This study explores the banality of national discourse in England in an era that has been described as globalising. Drawing on the broader tenets of social constructionism, the concept of sedimentation will be employed as a means of understanding how certain discourses come to be embedded in the everyday lives of significant numbers in relation to particular historical conditions. This framework will be used to extend Michael Billig's seminal thesis of Banal Nationalism (1995) in an effort to address the complexities of a multi-national, post-imperial society. The primary data set comes from a series of interviews with white, English-born people, who constitute the majority group in Britain. Various media texts have also been studied as a means of tracking any relevant debates at another level of society. The analysis suggests that national discourse continues to offer a 'common sense' heuristic within social interactions, informing manifold ways in which people articulate their lives. The resonance of this discourse is exhibited through a whole range of micro-linguistic and inter-textual features, underpinned by a framework of shared knowledge and assumptions. This framework was particularly evident when people discussed issues such as immigration and multiculturalism, which were generally evaluated as threats to a homogeneous and bounded national space. In these cases, distinctions were made between those who un/conditionally belonged to the nation, with various minority groups often stigmatised as internal 'Others' and seen to be destabilising everyday (national) practices, utterances and symbols. The growing sense of ontological insecurity generated by these perceived threats is also thought to partly underlie the increasing visibility of national displays within England at the current time. Finally, while increasing global mobility may sometimes pose a challenge to national frameworks, I suggest that any movement beyond the nation, whether cognitive and/or physical, is better conceptualised as a form of conditional cosmopolitanism, often underpinned by a secure sense of 'home', agency and access to cultural / economic capital.


A novel fully passive and electromagnetic chipless radiofrequency identification (RFID) system is proposed. The system is based on printed tags implemented with magnetoinductive-wave (MIW) delay lines. Such lines are composed of a periodic array of coupled square split ring resonators (SSRRs) and propagate slow waves. The tag is codified by introducing reflectors (which provide the identification signature) between the elements of the array. When the tags are interrogated with a pulse in time domain, they produce replicas at the positions where the reflectors are placed. Thanks to the slow group velocity of the MIW delay line, the replicas of the original pulse are not overlapped in time domain and can be demodulated, thus providing the identification code of the tag. The design considerations to implement these chipless tags are studied in the present work. Moreover, a complete set of codified MIW lines for a two-bit system is designed, manufactured and measured. The reported experimental results validate the proposed approach.


Background Endometriosis is a multifactorial, oestrogen-dependent, inflammatory, gynaecological condition that can result in long-lasting visceral pelvic pain and infertility. Acupuncture could be an effective treatment for endometriosis and may relieve pain. Our aim in the present study was to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for endometriosis-related pain. Methods In December 2016, six databases were searched for randomised controlled trials that determined the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of endometriosis-related pain. Ultimately, 10 studies involving 589 patients were included. The main outcomes assessed were variation in pain level, variation in peripheral blood CA-125 level, and clinical effective rate. All analyses were performed using comprehensive meta-analysis statistical software. Results Of the 10 studies included, only one pilot study used a placebo control and assessed blinding; the rest used various controls (medications and herbs), which were impossible to blind. The sample sizes were small in all studies, ranging from 8 to 36 patients per arm. The mean difference (MD) in pain reduction (pre- minus post-interventional pain level—measured on a 0–10-point scale) between the acupuncture and control groups was 1.36 (95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.01–1.72, P<0.0001). Acupuncture had a positive effect on peripheral blood CA-125 levels, as compared with the control groups (MD = 5.9, 95% CI = 1.56–10.25, P = 0.008). Similarly, the effect of acupuncture on clinical effective rate was positive, as compared with the control groups (odds ratio = 2.07; 95% CI = 1.24–3.44, P = 0.005). Conclusions Few randomised, blinded clinical trials have addressed the efficacy of acupuncture in treating endometriosis-related pain. Nonetheless, the current literature suggests that acupuncture reduces pain and serum CA-125 levels, regardless of the control intervention used. To confirm these findings, additional, blinded studies with proper controls and adequate sample sizes are needed.


The dimensionality and the temporal stability of Cook and Wall's (1980) measure of organizational commitment, referred to here as the British Organizational Commitment Scale (BOCS), were examined using two-wave longitudinal data collected from a sample of 218 employees in British Rail. Alternative one-, two-, and three-factor models of the BOCS were evaluated using both the standard nine-item version of the scale and a shorter (positive) six-item version. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that (a) the BOCS is a multi-dimensional scale made up of three empirically distinct but related components corresponding to the Identification, Involvement and Loyalty subscales, (b) the positive six-item version of the scale was psychometrically superior to the nine-item version, and ® the measurement properties of the six-item BOCS were stable over time. Based on these results the casual (time-lagged) relations between the three empirically derived sub-components of attitudinal commitment were then examined by applying structural-relations analyses to the longitudinal data. No clear causal ordering was found among the three sub-components, which were also found to exhibit differential stability over time. The implications of the findings for use of the BOCS and for future research are discussed.


To answer questions about the origins and outcomes of collective action, political scientists increasingly turn to datasets with social network information culled from online sources. However, a fundamental question of external validity remains untested: are the relationships measured between a person and her online peers informative of the kind of offline, "real-world" relationships to which network theories typically speak? This article offers the first direct comparison of the nature and consequences of online and offline social ties, using data collected via a novel network elicitation technique in an experimental setting. We document strong, robust similarity between online and offline relationships. This parity is not driven by shared identity of online and offline ties, but a shared nature of relationships in both domains. Our results affirm that online social tie data offer great promise for testing long-standing theories in the social sciences about the role of social networks.


In 1935 Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen used the assumption of local realism to conclude in a Gedankenexperiment with two entangled particles that quantum mechanics is not complete. For this reason EPR motivated an extension of quantum mechanics by so-called local hidden variables. Based on
this idea in 1964 Bell constructed a mathematical inequality whereby experimental tests could distinguish between quantum mechanics and local-realistic theories. Many experiments have since been done that are consistent with quantum mechanics, disproving the concept of local realism. But all these tests suffered from loopholes allowing a local-realistic explanation of the experimental observations by exploiting either the low detector efficiency or the fact that the detected particles were not observed space-like separated. In this context, of special interest is entanglement between different quantum objects like atoms and photons, because it allows one to entangle distant atoms by the interference of photons. The resulting space-like separation together with the almost perfect detection efficiency of the atoms allows a first loophole-free test of Bell's inequality.

The primary goal of the present thesis is the experimental realization of entanglement between a single localized atom and a single spontaneously emitted photon at a wavelength suitable for the transport over long distances. In the experiment a single optically trapped Rb87 atom is excited to a state which has two selected decay channels. In the following spontaneous decay a photon is emitted coherently with equal probability into both decay channels. This accounts for perfect correlations between the polarization state of the emitted photon and the Zeeman state of the atom
after spontaneous decay. Because these decay channels are spectrally and in all other degrees of freedom indistinguishable, the spin state of the atom is entangled with the polarization state of the photon. To verify entanglement, appropriate correlation measurements in complementary bases of the photon polarization and the internal quantum state of the atom are performed. It is shown, that the generated atom-photon state yields an entanglement fidelity of 0.82.

The experimental results of this work mark an important step towards the generation of entanglement between space-like separated atoms for a first loophole-free test of Bell's inequality. Furthermore entanglement between a single atom and a single photon is an important tool for new quantum
communication and information applications, e.g. the remote state preparation of a single atom over large distances.


A fundamental dimension in the subject Physical Education (PE) is movement and movement activities. However, there is a lack of discussion, in the context of PE, regarding capability to move in terms of coordinative abilities, body consciousness, educing bodily senses and creating movements (Larsson et al., 2005, 2011; Ekberg 2009,;Redelius et al., 2009; Evans 2004; Shusterman 2004; Whitehead 2005; Kirk 2010, p. 29; Tinning 2010, p. 29).Our intention with this presentation is to contribute to a discussion of what capability to move can mean and how this capability can be developed in the context of PE. Our interest focuses on the growing use of exergames as a form of teaching aid in PE (Quennerstedt et al., 2013) and subsequently this study explores these games' potential contribution to teaching and learning capability to move. Many of these games include imitating movements and one argument of using the games in PE, apart from fighting obesity and increasing students' fitness levels, is, according to PE teachers in Sweden, their potential contribution to motor skill acquisition (Meckbach et al., 2013).The aim with this study is twofold. Firstly, we will explore a specific dance game's contribution to a group of students' motor skill acquisition. However, our approach to motor skills is in this context described as a theoretical perspective on capability to move as knowing how in line with Ryle (1949), including both understanding and mastering, thus also challenging the distinction between mental and physical skills. Secondly, having explored the students' knowing when playing the dance game, we will discuss necessary conditions for developing capability to move and the game's potential contribution 'as a teacher' in relation to the potential contribution of a PE-teacher.The data used in this study comprises video recordings of students playing Nintendo Wii dance games in PE-lessons. In order to conduct a systematic and thorough analysis of the students' knowing in moving two video sequences were chosen, showing four students imitating two distinct dance movements which constituted the base for a phenomenographic analysis. The result of the analysis showed different ways of knowing the movements and also what aspects were discerned by the students. This structure of awareness constituted a starting point for a discussion of necessary conditions for learning the movements in more complex ways thus also the potential contributions of the game 'as a teacher' in relation to a PE teacher.


Woodford (1999) develops the notion of a "timelessly optimal" pre-commitment policy. This paper uses a simple business cycle model to illustrate this notion. We show that timelessly optimal policies are not unique and that they are not necessarily better than the time-consistent solution. Further, we describe a method for constructing optimal pre-commitment rules in an environment where the policymaker does not know the initial state of the economy. This latter solution is useful for characterizing the benefits policymakers extract through exploiting initial conditions.


Objective: To investigate epidemiology of relevant risk factors in oral cancer, which provides basis for oral cancer prevention.
Methods: Epidemiological questionnaire was carried out by multiple-center large-scale sample using case-control method in 8 cities in China. Investigation content included individual basic conditions, general diseases and oral diseases history, oral health habits, smoking and passive smoking, drinking water and common drink conditions, exercises and labor conditions, family history etc. This study used SAS8.2 software to do t test and χ2 test for data, logistic regression to analyse the relations between various factors and oral cancer.
Results: There were significant differences in doing exercises often, drinking milk, hypertension, oral leukoplakia, bad prosthesis, smoking history, smoking-quit history, smoking with filter cigarette holder etc. between case group and the control group (P<0.05). The longer the smoking time (OR: 3.57, 95% CI: 1.58-8.06), the heavier the smoking (OR: 4.78, 95% CI: 2.07-11.11), the higher the risk degree. Exercises (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.24-0.95), drinking milk (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.23-1.02) and drink water management (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.26-1.10) can lower risk of oral cancer.
Conclusion: Smoking is an important factor of oral cancer. Smoking filter cigarette holder cannot lower incidence of oral cancer; exercises, drinking milk, drink water management can lower incidence of oral cancer.


The publication of 12 cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on September 30, 2005, created a great deal of controversy over self-censorship, freedom of speech, and accusations of religious incitement. Muslim activists organized protests, and later hundreds of people were killed and hundreds of others were injured due to violent reactions to the cartoons. This article focuses on how people used YouTube to react to these cartoons by analyzing 261 video clips and 4,153 comments. Results show that the majority of the video clips and comments were moderate and positive in tone toward Islam and Muhammad; however, a small percentage either called for jihad against the West or made lethal threats against the artist. Other comments carried curses or insults against Denmark, while a few others were anti-Islamic. The fact that these online reactions were highly varied in tone suggests that the online public sphere is very much divided.


Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most prevalent non-reversible neurodegenerative disorder that affects the memory and cognitive centres of brain. It has been reported that, AD turns out to be prominent among the people aged~65 or above and is regarded as the most common cause of dementia. Moreover, AD stands among the leading causes of death in the first world nations, accounting more than 60% incidence of progressive cognitive impairment in elderly people. Amyloid beta and neurofibrillary tangles are two putative cytotoxic entities that have been identified, aggregation of which has been associated with the pathological signature of AD. Beta secretase-an amyloid precursor protein cleavage enzyme, plays a pivotal role in such pathogenic process of AD. Several other enzymatic dysregulations have also been linked with AD. Involvement of enzymatic dysregulation is the most discussed pathological implication in AD and therapeutic approaches have been postulated targeting such anomalies. Together, global consequences of enzymatic dysregulation and related therapeutic possibilities in AD remain the prime focus of present time. Therefore, research and study for the eloquent insight into the AD pathology from enzymatic perspective is essential and the same endeavour has been carried out in the present study.


Gabidulin codes can be seen as the rank-metric equivalent of Reed-Solomon codes. It was recently proved, using subspace polynomials, that Gabidulin codes cannot be list decoded beyond the so-called Johnson radius. In another result, cyclic subspace codes were constructed by inspecting the connection between subspaces and their subspace polynomials. In this paper, these subspace codes are used to prove two bounds on the list size in decoding certain Gabidulin codes. The first bound is an existential one, showing that exponentially sized lists exist for codes with specific parameters. The second bound presents exponentially sized lists explicitly for a different set of parameters. Both bounds rule out the possibility of efficiently list decoding several families of Gabidulin codes for any radius beyond half the minimum distance. Such a result was known so far only for non-linear rank-metric codes, and not for Gabidulin codes. Using a standard operation called lifting, identical results also follow for an important class of constant dimension subspace codes.


Malarious patients experience asymptomatic parasitemia; acute febrile illness (with cerebral damage, anemia, respiratory distress, hypoglycemia); chronic debilitation (anemia, malnutrition, nervous system-related sequelae); and complications of pregnancy (anemia, low birth weight, increased infant mortality). These manifestations in patients, communities, and countries reflect intrinsic (human, parasite, mosquito) and extrinsic (environmental, social, behavioral, political, and economic conditions as well as disease-control efforts) determinants. At a minimum, between 700,000 and 2.7 million persons die yearly from malaria, over 75% of them African children. Between 400 and 900 million acute febrile episodes occur yearly in African children under 5 yr of age living in endemic areas. Although about half of these children are parasitemic, all merit consideration of malaria-specific therapy, which is becoming more problematic because of parasite resistance to drugs. These numbers will more than double over the next 20 yr without effective control. Fewer than 20% of these febrile episodes and deaths come to the attention of any formal health system. The relatively few ill patients who have any contact with the health services represent the "ears of the hippopotamus." Greatly intensified research activities and control of the intolerable burden of malaria are mandatory if economic development is to accelerate in Africa. In particular, support should be targeted to understanding and preventing malaria-induced anemia, hypoglycemia, effects on pregnancy, and neurologic and developmental impairment. To decrease and stop transmission of this intolerable scourge, there is an urgent need for malaria vaccines, newer drugs, and better vector control methods as well as the ability to improve current technologies and use them more efficiently.


A comprehensive work on the master painter of the Italian Renaissance. This illustrated volume combines commentary from art historians along with colour reproductions of the artist's frescoes, portraits and altarpieces which reflect conservation efforts. Essays from 16 scholars explore every aspect of Titian's life and art, and more than 75 masterpieces are closely analysed and accompanied by full-colour plates. The book also features a comparative chronology as well as a section devoted to a scientific analysis of Titian's technique. Accessibly presented and aimed at a broad audience, this is an authoritative examination of one of the world's most important and beloved artists.


From arrival in New Zealand refugee students are disadvantaged as they will often not have had the experience of formal education. In New Zealand, the mismatch of age and placement in classes contributes to educational failure. Additionally, Somali and other refugee-background parents are often poorly engaged with their children's schools and with their education. This article reports on the findings of an evaluation of a student-centred approach to improving educational achievement, the Somali-led Refugee Student Catch-Up class for primary, intermediate and secondary school students in the Auckland region. A participatory action research approach was used for the evaluation study which included: interviews with programme leaders and teachers; a survey of student educational outcomes; focus groups with students; and classroom observations. The study found that the catch-up programme resulted in improvement in students' marks in English, Mathematics and Science. Students of all ages were consistently regular attenders at the weekend catch-up programme. The study concluded that the catch-up programme had succeeded in improving student achievement, notably at the secondary school levels. Somali community involvement was a critical factor in maintaining leadership, voluntary support and parent and student engagement.


Within geography and beyond there has been much discussion about how to best respond to the mounting inequalities, pressing environmental concerns and socio-economic precarity that appear to characterise current neoliberal capitalist societies. Kathi Weeks (2011) suggests that contemporary forms of precarity are linked to dominant discourses around waged labour which she terms the 'work society'. This work society is characterised by three inter-related expectations that frame waged work as morally necessary, as the primary right to citizenship, and as the main way to participate in wider society. Weeks argues that these expectations have increased since the global financial crisis, yet paradoxically there are fewer secure and meaningful waged jobs available.  In response to these socio-economic and environmental concerns, feminist autonomous geographers like J-K Gibson-Graham (2006) argue that the best way to respond is to 'take back the economy' at local scales. Rather than 'overthrowing' global neoliberal capitalism, Gibson-Graham and groups such as the Community Economies Collective have been engaged in ongoing projects which foster and enact alternative practices and subjectivities.  In this thesis I draw on the work of J-K Gibson-Graham, the Community Economies Collective and others to explore two examples of collective social action in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. These two examples are the relational arts platform, Letting Space, and the Wellington Timebank. I employ a post-structural approach drawing on ethnographic methods to explore how these collectives foster and enact alternative forms of exchange and community in response to the dominant discourses of the work society. I draw on the ideas of Jacques Rancière (2001; 2004) to show how the practices associated with Letting Space and the Wellington Timebank create political moments which disrupt the work society. I complement these discussions about political moments by drawing on the work of Judith Butler (2006b) and Jean-Luc Nancy (1991; 2000) to show how subjects enact forms of community that are not based on fixed identities.  In this thesis I provide an important contribution to geographic literature by illustrating the potential of relational art and Timebanking practices to move beyond the melancholy affects associated with leftist politics over the last 30 years. I argue that the forms of social action explored in this research provide one practical way for subjects to partially negotiate the contradictions of the work society while simultaneously fostering forms of community that are more open and not premised on exclusionary identity categories.


Long regarded as a peripheral issue, phraseology is now taking centre stage in a wide range of fields. This recent explosion of interest undoubtedly has a great deal to do with the development of corpus linguistics research, which has both demonstrated the key role of phraseological expressions in language and provided researchers with automated methods of extraction and analysis. The aim of this volume is to take stock of current research in phraseology from a variety of perspectives: theoretical, descriptive, contrastive, cultural, lexicographic and computational. It contains overview chapters by leading experts in the field and a series of case studies focusing on a wide range of multiword units: collocations, similes, idioms, routine formulae and recurrent phrases. The volume is an invitation for experienced phraseologists to look at the field with different eyes and a useful introduction for the many researchers who are intrigued by phraseology but need help in finding their way in this rich but complex domain.


Since the American Freudenberguer mentioned in 1974 the burnout term to define work-related tiredness more than three decades ago, nobody has disputed the importance of burnout syndrome as a decisive factor of the professional life. Otherwise, it is accepted the main role of the head teachers in the smooth running of school. That is why this paper analyzes burnout syndrome on school management, contributing three significant contributions. Firstly, an original and unpublished instrument prepared for this survey in order to asses head teachers� burnout syndrome according to the theoretical classic model of Christina Maslach. In particular, it is presented an inventory (questionnaire) with high technical quality formed by 16 items organised in three scales. Secondly, relevant data on the different impact of the syndrome show that most of the head teachers feel low degree of emotional exhaustion, high personal accomplishment and negligible depersonalization. Moreover, those ones with high level of emotional exhaustion feel lower personal accomplishment and greater depersonalization. Thirdly, based on the data collected about depersonalization dimension (low measuring reliability, low correlation with personal accomplishment and minimum impact), it is put in question whether this dimension is necessary to considerer head teachers� burnout syndrome.


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To gain in-depth knowledge of patients' experiences of the consultation processes at a multidisciplinary atrial fibrillation outpatient clinic in a university hospital in Denmark.

BACKGROUND
Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia associated with morbidity and mortality if not diagnosed and treated as recommended. Patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation preferably should be managed in an outpatient setting which includes medical examination, patient education and decision-making on medical therapy.

DESIGN
This is a qualitative study of 14 patients newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, ranging from asymptomatic patients, to those with mild to severe symptoms; they were all referred from general practitioners.

METHODS
Data were generated in 2013-2015 using participant observation during each consultation, followed by individual interviews postconsultation.

RESULTS
Patients were referred with limited information on AF and knowledge about the management consultation procedures. The consultations were performed in a professional way by the cardiologist as well as by the nurses with an emphasis on the medical aspects of atrial fibrillation. The understanding that atrial fibrillation is not a fatal disease in itself was very important for patients. At the same time, visiting the clinic was overwhelming, information was difficult to understand, and patients found it difficult to be involved in decision-making.

CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that patients were uncertain on what AF was before as well as after their consultation. The communication was concentrated on the medical aspects of atrial fibrillation and visiting the clinic was an overwhelming experience for the patients. They had difficulty understanding what atrial fibrillation was, why they were treated with anticoagulation, and that anticoagulating was a lifelong treatment.

RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE
This study demonstrates some lack of patient-centred care and an absence of tailored patient AF-related education. Furthermore, the study highlights the need for and importance of active patient involvement.


The superior performance of lithium metal oxide cathode materials is a key aspect for the advanced development of lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology in portable electronics and high-end applications such as renewable energy units, electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) etc. However, this battery technology suffers from some critical problems related to electrochemical performance, storage efficiency, safety and cost. Tremendous research is performed globally to solve these problems associated with battery performance. One of the potential ways to improve battery electrochemical performance and safety is by developing hybrid lithium metal oxide based one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures by simple and advanced electrospinning processes. These electrospun nanostructures of continuous fibrous morphology are attractive as new cathode materials due to their shorter Li ion diffusion pathways, high surface area and porous network. Since lithium-ion battery technology growth is tremendous and grabbing the attention of the world-wide scientific community, an update on recent progress in such fields is required. In this review, we discuss an in-depth summary about the significant role of electrospun lithium metal oxide based cathode materials in improving ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability, rate capability and safety; as well as possible future research challenges and prospects. In addition, we briefly describe the very recent progress of electrospun materials in anode and separator/electrolyte applications of LIBs.


During the development phase of an air quality dispersion model and in subsequent upgrades, model performance is constantly evaluated. These evaluations generally compare simulation results using simple methods that do not account for the fact that models only predict a portion of the variability seen in the observations. To fill a part of this void, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed a standard that has been adopted by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), designation D6589 Standard Guide for the Statistical Evaluation of Atmospheric Dispersion Model Performance. Within the annex to this standard is an 'example' test method that tests the ability of dispersion models to simulate the average centreline concentration. The method involves grouping observed data into groups or regimes, in which the dispersion is expected to be somewhat similar. The average centreline concentration is then derived for each group using bootstrap resampling. It is this average centreline concentration that is then compared with the modelling results. By this means, the focus is on testing the ability of models to replicate the first moment (the average) of the centreline concentration distribution, which for most operational models is the only feature in the centreline concentration distribution they are capable of simulating. This paper will focus on recent work to further test the ASTM 'example' test method. This work involved the application of the test method to the results from ADMS (version 3.1), AERMOD (versions 98022 and 02161), HPDM (version 4.3, level 920605) and ISCST3 (version 00101). Three atmospheric dispersion field studies are analysed - Prairie Grass (in 1956, rural, low level release), Kincaid (1980, rural, elevated release) and Indianapolis (1985, urban, elevated release).


The Internet has become a major source of health information and has the potential to offer many benefits for both human and animal health. In order for impact to be positive, however, it is critical that users be able to access reliable, trustworthy information. Although more pet owners are using the Internet to research animal health information than ever before, there remains limited research surrounding their online activities or the ability to influence owners' online search behaviors. The current study was designed to assess the online behaviors and perceptions of pet owners after receiving either general or topic-specific information prescriptions as part of their veterinary appointment. Results indicate that nearly 60% of clients accessed the suggested websites and nearly all of these clients reported positive feelings about this addition to their veterinary services. These results suggest that offering information prescriptions to clients can facilitate better online searches by clients and positively impact both animal health and client satisfaction.


The hypothesis that TNF receptor 1-deficient (TNFR1(-/-)) mice display blood pressure (BP) and renal functional responses that differ from wild-type (WT) mice was tested in an angiotensin II (ANG II)-dependent model of hypertension. Basal systolic BP (SBP), mean arterial pressure, diastolic BP, heart rate (HR), and pulse pressure were similar in WT and TNFR1(-/-) mice. Infusion of ANG II for 7 days elevated SBP to a greater extent in TNFR1(-/-) compared with WT mice; pulse pressure was also elevated in TNFR1(-/-). HR decreased in TNFR1(-/-) mice infused with ANG II, an effect prominent on day 1. Basal urinary albumin excretion was similar in WT and TNFR1(-/-) mice but was higher in TNFR1(-/-) in response to ANG II infusion. Water intake and urine volume were increased by ANG II infusion; this increase was higher in TNFR1(-/-) vs. WT mice, whereas body weight and food intake were unaffected. Baseline creatinine clearance (Ccr), urinary sodium excretion, and fractional excretion of sodium (FE(Na)%) were similar in vehicle-treated WT and TNFR1(-/-) mice. ANG II infusion for 7 days increased Ccr and filtered load of sodium in TNFR1(-/-) but not WT mice, whereas it elicited an increase in FE(Na)% and urinary sodium excretion in WT but not TNFR1(-/-) mice. ANG II also inhibited renal TNFR1 mRNA accumulation while increasing that of TNFR2. These findings indicate deletion of TNFR1 is associated with an exacerbated SBP response, decrease in HR, and altered renal function in ANG II-dependent hypertension.


ABSTRACT Examining the sources of health communication that young adults with mental health challenges receive regarding service use is critical to curbing the societal concern of unmet mental health needs of this population. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 59 young adults, all of whom were diagnosed with a mood disorder and used public mental health services and additional public systems of care during childhood. Thematic analysis was utilized. Of the 59 participants, 45 nominated at least one supportive adult, with a total of 97 relationships analyzed. Results indicate that the majority of messages came from informal supports (e.g., family) who spoke positively about mental health services. Fewer messages came from formal supports (e.g., professionals). Messages included statements surrounding beliefs toward services, social norms (approval and disapproval), self-efficacy, and image considerations around using services. These findings can suggest ways that mental health service engagement interventions can leverage communication from informal supports. Future research can explore what messages young adults find most influential in persuading them to use mental health care consistently and the relationship between messages and health behavior.


Objective Data describing clinical relevance of chronic total occlusion (CTO) identified by coronary CT angiography (CCTA) have not been reported to date. We investigated the prognosis of CTO on CCTA. Methods We identified 22 828 patients without prior known coronary artery disease (CAD), who were followed for a median of 26 months. Based on CCTA, coronary lesions were graded as normal (no atherosclerosis), non-obstructive (1%–49%), moderate-to-severe (50%–99%) or totally occluded (100%). All-cause mortality, and major adverse cardiac events defined as mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction and late coronary revascularisation (≥90 days after CCTA) were assessed. Results The distribution of patients with normal coronaries, non-obstructive CAD, moderate-to-severe CAD and CTO was 10 034 (44%), 7965 (34.9%), 4598 (20.1%) and 231 (1%), respectively. The mortality rate per 1000 person-years of CTO patients was non-significantly different from patients with moderate-to-severe CAD (22.95; 95% CI 12.71 to 41.45 vs 14.46; 95% CI 12.34 to 16.94; p=0.163), and significantly higher than of those with normal coronaries and non-obstructive CAD (p<0.001 for both). Among 14 382 individuals with follow-up for the composite end point, patients with CTO had a higher rate of events than those with moderate-to-severe CAD (106.56; 95% CI 76.51 to 148.42 vs 65.45; 95% CI 58.01 to 73.84, p=0.009). This difference was primarily driven by an increase in late revascularisations in CTO patients (27 of 35 events). After multivariable adjustment, compared with individuals with normal coronaries, the presence of CTO conferred the highest risk for adverse cardiac events (14.54; 95% CI 9.11 to 23.20, p<0.001). Conclusions The detection of CTO on non-invasive CCTA is associated with increased rate of late revascularisation but similar 2-year mortality as compared with moderate-to-severe CAD. Trial registration number NCT01443637.


We derive a nonparametric test for constant (continuous) beta over a fixed interval of time. Continuous beta is defined as the ratio of the continuous covariation between an asset and ob- servable risk factor (e.g., the market return) and the continuous variation of the latter. Our test is based on discrete observations of a bivariate Ito semimartingale with mesh of the observation grid shrinking to zero. We first form a consistent and asymptotically mixed normal estimate of beta using all the observations within the time interval under the null hypothesis that beta is constant. Using it we form an estimate of the residual component of the asset returns that is orthogonal (in martingale sense) to the risk factor. Our test is then based on the distinctive asymptotic behavior, under the null and alternative hypothesis, of the sample covariation be- tween the risk factor and the estimated residual component of the asset returns over blocks with asymptotically shrinking time span. Optimality of the test is considered as well. We document satisfactory finite sample properties of the test on simulated data. In an empirical application based on 10-minute data we analyze the time variation in market betas of four assets over the period 2006-2012. The results suggest that (for likely structural reasons) for one of the assets there is statistically nontrivial variation in market beta even for a period as short as a week. On the other hand, for the rest of the assets in our analysis we find evidence that a window of constant beta of one week to one month is statistically plausible.


With the range of psychotropic drugs expanding and the usages of existing medications diversifying, we are pleased to present the Seventh Edition of the world's best-selling formulary in psychopharmacology. The new edition features nine new compounds as well as information about several new formulations of existing drugs. Many important new indications are covered for existing drugs, as are updates to the profiles of the entire content and collection, including new injectable and transdermal formulations, as well as updated warnings and indications. The Pearls have all been refreshed and the antipsychotics section has been completely revised. With its easy-to-use, full-colour template-driven navigation system, Prescriber's Guide combines evidence-based data with clinically informed advice to support everyone who is prescribing in the field of mental health.


One of the most significant features of any copyright statute is the duration of the rights granted to works and subject matter other than works pursuant to that law. The most "appropriate" length of copyright also continues to be a recurring theme in legislative, policy and academic debates. However, despite both the significance of and interest in the term of copyright, there has been little empirical evidence presented on how long, in light of both statutory term and life expectancies, copyright will likely protect a work. This article provides a historical account of both the duration of copyright and its various extensions, from the introduction of the first colonial copyright statute through to today. It reveals that, while multiple legislative extensions have lengthened the term of protection, continual increases in life expectancies have also added to the duration of copyright, to the point where, today, copyright will likely protect a work for well over 100 years.The paper concludes that it is worth questioning whether IP terms are out of alignment when one form of creation – patents – only warrants a 20 year period of protection whereas another – copyright – garners 120 years. The haphazard legislature approach to copyright terms identified in this article needs to cease, and a more considered approach taken. It feels akin to science fiction that, today, copyright in a work created by a 35 year old today will generally not expire until well after the deaths of a generation that is yet to be born, and extend for more than a century. Furthermore, given the current creations found to be "literary works", this would apply to, for example, a computer program, the practical utility of which will cease over a century before its copyright expires, and where its literary or artistic appeal never existed.


The structure of the Finney Random Close Packing (RCP) of equal spheres has been analysed, together with the influence which such structure exerts over the capillary pressure characteristics of geometrically similar sphere packings.

The analysis is centred on the simplicial, or Delaunay cell, which is an irregular tetrahedron with apices defined by four immediate neighbour sphere-centres. In terms of using RCP as a model porous medium, an individual simplicial cell is equivalent to an individual pore. A number of measured pore-size distribution parameters are presented for the Finney packing, from which it is shown from first principles that drainage-imbibition hysteresis is not an intrinsic property of the individual pore.

The nature and degree of randomness which characterises the Finney packing is evaluated on two levels. First, by classifying edgelengths as either short or long, seven mutually exclusive cell classes are defined. Using the binomial theorem it is shown that cells (pores) are not random on the level of the individual cell. There are less of the extreme cells (with 6 long edges, or with 6 short edges) and more of the bland cells (with 3 short and 3 long edges) in the Finney packing than predicted on the basis of simple random expectations. Second, the distribution of cell classes within the packing is shown to be essentially homogeneously random. Evidence for extremely slight cell class clustering is found.

The drainage and imbibition processes within the packing are simulated using pore-level algorithms. The algorithms utilise both the Haines' insphere approximation and the MS-P approximation for critical drainage meniscus curvature, and the cell cavity insphere radius approximation for critical imbibition meniscus curvature. Good agreement with experimental data is obtained, and the results confirm that drainage-imbibition hysteresis is a direct consequence of the connectivity between cells (pores), and is not an intrinsic property of the individual pore. Finally, the drainage and imbibition algorithms are adapted to emulate percolation theory models. The results prove that the classical bond problem of percolation theory does not adequately describe the drainage process for RCP, and that the classical site problem does not adequately describe the imbibition process for RCP.


In 1997, a unique hydrographic and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC: component CFC-11) dataset was obtained in the subpolar North Atlantic. To estimate the synopticity of the 1997 data, the recent temporal evolution of the CFC and Labrador Sea Water (LSW) thickness fields are examined. In the western Atlantic north of 50°N, the LSW thickness decreased considerably from 1994–97, while the mean CFC concentrations did not change much. South of 50°N and in the eastern Atlantic, the CFC concentration increased with little or no change in the LSW thickness. On shorter timescales, local anomalies due to the presence of eddies are observed, but for space scales larger than the eddies the dataset can be treated as being synoptic over the 1997 observation period.

The spreading of LSW in the subpolar North Atlantic is described in detail using gridded CFC and LSW thickness fields combined with Profiling Autonomous Lagrangian Circulation Explorer (PALACE) float trajectories. The gridded fields are also used to calculate the CFC-11 inventory in the LSW from 40° to 65°N, and from 10° to 60°W. In total, 2300 ± 250 tons of CFC-11 (equivalent to 16.6 million moles) were brought into the LSW by deep convection. In 1997, 28% of the inventory was still found in the Labrador Sea west of 45°W and 31% of the inventory was located in the eastern Atlantic.
The CFC inventory in the LSW was used to estimate the lower limits of LSW formation rates. At a constant formation rate, a value of 4.4–5.6 Sv (Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) is obtained. If the denser modes of LSW are ventilated only in periods with intense convection, the minimum formation rate of LSW in 1988–94 is 8.1–10.8 Sv, and 1.8–2.4 Sv in 1995–97


Overseas studies suggest a correlation between the performance of mutual fund managers and the size of funds under control, with small funds outperforming large funds. This study extends the analysis to Australian superannuation fund managers where industry structure, purpose, asset base and investment strategies are considerably different. It investigates the potential effect of portfolio asset size on quarterly excess and risk adjusted returns and systematic risk profiles from 1977 to 1993. Although overall performance has weakly improved since the 1970's, the results contradict overseas evidence. After allowing for survivorship bias and extreme outliers, variations in asset size are not related to long term return or risk profile differentials between managers Potential reasons include concentration on short term performance, averaging, window dressing.


Insulin is a protein hormone that is crucial for maintaining the concentration of blood glucose in vivo and is used clinically as a drug for the treatment of diabetes. Chapter I provides for an overview and background on the state of the art in insulin treatment of diabetes and the many attempts, over 95 years, to improve the pharmaceutically relevant properties of insulin and improve our understanding of the model globular protein. Chapter II demonstrates the incorporation of hydroxyproline analogs into insulin and shares the discovery of insulin with enhanced stability and an accelerated kinetic rate of dissociation. We also provide the highest resolution structure deposited in the PDB of insulin in the T2 state and the 3rd highest of any insulin to date. Chapter III extends the incorporation of proline analogs in insulin to include fluorinated insulins. We also provide, for the first time, high-resolution structures of a single globular protein systematically mutated with all possible stereoisomers of fluorination at the 4-position on a single proline residue (4S, 4R, di-substituted). Chapter IV extends the incorporation of proline analogs in insulin to include ring variant analogs. We also provide, for the first time, high-resolution structures of globular proteins containing pipecolic acid, azetidine-2-carboxylic acid and 3,4 dehydroproline in the polypeptide chain. Chapter V discusses the significance of the findings described herein and discusses future directions to undertake in further engineering insulin for improved characteristics. This thesis describes a systematic approach, akin to medicinal chemistry, of altering a particular protein side chain by atomistic changes. I hope that the breadth of different amino acids incorporated into a single globular protein combined with the structural, functional, thermodynamic and kinetic information contained within this set of mutants will provide future protein engineers, computational protein designers and proline enthusiasts with a wealth of new information to be used to improve our understanding of proteins and predictive power.


Recently, many new applications, such as sensor data monitoring and mobile device tracking, raise up the issue of uncertain data management. Compared to "certain¿ data, the data in the uncertain database are not exact points, which, instead, often reside within a region. In this paper, we study the ranked queries over uncertain data. In fact, ranked queries have been studied extensively in traditional database literature due to their popularity in many applications, such as decision making, recommendation raising, and data mining tasks. Many proposals have been made in order to improve the efficiency in answering ranked queries. However, the existing approaches are all based on the assumption that the underlying data are exact (or certain). Due to the intrinsic differences between uncertain and certain data, these methods are designed only for ranked queries in certain databases and cannot be applied to uncertain case directly. Motivated by this, we propose novel solutions to speed up the probabilistic ranked query (PRank) with monotonic preference functions over the uncertain database. Specifically, we introduce two effective pruning methods, spatial and probabilistic pruning, to help reduce the PRank search space. A special case of PRank with linear preference functions is also studied. Then, we seamlessly integrate these pruning heuristics into the PRank query procedure. Furthermore, we propose and tackle the PRank query processing over the join of two distinct uncertain databases. Extensive experiments have demonstrated the efficiency and effectiveness of our proposed approaches in answering PRank queries, in terms of both wall clock time and the number of candidates to be refined.


Why did Hosni Mubarak's rule in Egypt last thirty years, and why did it fall in a mere eighteen days? This dissertation uses Mubarak's Egypt as a case study for understanding how autocratic regimes can use formally democratic institutions, such as multiparty elections, to "trap" their opponents and thereby enhance their durability, and also investigates the extent to which this strategy may undermine regime durability. Through over 200 interviews conducted in the months preceding and following the 2011 Egyptian uprising, I find that autocratic regimes can manipulate legal opposition parties to coopt their opponents and thereby prevent them from revolting. But over time, the strict limits under which regimes permit their "trapped" parties to operate undermine these parties' credibility as regime opponents, and thus encourages newly emerging oppositionists to seek other potentially more threatening means of challenging their regimes. As a result, regimes that rely on "electoral authoritarian" institutions to enhance their longevity may be more vulnerable than the literature commonly suggests. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Political Science First Advisor Robert Vitalis


BACKGROUND
Clinical experience with adenovirus vectors has highlighted the need for improved delivery and targeting.

OBJECTIVE
This manuscript aims to provide an overview of the techniques currently under development for improving adenovirus delivery to malignant cells in vivo.

METHODS
Primary research articles reporting improvements in adenoviral gene delivery are described. Strategies include genetic modification of viral coat proteins, non-genetic modifications including polymer encapsulation approaches and pharmacological interventions.

RESULTS/CONCLUSION
Reprogramming adenovirus tropism in vitro has been convincingly demonstrated using a range of genetic and physical strategies. These studies have provided new insights into our understanding of virology and the field is progressing. However, there are still some limitations that need special consideration before adenovirus-targeted cancer gene therapy emerges as a routine treatment in the clinical setting.


This research studied robust design of composite hand for LTR (LCD glass Transfer Robot) 1st DOE (Design of Experiment) was conducted to find out vital few Xs 108 experiments were performed and their results were statistically analyzed Pareto chart analysis shows that the geometric parameters (height and width of composite beam) are more important than material parameters (E₁, E₂) or stacking sequence angle. Also, the stacking sequence of mid-layer is more important than that of outer-layer The main effect plots shows that the maximum deflection of LTR hand is minimized with increasing height, width of beam and layer thickness 2nd Dot was conducted to obtain RSM (Response Surface Method) equation 25 experiments were conducted The CCD (Central Composite Design) technique with four factors was used The coefficient of determination (R²) for the calculated RSM equation was 0.989 optimum design was conducted using the RSM equation Multi-island genetic algorithm was used to optimum design optimum values for beam height, beam width, layer thickness and beam length were 24.9mm, 186.6mm, 0.15mm and 2402.4mm, respectively. An approximate value of 0.77mm in deflection was expected to be a maximum under the optimum conditions six sigma robust design was conducted to find out guideline for control range of design parameter To acquire six sigma level reliability, the standard deviation of design parameter should be controlled within 2% of average design value.


This research seeks to verify the assumption that the presence of vibrato assists
listeners in "hearing" the resonance structure of a violin, hence facilitating
judgments concerning violin timbral quality. Three violins of different costs and
presumably different qualities were used. Listening tests were conducted to
identify the perceived timbral quality of each violin. To further validate the
results, body resonance curves of the violins were analyzed based upon the
location and separation of two major resonance peaks. The results obtained were
compared with those of previous research findings to confirm the quality of each
violin. Spectrum analysis on glissando tones provided data for the plotting of the
resonance curves. A pitch and vibrato detection algorithm using interpolated zero
crossings was tested for its ability 10 accurately extract the quantifiable
parameters of a vibrato. namely its rate and frequency excursion.


Over the past decade, low-cost private schools have burgeoned in developing countries. In some areas, the majority of children are attending the low-cost private unaided schools. Children seem to do better in low-cost private schools compared to government ones, and at a fraction of the teacher cost. Figures show that many children currently purported to be out of school are in fact attending private schools that are unregistered/unrecognised, which are often missing from official data and statistics. But many writers, including some at UNESCO and Oxfam, are in denial over the reality and potentiality of private schooling or, despite the evidence, still assume that in order to provide greater access for the poor the government sector needs to be "fixed." According to such voices, international aid money through bilateral and multilateral aid needs to focus on government schools. This essay critically examines the arguments of some of those who discount or deny the success and potentiality of private schooling. Some initiatives are also considered that focus on aiding low-cost private schools rather than government ones.


Software metrics programs are an important part of a software organization's productivity and quality initiatives as precursors to process-based improvement programs. Like other innovative practices, the implementation of metrics programs is prone to influences from the greater institutional environment the organization exists in. In this paper, we study the influence of both external and internal institutional forces on the assimilation of metrics programs in software organizations. We use previous case-based research in software metrics programs as well as prior work in institutional theory in proposing a model of metrics implementation. The theoretical model is tested on data collected through a survey from 214 metrics managers in defense-related and commercial software organizations. Our results show that external institutions, such as customers and competitors, and internal institutions, such as managers, directly influence the extent to which organizations change their internal work-processes around metrics programs. Additionally, the adaptation of work-processes leads to increased use of metrics programs in decision-making within the organization. Our research informs managers about the importance of management support and institutions in metrics programs adaptation. In addition, managers may note that the continued use of metrics information in decision-making is contingent on adapting the organization's work-processes around the metrics program. Without these investments in metrics program adaptation, the true business value in implementing metrics and software process improvement is not realized.


Considerable scientific effort and financial resources are involved in conserving
historic buildings and creating appropriate indoor climate conditions and thermal comfort for
users, visitors, exhibited objects and the building itself. In Slovenia the idea of establishment
of central monitoring system of building heritage was at the first step realised through the cooperation
in EU 1383 Eureka/Eurocare project Prevent. In order to improve the indoor
conditions in historic buildings and to realise preventive restoration strategy the international
co-operation had been established through the EU 1383 Prevent project that on the basis of
permanent monitoring of indoor climate in some heritage buildings. The idea of using the
"wall warming" method for energy-efficient improvement of microclimatic control in historic
buildings was investigated in the further step. In the paper the monitoring campaigns in
different types of heritage buildings (heated and unheated) in Slovenia are described and
wall tempering system effects on indoor climate are presented more in detail, based on
computer simulations and monitoring the performance of demo-installations. Further ideas
for research in the field of improvement of indoor climate and consequently integrated
preventive conservation are described.


Transcription factors belonging to the Smad family are activated in response to signals from TGF-β family members, which in Xenopus embryos are involved in morphogenesis and pattern formation. Direct binding of DNA by Smads is weak; however, Smads can be recruited to DNA by other transcription factors, and these interactions may play an important role in specifying which genes Smads will regulate in a particular cell. Germain et al. studied expression from the Xenopus goosecoid promoter in response to activin, a member of the TGF-β family, in order to identify the transcription factors that recruit activated Smads to the distal element (DE) in this promoter. The activin response required protein synthesis and led to the production of a protein that bound to the DE, as measured by gel-shift assay. The activin-induced DNA-protein complex was further shifted by the addition of Smad2 to the assay, indicating that a ternary complex could be formed. Two members of the paired-like homeodomain transcription factor family, Mixer and Milk, are candidates for the activin-induced DE-binding protein. Analysis of this transcription factor family led to the identification of a Smad interacting motif (SIM) in these homeodomain proteins, as well as in winged-helix proteins that interact with Smad2. The activity of the winged-helix protein Fast-1 was inhibited by a peptide corresponding to the Mixer SIM, suggesting that Smads may bind to a common motif in various transcription factors. The transcription factors would provide DNA binding specificity to recruit Smads to distinct promoter elements. Germain, S., Howell, M., Esslemont, G.M., and Hill, C.S. (2000) Homeodomain and winged-helix transcription factors recruit activated Smads to distinct promoter elements via a common Smad interaction motif. Genes Dev. 14: 435-451. [Abstract] [Full Text]


The contribution of histone H1 to mitotic chromosome condensation was examined with the use of a cell-free extract from Xenopus eggs, which transforms condensed sperm nuclei into metaphase chromosomes. When H1 was removed from the extract, the resultant metaphase chromosomes were indistinguishable from those formed in complete extract. Nucleosomal spacing was the same for both. Thus, H1 is not required for the structural reorganization that leads to condensed metaphase chromosomes in this egg extract.


This paper, based on the recent discussions of the decentralization of administration decision making, considers the areal differences in the supply of public service in terms of domestic waste collection service in the Nagoya region. Specifically, it examines the effects of regional characteristics of municipalities on those areal differences. Since the enactment of the Waste Disposal and Public Cleaning Law in 1975, municipalities have supplied domestic waste collection service. The Nagoya region contains 257 municipalities, of which the regional bases show great variety. The major findings are as follows. First, this service is supplied by the private sector to reduce costs in most municipalities, although it is supplied by the public sector or joint administration mainly because of the lack of private-secto firms or the inertia of existing public sector staff in some municipalities. Second, the number of waste categories has increased after the enactment of the Law for Promotion of Sorted Collection and Recycling of Containers and Packaging (1994) in many municipalities. The areal differences in the number of waste categories were determined by the amount of waste, the existence of local communities, and the increase in disposal costs. Third, there are no significant differences in the collection frequency of burnable waste, but the frequency decreases in the towns and villages that dispose of small amounts, of waste. Fourth, compared with Aichi Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture, Mie Prefecture has a fewer municipalities that have introduced fee-charging systems aimed at reducing waste. In some towns and villages, the fee-charging system is meant to supplement part of the waste disposal cost. Fifth, the process of utilizing private-sector waste collection and implementing a waste reduction policy differs significantly between cities and rural communities. The larger cities do not actively introduce private-sector waste collection or waste reduction policies.


We present the first high spatial and spectral observations of the circumstellar envelope (CSE) of a B[e] supergiant (CPD-5't' 2874), performed with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). Spectra, visibilities, and closure phase, were obtained using the beam-combiner instruments AMBER (near-IR interferometry with three 8.3 m Unit Telescopes or UTs) and MIDI (mid-IR interferometry with two UTs). The interferometric
observations of the CSE are well fitted by an elliptical Gaussian model with FVVHM diameters varying linearly with wavelength. Typical diameters measured are ~ 1.8 X 3.4 mas or ~ 4.5 X 8.5 AU (adopting a distance of 2.5 kpc) at 2.2 pm, and ~ 12 X 15 mas or ~ 30 X 38 AU at 12 pm. The size of the region emitting the Brr flux is
~ 2.8 X 5.2 mas or ~ 7.0 X 13.0 AU. The major-axis position angle of the elongated CSE in the mid-IR (~144°) agrees well with previous polarimetric data, hinting that the hot-dust emission originates in a disk-like structure.
In addition to the interferometric observations we also present new optical (UBVRclc) and near-IR (JHKL) broadband photometric observations of CPD-57° 2874. Our spectro-interferometric VLTI observations and data analysis support the non-spherical CSE paradigm for B[e] supergiants.


A procedure for texturing of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics based on sodium potassium niobate (KNN) was investigated with respect to texturing procedure and choice of materials. Material compositions that were considered include KNN with and without addition of 0.5 mol% MnO, and KNN modified with Li and Ta (KNNLT), and Mn substituted into the A or B site of the perovskite structure. The two compositions KNN-Mn and KNNLT-Mn(A) compositions were further investigated as candidate materials for texturing. Textured samples of the two materials were made by tape casting and templated grain growth, using needle-shaped KNN particles as templates, while non-textured reference samples were made by conventional sintering of powders. Both textured and non-textured dense materials were characterized with respect to density, degree of texture and piezoelectric and dielectric properties. The non-textured materials sintered to high relative densities of 93.9 % for KNN-Mn and 96.7 % for KNNLT-Mn(A). A converse piezoelectric coefficient of over 250 pm/V was measured for non-textured KNNLT-Mn(A), and around 200 pm/V for KNN-Mn. Texturing led to a lower relative density of both compositions, 89.1 % for KNN-Mn and 92.1 % for KNNLT-Mn(A). The piezoelectric performance of KNN-Mn was not significantly affected by the texturing procedure, while the piezoelectric performance of KNNLT-Mn(A) became significantly poorer. This is due to the formation of a secondary phase in KNNLT-Mn(A) during sintering, which is probably caused by the compositional mismatch between the templates and the fine-grained matrix powder. Based on the results, and a theoretical consideration of the texturing procedure, a different choice of template particles is suggested for further work on texturing of KNN-based materials.


Key Points Since World War II, few countries have been of greater strategic concern to the United States than Iran. Whether as a dependable friend and preeminent regional partner or as an implacable enemy, Iran has occupied a special place in U.S. security thinking. It exerts influence on a range of important policy issues--from the Middle East peace process to post-Taliban Afghanistan--and when it acquires nuclear weapons capability within the next decade, it could become a significant factor driving U.S. and regional government policies on proliferation. Since September 11, there has been much speculation in both countries about the possibility of a new opening in relations. Like America, Iran wants an Iraq without Saddam Hussein, Afghanistan under a stable government, and Central Asia absent Russian control of borders and resources. Yet dramatic breakthroughs in U.S.-Iran relations appear unlikely. Iran's reformist and conservative camps may be actively debating whether rapprochement with the United States is in Tehran's future, but no signs indicate that the conditions for achieving normalcy would be minimally acceptable to Washington. U.S. options must encompass several factors that shape decisionmaking in today's Iran: the rise of Persian nationalism, the consensus among leaders on foreign and security issues, the weakness of President Mohammad Khatami in the face of conservative obstacles to reform, fears of encirclement, and a bias toward self-sufficiency in defense posture. American policy can open a door, but Tehran must decide if and when to walk through it. ********** The Burden of History Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, the United States has tried to find a framework for understanding this enigmatic country. America defended its commitments to help an ailing Shah in exile but was ill prepared to deal with the crises that raged in and around Iran in the 1980s: U.S. diplomats were held hostage in Tehran for 444 days, militant clerics tried to export revolutionary Islamic governance across the Gulf, and Iraq invaded Iran, ostensibly to stave off a Shiah Islamist tidal wave. During this period, U.S. policy toward Iran was relatively uncomplicated. Iran under the mullahs had tilted the balance of power in the Gulf by threatening its neighbors, encouraging antiregime liberation groups, and supporting terrorist groups determined not only to overthrow so-called anachronistic regimes but also to eliminate foreign presence from the region by targeting American, British, and French interests. Iran was branded a pariah and embargoed from receiving outside military or investment assistance. This policy would later be called containment. In the 1980s, it meant helping Iraq in the 8-year war, reflagging Gulf shipping, banning arms sales to Iran, and trying to free nearly two dozen Western hostages held by pro-Iranian terrorist factions in Lebanon. U.S. efforts to find a "moderate" Iranian leader with whom it could deal rather than a "radical" were met with scorn. After the death of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989, Iran began a process of institutional and attitudinal shifts--some perceptible, some imperceptible, especially to the American eye. The focus of power shifted from the person of the Grand Ayatollah to the offices of the Supreme Leader, a cleric chosen by Khomeini to serve for life, and to the secular (but still clerical) president, both of whom lacked the charisma and credentials of a Grand Ayatollah. In addition, Iran began looking toward the Gulf and Europe for commercial contacts, financial investment, and diplomatic networks. Meanwhile, U.S. containment of Iran became more institutionalized. Iran was to be kept in isolation under sanctions until it renounced support for international terrorism, stopped opposing the Middle East peace process, and ceased efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Iran responded with demands that the U. …


Opponents of evolution cannot deny the obvious successes of human-driven selection of domesticated animals and generally admit the processes of microevolution in nature. The chapter shows that minor genetic changes can lead to a dramatic shift from the original natural environment (habitat) of the species to completely new ones. In turn, these shifts in habitats could lead to physical separation of the organisms from the same species and their eventual macroevolution into different species. Baas-Becking hypothesis is related to the important similarity between humans and bacteria; humans adapt to different environments not by changing genetically but by inventing various tools that allow us to successfully survive and increase in numbers in new environments. To discuss the basis and significance of natural mutations within bacterial species, it is actually useful to make parallels not with domesticated animals but with ourselves, humans. As much as adaptive mutations seem to be important for microevolution, very few such natural changes are found within species of higher organisms. Studying microevolution of bacterial species can bring light to the elusive processes of microevolution in higher species. An understanding of the microevolution mechanisms and dynamics will bring us closer to grasping how new species and complex physiological systems have gradually evolved.


Various factors influencing the adoption of weed control technologies in Abia State were studied. A multi-stage random sampling procedure was used to select 510 cassava farmers in 2006. Results showed that 56.5% of the respondents were females, that are largely (90.2%) in their productive years. Most (78.8%) of the total respondents were married, 83.3% attended formal schooling, 74.9% had households of more than 5 persons. All the respondents were basically smallholder farmers; with 46.9% were full time farmers. Fifty percent of the respondents had secure tenurial arrangements; 92.9% had more than 6 years of farming experience. Probit analysis shows that factors related to the adoption of weed control technologies were gender at 5% in the negative direction in Abia North (Zone 1) and 10% in the positive direction in Abia Central (Zone 2); age at 5% negatively in Zone 1, educational status at 5% in the positive direction in Zone 1 and 10% pooled (entire State), house-hold size at 5% and 1% positively in Zone 2 and the entire State, respectively. The coefficient for yield was positive and highly significant in Zone 1 and the entire State, the tenurial system was negative and significant at 5% level in Zone 2, as well as application problems but at 5% in Zone 1 and 10% pooled. Training on weed control and average income was positive and significant at 1% as well as farming experience at 5%. The coefficient for no definite market was negative and significant at 5% in Zone 1. The coefficient for the high cost of chemicals had a negative relationship with the adoption of chemical weed control technologies and was significant at the 1% level in Zone 2 and the entire State. The probit model for Abia South (Zone 3) could not be estimated because the percentages responding at all doses were the same. Hence policies should be adopted aimed at improving the educational levels of the farmers and encouraging the experienced farmers to increase adoption would be necessary; there is a need for the intensification of training and educational programs for the potential adopters of the weed control practices; programs that target both gender groups to ensure the equitable adoption of chemical control practices between males and females. Policies need to be designed to convert tenurial arrangements to more secure forms to increase the rate of adoption of weed control technology by the creation of markets for cassava, and the provision and subsidization of chemicals for weed control.


The Kamakura period (1185-1333) is considered a pinnacle of Japanese artistic expression, often described as a renaissance in Buddhist art. This catalogue is the first in over two decades to examine the exquisite sculpture of this period, artwork characterized by an intense corporeal presence, naturalistic proportions, a sense of movement, realistic drapery, and lifelike facial expressions animated by eyes made of inlaid crystal. The sculptures played an important role in the practice of Buddhism during these years, as the vivid representations facilitated an immediate communion between deity and worshipper. The custom of placing sacred relics, texts, and even miniature icons into the sculptures' hollow interiors further enlivened the works and invested them with spiritual significance. Essays by noted scholars explore the sculptures' arresting exteriors and powerful interiors, examining the technical and stylistic innovations that made them possible, and offering new context for their ritual and devotional uses. They demonstrate that the physical beauty and technical brilliance of Kamakura statues are profoundly associated with their spiritual dimension and devotional functions.


Dramatically different properties have been observed for two types of osmolytes, i.e., trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and urea, in a protein folding process. Great progress has been made in revealing the potential underlying mechanism of these two osmolyte systems. However, many problems still remain unsolved. In this paper, we propose to use the persistent homology to systematically study the osmolytes' molecular aggregation and their hydrogen-bonding network from a global topological perspective. It has been found that, for the first time, TMAO and urea show two extremely different topological behaviors, i.e., an extensive network and local clusters, respectively. In general, TMAO forms highly consistent large loop or circle structures in high concentrations. In contrast, urea is more tightly aggregated locally. Moreover, the resulting hydrogen-bonding networks also demonstrate distinguishable features. With a concentration increase, TMAO hydrogen-bonding networks vary greatly in their total number of loop structures and large-sized loop structures consistently increase. In contrast, urea hydrogen-bonding networks remain relatively stable with slight reduction of the total loop number. Moreover, the persistent entropy (PE) is, for the first time, used in characterization of the topological information of the aggregation and hydrogen-bonding networks. The average PE systematically increases with the concentration for both TMAO and urea, and decreases in their hydrogen-bonding networks. But their PE variances have totally different behaviors. Finally, topological features of the hydrogen-bonding networks are found to be highly consistent with those from the ion aggregation systems, indicating that our topological invariants can characterize intrinsic features of the "structure making" and "structure breaking" systems.


An experimental comparison of stability between two different fiber laser topologies is carried out. The lasers are based on ring resonators that include highly doped Er-fibers. Both topologies use fiber Bragg grating reflectors in order to select the emission wavelengths. The experimental results confirms that the novel topology based on fiber optic circulators arranged in a hybrid serial-parallel configuration offers better stability and a higher optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) than the simpler one based on a parallel configuration.


The aim of this article is to contribute with a critical understanding of the popular brain interest in contemporary education. The study is framed by the theory of practice architectures in combination with the concept of recontextualization. As a first step, we zoom in on an ecology of municipal school practices and its elements of a brain interest. The empirical material for this step includes remedial action plans, interviews with teacher teams and student health teams, and self reports. Here, the neuromythical idea of learning styles constitutes one of the manifestations. The second step is built on a zooming-out process in order to trail actors who potentially nurture general and specific brain interests. The analysis shows that many actors are involved, among which we find teacher union journals, book publishers and so forth. The analysis also shows that these actors work in a harmonious interplay. Towards the end of the article we cast a critical eye on the interest and on this interplay.


Antiperinuclear factor (APF) has been noted in most seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) patients. The nature of the antigen is unknown; however, there are some suggestions that it might be a glycoprotein or proteoglycan. We studied the correlation of APF with antiproteoglycan antibodies and the reactivity of IgM-rheumatoid factor (RF) with the perinuclear antigen. Ten serum samples were separated to IgG, IgM, and IgM-RF enriched fractions. In seven samples, APF was found in the IgG fraction. Only 4 had APF in their IgM rheumatoid factor (RF)-containing fraction. In two of these, APF activity was present solely in the IgM RF fraction and was inhibited by pre-incubation with IgG. Fifty-five JRA patients' sera were also tested for the presence of antibodies to Streptococcal cell wall peptidoglycan-polysaccharide polymers (PG-PSP). 76% of the APF-positive sera were anti-PG-PSP positive and 59% of the APF-negative sera were also anti-PG-PSP negative. Furthermore, 75% of the APF-positive sera lost their APF activity following adsorption to Streptococcal cell wall PG-PSP. Our results show that in JRA sera APF are polyclonal antibodies of both the IgG and IgM classes. Although the presence of APF correlates with RF positivity, and they sometimes may cross-react, many IgM RF-containing fractions do not show APF activity. However, the presence of APF does correlate with anti-PG-PSP positivity and the data suggest cross-reactivity between these two antibodies. This implies antigenic similarity between Streptococcal cell wall PG-PSP and the perinuclear antigen.


ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 02 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Ground Water remains the lifeline of socioeconomic development in the Ganga Alluvial Plain (GAP) since the down of civilization in the Indian subcontinent. Assessment of groundwater resources yields knowledge necessary for their informed management and governance. Keeping the importance of the above points a study was conducted for assessment of ground water resources in Nalanda district of south Bihar. The aim for the assessment of groundwater in Nalanda district was to compute a complete evaluation of groundwater resources and produce information that can be incorporated for future requirement. The study was undertaken based on the recommendation of groundwater estimation committee, 1997 (GEC-97). Methodology used the estimation of annual groundwater recharge from rainfall and other sources, including irrigation, water bodies and artificial recharge, determination of present status of groundwater utilization and categorization of assessment units based on the level of groundwater utilization and long-term water level trend. Water level fluctuation techniques and empirical norms were used for recharge estimation. The data collected for investigation were water table fluctuation data, rainfall data cropping pattern, number of groundwater structures, hydrogeology of area, specific yield, groundwater draft, pond area etc. The study revealed that total annual ground water recharge is 76898 ha-m for Nalanda district. The existing ground water draft for irrigation is 38226 ha-m for Nalanda district. The ground water draft for all uses is 42327 ha-m for Nalanda district. The net annual replenishable ground water resource is worked out to be 73054 ha-m for Nalanda district. The net annual ground water available for future irrigation development is 25100 ha-m for Nalanda district. The stage of ground water development is 58% for Nalanda district. According to definitions used by CGWB Nalanda district falls in safe category. The study recommended that there is a good scope for future groundwater development and keeping in view of rapid increase in groundwater draft, roof top rainwater harvesting needs to be taken up to recharge the aquifer in Patna and Gaya district particularly in urban areas. K e y w o r d s Ganga alluvial plain, Ground water, GEC 97, Watertable Fluctuation technique, Groundwater draft Accepted: 10 January 2018


Paper presented as part of the symposium 'Czech Design – Independent, Free and Democratic?', 20 January 2012, Sallis Benney Theatre, Grand Parade, Brighton.

The scene for the symposium programme was set by Jonathan Woodham, Professor of Design History at the University of Brighton, with a brief introduction to the history of Czechoslovakian design from the national revival years of the early twentieth century leading up to the establishment of the first Czechoslovakian Republic in 1918 through to the period of Communist rule and the tensions that culminated in the Velvet Revolution and the establishment of the Czech Republic in 1993.
Researchers contributing to the international programme included:

Sylva Petrova, Professor of Glass at the University of Sunderland: "The Interminable Lightness of Being" – A Curator's Professional experience and Choice;
Jiri Pelcl, Professor of Architecture and Design at the Prague Academy of Art, Architecture and Design: The Incredible Lightness of Being – Czech Design;
Dagmar Koudelkova, Lecturer in history of design and life style at the Philosophical Faculty, Masaryk University in Brno (Institute of Musicology): Jiři Pelcl: from Atika to the present days: Transformations of Czech Design in relation to the work of Jiři Pelcl;
Iva Knobloch: Curator of Prints and Drawings, the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague: Postmodernism and its heritage in the Czech Republic;
David Crowley: Design historian and leader of the MA in Critical Writing in Art and Design at the Royal College of Art: Did Postmodernism Reach the Eastern Bloc? Design in Eastern Europe in the 1980s;
Martina Pachmanova: Assistant Professor at the Prague Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design: Function or Style? On Czech Women Designers and the Glass Ceiling of their Profession.

Juri Kermik presented a paper, Bowler Hat Dialogues - Design and Circumstance, which explored the circumstances which shaped the education and practice of design in Czech Republic and Estonia with particular reference to regional, cultural and political conditions of the 1970s and 80s.
Parallels and connections were drawn from professional and personal experiences of design educators-practitioners operating under similar conditions in Prague and Tallinn.
The paper was based on the meeting and dialogue between Jiri Pelcl and Juri Kermik, which took place in Prague in early December 2011.
The bowler hat metaphor is borrowed from Milan Kundera's 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' to provide additional context and perspective to the discussion of objects and their meaning in relation to particular political and social circumstances: '… each time the same object would give rise to a new meaning, though all former meanings would resonate (like an echo, like a parade of echoes) together with the new one.'
Key themes discussed included: culture and traditions; functionalism-modernism; design, education and industry; concepts of necessity, weight, value and meaning.


This paper is a continuation of [D. Adamović and G. Radobolja, Free field realization of the twisted Heisenberg–Virasoro algebra at level zero and its applications, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 219(10) (2015) 4322–4342]. We present certain new applications and generalizations of the free field realization of the twisted Heisenberg–Virasoro algebra [Formula: see text] at level zero. We find explicit formulas for singular vectors in certain Verma modules. A free field realization of self-dual modules for [Formula: see text] is presented by combining a bosonic construction of Whittaker modules from [D. Adamović, R. Lu and K. Zhao, Whittaker modules for the affine Lie algebra [Formula: see text], Adv. Math. 289 (2016) 438–479; arXiv:1409.5354] with a construction of logarithmic modules for vertex algebras. As an application, we prove that there exists a non-split self-extension of irreducible self-dual module which is a logarithmic module of rank two. We construct a large family of logarithmic modules containing different types of highest weight modules as subquotients. We believe that these logarithmic modules are related with projective covers of irreducible modules in a suitable category of [Formula: see text]-modules.


Since the early-to-mid 2000's, South Africa's Western Cape and Kenya's capital city Nairobi have been attracting flows of trade and investments in information technology-enabled services (ITES). The flows are small but significant and growing, with multinational companies like Amazon, Google, IBM, and others locating and developing market niches in these regions. Why have these regions managed to attract IT-enabled services investments, given their regional economic challenges and marginality with respect to the global services economy? I employed a qualitative case study methodology involving 120 semi-structured interviews, secondary data, and participant-observation in both Kenya and South Africa to investigate each context and make broader claims about how regions create regional advantage in global IT-enabled services.Nairobi's initial attempts to create a BPO sector failed because the region could not compete with other global locations on cost, labor, and service delivery. I argue that two categories of individuals emerged to support the development of Nairobi's nascent BPO market: bureaucrats from the developmental state and members of the international community (as well as local capital) focused on promoting social enterprise and pro-poor entrepreneurship. Though both groups of individuals have resulted in trade and investment opportunities and support job creation, members of the developmental state portray Kenya as an emerging economic and technological hub while individuals involved in social enterprise efforts focus on marginality, highlighting images of poverty. The conflict in developmental strategies and imagery has potential implications for investor sentiment about Kenya's value proposition, the quantity of specific trade and investment opportunities, and the potential for IT-enabled services to address the needs of the poor.Historical legacies and institutions have contributed to what makes Cape Town preferred and what makes investors averse to the region. Starting with Cape Town's advantages, its history of European settlement has created a community of English and Afrikaans speakers who have linguistic capabilities, legal institutions, and historic transnational ties useful for doing business in Anglophone (UK, USA, and Australia) and Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg) markets. However, these institutions that created advantage are in part responsible for what limits the growth of the sector. Along with European colonization and immigration came systems of apartheid that perpetuated inequitable access to economic and educational opportunities and resulted in a shortage of highly-skilled labor. These shortages drive the costs of labor upward, making the region less competitive on wages with respect to India and the Philippines.Based on a comparative analysis of Nairobi and Cape Town, I argue that development can lead to IT-enabled services and that IT-enabled services can also lead back to development. The idea of development, by a number of individuals from different regional, organizational, and institutional contexts, is the impetus and the origin for the region's emerging services sector. However, as the region seeks to deepen and expand services, it leads to a coordinated set of actions to boost services that can be considered developmental whereby impediments in the local political economyare removed. I make a contribution to the literature on cluster genesis by arguing that the concept of the Schumpeterian entrepreneur theorized in such literature must be broadened to include other "developmentalist individuals" (i.e., public sector bureaucrats, members of the diaspora, social entrepreneurs, and individuals from international development agencies), esp. where the regional economies are undeveloped for the purposes of supporting and nurturing a technology-based cluster. The less developed a regional economy, the broader the notion of "entrepreneur" one must consider for the purposes of cluster formation.


The Internal Assessment, or IA, is a required component of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for high school students in several subject areas. This essay was submitted by Marius Lindvall for evaluation for the May 2017 examination session. The grade awarded to this paper was 7, scoring 20 marks out of 20.

## Introduction

The goal of this investigation is to determine which means of cooling is the most efficient for cooling down a cup of boiling water. The idea for doing this investigation came about from the everyday situation of drinking tea and/or coffee that is too hot. Boiling water will cause damage to the mouth and throat if one attempts to drink it without cooling it down first. Studies have shown that 60 °C is the optimal temperature to consume hot beverages (Brown & Diller, 2008; Lee & O'Mahony, 2002). However, cooling the water down to this temperature can involve a lot of waiting, something which can be unwanted if one is in a hurry, or if the person drinking the coffee or tea wants to enjoy the beverage as soon as they can after making it. By comparing different means of cooling, this experiment identifies the most efficient cooling method to effectively solve the real-world issue presented above.

The experiment focuses on cooling methods which may be considered practical and also socially acceptable to perform in the context of cooling a cup of tea or coffee. As such, focus is primarily put on different ways of stirring, although some other cooling methods are used as well. Some cooling methods, such as lowering the cup into a box of liquid nitrogen, are considered very effective, but not practical to perform, so they have been omitted. Putting ice cubes into the water was also considered as a cooling method, but was omitted because it can be difficult to stop the cooling by the time the water reaches the desired temperature, and it is vital that the beverage is not too cold when consumed.


Major depression and anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. The high co-morbidity and strong overlap in symptoms suggest that neurobiological mechanisms may also overlap. Two neuromodulators have received much attention. First, serotonin: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which target the serotonin system, are currently pharmacological treatment of choice for both depression and anxiety. Second, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), which is a key regulator in the neuroendocrine and behavioural responses to stress., is suggested to play a role in the development of psychiatric illness following chronic stress This thesis focused on one characteristic, which is evident in both depression and anxiety, namely disturbed affect regulation. The acoustic startle response was used to study affect regulation, as this response can be modulated by emotional stimuli: pleasant stimuli attenuate the startle response, whereas aversive stimuli potentiate the startle response. In psychiatric patients, changes in affective startle modulation have already been shown. However, how changes in affective state influence affective startle modulation in rodents has hardly been studied. Therefore, the aims of this thesis were to 1. Evaluate how changes in affective startle influence affective startle modulation in rodents. And 2. Further study the involvement of corticotropin-releasing factor and serotonin in affect regulation. The data presented in this thesis shows that affective startle modulation shows high translational value. Similar to what is seen in depressed patients, emotional numbing is reflected in blunted affective startle modulation in rodent models for affective disorders. In addition, a negative affective state results in exacerbation of specific forms of aversive startle modulation, depending on the manipulation used to induce this negative affective state. A positive affective state, on the other hand, results in attenuation of aversive startle modulation. In this thesis, both a pharmacological and genetic approach were used to modulate CRF and serotonin signalling. The data further underlined the involvement of both neuromodulators in affect regulation first of all, repeated local corticotropin-releasing factor infusion resulted in exacerbation of different types of negative affect (fear or anxiety) later in life, depending on the brain area targeted. This suggests that individual differences in sensitivity of certain brain areas to the effects of CRF, may determine which systems are affected by chronic stress and, consequently, which psychiatric symptoms develop. In addition, deletion of the serotonin transporter resulted in maladaptive fear responses, similar to those seen in panic disorder patients., suggesting that the serotonin transporter may be important in symptom exacerbation in these patients. The high translational value of affective startle models makes these models very useful in studying the brain systems involved in the regulation of affective state. In addition, the studies described in this thesis show that corticotropin-releasing factor and serotonin play an important role in affect regulation