 Abstract — The railway network is one of the major components of a transportation system in a country which may be an indicator of the country's level of economic improvement. Since 2000s on, revival of national railways and development of High Speed Rail (HSR) lines are one of the most remarkable policies of Turkish government in railway sector. Within this trend, the railway age is to be revived and coming decades will be a golden opportunity. Indubitably, major infrastructures such as road and railway networks require sizeable investment capital, precise maintenance and reparation. Traditionally, governments are held responsible for funding, operating and maintaining these infrastructures. However, lack or shortage of financial resources, risk responsibilities (particularly cost and time overrun), and in some cases inefficacy in constructional, operational and management phases persuade governments to find alternative options. Financial power, efficient experiences and background of private sector are the factors convincing the governments to make a collaboration with private parties to develop infrastructures. Public-Private Partnerships (PPP or 3P or P3) and related regulatory issues are born considering these collaborations. In Turkey, PPP approaches have attracted attention particularly during last decade and these types of investments have been accelerated by government to overcome budget limitations and cope with inefficacy of public sector in improving transportation network and its operation. This study mainly tends to present a comprehensive overview of PPP concept, evaluate the regulatory procedure in Europe and propose a general framework for Turkish State Railways (TCDD) as an outlook on privatization, liberalization and deregulation of railway network.


Activists on the left and right have increasingly turned to the courts to make policy, raising questions about the potential risks of judicialization. One possibility is that litigation is more prone to negative episodic media coverage than alternative modes of policymaking. Using across- and within-policy area comparisons of stories about the Federal Black Lung Program, collective asbestos litigation strategies, and individual asbestos tort suits, we find that coverage becomes steadily more episodic and critical as it focuses on policy regimes that feature increasing amounts of adversarial legalism. Moreover, even the broadest coverage of asbestos litigation fails to explain why victims of asbestos turned to the courts, how powerful interests constrained their policy options, or how judges urged Congress to act. This limited and relatively critical anecdotal reporting implies that litigation may engender less favorable media coverage than its alternatives and that activists should weigh this risk when deciding to litigate.


A large family of graph-based semi-supervised algorithms have been developed intuitively and pragmatically for the multi-label learning problem. These methods, however, only implicitly exploited the label correlation, as either part of graph weight or an additional constraint, to improve overall classification performance. Despite their seemingly quite different formulations, we show that all existing approaches can be uniformly referred to as a Label Propagation (LP) or Random Walk with Restart (RWR) on a Cartesian Product Graph (CPG). Inspired by this discovery, we introduce a new framework for multi-label classification task, employing the Tensor Product Graph (TPG) — the tensor product of the data graph with the class (label) graph — in which not only the intra-class but also the inter-class associations are explicitly represented as weighted edges among graph vertices. In stead of computing directly on TPG, we derive an iterative algorithm, which is guaranteed to converge and with the same computational complexity and the same amount of storage as the standard label propagation on the original data graph. Applications to four benchmark multi-label data sets illustrate that our method outperforms several state-of-the-art approaches.


Linked Open Data (LOD) has gained significant momentum over the past years as a best practice of promoting the sharing and publi- cation of structured data on the semantic Web. Currently LOD is reach- ing significant adoption also in Public Administrations (PAs), where it is often required to be connected to existing platforms, such as GIS-based data management systems. Bearing on previous experience with the pi- oneering data.cnr.it, through Semantic Scout, as well as the Agency for Digital Italy recommendations for LOD in Italian PA, we are working on the extraction, publication, and exploitation of data from the Geographic Information System of the Municipality of Catania, referred to as SIT ("Sistema Informativo Territoriale"). The goal is to boost the metropolis towards the route of a modern Smart City by providing prototype inte- grated solutions supporting transport, public health, urban decor, and social services, to improve urban life. In particular a mobile application focused on real-time road traffic and public transport management is currently under development to support sustainable mobility and, espe- cially, to aid the response to urban emergencies, from small accidents to more serious disasters. This paper describes the results and lessons learnt from the first work campaign, aiming at analyzing, reengineering, linking, and formalizing the Shape-based geo-data from the SIT.


Abstract This article argues that a pragmatist ambition to transcendence undergirds Richard Rorty's metaphilosophy. That transcendence might play a positive role in Rorty's work might seem implausible given his well-known rejection of the idea that human practices are accountable to some external, Archimedean standpoint, and his endorsement of the historicist view that standards of rationality are products of time and chance. It is true that Rorty's contributions to epistemology, philosophy of mind and metaphysics have this anti-transcendentalist character. But in his metaphilosophy, Rorty shows great respect for pre-philosophical impulses aimed at transcendence of some kind, in particular the romantic (and indeed religious) experience of awe at something greater than oneself, and the utopian striving for a radically better world. These impulses do not disappear in Rorty's metaphilosophy but are reshaped in a pragmatist iteration of transcendence which, we argue, can be characterised as horizontal (rather than vertical) and weak (rather strong). We use this characterization to distinguish Rorty's metaphilosophy from other accounts that share a postmetaphysical ambition to transcendence.


This work considers sampled data of continuous-domain Gaussian processes. We derive a maximum-likelihood estimator for identifying autoregressive moving average parameters while incorporating the sampling process into the problem formulation. The proposed identification approach introduces exponential models for both the continuous and the sampled processes. We construct a likelihood function from a digitally-filtered version of the available data which is asymptotically exact. This function has several local minima that originate from aliasing, plus a global minimum that corresponds to the maximum-likelihood estimator. We further compare the performance of the proposed algorithm with other currently available methods.


Although price-fixing conspiracies are inherently unstable, many cartels manage to endure, often for long periods. Many successful cartels have hierarchical structures made up of high-level executives (principals) and lower-level managers (agents). For these cartels, agency cost theory could provide some insights as to how to destabilize them from within. Agency costs exist when a faithless agent pursues her own interests instead of those of the principal. Although agency costs are generally considered inefficient, when the principal's goals are undesirable, the acts of a faithless agent can be beneficial. Because one traditional approach to reducing agency costs is to align the interests of the principal and agent, this Article argues that antitrust policy should maximize agency costs in cartels by decoupling these interests through several interrelated strategies. First, antitrust law should increase the severity and probability of criminal punishment of individuals who participate in price fixing. Second, antitrust law should reward individuals who expose cartel activity by providing them immunity from all criminal and civil liability and by paying antitrust bounties to such faithless agents. Finally, antitrust law should be structured so that employees of a cartel firm will not trust their employers to protect them should the cartel be exposed. This Article discusses how antitrust law can perform this decoupling function while minimizing any negative consequences of creating distrust within firms.


Metacognition may be defined as the knowledge and regulation of one's own cognitive system, the capacity to reflect about one's actions and thoughts. Current views on metacognition pose it as a fundamental factor in achieving autonomy in learning, and promoting deep understanding and problem-solving skills. This relevance has in turn led to interest in creating learning experiences conducive to developing the use of metacognition, especially in science education. Despite this increasing interest, progress has been hindered by the inherent difficulties associated with developing assessment methods for metacognition. Consequently, evidence for the efficacy and effectiveness of learning environments in promoting metacognition has been scarce. In this article we present some of the work that our research group has done to contribute in addressing this problem. We report the development and validation of an automated and rapid multi-methods strategy to assess regulatory metacognition in chemistry problem solving from large numbers of participants. This strategy combines two separate instruments: one prospective, the Metacognitive Activities Inventory (MCAi) and one concurrent, the Interactive MultiMedia Exercises (IMMEX). Additionally, we describe two interventions that by using the multi- methods assessment strategy have been demonstrated to enhance metacognition use and problem solving ability. The first intervention is a cooperative problem-based general chemistry laboratory; this study presents evidence that links participation in the laboratory with development of higher order skills. The second instantiation is a two-week collaborative problem solving activity. Findings from a phenomenological approach nested within a mixed-methods design suggest that meaningful, purposeful social interaction and reflective prompting act as promoters of metacognition development in both learning environments. These factors are not exclusive to the interventions and we maintain that they are transferable and may be embedded by practitioners in their instruction. This report presents the development and validation of metacognition assessment methods and studies of the efficacy of learning experiences in developing metacognition.


A method has been constructed for the solution of a wide range of chemical plant simulation models including differential equations and optimization. Double orthogonal collocation on finite elements is applied to convert the model into an NLP problem that is solved either by the VF 13AD package based on successive quadratic programming, or by the GRG2 package, based on the generalized reduced gradient method. This approach is termed simultaneous optimization and solution strategy. The objective functional can contain integral terms. The state and control variables can have time delays. Equalities and inequalities containing state and control variables can be included into the model as well as algebraic equations and inequalities. The maximum number of independent variables is 2. Problems containing 3 independent variables can be transformed into problems having 2 independent variables using finite differencing. The maximum number of NLP variables and constraints is 1500. The method is also suitable for solving ordinary and partial differential equations. The state functions are approximated by a linear combination of Lagrange interpolation polynomials. The control function can either be approximated by a linear combination of Lagrange interpolation polynomials or by a piecewise constant function over finite elements. The number of internal collocation points can vary by finite elements. The residual error is evaluated at arbitrarily chosen equidistant grid-points, thus enabling the user to check the accuracy of the solution between collocation points, where the solution is exact. The solution functions can be tabulated. There is an option to use control vector parameterization to solve optimization problems containing initial value ordinary differential equations. When there are many differential equations or the upper integration limit should be selected optimally then this approach should be used. The portability of the package has been addressed converting the package from V AX FORTRAN 77 into IBM PC FORTRAN 77 and into SUN SPARC 2000 FORTRAN 77. Computer runs have shown that the method can reproduce optimization problems published in the literature. The GRG2 and the VF I 3AD packages, integrated into the optimization package, proved to be robust and reliable. The package contains an executive module, a module performing control vector parameterization and 2 nonlinear problem solver modules, GRG2 and VF I 3AD. There is a stand-alone module that converts the differential-algebraic optimization problem into a nonlinear programming problem.


The H∞ synchronization problem of the master and slave structure of a second-order neutral master-slave systems with time-varying delays is presented in this paper. Delay-dependent sufficient conditions for the design of a delayed output-feedback control are given by Lyapunov-Krasovskii method in terms of a linear matrix inequality (LMI). A controller, which guarantees H∞ synchronization of the master and slave structure using some free weighting matrices, is then developed. A numerical example has been given to show the effectiveness of the method.


Resumo This work studied the properties of lightweight concretes with addition of expanded polystyrene (EPS) for structural walls applications. EPS for being a material produced on a large scale and has low density, produces a large volume of waste. These residues are not reused, especially in Brazil. Given that, in order to perform a comparison of the performance of concrete with adding of EPS in pearls and recycled, it have been manufactured five concrete types, a control without addition of EPS and four other samples with two different percentages of EPS. The mechanical (compressive strength) and physical (density, voids content, absorption by immersion and capillarity) properties were evaluated, and tests were carried out to evaluate the thermal performance of the mixtures studied. The concretes with EPS presented compressive strength less than the reference concrete, however, the absorption for capillarity and thermal properties was better in concretes with EPS. It is concluded that it is feasible to replace the EPS in pearls by recycled EPS, due to the close results found.


The VIY-2 ground penetrating radar (GPR) with unique sounding possibilities and use simplicity is presented at this paper. The VIY-2 GPR combines all units (synchronizer, transmitting and receiving modules, power supply and antenna system) into single case. The VIY-2 GPR communicates with computer via standard interface RS232 or USB 1.0. Utilized by the VIY-2 GPR technical solutions reduce deployment time and simplify survey process. The VIY-2 GPR design features and its components interaction are considered. Some field results are also presented. The VIY-2 GPR design concept allows reducing the data acquisition time, optimizing the time-varying gain control function, applying depth-stacking dependence, controlling the survey window position and interference reducing by pulse repetition frequency randomizing.


Abstract This paper reports on a study that researched the possibility of building passive designs to prevent mould growth in housing in humid and mild winter climatic zones without permanent thermal active controls. This study also investigated indoor relative humidity related to insulation, window cross ventilation, exhaust fan ventilation and temporary heating. The study found that for controlling mould growth on indoor surfaces there are two options available for different climatic conditions and housing designs: a conventional method for buildings designed for permanent thermal active controls and a newer method using passive building design and passive controls to keep the indoor relative humidity under 80%. Implications from the study include the passive prevention of winter mould growth in houses without permanent active thermal controls, insulation levels and thermal resistance, appropriate insulation levels to prevent mould growth, winter daytime cross ventilation, temporary exhaust fan ventilation and temporary heating and their impacts on decreasing mean indoor relative humidity levels and the relative humidity of air near ceilings. Educating occupants on how to 'drive' their passive designed house is also critical to prevent mould growth problems.


We experimentally generate a non-classical correlated two-color photon pair at 780 and 1529.4 nm in a ladder-type configuration using a hot 85Rb atomic vapor with the production rate of ~10(7)/s. The non-classical correlation between these two photons is demonstrated by strong violation of Cauchy-Schwarz inequality by the factor R = 48 ± 12. Besides, we experimentally investigate the relations between the correlation and some important experimental parameters such as the single-photon detuning, the powers of pumps. We also make a theoretical analysis in detail and the theoretical predictions are in reasonable agreement with our experimental results.


The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. The CPI currently tracks the spending patterns of two population groups: all urban consumers and urban wage earners and clerical workers. For 64 years, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracked the buying habits of only one population group. BLS then made several refinements to the CPI, one of which included broadening the population group. This move sparked controversy and has had a lasting influence on the CPI. This Beyond the Numbers article briefly looks at the history and evolution of the CPI, explains the reasoning behind the creation of two main indexes, and describes the debate surrounding this development.


Historical records mention that over 200 potters were active in Southern Quebec between 1655 and 1920. These locally-made productions are now found on every archaeological excavation undertaken in Southern Quebec, but their contribution to the understanding of the archaeological sites are limited because they are rarely identified. This study presents compositional analysis as a solution to the problem of identification and provenance of local wares. Through the analysis of major, minor, and trace elements (using ICP-AES and ICP-MS) of about 300 ceramics uncovered on 16 production sites, the author was able to distinguish and characterise the different productions, as well as relate them to the Southern Quebec geological environments (and reduce the risks of confusion with exogenous productions).


It is a challenge to understand how the information encoded in DNA is used to build a three‐dimensional structure. To explore how this works the assembly of a relatively simple skeleton has been examined at multiple control levels. The skeleton of the sea urchin embryo consists of a number of calcite rods produced by 64 skeletogenic cells. The ectoderm supplies spatial cues for patterning, essentially telling the skeletogenic cells where to position themselves and providing the factors for skeletal growth. Here, we describe the information known about how this works. First the ectoderm must be patterned so that the signaling cues are released from precise positions. The skeletogenic cells respond by initiating skeletogenesis immediately beneath two regions (one on the right and the other on the left side). Growth of the skeletal rods requires additional signaling from defined ectodermal locations, and the skeletogenic cells respond to produce a membrane‐bound template in which the calcite crystal grows. Important in this process are three signals, fibroblast growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, and Wnt5. Each is necessary for explicit tasks in skeleton production. genesis 52:173–185. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This paper examines the historical predictive power of future spot spread in estimating currency changes. Currency futures and spot rates over the last two decades are examined. Results show that as forecast horizon of currency depreciation increases, the slope coefficients become less positive, first losing their significance, and eventually for 1-month regressions, becoming negative for the British pound, Swiss franc and Japanese yen (significantly negative for the yen) indicating risk premiums differ with forecast horizon. On the other hand, expectations hypothesis is validated when the forecast horizon is 1 day. These results hold for each decade separately, as well as the total sample. Comparison of early (1980s) and recent (1990s) periods reveals expectations hypothesis is validated in the recent period. This indicates the trend towards a more efficient market. This should not be very surprising with the introduction of round the clock electronic trading medium and reduction of transaction fees in futures markets. This also implies that the absolute value of the risk premium has decreased over the last two decades. The extreme case of forward premium puzzle in one-month forecasts diminishes in the 1990s. The results are robust to partitioning the sample period into four sub samples and separating the data based on maturity of futures contracts.


Based on the claims of evolutionary psychology and set amidst the twin threats of peak oil and climate change, this show combines physical theatre, puppetry and projected imagery in a darkly comic work of social-science-fiction. The piece invites the audience to imagine that an irreversible process of rapid environmental change is already underway, that it is too late to avoid widespread catastrophe, and that a powerful few are conspiring to ensure their own survival. The narrative draws upon various scientific themes, including the concept of the Technological Singularity and the evolution of symbolic thought, to interrogate the prevalent assumption of teleological progress in evolutionary change.  Its central proposition is that by better understanding the evolved nature of human psychology we might better protect and promote our individual and collective well-being. The story is seen from the perspective of two primary characters; a genetically modified Bonobo who gains consciousness of the fact of death, and its long-suffering keeper/creator hoping to design a being fit for a sustainable world.


This article takes ethnographic material from rural China and Taiwan and relates it to recent theories and findings in the psychology and economics of happiness. In brief, psychologists suggest that humans are not on the whole very good at "affective forecasting," that is, at predicting their own emotions; this is consequential when, for example, they pursue money in order to be happy—not realizing that having more money will probably not, in fact, make them happier. Drawing on ethnographic findings, I suggest that people in China and Taiwan are often, in fact, as concerned with predicting the emotions of others as in predicting their own emotions. I then consider this in relation to Chinese family projects where the pursuit of wealth—"for family happiness"—appears to be a shared goal, as well as considering families in which this shared goal has to some extent, and sometimes for very different reasons, been lost.


: In recent years has increased attention to the role of governments and the positive impact of public spending in economic development of the countries. Fiscal policy has an important role in the economic development process. in developed countries and developing countries. Also, attention is focused on the problems of their evaluation. However, evaluation of the efficiency of public investment can not be measured directly. Often, it is unclear what will be the results and this is a problem associated with public investments. The impacts of public investment are essential to economic and regional development. Decisions about public investment depend to a large extent by the effects of the economic, social and environmental expected. In this paper is treated evaluation of public investment on the basis of their impact on social indicators, at the local level. In the first part of this paper is treated the theoretical aspect of public investment, identification of social indicators and evaluation of public investment on the basis of these indicators. In the second part we have treated methodology for collecting and processing data. In this regard are used primary data through a questionnaire and for their processing is used SPSS version 21 (SPSS v21). Data analysis represents the third part of the study, namely through descriptive and graphical analysis, which expresses the connection of independent variables with the dependent variable. The perception of satisfaction of the population to social indicators, represent independent variable that we have included in our study, while the perception of the population for evaluating the efficiency of public investment represents the dependent variable.


For projects in knowledge-intensive domains, it is crucially important that knowledge management systems are able to track and infer workers' up-to-date information needs so that task-relevant information can be delivered in a timely manner. To put a worker's dynamic information needs into perspective, we propose a topic variation inspection model to facilitate the application of an implicit relevance feedback (IRF) algorithm and collaborative filtering in user modeling. The model analyzes variations in a worker's task-needs for a topic (i.e., personal topic needs) over time, monitors changes in the topics of collaborative actors, and then adjusts the worker's profile accordingly. We conducted a number of experiments to evaluate the efficacy of the model in terms of precision, recall, and F-measure. The results suggest that the proposed collaborative topic variation inspection approach can substantially improve the performance of a basic profiling method adapted from the classical RF algorithm. It can also improve the accuracy of other methods when a worker's information needs are vague or evolving, i.e., when there is a high degree of variation in the worker's topic-needs. Our findings have implications for the design of an effective collaborative information filtering and retrieval model, which is crucial for reusing an organization's knowledge assets effectively.


Public acceptability of low-carbon energy projects is often measured with one-off polls. This implies that opinion-shifts over time are not always taken into consideration by decision makers relying on these polls. Observations have given the impression that public acceptability of energy projects increases after implementation. However, this positive shift over time has not yet been systematically studied and is not yet understood very well. This paper aims to fill this gap. Based on two psychological mechanisms, loss aversion and cognitive dissonance reduction, we hypothesize that specifically people who live in proximity of a risky low-carbon technology—a hydrogen fuel station (HFS) in this case—evaluate this technology as more positive after its implementation than before. We conducted a survey among Dutch citizen living nearby a HFS and indeed found a positive shift in the overall evaluation of HFS after implementation. We also found that the benefits weighed stronger and the risks weaker after the implementation. This shift did not occur for citizens living further away from the HFS. The perceived risks and benefits did not significantly change after implementation, neither for citizens living in proximity, nor for citizens living further away. The societal implications of the findings are discussed.


This paper presents novel Built In Sensor (BIS) to test a well-known analog building block; the Current Feedback Operational Amplifier (CFOA). The proposed BIS tests on the terminal characteristics of the analog block. It has no voltage degradation. Moreover, it has a simple design, very small area and can detect both short and open circuit faults. Simulations are made to test CFOA-based universal analog filter. A comparison with the conventional IDDQ test is given and it proves that the proposed BIS has a superior performance.


Crohn's disease (CD) is associated with intestinal dysbiosis evidenced by an altered microbiome forming thick biofilms on the epithelium. Additionally, adherent-invasive E. coli (AIEC) strains are frequently isolated from ileal lesions of CD patients indicating a potential role for these strains in disease pathogenesis. The composition and characteristics of the host microbiome are influenced by environmental factors, particularly diet. Polysaccharides added to food as emulsifiers, stabilizers or bulking agents have been linked to bacteria-associated intestinal disorders. The escalating consumption of polysaccharides in Western diets parallels an increased incidence of CD during the latter 20th century. In this study, the effect of a polysaccharide panel on adhesiveness of the CD-associated AIEC strain LF82 was analyzed to determine if these food additives promote disease-associated bacterial phenotypes. Maltodextrin (MDX), a polysaccharide derived from starch hydrolysis, markedly enhanced LF82 specific biofilm formation. Biofilm formation of multiple other E. coli strains was also promoted by MDX. MDX-induced E. coli biofilm formation was independent of polysaccharide chain length indicating a requirement for MDX metabolism. MDX exposure induced type I pili expression, which was required for MDX-enhanced biofilm formation. MDX also increased bacterial adhesion to human intestinal epithelial cell monolayers in a mechanism dependent on type 1 pili and independent of the cellular receptor CEACAM6, suggesting a novel mechanism of epithelial cell adhesion. Analysis of mucosa-associated bacteria from individuals with and without CD showed increased prevalence of malX, a gene essential for MDX metabolism, uniquely in the ileum of CD patients. These findings demonstrate that the ubiquitous dietary component MDX enhances E. coli adhesion and suggests a mechanism by which Western diets rich in specific polysaccharides may promote dysbiosis of gut microbes and contribute to disease susceptibility.


Considering the economic importance of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas to the French shellfish industry, the appearance of major diseases in this species could cause dramatic decreases in production. Suminoe oysters, of the non-indigenous species Crassostrea rivularis (Gould), were introduced into France to test their ability to adapt to local conditions. These oysters were imported after careful examination, and were maintained in laboratory quarantine. Some mortalities occurred 7 mo after importation. Histological and electron microscope examinations of 9 dead specimens revealed a parasite presumed to be a Bonamia-like protozoan. This is the first report concerning a parasite of the genus Bonamia in a species belonging to the genus Crassostrea. Thus, C. rivularis is not considered to be a suitable substitute for C. gigas in France.


The regulation of games of chance bears significant moral, cultural and historical features throughout the EU Member States. The particularities of gambling activities, and notably the risks they entail and the revenues they generate, have determined Member States to strictly regulate this market sector, and indeed, in some cases, to entrust the provision of such services to state-owned monopolies. The proliferation of distance communication technologies in recent years has enabled the provision of games of chance across physical borders between Member States, whereby operators established and licensed in other Member States have started to challenge national regulations in order to gain market access.

The Court of Justice has established that gambling activities are subject to the internal-market constraints, and thus capable of restricting the economic freedoms enshrined in the Treaty. In the lack of harmonisation, the Court has in its case-law acknowledged the sovereign right of Member States to regulate their gambling markets with reference to the moral and cultural aspects of gaming. However, insofar as measures enacted in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity amount to a restriction upon the fundamental economic freedoms, they must be justified by overriding reasons of public interest, and fulfil the proportionality requirements.

Overriding reasons commonly referred to by Member States are those of consumer protection against addiction and fraud, and the need to eradicate and prevent criminal activities on the gambling market. These policy aims have largely been accepted by the Court as legitimate public order concerns capable of justifying freedom of movement restrictions, and the proportionality assessment has been (save for in some cases) generally left to the referring national courts, which are consistently provided with a set of vague and insufficient guidelines by the Court of Justice. Considering the relatively large amount of preliminary references currently pending before the Court, national courts are in need of more efficient tools for assessing compatibility between national regulatory measures and EU law.

Notwithstanding the wide degree of discretion afforded to the Member States' governments and authorities in defining their policies and the aims that such measures seek to attain, it is argued that the consistency requirement developed by the Court of Justice as an instrumental measure of suitability needs to be clarified in order to fulfil its function. Moreover, a more intense proportionality inquiry by the Court itself is advocated for, whereby it is feasible to require that Member States bear the burden of proof as to the necessity and suitability of restrictive measures. This would both increase legal certainty, and enable Member States to thoroughly review the genuine aims of their restrictive legislation, and adequately address the realities of cross-border gambling.


This review describes the social and ethical responses to the history of innovations in forensic genetics and their application to criminal investigations. Following an outline of the three recurrent social perspectives that have informed these responses (crime management, due process, and genetic surveillance), it goes on to introduce the repertoire of ethical considerations by describing a series of key reports that have shaped subsequent commentaries on forensic DNA profiling and databasing. Four major ethical concerns form the focus of the remainder of the paper (dignity, privacy, justice, and social solidarity), and key features of forensic genetic practice are examined in the light of these concerns. The paper concludes with a discussion of the concept of "proportionality" as a resource for balancing the social and ethical risks and benefits of the use of forensic genetics in support of criminal justice.


The following article details a method for the optimization and improved use of the internal combustion engine as main propulsion. The focus here is not on new propulsion systems or combustion processes, but on the characterization of the typical usage of existing systems in order to enable better utilization.
 As one major potential for improvement, the transient machinery operation is examined and discussed in this article. Higher fuel consumption and higher emissions occur compared with stationary engine operation in that operation mode. Experimental data from test bed ("Caterpillar MaK 6M20") measurements are presented which explain the consequences of transient operation. Furthermore, appropriate analyzing methods to evaluate this operation mode are shown. Finally, a modelling approach is presented using the data for calibration and validation of an engine simulation model.
 The most significant part to predict real transient efficiency and emissions is the in-cylinder process and especially its combustion process. Therefore, the simulation model does not use engine maps but a mostly physically based engine model by using thermodynamic approaches and chemical reaction kinetics. The specific application of that simulation model for four-stroke medium-speed engines covers the behavior of transient operation during ship maneuverings since it is developed for integration into a ship engine simulator.


In October 2009 the BBC aired a short series of radio programmes entitled Parting Shots . The programmes featured a series of final communications, called valedictory despatches, from British Ambassadors leaving their posts to take up duties elsewhere or retire from the Diplomatic Service. As opposed to being merely vehicles for conveying reflective and summary knowledge about countries for the benefit of successors as well as the Foreign Office in London, some despatches contained discourteous and injudicious comments about ambassadors' host countries and their people. The sensitive nature of these types of despatches, combined with their ease of dissemination electronically, made inevitable the severe circulation restrictions that were placed on them in 2006, leading to their effective demise. Our new knowledge of the past existence of the valedictory despatch immediately raises the question of the history of diplomatic communication, including issues related to the mediation of diplomacy by technologies and techniques conducive to knowledge sharing. The article synthesises evidence from secondary sources on the history of British diplomacy that highlights its information and communication aspects. Primary sources are also exploited in the form of valedictory despatches from British ambassadors abroad and publications on diplomacy contemporaneous with the time being studied. The traditional, stereotypical image of the diplomat is that of gentlemanly intellectual, 'bon viveur' and adventurer, socially adept and thus skilled in the art of negotiation. However, an investigation of the history of diplomatic information and communication practices – from the era of manuscript and messenger through to the ages of the telegraph and telephone, and now that of the internet – reveals the diplomat less as gentlemanly negotiator than as knowledge manager, as a collector and conduit of information designed to enhance the knowledge of policy-makers. The historic knowledge-management role of the diplomat highlights the part technology has played in the world of diplomacy, including the relationship between the ambassador abroad and the political centre. It also offers a further perspective on the ways in which technologies open up new possibilities, intended and unintended, often fraught with ambiguity and potential for enhancement and disruption. In turn this offers lessons for further consideration of what can be termed the Dark Side of Knowledge Management, and for organizational communication in general.


ABSTRACT In this paper, we investigate memes about student issues. We consider the memes as expressions of a new networked student public that contain discourses that may fall outside the mainstream discourse on higher education. The paper is based on content analysis of 179 posts in the public Facebook Group 'Student Problem Memes', combined with a nine-month media watch and a discussion workshop with 15 students. Through self-deprecating humour, students create an inverse attention economy of competitive one-downmanship, where the goal is to display humorous failure instead of perfect appearance. Our analysis shows that students use humour to express, share, and commiserate over daily struggles, but also that the problems related to work/study balance and mental health, are experienced as a persistent feature of student living. We also analyse limitations of meme-based publics, emphasizing processes of inclusion and exclusion through specific vernaculars of visual and discursive humour where issues related to gender, race, orientation, class, and ability are sidelined in favour of relatable humour.


Decorrelating, linear, minimum mean-squared error (LMMSE), and noise-whitening multiuser detectors for code-division multiple-access systems (CDMA) are ideally infinite memory-length (referred to as IIR) detectors. To obtain practical detectors, which have low implementation complexity and are suitable for CDMA systems with time-variant system parameters (e.g., the number of users, the delays of users, and the signature waveforms), linear finite-memory-length (referred to as FIR) multiuser detectors are studied in this paper. They are obtained by truncating the IIR detectors or by finding optimal FIR detectors. The signature waveforms are not restricted to be time-invariant (periodic over symbol interval). Thus, linear multiuser detection is generalized to systems with spreading sequences longer than the symbol interval. Conditions for the stability of the truncated detectors are discussed. Stable truncated detectors are shown to be near-far resistant if the received powers are upper bounded, and if the memory length is large enough (but finite). Numerical examples demonstrate that moderate memory lengths are sufficient to obtain the performance of the IIR detectors even with a severe near-far problem.


The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) 2012/27/EU published in October 2012, sets out new requirements for European Member States on energy efficiency, acting on the energy chain from its production to end- use consumption. While improvement of the industry's energy performance and increase in energy efficiency were mostly embedded in voluntary agreements or financial incentives, the EED requires large companies to undergo a first energy audit in December 2015 at the latest, to be repeated every four years. A possibility for companies to be exempted from this requirement is for them to be certified by an approved energy management system. Therefore this paper highlights the major importance of the development of a powerful and cost-effective energy management system within industries, in order to fulfil legally binding obligations, but also benefit from state aid or tax exemptions, included into national energy policies. While many techniques and tools are available for manufacturing companies to track their energy use and identify savings opportunities, there is still the possibility and need for the development of innovative tools to enhance the way energy is managed and tackle the energy efficiency gap that prevents identified energy savings from being carried out.


Abstract The European educational landscape is changing. Education remains formally under the sphere of the nation states and has traditionally been resistant towards EU involvement. Several recent initiatives from joint policy-making point towards increased standardization as a key element of European integration in education and higher education. The article builds on the notion of standards-based governance and outlines this as a distinct mode for policy-making in the EU, emphasizing incentives and voluntary implementation, the use of expertise and technical calibration, their quasi-regulatory nature of the process. The article draws on a number of empirical examples to show how standards have been used for higher education policy on EU level.


Caffeine has well-known short-term stimulating effects on central nervous system, but the long-term impacts on cognition have been less clear. Dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are rapidly increasing public health problems in ageing populations and at the moment curative treatment is lacking. Thus, the putative protective effects of caffeine against dementia/AD are of great interest. Here, we discuss findings from the longitudinal epidemiological studies about caffeine/coffee/tea and dementia/AD/cognitive functioning with a special emphasis on our recent results from the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE) study. The findings of the previous studies are somewhat inconsistent, but most studies (3 out of 5) support coffee's favorable effects against cognitive decline, dementia or AD. In addition, two studies had combined coffee and tea drinking and indicated some positive effects on cognitive functioning. For tea drinking, protective effects against cognitive decline/dementia are still less evident. In the CAIDE study, coffee drinking of 3-5 cups per day at midlife was associated with a decreased risk of dementia/AD by about 65% at late-life. In conclusion, coffee drinking may be associated with a decreased risk of dementia/AD. This may be mediated by caffeine and/or other mechanisms like antioxidant capacity and increased insulin sensitivity. This finding might open possibilities for prevention or postponing the onset of dementia/AD.


The role of repayable sources in financing local governments' expenditure in rural areas in Poland was examined. The analyses showed that during years 2005-2009 the expenditure of local governments in rural areas was rising. An especially high increase was observed in 2009. The shares of the investment expenditure in total expenditure were at 20% for 2005-2008 but in 2009 it rose noticeably. The local governments use credits, loans and municipal bonds for financing expenditure. Except for 2009, the 'new' credits and loans financed mainly repayment of 'old credits', only in 2009 less than 50% of 'new credits' value was used for repaying old debts. The debt of local governments in rural areas rose quickly but in examined years the payments of interest were not a problem and took less than 1% of budget incomes. In the future, it can change because of the expected increase of debts and, moreover, the interest rates could rise noticeably


Leading brands and the intellectual property of successful organizations are increasingly falling victim to hostile tactics from unscrupulous businesses. Unwanted brand associations, product piracy, and other forms of online brand abuse threaten to alienate consumers and undermine the success of companies in every industry. Defending the Brand introduces strategies being used by companies around the world to fight back and regain control, preserving brand equity and rescuing potentially lost revenue. From marketing and sales initiatives that discourage abuse to how to collect intelligence on possible wrongdoers, this timely book is as valuable as it is fascinating. Punctuated with eye-opening stories from real companies like Home Depot, Disney, the Red Cross, Nintendo, and the Associated Press, Defending the Brand is a call to action for companies unwilling to compromise the power of their brands and the success of their products.


PURPOSE
The objective of this study was to quantify respiratory motion induced dose uncertainty at the planning stage for step and shoot intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) using a novel analytical technique.

METHODS
Ten patients with stage II/III lung cancer who had undergone a planning 4DCT scan and step and shoot IMRT planning were selected with a mix of motion and tumor size for this study. The maximum and minimum doses with respiratory motion were calculated for each plan, and the mean deviation from the 4D dose was calculated, taking delivery time, fractionation, and patient breathing cycle into consideration.

RESULTS
For all patients evaluated in this study, the mean difference between the total delivered dose and the 4D dose in the planning target volume (PTV) was <2.5%, with a standard deviation <1.2%, and maximum point dose variation from the 4D dose was <6.2% in the PTV with delivery dose rate (DR) of 200 MU/min and patient breathing cycle of 8 seconds. The motion induced dose uncertainty is a function of fractionation, MU (plan modulation), dose rate, and patient breathing cycle.

CONCLUSION
Respiratory motion induced dose uncertainty varies from patient to patient. Patient specific respiratory motion induced dose uncertainty quantification could be useful for plan evaluation and treatment strategy determination.


Over a year ago (March 7, 2015), a little store called the Cannabis Corner opened up in the small town of North Bonneville, Washington, about an hour by car from Portland, Oregon. The Cannabis Corner is the first marijuana store to be operated by a "public development authority," an independent entity created by a state or local government. Public development authorities are generally exempt from federal income taxes under section 115 of the Internal Revenue Code. For a marijuana business, this exemption is especially valuable because section 280E of the Code currently prevents marijuana businesses from deducting many of the ordinary expenses other businesses regularly deduct, resulting in extremely high federal income taxes. This Article is the first to address whether independent governmental affiliates that sell marijuana are exempt from federal income tax under section 115 of the Internal Revenue Code. It argues that such entities should easily pass the IRS's current interpretation of the three requirements for tax-exemption under section 115: (i) that exempt income be derived from "the exercise of any essential governmental function;" (ii) that such income "accru[e] to a State or any political subdivision thereof;" and (iii) that the income "not serve private interests[.]" In addition, this Article argues that the fact that selling marijuana is illegal under federal law is not a bar to exemption under section 115 of the Code the way it is under section 501(c)(3). Tax exemption for public development authorities that sell marijuana is important because of the non-tax benefits of a marijuana market dominated by government sellers. Some of these benefits exist when governments are participants in a marijuana market that is open to private sellers as well, such as is the case in North Bonneville, Washington. This Article also explores the benefits that might accrue if a state chose to create a regulatory regime for legalizing marijuana in which all marijuana selling took place in government-owned stores. Many states have experimented for years with state control of liquor sales, but there are reasons to believe that marijuana may be significantly more suited to a state-controlled market than alcohol, at least for a transitional period. The question of whether an independent governmental affiliate is exempt from federal income tax, including section 280E, is especially important to governments contemplating the contours of their legal marijuana markets.


Background and aim: Chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIIP) is characterised by severe impairment of intestinal propulsive motility that mimics bowel obstruction. JC virus (JCV) is a polyomavirus that can infect brain glial cells causing a fatal disease, but may also be found throughout the normal gastrointestinal tract. The hypothesis that JCV infects the myenteric plexuses of patients with CIIP was tested. Methods: 10 patients with CIIP and 61 normal specimens (30 ascending colon and 31 ileum) from patients with uncomplicated colon cancer were studied. DNA was extracted from the myenteric plexuses, and JCV T antigen (TAg) DNA and the viral regulatory region were detected by PCR and sequencing. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect JCV viral protein expression, neuronal and glial markers. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation was performed for cellular localisation of the JCV infection. Results: Clinical studies demonstrated neurogenic impairment, and pathological analyses showed neuropathy in each patient with CIIP. JCV TAg DNA was found in the myenteric plexuses of 8/10 (80%) of the patients with CIIP and 3/31 (9.7%) of the control patients (p<0.001). All samples were JCV Mad-1 strains. Seven of the 10 CIIP specimens expressed both JCV TAg and the JCV viral protein VP1, while none of the controls expressed either. JCV infection co-localised with glial fibrillary acidic protein expression, a marker of enteric glial cells. Conclusion: JCV infection occurs in the myenteric plexuses of patients with CIIP. The JCV localisation in enteroglial cells suggests a possible pathological role for this virus in enteric neuropathy.


Objective:Recently, an association between viral infection and the development of esophageal carcinoma has been reported, particularly the human papilloma virus (HPV) and Esptein-Bar virus (EBV). However, geographic variation in carcinogenesis is realized. In this study, we investigate the viral carcinogenesis and the biologic effect of viral infection on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in Taiwan.Methods:To determine the association of viral infection (EBV and HPV) with ESCC, we applied polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization (ISH) to examine 119 surgical specimens from different sites of esophagus in 31 ESCC patients. Additionally, an immunoperoxidase method was used to detect EBV latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1), p53, CD45RO (UCHL-1), Fas ligand (Fas L), and RNA ISH with oligonucleotide sequences was used to detected interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA.Results:By PCR, EBV DNA was detected in 11 cases (35.5%). Expression of EBERs in ESCC was further confirmed with ISH. Nonetheless, no LMP-1 expression was detected. On the other hand, human papillomavirus (HPV) was identified in only one case (3.2%) of ESCC. Furthermore, HPV was located by ISH in the distant normal region rather than in tumor cells. In EBV-positive cases, accumulation of p53 protein was detected in 10 lesions (91%); CD45RO+ lymphocytes together with expressions of FasL and IL-6 were respectively identified in 100%, 63.6%, and 54.5% of 11 EBV-positive lesions. Interestingly, in the EBV-negative cases (n = 20), p53 protein was detected in 40% of lesions; CD45RO 30%; FasL 50%, and IL-6 10%.Conclusion:In this study, no correlation was found between the presence of EBV in ESCC and the patients' age, sex, as well as survival. Although our results indicate that EBV could be associated with ESCC, the clinical role of EBV in ESCC remains to be determined.


Communication plays a major role in social systems. Effective communications, which requires the transmission of messages between individuals without disruptions or noise, can be a powerful tool to deliver intended impact. Language and style of content can be leveraged to deceive and manipulate recipients. These deception and persuasion strategies can be applied to exert power and amass capital in politics and business. In this work, we provide a modest review of how such deception and persuasion strategies were applied to different communication channels over time. We provide examples of campaigns that occurred over the last century, together with their corresponding dissemination media. In the Internet age, we enjoy access to a vast amount of information and an ability to communicate without borders. However, malicious actors work toward abusing online systems to disseminate disinformation, disrupt communication, and manipulate individuals, with automated tools such as social bots. It is important to study traditional practices of persuasion in order to investigate modern procedures and tools. We provide a discussion of current threats against society while drawing parallels with historical practices and recent research on systems of detection and prevention.


This paper looks at the challenges that the Kamusi Project faces for acquiring open lexical data for less-resourced languages (LRLs), of a range, depth, and quality that can be useful within Human Language Technology (HLT). These challenges include accessing and reforming existing lexicons into interoperable data, recruiting language specialists and citizen linguists, and obtaining large volumes of quality input from the crowd. We introduce our crowdsourcing model, specifically (1) motivating participation using a "play to pay" system, games, social rewards, and material prizes; (2) steering the crowd to contribute structured and reliable data via targeted questions; and (3) evaluating participants' input through crowd validation and statistical analysis to ensure that only trust-worthy material is incorporated into Kamusi's master database. We discuss the mobile application Kamusi has developed for crowd participation that elicits high-quality structured data directly from each language's speakers through narrow questions that can be answered with a minimum of time and effort. Through the integration of existing lexicons, expert input, and innovative methods of acquiring knowledge from the crowd, an accurate and reliable multilingual dictionary with a focus on LRLs will grow and become available as a free public resource.


With the prospective exit of the UK from the European Union, a crucial question is whether EU Structural Funds have been beneficial for the country and which aspects of Cohesion Policy should be maintained if EU funds are to be replaced. This paper addresses this question through a twofold investigation, assessing not only whether but also how EU funds have contributed to regional growth in the UK over three programming periods from 1994 to 2013. We document a significant and robust effect of Cohesion Policy in the UK, with higher proportions of Structural Funds associated to higher economic growth both on the whole and particularly in the less developed regions of the country. In addition, we show that the strategic orientation of investments also plays a distinct role for regional growth. While concentration of investments on specific pillars seems to have no direct growth effects, unless regions can rely on pre-existing competitive advantages in key development areas, we unveil clear evidence that targeting investments on specific areas of relative regional need has a significant and autonomous effect on growth. These findings have important implications for the design of regional policy interventions in Britain after Brexit.


Multi-level inverters are gaining more attention mainly in AC drive application due to their many attractive features like better harmonic profile, lower switching losses, good electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Moreover, higher voltage magnitude at the inverter output can be generated by using low voltage dc sources and switching devices with less voltage blocking capability. But main disadvantages of the conventional diode clamed and capacitor clamped multi-level inverters are the capacitor voltage balancing issues and requirement of extra clamping diodes in case of neutral point clamed inverter configuration and the requirement of extra capacitors in case of flying capacitor configuration. The main drawback of Cascaded H-Bridge multi-level inverter configuration is the requirement of more number of dc sources. In order to eliminate the above mentioned drawbacks, three multi-level inverter configurations and one pulse width modulation technique are proposed in this thesis.
In this thesis, a multi-level inverter topology for a four pole induction motor drive is presented which is constructed using the induction motor stator winding arrangement. Single dc source with a less magnitude when compared with conventional five-level inverter configurations is used in this topology. Therefore power balancing issues (which are major challenges in conventional multi-level inverters) are minimized. As this configuration is using single dc source, it provides path for zero sequence currents because of the zero sequence voltages present in the inverter output voltage, which will flow through the motor phase winding and power electronic switches. To minimize these zero sequence currents, Sine-Triangle PWM (SPWM) is used which will shift the lower order harmonics near to switching frequency in the linear modulation region. But in case of over modulation, harmonic voltages will be introduced close to fundamental frequency. In this regard a modified SPWM technique is proposed to operate the drive in the over modulation region up to modulation index of 2/√3.
An improved multi-level inverter configuration is also presented for four pole induction motor drive by reducing the requirement of bi-directional switches compared to the previous configuration. The entire configuration is supplied by a

single dc source only. This configuration can be operated during switch fault condition also which will increase the reliability of the system. SPWM technique is used to generate the gating pulses for the proposed inverter configuration in the linear modulation region and modified SPWM technique in the over modulation region.
This thesis also presents an Unipolar Phase Shifted Carrier PWM (UPSC PWM) controlled multi-level inverter topology which is derived by using four two-level inverters only (i.e. requirement of bi-directional switches is completely eliminated). Many Pulse Width Modulation techniques are proposed in the literature and one of the popular modulation methods is UPSC PWM. By using this technique, all lower order harmonics are shifted to higher levels without increasing the switching frequency. This PWM technique is commonly used in the Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) applications where transformer multiple primary windings are connected to two-level inverters. The availability of more windings at primary side of the transformer is a well-known concept. But, this modulation technique is not popularly used in drives applications because conventional induction motor consists of only two terminals per phase. A multi-level inverter configuration for four pole induction motor drive is presented which is compatible to use the above mentioned PWM technique. Two isolated dc sources are used to feed four two-level inverters so that zero sequence currents through motor winding and power electronic switches are minimized. By using this multi-level inverter configuration and UPSC PWM technique, all lower order harmonics are shifted to four times the switching frequency which in turn reduces the current ripple and torque ripple considerably.
In case of conventional Neutral Point Clamped (NPC) or flying capacitor multi-level inverter configurations, active switches are connected in series to produce multi-level output voltage waveform. Therefore if any one switch fails, entire configuration has to be shut down. A dual three-level inverter configuration for four pole induction motor drive is presented to improve reliability of the system and also improves voltage and current harmonic profile also. This topology is developed by feeding four-pole induction motor stator winding with four conventional two-level inverter modules (i.e. the power circuit is similar to the configuration presented in the previous contribution). The level shifted carrier based Space Vector PWM technique is used

to produce the gating signals for the proposed configuration. By providing proper phase shift between carrier waves, multi-level voltage waveform is produced across the total motor phase winding and also first center band harmonics are cancelled.
All the proposed topology are simulated in MATLAB/ Simulink and experimentally verified with 5-hp four-pole induction motor drive by using v/f control. Gating signals are produced by using eMEGAsim (Opal-RT Technologies) and dSPACE1104. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used to estimate the torque ripple. Simulation and experimental results show the validity of proposed configurations in linear and over modulation regions. All these configurations can be easily extended to produce higher number of voltage for the induction motors with more than four poles. All these experiments are carried with 5-hp induction motor due to the laboratory constraints, but these configurations can be used for medium and high power applications by properly selecting the rating of the switching devices.


The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding graded levels of gum Arabic (0%, 2.5%, %5 and 7.5%) on the performance and blood chemistry of broiler chicks. A total of 192 unsexed broiler chicks (Cobb strain) were randomly assigned in four dietary treatments. Each treatment contained six replicates (8 birds/replicate). Feed and water were offered ad libitum throughout the experimental Period (42 days).. Feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio were not influenced by the dietary inclusion of gum Arabic. The results also revealed that the different levels of gum Arabic had no effect on serum constituents, except total protein which increased significantly. Cholesterol, creatinine and triglyceride levels were decreased significantly in bird fed 5% and 7.5% gum arabic. It is concluded that the incorporation of gum Arabic in broiler chickens diets has a positive effects on broiler chicks performance and reduced serum cholesterol levels, creatinine and triglyceride.


SUMMARY Understanding conservation attitudes of local communities is essential to the long-term sustainable management of natural resources such as forests. This paper, guided by the Social exchange theory, examined attitudes of local communities towards management of Chobe Forest Reserve (CFR) and explored factors influencing conservation attitudes in the study area. A survey instrument was administered to 183 households, randomly sampled across three communities adjacent to CFR. Additionally, in-depth interviews with selected key informants were conducted. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysing data. The study findings revealed that communities generally held positive attitudes towards forest conservation. Place of residence, age, length of residency and forest dependency were observed to be significantly influencing attitudes towards forest conservation. For sustainable forest management and conservation to be achieved, it is vital that community's needs and aspirations, their attitudes and perceptions regarding conservation are considered and factored into strategies and management planning.


What kinds of data does Label Propagation (LP) work best on? Can we justify the solution of LP from a theoretical standpoint? LP is a semisupervised learning algorithm that is widely used to predict unobserved node labels on a network (e.g., user's gender on an SNS). Despite its importance, its theoretical properties remain mostly unexplored. In this paper, we answer the above questions by interpreting LP from a statistical viewpoint. As our main result, we identify the network generative model behind the discretized version of LP (DLP), and we show that under specific conditions the solution of DLP is equal to the maximum a posteriori estimate of that generative model. Our main result reveals the critical limitations of LP. Specifically, we discover that LP would not work best on networks with (1) disassortative node labels, (2) clusters having different edge densities, (3) nonuniform label distributions, or (4) unreliable node labels provided. Our experiments under a variety of settings support our theoretical results.


According to an estimate by the Institute of Medicine made over a decade ago, treatment errors in hospitals alone caused 98,000 deaths yearly. This Institute of Medicine report is proving to be conservative. A recent Consumer Reports investigation came to the conclusion that "[m]ore than 2.25 million Americans will probably die from medical harm this decade…. That's like wiping out the entire populations of North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It's a manmade disaster.�? Thus, it appears that the three major systems in the United States that are designed to improve the quality of patient care — the state medical malpractice and licensure systems and the private hospital peer review hearing system — are all failing at their task. To date, the attention of academics, legislators and lawyers has been on critiquing the medical malpractice and licensure systems, while the far more important hospital peer review hearing system has gone almost unnoticed. In light of the number of patients killed in hospitals each year and the soaring costs of healthcare, it is time to begin a critical review of the hospital peer review hearing system. This Article starts with a history of the growth of hospital peer review and then examines the merits of the rationales that motivated the passage of the Health Care Quality Improvement Act of 1986 ("HCQIA�?) that catapulted peer review into the national system that exists today. The Article next explains how the peer review hearing process works and how HCQIA turns private hospitals into small, individual quasi-regulatory agencies. The Article goes on to critique the "bad apple�? approach taken by hospital peer review in light of the growing body of empirical research that supports a systems improvement approach to dealing with the problem of medical error. Next, the Article explains how the choice of standards that hospital peer review relies upon to measure physician competence negatively impacts quality and cost. Finally, the Article raises questions regarding the possible negative impact that hospital peer review has on access to healthcare, with a particularly negative potential impact on minority physicians as well as minority and low income patients. This Article proposes that hospital peer review be completely restructured to comport with the current, scientific understandings of the methodologies that best act to prevent medical errors. A new system should be developed that relies on the application of a blend of knowledge translation theory with continuous quality improvement research to integrate evidence-based treatment choices using clinical practice guidelines into physician practice.


One feature of adjustment loans that has been often overlooked in their evaluation is their frequent repetition to the same country, with such extremes as the 30 IMF and World Bank adjustment loans to Argentina over 1980-99 or the 26 adjustment loans to Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana. The rate of repetition remains high and non-decreasing as cumulative adjustment loans increases. Repetition changes the nature of the selection problem, with the possible implication that new loans had to be given because earlier loans were not effective. Seventeen out of the eighteen countries that were IDA in 1980 and were in the top half of adjustment loans received became eligible for HIPC debt relief, compared to less than 50 percent of the IDA countries in the bottom half of adjustment lending -- again suggesting that previous loans were not effective at generating the growth necessary to service the debt. There were relative successes and failures, but none of the top 20 recipients of adjustment lending over 1980-99 were able to achieve reasonable growth and contain all policy distortions. Policies improved unevenly as adjustment loans accumulated, and even those policies that improved show a nonlinear satiation point after a certain number of adjustment loans is reached. An overall indicator of severe macroeconomic policy distortion does not improve as the number of adjustment loans increases in the overall sample, with about half the adjustment loan recipients showing severe distortions regardless of the number of cumulative adjustment loans. An instrumental variables regression for estimating the causal effect of repeated adjustment lending on policies shows a significant but small improvement for some macro policies, but none for others. None of the techniques in the paper is able to identify a growth effect, positive or negative, of repeated adjustment lending. The findings of this paper are in line with the foreign aid literature that shows that aid does not discriminate between good and bad policies. There's a big difference between structural adjustment lending and structural adjustment policies.


Education is a key to political stability and socio-economic development of a nation. Unfortunately, there are diverse systems of education providing different types of education leading to stratified education system. The researchers investigated education system of Pakistan, its functioning and problems and used mixed method approach. In quantitative section researchers adopted survey method and questionnaire as tool for a sample of 210 respondents through multi-stage systematic sampling and SPSS for analysis. In qualitative part researchers used interview guide as a tool for 35 respondents (university level teaching faculty and students) and adopted Domain Analysis technique for qualitative data analysis. The results of present study indicate that education brings political stability by realizing the people their national rights and duties and thus through such awareness leads to harmony, participation and cooperation. Education shapes the personality of the people to play part in the society. Education is a fundamental asset to empower in terms of human rights and gender equality. Education facilitates the individual to survive in the labor market. There is need to eradicate class-based educational streams to develop unified national education system as promised in Constitution of Pakistan to guarantee the development of society. Education has emerged as a business venture and caught the attention of private sector, which has negative impact on the quality of learning and research.


As the US economy emerges from the severest recession in a generation, large questions regarding its long-term ramifications for higher education remain unanswered. In fact, the harshest effects of the economic downturn are likely ahead as campus leadership focuses on enrollment, affordability and fundraising. This volume of essays examines the challenges and opportunities for advancing higher education's core missions of education, research and service in a resource-constrained environment.


BACKGROUND
Adenocarcinoma of the prostate is the most frequent malignancy in men and the second leading cause of death in the male population worldwide. The screening for prostate cancer allows early diagnosis of prostate malignancy before the individual presents with symptoms. The early stage of the disease is easier to manage by different therapeutic modalities.

AIM
The aim of this review is to evaluate the reasons and facts for enthusiasm and positive approach towards the clinical decision about whether to screen or not male patients for early detection of prostate cancer.

METHODS
We performed a computerized MEDLINE search followed by a manual bibliographic review of cross-references. These reports were analyzed and the important findings were summarized. We analyzed the methods and schedule of screening, as well as advantages and disadvantages of the prostate cancer screening.

RESULTS
There were more than a hundred studies on prostate cancer screening performed but only a few are eligible for a decisive conclusion concerning the prostate cancer screening issue. We reviewed the screening methods, the schedule of screening, the advantages and disadvantages of prostate cancer screening.

CONCLUSION
The role for prostate cancer screening is not established yet. Definite proof of screening should be assumed as a decrease in the death rate of that cancer due to screening activity.


SIGNIFICANCE
The regulation of myocardial function by constitutive nitric oxide synthases (NOS) is important for the maintenance of myocardial Ca(2+) homeostasis, relaxation and distensibility, and protection from arrhythmia and abnormal stress stimuli. However, sustained insults such as diabetes, hypertension, hemodynamic overload, and atrial fibrillation lead to dysfunctional NOS activity with superoxide produced instead of NO and worse pathophysiology.

RECENT ADVANCES
Major strides in understanding the role of normal and abnormal constitutive NOS in the heart have revealed molecular targets by which NO modulates myocyte function and morphology, the role and nature of post-translational modifications of NOS, and factors controlling nitroso-redox balance. Localized and differential signaling from NOS1 (neuronal) versus NOS3 (endothelial) isoforms are being identified, as are methods to restore NOS function in heart disease.

CRITICAL ISSUES
Abnormal NOS signaling plays a key role in many cardiac disorders, while targeted modulation may potentially reverse this pathogenic source of oxidative stress.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Improvements in the clinical translation of potent modulators of NOS function/dysfunction may ultimately provide a powerful new treatment for many hearts diseases that are fueled by nitroso-redox imbalance.


In November 2004, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) released the aerospace standard AS5506, named the Architecture Analysis & Design Language (AADL). The AADL is a modeling language that supports early and repeated analyses of a system's architecture with respect to performance-critical properties through an extendable notation, a tool framework, and precisely defined semantics.

The language employs formal modeling concepts for the description and analysis of application system architectures in terms of distinct components and their interactions. It includes abstractions of software, computational hardware, and system components for (a) specifying and analyzing real-time embedded and high dependability systems, complex systems of systems, and specialized performance capability systems and (b) mapping of software onto computational hardware elements.

The AADL is especially effective for model-based analysis and specification of complex real-time embedded systems. This technical note is an introduction to the concepts, language structure, and application of the AADL.


This study tells the story of white female criminals and addresses the problem of the white female criminality and the resulting reaction of the patriarchal society in Richmond, Virginia during the Civil War, specifically the years 1861-1864. During the Civil War, white female criminality became a daily occurrence because of the wartime conditions in Richmond, such as inflation and overpopulation. Because of the established patriarchal society and the lack of emphasis on the women's rights movement in the South, the female involvement in crime during the war was extremely shocking to the male driven society. The judicial system struggled with how to deal with this new breed of women who violated the morals that society had set up for them, especially after female-led events like the Bread Riot. This riot consisted of thousands of women who stormed downtown Richmond, demanding the government to reduce the price of bread. Many of the women were arrested and society was left in fear and a state of embarrassment. This riot, along with the daily crimes committed by women unintentionally allowed women to establish themselves as political figures by creating a new space in society in which there was no space for them previously.


Muscle foods and their products are a fundamental part of the human diet. The high protein content found in muscle foods, as well as the high content of essential amino acids, provides an appropriate composition to complete the nutritional requirements of humans. However, due to their special composition, they are susceptible to oxidative degradation. In this sense, proteins are highly susceptible to oxidative reactions. However, in contrast to lipid oxidation, which has been studied in depth for decades, protein oxidation of muscle foods has been investigated much less. Moreover, these reactions have an important influence on the quality of muscle foods, from physico-chemical, techno-functional, and nutritional perspectives. In this regard, the loss of essential nutrients, the impairment of texture, water-holding capacity, color and flavor, and the formation of toxic substances are some of the direct consequences of protein oxidation. The loss of quality for muscle foods results in consumer rejection and substantial levels of economic losses, and thus the control of oxidative processes is of vital importance for the food industry. Nonetheless, the complexity of the reactions involved in protein oxidation and the many different factors that influence these reactions make the mechanisms of protein oxidation difficult to fully understand. Therefore, the present manuscript reviews the fundamental mechanisms of protein oxidation, the most important oxidative reactions, the main factors that influence protein oxidation, and the currently available analytical methods to quantify compounds derived from protein oxidation reactions. Finally, the main effects of protein oxidation on the quality of muscle foods, both from physico-chemical and nutritional points of view, are also discussed.


Four taxa belonging to the complex of species around Achnanthidium minutissimum were found during the ongoing taxonomic revision of the Antarctic freshwater and limno-terrestrial diatom fl ora. Two taxa were previously described as Achnanthidium lailae and A. sieminskae. Two others were formerly identifi ed as A. minutissimum but detailed light and scanning electron microscopical observations revealed suffi cient morphological differences compared to the type of A. minutissimum, to justify their separation and description as new taxa: Achnanthidium indistinctum and A. maritimo-antarcticum. The morphology and ecology of all four taxa are discussed comparing the species with morphologically similar taxa. The biogeographical consequences of the splitting of the former A. minutissimum complex in the Antarctic Region are discussed.


A series of functional terminals were designed to interact with the flexible loop residues of lysozymes, aiming to produce quality protein crystals via intensified heterogeneous nucleation. On the acetamidophenyl (S-PhAc) terminals, the obtained lysozyme crystals have the largest modal size of about 270 μm. The in situ liquid-cell AFM images reflect the fact that the particle aggregation rate is greatly associated with the functional terminals at the beginning of crystallization, i.e., the fast rate is achieved as 0.088 ± 0.004 nm s−1 on S-PhAc, much higher than that on commercial siliconized square cover slides (0.025 ± 0.005 nm s−1). Combining the crystallization results with molecular modeling, it is indicated that the stronger the interactions between lysozyme loop residues and the functional terminals, the more easily the heterogeneous nucleation occurs. It is suggested that designing functional terminals targeting the feature loop residues of proteins would be a promising route to modulate protein crystallization at the early stage.


This paper presents results of numerical simulations on predicting the progressive damage and failure response of Z-fiber orthogonal interlock "hybrid" 3D woven textile composites (H3DWTCs) for uniaxial tension test using a novel two-scale computational mechanics framework. Orthogonal woven composites display high resistance to layer delamination, as observed in conventional laminated composites. Here the term "hybrid" refers to different constituent fibers, including carbon, glass and kevlar that are infused with SC-15 matrix and integrally woven into a single preform. The H3DWTCs are made through a 3D textile weaving process. This hybridized architecture is examined at Unit Cell level to determine the progression of damage and failure under tensile loading. The pre-peak nonlinearity, as caused by matrix microdamage is modeled using N-layers concentric cylinder model (NCYL) [1,2] and the post-peak softening failure response is modeled using a mesh-objective smeared crack approach (SCA) [3,4] in a multiscale framework. A micro-CT analysis of the architecture is conducted and FE model is generated directly from Micro-CT real data using the software tool 'Simpleware'. The numerical simulation results show the effect of microstructure imperfections on the prediction of progressive damage and failure response and are also verified with experimental results [6].


Abstract. Gratitude is essential to social life and well-being. Although research with youth populations has gained momentum recently, only two gratitude interventions have been conducted in youth, targeting mostly adolescents. In the current research, we tested a new intervention for promoting gratitude among the youngest children targeted to date. Elementary school classrooms (of 8- to 11-year-olds) were randomly assigned either to an intervention that educated children about the appraisal of benefit exchanges or to a control condition. We found that children's awareness of the social-cognitive appraisals of beneficial social exchanges (i.e., grateful thinking) can be strengthened and that this, in turn, makes children more grateful and benefits their well-being in terms of increased general positive affect. A daily intervention produced evidence that this new approach induced gratitude immediately (2 days later) and led children to express gratitude more behaviorally (i.e., they wrote 80% more thank-you cards to their Parent–Teacher Association). A weekly intervention induced gratitude up to 5 months later and additionally showed an effect on well-being (i.e., positive affect). Evidence thus supported the effectiveness of this intervention. Results are discussed in terms of implications for positive youth development and academic functioning.


Mastocytosis, an unusual disorder of bone marrow-derived, clonally transformed hematopoietic progenitor cells, exhibits a broad spectrum of clinical and morphologic features ranging from a self-limiting benign disorder (ie, juvenile cutaneous mastocytosis) to highly aggressive neoplasms like mast cell leukemia. Principally, mastocytosis should be divided in 2 main subentities: cutaneous mastocytosis and systemic mastocytosis mainly involving the bone marrow. Mastocytosis is a morphologic diagnosis and should not be diagnosed on the basis of clinical findings alone. Pathologists need to be aware of the disease and its mimickers. Application of the defined diagnostic criteria can confirm or exclude mastocytosis in most cases. Use of antibodies against tryptase, CD117 (KIT), and CD25 is recommended in every suspected case. Because most cases of systemic mastocytosis show a very low degree of infiltration of the bone marrow, antitryptase and anti-CD117 are of major importance for screening and quantification of mast cells, in particular to detect even small compact infiltrates as the only major diagnostic criterion for mastocytosis. Expression of CD25 on mast cells is defined as a minor diagnostic criterion and is usually seen only in mastocytosis but not in reactive states of mast cell hyperplasia. Introduction to Mastocytosis


Learning and memory is an adaptive behavioral trait that allows animals to make predictions about their environment based on previous experiences. Fruit flies that commonly use olfactory cues to locate food sources or mating partners, are able to assign value to odors after classical conditioning. The trace of the olfactory associative memory could successfully be localized to the Drosophila mushroom bodies, a central arthropod brain structure. The mushroom body intrinsic Kenyon cells are believed to store the memory in the synaptic connection to mushroom body output neurons. To better understand how associative memory is stored in single Kenyon cells a thorough description of single Kenyon cell morphology is crucial. Thus, a set of single Kenyon cells of the γ-type were stained individually using Mosaic Analysis with a Repressible Cell Marker (MARCM). Quantitative comparison of γ Kenyon cell morphologies revealed a broad variability of cell shapes, while differences between individual cell morphologies were continuous. However, subdivision of cell types according to bifurcation was possible. If this subdivision is related to Kenyon cell functionality has to be proven by further experiments. Furthermore, analysis of Kenyon cell innervations within functionally specialized compartments of the γ lobe revealed no compartment-specific Kenyon cell subtypes. In a second step structural plasticity of Kenyon cells was assessed using the same type of morphological analysis for all three major Kenyon cell classes of the γ-, α'/β'-, and α/β-type by exposing flies to different feeding conditions that were proven to affect Kenyon cell connectivity to extrinsic neurons involved in memory formation. However, in none of the cell types major morphological changes were observed. It seems likely that in the case of food intake mushroom body extrinsic neurons undergo adaptive changes, while Kenyon cells do not change morphologically.


Learning to control complex bodies and reuse learned behaviors is a longstanding challenge in continuous control. We study the problem of learning reusable humanoid skills by imitating motion capture data and joint training with complementary tasks. We show that it is possible to learn reusable skills through reinforcement learning on 50 times more motion capture data than prior work. We systematically compare a variety of different network architectures across different data regimes both in terms of imitation performance as well as transfer to challenging locomotion tasks. Finally we show that it is possible to interleave the motion capture tracking with training on complementary tasks, enriching the resulting skill space, and enabling the reuse of skills not well covered by the motion capture data such as getting up from the ground or catching a ball.


The paper presents a pilot study introducing an instrument of evaluation in dramatherapy focused on selfevaluation of dramatherapists involved in the dramatherapeutic process. The research team of Palacky University in Olomouc developed a self-observation scale that dramatherapists complete after each provided dramatherapeutic session. The creation of an assessment tool for evaluating the work of dramatherapists was based on the need to capture this part of a complex evaluation. The overall goal of the research team was to design a comprehensive evaluation set that would reflect the therapy outcomes and the process including areas of influence that are specifically dramatherapeutic. In previous part of the research, the team introduced an evaluation rating scale that dramatherapists used for assessing dramatherapeutic changes in clients over time. It served as a source of data about the clients from the perspective of changes in behaviour observed by dramatherapists. In current phase of the research, we shifted the focus from clients on dramatherapists and their influence on the process and possible therapeutic changes. Dramatherapists involved in the self-observation process undergo an introspective task. They need to evaluate the effect of their presence as an agency factor in each of the provided dramatherapeutic sessions. The self-evaluation tool consists of a list of tasks that dramatherapists follow during a session. It includes items focusing on the dramatherapist personality and professional characteristics. They include empathy, congruence or aesthetic distance and enrolment. These factors are considered important in using dramatic involvement and drama activities in health and change promotion. The observation scale also contains evaluation of components of session structure, which serves as a way of quality control. It reflects the dramatherapists' perspective on the success rate of creating conditions for group involvement and individual benefits for clients. The pilot study supplied data on the usability of the self-evaluation scale in assessment of dramatherapeutic process. It also provided feedback and comparison between the perceptions of particular sessions by the therapist and cotherapist. Even though the observations are subjective and follow personal attitudes of dramatherapists, they also reflect their professional background, involvement and type of goal orientation. The self-evaluation instrument complements the assessment ratings focused on clients and therefore its usage in the evaluation process can provide original additional data. The research was supported by project grants of IGA 2014 Evaluation and verification of currently constructed instruments of special education diagnostics and by POST-UP II. Support of creating excellent research teams and intersectorial mobility at Palacky University in Olomouc II.


National IP/multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) networks have been designed using a multilayer approach to take advantage of the optical layer's longer reach. In that approach, the IP/MPLS layer performs routing and flow aggregation, whereas the optical layer, based on wavelength division multiplexing technology, transports those aggregated flows into optical connections. However, the flexgrid technology, featuring a finer granularity, also allows the performance of grooming at the optical layer, and hence, the aggregation level of the incoming flows can be reduced. Taking advantage of that fact, in this paper we propose a new network architecture consisting of a number of IP/MPLS areas performing routing and aggregating flows to the desired level and a flexgrid-based core network connecting the areas among them. A two-step procedure to design the whole network is presented where locations are first partitioned into a set of areas, and then each area network and the flexgrid core is designed separately. Mixed-integer linear programming models are developed for the resulting optimization problems. Solving these models, however, becomes impractical for real-sized scenarios so evolutionary heuristics based on the biased random-key genetic algorithm framework are also proposed. Extending the core toward the edges results in significant savings in both the core and IP/MPLS networks.


A five-year study was conducted to analyze the economic results of growing grapes using conventional management practices compared with organic management practices. Grape cultivars evaluated in the project were Concord, Elvira, and Seyval. Growing costs were higher for each cultivar in each season, Le. for 15 comparisons for the organic system. Operations which were especially costly in the organic system were fertilization, tillage operations which replaced herbicides used in the conventional system, and hand hoeing which was occasionally necessary to supplement weed control in the organic system. The organic system, however, had a clear advantage in most seasons in the cost of spraying operations. The results of this five-year study suggest that grapes can be successfully grown using organic management practices, although at a higher cost, than is necessary for conventional management systems. Growing costs were from 69 to 91 percent higher, depending upon variety. Yield per acre for the organic system compared to the conventional system over the five years was 22 percent lower for the Concord variety, five percent lower for the Elvira variety, and 35 percent lower for the Seyval Blanc variety. The incidence of higher costs and lower returns meant that returns to management (a measure of profitability) were significantly lower for the organic management practices for all three varieties. The most favorable economic results were obtained for the organic management practices employed with the Elvira vineyard, which showed a small profit for the average of the five seasons. A key to economic will be whether or not a price premium can be realized for organically grown grapes.


DOI: 10.21276/sajp.2018.7.12.1 Abstract: Coccidiosis caused by Eimeria species is one of the major factors militating against profitable poultry production globally because of its serous economic consequences. Continuous and misuse of synthetic anticoccidial drugs over the years had led to the emergence of resistant Eimeria strains necessitating the search of alternative, effective safe and locally available coccidiostat. Thus, the anticoccidial activity of crude leaf powder of Psidium guajava was tested against Eimeria tenella in 120 broiler chicks infected through the oro-pharygeal route with sporulated oocysts of the parasite. The experimental birds were allotted to four groups designated 1 to 4 each having 3 replicates with 10 birds per replicate in a completely randomize fashion. Groups 1 and 2 were fed diet containing 100g and 50g of the test plant per every Kg of feed respectively. Group 3 was treated with a preventive dose of Amprolium (0.3g per liter of drinking water) and group 4 was left untreated. The test material incorporated at 100g per Kg of feed compared appreciably with the Amprolium in suppressing oocysts excretion, alleviating caecal damage, reducing severity of diarrhoea, minimizing blood loss, morbidity and mortality of chicks. The 100g of the test substance was more effective against the parasite than the 50g but both the levels of inclusion had some negative effect on feed intake and weight gain. Purification of the test substance could enhance its efficacy thereby comparing favorably with the drug. Nevertheless, the evaluated plant is still recommended for prophylactic treatment of coccidiosis. The unpalatable taste of the test material which probably reduced the intake of the experimental diet with correspondingly decreased weight gain could be substantially improved through some appropriate measures one of which could be addition of molasses