Research in the area of CVD single crystal diamond plates of which only
recently has been made commercially available saw significant advancements
during the last decade. In parallel to that, detonation nanodiamond (DND)
particles also now widely made accessible for requisition are provoking a lot
of scientific investigations. The remarkable properties of diamond including its
extreme hardness, low coefficient of friction, chemical inertness,
biocompatibility, high thermal conductivity, optical transparency and
semiconducting properties make it attractive for a number of applications,
among which electronic and micro electrical-mechanical systems devices for
chemical and biological applications are few of the key areas. A detailed
knowledge of diamond devices at the prototypical stage is therefore critical.
The work carried out encapsulated in this thesis describes the employment of
the nanometer-scale diamond structures for the design, fabrication and testing
of electronic devices and micro electrical-mechanical system (MEMS)
structures for chemical sensing applications. Two major approaches are used
to achieve engineering novelty. The first type being devices based on single
crystal diamond substrates, which include state of the art δ-doped single
crystal diamond Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistor with an intrinsic layer
capping the delta-doped layer for pH sensing and the fabrication and
characterization of a triangular-face single crystal diamond MEMS. A
comprehensive set of characterisations was systematically performed on the
delta ISFET devices. Cyclic Voltammetry has been used to determine the
devices' potential window determining the limits of the applied potential for the
Current-Voltage measurements. In solutions of different pH levels, an
improved sensitivity of 55mV/pH compared to cap-less design in a previous
study is taken as the salient figure of merit. Electrochemical Impedance
Spectroscopy sheds some light on device performance in terms of flatband
voltages and conduction pathways through circuit modelling. Improved ISFET
characteristics such as lower flat-band voltage at 3.74V, simpler conduction
paths and drain current saturation onsets show the chosen design is correct and advances delta-doped diamond ISFET research and development work.
For the single crystal diamond cantilever, the theoretical modelling supports
the triangular-face design to be a better option, generating 3x greater
deflections in relation to the conventional rectangular-face design, when
operated as a static mode sensor. Based on experimental characterisation
methods such as Raman and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, the focusedion
beam only milling technique inflicts minimum damage to the beam
structure.
In the second approach, a novel hybrid device idea was conceived and
implemented using off-the-shelf silicon ISFETs and cantilevers with a coat of
nanodiamond particles on the 'active area' surfaces of the respective devices.
These nanodiamond-coated silicon devices exhibit high sensitivity for tracing
threat signatures such as explosive precursors and analogues with the former
in both liquid and vapour medium, and the latter in the vapour phase. The
nanodiamond-gated ISFET shows a voltage response of a commendable
maximum voltage shift of ~90 mV throughout 0 to 0.1M concentration range of
NO2
- and ClO3
- solutions. In the vapour phase detecting 2,4-DNT, a sensitivity
of ~20mV/0.4ppm is observed. The nanodiamond-coated silicon cantilever
demonstrates a performance advantage of 7.4 Hz/ppb to 1.7 Hz/ppb in a
previous study. Fourier Transform Infra-red spectroscopy was carried out on
the nanodiamond surfaces hosted by potassium bromide (KBr) discs to
ascertain the vapour chemisorption. With the fabrication technique simplified,
commercialisation of these proof-of-concept devices should be less time
consuming thus enabling quicker deployment of diamond-based surface
sensing technology.


A new validated high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method with rapid analysis time and high efficiency, for the analysis of erythromycin, azithromycin and spiramycin, under isocratic conditions with ODB RP18 as a stationary phase is described. Using an eluent composed of acetonitrile –2-methyl-2-propanol –hydrogenphosphate buffer, pH 6.5, with 1.5% triethylamine (33:7: up to 100, v/v/v), delivered at a flow-rate of 1.0 mL min-1. Ultra Violet (UV) detection is performed at 210 nm. The selectivity is satisfactory enough and no problematic interfering peaks are observed. The procedure is quantitatively characterized and repeatability, linearity, detection and quantification limits are very satisfactory. The method is applied successfully for the assay of the studied drugs in pharmaceutical dosage forms as tablets and powder for oral suspension. Recovery experiments revealed recovery of 97.13–100.28%.


This paper considers commercial real estate markets relative to credit cycles of expansion and contraction. In this paper we integrate insights from the credit literature with insights from the long-standing literature on rental price adjustments in the space market. Do rental prices determine real estate asset prices? What effect do bank loans have in real estate asset prices? These questions are central in this paper. We present a simultaneous equation model with fitted values to examine dynamics of asset prices, rental prices, capitalization rates, and credit availability. For this we use a unique dataset with office asset transaction and rental transaction prices from 1995-2010 for twenty-two cities in the Netherlands. These cities account for over 60 percent of the national office market. No previous European work has been able to address the interplay between the space market and asset market at such a comprehensive level of coverage. We investigate the time series properties by testing for unit root and co-integration of the series. Econometric analysis suggests that the asset price is significantly affected by the rent and credit availability whereas the capitalization rate is not significant.


Background Advance care planning (ACP) encompasses both verbal and written communications expressing preferences for future health and personal care and helps prepare people for healthcare decision-making in times of medical crisis. Healthcare systems are increasingly promoting ACP as a way to inform medical decision-making, but it is not clear how public engagement in ACP activities is changing over time. Methods Raw data from 3 independently conducted public polls on ACP engagement, in the same Canadian province, were analysed to assess whether participation in ACP activities changed over 6 years. Results Statistically significant increases were observed between 2007 and 2013 in: recognising the definition of ACP (54.8% to 80.3%, OR 3.37 (95% CI 2.68 to 4.24)), discussions about healthcare preferences with family (48.4% to 59.8%, OR 1.41 (95% CI 1.17 to 1.69)) and with healthcare providers (9.1% to 17.4%, OR 1.98 (95% CI 1.51 to 2.59)), written ACP plans (21% to 34.6%, OR 1.77 (95% CI 1.45 to 2.17)) and legal documentation (23.4% to 42.7%, OR 2.13 (95% CI 1.75 to 2.59)). These remained significant after adjusting for age, education and self-rated health status. Conclusions ACP engagement increased over time, although the overall frequency remains low in certain elements such as discussing ACP with healthcare providers. We discuss factors that may be responsible for the increase and provide suggestions for healthcare systems or other public bodies seeking to stimulate engagement in ACP.


There is perhaps no novel that offers a more scathing commentary on nineteenth century conceptions of leisure and industry than Charles Dickens' Hard Times. Dickens' description of Coketown, nay Preston, is a caricature of utilitarian uniformity and the commodification of workers in post-industrial England. Ostensibly Marxist in its depictions of those men of "facts and calculations"—clearly Jeremy Bentham and Adam Smith—Dickens offers a community of "hands" covered in soot toiling under the vulgar Bounderby. Counterpoised against these laborers is the whimsical cast of Mr. Sleary's circus. Using the circus as a corollary to the dystopian city, he anticipates Angela Carter's Neovictorian romp through London, St. Petersberg, and Siberia wherein the characters of Nights at the Circus likewise offer an antidote to similarly oppressive prescriptions for economic prosperity. [


Trametinib is a MEK inhibitor approved both as a single agent and in combination with dabrafenib for the treatment of BRAF V600E or V600K mutated melanoma. It is a once-daily oral medication that was approved based on progression-free survival and overall survival advantage compared to chemotherapy. Most common side effects include rash, diarrhea, peripheral edema, and fatigue. When used in combination with dabrafenib, pyrexia and nausea are also common. Most side effects can be managed effectively with dose interruptions, supportive care, and/or dose reductions. Ongoing trials are investigating the use of targeted therapy in combination with immunotherapy for cutaneous melanoma and other malignancies. The treatment landscape for metastatic melanoma continues to evolve. However, targeted therapy with trametinib remains a fast-acting and efficacious option, particularly when used in combination with dabrafenib.


BACKGROUND
Parents play an important role in modelling healthy behaviours to their children. This study investigated associations between parent and child physical activity and screen time behaviours across specific domains, including moderating effects by parent and child gender.

METHOD
The sample comprised 3300 school children and 2933 parents participating in the UP4FUN project (mean ages: child 11.2 ± 0.8 years, mother 40.0 ± 4.9 years, father 43.4 ± 5.8 years; 49% boys, 83% mothers). Data were collected in 2011 in Belgium, Greece, Hungary, Germany and Norway. Questionnaires assessed physical activity (sport, outdoor activities, walking and cycling for transport) and screen time (TV/DVD viewing, computer/games console use) in children and parents. Multilevel multivariate regression was applied to assess associations between parent and child physical activity and screen time.

RESULTS
Maternal, but not paternal, participation in sport, outdoor activities and walking for transport were associated with higher participation in these activities in children (P < 0.001). In contrast, both maternal and paternal TV/DVD viewing and computer/games console use were related to higher engagement in these screen-based activities in children (P < 0.01). Furthermore, maternal modelling of outdoor activities was significantly associated with outdoor activities in girls (P < 0.001). In contrast, paternal modelling of TV/DVD viewing and computer/games console were significantly associated with these screen-based behaviours in boys (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
Maternal modelling of healthy active behaviours may have a greater influence on children compared to paternal modelling, whereas unhealthy sedentary behaviours seem to be modelled by both parents equally.


The contemporary period has seen the emergence of a society where interviews are pervasive: the 'interview society' (Atkinson and Silverman, 1997). Undertaking qualitative research within this 'interview society' has methodological implications for our understanding of the significance of the technology of the interview itself and the analysis of interview data. To date little attention has been afforded to either participants' accounts of interviews or ethnographic study of the significance of the practice of interviewing for participants. Drawing on data of this kind we develop the existing literature by evidencing the disruptiveness of interviewing and the biographical work that underpins the production of interview data. We provide a rare illustration of what isn't always on display for the researcher conducting interviews. Namely, that while we live in an interview society and are familiar with its conventions and customs, interviews can breach the routine meaning making and situated action that characterises daily life.


We aimed to understand relationships of the weather as biometeorological and hospital admissions due to diseases of arteries and veins by subtypes, which have been scarcely studied, in a national setting in recent years. This is an ecological study. Ten percent of daily hospital admissions from the included hospitals (n=1,618) across Germany that were available between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2011 (n=5,235,600) were extracted from Statistisches Bundesamt, Germany. We identified I70-I79 Diseases of arteries, arterioles and capillaries and I80-I89 Diseases of veins, lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes by International Classification of Diseases version 10 as the study outcomes. Daily weather data from 64 weather stations that covered 13 German states including air temperature, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover, radiation flux and vapour pressure were obtained and generated into physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). Two-way fractional-polynomial prediction was plotted with 95 % confidence intervals. For most of the subtypes from diseases of arteries and veins, hospital admissions slightly peaked in spring and dropped when PETwas at 10 °C. There were no other large differences across 12months. Admissions of peripheral vascular diseases, arterial embolism and thrombosis, phlebitis and thrombophlebitis, oesophageal varices and nonspecific lymphadenitis peaked when PETwas between 0 and −10 °C, while others peaked when PET was between 0 and 10 °C. More medical resources could have been needed on days when PETs were at −10 to 10 °C than on other days. Adaptation to such weather change for health professionals and the general public would seem to be imperative.


Purpose: A multidisciplinary allied health team has worked in The Townsville Hospital Emergency Department for seven years. Patients are referred to the allied health team by medical and nursing staff with the aim of reducing patient admission and improving patient outcomes. However, the type and number of referrals received by the allied health team suggest there is a lack of detailed interdisciplinary knowledge by the referrers. Therefore, the Emergency Department Allied Health Team surveyed other emergency department health professionals to ascertain their knowledge of allied health roles. The results will be used to develop education sessions to fill gaps in knowledge. Methods: A cross-sectional survey consisting of 22 true/false statements and demographic questions was developed by the Emergency Department Allied Health Team. Questions described some of the common triggers for referral to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work, and pharmacy staff in the emergency department at the Townsville Hospital. The survey was distributed opportunistically to nursing, medical and physician assistant staff at handover or education sessions. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data and comparisons used chi squared tests. Results: The response rate for the survey was 63% (n=154), including 52 doctors (65%), 95 (59%) nursing staff, 3 physician assistants (100%), and 4 who did not state their discipline. Preferred responses were low for questions about occupational therapy's ability to do home visits up to four weeks post emergency department discharge (37.7%), physiotherapists' necessity to perform mobility assessments (24.7%), identifying APINCH acronym as mnemonic for high risk drugs (35.7%) and the correct application of "close the gap" prescriptions (27.9%). Staff with more experience and prescribers were more likely to give the preferred response. Conclusions: Some gaps exist in doctors', nurses', and physician assistants' knowledge of the roles of allied health in an emergency department. The knowledge gap decreases as staff experience in emergency departments increases. Therefore, for the allied health team in our emergency department to work at full scope of practice, these knowledge gaps need to be addressed. Our challenge now is to provide sustainable education on the role of allied health in a busy emergency department full of shift working and rotating staff being pulled by a myriad of contrasting priorities.


The science of thermal and chemical treatment of glass is well documented. The Laminated Glass (LG) is usually not treated as either treated glass is used during production or lower melting temperature of interlayer does not allow the treatment. The present work reports the novel methods of thermo-chemical treatment of LG having annealed soda lime glass plies. Five thermo-chemical treatments were performed on LG using different salts (Potassium Nitrate Carbohydrazide, Lithium Nitride), via clay coating (saturated with salts), using fused silica wafer coated with a thin graphene layer and utilizing the microwave heating. The bending strength is measured before and after thermo-chemical treatment using Q-set coupled bending tester (following the ASTM D790-03). The linear elastic model is utilized for obtaining normal stress and deformation at fracture load using ANSYS 14.5. The bending strength of thermo-chemical treated LG sample was found significantly higher than untreated LG in the most cases. The fracture pattern of the treated LG was also modified compared to the untreated LG as impurities and defects were reduced during treatment. The mechanics of increased bending strength and modified fracture is also discussed with reference to the effects of thermo-chemical treatment of LG, however, the need of a specialized numerical method that can effectively model the implications of treatment on LG and multiple fractures experienced by the LG during testing are suggested as future work.


This paper reports on an ongoing project on literary metaphor that applies analytical tools from cognitive linguistics (cl) to six English novellas and presents a case study. The project focuses on complex tropes, metaphors, coherence and cohesion in text units as well as text cues that involve the reader at a bodily level. Its hallmark is systematic and multi-level metaphor tagging and analysis with the qualitative coding software ATLAS.ti 5.2. My aim here is to raise three methodological points of increasing specificity. First, I explain the general benefits of a software-assisted qualitative analysis. Second, I present a flexible and powerful approach for metaphor coding (which is extendable to non-literary applications). Third, I illustrate the gains from applying the approach to literature at a descriptive level, then in a more integrative literary analysis, and finally with regard to a novella's general trends in metaphor use.


This paper systematically investigates the effect of a number of geometric parameters on the texturing performance of air-jet texturing nozzles. In order to facilitate the research, an air-jet texturing nozzle with a rectangular cross section has been developed. The texturing performance of the nozzles is assessed by means of process observations and on-line measurement of stabilizing zone tension, and also by measuring the in creased linear density of the yams on textured yarn samples. Furthermore, instability, elongation at break, and tenacity are measured, and texturing quality is judged by visual inspections and examination of scanning electron microscopy images of the textured yarns. Tension in the stabilizing zone, increase in linear density, and to a somewhat lesser extent instability are reliable measures of texturing quality. The best texturing comes from nozzles with a slightly diverging main channel and a single air inlet hole located far from the nozzle exit. A curved diverging exit profile is essential for successful texturing. The results of the tests to determine the effect of air inlet angk are inconclusive and require further investigation.


Abstract Changes within our approach to teaching can make some students feel uncomfortable. To overcome this, inquiry based learning, which is strongly supported by research in the areas of intellectual development and approaches to learning (Prince, 2007), can be used. Inquiry based approaches should be introduced in combination with existing teaching styles in order to address the needs of all students. Pair programming enhances the communication among peers and encourages students to ask questions of each other and be more ambitious in their computer programming practicals. The students subsequently gain confidence from one another to try different approaches to solving programming problems; this enhances deeper learning. Additionally, working in pairs provides some students with the courage to ask questions of the teacher while with their pair, which they may not do alone. This paper presents a case study on using pair programming to encourage inquiry based learning within programming modules, to improve attendance and practical assessment results.


Many medical and chemical applications require target molecules to be delivered in a controlled manner at precise locations. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have high porosity, large surface area, and tunable functionality and are promising carriers for such purposes. Current approaches for incorporating target molecules are based on multistep postfunctionalization. Here, we report a novel approach that combines MOF synthesis and molecule encapsulation in a one-pot process. We demonstrate that large drug and dye molecules can be encapsulated in zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) crystals. The molecules are homogeneously distributed within the crystals, and their loadings can be tuned. We show that ZIF-8 crystals loaded with the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) are efficient drug delivery vehicles in cancer therapy using pH-responsive release. Their efficacy on breast cancer cell lines is higher than that of free DOX. Our one-pot process opens new possibilities to construct multifunctional delivery systems for a wide range of applications.


Abstract. A long-term ozone loss time series is necessary to understand the evolution of ozone in Antarctica. Therefore, we construct the time series using ground-based, satellite and bias-corrected multi-sensor reanalysis (MSR) data sets for the period 1989–2010. The trends in ozone over 1979–2010 are also estimated to further elucidate its evolution in the wake of decreasing halogen levels in the stratosphere. Our analysis with ground-based observations shows that the average ozone loss in the Antarctic is about −33 to −50% (−90 to −155 DU (Dobson Unit)) in 1989–1992, and then stayed at around −48% (−160 DU). The ozone loss in the warmer winters (e.g. 2002 and 2004) is lower (−37 to −46%), and in the very cold winters (e.g. 2003 and 2006) it is higher (−52 to −55%). These loss estimates are in good agreement with those estimated from satellite observations, where the differences are less than ±3%. The ozone trends based on the equivalent effective Antarctic stratospheric chlorine (EEASC) and piecewise linear trend (PWLT) functions for the vortex averaged ground-based, Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer/Ozone Monitoring Instrument (TOMS/OMI), and MSR data averaged over September–November exhibit about −4.6 DU yr −1 over 1979–1999, corroborating the role of halogens in the ozone decrease during the period. The ozone trends computed for the 2000–2010 period are about +1 DU yr −1 for EEASC and +2.6 DU yr −1 for the PWLT functions. The larger positive PWLT trends for the 2000–2010 period indicate the influence of dynamics and other basis functions on the increase of ozone. The trends in both periods are significant at 95% confidence intervals for all analyses. Therefore, our study suggests that Antarctic ozone shows a significant positive trend toward its recovery, and hence, leaves a clear signature of the successful implementation of the Montreal Protocol.


Code cloning is the practice of duplicating existing source code for use elsewhere within a software system. Within the research community, conventional wisdom has asserted that code cloning is generally a bad practice, and that code clones should be removed or refactored where possible. While there is significant anecdotal evidence that code cloning can lead to a variety of maintenance headaches — such as code bloat, duplication of bugs, and inconsistent bug fixing — there has been little empirical study on the frequency, severity, and costs of code cloning with respect to software maintenance. This dissertation seeks to improve our understanding of code cloning as a common development practice through the study of several widely adopted, medium-sized open source software systems. We have explored the motivations behind the use of code cloning as a development practice by addressing several fundamental questions: For what reasons do developers choose to clone code? Are there distinct identifiable patterns of cloning? What are the possible shortand long-term term risks of cloning? What management strategies are appropriate for the maintenance and evolution of clones? When is the "cure" (refactoring) likely to cause more harm than the "disease" (cloning)? There are three major research contributions of this dissertation. First, we propose a set of requirements for an effective clone analysis tool based on our experiences in clone analysis of large software systems. These requirements are demonstrated in an example implementation which we used to perform the case studies prior to and included in this thesis. Second, we present an annotated catalogue of common code cloning patterns that we observed in our studies. Third, we present an empirical study of the relative frequencies and likely harmfulness of instances of these cloning patterns as observed in two mediumsized open source software systems, the Apache web server and the Gnumeric spreadsheet application. In summary, it appears that code cloning is often used as a principled engineering technique for a variety of reasons, and that as many as 71% of the clones in our study could be considered to have a positive impact on the maintainability of the software system. These results suggest that the conventional wisdom that code clones are generally harmful to the quality of a software system has been proven wrong.


The aim of the research is to examine the changes in the timing of transition to adulthood in the biographies of four Lithuanian birth cohorts. Five important trajectories — formal markers of transition to adulthood—are discussed: leaving the parental home, finishing formal education, starting first job, first partnership and giving birth to first child. The timing of these events in course of life is different for subsequent generations. Changes in timing are determined by a combination of different factors: personal preferences, socio-cultural norms and socio-political context. Based on contemporary theories of life course (Elder, Johnson, 2001; Settersten et al, 2005; Elder et al, 2006; Macmillan, 2005), quantitative research method and inter-cohort dimension are applied. Data from the project "Trajectories of Family Model and the Social Networks: Intergenerational Perspective" (Famo-Socnet) are used to provide analysis of cohort trajectories indicating persons' movement into adulthood. Data of cohorts born in 1950-1955, 1960-1965, 1970-1975, and 1980-1985, with each represented by 500 respondents, is used. Findings indicate a new, delayed and protracted, trend of transition into adulthood for the cohort (born in 1980-85) approaching adulthood in the first decade of the 21st century.


Abstract: Taphonomic processes may filter in a biased manner the tiny fraction of leaves preserved as fossils. A common perception is that large leaves are underrepresented; this is based both on intuition (large leaves are more likely to break apart) and some observations of extant vegetation. Characterizing leaf area correctly is critical for reconstructing climate and for studying evolutionary and biogeographic patterns. In extant dicotyledonous angiosperms, leaf area generally scales with the inverse of second-order vein density. This scaling offers the potential to test if fossil leaf fragments were derived from leaves that were larger than complete (or nearly complete) fossil leaves of the same species. Here we test vein scaling on 573 complete leaves from the latest Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation and earliest Paleocene Fort Union Formation in the Williston Basin of western North and South Dakota. We find a strong scaling similar to extant vegetation, with a somewhat shallower slope (1.67 vs. 2.04) and lower r2 (0.64 vs. 0.80). We apply these two scalings to 41 species-site pairs from the Williston Basin that are each represented by complete (n = 355) and fragmented (n = 387) leaves. With both scalings, the reconstructed leaf areas of fragments are on average 10% larger (±36% 1σ) than their complete companions. This small but noisy signal means that the underrepresentation of large leaves, as captured by our study design, is probably not critical for most fossil applications. Comparing directly the reconstructed areas of complete and fragmented leaves appears reasonable, thus expanding the usefulness of fossil leaf fragments.


In differentiated SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, various opioids exhibited a wide range of potencies (Ki) in acutely inhibiting adenylate cyclase to different extents (Imax). After exposure of the cells to opioids for 24 hr, the initially reduced cAMP content of the cells recovered toward pre-exposure levels. Withdrawal of agonist from, or addition of antagonist to, the tolerant cells rapidly increased the cAMP content to 1.5 times the basal value. Long term treatment of the cells with agonists of high acute potency, such as Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-(Me)Phe-Gly-ol and levorphanol, decreased the Bmax of the antagonist [3H]naltrexone by 80-95%, increased the Ks for GTPase stimulation 10-14-fold, and increased the Ki for adenylate cyclase inhibition 2-3-fold. On the other hand, these parameters were only marginally affected by agonists of lower acute potency, such as profadol and morphiceptin, regardless of their Imax in inhibiting adenylate cyclase. The reduction in the level of receptor binding was experimentally not dissociable from effector desensitization. Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-(Me)Phe-Gly-ol retained the characteristics of a potent agonist in inducing tolerance even under conditions of submaximal signal, produced by lower concentrations of the peptide or by pretreatment with pertussis toxin. Alkylation of receptors by beta-chlornaltrexamine, although it reduced [3H]naltrexone binding by 50%, did not significantly alter the rank order of opioid agonists based on their ability to acutely inhibit adenylate cyclase. These results show that in opioid-tolerant SH-SY5Y cells the concurrently occurring down-regulation of receptor and shifts in the concentration dependence of effector response correlate with the potency of a given opioid in producing its acute effect but not with the maximum extent of that effect.


Speak and understand Japanese in just 15 minutes a day Nihongo wo hanashimasu ka? With "15-Minute Japanese", a revolutionary new system for learning a language, you'll be on your way to conversing with the locals in no time. The unique visual approach makes learning quick, easy and fun. No writing or homework - just use the cover to hide the answers and test yourself as you learn. Real-life examples cover every holiday and business situation. You only need to practise 5 times a week for 12 weeks to benefit from this amazing guide. Whether starting from scratch or just in need of a refresher, with "15-Minute Japanese", there is no easier way to learn Japanese, fast. Now with a new look. (Previous ISBN: 9781405315197).


Two-dimensional (2-D) digital filters are widely useful in image processing and other 2-D digital signal processing fields, but designing 2-D digital filters is much more difficult than designing one-dimensional (1-D) ones. This paper provides a new insight into the existing singular value decomposition (SVD)-based design approach in the sense that the SVD-based design can be performed more efficiently by exploiting the new symmetry of the 2-D magnitude specifications. By using the specification symmetry, only half of the 1-D filters (sub-filters) need to be designed, which significantly simplifies the design process and reduces the computer storage required for 1-D sub-filter coefficients. Another novel point of this paper is that an objective criterion is proposed for selecting appropriate sub-filter orders in order to reduce the hardware implementation cost. A design example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the SVD-based design approach by exploiting specification symmetry and new order-selecting criterion.


Despite significant technological and scientific advances in healthcare provision and treatment in past decades, economies are struggling to address increasing costs while enhancing accessibility to quality health and care services. Globally, around 8.4% of gross domestic product (GDP) is spent on healthcare, with United States spending 17.4% of its GDP. There is, therefore, a growing interest in reducing healthcare costs and improving quality of care in terms of patients outcomes and their perception. Research has found strong association between physical environments and patient outcomes and staff and patient wellbeing. The acknowledgement of this link has led to the postulation of the idea of evidence based design (EBD) of healthcare facilities, in which design decisions are based on the evidence of the impact of environment on healthcare indicators. The key challenges for integrating EBD in healthcare design are the difficulty in disaggregating past research findings (i.e. evidence) from the context and the use of these findings, often hidden behind several behavioural and demographic variables or of the form of multidimensional indices, in design decision-making. Another recent development in healthcare is the patient-centred approach of care, in which patients perceptions and needs take the centre-stage in the planning and delivery of their care. Local and regional healthcare authorities are, therefore, interested in incorporating patients views in all aspects of care, including the design and operation of health and care facilities. Considering the gaps in knowledge, this research was aimed at investigating: users perception of physical environment indicators that had the potential for influencing their wellbeing and care outcomes, and the integration of their perception in the design of healthcare facilities through automated space layout planning. Perceptions of physical environment indicators were investigated using structured questionnaires among three user groups: inpatients, outpatients and healthcare providers. Resulting perception indicators were then used in a prototype automated space layout planning system, developed as part of this research, to aid the optimization process. The research has identified significant differences in perception between different user groups, in particular between males and females. Analyses of scaled responses indicate that environmental design (e.g. lighting and thermal comfort) and maintenance (e.g. cleanliness) related factors are more important to users than abstract architectural design factors (e.g. aesthetics). Accommodating the variation in perception would require individual approaches for the design of constituent spaces in a healthcare facility. With regard to the integration of user perception in design, the research demonstrates that qualitative indicators such as perception can be integrated in automated design frameworks and, therefore, design decisions can be based on a mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence. The application of automated layout planning system in the design of healthcare space layouts also demonstrates that computer-mediated systems and frameworks are a promising alternative to traditional manual design, if increasing number of design factors and objectives are to be reconciled for decision making.


Today, 844 million humans around the world have no access to safe drinking water. Furthermore, every 90 seconds, one child dies from water-related illnesses. Major cities lose 15% - 50% of their water and, in some cases, losses may reach up to 70%, mostly due to leaks. Therefore, it is paramount to preserve water as an invaluable resource through water networks, particularly in large cities in which leak repair may cause disruption. Municipalities usually tackle leak problems using various detection systems and technologies, often long after leaks occur; however, such efforts are not enough to detect leaks at early stages. Therefore, the main objectives of the present research are to develop and validate a leak detection system and to optimize leak repair prioritization.
The development of the leak detection models goes through several phases: (1) technology and device selection, (2) experimental work, (3) signal analysis, (4) selection of parameters, (5) machine learning model development and (6) validation of developed models. To detect leaks, vibration signals are collected through a variety of controlled experiments on PVC and ductile iron pipelines using wireless accelerometers, i.e., micro-electronic mechanical sensors (MEMS). The signals are analyzed to pinpoint leaks in water pipelines. Similarly, acoustic signals are collected from a pilot project in the city of Montreal, using noise loggers as another detection technology. The collected signals are also analyzed to detect and pinpoint the leaks. The leak detection system has presented promising results using both technologies. The developed MEMS model is capable of accurately pinpointing leaks within 12 centimeters from the exact location. Comparatively, for noise loggers, the developed model can detect the exact leak location within a 25-cm radius for an actual leak.
The leak repair prioritization model uses two optimization techniques: (1) a well-known genetic algorithm and (2) a newly innovative Lazy Serpent Algorithm that is developed in the present research. The Lazy Serpent Algorithm has proved capable of surpassing the genetic algorithm in determining a more optimal schedule using much less computation time. The developed research proves that automated real-time leak detection is possible and can help governments save water resource and funds. The developed research proves the viability of accelerometers as a standalone leak detection technology and opens the door for further research and experimentations. The leak detection system model helps municipalities and water resource agencies rapidly detect leaks when they occur in real-time. The developed pinpointing models facilitate the leak repair process by precisely determine the leak location where the repair works should be conducted. The Lazy Serpent Algorithm helps municipalities better distribute their resources to maximize their desired benefits.


Ontologies are used to formally describe domains of interest. As domains change over time, the ontologies have to be updated accordingly. We advocate the introduction of an Ontology Update Language that captures frequent domain changes and hence facilitates regular updates to be made in ontologies. We thoroughly discuss the general design choices for defining such a language and a corresponding update framework. Moreover, we propose a concrete language proposal based on SPARQL Update and provide a reference implementation of the framework.


This paper shows that oil price changes, measured as short-term futures returns, are a strong predictor of excess stock returns at short horizons. Ours is a leading variable for the business cycle and exhibits low persistence which avoids the ctitious long-horizon predictability associated to other predictors used in the literature. We compare our variable with the most popular predictors in a sample period that includes the recent nancial crisis. Our results suggest that oil price changes are the only variable with forecasting power for stock returns. This signi cant predictive ability is robust against the inclusion of other variables and out-of-sample tests. We also study the cross-section of expected stock returns in a conditional CAPM framework based on oil price shocks. Our model displays high statistical signi cance and a better t than all the conditional and unconditional models considered including the Fama French three-factor model. From a practical perspective, ours is a high-frequency, observable variable that has the advantage of being readily available to market-timing investors.


The hypothalamic melanocortin system, which controls appetite and energy expenditure, develops during the third trimester in primates. Thus, maternal nutrition and health may have a profound influence on the development of this system. To study the effects of chronic maternal high-fat diet (HFD) on the development of the melanocortin system in the fetal nonhuman primate, we placed adult female macaques on either a control (CTR) diet or a HFD for up to 4 yr. A subgroup of adult female HFD animals was also switched to CTR diet during the fifth year of the study (diet reversal). Third-trimester fetuses from mothers on HFD showed increases in proopiomelanocortin mRNA expression, whereas agouti-related protein mRNA and peptide levels were decreased in comparison with CTR fetuses. Proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-1beta and IL-1 type 1 receptor, and markers of activated microglia were elevated in the hypothalamus, suggesting an activation of the local inflammatory response. Fetuses of diet-reversal mothers had normal melanocortin levels. These results raise the concern that chronic consumption of a HFD during pregnancy, independent of maternal obesity and diabetes, can lead to widespread activation of proinflammatory cytokines that may alter the development of the melanocortin system. The abnormalities in the fetal POMC system, if maintained into the postnatal period, could impact several systems, including body weight homeostasis, stress responses, and cardiovascular function. Indeed, the HFD offspring develop early-onset excess weight gain. These abnormalities may be prevented by healthful nutrient consumption during pregnancy even in obese and severely insulin-resistant individuals.


A standard account of group cooperation would predict that group stability would bring about greater cooperation, because repeat-play games would allow for sanctions and rewards. In an academic unit such as a department or a law faculty, one might thus expect that faculty stability would bring about greater cooperation. However, academic units are not like most other groups. Tenured professors face only limited sanctions for failing to cooperate, for engaging in unproductive conflict, or for shirking. This article argues counter-intuitively that within limits, some level of faculty turnover may enhance cooperation. Certainly, excessive and persistent loss of faculty is demoralizing, and reduces the number of individuals among which administrative work can be spread. But for less dire losses, faculty turnover may play the disciplining role that academic units are deprived of by the tenure system.
This article sets forth a game-theoretic model showing how the possibility of faculty turnover may induce greater cooperation in a faculty. The intuition is that while some antisocial behavior in a faculty – fighting or shirking – may garner some short-term gains at the expense of others, the possibility of exit may reduce this behavior, because loss of a colleague could be worse than the gains from fighting or shirking. Losing a colleague means probably losing a productive colleague, taking the time to replace her, and possibly replacing her with a less productive substitute. These downsides may play a role in curbing unproductive behavior in a faculty. This article presents some empirical evidence in support of the hypothesis that faculty turnover short of some excessive amount does, in fact, produce higher levels of collegiality and collaboration.


Nuclear receptors are a superfamily of proteins that function as ligand-activated transcription factors. Among these proteins are the so-called "orphan receptors," such as the retinoid X receptor (RXR), for which the endogenous activating ligands have not been identified. Using a cell-based screening assay, Mata de Urquiza et al. show that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid in mammalian brain, is a potent activator of RXR. DHA deficiency has previously been linked to defects in spatial learning capacity in rodents. The new data raise the possibility that DHA's effects are mediated through an RXR signaling pathway. Mata de Urquiza, A., Liu, S., Sjöberg, M., Zetterström, R., Griffiths, W., Sjövall, J., and Perlmann, T. (2000) Docosahexaenoic acid, a ligand for the retinoid X receptor in mouse brain. Science 290: 2140-2144. [Abstract] [Full Text]


Distributed neural population spiking patterns in macaque inferior temporal (IT) cortex that support core visual object recognition require additional time to develop for specific ("late-solved") images suggesting the necessity of recurrent processing in these computations. Which brain circuit motifs are most responsible for computing and transmitting these putative recurrent signals to IT? To test whether the ventral prefrontal cortex (vPFC) is a critical recurrent circuit node in this system, here we pharmacologically inactivated parts of the vPFC and simultaneously measured IT population activity, while monkeys performed object discrimination tasks. Our results show that vPFC inactivation deteriorated the quality of the late-phase (>150 ms from image onset) IT population code, along with commensurate, specific behavioral deficits for "late-solved" images. Finally, silencing vPFC caused the monkeys' IT activity patterns and behavior to become more like those produced by feedforward artificial neural network models of the ventral stream. Together with prior work, these results argue that fast recurrent processing through the vPFC is critical to the production of behaviorally-sufficient object representations in IT.


The on-going process of modernization, which destabilizes work and employment, highlights some important features of the way wage-earners manage their relations to work. Those features, which are less apparent in classical periods, and deal with subjectivity and privacy are determinant for the understanding of the way people cope with the constraints of their job and come to accept it. Through many small arrangements and compromise solutions, they succeed in give a meaning to their job which is supposed to be strictly determined by the clauses of the capitalistic wage contract. The authors gather some case studies results to analyze the destructive or potentially liberating effects of the new management strategies upon these arrangements.


Abstract: Predictions on displacement of suitable habitats due to climate change suggest that plant species with poor colonization ability may be unable to move fast enough to match forecasted climate-induced changes in habitat distribution. However, studies on early Holocene plant migration show fast migration of many plant species that are poor colonizers today. We hypothesize that warmer temperatures during the early Holocene yielded higher seed quality, contributing to explaining the fast migration. We studied how the 3 seed quality variables, seed mass, germinability, and requirements for break of seed dormancy, vary for seeds of 11 forest herb species with varying colonization capacity collected along a 1400-km latitudinal gradient. Within species, seed mass showed a positive correlation with latitude, whereas germinability was more positively correlated with temperature (growing degree hours obtained at time of seed collection). Only slow-colonizing species increased germinability with temperature, whereas only fast-colonizing species increased germinability with latitude. These interactions were only detectable when analyzing germinability of the seeds, even though this trait and seed mass were correlated. The requirement for dormancy break did not correlate with latitude or temperature. The results indicate that seed development of slow colonizers may be favoured by a warmer climate, which in turn may be important for their migration capacity. Nomenclature: Tutin et al., 2001


An anonymous questionnaire was administered to assess the attitudes and perceptions of 126 black and 359 white soldiers returned from Vietnam as to both black-white and American-Vietnamese relations within that country. Factor scores developed for each of these two areas served as the dependent variables. Overall, blacks, and especially younger blacks, held a more negative view of the racial climate than did whites. Black-white relationships were reported to be better in Vietnam than in the U.S., especially among soldiers who served in actual combat. Blacks reported less negative attitudes toward the Vietnamese than did whites. Soldiers in combat (versus noncombat-support) units perceived the American-Vietnamese relationship more negatively.


The phenomenon of career inactivity in professional nursing has been historically portrayed in the literature as a major cause of disequilibrium in the registered nurse labor market. However, there remains a general lack of understanding of the diverse forces that shape the inactive nurse pool and the likelihood that this population will return to nursing. The purpose of this study was to examine the population of registered nurses who are active in the labor market but work in nonnursing employment. Specifically, this study sought to determine the relative importance of nonworkplace- and workplace-related reasons for working outside of nursing. The results demonstrate that dissatisfaction with the nursing workplace is the key reason cited by actively licensed nurses for working outside of nursing employment. These findings suggest that policy and employer remedies are needed to improve the nursing workplace.


The chronic kidney disease‐mineral bone disorder (CKD‐MBD) produces fibroblast growth factor‐23 (FGF‐23) and related circulating pathogenic factors that are strongly associated with vascular injury and declining kidney function in native CKD. Similarly, chronic renal allograft injury (CRAI) is characterized by vascular injury and declining allograft function in transplant CKD. We hypothesized that circulating CKD‐MBD factors could serve as non‐invasive biomarkers of CRAI. We conducted a cross‐sectional, multicenter case–control study. Cases (n = 31) had transplant function >20 mL/min/1.73 m2 and biopsy‐proven CRAI. Controls (n = 31) had transplant function >90 mL/min/1.73 m2 and/or a biopsy with no detectable abnormality in the previous six months. We measured plasma CKD‐MBD factors at a single time point using ELISA. Median (range) FGF23 levels were over twofold higher in CRAI vs. controls [106 (10–475) pg/mL vs. 45 (8–91) pg/mL; p < 0.001]. FGF23 levels were inversely correlated with transplant function (r2 = −0.617, p < 0.001). Higher FGF23 levels were associated with increased odds of biopsy‐proven CRAI after adjusting for transplant function, clinical, and demographic factors [OR (95% CI) 1.43 (1.23, 1.67)]. Relationships between additional CKD‐MBD factors and CRAI were attenuated in multivariable models. Higher FGF23 levels were independently associated with biopsy‐proven CRAI in children.


The effects of consumer involvement on product choice have been studied extensively. However, to the knowledge of the researcher of this work, only a single pilot study has been conducted to examine whether consumers become more involved with a product choice when it is associated with a country towards which they harbor feelings of animosity (Abraham (2013)). Hence, the purpose of the present study is to examine whether the model proposed by Abraham may be extrapolated to other contexts (i.e. countries and product categories). This is a cross-cultural investigation conducted in the context of the Holocaust. 340 Israeli and British Jews took part in this experimental research. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the relationship between consumer animosity and purchase involvement employing a model originally adapted from Klein et al.(1998). A positive and statistically significant relationship was observed between consumer animosity and purchase involvement. This work provides support to the research model proposed by Abraham and suggests that the model is both reliable and valid when employed in other contexts.


Travel punctuated my ethnographic research in postwar El Salvador. Dusty from the number 125 bus ride from the department of Chalatenan-go to the capital of San Salvador, and still slightly woozy from the jolts of the potholes on the Troncal del Norte, I would begin my "break" from fieldwork in the rural countryside.1 Tired, alone, and wondering if I was doing right as an engaged anthropologist in the making, I often stopped first at a low-key expatriate cafe-one of the emerging hangouts for "shoulder-rubbing" (Coles 2002, 7) between foreigners and Salvadoran middle-class, progressive intellectuals and cultural elites.2 Here, I would sit by the window, unwind, and think outside of my everyday participant observation with former revolutionaries and their increasing questions about the neoliberal reconstruction that further marginalized their communities. And here I would meet and compare experiences with a transitional, new group of international workers comprising what scholars of postconflict reconstruction have termed a "peace industry" (Pearce 1998). New York, spring 1998. My return from El Salvador to the academy was marked by a sense of dislocation in part because of an activistinspired anthropology rooted in the everyday nature of witnessing, of being present to testimony, of engaged listening. In search of connection, I maintained correspondence with many people, Salvadorans and international workers, from across my field sites. I was intrigued by the experiential statements made in the letters by members of a fluid expatriate community and my complicity in these constructions-constructions at once personal and national and that, like recovery after war, balanced remembering and forgetting (Minnow 1998). In this essay, I analyze the role of the international actors who compose the bureaucratic, tiered peace industry, working to bring development and democracy to El Salvador.3 I focus on peripheral, everyday field-based workers, marked by their close encounters with Salvadoran former revolutionaries turned "beneficiaries." This captures a particular moment in El Salvador's early to intermediate postwar period (1993-98), a shift away from the labors of the solidarity movement of the 1980s to early 1990s (see Smith 1996) to a new wave of actors called upon to strengthen and professionalize local capacity articulated through NGOled reconstruction. However, what follows is neither an ethnographic analysis of Irish and Australian volunteer organizations nor a study of the work of these volunteers/workers in their respective NGOs. Rather, it is an ethnographic move to theorize a created temporal and spatial community of engagement and suffering as activism. Specifically, I explore the everyday aid worker's embodied experiences of El Salvador. I attend to how narratives of, threats of, and rumors of violence are gendered, raced, sexed, and classed and how they circulate in an expatriate community that I became part of. I suggest that these localized experiences and understandings of violence shape the possibility of postwar development and activism for these practitioners. In analyzing ethnographic interviews, I address what I term "ambivalent activism" and the "professionalization of solidarity" that takes place on the margins of institutional spaces. Emerging discourses and practices position El Salvador as a "bad" and dangerous place, where women rank-and-file development volunteers, in particular, describe their lives as chaotic at best. My account of these self-identified volunteers is in dialogue with my own positioning as a United States-based ethnographer/scholar in formation with inflections of Argentine-ness and how this affects the friendships and subsequent interviews that I conducted with young women and men aid workers. Ultimately, I argue for a process-oriented understanding of activism that elides facile categorization and raises questions about which practices and sites count as activism. …


In this thesis, I argue that the financial authorities in the United Kingdom and Germany have experienced a waning in their ability to influence the quantity and allocation of (domestic) credit money, and its domestic and international value i.e. purchasing power, since WW2. This ability is called financial power. It is then argued that post-Keynesian (PK) endogenous money theory (EMT) can be combined with Marxian analysis in order to give insight into the changing financial power relationships between state, finance sector and real economy from
1945 to 2007. In particular, the ability to influence the provision of credit is identified as a primary (but not exclusive) source of social power for those that wield it.

Inspired by the work of Susan Strange1, the thesis defends the position that this financial power is derived from the ability to influence the quantity of money issued (and its allocation) and its purchasing power, which are determined by the state and market in varying proportions depending on context (Strange 1988).2 Since virtually all of modern money exists in the form of credit-money held as bank deposits, it is further posited that the focus on the political economy of the banking system is appropriate. It is argued that the state in capitalist economies exercised certain capabilities to influence credit during the Bretton Woods period (1944-1973) but that, as the thesis title suggests, was subsequently eroded. The
thesis establishes empirical support for this proposition, and then provides an explanation of the phenomenon using Marx's political economy combined with the EMT. If the state has lost financial capability, this reduces its capacity to regulate the economy and increases any democratic deficit. The growth of financial markets in recent decades (so-called financialisation) has led many such as Palley to suggest that finance sector decision-makers increasingly determine economic outcomes (Palley 2007). It is also common to explain these monetary developments with reference to the actual nature and processes of financialisation itself. Inspired by the seminal work of Andrew Kliman, it is argued that this approach
provides insufficient explanation of the root causes of financialisation (1999)3. In contrast, the

thesis argues that systemic drivers of capitalism rooted in production, probably best

1 The late Susan Strange was Professor of International Political Economy at Warwick University. Her theories of financial power are espoused in her States and Markets text (Strange 1988).
2 The control of existing money is also a source of financial (social) power but is not the subject of the enquiry.
3 Andrew Kliman is Emeritus Professor of Economics at Pace University, New York City, United States.

understood by Marx, provide plausible explanation of the causes of financialisation and the erosion of state financial capability.

The thesis first introduces the key concepts and argument and then provides a review of monetary history, monetary theory (including the EMT), Marx's political economy and an exploration of the role of the state. The objective was to arrive at a robust modern theory of money that could be synthesised with Marx. The study of financial power then examines two research questions, within the context of case studies (from WW2 to 2007) of the United Kingdom (UK) and German financial systems (Federal Republic of West Germany [FRWG] before 1990). The first explores whether or not the capabilities of the UK and German states to determine the level of domestic credit (i.e. offshore currency is ignored), inflation (thus domestic purchasing power) and exchange rate value (international purchasing power) has been diminished. The second question considers the systemic development with respect to the changing roles and interaction between the state, private banks and non-financial businesses in the context of the growth of financial markets. The question asks whether underlying production factors, in particular Marx's law of value, provide a plausible explanation of the erosion of state financial capability. It is concluded that this is a valid conclusion supported by theory and evidence. The interpretation of Marx that is employed is called the Temporal Single System Interpretation (TSSI) of Marx, which illustrates Marx's law of value across periods and identifies a tendency for profit rates to fall. In particular, the method used by Kliman in his study of US corporate profitability from the 1930s is used in the German and UK case studies (Kliman 2010). The results indicate that profitability has fallen across the period, especially if Marx's method of adjusting for inflation is adopted. The thesis then claims that the tendency for the profit rate (measured in abstract labour terms) to fall was a key underlying (albeit indirect) driver of the systemic propensity towards financialisation phenomena. I claim in the thesis that the responses of market financial agents (supported by the state) to the falling profitability have also been responsible for the erosion of state capability to influence the level of credit and the purchasing power of money, since a key feature of the financialisation era manifests a stronger role for market actors at the expense of the UK/German state.

Fundamentally, these conclusions support the Marxian-inspired notion of the state as an entity that primarily exists to represent the interests of capital and capital accumulation.


Lymphatic cysts can either represent lymphatic malformations (LMs) or may occur after trauma or operation. Independent of their etiology lymphatic cysts can cause functional impairment and recurrent skin infections. We report the successful use of OK-432 injected transcutanously to treat lymphatic macrocysts. Treatment of LMs with OK-432 has been reported to be a safe and minimally invasive procedure. The underlying mechanism is still unclear but injection leads to an inflammation of the wall resulting in occlusion or shrinkage of the cyst.


Today, research on international expansion strategies is questioned by the significant increase of investment flows from emerging economies' companies towards developed or other emerging markets. Besides North-South investment flows, there is an unprecedented rise of South-North and South-South investment flows. Beyond spectacular acquisitions made in several industries in the United States by Lenovo (PC division of IBM) or in Europe by Zhejiang Geely (Volvo) and Tata (Corus, Jaguar and Land Rover), South-North and more specifically South-South investment flows are protean, can rely on a variety of expansion modes and concern SMEs as well as 'emerging multinationals'. The development of these new routes for international expansion opens unique research perspectives. Such a research window opens seldom. The last one dates back to the 1990's with the start of the transition process in China and ex-soviet countries, which was followed by an unprecedented rise of North-South investments and investment flows towards emerging countries. This opening of emerging and transition countries has largely contributed to the success of research on international expansion strategies. Therefore, with the acceleration of South-North and South-South investment flows, research on international expansion strategies is currently about to follow a second phase of growth in its life cycle.


Some major policy changes towards a more open trade and investment regime occurred in Indonesia during the 1980s and 1990s. The impact of these policy changes on the country's industrialisation has been generally favourable. However, little is known about the impact on the dynamics of plant in the country's manufacturing. This study addresses this subject, examining the extent and determinants of plant entry in Indonesian manufacturing over the period 1993-96, and asking how the policy reforms affected plant entry. The key finding suggests that the policy reforms increased the extent of competition within industry. This, however, does not seem to be very strong, and the study puts forward some possible explanations. The discussion reaches a consensus that maybe, during the period under this study, the process of the reform had not really been completed and, at the same time, the (predicted) positive impact of the liberalisation had not been fully realised.


Habitat destruction and forest fragmentation are perhaps the largest threats to primate species around the world. While national parks, games reserves, and primate sanctuaries are instrumental in primate conservation, research suggests that some non-governmentally protected forest fragments may also serve as viable habitats for primates. Of course not all primates respond to fragmentation in the same way, but a species' ability to survive in a fragment relates to 1) home range size 2) degree of frugivory 3) dietary flexibility and behavioral plasticity and 4) ability to utilize matrix habitats. Here I describe these variables in relation to black and white colobus monkeys while focusing on dietary and behavioral plasticity. In general, black and white colobus monkeys seem well adapted to cope with forest fragmentation compared to other primate species because of their small home ranges, predominantly folivorous diets, and dietary and behavioral flexibility. For 15 days during October and November 2009, I observed two troops of Colobus angolensis palliatus in a small encroached forest fragment in the Western Usambara Mountains of northeastern Tanzania. Utilizing past studies from Preston (2002), Fox (2004), Heinen (2006), and Olsen (2007), this study monitors behavioral changes in terms of activity budgets and feeding effort to analyze stress levels associated with fragmentation. Furthermore, this study explores black and white colobus monkey dietary diversity in terms of tree species and selection ratios. This study suggests Colobus angolensis palliatus exhibit remarkable dietary diversity and may be altering their behavior to cope with increasing food scarcity over time. These characteristics likely contribute to primates' ability to persist in this forest fragment.


Budgerigar fledgling disease virus 1 (BFDV-1) is the first avian polyomavirus to be identified, and it possesses uncommon structural and biological properties. Here we present an analysis of the processed viral RNAs in infected chicken embryo fibroblast cells. Two early and 18 late BFDV-1 mRNAs were defined according to their 5' ends and internal splice patterns. In the early region of the genome an incomplete splice reaction covering 195 nt is responsible for creating two mRNAs that could encode small t and large T antigens, which would be initiated from a hypothetical early promoter, PE. The late mRNA 5' ends define two putative promoter regions (PL1 and PL2), 111 nt apart in the BFDV-1 genome non-coding region. The overall splicing pattern of the late mRNAs is further complicated by an alternative splice reaction of intron 2 (deletion of either 64 nt in intron 2a or of 256 nt in intron 2b) and a splice removing intron 3 (870 nt), resulting in deletion of most of the VP2-VP3 coding region. The positions of the late mRNA 5' ends and the splicing pattern indicate the existence of two open reading frames, putatively encoding two pairs of agnoproteins, in the 5' region of several late mRNAs. These mRNAs appear to be bicistronic and to encode one of the agnoproteins together with one of the viral coat proteins.


Botanical illustration - coloured - Acrodon bellidiflorus. Dissected drawings of flowers/seed are included plus dissected flower in attached capsule. Bolus Herbarium Number: 17362. Information given on the reverse side of the illustration: Hort. Dr Marloth, May 1923. Flowers � inch across. Flowers vary to nearly white, and also in size. This specimen is very large, those at Kirstenbosch are smaller in all dimensions. [National Botanical Garden1174/17 Page, Britstown; National Botanical Garden207/17 Black, Mossel Bay].


Field-Effect Transistors (FETs) with on-line controllable-polarity are promising candidates to support next generation System-on-Chip (SoC). Thanks to their enhanced functionality, controllable-polarity FETs enable a superior design of critical components in a SoC, such as processing units and memories, while also providing native solutions to control power consumption. In this paper, we present the efficient design of a SoC core with controllable-polarity FET. Processing units are speeded-up at the datapath level, as arithmetic operations require fewer physical resources than in standard CMOS. Power consumption is decreased via embedded power-gating techniques and tunable high-performance/low-power devices operation. Memory cells are made smaller by merging the access interface with the storage circuitry. We foresee the advantages deriving from these techniques, by evaluating their impact on the design of SoC for a contemporary telecommunication application. Using a 22-nm vertically-stacked silicon nanowire technology, a coarse-grain evaluation at the block level estimates a delay and power reduction of 20% and 19% respectively, at a cost of a moderate area overhead of 15%, with respect to a state-of-art FinFET technology.


Abstract:  The joint influences of riparian vegetation and urbanization on fish assemblages were analyzed by depletion sampling in paired forested and nonforested reaches of 25 small streams along an urbanization gradient. Nonforested reaches were narrower than their forested counterparts, so densities based on surface area differ from linear densities (based on reach length). Linear densities (based on number or biomass of fish) of American eel, white sucker and tesselated darter, and the proportion of biomass of benthic invertivores were significantly higher in nonforested reaches, while linear densities of margined madtom and the number of pool species were significantly higher in forested reaches. Observed riparian effects may reflect differences in habitat and algal productivity between forested and nonforested reaches. These results suggest that relatively small‐scale riparian restoration projects can affect local geomorphology and the abundance of fish. Dense vegetative cover in riparian zones and similar or analogous habitats in both forested and nonforested reaches, the relatively small scale of the nonforested reaches, and the low statistical power to detect differences in abundance of rare species may have limited the observed differences between forested and nonforested reaches. There was a strong urbanization gradient, with reductions of intolerant species and increases of tolerant species and omnivores with increasing urbanization. Interactions between riparian vegetation type and urbanization were found for blacknose dace, creek chub, tesselated darter, and the proportion of biomass of lithophilic spawners. The study did not provide consistent support for the hypotheses that responses of fish to riparian vegetation would be overwhelmed by urban degradation or insignificant at low urbanization.


Gyrocheilos taishanense G.T. Wang, Yu Q. Chen & R.J. Wang (Gesneriaceae) from south China is described and illustrated with photographs. It is morphologically similar to G. microtrichum W.T.Wang, but it is distinguished by its glabrous or sparsely hairy pedicels, zygomorphic calyx with hairs in unequal length, and slightly bilobed adaxial corolla lips. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ITS and plastid trnL-F sequences strongly supported this new species as sister to a clade comprising the previously described Gyrocheilos species (100% posterior probability and bootstrap support). The new species is evaluated here as Least Concern (LC) according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.


DNA damage poses a considerable threat to genomic integrity and cell survival. One of the most harmful forms of DNA damage are double-strand breaks that arise spontaneously during regular DNA processing like replication or meiosis. In addition, they can also be induced by a variety of DNA damaging agents like UV light, cell toxins or anti-cancer drugs. Failure of the rapid repair of these breaks can lead to chromosomal rearrangements and ultimately tumorigenesis in humans. In response to these genomic threats, a highly developed DNA repair network of protein factors has evolved, where the Mre11/Rad50/Nbs1 (MRN) complex is sought to play a key role in sensing, processing and repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Orthologs of Mre11 and Rad50, but not Nbs1, are found in all taxonomic kingdoms of life, suggesting that Mre11 and Rad50 form the core of this complex.
In this work structural studies were performed to decipher the overall architecture and the interaction of SbcC and SbcD, the bacterial orthologs of Rad50 and Mre11. Using X-ray crystallographic and small angle X-ray scattering techniques the crystal as well as the in solution structures of the Thermotoga maritima SbcC ATPase domain in complex with full-length SbcD were solved. The crystal and in solution structure match well fortifying the calculated models that reveal an open, elongated complex with dimensions of approximately 210 A * 75 A * 65 A. The heterotetrameric protein assembly consists of two SbcD molecules that homodimerize at domains I to form the central portion of the complex. Located at the outer areas of this homodimer domains II are arranged close to lobe II of SbcC building a small protein-protein interface. The C-terminal domains III of SbcD are connected to domains II via a flexible linker and associate through hydrophobic interactions with the coiled-coils of SbcC. These arrangements in combination with earlier findings lead to a model where upon ATP-binding the complex performs a conformational switch resulting in a ring-shaped structure. This conformation would bear a central cavity to harbor DNA strands that can be processed by the inwards oriented nuclease active sites of SbcD.


ABSTRACTThis study aims to identify the vertical transport mechanisms that uplifted the forest fire emissions from Sumatra to the upper troposphere during the June 2013 haze crisis. WRF-Chem is used to simulate the formation and transport of biomass-burning haze during the study period of 18th to 26th June 2013. The South-Southeast Asian synoptic weather patterns and their effects on the transport of biomass-burning emissions from Sumatra to Peninsular Malaysia were studied computationally to explain the phenomenon. Results show that PM10 emissions were lifted to 200 hPa height (approximately 12 km) over the Strait of Malacca on 24th June. The two identified vertical transport mechanisms confirmed a previously conjectured convergence over the Strait of Malacca and orographic lifting over Peninsular Malaysia. These mechanisms were able to uplift the biomass-burning emissions to the upper troposphere and this could have significant long-range transport and global climatic effects.


In the statistical analysis it is sometimes necessary to determine sample size. It is not required if the results are not collected by means of statistical apparatus, and it serves only to present the observed phenomena or mileages. In the presented material some ways to determine sample size and sampling are given. Sampling from unknown and known set, drawing sample from strata, as well as multistage sample, systematic and in beams is characterized. Also comments on the costs of sampling and the proportions in the sample are presented.


Author Posting. © The Oceanography Society, 2017. This article is posted here by permission of The Oceanography Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Oceanography 30, no. 2 (2017): 88–89, doi:10.5670/oceanog.2017.225.


Transpiration, the evaporative loss of water from vegetation through stomata, is intertwined with biological, meteorological, and hydrologic processes from the scale of leaves to continents. Among the methods of estimating transpiration, thermometric sap flow sensors have gained favor due to their high temporal resolution and capacity to integrate across sub-canopy variability. Heterogeneity in growing conditions through space and time may contribute substantial uncertainty to sap flow-based inferences; hence, quantification of spatiotemporal variability in sap flow dynamics and plant physiological traits is required to improve confidence in transpiration estimates. In this study, I employ sap flow sensors to address the environmental sensitivity of water use dynamics in conifers growing in contrasting topographic positions (elevations, aspects, and hillslope positions) within a watershed; additionally, I explore how variability in sapwood traits may contribute to uncertainty in sap flow-based estimates of whole-tree transpiration. To these ends, I measured sap flow in 32 trees of 5 species throughout the 2014 growing season and estimated sapwood traits in those individuals and in cooccurring trees. I related sap flow dynamics to environmental variables (vapor pressure deficit and soil moisture) through lag analyses and nonlinear regression. A Monte Carlobased simulation and mixed effects variance decomposition served to quantify the sensitivity of transpiration to variability in sapwood traits and the magnitude of that variability across ecological scales. The response of sap flow to vapor pressure deficit varied with species and across topographic positions, and sap flow dynamics diverged spatially as soil moisture declined during the summer. The simulation suggested that a common assumption (constant wood thermal diffusivity) could impart up to 100% overestimation of transpiration in trees with sapwood properties similar to those I observed. Taken together, these findings underscore the importance of sampling sap flow and sapwood traits at the spatiotemporal scale for which inferences are to be drawn.


Purpose: To compare the use of Gafchromic EBT2 film and 2D array ionchamber detectors (IBA Matrixx and PTW729) as a QA tool for patient specific QA of small‐field, high dose IMRT plans. Method and Materials: EBT2 film is designed to detect high dose gradients with excellent spatial resolution power'"100um. The film has wide dose coverage of 1cGy ‐ 1000 cGy in red color channel and therefore can serve for high dose applications. In the study, the film was calibrated by a 6MV photon beam in a water‐equivalent phantom. Measuring the performance of the EBT2 film and 2D array ionchamber detectors was proceeded simultaneously by inserting a film between the top build up and top of the ionchamber array. In all, eight previous patient cases, planned on BrainLab iPlan Version 4.1.1 and delivered by Varian TX Novalis, were re‐delivered. Differences were evaluated using dose profile and Gamma Index comparisons. Results: For EBT2 vs. planar dose, X and Y profiles of the film were similar to the planar dose. Dose profiles from the film showed better agreement than Matrixx and PTW729 due to improved spatial resolution in high dose region. The high gradient dose region is also very well matched. For Matrixx and PTW729 vs. calculated dose, the Matrixx and PTW729 dose profile were unable to resolve the smaller peaks within the target region. The overall Gamma evaluation results showed that the stricter the analysis criteria were, the lower the percentage pass rate occurs on Matrixx and PTW729. Conclusions: Results show that EBT2 film is able to better characterize the calculated dose distribution for small fields due to its better spatial resolution as compared to Matrixx and PTW729. Additionally, Matrixx and PTW729 appear to show lower Gamma Index values as the evaluation criteria is restricted.


Background: Although the number of cancer survivors has increased substantially over the past several decades, the composition of survivors treated with radiotherapy is not well defined. Radiotherapy carries unique long-term toxicity risks for cancer survivors. This study describes the current estimates and future projections of the epidemiology of 5-year cancer survivors who receive radiation therapy. Methods: We used cancer incidence and survival data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) database linked to U.S. Census data to estimate the number of 5-year cancer survivors treated with radiation between 2000 and 2030. Future projections assumed continuing incidence and survival trends based on historical rates. Results: In 2016, there were an estimated 3.05 million cancer survivors treated with radiation, accounting for 29% of all cancer survivors. The number of radiation-treated cancer survivors is projected to reach 3.38 million by 2020 and 4.17 million by 2030. In 2016, breast (40%) and prostate cancer (23%) composed the majority of radiation-treated survivors, followed by head and neck cancer (5.8%), lymphoma (5.6%), uterine (3.9%), and rectal cancer (3.8%). The percentage of 70 years or older radiation-treated survivors steadily increased between 2000 and 2030. Conclusions: The next several years are projected to see a large increase in the number of cancer survivors treated with radiation. Impact: This group of cancer survivors has unique needs given the long-term risks of radiation, and increased research and awareness are required to optimize health of this growing population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(6); 963–70. ©2017 AACR.


Medical schools are charged with preparing their students for lifelong service of humanity. However, as discussed in this editorial many medical students may not be served well by the experience of their training. It is paramount that what is taught at medical school and those who teach prepare an educated but resilient workforce. The unmet expectations of medical students and their experience as newly qualified doctors sometimes reinforce the damage done during medical training.


The Balambangan Island, offshore Sabah offers outstanding scientific, aesthetic and cultural values that make the island very important in terms of geoheritage conservation. Despite its small size, the island has beautiful landscape and other geological elements that bear high ecotourism potential. The island has a wide spectrum of rock types and paleoenvironments. It has basalt deposited together with deep sea sediments and also shallow marine clastics as well as carbonates. The age of the rocks range from Cretaceous to Pliestocene. Since its emergence, the island has been carved by weathering and erosion into beautiful landscapes and morphologies. The clastic sediment at the southern tip of the island has been carved by wave into various shapes some of which resemble certain animals. Weathering and erosion on the Balambangan limestone member, on the other hand have produced unique karst morphology and landscape. The Balambangan Limestone hosts more than 20 caves with beautiful cave formations. The youngest Timohing Formation provides a good example of the recent products of geological processes and can be of high scientific value. In summary, the island has a very good potential for geotourism, edutourism and conservation.


The global economy has transformed during the last few decades. Though the changes have benefited some, many mature industrial economies have not been treated well by the changes they have seen and have been forced to adapt to dramatically altered circumstances. In this collection of original papers, economists and geographers from Asia, North America and Europe examine the policy initiatives that have succeeded in their countries.


Abstract Parliament is the place where politicians make laws to set the policy direction of countries. Non-involvement of different voices such as gender, race and ethnicity in policy decisions may create an inequality in policy-making. Regarding gender, previous literature suggests that women and men may have different policy prefer- ences and women give more priority to policies related to their traditional roles as care givers to children in the family. Public spending on family allowances is one of the economic policies that plays an important role in helping families for childcare. This paper contributes to the literature by analyzing the relationship between female political representation and public spending on family allowances within a perspective of critical-mass framework.


The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought havocs on economies around the world. Yet, barely any evidence currently exists on the distributional impacts of the pandemic. We provide the first study that offers new theoretical and empirical evidence on the distributional impacts of the pandemic on different income groups in a multi-country setting. Analyzing rich individual-level data from a six-country survey, we find that while the outbreak has no impacts on household income losses, it results in a 65-percent reduction in the expected own labor income for the second-poorest income quintile. The impacts of the pandemic are most noticeable in terms of savings, with all the four poorer income quintiles suffering reduced savings ranging between 5 and 7 percent compared to the richest income quintile. The poor are also less likely to change their behaviors, both in terms of immediate prevention measures against COVID-19 and healthy activities. We also find countries to exhibit heterogeneous impacts. The United Kingdom has the least household income loss and expected labor income loss, and the most savings. Japanese are least likely to adapt behavioral changes, but Chinese, Italians, and South Koreans wash their hands and wear a mask more often than Americans.


This study focuses on adaptation within marketing relationships. Within marketing theory, adaptation refers to the practice of making investments which are of particular relevance to a specific relationship. Considerable benefits flow from making such investments in the form of enhanced performance (Parkhe, 1993; Dyer, 1996). Within transaction cost analysis literature, Williamson (1999, p.312) described adatation as the "central problem of economic organization". According to Williamson (1975), adaptation is impeded by uncertainty and the threat of opportunism. In order to counter these problems, Williamson argues that governance structures need to be in place which will achieve the dual aims of both controlling the risks posed by uncertainty and opportunism, and also enhancing adaptation within relationships. Despite the centrality of importance attributed to adaptation by Williamson, there is a paucity of empirical research into this area within transaction cost analysis literature.

A literature review shows that there has been very little examination of the problems posed by uncertainty and opportunism to adaptation within relationships. Furthermore, the literature review also showed that extant research on governance within transaction cost analysis is concerned predominantly with issue surrounding choices of governance, rather than the effectiveness of different modes of governance as a means of managing adaptation within relationships. Williamson (1991a), in particular, cast doubt on the capacity of hybrid forms of governance, such as relational norms, to manage the adaptation process but there is an absence of investigation within the literature into this matter. However, there is an absence of research into the capacity of relational norms to act as form of governance that can manage the risks of uncertainty and opportunism, as well as to enhance adaptation within relationships.

This gap in the research forms the aim of this study, which seeks to provide systematic research and empirical evidence into the role of relational norms as a governance structure for adaptation within relationships. The setting for the empirical research was the UK automotive sector. Analysis of the data showed that the negative, hypothesised effect of opportunism on adaptation was supported. It was also shown that when the effect of an interaction of the norm of information exchange and opportunism on adaptation was modelled a significant, positive effect was reported. A similar, positive result was reported when the effect of an interaction of uncertainty and the norm of solidarity on adaptation was modelled. A divergence in results was found in several areas involving human and technological adaptation, and the role of uncertainty, which may have been caused by situational factors. Areas in need of further research, in particular those involving a divergence of recults are identified.

This study contributes to literature in several ways. It represents the first study which has considered the relational norms as a form of governance for adaptation within relationships. The negative effect of opportunism on adaptation is shown to be a factor that must be managed. Furthermore, the roles of norms, in particular information exchange and solidarity are shown to be effective in assisting the governance of adaptation. Finally, the study provides specific guidance to management on the means to improve the governance of adaptation within relationships.


Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain hardness affects many end product quality traits and is controlled primarily by the Hardness (Ha) locus that contains the Puroindoline a and b genes. All soft hexaploid wheats carry the same wild-type alleles Pina-D1a and Pinb-D1a and hard wheats carry a mutation in Pina or Pinb. In order to explore variation in the Puroindolines two approaches were pursued to increase Ha locus functionality. First Ha locus functionality was modified through a non-transgenic increase in Pin dosage. Here we tested the heritability and end product quality effects of increased Pin dosage in soft wheat. Previous experiments have suggested that grain softness can be enhanced by increasing Ha locus dosage via chromosome substitutions. Segregation data from a cross between a 'Chinese Spring' substitution lines with six doses of the Ha locus to the soft wheat variety 'Vanna' indicate that the substituted B genome Ha locus was not transmitted and that the A genome Ha locus was transmitted. Genotypes with the added Pins on the A genome produced seeds that were 7.4 hardness units softer. These softer double Ha genotypes were lower in flour yields, but produced flour with lower ash content, reduced starch damage, and smaller mean particle size. The second route to increased Ha functionality was via novel Pin alleles present in synthetic hexaploid wheat (Triticum tauschii L.). Previous research has indicated that the seeds of synthetic hexaploid lines containing the PINAc or PINBh proteins are significantly softer than those carrying other alleles. Here we show lines containing the PINAc / PINBh or PINAa / PINBj Ha locus exhibited increases in flour ash and flour particle size as well as decreased kernel weight relative to lines carrying the PINAa / PINBa Ha locus. Further lines containing the PINAa / PINBj Ha locus exhibited increases in grain hardness and flour yield as well as decreased protein content relative to lines carrying the PINAa / PINBa Ha locus. The resultant phenotypes revealed a potentially useful intermediate hardness with improved product quality properties. Increasing the range of novel Ha loci may lead to increased soft wheat quality and marketability.


Path finding is a well-studied problem in AI, which is often framed as graph search. Any-angle path finding is a technique that augments the initial graph with additional edges to build shorter paths to the goal. Indeed, optimal algorithms for any-angle path finding in static environments exist. However, when dynamic obstacles are present and time is the objective to be minimized, these algorithms can no longer guarantee optimality. In this work, we elaborate on why this is the case and what techniques can be used to solve the problem optimally. We present two algorithms, grounded in the same idea, that can obtain provably optimal solutions to the considered problem. One of them is a naive algorithm and the other one is much more involved. We conduct a thorough empirical evaluation showing that, in certain setups, the latter algorithm might be as fast as the previously-known greedy non-optimal solver while providing solutions of better quality. In some (rare) cases, the difference in cost is up to 76%, while on average it is lower than one percent (the same cost difference is typically observed between optimal and greedy any-angle solvers in static environments).


This artwork engaged the field of participatory and collaborative art practice. Produced for 'Open Congress' at Tate Britain, it addressed the question that propelled the 2-day event: how can the methods of 'Open Source' – software that anyone is free to copy, modify and distribute – be transferred to cultural production? As such, it took the form of a simulated flower stall – in the Clore Foyer and Auditorium – bricolaged from brightly coloured household implements.

The 'modular' construction of the 'flowers' invited modification and redistribution through interaction, which was additionally encouraged via workshop sessions. The workshops also addressed issues of copyright, and introduced the use of 'copy-left' or 'Creative Commons' licenses which legalised the freedom I was giving to visitors to appropriate 'The Blooming Commons'. The novel application of the Open Source ethos to art production elaborated a particular 'ecology' of art, and an ethic and aesthetic of recycling.

While the eminent international, theorists of 'open source' e.g. Trebor Scholz, McKenzie Wark, and Tiziana Terranova offered papers on a range of Open Source-related themes, 'The Blooming Commons' was the only, actual Open Source art-work. Extensive research suggests that while, by definition, digital production in the area of Open Source art is fairly copious e.g. Rob Myers, Kollabor8, analogue production is less so - Julian Priest being one of the few examples; certainly 'The Blooming Commons' was the Tate's first Open Source work of art.


Background: Sauerkraut could potentially be a probiotic superfood. Sauerkraut does not require the use of a starter culture to cultivate these beneficial bacteria. All that is needed is a measure of salt and the cabbage. Naturally made, unprocessed sauerkraut contains probiotic microorganisms called Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB). LAB is one of the most significant organisms and has established benefits. For example, Lactic Acid Bacteria has established benefits with the treatment of diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, infections (urogenital, urinary and candida). LAB have also been shown to enhance immune system function to help prevent various illnesses and promote lactose digestion. Nevertheless, there is very little conclusive evidence on how much LAB is in sauerkraut and if there is enough present to confer benefits. Purpose: Determine if various serving sizes of homemade sauerkraut (2 Tbsp., 1⁄2 cup, & 1 cup) meets the recommended CFU range in comparison to a control (supplement probiotic). Methods: Sauerkraut was prepared with no starter culture. Modified Lactobacillus Media was used to culture LAB. The capsule serving (0.8g) was diluted with 99.2g PBS (1/100) and 10g of sauerkraut was diluted with 90g PBS (1/10). For serial dilutions, 1mL of each of the samples was diluted into 9 mL MRS broth for the dilutions (10 -1 -10 -10 ). Then 1mL from each test tube is transferred into corresponding petri dishes. Melted Lactobacillus MRS agar is then mixed into each of the petri dishes. All petri dishes are then placed into a candle light jar and placed in an incubator at 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 o F) for 5 days. After five days, the petri dishes with 25-250 visible cultures were counted. The number counted was multiplied by the dilution which gave the total number CFUs/g. The LAB concentration of the sauerkraut was calculated by multiplying the CFU/g times the serving size.  Results: The results were calculated as the mean of CFUs recorded from the 3 trials for both the control (supplement) and the sauerkraut. The control group was calculated as a mean of 4.3x107 CFUs with a Relative Standard Deviation (RSD) of 3.5% CFUs. The sauerkraut averages were calculated for each of the serving sizes. The 2 Tbsp. serving has a mean of 1.5x106 (RSD= 32%), the 1⁄2 cup has a mean of 5.9x106 (RSD= 31%), and the 1 cup serving has a mean of 1.2x107 (RSD= 30%). Conclusion: The study concludes that sauerkraut (even the two Tbsp. serving) meets the recommended CFU range. Based on these findings, sauerkraut can be considered a "probiotic superfood". Keywords: Sauerkraut, probiotic superfood, supplement probiotic, Lactobacillus