This article describes the rationale and protocol of a large data collection study in patients with new diabetic foot ulcers by the Eurodiale study group, a consortium of centres of expertise in the field of diabetic foot disease within Europe. This study is a multicentre, observational, prospective data collection study. Its main aim is to determine the major factors determining clinical outcome and outcome in terms of health-related quality of life and health care consumption. Between September 1, 2003, and October 1, 2004, in 14 European centres, all consecutive patients with diabetes and a new foot ulcer were included in the study and followed until the end point or for a maximum of one year. End points were healing of the foot, major amputation, or death. Data were collected on patient, foot, and ulcer characteristics and on diagnostic and management procedures. Furthermore, data were collected on health care organization, quality of life, and resource use. A total of 1232 patients were included in the study. Sixty-three percent of the patients were referred by their general practitioner or were self-referrals. Twenty-seven percent of the patients were admitted at the time of inclusion; 1088 patients were followed until the end point. "Optimal Organization of Health Care in Diabetic Foot Disease" is one of the first large multicentre studies in the field of diabetic foot disease on clinical presentation, clinical outcome, quality of life, resource utilization, and health care organization and their interrelationships. These data will provide us with new insights that enable us to improve care for these patients and guide the development of new studies in this area. The results of this study are the subject of a separate presentation. Optimal Organization of Health Care in Diabetic Foot Disease ⏐21


Next Friday, physicists will shut down the United States9s great atom smasher, the Tevatron collider at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). For a quarter of a century, the Tevatron reigned as the world9s highest-energy collider and scientists9 best probe of the structure of matter, until it was eclipsed by Europe9s Large Hadron Collider 18 months ago. But even as physicists plan to gather at Fermilab next week to toast the Tevatron, they say its legacy is a mixed bag: The Tevatron produced a lot of excellent science but yielded no surprises to make physicists rethink their standard model of fundamental particles and forces.


Shallow depth geophysical data from archaeological sites contain various levels and types of noise that hinters the valuable information of the subsurface architectural relics. Wavelet transform techniques were tested as a method for decomposition of the original geophysical data in order to eliminate the noise levels inherent to the geophysical measurements. In addition to the above, unsupervised classification techniques were employed for the final fusion of different datasets, originating from various survey or processing procedures. The resulting images were able to enhance the subsurface targets, eliminating the noise levels and exploiting fully the properties of the geophysical techniques used.


Market access is increasingly relying on ICTs that are adopted haphazardly yet less is known about available ICTs; technology, potential users, and characteristics of both entities hence the study assessed adoption of ICTs in market services by smallholders determining; components, factors influencing adoption, choice of combinations and 150 farmers and 50 traders were interviewed randomly. Majority of respondents had knowledge of ICT groups but only 22% had membership despite 80% agreeing that ICTs benefit agriculture. Radio and mobile phone were most used and poverty, poor power/network coverage limited ICT use whereas experience, family size and land farmed influenced adoption.


Introduction: The formation of a stereocomplex between PLLA and PDLA has been studied intensively because it increases the mechanical performance and thermal/hydrolytic resistance of polylactide-based materials; however, few studies have investigated the stereocomplex formation between PLLA and the (D-lactide)-containing PLLA copolymer. To investigate the effect of the D-lactide content of PLLA on the thermal behaviors and mechanical properties, (5D/95L) polylactide [(5D/95L)PLA], which contains a molar ratio of 5% of the D-form and 95% of the L-form of the monomer, and (15D/85L) polylactide [(15D/85L)PLA], which contains a molar ratio of 15% of the D-form and 85% of the L-form of the monomer, were used in a series of specimens. For the hydrolytic degradation test, the specimens were placed in 20-mL vials, which were filled with phosphate-buffered solution; the vials were allowed to stand at 57°C for 91 days in accordance with the ASTM F1635-95 (2000) standard test method for in vitro studies. The mechanical properties, thermal properties and crystallization behaviors were investigated using DSC and MTS, respectively. Results: The initial bending strength of the (5D/95L)PLA and (15D/85L)PLA were 35.4 and 31.1 N, respectively. After 1 week, the binding strength of the (5D/95L)PLA increased by 9.8%, and the binding strength of the (15D/85L)PLA decreased by 26%. In addition, the DSC curve of the (5D/95L)PLA demonstrated a higher melting temperature in the 1st week, and this Tc was observed in the DSC curve of the (5D/95L)PLA only during this time. The DSC curve of the (15D/85L)PLA was irregular. Discussion & Conclusions: In the (5D/95L)PLA, the recrystallization that occurred during the hydrolysis process was confirmed by the Tc and the increase in the bending strength. The stereocomplex crystallites may be formed in the (15D/85L)PLA during the degradation process. Because of the increase in the D-form monomer, the stereocomplexes were generated more easily and acted as nucleation sites. The PLLA crystal near the stereocomplex crystallites exhibited an incomplete structure, which led to a faster decrease in the bending strength. The low D-lactide content in the matrix of the PLLA did not form a stereocomplex crystallite because the surface area was not large enough to act as a nucleation site. However, the higher D-lactide-containing fraction formed a large stereocomplex crystallite. The (5D/95L)PLA demonstrated better thermal/hydrolytic resistance and mechanical stability than the (15D/85L)PLA.


Environmental design of buildings involves 'finding
 the optimum' solution satisfying predefined
 objective(s) (e.g., reduction in operating/capital cost,
 maximisation of daylighting etc.). A number of
 computer based simulation models exist to assist
 professionals in finding this optimum through
 building performance assessment. Contemporary
 practices involving building simulation require
 enormous effort to prepare input, extract output, and
 visualize data, which restricts designers from
 realizing the full potentials offered. In most cases,
 rules of thumb are applied and experienced guesses
 are made; simulation software is used only to
 validate the assumptions, which do not necessarily
 lead to the intended optimum. Moreover, these tools
 have been developed as simulation engines, which is
 inadequate to visualize the compounded and
 interdependent effect of a large number of design
 variables. The authors believe that to realize the potential
 offered by building simulation software, a new breed
 of DBSs (Decision Based Systems) is needed
 coupling existing simulation engines with formal
 optimisation methods through neutral data standards
 (BPM – building product models) for seamless
 integration. This paper first elaborates on the
 previous attempts at solving integration issues related
 to the design process and simulation; also attempts at
 finding the limitations. Secondly, formulation of
 design problems as optimisation has been discussed
 with reference to the different stages of design.
 Thirdly, for effective integration of activities among
 stakeholders and processes, the use of client/ server
 oriented building product model has been proposed
 to overcome the limitations of file-based prototypes.
 Analysis and discussions based on the above aspects
 form as justification for ArDOT, an Architectural
 Design Optimisation Tool under development at
 IRUSE, National University of Ireland, Cork.
 Combining all three aspects into one makes ArDOT
 unique, which is essentially an enhanced decision
 making tool for the design of energy efficient
 buildings.


Six randomized control trials were published simultaneously in one issue of the 'American Economic Journal: Applied Economics' in 2015. The studies show no or minimal impact from providing microloans to clients and have led many researchers and policy makers to conclude that microfinance has been proven to have little or no positive impacts on people's lives. We review in detail these six studies and find three main results. First, unsurprisingly, the insignificant results are replicable using the researcher's original data. Many coefficients are large, but very noisy. Second, every one of the studies is significantly underpowered. This is generally due to low take-up of the financial product offered. Pooling the data from the six studies together improves power for most outcomes, but minimum detectible effect sizes are still very large. Third, when we run analysis on the pooled sample, we find a treatment effect of 29% increase in profits, significant at the 5% level. We also obtain large impacts on business growth and household assets, but not for overall consumption. These results suggest that existing research on the impact of microfinance is generally underpowered to identify impacts, whether modest or zero, reliably. We end by discussing ways to improve future research on this topic.


Medium access control for wireless sensor networks has been a very active research area for the past couple of years. The sensor networks literature presents an alphabet soup of medium access control protocols with almost all of the works focusing only on energy efficiency. There is much more innovative work to be done at the MAC layer, but current efforts are not addressing the hard unsolved problems. Majority of the works appearing in the literature are "least publishable incremental improvements" over the popular S-MAC [1] protocol. In this paper we present research directions for future medium access research. We identify some open issues and discuss possible solutions.


Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychotherapy provides a bionetwork theory unifying empirical evidence in cognitive neuroscience and psychopathology to explain how emotion, learning, and reinforcement affect personality and its extremes. The book uses the theory to explain research results in both disciplines and to predict future findings, as well as to suggest what the theory and evidence say about how we should be treating disorders for maximum effectiveness. While theoretical in nature, the book has practical applications, and takes a mathematical approach to proving its own theorems. The book is unapologetically physical in nature, describing everything we think and feel by way of physical mechanisms and reactions in the brain. This unique marrying of cognitive neuroscience and clinical psychology provides an opportunity to better understand both. * Unifying theory for cognitive neuroscience and clinical psychology* Describes the brain in physical terms via mechanistic processes* Systematically uses the theory to explain empirical evidence in both disciplines* Theory has practical applications for psychotherapy* Ancillary material may be found at: http://booksite.elsevier.com/9780124200715 including an additional chapter and supplements


""The original (and still most weighty) reason for building new towns, in the minds of their advocates and pioneering experimenters, was the necessity of reducing the concentration of people and workplaces in very large towns, which otherwise cannot be relieved of congestion, disorder and squalor and rebuilt on a fully healthy, socially satisfactory or efficient pattern. A complementary motive was that new towns based on modern industry, in agricultural regions declining in populations owing to mechanization and other technical changes in farming, would bring fresh vitality and better services into such regions. This double intention should be kept in mind. Too often the new towns are discussed as if they were meant only to be ends in themselves, almost irrelevant to the redemption or renewal of the existing cities, and ruthlessly indifferent to rural interests. They were never thus disassociated in the minds of their proponents.""--Sir Frederic OsbornThe first edition of this highly-regarded book was published in 1963. For this new edition, the text has been thoroughly revised and updated throughout. Chapters have been added on the new towns started in Great Britain since 1963, and the descriptions of the earlier towns have been extended. Whereas in the earlier edition the towns were placed in the order of their dates of designation, they have now been grouped geographically: London region, North-East, North-West, Midlands, Wales, and Scotland.The purpose of the book remains the same: ..".to give a broad account of the new towns created in Great Britain and of the circumstances and lines of thought from which they arose, and an evaluation of their significance for the future of urban development."The work is divided into two parts: the first, by Osborn, concerns the background of the new towns movement and the questions of policy and planning that apply to new towns generally. Among his considerations are data patterns of town growth, the functions and failings of towns, policies of governmental intervention, legislation for new towns and their financing, antagonisms toward new towns, regional plans, and the influence of the new towns movement in Europe and America.Part Two, by Whittick, considers various new towns one by one. Descriptions are given of the first twenty-three of the thirty towns authorized in Great Britain up to 1968, and a selection of plans, maps, and photographs sufficient to indicate their form and character are provided for each town. For ease of comparison between towns, the order of sections within each chapter is the same: reasons for designation; features of the site; analysis of the outline plan; the course of construction; descriptions of residential areas, neighborhoods, town center, and industrial zones; and an appraisal of social aspects.


Natural gas sourced from Carboniferous coal-bearing strata is produced from Carboniferous, Permian and Triassic reservoirs in the Southern Permian Basin in northwest Europe. The composition of this gas has been reviewed. In all reservoirs a distinct area rich in non-hydrocarbons, principally nitrogen, coincides with the basin depocentre in northern Germany. Furthermore, the average nitrogen concentration increases upwards in the stratigraphy. Carbon dioxide is a minor component which is geographically restricted and occurs mainly in Carboniferous and Zechstein reservoirs. It is generated indigenously in these reservoirs and does not migrate into other reservoirs. Hydrogen sulphide occurs only significantly in the Zechstein and is areally restricted to the basin margin facies of this reservoir. It is formed by thermochemical sulphate reduction. The maturity of the source rock, timing of the trap formation relative to the gas source maturation and reservoir lithology appear to be the dominant controls on the non-hydrocarbon gas composition in the Southern Permian Basin. For very high nitrogen gases (50-100 vol. %), an admixture of inorganic nitrogen to the thermogenic gas from organic sources cannot be excluded.


Abstract : Automating a software process both magnifies its strengths and accentuates its weaknesses. Automation can make an effective process more effective, but it can make a chaotic process even worse and at considerable expense. Anyone who buys expensive tools to solve an ill-defined problem is likely to be disappointed. Unless procurring such tools is part of a thoughtful software process improvement plan, the purchase could be an expensive mistake. This report discusses software process maturity and its relationship to planning and installing computer-aided software engineering (CASE) systems. While process is not a magic answer (there isn't one), the key issues are discussed from a process perspective, and guidelines are given for avoiding the most common pitfalls. Since CASE systems can involve significant investment, an economic justification may be necessary. The relevant financial considerations are therefore discussed, and some basic steps for producing such justifications are outlined. Finally, some key considerations for introducing and using CASE systems are discussed.


The Boulder-Lefroy shear zone, developed in the ca. 2.7 to 2.65 Ga Archean greenstone sequence of the Kalgoorlie terrane in the Yilgarn craton, is remarkable for the number and importance of gold deposits it hosts. These include, from south to north, the following gold districts (with tons of contained Au): St Ives (253 t), Hampton-Boulder-Jubilee (123 t), Golden Mile (1,821 t) plus Mount Charlotte (219 t), and Paddington-Broad Arrow (112 t). Detailed structural studies reveal that the shear zone system developed in two main stages, the first related to a phase of north-northwest–south-southeast–trending folding and thrusting (regional D 2 ) and the second related to sinistral shearing (regional D 3 ) that reactivated and linked the preexisting north-north-west–south-southeast–trending network of thrust planes. Sinistral movement resulted in only limited displacement (less than 12 km) and evolved from a ductile shearing in broad zone toward semibrittle shearing along narrow planes (regional D 4 ). The structures suggest a temporal evolution from crustal thickening during D 2 through lateral escape during D 3 to the development of brittle structures during D 4 . The Fimiston and Oroya lodes at the Golden Mile in Kalgoorlie are also exceptional in their gold endowment and associated alteration and were most likely developed during D 2 . All other deposits along the shear zone system were formed within 25 m.y. of the Fimiston and Oroya lodes, late in the tectonic history of the terrane, either during D 3 or D 4 . Intense mineralization within and around the shear zone resulted from multiscale focusing of mineralizing fluids. At a regional scale, fluids were focused into the shear zone system and its large anticlines which expose deeper mafic and ultramafic rocks. At a local scale, fluids were further focused into structural pathways resulting from strain-induced permeability in rocks with contrasting rheology.


The availability of ubiquitous location-based data in cities has had far-reaching implications on analytical powers in various disciplines. This article focuses on some of the accrued benefits to urban transport planners and the urban planning field at large. It contends that the gains of Big Data and real-time information has not only improved analytical strength, but has also created ripple effects in the systemic approaches of city planning, integrating ex-post studies within the design cycle and redefining the planning process as a microscopic, iterative and self-correcting process. Case studies from the field are used to further highlight these newfound abilities to process finegrained analyses and propose more customized location-based solutions, offered by Big Data. A detailed description of the Torrance Living Lab experience maps out some of the potentials of using movement data from Big Data sources to design an alternative mobility plan for a low-density urban area. Finally, the paper reflects on Big Data's limited capacity at present to replace traditional forecast modelling tools, despite demonstrated advantages over traditional methods in gaining insight from past and present travel trends.


Most programming languages in use today let one freely use arbitrary (side) effects. This is despite the fact that unknown and unrestricted side effects are the cause of many software problems. We propose a programming model where effects are treated in a disciplined way, and where the potential side-effects of a function are apparent in its type signature. In contrast to most effect systems that are meant for internal compiler optimizations, our system is designed to be used by the programmer. Inspired by Haskell, we use a coarse-grained hierarchy of effects, like pure and io, which makes it convenient to read and write type signatures. The type and effect of expressions can also be inferred automatically, and we describe a polymorphic type inference system based on Hindley-Milner style inference.


Tissue engineering has been viewed as a valid approach toward the partial or total replacement of defective tissues and organs. Recent advances in nanotechnology have made it possible to develop biocompatible materials at the micro- and nano-scales to be used as scaffolds for cellular growth and regeneration of defective tissues. Gastric mucosal lining is an example of soft tissues that are highly susceptible to damage due to various reasons including cancer or ulcer development. Current therapeutic approaches to these diseases have some limitations. This chapter describes the basis for development of a novel modality combining nanotechnology, stem cells, and tissue engineering for the replacement of defective gastric tissues using synthetic biocompatible scaffolds. These microfibrous scaffolds are seeded with gastric stem cells, which are studied for their pro liferation and differentiation into functional gastric mucous cells. neck cells. These results provide the basis for a valid potential application of tissue engineering for regeneration of gastric tissues.


Background and Aim: Malassezia is a lipophilic and dimorphic fungus which has different species. Some of them can be found as natural flora on the skin and in some conditions may cause seborrheic dermatitis. The aim of this study was to identify Malassezia species associated with seborrheic dermatitis in Iranian patients, using PCR-RFLP. Methods: In this study out of 79 patients with seborrheic dermatitis, isolates of 70 patients were positive for Malassezia species using PCR-RFLP. The Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) region was amplified by PCR employing the ITS3 and ITS4 primers and The restriction endonucleases Alu I, Ban I and Msp AI were selected for producing distinct RFLP patterns. Results: M. globosa (48.6%), M. furfur (40.0%), M. slooffiae (8.6%) and M. sympodialis (2.8%), were the microorganisms responsible for the infection among participants. obtuse, M. nana and M. yamatoensis were not isolated from any samples. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the most common Malassezia species associated with seborrheic dermatitis was M. globosa , followed by M. furfur .


Tax-deferred savings are potentially an important component of savings for retirement and could represent a very substantial increase in tax-free savings for many employees. IRAs may also have a substantial effect on national savings. Total IRA contributionsin 1982 were over 29 billion dollars. Despite the program's size and potential significance, little is known about the determinants of IRA contributions.This paper presents: (1) analysis of the effect of individual attributes on whether a person contributes, (2) analysis of the effect of individual attributes on how much is contributed,and (3) simulations of the effect of potential changes in contribution limits on the amount that is contributed to IRA accounts. Results of a similar analysis based on Canadian data are compared with results for the United States. Persons with low incomes are unlikely to have IRA accounts. In addition, after controlling for income, age, and other variables, persons without private pension plans are no more likely than those with them to Contribute to an IRA. The analysis of Canadian data yields similar findings, and indeed specific parameter estimates for the two countries are very similar. Simulations based on the estimates suggest that the current Treasury Department proposal would lead to about a 30 percent increase in IRA contributions.


College participation and substance use disorder treatment do not need to, nor should they, be pursued in isolation from one another. Modern treatment opportunities exist which place an emphasis on school as a restorative and curative aspect of the treatment plan and encourage active class participation throughout the traditional treatment continuum. This interactive presentation will enhance participants' efficacy through reframing of clinical interventions through a Narrative Therapy lens in order to assist clients in finding their purpose through developmentally appropriate interventions, and the use of academics and "In-Vivo" offerings as an intervention to increase engagement in treatment. Adjusting our concept of a "continuum of care" to include real world experiences in order to challenge, empower, and inspire emerging adults; thereby creating a paradigm shift in the lives of recovering students in early stages of recovery.


There is an increasing need to introduce socially interactive robots as a means of assistance in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) treatment and rehabilitation, to improve the effectiveness of rehabilitation training and the diversification of treatment, and to alleviate the shortage of medical personnel in mainland China and other places in the world. In this preliminary clinical study, three different socially interactive robots with different appearances and functionalities were tested in therapy-like settings in four different rehabilitation facilities/institutions in Shenzhen, China. Seventy-four participants, including 52 children with ASD, whose processes of interacting with robots were recorded by three different cameras, all received a single-session three-robot intervention. Data were collected from not only the videos recorded, but also the questionnaires filled mostly by parents of the participants. Some insights from the preliminary results were obtained. These can contribute to the research on physical robot design and evaluations on robots in therapy-like settings. First, when doing physical robot design, some preferential focus should be on aspects of appearances and functionalities. Second, attention analysis using algorithms such as estimation of the directions of gaze and head posture of a child in the video clips can be adopted to quantitatively measure the prosocial behaviors and actions (e.g., attention shifting from one particular robot to other robots) of the children. Third, observing and calculating the frequency of the time children spend on exploring/playing with the robots in the video clips can be adopted to qualitatively analyze such behaviors and actions. Limitations of the present study are also presented.


DNA photolyases use light energy to repair DNA that comprises ultraviolet-induced lesions such as the cis-syn cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs). Here we report the crystal structure of a DNA photolyase bound to duplex DNA that is bent by 50° and comprises a synthetic CPD lesion. This CPD lesion is flipped into the active site and split there into two thymines by synchrotron radiation at 100 K. Although photolyases catalyze blue light–driven CPD cleavage only above 200 K, this structure apparently mimics a structural substate during light-driven DNA repair in which back-flipping of the thymines into duplex DNA has not yet taken place.


Under low vacuum condition (5Pa), Q-switched YAG laser ablates plane aluminum target and plasma are produced. Optical emission spectroscopy is used to carry out time-resolved analysis of atomic particles. Using the resonance transition of AlI 396.1 nm(3p 2 P—4s 2 S), the velocity distribution of AlI in space has been determined at laser power densities of 1.91×10 10 , 5.10×10 10 and 7.64×10 10 W/cm 2 , respectively, when the ablating size is about 200 μm. The velocity is of the order of 10 6 cm/s and the time decays nearly agree with the exponential law as the radial distance from the target surface increases. At a fixed position, the velocity shows some decrease as the laser power density being increased, but when the distance is above 15 mm, the velocity converges to unification one. Shockwave model is used and gives a good agreement with the experimental results. From the model, it is deduced that the shockwave front has cylindrical symmetry.


Thirty-five muscle biopsies were performed on 27 patients with postpoliomyelitis progressive muscular atrophy (PPMA) (8 patients had two biopsies) and 5 asymptomatic postpolio patients in an attempt to define diagnostic criteria for the newly weakening muscles and to provide insights into the mechanism of the disease. PPMA muscles that had been left weak since the original illness showed a mixture of myopathy with new and old denervation including group atrophy and nuclear clumps. Fully recovered or originally spared PPMA muscles showed signs of reinnervation and recent denervation. Perivascular or interstitial inflammatory cells (predominantly lymphocytes unrelated to phagocytosis) were noted in 40% of all the PPMA biopsies. It is concluded that (1) postpolio muscle biopsies show a spectrum of morphologic changes that depend on whether the biopsied muscle was originally affected and had fully or partially recovered, (2) the newly weakened muscles show signs of recent denervation, and (3) the presence of reinnervation in the asymptomatic muscles and the patterns of recent and old denervation in PPMA muscles provide information regarding the degree of compensation of the surviving motor neurons and their apparent failure for further reinnervation via axonal sprouting.


Cationic lipoplexes, which consist of cationic lipids and DNA, are widely used in gene transfection. Recently, some reports suggest that the transfection efficiency of lipoplexes is affected by its formulation and physicochemical properties. To improve the lipoplex transfection efficiency, we examined gene transfection using lipoplexes treated with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) that affects the phase behavior of the phospholipid bilayer. Lipoplexes were prepared with different cationic lipid to DNA ratios and then subjected to hydrostatic pressure at 5,000 and 10,000 atm. Non-pressurized lipoplex and HHP-treated lipoplex (after removing pressure) were evaluated. Dynamic light scattering measurement showed that the size of HHP-treated lipoplex increased compared with non-pressurized lipoplex, suggesting that formulation change and assembly of lipoplexes occurred under high hydrostatic pressure. Lipoplexes with and without HHP treatment were transferred into HeLa and COS-7 cells. The transfection efficiency of HHP-treated lipoplex increased compared with non-pressurized lipoplex, irrespective of the mixture ratio. Also, the transfection efficiency of HHP-treated lipoplex remained higher for several days. These results suggest that high hydrostatic pressure induces structural change in lipoplex, thereby affecting the transfection efficiency.


The current day scenario demands drastic enhancement in information search engines. The quest for information or representation of information is more compact and precise to point when represented as image than a near text. As a result image search has gained an intense popularity. Searching or retrieving image based on its content is called content based image retrieval. There are various synch methods so far implemented and all of these methods are also support by feedback system from the user to fine tune the search results. But still because of intelligence modules implemented and time factors those methods are impractical away for real applications. Thus this work proposes a new user navigation pattern based feedback system to support content based image retrieval.


I. INTRODUCTIONFor the past two decades, small business owners have consistently reported that regulatory burdens, and the onerous paperwork that compliance requires, are among their top concerns.1 They know firsthand how difficult it can be to obtain the necessary approvals and to meet multifarious regulatory requirements simply to make an honest living. They must navigate through the complexities of an ever-changing regulatory system governing their daily activities.2Whereas a Fortune 500 company will have a team of compliance officers and attorneys ready to tackle regulatory issues like a swarm of wasps, a typical small business has only ten employees and lacks the financial resources to address regulatory roadblocks in the same manner.3 Without a standing army of experts, small businesses cannot efficiently clear regulatory hurdles; therefore, the cost of compliance is necessarily higher for them.4 Indeed, small business owners are put in a real bind when they cannot obtain or afford necessary permits, when their costs of compliance are too high, or when they are faced with litigating a case against a federal agency with a large and comparatively bottomless budget. Regulatory burdens bar entry into the market. They prevent many potential businesses from getting offthe ground and sometimes force business owners to forgo business opportunities, downsize, or fold up shop.5Small business owners understand how frustrating it can be to work with regulators because they must do so on a regular basis. A typical individual, however, will inevitably feel the same frustrations when confronted with a regulatory problem in his or her personal life. Something as seemingly simple as obtaining a permit to build a modest addition to a home-on one's own property-can become an administrative nightmare. Most individuals, like most small businesses, lack the resources to defend their rights when they fall under the bureaucratic thumb of indiscriminate regulators.6Regulators exacerbate this problem when they adopt a "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality, as demonstrated in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency.7 Decided this past Term in the United States Supreme Court, the case concerned the troubles of Mike and Chantell Sackett-an ordinary couple of modest means. In 2007, the Sacketts received a compliance order from the EPA alleging that they had violated the Clean Water Act (CWA)8 when they began construction on their dream home on an approximately half-acre patch of dry land in the Idaho panhandle.9 In the compliance order, the EPA asserted that the Sacketts' property was a jurisdictional wetland, but the order provided no evidence to substantiate the allegation.10 The Sacketts wished to contest the EPA's jurisdiction over their property, but the couple was denied any opportunity to challenge the Agency's compliance order. 11 According to the EPA, their only option was to take immediate action to remedy the alleged violation or face ruinous fines of as much as $75,000 per day.12 The Sacketts had to fight all the way to the Supreme Court simply for the chance to contest the EPA's jurisdiction to issue the compliance order-an order that was issued without any probable cause that the Sacketts had violated the law and without on-site analysis to confirm the existence of federally regulable wetlands.13 The absence of probable cause and supporting evidence is particularly troubling given that a jurisdictional wetlands determination is very fact-intensive and site-specific.14 Ultimately, the Supreme Court would hold that the Sacketts had a right to sue the EPA pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act.15In their victory in the Supreme Court, the Sacketts not only vindicated their individual rights, they established the important precedent that a federal agency cannot issue a compliance order without giving its recipient a meaningful opportunity to contest the agency's jurisdiction.16 Previously, the EPA could issue compliance orders on a whim, based only on speculative conjecture as to whether the property in question was in fact a jurisdictional wetland. …


Political knowledge is a concept of central importance in political communication research, yet exactly how it should be operationalized has been a long-running conversation among scholars. The study of political knowledge is rooted in democratic theory, which suggests that citizens should be informed if they are to participate in a democratic society. Political knowledge is also referred to as political sophistication or political expertise. Generally, political knowledge is defined as holding correct information, but the type of information can vary dramatically from study to study—from civic knowledge to issue knowledge to candidate information to the structural relationships among cognitions.
 Because political knowledge is so often seen as a bedrock of a democratic society, scholars often examine what cultural, economic, and political antecedents play a role in increasing or decreasing political knowledge. However, knowledge can also be examined as a predictor of behaviors such as voting, a moderator in the study of framing effects, or a mediator between communication and political behavior. But the problem that plagues political knowledge research, just as it has plagued scholars of general knowledge for centuries, is how to measure it. Like general knowledge, which is often measured in exams or through IQ tests, political knowledge isn't directly measurable. Political knowledge, then, cannot be fully captured in a series of test questions. The challenge facing scholars interested in this important variable is one of measurement and interpretation, which means that there are many ways to measure political knowledge.


Businesses have long tried to influence political outcomes, but today, there is a new and potent form of corporate political power—Platform Advocacy. Internet-based platforms, such as Facebook, Google, and Uber, mobilize their user bases through direct solicitation of support and the more troubling exploitation of irrational behavior. Platform Advocacy helps platforms push policy agendas that create favorable legal environments for themselves, thereby strengthening their own dominance in the marketplace. This new form of advocacy will have radical effects on deliberative democracy.

In the age of constant digital noise and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to detect and analyze new forms of political power. This Article will contribute to our understand-ing of one such new form and provide a way forward to ensure the exceptional power of platforms do not improperly influence consumers and, by extension, lawmakers.


The glauconite-rich Diest Formation in central and north Belgium contains sands in the Campine subsurface and the hilly Hageland area that can be distinguished from each other. The Hageland Diest Sands member contains no stratigraphically relevant fossils while in the Campine subsurface dinoflagellate cysts are common and show a stratigraphic range covering the entire Tortonian stage. K-Ar dates were determined for glauconite from 13 selected samples spread over both areas. A glauconite date corresponding to the earliest Tortonian indicates newly formed glauconite was incorporated into a greensand at the base of the Diest Formation in the central Campine area. All other dates point at reworked glauconite and can be organized in two groups, one reflecting a Burdigalian age and another reflecting a Langhian age. These data and the thickness and glauconite content of the Diest Formation imply massive reworking of older Miocene deposits. The paleogeographic implications of these data lead to the tentative recognition of two Tortonian sedimentary sequences. An older one corresponding to dinoflagellate biochron DN8 comprises the Deurne Member, part of the Dessel Member, the Hageland Diest member, the eastern Campine Diest member and some basal sands of the Diest Formation in the central Campine. A younger sequence corresponding to dinoflagellate biochrons DN9 and 10 was strongly influenced by the prograding proto-Rhine delta front in the Roer Valley Graben to the northeast. The subsiding Campine basin was filled from east to west during this second cycle.


Objective: The aim of this study was to determine how height of a hand wheel affects maximum torque production and risk of injury to the shoulders and back of workers. Background: Workers in the processing, refinery, and energy generation industries manually open and close valves with hand wheels that require high torque. This task is physically strenuous and can lead to shoulder musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Method: Maximum torque exertions in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions at three heights (knee, chest, and overhead) were tested. Results: The torque production in the counterclockwise (left) direction was greater than that of the clockwise (right) direction (150.5 N·m vs. 141 N·m). This main effect was independent of valve height, as there was no interaction between direction and valve height (p = .686). Participants exerted at least 10% greater torque at the overhead level than at the chest level (means of 153.2 N·m vs. 138.3 N·m). There was no difference in maximum torque between knee and overhead levels and between knee and chest levels. Conclusion: According to ergonomics principles, the risk of MSDs affecting the shoulder and trunk from turning valves should be lowest at chest height because the postures of the shoulder and trunk are at or near neutral. However, workers exerted greatest torque when the valve was located overhead. Whether valves located at overhead height, compared with chest height, present greater risk of MSDs to workers is not known. Application: Design engineers should avoid placing hand wheel valves at knee height or lower.


By using information on state of birth in the 1990 Census of the United States, the authors create a variable serving as a proxy for the distribution of adult children in 1985. This variable is then used in a two-level nested logit model to explain the 1985 – 90 interstate primary migration of elderly black people and elderly white people within the context of environmental amenities and other factors. The main findings are as follows. First, the location of adult children as well as environmental amenities are among the most important attractions for the primary migration of elderly black and white people. Their effects are stronger on white people than on black people. Because a relatively high proportion of out-migrated black adult children are located in the industrial states of the snowbelt and a relatively high proportion of their white counterparts are located in high-amenity states of the sunbelt, the attractions of adult children and environmental amenities are more prone to counter each other for elderly black people and to reinforce each other for elderly white people. Consequently, the net transfers of elderly primary migrants are small and somewhat oriented toward the snowbelt for black people, but they are voluminous and strongly oriented toward the sunbelt for white people. Second, the attraction of adult children is strong for not only the unmarried but also the married elderly, although it is somewhat stronger for the widowed aged 75 years and over. This finding can be taken as evidence for the viability of the 'modified extended family' system, which not only legitimizes the out-migration of adult children for career advancement but also encourages the migration of elderly parents to be close to their non-coresident children for services that require continual proximity. It also suggests that the elderly do not have a strong tendency to delay their migration toward non-coresident children until the loss of a spouse or becoming very old.


One of the main challenges in the design and operation of offshore wind turbines arises from the uncertainty about maximum scour depth around their foundations. Scour action can lead to excessive excavation of the surrounding seabed and is being considered as a major risk for offshore wind farm developments. An ability to gather information concerning the evolution of scouring will enable the validation of models derived from laboratory-based studies, the assessment of different engineering designs and the development of improved scour countermeasure techniques. However, real-time scour data are not being collected due to a lack of available instrumentation techniques. This paper proposes a new scour monitoring technology for offshore wind turbine installations. The monitoring system consists of arrays of small capacitive scour probes installed around the foundation structure and linked to a wireless network to enable remote data acquisition. Based on this research, it is concluded that the sensor is capable of exhibiting high sensitivity to scour and sediment deposition processes for common sea floor mediums under different temperature conditions in saline water. The proposed monitoring system has considerable potential for field applications that will contribute to improving the resilience and sustainability of offshore structures.


The quality of healthcare is increasingly the subject of scrutiny by a range of stakeholders, including healthcare provider organisations, health professionals and their representative bodies, healthcare purchasers and funders, policy makers and national governments, patients and users of health services. The use of a variety of quality measures has become widespread in the healthcare systems of many developed countries, including the United Kingdom. The twin tasks of measuring and improving the quality of care - often termed quality assurance - have been addressed by new arrangements for professional accountability, new approaches to managing and comparing organisational performance, and new statutory and legal mechanisms. Adverse events in healthcare, which can be loosely defined as instances which indicate or may indicate that a patient has received poor quality care, offer an important opportunity for quality measurement and improvement. There is extensive evidence that adverse events are relatively common, that they can have serious and lasting impacts on patients, and that they represent a considerable cost to healthcare organisations. Equally importantly, evidence in healthcare and experience in other sectors suggests that adverse events offer an important insight into the strengths and weaknesses of healthcare processes, and an invaluable opportunity to bring about improvements in the quality of care. Adverse events have been used quite widely, particularly in the United States of America, as the basis of a number of measures of the quality of healthcare. However, these measures have rarely been developed and tested rigorously before they have entered widespread usage, and there has been considerable debate about their advantages and disadvantages. A series of empirical studies were undertaken, using data collected through the use of adverse-event measures of quality in a British acute hospital, aimed at investigating the validity and reliability of those measures. The results showed that the adverse-event measures being tested had moderate to good face, content and construct validity. Although their validity was capable of improvement, it was still clear that they were measuring meaningful and important dimensions of the quality of healthcare. However, the reliability of the measures being tested was more mixed. While experimental studies of interrater and intrarater reliability indicated that they had moderate to good reliability (though, again, it was capable of improvement) observational studies suggested that the reliability in actual use might be lower than that found during testing. This research concludes that adverse-event measures of quality are important measures of the quality of healthcare, which should be used in healthcare quality assurance with two main provisos. Firstly, the development of measures should be more rigorous, and should pay more attention to both validity and reliability issues. Secondly, the routine use of such measures should incorporate some element of ongoing reliability testing, in order to ensure that good reliability is maintained.


The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the effects of altered item order on attitude measures for both computerized adaptive and conventional survey formats. Based on items modified from a dissertation/thesis completion survey (Green & Kluever, 1997) with three scales, three survey versions were generated with items ordered by difficulty as hard-to-easy (H-E), easy-to-hard (E-H), and five medium trait level items presented first followed by randomly ordered items (M-R) for conventional survey format. Significant differences in item difficulty and item discrimination were found for two of the three scales. Differences in scale reliability were detected for the procrastination and responsibility scales. Also, significant correlations between scale total score and scale attitude strength were discovered with each survey version. Further, two computerized adaptive survey version were generated. One began with items at medium and the other at extremely high trait levels. Results showed significant differences in number of items administered to achieve a set level of precision for two scales and significant differences in reaction time were found for one scale between the two versions. The version of item starting at the extreme trait level required more items, and took longer to respond to. Further, significant differences in the estimated person parameter were found for one scale between the two survey versions. Based on the results of both survey formats indicating item order effects pose a problem for assessing attitude.


This article offers an historical perspective on the process by which British Hindus have sought to become a 'faith community' in response to local civic pressures and the intensification of government rhetoric on harnessing the capacity of religious bodies in support of public policy, and also as an expression of Hindu nationalist and ecumenical interests. I review my earlier analysis of Hindus in Leeds, noting the four processes of institutionalisation, retraditionalisation, standardisation, and the production of community, and, through Hindu ephemera, consider these same processes for Hindus elsewhere in Britain in the period 1980 to 2006 in the context of the rise of identity politics and the return of religion to public prominence. Although these processes remain relevant, others have emerged, notably the public representation of 'Hinduism,' and the impact of a diasporic politics of Hindutva.


It has been suggested that Single/Double Summer Time (SDST) should be adopted in the United Kingdom. Under this system of timekeeping, the sun would rise and set throughout the year one hour later by the clock than at present. This report considers the likely effect of this change upon the number of road accident casualties. Trigonometrical equations are used to calculate the altitude of the sun at any date and time for any point in the country. This allows the light level at the time of any accident to be represented by the altitude of the sun, and added to the basic accident data. Two alternative statistical models have been used to analyse accident data for Great Britain for periods between 1969 and 1994 to investigate the effect of darkness on the number of casualties. These show that darkness leads to more casualties, and that the effect increases with casualty severity. The study also analyses data for fatal accidents from USA for 1991-95. The adoption of SDST in Great Britain would transfer an hour of daylight from the morning, when there are relatively few casualties, to the afternoon and evening when there are more. It is predicted that this would reduce the number of people killed and injured in road accidents. The estimates of the reduction in the number of deaths per year range between 104 and 138, depending upon the assumptions made. (A)


Background and Aim: The patient is the main customer for hospital services. Patient satisfaction can reflect if the services are performed correctly. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the degree of client tribute plan and inpatients and outpatients satisfaction in Shiraz hospitals. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytic and cross sectional study was done among 211 inpatients and 1,175 outpatients in 8 Shiraz hospitals. The instruments for data collection were two client tribute plan and patient satisfaction questionnaires. Data collected by interviews and observation. Data were entered into SPSS. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation test were used for data analysis. Results: Forty five point four percent of patients and 44.1 percent of outpatients assessed the hospital service satisfaction as weak. The mean score of inpatient and outpatient satisfaction was 60.538.9± and 54.2212.6± respectively. There were significant relationship between type of admission and satisfaction (p=0.001). Mean score of client tribute plan was 182.4411.8± that placed in the appropriate level. There were no significant relationships between client tribute plan and inpatients and outpatients satisfaction (p=0.143). Conclusion: Although client tribute plans perform properly, patient satisfaction is low. In this regard, it is recommended that review client tribute plan clients in healthcare systems and adopt its contents with the needs of patients.


Background In Saudi Arabia, the non-prescription sale of drugs has threatened patient safety for at least a decade. It has been reported that community pharmacists often dispense medicines based solely on consumer request. The current study investigated consumers' non-prescription requests for prescription medicines, community pharmacists' efforts to ensure the correct dispensing of medicines and pharmacists' views on the incidence and reporting of adverse events in their practice. Method A qualitative study using a structured interview format with pre-defined themes was conducted among 10 hospital-affiliated and 10 non-hospital-affiliated community pharmacies in Al-Hofuf, Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Results Consumer requests were highest for analgesics (eg, Panadol and Voltaren) followed by cough preparations and antibiotics. Augmentin and ciprofloxacin were the antibiotics most frequently requested over the counter. In hospital-affiliated pharmacies, non-prescription dispensing was mostly carried out for regular customers. Nearly 30% of consumers were familiar with the names of the medicine they requested, while 30–35% normally brought empty bottles or boxes. However, pharmacists sometimes guessed (eg, based on shape, colour and/or price) the correct medicine. Stomach pain, urticaria, nasal bleeding, indigestion and mouth dryness were recently observed adverse events. However, due to lack of awareness of suitable websites or contact numbers for regulatory authorities, no pharmacist had ever reported an adverse event. Conclusions Analgesics and antibiotics were frequently dispensed without prescription with pharmacists often using their personal judgment to ensure the right medicine was dispensed. Adverse events in community pharmacy settings in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia were under-reported.


The main objective of the GOLF Experiment (Global Oscillations at Low Frequencies) on-board the SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) space mis- sion is the quantitative knowledge of the internal struc- ture of the Sun by measuring the spectrum of its global oscillations in a wide frequency range (30 nHz to 6 mHz). There is special interest in detecting the low ' p- and g-modes (low frequency modes) which penetrate deeply down into the solar core. The instrument chosen is an im- proved disk-integrated sunlight resonant scattering spec- trophotometer. It obtains the line of sight velocity of the integrated visible solar surface by measuring the Doppler shift of the sodium doublet. Mainly, two innovations have been incorporated to standard earth-based similar appa- ratus (those from the networks IRIS and BISON). First, GOLF samples each line of the sodium doublet in prin- ciple at four points on its wings, using an extra small modulated magnetic eld. This new information enables an instantaneous calibration of the measured signal and also opens the possibility to correct from the background solar velocity noise. Second, the use of an extra xed quar- ter wave plate, placed at the entrance of the instrument, enables a selection of the circularly polarized solar light. Therefore, the disk averaged solar line-of-sight component of the magnetic eld can also be obtained. This is consid- ered as a secondary objective of the mission. In order to study the new information available due to these improve- ments in the apparatus, the necessity of fully understand- ing it and the need to write the appropriate software to analyze the data, a complete numerical simulation of the experiment has been built. Running the simulation has yielded two series of 12 months long each, one correspond- ing to a year of maximum solar activity and the other to a year of minimum solar activity. In this paper the numerical simulation of the GOLF experiment is presented, its sen- sitivity and instrumental response calculated and a power spectra of this two series have been obtained to show its


Automatic localization and recognition of text and symbols in images found in biomedical journal articles could significantly improve indexing and retrieval of biomedical literature, thus contributing to clinical decision support. Main difficulties in automatic localization of text and symbols in medical images are in the irregularity of their occurrence and in the variety of font features. The difficulties are compounded by image quality, image background interference, arbitrary location, and variability in the text block size. We present results of automatic localization and annotation of text and symbols in medical images. Our methods take advantage of gross image features and automatically identified image modality (classification of images into 4 broad types: color, illustration, radiographic and other.) 2D adaptive noise removal Wiener filtering is used as preprocessing step to reduce the image noise. Automatic histogram thresholding, morphological method, Quadtree technique, DCT, and connected component analysis are selectively used on different image types for extracting text and symbol locations. Text area merging and region growth techniques are used as post-processing methods to improve the precision of the bounding box locations. Initial experiments on 100 images achieve precision and recall of 78.42% and 89.38%, respectively, with an average accuracy of 72.02%.


The I.S.C.I. project "Innovative Services to Strengthen Cooperation and Internationalisation between SMEs in the field of agro-food industry (Greece-Italy)" targets the Axis 1 of the European territorial cooperation INTERREG program Greece-Italy 2007-2013: "Strengthening competitiveness and innovation". The project was born with the aim of strengthen the presence of the local agro-food SMEs (in Apulia Region, Italy, and in Corfu, Greece) on the foreign markets, enhancing innovation processes and coordinated cooperation in order to foster the internationalisation processes of the agro food industry. The ISCI project objective and purpose is the definition of a model aiming at the constitution of technological incubators that will network to deliver innovative services for the internationalisation of the agro-food SMEs system. In progress within the ISCI project, the paper aims to determine different patterns of internationalisation that characterise the local field of agro-food industry, in particular those that seem to be predominant within the most strategic sectors of the local agro-food industry.


Important antibiotics in human medicine have been used for many decades in animal agriculture for growth promotion and disease treatment. Several publications have linked antibiotic resistance development and spread with animal production. Aquaculture, the newest and fastest growing food production sector, may promote similar or new resistance mechanisms. This review of 650+ papers from diverse sources examines parallels and differences between land-based agriculture of swine, beef, and poultry and aquaculture. Among three key findings was, first, that of 51 antibiotics commonly used in aquaculture and agriculture, 39 (or 76%) are also of importance in human medicine; furthermore, six classes of antibiotics commonly used in both agriculture and aquaculture are also included on the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of critically important/highly important/important antimicrobials. Second, various zoonotic pathogens isolated from meat and seafood were observed to feature resistance to multiple antibiotics on the WHO list, irrespective of their origin in either agriculture or aquaculture. Third, the data show that resistant bacteria isolated from both aquaculture and agriculture share the same resistance mechanisms, indicating that aquaculture is contributing to the same resistance issues established by terrestrial agriculture. More transparency in data collection and reporting is needed so the risks and benefits of antibiotic usage can be adequately assessed.


Many farmers, in addition to normal farming activity, have already turned to agritourism as a source of additional farm income and opportunities. There are numerous benefits from the development of agritourism: it may strengthen local economy, create job opportunities and new businesses; develop and promote training and certification programs to introduce young people to agriculture and environment. Agritourism helps preserve rural lifestyles and landscape and also offers the opportunity to provide "sustainable" or "green" tourism. Organic agriculture is a cultural evolution that finds its origins in a environmentalist culture. Furthermore the focus on these products is due to demand on healthy foods with high quality standard limiting chemical substances usage. It's clear the link of the organic agriculture with agritourism and tourism services. They have a considerable role in the future development of rural areas. The purpose of this paper was to identify and examine those factors that have helped rural communities successfully develop agritourism, in particular organic agritourism and its entrepreneurship opportunities. Several focus groups were conducted with local business persons and leaders about a applicative case of South Italy area.


Introduction Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs12979860 and rs8099917 near the IL28B gene predict response to treatment in chronic hepatitis C (CH-C). Control of HCV infection is linked to strong immune responses. Little is known on the association between IL28B SNPs, innate and adaptive immune responses in relation to therapy outcome in CH-C. Aim To evaluate the relationship between rs12979860 and rs8099917, pre-treatment frequency/phenotype of natural killer (NK) cells (innate immunity), HCV-specific immune responses (adaptive immunity), and Peg-IFN/ribavirin response. Method Patients: 19 CH-C genotype 1 patients (13 males, median age 47 years) treated with Peg-IFN/ribavirin were divided in 3 groups: 10 responders (SVR), 5 non-responders (NR) and 4 relapsers (Rel). Methods: rs12979860 and rs8099917 were tested by direct sequencing. Baseline numbers of NK cells (CD3−CD56+), their subsets CD56dim/CD56bright, CD3-CD56+/−CD16+/−, and expression of NK cell activation/inhibition (NKG2D/NKG2A) markers were investigated by flowcytometry on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). PBMC IFN-γ and IL-10 production after exposure to HCV-core, NS3, NS4, NS5 antigens was evaluated by intracellular cytokine staining. Results are presented as medians. Results rs12979860 haplotype CC was present in 32% of patients (40% SVR and 50% Rel), CT in 63% (60% SVR, 50% Rel and 80%NR) and TT in 5% (20% NR); rs 8099917 haplotype TT was present in 68% (80% SVR, 75% Rel and 40% NR) and GT in 32% (20% SVR, 25% Rel and 60% NR). Baseline number of NK cells was similar in all groups, but that of CD56bright cells was higher in SVR than Rel/NR (6.7% vs 3.3%, p=0.04). CD3−CD56−CD16+ cells were more frequent in NR and Rel than SVR (14.4% vs 10.1% and 7.7%, p=0.05). The proportion of CD56dim cells NKG2D+ was higher in SVR than Rel and NR (51.1% vs 37.3% and 25.2%, p=0.04). While number of HCV-specific IFN-γ producing cells was similar in all groups, IL-10 producing cells were higher in Rel and NR than SVR for HCV core (CD4+/IL-10: 4.8% vs 3.5% vs 1.8%, p=0.05). Compared to patients with rs12979860 CT/TT haplotypes, those with CC haplotype had more CD56bright cells (6.8% vs 3.5%, p=0.04), but fewer CD3-CD56−CD16+ NK cells (7.9% vs 14.2%, p=0.05) and HCV-core specific CD4+/IL-10+ cells (4.5% vs 2.1%, p=0.05). There was no association between rs8099917 haplotypes, NK-cell number/phenotype and HCV-specific immune responses. Conclusion High numbers of CD56bright NK cells, low numbers of unconventional CD3−CD56−CD16+ NK cells, and low HCV-specific IL-10 production at baseline are associated with IL28B gene SNP rs12979860 CC haplotype and successful antiviral treatment of CH-C genotype 1.


The spatial and temporal variation in Argentine shortfin squid Illex argentinus abundance distribution was examined over its fishing phase on the Patagonia Shelf and shelf break, Southwest Atlantic (SWA), using Taiwanese jigger's fishery data. Geostatistical techniques were applied to characterize the spatial and temporal variability in the squid abundance and its relation to seawater temperature. The experimental semivariograms indicated that the abundance of Argentine shortfin squid was spatially structured in the SWA, with various abundance levels. The spherical models for all years, except 2010, explained most spatial information from the annual squid abundance distribution patterns. The linear regression analysis confirmed a negative relationship between the annual squid abundance and seawater temperature in the studied years. High squid abundance was estimated using Kriging interpolations along the 200-m isobath from 40°S to as far south as 50°S. The elliptical isopleth lines extended a longer distance from the 200-m isobath to the shelf side in high abundance years, such as 1999 and 2007. Scattered patches of low values were observed in the very low-abundance year of 2004. The integrated total squid biomass using Kriging interpolation upheld a healthy stock status in the SWA fishing ground. Our research showed that the geostatistical procedure is effective in describing the annual spatial pattern, and the parameters resulting from stationary modeling are valuable and useful in estimating the annual total biomass in the realized fishing ground.


High-tech robots called PackBots will be unleashed during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil to help boost security and examine suspicious objects. The Brazilian government purportedly spent US$7.2 million to buy 30 military-grade robots from designers iRobot that will police the stadiums throughout Brazil's 12 host cities during soccer matches. PackBot is a hunk of metal with an extendable arm and tactile claw, jam-packed onboard sensors and a computer with overheat protection, nine high-resolution cameras and lasers and two-way audio. But is it overkill to implement wartime robots to a sporting event?


Technology innovators must pitch their technology and its business value to potential buyers, partners, and distributors: to make claims that will create interest in the appropriate audiences and offer evidence that those audiences recognize as credible and applicable. Such pitches typically involve a spoken presentation and a slide deck, both of which must persuade stakeholders. The pitch represents a rhetorically complex argument backed by many interconnected genres. We examine how innovators in an entrepreneurship development program, structured as a competition, developed pitches in response to feedback. We examine pitch changes in terms of overall structure, individual claims and evidence, and engagement tactics. Our findings suggest that presenters found this task of adjusting their pitches to be difficult, partly because the training program's current feedback does not separate out these different aspects. We recommend developing a heuristic to better structure arguments.


We propose a fast batch learning method for linear-chain Conditional Random Fields (CRFs) based on Newton-CG methods. Newton-CG methods are a variant of Newton method for high-dimensional problems. They only require the Hessian-vector products instead of the full Hessian matrices. To speed up Newton-CG methods for the CRF learning, we derive a novel dynamic programming procedure for the Hessian-vector products of the CRF objective function. The proposed procedure can reuse the byproducts of the time-consuming gradient computation for the Hessian-vector products to drastically reduce the total computation time of the Newton-CG methods. In experiments with tasks in natural language processing, the proposed method outperforms a conventional quasi-Newton method. Remarkably, the proposed method is competitive with online learning algorithms that are fast but unstable.


Abstract. Resonance has recently been proposed as the fundamental underlying mechanism that shapes the amplification in coastal run-up for storm surges and surf beats, which are long-wavelength disturbances created by fluid velocity differences between the wave groups and the regions outside the wave groups. It is without doubt that the resonance plays a role in run-up phenomena of various kinds; however, we think that the extent to which it plays its role has not been completely understood. For incident waves, which we assume to be linear, the best approach to investigate the role played by the resonance would be to calculate the normal modes by taking radiation damping into account and then testing how those modes are excited by the incident waves. Such modes diverge offshore, but they can still be used to calculate the run-up. There are a small number of previous works that attempt to calculate the resonant frequencies, but they do not relate the amplitudes of the normal modes to those of the incident wave. This is because, by not including radiation damping, they automatically induce a resonance that leads to infinite amplitudes, thus preventing them from predicting the exact contribution of the resonance to coastal run-up. In this study we consider two different coastal geometries: an infinitely wide beach with a constant slope connecting to a flat-bottomed deep ocean and a bay with sloping bottom, again, connected to a deep ocean. For the fully 1-D problem we find significant resonance if the bathymetric discontinuity is large.The linearisation of the seaward boundary condition leads to slightly smaller run-ups. For the 2-D ocean case the analysis shows that the wave confinement is very effective when the bay is narrow. The bay aspect ratio is the determining factor for the radiation damping. One reason why we include a bathymetric discontinuity is to mimic some natural settings where bays and gulfs may lead to abrupt depth gradients such as the Tokyo Bay. The other reason is, as mentioned above, to test the role played by the depth discontinuity for resonance.


The field of nanomedicine faces many challenges in the development of standards to support meaningful data submission and information exchange. Numerous physico-chemical, in vitro, and in vivo assays must be addressed, with measurements currently dependent on non-standardized protocols and diverse technology types. Representing Structure-Activity-Relationships (SARs) in nanomedicine, in particular, is critical to understanding the effects of nanomaterial structure on biological activity. Unfortunately, information describing the nanomaterial including functionalizing entities and 3D structure is often represented in an undisciplined fashion. This lack of standardization has been a significant deterrent to meaningful data sharing across the nanotechnology community; few publications contain sufficient information to enable adequate interpretation of results and successful achievement of experimental reproducibility.

The nano-TAB effort aims to address data sharing challenges in nanotechnology by providing a standard means for identifying nanomaterials and characterizations in a tab-delimited format. nano-TAB is based on existing standards developed by the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) and the Investigation/Study/Assay (ISA-TAB) file format, which represents a variety of assays and technology types. The nano-TAB specification leverages ISA-TAB files describing investigations, study-samples, and assays and provides extensions to support nanomaterial structural information and assay measurements from the Washington University NanoParticle Ontology (NPO). The nano-TAB standard specification will enable the submission and exchange of nanomaterials to/from nanotechnology resources like the NCI's caNanoLab nanotechnology portal and the Oregon State Nanomaterial-Biological Interactions (NBI) knowledgebase; empower organizations to adopt standards for representing data in nanotechnology publications; and provide researchers with guidelines for representing nanomaterials and characterizations to achieve cross-material comparison.

The nano-TAB effort is a collaboration between a variety of organizations including the NCI, Washington University, Oregon State, ONAMI, NIOSH, Stanford University, and ISA-TAB. nano-TAB is registered as an ASTM Work Item, which facilitates a broad community outreach and input to the development of nano-TAB and other standards needed to support nanomedicine.


A dense field of ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) nodules was discovered on a seamount approximately 300 km east of Minamitorishima Island, in the Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone. To evaluate its potential as a resource for critical metals, we describe results of a geological survey using the SHINKAI 6500 submersible (dive No. 6K 1207) during cruise YK10-05 of R/V Yokosuka in 2010, and geochemical analyses of collected samples. Submersible observations showed that spherical nodules 5–10 cm in diameter almost fully cover the region of high acoustic reflectivity. The large nodules generally consist of three concentric layers: the outermost mottled (sediment-filled) layer L0, the massive black layer L1, and the innermost porous (sediment-filled) layer L2. Elements including Fe, Ti, Co, As, rare earth elements other than Ce, Th, U, and Pb are concentrated in the nodule rim rather than the center. In contrast, Mn, Al, P, Ca, Ni, Zn, Y, Mo, Ce, and W are concentrated in the center, and decrease toward the rim. Geochemical and structural features indicate that the nodules are compositionally and morphologically similar to Fe-Mn crusts, suggesting that they owe their origin solely to prolonged hydrogenetic precipitation of Fe-Mn-(oxyhydr)oxides. As the nodules include metals of economic interest, especially Co, Ni, Mo, and W, this deposit should have high potential for future mining. The changes in nodule composition from the center to the rim may yield information on paleoceanographic events since early Oligocene time.


The views expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis or the Federal Reserve System.


This paper develops a systematic Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) framework based upon E cient Importance Sampling (EIS) which can be used for the analysis of a wide range of econometric models involving integrals without an analytical solution. EIS is a simple, generic and yet accurate Monte-Carlo integration procedure based on sampling densities which are chosen to be global approximations to the integrand. By embedding EIS within MCMC procedures based on Metropolis-Hastings (MH) one can signi cantly improve their numerical properties, essentially by providing a fully automated selection of critical MCMC components such as auxiliary sampling densities, normalizing constants and starting values. The potential of this integrated MCMCEIS approach is illustrated with simple univariate integration problems and with the Bayesian posterior analysis of stochastic volatility models and stationary autoregressive processes.


This study explores the micro-individual, meso-institutional and relational and macro-structural level influences on career choices of MBA students from three countries, questioning the apparent dominance of 'free choice' in the context of persistent forms of structural constraints in career markets. The paper takes a critical perspective on career 'choice', acknowledging the contested nature of 'choice' and identifying career as a socially and historically situated phenomenon. The central hypothesis of the study is that 'it is more likely for the MBA students to report micro-agentic or meso-instutional and relational rather than macro-structural conditions as key influences on their career choices'. The study draws on the findings of a cross-national survey on careers involving Britain, Israel and Turkey. Findings show that MBA students consider the impact of structural conditions as less significant on their career choices than their own human capital and capacity to make free choices. The study provides an understanding of the main cross-national similarities and differences in reporting of influences on career 'choice', and brings to bare interesting theoretical and methodological insights.


In 2007, although Tennessee was (and still is) the third largest tobacco¬producing state, it enacted the Non¬Smoker Protection Act (NSPA), making most enclosed public and workplaces, and restaurants 100% smoke-free. This study triangulates archival documents with interviews, legislative debates and quantitative data for a stakeholder analysis of why and how the diverse interests in the state collaborated to develop the policy and identifies areas and opportunities for improvement. The study utilizes the policy cycle and stages of policy development approach and three public policy models – garbage can or multiple streams, policy networks, and socio¬economic influences – to give us understanding of the phases of the development of the NSPA – agenda-setting, legislative development, and implementation. While the dominant thesis for the origin of this smoke¬free policy (SFP) was government¬centered, the activities of non¬governmental actors, such as efforts by students of University of Tennessee in Knoxville to have smoke¬free domitories and that of Campaign for Healthy and Responsible Tennessee (CHART) to repeal preemption (nongovernmental¬centered thesis), and societal changes (bubble¬up thesis) contributed to its emergence. The SFP entered the state's policy agenda when the problem of tobacco use in the state (health consequences and costs) and policy solutions (including SFP) became coupled with favorable political circumstances involving Governor Phil Bredesen's unexpected announcement of support for a statewide SFP during smoke¬free state buildings bill signing ceremony in June 2006. This announcement created a window of opportunity for SFP change, which was seized by a change agent in the state, CHART. In February 2007, the Governor included SFP in the administration's legislative package for the 105th Legislative Session. Additionally, SFP bills were sponsored in both houses of the Legislature to make SFP a priority item on the state's policy agenda. The development of the NSPA was facilitated by factors, such as the administration's continuous support for the SFP, activities of CHART, public support for the SFP, U¬turn in the position of Tennessee Restaurant Association (now Tennessee Hospitality Association) to support 100% SFP and limited opposition from tobacco interests in the state. Although implementation of the NSPA has generally proceeded smoothly, about half of the stakeholders prefer that the exemptions are repealed, particularly those for age¬restricted venues, non¬enclosed areas of public places and private businesses with three or fewer employees. This study suggests that there is high level of knowledge on tobacco use (the problem) and control (policy solutions) in policy circles and the key remaining factors for policy change are favorable political environment and a change agent. The development of the NSPA suggests that proponents for policy change should know and understand their policy and political environment and be alert for any change that will facilitate the development of an SFP.


Lodging asset management has emerged as one of the most important areas of strategic hotel management. Increasingly, lodging companies are soliciting the services of asset management firms or developing internal asset management competencies. This article synthesizes and discusses the essential components of dynamic lodging asset management. The article provides a detail background on asset management and its importance and explains the role of lodging asset managers and their working relationships with ownership and operators. The article also discusses the competencies and skills of asset managers.


In this thesis, a new approach combining neural networks and genetic algorithms is presented for microwave design. In this method, an accurate neural network model is developed from the experimental data. This neural network model is used to perform sensitivity analysis and derive response surfaces. An innovative technique is then applied in which genetic algorithms are coupled with the neural network model to assist in synthesis and optimization. The proposed method is used for modeling and analysis of circuit parameters for flip chip interconnects up to 35 GHz, as well as for design of multilayer inductors and capacitors at 1.9 GHz and 2.4 GHz. The method was also used to synthesize mm wave low pass filters in the range of 40–60 GHz. The devices obtained from layout parameters predicted by the neuro-genetic design method yielded electrical response close to the desired value (95% accuracy). The proposed method also implements a weighted priority scheme to account for tradeoffs in microwave design. This scheme was implemented to synthesize bandpass filters for 802.11 a and HIPERLAN wireless LAN applications in the range of 5–6 GHz.
This research also develops a novel neuro-genetic design centering methodology for yield enhancement and design for manufacturability of microwave devices and circuits. A neural network model is used to calculate yield using Monte Carlo methods. A genetic algorithm is then used for yield optimization. The proposed method has been used for yield enhancement of SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor and mm wave voltage-controlled oscillator. It results in significant yield enhancement of the SiGe HBTs (from 25% to 75%) and VCOs (from 8% to 85%). The proposed method can be extended for device, circuit, package, and system level integrated co-design since it can handle a large number of design variables without any assumptions about the component behavior. The proposed algorithm could be used by microwave community for design and optimization of microwave circuits and systems with greater accuracy while consuming less computational time.


Current policy issues require economic models to play the role of rational decision schemes. The problems we face today are more complex than those of the past and the progressive fragmentation of the policy maker's role makes it increasingly necessary to have a coherent scheme forecasting and simulating alternative types of behavior.

There has been a tradition of 'macro' model-building in which the demand side is privileged. However recent events have focused interest on economic variables defined at a more detailed level, and have emphasized the need for policies to be specified at a greater level of disaggregation but consistent at the macro level. In fact macro models provided information on each final demand component but do not describe the structure of each variable. However the sectoral composition of these components is often crucial in indicating the pattern of either technological or behavioral structural change in the economy.

The study to be presented is part of the research work by the INTIMO group to build a modern 1/0 model of the INFORUM type for Italy. Some results obtained in the estimation of the investment function and In the simulation of the real side of the model are presented.

Work on input-output modeling at IIASA began in 1979 with Clopper Almon and Douglas Nyhus. During this period there has been considerable progress in the construction, linking and use of input-output models. With substantial help from IIASA and the Inter-Industry Forecasting project (INFORUM) at the University of Maryland, a self organizing network of collaborating institutions has been built up to work on the development and linkage of input-output models. A Task Force Meeting is held each year at IIASA to draw together the results obtained by the collaborating groups and to discuss future research.


The judicial process and the meaning of a Judge's belief in carrying out the functions and authority of the judiciary to enforce law and justice, through its verdict it is desirable that the Judge is able to apply the right and fair law, can provide education and lessons to the litigants and the community, give corrections firmly, repressively assert, can fabricate the future society order, and must be able to play a role in reconciling the litigants, who in doing these roles stick to the Code of Conduct and the Judicial Code of Conduct for Judges That Judges may participate in legal, either through the actualization of the existence of self in the midst of society, and by seeing the existence of himself as law enforcement officers. The judge should not take the wrong decision, so the innocent defendant must be sentenced, or the accused is actually guilty but released. However, according to the author, the judge should not hesitate to be convinced in making a decision in a decision and the decision may take the form of free judgment, the independent verdict of all charges, and sentence or punishment for the defendant.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To describe women's unexpected and distressing symptom experiences after breast cancer treatment.

RESEARCH APPROACH
Qualitative and descriptive.

SETTING
Depending upon their preference, participants were interviewed in their homes or in a private office space in a nearby library.

PARTICIPANTS
Purposive sample of 13 women 1-18 years after breast cancer treatment.

METHODOLOGIC APPROACH
Secondary analysis of phenomenologic data (constant comparative method).

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Breast cancer symptom distress, ongoing symptoms, and unexpected experiences.

FINDINGS
Women described experiences of unexpected and distressing symptoms in the years following breast cancer treatment. Symptoms included pain, loss of energy, impaired limb movement, cognitive disturbance, changed sexual experience, and lymphedema. Four central themes were derived: living with lingering symptoms, confronting unexpected situations, losing precancer being, and feeling like a has-been. Distress intensified when women expected symptoms to disappear but symptoms persisted instead. Increased distress also was associated with sudden and unexpected situations or when symptoms elicited feelings of loss about precancer being and feelings of being a has been. Findings suggest that symptom distress has temporal, situational, and attributive dimensions.

CONCLUSIONS
Breast cancer survivors' perceptions of ongoing and unexpected symptoms have important influences on quality of life. Understanding temporal, situational, and attributive dimensions of symptom distress empowers nurses and healthcare professionals to help breast cancer survivors prepare for subsequent ongoing or unexpected experiences in the years after breast cancer treatment.

INTERPRETATION
Follow-up care for breast cancer survivors should foster dialogue about ways that symptoms might emerge and that unexpected situations might occur. Prospective studies are needed to examine symptom distress in terms of temporal, situational, and attributive dimensions and explore the relationship between symptom distress and psychological distress after breast cancer treatment.


Introduction: Multiple myeloma is the most common bone malignancy characterized by malignant proliferation of plasma cells leading to production of a monoclonal paraprotein. Varied clinical presentations are noted in the patients like fever, fatigue, weight loss, paraesthesias, hypercalcemia, hyperviscosity, renal failure, bone pain or pathological fractures, cutaneous lesions, etc. We present a series of multiple myeloma cases with unusual presentation over a period of 3 years.
Aims & Objective: To study the unusual clinico-hematological and histopathological presentation in patients with multiple myeloma.
Materials & methods: In this study, we reviewed bone marrow aspirate & biopsy slides in our hospital from May 2014 to June 2017. Patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma were selected. The patients' clinical information, hematological and histological findings were obtained from the medical records department and correlation was done.
Results: We found a total of 11 cases of multiple myeloma with unusual and rare presentations. Proper clinical, radiological, hematological and histopathological correlation was done before giving a final diagnosis in these cases. Unusual cutaneous and gastrointestinal involvement of multiple myeloma was noted, especially in younger individual, making our study much rarer.
Conclusion: Multiple myeloma is a debilitating malignancy. In the past few years, substantial progress has been noted in treatment of this entity. Early diagnosis of multiple myeloma along with appropriate management will prevent serious complications, especially in younger individuals. The present case series attempts to make an effort to study the clinicopathological correlation in cases of multiple myeloma and associated rare and unusual presentations.


This paper uses a model with overlapping generations to demonstrate that human capital accumulation can potentially attenuate factor price movements in response to birth rate shocks. Specifically, we show that if education spending per child is inversely related to the size of the generation, then there will be less movement in factor prices in response to the relative size of each generation. The degree of this attenuation effect will depend on the effectiveness of education spending in producing human capital. We also demonstrate that this attenuation effect tends to concentrate generational consumption risk around the generation subject to the birth rate shock. In a limiting case, we show that an i.i.d birth rate shock translates into an i.i.d. generational consumption shock. In other words, each generation bears all of the risk associated with their own demographic uncertainty. As a final exercise, we demonstrate that if the tax rate funding education spending varies with the size of the generation rather than education spending per child, then human capital does not influence the dynamic behavior of the economy in response to a birth rate shock.


Amorphous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and the amorphization of crystalline MOFs under mechanical stimuli are attracting considerable interest in last few years. However, we still have limited knowledge on their atomic arrangement and the physical origin of crystalline-to-amorphous phase transitions under mechanical stimuli. In this study, ab initio simulations within a generalized gradient approximation are carried out to investigate the high-pressure behavior of MOF-5. Similar to the previous experimental findings, a pressureinduced amorphization is observed at 2 GPa through the simulations. The phase transformation is an irreversible first order transition and accompanied by around 68% volume collapse. Remarkably, the transition arises from local distortions and, contrary to previous suggestions, does not involve any bond breaking and formation. Additionally, a drastic band gap closure is perceived for the amorphous state. This study has gone some way towards enhancing our understanding of pressure-induced amorphization in MOFs.


Abstract The enzyme DT-Diaphorase (NAD(P)H:quinone acceptor oxidoreductase, EC 220.127.116.11.; DTD) has been recognised as a good target for enzyme-directed bioreductive drug development. This is due to elevated levels of enzyme activity in several human tumour types and its role in the bioreductive activation of several quinone-based anti-cancer drugs. Bioreductive drugs are designed to exploit one of the features of solid tumours, namely tumour hypoxia. However, selectivity of bioreductive drugs is not only governed by oxygen levels, but also by the levels of the enzymes catalysing bioreductive activation, leading to the concept of "enzyme-directed bioreductive drug development" introduced by Workman and Walton in 1990. This concept requires the identification of tumours within a patient that have elevated levels of enzyme activity (enzyme profiling) and treating the patient with drugs activated by such enzymes. DTD has been singled out as a particularly good candidate for such targeting. In order to rationalise the design of drugs to target DTD, molecular modelling techniques have been employed. The human DTD three-dimensional structure has been modelled with homology to the known rat DTD structure (about 85% identity) and the model refined using energy minimisation. Drug-binding orientations have been determined and molecular dynamics simulations performed. Using data from a series of quinone based compounds with a broad range of substrate specificity we examine drug-enzyme interactions and suggest how DTD substrate specificity might be further optimised.


Winblad, K. 2018. Dynamic Adaptations of Synchronization Granularity in Concurrent Data Structures. Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 1684. 92 pp. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. ISBN 978-91-513-0367-3. The multicore revolution means that programmers have many cores at their disposal in everything from phones to large server systems. Concurrent data structures are needed to make good use of all the cores. Designing a concurrent data structure that performs well across many different scenarios is a difficult task. The reason for this is that the best synchronization granularity and data organization vary between scenarios. Furthermore, the number of parallel threads and the types of operations that are accessing a data structure may even change over time. This dissertation tackles the problem mentioned above by proposing concurrent data structures that dynamically adapt their synchronization granularity and organization based on usage statistics collected at run-time. Two of these data structures (one lock-free and one lock-based) implement concurrent sets with support for range queries and other multi-item operations. These data structures adapt their synchronization granularity based on detected contention and the number of items that are involved in multi-item operations such as range queries. This dissertation also proposes a concurrent priority queue that dynamically changes its precision based on detected contention. Experimental evaluations of the proposed data structures indicate that they outperform nonadaptive data structures over a wide range of scenarios because they adapt their synchronization based on usage statistics. Possible practical consequences of the work described in this dissertation are faster parallel programs and a reduced need to manually tune the synchronization granularities of concurrent data structures.


Innovation is often presented as one of the main catalysts for more sustainable and inclusive development. In the agricultural and food sectors, innovation is characterized not only by specificities arising from its relationship to nature, but also from the wide diversity of its stakeholders, ranging from farmers to consumers, and including intermediaries such as the research community and advisory services. Innovation emerges from interactions between these actors, who mobilize resources and produce knowledge in collaborative mechanisms in orderto generate changes. It encompasses domains as varied as production practices, market organization, and eating habits. Innovation is closely tied to major development challenges in its various forms: agroecological innovation, social innovation, territorial innovation, etc. This book casts a look atinnovation in agricultural and food systems. It focuses in particular on supporting innovation, by examining methods and organizations, and on evaluating innovation using different yardsticks. The book is based on reflections and research originating from various scientific disciplines, on fieldwork carried out both in France and in many countries of the Global South, and finally on the experiences gained by accompanying and supporting innovative actors. It combines theoretical contributions on innovation with iconic case studies to illustrate its observations and discussions. This book is intended for teachers, professionals, students, and researchers.