The enormity of changes and development in the field of medical imaging technology is hard to fathom, as it does not just represent the technique and process of constructing visual representations of the body from inside for medical analysis and to reveal the internal structure of different organs under the skin, but also it provides a noninvasive way for diagnosis of various disease and suggest an efficient ways to treat them. While data surrounding all of our lives are stored and collected to be ready for analysis by data scientists, medical images are considered a rich source that could provide us with a huge amount of data, that could not be read easily by physicians and radiologists, with valuable information that could be used in smart ways to discover new knowledge from these vast quantities of data. Therefore, the design of computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) system, that can be approved for use in clinical practice that aid radiologists in diagnosis and detecting potential abnormalities, is of a great importance. This dissertation deals with the development of a CAD system for lung cancer diagnosis, which is the second most common cancer in men after prostate cancer and in women after breast cancer. Moreover, lung cancer is considered the leading cause of cancer death among both genders in USA. Recently, the number of lung cancer patients has increased dramatically worldwide and its early detection doubles a patient's chance of survival. Histological examination through biopsies is considered the gold standard for final diagnosis of pulmonary nodules. Even though resection of pulmonary nodules is the ideal and most reliable way for diagnosis, there is still a lot of different methods often used just to eliminate the risks associated with the surgical procedure. Lung nodules are approximately spherical regions of primarily high density tissue that are visible in computed tomography (CT) images of the lung. A pulmonary nodule is the first indication to start diagnosing lung cancer. Lung nodules can be benign (normal subjects) or malignant (cancerous subjects). Large (generally defined as greater than 2 cm in diameter) malignant nodules can be easily detected with traditional CT scanning techniques. However, the diagnostic options for small indeterminate nodules are limited due to problems associated with accessing small tumors. Therefore, additional diagnostic and imaging techniques which depends on the nodules' shape and appearance are needed. The ultimate goal of this dissertation is to develop a fast noninvasive diagnostic system that can enhance the accuracy measures of early lung cancer diagnosis based on the well-known hypotheses that malignant nodules have different shape and appearance than benign nodules, because of the high growth rate of the malignant nodules. The proposed methodologies introduces new shape and appearance features which can distinguish between benign and malignant nodules. To achieve this goal a CAD system is implemented and validated using different datasets. This CAD system uses two different types of features integrated together to be able to give a full description to the pulmonary nodule. These two types are appearance features and shape features. For the appearance features different texture appearance descriptors are developed, namely the 3D histogram of oriented gradient, 3D spherical sector isosurface histogram of oriented gradient, 3D adjusted local binary pattern, 3D resolved ambiguity local binary pattern, multi-view analytical local binary pattern, and Markov Gibbs random field. Each one of these descriptors gives a good description for the nodule texture and the level of its signal homogeneity which is a distinguishable feature between benign and malignant nodules. For the shape features multi-view peripheral sum curvature scale space, spherical harmonics expansions, and different group of fundamental geometric features are utilized to describe the nodule shape complexity. Finally, the fusion of different combinations of these features, which is based on two stages is introduced. The first stage generates a primary estimation for every descriptor. Followed by the second stage that consists of an autoencoder with a single layer augmented with a softmax classifier to provide us with the ultimate classification of the nodule. These different combinations of descriptors are combined into different frameworks that are evaluated using different datasets. The first dataset is the Lung Image Database Consortium which is a benchmark publicly available dataset for lung nodule detection and diagnosis. The second dataset is our local acquired computed tomography imaging data that has been collected from the University of Louisville hospital and the research protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Louisville (IRB number 10.0642). These frameworks accuracy was about 94%, which make the proposed frameworks demonstrate promise to be valuable tool for the detection of lung cancer.


In the Assistive Technology area and design for disability, users must be taken into account during the design process. Multidisciplinary design team is constituted and an adapted design methodology used. In this design case study, this team has to develop an electromechanical drumstick dedicated to percussion instruments. Objective is to allow Disabled Children to hit a drum using an automated drumstick. Authors proposed to used of available Rapid Prototyping (RP) Technologies all along the design process. Different RP technologies were manipulated by engineerins and engineering students to be able to validate progressively product functions and news ideas and designs. The results indicates that one RP technology can be chosen in correlation with a new iteration of the design methodology. The availability of RP technologies helps the multidisciplinary team to validate progressively the product according to requirements. This experiment contributes to the development of different prototypes over the years.


During the last decades the acreage of winter oilseed rape has been increased considerably in Europe. Rapeseed can take up a large amount of nitrogen before winter (>100 kg N/ha) and thus prevent nitrate leaching and pollution. Winter wheat is often grown subsequently, using oilseed rape as a favorable preceding crop. However, under wheat large nitrogen losses via leaching are frequently observed in humid climates during winter, mainly due to high amounts of soil mineral N available in fall and the small N uptake in fall of wheat as a subsequent crop. The low N offtake by the seeds results in a lower N-use efficiency and increases the N surpluses (>90 kg N/ha) compared with winter wheat (c. 40 kg N/ha). In addition, a large soil N pool increases the risk of N2O emission, with its impact on climate change. In our review we discuss several options to increase nitrogen-use efficiency in oilseed rape-based cropping systems ranging from optimizing N fertilization practices to options arising from adopted tillage practices and crop rotation. N application in fall normally increases dry matter accumulation and N uptake before winter. However, because of its limited yield effects in most situations, fall N supply also boosts N surpluses. N fertilization in spring exceeding the need of the crop for optimal seed yield increases the risk of N leaching and decreases the farmer's net revenue. Considering the amount of N taken up by the canopy before the first spring application improves the determination of the optimal spring N supply. Measuring canopy N in fall gave the best results. At the cropping system level, time and intensity of soil tillage after the harvest of oilseed rape has concurrent goals of controlling volunteer rape, and achieving a successful establishment of the following crop, but avoiding an increased N mineralization. Changing the crop rotation by growing catch crops which prevent N from leaching is very effective in reducing N losses from the system by >40%. However, the economic losses from growing a usually less profitable spring crop probably limit the acceptance by farmers. Despite the problems addressed above, looking at the whole cropping system, oilseed rape is indispensable because of its beneficial effects on yield levels and nitrogen-use efficiency of following cereals, especially wheat, because alternative crops are often not realistic alternatives.


We construct our conceptual world using metaphors. Yet sometimes our concepts are flawed and our metaphors do damage. This Article examines a set of metaphors currently doing damage in law – those for legal research. It shows that while technology has radically altered the material world of legal research, our dominant metaphors have remained static, and thus, become outmoded. Conceptualizing today's reality using old metaphors fails; it is like pouring new wine in old wineskins. To address this problem, this Article first surfaces unwarranted assumptions buried in the metaphors we use when talking about research and then proposes new metaphors to better serve theory and practice. It concludes by examining how this investigation into "finding law" implicates primary jurisprudential concepts of law.


Abstract On July 2010, archaeologists monitoring excavation at the World Trade Center site (WTC) in Lower Manhattan found the remains of a portion of a ship's hull. Because the date of construction and origin of the timbers were unknown, samples from different parts of the ship were taken for dendrochronological dating and provenancing. After developing a 280-year long floating chronology from 19 samples of the white oak group (Quercus section Leucobalanus), we used 21 oak chronologies from the eastern United States to evaluate absolute dating and provenance. Our results showed the highest agreement between the WTC ship chronology and two chronologies from Philadelphia (r  =  0.36; t  =  6.4; p < 0.001; n  =  280) and eastern Pennsylvania (r  =  0.35; t  =  6.3; p < 0.001; n  =  280). The last ring dates of the seven best-preserved samples suggest trees for the ship were felled in 1773 CE or soon after. Our analyses suggest that all the oak timbers used to build the ship most likely originated from the same location within the Philadelphia region, which supports the hypothesis independently drawn from idiosyncratic aspects of the vessel's construction, that the ship was the product of a small shipyard. Few late-18th Century ships have been found and there is little historical documentation of how vessels of this period were constructed. Therefore, the ship's construction date of 1773 is important in confirming that the hull encountered at the World Trade Center represents a rare and valuable piece of American shipbuilding history.


Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is common among individuals treated for cancer. Explorations of how this fear is expressed within an oncology setting and responded to are currently lacking. The aim was to investigate how head and neck cancer survivors in follow-up consultations express FCR, how a health care professional addresses recurrence fears, and examining how survivors experience this interaction. We recorded the follow-up consultations of those participants who have reported FCR as a concern on the Patient Concerns Inventory. We also conducted a follow-up phone interview with the participants. We analysed the transcripts using thematic analysis. Five men and six women were recruited, aged 55-87 (mean age = 64). Follow-up consultation analyses revealed that the consultant used 'normalising FCR,' 'reassurance,' and 'offer of referral to a counsellor'. Interviews revealed themes around how they coped with FCR, relevance of personal history on FCR, and the impact of feeling gratitude towards the consultant on expression of FCR. Analyses indicate that patients may feel reluctant to raise their FCR with their clinician for fear of appearing 'ungrateful' or of damaging a relationship that is held in high esteem. Findings indicate the initiation of FCR with patients can be beneficial for patient support.


The paper discusses the interactions of changes in income distribution and the accumulation dynamics in the post-Fordist accumulation regime in OECD countries, which is characterized by deregulated financial markets. The neoliberal mode of regulation came with a decisive shift in power relations at the expense of labor, which is clearly reflected in the fall of wage shares across OECD economies. The notion of a "finance-dominated" accumulation regime is proposed to highlight that financial developments crucially shape the pattern and the pace of accumulation. Financial globalization has relaxed balance of payment constraints and thereby allowed the build up of big international imbalances. The combination of real wage moderation and financial liberalization has led to different strategies (or at least outcomes) in different countries. While some countries (like the USA) exhibit a credit-fuelled consumption-driven growth model that comes with large current account deficits, others (like Germany and Japan) show an export-driven growth model with modest consumption growth and large current account surpluses. Overall the finance-dominated accumulation regime is characterized by a mediocre growth performance and by a high degree of fragility.


An adaptive distributed noise reduction algorithm for speech enhancement is considered, which operates in a wireless acoustic sensor network where each node collects multiple microphone signals. In previous work, it was shown theoretically that for a stationary scenario, the algorithm provides the same signal estimators as the centralized multi-channel Wiener filter, while significantly compressing the data that is transmitted between the nodes. Here, we present simulation results of a fully adaptive implementation of the algorithm, in a nonstationary acoustic scenario with a moving speaker and two babble noise sources. The algorithm is implemented using a weighted overlap-add technique to reduce the overall input-output delay. It is demonstrated that good results can be obtained by estimating the required signal statistics with a long-term forgetting factor without downdating, even though the signal statistics change along with the iterative filter updates. It is also demonstrated that simultaneous node updating provides a significantly smoother and faster tracking performance compared to sequential node updating.


Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and
multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii are known to cause
delayed healing of infections in both acute and chronic wounds. Plants
are a natural source of novel antimicrobials and many new drugs are
derived from plants, as plants contain phytochemicals that have
antimicrobial activity. Sri Lanka is a tropical country with a wide
variety of plant species, many of which were identified as possessing
medicinal qualities and have been used by traditional medicinal
practitioners in the treatment of various diseases and ailments.
Dressings made of Rhipsalis baccifera and Drymoglossum
piloselloides have been used to treat wounds by Sri Lankan traditional
medicine practitioners. This study determined the antibacterial activity
of aqueous and methanol extracts of R. baccifera and D. piloselloides
against MRSA and Multidrug-resistant A. baumanii. Aqueous and
methanolic extractions of both plants were done by maceration. Their
antibacterial properties were checked against MRSA and A. baumanii
by the well diffusion method. The effectiveness of the extract was
further tested against factors like temperature and storage time.
R. baccifera (aqueous extract) exhibited antimicrobial properties
against MRSA but no activity against A. baumanii. The antibiotic
activity against MRSA was increased after two months of storage at
4°C. D. piloselloides exhibited no antibiotic activity against both
MRSA and A. baumanii. The methanolic extracts did not demonstrate
any antibacterial activity.


In this study, we evaluated the potential role for a specific melanoma-associated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan core protein, termed NG2, to collaborate with alpha 4 beta 1 integrin in focal contact formation in human melanoma cells. Although melanoma cells adhered to substrata coated with either the alpha 4 beta 1 integrin binding fibronectin synthetic peptide CS1-OVA or anti-NG2 mAbs, no spreading or focal contact formation was observed on either substratum. However, melanoma cells spread and formed focal contacts on "chimeric substrata" coated with CS1-OVA and the anti-NG2 mAb, 9.2.27, indicating that engaging both adhesion receptors changes the adhesion phenotype of melanoma cells by reorganizing the cytoskeleton. The collaboration between the two receptors is specific to fibronectin, since cells adherent on substrata coated with low concentrations of either laminin and 9.2.27 or type IV collagen and 9.2.27 failed to spread, while cells adherent on low concentrations of fibronectin and 9.2.27 exhibited a fully spread morphology. Two selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors, genistein and herbimycin A, totally inhibited cell spreading on the substrata coated with CS1-OVA and 9.2.27, indicating that tyrosine kinase(s) is important for cell spreading and focal contact formation. When cells were cultured on substrata coated with CS1-OVA and 9.2.27, two proteins (M(r) 130,000 and 120,000) were tyrosine phosphorylated in a genistein- and herbimycin A-sensitive fashion. These proteins were not immunologically related to pp125FAK or alpha 4 beta 1 integrin. Importantly, when melanoma cells were cultured on substrata coated with CS1 and then stimulated with 9.2.27-conjugated microsphere beads, formation of focal contacts and stress fibers was also observed, indicating that NG2 can collaborate with alpha 4 beta 1 integrin when each receptor is engaged on distinct and separate substrata. These results demonstrate that NG2 acts as a coreceptor for spreading and focal contact formation in association with alpha 4 beta 1 integrin in melanoma cells and suggest a model in which the NG2 core protein communicates to alpha 4 beta 1 integrin by an inside-out signaling mechanism.


Conflict classification has and will continue to be one of the most complex issues arising from the intersection of national security policy and international law. From the inception of what the United States coined the "Global War on Terror," experts have been debating the meaning of the term armed conflict, both international and non-international. The proliferation of remotely piloted warfare has only exacerbated the uncertainty associated with the meaning of these terms. In response, the concept of self-defense targeting emerged as an ostensible alternative to determining if and when a national use of armed force qualified as an armed conflict. In essence, this theory averts the need to engage in jus in bello classification of counterterror military operations by relying on the overarching jus ad bellum legal justification for these operations. Self-defense targeting, or what Professor Kenneth Anderson has called "naked self-defense," is offered as the U.S. legal framework for employing combat power to destroy or disrupt the capabilities of transnational terrorist operatives. This essay will question the validity of substituting jus ad bellum principles for those of the jus in bello, and why this substitution is a false solution to this extremely complex conflict classification dilemma. The recent attack on Osama Bin Laden's compound in Pakistan has exposed in stark relief the importance of defining the legal framework applicable to the use of military force as a counter-terrorism tool. The initial focus of the public debate generated by the attack was the legality of the U.S. invocation of the inherent right of self-defense to launch a non-consensual operation within the sovereign territory of Pakistan. However, that focus soon shifted to another critical legal question: even assuming legality as an exercise of national self-defense, what law regulated the execution of the operation? By virtue of his role as the leader of al Qaeda, was Bin Laden a lawful military objective within the meaning of the law of armed conflict, and thereby subject to attack with deadly force as a measure of first resort? Or was he merely an international criminal, subject to a much more limited law enforcement use of force authority? The duality of the jus belli issues implicated by the attack generated a two prong legal critique: first, did the mission violate the international legal prohibition against use of force (jus ad bellum)? Second, did the mission trigger the law of armed conflict, or was the amount of force employed during the mission resulting in Bin Laden's death excessive to that which was necessary to apprehend him? The self-defense targeting theory may be a tempting approach to resolving these questions, but ultimately distorts the effective regulation of combat operations.


BACKGROUND
CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes have been recently divided based on their cytokine expression profile.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the percentages of CD8+ lymphocytes and their effector subsets including Tc1, Tc2 and Tc17 in the tumor draining lymph nodes (TDLNs) of patients with breast cancer.

METHODS
Single cell suspensions were obtained from TDLNs of 42 patients with breast cancer. Staining of the cell surface markers and intracellular cytokines was performed using appropriate fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies. The data was acquired on a four-color flow cytometer and was analyzed by CellQuestPro software package. The percentages of different CD8+ cell subtypes (Tc1, Tc2 and Tc17) were quantified in CD8+ T lymphocytes. The comparison was made between LN+ versus LN- patients, as well as patients in different clinico-pathological status.

RESULTS
The percentage of Tc1, Tc2 and Tc17 subsets were not significantly different between LN+ and LN- patients. Despite no difference in the percentages of Tc1 cells in LN+ patients with infiltrative ductal carcinoma (IDC), the mean expression of IFN-γ by Tc1 cells decreased significantly in comparison to LN- patients. On the other hand, the percentages of Tc2 and Tc17 effector subsets were increased in advanced stages (p=0.018 and p=0.009, respectively).

CONCLUSION
As the first study to investigate various effector subtypes of CD8+ lymphocytes in TDLNs of patients with breast cancer, our data collectively suggests a positive association between IL-17- and IL-4-producing CD8+ T cell percentages (Tc2 and Tc17) in TDLNs with breast cancer progression. Although the number of Tc1 cells seems not to be affected by cancer progression, down-regulation of IFN-γ by these cells seems to be associated with tumor metastasis to TDLNs. These findings may have implications in cancer immunotherapy based on CD8+ effector subsets.


Site selection is a critical issue for wind energy projects, with particular limitations in cases of isolated islands. This paper develops an integrated framework to evaluate land suitability for wind turbine siting that combines multi-criteria analysis (MCA) with geographical information systems (GIS); an application of the proposed framework for the island of Lesvos, Greece is further illustrated. A set of environmental, economic, social, and technical constraints, based on recent Greek legislation, is used to limit the potential sites for wind power installation. The remaining area is evaluated by a variety of factors, such as wind power potential, land use, electricity demand, visual impact, land value, and distance to electricity grid. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method is applied to estimate the factors' weights in order to establish their relative importance in site evaluation. The overall suitability of the study region for wind turbine siting is appraised through the use of the simple additive weighting (SAW) method. A collateral scope of this study is the consideration of the most updated Greek legislation for renewable energy facilities siting, in order to investigate the influence of specific factors on site suitability. Results showed that only 1.3% of the total area of Lesvos could be viable for wind turbine installation, although favourable wind potential exists in bigger parts of the island.


Abstract Persons with disabilities have a right to be included in international development, yet persons with disabilities in the Global South are overwhelmingly excluded from development-related activities. While many states have developed disability inclusive policies for official foreign aid, many private international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have failed to do so. In response to this gap, the Disability Inclusive Development Initiative at the University of Washington began an ongoing research study of small and medium-sized international NGOs. Thus far, surveys collected and depth interviews have revealed four major barriers to inclusion on the part of mainstream development NGOs: 1.) lack of awareness, 2.) belief that persons with disabilities constitute a separate focus area, 3.) assumption that the costs of inclusion are too high, and 4.) believing that others, such as governments or families, are responsible for ensuring access and accommodations, rather than the NGO itself.


Closely following the text of Hugo Grotius' De antiquitate, Simon van Groenewegen argues in his Tractatus de legibus abrogatis that D. 1,3,31 (lex princeps legibus solutus) had been abrogated in Holland in the seventeenth century. More than that, D. 1,3,31 had never been in force and the counts of Holland had never been exempted from its laws. When King Philip II ignored those laws, the States General declared that he had ipso jure forfeited his right to govern and expelled him.


This study is focused on the analysis of spatial price transmission and market integration of Kosovo agricultural markets with world and EU markets. The paper employs asymmetric error correction model to quantify the extent, speed and nature of price adjustment for the long-run relationship between Kosovo, world and EU agricultural commodity prices. Monthly price data for key cereals (wheat, maize, barley) and beef meat covering the period 2004-2016 are used. Main findings of the study suggest that Kosovo is vulnerable to price transmitting signals from world and EU markets. Empirical results reveal evidence of asymmetry between Kosovo and world prices and signify stronger long-run relationship with the EU prices. Kosovo agricultural markets reacts to positive and negative price deviations, while world and EU prices do not respond on Kosovo price shocks. Kosovo as a price taker and as a country heavily reliant on agricultural and food imports has limited policy instruments to mitigate transmission of global price vulnerability. Under the current liberal trade regime with the regional and EU countries, any trade restrictive actions would have harming welfare effects on domestic consumers. Findings of this study contribute to agricultural and trade policymakers dealing with food prices and food security.


Overtaking on rural roads may cause severe accidents when oncoming traffic is detected by a driver too late, or its speed is underestimated. Recently proposed cooperative overtaking assistance systems are based on real-time video transmission, where a video stream captured with a camera installed at the windshield of a vehicle is compressed, broadcast through the wireless channel, and displayed to the drivers of vehicles driving behind. In such a system, it is of ultimate importance to deliver video information about the opposite lane with low end-to-end latency and good visual quality. In this paper, we propose reallocating the wireless channel resources in favor of the part of the captured video frame containing the image of the oncoming vehicle. To achieve this goal, we apply automotive radar for oncoming vehicle detection, and we use the image of this vehicle as a region-of-interest (ROI) for the video rate control. We present the theoretical framework, which describes the basics of such an approach and can serve as a useful guideline for the future practical implementation of the overtaking assistance systems. The benefits of our proposal are demonstrated in relation to the practical scenario of H.264/Advance Video Coding (AVC), IEEE 802.11p/Wireless Access for Vehicular Environments (WAVE) intervehicle communication standards, and currently used automotive radars.


Abstract. The characterisation of errors and uncertainties in numerical
weather prediction (NWP) model fields is a major challenge that is addressed
as part of the Horizon 2020 Gap Analysis for Integrated Atmospheric ECV
CLImate Monitoring (GAIA-CLIM) project. In that regard, observations from the
GCOS (Global Climate Observing System) Reference Upper-Air Network (GRUAN)
radiosondes are being used at the Met Office and European Centre for
Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) to assess errors and uncertainties
associated with model data. The software introduced in this study and referred to as the GRUAN processor
has been developed to collocate GRUAN radiosonde profiles and NWP model
fields, simulate top-of-atmosphere brightness temperature at frequencies
used by space-borne instruments, and propagate GRUAN uncertainties in that
simulation. A mathematical framework used to estimate and assess the
uncertainty budget of the comparison of simulated brightness temperature is
also proposed. A total of 1 year of GRUAN radiosondes and matching NWP fields from the Met Office and
ECMWF have been processed and analysed for the purposes of demonstration of
capability. We present preliminary results confirming the presence of known
biases in the temperature and humidity profiles of both NWP centres. The
night-time difference between GRUAN and Met Office (ECMWF) simulated
brightness temperature at microwave frequencies predominantly sensitive to
temperature is on average smaller than 0.1 K (0.4 K). Similarly, this
difference is on average smaller than 0.5 K (0.4 K) at microwave
frequencies predominantly sensitive to humidity. The uncertainty estimated for the Met Office–GRUAN difference ranges from
0.08 to 0.13 K for temperature-sensitive frequencies and from 1.6 to 2.5 K
for humidity-sensitive frequencies. From the analysed sampling, 90 % of
the comparisons are found to be in statistical agreement. This initial study has the potential to be extended to a larger collection
of GRUAN profiles, covering multiple sites and years, with the aim of
providing a robust estimation of both errors and uncertainties of NWP model
fields in radiance space for a selection of key microwave and infrared
frequencies.


ABSTRACT Introduction: The major challenge of first pass metabolism in oral drug delivery can be surmounted by directing delivery toward intestinal lymphatic system (ILS). ILS circumvents the liver and transports drug directly into systemic circulation via thoracic duct. Lipid and polymeric nanoparticles are transported into ILS through lacteal and Peyer's patches. Moreover, surface modification of nanoparticles with ligand which is specific for Peyer's patches enhances the uptake of drugs into ILS. Bioavailability enhancement by lymphatic uptake is an advantageous approach adopted by scientists today. Therefore, it is important to understand clear insight of ILS in targeted drug delivery and challenges involved in it. Areas covered: Current review includes an overview of ILS, factors governing lymphatic transport of nanoparticles and absorption mechanism of lipid and polymeric nanoparticles into ILS. Various ligands used to target Peyer's patch and their conjugation strategies to nanoparticles are explained in detail. In vitro and in vivo models used to assess intestinal lymphatic transport of molecules are discussed further. Expert opinion: Although ILS offers a versatile pathway for nanotechnology based targeted drug delivery, extensive investigations on validation of the lymphatic transport models and on the strategies for gastric protection of targeted nanocarriers have to be perceived in for excellent performance of ILS in oral drug delivery.


In household surveys, earnings data typically can be reported as point values, in brackets or as 'missing'. In this paper we consider South African household survey data that contain these three sets of responses. In particular, we examine whether there are systematic differences between the sample of the employed with earnings reported as point values and those with earnings responses in brackets; we compare five different methods of reconciling bracket and point responses so as to generate descriptive measures of earnings; and we investigate empirically how earnings measures differ by approach.


A compact and modular optical system that employs gradient-refractive-index rod lenses to image arrays of Lambertian sources is characterized both experimentally and by ray-tracing simulations. A hybrid optical system that incorporates additional microlens arrays to reduce transmittance losses and aberrations is also modeled, and the two systems are compared.


This thesis aims to investigate the impact of environmental and socio-political changes on health and living conditions in the ancient settlement of Amara West, Sudan (1300–800BC) through a diachronic comparison of selected indicators of disease and physiological stress on skeletal human remains. The town served as the administrative capital of the province Upper Nubia during the later phase of New Kingdom Egyptian occupation of Nubia (1300–1070BC). Despite the end of Egyptian control, settlement in the area continued until the 8th century. Palaeoenvironmental evidence from the
region indicates that the period of occupation of the site further coincided with general climatic deterioration through increased aridification during the late 2nd and early 1st millennium BC.
Whether these climatic and political changes would have had an affect on health and living conditions at Amara West is explored through comparing multiple markers of physiological stress and disease (stature, orbital changes, dental disease, evidence of nonspecific infection, respiratory diseases, endocranial changes, trauma, osteoarthritis) recorded through macroscopic examination of skeletal human remains from the New Kingdom (1300–1070BC, N=36) and post-New Kingdom period (1070–800BC, N=144). Analysis of stable oxygen and carbon isotopes was also included in the study.
Applying a bio-cultural approach, interpretation of the results is complemented by contextual data drawn from ongoing research in the cemeteries, settlement and
surrounding habitat. Despite limitations due to the bias in sample size, the systematic statistical comparison revealed several tentative trends such as decreasing stature, increased levels of osteoarthritis, dental pathologies, pulmonary diseases, post-cranial fractures and high levels of sub-adult mortality. Changes in stable oxygen isotope composition indicate increasingly arid conditions during the post-New Kingdom period. In light of palaeoenvironmental and isotopic data, the palaeopathological results may therefore
reflect the health consequences of severe environmental changes as well as changes in settlement structure.


The springing up of freeform architecture and structures introduces many challenges to structural engineers. The main challenge is to generate structural forms with high structural efficiency subject to the architectural space constraints during the conceptual structural design process.

Structural Morphology is the study of the relation between form and force, which can be considered the guiding theory for this challenge. The relation between form and force is important for all types of structures during the entire structural design process. Thus, Structural Morphology has a wide range of related research subjects and multiple research approaches. Therefore, Structural Morphology has gained neither a clear definition nor a unified methodology.

In the present research, a theoretical framework for Structural Morphology has been proposed, that provides an effective solution to the challenge mentioned above. To enrich the proposed framework of Structural Morphology, systematic Form-Finding research on shell structures is conducted. Shell structures, the structural efficiency of which depends strongly on their 3D shape, have particular problems regarding the relationship between form and force. To obtain a structurally efficient shell, the form should follow the flow of forces, and a process of Form-Finding can achieve this. In this thesis, Form-Finding of shells indicates a process of generating the equilibrium structural forms of hanging, tent or pneumatic physical models.

In Chapters 2 and 3, a theoretical framework for Structural Morphology is established.

• Structural systems are divided into two categories based on their responses under the loads: 'Force-Active' and 'Force-Passive'. A 'Force-Active' structural system can significantly and actively adjust its shape due to the loads, while a 'Force-Passive' system cannot. A generic conceptual model of the numerical analysis process of structural systems is presented, which is suitable to both categories of structural systems. This conceptual model includes three parts: (1) the initial system described by five categories of parameters: geometry, material distribution, material properties, boundary conditions and forces; (2) the setup of equations and calculation methods to handle the above parameters; and (3) the structural performance described by two categories of parameters: the structural form and its mechanical behaviour (Chapter 2).

• A conceptual model of Structural Morphology is proposed by adding further requirements of the structural form or the mechanical behaviour and an optimisation process into the above conceptual model of the numerical analysis process of structural systems. Then, a corresponding conceptual formula of Structural Morphology is concluded. Thus, a theoretical framework of Structural Morphology is established. Subsequently, its feasibility is validated by a comprehensive discussion of the two main aspects of Structural Morphology, including 'Form-Finding' and 'Structural Optimisation'. In this research, Form- Finding relates to Force-Active structural systems, which means the generation of multiple equilibrium shapes subject to architectural space constraints. Structural Optimisation relates to Force-Passive structural systems, which indicates the adjustment of relevant parameters of the initial structural system with the aim of improving its mechanical behaviour. The methodology of both aspects is presented. Research achievements completed by the author's research groups from Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) are presented to validate the feasibility. These achievements cover the research on Form-Finding of cable-nets and membrane structures, and on the Structural Optimisation of shells and gridshells (Chapter 3).

In Chapters 4 to 7, the proposed theoretical framework for Structural Morphology is enriched by systemic Form-Finding research on shell structures.

• To study the form of shell structures, the curvature analysis of the surface is displayed. To study the mechanical behaviour of shell structures during the conceptual structural design process, an assessment strategy based on its linear static behaviour and buckling behaviour under two different load cases is proposed. To comprehensively study the linear static behaviour of a shell structure where bending moments may or may not be dominant in this shell, the membrane over the total stress ratios and strain-energy ratio are introduced (Chapter 4).

• The Vector Form Intrinsic Finite Element (VFIFE) method is a recently developed numerical analysis method. At the beginning of this research, few studies on the Form-Finding of shell structures using the VFIFE method were found in the literature. The VFIFE method is applied to generate equilibrium shapes of Force-Active structural systems and thus the structural geometries of shells. A MATLAB script and a plug-in in the Rhino-Grasshopper platform are developed (Chapter 5).

• Form-Control of Force-Active structural systems aims to generate form-found structural forms subject to the required architectural space constraints. Two Form-Control strategies are developed by combining two simple optimisation algorithms (the Newton-Raphson method and the inverse iteration method) with the VFIFE method. These strategies can help designers determine the structurally efficient forms more easily and more efficiently than some relatively complicated and time-consuming optimisation algorithms (Chapter 6).

• Based on the proposed theoretical framework of Structural Morphology, multiple structural forms of form-found shell structures are obtained by adjusting the five categories of parameters of the initial structural systems. This work can efficiently and effectively provide multiple structural forms with reasonable mechanical behaviour for designers from the perspective of structural engineers (Chapter 7).

In Chapters 8 and 9, the specific influence of curved supports on the structural forms and the mechanical behaviour of these shells is studied. Intuitively and qualitatively, designers may be able to select the correct shapes for the supports of shells. However, there was a need to quantify the consequences of designing particular shell supports. In this work, form-found shells with slightly different support shapes are analysed numerically and experimentally.

• Four hexagonal form-found shells generated from hanging models with different support shapes but with the same target point are generated. The following four support shapes are considered: straight supports, outwardcurved supports, inward-curved supports and strongly inward-curved supports. From the numerical comparison, slight changes of the support shapes have a relatively small influence on the equilibrium structural forms but have a considerable influence on the mechanical behaviour of these form-found shells. It is concluded that we can improve structural efficiency by slightly curving the supports during the Form-Finding process, which would not significantly change the architect's design scheme (Chapter 8).

• In the experimental research, three scaled plastic shell models (with straight supports, outward-curved supports, and inward-curved supports) are tested, and the shadow Moiré method is used in the observation of the deformation of the shells. Form these tests, the influence of the support shapes on form-found shells is studied visually by these obtained Moiré patterns, which represent the buckling modes of these shell models influenced by the curvature distribution near the supports as well as thickness distribution (Chapter 9).

There are still issues that need to be solved in future research. For instance, the theoretical framework for Structural Morphology needs to be enriched with Structural Optimisation work, more complicated design constraints need to be considered in the Form-Finding process of shell structures (for example, the stress level or distribution in the shell), and more influence factors of the form-found shells need to be researched (for example, the number or length of the supports, and edge beams).


In this paper we take a close look at those strategic incentives arising in a situation where firms share the costs and profits in a multi-firm project, and bargain for their respective (precommitted) split of cost- and profit-shares. We establish that, when each firm's effort contribution to the joint undertaking is mutually observable (which is often the case in closely collaborative operations) and hence can form basis of the contingent cost- and profit-sharing scheme, it is not the gross economic efficiency but the super-/sub-additivity of the nett returns from effort that directly affects the sustainability of a profile of firms' effort contributions. The (in)efficiency result we obtain in this paper is of different nature from so-called "free riding" or "team competition" problems : the set of sustainable outcomes with bargaining over precommetted cost- and pro…t-shares is generally neither a superset nor a subset of the sustainable set without bargaining.


Abstract. The spectra measured by the Atmospheric Carbon dioxide Grating Spectrometer (ACGS) carried by the China global carbon dioxide observation satellite (TanSat) in the band of 0.76 μm, 1.61 μm and 2.06 μm can be used for the retrieval of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations by fitting the observations and simulations using the optimal estimation algorithm. Accurately detecting the change of the center wavelength is highly important because of its very high spectral resolution and accuracy requirement for product retrieval. The variations of center wavelength for all three bands of ACGS have been calculated on the locations of the individual solar absorption lines by comparing the solar-viewing measurements and the high resolution solar reference spectrum. The variations with magnitudes less than 10 % of the spectral resolution for each band have been detected. The changes are probably caused by vibration and the instrument status difference between the ground and space, especially temperature variation on orbit. In addition to solar lines, the entire atmospheric spectra simulated by radiative transfer model can be used as the reference spectrum to determine the wavelength change by fitting the measured and simulated spectra. The change of wavelength determined by atmospheric spectra is closely consistent with that by solar lines. Both schemes described here can be used not only for monitoring spectral stability but also to gain spectral knowledge prior to the level-2 product processing. These minor temporal changes of wavelength on orbit should be corrected in the product retrieval.


Atmospheric measurements on the drifting Arctic sea ice station "North Pole-35" crossing the Eastern part of the Arctic Ocean during winter 2007/2008 have been compared with regional atmospheric HIRHAM model simulations. The observed near-surface temperature, mean sea level pressure and the vertical temperature, wind and humidity profiles are satisfactorily reproduced by the model. The strongest temperature differences between observations and the simulations occur near the surface due to an overestimated vertical mixing of heat in the stable Arctic boundary layer (ABL). The observations show very strong temperature inversions near the surface, whereas the simulated inversions occur frequently between the surface and 415 m at too high levels. The simulations are not able to reproduce the observed inversion strength. The regional model underestimates the wind speeds and the sharp vertical wind gradients. The strength of internal atmospheric dynamics on the temporal development of atmospheric surface variables and vertical profiles of temperature, wind and relative humidity has been examined. Although the HIRHAM model systematically overestimates relative humidity and produces too high long-wave downward radiation during winter, two different atmospheric circulation states, which are connected to higher or lower pressure systems over the Eastern part of the Arctic Ocean, are simulated in agreement with the NP-35 observations. Sensitivity studies with reduced vertical mixing of heat in the stable ABL have been carried out. A slower increase in the stability functions with decreasing Richardson number under stable stratification has an impact on the horizontal and vertical atmospheric structure. Changes in synoptical cyclones on time scales from 1–3 days over the North Atlantic cyclone path are generated, which influences the atmospheric baroclinic and planetary waves on time scales up to 20 days over the Arctic Ocean basin. The use of increased vertical stability in the model simulation leads to diminished planetary-scale variability over the Arctic Ocean.


Recent changes in psychiatric hospital care involving a reduction in the number of beds and time spent in hospital motivated the study of conditions of inpatient care on such wards. An ethnographic study of a locked, acute psychiatric ward in a department of psychiatry was performed with the aim of describing the health-care environment in such a ward. The ward admitted patients on both a voluntarily and involuntarily basis. Data were collected by means of 3.5 months of participant observations. The results showed a health-care environment that was overshadowed by control. Staff were in control but they also lacked control; they attempted to master the situation in line with organizational demands and they sometimes failed. At the same time, the staff tried to share the responsibility of caring for patients and next of kin. Patients were controlled by staff; they were the underdogs and dependent on staff for their care and the freedom to leave the ward. Patients tried to make themselves heard and reacted to the control by developing counter-strategies. What this study adds to earlier research is patients' pressure on staff and sometimes quite an open struggle for more control, which may be an expression for an unacceptable imbalance in power between patients and staff.


Although yield and total biomass produced by annual legumes remain major objectives for breeders, other issues such as environment-friendly, resource use efficiency including symbiotic performance, resilient production in the context of climate change, adaptation to sustainable cropping systems (reducing leaching, greenhouse gas emissions and pesticide residues), adaptation to diverse uses (seeds for feed, food, non-food, forage or green manure) and finally new ecological services such as pollinator protection, imply the need for definition of new ideotypes and development of innovative genotypes to enhance their commercialization. Taken as a whole, this means more complex and integrated objectives for breeders. Several illustrations will be given of breeding such complex traits for different annual legume species. Genetic diversity for root development and for the ability to establish efficient symbioses with rhizobia and mycorrhiza can contribute to better resource management (N, P, water). Shoot architectures and phenologies can contribute to yield and biotic constraint protection (parasitic weeds, diseases or insects) reducing pesticide use. Variable maturity periods and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses are key features for the introduction of annual legumes to low input cropping systems and for enlarging cultivated area. Adaptation to intercropping requires adapted genotypes. Improved health and nutritional value for humans are key objectives for developing new markets. Modifying product composition often requires the development of specific cultivars and sometimes the need to break negative genetic correlations with yield. A holistic approach in legume breeding is important for defining objectives with farmers, processors and consumers. The cultivar structures are likely to be more complex, combining genotypes, plant species and associated symbionts. New tools to build and evaluate them are important if legumes are to deliver their exciting potential in terms of agricultural productivity and sustainability as well as for feed and food.


With growing recognition of the importance of religious and spiritual concerns in mental health practice, empirical research into spiritually integrated interventions has begun to increase. However, to date, the body of research undertaken in this emerging field has been largely conducted from a Christian perspective. This study aimed to expand the scope of research by exploring the use of spiritually integrated interventions by a cohort of mental health providers who are self-identified members of the Baha'i Faith, one of the lesser-known but fastest growing religions in the world today. Utilizing online survey research, this first convenience sample (N=105) study of Baha'i mental health practitioners explored participants' intrinsic religious motivation as a measure of their religious identity, their use of spiritually integrated interventions, and their beliefs about these interventions as appropriate or inappropriate for mental health practice. Results of this study indicate that Baha'i mental health practitioners are intrinsically motivated, showing similar results in measures of motivation and direction in life (Pargament, 1997) and perceptions of practicing spiritual beliefs (Stewart, Koeske, & Koeske, 2006) or following a spiritual path in life (Derezotes, 1995). Conceptually, intrinsic motivation seems to project perceptions of spiritual strivings (Baumeister, 1991), concept of meaning and purpose in life (Frankl, 1984), belief in God (Sheridan, Wilmer, and Atcheson, 1994), and measures of religious commitment (Wimberley, 1984). Baha'i mental health practitioners' belief in the inherent intrinsic value of a human being (e.g., client) and the synonymous parallelism that all therapeutic work is spiritual in nature were noticeably integrated into their use of spiritually integrated practice. The Baha'i mental health practitioners' responses to RSPBQ Index of 29 interventions showed "often" to "very often" utilization of spiritually integrated interventions in contrast with Frazier and Hansen's (2009) original survey of professional psychologists indicating "infrequent" responses to the same index. They indicate a willingness to use some evidence-based spiritually integrated interventions to their mostly private practices. Responses to open-ended questions show how Baha'i respondents respect the ethical guidelines for professional practice. An appreciation for the "universality of human beings' capacities" informs their practice. Viewing the client as "inherently whole and capable" instead of "someone to be fixed, controlled or cured," the Baha'i mental health practitioners use spiritually integrated services to achieve a goal of spiritual integration in therapy while fostering "peace and confidence within" instead of adherence to a specific creed, dogma or rituals. Future research should explore other diverse perspectives, such as those of Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Native American, and/or non-religious practitioners. The efficacious use of evidence-based spiritually integrated interventions as alternative ways of coping with mental health problems should also be considered for future examination. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Social Work (DSW) This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations_sp2/31 First Advisor Lani Nelson Zlupko, Ph.D. Second Advisor Roberta Sands, Ph.D. Third Advisor Michael Penn, Ph.D.


While much academic attention has been devoted to whether the doctrine of extended joint criminal enterprise ('EJCE') can be justified, the basic joint criminal enterprise doctrine ('JCE') has escaped much scrutiny. The extraordinary recent case of IL v The Queen (2017) 262 CLR 268, however, has demonstrated that JCE is more problematic than was thought. It is argued here that the difficulties exposed in IL arose because of a 'wrong turn' in Osland v The Queen (1998) 197 CLR 316. The High Court's insistence in that case that all JCE participants are principals in the first degree might have been convenient, but it was also fictitious and unprincipled – as Sir John Smith argued at the time. For as long as the law proceeds as though JCE participants have struck blows that they have not in fact struck, and fails to acknowledge that they are accessories, the Australian common law of complicity will be dishonest, obscure and unnecessarily complex.


Robot search and rescue is a time critical task, i.e. a large terrain has to be explored by multiple robots within a short amount of time. The efficiency of exploration depends mainly on the coordination between the robots and hence on the reliability of communication, which considerably suffers under the hostile conditions encountered after a disaster. Furthermore, rescue robots have to generate a map of the environment which has to be sufficiently accurate for reporting the locations of victims to human task forces. Basically, the robots have to solve autonomously in real-time the problem of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). This paper proposes a novel method for real-time exploration and SLAM based on RFID tags that are autonomously distributed in the environment. We utilized the algorithm of Lu and Milios for calculating globally consistent maps from detected RFID tags. Furthermore we show how RFID tags can be used for coordinating the exploration of multiple robots. Results from experiments conducted in the simulation and on a robot show that our approach allows the computationally efficient construction of a map within harsh environments, and coordinated exploration of a team of robots


We test the effectiveness of team incentives by running a natural field experiment in a retail chain of 193 shops and 1,300 employees. As a response to intensified product market competition, the firm offered a bonus to shop teams for surpassing sales targets. A bonus to teams rather than individuals was a natural choice because the firm does not measure individual performance and relies on flexible task allocation among employees. On average, the team bonus increases sales and customer visits in the treated shops by around 3%, and wages by 2.3%. The bonus is highly profitable for the firm, generating for each bonus dollar an extra $3.80 of sales, and $2.10 of operational profit. The results show the importance of complementarities within teams and suggest that improved operational efficiency is the main mechanism behind the treatment effect. Our analysis of heterogeneous treatment effects offers a number of insights about the anatomy of teamwork. The firm decided to roll out the bonus to all of its shops, and the performance of treatment and control shops converged after the roll-out.


This article, which is based on the fourteenth McDonald Lecture, considers two tensions in contemporary archaeology. One is between interpretations of specific structures, monuments and deposits as the result of either 'ritual' or 'practical' activities in the past, and the other is between an archaeology that focuses on subsistence and adaptation and one that emphasizes cognition, meaning, and agency. It suggests that these tensions arise from an inadequate conception of ritual itself. Drawing on recent studies of ritualization, it suggests that it might be more helpful to consider how aspects of domestic life took on special qualities in later prehistoric Europe. The discussion is based mainly on Neolithic enclosures and other monuments, Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement sites and the Viereckschanzen of central Europe. It may have implications for field archaeology as well as social archaeology, and also for those who study the formation of the archaeological record.


Abstract The aim of the article is to present the results of laboratory analyses determining the content of rare earth elements (REE) in hard coal type 31.1. Coal was extracted directly from the mining excavation located in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Mass spectrometry tests with ionization in inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS), were aimed at the quantitative analysis of the share of REE in coal, taking into account the economic aspects of recovery of these elements. Fine ground hard coal samples and ashes obtained after coal burning were assessed for the rare earth elements concentration. Results of the rare earth elements concentration (lanthanum and cerium) in hard coal are similar in the values obtained in previous tests. The current analyses present higher concentration of europium or neodymium. The article also contains the concept of possible future research work, consisting in the recovery of rare earth elements using, among others, a classifying hydrocyclone.


This thesis explores the interconnections between horticulture, hypermasculinity and mental wellbeing. It focusses on male prisoners and staff experiences of engaging with a North West horticulture programme called Greener on the Outside: For Prisons (GOOP) in a category B prison in North West England. The study forms part of a wider, regional programme aiming to tackle health inequalities amongst various population groups funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Masculinities and horticulture are both well-researched areas within prison settings in particular; therefore this thesis provides an original contribution to knowledge by combining the two themes and exploring the interconnections.
The study was underpinned by a social constructionist epistemology and informed by symbolic interactionism and critical inquiry. In terms of methodology the research utilised a critical ethnographic approach using a range of qualitative data collection methods: active participant observation, guided conversations and individual in-depth interviews. Using a critical lens for the study allowed the research not only to explore 'what is' but also 'what could be' within the criminal justice system.
The main period of data collection was conducted over a 17 week time frame, with a sample of 34 prisoners and seven members of staff. The critical ethnographic approach and combination of methods used generated rich data capturing the lived experiences, personal journeys and stories of those involved in GOOP – revealing findings based on complex meanings and interpretations.
The findings contribute to knowledge and understanding of the importance of engaging in horticulture with particular reference to community, trust, green environments, biophilic design, experiencing hope and reducing hypermasculine behaviours through responsibilities, nurturing and the presence of females. With GOOP offering a small, community-like atmosphere within prison, this invoked trust, friendships and positive interactions between prisoners and staff. The hypermasculine norms so often prevalent in prisons were notably absent on GOOP, with connections made between caring for plants, healthily re-establishing the male role and interacting with females. The range of tasks available for GOOP prisoners offered opportunities for prisoners to develop personally and socially, a chance to improve their mental wellbeing with specific mental illnesses addressed. This research offers an original contribution to knowledge as it combines three highly researched concepts; hypermasculinity, horticulture and mental wellbeing with pertinent connections established through reductions in hypermasculine behaviour when interacting with nature. It highlights the potential for positive masculinities in prison, the creation of community through horticulture and, as a result, the enhancement in mental wellbeing.
The recognition and reach of GOOP horticulture programmes is growing, with increasing interest in applying the programme in regions outside of the North West. This highlights the relevance and significance of the research findings and their potential to impact future policy and practice. Recommendations arising from the findings – for example, working outside in the fresh air, creating a small community and encouraging creativity – will be shared with relevant stakeholders within the GOOP network and wider prison system to ensure reach and enable the impact of the research is maximised.


Controversial social problems currently facing Americans are addressed in these 12 astute bibliographic essays that synthesize the literature on the issues and outline strategies for locating additional information. A few of the issues covered are media and popular culture; public policy and government; law and the administration of the justice system; poverty, welfare, and unemployment; child care and elder care; hunger and nutrition; homelessness; and children and the changing American family. The essays provide thoughtful examinations of the issues, discuss possible resolutions, and present lists of resources for further study. An essential purchase for college and university libraries, this work is also appropriate for high school libraries and medium to large public libraries. It can be used as a supplementary text for sociology, social work, public policy, family studies, education, and nursing courses that involve the study of contemporary social issues, and as a handbook by practitioners i


A covalent sidewall functionalization of Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) has been achieved by a reaction with butyllithium in benzene. The nucleophilic attack of the lithium organyl leads to a transfer of nagative charge to the SWCNTs which is balanced by the positive charge of the Li‐ions. In our investigation we were able to verify the negative charge on the SWCNTs by a concomitant shift of the binding energy of the C 1s core levels of the SWCNTs in X‐ray induced photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Moreover, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) reveals a decoration of the tubewalls by features which exhibit the expected threefold symmetry of the butyl‐groups. The charging of the SWCNTs in solution could also be verified by applying a homogeneous electric field using Au coated glass electrodes. The electrodes were chraracterized by XPS and atomic force microscopy (AFM). These measurements reveal the appearance of Li on one electrode, and the occurance of SWCNTs on the counter electrode.


Building Information Modelling (BIM) is defined as an approach to building design and construction through modelling technology, associated sets of processes and people to produce, communicate and analyse building information models. The implementation of BIM is expected to improve the delivery of design and construction through 3D visualisation, integrated and automated drawing production, intelligent documentation and information retrieval, consistent data and information, automated conflict detection and automated material take off.

Although the potential benefits of BIM are well documented, the implementation process requires proper strategic planning and a thoughtful review of many aspects to realise those benefits. One part of the strategic planning is the readiness assessment where it measures the current position of the organisation as compared to the targeted implementation requirements of the BIM system by using several categories and readiness criteria. Set against the background of the Malaysian construction industry, in the infancy stage of BIM implementation, however has raised the question about the categories and the readiness criteria that should be used to conduct the assessment. The lack of documented BIM implementation in a form of publicly available reports, best practice and guidelines has also escalated the situation.

The aim of this research was therefore set to support improvements in the design consultant practice by developing an organisational readiness framework for BIM implementation. The research explored and identified the readiness criteria as the main components of the framework. The research engaged a multiple-case-studies approach and four design consultant companies were selected for the primary data collection. Data from each company was analysed by using content analysis technique before it was cross analysed to determine the pattern of answer. After that, the findings were discussed and theoretically validated to produce a conceptual framework. The conceptual framework was later validated through a focus group workshop to produce the final framework.

As the research's main outcome, the readiness framework consists of four elements. The first readiness element is Process which has three categories residing within it, which are, Process Change Strategy, BIM Implementation Management, and Policy. The second readiness element is Management which includes the categories of Business Strategy, Management Competency, and Leadership. The third element is Technology which also has three categories residing within it, which are Hardware, Technical Support, and Software and the fourth element is People, which has four categories and they are, Roles and Responsibilities, Skill and Attitude, Training and Education and Work Environment. Meanwhile, the 38 readiness criteria that were identified and validated, resided accordingly within each readiness category. The readiness framework as the main outcome of the research can be used to assist the design consultant to identify the readiness gap of the company. The importance lies on informing the area of concern so the effort for BIM implementation can be prioritised. In addition, the individual case study report which had information rich data could help the industry to understand the BIM implementation issue within the context of Malaysia. The outcome of this research showed that the main problems that are preventing consultants from embracing BIM were rarely technical. They were related more to the management and people issues which underpin the capability of the company to successfully implement BIM.


The current study seeks to apply Construction Grammar to the phenomenon of modality. To facilitate a thorough application and analysis, examples of both epistemic and root modal verbs of English are considered. Specifically, those verbs of English chosen for the current study are CAN/MAY and MUST/SHOULD. Motivation for these choices is provided as well as a brief look at the other types of modal verbs existent in the language. In applying Construction Grammar to modality, the research poses the following hypotheses: 1) there are varying types of modality in English; 2) these modal variations are realized uniquely and; 3) an accurate and effective account of these unique modalities and corresponding marking systems can be provided within the Construction Grammar (CxG) framework. In order to ascertain these hypotheses, the current study asks the questions: 1) what are the modal variations of English; 2) how are these variations realized and; 3) what would a Construction Grammar analysis of modality in English look like? To answer these questions, various examples of modality are analysed and the differences and similarities between the expressions gauged. A schema similar to that of RRG is then applied while assuming the postulates of Construction Grammar. Bearing these goals in mind, the phenomenon of modality itself as well as an overview of the salient points of Construction Grammar are examined. Construction Grammar is then applied to the examples and visually represented in a Role and Reference Grammar-style schema. The successes of both the application of Construction Grammar as well as the proposed schema are examined. It is found that, in keeping with the hypotheses presented, expressions of modality in English offer as many ambiguous interpretations and unique realizations as there are conversational situations in which they could be uttered. The modality of English is shown to be heavily context and in some cases subject dependant. It is also found that, as hypothesised, Construction Grammar is a suitable framework within which to analyse modality in both languages. In addition, the proposed schema proves adequate in visually representing the relationship between the pragmatic, semantic, morphological and syntactic levels of the modal expression. These findings are significant in that they promote the increasing acceptance of Construction Grammar as an appropriate and sufficient grammar theory as well as advancing the understanding of linguistic modality.


We introduce the concept of Graspable User Interfaces that allow direct control of electronic or virtual objects through physical handles for control. These physical artifacts, which we call "bricks," are essentially new input devices that can be tightly coupled or "attached" to virtual objects for manipulation or for expressing action (e.g., to set parameters or for initiating processes). Our bricks operate on top of a large horizontal display surface known as the "ActiveDesk." We present four stages in the development of Graspable UIs: (1) a series of exploratory studies on hand gestures and grasping; (2) interaction simulations using mock-ups and rapid prototyping tools; (3) a working prototype and sample application called GraspDraw; and (4) the initial integrating of the Graspable UI concepts into a commercial application. Finally, we conclude by presenting a design space for Bricks which lay the foundation for further exploring and developing Graspable User Interfaces.


Images of God in the liturgy
In this article, the research hypothesis is that a one-sided liturgy leads to a watered-down image of God. When room for God is not created in the liturgy, God is not encountered in all God's glory. As a result, worshippers cannot fully bring homage to God's glory. From this perspective, the article explores the different faces of God in the liturgy. These diverse images of God lead to a rich diversity of views and experiences of God by worshippers.


The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the profitability of the firm and its Research and Development expenditures. We separate Research and Development expenditures in two main categories, Research and Development that focuses on the product differentiation and Research and Development, which concerns improvements in production process. The latter leads to a more efficient production, which can be measured by labour productivity. We estimate our model using cross section analysis and test the impact of the two aforementioned variables upon firm's profitability. Our model was applied to Greek Chemical industry and to Greek Textile industry, for a data set of 124 enterprises of the chemical sector 139 enterprises in the textiles sector in the year 2001. Our findings support the positive influence of productivity on profitability is present in both manufacturing sectors, although not at an equal weight.


Photoacoustic (optoacoustic) imaging can extract molecular information with deeper tissue penetration than possible by fluorescence microscopy techniques. However, there is currently still a lack of robust genetically controlled contrast agents and molecular sensors that can dynamically detect biological analytes of interest with photoacoustics. In this biomimetic approach, we took inspiration from cuttlefish who can change their color by relocalizing pigment-filled organelles in so-called chromatophore cells under neurohumoral control. Analogously, we tested the use of melanophore cells from Xenopus laevis, containing compartments (melanosomes) filled with strongly absorbing melanin, as whole-cell sensors for optoacoustic imaging. Our results show that pigment relocalization in these cells, which is dependent on binding of a ligand of interest to a specific G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), can be monitored in vitro and in vivo using photoacoustic mesoscopy. In addition to changes in the photoacoustic signal amplitudes, we could furthermore detect the melanosome aggregation process by a change in the frequency content of the photoacoustic signals. Using bioinspired engineering, we thus introduce a photoacoustic pigment relocalization sensor (PaPiReS) for molecular photoacoustic imaging of GPCR-mediated signaling molecules.


Methods for discovering causal knowledge from observational data have been a persistent topic of AI research for several decades. Essentially all of this work focuses on knowledge representations for propositional domains. In this paper, we present several key algorithmic and theoretical innovations that extend causal discovery to relational domains. We provide strong evidence that effective learning of causal models is enhanced by relational representations. We present an algorithm, relational PC, that learns causal dependencies in a state-of-the-art relational representation, and we identify the key representational and algorithmic innovations that make the algorithm possible. Finally, we prove the algorithm's theoretical correctness and demonstrate its effectiveness on synthetic and real data sets.


In 2015 the global community approved the seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs). The SDGs include a goal regarding access to clean water and sanitation with specific targets such as providing access to adequate and equitable sanitation for all, improving water quality by reducing pollution, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and increasing recycling and safe reuse globally. There are opportunities to promote sanitation technologies that would achieve these sanitation targets and minimize health risk from exposure to pathogens while also achieving SDGs related to increased food security and sustainable management of waste and natural resources through the recovery of beneficial resources such as energy and fertilizer. To that end, the objective of this paper is to critically review literature that is supported by material flow diagrams developed for nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon, to determine the ability of existing sanitation technologies and strategies that are deployed in a centralized or decentralized manner to safely recover resources and thus achieve multiple sustainable development goals. The one strategy and six technologies are 1) dig and cover, 2) bucket latrine, 3) ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrine, 4) double-vault composting latrine, 5) urine-diverting composting latrine, 6) pour-flush toilet connected to a septic tank, and 7) sewered toilet. Results showed the six sanitation technologies and one strategy could be grouped into three categories based on their potential to recover resources without further processes added to provide resource recovery. Group 1 (unimproved, no resource recovery), which included the baseline strategy of dig and cover and the unimproved technology of bucket latrines, demonstrated no ability to achieve resource recovery from human waste without further resource recovery treatment. Container based sanitation (not discussed here) may, however, be an appropriate method to safely dispose of excreta while also providing opportunities for resource recovery. Group 2 (improved, no resource recovery), which included the technologies ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrine, pour-flush toilet with septic tank, and sewered toilet, were also shown to have no ability to recover resources without further resource recovery treatment. Group 3 (improved, resource recovery), which included double-vault composting latrine and urine-diverting compositing latrine), demonstrated the greatest ability to recover resources from human waste. However, policies to ensure safe handling of resources generated at onsite locations is needed and resource recovery processes can be integrated with treatment processes to recover embedded resources from bucket latrines, VIP latrines, pour-flush toilets with septic tanks, and sewered toilets. The results provide guidance to achieve multiple sustainable development goals through the implementation of sanitation technologies that have potential to recover beneficial resources.


Abstract Although epidermal keratinocyte development and differentiation proceeds in similar fashion between humans and mice, evolutionary pressures have also wrought significant species-specific physiological differences. These differences between species could arise in part, by the rewiring of regulatory network due to changes in the global targets of lineage-specific transcriptional master regulators such as p63. Here we have performed a systematic and comparative analysis of the p63 target gene network within the integrated framework of the transcriptomic and epigenomic landscape of mouse and human keratinocytes. We determined that there exists a core set of ∼1600 genomic regions distributed among enhancers and super-enhancers, which are conserved and occupied by p63 in keratinocytes from both species. Notably, these DNA segments are typified by consensus p63 binding motifs under purifying selection and are associated with genes involved in key keratinocyte and skin-centric biological processes. However, the majority of the p63-bound mouse target regions consist of either murine-specific DNA elements that are not alignable to the human genome or exhibit no p63 binding in the orthologous syntenic regions, typifying an occupancy lost subset. Our results suggest that these evolutionarily divergent regions have undergone significant turnover of p63 binding sites and are associated with an underlying inactive and inaccessible chromatin state, indicative of their selective functional activity in the transcriptional regulatory network in mouse but not human. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this selective targeting of genes by p63 correlates with subtle, but measurable transcriptional differences in mouse and human keratinocytes that converges on major metabolic processes, which often exhibit species-specific trends. Collectively our study offers possible molecular explanation for the observable phenotypic differences between the mouse and human skin and broadly informs on the prevailing principles that govern the tug-of-war between evolutionary forces of rigidity and plasticity over transcriptional regulatory programs.


This paper analyses the role assigned to foreign direct investment and transnational corporations in the ECLAC development project, examining the history of the institution and its most representative publications. With impressive continuity in its vision and policy recommendations, ECLAC has recognized the need for foreign investment as an aid for Latin American development, but has been cautious about its consequences. ECLAC has continually called for close scrutiny and regulation of the activities of transnational corporations. The main idea underlying these recommendations is that Latin American-owned industries have to be the guiding forces of economic development. In addition, ECLAC has consistently stressed the benefits of Latin American integration in helping expand Latin American industries, foster autochthonous research and development and provide Latin American governments with information and bargaining power vis-a-vis transnational corporations.


A randomised crossover dietary intervention study was performed to evaluate the effects of replacing meat protein in the diet with a soyabean product, tofu, on blood concentrations of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, androstanediol glucuronide, oestradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and the free androgen index (total testosterone concentration/SHBG concentration×100; FAI). Forty-two healthy adult males aged 35–62 years were studied. Diets were isoenergetic, with either 150 g lean meat or 290 g tofu daily providing an equivalent amount of macronutrients, with only the source of protein differing between the two diets. Each diet lasted for 4 weeks, with a 2-week interval between interventions. Fasting blood samples were taken between 07.00 and 09.30 hours. Urinary excretion of genistein and daidzein was significantly higher after the tofu diet (P<0·001). Blood concentrations of sex hormones did not differ after the two diets, but the mean testosterone:oestradiol value was 10 % higher (P=0·06) after the meat diet. SHBG was 3 % higher (P= 0·07), whereas the FAI was 7 % lower (P=0·06), after the tofu diet compared with the meat diet. There was a significant correlation between the difference in SHBG and testosterone:oestradiol and weight change. Adjusting for weight change revealed SHBG to be 8·8 % higher on the tofu diet (mean difference 3 (95 % CI 0·7, 5·2) nmol/l; (P=0·01) and testosterone:oestradiol to be significantly lower, P=0·049). Thus, replacement of meat protein with soyabean protein, as tofu, may have a minor effect on biologically-active sex hormones, which could influence prostate cancer risk. However, other factors or mechanisms may also be responsible for the different incidence rates in men on different diets.


'Memetic isolation' is a situation in which a society or culture exhibits a cultural trait not found in any neighbouring cultures (Gatherer 2002b). A previously developed simulation, consisting of a grid of connected societies of cultural agents, is further analysed to define the circumstances under which memetic isolation is maximised and minimized. Parameters varied include migration, and cultural interaction within and between societies. Some stereotypical societies are simulated, and the differences in outcomes are analysed statistically. A genetic algorithm is then used to discover the combinations of parameters that produce extreme results. Minimization of memetic isolation appears to be simply a matter of cultural or natural selection on the meme concerned. By contrast, maximization of memetic isolation requires an intuitively unlikely combination of low cultural interaction, high migration and no selection. The classic memetic theoretical result, that horizontally transmitted memes tend to be more spatially clustered than vertically transmitted memes or genes, is shown to depend on the existence of cultural bridges, or 'weak ties', between societies and also to be at the mercy of migration rates and selective forces.


The clothing sector in Portugal is still seen, in many aspects as a traditional sector with some average characteristics, such as: low level of qualifications, less flexible labour legislation and stronger unionisation, very low salaries and low capability of investment in innovation and new technology. Is, nevertheless, a very important sector in terms of labour market, with increased weight in the exporting structure. Globalisation and delocalisation are having a strong impact in the organisation of work and in occupational careers in the sector. With the pressure of global competitiveness in what concerns time and prices, very few companies are able to keep a position in the market without changes in organisation of work and workers. And those that can perform good responses to such challenges are achieving a better economical stability. The companies have found different ways to face this reality according to size, capital and position. We could find two main paths: one where companies outsource a part or the entire production to another territory (for example, several manufacturing tasks), close and/or dismissal the workers. Other path, where companies up skilled their capacities investing, for example, in design, workers training, conception and introduction of new or original products. This paper will present some results from the European project WORKS – Work organisation and restructuring in the knowledge society (6th Framework Programme), focusing the Portuguese case studies in several clothing companies in what concern implications of global context for the companies in general and for the workers in particular, in a comparative analysis with some other European countries.


Many modern and emerging applications must process increasingly large volumes of data. Unfortunately, prevalent computing paradigms are not designed to efficiently handle such large-scale data: the energy and performance costs to move this data between the memory subsystem and the CPU now dominate the total costs of computation. This forces system architects and designers to fundamentally rethink how to design computers. Processing-in-memory (PIM) is a computing paradigm that avoids most data movement costs by bringing computation to the data. New opportunities in modern memory systems are enabling architectures that can perform varying degrees of processing inside the memory subsystem. However, there are many practical system-level issues that must be tackled to construct PIM architectures, including enabling workloads and programmers to easily take advantage of PIM. This article examines three key domains of work towards the practical construction and widespread adoption of PIM architectures. First, we describe our work on systematically identifying opportunities for PIM in real applications, and quantify potential gains for popular emerging applications (e.g., machine learning, data analytics, genome analysis). Second, we aim to solve several key issues on programming these applications for PIM architectures. Third, we describe challenges that remain for the widespread adoption of PIM.


We report on the generation of a bright photon source at telecom wavelengths using spontaneous parametric down-conversion in a type II periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate crystal. Simultaneous resonances of the pump and the two down-converted fields are achieved with a properly designed optical cavity. This triple-resonance optical parametric oscillator operates far below threshold, generating photon pairs at 1560 nm wavelength with a bandwidth of 8 MHz. Time correlation measurements produce an estimate of 27.7 ns for the coherence time, and production rate of 134±25  s−1 MHz−1 mW−1 for photon pairs. As photon pairs in the telecom regime are suitable for long-distance transmission, this source may find application in quantum communications.


Mothers' spontaneous teaching of their 4-year-olds was observed during block play in 230 dyads from low-income African American, Mexican, Dominican, and Chinese backgrounds. Blocks contained graphics that could be used to teach concepts in literacy, math, construction, or body/color. Coders noted how often mothers taught each of the concepts, and whether they taught at basic ("This is an 'A'") or advanced ("C-a-t spells cat") levels. Additionally, mothers' negative and positive affect and feedback were coded. Ethnic differences were seen in the concepts that mothers taught, the levels of their teaching, and the amount and valence of mothers' feedback and affect towards their children. Within immigrant families, English-language use was positively associated with amount of teaching, engagement in advanced teaching, and feedback to children. The sociodemographic characteristics of families shape parents' structuring of learning opportunities for children and in turn influence children's developing skills and school readiness.


Within the salty lakes of the Bahama's San Salvador Island is an amazing diversity of fishes that may rival Charles Darwin's finches in the Galapagos. There, lives the nondescript Bahaman pupfish, so named for males' aggressive, puppy-like behavior of encircling each other to stake their claim in the lake during mating season. Evolutionary biologists Joseph McGirr and Christopher Martin have studied three closely related pupfish species peacefully co-existing within the warm waters, because each, through subtle jaw size differences has carved out its own food niche—all within the last 10,000 years. They specialize by their jaw size and food—algae, snails, or quickstriking scale-eaters—that like Darwin's finches reflect differences in seed choices by the size and shape of their beaks. Seeking to uncover this diversity, they identified 12 million single DNA mutations, (called single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs) from 37 genomes and sequenced across nine populations of all three species caught on San Salvador Island and one nearby island. They matched the DNA changes with differences in jaw size to uncover candidate genes responsible for large jaws and small jaws. They discovered novel candidate genes strongly associated with jaw size, along with evidence supporting the role of large-effect alleles in crossing larger fitness valleys. Also, more large-effect alleles were required to evolve large jaws than small jaws. "Overall, we uncovered very few regions with single SNPs fixed between species that were also strongly associated with divergent jaw sizes. Many of these regions contained only a single gene with known effects on skeletal development in model organisms. Strikingly, some of these genes contained only a single SNP fixed between species in an upstream regulatory region or intron, provide excellent candidate variants for future functional studies.", said corresponding author Christopher Martin (2016). However, these results raise an intriguing question, according to Racimo Martin. "If scale eating traits were shaped by hard sweeps acting on genetic variation within ancestral Caribbean populations, why is this trophic specialization absent from neighboring islands?" From previous ecological and genetic studies, they could not detect any striking environmental differences or differences in genetic diversity between San Salvador Island and neighboring Bahamian islands. "Answering this question will require continued exploration of the ecological and genetic factors shaping this exceptional case of rapid ecological specialization. So far, the usual suspects (lake area, ecological and genetic diversity) do not seem to provide the trigger of adaptive radiation as is commonly assumed. Instead, the answer seems to be far more complex and interesting than we ever imagined. Perhaps the exacting performance demands of scale-eating create a sparse fitness landscape only accessible through rare combinations of alleles and environmental stability?"


The use of mediation has grown exponentially in recent years in courts, agencies, and community settings. Yet the field of mediation still operates to a considerable extent on folklore and opinion, rather than reliable knowledge. Mediator attempts at persuasion are pervasive in a wide variety of mediation contexts, yet "persuasion" is, for some, a pejorative word and a contested norm in the field. Perhaps as a result, there has been little, if any, evidence-based writing about what kinds of persuasive appeals might be effective in mediation, how they might operate, and how they might be experienced by disputants.In an effort to begin to fill that void, this article examines empirical research findings on persuasion from such diverse fields as advertising, public health, communications, politics and race relations. It focuses on studies of both indirect or behavioral approaches to persuasion (role reversal, apology, group brainstorming) and different types of direct persuasive appeals (questions vs. statements, more vs. less explicit statements, use of "negative" emotions such as fear and guilt, and sequential vs. straightforward requests for concessions). As almost none of the empirical work on persuasion has involved dispute resolution, the article raises questions about how these social science findings might apply to the work of mediators. Some of the research findings described in this article are unsurprising, while others may challenge common assumptions. Where the research appears at odds with conventional mediation wisdom, the authors discuss its potential implications for ongoing philosophical and skills-based debates in the field. Of particular note, the literature canvassed in this article may cast new light on old debates about facilitative versus evaluative mediation, and the importance of mediators having substantive, as well as process, expertise.


The article discusses the phenomenon of globalization, poverty and global inequalities as a part of widely discussed topic of social justice. It finds that the discussion around the two phenomena has not yet reached the level of urgent priority as to find solutions and alternatives. It therefore encourages (social) sciences to recapture the topic and develops further by integrating the abstract and speculative humanities studies –especially that of political philosophy subject— with the more empirical and theoretical socio-political ones. It offers two ways of so doing: firstly, promoting the focus of study –both in political philosophy and socio-political research– on domestic and global aspiration of social justice. Secondly, exploring more on own (local and domestic) tradition to find appropriate norms and principles of social justice, i.e. to challenge those of the Western ethical tradition.


In this latest volume in the Belief series, Daniel L. Migliore plumbs the depth of Paul's letters to the Philippians and to Philemon. With splendid theological reflection, Migliore explores central themes of these remarkable letters--themes that include the practice of prayer, righteousness from God, and the work of reconciliation and transformation through Jesus Christ. Migliore shows how Philippians continues to speak to churches that, like the church at Philippi, struggle to be faithful to Christ, worry about the future, and need guidance. And in Philemon, Migliore finds a letter with importance far beyond its size--a letter that can enrich our understanding of the fullness of the gospel that Paul proclaims. In both books, Migliore deftly shows Paul as a remarkable theologian and pastor with a message instructive to the church of every age.


Outlier detection has been studied in many domains. Outliers arise due to different reasons such as mechanical issues, fraudulent behavior, and human error. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised approach for outlier detection in a sequence dataset. The proposed approach combines sequential pattern mining, cluster analysis, and a minimum spanning tree algorithm in order to identify clusters of outliers. Initially, the sequential pattern mining is used to extract frequent sequential patterns. Next, the extracted patterns are clustered into groups of similar patterns. Finally, the minimum spanning tree algorithm is used to find groups of outliers. The proposed approach has been evaluated on two different real datasets, i.e., smart meter data and video session data. The obtained results have shown that our approach can be applied to narrow down the space of events to a set of potential outliers and facilitate domain experts in further analysis and identification of system level issues.