The Autumn 2007 Central Bank Economists' Meeting at the BIS gathered senior representatives from 35 central banks to discuss both the material staff provide to policymakers at their institution as inputs to the policy decision and how the policy outcomes are communicated to the public. The central banks represented at the meeting included all of the largest central banks as well as banks from Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and North and South America. The representatives contributed a background paper describing practices at their central bank. The papers covered what material is provided to policymakers, how it is produced, how it is evaluated, how it has changed and how decisions are communicated. This note was prepared to inform and help structure the discussion. It reviews the central bank contributions, drawing as well on the results of two surveys of central banks conducted by the Central Banking Studies group at the BIS in 2007. The surveys cover the provision of monetary policy analysis and advice by central bank staff and the monetary policy communication practices of central banks.


MASSIVELY PARALLEL REASONING IN TRANSITIVE RELATIONSHIP HIERARCHIES by Yugyung Lee This research focuses on building a parallel knowledge representation and reasoning system for the purpose of making progress in realizing human-like intelligence. To achieve human-like intelligence, it is necessary to model human reasoning processes by programs. Knowledge in the real world is huge in size, complex in structure, and is also constantly changing even in limited domains. Unfortunately, reasoning algorithms are very often intractable, which means that they are too slow for an practical applications. One technique to deal with this problem is to design special-purpose reasoners. Many past Al systems have worked rather nicely for limited problem sizes, but. attempts to extend them to realistic subsets of world knowledge have led to difficulties. Even special purpose reasoners are not immune to this impasse. In this work, to overcome this problem, we are combining special purpose reasoners with massive We have developed and implemented a massively parallel transitive closure reasoner, called Hydra, that can dynamically assimilate any transitive, binary relation and efficiently answer queries using the transitive closure of all those relations. Within certain limitations, we achieve constant-time responses for transitive closure queries. Hydra can dynamically insert new concepts or new links into a. knowledge base for realistic problem sizes. To get near human-like reasoning capabilities requires the possibility of dynamic updates of the transitive relation hierarchies. Our incremental, massively parallel, update algorithms can achieve "almost" constant time updates of large knowledge bases. Hydra expands the boundaries of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning in a number of different directions: (1) Hydra improves the representational power of current systems. We have developed a set-based representation for class hierarchies that. makes it. easy to represent. class hierarchies on arrays of processors. Furthermore, we have developed and implemented two methods for mapping this set-based representation onto the processor space of a Connection Machine. These two representations, the Grid Representation and the Double Strand Representation successively improve transitive closure reasoning in terms of speed and processor utilization. (2) Hydra allows fast etrieval and dynamic update of a. large knowledge base. New fast update algorithms are formulated to dynamically insert new concepts or new relations into a knowledge base of thousands of nodes. (3) Hydra provides reasoning based on mixed hierarchical representations. We have designed representational tools and massively parallel reasoning algorithms to model reasoning in combined IS-A, Part-of, and Contained-in hierarchies. (4) Hydra's reasoning facilities have been successfully applied to the Medical Entities Dictionary, a large medical vocabulary of Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. As a. result of (1) (3), Hydra is more general than many current specialpurpose reasoners, faster than currently existing general-purpose reasoners, and its knowledge base can be updated dynamically. MASSIVELY PARALLEL REASONING IN TRANSITIVE RELATIONSHIP HIERARCHIES


Problems of gender representation persist within many superhero comics, but interventions of critical pedagogy with alternative sources from graphica can address certain inequalities. In this feminist review of graphica, I have selected several examples of contemporary comic books and graphic novels to introduce educators to potential sites of critical feminist public pedagogy. Graphica, if considered as sequential art as well as products of youth and adult subcultures, may be many people's first literacy experience, and many devotees continue reading comics for their whole lives. My goal in this feminist graphica review is to introduce readers to a spectrum of comic books and graphic novels that are often peripheral to art education, gender studies, and graphica studies.


Aid agencies often provide transfers in food rather than cash out of a paternalistic belief that food transfers will better improve household food security. However, evidence from Latin America shows that cash transfers often increase the share of food in consumption, counter to Engel's Law. This finding suggests households treat transfer income differently, with previous literature arguing that transfers shift intrahousehold bargaining. Until now, there has been little rigorous evidence on how the effects of transfers on food consumption patterns differ by context or by transfer modality. We use experimental data from three countries, Ecuador, Uganda and Yemen, to test the relative impact of food transfers and cash transfers (and vouchers in Ecuador) on the food share of consumption, food Engel curves, and the composition of food consumption. We find that, in all three countries, there are no significant differences by modality in the impacts of transfers on overall food share or food Engel curves. In particular, in Ecuador, transfers in the form of food, cash, or vouchers all increase the share of food in total consumption, representing outward shifts of the food Engel curves, but there are no significant differences by modality in these shifts. In Uganda, neither food nor cash significantly changes the food share of consumption. In Yemen, there is also no significant difference in Engel curves between food and cash beneficiaries. However, we find in all three countries that there are differences by modality in impacts on the composition of food consumption. In two of the three countries, food transfers lead to increased food group shares of the items included in the food ration, and in all three countries, cash transfers lead to larger improvements in dietary diversity. We find no evidence of changes in intrahousehold bargaining power due to any transfer modality in all three countries, suggesting another factor may be responsible for shifting Engel curves in Ecuador.


To activate clot formation and maintain hemostasis, platelets adhere and spread onto sites of vascular injury. Although this process is well-characterized biochemically, how the physical and spatial cues in the microenvironment affect platelet adhesion and spreading remain unclear. In this study, we applied deep UV photolithography and protein micro/nanostamping to quantitatively investigate and characterize the spatial guidance of platelet spreading at the single cell level and with nanoscale resolution. Platelets adhered to and spread only onto micropatterned collagen or fibrinogen surfaces and followed the microenvironmental geometry with high fidelity and with single micron precision. Using micropatterned lines of different widths, we determined that platelets are able to conform to micropatterned stripes as thin as 0.6 µm and adopt a maximum aspect ratio of 19 on those protein patterns. Interestingly, platelets were also able to span and spread over non-patterned regions of up to 5 µm, a length consistent with that of maximally extended filopodia. This process appears to be mediated by platelet filopodia that are sensitive to spatial cues. Finally, we observed that microenvironmental geometry directly affects platelet biology, such as the spatial organization and distribution of the platelet actin cytoskeleton. Our data demonstrate that platelet spreading is a finely-tuned and spatially-guided process in which spatial cues directly influence the biological aspects of how clot formation is regulated.


Political party systems are an important element of political systems in Africa and elsewhere. They form the central intermediate institution between the general population and the government. Party systems represent and aggregate diverse political views and group interests, and they form coalitions that then form governments with potentially important consequences of democracy and political stability.
 Unlike the case in the period directly after independence, African party systems have been overwhelmingly multiparty since the 1990s. As a result, the literature has grown significantly, although most works focus on political parties rather than party systems. Many efforts have been devoted to classification, referring to the legal context as well as, more specifically, the number of relevant parties, the levels of institutionalization, and, less often, the degree of ideological or other polarization. While levels of institutionalization and ideological differences are generally not pronounced, more than half of African party systems have been one-party dominant, of which most are authoritarian. In contrast, two-party and pluralist-party systems, which make up approximately one half of all multiparty systems, are generally more democratic. Besides determining classifications, most analytical work focuses on the determinants of African party systems using quantitative and qualitative as well as macro- and micro-level methodologies. Three determinants are debated: first, ethnicity, which has been cited as the main social cleavage behind African party systems; however, while ethnicity matters, its effects vary and are limited; second, political institutions, especially electoral systems for legislative elections, which only partly explain fragmentation or other features; third, the performance of political parties and rationalist approaches. Scholars largely agree that all of these elements need to be taken into account. While certain functions of party systems may facilitate democratization and political stability or other outcomes, little empirical work exists on the consequences of party systems. Some evidence suggests that highly institutionalized, moderately fragmented, and polarized systems promote democracy. Future research faces many challenges, in particular the development of integrated theory and more fine-grained data, as well as an increased focus on the consequences of party systems.


William Dean Howells was committed to determining what would inspire people from different economic, political, and religious backgrounds to imagine each other as respected members of a human community. Scholars have debated whether his realist aesthetic was suited to do that. Some have argued that realism works to contain the lower classes, and others have argued that it portrays a heterogeneous society in which social problems can be solved through human negotiation between the middle classes and others. Scholars have not, however, addressed how Howells performs the necessary shift in his fiction from a space in which characters focus on their own interests to a space in which they seek to enact justice through negotiating with disparate people. This article identifies and names what enacts that necessary shift: the literary device of accident. In Howells's fiction chance meetings, feelings of accidental connection, and injuries during travel force his middle-class characters into understanding labor politics, slum dwellers, and morally compromised millionaires. His use of accident changes over time, from The Undiscovered Country (1880) to Annie Kilburn (1889) and A Hazard of New Fortunes (1890). This essay traces that change in order to reflect on the democratic and antidemocratic implications of Howells's realist aesthetic.


Facial masking in early stage Parkinson's disease leads to a well-documented deterioration (stigmatization) in the patient-caregiver relationship. This research described in this paper is concerned with preserving dignity in that bond where otherwise it might be lost, through the use of a robot co-mediator that will be capable of monitoring the human-human relationship for lack of congruence in the perceived emotional states of the parties concerned. This paper describes the component architectural modules that are being used in support of this 5year effort, including an ethical architecture developed earlier for the military and previous research on affective companion robots for Sony and Samsung that are able to express affective state through kinesics and proxemics.


[1] Dayside detached auroras (DDA) refer to auroras observed separate from the equatorward edge of the main oval on the dayside. They are studied here using IMAGE FUV and DMSP particle data. Occurrence of these DDA appears to be correlated with sudden solar wind dynamic pressure enhancements and northward interplanetary magnetic field, as monitored by the Wind satellite. They are usually very dynamic and short-lived with a lifetime of the order of 10 minutes. Out of the three FUV instrument channels on IMAGE, DDA are best detected by the IMAGE FUV SI-12 instrument, which measures intensities of the Doppler red-shifted Hydrogen Lyman Alpha line. This indicates that energetic proton precipitation is the major component. Simultaneous DMSP particle observations confirm that energetic protons (>10 keV) in the dayside inner magnetosphere are the primary source of those DDA detected by the SI-12 instrument. DMSP also detected significant electron fluxes associated with the DDA, but the electron precipitations have little or no contribution to the DDA intensities detected by the SI-12 instrument. Precipitations of energetic protons (electrons) which caused DDA could be explained by enhanced cyclotron instability which arose from adiabatic compression following sudden solar wind dynamic pressure enhancements.


Abstract The present study aims to investigate the bactericidal activity (specifically antistaphylococcal) of Inula helenium. The antimicrobial activity of the extract is tested against 200 clinically significant Irish Staphylococcus aureus isolates consisting of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and -sensitive (MSSA) S. aureus using a drop test method and a microbroth dilution method. The antibacterial effect is evaluated by measuring the area of the inhibition zone against the isolates. Results proved I. helenium to be 100% effective against the 200 staphylococci tested, with 93% of isolates falling within the ++ and +++ groups. The minimum bactericidal concentration of I. helenium was examined on a subset of isolates and values ranged from 0.9 mg/mL to 9.0 mg/mL. The extract was equally effective against antibiotic-resistant and -sensitive strains. This plant therefore possesses compounds with potent antistaphylococcal properties, which in the future could be used to complement infection control policies and prevent staphylococcal infection and carriage. This research supports other studies wherein herbal plants exhibiting medicinal properties are being examined to overcome the problems of antibiotic resistance and to offer alternatives in the treatment and control of infectious diseases.


AMOS - Centre for Autonomous Marine Operations and Systems - is a research center at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. One out of the 9 projects in AMOS researches how basic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations can be performed, and one of these operations is high precision deployment of a payload from a UAV. UAVs are normally used for tasks that are either too dangerous, too inaccessible or too repetitive for humans. These tasks may include sensors to be placed somewhere inaccessible or first aid equipment to be delivered to disaster areas. This Master Thesis describes the development of a high precision deployment system of wireless sensors from a UAV. The UAV will be controlled in a trajectory from an arbitrary start position to the point for deployment of the sensor. The Master Thesis contains description of the development and implementation of hardware and equipment that is placed on a UAV called Penguin B, as well as software to control the system. The software is implemented on a Pandaboard, an embedded computer situated on the payload mount of the UAV. The software communicates with the UAV's autopilot through an interface in DUNE, which is an open source software solution delivered by the LSTS research group. DUNE offers easy-to-use interfaces between the control software, the autopilot and all peripheral units.When the UAV reaches its optimal deployment point, it signals a drop mechanism to let go of the sensor. The system was tested with a hardware in the loop simulator, and with a field test where the UAV was taxing on the landing field. The results of the tests are that both the hardware and software of the system work as they should. The trajectories to the deployment point have been tested with success, and one trajectory is found to be better than the other. It can be concluded that this system has contributed a lot on the subject of high precision sensor deployment, and suggestions for further development are given at the end of the thesis.


Summary Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) is responsible for economic losses in all poultry farms. Certain virulence factors have been proposed as a means of controlling APEC infections, including some proteins to be used for vaccination. In the study we report here, one of the major virulence factors, the iss (increased serum survival) gene, from E. coli strain χ1378, isolated from poultry colibacillosis in Iran, was cloned to construct a prokaryotic expression vector, in order to analyse the Iss protein. The iss gene was successfully cloned into the pGEX-3X vector. The construct was transformed into E. coli BL21 to express the Iss protein under induction. The Iss protein was expressed as a glutathione-S-transferase (GST) fusion protein. GST::Iss protein was sequenced by MS/MS MALDI-TOF techniques to confirm its amino acid sequence. BLAST analysis of the Iss protein showed high similarity with previously submitted sequences. Overall, it seems that the Iss protein from strain χ1378 could be used as a good antigen to vaccinate against poultry colibacillosis. GST::Iss protein is currently being used as recombinant protein in SPF chicken models with the goal of evaluating the immune response for APEC control. In conclusion, we constructed a prokaryotic expression vector of the iss gene, and express and sequence the Iss protein from E. coli strain χ1378 isolated from systemic colibacillosis.


In this chapter we describe the Samples of Anonymised Records (SARs) and Longitudinal Studies (LSs). The SARs are cross-sectional data like the area and interaction data, but the LSs track people over time. These datasets differ from the United Kingdom's other census outputs being individual-level 'microdata' and population samples. The microdata files are very versatile, allowing multi-way crosstabulations and statistical techniques and enabling application-relevant re-coded variables and study populations to be defined. The SARs files offer UK coverage although a UK-wide study is challenging because data for each country may be in separate files with different access arrangements and variable detail may be country specific. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Longitudinal Study for England and Wales has underpinned a wide range of research since the 1970s. This well-established source is now complemented by longitudinal data for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Largely driven by the need to ensure respondent confidentiality, the SARs and LSs have some drawbacks for migration-related research. In addition to stringent access arrangements, the geographical area to which individuals are located in the SARs tend to be coarse and although the LS databases record the small area in which the LS member was living at each census, specific 'place' information is unlikely to be considered non-disclosive unless for large geographies. However, generic, contextual information about the 'space' in which people live is useful even though actual places are not identified. Whilst the SARs and LSs are samples, they are, however, very large samples in comparison with other national surveys and represent first rate resources to complement other sources. In the course of this chapter, along with other references to SARs and LS-based migration research, we review work which utilised these sources to investigate inter-relationships between health, deprivation and migration. The SARs data show that migration is health-selective by age and distance moved and that those persons living in the public housing tenure who are moving into or within deprived areas are most likely to be ill. The role of migration in changing health inequalities between differently deprived areas can be explored using longitudinal data on both origins and destinations. The ONS LS reveals that migrants into and between the least deprived areas have better health than non-migrants, but migrants into and between the most deprived areas have the worst health. The effect of these changes has been to increase the inequality in health between differently deprived areas. A sorting, largely driven by selective migration occurs.


This paper describes a two-layer control and coordination framework for distributed energy resources. The lower layer is a real-time model predictive control (MPC) executed at 10 s resolution to achieve fine tuning of a given energy setpoint. The upper layer is a slower MPC coordination mechanism based on distributed optimization, and solved with the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) at 5 minutes resolution. It is needed to coordinate the power flow among the controllable resources such that enough power is available in real-time to achieve a pre-established energy trajectory in the long term. Although the formulation is generic, it is developed for the case of a battery system and a curtailable PV facility to dispatch stochastic prosumption according to a trajectory at 5 minutes resolution established the day before the operation. The proposed method is experimentally validated in a real-life setup to dispatch the operation of a building with rooftop PV generation (i.e., 101 kW average load, 350 kW peak demand, 82 kW peak PV generation) by controlling a 560 kWh/720 kVA battery and a 13 k W peak curtailable PV facility.


&NA; The nursing process and standardized nursing terminologies are essential elements to structure nursing documentation in daily nursing information management. The aim of this study was to describe sustainability and whether and how standardized nursing terminologies, in handwritten versus preprinted versus computerized nursing care plans, changed the content and completeness of documented nursing care. Three audits of patient records were performed: a pretest (n = 291) before a yearlong implementation of standardized nursing terminologies in nursing care plans followed by two posttests: (1) 3 weeks after implementation of nursing terminologies (n = 299) and (2) 22 months after implementation of nursing terminologies and 8 months after implementation of a computerized system (n = 281) in a university hospital. Content and completeness of documented nursing care improved after implementation of standardized nursing terminologies. Documentation of nursing care plans, signs and symptoms, related factors, and nursing interventions increased, whereas mean number of nursing diagnoses per patient did not change between audits. Computerized nursing care plans had the biggest impact, with more variety of nursing diagnoses and increased documentation of signs and symptoms, related factors, and nursing interventions. The use of standardized nursing terminologies improved nursing content in the nursing care plans. Moreover, computerized nursing care plans, in comparison with handwritten and preprinted care plans, increased documentation completeness.


Drug misuse in Northern Ireland, like many parts of the world, is becoming one of the major issues facing society today. A first stage to addressing this problem is effective drugs education and prevention strategies to school-aged young people. A survey of a range of education providers including mainstream and special needs schools, and school exclusion projects, suggests that all education providers aim to provide drugs education. Within mainstream schools, drugs education and prevention for young people with special education needs is provided within an existing framework developed for all school children. In contrast, special education providers deliver this facility through an approach developed to meet the specific requirements of their client group. The findings suggest that whilst expertise in the delivery of drugs education and prevention strategies exist for young people with special education needs, it may not be specifically targeted at all of them whilst attending school.


This study, designed to investigate trade-offs between forage yields, feed quality and labour use in fitting a newly introduced crop, Lablab purpureus, into an existing farming system, adopted distinct applied and adaptive research approaches. The applied research component compared forage yields, nutrient contents and feeding qualities of L. purpureus harvested at 100, 114, 128 or 142 d after planting in an on-farm trial. The adaptive research investigated how farmers incorporated L. purpureus cultivaton into their farming calendars given the constraints of labour for planting and harvesting. Harvested dry matter yields from the on-farm experiment were 1.28, 1.98, 1.74 and 1.44 t ha−1. The resultant hays were fed to four groups each of five Bunaji lactating cows in an on-farm feeding trial over a 10-week period. Ranking the various harvests for yield, the hays for feed value, animal responses to the feed consumed and the quality of animal products on a linear scale (1 to 4) to estimate a composite utility index, showed that harvesting at 114 d after planting gave the most desirable overall benefits. The survey for adaptive research showed bimodal rainfed and irrigated cultivation patterns for L. purpureus. Peaks were observed in September (31% of farmers) and November (24%) for planting, and in December (39.4%) and March (15%) for harvesting. Forage yields were, however, highest for the 3% of farmers who afforded labour to plant in July and harvest in October. The lack of congruence between highest forage yield periods and the peaks of cultivation of L. purpureus by farmers in the study area was mostly explained by very significant differences in the cost of hired and household labour in different months. Thus, socio-economic and cultural factors, including stakeholders' participation, need to be considered along with applied research results when recommending forage species for farmers' adoption.


The concept of metamaterials (MTMs) is acknowledged for providing new horizons for controlling electromagnetic radiations thus their use in frequency ranges otherwise difficult to manage (e.g. THz radiation) broadens our possibility to better understand our world as well as opens the path for new applications. THz radiation can be employed for various purposes, among them the study of vibrations in biological molecules, motion of electrons in semiconductors and propagation of acoustic shock waves in crystals. We propose here a new THz fractal MTM design that shows very high transmission in the desired frequency range as well as a clear differentiation between one polarisation and another. Based on theoretical predictions we fabricated and measured a fractal based THz metamaterial that shows more than 60% field transmission at around 1THz for TE polarized light while the TM waves have almost 80% field transmission peak at 0.6THz. One of the main characteristics of this design is its tunability by design: by simply changing the length of the fractal elements one can choose the operating frequency window. The modelling, fabrication and characterisation results will be presented in this paper. Due to the long wavelength of THz radiation, the resolution requirements for fabrication of metamaterials are within the optical lithography range. However, the high aspect ratio of such structures as well as the substrate thickness pose challenges in the fabrication process. The measurements were made using terahertz time domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) that allows us to obtain both the amplitude and phase of the transmission function. The experimental results are in very good agreement with theoretical calculations based on finite-difference time-domain simulations.


THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTY PREDICTION FOR SOLID ORGANIC COMPOUNDS BASED ON MOLECULAR STRUCTURE Benjamin T. Goodman Department of Chemical Engineering Doctor of Philosophy A knowledge of thermophysical properties is necessary for the design of all process units. Reliable property prediction methods are essential because reliable experimental data are often not available due to concerns about measurement difficulty, cost, scarcity, safety, or environment. In particular, there is a lack of prediction methods for solid properties. Predicted property values can also be used to fill holes in property databases to understand more fully compound characteristics. This work is a comprehensive analysis of the prediction methods available for five commonly needed solid properties. Where satisfactory methods are available, recommendations are made; where methods are unsatisfactory in scope or accuracy, improvements have been made or new methods have been developed. In the latter case, the following general scheme has been used to develop correlations: extraction of a training set of experimental data of a specific accuracy from the DIPPR 801 database, selection of a class of equations to use in the correlation, refinement of the form of the equation through least squares regression, selection of the chemical groups and/or molecular descriptors to be used as independent variables, calculation of xi coefficient values using the training set, addition of groups where refinement is needed, and a final testing of the resultant correlation against an independent test set of experimental data. Two new methods for predicting crystalline heat capacity were created. The first is a simple power law method (PL) that uses first-order functional groups. The second is derived as a modification of the Einstein-Debye canonical partition function (PF) that uses the same groups as the PL method with other descriptors to account for molecule size and multiple halogens. The PL method is intended for the temperature range of 50 to 250 K; the PF method is intended for temperatures above 250 K. Both the PL and PF methods have been assigned an uncertainty of 13% in their preferred temperature ranges based on comparisons to experimental data. A method for estimating heat of sublimation at the triple point was created using the same groups as used in the heat capacity PF method (estimated to have an error of 13%). This method can be used in conjunction with the Clausius-Clapeyron equation to predict solid vapor pressure. Errors in predicted solid vapor pressures averaged about 44.9%. As most solid vapor pressures are extremely small, on the order of one Pascal, this error is small on an absolute scale. An improvement was developed for an existing DIPPR correlation between solid and liquid densities at the triple point. The new correlation improves the prediction of solid density at the triple point and permits calculation of solid densities over a wide range of temperatures with an uncertainty of 6.3%. Based on the analysis of melting points performed in this study, Marrero and Gani's method is recommended as the primary method of predicting melting points for organic compounds (deviation from experimental values of 12.5%). This method can be unwieldy due to the large number of groups it employs, so the method of Yalkowsky et al. (13.9% deviation) is given a secondary recommendation due to its broad applicability with few input requirements.


Samuel Butler, a contemporary critic of Charles Darwin, proffered an alternative, vitalistic account of evolution. At the same time, he put into question all modern naturalistic treatments of this fundamental idea which presuppose that evolution is mainly a scientific problem. On the contrary, Butler in effect insists, this extremely vague idea calls for not an `explanation' but rather a fairly comprehensive, plausible story that helps elucidate an inherently complex idea. Butler can thus be read as outlining an anthropomorphic metaphorics that evokes a living Cosmos wherein it might be possible to do justice to the problem which Darwin left unresolved---the problem of heredity. In this picture of the Cosmos Butler links the fundamental notion of organization not to the allegedly universal and immutable `laws of nature,' as the moderns would have it, but rather to dynamically evolving relationships between only more or less stable habits. The variations in extant habits that emergence elicits are moreover the products of quasi-intelligent responses to new challenges from the environment. For Butler follows Lamarck in holding that all organisms possess powers capable of responding to felt needs and/or desires to make alterations in the habits (or instincts) that characterize their modes of existence. He thus in the end effectively bequeaths to his readers a challenge to extend and amplify, if possible, his outline of a promising metaphysical imaginary that can take into account some highly unorthodox conjectures. Normal 0 false false false EN-AU X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */
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If there was ever a better time to read 'Egypt: The Moment of Change', a book edited by Rabab El Mahdi and Philip Marfleet which was launched in front of a packed audience at SOAS in 2009, then it is now. Made up of chapters by eight Egyptian and British academics, it catalogues the explosive situation which has existed in North Africa's most populous country for many years. 'Egypt: The Moment of Change' highlights problems including social injustice and governmental corruption. It also focuses on the way capitalist interests backed up by the security state have subjugated workers' interests at the grassroots. Islamism and the standing of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's President, in the world are also, of course, considered. The conclusion of the book is a pertinent 'What Next?' Dr. El Mahdi, who co-directed the work, warned that the most dangerous time would be the 'moment of change' when Mubarak's regime starts to crumble under the weight of inherent contradictions accumulated over three decades in power. We are now witnessing that moment.


Motivated by a machine learning perspective---that game-theoretic equilibria constraints should serve as guidelines for predicting agents' strategies, we introduce maximum causal entropy correlated equilibria (MCECE), a novel solution concept for general-sum Markov games. In line with this perspective, a MCECE strategy profile is a uniquely-defined joint probability distribution over actions for each game state that minimizes the worst-case prediction of agents' actions under log-loss. Equivalently, it maximizes the worst-case growth rate for gambling on the sequences of agents' joint actions under uniform odds. We present a convex optimization technique for obtaining MCECE strategy profiles that resembles value iteration in finite-horizon games. We assess the predictive benefits of our approach by predicting the strategies generated by previously proposed correlated equilibria solution concepts, and compare against those previous approaches on that same prediction task.


The equivalent T circuit of an induction motor is found in every engineering motors book, and is becoming increasingly important with the popularity of vector control. The values used in the circuit are used to dictate the necessary gating signals for the PWM inverter. It is the de facto standard bridge between the field analyst and the motor controller. These parameters are not unique. Force, energy, voltage, and secondary power dissipation can be shown to relate to the product of synchronous reactance and the coupling coefficient of the rotor and stator. The mutual reactance, the secondary inductance, and secondary resistance are non-unique. Yet this surprising feature can be used as a solution integrity check for the field analyst


This research focuses on a smooth rendering of continuous 2D map based on a smooth 3D vario-scale geographical data structure. A Space Scale Cube (SSC) offers non-redundant geometric data for the different level of details. SSC model represents geographic data as a closed polyhedron, to generate a 2D map; SSC is intersected with the projection plane; resulting in a set of 2D polygons. However, problems emerge when creating maps with a large sized SSC dataset under web environment due to limited bandwidth and decoding speed. Repetitively transmitting data from the server to the client can be time and bandwidth consuming. A preprocess should be applied to a source that allows the follow-up development of an online traffic and time-efficient prototype. After preprocessing, large sized data will be subdivided based on octree algorithm to minimize transmission time from server to the client; moreover, accessible to WebGL. A prototype has been developed which enables smooth and timely vario-scale map rendering against heavy user actions such as fast zooming and panning in a short period. Modified prototype program allows query of only relevant data chunks by current viewport position; it prevents repeated loading of same chunks; what is more, repeated transmission of data from outside to GPU is eliminated. A tree structure is embedded at the client side that facilitates retrieve time. Rendering happens every frame; hence the prototype responses to heavy user actions timely. Also, it can obtain coordinates in RD coordinate system by double clicking. After testing the modified program with a 9km by 9km dataset online, exceptional performance is indicated by a high average frame rate (57 fps) and low main memory occupation (with a network speed at 9MB/s). The prototype performance is significant affected by the client network condition; low network speed can decrease the frame rate. For instance, the web service achieved a frame rate of 47 fps at a network speed at 6MB/s.


Research on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) has mainly addressed outcomes of EO at the level of the firm. However, few studies have examined how EO affects employees. Using a multi-level analysis of 343 employees nested in 25 SMEs, revealed that EO will increase the degree of role ambiguity among employees. Social support from management was not found to have any effect on the relationship between EO and role ambiguity. However, social support from co-workers weakens the EO-ambiguity relationship and can counteract the negative effects of EO to some degree. The study contributes to the EO literature by being one of very few that have considered possible negative consequences of EO, and it also highlights how to reduce role ambiguity in entrepreneurial SMEs.


PURPOSE
To correlate clinical outcome with the size and location of clefts in patients with schizencephaly.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
MR scans and clinical records of 20 patients with schizencephaly were retrospectively reviewed. Seven patients had bilateral clefts (10 open lip clefts, 4 closed lip clefts), eight patients had right-sided unilateral clefts (5 open lip clefts, 3 closed lip clefts), and five patients had left-sided unilateral clefts (3 open lip clefts, 2 closed lip clefts).

RESULTS
Statistically significant correlations were found as follows: Patients with bilateral schizencephalies had significantly worse intellectual (P = .004) and speech (P = .03) development than those with unilateral clefts; patients with unilateral large or medium open lip schizencephalies had significantly worse motor (P = .003) and intellectual (P = .008) impairment than those with unilateral closed lip or small open-lip schizencephalies; patients with frontal lobe involvement had a significantly higher incidence of motor dysfunction than those without frontal lobe involvement (P = .01). Strong similarities were noted in the patient outcomes and the locations of cortical anomalies of patients with schizencephaly and those with nonschizencephaly focal cortical dysplasias.

CONCLUSION
A common pathogenetic origin for the formation of focal cortical dysplasia in the form of polymicrogyria and schizencephalies is proposed. Patients with small unilateral schizencephalies have a good developmental prognosis, particularly when the motor cortex is not involved.


The identity of the fungi associated with and responsible for wood decay could lead to the development of more environmentally benign wood preservative systems. In this study we have reconstructed the phylogenetic tree of a select group of basidiomycete fungi using nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. We then compared this to trees generated from restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis using two different primers to see if the latter procedures can correctly identify multiple isolates of select wood decay fungi. The phylogenetic tree using maximum likelihood analysis revealed three well-supported genera, Trametes, Phanerochaete, and Gloeophyllum, with bootstrap values of 75 or greater. Trametes and Phanerochaete were sister taxa, and Gloeophyllum was a sister taxon to the Trametes/Phanerochaete clade. Neither set of RFLP data could resolve the three genera into monophyletic groups. The RFLP tree based on general fungal primers also did not resolve species, while the basidiomycete-specific data could resolve species. In the basidiomycete-specific tree, all isolates of both G. striatum and G. trabeum comprised monophyletic groups. Eight of nine T. versicolor isolates, 10 of 11 G. sepiarium isolates, and nine of 10 T. hirsuta isolates comprised monophyletic groups. Phanerochaete could not be consistently resolved into monophyletic groups at either the generic or specific level. Our studies indicate that RFLP analysis using general fungal primers are not likely to be useful in identifying species or reconstructing phylogenetic relationships. RFLP analysis using basidiomycete-specific primers may be useful in identifying some species but not in reconstructing phylogenetic relationships although it is a simpler procedure than sequencing.


Appropriate assessment of the social value of market access is at the core of a broad range of inquiries in trade research. A selection include: the appraisal of industry-level production and consumption distortions due to selective trade liberalization and partial tax reform; the construction of national-level quantity indicators of market access consistent with welfare change, and the use of international trade re-balancing as sanctions to discourage trade agreement violations, or as compensation in trade dispute settlement. In order to obtain shadow prices, we propose a new approach integrating the Luenberger benefit function and the directional output distance function. This yields a trade benefit function which represents trade preferences a la Meade in the context of a canonical general equilibrium model of trade. We first show that our approach is in keeping with well-established and commonly used measurement techniques of trade welfare, for the standard trade expenditure function is in fact dual to the trade benefit function. We then show that this dual relation allows for a direct retrieval of the shadow values of net imports from the trade benefit function. The usefulness and operationality of our approach is then demonstrated in a series of applications and simulations.


Abstract In 2010, Pakistan was struck by devastating floods, the latest in a series of disasters to strike the country in recent years. As it had during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, the Pakistan military played a significant operational and co-ordination role in the humanitarian response that followed. Its role raised important questions about civil–military relations between humanitarian actors and national (as opposed to international) militaries. This article looks at the interaction between the humanitarian community and the Pakistan military in responding to the 2010 floods in order to identify key successes and challenges. It also highlights a number of issues that emerged in the context of Pakistan but that may also be relevant to civil–military relations – particularly between the humanitarian community and the national military of an affected state – in other natural disaster and complex emergency settings.


This paper provides a characterization of the fiscal policy framework in four established federal countries with heterogeneous intergovernmental relations and demographic characteristics: Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the United States. We consider the implications of fiscal federalism from three different perspectives. First, we study the allocation of expenditure responsibilities and revenue generating instruments to different levels of government (federal, state and local) and discuss the role of intergovernmental transfers schemes and fiscal rules in each country. Second, we study the implementation of macroeconomic stabilization policy across different levels of government. Third, we discuss the evidence on the degree of inter-state risk sharing and the role of federal transfers in smoothing regional income shocks in federal countries. We conclude with the main implications to the euro area and to the debate on common fiscal instruments.


The Cretaceous rocks of the Prince Creek Formation contain the richest record of polar dinosaurs found anywhere in the world. Here we describe a new species of horned dinosaur, Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum that exhibits an apomorphic character in the frill, as well as a unique combination of other characters. Phylogenetic analysis of 16 taxa of ceratopsians failed to resolve relationships between P. perotorum and other Pachyrhinosaurus species (P. canadensis and P. lakustai). P. perotorum shares characters with each of the previously known species that are not present in the other, including very large nasal and supraorbital bosses that are nearly in contact and separated only by a narrow groove as in P. canadensis, and a rostral comb formed by the nasals and premaxillae as in P. lakustai. P. perotorum is the youngest centrosaurine known (70–69 Ma), and the locality that produced the taxon, the Kikak-Tegoseak Quarry, is close to the highest latitude for recovery of ceratopsid remains.


An advanced femtosecond laser micropolarimeter has been developed for transient pump-probe polarization measurements in opaque and semitransparent samples. The polarimeter has been used with femtoecond Kerr modelocked Ti:sapphire (810nm) and Cr:forsterite (1260nm) lasers, and in both reflective and transmissive configurations. A time resolution of 32fs was achieved with the Ti:sapphire laser, in a reflective configuration, and a time resolution of 90fs was achieved with the Cr:forsterite laser. In both cases a resolution to polarization azimuth rotation better than 10^-6 radians was achieved. A double pass polarimeter, based on a polarization modulation technique, has been developed for the study of nonreciprocal polarization occurring on the background of strong natural polarization rotation. A sensitivity to nonreciprocal polarization rotation better than 5 x 10^-4 radians has been achieved at several wavelengths of an argon ion laser: 514.5, 501.7, 496.5, 476.5 and 457.9 nm. The degenerate cubic optical nonlinearity in bulk gold was measured for the first time, at wavelengths of 1260nm and 810 nm, using a technique based on the pump-probe specular inverse Faraday effect. A reflected probe polarization azimuth rotation of ~1 x 10^-14 rad cm^2/W of pump power was seen in gold at 1260 nm, this corresponds to a considerable nonlinearity of |chi xxyy(3)(w,w,w,-w) - chi xyyx(3)(w,w,w,-w)| ~ 10^-9 esu (gaussian), 10^-16 m2 Volt^-2 (SI). The nonlinear response was found to be faster than 40fs at 810nm, and faster than 90fs at 1260nm. The nonlinearity is attributed predominantly to a spin-flipping mechanism. The frequency degenerate nonlinear optical response has been measured for the first time in opaque and semitransparent nickel films, of ~3-30nm thickness, at a wavelength of 810nm. Simultaneous measurements of the pump induced polarization azimuth rotation in reflective and transmissive configurations, at both the air and glass interfaces of the nickel films, indicated the importance of the surface in determining the nonlinear response. It has been established that the surface layer significantly influences the nonlinearity to a depth of about 4-5nm into the bulk. The nonlinear polarization rotation appears on the background, but is independent of, the linear polarization rotation due to the Kerr effect. From the large specular inverse Faraday effect observed, nickel films have been shown to be suitable for use in broadband femtosecond autocorrelation pulse duration measurements. A nonlinearity of liquefying gallium has been used to achieve broadband light by light modulation, at milliwatt operating power levels, with a frequency band spanning up to several hundred kilohertz, in a fibrized all-optical switch. For the first time nonreciprocity of natural polarization rotation has been seen in the optically active crystal, Bi12SiO20. A nonreciprocal component of the polarization rotation of ~2 x 10^-3 radians was observed on the background of the polarization rotation due to conventional optical activity. The nonreciprocal rotation has been attributed to the presence of the symmetric part of the nonlocality tensor Re{gamma xyz + gamma xyz} ~ 5 x 10^-12 cm (gaussian), 6 x 10^-9m (SI), at 457.9nm. [note that "w" represents l.c. omega]


Violence has become a pervasive part of the social fabric of South African society, and researchers have shown that young people are twice as likely as adults to be victims of at least one crime. As a result schools are frequently perceived as places associated with harm and fear. This paper sets out to briefly explore the policy context, describe some of the shooting incidents and considers some ways of addressing accidental shootings in school. While there are many concerns related to school violence, this paper focuses on accidental shootings. Some simple steps are proposed to make students more aware of potential tragedies associated with guns. • Schools should have periodic talks or lectures about the lethality of guns, especially with boys and students should be made aware of the incidents that have occurred in schools. • Parents must be made aware that many youths get guns from home. Guns need to be locked-up, or not owned at all. Parents must be made aware in writing that they can be held responsible if a gun is taken from home by a youth and brought to school. • Students should be made aware of the importance of immediately reporting if they see a gun or suspect that a student has a gun. This should be done periodically throughout the school year. These steps cannot guarantee a gun-free school or that gun-related violence will not occur; rather, they are steps that are useful in helping to prevent a tragedy, as they raise awareness and communication about guns in school. Keywords : school shootings, school violence, school safety, crime prevention South African Psychiatry Review Vol. 9(4) 2006: 216-219


Episcieae is the most diverse tribe of Gesneriaceae, with 22 genera and over 700 species, or roughly 21% of all Gesneriaceae. The tribe is restricted to the Neotropics and is characterized by axillary flowers derived from a pair-flowered cyme inflorescence by reduction, a three-trace trilacunar node with split lateral bundles, superior ovaries, and with most members having a haploid chromosome number of n = 9 [n = 8 in Codonanthe and Nematanthus]. Most traditionally recognized genera in Episcieae are either known to be non-monophyletic or have not been represented adequately in phylogenetic analyses to test their monophyly. This paper presents phylogenetic analyses utilizing two molecular [the internal transcribed spacer region of 18S-26S nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS) and the trnH-psbA intergenic spacer for 155 species] and one morphological (99 characters for 120 species) datasets, combined in a total evidence analysis. All traditionally recognized genera of Episcieae except for the monotypic genus Lampadaria are represented. Of the 21 sampled genera in Episcieae, 16 are represented by the generic type species. The genera Glossoloma and Crantzia are segregated from the genus Alloplectus as traditionally recognized. Other genera that are strongly supported as monophyletic include Alsobia, Columnea (with the inclusion of C. dielsii), Corytoplectus, and Episcia. Drymonia is weakly supported and is shown here to be morphologically diverse and in need of further evaluation. Evolution of fruit structure is examined in the context of the phylogenetic results presented here with two previously unreported features that are here referred to as capsules with tardily dehiscent and non-dehiscent endocarps. Three independent origins of resupinate flowers are inferred for Glossoloma, Nematanthus, and Crantzia. Strongly supported clades have centers of diversity in southeastern Brazil (Nematanthus, Codonanthe, Codonanthopsis, and Paradrymonia anisophylla), northern South America (Alloplectus, Drymonia, Columnea, Neomortonia), Central America (Alsobia, Oerstedina, Rufodorsia, Cobananthus), and two clades with diversity in the Guiana Shield [(Paradrymonia, Nautilocalyx, Chrysothemis) and (Lembocarpus, Cremersia, Rhoogeton)]. Neomortonia, a genus of three species, is poorly supported due to conflict among datasets.


The safety behaviors of a nuclear power plant (NPP) after an external hazard-initiated event, as well as after a small break (SB) loss of coolant accident (LOCA), are already well known as part of the analyses made for standard license application. The coincidence of both events leads to a beyond-design basis consideration. Such a combination of both event categories is investigated by means of the thermohydraulic system code ATHLET. The scenario assumes an external event with a LOCA caused by induced vibrations on a small pipe attached to the primary circuit, although all pipes are designed to withstand the loads created by such an external event. Furthermore, in the context of both robustness and enveloping analyses, both a loss of offsite power (LOOP) and an unavailability of the emergency diesel power supply are postulated. The NPP in the scenario considered only has access to the passive accumulators and to systems supplied via the safeguard emergency diesel engines (second quartet of emergency diesel engines), which are housed in the bunkered emergency feed building. The dedicated type of external event itself is not in focus, but rather the thermohydraulic behavior of the NPP is considered. Apart from the model's assumptions, the accident sequence is explained in detail. The remaining systems for emergency core cooling are capable of handling the LOCA under such demanding boundary conditions. Long-term cooling can be ensured. Furthermore, heat removal out of the core is always sufficient. Eventually, all safety protection objectives have been complied for this beyond-design basis scenario.


Dexterity and hand-eye coordination are important in daily life, and various methods of improving these skills have been developed. Most of the methods have been technological, brain training games that aren't physically strenuous and make the participant feel as though they are just playing a game. Cup stacking and video gaming have been used throughout the United States in schools for improving motor skills and hand-eye coordination because they offer various simulations of scenarios requiring motor, visual and cognitive coordination. Purpose: To determine the effects of different types of gaming on dexterity in college aged participants. Methods: The participants were 40 students enrolled at Southwestern University. A SPEED STACKS® set of 12 cups and timing mat were set up on a table, along with a nut and bolt, and the novel, The Hunger Games. Another station was set up with Mario Kart 8 on the Nintendo® Wii. One trial at each station was completed by each participant, leading to 40 control trials, 40 cup stacking trials, and 40 video game trials. Upon completing randomized challenge on three separate days, participants assembled a nut a bolt and were timed using SPEED STACKS® timing mat. Data were recorded and analyzed in a repeated measures ANOVA. Results: A repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant effect of cup stacking (5.69 sec ± .215) and video game play (5.79 sec ± .196) on dexterity F(2,78) = 46.205, p < .002. Bonferroni post hoc tests revealed that cup stacking elicited a reduction in dexterity times when compared to the control group (5.69 ± .215 s vs 5.86 ± .199 s, respectively, p < 0.05). It was also revealed that video game play elicited a reduction in dexterity times when compared to the control group, (5.79 ± .196 s vs 5.86 ± .199 s, respectively, p < 0.05). It was found that cup stacking elicited quicker dexterity times than video game play (5.69 ± .215 s vs 5.79 ± .196 s, respectively, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Results suggest that cup stacking provides a greater effect on dexterity than video game play. This study suggests that completing a physical hands on activity is more beneficial to maintaining dexterity than playing a video game, although both types of activities provide a significant effect on dexterity compared to the control group.


In the gift exchange game there are $n$ players and $n$ wrapped gifts. When a player's number is called, that person can either choose one of the remaining wrapped gifts, or can "steal" a gift from someone who has already unwrapped it, subject to the restriction that no gift can be stolen more than a total of $\sigma$ times. The problem is to determine the number of ways that the game can be played out, for given values of $\sigma$ and $n$. Formulas and asymptotic expansions are given for these numbers. This work was inspired in part by a 2005 remark by Robert A. Proctor in the On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences . This is a sequel to the earlier article [arXiv:0907.0513] by the second and third authors, differing from it in that there are two additional authors and several new theorems, including the resolution of most of the conjectures, and the extensive tables have been omitted.


Proof-of-concept for the generation of a bioengineered heart muscle (BHM) directly from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) as a model to simulate human heart muscle development was introduced recently by our lab. BHMs undergo stage-specific directed differentiation and self-assembly guided by the sequential addition of growth factors and small molecules to support (1) mesoderm induction (3 days), (2) cardiac specification (10 days) and (3) cardiac maturation (up to 50 days studied). By culture day 22, initial findings revealed homogeneously contracting BHMs with robust inotropic responses to increasing extracellular calcium and β–adrenergic stimulation. In this thesis, a detailed characterization on the molecular, cellular and functional level revealed that BHMs (1) do indeed traverse through defined in-utero like developmental stages with characteristic transcriptome profiles, (2) are composed of mainly mesodermal cells (cardiomyocytes and fibroblast-like cells), (3) display continuous functional maturation over time with enhanced contractile performance on the cellular level and (4) develop in late cultures (day 60) a functional neural crest component with resemblance to the cardiac sympathetic nervous system. Assessments of drug responses revealed the utility of BHM in disease modeling and drug screening. Modulation of one of the pivotal signaling pathways implicated in early cardiac induction, such as the BMP pathway during BHM development revealed that low concentrations of BMP4 are needed for the optimal differentiation of hPSCs to both cardiomyocytes and fibroblast-like cells. In a first effort to reduce all protein stimuli from the BHM culture format, screening for BMP4 replacements was performed and identified two hit molecules (4'-hydroxychalcone and 4-fluoro-4'-methoxychalcone). Both successfully induced cardiac differentiation in monolayer culture when added as BMP4 replacements, but not in the BHM culture format. Collectively, this is the first detailed characterization of a novel cardiac organoid model (BHM), generated by a single step tissue engineering approach directly from hPSCs, with organotypic contractile functionality. Applications in drug screening and disease modeling are demonstrated. Further improvements may be achieved by the replacement of all protein culture medium supplements by bioactive small molecules, such as chalcones to replace BMP4.


With existing conventional prosthesis control (direct control), individuals with a transradial amputation use two opposing muscle groups to control each prosthesis motor. As component complexity increases, subjects must switch the prosthesis into different modes to control each component in sequence. Pattern recognition control offers the ability to control multiple movements in a seamless manner without switching. In this paper, three individuals with a transradial amputation completed a home trial to compare direct control and pattern recognition control of a multiple degree-of-freedom prosthesis. Outcome measures before and after the home trial, together with subject questionnaires, were used to evaluate functional control. Although small, this trial has implications for the implementation of pattern recognition in commercial control systems and for future research studies.


The use of the Kalman filter in the Dutch pupil monitoring system LISKAL makes it possible to reduce with 30 to 50% the estimation error variance resulting from Bartlett's well-known cross-sectional factor score estimator. The PC-program LISKAL is based on a longitudinal LISREL model of reading achievements of pupils in primary education. It combines past and present information from educational test scores to estimate optimally individual pupil's achievements in reading skills: decoding speed, reading comprehension and spelling.It is explained how LISKAL works and how it can be used by the teacher in the class room. Most LISKAL results are given in graphical form. Different kinds of information are provided by LISKAL: 1) the individual pupil's achievements are compared at successive time points with those of a normative group, 2) the pupil is compared with itself at previous points in time, 3) on the basis of the model predictions can be made of future achievements to enable the teacher to take timely intervention measures, 4) by comparing predicted development with actual development the effect of intervention measures can be evaluated, 5) in addition to individual developmental curves the program also generates mean curves for groups of pupils as, for example, classes or schools.In the present version of LISKAL achievement variables are present as standardized variables in the form of z-scores, having mean 0 and standard deviation 1 at each point in time. This implies relative assessment in relation to a normative group. However, teachers are often interested in absolute developmental curves, especially for low achieving pupils. The problem of estimating absolute developmental curves can also be solved by means of the Kalman filter. The LISREL model on which it has to be based is more complicated, however. Absolute assessment will be added as an option in a new version of the LISKAL program based on a new research project with a nationwide sample of 3430 pupils.


The focus of this research was Year 12 student leadership in three Catholic schools. Pivotal to the thesis were the leadership experiences and self-perceptions of the schools' Year 12 students. Two theoretical propositions underscored the study: all Year 12 students are called to some form of leadership within their school; and schools should strive to build a leadership culture inclusive of all Year 12 students. The review of the literature drew attention to three themes which formed the conceptual framework underpinning the research, namely organisational leadership, Christian leadership and its meaning for the Catholic School, and student leadership. In the light of the review it seemed appropriate that the conduct of the study should be predominantly qualitative, interpretive, and planned around collective case study. For each of the three case study schools, data collection took the form of a document search, an interview with a key informant staff member, a Year 12 student survey questionnaire utilising both qualitative and quantitative questions, and two Year 12 student focus group interviews. The "general analytic strategy" (Yin, 1994, p. 30) employed in this research was to follow the theoretical propositions underlying this study which, in turn, reflected a set of seven research questions. Findings from the study indicated that there was a strong belief among senior students from the three schools that every Year 12 student should have the opportunity to participate in leadership. Furthermore, students saw leadership as entailing duty, a sense of service, as well as involvement with younger students. Students also highlighted a range of benefits associated with leadership participation, as well as


The Successful Standard Reference Work Up to Date With the first edition of Volume 1 of the Minorities Handbook which appeared in 2000 in German and in 2003 in English, it was possible for the first time for research into European minorities to be presented on a solid, empirical basis. The figures as well as the fundamental information on modern minority protection contained in the Handbook were greeted with a very positive reception and are still found in numerous scholarly publications and information materials. The Handbook has in the meantime come to be regarded as a standard reference work, with its findings also being used on a Europe-wide basis and having become a "tool of the trade" for political decision-makers. Since those initial publications, though, an acute need has become visible for an update. This has resulted from political and demographic changes in Europe, new legal and political developments and new findings in minorities research. All of these new developments have been included in the most broad-reaching form possible with the compilation of this second edition.


P‐type ATPase proteins maintain cellular homeostasis and uphold critical concentration gradients by ATP‐driven ion transport across biological membranes. Characterization of single‐cycle dynamics by time‐resolved X‐ray scattering techniques in solution could resolve structural intermediates not amendable to for example crystallization or cryo‐electron microscopy sample preparation. To pave way for such time‐resolved experiments, we used biochemical activity measurements, Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) and time‐dependent Fourier‐Transform Infra‐Red (FTIR) spectroscopy to identify optimal conditions for activating a Zn2+‐transporting Type‐I ATPase from Shigella sonnei (ssZntA) at high protein concentration using caged ATP. The highest total activity was observed at a protein concentration of 25 mg/mL, at 310 K, pH 7, and required the presence of 20% (v/v) glycerol as stabilizing agent. Neither the presence of caged ATP nor increasing lipid‐to‐protein ratio affected the hydrolysis activity significantly. This work also paves way for characterization of recombinant metal‐transporting (Type‐I) ATPase mutants with medical relevance.


Garnet is widely found as a minor constituent in rocks of the Antarctic Peninsula Volcanic Group (APVG) of Trinity Peninsula. It occurs as conspicuous megacrysts, or in xenoliths within volcanic rocks of andesitic-rhyolitic composition and as detrital grains in the associated terrestrial sediments. It is also found as an accessory mineral in many plutonic rocks from the E coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Evidence is presented to show that the garnet can be divided petrographically and chemically into two main groups: Type A: almandine-rich primary igneous garnet, and Type B: less almandine- and more pyrope-rich garnet as xenocrysts or included in xenoliths within the volcanic rocks. Comparison with published experimental data on garnet occurrence in acidic igneous rocks suggests that high almandine-low spessartine garnet in volcanic rocks is a remnant phase of high pressure crystallization from magma at pressures of >7 kbar. Garnet with a higher pyrope content is regarded as xenocrystal in origin, having been derived from garnet-bearing country rocks at depth, either as accidental inclusions or through direct partial melting (restite) of the lower crust, and implies that a considerable thickness (>25 km) of crustal material was in existence before the generation of the Mesozoic magmatic arc. The origin of these calc-alkaline magmas may therefore be due, at least in part, to partial melting of pre-existing sialic crustal material.


The Windows Presentation Foundation is a key component of .NET Framework 3.0, which is a part of Windows Vista and available for Windows XP. With the Windows Presentation Foundation, 3D images can be displayed regardless of the video-display hardware on the users machine. Focusing on developing user interface objects or simple animations, this book builds on a readers knowledge of Windows Presentation Foundation essentials to demonstrate how to effectively create 3D graphics for Windows. You get the fundamental information for using the Windows Presentation Foundation 3D application programming interface (API), as well as in-depth coverage of mesh geometries.


SYNOPSIS: This study examines whether the relationship between managerial ability and audit fees is conditional on financial distress. We find that higher managerial ability increases audit fees in financially distressed firms and decreases audit fees in non-distressed firms. We also observe that financially distressed firms with higher-ability managers display lower accrual quality and a higher likelihood of restatement. Moreover, higher-ability managers in distressed firms engage more in opportunistic financial reporting to concurrently maximize equity-based compensation and cope with debt refinancing pressures, which increases audit risks and results in greater audit fees. We confirm our results using a battery of sensitivity and additional analyses.


Abstract Suspended culture is a widespread farming method used for many bivalve species such as mussels, oysters and scallops. In the Mediterranean, this technique is mainly practised in lagoons or in sheltered coastal areas using floating lines from which molluscs are suspended in several ways. In this study, the European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis Linné, 1758) was grown in suspended lantern nets in the Calich lagoon (Sardinia, Mediterranean Sea) from March 2004 to March 2005. Two distinct groups of 6 lanterns each were hung to longline ropes near the mouth (station 1) and in the central portion of the lagoon (station 2). In each lantern (diameter=50cm; height=30cm), 90 O. edulis specimens were grown and, in order to ensure good water circulation inside the lantern net, fouling organisms were removed every month. Overall mortality, shell length (anterior-posterior axis), shell width (maximum distance on the lateral axis, between both valves of the closed shell) and total wet weight of a 180 specimen oyster sample (30 from each lantern) were recorded every 2 months at each site. In addition, water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH were monitored monthly by means of a multi-parametric probe at both sites (between 10a.m. and 12p.m.). One-way ANOVA was used to test for differences in oyster final mean morphometric characters recorded at the 2 growing stations. Chi-square test (with Yates correction for continuity) was performed to compare survival rates at the end of the trial. From an initial mean shell length of 49.5±4.6mm, O. edulis growth rate showed a similar trend at both the stations. Nevertheless, ANOVA detected significant differences (F=7.10; p<0.01) in final mean oyster length values (83.7±6.5mm at station 1 vs 81.7±7.6mm at station 2). Significant differences (F=9.74; p<0.01) were also found in final mean oyster width (28.4±3.1mm at station 1 vs 27.5±2.8mm at station 2) and weight (F=4.00; p<0.05) values (91.4±16.7g at station 1 vs 87.7±18.3g at station 2). Moreover, chi-square test revealed a significantly different survival rate (χ2=10.04; p<0.01) between the 2 groups (57.4% at station 1 vs 47.6% at station 2). Water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and pH monthly values recorded at the 2 growing stations were almost identical. Thus, the observed differences in oyster growth and survival seemed not to be due to the hydrological variables considered. Instead, they could probably be related to mechanical and chemical effects of water renewal by coastal waters, which may have led to different seasonal seston food supplies at the 2 sites. The suspended culture of the European flat oyster described in this paper can increase the mollusc production of the Calich lagoon by growing a valuable bivalve species which is naturally scarce in this biotope. In fact, our preliminary results showed good survival and growth rates of O. edulis especially near the mouth of the lagoon. Furthermore, this farming technique could be a possible source of economic benefits for local fishermen and, above all, a low impact aquacultural activity compatible with the environment.


Academia and industry agree on the importance of knowledge worker workers in emerging economy or new industrial country for economic growth. Understanding the changing nature of knowledge workers in an industry-level analysis is helpful to formulate industry policy. This study aims to investigate the changing of knowledge workers in Taiwan 20 manufacturing industries during 1988-2005. Empirical results are shown as follows. First, there is a trend shift from non-knowledge workers to knowledge workers in all manufacturing industry. Second, based on the shift-share analysis, the withinindustry effect on increasing knowledge workers is more than the betweenindustry effect, especially in electric & electronic machinery industry. Finally, both technological progress and international trade factors positively affect increasing knowledge workers, and the effect of the former is more than that of the later, based on regression analysis of fixed effect model.


The main objective of this study was to identify the level of agro-based website surfing among Malaysian agro-based
entrepreneurs and factors affecting it. A total of 450 respondents were selected for this study from six fields of agro-based industry namely food processing, non-food processing, farming, plantation, fisheries and animal rearing. The sample list was gained from three agencies including Department of Agriculture Malaysia (DOA), Farmers Organization Authority (FOA) and Agro Bank of Malaysia. Data were collected using face to face interview method. Results revealed that level of agro-based website surfing among Malaysian agricultural entreprenuers was at low level, while the official website of Department of
Agriculture Malaysia (DOA) (www.agrolink.moa.my/doa) was the most surfed website followed by the official website of
Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI) (www.mardi.my) and the official website of Federal
Agriculture Marketing Authority (FAMA) www.agrolink.moa.my/fama). Based on the t-test and ANOVA test done there was significance difference in agro-based website surfing in respondent's gender, level of education and age.


Most computer interfaces are designed in a one-size-fits-all fashion, which does not account for individual differences in abilities and preferences. Some computer users thrive with one software application while another user may struggle to use the same software. Some people tend to perform very well amidst distraction whereas others have a difficult time concentrating on a primary task when distracting agents are present. Much work has been done in quantifying a person's performance, but it has typically been difficult to quantify how difficult a task was for a person to perform. This thesis investigates the stress exhibited by various computer users while performing tasks in both their preferred and non-preferred modalities. The paper surveys the current physiological methods for analyzing human stress and delineates the hardware and software design and implementation of some of these methods. The physiological datacollecting hardware and software were deployed to collect physiological samples from test subjects engaging in memorization and recollection tasks in both an undistracted and a distracted setting. An analysis of the data shows the correlation between preferred modality and performance of tasks in that modality and other modalities. This analysis also shows the correlation between user arousal level and performance with and without distraction. Individual differences are considered by normalizing the physiological data collected for each subject prior to comparison with other subjects. The work presented herein gives insight into the individual differences of various types of computer users and is a precursor to work in adaptive user interface technology.


DID DEFOE WRITE MOLL FLANDERS AND ROXANA?" asks Ashley Marshall, in an acute and well-reasoned essay in the present issue of Philological Quarterly. It is a good question, and--maybe rightly?--Marshall thinks the answer we give about these famous novels in our writings about the attribution of works to Defoe is not satisfactory. We present these works as having a secure place in the Defoe canon, even though the evidence we bring forward for his authorship of them is, by our own admission, somewhat problematical. In Marshall's view, since no good case has ever been put forward, they cannot be regarded as "definitively" by Defoe. Scholars, including ourselves, ought to face up to this problem, and should in future present these novels as only "dubiously attributed to Defoe, and preferably with special emphasis on the uncertainty." Defoe attribution is notoriously an extremely knotty problem, not really paralleled in the case of any other classic English writer, and the forming of bibliographical principles in regard to it calls for a certain understanding of its strange history. Attribution of works to Defoe has gone on for three centuries, and indeed is still going on; and to complicate matters further, many new attributions come later to be dropped, for one reason or another. Again, our confidence in any given ascription may depend on our estimate of the character and skill of the person who first made it. (1) That said, it follows that, with Defoe, there is a particular need for strict principles of author-attribution, and before coming to the particular case of the novels, we would like here to quote the general principles we put forward in our Critical Bibliography of Daniel Defoe: 1. In arguing for an ascription, one should not "forge chains" of attribution, that is to say base any part of one's argument on some other merely probable attribution, but should draw solely upon works indisputably by the author in question. 2. If making a new ascription, one should always explain one's reasons. 3. One should not regard the fact that an ascription seems plausible--i.e, compatible with the author's known style or interests, etc.--as in itself sufficient reason for making it; nor should one be tempted to include a work in the canon "provisionally," i.e. until some better candidate for authorship appears. (The reason, in both cases, is that inclusion of a work in the canon causes a qualitative change in its status, transforming the way in which later scholars are expected to regard it. It is infinitely harder to get a work out of the canon than to put it there in the first place.) (2) In attempting to set out a new bibliography of Defoe's works following these principles, we thought it necessary to distinguish clearly between attributions to Defoe which could be regarded as "certain" and those which could only be regarded as "probable," and so we divided items accordingly, with "probable" attributions being identified by a "(P)" added to their running numbers. It is worth summarizing briefly the reasoning by which we came to identify works as "certainly" or "probably" by Defoe, highlighting in particular our understanding of the different roles of "external" and "internal" evidence. Some of the reasons why we can regard a work as certainly being by Defoe are quite obvious. For example, we may have a manuscript of the work in his handwriting, he may have signed it with his own name or initials, or he may have included it in the True Collection of the Writings of the True Born English-man (1703) or in A Second Volume of the Writings of the Author of the True-Born Englishman (1705). In other cases the reasoning will involve inference, or will depend on a convergence of external and internal evidence. On the vexed and complicated question of the relative rights of external versus internal evidence, our view has been that external evidence has a kind of logical priority over internal evidence. …


The foraging stage of larval development is characterized by an attraction to food resources and an increased consumption of nutrients. Food attraction is partially mediated by an attunement to a light source, visible as distinct locomotor patterns that larvae exhibit in light and dark environments. Loss of the Drosophila Ran Binding Protein in the Microtubule Organizing Center (dRanBPM) leads to a disruption of locomotion in response to light, a reduction in larval feeding and larval size, and a decrease in viability. The long isoform of dRanBPM has been shown to localize to the Mushroom Body (MB) of the larval CNS, an important structure involved in learning and memory behaviours. Various neuronal markers failed to show any severe morphological abnormalities due to loss of dRanBPM gene function in the larval CNS. In addition to a decrease in food consumption, dRanBPM mutants also showed a decreased attraction to a food source. These results are supplemented by evidence that dRanBPM affects sensory modalities associated with olfaction and phototaxis. The role of the MB in larval behaviours associated with loss of dRanBPM gene function has yet to be fully elucidated. dRanBPM mutant behavioural phenotypes, such as larval response to light, have been recapitulated through MB silencing studies. My results suggest further that decreasing but not increasing excitabi Iity in the y neurons of the MB affects response to Iight and feeding


Machine learning methods offer a great potential to automatically investigate large amounts of data in the humanities. Our contribution to the workshop reports about ongoing work in the BMBF project KobRA (http://www.kobra.tu-dortmund.de) where we apply machine learning methods to the analysis of big corpora in language-focused research of computer-mediated communication (CMC). At the workshop, we will discuss first results from training a Support Vector Machine (SVM) for the classification of selected linguistic features in talk pages of the German Wikipedia corpus in DeReKo provided by the IDS Mannheim. We will investigate different representations of the data to integrate complex syntactic and semantic information for the SVM. The results shall foster both corpus-based research of CMC and the annotation of linguistic features in CMC corpora.


Spatiotemporal variation in ground-surface displacement caused by ground freeze–thaw and thermokarst is critical information to understand changes in the permafrost ecosystem. Measurement of ground displacement, especially in the disturbed ground underlain by ice-rich permafrost, is important to estimate the rate of permafrost and carbon loss. We conducted high-precision global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning surveys to measure the surface displacements of tundra in northern Alaska, together with maximum thaw depth (TD) and surface moisture measurements from 2017 to 2019. The measurements were performed along two to three 60–200 m transects per site with 1–5 m intervals at the three areas. The average seasonal thaw settlement (STS) at intact tundra sites ranged 5.8–14.3 cm with a standard deviation range of 2.1–3.3 cm. At the disturbed locations, averages and variations in STS and the maximum thaw depth were largest in all observed years and among all sites. The largest seasonal and interannual subsidence (44 and 56 cm/year, respectively) were recorded at points near troughs of degraded ice-wedge polygons or thermokarst lakes. Weak or moderate correlation between STS and TD found at the intact sites became obscure as the thermokarst disturbance progressed, leading to higher uncertainty in the prediction of TD from STS.


Acoustical analysis of audio signals is important in many legal contexts for determining the authenticity, originality, and continuity of recorded media; determining the circumstances of events in question that may have been recorded; for determining the audibility of signals; and for identification or elimination of talkers as a match to an unknown exemplar. Recorded media are analyzed in forensic applications using both familiar techniques (waveform and spectral analyses) and more novel methods (e.g., ferro fluid development of media; specialized tape heads with nonstandard reproduction characteristics; crystal microscopy; detection and matching to power grid frequencies). Audibility analyses frequently require careful reconstructive field measurements and criteria in excess of normally accepted standards. Voice identification‐elimination protocols must account for examiner bias and exemplar quality and can be described using a receiver operator curve (ROC) model. This presentation gives an overview of ...


The diffusion of molecules through and between organic layers is a serious stability concern in organic electronic devices. In this work, the temperature-dependent diffusion of molecular dopants through small molecule hole transport layers is observed. Specifically we investigate bilayer stacks of small molecules used for hole transport (MeO-TPD) and p-type dopants (F4TCNQ and C60F36) used in hole injection layers for organic light emitting diodes and hole collection electrodes for organic photovoltaics. With the use of absorbance spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, neutron reflectometry, and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, we are able to obtain a comprehensive picture of the diffusion of fluorinated small molecules through MeO-TPD layers. F4TCNQ spontaneously diffuses into the MeO-TPD material even at room temperature, while C60F36, a much bulkier molecule, is shown to have a substantially higher morphological stability. This study highlights that the differences in size/geometry and thermal properties of small molecular dopants can have a significant impact on their diffusion in organic device architectures.


OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not intravenous ramosetron 0.3 mg is effective in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in women undergoing gynecologic surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary research articles published later than 1995. DATA SOURCES: Randomized, double-blinded, controlled clinical trials comparing intravenous ramosetron to placebo or other control groups were identified using Ovid MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases. OUTCOMES MEASURED: Measured outcomes include a complete response to the intervention within the first 24-48 hours, the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, need for rescue antiemetic, severity of nausea, and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: All three RCTs analyzed found that intravenous ramosetron 0.3 mg administered during or immediately after surgery significantly decreased the incidence, compared to placebo, of patients experiencing any PONV. This effect was found to be particularly strong in the earliest postoperative period in all studies. In all three studies, ramosetron also significantly reduced the severity of nausea and increased patient satisfaction compared to placebo. Two out of the three studies showed that ramosetron reduced the need for rescue treatment of PONV in the postoperative period compared to placebo. Adverse effects were limited to drowsiness, dizziness, and headache and there were no significant difference in incidence between any groups in any of the studies. CONCLUSION: PONV is a significant source of distress for women undergoing gynecologic surgery. The studies analyzed in this review are concordant in their finding that ramosetron, a highly selective 5-HT3 antagonist, is a safe and effective option for completely preventing or reducing the severity of this troubling postoperative complication. The effectiveness of ramosetron in these studies is complemented by its availability as a less-expensive oral disintegrating tablet which may offset criticism of the high cost of currently available 5-HT3 antagonists. Future studies are needed to apply these findings to additional surgical populations.


Critical marketing scholars have been encouraged to consider the experiences of consumers who encounter marketplace exclusion, consumers "whose views are rarely heard by those in positions of power" (Tadajewski, 2010, p. 214). Our focus in this chapter is on consumers experiencing vulnerability. Baker et al. (2005, p. 134) offer the following definition of consumer vulnerability: "[c]onsumer vulnerability is a state of powerlessness that arises from an imbalance in marketplace interactions or from the consumption of marketing messages and products. It occurs when control is not in an individual's hands, creating a dependence on external factors (e.g. marketers) to create fairness in the marketplace. The actual vulnerability arises from the interaction of individual states, individual characteristics, and external conditions within a context where consumption goals may be hindered and the experience affects personal and social perceptions of self." Central to Baker et al.'s (2005) definition is the lack of control and power experienced by some consumers, but also that the experience of vulnerability is often heightened due to circumstances beyond the individual's control (e.g. how other people respond to her/him). This point emphasises the socially constructed and interactive nature of consumer vulnerability. Since the 1990s the importance of consumer vulnerability has been recognised with research exploring its conditions and contexts (Smith and Cooper-Martin, 1997; Gentry et al, 1994; Hill & Stamey, 1990; Ozanne et al, 1998; Morgan et al, 1995; Botti et al, 2008; Schultz et al, 2009; Ozanne & Ozanne, 2011; Cartwright, 2015). This work has been published in a range of outlets, including special issues of Journal of Macromarketing (Hill, 2005) and Journal of Marketing Management (Dunnett, Hamilton and Piacentini, 2016) and an edited collection (Hamilton, Dunnett and Piacentini, 2016). Much of this research stream questions and problematizes experiences of vulnerability within the marketplace.


The construction industry is currently driving to reach a high level of achievement for future sustainable built environments. The UK and USA models for the building design and construction process have been developed to enable relevant stakeholders to work closely from the beginning of a project. Indeed, design production is particularly significant, particularly at the concept design stage, as design decisions cost less to change and there is greater opportunity for change at the concept design stage. These are important considerations for this study. In addition, collaboration can significantly reduce redundant loops of performance in the subsequent processes leading to savings both in cost and time. However, the traditional design phases in the USA and Thailand have faced barriers due to silos of effort, a lack of overall project awareness, inefficient collaboration between silos, and poor communication among silos due to the fragmentation of the functional disciplines involved.
Furthermore, stakeholders working in partnership in the AEC industry are connected together in a complex way so information sharing is not straightforward; however, they are now supported by digital tools and communication technology, which can mediate this collaborative process. Effective collaboration can be promoted by technology through existing digital tools, for example, CAD or BIM. These tools can enable important increases in productivity through the strategic sharing of information. However, these are not appropriate tools for the concept design stage due to the complex information involved and the difficult user interfaces. This difficult interface leads to consumption of memory and an obstruction of the mental workflow, which does not support designers at the concept design stage. Moreover, the purpose of collaboration among multidisciplinary and multi-functional teams is to enable the integration of other disciplines, to maintain and sustain knowledge and information sharing, and to predict colleague behaviour. Knowledge sources and the retrieval of knowledge and information are significant; however, communication has pros and cons, and current tools, such as email or instant messaging, are difficult to use for the purpose of collaboration.
Therefore, this research has developed an innovative digital tool to facilitate collaboration and support designers at the concept design stage. This tool enhances the creative thinking process by emphasising the streaming of the cognitive workload. In addition, collaborative communication supports the creation and structure of contents, posts and replies and supports designers to retrieve information. Collaborators/stakeholders can therefore share space and information. The research methodology for this study was designed to collect data in Thailand; it included the design and development of a prototype, and an evaluation of a case study in Thailand. The prototype is the first pilot of the digital tool to support designers at the concept design stage and could be further developed for use in practice.