A novel AC-DC optimal reactive power flow (ORPF) model with the generator capability limits is proposed. The objective is to minimize the total cost of generator reactive and active power outputs paid by an independent transmission company. In the model, the generator operation area is divided into four parts with each one having a different reactive output cost function. The boundaries between the four parts change with operation states of generators and are unfixed. The model is an unfixed piecewise mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem. A heuristic approach is introduced into the interior point method to solve the unfixed piecewise problem. The numerical results of six test systems that range in size from 14 to 2572 buses demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


We show that euro forward rates are biased predictors of future interest rates. A small part of this bias arises from unexpected changes in interest rates, while a larger part is explained by the forward premia, which are generally not time-varying. We estimate the the 3-month forward premia for different horizons using forecasts of yields obtained with the Diebold and Li (2006) approach, extended by the inclusion of macroeconomic variables. Confidence intervals for the estimates are computed using a novel bootstrap approach. When using German data for the period before 1999, we detect a break in the dynamic correlation between yield factors, implying that estimates of the euro forward premium using pre-euro data are biased. Although the forward premia of horizons up to 36 months are on average positive, their confidence intervals indicate that they are significantly equal to zero in some periods of time. They are also positively correlated with the ECB policy rate and with a measure of the market perception that future interest rates could be higher than expected.


MOTIVATION
With the availability of large-scale, high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism markers and information on haplotype structures and frequencies, a great challenge is how to take advantage of haplotype information in the association mapping of complex diseases in case-control studies.

RESULTS
We present a novel approach for association mapping based on directly mining haplotypes (i.e. phased genotype pairs) produced from case-control data or case-parent data via a density-based clustering algorithm, which can be applied to whole-genome screens as well as candidate-gene studies in small genomic regions. The method directly explores the sharing of haplotype segments in affected individuals that are rarely present in normal individuals. The measure of sharing between two haplotypes is defined by a new similarity metric that combines the length of the shared segments and the number of common alleles around any marker position of the haplotypes, which is robust against recent mutations/genotype errors and recombination events. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated by using both simulated datasets and real datasets. The results show that the algorithm is accurate for different population models and for different disease models, even for genes with small effects, and it outperforms some recently developed methods.


The nuclear protein c-Myc is one of the most potent proto-oncogenes described. Its expression is found to be deregulated in more than 50 percent of human cancers, where it has been shown to control a number of biological processes including driving proliferation, cell growth and angiogenesis while inhibiting differentiation. The effects of c-Myc are highly cell type specific and include cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous processes. In order to examine the effect of excess amounts of c-Myc in bone, we have generated a mouse line expressing the tTA transactivator under the control of the mouse 2.3 kb col1a1 promoter (named Col1a1::tTA), which directs transgene expression to mature osteoblasts. By combining this transgene with the Tet-O-Myc allele, we generated a Col1a1::tTA; Tet-O-Myc double transgenic mouse model in which it is possible to inducibly express human c-MYC in osteoblasts during development and in the adult. We document that the used 'tet-off' system directs transgene expression to bones and that c-MYC can be completely repressed by treatment with doxycycline. Using this mouse model, we demonstrate that overexpression of c-MYC leads to remarkable changes in mutant bones, which depend greatly in their severity on the developmental time point of c-MYC induction. Unrestricted c-MYC expression, starting with the first emergence of mature osteoblasts in the fetal skeleton (∼E14.0), leads to lethality of the mutants at birth; their bones are shortened and thicker than in controls. Later induction of c-MYC allows survival, but leads to significant changes in bone morphology. Mutant bones develop a very irregular bone structure with signs of excessive bone formation. Surprisingly, this also correlates with definite signs of excessive osteoclast activity, which explains the formation of cavities seen in the bone matrix. Osteoblasts not only produce bone matrix, they are also very important niche cells for hematopoietic cells, especially for hematopoietic stem cells and B cells. We find that c-MYC overexpression severely impairs B lymphopoiesis and also observe signs of extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen, which is indicative of a compromised HSC environment in the bone marrow. Most strikingly, these animals develop frank osteosarcomas leading to a much reduced life span. Tumors arise in various bones, with the ribs and hips being the most prominent sites. These c-MYC driven tumors are very aggressive as is evident by their capacity to spontaneously metastasize to lung and liver, a rather rare phenomenon in mouse models, indicating that these tumors share important aspects of human osteosarcomas. Molecular analysis of c-MYC overexpressing osteoblasts has revealed a defect in their terminal differentiation program, rendering them incapable to progress from a relatively immature proliferative to a quiescent, calcified matrix producing state. To our knowledge this is the first report of experimental osteosarcoma formation, originating from a mature and lineage committed osteoblast population indicating that c-MYC may be able to de-differentiate more mature cells. In summary, our novel conditional mouse model showed that c-MYC expression in mature osteoblasts can lead to the formation of highly aggressive and metastatic osteosarcomas, a lethal disease in humans. This model will be the basis for further studies elucidating the molecular effects of c-MYC on de-differentiation and metastasis formation, processes, which remain poorly understood but are critical events in highly malignant cancers.


Depression, mania and probably starvation all induce changes in pineal function. At present it is unknown what secondary effects on the endocrine and other systems are produced by these changes. Studies in rats have established an entraining effect of melatonin on locomotor activity and a feedback effect on the pineal itself. Studies of jet-lag and of sleep dysregulation in a blind subject established that melatonin treatment has a synchronizing effect in these conditions. Further investigations will be necessary to establish whether melatonin reduction in depression and other disorders leads secondarily to dysregulation of other circadian rhythms.


Abstract Temporal variation in climatic conditions is a regular occurrence for most early spring flowering plants in temperate regions, often producing variation in available pollinators. Evaluating the effectiveness and importance of pollinators to a plant population provides an indication of the relative influence of each visitor on a population's reproductive success and selection on floral traits. This study examined pollinator activity and its effect on seed set in a population of Phlox divaricata L. (Polemoniaceae), investigating variation over the 24-h day and the flowering season for two consecutive years. Eleven species, representing three orders of insects, were documented visiting the study population, although lepidopterans (four species, particularly Hemaris diffinis and Megalographa biloba) accounted for 90% of all visitation. The highest visitation rates (and resulting seed set) occurred during the morning and afternoon diurnal time periods and the evening crepuscular time period. The relative frequencies of the different visitors varied over the 24-h day and between flowering seasons. Most visitors that could be evaluated were found to be effective pollinators. Thus, a pollinator's importance to reproductive success was generally dictated by its visitation frequency, H. diffinis being the most important pollinator. This study highlights the importance of considering temporal variation in effective pollinators in species experiencing variable environmental conditions.


The main objective of this paper is to analyze the contribution of tourism to economic growth in Central American and selected Caribbean countries (The Bahamas, Dominica, Dominican Republic and Saint Lucia). Following recent methodology presented by Ivanov and Webster (2007), this paper will utilize the rate of growth of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita as a measure of economic growth. This will then be disaggregated into a growth component attributable to tourism and a second growth component generated by the other industries of the economy. This methodology, which has the characteristic of generating a performance measure of tourism's past contribution to economic growth, will be applied to the period 1990-2007. We compare the results with a group of developed destinations including Spain, France, Italy, UK and USA. The comparison between the two groups shows that the tourism contribution to GDP is higher in general for the developed group but it is not associated necessarily with a greater contribution to the economy's growth.


Maritime archaeologists are increasingly required to investigate important sites in a nondestructive manner. Therefore, this thesis aimed to adapt and apply sub-bottom acoustic techniques to shallowly buried shipwrecks and submerged palaeo-landsurfaces. The imaging of archaeological sites requires a geophysical source with high resolving power. A model was developed to determine the vertical resolution of the Chirp sub-bottom profiler, the source used throughout this thesis. The horizontal resolution, on the other hand, was determined by modelling the directivity pattern of an array of Chirp transducers. The results were then used to choose a suitable Chirp sweep to image shallowly buried objects. Three sites were selected to test the ability of the system to image, reconstruct and characterize archaeological material. The first site comprised of a shipwreck buried within muddy riverine sediments: the Grace Dieu (1418). The survey utilized both a 2D- and 3D-Chirp system. In both cases, the source was pushed over the site by divers. Close survey line spacing, accurate navigation and decimeter-scale resolution data enabled the construction of a pseudo- and full 3D-image of the site. In the second site, the Yarmouth Roads Wreck (16th century), an acoustic blanking zone, a consequence of the highly attenuating character of degraded wood, was detected and used to create maps of the buried remains. The final site concentrated on the detection of peat layers in the English Channel, which are crux to palaeo-landscape reconstructions. Results suggest that peat buried in fine to medium grained sediments has an easily identifiable acoustic signature. The seismic data acquired for the aforementioned case studies was subsequently used for quantitative studies of the buried material. Firstly, reflection coefficients were calculated and used to determine the degradation state of the hull remains. Secondly, the Quality factor was calculated for the Yarmouth Roads Wreck site to objectively demonstrate the highly attenuating character of degraded wood buried in sediments in comparison to the surrounding sediments. Overall, this PhD has demonstrated the potential of the Chirp sub-bottom system for archaeological purposes, by creating (pseudo-) 3D reconstructions and making object characterization possible.


This Article focuses upon two basic but under-explored questions: when does, and when should, the state use the criminal justice apparatus to burden individuals on account of their familial status? We address the first question in Part I by revealing a variety of laws permeating the criminal justice system that together form a string of family ties burdens, laws that impose punishment upon individuals on account of their familial status. The seven burdens we train our attention upon are omissions liability for failure to rescue, parental responsibility laws, incest, bigamy, adultery, nonpayment of child support, and nonpayment of parental support.Part II develops a framework for the normative assessment of these family ties burdens. We first ask how these laws can properly be understood to be burdens. We then look at these sites synthetically and contextually to uncover a pattern underlying most of these family ties burdens; namely, they tend to promote voluntary caregiving relationships. We endeavor to explain why this rationale is instructive and normatively attractive for the design of family ties burdens within a criminal justice system committed to what we call liberal minimalism. We conclude Part II by articulating the contours and basis of a critical scrutiny that should attach to family ties burdens in the criminal justice system.Finally, in Part III, we apply our proposed framework to see under which conditions these burdens should be rejected, retained, or redrafted in terms that are neutral to family status but are still capable of promoting and vindicating voluntary caregiving relationships.This article is the subject of a mini-symposium in the December 2008 issue of the Boston University Law Review. Professors Rick Hills (NYU) and Michael O'Hear (Marquette) will publish responses and we will offer a brief reply. A draft of Professor O'Hear's response is available here:http://ssrn.com/abstract=1260891A draft of our reply is available here:http://ssrn.com/abstract=1261563


Objectives To explore patients' or parents of child patients' understanding of antibiotic resistance and aspects of resistance such as resistance reversibility and its spread among those in close proximity, along with how this may influence attitudes towards antibiotic use for acute respiratory infections (ARIs). Design Qualitative semistructured interview study using convenience sampling and thematic analysis by two researchers independently. Setting General practices in Gold Coast, Australia. Participants 32 patients or parents of child patients presenting to general practice with an ARI. Results Five themes emerged: (1) antibiotic use is seen as the main cause of antibiotic resistance, but what it is that becomes resistant is poorly understood; (2) resistance is perceived as a future 'big problem' for the community, with little appreciation of the individual impact of or contribution to it; (3) poor awareness that resistance can spread between family members but concern that it can; (4) low awareness that resistance can decay with time and variable impact of this knowledge on attitudes towards future antibiotic use and (5) antibiotics are perceived as sometimes necessary, with some awareness and consideration of their harms. Conclusions Patients' or parents of child patients' understanding of antibiotic resistance and aspects of it was poor. Targeting misunderstandings about resistance in public health messages and clinical consultations should be considered as part of a strategy to improve knowledge about it, which may encourage more consideration about antibiotic use for illnesses such as ARIs.


Current research efforts in applied mass spectrometry for routine chemical analyses
mainly focus on the development of novel methods for liquid chromatographic hyphenation.
This hyphenation is inherently requiring the ionization stage to be held at
elevated pressure and thus the gas dynamical separation of the ion source from the
mass analyzer. It then becomes necessary to collect ions and guide them toward the
first sampling orifice of the differential pressure reduction cascade. Bulky designs and
spatial offsets in the analyte path through the ion source both contribute to a spacious
analyte distribution and thus aggravate the challenge of sampling ions. In other words,
the volume with a significant contribution to the ion acceptance is spatially rather
confined.
     This thesis is concerned with the development and description of spatially and
temporally resolved atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI) as a tool supporting
the analytical application of the young technique as well as the current efforts in further
ion source development. The photo-ionization method utilizing pulsed laser radiation
allows to spatially and temporally confining the conversion of the molecular analyte
to an ionic species. The interpretation of the data describing the spatial distribution of
sensitivity within ion sources thus provides information on the ion transport in the
atmospheric pressure section. Further support can be deduced from experimental data
on ion transport times and their spatial and temporal distributions.
     Systematic measurements regarding the spatial distribution of ion acceptance have
been performed using commercially available mass spectrometers from the manufacturers
Bruker Daltonics and Waters. Both instruments are equipped with ion sources
utilizing different approaches for pressure reduction and a rather different geometrical
outline. Experimental data provide information on the sensitivity distribution and
highlight the strong impact of various ion source parameters on the processes of ion
production and ion guidance at atmospheric pressure. In addition to pointing to favorable
conditions for routine analytical application, the results of this work direct further
ion source development by indicating a strong impact of the gas dynamics prevailing
in the source enclosure on achievable ion yield and signal-to-noise ratio. Experimental
data on transport times and the unexpectedly large ion residence time within the ion
source provide further support for the strong importance of gas dynamics in current
atmospheric pressure ion source designs.
     In this work the relevant physical properties contributing to the sensitivity distribution
are evaluated. The gathered data provide the experimental basis for the validation
of derived set-ups and novel ion source designs. Further, the gathered data support
current computational modelling activities. The transport within atmospheric pressure
ion sources is a function of the prevailing gas dynamics and primarily determined
by the geometrical properties and the neutral gas flows. However, the ion trajectories
are shaped under the further influences of the desolvation process and the specific
forces on charged particles. The deconvolution of this complex interaction and the
numerical simulation of ion transport pose a challenge for modelling approaches.
Current research in this field is targeted at gathering a comprehensive picture of the ion
source operation in such a way as to eventually enable application-oriented planning,
design and manufacturing of atmospheric pressure ion sources.


Recently, "DID; Difference-In-Difference" estimation method in the Treatment/Causal Effect has been regarded as one of the emerging and powerful methods for policy impact assessment, that estimates Average Treatment/Causal Effects by the difference of treatment and control groups for their outcome parameter's before and after difference of the policy treatment implementation. But practical application of conventional DID requires several assumptions to be fulfilled and if those assumptions are violated, a certain level of bias and unignorable error remains even if the case of experimental study with proper randomization measures or observational study with matching is applied. So DID application requires several assumptions to be confirmed and paid enough attention. This paper reviews necessary DID assumptions pointed out in the existing studies. Then this paper also focus on the "SUTVA: stable unit treatment value assumption" and develops a series of measures to detect and correct the bias associated with secondary and/or indirect impact of treatment on the control groups using time-series regression analysis for observational study, even in difficult cases such as wholesale market trade or oligopoly equilibrium exists and SUTVA violation by secondary and/or indirect impact of treatment on the control groups often exist or only a few samples are available. In order to confirm validity and effectiveness of the newly developed measures in practical application, this paper provides analysis for rumor-based damage on Fukushima agricultural products such as meat traded in the Tokyo Metropolitan Wholesale Market or rice in the wholesale market where SUTVA violation matters assuming the nuclear accident as a treatment. Further, this paper proposes "standard DID estimation procedures" to ensure necessary assumptions are fulfilled and possible biases are minimized based on these analysis. These outcomes are expected to contribute observational policy impact assessment in Aviation, Telecommunication, or Electricity/Gas wholesale market cases where the number of companies are limited and it is hard to get a large number of samples and control group free from the secondary and/or indirect impact of policy treatment or cases where experimental approach are hard to implement by some reason.


Water at the Bottom of a Well Earthquakes generate numerous fractures as they propagate through an underground fault zone. These fractures strongly influence the way in which fluids flow in the subsurface, and the permeability of fault zones is often used as a proxy for the extent of fracturing. Following the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake in central China, several wells were drilled in and around the fault zone to understand the mechanics of the earthquake. Because the bottoms of these deep boreholes were open, the water levels in the wells were sensitive to tidal forces acting on the surrounding rock. Through continuous measurements of water levels over 1.5 years, Xue et al. (p. 1555) found that the rate at which water was pumped in and out of the borehole was proportional to the permeability of the fault zone, providing a direct way to measure the evolution of the hydrologic properties of a fault zone following a major earthquake. Permeability decreased ∼25% during that time, suggesting that fractures generated in fault zones heal relatively rapidly. Measurements of permeability inside a fault zone after a major earthquake reveal rapid healing of fractures. Permeability controls fluid flow in fault zones and is a proxy for rock damage after an earthquake. We used the tidal response of water level in a deep borehole to track permeability for 18 months in the damage zone of the causative fault of the 2008 moment magnitude 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake. The unusually high measured hydraulic diffusivity of 2.4 × 10−2 square meters per second implies a major role for water circulation in the fault zone. For most of the observation period, the permeability decreased rapidly as the fault healed. The trend was interrupted by abrupt permeability increases attributable to shaking from remote earthquakes. These direct measurements of the fault zone reveal a process of punctuated recovery as healing and damage interact in the aftermath of a major earthquake.


Sialic acid is believed to play a critical role in the survival of blood platelets in circulation. Wheat germ agglutinin, which shows specificity for sialic acid, N-acetylglucosamine, and N-acetylgalactosamine, strongly activates platelets. The role of sialic acid in platelet activation by this lectin was studied utilizing neuraminidase-treated platelets and the succinylated lectin that has been reported not to recognize sialic acid. The succinylated lectin had a dimeric structure similar to the native lectin, but migrated more slowly in gel electrophoresis. The modified lectin bound to about 2.8 X 10(5) sites/cell, with an apparent dissociation constant of 2 microM compared to 5 X 10(5) sites/cell and a dissociation constant of 0.4 microM for the native lectin. The succinylated lectin neither aggregated nor agglutinated platelets, but agglutination of red cells in microtiter plates was normal. Aggregation of platelets by either wheat germ agglutinin or ristocetin was not affected by the succinylated lectin. Since the native wheat germ agglutinin is a strong activator of platelets and the succinylated derivative was devoid of all activity, it appears that a sialoprotein acts as the biologic receptor of wheat germ agglutinin in human platelets. This suggestion was strengthened by the observation that platelets treated with different concentrations of neuraminidase had a decreased capacity to bind this lectin. These platelets also showed reduced aggregation and serotonin secretion when activated with the native lectin. Since sialic acid has been implicated in the removal of platelets from circulation, wheat germ agglutinin may prove to be a useful tool to explore those clinical conditions in which platelet survival is shortened.


Sex work and conditions within the sex industry are frequent topics of discussion in mainstream culture and media, but rarely do these discussions include sex workers themselves, and rarely do they deviate from the position that sex workers must be saved from their evil industry--a position that New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof repeatedly advocates. Playing the Whore turns this position on its head, arguing that sex work is fundamentally a form of work, and as in other industries, it is not the labor of sex work that is illegitimate, but rather the working conditions within the sex sector that are abominable. Based on ten years of writing and reporting on the sex trade, and grounded in the author's personal experience as a sex worker, community organizer and health educator, Playing the Whore dismantles pervasive myths of prostitution, criticizes conditions within the sex industry, and argues that separating sex work from the "legitimate" economy only harms those who perform sexual labor.


How and why is silence used interculturally? Approaching the phenomenon of silence from multiple perspectives, this book shows how silence is used, perceived and at times misinterpreted in intercultural communication. Using a model of key aspects of silence in communication – linguistic, cognitive and sociopsychological – and fundamental levels of social organization – individual, situational and sociocultural - the book explores the intricate relationship between perceptions and performance of silence in interaction involving Japanese and Australian participants. Through a combination of macro- and micro- ethnographic analyses of university seminar interactions, the stereotypes of the 'silent East' is reconsidered, and the tension between local and sociocultural perspectives of intercultural communication is addressed. The book has relevance to researchers and students in intercultural pragmatics, discourse analysis and applied linguistics.


Background: To maintain good health, it is important to eliminate extra reactive oxygen generated in the body. Furthermore, ingesting foods containing antioxidants is beneficial. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values for black raspberry extract (BRE), blueberry extract (BBE), and raspberry extract (RBE) are 62, 66, and 49 µM Trolox equivalents (TE)/g respectively. These values are higher than those for typical antioxidant foods that have been discovered so far (3–30 µM TE/g). Our aim was to find new functionality from the food with the high ORAC value. Therefore, we have prepared these four berry extracts and examined whether they have anti-aging effects and if those effects correlate with their antioxidant activities. Methods: We studied the following effects of 4 berry extracts: 1) lens cell protective effects; 2) effects against alopecia; 3) induction of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1), a regulator of fat and energy consumption in adipocytes, and stimulation of irisin secretion from skeletal muscle cells; and 4) inhibitory effects on melanocyte tyrosinase activity. The evaluation method was based on below; 1) a -crystallin , type 17 collagen, heat shock protein 47 (HSP47), UCP1 and Irisin - mRNA by qRT-PCR, 2) the amount of the UCP1 and Irisin protein by ELISA. 3) Inhibition of tyrosinase activity was measured by dopachrome production using L-tyrosine. Results: In lens cells, a -crystallin mRNA expression was induced 1 hour after treatment of the cell with Blabina (a powdered formulation containing BRE) and BRE. The extracts of all four berry species promoted the growth of follicle dermal papilla cells by 3-20% in a concentration-dependent manner. These berry extracts were also discovered to markedly induce the expression of mRNAs of type 17 collagen and HSP47 in the hair follicle stem cell and elevate the expression levels of UCP1 mRNA and its protein in adipocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. BRE and Blabina inhibited 5a-reductase in follicle dermal papilla cells and tyrosinase activity in melanocytes at the concentrations which inhibited dopachrome production by at least 50%. Finally, Blabina was discovered to stimulate the irisin secretion from skeletal muscles. Conclusion: These results suggest that berry extracts, particularly BRE, have anti-aging effects through their higher antioxidant activities. Keywords: Anti-aging; antioxidant; alopecia; black raspberry; weight loss; oxygen radical, absorbance capacity; skin whitening


i»?i»?Creating the framework for cross-border infrastructure cooperation often requires the active role of a third party, an "honest broker†, to forge convergence of interests. It is often argued that "deep†European Union (EU)-style integration is a necessary, though not sufficient, condition for successful cross-border infrastructural cooperation. The EU institutions, in particular the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB), have performed such a facilitating and enabling role, though not without encountering challenges along the way. However, this paper argues that the EU experience underscores the vital importance of national governments and good governance in the context of cross-border multinational infrastructure. Hence, the authors argue that "deep†EU-style integration is an enabling but not a strictly necessary condition for successful implementation of cross-border infrastructure projects. The authors take issue with the myth that transnational cross-border infrastructure cooperation is the result of supra-national decision-making at the EU level. For a particular cross-border infrastructure project to succeed requires tri-partite and multilateral initiatives. These may take the form of "coordinators†(akin to the European Coordinators for TEN-T projects) or special-purpose state-owned companies alongside the Asian (and/or other) Development Banks as co-owners. The second myth which this paper seeks to address is that the management of trans- national and cross-border infrastructure is primarily supra-national. Although additional co-financing may be sought from the European Community budget and/or the European Investment Bank, these resources always complement national budgetary allocations and private funding. Contingent liabilities always remain at the national and sub-national levels and never at the supra-national EU level. The implications for management of cross-border multinational infrastructure in Asia, where the framework for regional cooperation is not yet well articulated, are to some extent positive. Within the Asian context, the need for an honest broker can be fulfilled by multi-lateral institutions such as the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP). They can appoint "coordinators†drawing on the growing pool of top-level decision makers in Asia. Most importantly, these initiatives can be realized within the present-day context of Asia's "shallow†integration.


The purpose of this paper is to establish the close connection between minimum phase conditions for signals and outer functions in spaces of analytic functions. The characterization through outer functions is physically motived, more precise mathematically, and opens up results from complex analysis. In particular, we show not all spectra are possible for minimum phase signals, and give alternative formulas for computing minimum phase equivalent signals.


Abstract. Unfavourable weather is a common cause for crop failures all over the world. Whilst extreme weather conditions may cause extreme impacts, crop failure commonly is induced by the occurrence of multiple and combined anomalous meteorological drivers. For these cases, the explanation of conditions leading to crop failure is complex, as the links connecting weather and crop yield can be multiple and non-linear. Furthermore, climate change is likely to perturb the meteorological conditions, possibly altering the occurrences of crop failures or leading to unprecedented drivers of extreme impacts. The goal of this study is to identify important meteorological drivers that cause crop failures and to explore changes in crop failures due to global warming. For that, we focus on a historical failure event, the extreme low soybean production during the 2012 season in the midwestern US. We first train a random forest model to identify the most relevant meteorological drivers of historical crop failures and to predict crop failure probabilities. Second, we explore the influence of global warming on crop failures and on the structure of compound drivers. We use large ensembles from the EC-Earth global climate model, corresponding to present-day, pre-industrial +2 and 3 ∘C warming, respectively, to isolate the global warming component. Finally, we explore the meteorological conditions inductive for the 2012 crop failure and construct analogues of these failure conditions in future climate settings. We find that crop failures in the midwestern US are linked to low precipitation levels, and high temperature and diurnal temperature range (DTR) levels during July and August. Results suggest soybean failures are likely to increase with climate change. With more frequent warm years due to global warming, the joint hot–dry conditions leading to crop failures become mostly dependent on precipitation levels, reducing the importance of the relative compound contribution. While event analogues of the 2012 season are rare and not expected to increase, impact analogues show a significant increase in occurrence frequency under global warming, but for different combinations of the meteorological drivers than experienced in 2012. This has implications for assessment of the drivers of extreme impact events.


Northwest Africa (NWA) 8657 is an incompatible trace element‐enriched, low‐Al basaltic shergottite, similar in texture and chemistry to Shergotty, Zagami, and NWA 5298. It is composed of zoned pyroxene, maskelynite, merrillite, and Ti‐oxide minerals with minor apatite, silica, and pyrrhotite. Pyroxene grains are characterized by patchy zoning, with pigeonite or augite cores zoned to Fe‐rich pigeonite mantles. The cores have rounded morphologies and irregular margins. Combined with the low Ti/Al of the cores, the morphology and chemistry of the pyroxene grains are consistent with initial crystallization at depth (30–70 km) followed by partial resorption en route to the surface. Enriched rare earth element (REE) equilibrium melt compositions and calculated oxygen fugacities (fO2) conditions for pigeonite cores indicate that the original parent melts were enriched shergottite magmas that staged in chambers at depth within the Martian crust. NWA 8657 does not represent a liquid but rather entrained a proportion of pyroxene crystals from magma chambers where fractional crystallization was occurring at depth. Variation between fO2 and bulk‐rock (La/Yb)N of the enriched and intermediate shergottites suggests that oxidation conditions and degree of incompatible element enrichment in the source may not be correlated, as thought previously. Shock melt pockets are characterized by an absence of phosphates and oxide minerals. It is likely that these phases were melted during shock. REEs were redistributed during this process into maskelynite and to a lesser extent the shock melt; however, the overall normalized REE profile of the shock melt is like that of the bulk‐rock, but at lower absolute concentrations. Overall, shock melting has had a significant effect on the mineralogy of NWA 8657, especially the distribution of phosphates, which may be significant for geochronological applications of this meteorite and other Martian meteorites with extensive shock melt.


A Nd:YAG laser was operated at 1064 nm and with 6-ns pulse duration to achieve optical breakdown in gaseous hydrogen at pressures of 150 and 810 Torr. Spatially and temporally resolved laser-induced emission spectra were measured early in the plasma decay. With hydrogen-alpha line profiles, electron number density values were determined along the laser beam plasma in the range 10(19) to 10(16) cc(-1).


Substantial advances have been made by the IWA Water Losses Task Force in the last few years in the development of practical water loss management methods, including the benefits of active pressure management, calculation of economic intervention frequency for active leakage control, and economic levels of leakage. This paper reviews experiences to date in introducing and disseminating these advances to Utilities internationally, with particular reference to Australia, Europe, and North America.


DNA plays a special role in polymer science not just because of the highly selective recognition of complementary single DNA strands but also because natural DNA chains can be made very long, yet perfectly monodisperse. Solutions of such long DNA chains are widely used as model systems in polymer science. Here, we report the unusual self-assembly that takes place in systems of colloids coated with very long double-stranded DNA. We find that colloids coated with such long DNA can assemble into unique "floating" crystalline monolayers that are suspended at a distance of several colloidal diameters above a weakly adsorbing substrate. The formation of these monolayers does not depend on DNA hybridization. Floating colloidal structures have potentially interesting applications as such ordered structures can be assembled in one location and then deposited somewhere else. This would open the way to the assembly of multi-component, layered colloidal crystals.


We introduce the dueling teams problem, a new online-learning setting in which the learner observes noisy comparisons of disjoint pairs of $k$-sized teams from a universe of $n$ players. The goal of the learner is to minimize the number of duels required to identify, with high probability, a Condorcet winning team, i.e., a team which wins against any other disjoint team (with probability at least $1/2$). Noisy comparisons are linked to a total order on the teams. We formalize our model by building upon the dueling bandits setting (Yue et al.2012) and provide several algorithms, both for stochastic and deterministic settings. For the stochastic setting, we provide a reduction to the classical dueling bandits setting, yielding an algorithm that identifies a Condorcet winning team within $\mathcal{O}((n + k \log (k)) \frac{\max(\log\log n, \log k)}{\Delta^2})$ duels, where $\Delta$ is a gap parameter. For deterministic feedback, we additionally present a gap-independent algorithm that identifies a Condorcet winning team within $\mathcal{O}(nk\log(k)+k^5)$ duels.


Abstract Community groups from low-income neighborhoods have the most to gain from full access to data, yet the least capability to achieve that access or make use of the data once they have it. The gap is being filled by intermediaries providing access to data and assistance with analysis and policy development. These efforts are empowering community groups, allowing them to participate fully in planning and policy discussions that affect their neighborhoods. This paper explores the nature of the information providers, the services they provide to community organizations, and the challenges they face in doing so. Combining their experiences with our view of the coming technical and societal issues allows us to forecast what the future might look like. We conclude that community groups will become more self-sufficient, but will continue to need outside expertise. Since not all community groups now have access to such intermediaries, more research and development should be undertaken to support the movement.


Hot stamping or press hardening is an industrialized technique with the aim of improving material properties by heat treatment and forming of a component in a single production stage. Within the field of press hardening the method of tailored material properties evolved. Components with tailored material properties possess different mechanical properties in designated areas. This paper presents an approach for modeling the mechanical response of mixed microstructures under different stress states. A homogenization method is used to predict the hardening of the material; the strain decomposition provides the possibility of applying a fracture criterion per phase. To validate the modeling approach for different stress states a set of samples with different notch and hole geometries as well as microstructural composition are produced. The combination of a homogenization method and a fracture criterion show good agreement with experimental results. The homogenization method is suitable to predict the hardening of the material with good accuracy. Fracture for different microstructural compositions is well predicted over a range of stress triaxialities relevant for sheet metal applications. It is concluded that the use of a homogenization method combined with a fracture model can be used to predict the mechanical response of mixed microstructures for a range of different stress states.


This study examined central mechanisms of persistent pain using an autoradiographic technique to localize phosphoinositide hydrolysis (PI) in the rat spinal cord dorsal horn. The lateral half of laminae I-II showed the highest levels of baseline PI turnover and carbachol-stimulated PI turnover in normal animals as well as after inflammation. Inflammation resulted in increased baseline PI turnover in this region of the ipsilateral (76%) and contralateral (65%) dorsal horns. Carbachol increased PI turnover in this region in normal rats (55%) and following inflammation (ipsilateral: 46%, contralateral: 45%). The absolute magnitudes of these increases were 1.85, 2.71, and 2.51 nCi/mg, respectively. The results of this study demonstrate the involvement of PI turnover in neural mechanisms of persistent pain, and provide evidence for the involvement of cholinergic systems in this process. Because spinal cholinergic systems have been reported to be anti-nociceptive, the present results appear to reflect an upregulation of anti-nociceptive activity in response to inflammation. Thus, the spinal cholinergic system may be a regulatory site within the anti-nociceptive pathway, and may provide an attractive target for the development of new therapeutic agents.


Purpose

Food quality is a multi-dimensional concept comprising both objective and subjective components. Quality as defined from an industry perspective usually relies on different instrumental assessment and on ratings of "experts" which may not necessarily align with consumers' perception of quality. The purpose of this paper is to deal with consumers perceptions of intrinsic quality in coffee from a sensory scientific and behavioral economic perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

In a blind taste test (n=205), naive consumers tasted two cups of coffee and decided which they preferred. The two coffees varied greatly in their "objective" quality (based on expert grading) and retail value. Consumers were then revealed that one of the cups contained a coffee that was much more expensive than the other, and that they could get a free cup of their preferred coffee if they could correctly identify the most expensive one.

Findings

The results showed that preferences were equally distributed among the high- and low-quality samples, and that consumers did not perform better than chance level in the identification task. These results suggest that current grading systems used in the industry may be poorly correlated with the way consumers actually experience coffee, and thus that quality inference in the marketplace is more likely influenced by external cues (e.g. brand, label and price) than to intrinsic product quality. Nevertheless, the results also show that consumers who correctly answered the identification task were also significantly more likely to prefer the high-quality sample. This tentatively suggests that better sensory expertise is correlated with a preference for higher quality, though future studies are needed to confirm the correctedness of this interpretation.

Originality/value

This work highlights the difficulty of objectively defining food quality, and the limited usefulness of experts' ratings widely used in the industry. Managerial implications of these findings, as well as implications for consumer policy, are discussed.


Harald Mante, one of the most distinguished teachers of the photographic arts in Germany and an internationally recognized master of photography, brings his teaching to us in the English language for the first time in more than 30 years. In The Photograph Mante explains the elements that are essential to achieving the highest level of visual design in photographs. This book is geared toward the serious intermediate and advanced photographer who strives to create outstanding images. While a deep understanding of photographic techniques is required in order to master photography, technical knowledge alone is not sufficient to create outstanding images. Beyond the technical aspects, the crucial elements that determine the quality and strength of a photograph are the content of the image and its organization within the image frame. This is where the "art" of photography comes into play. Truly creative photography is based upon knowledge and mastery of design, and insight into how the viewer perceives images. The creative photographer can exploit this knowledge and push image making in new directions. In this book, Mante explores the principles of line, shape, point, color, contrast, composition, and design in significantly greater depth and at a higher level than most any book available to date. He also covers a number of techniques to enhance expressiveness in a photograph and support the photographer's intentions. These in-depth lessons are beautifully illustrated with more than 750 images from Mante's own portfolio, including over 160 diagrams. The Photograph is a unique book that is sure to become an invaluable reference for anyone involved in photography-from the hobbyist to the professional; for both the digital and analog photographer; and for those practicing, studying, criticizing, or administering in the visual arts. This second edition has been extensively revised and updated, and includes 60 new images and illustrations. Also included are new chapters that cover analyzing shapes and colors and a discussion of the square image format.


One of the most contentious questions in public utility regulation is what "fair" rate of return to allow investors. This book spells out the advantages and disadvantages of the major methods used to estimate the required rate of return. It is a thorough review and critique that will prove valuable to all members of the regulatory community--commissions and their staff, legal and management counsel, and intervenors--and to students of finance and regulation. The point of departure is the cost of capital as a concept and the rationale for setting the allowed rate of return equal to the cost of capital. On this basis a comprehensive set of evaluation criteria are developed, including theoretical, practical, and empirical aspects. With the conceptual and methodological framework established, the authors proceed to evaluate the five major estimation methods: comparable earnings, discounted cash flow, capital asset pricing model, risk positioning, and market-to-book ratio. In addition, they survey new methods of estimating the cost of capital, such as the Arbitrage Pricing Theory, that are likely to be used more frequently in the future. Several related topics are treated in appendixes. The goal of the book is not to choose a single "best" method but to provide a systematic assessment of the strengths of each.


The US health care system needs effective tools to address complex social and environmental issues that perpetuate health inequities, such as food insecurity, education and employment barriers, and substandard housing conditions. The medical-legal partnership is a collaborative intervention that embeds civil legal aid professionals in health care settings to address seemingly intractable social problems that contribute to poor health outcomes and health disparities. More than three hundred health care organizations are home to medical-legal partnerships. This article draws upon national survey data and field research to identify three models of the medical-legal partnership that health care organizations have adopted and the core elements of infrastructure that they share. Financing and commitment from health care organizations are key considerations for sustaining and scaling up the medical-legal partnership as a health equity intervention.


Puri city is situated on the shoreline of Bay of Bengal and groundwater is the only source available to meet the city water supply mainly from two demarcated water fields. Due to the anthropogenic activities and absence of sewerage system, groundwater quality is deteriorating through open discharges of domestic waste, open defecation, septic tanks, soak pits, contaminated water pools, unorganized waste dumping etc. The objective of the paper was to assess seasonal groundwater fluctuation and water quality in terms of physcio-chemical and bacteriological parameters. For this, groundwater levels were measured and samples were collected during post-monsoon (November 2006) and pre-monsoon (June 2007) from the water fields and city area. Groundwater quality was represented spatially and temporally using geographical information system and evaluated with national and international drinking water standards. Based on the groundwater quality, suitable measures were suggested to minimize further groundwater contamination.


[1] Year-round flooding provides a common land management practice to reestablish the natural carbon dioxide (CO2) sink function of drained peatlands. Here we present eddy covariance measurements of net CO2 exchange from a temperate fen during three consecutive growing seasons (May–October) that span a period of conversion from moderately rewetting to flooding. When we started our measurements in 2009, the hydrological conditions were representative for the preceding 20 years with a mean growing season water level (MWGL) of 0 cm but considerably lower water levels in summer. Flooding began in 2010 with an MWGL of 36 cm above the surface. The fen was a net CO2 sink throughout all growing seasons (2009: 333.3 12.3, 2010: 294.1 8.4, 2011: 352.4 5.1 g C m ), but magnitudes of canopy photosynthesis (CP) and ecosystem respiration (Reco) differed distinctively. Rates of CP and Reco were high before flooding, dropped by 46% and 61%, respectively, in 2010, but increased again during the beginning of growing season 2011 until the water level started to rise further due to strong rainfalls during June and July. We assume that flooding decreases not only the CO2 release due to inhibited Reco under anaerobic conditions but also CO2 sequestration rates are constricted due to decreased CP. We conclude that rewetting might act as a disturbance for a plant community that has adapted to drier conditions after decades of drainage. However, if the recent species are still abundant, a rise in CP and autotrophic Reco can be expected after plants have developed plastic response strategies to wetter conditions.


The linear electrooptic r51 coefficient of tetragonal K0.95Li0.05Ta0.40Nb0.60O3 single crystal was measured and reported. A modified AC modulating method coupled with high precision sample positioner, coherent light source, and phase-locked signal detection, was used to measure the electric field induced rotation of optical axis. The electrooptic r51 coefficient was found to be exceptionally large, r51 = (1.10 ± 0.14) × 104 pm/V at room temperature. Altogether with high ferroelectric phase transition temperature (~440 K), good optical crystal quality, ultrahigh linear electrooptic r51 coefficient and low frequency dependency, the K0.95Li0.05Ta0.40Nb0.60O3 single crystal offers significant application potential for various electrooptic devices.


Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are an important sample source for ret‐ rospective studies. Despite its ability to preserve proteins and cell morphology, formalin hinders molecular biology tests since it fragments and chemically modifies nucleic acids, especially RNA. Although several studies describe techniques that allow extracting nu‐ cleic acids from FFPE tissues, so far there is no consensus in the literature about the best protocol to be used in this type of material. Thus, the current chapter aims to describe the factors affecting the FFPE tissue nucleic acid extracting process, compare the available protocols and to describe the modifications developed by our group in some protocols. Such modifications enable nucleic acids obtainment in satisfactory quantity and quality for molecular biology studies.


This paper reviews three computer mouse studies in our laboratory in which our emphasis was on mechanisms behind computer-related disorders. Our approach was sequentially (i) to determine the validity of a laboratory model for computer mouse use (painting rectangles) for studying musculoskeletal disorders, (ii) to use this model to study time pressure and precision demands on position sense and muscular oxygenation, and (iii) to use this model to determine the effect of pauses (active versus passive) on these parameters. Kinematic data for the painting model showed constrained movements of the wrist similar to that of CAD (computer-aided design) work, a support for its validity for a real-life situation. Changes in forearm oxygenation were associated with time pressure and precision demands, a potential for insight into the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Increasing trends in oxygenation and blood volume were associated with pauses, especially active pauses, a possible explanation for the alleviating effect of discomfort experienced in real-life situations when a pause is implemented.


In the weeks following the Egyptian revolution of 2011, a group of divorced fathers rose to demand a "revolution in family law." Portraying extant family law provisions as symbolic of the old regime and as deviating from the principles of shariʿa, their call was given prominent media attention and, in the ensuing transitional period (2011 to 2013), women's rights and family law emerged as contentious areas in Egypt. By comparing public debates on family law reform in the decade preceding the 2011 revolution to the two years following it, we argue that Egypt's "revolution in family law" actually started a decade earlier, in 2000, when Egyptian women's new right to divorce unilaterally rocked the country. 1 This set in motion other legal reforms that challenged fundamental aspects of male authority in the family and slowly led to the emergence of innovative conceptions of motherhood and fatherhood.


Two different regimens of luteal support in gonadotrophin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue/human menopausal gonadotrophin (GnRHa/HMG)-induced in-vitro fertilization cycle (IVF) were compared in a randomized clinical trial. After embryo transfer, either vaginal progesterone alone was administered (n = 89, P group), or a combination of vaginal progesterone and human chorionic gonadotrophin (n = 87, P/HCG group). The primary aim of this study was to assess the effect of the different regimens of luteal support on the pregnancy rate. The secondary aim was to compare oestradiol and progesterone concentrations in the luteal phase between the two groups, and assess their effect on the pregnancy rate. A clinical pregnancy rate of 15% was found in the P/HCG group in comparison with 26% in the P group (odds ratio 0.49; 99% confidence interval: 0.18-1.3). The luteal serum oestradiol and progesterone values in the P/HCG group were significantly higher when compared with the P group on the 6th, 9th and 12th day after oocyte retrieval (Wilcoxon P < 0.001). In accordance with the high oestradiol concentrations, more cases of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) were found in the P/HCG group. Oestradiol values on the 9th day after oocyte retrieval, presumably the day of implantation, appeared to be higher in women who did not become clinically pregnant. We conclude that vaginal progesterone alone provides sufficient luteal support in GnRHa/HMG induced IVF cycles. The combination of vaginal progesterone and HCG as luteal support leads to significant high luteal oestradiol and progesterone concentrations. But a high concentration of oestradiol seems to have a deleterious effect on the implantation process, resulting in a low pregnancy rate.


The focus of this study was to explore current methodology for evaluating plant health surveillance systems for their ability to provide confidence towards demonstrating pest freedom using surveillance for Tilletia indica, an exotic fungal pathogen of wheat, in Western Australia as a model. Tilletia indica causes a disease commonly known as Karnal bunt and is an important pathogen in international trade, with many countries having phytosanitary restrictions. If T. indica were to become established in Australia it would cause considerable damage to the country's economy through loss of domestic and international markets. Maintaining pest free status for T. indica is important to maintain Australia's grain export markets.

Integral to effective surveillance for T. indica are methods involved in the collection of grain samples and the sensitivity of the laboratory tests used in the surveillance systems. These surveillance 'tools' have been investigated and the current techniques have been shown to be effective. Grain sampling occurring at delivery during harvest provides an efficient way to collect samples representative of export quality grain. Stochastic modelling of the sampling process shows that test samples obtained using the current protocol will contain teliospores at detectable levels. In samples from delivery parcels there is a high probability (> 95%) that test samples will contain 5 or more teliospores where the prevalence is at least 1 infected grain in 100 kg. For test samples collected from general siding samples there is a greater than 75% probability that teliospores will be present in the samples where the prevalence is at least 0.5% of delivery parcels and 10 infected grains per kg within parcels. Investigations also indicated that clustering of teliospores within infected grains did not influence the probability of test samples being infected.

Evaluation of the diagnostic protocols currently used in the surveillance programs for T. indica using traditional 'gold-standard' methods and a Bayesian statistical framework indicates that the sieve-wash protocol with microscopic observation has a high diagnostic sensitivity (> 84.8%) and specificity (> 96.0%) for detection of teliospores of T. indica, and similar results were obtained for related Tilletia species. The molecular protocol, proposed as the new 'enhanced' surveillance tool for detection of T. indica in grain samples, did not perform as well, with a sensitivity and specificity of 48.0% and 48.4% respectively. The estimates were comparable between the two evaluation methods, suggesting that the current protocol, sieve-wash test with microscopic examination, is still the most suitable protocol for grain surveillance for Tilletia species.

The expectation, under the SPS Agreement, that claims of pest freedom be supported by scientific evidence means that there is an increasing need for methods to evaluate the information collected during surveillance activities to provide a quantitative level of confidence upon which claims of freedom can be based. Ten years of historical grain surveillance, utilising samples collected at delivery and the sieve-wash test with microscopic examination, were evaluated using scenario tree methodology and have been shown to provide a high probability of freedom (>95%) from T. indica for Western Australia. The active surveillance systems were evaluated at a range of prevalence levels and were shown to provide a high probability of freedom for design prevalences above one in five regions infected, with 0.25% delivery parcels infected at a rate of 1 infected grain in 100 kg after evaluation of the ten years of surveillance.

Passive surveillance systems can also provide evidence to support claims of pest freedom. The reporting mechanisms in Western Australia for grains pests were investigated, along with attitudes and behaviours relating to the likelihood that members of the grains industry would report a suspect pest or disease. The information gathered was used to inform an evaluation of two passive surveillance system components operating in Western Australia, grower reporting and routine seed testing. Grower reporting was found to provide a high probability of freedom (> 95%) at a design prevalence level of one in five regions infected with 0.25% delivery parcels infected at a rate of 10 infected grains in 1 kg. The Seed Testing surveillance system component was found to provide little contribution to confidence in freedom, due to the low number of wheat samples tested annually. This study demonstrates that passive surveillance provides significant confidence in freedom for T. indica, but that the active surveillance programs provide additional confidence that Western Australia is free from T. indica at lower prevalence levels. Finally, recommendations are provided for future surveillance activities to maintain Western Australia's confidence in from T. indica.


The paper examines the state of food security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), based on an analysis of a selection of indicators of food security and nutritional wellbeing during the period 1990-2002 within the context of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture. It argues that it may be advisable for those SSA countries with both static and dynamic comparative advantage in agriculture to pursue policies towards 'food self-sufficiency' as a means to attaining food security, considering their large rural farming population, at least until such time that international trade in agriculture is fully integrated into the WTO disciplines. This is particularly relevant in view of the fact that high agricultural protectionism in the north currently distorts price signals and thus the opportunity costs of allocating factors of production in these economies. The SSA countries that lack comparative advantage in agriculture may want to aim for a 'food self-reliance' strategy to attain food security.


Articles in high-prestige journals receive more citations and more applause than articles in less-prestigious journals, but how much more do these articles contribute to knowledge? This article uses a statistical theory of review processes to draw inferences about differences value between articles in more-prestigious versus less-prestigious journals. This analysis indicates that there is much overlap in articles in different prestige strata. Indeed, theory implies that about half of the articles published are not among the best ones submitted to those journals, and some of the manuscripts that belong in the highest-value 20% have the misfortune to elicit rejections from as many as five journals.Some social science departments and business schools strongly emphasize publication in prestigious journals. Although one can draw inferences about an author's average manuscript from the percentage in top-tier journals, the confidence limits for such inferences are wide. A focus on prestigious journals may benefit the most prestigious departments or schools but add randomness to the decisions of departments or schools that are not at the very top. Such a focus may also impede the development of knowledge when mediocre research receives the endorsement of high visibility.


IEC 61850 is the most promising standard for design of substation communication and automation systems. Recent revisions of the standard include support for modeling, and control of Distributed Energy Resources (DER). This paper presents an application of the IEC 61850-7-420 data model for DER in the implementation of a control and energy management system for a Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES). These systems are beginning to prove their usefulness in providing deployable electrical supply in locations where no such supply exists as well as for backup power or power quality related support functions. The motivation for applying the standard to the design process is twofold; to modularize the design according to an accepted international standard and to design for interoperability with other IEC 61850 enabled devices and SCADA systems.


After addressing the securitisation of non-performing loans (NPLs) within the broader context of the ECB's efforts to reduce NPL stocks and inflows, we investigate the structural and pricing features of NPL securitisations, issued by large banks in the euro area, by drawing on a unique and comprehensive dataset. In doing so, we provide an overview and typology of NPL securitisations issued in the past five years by large banks in the euro area and propose a concrete framework to compare and assess NPL securitisations across multiple dimensions. Despite methodological constraints resulting from the inherently bespoke nature of securitisations, we are able to identify structural differences between transactions that rely solely on private market participants and transactions that benefit from government guarantee schemes. Indeed, the existing data indicates that transactions involving government guarantee schemes display distinct structural features and higher costs for originating banks when compared with purely private market transactions in our dataset. Our analysis indicates that government guarantee schemes might not solely act as an incentive to new investors who would otherwise not invest in NPLs, but possibly also create conditions, for a new market, distinct in particular from the private NPL securitisations market (in terms of asset quality, capital efficiency, etc.). We believe that further research on the impact of government guarantee schemes on market participants' behaviour and on the pricing and structuring of NPL transactions, as well as their impact over time would greatly help policymakers and supervisors to strengthen the design of future policy options for dealing with NPL stocks.


Five patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome were evaluated by conventional noncontrast spin-echo MR imaging, a gradient-recalled echo (GRE) technique, and T1-weighted spin-echo imaging after administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine. In four of five cases the full extent of intracranial disease was appreciated only on the postcontrast images. In one patient precontrast and GRE images were entirely normal, while only the postcontrast study demonstrated extensive involvement of both brain and retina. Nevertheless, some abnormal vessels with higher flows were seen better on precontrast T2-weighted images than on postcontrast T1-weighted images. GRE techniques demonstrated calcifications to best advantage, in one case even better than on CT. Contrast enhancement with gadopentetate dimeglumine is necessary for the complete MR evaluation of patients with suspected Sturge-Weber syndrome. Traditional noncontrast T2-weighted and GRE images may provide additional complementary information.


Human capital tends to have significant external effects within local markets, increasing the average income of individuals within the same metropolitan area. However, evidence on both human capital spillovers and peer effects in neighborhoods suggests that these effects may be confined to relatively small areas. Hence, the distribution of income gains from average levels of human capital should depend on how that human capital is distributed throughout a city. This paper explores this issue by documenting the extent to which college graduates are residentially segregated across more than 165000 block groups in 359 U.S. metropolitan areas over the period 1980-2000. Using three different metrics, we find that the segregation of college graduates rose between 1980 and 2000. We also find that cities which experienced larger increases in their levels of segregation also experienced larger increases in income inequality, although our results suggest that inequality and segregation likely influence each other. JEL Classification: D31, R23, J10


While many institutions provide centralized technology support for faculty, there is a lack of centralized professional development opportunities that focus on simultaneously developing instructors' technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) in higher education. Additionally, there are few professional development opportunities for faculty that continue throughout the practice of teaching with technology. We propose a model of continuing professional development that provides instructors with the ability to meaningfully integrate technology into their teaching practices through centralized support for developing TPACK. In doing so, we draw upon several theoretical frameworks and evidence based practices.


The rational design of effective tools capable of monitoring hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is of great importance to fully understand its physiological and pathological functions. Herein, a self-assembled fluorescent nanoprobe with both aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) characteristics for H2S detection has been successfully developed via a modified nanoprecipitation method. The nanoprobe features high water dispersibility, a large Stokes shift (ca. 100 nm), good biocompatibility as well as high selectivity towards H2S over other putative interferents. Live cell imaging experiments demonstrate that the nanoprobe, with good cell-membrane permeability, can facilitate the visualization of exogenous and endogenous H2S levels. Moreover, the nanoprobe has also been found capable of detecting H2S in zebrafish. This nanoprobe with AIE and ESIPT characteristics can provide a novel method for the development of fluorescent probes for monitoring biological processes.


In recent decades, safety has emerged as a major issue in many embedded applications in the aerospace, aircraft, automobile, railways, nuclear, medical, and other industries. Safety in this context means avoiding harm to individuals or society due to malfunctioning computer equipment or software. The essential requirements for these systems are so strict that they are regulated by government agencies such as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the case of both airborne and ground aviation systems.The general concept of safety assurance is to minimize risk that can lead to accidents. This implies that the software tools used to develop the hardware and software components in safety-critical systems must be evaluated as thoroughly as the products themselves.


This paper considers the problem of lossy neural image compression (NIC). Current state-of-the-art (sota) methods adopt uniform posterior to approximate quantization noise, and single-sample pathwise estimator to approximate the gradient of evidence lower bound (ELBO). In this paper, we propose to train NIC with multiple-sample importance weighted autoencoder (IWAE) target, which is tighter than ELBO and converges to log likelihood as sample size increases. First, we identify that the uniform posterior of NIC has special properties, which affect the variance and bias of pathwise and score function estimators of the IWAE target. Moreover, we provide insights on a commonly adopted trick in NIC from gradient variance perspective. Based on those analysis, we further propose multiple-sample NIC (MS-NIC), an enhanced IWAE target for NIC. Experimental results demonstrate that it improves sota NIC methods. Our MS-NIC is plug-and-play, and can be easily extended to other neural compression tasks.


The paper critically evaluates the notion that political Islam is a threat to world peace. The argument is developed in the light of Islamic history and fundamentals of Islam and the research is based on primary and secondary sources. There was a time when magical influence of Muslims in every field of life (socio-economic, Political scientific) was conspicuous. For instance, Al Farabi's books influenced platonic theories. Similarly influence of Sufism on the works of William James, Goethe, August Comte, Nietzsche, Voltaire and Rousseau also cannot be over looked. Muslims taught geology, geography understanding of mathematics rules of philosophy and Industrial Arts and quality of products. Islamic state and society showed many signs of internal decay by 11th Century. The symptoms of decadence were discernible even earlier, the decline of the power and prestige of the caliphs even in their own capital. So, the problems lay with Muslim rulers and parties in rule but not with political Islam. The result was weak administration which shook the foundations of Islamic Empire. It is very important to have a state in order to preach Islam that is why, Mohammad (SWS) established Madina as a political entity to prevail justice on the lines of Quranic injunctions.


Rationale The focus of this study is individual specific, home-based reminiscence which will address many of the limitations identified in previous studies (Upton et al. 2011; Subramaniam & Woods 2012; Woods et al. 2012) in relation to use of reminiscence in dementia. AimThe aim of this study is to develop and assess the feasibility of individual specific reminiscence activity facilitated through the use of bespoke software (InspireD) among people with dementia and their family carers. The objectives are:1. to identify and refine the specification for the software (InspireD) and its application to tablet devices;2. to test the usability of the revised system; 3. to examine the impact of facilitated reminiscence activity on the person with dementia and their family carer using a range of outcome measures;4. to explore users' views on InspireD;5. to enhance independence and quality of life; 6. to incorporate a health economic component which will inform the design of a potential future cost-effectiveness analysis from a societal perspective alongside an RCT. Study Design and MethodsA user centred design process philosophy will guide the development of InspireD. Then a quasi-experimental study incorporating a paired sample (person with dementia and his/her carer), with repeated measures design will be conducted. Phase 1 - will identify and refine the specification for the software. Phase 2 – reminiscence training, and training in use of InspireD will be rolled out across the study site. Participants will use InspireD at home, with testing pre-intervention, and comparison of outcomes at specified time points after implementation. Phase 3 - one-to-one interviews with a sample of participants.Sample The intention is to recruit a total of 60 individuals: 30 dyads (person with dementia and their carer). The sample will be recruited from the Western Health and Social Care Trust catchment area which has approximately 1830 people on its primary care dementia register. Timescale for study The study is designed to be completed within two years. Year 1 will focus on refinement and testing whereas Year 2 will focus on delivery and measurement of outcomes. Plan for dissemination A website will enable us to create a central hub for sharing aspects of the project with interested stakeholders. Anticipated publications and conferences presentations will focus on the technology development, methodology and findings from the quasi-experimental study. It is anticipated that the results will be valuable in extending the body of knowledge in relation to reminiscence work for people with dementia and their carers.


The design, modeling, and calibration procedure of a prototype mechanical clamping device for fabricating wood and fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite laminated billets for ASTM D 2559 delamination tests and shear block tests is presented. Quality bonding of the billets requires clamping the laminate under uniformly distributed pressure of a specified level for a span of time necessary for the resin to cure. The specific time and pressure level that may be applied depends on the type of resin and species of wood used. To meet the requirements, a mechanical clamping device was designed to provide control over the applied stress level and maintain the minimum required pressure for up to 24 h. A calibration procedure was developed in order to adjust the flow of the excess resin being pressed out of the gluelines in the first stage of clamping, as well as the nonlinear time-dependent behavior of the laminate material. The calibration procedure involved determining the correlation between the average torque applied when tightening the four closing nuts and the clamping pressure between the steel plates. In addition, a procedure to determine the laminate materials' specific clamping pressure loss over 24 h was established.


OF DISSERTATION ATTENTIONAL BIAS AND ALCOHOL ABUSE Selective attention towards alcohol-related cues (i.e., "attentional bias") is thought to reflect increased incentive motivational value of alcohol and alcohol cues acquired through a history of heavy alcohol use, and as such attentional bias is considered to be a clinically relevant factor contributing to alcohol use disorders. This dissertation consists of two studies that investigated specific mechanisms through which attentional bias might serve to promote alcohol abuse. Study 1 compared magnitude of attentional bias in heavy (n = 20) and light (n = 20) drinkers following placebo and two doses of alcohol (0.45 g/kg and 0.65 g/kg). Heavy drinkers displayed significantly greater attentional bias than did moderate drinkers following placebo. However, heavy drinkers displayed a dosedependent decrease in response to alcohol. Individual differences in attentional bias under placebo were associated with both self-reported and laboratory alcohol consumption, yet bias following alcohol administration did not predict either measure of consumption. These findings suggest that attentional bias is strongest before a drinking episode begins, and as such might be most influential in terms of initiation of alcohol consumption. Study 2 addressed theoretical accounts regarding potential reciprocal interactions between attentional bias and inhibitory control that might promote excessive alcohol consumption. Fifty drinkers performed a measure of attentional bias and a novel task that measures the degree to which alcohol-related stimuli can increase behavioral activation and reduce the ability to inhibit inappropriate responses. As hypothesized, inhibitory failures were significantly greater following alcohol images compared to neutral images. Further, heightened attentional bias was associated with greater response activation following alcohol images. These findings suggest that alcohol stimuli serve to disrupt mechanisms of behavioral control, and that heightened attentional bias is associated with greater disruption of control mechanisms following alcohol images. Taken together, these studies provide strong evidence of an association between attentional bias in sober individuals and alcohol consumption, suggesting a pronounced role of attentional bias in initiation of consumption. Further, findings show that attention to alcohol cues can serve to disrupt mechanisms of inhibitory control that might be necessary to regulate drinking behavior, suggesting a potential means through which attentional bias might promote consumption.


This thesis begins with a sociolinguistic correlational study of three phonetic variables - (h), (t) and (ing) - as used by four occupational groups - nurses, chefs, hairdressers and taxi-drivers. The groups were selected to incorporate three independent variables: sex (male-dominated versus female-dominated occupations); training (length and specialisation - nurses and chefs being more specialised than hairdressers and taxi-drivers) and location (the populations were selected from two cities - Liverpool and Birmingham). Although the correlational work demonstrates intra-sex and occupation consistency in speakers' choice of linguistic variants (females (particularly nurses) being significantly closer to the prestige norm), it is essentially non-explanatory and cannot accout for narrative dynamics and style shift. Therefore, an in-depth qualitative examination of the data (which draws mainly on Narrative and Discourse Analysis) forms the major part of the analysis. The study first analyses features common to all the narratives, direct speech, expressive phonology and linguistic ambiguity emerging as characteristic of all humorous storytelling. Secondly, three major sources of inter-personal variation are invetigated: narrator perspective, sex and occuptational role. Perspective is found to vary with topic and personality, greater narrator involvement coinciding with a higher proportion of internal evaluation devices. Sex differences include topic choice and bonding in the storytelling sessions. Sex differences are also evident in style shifting, where the narrator mimics the voice of a character in the narrative (aodpting segmental and/or prosodic tokens to signal a change of persona). The research finds that female narrators rarely employ segmental accommodation downwards on the social scale (whereas men do), but are on the other hand adept at using prosodic effects for mimicry. Taxi-drivers emerge as the group with the most distinctive narrative flair, a fact which is related to their occupation. The conclusion stresses a need for both quantitative and qualitative approaches to data; the importance of occupational role, as opposed to sex role per se in determining narrative conventions; the view of narrative as a negotiable entity, which is the product of relationships among participants; and the importance of considering the totality of the communicative act.


The Road Infrastructure Safety Management System (RSIMS) has been recently developed by Indonesian Highway Administration (Bina Marga) to minimize the number and the impact of accidents caused by road environment deficiencies. This paper explores the development of the RSIMS and one of its activities, namely Road Safety Inspection (RSI) to monitor and evaluate safety performance of operating roads. A set of RSI guidelines has been developed to facilitate the mapping of deficiencies and hazards. As the first trial series, safety inspection using the guidelines had been carried out along a 30 km national road section in Ngawi, East Java Province. Risk evaluation was performed upon discovered deficiencies in order to suggest necessary responses and treatments. RSI is expected to produce important inputs for integrated infrastructure safety management, i.e. (1) deficiency mapping and database, (2) safety audit prioritization, and (3) programming treatments to overcome safety deficiencies.


Drawing on the transgenerational entrepreneurship perspective, we employ a multiple case study approach to investigate why multigenerational family firms innovate. The data collection process drew upon five in-depth cases comprising 42 semistructured interviews, 25 participant observations, and several thousand pages of historical data dating from 1916 to 2017. We find patterns on how the firms' long-term view—embracing both the past and the future—influences the innovation motives of these firms. Specifically, we identify three innovation patterns: conserving, persisting and legacy-building. We introduce a set of propositions and a framework linking long-term orientation dimensions to innovation motives and innovation outcomes. Our research thus contributes to a more fine-grained understanding of innovation behavior in family firms.


The birefringence of materials is usually measured in the visible region with the use of a laser beam with the sample placed between crossed polarizers. Amplitude-division interferometers (ADIs) can also be used for birefringence measurements; however, the procedure is a bit more cumbersome, and they are not commonly used for this purpose. A mid-infrared polarization-division interferometer (PDI), recently developed in our laboratory, has been shown to provide novel applications and several advantages over amplitude-division interferometers. In this paper we demonstrate a novel approach to measuring infrared birefringence using the PDI developed in our laboratory. The proposed method is much simpler and may routinely be used for birefringence measurements on polymers, liquid crystals, and other oriented samples.


A connected account is given of the Possio theory of non-stationary flow for small disturbances in a two-dimensional supersonic flow and of its application to the determination of the aerodynamic forces on an oscillating airfoil. Further application is made to the problem of wing flutter in the degrees of freedom - torsion, bending, and aileron rotations. Numerical tables for flutter calculations are provided for various values of the Mach number greater than unity. Results for bending-torsion wing flutter are shown in figures and are discussed. The static instabilities of divergence and aileron reversal are examined as is a one-degree-of-freedom case of torsional oscillatory instability.


An important challenge in the development of optoelectronic devices for energy conversion applications is the search for suitable p-type contact materials. For example, p-type MnTe would be a promising alternative back contact for CdTe solar cells due to their chemical compatibility, but under normal conditions it has a too narrow band gap due to its octahedrally coordinated nickeline (NC) structure. The tetrahedrally coordinated wurtzite (WZ) polymorph of MnTe has not been reported, but it is especially interesting due to its predicted wider band gap and better structural compatibility with CdTe and related II–VI semiconductor materials. Here, we report on the stabilization of WZ-MnTe thin films on amorphous indium zinc oxide (a-IZO) substrates relevant to photovoltaic applications. Optical spectroscopy of the WZ-MnTe films shows a wide direct band gap of Eg = 2.7 eV, while photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) measurements reveal weak p-type doping with a Fermi level of 0.6 eV above the valence band maximum. The results of electron microscopy and PES measurements indicate that WZ-MnTe is stabilized due to interdiffusion at the interface with IZO. The results of this work introduce a substrate stabilized WZ-MnTe polymorph as a potential p-type contact material candidate for future applications in CdTe devices for solar energy conversion and other optoelectronic technologies.


Servo valves are used in a broad variety of flow modulation applications. In the field of aerospace, servo valves are used in aero engines to meter fuel flow. The existing valves are labour intensive to manufacture and highly optimised such that to achieve improvements in performance requires a novel design. This research investigates smart material actuators and valve concepts. Specifically, a prototype pilot stage nozzle flapper valve is developed for the purpose of actuating a main stage spool. The typical nozzle flapper type servo valve uses a torque motor to actuate the flapper. In this research project, the torque motor has been substituted for two piezoelectric ring bender actuators. A novel mounting mechanism has been developed to secure the ring benders within the valve. Analytical and finite element models have been made to understand the displacement mechanism of a ring bender and the effects of the mount on the displacement and force from a ring bender, and the results were compared with experiment. The mounting stiffness at the inner and outer edges was found to decrease the displacement of the ring bender and it was found that the stiffness of the mount at the outer edge has a greater negative effect on displacement than the stiffness of the mount at the inner edge. The displacement of a ring bender was tested across the operational temperature range of an aero engine. It was found that the displacement of the ring bender is reduced at low temperatures and increases at high temperature. The variation of stiffness of the elastomeric mount was also tested with temperature and it was found that the displacement of a ring bender is significantly reduced when the mounting elastomer approaches its glass transition temperature. A prototype valve was built to test the pressures and flows that could be achieved at two control ports by using a ring bender as actuator. A single ring bender and two ring benders, mounted in tandem to provide redundancy, have been tested. An analytical model was developed and the predictions are compared with experimental results for pressures and flow. The full stroke of the valve was 300m when mounted and reduced to 150m when mounted in tandem with an inactive ring bender. The hysteresis of the valve is +/-10%. The pressures and flow at and between the control ports of the valve are consistent with the predictions.


Káradóttir et al. present intriguing data suggesting that, contrary to long-accepted dogma, a class of glial cells can generate action potentials. Neurons and glia constitute the two classes of cell found in neural tissue, with inability to produce action potentials a defining feature that distinguishes glia from neurons. Káradóttir et al. identified oligodendrocyte precursor glial cells (OPCs) in the white matter of cerebellar slices from young rats on the basis of their morphology and expression of the proteoglycan NG2 and the oligodendrocyte transcription factor Olig2. These NG2- and Olig2-expressing cells did not express the neuronal marker NeuN, nor did they express the astrocyte marker S100β; about half were immunoreactive for Na+ channels. Whole-cell patch clamp analysis revealed two electrophysiologically distinct classes of OPCs: One class exhibited currents mediated by voltage-gated Na+ and K+ channels and generated action potentials in response to depolarization, whereas the other (morphologically indistinguishable) class did not. The two classes of OPCs were also present in adult animals. Most of the excitable OPCs exhibited excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs), inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs), or both, whereas the vast majority of the inexcitable cells did not. Pharmacological analysis indicated that EPSCs reflected glutamatergic input and that IPSCs were a response to GABA. Glutamate and the glutamate antagonist NMDA elicited larger currents in excitable OPCs than in OPCs that lacked Na+ channels, and the former were also more susceptible to ischemic death (pertinent to conditions such as stroke or spinal cord injury). Otis and Sofroniew provide thoughtful commentary and discuss the possibility that some NG2-expressing glia may have functions other than acting as OPCs. R. Káradóttir, N. B. Hamilton, Y. Bakiri, D. Attwell, Spiking and nonspiking classes of oligodendrocyte precursor glia in CNS white matter. Nat. Neurosci. 11, 450-456 (2008). [PubMed] T. S. Otis, M.V. Sofroniew, Glia get excited. Nat. Neurosci. 11, 379-380 (2008). [PubMed]


The class of causal negative index media is identified and analyzed through the development of a conceptual framework relying on polar paths and zero-pole placements of rational functions. In particular, necessary conditions on the refractive index function n(ω) toward the achievement of Re n<0 with Im n=0 are found. The requirement of causality necessitates either significant loss/gain in some frequency bands or steep variation in n immediately below or above the observation frequency. A particular system demonstrating negative refraction with arbitrarily small loss/gain for all frequencies through steep variation in n is analyzed.


The 530–880-nm continuum pulse with a greatly asymmetric temporal profile over 500 fs and a spectral phase variation over 150 rad, which was generated by induced phase modulation (IPM) as well as self-phase modulation in a conventional fused-silica fiber, was compressed to 7.8 fs by a feedback technique. Fundamental (a center wavelength of 800 nm, a duration of 80 fs, a pulse energy of 64 nJ) and signal pulses (a center wavelength of 670 nm, a duration of 80 fs, a pulse energy of 65 nJ) produced by one common femtosecond source with an optical parametric amplifier were copropagated in the fiber under an optimum delay time between the two pulses. The computer-controlled feedback system that combines a 4-f phase compensator with a spatial light modulator and a modified spectral phase interferometry for a direct electric-field reconstruction, automatically compensated for not only the conventional nonlinear chirp (group-delay dispersion and its higher-order dispersion) but also the frequency-independent group-delay (first-order phase dispersion), both of which are essential for pulse compression by use of the IPM effect.


This paper describes a financial education (FE) experiment organized in Italy by the National Association of Scholars on Financial Institutions and Markets (ADEIMF). The international experience of FE programs addressed to children, as well as findings on learning/cognitive attitudes of adults, motivate the choice of a demand-driven approach to FE. From an empirical analysis of FE needs, researchers extracted 15 financial terms and created a corresponding number of FE tools that have been included in an open-access WEB encyclopaedia. Precisely, each word has been explicated by ADEIMF scholars thanks to a homogenous «format», in terms of both video-graphic presentation and length (120 seconds). The format has been designed to comply with the typical time-constraints of adults, as well as to ease/foster their attitude towards knowledge. The WEB academic encyclopaedia has been disseminated by exploiting a network approach with Italian financial authorities and media. The expected result is an increase of outcomes and efficacy of FE programs in Italy, based on free patterns of knowledge among the academic programs and the other FE tools offered at various levels.


Planning in partially observable domains is a notoriously difficult problem. However, inmany real-world scenarios, planning can be simplified by decomposing the task into a hierarchy of smaller planning problems. Several approaches have been proposed to optimize a policy that decomposes according to a hierarchy specified a priori. In this paper, we investigate the problem of automatically discovering the hierarchy. More precisely, we frame the optimization of a hierarchical policy as a non-convex optimization problem that can be solved with general non-linear solvers, a mixed-integer non-linear approximation or a form of bounded hierarchical policy iteration. By encoding the hierarchical structure as variables of the optimization problem, we can automatically discover a hierarchy. Our method is flexible enough to allow any parts of the hierarchy to be specified based on prior knowledge while letting the optimization discover the unknown parts. It can also discover hierarchical policies, including recursive policies, that are more compact (potentially infinitely fewer parameters) and often easier to understand given the decomposition induced by the hierarchy.


Though now remembered as an act of anti-colonial protest leading to the Egyptian military coup of 1952, the Cairo Fire that burned through downtown stores and businesses appeared to many at the time as an act of urban self-destruction and national suicide. The logic behind this latter view has now been largely lost. Offering a revised history, Nancy Reynolds looks to the decades leading up to the fire to show that the lines between foreign and native in city space and commercial merchandise were never so starkly drawn. Consumer goods occupied an uneasy place on anti-colonial agendas for decades in Egypt before the great Cairo Fire. Nationalist leaders frequently railed against commerce as a form of colonial captivity, yet simultaneously expanded local production and consumption to anchor a newly independent economy. Close examination of struggles over dress and shopping reveals that nationhood coalesced informally from the conflicts and collaboration of consumers "from below" as well as more institutional and prescriptive mandates.