A new species of labrid, Cirrhilabrus marinda, is described from 29 type specimens, 17.4–45.9 mm SL, collected at Ayau Atoll, West Papua Province, Indonesia and 7 non-type specimens, 32.0–67.0 mm SL, from Halmahera, Indonesia and the vicinity of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. The new taxon is closely related to Cirrhilabrus condei of Indonesia (West Papua), Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Coral Sea, and the northern Great Barrier Reef, mainly differing in the shape and colouration of the male dorsal fin. The spinous dorsal fin of C. marinda is mostly black and noticeably taller than the soft portion in comparison with C. condei, which has a more uniform fin profile with black colouration restricted to the outer fin margin. The population of C. marinda from Ayau Atoll differs from conspecific populations in other regions and from C. condei in having an exceptionally small maximum size of approximately 46 mm SL, with mature females as small as 30.4 mm SL. The two species are broadly sympatric, but do not share the same habitat; C. marinda prefer deeper offshore sand habitats. The barcode (COI) mitochondrial DNA sequences of the new species are the same as C. condei, apparently a case of phenotypic divergence outpacing changes in mitochondrial genotype. As in other reported cases of this phenomenon, the phenotypic differences are in the male mating display, which would be expected in the early stages of species divergence.


One response to the proliferation of large datasets has been to develop ingenious ways to throw resources at the problem, using massive fault tolerant storage architectures, parallel and graphical computation models such as MapReduce, Pregel and Giraph. However, not all environments can support this scale of resources, and not all queries need an exact response. This motivates the use of sampling to generate summary datasets that support rapid queries, and prolong the useful life of the data in storage. To be effective, sampling must mediate the tensions between resource constraints, data characteristics, and the required query accuracy. The state-of-the-art in sampling goes far beyond simple uniform selection of elements, to maximize the usefulness of the resulting sample. This tutorial reviews progress in sample design for large datasets, including streaming and graph-structured data. Applications are discussed to sampling network traffic and social networks.


The biological foundation for a shamanic epistemology is indicated by the cross-cultural distribution of a shamanic cosmology derived from knowledge obtained during altered consciousness. These special forms of consciousness involve integrative brain conditions that access ancient ways of knowing, expressive systems which have evolutionary roots in the communicative and social processes involved in animal displays or rituals. These were augmented over the course of hominid evolution into expressive and mimetic activities that provided a basis for significant epistemological expansions of consciousness exemplified in shamanic out-of-body (OBE) experiences. These manifestations of consciousness involved new modes of self and processes of knowing, reflecting selection for expanded symbolic brain processes that enhanced psychological, cognitive integration and extra-personal cognition. Shamanic alterations of consciousness also contributed to experiences of personal spirit essences and encounters with extrapersonal spirit presences that reflected activation of innate brain operators involving self-structures and psyche. The evolution of the hominid capacity for knowing involved new understandings of nature (animism), mind (spirits), self (power animals) and others (gods) that were elicited by shamanic practices and expressed though a shamanistic ideology. These phenomena reflect activation of innate aspects of consciousness, illustrating features of shamanism as a neuroepistemology.


This book explores the conditions for growth that can create value for shareholders, focusing on the main strategies adopted by firms including horizontal expansion, vertical integration and product diversification. To evaluate whether or not a particular growth strategy is successful, the author examines the economic fundamentals of each strategy and presents analytical models of both internal development and external acquisition. He moves on to present four case studies of successful companies to highlight how a firm chooses and implements a defined growth strategy.


Poverty and vulnerability being observed as rural phenomenon in sub-Sahara African and that majority of the rural poor in Nigeria derive their livelihood from subsistence agriculture, are popular research findings across the country. However, the extent of effect of the interaction of agriculture as a livelihood with agro-ecological variation on poverty status of rural households is not verified in literature as at now. This formed the focus of this paper. The nation-wide cross-sectional data of the Harmonized Nigerian Living Standard Survey (HNLSS, 2009) data was used along with the FGT class of poverty measure and Ordered Probit regression model in the study to achieve the objective. The result reveals that poverty headcount was highest in Sahel zone and least in the Forest zone. The result shows a gradual decline in all the three poverty measures down the agro-ecological horizon. Farming households contributed 84.5% of the total poor households in the rural communities in Nigeria. The Sudan-Sahel farming households contributed the largest proportion of the poor rural households. The study observed that interaction between farming and agro-ecological variation have significant effect on households' poverty. Among recommendations emanating from this study is that agro-ecological-specific farm support policies/services should be provided to rural households in order to enhance their welfare.


This thesis presents a numerical study of a property of three dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (3D-MHD) turbulence, namely, inverse cascade (spectral transport from small scales to large scales) of magnetic helicity. Magnetic helicity is de ned as the volume integral of the dot product of the magnetic eld and the magnetic vector potential. It characterizes the linkage and twists of the magnetic eld lines. The inverse cascade is believed to be one of the causes of large-scale magnetic structure formation in the universe. This numerical studies is aimed at understanding how the inverse cascade of magnetic helicity e ects other quantities of the turbulent ow. Two setups, namely, forced turbulence and decaying turbulence are studied. In the forced case, the numerical simulation setup consists of an initial energy distribution and a forcing localized in the small scales. The decaying setup consists of an initial energy distribution in the intermediate scales, which is allowed to decay naturally. The analysis of the results shows that several quantities in the turbulent ow, show self-similar behavior in their spectra, giving rise to power laws, which were hitherto unknown. Some of the quantities which are known to show power law behaviors exhibit di erent values to the power law exponents. These power law behaviors are analyzed together with the dimensional analysis of the eddy damped quasi normal Markovian (EDQNM) approximation equations, to attain a new relation which explains the evolution of large-scale magnetic structures in both the turbulent setups. The results are substantiated by the analysis of structure functions, probability density functions and correlation functions. Visualization of real space structures is also carried out. A mechanism to achieve large-scale magnetic structures from random small-scale magnetic uctuations involving both the forced and decaying turbulences, is suggested.


Changes in the adsorption and availability of P in an acid, aluminous soil (surface and subsoil) were evaluated following liming to neutralize 1N KCl-exchangeable Al (minimal liming) or to pH 6.8 as determined by the SMP (Shoemaker-McLean-Pratt) buffer method. Langmuir adsorption isotherms were utilized to ascertain changes in P adsorption. A greenhouse bioassy was conducted to evaluate differences in P availability to plants (Oats, Avena sativa L. cv. Korwood) due to liming and incubation treatments. Results from these studies confirm that minimal liming is the most effective approach, from both agronomic and economic standpoints. Minimal liming optimized P uptake and minimized the P adsorption maxima (Langmuir b values). Liming by the SMP recommendation did not improve P uptake despite the application of three times as much lime, and also markedly reduced exchangeable Mg. Aging of adsorbate surfaces in the soil reduced their bonding intensity for P (Langmuir K), as did increasing soil pH. Development of ordered, less soluble Al-OH polymers with fewer nonstructural OH groups capable of ligand exchange with P is postulated as the mechanism underlying these observations. Increases in pH-dependent negative surface charge and P adsorption by free CaCO/sub 3/ may be involved. 43 references, 8 tables.


The most significant barrier to the wide adoption of cloud services has been attributed to perceived cloud insecurity (Smitha, Anna and Dan, 2012). In an attempt to review this subject, this paper will explore some of the major security threats to the cloud and the security models employed in tackling them. Access control violations, message integrity violations, data leakages, inability to guarantee complete data deletion, code injection, malwares and lack of expertise in cloud technology rank the major threats. The European Union invested €3m in City University London to research into the certification of Cloud security services. This and more recent developments are significant in addressing increasing public concerns regarding the confidentiality, integrity and privacy of data held in cloud environments. Some of the current cloud security models adopted in addressing cloud security threats were – Encryption of all data at storage and during transmission. The Cisco IronPort S-Series web security appliance was among security solutions to solve cloud access control issues. 2-factor Authentication with RSA SecurID and close monitoring appeared to be the most popular solutions to authentication and access control issues in the cloud. Database Active Monitoring, File Active Monitoring, URL Filters and Data Loss Prevention were solutions for detecting and preventing unauthorised data migration into and within clouds. There is yet no guarantee for a complete deletion of data by cloud providers on client requests however; FADE may be a solution (Yang et al., 2012).


This thesis examines the exterior architectural surface finishes of the eastern façade of Open Area J, located in the southern end of Cliff Palace and the northern façade of Open Area 26, located in the northern end of Cliff Palace in the Speaker Chief Complex at Mesa Verde National Park. The selection of each site was based on their common incorporation of exterior façades defining an open area and the hypothesis that although Open Area J and Open Area 26 are believed to have been constructed during the same time period, dating to the 1260's CE., they may be associated with different social groups or may reflect a difference between public (Speaker Chief Complex) and private architectural space. A comparative study of these two open areas considered the similarities and differences between the compositional constituents, formulation and application of the earthen surface finishes found at each site over time. Comments A thesis in Historic Preservation Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Master of Science in Historic Preservation 2008. Advisor: Frank G. Matero This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/100 A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE EARTHEN SURFACE FINISHES OF THE EASTERN FAÇADE OF OPEN AREA J AND THE NORTHERN FAÇADE OF OPEN AREA 26 AT CLIFF PALACE, MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO Nicole Sylvia Collum A THESIS In Historic Preservation Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of A Master of Science in Historic Preservation


Galvanic corrosion of Nickel-Chrome alloy (Ni-Cr alloy) and Copper (Cu) coupled in 5% sulfuric acid solution was investigated. The effects of agitation velocity, temperature, and time on the galvanic corrosion current and the weight loss of both metals in both free corrosion and galvanic corrosion were investigated. The trends of open circuit potential (OCP) of each metal and galvanic potential (Eg) of the couple were also determined. The results showed that Cu was cathodic relative to Ni-Cr alloy in galvanic couple and the corrosion potential of the couple (Ni- Cr alloy /Cu) was between the values of the two single components because the OCP of copper shifted to positive with the increase in velocity. Under stagnant conditions initially the galvanic current was more negative then shifted to the positive with time. The corrosion of Ni-Cr alloy decreased with time because the passivation layer was formed on the surface. Under flow conditions, the galvanic current sharply shifted to the negative direction (increase galvanic current from Ni-Cr alloy (anode) to Cu (cathode) during the first few minutes.


The inner planets--Mercury, Venus, Mars--are the foundations of what psychology calls the ego, the sense of personal self. In this fourth volume in the Seminars in Psychological Astrology series, Liz Greene and Howard Sasportas discuss the value of the inner planets as they symbolize important aspects of personality. We are not trained to give value to our private needs, feelings, and qualities. Indeed, because of their intensely personal nature, they are often suppressed or overlooked as irrelevant to society. Likewise, the inner planets have tended to be given less attention by psychological astrologers--for they are the personal planets. The authors show us that in order to give the most that we can to our interactions with the rest of the world, we must first understand our own needs and have a healthy ego-a personal authenticity. Their book teaches us the process of understanding how these three planets actually represent our individuality, and how they directly color the energy of the rest of our horoscope. Greene and Sasportas blend the processes of astrology and psychology in a unique and important way in this in-depth insight into the archetypes represented by the inner planets.


Objectives Moderate alcohol consumption can impair host defence against viral infections. The objective of this cross-sectional analysis was to assess the association between alcohol intake and prevalent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among US men enrolled in the HPV in Men (HIM) study using quantitative alcohol intake measured from a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Methods The HIM study is a prospective, multinational study of the natural history of HPV infection. For this report, we restricted our analyses to men from the US cohort (N =1313). Samples from the corona of glans penis, penile shaft and scrotum were combined for HPV DNA testing. Self-reported alcohol intake was quantified by grams of alcohol intake per day. Multivariable prevalence ratios (mPRs) were used to assess the association between alcohol intake and HPV infections. Results Prevalent infections were significantly higher among men in the highest quartile of alcohol intake and multivariable models revealed that the highest quartile of alcohol intake was associated with significantly increased risks for any (mPR=1.13; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.27) HPV types and oncogenic (mPR=1.35; 95% CI 1.08 to 1.68) HPV types. The fourth quartile of alcohol intake was associated with elevated risks for prevalent HPV infection across all strata of number of sexual partners and among never-smokers and current smokers, but not among former smokers. Conclusions These results demonstrate that high intake of alcohol is associated with an increased risk for prevalent HPV infections among men. The biological role that alcohol plays in genital HPV infection remains understudied and limited epidemiological data exist, especially among men.


ABSTRACT This paper examines the effect of birth order on educational attainment in Lesotho. Using family fixed effects models, I find robust negative birth order effects on educational attainment. These results are in sharp contrast with the evidence from many developing countries, but are consistent with that from developed countries. Further, these birth order effects are pronounced in large families, and families with first-born girls, which suggests presence of girls' education bias. Turning to potential pathways of these effects, I find that they are not propagated through family wealth, but mainly through birth-spacing. These results are robust to different sample restrictions.


This thesis falls into two parts, the first explores a cyclic version of bordism and the second studies the homotopy groups of rack spaces.

In chapters 2-5 we begin by reviewing some theory of cyclic homology but we present it in a topological framework. Then cyclic bordism is introduced as a parallel theory. In particular we prove the equivalence of cyclic and equivariant theories. This enables us to reduce the question of representation of cyclic homology by cyclic bordism to that of representation of ordinary homology by bordism. Finally, we state a fixed point theorem of periodic bordism.

In chapters 6-10 we study rack spaces, or the classifying spaces of racks. The homotopy groups of rack spaces are invariants of the rack up to rack isomorphism, and give invariants of semiframednon-split (irreducible) links ill the three-sphere. We describe methods for calculating the second homotopy group in chapter 7 and in the next chapter we apply one of the methods to find generators for the second homotopy of a class of racks, the finite Alexander quotients. Chapter 9 discusses topological racks. The classifying spaces of racks with a non-discrete topology have a cell structure and, although it fails to be a CVV cell structure, it can be used to calculate homotopy groups. The third homotopy group of a rack space is seen to be in one-to-one correspondence with bordism classes of framed labelled immersed surfaces in the three-sphere. We finish in chapter 10 by simplifying such surfaces within bordism to calculate the third homotopy group of the trivial rack and the cyclic racks, [pie]3(B(Cn))=Z2.


The shift in sentencing fact-finding responsibility triggered in many states by Blakely v. Washington may dramatically change the complexity and type of questions that juries will be required to answer. Among the most important challenges confronting legislatures now debating the future of their sentencing regimes is whether juries are prepared to handle this new responsibility effectively - and, if not, what can be done about it. Yet neither scholars addressing the impact of Blakely nor advocates of jury reform have seriously explored these questions. Nonetheless, a number of limitations on juror decision making seriously threaten the accuracy of verdicts in systems where juries are given a more prominent role in finding sentencing facts. In this article, we assess the capacity of juries to analyze and deliberate on sentencing-related facts. We consider, inter alia, problems of cognitive overload, frustration and loss of motivation due to complex structures, difficulties evaluating evidence that juries do not ordinarily consider, distortions due to the framing of nonbinary questions, and deliberation-related biases. We also propose a model for sentencing-stage jury proceedings that would minimize these problems. Its components include bifurcation of proceedings, partial application of the rules of evidence, special verdict forms that are carefully designed to minimize framing effects, structural simplification of sentencing tasks, a more active jury, and guidance for jurors on bias-reducing deliberation structures.


Beginning in 2009, the North Carolina Virtual Public Schools worked with researchers at the William and Ida Friday Institute to produce and evaluate the use of game creation by secondary students as a form of learning content related to career awareness in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, with particular emphasis in computer science areas. The study required the development of different forms of multimedia, inclusive with content and activities that could be conducted over the Internet. The team worked with a game art and design graduate class to produce materials and assessment instruments to be included in the project. The multimedia-based materials were piloted and field-tested in the Career Technical Education (CTE) online curricular offering of Computer Applications I. The evaluation and assessment of this project focused on student learning gains in content specific computer science areas, and overall appreciation of the technologies and structure used during the project. Teacher and student interviews, along with teacher journals help track the progress of both the students and edited materials. Conclusions from this study include support of gaming as a pedagogical process and the need for technological literacy. From feedback, the study concluded that informational technology software is a large variable in the success of this type of instructional unit.


The Cultural Politics of Jazz Collectives: This Is Our Music documents the emergence of collective movements in jazz and improvised music. Jazz history is most often portrayed as a site for individual expression and revolves around the celebration of iconic figures, while the networks and collaborations that enable the music to maintain and sustain its cultural status are surprisingly under-investigated. This collection explores the history of musician-led collectives and the ways in which they offer a powerful counter-model for rethinking jazz practices in the post-war period. It includes studies of groups including the New York Musicians Organization, Sweden's Ett minne for livet, Wonderbrass from South Wales, the contemporary Dutch jazz-hip hop scene, and Austria's JazzWerkstatt. With an international list of contributors and examples from Europe and the United States, these twelve essays and case studies examine issues of shared aesthetic vision, socioeconomic and political factors, local education, and cultural values among improvising musicians.


Spatial representativeness is an important quality criterion in trace gas monitoring, especially if measurements are intended for regulatory and model validation purposes. Open-path absorption spectroscopy techniques meet the representativeness requirement by providing concentrations averaged over atmospheric paths ranging from some hundred meters to some kilometers. This research concerns the characterization and application of a UV-visible differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) system, and the development and demonstration of a trace gas detection technique based on tunable, mid-infrared (mid-IR) quantum-cascade lasers (QCL). The spectral accuracy, stability and resolution of the DOAS spectrometer, and the efficiency of its PMT1-based light detection system were characterized and tested in laboratory and field conditions. Additional laboratory experiments included exploratory test of a photodiode array (PDA) as multichannel analyzer, and spectral analysis of the arc of high-pressure Xe lamps. PDA measurements of NO2 in the 360-530 nm range show an effective lower detectable fractional absorbance of 8·10-4 (1-sigma) for a 3-s integration time, overpassing the detection capabilities of the scanner/PMT system. DOAS measurements of SO2, NO2, and O3 were extensively validated through laboratory calibration and intercalibration, and field intercomparison with conventional point monitors and EPA2-certified DOAS systems, showing good agreement among the different instruments. A nitrous acid (HONO) generator was developed and used for characterizing the DOAS detection capability. Laboratory measurements indicate a lower detection limit (LDL) of  0.2 ppm·m HONO (2-sigma) for a 30-min integration time. Concerning formaldehyde (HCHO), a field intercomparison with HPLC3-analyzed DNPH4 samples shows a non-aleatory, high degree of correlation (r2 = 97%) between the two techniques, but unexplained, significant deviation from the 1:1 line (which is nevertheless within the 85% confidence interval of the correlation curve). A mathematical method was developed for the estimation of detection limits through the analysis of sequential lamp spectra. LDL estimations with this method are in very good agreement with operational detection limits. Other data processing and concentration retrieval algorithms were developed and used for analyzing laboratory and field measurements (12 campaigns). The analysis and interpretation of observations in two of these field studies are reported in detail. The first study concerns the dynamics and photochemical production regime of HCHO in the Grenoble region, France. DOAS measurements at a suburban location of Grenoble allowed estimating the sources of formaldehyde, and served at validating the results of a mesoscale photochemical grid model. Measurement-derived emission and photochemical production ratios are in good agreement with literature values, the emission inventory, and model calculations. A large fraction (>80%) of the HCHO observed at the measurement location is photochemically produced, and its production is VOC-limited / NOx-saturated. This investigation demonstrates also that DOAS is a well-suited technique for model validation purposes. The second study concerns the emission of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAH) from a wastewater treatment plant in Lausanne (Switzerland) using DOAS and GC5/FID6-analyzed grab samples. Combined analysis of the vertical wind speed and the MAH concentration time series suggest a quasi-diurnal cycle involving accumulation of fugitive emissions during the stagnant early morning hours followed by rapid upward convective dispersion from midday on. This study indicates that the wastewater treatment plant is a potentially significant source of MAH in the Lausanne area. Measurements carried out in a high altitude ( 2500 m ASL7) Andean valley (Sogamoso Valley, Colombia) are also presented and interpreted. A combined analysis of meteorological and O3 measurements performed at ground level (including DOAS) and airborne (with a homemade tethered balloon), along with model calculations, provide evidence for mesoscale inflow to the Sogamoso Valley of clean air masses from the Colombian Eastern Savanna ( 200 m ASL). This quasi-diurnal anabatic flow plays an important role in the ventilation of the Sogamoso valley, particularly during the dry season. Despite of its high selectivity and sensitivity, and good temporal resolution, the UV-visible DOAS technique is restricted to a limited number species that display highly structured electronic bands. The advent of the quantum-cascade laser (QCL) in 1994, and its rapid development thereafter, offers to open-path absorption spectroscopy a promising doorway to the mid-IR. Quantitive detection of O3 at ambient pressure with a 9.6 µm pulsed-operated, single-mode DFB8 QCL was demonstrated in laboratory conditions. QCL transmission spectra in the 1044-1050 cm-1 range were obtained by tuning the laser temperature. O3 column densities retrieved from the mid-IR spectra are in good agreement with simultaneous DOAS measurements but the detection limit attained ( 25 ppm·m) is still too high for immediate test in open path conditions. Currently ongoing improvements on the QCL pulse acquisition system should allow achieving detection limits at the level of commercial DOAS systems ( 2 ppm·m) in the very near future. These results demonstrate the applicability of the differential absorption method to QCL absorption spectroscopy at ambient pressure and encourage its use for open path detection. -------------------------------------------------- 1 PMT: PhotoMultiplier Tube 2 EPA: US Environmental Protection Agency 3 HPLC: High Performance Liquid Chromatography 4 DNPH: 2,4-DiNitroPhenylHydrazine 5 GC: Gas Chromatography 6 FID: Flame Ionization Detector 7 ASL: Above the Sea Level 8 DFB: Distributed FeedBack


Background: Metabolic syndrome prevalence in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is high and participants have poor baseline and overall improvement in exercise capacity; however, it is unclear if this is due to participant or CR programlevel factors. The purpose of this research was to describe, in CR participants, the association between metabolic syndrome and change in exercise capacity, and to examine exercise capacity variation by CR program. Methods: Data was abstracted from medical charts in four CR programs. A three-category exposure variable was defined as BMI<27 (reference group) and no metabolic syndrome (n=73), BMI ≥ 27 without metabolic syndrome (n=21), and metabolic syndrome (n=156). Hierarchical linear models examined the association between metabolic syndrome and the rate of change in exercise capacity and variation in exercise capacity by CR program. Results: Sixty-two percent of participants had metabolic syndrome. In multivariable analyses, participants with BMI ≥ 27 without metabolic syndrome and those with metabolic syndrome had slower rates of change in exercise capacity compared to the reference group (β= -0.20, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.29,-0.10; and β= -0.28, CI: -0.34,- 0.23, respectively). There was no difference between the BMI ≥ 27 without metabolic syndrome and the metabolic syndrome groups. Twenty-seven percent of the difference in exercise capacity was due to CR program. Conclusions: Participants with metabolic syndrome had slower rates of improvement in exercise capacity compared to those without metabolic syndrome. Variation between CR programs highlights the need for standard management of all CR participants but especially for those with metabolic syndrome.


Matthew W. Ohland is Professor of Engineering Education at Purdue University. He has degrees from Swarthmore College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Florida. His research on the longitudinal study of engineering students, team assignment, peer evaluation, and active and collaborative teaching methods has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the Sloan Foundation and his team received Best Paper awards from the Journal of Engineering Education in 2008 and 2011 and from the IEEE Transactions on Education in 2011. Dr. Ohland is Chair of the IEEE Curriculum and Pedagogy Committee and an ABET Program Evaluator for ASEE. He was the 2002–2006 President of Tau Beta Pi and is a Fellow of the ASEE and IEEE.


Isotopic anomalies are expected in primitive meteorites since astronomical observation and astrophysical modeling of stars predict a great variety of stellar processes. Protostellar clouds should partially preserve the memory of this diversity in solid grains. Since 1970, high precision mass spectrometry and high resolution ion probes have led to the discovery of numerous isotopic anomalies, which were rapidly associated with nucleosynthetic processes. A general rule is that small isotopic effects (parts in 103–104) are observed in centimeter size samples, whereas order of magnitude variations are observed at the micron scale in circumstellar grains.

Refractory materials in primitive meteorites were investigated first as they have the best chance of escaping homogenization in the early solar system. Inclusions in C3 carbonaceous chondrites exhibit widespread anomalies for oxygen and the iron group elements. Only a few members, dubbed "FUN" (for "Fractionated and Unknown Nuclear" effects), also display anomalous compositions for the heavy elements. Anomalies in inclusions have generally been connected with explosive or supernova nucleosynthesis.

Several types of presolar circumstellar grains have been separated from the matrix of chondrites: diamonds, silicon carbide, graphite, oxides. The isotopic ratios of the light elements (C-N-O) vary over several orders of magnitude in these grains. Only a few measurement have been performed for heavier elements with generally s-process signatures. AGB stars at different stages of their evolution are thought to be the sources of most circumstellar grains. Nevertheless grains with supernova signatures have also been found. For Cr and Mo in bulk primitive carbonaceous chondrites (C1, C2), large isotopic differences exist between the different major mineral phases of the bulk rock.

A number of now extinct radioactive isotopes have existed in the early solar system. This is shown by the variations that they induce in the abundances in their daughter nuclides. Their main use …


Evaluation of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) for performance evaluation is a popular research area and a wealth of literature exists in this area. Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks are recognized as one of the most serious threats due to the resources constrained property in WSN. The Zigbee model provided in OPNET 16 is suitable for modelling WSNs. This paper presents an evaluation of the impact of DoS attacks on the performances of Wireless Sensor Networks by using the OPNET modeller. Numerical results, discussions and comparisons are provided for various simulation scenarios. The results can be of great help for optimisation studies in WSN environments under DoS attacks as well as understanding the severity and critical nodes within the WSN. The effects of DoS attacks on the performance of WSNs are considered to critically analyse these issues.


The aim of this study was to clarify the association between the epigenetic instability phenotype and the chromosomal instability phenotype in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sixty primary HCC tumors were examined. Methylation status for nine CpG islands (the p16, COX2, GSTP1, RASSF1A, E-cadherin, and APC gene promoters, and the MINT 1, 25, and 31 clones) was evaluated by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. Chromosomal structural alterations of these 60 HCC tumors were characterized in our previous study by using whole genomic array-based comparative genomic hybridization. We found that the epigenetic instability phenotype and the chromosomal instability phenotype are not mutually exclusive in hepatocarcinogenesis and that they do not show a simple cause-and-effect relationship. Hepatitis virus infection in the background liver was significantly associated with these instability phenotypes. Furthermore, we identified an epigenetic instability-dependent HCC that shows frequent epigenetic aberrations without chromosomal instability. It was noteworthy that epigenetic instability-positive and -negative HCCs displayed distinctive combinations of chromosomal structural alterations. In summary, by combined analyses of genetic and epigenetic aberration profiles in HCC, we obtained a comprehensive view of genomic alterations in hepatocarcinogenesis. Our results have clinical relevance because epigenetic instability-dependent HCCs may respond well to methylation inhibitory therapies.


Doppler and transit surveys are finding extrasolar planets of ever smaller mass and radius, and are now sampling the domain of super Earths (1–3R⊕). Recent results from the Doppler surveys suggest that discovery of a transiting super Earth in the habitable zone of a lower main sequence star may be possible. We evaluate the prospects for an all-sky transit survey targeted to the brightest stars, that would find the most favorable cases for photometric and spectroscopic characterization using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We use the proposed Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) as representative of an all-sky survey. We couple the simulated TESS yield to a sensitivity model for the MIRI and NIRSpec instruments on JWST. Our sensitivity model includes all currently known and anticipated sources of random and systematic error for these instruments. We focus on the TESS planets with radii between those of Earth and Neptune. Our simulations consider secondary eclipse filter photometry using JWST/MIRI, comparing the 11 and 15 μm bands to measure CO2 absorption in super Earths, as well as JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy of water absorption from 1.7–3.0 μm, and CO2 absorption at 4.3 μm. We find that JWST will be capable of characterizing dozens of TESS super Earths with temperatures above the habitable range, using both MIRI and NIRspec. We project that TESS will discover about eight nearby habitable transiting super Earths, all orbiting lower–main-sequence stars. The principal sources of uncertainty in the prospective JWST characterization of habitable super Earths are super-Earth frequency and the nature of super-Earth atmospheres. Based on our estimates of these uncertainties, we project that JWST will be able to measure the temperature and identify molecular absorptions (water, CO2) in one to four nearby habitable TESS super Earths orbiting lower–main-sequence stars.


Abstract This paper investigates the prospect of the revival of the European integration project in light of current experiences of global fi nancial crisis. It is argued that the crisis has left an uneven mark on the European community of member state publics, a mark which has introduced a new division between the allegedly diligent North and lazy South. Moreover, the experience of public humiliation of the peripheral states in crisis, i.e., Greek, Cyprus, Spain, Slovenia, perceived as coming from the centres of the EU and the North, has made it diffi cult to continue with the construction of the postnational constitution, as suggested by scholars of the EU. Rather, EU public is witness to the rise of the condition of internal postcoloniality whereby the periphery has become the resource (in economic, fi nancial and cultural-moral sense) for the reproduction of the power regimes of the centre. Therefore, in this paper, it is claimed that leading European intellectuals who are concerned with the future of the EU, and propose scenarios of bottom-up reconstitution, should consider their own location and build an intellectual transversal which will include critical voices with peripheral experience of second-class citizenship.


It is a paradox that males have a larger average brain size than females, that brain size is positively associated with intelligence, and yet numerous experts have asserted that there is no sex difference in intelligence. This paper presents the developmental theory of sex differences in intelligence as a solution to this problem. This states that boys and girls have about the same IQ up to the age of 15 years but from the age of 16 the average IQ of males becomes higher than that of females with an advantage increasing to approximately 4 IQ points in adulthood.


Abstract This paper describes Picat's planner, its implementation, and planning models for several domains used in International Planning Competition (IPC) 2014. Picat's planner is implemented by use of tabling. During search, every state encountered is tabled, and tabled states are used to effectively perform resource-bounded search. In Picat, structured data can be used to avoid enumerating all possible permutations of objects, and term sharing is used to avoid duplication of common state data. This paper presents several modeling techniques through the example models, ranging from designing state representations to facilitate data sharing and symmetry breaking, encoding actions with operations for efficient precondition checking and state updating, to incorporating domain knowledge and heuristics. Broadly, this paper demonstrates the effectiveness of tabled logic programming for planning, and argues the importance of modeling despite recent significant progress in domain-independent PDDL planners.


This cloth modeling and animation system aims to support virtual actors who can dress and undress themselves. It now creates autonomous clothes, independent of the synthetic human wearing them. The interactive editor, proportion box and body-scaling feature provide a set of intuitive tools for animators to design a rich variety of human shapes, and we have shown how to dress them with autonomous clothes. The new software considerably improves system performance, versatility and ease of use, and our goal of simulating actors that can dress and undress themselves is significantly closer.


The Lusi mud volcano of East Java, Indonesia, remains one of the most unusual geologic disasters of modern times. Since its sudden birth in 2006, Lusi has erupted continuously, expelling more than 90 million cubic meters of mud that has displaced approximately 40,000 people. This study undertakes the first detailed analysis of the pore pressures immediately prior to the Lusi mud volcano eruption by compiling data from the adjacent (150 m away) Banjar Panji-1 wellbore and undertaking pore pressure prediction from carefully compiled petrophysical data. Wellbore fluid influxes indicate that sequences under Lusi are overpressured from only 350 m depth and follow an approximately lithostat-parallel pore pressure increase through Pleistocene clastic sequences (to 1870 m depth) with pore pressure gradients up to 17.2 MPa∕km. Most unusually, fluid influxes, a major kick, connection gases, elevated background gases, and offset well data confirm that high-magnitude overpressures also exist in the Plio-Pleistocene volcanic sequences (1870 to approximately 2833 m depth) and Miocene (Tuban Formation) carbonates, with pore pressure gradients of 17.2–18.4 MPa∕km. The varying geology under the Lusi mud volcano poses a number of challenges for determining overpressure origin and undertaking pore pressure prediction. Overpressures in the fine-grained and rapidly deposited Pleistocene clastics have a petrophysical signature typical of disequilibrium compaction and can be reliably predicted from sonic, resistivity, and drilling exponent data. However, it is difficult to establish the overpressure origin in the low-porosity volcanic sequences and Miocene carbonates. Similarly, the volcanics do not have any clear porosity anomaly, and thus pore pressures in these sequences are greatly underestimated by standard prediction methods. The analysis of preeruption pore pressures underneath the Lusi mud volcano is important for understanding the mechanics, triggering, and longevity of the eruption, as well as providing a valuable example of the unknowns and challenges associated with overpressures in nonclastic rocks.


Models of fluvial bedload sediment transport have been developed at two scales: individual particle movement and mass transport of sediment. The model of the movement of individual sediment particles includes the stochastic influences due to the flow and the structure of the bed. This model was used to calculate distributions of particle movement. These were then used to calculate sediment transport over a mobile bed including the effects of the stochastic influences on particle movement. The model of individual sediment particle movement includes descriptions of initiation of motion, rolling, non-contact motion and impact. The movements of sediment particles are calculated under the influence of turbulent velocity fluctuations, using a particle tracking method. Movements of initially coincident fluid and sediment particles are calculated, fluid movement due to mean flow and velocity fluctuations, sediment particle movement due to the fluid. The influence of fluid on sediment is continued until no correlation remains, either due to the separation of fluid and sediment or to elapsed time. At this point new conditions for the fluid are calculated. Observations of particle movements in sediment transport show a range of particle movements for the same conditions, due to the stochastic influences of the structure of the bed and the turbulent flow. The particle model was used to calculate distributions of particle movements by repeated calculations of particle tracks on a parallel processing computer. These distributions were used to describe the behaviour of particles, fraction entrained, time in motion and distance travelled. The distributions were used to calculate the rate of sediment transport and the effects of sediment transport over a mobile bed. Their use in these calculations allowed the influence of stochastic processes at the scale of individual particle movements to influence the calculated sediment transport.


Recently, the expectations of Website users have changed as a result of the development of mobile devises and improved accessibility. The research proposes a redesign, redevelopment and implementation of the CDU careers and Employment website taking these changes into consideration.The initial web site design strictly conforms to the university corporate template with little attention to the needs of the users due to the constraints of past CDU policy which inhibited innovation. The research proposes a model web site as a result of redesigning the CDU Careers and Employment website by reconciling users and client's needs to the CDU corporate template. In designing the model, the research followed a web development life cycle methodology incorporating comparative analysis, personas, and user testing which visualized the user's needs by increments. The research demonstrates recognition of websites showing elements of best design in navigation, layout,and mobile net functionality. In addition the research provided knowledge of user demographics, user scenarios, and preliminary user design. The authors believe that the redesign, which was partially adopted and implemented as the basic foundation for further development of other aspects of the CDU web design in general, has resulted in improving the website's design, navigation, and interactivity.


Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a hereditary disorder of red blood cells in humans. Complications such as pain, stroke, and organ failure occur in SCD as malformed, sickled red blood cells passing through small blood vessels get trapped. Particularly, acute pain is known to be the primary symptom of SCD. The insidious and subjective nature of SCD pain leads to challenges in pain assessment among Medical Practitioners (MPs). Thus, accurate identification of markers of pain in patients with SCD is crucial for pain management. Classifying clinical notes of patients with SCD based on their pain level enables MPs to give appropriate treatment. We propose a binary classification model to predict pain relevance of clinical notes and a multiclass classification model to predict pain level. While our four binary machine learning (ML) classifiers are comparable in their performance, Decision Trees had the best performance for the multiclass classification task achieving 0.70 in F-measure. Our results show the potential clinical text analysis and machine learning offer to pain management in sickle cell patients.


Before the USSR collapsed, ethnic identities were imposed by the state. This book analyzes how and why Jews decided what being Jewish meant to them after the state dissolved and describes the historical evolution of Jewish identities. Surveys of more than 6,000 Jews in the early and late 1990s reveal that Russian and Ukrainian Jews have a deep sense of their Jewishness but are uncertain what it means. They see little connection between Judaism and being Jewish. Their attitudes toward Judaism, intermarriage and Jewish nationhood differ dramatically from those of Jews elsewhere. Many think Jews can believe in Christianity and do not condemn marrying non-Jews. This complicates their connections with other Jews, resettlement in Israel, the United States and Germany, and the rebuilding of public Jewish life in Russia and Ukraine. Post-Communist Jews, especially the young, are transforming religious-based practices into ethnic traditions and increasingly manifesting their Jewishness in public.


Although a number of factors have been examined in relation to their effect on the prevalence and characteristics of police use of force, studies examining whether the person appeared to be mentally ill during the incident are lacking. Police recorded that 306 (7.2%) of the 4,267 people on whom they used force in Victoria, Australia, between 1995 and 2008 appeared to have a mental disorder. This group was more likely to threaten or use weapons on police and to have weapons used or threatened against them by police, as compared to those not deemed by police to be mentally disordered. Increased emphasis on communication and verbal deescalation tactics during police training and practice as well as proactive broader system-level changes should be implemented between police and mental health services to enable more effective management of these incidents to reduce the need to resort to increased use of force to resolve them.


We studied the photo-Hall mobility and the photo-Hall density of modulation-doped field-effect transistor structures using either an InGaAs alloy channel or a short-period superlattice channel. In defining the short-period superlattice channel we changed the thicknesses of the InAs and GaAs layers and the number of InAs/CaAs interfaces, The thicknesses of the InAs layers varied from 0.5 to 1.6 monolayers, those of GaAs layers from 4 to 20 monolayers, and the number of InAs/GaAs interfaces varied from 3 to 7. As a consequence the total short-period superlattice channel thicknesses varied too, but they were kept below the critical layer thickness to relax the pseudomorphic structure. The persistent photoconductivity effect at 77 K and the use of a red light emitting diode as the illumination source were employed to induce variation of the Hall mobility and the Hall density in the conduction channel. For the short-period superlattice samples our results indicate that the Hall mobility increases (a) with a reduction in the number of InAs/GaAs interfaces; (b) by employing an integral number of InAs monolayers; and (c) by increasing the thickness of the GaAs layers. These results suggest that the three effects are effective in producing surface smoothing. When the short-period superlattice samples are compared with samples having an InGaAs channel, we have shown that for an indium content around 8% the electrical properties are basically the same. On the other hand, for an indium content around 25% the mobility increases up to 35% proving that use of the short-period superlattice channel is useful in reducing the atomic disorder. The scattering associated with the alloy disorder increases with the indium content, and the deleterious effect of disorder can be reduced by replacing the alloy channel by a short-period superlattice channel.


This paper assesses the impact of a Minimum Income Scheme (MIS), which operates in one of the 17 Spanish Regions - the Basque Country. In particular, its impact, effectiveness and efficiency in fighting poverty is assessed. Results show that MIS has had a strong impact in reducing all dimensions of poverty. However, only 59.2% of the benefit transferred effectively contributes to poverty reduction. The paper presents an alternative, more egalitarian design of the Minimum Income Scheme, which, in line with an international standard of poverty, seeks to maximize its coverage and its impact in reducing poverty.


This study was conducted in Lake Varano (southern Italy) in order to determine the environmental parameters that influence nematode taxonomic and functional diversity and how they influence them, and to classify for the first time the ecological quality status of a transitional environment. The general composition and level of taxonomic diversity were comparable with those reported for transitional environments worldwide. Principal component analysis revealed that the main environmental factors controlling the assemblages in terms of both composition and biological traits were grain size, organic matter, pollution load index and, only secondarily, salinity. Molgolaimus allgeni, Terschellingia longicaudata and Leptolaimus luridus showed higher values in relation to silt, organic matter and pollution load index, while Axonolaimus caudostriatus, Odontophora wieseri, Paramonhystera pellucida and Paracanthonchus longicaudatus showed higher values in relation to the redox potential and sand percentage. Salinity was detected as an influencing parameter only secondarily and particularly for Calomicrolaimus honestus, Daptonema normandicum, Thalassomonhystera parva and Sabatieria pulchra . With respect to functional traits, the trophic groups seemed to be mainly related to sediment type, which is in turn reflected by the nature of the available food. The maturity index, as well as c-p classes, did not always permit a clear interpretation of the interaction between anthropogenic and natural factors. However, the greater influence of the San Antonino and San Francesco Canals was perfectly revealed by the nematode assemblage. In accordance with the current ecological quality classes, Lake Varano can mainly be classified as having good to poor ecological quality status.


The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the relations between speech sound accuracy, vocabulary, and phonological awareness, and (2) to examine the effect of word properties of neighborhood density and phonotactic probability on word learning within a storybook context, for children with and without speech sound inaccuracies. Fifty K–1 children (aged 5–6 years; 25 with, 25 without speech sound inaccuracies) completed inclusionary measures of oral language, speech sound accuracy, hearing screening, oral–motor screening, and nonverbal intelligence. Participants completed study-specific measures of standardized receptive and expressive vocabulary, stimuli-specific vocabulary knowledge, and phonological awareness. Twice weekly, for 30 minutes, an 11-week storybook-based intervention took place, targeting word learning, with words selected based on density and probability. Storybooks were researcher generated to intentionally manipulate the word properties of the stimuli words. Each storybook contained two stimuli words, four exposures per word per reading. Results indicated that both speech sound accuracy and vocabulary predicted unique variance in phonological awareness in children with speech sound inaccuracies. No statistically significant differences in the absolute number of words children learned emerged. Group differences were noted in emerging word knowledge with typically developing children outperforming children with speech sound inaccuracies. Differences were noted in the types of words that children learned. Results suggest that children with speech sound inaccuracies may be at risk for later reading difficulties. Speech language pathologists need to be targeting words that promote change within a child's phonological system (sublexical) and his/her lexical system.


This master's thesis is an attempt to synthesize the psychological theory of self-esteem, as formulated by Nathaniel Branden, with economic thought in order to provide an innovative way of analyzing historical economic data. The nations of examination are The United States of America and the Kingdom of Bhutan. Initially there will be an exploration of why this type of analysis may be useful at this time in the procession of economic and psychological history. Branden's six pillars of self-esteem are all examined, and translated into suggested ways of how to go about analyzing nations. This is followed by looking the aforementioned nation's economic vitals, and then their national-economic-esteem.


The Oklahoma City bombing put a sensational face on antigovernment violence. Yet, for all of the attention devoted during its aftermath to the growth and possible consequences of antigovernment sentiments, little systematic investigation has been done regarding the extent to which this type of violence may have permeated the government workplace. Further, scholars presently lack contextual knowledge about potential differences between public sector and private sector workplace violence in which to place hypotheses concerning the connections between antigovernment sentiments and the violent victimization of government employees. This article probes those connections through a study of the workplace violence endured by rangers of the United States Forest Service, in hopes of contributing to the understanding of the complicated relationships between workplace violence, antigovernment activity, and employment in the public sector. Analysis of the violent incidents uncovered through this study lends support to the conclusion that violence waged against government employees is significantly different than the violence being perpetrated in private sector work settings. These findings further suggest that antigovernment activity contributes meaningfully to the differences in workplace violence experienced by government employees.


Background: Families in Adams County with an income between 160% and 250% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines and ineligible for federal food assistance programs were determined to be in the "food gap." In collaboration with Adams County Farm Fresh Markets and the Center for Public Service at Gettysburg College, the Adams County Food Policy Council developed the Fair Share Program to provide monthly food vouchers and educational sessions to a group of families in the food gap to use at farmers markets in Gettysburg, PA. The goals of the program were to provide families not eligible for federal food assistance with an increased ability to purchase healthy foods, increase fruit and vegetable consumption, support local farms the local economy, and provide nutrition education and support. Purpose: We sought to identify the effectiveness of the pilot Fair Share Program in reaching its goals and to determine ways to improve the program in the future. Methods: 25 families who participated in the Fair Share Program during the summer of 2011 were given surveys at the start of the program, and interviews were conducted with participants at the end of the program. Surveys were given to the participating vendors at the farmers markets at the conclusion of the program. A bivariate analysis of the participant survey was done comparing results from Hispanic and non-Hispanic participants using SPSS Statistics 17.0, while the vendor surveys and interviews were evaluated qualitatively. Results: There were several noteworthy differences between the habits and perceptions of the Hispanic and non-Hispanic participants, including fruit and vegetable consumption patterns, reasons for not shopping at the farmer's markets, and where food is typically obtained from. Interviews indicated that both participants and vendors had overall positive experiences with the program even though challenges including price and language differences were experienced. Conclusion: The Fair Share Project reached its goals and had a positive impact on the community. Improvements should be made if the program is to be continued in the future to address the challenges participants faced while participating, and there is strong support for continuation and extension of the program.


We have developed and applied a maximum-entropy phase-retrieval procedure to analyze sum-frequency vibrational spectra from a CCl4/octadecyl tricholosilane/silica interface and a hydrogen-terminated diamond C(111) surface. Some a priori knowledge of a nonlinear optical spectrum was employed for determining the phase of nonlinear optical susceptibility, and therefore the requirement for experimental phase measurement can be avoided. The results agree well with those from the Lorentzian line-shape model and justify the applicability of the a priori constraints employed in our phase-retrieval procedure.


Wireless charging is now a reality. Low-power devices with sensing capabilities deployed within a building for example can now be powered wirelessly via Radio Frequency (RF) transmissions from existing Access Points (APs) that form a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). However, an AP cannot transmit frequently to charge devices as it may starve other nearby APs operating on the same channel. Consequently, there is a need to schedule the transmissions of APs to ensure their data queues remain short whilst charging energy-harvesting devices. We present a finite-horizon Markov Decision Process (MDP) to capture the queue states at APs and also channel conditions to nodes. The reward to be optimized is the amount of delivered energy and data. We investigate the following queue selection rules: max weight, max queue, best channel state and random. Our results show that APs that select the best queue in each time slot according to the max weight rule yields a transmission schedule that has the best reward; i.e., highest delivered packets and energy. Moreover, the obtained reward has the smallest gap to the optimal/exact reward.


The interactions between people and plants may result in knowledge of plant resources. This knowledge can vary according to factors such as age, gender, occupation, resource availability, urbanization and restrictions on the use of native resources. This study aimed to understand the interaction between people and plants in two rural communities surrounding the National Forest (FLONA) of Ibirama, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Specifically, the study aimed to investigate the distribution of local knowledge of plants according to gender, age and occupation of residents in these communities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted followed by free listing and guided tours.  A total of 104 interviews were conducted with adult men and women, who cited 475 plants found in the region that are used for numerous purposes. Of these plants, 184 are cultivated, 183 are extracted and 8 are cultivated and extracted. In general plant knowledge is shared between communities, in relation to gender, age and occupation. However, there are differences in the knowledge of timber resources, which is found to be higher among men and people with 41 years or more in age. These differences can be attributed to the influence of urban centers and the presence of the National Forest. However, respondents also view the FLONA positively, once they recognize the advances related to the conservation of nature, since there is greater control of deforestation and an increase in local avifauna. It is necessary to develop strategies to involve communities in the management of protected areas in order to ensure effective conservation of natural resources and the maintenance of local plant knowledge.


This is a conceptual paper on Communication Interception Technologies (CIT) within the criminal justice system because little substantive research exits, outside of the military/defence and national security domains, on several methodological issues surrounding the use of CIT particularly in a policing context. The paper proposes the adoption of an organising framework based on a Knowledge-Managed Policing (KMP) approach to the use of CIT to effectively address methodological concerns. The paper initially overviews what is characteristically involved in a Knowledge-Managed Policing perspective. It concentrates of three key dimensions that of police practitioners' knowledge as the basis of a KMP system; the technological processes which support a KMP system; and the organisational context of police work from a KMP perspective. Then the conceptual dimensions of CIT are briefly outlined and discussed with reference to adopting a KMP framework. The paper concludes with some speculative comments on the suitability of KMP as a regulatory framework for CIT.


Abstract. Drinking water supply and sewerage system designing and reconstruction projects are being extensively conducted in Azerbaijan Republic. During implementation of such projects, collecting large amount of information about the area and detailed investigations are crucial. Joint use of the aerospace monitoring and GIS play an essential role for the studies of the impact of environmental factors, development of the analytical information systems and others, while achieving the reliable performance of the existing and designed major water supply pipelines, as well as construction and exploitation of the technical installations. With our participation the GIS has been created in "Azersu" OJSC that includes systematic database of the drinking water supply and sewerage system, and rain water networks to carry out necessary geo information analysis. GIScreated based on "Microstation" platform and aerospace data. Should be mentioned that, in the country, specifically in large cities (i.e. Baku, Ganja, Sumqait, etc.,) drinking water supply pipelines cross regions with different physico-geographical conditions, geo-morphological compositions and seismotectonics.Mains water supply lines in many accidents occur during the operation, it also creates problems with drinking water consumers. In some cases the damage is caused by large-scale accidents. Long-term experience gives reason to say that the elimination of the consequences of accidents is a major cost. Therefore, to avoid such events and to prevent their exploitation and geodetic monitoring system to improve the rules on key issues. Therefore, constant control of the plan-height positioning, geodetic measurements for the detailed examination of the dynamics, repetition of the geodetic measurements for certain time intervals, or in other words regular monitoring is very important. During geodetic monitoring using the GIS has special significance. Given that, collecting geodetic monitoring measurements of the main pipelines on the same coordinate system and processing these data on a single GIS system allows the implementation of overall assessment of plan-height state of major water supply pipeline network facilities and the study of the impact of water supply network on environment and alternatively, the impact of natural processes on major pipeline.


CONTEXT
  Return-to-sport criteria after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury are often based on "satisfactory" functional and patient-reported outcomes. However, an individual's decision to return to sport is likely multifactorial; psychological and physical readiness to return may not be synonymous.

OBJECTIVE
  To determine the psychosocial factors that influence the decision to return to sport in athletes 1 year post-ACL reconstruction (ACLR).

DESIGN
  Qualitative study.

SETTING
  Academic medical center.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS
  Twelve participants (6 males, 6 females) were purposefully chosen from a large cohort. Participants were a minimum of 1-year postsurgery and had been active in competitive athletics preinjury.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
  Data were collected via semistructured interviews. Qualitative analysis using a descriptive phenomenologic process, horizontalization, was used to derive categories and themes that represented the data. The dynamic-biopsychosocial model was used as a theoretical framework to guide this study.

RESULTS
  Six predominant themes emerged that described the participants' experiences after ACLR: (1) hesitation and lack of confidence led to self-limiting tendencies, (2) awareness was heightened after ACLR, (3) expectations and assumptions about the recovery process influenced the decision to return to sport after ACLR, (4) coming to terms with ACL injury led to a reprioritization, (5) athletic participation helped reinforce intrinsic personal characteristics, and (6) having a strong support system both in and out of rehabilitation was a key factor in building a patient's confidence. We placed themes into components of the dynamic-biopsychosocial model to better understand how they influenced the return to sport.

CONCLUSIONS
  After ACLR, the decision to return to sport was largely influenced by psychosocial factors. Factors including hesitancy, lack of confidence, and fear of reinjury are directly related to knee function and have the potential to be addressed in the rehabilitation setting. Other factors, such as changes in priorities or expectations, may be independent of physical function but remain relevant to the patient-clinician relationship and should be considered during postoperative rehabilitation.


Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) can provide seamless broadband connectivity to network users, with the advantage of low setup and maintenance costs. To support next-generation applications with real-time requirements, however, these networks must provide improved Quality of Service guarantees. Most current mesh network routing protocols are adapted from MANET protocols, and do not optimize for mesh network properties. In this paper, we propose QUORUM (QUality Of service RoUting in wireless Mesh networks ), a routing protocol optimized for WMNs that addresses these drawbacks. QUORUM integrates a novel end-to-end packet delay estimation mechanism with stability-aware routing policies, allowing it to more accurately follow QoS requirements while minimizing misbehavior of selfish nodes.


1. The endogenous creatinine/GFR (inulin or free [ 57 Co]cyanocobalamin or [ 125 I]iothalamate) clearance ratios were determined in ninety-nine non-nephrotic patients and subjects and in sixteen nephrotic patients. The clearance ratios of the nephrotic patients were not significantly different from those of the non-nephrotic patients and normal subjects. 2. The clearance ratios increased as the GFR fell from 176 to below 15 ml/min, then decreased toward unity at lower GFR values. 3. In an attempt to explain this biphasic relationship, two further studies were performed. Endogenous creatinine/inulin and [ 14 C]creatinine/inulin clearance ratios were simultaneously determined in seventeen additional patients. The [ 14 C]creatinine/inulin clearance ratio was the larger of the two in all patients with a GFR greater than 15 ml/min. In another group of eight patients with unequal-sized kidneys, who were studied during bilateral ureteral catheterization, the endogenous creatinine/inulin clearance ratios were determined and found not to differ significantly. 4. The three studies suggest that there is significant tubular secretion of creatinine at all levels of renal function. The increasing clearance ratio of endogenous creatinine/GFR as the GFR decreases is not due to increased tubular secretion of creatinine nor a result of a difference in creatinine handling by diseased kidneys, but rather a reflection of the decreasing fraction of non-creatinine chromogen to the total creatinine chromogen. The smaller clearance ratio at a very low GFR would be expected if the maximal tubular secretory rate of creatinine was exceeded.


The ability of sensing breathing Is becoming an increasingly important function for technology that aims at supporting both psychological and physical wellbeing. We demonstrate ThermSense, a new breathing sensing platform based on smartphone technology and low-cost thermal camera, which allows a user to measure his/her breathing pattern in a contact-free manner. With the designed key functions of Thermal Voxel Integration-based breathing estimation and respiration variability spectrogram (RVS, bi-dimensional representation of breathing dynamics), the developed platform provides scalability and flexibility for gathering respiratory physiological measurements ubiquitously. The functionality could be used for a variety of applications from stress monitoring to respiration training.


Given the continued economic pressure on information technology (IT) organizations, the effective and efficient delivery of IT remains a crucial issue for IT executives in order to optimize their department's performance. Due to company specifics, however, an absolute assessment of IT organizations' performance has often proven difficult in the past. Consequently, many IT executives revert to comparative assessments such as IT benchmarking. IT benchmarking has been increasingly used to support IT management, also on a strategic level. While past research on such strategic IT benchmarking (SITBM) often focused on process models and optimal peer group composition, many practitioners repeatedly report problems with identifying or developing suitable methods for collecting the data needed for SITBM. We introduce a design theory for SITBM methods and illustrate how we derived the theory from an SITBM project over a period of ten years. During that time, the method from which we abstract our design theory was applied in 102 different companies. We contribute to practice and theory by not only reporting a field-tested method for SITBM, but also by providing a design theoretical basis on how to develop such a method as a blueprint for IT managers that want to set up an SITBM.


Since the early 2000s, a new type of working environment has developed in which individual workers—usually in a technology profession—share office space in a large, open, nontraditional environment that transcends traditional organizational boundaries. These new environments, called coworking spaces, present opportunities for communication, information sharing, and knowledge creation because of their open physical environments, the reduced presence of organizational barriers, and as a result of intentional efforts of the leaders of coworking spaces to encourage collaboration. While there is a substantial body of knowledge focused on how workers share information and build knowledge in traditional workplaces, there is little academic research on these novel coworking environments. This study examines the lived experiences of members of a specific coworking space located in the Phoenix, Arizona area in the United States. Through interviews with key informants, this study evaluates the communication channels that members of a coworking space use to share information and uses the Nonaka SECI model to determine the types of information sharing and knowledge creation that happen at the space. This study finds that members of the coworking space heavily lean toward using in-person communication and next-generation instant messaging to share information, and that they primarily create knowledge through combining the explicit knowledge of members to create new explicit knowledge. The findings of this study lead to specific implications for researchers to further examine the communication channels used in coworking spaces, especially nextgeneration instant messaging tools. The researcher also recommends specific steps that leaders of coworking spaces can follow to improve the level of involvement of members of their spaces, and to position non-profit spaces favorably against competing for-profit coworking spaces.


Eyal Zamir and Barak Medina (Z & M) are deontologists. They believe in deontological constraints, that is, that there are some things that are wrong to do to people even if the consequences of doing so are on balance positive – indeed, even if the consequences are on balance the best that can be attained by any alternative act or policy. On the other hand, Z & M are not absolutists. If the consequences of not violating deontological constraints are sufficiently bad – if they exceed some threshold of "badness" – then violations of the deontological constraints are permissible. Z & M are thus "threshold deontologists."Threshold deontology is an attractive position because it presents us with the promise of being able to negotiate the strait between the Scylla of thoroughgoing consequentialism, and its willingness to sacrifice people in every conceivable way on the altar of improving aggregate welfare, and the Charybdis of absolutist deontology, and its "though the Heavens may fall" refusal to countenance any constraint violations. The question, however, is whether threshold deontology's promise is capable of being redeemed. In a previous article, which Z & M take due note of, I raised some doubts about threshold deontology's theoretical tenability. And although Z & M have devoted an entire book to threshold deontology and its applications, my doubts are unassuaged.


BACKGROUND
Rheumatoid arthritis is sometimes associated with radiographic evidence of instability of the cervical spine, most commonly an abnormal subluxation between vertebrae. When this instability compromises the space that is available for the spinal cord, it may be predictive of paralysis. However, the prevalence of radiographic signs of instability that are predictive of paralysis among patients with nonspinal orthopaedic manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown.

METHODS
Radiographs of the cervical spine of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who had undergone total joint arthroplasty over a five-year period were retrospectively reviewed. The radiographs were evaluated for predictors of paralysis (a posterior atlantodental interval of <14 mm or a subaxial space available for the cord measuring <14 mm) and were compared with traditional parameters of instability (an anterior atlantodental interval of >3 mm or subaxial subluxation of >3 mm).

RESULTS
Forty-nine of the sixty-five patients who were identified had flexion and extension lateral radiographs available for review. Only one of these patients had a posterior atlantodental interval of <14 mm, and only three had a space available for the cord that measured <14 mm at one level or more. In comparison, twenty patients had radiographic evidence of instability on the basis of traditional parameters.

CONCLUSIONS
Although nearly one-half of the patients in the present study had radiographic evidence of cervical instability on the basis of traditional measurements, only four patients (8%) had a radiographic finding that was predictive of paralysis. Thus, while radiographic evidence of cervical instability was not infrequent in this population of patients who underwent total joint arthroplasty for rheumatoid arthritis, radiographic predictors of paralysis were much less common.


Recently one has started to investigate the computational power of spiking neurons (also called \integrate and re neurons"). These are neuron models that are substantially more realistic from the biological point of view than the ones which are traditionally employed in arti cial neural nets. It has turned out that the computational power of networks of spiking neurons is quite large. In particular they have the ability to communicate and manipulate analog variables in spatio-temporal coding, i.e. encoded in the time points when speci c neurons \ re" (and thus send a \spike" to other neurons). These preceding results have motivated the question which details of the ring mechanism of spiking neurons are essential for their computational power, and which details are \accidental" aspects of their realization in biological \wetware". Obviously this question becomes important if one wants to capture some of the advantages of computing and learning with spatio-temporal coding in a new generation of arti cial neural nets, such as for example pulse stream VLSI. The ring mechanism of spiking neurons is de ned in terms of their postsynaptic potentials or \response functions", which describe the change in their electric membrane potential as a result of the ring of another neuron. We consider in this article the case where the response functions of spiking neurons are assumed to be of the mathematically most elementary type: they are assumed to be step-functions (i.e. piecewise constant functions). This happens to be the functional form which has so far been adapted most frequently in pulse stream VLSI as the form of potential changes (\pulses") that mimic the role of postsynaptic potentials in biological neural systems. We prove the rather surprising result that in models without noise the computational power of networks of spiking neurons with arbitrary piecewise constant response functions is strictly weaker than that of networks where the response functions of neurons also contain short segments where they increase respectively decrease in a linear fashion (which is in fact biologically more realistic). More precisely we show for example that an addition of analog numbers is impossible for a network of spiking neurons with piecewise constant response functions (with any bounded number of computation steps, i.e. spikes), whereas addition of analog numbers is easy if the response functions have linearly increasing segments.


My purpose in conducting this research project was to engage in collaborative action research with a group of faculty members in order to learn more about my own facilitation of collaborative learning and to identify ways in which I could improve. The participants and I used dialogue during our group meetings to help each other with the development and implementation of Classroom Assessment Techniques in the classroom and the review of the results. The structure for the semester-long project was the development of a Classroom Assessment Techniques seminar handbook for future use with other faculty in the college. The data analysis focused in two areas: 1) describing what the experience was like for the participants, and 2) describing my own experience. Themes emerged from the hermeneutic analysis of data about the experience of participants: the faculty participants engaged because they had an "interest in making changes" in their practices; they had an appreciation for the diverse backgrounds of fellow participants – "what people bring to the table." In their descriptions of the collaborative processes of the project, they described their experience as "figuring it out together" and characterized the interactions with the group as a "shot in the arm." Participants also described several aspects of "just having the time," related to the need for dedicated time to discuss teaching and learning; feeling there wasn't always enough time to engage in collaborative learning; differing preferences for the best time of day to meet; the fact that collaborative learning processes have to "build over time;" and an iii observation about the tension between allowing the time for social construction and dialogue versus the desire for the efficient use of time preferred by busy people. Project participants described not only changes in their knowledge through learning new content about Classroom Assessment Techniques but also described personal and professional changes such as a shift to a studentcentered approach to teaching. They described their experience of the facilitator as a "guide from the side," who facilitated with flexibility, intentionality, and mutuality and stressed the need for relationships and a safe environment for collaborative learning to occur.


socio-political issue among empowered Filipino TG women. Recognizing similar sexual behaviour risks among MSM and TG women, the latter associated with body modifications concept(i.e. hormone replacement, collagen injections/implants) have a heightened risk due to unsafe and improper injecting practises. Thus, the ISEANHivos Program (IHP) (a Global Fund Multi-country Grant) in the Philippines, through consultations with the TG community, aims to develop an operational TG definition that would hopefully be feasible in a national surveillance. The method used was the conduct of four (4) focus group discussions (FGDs) with TG women members (with 5–10 participants each FGD) from community-based organisations (CBOs) in Metro Manila, Cebu City and Davao City. The findings revealed that majority of the participants do not generally agree with the three (3) proposed qualifiers/criteria in identifying TG women used in the IHBSS 2011 MSM questionnaire. "Looks like a female" is subjective; "Taking/injecting hormones" is not necessary; and those who have "undergone sex reassignment surgery" would identify themselves as a non-TG woman. Some of the suggestions are the inclusion of a time element in one's gender identification/expression to eliminate those who just occasionally identifies/express themselves as female; consider any form of affirming one's identity as a woman; and the use of three (3) questions asking one's sex assigned birth, gender identity and gender expression. The study concludes with IHP-Philippines' proposed operational definition of TG women: those whose sex assigned birth is male; and whose gender identity is generally female and/or whose gender expression is generally feminine. They need not undergo any form of body modification, may have varying sexual orientations, and may self-identify using various local gender terms.


Consumers' attention to food safety issues and environmental issues has increased overwhelmingly in recent decades because of their increased concern about their own health, the environment's health, and the crises and emergencies reported worldwide. Once the only option, organic agriculture has always been a production option followed by at least a few farmers all over the world. These farmers were prompted by ethical and environmental motivations, as well as by committed consumers who supported organic agriculture thanks to a separate but fairly elitist distribution channel. Organic food now has become a viable alternative for an increasing number of consumers that are worried about the presence of chemicals residues and the negative consequences on the environment caused by intensive production methods. Many farmers also now see organic farming as a way to stabilize or even increase their income due to public policy support and growing market demand.

Organic Food: Consumers' Choices and Farmers' Opportunities gives an overview of the organic sector, both in Italy and in the United States, and demonstrates how agricultural economists are performing analyses dealing with organic produce on different points in the supply chain. It deals with economic issues raised by organic farming and takes into account both the consumer's needs and the managerial and budget constraints experienced by the farmers. Also farm management methodologies and marketing analyses are used with specific research topics involving several industries in the agri-food sector.


This study examines the challenges that threaten one of Africa's most ambitious experiments in political, administrative and fiscal decentralization. Based on extensive interviews with local government leaders throughout Uganda, the research uncovered a complex interplay of conflicts that impact decision-making effectiveness. The sources of these conflicts center around (a) the impact of national politics on local government as the country approaches the 2011 election, (b) the inability to meet rising citizen demand for services as the tax base of local governments continues to erode, (c) the corrosive impact of social conflicts stemming mostly from poverty and illiteracy complicated by tribal and ethnic differences, and (d) the challenges of developing honest and effective leadership in local government. Can Uganda unravel this web of conflicts to bring meaningful governance to this young nation? Indeed, many countries within the developing world are watching this experiment with a great deal of interest.


Training female sex workers (FSW) in alternative income generation has emerged as an innovative HIV/AIDS prevention strategy. This new report published by KHPT focuses on a range of interlinking community mobilisation strategies.

The study demonstrates the impact of two vulnerability reduction strategies on HIV risk among female sex workers:

 Collectivisation
 Participation in savings activities

The report argues that FSWs participating in group organising and savings activities are more likely to adopt safer sex practices. The intervention was carried out in three districts of Karnakata state, south India. The results offer comparative insights on community mobilisation in all three settings. For example:

 In two of the settings, FSWs had access to microfinance facilities. The comparative success of these two groups demonstrates that community mobilisation activities should address economic vulnerability as an integral part of their approach;
 Women dealing wth crises such as violence highlights the role of social stigma, while the success of groups and collectives in dealing with such issues throws light on the importance of peer group solidarity.


The vestibular system is important for the development of normal movement reactions, motion tolerance, and motor control for postural alignment, balance, and vision. A vestibular system that is damaged by disease or injury in childhood can have a major impact on a child's development. In addition, the emergence of vestibular lesions may also lead to cognitive deficits, including attention deficit. Despite the advances in testing and documentation of vestibular deficits in children, the vestibular problems continue to be an overlooked entity. Many children do not receive treatment that could significantly improve function and address the developmental delays caused by vestibular disorders. Vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) has been defined as an effective modality for most individuals with disorders of the vestibular or central balance system disorders. The basis for the success of VRT is the use of existing neural mechanisms in the human brain for adaptation, plasticity, and compensation. The vestibular system cannot be considered as a separate entity ignoring other balance subsystems. Hence, a modified VRT program, named pediatric balance therapy with special modifications in exercises, was developed for children with vestibular disorders, in accordance to the whole balance system.


Background: Over half of the world's primary forest and a quarter of the world's plant species are found in Latin America. As a result of the limited protected areas and significant degradation of terrestrial ecosystems, seed banks provide an efficient component of integrated plant conservation strategies, chiefly due to their relatively low cost and massive storage capacity for genetic resources. Aims: We analyse the role that ex situ seed banks play in the conservation and reintroduction of threatened species, and in supporting ecological restoration programmes in the region. Methods: An analysis of the second National Reports on the state of the World's Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture showed that most countries in the region had the capacity for seed conservation. Using three case studies from seed conservation programmes in Mexico, Brazilian Amazonia and Chile, together with the global Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, we review the status and potential of these initiatives for conservation of plant diversity. Conclusion: The collection, conservation and use of seeds from arid and semi-arid biomes is highly effective; however the higher frequency of recalcitrant seeds in humid tropical forests requires a greater investment in research to underpin large-scale seed banking. In order to safeguard native species and provide adequate diversity of seeds for habitat restoration programmes, we anticipate the need to strengthen the capacity of the region's seed banks for preservation, research and propagation of native species.


The use of 5-aminolevulinic acid and its esters to induce endogenous porphyrins for the purpose of detection of epithelial cancers is being studied extensively in many centres around the world. The challenge is to prepare an efficacious formulation for the purpose of cancer detection. Photodynamic diagnosis of cancer using 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and its ester derivatives is being actively investigated. In this study, we compared ALA with ALA methyl ester (AME) derivative in terms of PpIX fluorescence intensity in in vitro and in vivo systems of bladder carcinoma. For the in vivo system consisting of RT112 xenografts, the modes of drug administration compared were intravenous administration and topical application. The Karl Storz fluorescence endoscopy system was used to obtain macroscopic fluorescence images. The macroscopic images were further analysed for fluorescence intensity distribution. For the intravenous administration, over all time points studied (1, 3, 6 h), AME-PpIX fluorescence was lower than ALA-PpIX fluorescence and was cleared at a faster rate than the ALA-PpIX when administered intravenously. Topical application with two different polymers, Gantrez and Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) which are fast releasing polymers was found to be comparable in inducing PpIX fluorescence. Topical AME-PpIX fluorescence was found to be comparable with ALA-PpIX fluorescence. The results of this study suggest that the AME can also be used as a good diagnostic agent.


AIMS
The efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitors in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) may be increased by targeting the therapy to those patients most likely to benefit. However, these patients cannot be identified by clinical characteristics. We developed a genetic profile to predict the treatment benefit of ACE-inhibitors exist and to optimize therapy with ACE-inhibitors.

METHODS AND RESULTS
In 8907 stable CAD patients participating in the randomized placebo-controlled EUROPA-trial, we analysed 12 candidate genes within the pharmacodynamic pathway of ACE-inhibitors, using 52 haplotype-tagging-single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The primary outcome was the reduction in cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and resuscitated cardiac arrest during 4.2 years of follow-up. Multivariate Cox regression was performed with multiple testing corrections using permutation analysis. Three polymorphisms, located in the angiotensin-II type I receptor and bradykinin type I receptor genes, were significantly associated with the treatment benefit of perindopril after multivariate adjustment for confounders and correction for multiple testing. A pharmacogenetic score, combining these three SNPs, demonstrated a stepwise reduction of risk in the placebo group and a stepwise decrease in treatment benefit of perindopril with an increasing scores (interaction P < 0.0001). A pronounced treatment benefit was observed in a subgroup of 73.5% of the patients [hazard ratio (HR) 0.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.56-0.79], whereas no benefit was apparent in the remaining 26.5% (HR 1.26; 95% CI 0.97-1.67) with a trend towards a harmful effect. In 1051 patients with cerebrovascular disease from the PROGRESS-trial, treated with perindopril or placebo, an interaction effect of similar direction and magnitude, although not statistically significant, was observed.

CONCLUSION
The current study is the first to identify genetic determinants of treatment benefit of ACE-inhibitor therapy. We developed a genetic profile which predicts the treatment benefit of ACE-inhibitors and which could be used to optimize therapy.


Meditation and music are usually performed together. In many cases music is the background of meditation. Thus, the question arises whether music has a positive effect on meditation. This master thesis delas with the assumptions that music 1) enables more rapid entry into a meditative state, 2) makes it easier to enter a meditative state and 3) makes the perception of a meditative state more intense. Alpha waves (8-12Hz) are representative for a meditative and relaxed state. As a consequence, we will test whether alpha frequencies (8- 12Hz) played via headphones are triggering a meditative state. The assumption is that frequencies in the range of alpha waves are able to provoke or strengthen the production of alpha waves in the brain and therefore a meditative and relaxed state. In the first exploratory part of this study, results will be obtained in a within- subject design based on rating scales. The second part of this study depends on the first part and will be based on electroencephalography (EEG)-, heart rate variability (HRV)- and respiratory rate (RR)- measurements. The first part of this study will comprise four conditions: 1) no music, 2) stressful music, 3) (relaxing) meditation music and 4) frequencies in the range of 8-12 Hz. In every condition the participants will have to meditate while listening to music (or no music) via headphones. Participants will be divided into two groups: 1) experienced meditating persons and 2) non-experienced meditating persons. After every condition they will have to rate on a rating scale from 1 to 7: 1) how fast they think they experienced a meditative state 2) how easy it was to experience a meditative state, and 3) how intense they perceived a meditative state. Statistical analyses will consist of analysis of variance (ANOVA) of these dependent variables. In case it is possible to induce the production of alpha waves or relaxation, this will be of great benefit for science and medicine, because on the one hand it would be easier to have totally relaxed participants in EEG- studies and on the other hand people would be able to relax whenever and wherever. Keywords: meditation, music, alpha, electroencephalography, heart rate variability


The further development of photovoltaic and wind power as renewable energies with their production rate fluctuations both on short- and medium-time-scale result in the necessity of smarter grids and higher energy storage capacities. One very prominent and promising technology for meeting this future electric energy storage demand is the concept of power-to-gas. Here, the excess electric energy is converted to hydrogen using alkaline or PEM electrolysis. Most concepts incorporate an immediate subsequent conversion to methane using a local carbon dioxide source and a process of thermo-catalytic or biological methanation. After a final gas upgrading mainly comprising the separation of H2, CO2 and H2O the produced SNG can be fed to the natural gas grid owning a huge potential for energy storage and distribution. The current work presents the joint research efforts undertaken by the authors in the field of power-to-gas processes. A process chain consisting of a coupled hydrogen dark fermentation and a biogas fermentation, a thermo-catalytic methanation step and product gas upgrading applying membrane-based gas-permeation is developed and demonstrated on laboratory scale. The described process chain has been demonstrated on a scale of roughly 0.5 m³(STP)/h and experimental results will be presented. Special emphasize is laid on the analysis of the methanation performance considering the changing content of the mixed raw biogas. It is shown that the combination of methanation with membrane-base gas separation technology provides significant advantages for process integration.