, has remained relatively constant, with rates differing by less than a factor of three. We conclude that Alu retrotransposition has been the most variable form of genetic variation during recent human–great ape evolution, with increases and decreases occurring over very short periods of evolutionary time.


In the context of shifting regulatory approaches and changing provision structures in many Western rental housing systems, the notion of competition between social and private rental housing has received increasing attention from practitioners and academic researchers. This thesis explores and theorises the concept of inter-tenure competition in order to advance understanding of what it means in local and national market realities, as well as in business and political practices. Results indicate that competition in mixed markets is a complex matter, much of which is explained by the distinctive properties of social and private rental services. Inter-tenure competition is shown to be the interplay of structural and political conditions, individual and organisational business goals, and the perceptions and strategic decisions of both providers and consumers. The results suggest that the degree of competition relates to specific points in time and is mainly a question of which rental market segment one is looking at.


The islands of Britain have been a crossroads of gods, heroes, and kings-those of flesh as well as those of myth-for thousands of years. Successive waves of invasion brought distinctive legends, rites, and beliefs. The ancient Celts displaced earlier indigenous peoples, only to find themselves displaced in turn by the Romans, who then abandoned the islands to Germanic tribes, a people themselves nearly overcome in time by an influx of Scandinavians. With each wave of invaders came a battle for the mythic mind of the Isles as the newcomer's belief system met with the existing systems of gods, legends, and myths. In Gods, Heroes, and Kings, medievalist Christopher Fee and veteran myth scholar David Leeming unearth the layers of the British Isles' unique folkloric tradition to discover how this body of seemingly disparate tales developed. The authors find a virtual battlefield of myths in which pagan and Judeo-Christian beliefs fought for dominance, and classical, Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, and Celtic narrative threads became tangled together. The resulting body of legends became a strange but coherent hybrid, so that by the time Chaucer wrote "The Wife of Bath's Tale" in the fourteenth century, a Christian theme of redemption fought for prominence with a tripartite Celtic goddess and the Arthurian legends of Sir Gawain-itself a hybrid mythology. Without a guide, the corpus of British mythology can seem impenetrable. Taking advantage of the latest research, Fee and Leeming employ a unique comparative approach to map the origins and development of one of the richest folkloric traditions. Copiously illustrated with excerpts in translation from the original sources, Gods, Heroes, and Kings provides a fascinating and accessible new perspective on the history of British mythology.


The print advertisement produces meaning for its readers through the interaction of a complex system of semiotic elements. Understanding this meaning is based on readers' ability to follow the established reading conventions of their culture. The article describes a study that uses eye-tracking technology to examine readers' interaction with the semiotic elements of two print advertisements. The relation between print advertisements and semiotics is informed by intersemiotic analysis and the reading path concept. The advertisements' layout is rearranged to form two sets of texts: one original advertisement and a modified version. We have calculated the time sequence in which visual and verbal areas attract attention, the amount of time spent on them and the depth of attention paid to the areas read. The results show how layout re-arrangement affects reading behaviour, such as reading the smallest visual first and the target text sequentially without visual elements interrupting the reading, or having the same point of entry in both the original and the modified advertisements.


This paper proposes a model with two categories of variables
for the storage devices. The SOC of the ESSs of the first
category checks the base schedule of storage during the horizon
of operation to satisfy the time dependence of ESSs' energy
level, and the second one will ensure the dispatches through any
scenarios. The model links these two categories of variables to be
matched at each time step. Hence, any large violations based on
the occurrence of unexpected situations will be managed by the
operators at real-time decisions.Furthermore, this work considers load forecast errors as a source of uncertainty and considers a stochastic framework with scenarios. The scenario generation is performed using normal distribution function for around the forecasted values of the hourly loads. Then, a scenario reduction method based on probability distance is performed to reduce the computing effort. Other sources of uncertainty can be modeled in the same way.


The number of marine pollution arising from illegal oil discharges from ship tank or bilge pumping is much greater than those spectacular ship accidents. Illegal spills are mainly detected on essential navigation routes. In every country, marine surveillance agencies are responsible for oil spill combating and on identification of illegal polluters. They rely on information that has been provided on potential oil spills by responsible institution. The first information is usually provided by satellite remote sensing. The decisions about oil combating action is taken based not only on SAR imagery, but checking confirmation from aerial surveillance and using oil spill modeling, also. SAR imagery and aerial surveillance does not provide information about the type of spilled oil, which is important input information for oil spill modeling. Different types of oil have different behavior in water and may affect the decisions about which oil combating activities should be taken. The aim of this study was to show how different type of oil behaves in water according to the Seatrack Web oil drift model, which is the main modeling tool of Estonian Border Guard who is responsible in oil combating. Current study is based on illegal oil spill accident that happened in the eastern Baltic Proper on 10 April 2010. Potential oil pollution was detected on SAR image at 9:08 UTC. Consecutive SAR image was obtained at 9:40 UTC showing no significant change of the slicks area and shape in such a short time. Oil pollution was also confirmed by aerial surveillance at 11:10 UTC. Report that was based on visual observations said that it was probably a bilge water, which started to vanish due to ship traffic. The pollution was also recorded by Side Looking Aperture Radar (SLAR). Seatrack Web model (STW) was used for the forecast of oil slick drift. The input of light and medium oil was chosen. The results showed rather different results about oil drift as well as about oil fate. In case of medium oil 20% of oil was expected to evaporate within a couple of hours and the rest stayed in water surface. In the case of light oil 20% was evaporated, but the rest of the oil was expected to disperse in to the water column and emerge on the surface in time to time. The light oil was simulated to drift to the NWW, while medium oil to the SW. Laboratory analyses of the sample that was taken at 14:30 UTC showed that heavy fraction of the oil (hydrocarbons C16-C36) was maintained in the water until then. In conclusion, this study shows that the information about the type of spilled oil is needed as soon as possible after the oil detection to make appropriate decision on oil combating activities.


BA (bile acid) formation is considered an important final step in RCT (reverse cholesterol transport). HDL (high-density lipoprotein) has been reported to transport BAs. We therefore investigated the effects of monogenic disturbances in human HDL metabolism on serum concentrations and lipoprotein distributions of the major 15 BA species and their precursor C4 (7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one). In normolipidaemic plasma, approximately 84%, 11% and 5% of BAs were recovered in the LPDS (lipoprotein-depleted serum), HDL and the combined LDL (low-density lipoprotein)/VLDL (very-low-density lipoproteins) fraction respectively. Conjugated BAs were slightly over-represented in HDL. For C4, the respective percentages were 23%, 21% and 56% (41% in LDL and 15% in VLDL) respectively. Compared with unaffected family members, neither HDL-C (HDL-cholesterol)-decreasing mutations in the genes APOA1 [encoding ApoA-I (apolipoprotein A-I], ABCA1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter A1) or LCAT (lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase) nor HDL-C-increasing mutations in the genes CETP (cholesteryl ester transfer protein) or LIPC (hepatic lipase) were associated with significantly different serum concentrations of BA and C4. Plasma concentrations of conjugated and secondary BAs differed between heterozygous carriers of SCARB1 (scavenger receptor class B1) mutations and unaffected individuals (P<0.05), but this difference was not significant after correction for multiple testing. Moreover, no differences in the lipoprotein distribution of BAs in the LPDS and HDL fractions from SCARB1 heterozygotes were observed. In conclusion, despite significant recoveries of BAs and C4 in HDL and despite the metabolic relationships between RCT and BA formation, monogenic disorders of HDL metabolism do not lead to altered serum concentrations of BAs and C4.


Many physiological characteristics of living cells are regulated by protein interaction networks. Because the total numbers of these protein species can be small, molecular noise can have significant effects on the dynamical properties of a regulatory network. Computing these stochastic effects is made difficult by the large timescale separations typical of protein interactions (e.g., complex formation may occur in fractions of a second, whereas catalytic conversions may take minutes). Exact stochastic simulation may be very inefficient under these circumstances, and methods for speeding up the simulation without sacrificing accuracy have been widely studied. We show that the "total quasi-steady-state approximation" for enzyme-catalyzed reactions provides a useful framework for efficient and accurate stochastic simulations. The method is applied to three examples: a simple enzyme-catalyzed reaction where enzyme and substrate have comparable abundances, a Goldbeter-Koshland switch, where a kinase and phosphatase regulate the phosphorylation state of a common substrate, and coupled Goldbeter-Koshland switches that exhibit bistability. Simulations based on the total quasi-steady-state approximation accurately capture the steady-state probability distributions of all components of these reaction networks. In many respects, the approximation also faithfully reproduces time-dependent aspects of the fluctuations. The method is accurate even under conditions of poor timescale separation.


The last 30 years have seen a dramatic change in women's social and economic status in the United States, particularly in their labor market activity. When women were less involved and less successful in the labor market, many of them gained access to market income only or primarily through marriage or cohabitation with a working man. As a result, women and children were especially vulnerable to the death of a partner, separation, or divorce. ; In this article, the authors examine three decades of data on the relationship between women's labor market activity and the income mobility of families that lose a spouse through death, divorce, or separation. The authors find that wives' labor market activity acts as partial insurance for women and their families against the negative economic consequences of marital dissolution. However, the authors also find that while women who lose their husbands increase their earnings significantly, the number of upwardly mobile families is quite small, and a majority of families actually move down by the end of each decade. In addition, families that lose a wife to death, divorce, or separation do less well in successive decades, as the wives make increasingly larger contributions to family income. These findings imply that U.S. social and economic policies currently leave considerable gaps in "insurance" for families in the event of marital dissolution.


Vessel maintenance entails periodic visual inspections of internal and external parts of the hull in order to detect the typical defective situations affecting metallic structures, such as cracks, coating breakdown, corrosion, etc. The main goal of the EU-FP7 project MINOAS is the automation of the inspection process, currently undertaken by human surveyors, by means of a fleet of robotic agents. This paper overviews a semi-autonomous approach to the inspection problem consisting of an autonomous Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) to be used as part of this fleet and which is in charge of regularly supplying images that can effectively teleport the surveyor from a base station to the areas of the hull to be inspected. Specific image processing software to analyze those images and assist the surveyor during the repair/no repair decision making process is also contributed. The control software approach adopted for the MAV, including self-localization and obstacle avoidance, is described and discussed, and experimental results in this regard are as well reported.


Global tourism is one of the biggest and fastest growing industries. According to the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) there are some 700 million international tourists worldwide annually, tourism and related activities contribute 11% to the world's GDP, and the tourism sector is the largest employer accounting for some 255 million jobs or 10.7% of the global labor force (WTTC, 2002). The benefits of tourism, mainly economic, have been enormous especially for developing and poor countries that have limited sources of foreign currency. On the other hand however, the phenomenal growth of the sector has been accompanied by severe environmental and cultural damage, especially in destinations that are close to or have exceeded their carrying capacity limits. The cultural and environmental resources are the assets upon which tourism depends, so these unsustainable impacts of tourism do not only degrade a destination's image, but also undermine the long term viability of the sector. Despite all the attention that has been drawn to this fact lately, tourism on a global scale seems to be moving farther from sustainability now than ever before (McKercher, 2003). Many newly emerging but also established destinations promote sustainability but adopt the same old practices with the same adverse effects that have been troubling tourism for decades. Such a gap between ideology and practice is evident also in the case of Crete. The island underwent rapid tourism development over the last 30 years which resulted in tourism being a leading economic sector but bringing along several negative economic, environmental and cultural impacts. This dissertation offers a study of the Cretan tourism sector following a regional approach to the concept of sustainable tourism, analyzing the situation and the prospects for the region of Crete towards the transition to sustainability. The first chapter contains an introduction to the concept of sustainable tourism, and determines the criteria and indicators upon which the evaluation of the Cretan tourism sector is based. The second chapter follows the development pattern and proceeds with an assessment of the impacts of the tourism industry on the island according to a consistent set of sustainability criteria. The third and final chapter includes a criticism of current policies and outlines the essential requirements in order for the tourism sector to meet sustainable development, the principal goal of the region's official development plans (ROP, 2001).


We examine a sample of 2301 gamma-ray bursts, detected by Konus-Wind in the triggered mode between 1994 and 2017 and localized by the interplanetary network (IPN), for evidence of gravitational lensing. We utilize all the available gamma-ray burst (GRB) data: time histories, localizations, and energy spectra. We employ common IPN techniques to find and quantify similarities in the light curves of 2,646,150 burst pairs, and for the pairs with significant similarities, we examine their IPN localizations to determine whether they are consistent with a common origin. For pairs that are consistent, we derive and compare energy spectra, and compute a figure of merit that allows us to compare and rank burst pairs. We conduct both a blind search, between all possible burst pairs, and a targeted search, between pairs in which one burst has both a spectroscopic redshift and an identification of an intervening system, as measured by one or more lower spectroscopic redshifts. We identify six pairs in the blind search that could be taken as evidence for lensing, but none are compelling enough to claim a detection with good confidence. No candidates were detected in the targeted search. For our GRB sample, we set an upper limit to the optical depth to lensing of 0.0033, which is comparable to that of optical sources. We conclude that proposed scenarios in which a large fraction of the GRB population is lensed are extremely unlikely.


Two novel strains of halophilic archaea, DX253(T) and GY252, were isolated from Zodletone Spring, a low-salt, sulfide- and sulfur-rich spring in south-western Oklahoma, USA. The cells were cocci or coccobacilli and occurred singly or in pairs. The two strains grew in a wide range of salt concentrations (0.8-5.1 M) and required at least 5 mM Mg(2+) for growth. The pH range for growth was 5-7.5 and the temperature range was 25-45 degrees C. In addition to having the capacity to grow at relatively low salt concentrations, cells remained viable in distilled water after prolonged incubation. The two diether phospholipids that are typical of members of the order Halobacteriales, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, were present. Phosphatidylglycerol sulfate and two unidentified glycolipids were also detected. Each strain had two distinct 16S rRNA gene sequences that were only 89.5-90.8 % similar to sequences from the most closely related cultured and recognized species within the order Halobacteriales. The DNA G+C content of the type strain was found to be 60.5 mol%. The closest relatives were clones and uncharacterized isolates obtained from coastal salt-marsh sediments with salinities equivalent to that of seawater. The physiological, biochemical and phylogenetic differences between strains DX253(T) and GY252 and other previously described genera of extremely halophilic archaea suggest that these novel strains represent a novel species and genus within the family Halobacteriaceae, for which the name Haladaptatus paucihalophilus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DX253(T) (=JCM 13897(T)=DSM 18195(T)=ATCC BAA-1313(T)=KCTC 4006(T)).


Abstract Three triggered steam explosion experiments using corium melts of various compositions were performed in the TROI facility. The interaction vessel was 0.3 m in diameter. The melt compositions were 70:30 (UO2:ZrO2) corium, pure zirconia, and partially oxidized corium (UO2:ZrO2:Zr:SS = 53.91:23.09:12.00:11.00 in weight percent). The test with 70:30 corium was performed with a 0.95-m-deep water pool under an elevated pressure of 0.205 MPa, while the others were performed with a 1.3-m-deep water pool under atmospheric pressure. The water temperature was maintained at room temperature. The melt mass released to the water pool was ˜10 kg for each test. The test with 70:30 corium resulted in a triggered steam explosion, considering the long duration of the dynamic pressure and the large amount of fine debris. The dynamic pressure trace from the steam explosion seemed to be superimposed on that from the external trigger. The test with pure zirconia led to multiple spontaneous steam explosions before any external triggering. The zirconia melt confirmed its explosivity. The spontaneous steam explosion with pure zirconia seems not to be affected by the water depth and diameter of the interaction vessel. The test with partially oxidized corium also resulted in a spontaneous steam explosion before an external triggering. These results are different from the previous TROI tests with 80:20 corium in a narrow interaction vessel of 0.3-m diameter, in which no spontaneous steam explosions occurred. The geometry of the interaction vessel used in these tests does not seem to influence the occurrence of a steam explosion, but the corium composition does affect the triggerability of it.


Introduction Cattle production on Brachiaria pastures is a primary use of cleared forestland in the western Brazilian Amazon. About 6.8 million hectares in the States of Acre and Rondonia have been deforested, where 75% of land is now grazed (IBGE, 1998). The principal pasture species are B. brizantha and B. decumbens with the latter in decline from spittlebug susceptibility (Deois incompleta; Goncalves et al., 1996). The general pattern of pasture establishment in the Amazon basin includes felling and burning forest biomass, planting annual crops for one to three years (especially on small farms), and then seeding to grasses. The conversion of tropical forest to pasture, the effects of that process on soil properties, and pasture degradation outcomes have been studied in the eastern Amazon region ( Serrao et al., 1978; Reiners et al., 1994; Sanchez and Salinas, 1981; Buschbacher et al., 1987; Moraes et al., 1996) but not in the remote western region. Most findings showed an initial increase in soil cation concentrations with pasture establishment, except P, which declined to nearly undetectable amounts; and losses in pasture productivity after about five years with little management and poorly matched grasses (Serrao et al., 1978). The extent to which this outcome is due to poor management practices (e.g., inappropriate grass species) is unknown, and few studies in the region have examined the impacts of stocking rates, soilplant nutrient relationships and burning frequencies on pasture degradation. Strategies that account for the cycling of major nutrients are needed to improve management of grasses and grass-legume associations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that low-input pasture use of land with Brachiaria spp. effectively sustains cattle production in the western Brazilian Amazon without deteriorating soil nutrient stocks . Three pasture land cover types (B. decumbens, B. brizantha and a grass association with Pueraria phaseoloides) were compared to primary forest and crops (maize and rice). Temporal (i.e., time post-deforestation) effects on the physical and chemical properties of soils and forages were evaluated. The nutrient pools in soil, plants and cattle herds and nutrients extracted in animal products were approximated to help understand the essential management to enhance cattle productivity and to avoid land degradation.


Providing navigational aids to assist users in finding information in hypertext systems has been an ongoing research problem for well over a decade. Despite this, the incorporation of navigational aids into Web search tools has been slow. While search engines have become very efficient in producing high quality rankings, support for the navigational process is still far from satisfactory. To deal with this shortcoming of search tools, we have developed a site specific search and navigation engine that incorporates several recommended navigational aids into its novel user interface, based on the concept of a user trail. Herein, we report on a usability study whose aim was to ascertain whether adding semi-automated navigational aids to a search tool improves users' experience when "surfing" the Web. The results we obtained from the study revealed that users of the navigation engine performed better in solving the question set posed than users of a conventional search engine. Moreover, users of the navigation engine provided more accurate answers in less time and with less clicks. Our results indicate that adding navigational aids to search tools will enhance Web usability and take us a step further towards resolving the problem of "getting lost in hyperspace".


I INTRODUCTION This response to Clark Havighurst's and Barak Richman's powerful indictment of the distributional effects of the American health care financing system (1) addresses two respects in which they have somewhat overstated their claims. First, they argue that the current system imposes an implicit head tax on all persons with employer-provided health insurance, the proceeds of which are used largely to provide health care for the uninsured, and that the result of this implicit tax-and-transfer system is a regressive redistribution of income. However, this response explains that once one considers the distribution of the benefits financed by the tax, as well as the distribution of the tax burden, the overall system is not necessarily regressive. Indeed, it may well serve to decrease income inequality. Second, they criticize the income-tax exclusion for employer-provided health insurance as "aid[ing] the moral-hazard enemy." (2) This response, however, argues that the core of the current income-tax treatment of health insurance--the exclusion from the tax base of the value of basic employer-provided health insurance--makes good sense from a tax-internal policy perspective and is not a health-policy culprit. Other aspects of the current income-tax treatment of health care expenditures--in particular, the exclusion of the value of non-basic employer-provided health insurance, the tax bias against non-employer-provided health insurance, and the tax bias against health-insurance cost sharing--are both bad tax policy and bad health policy, and should be reformed. The core of the exclusion, however, should be retained. Both of these comments are in the nature of friendly amendments. Even with the view advanced here that the implicit head tax is not necessarily regressive in its overall effect, the unmasking of the head tax suggests the transfers it makes possible should be financed by a tax keyed to ability to pay. Similarly, even with the view that the core of the income tax exclusion is justified, much of the income-tax treatment of health care costs is in dire need of reform. II THE DISTRIBUTIONAL EFFECTS OF THE HEALTH-INSURANCE HEAD TAX According to Havighurst and Richman, hospitals take advantage of their insurance-enhanced market power by charging insurers substantially more than the cost of caring for insured patients, and the insurers pass on the extra costs to their insureds as "a 'head tax,' which falls on individuals [with employer-provided health insurance] without appreciable correlation to wealth, income, or ability to pay." (3) The hospitals use these excess payments to finance a range of unprofitable activities, most notably, research and development, and providing uncompensated care to the uninsured. (4) Because low- and high-income insureds pay (more or less) the same amount of this quasi-tax, rather than paying in proportion to income or wealth, Havighurst and Richman conclude that this system of financing health care for the uninsured is regressive. (5) Much of this analysis is correct. The identification of the disguised head tax is persuasive, and it is almost certainly true that lawmakers designing an explicit tax to finance health care for the uninsured would not have chosen a head tax. (6) However, the implicit tax-and-transfer system they describe is not necessarily regressive. It is, of course, common usage to describe an income tax as regressive if taxpayers with higher incomes pay a lower percentage of their income in tax than do taxpayers with lower incomes. It is also common to describe a head tax as regressive with respect to an income base, because a head tax expressed as a percentage of income obviously declines as income increases. It is a doubtful practice, however, to apply a distributional label to a tax system without regard to the distribution of the benefits financed by the tax. A tax that would be labeled regressive under the usual tax-viewed-in-isolation approach may look very different when considered together with the use of the tax's proceeds. …


Traditional analyses in non-convex optimization typically rely on the smoothness assumption, namely requiring the gradients to be Lipschitz. However, recent evidence shows that this smoothness condition does not capture the properties of some deep learning objective functions, including the ones involving Recurrent Neural Networks and LSTMs. Instead, they satisfy a much more relaxed condition, with potentially unbounded smoothness. Under this relaxed assumption, it has been theoretically and empirically shown that the gradient-clipped SGD has an advantage over the vanilla one. In this paper, we show that clipping is not indispensable for Adam-type algorithms in tackling such scenarios: we theoretically prove that a generalized SignSGD algorithm can obtain similar convergence rates as SGD with clipping but does not need explicit clipping at all. This family of algorithms on one end recovers SignSGD and on the other end closely resembles the popular Adam algorithm. Our analysis underlines the critical role that momentum plays in analyzing SignSGD-type and Adam-type algorithms: it not only reduces the effects of noise, thus removing the need for large mini-batch in previous analyses of SignSGD-type algorithms, but it also substantially reduces the effects of unbounded smoothness and gradient norms. We also compare these algorithms with popular optimizers on a set of deep learning tasks, observing that we can match the performance of Adam while beating the others.


The third volume in an authoritative and comprehensive series, The Photobook: A History volume III provides a unique perspective on the story of contemporary photography through the genre of the photobook. Continuing in the vein of the first two volumes, Volume III is a study of the major trends and movements that have shaped the photobook genre globally since the birth of photography in the early nineteenth century. Volume III pays particular attention to photobooks published after World War II, covering contemporary themes of modern life, from diaristic photography of place and people to twentieth-century propaganda books and some of the finest works to emerge from the recent self-publishing boom. The Photobook volumes represent a valuable catalogue of rare and important photobooks, and since Phaidon published Volume I in 2004, are now regarded by academics, students and photobook bibliophiles as the definitive works on this subject.


The Physician Payments Sunshine Act (PPSA) requires health care product manufacturers to report to the federal government payments more than $10 to physicians. Bringing unprecedented transparency to medicine, PPSA holds great potential for enabling medical stakeholders to manage conflicts of interest (COI) and build patient trust—crucial responsibilities of medical professionalism. The authors conducted six focus groups with 42 physicians in Chicago, IL, San Francisco, CA, and Washington, DC, to explore attitudes and experiences around PPSA. Participants valued the concept of transparency but were wary of the law's design and consequences. They downplayed PPSA's potential and felt it undermined public trust. Showing broad unawareness of COI, they dismissed the notion of industry influence and welcomed company "perks." Misapprehensions may leave physicians unprepared to advance the opportunities PPSA holds for professionalism. The authors offer recommendations for government and medicine to improve physicians' and other stakeholders' understandings and use of the data.


This article contends that Missouri v. Frye and Lafler v. Cooper, holding that defendants have a right to an effective criminal negotiator, are landmark decisions, but not because they will cause the reversal of any substantial number of convictions. These opinions could have a far greater impact than that. These opinions may cause criminal defense lawyers to embrace their role as negotiators. The recognition that negotiation is as central to their duty under the Sixth Amendment as litigation should cause them to study the negotiation tactics and experiences of their colleagues just as they now very effectively learn from their trial and appellate skills. The opinions also encourage trial courts, in crafting remedies for ineffective assistance of counsel during plea bargaining, to inquire into a reasonable prosecutor's motives for offering a plea lost by counsel's ineffectiveness. In so doing, post-conviction courts would be crafting advisory guidelines for the exercise of prosecutorial discretion. Plea bargaining has become an unregulated process, with enormous power vesting in the hands of prosecutors, over the forty years since the Supreme Court acknowledged the existence of criminal negotiations. Separation of powers concerns and respect for the power of parties to contract have caused academic proposals for direct judicial regulation of the plea bargaining process to be largely ignored. By nudging defense lawyers to re-envision their role in the system and giving post-conviction courts an opportunity, as they are crafting remedies, to comment on the appropriate exercise of prosecutorial discretion, the Supreme Court has created circumstances permitting the indirect regulation of plea bargaining. Decades of cases from the Supreme Court have made limitations on prosecutors in this process seem constitutionally impossible. In a decision appearing to relate only the role of defense counsel, the Court may have found a way, consistent with long-standing constitutional principles, to impose some oversight on the previously unchecked prosecutor.


By intensifying sanctions against Islamic Republic of Iran, identification and development of mechanisms to sell crude oil has gained attention among most experts and oil industry activists. Limitations for financial transactions and settlements are one of the fundamental challenges in international oil transactions; thus, various solutions are proposed to solve the limitation. Using capability of virtual currencies is one of the proposed suggestions for petroleum transaction under sanctions but there is a research gap in finding whether and which one of these currencies are able to be used in petroleum transactions in present condition. In this study, performed by analysis and quantitative approach, indices are introduced for choosing a valid currency for international transactions, and subsequently are confirmed by experts. The indices are ranked by the experts through TOPSIS method and are studied on the most suitable virtual currencies to find the best suit for petroleum transactions. The results reveal that Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tether are respectively the best, second and third choice for this end. It is noteworthy that some experts might believe the virtual currency market size may not meet the high volume of crude oil transactions, making it unsuitable. Although current study has shown that there would be no problem in covering the whole petroleum market for Iran's crude oil by virtual currencies platform, if the concerns remain, virtual currency platform could be used for selling Iran's crude oil temporarily and partially through various channels.


A longitudinal study reported positive speech and language outcomes for 29 children with hearing loss in an auditory-verbal therapy program (AVT group) (aged 2 to 6 years at start; mean PTA 79.39 dB HL) compared with a matched control group with typical hearing (TH group) at 9, 21, and 38 months after the start of the study. The current study investigates outcomes over 50 months for 19 of the original pairs of children matched for language age, receptive vocabulary, gender, and socioeconomic status. An assessment battery was used to measure speech and language over 50 months, and reading, mathematics, and self-esteem over the final 12 months of the study. Results showed no significant differences between the groups for speech, language, and self-esteem (p > 0.05). Reading and mathematics scores were comparable between the groups, although too few for statistical analysis. Auditory-verbal therapy has proved to be effective for this population of children with hearing loss.


Abstract. The direct radiative forcing by sulfate aerosols is still uncertain, mainly because the uncertainties are largely derived from differences in sulfate column burdens and its vertical distributions among global aerosol models. One possible reason for the large difference in the computed values is that the radiative forcing delicately depends on various simplifications of the sulfur processes made in the models. In this study, therefore, we investigated impacts of different parts of the sulfur chemistry module in a global aerosol model, SPRINTARS, on the sulfate distribution and its radiative forcing. Important studies were effects of simplified and more physical-based sulfur processes in terms of treatment of sulfur chemistry, oxidant chemistry, and dry deposition process of sulfur components. The results showed that the difference in the aqueous-phase sulfur chemistry among these treatments has the largest impact on the sulfate distribution. Introduction of all the improvements mentioned above brought the model values noticeably closer to in-situ measurements than those in the simplified methods used in the original SPRINTARS model. At the same time, these improvements also brought the computed sulfate column burdens and its vertical distributions into good agreement with other AEROCOM model values. The global annual mean radiative forcing due to the direct effect of anthropogenic sulfate aerosol was thus estimated to be −0.26 W m −2 (−0.30 W m −2 with a different SO 2 inventory), whereas the original SPRINTARS model showed −0.18 W m −2 (−0.21 W m −2 with a different SO 2 inventory). The magnitude of the difference between original and improved methods was approximately 50% of the uncertainty among estimates by the world's global aerosol models reported by the IPCC-AR4 assessment report. Findings in the present study, therefore, may suggest that the model differences in the simplifications of the sulfur processes are still a part of the large uncertainty in their simulated radiative forcings.


Malingering is the intentional production of false or grossly exaggerated symptoms in order to obtain an advantage. Although it has been estimated that over 800,000 claims for personal injury in Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) were filed in the UK in 2012, no approximation exists for how many involved malingering. This study attempts to understand what influences a psychiatrist to conclude that a claimant's symptoms are not caused by an RTA and thus suggests the claimant is malingering. This article describes a study of Personality Assessment Inventory scores alongside collateral forms of evidence for 100 RTA claimants; all individuals seeking compensation for damages to their mental health. The results suggest that up to 40% of these claims could be categorised as not being the result of the RTA. Significant differences emerged between those claimants diagnosed as having a mental disorder as a result of the RTA and those claimants who were classified as not having a mental disorder as a result of the RTA in regards to: employment status, level of injuries and scores on the paranoia scales of the PAI. The study emphasises how the assessment process is idiosyncratic and in need of further research.


Postoperative delirium can lead to increased morbidity and mortality, and may even be a potentially life-threatening clinical syndrome. However, the neural mechanism underlying this condition has not been fully understood and there is little knowledge regarding potential preventive strategies. To date, investigation of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for the relief of symptoms caused by neuropsychiatric disorders and the enhancement of cognitive performance has led to promising results. In this study, we demonstrated that tDCS has a possible effect on the fast recovery from delirium in rats after microelectrode implant surgery, as demonstrated by postoperative behavior and neurophysiology compared with sham stimulation. This is the first study to describe the possible effects of tDCS for the fast recovery from delirium based on the study of both electroencephalography and behavioral changes. Postoperative rats showed decreased attention, which is the core symptom of delirium. However, anodal tDCS over the right frontal area immediately after surgery exhibited positive effects on acute attentional deficit. It was found that relative power of theta was lower in the tDCS group than in the sham group after surgery, suggesting that the decrease might be the underlying reason for the positive effects of tDCS. Connectivity analysis revealed that tDCS could modulate effective connectivity and synchronization of brain activity among different brain areas, including the frontal cortex, parietal cortex, and thalamus. It was concluded that anodal tDCS on the right frontal regions may have the potential to help patients recover quickly from delirium.


This report outlines the design and construction of a multi-level control system for the Murdoch University Universal Water System (UWS). The UWS can be re-configured (using a series of manual valves) to behave as a single integrated system, three individual systems, or any 2-1 combination of the systems. Due to the high interconnectivity between the tanks the system displays a high level of control loop interaction. This is desirable as it allows students the opportunity to test advanced control models (both SISO and MIMO).

The project is now complete, with the UWS control system in place and successfully commissioned and tested. The control system is designed to be used by operators with varying levels of abilities. The client program template can be used as a standard operator interface, with default control loop selection and tuning. The client template can also be used to select alternate control loops and tuning parameters. Advanced users can even add custom controller models to the system by use of the provided code modules. Alternatively, users can connect to the system via OPC and construct controllers using Excel or MATLAB interfaces.

This report also covers the extensive documentation and user guides that have been generated for the UWS project.


Abstract Poor management and delayed diagnosis for both pulmonary embolism and septic shock are common and lead to increased cost, length of stay and mortality. Despite a wealth of information coming from commonly placed catheters much of this information remains unknown to an intensive care clinician. Data was gather from two porcine trials, 5 subjects induced with pulmonary embolism, and 5 with septic shock (treated with haemofiltration). Methods for real-time estimating afterload, systemic vascular resistance and pulmonary vascular resistance are presented. Knowledge of these parameters would greatly increase management of patients with pulmonary embolism and septic shock, and help the accuracy and speed of diagnosis. All estimations tracked trends very well. The estimating for afterload has a percentage error of 21.6% in pulmonary embolism and 11.8% in septic shock, systemic vascular resistance has a percentage error of 12.51% and 13.5% for pulmonary embolism and septic shock respectively while pulmonary vascular resistance showed percentage errors of 12.2% and 44.5%. From these estimations, the drop in systemic vascular resistance and afterload can be clearly identified in the septic shock cohort, as well as the recovery after haemofiltration was started, while the pulmonary embolism cohort showed the expected increase in pulmonary vascular resistance.


In this paper, the error source in assessing the bathymetry by a recently presented method, the dispersive surface classificator, is discussed. This method is based on the analysis of X-band radar image sequences of sea-surface waves to determine spatial maps of hydrographic parameters. To implement this objective, the radar-deduced bathymetry is validating by multibeam echosounder data. The accuracy of the method is high in homogeneous areas and reduced at the areas of bathymetric gradient and lower but comparable with multibeam echosounder data, under the assumption of the spatial resolution. The identification of systematic correlation of the absolute value of the error with the slope is significant and insignificant with the actual depth itself. The spatial correlation of the error illustrates that the direction of the wave field influences the neighboring grid cell in the same direction. The application of the method during crucial weather conditions is the main advantage and permits the accurate operational nearshore monitoring for several applications.


Developments in Britain reflect a shift from a shallow but widely endorsed multiculturalism to a growing preoccupation with abuses of women in minority cultural groups. Four main issues have been debated in the media and have become the basis of either public policy or legal judgment: forced marriage, honour killing, female genital cutting and women's Islamic dress. The treatment of these issues has often been problematic, with discourses over culture tending to misrepresent minority cultural groups as monolithic entities, and initiatives to protect women becoming entangled with anti-immigration agendas. It has therefore proved hard to address abuses of women without simultaneously promoting stereotypes of culture. The most encouraging signs of resolving these tensions appear where there has been a prior history of women's activism, and a greater willingness on the part of government to draw groups into consultation. We argue that this offers a greater prospect of devising effective initiatives that do not set up multiculturalism in opposition to women's rights.


Although granular iron permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) are increasingly employed to contain subsurface contaminants, information pertaining to system longevity is sparse. The present investigation redresses this situation by examining the long-term effects of carbonate, silica, chloride, and natural organic matter (NOM) on reactivity of Master Builders iron toward organohalides and nitroaromatic contaminants. Six columns were operated for 1100 days (approximately 4500 pore volumes) and five others for 407 days (approximately 1800 pore volumes). Nine were continuously exposed to mixtures of contaminant species, while the other two were only intermittently exposed in order to differentiate deactivation induced by water (and inorganic cosolutes) from that resulting from contaminant reduction. Contaminants investigated were trichloroethylene, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 2-nitrotoluene, 4-nitroacetophenone, and 4-nitroanisole. Column reactivity declined substantially over the first 300 days and was dependent on the feed solution chemistry. High carbonate concentrations enhanced reactivity slightly within the first 90 days but produced poorer performance over the long term. Both silica and NOM adversely affected reactivity, while chloride evinced a somewhat mixed effect. Observed contrasts in relative reactivities suggest that trichloroethylene, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, and nitroaromatic compounds all react at different types of reactive sites. Our results indicate that differences in groundwater chemistry should be considered in the PRB design process.


We investigate two popular approaches to long-only style investing that are often considered as potential starting points for smart beta investors: the "portfolio mix" that builds a style portfolio from standalone style portfolios and the "integrated portfolio" that integrates styles directly in the portfolio construction process. Our key finding is that integrating styles is a much more effective way to harvest long-only style premia. Compared to the portfolio mix, the integrated portfolio substantially improves returns and information ratio by avoiding stocks with offsetting style exposures and including stocks with balanced positive style exposures.


The Uganda Constitution of 1995 spelt out the principle of decentralization by devolution. Accordingly, from 1995 to 2005, district local governments had a dejure mandate to hire and fire all categories of civil servants through their respective district service commissions (DSCs). Following the Constitutional amendment in September 2005, the right to hire and fire district chief administrative officers (CAOs) reverted to central government. Critics of recentralization of CAO appointments contend that the shift in the policy and legislation for managing CAOs runs contrary to the principles of decentralization by devolution. This paper argues that recentralization of CAOs has confused reporting, reduced the autonomy of sub-national governments in civil service management, undermined accountability of CAOs to elected councils, and shifted the loyalty of CAOs from local governments with and for which they work to central government that appoints and deploys them. To deepen accountability in local governments, the paper advocates for decentralization of CAO appointments, but for participation of central government in recruitment of CAOs within the confines of a separate personnel system. It further calls for a rethinking of the current call by the 9th Parliament to recentralize human resource in health in local governments owing to accountability challenges of managing the civil service in sub-national governments under an integrated personnel system.


While mobile phones made a significant evolution in recent years from single-purpose communication devices to multi-purpose devices, the fundamental design of phone call applications did not evolve accordingly. While its implementation leveraged from new hardware and software capabilities, the fundamental decisions people are able to make when they receive a call did not change. Currently, when a call comes in, a modal dialog opens where the callee can either decline or accept the call. A recent study found that the current user interfaces of phone call applications (phone UIs) often lead to an increased overhead when application usage is being interrupted by phone calls [6]. In this paper, we revisit phone call UIs for multipurpose smartphones. We contribute a new design space for mobile phone call UIs, going beyond the simple accept-or-decline dilemma. We present a prototype implementation and discuss open challenges.


Minimum sum-of-squares clustering (MSSC) consists in partitioning a given set of n points into k clusters in order to minimize the sum of squared distances from the points to the centroid of their cluster. Recently, Peng & Xia (2005) established the equivalence between 0-1 semidefinite programming (SDP) and MSSC. In this paper, we propose a branch-and-cut algorithm for the underlying 0-1 SDP model. The algorithm obtains exact solutions for fairly large data sets with computing times comparable with those of the best exact method found in the literature.


We aimed to gain better understanding of rumination, a risk factor for poor bereavement outcome, so it can be targeted more effectively in therapeutic interventions. We defined grief-related rumination as thinking repetitively and recurrently about the causes and consequences of a loss and loss-related negative emotions. Although many researchers regarded rumination after bereavement as a maladaptive confrontation strategy, others have recently claimed that rumination could serve as cognitive avoidance of painful aspects of a loss, thereby contributing to grief complications. Crucially, these different conceptualizations of rumination lead to diverging guidelines for clinical practice. If rumination is a confrontation process, then positive distraction may reduce it, whereas if it is avoidance, then exposure therapy may be effective. A research project consisting of three integrated parts was conducted to clarify the role of rumination after loss. First, we developed and validated a new scale for grief-related rumination, the Utrecht Grief Rumination Scale (UGRS). Two cross-sectional and one longitudinal survey study showed that a correlated five-factor model fit the UGRS data best and that this factor structure showed cross-cultural equivalence. Furthermore, the reliability and discriminant, convergent, divergent, concurrent and predictive validity of the UGRS and its five subscales was substantially supported. Second, we set out to clarify the association between rumination and approach and avoidance processes. We first aimed to test if avoidance potentially mediates the relationship between rumination on and post-loss mental health problems, by conducting a three-wave longitudinal survey study in a bereaved sample. One major finding of this study was that both avoidance of internal experiences and thought suppression were potential mediators of the relationship between grief rumination and complicated grief symptom change. Next, we conducted two laboratory studies. In a first study, we investigated attention patterns of bereaved persons high and low on rumination for neutral, negative, loss-related and loss-reality cues using eye-tracking. Results indicated high ruminators, relative to low ruminators, consciously diverted attention away from loss-reality stimuli, whilst showing attentional preference for general negative (and neutral) stimuli. In a second study, the link between rumination and implicit approach and avoidance was tested with an Approach Avoidance Task. Results showed rumination predicted implicit avoidance of loss-reality stimuli, but not approach or avoidance of loss-related or neutral stimuli. In both studies, results were similar after controlling for concurrently experienced distress. Third, we conducted a waiting-list randomized controlled trial in sub-clinically bereaved individuals to investigate the effectiveness of internet-delivered exposure and behavioral activation in reducing rumination and loss-related distress. Major findings were that exposure strongly reduced grief rumination and complicated grief relative to a waiting list group at post-test and follow-up in completers and in intention-to-treat analyses. The effectiveness of behavioral activation was not substantially supported in completers analyses, but it did yield large reductions in levels of grief rumination and complicated grief across time-points in the intention-to-treat analyses. In conclusion, findings support the hypothesis that grief rumination serves to avoid painful aspects of the loss. Furthermore, exposure therapy is a potentially effective way to reduce rumination and post-loss distress.


Graduated licensing has been identified as the most promising approach to reducing the crash risk of novice drivers. However, research suggests that the effectiveness of graduated licensing appears to differ between urban and rural novice drivers and according to race or ethnicity. Extensive supervised driving practice as a learner driver is an important component of graduated licensing systems in Australia and many other countries. Earlier CARRS-Q research identified that falsification of logbooks was more common among particular demographic groups. The factors underlying this are not well understood. It is unclear whether this reflects a lack of understanding of the importance of supervised practice (given that it is not a licensing requirement in many countries of origin), or it reflects lack of access to vehicles and supervising drivers, or whether there is less respect for driver licensing requirements among some groups. It is possible that the importance of these factors may differ across ethnic groups, depending on socioeconomic factors and cultural attitudes to road safety. In an attempt to better understand these issues, this study presents some preliminary results of focus groups examining the experience of the Queensland Graduated Driver Licensing System by Korean-Australian novice drivers and their parents.


The multinational coffee shop chain Starbucks has proved to be a pioneer in the United States, with the deployment of Wi-Fi access. Declaring itself to be an ethical company, it provides a non-smoking environment and non-alcoholic beverages and charges a fee for secure internet access, in the fashionable areas of big cities. Having first placed the company's economic model in the global context of new forms of mobility and of the development of the commercial opportunities they provide, the authors present the initial findings of research, carried out in April 2006, on the users of the Starbucks cafes in Beijing. The social practices observed reveal the need for access to distant services and a strong desire for local social interaction. These new areas of mobility, which are semi-public/semi-private spaces, have elements of both the SOHO (Small Office Home Office) and the meeting place.


Campylobacter jejuni is a leading cause of foodbourne gastroenteritis, despite fragile behaviour under standard laboratory conditions. In the environment, C. jejuni may survive within biofilms, which can impart resident bacteria with enhanced stress tolerance compared to their planktonic counterparts. While C. jejuni forms biofilms in vitro and in the wild, it had not been confirmed that this lifestyle confers stress tolerance. Moreover, little is understood about molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation in this pathogen. We previously found that a ΔcprS mutant, which carries a deletion in the sensor kinase of the CprRS two-component system, forms enhanced biofilms. Biofilms were also enhanced by the bile salt deoxycholate and contained extracellular DNA. Through more in-depth analysis of ΔcprS and WT under conditions that promote or inhibit biofilms, we sought to further define this lifestyle for C. jejuni. Epistasis experiments with ΔcprS and flagellar mutations (ΔflhA, ΔpflA) suggested that initiation is mediated by flagellum-mediated adherence, a process which was kinetically enhanced by motility. Lysis was also observed, especially under biofilm-enhancing conditions. Microscopy suggested adherence was followed by release of eDNA, which was required for biofilm maturation. Importantly, inhibiting biofilm formation by removal of eDNA with DNase decreased stress tolerance. This work suggests the biofilm lifestyle provides C. jejuni with resilience that has not been apparent from observation of planktonic bacteria during routine laboratory culture, and provides a framework for subsequent molecular studies of C. jejuni biofilms.


Recent research points to a growing gap between immigrant and native-born outcomes in the Canadian labour market at the same time as selection processes emphasize recruiting highly educated newcomers. Drawing on interviews with well-educated men and women who migrated from countries in sub-Saharan Africa, this paper explores the gendered processes that produce weak economic integration in Canada. Three-quarters of research participants experienced downward occupational mobility, with the majority employed in low-skilled, low-wage, insecure forms of "survival employment". In a gendered labour market, where common demands for "Canadian experience", "Canadian credentials" and "Canadian accents" were uneven across different sectors of the labour market, women faced particular difficulties finding "survival employment"; in the long run, however, women's greater investment in additional post-secondary education within Canada placed them in a somewhat better position than men. The policy implications of this study are fourfold: first, we raise questions about the efficacy of Canadian immigration policies that prioritize the recruitment of well-educated immigrants without addressing the multiple barriers that result in deskillling; second, we question government policies and settlement practices that undermine more equitable economic integration of immigrants; third, we address the importance of tackling the "everyday racism" that immigrants experience in the Canadian labour market; and finally, we suggest the need to re-think narrowly defined notions of economic integration in light of the gendered nature of contemporary labour markets, and immigrants' own definitions of what constitutes meaningful integration.


A number of critical issues for dual-polarization single- and multi-band optical orthogonal-frequency division multiplexing (DP-SB/MB-OFDM) signals are analyzed in dispersion compensation fiber (DCF)-free long-haul links. For the first time, different DP crosstalk removal techniques are compared, the maximum transmission-reach is investigated, and the impact of subcarrier number and high-level modulation formats are explored thoroughly. It is shown, for a bit-error-rate (BER) of 10(-3), 2000 km of quaternary phase-shift keying (QPSK) DP-MB-OFDM transmission is feasible. At high launched optical powers (LOP), maximum-likelihood decoding can extend the LOP of 40 Gb/s QPSK DP-SB-OFDM at 2000 km by 1.5 dB compared to zero-forcing. For a 100 Gb/s DP-MB-OFDM system, a high number of subcarriers contribute to improved BER but at the cost of digital signal processing computational complexity, whilst by adapting the cyclic prefix length the BER can be improved for a low number of subcarriers. In addition, when 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (16QAM) is employed the digital-to-analogue/analogue-to-digital converter (DAC/ADC) bandwidth is relaxed with a degraded BER; while the 'circular' 8QAM is slightly superior to its 'rectangular' form. Finally, the transmission of wavelength-division multiplexing DP-MB-OFDM and single-carrier DP-QPSK is experimentally compared for up to 500 Gb/s showing great potential and similar performance at 1000 km DCF-free G.652 line.