Headline issue: There are now a number of different emissions trading systems in operation around the world and more planned. Linking these systems together would make economic sense, since larger markets mean more buyers with access to more low-cost abatement opportunities in different geographical locations. It would also be good news for companies threatened by the high compliance costs of multiple emissions trading schemes. However, linking systems faces a number of practical challenges, including whether it is possible to successfully link systems with differing levels of ambition or a significantly different permit prices, differences in sector coverage and differences in the eligibility of offsets. Key points: Linking emissions trading systems is a good idea with a number of potential economic and non-economic benefits. However, successful linkage is likely to be difficult to achieve in practice. Linking is only likely to be successful if schemes under undergo a 'linking partner match selection process' to assess in detail whether schemes are compatible in a number of key aspects, including their ambition/cap, the price of permits, sector coverage, and the eligibility of offsets. To facilitate future linkages the United Kingdom government should work with partners in Europe to reform the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) as quickly as possible and actively engage with countries and regions that are developing emissions trading systems to ensure that the option to link with the EU ETS is not closed. The design of the future Chinese emissions trading system, though not public, is likely to be well advanced. It is unlikely that it has been designed to harmonise with the EU ETS to any great extent. The long-term challenges of linking Chinese emissions trading system and the EU ETS make an ongoing dialogue between the UK and China particularly important.


Capturing the nuanced attitudes toward LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people and rights in Africa involves examining them from within and outside the African context. Constructions of the entire African continent as holding negative attitudes toward LGBT peoples and denying them any rights remain quite commonplace across the Global North. However, closer analysis of specific nation-states and regions complicates our understanding of LGBT people and rights in Africa. Advances in the global study of LGBT attitudes through tools such as the Global LGBTI Inclusion Index and the Global Acceptance Index survey African peoples' beliefs about LGBT communities. These measures locate African attitudes about LGBT peoples within a comparative context to decenter assumptions and many inaccurate, often colonialist, constructions. Attitudinal measures also expose the gap between legislation securing formal rights and the beliefs driving peoples' everyday practices. These measures further specify how African governments can, often in response to Western political and economic forces, leverage homophobia on a national level to serve their interests despite a misalignment with the population's attitudes toward LGBT peoples. Nongovernmental organizations and advocates raise awareness about LGBT rights and issues to impact socialization processes that shape these attitudes to generate political, social, and economic change. A rights-based approach and research on attitudes emerging from the African context represent shifts critical to better understanding how LGBT peoples and rights can be more effectively advanced across the continent.


Abstract:It is in musical performance, suggests Ingram (2010), that our relationships with environments most cogently sustain and enrich ecology (p. 11). Ecology informs and inspires music, but it does not govern music (Boyle & Waterman, 2016). Composers have long incorporated the sounds of birds and animals into their music, and in recent years, technology has played a role in the study and development of more-than-human "musicality."1 However when jazz musicians improvise in or out of sync with the acoustic presence of wildlife, creativity remains in flux.2 This baffling anti-institutional practice furnishes new combinations of sound, but it remains subject to philosophical questions that deflect attention away from the music's inherent artistic worth. For the purposes of this reflective essay, there exists a gap in the literature around fresh approaches to jazzing within—and with—nature. Likewise, a pedagogy is needed to explain the benefits of multispecies musicking.In privileging musical engagement with natural ecologies of sound, the essay revolves around the American jazz clarinetist David Rothenberg's use of nature as a model and resource for improvising musicians.3 Process is the underlying principle in his organic practice of knowing through doing. Rothenberg (b. 1962) works in a variety of international fields, scenes, and settings as he challenges the boundaries of experimental jazz. He displays considerable technical knowledge of the clarinet, saxophone, and synthesizer, having performed and recorded music with Peter Gabriel and countless other jazz musicians. His extensive literary output provides explanations for consumers of his concerts and recordings.


I. Introduction In August of 1991, Communist hard-liners staged a coup against Mikhail Gorbachev, then President of the Union Of soviet Socialist Republics. The people of the Soviet Union resisted this coup, and Boris Yeltsin, president of the Russian Federation, the largest of the Soviet Union's fifteen constituent republics, barricaded himself inside the Russian Parliament building and made a heroic stand against the Communist would-be leaders. Because of this resistance, the coup failed, and Mikhail Gorbachev was returned to power. His return, however, was fated to be brief, because during his absence the balance of power between the Soviet government and its constituent republics shifted dramatically in favor of the republics. On December 8, 1991 three of these republics - Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus - banded together to form the Commonwealth of Independent States, effectively ending the existence of the Soviet Union.(1) Since that time, these three nations have been joined by eight more of the former Soviet republics in a loosely-knit confederation.(2) Even before the Soviet Union ceased to exist, however, Russia took control of some of the resources that had always been administered by the Soviet government. This process had profound effects on the nation's oil and gas industry. In September 1991, President Yeltsin signed a decree usurping control of all Soviet energy resources situated within Russian territory.(3) This decree ordered the Russian Federation's Ministry of Fuel and Energy to take control of the oil and gas industry.(4) With this act, Russia inherited the problems, shortcomings, and vast potential of the Soviet Union's energy industry. From an energy perspective, Russia is the most important of the former Soviet Union's republics. Because of its large size, it inherited the lion's share of the Soviet Union's oil resources. Russia's borders contain approximately ninety percent of the former Soviet Union's proven reserves.(5) This inheritance, however, has not been without problems; Russia's ability to make efficient use of this vital resource remains in question. This paper will give an overview of Russia's weakening petroleum industry. Unlike the energy industries of some other nations, Russia's prospects have declined not because of shortage. but because of faulty policies that have brought the industry to its knees. This paper will study these policies and argue the need for foreign investment, Russia's only hope for reversing this decline. Finally, this paper will address current and future legislation dealing with the nation's energy industry, and will analyze whether the laws are effective tools for attracting foreign investment. II. Russia's Petroleum Industry Before Yeltsin's 1991 decree, all aspects of the petroleum industry, including exploration, production, refining, and marketing were controlled by the Soviet government through various agencies.(6) After the decree, responsibility shifted directly to the Russian Federation, principally to Russia's Ministry of Fuel and Energy.(7) To develop the nation's energy resources, the Ministry relies on former Soviet governmental entities that have since reformed into semi-private entities in the hopes of retaining control over the resources they formerly exploited.(8) Two of these entities, Rosneftegas and Gasprom, now have monopoly control over Russia's oil and natural gas resources. Rosneftegas is a conglomeration of former Soviet oil production associations;(9) Gasprom controls the region's natural gas resources and is owned jointly by the governments of the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and Belarus.(10) Several years ago, the Soviet Union was the world's most prolific producer, topping even Saudi Arabia with peak production in 1987 and 1988.(11) At that time, the Soviet Union produced 12.48 million barre's of oil each day.(12) Russia alone accounted for approximately 11.4 million barrels of this total 3 Since the peak years, however, production has fallen rapidly, and each year witnessed an average fall in output of roughly thirteen percent from the year before. …


BACKGROUND
Laos has a high prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) and a slowly increasing prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunedeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Sputum smear microscopy is the only method currently available for routine screening of pulmonary TB, although it only detects one in three cases among persons living with HIV (PLWH). Bleach treatment of sputum samples (bleach method) has been shown to significantly improve the sensitivity of the test; however, its effectiveness in PLWH remains to be determined in Laos.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the performance of the bleach method as a diagnostic tool for pulmonary TB in PLWH and to assess its cost-effectiveness in Laos.

RESULTS
Of 174 sputum samples collected from 92 patients, 29 were culture-positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 17 patients. The sensitivity of the direct method and the bleach method was respectively 59% and 93%, and specificity was 100% for both methods. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for screening an additional case was US$17.40.

CONCLUSION
The bleach method is simple, cheap, easy to perform and cost-effective in PLWH. Its implementation in laboratories involved in routine screening of pulmonary TB among PLWH would allow practitioners to start the treatment of this life-threatening co-infection earlier.


We propose a set of control strategies for performing two arm manipulation with the goal of simplifying the task definition. In order to develop these strategies we propose a new representation, derived from the cooperative task-space, in the dual quaternion domain. The result is a compact and "singularity free" representation for two arm systems, named cooperative dual task-space. All the proposed control strategies share the same general scheme and are derived by using an analytical approach. Moreover, the mathematical treatment is given in a coherent and systematic fashion, and thus other strategies may be derived using the same argument. Experimental results show the effectiveness and usefulness of the cooperative dual task-space framework and the proposed control strategies.


Given that anxiety disorders are common and chronic and often co-morbid with both medical and psychiatric conditions, effective and safe anxiolytic drugs are in great demand. Serotonergic agents, in particular the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, have an established track record for the pharmacological treatment of a wide range of anxiety disorders. Despite their slow onset of therapeutic action, their initial exacerbation of anxiety and some of their long-term unwanted effects, they remain the drugs of first choice in primary care. They are relatively safe and exhibit both anxiolytic and antidepressant effects. Other antidepressants, such as mirtazapine, reboxetine and agomelatine, and the 5-HT1A agonist, buspirone, are alternative agents, although the evidence of their efficacy covers a narrower spectrum of anxiety disorders. Patients with anxiety disorders who are resistant to these drugs may benefit from second-line (tricyclic antidepressants or monoamine oxidase inhibitors) or even specialist initiated third-line (benzodiazepine, anticonvulsant or antipsychotic) therapy. None of the currently available drugs are ideal for every patient and the advantages and disadvantages of each are best considered when treatment is individualised.


Bioinspired nanocomposites have made great progress for the fabrication of mechanical high‐performance structural materials, but their properties have thus far been engineered with a focus on static behavior. This contrasts profoundly with the dynamic reconfiguration often observed in living tissues. Here, a first concept is introduced for steady‐state, light‐adaptive reconfiguration of mechanical patterns in bioinspired nanocomposites under dissipative out‐of‐equilibrium conditions. This is realized for green, waterborne cellulose nanofibril/polymer nanopapers by achieving a heterogeneous activation of a photothermal effect. To this end, predefined mechanical patterns are designed by top‐down lamination of bottom‐up engineered bioinspired nanocomposites containing thermoreversible hydrogen bonds, as well as spatially selectively incorporated single‐walled carbon nanotubes for photothermal response. Global irradiation leads to localized photothermal softening by cascading light to heat, and to the dynamization and breakage of the thermoreversible supramolecular bonds, leading to macroscopic reconfiguration and even inversion of mechanical stiff/soft patterns. The altered configuration is only stable in a dissipative steady state and relaxes to the ground state once light is removed. The strategy presents a new approach harnessing the capabilities from top‐down and bottom‐up structuring, and by interfacing it with non‐equilibrium adaptivity concepts, it opens avenues for hierarchical bioinspired materials with anisotropic response in global fields.


Carlos Larralde depicts Josefina Fierro de Bright (1913-1998) as a colorful individual who was indispensable to the Sleepy Lagoon Defense Committee for her influential contacts, promotion, and fund-raising. Other scholars have accorded less prominence to Fierro and more to the late Alice McGrath (1917-2009). Larralde bases his account heavily on his notes of oral interviews with key figures, notes that are of limited accessibility to other researchers (though currently under discussion with the Huntington Library). In an Afterword, Dr. Larralde challenges the McGrath school and its sources. We hope, in publishing this article, to initiate a dialogue on the relative historiographical value of various categories of sources, (merry. firstname.lastname@example.com)


The improvement of the energetic behavior of buildings has turned into a major issue due to the high level of energy consumption. One of the main objectives of the current French legislation, thanks to the definition of a global performance indicator (expressed in kWh/m2/yr), is to reduce the total energy consumption in buildings. In this context, the goal of this work is to develop tools for reducing the use of fossil energy while improving the use of renewable energies. First, the building is represented as a dynamical system and a data acquisition system is developed, which allows the measurement of environmental and energetic parameters, so as to describe the behavior of the building interacting with its direct environment. These measurements will be used by a fuzzy controller whose ability to control and optimize the energetic consumption will be illustrated through the simulation of the temperature control in University's offices.


Divergent thinking is central to the study of individual differences in creativity, but the traditional scoring systems (assigning points for infrequent responses and summing the points) face well-known problems. After critically reviewing past scoring methods, this article describes a new approach to assessing divergent thinking and appraises its reliability and validity. In our new Top 2 scoring method, participants complete a divergent thinking task and then circle the two responses that they think are their most creative responses. Raters then evaluate the responses on a 5-point scale. Regarding reliability, a generalizability analysis showed that subjective ratings of unusual-uses tasks and instances tasks yield dependable scores with only 2 or 3 raters. Regarding validity, a latent-variable study (n = 226) predicted divergent thinking from the Big Five factors and their higher-order traits (Plasticity and Stability). Over half of the variance in divergent thinking could be explained by dimensions of personality. The article presents instructions for measuring divergent thinking with the new method.


Psychology from the Islamic Perspective is a long awaited book that helps in satisfying the long quest endured by Muslim psychologists. Quite often, materials in this field are written from secular perspective. The author begins her book by clearly stating its objectives namely, to describe and detail Islamic perspectives on psychology, mental health and well-being, to present a number of contemporary scientific evidences that verify the miracles of the Qur'ān and to further remind readers of the potential for self-transformation that Islam offers. In line with these objectives, the author adopts an analytical and descriptive methodology.


Three egg-type stocks segregating dwarf (dw) and bantam (dwB) genes in female progeny were produced from the same 18 heterozygous (dwB/dw) sires used to inseminate dams of three different genotypes: normal (dw+), dwarf (dw) and bantam (dwB) dams. The heritability of 8-week body weight estimated from full-sibs of the same phenotype of progeny was 0.40, and that estimated from paternal half-sibs of the same phenotype (dwarf or bantam), and from the same genotype of dam was 0.38. Therefore, maternal and non-additive effects within genotypic classes of dam made little contribution to the genetic variance for 8-week body weight among their progeny. The interaction of sires (S) with genotypes (dw+, dw and dwB) of dam (G) was significant at the 5% level. This indicates that the rankings of the sires within each one of the three genotypes of dam were not the same, probably due to non-additive genetic variation among genotypes of dams. The evidence indicated that in general the genes from individual sires combined differently with each type of dam (G). Those genes which combined well with the genes from normal (dw+) dams combined poorly with both the genes from the dwarf (dw) and the genes from the bantam (dwB) dams. The interaction of sires (S) with phenotypes (dwarf and bantam) of progeny (P) was significant at the 10% level. The results indicated a probable gene x genotype interaction for 8-week weight between genes at the dwarf locus (dw and dwB) and the background genotype (single and/or polygenes). The correlation among paternal half-sibs was influenced more by the S x G than by the S x P interaction, but the effects tended to be cumulative


To be a trustworthy partner, people need self-control. People infer others' level of self-control from behavioral cues, and this perception influences how much they trust others. Exhibiting compulsive Internet use (CIU) might provide such cues. This research examined whether and how CIU affects perceptions of self-control and trust in a partner. In an experimental study, we manipulated CIU in descriptions of strangers and found that participants in the CIU condition judged the other to have lower self-control and trusted them less than in a control condition. In a prospective dyadic study among newlyweds, we extended these results to close relationships. The results confirmed our hypotheses. Additionally, we found that low trait self-control makes people prone to CIU, illustrating that assessing others' CIU is a good strategy to gauge others' level of self-control. These results illuminate how and why CIU may be harmful for relationships.


The incidence of nephrolithiasis (kidney stones) is rising worldwide, especially in women and with increasing age. Kidney stones are associated with chronic kidney disease. Preventing recurrence is largely specific to the type of stone (e.g., calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, cystine, struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate)), and uric acid stones); however, even when the stone cannot be retrieved, urine pH and 24-hour urine assessment provide informa- tion about stone-forming factors that can guide prevention. Medications, such as protease inhibitors, antibiotics, and some diuretics, increase the risk of some types of kidney stones, and patients should be counseled about the risks of using these medications. Managing diet, medication use, and nutrient intake can help prevent the formation of kidney stones. Obe- sity increases the risk of kidney stones. However, weight loss could undermine prevention of kidney stones if associated with a high ani- mal protein intake, laxative abuse, rapid loss of lean tissue, or poor hydration. For prevention of calcium oxalate, cystine, and uric acid stones, urine should be alkalinized by eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, taking supplemental or prescription citrate, or drinking alkaline mineral waters. For prevention of calcium phosphate and struvite stones, urine should be acidified; cranberry juice or betaine can lower urine pH. Antispasmodic medications, ureteroscopy, and metabolic testing are increasingly being used to augment fluid and pain medications in the acute management of kidney stones. (Am Fam Physician. 2011;84(11):1234-1242. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Family Physicians.)


How do cortical neurons represent the acoustic environment? This question is often addressed by probing with simple stimuli such as clicks or tone pips. Such stimuli have the advantage of yielding easily interpreted answers, but have the disadvantage that they may fail to uncover complex or higher-order neuronal response properties.

Here we adopt an alternative approach, probing neuronal responses with complex acoustic stimuli, including animal vocalizations and music. We have used in vivo whole cell methods in the rat auditory cortex to record subthreshold membrane potential fluctuations elicited by these stimuli. Whole cell recording reveals the total synaptic input to a neuron from all the other neurons in the circuit, instead of just its output—a sparse binary spike train—as in conventional single unit physiological recordings. Whole cell recording thus provides a much richer source of information about the neuron's response.

Many neurons responded robustly and reliably to the complex stimuli in our ensemble. Here we analyze the linear component—the spectro-temporal receptive field (STRF)—of the transformation from the sound (as represented by its time-varying spectrogram) to the neuron's membrane potential. We find that the STRF has a rich dynamical structure, including excitatory regions positioned in general accord with the prediction of the simple tuning curve. We also find that in many cases, much of the neuron's response, although deterministically related to the stimulus, cannot be predicted by the linear component, indicating the presence of as-yet-uncharacterized nonlinear response properties.


Recent evidence suggests that increased inactivation of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) by oxygen free radical (OFR) formation is involved in the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction in heart failure (HF). However, it is unclear whether increased OFR limits coronary flow reserve in HF. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effects of antioxidant therapy on coronary flow reserve in a canine model of tachycardia-induced HF. The flow reserve (percent increase in coronary blood flow) to adenosine or to 20-s ischemia was less and OFR formation (electron-spin resonance spectroscopy) in myocardial tissues was greater in HF dogs than in controls. Immunohistochemical staining of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, an OFR-induced lipid peroxide, was detected in coronary microvessels of HF dogs. Intracoronary infusion of a cell-permeable OFR scavenger, tiron, suppressed OFR formation and improved the vasodilating capacity to adenosine or brief ischemia in HF dogs but not in controls. A NO synthesis inhibitor, N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), diminished the beneficial effects of tiron in HF dogs. Vasodilation to sodium nitroprusside was similar between control and HF dogs, and no change in its response was noted with tiron or tiron + L-NMMA in either group. In summary, antioxidant treatment with tiron improved coronary flow reserve by increasing NO bioactivity in HF dogs. Thus increased OFR formation may impair coronary flow reserve in HF by reducing NO bioactivity.


Teacher educators have increasingly been considered as a crucial occupational group for improving educational standards by the Chinese government, but they are under-researched. Currently, many teacher educators in different teacher education institutions in Shanghai are not identified as teacher educators. Therefore, their contribution to teacher education is not sufficiently valued and support for their professional development is limited. A better understanding of what identities teacher educators have is necessary in order to help define their diverse professional development needs and provide the support necessary for them. However, from the study's findings it became clear that 'identity' is often misunderstood as 'role and responsibility' in the Chinese context. Therefore, this study refocused more on exploring the roles and responsibilities, experiences, understandings, and beliefs that guide the professional learning and practices of teacher educators in three different types of institutional settings (university-based, college-based, and teacher training school-based) in Shanghai.
This study used a mixed-methods design, utilising both quantitative and qualitative data concurrently, using fifteen teacher educator interviews (nine individual interviews and six group interviews) and the online Teacher Educator Survey (n=252). All data were analysed in a systematic way. The discussion of the findings draws particularly on the policies on teacher educators in Shanghai, on research on the professional development of teacher educators across the world and on the theory of organisational culture that involves how individuals respond to policy in particular settings.
This study produced a number of key findings: the teacher educators in Shanghai were identified as an attractive professional group, in which the professionals had a strong sense of commitment and willingness to stay. The roles of Shanghai's teacher educators and the related expertise, career pathways and motivations, were determined by their different organisational cultures, which were affected by both national and regional policy directions. Teacher educators in Shanghai made strong demands on both the purposes of, and the approaches to, professional development and these were diversely manifested and were highly consistent with the different professional roles, policy directions and organisational cultures. Although Shanghai's teacher educators were provided with satisfactory 'physical support' for their professional development, the non-physical support did not seem sufficient. This study provides evidence of the complexities of teacher educators' roles, responsibilities, and professional development, which may be of benefit for teacher educators, teachers' associations, leaders of teacher education institutions and policy makers internationally, as it highlights the importance of understanding and supporting the need to build, sustain and improve teacher education. At a theoretical level, the contribution of this study is a more nuanced understanding in terms of a model of teacher educators' roles; of the different impact of organisational culture on teacher educators depending on their institutional type; and of their expressed professional commitment and loyalty.


Supporting data entry by clinicians is considered one of the greatest challenges in implementing electronic health records. In this paper we describe a formative evaluation study using three different methodologies through which we identified obstacles to point-of-care data entry for eye care and then used the formative process to develop and test solutions to overcome these obstacles. The greatest obstacles were supporting free text annotation of clinical observations and accommodating the creation of detailed diagrams in multiple colors. To support free text entry, we arrived at an approach that captures an image of a free text note and associates this image with related data elements in an encounter note. The detailed diagrams included a color pallet that allowed changing pen color with a single stroke and also captured the diagrams as an image associated with related data elements. During observed sessions with simulated patients, these approaches satisfied the clinicians' documentation needs by capturing the full range of clinical complexity that arises in practice.


[1] Hydrogen (H2), a proposed clean energy alternative, warrants detailed investigation of its global budget and future environmental impacts. The magnitudes and seasonal cycles of the major (presumably microbial) soil sink of hydrogen have been estimated from high-frequency in situ AGAGE H2 observations and also from more geographically extensive but low-frequency flask measurements from CSIRO and NOAA-GMD using the Kalman filter in a two-dimensional (2-D) global transport model. Hydrogen mole fractions exhibit well-defined seasonal cycles in each hemisphere with their phase difference being only about 3 months. The global production rate of H2 is estimated to be 103 ± 10 Tg yr−1 with only a small estimated interannual variation. Soil uptake (84 ± 8 Tg yr−1) represents the major loss process for H2 and accounts for 81% of the total destruction. Strong seasonal cycles are deduced for the soil uptake of H2. The soil sink is a maximum over the northern extratropics in summer and peaks only 2 to 3 months earlier in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere. Oxidation by tropospheric OH (18 ± 3 Tg yr−1) accounts for 17% of the destruction, with the remainder due to destruction in the stratosphere. The calculated global burden is 191 ± 29 Tg, indicating an overall atmospheric lifetime of 1.8 ± 0.3 years. Hydrogen in the troposphere (149 ± 23 Tg burden) has a lifetime of 1.4 ± 0.2 years.


The Sea-wave Slot-cone Generator (SSG) is a Wave Energy Converter based on the wave overtopping principle; it employs several reservoirs placed on top of each other, in which the energy of incoming waves is stored as potential energy. Then, the captured water runs through turbines for electricity production. The system works under a wide spectrum of different wave conditions, giving a high overall efficiency. It can be suitable for shoreline and breakwater applications and presents particular advantages, such as sharing structure costs, availability of grid connection and recirculation of water inside the harbor, as the outlet of the turbines is on the rear part of the system. Recently, plans for the SSG pilot installations are in progress at the Svaaheia site (Norway), the port of Hanstholm (Denmark) and the port of Garibaldi (Oregon, USA). In the last-mentioned two projects, the Sea-wave Slot-cone Generator technology is integrated into the outer harbor breakwater and jetty reconstruction projects. In the last years extensive studies have been performed on the hydraulic and the structural response of this converter, with the aim of optimizing the design process. The investigations have been conducted by physical model tests and numerical simulations and many results have been published on both conference proceedings and journals. The main scope of this paper is reviewing the most significant findings, to provide the reader with an organic overview on the present status of knowledge.


Lobbying is a potential source of corruption but is also a valuable source of information for policy-makers. We analyze a game-theoretic model that shows how the threat of corruption affects the incentives of noncorrupt politicians to enlist the help of lobbyists to make more informed decisions. Politicians face a dilemma because voters cannot always tell whether a politician allows access to lobbyists to solicit corruption or to seek information. Thus, a noncorrupt politician may deny access to lobbyists to signal that she is noncorrupt even though doing so impedes her ability to make good policy. This signaling may decrease the welfare of the voters depending on the value of the lost policy information relative to the value of screening out corrupt politicians.


When one solution of reactant A is displacing another miscible solution of reactant B, a miscible product C can be generated in the contact zone if a simple A + B → C chemical reaction takes place. Depending on the relative effect of A, B and C on the viscosity, different viscous fingering (VF) instabilities can be observed. In this context, a linear stability analysis of this reaction–diffusion–convection problem under the quasi-steady-state approximation is performed to classify the various possible instability scenarios. To do so, we determine the criteria for an instability, obtain dispersion curves both at initial contact time using an analytical implicit solution and at later times via numerical stability analysis. Along with recovering known results for non-reactive systems where the displacement of a more viscous fluid by a less viscous one leads to a VF instability, it is found that in the presence of a chemical reaction, injecting a more viscous fluid into a less viscous fluid can also lead to instabilities. This occurs when the chemical reaction leads to the build up of non-monotonic viscosity profiles. Various instability scenarios are classified in a parameter plane spanned by Rb and Rc representing the log-mobility ratios of the viscosities of the B and C solution respectively with respect to that of the injected solution of A. A parametric study of the influence on stability of the Damköhler number and of the time elapsed after contact of the two reactive solutions is also conducted.


The Chinese indirect tax system is on the eve of a major overhaul, with the integration of the VAT and business tax (BT) to start in select industries in Shanghai on January 1, 2012. This paper provides an overview of China's idiosyncratic VAT as well as the BT as they stood towards the end of 2010. BT law and practice are discussed only in connection with select conceptual issues such as the exclusion from the VAT/BT base, place of supply, etc. This decision is based on the considerations that many of the legal issues arising under the VAT cannot be properly discussed in connection with a cascading tax like the BT (as the economics of a cascading tax would undermine much of the logic of VAT rules), and that, when planning the integration of the BT into the VAT, it is the existing VAT rules examined here that will have to undergo further review and 'stress tests'.


Porosity and inclusion of foreign material is known to reduce the strength of materials, and this paper addresses the particular problem of strength knock-down assessment due to porosity in composite materials. Porosity is often measured in terms of percentage of voids per unit volume of a component, because this can be related directly to ultra-sound absorption. Nevertheless, this is a poor indicator of actual strength knock-down, as it provides little information about void size, shape, orientation and whether they are evenly distributed or are clustered. Characterisation of void clustering enables a link between a cluster characteristic and the strength knock-down. Laboratory based testing achieves controlled porosity in specimens by introducing pin-holes into the RTM in-flow pipework, which entrains voids into the body of the preform within mould tooling. Specimens are manufactured to create resin regions bounded by a fibre reinforced picture frame, to allow for easy load application. Strength knock-downs from test are related to the theoretical expectations.


This policy paper covers the role of the UN Security Council in mandating and overseeing UN transitions, typically as peace operations are drawn down or significantly reconfigured. Based on an extensive literature review and interviews with UN experts and Council members, the paper explores the evolution of Council practice over the past thirty years. Drawing from this practice, it offers concrete recommendations how Council-led transitions processes can be planned and managed in a proactive, integrated and forward-looking manner, better positioning the UN to provide support to host countries in often fragile moments. The paper is divided into four sections: (1) the evolution of Security Council practice on transitions from the early 1990s to present; (2) recurring challenges in transition processes in the Council, including financial cliffs, elections and risks of relapse; (3) a framework for mandating a transition process, drawing from past practice; and (4) conclusions about the future of UN transitions in the field. In addition to more general lessons and considerations, it offers eleven concrete recommendations for the Security Council. Finally, the paper provides suggestions for improving the daily working methods of the Council, including around informal problem solving, finding unity within the E-10, the practice of joint penholders, greater contact with the field, and engagement with the broader UN family in country. This project was developed in partnership with the UN Joint Project on Transitions and supported by the Government of the United Kingdom. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and United Nations Department of Peace Operations (DPO) – supported by the Swedish International Development Agency and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office – launched the UN Transitions Project in 2014 to improve the way in which UN transition processes are being planned and managed across the organization. Since its inception, the UN Transitions Project has contributed to a more timely, forward-looking and integrated approach to UN transitions that positions the UN to consolidate peacebuilding gains and sustaining peace after mission withdrawal.


We report the breaking of the diffraction resolution barrier in far-field fluorescence microscopy by transiently shelving the fluorophore in a metastable dark state. Using a relatively modest light intensity of several kW/cm(2) in a focal distribution featuring a local zero, we confine the fluorescence emission to a spot whose diameter is a fraction of the wavelength of light. Nanoscale far-field optical resolution down to 50 nm is demonstrated by imaging microtubules in a mammalian cell and proteins on the plasma membrane of a neuron. The presence of dark states in virtually any fluorescent molecule opens up a new venue for far-field microscopy with resolution that is no longer limited by diffraction.


BACKGROUND
One in three women in Australia will experience sexual violence at some time in their life. Although these women use health services more than nonvictimised women, they may not receive the holistic care they need if their sexual trauma history is not known.

OBJECTIVE
This article discusses the importance of opportunistically identifying a history of sexual violence in women presenting to general practice in order to provide optimal healthcare and avoid iatrogenic retraumatisation.

DISCUSSION
A history of sexual violence is associated with an increased incidence of long term physical and psychological health problems, psychosocial difficulties, risk taking behaviours and premature death. Most survivors do not disclose a history of sexual violence to their doctors. Without this context, their ongoing health issues may not be fully understood, leading to suboptimal care. A safe environment is vital to support disclosure. General practitioners are well placed to identify, support and treat and/or appropriately refer women with a history of sexual violence. Priorities in management include addressing the pervasive long term consequences of sexual violence, encouraging preventive care and avoiding inadvertent retraumatisation.


Death and Afterlife in the Early Modern Hispanic World. Editors: John Beusterien, Constance Cortez. Hispanic Issues On Line, Volume 7 (Fall 2010). 1 online resource (PDF, page 1-9)


This paper reviews the quality of official national accounting data investigated for 17 Latin American countries. Chile, which became an OECD member in 2010, stands out as a producer of the most reliable economic data and can be compared favourably with the USA and many European countries. The most significant data problems are the use of old standards of national income accounting, the use of outdated base years and the degree to which the shadow economy is underrecorded. In Argentina there is the additional problem that official published economic data has been subject to much interference in order to downplay inflation while reporting higher real national income and lower poverty data. A simple exercise is undertaken to estimate what the size of Latin American GDP might be if most countries updated their base years to 2012.


Li-ion capacitors have been considered as next-generation advanced energy storage systems to meet the requirements of both high energy and high power due to the combination of rapid and long-term charge storage of supercapacitors and the high energy storage capacity of lithium ion batteries. Herein, we demonstrate the design of 2D nanostructured electrodes from low-cost biomass-kapok fiber for Li-ion capacitors: 2D carbon nanosheets with a high surface area and hierarchical porosity for the positive electrode, and 2D MnO/C nanocomposites with a large surface area and nanosized particles for the negative electrode. With the benefit of the structure of the Li-ion capacitor, the hybrid device can be operated at a high operating voltage of 4 V, exhibiting a high energy density of 100 W h kg−1 at 83 W kg−1, a high power density of 20 kW kg−1 at 30 W h kg−1 based on the active materials, and a capacity retention ratio of 70% after 5000 cycles. These results clearly demonstrate that biomass-derived electrodes are potential candidates for low-cost, fast and efficient energy storage systems in the future.


ADRIAMYCIN NEPHROTOXICITY IS REDUCED BY MET ALLOTHIONEIN OVER-EXPRESSION AND KIDNEY GENE EXPRESSION IS MODIFIED BY DIABETES IN THE OVE26 DIABETIC MODEL Lu Yang December 3,2010 This thesis is divided into two parts below. Part I Adriamycin (ADR) can produce nephrotoxicity in rodents. The underlying mechanism may relate to ADR induced oxidative stress. In this study, we used transgenic mice (NMT3), which over-expressed the antioxidant protein metallothionein (MT) in podocytes, to study MT's protective potential on ADR nephrotoxicity. Urine and kidney samples were collected from control and transgenic mice at multiple time points after ADR injection, whose results showed that MT transgene alleviated ADR damage by reducing albuminuria, decreasing podocyte loss and protecting podocyte ultra-structure. Part II OVE26 mice are a good model of severe diabetic nephropathy (DN). We examined progressive changes in renal gene and protein expression in OVE26 and control mice. Inflammatory genes were most affected by diabetes, especially at oldest ages tested,


This paper describes active learning algorithm used in AISTATS 2010 Active Learning Challenge as well as several of its extensions evaluated in the post-competition experiments. The algorithm consists of a pair of Regularized Parzen Window Classifiers, one trained on full set of features and another on features filtered using Pearson correlation. Predictions of the two classifiers are averaged to obtain the ensemble classifier. Parzen Window classifier was chosen because is an easy to implement lazy algorithm and has a single parameter, the kernel window size, that is determined by the cross-validation. The labeling schedule started by selecting random 20 examples and then continued by doubling the number of labeled examples in each round of active learning. A combination of random sampling and uncertainty sampling was used for querying. For the random sampling, examples were first clustered using either all features or the filtered features (whichever resulted in higher cross-validated accuracy) and then the same number of random examples was selected from each cluster. Our algorithm ranked as the 5th overall, and was consistently ranked in the upper half of the competing algorithms. The challenge results show that Parzen Window classifiers are less accurate than several competing learning algorithms used in the competition, but also indicate the success of the simple querying strategy that was employed. In the post-competition, we were able to improve the accuracy by using an ensemble of 5 Parzen Window classifiers, each trained on features selected by different filters. We also explored how more involved querying during the initial stages of active learning and the pre-clustering querying strategy would influence the performance of the proposed algorithm.


Why are efficiency-enhancing reforms often frail and subject to being undermined over time? Two theories are examined: public-choice theory, which explains this as the possible result of a need, from time to time, to wipe the slate clean in order to retain productivity in the distribution of favors to interest groups, and a theory which acknowledges that politicians may implement reforms for ideological reasons but still, as time passes, be influenced by the logic of the political and media systems to abandon their initial aspirations. In any case, the demise of reforms is partly a function of the constitutional setting: rules which encourage shortsightedness and easy satisfaction of interest-group agendas make it difficult for decision-makers to withstand pressure for legislative change. Avenues to mitigate these problems through constitutional reforms are explored.


ABSTRACT Grandparent caregivers face a myriad of challenges that require intervention at various levels. Programs are now available to enhance the lives of grandparent caregivers, and there is evidence, although largely from methodologically inadequate studies, that such interventions are beneficial. This review critically appraised the research on the effectiveness of different interventions for these grandparents. A total of 21 studies were included in the review. Studies were assessed according to research design, methodological quality, and intervention outcomes. Best available evidence suggests that interventions within the cognitive-behavioral spectrum have the most empirical support. Promising approaches that require further research include interdisciplinary case management, support groups, and psychoeducational interventions. To establish an evidence base for interventions designed to promote the well-being of grandparents and alleviate the stress associated with raising grandchildren, there is a need for high quality intervention studies. Future trials need to be rigorous in design and include high quality descriptions of all aspects of methodology to enable appraisal and interpretation of results.


ABSTRACT Results from an indicator mineral survey conducted with till samples in NW Alberta were used to identify a glacial dispersal train of sand-sized sphalerite and minor galena. High concentrations of dark grey to black, angular, brittle grains of sphalerite were found (100 to >1000 grains) in nine of ninety 30 kg till samples. The presence of high sphalerite grain counts in nine samples situated within a geographically restricted area argues against long-distance glacial transport, comminution, and deposition of erratic material from the carbonate-hosted Pine Point Zn-Pb deposits, located 330 km to the NE. The Pb isotopic composition of the galena grains recovered from till is similar to values obtained from Mississippi Valley-type deposits in the northern Canadian Cordillera and Pine Point and indicates that the galena is derived from similar basement sources situated along the Great Slave Lake Shear Zone. Sphalerite grains from the till have a sulphur isotopic composition significantly different from Mississippi Valley-type deposits in the northern and southern Cordillera, and are significantly different than the Pine Point deposits. These results highlight the potential to discover base metal mineralization hosted within the Cretaceous shale bedrock of northern Alberta.


Background The urinary iodine micromethod (UIMM) is a modification of the conventional method and its performance needs evaluation. Methods UIMM performance was evaluated using the method validation and 2008 Iodine Deficiency Disorders survey data obtained from four urinary iodine (UI) laboratories. Method acceptability tests and Sigma quality metrics were determined using total allowable errors (TEas) set by two external quality assurance (EQA) providers. Results UIMM obeyed various method acceptability test criteria with some discrepancies at low concentrations. Method validation data calculated against the UI Quality Program (TUIQP) TEas showed that the Sigma metrics were at 2.75, 1.80, and 3.80 for 51±15.50 µg/L, 108±32.40 µg/L, and 149±38.60 µg/L UI, respectively. External quality control (EQC) data showed that the performance of the laboratories was within Sigma metrics of 0.85-1.12, 1.57-4.36, and 1.46-4.98 at 46.91±7.05 µg/L, 135.14±13.53 µg/L, and 238.58±17.90 µg/L, respectively. No laboratory showed a calculated total error (TEcalc)<total allowable error (TEa) for the low concentration level; all laboratories showed an acceptable performance for the medium-high level, and two laboratories showed an acceptable performance for the high level. When calculated against the Ensuring the Quality of UI Procedures (EQUIP) TEas, the performance of all laboratories was≤2.49 Sigma metrics at all concentrations. Only one laboratory had TEcalc<TEa for the medium-high and high concentrations. Conclusions UIMM showed unacceptable performance for the iodine deficiency levels and variable performance at other concentrations according to different TEas.


Cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death and represents maximal stress in humans. After restoration of spontaneous circulation, post-cardiac arrest syndrome is the predominant disorder in survivors. Besides the post-arrest brain injury, the post-resuscitation myocardial stunning, and the systemic ischemia/reperfusion response, this syndrome is characterized by adrenal insufficiency, a disorder that often remains undiagnosed. The pathophysiology of adrenal insufficiency has not been elucidated. We performed a comprehensive search of three medical databases in order to describe the major pathophysiological disturbances which are responsible for the occurrence of the disorder. Based on the available evidence, this article will help physicians to better evaluate and understand the hidden yet deadly post-cardiac arrest adrenal insufficiency.


The prevalence of various (and increasingly large) datasets presents the challenging problem of discovering common entities dispersed across disparate datasets. Solutions to the private record linkage problem (PRL) aim to enable such explorations of datasets in a secure manner. A two-party PRL protocol allows two parties to determine for which entities they each possess a record (either an exact matching record or a fuzzy matching record) in their respective datasets — without revealing to one another information about any entities for which they do not both possess records. Although several solutions have been proposed to solve the PRL problem, no current solution offers a fully cryptographic security guarantee while maintaining both high accuracy of output and subquadratic runtime efficiency. To this end, we propose the first known efficient PRL protocol that runs in subquadratic time, provides high accuracy, and guarantees cryptographic security in the semi-honest security model.


IoT device forensics is a difficult problem given that manufactured IoT devices are not standardized, many store little to no historical data, and are always connected; making them extremely volatile. The goal of this paper was to address these challenges by presenting a primary account for a general framework and practical approach we term Forensic State Acquisition from Internet of Things (FSAIoT). We argue that by leveraging the acquisition of the state of IoT devices (e.g. if an IoT lock is open or locked), it becomes possible to paint a clear picture of events that have occurred. To this end, FSAIoT consists of a centralized Forensic State Acquisition Controller (FSAC) employed in three state collection modes: controller to IoT device, controller to cloud, and controller to controller. We present a proof of concept implementation using openHAB – a device agnostic open source IoT device controller – and self-created scripts, to resemble a FSAC implementation. Our proof of concept employed an Insteon IP Camera as a controller to device test, an Insteon Hub as a controller to controller test, and a nest thermostat for a a controller to cloud test. Our findings show that it is possible to practically pull forensically relevant state data from IoT devices. Future work and open research problems are shared.


The building of nursing research capacity is important, as it improves the quality of nurse education, the talent of nurses and the standard of patient care. A local critical care nursing research strategy was developed using a tripartite model applied to practice. This was a collaborative approach to critical care research as a model to direct, deliver, facilitate and support nursing research in practice through planned and protected investment in nursing research time. The tripartite model was evaluated and recommendations made with the aim of sharing findings so that other nurses can utilize these experiences to set up similar secondment opportunities for the promotion of nursing research.


Using continuous wave near-infrared spectroscopy, we measured time-resolved concentration changes of oxy-hemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin from the primary motor cortex following finger tapping tasks. These data were processed using partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) to develop a prediction model for a brain-computer interface. The tasks were composed of a series of finger tapping for 15 sec and relaxation for 45 sec. The location of the motor cortex was confirmed by the anti-phasic behavior of the oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin changes. The results were compared with those obtained using the hidden Markov model (HMM) which has been known to produce the best prediction model. Our data imply that PLS-DA makes better judgments in determining the onset of the events than HMM.


An in situ method for the measurement of a resilient elements dynamic transfer stiffness is outlined and validated. Unlike current methods, the proposed in situ approach allows for the characterisation of a resilient element whilst incorporated into an assembly, and therefore under representative mounting conditions. Potential advantages of the proposed method include the simultaneous attainment of both translational and rotational transfer stiffness components over a broad frequency range without the need for any cumbersome test rigs. These rotational components are obtained via the application of a finite difference approximation. A further advantage is provided via an extension to the method allowing for the use of remote measurement positions. Such an extension allows for the possible characterisation of hard-to-reach elements, as well as the over-determination of the problem. The proposed method can thus be broken into two sub-methods: direct and remote. Preliminary results are shown for the direct method on a simple mass-isolator-mass laboratory test rig along with a more realistic beam-isolator-plate system. Validation of this method is provided for by a transmissibility prediction, in which an obtained dynamic stiffness value is used to predict the transmissibility of a separate system. Further results are presented for the remote case using a beam-isolator-plate system. In all cases the results are obtained over a substantial frequency range and are of a sufficient quality to be used as part of structure borne sound and vibration predictions.


Introduction Understanding mother-to-infant transmission of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is vital to the prevention and control of GBS disease. We investigated the transmission and phylogenetic relationships of mothers colonised by GBS and their infants in a peri-urban setting in The Gambia. Methods We collected nasopharyngeal swabs from 35 mother-infant dyads at weekly intervals from birth until six weeks post-partum. GBS was isolated by conventional microbiology techniques. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on GBS isolates from one mother-infant dyad (dyad 17). Results We recovered 85 GBS isolates from the 245 nasopharyngeal swabs. GBS was isolated from 16.33% and 18.37% of sampled mothers and infants, respectively. In 87% of cultured swabs, the culture status of an infant agreed with that of the mother (Kappa p-value <0.001). In dyad 17, phylogenetic analysis revealed within-host strain diversity in the mother and clone to her infant. Conclusion GBS colonisation in mothers presents a significant risk of colonisation in their infants. We confirm vertical transmission from mother to child in dyad 17, accompanied by within-host diversity.


Abstract. The spatial distribution of geotagged photos is a projection of the tourist's tourism activities in the geospatial space, which contains spatial attributes and interrelationships of tourists' activities. Using the Flickr photo sharing website, the paper utilizes new data mining technologies to discover and capture the metadata of geotagged photos uploaded by visitors from January 2008 to October 2018 in the upper reach of the Yellow River in China. The spatial information processing and expression of the collected data are processed and the characteristics of the inbound tourists' behavior are explored by the P-DBSCAN, the path tracking technology and the UCINET network analysis. The main results are as follows: (1) By using the P-DBSCAN cluster analysis, the area of interest (AOI) has a feature of high agglomeration and forms a "V" shaped in the Xining-Lanzhou-Yinchuan area. The concentration of AOIs is closely related to the urban functional area and has a clear Urban functional orientation. (2) Using tracking analysis, the paper reveals single node trajectory, intraregional path trajectory and interregional path trajectory. Among them, 68.42% visitors chose single node trajectory, 9.78% visitors chose intraregional path trajectory and 21.80% tourists chose interregional path trajectory. (3) Ten cross-regional tourism mainstream lines are picked by the UCINET network analysis mode. It has been found that the tourists tend to visit those famous scenic spots (points) such as the Qinghai Lake, the YaDan Geological Park, the 'Danxia' Landform, the Zhenbeibu China West Film Studio. It is apparent that the Gansu-Qinghai Great Circle Tour is a hot tourist route that tourists are keen to choose. The research results have certain reference significance for improving the transformation and upgrading of tourism industry in the upper reach of the Yellow River.


This thesis presents experimental and modelling research on atmospheric pressure hollow cathodes and hollow electrodes. Experiments with the hybrid hollow electrode activated discharge (H-HEAD), which is a combination of a hollow cathode and a microwave plasma source, is presented. The experiments show that this source is able to produce long plasma columns in air and nitrogen at atmospheric pressure and at very low gas flow rates. Measurements of the vibrational temperature of the nitrogen molecules are also presented in this thesis. The vibrational temperature is an indication of the electron temperature in the plasma, an important characteristic of the plasma. Modelling work on the hollow cathode at atmospheric pressure with fluid equations is also presented. It is shown that the inclusion of fast and secondary electrons, characteristic of the hollow cathode plasmas, increases the sheath width. The sheath width was found to be of the order of 100 μm. By modelling the plasma as highly collisional by using the drift-diffusion approximation, it was shown that the increase in sheath thickness was larger at lower pressures than at higher pressures. Still, the sheath width can be of the order of 100 μm. A pulsed atmospheric plasma in a hollow electrode geometry was also modelled by the drift-diffusion fluid equations, with the addition of the energy equation for electrons. Rate and transport coefficients for the electrons were calculated from the solution to the Boltzmann equation as functions of mean electron energy. The dynamics of the plasma at pulse rise time showed large electron density and mean energy peaks at the cathode ends, but also that these quantities were enhanced at the centre of the discharge, between the cathode plates.


The purpose of this thesis is to investigate into the phenomenon of over-reliance on external credit ratings by investors and market participants. This phenomenon is traced back to the hardwiring of the credit ratings into legislation. In this context, the investigation has a broad scope in that it is not only concerned with the phenomenon per se, but also with the current status of implementation of the rules which have been set out to tackle this problem. The approaches against over-reliance have been elaborated at the international level by the Financial Stability Board (FSB). These were incorporated into specific rules at the EU and US levels. This thesis will therefore analyse and critically assess the progress which these two legal systems have made for translating into practice the international standards against over-reliance on external credit ratings.

This subject is of relevant interest from several perspectives. Firstly, the phenomenon was brought to attention in the aftermath of the recent financial turmoil. This is a new context, which is to be regarded as a segment of the post-crisis reforms on the structure and operation of the rating industry. This part of the reforms stimulates to provide an understanding of the nature of overreliance on the credit ratings and why investors and market participants are vulnerable to it.

Secondly, the phenomenon made regulators cast numerous doubts in respect of the opportunity of relying on the credit ratings in legislation. This aspect stimulates research with regard to the use of the credit ratings by the private and public sector and to investigate the degree to which the tie between the regulators and the credit ratings have changed because of the threat of over-reliance.

Thirdly, normative approaches have been set out and the implementation process is still ongoing at the time of writing. A critical evaluation of them permits an assessment of the current status of progress in the translation of the approaches, to identify their positive and negative aspects, and discuss possible improvements.

Fourthly, the analysis of the progress and its outcomes may stimulate further reflections on the premise the debate on over-reliance was based upon. This permits us to wonder which (if any) things might have been missed at the beginning, whether the debate is to be considered closed or whether there are new, possible, directions to be taken in the future.

Overall, this research will provide a thorough investigation into the problem of over-reliance from the post-crisis regulatory debate on the CRAs until the issue and implementation of specific rules aiming at mitigating this risk. In particular, by explaining the phenomenon of over-reliance on external credit ratings, critically reviewing the advantages and shortcomings of the approaches against it, and suggesting possible improvements, this research may be the platform for further studies on a subject which has so far received marginal attention by the literature on the CRAs.


Hierarchical taxonomies of classes arise in the analysis of many types of musical information, including genre, as a means of organizing overlapping categories at varying levels of generality. However, incorporating hierarchical structure into conventional machine learning systems presents a challenge: the use of independent binary classifiers for each class in the hierarchy can produce hierarchically inconsistent predictions. That is, an example may be assigned to a class, and not assigned to the parent of that class. This paper applies a Bayesian framework to combine, or aggregate, a hierarchy of multiple binary classifiers in a principled manner, and consequently improves performance over the hierarchy as a whole. Furthermore, such an approach allows for an arbitrarily complex hierarchy, and does not suffer from classes that are too broad or too refined. Experiments on the MIREX 2005 symbolic genre classification dataset show that our Bayesian Aggregation algorithm provides significant improvement over independent classifiers, and demonstrates superior performance compared to previous work. Our method also improves similarity search by ranking songs by similarity of hierarchical predictions to those of a query song.


Abbreviations contribute to enhanced efficiency of writing, reading, and speaking, as well as greater comprehension of technical and scientific articles, reports, and lectures. They serve to reduce the time and cost of writing, typing, editing, and composition resetting. They also decrease the space required for texts, tables, and diagrams. As such, abbreviations are beneficial tools that enhance the dynamics of technical language. The Comprehensive Glossary of Telecom Abbreviations and Acronyms is a collection of over 16,000 entries that cover the fields of telecommunications, satellite communications, marine communications, radar and military communications, avionics, electronics, computer, Internet, radio and television broadcasting, fiber optics communications, information technology (IT), Information Communication Technology (ICT), remote sensing, cellular networks, Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR), and ham radio. It pays particular attention to the abbreviations used in ITU, Intelsat, IMO, IMSO, and APSCC documents. The glossary also contains abbreviations commonly found in telecom magazines, contracts, and financial documents. In addition, it includes entries that reflect the common terminology used by major telecom companies and operators, as well as those used by specialized institutions and standard organizations such as IEEE, ETSI, IETF, ISO, and GSM. It also includes abbreviations on new technologies. A thorough and essential reference, the Comprehensive Glossary of Telecom Abbreviations and Acronyms helps keep engineers, technical writers, technicians, and university students up to speed on the vast amount of terminology that comes their way.


Fiscal decentralization is becoming a pressing issue in a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting demands for a greater local voice in spending decisions and efforts to strengthen social cohesion. Against this backdrop, this paper seeks to distill the lessons for an effective fiscal decentralization reform, focusing on the macroeconomic aspects. The main findings for sub-Saharan African countries that have decentralized, based on an empirical analysis and four case studies (Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda), are as follows: • Determinants and effectiveness: Empirical results suggest that (1) the major driving forces behind fiscal decentralization in sub-Saharan Africa include efforts to defuse ethnic conflicts, the initial level of income, and the urban-ization rate, whereas strength of democracy is not an important determi-nant for decentralization; and (2) decentralization in sub-Saharan Africa is associated with higher growth in the presence of stronger institutions. • Spending assignments: The allocation of spending across levels of gov-ernment in the four case studies is broadly consistent with best practice. However, in Uganda, unlike in the other three case studies, subnational governments have little flexibility to make spending decisions as a result of a deconcentrated rather than a devolved system of government. • Own revenue: The assignment of taxing powers is broadly in line with best practice in the four case studies, with the bulk of subnational revenue coming from property taxes and from fees for local services. However, own revenues are a very small fraction of subnational spending, reflecting weak cadaster systems and a high level of informality in the economy.


This paper presents a novel framework to learn sparse representations for audiovisual signals. An audiovisual signal is modeled as a sparse sum of audiovisual kernels. The kernels are bimodal functions made of synchronous audio and video components that can be positioned independently and arbitrarily in space and time. We design an algorithm capable of learning sets of such audiovisual, synchronous, shift-invariant functions by alternatingly solving a coding and a learning procedure. The proposed methodology is used to learn audiovisual features from a set of bimodal sequences. The basis functions that emerge are audio-video pairs that capture salient data structures.


This article contextualizes the resilience of austerity in Europe, explaining it in light of the transformations in the EU system of governance. As the article maintains, since the eruption of the Euro-crisis, the European Council—the body congressing the heads of state and government of the EU member states together with its President and the President of the European Commission—has risen to the center of EU governance. In an intergovernmental institution such as the European Council, however, larger and wealthier states have been able to impose their preferences on other states—a development that is at odds with the anti-hegemonic nature of the EU integration project. To address this problematic state of affairs, this article proposes a targeted institutional reform: strengthening the President of the European Council. As this article claims, a President of the European Council endowed with its own executive powers and legitimated by a popular election could restore a balance between the member states and, at the same time, create a forum for democratic contestation of the policies of the European Union. The proposal to strengthen the presidency of the European Council builds on recent calls to redefine this institution as the presidency of the European Union as a whole. However, it faces several challenges. This article considers the following questions: 1) What are the advantages associated with the proposal to strengthen the European Council presidency and what powers should be attributed to the office?; 2) What electoral mechanism could be conceived to select the President in an asymmetrical Union of states and citizens?; and 3) What are the incentives—and is there a window of opportunity—to implement this reform? This article proposes ways to address these issues, opening a debate on a potentially fruitful constitutional reform of the EU system of governance.


Plasma Modeling: Methods and Applications presents and discusses the different approaches that can be adopted for plasma modeling, giving details about theoretical and numerical methods. The book is intended to assist and direct students and researchers, who want to develop research activity in the field of plasma physics, in the choice of the best model for the problem of interest. The book is organised in three parts. The first describes kinetic models used in plasma investigations, consisting of the solution of the Boltzmann equation using different approaches. The second part develops the theory of fluid equations and of hybrid models, and the third part is devoted to applications, considering some practical problems of interest in different fields.


In China, after many years, the current status and challenges of e-learning development in higher education have been gradually understood. The educational technology centre (ECT) serves as the key unit to promote e-learning initiatives, but the performance of some centres still trails their foreign counterparts. Under such conditions, the project 'Construction Model of the ETC in Chinese Universities and Colleges' was conducted. An investigation of the e-learning performance of 70 ETCs was provided and the main problems were identified through quantitative analysis. Then, with the guidance of international standards, the 'functional-level' model coupled with some common strategies for its application was created as an innovative blueprint to help the ETCs towards excellence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]


The use of interactive screen media such as smartphones and tablets by young children is increasing rapidly. However, research regarding the impact of this portable and instantly accessible source of screen time on learning, behavior, and family dynamics has lagged considerably behind its rate of adoption. Pediatric guidelines specifically regarding mobile device use by young children have not yet been formulated, other than recent suggestions that a limited amount of educational interactive media use may be acceptable for children aged <2 years.1 New guidance is needed because mobile media differs from television in its multiple modalities (eg, videos, games, educational apps), interactive capabilities, and near ubiquity in children's lives. Recommendations for use by infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children are especially crucial, because effects of screen time are potentially more pronounced in this group. The aim of this commentary is to review the existing literature, discuss future research directions, and suggest preliminary guidance for families.

### Educational Value

Although well-researched television programs such as Sesame Street or Blue's Clues can promote early academic skills in preschool-aged children, children <30 months cannot learn from television and videos as they do from real-life interactions.2 Interactive media, on the other hand, allow for contingent responses to children's actions and thus may facilitate more retention of taught material. For example, socially contingent media (ie, with appropriate content, timing, and intensity) such as videophone apps are just as effective as real-life encounters in teaching language to 24 month olds,3 but otherwise, published research on whether infants and toddlers can learn from interactive screens is scant.

Promising research suggests that interactive media such as learn-to-read apps and electronic books (e-books) may increase early literacy …

Address correspondence to Jenny S. Radesky, Boston Medical Center, Vose 4, 88 E Newton St, Boston, MA 02118. E-mail: jenny.radesky{at}bmc.org


Passive constructions have been considered as possible sources for grammatical systems based on person hierarchies (Mithun 2007, 2010, 2012). Mithun (2012: 285) shows how patterns of core argument marking in Northern California could have spread areally as a result of language contact. In this paper I build on Mithun's work, examining core argument patterns and passive constructions in ten Northern California languages and exploring why passives have led to hierarchical systems in some languages, but not in others. A number of features are shown to always be present in languages with hierarchical systems, though passive constructions are not always involved. The results indicate that the grammatical systems crystallized at different stages of development, which explains many of the irregularities.


After U.S. welfare was reformed in 1996, many states eliminated their educational programs and replaced them with "work-first" options. This study uses in-depth interviews and content analysis of current and proposed welfare legislation to examine how these policy changes have shaped the experiences of postsecondary students participating in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and to determine whether or not proposed policy changes in TANF reauthorization legislation meet the needs of students. To fulfill the first objective of this study, I conducted interviews with 20 TANF participants who were using enrollment in a postsecondary institution as a means of satisfying their TANF work requirements and 10 TANF case managers who were familiar with the program's policies and procedures. The interviews were conducted in Georgia, one of 13 states that until 2003 explicitly allowed participants to use postsecondary education as a means of meeting work activity requirements. To fulfill the second objective of this study, I analyzed the content of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) and current legislative proposals reauthorizing the act. I find that a variety of internal and external forces -including one's beliefs regarding education and parenting, one's familial obligations and support systems, and one's receipt of academic and financial aid -collectively shape students' experiences and likelihood of educational success in various ways. I also determine that the TANF program itself, in particular the emphasis on increasing participation rates and restrictive definitions of acceptable work activities, prevent students from succeeding. These findings are relevant for researchers and policymakers intent on more fully understanding the effects of contemporary U.S. welfare reform and reveal the limitations of current welfare reauthorization acts that seek to further limit educational opportunities of economically-poor women. INDEX WORDS: Welfare, Poverty, Education, Inequality, Gender, Race, Social Policy, Culture, Self-concept, Discourse MAKING EDUCATION WORK: THE EFFECTS OF WELFARE REFORM ON THE EDUCATIONAL GOALS AND EXPERIENCES OF TANF PARTICIPANTS


The effects of cassava/legume intercrop-rice relay and weed management practices on weed infestation, growth and yield of rice were investigated at Badeggi, Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria in 2011 to 2013 cropping seasons. The treatments consisted of factorial combination of cassava (IIT 427) intercrop with: Mucuna or Velvet bean [Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.], Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.], Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], Hyacinth bean [Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet.] and Porcupine Jointvetch (Aeschynomene histrix Poir.) and weed management practices: (i) application of propanil at 1.44 kg a.i ha-1 plus 2,4-D at 0.80 kg a.i ha-1 (Orizo Plus®) at the rate of 2.24 kg a.i ha-1 at three weeks after transplanting (WAT) rice followed by hoeing at 6 WAT, (ii) two hoeing at 3 and 6 WAT, (iii) one hoeing at 3 WAT, and (iv) weedy check with sole cassava and natural fallow as control laid in a split plot arranged in a randomized complete block with three replications. Across cassava/legumes intercrops, cassava/mucuna had lower weed density and dry matter, cassava/Aeschynomene and cassava/cowpea produced comparable taller rice plants, more rice panicles and paddy yield, and cassava/Aeschynomene produced greater number of rice tillers. Irrespective of the weed management practices, two hoeing at 3 and 6 WAT gave better weed control, taller rice plants, greater number of tillers and panicles, and higher paddy yield comparable to application of Orizo Plus® at 3 WAT followed by one hoeing at 6 WAT. This study suggests that sustainable weed control with Mucuna intercrop and rice productivity with Aeschynomene and cowpea intercrops can be achieved with two hoeing at 3 and 6 WAT or application of Orizo Plus® at 3 WAT followed by hoeing at 6 WAT in this agro-ecology of Nigeria.

 Key words: Intercrops, legumes, Oryza sativa L., paddy yield, weed suppression.


This work analyses a solid state 3D-CMOS camera system for
direct time-of-flight image acquisition, which consists of a CMOS
imaging sensor, a laser diode module for active narrow infrared
laser pulse illumination and all optics for image forming.
The investigation is carried out using ideal and real signals. A deterministic model describes the main signal processing. For this
the laser pulse function and various integration window function
were sampled. The latter were recorded by using the impulse response of a narrow pulse of TFWHM = 63, 44ps. The visual integration windows give a good understanding of differences between
ideal and real output function of measurement systems.
The influence of noise sources like photon noise, thermal noise
and quantization noise was considered. Further investigations related to intensity and time delay of the received laser pulse show
how the output voltage noise of the pixel column circuit depends
on.
The postprocessing algorithm called MDSI was modelled by the
sampled laser pulse and integration windows. An extended version of the distance calculation includes an additional time-shift
between the laser pulse and the integration window during the
first main signal processing. This gives an larger measurement
domain. Measurements of the distance-proportional voltage quotient confirm the extended version, which was created in a computer simulation before.


In the absence of external signals, yeast enter the cell cycle once they have achieved a critical size, and this is controlled by the G1 cyclin Cln3 and its partner, the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdc28. Vergés et al. found that a population of Cln3 and Cdc28 was associated with the cytosolic side of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and that the abundance of these proteins in this fraction was highest in "newly born" cells and less in cells in late G1. Cln3 contains a domain, the J domain, like that found in regulators of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) chaperones such as Ydj1; however, the Cln3 J domain lacked key residues required for adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activation of HSP70 chaperones. Cells in which the Cln3 J domain was deleted or mutated were larger, and these mutant versions of Cln3 did not associate with the ER and accumulated in the nucleus. Although Cdc28 was associated with the ER in early G1 cells, a Cln3 mutant that could not interact with Cdc28 accumulated in the nucleus, suggesting that the interaction with Cdc28 was necessary for ER retention. The J chaperone Ydj1, which activates the ATPase activity of the HSP70 chaperones Ssa1 and Ssa2, interacts with Cln3 and promotes Cln3 phosphorylation and degradation. However, deficiencies in Ydj1 or its HSP70 partners Ssa1 and Ssa2 lead to cells with a larger than normal size, and Cln3 does not accumulate in the nucleus of these cells. Chimeric proteins in which the J domains had been swapped between Cln3 and Ydj1 showed that each of these J domains interacted with Ssa1, but only the Ydj1 J domain stimulated ATPase activity. Overexpression of Ydj1 and Ssa1 caused Cln3 to accumulate in the nucleus, and the cells budded at smaller cell sizes than did wild-type cells; premature cell division did not occur in cells deficient for Cln3. In a cell-free assay, excess Ydj1 and Ssa1 released Cln3. The authors suggest that as cells grow and Ydj1 becomes more abundant, it competes with Cln3 for interaction with Ssa1 at the ER, thereby promoting release of Cln3 and Cdc28 to translocate to the nucleus and stimulate entry into the cell cycle. E. Vergés, N. Colomina, E. Garí, C. Gallego, M. Aldea, Cycline Cln3 is retained at the ER and released by the J chaperone Ydj1 in late G1 to trigger cell cycle entry. Mol. Cell 26, 649-662 (2007). [Online Journal]


Autism has reached epidemic proportions. The latest studies suggest that as many as one in 150 children ages ten and younger may be affected by autism---a total of 300,000 children in the United States alone. Adults included, there are more than a million people in the United States suffering from autistic disorders. Since autism has had a bleak prognosis, and since the isolation of autistic children is so painful to parents, Karen Zelan's accounts of her breakthroughs with autistic children in "Between Their World and Ours" present a particularly hopeful perspective. Zelan illustrates how diagnostic labels reflect the preconceptions and prejudices of the diagnostician, but reveal nothing about the unique person who carries the label and his potential as a human being.Describing nine of the forty-five autists with whom she has worked, Zelan documents how psychotherapy with autistic youth helps them to overcome their problems in communicating, playing, feeling, thinking, and interacting with people more companionably. Her riveting narratives, showing her growing understanding of her young patients, capture how it is to be autistic. She describes the ways these young people meet the challenges of being the way the are. Her work demonstrates how the social context in which autistic children find themselves can make a significant difference in their development, their self-esteem, and their ability to think through problems in living.Zelan, a gifted and intuitive psychotherapist, shows how the autist's sense of self emerges during childhood. She details how these autistic children's first friendships originate, the pitfalls and pleasures they experience in relating to their peers, their dreams, and their fears of social contact. These real-life stories reveal what worked with autistic children and why. Zelan offers prescriptive suggestions for parents and teachers based on her discoveries, demonstrating humane ways of dealing with the often troubling problems of autism and of closing the gap between their world and ours.


"State Collapse in Southeastern Europe: New Perspectives on Yugoslavia's Disintegration" is a multidisciplinary approach exploring the historical antecedents and the dynamic process of Yugoslavia's violent dissolution, drawing upon the most recently available resources. The volume, a compilation by distinguished scholars, examines issues broadening our understanding of the Yugoslav case, and also sheds light on how to deal with future episodes of state fragility and failure.The book updates, enhances, and when necessary revises explanations that have already been offered for Yugoslavia's collapse. Moreover, fifteen years after the Yugoslav crisis, the volume fills in the "blank spots" in the historical record. This careful reevaluation of Yugoslav dissolution provides needed assistance to policy makers who are routinely faced with the challenge of forging or rebuilding coherent, stable, and democratic state institutions in deeply divided societies.After an introductory chapter, an overview of the scholarly literature on Yugoslavia's disintegration, the volume is divided into three parts: the first is focused on "The Historical Legacy," including the first, interwar, Yugoslav state, and the effects of the two world wars; the second, "The Socialist Legacy," examines the reopening of the "national question," the legacy of the 1971 Croatian spring and the role of intellectual elites; and the third part, "The Breakdown of the 1980s," analyzes the failure of "Yugoslavism" and the socialist federation's descent into violence. The volume concludes with a comparative survey of the factors that account for the collapse of the three federal socialist states at the outset of the 1990s: Yugoslavia, the USSR, and Czechoslovakia.


If we believe that the choices we make have a negative impact on the environment, then why don't we change our behavior? In the following essay, "Our Worldly Problem of Delusion," Henry Scott Winsor addresses this question in a problem-solution format. Notice that while he agrees with what his sources say, he also faults a couple of them for failing to provide solutions to the problem of ecological damage. Winsor, like all writers, must make certain rhetorical choices. Is it a good idea to point out weaknesses in source information? Is his choice of first-person plural a good one, given his topic and approach to it? Do you agree with his position on this current debate?


The research field of science communication is fairly neglected in South Africa. The university system in South Africa, with a few exceptions, pays scant attention to the teaching of science communication, leading to limited academic knowledge of this research field with its rich history and philosophical relations. This paper explores some of the reasons behind this neglect of science communication in South Africa and will argue and demonstrate that, primarily, two political systems can be identified as having had a profound impact on the lesser attention given to this research field; the 'divide and rule' system of British colonialism and the Afrikaner National Party 'apartheid' system of racial segregation. Abstract


Most studies, investigating human time perception, have demonstrated a difference between subjective and objective timing. Very common are, for example, results showing that visual intervals are judged shorter than physically equivalent auditory intervals. Recent studies have also found differences between motor and perceptual timing. Considering those perceived differences, the idea has been proposed that the brain might employ distributed (modality- specific) timing mechanisms rather than one amodal timing mechanism. Distributed timing mechanisms and therefore independent temporal estimates would be convenient in the computation for reliability-based multisensory or sensorimotor integration, as predicted by Bayesian inference. Several studies have shown that multisensory temporal estimates can be predicted by reliability-based integration models, as for example the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) model. Reliability-based integration studies in time research are still fairly rare and discussed controversially, and especially studies investigating sensorimotor integration are mostly missing. The aim of this cumulative thesis was to investigate sensorimotor temporal reproduction with a focus on the influence of sensory (mainly auditory) feedback on motor timing. Here fore, in all studies a sensorimotor temporal reproduction paradigm was employed, and sensory and motor estimates were treated as different/independent estimates. First, we investigated the effect of onset and offset delayed sensory feedback on temporal reproduction (Chapter 2.1). Second, perceptual and motor timing were compared explicitly and then a reliability-based model was used to predict the observed sensorimotor reproduction times (Chapter 2.2). In a third study, we manipulated the prior representation of the standard duration, using different adaptation conditions (Chapter 2.3). The findings showed that if the onset of a feedback stimulus was delayed in relation to an action (in contrast to when the feedback signal was started before the action), reproduced durations increased immediately, as soon as a delay is introduced. Offset-delayed sensory feedback, on the other hand, only induced a minor decrease in reproduction times and this effect could only be observed with auditory feedback. In comparison to auditory comparison estimates, which were shown to be fairly precise, pure motor reproduction as well as auditory reproduction was found to be consistently overestimated. The observed overestimation bias in auditory reproduction was reduced, compared to pure motor reproduction. This pattern of result could be shown for various standard durations and different signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) in the compared/reproduced tones. Further, a reliability-based model
4
predicted observed auditory reproduction biases successfully. In the third study, we could show that shifting the temporal range of accuracy feedback, manipulating the SNR of the reproduced tone, as well as introducing a manipulation of the reproduced tone onset, led to significant changes in the prior representation of the standard duration. Only manipulating the reproduced tone onset during the adaptation phase induced a reduction of auditory weights, which could be observed during the test phase. Additional trial-wise analysis confirmed that the adapted prior representation is shifted back to normal dynamically over time, once no accuracy feedback is provided anymore. The differences between observed sensory and motor estimates of time are discussed. We concluded that the finding that onset and offset delay influenced reproduction performance differentially implies that participants rather rely on the sensory feedback as a start- timing signal (at least if a causal relationship between action and sensory feedback can be established), while the motor stop is used as primary stop-timing signal. Observed sensorimotor reproduction biases and variability could be described as the weighted integration of the auditory estimate and the motor estimate. The integration reflects the brain combines multiple timing signals to improve overall performance. The prior knowledge of the standard duration in the reference memory is updated dynamically in that current sensorimotor estimates are constantly integrated with the history of duration estimates. In the end, overall implications of all the results for time perception, as well as sensory integration research are discussed. In summary, this thesis helps to improve our knowledge about sensorimotor temporal integration in a sensorimotor reproduction task on the basis of behavioral findings as well as probabilistic modeling.


Fuller's book in interesting (worth four stars) because of the contrast made between Kuhn and Popper found in the first half of the book. The confusion comes later, but Fuller (page viii) shows little affection for Kuhn from the get-go, and writes: "The more I have tired to make sense of Kuhn's words and deeds, the more I have come to regard him as an intellectual coward who benefitted from his elite institutional status in what remains the world's dominant society." Fuller tells us that Kuhn won the class struggle, and Fuller's own emotionality betrays his affection for Popper's libertarianism. You can find this book at Amazon: Kuhn vs. Popper: The Struggle for the Soul of Science (Revolutions in Science) .


"Development is neither a simple, nor straightforward linear process."- (Haqqani, 2003) The rural population represents two third of Indian population therefore their participation and involvement is more necessary in every aspect of governance. Duncombe and Heeks (1999) describe ICTs as an "electronic means of capturing, processing, storing and disseminating information". According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (1999), ICTs cover internet service provision, telecommunications equipment and services, information technology equipment and services, media and broadcasting, libraries and documentation centers, commercial information providers, network-based information services, and other related information and communication activities. Various initiatives in the recent past portrayed the significant role that the I.C.T plays in the realm of rural development. With the augmentation in population and competition in different areas of India, to cop up with demand in agriculture, to disseminate new expertise is requirement of new technologies. With the rising awareness amongst the citizens and their better experiences with the private sector– the demand for better services on the part of government departments became more pronounced. The access of ICT helps in creating sustainable economic relationships and efficient markets. Moreover, it is also helpful in eradication of poverty and improving health .This paper discusses some landmark projects and throws a spotlight on current status of e-governance in rural areas and along with major impediments in their implementation. This paper has also provided a number of strategic initiatives used in Rural India in general. The need to carry out research on implementation of ICT in the rural market is of utmost importance. New outlook is needed to understand and manage pluralistic information flows and effectively use ICT. It does not make sense to achieve a developed status without a major and continuous augmentation of all villages.