The use of natural products derived from plants for therapeutic purpose is as ancient as human civilization. Sandbox tree, Hura crepitans L. (Euphorbiaceae) is one of such plant and has been reported to have many ethnomedicinal applications especially as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antihepatotoxic effects. This recent study was designed to determine the anti-hepatotoxic activity of the ethylacetate soluble fraction of the leaves and stem bark of H. crepitans and to isolate secondary metabolites. Chromatographic technique was used for isolation and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV), Infra-red (IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopies were used for structural elucidation. Antihepatotoxicity study was carried out using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced rat model and biochemical parameters: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), L-ãglutamyltransferase (GGT), urea and creatinine (CREA) were assayed on the serum. Phytomicrographs of the liver samples were also taken and analyzed. Our present study showed that biochemical studies of blood samples of CCl4 treated rats with value 105.0±0.001 AU inALT showed significant increase in the level of serum enzyme activities reflecting liver injury but, 69.0±13.23 AU for leaves and 53.3±2.52 AU for bark (p<0.05) indicated protection of hepatic cells. AST, GGT, urea and CREA also reduced significantly. Daphnane diterpenes, daphnetoxin acid and huratoxin were isolated from H. crepitans in this recent study along with apocynin and methylpentadecanoate.Conclusion: H. crepitans significantly reduced the level of biochemical parameters indicating protection against hepatocellular injury. Isolates obtained from this plant could also serve as lead compounds in therapy of diseases involving hepatic injury.


The Cretaceous-Eocene Formations of the Tuscan Nappe ("Maiolica" and "Scaglia Toscana" Fms.) cropping-out on the western side of Monte Amiata, in the Monte Aquilaia-Monte Buceto ridge, were affected by syn-sedimentary normal faults and by extensional calcite veins, perpendicular to bedding-parallel stylolitic joints. These structures were developed during the pre-collisional convergence of the Northern Apennines, suggesting a more recent extensional tectonic phase than that already documented in the Jurassic successions of the Tuscan Domain and linked to the opening of the Tethys (Gelmini et alii, 1967; Giannini & Lazzarotto, 1970; Giannini et alii, 1971; Lazzarotto & Mazzanti, 1978; Bernouli et alii, 1979; Bettelli, 1985; Fazzuoli et alii, 1988; Costantini et alii, 1993 cum bibl.). Differences in orientation of the syn-sedimentary normal faults have been detected in the "Maiolica" and "Marne del Sugame" Fms. In particular, in the Cretaceous "Maiolica" Fm. and in the transitional lithofacies with the "Argilliti di Brolio" member ("Scaglia Toscana" Fm.) the faults show a main NE-SW direction (N degrees 40-N degrees 60); in the Eocene "Marne del Sugame" member ("Scaglia Toscana" Fm.) the faults show a main N-S to NNE-SSW direction (N0 degrees -N30 degrees ). The difference in orientation may be related to the variation of the stress field orientation during the Cretaceous and Eocene. The presence of extensional structures affecting the Cretaceous-Eocene deposits of the Tuscan Nappe reveals very important analogies between the tectonic evolution of the Tuscan and the outer Umbro-Marchigian Domain and could be related to the tectonic evolution of the Apennine Chain-foredeep-foreland system.


How do large companies buy infrastructure (e.g. electricity, gas or rail)? Mainstream economics literature proposes that in the absence of an intermediating government, the bargaining power of large customers in procuring infrastructure will be weak. Drawing on a spatial, temporal and relational framework, this article critiques this proposition through a case study of a large manufacturing firm, ThyssenKrupp (TK) AG, which recently invested €7 billion in steel processing facilities in Brazil and USA. I find that prior to making durable and immobile investments large firms—like TK—can exert symmetric bargaining power against sellers of infrastructure, provided the firm has competitive alternatives available in making a location decision. TK exerted strong bargaining power by doing extensive analysis; keeping its commitment to any given location alternative low; inducing a 'relational auction' among alternatives it found desirable and by demanding tailored infrastructure services, rather than off-the-shelf commodities. Public sector infrastructure megaprojects, built without active co-development with lead users, are likely to be wasteful investments.


Although heavy drinking among fraternity and sorority members is well documented, it is less clear whether the Greek environment facilitates heavy drinking or whether heavy drinkers select into Greek environments. Moreover, mechanisms underlying the relation between Greek environment and drinking rarely have been studied. Selection and socialization effects of Greek affiliation on drinking and the effects of personality traits and peer drinking norms on those associations were investigated using longitudinal data throughout the transition to college (N = 2,376). Latent growth models supported both selection and socialization effects; individuals who involved in heavier drinking at precollege were more likely to join Greek organizations and in turn Greek members increased heavy drinking more than nonmembers, even after the selection effect was controlled. Extraversion was associated with Greek affiliation independent of precollege drinking, whereas the effect of novelty seeking on Greek affiliation was partially mediated by heavier precollege drinking. Peer drinking norms mediated the effect of Greek affiliation on drinking only during the first semester of college. These selection and socialization processes were largely invariant across gender. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.


Bladder cancer is the 11th most common cancer and the 14th leading cause of
cancer deaths worldwide. Understanding the epidemiology of bladder cancer is very effective in the
health planning of this cancer. According to lack of information in the field, the present study was
carried out in order to investigate the epidemiology and trend of incidence of bladder cancer in Iran in
2003 to 2009.
Materials & Methods: The required data for this cross-sectional study were extracted from the data
published by the Ministry of Health during 2003 to 2009. Age and gender specific incidence rates
were calculated and the time trend of sex-specific incidence was plotted during this period.
Results: Evaluation of cancer registration data from 2003 to 2009 illustrated the ascending trend of
bladder cancer in the country. And 27,898 incident bladder cancer cases recorded in the whole country
showed an increase from 2745 cases in 2003 to 4601 cases in 2009. The lowest and the highest
incidence in men and women have been reported respectively in 2003 and 2008. Among the provinces
of Iran, the highest and the lowest rate of bladder cancer incidence among Iranian males were reported
respectively in Tehran province and in South Khorasan province. For women, the highest incidence
rate is in South Khorasan province and the lowest incidence rate is in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad
Province. The sex ratio of male to female was 4.63.
Conclusions: Based on the results, the incidence rate of bladder cancer in Iran is rising. Although a
proportion of this increase may be due to improvements in cancer registration system, still the
probability of increasing the incidence of bladder cancer exists with increasing life expectancy,
lifestyle and other risk factors. Thus planning to investigate the causes of this cancer can be useful in
the primary prevention of the cancer


The APETALA3 floral homeotic gene is required for petal and stamen development in Arabidopsis. APETALA3 transcripts are first detected in a meristematic region that will give rise to the petal and stamen primordia, and expression is maintained in this region during subsequent development of these organs. To dissect how the APETALA3 gene is expressed in this spatially and temporally restricted domain, various APETALA3 promoter fragments were fused to the uidA reporter gene encoding beta-glucuronidase and assayed for the resulting patterns of expression in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Based on these promoter analyses, we defined cis-acting elements required for distinct phases of APETALA3 expression, as well as for petal-specific and stamen-specific expression. By crossing the petal-specific construct into different mutant backgrounds, we have shown that several floral genes, including APETALA3, PISTILLATA, UNUSUAL FLORAL ORGANS, and APETALA1, encode trans-acting factors required for second-whorl-specific APETALA3 expression. We have also shown that the products of the APETALA1, APETALA3, PISTILLATA and AGAMOUS genes bind to several conserved sequence motifs within the APETALA3 promoter. We present a model whereby spatially and temporally restricted APETALA3 transcription is controlled via interactions between proteins binding to different domains of the APETALA3 promoter.


List of Illustrations Preface to the Third Edition List of Acronyms PART ONE - ENVIRONMENTAL ANTHROPOLOGY History, Theory, and Method 1 People in Ecosystems Human Adaptability as a Response to Constraints Modeling Energy Matter Information Ecosystems and Global Change Suggested Readings and Useful Websites Note 2 Theories of Human-Habitat Interaction Environmental Determinism Cultural Determinism: Nature as a Limiting Factor Human Adaptation to Environment Cultural Ecology: Comparison in Human-Environment Research Applications of the Cultural Ecological Method Ecological Anthropology Ethnoecological and Cognitive Approaches Historical Ecology Political Ecology Political Economy and Human Adaptability Suggested Readings and Useful Websites Notes 3 Fundamental Concepts and Methods Ecosystem Relationships Soils and Plant Productivity Physiological Responses Sociocultural Regulatory Adjustments Information and Decisions: Toward Actor-Based Approaches Suggested Readings and Useful Websites Note 4 Environmental Change and Spatial Analysis The Challenge of Scale and Levels of Analysis Human Adaptability to Global Environmental Change The Use of Remote Sensing and GIS in the Social Sciences Experimental Approaches in the Social Sciences Spatial Analysis and the Study of Institutions Suggested Readings and Useful Websites Notes PART TWO - STUDIES OF HUMAN ADAPTABILITY 5 Human Adaptability to Arctic Zones The Arctic Ecosystem Adaptation to Cold Stress Coping with Snow and Sea Ice Adaptation to Prolonged Light and Darkness Coping with Low Biological Productivity Change in the Arctic Suggested Readings and Useful Websites Note 6 Human Adaptability to High Altitudes Mountain Ecosystems Adaptation to Hypoxia Adaptability to Cold Stress in the Andes Aridity and Low Productivity Climate Change and High Altitude Ecosystems Suggested Readings and Useful Websites Notes 7 Human Adaptability to Arid Lands Desert Ecosystems Adjustments to Dry Heat Utilization of Resources Irrigation Change in Desert Ecosystems Suggested Readings and Useful Websites 8 Human Adaptability to Grasslands Grasslands Ecosystems Herd Management Relations with Cultivators Adaptive Strategies in the Northern Plains Global Change and the Future of Grasslands and Pastoralism Suggested Readings and Useful Websites 9 Human Adaptability to the Humid Tropics Tropical Rain Forest Ecosystems Coping with Ecosystem Complexity Adaptability to Humid Heat Global Change Processes and Alternatives to Deforestation Suggested Readings and Useful Websites Notes PART THREE - URBAN SUSTAINABILITY 10 Urban Ecology and Urban Sustainability The History of Cities The Ecology of Cities Spatial Aspects of the City: Compact Versus Sprawl Patterns Reducing Dependence on the Automobile Cities and the Upcoming Water Crisis An Integrative View of the Urban Ecosystem The Urban LTERs Final Remarks Suggested Readings and Useful Websites Glossary Bibliography Index


An important problem faced by auditors is gauging how much reliance can be placed on the accounting systems that process millions of transactions to produce the numbers summarized in a company's financial statements. Accounting sys-ems contain internal controls, procedures designed to detect and correct errors and irregularities that can occur in the processing of transactions. In a complex accounting system, it can be an extremely difficult task for the auditor to anticipate the possible errors that can occur and evaluate the effectiveness of the controls at detecting them. An accurate analysis must take into account the unique features of each company's business processes. To cope with this complexity and variability, the COMET system applies a model-based reasoning approach to the analysis of accounting systems and their controls. An auditor uses COMET to create a hierarchical flowchart model that describes the intended processing of business transactions by an accounting system and the operation of its controls. COMET uses the constructed model to automatically analyze the effectiveness of the controls in detecting potential errors. Price Waterhouse auditors have used COMET on a variety of real audits in several countries around the world.


Post-Apartheid South Africa has seen xenophobic sentiments towards migrants increase, culminating in several deadly riots. The words of equality and diversity, nurtured during the fight for independence seem to be far away. Building on Micheal Neocosmos theories on South African Xenophobia as a political discourse, this thesis examines how nationalist discourse creates and sustains negative perceptions of migrants. Using theories on national identity to undertake a critical discourse analysis of South African parliament proceedings, it illustrates how the perception of a civic and democratic nation, naturalizes a dichotomy between migrants and citizens. How the narrative of an equal and free South Africa, relies on the opposite perception of neighboring countries, as chaotic, undemocratic and un-free, resulting in a negative view of migrants. It argues that the opposing discourse of PanAfricanism provides an opportunity in which a more inclusive identity can be built. Finally this thesis wishes to contribute to further research on national identity construction, by proposing a fourdimensional framework of exclusion that provides a reference point for contrasting national discourses


Waters from high‐altitude alpine lakes are mainly recharged by meteoric water. Because of seasonal variations in precipitation and temperature and relatively short hydraulic residence times, most high‐altitude lakes have lake water isotopic compositions (δ18Olake) that fluctuate due to seasonality in water balance processes. Input from snowmelt, in particular, has a significant role in determining lake water δ18O. Here we compare two high‐resolution δ18Odiatom records from lake sediments in the Swedish Scandes with instrumental data from the last century obtained from nearby meteorological stations. The time period AD 1900–1990 is characterised by an increase in winter precipitation and high winter/summer precipitation ratios and this is recorded in δ18Odiatom as decreasing trends. Lowest δ18Odiatom values and highest amount of winter precipitation are found around AD 1990 when the winter North Atlantic Oscillation index was above +2. We conclude that for the last 150 a the main factor affecting the δ18Odiatom signal in these sub‐Arctic high‐altitude lakes with short residence times has been changes in amount of winter precipitation and that δ18Odiatom derived from high‐altitude lakes in the Swedish Scandes can be used as a winter precipitation proxy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Over activation of microglia results in the production of proinflammatory agents that have been implicated in various brain diseases. Pycnogenol is a patented extract from French maritime pine bark (Pinus pinaster Aiton) with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potency. The present study investigated whether pycnogenol may be associated with the production of proinflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV2 (mouse-derived) microglia. It was found that pycnogenol treatment was dose-dependently associated with significantly less release of nitricoxide (NO), TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, and lower levels of intercellular adhesion molecule1 (ICAM-1) and perilipin 2 (PLIN2). Furthermore, this effect was replicated in primary brain microglia. Levels of inducible NO synthase mRNA and protein were attenuated, whereas there was no change in the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Further evidence indicated that pycnogenol treatment led to the suppression of NF-κB activation through inhibition of p65 translocation into the nucleus and inhibited DNA binding of AP-1, suggesting that these proinflammatory factors are associated with NF-κB and AP-1. We conclude that pycnogenol exerts anti-inflammatory effects through inhibition of the NF-κB and AP-1pathway, and may be useful as a therapeutic agent in the prevention of diseases caused by over activation of microglia.


In carrier-grade Internet Service Provider (ISP) networks the Broadband Network Gateway (BNG) is a specialised network server which sits at the core of an ISP network. The responsibilities of the BNG include the facilitation and aggregation of active user sessions from the ISP's access network, and providing Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity through the ISP backbone network to the Internet. In a typical ISP carrier network, the BNG is one of the most expensive appliances and carries a high degree of responsibility. Due to the cost, it is common for there be only a single centralised BNG, which presents a singular point of failure (SPOF) for all ISP subscriber access to the Internet. This project aims to investigate whether the centralised BNG model is able to be redesigned using a new approach to computer networking called Software Defined Networking (SDN). Using SDN and the OpenFlow protocol will allow for the separation of the traffic forwarding logic of a switch from the data plane, enabling that logic to be moved into an application running in software. This results in a much more software oriented approach to network design and the control and configuration of switches. This project aims to investigate the removal of singular dependence on the centralised BNG model by distributing the functionality of a BNG among a network of commodity switches. There is a strong focus on implementing support for a number of important session establishment protocols and how these can be used to make necessary dynamic traffic forwarding decisions, as well as the investigation of a carrier-grade distributed software controller.


Abstract: The paper aims to trace the flows of global education policies in Higher Education policies in two Latin American countries - Brazil and Argentina – during the decades of 1990 and 2000, from Stephen Ball's theoretical and methodological framework. Two major events were used for analysis - the World Conference on Education for All (Jomtien, 1990), and the World Education Forum (Dakar 2000), which are references in the transfer movement and transnational mobility of education policies led by international agencies such as the World Bank and The United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), among others. These events and resulting documents inaugurated the discursive and epistemic connectivity of global policy networks and the export/import of reform speeches (Ball, 2014), in an environment conducive to the flow of ideas, people and values. As a result, concepts, set priorities and ratified agendas of transnational actions were disseminated, in which the Latin American countries had significant participation and established consensus on Education Reform. Within Higher Education in countries like Brazil and Argentina, a strong expression of the concepts and recommendations of the documents signed at these events was observed during this period. Thus, this paper highlights the recommendations incorporated in some policies of these countries and the interpretation of movements in the context of national policies, taking into account the historical context and political networks established in each country.


In several papers, the importance of the atmospheric flow in the wake development of wind turbines (WT) has been pointed out, making it clear that it is necessary to have long-term on-field observations for an appropriate description of the wake development, its structure and dynamics. This work presents a statistical approach to wake meandering, yw, and the relationship that this behavior has with the incoming wind conditions and neighboring wakes. The work was developed in the framework of the French project SMARTEOLE. The study is based on a 7-month measurement campaign in which a pulsed scanning LiDAR system was used. The ground based LiDAR, measures the flow field in a segment such that the wake of two wind turbines can be captured quasi-horizontally. The analysis filters the incoming wind conditions according to the thermal stability, wind direction and wind velocity at hub height; therefore, the wakes that are developed in periods with similar wind conditions are expected to be analogous, hence meandering can be tracked and statistically analyzed. A well-defined wake evolution was found and the uncertainty analysis made on the wake meandering uncovered some interesting characteristics, including the number of samples required to reach a statistical uncertainty on the mean wake position between 2 × 10-2 D and 8 × 10-2 D for a confidence interval of 95%.


There is great potential for graphics to present quantities, processes, and spatial relations that make knowledge communication more effective through simple to complex visual languages. Visual representation conveys certain messages, directly or metaphorically. An effective visual representation communicates with users by offering core messages and other embedded qualities. These embedded qualities generate interest in the topics/issues, create desirable energy for seeking more knowledge in depth, and enable readers to explore their favorable influences. It is no longer enough to consider a visual representation to be merely attractive or pleasing; it also has to be designed in a way to effectively tell stories in order to better play its role as an information carrier and to meet users' needs for multiple modes of usage. This study examines the ways in which visual explanation both tells stories and presents their underlying meanings. Visual information design not only presents concepts and events across time but also disseminates information widely through various media. This case study investigates various visual depictions of fertility rates and observes the causes and effects of viewers' decision making. The total fertility rates in Taiwan dropped dramatically from 1951 to 2006, according to the Department of Household Registration Affairs, Ministry of Interior (MOI), Taiwan. This drop not only will render the aging population greater than other age groups in the near future, but also greatly changes social, economic, and environmental progress in this region. This study's small effort in the information design field will help create a link between practitioners' intelligence and researchers' suggestions, thereby helping enhance the effectiveness of visual communication.


Molecular imprinting, which belonged to the category of supra molecular chemistry, was the process of preparation of polymer molecule with high specific and selective recognition, which based target molecule as template. Because of the structural predetermination, specific recognition and practical features, molecularly imprinted polymers attracted worldwide attention. Molecular imprinted polymers exhibited both advantages of highly stero- and enantio-selective recognition and strong resistance against corrosion. Therefore, MIPs were used extensively in biotechnology, clinical medicine, environmental monitoring, food industries and so on. The development course of molecular imprinting technique, preparation principles and methods and application in the field of solid-phase extraction, chromatographic separation, membrane separation and sensor were reviewed in this paper. And the application of molecular imprinting in high liquid chromatography, thin layer chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and sensor were also discussed. Finally, this technology in analysis and test was prospected.


There is a growing number of studies on general purpose metaheuristics that are directly applicable to multiple domains. Parameter setting is a particular issue considering that many of such search methods come with a set of parameters to be configured. Fuzzy logic has been used extensively in control applications and is known for its ability to handle uncertainty. In this study, we investigate the potential of using fuzzy systems to control the parameter settings of a threshold accepting (TA) metaheuristic for improving the overall effectiveness of a cross-domain approach. We have evaluated the performance of various general purpose local search metaheuristics which mix multiple heuristics at random and apply the TA metaheuristic with fixed threshold, crisp (non-fuzzy) rule-based control of the threshold and various fuzzy systems controlling the threshold. The empirical results show that the approach using the TA with crisp rule-based control performs the best across six problem domains from a benchmark.


It is customary, at the current time, to consider many, if not most, of the lesions involving the ventricular outflow tract in terms of conotruncal malformations. This reflects the introduction, in the early 1940s, of the terms conus and truncus to describe the components of the developing outflow tract. The definitive outflow tracts in the postnatal heart, however, possess three, rather than two, components. These are the intrapericardial arterial trunks, the arterial roots, and the subvalvar ventricular outflow tracts. Congenital lesions afflicting the arterial roots, however, are not currently considered to be conotruncal malformations. This suggests a lack of logic in the description of cardiac development and its use as a means of categorizing congenital malformations. It is our belief that the developing outflow tract, like the postnatal outflow tracts, can readily be described in tripartite fashion, with its distal, intermediate, and proximal components forming the primordiums of the postnatal parts. In this review, we present evidence obtained from developing mice and human hearts to substantiate this notion. We show that the outflow tract, initially with a common lumen, is divided into its aortic and pulmonary components by a combination of an aortopulmonary septum derived from the dorsal wall of the aortic sac and outflow tract cushions that spiral through its intermediate and proximal components. These embryonic septal structures, however, subsequently lose their septal functions as the outflow tracts develop their own discrete walls. We then compare the developmental findings with the anatomic arrangements seen postnatally in the normal human heart. We show how correlations with the embryologic findings permit logical analysis of the congenital lesions involving the outflow tracts.


A photoelectrochemical process has been developed that is capable of producing surface relief holograms on semiconductor crystals. The exposure characteristics of this recording process have been measured, and an analysis of their effect on the reconstructed image is presented. The photoanodic engraving (PAE) process applied to silicon wafers has produced holographic storage densities exceeding 10(5) bits/ cm(2) for data mask type objects. These surface relief holograms have an archival permanence unequaled by any other holographic recording medium. Replication of the surface relief holograms on clear vinyl plastic has been achieved with storage densities of approximately 5 x 10(3) bits/cm(2).


This paper examines China's role in the extractive industry sectors of sub-Saharan Africa and issues surrounding governance—particularly the maximisation of host country economic gains. China's involvement is controversial and the focus of international debate as to the extent to which Chinese–African relationships in this key sector are not 'win–win' but are damaging African partner economies and political cultures. The paper's motivation is a desire to explain more closely the growing involvement of China in sub-Saharan Africa's extractives sector in terms of how effectively African governance works to maximise the gains accruing to China's African partners. A central question is how far there is Chinese synchronisation with the rules, principles, norms and behavioural expectations of African partners. The study assesses the experience of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Key findings are that China's involvement takes many forms, but is heavily influenced by its own history as well as its emerging engagement with the international development assistance system. The DRC case demonstrates that the effectiveness of African regulatory regimes is highly variable and depends on the quality of governance. Africa has extensive regulatory and normative regimes that frame the Chinese relationship. However, to maximise gains to African partners, the Chinese state and Chinese firms must strengthen policy on corporate responsibilities and practice whilst African states must strengthen the quality of governance to turn political commitments into more robust practice.


We assume that the goal of content based image retrieval is to find images which are both semantically and visually relevant to users based on image descriptors. These descriptors are often provided by an example image--the query by example paradigm. In this work we develop a very simple method for evaluating such systems based on large collections of images with associated text. Examples of such collections include the Corel image collection, annotated museum collections, news photos with captions, and web images with associated text based on heuristic reasoning on the structure of typical web pages (such as used by Google(tm)). The advantage of using such data is that it is plentiful, and the method we propose can be automatically applied to hundreds of thousands of queries. However, it is critical that such a method be verified against human usage, and to do this we evaluate over 6000 query/result pairs. Our results strongly suggest that at least in the case of the Corel image collection, the automated measure is a good proxy for human evaluation. Importantly, our human evaluation data can be reused for the evaluation of any content based image retrieval system and/or the verification of additional proxy measures.


The environmental analysis is to developing an inventory of the environmental situation of the company by identifying environmental impacts, to identify the most significant environmental requests. The objective of this scientific paper is to design and to develop of an environmental diagnostic approach for the dairy industry companies in Morocco. Based on an analysis of approaches implemented and evaluated by companies for environmental analysis, we were able to generate a reliable and correct methodological approach for the environmental analysis. Then we chose the tools Unified Modeling Language and Architecture of Integrated Information Systems to model the approach developed. The two processes of environmental analysis that we have developed: The diagnosis of environmental aspects and evaluation of environmental impacts were presented in a class, diagram and chart Chain event process. The model developed for the environmental analysis that is organized in a series of sequences, thus combining the practices, and generates results. Our scientific research has proposed a process of environmental analysis by well-structured and organized model, represented with the class diagram and the event process chain diagram. To ensure that the approach taken to be practical and operational we propose to operationalize it in a specially dedicated IT applications.


Two different processes control changes in the current and future Southern Ocean carbon uptake. The increase of atmospheric CO2 leads to uptake of anthropogenic carbon. Anthropogenic changes of the atmospheric circulation, however, also change the "natural" carbon budget. The predominant climate mode in the southern hemisphere is the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). In recent decades, the SAM showed a trend toward its positive phase, characterized by stronger westerlies. This trend is related to a warming atmosphere and is predicted to continue in the future. We analyze the response of the Southern Ocean carbon fluxes to the SAM-related variability in a hindcast simulation of a non-eddy-resolving general circulation model coupled to an ecosystem model with two phytoplankton classes. During a positive SAM event, stronger westerlies lead to more Ekman pumping. More carbon- and nutrient-rich deep water is brought into the mixed layer south of the Polar front. This leads to more outgassing of natural carbon, in line with previous model studies. On the other hand, the anomalous silicate and iron inputs favor primary production by diatoms and cause an overall increase of net primary production in our model. Accordingly, the export of organic carbon via the soft-tissue pump is increased. Primary production is responsible for a significant drawdown of the entrained carbon and its immediate return to the subsurface ocean, thereby reducing the amount of carbon available for sea-air gas-exchange. South of the Polar Front, the drawdown of CO2 by increased export production has a larger effect on the surface carbon inventory than the outgassing of CO2, underlining the role of the biological carbon pump for the inter-annual varying carbon fluxes. North of the Polar Front, primary and export production are reduced. In total this leads to an enhanced natural CO2 outgassing of 0.09 Pg C yr-1 per unit of SAM index south of 30°S in line with previous studies.


Svalbard is a high arctic archipelago where the permafrost thickness is 150-450
m and almost continuous in ice-free areas. The model work was carried out in
N~-Alesundw, here the subpermafrost aquifers are recharged by water from the
bottom of the Vestre Lovtnbreen glacier. One main discharge spring is found at
the entrance of an old coal mine. The computer code SUTRA has been used to
simulate two-dimensional fluid movement and energy transport in the ground
under steady state conditions. For the simulation, a cross section with unit thickness
parallel to groundwater flow has been chosen. With the resulting output of
SUTRA, contour maps of the pressure, hydraulic head, temperature and velocity
have been made. Residence times for different situations have been determined
to be15 years as a minimum. In general there is a good agreement between the
physical reality and the simulation results


Higher education institutions (HEIs) are experiencing a challenging era due to demand–response imbalances. An assumed means of responding to the challenge is through the entrepreneurial university model, which adds a third mission to HEIs: to contribute to economic, technological and social development. Therefore, governments across the globe promote this ideal through system reforms and funding schemes, while HEIs ignite institutional changes. Publications also explore the entrepreneurial university model, although some scholars have criticized the new mission and its implied commercial orientation. However, little is still known about how HEIs are applying the model to become more entrepreneurial. Therefore, this article presents a systematic literature review comprised of a meta-ethnography on the transformation journey of 36 HEIs across 18 countries. The outcome is a four-stage iterative action-framework proposition, suggesting that exogenous and endogenous forces constantly influence HEIs which, in response, ignite experiments, requiring sensitization to be consolidated and later institutionalized, in an endless, long and rather slow process. This article contributes to theory by explaining the metalevel of HEIs' entrepreneurial pathway process and to practice by providing policymakers and decision makers in HEIs with an analytical framework.


Introduction: The purpose of this study is to investigate the etiology of panic disorder. Specific objectives include comparing and contrasting the genetic versus environmental factors that contribute to the etiology of panic disorder. Currently, there are four main theories to explain the etiology of panic disorder: psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, and biological. Methodology: This is accomplished via a systematic review of evidence-based medicine. Search engines utilized included: MEDLINE FirstSearch, Medline PubMed, ProQuest Nursing, PsycINFO, Current Research and a bibliographic search of selected articles. Results: The best quality evidence indicates that between 40-60% of the etiology of panic disorder is due to genetics. Further, a body of good quality research states that environmental influences to the expression of panic disorder; such as CO reactivity, learned anxiety, and fear conditioning; may also be hereditable traits. Lifestyle choices, such as smoking, also play a role in the etiology of panic disorder. The evidence-based review does not support a role for the psychodynamic theory in the etiology of panic disorder. Conclusion: The majority of panic disorder is due to genetics. The minority of panic disorder etiology is best explained by the cognitive and behavioral theories on environmental factors. Such data suggest the best treatment for panic disorder patients should focus on medical therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy.


Examining Walter Ruttmann's early animated advertisements in relation both to his Opus films and to contemporary advertising psychology, this article argues that advertising, far from representing a marginal phenomenon or a compromise of artistic integrity, was central to Ruttmann's professional identity as an avant-garde filmmaker. In so doing, I also seek to reframe our understanding of abstract animation in the 1920s as a form profoundly compatible with capitalist modernity and its regulation of perception. Through their combination of abstraction and figuration, Ruttmann's advertisements sought to incorporate contemporary theories of advertising pleasure and activate spectatorial competencies specific to the newly commodified spheres of post–World War I Germany.


Paying for performance is a strategy to meet the unmet need for family planning in low and middle income countries; however, rigorous evidence on effectiveness is lacking. Scientific databases and grey literature were searched from 1994 to May 2016. Thirteen studies were included. Payments were linked to units of targeted services, usually modified by quality indicators. Ancillary components and payment indicators differed between studies. Results were mixed for family planning outcome measures. Paying for performance was associated with improved modern family planning use in one study, and increased user and coverage rates in two more. Paying for performance with conditional cash transfers increased family planning use in another. One study found increased use in the upper wealth group only. However, eight studies reported no impact on modern family planning use or prevalence. Secondary outcomes of equity, financial risk protection, satisfaction, quality, and service organization were mixed. Available evidence is inconclusive and limited by the scarcity of studies and by variation in intervention, study design, and outcome measures. Further studies are warranted.


This report presents a country study analysing the articulation and effectiveness of social
dialogue in France. The methodological approach relies on desk research and semi-structured
interviews with social partners in France, aiming at obtaining deeper insights into how issues
are articulated in French social dialogue, actors are interacting, and how social dialogue
outcomes are achieved – and ultimately implemented. Following a brief historical background
on the industrial relations system and the evolutions in the French context after a series of
reforms, the report then provides both a cross-sectoral overview of social dialogue articulation
and the interaction with European-level social dialogue. It also offers a sectoral perspective by
looking at four sectors with a particular focus on four occupations within these sectors:
commerce (sales agents), construction (construction workers), education (teachers) and
healthcare (nurses). The research suggests a diversity of experiences both in cross-sectoral and
sectoral social dialogue articulation and their effectiveness depending on the type of actor (e.g.
trade unions, employer organisations, etc.) and on the sector of focus. The perceptions of
social dialogue effectiveness are mixed in the face of continuous reforms over the last decades.
Interactions with European-level social dialogue and social partners is considered as important
(particularly in some sectors), but the intensity of the interaction is limited when it comes to
involvement in the European Semester process.


Accurately quantifying gene expression levels is a key goal of experiments using RNA-sequencing to assay the transcriptome. This typically requires aligning the short reads generated to the genome or transcriptome before quantifying expression of pre-defined sets of genes. Differences in the alignment/quantification tools can have a major effect upon the expression levels found with important consequences for biological interpretation. Here we address two main issues: do different analysis pipelines affect the gene expression levels inferred from RNA-seq data? And, how close are the expression levels inferred to the "true" expression levels? We evaluate fifty gene profiling pipelines in experimental and simulated data sets with different characteristics (e.g, read length and sequencing depth). In the absence of knowledge of the 'ground truth' in real RNAseq data sets, we used simulated data to assess the differences between the "true" expression and those reconstructed by the analysis pipelines. Even though this approach does not take into account all known biases present in RNAseq data, it still allows to estimate the accuracy of the gene expression values inferred by different analysis pipelines. The results show that i) overall there is a high correlation between the expression levels inferred by the best pipelines and the true quantification values; ii) the error in the estimated gene expression values can vary considerably across genes; and iii) a small set of genes have expression estimates with consistently high error (across data sets and methods). Finally, although the mapping software is important, the quantification method makes a greater difference to the results.


Consider a setting in which agents can each take one of two ordered actions and in which the incentive of any given agent to take the high action is positively reinforced by the number of other agents that take it. Furthermore, assume that we don't know any other details about the game being played. What can we say about the details of the structure of the interaction between actions and incentives when we observe a set or a subset of all possible equilibria? In this paper we study 3 nested classes of games: (a) binary games of strategic complements; (b) games in (a) that admit a network representation: and (c) games in (b) in which the network is complete. Our main results are the following: It has long been established in the literature that the set of pure strategy Nash equilibria of any binary game of strategic complements among a set N of agents can be seen as a lattice on the set of all subsets of N under the partial order defined by the set inclusion relation. If the game happens to be strict in the sense that agents are never indifferent among outcomes (games in (a)), then the resulting lattice of equilibria satisfies a straightforward sparseness condition. (1) We show that, in fact, the games in (a) express all such lattices. (2) We characterize the collection of subsets of N that can be weakly expressed as the set of equilibria of some game of thresholds (games in (b)). (3) We characterize the collection of subsets of N that can be weakly expressed as the set of equilibria of some game of thresholds on the complete graph (games in (c)).


Adventuress and opportunist, Ethelberta reinvents herself to disguise her humble origins, launching a brilliant career as a society poet in London with her family acting incognito as her servants. Turning the male-dominated literary world to her advantage, she happily exploits the attentions of four very different suitors. Will she bestow her hand upon the richest of them, or on the man she loves? Ethelberta Petherwin, alias Berta Chickerel, moves with easy grace between her multiple identities, cleverly managing a tissue of lies to aid her meteoric rise. In "The Hand of Ethelberta" (1876), Hardy drew on conventions of popular romances, illustrated weeklies, plays, fashion plates and even his wife's diary in this comic story of a woman in control of her destiny.


Abstract. The kinetic collection equation (KCE) has been widely used to describe the evolution of the average droplet spectrum due to the collection process that leads to the development of precipitation in warm clouds. This deterministic, integro-differential equation only has analytic solution for very simple kernels. For more realistic kernels, the KCE needs to be integrated numerically. In this study, the validity time of the KCE for the hydrodynamic kernel is estimated by a direct comparison of Monte Carlo simulations with numerical solutions of the KCE. The simulation results show that when the largest droplet becomes separated from the smooth spectrum, the total mass calculated from the numerical solution of the KCE is not conserved and, thus, the KCE is no longer valid. This result confirms the fact that for kernels appropriate for precipitation development within warm clouds, the KCE can only be applied to the continuous portion of the mass distribution.


Autism is a behaviorally defined neurodevelopmental disorder of unknown etiology. Mouse models with face validity to the core symptoms offer an experimental approach to test hypotheses about the causes of autism and translational tools to evaluate potential treatments. We discovered that the inbred mouse strain BTBR T+tf/J (BTBR) incorporates multiple behavioral phenotypes relevant to all three diagnostic symptoms of autism. BTBR displayed selectively reduced social approach, low reciprocal social interactions and impaired juvenile play, as compared with C57BL/6J (B6) controls. Impaired social transmission of food preference in BTBR suggests communication deficits. Repetitive behaviors appeared as high levels of self‐grooming by juvenile and adult BTBR mice. Comprehensive analyses of procedural abilities confirmed that social recognition and olfactory abilities were normal in BTBR, with no evidence for high anxiety‐like traits or motor impairments, supporting an interpretation of highly specific social deficits. Database comparisons between BTBR and B6 on 124 putative autism candidate genes showed several interesting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the BTBR genetic background, including a nonsynonymous coding region polymorphism in Kmo. The Kmo gene encodes kynurenine 3‐hydroxylase, an enzyme‐regulating metabolism of kynurenic acid, a glutamate antagonist with neuroprotective actions. Sequencing confirmed this coding SNP in Kmo, supporting further investigation into the contribution of this polymorphism to autism‐like behavioral phenotypes. Robust and selective social deficits, repetitive self‐grooming, genetic stability and commercial availability of the BTBR inbred strain encourage its use as a research tool to search for background genes relevant to the etiology of autism, and to explore therapeutics to treat the core symptoms.


BACKGROUND
In Chile, cerebrovascular diseases are the fifth cause of death among men and the third cause among women.

AIM
To assess the clinical features and management of patients with cerebrovascular disease admitted to a public hospital during 1997.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
A retrospective analysis of clinical records of patients discharged with a diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease. Those records in which there was discordance between the discharge diagnosis and the clinical picture were not considered in the analysis.

RESULTS
Of the 563 discharges from the hospital with the diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease, 487 records were located and 450 were considered in the analysis. Fifty four percent of patients were male and ages ranged from 17 to 96 years old. Fifty-one percent of patients had an ischemic stroke, 34% a cerebral hemorrhage, 12% a subarachnoidal hemorrhage and 3% a transient ischemic attack. There was a history of hypertension in 64% patients and 20% had an adequate treatment. Eighteen percent were diabetics, 34% had a heart disease and 20% had a previous episode of stroke. Mean hospital stay was 6.3 days in the emergency room and 11 days in the neurology ward. Hospital infections appeared in 21% of patients (respiratory in 68% and urinary in 22%), lethality was 30.5% and a CAT scan was done in 94%. At the moment of admission, 10% of patients had an evolution of less than 2 hours, 27% had an evolution between 2 and 6 hours and nine cases were potential eligible for thrombolysis.

CONCLUSION
This is a picture of the local features of patients with cerebrovascular diseases that can be used as a reference for future studies.


The performance of a tray dryer system for the parsley drying process was assessed using energy and exergy analysis methods in this study. The drying temperature ranged from 40°C to 60°C, while the drying air velocity varied from 0.5 m/s to 1.5 m/s. The higher temperature and lower velocity led to higher exergy and energy efficiencies. The exergy efficiency value for the overall system on a product/fuel basis was found to be 3.62%. The values for Specific Moisture Extraction Rate (SMER) and Specific Moisture Exergetic index (SMExR) were obtained to be 0.08 and 2.47 kg/kWh, respectively.


Genotyping experiments are widely used in clinical and basic research laboratories to identify associations between genes and normal/abnormal phenotypes. Genotyping assay techniques vary from PCR reactions in a test tube with gel electrophoresis detection to high throughput chip or bead array assay employing various technologies for automatic genotype calls. Depending on the study purpose and design, the resulting genotype data could involve millions of markers for thousands of individuals, requiring substantial data analysis using various statistical, modeling or other methodologies. To date, there is no standard for reporting genotyping experiments. Here we present the Minimum Information About a Genotyping Experiment (MIGen) standard. MIGen recommends the standard information required to report a genotyping experiment, covering: study and experiment design, subject information, sample collection and processing, genotyping procedure, and data analysis methods, if applicable. The goal of MIGen is to set a reporting standard for adoption by the research community to facilitate consistent data interpretation and independent validation/reproduction, and to serve as guidance for database design for storing genotyping experiment data. MIGen is being developed as a collaborative project involving international domain experts and is a registered project under MIBBI: Minimum Information for Biological and Biomedical Investigations. Supported by NIH N01AI40076.


This article argues that inflows of foreign direct investment can facilitate export upgrading in host countries. Using customs data merged with firm-level information for 2005–11, it shows a positive relationship between the quality of products exported by Romanian firms and the presence of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the upstream (input-supplying) industries. Export quality is also positively related to MNE presence in the downstream (input-sourcing) industries and the same industry, but these relationships are less robust. These conclusions hold both when the product quality is proxied with unit values and when it is estimated following the approach of Khandelwal et al. (2013).


Despite 25 years of progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of olfaction, it is still not possible to predict whether a given molecule will have a perceived odor, or what olfactory percept it will produce. To address this stimulus-percept problem for olfaction, we organized the crowd-sourced DREAM Olfaction Prediction Challenge. Working from a large olfactory psychophysical dataset, teams developed machine learning algorithms to predict sensory attributes of molecules based on their chemoinformatic features. The resulting models predicted odor intensity and pleasantness with high accuracy, and also successfully predicted eight semantic descriptors ("garlic", "fish", "sweet", "fruit", "burnt", "spices", "flower", "sour"). Regularized linear models performed nearly as well as random-forest-based approaches, with a predictive accuracy that closely approaches a key theoretical limit. The models presented here make it possible to predict the perceptual qualities of virtually any molecule with an impressive degree of accuracy to reverse-engineer the smell of a molecule. One Sentence Summary Results of a crowdsourcing competition show that it is possible to accurately predict and reverse-engineer the smell of a molecule.


Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) had no long-term debt on its balance sheet. Although many analysts considered BBBY's balance sheet a strength that permitted greater flexibility, some commented on the risks of its growing cash balance. These concerns raised questions about BBBY's capital structure. In early 2004, interest rates were at an all-time low, making it an attractive time to consider issuing debt and executing either a share repurchase or a one-time special dividend. Provides a few capital structure proposals for students to analyze.


Consider the ordinal optimization problem of finding a population amongst many with the smallest mean when these means are unknown but population samples can be generated via simulation. Typically, by selecting a population with the smallest sample mean, it can be shown that the false selection probability decays at an exponential rate. Lately researchers have sought algorithms that guarantee that this probability is restricted to a small $\delta$ in order $\log(1/\delta)$ computational time by estimating the associated large deviations rate function via simulation. We show that such guarantees are misleading. Enroute, we identify the large deviations principle followed by the empirically estimated large deviations rate function that may also be of independent interest. Further, we show a negative result that when populations have unbounded support, any policy that asymptotically identifies the correct population with probability at least $1-\delta$ for each problem instance requires more than $O(\log(1/\delta))$ samples in making such a determination in any problem instance. This suggests that some restrictions are essential on populations to devise $O(\log(1/\delta))$ algorithms with $1 - \delta$ correctness guarantees. We note that under restriction on population moments, such methods are easily designed. We also observe that sequential methods from stochastic multi-armed bandit literature can be adapted to devise such algorithms.


The study aimed to detect the total cholesterol Content of Erythrocyte Membranes (CEM) and plasma Cholesterol Efflux Capacity (CEC), and to analyse its correlations with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), in attempt to explore the possible causes of increasing CEM in patients. One hundred and fortyseven patients with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) were enrolled, while 53 subjects with normal coronary arteriography served as the control group. CEM, CEC, and conventional blood lipid parameters were detected. CEM in the CHD group (138.63 ± 34.92 μg/mg) was significantly higher than the control group (121.29 ± 24.04 μg/mg) (P<0.001). Further analysis revealed that CEM in ACS patients was significantly higher than that in the SAP (Stable Angina Pectoris) group (P<0.001). CEC in the CHD group (1.53 ± 0.40) was significantly lower than the control group (1.67 ± 0.47) (P=0.029). CEC and CEM showed a significant negative correlation (r=-0.257, P<0.001), suggesting that the reduction of CEC might result in an increase in CEM in ACS patients.


I and Thou sets out a dichotomy of human interactions between the merely objective I-It and the intense intersubjective relationship of the I-Thou, creating a problem of how one is to differentiate the I-It relations that are healthy and natural, and those that are limiting and detrimental. As a corrective to this ambiguity, I posit the principle of solidarity as a relation which retains the personhood of the Other yet still confines it to what Buber calls the I-It "relation". To do this I will discuss similar attitudes such as sympathy and camaraderie using them to draw out the meaning of solidarity in contradistinction to them, and show how solidarity functions as Gramsci's Objectivity.


Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an ocular imaging technique that can complement the neuro-ophthalmic assessment, and inform our understanding regarding functional consequences of neuroaxonal injury in the afferent visual pathway. Indeed, OCT has emerged as a surrogate end-point in the diagnosis and follow up of several demyelinating syndromes of the central nervous system (CNS), including optic neuritis (ON) associated with: multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), and anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibodies. Recent advancements in enhanced depth imaging (EDI) OCT have distinguished this technique as a new gold standard in the diagnosis of optic disc drusen (ODD). Moreover, OCT may enhance our ability to distinguish cases of papilledema from pseudopapilledema caused by ODD. In the setting of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), OCT has shown benefit in tracking responses to treatment, with respect to reduced retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) measures and morphological changes in the angling of Bruch's membrane. Longitudinal follow up of OCT measured ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness may be of particular value in managing IIH patients who have secondary optic atrophy. Causes of compressive optic neuropathies may be readily diagnosed with OCT, even in the absence of overt visual field defects. Furthermore, OCT values may offer some prognostic value in predicting post-operative outcomes in these patients. Finally, OCT can be indispensable in differentiating optic neuropathies from retinal diseases in patients presenting with vision loss, and an unrevealing fundus examination. In this review, our over-arching goal is to highlight the potential role of OCT, as an ancillary investigation, in the diagnosis and management of various optic nerve disorders.


The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship of peer social support with level of resilience adolescents in orphanage. The method used descriptive correlation with cross sectional approach. This research is conducted in 4 orphanages in Pekanbaru, which are Al Hidayah Orphanage, Putra Harapan Orphanage, Annisa Orphanage, and Arrahim Orphanage, with number of sample 114 respondens that taken use cluster sampling. This research used questionnaire as measuring instrument which has tested the validity and reliability, and Chi-Square test use for analyzing the data. The result of this research shows that adolescents who received positive peer social support have high resilience as much as 62,7%, while adolescents who received negative peer social support have low resilience  as much as 61,8%. The concluded based on the result of this research that there is a relationship of peer social support with level of resilience adolescents in orphanage (p value 0,015 < 0,05), it is suggested to manager of orphanage to facilitate adolescents in developing their peer social support so the high level of resilience can be reached. Keywords : Adolescents in orphanage, peer social support, resilience.


Fix a rectangular Young diagram $R$, and consider all the products of Schur functions $s_\lambda s_\lambda^{c}$, where $\lambda$ and $\lambda^{c}$ run over all (unordered) pairs of partitions which are complementary with respect to $R$. Theorem: The self-complementary products, $s_\lambda^2$ where $\lambda=\lambda^{c}$, are linearly independent of all other $s_\lambda s_\lambda^{c}$. Conjecture: The products $s_\lambda s_\lambda^{c}$ are all linearly independent.


Questionnaire and interview studies suggest that music is valued for its role in managing the listener's impression of the environment, but systematic investigations on the topic are scarce. We present a field experiment wherein participants were asked to rate their impression of four different environments (a quiet residential area, traveling by train in the suburbs, at a busy crossroads, and in a tranquil park area) on bipolar adjective scales, while listening to music (which varied regarding level of perceived activation and valence) or in silence. Results showed that the evaluation of the environment was in general affected in the direction of the characteristics of the music, especially in conditions where the perceived characteristics of the music and environment were incongruent. For example, highly active music increased the activation ratings of environments which were perceived as inactive without music, whereas inactive music decreased the activation ratings of environments which were perceived as highly active without music. Also, highly positive music increased the positivity ratings of the environments. In sum, the findings suggest that music may function as a prism that modifies the impression of one's surroundings. Different theoretical explanations of the results are discussed.


Background: Multimodal analgesia is increasingly considered routine practice in joint arthroplasties, but supportive large-scale data are scarce. The authors aimed to determine how the number and type of analgesic modes is associated with reduced opioid prescription, complications, and resource utilization. Methods: Total hip/knee arthroplasties (N = 512,393 and N = 1,028,069, respectively) from the Premier Perspective database (2006 to 2016) were included. Analgesic modes considered were opioids, peripheral nerve blocks, acetaminophen, steroids, gabapentin/pregabalin, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, or ketamine. Groups were categorized into "opioids only" and 1, 2, or more than 2 additional modes. Multilevel models measured associations between multimodal analgesia and opioid prescription, cost/length of hospitalization, and opioid-related adverse effects. Odds ratios or percent change and 95% CIs are reported. Results: Overall, 85.6% (N = 1,318,165) of patients received multimodal analgesia. In multivariable models, additions of analgesic modes were associated with stepwise positive effects: total hip arthroplasty patients receiving more than 2 modes (compared to "opioids only") experienced 19% fewer respiratory (odds ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.94; unadjusted 1.0% [N = 1,513] vs. 2.0% [N = 1,546]), 26% fewer gastrointestinal (odds ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.84; unadjusted 1.5% [N = 2,234] vs. 2.5% [N = 1,984]) complications, up to a –18.5% decrease in opioid prescription (95% CI, –19.7% to –17.2%; 205 vs. 300 overall median oral morphine equivalents), and a –12.1% decrease (95% CI, –12.8% to –11.5%; 2 vs. 3 median days) in length of stay (all P < 0.05). Total knee arthroplasty analyses showed similar patterns. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors seemed to be the most effective modalities used. Conclusions: While the optimal multimodal regimen is still not known, the authors' findings encourage the combined use of multiple modalities in perioperative analgesic protocols.


To improve water quality and construct a landscape lagoon in China, an ecological reconstruction plan for the Qilihai Lagoon (Changli County, Hebei) is proposed. A three-dimensional numerical model (EFDC) was used to study the water renewal capacity in the reconstructed lagoon by using residence time, exposure time and connectivity as timescales. The influences of wind and the depth of the tidal inlet of the lagoon on water renewal capacity were also investigated. The results show that the transport and diffusion processes in the lagoon were strongly influenced by wind and the modification of the tidal inlet. The lagoon under a no wind condition exhibited a low water renewal capacity, especially at the end areas (exposure time, 700–1,000 days). The wind action notably enhanced the water renewal capacity in the lagoon, and the exposure times were all lower than 400 days in the whole region. The optimal inlet depth for the water renewal in the lagoon was predicted to be 4.0 m. The connectivity matrices identified which areas of the domain would be most affected by a pollution source under different conditions. This study examines transport and diffusion processes in a reconstructed lagoon, which could be informative for ecological reconstruction planning.


We explored the relationships between various socio-economic variables and the prevalence and density of invasive alien species (IAS) on a global scale using country-level data sets. We did this by testing the hypothesis that the abundance and distribution of populations of IAS are correlated with various socio-economic indicators, with the direction of causality being that the state of IAS is determined by socio-economic conditions. We found a positive and statistically significant relationship between the prevalence and density of IAS and the human development index (HDI), the satisfaction with life index and the gross domestic product (GDP) among all the countries tested. Additionally, the density of IAS increased significantly with human-population density, total geographic area, GDP and HDI. We also found a positive relationship between the density of IAS and the top 10 road networks of the world. This provides some insight into the development of renewed policies and management strategies for invasive species across both continents and countries. We do caution, however, that the results are likely to be influenced by the sampling factor, whereby affluent countries have more resources to measure and monitor IAS than poorer countries and hence have better records of such, which then indicates a stronger relationship with the level of development.


Physical education is an important component of school education, as a leader of school must be updated ideas and attach the development of each discipline. At the same time physical education teachers can draw attention of school leaders through to their own behavior and the actual work results, through publicize physical education assignment, role and the important position in school education to raise awareness of teachers and students to the sports so that they respect and understand the work of PE teachers and less misunderstand and prejudice. At the same time, it will cause some subjective psychological factors that motivation of physical activities, volitional quality of student and anxiety mood


Apoptosis was inhibited in rat cardiomyocytes pretreated with the aspartic protease inhibitor pepstatin A and subsequently exposed to naphthazarin (5,8-dihydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone). Cathepsin D was released from lysosomes to the cytosol upon exposure to naphthazarin, and the enzyme activity decreased simultaneously. Later, cathepsin D reappeared in granules of increased size, and enzyme activity was restored. Activation of caspase-3-like proteases was detected, and the number of cells showing apoptotic morphology increased with time. Pepstatin A pretreatment did not prevent release of cathepsin D from lysosomes but did significantly inhibit subsequent naphthazarin-induced caspase activation and apoptotic morphology. This suggests that cathepsin D exerts its apoptosis-stimulating effect upstream of caspase-3-like activation.


A huge interest has emerged, in the mutual fund industry, in socially responsible investing (SRI). Central to this development is whether SRI funds underperform conventional funds. Using a novel approach, we decompose mutual fund portfolios into socially responsible (green) and non-socially responsible (brown) components. We find that, in comparison to the non-socially responsible component, the socially responsible part exhibits a lower raw return, lower risk-adjusted return, lower Sharpe ratio, and similar degree of performance reversal. The magnitudes of these underperformances are, however, small and align with SRI having a limited negative impact on fund performance yet offering some diversification benefits.


A method for reconstructing a spectrum from a binary interferogram observed with an Fourier transform IR spectrometer is described. With this method an interferogram is quantized with a 1-bit analog-todigitalconverter with a differentiator and an integrator. This method, called delta sigma modulation, features an oversampling of a signal at a rate much higher than the Nyquist sampling rate. We show experimental examples of IR spectra reconstructed by the method, which demonstrate the potential applications of the method to Fourier transform IR analysis. The results imply that the method may exceed the dynamic range over the one attainable with a conventional Fourier transform spectrometer with an analog-to-digital converter of a finite bit number.


BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests that metabolic syndrome (MetS) could be linked with the incidence of colorectal adenoma and cancer (CRA and CRC). AIMS: Conducting a meta-analysis to assess the association of MetS with both CRA and CRC. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Relevant studies were identified by systematically searching PubMed database for articles published in the last ten years. A random effect analysis model and Mantel-Haenszel statistical method were used to obtain pooled risk ratios (RRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dichotomous data. The analyses were assessed for heterogeneity and publication bias. RESULTS: 35 studies were included in the meta-analysis involving approximately 1300000 participants. A significant high risk for CRA was observed among patients with MetS compared to those without (RR = 1.43; 95% CI = 1.31, 1.57). The pooled RRs of CRC were 1.46 (95% CI = 1.36, 1.56). The risk estimates varied according to the type of the study (cohorts and non-cohorts), gender (men and women), MetS definition (NCEP-ATPIII, IDF, harmonized and others), populations (Asia, Europe, and the USA), and cancer location (colon and rectum). CONCLUSIONS: MetS is associated with an increased risk of CRA and CRC. The risk was higher for advanced adenomas. Taking into consideration MetS patients in the secondary prevention programs and the management of this condition in the aim of the primary prevention is highly recommended.


ABSTRACT Propensity score-based estimators are commonly used to estimate causal effects in evaluation research. To reduce bias in observational studies, researchers might be tempted to include many, perhaps correlated, covariates when estimating the propensity score model. Taking into account that the propensity score is estimated, this study investigates how the efficiency of matching, inverse probability weighting, and doubly robust estimators change under the case of correlated covariates. Propositions regarding the large sample variances under certain assumptions on the data-generating process are given. The propositions are supplemented by several numerical large sample and finite sample results from a wide range of models. The results show that the covariate correlations may increase or decrease the variances of the estimators. There are several factors that influence how correlation affects the variance of the estimators, including the choice of estimator, the strength of the confounding toward outcome and treatment, and whether a constant or non-constant causal effect is present.


Pure metal oxides, mixed metal oxides, and platinum metals were evaluated as ozonation catalysts. Batch reactor experiments were performed using deionized water at pH 7 and semi-continuous ozonation experiments were performed using a natural water. p-Chlorobenzoic acid (pCBA), a non-adsorbing model micropollutant that does not react directly with molecular ozone, was included in both solution matrixes. Titanium dioxide, cobalt oxide, nickel oxide, copper oxide, and a mixed metal oxide comprised of copper, zinc, and aluminum did not accelerate the removal pCBA in deionized water. However, cobalt oxide and the mixed metal oxide catalyst were effective at accelerating the removal of pCBA in a natural water matrix. The mixed metal oxide catalyst may have the most potential as an ozonation catalyst because it also was very stable (i.e., low solubility). A ruthenium / alumina catalyst also increased the removal of pCBA, but this metal may follow a different reaction mechanism than the metal oxide catalysts.


Data analysis is a significant methodological component when conducting quantitative education studies. Guidelines for conducting data analyses in quantitative education studies are common but often underemphasize four important methodological components impacting the validity of inferences: quality of constructed measures, proper handling of missing data, proper level of measurement of a dependent variable, and model checking. This paper highlights these components for novice researchers to help ensure statistical inferences are valid. We used empirical examples involving contingency tables, group comparisons, regression analysis, and multilevel modelling to illustrate these components using the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) data. For every example, we stated a research question and provided evidence related to the quality of constructed measures since measures with weak reliability and validity evidence can bias estimates and distort inferences. The adequate strategies for handling missing data were also illustrated. The level of measurement for the dependent variable was assessed and the proper statistical technique was utilized accordingly. Model residuals were checked for normality and homogeneity of variance. Recommendations for obtaining stronger inferences and reporting related evidence were also illustrated. This work provides an important methodological resource for novice researchers conducting data analyses by promoting improved practice and stronger inferences.


Cities play a cr it ical role in economic development. Considered engines of growth, cities also are places where people do their best work. Economists recognize the key role of entrepreneurs in driving innovation; the economist Joseph Schumpeter established in the early 1900s that specializing in discovery is the key economic activity. Entrepreneurship involves discovering new products and services as well bringing them to market in new and better ways. At least as important as Schumpeter's contribution is F.A. Hayek's insistence that local knowledge spreads among large numbers of decentralized actors who implement the many important details, including supply chains. The unique spatial arrangements within urban areas can be expected to form in ways that facilitate the flow of ideas and innovation, enabling successful cities to be congenial hosts to innovative and entrepreneurial activities.


Fluvial litter pollution, produced always as a result of human activities, involves many consequences. It affects the aesthetic quality of the river banks, it constitutes a significant threat to wildlife and it can be potentially hazardous if riverine areas are used recreationally by humans. In addition, it represents one of the most important sources of pollution in the marine and ocean environment.
This research attempts to study and identify the factors which contribute to litter; it is suggested that these drivers can help better understand the patterns of severity of fluvial litter in rivers and also may assist the identification of better management strategies to prevent litter at source.
For the study of the drivers, three subcatchments in the River Taff and two in the River Ely, South Wales, UK, were chosen to relate the amounts of litter on their river banks with the subcatchment characteristics (drivers). After lot of research into drivers of marine litter, the hypothetical drivers that could affect in the fluvial environment were investigated. Drivers chosen were the social characteristics of population, the physical characteristics of the subcatchment (land use, river flow…) and distance to sewage inputs. Consequently, data representing all these drivers was compiled and its relationship with the litter data, collected in the field, was studied through a variety of statistical tools.
The results of this field and desk top study showed that some drivers studied have a large influence on riverine litter. The main factor associated with most of the litter categories was fly tipping. From the statistical analysis, it appears that this problem is mainly influenced by the level of education of population, the recreational use of rivers and the land use of the sites. Whilst highly populated residential areas resulted in the most polluted areas, other drivers like age, type of residence, economic activity do not seem to have a direct relationship with fluvial litter. In contrast to some of the literature, the distance to sewage inputs did not seem to be an important driver of fluvial litter in this study.
Finally, the water quality of the case study area was also analysed to check if it could be also used as a proxy measurement for estimating amounts of fluvial litter. The study showed that all the sites in the Rivers Taff and Ely obtained at least acceptable values of water quality, but these values seemed bear little relationship to the quantities and types of litter on the river bank.


It is often presumed that, if we remember the evil committed in the past, we can avoid it today. However, there is no reason to conclude that evil is generally on the decline. If we observe the process of production of narratives about evil and good, we can identify four main roles: on the one hand (i) the villain and (ii) his victim; on the other (iii) the hero and (iv) his beneficiaries. To this, one should add the distinction between (a) us (our community) and (b) the others (those who are foreign, different or enemies). The sterility of calls to remember is rooted in our constant identification with heroes or victims and the extreme distance we put between evildoers and ourselves. A survey of the French experience shows that to prevent a 'repetition of events' requires thinking about the circumstances that gave rise to barbarous acts, the motivations of those who were responsible and the means they employed. Consideration of the Khmer Rouge crimes (1975-1979) shows that terrible collective crimes are not the work of sadists or the mentally ill, but result from reactions familiar to everyone. The Khmer Rouge dreamed of a purified society, purged of its enemies, at long last 'delivered from evil'. The end seemed to justify the means. According to the author, it is wrong to believe that criminals are different from us, that they are 'inhuman'. The difference between executioners and victims does not lie in the biological nature of individuals: there is no DNA specific to murderers. Instead, it proceeds from the differing circumstances in which the destiny of one individual unfolds from that of another. How then should we react to evil? When tackling the problems of a traumatic past, we can pursue two different goals: to achieve abstract justice, through the punishment of the culprits, or to aim at the moral well-being of the persons living in the community affected by the crimes. Thus we can have 'punitive justice', which uses means such as executions and imprisonment, and aims exclusively at the application of the law, and 'restorative justice', which uses other means of punishment and pursues the moral well-being of the community, as was the case for the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In sum, according to the author, the memory of the past serves no purpose if it is used to build an impassable wall between evil and us - we, who identify exclusively with irreproachable heroes and innocent victims and seek to drive the agents of evil outside the confines of humankind. In everyday life, we easily forget the harm we have inflicted, but hold onto the memory of the harm we have endured. The remedy must not consist in merely remembering the evil to which our group or our ancestors were victims. We have to go a step farther and ask ourselves about the reasons that gave rise to the evil.


In this thesis, we deal with the following questions: (1) How efficient a cryptographic algorithm can be while achieving a desired level of security? (2) Since mathematical conjectures like P ≠ NP are necessary for the possibility of secure cryptographic primitives in the standard models of computation: (a) Can we base cryptography solely based on the widely believed assumption of P ≠ NP, or do we need stronger assumptions? (b) Which alternative nonstandard models offer us provable security unconditionally, while being implementable in real life?
First we study the question of security vs. efficiency in public-key cryptography and prove tight bounds on the efficiency of black-box constructions of key-agreement and (public-key) digital signatures that achieve a desired level of security using "random-like" functions. Namely, we prove that any key-agreement protocol in the random oracle model where the parties ask at most n oracle queries can be broken by an adversary who asks at most O(n 2) oracle queries and finds the key with high probability. This improves upon the previous O(n6)-query attack of Impagliazzo and Rudich [98] and proves that a simple key-agreement protocol due to Merkle [118] is optimal. We also prove that any signature scheme in the random oracle model where the parties ask at most q oracle queries can be broken by an adversary who forges a signature by asking at most 2O( q) oracle queries. This implies that a simple (one-time secure) signature scheme of Lamport [112] is optimal.
Next, we study the possibility of basing the security of cryptographic tasks on the (necessary) assumption that NP ≠ BPP. We show that any (black-box) reduction for basing the security of a one-way function on (worst-case) hardness of NP implies that SAT is checkable. Whether SAT is checkable or not has been open for more than two decades since the notion of checkability was introduced by Blum and Kannan [23]. Then we study the possibility of basing the security of specific cryptographic tasks/primitive on the hardness of NP. We show that doing so for the tasks of collision resistant hashing (or other primitives such as constant-round statistical commitment) implies that co-NP has a (single-prover) proof system with prover complexity BPP NP (which implies the checkability of SAT).
Finally, we study the possibility of achieving statistical security (without relying on computational assumptions) through the alternative model of interaction in which parties can exchange tamper-proof hardware tokens. We focus on the case where the tokens only encapsulate efficient circuits (and does not need to keep any state). The stateless property of the tokens gives advantage to the protocol both from a security perspective and also at the implementation level. We show that using stateless tokens one can not perform statistically secure oblivious transfer, but it is possible to achieve statistically hiding and binding commitment schemes and statistically secure zero-knowledge proof systems for NP with an efficient prover. Our protocols are secure even against malicious parties who might use stateful tokens during the execution of the protocol.


BACKGROUND
Depression is one of the commonest yet most debilitating mental health problems,
affecting an estimated 121m people worldwide (WHO 2009). Whilst many people
(approximately 20%) experience a single major depressive episode, the majority recover
only partially, or relapse and experience a recurrence of depression. For many people,
depression must therefore be understood as a relapsing condition, which requires longterm management to minimise the impact of the disorder on their quality of life.OBJECTIVES
The objective of the analysis is to quantify the costs and health benefits of the current system of care for patients with long-term depression, and to identify
cost-effective improvements to the system through innovative decision-analytic modelling techniques.
Patients with long-term depression are often treated within different health services, and the chronic nature of the condition means that the whole patient
pathway needs to be evaluated. Novel "Whole Disease Modelling" methods (Paul Tappenden thesis: University of Sheffield) allow the whole system of care to
be modelled. This means that the impact in terms of patient benefits as well as the resource implications can be evaluated for the whole patient lifetime.


This study aims to explain the Stuxnet-attack against Iran in 2009-2010 by using the IR-theory of structural realism. By doing so the theory also faces the challenge of the impact of the information revolution on security and international relations. The structural realism that is at hand is that of Kenneth Waltz and his Theory of International Politics from 1979.The study reaches the conclusion that Waltzs focus on the structure of the international system and the distribution of capabilities applies well to the case of Stuxnet as a cyber attack. The creators of the sophisticated Stuxnet, USA and Israel, also indicates that when it comes to this certain aspect of the information revolution and IR, states seem to still be the main actor. Finally the character of one of the major features of the Stuxnet-attack; the internet, is shown to have an anarchic structure that fits well as an extension of the realist view of the international system.


Background/Purpose: The Myotonometer® is an electronic tissue compliance meter that has been used to quantify the compliance of soft tissues. The Myotonometer® may be a valuable tool to measure the effectiveness of interventions commonly used to increase tissue compliance in individuals with posterior shoulder tightness (PST). Limited data exist on reliability and responsiveness of the Myotonometer® for assessment of soft tissues about the shoulder; therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the intra-and inter-session reliability and responsiveness of the Myotonometer® in measuring tissue compliance of the posterior shoulder musculature in asymptomatic subjects with PST. Methods: Fifteen asymptomatic subjects with unilateral shoulder range of motion deficits attended two measurement sessions to assess the compliance of the tissues overlying the posterior deltoid, infraspinatus, and teres musculature. Analyses of reliability and responsiveness were conducted using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and the determination of minimal detectible change (MDC). Results: Intra-session ICC values ranged from 0.69 to 0.91 for all muscles with MDC never exceeding 1.0 mm. Inter-session ICC values were best for the posterior deltoid, which averaged 0.82, compared to the infraspinatus and the teres complex, which averaged 0.42 and 0.5 respectively. Inter-session MDC ranged from 0.55 to 1.20 mm across all muscles. Conclusions: Clinicians can reliably detect relatively small changes in tissue compliance within a single treatment session utilizing the Myotonometer®. The Myotonometer® can reliably detect changes between sessions for tissues overlying the posterior deltoid; however, observed change in the infraspinatus and teres musculature must be above 1 mm to achieve meaningful change and account for decreased inter-session reliability.


With the financial crisis, followed by the economic and social crisis which spread from the United States to Europe, the trend towards less and less public spending being allocated to culture has accelerated. At the same time, however, public officials affirm that the arts, culture and, more broadly, the creative industries, constitute one of the most reliable means available to contemporary developed societies to overcome the crisis.How can such a paradox be understood? Are public authorities schizophrenic? Is there a contradiction in the definition and the implementation of public policies? Conversely, can one hypothesize that public action has a logical underpinning? What would be its basis?The answer may be identified on two levels: on the one hand, there is an increasing instrumentalisation of artistic and cultural activities, which are used for ends which are at least partly foreign to them (in particular, to economic and diplomatic ends). On the other hand, a reorientation of public policies concerning the creative and cultural industries is occurring. It would seem that it is in this sense that the engagement of a growing number of CEOs and leaders in favor of the cultural industries may be understood.This policy choice, even if it appears to offer certain strategic opportunities to the artistic and cultural sector, seems nevertheless to involve serious risks for cultural creation, artistic experimentation and "scientific" activities undertaken by museums. Furthermore, it risks accentuating the trend of concentrating public and private funds on the most prominent museums and historical sites, thereby threatening to accentuate the implementation of a two-tier system in France, as well as in the UK.


BackgroundHigh levels of mental ill-health have resulted in increasing delays in the receipt of appropriate care. However, the size of the gap between mental health needs and the likelihood of receiving treatment has not been thoroughly investigated on a population-level within Northern Ireland.
ObjectivesTo that end we investigated the link between self-reported mental ill-health and likelihood of being in receipt of treatment in a population cohort.
MethodsThe 2011 Northern Ireland Census was linked to a population-wide prescribing database. The presence of a chronic mental health condition, as assessed through the Census self-reported mental health question, was compared to regular psychotropic medication use in the six and twelve months following the Census. Of the 23,803 individuals (aged 25 to 74) who reported chronic mental ill-health at the Census, 22% were not in receipt of medication over the following six months, with this being reduced down to 18.5% by the twelve month mark.
FindingsAfter adjusting logistic regression models for socio-demographic factors, men (OR=0.56: 95%CI=0.52-0.60), those of non-white ethnicity (OR=0.38: 95%CI=0.26-0.54), never married (OR=0.67: 95%CI=0.61-0.82), unemployed (OR=0.65: 95%CI=0.53-0.81) and living in a rural area (OR=0.88: 95%CI=0.79-0.98) were less likely to receive regular medication, indicating mental health unmet need.
ConclusionsA level of discord was observed between mental-ill health and medication receipt on a population level. Further focus on mental health needs and the impact of low prescribing rates on mental health patients could help ameliorate the current inequalities and reduce potential gaps in mental health treatment.


The prediction error (PE) signal from temporal difference (TD) models have been shown to correlate with activity in specific brain regions in both human and animals during conditioning tasks. One of the key regions involved is the ventral striatum (VS). The purpose of this study was to investigate how the TD model predicted VS activations during aversive conditioning and extinction. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Blood-Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) data were acquired on a 1.5 T GE Signa scanner. Thirty-three healthy subjects completed a 33% partially reinforced classical conditioning paradigm using coloured circles as the conditioned stimulus (CS) and aversive cutaneous electrical stimulation (CES) as the unconditioned stimulus (US). After a short break a second scanning session was performed where the subjects were divided into three groups (N=11 in each group): 1) a control group that repeated the paradigm; 2) an extinction group that repeated the paradigm with the CES turned off without their knowledge; and 3) an intervention group that were told that the CES would be turned off before they repeated the paradigm. Thus, in the second session the extinction and intervention groups saw the CS but without US. A modified TD algorithm was used to generate a salience PE signal vector which was used as a regressor in the fMRI analyses. Pre-processing and analyses of data were done using SPM5. Final analysis of the first session and preliminary analysis of the control and extinction groups from the second session are reported here. Analysis of the first session included all 33 subjects and PE activations bilaterally in the VS, anterior insula and anterior cingulate were obtained. Analyses from the second session showed that activations were predicted by salience PE bilaterally in the VS and the anterior insula in the control group while the extinction group recruited the VS and the ventro-medial PFC. The findings from the first session and the control group in the second session replicated previous studies. However, the results of the second session in the extinction group extend that fMRI BOLD behave according to salience PE to a more general level in aversive learning ranging from acquisition to maintenance to extinction of associations.


Differences in house price and income growth rates between 1950 and 2000 across metropolitan areas have led to an ever-widening gap in housing values and incomes between the typical and highest-priced locations. We show that the growing spatial skewness in house prices and incomes are related and can be explained, at least in part, by inelastic supply of land in some attractive locations combined with an increasing number of high-income households nationally. Scarce land leads to a bidding-up of land prices and a sorting of high-income families relatively more into those desirable, unique, low housing construction markets, which we label "superstar cities." Continued growth in the number of high-income families in the U.S. provides support for ever-larger differences in house prices across inelastically supplied locations and income-based spatial sorting. Our empirical work confirms a number of equilibrium relationships implied by the superstar cities framework and shows that it occurs both at the metropolitan area level and at the sub-MSA level, controlling for MSA characteristics.


The rationale and policy proposed by two collaborating projects is to increase innovation through improved connectivity among SMEs within Northern European supply chains. To inform project policy, we test the hypothesis "improvement in broadly defined connectivity as online business activity, investment abroad and technical cooperation abroad are associated with enhanced product or service innovation." We test this hypothesis by referring to the EIM Business and Policy Research [EIM Business and Policy Research (2009). Available at http://www.panteia.eu/nl/Projects/reference-archive-SMEs.aspx data set relating to the period 2006 to 2008. We carry out exploratory and probit analysis to identify a strong link between connectivity factors and increased product or service innovation. We also make comparisons between the Baltic, North Sea and other European regions with regard to innovativeness, connectivity and other factors. The Baltic Sea region displays significantly higher levels of innovation and technical cooperation abroad than other European regions, while online business activity is more prevalent in the Baltic and North Sea than in the other regions