The Baffin Bay, located between Canada and Greenland, developed during Paleocene and Eocene times. Its evolution is closely related to the opening of Labrador Sea and Davis Strait. The crustal structure of the Labrador Sea and Davis Strait has been studied in detail. In contrast, data on central and northern Baffin Bay is scarce. While southern Baffin Bay is underlain by oceanic crust with volcanic margins, the margins of northern Baffin Bay are characterized by serpentinized mantle material. In 2010, a multidisciplinary scientific cruise was conducted to study the crustal structure of central and northern Baffin Bay and to analyse the change from amagmatic to volcanic margins. Refraction seismic profiles were acquired along with other geophysical data in the Greenlandic part of Baffin Bay. We will present a P-wave velocity model and a density model along a profile, which runs from the deep sea area of northern Baffin Bay to the shelf area of Melville Bay.
The velocity model was obtained by forward modelling of the data of 28 ocean bottom seismometers (OBS). In combination with potential field data, we divide the 321-km-long velocity model into three different crustal sections. In the central northern Baffin Bay, 6-km-thick sediments overlay a 3 to 5-km-thick oceanic crust. The crust consists of oceanic layer 2 and 3 and thickens towards the continental slope. At the shelf edge, a buried seamount and high velocities of up to 7.2 km/s in the lower crust are indicators for volcanic activity and intrusions of mafic material in this region. These features mark the onset of the ~90-km-wide transitional crust. Basement highs and up to 10 km deep sediment basins characterize the stretched continental crust of Melville Bay. Well-constrained reflections of the Moho can be found at a depth of 22-24 km in many seismic sections. Near the Greenland margin, a basement outcrop, characterized by high velocities, is present.


We considered the finite parts of divergent integrals of the form ∫ab g(x) (x-x0)-n dx for a<x0<b. It is shown that the finite part takes on a broad range of values, depending on how the contribution of the offending singularity was removed. A conditionally convergent logarithmic term appeared for cases in which the two radii of the contours used possessed a linear dependence towards each other, proving that the finite part could take on many values. The multi-valued finite parts were finally expressed as contour integral representations in the complex plane.


In this paper we describe our attempts at using the Cognitive Dimensions framework to evaluate the usability of an object oriented (OO) application programming interface (API). The Cognitive Dimensions framework was originally designed as a tool to evaluate and describe the usability of a programming language but to our knowledge, no reports of it being used to evaluate an API are publicly available. Since many popular OO languages come with an existing set of APIs in the form of OO class libraries, it is important to ensure that the APIs developers use are usable, just as it is to ensure that a programming language is usable also. Thus, in order to measure the usability of an API, we have adapted the Cognitive Dimensions framework so that it better measures those aspects of an API that we feel have an impact on its usability. This paper describes these modifications and the reasons we chose to make them. In addition, using the framework in an industrial setting has presented some interesting challenges, and so we describe


Tamoxifen is a potent anticancer agent and has long been the standard for adjuvant endocrine therapy in breast cancer in the United Kingdom. Despite this success, resistance to Tamoxifen is a significant clinical problem; almost all patients with metastatic disease experience progression and up to 20% of early breast cancer patients relapse whilst on adjuvant treatment. The primary mechanism of action of Tamoxifen is via competitive inhibition of oestrogen binding to oestrogen receptors. The subsequent reduction in expression of oestrogen related genes such as growth factors and angiogenic factors results in reduced cell proliferation, enhanced apoptosis and reduced cell growth. However as the complexity of oestrogen receptor function is increasingly revealed, particularly in terms of its mechanism of action and interactions with other signalling pathways, our understanding of Tamoxifen activity and the development of resistance against it has also expanded. Tamoxifen resistance may be either "de novo " (present prior to Tamoxifen treatment) or "acquired" during the course of treatment. Identifying the biological mechanisms behind Tamoxifen resistance is important particularly as increasing clinical trials evidence implies superiority of aromatase inhibitors over Tamoxifen. It is not currently clear whether this superiority is the case for all ER positive patients, or whether there is a particular group of patients resistant to Tamoxifen whose tumours may be sensitive to aromatase inhibitors. The HER family of tyrosine kinase receptors (HERl-4) initiate a complex signal transduction cascade modulating cell proliferation, survival, adhesion, migration and differentiation. We have postulated that cross talk between the HER family and the ER may underlie development of Tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer. We have used tissue microarray technology and immunohistochemistry in analysis of a retrospective database of 402 ER positive, Tamoxifen treated patients to test the hypothesis that overexpression of HER family members 1-3 is associated with phosphorylation of the ER and with clinical relapse on Tamoxifen ('Tamoxifen resistance'). We have demonstrated that HERl-3 (but not HER4) and PR status can identify time- dependent de novo Tamoxifen resistance, with risk declining markedly after 3 years of tamoxifen treatment. We also demonstrate for the first time in vivo expression of phosphorylated ERalpha at the cell membrane of breast cancer cells and have demonstrated a correlation between HERl-3 status and membranous phosphorylated ER. This supports recent reports of an interaction between membrane-bound ERα and the BDER family and its pathways and provides further evidence for the non-classical actions of the ERα at the membrane. We confirm previous reports that phosphorylated ERα in the nucleus is associated with higher ERα expression and a more differentiated phenotype suggesting that it acts as a marker of an intact, functional, ERα signalling pathway. Data presented here demonstrates the significant role played by HERl-3 in promoting Tamoxifen resistance in hormone responsive breast cancers. It also emphasises the different role of HER4 in this context. This work is particularly clinically relevant with recent trials suggesting that the apparent superiority of aromatase inhibitors over Tamoxifen may be linked to the expression of specific tumour markers. In fact our results parallel those from the ATAC and lES trials which suggest that, whilst PR negative patients derive greater benefit from initial aromatase inhibitor treatment, PR status has no impact on response when given as delayed treatment to those who were disease free on Tamoxifen after 3 years. Taken together, these data strongly supports the conclusion that the predictive value of PR, and possibly HERl-3, expression is time dependent and identifies patients at high risk of de novo Tamoxifen resistance. The ability to select, at diagnosis, patients at high risk of early relapse on Tamoxifen could provide the opportunity to tailor their adjuvant therapy on an individual basis, either in terms of an aromatase inhibitor or by supplying them with a BDER family inhibitor such as Iressa or Herceptin to be used in conjunction with their endocrine treatment. There is some evidence that, in contrast to genomic activity, non-genomic ERα activity can be stimulated by SERMS such as Tamoxifen. Therefore Tamoxifen may be incapable of breaking (or even may stimulate) any cycle linking non-genomic and genomic ERα with the growth factor pathways. From our results, we speculate that membrane bound ERα, in conjunction with the BDER family, may be responsible for initiating tumour cell proliferation even in the presence of Tamoxifen resulting in de novo Tamoxifen resistance. These results have implications for establishing ERα status, particularly in the clinical diagnostic setting, as more detailed analysis in terms of location and function of the receptor may become the norm for diagnostic testing in the future. Further research is required to determine the mechanisms relating to Tamoxifen resistance particularly in regard to the nature of the interactions at the membrane between the ER and HER family. Testing these hypotheses in the context of the redesigned TEAM trial will provide a valuable insight into the most appropriate future therapeutic options for differing sets of breast cancer patients.


In this work, we present a technique based on kernel density estimation for rendering smooth curves. With this approach, we produce uncluttered and expressive pictures, revealing frequency information about one, or, multiple curves, independent of the level of detail in the data, the zoom level, and the screen resolution. With this technique the visual representation scales seamlessly from an exact line drawing, (for low‐frequency/low‐complexity curves) to a probability density estimate for more intricate situations. This scale‐independence facilitates displays based on non‐linear time, enabling high‐resolution accuracy of recent values, accompanied by long historical series for context. We demonstrate the functionality of this approach in the context of prediction scenarios and in the context of streaming data.


A cultural, lived-in landscape offers a living model of sustainable use of land and resources, and offer important lessons for sustainable development. The strong traditions of management of cultural landscape exist in the National Parks of Great Britain and Wales particularly in the Peak District National Park. These can serve as the best practice in partnership. This paper presents a comparative study of the Peak District and the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Parks management and includes a discussion of the strong and weak practices. Analysis of the main stakeholders involved in the management of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park is carried out.


We analyze different ways of constructing binary extended formulations of mixed-integer problems with bounded integer variables and compare their relative strength with respect to split cuts. We show that among all binary extended formulations where each bounded integer variable is represented by a distinct collection of binary variables, what we call "unimodular" extended formulations are the strongest. We also compare the strength of some binary extended formulations from the literature. Finally, we study the behavior of branch-and-bound on such extended formulations and show that branching on the new binary variables leads to significantly smaller enumeration trees in some cases.


Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AsA), an important primary metabolite of plants, functions as an antioxidant, an enzyme cofactor, and a cell-signaling modulator in a wide array of crucial physiological processes including biosynthesis of the cell wall, secondary metabolites and phytohormones, stress resistance, photoprotection, cell division, senescence, and growth. To identify genes that may regulate vitamin C levels in plants, about 3000 activation-tagged Arabidopsis lines were treated with ozone, which is a power oxidizing agent. Two mutants were selected for identification of potential genes involved in the regulation of vitamin C synthesis. A putative F-box gene, VCF1, and a purple acid phosphatase, AtPAP15, were identified for further characterization. Two homozygous SALK T-DNA knockouts in the open reading frame (ORF) of VCF1 exhibited high tolerance to ozone when treated with 450 ppb for 3 hours and the AsA levels of these mutants were 2 to 3 fold higher than wild-type (wt) plants. Developmental studies, using RT-PCR, indicated that foliar expression of the VCF1 gene increased with plant age from 1 to 5 weeks, whereas AsA decreased during this same period. The expression of VCF1 was higher under a low-light condition in which AsA was reduced considerably. The AsA levels in two VCF1 overexpressing lines were only 50 to 70% of wt plants. These results suggested that the putative F-box gene functions as a negative regulator of leaf ascorbate content. Overexpression of AtPAP15 with the CaMV 35S promoter resulted in up to 3-fold higher AsA levels than wt plants, where two independent SALK T-DNA insertion mutants in AtPAP15 had 50% less AsA than wt plants. Enzyme activity of bacterially expressed GST:AtPAP15 was greatest with phytate as a substrate indicating that AtPAP15 is a phytase. Phytase catalyzes hydrolysis of phytate (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate) to yield myo-inositol and free phosphate. Thus, AtPAP15 may regulate AsA levels by controlling the input of myo-inositol into this branch of AsA biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. AtPAP15 was expressed in all tested organs in wt plants and suggests that the enzyme may have functions other than phytate degradation during seed germination.


Background: The purpose of this study was to identify variables affecting outcome in
patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) treated with canalith
repositioning maneuver (CRM).
Methods: This interventional study was conducted on 58 patients (14 males, 44
females, mean age 48.12+13.22) referred to the Vertigo Rehabilitation Clinic of the
Rehabilitation School of Tehran University of Medical Sciences from 2002 to 2004.
All patients were treated with CRM. According to the treatment efficacy the patients
were allocated in three groups: completely treated, partially treated, and not treated.
The effect of factors including age, sex, etiology, duration of BPPV, unilateral or
bilateral disease, number of maneuvers, and number of sessions on outcome in patients
was evaluated.
Results: Forty-nine patients (84.5%) were completely cured. Age, sex, etiology, and
duration did not significantly affect the treatment outcome. Unilateral BPPV can be
treated significantly better than bilateral BPPV. Forty-seven patients who were
completely treated needed 1 session and thirty-seven of them required 2 maneuvers.
Conclusion: CRM is significantly effective for BPPV treatment. Treating unilateral
BPPV is expected to be easier. As most of the patients will be cured by 1 or 2
maneuvers or in 1 session, patients who required more sessions or more maneuvers
may not be completely treated.


Accepted: 14.02.2013 This study aims determining academic self-efficacy perception of teacher candidates. It is survey model. Population of the study consists of teacher candidates in 2010-2011 academic years at Ahmet Keleşoğlu Education Faculty of Education Formation of Selçuk University. A simple random sample was selected as sampling method and the study was conducted on 312 teacher candidates. The data of this study was obtained by "academic selfefficacy scale" which was developed by Jerusalem and Schwazer (1981) and translated into Turkish by Yılmaz, Gürçay, and Ekici (2007) and its reliability value was determined as .79. However, Cronbach Alfa reliability value of this scale became .76 with the result of the data analysis of the study. SPSS package program was used to analyze the data; and the data analysis, frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc tests (LSD) test were used. When the findings of the research were considered in general, the result showed that the academic self-efficacy perception level of the candidates was at desired level. However, teachers' views about the level of academic self-efficacy perception showed that most of them preferred a lower level option "suits me", instead of "totally suits me" option that was the highest degree of participation of four likert-type scale. This illustrated that their perception about this issue was not at a very high level. When independent variables were taken into account, among the academic perception levels of teacher candidates, a significant difference was detected in terms of working as a teacher or not and academic achievement variables but it revealed no significant difference in terms of gender and type of education program variables.


This article reviews the current state of research on contemplative practices with children and youth. It reviews contemplative practices used both in treatment settings and in prevention or health promotion contexts, including school-based programs. Although there is great interest and potential promise for contem- plative interventions, enthusiasm for promoting such prac- tices outweighs the current evidence supporting them. Interventions that nurture mindfulness in children and youth may be a feasible and effective method of building resilience in universal populations and in the treatment of disorders in clinical populations. This review suggests that meditation and yoga may be associated with beneficial outcomes for children and youth, but the generally limited quality of research tempers the allowable conclusions. Well-designed experimental studies that are grounded in developmental theory and measure multiple indicators of change must fully test the efficacy of such interventions. KEYWORDS—mindfulness; yoga; prevention


Green sea urchins Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis along the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, suffer mass mortalities from infection by the pathogenic amoeba Paramoeba invadens Jones, 1985. It has been speculated that P. invadens could be a form of Neoparamoeba pemaquidensis, a species associated with disease in S. droebachiensis and lobsters in the northeast USA. During a disease outbreak in fall 2011, we isolated amoebae from moribund urchins collected from 4 locations along ~200 km of coastline. In laboratory infection trials, we found that timing and rate of morbidity corresponded to that of similar experiments conducted in the early 1980s, when P. invadens was first identified. All isolates had a similar size and morphology to the original description, including an absence of microscales. Sequences of nuclear SSU rDNA show that disease was caused by one 'species' of amoeba across the range sampled. Phylogenetic analyses prove that P. invadens is not conspecific with N. pemaquidensis, but is a distinct species most closely related to N. branchiphila, a suspected pathogen of sea urchins Diadema aff. antillarum in the Canary Islands, Spain. Morphology and closest phylogenetic affinities suggest that P. invadens would be assignable to the genus Neoparamoeba; however, nuclear SSU rDNA trees show that Neoparamoeba and Paramoeba are phylogenetically inseparable. Therefore, we treat Neoparamoeba as a junior synonym of Paramoeba, with P. invadens retaining that name, and N. pemaquidensis and N. aestuarina reverting to their original names (P. pemaquidensis and P. aestuarina), and with new combinations for N. branchiphila Dykova et al., 2005, and N. perurans Young et al., 2007, namely P. branchiphila comb. nov. and P. perurans comb. nov.


We show theoretically and experimentally that twisting a birefringent periodically poled fiber with an artificially induced χ(2) results in second-harmonic phase-matchings that are not permitted in untwisted fibers. We further demonstrate that both the strengths and the spectral positions of the generated second-harmonic signals can be controlled by changing the amount of twist. Of particular interest is a type II phase-matched signal emerging through and greatly enhanced by the twisting.


Robin Hirsch posed in 1996 the Really Big Complexity Problem: classify the computational complexity of the network satisfaction problem for all finite relation algebras A. We provide a complete classification for the case that A is symmetric and has a fexible atom; in this case, the problem is NP-complete or in P. The classification task can be reduced to the case where A is integral. If a finite integral relation algebra has a flexible atom, then it has a normal representation B. We can then study the computational complexity of the network satisfaction problem of A using the universal-algebraic approach, via an analysis of the polymorphisms of B. We also use a Ramsey-type result of Nešetřil and Rödl and a complexity dichotomy result of Bulatov for conservative finite-domain constraint satisfaction problems.


Bioethics influences public policy, scientific research, and clinical practice. Thinkers in Continental traditions have increasingly contributed scholarship to this field, and their approaches allow new insights and alternative normative guidance. In this essay, examples of the following Continental approaches in bioethics are presented and considered: phenomenology and existentialism; deconstruction; Foucauldian methodologies; and biopolitical analyses. Also highlighted are Continental feminisms and the philosophy of disability. Continental approaches are importantly diverse, but those I focus upon here reveal embedded models of individualized autonomy in medical discourses and encourage awareness of medicine's normalizing edges, thereby drawing attention to lacunae in traditional bioethical frameworks.


Our paper investigates the relative effects of wage subsidies and further vocational training on the subsequent employment prospects of previously unemployed program participants. First, we outline a theoretical approach based on a firm's hiring decision. For the relative effectiveness of both labor market programs the assumption concerning the formation of human capital is crucial and leads to competing hypotheses for the medium and long term. On the assumption that wage subsidies have no effect on human capital they improve individuals' employment prospects less than training programs. Contrariwise, on the assumption that the formation of human capital on subsidized jobs equals that by formal training subsidization has the same employment effect as a training program. Second, we test the two hypotheses empirically, using a large administrative data set from Germany and statistical matching techniques. Our treatment groups consist of unemployed persons taking up subsidized employment or entering a further vocational training program, respectively, during March 2003. To exclude unemployment after program end we estimate the effect of keeping a subsidized job versus participating in training and taking up a job immediately afterwards. The results strongly support the latter of our competing hypotheses: Previously subsidized individuals and trained individuals who found a job immediately afterwards have the same employment rates. This leads to the conclusion that firms value training on a subsidized job as much as formal training programs.


ANTscape is a project of the Antarctic Climate Evolution (ACE) Research Program to develop a series of maps to show changes in Antarctic paleotopography over the last ~100 million years. The reconstructions will provide a base for summarising a range of paleoenvironmental data, and for use as inputs for the next generation of ice sheet-ice shelf models. The present-day bedrock topography from the SCAR BEDMAP project will be used as a starting point for reconstructing past paleotopography, moving to BEDMAP 2 when it becomes available. Six maps, one for each significant climatic regime or shift, are planned: 4, 14, 34, 50, 70 and 92 Ma. Work is well advanced on the map for 34 Ma (Wilson and Luyendyk, 2009, Geophysical Research Letters). This is a time that is far enough back for there to be a significantly different topography, but not so far back that reconstruction is seriously unconstrained. It is also of great interest to paleoclimatologists as the largely ice-free landscape on which the first continental ice-sheet formed. The maps prepared by ANTscape will depend not only on restoration of Antarctic continental geography by reversing tectonic movements and elevation changes, but also the restoration of sediment eroded from the continent and deposited around and beyond the Antarctic margin. This will require modeling changes to the Antarctic landscape from erosion (Jamieson et al., 2010, Earth & Planetary Science Letters) and estimates of sediment volumes through the Circum-Antarctic Stratigraphy and Paleobathymetry Project (CASP). For further information see www.ANTscape.aq


The reflections on music are crucial in the philosophy of language and the mind of the second Wittgenstein. These reflections go around the comparisons Wittgenstein did between meaning and understanding language, and meaning and understanding music. Musical passages show a language as independent from reality, i.e. objects, events or mental states, centered instead in intonations, conclusions, parenthesis, confirmations, questions and answers, a phenomenon enough studied in musicology. Two interpretations on the signification of musical meaning are analyzed: Ahonen's formalist view [2005], based in the following of rules, and Scruton's expressive view [2004], based on the comparison between the intuitive recognition of a mental state "hidden" behind the facial expressions. As a conclusion we arrive to a mixed argument: Either of the alternatives whether annulling the other, are possibly telling about Wittgenstein's conception but do not elucidate the problem itself.


Abstract. This paper highlights the factors that influence the decision of married women (in the age group of 16-60 years) to participate in labor force activities. Employing the probit model on 3911 observations it is found that women's age, women as head of the household, women's education, household poverty, family size, number of girls (5-15 years), number of daughters over 15 years of age, husband's unemployment and low income, and rural locality have a significant positive effect on labor force participation of married women. On the other hand, ownership of assets by the household, household per capita income, being a nuclear family, number of infants, number of sons over 15 years of age, and husband's education have shown a negative effect. Poverty in an overall perspective is found to be the major determinant of the labor force participation of married women. JEL Classification Codes: J16, J22, J13, O15. Keywords: Women, Economics of Gender, Labor Supply, Female Employment, Poverty. 1. Introduction Labor force participation of women in Pakistan is very low as they suffer from a paucity of opportunities. In particular, women' access to the labor market is determined by rigid gender-role ideologies, social and cultural restrictions on women' mobility and integration in the work place, segmented labor markets, lack of skills, and employers' gender biases that attach a lower value to female labor due to their family responsibilities. The female labor force participation rate in Pakistan is exceptionally low at just 14.4 %, compared to 70.3 % for males,1 while the unemployment rate is 16.5 % for females and 6.7 % for males (FBS 2003:15, 30). The share of women's earnings in household earned income is 26 % of male earnings, while their economic activity rate as a percentage of that of males is 40 % (MHDC, 2000). The incidence of poverty among women is higher than with men and is characterized by unemployment, discrimination in the labor market, and limited access to economic opportunities, among others. Women are largely neglected in the social, economic, political and legal spheres. They have gained disproportionately from the development process. Pakistan needs to go a long way to achieve a balanced and sustainable development scenario (Mahmood and Nayab, 1998). For women, the access to money-earning activities, amongst others, is an important means to improve their position (Polachek and Robst, 1997). Furthermore, employment is the main bridge between economic growth and opportunities for human development (UNDP, 1996). One of the factors that boosted growth rates in the Asian tigers was the rapidly rising female labor force participation rate (Young, 1995). The access of mothers to income-generating opportunities impacts positively on the well-being of children, particularly daughters, indicating that parents' relative bargaining positions affect children's gender equity (Thomas, 1990; Haddad and Haddinot, 1995). Female mortality is inversely related to female labor force participation (Rosenzweig and Schultz, 1982; Kishore, 1993). A higher female labor force participation lessens gender bias in child survival (Murthi et. al. 1995). This draws attention to the analysis of women's work which is generally more variable than men's and is also disadvantaged. 1.1. Implications of Women Labor Force Participation In Pakistan, decision making within the household is predominantly regarded as a male prerogative. That is why women labor force participation is ranked lowest in South Asia. Conceptually the women labor force participation in developing countries has a number of implications. Firstly, it results in an increased strengthening of women' position in the family and society due to their financial capacity, which in turn contributes to economic development. Secondly, on the negative side, the increase in women labor force participation corresponds to a deterioration in working conditions, emergence of low skilled jobs and inadequate opportunities for women to achieve vertical mobility. …


New U–Pb zircon ages from rhyolite samples of the Fishguard Volcanic Group, SW Wales, confirm a Middle Ordovician (Darriwilian) age for the group. One of the samples is from Craig Rhos-y-felin, which has recently been identified on petrological and geochemical grounds as the source of much of the debitage (struck flakes) at Stonehenge. Analysis of a Stonehenge rhyolite fragment yields an age comparable with that of the Craig Rhos-y-felin sample. Another Stonehenge fragment, thought to come from orthostat (standing stone) 48 and on petrographical grounds to be derived from the Fishguard Volcanic Group (but not Craig Rhos-y-felin), yields an age also consistent with a Fishguard Volcanic Group source. Supplementary material: Details of analytical methods and a table of data are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3518175.


In die and mould manufacturing, the method used for quality control of finished surfaces is usually visual and tactile inspection of the finish, which is not easily quantifiable. In this study, an evaluation of the connection between surface finish appearance and measured surface roughness was carried out using scale-sensitive fractal analysis to find functional correlations and to determine suitable cut-off limits for functional data filtration. A selection of ball nose end mills in combination with two different tool steels (hardness 39 and 47 HRC) were used to manufacture surfaces that were measured. It was found that the method employed in this study for evaluating functional correlations and designing filters worked well. It was also found that there is a correlation between the surface roughness parameter Sq and the surface finish appearance and that this correlation is stronger in certain wavelengths on the surface.


Although it is now well established that networks contribute to entrepreneurship by extending the individual entrepreneurial asset base of human, social, market, financial and technical capacity, little work, empirical or theoretical, has examined the dynamics of networking processes in a temporal framework. Drawing on evidence from three longitudinal case studies of entrepreneurs operating in the oil industry in the North East of Scotland, this paper presents an extensive empirical investigation into network transformation over time. We are thus able to chart networks in their historical contingency. This chronological lens allows us to view patterns in network continuity and change and enables us to develop a rich conceptual framework. The study demonstrates that networks are vital living organisms, changing, growing and developing over time. Yet set in their history, networks are much more than an extension of the entrepreneurial asset base. Our data shows how a reconceptualization of the nature of networking is called for; one which privileges an understanding of the relational dynamic as a structural configuration representing the social construction of the entrepreneurial environment. Thus our conceptualization proposes that networks actually create the environment, as it is understood and operated by the entrepreneur, and that consequently the networking process is the enactment of the environment.


Recently, electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinylidene fluoride‐trifluoroethylene (PVDF‐TrFE) scaffolds have been developed for tissue engineering applications. These materials have piezoelectric activity, wherein they can generate electric charge with minute mechanical deformations. Since the myocardium is an electroactive tissue, the unique feature of a piezoelectric scaffold is attractive for cardiovascular tissue engineering applications. In this study, we examined the cytocompatibility and function of pluripotent stem cell derived cardiovascular cells including mouse embryonic stem cell‐derived cardiomyocytes (mES‐CM) and endothelial cells (mES‐EC) on PVDF‐TrFE scaffolds. MES‐CM and mES‐EC adhered well to PVDF‐TrFE and became highly aligned along the fibers. When cultured on scaffolds, mES‐CM spontaneously contracted, exhibited well‐registered sarcomeres and expressed classic cardiac specific markers such as myosin heavy chain, cardiac troponin T, and connexin43. Moreover, mES‐CM cultured on PVDF‐TrFE scaffolds responded to exogenous electrical pacing and exhibited intracellular calcium handling behavior similar to that of mES‐CM cultured in 2D. Similar to cardiomyocytes, mES‐EC also demonstrated high viability and maintained a mature phenotype through uptake of low‐density lipoprotein and expression of classic endothelial cell markers including platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and the arterial specific marker, Notch‐1. This study demonstrates the feasibility of PVDF‐TrFE scaffold as a candidate material for developing engineered cardiovascular tissues utilizing stem cell‐derived cells. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2016;113: 1577–1585. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


COVID-19 Prevention, which combines the soft approaches and best practices for public health safety, is the only recommended solution from the health science and management society side considering the pandemic era. In an attempt to evaluate the validity of such claims in a conflict and COVID-19-affected country like Afghanistan, we conducted a large-scale digital social experiment using conversational AI and social platforms from an info-epidemiology and an infoveillance perspective. This served as a means to uncover an underling truth, give large-scale facilitation support, extend the soft impact of discussion to multiple sites, collect, diverge, converge and evaluate a large amount of opinions and concerns from health experts, patients and local people, deliberate on the data collected and explore collective prevention approaches of COVID-19. Finally, this paper shows that deciding a prevention measure that maximizes the probability of finding the ground truth is intrinsically difficult without utilizing the support of an AI-enabled discussion systems.


Weather forecasts are used to make important decisions (e.g. reduce crop damage, reduce property damage, save lives, safety in the aviation industry) that can enhance a country's economy. This paper presents the challenges faced in managing Uganda's weather information which are: a sparse meteorology network, manual data processing and lack of access to the weather information by most stakeholders. This paper then goes ahead to propose an integrated approach that combines off-theshelf (cheap) wireless sensor technology, free satellite data, earth science grid infrastructure and mobile computing to address the identified challenges. It is anticipated that these efforts will improve accessibility and accuracy of weather information to all that need it and hence have a positive impact on the economy.


Background: Infant simulator-based programmes seek to prevent teenage pregnancy. They are utilised in western and developing countries but, despite growing popularity, there is no published evidence of their long-term impact. The aim of this trial was to investigate the effect of such a programme, the Virtual Infant Parenting (VIP) Programme, on the pregnancy outcomes of birth and induced abortion. Methods: Fifty-seven of 66 eligible schools (86%) in Perth, Western Australia enrolled in the pragmatic clustered (by school) randomised trial (ISRCTN24952438) with even randomisation to the intervention and control groups. Between 2003 and 2006, the VIP programme was administered to 1,267 girls in the intervention schools, while 1,567 girls in the control schools received the standard health education curriculum. Participants were aged 13-15 years and were followed until age 20 via data linkage to hospital medical and abortion clinic records. Log binomial and Cox proportional hazards regression was used to test for differences in pregnancy rates between study groups. Findings: Compared to girls in the control group, a higher proportion of girls in the intervention group recorded at least one birth (7.6%, n=97; 4·3%, n=67) or at least one abortion as the first pregnancy event (8.9%, n=113; 6.4%, n=101). After adjustment for potential confounding, the intervention group had a higher overall pregnancy risk (RR = 1·36, 95% CI 1.10–1·67, p=0.003) compared to the control group. Similar results were obtained using proportional hazard models (HR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.10–1·67, p=0·016). Interpretation: The infant-simulator based VIP Programme did not achieve its aim of reducing teenage pregnancy. Girls in the intervention group were more likely to experience a birth or an induced abortion than those in the control group before turning 20 years of age. Funding: The Health Promotion Research Foundation of Western Australia (Healthway), Lotteries WA, the Western Australian Department of Education and Training and the Western Australian Department of Health.


This paper describes a framework for detecting unusual events in surveillance videos. Most surveillance systems consist of multiple video streams, but traditional event detection systems treat individual video streams independently or combine them in the feature extraction level through geometric reconstruction. Our framework combines multiple video streams in the inference level, with a coupled hidden Markov model (CHMM). We use two-stage training to bootstrap a set of usual events, and train a CHMM over the set. By thresholding the likelihood of a test segment being generated by the model, we build a unusual event detector. We evaluate the performance of our detector through qualitative and quantitative experiments on two sets of real world videos


Leading political, business and academic actors, but also actors in intermediary institutions, in many European regions have joined forces to introduce and develop branches of high technology. These actors often refer to the so-called "cluster concept" (Porter 1990) as a theoretical basis for initiatives or development processes. Naturally, the cluster concept has also provoked a good deal of criticism. On the one hand, cluster research has been characterised as mere scientific embellishment, as a 'fig leaf' for
activities serving quite different motives, as a scientific 'fly weight'. On the other hand, one misses the critical appraisal of contributions to cluster research in the current sociological discourse. There is a lack of research into possible reciprocal stimulation between sociological approaches and the cluster concept. The paper intends to contribute to filling the existing gap. In order to test the cluster concept's viability, a look is taken at its possible sociological connection, which could serve as a basis for
subsequent empirical research. The paper starts by exploring the cluster concept's constituent elements. This is followed by an analysis of the explanatory power of sociologically based cluster research and the discussion of the question whether the criticism can be eliminated with the help of sociological concepts. This short summary already hints at the final conclusion: the cluster concept is not rejected; rather, further comparative, social science based cluster research is called for.


The increased use of social networking applications on smartphones makes these devices a goldmine for forensic investigators. Potential evidence can be held on these devices and recovered with the right tools and examination methods. This paper focuses on conducting forensic analyses on three widely used social networking applications on smartphones: Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. The tests were conducted on three popular smartphones: BlackBerrys, iPhones, and Android phones. The tests consisted of installing the social networking applications on each device, conducting common user activities through each application, acquiring a forensically sound logical image of each device, and performing manual forensic analysis on each acquired logical image. The forensic analyses were aimed at determining whether activities conducted through these applications were stored on the device's internal memory. If so, the extent, significance, and location of the data that could be found and retrieved from the logical image of each device were determined. The results show that no traces could be recovered from BlackBerry devices. However, iPhones and Android phones store a significant amount of valuable data that could be recovered and used by forensic investigators. a 2012 A. Marrington, N. Al Mutawa & I. Baggili. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights


Neutrophils are notorious for their efficacy in microbial killing. Various mechanisms, such as phagocytosis, production of ROS, cytokines/chemokines and lipid mediators, degranulation of antimicrobials and enzymes, as well as NETosis contribute to this capacity. However, every incidence of neutrophil activation bears a risk to cause damage to the host. Several distinct steps, i.e., adhesion to endothelial cells, transmigration, chemotaxis, cytokine stimulation, and TLR signaling, are thought to control the extent of neutrophil activation. In the absence of a microbial stimulus, other pathways can induce neutrophil activation, among which FcR‐induced activation when neutrophils encounter ICs. In these situations (inflammation, autoimmunity, allergy), neutrophils may act as primary or secondary effectors of immune reactions. In the presence of circulating ICs, neutrophils can indeed get stimulated directly in the bloodstream and trigger an immune response. Upon deposition of antibody complexes inside of tissues, neutrophils are first recruited and primed before being highly activated to amplify the ongoing inflammation. This review focuses on the engagement, activation, and responses of neutrophils to antibody ICs, inside of tissues or in the vasculature.


The generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) test is a widely used method for detecting abrupt changes in linear systems and signals. In this paper the marginalized likelihood ratio (MLR) test is introduced for eliminating three shortcomings of GLR while preserving its applicability and generality. First, the need for a user-chosen threshold is eliminated in MLR. Second, the noise levels need not be known exactly and may even change over time, which means that MLR is robust. Finally, a very efficient exact implementation with linear in time complexity for batch-wise data processing is developed. This should be compared to the quadratic in time complexity of the exact GLR.


1. The chief objectives were to analyse and model experimental data for maximum growth and food consumption of Atlantic salmon parr (Salmo salar) collected from a cold glacier fed river in western Norway. The growth and feeding models were also applied to groups of Atlantic salmon growing and feeding at rates below the maximum. The growth models were validated by comparing their predictions with observed growth in the river supplying the experimental fish.
2. Two different models were fitted, one originally developed for British salmon and the other based on a model for bacterial growth. Both gave estimates for optimum temperature for growth at 18–19 °C, somewhat higher than for Atlantic salmon from Britain. Higher optimal temperature for growth in salmon from a cold Norwegian river than from British rivers does not concur with predictions from the thermal adaptation hypothesis.
3. Model parameter estimates differed among growth groups in that the lower critical temperature for growth increased from fast to slow growing individuals. In contrast to findings for brown trout (Salmo trutta), the optimum temperature for growth did not decrease with decreasing levels of food consumption.
4. A new and simple model showed that food consumption (expressed in energy terms) peaked at 19.5–19.8 °C, which is similar to the optimal temperature for growth. Feeding began at a temperature 1.5 °C below the lower temperature for growth and ended about 1 °C above the maximum temperature for growth. Model parameter estimates for consumption differed among growth groups in a manner similar to the growth models. Maximum consumption was lower for Atlantic salmon than for brown trout, except at temperatures above 18 °C.
5. By combining the growth and food consumption models, growth efficiency was estimated and reached a maximum at about 14 °C for fast growing individuals, increasing to nearly 17 °C for slow growing ones, although it was lower overall for the latter group. Efficiency also declined with increasing fish size. Growth efficiency was generally higher for Atlantic salmon than for brown trout, particularly at high temperature.


The aim of the present volume is two-fold: to give a coherent account of the locative alternation in English, and to develop a constructional theory that overcomes a number of problems in earlier constructional accounts. The lexical-constructional account proposed here is characterized by two main features. On the one hand, it emphasizes the need for a detailed examination of verb meanings. On the other, it introduces lower-level constructions such as verb-class-specific constructions and verb-specific constructions, and makes full use of these lower-level constructions in accounting for alternation phenomena. Rather than being a completely new version of construction grammar, the proposed lexical-constructional account is an automatic consequence of the basic tenet of constructional approaches as being usage-based.


The time required to detect movement between networks and to obtain
(or to continue to use) an IPv4 configuration may be significant as a
fraction of the total handover latency in moving between points of
attachment. This document synthesizes, from experience in the
deployment of hosts supporting ARP, DHCP, and IPv4 Link-Local
addresses, a set of steps known as Detecting Network Attachment for
IPv4 (DNAv4), in order to decrease the handover latency in moving
between points of attachment. [STANDARDS-TRACK]


The rapid development in the IT area brings a series of shifts, in underlying theories, technology and work practices. In the normal course of events, most changes are evolutionary, with small, incremental improvements being made to theoretical understanding or practical application. Occasionally, however, changes occur of such magnitude that they do not just alter current operational practice but require a thorough reappraisal of the underlying assumptions on which that practice is based. In short, they require a review of the dominant way of thinking, or paradigm. Ability to adapt to evolving circumstances is critical, not only for industrial and commercial organisations, but also for individual employees, to survive and remain successful during paradigm shifts. How can we prepare our students so they can survive in a working life characterized by frequent paradigm shifts? It is important that CS and IT education prepares students for coping with shifts induced by technological development in their future careers, that students develop the competencies needed. To understand what competencies are needed, it is important to investigate characteristics among employees that have flourished in earlier paradigm shifts and not least to build knowledge on how to develop learning environments where such competencies and personal characteristics can be achieved This paper is about setting the stage for an action research project aimed at enhancing education with regard to being able to survive paradigm shifts in the IT industry.


AbstractWe introduce a new SVD-based (Singular value decomposition) strategy for noise reduction in hearing aids. This technique is evaluated for noise reduction in a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid where two omnidirectional microphones are mounted in an endfire configuration. The behaviour of the SVD-based technique is compared to a two-stage adaptive beamformer for hearing aids developed by Vanden Berghe and Wouters (1998). The evaluation and comparison is done with a performance metric based on the speech intelligibility index (SII). The speech and noise signals are recorded in reverberant conditions with a signal-to-noise ratio of
 and the spectrum of the noise signals is similar to the spectrum of the speech signal. The SVD-based technique works without initialization nor assumptions about a look direction, unlike the two-stage adaptive beamformer. Still, for different noise scenarios, the SVD-based technique performs as well as the two-stage adaptive beamformer, for a similar filter length and adaptation time for the filter coefficients. In a diffuse noise scenario, the SVD-based technique performs better than the two-stage adaptive beamformer and hence provides a more flexible and robust solution under speaker position variations and reverberant conditions.


Distribution maps are presented for nine Polyporus species occurring in Finland. The commonest are P. brumalis (Pers.: Fr.) Fr. and P. ciliatus Fr.: Fr. A strictly southern species is P. badius (Pers.) Schw., which has been found in two places only, and to a lesser extent P. umbellatus (Pers.: Fr.) Fr.; both of these are classified as threatened. A widespread species with a southern emphasis is P. melanopus (Pers.: Fr.) Fr., from which P. tubaeformis Karst has been separated. P. pseudobetulinus (Pi!.) Thorn, Kotiranta & Niemelli (syn. Piptoporus p.) has two localities in Finland and is considered to be threatened. P. squamosus (Huds.: Fr.) Fr. is sparsely distributed over the whole country and has two ecotypes, one growing on large park trees in old towns in the south, and the other a dwarfed kind inhabiting riparian thickets and having a northerly distribution. P. leptocephalus (Jacq.: Fr.) Fr. (P. varius (Pers.: Fr.) Fr.) has a similar dual ecology, occurring both on dead, old-forest aspen trunks and on living park trees of various genera. All the species cause a white-rot, and, except for some questionable records from conifers, grow exclusively on hardwoods. Only P. squamosus does significant harm as a pathogen, causing decay in park trees.


Shoot architecture and flowering are regulated processes and vary among plant species. Pnueli et al. identified a new group of interacting partners, SP-interacting proteins (SIPs), for the CETS family of proteins (so named for the founding members CEN, TFL1, and FT, which are all regulators of flowering and shoot architecture). CETS proteins are homologous to the mammalian phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins; however, analysis of the crystal structure of CEN suggests that these proteins do not bind phospholipid, but may bind phosphorylated amino acids instead. In a screen for partners for the CETS member SP, Pnueli et al. identified several 14-3-3 proteins, a kinase SPAK (SP-associated kinase), a G-box transcription factor of the bZIP family, and a novel small protein SIP4. Their analysis of the interactions and phosphorylation dependence of the interactions revealed similarities with the kinase Raf1 signaling and regulatory processes. Raf1 and SPAK both have two 14-3-3 binding sites and both kinases are dependent on phosphorylation for their interactions with the 14-3-3 proteins. Each interacts with a downstream member of the CETS family: Raf1 interacts with RKIP and SPAK interacts with SP. The novel protein SIP4 is also a substrate for the SAPK in vitro and the interaction of SIP4 with 14-3-3 is also dependent on phosphorylation. Many questions remain about the organization of the two systems and the functional consequences of the interactions, but the similarities between the two systems allow targeted questions to be asked based on the information known in the each model. L. Pnueli, T. Gutfinger, D. Hareven, O. Ben-Naim, N. Ron, N. Adir, E. Lifschitz, Tomato SP-interacting proteins define a conserved signaling system that regulates shoot architecture and flowering. Plant Cell 13, 2687-2702 (2001). [Abstract] [Full Text]


INTRODUCTION Electronic commerce (EC) has allowed business organizations to enhance their economic growth, improve efficiency and effectiveness, keep inventories lean, and reduce cost. More and more companies go online to conduct business transactions using the Internet and Web technology. Research indicates that EC will continue to grow, and the number of Internet users worldwide reached over 1.57 billion as February 2009 (http://internetworldstats.com, 2009). Thus, more than one fifth of the total world population uses the Internet. And this penetration is rapidly increasing, with broadband connections having grown from 55% in early 2008 and 47% in 2007. Indeed, EC is now a reality of our daily lives. Intuitively, companies need to ensure that their Web presence is accessible and acceptable to this huge market to maintain future profitability. Usability is one prominent measure of accessibility and acceptability. Usability has been studied extensively in both the human-computer interaction discipline (e.g., Palmer, 2002; Kepuska, Gurbuz, Rodriguez, Fiore, Carstens, Converse, & Metcalf, 2008) and in the electronic commerce area (Agarwal & Venkatesh, 2002; Eighmey & McCord, 1998; Massy, Khatri, & MontoyaWeiss, 2007; Nielsen, 2000; Palmer & Griffith, 1998; Venkatesh & Agarwal, 2006; Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, & Davis, 2003). Although the Web provides an opportunity for a firm to offer a unique and satisfying experience to its visitors, developing a user friendly Web site is not a simple task. One of the critical challenges facing businesses today is to develop a Web site that is not only compelling for the visitors, but is also able to serve the goals of the business as well. A major business goal of EC is Web site usage, which can be measured by number of visitors, time per visitor, and page views a site receives. None of the research on Web site usability has examined the relationship between what is deemed a usable site and usage of that site. The purpose of this research is to rate Fortune 500 retail Web sites' usability given previous guidelines, and then cross-reference whether the usability of the sites, as rated by survey respondents, correlates with usage of the sites. The research will present empirical usability results obtained from users of operating retail Web sites, and will compare that to Web site usage data from Nielsen Online. BACKGROUND Usability of a Web site is a characteristic business professional and academic researchers have long realized to be important (Agarwal & Venkatesh, 2002; Massy et al., 2007; Palmer, 2002; Post, Kagan, & Sigman, 2009; Venkatesh & Agarwal, 2006; Venkatesh & Ramesh, 2006). Usability has been conceptually defined and operationally measured in different ways. This paper adopts the ISO 9241 definition of usability - "The extent to which a product or a service can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use." The purpose of usability research is to understand how to design and engineer more usable Web sites in an attempt to identify a set of principles and common practices that will ensure usability is an outcome of system design. In the context of Web site design, Nielsen (2000) claimed that usability engineering is the key to successfully conducting commercial Web site design and argued that a business firm that does not pay enough attention to this aspect is not likely to generate sustainable traffic to its Web site or, even if visitors stop by, the site will lack the crucial attribute of "stickiness", or usage, which often translates into customers. Therefore, as mentioned, the topic of usability has been studied in both human computer interaction literature (e.g., Palmer, 2002) and information systems literature (e.g., Green & Pearson, 2009; Venkatesh & Agarwal, 2006) . Prior research has proposed multiple factors by which the usability of Web sites may be assessed. …


In a development certain to fuel a long-running controversy, a prominent science advisory panel is calling on the U.S. government to abandon a nearly finished update to rules on protecting human research participants. It should wait until a new high-level commission, created by Congress and the president, to recommend improvements and then start over, the panel says. The recommendation, made 29 June by a committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that is examining ways to reduce the regulatory burden on academic scientists, is the political equivalent of stepping in front of a speeding car in a bid to prevent a disastrous wreck. It9s not clear, however, whether the panel will succeed in stopping the regulatory express—or just get run over. Both the Obama administration, which has been pushing to complete the new rules this year, and key lawmakers in Congress would need to back the halt—and so far they9ve been silent. Still, many researchers and university groups are thrilled with the panel9s recommendation, noting that they have repeatedly objected to some of the proposed rule changes as unworkable—with little apparent impact.


Background: The combination of dietary restraint and physical exercise as a recommended treatment for weight loss has had limited long-term success. One factor proposed as limiting weight management techniques efficacy is the failure to target psychological processes linked with overeating. Consistent with prior research that has identified the efficacy of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) in reducing food cravings and aiding weight loss, this pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) examined the impact of online delivery of EFT intervention on food cravings and weight management. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to an eight-week online EFT intervention group or waitlist control group. The sample comprised primarily of women (96%) aged between 41 and 60 years. Of the treatment group, 65% consumed their craved foods daily and had an average Body Mass Index in the obese range (33.3). Outcome measures assessed included food cravings, dietary restraint, subjective power of food, weight, somatic (body sensation), anxiety, and depressive symptoms. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine 2019; 4(4), doi:10.21926/obm.icm.1904065 Page 2/31 Results: Post-intervention analyses revealed significant reductions on all measures for participants in the EFT condition (n = 314) with Cohen's effect size values suggesting moderate to high practical significance for the online intervention. However, there were no significant differences for participants in the waitlist control group (n = 137). In this crossover study design, post-test waitlist data was then collapsed into the EFT treatment group data for follow-up analyses, which indicated treatment gains on all measures at 6month (n = 216) and 12-month (n = 145) follow-up. Conclusions: Findings constitute preliminary support for the utility of online EFT as an accessible tool to assist the management of food cravings and body weight.


The development of a simple and reliable method for nanoparticles-based ink in an aqueous solution is still a challenge for its inkjet printing application. Herein, we demonstrate the inkjet printing of fractal-aggregated silver (Ag) electrode lines on substrates. Spherical, monodisperse Ag nanoparticles have been synthesized using silver nitrate as a precursor, ethylene glycol as a reducing agent, and polyvinyl pyrrollidone as a capping agent. As-synthesized pure Ag nanoparticles were well dispersed in water-ethylene glycol mixture, which was directly used as an ink for inkjet printing. Using this ink, the Ag electrodes of fractal-connected lines were printed on Si/SiO2, glass, and polymer substrates. The fractal-connected Ag lines were attributed to the diffusion-limited aggregation of Ag nanoparticles and the effect of annealing on conductivity was also examined.


This guide details resources for bibliotherapy, especially for use in SPSY 6350 - School-Based Interventions: Children, Youth and Families and SPSY 6400 - School-Based Interventions: Groups, Classrooms and Systems.


"Vale la pena di partecipare" (Reply to F. Ferretti) - F. Ferretti quotes a random sample of recent studies as proofs against my arguments, and makes no mention of the conspicuous failure of glottochronology, of the one-sided methods of Ruhlen's linguistic comparison, of the questionable corres - pondences of languages with populations genetics. He clearly passes over the second, epistemological, part of the book. In his exposition, the different planes of discussion are systematically mixed up and my arguments repeatedly misinterpreted. My Reply is focused on a few points. In particular: the import of evolutionary theories on discussions of language origin, the notion of a "faculty" or "instinct" of language, the status of linguistics as an empirical science, the relations of evolutionary psychology with sociobiology. Finally, I challenge F. Ferretti's assertion, that the refutation of naturalism must necessarily result in embracing idealism. Keywords: Comparativism, Language faculty, Language origin, Limits of linguistic reconstruction, Naturalism, Sociobiology.


Computing the partition function and the marginals of a global probability distribution are two important issues in any probabilistic inference problem. In a previous work, we presented sub-tree based upper and lower bounds on the partition function of a given probabilistic inference problem. Using the entropies of the sub-trees we proved an inequality that compares the lower bounds obtained from different sub-trees. In this paper we investigate the properties of one specific lower bound, namely the lower bound computed by the minimum entropy sub-tree. We also investigate the relationship between the minimum entropy sub-tree and the sub-tree that gives the best lower bound.


Scholars advocate the use of children's literature to help build awareness, understanding, and acceptance of disability in elementary school classrooms. Moreover, children's literature has been used as a component of disability awareness studies seeking to improve relationships between students with disabilities and their typically developing peers. Despite this interest in the potential for children's literature to positively impact connections between children with and without disabilities, there is a lack of empirical data describing general education teacher use of children's literature to support inclusive practice. This study was conducted to fill this gap in the professional literature. General education teachers in Pre-K through Grade 3 classrooms (n=10) in an inclusive elementary school were interviewed to understand their views about school culture and climate, strategies for reading aloud, and knowledge of inclusive picture books, the format of children's literature most often read aloud in the primary grades. The results of the study suggested that teachers are trained to use interactive read -aloud practices but have little knowledge about picture books that feature characters with disabilities. Implications for practice include professional preparation of pre-service teachers and in-service professional development for practicing teachers regarding guidelines for selecting inclusive pictures books and how these books can be integrated into routine classroom read alouds.


Using more than 6.7 billions of trades, we explore how the tick-by-tick dynamics of limit order books depends on the aggregate actions of large investment funds on a much larger (quarterly) timescale. In particular, we find that the well-established long memory of market order signs is markedly weaker when large investment funds trade either in a directional way and even weaker when their aggregate participation ratio is large. Conversely, we investigate to what respect a weaker memory of market order signs predicts that an asset is being actively traded by large funds. Theoretical arguments suggest two simple mechanisms that contribute to the observed effect: a larger number of active meta-orders and a modification of the distribution of size of meta-orders. Empirical evidence suggests that the number of active meta-orders is the most important contributor to the loss of market order sign memory.


Due to the importance of studying solute displacement in soil columns to evaluate soil and groundwater pollution risks, and the lack of standardization in the soil column length (L) and also the pore-water velocity () used, this study evaluated the relation of L and with the dispersive-diffusive coefficient (D), the dispersivity (λ) and retardation factor (R) of the potassium ion (K+) in an Oxisol and in a Dystric Quartzarenic Neosol. Five column lengths were tested (0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.40, and 0.50 m) and four pore-water velocities (0.62, 0.69, 0.75, and 0.81 m h-1 for the Oxisol and 0.37, 0.40, 0.44, and 0.48 m h-1 for the Neosol). A displacement solution of 130 mg L-1 of K+ was applied to the disturbed soil columns saturated with a 5 mmol L-1 CaCl2 solution. The transport parameters R and D were obtained using the computer program Disp; λ was obtained by the equation D = Do + λ, in which Do is equal to 7.13 10-6 m2 h-1 for KCl. The column length and pore-water velocity were related with parameters of the K+ transport in both soils. In the Oxisol, the retardation factor increased with increasing pore-water velocity. In both soils, the retardation factor decreased with increasing column length, the dispersive-diffusive coefficient increased with increasing pore-water velocity and increasing soil column length and dispersivity also increased with increasing column length.


Two factors that control synapse formation in mammalian brain are associated with human language acquisition. [Also see Report by Sia et al.] Humans' ability to cope with the challenges they meet in life is transmitted almost exclusively through the medium of language. We have yet to fully map out the circuits of the human brain, the genes acting on them, and the processes they control that yield this distinct human quality. However, the findings of Sia et al. (1), on page 987 of this issue, bring us a step closer. The authors have determined that a secreted protein called sushi repeat–containing protein X-linked 2 (SRPX2) promotes mammalian vocalization by controlling the formation of synapses in the mouse cerebral cortex. Expression of this protein is known to be repressed by the transcription factor foxhead box protein P2 (FOXP2), which has been implicated in human language acquisition. A link between these two factors and synaptogenesis may have played a role in the evolution of the neural circuits associated with human language and cognition, as well as the pathogenesis of language disorders.


Treatment of enteric fever is increasingly becoming very challenging due to the increasing wave of antibiotic resistance. This study is a review of the contemporary antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Salmonella species. The antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Salmonella species to a wide range of antimicrobial agents was compiled for a period of 10 years (1997-2006). Data was obtained from published articles on both in vitro and in vivo susceptibility patterns of the organism to various drugs during the time interval. Data obtained were analysed using simple descriptive methods. Of the 23,504 isolates of Salmonella species reviewed, they were found to be 98% susceptible to cefepime and carbapenem, 91% to azithromycin, 82.1% to cefixime and 73% to quinolones. Also susceptibility to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, streptomycin, ampicillin, gentamicin, co-trimoxazole, augmentin and amikacin was found to be 11.9%, 10.9%, 13.0%, 16.8%, 46.3%, 38.0%, 54.3%, 6.9% and 63.0% respectively. This review has demonstrated increasing resistance of Salmonella species to antibiotics. Empirical treatment for enteric fevers should, therefore, be discouraged while quinolones, cefepime, carbapenem, azithromycin and third generation cephalosporins be given preference.

 KEY WORDS: Susceptibility, Antimicrobial, Salmonella species, Enteric fever


The first part of the thesis compares Roth's method with other methods, in particular the method of separation of variables and the finite cosine transform method, for solving certain elliptic partial differential equations arising in practice. In particular we consider the solution of steady state problems associated with insulated conductors in rectangular slots. Roth's method has two main disadvantages namely the slow rate of convergence of the double Fourier series and the restrictive form of the allowable boundary conditions. A combined Roth-separation of variables method is derived to remove the restrictions on the form of the boundary conditions and various Chebyshev approximations are used to try to improve the rate of convergence of the series. All the techniques are then applied to the Neumann problem arising from balanced rectangular windings in a transformer window. Roth's method is then extended to deal with problems other than those resulting from static fields. First we consider a rectangular insulated conductor in a rectangular slot when the current is varying sinusoidally with time. An approximate method is also developed and compared with the exact method.The approximation is then used to consider the problem of an insulated conductor in a slot facing an air gap. We also consider the exact method applied to the determination of the eddy-current loss produced in an isolated rectangular conductor by a transverse magnetic field varying sinusoidally with time. The results obtained using Roth's method are critically compared with those obtained by other authors using different methods. The final part of the thesis investigates further the application of Chebyshdev methods to the solution of elliptic partial differential equations; an area where Chebyshev approximations have rarely been used. A poisson equation with a polynomial term is treated first followed by a slot problem in cylindrical geometry.


We study an online flow shop scheduling problem where each job consists of several tasks that have to be completed in t different stages and the goal is to maximize the total weight of accepted jobs. The set of tasks of a job contains one task for each stage and each stage has a dedicated set of identical parallel machines corresponding to it that can only process tasks of this stage. In order to gain the weight (profit) associated with a job j, each of its tasks has to be executed between a task-specific release date and deadline subject to the constraint that all tasks of job j from stages 1, . . . , i − 1 have to be completed before the task of the ith stage can be started. In the online version, jobs arrive over time and all information about the tasks of a job becomes available at the release date of its first task. This model can be used to describe production processes in supply chains when customer orders arrive online. We show that even the basic version of the offline problem with a single machine in each stage, unit weights, unit processing times, and fixed execution times for all tasks (i.e., deadline minus release date equals processing time) is APX-hard. Moreover, we show that the approximation ratio of any polynomialtime approximation algorithm for this basic version of the problem must depend on the number t of stages. For the online version of the basic problem, we provide a (2t−1)-competitive deterministic online algorithm and a matching lower bound. Moreover, we provide several (sometimes tight) upper and lower bounds on the competitive ratio of online algorithms for several generalizations of the basic problem involving different weights, arbitrary release dates and deadlines, different processing times of tasks, and several identical machines per stage.


We study the Static-Routing-Resiliency problem, motivated by routing on the Internet: Given a graph G = (V,E), a unique destination vertex d, and an integer constant c > 0, does there exist a static and destination-based routing scheme such that the correct delivery of packets from any source s to the destination d is guaranteed so long as (1) no more than c edges fail and (2) there exists a physical path from s to d? We embark upon a study of this problem by relating the edge-connectivity of a graph, i.e., the minimum number of edges whose deletion partitions G, to its resiliency. Following the success of randomized routing algorithms in dealing with a variety of problems (e.g., Valiant load balancing in the network design problem), we embark upon a study of randomized routing algorithms for the Static-Routing-Resiliency problem. For any k-connected graph, we show a surprisingly simple randomized algorithm that has expected number of hops O(|V|k) if at most k-1 edges fail, which reduces to O(|V|) if only a fraction t of the links fail (where t < 1 is a constant). Furthermore, our algorithm is deterministic if the routing does not encounter any failed link.


Physical infrastructure is required for health and security. Physical infrastructure also plays a
significant role in development and economic growth. It may be seen as the foundation on
which the expansion of agricultural production and subsequently industrial production takes
place. Both of these are required to generate sustainable economic growth to support social
welfare. This thesis examines methods of enabling low-income households and communities
in low-income ('developing') countries to benefit from physical infrastructure. [Continues.]


This paper presents a novel method to detect rotor faults in salient-pole synchronous machines by exploiting small constructional asymmetries in the machine. In order to unambiguously detect the faults, it is very important to identify a signal that is minimally sensitive to the abnormal operating conditions of the machine but highly sensitive to the fault. This paper shows that certain frequency components such as the 30, 90 Hz in the stator current of a 4-pole 60 Hz salient-pole synchronous machine (SM) are good candidates for detecting rotor faults. The paper presents the physical explanation behind these observed frequency components and shows them to be suitable candidates to detect broken damper bars and inter-turn faults in the field winding.


An important advantage of a database system is that it provides each application with a custom view of the data. The issue addressed in this paper is how to provide such custom views to applications that access multiple databases. The paper describes a formal method that generates such superviews, in an interactive process of schema editing operations. A mapping of the superview into the individual databases is derived from the editing process, and is stored together with the superview as a virtual database. When this database is interrogated, the mapping is used to decompose each query into a set of queries against the individual databases, and recompose the answers to form an answer to the original query. As this process is transparent to the user, virtual databases may be regarded as a more general type of databases. A prototype database system, that allows users to construct virtual databases and interrogate them, has been developed.


In this paper a polarization-independent wavelength-switchable flat-top fiber comb filter is newly proposed, which is based on a Solc type birefringence combination and polarization-diversity loop configuration. The proposed filter consists of a polarization beam splitter, two concatenated polarization-maintaining fibers, and two half-wave plates. Our theoretical analysis shows that the proposed apparatus has a much flatter passband and sharper notch than the conventional Sagnac birefringence filter. Particularly, by interchanging the Solc type birefringence combination within the filter between the folded and fan designs, channel wavelength switching operation, more specifically channel interleaving operation, can be achieved through the proper adjustment of the half-wave plates contained within the apparatus. Theoretical prediction was verified by experimental demonstration.


We compare the structural properties of the street networks of ten different European cities using their primal representation. We investigate the properties of the geometry of the networks and a set of centrality measures highlighting differences and similarities between cases. In particular, we found that cities share structural similarities due to their quasiplanarity but that there are also several distinctive geometrical properties. A principal component analysis is performed on the distributions of centralities and their respective moments, which is used to find distinctive characteristics by which we can classify cities into families. We believe that, beyond the improvement of the empirical knowledge on streets' network properties, our findings can open new perspectives into the scientific relationship between city planning and complex networks, stimulating the debate on the effectiveness of the set of knowledge that statistical physics can contribute for city planning and urban-morphology studies.


Extracted from text ... RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY
Buying a second home
With prices of houses skyrocketing, should you be looking
to buy a second home?
By CHRIS NTHITE
Moneyweb's PERSONAL FINANCE September 2005 7
WITH interest rates being as low as
they are, and the residential property
market sparking as much
investor interest as it has, it's no
surprise that many South Africans
are still opting to buy a second
home. This is according to Piet
Botha, chairman of the Nationlink
estate agency group
Botha notes that although the
second home market has slowed
somewhat, there is still demand for
quality homes, notably in ..


In everyday life, the role of computing devices alternates between the ordinary and mundane, the un‐reflected and the extraordinary. To better understand the process through which the relationship between computing devices, users and context changes in everyday life, we apply a distinction between time‐in and time‐out use. Time‐in technology use coincides and co‐exists within the flow of ordinary life, while time‐out use entails 'taking time out' of everyday life to accomplish a circumscribed task or engage reflectively in a particular experience. We apply a theoretically informed grounded approach to data collected through a longitudinal field study of smartphone users during a 6‐month period. We analysed the data based on the concept of time‐in/out and show the dynamics in the experience of a device that changes from the 'extraordinary' to the 'ordinary' over time. We also provide a vocabulary that describes this relationship as stages resembling the one between a couple, which evolves from an early love affair, to being married and to growing old together. By repurposing the time‐in/out distinction from its origin in media studies, this paper marks a move that allows the distinction to be applied to understanding the use and dynamic becoming of computing devices over time.


This paper investigates the neural dynamics and gamma oscillation on a complex network with excitatory and inhibitory neurons (E-I network), as such network is ubiquitous in the brain. The system consists of a small-world network of neurons, which are emulated by Izhikevich model. Moreover, mixed Regular Spiking (RS) and Chattering (CH) neurons are considered to imitate excitatory neurons, and Fast Spiking (FS) neurons are used to mimic inhibitory neurons. Besides, the relationship between synchronization and gamma rhythm is explored by adjusting the critical parameters of our model. Experiments visually demonstrate that the gamma oscillations are generated by synchronous behaviors of our neural network. We also discover that the Chattering(CH) excitatory neurons can make the system easier to synchronize.


Shortlisted for the Booker Prize. It is 1912, and at Cambridge University the modern age is knocking at the gate. Fred Fairly, a Junior Fellow at the college of St Angelicus, where for centuries no female, not even a pussy cat, has been allowed to set foot, lectures in physics. Science, he is certain, will explain everything. Until into Fred's orderly life come Daisy. Fred is smitten. Why have I met her? he wonders. How can I tell if she's quite what she seems? Fred is a scientist. To him the truth should be everything. But even scientists make mistakes.


ABSTRACT Two pathogenic fungi of opium poppy, Pleospora papaveracea and Dendryphion penicillatum, were isolated from field material in Beltsville, MD. The processes of infection by these two fungi were studied to determine the optimal environmental conditions for infection. Both fungi formed appressoria capable of penetrating directly through the plant epidermal layer. Of the two fungi, P. papaveracea was more aggressive, causing more rapid necrosis. Appressorial formation by P. papaveracea occurred as early as 4 h after application of a conidial suspension to poppy leaves. P. papaveracea formed more appressoria than did D. penicillatum, especially at cool temperatures (7 to 13 degrees C). In greenhouse studies, P. papaveracea caused more damage to opium poppy than did D. penicillatum when applied in 10% unrefined corn oil. In the field, P. papaveracea was more consistent in its effects on opium poppy from a local seed source designated Indian Grocery. P. papaveracea caused higher disease ratings, more stem lesions, and equal or greater yield losses than did D. penicillatum on Indian Grocery. The late-maturing opium poppy variety White Cloud was severely damaged by disease, regardless of formulation or fungal treatment. P. papaveracea was the predominant fungus isolated from poppy seed capsules and the only fungus reisolated from the field the following year. These studies provide a better understanding of the infection process and the differences between these two pathogenic fungi and will be beneficial for the development of the fungi as biological control agents.


Changes in soil hydraulic properties with depth are common in field soils and need to be described in numerical simulations. Water content is undesirable to calculate Darcian flux since it is not continuous across boundaries between different soil layers. A general form of the one‐dimensional water content–based Richards equation, which was first derived by Hills et al., is adopted here to simulate one‐dimensional unsaturated flow in gradational soils by adding a correction term. For cell‐centered grid, several algorithms are presented to find the correction term for the two nodes in the vicinity of the layer interface. For vertex‐centered grid, the dyadic values of water content at the interface are represented by one sole water content value through the introduction of composite soil water curve. The proposed algorithms are implemented in an iterative model, and then the model is tested with several synthetic cases in gradational soil and layered soil. The water content–based Richards equation leads to superior numerical performance in terms of mass conservation, accuracy, and efficiency over the mixed form Richards equation, especially for the flow in relatively dry soil and with coarse grid. In layered soil, it is found that the algorithm based on vertex‐centered grid is the most robust among all the methods discussed here.


Genome scans have become a common approach to identify genomic signatures of natural selection and reproductive isolation, as well as the genomic bases of ecologically relevant phenotypes, based on patterns of polymorphism and differentiation among populations or species. Here, we review the results of studies taking genome scan approaches in plants, consider the patterns of genomic differentiation documented and their possible causes, discuss the results in light of recent models of genomic differentiation during divergent adaptation and speciation, and consider assumptions and caveats in their interpretation. We find that genomic regions of high divergence generally appear quite small in comparisons of both closely and more distantly related populations, and for the most part, these differentiated regions are spread throughout the genome rather than strongly clustered. Thus, the genome scan approach appears well-suited for identifying genomic regions or even candidate genes that underlie adaptive divergence and/or reproductive barriers. We consider other methodologies that may be used in conjunction with genome scan approaches, and suggest further developments that would be valuable. These include broader use of sequence-based markers of known genomic location, greater attention to sampling strategies to make use of parallel environmental or phenotypic transitions, more integration with approaches such as quantitative trait loci mapping and measures of gene flow across the genome, and additional theoretical and simulation work on processes related to divergent adaptation and speciation.


ABSTRACT Papenmeier, S.; Schrottke, K.; Bartholomä, A. and Flemming, B.W., 2013. Sedimentological and rheological properties of the water–solid bed interface in the Weser and Ems estuaries, North Sea, Germany: Implications for fluid mud classification. Fine, cohesive sediment suspensions are a common feature of estuarine environments. Generally, multilayer models are used to describe the vertical distribution of such sediments. Such conceptional models normally distinguish at least high suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) as a topmost layer and a consolidated bed layer, often including an intermediate, fluid mud layer. Rheological, and in particular sedimentological properties are rarely included in these models. New data from two different estuaries provide new insights that can contribute toward the classification of near-bed cohesive sediments. The water–solid bed interfaces within the turbidity maximum zones of the Weser and Ems estuaries were sampled with 2–4-m-long cores. At 10-cm intervals, values of SSC, viscosity, particulate organic matter, mud ∶ sand ratio, temperature, salinity, and grain-size distributions were determined. By normalizing these parameters to SSC and performing a cluster analysis, sediment suspensions of <20 g/L SSC, fluid mud with up to 500 g/L SSC, and an underlying cohesive/consolidated bed can each clearly be distinguished. However, changes in flow behaviour and sedimentological characteristics represented by a shift in the cluster grouping support a subdivision of the fluid mud into a low-viscosity (I) (20–200 g/L SSC) and a high-viscosity (II) (200–500 g/L SSC) layer. Furthermore, by normalizing SSC measurements, site-specific differences were observed in the rheological behaviour of the fluid mud which might be caused by differences in grain-size composition. This suggests that the widely accepted 3-layer model of vertical SSC profiles should be extended by two layers of fluid mud identified in this study.


UK policy perception of young people undertaking low level (1 and 2) vocational programmes in Colleges of Further Education tends to characterise them within a deficit model of social exclusion, 'disaffection' and 'disengagement' (Colley, 2003:169). They are the focus of multiple initiatives in the context of the 14-19 agenda as attempts are made to solve a perceived problem by providing routes through a range of vocational 'opportunities' which will allegedly enable them to engage with the 'knowledge' society (Bathmaker, 2005). This paper attempts to problematise the notion of opportunity, arguing that the rhetoric of opportunity which permeates Government documents is merely a deception perpetrated on those young people whose positioning in education and society prevents them from questioning it.

The paper discusses the 'little stories' (Griffiths, 2003:81) of Emma, Leonardo, Paris, Rea and Amir, five young people who participated in a recent empirical study exploring the lives and transitions of level 1 students. Whilst acknowledging that the young people discussed in this paper are a small sample, their stories are typical of the 31 young people who participated in the study, and are also reflective of both the exclusionary characteristics experienced by the wider group and of their hopes, dreams and aspirations for the future.

The paper uses their stories to illustrate the significant limitations of the 'opportunities' offered to young people, arguing that in many cases these are limited to an extended transition, moving from one low level vocational programme to the next. It finds that, whilst apparently 'buying in' to lifelong learning and notions of a knowledge society, the young people are rejecting such 'opportunities,' together with their perceived civic responsibility of engaging in lifelong learning, as they draw on whatever capital they have available to them in an attempt to make the transition from education to the world of work. Four of the young people in this study were, or had been, engaged in employment concurrent with their level 1 programme. Whilst this could all be described as low pay, low skill employment some, such as working with children, carried significant responsibility. Three of these young people made a decision to move from education into the world of work at or before the end of their level 1 programme. The paper argues that in context of a low level vocational programme a decision to move into low pay, low skill employment might be regarded as a rational choice since it exchanges immediate financial capital, albeit at a low level, for a vague, insubstantial promise of something better at the end of a much extended transition.

The paper goes on to conclude that these young people, despite the high aspirations reflected in their stories, are structurally positioned, partly inevitably, to make choices that are not their own, and to be denied the kind of opportunity which might enable them to achieve their aspirations. Instead, they are predestined to be engaged in low level, 'busy' activities rather than learning in preparation for low pay, low skill employment. Finally, the paper raises questions about the morality of a Government education policy which creates and perpetuates institutional and societal structures and barriers which effectively deny opportunity to so many young people.


The concept of environmental management and its related issues have received heightened attention in global discussions due to climate change, global warming and other environmental challenges over the last three decades. To abate and avert these challenges, efficient environmental processes, strategies, policies, initiatives and practices have been adopted by some companies and countries. As a result, research scholars have also highlighted the financial implication of engaging in such environmental management activities and have advanced investigations to understand the relationship between corporate environmental performance (CEP) and corporate financial performance (CFP). Nonetheless, results are inconsistent and contradictory, thus, leaving a gap in the literature that calls for further examination. The primary aim of the study is to examine the relationship between CEP and CFP in listed firms in the UK. There are three sub-specific objectives strategically drafted to contribute to the existing literature on the subject matter. First, to investigate the impact of CEP (i.e., environmental operational performance (EOP) and environmental management performance (EMP)) on corporate financial performance (i.e., accounting-based and market-based measures) in the various sectors from 2009 to 2015. Second, to investigate the non-linear relationship between environmental operational performance and corporate financial performance in the carbon and non-carbon intensive sectors. Lastly, to explore the extent to which EOP mediates the relationship between environmental management performance and CFP. In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the study used a sample size of 196 listed firms on the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) All-Share Index from the year 2009 to 2015. The secondary data examined in the study was sourced from ASSET4 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Companies' Annual Reports and DataStream. To begin with the analysis, an econometric model was developed to establish the correlation between the dependent variables (i.e., financial performance indicators) and the independent variables (i.e., EOP and EMP) with the use of Stata statistical tool. After which, the panel data regression fixed effect was utilised to explore the actual relationship between CEP and CFP. The descriptive results from the analysis indicate that financial and industrial firms are the most dominant sectors represented in the sample. Despite its dominance in the sample, some existing studies seem to validate the opinion that including financial firms in analysis such as this would invalidate the final results due to their different reporting styles. In order to examine and provide empirical evidence regarding those arguments, the study further investigated the CEP-CFP relationship exclusively and inclusively of the financial sector. After such exploration, it was found that indeed excluding and including financial firms from the overall study sample did have significant impact on the overall results. For instance, when financial firms were included in the sample, ROS was not statistically significant in relation to any of the EOP measures. However, upon exclusion of the financial firms, scope 1 emissions were found to be significantly and positively associated with ROS. These results provide confirmatory evidence that indeed including/excluding financial firms in studies relating to environmental performance has to be done with the necessary caution. The panel regression tests also revealed that Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission, which is a measurement proxy for EOP, should be examined in their separate scopes and not together. The results support the multi-dimensional construct hypothesis emphasised in this study. It was also found that each scope of GHG emission affects accounting and market-based financial performance measures differently. Furthermore, grouping firms into carbon-intensive and non- carbon intensive showed a different perspective of the EOP and CFP relationship. In other words, a non-linear relationship was found for most of the EOP measures including Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions, resource use reduction and water consumption when tested with the financial performance measures. Additionally, when the mediation effect was tested, it was discovered that only the two scopes of GHG emissions out of the four environmental operational performance measures employed in this study mediated the EMP and CFP relationship. Regarding the EMP and CFP relationship, environmental policies, monitoring, processes and management systems were found to be signifcantly related with CFP. It was also discovered that scope 1 fully mediated the association between environmental policies, monitoring, management systems and Returns on Assets (ROA), Returns on Capital Employed (ROCE) and Stock Price. Likewise, scope 2 also demonstrated a full mediation effect on the relationship between environmental policies, monitoring, management systems, processes and Stock Price, ROCE and Returns on Sales (ROS). The study contributes knowledge to existing literature and studies in a number of ways. First, the segregation of total GHG emissions into the individual scopes has brought additional insights into the policy development of GHG emissions reduction. For instance, there is evidence that scope 1 emissions are positively related to ROS whereas scope 2 emissions have a significant adverse impact. However, when financial firms were included in the sample, scope 2 showed a positive link with financial performance while scope 1 rather revealed a negative association with CFP. This suggests the need for the various sectors to advance different policies if they expect to improve their financial performance. Furthermore, the results enrich the literature on non-linear relationships between environmental performance and CFP. The current study's distinction of the non- linear relationship between carbon intensive and non-carbon intensive firms will help inform management in those sectors on the specific operational performance to focus on and how to utilise such relationship for enhanced performance. Lastly, the study contributes to the CEP literature by indicating the interrelationship between environmental operational and environmental management performance. Such mediated association will help researchers to appreciate the need to use both dimensions of CEP in order to ascertain the robust relationship that exists between both performances.