Abstract. A concept for targetless, computer-aided design (CAD)-based, close-range photogrammetry for online shape inspection is introduced. The shape of an object, which is arbitrarily located on a conveyor belt, is to be measured and compared with its nominal shape as defined by a CAD model. For most manufactured objects, deviations are only measured at a few given comparison points. These deviations can be estimated using local photogrammetry based on a priori geometrical information given by the CAD model and the comparison points. Our method results in faster output with higher precision, because we do not generate a shape representation of the entire measured object using typical photogrammetric methods. Images depicting the object from convergent angles are captured by an array of cameras in a precalibrated network, and the CAD model is matched and aligned, within the projective geometry of the camera network, to the depicted object in the images without the use of targets. An algorithm for solving this virtual projective targetless shape matching problem is presented.


Missing data plagues all surveys, and to a degree the New Zealand Census suffers from the same malaise. While it is not a high level of missingness, it is present. If not correctly dealt with; just deleting cases with missing data will lead to biased conclusions, particularly if the missingness mechanism is NMAR. Some missing data may be inevitable; sometimes a respondent may be incapable of answering a question. This is usually MAR. If however the respondent refuses to answer a question because of say having a high income, then the results of the income question will be biased. Over time there have been a growing number of people employing avoidance tactics so as not to be classified as a refusal, but to make enumeration just too difficult. Anecdotal evidence among enumerators shows that this accounts for about 5% of respondents.


Information conveyed by the face can be used in social encounters to make fast decisions about another person. Recently, a new model of face perception has been postulated (Oosterhof & Todorov, 2009) suggesting that there are two basic judgements that underlie person evaluations from faces: dominance and trustworthiness. But on the basis of which cues are these judgements made, and do these cues have biological validity? In this thesis I investigate two putative facial cues to dominance and trustworthiness; namely, facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) and skin yellowness. In men, fWHR has previously been linked to aggressive and dominant behaviour as well as the perception of these traits. Here I show that a more positive dominance related trait (achievement striving) is also related to this metric, indicating a general association of fWHR to dominance rather than simple aggression. Furthermore, I explore the biological underpinnings of this metric by showing 1) that contrary to initial findings and predictions fWHR is not sexually dimorphic, and 2) that fWHR is associated with testosterone, indicating a physiological link between appearance and behaviour. Additionally, I extend current work on fWHR by showing that it acts as a cue to dominance not only in humans but also in non-human primates. The second part of the current thesis firstly identifies skin yellowness as a novel cue used in trustworthiness judgement. It shows that this putatively carotenoid induced cue to current health is not only employed in mate choice context but may also play an important role in other social context and in judgements of who poses an adequate partner for social interactions. Secondly, I show that skin yellowness is inversely related to testosterone levels in men, showing for the first time an association between this carotenoid induced signal and testosterone in humans thereby extending previous work in birds.


Tabanus bivittatus Mats., a traditional Chinese medicine, is commonly used for cardiovascular disorders treatment including atherosclerosis. There have been only a few researches on its chemical components, and no detailed report has appeared on its fatty acids. To develop a simple and effective method for the extraction of total fatty acids from Tabanus bivittatus Mats., the Soxhlet extraction (SE) condition was optimized with response surface methodology. The fatty acid composition of the extract were determined by GC-MS with previous derivatization to fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs). The major fatty acids in Tabanus bivittatus Mats. were oleic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, palmitoleic acid, and stearic acid, and the unsaturated fatty acids occupy 63.9% of the total fatty acids.


Bulk Table Retrieval with the SNMP 1. Status of this Memo This memo reports an interesting family of algorithms for bulk table retrieval using the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). This memo describes an Experimental Protocol for the Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. This memo does not specify a standard for the Internet community. Please refer to the current edition of the "IAB Official Protocol Standards" for the standardization state and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.


This article considers Kentucky's Mammoth Cave as an unexpected site for nineteenth-century theorizations of racialized Blackness. Mammoth Cave became a major tourist attraction in the 1840s, generating a host of guidebooks, travel accounts, magazine illustrations, panoramas, newspaper articles, and fiction. Crucial to its fame was the fact that the guides who led visitors through the cave were enslaved men. This article argues that white writers responded to the guides' knowledge of the cave by reframing it as affinity. In doing so, they transformed Mammoth Cave's subterranean darkness into a manifestation of racialized Blackness. But the writers' racialization of Mammoth Cave also had a tendency to slip out of their control. As they associated its spatial darkness with racialized Blackness, the literal underground of Mammoth Cave flickered into an underground that was more than literal—a mysterious Black formation, of unguessed dimensions and certain danger, beneath the world as they knew it. Finally, the article asks what we can glean from the literature of Mammoth Cave about the body of Black thought it sought to disavow: the alternative relations between race and the underground that the guides theorized through their own subterranean explorations.


ReFr (http://refr.googlecode.com) is a software architecture for specifying, training and using reranking models, which take the n-best output of some existing system and produce new scores for each of the n hypotheses that potentially induce a different ranking, ideally yielding better results than the original system. The Reranker Framework has some special support for building discriminative language models, but can be applied to any reranking problem. The framework is designed with parallelism and scalability in mind, being able to run on any Hadoop cluster out of the box. While extremely efficient, ReFr is also quite flexible, allowing researchers to explore a wide variety of features and learning methods. ReFr has been used for building state-of-the-art discriminative LM's for both speech recognition and machine translation systems. Index Terms: language modeling, discriminative language modeling, reranking, structured prediction


Little penguins on Penguin Island, Western Australia, have a protracted breeding season lasting from May to November/December. Peak numbers of eggs are laid in June and September/October and some pairs may lay two clutches of eggs in one year. The birds moult in December/January and depending on the timing of their breeding, may still be rearing chicks as they fatten during the premoult period. Some birds may abandon chicks in order to moult. The coordination of metabolism, moulting and reproduction and co-ordination of all these with season, probably involves endocrine systems. We therefore measured the circulating concentrations of prolactin, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) during the annual cycle of little penguins, using the birds from the Penguin Island colony and Perth Zoo. Prolactin concentrations did not appear to be strongly associated with annual changes in photoperiod but increased during incubation and chick rearing. There were no differences between the sexes, but captive penguins had higher values than those in the wild. Prolactin values decreased when the penguins began to lose their feathers during the moult cycle. Changes in the concentrations of T4 and T3 were not associated with stage of the breeding cycle but increases were observed during the moult. In particular, T4 appears to play a significant role in the stimulation of feather growth, with values during the premoult phase that were 3-fold higher than the yearly average. We conclude that, for little penguins, thyroid hormones and prolactin may play important roles in coordinating the physiological changes associated with breeding and feather moult. The lack of difference between the sexes reflects their similar roles in chick rearing, and the difference between captive and wild birds probably reflects the nature of the food supply in these two environments.


We present a 1.5-\mum continuous-wave (CW) single-frequency intracavity singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (SRO) based on periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN). The SRO is placed inside the ring cavity of a single-frequency 1.06-\mum Nd:YVO4 laser pumped by a laser diode. The device delivers a maximum single-frequency output power of 310 mW at a resonant signal wavelength of 1.57 \mum. The signal wave could be tuned from 1.57 to 1.59 \mum by temperature tuning of PPLN crystal over the range of 130-170 oC.


This paper presents a review of the criticisms of system dynamics and assesses the validity of these against recent findings in the field. The authors survey the literature critical of system dynamics and review their criticisms using the current understandings in the system dynamics field. This work suggests that there are some pertinent criticisms that have been aimed at system dynamics. These include the apparent disagreements regarding the role of historical data in model confidence building, system dynamics' reductionist perspective and how system dynamics addresses plurality and hierarchy. Overcoming these criticisms require the ever present need for education, communication and theoretical work. It is hoped this paper will strengthen the mandate of system dynamics in the eyes of its critics, assist and improve the field and its general acceptance as a tool of analysis.


Typically, students of foreign policy have viewed the decision-making process from perspectives that downplay, if not ignore, societal influence. Canadian scholar Patrick Stuart Robinson has gone against this trend, asserting that foreign policy, properly understood, is in fact rooted in society. According to Robinson, the political process is inherently a social activity, and as such, imposes certain constraints on decision-makers. He asserts that decision-makers, like all members of society, have a role to play. Indeed, as the symbolic representatives of their constituency, these individuals have a particularly significant position within society  – they are at the helm of the ongoing process of affirming its values and rules. Like everyone else, they too are aware of, what is expected of them according to their role. However, because of their status, and because of the importance of what they do, decision-makers are especially burdened by societal expectations. Their choices cannot simply be made according to personal preferences; rather, they must be made against the backdrop of their leadership position and its attendant obligations to society. Importantly, as Robinson notes, the "political fortunes [of decision-makers]  – even their survival  – depend to a great extent on how they are popularly perceived to have discharged [their] ...responsibility." As a result, considerations of role and appropriateness are often pivotal to the policy-making process.

This thesis, a case study of the Canadian response to the Cuban missile crisis, lends credence to Robinson's argument. Specifically, it shows that considerations of role, responsibility, and appropriateness were highly relevant to the Diefenbaker government in the formulation of Canadian policy. Moreover, this thesis dispels the popular notion that Canada's reaction to the crisis can be explained solely by reference to Prime Minister Diefenbaker's propensity for indecision, his personal antipathy for President Kennedy, or his strong Canadian nationalism.


ABSTRATCT Zagros Mountains located in the west of Iran. In this region, nature, climate and environment is distinguished than other parts of the country. What has caused this difference certainly is Zagros Mountain. Special architecture of the dwellings and formation of many villages of this region have been affected by them. Zagros region tourism potentials and attractions have been considered by internal and external tourists in recent decade. Environmental and natural elements like: river, waterfall, forest, wildlife natural species and ecosystem and man-made elements like stair shaped houses, compatible with climate architecture and harmonization between construction and context have great effects on eco-tourists gathering. Researchers in this article scrutinize ecotourism features in a village (located in the heart of the Hawraman, in the middle Zagros) called Hajiij as a valuable texture village. Then the impacts of tourist on human and environmental components of the village and present threats and challenges have been studied. Beside field researches, questionnaire and interview with residents and officials as two statistical samples are applied in the research. After analyzing gathered data, research findings have been presented quantitatively. Finally strategies to face threats and weaknesses of village ecotourism have been presented. Applying them in a long term will have sustainable effects like reducing poverty, protecting native values and culture, economic development and reducing migration.


Having reached this point, the reader should no longer doubt the richness of Objective Caml. This language rests on a functional and imperative core, and it integrates the two major application organization models: modules and objects. While presented as libraries, threads are an attractive part of the language. The system primitives, portable for the most part, complete the language with all the possibilities offered by distributed programming. These different programming paradigms are shaped within the general framework of static typing with inference. For all that, these elements do not, in themselves, settle the question of Objective Caml's relevance for developing applications, or more prosaically, " is it a good language? " None of the following classic arguments can be used in its favor: • (marketing development) " it's a good language because clients buy it " ; • (historical development) " it's a good language because thousands of lines of code have already been written in it " ; • (systems development) " it's a good language because the Unix or Windows systems are written in it " ; • (beacon application development) " it's a good language because such-and-such application is written in it " ; • (standardization development) " it's a good language because it has an ISO specification ". We'll review one last time the various features of the language, but this time from the angle of its relevance for answering a development team's needs. The criteria selected to make up the elements of our evaluation take into account the intrinsic qualities of the language, its development environment, the contributions of its community and the significant applications which have been achieved. Finally we'll compare Objective Caml with several similar functional languages as well as the object-oriented language Java in order to underscore the main differences.


The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between Serum levels of Zinc(Zn), Copper(Cu), calcium(Ca) Ceruloplasmin(Cp),and Non–Ceruloplasmin-Bound Copper (NCC) in lung and liver cancer patient, by used serum of forty male,( 40 – 65 ) years aged were divided into three groups, which included liver cancer patients group composed of ten patients, lung cancer patients group composed of ten patients and twenty healthy or control groups. The results of this study showed significant increase in levels of Ceruloplasmin , copper, calcium and Non-ceruloplasmin _ bound copper in lung cancer and liver cancer groups if compare to control group. The level of Zinc (Zn) was significantly (P<0.05) decreased in patients lung and liver cancer groups if compare to control group.


The intensifying conflicts between religious communities in contemporary South and Southeast Asia signify the importance of gaining a clearer understanding of how societies have historically organised and mastered their religious diversity. Based on extensive archival research in Asia, Europe, and
the United States, this book suggests a new approach to interpreting and explaining secularism not as a Western concept but as a distinct form of practice in 20th-century global history. In six case studies on the contemporary history of India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, it analyses secularism as a project to create a high degree of distance between the state and religion during the era of decolonisation and the emerging Cold War between 1945 and 1970. To demonstrate the interplay between local and transnational dynamics, the case studies look at patterns of urban planning, the struggle against religious nationalism, conflicts around religious education, and (anti-)communism as a dispute over secularism and social reform. The book emphasises in particular the role of non-state actors as key supporters of secular statehood – a role that has thus far not received sufficient attention. A novel approach to studying secularism in Asia, the book discusses the different ways that global transformations such as decolonisation and the Cold War interacted with local relations to reshape and relocate religion in society. It will be of interest to scholars of Religious Studies, International Relations and Politics, Studies of Empire, Cold War Studies, Subaltern Studies, Modern Asian History, and South and Southeast Asian Studies.


Maritime policy analysts often invoke the 'vessel safety net' metaphor to explain the independent but overlapping risk management roles and responsibilities of the vessel master and crew, owner and charterer, operating company, classification society, flag state and port states. Oil spills from the 2002 M/T Prestige break up off the coast of Galicia, Spain, the 2007 M/V Cosco Busan bridge allision in San Francisco Bay and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon debacle in the Gulf of Mexico, among others, demonstrate that any or all of the components of that safety net may come under scrutiny following a marine casualty, possibly leading to civil and even criminal liability. It now seems clear that criminal liability for the harm caused by a marine casualty can extend beyond those on board the vessels who might have been guilty of 'operational negligence.' This article examines one particular aspect of the emerging development: the potential criminal liability of the vessel owner or operator, typically a corporation, for a discharge of oil in violation of the Clean Water Act. Recent cases have demonstrated that the owner's or operator's criminal liability may be based on either vicarious liability for the criminal acts of a mariner employed by the owner or operator or on a direct liability theory. Civil liability based on vicarious liability is nothing new. But vicarious criminal liability remains somewhat controversial. However, because vicarious criminal liability - if permitted under the governing law - is relatively easy to establish, this article will only briefly examine the duties relevant to a vicarious liability theory before turning to the alternative direct liability theory for what some refer to as 'negligent management.' It does so by examining the possible means by which the direct criminal liability of the operator of the Cosco Busan might have been established if the operator had not pled guilty and the case had gone to trial.


The purpose of this study was to examine student entry into a campus recreation center based on seven demographics (gender, ethnicity, age, class standing, intercollegiate athlete vs. non-athlete, students with self-reported disability vs. non-disability, and campus residence) in order to determine who would be most likely to enter the recreation center. Subjects were from a mid-western, four year state-assisted institution with combined enrollment of 23,932 undergraduate and graduate students. Of the 23,932 enrolled, 14,032 students were examined in this study. Information on student entry to the recreation center was collected through the university's student information system. Data was analyzed and interpreted using chi-square analysis. Results of the study show statistically significant differences in the demographics except the student disability demographic. More males than females, more African Americans than other ethnicities, more traditionally aged (18-25) students than non-traditional students, more underclassmen than seniors, more athletes and non-athletes, more residents than commuters were likely to enter the campus recreation center. The findings in this study could be used by collegiate recreational sport directors and administrators, in the United States and internationally, for future ideas about programming in similar recreation settings.


Abstract The California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) fishery in southern California ranks amongst the State's most economically important fisheries. An analysis of commercial harvest data confirms that the fishery was landing near-record catches in the late-2000s through early-2010s. Advances in recreational fishing technology likely tempered commercial fishery landings per unit effort. The commercial catch per trap pulled declined 15%, on average, in years after the introduction of a new rigid-style hoop net in the recreational fishery. Fishery-independent data sourced from power plant marine life monitoring recorded increased California spiny lobster abundance after 1989 with evidence of increased larval settlement beginning circa 1989. This timing was consistent with previously reported oceanographic changes in the North Pacific. Abundance indices for lobsters likely one-year's growth away from recruiting into the fishery and the young-of-the-year, both derived from power plant abundance records, significantly predicted the commercial landings at index-appropriate temporal lags, i.e. one year for next year's recruitment. Carapace lengths measured during power plant surveys in Santa Monica Bay, where commercial fishing was prohibited, significantly declined for the total sample and females only after the introduction of the new rigid hoop net. Male carapace lengths were not significantly different between the two periods. The power plant data confirms that, as of 2012, the fishery appears healthy but warns of the need to monitor sublegal individuals and their dependence on oceanographic conditions. These analyses also indicate the urgency of monitoring the recreational fishery harvest, especially the potential effects of the new rigid hoop net.


BACKGROUND: An objective method to evaluate thoracoabdominal movement is needed in daily clinical practice to detect patients at risk of hypoventilation and to allow for timely interventions in neuromuscular diseases. The clinical feasibility, reliability, and validity of a newly developed method for quantifying respiratory movement using fiber grating sensors, called the Respiratory Movement Evaluation Tool (RMET), was evaluated. METHODS: The time needed to measure respiratory movement and the usability of the measurement were determined by 5 clinicians using the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST) 2.0 questionnaire. Thoracoabdominal movement was measured using RMET 3 times in 10 healthy subjects to evaluate intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The subjects were encouraged to breathe 10 times while voluntarily changing the amount of air during ventilation simultaneously with the RMET and a spirometer, and their correlations were evaluated to test validity using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients. The same measurements were also performed in 10 subjects with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. RESULTS: Real-time recordings of thoracoabdominal movements were obtained over a mean time of 374 ± 23.9 s. With QUEST 2.0, the median score of each item exceeded 3 (more or less satisfied). In healthy subjects, ICC(1,1) ranged from 0.82 to 0.99, and ICC(2,1) ranged from 0.83 to 0.97. Significant correlations were observed between the respiratory amplitudes measured with RMET, and the amount of air during ventilation was measured with a spirometer (r = 0.995, P < .001). In subjects with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, ICC(1,1) ranged from 0.87 to 0.97, and ICC(2,1) ranged from 0.84 to 0.99. The respiratory amplitudes measured with RMET correlated significantly with the amount of air during ventilation with a spirometer (r = 0.957, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: We developed a novel method of quantifying respiratory movement called RMET that was feasible to use in daily clinical practice.


Energy inefficiency in the building stock is a substantial contributor to climate change. Integrated energy service companies (IESCs) have a potentially important role in improving energy efficiency. However, there are numerous barriers to energy efficiency, preventing the growth of energy service markets. We analyse energy efficiency barriers to overcoming the energy efficiency gap in the Finnish building sector. Taking a novel supply side perspective, we place IESCs at the centre of the emerging energy services business ecosystem to identify the barriers and hindering factors (real world illustrations of barriers). From this perspective, we also examine cause-effect relationships between the hindering factors and the actors. Hindering factors, reported by IESCs, were categorised under a revised barrier taxonomy consisting of economic market failures and economic market, behavioural, organisational and institutional barriers. The most salient hindering factors—lack of technical skills, disinterest in energy efficiency improvements and non-functional regulation—were analysed with respect to ecosystem actors causing and affected by these factors. Public actors have a key role in overcoming these barriers, for instance by creating new possibilities for entrants to take part in decision-making, increasing the functionality and practicality of policies and by providing up-to date energy efficiency information.


This chapter explores the relation between political capitalism and the decline in liberal bourgeois democracy. It reviews different generations of argument that there is a "fit" between the market economy and democracy, challenges to that argument, and the specificities of finance-dominated accumulation in this context. It suggests that the political character of this accumulation regime and its consequences for growing inequalities in wealth and income make it harder to maintain the substance as well as form of liberal democracy.


As climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of climate and weather hazards, improving detection and monitoring of flood events is a priority. Being weather independent and high resolution, Sentinel 1 (S1) radar satellite imagery data has become the go to data source to detect flood events accurately. However, current methods are either based on fixed thresholds to differentiate water from land or train Artificial Intelligence (AI) models based on only S1 data, despite the availability of many other relevant data sources publicly. These models also lack comprehensive validations on out-of-sample data and deployment at scale. In this study, we investigated whether adding extra input layers could increase the performance of AI models in detecting floods from S1 data. We also provide performance across a range of 11 historical events, with results ranging between 0.93 and 0.97 accuracy, 0.53 and 0.81 IoU, and 0.68 and 0.89 F1 scores. Finally, we show the infrastructure we developed to deploy our AI models at scale to satisfy a range of use cases and user requests.


We analyze how investors and information intermediaries perceive auditor tenure. Using earnings response coefficients from returns‐earnings regressions as a proxy for investor perceptions of earnings quality, we document a positive association between investor perceptions of earnings quality and tenure. Further, we find that the influence of reported earnings on stock rankings becomes larger with extended tenure, although the association between debt ratings and reported earnings does not vary with tenure. Finally, we find that the influence of past earnings on one‐year‐ahead earnings forecasts becomes greater as tenure increases. In general, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that investors and information intermediaries perceive auditor tenure as improving audit quality. One implication of our study is that imposing mandatory limits on the duration of the auditor‐client relationship might impose unintended costs on capital market participants.


textabstractSome children are afraid of the dark, spiders, ghosts, or imaginary creatures, others are
apprehensive of something bad happening to their parents or themselves, or worry about
doing something stupid in front of others. Nevertheless, fear and anxiety are a normal
part of childhood development and can be seen as an adaptive response to stimuli and
situations that are potentially threatening or dangerous (Marks, 1987). Normal fear and
anxiety in youths shows a clear developmental pattern (Gullone, 2000). Marks (1987) has
described this pattern as the "ontogenetic parade", which refers to the rise and disappearance
of certain fears in a predictable sequence during children's development. That
is, in their preschool years, children's fears are focused on imaginary creatures (e.g.,
ghosts, witches), animals, strangers, and their natural environment (e.g., the dark,
thunderstorms). In middle childhood, fears of physical danger, bodily injury, and school
performance become more prominent, whereas during adolescence, youths more often
report fears about social evaluations and interactions, death, and illness (Bauer, 1976;
Muris, Merckelbach, Gadet, & Moulaert, 2000). Fear and anxiety are thought to come up
and disappear following this predictive pattern because they are linked to different
developmental stages and the specific dangers that children encounter during these
stages (Marks, 1987). For example, fear of strangers and separation anxiety become
manifest around the time that infants have learned to differentiate between familiar and
unfamiliar faces, whereas fear of heights usually develops around the time infants start
crawling. When children have acquired these cognitive and/or physical skills, they
encounter potential dangers (e.g., strangers, heights) for which they do not already have
developed sufficient cognitive capacity to understand. Therefore, children develop fears
to protect them from these potential dangers by triggering the appropriate safety
responses (e.g., avoiding strangers or avoiding heights). When children acquire the
cognitive abilities to understand the potential dangers of these situations and learn how
to deal with them, their fear or anxiety for these stimuli or situations usually abates. Thus,
it seems that children's fears and anxiety are closely linked to their cognitive and physical
development.


Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are a family of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of several lipid mediators. In the case of human 15-LOX, the 15-LOX-1 and 15-LOX-2 isoforms show slightly different reaction regiospecificity and substrate specificity, indicating that substrate binding and recognition may be different, a fact that could be related to their different biological role. Here, we have used long molecular dynamics simulations, QM(DFT)/MM potential energy and free energy calculations (using the newly developed DHAM method), to investigate the binding mode of the arachidonic acid (AA) substrate into 15-LOX-2 and the rate-limiting hydrogen-abstraction reaction 15-LOX-2 catalyzes. Our results strongly indicate that hydrogen abstraction from C13 in 15-LOX-2 is only consistent with the "tail-first" orientation of AA, with its carboxylate group interacting with Arg429, and that only the pro-S H13 hydrogen will be abstracted (being the pro-R H13 and H10 too far from the acceptor oxygen atom). At the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level the potential and free energy barriers for the pro-S H13 abstraction of AA by 15-LOX-2 are 18.0 and 18.6 kcal/mol, respectively. To analyze the kinetics of the hydrogen abstraction process, we determined a Markov model corresponding to the unbiased simulations along the state-discretized reaction coordinate. The calculated rates based on the second largest eigenvalue of the Markov matrices agree well with experimental measurements, and also provide the means to directly determine the pre-exponential factor for the reaction by comparing with the free energy barrier height. Our calculated pre-exponential factor is close to the value of kBT/h. On the other hand, our results suggest that the spin inversion of the complete system (including the O2 molecule) that is required to happen at some point along the full process to lead to the final hydroperoxide product, is likely to take place during the hydrogen transfer, which is a proton coupled electron transfer. Overall, a different binding mode from the one accepted for 15-LOX-1 is proposed, which provides a molecular basis for 15-LOX-2 exclusive 15-HPETE production in front of the double (although highly 15-) 12/15 regiospecificity of 15-LOX-1. Understanding how these different isoenzymes achieve their regiospecificity is expected to help in specific inhibitor design.


Background/Aims: Climate influences the regulation of blood pressure (BP). Our objective was to precisely estimate BP seasonality in hemodialysis (HD) patients from five European cities with marked climate differences. Methods: Stable prevalent HD patients from 5 European facilities (Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain), Seville (Spain), Montpellier (France), Ottignies (Belgium), Umea (Sweden)) present over the years 1995-1999 were included in this historical longitudinal observational study. Individual monthly averages of pre-dialysis BP level were computed from all facility BP measurements (> 90 000 observations). The association between BP level and location, seasons and meteorological measurements was analyzed by mixed models. Results: 261 patients were included and followed-up for a median duration of 2 years (6903 monthly observations). Pre-dialysis SBP and DBP were minimal in summer (July) and maximal in winter (November and December), and mean changes were respectively 4.2 [3.0; 5.4] and 2.0 [1.3; 2.7] mmHg. Seasonality was confirmed in 4 locations (Pseason≤0.001 for SBP and DBP), but not in Umea (both Pseason> 0.05). Seasonal changes in DBP were larger in southern locations (Pinteraction=0.02). BP level was associated with climate parameters: in a positive manner with humidity or rainfall, and inversely with sunshine duration or temperature. The effects of temperature and rainfall on DBP varied with latitude (Pinteraction< 0.02) and were greater in southern locations. Conclusion: BP varies with seasons and climate in different European areas and seasonality can be more important in southern locations. These changes in BP deserve attention as they may be responsible for a significant increase in cardiovascular risk which may be preventable.


Traditional methods of collecting data from businesses and households face increasing challenges. These include declining response rates to surveys, increasing costs to traditional modes of data collection, and the difficulty of keeping pace with rapid changes in the economy. The digitization of virtually all market transactions offers the potential for re-engineering key national economic indicators. The challenge for the statistical system is how to operate in this data-rich environment. This paper focuses on the opportunities for collecting item-level data at the source and constructing key indicators using measurement methods consistent with such a data infrastructure. Ubiquitous digitization of transactions allows price and quantity be collected or aggregated simultaneously at the source. This new architecture for economic statistics creates challenges arising from the rapid change in items sold. The paper explores some recently proposed techniques for estimating price and quantity indices in large scale item-level data. Although those methods display tremendous promise, substantially more research is necessary before they will be ready to serve as the basis for the official economic statistics. Finally, the paper addresses implications for building national statistics from transactions for data collection and for the capabilities and organization of the statistical agencies in the 21st century.


In today's economy, new technologies rapidly emerge in the durable goods market. Therefore, it is paramount for manufacturing companies to optimize product introduction time for their second-generation product (SGP), which is an upcoming product in the production line, when profitability is at stake. The main factors affecting this timing are technology advancements and changes in customer tastes, which make determining an optimal introduction time for a product a
challenging task. The main goal of this research is to find the optimal product introduction time for the SGP that maximizes the net present value (NPV) over a given period while product life cycle (PLC), pricing, and advertising are explicitly being taken into consideration.

Demand for each product contains two regimes life cycle, and each regime is defined by a geometric Brownian motion (GBM). Each GBM has a drift rate and volatility. Moreover, there is a correlation between different regimes for different products. Correlated GBMs are discretized using a lattice approach. The Bass model is used to determine demand parameters including drift, volatility, and correlation, while dynamic programming is used to optimize NPV. Flexibilities, such as expansion, contraction, and switching, are identified between two products. Examples are provided to show the applicability of the developed models. Accordingly, the results show as the drift rate, volatility, and initial demand for a first-generation product (FGP) increase, the SGP introduction time has to be delayed. Furthermore, results demonstrate that in decreasing pricing policy, the SGP has to be introduced as early as the FGP. In increasing-decreasing pricing policy, as the increasing pricing rate is increasing, the SGP introduction time is delayed. When the advertising budget percentage increases, the NPV increases up to a certain level and then it will be saturated. Major contributions of this thesis are as follows: first, investigating the product introduction time by integrating marketing and manufacturing aspects; second, developing a model to incorporate the flexibility and production cost of the system for determining the optimal product introduction time. Third, the value of the product introduction time is expressed in terms of dollar value and this would help managers to make decisions easily. The models developed in this research can be used as practical tools for manufacturers to find the optimal product introduction time (PIT) and also the research can be used as a guideline to introduce the second-generation PIT.


The establishment of district metered areas (DMAs) is widely recognized as one of the most effective techniques for the optimal management of water distribution networks (WDNs). However, its implementation in real cases is a very challenging task that requires decision aiding. In this work, a comprehensive methodology for the optimal design of DMAs is presented and discussed. The proposed approach consists of a two-objectives optimization problem subjected to a number of constraints related to the topology of the network, financial issues and the network hydraulics. A multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) is combined with tools from graph theory for the solution of the problem. The validation of the model and the calibration of the parameters are performed through the application to a well-known example from the literature. Low cost as compared to the budget and a good saving in leakage are obtained.


Abstract. During the spring of 2009, as part of the Ocean–Atmosphere–Sea Ice–Snowpack (OASIS) campaign in Barrow, Alaska, USA, we examined the identity, population diversity, freezing nucleation ability of the microbial communities of five different snow types and frost flowers. In addition to the culturing and gene-sequence-based identification approach, we utilized a state-of-the-art genomic next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique to examine the diversity of bacterial communities in Arctic samples. Known phyla or candidate divisions were detected (11–18) with the majority of sequences (12.3–83.1%) belonging to one of the five major phyla: Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Cyanobacteria. The number of genera detected ranged from, 101–245. The highest number of cultivable bacteria was observed in frost flowers (FFs) and accumulated snow (AS) with 325 ± 35 and 314 ± 142 CFU m L−1, respectively; and for cultivable fungi 5 ± 1 CFU m L−1 in windpack (WP) and blowing snow (BS). Morphology/elemental composition and ice-nucleating abilities of the identified taxa were obtained using high resolution electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and ice nucleation cold-plate, respectively. Freezing point temperatures for bacterial isolates ranged from −20.3 ± 1.5 to −15.7 ± 5.6 °C, and for melted snow samples from −9.5 ± 1.0 to −18.4 ± 0.1 °C. An isolate belonging to the genus Bacillus (96% similarity) had ice nucleation activity of −6.8 ± 0.2 °C. Comparison with Montreal urban snow, revealed that a seemingly diverse community of bacteria exists in the Arctic with some taxa possibly originating from distinct ecological environments. We discuss the potential impact of snow microorganisms in the freezing and melting process of the snowpack in the Arctic.


In European and global educational debates, performative or test-based accountability has become central to modernizing and raising the performance of education systems. However, despite the global popularity of performative accountability modalities, existing research finds contradictory evidence on its effects, which tend to be highly context-sensitive. With the aim of gaining a deeper understanding of the mechanisms and contextual factors that explain the effects of performative accountability, this study investigates the enactment of a performative accountability scheme adopted in the Russian school system. The analysis is based on interview and observation data collected during an in-depth qualitative study of two neighbouring schools with contrasting logics of action. Our findings illuminate the specific ways in which accountability policy outcomes are mediated and shaped by schools' context and agency. We show how schools with different logics of action react to external pressures, and how different professional groups within schools experience policy pressures in dissimilar ways. We conclude that performative accountability mechanisms reinforce instrumental, and impede expressive, logics of action in schools. In both cases they produce tensions, particularly for schools in disadvantaged areas.


A p-compact group, as defined by Dwyer and Wilkerson, is a purely homotopically defined p-local analog of a compact Lie group. It has long been the hope, and later the conjecture, that these objects should have a classification similar to the classification of compact Lie groups. In this paper we finish the proof of this conjecture, for p an odd prime, proving that there is a one-to-one correspondence between connected p-compact groups and finite reflection groups over the p-adic integers. We do this by providing the last, and rather intricate, piece, namely that the exceptional compact Lie groups are uniquely determined as p-compact groups by their Weyl groups seen as finite reflection groups over the p-adic integers. Our approach in fact gives a largely self-contained proof of the entire classification theorem for p odd.


The aim of the study: To examine the sensitivity of mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and clock drawing test (CDT) in screening of cognitive function in patients with syphilis. Materials and methods A total of 1387 patients with different forms of documented neurosyphilis were examined to study the deficiency of neurological function. The diagnosis of neurosyphilis was confirmed by CSF-study. In 75 cases cognitive function was studied by MMSE and clock drawing test. Results: MMSE and clock drawing test showed cognitive dysfunction in 76,4% of patients with syphilis. The sensitivity of both tests was rather equal. Such tests could be made in a short time and are simple in understanding. Thus these tests could help in the everyday practice of dermatologists and neurologists as screening methods of cognitive dysfunction in patients with syphilis. Conclusion: The results of screening tests in patients with significant cognitive dysfunction could be used in the early diagnostics and corresponding treatment of neurosyphilis


OF DISSERTATION RAD GTPASE: IDENTIFICATION OF NOVEL REGULATORY MECHANISMS AND A NEW FUNCTION IN MODULATION OF BONE DENSITY AND MARROW ADIPOSITY The small GTP-binding protein Rad (RRAD, Ras associated with diabetes) is the founding member of the RGK (Rad, Rem, Rem2, and Gem/Kir) family that regulates voltage-dependent calcium channel function. Given its expression in both excitable and non-excitable cell types, the control mechanisms for Rad regulation and the potential for novel functions for Rad beyond calcium channel modulation are open questions. Here we report a novel interaction between Rad and Enigma, a scaffolding protein that also binds to the E3 ubiquitin ligase Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 1 (Smurf1). Overexpression of Smurf1, but not of a catalytically inactive mutant enzyme, results in ubiquitination of Rad and down regulation of Rad protein levels. The Smurf1-mediated decrease in Rad levels is sensitive to proteasome inhibition and requires the ubiquitination site Lys204, suggesting that Smurf1 targets Rad for degradation. Rad protein levels, but notably not mRNA levels, are increased in the hearts of Enigma mice, leading to the hypothesis that Enigma may function as a scaffold to enhance Smurf1 regulation of Rad. In addition to ubiquitination, phosphorylation of RGK proteins represents another potential means of regulation. Indeed, Rem phosphorylation has been shown to abolish calcium channel inhibition. We demonstrate that β-adrenergic signaling promotes Rad phosphorylation at Ser39. Rad Ser39 phosphorylation is correlated with a decrease in the interaction between Rad and the CaVβ subunit of the calcium channel and an increase in Rad binding to 14-3-3. Interestingly, Enigma overexpression promotes an increase in Rad Ser39 phosphorylation as well. Despite an interaction between Enigma and the CaV1.2 calcium channel subunit, overexpression of Enigma had no effect on Rad-mediated channel inhibition. Thus, Rad Ser39 phosphorylation alters its association with the calcium channel, but its impact on calcium channel regulation has yet to be determined. Finally, we report a novel function for Rad in the regulation of bone homeostasis. Rad deletion in mice results in a significant decrease in bone mass. Dynamic histomorphometry in vivo and primary calvarial osteoblast assays in vitro demonstrate that bone formation and osteoblast mineralization rates are depressed in the absence of Rad. Microarray analysis revealed that canonical osteogenic gene expression is not altered in Rad osteoblasts; instead robust up-regulation of matrix Gla protein (MGP, +11-fold), an inhibitor of mineralization and a protein secreted during adipocyte differentiation, was observed. Strikingly, Rad deficiency also resulted in significantly higher bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) levels in vivo and promoted spontaneous in vitro adipogenesis of primary calvarial osteoblasts. Adipogenic differentiation of WT osteoblasts resulted in the loss of endogenous Rad protein, further supporting a role for Rad in the control of BMAT levels. These findings reveal a novel in vivo function for Rad signaling in the complex physiological control of skeletal homeostasis and bone marrow adiposity. In summary, this dissertation expands our understanding of Rad regulation through identification of a novel binding partner and characterization of post-translational regulatory mechanisms for Rad function. This work also defines a new role for Rad that may not depend upon its calcium channel regulatory properties: regulation of the bone-fat balance. These findings suggest that the regulation of Rad GTPase is likely more complex than guanine nucleotide cycling and that functions of Rad in non-excitable tissues warrant further study.


Introduction Rapid and accurate diagnosis of patients with a new episode of acute dyspnea is a common challenge for Primary Care or Emergency Physicians. Objective To determine the diagnostic accuracy of signs and symptoms in adult patients with a new episode of acute dyspnea presenting to a GP or an Emergency Physician (EP). Patients and methods This was a diagnostic systematic review. Using MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, tracing references, and by contacting experts, studies were identified on the diagnostic accuracy of additional signs and symptoms in adult patients with acute or suddenly worsening dyspnea, presenting to a GP or an EP. Study quality was assessed using QUADAS and results were pooled using a random-effects model. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and positive and negative predictive values for a diagnosis of heart failure (HF) were calculated for the combination of acute dyspnea and each additional sign or symptom in the selected studies. Results Eight of the 24 identified studies were carried out in the ED and provided us with all the required data, including 4737 patients. All publications reported HF; two studies additionally investigated pulmonary embolism, acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma, acute pulmonary infectious diseases, or acute coronary syndrome. The prevalence of HF in patients with acute dyspnea ranged from 25 to 59%. Heterogeneity was present in all analyses. Comparing signs and symptoms, sensitivity was very poor for the presence of fever (0.05) and sputum production (0.06), and poor for fatigue (0.36–0.76), orthopnea (0.2–0.76), paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (0.23–0.70), elevated jugular venous pressure (0.19–0.70), rales (0.32–0.88), and peripheral edema (0.29–0.77). Specificity was poor for fatigue (0.28–0.69), moderate for the presence of fever (0.76–0.88), sputum production (0.73–0.89), orthopnea (0.49–0.92), paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (0.52–0.93), and rales (0.31–0.98), and good for elevated jugular venous pressure (0.75–0.97) and peripheral edema (0.67–0.89). For all other signs and symptoms, sensitivities varied between 0.20 and 0.43; specificities for symptoms varied widely between 0.37 and 0.91 and those of signs between 0.20 and 1.0. The pooled sensitivities, however, remained poor: below 0.55. Pooled specificity of most signs ranged between 0.69 and 0.88. The positive likelihood ratio was between 0.64 and 4.11 and the NLR was between 0.59 and 1.29 with one outlier: rales (pooled NLR=0.35). Conclusion This systematic review, which only included patients from ED settings, did not identify any single sign or symptom that had acceptable sensitivity to be useful in ruling out a diagnosis of HF, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, or pulmonary embolism. Elevated jugular venous pressure (0.88, pooled odds ratio: 7), added third heart sound (0.97), and lung crepitations (0.77, pooled odds ratio: 11) are useful in ruling in HF.


Crystal growth rate has not been sufficiently explored to understand element partitioning between calcite and seawater solutions. We investigated the uptake of Li, B, Mg, Sr, and Ba by Mg-bearing calcite slowly grown on a calcite cleavage fragment. Experiments were conducted by elevating the alkalinity of an artificial seawater solution. Growth rates were evaluated by addition of lanthanum spike. At the end of each experiment, cleavage fragments were extracted and examined with micro-Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) using depth profiling technique. Distribution of Li, B, Mg, Sr, and Ba in calcite overgrowth as well as partition coefficients of those elements were evaluated.


The University of Guelph is committed to equity in its policies, practices, and programs, supports diversity in its teaching, learning and work environments, and ensures that applications for members of underrepresented groups are seriously considered under its employment equity policy. All qualified individuals who would contribute to the further diversification of our University community are encouraged to apply.


Abstract Aims The metabolism of the failing heart is characterized by an increase in glucose uptake with reduced fatty acid (FA) oxidation. We previously found that the genetic deletion of FA-binding protein-4 and -5 [double knockout (DKO)] induces an increased myocardial reliance on glucose with decreased FA uptake in mice. However, whether this fuel switch confers functional benefit during the hypertrophic response remains open to debate. To address this question, we investigated the contractile function and metabolic profile of DKO hearts subjected to pressure overload. Methods and results Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) significantly reduced cardiac contraction in DKO mice (DKO-TAC), although an increase in cardiac mass and interstitial fibrosis was comparable with wild-type TAC (WT-TAC). DKO-TAC hearts exhibited enhanced glucose uptake by 8-fold compared with WT-TAC. Metabolic profiling and isotopomer analysis revealed that the pool size in the TCA cycle and the level of phosphocreatine were significantly reduced in DKO-TAC hearts, despite a marked increase in glycolytic flux. The ingestion of a diet enriched in medium-chain FAs restored cardiac contractile dysfunction in DKO-TAC hearts. The de novo synthesis of amino acids as well as FA from glycolytic flux was unlikely to be suppressed, despite a reduction in each precursor. The pentose phosphate pathway was also facilitated, which led to the increased production of a coenzyme for lipogenesis and a precursor for nucleotide synthesis. These findings suggest that reduced FA utilization is not sufficiently compensated by a robust increase in glucose uptake when the energy demand is elevated. Glucose utilization for sustained biomass synthesis further enhances diminishment of the pool size in the TCA cycle. Conclusions Our data suggest that glucose is preferentially utilized for biomass synthesis rather than ATP production during pressure-overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and that the efficient supplementation of energy substrates may restore cardiac dysfunction caused by energy insufficiency.


Whether we believe same-sex couples should be allowed to get married, enter into civil unions, or raise children, the reality is that they do so.1 INTRODUCTION According to United States Census data for the year 2000, the number of samesex families is on a dramatic rise, with thirty-four percent of lesbian couples and twenty-two percent of gay male couples raising children under eighteen.2 As the number of such non-traditional families increases, so does the need for adequate legal protection. What some classify as "anti-gay legislation" is eroding the ability of samesex parents to safeguard their basic parental rights, specifically with regard to custody and visitation.3 Upon the dissolution of a same-sex relationship or legally recognized union, one parent's relationship to the child is usually shifted to the status of "legal stranger."4 Even if certain individual rights are granted, they often fail to amount to complete recognition as a "legal parent,"5 short-changing homosexual parents and their children in ways traditional families need not even consider. Courts routinely rely on biology to limit the people claiming to be parents, but "parental rights do not spring full-blown from the biological connection . . . [t]hey require relationships more enduring."6 But traditional families account for a mere one-quarter of the total number of households in the United States, and many of the remaining non-traditional families would be willing to provide stable and healthy homes for children if they were afforded adequate legal protection to ensure that stability.7 If fundamental constitutional rights continue to be extended to traditional nuclear families, it is widely suggested that similar rights be afforded to other non-traditional parents as well.8 Beyond biology, the determination of a custody or visitation agreement is based on a "best interest of the child" standard.9 Some argue, however, that a "habitual commitment and preference of different-sex couple parenting"10 exists, which interferes with the application of the best interest standard to same-sex parents.11 Even if samesex parents are granted custody rights in an agreement, the difficulty in seeking legal protection for these parenting rights is further compounded if one partner moves to a different state after dissolution of the relationship. Ordinarily, the Full Faith and Credit Clause,12 enhanced by the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act (PKPA),13 protects a parent when his or her ex-spouse changes domiciles.14 But with the enactment of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)15 and subsequent state statutes, same-sex parental rights are in a more tenuous position than ever.16 The enactment of the Federal DOMA, which allows states to decline effect to same-sex marriage related rights,17 has left states to interpret whether the Act was intended to modify the PKPA's extension of full faith and credit to custody agreements granted to same-sex couples in other states. 18 The Virginia and Vermont courts recently addressed this issue as they were pitted against one another in the series of cases surrounding Miller-Jenkins v. Miller-Jenkins.19 The Virginia Court of Appeals eventually held that the PKPA prevented Virginia's exercise of jurisdiction over a Vermont custody agreement between two same-sex partners after the dissolution of their Vermont civil union.20 The Virginia ruling was a powerful step towards protecting the children of separated same-sex couples because it provided full faith and credit to the previouslyentered Vermont agreement.21 However, the court made it clear that the ruling was a "narrow one of jurisdiction" only,22 leaving the conflicts between full faith and credit, DOMA, and the PKPA open to further - potentially back-pedalling - interpretation. The United States Supreme Court denied a petition for writ of certiorari in January of 2008, leaving this issue open for further discussion on a national level. …


The possibility of twins or more passes through the minds of every pregnant mother, but nevertheless having the presence of more than one fetus confirmed on ultrasound is a shock. Thankfully the length of the pregnancy allows plenty of time to adapt. Indeed, 'it' rapidly becomes 'they' and one feels a sense of incompleteness for those friends who are expecting just one.


Abstract Objectives: Neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at greater risk of permanent hearing loss compared to infants in well mother and baby units. Several factors have been associated with this increased prevalence of hearing loss, including congenital infections (e.g. cytomegalovirus or syphilis), ototoxic drugs (such as aminoglycoside or glycopeptide antibiotics), low birth weight, hypoxia and length of stay. The aetiology of this increased prevalence of hearing loss remains poorly understood. Design: Here we review current practice and discuss the feasibility of designing improved ototoxicity screening and monitoring protocols to better identify acquired, drug-induced hearing loss in NICU neonates. Study sample: A review of published literature. Conclusions: We conclude that current audiological screening or monitoring protocols for neonates are not designed to adequately detect early onset of ototoxicity. This paper offers a detailed review of evidence-based research, and offers recommendations for developing and implementing an ototoxicity monitoring protocol for young infants, before and after discharge from the hospital.


This paper presents a proposal and a call for participation in the long-range development of an open, multifunctional, multilingual system for integrated access to many kinds of ontological and lexical knowledge that would support, among many other functions, software localization and CASE tool databases for multinational development teams. A SemWeb system would provide integrated access to existing knowledge bases through a common interface that would search several knowledge bases and collate the data into a common format defined by the SemWeb template. It would also allow the incremental development of a common integrated distributed knowledge base to be shared by a work group or world-wide. A common knowledge base would support collaboration in ontological and lexical projects. Over time, it could absorb data from other knowledge bases, allowing for tighter integration than common interface access. The system would be usable by many levels of users.


Background: Dexmedetomidine, a α2 agonist as an adjuvant in general anesthesia, has anesthetic and analgesic-sparing property. Aims: To evaluate the effect of continuous infusion of dexmedetomidine alone, without use of opioids, on requirement of sevoflurane during general anesthesia with continuous monitoring of depth of anesthesia by entropy analysis. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients were randomly divided into 2 groups of 30 each. In group A, fentanyl 2 mcg/kg was given while in group B, dexmedetomidine was given intravenously as loading dose of 1 mcg/kg over 10 min prior to induction. After induction with thiopentone in group B, dexmedetomidine was given as infusion at a dose of 0.2-0.8 mcg/kg. Sevoflurane was used as inhalation agent in both groups. Hemodynamic variables, sevoflurane inspired fraction (FIsevo), sevoflurane expired fraction (ETsevo), and entropy (Response entropy and state entropy) were continuously recorded. Statistical analysis was done by unpaired student's t-test and Chi-square test for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. A P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The use of dexmedetomidine with sevoflurane was associated with a statistical significant decrease in ETsevo at 5 minutes post-intubation (1.49 ± 0.11) and 60 minutes post-intubation (1.11 ±0.28) as compared to the group A [1.73 ±0.30 (5 minutes); 1.68 ±0.50 (60 minutes)]. There was an average 21.5% decrease in ETsevo in group B as compared to group A. Conclusions: Dexmedetomidine, as an adjuvant in general anesthesia, decreases requirement of sevoflurane for maintaining adequate depth of anesthesia.


The subject of virtual rays and its application is introduced, for the first time in this country to our knowledge, as a new method in ray optics. The method of virtual rays uses a representation of the electromagnetic field in terms of a continuum of a special class of rays that do not obey the usual geometrical optics along the entire path of propagation. It yields, in the asymptotic limit as λ → 0, the correct field representation at caustics, shadow, and transition regions, i.e., in which geometrical optics and its extensions, such as the geometrical theory of diffraction, fail. The method of virtual rays is used to solve for the high-frequency diffraction from a perfectly or imperfectly conducting semi-infinite wedge.


Numerical extended MHD simulations are used to gain insight into the effect of threedimensional shaping from the Compact Toroidal Hybrid (CTH) stellarator field on sawteeth. Numerical solutions having repeated sawtooth relaxations are obtained for a sequence of configurations with increasing helical stellarator field strength. The experimentally observed trend of the sawtooth period τsaw decreasing as the helical field strength is increased is recovered in the simulations. The linear growth rate of the visco-resistive internal kink mode, which drives the sawteeth, increases as the helical field strength is increased. The NIMROD code was used to compute the numerical solutions. Careful attention to numerical convergence was required to obtain accurate numerical solutions. Increased spatial resolution, especially in the toroidal direction, was required to resolve the reconnection current layer during relaxations for non-axisymmetric cases. Temporal convergence issues were identified and an improved semi-implicit operator, having better convergence properties for non-axisymmetric cases, was implemented. The numerical convergence considerations needed to obtain the results may be relevant to simulations of other phenomena in devices with non-axisymmetric plasmas such as perturbed tokamaks, RFPs and stellarators. Experimental soft x-ray data of sawtooth relaxations was analyzed with computed tomography. A novel variation on the Fourier-Bessel method was used. The basis functions are functions of VMEC flux coordinates, so that known information about the structure of the magnetic field is used in the reconstructions.


The origin of the highest energy Galactic cosmic rays is still not understood, nor is the transition to EeV extragalactic particles. Scientific progress requires enhancements of existing air-shower arrays, such as: IceCube with its surface detector IceTop, and the low-energy extensions of both the Telescope Array and the Pierre Auger Observatory.


Reduction is a common component of many applications, but can often be the limiting factor for parallelization. Previous reduction work has focused on detecting reduction idioms and parallelizing the reduction operation by minimizing data communications or exploiting more data locality. While these techniques can be useful, they are mostly limited to simple code structures. In this paper, we propose a method for exploiting more parallelism by isolating the reduction from users of the intermediate results. The other main contribution of our work is enabling the parallelization of more complex reduction codes, including those that involve the use of intermediate reduction results. The proposed transformations are often implemented by programmers in an ad-hoc manner, but to the best of our knowledge no previous work has been proposed to automate these transformations for many-core architectures. We show that the automatic transformations can result in significant speedup compared to the original code using two benchmark applications.


As photovoltaic (PV) energy continues to gain market penetration due to the lower cost of PV modules, attention is shifting to the balance of system. In this paper, a new efficiency evaluation technique based on a usage model that is synthesized from high-temporal operational data of a PV module is investigated, along with a multiobjective design optimization of the dc-dc stage of a module-integrated inverter. The analysis shows that the technique provides more accurate results than the California Energy Commission weighted efficiency method, particularly when other geographic regions of the world are considered.


This paper systematically takes stock of the latest academic and policy literature that sheds light on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and their impact on corruption. The tools reviewed include digital public services, crowdsourcing platforms, whistleblowing tools, transparency portals, big data, distributed ledger technology (DLT), and artificial intelligence (AI). We scrutinise the evidence on various technologies' effectiveness, drawbacks, and even potential misuse that enables corruption. Drawing on the commonalities across the different technologies, it appears that ICT can genuinely support anti-corruption by impacting on public scrutiny in numerous ways. For example, by digitising public services and enabling corruption reporting, it can promote transparency and accountability, and facilitate advocacy and citizen participation as well as closer interaction between government and citizens. However, ICT can also provide new corruption opportunities related to the dark web, cryptocurrencies, or simply through the misuse of well-intended technologies such as digital public services and centralised databases. Our findings underline that ICT is not per se a panacea against corruption, and it can also play into the hands of corrupt officials. Importantly, the existence of ICT tools does not automatically translate into anticorruption outcomes. Rather, impact hinges on the suitability of ICT for local contexts and needs, cultural backgrounds, local support and skills in using technology.


The HESAWA (Health through Sanitation and Water) programme was implemented by the Government of Tanzania with
financial support from Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency). It reached some 3,000,000 people
in the Lake Zone between 1985 and 2002. Since 2002, the Tanzanian stakeholders strive to sustain and replicate the
benefits of HESAWA without specific external support. This paper gives a picture of the situation in Mwanza Region 2002
- 2005. It suggests that the overall performance is largely in line with expectations, but with some interesting deviations
such as the sustained commitment by most water user groups and regional and district administration. From this can be
drawn some lessons for the future for the HESAWA stakeholders, and for other programmes planning for phasing out and
sustainability. In particular, usefulness of careful institution building and human resources development at all levels.


Study of flow through arteries is gaining importance in the recent times due to onset of several cardio-vascular diseases like atherosclerosis (block in artery), aneurysms (bulging of artery), hypertension etc. The application of CFD will be useful in demonstrating the underlying mechanism of flow past the diseased arteries. In the present study, initially an approximate eccentric and concentric 50% stenosed carotid model is generated in ANSYS 12.0 based on patient data obtained from ultrasound Doppler scan. Later the percentage of stenosis is increased to 60%, 70%, 80% and 90% in both the cases. A transient analysis has been performed for several pulse cycles in ANSYS FLOTRAN for various percentage cases. The results obtained from ECN and CCN cases are compared to observe the changes in flow behavior in the downstream of stenosis as compared with normal case. The formation of vortices and flow separation zone in downstream in eccentric case is higher than in concentric case. Comparison of results concludes that, with the increase in severity of stenosis, the flow changes abruptly causing an increase in velocity and WSS at throat region. The simulation results obtained agree well with clinically observed data and available literature.


THREAT OR CHALLENGE? INTENSIFIED JOB DEMANDS AND THE MODERATING EFFECT OF DIFFERENTIATED TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP Benjamin Bass Old Dominion University, 2017 Director: Dr. Konstantin Cigularov Over the past 30 years, industrialized democracies have experienced major economic change due to globalization, economic instability, and rapid technological innovation. To remain viable, organizations maximize flexibility through strategies like downsizing, just-in-time inventory, and temporary labor. Consequently, employees face heightened responsibility, variable workloads, and rising job insecurity. While these demands are stressful, at times, some may represent an exciting challenge. Recently, researchers started studying how the long-term intensification of work affects employees via intensified job demands. This dissertation builds on their efforts by exploring short-term job demand intensification. Specifically, the transactional model of stress and the job demands-resources model were utilized to examine how a) intensified job insecurity, b) intensified decision-making and planning (IDP), and c) work intensification influence employee burnout and work engagement. It was hypothesized that all intensified job demands would be positively associated with burnout while potential challenge demands, like IDP, would positively predict work engagement. Further, drawing upon the intrinsic linkage between transformational leadership (TL) and environmental uncertainty, it was theorized the effects of intensified job demands would be differentially moderated by the four, core TL dimensions such that supportive dimensions (e.g., individualized consideration) would act as buffers whereas others, like inspirational motivation, would act as motivational boosters. A total of 443 full-time workers recruited through MTurk responded to two surveys administered 30 days apart. Each intensified job demand was positively related to burnout and intensified job insecurity negatively predicted work engagement, whereas IDP did not. Interestingly, the bivariate work intensification—work engagement relationship was negative, but became positive after controlling for core self-evaluations. Contrary to expectations, inspirational motivation, idealized influence, and individualized consideration reverse-buffered the effects of intensified job insecurity and work intensification on burnout and work engagement such that these dimensions exacerbated both intensified job demands' negative effects. Further, exploratory analyses detected several three-way interactions. Overall, the aforementioned findings contribute to the nascent literature on intensified job demands as well the more studied, but still incomplete construct of TL. Moreover, this study sheds light on a number of practical implications regarding employees' experiences with intensified job demands and the modern nature of work.


Grants are the steam engine of the research enterprise. Each year, billions of dollars from public and philanthropic organisations enable research projects across the world. However, despite significant investment in research and innovation, the information about grants and their impact is hidden behind disconnected, undiscoverable and inaccessible information systems. In this paper we present recent developments and discuss the need for a coordinated effort toward enabling open access to grant information. The paper also proposes a framework for coordinating technical and policy-making efforts toward linking grants to grant outcomes (publications, patents, research data, etc.). Such a framework can be seen as the institutional side of meta-research innovation.


ABSTRACT The structurally complex ankles of Triassic archosaurs (Reptilia: Diapsida) have been repeatedly described, and tarsal characters have played an important role in analyses of archosaur phylogeny. Morphological variations in the ankle joint undoubtedly had a major impact on locomotion, but the functional implications of many ankle features remain poorly understood. This paper investigates the function of one such structure, the prominent and highly distinctive lateral to posterolateral calcaneal process that occurs throughout basal archosaurs and is homologous to the heel-like calcaneal tuber of pseudosuchians. A morphologically analogous lateral process occurs in extant varanid lizards, and X-ray rotoscopic analysis of the limb movements of savannah monitors (Varanus exanthematicus) indicates that the lateral process rotates into a vertical orientation as the limb retracts. As the varanid lateral process approaches the vertical, it becomes increasingly effective in adding to the propulsive moment arm of m. peroneus longus. A computer model of the ankle was compared to modified versions in which the lateral process and the associated proximal expansion of the fifth metatarsal were eliminated, and this virtual experiment demonstrated that the combination of the two structures increases the peak propulsive moment arm of the varanid m. peroneus longus by over 26%. The lateral calcaneal process of basal archosaurs probably acted similarly, enhancing the ability of the peroneus musculature to contribute to propulsion during walking. Like the calcaneal tuber of pseudosuchian archosaurs, the primitive lateral process was a lever that contributed to locomotion by allowing ankle plantarflexion to generate a greater propulsive moment.


Statistics has always been ignored by both clinical researchers as well as journal editors. We undertook this study to find out the quality of statistical reporting in some of the Indian journals. A sample of eight Indian medical and surgical journals that publish original articles - Journal of Association of Physicians of India, Indian Pediatrics, Indian Journal of Surgery, Indian Journal of Orthopedics, Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, Neurology India, Indian Journal of Dermatology, National Medical Journal of India were chosen for the study. Only original studies were considered for analysis and were appraised for quality of reporting of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, sample size calculation, and correction for multiplicity of statistical tests. A total of 415 original articles were identified during the specified period from all the eight journals. Major findings include no mention about sample size calculation (199/415, 48%) and normality check a priori to the use of parametric tests (140/415, 33.7%), use of multiple statistical tests (ranging between 14 and 126 times) without adjusting the P value (116/415, 28%), and no mention of confidence intervals at least for the primary endpoint (85/415, 20.5%). To conclude, we found poor quality of statistical reporting in some of the Indian journals and considering the seriousness of this issue, it is high time for both the researchers and journal editors to consult statistical experts, while the study is being carried out and at the time of publishing the same, respectively.


We review and synthesize key findings and limitations of mathematical models for prostate cancer, both from theoretical work and data-validated approaches, especially concerning clinical applications. Our focus is on models of prostate cancer dynamics under treatment, particularly with a view toward optimizing hormone-based treatment schedules and estimating the onset of treatment resistance under various assumptions. Population models suggest that intermittent or adaptive therapy is more beneficial to delay cancer relapse as compared to the standard continuous therapy if treatment resistance comes at a competitive cost for cancer cells. Another consensus among existing work is that the standard biomarker for cancer growth, prostate-specific antigen, may not always correlate well with cancer progression. Instead, its doubling rate appears to be a better indicator of tumor growth. Much of the existing work utilizes simple ordinary differential equations due to difficulty in collecting spatial data and due to the early success of using prostate-specific antigen in mathematical modeling. However, a shift toward more complex and realistic models is taking place, which leaves many of the theoretical and mathematical questions unexplored. Furthermore, as adaptive therapy displays better potential than existing treatment protocols, an increasing number of studies incorporate this treatment into modeling efforts. Although existing modeling work has explored and yielded useful insights on the treatment of prostate cancer, the road to clinical application is still elusive. Among the pertinent issues needed to be addressed to bridge the gap from modeling work to clinical application are (1) real-time data validation and model identification, (2) sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification for model prediction, and (3) optimal treatment/schedule while considering drug properties, interactions, and toxicity. To address these issues, we suggest in-depth studies on various aspects of the parameters in dynamical models such as the evolution of parameters over time. We hope this review will assist future attempts at studying prostate cancer.


The comprehensive evaluation of the performance of a recommender system is a complex endeavor: many facets need to be considered in configuring an adequate and effective evaluation setting. Such facets include, for instance, defining the specific goals of the evaluation, choosing an evaluation method, underlying data, and suitable evaluation metrics. In this article, we consolidate and systematically organize this dispersed knowledge on recommender systems evaluation. We introduce the Framework for Evaluating Recommender systems (FEVR), which we derive from the discourse on recommender systems evaluation. In FEVR, we categorize the evaluation space of recommender systems evaluation. We postulate that the comprehensive evaluation of a recommender system frequently requires considering multiple facets and perspectives in the evaluation. The FEVR framework provides a structured foundation to adopt adequate evaluation configurations that encompass this required multi-facetedness and provides the basis to advance in the field. We outline and discuss the challenges of a comprehensive evaluation of recommender systems and provide an outlook on what we need to embrace and do to move forward as a research community.


Currently, there are hundreds of Bitcoin exchanges on the market, so choosing a reliable exchange is a critical issue for users. We know that the amount of Bitcoin holdings is an essential indicator for evaluating an exchange, but people have very few ways to access this information. Besides, many reports indicate that the trading volumes of most Bitcoin exchanges do not match their real situations, and the fake volume has become an unspoken rule of the whole industry. It causes the public to doubt the actual amount of Bitcoin owned by each exchange. To solve the problem of information asymmetry between users and exchanges, we propose a method for tagging Bitcoin addresses of exchanges. Through vertical, forward, and backward address mining, the method can utilize only one or several addresses of an exchange to find out all its addresses and distinguish different address types: deposit wallet, hot wallet, and cold wallet. Then the balance and transfers of the exchange can be further obtained through these addresses, helping users understand the real Bitcoin holdings of the exchange. Several experiments are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed Bitcoin address tagging method. Our method has very little dependence on off-chain information. Only one address is needed for each exchange as a seed to find out all the other addresses. Such a seed address can be easily obtained by depositing some Bitcoin into the exchange or withdrawing some from it, which makes our method feasible for all exchanges.


Public service broadcasters throughout Europe are confronted with changing environments: Economic constraints, political pressures and technological innovation require organizational reform. This paper focuses on the Swiss public service broadcaster SRG SSR and examines how it changed its strategy and organizational structures in response to environmental challenges. In particular, the SRG's reorganization projects "structural reform" and "convergence and efficiency" are analyzed by performing a qualitative document analysis. In doing so, the paper attaches great importance to the question of how these reforms affect citizen participation. Results indicate that organizational reform at least partially undermined the representation of citizens within the SRG.


Although the shoulder range of motion significantly decreases with advancing age, how the natural aging process affects the joint capsule, including the Coracohumeral Ligament (CHL), in healthy subjects is still unknown.

 To use shear wave elastography to investigate the correlations between age, sex, and shoulder dominance, and elasticity of the CHL in healthy individuals.

 Eighty-four healthy volunteers (mean age: 42.6; 39 men) were included in this study. They were divided into five groups based on age: 20s (20–29, n = 19), 30s (30–39, n = 17), 40s (40–49, n = 20), 50s (50–59, n = 13), and 60s (60–69, n = 15) groups. The elasticity of the CHL in the bilateral shoulders was evaluated at the neutral and 30° external rotation (ER at 30°) positions with the arm at the side while laying supine.

 The elastic modulus was significantly greater in ER at 30° than in the neutral position regardless of sex or shoulder dominance (P < 0.001). Significant positive correlations between age and elasticity of the CHL were observed in both the neutral and ER at 30° positions regardless of shoulder dominance. Elasticity of the CHL was significantly greater with increasing age in both the neutral and ER at 30° positions on the dominant (P = 0.0022, P < 0.001, respectively) and non-dominant sides (P = 0.0199, 0.0014).

 The elasticity of the CHL increased with age, and the ER at 30° position could demonstrate faint changes in CHL elasticity.

 Level 3 Case-control study.


This biography of Father Benigno P. Dagani, SJ (1903-1988), a humble and zealous missionary in Mindanao, was written by Miguel A. Bemad, SJ. Material for this little book is based upon letters from and to Father Dagani, interviews, and the Philippine Jesuit archives. This outstanding Filipino Jesuit Missionary was assigned to different parishes from 1937 to his death in 1988: Dipolog, Margosatubig, Kabasalan, Dinas, Alicia, and Buug. Traveling on foot, by boat, or on a carabao, he ministered to many people in Zamboanga district.


Prior studies suggest adaptive use as the key to maximize the benefit from enterprise systems (ESs). In order to understand adaptive use, we need to explore users' perceptions of working possibilities of systems in use. However, we have a limited understanding of how users perceive the adaptive use possibilities that a system could offer. This study, therefore, investigates users' perceptions of adaptive use possibilities, by carrying out a case study of an ES project in a large chemical company. By drawing on the concept of affordances, we present an affordance-based model of adaptive use. This study makes three key contributions: a) it contributes to adaptive use literature by exploring the perceptual linkage from multiple affordances to adaptive use; b) it offers a relational view of affordances by illustrating the interplay between multiple affordances; and c) it extends current understanding of affordances in IT literature with the concept of human affordances and the dual quality of affordances.


This paper presents the general system of energy management in Al-Shifa' Hospital, as the largest medical complex in Gaza-strip, and the existing challenges to supply the critical facilities in that hospital which is seriously affected by the frequent power outages. Additionally, the presented work highlights the problem of power outage in Gaza-Strip as an example of the regions which are in dire need of humanitarian actions. It encounters serious electrification problems and frequent power failures. In order to propose an encouraging and realistic solution, the major challenges in performing an effective energy management program in such sensitive environments like hospitals are surveyed. As a contribution to the development projects of hospitals, this paper presents a PV/storage system as an alternative power supply to the conventional diesel generators. System design and associated costs of its utilization are illustrated. Despite of the necessity and vital role of the critical loads in hospitals which cannot be compromised with the costs, conventional cash-flow indicates that utilizing PV systems (instead of diesel generators) for typical critical loads in Gaza's hospitals is promising and more sustainable. Such a design can be transferred to other areas which suffer from frequent power failures and depend on conventional backup systems for long periods.


This paper analyzes the effects of the U.S. tax treatment of the R&D activities of American multinationals. Recent evidence indicates that the level of R&D spending is highly sensitive to its after-tax cost. The U.S. Tax Reform Act of 1986 reduced the tax deductions that many American firms can claim for their R&D expenses incurred in the U.S., and on this basis, observers predicted that American firms would react to the tax change by significantly increasing the fraction of their R&D that they perform abroad. Aggregate data indicate that this fraction instead stayed roughly constant, at around 10%. An important reason why U.S. firms did not move more of their total R&D activity offshore is that U.S. tax law provides quite generous treatment of R&D performed in the U.S. for use abroad by firms with excess foreign tax credits, and the Tax Reform Act of 1986 significantly increased the number of American firms with excess foreign tax credits. Hence, the 1986 tax change increased the cost of U.S.-based R&D for some American firms, and reduced it for others, with little impact on the overall fraction of R&D spending that U.S. firms do abroad. One consequence of the tax law changes of the late 1980s is that, by 1991, the tax treatment of foreign-source royalties received by American firms with excess foreign tax credits has five times the revenue impact of the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit.


As Afghanistan enters its sixth year since the overthrow of Taliban rule, the violent comeback campaign by Islamic insurgents is dominating headlines. Restoring security will require bringing more aid and better government to neglected rural areas, but it will be impossible to deliver those improvements so long as officials, workers, and projects remain vulnerable to attack. It is now dramatically apparent that even though Afghanistan has successfully held elections and met the formal requirements for a transition to democracy, it remains beset by a staggering array of problems, from public corruption to private warlordism, that have been allowed to fester virtually unchecked.


The relationships between the Devil and disease, sickness and sin, healing and forgiveness, and exorcism and deliverance form an intriguing and controversial set of issues. This monograph brings some clarity to the topic by offering the first full-length examination of the origins of illness in New Testament thought. In an attempt to respect the diversity of thought within the New Testament, the author employs a method that allows the distinctive contributions of each New Testament writer to be appreciated on their own terms. These readings are followed by an attempt at the construction of a New Testament theology of the Devil, disease, and deliverance where the distinctive New Testament voices on this topic are heard in relation to one another. The monograph concludes with a chapter devoted to the implications of this study for Pentecostal theology and ministry.


This paper evaluates the WTO rules relating to subsidies and countervailing measures from a welfare economics perspective. It concludes that the rules relating to "nonviolation" subsidies, export subsidies and certain agricultural subsidies have sound economic justification. The rules governing domestic subsidies generally, by contrast, do little to identify or police undesirable subsidies. Further, as has been argued elsewhere, countervailing measures are economically undesirable.


We study the spin polarization of Doppler-broadened atoms by broadband nanosecond (ns) pulses, and compare the polarization efficiency with that by the transform-limited picosecond (ps) pulses that have the same spectral bandwidth. Specific calculations are performed for the case of muonium with a set of density matrix equations and with rate equations using the uncoupled basis states. We find that the polarization efficiency with the broadband ns laser pulses is rather good, although it is not as good as that with the transform-limited ps pulses. Our results imply that, depending on the available laser system, we can use either broadband ns or transform-limited ps laser pulses to polarize almost any Doppler-broadened atoms.


Background: Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is common among adolescents in Ireland and internationally. Psychological factors, negative life events and lifestyle factors have been found to be associated with self-harm in this group. However, large scale population-based studies of adolescent selfharm and its correlates have been lacking, and internationally a standardised methodology was needed to facilitate comparative studies. The focus on vulnerability which has been prevalent in this field has meant that research has failed to examine resilient adaptation among at-risk adolescents. Method: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional school-based study conducted in Ireland and in each of the six other centres which participated in the Child and Adolescent Self-harm in Europe (CASE) study. In Ireland, 3,881 adolescents in 39 schools in completing the anonymous questionnaire, while across all 7 centres, over 30,000 young people participated. Data were gathered on health and lifestyle, self-harm thoughts and behaviour, a wide range of life events, psychological characteristics (anxiety and depressive symptoms, self-esteem, impulsivity and coping style), and support available to young people. Results: This thesis reports the findings of the Irish CASE centre as well as one international study. The factors associated with DSH among Irish adolescents differed by gender, but among both genders drug use and knowing a friend who had engaged in self-harm were associated with DSH. Among Irish boys, strong associations were found between bullying and poor mental health and DSH. Among boys who had been bullied, psychological and school factors were associated with DSH, while family support was protective. Links between stressful life events, psychological characteristics and DSH within the international CASE sample were examined. Increased history of self-harm thoughts and acts was associated with greater depression, anxiety and impulsivity, lower self esteem and an increased prevalence of ten different negative life events, supporting the hypothesis of a â?odose-responseâ? relationship between these risk factors and the self-harm process. Associations between coping style, mental health factors (depressive symptoms, anxiety and self-esteem) and self-harm were examined among Irish adolescents. Emotion-oriented coping was strongly associated with poorer mental health and self-harm thoughts and acts. A mediating effect of emotion-oriented coping on associations between mental health factors and DSH was found for both genders and between problem-oriented coping and mental health factors for girls. Similar mediating effects of coping style were found when risk of self-harm thoughts was examined. Resilient adaptation among adolescents exposed to suicidal behaviour of others was examined. Self-harm thoughts were common in these adolescents. Among those exposed to suicidal behaviour of others, vulnerability factors were drug use and higher levels of anxiety among boys, while for girls drug use, bullying and abuse were vulnerability factors, while resilience was associated with higher self-esteem and use of problem-oriented coping. Conclusion: These findings can aid in the identification of young people at risk of self-harm in the school setting and highlight the importance of mental health, peer-related and lifestyle factors in the development of DSH. High-risk groups of young people such as bullying victims and those exposed to suicidal behaviour of others have distinctive profiles of risk factors which differ from those of their peers. Findings relating to the importance of positive coping skills can inform positive mental health programmes, many of which aim to enhance life skills and build resilience among young people. Knowledge of the factors associated with positive adaptation among at-risk adolescents can inform prevention efforts among this group.


Children begin to build self-esteem in early childhood based on social and emotional development. Previous research has shown that children inhabiting homes where the biological, adoptive, or step father are present have shown to exhibit higher levels of self esteem and social functioning. However, further information regarding the positive male influence, lesbian parenting, or the absence of "paternal absence" stigmas have show to contradict the previous research. This study investigated the self-esteem of economically disadvantaged children using results from the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment as it relates to the levels of father involvement. 115 children ages 3-5 involved in a governmentally subsidized pre-school and case management program were studied using a composite DECA score as rated by both parents and pre-school providers. Family case managers and student files were used to yield demographic data and data regarding paternal presence and involvement. To determine possible relationship, this information was synthesized into charts and analyzed using non-parametric correlations (Mann Whitney Test and Spearman's r). The findings revealed no significance between the levels of paternal involvement and participant's self-esteem. The findings of this work are intended to inform the social work profession of the benefits of further inclusion of fathers in social service interventions and promote social policy to advocate for the rights of fathers in the human services field.