Increasingly, medical students are required to face up to ethical issues in their training and practice. At the same time, there is growing interest in philosophy courses in the ethical issues raised by medical practice. This textbook, designed primarily for students of medicine, develops the issues to a philosophical level complex enough to be satisfying to students of philosophy as well as MA students on applied ethics courses. The author advocates an approach to medical ethics which breaks out of the straitjacket of the narrow choice between utilitarian or deontological theory, and contains a valuable discussion of practical wisdom. It maintains a balance between case studies and philosophical arguments - which are developed in a historical context, and will be of interest at all levels of the medical profession.


Traditional studies of the Dutch disease do not typically account for productivity spillovers between the booming energy sector and non-oil sectors. This study identifies and quantifies these spillovers using a Bayesian Dynamic Factor Model (BDFM). The model allows for resource movements and spending effects through a large panel of variables at the sectoral level, while also identifying disturbances to the real oil price, global demand and non-oil activity. Using Norway as a representative case study, we find that a booming energy sector has substantial spillover effects on the non-oil sectors. Furthermore, windfall gains due to changes in the real oil price also stimulate the economy, but primarily if the oil price increase is caused by global demand. Oil price increases due to, say, supply disruptions, while stimulating activity in the technologically intense service sectors and boosting government spending, have small spillover effects on the rest of the economy, primarily because of reduced cost competitiveness. Yet, there is no evidence of Dutch disease. Instead, we find evidence of a two-speed economy, with non-tradables growing at a much faster pace than tradables. Our results suggest that traditional Dutch disease models with a fixed capital stock and exogenous labor supply do not provide a convincing explanation for how petroleum wealth a effects a resource rich economy when there are productivity spillovers between sectors.


It is well recognized that adaptive and flexible flood risk strategies are required to account for future uncertainties. Development of such strategies is, however, a challenge. Climate change alone is a significant complication, but, in addition, complexities exist trying to identify the most appropriate set of mitigation measures, or interventions. There are a range of economic and environmental performance measures that require consideration, and the spatial and temporal aspects of evaluating the performance of these is complex. All these elements pose severe difficulties to decisionmakers. This article describes a decision support methodology that has the capability to assess the most appropriate set of interventions to make in a flood system and the opportune time to make these interventions, given the future uncertainties. The flood risk strategies have been explicitly designed to allow for flexible adaptive measures by capturing the concepts of real options and multiobjective optimization to evaluate potential flood risk management opportunities. A state‐of‐the‐art flood risk analysis tool is employed to evaluate the risk associated to each strategy over future points in time and a multiobjective genetic algorithm is utilized to search for the optimal adaptive strategies. The modeling system has been applied to a reach on the Thames Estuary (London, England), and initial results show the inclusion of flexibility is advantageous, while the outputs provide decisionmakers with supplementary knowledge that previously has not been considered.


Ulcers develop on insensate feet due to trauma the patient does not feel, and it makes sense that ulcers cannot heal if mechanical trauma is ongoing. Andrew Boulton has repeatedly stated that it is not what you put on a diabetic foot ulcer that heals it but rather what you take off it. Ideally then, ulcers must be managed with rest and avoidance of all pressure. However, total non-weight bearing is rarely practical and is difficult to achieve. In the neuropathic foot, the overall aim is to redistribute plantar pressures evenly, thus avoiding areas of high pressure that will prevent or delay healing. In the neuro-ischaemic foot, the aim is to protect the vulnerable margins of the foot. Patients usually prefer devices that are light and easy to walk with, but in reality the most effective treatment strategy requires a device that will severely disrupt normal activity for 6-8 weeks. De Block and colleagues found that if a plantar foot ulcer fails to heal by approximately 8 weeks, either it is being ineffectively treated or the patient is not being compliant with the treatment regimen. It must always be remembered that heel raisers should be applied to the contralateral limb when using any device that raises the heel of the ulcerated limb to avoid limb length discrepancy that may result in postural insecurity and lower back pain. This article will discuss the variety of offloading options, keeping patient adherence in mind.


The present study was conceptualized to study the muraenid species (moray eels) occurring around the volcanic archipelagos of the Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Canary and Cabo Verde islands (eastern-central Atlantic). The biogeographic patterns of these species were analysed and compared. We then hypothesized that this fish family is an ideal group for testing at small-scale the coherency of Macaronesia and its direct biogeographic units: i.e. the Azores, Webbnesia and Cabo Verde, as proposed in recent scientific literature. Additionally, this paper provides for the first time separate fishery statistics for this group in the region that were analysed to contrast the biogeographic results.


Indoor warm-water therapy pool workers in a Midwestern regional hospital were diagnosed with non-tuberculosis pulmonary hypersensitive pneumonitis and Mycobacterium avium infections. In response, we conducted a multiseason survey of microorganisms present in this therapy pool water, in biofilms associated with the pool containment walls, and in air immediately above the pool. The survey used culture, microscopy, and culture-independent molecular phylogenetic analyses. Although outfitted with a state-of-the-art UV-peroxide disinfection system, the numbers of bacteria in the therapy pool water were relatively high compared with the potable water used to fill the pool. Regardless of the source, direct microscopic counts of microbes were routinely approximately 1,000 times greater than conventional plate counts. Analysis of clone libraries of small subunit rRNA genes from environmental DNA provided phylogenetic diversity estimates of the microorganisms collected in and above the pool. A survey of >1,300 rRNA genes yielded a total of 628 unique sequences, the most common of which was nearly identical to that of M. avium strains. The high proportion of clones with different Mycobacterium spp. rRNA genes suggested that such organisms comprised a significant fraction of microbes in the pool water (to >30%) and preferentially partition into aerosols (to >80%) relative to other waterborne bacteria present. The results of the study strongly validate aerosol partitioning as a mechanism for disease transfer in these environments. The results also show that culture protocols currently used by public health facilities and agencies are seriously inadequate for the detection and enumeration of potential pathogens.


Customer acquisition and customer retention are the most important challenges in the increasingly competitive telecommunications industry. Traditional studies of customer switching always assume that customers are homogeneous, and thus that model customer switching behavior follows a Markov formulation. However, this postulation is obviously inappropriate in most instances. Blumen et al. (Cornell Studies of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1955) developed the Mover–Stayer (MS) model, a generalization of the Markov chain model, to relax the requirement of homogeneity and allow the presence of heterogeneity with two different types of individuals—"stayers," who purchase the same kinds of products or services throughout the entire observation period; and "movers," who look for variety in products or services over time. There are two purpose of this article. First, we extend the MS model to a Double Mover‐Stayer (DMS) model by assuming the existence of three types of individuals in the market: (1) stable and loyal customers, who have stable usage within the same company; (2) instable but loyal customers, whose usage varies within the same company over time; and (3) disloyal customers, who switch from one company to another to seek for new experiences or/and benefits. We also propose an estimation method for the DMS model. Second, we apply the DMS model to telecommunications data and demonstrate how it can be used for pattern identification, hidden knowledge discovery, and decision making. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2012


Abstract Recycled detrital quartz grains are unequivocally identified if there are overgrowths on abraded overgrowths. We argue that the presence of such recycled grains even in small quantities in successions of quartz arenites indicates derivation from one or more sedimentary units from below an intrabasinal unconformity or an extrabasinal unroofing surface, as do detritus from characteristic rock fragments in polymict clastic rocks. In fact, detrital grains with inherited overgrowths are sedimentary rock fragments. We apply this petrographic criterion to evaluate the presumed unconformities that bound the Singhora, Chandarpur, Raipur, and the Kharsiya groups of the essentially Mesoproterozoic Chhattisgarh Supergroup in the Bastar craton – a critical Ur-craton vis a vis Columbia and Rodinia. Optical examination of about 6000 grains in 12 thin sections reveal few recycled quartz grains in sandstone samples of the Chandarpur Group but about 4% recycled quartz grains with inherited abraded overgrowths in a sandstone unit of the Raipur Group. Characteristic rock fragments from a tuffaceous unit at the top of the Raipur Group are found in the basal sandstone of the Kharsyia Group. The data indicate that the presumed unconformities below the Kharsyia Group and the Raipur Group are real but the one above the Singhora Group cannot be confirmed on the basis of recycled grains. Published age spectra of detrital zircons from these sandstones are compatible with the above inferences drawn from detrital-quartz and rock-fragment petrography.


We investigate a reduction of supervised learning to game playing that reveals new connections and learning methods. For convex one-layer problems, we demonstrate an equivalence between global minimizers of the training problem and Nash equilibria in a simple game. We then show how the game can be extended to general acyclic neural networks with differentiable convex gates, establishing a bijection between the Nash equilibria and critical (or KKT) points of the deep learning problem. Based on these connections we investigate alternative learning methods, and find that regret matching can achieve competitive training performance while producing sparser models than current deep learning strategies.


Objective To study the impact of resting heart rate and leisure time physical activity at middle age on long term risk of drug treated lone atrial fibrillation (AF). Design Longitudinal cohort study of 309 540 Norwegian men and women aged 40–45 years examined during 1985–1999 followed from 2005 through 2009. Setting Data from a national health screening programme were linked to the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD). Patients The cohort comprised 162 078 women and 147 462 men; 575 (0.4%) men and 288 women (0.2%) received flecainide and 568 men and 256 women sotalol and were defined as patients with AF. Interventions No interventions. Main outcome measures The outcome was lone fibrillation defined by having at least one prescription of flecainide or sotalol registered in NorPD between 2005 and 2009. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess time to first prescription. Results The risk for being prescribed these drugs increased with decreasing baseline resting heart. Adjusted hazard ratio (HR) per 10 beats/min decrease in resting heart rate for flecainide prescription was 1.26 in men (95% CI 1.17 to 1.35) and 1.15 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.27) in women. Similar effects were seen for sotalol in men, but not in women. Men who reported intensive physical activity were more often prescribed flecainide than those in the sedentary group (adjusted HR=3.14, 95% CI 2.17 to 4.54). Conclusions This population based study supports the hypothesis that the risk of drug treated lone AF increases with declining resting heart rate in both sexes, and with increasing levels of self-reported physical activity in men.


Adversarial learning has been embedded into deep networks to learn disentangled and transferable representations for domain adaptation. Existing adversarial domain adaptation methods may struggle to align different domains of multimodal distributions that are native in classification problems. In this paper, we present conditional adversarial domain adaptation, a principled framework that conditions the adversarial adaptation models on discriminative information conveyed in the classifier predictions. Conditional domain adversarial networks (CDANs) are designed with two novel conditioning strategies: multilinear conditioning that captures the cross-covariance between feature representations and classifier predictions to improve the discriminability, and entropy conditioning that controls the uncertainty of classifier predictions to guarantee the transferability. Experiments testify that the proposed approach exceeds the state-of-the-art results on five benchmark datasets.


In this paper we propose a novel data augmentation method for attention-based end-to-end automatic speech recognition (E2E-ASR), utilizing a large amount of text which is not paired with speech signals. Inspired by the back-translation technique proposed in the field of machine translation, we build a neural text-to-encoder model which predicts a sequence of hidden states extracted by a pre-trained E2E-ASR encoder from a sequence of characters. By using hidden states as a target instead of acoustic features, it is possible to achieve faster attention learning and reduce computational cost, thanks to sub-sampling in E2E-ASR encoder, also the use of the hidden states can avoid to model speaker dependencies unlike acoustic features. After training, the text-to-encoder model generates the hidden states from a large amount of unpaired text, then E2E-ASR decoder is retrained using the generated hidden states as additional training data. Experimental evaluation using LibriSpeech dataset demonstrates that our proposed method achieves improvement of ASR performance and reduces the number of unknown words without the need for paired data.


This article reviews the biblical doctrines of sanctification and stewardship, and assesses the implications for economic institutional arrangements. Sanctification is one part of the process of salvation, yet it is the one aspect (in addition to initial repentance) that requires human partnership with what God is doing to redeem a people. Sanctification is seen to be the changing of our heart's inclinations as we increasingly apply the truth of God in our daily, moment-bymoment actions. Thus our freedom to choose has eternal consequences as we become increasingly conformed to the image of Christ. While sanctification occurs in many facets of life, stewardship of resources that God has delegated to us is a responsibility that covers most of our daily lives. How we individually steward God's material resources is an area of growth in the Christian walk. Biblical stewards are not to simply provide an accounting of the use of God's resources, but rather they are expected to grow and optimize those resources. Free market institutions provide a favorable testing environment for sanctification of God's people in the dimension of material possessions. Restrictions on freedom in markets thus limit the growth that an individual can achieve in this facet of sanctification. __________________________________________________________________ JEL Codes: P110, P190, Z120


This review surveys knowledge needed to develop an improved method of modelling the dynamics of gas turbine performance for fault diagnosis applications. Aerothermodynamic and control models of gas turbine processes are examined as complementary to models derived directly from test data. Extensive, often proprietary data are required for physical models of components, while system identification (SI) methods need data from specially-designed tests. Current methods are limited in: tuning models to test data, non-linear effects, component descriptions in SI models, robustness to noise, and inclusion of control systems and actuators. Conclusions are drawn that SI models could be formulated, with parameters which describe explicitly the functions of key engine components, to offer improved diagnostic capabilities.© 1994 ASME


Software release management policy and technique can be significantly improved by providing configuration management personnel with the capability to independently verify that compiled modules are unchanged from the previous release. Typically, both compiling and linking processes embed various timestamps within binary compiled files, rendering conventional comparison tools useless for configuration management work. Being unable to perform such file matches wastes development effort by needlessly re-testing modules that have not changed at the object level, and risks not testing modules that have changed in some subtle way. The methodology of US Patent No 6236993 provides objective evidence that files containing embedded timestamps are identical without specifying the location, format or length of any specific timestamp within the file. The patented comparison method automatically recognizes and reconciles embedded tokens (e.g., timestamps) within binary compiled files.


This article is an introduction to a new approach to first principles electronic structure calculation. The starting point is the Hartree-Fock-Roothaan equation, in which molecular integrals are approximated by polynomials by way of Taylor expansion with respect to atomic coordinates and other variables. It leads to a set of polynomial equations whose solutions are eigenstate, which is designated as algebraic molecular orbital equation. Symbolic computation, especially, Grobner bases theory, enables us to rewrite the polynomial equations into more trimmed and tractable forms with identical roots, from which we can unravel the relationship between physical parameters (wave function, atomic coordinates, and others) and numerically evaluate them one by one in order. Furthermore, this method is a unified way to solve the electronic structure calculation, the optimization of physical parameters, and the inverse problem as a forward problem.


Mental illnesses are debilitating diseases affecting millions of people each year. These conditions constitute five of the top ten leading causes of disability worldwide. Depression alone is responsible for more than one in every ten years of life lived with a disability. (1) Despite the severity of the burden of mental illness, many cases of mental disorders remain untreated. Estimates show that about 28 percent of the U.S. adult population in any year has a diagnosable mental or addictive disorder, yet only 8 percent seeks treatment. (2) The burden of depressive disorders lies not only with those afflicted, because others bear the costs as well. Maternal depression, for example, is associated with adverse outcomes for children, including children's behavioral and emotional problems. (3) In the workplace, mental disorders impose costs on both employers and employees, including unemployment, reduced labor supply, absenteeism, disability-related work leaves, lower perceived workplace productivity, and reduced earnings. (4) My current research focuses on the ways in which public policy might intervene and improve mental health outcomes. The first set of studies summarized here examines one of the most serious outcomes associated with mental illness: suicide. The goal of this research is to identify policies that have the potential for reducing suicide attempts and completed suicides. The first paper I discuss examines the effectiveness of mandated mental health benefits in reducing suicide rates among adults in the United States. As many states have passed and continue to pass regulations regarding the provision of mental health insurance benefits, knowledge of the effectiveness of such legislation is vital to the policy debate. The second set of papers I describe focuses on youth suicidal behaviors and their relationship with alcohol. Alcohol consumption is known to be correlated with suicide, but the causal nature of that relationship is in question. If alcohol consumption indeed is a contributing factor to suicide, then policies that reduce alcohol consumption may also reduce suicides. Treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders also may be effective in improving the lives of children. In the third section of this article, I discuss research on the propensity for substance abuse and mental health treatment to reduce mental disorders and criminal behaviors among a group of high-risk children in foster care. The last section focuses on another sub-population at high risk for mental disorders: new mothers. This research asks how the length of "maternity leave" influences maternal mental health. Mandated Mental Health Benefits In response to the increasing scope of the problems associated with mental illness, along with improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, a number of states and the federal government have taken steps in recent years to improve access to mental illness services via mandated mental health benefits. Among these mandates are mental health parity laws which prohibit insurance companies from offering plans that place greater financial burden on services for mental health conditions than for physical health conditions. Such laws are designed to lower the price of mental health services faced by insured individuals, improve access to treatment, and ultimately to improve mental health outcomes. However, it is possible that these laws might raise the cost of providing insurance, thereby reducing access. In a recent study, Jonathan Klick and I examine the question of whether mental health mandates directly contribute to improvements in mental health. (5) The answer to this question is crucial to policymakers at the state and federal levels as they consider implementing and expanding mental health insurance mandates. We use state-level suicide rates as a measure of the mental health of the population, because numerous studies have shown suicide to be strongly correlated with mental illness. …


Before recent drilling and characterization efforts in the vicinity of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), conceptual models had been developed for recharge and discharge in the regional aquifer on the basis of sparse data. By integrating site‐wide data into a numerical model of the aquifer beneath the plateau we provide new insight into large‐scale aquifer properties and fluxes. This model is useful for understanding hydrologic mechanisms, assessing the magnitudes of different terms in the overall water budget, and, through sampling, for interpreting contaminant migration velocities in the overlying vadose zone. Modeling results suggest that the majority of water produced in well fields on the plateau, extracted at rates approaching 70% of total annual recharge, is derived from storage. This result is insensitive to assumptions about the percentage of total recharge that occurs in the near vicinity of water supply wells, because of strong anisotropy in the aquifer that prevents fast transport of local recharge to deeper units from which production occurs. Robust estimates of fluxes in the shallow portion of the aquifer immediately down gradient of LANL are important for contaminant transport simulations. Our model calculations show that these fluxes have decreased in the past 50 years by approximately 10% because of production in water supply wells. To explore the role of parameter uncertainty in flux prediction, a predictive analysis method was applied. Results showed that predicted flux through older basalts in the aquifer can vary by a factor of three because of uncertainty in aquifer properties and total recharge. We explored the impact of model parameter uncertainty on these results; however, the true uncertainty of our predictions, including the impact of possible conceptual model errors, is likely to be larger and is difficult to quantify.


The aim of this study is to investigate the solution of the statistical inference problem for the geometric process (GP) when the distribution of first occurrence time is assumed to be Rayleigh. Maximum likelihood (ML) estimators for the parameters of GP, where a and λ are the ratio parameter of GP and scale parameter of Rayleigh distribution, respectively, are obtained. In addition, we derive some important asymptotic properties of these estimators such as normality and consistency. Then we run some simulation studies by different parameter values to compare the estimation performances of the obtained ML estimators with the non-parametric modified moment (MM) estimators. The results of the simulation studies show that the obtained estimators are more efficient than the MM estimators.


The advancement of Artificial Intelligence & Deep Learning has catalyzed the field of technology. The progression in these fields is exponentially increasing, and the discoveries which were once just an imagination are now changed into reality. The evolution of cars each year has made a lot of difference in people travelling from one place to another. One such reform involving Artificial Intelligence & Deep Learning is the birth of a self-driving car. The future is here where one can reach their destination hassle-free safely without the fear of accidents. This paper introduces a practical model of the self-driving robotics car, which can travel from one position to another on different types of tracks. A Pi-camera module is attached with the help of Raspberry Pi, which sends series of image frames to the Convolutional neural network, which then foretells the car to move in a specific direction, i.e. right, left, forward and reverse direction. The outcome is the robotics car, which travels in the desired direction without any individual effort.


Title of Document: IMPACT OF BOARD PAD FINISH ON THE SNPB AND LEAD-FREE SOLDER INTERCONNECT RELIABILITY FOR LEADLESS CHIP RESISTORS UNDER RANDOM VIBRATION LOADING Gustavo Plaza, Master of Science, 2008 Directed By: Professor Michael Pecht Department of Mechanical Engineering The results from a step-stress random vibration tests are used to assess the interconnect reliability of various solder, component terminal and printed wiring board pad finishes. The durability assessment of leadless chip resistors attached with tin-lead and tin-silver-copper is examined. Component terminal finish, tin and tinlead, in tin-lead soldered assemblies are examined. The board pad finishes used in the assemblies tested included immersion tin, immersion silver, electroless or electrolytic nickel immersed in gold, and organic solderability preservative, while tinlead hot air solder leveling pad finish assembled with tin-lead solder served as a baseline. Destructive failure analysis is used to assess failure locations. Although the results obtained from the test indicate that under the vibration regimen studied no significant difference was found between the durability of tin-lead and tin-silvercopper assemblies, the lead-free components did outperform the tin-lead assemblies. Pad finish is found to have a greater influence on tin-lead as compared to tin-silvercopper soldered assemblies. Immersion silver and electroless or electrolytic nickel immersed in gold showed the best durability results.


The cosmic web is one of the most striking features of the distribution of galaxies and dark matter on the largest scales in the Universe. It is composed of dense regions packed full of galaxies, long filamentary bridges, flattened sheets and vast low-density voids. The study of the cosmic web has focused primarily on the identification of such features, and on understanding the environmental effects on galaxy formation and halo assembly. As such, a variety of different methods have been devised to classify the cosmic web - depending on the data at hand, be it numerical simulations, large sky surveys or other. In this paper, we bring 12 of these methods together and apply them to the same data set in order to understand how they compare. In general, these cosmic-web classifiers have been designed with different cosmological goals in mind, and to study different questions. Therefore, one would not a priori expect agreement between different techniques; however, many of these methods do converge on the identification of specific features. In this paper, we study the agreements and disparities of the different methods. For example, each method finds that knots inhabit higher density regions than filaments, etc. and that voids have the lowest densities. For a given web environment, we find a substantial overlap in the density range assigned by each web classification scheme. We also compare classifications on a halo-by-halo basis; for example, we find that 9 of 12 methods classify around a third of group-mass haloes (i.e. M-halo similar to 10(13.5) h(-1) M-circle dot) as being in filaments. Lastly, so that any future cosmic-web classification scheme can be compared to the 12 methods used here, we have made all the data used in this paper public.


Survival from breast cancer has improved over the last few years, but scanty information is available on the long-term follow-up. We therefore considered data on 1,095 women with breast cancer diagnosed between 1974 and 1984 in the Swiss Cancer Registry of Vaud (population 616,000 inhabitants) who had survived for at least 10 years. Overall, 129 deaths from breast cancer were observed 10–19 years after the original diagnosis, corresponding to a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 20.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) 17.0–24.2). An excess mortality from breast cancer was observed 10–14 (SMR = 22.6) and 15–19 (SMR = 13.4) years after the original diagnosis. The SMR was 25.2 for women diagnosed with breast cancer at age <60 years. Consequently, total mortality was also elevated (SMR = 2.0, based on 294 deaths). None of the other causes of death was significantly elevated, but mortality from cardiovascular disease was 1.4 (95% CI 0.9–2.0) 15–19 years after breast cancer diagnosis. A second primary breast cancer was observed in 89 women. Of these, 19 (21%) died of breast cancer. Therefore in women diagnosed with breast cancer, there remains a substantial excess of breast cancer mortality up to 20 years after the original diagnosis.


In this paper, a novel design approach is proposed for on-chip bandpass filter (BPF) design with improved passband flatness and stopband suppression. The proposed approach simply uses a combination of meander-line structures with metal–insulator–metal (MIM) capacitors. To demonstrate the insight of this approach, a simplified equivalent LC-circuit model is used for theoretical analysis. Using the analyzed results as a guideline along with a full-wave electromagnetic (EM) simulator, two BPFs are designed and implemented in a standard 0.13- $\mu \text{m}$  (Bi)-CMOS technology. The measured results show that good agreements between EM simulated and measured results are achieved. For the first BPF, the return loss is better than 10 dB from 13.5 to 32 GHz, which indicates a fractional bandwidth (FBW) of more than 78%. In addition, the minimum insertion loss of 2.3 dB is achieved within the frequency range from 17 to 27 GHz and the in-band magnitude ripple is less than 0.1 dB. The chip size of this design, excluding the pads, is 0.148 mm2. To demonstrate a miniaturized design, a second design example is given. The return loss is better than 10 dB from 17.3 to 35.9 GHz, which indicates an FBW of more than 70%. In addition, the minimum insertion loss of 2.6 dB is achieved within the frequency range from 21.4 to 27.7 GHz and the in-band magnitude ripple is less than 0.1 dB. The chip size of the second design, excluding the pads, is only 0.066 mm2.


Introduction. Obstructive Sleep Apneea (OSA) is a common condition and its predominance is directly related to the explosion of obesity in western society. Obstructive Sleep Apneea is manifested by recurring episodes of collapse of the upper airway during sleep. Obesity and the increase of neck circumference, as well as visceral fat are risk factors for OSA. OSA is more common in men than in women, although women have higher rates of obesity. Objectives. The goal of this article was to show the correlation between OSA and obesity, adipose tissue in the abdomen and neck, sex and background of the patients in the study group. Materials and methods. In this article we present the results of a test group of 101 patients diagnosed with OSA, in the records of the "Marius Nasta" Pneumoftiziology Institute, patients being evaluated at 2, 6, 12 months. Comparative results and discussion. In this study can be observed a higher frequency of male patients (82.17%) compared to female patients (17.83%). Patients go to a doctor when they are in an advanced stage of the disease (from 101 patients, 88 display the severe form OSA). Most patients were obese (100 patients out of 101) in various stages of obesity. A larger number of patients come from urban areas (89 patients) compared with the patients from the rural areas (12 patients). Conclusions. As a conclusion of this study, can be seen that obesity is closely correlated with the severity of OSA and the distribution of fat in the neck and abdomen has an important role. The disease is more common in men than women, and there is a higher number of patients from the urban areas who seek help from a doctor.


Power generation is one of the industrial sectors with major contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. For climate change mitigation, a special attention is given to the reduction of CO2 emissions by applying capture and storage techniques in which CO2 is captured and then stored in suitable safe geologic locations. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are expected to play a significant role in the coming decades for curbing greenhouse gas emissions and to ensure a sustainable development of power generation and other energy-intensive industrial sectors (e.g. cement, metallurgy, petro-chemical etc.). This paper evaluates super-critical coal-based power plants with and without carbon capture. The analysis is geared toward quantification of main plant performance indicators such as: fuel consumption, gross and net energy efficiency, ancillary energy consumption, carbon capture rate, specific CO2 emissions, capital costs, specific capital investments and operational costs etc. For CCS configurations, two post-combustion CO2 capture options were considered. The first option is based gas-liquid absorption using a chemical solvent (methyl-diethanol-amine – MDEA etc.). The second option is based on calcium looping cycle, in which the carbonation/calcination sequence of CaO/CaCO3 system is used for carbon capture. The power plant case studies investigated in the paper produces around 950 – 1,100 MW net power with at least 90 % carbon capture rate. The mathematical modelling and simulation of the whole power generation schemes will produce the input data for quantitative techno-economic and environmental evaluations of power plants with carbon capture (similar power plant concept without CCS was used as reference for comparison). Mass and energy integration tools were used to assess the integration aspects of evaluated carbon capture options in the whole power plant design, to optimise the overall energy efficiency and to evaluate the main sources of energy penalty for CCS designs.


BACKGROUND. The University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine is implementing a new undergraduate curriculum that emphasizes active, self-directed learning. The aims of this study were to (1) evaluate shifts in students' attitudes after initial direct experience with problem-based learning (PBL), (2) describe faculty experiences, and (3) develop guidelines for further implementation of PBL. METHOD. Questionnaires were administered at the beginning of the first PBL session and at the close of the last session (five weeks later) to the 250 second-year students in 1992–93 and to their 15 faculty tutors. Quantitative data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance and univariate tests. Open-ended questions were categorized based on common patterns that emerged. RESULTS. Of the 250 students, 196 (78%) responded to the pretest, and 207 (83%) responded to the posttest. There was a statistically significant shift in the students' perceptions from pretest to posttest in agreeing that PBL is more effective than traditional teaching methods (increasing from 38% to 52%). The students rated traditional methods as better for knowledge acquisition, whereas PBL methods were rated better for improving teamwork and doctor-patient relationships. At pretest, the most common themes concerned a perceived danger that PBL would result in knowledge gaps, reinforce the wrong information, and make inefficient use of valuable time. Perceived advantages of PBL included that it is more stimulating and enjoyable, and it teaches students how to learn rather than to memorize. At posttest, there was an increase in favorable comments by the students. Virtually all of the attitudes expressed by the students were shared by the faculty. In addition, at pretest the faculty were anxious about the perceived lack of structure in PBL. CONCLUSION. Direct experience with PBL led to more favorable attitudes among the students and faculty. Recommendations are suggested for other schools and programs seeking to implement PBL curricula.


Thermodynamic and chemical properties of liquid carbon dioxide and nitrogen (CO2–N2) mixture under the conditions of extremely high densities and temperatures are studied by using quantum molecular dynamic (QMD) simulations based on density functional theory including dispersion corrections (DFT-D). We present equilibrium properties of liquid mixture for 112 separate density and temperature points, by selecting densities ranging from ρ = 1.80 g/cm3 to 3.40 g/cm3 and temperatures from T = 500 K to 8000 K. In the range of our study, the liquid CO2–N2 mixture undergoes a continuous transition from molecular to atomic fluid state and liquid polymerization inferred from pair correlation functions (PCFs) and the distribution of various molecular components. The insulator–metal transition is demonstrated by means of the electronic density of states (DOS).


In 21st century, interoperability in remote locations has always been a matter of contention. Interoperability is very closely related to internet and an efficient process saves a lot of time and money. With the advent of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), Native Internet Protocol (NIP) is considered as one of the most pragmatic solutions in market to address interoperability challenges and is gaining more attention in research. However, challenges like reliability, security of data, power consumption, range and maintenance, and accessibility of such internet in remote locations still remain a matter of concern, creating further barriers for interoperability. This research aims at proposing a viable solution to interoperability issues at remote locations, irrespective of its network or payload size, by integrating more advanced Wireless Sensor Protocols like Thread Protocol with a proposed Over The Air (OTA) file transfer functionality, into UAVs. Furthermore, this study analyzes power consumption, reliability, latency and scope of the proposed system and their applications in health care and industries.


Some of the most effective recent methods for content-based image classification work by extracting dense or sparse local image descriptors, quantizing them according to a coding rule such as k-means vector quantization, accumulating histograms of the resulting "visual word" codes over the image, and classifying these with a conventional classifier such as an SVM. Large numbers of descriptors and large codebooks are needed for good results and this becomes slow using k-means. We introduce Extremely Randomized Clustering Forests - ensembles of randomly created clustering trees - and show that these provide more accurate results, much faster training and testing and good resistance to background clutter in several state-of-the-art image classification tasks.


The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) carries large amounts of heat into the North Atlantic influencing climate regionally as well as globally. Palaeo-records and simulations with comprehensive climate models suggest that the positive salt-advection feedback may yield a threshold behaviour of the system. That is to say that beyond a certain amount of freshwater flux into the North Atlantic, no meridional overturning circulation can be sustained. Concepts of monitoring the AMOC and identifying its vicinity to the threshold rely on the fact that the volume flux defining the AMOC will be reduced when approaching the threshold. Here we advance conceptual models that have been used in a paradigmatic way to understand the AMOC, by introducing a density-dependent parameterization for the Southern Ocean eddies. This additional degree of freedom uncovers a mechanism by which the AMOC can increase with additional freshwater flux into the North Atlantic, before it reaches the threshold and collapses: an AMOC that is mainly wind-driven will have a constant upwelling as long as the Southern Ocean winds do not change significantly. The downward transport of tracers occurs either in the northern sinking regions or through Southern Ocean eddies. If freshwater is transported, either atmospherically or via horizontal gyres, from the low to high latitudes, this would reduce the eddy transport and by continuity increase the northern sinking which defines the AMOC until a threshold is reached at which the AMOC cannot be sustained. If dominant in the real ocean this mechanism would have significant consequences for monitoring the AMOC.


Master the Fundamentals of Oracle Database 12c Filled with easy-to-follow tutorials, this Oracle Press guide provides detailed coverage of core database concepts, the role of the administrator, and enterprise database capabilities. Oracle Database 12c: Install, Configure & Maintain Like a Professional walks you through database configuration, administration, programming, backup and recovery, and high availability. You'll get in-depth introductions to SQL and PL/SQL as well as important information on managing large databases and using Oracle's engineered systems. This essential beginner's resource features: Critical Skills--Lists of specific skills covered in each chapter Projects--Practical exercises that show how to apply the critical skills learned in each chapter Progress Checks--Quick self-assessment sections to check your progress Ask the Expert--Q&A sections filled with helpful tips Notes--Extra information related to the topic being covered Mastery Checks--Chapter-ending quizzes to test your knowledge


Ca2+-activated Cl− channels (CaCCs) are involved in several physiological processes. Recently, TMEM16A/anoctamin1 and TMEM16B/anoctamin2 have been shown to function as CaCCs, but very little information is available on the structure–function relations of these channels. TMEM16B is expressed in the cilia of olfactory sensory neurons, in microvilli of vomeronasal sensory neurons, and in the synaptic terminals of retinal photoreceptors. Here, we have performed the first site-directed mutagenesis study on TMEM16B to understand the molecular mechanisms of voltage and Ca2+ dependence. We have mutated amino acids in the first putative intracellular loop and measured the properties of the wild-type and mutant TMEM16B channels expressed in HEK 293T cells using the whole cell voltage-clamp technique in the presence of various intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. We mutated E367 into glutamine or deleted the five consecutive glutamates 386EEEEE390 and 399EYE401. The EYE deletion did not significantly modify the apparent Ca2+ dependence nor the voltage dependence of channel activation. E367Q and deletion of the five glutamates did not greatly affect the apparent Ca2+ affinity but modified the voltage dependence, shifting the conductance–voltage relations toward more positive voltages. These findings indicate that glutamates E367 and 386EEEEE390 in the first intracellular putative loop play an important role in the voltage dependence of TMEM16B, thus providing an initial structure–function study for this channel.


Orientation: The perceived organisational support for strength use (POSSU) scale determines the extent to which employees perceive that their organisations support them to use their strengths in the workplace. Research purpose: The purpose was to determine the validity and reliability of the new POSSU scale. Motivation for the study: There are instruments and studies that aim to identify and describe individual strengths. However, no instruments measure whether employees perceive that their organisations use their strengths in the workplace . Research design, approach and method: The authors used a cross-sectional field survey approach and an availability sample of employees ( N = 165) who worked in the banking sector. They used exploratory factor analysis to test the factorial validity and to establish whether POSSU is an independent job resource. They performed regression analyses to examine whether POSSU is a significant predictor of outcomes. Main findings: The findings indicated a clear one-factor model with strong item loadings( α = .97). When the authors included other resources, they identified a five-factor model, where all the items loaded onto the supposed factors. POSSU was a significant predictor of burnout and engagement after controlling for job resources and a deficiency-based approach. Practical/managerial implications: A valid and reliable POSSU scale could lead to increased awareness about the use of employees' strengths in organisations and help to determine their influence and value. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the limited research available in South Africa on the measurement of whether employees perceive that their organisations use their (the employees') strengths.


Abstract. The influence of land processes and in particular of diffuse/direct radiation partitioning on surface fluxes and associated regional-scale climate feedbacks is investigated using ERA-40 driven simulations over Europe performed with the COSMO-CLM2 Regional Climate Model (RCM). Two alternative Land Surface Models (LSMs), a 2nd generation LSM (TERRA_ML) and a more advanced 3rd generation LSM (Community Land Model version 3.5), and two versions of the atmospheric component are tested, as well as a revised coupling procedure allowing for variations in diffuse/direct light partitioning at the surface, and their accounting by the land surface component. Overall, the RCM performance for various variables (e.g., surface fluxes, temperature and precipitation) is improved when using the more advanced 3rd generation LSM. These improvements are of the same order of magnitude as those arising from a new version of the atmospheric component, demonstrating the benefit of using a realistic representation of land surface processes for regional climate simulations. Taking into account the variability in diffuse/direct light partitioning at the surface further improves the model performance in terms of summer temperature variability at the monthly and daily time scales. Comparisons with observations show that the RCM realistically captures temporal variations in diffuse/direct light partitioning as well as the evapotranspiration sensitivity to these variations. Our results suggest that a modest but consistent fraction (up to 3 %) of the overall variability in summer temperature can be explained by variations in the diffuse to direct ratio.


OBJECTIVE
Our primary objective was to determine the proportion of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) eligible for enrollment in a randomized controlled trial for a novel oral anticoagulant, the ARISTOTLE trial. A secondary objective was to describe the reasons for trial ineligibility.

METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional study of an unselected population including 2274 patients in Skellefteå, Sweden with at least one verified episode of AF on or before December 31, 2010. Patients were classified as suitable or unsuitable for anticoagulant treatment according to current guidelines. The enrollment criteria from the ARISTOTLE trial were extracted from the original publication and applied to the population.

RESULTS
Among all patients with AF, 1579 were classified as suitable for anticoagulant treatment. Of these, only 658 patients (42%) were eligible for participation in the ARISTOTLE trial. Among the 921 patients ineligible for participation, 498 did not meet the ECG criteria, 272 had psychosocial problems, and in addition, 78 patients were excluded due to both of these criteria.

CONCLUSION
Our study shows that a majority of the patients in an unselected population with AF suitable for anticoagulant treatment were ineligible for participation in the ARISTOTLE trial. The applicability of the ARISTOTLE trial is therefore unknown for a considerable proportion of patients with AF in real life.


Byzantine fault-tolerance techniques are useful because they tolerate arbitrary faults regardless of cause: bugs, hardware glitches, even hackers. These techniques have recently gained popularity after it was shown that they could be made practical.
Most of the dissertation builds on Byzantine fault-tolerance (BFT) and extends it with new results for Byzantine fault-tolerance for both quorum systems and state machine replication. Our contributions include proving new lower bounds, finding new protocols that meet these bounds, and providing new functionality at lower cost through a new architecture for state machine replication.
The second part of the dissertation goes beyond Byzantine fault-tolerance. We show that BFT techniques are not sufficient for networks that span multiple administrative domains, propose the new BAR model to describe these environments, and show how to build BAR-Tolerant protocols through our example of a BAR-Tolerant terminating reliable broadcast protocol.


Visual displays help in the presentation of inferences and conclusions and represent ways of organizing, summarizing, simplifying, or transforming data. Data displays such as matrices and networks are often utilized to enhance data analysis and are more commonly seen in quantitative than in qualitative studies. This study reviewed the data displays used by three prestigious qualitative research journals within a period of three years. The findings include the types of displays used in these qualitative journals, the frequency of use, and the purposes for using visual displays as opposed to presenting data in text.


OBJECTIVE
To determine how family medicine residents and practising rural physicians rate possible solutions for recruiting and sustaining physicians in rural practice.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional mailed survey.

SETTING
Rural family practices and family medicine residency programs in Ontario.

PARTICIPANTS
Two hundred seventy-six physicians and 210 residents. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Ratings of proposed solutions on a 4-point scale from "very unimportant" to "very important".

RESULTS
Rural family physicians rated funding for learner-driven continuing medical education (CME) and limiting on-call duty to 1 night in 5 as the most important education and practice solutions, respectively. Residents rated an alternate payment plan to include time off for attending and teaching CME and comprehensive payment plans with a guaranteed income for locums as the most important education and practice solutions, respectively.

CONCLUSION
Residents and physicians rated solutions very similarly. A comprehensive package of the highest-rated solutions could help recruit and sustain physicians in rural practice because the solutions were developed by experts on rural practice and rated by family medicine residents and practising rural physicians.


Background. Natural antioxidants extracted from plants have a lot of antioxidants catechins, epigallocatechins (green tea) rosmariquinone, rosmaridiphenol (rosemary), capsaicinoids (red pepper). They can be used as alternatives to the synthetic antioxidants because of their equivalence or greater effect on inhibition of lipid oxidation and haem pigment (nitrosohemachrome) protection. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of addition of green tea extract, red pepper extract and rosemary extract while curing process on colour and lipid stability during refrigerated storage of meat products. Material and methods. The pork meat was ground (10 mm plate) and divided into four equal parts. To the first part (control sample – C) was added curring mixture in amount of 2.2% in a ratio of meat dissolved in water. To the rests of parts were added the same curring mixtures in the same proportion dissolved in 0.5% water plant extracts: green tea (GT), red pepper (P), rosemary (R) respectively. All samples were left at 4°C for 24 hours. After curing, samples were stuffed in casings and then heated in water until a final internal temperature of 70°C was reached. All samples were stored up to 30 days at 4°C. Analysis of acidity, oxidation – reduction potential, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), surface colour (Hunter L*, a* and b* values) were measured directly after production and after 10, 20 and 30 days of chilling storage. Results. The addition of the plant extracts (pepper, green tea, rosemary) to the pork meat samples does not change significantly acidity of the samples during chilling storage. All plants extracts effectively reduce lipid oxidation in cooked pork meat compared to the control. Pepper extract was effective in maintaining redness because of its reduction activity (low potential redox value in sample) and low TBARS values in sample during chilling storage. Conclusions. Addition of pepper extract and green tea extract in curing meat process helped with nitrosomyoglobin formation and curb prevention of metmyoglobin formation which stabilized the colour of product during chilling storage.


Although information security traditionally has been a technological discipline, the role and function of employees is an additional important part. Users can both be a threat and a resource in information security management. On the one hand, employees can produce or ignite threats and vulnerabilities. On the other hand, they are a precondition for safe and secure operation. As a consequence, information security management of employees is an important part of the total information security management in organizations. The general aim of this study is to explore the information security management of employees. This is approached by studying: users' function in and view on information security; measures aiming at improving individual information security performance; and information security management practice in organizations. Findings from explorative interview studies of users and information security managers; an intervention study aiming at improved individual awareness and behaviour; and a survey on organizational security measures were used as the empirical basis in the study. When it comes to operative work, employees' information security performance is weak. Users perform few proactive information security actions and are indifferent to information security in their daily work. Information security managers mainly view users as a threat and a problem to the information security level, while users view themselves as an untapped resource in the information security work. Individual security performance is created by technological frameworks and formal and informal organizational aspects of information security. Besides technological solutions framing what it is possible for individual behaviour to perform, the most used measures directed at users are documented requirements for individual behaviour. These measures are evaluated to have limited effect on individual performance. However they are the basis for several other measures, thus they have an indirect effect. Instructions for behaviour are thus necessary, but not sufficient alone. Education, training and information have the best effect on users when employees and communicators are interacting and are in dialogue. However, information and education tends to be more based on written and electronic information, rather than rich information with possibilities for two-way communication. Employee participation is evaluated to be the most effective process to improve individual information security performance, but is modestly used. An intervention study based on direct participation, dialogue and collective reflection in order to improve individual information security awareness and behaviour showed significant improvements among participants. Employee participation is likely to improve the quality of technological and administrative security solutions; improve the usability of security technology; improve security professionals' knowledge of sharp-end information security activities; close the gap in understanding and communication between security managers and users; improve individual ownership, acceptance and motivation for information security; and ensure democratic rights that influence personal working conditions. If there is a social information security digital divide between users and information security managers, i.e. no interaction and dialogue; differences in risk judgement; and views and experience of information security practice, these will reflect the lack of participation. The information security professionals make the premises for the information security work in an organization without involving users to any extent. The differences result in management strategies based on the prejudiced view that users are more of a security threat than a resource. Consequently, the management approaches might be insufficient for dealing with users as a resource as the information security activities are based on nonrealistic understanding of actual work at the sharp-end. Combinations of adequate measures for all parts of the socio-technical information security systems must be available in order to perform efficient defence, including the handling of employees' function in information security. One needs to handle pragmatic, formal rulebased and technical principles. Managing the human element of information security is thus one of many activities in information security management. The thesis has identified some shortcomings in current approaches to employees. These shortcomings may not be inadequate for other information security efforts than human management, so the current approaches must not be discarded. This thesis has argued in favour of approaches that lead to greater user involvement which would be a complementary addition to traditional information security approaches.


The following articles are being highlighted as part of Circulation's Topic Review series. This series summarizes the most important manuscripts, as selected by the editors, published in Circulation and the Circulation subspecialty journals. The studies included in this article represent the Editors' Picks for each Circulation issue published in 2011.


We present a lattice QCD calculation of the $\Delta(1232)$ matrix elements of the axial-vector and pseudoscalar currents. The decomposition of these matrix elements into the appropriate Lorentz invariant form factors is carried out and the techniques to calculate the form factors are developed and tested using quenched configurations. Results are obtained for 2+1 domain wall fermions and within a hybrid scheme with domain wall valence and staggered sea quarks. Two Goldberger-Treiman type relations connecting the axial to the pseudoscalar effective couplings are derived. These and further relations based on the pion-pole dominance hypothesis are examined using the lattice QCD results, finding support for their validity. Utilizing lattice QCD results on the axial charges of the nucleon and the $\Delta$, as well as the nucleon-to-$\Delta$ transition coupling constant, we perform a combined chiral fit to all three quantities and study their pion mass dependence as the chiral limit is approached.


This paper aims to study the significance/ importance of "empiricism" , "rationalism" and "positivism" and their application in library and information science (LIS) research. The objectives of this paper covered in two parts . Part one describes the historical development of these epistemologies, explor e its main characterist ics and presents the cri t icism that has been nurtured against these views. In the second part , the importance and use of these epistemologies in the context of LIS research have been discussed. Since philosophy is the least touched subject in LIS, therefore, limited litera ture is available to review these epistemologies from the perspective of LIS . Empiricism, rationalism and positivism have several differences in approaches, applies the scientific method of inquiry that should be used in natural as well as social science research. The philosophical foundations need to be applied in LIS research studies for better understanding the research phenomena. Empiricism, rationalism and posit ivism are applied to LIS research unconsciously or implicitly , while limited research work available about applications of these theories in LIS. This paper can motivate LIS professionals to dig deeply into these areas for better understanding, devising solutions and advancement of the profession .


This article undertakes a closer examination of the small (52-cm) oak figure of the crucified Christ on permanent exhibit at the Saaremaa Museum in Kuressaare. The original crossbar of the crucifix has not survived, it is covered with modern polychrome and there is no definitive information on which church the sculpture initially belonged to. If we wish to reconstruct the initial function of the sculpture in the sacral context, we must rely primarily on the object itself, its particular iconographical properties and style of depiction, as well as the results of technological research. In addition, we can seek additional information from the network of relationships between visual objects and liturgy of the past. On the one hand, Saaremaa's crucified Christ is characterised by an "old-fashioned" method of attachment to the cross using four nails, and on the other, Christ's chest wounds and the traits characteristic of a tense, hanging body are emphasised. Since changes in the number of nails and method of attachment to the cross started to appear in the middle of the 12th century, and the great breakthrough did not occur until the late 1210s and early 1220s, and it became prevalent by the middle of the 13th century at the latest, this time period establishes the temporal framework for the completion of the Saaremaa crucifix. The Saaremaa crucified Christ is also characterised by a specific iconography, which alludes to Passion piety and respect for the bodily Christ in the first half of the 13th century. Recent technological research provides a basis to believe that the back (and probably the head) of the figure initially contained a sepulchrum, which traditionally contained a relic or piece of the Host. As such, the Saaremaa crucified Christ is a medieval cult image, and in addition to the existence of the repository, is unusual due the fact that it dates back to the period of the first written information on the existence of Christian houses of worship on Estonian territory. However, the Christianisation of the Estonian area had yet to be completed and the network of churches was still in the process of being developed. The sculpture's artistic parallels point to a group of  crucifixes of German origin completed in the second quarter of the 13th century – to comparative material from a region, from which, along with ecclesiastical and political contacts, artistic impulses arrived in Saaremaa, and more broadly in Livonia during this period.


Using the spatial classification method and the structural parameters estimated for the Gould Belt (GB) and the local Galactic disk (LGD) from a previous paper, we have evaluated spatial membership probabilities for a sample of O and B stars from the Hipparcos catalog (Perryman and coworkers) with available proper motions and radial velocity data. Thus, being able to study the space velocity fields of both systems, we conclude that the GB and the LGD present different statistical distributions, both in velocity space and in phase space. In light of their possible existence as distinct systems, we analyze different kinematic aspects in the vicinity of the Sun, and we find the GB to be responsible for the highly negative vertex deviation found for the OB stars in the solar neighborhood. We also find that the GB noticeably alters the estimation of the Oort constants in the Galactic disk; thus, in order to establish comparisons with other kinematic studies based on older stellar populations, a careful pruning of the GB members must be performed. Further analysis of the GB velocity field and the moving groups that contribute to it suggest the possibility that the GB can be the result of a chance superposition of moving groups. We propose for future investigations the dynamical analysis of these moving groups in order to probe the origin of the GB.


This article discusses the nature of the political transformation process that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has undergone over the past decade regarding, first, political participation in Palestinian institutions, and second, the issue of negotiations and compromise with Israel. Finally, it explores how the European and international pressure on Hamas for unconditional concessions towards Israel has affected the internal political dynamics of the movement. Based on fieldwork interviews with Hamas leaders in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, the article analyses the transition process as perceived on the part of Hamas, and concludes that Hamas was, at a certain point, receptive to external pressure for moderation as it adapted a range of 'moderate' positions in its quest for international recognition. However, when the chain of conciliatory steps undertaken by Hamas failed to ease the international sanctions on the Hamas government, the pressures backfired by weakening the moderate forces in the Hamas leadership and strengthening the radical forces that apparently took the lead when Hamas-affiliated forces took over the Gaza Strip in June 2007. It is argued that the entrance of Hamas into politics represented an opportunity rather than an obstacle for Palestinian democratization, although the opportunity was spoiled by the EU-backed international boycott of the Hamas government.


In the United States, passenger rail has always been less competitive than in other parts of the world due to a number of factors. Many argue that in order for a passenger rail network to be successful major changes in service improvement have to be implemented to make it more desirable to the user. High-speed rail can offer such service improvement. With the current administration's allocation of $8 billion in its stimulus package for the development of high-speed rail corridors and a number of regions being interested in venturing into such projects it is important that we understand the factors and regulatory structure that needs to exist in order for passenger railroad to be successful. This study aims to review how foreign countries have developed their railroad systems to identify key factors that have contributed to their successful implementation. An evaluation of the factors, such as organization structure, operation, administration, development and type of funding, that are common to each of these projects will used as performance measures to identify potential locations and opportunities for high speed rail projects in the U.S. Southwest region.


Shape and size of the left ventricle are cardiac biomarkers used in clinical routine practice. They are typically assessed by partial metrics including volume, length, diameter or wall thickness. The aim of this work is to illustrate the potential of an alternative shape analysis methodology based on a comprehensive description of the anatomy using a computational atlas. 40 cardiovascular magnetic resonance scans of young women defined the cohort data set. A stack of 7 to 8 slices from end diastolic frames of dynamic MRI studies were analysed by manual segmentation and automatic personalization of high order computational meshes. The most significant modes of variation of shape of this population were identified by principal component analysis. Statistical significant differences in shape were found in women with higher cardiovascular risk profiles (P<;0.05, Hotelling T2 test). The analysis revealed differences in the position of the apex in the left to right direction, which had not been captured by standard clinical parameters. These results show computational statistical atlases may offer the potential to improve stratification of cardiac diseases.


The detection of apparent anomalous forces in the vicinity of high-Tc superconductors under non equilibrium conditions has stimulated an experimental research in which the operating parameters of the experiment have been pushed to values higher than those employed in previous attempts. The results confirm the existence of an unexpected physical interaction. An apparatus has been constructed and tested in which the superconductor is subjected to peak currents in excess of 10^4 A, surface potentials in excess of 1 MV, trapped magnetic field up to 1 T, and temperature down to 40 K. In order to produce the required currents a high voltage discharge technique has been employed. Discharges originating from a superconducting ceramic electrode are accompanied by the emission of radiation which propagates in a focused beam without noticeable attenuation through different materials and exerts a short repulsive force on small movable objects along the propagation axis. Within the measurement error (5 to 7 %) the impulse is proportional to the mass of the objects and independent on their composition. It therefore resembles a gravitational impulse. The observed phenomenon appears to be absolutely new and unprecedented in the literature. It cannot be understood in the framework of general relativity. A theory is proposed which combines a quantum gravity approach with anomalous vacuum fluctuations.


Comparing the effects of Ginger, Gabapentin, and Ondansetron for prevention of nausea and vomiting after cesarean section by spinal anesthesia
Jamilian M*1 , Hekmatpou D2 , Jamilian H3
1. Assistant Professor, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
2. Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
3. Associate Professor, Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: Nausea and vomiting are among the most common complications of Caesarean section and may cause suture dehiscence, esophageal perforation, gastric aspiration, and delay in hospital discharge. The aim of this study was to compare the antiemetic effect of Ginger, Gabapentin, and Ondansetron for prevention of nausea and vomiting after cesarean section by spinal anesthesia.
 Methods: This randomized, double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial was done on 208 women undergoing elective cesarean section. After taking written informed consents, they were divided into four equal groups. 300 mg Gabapentin, 8 mg Ondansetron, 1 gr Ginger, and placebo were administered to each group. Before performing spinal anesthesia and after the operation in recovery, and also in 2, 4, and 6 hours intervals after the surgery, nausea and vomiting were recorded based on a four point scale. Data was analyzed by SPSS 19 using one way ANOVA, independent t-test and Chi square.
Results: There were no significant differences among the four groups according to age, gravidity; mothers` mean atrial pressure and heart rate before and during surgery, newborns` APGAR score and mothers` consciousness. Nausea and vomiting in Gabapentin (0.28±0.34), Ondansetron (0.28±0.25), and Ginger (0.27±0.85) groups were significantly less than placebo group (1±0.22) (p=0.01), whereas there were no significant differences among the three groups (p=0.05). Conclusion: Using Gabapentin, Ondansetron and Ginger with the same antiemetic effect are appropriate for women undergoing cesarean section.
Keywords: Cesarean section, Spinal anesthesia, Nausea, Vomiting, Gabapentin, Ginger, Ondansetron. *Corresponding author:


Scholars and judges think they can address the multiple purposes and values of contract law by developing different doctrinal regimes for different transaction types. They think if we develop one track of contract doctrine for sophisticated parties and another for consumers, we can build a better world of contract: protecting private ordering for sophisticated parties and protecting consumers' needs all at once. Given the growing enthusiasm for laying down these separate tracks and developing their infrastructures, this Article brings a necessary reality check to this endeavor by highlighting for scholars and judges how doctrine in contract law functions in fact: it creeps back and forth from track to track. Bespoke contract law ends up as general contract law – and law designed for one contract ecosystem will almost invariably migrate to a different transactional environment. Thus, contract doctrine will be applied in a context for which it is not suited, where it may actually undermine stated doctrinal goals.

This Article identifies "creep" from sophisticated party doctrine into consumer contract law and from consumer contexts into sophisticated party transactions through a few case studies. It then elaborates the mechanisms by which creep occurs: porous definitions of transaction-types; contract drafting practices of standardization with portable provisions that confuse courts; and good old common law analogical reasoning that involves law jumping from track to track. We conclude by instructing judges to be more mindful of the process of contract creep; warning contract drafters to appreciate better the risks and costs of their drafting practices; and exhorting contract theorists to include the risks and costs of creep as they develop their doctrinal edifices, which are likely to be applied off-track.


The article considers the key factors of increasing international migration of experts and students, the basic trends, evaluation of socio-economical consequences of migration of "brains" and classification of state policy measures in this area. The key factors determining the increase of migration of "brains" include: emergence of knowledge-based economies, development of globalization trends in higher education and research and development area, widening application of information and communication technologies (ICT) in these areas. The article says that sci-tech human resources from all over the world are still brain-drained by the richest states, first of all, the USA, Canada, Australia and Great Britain, though the last decades saw experts' massive return to their homelands. Foreign scholars are fully engaged in innovative businesses, including transnational ones, and widely employed with research and educational centers. The records show an increase of foreign nationals among the researches working for the developed countries. Besides the scientific scope, they greatly contribute to high technology areas of economy and social infrastructure, shaping the basic trends in social development, mainly, in ICT and healthcare system. An increase of educational internationalization and providing educational services facilitates an upsurge in student migration, which is considered to be the most rapidly growing one in human migration. The last thirty years witnessed a number of foreign students in the world increasing by 4.5 times and reaching the amount of 2.73 million by 2005. The developed countries, such as the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France and Australia are the basic destinations of student migration. These countries show a great number of foreign students, study ing natural and technical sciences, including agriculture and engineering. The vast majority of foreign students study general theoretic courses in universities and higher education institutions. However, a considerable number of foreign students do postgraduate studies, particularly, for the scarce professions in host countries, such as agriculture, engineering, mathematics and computer science. Despite their relatively small amount in overall migration flows, the influx of qualified experts and students makes valuable contribution to science and innovative potential development of the host countries, an increase in their hi-tech sectors and knowledge-intensive service industries, such as education, healthcare, communications etc. and economy on the whole. The significant contribution of foreigners in sci-tech development of the USA is clearly indicated by a great number of award winners, including the Nobel Prize, among European and Asian scholars. Generally, foreign researches are characterized by higher capacity, as compared to their local colleagues, which manifests itself in a greater number of academic publications, completed theses and thesis defenses, and quite often foreign scholars earn a higher wages. Income derived from providing educational services is an important part of the services exported by the developed countries. Foreign students are not only the source of extra financing for higher education institutions, but also facilitate their structural modernization and development, emergence of new curricula, trends and departments. If the consequences of foreign experts and students admission are unambiguously beneficial, then the profits of the sending countries are not that clear. However, the recent researches, registering a high percentage of returning migrants, emphasize a beneficial impact of brain drain on donor states. There is a real competitive struggle for certain groups of students and experts began in the world. Universities, research centers and sci-tech companies located in the USA, Canada and Great Britain struggle more desperately to gain the most gifted foreigners. In order to attract foreign brains, incite experts and students going abroad for education to come back, and stop brain drain the majority of governments are striving to make their living conditions more attractive and professional advancement more promising within their territories. And to achieve the desirable goals the governments, first of all, pursue certain migration, sci-tech development and education policies.


Arterial air embolism is rarely seen except during diving operations, submarine escape training or during explosive decompression. In the present studies it was produced by decompression of tracheotomized rabbits. The animals were taken to a simulated depth of 100 ft. of water in a pressure chamber, and then during decompression, the trachea was closed at a 'depth of 60 ft.' until the surface was reached. Under these conditions the main injuries observed in a series of 10 experimental animals were, air embolism, pneumothorax and interstitial emphysema. In those cases where pneumothorax was present, the quantity of air in the blood vessels was small or absent altogether. Air appeared in the circulation only after the intra-tracheal pressure was allowed to return to atmospheric. Manual squeezing of the chest or applying an abdominal binder prior to clamping the trachea were both found to be effective in preventing these injuries in a further series of 10 rabbits. Squeezing the chest reduces the volume of air in the lungs nearly to residual. The binder not only reduces the initial lung volume by raising the diaphragm , but also provides support to the lungs during decompression. In a few human trials, subjects ascending from a depth of 100 ft. found the ascent to be more comfortable when wearing an abdominal binder than without one.


Precipitation variability in tropical high mountains is a fundamental yet poorly understood factor influencing local climatic expression and a variety of environmental processes, including glacier behavior and water resources. Precipitation type, diurnality, frequency, and amount influence hydrological runoff, surface albedo, and soil moisture, whereas cloud cover associated with precipitation events reduces solar irradiance at the surface. Considerable uncertainty remains in the multiscale atmospheric processes influencing precipitation patterns and their associated regional variability in the tropical Andes—particularly related to precipitation phase, timing, and vertical structure. Using data from a variety of sources—including new citizen science precipitation stations; new high-elevation comprehensive precipitation monitoring stations at Chacaltaya, Bolivia, and the Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peru; and a vertically pointing Micro Rain Radar—this article synthesizes findings from interdisciplinary research activities in the Cordillera Real of Bolivia and the Cordillera Vilcanota of Peru related to the following two research questions: (1) How do the temporal patterns, moisture source regions, and El Niño-Southern Oscillation relationships with precipitation occurrence vary? (2) What is the vertical structure (e.g., reflectivity, Doppler velocity, melting layer heights) of tropical Andean precipitation and how does it evolve temporally? Results indicate that much of the heavy precipitation occurs at night, is stratiform rather than convective in structure, and is associated with Amazonian moisture influx from the north and northwest. Improving scientific understanding of tropical Andean precipitation is of considerable importance to assessing climate variability and change, glacier behavior, hydrology, agriculture, ecosystems, and paleoclimatic reconstructions.


Current policy in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) is to prescribe a volume of formula or milk to ingest a certain number of times per day to infants admitted to the NICU. The method of infant-driven feeding (IDF) is believed to be a superior alternative that allows the infants to determine the timing and volume consumed and leads to better patient outcomes. To be considered in this review, the studies were required to be primary sources that were peerreviewed, conducted in the last five years, and had to include at least one of three outcomes: weight gain, time to full oral feedings, or hospital length of stay. The purpose of this literature review was to confirm that there are measurable benefits of the infant-driven feeding method when utilized in the NICU setting, and to validate the efficacy of this method with infants of varying levels of health and prematurity, all admitted to the NICU. The results of the review supported the hypothesis that the implementation of an IDF model would lead to decreased hospital length of stay, and earlier attainment of full oral feedings. IDF leads to shorter hospitalization, fewer adverse effects, does not compromise weight gain, and does not actually increase staff workload. It also allows parents to feel more involved with their infant's care and increases their confidence and ability to recognize and respond to readiness and disengagement cues exhibited by their infant during their hospital stay, and when they are able to return home. BENEFITS OF INFANT-DRIVEN FEEDING 3 Benefits of Infant-Driven Feeding in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit:


We present a radial velocity study of the RY Tau jet–disk system, designed to determine whether a transfer of angular momentum from disk to jet can be observed. Many recent studies report on the rotation of T Tauri disks and on what may be a signature of T Tauri jet rotation. However, due to observational difficulties, few studies report on both disk and jet within the same system to establish if the senses of rotation match and hence can be interpreted as a transfer of angular momentum. We report a clear signature of Keplerian rotation in the RY Tau disk, based on Plateau de Bure observations. We also report on the transverse radial velocity profile of the RY Tau jet close to the star. We identify two distinct profile shapes: a v-shape, which appears near jet shock positions, and a flat profile, which appears between shocks. We do not detect a rotation signature above 3σ uncertainty in any of our transverse cuts of the jet. Nevertheless, if the jet is currently in steady-state, the errors themselves provide a valuable upper limit on the jet toroidal velocity of 10 km s−1, implying a launch radius of ≤0.45 AU. However, possible contamination of jet kinematics, via shocks or precession, prevents any firm constraint on the jet launch point, since most of its angular momentum could be stored in magnetic form rather than in rotation of matter.


Small particles have been at the heart of nanoscience since the birth of the field and now stand ready to make significant contributions to the big challenges of energy, health and sustainability. Atomic clusters show exquisite size-dependent electronic and magnetic properties and offer a new level of control in catalyses, sensors and biochips; functionalised nanocrystals offer remarkable optical properties and diverse applications in electronic devices, solar energy, and therapy. Both areas are complemented by a raft of recent advances in fabrication, characterization, and performance of a diversity of nanomaterials from the single atom level to nanowires, nanodevices, and biologically-inspired nanosystems. The goal of the 2011 Gordon Conference is thus to continue and enhance the interdisciplinary tradition of this series and discuss the most recent advances, fundamental scientific questions, and emerging applications of clusters, nanocrystals, and nanostructures. A single conference covering all aspects of nanoscience from fundamental issues to applications has the potential to create new ideas and stimulate cross fertilization. The meeting will therefore provide a balance among the three sub-components of the conference, true to its title, with a selection of new topics added to reflect rapid advances in the field. The open atmosphere of a Gordon conference, emphasizingmore » the presentation of unpublished results and extensive discussions, is an ideal home for this rapidly developing field and will allow all participants to enjoy a valuable and stimulating experience. Historically, this Gordon conference has been oversubscribed, so we encourage all interested researchers from academia, industry, and government institutions to apply as early as possible. We also encourage all attendees to submit their latest results for presentation at the poster sessions. We anticipate that several posters will be selected for 'hot topic' oral presentations. Given the important role students and postdocs play in the future of this field, we also anticipate several talks of this kind from young investigators.« less


The cause of fracture of two piston rods of hammers of a drop forge was determined. The first rod of 180 mm diam consisted of an unalloyed steel with 0.37% C and 0.67% Mn and had a strength of 56 kp/sq mm at 26% elongation. Fatigue fractures propagated from several points which could be recognized as flaky cracks already in the fracture, and which later were united. No material defects could be detected in the cross section parallel to the fracture plane except for these very short cracks. These comparatively insignificant defects were sufficient to cause the fracture during high impact fatigue stresses in the drop forge. The second piston rod of 120 mm diam consisted of a steel with 0.25% C and 1.00% Mn. It allegedly had 57 kp/sq mm tensile strength and 26% elongation. The basic structure of the 120 mm piston rod was ferritic-pearlitic and hardness of 155 Brinell was accordingly low, corresponding to approximately 53 kp/sq mm tensile strength. The incipient fractures had no connection with the material defects in this shaft and therefore the fracture could not have been caused by them. Probably the low strength of the piston rod was insufficient for the high stresses.


Conflict Resolution Strategies Used by Civilian Small Business Managers on Military Bases by Tavarus James Dunbar MBA, University of Phoenix, 2007 BS, University of Phoenix, 2005 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University April 2018 Abstract Unresolved conflict is responsible for at least 50% of resignations in the workplace, which negatively affects an organization's reputation and profitability. Although there has been ample research on the link between conflict resolution and leadership, there was limited research on conflict aboard military installations specifically. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore conflict resolution strategies of civilian small business managers who work on a military installation in Southern Arizona. The theory of realistic conflict, or realistic group conflict theory, was used as the conceptual framework for this study. The data collection process involved semistructured interviews of 11 managers selected from 4 different civilian small businesses via purposive sampling along with company documents and public information found on the Internet containing conflict resolution processes within the organization. Transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed using software to help generate emergent themes. Yin's comprehensive data analysis method of compiling, assembling and disassembling, interpreting, and making conclusions resulted in the emergence of 3 themes: effective communication, situational leadership, and organizational culture. The results from this study may help business leaders identify strategies for resolving conflict, as well as recognize issues beforehand, mitigating conflict before is develops. This study has implications for positive social change, in that potential outcome of reduced conflict may lead to more organizational productivity and increase the revenue stream that is input into base programs for military members, their families, and other government employees, subsequently improving their quality of life.Unresolved conflict is responsible for at least 50% of resignations in the workplace, which negatively affects an organization's reputation and profitability. Although there has been ample research on the link between conflict resolution and leadership, there was limited research on conflict aboard military installations specifically. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore conflict resolution strategies of civilian small business managers who work on a military installation in Southern Arizona. The theory of realistic conflict, or realistic group conflict theory, was used as the conceptual framework for this study. The data collection process involved semistructured interviews of 11 managers selected from 4 different civilian small businesses via purposive sampling along with company documents and public information found on the Internet containing conflict resolution processes within the organization. Transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed using software to help generate emergent themes. Yin's comprehensive data analysis method of compiling, assembling and disassembling, interpreting, and making conclusions resulted in the emergence of 3 themes: effective communication, situational leadership, and organizational culture. The results from this study may help business leaders identify strategies for resolving conflict, as well as recognize issues beforehand, mitigating conflict before is develops. This study has implications for positive social change, in that potential outcome of reduced conflict may lead to more organizational productivity and increase the revenue stream that is input into base programs for military members, their families, and other government employees, subsequently improving their quality of life. Conflict Resolution Strategies Used by Civilian Small Business Managers on Military Bases by Tavarus James Dunbar MBA, University of Phoenix, 2007 BS, University of Phoenix, 2005 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration


We classify (∗)-subgroups of compact Lie groups of adjoint type, and associate a twisted root system to every (∗)subgroup. We study the structure of twisted root system in several aspects: properties of the small Weyl group Wsmall and its normal subgroupsWtiny andWf ; properties of finite root datum; structure of strips of infinite roots.


This atlas is an outstanding single-volume resource of information on the structure and function of specific areas of the brain. Updated to reflect the latest technology using 3 Tesla MR images, this edition has been enhanced with new functional MRI studies as well as a new section on diffusion tensor imaging with three-dimensional reconstructions of fiber tracts using color coding to demonstrate neural pathways. Highlights: * Glossary of neuroanatomic structures and definitions provides the reader with a foundation in structures, function, and functional relationships * High-quality images are divided into five sections, including Sagittal MRI views, Axial MRI views, Coronal MRI views, Fiber-Tracking Diffusion Tensor Imaging, and Three-Dimensional MRI views * Icons rapidly orient the reader with the location of each view or the diffusion pathway This book eliminates the need to sift through multiple books for the current information on the structure and function of the brain. It is invaluable for clinicians in radiology, neuroradiology, neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, psychology, neuropsychology, and neuroanatomy. The atlas is also ideal for medical students, nursing students, and individuals seeking to gain a firm understanding of human brain anatomy and function.


This paper deals with the performance of a hybrid membrane bioreactor (MBR) combined with pre-coagulation/sedimentation. Primary clarifier effluent in a municipal wastewater treatment plant was fed into the hybrid MBR to investigate its performance during long-term operation. Pre-coagulation/sedimentation process efficiently removed the suspended solids including organic matter and phosphorus. Comparison of the hybrid MBR and conventional MBR was made in terms of the permeate quality and membrane fouling. As the organic loading to the MBR was significantly reduced by the pre-coagulation/sedimentation, production and accumulation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) may be limited. Therefore, the mixed liquor viscosity in the hybrid MBR was much lower than that in the conventional MBR. These effect caused by pre-coagulation/sedimentation brought a remarkable improvement in both permeate quality and membrane permeability.


This thesis deals with the impact of hydrogen bonding on the properties of phenols. The possibility for tyrosine to form hydrogen bonds to other amino acids has been found to be important for its function as an electron transfer mediator in a number of important redox enzymes. This study has focused on modeling the function of tyrosine in Photosystem II, a crucial enzyme in the photosynthetic pathway of green plants.Hydrogen bonds between phenol and amines in both inter- and intramolecular systems have been studied with quantum chemical calculations and also in some solid-state structures involving phenol and imidazole.Different phenols linked to amines have been synthesized and their possibilities of forming intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds have been studied as well as the thermodynamics and kinetics of the generation of phenoxyl radicals via oxidation reactions.Since carboxylates may in principle act as hydrogen bond acceptors in a manner similar to imidazole, proton coupled electron transfer has also been studied for a few phenols intramolecularly hydrogen bonded to carboxylates with the aim to elucidate the mechanism for oxidation. Electron transfer in a new linked phenol—ruthenium(II)trisbipyridine complex was studied as well.The knowledge is important for the ultimate goal of the project, which is to transform solar energy into a fuel by an artificial mimic of the natural photosynthetic apparatus