The diverse descriptions in the Hebrew Bible of Judahites/Israelites in Egypt reflect the dynamics of the geo-political relations between Yehud and Egypt, mainly during the Persian period. The different descriptions of the Judahite inhabitants in Egypt in Jeremiah 24:8, 42:7–22, and 44 and in Exodus 5 may indicate the changes of the attitude towards the Egyptian diaspora during the Persian period. A similar phenomenon is found in the priestly literature between Ezekiel 20 and Exodus 6. The changes in the pentateuchal texts may reflect the geo-political situation of the period from the revolt of Inaros (460 BCE) to the end of the reign of Darius II (404 BCE). A later redactional layer in the Pentateuch that is marked by a strong anti-Egyptian sentiment may have been a scribal response to pro-Egyptian positions in both Yehud and Egyptian diaspora during the 28th to 30th Egyptian Dynasties (404–343 BCE). The positive oracle towards Egypt and Egyptian diaspora in Isaiah 19:18–25 may reflect the period of Ptolemaic hegemony in Palestine around 300–200 BCE.


Since the 1967 riots that ripped apart the city, Detroit has traditionally been viewed either as a place in ruins or a metropolis on the verge of rejuvenation. In "Digital Detroit: Rhetoric and Space in the Age of the Network," author Jeff Rice goes beyond the notion of Detroit as simply a city of two ideas. Instead he explores the city as a web of multiple meanings which, in the digital age, come together in the city s spaces to form a network that shapes the writing, the activity, and the very thinking of those around it. Rice focuses his study on four of Detroit s most iconic places Woodward Avenue, the Maccabees Building, Michigan Central Station, and 8 Mile covering each in a separate chapter. Each of these chapters explains one of the four features of network rhetoric: folksono(me), the affective interface, response, and decision making. As these rhetorical features connect, they form the overall network called Digital Detroit. Rice demonstrates how new media, such as podcasts, wikis, blogs, interactive maps, and the Internet in general, knit together Detroit into a digital network whose identity is fluid and ever-changing. In telling Detroit s spatial story, Rice deftly illustrates how this new media, as a rhetorical practice, ultimately shapes understandings of space in ways that computer applications and city planning often cannot. The result is a model for a new way of thinking and interacting with space and the imagination, and for a better understanding of the challenges network rhetorics pose for writing."


Background: HIV/HBV co-infection remains a global threat to HIV management despite the available effective hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B covering antiretroviral therapy. Many studies done in South Africa and internationally showed high prevalence of HIV/hepatitis B co-infection, which mandated routine screening for both infections before initiating HAART. Fewer studies have highlighted the prevalence of hepatitis B susceptibility in the general population starting HAART and most of them were limited to children and high-risk groups. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the extent of hepatitis B susceptibility, hepatitis B/HIV co-infections and hepatitis B immunity in general HIV-infected patients. Method: This was a retrospective review of 1 066 randomly sampled files of patients initiated on HAART between January 2012 and December 2014 at two Durban hospitals. Data collection included demographic characteristic, CD4 counts and hepatitis B serology. Data were analysed for the prevalence of hepatitis B susceptibility, HIV/HBV co-infection and hepatitis B immunity, while correlations between age, CD4 count and these three groups were demonstrated. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS version 9.3. Results: Total prevalence of HBV susceptibility was 69.7%, HBV immunity was 26.9% and true chronic HIV/HBV co-infection was 3.4%, while HBVsAg positivity accounted for 8.4% of the participants. Adults were more susceptible to HBV than children, with a median age of 36 years. Stratified for age, children were more immune (90%) to HBV than adults. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a significantly high number of HIV-infected persons who were susceptible to hepatitis B infection in Durban, South Africa, where both HIV and HBV are endemic, co-infection is high, and safe and effective HBV vaccine is available. Hepatitis B vaccination of the hepatitis B susceptible patients initiating HAART in South Africa is recommended to prevent further HIV/HBV co-infection.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Hereditary angioedema due to C1-INH deficiency (C1-INH-HAE) is a rare disease with unpredictable, self-limiting and localized swelling episodes involving the cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues. In the last decade, the spectrum of the possibilities to control the disease has considerably changed with the development of biologic therapies making necessary a careful evaluation of the differences among current and emerging treatments to properly optimize the management of patients. Areas covered: This review serves to summarize the literature regarding the use of biologics for the treatment of C1-INH-HAE. Medications already available on the market and new drugs in different phases of development are addressed. Expert opinion: the advent of biologic therapies dramatically improved the lives of patients with C1-INH-HAE although further improvement is still needed. Whether this is cost/effective will be answered in the next years when we will see if these major advances will benefit the majority of the patients. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02586805. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02741596. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03712228. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02870972. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03485911.


HYPOTHESIS
Computed tomography (CT) can be used to evaluate patients with anterior abdominal stab wounds (AASWs).

DESIGN
Prospective observational study.

SETTING
Academic level I trauma center.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
All of the patients sustaining AASWs, excluding those with hemodynamic instability, peritonitis, or omental evisceration, were admitted for serial abdominal examinations with or without CT depending on attending preference. Patients with associated left thoracoabdominal stab wounds underwent diagnostic laparoscopy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Change in patient management as a direct result of the CT scan findings, as well as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of CT scanning calculated against clinical outcome (the need for laparotomy, uneventful discharge without laparotomy, or return to the hospital for adverse events).

RESULTS
One hundred fifty-six consecutive patients with AASWs were included over 24 months. Computed tomography was performed for 67 patients (CT group) whereas 89 patients were admitted for serial examination only (no-CT group). Nineteen of the 67 patients in the CT group had positive CT results, leading to laparotomy in 10 patients. Of the 48 patients with negative CT results, 3 underwent diagnostic laparoscopy for an associated thoracoabdominal stab wound and 2 eventually underwent laparotomy for clinical deterioration with negative results. Excluding patients with associated thoracoabdominal stab wounds, the negative predictive value of CT was 100%.

CONCLUSIONS
In patients with AASWs, CT can be used to identify visceral injuries. It is a promising tool that may identify patients who can be discharged after a shorter period of observation. Further evaluation of its use in patients with AASWs is warranted.


We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based optical and near-infrared observations of SN 2005hk and SN 2008A, typical members of the Type Iax class of supernovae (SNe). Here we focus on late-time observations, where these objects deviate most dramatically from all other SN types. Instead of the dominant nebular emission lines that are observed in other SNe at late phases, spectra of SNe 2005hk and 2008A show lines of Fe ii, Ca ii, and Fe i more than a year past maximum light, along with narrow [Fe ii] and [Ca ii] emission. We use spectral features to constrain the temperature and density of the ejecta, and find high densities at late times, with ne ≳ 109 cm−3. Such high densities should yield enhanced cooling of the ejecta, making these objects good candidates to observe the expected "infrared catastrophe," a generic feature of SN Ia models. However, our HST photometry of SN 2008A does not match the predictions of an infrared catastrophe. Moreover, our HST observations rule out a "complete deflagration" that fully disrupts the white dwarf for these peculiar SNe, showing no evidence for unburned material at late times. Deflagration explosion models that leave behind a bound remnant can match some of the observed properties of SNe Iax, but no published model is consistent with all of our observations of SNe 2005hk and 2008A.


Objective: Online learning gained credit and acceptance among university students
all over the world. COVID-19 outbreak urged educational institutions to adopt
that model of learning. A study conducted at Al-Quds university in Jerusalem-Palestine among first, second,
third, fourth- and fifth-academic year dental students aimed to evaluate
their satisfaction on online learning. Academic year level was also assessed to
investigate its effect on E-learning. Materials and Methods: The
participants were 328 students (257 females, and 71 males) and their mean age
was (20.5 years). A reliable and valid questionnaire was used to assess their
perception levels regarding "perceived ease of use"
(PEOU), "perceived usefulness" (PU), "perceived online education support
service quality" (PSQ), and "online learning acceptance and student
satisfaction (OLAS). Data were analyzed using factor analysis, structural equation model techniques,
independent sample t-test and logistic regression. Results: Mean scores
for the students on the questionnaire domains perceptions of online learning
ranged from 2.14 (1.57) to 2.72 (1.70) on a 5-point scale. Cronbach's alpha
test is used to measure the reliability and internal consistency of the associated questionnaire domains, (Cronbach's Alpha Based on Standardized Items > 0.896, and P value = 0.000). Academic
year level has significant (P value = 0.000) effect on all questionnaire perceptions domains (PEU, PU, PSQ, and
OLAS). Conclusions: Online education could be accepted among dental
students in the clinical level of dental education (fourth and fifth years). First, second, and third dental
year students (preclinical stages)
didn't accommodate and adopt E-learning technology. Expenses, COVID- 19
pandemic, facilities and logistics regarding E-learning could be factors
related to what has been yielded in this study. Covid-19 pandamic might affect
negatively on the results. Further research should be conducted to explore the
value effectiveness of E-learning.


The overall objective of this paper is to illustrate how detailed numerical modelling may be used to bring basic information on fundamental problems in combustion science. We consider in the following the interaction of non-premixed flames with cold solid wall surfaces. Flame-wall interactions are an important feature in many combustion systems, that result in significant changes in the flame and wall dynamics: the flame strength is reduced near cold wall surfaces, leading possibly to (partial or total) quenching, while the gassolid heat flux takes peak values at flame contact. The questions of turbulent fuel-air-temperature mixing, flame extinction and wall surface heat transfer are here studied using direct numerical simulation (DNS). The DNS configuration corresponds to an ethylene-air diffusion flame stabilized in the near-wall region of a chemically-inert solid surface. Simulations are performed with adiabatic or isothermal wall boundary conditions, and with different turbulence intensities. The simulations feature flame extinction events resulting from excessive wall cooling, and convective heat transfer up to 90 kW/m2. The structure of the simulated wall flames is studied in terms of a classical mass mixing variable, i.e. the fuel-airbased mixture fraction, and a less familiar heat loss variable, i.e. the excess enthalpy variable, introduced to provide a measure of non-adiabatic behavior due to wall cooling.


We present Image2Emoji, a multi-modal approach for generating emoji labels for an image in a zero-shot manner. Different from existing zero-shot image-to-text approaches, we exploit both image and textual media to learn a semantic embedding for the new task of emoji prediction. We propose that the widespread adoption of emoji suggests a semantic universality which is well-suited for interaction with visual media. We quantify the efficacy of our proposed model on the MSCOCO dataset, and demonstrate the value of visual, textual and multi-modal prediction of emoji. We conclude the paper with three examples of the application potential of emoji in the context of multimedia retrieval.


Introduction: Nowadays, urban spaces are a component for occurrence of urban anomalies and consequently the lack of security occurrence in cities. Therefore, identifying factors which cause fear and anxiety for citizens is a necessary measure. The present study is meant to investigate the relationship between feeling secure and social capital of the citizens in Zahedan City and strategies to promote security in this city. Method: the present study is descriptive-analytical one conducted using library and field studies. The main part of doing this research was survey. The population of the research included citizens residing in Zahedan for more than 15 years. The sample of the study was selected using multi-stage cluster sampling and also using the Cochran formula the sample size included 382 participants. The data were obtained from survey method and standard and a researcher-made questionnaire which its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha equaled as (α =0.94). To test the hypotheses and analyzing the data, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression were employed. Results: the findings of the study indicate that the correlation between citizens' feeling secure and their social-economic statuses, social disorder, social capital and understanding the amount of occurrence of crimes is significant in such a way that the degree of citizens' feeling secure is dependent on their sex and the literacy level. In evaluating the amount of social capital of variables of social support and social trust are positive effects, in contrast to variables of risk and threats and understanding the amount of occurrence of crimes are negative effects on the degree of citizens' feelingsecure. Discussion: The degree of citizens' feelingsecurein general indicates a mean lower than moderate level. The social capital situation between citizens is also significantly low and lower than the moderate level in such a way that indices of risk and threat and after that social trust and social support indicate the highest correlation with citizens' feeling secure.


The purpose of this article is offer solutions that will help create more jobs in our country while simultaneously creating more quality services and products that will lead to a more efficient economy for our government and its people.Although I have written articles and a book about these solutions in the past, I will try to re-emphasize them in a more abbreviated and direct way here to hopefully generate more interest in exploring their uses for all sectors of our economy. The articles were about the "The QE Principle" and "The QE Staffing and Scheduling Methods" primarily focused on health care facilities. The book named the "QE Concepts of Economics and Work Productivity" was an extension of those articles to include a widespread focus on creating more and better jobs and productivity throughout all our government, institutional and private workplaces that would in turn create a more efficient economy.The most pressing questions that we face today are about how to create more jobs that will in turn create a better economy. Although there are a myriad of economic theories and proposed political actions to create jobs and stimulate our economy, they fail to see and understand the cultural and bureaucratic constraints that are preventing real solutions.These constraints will not easily be overcome, but if they can, we can create more jobs, more productivity and a more efficient economy. The most difficult constraint is the cultural standard of the five day Monday to Friday work week with holidays and weekends typically set aside as non work days along with different days of the week that are defined as particularly significant. This constraint is followed by the bureaucratic constraints of the forty hour work week and overtime rules. These constraints may have served a purpose in the past when we had fewer people and less needs, but our increasing and complicated national and global demographics call for a re-examination of these constraints if we are to have a better competitive strategy to create more jobs, more productivity and a more efficient economy.It would take a lengthy book to fully explore the etiology of these constraints and how they prevent real solutions to our current problems so I will simply describe the solutions that I believe will help solve our problems. The first step of the solutions is to assume that there are no cultural constraints to setting work schedules and focus solely on how to organize and schedule workers for maximum efficiency and economic productivity. This step includes the prevention of using tired and exhausted workers that hinder maximum efficiency and economic productivity. The next step is to assume that there are no bureaucratic labor laws or contracts that specify work hours, days and overtime rules while continuing to focus on organizing and scheduling workers for maximum efficiency and economic productivity. This step also includes the prevention of using tired and exhausted workers.After these two steps, the process of finding solutions to creating more jobs, more quality products and services and a more efficient economy is easier to accomplish. The solution process includes a new kind of framework for work week scheduling that groups workers into teams for work assignments in such a manner that minimizes individual weak areas to maximize team efficiency and productivity. This process includes a new kind of job sharing system that maximizes team synergy where there is less emphasis on individual job performance and accountability and more emphasis on teamwork performance and accountability. With no cultural or bureaucratic constraints, maximum job creation can be designed for a seven day a week system with a variety of hourly shifts that maximize work productivity.Is there a current framework for such a system? Yes. Will it create more jobs? Yes. Will it create more quality products and services? Yes. Will it make our economy the most efficient and competitive in the world? Yes. Will it completely eliminate the work week along with weekend and holiday traditions? No. Will it completely eliminate the traditional labor laws and contracts? No. Will it completely eliminate the forty hour workweek standard? No. Will it allow for more leisure time off for workers? Yes. Is it perfect? No. Will more research and trial projects make it better? Yes. Will it help solve our current and particular unemployment and economic problems? Yes. Will economists, human resource specialists, labor leaders, politicians, academics and the general public venture to understand and embrace such a framework? That question remains to be answered, but the old truism that "nothing ventured-nothing gained" certainly applies.


The purpose of this article is to introduce the Family Resilience Inventory (FRI) and present findings on initial efforts to validate this measure. The FRI is designed to assess family resilience in one's current family and in one's family of origin, enabling the assessment of family protective factors across these generations. The development of the FRI was the result of many years of ethnographic research with Southeastern Native American tribes; yet, we believe that this scale is applicable to families of various backgrounds. Items for the FRI were derived directly from thematic analysis of qualitative data with 436 participants, resulting in two 20-item scales. Due to missing data, eight cases were removed from the 127 participants across two tribes, resulting in an analytic sample size of 119. Conceptually, the FRI is comprised of two factors or scales measuring distinct dimensions of family resilience (i.e., resilience in one's current family and resilience in one's family of origin). The results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported the hypothesized two-factor structure (X2 (644) = 814.14, p = .03, X2 /df = 1.10, RMSEA = .03, CFI = .97, TLI = .96). Both the subscales and the total FRI scale (α = .92) demonstrated excellent reliability. The results also provided preliminary evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. This measure fills a gap in the absence of community-based, culturally grounded, and empirical measures of family resilience. The examination of family resilience, which may occur across generations, is an exciting new contribution of the FRI.


We propose a method for manufacturing linear variable interference filters for two-dimensional (2D) array detectors, based on the use of correcting masks combining both rotation and translation movements of the masks and substrates. The major advantage of this method is its capability to produce several identical filters in a single run. 20 mm x 20 mm samples were manufactured with a wavelength ratio almost equal to 2 along the thickness gradient direction. In agreement with calculations, the measured uniformity perpendicular to the gradient is about 99.8% along 20 mm.


Software agents interact to solve tasks, the details of which need to be described in a language understandable by all the actors involved. Ontologies provide a formalism for defining both the domain of the task and the terminology used to describe it. However, finding a shared ontology has proved difficult: different institutions and developers have different needs and formalise them in different ontologies. In a closed environment it is possible to force all the participants to share the same ontology, while in open and distributed environments ontology mapping can provide interoperability between heterogeneous interacting actors. However, conventional mapping systems focus on acquiring static information, and on mapping whole ontologies, which is infeasible in open systems. This thesis shows a different approach to the problem of heterogeneity. It starts from the intuitive idea that when similar situations arise, similar interactions are performed. If the interactions between actors are specified in formal scripts, shared by all the participants, then when the same situation arises, the same script is used. The main hypothesis that this thesis aims to demonstrate is that by analysing different runs of these scripts it is possible to create a statistical model of the interactions, that reflect the frequency of terms in messages and of ontological relations between terms in different messages. The model is then used during a run of a known interaction to compute the probability distribution for terms in received messages. The probability distribution provides additional information, contextual to the interaction, that can be used by a traditional ontology matcher in order to improve efficiency, by reducing the comparisons to the most likely ones given the context, and possibly both recall and precision, in particular helping disambiguation. The ability to create a model that reflects real phenomena in this sort of environment is evaluated by analysing the quality of the predictions, in particular verifying how various features of the interactions, such as their non-stationarity, affect the predictions. The actual improvements to a matcher we developed are also evaluated. The overall results are very promising, as using the predictor can lower the overall computation time for matching by ten times, while maintaining or in some cases improving recall and precision.


Service Oriented Architecture Field Guide for Executives is a fundamental breakthrough in the business and technology perspectives of service oriented architecture (SOA). A valuable resource to help you understand and realize the benefits of SOA in today's companies, this guide will show you how to plan, implement, and achieve SOA value. Use a prescriptive approach to help you clearly understand SOA and to determine its applications for your business. Applicable to all industries, technology platforms, and operating environments, this innovative book will provide you with essential strategies.


Applications in enterprises need to communicate, most commonly done by messaging. Apache ActiveMQ is an open-source implementation of the Java Message Service (JMS), which provides messaging in Java applications. ActiveMQ in Action is a thorough, practical guide to implementing message-oriented systems using ActiveMQ and Java. Co-authored by one of the leading ActiveMQ developers, Bruce Snyder, the book starts with the anatomy of a core Java message, then moves quickly through fundamentals including data persistence, authentication and authorization. Later chapters cover advanced features such as configuration and performance tuning, illustrating each concept with a running real-world stock portfolio application.Readers will learn to integrate ActiveMQ with Apache Geronimo and JBoss, and tie into both Java and non-Java technologies including AJAX, .NET, C++, Ruby, and the Spring framework.


Scientific data sharing is becoming an essential service for data driven science and can significantly improve the scientific process by making reliable, and trustworthy data available. Thereby reducing redundant work, and providing insights on related research and recent advancements. For data sharing services to be useful in the scientific process, they need to fulfill a number of requirements that cover not only discovery, and access to data. But to ensure the integrity, and reliability of published data as well. B2SHARE, developed by the EUDAT project, provides such a data sharing service to scientific communities. For communities that wish to download, install and maintain their own service, it is also available as software. B2SHARE is developed with a focus on user-friendliness, reliability, and trustworthiness, and can be customized for different organizations and use-cases. In this paper we discuss the design, architecture, and implementation of B2SHARE. We show its usefulness in the scientific process with some case studies in the biodiversity field.


THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF HISPANIC NEW GRADUATE NURSES IN THE UNITED STATES Esther Grace Morales, MSN, RN Marquette University, 2010 There has been a significant increase in the Hispanic population in the United States that is not mirrored by representation of Hispanic registered nurses in the United States. Hispanic new graduate nurses enter nursing practice with few Hispanic role models and their story is not found in nursing literature. A qualitative study with a phenomenological philosophy and methodology was conducted to investigate the lived experience of seven Mexican American new graduate nurses, a subgroup of Hispanic nurses. Findings of this study were the seven themes: (a) being an employee; (b) an orientation with or without preceptors; (c) a transition; (d) shadows of doubt; (e) being Hispanic; (f) being bilingual and being pulled; and (g) blessed. The lived experience was described in more positive terms than negative terms and as a multifaceted experience. Hispanic new graduate nurses seemed to have an experience of transition typical of new graduate nurses, but with the added dimensions of cultural understandings, racism, and language proficiency with Spanish.


Engineering can be considered to be the application of scientific knowledge. It is a field where 'hands-on' knowledge of equipment is very often considered essential. Feedback Instruments designs, develops, and manufactures engineering training systems that are used within universities and technical training centres. Some of these systems are supported using a web-based training system that presents scientific theory alongside instructive interactive practicals, allowing students to take control of real systems to explore the principles behind hardware that may be found in the real-world. Three training packages used within the Discovery II web-based environment are presented, a basic-electricity and electronics trainer, a telecommunication principles trainer and a series of process control trainers.


This study explores whether or not a Writing about Writing (WAW) course de-sign has a positive bearing on students' use of summary in their researched ar-guments. It hypothesizes that students will draw more on summary in their re-searched arguments, since students in WAW actively interpret a shared group of texts through the lens of the discourse community and thus have a higher level of comprehension of the source materials than if they sought out the source materials on their own. Borrowing the source-coding methods of the Citation Project (CP), the study provides data in response to the following questions: How do students use sources when asked to compose a written for-mal research project in the context of a course in which the sources they draw on are assigned as part of the course material? How does student source use, particularly with respect to summary writing, compare with available CP data in which students may or may not have drawn on assigned texts? Ultimately, it finds that students in the WAW course draw on summary at a significantly higher rate than in the CP.


A hierarchical approach to scale formation in human perception is applied to musical scales. The model provides an adequate mathematical description of the already known scales and reveals some other new possibilities, in particular, a universal 19-tone musical system. A formula for the information difference between two probability distributions is employed to construct a numerical estimate of a contradiction between two compound tones. The discordance function obtained in this way possesses a number of minima which correspond to the degrees of a musical scale. A dissonance function is introduced, which reveals the scale as a set of zones. Stationarity under nonlinear transformations and maximum regularity provide the numerical criteria for selecting the preferable scales. The historical development from simple to ever more complex scales is thus traced. The formant structure of the internal timbre pattern characterizes the stability of local hierarchical structures. Harmonic, modal, and chromatic types of scale lability are described. Musical scale as a movable hierarchy of zone structures unfolds itself in various ways, forming the musical context. The analysis of the discordance functions indicates the ways of releasing the tensions and shows the musical consequences of any melodic move.


Black and Wiliam (1998) have indicated that feedback on assessment needs to bridge the gap between the student's actual level of achievement and the desired level. Although the comments made on students' written assignments are generally referred to as 'feedback', there has been relatively little investigation into whether they do in fact help to bridge the gap. Similarly, little work has been done on whether gap-bridging comments elicit a different student response from comments that leave the student to bridge the gap.

In the first phase of the research described in this paper, the gap-bridging potential of various types of comment was investigated. A coding tool introduced by Brown and Glover (2006) was used to carry out an analysis of over 3000 written comments made on 106 assignments in three course modules in a Technology faculty. One dimension of this code was used to determine the categories of comments being made: relating to the content of the answer; relating to skills development; providing motivation; etc. The other dimension was used to determine whether the comments were gap-bridging.

The second phase of the research looked at student response to comments. Individual interviews were carried out with 43 of the students whose commented assignment had been examined. These students were asked to indicate, if possible, particular examples of comments on their assignment that they had been able to use in later assignments in the module. They were also asked how they had responded to some of the individual comments on their assignment. In the latter case, a thematic analysis of these responses was carried out, followed by a matching of types of response to categories of comment and to whether the comment was gap-bridging.

The outcomes of this work show that relatively few of the written comments were gap-bridging. There is, however, a clear relationship between whether the comments are gap-bridging and whether the students understand the comments. There are also notable differences in how useful students find the various categories of comment for future work; skills development comments are particularly useful.

Two significant questions arise from these findings. One is whether assignments should focus more on skills development and less on content. The other is whether tutors' practice on commenting needs to shift more towards a constructivist perspective, as suggested by Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick (2004). On this latter point, the effects will be described of development work currently being carried out on tutors' commenting skills.


ABSTRACT Whilst encounters in psychology are typically experienced relationally, qualitative dyadic research in psychology is relatively rare. This study used qualitative dyadic research to understand psychological therapy assessments, exploring how experiences are actively created through situated, relational encounters. Seven dyads participated in qualitative semi-structured interviews, predominantly from services for trauma survivors. Thematic dyadic analysis explored a third space, distinct from the experiential knowledge of individuals. We found that clients and assessors balance closeness and distance through enacting aspects of their identities impacting on connection, safety, trust and disclosures. Whilst assessors and clients come together as strangers, human beings, experts, collaborators and, at times, survivors, the key determining factor shaping the encounter is how successfully assessors communicate their humanity. We conclude that dyadic qualitative inquiry is a feasible and rich method for understanding the relational in psychological healthcare encounters.


Renewable Sources are the future of electrical energy in coming decades. Power electronics converter
will play a crucial role to bridge the gap between uncertainty of renewable sources & increasing load
requirements. Two level inverters are used by industries as power electronic converter to �ll this gap.
As load side requirement is for good power quality & a huge amount of power now a days, Multi-level
inverters are better option due to less harmonics, less voltage stress & better reliability. Due to these
advantages, these converters are preferred for high power application. With all these advantages, it
has some challenges like energy balancing, fault tolerant capabilities etc. The objective of this thesis
is improve the energy balancing between sources in multi-level inverter topologies having more than
one sources. For energy balancing between sources, this thesis proposed a mathematical analysis
for distribution of panels and power backup batteries according to their load share. This analysis of
energy associated with voltage level is valid for any multi-level inverter topology having more than one
source. This analysis is validated for a case study based on n-Level NPC inverter. Energy associated
with each source is calculated for n-Level NPC inverter. This energy association with each source
is proved through simulation and experimental results for �ve-level NPC inverter. In addition , zero
sequence voltage injection method is used to get better performance during fault condition in multi
phase inverter in this thesis. For multi phase inverter, zero sequence injected PWM is proposed for
balanced load supply during fault condition. Simulation is presented for 3-phase with fault in one
phase & for 5 phase with fault in one phase, two phase.
v


ABSTRACT Whilst a lot of research has been carried out on designing learning environments to meet the needs of learners, much of such research has focused on producing less flexible ready-made environments for learners to interact with. However, e-learning design and development could benefit from the lessons of the interaction of users with mobile devices, where users interact by selecting applications (Apps) they are interested in and hence engage with the device in an addictive way. By transposing the same interaction idea to the e-learning environment, if given the opportunity, learners will construct an environment that meets their needs with the tools that are available and hence will be motivated to engage more with such environment, possibly leading to improved performance. This article proposes FAUCLE (Flexible and Accessible User Constructed Learning Environment), a learner-centred model for a learner-constructed learning environment. It is hoped that this paper will encourage research interest on innovative ways of designing learner-centred learning environments that encourage active and inclusive learning.


The wonderful achievement of Greek mathematics is here illustrated in two volumes of selected mathematical works. Volume I contains: The divisions of mathematics; mathematics in Greek education; calculation; arithmetical notation and operations, including square root and cube root; Pythagorean arithmetic, including properties of numbers; square root of 2; proportion and means; algebraic equations; Proclus; Thales; Pythagorean geometry; Democritus; Hippocrates of Chios; duplicating the cube and squaring the circle; trisecting angles; Theaetetus; Plato; Eudoxus of Cnidus (pyramid, cone, etc.); Aristotle (the infinite, the lever); Euclid. Volume II ("Loeb Classical Library no. 362") contains: Aristarchus (distances of sun and moon); Archimedes (cylinder, sphere, cubic equations; conoids; spheroids; spiral; expression of large numbers; mechanics; hydrostatics); Eratosthenes (measurement of the earth); Apollonius (conic sections and other works); later development of geometry; trigonometry (including Ptolemy's table of sines); mensuration: Heron of Alexandria; algebra: Diophantus (determinate and indeterminate equations); the revival of geometry: Pappus.


We offer a framework to help marriage educators think more thoroughly, systematically, and creatively about intervention opportunities to strengthen marriage. We draw attention to the educational dimensions of content, intensity, methods, timing, setting, target, and delivery, and their implications for marriage education. Our discussion points out the potential value of developing marriage education with greater specificity in content, timing, and target. We call for intervention that embeds marriage education in diverse institutional settings and provides access to couples across the socioeconomic spectrum. In the end, we address the need to take marriage education beyond a valuable helping profession and an expanding educational service to a vibrant social movement. Key Words: education, family life education, marriage, marriage movement. In a progressive society such as the United States, we usually take problems, such as high divorce and nonmarital childbearing rates, as a cause for action rather than a reason for resignation. Thus, it should surprise no one that the beginnings of a marriage movement have emerged in the United States over the last decade (Gallagher, 2000). A prominent part of this emerging movement has been a wide array of educational initiatives; however, to date there has been no formal effort to develop an integrative conceptual framework of marriage education. Some efforts to articulate the overarching paradigm of the marriage movement have occurred (Gallagher; Doherty, & Carroll, 2002), but there has been less emphasis on the development of theoretical models or heuristics to organize marriage education. In this article, we attempt to provide marriage educators with a set of concepts to help them better understand their craft and discover unseen possibilities. Too often, educators have only a narrow view of the breadth of what marriage education actually might encompass. We offer a map or framework, depicted in Figure 1, to help marriage educators think more thoroughly, systematically, broadly, and creatively about opportunities to strengthen marriage. We draw attention to the elements of content, intensity, method, timing, setting, target, and delivery in marriage education. We note that we have much to learn about marriage education for lower income couples who potentially have the most to benefit from educational initiatives. We emphasize the value of developing marriage education with greater specificity in content, timing, and target, and we call for intervention that embeds marriage education in diverse institutional settings with access to couples across the socioeconomic spectrum. We end by addressing the need to take marriage education beyond a valuable helping profession-and even an expanding educational service integrated into the human services-to a vibrant social movement. First, we highlight a few caveats. The focus of our framework is educational intervention. Although we value other forms of intervention that seek to strengthen marriage, such as therapy and policy, our focus here is on education. Our framework stresses possibilities for marriage education more than description, because the field remains open to creative effort. We use the term marriage education here rather than relationship education to capture both the relational and institutional dimensions of marriage with a life course perspective to facilitate covering issues of importance to youth and unmarried adults. We acknowledge our positive bias toward marriage education. We also acknowledge the need for more data to confirm the general efficacy of marriage education, especially for low-income and minority couples. While we wait for those data to accumulate, however, we believe that enough is known to continue the work that has begun. Finally, we clarify that our use of the word marriage is short-hand for healthy marriage-a generous, respectful, equal partnership free of abuse. Dimensions of Marriage Education Dimension I: Content-What Is Taught? …


Imperfect markets, asymmetric information and transboundary pollution are all characteristics that in most cases lead to inefficient "market" outcomes, and which thus are arguments for (public) intervention in the market. On the other hand, these characteristics also imply strategic behaviour by the economic agents, and then the effects of public intervention may be different from the traditional results of e.g. subsidies. The point of departure for this paper is the trading of an environmental project in a market with the above mentioned characteristics and where the pollution is transboundary. The trade is promoted by (foreign) authorities in that they offer a grant is trade takes place. We show that the effects of the grant strongly depend on the interests of the authorities, and that the subsidisation does not necessarily make the trading outcome more efficient.


The main object of this study is to explore and examine some of the ways which might enable the banking institutions in underdeveloped countries in general, and in Iraq in particular, to play a more effective part in the promotion of economic development. In the first chapter some important economic and social aspects of Iraq are displayed. In the second chapter some examination of the experiences of the Iraqi monetary authorities is made. The banking institutions in Iraq, i.e., the commercial and specialised banks, together with the central bank are discussed in chapter three. In this chapter, the possible contribution of the commercial banks in the promotion of economic development by providing medium and long-term loans to agriculture and industry is discussed. In addition, the possible ways in which some of the specialised banks might increase and improve their services are presented. In chapter four the device of deficit financing is applied to a model which represents underdeveloped countries in general. Chapter five offers an application of the device of deficit financing as shown in the model, adjusted to suit the circumstances prevailing in Iraq. Chapter six presents a consideration of the balance of advantage and disadvantage which may be thought to apply to the use of the device of deficit financing, especially when it is agreed that one of the possible outcomes is inflation. This is followed by chapter seven where the conclusions and recommendations reached in the light of the study are set out. We then have six appendices, including a statistical one. The main conclusions are: 1. It may be worthwhile for monetary authorities to consider, very carefully, the possibility of using the device of deficit financing, under certain conditions and within specified limits.2. In calculating changes in prices the categories of the Quantity Theory of the Value of Money can be usefully employed, particularly if an attempt is made to introduce dynamic elements into the Fisher framework, as is done in this study.3. It need not be held that moderate inflation must, necessarily, turn into high and hyper-inflation.4. The commercial banks in under developed countries should give favourable consideration to the making of medium and long-term loans to agriculture and industry.5. Under normal conditions, particularly of international trading, Iraq may be thought to be in a more favoured position to adopt the suggestions set out in (1) and (4) above, than most other underdeveloped countries. These are perhaps all the more significant for Iraq in that the natural resource, oil, which provides opportunity, is a diminishing or wasting asset.


Problems with storm water runoff are becoming more frequent, and the main cause is the increase of impervious cover (IC). The imperviousness increases stream peak flows, changes peak times, and so changes the flood distribution. Several policies are used to manage flows and flooding; however most have been reported to be inefficient because land owners do not have correct exposure to price incentives and risk. The main contributions of this thesis are an investigation into market mechanisms to price and allocate impervious cover allowances, while managing flood distribution. The market mechanisms are based on the electricity and gas markets which use linear programming formulations. This thesis develops three net pool market mechanisms: Det_MarketIC is a capped and deterministic market for IC, and Sto_MarketIC and Sto_MarketIC_Risk are stochastic market models with flood component penalties and risk positions representing the desired risk from the community respectively. Additionally, a gross pool market was extended under rainfall uncertainty, Gross_MarketIC. The market design is an auction system with operational constraints and bids for IC allowances from participants. The system relates physical routed flows at nodal or control points to these bids. The models clear the market by creating a demand (supply) curve for increments (reductions) in flows at specific places, and accounts for marginal changes in the expected flood damage and flood damage components. The market formulations estimate efficient allocations and prices. Decomposed prices from the market models are shown based on duality, as applied in electricity markets. The dual prices show spatial and temporal effects of flows, which impact at flooding areas. With Sto_MarketIC and Gross_MarketIC, prices account for changes in flood distribution. With Sto_MarketIC_Risk, prices also account for the risk as CVaR in flooding areas. Thus, prices increase as binding risk conditions are tightened. iii Finally, the net pool models are illustrated using hydrological and hydraulic simulators based on a small catchment located in Canterbury, New Zealand. Allocations and prices varied with the different models. Participants would face increasing prices in their IC allowances due to increments in flood damage.


Background Reduction in organizational commitment of nurses results in deficiency of care services. Some demographic factors affect organizational commitment. Objective The present study is intended to determine the organizational commitment of nurses and its relationship with demographic characteristics. Methods This study was a descriptive correlation (cross-sectional) study in January and February of 2016 on 126 nurses who held Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) or Master of Science (M.Sc.) and at least one year of work experience in the Social Security Hospital of Khorramabad, selected using the census method. Data collection tools included a demographic characteristics form and Allen and Meyer questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 20. Independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to determine the relationship between organizational commitment and demographic characteristics. Results The majority of nurses had moderate organizational commitment, the highest score belonging to the continuance commitment (22.33%), and the lowest score belonging to the normative commitment (19.16%). Also, there was a significant correlation between the continuance commitment and work experience (p=0.001), the staff posts (p=0.01) and shifts (p=0.04). Conclusion Considering the moderate level of subjects' organizational commitment in the present study, managers should take necessary measures to increase the attachment and organizational commitment of nurses and provide the ground for improving nursing services.


The forex market is a complex, evolving, and a non-linear dynamical system, and its forecast is difficult due to high data intensity, noise/outliers, unstructured data and high degree of uncertainty. However, the exchange rate of a currency is often found surprisingly similar to the history or the variation of an alternative currency, which implies that correlation knowledge is valuable for forex market trend analysis. In this research, we propose a computational correlation analysis for the intelligent correlation extraction from all available economic data. The proposed correlation is a synthesis of channel and weighted Pearson's correlation, where the channel correlation traces the trend similarity of time series, and the weighted Pearson's correlation filters noise in correlation extraction. In the forex market analysis, we consider 3 particular aspects of correlation knowledge: (1) historical correlation, correlation to previous market data; (2) cross-currency correlation, correlation to relevant currencies, and (3) macro correlation, correlation to macroeconomic variables. While evaluating the validity of extracted correlation knowledge, we conduct a comparison of Support Vector Regression (SVR) against the correlation aided SVR (cSVR) for forex time series prediction, where correlation in addition to the observed forex time series data is used for the training of SVR. The experiments are carried out on 5 futures contracts (NZD/AUD, NZD/EUD, NZD/GBP, NZD/JPY and NZD/USD) within the period from January 2007 to December 2008. The comparison results show that the proposed correlation is computationally significant for forex market analysis in that the cSVR is performing consistently better than purely SVR on all 5 contracts exchange rate prediction, in terms of error functions MSE, RMSE, NMSE, MAE and MAPE. However, the cSVR prediction is found occasionally differing significantly from the actual price, which suggests that despite the significance of the proposed correlation, how to use correlation knowledge for market trend analysis remains a very challenging difficulty that prevents in practice further understanding of the forex market. In addition, the selection of macroeconomic factors and the determination of time period for analysis are two computationally essential points worth addressing further for future forex market correlation analysis.


Over the last several years, the level of fees charged by investment advisers to mutual fund clients and the adequacy of investment advisory contract reviews by mutual fund boards have been subject to a high degree of scrutiny. Critics have charged that advisory fees paid by mutual funds should be comparable to those paid by pension plans and other institutional clients, but, in practice, fees charged to mutual funds are often higher. In light of this increasing scrutiny, lawsuits, and recent SEC actions, mutual fund boards have been under pressure to negotiate reductions in advisory fees, and many fund boards have increasingly turned to advisory fee breakpoints, in addition to flat-fee cuts and fee waivers, to reduce advisory fees charged to fund shareholders. While advisory fee breakpoints are beneficial to mutual fund shareholders, empirical data discussed in this article demonstrate that fund boards have taken varied approaches in establishing them. The authors study this behavior through an examination of four Lipper fund categories—equity, fixed income, balanced, and international—between July 2004 and February 2005, a period of intense breakpoints adoption. The survey yields significant findings which include the rapid growth of advisory breakpoints among all fund types and fund families surveyed, an increase in the number of breakpoints in larger funds, the trend toward funds with breakpoints exhibiting higher current fees than non-breakpoint funds, and fee reductions triggered at significantly higher levels than present fund AUM for funds which introduced new breakpoints.


The Stardust mission returned from a 6-year voyage in January of 2006. During the mission it swept through the tail of comet Wild 2 (pronounced Vilt), collecting the microscopic particles streaming from it. These particles were collected in a very low density material called aerogel. The satellite then took 2 years to return to Earth. The payload, jettisoned from the satellite, re-entered the atmosphere and gently landed in the Utah desert. Since January researchers have started the process of extracting the particles from the aerogel and using an extensive array of techniques to measure such things as elemental and isotopic abundance, mineralogy and petrology. We at SLAC have been using an X-ray Microprobe to determine the amount of different elements that are present in these particles. Please join us for a preliminary look at the results of the Stardust mission.


This book draws new attention to domain-specific conceptual modeling by presenting the work of thought leaders who have designed and deployed specific modeling methods. It provides hands-on guidance on how to build models in a particular domain, such as requirements engineering, business process modeling or enterprise architecture. In addition to these results, it also puts forward ideas for future developments. All this is enriched with exercises, case studies, detailed references and further related information. All domain-specific methods described in this volume also have a tool implementation within the OMiLAB Collaborative Environment a dedicated research and experimentation space for modeling method engineering at the University of Vienna, Austria making these advances accessible to a wider community of further developers and users. The collection of works presented here will benefit experts and practitioners from academia and industry alike, including members of the conceptual modeling community as well as lecturers and students.


Introduction: Despite sustained performance in case detection and success rate under Revised National TB Control Programme for >5 years, higher proportion of re-treatment cases has been observed amongst smear positive cases in Gujarat. Objective: To find out the source of re-treatment TB cases registered for treatment under DOTS under RNTCP to indirectly estimate role of private sector in treating TB patients. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Review of records and reports & data from TB treatment cards was compiled and analyzed (Secondary data source) Results: Proportion of re-treatment cases having latest type of anti-TB treatment under DOTS were 63% as compared to 37% of non-DOTS regimens. Amongst those who had received DOTS as latest treatment re-treatment registration as relapse was highest with 58% while it was Treatment After default with 44% as highest proportion amongst those with non-DOTS as latest anti-TB regimens. There was high correlation between the type of registration of re-treatment in the year 2010 and the outcomes reposted for year 2009 cohorts under DOTS for treatment after default and failures. There is a definite negative correlation between ratio of DOTS : non-DOTS as latest regimen history amongst the re-treatment TB cases registered and the New Smear Positive TB case registrations. Conclusion: Though RNTCP has achieved programme objectives at state level since more than 5 years in Gujarat, there exists a huge case load of Tuberculosis in private sector. Higher proportion of relapse registrations from DOTS sources can be attributed to high number of patients successfully treated on previous occasions. Default still is the major concern in non-DOTS regimens.


Pipes that carry drinking water have gradually aged. Events occurring with increasing frequency, such as substandard water quality in residential taps, red water, and black water, reveal the deterioration of the chemical stability of a drinking water distribution system (DWDS). Pipes in the DWDS serving City S, located in eastern China, were sampled to analyze the concentration and distribution of pollutants in pipe-scale of pipes of different materials, ages and diameters, and the factors (such as materials, age, and diameter) influencing the accumulation of pollutants were also investigated. The quantity of pipe-scale in the most commonly used gray cast iron pipe and ductile cast iron pipe (DN150) was 151.5–195.0 g·m −1 and 7.1–29.4 g·m −1 , respectively. The concentration of heavy metals in pipe-scale was positively correlated with the quantity of pipe-scale ( R 2 = 0.874); the sequence of concentration of metals was Fe > Al > Mn, Zn > Pb, Cu > Cr, Cd. Galvanized steel pipe, with the highest degree of corrosion, had the highest concentration of heavy metals in pipe-scale. The morphology and composition of pipe-scale were substantially influenced by pipe material and age. For example, in the oldest galvanized steel pipe-scale, there was not only a large number of iron compounds but also some zinc composite oxides. In addition to hydrocarbons produced by microbial metabolism, there were microalgae metabolites and exogenous contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The concentrations of microbial metabolites increased with increasing service time.


Abstract We examine the relation between the shareholder base and payout policy. Consistent with the idea that the shareholder base is related to the cost of external financing, we find that firms with small shareholder bases have lower payout levels and maintain higher cash holdings. We show that undertaking an open market repurchase results in a significant reduction in the size of the shareholder base. Consequently, we find that firms with small shareholder bases are less likely to undertake a repurchase (reduce the shareholder base even further) and are more likely to pay special dividends.


The thesis is comprised of three main categories. The first part of dissertation covers investigations of phase equilibria of compounds from natural materials in conventional and also non conventional supercritical fluids. In details, the impact of pressure and/or temperature on the system behaviour (miscibility, solubility, phase inversion) is investigated, quantitative and qualitative analyses to evaluate and identify compounds contained after performing preliminary extraction experiments from different natural tissues are presented. The impact of operating parameters (pre-treatment of the raw material with SFE; different extraction solvents: propane, CO2, non conventional SCFs; different extraction temperatures and pressures) on extraction kinetics is observed. Following substances were taken into consideration: vanillins, caffeine, carnosoic acid extract and lecithin.
Second part of dissertation covers studies of phase equilibria of the systems bio oil/gas, which is crucial in biorefinery process design. In this part of dissertation, which covers studies of phase equilibria of binary and ternary systems, the impact of pressure and/or temperature on the system behaviour (miscibility, solubility, phase inversion) for binary system bio oil/supercritical fluid (bio oil/CO2) and (bio oil/H2) was studied. Additionally, phase behaviour of ternary systems of (bio oil/diesel/CO2) and (bio oil/tail water/CO2) under the impact of pressure and/or temperature is observed. These data are of a high importance for bio refineries as an important part of necessary sustainable development. In recent years, studies on biodiesel synthesis have focused on development of process intensification technologies to resolve some of these issues. Fundamental data to design fractionation process of components of bio oil are crucial for an efficient hydrogenation process of bio oil.
In the third part of dissertation observation of phase equilibria and determination of the parameters like diffusion coefficient, density and viscosity for the systems polymer/CO2 at elevated pressures is investigated. An overview of different methods applied to determine the parameters like diffusion coefficient, density and viscosity of the systems polymer (PEG)/CO2 at elevated pressures is offered. Observation of phase equilibria of the binary system PEG/CO2, determination of the impact of pressure and/or temperature on the system behaviour (miscibility, solubility, phase inversion), determination of thermodynamically and physically properties of the system with new applicative methods and finally, comparison of the results obtained by different methods is provided.
The interfacial tension (IFT) at the (PEG)/CO2 interface has been determined by using an experimental technique developed to study the interfacial interactions of the liquids in equilibrium with gas in a glass-windowed equilibrium cell by the means of Capillary Rise (CR) method.
Advantages and disadvantages of methods that were applied are exposed and discussed.


The vast empirical literature on wage differentials reflects extreme interest in the subject from economists, social scientists, and policymakers alike. A review of the literature reveals two noticeable shortcomings. First, nearly all past studies have assumed a linear relationship between earnings and worker characteristics without consideration as to the potential specification error this imposes on their estimates. Second, researchers have generally focused on simple mean effects rather than estimating the effects of characteristics and wage rates on earnings distributions as a whole. Using data from the American Community Survey, this dissertation addresses both issues with a simple nonparametric approach, and applies the method to measure wage differentials between federal and private sector workers, as well as wage differences between males and females.


This paper presents an overview of a program designed to address the growing need for developing freely available speech resources for under-represented languages. At present we have released 38 datasets for building text-to-speech and automatic speech recognition applications for languages and dialects of South and Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and South America. The paper describes the methodology used for developing such corpora and presents some of our findings that could benefit under-represented language communities.


In a recent article in this Journal, Robin Boadway has argued that the appropriate requirement for neutrality is that the present value of the returns from an initial investment of [1pound], using the social discount rate, should be equal for all projects undertaken at the margin. We have few qualifications about this approach itself; although discounting with the social rate of time preference (STP) may be inappropriate in the current context. However, we would take issue with two aspects of Boadwav's application of his view of neutrality. The first problem concerns the appropriate definition of the constraint on firm leverage which would arise from the existence of limited liability. We believe Boadway's assumption to be inappropriate, and find that its replacement with what we argue to be the correct one leads to important revisions in evaluating the neutrality of different incentives. Another point we would make is that Boadway's results depend crucially on the absence of both personal taxes and inflation. We argue below that once realistic account has been taken of these important elements of the problem, general results about the neutrality of different incentives can no longer be derived, so that while Boadway's criterion may be appropriate, its application promises to be very difficult.


In contrast to the widespread view that the Middle Ages were a static, unchanging period in which attitudes to women were uniformly negative, D. H. Green argues that around 1200 the conventional relationship between men and women was subject to significant challenge through discussions in the vernacular literature of the period. Hitherto scholarly interest in gender relations in such literature has largely focused on French romance or on literature in English from a later period. By turning the focus on the rich material to be garnered from Germany - the romances Erec, Tristan and Parzival - Professor Green shows how some vernacular writers devised methods to debate and challenge the undoubted antifeminism of the day by presenting a Utopian model, supported by a revision of views by the Church, to contrast with contemporary practice.


Polymer modified concrete is one of the alternative material of construction to obtain better performance in strength and durability of concrete. There are some types of PMC such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber, modified rubber and asphalt.  In this work, copolymer of natural rubber styrene and copolymer of natural rubber methacrylate were used as PMC added to Portland cement concrete and Portland Pozzolan cement concrete up to 1 wt%. The aims of this work were to investigate the effects of curing methods (air curing and saturated lime curing) and addition of plasticizer on the compressive strength of concrete. Interactions among parameters were observed using factorial design analysis with Minitab (software) and strength value in concrete age of 28 days as a yield. The result showed that by saturated lime curing, calcium hydroxide as side product of cement hydration could be reacting with pozzolanic material of cement. So, there would be more calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) crystal that improve bond in the interfacial zone.  It was found that the saturated lime curing produced concrete with compressive strength 20% higher than concrete produced by air curing.  This result was supported by results from Scanning Electron Spectroscopy (SEM) that prove there were compactness factor of concrete structure. It was also found that plasticizer did not significantly influence compressive strength of concretes.

 Key words: Polymer modified concrete, copolymer of natural rubber, strength development, saturated lime curing.


BACKGROUND
Promoting regular physical activity (PA) and lessening sedentary behaviors (SB) constitute a public health priority. Recent evidence suggests that PA and SB are not only related to reflective processes (eg, behavioral intentions), but also to impulsive approach-avoidance tendencies (IAAT). This study aims to test the effect of a computerized IAAT intervention on an exercise task.

METHODS
Participants (N = 115) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 experimental conditions, in which they were either trained to approach PA and avoid SB (ApPA-AvSB condition), to approach SB and avoid PA (ApSB-AvPA condition), or to approach and avoid PA and SB equally often (active control condition). The main outcome variable was the time spent carrying out a moderate intensity exercise task.

RESULTS
IAAT toward PA decreased in the ApSB-AvPA condition, tended to increase in the ApPA-AvSB condition, and remained stable in the control condition. Most importantly, the ApPA-AvSB manipulation led to more time spent exercising than the ApSB-AvPA condition. Sensitivity analyses excluding individuals who were highly physically active further revealed that participants in the ApPA-AvSB condition spent more time exercising than participants in the control condition.

CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide preliminary evidence that a single intervention session can successfully change impulsive approach tendencies toward PA and can increase the time devoted to an exercise task, especially among individuals who need to be more physically active. Potential implications for health behavior theories and behavior change interventions are outlined.


According to different beliefs and cultures, trees are considered as valuable and sacred beings, and Iranians also have much respect for the tree. Cypress tree is one of the trees with symbolic concepts and mythological power among the Iranians who has won the attention of the poets and authors in different periods, especially the 4th and 5th centuries AH Hakim AbulQasim Ferdowsi is one of the poets, who has used all types of plants, particularly cypress and its symbolic concepts and, considering its various types, has attributed many traits to it; thus,he could present many pleasant descriptions from the nature and human Tahmasbi Shahnameh, as a Persian miniature masterpiece, has depicted the same symbolic and mysterious concepts in the miniatures. There has been no independent research on the role of cypress tree in the miniatures of Tahmasbi Shahnameh. Detail analysis of the miniatures in this Tahmasbi Shahnameh required the symbolism of plants, particularly the cypress tree. The present article is a response to the questions such as "Is the cypress tree important in these miniatures?" and also "How much this element is associated with other elements?" The hypothesis indicates that the cypress plays an effective role in images, both visually and symbolically, and it is highly associated with heroes and prominent characters of the miniature. The research method is analytical and some of the most important miniatures of Tahmasbi Shahnameh are described based on symbolism literature and other references. The results show that Iranian miniaturist, considering the symbols of nature, has presented the symbolic meanings and concepts of cypress and its association with heroes and characters in the miniatures using other symbols such as water, mountain, stone, and other trees along with cypress. In these miniatures, the cypress tree is also the symbol of immortality, great men, eternity, grandeur, goodness, and freedom.


The tourism industry has been one of the key to economic growth globally, and as the second after manufacturing industry, particularly here in Malaysia (Thomas, 2012). With the scale of attracting bigger attention of audiences towards a cultural event, Hallmark event has always been the best solution. However, most empirical studies
are focusing on the categorization of places rather than the socio-cultural impacts of a chosen place, town, city, or region which hallmark event takes part. Hallmark event has always played a huge sentimental role in promoting event and places in Malaysia.
This study attempts to enrich the previous semantic-tangle on the definitions of place and how they relate with hallmark event socio-cultural impact. This study examines four main factors in studying the relationship between place and hallmark event in a context of socio-culture, which are loci/space, people/social, event/experience, and
cultural impacts. The chosen Hallmark event was Malacca Art and Performance (MAP) festival, which is one of the well-known events happening in Malaysia each year attracting strong art enthusiast and lovers all around the globe towards one UNESCO rated destination. Systematic observation and surveys have been distributed
towards 100 convenience sampling audience of MAP festival 2013, coming from background such as local visitors, tourist, host community and organizers. The proposed framework and hypothesis given to support finding that they are strong valid correlation between loci/space, people/social, event/experience, and cultural impacts
with hallmark event impact. It has been found that, this positive relationship of wellplanned and managed event would result into spectacular impact of audience not only lifting the event higher but also the socio-cultural acceptance and awareness towards
the importance of hallmark event and tourism industry. It is recommended that place (loci, people, and event) should be considered by authorities before conducting Hallmark Event.


We extend a new waveform inversion scheme (Aoi et al., 1995) for estimating underground structure with an irregular-shaped basement as a target to cases where plane waves with an arbitrary azimuth impinge on the structure, i.e., from a direction not necessarily perpendicular to the major axis of the structure. We proved the validity of this scheme by numerical experiments. We had already achieved the formulation and numerical experiments for the cases where an SH wave impinges on a 2D basin structure and had shown that we could estimate the entire basin structure with seismic waveforms from only a few surface stations by using whole waveforms that include the surface waves. However, when the epicenter is located out of the plane including the observation stations, even the cases of 2D structure cannot be treated as a simple 2D (SH or P-SV) problem because of the wave with an azimuth that is not 0°. Therefore, by dealing with 3D wave fields in the present study, we extend the inversion scheme in order to apply it to incident waves with an arbitrary azimuth. The differential seismograms, which represent the sensitivity of change in the waveform, show different patterns in three components, and we demonstrate that inversion with three components, compared with the inversion with only one of them, leads to a linearized equation system with a smaller condition number and a more stable computation. Furthermore, we detect certain parts that are estimated with much less difficulty than others, depending on the direction from which the incident wave impinged. In the latter case, we can estimate the entire structure by employing simultaneously several data from incident waves arriving from different directions. We thus demonstrate by numerical experiments that the extension of our inversion method to cases where the incident wave with an arbitrary azimuth impinges on the structure enables us to estimate with increased accuracy an underground structure under more general conditions of the epicenter locations.


The need to use durable rock in building projects is becoming more critical as the costs of labor and materials rise. The Steering Committee of the 1991 Quarried Rock For Rubble Mound Structures Workshop highlighted this need, especially in view of the disconcerting fact that time-honored laboratory tests are often of questionable applicable reliability, for large rock. In addition, much of the laboratory information only hints at some of the more obvious information gained during a competent quarry investigation. There are examples of rock not meeting current specified laboratory criteria yet having a service record of successful use on a project for over fifty years (R.A. Everist, personal communication). There are other examples of rock meeting these criteria, yet failing on the project site in less than five years because of improper quarrying techniques (Marcus, 1991), These examples are dramatic evidence that current testing criteria, for large rock, needs revision and augmentation. Rocks were not created under carefully controlled conditions and must not be viewed by the construction community as being similar to a load of steel. Knowledge of even basic geologic processes and the specific geologic history of a rock is fundamental to the understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. It is suggested that the determination of rock durability should be a concerted effort of laboratory testing and professional field investigation. This paper does not address any specific problems related to rock durability but presents a general geological description of two quarries. These practical examples will show some of the inexpensive extralaboratory knowledge of rock sources that can be acquired through even an elementary geological quarry investigation. This paper also explains in a Comments section following each quarry discussion the reasons for the field observations and the petrographic descriptions.


Amebiasis remains a major health problem in Mexico. Therefore, the search for better culture media and low-cost diagnostic and therapeutic tools is fundamental. We present a new culture medium for Entamoeba histolytica which allows the microbe to preserve its virulence factors and ability to induce hepatic abscesses in animal models. The novel CLUPS medium is an improved version of the PEHPS medium, previously designed in our laboratory. The main difference is the substitution of raw beef liver in PEHPS by raw beef lung in the CLUPS medium. To compare the performance of three-culture media (traditional TYI-S-33, PEHPS, and CLUPS), E. histolytica trophozoites were cultured in quintuplicate, followed by the evaluation of phospholipase activity and the induction of liver abscesses in golden hamsters. E. histolytica trophozoites grew significantly better in CLUPS medium than in TYI-S-33. Likewise, CLUPS-cultured trophozoites produced significantly more phospholipases than TYI-S-33-cultured trophozoites. Finally, trophozoites grown in any of the three tested media had similar potential to induce liver abscesses.


With annual data, real M2 is shown to have a surprisingly strong contemporaneous and leading relationship to GDP, robust to the inclusion of other explanatory variables. When combined and tested with parsimonious error correction equations for money demand, price determination, and a monetary policy reaction function, an overall macroeconometric model is revealed with an unusually good fit, aside from a velocity shift adjustment needed for the early 1990s and better inflation performance than expected of late. A regime shift is evident in the stronger response of the Federal Reserve to inflation in the 1980s than in the previous two decades.


RAHARIMALALA O, BUTTLER A, SCHLAEPFER R & GOBAT J-M. 2012. Quantifying biomass of secondary forest after slash-and-burn cultivation in Central Menabe, Madagascar. Biomass is the principal input of nutrients in slash-and-burn cultivation of tropical dry deciduous forest. In this paper, we report the aboveground biomass of ligneous and herbaceous vegetation as a function of the age of abandonment after cultivation in order to analyse the potential amount of nutrients released into the soil. To estimate the biomass of trees, we used dendrometric classes based on height and circumference at breast height of all individual plants inventoried in the plots in four growth types. For biomass measures, we harvested representative trees in each defined class. The quantity of total biomass increased with age of abandonment, reaching 72 t ha(-1) after 40 years of abandonment. The species that contributed most to biomass were Fernandoa madagascariensis, Diospyros perrieri, Dalbergia sp., Poupartia silvatica, Tarenna sericea, Xeromphis sp., Phylloctenium decaryanum, Stereospermum euphorioides and Croton greveanum. Diospyros increased regularly already after 10 years of abandonment. The biomass of Dalbergia also increased with the age of abandonment, but after 30 years, this quantity decreased because of selective harvest by farmers. Fernandoa increased after 30 years, as did Poupartia, but the latter became a key player as it was, comparatively, the species with the highest biomass shortly after 30 years of abandonment.


Recent years have witnessed a renewed interest in integrated rural development (IRD) projects, which were a common feature of international development in the 1960s and 1970s. In this article we critically review the literature on past IRD with the goal of informing current practice. We identify two key narratives in the IRD literature: (1) IRD projects were designed to exploit complementarities and synergies between development interventions, and (2) the administrative complexity of IRD projects prevented their successful implementation. We argue that the first narrative is not grounded in a solid theory of how IRD works, and that the second is largely based on a body of evidence which is wide but not rigorous. We show that some recent IRD experiences have been successful and conclude that future IRD evaluations need a novel conceptualisation of synergies and greater attention to the characteristics of implementation and cost-effectiveness.


Calabi-Yau Manifolds, Mirror Symmetry, and Symplectic Geometry: A survey of mirror principle by B. H. Lian, K. Liu, and S.-T. Yau Mirror symmetry: aspects of the first 10 years by B. R. Greene Lagrangian torus fibrations of Calabi-Yau hypersurfaces in toric varieties and SYZ mirror symmetry conjecture by W.-D. Ruan Moduli space of stable maps by G. Liu Cohomological properties of ruled symplectic structures by F. Lalonde and D. McDuff Supersymmetric gauge theories and integrable models: Spectral Lax pairs and Calogero-Moser systems by J. C. Hurtubise M-theory tested by ${\mathcal {N}}=2$ Seiberg-Witten theory by I. P. Ennes, C. Lozano, S. G. Naculich, H. Rhedin, and H. J. Schnitzer Seiberg-Witten curves for elliptic models by I. P. Ennes, C. Lozano, S. G. Naculich, and H. J. Schnitzer The periodic and open Toda lattice by I. Krichever and K. L. Vaninsky Exact integration methods for supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory by J.-L. Gervais M-theory, D-branes, and non-commutative geometry: Nonabelian D-branes and noncommutative geometry by R. C. Meyers Evidence for winding states in noncommutative quantum field theory by P. Pouliot The discrete bound state spectrum of the rotating D0-brane system, and its decay by emission of Ramond-Ramond field radiation by K. G. Savvidy On the correspondence between D-branes and stationary supergravity solutions of type II Calabi-Yau compactifications by F. Denef Phase-transitions and tensor dynamics in $M$-theory by M. Faux, D. Lust, and B. A. Ovrut Duality, Eisenstein series and exact thresholds by N. A. Obers and B. Pioline Strings, gauge theories, and AdS/CFT correspondence: Connectedness of the boundary in the AdS/CFT correspondence by E. Witten and S.-T. Yau A note on the topology of the boundary in the AdS/CFT correspondence by S.-T. Yau Holographic duals of 4D field theories by M. Porrati and A. Starinets Black hole thermodynamics from calculations in strongly-coupled gauge theory by D. Kabat, G. Lifschytz, and D. A. Lowe Correlation functions for orbifolds of the type $M^N/S^N$ by O. Lunin and S. D. Mathur Elliptic genera and automorphic forms: Elliptic genera of singular varieties, orbifold elliptic genus and chiral de Rham complex by L. A. Borisov and A. Libgober On family rigidity theorems for Spin$^{c}$ manifolds by K. Liu and X. Ma Aample divisors, automorphic forms and Shafarevich's conjecture by J. Jorgenson and A. Todorov.


Abstract Delinquency has become an import social problem in Turkey, especially in schools. Along with this trend, empirical studies have started to pay attention to delinquent acts in schools. However, most of these studies have mainly focused on the nature and prevalence of the delinquent behaviors. There are limited numbers of studies that explore relationships between school related factors and delinquency among Turkish students. Thus, the main purpose of the present study is to examine how various delinquent behaviors (property delinquency , violent behavior, delinquency in in school and substance use) are related to some school related factors such as school bonds (attachment to teacher and commitment to school), discipline techniques used in schools (coercive and inductive discipline) and victimization in the school. For this, a total of 3742 students from 11 high schools in Izmir were chosen through stratified cluster sampling techniques. The mean age of the sample was 16.8 and percentage of male students was 52. Self-report instruments used in previous studies were mainly adapted to measure school-related variables and various delinquent involvements. Due to the censored nature of dependent variables (delinquent involvements), Tobit regression techniques were used in analysis. The analysis revealed that commitment to school had an effect in the reduction of all kinds of delinquent acts that are assessed in this study. Results also indicated that coercive discipline techniques and victimization in schools were positively related to delinquent involvements regardless of the nature of delinquency. Overall, findings have confirmed that schools should be considered as an important social context along with family, communities or neighborhood that also affect various processes related to delinquency. Key Words Delinquency, School Commitment, Coercive Discipline, Victimization in School, Tobit Model. Violent and non violent delinquency in schools has been considered as a serious problem in most of the developed countries for a long time. Responses to this problem, numerous theoretical discussions or empirical studies that mainly took place in Western contexts have focused on delinquent involvements of students which have helped some way to improve the social and educational policies that aimed to reduce the delinquency in schools (Cernkovich & Giordano, 1992; Payne, 2004; Welsh, Greene, & Jenkins, 1999). Delinquency, especially in schools, has also become an important social problem in developing countries. Due to the rapid changes in the economic and social structure and increase in the enrolment rates, delinquency among students has become a serious problem in Turkey. Studies conducted recently have shown that various delinquent behaviors such as violence, bullying, substance use are frequently observed among students regardless of their levels of study (Alikasifoglu et al., 2004; Bas & Kabasakal, 2010; Bilgic & Yurtal, 2009; Calik, Ozbay, Erkan, Kurt, & Kandemir, 2009; Demir, Baran & Ulusoy, 2005; Demirtas & Ersozlu, 2007; Durmus & Gurgan, 2005; Erdogmus, 1993; Kepenekci & Cinkir, 2006; Ogel, Taner, & Eke, 2006; Ozbay, 2003; Ozonder, Saglam, Aksoy, Uluocak, & Kokturk, 2005; Ulusoy, 2006; Ulusoy, Demir & Baran, 2005). Also, the Turkish government has started to take this problem seriously. For example, a nationwide Symposium on Violence in School and a panel research for schools delinquency under the supervision of the parliament was organized. Therefore, there is a need to study school contexts to understand delinquent involvements more thoroughly in Turkish context. In this context, the present study was designed to examine how various delinquent behaviors (property, violence, delinquency in school and substance use) are related to some school related factors such as school bonds, discipline techniques used in school and victimization in schools. …


We cast a very wide net when we established our high school's writing center in
2002. The Center's mission statement promises "to foster an active writing
community for all members of Souhegan High School. We had a writing
center twelve years ago at our school's inception, but in that start-up
environment we did not have a clear sense of the primacy of this work with
student writers. Consequently, we did not retain this position when our writing
teacher left the school. Our student population grew from 550 to over 1000,
however, and our parents were urging us to dedicate more resources to student
writing to support classroom instruction. I left my position as an English teacher
on an interdisciplinary, heterogeneous ninth-grade team to become the school's
writing coordinator. We are now working to place our writing center at the
intersection of teaching and learning in our school.


The preference for high-skilled migrants and the relative ambivalence of countries to develop adequate policies for low-skilled migrants is often times accepted without question. The lack of information on the socio-economic impact of these low-skilled migrants on sending and receiving countries thus skews their public image. To challenge this myth of low-preference for the "low-skilled" migrant worker, the paper explores a case study of Indian Punjabi migrants in the Italian dairy industry to show that relevance of these so-called "low-skilled" migrant workers in producing "high-quality" Italian cheese. This paper investigates the origins of the current Indian dominance of the dairy sector in Italy and offers insights into both employee and employer perspectives on this vital industry for the Italian economy and consumer. The paper tries to create a mental picture of the life of the Indian dairy worker in Italy, their motivations, aspirations and conditions of work and shows how and why their work is valued by their Italian employers. The paper includes findings of surveys conducted by both authors to the paper which helps give a balanced view of the impact of this migration on both India and Italy. The paper concludes by clarifying how the Punjabi migrant worker does not "steal European jobs" and gives recommendations for greater efforts towards their adequate integration into Italian society.


Tissue engineering of bone by combining mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with a suitable ceramic carrier provides a potential alternative for autologous bone grafts. However, for large scale-production, the current two dimensional (2D) multiplication process in tissue culture flasks has some serious drawbacks. These flasks are limited in their productivity by the number of cells that can be supported by a given area, while repeated handling for culture maintenance makes the process labor-intensive and susceptible to human error (e.g. infections).

As a result, manufacturing costs of these conventional processes are limiting the clinical use of tissue- engineered products. Additionally, the microenvironment of the cells is not monitored and controlled in these tissue culture flasks which results in sub-optimal culture conditions.

In this thesis we developed a bioreactor system for clinically relevant human bone tissue engineering which can drastically reduce the amount of space and handling steps involved and has the potential to achieve considerable cost reductions. In addition, this system is closed, largely disposable, semi automated and culture conditions like oxygen concentration, pH and temperature can be monitored and controlled online. In this thesis we showed that

• Viable human tissue engineered bone could be produced in clinically relevant amounts (10 cm3) from BMSCs in different seeding densities for different donors and at different perfusion rates showing the robustness of the system
• As a first step towards clinically applicable bone tissue engineering, we could generate tissue engineered bone directly from the bone marrow aspirate and exclude all 2D cultivation steps.
• The produced hybrid constructs showed their osteogenic potential in vitro and in vivo.
• Bioreactors can be used as a model system and as an example the combination of dynamic cultivation and cAMP did significantly enhance bone formation in vivo.

Overall, we conclude that bioreactor based bone tissue engineering is feasible generating in vitro and in vivo clinically relevant amounts of hybrid osteogenic constructs in a more efficient and controlled way. Therefore, the semi automated disposable perfusion system presented in this thesis could potentially facilitate the introduction of bone tissue engineered products in clinical practice.


Abstract Time-domain inversions of radial receiver functions and forward modeling of radial and tangential receiver functions were used to determine the velocity structure beneath DWWSSN station COL (Fairbanks, Alaska). Intermediate-period waveforms from 57 events recorded between February 1982 and November 1985 were used in the final analysis. Receiver functions from similar backazimuths and distances are very uniform and were stacked to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. At some azimuths (particularly from the west), significant energy is observed in the tangential component, indicating the existence of heterogeneous structure. The calculated velocity profiles are complicated and contain several distinct features that are consistent between the different stacks. The most obvious features are two strong velocity increases or boundaries in the lower crust. The first of these velocity gradients is between 27 and 32 km, a depth that is often associated with the crust-mantle transition in this region. Forward modeling of the receiver function arrivals associated with this boundary indicates that it has a strike of ∼ 280° and a dip of at least 10° to the northeast. The velocity profiles and forward modeling also indicate a low-velocity layer between depths of about 15 and 28 km. This layer is consistent with TACT results that show a layer at approximately this depth, with high electrical conductivity and a lower-than-expected seismic velocity, interpreted to be Mesozoic flysch.


The deviation of continuous and discrete complex random variables from the traditional proper and symmetric assumption to a generalized improper and asymmetric characterization (accounting correlation between a random entity and its complex conjugate), respectively, introduces new design freedom and various potential merits. As such, the theory of impropriety has vast applications in medicine, geology, acoustics, optics, image and pattern recognition, computer vision, and other numerous research fields with our main focus on the communication systems. The journey begins from the design of improper Gaussian signaling in the interference-limited communications and leads to a more elaborate and practically feasible asymmetric discrete modulation design. Such asymmetric shaping bridges the gap between theoretically and practically achievable limits with sophisticated transceiver and detection schemes in both coded/uncoded wireless/optical communication systems. Interestingly, introducing asymmetry and adjusting the transmission parameters according to some design criterion render optimal performance without affecting the bandwidth or power requirements of the systems. This dual-flavored article initially presents the tutorial base content covering the interplay of reality/complexity, propriety/impropriety and circularity/non-circularity and then surveys majority of the contributions in this enormous journey.


In order to be copyrighted, a work of art must be 'original." Critics have persuasively argued that copyright law, at various phases in its evolution, has defined originality by applying a Romantic conception of authorship, according to which the author creates out of a wholly personal, original self. But, in contrast to the idealized, Romantic work, an actual work need only exhibit an "extremely low" level of originality in order to merit copyright protection. This Note attempts to resolve this apparent tension between theory and practice, arguing that the Romantic conception of authorship underlies the law's low originality standard. Further, the Note argues that the modern understanding of authorship, which recognize's that the outside world shapes the author's consciousness, furnishes a more appropriate model for originality jurisprudence. Accordingly, the Note concludes, a stricter originality standard is needed, which would serve to reinvigorate the public domain while protecting truly original works.


Detailed anatomical maps of individual organs and entire animals have served as invaluable entry points for ensuing dissection of their evolution, development, and function. The pharynx of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a simple neuromuscular organ with a self-contained, autonomously acting nervous system, composed of 20 neurons that fall into 14 anatomically distinct types. Using serial EM reconstruction, we re-evaluate here the connectome of the pharyngeal nervous system, providing a novel and more detailed view of its structure and predicted function. Contrasting the previous classification of pharyngeal neurons into distinct inter- and motorneuron classes, we provide evidence that most pharyngeal neurons are also likely sensory neurons and most, if not all, pharyngeal neurons also classify as motorneurons. Together with the extensive cross-connectivity among pharyngeal neurons, which is more widespread than previously realized, the sensory-motor characteristics of most neurons define a shallow network architecture of the pharyngeal connectome. Network analysis reveals that the patterns of neuronal connections are organized into putative computational modules that reflect the known functional domains of the pharynx. Compared to the somatic nervous system, pharyngeal neurons both physically associate with a larger fraction of their neighbors and create synapses with a greater proportion of their neighbors. We speculate that the overall architecture of the pharyngeal nervous system may be reminiscent of the architecture of ancestral, primitive nervous systems.