Since approximately two thirds of epileptic patients are non-eligible for surgery, local axonal fiber transections might be of particular interest for them. Micrometer to millimeter wide synchrotron-generated X-ray beamlets produced by spatial fractionation of the main beam could generate such fiber disruptions non-invasively. The aim of this work was to optimize irradiation parameters for the induction of fiber transections in the rat brain white matter by exposure to such beamlets. For this purpose, we irradiated cortex and external capsule of normal rats in the antero-posterior direction with a 4 mm×4 mm array of 25 to 1000 µm wide beamlets and entrance doses of 150 Gy to 500 Gy. Axonal fiber responses were assessed with diffusion tensor imaging and fiber tractography; myelin fibers were examined histopathologically. Our study suggests that high radiation doses (500 Gy) are required to interrupt axons and myelin sheaths. However, a radiation dose of 500 Gy delivered by wide minibeams (1000 µm) induced macroscopic brain damage, depicted by a massive loss of matter in fiber tractography maps. With the same radiation dose, the damage induced by thinner microbeams (50 to 100 µm) was limited to their paths. No macroscopic necrosis was observed in the irradiated target while overt transections of myelin were detected histopathologically. Diffusivity values were found to be significantly reduced. A radiation dose ≤ 500 Gy associated with a beamlet size of < 50 µm did not cause visible transections, neither on diffusion maps nor on sections stained for myelin. We conclude that a peak dose of 500 Gy combined with a microbeam width of 100 µm optimally induced axonal transections in the white matter of the brain.


This study provides a descriptive analysis of the distribution of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in Virginia, which offers financial compensation to these educators regardless of teaching assignment. Most localities provide additional incentives to recruit and retain NBCTs, again, not targeted or structured in any way. Given the impact of high quality teachers on student learning and the well-documented disparities in access for subsets of the student population, it is important to obtain a baseline measure of NBCT distribution in Virginia upon which leaders might build a plan for reform. Three research questions were addressed: How are NBCTs distributed across Virginia with regards to divisions' ability to pay? In school divisions with a high concentration of NBCTs, what incentive structures do these divisions offer to either support teachers while they apply to NBPTS or to recruit and retain previously successful NBCTs? What are the characteristics of the schools in which NBCTs serve with regards to the race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status of their student populations? The researcher determined NBCTs were distributed unequally across Virginia's divisions and schools based on divisions' ability to pay and student demographics. Formal support structures were found in most high concentration divisions.


Many real-world data can be modeled as 3D graphs, but learning representations that incorporates 3D information completely and efficiently is challenging. Existing methods either use partial 3D information, or suffer from excessive computational cost. To incorporate 3D information completely and efficiently, we propose a novel message passing scheme that operates within 1-hop neighborhood. Our method guarantees full completeness of 3D information on 3D graphs by achieving global and local completeness. Notably, we propose the important rotation angles to fulfill global completeness. Additionally, we show that our method is orders of magnitude faster than prior methods. We provide rigorous proof of completeness and analysis of time complexity for our methods. As molecules are in essence quantum systems, we build the \underline{com}plete and \underline{e}fficient graph neural network (ComENet) by combing quantum inspired basis functions and the proposed message passing scheme. Experimental results demonstrate the capability and efficiency of ComENet, especially on real-world datasets that are large in both numbers and sizes of graphs. Our code is publicly available as part of the DIG library (\url{https://github.com/divelab/DIG}).


Existing audio tools handle the increasing amount of computer audio data inadequately. The typical tape-recorder paradigm for audio interfaces is inflexible and time consuming, especially for large data sets. On the other hand, completely automatic audio analysis and annotation is impossible using current techniques. Alternative solutions are semi-automatic user interfaces that let users interact with sound in flexible ways based on content. This approach offers significant advantages over manual browsing, annotation and retrieval. Furthermore, it can be implemented using existing techniques for audio content analysis in restricted domains. This paper describes MARSYAS, a framework for experimenting, evaluating and integrating such techniques. As a test for the architecture, some recently proposed techniques have been implemented and tested. In addition, a new method for temporal segmentation based on audio texture is described. This method is combined with audio analysis techniques and used for hierarchical browsing, classification and annotation of audio files.


Advanced malignant stages of pancreatic cancer have poor prognosis and very few treatment strategies are available. Pancreatic cancer is known to possess unique growth-related receptors that when activated, stimulate tumour proliferation. Gastrin and its related peptide cholecystokinin (CCK) are also significantly involved in the growth of this cancer type as well as other malignancies through activation of the cholecystokinin-B receptor (CCK-BR). New treatment strategies with CCK-BR antagonists are being suggested that suppress the growth promoting effects of gastrin. In this paper, we report the development of two series of quinazolinone derivatives incorporating hydrazinecarbothioamide (compounds 3a-g) and the hydrazino group (compounds 4a-e) as linkers for developing CCK-BR antagonists. The affinities of the compounds were determined using docking into the CCK-BR homology modeled structure. The compounds were tested for in vitro CCK-BR binding and gastric acid secretion in an isolated lumen-perfused mouse stomach assay. The compounds exhibited CCK-BR binding activity (IC50) in the range of 0.2-975 nM and showed good gastric acid secretion inhibitory activity. Molecular modeling of the compounds was done and pharmacophore mapping results showed good prediction of in vitro activity which correlated well with the experimental antagonistic activity. The compounds were further tested for their cytotoxicity on CCK-BR expressing pancreatic cancer cells. The results of the study provided two potent CCK-BR antagonists which also possess good to moderate growth inhibitory activities against pancreatic cancer cells.


Explosively actuated devices (pin pullers, cable cutters, valves, etc) are used extensively to perform critical functions for aerospace, industrial, and defense related applications. The failure of these devices have led to a greater effort to quantify device design and performance. This thesis describes the actuation process of an explosively actuated valve, including: 1) the burning of the solid explosive HMX (C4H8N8O8) and production of its high pressure gas products, 2) the mass transfer of gas products through an actuator to an expansion volume including choked flow effects, 3) the resulting piston motion due to high pressure gas products, and 4) the effects of device deformation on valve performance. Although the model presented is validated with a valve, it is kept general such that it can be applied to other explosively actuated devices. A key model objective is to qualify the effect of design modification (geometry, propellant mass, etc.) on device performance. A focus of this paper is to describe the leading order effects component deformation has on device performance, including the effects of material strain hardening and internal gas pressure. Model results for the axial resistive force exerted on the piston during actuation are compared to nonreactive quasistatic compression tests and a finite element study. Results from the compression tests and FEA indicate there is significant piston bending induced by the housing corner during skirt insertion. Results reasonably predict both the compression tests and finite element results if two friction coefficients are used as a simple way to describe piston bending. To characterize reactive valve performace, data from a reduced number of experiments was used to determine model parameters which are difficult to measure (propellant linear regression rate, friction coefficient, etc.) and characterize baseline valve performance. Results from a sensitivity study suggest that the piston is being overdriven by its current propellant load (150 mg HMX). As such, valve performance is insensitive to slight modifications around the baseline case. Valve performance does show sensitivity to propellant mass and friction coefficient. Valve failure is predicted with a propellant mass between 30 and 40 mg, and with elevated friction coefficients (≈ 1.0).


The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly household survey that collects information on labor force characteristics for the United States. The seasonally adjusted monthly levels of employment, unemployment and unemployment rate are key indicators of the health of the economy. Recent economic turbulence related to the Great Recession has raised public interest in how the CPS series are seasonally adjusted. The most widely used approaches to seasonal adjustment apply weighted moving averages to the original data to separate the seasonal from the nonseasonal components of the data. These weights may be derived from a model fit to each series or from a non-parametric method using pre-determined filters. These methods have been successful because of their flexibility in accommodating stochastic changes in seasonal patterns. The presence of stochastic seasonality, however, creates conceptual and statistical difficulties in separating seasonal from the nonseasonal components. The difficulties are compounded during periods of rapid economic change.


Abstract. The Santou-Houi-Ki is a national treasure of Japan recorded by Japanese cartographic surveyor Tadataka Inoh in 1800 to 1816, consist of 67 volumes survey ledger to produce the first survey map of Japan, called "Coastal Area Map of great Japan," or Inoh map (1 : 36000, 1 : 216000, 1 : 432000).In the Santou-Houi-Ki estimate 200,000 magnetic compass survey azimuth data by accuracy of 0°05′ unit were written, with the name or short description of magnetic compass survey reference point and target points. Inoh's team carried out the survey did not apply the correction of magnetic declination. Because before his survey, Inoh tried to observe magnetic declination in Edo (Tokyo) was nearly zero. Inoh conducted the survey on the assumption that the influence of magnetic declination to survey map of Japan is at least. The surveyed region extends from North eastern coast of Hokkaido Island to Yakushima Island in western Japan. We start analysis, check the outline of reference point and target points from the name or the description of reference point and target points, the survey azimuth recorded in Santou-Houi-Ki, and Inoh's survey diary, Inoh's maps, modern survey map, today's survey map or local source books. We execute interdisciplinary and simultaneous analysis of geomagnetic declination, real azimuth, precise position of the survey execution point and target points (latitude and longitude less than 0.1 second). And add the historical importance of each precise position of survey reference point. Calculate backward the precise position of survey reference point, where the value of magnetic declination, subtracting the magnetic survey azimuth from the true azimuth to any target points is similar or approximate. We cannot read the precise content of national treasure Santou-Houi-Ki without this interdisciplinary simultaneous analysis. We tried to analysis at 227 points in Japanese archipelago, the distribution of magnetic declination and precise position of the survey reference points and target points in early 19 century's Japan are gradually elucidated. When we compare the analysis of declination from Santou-Houi-Ki to Noaa's Historical Declination Viewer, NOAA's progress of declination west is always 5 to 6 years late than the analysis of Santou-Houi-Ki. And differences are more remarkable in western Japan. We must supply the analysis data from Santou-Houi-Ki to NOAA.


In an age where the brain and mind are perpetually beguiled by the limitless visual and aural possibilities of digital media, the novel is experiencing a period of rapid transition. Typecast by a demand for long hours of steady contemplation, the existential manifestos of Proust and Conrad can feel rather old-fashioned, time-needy and, frankly, all too difficult. This occasional essay explores how an evolution in concepts around cellular neuroscience and brain connectivity have identified adolescent behaviours that could predict a shift in generational reading habits in the future.

A culture of reluctance among boys in their late teens to read fiction is a historical legacy of the novel itself, which since the 18th century has been strongly aligned with the feminine, the interior and the passive. Advances in neural imaging however, have enabled a deeper understanding of this disinclination. Specifically, neuroscientific evidence suggests that the pattern may not be merely related to predictable sociocultural factors and familial reading habits, but to the innate differences in cognition and language processing between genders—that is to say, the way in which boys and girls manifest the psychological inscape of a fictive experience.

In a diverse field that borrows from the realms of cognitive neuroscience, functional imaging and theory of mind, a picture of the 21st century brain and its adaptive mechanisms is emerging. The most intriguing, and perhaps most controversial of what are often studies that began at the cellular level, is a series of findings that suggests there are marked architectural and functional differences between male and female brains in the processing of text. The most rapid separation in the developmental trajectories of the brain takes place between the ages of 8 years and 22 years, when sex hormone levels are approaching their peak.1 Indeed, it appears that as the teenage brain develops, gender …


There has been extensive research on children's understanding of evaporation, but representational issues entailed in this understanding have not been investigated in depth. This study explored three students' engagement with science concepts relating to evaporation through various representational modes, such as diagrams, verbal accounts, gestures, and captioned drawings. This engagement entailed students (a) clarifying their thinking through exploring representational resources; (b) developing understanding of what these representations signify; and (c) learning how to construct representational aspects of scientific explanation. The study involved a sequence of classroom lessons on evaporation and structured interviews with nine children, and found that a focus on representational challenges provided fresh insights into the conceptual task involved in learning science. The findings suggest that teacher‐mediated negotiation of representational issues as students construct different modal accounts can support enriched learning by enabling both (a) richer conceptual understanding by students; and (b) enhanced teacher insights into students' thinking.


Abstract The primary damage formation in Mo is investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with embedded-defect (ED) and embedded-atom method (EAM) interatomic potentials. The former is similar in spirit to the latter but includes an approximate treatment of bond directionality in the many-body interaction. MD simulations are used to calculate threshold displacement energy as function of crystallographic orientation and displacement cascade evolution resulting from primary knock-on atoms (PKAs) with energies ranging from 0.5 up to 50 keV. The defect structures produced with increasing PKA energy are analysed and the results obtained are compared for the two potentials and with simulations from the literature for other bcc materials. The impact of temperature and inelastic losses on the cascade characteristics are also discussed. The ED approach is in better agreement with the experimental findings on threshold energy. It also predicts larger vacancy clusters as well as a larger fraction of clustered vacancies than the EAM does; this seems to be more consistent with experiment, however, on statistical grounds a definite assessment is not possible with the number of simulations performed. Inelastic losses coupled with the thermal spike affect the defect production in subtle ways, especially at the higher energies considered here. This does not seem to have been realized before and deserves to be studied more comprehensively.


During the century spanning the years 1868-1968, the African-American railroad attendant's presence on the train became an American tradition. By the 1920s, a peak decade for the railroads, more than twenty thousand African-Americans were working as porters, providing a variety services for passengers on the sleeping cars. The railroad was the largest employer of black labor at that time in the United States and Canada. Other jobs held by African Americans were dining car waiters, chefs, and track layers. "Service not Servitude" The Pullman Porters organized and founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1925. The BSCP was the very first African-American labor union to sign a collective bargaining agreement with a major U.S. corporation. A. Philip Randolph (1889-1979) was the determined, dedicated, and articulate president of this union who fought to improve the working conditions and pay for the Pullman Porters. During this era, the railroad companies were among the most powerful corporations in the nation. The porters had tried to organize since the beginning of the century. The wages and working conditions were below average for decades. For example, the porters were required to work 400 hours per month or 11,000 miles (whichever occurred first) to receive full pay. Porters depended on the passengers' tips in order to earn a decent level of pay. Typically, the porters' tips were more than their monthly salary earned from the Pullman Company. Founding a Labor Union After many years of suffering these types of conditions, the porters united with A. Philip Randolph as their leader. Finally, having endured threats from the Pullman Company such as job loss and harassment, the BSCP forced the company to the bargaining table. On August 25, 1937, after 12 years of battle, the BSCP was recognized as the official union of the Pullman Porters. Today, many railroad workers are members of the Transportation Communications Union (TCU), which carries on the work of the BSCP. Protected by the union, the job of a Pullman Porter was one of economic stability and held high social prestige in the African-American community. A. Philip Randolph utilized the power of the labor union and the unity that it represented to demand significant social changes for African-Americans nationally. Randolph and the members of the BSCP understood the power of collective work and community involvement. They improved the quality of life for themselves and made sure that their efforts improved the lives of those who were to follow. Their story is one of ordinary men who did extraordinary things. March on Washington 1941 (halted) Randolph first planned a March on Washington in 1941 to protest against governmental hiring practices that excluded African-Americans from federal employment and federal contracts. …


The diatomitic sediments in Falconara (6.93 to 6.08 Ma) have a total thickness of c. 27 m, and the sequence is composed of 41 diatomite/claystone couplets. The deposition of these biosiliceous sediments, seemingly modulated by the astronomical precession cycle (21,000 years period), has been suggested to have taken place in a shallow basin with diatomaceous and claystone sediments being deposited during low and high sea level stands, respectively. Polycystine radiolarians show major changes in the assemblage compositions and the total abundances between the different cycles, from being barren in Cycle 2 till > 142,000 radiolarians/g in Cycle 26. Radiolarians are usually not present in the claystone samples, this is also the case with diatoms. However, one claystone (S11) had a significant high number, > 43,000 radiolarians/g sediment, while nine others had a low content of radiolarians. We have in our counts recognised 68 morphotypes. Q-Mode Factor analysis has been used on the raw counting data. By using five factors, we were able to explain 83.65% of the cumulative variance, while using nine factors allowed us to explain 96.52% of the variance. These nine factors displayed well-defined peaks that can be used to navigate within the profile and to correlate between sections. Another high resolution stratigraphical tool could be represented by the peculiar faunal composition of each of the diatomites. In our pilot study we selected three diatomites and compared their assemblage composition and radiolarian abundances. Cycle 11 is dominated by Stichocorys delmontensis and Lithomitra lineata, c. 50 and 36% maximum values respectively. In Cycle 21, S. delmontensis and Botryostrobus auritus/australis are most common, with 40 and 30% as maximum values respectively. In both these cycles nassellarians are the dominant group. In Cycle 26 Larcoidea sp., Porodiscus sp., and Spongotrochus glacialis are the dominant taxa.


BACKGROUND
In 8 to 29% of patients with colorectal carcinoma, obstruction is the main symptom at diagnosis, and 85% of patients undergoing emergency colorectal surgery have obstruction from colorectal carcinoma. The prognosis of patients who undergo emergency surgery for obstruction is often poor. So far, two types of surgical approach have been used for this condition: primary resection (primary anastomosis or Hartmann's procedure) with simultaneous treatment of carcinoma and obstruction, or staged resection (treatment of the obstruction prior to resection).However, neither strategy has been found to have any advantages over the other.

OBJECTIVES
To ascertain whether primary resection in patients with obstruction from left colorectal carcinoma has advantages over staged resection in terms of morbidity and mortality.

SEARCH STRATEGY
Electronic database searches of Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Medline, Cancerlit, Embase. Hand searching of the most important journals in the fields of oncology and surgery from 2003 and onward until the time of writing.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised Clinical Trials (RCT) and Controlled Clinical Trials (CCT), in which a group of patients who undergo primary resection for intestinal obstruction from left primary colorectal carcinoma is compared with a group of patients who undergo staged resection for the same condition. Since only one study of this type was available, we considered all other studies, except for case-controls, on the basis of the best possible available evidence. Studies were considered without language restrictions.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two reviewers (GLDS, CG) examined all the citations and abstracts derived from the electronic search strategy. Reports of potentially relevant trials were retrieved in full. Both reviewers independently applied the selection criteria to trials reports. Reviewers were not blind to the names of institutions, journals or authors of trials. A third opinion (SP, ML) was obtained to resolve disagreements.

MAIN RESULTS
We identified 2043 citations: Medline 1205, Embase 635, Cancerlit 203. One study for potential inclusion was identified, but was then excluded (Kronborg 1995).

REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS
The limited number of identified trials together with their methodological weaknesses do not allow a reliable assessment of the role of either therapeutic strategy in the treatment of patients with bowel obstruction from colorectal carcinoma. It would appear advisable to conduct high quality large scale RCT to establish which treatment is more effective. However, it is doubtful whether they could be carried out in a timely and satisfactory way in this particular surgical context.


This article explores the relationship between culture and creativity and innovation. It critically reviews the literature in which cross cultural differences in approaches to creativity and innovation are discussed. It first examines how creativity is conceptualized differentially across cultures and how social structural factors account for differences in creativity and innovation. Evidence for the impact of culture on cognitive style and personality as related to creativity and innovation is covered next. Finally, it addresses directly the relationship between cultural values and creativity/innovation. The article draws the following conclusions: (1) culture can and does impact on creative and innovation processes, but the relationship should not be considered universalistically, simplistically or unreflexively; (2) there is insufficient evidence to enable definitive statements to be made about systematic differences across cultures in personality or cognitive style with respect to creativity; (3) creativity and innovation are complex psychosocial processes involving numerous salient factors of which culture is but one; (4) the weight of evidence suggests that the relationship should be viewed contingently and in subtle and nuanced ways. A contingent view suggests that there are different processes, mechanisms, and structures through which creativity and innovation emerge. Cultures are creative and innovative within the context of their own systems and the exigencies and contingencies of those particular systems.


Develop the skills you need to design and build a reliable, cost-effective cabling infrastructureFully updated for the growing?demand of fiber optics for large-scale communications networks and telecommunication standards, this new edition is organized into two parts. Part I covers LAN Networks and Cabling Systems offers comprehensive coverage on current cabling methodologies and is updated to the latest industry standards. Part II addresses Fiber-Optic Cabling and Components probes deeper into fiber optics, and can be used to prepare for the Fiber Optics Installer (FOI) and/or Fiber Optics Technician (FOT) certifications, two of the Electronic Technician's Association's leading certifications.Explains why cutting corners is a bad ideaWalks you through the obstacles to high-speed data transferEncourages you to follow the golden rules of cablingThis new edition is the only book you need for current cabling methodologies and standards.


INTRODUCTION The Blattid fauna of the Malayan subregion is very rich, accordingly since the earliest period of orthopterology students of Blattids have described and mentioned specimens from this region. Consequently the literature on Malayan Blattidae is greatly scattered, and though some of the authors did a considerable amount of work in compiling the most important contributions on the present subject, there is still much to be done in unravelling synonymy and distinguishing generic units and subfamilies. Brunner (1865) already described a great number of Malayan Blattidae. The descriptions of new species by Walker (1868, 1869 and 1871) are very vague and full of mistakes, giving rise to a great deal of confusion. Shelford largely restored the systematics of the group to good order by examining the species in the large collections which were at his disposal, including the types of Walker. After Shelford, Hanitsch published a large series of contributions on Malayan Blattidae, some of which (Hanitsch, 1915, 1923) contain a compilation of nearly the whole literature on this subject known at these times. In these and many other publications he also described numerous new species, but he scarcely made an attempt to arrange the unnatural aggregations of species into distinct, logical genera. Hebard (1929) on the other hand admirably succeeded in establishing numerous cases of synonymy and in describing new genera on a scientific base. Therefore it is largely due to him that the greater part of the confusion which occurred mainly in the Ectobiinae and Pseudomopinae has been cleared. In the present paper an attempt has been made to continue the work along the principles put forward by Hebard.


Using multiscale models and homogenization methods the elastic properties of two important musculoskeletal mineralized tissues, the mineralized turkey leg tendon (in short mineralized tendon) and the osteon, are modeled and simulated at different length scales. Our first aim is to find homogenization methods which predict the apparent elastic properties of the investigated tissues numerical accurate as well as are computationally efficient. Our second aim is to find the key parameters determining the elastic properties of the investigated tissues.

After a short introduction (first chapter), we present the background required for this work (second chapter). Our models are based on the boundary value problems of static linear elasticity. We state different boundary value problems and recall existence and uniqueness results of them. In the third chapter we introduce the homogenization methods employed in this thesis. These are: the Mori-Tanaka method, the self-consistent method, some homogenization methods for periodic materials, and the representative volume element based homogenization method with displacement and traction boundary conditions. We describe the implementation of these homogenization methods in the
fourth chapter.

In order to predict the coarse-scale elastic properties of the mineralized tendon we employ the Mori-Tanka and the self-consistent method. In the fifth chapter we perform various numerical tests for the building unit of the mineralized tendon to clarify the numerical accuracy and the computational efficiency of the employed homogenization methods. We show that the numerical accuracy of the Mori-Tanaka method improves about one order of magnitude, if we decrease the tool parameter of the Mori-Tanaka method about one
order of magnitude. Similar applies to the self-consistent method. Furthermore, we fix tool parameters of the homogenization methods such that the predicted coarse-scale elastic properties are numerical accurate. In the sixth chapter we present our multiscale model of the mineralized tendon. Performing a global sensitivity analysis (Elementary Effects method) and a parametric study of our model we investigate the essential parameters influencing the elastic properties of the mineralized tendon. These are: the microporosity and different parameters, describing the shape and the volume fraction of the mineral within the mineralized tendon. Finally, we compare our model elastic properties with experimentally derived elastic properties, given by our project partners from the Charite Berlin. We find a very good agreement, we have small relative errors
of 6-8 %.

In the seventh chapter we develop a multiscale model for the osteon. We employ the RVE-based homogenization method with displacement boundary conditions. We perform a convergence analysis of our method as well as compare different homogenization methods with each other. Performing a parametric study of the osteon model we determine
the key parameters influencing the apparent elastic properties of the osteon. These are: the type of the circular lamellar units contained in an osteon and the numbers of the circular lamellar units. Since there is, in contrast to the mineralized tendon, no experimental data available by our colleagues, we compare our model with data found in the literature. Our predicted elastic properties agree well with the data found in the literature.

In the last chapter of this work we draw conclusions.


This Essay is based on comments I submitted May 6, 2015 in response to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Request for Comments on Enhancing Patent Quality. It proceeds in two parts. First, I share two general observations about the PTO's current slate of New Quality Proposals: specifically, it fails to include any reforms that apply post-issue or any reforms that exercise the PTO's fee-setting authority. Second, building on these observations and two recent empirical studies of mine, I outline two proposals that I urge the PTO to consider: specifically, an increase in maintenance fees and a decrease in fees for post-issue administrative challenges.


Professional negligence is an expanding area of interest and Solicitors' Negligence and Liability is a new and authoritative stand alone text providing coverage of the major topics of solicitors' negligence and liability. Readily accessible and functional, this specialist desk guide is clearly laid out for quick and precise analysis of the specific topic areas of contractual duties, tortious duties, equitable obligations, undertakings, defences, remedies, solicitors' indemnity insurance and also gives unique and valuable coverage of professional regulation. This is an essential reference guide for practising lawyers specialising in solicitors' negligence but will be of value for any solicitor wishing to be reminded of the pitfalls in practice they are hoping to avoid.


The verification of an in-vehicle network often requires to look at more than one level of abstraction at a time. At the moment, this is not addressed by existing methods, which are dedicated either to physical or application layer, but not both. This paper fills this gap by introducing a methodology to insert the protocol related software execution as well as the motor behavior into the physical layer mixed-signal (i.e. analog/digital) simulation. Electronics and mechanics are covered by the hardware description language VHDL-AMS, while the software is given in C.


This Article presents a mixed-methods study of misdemeanor bail practice across Georgia in the wake of reform. We observed bail hearings and interviewed system actors in a representative sample of fifty-five counties in order to assess the extent to which pretrial practice conforms to legal standards clarified in Senate Bill 407 and Walker v. Calhoun. We also analyzed jail population data published by county jails and by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. We found that a handful of counties have made promising headway in adhering to law and best practices, but that the majority have some distance to go. Most counties assessed do not assure a bail hearing within forty-eight hours of arrest, provide counsel at the initial bail hearing, consistently evaluate arrestees' financial circumstances, or guarantee release within forty-eight hours of arrest for those who cannot pay bail. In a combined eighteen counties, 37% of misdemeanor arrestees remained in jail for at least three days after arrest. In DeKalb County, 53% of all those arrested on misdemeanor charges between 2000 and 2019 were jailed for three days or more, but the annual rate has declined from 63% in 2009 to 26.5% in 2019. Per capita, pretrial detention rates varied widely by county in 2019, with most of the higher rates in the southern portion of the state. Overall, the qualitative and quantitative data demonstrate both progress and substantial variation by county.


Objective: To relate neurophysiologic changes after mild/moderate traumatic brain injury to cognitive deficit in a longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging investigation. Methods: Fifty-three patients were scanned an average of 6 days postinjury (range = 1–14 days). Twenty-three patients were rescanned 1 year later. Thirty-three matched control subjects were recruited. At the time of scanning, participants completed cognitive testing. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics was used to conduct voxel-wise analysis on diffusion changes and to explore regressions between diffusion metrics and cognitive performance. Results: Acutely, increased axial diffusivity drove a fractional anisotropy (FA) increase, while decreased radial diffusivity drove a negative regression between FA and Verbal Letter Fluency across widespread white matter regions, but particularly in the ascending fibers of the corpus callosum. Raised FA is hypothesized to be caused by astrogliosis and compaction of axonal neurofilament, which would also affect cognitive functioning. Chronically, FA was decreased, suggesting myelin sheath disintegration, but still regressed negatively with Verbal Letter Fluency in the anterior forceps. Conclusions: Acute mild/moderate traumatic brain injury is characterized by increased tissue FA, which represents a clear neurobiological link between cognitive dysfunction and white matter injury after mild/moderate injury.


In this paper we exploit image edges and segmentation maps to build features for object category recognition. We build a parametric line based image approximation to identify the dominant edge structures. Line ends are used as features described by histograms of gradient orientations. We then form descriptors based on connected line ends to incorporate weak topological constraints which improve their discriminative power. Using point pairs connected by an edge assures higher repeatability than a random pair of points or edges. The results are compared with state-of-the-art, and show significant improvement on challenging recognition benchmark Pascal VOC 2007. Kernel based fusion is performed to emphasize the complementary nature of our descriptors with respect to the state-of-the-art features.


Paleo data have been frequently used to determine the equilibrium (Charney) climate sensitivity Sa, and—if slow feedback processes (e.g., land‐ice albedo) are adequately taken into account—they indicate a similar range as estimates based on instrumental data and climate model results. Many studies assume the (fast) feedback processes to be independent of the background climate state, e.g., equally strong during warm and cold periods. Here we assess the dependency of the fast feedback processes on the background climate state using data of the last 800 kyr and a box model of the climate system for interpretation. Applying a new method to account for background state dependency, we find Sa=0.61±0.07 K (W m−2)−1(±1σ) using a reconstruction of Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) cooling of −4.0 K and significantly lower climate sensitivity during glacial climates. Due to uncertainties in reconstructing the LGM temperature anomaly, Sa is estimated in the range Sa = 0.54–0.95 K (W m−2)−1.


The 8th International Symposium on Ubiquitous Computing and Ambient Intelligence & 6th International Work-Conference on Ambient Assisted Living (Belfast, Northern Ireland, 2014) received notable contributions, using sensors and focusing on m-health, smart environments, wearable and mobile systems, new interaction and visualization mechanisms, and wireless architectures.Authors of the selected papers are invited to submit the extended versions of their original papers and contributions regarding the following topics:- Sensors for environmental monitoring. Smart devices and green computing. Urban areas.- Frameworks, middlewares, and platforms in AmI and assistive environments. Interoperability and standards. Mobile ad hoc and wireless sensor networks.- Use of sensors and visualization methods in ubiquitous environments. Ambient and public displays. Information visualization.- Implementation, deployment, and evaluation of sensor systems. Assistive sensors and social robotics.- Design and implementation of wearable sensors and embedded technologies in AmI environments.- Security, privacy, and reliability of sensors in AmI.- Sensors in Ambient Assisted Living. Monitoring in daily living, activity recognition, body monitoring, and behavior aspects.- Sensor-based interfaces for AmI environments (RFID, NFC, 2D codes, multi-modal). Tangible and natural interactions. Usability. Virtual and augmented reality.Dr. Jesus FontechaProf. Dr. Paul MccullaghGuest Editor


The prevalence of obesity amongst DM population is high; however the indicators to suggest obesity are based on western population. To determine prevalence of obesity amongst diabetic rural and urban population by taking Indian indicators (Modified ATP III criteria for South Asian population) for determining obesity, study was undertaken at rural based Medical college and hospital situated at Piparia, in Vadodara district, Gujarat, India. The obesity is determined by NCEP and IDF (Modified ATP III) criteria which is recommended to be used for South Asians. The study also aimed at finding out whether Waist Circumference (WC) is sufficient enough to measure obesity instead of BMI to detect obesity in Diabetic patients, when we use Modified ATP III criteria.

A total of 350 patients attending the diabetes clinic were categorised in for sub groups: 1.Urban obese, 2.urban Non-obese, 3.Rural obese, 4.Rural Non-obese, by using BMI and waist circumference criteria for south Asian phenotype in Modified ATP- lll and NCEP criteria. Around 70% of these diabetic patients were obese by the above mentioned criteria, making Diabesity a better terminology to define the Indian diabetic patients. Statistically significant increase in prevalence of obesity in diabetics (Diabesity) is noted when Indian indicators were used. This was true for both the indicators BMI as well as WC which noted 17% and 32% more obesity respectively. Further in our study, waist circumference (70%) is found to be marginally better indicator for diagnosis of obesity than BMI (68%).
The present study emphasises on use of Modified ATP- III criteria for south Asian population for early detection of obesity, which is beneficial in starting primordial and primary preventive measures for Coronary Artery Disease. Our study also suggests that only a simple measurement of waist circumference can suffice detection of obesity in diabetics. Our study also highlights the alarming increase in the prevalence of obesity in even rural parts of developing countries, such as India due to effect of urbanization & changing lifestyle.


Tissue engineering of bone has the potential to overcome the limitations of using autologous, allogeneic or synthetic bone grafts to treat extensive bone defects. It involves culturing of osteogenic cells within appropriate scaffold materials under conditions that optimize bone development. Stem cells, progenitor cells, terminally differentiated cells or genetically modified cells may be used. Scaffold materials include polymers, ceramics or composites which are used to maintain the desirable characteristics of the individual materials. Preclinical and clinical studies on the use of growth factors such as bone morphogenetic proteins to increase bone formation have had promising results. This review discusses the approaches to and the challenges associated with producing tissue engineered bone.


In injection moulding processes such as Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) for example, numerical simulations are usually performed with a fixed mesh, on which the displacement of the flow front is predicted by the numerical algorithm. During the injection, special physical phenomena occur on the front, such as capillary effects inside the fibre tows or heat transfer when the fluid is injected at a different temperature than the mould. In order to approximate these phenomena accurately, it is always better to adapt the mesh to the shape of the flow front. This can be achieved by implementing re-meshing algorithms, which will provide not only more accurate solutions, but also faster calculations. In order to represent precisely the shape of the saturated domain in the cavity, the mesh needs to be non-isotropic in the vicinity of the flow front. The size of the elements along the front is connected to the overall accuracy needed for the simulation; the size in the perpendicular direction governs the accuracy on the position of the moving boundary in time. Since these two constraints on element size are not related, the need for non-isotropic mesh refinement is crucial. In the approach proposed here, the mesh is changed at each time step from a background isotropic mesh used as starting point in the refinement algorithm. The solution needs to be projected on the new mesh after each re-meshing. This amounts to adopting a new filling algorithm, which will be validated by comparison to a standard simulation (without re-meshing) and with experimental data.


Salak is a very important fruit product in Indonesia that has been cultivated throughout Indonesia and has been exported to several countries. The study to determine biochemical and physical as well as physiological changes during fruit maturation and ripening was applied to two superior salak cultivars, "pondoh hitam" and "pondoh super" originally from Sleman, Yogyakarta of Indonesia. Fresh salak fruits of the cultivars "pondoh hitam" and "pondoh super" at three different ripening stages were used, i.e. stage 4, stage 5 and stage 5.5 (4, 5 and 5.5 months after pollination, respectively) for "pondoh hitam" and stage 4, stage 5 and stage 6 (4, 5 and 6 months after pollination, respectively) for "pondoh super". Immediately after air transport from Indonesia to Germany, determination of fruit colour and texture as well as biochemical analyses were carried out in Berlin. Freeze-dried sample material was used for the determination of minerals, mono- and disaccharides, pectic substances and dietary fibre. Results of the study showed that increase in fruit size and weight as well as changes in peel and pulp colour occurred during maturation and ripening of salak fruits. Different patterns of peel and pulp colour changes were found in "pondoh super" and "pondoh hitam" during ripening. Physiological processes in "pondoh super" occurred to at a later stage but then accelerated faster than "pondoh hitam" in term of changes of mono- and disaccharides, resulting in a poorer marketability and shorter shelf life. In respect to the changes of sugar/acid ratio, there was a faster ripening process in "pondoh super" than in "pondoh hitam". "Pondoh super" possessed higher content of polysaccharides and lignin, however, the ripening process accelerated earlier in comparison to "pondoh hitam". Alterations in cell wall and middle lamella structure did not correlated with the physical non destructive texture measurement during ripening of salak.


Received: June 2016, Accepted: December 2016 Background: Ethical issues are essential components in any piece of research. In fact, they ought to be considered during designing, planning and conducting each research study particularly among the vulnerable. The aim of this paper is to describe and explain some of the ethical issues and challenges faced by a researcher who carried out a research in three Malaysian residential homes. Materials and Methods: This paper describes the challenges experienced by a researcher during two pilot studies and a main ethnographic study in three Malaysian residential homes. For this, relevant literatures were explored as well. Results: This manuscript is divided into three sections. First, it provides the key definitions. Second, it describes the ethical issues before entering the fields work. And third, it elaborates on the ethical considerations when researcher was making observations and writing field notes, and when the elderly participants were interviewed. Conclusions: Better understanding of ethical considerations can help researchers to better handle their research and avoid harming others.


Long-term declines in abundance of wild Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, L. have been linked to reductions in marine survivorship, and recent reductions in growth condition (a measure of fish quality) have been correlated to increased mid-winter sea-surface temperature anomalies in the eastern North Atlantic. Establishing a causal link between marine climate and salmon somatic condition is difficult without at-sea measurements of environmental and biological parameters, but electronically tagging these animals to obtain this information is also difficult and costly. The stable isotope composition of oxygen and carbon in the sequential layers of salmon otoliths can provide a basis for retrospective studies of the thermal, metabolic and dietary histories of individual fish. We used high resolution δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C profiles obtained using secondary ion mass spectrometry to compare the marine thermal and metabolic behaviour of 1 sea-winter return-migrant adult salmon. Seasonal and ontogenetic patterns in δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values dominated isotope variation, although there were marked differences between individual profiles, indicating the potential for large differences in individual migration routes. There was no significant relationship between isotope variation and adult condition. Constructed thermal profiles provided plausible data, but the present uncertainty in otolith thermometry parameters for an open-ocean fish such as Atlantic salmon preclude firm conclusions based on these estimates. Marine life-history variation in otolith δ¹³C is likely driven by ontogenetic changes, both in diet and metabolism with size. A marked and rapid decrease in the δ¹³C values of some fish in the last month(s) of the marine migration could be an indicator of physiological changes occurring during the homing migration.


In this paper we adopt the familiar sparse, high-dimensional linear regression model and focus on the important but often overlooked task of prediction. In particular, we consider a new empirical Bayes framework that incorporates data in the prior in two ways: one is to center the prior for the non-zero regression coefficients and the other is to provide some additional regularization. We show that, in certain settings, the asymptotic concentration of the proposed empirical Bayes posterior predictive distribution is very fast, and we establish a Bernstein--von Mises theorem which ensures that the derived empirical Bayes prediction intervals achieve the targeted frequentist coverage probability. The empirical prior has a convenient conjugate form, so posterior computations are relatively simple and fast. Finally, our numerical results demonstrate the proposed method's strong finite-sample performance in terms of prediction accuracy, uncertainty quantification, and computation time compared to existing Bayesian methods.


Selective Modal Analysis (or SMA) is a physically motivated framework for understanding, simplifying and analyzing complicated linear time-invariant (or LTI) models of dynamic systems [1,2,3]. SMA allows one to focus on any prespecified dynamic pattern of intrest in the model. In particular, One can efficiently and accurately compute the eigene values and eigenvectors of the natural modes of interest and their sensitivities, and also determine physically meaningful reduced order models containing these natural modes. SMA is particularly suitable for dealing with composite models, i.e. models consisting of several dynamic subsystems interrelated by static constraints. An introduction to the basic concepts of SMA pertinent to the applications being considered here is presented in the companion paper [3]. This paper concerns the application of SMA to the Dynamic Stability problem in electric power systems; it is shown how SMA is well suited to meet the demanding requirements of Dynamic Stability analysis. This is illustrated in [3] with examples, including a 60-machine model of a dynamic instability occurrence in an actual power system.


This work aims at investigating the automatic recognition of speaker role in meeting conversations from the AMI corpus. Two types of roles are considered: formal roles, fixed over the meeting duration and recognized at recording level, and social roles related to the way participants interact between themselves, recognized at speaker turn level. Various structural, lexical and prosodic features as well as Dialog Act tags are exhaustively investigated and combined for this purpose. Results reveal an accuracy of 74% in recognizing the speakers formal roles and an accuracy of 66% (percentage of time) in correctly labeling the social roles. Feature analysis reveals that lexical features provide the higher performances in formal/functional role recognition while prosodic features provide the higher performances in social role recognition. Furthermore results reveal that social role recognition in case of rare roles in the corpus can be improved through the use of lexical and Dialog Act information combined over short time windows.


Background Violence risk assessment in schizophrenia relies heavily on criminal history factors. Aims To investigate which criminal history factors are most strongly associated with violent crime in schizophrenia. Method A total of 13 806 individuals (8891 men and 4915 women) with two or more hospital admissions for schizophrenia were followed up for violent convictions. Multivariate hazard ratios for 15 criminal history factors included in different risk assessment tools were calculated. The incremental predictive validity of these factors was estimated using tests of discrimination, calibration and reclassification. Results Over a mean follow-up of 12.0 years, 17.3% of men (n=1535) and 5.7% of women (n=281) were convicted of a violent offence. Criminal history factors most strongly associated with subsequent violence for both men and women were a previous conviction for a violent offence; for assault, illegal threats and/or intimidation; and imprisonment. However, only a previous conviction for a violent offence was associated with incremental predictive validity in both genders following adjustment for young age and comorbid substance use disorder. Conclusions Clinical and actuarial approaches to assess violence risk can be improved if included risk factors are tested using multiple measures of performance.


Abstract Objectives. This study was undertaken to investigate the experiences and attitudes of dietitians during the first compulsory community service (CS) year (2003), to determine their perception of the success of the year as a whole and to assess whether the knowledge and skills of graduates improved. Subjects and design. Data were collected by means of an anonymous questionnaire posted to the CS dietitians (N = 126). The questionnaire consisted of four sections: general information, demographic and logistical information, professional duties and competencies, and personal experience. Results. Ninety dietitians returned the completed questionnaire, giving a 71% response. Thirty-nine per cent of dietitians were placed during the first round of allocation, with 48% placed during the third round or after further deliberations. Eighty-eight per cent of the dietitians reported a safe working environment. Full competency was reported by 26% of dietitians for therapeutic nutrition, 47% for food service management and 30% for community nutrition. Only 7% of dietitians found it very difficult to execute their daily duties. At the outset, 55% of dietitians had a positive attitude regarding the year, with this percentage increasing to 67% towards the end of the year. Negative attitudes decreased from 17% to 15%. Ninety-one per cent of dietitians reported that their knowledge improved and 95% reported an improvement in skills. Most dietitians (92%) felt that the CS year was a successful institution. Conclusions. The majority of dietitians experienced the CS year positively and felt that their knowledge and skills improved. The vast majority of dietitians reported the CS year to be a successful institution.


Mediated Discourse: The Nexus of Practice sets out a discursive theory of human action. Language and action are intimately related. The difficult question to answer is how they are related. Mediated Discourse Theory looks into social relationships to see how the use of language is both a form of action in itself and is also indirectly related to all other forms of human action. Through the empirical study of a one year old child learning to exchange objects with caregivers, Scollon challenges the commonly held claim that all practices are represented in discourse and that all discourse has the function of structuring practice. Calling upon work in interactional sociolinguistics, critical discourse analysis, anthropological linguistics, sociocultural psychology, and intercultural communication, the Mediated Discourse Theory set out in this book resolves current problematic issues such as how practices are learned across the boundaries of groups and how individuals come to be socialized as social actors.


CSA Guide to Cloud Computing brings you the most current and comprehensive understanding of cloud security issues and deployment techniques from industry thought leaders at the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA). For many years the CSA has been at the forefront of research and analysis into the most pressing security and privacy related issues associated with cloud computing. CSA Guide to Cloud Computing provides you with a one-stop source for industry-leading content, as well as a roadmap into the future considerations that the cloud presents. The authors of CSA Guide to Cloud Computing provide a wealth of industry expertise you won't find anywhere else. Author Raj Samani is the Chief Technical Officer for McAfee EMEA; author Jim Reavis is the Executive Director of CSA; and author Brian Honan is recognized as an industry leader in the ISO27001 standard. They will walk you through everything you need to understand to implement a secure cloud computing structure for your enterprise or organization. Your one-stop source for comprehensive understanding of cloud security from the foremost thought leaders in the industry Insight into the most current research on cloud privacy and security, compiling information from CSA's global membership Analysis of future security and privacy issues that will impact any enterprise that uses cloud computing


Bridge expansion joints, if not properly designed, constructed, and maintained, often lead to the deterioration of critical substructure elements. Strip seal expansion joints consisting of a steel extrusion and neoprene gland are one type of expansion joint and are commonly used by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT). Strip seal expansion joints are susceptible to tears and pull outs that allow water, chlorides, and debris to infiltrate the joint, and subsequently the bearings below. One area of the strip seal that is particularly problematic is where it terminates at the interface between the deck and the barrier rail. The Iowa DOT has noted that the initial construction quality of the current strip seal termination detail is not satisfactory, nor ideal, and a need exists for re-evaluation and possibly re-design of this detail. Desirable qualities of a strip seal termination detail provide a seal that is simple and fast to construct, facilitate quick gland removal and installation, and provide a reliable, durable barrier to prevent chloride-contaminated water from reaching the substructure. To meet the objectives of this research project, several strip seal termination details were evaluated in the laboratory. Alternate termination details may not only function better than the current Iowa DOT standard, but are also less complicated to construct, facilitating better quality control. However, uncertainties still exist regarding the long-term effects of using straight-through details, with or without the dogleg, that could not be answered in the laboratory in the short time frame of the research project.


Abstract : Mammographic Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems are an approach for low-cost double reading. Though results to date have been promising, current systems often suffer from unacceptably high false positive rates. Improved methods are needed for optimally setting the system parameters, particularly in the case of statistical models that are common elements of most CAD systems. In this research project we developed a framework for building hierarchical pattern recognizers for CAD based on information theoretic criteria, e.g., the minimum description length (MDL). As part of this framework, we developed a hierarchical image probability (HIP) model. HIP models are well-suited to information theoretic methods since they are generative. We developed architecture search algorithms based on information theory, and applied these to mammographic CAD. The resulting mass detection algorithm, for example, reduced the false positive rate of a CAD system by 30% with no loss of sensitivity. We showed that the criteria reliably correlate with performance on new data. The framework allows many other applications not possible with most pattern recognition algorithms, including rejection of novel examples that can't be reliably classified, synthesis of artificial images to investigate the structure learned by the model, and compression, which is as good as JPEG.


Cloacal malformations are characterized by the confluence of the lower urinary tract, the female reproductive tract, and the rectum to create a common channel with a single opening on the perineum. The presence of a cloaca is a normal phase of early human embryological development. Between the 4th and 7th weeks of gestation, the cloaca undergoes subdivision to form the hindgut and urogenital sinus. Failure of this process results in the congenital anomaly termed persistent cloaca (PC). The term urorectal septum malformation sequence (URSMS) is also used to describe this anomaly. The classic description of this process which is still cited in many standard textbooks dates from the 19th century. However, this has been increasingly called into question by the findings of studies using modern scientific methodology. Urogenital sinus anomalies are defined by the confluence of the urethra and vagina to form a common channel of varying length with a single perineal opening. In this condition, the anorectal canal opens separately on the perineum. The presence of a urogenital sinus represents a transient phase of the normal development of the lower genital tract in the female fetus. However, the form of urogenital sinus most commonly encountered in the developed world is a feature of disordered sexual differentiation and does not arise simply from the persistence of the anatomical structure which is a feature of normal fetal development.


This paper deals with disaffiliation and membership categorization processes among German adolescent girls. Drawing on a peer-group which I conceptualize as a 'community of practice' (Eckert & McConnell-Ginet 1992), this case study aims to show how the girls' disaffiliation and categorization of several outgroups serve to negotiate various identity aspects (gender being one of them). The paper investigates the various linguistic resources and communicative strategies the girls apply in their everyday identity negotiations. Further, I will discuss which of these resources and strategies can be seen as typical instances of (German) youngspeak. The data is taken from a larger conversation analytic and ethnographic research project on talk-in-interaction among a group of 'normal' German high school girls.


If there is one enduring image from the contentious spring 2005 debate over the ratification of the European Constitution, it is that of the "Polish plumber." Indicating a seemingly universal fear of this phantom, both the fiery anti-immigration Nationalist Front leader Jean Marie Le-Pen on the far right and the former Socialist Prime Minister Laurent Fabius on the left invoked this imaginary man in the campaign for a French "Non." The supposedly spiteful Pole halfway across Europe would invade the French countryside and flood the market with cheap labor, crowding out jobs that French citizens needed and deserved. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The imagery worked, the French campaigners received their "Non," and confederacy was restored to a European Union that was moving toward integration and a federal-style government. But amidst the chaos of the failed ratification, no one in this confederation ever asked what the Polish plumber's presence in Western Europe or his absence from Poland itself means for his country of origin. While there is little proof that the Polish plumber is negatively impacting the economies of Western Europe, the sheer number of immigrant workers who move west for work ought to be of concern to Eastern European countries. Integration into the European Union comes with great advantages--access to diplomatic relationships with some of the world's most powerful nations, a common market in which to trade goods, and the status of being a member of one of the international community's most elite clubs. But Eastern Europe cannot afford to ignore the negative side effects of integration either, and the population loss caused by immigration to Western Europe has become an increasingly worrisome trend. Happy Beginnings The first day of May 2004 was a liberating one for the peoples of 10 countries in Eastern Europe. The fatigue caused by years of Soviet domination followed by the disarray of the post-collapse era ended, as Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Cyprus, Malta, and Slovenia were officially admitted into the European Union. For the first time in decades, formal diplomatic relations were established between the former Soviet bloc and Western Europe. The inconveniences of harsh immigration restrictions and lack of political clout were lifted with integration. And, after years of forced silence and insignificance on the world stage, Eastern Europe had finally found an independent voice, strongly legitimized by the backing of an elite global organization. And while establishing diplomatic relations with the likes of Britain, France, and Germany was helpful for these semi-developed nations, the truly appealing incentive for Eastern Europe to integrate itself into the European Union was access to foreign markets. The 10 countries that acceded in 2004 had economies that paled in comparison to the likes of their developed neighbors. Britain, Ireland, and Sweden immediately flung their doors open to the Eastern European market, removing quotas on the amounts of workers and eliminating all trade barriers that previously bogged down economic relations. Other EU giants, namely France and Germany, placed restrictions on immigrants to stem the inevitable tide of people looking for jobs. The initial results of the EU integration of Eastern Europe looked great for all parties. Poland, the largest of the 10 nations to integrate and therefore the most often cited example, saw its real GDP growth rate rise from 1.4 percent in 2002 to 3.7 percent in 2003, the year in which accession was ratified. Immigrants also sent back remittances, which according to the World Bank's Global Economic Prospects 2006 report can substantially reduce the severity of poverty and create education and labor opportunities in the country to which remittances are being sent. Britain, the largest country to open its doors to labor from the newly integrated states, also greatly benefited from immigrant labor. …


Using technology in teaching and learning finds a wide adoption in recent years. 63.3% of chief academic leaders surveyed by the Babson Survey Research Group confirm that online education is critical to their long-term strategy. Modern engagement pedagogies, such as digital gamification, hold a promise of shaping student experience. While course builders and instructors investigate new technologies and teaching methods questions arise about the instructional quality of academic courses with online content or with gamification elements. In addition, students are not the digital natives many hoped them to be. 83% of millennials report sleeping with their smartphones, but 58% have poor skills in solving problems with technology. This paper reports on a gamefully designed course, delivered in a hybrid modality, which was selected through a peer review process as an exemplary course in consideration of instructional design. The course was evaluated according to the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program rubric. Gamification was introduced in three phases: player onboarding phase, player scaffolding phase, and player endgame. Various technologies involved in the course included: MyGame gamification mobile app, Blackboard Learn, Cengage Skills Assessment Manager, Kahoot, Amazon Alexa, Google Traveler, Twitter, and others. The course focused on gamification according to the short and long game theory to engage students during lectures (short game) and throughout the semester (long game).


One of the unique global behaviours of a group of under-actuated autonomous vehicles is known as cyclic pursue, which requires a group of vehicles to uniformly distribute on circles and at the same time, to orbit around a centre point, while circumnavigation further requires those vehicles to circumnavigate a predefined target of interest. Such behaviours can also be called periodic formations. This paper further studies the periodic formations for multi-agent systems composed of a group of under-actuated autonomous vehicles and a target of interest by proposing a distributed strategy to maintain any required distance between two vehicles and desired angle difference between vehicle's heading and the line of sight that takes directly towards its pursuing vehicle. The authors' distributed control law, dependent only on the information of its pursuing vehicle and itself, can not only enable a network of autonomous vehicles to circulate around a target of interest, but also achieve any physically feasible periodic formations, which include forming regular polygons as a special case.


Conventional debuggers require programmers to work on multiple levels of abstraction at once when inspecting call stacks or data. This demands considerable cognitive overhead and deep system knowledge of all implementation technologies involved. When developing an interpreter, programmers often create a dedicated debugger to have a higher-level perspective on the client-language; the resulting use of multiple debuggers at once leads to mental context switches and needs an elaborated method. We present an integrated debugging tool in which interpreter developers define and select the levels of abstraction on which they focus. Our debugger provides them with an abstraction-specialized view. We consider both host-language and guest-language levels, since either may be levels of interest in a debugging session. We show how this separation into host-language levels can ease the debugging of applications through filtering call stacks and specializing call stack representation on levels.


In recent decades, most of researchers in pharmaceutical preparations have focused increasingly on new formulations that control the site and amount of drug delivery. Mucoadhesive dosage forms are available for systemic or local treatment. The mucoadhesive dosage forms are introduced in various forms such as tablets, gels, ointments, patches and polymeric films. For buccal wound and injury the polymeric films may be preferred due to flexibility, comfort, longer residence time, protection of the wound surface and promotion of the wound healing. Most of dentists apply phenytoin sodium suspension as a gargle for promoting healing in dental surgery. In this study, a novel phenytoin sodium mucoadhesive film consisting of two layers of polymeric film was prepared by solvent casting method. One layer contained various ratios of carbapol 934, NaCMC, HPMC and a constant proportion of PEG 400 as plasticizer. The other layer contained cellulose acetate phethalate which acts as water resistant for unidirectional release. The film's mechanical properties such as swelling, in vitro adhesion/drug release and residence time by using human volunteers were measured. among different polymers the HPMC/Na CMC/CP 934 were selected and thirteen formulations (F1-F13) were prepared. The best formulation in physical properties were F1, F6, F8, F9 and F13. F8 had the highest and F1 had the lowest swelling index, and all formulations had high adhesive strength. Formulation F6 had a fast release pattern during the first 30 mins, but F8 had the highest amount of release in 3 hours. F1 had the lowest amount of release during 3 hours. F1 had the longest residence time while F8 and F9 showed the shortest residence time accompanied with detachment. From the current study, one can conclude that the buccoudhesive film of F13 containing 60% HPMC, 20% NaCMC and 20% CP had zero order models of drug release and possesses suitable swelling profile, good adhesion strength, appropriate residence time and produced no irritation. Optimum ratio for the mucoadhesive polymeric film composed of Carbopol/Na CMC/HPMC, was 20/30/40 (wt/wt/wt) in terms of flexibility, comfort, long residence time, swelling, and bioadhesive force.


The transformation of heat supply structures towards 4th generation district heating (4GDH) involves lower supply temperatures and a shift in technology. In order to assess the economic viability of the respective systems, adequate unit commitment models are needed. However, maintaining the formal requirements, while reducing the computational efforts of these models, often includes simplifications such as the assumption of constant supply temperatures. This study investigates the effect of introducing varying supply temperatures in mixed-integer linear programming models. Based on a case study of a municipal district heating system, how the temperature integration approach affects unit commitment and technology assessment for different temperature levels and scenarios is analyzed. In particular, three supply temperature levels are investigated with both variable and constant temperatures in two scenarios. Results indicate that lower flow temperature levels in the heating network tend to favor internal combustion engines, combined cycle power plants, and heat pumps; while back pressure steam turbines, peak loads, and electric boilers show declining operating hours. Furthermore, the effect of varying versus constant temperatures at the same temperature level is rather small, at least as long as technical restrictions do not come into play. Finally, it is found that the effect of changing temperature on a technology assessment is comparably small as opposed to adaptions in the regulatory framework.


Recent years have seen a large increase in research activities related with Lithium-ion battery technology. Current systems are critically dependent on the formation of passivating films at the solid/liquid interface, the so-called solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). We review here atomic-scale computational investigations into the formation of such layers, as well as SEI-related studies on solvation, intercalation, and electrolyte materials screening.


This study investigated aspects of the ecology of fishes and mosquitoes using floodplains in the lower reaches of the Gambia River, a semi-arid river system. The Gambia River, situated at the edge of the Sahel, represents one of the few remaining major river systems not to have been impacted by any impoundments. It was hypothesised that seasonal variations in physical variables particularly related to the pattern of flooding and drying influence fish species distribution; the presence of some of these species probably also influencing mosquito larvae distribution. Fish and mosquito larvae were sampled along two lateral transects on the floodplain in The Gambia, from May to November 2005 - 2007. Water conductivity, pH and water depth all influenced fish species richness and bolongs (creeks) held greater species richness compared with other floodplain habitats, probably because they acted as conduits for fish moving on and off the floodplain. Species richness and catch biomass increased rapidly following the first rains and then declined. The Guinean tilapia, Tilapia guineensis, was the dominant species on the floodplains and its catches were positively associated with higher levels of conductivity and dissolved oxygen, shallower water and less vegetation cover. The Guinean tilapia is primarily an iliophage and the catches varied seasonally. Controlled experiments using T. guineensis in tanks with shallow water barriers showed that fish density plays a significant role in triggering fish emigration, whereas a lack of food available caused an increase in exploratory behaviour but with no impact on successful emigration. The influence of fish on the distribution of mosquito larvae on the floodplains was investigated. Semi-field trials were used to test two possible mechanisms for this influence: direct predation and oviposition avoidance due to the presence of fish chemical cues. The presence of T. guineensis decreased the chance of finding culicine larvae in the field possibly due to culicine mosquito avoiding ovipositing in habitats with fish present as fewer culicines oviposited in experimental tanks with fish, suggesting that ovipositing culicine females avoid water with fish. In contrast, oviposition by anophelines was unaffected by fish. Both fish species tested, T. guineensis and a common insectivore, Epiplatys spilargyreius were effective predators removing all late-stage culicine and anopheline larvae. In order to determine the relationships between mosquito distribution and the physical environment in an urban setting, mosquitoes were collected and environmental physical parameters were measured in and around Farafenni town, located at the edge of the foodplains in The Gambia. Levels of reactive phosphorus, distance from the nearest house, turbidity, amount of vegetation cover and the presence of algae all influenced the occurence of mosquito larvae collected in and around Farafeimi town. Anopheles arabiensis was found closer to houses than Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto and the presence of algae was a strong indicator of the presence of anopheline larvae in general. Sites dominated by anophelines had higher turbidity levels compared to sites in which culicines dominated. Production of pupae was associated with high levels of reactive phosphorus concentrations. The results are discussed in the context of world climate change, anthropogenic impacts on large rivers and increased urbanisation.


Ensuring a healthy ecosystem for broadband services is critical to securing the future of a healthy and open Internet. From the perspective of social welfare maximization, this means collective management of the decision-making regarding how we design, operate, provide access to, use, and pay for our broadband access networks. Realizing this collective goal requires balancing the interests of multiple market participants that are often in conflict and evolve in light of changing technical, business, and policy conditions. The efficiency of markets and regulatory interventions depends on whether decision-makers at all market levels are appropriately informed. This requires the selective sharing of information. Consumers need information about their broadband access options in order to make informed decisions about which (if any) broadband services to subscribe to, how to use those services, and what investments to make in complementary assets (devices, content, applications). Providers of content, applications, and other complementary goods and services need to know about broadband access options to appropriately position their offerings in the market. And, regulators need information about broadband access options to design and enforce policies that will promote competition and ensure appropriate market choices exist. All of these stakeholders need information about broadband service availability, pricing, performance, and to the extent discernible, about trends and plans that will shape future options. Furthermore, broadband access service providers either already possess or may more easily obtain a great deal of the information needed by market participants. However, the information sharing challenges are far from simple. Different stakeholders need different information, information is costly to collect and share, and to the extent it impacts market outcomes, has strategic value. For example, better informed consumers might be more inclined to switch providers, thereby intensifying price competition; while better informed regulators may be better able to limit supra-competitive profit opportunities. Additionally, sharing of too much information about the performance of specific broadband connections might threaten subscriber privacy or render broadband networks more vulnerable to attack. Disclosure and Transparency (D&T) policies comprise a toolset of rules, processes, and mechanisms that are used by market participants to help structure and manage the flow of information that is needed for informed decision-making. D&T policies comprise a significant component of the regulatory provisions in the FCC's 2015 OIO, which sets forth the FCC's approach for regulating providers of broadband access services. The focus of this paper is on providing a framework with which to interpret the OIO's D&T provisions within the larger market context. The OIO's specific D&T provisions are just one component of the tools and mechanisms that shape how broadband management relevant information is discovered, shared, and interpreted. Other regulatory provisions in the OIO and other market mechanisms such as performance testing platforms interact with the explicit D&T provisions that mandate specific obligations and responsibilities. As we shall explain, the richness of D&T tools is desirable in order to address the complex and diverse questions that arise in the context of broadband management requiring information sharing. Moreover, understanding how these D&T policy tools interact and complement (or substitute) for each other is helpful if these tools are to be appropriately applied and appreciated. Application of these tools should be nuanced and evolvable to incentivize cooperation and voluntary disclosure by the ISPs while also safeguarding the interests of end users and intermediaries in the broadband Internet ecosystem.In Section 2, we review the specific D&T provisions in the FCC's 2015 OIO and situate these within the larger D&T policy framework. We introduce a meta-tool, the D&T Coordinator, to assist in better understanding the landscape of potential interventions and with which to contrast the relative merits of different interventions in different contexts. In Section 3, we apply our framework to divergent prototypical examples of the sorts of questions that confront the challenge of how to best manage broadband networks. At one end, we have what appears to be the narrow and specific question of crafting an appropriate set of D&T policies to ensure adequate reporting of packet loss by ISPs. At the other extreme, we consider open-ended questions that relate to society's aspirations or goals for what the Internet and broadband services should be. We argue that an assortment of D&T tools are needed for the array of questions confronting broadband stakeholders, but with different emphasis, because the contexts within which they arise engage both specific and general, closed and open-ended details to be addressed appropriately. Section 4 offers our concluding summary and directions for future work.


Despite the high community value placed on the Vasse-Wonnerup and the many issues it faces, very little was known on its fish communities. This report details the results of the first comprehensive study of the fish communities in the nearshore (shallow) waters of the Vasse-Wonnerup. Over the course of the two year project, over 174,000 fish belonging to 31 species were recorded. Most individuals (94%) were either silversides or gobies, both of which are small fish that spend their whole life in the estuary. However, 18 species of marine fish (and invertebrates such as blue-swimmer crabs) were also found, emphasizing that the Vasse-Wonnerup provides a valuable nursery area for species found in Geographe Bay, many of which are targeted by recreational fishers.

The distribution and abundance of fishes in the estuary changes throughout the year, due to the massive increases in salinity that occur during summer and autumn. Generally, the number of species and individuals decreased with increasing distance from the ocean (i.e. in an upstream direction). Higher densities of fish were also recorded during spring and summer than in autumn and winter, as most fish breed during the former period.

While the large fish kill in April 2013 was undoubtedly a disturbing event, our analysis of the nearshore fish community failed to detect a change in the fish fauna between the May of 2013 (several weeks after the fish kill) and that same season in 2012. This is because there is a 'natural' decrease in the fish fauna at this time of year. Although no data were available on the larger fishes living in the deeper waters, like Mullets and Black Bream before the fish kill, we now have baseline data of those fishes which will be valuable in the long-term monitoring of those stocks. Worryingly, there has been negligible successful breeding of that population since the fish kill. Those deeper waters were found to contain approximately equal numbers of Sea Mullet, Yelloweye Mullet and Black Bream. The oldest Black Bream (which was 38 cm in length) was 13 years old, having been born in 2000. Our preliminary analysis of the Black Bream from the Vasse-Wonnerup also indicated that they were slow growing, due to them consuming a low calorie diet of mainly plant material, rather than molluscs, worms and fish like they eat in other estuaries.

The robust baseline data on the entire fish community gathered in the current report will prove extremely valuable in the long-term monitoring of the ecological health of the Vasse-Wonnerup. Moreover, it will allow more informed management decisions to be made, and also better assessment of the efficacy of those decisions. It is recommended that annual monitoring of the fish community occurs in February to detect any changes in the ecological condition of the system. It is also recommended that the biology of Black Bream be investigated further to help guide specific management of that recreationally valuable species to ensure that its stocks remain healthy.


In this paper, we have proposed a magneto-optic (MO) surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modulator based on variations of refractive index. For description of modulator operation, we have analyzed the MO effects in the insulator-metal-insulator (IMI) SPP slab waveguides in a transversal configuration in which the applied magnetic field is parallel to the interfaces and normal to the wave propagation direction. We have derived an exact dispersion relation by considering MO effects for one of the side layers by the separation of variables method. The cut-off conditions have been studied for the SPP modes guided by IMI structures as a function of the variations of the dielectric constants of the side layers. We have shown that the SPP modes always propagate in a symmetric structure and the SPP odd modes do not have a cut-off dielectric constant in an asymmetric structure. Also, we have shown that in an asymmetric IMI configuration, the SPP even mode has a cut-off effective dielectric constant for all metal layer thicknesses. These configurations can be used to design active devices, such as switches and modulators to be used in photonic integrated circuits.


Call for Papers: Nanoscale Integrated Photonics for Optical Networks Keren Bergman, Coordinating Associate Editor Madeleine Glick, Guest Feature Editor Submission Deadline: 1 August 2006 Recent dramatic advances in nanoscale materials and nanophotonic device fabrication have yielded unprecedented control over the optical properties of synthetic structures. These extraordinary innovations at the nanoscale offer the possibility of creating high-functionality photonic devices in ultradense integration platforms. We can now envision nanoscale integrated photonics modules that may be application-specific designed in a similar fashion to integrated electronics for applications ranging from ultra-long-haul telecommunications to on-chip networks and high-performance computing. The applications of these advances to the transformation of optical networking is the theme of this Journal of Optical Networking (JON) feature issue. Scope of Submission The Editors of JON are soliciting papers on Nanoscale Integrated Photonics for Optical Networks. The aim in this feature issue is to publish original research on topics including--but not limited to--the following nanoscale materials and device fabrication as related to Novel optical network architectures Photonic switching fabrics and network elements Advances enabling new network functionalities such as novel solutions for optical buffering, packet or label processing, and routing modules Miniature mux/demux technology Application-specific design Integration and high-volume manufacture of photonics devices/modules Network interface and control planes Manuscript Submission To submit to this special issue, follow the normal procedure for submission to JON and select ``Integration' in the features indicator of the online submission form. For all other questions relating to this feature issue, please send an e-mail to email@example.com, subject line ``Integration.' Additional information can be found on the JON website: http://www.osa-jon.org/journal/jon/author.cfm. Submission Deadline: 1 August 2006


This paper explores the determinants of birthweight-specific neonatal mortality rates across States in the U.S. in 1980. We are able to explore the interactions between the determinants and birthweight because of the new data available through the National Infant Mortality Surveillance (NIMS). The NIMS links birth and death certificates for each state, resulting in a data base with race-specific neonatal mortality rates by birthweight, and other characteristics. Using a reduced-form model, we find abortion and neonatal intensive care availability to be the most important determinants of overall neonatal mortality. For whites, the two factors are of approximately equal importance in determining neonatal mortality. For blacks, abortion availability has twice the impact of neonatal inexpensive care. Moreover, our results suggest that neonatal mortality rates could be lowered by policies that reduce the inequality in these health resources across states.


'How did it end up like this? Twenty-seven, unemployed, mistaken for a drug addict, in a treatment centre in the back arse of nowhere with an empty Valium bottle in my knickers'. Meet Rachel Walsh. She has a pair of size 8 feet and such a fondness for recreational drugs that her family has forked out the cash for a spell in Cloisters - Dublin's answer to the Betty Ford Clinic. She's only agreed to her incarceration because she's heard that rehab is wall-to-wall jacuzzis, gymnasiums and rock stars going tepid turkey - and it's about time she had a holiday. But what Rachel doesn't count on are the toe-curling embarrassments heaped on her by family and group therapy, the dearth of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll - and missing Luke, her ex. What kind of a new start in life is this?


This paper presents a distributed energy-saving lighting strategy for the arrangements of a lighting network consisting of a group of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps and users. LED lamps have a dimming support feature to meet the illuminance requirements imposed by individual users. Both groups interact with each other via visible light communication (VLC) or other wireless communication features. This work aims to identify a configuration of lamps leading to the maximal energy saving in adaptive and distributed ways. To this end, a distributed assignment strategy is developed based on a message-passing framework where only local interactions among lamps and users are allowed for calculations and exchanges of the information on their status. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms other distributed algorithms in a range of indoor lighting configurations.


We investigate theoretically the benefits of using all-optical phase regeneration in a long-haul fiber optic link. We also introduce a design for a device capable of phase regeneration without phase-to-amplitude noise conversion. We simulate numerically the bit-error rate of a wavelength division multiplexed optical communication system over many fiber spans with periodic reamplification and compare the results obtained with and without phase regeneration at half the transmission distance when using the new design or an existing design. Depending on the modulation format, our results suggest that all-optical phase regeneration can reduce the bit-error rate by up to two orders of magnitude and that the amplitude preserving design offers a 50% reduction in bit-error rate relative to existing technology.


Sea ice algae are naturally exposed to a wider range of pH and CO 2 concentrations than marine phytoplankton. While climate change and ocean acidification (OA) will impact pelagic communities, their effects on sea ice microbial communities remains unclear. Sea ice contains several distinct microbial communities, which are exposed to differing environmental conditions depending on their depth within the ice. Bottom communities mostly experience relatively benign bulk ocean properties, while interior brine and surface communities experience much greater extremes. Most OA studies have examined the impacts on single sea ice algae species in culture. Although some studies examined the effects of OA alone, most also examined the effects of OA and either light, nutrients or temperature. With few exceptions, increased CO 2 concentration caused either no change or an increase in growth and/or photosynthesis. In situ studies of brine and surface algae also demonstrated a wide tolerance to increased and decreased pH and showed increased growth at higher CO 2 concentrations. The short time period of most experiments ( While there have been few studies on the effects of OA on marine bacterial communities in general, impacts appear to be minimal. In sea ice also, the few reports available suggest no negative impacts on growth or community richness. Sea ice ecosystems are ephemeral, melting and re-forming each year. Thus, for some part of each year organisms inhabiting the ice must also survive outside of the ice, either as part of the phytoplankton or as resting spores on the bottom. During these times, they will be exposed to the full range of co-stressors that pelagic organisms experience. Their ability to continue to make a major contribution to sea ice productivity will depend not only on their ability to survive in the ice but also on their ability to survive the increasing seawater temperatures, changing distribution of nutrients and declining pH forecast for the water column over the next centuries.


The tool for the reduction and assessment of chemical and other environmental impacts (TRACI) is a set of life‐cycle impact assessment (LCIA) characterization methods that has been developed by a series of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency research projects. TRACI facilitates the characterization of stressors that may have potential effects, including ozone depletion, global warming, acidification, eutrophication, tropospheric ozone (smog) formation, eco‐toxicity, human particulate effects, human carcinogenic effects, human non‐carcinogenic effects, fossil fuel depletion, and land‐use effects. This article describes the methodologies developed to address acidification, eutrophication, and smog. Each of these methods offers the ability to take account of differences in expected strength of impact as a function of pollution release location within North America. Specifically, the methods employ regionalized fate and transport modeling. The resulting factors differ regionally by up to more than an order of magnitude.


A survey on the concentration of particulate matter in the urban atmosphere was carried out in the city of Sao Carlos, Brazil. Five sites were selected for data collection one in the city centre (high concentration of people and automotive vehicles), three in industrial areas, and one at the interface with the countryside. The particle size distribution and mass concentration, temperature, humidity and wind velocity were measured at each site. In the city centre, the concentration of the particles smaller than 10 µm (PM10) was also measured. The particle size distribution was obtained with a laser scattering particle counter. The total and PM10 concentrations were obtained with high volume samplers. The tests were performed for 75 consecutive weeks. The results show that the particle concentration is sensitive to seasonal conditions. During autumn and winter, which is the drier and windy period of the year, larger particles were dispersed, leading to higher concentrations, both total and PM10. The relative humidity varied with the schedule of sampling and with the season the autumn and winter weeks were much drier than the other periods. Higher rainfall levels coincided with lower particle concentrations. All these results are statistically significant.