Introduction: This study aimed to apply the methodology of group analysis, as proposed by Sankaran, to an under-represented and poorly-understood biological class. The intention of the study was to extend the group understanding of the biological class, with a view to more notable utilization of the individual members of the class as therapeutic substances. The Salicaceae Family was to the knowledge of the researcher, under-utilized in homoeopathy and was expected to have a much larger scope of use than is current. Methodology: The family, Salicaceae, was classified taxonomically. Secondly, an extraction of all rubrics pertaining to the Salicaceae family was done using the Radar® repertory program. Those rubrics that contained at least two remedies from the Salicaceae Family were retained and the rest were eliminated. A search of Encyclopaedia Homoeopathica® and other resources was utilized to derive common sensations, reactions to sensation, and to classify the remedies miasmatically. Results: The primary sensation was a burning sensation, with heat or a sensation of being burnt, which was confined primarily to the respiratory, genitourinary and gastrointestinal system. The next sensation, which was on the physical level, was of a stinging sensation, which may be interpreted as either a tingling or a prickling sensation. This sensation was found to be mostly confined to the skin. Another sensation was a feeling of being alone, in isolation, detached from surroundings, or being forsaken. Passive reactions included numbness, inflammation, tearfulness, trembling and crying. Active reactions were restlessness, irritation and wanting to sneeze. Miasmatically the task was a challenge, as the researcher found materia medica to be lacking in certain remedies. However many of the remedies were found to be Acute, Sycotic, Malarial or Leprous. v Conclusion: The Salicaceae Family had an affinity for all orifices, with many pathological tendencies occurring throughout the gastrointestinal, genitourinary and respiratory system. The researcher felt that the Group analysis of remedies was a powerful tool that can assist in a homoeopathic prescription. It gave great insight to the Salicaceae Family, and exposed the researcher to the lesser known remedies.


Remote sensing satellite imagery provides information about the surface of the Earth
at a range of spectral bands and spatial resolutions. This information is a valuable
resource for the management of terrestrial and marine environments. During the
capturing process, incoming light is reflected or refracted by the instrument optics
which causes a small amount of blurring. This effect is described by a mathematical
operation called convolution in which the satellite input radiance field is convolved
with the instrument Point Spread Function (PSF). This form of instrumental
distortion has the largest impact on high-contrast scenes where bright land or clouds
are adjacent to dark surfaces such as water.
This thesis investigates three mechanisms for improving the quality of recorded
satellite data. An efficient convolution method was developed to minimise boundary
effects, a deconvolution algorithm was used to remove instrumental distortion,
and a resolution enhancement algorithm was developed to improve the spatial
resolution of input images. The latter two of these problems are underdetermined
and require appropriately selected constraints in order to find unique and stable
solutions. An entropy-based method was chosen as the constraint element due to
its heavy grounding in statistical mechanics and information theory. MODerate
resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua images were used to quantify
the improvement of these algorithms, with a focus on coastal marine and open-ocean
environments.
Deconvolution is an algorithm-based process designed to reverse convolution
effects with a known PSF. Multiscale Entropy deconvolution was applied to MODIS
level 1A imagery to remove instrumental distortion from top-of-atmosphere radiance
counts. Removing these effects at the beginning of the satellite image processing chain reduces the propagation and amplification of errors in subsequent processing
stages. Wavelet transforms were implemented to decompose images into a range
of resolution levels that represent different spatial frequencies. This allows both
large-scale and small-scale features to be resolved simultaneously. Multiresolution
Support images were used to accurately define and target important areas within the
imagery. The combination of these techniques includes two-dimensional structural
information in the Multiscale Entropy calculation which results in accurate
deconvolution. Validation of the Multiscale Entropy deconvolution algorithm was
undertaken using in-situ measurements from the Baltic Sea and a QuickBird image
of a high-contrast Antarctic ice edge.
A novel approach to the spatial resolution enhancement of MODIS imagery
uses information about the optical PSF, along with the result of Multiscale
Entropy deconvolution. With this information, a system of linear equations
was constructed that models how high-resolution PSF convolution redistributes
information over a finite area. A new method termed Multiresolution Entropy
was developed to constrain the linear system and retrieve an optimal solution.
The algorithm successfully improved the spatial resolution of input images and
compared favourably to other interpolation-based methods. The key requirement of
this technique is to obtain high-resolution PSF measurements at the same sampling
frequency as the desired final output resolution.
The techniques developed and presented in this thesis contain a range of
important research contributions. The combination of Fast Fourier Transform
convolution with a boundary renormalisation approach produces an efficient and
accurate convolution method with minimal boundary effects. A multi-detector
convolution process accurately simulates the MODIS Aqua instrumentation and
allows for successful deconvolution. A detector saturated estimation technique
for ocean colour bands ensures the correct quantity of instrumental distortion is
removed during deconvolution. The formulation of a linear system consisting of highresolution
PSF modelling and appropriate physical constraints defines the spatial
resolution enhancement problem. The development of Multiresolution Entropy
targets high-frequency content, constrains the linear system and results in a unique and stable resolution-enhanced solution. The techniques developed throughout this
thesis provide considerable benefit to the quality of remote sensing imagery and can
substantially improve the monitoring and management of coastal zones and other
marine environments.


This paper refers to the concept of Minimising Attainment Deficit (MAD). This is a leadership process whereby leaders help workers fulfil their expectations of achieving their potential in their work. A qualitative approach to the collection and analysis of data was adopted through the use of orthodox grounded theory. Its aim was to generate rather than to test theory. This research has contributed knowledge relevant to practitioners in the area of leadership by presenting this concept as a processual theory, along with three sets of strategies employed by supervisors(leaders). These strategies aim to help subordinates(followers) minimise the gap between the level at which they are actually achieving in their job and the potential at which they perceive they could be achieving. These strategies focus on the work environment, the subordinate, and the leader. Modifying the environment was found to be the most popular choice of strategy for supervisors when attempting to make changes to accommodate subordinate needs. The research identifies this approach as the least effective in achieving expected change. The second choice of strategy focused on the subordinate ('You' from the supervisor's point of view). The study has shown that such a focus was more successful than a focus on the environment. The third choice of strategy was a focus on the supervisor ('Me' from the supervisor's point of view). From a subordinate's point of view this was the most successful strategy for achieving desired


Aromatic amines, including 2-naphthylamine, 4-aminobiphenyl and benzidine, are known urinary bladder carcinogens in man and other species, but in rodents, aromatic amines and amides have usually induced liver tumors, occasionally also with tumors of the bladder and other tissues. Variations in organ specificity are related to differences in metabolism; for the production of bladder tumors, the rates of acetylation and deacetylation appear to be critical. Bladder specific carcinogens in rodents and other species have subsequently been identified, including N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) administered in the drinking water, N-[(4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl]formamide (FANFT) in the diet and N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) instilled intravesically. When low doses of several bladder carcinogens (BBN, FANFT, 2-acetylaminofluorene, and 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine) are administered to rats, either simultaneously or sequentially, a synergistic effect is observed with respect to bladder carcinogenesis. In addition, a multistage carcinogenesis process has been demonstrated for the rat bladder using MNU or FANFT as initiators, and dietary sodium saccharin, sodium cyclamate, or tryptophan as promoters. Calculi (or pellets) appear to enhance the promotion process but are not necessary for it to occur. Recent studies also indicate that urine has a role in the promoting process. The urothelium normally has a very low mitotic rate. If mucosal proliferation is increased, such as during fetal development or during regeneration and repair of an ulcer, the bladder appears to be considerably more sensitive to the effects of promoting substances. For example, if sodium saccharin is administered to rats after ulceration of the bladder, even without prior administration of an initiator, bladder carcinoma develops. Under these conditions, the substance appears as a carcinogen. Human populations with increased bladder epithelial proliferation, such as fetus, infants, patients with bacterial cystitis or men with partially obstructive prostatism, may have increased susceptibility to the action of carcinogenic or promoting stimuli.


Huge amount of activated sewage sludge is being produced every year all over the world in wastewater treatment plants that if treated properly, has the potential to be used as inoculum and/or co-substrate for bio-hydrogen production. Activated sewage sludge and lignocellulosic waste material e.g rice straw have the potential to be used as a source for bio-hydrogen production. Pretreatment of lignocellulosic waste materials is often suggested by researchers to break the complex structure of these materials prior to dark fermentation. Pretreatment methods are costly, complicated and not environment-friendly due to high usage of acids, bases and energy. Therefore in this study try to find a way for bio-hydrogen production using raw materials. Batch bio-hydrogen production is carried out in serum bottles (150 mL) with maximum operation level of 120 mL and 30 mL headspace at mesophilic conditions (35°C). Activated sewage sludge (ASS) collected from inflow of a digestion tank in a wastewater treatment plant was used as the inoculum and co-substrate. Rice straw (RS) was used as the substrate. In order to achieve the highest bio-hydrogen yield and methanogens activity inhibition, heat treatment of inoculum was optimized at different exposure time and temperature ranges prior to the dark fermentation process. Three levels of time were defined (30, 45 & 60 min) and three levels of temperature (80, 90 and 100 °C) were chosen to conduct the experiments. Collected data was analysed using response surface methodology (RSM) as an analytical method. From the results, it was observed that the heat treatment of inoculum at 100 °C for 60 minutes produced the highest bio-hydrogen yield of 14.22 NmL H2/g VS at concentration of 70.97 % in total produced biogas. The triplicate batch tests were conducted to verify the optimum condition introduced by RSM (100 °C for 60 minutes), resulted in 14.10 + 0.2 NmL H2/g VS at concentration of 69.45% in biogas. Production of 0.073 NmL CH4/gVS at 0.17% concentration of total biogas in these tests indicated a very successful achievement in inhibition of methanogens activity. The raw rice straw was also co-digested with heattreated inoculum (100 °C for 60 minutes) for bio-hydrogen production at different operating process parameters. Three levels of volatile solids (VS) ratio (2:1, 4:1 and 6:1) and three levels of initial pH (4, 4.75 and 5.5) were defined as numerical variables. 4 categories of substrate size were tested to achieve the objective aforesaid: "Intact RS" [20-30 mm], "Intact RS ,Fine RS [0.25-0.5mm],Medium RS (0.5-2mm] and Large RS (2-20mm). Using RSM, the highest bio-hydrogen yield of 14.70 NmL /g VS was recognized at the optimum initial pH of 5.01 and VS ratio of 4.54 : 1 from the "Large RS" particles. Triplicate batch tests were done to produce bio-hydrogen applying optimized factors; these tests have average bio-hydrogen yield of 14.54 + 0.29 NmL /g VS. By finding optimum VS ratio, pH and proper size of rice straw, we are able to achieve higher yield of bio-hydrogen production compared to other works in mesophilic conditions using mixed culture as inoculum and lignocellulosic waste materials as substrate. The overall results in this study indicated that codigestion of raw rice straw as substrate and activated sewage sludge as both co-substrate and inoculum is a feasible approach for bio-hydrogen production.


The authors of the paper write about the history of this special issue, explain why they have chosen the Russian North as their focus and render their understanding of changing gender relations through the definition of gender shift. Further, they describe multiple interrelated processes of gender shift, or gender shifts, unfolding in demographic, socio-economic, symbolic and cultural, administrative and political spheres. This description is illustrated with references to the diverse contributions to this issue, which represent a wide range of topics and approaches and provide rich empirical material originating from northern indigenous and multiethnic, nomadic, rural and urban communities. Discussions on and interpretations of gender shift are followed by anthropological case studies presented by the three authors on the basis of their research conducted in Zabaikal'skii Territory, Komi Republic, and Chukotka.


The Russian manufacturing sector has an underdeveloped SME sector both in terms of employment and contributions to GDP in comparison with other economies, with evident signs of stagnation over the past few decades. However, little is known about the capacity of SME sector, i.e., the opportunities to grow and thus exploit the benefits from economies of scale. The paper attempts to estimate the impact of internal and external factors on a firm's competitiveness in the context of optimal enterprise size. The main conclusion is that that the satisfaction of Russian SME managers has been increasing due to factors such as the sufficient supply of qualified personnel, modern infrastructure, developed partnerships, the expansion of the geographical scope of available markets and favorable institutional conditions for entrepreneurship. In contrast, serious constraints to SME growth in Russia discourage entrepreneurs and lead to poor decisions by managers such as exploiting shadow schemes, leaving the market or growth in the form of nominally independent firms under the informal "umbrella" of one owner. Formidable bureaucratic barriers and significant transactional costs increase the vulnerability of small businesses to administrative pressure. In order to survive and remain on the market, Russian companies have to adapt to the existing institutional environment, and must be larger compared to their counterparts in developed economies.


Acinetobacter baumannii is an emerging human pathogen causing great concern in hospitals. There are numerous studies regarding the virulence factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of A. baumannii clinical isolates, whereas data regarding environmental isolates are missing. The virulence factors (biofilm formation at the air-liquid/solid-liquid interfaces and surface motility) of A. baumannii isolated from natural environment were determined. The influence of natural zeolite (NZ) on the expression of virulence factors was examined by addition of 1 and 10% of NZ into the growth medium. In total 24 environmental isolates of A. baumannii were recovered from different stages of the secondary type of municipal wastewater treatment plant. 14 isolates were multi-drug resistant, while 10 of them were sensitive to all antibiotics tested. Isolates sensitive to antibiotics were statistically significantly more hydrophobic and formed stronger biofilm and pellicles than multi-drug resistant isolates. Biofilm and pellicle formation were statistically significantly positive correlated with hydrophobicity of cells. Biofilm formation and twitching motility were significantly inhibited by the addition of 1% of NZ into the growth medium due to the immobilization of bacterial cells onto NZ particles, while pellicle formation and swarming motility were inhibited only by the addition of 10% of NZ. NZ is a promising material for the reduction of the A. baumannii virulence factors and could find application in control of the adherence and subsequent biofilm formation of this emerging pathogen on abiotic surfaces.


xiii, 135 p. ; ill. (some col.) A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.


Although over a third of all arbitration proceedings result in settlement agreements very little has been written on the legal status of consent awards in international arbitration.

Drawing on comparative analysis of procedural rules and practice of major arbitration tribunals, domestic law of common and civil law jurisdictions, this Article presents the first major study of consent awards in international arbitration.

Consent awards, being effectively settlement agreements recorded by arbitration tribunals as awards, raise a number of difficult legal questions, ranging from the right of arbitrators to refuse recoding the settlement as a consent award to the possible use of consent awards to cover illegal activities.

Understanding what makes consent awards different from "normal" arbitration awards will help successfully navigate from settlement to enforcement.


Peer-to-peer (P2P) architectures have recently become very popular in massively multiplayer games (MMGs). While P2P gaming offers high scalability compared to client/server architectures, it introduces several major issues related to data distribution and game state consistency. In this paper, we report our initial version of VoroGame, a P2P architecture for MMGs that addresses these issues by combining a structured P2P overlay based on a distributed hash table (DHT) for data distribution, with a Voronoi diagram used for virtual game world decomposition and semantic overlay support. The resulting hybrid architecture enables a fully distributed management of data and state information, and ensures efficient dissemination of game state updates to relevant peers.


In order to make clear the mechanism of how the INH resistance weakens under the influence of sulfa drugs, the author conducted experiments by using the method of mixed population and also tested the susceptibility of INH resistant bacilli and INH receptive bacilli to sulfa drugs and their gaining of resistance against sulfa drgus. By such experiments, the author obtained the following results. 1. In the case of studying the clone of a perfect INH resistant strain for generations cultured in a SI-added culture medium, the author observed no weakening of the resistance. 2. Rapid weakening of INH resistance was found in the bacilli cultured in a SI-added medium for generations by use of the method of mixed population. Assuming that this phenomenon of weakening might be attributable to the difference between the susceptibility of INH resistant bacilli to SI and that of INH receptive bacilli to SI, the author further examined but was unable to find any bacterioseptic action in either bacilli by adding 500γ of SI. As regards bacteriostatic action, no difference was observed in the case of small inoculation of bacilli. In the case of massive inoculation of bacilli difference of some measure appeared. The results of the experiments seem to indicate that, although there is no difference in the susceptibility itself between INH resistant bacilli and INH receptive bacilli to SI, SI had delicate effects in delaying the growth of INH resistant bacilli. 3. The author studied the bacteriostatic action of long acting sulfa drugs such SD, SIM, SP and SMP and found that the action of SD and SIM was most violent, about twice as much as that of SI. The bacteriostatic action of SP was a little milder than that of SD and SIM and that of SMP most mild. As regards the bacteriostatic action of long acting sulfa drugs such as the ones quoted in the above on INH resistant bacilli and INH receptive bacilli, no significant difference could be found. 4. No difference was observed in the process of gaining resistance against SI between INH resistant bacilli and receptive bacilli. The resistance of neither bacilli increased beyond 125γ.


Nearly every Anglo-American law school offers a course called Law-and-Literature. Nearly all of these courses assign one or more readings from Shakespeare's oeuvre. Why study Shakespeare in law school? That is the question at the heart of these courses. Some law professors answer the question in terms of cultivating moral sensitivity, fine-tuning close-reading skills, or practicing interpretive strategies on literary rather than legal texts. Most of these professors insist on an illuminating nexus between two supposedly autonomous disciplines. The history of how Shakespeare became part of the legal canon is more complicated than these often defensive, syllabus-justifying declarations allow. This article examines the history of Shakespeare studies vis-a-vis legal education. It begins with early law-and-literature scholarship, which focused on Shakespeare's history or biography – speculating as it did about whether Shakespeare was a lawyer or perchance received legal training – and concludes with recent law-and-literature scholarship treating Shakespeare as a source of insight for law students and lawyers alike. I submit that early law-and-literature scholarship on Shakespeare anticipated New Historicist theory and that more recent law-and-literature work, with its turn to presentism, is in lockstep with Shakespeare studies. In law-and-literature classrooms, Shakespeare is more fashionable like a hobby than scholarly like a profession; but law-and-literature scholarship on Shakespeare amounts to high-caliber work based on interdisciplinary research as well as deep engagement with legal and literary texts. I wrap up this essay with a note about the direction of the university in general and of the law-and-literature movement in particular. I admit that my closing argument, as it were, is tendentious. It raises issues usually raised by confrontational academics and suggests remedies for what William M. Chace has called "the decline of the English Department" or what Harold Bloom has called "Groupthink" in "our obsolete academic institutions, whose long suicide since 1967 continues". If Chace and Bloom are right about a decline in academic standards – evidence shows that they are at least right about a decline in numbers of English majors – then the fate of literary studies seems grim. Nevertheless, Chace and Bloom overlook the migration of literature professors into American law schools, a phenomenon yet to receive critical attention. Another aspect of this phenomenon is the migration of students from the humanities to professional schools. I personally have known many students who wished to go on to graduate school in the humanities but quite understandably viewed that route as impractical and went to law school instead. A positive result of this trend is that a substantial body of law students is open to the idea of law-and-literature and finds luminaries like George Anastaplo or Stanley Fish more interesting than other law professors. My final comments address the strange exodus of literary scholars into professional schools, which pay more money and arguably provide vaster audiences and readership, more generous funding opportunities, and reduced teaching loads. Perhaps more than other literary disciplines, save for cultural studies, Shakespeare studies has moved into the realm of interdisciplinarity, albeit without large contributions from scholars outside of literature departments. The law-and-literature field would have perished without the expertise of literature professors; likewise, Shakespeare studies, if it continues down the path of politics and cultural criticism, will perish without the expertise of economists, political scientists, and legal scholars, whose mostly non-Marxist perspectives, when pooled with the perspectives of literature professors, might fill out a space for interesting scholarship and redeem the interdisciplinary label. Information-sharing is especially crucial for literature scholars who, in order to examine the history of Shakespeare in American culture, have turned to practices and methods traditionally reserved for other disciplines.


Background Tobacco smoking is a major contributor to the public health burden and healthcare costs worldwide, but the determinants of smoking behaviours are poorly understood. We conducted a large individual-participant meta-analysis to examine the extent to which work-related stress, operationalised as job strain, is associated with tobacco smoking in working adults. Methodology and Principal Findings We analysed cross-sectional data from 15 European studies comprising 166 130 participants. Longitudinal data from six studies were used. Job strain and smoking were self-reported. Smoking was harmonised into three categories never, ex- and current. We modelled the cross-sectional associations using logistic regression and the results pooled in random effects meta-analyses. Mixed effects logistic regression was used to examine longitudinal associations. Of the 166 130 participants, 17% reported job strain, 42% were never smokers, 33% ex-smokers and 25% current smokers. In the analyses of the cross-sectional data, current smokers had higher odds of job strain than never-smokers (age, sex and socioeconomic position-adjusted odds ratio: 1.11, 95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.18). Current smokers with job strain smoked, on average, three cigarettes per week more than current smokers without job strain. In the analyses of longitudinal data (1 to 9 years of follow-up), there was no clear evidence for longitudinal associations between job strain and taking up or quitting smoking. Conclusions Our findings show that smokers are slightly more likely than non-smokers to report work-related stress. In addition, smokers who reported work stress smoked, on average, slightly more cigarettes than stress-free smokers.


We introduce the SMTp architecture - an SMT processor augmented with a coherence protocol thread context, that together with a standard integrated memory controller can enable the design of (among other possibilities) scalable cache-coherent hardware distributed shared memory (DSM) machines from commodity nodes. We describe the minor changes needed to a conventional out-of-order multi-threaded core to realize SMTp, discussing issues related to both deadlock avoidance and performance. We then compare SMTp performance to that of various conventional DSM machines with normal SMT processors both with and without integrated memory controllers. On configurations from 1 to 32 nodes, with 1 to 4 application threads per node, we find that SMTp delivers performance comparable to, and sometimes better than, machines with more complex integrated DSM-specific memory controllers. Our results also show that the protocol thread has extremely low pipeline overhead. Given the simplicity and the flexibility of the SMTp mechanism, we argue that next-generation multi-threaded processors with integrated memory controllers should adopt this mechanism as a way of building less complex high-performance DSM multiprocessors.


Online feature selection with dynamic features has become an active research area in recent years. However, in some real-world applications such as image analysis and email spam filtering, features may arrive by groups. Existing online feature selection methods evaluate features individually, while existing group feature selection methods cannot handle online processing. Motivated by this, we formulate the online group feature selection problem, and propose a novel selection approach for this problem. Our proposed approach consists of two stages: online intra-group selection and online inter-group selection. In the intra-group selection, we use spectral analysis to select discriminative features in each group when it arrives. In the inter-group selection, we use Lasso to select a globally optimal subset of features. This 2-stage procedure continues until there are no more features to come or some predefined stopping conditions are met. Extensive experiments conducted on benchmark and real-world data sets demonstrate that our proposed approach outperforms other state-of-the-art online feature selection methods.


The twin aims of this research were to improve the presentation of codified design information and to investigate the methods used to calibrate the partial safety factors applied to resistance functions (yR factors) so as to improve both the economy and the reliability of the predictions. A restructured version of EC3 (known as F-EC3) was developed by rearranging the design clauses on the basis of design tasks. This system enables the code to become more user-friendly. Hypertext versions of both EC3 and F-EC3 have been created on PC-based Microsoft Windows compatible software. The implications of hypertext on structural codes are investigated. The procedure used for calibrating the yR-factors contained within EC3 (the Annex Z method) was reviewed and an alternative techniques involving less assumption proposed. A comprehensive set of measurements recording the material strength and the geometric properties of steel were obtained and collated. The large data set (over 7000 tests) was sufficient to evaluate the type of probability distribution characterising the variability of the basic material and geometric properties of structural steel. The resulting data were combined with experimental test results to determine the reliability of plate girder design and restrained beam design. The theoretical shear buckling resistance of plate girders (predicted by the simple post-critical and tension field methods) was compared with experimental test results to determine reliability. The analysis demonstrated that plate girder design falls well short of the target reliability and an adjustment to the design methods is required in order to ensure safe design. A series of 4-point bending tests on laterally restrained beams were conducted to establish the accuracy of the Mp1.Rd resistance function. This study quantifies the degree of conversation inherent in the Mp1.Rd design method and provides convincing evidence of the need to reduce the yR-factor applied to this resistance function. A modification is proposed to the design formulae which improves accuracy and permits the full moment capacity of restrained beams to be utilised.


Context: Subclinical keratoconus is contraindication to refractive surgery. The currently used methods of preoperative screening do not always allow differentiating between healthy eyes and those with subclinical keratoconus. Aim: To evaluate biomechanical parameters of the cornea, waveform score (WS), and intraocular pressure (IOP) as potentially useful adjuncts to the diagnostic algorithm for precise detection of the early keratoconus stages and selection of refractive surgery candidates. Settings and Design: Department of Ophthalmology and prospective cross-sectional study. Patients and Methods: Patients enrolled in the study were diagnosed with refractive disorders. We assessed parameters of corneal biomechanics such as corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), Goldman-correlated IOP (IOPg), corneal compensated IOP, WS, and keratoconus match index (KMI). They were classified into one of three groups based on the predefined KMI range: Group 1 (from 0.352 to 0.757) – 45 eyes, Group 2 (from −0.08 to 0.313) – 52 eyes, and Group 0 - control group (from 0.761 to 1.642) – 80 eyes. Results: In both study groups, IOPg, CRF, and CH were decreased when compared to control (P < 0.0001). In control group, there was positive correlation between CH and KMI (P < 0.05), with no correlations in any of the two study groups. CRF correlated positively with KMI in control (P < 0.0001) and in Group 2 (P < 0.05). Conclusions: CH and CRF, together with WS and IOPg, consist a clinically useful adjunct to detect subclinical keratoconus in patients referred for refractive surgery when based on KMI staging.


There have been many assistant applications on mobile devices, which could help people obtain rich Web content such as user-generated data (e.g., reviews, posts, blogs, and tweets). However, online communities and social networks are expanding rapidly and it is impossible for people to browse and digest all the information via simple search interface. To help users obtain information more efficiently, both the interface for data access and the information representation need to be improved. An intuitive and personalized interface, such as a dialogue system, could be an ideal assistant, which engages a user in a continuous dialogue to garner the user's interest and capture the user's intent, and assists the user via speech-navigated interactions. In addition, there is a great need for a type of application that can harvest data from the Web, summarize the information in a concise manner, and present it in an aggregated yet natural way such as direct human dialogue. This thesis, therefore, aims to conduct research on a universal framework for developing speech-based interface that can aggregate user-generated Web content and present the summarized information via speech-based human-computer interaction. To accomplish this goal, several challenges must be met. Firstly, how to interpret users' intention from their spoken input correctly? Secondly, how to interpret the semantics and sentiment of user-generated data and aggregate them into structured yet concise summaries? Lastly, how to develop a dialogue modeling mechanism to handle discourse and present the highlighted information via natural language? This thesis explores plausible approaches to tackle these challenges. We will explore a lexicon modeling approach for semantic tagging to improve spoken language understanding and query interpretation. We will investigate a parse-and-paraphrase paradigm and a sentiment scoring mechanism for information extraction from unstructured user-generated data. We will also explore sentiment-involved dialogue modeling and corpus-based language generation approaches for dialogue and discourse. Multilingual prototype systems in multiple domains have been implemented for demonstration. Thesis supervisor: Stephanie Seneff Title: Senior Research Scientist, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Thesis supervisor: Victor Zue Title: Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science


Abstract: Since the foundation of the Biologische Anstalt Helgoland in 1892, the macroalgal flora of Helgoland was intensively investigated. The 100-year-old herbarium, field-notes and published literature generated valuable though discontinuous and qualitative information about the change of the flora and littoral communities. In total, 274 macroalgal species were recorded between 1845 and 2002. Between 1845-1939 and 1959-1998 a shift in species composition was observed. After 1959 seventeen species (mostly spring to summer annuals) were not recorded at all or became very rare, while the records of perennial species were stable. Some species reappeared in the late 1990s after several decades. The spread of invasive or introduced species (Bonnemaisonia hamifera, Codium fragile, Mastocarpus stellatus, Sargassum muticum) around the island was qualitatively observed. Within the framework of GBIF Germany (BMBF; Forderkennzeichen UF-UFLI01097902-01LI0203) the herbarium at Helgoland will be digitised. This will enable a better analysis of hidden data like phenology and local distribution of macroalgae over the past 100 years.As only qualitative data were existent, a mapping survey of the littoral biotopes was initiated in 1999 to generate spatial and quantitative information. Twenty of the 57 eulittoral rocky shore biotopes and 4 of the 26 sub-biotopes classified for Britain and Ireland have been recorded on Helgoland in this baseline study. Only 4 out of the 24 biotopes and sub-biotopes are characterised by the visual dominance of faunal species, the others are macroalgal dominated. Comparison with past descriptions suggests continuing presence of most of the autochthonous biotopes over the past 80 years but also considerable change due to the recent invasion of the macroalgae Mastocarpus stellatus and Sargassum muticum during the past 20 years. One previously recorded cave biotope and a sublittoral seagrass biotope became extinct due to habitat loss, while other biotopes probably have extended their range due to habitat increase.Investigations of the rocky intertidal macrofaunal communities also showed changes in species composition over the past 20 years. Conspicuous differences were ascertained between semi-quantitative surveys in 1984 and 2002. In 2002, twenty-nine species were recorded that had not been observed in 1984 and 46 species of the 1984 study were not recorded any more in 2002. This change was especially obvious in species of hydrozoans, polychaetes, prosobranchs and opisthobranchs. As both studies may just reflect seasonal snap shots, they will be supplemented by regular and quantitative invertebrate sampling of the rocky intertidal in the future.The general lack of quantitative and spatial past information on benthic eulittoral communities for Helgoland only allows a descriptive account of the changes that have taken place, and underlines the need for quantitative research in the future. As part of this, research is undertaken to prove whether airborne methods may partly replace ground mapping in future (cooperation with DLR, Oberpfaffenhofen) and regular transects will be established by the LANU Schleswig-Holstein.


With interest rates near their historic lows and with real estate prices continuing to climb, homeowners seem increasingly eager for home equity lines of credit (HELOC) to borrow a portion of the increasing equity in their homes. HELOC production is filling a larger portion of lenders' balance sheets. As a result, lenders are increasingly looking to the securitization markets to provide financing for these loans and to reduce their exposure to these first and second trust deeds. In this article, the author looks at the HELOC market and discusses some issues securitizers have faced along with how they have addressed these issues. In particular, issuers that securitize convert loans primarily into cash along with the following typical retained interests: transferors' interest (sellers' interest), subordinated bonds/over-collateralization (OC), spread accounts (if any), interest only (IO) securities, and mortgage servicing rights (MSR). The author discusses account and servicing issues for each of those retained interests.


Deep-sea sponges and their microbial symbionts transform various forms of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) via several metabolic pathways, which, for a large part, are poorly quantified. Previous flux studies on the common deep-sea sponge Geodia barretti consistently revealed net consumption of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and oxygen (O2) and net release of nitrate (NO3-). Here we present a biogeochemical metabolic network model that, for the first time, quantifies C and N fluxes within the sponge holobiont in a consistent manner, including many poorly constrained metabolic conversions. Using two datasets covering a range of individual G. barretti sizes (10–3,500 ml), we found that the variability in metabolic rates partially resulted from body size as O2 uptake allometrically scales with sponge volume. Our model analysis confirmed that dissolved organic matter (DOM), with an estimated C:N ratio of 7.7 ± 1.4, is the main energy source of G. barretti. DOM is primarily used for aerobic respiration, then for dissimilatory NO3- reduction to ammonium (NH4+) (DNRA), and, lastly, for denitrification. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) production efficiencies (production/assimilation) were estimated as 24 ± 8% (larger individuals) and 31 ± 9% (smaller individuals), so most DOC was respired to carbon dioxide (CO2), which was released in a net ratio of 0.77–0.81 to O2 consumption. Internally produced NH4+ from cellular excretion and DNRA fueled nitrification. Nitrification-associated chemoautotrophic production contributed 5.1–6.7 ± 3.0% to total sponge production. While overall metabolic patterns were rather independent of sponge size, (volume-)specific rates were lower in larger sponges compared to smaller individuals. Specific biomass production rates were 0.16% day–1 in smaller compared to 0.067% day–1 in larger G. barretti as expected for slow-growing deep-sea organisms. Collectively, our approach shows that metabolic modeling of hard-to-reach, deep-water sponges can be used to predict community-based biogeochemical fluxes and sponge production that will facilitate further investigations on the functional integration and the ecological significance of sponge aggregations in deep-sea ecosystems.


Presenting the sciences and teaching the courses in an interactive way is one of the most
attractive aspects of the web and educational technology. Many mathematical softwares
demonstrate how these technologies make advance topics more accessible and complex
mathematical concepts more understandable. The common problems in mathematics
teaching process; is the difficulties, undergraduate students encounter in understanding
math concepts, theories and problem solving. These problems can be overcome through
using creativity in developing math teaching tools and styles. The objective of this project
is to use macromedia Flash to make many confusing and complex math concepts simple,
visualized and interesting and also to develop a part of a package of animated and
visualized mathematical courses. Flash ability and flexibility are the features of this tool
which help the designer to develop demonstrating of algebra concepts in a virtual
environment. This research will use Macromedia Flash for developing a visualized
package of algebra course (Introduction to Algebra (MTK 3001).


In comparison with the significant historiographical work on the German case, specifically on Nazi environmental policies and ideology, studies on such issues for other Fascist regimes are still rather rare. This article attempts partially to fill this gap, at least as regards the Italian case, offering a general overview of the Fascist regime and its environmental politics and narratives. Analysing how Fascists appropriated Italian landscapes through both discourses and concrete policies, this paper examines the construction of a Fascist nature as a rhetorical, symbolic and geographical space. In particular, this essay explores the combined process of appropriation and expropriation through the analysis of two diverse but intertwined issues: firstly, Fascist rural ideology as a narrative on the mutual constituency of nature and people and secondly, the creation of the first Italian national parks, their successes and failures as institutions of nature conservation and their role as symbols of the nature/society divide. While blending the ideas of race, landscape, history, modernity and ruralism, Fascists shaped both the national environment and general ideas about nature in a narrative which affected the very object of the narration that is, nature itself.


Coastal seas constitute a link between land and the open ocean, and therefore play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Large amounts of carbon, of both terrestrial and marine origin, transit and are transformed in these waters, which belong to the more productive areas of the oceans. Despite much research has been done on the subject, there are still many unknown factors in the coastal sea carbon cycling. This doctoral thesis investigates the carbon dynamics in the Baltic Sea, with a focus on the production and fate of marine and terrestrial organic carbon and its influence on the air-sea CO2 exchange in its northernmost part, the Gulf of Bothnia. The main approach is the use of a coupled 3D physicalbiogeochemical model, in combination with a long series of measurements of physical and biogeochemical parameters. A new coupled 3D physical-biogeochemical model, which includes the stoichiometric flexibility of plankton and organic matter, is set up for the Gulf of Bothnia. It is found that phytoplankton stoichiometric flexibility in particular, with non-Redfieldian dynamics, is key to explaining seasonal pCO2, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and nutrient dynamics. If the Redfield ratio is instead used to predict organic carbon production, as done in most biogeochemical models currently in use, the uptake of atmospheric CO2 is reduced by half. Furthermore, it is shown that the organic carbon production needed to reproduce the summer pCO2 drawdown is larger than measured estimates of primary production. This discrepancy is attributed to a substantial production of extracellular DOC, which seems not to be captured by measurements. The dynamics of terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (tDOC) is studied by the use of a passive tracer released from rivers into the physical model of the Baltic Sea. It is found that 80% of the tDOC released in the Baltic Sea is removed, and the rest is exported to the North Sea. Two different parameterisations of tDOC removal are tested. In the first one a decay rate with a timescale of 1 year applied to 80% of the tDOC, and the remaining 20% is assumed to be refractory. In the second one a decay rate with a timescale of 10 years applied to 100% of the tDOC. Trying these parameterisations in a full biogeochemical model shows that only the one with the faster decay is able to reproduce observations of pCO2 in the low-salinity region. A removal rate of one year agrees well with calculated removal rates from bacterial incubation experiments, indicating that bacteria have the potential to cause this remineralisation. It is not only remineralisation of tDOC that affects the pCO2; it is also suggested that a strong tDOC induced light extinction is needed to prevent a too large pCO2 drawdown by phytoplankton in the low salinity region.


Hyperproperties elevate the traditional view of trace properties form sets of traces to sets of sets of traces and provide a formalism for expressing information-flow policies. For trace properties, algorithms for verification, monitoring, and synthesis are typically based on a representation of the properties as omega-automata. For hyperproperties, a similar, canonical automata-theoretic representation is, so far, missing. This is a serious obstacle for the development of algorithms, because basic constructions, such as learning algorithms, cannot be applied. In this paper, we present a canonical representation for the widely used class of regular k-safety hyperproperties, which includes important polices such as noninterference. We show that a regular k-safety hyperproperty S can be represented by a finite automaton, where each word accepted by the automaton represents a violation of S. The representation provides an automata-theoretic approach to regular k-safety hyperproperties and allows us to compare regular k-safety hyperproperties, simplify them, and learn such hyperproperties. We investigate the problem of constructing automata for regular k-safety hyperproperties in general and from formulas in HyperLTL, and provide complexity bounds for the different translations. We also present a learning algorithm for regular k-safety hyperproperties based on the L* learning algorithm for deterministic finite automata.


Medical device systems Clinical Engineering (CE)/Health Technology Management (HTM) strategies and best practices are now well established in most first world and many developing countries (DC).Progress is being made to address identified gaps in DC CE/HTM, such as appropriate equipment selection and lifecycle management. One contributor to this progress is the 25 years of CE/HTM Seminars provided by WHO-PAHO, ACCE, and more recently, IFMBE CED, to 80 countries. There is also a new emerging challenge; the requirement for medical device (clinical data) integration (MDI) into electronic health records (EHRs) to improve care quality and safety (aka CE-IT).This study will review CE/HTM progress, gaps, and new challenges since the last study in 2011. It will provide a framework to direct the global CE/HTM movement forward in collaborative fashion, alongside other initiatives in 2015, such as the 1st International CE-HTM Congress and the Global CE Summit held in Hanzhou, China, in October, 2015.


The term "scientific temper" was first used in India by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1946. After he became the first Prime Minister of Independent India in 1947, Nehru relentlessly expanded the notion of scientific temper and strived hard to convince the political and scientific leadership to inculcate scientific temper among its citizens. However, this discourse is rooted in the pre-Nehruvian era. Though the term scientific temper was not in use, a number of social reformers, scholars and scientists advocated the need to instil a sprit of scientific enquiry in the society. The Post Nehruvian period witnessed the Government's commitment in its science and technology policy statements and constitutional amendments to develop scientific temper. In 1981, a statement on scientific temper was issued by a group of individuals, which evoked support as well as criticism from different quarters. In 2011, an attempt was made to revisit the 1981 scientific temper statement and the outcome was a revised statement, now known as the Palampur Declaration. This was followed by two international conferences and workshops, which built upon the conceptualization of Scientific Temper as well as a plan of action to promote it. The present paper attempts to situate the notion of ''Scientific Temper'' in the Indian context, and expose the nuances of how this concept has been developed.


Summary. Serum iron, serum iron‐binding capacity, serum ferritin and erythrocyte protoporphyrin were determined during uncomplicated pregnancy in 45 healthy women; 22 were given oral iron while the others were given a placebo. When iron was not given, 15 out of 23 women had exhausted iron stores and iron deficiency at term, as judged from low serum ferritin, low serum transferrin saturation and high erythrocyte protoporphyrin values. Only seven of them had a haemoglobin concentration between 10 and 11 g/dl at term but none had values < 10 g/dl. In the iron‐treated group (n=22) none of the women developed iron deficiency. Serum ferritin was the most sensitive and specific test of iron deficiency. A practical procedure to detect iron deficiency and to control iron supplementation in pregnancy is suggested.


That breaches of military discipline occur during some peacekeeping operations can hardly be doubted. Some of these breaches likely infringe the human rights of the people those operations are intended to aid. Determining attribution as between the United Nations and individual states poses an almost insurmountable obstacle to those who claim that their human rights have been infringed by members of a peacekeeping force. Whether the claim is brought before a national court or to a human rights body, the litigation is likely to be protracted, complex and extremely costly. Current decisions show this to be the case. Whether alleged breaches of human rights are attributed solely to the United Nations or the duty to obey U.N. Security Council resolutions replaces state obligations to comply with their human rights obligations, the result is the same. This article considers the role of military discipline in preventing breaches of human rights during peacekeeping operations.


Philadelphia-like B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-like ALL) is characterized by distinct genetic alterations and inferior prognosis in children and younger adults. The purpose of this study was a genetic and clinical characterization of Ph-like ALL in adults. Twenty-six (13%) of 207 adult patients (median age: 42 years) with B-cell precursor ALL (BCP-ALL) were classified as having Ph-like ALL using gene expression profiling. The frequency of Ph-like ALL was 27% among 95 BCP-ALL patients negative for BCR-ABL1 and KMT2A-rearrangements. IGH-CRLF2 rearrangements (6/16; P=0.002) and mutations in JAK2 (7/16; P<0.001) were found exclusively in the Ph-like ALL subgroup. Clinical and outcome analyses were restricted to patients treated in German Multicenter Study Group for Adult ALL (GMALL) trials 06/99 and 07/03 (n=107). The complete remission rate was 100% among both Ph-like ALL patients (n=19) and the "remaining BCP-ALL" cases (n=40), i.e. patients negative for BCR-ABL1 and KMT2A-rearrangements and the Ph-like subtype. Significantly fewer Ph-like ALL patients reached molecular complete remission (33% versus 79%; P=0.02) and had a lower probability of continuous complete remission (26% versus 60%; P=0.03) and overall survival (22% versus 64%; P=0.006) at 5 years compared to the remaining BCP-ALL patients. The profile of genetic lesions in adults with Ph-like ALL, including older adults, resembles that of pediatric Ph-like ALL and differs from the profile in the remaining BCP-ALL. Our study is the first to demonstrate that Ph-like ALL is associated with inferior outcomes in intensively treated older adult patients. Ph-like adult ALL should be recognized as a distinct, high-risk entity and further research on improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches is needed. (NCT00199056, NCT00198991)


On 31 March 1836 the publishers Chapman & Hall launched the first issue of a new monthly periodical entitled The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. Conceived and created by the artist Robert Seymour, it contained four of his illustrations; the words to accompany them were written by a young journalist who used the pen-name Boz. The story of a sporting-cum-drinking club presided over by fat, loveable Mr Pickwick, assisted by his cockney manservant Sam Weller, The Pickwick Papers soon became a popular sensation, outselling every other book except the Bible and Shakespeare's plays, and read and discussed by the entire population of the British Isles, from the duke's drawing-room to the lowliest chophouse. The fame of Mr Pickwick soon spread worldwide - making The Pickwick Papers the greatest literary phenomenon in history. But one does not need to have read a single word of The Pickwick Papers to be enthralled by the story of how this extraordinary novel came to be. The creation and afterlife of The Pickwick Papers is the subject of Stephen Jarvis' novel, Death and Mr Pickwick. This vast, intricately constructed, indeed Dickensian work is at once the ultimate homage to a much-loved book, tracing its genesis and subsequent history in fascinating detail, and a damning indictment of how an ambitious young writer expropriated another man's ideas and then engaged in an elaborate cover-up of The Pickwick Papers' true origin. Few novels deserve to be called magnificent. Death and Mr Pickwick is one of them.


The objective of this project aimed to quantify and compare the environmental impacts associated with the construction of a mid-rise office building. Two alternative scenarios were considered; a traditional cast-in-place, reinforced concrete frame and a laminated timber hybrid design, which utilized engineered wood products including glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT). The study boundary was cradle-to-gate and encompassed the structural support system and the building enclosure.
A case study building; Discovery Place – Building 12, was selected to represent a typical five-storey office building constructed in North America. Floor plans, elevations, material quantities and design loads associated with the concrete-framed building design were obtained from issued-for-construction engineering drawings. A functionally equivalent, laminated timber design was then conceived, based on the requirements outlined in CAN/CSA-O86-01. Design values for locally produced CLT panels were established from in-house material testing results. A life cycle assessment of CLT, manufactured in British Columbia with mountain pine beetle killed wood, was developed based on primary inventory data collected from a pilot-scale manufacturing facility. Life cycle inventory and impact assessment data for building materials was obtained from secondary sources including BEES® 4.0, ATHENA® EcoCalculator, CORRIM, and the US LCI. TRACI, an impact assessment characterization methodology, was employed to translate inventory flows into environmental impact indicators.
The environmental comparison of building design alternatives was based on 11 impact categories. The results concluded that the laminated timber building design was associated with a lower environmental footprint in 10 of 11 categories. At a minimum, the heavy timber design demonstrated a 14% improvement, when considering acidification potential. At a maximum, the timber design exhibited a global warming potential that was 71% less than the concrete design. Fossil fuel depletion was the only category where the concrete design was superior, displaying a 6% advantage over the timber scenario. The cumulative embodied energy of construction materials was also calculated; with results estimating energy contents of 116 and 66 terajoules for the timber and concrete designs, respectively. The concrete building acquired 20% of its energy from renewable sources, whereas in the timber-framed case, renewables accounted for over 60% of the combined feedstock and process energy.


Boletus marekii, a new species which was found in northwestern Bohemia (Czech Republic), is described. This species, belonging to the Boletus chrysenteron group (Boletus subgen. Xerocomus), is characterised mainly by its xerocomoid appearance, red-coloured, soon coarsely rimose-areolate pileus and smooth, truncate spores. Characters distinguishing Boletus marekii from other species of this group, e.g. Boletus armeniacus, Boletus rubellus, Boletus porosporus, Boletus fennicus, Boletus ripariellus and Boletus declivitatum, are discussed. A new combination, Boletus fennicus, is proposed.


Pododermatitis is frequent in captive flamingos worldwide, but little is known about the associated histopathologic lesions. Involvement of a papillomavirus or herpesvirus has been suspected. Histopathologic evaluation and viral assessment of biopsies from 19 live and 10 dead captive greater flamingos were performed. Selected samples were further examined by transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Feet from 10 dead free-ranging greater flamingos were also evaluated. The histologic appearance of lesions of flamingos of increasing age was interpreted as the progression of pododermatitis. Mild histologic lesions were seen in a 3-week-old flamingo chick with no macroscopic lesions, and these were characterized by Micrococcus-like bacteria in the stratum corneum associated with exocytosis of heterophils. The inflammation associated with these bacteria may lead to further histologic changes: irregular columnar proliferations, papillary squirting, and dyskeratosis. In more chronic lesions, hydropic degeneration of keratinocytes, epidermal hyperplasia, and dyskeratosis were seen at the epidermis, as well as proliferation of new blood vessels and increased intercellular matrix in the dermis. Papillomavirus DNA was not identified in any of the samples, while herpesvirus DNA was seen only in a few cases; therefore, these viruses were not thought to be the cause of the lesions. Poor skin health through suboptimal husbandry may weaken the epidermal barrier and predispose the skin to invasion of Micrococcus-like bacteria. Histologic lesions were identified in very young flamingos with no macroscopic lesions; this is likely to be an early stage lesion that may progress to macroscopic lesions.


The clastic record is commonly interrogated by analysis of detrital heavy mineral assemblages, with the bulk of modern detrital geochronological studies employing U-Pb dating of detrital zircon. However, the bias of zircon toward felsic igneous sources, and the limited ability of the U-Pb system in zircon to record low- to medium-grade metamorphic events, means that the U-Pb detrital zircon record is largely insensitive to magma-poor orogens. In this study, U-Pb ages were obtained by laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry for apatite and rutile extracted from alluvium of the French Broad River (FBR) in the southern Appalachians (southeastern United States). In contrast to previously published FBR U-Pb zircon data sets, which yield essentially no record of the most recent Appalachian metamorphic events (ca. 320 Ma) associated with assembly of Pangea, the U-Pb detrital rutile and especially the U-Pb apatite systems together provide a complete record of complex polyphase Appalachian orogenesis. It is unexpected that the apatite and rutile U-Pb Appalachian age populations differ significantly, with probable low-temperature breakdown of rutile biasing the rutile data set toward the most recent (Alleghanian) metamorphic event. These data make the FBR one of the most intensely studied river systems globally for multiproxy single-grain U-Pb analysis, clearly demonstrate dependence of provenance information on mineral proxy choice, and emphasize the resolving power of multiproxy provenance studies.


Alloy CuSn10 is a high-performance copper alloy. The alloy is characterized by good electrical and thermal conductivity and very good resistance to stress-corrosion cracking. This datasheet provides information on composition, physical properties, hardness, tensile properties, and bend strength. It also includes information on corrosion and wear resistance as well as forming and joining. Filing Code: Cu-877. Producer or source: Gebr. Kemper GmbH + Company KG Metallwerke.


Two groups of students with visual impairments were taught various independent living skills. Five of the seven students also had a diagnosis of mental retardation. One group (three first graders) was taught the tasks of folding a shirt, making an emergency telephone call, and spreading soft foods with a knife. The other group (four young men) was taught to increase leisure skills through three different leatherwork tasks. Independence training was conducted in a group format, and included social learning components (e.g., self-evaluation, peer evaluation and reinforcement) in addition to traditional operant procedures (e.g., modeling, prompting). However, due to the presence of visual impairments, a physical and verbal modification of modeling was utilized, whereby the subject was physically guided through the steps while being provided with a narration of the steps simultaneously. A multiple baseline design across behaviors demonstrated the efficacy of the comprehensive training package in training various independent living skills to the two groups of visually impaired and mentally retarded students. Social validity measures demonstrated the clinical significance of the subsequent changes in behavioral skills. The current positive results show that training procedures used exclusively with persons with mental retardation can be modified and be effective with a different and younger population, while targeting different independent living skiiis.


The purpose of this thesis is to re-assess the work of Dr.Felix Oswald on the Oswald-Plicque Collection of samian pottery. The Oswald-Plicque collection was the personal samian collection of Dr.Oswald and was acquired by Professor Eric Birley for Durham University in 1950. It is now at the Museum of Archaeology, Durham. The first part of the thesis describes the history of the Collection. Its importance to samian specialists is discussed and a brief account is given of its organisation before and after arriving in Durham. The second part of the thesis analyses the Central Gaulish ware in the Collection. Dr.Oswald wrote brief notes and names on the back of each sherd indicating the potter to whom he attributed the piece. Each potter is discussed alphabetically, and an opinion is expressed as to the accuracy of Dr.Oswald's classifications. The third section of the thesis discusses the South Gaulish ware. Dr.Oswald wrote more extensive notes on the South Gaulish sherds and these have been recorded in full. The sherds have been divided on the basis of date rather than potter, and the accuracy of the dates given for each sherd is assessed. Finally the work of Dr.Oswald on the Collection is placed in the context of his times. It is concluded that many of the sherds are incorrectly attributed and that Dr.Oswald's attempt to name a style for each sherd is over ambitious and influenced by 19th century thinking. Dr.Oswald used information on figure types derived from the Collection in one of his most important works, his "Index of Figure Types on Terra Sigillata" (1936-7), and it is suggested that extreme caution should be taken when using references from this Index to unsigned work from the Oswald-Plicque Collection.


Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an obligate pathogen that hijacks iron from the human iron transport protein, holo-transferrin (Fe(2)-Tf), by expressing TonB-dependent outer membrane receptor proteins, TbpA and TbpB. Homologous to other TonB-dependent outer membrane transporters, TbpA is thought to consist of a β-barrel with an N-terminal plug domain. Previous reports by our laboratories show that the sequence EIEYE in the plug domain is highly conserved among various bacterial species that express TbpA and plays a crucial role in iron utilization for gonococci. We hypothesize that this highly conserved EIEYE sequence in the TbpA plug, rich in hard oxygen donor groups, binds with Fe(3+) through the transport process across the outer membrane through the β-barrel. Sequestration of Fe(3+) by the TbpA-plug supports the paradigm that the ferric iron must always remain chelated and controlled throughout the transport process. In order to test this hypothesis here we describe the ability of both the recombinant wild-type plug, and three small peptides that encompass the sequence EIEYE of the plug, to bind Fe(3+). This is the first report of the expression/isolation of the recombinant wild-type TbpA plug. Although CD and SUPREX spectroscopies suggest that a non-native structure is observed for the recombinant plug, fluorescence quenching titrations indicate that the wild-type recombinant TbpA plug binds Fe (3+) with a conditional log K(d) = 7 at pH 7.5, with no evidence of binding at pH 6.3. A recombinant TbpA plug with mutated sequence (NEIEYEN → NEIAAAN) shows no evidence of Fe(3+) binding under our experimental set up. Interestingly, in silico modeling with the wild-type plug also predicts a flexible loop structure for the EIEYE sequence under native conditions which once again supports the Fe(3+) binding hypothesis. These in vitro observations are consistent with the hypothesis that the EIEYE sequence in the wild-type TbpA plug binds Fe(3+) during the outer membrane transport process in vivo.


INTRODUCTION I. TTBER AND ANTITRUST GUIDELINES A. Articles 81(1) and (3) ECT and Block Exemption Regulations B. The New TTBER 1. Market-Share Thresholds 2. Hardcore Restrictions-Article 4 TTBER 3. Excluded restrictions-Article 5 TTBER 4. Analysis a. Substantive Issues b. Institutional Issues 5. Conclusion C. U.S. Antitrust Guidelines 1. Antitrust Challenges to IP Licensing Prior to 1995 2. 1995 U.S. Antitrust Guidelines a. The Rule of Reason b. Differentiation between Horizontal and Vertical Relationships of Licensing Parties c. Licensing Arrangements Involving Exclusivity d. Efficiencies and Justifications e. Antitrust "Safety Zone" 3. Analysis D. Comparison 1. Formal Setup and Binding Force 2. Content 3. Institutional Context E. Conclusion II. IP APPROACH TO IPR LICENSING A. Adequate Recognition of Antitrust Concerns in IP Law Interpretation 1. Acknowledgement of Public Interests in IP Laws 2. Public Interest Considerations Through "Property" Notion of IPRs B. Testing the Assumptions 1. Example 1--Same Results (Price Fixing) 2. Example 2--Different Results (Use of Licensee's Technology) C. Implications of the IP Approach 1. General Benefits 2. Institutional Implications 3. Costs D. Conclusion SUMMARY AND FINAL REMARKS INTRODUCTION This Article aims to add another piece to a so far still puzzling picture at the interface of intellectual property and antitrust laws. While past and current discussions mostly revolve around the notion that only one--either Antitrust or IP laws--can prevail, the author favors a differentiated understanding. This Article compares how IP licensing is scrutinized by antitrust regimes in the European Union (EU) and the United States. The result of that comparison leads to the conclusion that any attempted resolution of the IP-Antitrust "dilemma" will remain inadequate as long as it is "antitrust-based," that is, regulated by antitrust laws or guidelines designed by antitrust-agencies. Unlike by other current approaches, the overall validity of substantive antitrust concerns regarding IP licensing is not called into question, however. It is the institutional setup in which the antitrust policies regarding IP exploitation are designed and enforced that is proposed to be in need of change. The author argues that antitrust concerns can and should be accounted for through proper construction and application of the IP laws themselves. The proposed "IP-based" approach to IP licensing is claimed to be beneficial in at least two respects: it maintains the dogmatic clarity of the IP laws while preserving the bargain underlying the grant of intellectual property rights. Furthermore, this Article suggests that an "IP-based" regulation of licensing activities will--despite initially increased costs--in the long run be more cost efficient than current approaches and therefore also be economically preferable. Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) (1) confer exclusive rights to their owner. This exclusivity of IPRs is often described as providing "monopoly-power," which, were it true, would stand in opposition to antitrust legislation aiming at the control or even breakup of monopolies and at the promotion of competition. It has been shown more than once, however, that this view on IPRs is based on a misconception of the term "monopoly." (2) Nevertheless, questions traditionally dealt with in antitrust laws frequently arise when IPRs are exploited, especially by licensing. It is almost inherent in license agreements that the licensor imposes restrictions, for instance, as to the territory in which the licensee may use the IPR. Such restrictions in general trade (e. …


Purpose. To evaluate the cross-cultural validity of the five subscales of the Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA) measure and the full 31-item scale. Method. Data from two validation studies (Dutch and English) were pooled (n = 106). Participants (aged 18 – 75), known to rehabilitation services or GP practices, had conditions ranging from minor ailments to significant disability. Validity of the five subscales and the total scale was examined using Rasch analysis (Partial Credit Model). P values smaller than 0.01 were employed to allow for multiple testing. Results. A number of items in all the subscales except 'Outdoor Autonomy' needed rescoring. One 'Indoor Autonomy' item showed uniform DIF by country and was split by country. One 'Work and Education' item displayed uniform and non-uniform DIF by gender. All the subscales fitted the Rasch model and were invariant across country. A 30-item IPA also fitted the Rasch model. Conclusion. The IPA subscales and a 30-item scale are invariant across the two cultures and gender. The IPA can be used validly to assess participation and autonomy in these populations. Further analyses are required to examine whether the IPA is invariant across differing levels of disability and other disease groups not included in this study.


In today's increasingly volatile and complex organizational environment, it's as important as ever for leaders to understand themselves. But it's no longer enough for them to be aware of their capabilities, motivations, styles, and values. Leaders now must also gain knowledge of their social identities–their membership in certain social groups defined by categories such as gender, race, and religion and the implications of belonging to these groups.


Arctic caribou (Rangifer tarandus) have the longest terrestrial migration of any ungulate but little is known about the spatial and seasonal variation of minerals in summer forages and the potential impacts of mineral nutrition on the foraging behavior and nutritional condition of arctic caribou. We investigated the phenology, availability, and mechanistic relationships of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, copper, and zinc in three species of woody browse, three species of graminoids, and one forb preferred by caribou over two transects bisecting the ranges of the Central Arctic (CAH) and Western Arctic (WAH) caribou herds in Alaska. Transects traversed three ecoregions (Coastal Plain, Arctic Foothills and Brooks Range) along known migration paths in the summer ranges of both herds. Concentrations of mineral in forages were compared to estimated dietary requirements of lactating female caribou. Spatial distribution of the abundance of minerals in caribou forage was associated with interactions of soil pH and mineral content, while temporal variation was related to plant maturity, and thus nitrogen and fiber content of forages. Concentrations of sodium were below caribou requirements in all forage species for most of the summer and adequate only on the Coastal Plain during the second half of summer. Phosphorus declined in plants from emergence to senescence and was below requirements in all forages by mid-summer, while concentrations of copper declined to marginal concentrations at plant senescence. Interactions of sodium with potassium, calcium with phosphorus, and copper with zinc in forages likely exacerbate the constraints of low concentrations sodium, phosphorus, and copper. Forages on the WAH contained significantly more phosphorus and copper than forages collected on the CAH transect. We suspect that migrations of caribou to the Arctic Coastal Plain may allow parturient females to replenish sodium stores depleted by foraging inland through the long arctic winters, while also extending the availability of adequate phosphorus, if animals are able to selectively track emerging waves of forage.


Of 19 patients with proved metastases from malignant melanoma treated by inoculations of smallpox vaccine, intradermal deposits disappeared completely in six out of ten cases. Five of these remained well 2 to 22 months after initial treatment. The response was limited strictly to the site of inoculation. The mechanism of action of vaccinia virus in malignant melanoma is not clear.


Abstract. In the first part of this study we present two case studies of pulsations that, with the help of ground-based data, are identified as field line resonances (FLRs). These pulsations occurred at frequencies which belong to a set of frequencies that has been suggested to be preferred in the terrestrial magnetosphere (CMS frequencies). We go on to show that for both events there is a significant signature at the same frequency in the time series of the compressional magnetic field observed by the conjugate Cluster satellites. We interpret these as signatures of the compressional mode driving the FLRs. In the second part we present a statistical study including one year's worth of Cluster magnetic field data. For each orbit between May 2004 and June 2005 we identified a three hour interval during which the satellites were located on closed magnetic field lines. We identified peaks in the spectrum between 1.0 and 15.0 mHz of the compressional, poloidal and toroidal components of the magnetic field. We use this database of spectral peaks observed on closed magnetic field lines to investigate whether peaks occur at a preferred set of frequencies which would be indicative for the Earth's magnetosphere behaving like a cavity/waveguide. We find no consistent preference for all CMS frequencies in our dataset, however we do find a preference for certain higher frequencies suggesting that higher harmonics of the cavity/waveguide are a persistent feature of the inner magnetosphere, and are detected by the Cluster spacecraft. This result could be explained by the polar orbit of the Cluster satellites.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy and tolerability of paroxetine in pediatric major depressive disorder.

METHOD
Subjects 7 to 17 years old with major depressive disorder received paroxetine (10-50 mg/day) or placebo for 8 weeks from 2000 to 2001. The primary efficacy measure was change from baseline in the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised total score at week 8 last observation carried forward). Safety was primarily assessed by spontaneous reporting of adverse events.

RESULTS
A total of 206 patients (intent to treat) were randomized to paroxetine (n = 104) or placebo (n = 102). Week 8 Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised total score adjusted mean changes from baseline for patients receiving paroxetine and placebo were -22.58 (SE 1.47) and -23.38 points (SE 1.60), respectively (0.80, 95% confidence interval -3.09 to 4.69, p = 0.684). Increased cough (5.9% versus 2.9%), dyspepsia (5.9% versus 2.9%), vomiting (5.9% versus 2.0%), and dizziness (5.0% versus 1.0%) occurred in >or=5% of the paroxetine group and at least twice that of the placebo group. Six of 104 (5.8%) paroxetine patients reported serious adverse events compared to 1 placebo patient (1.0%). The incidence of adverse events of suicidal behavior and/or ideation while taking study medication (excluding taper) was 1.92% (2/104) for paroxetine versus 0.98% (1/102) for placebo.

CONCLUSIONS
Paroxetine was not shown to be more efficacious than placebo for treating pediatric major depressive disorder.


In recent years, the different transport systems have been largely improved. However, some problems need to be still solved if railways want to be the transport of the future. Among others: the high cost of infrastructure and its maintenance, the requirements to assure low noise levels and low transmission of vibration. The turnouts, one of the most critical elements on the track, are studied in this paper. Mathematical models have been developed in order to analyse in detail a vehicle passing through a turnout. These models are used to implement multibody models, which reproduce the phenomena of the vehicle/turnout interaction. The research analyses the validity and accuracy of multibody tools and how they could allow improving the design process of turnouts. In particular the influence of the turnout geometry and track elasticity has been investigated and also how these parameters could be optimized.


Music as a Career, by W. R. Anderson. [New York: Oxford University Press. $3.00.] The author has written a readable and useful book, interesting and valuable not alone for the young musician who is looking forward to a career but for the mature musician as well. One can accept with confidence the sage and kindly advice coming from so widely and favorably known an author and musician as Mr. Anderson, co-author with Howard D. McKinney of "Discovering Music" and author of many other historical and biographical books dealing with music and musicians. It is difficult to praise too highly the fullness of treatment given to various chapters; for example, "What Branch to Take Up? Teaching and (or) Performing"; "Getting a Start"; "Early Work of the Private Teacher"-to mention only a few. The book reads as though the author were talking to the reader about important matters he has learned from experience which he is glad to pass on to his younger comrade about to enter the profession. Though written for English musicians, it will be welcomed by the American reader equally with his British colleague. -Edward B. Birge.


An invaluable how-to text that details the workshop model, addresses the design challenges, and explains the best avenues for curriculum-based learning in the school library makerspace.
 A successful school makerspace needs an enthusiastic maker community, school-wide participation, and staff support. How do you build this type of learning at your school? The innovative team behind Challenge-Based Learning in the School Library Makerspace addresses common questions and concerns and describes step-by-step how to introduce challenge-based learning into the school library makerspace.
 Intended for librarians and school staff who have already started thinking in terms of makerspaces but need further help sustaining programming and want to know more about Makerspace 2.0, this helpful guide details the workshop model, various real-world design challenges, and the process for implementing curriculum-based learning in the school library makerspace. Readers will be empowered to go beyond the initial implementation of a makerspace and to draw from an arsenal of proven methodologies for designing challenges for student learning. Additionally, the book enables the addition of curriculum connections to library programming, shows how to connect your students to local experts and the global maker community, and eases you into more productive collaboration with other librarians.


Hot tear is one of the most serious defect which a casting can suffer. It represents a major limitation to the production of foundry cast parts and to the productivity of continuous casting processes such as the direct chiil casting of aluminium alloys. As an exemple, the starting phase of the direct chili casting process remains particularly critical for some aluminium alloys because of their high propensity to develop either hot tears which initiate at non zero liquid fraction, or cold cracks which nucleate and grow exclusively in the solid metal. In order to validate a new hot tearing criterion recently proposed by Rappaz and Drezet [1), instrumented ring mould tests were carried out with aluminium alloys of different composition and further on analysed from a thermal, mechanical and microstructural point of view. The thermal field obtained in the test was determined with the help of an inverse method using five temperature histories measured at different locations and the stress build-up was computed with a transient thermomechanical model implemented in the finite element package Abaqus. Deformation in the solid was assumed to obey a viscoplastic law and the cooling conditions were those deduced by the inverse method. The new hot tearing criterion [1] based on the ability of the interdendritic flow of liquid to compensate for the thermally induced deformation of the roots of columnar dendrites, allowed the calculation of the maximum strain rate that the roots of the dendrites can undergo without initiation and/or propagation of hot tears. After implementation in the numerical FEM model of the ring mould test, the hot tearing criterion predicted the occurrence of tears precisely in the region where hot cracks were observed after the test. More generally, when implemented in thermomechanical models of casting processes, the present hot tearing criterion would be very helpful in diminishing the cracking tendency.


This discussion examines how Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence questions what remains of being human and the assemblage of humanity when the human and the machine collide and elide their limit of differentiation. It will be shown how the film's predilection for technology in its narrative content and technological rationalism in its wider conceptual embedding reconstructs humanity but rejects the metaphysical valuation of humanity through notions of dignity, taboo, respect, affect, and so forth. By connecting this twin problematic of ontological difference and metaphysical poverty to the ontological philosophy of Martin Heidegger and psychoanalytic philosophy of Slavoj Žižek, this paper aims to unearth and lay bare the paradoxes inherent in the view of technology and society deployed by Innocence and how the film is able to, in the presence of these explicitly ontological paradoxes, put the question of what constitutes a human Subject into crisis by coding it as a symptom.


A Spike Inside the Dome The transition temperature Tc of iron-based superconductors has a dome-shaped dependence on chemical doping, and the superconductivity that develops underneath may obscure a potential quantum critical point (QCP) residing at absolute zero. With the aim of detecting signatures of this quantum criticality, Hashimoto et al. (p 1554; see the Perspective by Sachdev) measured the penetration depth of the pnictide series BaFe2(As1−xPx)2 as a function of x. A sharp peak right around the point where Tc has a maximum (x = 0.30) was observed, implying that the superfluid density diminishes sharply where one would expect it to be the most robust. This unusual finding is interpreted as a sign of a QCP at x = 0.30. A quantum critical point may be lurking inside the superconducting dome of a pnictide series. In a superconductor, the ratio of the carrier density, n, to its effective mass, m*, is a fundamental property directly reflecting the length scale of the superfluid flow, the London penetration depth, λL. In two-dimensional systems, this ratio n/m* (~1/λL2) determines the effective Fermi temperature, TF. We report a sharp peak in the x-dependence of λL at zero temperature in clean samples of BaFe2(As1–xPx)2 at the optimum composition x = 0.30, where the superconducting transition temperature Tc reaches a maximum of 30 kelvin. This structure may arise from quantum fluctuations associated with a quantum critical point. The ratio of Tc/TF at x = 0.30 is enhanced, implying a possible crossover toward the Bose-Einstein condensate limit driven by quantum criticality.


We present a conceptual framework that explores some of the forces creating innovation and novelty in complex systems. Understanding the sources of variability and novelty may help us better understand complex systems. Understanding complex phenomena such as invasions, migration, and nomadism may provide insight into the structure of ecosystems and other complex systems, and aid our attempts to cope with and mitigate these phenomena, in the case of invasions, and better understand and or predict them. Our model is broadly applicable to ecological theory, including community ecology, resilience, restoration, and policy. Characterizing the link between landscape change and the composition of species communities may help policymakers in their decision-making processes. Understanding how variability is related to system structure, and how that generates novelty, may help us understand how resilience is generated. We suggest that there are three primary opportunities for the generation of novelty into complex systems. These sources of novelty are inherent in the cross-scale structure of complex systems, and are critical for creating adaptive capacity. Novelty originates from the inherent variability present in cross scale structures, within scale reorganization associated with adaptive cycles, and whole-scale transformations resulting from regime shifts. Although speculative, our ideas are grounded in research and observation, and they may provide insight into the evolution of complex systems.


In this study, a series of glasses of the system xCdO-10TeO2-(90−x)GeO2 were fabricated, varying the modifier oxide content from 10 to 80 wt%. According to XRD analysis, partial crystallization occurred for the glass 60CdO.10TeO2.30GeO2 presenting the formation of GeO2 and CdTeO3; the 70CdO.10TeO2.20GeO2 glass shows sharp diffraction peaks corresponding to the Cd3Al2Ge3O12 garnet crystalline phase. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the garnet crystals have sizes below 20 nm. At the highest concentration of CdO (80 wt%), a transparent orange glass can be obtained, and this sample can be identified as an inverted glass where CdO participates as a network former. The optical band gap of the glasses decreases as CdO content increases from 3.91 to 3.0 eV. In general, all glasses show a typical broad emission when excited with UV light (325 nm); chromatic coordinates were calculated and pointed out the presence of emissions in the white, green, and yellow regions. In summary, the obtained glasses are a promising material for IR technologies, nonlinear optics, and design of solid state lighting devices.


J.K. Rowling has created a wizarding world almost entirely devoid of mental health issues and treatment. Nonetheless, Harry Potter offers four clear representations of Muggle psychiatric disorders that match the official diagnostic criteria. The most obvious is dementor-induced depression and the ability of both chocolate and the Patronus Charm to neutralize their effects. Rowling shows familiarity with both the published symptoms of clinical depression and its treatment. The Patronus Charm, with its reliance on substituting positive memories for distressing ones, resembles cognitive behavior therapy, a treatment for depression Rowling herself received. The happy memories Harry uses to summon his Patronus are those of successful escapes and his social support network, both factors known to mitigate depression. Additionally, the incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom resembles advanced dementia of Alzheimer's type; their son Neville shows behavioral traits that might be expected both in the son of an Alzheimer's patient and in a boy raised by a grandmother. Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody's name and actions suggest he is a prototype of post-traumatic stress disorder, while Winky the house-elf embodies Stockholm syndrome. The sympathetic portrayal of characters with psychological disorders may enhance moral development and promote understanding of mental illness.


Dihetaryl thioketones react with thiocarbonyl ylides to give 1,3-dithiolanes in high yields. No competitive side reactions of the thiocarbonyl ylides were observed, evidencing the 'superdipolarophilic' character of this less-known group of thioketones. Depending on the type of substituents present in both the thiocarbonyl ylide and the thioketone, formal [3+2] cycloadditions occur with complete regioselectivity or with formation of a mixture of both regioisomers. Regioselective formation of the sterically more crowded 1,3-dithiolanes is explained via a mechanism involving stabilized 1,5-biradicals. In systems with less-efficient radical stabilization, e.g., in the case of adamantanethione S-methanide, substantial violation of the regioselectivity was observed as a result of steric hindrance.


This experiment tested the hypothesis that effort attributional feedback concerning past accomplishments promotes percepts of self-efficacy and mathematical achievement. Children who lacked subtraction skills received didactic training in subtraction operations with effort attributional feedback concerning past achievement, with feedback concerning future achievement, or with no feedback. Results showed that attributional feedback for past achievement led to more rapid progress in mastering subtraction operations, greater skill development, and higher percepts of self-efficacy. Results of a multiple regression analysis showed that percepts of efficacy and training progress each accounted for a significant increment in the explained portion of variability in posttest skill. This study helps to clarify the role of effort attributional feedback in achievement contexts.


+ coordination and associated hydrogen-bonding networks will be essential for a better understanding of the structure-function relations of ion exchange , transport, and specificity and how the mechanism is affected by regulation and disease-related mutations.


The primary aim of my thesis is to explore what are the challenges and barriers for women as parents returning to education in an Irish context. The title of my thesis implies there is somehow a 'glass ceiling' positioning for some women in achieving their educational goals, that is, "the invisible but effective barrier which prevents women from moving beyond a certain point in an educational environment, similar to that of the promotion ladder in an employment environment". The thesis begins with a biographical narrative of my own educational journey to date as a mother and mature student. The literature used crosses social, cultural and economic spheres including feminist theory. It examines women's social roles, both past and present, using the ideology of feminism drawing from the main theorist Simone De Beauvoir, her notion of woman's identity and her ideas concerning gender as a social construct.
Five women participants who are mature students and parents were interviewed using a feminist qualitative research approach to explore their educational journeys. The findings are presented in the form of five core narratives to give you, the reader, a better understanding of who the participants are and their educational story to date. From coding and categorising the data generated, nine themes emerged from the findings and from this a more in-depth analysis of each theme is presented.
The findings in the research study illustrated how access and participation for the participants returning to education took a different turn particularly when these women's position in society changed. When looking at responsibility and role the study suggested that parental involvement is gendered. Although the study illustrated the diversity of these women's lived experiences it suggested we may still live in a patriarchal society, with this cohort having the primary responsibility for childcare. The findings demonstrated that even when a woman's rights are legally recognized in the abstract, long standing custom, traditions and attitudes may prevent their full expression in society. The study suggests the responsibilities put upon this cohort and the challenges this presents need to be better recognised and acknowledged in the discourses around further and higher education at government and institutional levels. In particular the study revealed without the Irish government providing accessible and affordable childcare, it may not be possible for women as parents to progress in their educational journey reinforcing a 'glass ceiling' positioning for them.


This thesis explores a youth cultural movement in Male', the Capital Island and urban center of the Republic of the Maldives. I will focus on the dialectic between the strict social control over society enforced by penal tactics and the censorship of expression in a social context whereby the imagining potential of youths has broadened, as well as the social frameworks in which young people negotiate identity. I argue that increased education and exposure to alternate ideologies and lifestyles have led to a greater consciousness of human rights discourses and an increased desire to participate with the changes underway among many youths in Male'. The youthful innovations discussed reflect ideological struggles that challenge the government's monopoly over information and dominant social representations. I will show the central role of exposure in these challenges to official 'truth' and the possibilities opened up by wireless communication, digital cameras and the Internet for disseminating information anonymously and with fewer boundaries. The examples of resistance discussed draw attention to the ambivalence of certain forms of agency. They demonstrate that resistance can be self-destructive or intentionally ambiguous by using parody and innuendos. These examples support the argument for broader considerations of resistance independent of assumptions of efficacy or success in altering existing structures, intentionality for emancipation and affirmative action.


Updating data plane state to adapt to dynamic conditions is a fundamental network control operation. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) offers abstractions for updating network state while preserving consistency properties. However, realizing these abstractions in a purely centralized fashion is inefficient, due to the inherent delays between switches and the SDN controller, we argue for delegating the responsibility of coordinated updates to the switches. To make our case, we propose ez-Segway, a mechanism that enables decentralized network updates while preventing forwarding anomalies and avoiding link congestion. In our architecture, the controller is only responsible for computing the intended network configuration. This information is distributed to the switches, which use partial knowledge and direct message passing to efficiently schedule and implement the update. This separation of concerns has the key benefit of improving update performance as the communication and computation bottlenecks at the controller are removed. Our extensive simulations show update speedups up to a factor of 2.