This paper reexamines the behavior of inflation and unemployment and reaches four conclusions: 1) The U.S. Phillips curve is alive and well (at least as well as in the past). 2) Inflation expectations however have become steadily more anchored. 3) The slope of the curve has substantially declined. But the decline dates back to the 1980s rather than to the crisis. 4) The standard error of the residual in the relation is large, especially in comparison to the low level of inflation. Each of the four conclusions presents challenges for the conduct of monetary policy.


PURPOSE
We present a particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based 4D IMRT planning technique designed for dynamic MLC tracking delivery to lung tumors. The key idea is to utilize the temporal dimension as an additional degree of freedom rather than a constraint in order to achieve improved sparing of organs at risk (OARs).

METHODS
The target and normal structures were manually contoured on each of the ten phases of a 4DCT scan acquired from a lung SBRT patient who exhibited 1.5cm tumor motion despite the use of abdominal compression. Corresponding ten IMRT plans were generated using the Eclipse treatment planning system. These plans served as initial guess solutions for the PSO algorithm. Fluence weights were optimized over the entire solution space i.e., 10 phases × 12 beams × 166 control points. The size of the solution space motivated our choice of PSO, which is a highly parallelizable stochastic global optimization technique that is well-suited for such large problems. A summed fluence map was created using an in-house B-spline deformable image registration. Each plan was compared with a corresponding, internal target volume (ITV)-based IMRT plan.

RESULTS
The PSO 4D IMRT plan yielded comparable PTV coverage and significantly higher dose-sparing for parallel and serial OARs compared to the ITV-based plan. The dose-sparing achieved via PSO-4DIMRT was: lung Dmean = 28%; lung V20 = 90%; spinal cord Dmax = 23%; esophagus Dmax = 31%; heart Dmax = 51%; heart Dmean = 64%.

CONCLUSION
Truly 4D IMRT that uses the temporal dimension as an additional degree of freedom can achieve significant dose sparing of serial and parallel OARs. Given the large solution space, PSO represents an attractive, parallelizable tool to achieve globally optimal solutions for such problems. This work was supported through funding from the National Institutes of Health and Varian Medical Systems. Amit Sawant has research funding from Varian Medical Systems, VisionRT Ltd. and Elekta.


The article studies differences in political leadership in local government in Norway and in Poland and how they might contribute to differences in local climate policy – adaptation as well as mitigation. Based on the literature of different political leadership models in Europe, we ask how the different political leadership traditions affect active leadership in policies related to climate change. This is answered by analyzing nation-wide surveys to municipalities in Norway and Poland. The results confi rm our basic assumption about the differences in leadership between Norway and Poland as being related to differing political models on the local level. Although other factors also explain variations, the fi ndings illustrate the potential of the models in explaining the role of leadership in new policy fi elds – as with climate-change policies.


This thesis takes the form of a novel titled The Albanian and an exegesis, "Place and Form in The Albanian". The novel spans the period from October 1989 to the end of 1991 and is set against a backdrop of Eastern European change and its effect on a small group of Albanian refugees and Rosa, a young woman from Western Australia. Rosa narrates the tale in first person, present tense. The novel begins with her arrival in Dubrovnik, where she meets a young Albanian man on the verge of exiling himself in order to survive ethnic persecution. He fascinates Rosa, because of his mixture of aggression and deep feeling and she sympathises with his plight. Rosa travels through the Balkans, passing through Bucharest during the early stages of the Communist overthrow and learning about history and politics, love and her sense of who she is. She is often dreaming of finding the young man again and eventually returns to Dubrovnik. Rosa is disappointed by the difference between what she has imagined during their time apart and who �e is in reality but she accompanies him in search of political asylum in Sweden. This journey is a pivotal point in the relationship and Rosa leaves Europe, having begun to love him. Rosa returns home, to Bunbury, where life is unchanged and ordinary and she is tom by concurrent feelings of alienation and belonging. Again, she travels to meet the Albanian in Sweden. This time she learns about his culture, and the truth of his presence there. The novel ends in London in 1999. The exegesis is divided into three sections, all exploring issues of belonging and not belonging and how they relate to different aspects of The Albanian. The first section considers belonging, displacement and transit in the novel and how these states of being are used to explore Australian and refugee identity issues, meanings of home and exile. The second and third sections of the exegesis consider the placement of the novel within and outside established genres. The second section demonstrates the extent to which the novel fulfils the criteria of traditional autobiography through an exposition of sources, and then discusses variations in the genre and the novel's fictional elements. The third section of the exegesis demonstrates the adherence of the novel to traditional narrative form using Vladimir Propp's Morphology of the Folktale, and goes on to explore postmodern elements which hybridise the text.


The aim of this paper is to investigate bi-directional spillovers into residential and industrial sectors induced by energy efficiency improvement (EEI) in both the short- and long-term, and the impact of nesting structure as well as the size of elasticities of substitution of production and utility functions on the magnitude and the transitional dynamic of rebound effect.

Developing a dynamic general equilibrium model, we demonstrate that residential EEIs spillovers into the industrial sector through the labor supply channel and industrial EEIs spill-overs into the residential sector through the conventional income channel. Numerical simulations calibrated on the U.S. suggest that not taking into account these spillover effects could lead to mis-estimate the rebound effect especially of residential sector EEIs. We also demonstrate how the size and the duration of the rebound effect depend on the value of elasticities of substitution. Especially, the elasticity of substitution between energy and non-energy consumption in household utility and the elasticity of substitution between physical capital and labor in production play a major role. Numerical simulations suggest that alternative sets of value for the elasticities of substitution may give sizable different patterns of rebound effects in both the short- and long-term.

In policy terms, our results suggest that energy efficiency policies should be implemented simul- taneously with rebound effect offsetting policies by considering short- and long-term wide-economy feedbacks. As a consequence, they recall for considering debates about what type of policy path- ways is more effective in mitigating the rebound effect.


The 2010 financial reform law provides a summary procedure whereby the government can take over and liquidate a non-bank financial company if the Treasury Secretary decides it is in danger of a default with serious adverse economic consequences. The Constitution requires due process of law for the seizure of property, and this note describes the procedure provided. It is so truncated and minimal as to raise considerable doubt that it is valid under all prior standards.


Open source. Open access. Open data. Open notebooks. Open government. Open educational resources. Open access workflows. To be open is to have a disposition favoring transparent and collaborative efforts. Open is everywhere. Since the late 90's when developers in Silicon Valley adopted the term 'open source' (suggested by Christine Peterson), the open movement has grown by leaps and bounds. The developers, who met after the web browser company Netscape made its source code open, articulated that 'open' "…illustrated a valuable way to engage with potential software users and developers, and convince them to create and improve source code by participating in an engaged community." 1 It also separated 'open source' "…from the philosophically- and politically-focused label 'free software.'" 2


The discipline of political science has been engaged in discussion about when, why, and how to make scholarship more transparent for at least three decades. This piece argues that qualitative researchers can achieve transparency in diverse ways, using techniques and strategies that allow them to balance and optimize among competing considerations that affect the pursuit of transparency.. We begin by considering the "state of the debate," briefly outlining the contours of the scholarship on transparency in political and other social sciences, which so far has focussed mostly on questions of "whether" and "what" to share. We investigate competing considerations that researchers have to consider when working towards transparent research. The heart of the piece considers various strategies, illustrated by exemplary applications, for making qualitative research more transparent.


In this contribution we propose an optimization approach to the design of a restricted complexity controller. The design criterion is of LQG type containing two terms. The first term is the quadratic norm of the error between the output of the true closed loop and a desired response. The second term is the quadratic norm of the input signal. It is shown that the minimization of this criterion does not require a model of the system. Closed loop experimental data can be used instead. The result is an iterative scheme of closed loop experiments and controller updates which converges to a local minimum of the design criterion under the condition of bounded signals.<<ETX>>


The essence of this project is a computational fluid dynamics analysis of the trailing edge cavity of high-lift wings. The objective is to investigate the effects on the resulting flow field in the trailing edge cavity as the bute's length and deflection angle are altered. Of notable interest was the effect this had on the overall performance of the wing, as indicated by the lift coefficient. Also of keen interest was the effect of flow entrainment in the trailing edge cavity on the lift coefficient. In addition to the base case, the current trailing edge device configuration, four other cases were considered for angles of attack of -5, 0, 5 and 10 degrees. The first case analyzed was that for a bute of half-length, the second case, a bute of three-quarters length, the third case, a bute with a 25.45 degree deflection angle and the fourth case, a bute with a 45.45 degree deflection angle. All the cases were examined at a Mach number of 0.28 and compared to the base case. It was found that the 25.45 degree deflected bute case had the best lift qualities for all angles of attack. This is attributed to the fact that the high-energy flow from the bottom surface of the wing remains attached to the bute over a greater portion of it's length, thus delaying the boundary layer separation on the bute. By delaying the separation, the flow is better directed toward the slot passages of the trailing edge device, so that upper surface flow can be re-energized, stabilizing the boundary layer, and suppressing the onset of separation. It was also discovered that entrainment can be beneficial if the recirculation zones are appropriately located in the cavity, as these recirculation zones can further accelerate the high-speed flow from the bottom surface through the slot passages, to allow for greater control of the boundary layer.


The main focus of the paper is the problem of exchange-rate exposure of Swedish firms between Jan, 1 2002 and Sep, 27 2006. Defined as "a measure of the potential for a firm's profitability, net cash flow, market value to change because of a change in exchange rates", the problem of exchange rate exposure is investigated, making use of the "Market Value Approach" (also known as "Stock Market Approach"), with certain additional extensions. With Sweden being a very open economy with strong export orientation, we expected to find a greater number of firms showing significant exchange rate exposure to one or more of the chosen 6 bilateral exchange rates (SEK/EUR, SEK/USD, SEK/DKK, SEK/NOK, SEK/GBP and SEK/JPY). Also, companies are divided into categories with respect to their main operating activity. The empirical study finds 78% of all companies in the sample with significant exposure, with dominance of lagged effect over contemporaneous. This percentage is higher than found in previous empirical studies, being in support of the suggestion that relation exists between economy openness and exchange rate exposure of firms. However, the significant cross-section differences across categories and the high level of heterogeneity within categories deter us from determining the sign, direction and magnitude of the exchange rate exposure. Suggestions are made for further studies and possible extensions of the topic of the present paper.


Bending-loss insensitive fibers (BIFs) have been receiving increasing attention with a view to improving FTTH network installation and maintenance. Several BIFs have been proposed and developed to realize a lower bending loss, and hole-assisted fiber (HAF) can realize both excellent bending loss characteristics and other properties compatible with conventional single-mode fiber (SMF). In this paper, we numerically clarify a design that provides both an allowable bending radius of 5 mm and other properties comparable to conventional SMFs. The calculated results also reveal the much wider single-mode bandwidth of HAF with both a low bending loss and a comparable MFD to that of SMF. We then discuss the applicability of HAF based optical cord for short-length transmission and reveal the sufficiently low multi-pass interference (MPI) characteristics of single-mode HAF, which are independent of the existence of a mode field diameter (MFD) mismatch. Although a large MFD mismatch degrades the MPI characteristics of HAF with a longer cut-off wavelength, we reveal a way to improve the MPI for such a HAF by utilizing the sweep fusion splicing technique.


The past 25 years have seen the introduction of a number of new classes of medications for treating type 2 diabetes. The primary goal of these drugs is to safely lower plasma glucose in order to simultaneously reduce vascular complications and improve quality of life.

It is equally critical to demonstrate an agent's therapeutic effectiveness as it is to prove its safety. Frequently, this determination of safety occurs in the very early stages of drug development. However, in some instances, it is only after sufficient clinical experience has been obtained that the potential for harm becomes apparent. Recent examples include two therapeutically effective thiazolidinediones: troglitazone, which increased the risk of hepatic injury (1), and rosiglitazone, which a meta-analysis suggested increased the risk of cardiovascular events (2).

Two recently introduced classes of glucose-lowering agents increase incretin action. One is the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. In 2005, exenatide was the first of these agents to be introduced (3). The other is the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, of which sitagliptin was initially approved in 2006 (3). These medications are widely used, and are associated with a reduced risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain. This, despite the fact that they may increase the risk of pancreatitis (4,5), a condition that is known to be more common in type 2 diabetes (6).

In this issue of Diabetes , authors from Florida and California together report pancreatic morphology from a limited series of samples from diabetic individuals who did or did not receive incretin therapy and a cohort not known to have diabetes (7). Seven of the diabetic samples were from patients who received sitagliptin and one who received exenatide, all for unknown periods of time beyond 1 year. Pancreata were procured from brain-dead organ donors by the Network for Pancreatic …


The aim of our study is to optimize the execution of distributed object-oriented applications by positioning the components in a manner to optimize resource use. Placement of distributed applications is an open issue. In the context of distributed multiuser environments, where an application can not assume the behavior of the others, placement must be directed by the system to achieve this aim. Indeed, the system can dynamically observe behaviors of the applications and propose a placement. Placement decisions must be driven from two main factors, namely the computer and the network loads. In this paper we present an evaluation of a multicriteria placement manager that we implemented in a CORBA compliant system.


Mobile Commerce has gained increasing acceptance amongst various sections of the society in previous years. The reasons for its growth can be traced back to technological and demographical developments that have influenced many aspects of the socio-cultural behaviour in today's world. The need (and/or wish) for mobility seems to be the driving force behind Mobile Commerce. The launch of UMTS technology has provided Mobile Commerce with the necessary verve. Mobile Banking presents an opportunity for banks to retain their existing, technology-savvy customer base by offering value-added, innovative services and to attract new customers from corresponding sections of the society. The customer survey provides evidence that such sections in the meanwhile include the affluent and financially relevant groups of the society in Germany. The time seems to be ripe to convert this non-negligible customer interest into business-driving customer demand. A proactive attitude on the part of the banks seems to be therefore recommendable. Many banks in Germany have come to regard Mobile Banking as a necessary tool for thwarting negative differentiation vis-à-vis rivals and to foster/retain an innovative image. This self-reinforcing dynamism is expected to gain currency in near-future so that Mobile Banking services could soon advance to a standard product – on the lines of Online Banking – offered by more or less each and every bank.


BACKGROUND
Chemoradiation (CRT) can significantly modify the radiographic appearance of malignant gliomas, especially within the immediate post-CRT period. Pseudoprogression (PsP) is an increasingly recognized phenomenon in this setting, and is thought to be secondary to increased permeability as a byproduct of the complex process of radiation-induced tissue injury, possibly enhanced by temozolomide. We sought to determine whether the addition of a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling inhibitor (cediranib) to conventional CRT had an impact on the frequency of PsP, by comparing two groups of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma before, during, and after CRT.

METHODS
All patients underwent serial magnetic resonance imaging as part of institutional review board-approved clinical studies. Eleven patients in the control group received only chemoradiation, whereas 29 patients in the study group received chemoradiation and cediranib until disease progression or toxicity. Response assessment was defined according to Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria, and patients with enlarging lesions were classified into true tumor progressions (TTP) or PsP, based on serial radiographic follow-up.

RESULTS
Two patients in the study group (7%) showed signs of apparent early tumor progression, and both were subsequently classified as TTP. Six patients in the control group (54%) showed signs of apparent early tumor progression, and three were subsequently classified as TTP and three as PsP. The frequency of PsP was significantly higher in the control group.

CONCLUSION
Administration of a VEGF inhibitor during and after CRT modifies the expression of PsP by imaging.


We study how the diffusion of being pivotal affects immoral outcomes. In our main experiment, subjects decide about agreeing to kill mice and receiving money versus objecting to the killing and foregoing the monetary amount. In a baseline condition, subjects decide individually about the life of one mouse. In the main treatment, subjects are organized into groups of eight and decide simultaneously. Eight mice are killed if at least one subject opts for killing. The fraction of subjects agreeing to kill is significantly higher in the main condition compared with the baseline condition. In a second experiment, we run the same baseline and main conditions but use a charity context and additionally study sequential decision-making. We replicate our finding from the mouse paradigm. We further show that the observed effects increase with experience, i.e., when we repeat the experiment for a second time. For both experiments, we elicit beliefs about being pivotal, which we validate in a treatment with non-involved observers. We show that beliefs are a main driver of our results.


[1] Since 1972, the German Environment Agency (UBA) has been measuring continuously CO2 concentration at Schauinsland station (southwest Germany, 1205 m asl). Because of its vicinity to biogenic and anthropogenic sources and sinks, the Schauinsland CO2 record shows considerable variability. In order to remove these disturbances and derive the large-scale representative ''background'' CO2 level for the respective area (southwest Germany) we perform rigorous data selection based on wind speed and time of day. During the past 30 years, the selected CO2 mixing ratios increased by 1.47 ppm per year, following the mean trend in midlatitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The average seasonal cycle (peak to peak) amplitude has decreased slightly from 13.8 ± 0.6 ppm in the first decade (1972–1981) to 12.8 ± 0.7 ppm in the last two decades (1982–2001). This is opposite to other northern latitude sites and is attributed to the decrease of fossil fuel CO2 emissions in the catchment area (southwest Germany and France) and its respective change in the seasonal variation. Except for May and June, monthly mean CO2 mixing ratios at Schauinsland are higher by up to 8 ppm if compared to marine boundary layer air, mainly as a consequence of fossil fuel CO2 emissions in Europe. The CO2 measurements when combined with continuous Rn observations at the same site allow an estimate of the net CO2 flux in the catchment area of Schauinsland: Mean seasonal fluxes compare very well with estimates from a processoriented biosphere model (SIB-2) as well as from an inverse modeling approach [Peylin et al., 2000]. Annual CO2 fluxes vary by more than a factor of 2, although anthropogenic fossil fuel CO2 emissions show interannual variations of only about 10%. The major part of the variability must therefore be associated to interannual changes of biospheric uptake and release, which are on the order of the total fossil fuel emissions in the same area. This has to be taken into account when reliably quantifying and verifying the long-term carbon balance and emission reduction targets in the European Union.


Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS) is a recently emerged multifactorial clinical disease of swine that affects nursery and growing pigs and PCV2 is believed to be the main aetiological agent of the disease. PMWS has emerged in Ireland as a clinical entity in pig herds so there was therefore a need to determine the extent of PCV2 infection and associated disease in the pig population of Ireland.

The prevalence of PCV2 in Ireland was determined by testing a percentage of porcine sera for antibodies to PCV2 using the IPMA method; this method is based on PCVfree PK15 cell cultures infected with PCV2 virus. Ten serum samples (where available) from fifty randomly selected herds (426 sera samples) were tested, of the fifty herds only four were negative to PCV2. However these four herds were all hobby herds (less than 12 pigs). In most cases of the ten samples tested per herd eight to ten of the sera samples were positive for PCV2 antibodies indicating that there is widespread seroconversion to PCV2 in Ireland.

To determine the extent and emergence of the disease a study on suspect herds was performed. This study commenced on the 1st January 2004 and was completed on the 1st January 2005. This study involved working in collaboration with local pig veterinarians and regional veterinary laboratories so that any herd that developed any syndromes typical/similar to PMWS were reported and suspect herds tested for the presence of PCV2 antigen. Tissue samples (especially lymph nodes) were taken from necropsied pigs (approximately 4 per herd) and tested by using a combination of indirect fluorescent antibody staining of cryostat tissue sections, Abstract immunohistochemsitry and histopathology. A total of 30 suspect herds in Republic of Ireland were tested over this twelve month period. 24 of these herds were found to be positive for PMWS and 6 herds negative. In Northern Ireland, 31 herds were tested and 14 of these herds were PMWS positive, based on PCV2 antigen levels.

PCV2 was isolated from diseased and non-diseased pigs in Ireland. The entire genome of PCV2 was amplified by PCR sequenced. Complete genomes of PCV2 were then aligned and a phylogentic analysis was performed. ROI and NI isolates were closely related to each other displaying 97-100% overall nucleotide homology. An amino acid (aa) alignment was performed on the two major Open Reading Frames, ORF1 and ORF2, as these encoded the major proteins, Replicase and Capsid, respectively. The majority of aa changes observed between PMWS positive and negative isolates occurred within ORF1.

A detailed longitudinal study was also carried out. A total of 4 herds were involved in the study, 2 herds from ROI which were reported as positive for the disease, one negative control herd from ROI and one positive herd from NI. The study involved monitoring approximately 5 litters from each of the 4 herds for a total of 10 weeks from birth in order to elucidate any co-factors that may lead to PMWS. Serum samples were tested for PCV2 antibody titre and PPV antibody, tonsil and faeces samples were tested for the presence of other viruses such as enterovirus 1 and 2, reovirus and adenovirus and faecal swabs for bacterial organisms such as haemolytic E. coli , Campylobacter spp. and Salmonellae spp. From the study it could be concluded that there was no distinguishable coinfection of PCV2 with any of the infectious organisms mentioned between positive and negative animals and herds.


The distribution of spiral and bar galaxy inclination angles is expected to be uniform. However, analysis of several major galaxy catalogs shows this is not the case; galaxies oriented near edge-on are significantly more common in these catalogs. In an attempt to explain this discrepancy, we have developed a galaxy simulation code to compute the appearance of a spiral type galaxy as a function of its morphological parameters. We examine the dependence of observed brightness upon inclination angle by using smooth luminous mass density and ISM density distributions. The luminous component is integrated along a particular line of sight, thus producing a mass distribution, from which a surface luminosity profile is derived. The ISM component is integrated alongside the luminous component to account for light extinction. Preliminary data ignoring extinction demonstrate trends matching the observed small inclination distribution. We reproduce overall spiral galaxy morphology and outline the ongoing validation process.


The susceptibility of mouse lymphocytes from various organs to infection by murine leukemia virus (MuLV) (Friend) was studied both in vivo and in vitro by using either Friend virus complex (FV) or lymphatic leukemic virus (LLV), the helper virus isolated from FV. Productively infected cells releasing infectious MuLV were identified as infectious centers (IC) on sarcoma+, leukemia- indicator fibroblasts. IC were detected by days 4 to 6 postinfection in spleen and bone marrow (BM); fewer IC were observed in lymph nodes (LN) and their appearance was delayed until day 8 in FV-infected mice and day 15 in LLV-infected mice. In both groups, the appearance of IC in LN correlated with the onset of splenomegaly (mean = 300 mg) and the development of infection in peripheral blood exceeding 1 × 106 focus-forming units/ml, suggesting that the IC observed in LN were due to dislodged, circulating infected spleen and BM cells rather than due to infection of LN cells. This possibility was tested directly by using a culture system whereby cells from spleen, BM, and LN from normal mice were infected with FV or LLV in vitro. The principal target for MuLV replication in the cultures appeared to be B lymphocytes because 1) stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) greatly enhanced the infection of unseparated BALB/c spleen and bone marrow cells, nylon wool-adherent BALB/c spleen cells, and spleen and BM cells from athymic (nude) mice, 2) pretreatment of spleen cells with a heterologous anti-mouse immunoglobulin antiserum plus complement reduced the infection, and 3) the majority of virus-permissive cells in BALB/c spleens were recovered in the pure population of Ig+ cells from an immunoadsorbent column. However, no IC were detectable in LPS-stimulated LN cells from either BALB/c or nude mice, confirming the fundamental difference in susceptibility to the MuLV component of FV between B cells from spleen, BM, and LN suggested by the in vivo studies.


In this paper we analyse aggregate and firm level systemic risk for US and European banks from 2004 to 2012. We observe that common systemic risk indicators are primarily driven by firm size which implies an overriding concern for "too-big-to-fail" institutions. However, smaller banks may still pose considerable systemic threats, as exemplified by the Northern Rock debacle in 2007. By introducing a simple standardisation, we obtain a new risk measure that identifies Northern Rock as a top ranking systemic institution up to 4 quarters before its bailout. The new indicator also appears to have a superior ability to predict which banks would be affected by the most severe stock price contractions during the 2007-2009 sub-prime crisis. In addition we find that a bank's balance sheet characteristics can help to forecast its systemic importance and, as a result, may be useful early warning indicators. Interestingly, the systemic risk of US and European banks appears to be driven by different factors.


This chapter describes the unique challenges posed by game localization projects. It begins by examining the various activities that comprise a typical multi-platform game localization project. It then situates the localization function in a game publishing corporation and discusses the composition of game localization teams, as well as the respective roles and responsibilities of the team members in a typical game localization project. Next, it examines the relationship between the development and localization functions and discusses the two main approaches to game localization today, namely post-release and simultaneous shipment ("simship") projects. Finally, it explores four project management processes that are especially critical to the successful management of game localization projects: communications management, scope management, risk management and change management.


We introduce a generic template for developing regret minimization algorithms in the Stochastic Shortest Path (SSP) model, which achieves minimax optimal regret as long as certain properties are ensured. The key of our analysis is a new technique called implicit finite-horizon approximation, which approximates the SSP model by a finite-horizon counterpart only in the analysis without explicit implementation. Using this template, we develop two new algorithms: the first one is model-free (the first in the literature to our knowledge) and minimax optimal under strictly positive costs; the second one is model-based and minimax optimal even with zero-cost state-action pairs, matching the best existing result from [Tarbouriech et al., 2021b]. Importantly, both algorithms admit highly sparse updates, making them computationally more efficient than all existing algorithms. Moreover, both can be made completely parameter-free.


This report is a contribution towards a better understanding of traffic measurements associated with e2e delays occurring in best-effort networks. We describe problems and solutions associated with OWTT delay measurements, and give examples of such measurements. A dedicated measurement system is reported for delay measurements in IP routers, which follows specifications of the IETF RFC 2679. The system uses both passive measurements and active probing. Dedicated application-layer software is used to generate traffic. Pareto traffic models are used to generate self-similar traffic in the link. Both packet inter-arrival times and packet sizes are matching real traffic models. A passive measurement system is used for data collection that is based on using several so-called Measurement Points, each of them equipped with DAG monitoring cards. Hashing is used for the identification and matching of packets. The combination of passive and active measurements, together with using the DAG monitoring system, gives us an unique possibility to perform precise traffic measurements as well as the flexibility needed to compensate for the lack of analytic solutions. The real value of our study lies in the hop-by-hop instrumentation of the devices involved in the transfer of IP packets. The mixture of passive and active traffic measurements used, allows us to study changes in traffic patterns relative to specific reference points and to observe different contributing factors to the observed changes. This approach offers us the choice of better understanding diverse components that may impact on the performance of packet delay as well as to to measure queueing delays in operational routers.


The current study investigated the impact that respondent gender, victim–perpetrator relationship, and the level of emotional closeness had on attributions in a hypothetical child sexual abuse case. A total of 160 university students read a hypothetical scenario depicting a female child sexually abused by an adult male. The perpetrator was either the victim's biological father or her stepfather, with this relationship described as being either emotionally close or emotionally distant. Respondents read one of four (2 victim–perpetrator relationship × 2 emotional closeness) scenarios before completing 26 attribution items pertaining to credibility, blame, and severity. Principle components analysis yielded five factors, namely victim credibility, mother culpability, perpetrator culpability, assault severity, and victim culpability. Multivariate analysis of covariance—controlling for respondent (Caucasian vs. non-Caucasian) ethnicity—revealed, as predicted, significant main effects for respondent gender, victim–perpetrator relationship, and emotional closeness. In general, females assigned more provictim/ antiperpetrator/antimother attributions than males. Results were also suggested that both victim–perpetrator relationship and emotional closeness influence attributions made toward the victim, perpetrator, and nonoffending mother. Methodological issues and suggestions for future work are also discussed.


Assessing the credibility of an evidential source is an important part of intelligence analysis, particularly where human intelligence is concerned. Furthermore, it is frequently necessary to combine multiple items of evidence with varying source credibilities. Bayesian networks provide a powerful probabilistic approach to the fusion of information and are increasingly being applied in a wide variety of settings. In this paper we explore their application to intelligence analysis and provide a simple example concerning a potential attack on an infrastructure target. Our main focus is on the representation of source credibility. While we do not advocate the routine use of quantitative Bayesian networks for intelligence analysis, we do believe that their qualitative structure offers a useful framework for evidence marshalling. Furthermore, we believe that quantified Bayesian networks can also play a part in providing auxiliary models to explore particular situations within a coherent probabilistic framework. This process can generate fresh insights and help to stimulate new hypotheses and avenues of enquiry.


Behavioral and pharmacological treatments for children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were evaluated to address whether endpoint outcomes are better depending on which treatment is initiated first and, in case of insufficient response to initial treatment, whether increasing dose of initial treatment or adding the other treatment modality is superior. Children with ADHD (ages 5–12, N = 146, 76% male) were treated for 1 school year. Children were randomized to initiate treatment with low doses of either (a) behavioral parent training (8 group sessions) and brief teacher consultation to establish a Daily Report Card or (b) extended-release methylphenidate (equivalent to .15 mg/kg/dose bid). After 8 weeks or at later monthly intervals as necessary, insufficient responders were rerandomized to secondary interventions that either increased the dose/intensity of the initial treatment or added the other treatment modality, with adaptive adjustments monthly as needed to these secondary treatments. The group beginning with behavioral treatment displayed significantly lower rates of observed classroom rule violations (the primary outcome) at study endpoint and tended to have fewer out-of-class disciplinary events. Further, adding medication secondary to initial behavior modification resulted in better outcomes on the primary outcomes and parent/teacher ratings of oppositional behavior than adding behavior modification to initial medication. Normalization rates on teacher and parent ratings were generally high. Parents who began treatment with behavioral parent training had substantially better attendance than those assigned to receive training following medication. Beginning treatment with behavioral intervention produced better outcomes overall than beginning treatment with medication.


Abstract In recent years, nanoparticles are being used extensively in personal healthcare products such as cosmetics, sunscreens, soaps, and shampoos. Particularly, metal oxide nanoparticles are gaining competence as key industrial constituents, progressing toward a remarkable rise in their applications. Zinc oxide and titanium oxide nanoparticles are the most commonly employed metal oxide nanoparticles in sunscreens, ointments, foot care, and over the counter topical products. Dermal exposure to these metal oxides predominantly occurs through explicit use of cosmetic products and airway exposure to nanoparticle dusts is primarily mediated via occupational exposure. There is a compelling need to understand the toxicity effects of nanoparticles which can easily enter the cells and induce oxidative stress. Consequently, these products have become a direct source of pollution in the environment and thereby greatly impact our ecosystem. A complete understanding of the toxicity mechanism of nano-ZnO is intended to resolve whether and to what extent such nanoparticles may pose a threat to the environment and to human beings. In this review article, we have discussed the characteristics of metal oxide nanoparticles and its applications in the cosmetic industry. We have also highlighted about their toxicity effects and their impact on human health.


To accommodate the ever increasing height of high-rise buildings and required large column-spacing, and assure a high structural performance to supporting elements, use of high-strength materials is sought as a solution. Accordingly, an experimental investigation of the effectiveness of very-high-strength steel bars in improving the performance of ultra-high-strength concrete columns is described. The concrete of 171 MPa strength contained steel fibers. Two grades of high-strength steel bars were used for longitudinal bars in columns. While the SD685-grade is already used in practice, the SD980-grade is still under development. The 1/4 scaled columns were subjected to high levels of compression and tension, and to cyclic lateral loads with an anti-symmetric double curvature bending. The tested columns proved to be ductile and showed good performances. The maximum recorded lateral strength values were at least 30% and 10% greater than those obtained by using ACI and AIJ equations, respectively. The advantage of using steel fibers was apparent by the limited and narrow cracks even at large lateral drifts. It is also suspected to have an impact on preventing buckling of the longitudinal reinforcement. The SD980-grade bars were found very effective in terms of tension axial strength, delay of crack evolution and shear strength degradation, and to be slightly less effective than the SD685 grade bars in terms of shear strength and energy dissipation.


A new species belonging to the crustacean class Remipedia is described from an anchialine cave system on the island of Cozumel (Mexico), and is illustrated and compared morphologically and molecularly (CO1 and 16S) with closely related taxa. Xibalbanus cozumelensis sp. nov., the first remipede described from Cozumel, is morphologically similar to Xibalbanus tulumensis (Yager, 1987) from the Yucatan Peninsula, but the two species are genetically separate from each other (about 10% in CO1). A phylogenetic (Bayesian) analysis of Yucatan remipede populations based on CO1 and 16S placed them in a monophyletic Xibalbanus (in Xibalbanidae fam. nov.), with X. cozumelensis as most closely related to X. tulumensis . The Yucatan Peninsula and Cozumel have been separate since approx. early Cenozoic (~65 Ma), which suggests allopatric speciation for X. cozumelensis sp. nov. and X. tulumensis . However, the comparatively low genetic divergence between the two species may indicate that there has been gene flow between 'mainland' Yucatan and Cozumel long after the geological separation of the two landmasses, e.g., in cave systems under the sea bed, either continuously or sporadically, for example during the Last Glacial Maximum when the sea level was about 120 m lower than today.


A taxonomic revision of Arytera Blume is presented, together with a cladistic analysis. On the basis of this analysis, a new genus is recognised, Mischarytera gen. nov., to accommodate the species A. bullata, A. lautereriana, and A. macrobotrys. The necessary new combinations are made. A new classification for Arytera at infrageneric level, also based on the cladistic analysis, is given. Two sections are recognised, Azarytera and Arytera; the latter is further divided into three subsections, Arytera, Distylis subsect. nov., and Pacifica subsect. nov. One new species is described ( A. nekorensis) and one new combination is made ( A. neoebudensis). General, regional, and synoptic keys to all taxa are provided, as are detailed descriptions of the species. Next to macromorphological characters, leaf anatomical characters were studied with SEM and light microscopy. A general leaf anatomical description of Arytera is provided, together with data for the individual species. Several methodological issues pertaining to the practice of cladistic analysis are treated in some detail. These are the coding of polymorphic species, and the choice among multiple equally parsimonious cladograms. Polymorphic species theoretically should be assigned the locally plesiomorphic character state; because this state is not known in advance, they should be coded as polymorphic when the analysis is carried out with the computer programs PAUP and CAFCA, and as unknown when using Hennig86. In the latter case the resulting cladograms should be checked to ensure that none of the resulting cladograms becomes longer due to species lacking the locally plesiomorphic state for one or more of the characters for which they are polymorphic. The choice among multiple equally parsimonious cladograms should be based on differential weighting of the characters on the basis of the number of homoplasious (extra) steps they require. Characters with little homoplasy are to be given more weight than characters that display much homoplasy. One of the methods to realise this is to prefer cladograms which have a higher average unit retention index. A historical biogeographic analysis is provided for the region in which Arytera occurs, i.e. Australia, Malesia, and the West Pacific. Different methods of analysis (Brooks Parsimony Analysis, Component Compatibility Analysis, Component Analysis sensu Page) are carried out and compared. A new method is presented for coding so-called 'missing areas' under Component Compatibility Analysis, which makes use only of the information provided by the taxa that are present in such areas. Attention is also paid to the interpretation of character state changes on areagrams, leading to the conclusion that the nature of chance events (dispersal, extinction, etc.) usually cannot be inferred from the optimisation on the areagram alone. Next to Arytera and Mischarytera, six other genera of Sapindaceae were used. Several patterns are apparent in the results. Firstly, New Caledonia, the Loyalty Islands, and Lord Howe Island show a vicariant pattern with respect to the Australian continent, whereas the distributions of taxa on the remaining islands in the West Pacific probably are due to dispersal. Secondly, a dichotomy is apparent between the areas on the Australian craton and areas which geologists assume to have been accreted onto its northern edge. Thirdly, West Malesia was probably reached by some of these genera from the East in a number of dispersal events. Finally, a recent exchange of floristic elements has taken place between Northeast Australia and South and Southeast New Guinea, probably during Pleistocene periods of lowered sea levels.


Traditionally, body image research has focused on young women. However, there are indications of cultural shifts which extend physical appearance pressures to both men and women, as well as to middle-aged and older adults. Two hundred and ten subjects were administered objective body image measures including the Figure Rating Scale, the Body Shape Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, as well as projective measures including the Holtzman Inkblot Technique and the Draw-A-Person. The NEO-Five Factor Inventory and the Social Anxiety Subscale were also used to explore variables which might covary with body image. A 3 X 2 X 2 Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) was utilized with social desirability as the covariate.


The objective of this study was to determine the effects of adding aluminum sulfate to different litters on blood plasma concentrations of some principal microelements and some vitamins in broilers. In this experiment, 645 day old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into 4 litter group (straw, sawdust, alum treated-straw and alum treated-sawdust). At the end of the experiment 10 birds (5 male + 5 female) from each of the groups were slaughtered by severing the jugular vein and sampled by taking the blood. Blood plasma concentrations of vitamin A (retinol), vitamin E (∝-tocoferol), Co, Zn and Cu were determined. Body weight measured at 6 week of age. Blood plasma Zn, Cu concentrations did not differ significantly (P≤ 0.05) among treatments, but the broilers reared in the control straw group showed lower Co concentration. The vitamin A and E levels in the serum of the broilers in the straw and saw dust groups were slightly lower than the other groups. The body weight of female in the alum treated groups at the end of the experiment was significantly higher than control groups. The body weight of male in the alum treated-sawdust group at the end of the experiment was significantly higher than the other groups. It could be concluded that amending aluminum sulfate to different litters adversely affected blood plasma concentrations and body weight of broiler.


This paper traces the development in Islamic State administration from the establishment of the Islamic State of Iraq in 2006 until the present day. The paper draws on rare primary sources to explain the growing sophistication in the group's governance structures. The current bureaucratic system has reached a level of complexity and professionalism that probably makes the Islamic State sustainable, even under containment, provided it maintains control of its strongholds.


This study uses individualisation theory to explore identity transition in substance misuse recovery. Identity narratives gained over 4 years from co-produced video/audio interview and video diary accounts were co-productively collected and analysed using framework analysis. Results indicate a trend towards individualistic and agentic identity as recovery trajectories progress over time. Within-case analysis demonstrates agentic growth for most participants, from early-stage gratitude and reliance on support groups to self-determination and independent decision-making. This early work exploring longer-term recovery adds to the current recovery and social identity discussion and provides evidence of identity growth in longer-term stages of recovery.


Background and purpose: Nowadays, percutaneous coronary interventions are found effective in increasing the longevity in patients with cardiovascular diseases. But evidence show that quality of life after this intervention is still lower than desired. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life in cardiovascular patients before and after coronary angioplasty. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in 106 patients undergoing coronary angioplasty in Rasht Dr. Heshmat Hospital, 2014-2015. The patients were gradually selected from angiography unit who met our inclusion criteria and were willing to participate in the study. The patients completed the MacNew Heart Disease health-related quality of life Questionnaire before and three months after the angioplasty. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (paired t-test). Results: The majority of patients were over 60 years of age (39.6%), male (67.9%), married (88.7%), living in the city (84%) and had high school education (62.3%).The mean scores for quality of life before and three months after angioplasty were 106.68 ± 13.74 and 126.6 ±15.99, respectively. A significant difference was observed in quality of life before and three months after angioplasty (P=0.000). Conclusion: Coronary angioplasty improves the quality of life in patients and they can benefit from the advantages of coronary angioplasty as a minimally invasive and cost-effective intervention.


Abstract: The 2004 presidential election stirred considerable controversy among Old Order people in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Republican activists in these states aggressively sought to register Old Order people. Previous studies of Old Order voting have rarely if ever provided accurate evidence of the registration and voting patterns of these people. Using interviews, public voting records and excerpts from Amish writings, the authors trace the debate about voting in Old Order communities. They also describe the Republican campaign to register Old Order voters. In the Lancaster (Pa.) area the Old Order Amish were more likely to cast a ballot than the Old Order Mennonites. The results show that voting in the 2004 election varied considerably from state to state as well as among congregations in Old Order settlements. A vision to improve moral conditions in the larger society appeared to motivate many Old Order voters. BUSH FEVER The 2004 presidential race between President George W. Bush and Senator John F. Kerry was a spirited contest. (1) With early opinion polls showing a tight race, Democratic and Republican campaigns commenced well before the traditional election season. Party activists aggressively searched for new voters, especially in the crucial swing states that could determine the presidency. Two key states, Ohio and Pennsylvania, held about half of the national Amish population. (2) The G.O.P., scouring the country for unregistered groups who shared the Bush-Cheney accent on traditional values, targeted evangelical Christians, Second Amendment proponents and anti-abortion advocates. Republican strategists soon added new groups that supported the Bush--Cheney campaign's interpretation of traditional values: Amish and Old Order Mennonites. At least a few Old Order members responded with enthusiasm. One Amishman, Eli Fisher, for example, gleefully noted by early August that the Lancaster (Pa.) Amish were "swept up with Bush fever." (3) Explaining the support for Bush and his running mate, Dick Cheney, Fisher said, "We hate that abortion issue. We're totally against it. And as far as gay issues, that's [sic] completely contrary to the Bible." (4) Already in the 2000 presidential election campaign, Republican officials had urged Lancaster's Amish to register and vote for George W. Bush. Fisher attended the Bush inauguration in January 2001, which in his words was "a moving experience." The crusade to capture the Amish vote, however, greatly intensified in the 2004 election. Several articles on "the Amish vote" in the national press suggested a massive Amish turnout might influence the election's outcome in the swing states. Was there a major Old Order turnout? Did Bush fever change the election? In this paper we explore several questions regarding the Amish and Old Order Mennonite participation in the 2004 presidential election: 1) Was the Pennsylvania G.O.P. successful in registering more Amish and Old Order Mennonite voters in Lancaster County than in previous elections? 2) Did registered individuals turn out to vote? 3) Did Lancaster County Amish and Old Order Mennonites register and vote at similar levels? 4) To what extent were Old Orders in other communities energized by the campaign? 5) Was Old Order participation in the 2004 election an anomaly or a new trend in American politics? The sources for our account of the 2004 election include interviews, letters by writers in Old Order publications, media reports and voter registration databases for Pennsylvania and Ohio. Although our primary focus is on the Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, we also provide data on two Old Order Mennonite groups in Lancaster; Amish voters in Holmes County, Ohio; and other Old Order individuals beyond Pennsylvania and Ohio. (5) The two Old Order Mennonite groups are the car-driving Hornings (Weaverland Conference) and the horse-and-buggy-driving Wengers (Groffdale Conference). …


Abstract We present a perfect Nash equilibrium in which the creator of a work, motivated by economic considerations, selectively enforces her own copyright. In fact, the creator may not only permit, but may strategically promote infringement of the copyright, thereby participating indirectly in predatory pricing, and so raising barriers to entry. Our model is highly applicable to the software industry, where relatively high entry costs and the relatively low cost of copyright infringement make this phenomenon likely. We further show the conditions under which exogenous intervention, through intensive enforcement of copyrights, increases social welfare. Finally, we explore some potential strategies for such legal intervention.


—Cloud-assisted Internet of Things (IoT) is increas- ingly prevalent in our society, for example in home and office environment; hence, it is also known as Cloud-assisted Internet of Everything (IoE). While in such a setup, data can be easily shared and disseminated (e.g., between a device such as Amazon Echo and the cloud such as Amazon AWS), there are potential security considerations that need to be addressed. Thus, a number of security solutions have been proposed. For example, Searchable Encryption (SE) has been extensively studied due to its capability to facilitate searching of encrypted data. However, threat models in most existing SE solutions rarely consider the malicious data owner and semi-trusted cloud server at the same time, particularly in dynamic applications. In a real-world deployment, disputes between above two parties may arise as either party will accuse the other of some misbehavior. Furthermore, efficient full- update operations (e.g., data modification, data insertion, data deletion) are not typically supported in the cloud-assisted IoE deployment. Therefore, in this paper, we present a Fair and Dynamic Data Sharing Framework (FairDynDSF) in the multi- owner setting. Using FairDynDSF, one can check the correctness of search results, achieve fair arbitration, multi-keyword search, and dynamic update. We also prove that FairDynDSF is secure against inside keyword guessing attack and demonstrate its efficiency by evaluating its performance using various datasets.


Time-referenced data are pervasive in most real-world databases. Recent advances in temporal query languages show that such database applications may benefit substantially from built-in temporal support in the DBMS. To achieve this, temporal query optimization and evaluation mechanisms must be provided, either within the DBMS proper or as a source level translation from temporal queries to conventional SQL. This paper proposes a new approach: using a middleware component on top of a conventional DBMS. This component accepts temporal SQL statements and produces a corresponding query plan consisting of algebraic as well as regular SQL parts. The algebraic parts are processed by the middleware, while the SQL parts are processed by the DBMS. The middleware uses performance feedback from the DBMS to adapt its partitioning of subsequent queries into middleware and DBMS parts. The paper describes the architecture and implementation of the temporal middleware component, termed TANGO, which is based on the Volcano extensible query optimizer and the XXL query processing library. Experiments with the system demonstrate the utility of the middleware's internal processing capability and its cost-based mechanism for apportioning the processing between the middleware and the underlying DBMS.


Membership in religious organizations often entails dedicated attention to its dogma, moral vision, sacred leadership and community, yet some members ultimately choose to leave. In light of the recent rising and unprecedented number of Mormon church resignations, this paper examines the motivations and experiences of those who choose to leave the church, including the underexamined role of digital and social media in the disaffiliation process. Drawing from turning point analysis, which utilizes the retrospective technique to collect 40 in-depth interviews of ex-Mormons, results will discuss their exit tactics of resistance as well as the extent and ways in which they (re)appropriate traditional and new religious texts, and connect to new networks in their transition.


Monoclonal antibodies exhibiting Chlamydia trachomatis serovar specificity (serovar A, B-Ba, or C) and serogroup specificity (B, intermediate, or C serogroup) were produced and characterized. These antibodies reacted with the major outer membrane protein, recognized epitopes located at the chlamydial cell surface, and passively neutralized chlamydial toxicity for mice. The antibodies should be useful reagents for defining the molecular structure of these protective epitopes, a necessary step toward the development of a subunit or recombinant C. trachomatis vaccine.


Understanding and tuning the performance of large-scale long-running applications is difficult, with both standard trace-based and statistical methods having substantial shortcomings that limit their usefulness. This paper describes a new performance monitoring approach called Embedded Gossip (EG) designed to enable lightweight online performance monitoring and tuning. EG works by piggybacking performance information on existing messages and performing information correlation online, giving each process in a parallel application a weakly consistent global view of the behavior of the entire application. To demonstrate the viability of EG, this paper presents the design and experimental evaluation of two different online monitoring systems and an online global adaptation system driven by Embedded Gossiping. In addition, we present a metric system for evaluating the suitability of an application to EG-based monitoring and adaptation, a general architecture for implementing EG-based monitoring systems, and a modified global commit algorithm appropriate for use in EG-based global adaptation systems. Together, these results demonstrate that EG is an efficient low-overhead approach for addressing a wide range of parallel performance monitoring tasks and that results from these systems can effectively drive online global adaptation.


The development of a practical solution to all-optical buffer remains a challenge for high-speed (> 20 Gbit/s) optical networks. Most of the research in the field has concentrated on building test-bed solutions, however the literature review shows little evidence in the use of mathematical models to aid in the design process. This PhD study is an attempt to design and develop a mathematical model of an all-optical buffer suitable for use within optical time division multiplexed systems. The emphasis is placed on recirculating fibre loop buffers because of their inherent storage advantages. The most critical of these advantages is that the storage delay time is independent of the fibre length. While there is a precedent of employing large recirculating fibre loop architectures to simulate ultra-long haul transmission lines in research projects, their use in short length (< 500m) buffering architectures is not prevalent in the literature. This work finds a niche in this domain where the physical effects of the buffer components (e.g. optical switches) have not been previously documented. In order to optimise the bit error rate performance and characterise its dependence on the physical buffer characteristics, the buffer models are designed and simulated in MATLAB and VPI. The associated mathematical models, developed in this work, are validated by the results produced using these simulation packages. The benefit of this research is reflected in the fact that varying the parameters of the mathematical model effectively simulates the changing of physical device characteristics. Consequently, the designing process becomes less arduous, as lengthy simulation times are now reduced. Moreover, as physical implementation can now be delayed until the buffer design is optimised, production cost may be reduced.


In the United States, almost a third of new mothers who worked during pregnancy return to work within three months of childbirth. Current public policies in the U.S. do not support long periods of family leave after childbirth, although some states are starting to change this. As such, it is vital to understand how length of family leave during the first year after childbirth affects families' health and wellbeing. The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between family leave length, which includes leave taking by mothers and fathers, and behavioral and physical health outcomes among new mothers. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth Cohort, we examine measures of depression, overall health status, and substance use. We use a standard OLS as well as an instrumental variables approach with county-level employment conditions and state-level maternity leave policies as identifying instruments. The results suggest that longer maternity leave from work, both paid and un-paid, is associated with declines in depressive symptoms, a reduction in the likelihood of severe depression, and an improvement in overall maternal health. We also find that having a spouse that did not take any paternal leave after childbirth is associated with higher levels of maternal depressive symptoms. We do not find, however, that length of paternal leave is associated with overall maternal health, and we find only mixed evidence that leave length after childbirth affects maternal alcohol use and smoking.


Abstract Background Capecitabine is an oral pro-drug of 5FU. Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), an enzyme encoded by the DPYD gene, is the rate-limiting step in 5FU catabolism. Life threatening gut wall injury occurs in a significant minority of patients and can potentially be predicted in patients with specific DPYD gene polymorphisms which result in decreased enzyme activity. Presently DPYD testing is performed in a limited number of centres in the UK. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to assess the frequency and cost of admissions due to capecitabine gut wall injury. Methods Using our electronic health records data base patients treated with capecitabine who were admitted for 3 days or more and had a stool sample were identified from 2010 to 2017. Individual records were reviewed to identify patients who had been admitted with severe gut wall toxicity. A Patient Level Costing System (PLiCS) was used to calculate the cost of each admission. Adverse outcomes are defined as significant morbidity (Admission > 14 days) or mortality. Results 2626 patients were identified over the 7 year period; 131 were admitted with a history of G2 diarrhoea. (4.9%) 40 with grade 4 toxicity (1.5%); 13 post C1, 25 post C2, 2 post C3 of treatment. Median length of stay 16 days (3 - 46 days). Medical management included loperamide (73%), codeine (45%), octreotide (17.5%) and TPN (10%) Low albumin levels ( 14 days (35%). 11 patients died due to significant toxicity (0.4% of initial patient cohort) The costs of admission in this patient group using PLiCS analysis is approximately £37,000/annum. Conclusions Patients presenting with significant toxicity and the potential for DPYD deficiency have significantly prolonged inpatient stays, increased morbidity and mortality. Baseline bloods are a weak predictor of outcome in this patient group. DPYD testing is near cost neutral, the introduction of routine testing for DPD deficiency would allow oncologists to identify a meaningful proportion of patients at risk of significant toxicity ahead of treatment, and the ability to modify treatment plans accordingly and improve safety. Legal entity responsible for the study Leeds Cancer Centre. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


Fermionic Quantum Magnetism Optical lattices loaded with cold atoms have been used successfully as quantum simulators of condensed matter systems; however, in the case of fermionic quantum magnetism, achieving low enough temperatures has been a major obstacle. Greif et al. (p. 1307, published online 23 May; see the Perspective by Porto) selectively tuned the exchange interactions in an optical lattice of fermions, forcing a redistribution of entropy such that in the low-entropy subsystem the effective temperature was sufficiently low enough to lead to magnetic correlations. A redistribution of entropy in an optical lattice loaded with atoms leads to magnetic correlations. [Also see Perspective by Porto] Quantum magnetism originates from the exchange coupling between quantum mechanical spins. Here, we report on the observation of nearest-neighbor magnetic correlations emerging in the many-body state of a thermalized Fermi gas in an optical lattice. The key to obtaining short-range magnetic order is a local redistribution of entropy, which allows temperatures below the exchange energy for a subset of lattice bonds. When loading a repulsively interacting gas into either dimerized or anisotropic simple cubic configurations of a tunable-geometry lattice, we observe an excess of singlets as compared with triplets consisting of two opposite spins. For the anisotropic lattice, the transverse spin correlator reveals antiferromagnetic correlations along one spatial axis. Our work facilitates addressing open problems in quantum magnetism through the use of quantum simulation.


Radical and Incremental Innovation Preferences in Information Technology: An Empirical Study in an Emerging Economy Abstract Innovation in information technology is a primary driver for growth in developed economies. Research indicates that countries go through three stages in the adoption of innovation strategies: buying innovation through global trade, incremental innovation from other countries by enhancing efficiency, and, at the most developed stage, radically innovating independently for competitive advantage. The first two stages of innovation maturity depend more on cross-border trade than the third stage. In this paper, we find that IT professionals in in an emerging economy such as India believe in radical innovation over incremental innovation (adaptation) as a growth strategy, even though competitive advantage may rest in adaptation. The results of the study report the preference for innovation strategies among IT professionals in India and its implications for other rapidly growing emerging economies.


Adobe Photoshop Express Beta is a free Rich Internet Application (RIA) that allows users to store, sort and display digital photos with eye-catching effects. Photoshop Express Beta allows users to store up to 2 gigabytes of images online for free, and lets users make edits to their photos and share them online in creative ways. For example, users can download and upload photos to and from various social networking and image-hosting sites, including Facebook, PhotoBucket, and Picasa. In this handy, low-priced guide, best-selling author Jeff Carlson walks you through the key new features of this exciting new Adobe application. After taking you on a tour of the Photoshop Express Beta interface, Jeff shows you how to assemble your library, which includes uploading and transferring photos from online services, editing your photo's metadata, and creating an album. You'll then move on to adjusting your photos--from basic editing techniques, such as crop and rotate, auto correct, red-eye removal and exposure--to creating more advanced effects. Finally, you'll learn everything you need to know to share your photos with others, including creating a gallery, sharing albums, exporting edited photos, and more.


In this essay, the author explores whether nuclear catastrophe is beyond the reach of art. A documentary photographer, she reflects on her own work capturing the lives of those who lived downwind of the nuclear tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site in the United States. Many years after being immersed in the project for a decade, and documenting the effects of 1,000 nuclear devices that had exploded above this population, the author finally arrives at the answer to her question.


We consider the problem of representing and manipulating non-manifold multidimensional shapes, discretized as d-dimensional simplicial Euclidean complexes, for modeling finite element meshes derived from CAD models. We propose a dimension-independent data structure for simplicial complexes, that we call the Incidence Simplicial (IS) data structure. The IS data structure is scalable to manifold complexes, and supports efficient traversal and update algorithms for performing topological modifications, such as hole removal or dimension reduction. It has the same expressive power and performances as the incidence graph, commonly used for dimension-independent representation of simplicial and cell complexes, but it is much more compact. We present efficient algorithms for traversing, generating and updating a simplicial complex described as an IS data structure. We compare the IS data structure with dimension-independent and dimension-specific representations for simplicial complexes. Finally, we briefly discuss two applications that the IS data structure supports, namely decomposition of non-manifold objects for effective geometric reasoning, and multi-resolution modeling of non-manifold multi-dimensional shapes.


The rise of social media platforms has fundamentally altered the public discourse by providing easy to use and ubiquitous forums for the exchange of ideas and opinions. Elected officials often use such platforms for communication with the broader public to disseminate information and engage with their constituencies and other public officials. In this work, we investigate whether Twitter conversations between legislators reveal their real-world position and influence by analyzing multiple Twitter networks that feature different types of link relations between the Members of Parliament (MPs) in the United Kingdom and an identical data set for politicians within Ireland. We develop and apply a matrix factorization technique that allows the analyst to emphasize nodes with contextual local network structures by specifying network statistics that guide the factorization solution. Leveraging only link relation data, we find that important politicians in Twitter networks are associated with real-world leadership positions, and that rankings from the proposed method are correlated with the number of future media headlines.


This dissertation details the findings of experimental investigations of welds made between ferritic creep resistant steels that differ in chromium content. Analysis of the microstructural evolution during the application of post weld heat treatments is reported. Particular attention was paid to the key alloy strengthening mechanisms and the manner in which they were affected by carbon redistribution which takes place when these welds are exposed to high temperatures. The fusion interface regions of transition joints, made between P91 parent alloy and P22, P23 and P24 type weld consumables, were analysed in as received and post weld heat treated conditions. Carbon redistribution from the low to higher alloyed material, which resulted in its depletion from weld alloy adjacent to the fusion line, was confirmed in all weld systems subsequent to post weld heat treatment (PWHT). The effect of tempering treatments, carried out at 730°C for two and eight hour durations, on carbide populations in partially decarburised weld alloy was explored. The consequential microstructural changes, which were affected by the dissolution of M23C6 and M7C3 carbides, were compared to those observed in regions of weld alloy unaffected by carbon depletion. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were used extensively in the analysis of weld metal and heat affected zone (HAZ) microstructures. Electron diffraction and x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy were exploited in the crystallographic and chemical characterisation of precipitates. Their evolution as a function of thermal exposure is presented for each alloy. Chemical signatures for each precipitate species, which enabled their identification, were determined for carbides in the different alloys. However, due to variations in the compositions of fusion interface M23C6 carbides, some permutations of which overlapped with compositions of M7C3, satisfactory identification demanded classification of their crystal structure. A significant difference between the microstructures of P23 and P24 alloys, in the weld specimens tested, was observed. Although vanadium and niobium carbonitrides (MX) were identified in both alloys, their distributions were not the same. Retention of carbonitride particles within partially decarburised P23 and P24 weld materials, subsequent to 8 hours post weld heat treatment, has been substantiated. Diffraction intensity distributions in Debye-Scherrer ring patterns, which were generated from MX precipitation, indicated lattice parameters varied. Microanalysis revealed that MX precipitates were present over a wide range of compositions. A combination of the composition analysis and diffraction studies indicated that MX precipitation was stable over a range of compositions in the carbon depleted regions of P24 alloy. Recrystallisation of the bainitic P22 weld alloy adjacent to the fusion line, which was accompanied by a loss of material hardness, was observed in 2 and 8 hour PWHT P91/P22 welds. It has been shown that the microstructural stabilisation of carbon depleted T/P23 and T/P24 alloys was conferred by a dispersion of MX precipitates. Retention of these stable particles, which in many cases are less than 10 nm in diameter, in carbon depleted material, resulted in the complete avoidance of any recrystallisation in 2 hour post weld heat treated T/P23 and T/P24 welds and only isolated occurrences in 8 hour tempered specimens. Subgrain size distributions were determined from electron channeling contrast images of various regions of the dissimilar metal welds. Results showed that, although recrystallisation of MX forming alloys did not occur, destabilisation of lath boundaries, due to the dissolution of M23C6 and M7C3 carbides, results in a coarser subgrain microstructure in carbon depleted P24 weld alloy. The loss of resistance to plastic deformation as a result of recrystallisation, which has been shown to take place in decarburised P22 alloy, was not observed in the alloys which precipitated the MX phase.


This article compares two spheres in which courts induce and oversee the restructuring of organizations that fail systematically to comply with their legal obligations: bankruptcy reorganization and public law litigation (civil rights or regulatory suits seeking structural remedies). The analogies between bankruptcy and public law litigation (PLL) have grown stronger in recent years as structural decrees have evolved away from highly specific directives to "framework" decrees designed to induce engagement with stakeholders and make performance transparent. We use the comparison with bankruptcy, where the value and legitimacy of judicial intervention are better understood and more accepted, to address prominent criticisms of PLL. Our comparison shows that judicial intervention in both spheres responds to coordination problems that make individual stakeholder action ineffective, and it explains how courts in both spheres can require and channel major organizational change without administering the organizations themselves or inefficiently constricting the discretion of managers. The comparison takes on greater urgency in light of the Trump Administration's vow to "deconstruct the administrative state," a promise which, if kept, will likely increase demand for PLL.


'Johannesburg,' John Matshikiza (2004, 482) writes, 'is an ever-changing movie that no one has quite managed to produce'. More notable for its energy than its beauty, its architecture represents a compendium of architectural styles and its terrain, Charles van Onselen (2001, ix) notes is without 'fertile soil, striking natural vegetation, a lake, a mountain, a valley, a river or even an attractive perennial stream'. Its character is raw, hard and unrelieved, and its wayward population, since the first decade of its existence, Clive Chipkin (1993, 9) explains, 'is seemingly indifferent to everything except the pursuit of money'.


Organic anion transporting polypeptide (oatp) is an integral membrane protein cloned from rat liver that mediates Na+-independent transport of organic anions such as sulfobromophthalein and taurocholic acid. Previous studies in rat hepatocytes suggested that organic anion uptake is associated with base exchange. To better characterize the mechanism of oatp-mediated organic anion uptake, we examined transport of taurocholate in a HeLa cell line stably transfected with oatp under the regulation of a zinc-inducible promoter (Shi, X., Bai, S., Ford, A. C., Burk, R. D., Jacquemin, E., Hagenbuch, B., Meier, P. J., and Wolkoff, A. W. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 25591–25595). Whereas noninduced transfected cells showed virtually no uptake of [3H]taurocholate, taurocholate uptake by induced cells was Na+-independent and saturable (K m = 19.4 ± 3.3 μm; V max = 62.2 ± 1.4 pmol/min/mg protein; n = 3). To test whether organic anion transport is coupled to HCO3 − extrusion, we compared the rates of taurocholate-dependent HCO3 − efflux from alkali-loaded noninduced and induced cells. Monolayers grown on glass coverslips were loaded with the pH-sensitive dye 2′,7′-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein; intracellular pH (pHi) was measured by excitation ratio fluorometry. Noninduced and induced cells were alkalinized to an equivalent pHi (∼7.7) by transient exposure to a 50 mmHCO3 −, Cl−-free solution. In the absence of extracellular Cl− and taurocholate, isohydric reduction of superfusate HCO3 −concentration from 50 to 25 mm resulted in an insignificant change in pHi over time (dpHi/dt) in both groups. Addition of 25 μm taurocholate to the superfusate led to a rapid fall in pHi in induced (−0.037 ± 0.011 pH units/min to pHi of 7.41 ± 0.14) but not in noninduced (0.003 ± 0.006 pH units/min to pHi of 7.61 ± 0.08) cells (p < 0.03). These data indicate that oatp-mediated taurocholate transport is Na+-independent, saturable, and accompanied by HCO3 −exchange. We conclude that organic anion/base exchange is an important, potentially regulatable component of oatp function.


This article discusses the meaning and origins of serpentine walls, also known as sinusoidal walls, an architectural form most commonly attested at Middle Kingdom sites, though examples are known from the New Kingdom as well. Following a review of previous interpretations of serpentine walling and a survey of examples of this architectural feature, this article will demonstrate that such walls did not possess a particular religious or ritual signicance, though this does not mean that they were devoid of symbolic meaning. Given their presence at domestic installations, marginal placement relative to temple or funerary monuments, and frequent association with unnished monumental constructions, the origins of serpentine walling should perhaps be sought in nonelite architectural practices. In view of the sites of where they were rst employed and last attested, serpentine walling seems may have been a regional Theban, or at least Upper Egyptian, building technique that was adopted for use by the Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasty kings and subsequently proliferated throughout Egyptian territory.


The book series Beihefte zur Zeitschrift f r romanische Philologie, founded by Gustav Gr ber in 1905, is among the most renowned publications in Romance Studies. It covers the entire field of Romance linguistics, including the national languages as well as the lesser studied Romance languages. The editors welcome submissions of high-quality monographs and collected volumes on all areas of linguistic research, on medieval literature and on textual criticism. The publication languages of the series are French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian as well as German and English. Each collected volume should be as uniform as possible in its contents and in the choice of languages.


IZA DP No. 13932 DECEMBER 2020 Pension Policies, Retirement and Human Capital Depreciation in Late Adulthood* Economists have mainly focused on human capital accumulation and considerably less on the causes and consequences of human capital depreciation in late adulthood. Studying human capital depreciation over the life cycle has powerful economic consequences for decision-making in old age. Using data from China, we examine how a new retirement program affects cognitive performance. We find large negative effects of pension benefits on cognitive functioning among the elderly. We detect the most substantial impact of the program on delayed recall, a significant predictor of the onset of dementia. We show suggestive evidence that the program leads to larger negative impacts among women. We demonstrate that retirement and access to a retirement pension plan plays a significant role in explaining cognitive decline at older ages. JEL Classification: O12, J24, J26, H55, H75, O15


In the last few years, cell free circulating DNA (cfDNA) analysis has advanced from research to clinical laboratory in the case of non-small cells lung cancer (NSCLC), where patients harboring EGFR activating mutations can benefit from treatments with EGFR inhibitors (EGFT-TKIs). Treatment with an EGFR-TKI has been recently approved for patients with activating mutations of EGFR detected in cfDNA when tumor sample is not available for analysis (1). As cfDNA comes from dead cells whose DNA spills out into circulation, tumor cfDNA can provide eventually more information of tumor heterogeneity NSCLC than tissue biopsy.


In this paper, we considers designing source-optimized irregular repeat accumulate (IRA) codes. The idea is to take advantage of the capability of unequal error protection (UEP) of IRA codes against errors because of their irregularities. Most existing UEP codes only provide different error rates for information bits of different importance but fail to achieve best performance for a given criterion (e.g. averaged distortion). However, in this paper, we propose an approach to design IRA codes optimized for such a criterion. We assume a cost function for the outcomes of the decoder and the error events, among the outcomes, which are determined by the location of the first error bit. We incorporate this cost function into channel code design and obtain IRA codes that are optimized over a new cost function instead of probabilities of error. We design source-optimized IRA codes with inherent UEP capabilities for the SPIHT-coded bitstream as an example of this general idea and use them for scalable image transmission. Conventional ways to achieve UEP are to design rate compatible punctured channel codes and UEP schemes separately. Using the distortion-rate function of the source coder as the cost function and the density evolution in an IRA code design, the optimization of channel codes and the choice of UEP schemes are embedded in the design process of IRA codes. Our design thus achieves source-optimized channel coding or true joint source-channel coding. In simulations, it shows that our scheme outperforms all previous UEP schemes and our results are only 0.40/spl sim/0.73 dB away from the theoretical limit.


Security is a key consideration when deploying Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Due to the constrained hardware resources in sensor network nodes, lightweight cryptographic primitives are often implemented for fast execution and small memory usage. Apart from the computational complexity of cryptographic algorithms, the technique of implementing them in practical terms is another crucial aspect in WSN security development, which directly reflects to the power efficiency. Since the battery life confines the lifetime of a sensor node, energy conservation is normally set as the first priority in developing security solution. This means that the optimal security operation for WSNs has to consume the smallest amount of energy possible while it is active.

A novel power optimization methodology is proposed intended to provide a guideline to evaluate cryptographic primitives and implementation techniques for constructing the power optimal security solution. Noting the inevitable limitations of traditional security implementation techniques, a FPGA-based hybrid technique was innovated to offer high efficiency with flexibility. An interesting impact of the operating frequency on the power consumption in security development was also identified.

Using this methodology, the most suitable cryptographic primitive and hardware implementation configurations were suggested for building environment monitoring application from procedural experiments. This produced an optimal security solution that proved the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed methodology as its actual measurements fully satisfied the predetermined criteria. The outcome showed that the FPGA implementation technique was the most power efficient implementation solution for flexibility-essential applications and the adjustment of operating frequency could be a useful tool to further optimize the security solution for low power.


Searching on complex data, such as medical images and financial time-series has attracted several research efforts in recent years. Feature extraction methods (FEM) and distance-functions (DF) play a crucial role when comparing such data, once they can help bridging the semantic gap between users' intent and the Content-Based Retrieval Systems (CBRS). Metric access methods (MAM), in turn, are important structures aimed at reducing the CBRS answer time. Integrating all these components into a single framework is quite challenging. In fact, such framework should provide flexibility to allow the database administrator (DBA) to add new FEM, DF and MAMs on the fly, as they are being required and developed, combining them according to the requirements of each CBRS application. An adequate way to create a framework is extending the Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) and the SQL language to allow integrating the definition of the FEM, DF and MAMs into the core search engine. In this paper we extend and improve the original strategy of the existing middleware SIREN into a new, complete similarity-enabled framework called SimbA. Based on a new approach, SimbA allows a much tighter and flexible handling of new complex data types, FEM, DF and MAM in a seamless abstraction. We adopted a SQL extension in order to represent the users' queries. Our extension of the SELECT command for similarity comparisons also provides a canonical query execution plan,  which allows using data distribution estimates to generate cost-based optimization plans. To illustrate our architecture, we exemplify the developed concepts showing how to add a new complex data type (the ''financial time-series'') as well as its corresponding FEM into our framework. Through the extended-SQL and by using complex predicates, we provide example applications to store and query two real datasets as relational tables in commercial RDBMS. The first one (DDSM_ROI) is composed of mammograms, while the second (BM&F_BOVESPA) contains weeks of the Brazilian stock exchange index. The experiments performed  confirm  that our approach can be used as a generic backend for CBRS, whereas maintaining all the desirable features of a RDBMS.


Lake Malawi, the third largest lake in Africa, is several million years old. Lake levels have fluctuated to a considerable extent in the late Pleistocene. Although tectonism may have influenced earlier level changes, the more recent changes have been climatically controlled. Major recessions occurred in the period before 25000 years ago and 10740 ± 130 years ago, with further large falls between 1150 and 1250 A. D. and within the period 1500-1850. The 1500-1850 lake recession-refilling cycle is documented by using a variety of techniques. Sediment cores show an erosional hiatus stretching across the southern area of Lake Malawi down to water depths of at least 121 m. Diatoms sharply decline in abundance and diversity across this break, with Melosira nyassensis dominating in the post-erosion period. During the low stage, exposed littoral sands were reworked into aeolian dune-fields along windward shorelines. Oral histories reflect a group memory of this low period, which is supported by 14C dated archaeological finds in beach ridges surrounding the lake. Dating by 210Pb methods show that lacustrine sedimentation had resumed by about 1860. At this time, early explorers, such as Livingstone, were reporting evidence of rising lake levels. Hydrological modelling shows that the lake-level changes indicated are possible in the timespan available. Various permutations of rainfall and timescale are discussed, e. g. a drop of 110 m over 250 years would require rainfall at 50% of modern values. The changes in lake level imply longterm changes in climate; these are highly relevant in the field of drought-risk assessment. The species flock of rocky-shore dwelling Lake Malawi cichlids known as 'Mbuna' contains about 200 species in Malawi's waters. Mitochondrial DNA differentiation shows that the flock as a whole is of extremely recent origin. Almost every rocky outcrop and island has a unique Mbuna fauna, with endemic colour forms and species. As many of these islands and outcrops were dry land within the last 200-300 years, the establishment of the faunas has taken place within that time. The evolution of distinct forms in such a brief timespan is discussed in relation to current ideas on allopatric speciation. The present diversity of the Malawi cichlid-species flock, and particularly the Mbuna, may be readily explained by the rapidity with which small founder populations can diverge from the parent population, as demonstrated by the present chronological evidence on changes in lake levels and by the Mbuna distribution data. The repeated recessions and refillings of the lake have provided numerous opportunities for the establishment of different founder populations and consequently different selection pressures, leading to further bouts of speciation.


Max Farrand's Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 shed light on the intricacies of the debates of the framers over the text of the Constitution. They do not, however, provide authoritative evidence of constitutional meaning. The Philadelphia Convention, after all, was conducted in secret, and the ratifiers, operating in thirteen distinct conventions in culturally and politically diverse states, had no access to its notes. Attempts to glean original intent or meaning from the Records face even greater challenges than attempts to discern a single, collective legislative intent from pieces of legislative history. Yet the Records are not entirely without value in constitutional interpretation. This Article suggests that Farrand's Records serve to confirm something fundamental about the nature of the original Constitution itself-that its text is the product of a hardscrabble compromise, rather than a statesmanlike articulation of broad principle. In contrast with the "living Constitution" theory that the Court has, at times, endorsed, the Records demonstrate that the Constitution's details are not mere placeholders for broader principles; they reflect bargained-for policy decisions. Accordingly, any theory of interpretation that treats textual detail as a marker for broader principle violates the terms of the bargain upon which the framers ― who were a veto gate in the process ― allowed the document to go forward.


In this paper, we propose a variational model to segment an object belonging to a given scale space using the active contour method, a geometric shape prior and the Mumford-Shah functional. We define an energy functional composed by three complementary terms. The first one detects object boundaries from image gradients. The second term constrains the active contour to get a shape compatible with a statistical shape model of the shape of interest. And the third part drives globally the shape prior and the active contour towards a homogeneous intensity region. The segmentation of the object of interest is given by the minimum of our energy functional. This minimum is computed with the calculus of variations and the gradient descent method that provide a system of evolution equations solved with the well-known level set method. We also prove the existence of this minimum in the space of functions with bounded variation. Applications of the proposed model are presented on synthetic and medical images.