Introduction: Family-centered care sustains the unity of the child's and the family's health. The aim of this study was to determine nurses' attitudes toward parents' participation in the care of their hospitalized children in Iran in 2015. Methods: In this experimental study, 200 pediatric nurses from hospitals affiliated with the Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran were selected using the multi-stage, random-sampling method. Data were gathered using a questionnaire that covered demographic information and nurses' attitudes. The questionnaire consisted of 31 items and was completed by the nurses in three stages: 1) before intervention (pre-test), 2) immediately after intervention (post-test), and 3) three months after intervention (follow-up). The data were analyzed via SPSS software and using descriptive and analytical methods. Descriptive statistics, the Spearman Correlation Coefficient, and Repeated Measure Analysis (the Bonferroni method) were used to assess the data. Results: The results indicated that there was a significant increase in the mean score of attitude after intervention [M (pre) = 3.35%, M (post) = 3.97%, p < 0.001)]. Most of subjects had neutral attitudes toward family participation in their children's care. There were no significant relationship between the nurses' socio-demographic characteristics and their attitudes. Conclusion: The nurses' attitudes toward the family's participation in the care of their hospitalized children were moderate. The nurses' attitudes should be improved by taking part in continuous training programs.


Reliability in performance is a key factor in ensuring the sustainable operation of a small wind turbine. Despite the great potential of small wind turbines to provide electric power, particularly in remote areas, many small wind turbines have short lifetimes due to technical failures or the excessive costs of numerous maintenance visits. In developing countries where the support infrastructure for wind turbine operation and maintenance has yet to be established, turbine reliability has a higher priority than efficiency of the turbine or, to quote from Schlapfer, "10% efficiency of something is always better than 80% efficiency of nothing".

For wind turbines to be reliable they must have in place good mechanisms to protect themselves against very high winds or sudden removal of load. Both these scenarios can lead to "over-speeding" of the turbine rotor where the rotor experiences speed excursions that exceed the rated speed of the blade manufacturer. Over-speeding can lead to blade collapse with the possibility of damage to other turbine components and people and structures in the vicinity. For small horizontal-axis wind turbines (typically in the size range 0.1 – 30 kW), passive or mechanical protection systems are often used. One common protection method is that of blade feathering where the turbine reacts to very high rotor speeds by reducing the pitch of its blades, thus regulating rotor speed by reducing the aerodynamic torque on the rotor.

Turbine reliability not only relies on using protection methods like blade feathering but it is vital that the blade pitching mechanism is tested before the turbine is installed in the field. The Research Institute of Sustainable Energy (RISE) has an Outdoor Test Area specifically designed for the field testing of renewable energy technologies. Researchers at the Outdoor Test Area have 10 years of experience in testing small wind turbines and have played a key role in the demonstration of small wind turbine technology in remote areas such as Exmouth in Western Australia and the Cocos Islands.

Measuring the degree of blade pitching produced by a blade pitching mechanism on a small wind turbine involves a number of challenges including the fact that all or part of the measurement equipment would need to be located on the rotating hub or rotor of the wind turbine. Mahmmud, Dutton and Infield report on an optical slip-ring telemetry system designed to transfer pitching moment and teeter data from the rotary frame of reference of a 16kW turbine. In general, however, manufacturers of small wind turbines cannot afford this level of detailed turbine instrumentation and rigorous testing.

The aim of this work was to develop a simple blade pitch measurement system (BPMS) that could be used to measure the changes in blade pitch produced on a small wind turbine by a blade pitching protection mechanism. The specific objectives of the work were to build a BPMS that was inexpensive and uncomplicated in design that would provide enough resolution to give a small wind turbine manufacturer clear feedback about the performance of the turbine's blade pitching mechanism. The methodology was to design, construct and bench test the BPMS and then install the system on a small wind turbine at the RISE Outdoor Test Area in order to conduct some field testing.


We attempted to clarify prior reported discrepancies between males judging females and females judging males in the attraction value of pupil size. Our hypothesis was that attraction values of pupil size will be described by an interaction effect, such that males will be most attracted by large pupils in females and females by medium size pupils in males. The rationale for the hypothesis was that the reproductive strategies of males are best served by unequivocal female sexual interest and arousal, whereas the strategies of females will predispose them to favor more moderate sexual attentions. As expected, the relationship of attraction to pupil size was positive and linear for males viewing females. Females, however, rather than showing the predicted inverted U function, showed consistent preferences for either medium or large pupils in males. Further investigation revealed that females attracted by large pupils also reported preferences for proverbial bad boys as dating partners. Analogous findings in the literature on female romantic partner preferences are discussed.


This thesis consists of two components, the novel, which is 70% of the total and the exegesis, which is 30% of the thesis.
Together, the novel and the exegesis are an exploration of Pride and Prejudice from the point of view of a creative writer working to understand and adapt Austen's writing style. The focus on the concept of Emotional Intelligence is a deliberate strategy with two objectives, firstly to bring new insights into the reading and analyses of the novel and secondly to use this form of analysis to enhance the writing of a contemporary Australian adaptation. Thus this modern concept from the field of psychology is being used by a creative writer to explore Austen's unique character development and depiction in an original way. My original research question of "what insight and contribution can Emotional Intelligence make to our reading of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and to the writing of a contemporary novel" has informed the entirety of this thesis.
First Impressions shares the romance plot of Pride and Prejudice in that the central focus is for the protagonists to eventually unite, despite their preconceptions. However, although some of the characters are roughly based on those in Austen's novel, First Impressions diverges at many points due to the vast differences of modern social settings, group dynamics, education and employment. One major difference is the gender reversal of the major characters.
The exegesis outlines the importance of the source novel to my own creative processes. I reflect on the subtle balance between keeping resemblance to the original and a deliberate reshaping of characters and social situations.
Although the exegesis is an integral part of the whole thesis, the starting point for the reader would ideally be the novel, First Impressions, as my aim is for my novel to stand alone but to have an additional resonance for those familiar with Austen's work.


Abstract The Classroom Assessment Project to Improve Teaching and Learning (CAPITAL) examined teacher change and development with regard to classroom assessment. The National Science Foundation supported the four-year effort to study how teachers modify their practices to create the conditions for the kinds of assessment that foster learning. The authors set out to investigate how more than 25 teachers grappled with both personal and professional challenges to try to become the kind of the teachers they wanted to be, and how this played out in terms of the assessment culture they sought to create in the classroom. The authors were guided by such questions as: What are teachers' assessment practices? How are they shaped? How do teachers actually improve their day-by-day assessment efforts to enhance students' learning? And how might a research team from Stanford University lend a hand? In this article, the authors explore the personal nature of change in teachers' classroom practices. Through case studies of two teachers who worked intensively with CAPITAL, the authors examine the connections between who the teacher is - his or her beliefs, priorities, and propensities - and the nature of changes that the authors saw in them and their classrooms with regard to assessment. The authors discuss the approach that CAPITAL researchers used in their work with teachers and propose some lessons learned for others who seek to support instructional change in classrooms.


Does small mean less? Not necessarily. In an era of housing crises, environmental unsustainability and social fragmentation, the need for more sociable, affordable and sustainable housing is vital. The answer? Shared living - from joint households to land-sharing, cohousing and ecovillages.Using successful examples from a range of countries, Anitra Nelson shows how 'eco-collaborative housing' - resident-driven low impact living with shared facilities and activities - can address the great social, economic and sustainability challenges that householders and capitalist societies face today. Sharing living spaces and facilities results in householders having more amenities and opportunities for neighbourly interaction.Small is Necessary places contemporary models of 'alternative' housing and living at centre stage arguing that they are outward-looking, culturally rich, with low ecological footprints and offer governance techniques for a more equitable and sustainable future.


'How can I treat my patient best?' is a question clinicians ask themselves on a daily basis. For clinical inquiries, systematic reviews (SRs) deliver the highest level of evidence in medical sciences.1 They can cover a variety of domains, including treatment and diagnostics. Presenting a full overview of the literature and delivering an unbiased estimate of effect are key aims of SRs. In this editorial, we explore publication bias, one of the potential sources of bias in SRs.

Authors of SRs usually search multiple databases to find relevant publications. However, is all the available evidence identified with this approach? Publication bias is one threat to delivering an unbiased effect estimate.2 ,3 Publication bias is a phenomenon where journals are more likely to publish positive results, as these articles yield more citations. Non-significant publications are more prone to be rejected and remain unpublished.4 Unpublished resources are known as 'grey literature'.

Publication bias has been shown in …


Recognition of genetic structure of populations and the ability to identify vulnerable populations is useful for the formation of conservation management strategies for plants. Eucalyptus grandis is a tall forest tree that has a major area of occurrence in subtropical eastern Australia, with smaller populations located in the east coast tropics. Many widespread forest species exhibit population differentiation that corresponds to geographic regions. However, Eucalyptus grandis appears to be an exception based on isozyme and morphological data. This is intriguing given a large discontinuity between northern populations and those in the southern part of the species range. In this study, the distribution of a maternally inherited chloroplast locus was examined because it was more likely to reveal genetic structure due to the slower evolution of the chloroplast genome and limited dispersal of seed in eucalypts. As expected, the GST for chloroplast DNA was higher than that for nuclear DNA but indicated low population differentiation for a forest tree species. Phylogeographic analysis indicated that the 15 populations grouped into three broad geographical regions; however, overall population structure was weak suggesting that the large geographical disjunction in the distribution of E. grandis may be relatively recent. A paradigm for conservation management of E. grandis based on chloroplast DNA haplotype distribution would take into account the low differentiation among populations.


Dementia, a common problem in elderly, is rising worldwide including India. Alzheimer's disease is the main etiology for dementia. Currently anticholinesterases, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, disease modifying agents form the mainstay of treatment of Alzheimer's disease. However, recent breakthroughs in Alzheimer's disease research have given multiple new treatment targets. This review summarizes the role of existing therapies and their limitations, role of traditional medicines and new treatment targets. The newer agents include molecules targeting tau protein like modulators of τ-kinases or phosphatases, kinase inhibitors, τ-aggregation inhibitors. It also includes molecules which targets amyloid plaques like, inhibitors or modulators of the secretases, amyloid-β aggregation inhibitors and amyloid-plaque degradation enhancers. Role of nootropics, statins and antipsychotics in the management of Alzheimer's disease is limited and lacks conclusive evidence. Studies with vaccines have shown reduced amyloid beta and τ-pathology, neutralized soluble amyloid beta oligomers. But search for the appropriate vaccine for Alzheimer's disease is still on. Antioxidants, metal chelators, Metal-protein attenuating compounds, metal complexes have also shown some potential. Traditional medicines like huperzine A and galantamine have been used for management of Alzheimer's disease. Traditional medicinal system in India particularly Ayurveda mentions neuroprotective actions of plant drugs like Brahmi, Shankhapushpi, Amla, Guduchi, Tulsi, Ashwagandha and Haritaki, which can help in improving the treatment armamentarium for Alzheimer's disease.The understanding of Alzheimer's disease neurobiology is improving now and the search for better treatment options is still on. This provides an opportunity for more research on integrated approach using existing therapies, traditional and alternative medicines with newer treatments and potential candidates for management of Alzheimer's disease.


Featuring sixty-two accessible selections--from classic articles to examples of cutting-edge original research--Environmental Ethics: What Really Matters, What Really Works addresses both of the principal areas of inquiry in the field: the exploration of morality from an environmental perspective and the analysis of the current state of our environment. Aiming to determine what issues really matter, the first section of the book responds to such questions as: What is value? What types of things have value? Is the value of a human being fundamentally different from the kind of value we find elsewhere in nature? What role do consumer goods and services play in a good life? and Is there room for environmental consciousness in a good life? The second section turns to the question of what it would take to solve our environmental problems. It strives to go beyond the "hype" to present informed perspectives on the true nature of those problems and investigates important questions like: What is causing or exacerbating these problems? and What solutions have been tried? The selections present philosophical, biological, and social scientific approaches to the major issues. Environmental Ethics features first-hand descriptions from people who have actually been involved in such projects as wildlife management in Africa, ecofeminist initiatives in India, and radical activism on the high seas. It also provides up-to-date data on population issues and community-based wildlife initiatives. Ideal for undergraduate courses in environmental ethics, environmental issues, and applied ethics, this unique text will also be a helpful resource for graduate students and professors, as it retains most of the footnotes from the original articles.


Research is useless unless you do something about it. The ABA research presented in this special supplement plainly calls for action. The ABA's new advertising campaign "Nothing works like money in the bank" has arrived at a very good time. Millions of advertising dollars go to brush up tarnished images, stem market erosion, and position industries in a favorable light with consumers and opinion leaders. Architects, pharmacists, and the dairy industry have run campaigns on behalf of their professions. I do not believe all those industries would spend those millions if they didn't think it worked. We don't plan to paint a white mustache on every banker in America, but we do want to see many bankers involved. Advertising works. I've seen it work in politics and in banking. Why is this the right time for an industry ad campaign for banking? Banks have never been more profitable, which means we can afford a campaign. And we've never had more reason to take our message to the American public, as this research plainly tells us. The banking industry hasn't made a case for itself in nearly two decades, since the ABA "Full Service Banking" campaign ended. It's time to put this industry's message back in front of the consumer. To help do that, the ABA invested $1 million to create TV, print, and radio ads--good advertising with a solid message that banks provide value. One of the two TV spots aired briefly on CNN in September, and has already been recognized by AdWeek magazine. But now it's up to banks. How can you participate? I propose that every bank contribute $5 per $1 million in deposits to help fund a national running of the ABA ad campaign. With the participation of every bank in the country, we could reverse the negative feelings about banks. Let's be very clear about one thing: The message of this research is obvious. We need action. To do nothing in the face of such compelling evidence is to admit defeat before we begin. I hope you'll join me in getting behind this campaign. For more information about the ABA ads, call George Cleland, ABA director, issues communications, at (202) 663-5454. Research is knowledge. Let's put this knowledge to work for the betterment of our industry--before it's too late. Your transition TEAM has prepared a mind numbing. Moral destroying list of post-deal PRIORITIES that makes your knees BUCKLE. This is your first MISTAKE. Your transition team is about to start working on this list. This is your second mistake Unless your company focuses resources on the 20% of the actions that will drive 80% of the value, with the highest probability of success, you won't be around to make a third mistake. Deciding is easy. Executing is hard. The banking industry is overwhelmed with mergers and acquisitions. Everyone is looking for the same thing -- growth. Each deal fuels investor expectations. Increased market share. Cost reductions. And other synergies. Yet, more than 60% of these mergers won't even return the cost of capital. Seldom is failure the result of poor strategy. Deciding to do a deal is easy, making it work is the tough part. The Accelerated Transition.[R] The most common mistake a bank makes is to drag out the transition while it tries to do everything. The Accelerated Transition[R] services of Coopers & Lybrand are about speed, focus and fast execution. These services help avoid the well-documented pitfalls of failure: loss of customers who are not kept informed, not responding to intense competition from other banks, loss of key personnel, and declining performance by employees who are confused by lack of direction and prolonged uncertainty. …


Aspect-level sentiment classification is an essential issue in sentiment analysis that intends to resolve the sentiment polarity of a specific aspect mentioned in the input text. Recent methods have discovered the role of aspects in sentiment polarity classification and developed various techniques to assess the sentiment polarity of each aspect in the text. However, these studies do not pay enough attention to the need for vectors to be optimal for the aspect. To address this issue, in the present study, we suggest a Hierarchical Attention-based Method (HAM) for aspect-based polarity classification of the text. HAM works in a hierarchically manner; firstly, it extracts an embedding vector for aspects. Next, it employs these aspect vectors with information content to determine the sentiment of the text. The experimental findings on the SemEval2014 data set show that HAM can improve accuracy by up to 6.74% compared to the state-of-the-art methods in aspect-based sentiment classification task.


PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Evaluating driving safety of older adults is an important health topic, but primary care providers (PCP) face multiple barriers in addressing this issue. The study's objectives were to develop an electronic health record (EHR)-based Driving Clinical Support Tool, train PCPs to perform driving assessments utilizing the tool, and systematize documentation of assessment and management of driving safety issues via the tool.

DESIGN AND METHODS
The intervention included development of an evidence-based Driving Clinical Support Tool within the EHR, followed by training of internal medicine providers in the tool's content and use. Pre- and postintervention provider surveys and chart review of driving-related patient visits were conducted. Surveys included self-report of preparedness and knowledge to evaluate at-risk older drivers and were analyzed using paired t-test. A chart review of driving-related office visits compared documentation pre- and postintervention including: completeness of appropriate focused history and exam, identification of deficits, patient education, and reporting to appropriate authorities when indicated.

RESULTS
Data from 86 providers were analyzed. Pre- and postintervention surveys showed significantly increased self-assessed preparedness (p < .001) and increased driving-related knowledge (p < .001). Postintervention charts showed improved documentation of correct cognitive testing, more referrals/consults, increased patient education about community resources, and appropriate regulatory reporting when deficits were identified.

IMPLICATIONS
Focused training and an EHR-based clinical support tool improved provider self-reported preparedness and knowledge of how to evaluate at-risk older drivers. The tool improved documentation of driving-related issues and led to improved access to interdisciplinary care coordination.


Title of Dissertation: PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT, BEHAVIOR AND HEALTH PROBLEMS IN MULTIRACIAL YOUNG ADULTS Warren Kelley, Doctor of Philosophy, 2006 Directed by: Professor Mary Ann Hoffman Department of Counseling and Personnel Services This study: (1) examined whether multiracial young adults reported lower levels of well-being relative to their White and monoracial minority peers and whether these outcomes were moderated by college attendance or racial identification; and (2) investigated factors, drawn from Root=s (2003) ecological model of multiracial identity development, during adolescence that could predict better well-being outcomes for young adults. Participants were 18-26 years old and drawn from the Wave III archival data of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Bearman, Jones, & Udry, 1997), a nationally representative school-based probability sample of participants initially surveyed in 1994-1995, with the Wave III follow-up conducted six years later in 20012002. Using a subset of 14,644 participants (615 multiracial, 4,686 monoracial minority, and 9,343 White) the multiracial young adults reported statistically higher levels of depression, drug abuse and physical limitations, and lower levels of self worth than their monoracial counterparts. Effect sizes (partial eta squared), however, were so small, varying between .001 and .003, that these statistical findings did not represent meaningful differences. Therefore, the current study found evidence of fewer difficulties of multiracial young adults relative to their monoracial peers, when compared to previous researchers who studied the same sample as adolescents and found consistent patterns of negative well-being (Milan & Keiley, 2000; Udry et al., 2003). In part this may be because previous researchers did not present effect sizes. Using a second subset of 8,978 participants (402 multiracial, 2,617 monoracial minority, and 5,959 White) a two phased, multi-group structural equation model examined the relationship between adolescence and young adulthood factors and found that multiracial participants had the highest path coefficients for depression and living with both biological parents in comparison to their monoracial counterparts. College attendance was found to not change the relationship of multiracial young adults on reported well-being outcomes in comparison to their monoracial counterparts. In the area of multiracial identification, there was no evidence that multiracial young adults who reported their racial category as multiracial versus monoracial exhibited higher well-being outcomes. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT, BEHAVIOR AND HEALTH PROBLEMS IN MULTIRACIAL YOUNG ADULTS


The 13-amino acid glycopeptide tx5a (Gla-Cys-Cys-Gla-Asp-Gly-Trp*-Cys-Cys-Thr*-Ala-Ala-Hyp-OH, where Trp* = 6-bromotryptophan and Thr* = Gal-GalNAc-threonine), isolated from Conus textile, causes hyperactivity and spasticity when injected intracerebral ventricularly into mice. It contains nine post-translationally modified residues: four cysteine residues, two gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues, and one residue each of 6-bromotryptophan, 4-trans-hydroxyproline and glycosylated threonine. The chemical nature of each of these has been determined with the exception of the glycan linkage pattern on threonine and the stereochemistry of the 6-bromotryptophan residue. Previous investigations have demonstrated that tx5a contains a disaccharide composed of N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) and galactose (Gal), but the interresidue linkage was not characterized. We hypothesized that tx5a contained the T-antigen, beta-D-Gal-(1-->3)-alpha-D-GalNAc, one of the most common O-linked glycan structures, identified previously in another Conus glycopeptide, contalukin-G. We therefore utilized the peracetylated form of this glycan attached to Fmoc-threonine in an attempted synthesis. While the result-ing synthetic peptide (Gla-Cys-Cys-Gla-Asp-Gly-Trp*-Cys-Cys-Thr*-Ala-Ala-Hyp-OH, where Trp* =6-bromotryptophan and Thr* = beta-D-Gal-(1-->3)-alpha-D-GalNAc-threonine) and the native peptide had almost identical mass spectra, a comparison of their RP-HPLC chromatograms suggested that the two forms were not identical. Two-dimensional H-1 homonuclear and C-13-H-1 heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy of native tx5a isolated from Conus textile was then used to determine that the glycan present on tx5a indeed is not the aforementioned T-antigen, but rather alpha-D-Gal-(1-->3)-alpha-D-GalNAc. (Less)


An observational relationship has been well established among magnetic reconnection, high-energy flare emissions and the rising motion of erupting flux ropes. In this paper, we verify that the rate of magnetic reconnection in the low corona is temporally correlated with the evolution of flare nonthermal emissions in hard X-rays and microwaves, all reaching their peak values during the rising phase of the soft X-ray emission. In addition, however, our new observations reveal a temporal correlation between the magnetic reconnection rate and the directly observed acceleration of the accompanying coronal mass ejection (CME) and filament in the low corona, thus establishing a correlation with the rising flux rope. These results are obtained by examining two well-observed two-ribbon flare events, for which we have good measurements of the rise motion of filament eruption and CMEs associated with the flares. By measuring the magnetic flux swept through by flare ribbons as they separate in the lower atmosphere, we infer the magnetic reconnection rate in terms of the reconnection electric field Erec inside the reconnecting current sheet (RCS) and the rate of magnetic flux convected into the diffusion region. For the X1.6 flare event, the inferred Erec is ~5.8 V cm-1 and the peak mass acceleration is ~3 km s-2, while for the M1.0 flare event Erec is ~0.5 V cm-1 and the peak mass acceleration is 0.2-0.4 km s-2.


Determination of chromium in samples of water may be performed by GF-AAS that is capable of analyzing for very low concentrations in the range of micrograms per liter. Chromium belongs to the group of metals that are known to be toxic in high concentrations to humans, although it is also regarded as a nutrient, as an essential trace metal for humans. However, there is a risk of generating incorrect concentrations, if the general level of uncertainty of measurement were not established beforehand during the process of method validation. Determination of chromium in pure water is regarded as relatively uncomplicated but it is more difficult in saline solutions, owing to the influence of interferences. In the current investigations, interferences are disregarded with the aim of establishing all parameters that are required for the analytical laboratory to get a full overview of uncertainty of measurement and performance of the method itself. Guidelines of quality assurance recommend that the uncertainty of measurement should be calculated upon the basis of a single calibration line. However, recent investigations have indicated that uncertainties that were derived from pooled calibrations are more likely to be comparable to those found by repetitions of samples, which is beneficial to reliability and decision making.


Three saturated fatty acids were reported in the present study (Palmitic acid, Margaric acid and Stearic acid). All three saturated fatty acids were uniformly shown higher values in females followed by berried females and males. Among three fatty acids, stearic acid contribution was maximum followed by margaric and palmitic acids. Only one monounsaturated fatty acid (Oleic Acid) and two polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-6 and Omeg-3 fatty acids) were recorded in P. vigil. The linolenic and Alpha linolenic acids were abundant in females followed by berried females and males. The total contributions of unsaturated fatty acids were maximum than saturated fatty acids. From the present study it is confirm that P. vigil had rich amount of unsaturated fatty acids which control many heart related diseases. Further, females contain maximum amount of unsaturated fatty acids than males. So, in order of preference, females are standing first that followed by males for consumption.


Gaussian random fields (GRFs) constitute an important part of spatial modelling, but can be computationally infeasible for general covariance structures. An efficient approach is to specify GRFs via stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) and derive Gaussian Markov random field (GMRF) approximations of the solutions. We consider the construction of a class of non-stationary GRFs with varying local anisotropy, where the local anisotropy is introduced by allowing the coefficients in the SPDE to vary with position. This is done by using a form of diffusion equation driven by Gaussian white noise with a spatially varying diffusion matrix. This allows for the introduction of parameters that control the GRF by parametrizing the diffusion matrix. These parameters and the GRF may be considered to be part of a hierarchical model and the parameters estimated in a Bayesian framework. The results show that the use of an SPDE with non-constant coefficients is a promising way of creating non-stationary spatial GMRFs that allow for physical interpretability of the parameters, although there are several remaining challenges that would need to be solved before these models can be put to general practical use.


Gneissic units of the Channel Islands, United Kingdom, have traditionally been considered to be Palaeoproterozoic basement to the late Neoproterozoic Cadomia terrane, based on lithological correlations and imprecise or ambiguous isotopic data. A new precise U–Pb date of 2061&2 Ma, based on analyses of single zircons, for the Icart granitic orthogneiss of Guernsey confirms a Palaeoproterozoic age of its igneous protolith. The Nd depleted mantle model age (TDM)of this gneiss is 2220 Ma, only slightly older than its crystallization age, indicating that it represents juvenile crust. Other gneisses from Guernsey have similar TDM ages ranging from 2210 to 2370 Ma, suggesting that they are also exposures of juvenile Palaeoproterozoic crust. A component from a penetratively deformed orthogneiss from Sark, previously correlated with Icartian gneisses on Guernsey, yields a U–Pb zircon date of 616+4 -2 Ma. This crystallization age demonstrates that the protolith was a Cadomian intrusion and that penetrative deformation and amphibolite-facies metamorphism in the northern Channel Islands were Cadomian in age. The use of gneissic features as a means of invoking the antiquity of many other undated gneissic units in the region is thus considered unreliable. The presence of 2170 ± 7 Ma zircon xenocrysts within the Sark orthogneiss, combined with its initial εNd(615)= − 9.5, are strong evidence that pre-Cadomian basement was a significant source component, and that documenting the extent and age of pre-Cadomian basement may be possible by indirect geochemical methods.


Background Low food availability leading to reductions in Body Condition Score (BCS; 0 indicates emaciation and 5 obesity) in sheep often coincides with low temperatures associated with the onset of winter in New Zealand. The ability to adapt to reductions in environmental temperature may be impaired in animals with low BCS, in particular during pregnancy when metabolic demand is higher. Here we assess whether BCS affects a pregnant animal's ability to cope with cold challenges. Methods Eighteen pregnant ewes with a BCS of 2.7±0.1 were fed to attain low (LBC: BCS2.3±0.1), medium (MBC: BCS3.2±0.2) or high BCS (HBC: BCS3.6±0.2). Shorn ewes were exposed to a 6-h acute cold challenge in a climate-controlled room (wet and windy conditions, 4.4±0.1°C) in mid-pregnancy. Blood samples were collected during the BCS change phase, acute cold challenge and recovery phase. Results During the BCS change phase, plasma glucose and leptin concentrations declined while free fatty acids (FFA) increased in LBC compared to MBC (P<0.01, P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively) and HBC ewes (P<0.05, P<0.01 and P<0.01, respectively). During the cold challenge, plasma cortisol concentrations were lower in LBC than MBC (P<0.05) and HBC ewes (P<0.05), and FFA and insulin concentrations were lower in LBC than HBC ewes (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively). Leptin concentrations declined in MBC and HBC ewes while remaining unchanged in LBC ewes (P<0.01). Glucose concentrations and internal body temperature (Tcore) increased in all treatments, although peak Tcore tended to be higher in HBC ewes (P<0.1). During the recovery phase, T4 concentrations were lower in LBC ewes (P<0.05). Conclusion Even though all ewes were able to increase Tcore and mobilize glucose, low BCS animals had considerably reduced cortisol and metabolic responses to a cold challenge in mid-pregnancy, suggesting that their ability to adapt to cold challenges through some of the expected pathways was reduced.


In David Galenson's recent study of the life cycles of artistic creativity, Old Masters and Young Geniuses, he argues that there are two distinctive and conflicting styles, experimental and conceptual innovation.1 He demonstrates the existence of these different approaches in the fields of painting, sculpture, poetry, the novel, and film. Moreover, he claims that this fundamental contrast underlies "the general characteristics of most, if not all, intellectual activities."21 want to help substantiate this bold claim by providing here a critical survey of some of the scholarship that has been conducted regarding the crucial intellectual activity of decision making. I hope to show that Galenson's theory does make its own original contribution to our understanding of this analogous human enterprise. However, I want also to reveal a fundamental weakness in Galenson's theory of creativity, one that is corrected in M. J. Kirton's theory regarding the adaptation and innovation of evolving dynamic systems. It should come as no surprise that people often believe that different "styles" are mutually exclusive, that they must repeatedly choose between two competing paradigms in every facet of their lives. Consequently, our study requires that we contribute to the development of a philosophy of complementarity. Indeed, the question of just how two apparently contrary polarities can co-exist may well be the central philosophical question of our century. 'Old Masters and Young Geniuses" If Cezanne is Galenson's model for the experimental innovator, then Picasso is his paradigm for the conceptual innovator in art.3 Experimentalists prefer visual perceptions, imprecise, incremental, and tentative goals and procedures. They rarely make preparatory sketches or outlines, see themselves as ever searching for something more, and, as a result, are frustrated perfectionists. They avoid theoretical propositions about art and distrust dogmatic sets of rules. They respect the difficulty and rich complexity of human experience. Indeed, the process of making art is always unpredictable and surprising for them. Their decision to consider a work as finished is thus always a bit arbitrary and provisional. Conceptualists, on the other hand, always have precise goals of communicating new ideas and emotions. They make detailed preparatory sketches and plans and thus, for them, art is more in the a priori idea than the mechanical or deductive execution of it. They are always trying to illuminate human experience by simplifying it and, after each discovery, move on to some unrelated insight for their next project. They express what they think far more than what they see and so are comfortable with following systematic rules. Their vision is far more certain and apodictic than that of experimentalists, and thus they know precisely when a work of art is finished. It would be a mistake to infer that Experimentalists are more into representational art and Conceptualists into abstract art, even though Galenson does talk about the more "realistic" art of Experimental novelists and the avoidance of "linear narrative" by Conceptual filmmakers.4 Moreover, he also talks about the difference between conceiving of "art as an abstraction" versus art as the copying of nature.5 However, it is also true that abstract expressionists are Experimentalists, according to Galenson, and few would dispute today that our chaotic experience might well be represented as non-linear in order to be considered "realistic." I would also add, though Galenson does not make this point, that one should not suppose either style to be committed exclusively to a conservative or progressive orientation. In fact, the content or subject matter of an artist's vision is irrelevant. Rather, the key to Galenson's distinction is in the methodological process by which these different artists create their works of art. Conceptualists wish for more control over their created worlds, while Experimentalists are far more willing to improvise as they go along. …


A standardized serum dilution plaque reduction neutralization test was used for cross-neutralization studies of 23 strains of Bunyamwera serogroup viruses. Antigenic relationships were determined by inspection of the neutralization tests results as well as by numerical taxonomic analysis. Based on these analyses five complexes, containing 1-11 viruses, were distinguished. Little or no cross-reactivity was observed between viruses of different complexes. Three of the viruses tested were indistinguishable from prototypes and probably represent strains or varieties of those prototypes. A tentative classification scheme for the Bunyamwera group is presented.


Strict computer randomizations of entry/treatment numbers in field plot designs may result in the placement of entries on one side of the field or back-to-back. Both situations present a problem if the blocks have not been properly assigned, or errors occur in planting, maintaining, or harvesting the plots. A software program (TFPlan) was developed to avoid the randomizations that resulted in these two types of problems. TFPlan was initially designed for cultivar performance trials in North Carolina and may be useful to breeders, cultivar testing programs, and researchers who have large entryltreatment numbers. It has the capability of adding tests, changing plots, inserting border and irrigation rows, marking fill-in plots, adding miscellaneous footnotes as well as labeling the tests. TFPlan will make 500 or more attempts to find a randomization that does not have entries occurring only on one side of the field or back-to-back.


The financial crisis of 2007-09 precipitated a significant change in the practice of interest rate swap valuation. Going from traditional LIBOR to OIS (overnight indexed swap) discounting might not seem to be a profound event but it is more than just another method to calculate fair values for over-the-counter derivative contracts. It embodies newfound appreciation of counterparty credit risk and the role of collateral and central clearing. Implementation of OIS discounting has created a cottage industry for risk management consultants and trainers to deal with the technicalities of the new approach. From my academic perspective, it is clear that many of our finance textbooks that cover interest rate swaps need to be revised.The first section of this note reviews interest rate swap valuation in principle, the reasons for the move from LIBOR to OIS discounting, the implications for swap rates, and the 'winners and losers' that arise from the transition. The second section works through a numerical example to illustrate the calculations. This entails bootstrapping a sequence of discount factors that are consistent with interest rate swaps that have a market value of zero. The implied LIBOR forward curve is derived (or, in general, the forward curve for the money market reference rate). This curve becomes particularly important under OIS discounting when valuing a swap as a combination of fixed-rate and floating-rate bonds.Fortunately for risk managers, OIS discounting uses the same types of analytic techniques as the traditional approach. However, there are some differences that are beyond the scope of this note, for instance, calculating the sensitivities of swap values to changes in OIS rates and the LIBOR-OIS spread (i.e., working with dual curves rather than a single curve for risk measurement) and dealing with cross-currency swaps. Also, LIBOR is an interest rate that reasonably can be assumed to vary day by day in the interbank market whereas OIS rates are more directly a tool of monetary policy, suggesting that rate volatility depends on the pattern and timing of policy meetings and actions.


The present thesis deals with the ocean circulation from two viewpoints: Pro primo, the dependence of the global thermohaline ocean circulation (THC) on the parameterization of the small-scale vertical mixing processes in the interior of the ocean, and, pro secundo, the dynamics of the circulation in the Nordic Seas. The THC is found be crucially dependent on the parameterization of the small-scale vertical mixing, two types of which have been compared: The commonly used constant diffusivity and a, physically more plausible, stability-dependent parameterization. For constant diffusivity the circulation weakens when the equator-to-pole surface density difference is decreased, consonant with commonly held prejudices. However, for stability-dependent diffusivity the circulation is enhanced. This conclusion has been reached using two investigative techniques, viz. a scale analysis as well as a numerical zonally-averaged and equatorially symmetric THC model. However, if asymmetric flows are considered, the dynamics become more complex to interpret. It has, nevertheless, been concluded that when the degree of asymmetry of the surface-density distribution is taken to be fixed, the response of the circulation to changes of the surface-density distribution corresponds to that from the symmetric investigation.The studies of the Nordic Seas are mainly based on satellite-altimetric data providing Sea-Level Anomalies (SLAs). These are utilized to estimate the seasonal cycle as well as the inter-annual variability of the depth-integrated flows. The seasonal cycle is examined using the winter-to-summer difference of the barotropic flow, with focus on the entire region as well as on two sections extending from a common point in the central Norwegian Sea to Svinoy on the Norwegian coast and to the Faroe Islands, respectively. The total barotropic transport is estimated to be around 10 Sv larger during winter than in summer, of which 8 Sv are associated with the barotropic re-circulation gyre in the interior of the Norwegian Sea, the remainder being linked to the Atlantic inflow across the Iceland-Scotland Ridge. The inter-annual variability of the circulation in the Nordic Seas is investigated on the basis of a theoretical analysis permitting independent calculation of the barotropic flow along closed isobaths using SLA data as well as wind data. The barotropic flow based on SLA data is found to co-vary with the flow estimated using wind data.


Noponen, Perttu 2013. Effects of far infrared warm on recovery in power athletes during a 5day training period. Master's Thesis in Science of Sport Coaching and Fitness Testing, Department of Biology of Physical Activity. University of Jyvaskyla, 56 pages. Purpose. Scientific evidences of thermal therapy on performance recovery are limited and also controversial. It has been shown recently by Hausswirth et al. (2011) that far infrared (FIR) therapy accelerates recovery, while it is also documented that temperate water immersion does not improve performance recovery (Pournot et al. 2011). The purpose of the present study was to find more concrete information about the effects of the thermal therapy and especially the FIR warm on the recovery of the athletes. Methods. The experimental group consisted of ten national level male athletes (22.3 ± 4.5 years) from the power events in track and field, gymnastics and Finnish baseball. The experimental group was its own control group. Starting order of the subjects in the groups was randomized. Training and nutrition were standardized during the 5-day training period. The experimental design consisted of performance tests (isometric strength tests, countermovement jump and Wingate 30 s test), questionnaires and the fasting blood samples (testosterone, cortisol, SHBG, hsCRP and creatinekinase [CK]). In contrast to the control period, during the experimental period the subjects used infrared bag (FIR65o, U2i / Oy You Two Import Ltd, Oulu, Finland, 40 min / 50 oC) every evening from Monday to Thursday. Statistical analyses included ANOVA and paired samples t-test. Level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results. Average power in Wingate 30 s test increased significantly (p = 0.015) during the experimental condition, while during the control condition no significant changes were observed. There were no significant differences in the blood variables between the measurement periods. However, there was a significant increase in the blood SHBG level (p = 0.032) between the first and the third day and in the testosterone level (p = 0.023) between the third and the fifth day during the experimental condition. The level of CK was significantly higher in the second day than in the first day (p = 0.023) during the control condition and in the third day than in the first day during the control (p = 0.007) and the experimental conditions (0.030). The relative change in the testosterone/cortisol ratio between the day one and the day five increased significantly more (p = 0.026) during the experimental condition than during the control condition. The sensations in the muscle soreness were milder during the experimental condition when compared to the control condition. Discussion and conclusions. The present study indicates that FIR warm improves recovery of the anaerobic performance during the 5day training period. The subjective sensations support the positive effects of the FIR warm on recovery. The changes in the testosterone/cortisol ratio, CK response, and serum testosterone and SHBG levels indicate probability to the improved anabolic state and accelerated recovery due to the FIR warm. However, because there were no significant changes in blood variables between the two conditions, additional studies are needed considering the effects of the FIR warm on them. According to this study FIR warm therapy enhances the recovery after a short 5day training period when compared to the passive recovery modality.


This study is a qualitative enquiry into cultural background variables – social support, values, race/ethnicity and economic means – in the process of dance talent development. Seven urban dance students in pre-vocational training, aged 15–19, participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were inductively analysed using QSR International NVivo 7.0. Further deductive analysis revealed that the findings were in line with the Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent. Results indicated that social environments positively influenced dance students' feelings of psychological well-being, self-esteem and motivation, which in turn supported the transformation of aptitude into dance talent. Social benefits, such as building close friendships, facilitated learning and encouraged persistence during more difficult periods of dance training. Economic support was an essential aid to talent development, providing training and performance opportunities, transport and physiotherapy. The study offers a preliminary indication that economic limitations may not only prohibit dance training but may also be related to lower perceptions of social support both in the home and in dance environments. Cultural values espoused in dancers' homes encouraged the value of hard work and raised questions about the economic suitability of a career in dance. Overall, cultural background variables appear to have a major effect on dance talent development.


Automatic modulation classification (AMC) is an critical step to identify signal modulation types so as to enable more accurate demodulation in the non-cooperative scenarios. Convolutional neural network (CNN)-based AMC is believed as one of the most promising methods with great classification accuracy. However, the conventional CNN-based methods are lack of generality capabilities under time-varying signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions, because these methods are merely trained on specific datasets and can only work at the corresponding condition. In this paper, a novel CNN-based generalized AMC method is proposed, and a more realistic scenario is considered, including white non-Gaussian noise and synchronization error. Its generalization capability stems from the mixed datasets under varying noise scenarios, and the CNN can extract common features from these datasets. Simulation results show that our proposed architecture can achieve higher robustness and generalization than the conventional ones.


The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is classifying the metallic biliary stent system for benign strictures into class II (special controls). The special controls that will apply to the device are identified in this order and will be part of the codified language for the metallic biliary stent system for benign strictures' classification. The Agency is classifying the device into class II (special controls) in order to provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device.


Within the online media universe, there are many underlying communities. These may be defined, for example, through politics, location, health, occupation, extracurricular interests or retail habits. Government departments, charities and commercial organisations can benefit greatly from insights about the structure of these communities; the move to customer-centred practices requires knowledge of the customer base. Motivated by this issue, we address the fundamental question of whether a sub-network looks like a collection of individuals who have effectively been picked at random from the whole, or instead forms a distinctive community with a new, discernible structure. In the former case, to spread a message to the intended user base it may be best to use traditional broadcast media (TV, billboard), whereas in the latter case a more targeted approach could be more effective. In this work, we therefore formalise a concept of testing for sub-structure and apply it to social interaction data. First, we develop a statistical test to determine whether a given sub-network (induced sub-graph) is likely to have been generated by sampling nodes from the full network uniformly at random. This tackles an interesting inverse alternative to the more widely studied "forward" problem. We then apply the test to a Twitter reciprocated mentions network where a range of brand name based sub-networks are created via tweet content. We correlate the computed results against the independent views of 16 digital marketing professionals. We conclude that there is great potential for social media based analytics to quantify, compare and interpret online brand allegiances systematically, in real time and at large scale.


No part of this document may be copied, reproduced, disclosed or distributed by any means whatsoever, including electronic without the express permission of the International Union of Railways (UIC), Coordinator of the EU SAFER-LC Project. The same applies for translation, adaptation or transformation, arrangement or reproduction by any method or procedure whatsoever. The document reflects only the author's views and neither INEA nor the Commission is liable of any use that may be made of the information contained therein. The use of the content provided is at the sole risk of the user. Deliverable D3.5


Heterogeneous reactions on/in stratospheric sulfate aerosol and polar stratospheric clouds are important in the photochemical balance of the stratosphere. Recent laboratory measurements indicate that heterogeneous reactions with bromine compounds are possible under stratospheric conditions. We have used a box photochemical model of the stratosphere with a detailed heterogeneous module to evaluate the effect of the heterogeneous reactions of the inorganic bromine for background and volcanic conditions at 60°S and 50 mbar. For the conditions studied the most important reaction is the hydrolysis of BrONO2 on the aerosol, especially for volcanic conditions. It results in the indirect increase of the ClOχ fraction due to the suppression of NOχ (thus reducing ClONO2) and the direct release of ClOχ due to an additional consumption of HCl. The NOχ decrease is pronounced going into winter and leads to a ClO activation to about 0.5 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) 1 to 2 weeks earlier than without the heterogeneous reactions of bromine species. Due to the temperature sensitivity of the solubility of HCl, the reaction HOBr + HCl(a) → BrCl + H2O results in direct activation of ClO at temperatures below ∼205 K. The enhanced processing for the bromine reactions leads to an additional increase ∼30% in ozone depletion for volcanic conditions during the winter. The stratospheric effects of the reactions ClONO2 + HBr(a) → BrCl + HNO3, N2O5 + HBr(a) → BrNO2 + HNO3 and HOBr + HBr(a) → Br2 + H2O are limited even under volcanic conditions due to slow gas phase production rate of HBr.


While macrophages have been implicated in the failure of bioprosthetic heart valves, there is no current literature on the macrophage response to crosslinked, native collagen. Using decellularized bovine pericardium (DBP) as a model, this study investigates the response of macrophage-like cells (U937s) to untreated DBP and DBP under two chemical crosslinking techniques: glutaraldehyde (GLUT) and an alternative zero-length crosslinker 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC). U937 cells were seeded and differentiated directly on the material surfaces. At 72 h after differentiation, the samples were fixed for SEM as well as analyzed for acid phosphatase activity, cytokine and matrix metalloproteinase release, all normalized to the number of live, adherent cells via DNA analysis. The U937 cells on the GLUT surface showed an abnormal morphology not seen on the other surfaces. These cells released more pro-inflammatory cytokines, and less MMP-2 and MMP-9 than occurred under EDC treatment or in untreated DBP. The results suggest that host inflammatory cells react to the crosslinking state of the DBP, perhaps as a nonspecific response.


The objective of this study is to assess the share price reactions to smoking ban fatwa on Indonesia tobacco's company. We expect that the smoking ban fatwa in the world's largest Muslim population will hit the tobaccos industry revenues, lower tobacco's company profit and eventually affect the share price of those firms. We use event study methodology and standard market model to calculate abnormal returns of the tobacco's firms related to the news of smoking ban fatwa. Our study failed to find a statistically significant effect of smoking ban fatwa on tobacco's firm stock market return. It suggests that the investors do not see the fatwa as a factor that may control the tobacco consumption in Indonesia – thus it may not affect the tobacco's firm revenues and profit in the future


Abstract Traditional combinatory logic uses combinators S and K to represent all Turing-computable functions on natural numbers, but there are Turing-computable functions on the combinators themselves that cannot be so represented, because they access internal structure in ways that S and K cannot. Much of this expressive power is captured by adding a factorisation combinator F. The resulting SF-calculus is structure complete, in that it supports all pattern-matching functions whose patterns are in normal form, including a function that decides structural equality of arbitrary normal forms. A general characterisation of the structure complete, confluent combinatory calculi is given along with some examples. These are able to represent all their Turing-computable functions whose domain is limited to normal forms. The combinator F can be typed using an existential type to represent internal type information.


Mixed flow turbines offer additional design freedom compared with conventional radial turbines. This is useful in the automotive turbocharger application to reduce rotor inertia, which can be very beneficial for the transient response of a highly boosted downsized passenger car powertrain. A previously published study from the authors analyzed a series of nine mixed flow turbine rotors with varying blade cone angle and inlet blade angle. This paper reports an extension of that study with two further mixed flow turbine rotors where the chord length of the rotor blade was extended. The aim of this work was to understand both the aerodynamic and mechanical impacts of varying the chord length, particularly for the turbocharger application where off-design performance and transient response are very important. The baseline mixed flow rotor for this study had a blade cone angle of 30 deg and an inlet blade angle of 30 deg. Two further variations were produced; one with the trailing edge (TE) extended in the downstream direction across the entire blade span. In the second variation, the chord was extended at the hub corner only, while the shroud corner of the TE remained unchanged, with the aim of achieving some aerodynamic improvement while meeting mechanical requirements. When the blade was extended at both the hub and shroud, the inertia and stress levels increased significantly and the blade eigenfrequencies reduced. There was a significant improvement in peak efficiency, but the mechanical performance was unfavourable. The improvement in peak efficiency was mainly due to better exhaust diffuser performance and, therefore, would not be realized in most turbocharger installations. The blade that was extended at only the hub corner incurred very little additional inertia, and the centrifugal stresses and blade eigenfrequencies were improved. Consequently, it was possible to reduce the blade thickness at the TE in order to achieve a more aerodynamically optimized design. In this case, the mechanical performance was acceptable and there were efficiency improvements of up to 1.1% points at off-design conditions, with no reduction in peak efficiency or maximum mass flowrate. Therefore, the blade that was extended only at the hub produced some improvement within acceptable mechanical limits. The flow field features were considered for the three rotor geometries to explain the changes in loss and efficiency across the operating range.


In this thesis, various control problems originating from the field of mobile robotics are considered. In particular, the thesis deals with problems that are related to the interaction and coordination of multiple mobile units. The scientific contributions are presented in five papers that together constitute the main part of the thesis. The papers are preceded by a longer introductory part, in which some important results from control theory, data processing and robotics are reviewed. In the first of the appended papers, two stabilizing tracking controls are proposed for a non-holonomic robot platform of unicycle type. Tolerance to errors and other properties of the controllers are discussed and a reactive obstacle avoidance control, that can easily be incorporated with the proposed tracking controls, is suggested. In Paper B, the results from Paper~A are extended to multi-agent systems. It is demonstrated how the tracking controls from Paper A can be used as building blocks when putting together formations of robots, in which each robot maintains a fixed position relative its neighbors during translation. In addition, switching between the different control functions is shown to be robust, implying that it is possible to change the shape of a formation on-line. In the first two papers, the tracking problem is facilitated by the assumption that the approximate velocity of the target/leader is known to the tracking robot. Paper C treats the the case where the target velocity is neither directly measurable with the available sensor setup, nor possible to obtain through communication with neighboring agents. Straight-forward computation of the target velocity from available sensor data unfortunately tend to enhance measurement errors and give unreliable estimates. To overcome the difficulties, an alternative approach to velocity estimation is proposed, motivated by the local observability of the given control system. Paper D deals with another problematic aspect of data acquisition. When using range sensors, one often obtains a mixed data set with measurements originating from many different sources. This problem would, for instance, be encountered by a robot moving in a formation, where it was surrounded by other agents. There exist established techniques for sorting mixed data sets off-line, but for time-depending systems where data need to be sorted on-line and only small time delays can be tolerated, established methods fail. The solution presented in the paper is a prediction-correction type algorithm, referred to as CCIA (Classification Correction and Identification algorithm). Finally, in Paper E, we consider the problem of maintaining connectivity in a multi-agent system. Often inter-agent communication abilities are associated with some proximity constraints, so when the robots move in relation to each other, communication links both break and form. In the paper we present a framework for analysis that makes it possible to compute a set of general constraints which, if satisfied, are sufficient to guarantee maintained communication for a given multi-agent system. Constraints are computed for two sorts of consensus-based systems and the results are verified in simulations.


The theory of Hopf algebras is closely connected with various applications,
in particular to algebraic and formal groups. Although the
rst occurence of Hopf algebras was in algebraic topology, they are now
found in areas as remote as combinatorics and analysis. Their structure
has been studied in great detail and many of their properties are
well understood. We are interested in a systematic treatment of Hopf
algebras with the techniques of forms and descent.
The rst three paragraphs of this paper give a survey of the present
state of the theory of forms of Hopf algebras and of Hopf Galois theory
especially for separable extensions. It includes many illustrating examples
some of which cannot be found in detail in the literature. The last
two paragraphs are devoted to some new or partial results on the same
eld. There we formulate some of the open questions which should
be interesting objects for further study. We assume throughout most
of the paper that k is a base eld and do not touch upon the recent
beautiful results of Hopf Galois theory for rings of integers in algebraic
number elds as developed in [C1].


Reactome describes biological pathways as chemical reactions that closely mirror the actual physical interactions that occur in the cell. Recent extensions of our data model accommodate the annotation of cancer and other disease processes. First, we have extended our class of protein modifications to accommodate annotation of changes in amino acid sequence and the formation of fusion proteins to describe the proteins involved in disease processes. Second, we have added a disease attribute to reaction, pathway, and physical entity classes that uses disease ontology terms. To support the graphical representation of "cancer" pathways, we have adapted our Pathway Browser to display disease variants and events in a way that allows comparison with the wild type pathway, and shows connections between perturbations in cancer and other biological pathways. The curation of pathways associated with cancer, coupled with our efforts to create other disease-specific pathways, will interoperate with our existing pathway and network analysis tools. Using the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway as an example, we show how Reactome annotates and presents the altered biological behavior of EGFR variants due to their altered kinase and ligand-binding properties, and the mode of action and specificity of anti-cancer therapeutics.


For a standard competitive trade model, the authors show that the incidence of terrorism in different nations can affect the pattern of trade. Nations with a greater incidence of terrorism will export goods that are more immune to terrorism-related disruptions, while importing more terrorism-impacted goods. In addition, terrorism can be welfare augmenting for some nations because of terms-of-trade externalities. Finally, the authors present some qualitative conditions that identify when a nation?s trade volume may rise (or fall) in response to a greater incidence of terrorism. Given the differential impact across nations, these trade and welfare results point to potential difficulties in international coordination of counterterrorism policy.


We propose to learn a generative model via entropy interpolation with a Schr\"{o}dinger Bridge. The generative learning task can be formulated as interpolating between a reference distribution and a target distribution based on the Kullback-Leibler divergence. At the population level, this entropy interpolation is characterized via an SDE on $[0,1]$ with a time-varying drift term. At the sample level, we derive our Schr\"{o}dinger Bridge algorithm by plugging the drift term estimated by a deep score estimator and a deep density ratio estimator into the Euler-Maruyama method. Under some mild smoothness assumptions of the target distribution, we prove the consistency of both the score estimator and the density ratio estimator, and then establish the consistency of the proposed Schr\"{o}dinger Bridge approach. Our theoretical results guarantee that the distribution learned by our approach converges to the target distribution. Experimental results on multimodal synthetic data and benchmark data support our theoretical findings and indicate that the generative model via Schr\"{o}dinger Bridge is comparable with state-of-the-art GANs, suggesting a new formulation of generative learning. We demonstrate its usefulness in image interpolation and image inpainting.


Graduate students in the natural sciences?including not only geophysics and space physics but also atmospheric and planetary physics, ocean sciences, and astronomy?need a broad-based mathematical toolbox to facilitate their research. In addition, they need to survey a wider array of mathematical methods that, while outside their particular areas of expertise, are important in related ones. While it is unrealistic to expect them to develop an encyclopedic knowledge of all the methods that are out there, they need to know how and where to obtain reliable and effective insights into these broader areas. Here at last is a graduate textbook that provides these students with the mathematical skills they need to succeed in today's highly interdisciplinary research environment.

 This authoritative and accessible book covers everything from the elements of vector and tensor analysis to ordinary differential equations, special functions, and chaos and fractals. Other topics include integral transforms, complex analysis, and inverse theory; partial differential equations of mathematical geophysics; probability, statistics, and computational methods; and much more.

 Proven in the classroom, Mathematical Methods for Geophysics and Space Physics features numerous exercises throughout as well as suggestions for further reading.

 Provides an authoritative and accessible introduction to the subject

 Covers vector and tensor analysis, ordinary differential equations, integrals and approximations, Fourier transforms, diffusion and dispersion, sound waves and perturbation theory, randomness in data, and a host of other topics

 Features numerous exercises throughout

 Ideal for students and researchers alike

 An online illustration package is available to professors


Many efforts are currently underway to disambiguate author names and assign unique identification numbers so that publications by a given scholar can be reliably grouped together. This paper reviews a number of operational and in-development services. Some systems like ResearcherId.Com depend on self-registration and self-identification of a researcher's articles. Some database producers are using a combination of computer algorithms and manual intervention to assign author identification numbers and thereby cluster publications as records are entered into their systems. Searchers doing author name searches can then use guided search features to review and select these clusters. Web of Knowledge offers Author Finder while Scopus has a similar Author Identifier feature. Various government agencies and non-profit organization are also implementing or planning to implement additional solutions such as CrossRef's ContributorID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]


Understanding local stakeholders' perception and their relation with the landscape and its natural resources is an important step for successfully implementing Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR). Here, we present a case study on FLR in the context of a global biodiversity hotspot—the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, using a participatory approach to include local stakeholders' knowledge and perception of the landscape into project planning. We analyzed the land use and cover, and organized a workshop with focus group methodology associated with maps and other visual representations to assess local perceptions of economic activities, production chains and their impacts on the landscape and ecosystem services. The study area encompasses seven municipalities mainly covered by native vegetation and pastures. Despite pastureland being the prominent land use in the region, they are not engaged in associations, most do not live in the region, and few participated in the workshop. Most participants were small and medium-scale landowners involved in agricultural activities who demonstrated a detailed knowledge of the territory, a disposition toward combining conservation with production practices, and a positive perception regarding ecotourism, agroecological approaches, water, and soil conservation. The participatory approach proved effective to complement the initial assessment while revealing novel aspects of the landscape and the landowners, helping test our hypotheses and adjust the engaging narratives for future FLR activities planning in the region, including environmental law compliance. More studies associating social and natural science, including participatory methods and local communities' perception, are needed to fully comprehend the drivers of stakeholders' engagement. This case study provides useful insights for other researchers and practitioners to design more effective plans for future land management.


A new class of multiscale stochastic processes called spatial random trees (SRTs) is introduced and studied. As with previous multiscale stochastic processes, SRTs model multidimensional signals using random processes on trees. Our key innovation, however, is that the tree structure itself is random and is generated by a probabilistic context-free grammar (PCFG) [26]. While PCFGs have been used to model 1-D signals, the generalization to multiple dimensions is not direct because the leaves of a tree generated by a PCFG cannot be naturally mapped to a multidimensional lattice. We solve this problem by defining a new class of PCFGs which can produce trees whose leaves are naturally arranged in a multidimensional lattice. We call such trees admissible and show that each of them generates a unique multidimensional signal. Based on this framework, procedures are developed for likelihood calculation, MAP estimation of the processes, and parameter estimation. The new framework is illustrated through simple detection problems. January 30, 2003 DRAFT


Given the urgency of climate change mitigation, motivating individuals to behave in sustainable ways constitutes a key challenge for environmental science. Although many studies evidence people's long-lasting pro-environmental attitudes, such attitudes often do not translate into behavior. The present research hypothesizes that cognitive resources are a crucial moderator, explaining when pro-environmental attitudes turn into behavior. Specifically, we investigate the attitude–behavior gap while taking a "cognition perspective" on environmental behavior. Using experience sampling, the present research demonstrates that individual differences in central aspects of cognitive control (assessed by working memory capacity) moderate the relationship between environmental attitudes and behavior. Our correlational findings suggest that people with positive environmental attitudes also require high working memory capacity to behave in line with their ideals. Our results do not only provide empirical support for recent theorizing in environmental research, but, perhaps more importantly, might offer a central lever for behavioral change initiatives (e.g., "nudging").


Over 5 million children have been born through in vitro fertilization (IVF) across the world. IVF is only one of the many methods of assisted reproduction, which can be used to achieve pregnancy in the context of infertility or subfertility. Since the birth of the first IVF child, Louise Brown, in 1978, a number of researchers have started to study the various impacts of the conception through these methods, on both mothers and children. A growing body of evidence suggests that conception through medically assisted reproduction (MAR) is not without risk. Given that MAR is relatively new and that our look back period is short, there is limited evidence on the risks associated to these procedures, both for the mother and the child. In this chapter, we aim to explore the association between MARs and adverse perinatal outcomes specifically. We will first provide you with an overview of the prevalence and trends of use of these methods around the world, and then delve into the associations between MARs and the risk of perinatal outcomes, namely prematurity, being born with low birth weight and/or small for gestational age, and lastly the impact of MARs on cognitive functions including cerebral palsy, behavioral problems, and autism, which are identified later in the child ' s life. and the risks of the main perinatal outcomes (i.e., prematurity, LBW, SGA) as well as long-term cognitive outcomes.


Business Administration 162 is a principles of Marketing class intended for students of business administration or business owners interested in mastering the art of branding


This article reports the findings of a causal-comparative study with spoken language (primarily conference) and signed language (primarily public service) interpreting students carried out at four institutions in the European Union in 2008. The study was built on two previous investigations of essential characteristics, as reported by interpreting students and their professors, to measure these characteristics with standardized performance and motivation tests. It grouped participants as "entry-level" or "advanced" depending upon their prior experience in simultaneous interpreting coursework. The study documented cognitive and motivational scores of spoken language (SP) and signed language (SL) interpreting students at both levels, using a computerized neuropsychological screening test and an achievement motivation instrument. Significant differences between the SP and SL students were found in the areas of visual memory, concentration, and internality (belief that success is due to internal causes), and between the advanced and entry-level students in the areas of concentration and the eagerness to learn new concepts in the absence of external rewards.


Buckling of thin films and coatings due to thermal residual stresses has been thoroughly investigated. The subsequent fracture at the film‐to‐substrate interface triggered by buckling may result in a complete delamination of the film, effectively making the structure useless. The approach to the prevention or alleviation of delamination and spalling of the compressed film suggested in the paper is based on embedding random stiff nanoinclusions in the pristine film material. This results in an increase of both the stiffness of the film and the buckling stresses. If the enhanced stiffness is not sufficient to prevent buckling, the strain energy release rate is decreased as a result of embedded nanoinclusions as demonstrated in the paper. This reduction is particularly significant in films whose stiffness is increased by a large factor as compared to that of the pristine material. The effectiveness of the method is particularly evident if the compressive stress exceeds the critical stress of the nanoreinforced film by a relatively small factor. At very high compressive stresses the method of improving toughness considered in the paper is still valid but its relative effectiveness diminishes.


This article examined the concepts of parenting self-efficacy, parenting confidence, and competence. Using Morse's method of concept delineation, a literature review of each concept was conducted to uncover commonalities, distinctions, and measurement overlaps between concepts and provide conceptual boundaries. Findings revealed that parenting confidence and parenting self-efficacy describe a parents' internal attribution or beliefs about their ability to engage in parenting behaviors. Both terms have similar antecedents, attributes, and consequences, whereas competence is a concept that should be used as an objective measure by someone other than the parent to assess parenting quality.


Background In response to recent studies, a better understanding of the risks of renal complications among African American and biologically related living kidney donors is needed. Methods We examined a database linking U.S. registry identifiers for living kidney donors (1987-2007) to billing claims from a private health insurer (2000-2007 claims) to identify renal condition diagnoses categorized by International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision coding. Cox regression with left and right censoring was used to estimate cumulative incidence of diagnoses after donation and associations (adjusted hazards ratios, aHR) with donor traits. Results Among 4650 living donors, 13.1% were African American and 76.3% were white; 76.1% were first-degree relatives of their recipient. By 7 years post-donation, after adjustment for age and sex, greater proportions of African American compared with white donors had renal condition diagnoses: chronic kidney disease (12.6% vs 5.6%; aHR, 2.32; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.48-3.62), proteinuria (5.7% vs 2.6%; aHR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.32-3.89), nephrotic syndrome (1.3% vs 0.1%; aHR, 15.7; 95% CI, 2.97-83.0), and any renal condition (14.9% vs 9.0%; aHR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.23-2.41). Although first-degree biological relationship to the recipient was not associated with renal risk, associations of African American race persisted for these conditions and included unspecified renal failure and reported disorders of kidney dysfunction after adjustment for biological donor-recipient relationship. Conclusions African Americans more commonly develop renal conditions after living kidney donation, independent of donor-recipient relationship. Continued research is needed to improve risk stratification for renal outcomes among African American living donors.


The effects of controlled grazing through spring on the production of young (age 1 year; liveweight 38.3 ± 0.09 kg; condition score 3.0 ± 0.03) and mature (age 3 years; liveweight 61.9 ± 0.36 kg; condition score 3.1 ± 0.04) Merino wethers was examined. The grazing treatments involved adjusting sheep numbers to maintain green feed on offer near target amounts of 800, 1200, 1600, 2000, 2400 and 2800 kg dry matter/ha. Liveweight and wool growth measurements were made on 8 sheep per plot, with additional animals added or removed as necessary to maintain pasture near the target feed on offer.
Changes in wool-free liveweight were linear between days 0 and 42 (period 1), and days 42 and 111 (period 2) for both classes of sheep grazing low feed on offer treatments. Hoggets lost less liveweight than mature animals while grazing low feed on offer during period 1 and gained liveweight faster (P<0.05) than mature animals for any feed on offer during period 2. Curvilinear relationships existed between feed on offer and clean wool growth rate and fibre diameter, with feed on offer accounting for 65 and 81% of the variations in wool growth rate, and 65 and 73% of the variations in fibre diameter, for hogget and mature sheep respectively.

There was no significant difference in wool growth rate between animal classes. Annual clean wool production, fibre diameter and staple length increased linearly (P<0.05) with increasing feed on offer. Staple strength was higher (P<0.05) in mature sheep compared with hoggets, but was greater than 30 N/ktex for both classes of sheep irrespective of feed on offer. These results indicate that intensive grazing in spring to predetermined feed on offer is a useful tactic for manipulation of wool growth and fibre diameter, but factors other than feed on offer also contribute to liveweight change and wool growth.


The successive maize bumper harvests experienced by Zambia in recent years mean that the country has to find long lasting and sustainable ways to deal with persistent maize marketing challenges facing the smallholder farmers. The government has continued to struggle with the price-dilemma where they would like to keep the price of maize grain high for the maize producers, while at the same time try to maintain low mealie-meal prices for the consumers. In the process, the government has continued to alienate the private sector, which if promoted would help broaden the market for maize and save the national treasury millions of the Kwacha Rebased (K).


The predictive accuracy of a Rainfall–Runoff Neural Network (RRNN) model depends largely on the suitability of its structure. Unfortunately, the procedures for selecting an appropriate structure for the RRNN have not been thoroughly examined. Inclusion of too many input neurons in the RRNN may complicate its structure, and thereby decrease its generalization performance. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method, i.e. by extracting the principal components from lagged input hydrometeorological data, in improving the predictive accuracy of the RRNN. The Darong River watershed located in Guangxi Province of China, with a drainage area of 722 km 2 , has been selected to demonstrate the PCA method for modeling the hourly Rainfall–Runoff (RR) relationship. Comparative tests on the forecasting accuracy were conducted among the RRNNs configured with both basin-averaged and spatially distributed rainfall information. Experimental results revealed that, when calibrating the RRNNs with spatially distributed rainfall, the RRNNs using the PCA as an input data-preprocessing tool were found to provide a generally better representation of the RR relationship for the Darong River watershed. However, variable results were observed if the neural networks had been calibrated with basin-averaged rainfall.


Accurate positioning of a sample is one of the primary challenges in laser micromanufacturing. There are a number of methods that allow detection of the surface position; however, only a few of them use the beam of the processing laser as a basis for the measurement. Those methods have an advantage that any changes in the processing laser beam can be inherently accommodated. This work describes a direct, contact-free method to accurately determine workpiece position with respect to the structuring laser beam focal plane based on nonlinear harmonic generation. The method makes workpiece alignment precise and time efficient due to ease of automation and provides the repeatability and accuracy of the surface detection of less than 1 μm.


Introduction: Pediatricians are encouraged to promote behavior modification to reduce childhood obesity and its co-morbidities, yet the effectiveness of office counseling is unclear. We aimed to evaluate if a low-intensity intervention (action-oriented counseling) in a clinic setting results in weight stabilization, and if the effect is modified by a diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We hypothesized that patients with NAFLD would be more motivated to adhere to the lifestyle goals set in clinic, due to the diagnosis of an obesity-related condition; and, would therefore achieve greater weight reduction compared to similarly overweight and obese patients without a diagnosis of NAFLD. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on 73 (35 male, 38 female) overweight and obese patients (BMI ≥ 85th percentile) attending a pediatric GI clinic between January 2006 and October 2011. Analysis was conducted to determine if lifestyle goals discussed with the patient at each clinic visit were associated with improved BMI, BMI z-score, and liver enzymes. Treatment outcomes among NAFLD patients and similarly obese patients without NAFLD were compared using t-tests and chi-square tests. Results: Of the children evaluated, 74.0% achieved a reduction or stabilization in BMI z-score after 3 months of follow-up. Among NAFLD patients, liver enzymes improved in 72% of those who were able to stabilize or reduce their BMI and among 43% of those who gained weight. Treatment outcome did not significantly differ based on having a diagnosis of NAFLD, although there was a trend towards greater improvements. Conclusion: Our study suggests that action oriented counseling including goal-setting in a low intensity, clinic based approach is effective in improving patient BMI, in the presence or absence of an obesity-related co-morbidity, such as NAFLD. Further, we demonstrated that lifestyle modification led to improvement of liver enzymes in NAFLD patients and may result in other clinically relevant improvements. Longer studies will be needed to determine if the improvements are sustained.


Expanding upon my poster titled "Art Instead of Just Images: Training Students to See Beyond the Screen" presented at the 2016 ARLIS/NA + VRA Third Joint Conference in Seattle, I detail the current journey of my project to create a practical guide for student employees to understand and manipulate images of art. In exploring this topic I discovered that there is a lack of literature specifically addressing looking at and manipulating digital surrogate images of works of art. Non-humanities student employees often lack the visual literacy and art historical skills to successfully edit and evaluate digital art images. This article seeks to find a way to effectively provide such students with a baseline of knowledge with the goal of both improving the quality and extent of their work and adding value to their own educational careers. In this article, I question both what constitutes a baseline of knowledge and what we actually want to teach student employees. What would a practical guide need to include and entail? Further investigation reveals a host of theoretical and ethical considerations that must be addressed for any such documentation to function.


Sexual selection and the ornaments that inform such choices have been extensively studied, particularly from a phenotypic perspective. Although more is being revealed about the genetic architecture of sexual ornaments, much still remains to be discovered. The comb of the chicken is one of the most widely recognized sexual ornaments, which has been shown to be correlated with both fecundity and bone allocation. In this study, we use a combination of multiple intercrosses between White Leghorn populations and wild‐derived Red Junglefowl to, first, map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for bone allocation and, second, to identify expression QTL that correlate and colocalize with comb mass. These candidate quantitative genes were then assessed for potential pleiotropic effects on bone tissue and fecundity traits. We identify genes that correlate with both relative comb mass and bone traits suggesting a combination of both pleiotropy and linkage mediates gene regulatory variation in these traits.


The recently published Yemeni observing report about SN 1006 from al-Yamani clearly gives AD 1006 Apr $17 \pm 2$ (mid-Rajab 396h) as first observation date. Since this is about 1.5 weeks earlier than the otherwise earliest reports (Apr 28 or 30) as discussed so far, we were motivated to investigate an early sighting in more depth. We searched for additional evidences from other areas like East Asia and Europe. We found that the date given by al-Yamani is fully consistent with other evidence, including: (a) SN 1006 "rose several times half an hour after sunset" (al-Yamani), which is correct for the location of Sana in Yemen for the time around Apr 17, but it would not be correct for late Apr or early May; (b) the date (3rd year, 3rd lunar month, 28th day wuzi, Ichidai Yoki) for an observation of a guest star in Japan is inconsistent (there is no day wuzi in that lunar month), but may be dated to Apr 16 by reading wuwu date rather than a wuzi date; (c) there is observational evidence that SN 1006 was observed in East Asia early or mid April; for the second half of April, a bad weather (early monsoon) period is not unlikely -- there is a lack of night reports; (d) the observer in St. Gallen reported to have seen SN 1006 "for three months", which must have ended at the very latest on AD 1006 Jul 10, given his northern location, so that his observations probably started in April. We conclude that the correctly reported details give quite high confidence in the fully self-consistent report of al-Yamani, so that the early discovery date should be considered seriously.


textabstractTo implement a GUI, a software engineer needs more information than a designer's original design document offers. Therefore, designers create supporting documentation such as wireframes, explicit specifications and interactive prototypes in order to better convey their intention. Software engineers then need to interpret these design deliverables in order to correctly implement the GUI. While this GUI design-to-code process works, it consumes considerable amounts of time and potentially results in a loss of accuracy with respect to the original design. Here we propose an automated workflow, where the original design is first converted to code through an intermediary language called DSL. This language supports a broad range of GUIs, and forms the basis for automated translation to working code. Combining existing research and our own analysis of a set of GUIs we have derived the requirements for DSL to be able to describe most GUIs and thereby sufficiently support our proposed GUI design-to-code workflow. With the requirements of DSL specified, this paper is a first step in the realisation of our goal to reduce the implementation time for GUIs while at the same time increasing the accuracy of the end result.


The recent solar minimum was the longest and deepest of the space age, with the lowest average sunspot numbers for nearly a century. The Sun appears to be exiting a grand solar maximum (GSM) of activity which has persisted throughout the space age, and is headed into a significantly quieter period. Indeed, initial observations of solar cycle 24 (SC24) continue to show a relatively low heliospheric magnetic field strength and sunspot number (R), despite the average latitude of sunspots and the inclination of the heliospheric current sheet showing the rise to solar maximum is well underway. We extrapolate the available SC24 observations forward in time by assuming R will continue to follow a similar form to previous cycles, despite the end of the GSM, and predict a very weak cycle 24, with R peaking at ∼65–75 around the middle/end of 2012. Similarly, we estimate the heliospheric magnetic field strength will peak around 6nT. We estimate that average galactic cosmic ray fluxes above 1GV rigidity will be ∼10% higher in SC24 than SC23 and that the probability of a large SEP event during this cycle is 0.8, compared to 0.5 for SC23. Comparison of the SC24 R estimates with previous ends of GSMs inferred from 9300 years of cosmogenic isotope data places the current evolution of the Sun and heliosphere in the lowest 5% of cases, suggesting Maunder Minimum conditions are likely within the next 40 years.


This article uses archival sources to reconstruct an alternate history of Milton Friedman's A Theory of the Consumption Function, spotlighting the contributions of his collaborators Margaret Reid, Dorothy Brady, and Rose Friedman. Although Milton Friedman offered public credit to his wife and their two close friends, none received formal recognition or reward for their contribution to the permanent income hypothesis. The article documents this hypothesis as an example in professional economics of the well-known "Matilda effect," in which women's intellectual contributions are systemically devalued, while arguing it is important to distinguish between formal and informal credit. Further, the article connects the lower status of women's consumption economics to broader shifts in the economics discipline across the twentieth century.


Based on a 1% sample of the German population, we study how fertility rates in the country of origin — a proxy for cultural imprint — influence the fertility outcomes of first- and second-generation female immigrants. We use both total fertility rates in the year of migration and a new measure of completed cohort fertility rates in the countries of origin as well as direct survey measures of fertility norms. Our large data set allows us to focus on a relatively narrow range for age at migration and to estimate models that rely on within-country variation only, leading to more credible identification. We find a statistically significant, sizeable and robust effect of country-of-origin fertility rates on fertility outcomes. The effect is strongest for the first generation and becomes weaker, though still statistically significant, for "generation 1.5�? (migrants arriving as children) and the second generation. It is stronger for women with low education and for women who live with a partner from the same country of origin.