With the popularity of voting systems in cyberspace, there is growing evidence that current voting systems can be manipulated by fake votes. This problem has attracted many researchers working on guarding voting systems in two areas: relieving the effect of dishonest votes by evaluating the trust of voters, and limiting the resources that can be used by attackers, such as the number of voters and the number of votes. In this paper, we argue that powering voting systems with trust and limiting attack resources are not enough. We present a novel attack named as Reputation Trap (RepTrap). Our case study and experiments show that this new attack needs much less resources to manipulate the voting systems and has a much higher success rate compared with existing attacks. We further identify the reasons behind this attack and propose two defense schemes accordingly. In the first scheme, we hide correlation knowledge from attackers to reduce their chance to affect the honest voters. In the second scheme, we introduce robustness-of-evidence, a new metric, in trust calculation to reduce their effect on honest voters. We conduct extensive experiments to validate our approach. The results show that our defense schemes not only can reduce the success rate of attacks but also significantly increase the amount of resources an adversary needs to launch a successful attack.


Increasingly, critical decisions in public policy, governance, and business strategy rely on a deeper understanding of the needs and opinions of constituent members (e.g. citizens, shareholders). While it has become easier to collect a large number of opinions on a topic, there is a necessity for automated tools to help navigate the space of opinions. In such contexts understanding and quantifying the similarity between opinions is key. We find that measures based solely on text similarity or on overall sentiment often fail to effectively capture the distance between opinions. Thus, we propose a new distance measure for capturing the similarity between opinions that leverages the nuanced observation – similar opinions express similar sentiment polarity on specific relevant entities-of-interest. Specifically, in an unsupervised setting, our distance measure achieves significantly better Adjusted Rand Index scores (up to 56x) and Silhouette coefficients (up to 21x) compared to existing approaches. Similarly, in a supervised setting, our opinion distance measure achieves considerably better accuracy (up to 20% increase) compared to extant approaches that rely on text similarity, stance similarity, and sentiment similarity.


The aim and motivation of this research is to investigate ways to support and encourage knowledge sharing. Specifically we examined ways in which 'play' can be used to enhance collaborative work practices. In this process we elicited subjective views and opinions on playing games and the extent to which the participant's felt these could enhance their collaboration in work. The ancient Chinese strategy game of Go was employed in an online team version as a means to evaluate and advance the knowledge sharing culture in a network centric environment. The results of this research identified that play has the power to engage participants into the collaborative work practices and that it can provide an opportunity for teams to see the value of sharing information, and hence to improve the knowledge management practices.


Purpose To evaluate persistence and adherence of oral pharmacotherapy used in the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) in a real-world setting. Materials and methods Systematic literature searches of six electronic publication databases were performed to identify observational studies of patients with OAB treated with antimuscarinics and/or mirabegron. Studies obtaining persistence and adherence data from sources other than electronic prescription claims were excluded. Reference lists of identified studies and relevant systematic reviews were assessed to identify additional relevant studies. Results The search identified 3897 studies, of which 30 were included. Overall, persistence ranged from 5% to 47%. In studies reporting data for antimuscarinics and mirabegron (n=3), 1-year persistence was 12%–25% and 32%–38%, respectively. Median time to discontinuation was <5 months for antimuscarinics (except one study (6.5 months)) and 5.6–7.4 months for mirabegron. The proportion of patients adherent at 1 year varied between 15% and 44%. In studies reporting adherence for antimuscarinics and mirabegron, adherence was higher with mirabegron (mean medication possession ratio (MPR): 0.59 vs 0.41–0.53; mean proportion of days covered: 0.66 vs 0.55; and median MPR: 0.65 vs 0.19–0.49). Reported determinants of persistence and adherence included female (sex), older age group, use of extended-release formulation and treatment experience. Conclusion Most patients with OAB discontinued oral OAB pharmacotherapy and were non-adherent 1 year after treatment initiation. In general, mirabegron was associated with greater persistence and adherence compared with antimuscarinics. Combined with existing clinical trial evidence, this real-world review merits consideration of mirabegron for first-line pharmacological treatment among patients with OAB. PROSPERO registration number CRD42017059894.


Coastal managers require reliable spatial data on the extent and timing of potential coastal inundation, particularly in a changing climate. Most sea level rise (SLR) vulnerability assessments are undertaken using the easily implemented bathtub approach, where areas adjacent to the sea and below a given elevation are mapped using a deterministic line dividing potentially inundated from dry areas. This method only requires elevation data usually in the form of a digital elevation model (DEM). However, inherent errors in the DEM and spatial analysis of the bathtub model propagate into the inundation mapping. The aim of this study was to assess the impacts of spatially variable and spatially correlated elevation errors in high-spatial resolution DEMs for mapping coastal inundation. Elevation errors were best modelled using regression-kriging. This geostatistical model takes the spatial correlation in elevation errors into account, which has a significant impact on analyses that include spatial interactions, such as inundation modelling. The spatial variability of elevation errors was partially explained by land cover and terrain variables. Elevation errors were simulated using sequential Gaussian simulation, a Monte Carlo probabilistic approach. 1,000 error simulations were added to the original DEM and reclassified using a hydrologically correct bathtub method. The probability of inundation to a scenario combining a 1 in 100 year storm event over a 1 m SLR was calculated by counting the proportion of times from the 1,000 simulations that a location was inundated. This probabilistic approach can be used in a risk-aversive decision making process by planning for scenarios with different probabilities of occurrence. For example, results showed that when considering a 1% probability exceedance, the inundated area was approximately 11% larger than mapped using the deterministic bathtub approach. The probabilistic approach provides visually intuitive maps that convey uncertainties inherent to spatial data and analysis.


Background Despite recommendations and the need to accelerate redesign of delivery models to be team-based and patient-centred, professional silos and cultural and structural barriers that inhibit working together and communicating effectively still predominate in the hospital setting. Aiming to improve team-based rounding, we developed, implemented and evaluated the Interprofessional Teamwork Innovation Model (ITIM). Methods This quality improvement (QI) study was conducted at an academic medical centre. We followed the system's QI framework, FOCUS-PDSA, with Lean as guiding principles. Primary outcomes included 30-day all-cause same-hospital readmissions and 30-day emergency department (ED) visits. The intervention group consisted of patients receiving care on two hospitalist ITIM teams, and patients receiving care from other hospitalist teams were matched with a control group. Outcomes were assessed using difference-in-difference analysis. Results Team members reported enhanced communication and overall time savings. In multivariate modelling, patients discharged from hospitalist teams using the ITIM approach were associated with reduced 30-day same-hospital readmissions with an estimated point OR of 0.56 (95% CI 0.34 to 0.92), but there was no impact on 30-day same-hospital ED visits. Difference-in-difference analysis showed that ITIM was not associated with changes in average total direct costs nor average cost per patient day, after adjusting for all other covariates in the models, despite the addition of staff resources in the ITIM model. Conclusion The ITIM approach facilitates a collaborative environment in which patients and their family caregivers, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, case managers and others work and share in the process of care.


The aim of this study was to increase our understanding of phytoplasma genomics by sequencing and analysing extrachromosomal and chromosomal phytoplasma DNA. Extrachromosomal DNA (eDNA) is believed to play an important role in pathogenicity, host specificity and virulence in plant pathogenic bacteria. In this study, eDNA was characterised for the two most significant phytoplasmas in Australia - tomato big bud (TBB) phytoplasma and 'Ca. P. australiense'. Using the eDNA sequence data, replication strategies were proposed for both phytoplasmas. Based on an analysis of the TBB eDNA encoded rep gene from multiple isolates, a unique mechanism for replication was proposed that involves the dnaG gene. The 'Ca. P. australiense' eDNA rep gene contained conserved domains for both bacterial plasmids and geminiviruses. Similarity matches between the closely related Australian and New Zealand 'Ca. P. australiense' eDNAs were found to be only 41- 61%. This level of difference suggests that the eDNA is not under the same evolutionary pressure as is chromosomal DNA, and/or a range of different mechanisms leading to genetic diversity are operational. Phytoplasmas cannot be cultured so the difficulty in obtaining sufficient quantities of high quality phytoplasma DNA hinders whole genome analysis. Despite this, the desire to sequence phytoplasmas is fuelled by the current paucity of knowledge about phytoplasma pathogenicity. In this study, conventional and modern techniques were optimised to obtain sufficient quantities of genomic DNA to sequence the entire 'Ca. P. australiense' genome. Although phytoplasma DNA could be extracted from pulsed field gels, quantities were too low for subsequent manipulation. DNA extracted from cesium chloride gradients was successfully used to enrich phytoplasma DNA suitable for sequencing. The 'Ca. P. australiense' chromosome was 879 324 bp and is among the largest phytoplasma genomes to be sequenced. It contained potential mobile units (PMUs) that may account for the fact that it is smaller than the closely related New Zealand 'Ca. P. australiense' strain. The mechanism by which 'Ca. P. australiense' PMUs may have been laterally transferred is unknown, because inverted repeats characteristic of composite transposons were missing. It is possible that 'Ca. P. australiense' PMU mobility relies on helper elements or by association with phage particles. The genomes of 'Ca. P. australiense' and the previously published 'Ca. P. asteris' (OY-M and AY-WB) were compared with a particular focus on metabolic processes. Many essential metabolic pathways were completely missing or greatly reduced in all phytoplasmas, but all contained numerous genes for membrane transporters. This observation is not surprising for a pathogen that occupies the nutrient rich phloem of its host plant. There is still much to learn about the pathogenicity and minimal metabolic capability of 'Ca. P. australiense', but with close to 50% ORFs not assigned to any known function, there exists a rich archive of information for further discovery.


Risk perception for rare, low-probability hazards, such as tsunamis, tends to be low due to individual's unfamiliarity with them and the tendency to see them as synonymous with non-occurrence events. Visitors to an area tend to have even lower risk perception and knowledge of hazards, warning systems and appropriate actions to take during an event. Risk perception, however, can increase, if only temporarily, after a catastrophic event, such as the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. To determine the changes in resident's knowledge and perception and the differences between those of residents and visitors two surveys were conducted. In the first survey interview style surveying was conducted at eleven locations in the coastal Christchurch and Banks Peninsula area of the Canterbury Region The questionnaire was composed of scaled, open, and closed ended questions and the main themes included knowledge of risk, preparation and warnings, what to do during a tsunami, and changes since the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. The second survey of five coastal communities was conducted via a postal questionnaire and was aimed at obtaining residential views. Survey data was then analysed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software. The residential data was compared with that of the non-residents to determine the differences in perception of residents and visitors. The residential information was then compared with survey data from the 2003 National Coastal Survey. Visitors knew less about general tsunami information such as when the last tsunami occurred and were less likely to believe that a tsunami could occur imminently. Non-residents reported less receipt of information and did considerably less information seeking. Differences in knowledge of warning systems were difficult to ascertain. The Boxing Day event certainly made an impact, increasing people's knowledge and awareness, though most likely only temporarily.


Since the mid-1970s, the academic literature about purchasing has been expanding, also reflecting the move from an operational approach to a strategic vision. One of the consequences has been the emphasis on win-win situations; for instance, in order to increase their individual competitiveness, organizations might successfully use coopetition through group purchasing. Based on existing research in the purchasing field, this article adopts an original approach about sports. The objective is to examine how the concepts of consortium sourcing and pooling can be used to understand the benefits the North-American professional sport leagues get for the acquisition of players and, more generally, of human capital.
Topic: Purchasing organization, skills and competences.


The present study aimed at comparing the effects of different sets of predictors on quality of life in an urban environment. We used secondary data collected by means of a self-report questionnaire on a sample of 343 residents of a big Italian city. The questionnaire included a multidimensional scale elaborated by the World Health Organization (WHOQoL brief scale) assessing quality of life in terms of four different evaluations concerning distinct aspects of life: physical health; psychological status; social relationships; environment. Four different types of predictors were considered: (1) socio-demographic characteristics; (2) quality of social relations (perceived social support); (3) place attachment; (4) healthy lifestyle. To test the influence of different groups of predictors on the dimensions of WHOQoL we performed four hierarchical regression analyses. Several significant influences were found. In particular the results pointed out the great role of perceived social support and place attachment in promoting quality of life. That result suggests the importance of community interventions in urban environment.


An adaptive slope matching method is used to evalute the aquifer heterogeneity from constant rate aquifer test data. The basic aquifer parameters such as the storativity and transmissivity are considered to vary spatially and the effects of such changes appear as temporal variations during a pumping test period. It is stressed that this is due to the depression cone expansion with time around the pumping well. The plots of individual parameters versus time are referred to as the sample functions. These functions have erratic variations indicating that the aquifers considered in this study have local heterogeneities. Furthermore, a moving average technique is applied to each parameter sample function for the purpose of finding regional trends in the parameter variations. It is interesting to notice that the arithmetic average values of sample functions yield aquifer parameter values as obtained by the classical type curve matching techniques which assume that the aquifer concerned is homogeneous. Hence the use of the sample function concept is recommended for the detailed interpretation of the aquifer heterogeneity.


Introduction: Detailed-documentation of phacoemulsification surgical techniques in operative note is not a routine in clinical practice. However, this information is crucial in order to quantify the variations in surgeon's surgical technique and to further evaluate the surgeon's surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) predictability. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of Phacoemulsification Technique Related to Surgically Induced Astigmatism (PTechSIA) questionnaire in quantifying the phacoemulsification surgical technique variations. Methods: Four ophthalmic surgeons (Surgeons A, B, C and D) at IIUM Eye Specialist Clinic were involved in this study. A validated self-administered questionnaire with 9 items (PTechSIA, patency number: LY2018002935) was employed to assess the surgeons' surgical techniques during phacoemulsification. All the responds were scored for each item using Variation Score (VS). Score '0' was given, when a surgeon ticked only one option of the surgical techniques, Score '1' when a surgeon ticked two options, and so on for each item. VSs of all 9 items were summed up to obtain Total Variation Score (TVS). A higher TVS indicated a higher variation in surgical techniques. Results: PTechSIA showed that all surgeons had different TVS. Surgeons A and B had TVS of 1, whereas Surgeons C and D had TVS of 0 and 3, respectively. TVS of each surgeon indicated that all surgeons had variations in phacoemulsification surgical techniques. Conclusions: PTechSIA is an effective tool to evaluate and quantify the variation of surgeons' surgical techniques in phacoemulsification. Hence, PTechSIA is suggested to be used extensively for a larger scale of surgeons in future research related to phacoemulsification surgical technique and SIA.


We present insights from literature on enterprising behaviour and competence followed by an application of the competence perspective. Data collection is based on the critical incident technique among 205 entrepreneurs. The study shows how entrepreneurial behaviour benefits from an integrating competence perspective, underlining that entrepreneurs do need different competences related to different outcomes in their entrepreneurial endeavours. An additional study was done to test a survey on competence dimensions that were developed based on the findings of the CIT. The survey shows five competence dimensions. Entrepreneurial behaviour is not about learning a single set of competences, it is rather an integrating system of competences. Some of them can be taught, while others need to be experienced and tried out.


Phylogeographic inference can determine the timing of population divergence, historical demographic processes, patterns of migration, and when extended to multiple species, the history of communities. Single‐locus analyses can mislead interpretations of the evolutionary history of taxa and comparative analyses. It is therefore important to revisit previous single‐locus phylogeographic studies, particularly those that have been used to propose general patterns for regional biotas and the processes responsible for generating inferred patterns. Here, we employ a multilocus statistical approach to re‐examine the phylogeography of Lampropeltis zonata. Using nonparametic and Bayesian species delimitation, we determined that there are two well‐supported species within L. zonata. Ecological niche modelling supports the delimitation of these taxa, suggesting that the two species inhabit distinct climatic environments. Gene flow between the two taxa is low and appears to occur unidirectionally. Further, our data suggest that gene flow was mediated by females, a rare pattern in snakes. In contrast to previous analyses, we determined that the divergence between the two lineages occurred in the late Pliocene (c. 2.07 Ma). Spatially and temporally, the divergence of these lineages is associated with the inundation of central California by the Monterey Bay. The effective population sizes of the two species appear to have been unaffected by Pleistocene glaciation. Our increased sampling of loci for L. zonata, combined with previously published multilocus analyses of other sympatric species, suggests that previous conclusions reached by comparative phylogeographic studies conducted within the California Floristic Province should be reassessed.


The Basics of Cyber Safety: Computer and Mobile Device Safety Made Easy presents modern tactics on how to secure computer and mobile devices, including what behaviors are safe while surfing, searching, and interacting with others in the virtual world. The book's author, Professor John Sammons, who teaches information security at Marshall University, introduces readers to the basic concepts of protecting their computer, mobile devices, and data during a time that is described as the most connected in history. This timely resource provides useful information for readers who know very little about the basic principles of keeping the devices they are connected to?or themselves?secure while online. In addition, the text discusses, in a non-technical way, the cost of connectedness to your privacy, and what you can do to it, including how to avoid all kinds of viruses, malware, cybercrime, and identity theft. Final sections provide the latest information on safe computing in the workplace and at school, and give parents steps they can take to keep young kids and teens safe online.Provides the most straightforward and up-to-date guide to cyber safety for anyone who ventures online for work, school, or personal useIncludes real world examples that demonstrate how cyber criminals commit their crimes, and what users can do to keep their data safe


An expert is traditionally viewed as someone with a high level of expertise in a particular area. This expertise is reflected in their knowledge, their experience and how they utilise and learn from these aspects when interacting with others and problem solving. However, the concept of 'Expert' is also a social label. A member of a social group is given the Expert label if their expertise about a topic is acknowledged to be superior to that of other group members. Therefore, the level of expertise required to be an Expert is dependent on the expertise of the group as a whole. Researchers have developed expertise finding software systems that identify the experts within groups using staff knowledge directories ('yellow pages') or simple term-based search engines that examine documents like staff publications. The resulting profiles of people's expertise are incomplete and vague. These systems do not explore the social dimension of expertise in groups like online communities. This thesis argues that the Duality of Expertise construct consists of a person's knowledge contributions to their group as a whole and how the group responds to those contributions. More specifically, this research considers the linguistic evidence of such aspects of expertise within online forums. Only public postings within the forum are studied, restricting any measure of expertise to utilising the public interactions within the forum. Various forums are studied. The Expertise Finding Model is presented as a process which deploys the Duality of Expertise in an expertise finding system. It examines the linguistic features of forum postings, utilising existing methodologies from information retrieval and computational linguistics in a novel way. The model's knowledge component regards each author's contributions as evidence of their claims at expertise in particular topics, through their use of specialised terms and senses as well as recognising which terms are semantically associated and relate to the same topic. The model's community component is based on the reply postings each author receives from other community members, using the dialogue acts in these replies to profile the community's opinions towards the author's expertise claims. These dialogue acts include positive and negative statements towards the content of the original posting. Thus the Expertise Finding Model relates to expertise claims and community opinions. The model is evaluated through a series of experiments using forum postings from the W3C corpus and a test-set from TREC2006's Enterprise track. Preprocessing extracts the postings and identifies their linguistic features. A modified Indri IR system indexes postings and ranks the corresponding authors according to their expertise claims. The community's dialogue acts are used to rank authors according to the community's opinions towards them. Finally, an Areas of Interest → Community Opinion → Expertise Ranking relationship combines the two components to rank the authors' topic expertise based on both their expertise claims and the community's opinions. The Duality of Expertise and the Expertise Finding Model contribute new approaches to expertise and expert finding systems. This relationship is also related to dialogue act and dialogic action-reaction theories.


The use of epoxy resin adhesives in structural engineering is introduced with particular reference to the strengthening of bridge decks. A review of the fatigue and creep characteristics of structural adhesives is then presented by reference to previously published work. It is noted that much of the past research has been conducted with aerospace or vehicle applications in mind. Nevertheless, this can provide useful guidance. The report summarises a number of extra-mural research contracts placed by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL) in the 1980s to investigate various aspects of the performance of epoxy resin adhesive joints. In particular this work encompassed both fatigue and creep testing over the range of temperatures likely to be encountered at bridge sites in the UK. It involved fatigue testing and creep testing for up to one year using double lap joints constructed with three varieties of cold-cure and one hot-cure adhesive. It also considered the effect of low curing temperatures and two alternative accelerated ageing regimes. The fatigue and creep performance of bonded joints is temperature dependent. There is a significant reduction in strength as the temperature reaches the transition temperature, which for the cold-cure products occurs between 40 and 50 degrees C. Thus, the use of cold-cure adhesives is not recommended at service temperatures in excess of 40 degrees C. Further, curing at temperatures below 10 degrees C is unlikely to be acceptable. The stress range in cold-cure joints should be limited to 4.0 Newtons per square millimetre and that in hot-cure joints to 7.1 to prevent fatigue failures during the 120 year design life of a bridge. In addition the sustained stress in an adhesive bonded joint should be kept below 25% of the short term strength in order to prevent failures due to creep rupture during the design life of the structure. Any assessment for application of bonded connections in bridge or other structures must take into account the design spectrum of loads, the variation in fatigue and creep strength with temperature, the duration of exposure at different temperatures and the environmental and climatic conditions during service. (Author/TRRL)


Frustrated by their inability to secure passage of a federal constitutional amendment abolishing the Electoral College, its opponents have sought to establish the direct, popular election of the President by having individual states agree to appoint their presidential electors in accordance with the nationwide popular vote. Ostensibly designed to prevent elections, such as the one in 2000, in which the Electoral College "misfired" and chose the candidate who received fewer popular votes, the National Popular Vote Compact has been adopted by several states. In this article, I argue that National Popular Vote Compact is an unnecessary and dangerous reform. It is unnecessary because the Electoral College is only modestly malapportioned and less so than many other accepted features of the U.S. political process, which distort popular political preferences to a greater extent. Moreover, that malapportionment is simply the consequence of having a presidential election system that combines elements of majoritarianism and federalism, as other industrialized democracies have adopted. It is dangerous because the NPVC contains a host of defects that would make electoral misfires more likely and trigger a series of political and constitutional crises. The abolition or reform of the presidential election system requires a federal constitutional amendment; attempting to achieve some reform via a sub-constitutional agreement among several states risks creating a presidential election system that is neither workable nor fair.


Purpose - This paper aims to provide empirical results which suggest that there is a need for more widespread adoption of supply chain management among Irish firms. Design/methodology/approach - The Republic of Ireland is a small, open, trade-dependent economy and is one of the fastest growing economies in the developed world. However, due to rising costs, there is an increasing trend in Ireland to outsource lower function manufacturing processes to lower-cost locations but to retain high-skill functions (such as R&D). This trend, together with other factors such as its peripheral location, suggests that supply chain management is critical from an Irish perspective. In order to gain unique insights of current levels of awareness/adoption of SCM and the potential impact SCM could have on competitiveness, a survey was conducted among 776 Irish firms. Findings - Overall, the findings suggest that many firms in Ireland pay lip-service to the importance of SCM elements and objectives but the majority of firms, about two thirds, have only a passing understanding of what constitutes SCM. Only 25 per cent adopt SCM programmes and only 9 per cent of Irish companies have a specialised SCM or logistics manager. The gaps in their understanding of SCM are matched by the gaps in their awareness of key costs (e.g. 59 per cent of companies do not know their total supply chain costs). While there are supply chain management adopters in Ireland that are already well up the s-curve of innovation transfer, it is the larger group of less aware companies that must become better at how they manage their supply chains. Originality/value - The paper offers a useful insight into supply chain management and its role in Irish industry.


The Act that gave the Olympic Committee its authority is the Ted Steven's Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. It was first passed in 1978 under the tutelage of Senator Stevens of Alaska. It was updated in 1998, and in the update there was a passage added regarding the creation of the position of athlete ombudsman. One of the primary authors of that actual language is Mr. Benz, who was, at the time, at the USOC. President Clinton signed the bill into law in October 1998 with a funding bill. I am the only one to have ever held this position, and I started in March 1999. I am not legal counsel for athletes, because if I were I would have to represent the first athlete that comes to me and that is not the way it works. I have an obligation to all athletes, not just the first one that calls. Thus, I am a neutral provider of information to athletes in this process.


Planets are born from disks of gas and dust, and observations of protoplanetary disks are used to constrain the initial conditions of planet formation. However, dust mass measurements of Class II disks with ALMA have called into question whether they contain enough solids to build the exoplanets that have been detected to date. In this paper, we calculate the mass and spatial scale of solid material around Sun-like stars probed by transit and radial velocity exoplanet surveys and compare those to the observed dust masses and sizes of Class II disks in the same stellar-mass regime. We show that the apparent mass discrepancy disappears when accounting for observational selection and detection biases. We find a discrepancy only when the planet formation efficiency is below 100%, or if there is a population of undetected exoplanets that significantly contributes to the mass in solids. We identify a positive correlation between the masses of planetary systems and their respective orbital periods, which is consistent with the trend between the masses and the outer radii of Class II dust disks. This implies that, despite a factor 100 difference in spatial scale, the properties of protoplanetary disks seem to be imprinted on the exoplanet population.


A nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) strain from Spodoptera exempta (SeMNPV-25 baculovirus) is a restriction endonuclease DNA map variant similar to Autographa californica NPV (AcMNPV baculovirus). Fourteen restriction endonuclease variants were identified and isolated from a SeMNPV baculovirus stock with 12 of the variants found at low frequency (less than 3%). The DNA from each variant was compared to the prototype SeMNPV-25 for insertions, deletions and new restriction sites. Regions of variation were defined on the prototype SeMNPV-25 genome, and the nature of the variation within these regions was determined. These data are discussed and compared with the existing data on other variants of AcMNPV. A comparison of the physical maps revealed that all the SeMNPV variants were different from those reported for AcMNPV. Although the SeMNPV variants were distinctive, they were clearly genomic AcMNPV variants. The regions of the baculovirus genomic variation were identified, and three separate mechanisms are suggested for their generation. Five regions (hr1 to hr5) were associated with intragenic homologous viral sequences, five regions (vI to vIII) may be associated with the insertion of DNA sequences of cellular origin, and two regions (pI and pII) were associated with mutations resulting in the addition or loss of a PstI site. Physical maps were generated for SeMNPV variant regions vI, hr2, vII and vIII.


Establishment of standards for seismic strengthening of existing buildings has been difficult since full compliance with current codes is generally too expensive. A general consensus has evolved which is to provide some minimum level of life safety. This approach is now embodied in codes such as the City of Los Angeles Seismic Hazard Mitigation Ordinance and the Uniform Code for Building Conservation which address unreinforced masonry bearing wall buildings. A greater difficulty arises in developing standards for non-ductile concrete frames, tilt-up concrete structures, steel frame buildings and others that have been deemed potentially hazardous. This paper summarizes efforts to data and presents a performance approach for developing new regulations.


Terry v. Ohio's "reasonable suspicion" test was created in the context of domestic law enforcement, but it did not remain there. This Essay examines the effect of transplanting this test into a new context: the world of terrorist watchlists. In this new context, reasonable suspicion is the standard used to authorize the infringement on liberty that often results from being watchlisted. But nothing else from the case that created that standard remains the same. The government official changes from a local police officer to an anonymous member of the intelligence community. The purpose changes from crime prevention to counterterrorism. The technology changes from a police officer's notebook or filed report to a massive and remote computer databank. And, most significantly, the person who determines whether the reasonable suspicion standard has been met changes from a neutral and detached magistrate to the executive official who harbored the suspicion in the first place.


The Atlantic magazine has called it the "end of men." For the first time in U.S. history, women form the majority of the workforce, filling more managerial positions than their male counterparts. Today's women are primed to take over the corporate world—if they don't stumble on the way up.

 Packed with insights from extraordinary women who have climbed the corporate ladder—including McDonald's president Jan Fields, JetBlue cofounder Ann Rhoades, and fashion pioneer Liz Lange—Who Says It's a Man's World helps women navigate the rocky path from cubicle to executive suite. This ultra-practical guide offers an ideal "Success Profile" along with the measurable action steps needed to excel in each of five reputation-enhancing areas: personal development, social skills, effectiveness, team building, and leadership.

 Complete with the latest research on women in the workplace and an eye-opening "promo ta bility" assessment, Who Says It's a Man's World provides readers with everything they need to build their own fast-track career plan.


It seems that children are born with sophisticated abilities to perceive speech sounds. Phonological short-term memory plays a key role in the process of language acquisition in the storage of unknown phonological forms while more permanent representations are stored in the long-term memory.In this paper we present the results of a study on the influence of two factors in the short-term memory: the degree of perceptibility (phonetic prominence) and the type of syllable structure (structural prominence) of the stimuli used. The results showed a larger influence of the latter at the expense of the amount of phonetic substance. This reinforces the importance of the role of syllabic structure in the early stages of language acquisition, used as a clue for learning the stress rules on speech and, subsequently, in the process of learning how to read.


High-quality model curation provides insights by organizing biological knowledge-fragments. We aim to integrate published results about circadian clocks in Drosophila melanogaster while exploring economies of scale in model curation. Clocks govern rhythms of gene-expression that impact fitness, health, cancer, memory, mental functions, and more. Human clock insights have been pioneered in flies. Flies simplify investigating complex gene regulatory networks, which express proteins cyclically using environmentally entrained interlocking feedback loops. Simulations could simplify research further, but currently few models test their quality directly against experimentally observed time series scattered across publications. We designed FlyClockbase for robust efficient access to such scattered data for biologists and modelers, prioritizing simplicity and openness to encourage experimentalists to preserve more annotations and raw-data. Such details could multiply long-term value for modelers interested in meta-analyses, parameter estimates, and hypothesis testing. Currently FlyClockbase contains over 400 wildtype time series of core circadian components systematically curated from 86 studies published between 1990 and 2015. Using FlyClockbase, we show that PERIOD protein amount peak time variance unexpectedly exceeds that of TIMELESS. We hypothesize, PERIOD9s exceedingly more complex phosphorylation rules are responsible. Human error analysis improved data quality and revealed significance-degrading outliers, possibly violating presumed absence of wildtype heterogeneity or lab evolution. We found PCR-measured peak time variances exceed those from other methods, pointing to initial count stochasticity. Our trans-disciplinary analyses demonstrate how compilers with more biology-friendly logic could simplify, guide, and naturally distribute biological model curation. Resulting quality increases and cost reductions benefit curation-dependent grand challenges like personalizing medicine.


Several techniques to perform static and dynamic load balancing for vision systems are presented. These techniques capture the computational requirements of a task by examining the data when it is produced. They can be applied to many vision systems because many algorithms in different systems are either the same or have similar computational characteristics. These techniques are evaluated by applying them on a parallel implementation of the algorithms in a motion estimation system on a hypercube multiprocessor system. It is shown that the performance gains when these data decomposition and load balancing techniques are used are significant and that the overhead of using these techniques is minimal.<<ETX>>


This paper assesses long-term impacts of vegetable and polyculture fish production technologies on a variety of measures of household and individual well-being in Bangladesh. In 1996–1997, households were surveyed in three sites where nongovernmental organizations and extension programs were disseminating agricultural technologies—about two to six years after the technologies were first introduced. The same households were reinterviewed in 2006–2007. Using nearest-neighbor matching to construct a statistical comparison group, we find that long-term impacts differ across agricultural technology interventions and across outcomes. Long-term impacts on household-level consumption expenditures and asset accumulation are, in general, insignificant in the improved vegetables sites, but are positive and significant in the individually operated fishponds sites. Interestingly, impacts on individual nutrient intake, nutrient adequacy, and nutritional status do not necessarily follow the pattern of household-level impacts. The improved vegetable program, despite insignificant or even negative impacts at the household level, seems to have resulted in increases in vitamin A consumption (and iron consumption for men), an increase in average weight-for-age Z-scores among children, and a reduction in the proportion of girls stunted and the proportion of boys underweight. Women in the improved vegetable program also experienced increases in body mass index. Impacts in the group-operated fishponds sites on nutrient intake are mostly negative, although we do find improvements in weight-for-age Z-scores and a decline in stunting and wasting among boys. Although one would expect significant improvements in nutritional status in the individually operated fishponds sites, impacts on nutritional status are mixed. Nutrient availability and the fraction of members consuming the recommended daily allowances have improved significantly for most nutrients considered, among men and women. Although indicators of long-term nutritional status worsen, short-term nutritional status indicators improve. The fraction of women with low hemoglobin levels also decreases significantly. We argue that the differences in long-term and short-term impacts arise from several causes: differences in dissemination and targeting mechanisms that may affect what types of households adopt and benefit from the technologies; initial existing differences between control and treatment groups (controlled for using matching methods); the degree to which a technology is divisible and easily disseminated outside the treatment group; and finally, intrahousehold allocation processes that determine how gains from the new technology are allocated among household members.


Transcriptome analysis of Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 showed that 702 genes were differentially regulated in a gacS::Tn5 mutant, with 300 and 402 genes up- and downregulated respectively. Similar to the Gac regulon of other Pseudomonas species, genes involved in motility, biofilm formation, siderophore biosynthesis and oxidative stress were differentially regulated in the gacS mutant of SBW25. Our analysis also revealed, for the first time, that transcription of 19 rhizosphere-induced genes and of genes involved in type II secretion, (exo)polysaccharide and pectate lyase biosynthesis, twitching motility and an orphan non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) were significantly affected in the gacS mutant. Furthermore, the gacS mutant inhibited growth of oomycete, fungal and bacterial pathogens significantly more than wild type SBW25. Since RP-HPLC analysis did not reveal any potential candidate metabolites, we focused on the Gac-regulated orphan NRPS gene cluster that was predicted to encode an eight-amino-acid ornicorrugatin-like peptide. Site-directed mutagenesis indicated that the encoded peptide is not involved in the enhanced antimicrobial activity of the gacS mutant but may function as a siderophore. Collectively, this genome-wide analysis revealed that a mutation in the GacS/A two-component regulatory system causes major transcriptional changes in SBW25 and significantly enhances its antimicrobial activities by yet unknown mechanisms.


Smile detection from unconstrained facial images is a specialized and challenging problem. As one of the most informative expressions, smiles convey basic underlying emotions, such as happiness and satisfaction, and leads to multiple applications, such as human behavior analysis and interactive controlling. Compared to the size of databases for face recognition, far less labeled data is available for training smile detection systems. This paper proposes an efficient transfer learning-based smile detection approach to leverage the large amount of labeled data from face recognition datasets and to alleviate overfitting on smile detection. A well-trained deep face recognition model is explored and fine-tuned for smile detection in the wild, unlike previous works which use either hand-engineered features or train deep convolutional networks from scratch. Three different models are built as a result of fine-tuning the face recognition model with different inputs, including aligned, unaligned and grayscale images generated from the GENKI-4K dataset. Experiments show that the proposed approach achieves improved state-of-the-art performance. Robustness of the model to noise and blur artifacts is also evaluated in this paper.


The introduction of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) in the late 1980s optimised the medical treatment of acid-related disorders. PPIs have superseded the use of histamine-2-receptor antagonists in patients with moderate to severe gastric acid-related diseases, as well as for the prophylaxis of upper gastrointestinal injury, for example, with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. PPIs have been found to be successful in improving the symptoms and complications of acid-peptic diseases owing to their potency and effectiveness, and in having a positive impact on the quality of life of people with these conditions.


This paper examines the visual and narrative geographies of AIDS in the documentaries Pandemic and A Closer Walk (both of which came out in 2003). Each film offers a travelogue of diverse sites affected by HIV/AIDS in order to politicize viewers' understanding of their place in the global pandemic, seeking to remake the spatial subjectivities that support a dangerously disinterested status quo that allows preventable illness and death to occur. In exploring the spatial politics of mass-mediated subject formation through these conventionally accessible documentaries, I argue that each film hopes to offer what I will call a 'queer optic' on global AIDS, enabling viewers to look critically at the structures of inequality that normalize preventable suffering. By challenging normative ways of looking at AIDS, these documentaries seek to produce visual intimacies with the hope of diminishing the distinterest of distance. However, neither film is able to realize its boldest ambitions. While recognizing their strong commitment to greater justice for people living with HIV/AIDS, I argue that each film employs narrative and visual strategies that ultimately limit their efficacy as political projects. In various ways, they struggle with and in substantive ways fail to dislodge colonial narratives and optics. By examining their projects through a theoretical framework influenced by early AIDS video activism, I demonstrate the importance of identifying visual strategies that resist neoimperial logics that too often shape the representation of spatial Others.


ABSTRACT Amplification of the Neu (ErbB-2 or HER-2) receptor tyrosine kinase occurs in 20 to 30% of human mammary carcinomas, correlating with a poor clinical prognosis. We have previously demonstrated that four (Y1144 Y1201, Y1227 and Y1253) of the five known Neu autophosphorylation sites can independently mediate transforming signals. The transforming potential of two of these mutants correlates with their capacity to recruit Grb2 directly to Y1144 (YB) or indirectly through Shc to Y1227 (YD). Here, we demonstrate that these transformation-competent neu mutants activate extracellular signal-regulated kinases and stimulate Ets-2-dependent transcription. Although the transforming potential of three of these mutants (YB, YD, and YE) was susceptible to inhibition by Rap1A, a genetic antagonist of Ras, the transforming potential of YC was resistant to inhibition by Rap1A. To further address the significance of these ErbB-2-coupled signaling molecules in induction of mammary cancers, transgenic mice expressing mutant Neu receptors lacking the known autophosphorylation sites (NYPD) or those coupled directly to either Grb2 (YB) or Shc (YD) adapter molecules were derived. In contrast to the NYPD strains, which developed focal mammary tumors after a long latency period with low penetrance, all female mice derived from YB and YD strains rapidly developed mammary tumors. Although female mice from several independent YB or YD lines developed mammary tumors, the YB strains developed lung metastases at substantially higher rates than the YD strains. These observations argue that Grb2 and Shc play important and distinct roles in ErbB-2/Neu-induced mammary tumorigenesis and metastasis.


Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Abstract We describe and discuss the rationale, design and current implementation of a model for an integrated intervention for the primary and secondary prevention of Zika and other Aedes -borne diseases and sexually transmitted infections that impact reproductive health, pregnancy and perinatal life stages in women and their families in Merida, Mexico. The intervention includes enhanced surveillance of pregnant women, imple- mentation of communication strategies to promote good practices to prevent disease transmission, determination of the frequency of structural anomalies detected prenatally in the foetus, umbilical cord and placenta of pregnancies diagnosed with ZIK infection, detection of ZIKV and other arboviruses/viruses in products of abortion, in-utero and early newborn, provision of Aedes aegypti -proof houses " (protecting homes with door/ window screens with insecticide to prevent the access of mosquitoes), mosquito repellents, larvicides and education/promotion of best practices for the prevention of infection with dengue (DENV), chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV) and an anthropological studies on sociocultural factors of pregnant women associated with ZIKV. This intervention is being developed in a population of 10,000 people of the city of Merida and with the participation of a multidisciplinary group of public health professionals in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Government of Yucatan.


Is there such a thing as an 'international law' of which to be afraid? Can international law be seen as a coherent set of norms? Or is it, rather, something experienced radically differently by different individuals and groups in different parts of the world? And what do the different sets of international law seek to change or justify today? In Who's Afraid of International Law? Raimond Gaita and six other noted authorities in this field respond to Gaita's invitation to explore ways in which international law constitutes a certain way of talking and being; one that might have both ameliorative and malign effects. The result is an extended and rich conversation about international law's aspirations and limitations, its nuances and rigidities, achievements and failures, relevance and irrelevance.


A meta-analysis is used to study the average wage effects of on-the-job training. This study shows that the average reported wage effect of on-the-job training, corrected for publication bias, is 2.6 per cent per course. The analyses reveal a substantial heterogeneity between training courses, while wage effects reported in studies based on instrumental variables and panel estimators are substantially lower than estimates based on techniques that do not correct for selectivity issues. Appropriate methodology and the quality of the data turn out to be crucial to determine the wage returns.


BACKGROUND
Successful internal fixation of fractures of the surgical neck of the humerus can be difficult to achieve because of osteopenia of the proximal aspect of the humerus. The purpose of this study was to compare the biomechanical stability of a proximal humeral intramedullary nail and a locking plate for the treatment of a comminuted two-part fracture of the surgical neck in a human cadaver model.

METHODS
Twenty-four cadaveric humeri were instrumented with use of either a titanium proximal humeral nail (PHN) or a 3.5-mm locking compression plate for the proximal part of the humerus (LCP-PH). The specimens were matched by bone mineral density and were separated into four experimental groups with six humeri in each: PHN bending, LCP-PH bending, PHN torsion, or LCP-PH torsion. Comminuted fractures of the surgical neck were simulated by excising a 10-mm wedge of bone. Bending specimens were cyclically loaded from 0 to 7.5 Nm of varus bending moment at the fracture site. Torsion specimens were cyclically loaded to +/-2 Nm of axial torque. The mean and maximum displacement in bending, mean and maximum angular rotation in torsion, and stiffness of the bone-implant constructs were compared.

RESULTS
In bending, the LCP-PH group demonstrated significantly less mean displacement of the distal fragment than did the PHN group over 5000 cycles (p = 0.002). In torsion, the LCP-PH group demonstrated significantly less mean angular rotation than did the PHN group over 5000 cycles (p = 0.04). A significant number of specimens in the PHN group failed prior to reaching 5000 cycles (p = 0.04). The LCP-PH implant created a significantly stiffer bone-implant construct than did the PHN implant (p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS
The LCP proximal humeral plate demonstrated superior biomechanical characteristics compared with the proximal humeral nail when tested cyclically in both cantilevered varus bending and torsion. The rate of early failure of the proximal humeral nail could reflect the high moment transmitted to the locking proximal screw-bone interface in this implant.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The high failure rate in torsion of the proximal humeral nail-bone construct is concerning, and, with relatively osteoporotic bone and early motion, the results could be poor.


In this paper, we propose algorithms that leverage a known community structure to make group testing more efficient. We consider a population organized in disjoint communities: each individual participates in a community, and its infection probability depends on the community (s)he participates in. Use cases include families, students who participate in several classes, and workers who share common spaces. Group testing reduces the number of tests needed to identify the infected individuals by pooling diagnostic samples and testing them together. We show that if we design the testing strategy taking into account the community structure, we can significantly reduce the number of tests needed for adaptive and non-adaptive group testing, and can improve the reliability in cases where tests are noisy.


In various machining processes, the vibration signals are studied for tool condition monitoring often referred as wear monitoring. It is essential to overcome unpredicted machining trouble and to improvise the efficiency of the machine. Tool wear is a vital problem in materials such as nickel based alloys as they have high hardness ranges. Though they have high hardness, a nickel based alloy Inconel 718 with varying HRC (51, 53, and 55), is opted as work material for hard turning process in this work. Uncoated and coated carbide tools are employed as cutting tools. Taguchi's L9 orthogonal array is considered by taking hardness, speed, feed and depth of cut as four input parameters, the number of experiments and the combinations of parameters for every run is obtained. The vibration signals are recorded at various stages of cutting, till the tool failure is observed. Taking this vibration signal data as input to ANOVA and Grey relation analysis (GRA) which categorizes the optimal and utmost dominant features such as Root Mean Square (RMS), Crest Factor (CF), Skewness (Sk), Kurtosis (Ku), Absolute Deviation (AD), Mean, Standard Deviation (SD), Variance, peak, Frequency and Time in the tool wear process


We present high-speed implementations of the post-quantum supersingular isogeny Diffie-Hellman key exchange (SIDH) and the supersingular isogeny key encapsulation (SIKE) protocols for 32-bit ARMv7-A processors with NEON support. The high performance of our implementations is mainly due to carefully optimized multiprecision and modular arithmetic that finely integrates both ARM and NEON instructions in order to reduce the number of pipeline stalls and memory accesses, and a new Montgomery reduction technique that combines the use of the UMAAL instruction with a variant of the hybrid-scanning approach. In addition, we present efficient implementations of SIDH and SIKE for 64-bit ARMv8-A processors, based on a high-speed Montgomery multiplication that leverages the power of 64-bit instructions. Our experimental results consolidate the practicality of supersingular isogeny-based protocols for many real-world applications. For example, a full key-exchange execution of SIDHp503 is performed in about 176 million cycles on an ARM Cortex-A15 from the ARMv7-A family (i.e., 88 milliseconds @2.0GHz). On an ARM Cortex-A72 from the ARMv8-A family, the same operation can be carried out in about 90 million cycles (i.e., 45 milliseconds @1.992GHz). All our software is protected against timing and cache attacks. The techniques for modular multiplication presented in this work have broad applications to other cryptographic schemes.


An eye-safe all-fiber Coherent Doppler Lidar for wind sensing system has been developed and tested at the Remote Sensing Laboratory of the City College of New York, New York, NY. The system, which operates at a 20 kHz pulse repetition rate and acquires lidar return signals at 400 MSample/s, accumulates signals that are as much as 20 dB lower than the receiver noise power by using embedded programming techniques. Two FPGA embedded programming algorithms are designed and compared. In the first algorithm, power spectra of return signals are calculated and accumulated for different range gates. Line of sight wind speed estimates can then be calculated after transferring the range gated accumulated power spectra to a host computer. In the second FPGA algorithm, a digital IQ demodulator and down sampler allow an autocorrelation matrix representing a pre-selected number of lags to be accumulated. Precision in the velocity measurements is estimated to be on the order of 0.08 m/s and the precision in the measured horizontal wind direction is estimated to be to be about 2°.


Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) vocalizing behaviour varies over its range, both in call type and frequency. This study adds to the growing body of passive acoustic research outside of the calving/breeding lagoons, and moves toward a description of calling behaviours throughout the whales' range. Data are presented here from acoustic surveys for two northward and one southward migration. We found gray whales to be highly sonorous, with extensive calling during the study periods of February to May for northward migrations and September to the end of January for southward travel. Low frequency moans were the most prevalent call type, with others, including knocks, up- and down sweeps, and rumbles, recorded in varying numbers. We hypothesize that calling is an aid for navigation and orientation of the herd along the migration route, in addition to holding more social functions usually assigned to baleen whale calling.


ABSTRACT Dyslexia is a common specific learning difficulty. In higher education two models of disability are prevalent, 'disorder' and 'difference', which each differentially conceptualise dyslexia and the nature of supports required. A lack of research has been undertaken in Ireland regarding students' experience of dyslexia, and the move from second to third level education. A greater understanding of the challenges encountered is necessary to inform provision of resources to help students with dyslexia excel in higher education. Semi-structured interviews were completed with four undergraduate students and one postgraduate student with a diagnosis of dyslexia to explore their experiences of transitioning into university. Thematic analysis revealed four common themes: dyslexic identity, self-advocacy, transition experiences, and future advice. Various difficulties were identified regarding lack of appropriate academic resources, inconsistencies between supports provided in secondary and third level education, and low self-confidence which serves as a barrier to success. However, strengths including self-directed learning techniques and communication and self-advocacy skills were also evidenced, supporting a 'difference' view of dyslexia. The findings highlight the need to re-evaluate the current academic service provisions, in alignment with a model of dyslexia that allows individualisation and enables students, as opposed to disabling them.


Cocoa plays a dominant role in the economy of Ghana and as a result is usually referred to as the backbone of the economy. It accounts for over two-thirds of the country's exports and is the most important source of her foreign exchange. With a population of seven million, Ghana is the world's largest single cocoa producer supplying about one-third of total world output. The crop contributes a bulk of the value of her agricultural exports and the economic prosperity of the whole nation is directly geared to the level of cocoa prices. -- Ghana provides an example of an underdeveloped country which is exclusively dependent on one primary export commodity. Although she has made tremendous economic progress (relative to other countries in West Africa) since independence in 1957, like all less developed countries she is still clamouring for more. But the post-war period has brought large increases in cocoa production not only in Ghana but in other producing countries as well. In spite of the fact that world consumption has increased, stocks have accumulated and the current price level is low. -- The main objectives of this research are: (1) to analyse the overall impact of cocoa in Ghana from 1900 to 1963; (2) to test the applicability of certain hypotheses such as that there is very little relationship between cocoa production in Ghana and the prices received by producers; that cocoa exports are closely related to production; that prices in the world market affect the demand for cocoa; (3) to analyse the problems that this single-commodity economy has to contend with and (4) to suggest methods by which these problems could be overcome. -- Chapter I is rather unique in the thesis. It deals with some of the theoretical views that have been expressed since the classical economists on the relationship between export trade and economic development. The purpose of that chapter is to lay a foundation for the practical analysis in the succeeding chapters of cocoa - an agricultural export commodity - on the economic development of a country. Chapter II deals with the historical analysis from 1900 to 1963. The next chapter is the core of the whole text; various contributions of cocoa - loans, grants, education, investment, employment, government revenue - are sketched. Chapter IV deals with the problems from the international and national aspects. Finally, Chapter V attempts to solve these problems from three angles - the international, regional and national levels. -- The writer has drawn from the works of others but most of the analyses are original. Data was mainly obtained from United Nations publications, Reports and other publications of the Ghana Cocoa Marketing Board, Cocoa Statistics by Bill and Dufus Limited of London, Africa Digest and Statistical Reports from the United States Foreign Agricultural Service. But being so far away from Ghana, the extent to which information could be obtained from the government concerned has been small. This has strongly inhibited the use of more statistical tables and figures especially in Chapter III. However, this setback was partially overcome by concentrating on those years for which data is available.


Extracted from text ... IMIESA MARCH 2006 - 11
A raft of large-scale water projects across the continent, some
in the planning stage and others already in implementation, is
set to have a major impact on poverty reduction and improving
living conditions in Africa. The projects will provide contractors,
engineering consultants and suppliers of goods and equipment with
substantial supply opportunities. Investment in the water supply and
sanitation sector is recognised as an imperative for Africa if it is to
come anywhere close to achieving one of the key United Nations Millennium
Development Goals of reducing by half the number of people
without ..


Background: Regular IEC programs during antenatal and intranatal period, through individual or group approach, brings desirable changes in health practices of people, resulting in a healthy mother and a healthy baby. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted to assess the level of IEC services regarding pregnancy and child care, received by the women at an MCH clinic of an urban health center, where the study subjects comprised 400 antenatal (AN) and postnatal (PN) women and mothers of children under five years. Results: Warning signs of danger was explained to only 10% of the AN and PN women. Advice regarding family planning appeared to be the most frequently covered, though that too was explained to less than half of the subjects. About one third of the women were advised on breast feeding. Only 8% of the mothers had been told about all issues regarding pregnancy and child care. Breast feeding and weaning was properly explained to 85.7 and 81.1% of the total mothers of U5 children. Advice regarding subsequent nutrition was given to 60.9% of mothers. About only a quarter of the total mothers were advised on home management of diarrhea and acute respiratory infections. Very few mothers were counseled about the growth pattern of the children and none were shown the growth chart. Only 12.9% of the mothers were informed about all issues. Conclusion: IEC regarding maternal and child care other than feeding practices is a neglected service in the health facility where the study was conducted.


Background Non-technical skills, such as task management, leadership, situational awareness, communication and decision-making refer to cognitive, behavioural and social skills that contribute to safe and efficient team performance. The importance of these skills during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is increasingly emphasised. Nonetheless, the relationship between non-technical skills and technical performance is poorly understood. We hypothesise that non-technical skills become increasingly important under stressful conditions when individuals are distracted from their tasks, and investigated the relationship between non-technical and technical skills under control conditions and when external stressors are present. Methods In this simulator-based randomised cross-over study, 30 anaesthesiologists and anaesthesia residents from the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, participated in two different CPR scenarios in random order. In one scenario, external stressors (radio noise and a distractive scripted family member) were added, while the other scenario without stressors served as control condition. Non-technical performance of the team leader and technical performance of the team were measured using the 'Anaesthetists' Non-technical Skill' score and a recently developed technical skills score. Analysis of variance and Pearson correlation coefficients were used for statistical analyses. Results Non-technical performance declined when external stressors were present (adjusted mean difference 3.9 points, 95% CI 2.4 to 5.5 points). A significant correlation between non-technical and technical performance scores was observed when external stressors were present (r=0.67, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.83, p<0.001), while no evidence for such a relationship was observed under control conditions (r=0.15, 95% CI −0.22 to 0.49, p=0.42). This was equally true for all individual domains of the non-technical performance score (task management, team working, situation awareness, decision-making). Conclusions During CPR with external stressors, the team's technical performance is related to the non-technical skills of the team leader. This may have important implications for training of CPR teams.


This paper considers the problem of synthesizing correct-by-construction robotic controllers in environments with uncertain but fixed structure. "Environment" has two notions in this work: a map or "world" in which some controlled agent must operate and navigate (i.e., evolve in a configuration space with obstacles); and an adversarial player that selects continuous and discrete variables to try to make the agent fail (as in a game). Both the robot and the environment are subjected to behavioral specifications expressed as an assume-guarantee linear temporal logic (LTL) formula. We then consider how to efficiently modify the synthesized controller when the robot encounters unexpected changes in its environment. The crucial insight is that a portion of this problem takes place in a metric space, which provides a notion of nearness. Thus if a nominal plan fails, we need not resynthesize it entirely, but instead can "patch" it locally. We present an algorithm for doing this, prove soundness (correctness of output), and demonstrate it on an example gridworld.


This book grew out of three intensive workshops and a great deal of collective brainstorming. The hard work has been worthwhile. As edited compilations go, this is a valuable collection that provides a number of insights into the occupation by the US of the Philippines from the beginning of the twentieth century and of Japan after the Pacific War. The project as a whole bears out the value of a collective enterprise that is planned and executed carefully and with a commonality of purpose. Many of the ideas that emerge from the shared focus are illuminating.


The phreatic aquifer of Bekalta experienced a progressive degradation of
water resources over time: using increasingly important waters for irrigation
and drinking water, nitrate pollution, salinization... This aquifer is of great
economic importance because it is used for irrigation and domestic consumption.
Vulnerability map to nitrate pollution is a necessary tool to developing
management to preserve the quality of groundwater. This study utilized the Geographic Information
System technique and the DRASTIC model to assess the vulnerability of
groundwater resources to contamination. The Geographic Information System (GIS)
technology represents the best method to solve the main problems in the vulnerability
survey. Indeed is allowed for swift organisation, quantification, and
interpretation of large volumes of hydrological data with computer accuracy and
minimal risk of human errors. The Visio model was exported and loaded into an ESRI Geodatabase in
ArcCatalog as defined by the UML model. The purpose of this geodatabase is data
harmonization process within modeling groundwater vulnerability to pollution. The
resulting map shows evidence for three categories of vulnerability (low, middle
and high). The
resultant vulnerability map showed the predominant of moderately vulnerability
class on the most of the Bekalta region which occupying an area of 68%. The low
and high groundwater vulnerability classes occupy respectively an area of 30%
and 2% of the total surface of the study area.


Construction of the 101,000-hectare initial stage Garrison Diversion Unit was authorized in August 1965 as a feature of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program for irrigation and other purposes. Construction on the project started in 1967. The technical aspects of the project and its impact on Canadian waters were evaluated by the International Joint Commission in 1976 and the environmental and economic issues associated with the project were evaluated in the 1977 Water Projects Review. As a result of the review and legal actions, the Department of the Interior proposed modifications and reauthorization of the project in 1979. The Garrison Diversion Unit Commission was established in 1984 to review the contemporary water needs of North Dakota and propose modifications to the unit. The Commission recommended a 53,000-hectare irrigation project and a much expanded municipal and industrial water development program. A reauthorization proposal consistent with the Commission recommendations is pending in the Congress.


The Open University (OU) is Europe's largest higher education provider and one of a handful of mega-universities across the world. As a distance education university that is currently undergoing a process of increasing migration from paper to online, the OU requires exceptionally feature-rich, robust, and scalable e-learning systems. After extensive scoping and requirements-gathering activities, it was decided that adopting and enhancing an open source system to form the heart of the university's learning management system (LMS) would be the most successful strategy. While this made it possible to host the first course websites within months, building the full system required a large amount of development. During a three-year, $10 million program of work, almost all code developed has been given back to the open source community in order to further enhance and boost the sustainability of the product. Adoption of the new instructional platforms and media is being accompanied by changes to work practices for staff and faculty who are accustomed to developing learning materials and tutoring using traditional methods. This research bulletin examines the factors leading to the selection of the open source LMS at the OU, details the many aspects of development work that had to be undertaken, and describes the issues involved for institutions participating in an open source community. It also looks at some of the many business and cultural challenges the institution has faced and at how faculty are being encouraged to move toward a model of education incorporating increasing amounts of e-learning content and activity.


The benefit of exploiting label dependence in multi-label classification is known to be closely dependent on the type of loss to be minimized. In this paper, we show that the subsets of labels that appear as irreducible factors in the factorization of the conditional distribution of the label set given the input features play a pivotal role for multi-label classification in the context of 0/1 loss minimization, as they divide the learning task into simpler independent multi-class problems. We establish theoretical results to characterize and identify these irreducible label factors for any given probability distribution satisfying the Composition property. The analysis lays the foundation for generic multi-label classification and optimal feature subset selection procedures under this subclass of distributions. Our conclusions are supported by carefully designed experiments on synthetic and benchmark data.


Activation of Toll-like receptor 2 by the products of lipid oxidation promotes angiogenesis independently of vascular endothelial growth factor. The link between inflammation and angiogenesis is well established; inflammatory cells produce factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), that promote neovascularization, and new endothelial cells can recruit inflammatory cells, which promote inflammation. Noting that less is known about how inflammation-induced oxidation products might modulate angiogenesis, West et al. investigated the effects of naturally occurring oxidation products of lipids, including ω-(2-carboxyethyl)pyrrole (CEP) and other pyrroles, on blood vessel growth and wound healing. The concentration of CEP was increased in mice early during wound healing and decreased when the wound was healed. In contrast, concentrations of CEP remained increased in highly vascularized tumors in human and mouse melanoma. CEP had pro-angiogenic effects on cultured mouse and human endothelial cells (ECs), which did not involve phosphorylation (and activation) of the VEGF receptor. Inhibitors of VEGF signaling had no effect on CEP-induced vascularization in a wound-healing assay. Stimulation of EC angiogenesis by CEP and other pyrroles was also not affected by deletion of scavenger receptors, which can bind and internalize lipid products. Instead, deletion of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), but not TLR4, prevented CEP-induced vascularization of ECs. Pam3CSK4, a ligand for TLR2, stimulated angiogenesis from aortic rings of TLR2+/+, but not TLR2–/–, mice. Inhibition of VEGF signaling in the context of TLR2 deletion had an additive effect on the inhibition of wound healing in mice. Administration of CEP to mice with ischemic injury promoted revascularization compared with that in untreated mice, whereas CEP had no effect on wound healing in TLR2–/– mice. In addition, antibodies against CEP led to diminished wound healing in injured mice. Together, these data suggest that TLR2 can sense and respond to endogenous products of lipid oxidation to promote angiogenesis in the context of inflammation. X. Z. West, N. L. Malinin, A. A. Merkulova, M. Tischenko, B. A. Kerr, E. C. Borden, E. A. Podrez, R. G. Salomon, T. V. Byzova, Oxidative stress induces angiogenesis by activating TLR2 with novel endogenous ligands. Nature 467, 972–976 (2010). [PubMed]


In the post–communist transitional era, Hungarian elections show diverse results among various areas, raising the question if there are firmly embedded differences between some parts of the country. In the light of the election returns between 1985–2006, it appears that there is a more or less definite pattern. This study will examine the 2006 legislative returns and compare the results with the previous trends and especially the 2002 data, testing the validity of the findings indicating the presence of some fairly constant regional standards of voting. As a main indicator of past trends we use mostly the territorial (party) lists which provide more accurate picture of voting preferences that individual districts which in runoffs carry an indirect distortion of voters' primary preferences by other considerations.2 For a deeper analysis of the recent 2002 and 2006 elections, we will compare the first run individual district voting outcomes, as they give the more accurate picture of the voters' real preferences.


The paintings of contemporary Thai artist Pichai Nirand (b.1936) are a vivid exploration of the interplay between Thailand's Buddhist roots and its modern aspirations and struggles. From the early application of the ideas of one of his mentors, Sipla Bhirasri (the Italian sculptor Corrado Feroci), to his thought-provoking and beautiful considerations of the role of Buddhism in modern Thai society, Pichai Nirand's history is one of an artist engaging with the world and belief system around him. This book presents a colorful journey through almost half a century of Pichai's artistic output and contributes to the growing appreciation of contemporary artists in Thai society. Accompanying the thirty-seven full-color paintings is incisive examination of the Thai moral and social themes of Pichai's paintings in terms of the Buddhist cycle of life - a concept that appears throughout his work. Philip Constable's sensitive analysis of the social, political, economic and moral dimensions affecting the artist and his oeuvre, coupled with careful reference to other contemporary Thai artists and their work, illuminate the deep meaning and expression behind each painting. The artwork and insights of this book showcase creativity and development of a celebrated Thai artist who has spent a lifetime providing a Thai Buddhist perspective on the dilemmas and contradictions of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.


Semi-insulating gallium arsenide substrates are widely used for microwave discrete devices and integrated circuits. However, the performance of the above devices may be significantly affected by the substrate quality, i.e. crystal defects and related deep levels. Consequently, a careful characterization of substrates is mandatory to improve both device performance and production yields. In this work we have investigated gallium arsenide substrates from different suppliers and/or differently processed. To these substrates we have applied, discussed and compared different methodologies (current-voltage and capacitance-voltage characteristics as well as spectroscopic methods) to characterize the many deep levels which are either present in as-received semi-insulating substrates or induced by device processing such as ion implantation and the subsequent thermal annealing.


Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is a condition that affects more than half of all children. It is often difficult to diagnose, because the line between physiological and pathological GORD is very thin indeed. The signs and symptoms should be assessed according to the relevant age, and in younger children, it may be more difficult to diagnose, due to a lack of effective communication. Diagnosis relies on an accurate history provided by the parents or caregivers. Invasive diagnostic procedures, such as pH probe-testing, may be carried out to confirm the diagnosis. Initial management consists of dietary modifications, especially in physiological GORD, and as supplemental therapy, in pathological GORD. Pharmacological treatment consists mostly of H 2 -receptor blockers, proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and pro-kinetic agents, although preference is given to the PPIs, due to their healing effects in erosive oesophagitis. © Medpharm


Today, hotspots are a major source of failure for photovoltaic modules in the field. Modules based on half-cut solar cells are an attractive pathway to reduce cell-to-module losses and are projected to have a 40% market share by 2028. However, the current standard for module testing IEC 61215-2 can leave critical hotspots undetected in such a module configuration. In this paper, the hotspot effect of half-cell modules using parallel connected cell substrings is studied in comparison with conventional full-cell modules. Significant hotspots are induced in both half- and full-cell modules, when suffering current mismatch, in this case induced by partial shading. When shaded by the same area, the hotspot temperature of the cell in a half-cell module is 19 °C lower than the full-cell module in this experimental work. Critically, multiple unshaded weak cells are found to dissipate heat when the parallel-connected substring is shaded. In an experimental situation with a total shading ratio of only 4%, we measure hotspots of over 90 °C—a situation that can occur in the field due to uncontrolled plant growth and bird droppings.


Here we present a basic study of agglomerate dispersion in polymer melts under ultrasonic field. For this study, we visualized dispersion behavior of the model agglomerate. An ultrasonic device featuring glass windows was developed and attached to a twin screw extruder. In this device, a horn vibrates longitudinally at a frequency of 19 kHz with amplitude of 7 ƒÊm, inducing a dynamic pressure field in the polymer melt. Titanium dioxide (Ti02, d = 220 nm) was used as a filler. Polystyrene (PS) and polycarbonate (PC) were used as the matrix polymers. Two types of model agglomerate were prepared : loose agglomerate and compressed agglomerate. The agglomerate were successfully destroyed and highly dispersed in the matrix polymers under the ultrasonic field. The agglomerate increased the diameter, repeating an intense "expansion-contraction" motion at the same frequency as the ultrasonic wave. It is presumed that the dynamic pressure field in polymer melts due to ultrasonic waves, causing intense motion and destroying the agglomerate structure within one second.


Audible Empire rethinks the processes and mechanisms of empire and shows how musical practice has been crucial to its spread around the globe. Music is a means of comprehending empire as an audible formation, and the contributors highlight how it has been circulated, consumed, and understood through imperial logics. These fifteen interdisciplinary essays cover large swaths of genre, time, politics, and geography, and include topics such as the affective relationship between jazz and cigarettes in interwar China; the sonic landscape of the U.S.– Mexico border; the critiques of post-9/11 U.S. empire by desi rappers; and the role of tonality in the colonization of Africa. Whether focusing on Argentine tango, theorizing anticolonialist sound, or examining the music industry of postapartheid South Africa, the contributors show how the audible has been a central component in the creation of imperialist notions of reason, modernity, and culture. In doing so, they allow us to hear how empire is both made and challenged.

Contributors: Kofi Agawu, Philip V. Bohlman. Michael Denning, Brent Hayes Edwards, Nan Enstad, Andrew Jones, Josh Kun, Morgan Luker, Jairo Moreno, Tejumola Olaniyan, Marc Perry, Ronald Radano, Nitasha Sharma, Micol Seigel, Gavin Steingo, Penny Von Eschen, Amanda Weidman.


Purpose
In 2017, the Journal of Knowledge Management (JKM) celebrates its 20th anniversary. This study aims to show an updated analysis of their publications to provide a general overview of the journal, focusing on a bibliometric analysis of its publications between 1997 and 2016.

Design/methodology/approach
The methodology involves two procedures: a performance analysis and a science mapping analysis of JKM. The performance analysis uses a series of bibliometric indicators such as h-index, productivity and citations. This analysis considers different dimensions, including papers, authors, universities and countries. VOSviewer software is used to carry out the mapping of science of JKM, which, based on the concurrence of key words and co-citation points of view, seeks to graphically analyze the structure of the references of this journal.

Findings
There is a positive evolution in the number of publications (although with certain oscillations), which shows a growing interest in publishing in JKM. The USA and the UK lead the publications in this journal, although at a regional level, Europe is the most productive. The low participation of emerging economies in JKM is also observed.

Practical implications
The paper will identify the leading trends in the journal in terms of papers, authors, institutions, countries, journals and keywords. This study is useful for obtaining a quick snapshot of what is happening in the journal.

Originality/value
From the historical record of JKM publications, this study presents an exclusive bibliometric analysis of its publications until 2016 and identifies its main trends.


Introduction: Immunology Department of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences is responsible for teaching immunology in all affiliated medical colleges in Hormozgan province. It has been proved that educational environment plays an important role in teaching and learning process. The purpose of this study was to explore students' views toward learning environment exists in immunology educational setting in International Medical Campus of Qeshm, paramedical and dental Schools .
Methods: In this cross-sectional study ,Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire was anonymously administered to all Medical, Dentistry and Medical Laboratory Science students who had enrolled in the practical and theoretical courses of immunology during the years 2012-2013. The collected data were analyzed using parametric tests in SPSS.
Results: There were significant differences between the DREEM mean scores of Medical (125.7±23.2), Medical Laboratory Science ( 136.1±13.5 )and Dentistry(132.4±15.3) students. Regarding DREEM questionnaire subscales, "students' perceptions of teachers " achieved highest and" students' perceptions of atmosphere" achieved lowest Score in all disciplines . In most of the subscales, Medical Laboratory Science students rated higher and students of International Medical Campus of Qeshm rated lower than others.
Conclusion: Students in all disciplines perceived educational environment of immunology setting as" good" . To enhance the learning environment to "very good" level, factors influencing educational climate especially in International Branch of Qeshm should be considered and improved.


Daylight penetration into a deep interior space can be achieved by using a light tube strategy. This research investigates how effective a room's ceiling cavity can be as a daylight transporting system. The design, therefore, tries to answer the question "What is the optimal geometry for a ceiling cavity and inlet aperture to bring deeper daylight penetration and achieve a higher illumination level, measured at the back of a room, than that achieved by a typical high window opening?" Corporate affiliate 3M assisted this project by providing a prismatic and highly specular surface to cover the underlying geometry of the ceiling cavity. A 16' deep room section with a high window opening on one side was constructed as a test cell. Inside, sensors were set up to allow light measurement at task level along the depth of the room. Light rays were deflected by the geometry of the ceiling cavity, through a number of internal reflections on the highly reflective film surface, to a diffuser at the back. The three most promising geometric designs from scaled model tests were selected, installed and tested for efficiency in the full-scale test cell.


The Linked Open Data (LOD) initiative is the first large-scale attempt at realizing the Semantic Web vision of Tim Berners-Lee. As of September 2011, there are almost 300 knowledge bases linked together and available for public access through both web browsers as well as semantic applications. However, the task of building the links between knowledge basesis still a laborious manual task and as the LOD cloud continues to grow rapidly,the task becomes more daunting. This paper looks at the AGROVOC thesaurus developed and maintained by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO), and how a framework can be developed to semiautomatically discover links between AGROVOC and other knowledge bases on the LOD.


ABSTRACT A hydrogen utilizing exoelectrogenic bacterium (Geobacter sulfurreducens) was compared to both a nonhydrogen oxidizer (Geobacter metallireducens) and a mixed consortium in order to compare the hydrogen production rates and hydrogen recoveries of pure and mixed cultures in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). At an applied voltage of 0.7 V, both G. sulfurreducens and the mixed culture generated similar current densities (ca. 160 A/m3), resulting in hydrogen production rates of ca. 1.9 m3 H2/m3/day, whereas G. metallireducens exhibited lower current densities and production rates of 110 ± 7 A/m3 and 1.3 ± 0.1 m3 H2/m3/day, respectively. Before methane was detected in the mixed-culture MEC, the mixed consortium achieved the highest overall energy recovery (relative to both electricity and substrate energy inputs) of 82% ± 8% compared to G. sulfurreducens (77% ± 2%) and G. metallireducens (78% ± 5%), due to the higher coulombic efficiency of the mixed consortium. At an applied voltage of 0.4 V, methane production increased in the mixed-culture MEC and, as a result, the hydrogen recovery decreased and the overall energy recovery dropped to 38% ± 16% compared to 80% ± 5% for G. sulfurreducens and 76% ± 0% for G. metallireducens. Internal hydrogen recycling was confirmed since the mixed culture generated a stable current density of 31 ± 0 A/m3 when fed hydrogen gas, whereas G. sulfurreducens exhibited a steady decrease in current production. Community analysis suggested that G. sulfurreducens was predominant in the mixed-culture MEC (72% of clones) despite its relative absence in the mixed-culture inoculum obtained from a microbial fuel cell reactor (2% of clones). These results demonstrate that Geobacter species are capable of obtaining similar hydrogen production rates and energy recoveries as mixed cultures in an MEC and that high coulombic efficiencies in mixed culture MECs can be attributed in part to the recycling of hydrogen into current.


Understanding interests expressed through user's search query is a task of critical importance for many internet applications. To help identify user interests, web engines commonly utilize classification of queries into one or more pre-defined interest categories. However, majority of the queries are noisy short texts, making accurate classification a challenging task. In this demonstration, we present queryCategorizr, a novel semi-supervised learning system that embeds queries into low-dimensional vector space using a neural language model applied on search log sessions, and classifies them into general interest categories while relying on a small set of labeled queries. Empirical results on large-scale data show that queryCategorizr outperforms the current state-of-the-art approaches. In addition, we describe a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows users to query the system and explore classification results in an interactive manner.


Children and adolescents are more vulnerable to the effects of traumatic experiences than adults and are thus at an increased risk of developing adverse psychological reactions to such events.
Adolescents experience a range of traumatic situations and employ a variety of coping strategies in their attempts to manage stress.
Health care providers can play a vital role in assisting adolescents to cope with traumatic situations by assessing how adolescents deal with stressful situations and by providing them and their parents with information about coping with trauma.
Be aware that adolescents, particularly older males, have a tendency to deny general thoughts, emotions, and behaviours and tend to underreport symptoms.
An adolescent who shows signs of re-experiencing the trauma, has nightmares or flashbacks, or shows signs of anxiety or hyperarousal, should be referred to a local mental health care professional urgently.
The main features of PTSD are painful reliving of the event, avoidance, emotional numbing, and hyperarousal.
Management of adolescents with PTSD should include education about the disorder and its treatment (pharmacological and psychotherapeutic) and providing assistance with acquiring additional support from local support groups and / or social services.
Controlled treatment research with traumatised children and adolescents has lagged behind other treatment research on child psychopathology.
Ideally, all traumatised adolescents should have access to primary health care facilities where their physical and psychological needs can be addressed in the early aftermath of a traumatic experience.


Time and spatial-gated Fourier spectra and imaging were measured and analyzed. A picosecond Kerr-Fourier gate was used to image objects by selecting the spatial frequencies of objects illuminated by a laser pulse passing through a thick turbid medium. The earlier arriving ballistic/snake light and most of the later scattered light were spatially filtered and temporally separated to form an image. The image contrast and the signal-to-noise ratio of hidden objects in turbid media were greatly improved with the addition of Fourier spatial filtering.


Building on the success of the SNAC (Supporting Nutrition Australian Childcare) community, a comprehensive online programme SNACPlus provided professional development (PD) and resources to embed nutrition curriculum and supportive food environments in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services. Process and impact evaluation were conducted to determine the effectiveness of this intervention programme. Participants were recruited from nine long-day-care (LDC) centres and the current SNAC membership list. Resource access was monitored using web analytics. Changes in nutrition knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and food environment were measured using baseline (comparator group, n=100) and post-intervention surveys (intervention group, n=80), contextualised through open-ended questions. The majority of comparator participants perceived nutritious food provision as important yet lacked confidence about estimating serve sizes. Adjusting for years of experience, the intervention significantly influenced educators' confidence about servings of grains (p=0.034), dairy (p=0.015), low fat meat (p=0.014) and food group servings estimation knowledge (p<0.001). Intervention participants accessed credible websites and health professionals for nutrition knowledge; reported SNACPlus positively influenced changes to food service and role-modelling; and knowledge, attitudes and behaviours improved at organisational and individual levels. SNACPlus provides online nutrition curriculum resources that positively impacted knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of ECEC staff and influenced systematic changes in food environments. Practice and policy implementation that includes all systems within the early years setting will help initiate and maintain healthy food environments.