Detours are considered key for the efficient operation of a shared rides service, but are also the major pain point for consumers of such services. This paper studies the relationship between the value generated by shared rides and the detours they create for riders. We establish a fundamental limit on the sum of value and detour, and prove this leads to a tight bound on the Pareto frontier of values and detours in a general setting with an arbitrary number requests. We explicitly compute the Pareto frontier for one family of city topologies, and construct it via simulation for several more networks, including one based on ridesharing data from commute hours in Manhattan. We find that average detours are surprisingly small even in low demand density settings. We also find that by carefully choosing the match objective, detours can be significantly reduced with little impact on value, and that the density of ride requests is far more important than detours for the effective operations of a shared rides service. In response to these findings, we propose that platforms implement a two-product version of a shared rides service.


Background: Pineapple extract is a traditional herbal medicine which have many benefits e.g antiinflammation, antioxidan, hydrolysing protein and skin debridement. Ancient people used to take pineapple for dandruff treatment. Ketoconazole is an effective antifungal agent for treating dandruff that works by blocking ergosterol synthesis that is an important component for membrane integrity of fungal cell. Dandruff is the excessive scales production of the scalp. Pityrosporum ovale seems to have an important role in provoking dandruff.
Objective: To compare the effectiveness of 100% pineapple extract with 2% ketoconazole in vitro to the growth of Pityrosporum ovale taken from dandruff.
Method: This study was done by an experimental design. As samples were 30 patients of dandruff with clinical founding and for the last 3 days, are not having shampoo, with positive result of Pityrosporum ovale culture. Diagnosis of Pityrosporum ovale was based on the result of microscopic examination of samples using KOH added blue black parker ink, and inoculation on the SDA olive oil added Amoxycillin 10μg/cc medium at 370 C for 3 days.The colonies of Pityrosporum ovale were diluted in steril 0,9% NaCl to make the solution equal to 0,5 Mc Farland standard. As many as 0,1 cc of solution was cultivated on the olive oil SDA media supplemented with 100% pineapple (Ananas comosus) extract with 2% ketoconazole, and then the media were incubated at 370 C for 3 days.The difference proportion of growth was analyzed by chi square test with degree of signifance of p<0,05.
Result: 30 media of olive oil SDA which contained 100% pineapple (Ananas comosus) extract, 27 (90%) were found (+)/positive Pityrosporum ovale growth and 3(10%) were found (-) /absence growth. And 30 media which contained 2% ketoconazole, 3(10%) were found positive and 27(10%) were found negative. The result of chi square test is significant p=0,000 (p<0,05).
Conclusion: There was a significant difference between the effectiveness of 100% pineapple (Ananas comosus) extract with 2% ketokonazole in inhibiting the growth of Pityrosporum ovale from dandruff. Accordingly, pineapple extract can't replacing ketoconazol 2 % for inhibiting Pityrosporum ovale in treating dandruff

Key words : Pityrosporum ovale, 100% pineapple(Ananas comosus) extract, 2% Ketoconazole


This extraordinary book makes visible the inner complexity of some of the world's most iconic products. Photographer Todd McLellan disassembles mechanical relics such as the typewriter and modern gadgets such as the iPad, before laying them out and photographing them in meticulously detailed arrangements, or capturing them in an exploded form, the individual pieces frozen in mid-air. Essays by people who work within the world of disassembly and restoration accompany each chapter.


The article considers a hierarchical theory that combines concern for two values: individual well-being – as a fundamental, first-order value – and (distributive) fairness – as a high-order value whose exclusive function is to complete the value of individual well-being by resolving internal clashes within it that occur in interpersonal conflicts. The argument for this unique conception of high-order fairness is that fairness is morally significant in itself only regarding what matters – individual well-being – and when it matters – in interpersonal conflicts in which constitutive aspects of individual well-being clash. Consequently, the proposed theory is not exposed to the claim that fairness comes at the expense of welfare. This theory is considered within a consequential framework, based on the standard version and, alternatively, on a novel interpretation of consequentialism. Thus, it refutes the claim that consequentialism does not take the distinction between persons seriously.


The performance of broadband dipole antennas above electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structures is investigated. Two different structures are examined. One is a diamond dipole over an EBG with square patch elements optimized by hand and the other an open sleeve dipole over an EBG optimized by a genetic algorithm (GA). Both configurations demonstrate that a low profile dipole antenna over an EBG can have a broad bandwidth. Careful design of both is required and in particular for best results, the antenna-EBG system should be optimized together, rather than as separate components. The performance is compared to an absorber backed wideband dipole antenna and it is found that the gain is significantly increased, whilst the bandwidth is reduced. In general, for the diamond dipole antenna return loss bandwidths of over 2:1 (67%) have been achieved, although radiation pattern control is difficult and reduces the bandwidth to the order of 1.4:1 (33%). The sleeve dipole over an EBG achieved a bandwidth of 1.28:1 (26%). The realized gain, which is power gain reduced by input match loss, of both structures are approximately the same. GA optimization and parametric studies seem to suggest that bandwidths significantly greater than these are difficult to achieve.


We present a user‐assisted video stabilization algorithm that is able to stabilize challenging videos when state‐of‐the‐art automatic algorithms fail to generate a satisfactory result. Current methods do not give the user any control over the look of the final result. Users either have to accept the stabilized result as is, or discard it should the stabilization fail to generate a smooth output. Our system introduces two new modes of interaction that allow the user to improve the unsatisfactory stabilized video. First, we cluster tracks and visualize them on the warped video. The user ensures that appropriate tracks are selected by clicking on track clusters to include or exclude them. Second, the user can directly specify how regions in the output video should look by drawing quadrilaterals to select and deform parts of the frame. These user‐provided deformations reduce undesirable distortions in the video. Our algorithm then computes a stabilized video using the user‐selected tracks, while respecting the user‐modified regions. The process of interactively removing user‐identified artifacts can sometimes introduce new ones, though in most cases there is a net improvement. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our system with a variety of challenging hand held videos.


This paper discusses how criminal law and religion should or should not be involved with each other from the point of view of the right to freedom of religion. With that in mind the paper addresses several interrelated questions. What does the principle of separation of church and state require, what interests does it serve, and does it allow for criminal law measures that are explicitly concerned with matters of religion or belief? What does the human right to freedom of religion in general imply about the relation between state and religion? To what extend does the right to freedom of religion oppose, allow or require criminal law measures that deal explicitly with religion or belief? Issues discussed here are e.g. blasphemy, apostasy, an proselytism. And finally: is the principle of pluralist democracy better suited to regulating the relation between the state and religion when it comes to criminal law than the separation principle? As regards the analyses of international human rights law, the emphasis of this contribution is the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1966) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR, 1950). The 1981 UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (the 1981 UN Declaration), the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR, 1969), and the African Charter on Human and People's Rights (AfChHPR, 1981) will be considered insofar as these instruments or the jurisprudence based thereon provide relevant direction on the issues under discussion.


The emergency patient with decreased consciousness is identified by clinical examination of pupil size and reaction, additional brain stem reflexes, level of consciousness and motor activity. Priority stabilisation of respiration and perfusion is mandatory in the management of patients with neurological diseases and is part of the strategy aiming at preventing secondary neuronal damage induced by hypoxia, hypercapnia and decreased cerebral perfusion. The goal of the emergency stabilisation is maintenance of normal ventilation and oxygenation as well as keeping mean arterial blood pressure above 70 mm Hg. Hypertonic saline, Mannitol and sedation may be indicated with signs of increased intracranial pressure. Seizures must be treated immediately and some patients may require anaesthesia and positive pressure ventilation.


change policy is dominated by targets. Internationally, the emission reduction commitments of industrialized countries are the cornerstone of the Kyoto Protocol. Agreement on a fresh set of targets is central to a new global deal for after 2012 when the current Kyoto commitments expire. At the national level, practically all countries that have enacted climate change legislation, and many now have, phrase their climate objectives in terms of targets [1]. This is true for industrialized countries, such as the UK, which has had statutory emission targets since 2008. Increasingly, it is also true for emerging economies such as China, whose latest 5-year plan features both energyand carbon-intensity targets. It is therefore fair to ask whether emissions targets are indeed an effective way of curtailing emissions. The short answer is that it depends. There have been notable successes with emissions targets, for example in the UK and to some degree in the EU, where carbonintensive firms are subject to an emissions cap under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). In contrast, few would argue that the emission reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol have been an unqualified success. Targets, it seems, work best at the national and firm level, where they can be enforced through regulatory means. They work less well if they are voluntary or difficult to impose, such as in an international setting.


In growing numbers, scholars are integrating social media tools like blogs, Twitter, and Mendeley into their professional communications. The online, public nature of these tools exposes and reifies scholarly processes once hidden and ephemeral. Metrics based on this activities could inform broader, faster measures of impact, complementing traditional citation metrics. This study explores the properties of these social media-based metrics or "altmetrics", sampling 24,331 articles published by the Public Library of Science.
We find that that different indicators vary greatly in activity. Around 5% of sampled articles are cited in Wikipedia, while close to 80% have been included in at least one Mendeley library. There is, however, an encouraging diversity; a quarter of articles have nonzero data from five or more different sources. Correlation and factor analysis suggest citation and altmetrics indicators track related but distinct impacts, with neither able to describe the complete picture of scholarly use alone. There are moderate correlations between Mendeley and Web of Science citation, but many altmetric indicators seem to measure impact mostly orthogonal to citation. Articles cluster in ways that suggest five different impact "flavors", capturing impacts of different types on different audiences; for instance, some articles may be heavily read and saved by scholars but seldom cited. Together, these findings encourage more research into altmetrics as complements to traditional citation measures.


I argue that the dominant paradigms in IR fail to explain adequately two of the central issues in the international system: the origins of the majority of conflicts and the behavior of the majority of states. These paradigms fail because they formulate generalizations from data drawn from a restricted universe and because they lack historical depth. Both these flaws are related to inequality in the arena of the production of knowledge in IR, which in turn is a function of the inequality in material capabilities in the international system.

A supplementary, if not alternative, perspective is needed to correct this situation and fill this gap. We can fashion such a perspective by drawing upon classical realist thought, the historical sociology of state formation, and the normative perspicacity of the English School. Combining their insights and applying them to the analysis of Third World conflict patterns and the external and domestic behavior of Third World states is likely to provide more satisfactory explanations for the origins of the majority of contemporary conflicts.

Such an exercise will also shed light on the crucial variables that determine the behavior of the majority of states in the Third World. Moving postcolonial states into the mainstream of theorizing in IR will also help reduce the impact of inequality on the field and open new vistas for theoretically informed scholarly research. I also call for pluralism in international relations theorizing rather than a search for universally applicable law–like generalizations divorced from historical and social contexts.


Most food products are highly perishable as they constitute a rich nutrient source for microbial development. Seafood is one of the most highly perishable food products due to the chemical effects of atmospheric oxygen and the growth of spoilage microorganisms. Therefore, the spoilage of food depends up on the physiological state of spoilers and on their ability to resist the processing/storage conditions. In addition, spoilage relies on the density of the population and the interactions between the microorganisms composing the ecosystems of seafood involving quorum sensing. This review mainly introduces the SSOs of seafood under different preserve conditions, the spoilage microorganisms employing quorum sensing system, and describes the relationship between quorum sensing and spoilage potential in these microorganisms.


Glass, a brittle material, fractures under tensile stress acting over a time duration. Lateral loads, such as wind, acting on a simply supported rectangular glass lite, put one surface of the lite primarily into tension. ASTM E 1300 defines load resistance of glass as the uniform lateral loading acting over a duration of 3 seconds that is associated with a probability of breakage of 8 lites per 1000 at the first occurrence of the loading. To determine load resistance, the underlying window glass failure prediction model facilitates determination of a probability distribution of 3 second equivalent failure loads, P3. The glass failure prediction model is based on a Weibull distribution, and most people believe the distribution of P3 is, in fact, a Weibull distribution. However, the authors contend that this is not the case. This paper provides an explanation of the glass failure prediction model, its basis, and a discussion of the method for determining surface flaw parameters with an example. The authors demonstrate the distribution of the equivalent failure loads does not follow a Weibull distribution, and they will elucidate the relationship between the distribution of P3 and the Weibull distribution.


An important center of dancehall reggae performance, sound clashes are contests between rival sound systems: groups of emcees, tune selectors, and sound engineers. In World Clash 1999, held in Brooklyn, Mighty Crown, a Japanese sound system and the only non-Jamaican competitor, stunned the international dancehall community by winning the event. In 2002, the Japanese dancer Junko Kudo became the first non-Jamaican to win Jamaica's National Dancehall Queen Contest. High-profile victories such as these affirmed and invigorated Japan's enthusiasm for dancehall reggae. In Babylon East , the anthropologist Marvin D. Sterling traces the history of the Japanese embrace of dancehall reggae and other elements of Jamaican culture, including Rastafari, roots reggae, and dub music.

Sterling provides a nuanced ethnographic analysis of the ways that many Japanese involved in reggae as musicians and dancers, and those deeply engaged with Rastafari as a spiritual practice, seek to reimagine their lives through Jamaican culture. He considers Japanese performances and representations of Jamaican culture in clubs, competitions, and festivals; on websites; and in song lyrics, music videos, reggae magazines, travel writing, and fiction. He illuminates issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class as he discusses topics ranging from the cultural capital that Japanese dancehall artists amass by immersing themselves in dancehall culture in Jamaica, New York, and England, to the use of Rastafari as a means of critiquing class difference, consumerism, and the colonial pasts of the West and Japan. Encompassing the reactions of Jamaica's artists to Japanese appropriations of Jamaican culture, as well as the relative positions of Jamaica and Japan in the world economy, Babylon East is a rare ethnographic account of Afro-Asian cultural exchange and global discourses of blackness beyond the African diaspora.


In recent years, techniques based on convex optimization and real algebra that produce converging hierarchies of lower bounds for polynomial minimization problems have gained much popularity. At their heart, these hierarchies rely crucially on Positivstellensätze from the late 20th century (e.g., due to Stengle, Putinar, or Schmüdgen) that certify positivity of a polynomial on an arbitrary closed basic semialgebraic set. In this paper, we show that such hierarchies could in fact be designed from much more limited Positivstellensätze dating back to the early 20th century that only certify positivity of a polynomial globally. More precisely, we show that any inner approximation to the cone of positive homogeneous polynomials that is arbitrarily tight can be turned into a converging hierarchy of lower bounds for general polynomial minimization problems with compact feasible sets. This in particular leads to a semidefinite programming–based hierarchy that relies solely on Artin's solution to Hilbert's 17th problem. We also use a classical result from Pólya on global positivity of even forms to construct an "optimization-free" converging hierarchy for general polynomial minimization problems with compact feasible sets. This hierarchy requires only polynomial multiplication and checking nonnegativity of coefficients of certain fixed polynomials. As a corollary, we obtain new linear programming–based and second-order cone programming–based hierarchies for polynomial minimization problems that rely on the recently introduced concepts of diagonally dominant sum of squares and scaled diagonally dominant sum of squares polynomials. We remark that the scope of this paper is theoretical at this stage, as our hierarchies—though they involve at most two sum of squares constraints or only elementary arithmetic at each level—require the use of bisection and increase the number of variables (respectively, the degree) of the problem by the number of inequality constraints plus three (respectively, by a factor of two).


Abstract. To determinate the diagnostic value of diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) in intracerebral hematomas, epidural hematomas, subdural hematomas, and subarachnoid hemorrhage, and to assess the contribution of diffusion signal characteristics in the differentiation of hematoma stages. In this prospective study, consecutive 67 patients (range: 3-89 years), 35 (18 men 17 women) with intracerebral hematoma, 18 (10 men 8 women) with subdural hematoma, 2 (1 man 1 woman) with epidural hematoma, and 12 (5 men 7 women) with subarachnoid hemorrhage on conventional MRI sequences constituted the case group and were evaluated with DWI. Intracerebral, subdural and epidural hematomas detected on conventional MR sequences were also shown on DWI. But none of the cases with subarachnoid hemorrhage was demonstrated on DWI. All intracranial hematomas detected on DWI except from chronic stage subdural hematomas showed similar signal intensity characteristics on DWI and T2WI, but were hypointense on ADC maps. All intracerebral, subdural and epidural hematomas seen on conventional MR sequences could be detected by DWI. On the contrary, DWI was not an effective imaging method for detecting subarachnoid hemorrhages. Using DWI alone for detecting the stages of hemorrhages can provide only additional information in subdural and intracerebral hematomas, and it is unable to give definite results, and the lesions should be evaluated by the correlation with other conventional MRI sequences. Key words: Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging, intracranial hematomas


With rapidly development of Chinese economy, martial arts culture has slowly fade out of people's view, now some people only focus on profit,forget Chinese excellent traditional culture, such thought is quite bad for Chinese such extensive and profound marginal culture, therefore the paper takes it as entry point to study. The paper makes specific analysis of Chinese martial arts culture status, by studying Chinese recent years' martial artists amount change and martial artists gender proportions, utilizing numerical analysis and data handling methods, and then finds out that present Chinese martial artists are decreasing by year, it should lay emphasis on cultivating martial artists of more high technology and high quality; establishes contemporary Chinese martial arts development influential relative factors models, by goal programming method and correlation analysis method, it studies martial arts events of masses most satisfaction, final it gets conclusions that: Taijiquan, Wing Chun, and nunchaku are martial arts events of contemporary residents most satisfaction. By above comprehensive analysis, combine with contemporary martial arts development, put forward relative suggestions to propel to Chinese martial arts development that contemporary Chinese martial arts development has many obstacles, it should expand its publicity, driving martial arts development by sports tourism, and then let masses to go deeper understanding about martial arts knowledge.


Electronic cigarettes pose a competitive threat to the makers of cigarettes and other tobacco products, as well as to nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine gum and patches. A common response to such a threat is support for government regulation to suppress competition. Predictably, cigarette manufacturers and other threatened producers, as well as the governments that earn revenue from tobacco taxes, are supporting greater regulation of electronic cigarettes that would replicate the cartel-supporting rules of the Master Settlement Agreement. These efforts are aided by anti-smoking organizations that would like to prevent the growth of demand for electronic cigarettes. This episode allows application of the Bootlegger and Baptist theory of regulation. Groups with divergent interests have aligned in support of cartelizing regulation of electronic cigarettes. As with other episodes of Bootlegger and Baptist coalitions, it is unclear whether the resulting policies will serve the public interest. There is evidence that electronic cigarettes pose substantially lower health risks than traditional cigarettes and may help smokers quit or reduce their tobacco consumption. Therefore, insofar as regulation restricts electronic cigarettes, it may undermine public health.


Early event detection aims to detect events even before the event is complete. However, most of the existing methods focus on an event with a single label but fail to be applied to cases with multiple labels. Another non-negligible issue for early event detection is a prediction with overconfidence due to the high vacuity uncertainty that exists in the early time series. It results in an over-confidence estimation and hence unreliable predictions. To this end, technically, we propose a novel framework, Multi-Label Temporal Evidential Neural Network (MTENN), for multi-label uncertainty estimation in temporal data. MTENN is able to quality predictive uncertainty due to the lack of evidence for multi-label classifications at each time stamp based on belief/evidence theory. In addition, we introduce a novel uncertainty estimation head (weighted binomial comultiplication (WBC)) to quantify the fused uncertainty of a sub-sequence for early event detection. We validate the performance of our approach with state-of-the-art techniques on real-world audio datasets.


In veterinary medicine, point-of-care testing (POCT) techniques have become popular, since they provide immediate results and only small amounts of blood are needed. However, their accuracy is controversial. Pigs are often used for research purposes and accurate measurement of haemoglobin (Hb) is important during invasive procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate two different Hb POCT devices in neonatal pigs. A prospective study with 57 pigs of 3–6 weeks of age, weighing 4.1–6.2 kg (median 5.1 kg) was performed. Fifty-seven blood samples were analysed for Hb using a conductivity-based and a photometrical POCT device and compared with a photometrical reference method. Statistical analysis was performed with Bland–Altman analysis, Spearman correlation and Passing–Bablok regression analysis. Hb values ranged from 32 to 108 g/L (median 80 g/L) using the reference method. The bias of the photometrical method (HemoCue®) to the reference method was −1 g/L, with limits of agreement (LOA) of −7 to 6 g/L. The conductivity-based method (i-STAT®) had a bias of −15 g/L with LOA from −24 to −6 g/L. There was a significant association between protein values and the bias of i-STAT versus CellDyn (r 2 = 0.27, P < 0.05) but not with the bias of HemoCue versus CellDyn (r 2 = 0.001, P = 0.79). The lower the protein values were, the lower the Hb values were measured by the i-STAT. The conductivity-based measurement of Hb constantly underestimated Hb values, whereas the photometrical method demonstrated a better accuracy and is therefore more reliable for on-site measurement of Hb in pigs.


This paper speaks of AgroLib-Ja (Agricultural Library in Jagodina), innovative project of Public Library of Jagodina, Serbia, which has "developed the idea of changing the libraries according to the changing of users' needs "

In the past, Public Library of Jagodina was a classic, traditional library devoted to readers. Today, Public Library of Jagodina is a modern library devoted to users and it is actively involved in solving problems in the local community.

In addition to its basic functions in sharing knowledge, Public Library of Jagodina is also devoted to provide support to socially underestimated groups of people. As the main Library for Pomoravlje region, Public Library in Jagodina supervises all libraries, among others rural libraries. Supervisions data indicated difficult situation in the villages and in the rural libraries.

Considering the possibilities for improving the lives of people in rural areas with the help of forming new services in rural libraries, Public Library of Jagodina in 2008 conducted a survey among farmers. The conducted survey showed the following: that about 90% of questioned farmers had no ICT skills; 88% of them wanted to attend ICT trainings; 84% wanted to attend agricultural lectures and 100% wanted to visit the library in order to find agricultural literature. Also, according to that research we found out that the farmers have no computers and Internet and they do not know how to use them and they are not familiar with the advantages of informing by the Ministry of Agriculture and other state institutions, so the important information were not available to them.
"Therefore, Public Library of Jagodina realized that in order to meet the needs of rural residents, village libraries had to be renovated and turned into information, communication and educational hubs of local communities "

In response to that, an innovative project has been invented, titled AgroLib-Ja, addressed to the farmers as a marginalized group of people in the society and unreached library users. Before introduction of the AgroLib service in 2010, many village libraries in Serbia were devastated and farmers were struggling to access the information they needed to improve their farming methods. "The project, titled AgroLib-Ja, was aimed for revitalization of five rural libraries and creation a network of rural libraries that provide information and communication services especially for farmers ".

Today, in five rural libraries the following services are accessible to the farmers:

"• Completely renovated and adapted library environment where farmers can meet, connect, learn and share experiences from best practices.
• Free Internet access and ICT training which helps farmers in sharing best practices, searching for useful information, such as the state subsidies, incentives and grants. Farmers' ICT literacy increases through using computers and the Internet in the libraries. According to data, over 200 farmers have attended ICT training and just from January to March 2013, there were 7 ICT trainings for 27 farmers.
• Agricultural lectures enhanced agricultural production through learning new information and applying it in practice. To this day, the libraries hosted 37 professional lectures with 23 recognized speakers attended by 1,791 farmers.
• Agricultural journals and literature, which help farmers in applying new farming methods. Farmers' agricultural production is enhanced by applying what they read in agricultural magazines and books and hear during agricultural lectures in the libraries; their awareness to available government subsidies and incentives increases with the help of the librarians and the project partners.
• The portal AgroLib offers automatic weather updates, news, digitalized magazines and books and within online marketplace www.agrolib.rs/pijaca/ for free registration, advertising and selling, (marketing 2014) improving income and financial situation of farmers. Since 2010 when AgroLib was established, there have been more than 90,000 visitors. Only in 2013, until March 22 there were 16,559 visits, about 10% more than at the same time last year "

The value of concept of the Agricultural Libraries in Jagodina, Serbia, was recognized by the public libraries in others countries. These are: Klintaine Public Library in Latvia, Pasvalys Marius Katiliskis Public Library in Lithuania and Regional public and University Library Goce Delchev in FYROM. They have successfully adapted the idea of Jagodina Public Library and incorporated it in their practice.

The AgroLib started in 2010 with support of EIFL within PLIP and is still ongoing. The project is supported by the Local government, Agricultural agencies and The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia. For its accomplishments, the project has won three international awards:
- In 2012 by American organization Beyond Access for its originality and innovation in the category Economic Opportunity;
- WSIS 2013 Project Prize for excellence in the category Access to Knowledge and Information;
- ERSTE Foundation Honorary Award for Social Integration 2013.

The aim of this paper is to show that the Public libraries such as the Library in Jagodina may be the initiators of social change not only locally but also wider. The AgroLib has revived and recovered the rural community in Jagodina municipality; AgroLib has caused positive changes in society on the social, economic and cultural level. It brought prosperity and wellness to the rural population. It contributes in changing farmers' attitude towards libraries. Now, farmers are committed to permanent learning, accepting of new knowledge and improving ICT skills. Also, it contributes to changing attitude of local authorities towards libraries.


This thesis explores the contemporary role of guanxi in Chinese entrepreneurship. Although previous research has considered the subject of guanxi and Chinese entrepreneurship, this study aims at providing a deeper and richer understanding of its roles and nature. The study focuses on the relationship between guanxi and Chinese entrepreneurs and specifically deals with the question, Has the importance of guanxi been diminishing in Chinese entrepreneurship? In order to deepen the understanding of guanxi, its nature, characteristics, benefits, advantages, disadvantages, process and applications are explored. Furthermore, as there are many commonalities between networking and guanxi, the study also distinguishes the differences between the two subject matters. In many aspects, it is important to understand the attitude and behaviour of Chinese entrepreneurs. As Chinese entrepreneurs are affected by traditional Chinese heritage, the study also uses different approaches to explain the difference between western and eastern entrepreneurship. The specific qualitative and quantitative technique used for data generation is the adoption of case studies, surveys and telephone interviews. A total of two in-depth case studies, two surveys and thirty telephone interviews have been conducted. From these findings, respondents and interviewees expressed their view points on how guanxi related to their businesses. The findings are used to identify the relationship between guanxi and modern Chinese entrepreneurs, the changing nature of guanxi, and in turn how the changing business environment affects guanxi. The findings from this study conclude that although guanxi is important in China, it is only a tool to implement business strategies but never a substitution, and its importance has been diminishing in Chinese entrepreneurship.


Abstract The set of systems of differential equations that are in normal form with respect to a particular linear part has the structure of a module of equivariants, and is best described by giving a Stanley decomposition of that module. In this paper Groebner basis methods are used to determine a Groebner basis for the ideal of relations and a Stanley decomposition for the ring of invariants that arise in normal forms for Takens-Bogdanov systems. An algorithm developed by Murdock, is then used to produce a Stanley decomposition for the (normal form module) module of the equivariants from the Stanley decomposition for the ring of invariants.


The self-similarity of rocks on the macro-scale is well known—traditionally, the photographs of rock formations usually include a scale-defining object such as a coin, a hammer, a human silhouette, etc. We know now that rock self-similarity, expressed in the quantitative language of fractal geometry, is also ubiquitous in the micro-world as well. In fact, sedimentary rocks are some of the most extensive microstructural fractal systems found in nature. Much of the knowledge of self-similarity on the micro-scale has been accumulated over the last two decades using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS).

In the family of neutron scattering techniques, small-angle scattering has the lowest spatial resolution (Vogel and Priesmeyer 2006, this volume)—it cannot detect the position of individual atoms. It can, however (using two different experimental designs), explore the internal microarchitecture of the pore space over an impressive linear scale range (from nanometers to tens of micrometers). The technique is non-invasive and gives an average value for a given sample volume.

In the following, it is demonstrated how SANS can be used to explore the microstructure of sedimentary and igneous rocks and help gain insights into internal specific surface area, porosity, pore size distribution, mercury intrusion porosimetry, compaction, subsurface generation of oil and gas, adsorption of gases, imbibition of water, distribution of crystalline precipitates and the microstructural effects of heat treatment.

It is the author's intention to provide both a comprehensive introduction for newcomers to the subject and a reference text for those already familiar with small-angle scattering techniques. The article includes a review of theoretical results, selected examples, description of experimental procedures, examples of interpreted data for various types of rocks and references to original work.

### Small-angle scattering (SAS) techniques

SANS (Small-Angle Neutron Scattering) and SAXS (Small-Angle X-ray Scattering), have been used for decades to study the geometry of …


The modern refugee regime, created in the aftermath of World War II, provides protection mainly to people who flee individualized persecution or generalized violence. Subsequent to its creation, a range of new drivers of external displacement—particularly related to the interaction of environmental change, livelihood collapse, and state fragility—have emerged that fall outside the framework of the regime. In order to examine institutional responses to these people, this article develops the concept of survival migration, which describes people who have left their country of origin because of an existential threat for which they have no domestic remedy. It examines six case studies of national and international institutional responses to survival migrants from Zimbabwe, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which fall outside the 1951 Refugee Convention. Based on a conceptual model of regime stretching, the article offers an explanation for variation in the extent to which the existing globa...


In cellular mobile radio systems, transmit beamforming can be used to reduce the interference in the downlink. In a Time Division Duplex (TDD) system with sufficiently short duplex period, the uplink channel estimation can be used to design the downlink beamformer. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the sensitivity of several transmit techniques to the channel variations between uplink and downlink time-slots. This analysis is done using experimental data obtained from real environments.


The purpose of this paper is to discuss how to design entrepreneurial mindsets in different academic cultures and its motives with focus on engineering and management education. Empirical data are collected from, Sweden, Ukraine and India in a ten-year period from 1998-2009. The theoretical framework is based on an integrated view of innovation, design and entrepreneurship sciences. Our findings are that it is quite possible to open up more traditional or narrow mindsets of engineering and management to more broad and multi-scientific approaches, relevant in our complex world. An entrepreneurial mindset has close links to innovation and is characterized by relentless pursuit of opportunities, thinking different, intuitive and executive, is risk-taking and eliminates pre-existing routines. It focuses more on technology and business creation than on state-of-the art technology and business administration. In this approach the culture and climate in an organization and the eco-system around the universities also can be changed to high-light creativity, design and innovation. We have learnt that a strong, open and visionary leadership is necessary in such a challenging work.


The conversation on the school-to-prison pipeline among boys of color is complex and involves understanding how the 4 C's— classroom, cops, courts, and community— interface to create a pipeline. However, what has been underconceptualized is whether and how notions of masculinity and boyhood that emerge within these institutions may operate as an invisible connective tissue across these institutions. In other words, the manner in which the bodies of Black and Latino males are viewed, interacted with, and treated within these institutions provides a rationalizing frame for how the actions within institutions occur. In this special issue, we theorize that, to understand the ways in which the school-to-prison pipeline operates for boys of color, there needs to be theoretical exploration through empirical work of what notions of masculinity are promoted and
detracted within these institutions during boyhood. This interdisciplinary special issue of Boyhood Studies provides a conceptual exploration of how male bodies of color are constructed within and across these institutions, e.g., suspensions (schools), arrests (police), sentencing (courts), and violence (communities) in order to establish the pipeline as concretized through "normative" or oppressive notions of masculinity and boyhood.


Flexible curtain barriers are being investigated as a way to modify power penstock intakes to achieve selective withdrawal. The curtain barrier controls the elevation from which water is drawn. The curtain creates a reservoir within a reservoir. Stratification in the inner reservoir (between the curtain and the intake) depends on the stratification in the main reservoir, inflows from the main reservoir, outflows through the penstocks, and flow caused mixing. Withdrawal from the main reservoir (past the curtain) and withdrawal from the inner reservoir (through the penstock intake) create withdrawal layers as described by available theory. Comments presented in this paper are based on findings from a physical model study and design for Shasta Dam. To further develop these cost effective structures, efforts are currently being directed toward constructing an instrumented prototype.


Visibility limitations make cycling at night particularly dangerous. We previously reported cyclists' perceptions of their own visibility at night and identified clothing configurations that made them feel visible. In this study we sought to determine whether these self-perceptions reflect actual visibility when wearing these clothing configurations. In a closed-road driving environment, cyclists wore black clothing, a fluorescent vest, a reflective vest, or a reflective vest plus ankle and knee reflectors. Drivers recognised more cyclists wearing the reflective vest plus reflectors (90%) than the reflective vest alone (50%), fluorescent vest (15%) or black clothing (2%). Older drivers recognised the cyclists less often than younger drivers (51% vs 27%). The findings suggest that reflective ankle and knee markings are particularly valuable at night, while fluorescent clothing is not. Cyclists wearing fluorescent clothing may be at particular risk if they incorrectly believe themselves to be conspicuous to drivers at night.


A model to simulate tritium behaviour after a release into a confined ventilated volume has been developed. The model assumes that for the investigated cases, tritium behaviour can be characterized by solving the dynamic equations of motion (the compressible Navier-Stokes equations) coupled with the classical k-[variant epsilon] turbulence model to simulate the ventilation in the room and mass diffusion for tritium spreading. The GASFLOW-II fluid dynamics field code, developed through a Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) - Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe co-operation, was used as the computational tool to solve the equations that describe the processes. The numerical results have been validated with experimental data collected on the experimental facility (Caisson) at the Tritium Process Laboratory (TPL) Japan. Additionally an investigation of the influence of the obstacles to the tritium distribution inside the Caisson is presented.


An interface to information systems that can automatically select, sequence, and invoke the sources needed to satisfy a user's request can have great practical value. It can spare the user from the need to know what information is available from each of the sources, and how to access them. We have developed and implemented a graph-oriented technique for representing software modules and databases, along with unification and search algorithms that enable an interface to perform this automatic programming function. The approach works for a large class of useful requests, in a tractable amount of run time. The approach permits the logical integration of preexisting batch application programs and databases. It may also be used in other situations requiring automatic selection of software functions to obtain information specified in a declarative expression.


Distinct cytoplasmic receptors detect specific pathogen-associated molecules to confer inflammasomes with ligand specificity. Members of the NOD-like receptor (NLR) family of cytosolic proteins respond to microbial components in the cytoplasm of infected cells by forming multiprotein complexes called inflammasomes, which stimulate the processing and activation of caspase 1. This protease then processes precursor forms of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18, which induce cell death. NLRC4-containing inflammasomes are formed in response to the bacterial proteins flagellin and PrgJ, a conserved component of the type-III secretion system (TTSS); however, how NLRC4 responds to specific stimuli is unclear (see commentary by Monack). Two groups now implicate NLR family members called NAIPs (NLR family, apoptosis inhibitory proteins) in determining the ligand specificity of NLRC4 inflammasome activation. Kofoed and Vance showed that mouse macrophages lacking NAIP2 failed to activate caspase 1 or undergo cell death in response to PrgJ; however, loss of NAIP2 had no effect on cell death induced by flagellin. In contrast, NAIP5 was required for flagellin-induced caspase 1 activation but was not necessary for cell death induced by PrgJ. Experiments in a reconstituted in vitro system showed that stimulation of NLRC4 inflammasome formation by flagellin required NAIP5, and NAIP5 and flagellin were also present in the complex. In contrast, PrgJ did not induce NAIP5-NLRC4 inflammasome formation but did stimulate complex formation between NAIP2 and NLRC4. Zhao et al. also demonstrated the ability of NAIP2 and NAIP5 to activate NLRC4 inflammasome formation in mouse cells in response to distinct ligands from various bacteria. In addition, they showed that CprI (a TTSS component from Chromobacterium violaceum), but not flagellin, activated NLRC4 inflammasome formation in a human macrophage cell line and that CprI bound to NAIP, the sole human NAIP protein. Together, these data suggest that NAIP proteins bind directly to distinct microbial products and confer ligand specificity to NLRC4 inflammasomes. E. M. Kofoed, R. E. Vance, Innate immune recognition of bacterial ligands by NAIPs determines inflammasome specificity. Nature 477, 592–595 (2011). [PubMed] Y. Zhao, J. Yang, J. Shi, Y.-N. Gong, Q. Lu, H. Xu, L. Liu, F. Shao, The NLRC4 inflammasome receptors for bacterial flagellin and type III secretion apparatus. Nature 477, 596–600 (2011). [PubMed] D. M. Monack, Recognition of a unique partner. Nature 477, 543–544 (2011). [Online Journal]


In this paper we presents the algorithms for I-V measurements of the diode and FET devices using Keithley® instruments. The data from the I-V measurements was acquired and processed according to the proposed characterization algorithms. The characterization algorithms were used in the extractions of transconductance coefficient, threshold voltage and lambda parameters. The instrument setup and algorithms were used for measurement and extraction of level-1 parameters from the NFET devices present in Piezo-electric Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor sensors (POSFET) array. The result shows that the developed approach was useful for the quick characterization of the FET devices in our lab.


The SolidWorks Simulation 2014 Black Book, is written to help professionals as well as learners in performing various tedious jobs in Finite Element Analysis. The book follows a step by step methodology. This book is more concentrated on making you able to use tools at right places. The book covers almost all the information required by a learner to master the SolidWorks Simulation. The book starts with basics of FEA, goes through all the simulation tools and ends up with practical examples of analysis. Chapters on manual FEA ensure the firm understanding of FEA concepts through SolidWorks Simulation. Some of the salient features of this book are : In-Depth explanation of concepts Every new topic of this book starts with the explanation of the basic concepts. In this way, the user becomes capable of relating the things with real world. Topics Covered Every chapter starts with a list of topics being covered in that chapter. In this way, the user can easy find the topic of his/her interest easily. Instruction through illustration The instructions to perform any action are provided by maximum number of illustrations so that the user can perform the actions discussed in the book easily and effectively. There are about 800 illustrations that make the learning process effective. Tutorial point of view The book explains the concepts through the tutorial to make the understanding of users firm and long lasting. Each chapter of the book has tutorials that are real world projects. Project Free projects and exercises are provided to students for practicing. For Faculty If you are a faculty member, then you can ask for video tutorials on any of the topic, exercise, tutorial, or concept. For Any query or suggestion If you have any query or suggestion please let us know by mailing us on email@example.com. Your valuable constructive suggestions will be incorporated in our books and your name will be addressed in special thanks area of our books.


This study examined the coarse- and fine-scale habitat preferences of the long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, in order to inform the management of this threatened species. Live-trapping was conducted in autumn and spring, from 2005 to 2008, at two sites. Macrohabitat preferences were examined by comparing trap success with numerous habitat attributes at each trap site. In spring 2007 and autumn 2008, microhabitat use was also examined, using the spool-and-line technique and forage digging assessments. While potoroos were trapped in a wide range of macrohabitats, they displayed some preference for greater canopy and shrub cover, and ground cover with lower floristic diversity. While most individuals also displayed preferences for various microhabitat attributes, no clear trends were evident across all individuals. Potoroos displayed some foraging preference for microhabitats with higher shrub cover densities and more open ground cover. Despite extensive fox predation risks, individual potoroos did not all preferentially utilise dense ground cover. Future management of known and potential potoroo habitat should aim to provide effective introduced predator control and enhance the diversity of vegetation attributes while avoiding practices that simplify the habitat.


Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) constitute a diversified insect group with more than 12,000 species described. Like other hymenopterans, they are haplodiploid whereby fertilized eggs develop into diploid females (workers and queens) whereas unfertilized eggs develop into haploid males. A large number of species have been cytogenetically studied. The chromosome number is currently known for more than 750 species. All these data are summarized in this paper. Formicidae is one of the insect groups with the most variable chromosome number. The haploid chromosome numbers are known to range from n = 1 to n = 60. This chromosome diversity suggests that karyotype modifications have accompanied ant diversification. Karyotype evolution has followed chromosome-mutation processes able to change not only chromosome number but also chromosome morphology. We review the different chromosome mutations observed in ants and the possible role of such mutations in karyotype evolution in these insects, and we examine the hypotheses proposed to explain how this karyotype evolution may have occurred. Among chromosome rearrangements, Robertsonian centric fusions and fissions, besides inversions and translocations, seem to be the main processes that generate changes in ant karyotypes. Other processes altering chromosome numbers, such as polyploidy or aneuploidy, do not appear to be important in ant evolution. Ant subfamilies present different levels of variation in relation to chromosome number. The highest variation has been found in primitive subfamilies such as Ponerinae (n = 3 60) and Myrmeciinae (n = 1 47) whereas in less primitive subfamilies the chromosome numbers are less variable, as in Dolichoderinae (n = 5 16), Formicinae (n = 8 28), and Myrmicinae (n = 4 35). Few data are available for other subfamilies. Primitive ants present not only the highest range of variation in chromosome number but also the most complex chromosome polymorphisms. In contrast, less primitive genera show lower variation in chromosome number, and generally only simple polymorphisms have been detected. We conclude with an outlook on future research avenues.


In response to a growing popular concern for `sustainability', Green Computing has emerged as a new `sustainability' discourse in which researchers explore solutions to reduce the environmental impact of computing technologies themselves, as well as solutions to reduce the environmental impact of other activities and behaviours through the development of new technologies. Despite good intentions and enthusiasm for the cause, there is little evidence of Green Computing having had significant or long-term impacts, and indeed, as one potential indicator, even combined with all of the efforts of many other disciplines, the exponential curve of growth in carbon emissions continues unabated. This dissertation aims to understand the reasons why Green Computing may have had a limited impact to date, and explore alternative approaches to `sustainability' that may enable greater impact by computing. To begin, key assumptions underpinning Green Computing discourse are exposed in order to contextualise it within the broader debate surrounding an agenda for `sustainability' -- the term itself, while gaining significant traction in popular culture, is deeply contested. It is shown that the discursive characteristics of Green Computing, along with its specific appropriation of the term `sustainability', reinforce a set of values that ultimately undermine its solutions and limit its impact. An alternative discourse is proposed that avoids reinforcement of problematic values, and a radically different conception of `sustainability', and the role that computing may play in contributing to a `sustainable' future, is proposed in a new discourse, namely Cyber-Sustainability. To illustrate the difference in solutions that might emerge from Cyber-Sustainability, an initial set of propositional solutions are presented in the form of patterns, which are offered here as an invitation for others to join in the further elaboration of these patterns towards a comprehensive pattern language.


In the framework of mobile augmented reality, a video stream is sent to the user with the help of a wireless communication link. To guarantee an efficient transmission, the video stream rate is controlled by adapting the encoding parameters such as to follow a given bandwidth. The rate can be reduced by reducing the frame rate and/or by choosing a higher compression factor for the video stream. These parameter modifications impact both the level of detail and the fluidity perceived by the user, and thus his/her subjective appreciation. The experience perceived by the user also depends on the context. During a rapid head motion, the notion of fluidity is more important than for a fixed head position. We propose an end-to-end adaptation scheme which enables the encoding of parameters such as to provide the best experience for the user regarding the dynamical context. For example, when the user moves quickly his/her head, the frame is compressed more to increase the frame rate and hence achieve a better perception of the motion. The lack of direct measurement for the subjective user experience is addressed with the design of objective metrics and a generic model to predict the user quality of experience in real time. A rate control strategy based on a systems approach is deployed to manage the multiple encoding parameters which control the stream rate. The encoder is modeled in an abstract manner as a single-variable linear system, where the content variation is taken as a perturbation. A stable and efficient controller is designed for the abstract model of the encoder. To implement the designed controller, the parameter combinations for the real encoder corresponding to the single input of the abstract model should be determined. A new one-pass algorithm determines this correspondence in real time based on a mapping method. Then, the proposed contextual adaptation enables to get the encoding parameter combination that maximizes the quality of experience using an appropriate model. Finally, the global adaptation scheme combines the rate control, the mapping method and the contextual adaptation for real-time implementation. Simulation and experiments illustrate the approach and the global adaptation scheme is validated through different scenarios.


From the Publisher:
Mobile users are demanding fast and efficient ubiquitous connectivity supporting data applications. This connectivity has to be provided by various different networks and protocols which guarantee that mobile networks function efficiently, performing routing and handoff for mobile users.
Hac proposes a comprehensive design for mobile communications including mobile agents, access networks, application protocols, ubiquitous connectivity, routing, and handoff. It covers the entire spectrum of lower and upper layer protocols to evaluate and design modern mobile telecommunications systems. Furthermore, the aspects of modern mobile telecommunications for applications, networking, and transmission are described.
For mobile users and data applications these are new networking and communications solutions, particularly for the local area network environment.
Describes the recent advances in mobile telecommunications, their protocols and management Covers hot topics such as mobile agents, access networks, wireless applications protocols, wireless LANs, architecture, routing and handoff Introduces and analyses architecture and design issues in mobile communications and networks Includes a section of questions/problems/answers after each chapter
The book is written as a practical, easily accessible tutorial with many figures and examples of existing protocols and architectures making it essential reading for engineers, system engineers, researchers, managers, senior & graduate students.


To study the practical application of a tritium separation process using Self-Developing Gas Chromatography (SDGC) using a Pd-Pt alloy, intermediate scale-up experiments (22 mm ID × 2 m length column) and the development of a computational simulation method have been conducted. In addition, intermediate scale production of Pd-Pt powder has been developed for the scale-up experiments. The following results were obtained: (1) a 50-fold scale-up from 3 mm to 22 mm causes no significant impact on the SDGC process; (2) the Pd-Pt alloy powder is applicable to a large size SDGC process; and (3) the simulation enables preparation of a conceptual design of a SDGC process for tritium separation.


Abstract Objective To measure the coverage and uptake of systematic postal screening for genital Chlamydia trachomatis and the prevalence of infection in the general population in the United Kingdom. To investigate factors associated with these measures. Design Cross sectional survey of people randomly selected from general practice registers. Invitation to provide a specimen collected at home. Setting England. Participants 19 773 men and women aged 16-39 years invited to participate in screening. Main outcome measures Coverage and uptake of screening; prevalence of chlamydia. Results Coverage of chlamydia screening was 73% and was lower in areas with a higher proportion of non-white residents. Uptake in 16-24 year olds was 31.5% and was lower in men, younger adults, and practices in disadvantaged areas. Overall prevalence of chlamydia was 2.8% (95%confidence interval 2.2% to 3.4%) in men and 3.6% (3.1% to 4.9%) in women, but it was higher in people younger than 25 years (men 5.1%; 4.0% to 6.3%; women 6.2%; 5.2% to 7.8%). Prevalence was higher in the subgroup of younger women who were harder to engage in screening. The strongest determinant of chlamydial infection was having one or more new sexual partners in the past year. Conclusions Postal chlamydia screening was feasible, but coverage was incomplete and uptake was modest. Lower coverage of postal screening in areas with more non-white residents along with poorer uptake in more deprived areas and among women at higher risk of infection could mean that screening leads to wider inequalities in sexual health.


Recently, service orientation has increasingly been debated both in research and practice. While researchers postulate a paradigm shift towards services as the basic unit of exchange in economies, companies strive to efficiently provide a wide array of business services to their customers. To accomplish this, companies (a) are required to consciously design the services in their portfolio with respect to a structured engineering approach and (b) also have to flexibly adapt the engineered service processes to individual customer needs, wants, and demands. Hence, services shall be supplied efficiently and in consistent quality without sacrificing customization for customers. Supporting this mass-customization strategy for business services, we present a configurative service engineering approach. After engineering a configurable process model for business services, customized service processes can efficiently be derived from the model by applying configuration mechanisms. The process of configuration is aided by the software tool Adapt(X). We present the concept and tool support by applying them on business services for corrective maintenance in the mechanical engineering sector.


Creating credible virtual reality (VR) computer-generated worlds requires constant updating of the images in all displays to have the correct perspective for the user. To achieve this, the computer must know the exact position and orientation of the user's head. Examples of current techniques for addressing head tracking include magnetic and acousto-inertial trackers, both requiring the user to wear clumsy head-mounted sensors with transmitters and/or wires.
This thesis describes a two-camera, video-based, tetherless 3D head position tracker system specifically targeted for both autostereoscopic displays and projection-based virtual reality systems. The user does not need to wear any sensors or markers.
The head position technique is implemented using Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), allowing the detection and recognition of upright, tilted, frontal and non-frontal faces in the midst of visually cluttered environments. In developing a video-based object detector using machine learning, three main sub-problems arise: first, images of objects such as faces vary considerably with lighting, occlusion, pose, facial expression, and identity. Second, the system has to deal with all the variations in distinguishing objects (faces) from non-objects (non-faces). Third, the system has to recognize a target face from other possible faces so it can identify the correct user to track.
This thesis introduces some solutions to problems in the face detection/recognition domain. For example, it discusses several Neural Networks (NN) per left and right channel, one for recognition, one for detection and one for tracking; real-time NN face and background training (new users have to spend only 2 minutes training before being able to use the system); infrared (IR) illumination (to further reduce image dependency cause by room lighting variation) and global image equalization (in place of local); algorithms highly tuned for the Intel Pentium IV vector processor; and a prediction module to achieve faster frame rates once a face has been recognized. The goal is to reach real-time tracking, in our case 30 frames per second (fps), at 640 by 480 video-image resolution. The system has been evaluated on an ongoing autostereoscopic Varrier™ display project achieving 30 frames per second (fps) at 320 x 240 video-image resolution and 90% tracking position rate.


Bacteria and archaea are key contributors to deep-sea biogeochemical cycles and food webs. The disruptions these microbial communities may experience during and following polymetallic nodule mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the North Pacific Ocean could therefore have broad ecological effects. Our goals in this synthesis are to characterize the current understanding of biodiversity and biogeography of bacteria and archaea in the CCZ and to identify gaps in the baseline data and sampling approaches, prior to the onset of mining in the region. This is part of a large effort to compile biogeographic patterns in the CCZ, and to assess the representivity of no-mining Areas of Particular Environmental Interest, across a range of taxa. Here, we review published studies and an additional new dataset focused on 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicon characterization of abyssal bacterial and archaeal communities, particularly focused on spatial patterns. Deep-sea habitats (nodules, sediments, and bottom seawater) each hosted significantly different microbial communities. An east-vs.-west CCZ regional distinction was present in nodule communities, although the magnitude was small and likely not detectable without a high-resolution analysis. Within habitats, spatial variability was driven by differences in relative abundances of taxa, rather than by abundant taxon turnover. Our results further support observations that nodules in the CCZ have distinct archaeal communities from those in more productive surrounding regions, with higher relative abundances of presumed chemolithoautotrophic Nitrosopumilaceae suggesting possible trophic effects of nodule removal. Collectively, these results indicate that bacteria and archaea in the CCZ display previously undetected, subtle, regional-scale biogeography. However, the currently available microbial community surveys are spatially limited and suffer from sampling and analytical differences that frequently confound inter-comparison; making definitive management decisions from such a limited dataset could be problematic. We suggest a number of future research priorities and sampling recommendations that may help to alleviate dataset incompatibilities and to address challenges posed by rapidly advancing DNA sequencing technology for monitoring bacterial and archaeal biodiversity in the CCZ. Most critically, we advocate for selection of a standardized 16S rRNA gene amplification approach for use in the anticipated large-scale, contractor-driven biodiversity monitoring in the region.


Referring to materials from the federal and state archives of Russia and Ukraine, the authors analyse the preparation and implementation of the abolition of the Zaporozhian Cossack Host, carried out by the government of Empress Catherine II. Many of the sources have never been studied previously. The authors aim to reveal the causes and reasons for the abolition of the Sich, and the timeframe of the process. The authors consider the plans and projects for the abolition of the Sich from different periods and proposed by different representatives of the imperial authorities. The authors prove that the abolition of the Zaporozhian Sich was not a one-time military operation that took place on 4 June 1775. They study the means by which the Russian authorities tried to solve the Zaporozhian problem during the third quarter of the 18th century, reflected in the projects drawn up by M. I. Leontyev, P. A. Rumyantsev, and K. von Stoffeln. They examine the socio-economic, demographical, political, and other aspects of the domestic and foreign policy of the Russian Empire, which influenced the social evolution of the Zaporozhian Cossacks Host and led to its confrontation with the government. Additionally, the article considers the reaction of the Cossack community to the abolition of the Sich.


t is hard to imagine that clinical guidelines, in their current incarnation, will survive. Undoubtedly, doctors need high-quality information to guide clinical decisions, but the development and implementation of clinical guidelines is fraught with difficulty. We have seen heated debate on this subject in the MJA, and two more articles in this issue add fuel to the fire. Williams and colleagues (page 442) make a strong demand for the "Comprehensive disclosure of conflicts [of interest] . . . to safeguard the integrity of clinical guidelines and the medical profession". As they observe, and we know, compliance with guidelines is equated to delivery of high-quality care, and can affect doctors' remuneration. Guidelines themselves, then, must be beyond reproach. Yet, according to Williams et al, only 15% of the 470-plus guidelines on the National Health and Medical Research Council portal contain a conflict of interest statement — a longstanding requirement for research papers. This is surprising, as guidelines have much more influence on clinical practice than a single research paper. A 2009 Institute of Medicine report (Conflict of interest in medical research, education and practice) outlined several examples of inappropriate industry influence on clinical guidelines development in the United States. Pharma ties to individuals and organisations still loom large as an important issue. And there are many other concerns. Subtle influences from personal opinion, cultural mores and vested interests can influence the translation of evidence into clinical care — a step for which the methodology is less well defined than it is for the finding and grading of evidence (BMJ 2010; 340: c306). The role of the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) system in separating the strength of a recommendation from the strength of the evidence is hotly contested (MJA 2011; 195: 324-325). Because of the protracted process of development, guidelines are often out of date before publication, and so lose credibility and currency. Grol and Buchan (MJA 2006; 185: 301-302) lamented the high cost of development in time, labour and money and implored guideline developers to provide useful tools for practitioners and patients. Also in this issue of the MJA, as an example of the discordance between guidelines and actual practice, Inam and colleagues (page 446) report that disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are underused in managing early rheumatoid arthritis compared with guideline recommendations. Instead of the usual explanations for such failure — "habit, lack of motivation, and external barriers such as lack of time, resources and organisational support" — they suggest it may reflect awareness by clinicians of the difficulties of translating a deficient evidence base into practice and practitioners' sensitivity to individual patient issues, such as treatment cost. Patient comorbidity is a real-life issue that makes guideline translation difficult. Generally, guidelines, as a result of development by specialist experts, focus on managing the disease, but not necessarily managing the whole patient, and commonly exclude non-drug treatments. Perhaps new collaborative technologies may soon help to overcome many of the issues that currently plague this essential clinical tool. We intend that the MJA will continue in its role as a repository of clinical guidelines. We already insist on a full conflict of interest statement for each contributor, and all guidelines published in the MJA are peer reviewed. I


Improving information retrieval is one of the central goals of annotation. However, without clear guidelines, annotation risks producing incoherent information. The author recommends answering eight key questions before annotation begins: (1) What aspect of the content must be represented? (2) What are the subject and form of the knowledge to represent? (3) Are annotations only descriptions? (4) Must we reify some classes in descriptions? (5) Is some background knowledge necessary? (6) Is the background knowledge part of the ontology? (7) Can the background knowledge and ontology evolve? (8) Is the Semantic Web common knowledge or distributed knowledge?.


Two experiments were undertaken in which grass silage was used in conjunction with a series of different concentrate types designed to examine the effect of carbohydrate source, protein level and degradability on total dietary phosphorus (P) utilization with emphasis on P pollution. Twelve Holstein-Friesian dairy cows in early to mid-lactation were used in an incomplete changeover design with four periods consisting of 4 weeks each. Phosphorus intake ranged from 54 to 80 g/day and faecal P represented the principal route by which ingested P was disposed of by cows, with insignificant amounts being voided in urine. A positive linear relationship between faecal P and P intake was established. In Experiment 1, P utilization was affected by dietary carbohydrate type, with an associated output of 3.3 g faecal P/g milk P produced for all treatments except those utilizing low degradable starch and low protein supplements, where a mean value of 2.8 g faecal P/g milk P was observed. In Experiment 2, where two protein levels and three protein degradabilities were examined, the efficiency of P utilization for milk P production was not affected by either level or degradability of crude protein (CP) but a significant reduction in faecal P excretion due to lower protein and P intake was observed. In general, P utilization in Experiment 2 was substantially improved compared to the Experiment 1, with an associated output of 1.8 g faecal P/g milk P produced. The improved utilization of P in Experiment 2 could be due to lower P content of the diets offered and higher dry matter (DM) intake. For dairy cows weighing 600 kg, consuming 17-18 kg DM/day and producing about 25 kg milk, P excretion in faeces and hence P pollution to the environment might be minimized without compromising lactational performance by formulating diets to supply about 68 g P/day, which is close to recent published recommended requirements for P.


5- and 6-Uracilmethylphosphonate (5Umpa(2-) and 6Umpa(2-)) as acyclic nucleotide analogues are in the focus of anticancer and antiviral research. Connected metabolic reactions involve metal ions; therefore, we determined the stability constants of M(Umpa) complexes (M(2+)=Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Mn(2+), Co(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), or Cd(2+)). However, the coordination chemistry of these Umpa species is also of interest in its own right, for example, the phosphonate-coordinated M(2+) interacts with (C4)O to form seven-membered chelates with 5Umpa(2-), thus leading to intramolecular equilibria between open (op) and closed (cl) isomers. No such interaction occurs with 6Umpa(2-). In both M(Umpa) series deprotonation of the uracil residue leads to the formation of M(Umpa-H)(-) complexes at higher pH values. Their stability was evaluated by taking into account the fact that the uracilate residue can bind metal ions to give M(2)(Umpa-H)(+) species. This has led to two further important insights: 1) In M(6Umpa-H)-cl the H(+) is released from (N1)H, giving rise to six-membered chelates (degrees of formation of ca. 90 to 99.9 % with Mn(2+), Co(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+), or Cd(2+)). 2) In M(5Umpa-H)$-cl the (N3)H is deprotonated, leading to a higher stability of the seven-membered chelates involving (C4)O (even Mg(2+) and Ca(2+) chelates are formed up to approximately 50 %). In both instances the M(Umpa-H)-op species led to the formation of M(2)(Umpa-H)(+) complexes that have one M(2+) at the phosphonate and one at the (N3)(-) (plus carbonyl) site; this proves that nucleotides can bind metal ions independently at the phosphate and the nucleobase residues. X-ray structural analyses of 6Umpa derivatives show that in diesters the phosphonate group is turned away from the uracil residue, whereas in H(2)(6Umpa) the orientation is such that upon deprotonation in aqueous solution a strong hydrogen bond is formed between (N1)H and PO(3) (2-); replacement of the hydro gen with M(2+) gives the M(6Umpa-H)-cl chelates mentioned.


Abstract Amber from Kachin, northern Burma, has been used in China for at least a millennium for carving decorative objects, but the only scientific collection of inclusion fossils, at the Natural History Museum, London (NHML), was made approximately 90 years ago. Age of the material was ambiguous, but probably Cretaceous. Numerous new records and taxa occur in this amber, based on newly excavated material in the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) containing 3100 organisms. Without having all groups studied, significant new records and taxa thus far include the following (a † refers to extinct taxa): For Plants: An angiosperm flower (only the third in Cretaceous amber), spores and apparent sporangia of an unusual but common fungus, hepatophyte thalli and an archegoniophore of Marchantiaceae, and leafy shoots of Metasequoia (Coniferae). Metasequoia is possibly the source of the amber. For Animals: Mermithidae and other Nematoda; the oldest ixodid tick (a larval Amblyomma); bird feathers; and the only Mesozoic record of the Onychophora ("velvet" worms), described as †Cretoperipatus burmiticus, n. gen., n. sp. (Peripatidae). Poinar's classification of the Onychophora is substantially revised. Still largely unstudied, the fauna of mites (Acari) and spiders (Araneae) appears to be the most diverse ones known for the Mesozoic. For Insecta: Odonata indet. (wing fragment); Plecoptera indet.; new genera of Dermaptera, Embiidina, and Zoraptera (the latter two as the only definitive Mesozoic fossils of their orders). Within Hemiptera, there are primitive new genera in the Aradidae, Hydrometridae, Piesmatidae, Schizopteridae, and Cimicomorpha (Heteroptera), as well as in †Tajmyraphididae (Aphidoidea), and †′otopsyllidiidae. An adult snakefly (Raphidioptera: †Mesoraphidiidae) is the smallest species in the order, and new genera occur in the Neuroptera: Coniopterygidae, Berothidae, and Psychopsidae, as well as larvae of apparent Nevrorthidae. Coleoptera are largely unstudied, but are probably the most diverse assemblage known from the Cretaceous, particularly for Staphylinidae. An adult lymexylid, the most primitive species of Atractocerus, is the first Mesozoic record of the family. In Hymenoptera there are primitive ants (Formicidae: Ponerinae n. gen., and †Sphecomyrma n.sp [Sphecomyrminae]), the oldest record of the Pompilidae, and significant new records of †Serphitidae and †Stigmaphronidae, among others. Diptera are the most diverse and abundant, with the oldest definitive Blephariceridae and mosquito (Culicidae), as well as new genera in the Acroceridae, Bibionidae, Empidoidea; a new genus near the enigmatic genus Valeseguya, and an unusual new genus in the †Archizelmiridae. †Chimeromyia (Diptera: Eremoneura), known previously in ambers from the Lower Cretaceous, is also represented. The stratigraphic distribution of exclusively Mesozoic arthropods in Burmese amber is reviewed, which indicates a probable Turonian-Cenomanian age of this material (90–100 Ma). Paleofaunal differences between the NHML and AMNH collections are discussed, as is the distinct tropical nature of the original biota. Burmese amber probably harbors the most diverse biota in amber from the Cretaceous, and one of the most diverse Mesozoic microbiotas now known.


When Protest Makes Policy: How Social Movements Represent Disadvantaged Groups S. Laurel Weldon, Ann Arbour, University of Michigan Press, 2011. 231pp. ISBN 9780472117482 $113.99 (hardcover) The introduction of When Protest Makes Policy opens with reference to the 1999 'Battle in Seattle' protest against the World Trade Organisation, and the claims made then by the protesters to represent the marginalised people of the world. More than ten years on, this book has been published in a year virtually book-ended by eruptions of high-profile civil society protest movements--most notably the uprisings across the Middle East and the 'Occupy' protest movement throughout the US and other countries--calling for the establishment or reinvigoration of democratic processes. This book is therefore timely in its meticulous examination of the role of social movements in enriching those processes. Whereas the bulk of work on social movements focuses on their role in increasing participation, Weldon breaks new ground by instead considering their role in terms of representation. The basic argument of the book is that social movements play an important role in representing disadvantaged groups politically, and therefore these groups should be formally encouraged to self-organise. In opposition to the view that the presence of group members in the legislature is always the most effective way for disadvantaged groups to influence policy, Weldon demonstrates that the more disadvantaged a group is, the more important civil society representation becomes to their substantive representation in policy-making. Weldon draws on extensive analyses of data about social movement organizations, legislatures and policy to build theoretical inferences about how effective social movements are in achieving substantive policy results for their respective groups. She compares representation by social movements with political parties, labour unions and interest groups, and finds consistently that the more marginalized a group is, the more important civil society-based representation becomes. Although based in a Canadian/US context, she also makes sure to draw on data from a wide variety of other countries in different regions to establish the general applicability of her arguments. Chapters one to four consist of case studies focusing on the policy influence of contemporary social movements pertaining to different groups-women, women workers, workers and women of colour. Weldon pays particular attention to the difficulties inherent in representing a highly diverse group, and is sensitive to the complexities that arise from the intersection of groups. The first chapter, focusing on the women's movement, establishes that social movements can and do play an important role in representing disadvantaged groups in policy-making processes, and that this role is equally (in some cases more) important as the presence of group members in the legislature (for instance, because it can represent a broader range of perspectives than party politics may allow). The following chapters apply and extend these insights in the context of different movements. For instance, she finds that the strength of labour unions is more significant for policies pertaining to provision for families when those provisions do not challenge established gender roles (such as maternity leave), whereas women's movements are influential in the implementation of policies aimed at changing gender roles (such as parental leave for parents of either gender) (p.80). Globally, in both the North and South, the women's movement seems to do more for women worker's than labour unions do, but civil society organizations also play a more important role for working men in the South, compared to the North (p. …


We explore self-organizing strategies for role assignment in a foraging task carried out by a colony of artificial agents. Our strategies are inspired by various mechanisms of division of labor (polyethism) observed in eusocial insects like ants, termites, or bees. Specifically we instantiate models of caste polyethism and age or temporal polyethism to evaluated the benefits to foraging in a dynamic environment. Our experiment is directly related to the exploration/exploitation trade of in machine learning.


Wind shear is an important contributor to fatigue loads on wind turbines. Because it causes an azimuthal variation in angle of attack, it can also affect aerodynamic damping. In this paper, a linearized model of a wind turbine, based on the non-linear aeroelastic code BHawC, is used to investigate the effect of wind shear on the modal damping of the turbine. In isotropic conditions with a uniform wind field, the modal properties can be extracted from the system matrix transformed into the inertial frame using the Coleman transformation. In shear conditions, an implicit Floquet analysis, which reduces the computational burden associated with classical Floquet analysis, is used for modal analysis.

The methods are applied to a 2.3 MW three-bladed pitch-regulated wind turbine showing a difference in damping between isotropic and extreme shear conditions at rated wind speed when the turbine is operating closest to stall. The first longitudinal tower mode decreases slightly in damping, whereas the first flapwise backward whirling and symmetric modes increase in damping. This change in damping is attributed to an interaction between the periodic blade mode shapes and the azimuth-dependent local aerodynamic damping in the shear condition caused by a beginning separation of the flow. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This paper introduces an extension to PyStruct, which is an open source Python library for structured machine learning, based on general Conditional Random Field (CRF) models. We have extended it by supporting multi-type CRF to jointly classify objects of different natures, and by supporting logical constraints at prediction time. Our motivation for extending the library consists in addressing Document Understanding (DU) tasks by collectively classifying the objects present on one or several pages, jointly considering textual objects and objects of other nature like table or images or whatever object can be recognized. The logical constraints are meant to reflect prior knowledge on the DU task. We focus here on the improvement made over PyStruct, giving practical information as well. We also present a reproducible experiment. This new library is publicly available on GitHub under the Simplified BSD License.


Leaf rolling is a dehydration avoidance mechanism for plants under drought stress. To understand how it affects the lignification process in response to long-term drought stress in Ctenanthe setosa plants that have the leaf-rolling mechanism, the enzymes in lignification were studied in unrolled leaves as a control and at 2 different leaf rolling indices at days 35 and 47 of the drought period. The results indicated that the activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase, indole-3-acetic acid oxidase, soluble peroxidase, ionically wall-bound peroxidase, covalently wall-bound peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase were increased during long-term drought stress. However, nitrate reductase activity was decreased while lignin content was increasing during the period of drought. Lignin content was positively correlated to activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase, indole-3-acetic acid oxidase, soluble peroxidase, ionically wall-bound peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase, but it was negatively correlated to activity of nitrate reductase. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between leaf rolling and lignin content. The results indicate that the leaf-rolling process may be related to the lignification mechanism in alleviating damage from stress in Ctenanthe setosa under long-term drought stress.


An investigation was made to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of tapered and rectangular wings with partial-span plain flaps. Two Clark Y airfoils equipped with center section and with tip-section flaps were tested. The results showed that the aerodynamic characteristics of partial-span plain flaps were, in general, similar to those of split flaps of the same span, but that the lift and the drag were less for the wing with plain flaps than for the wing with split flaps of comparable size. For the rectangular wing with center-section plain flaps, the maximum lift and the lift-drag ratio at maximum lift were greater and the drag at maximum lift was less than for the wing with tip-section plain flaps of the same size. The maximum lift of the tapered wing varied in the same manner as that of the rectangular wing but the drag and the lift-drag-ratio relationship were opposite.


The fabrication of redox-active polyoxometalates (POMs)
that can switch between multiple states is critical for their application
in electronic devices, yet, a sophisticated synthetic methodology is
not well developed for such cluster types. Here we describe the
heteroanion-directed and reduction-driven assembly of a series of
multi-layered POM cages 1-10 templated by 1-3 redox-active
pyramidal heteroanions. The heteroanions greatly affect the selfassembly of the resultant POM cages, leading to the generation of
unprecedented three-layered peanut-shaped - 4, 7 and 8 - or bulletshaped - 5 and 6 - structures. The introduction of reduced
molybdate is essential for the self-assembly of the compounds and
results in mixed-metal (W/Mo), and mixed-valence (WVI/MoV) 1-10,
as confirmed by redox titration, UV-Vis-NIR, NMR spectroscopy and
mass spectrometry. 11, the tetrabutyl ammonium (TBA) salt
derivative of the fully oxidized 3, is produced as a model structure for
measurements to confirm that 1-10 are a statistical mixture of
isostructural clusters with different ratios of W/Mo. Finally, multilayered POM cages exhibit dipole relaxations due to the presence of
mixed valence WVI/MoV metal centers, demonstrating their potential
uses for electronic materials.


Objective. To evaluate the prevalence of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis or Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) in a group of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA). Methods. We evaluated serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronine, and free thyroxine, and titers of antithyroglobulin and antithyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) antibodies in 357 consecutive patients with SpA. We also recruited 318 healthy age-matched controls. Ultrasonography of the thyroid gland was performed in all subjects and rheumatic activity was evaluated. Results. Indices of thyroid autoimmunity were significantly more frequent in patients with SpA than in controls (24.09% vs 10.69%, respectively; p < 0.05). In the SpA group, a higher prevalence of HT was found in patients with an active disease than in those with low-moderate disease levels. Also in the SpA group, patients with a disease duration > 2 years had a higher prevalence of HT and anti-TPO antibodies positivity than patients with a disease duration ≤ 2 years. Ultrasonography detected a significantly higher frequency of thyroid nodules and hypoechoic pattern in patients with SpA than in controls. Among patients with SpA, HT and anti-TPO antibodies positivity were significantly more frequent in patients with peripheral involvement (68.6%) than in patients with axial involvement (31.4%; p < 0.05). Conclusion. Our study shows a significantly higher prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity in patients with SpA as compared to controls. Thyroiditis occurs more frequently in patients with longer disease duration and active rheumatic disease. We suggest that thyroid function tests be part of the clinical evaluation in patients with SpA.


Hydraulic fracturing (HF) is widely used in the oil and gas industry to enhance production from tight reservoirs. The process involves the injection of fluid at a given flow rate into a wellbore in order to propagate a fracture in rocks and thus increase their permeability. Linear hydraulic fracture mechanics (LHFM) theories have been developped to predict the fracture propagation, assuming a linear elastic solid and the lubrication fluid flow in the fracture. However, some studies (Chudnovsky et al. 2008; Papanastasiou 1999) have shown deviations from LHFM predictions which indicates an existence of solid non-linearity and a deviation of the Poiseille law. We revisit the problem of a plane-strain hydraulic fracture driven by the injection of a Newtonian fluid in a tight rock. By modelling the quasi-brittle nature of the rock with different cohesive zone models, we study the effect of solid non-linearity on toughness and viscosity-dominated HF regimes. A fixed regular grid is used and an implicit scheme is adopted to solve the increments of the pressure and dislocation for this fully-coupled problem. The elasticity is solved using displacement discontinuity method using piece-wise linear element while the equation of mass conservation is solved by a finite volume method. The numerical algorithm reproduces the same results as LHFM solutions at large time when the cohesive zone is small compared to the fracture length. The shape of the material softening law or cohesive zone model does not influence the results. The accuracy of this method shows a dependence on the mesh refinement in the cohesive zone, which can be costly using a fixed uniform mesh.


Renal drug interactions can result from competitive inhibition between drugs that undergo extensive renal tubular secretion by transporters such as P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of itraconazole, a known P‐gp inhibitor, on the renal tubular secretion of cimetidine in healthy volunteers who received intravenous cimetidine alone and following 3 days of oral itraconazole (400 mg/day) administration. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured continuously during each study visit using iothalamate clearance. Iothalamate, cimetidine, and itraconazole concentrations in plasma and urine were determined using high‐performance liquid chromatography/ultraviolet (HPLC/UV) methods. Renal tubular secretion (CLsec) of cimetidine was calculated as the difference between renal clearance (CLr) and GFR (CLioth) on days 1 and 5. Cimetidine pharmacokinetic estimates were obtained for total clearance (CLT), volume of distribution (Vd), elimination rate constant (Kel), area under the plasma concentration‐time curve (AUC0–240 min), and average plasma concentration (Cpave) before and after itraconazole administration. Plasma itraconazole concentrations following oral dosing ranged from 0.41 to 0.92 μg/mL. The cimetidine AUC0–240 min increased by 25% (p < 0.01) following itraconazole administration. The GFR and Vd remained unchanged, but significant reductions in CLT (655 vs. 486 mL/min, p < 0.001) and CLsec (410 vs. 311 mL/min, p = 0.001) were observed. The increased systemic exposure of cimetidine during coadministration with itraconazole was likely due to inhibition of P‐gp‐mediated renal tubular secretion. Further evaluation of renal P‐gp‐modulating drugs such as itraconazole that may alter the renal excretion of coadministered drugs is warranted.


In this paper we derive and compare the value of life annuity products in an international context. Our specific goal is to assess the money's worth and adverse selection impact of annuities in two countries Singapore and Australia that have mandatory DC-type retirement plans. This similarity in plan type is offset by differences in the two countries' national retirement policies. Our comparison therefore exploits the natural experiment in annuity pricing and purchase behaviour under alternative retirement regimes. The results show that after controlling on administrative loadings, there appear to be important differences in measured adverse selection across countries. Specifically, selection appears to be far stronger in the presence of a generous public benefit scheme that provides a first line of defence against the risk of old-age poverty.


The demand for alcohol literature is vast and much conflicting information about the nature of the demand for alcoholic beverages has been published. This paper presents a survey of the literature, and then uses the technique of meta-regression analysis to establish insights into the nature of the demand for beer, wine and spirits. Unlike previous meta-studies of the demand for alcoholic beverages this study adjusts for the precision of each elasticity estimate. The analysis presented suggests reported elasticity estimates will be influenced by such factors as estimation technique, data frequency and time period under consideration. With respect to time, the findings suggest that the demand for alcoholic beverages has become less inelastic since the mid-1950s and that the income elasticity has been falling since the mid-1960s. The analysis also found support for the idea that alcohol as a commodity group is a necessity, and that consumers respond to price discounting with inventory behaviour rather than true substitution behaviour. Little support is found for the idea that the demand for alcoholic beverages varies fundamentally across most countries, although wine may be an exception. Copyright © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.