The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the design for both the full scale and pilot scale seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) pre-treatment plant comprising Enflo-DAF™ dissolved air flotation (DAF) technology and dual media filtration (DMF) proposed and operating respectively at Ras Al Khair site in Saudi Arabia. The application of both DAF and DMF in the municipal water industry is regarded as well established; however the application of DAF to the treatment of seawater particularly at elevated temperatures and which is also prone to Red Tide or severe algae events is relatively new and there is a limited amount of experience in this area.


Symbolic approaches have dominated NLP as a means to model syntactic and semantic aspects of natural language. While powerful inferential tools exist for such models, they suffer from an inability to capture correlation between words and to provide a continuous model for word, phrase, and document similarity. Distributed representations are one mechanism to overcome these constraints. This tutorial will supply NLP researchers with the mathematical and conceptual background to make use of vector-based models of meaning in their own research. We will begin by motivating the need for a transition from symbolic representations to distributed ones. We will briefly cover how collocational (distributional) vectors can be used and manipulated to model word meaning. We will discuss the progress from distributional to distributed representations, and how neural networks allow us to learn word vectors and condition them on metadata such as parallel texts, topic labels, or sentiment labels. Finally, we will present various forms of semantic vector composition, and discuss their relative strengths and weaknesses, and their application to problems such as language modelling, paraphrasing, machine translation and document classification. This tutorial aims to bring researchers up to speed with recent developments in this fastmoving field. It aims to strike a balance between providing a general introduction to vectorbased models of meaning, an analysis of diverging strands of research in the field, and also being a hands-on tutorial to equip NLP researchers with the necessary tools and background knowledge to start working on such models. Attendees should be comfortable with basic probability, linear algebra, and continuous mathematics. No substantial knowledge of machine learning is required.


Accepted: 13.02.2013 Recent literature has suggested that the relationship between globalisation and the English language implicates employability in the job market. Although the effects are uneven in different occupational groups and in different countries, such relationship is growing in significance to policy makers. This paper has explored the hitherto unstudied relationship between English language proficiency and employment and the success of Bangladeshi graduates in Australia to establish how English language skills influence the employment mechanism in the Australian job market for graduates from a non-English speaking South East Asian country. The study was carried out following an interpretive approach as its overall aim was to understand the role of English language skills of university graduates in determining their employment opportunities and career prospects in Australia. It was found that in various ways one's English language skills influence prospects of employment, especially in contributing to the possibility of "secure" and "better" jobs. The research findings may inform educational policy planners, teacher educators, employers and career advisers to optimise English language learning programs that support increased employability through English.


Introduction: In light of political encouragement to determine the explicit needs of small, medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at local level so that appropriate workplace health promotion (WHP) delivery models and training programmes can be developed, the meaning of WHP for SME managers in context requires explication. This study aimed to explore managers' understanding of WHP and experiences of WHP activity within SMEs in a Health and Social Care Trust area of Northern Ireland. Methodology: Given the limited evidence on SMEs' interest in WHP, the qualitative approach offers a way to explore the potential multiple realities existing within SMEs and for development of that enquiry as the study unfolds. A Heideggerian interpretive phenomenological approach was adopted to allow SME managers' understanding of WHP and the meaning WHP activity holds for them within the context of their world to be more fully absorbed; mindful that every SME manager's experience is unique and their experiences cannot be separated from the business culture, history and traditions. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 18 small and medium-sized enterprise managers using in-depth telephone interviews. Benner's (1994) strategy was used to analyse the data. Findings: 'WHP as a symbiosis of health and business' emerged as a key theme from the data. The term symbiosis reflects the meaning of WHP for participants as a reciprocal relationship which provides protection from harm and opportunities for employee health improvement, and, in turn, provides protection for the business reputation and viability and boosts its revenue. Within this relationship both employees and employers are perceived as mutually benefitting from WHP engagement and neither to suffer any serious negative effects. Conclusion: Findings suggest an integrated ecological approach needs to be reflected within WHP policy and practice that extend beyond the individual employee to include consideration of workplace health determinants at employee, environmental, business and community levels.


A durational 'Install-action' as part of 'Live Action Gothenburg' International Performance Art Festival Sweden. Curated by Joakim & Jonas Stampe, in the Kunsthalle, Gothenburg, Sweden.(The Performance – 'Install-action' occurred over two evenings one of which was 'Culture Night' in Gothenburg.)Travel funded by the University of Ulster Research Institute.September 2009http://www.liveaction.se/ARCHIVES/LIVE-ACTION-08/ARTISTS.html#21http://www.liveaction.se/ARCHIVES/LIVE-ACTION-08/ARTISTS/Brian-Connolly.html300 Word Statement:Aspects of former Install-action Performance tests led me to develop a new strand of Install-action performance within dark spaces and contexts and utilising Ultra Violet light. Further developments of these artworks have been created in a range of international locations, spaces and contexts within Europe and Canada since 1995. Install-action is visually elaborate and aesthetic and it often deals with a series of socio-political motifs, as well as the qualities of differing contexts, and reflects on spiritual questions.Ritualised 'Install-action' Performance Artworks evolve into 'installational' spaces over time. These may vary in scale and complexity depending on the context, the nature of the exhibition event or festival. I was invited to participate in Live Action Gothenburg with a number of renowned international performance artists like Nieves Correa (Spain), Gwendoline Robin (Belgium), Tanya Mars (Canada), Irma Optimist, Pekka Kainulainen, (Finland) etc. I was invited by the Festival Curators Joakim & Jonas Stampe to create an 'Install-action'.In the development and creation of the durational Install-action within the festival program I grappled with and portrayed the following issues: • How to create an artwork which utilised my past art experience, for a new cultural context and audience? • Can the Install-action format deal with or portray important contemporary socio-political issues successfully?• How can the creative act within the Install-action process, in time relay the relevant imagery and concepts to a transient audience?• How can the artist deal with duration within the festival format?The resulting Install-action work occurred over two days and nights (some 16 hours which also included 'Culture Night' a very busy night in the Kunsthalle). As a result of this detailed and rigorous process an aesthetic visual complexity within the gallery space grew, in both scale and tension, a physical tension, which directly echoed the political imagery within the artwork.


This study builds upon previous research on the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) within the built environment curriculum and aims to investigate the role of Virtual Reality and three-dimensional (3D) computer modelling on learning and teaching in a school of the built environment. In order to achieve this aim a number of academic experiences were analysed to explore the applicability and viability of 3D computer modelling and Virtual Reality (VR) into built environment subject areas. Although two-dimensional representations have been greatly accepted by built environment professions and education, three-dimensional computer representations and VR applications, offering interactivity and immersiveness, are not yet widely accepted. The project builds on previous studies which focused on selecting and implementing appropriate VR strategies and technologies (Horne and Hamza, 2006) and offers an approach on how three-dimensional computer modelling and virtual reality may be integrated into built environment teaching. It identifies the challenges and perceived benefits of doing so by academic staff and reports on the systematic approach which was adopted by Northumbria University, School of the Built Environment, to raise awareness of VR technologies across the spectrum of built environment disciplines. A selection of case studies is presented which illustrate how VR and 3D modelling have been integrated to extend traditional forms of representation and enhance the students' learning experience. The attitudes perceptions, opinions and concerns of academic staff in regards to use of 3D and VR technologies in their teaching are discussed.


"The Dhammapada", long perpetuated through oral tradition, is a synthesis of the Buddha's ethical teachings. This English translation by noted Sinhalese pandit Harischandra Kaviratna, with the original Pali text (in roman script) on facing pages, was produced after comparison with Sanskrit, Burmese, and Chinese versions. A glossary of Pali philosophical terms with Sanskrit equivalents and English definitions is included. In a valuable introduction, Dr. Kaviratna discusses the history of the "Dhammapada" and its place in the Buddhist canon together with its relation to the Vedas and Brahmanical literature.


The digital coherent detection method is employed into the ϕ-OTDR. The heterodyne detection offers very high optical gain while the digital signal processing serves as an effective tool to rebuild the instantaneous electric field of Rayleigh scattering light by analyzing the beating signal. Both amplitude and phase signal are obtained in our experiment. PZT vibration measurement verifies that the phase difference signal well represents the external perturbation signal and also with higher SNR. The proposed newϕ-OTDR system shows a good application foreground in the area of distributed vibration measurement.


Purpose of review The field of neuroethics is experiencing a great deal of activity at present, as researchers come to realize the potentially dramatic implications of new work in neuroscience and its applications. This review aims to describe some of the work of direct relevance to psychiatric ethics. Recent findings The review focuses on ethical issues surrounding the use of propranolol to treat or prevent posttraumatic stress disorder, issues concerning the capacity of the mentally ill to give informed consent to medical treatment and the potential social implications of cognitive enhancers and other interventions into the mind. Summary It is argued that psychiatric ethics would benefit from a consideration of cognate questions arising in neuroethics; in particular, neuroethics has the potential to remind psychiatrists that individual treatment decisions can have broad social implications.


Part 1: Gathering and Exploring Data 1. Statistics: The Art and Science of Learning from Data 1.1 Using Data to Answer Statistical Questions 1.2 Sample Versus Population 1.3 Using Calculators and Computers Chapter Summary Chapter Problems 2. Exploring Data with Graphs and Numerical Summaries 2.1 Different Types of Data 2.2 Graphical Summaries of Data 2.3 Measuring the Center of Quantitative Data 2.4 Measuring the Variability of Quantitative Data 2.5 Using Measures of Position to Describe Variability 2.6 Recognizing and Avoiding Misuses of Graphical Summaries Chapter Summary Chapter Problems 3. Association: Contingency, Correlation, and Regression 3.1 The Association Between Two Categorical Variables 3.2 The Association Between Two Quantitative Variables 3.3 Predicting the Outcome of a Variable 3.4 Cautions in Analyzing Associations Chapter Summary Chapter Problems 4. Gathering Data 4.1 Experimental and Observational Studies 4.2 Good and Poor Ways to Sample 4.3 Good and Poor Ways to Experiment 4.4 Other Ways to Conduct Experimental and Nonexperimental Studies Chapter Summary Chapter Problems Part 1 Review Part 1 Questions Part 1 Exercises Part 2: Probability, Probability Distributions, and Sampling Distributions 5. Probability in Our Daily Lives 5.1 How Probability Quantifies Randomness 5.2 Finding Probabilities 5.3 Conditional Probability: The Probability of A Given B 5.4 Applying the Probability Rules Chapter Summary Chapter Problems 6. Probability Distributions 6.1 Summarizing Possible Outcomes and Their Probabilities 6.2 Probabilities for Bell-Shaped Distributions 6.3 Probabilities When Each Observation Has Two Possible Outcomes Chapter Summary Chapter Problems 7. Sampling Distributions 7.1 How Sample Proportions Vary Around the Population Proportion 7.2 How Sample Means Vary Around the Population Mean 7.3 The Binomial Distribution Is a Sampling Distribution (Optional) Chapter Summary Chapter Problems Part 2 Review Part 2 Questions Part 2 Exercises Part 3: Inferential Statistics 8. Statistical Inference: Confidence Intervals 8.1 Point and Interval Estimates of Population Parameters 8.2 Constructing a Confidence Interval to Estimate a Population Proportion 8.3 Constructing a Confidence Interval to Estimate a Population Mean 8.4 Choosing the Sample Size for a Study 8.5 Using Computers to Make New Estimation Methods Possible Chapter Summary Chapter Problems 9. Statistical Inference: Significance Tests about Hypotheses 9.1 Steps for Performing a Significance Test 9.2 Significance Tests about Proportions 9.3 Significance Tests about Means 9.4 Decisions and Types of Errors in Significance Tests 9.5 Limitations of Significance Tests 9.6 The Likelihood of a Type II Error (Not Rejecting H0, Even Though It's False) Chapter Summary Chapter Problems 10. Comparing Two Groups 10.1 Categorical Response: Comparing Two Proportions 10.2 Quantitative Response: Comparing Two Means 10.3 Other Ways of Comparing Means and Comparing Proportions 10.4 Analyzing Dependent Samples 10.5 Adjusting for the Effects of Other Variables Chapter Summary Chapter Problems Part 3 Review Part 3 Questions Part 3 Exercises Part 4: Analyzing Association and Extended Statistical Methods 11. Analyzing the Association Between Categorical Variables 11.1 Independence and Association 11.2 Testing Categorical Variables for Independence 11.3 Determining the Strength of the Association 11.4 Using Residuals to Reveal the Pattern of Association 11.5 Small Sample Sizes: Fisher's Exact Test Chapter Summary Chapter Problems 12. Analyzing the Association Between Quantitative Variables: Regression Analysis 12.1 Model How Two Variables Are Related 12.2 Describe Strength of Association 12.3 Make Inference About the Association 12.4How the Data Vary Around the Regression Line 12.5 Exponential Regression: A Model for Nonlinearity Chapter Summary Chapter Problems 13. Multiple Regression 13.1 Using Several Variables to Predict a Response 13.2 Extending the Correlation and R-squared for Multiple Regression 13.3 Using Multiple Regression to Make Inferences 13.4 Checking a Regression Model Using Residual Plots 13.5 Regression and Categorical Predictors 13.6 Modeling a Categorical Response Chapter Summary Chapter Problems 14. Comparing Groups: Analysis of Variance Methods 14.1 One-Way ANOVA: Comparing Several Means 14.2 Estimating Differences in Groups for a Single Factor 14.3 Two-Way ANOVA Chapter Summary Chapter Problems 15. Nonparametric Statistics 15.1 Compare Two Groups by Ranking 15.2 Nonparametric Methods For Several Groups and for Matched Pairs Chapter Summary Chapter Problems PART 4 Review Part 4 Questions Part 4 Exercises Tables Answers Index Index of Applications Photo Credits


Keeled flowers are characteristic of many species of Polygalaceae (tribe Polygaleae), in which there is often a distinctive crest located at the abaxial petal. This study of floral ontogeny across the entire family highlights potential suites of characters that relate to the evolution of keeled and crested flowers. One character suite encompasses interconnected transformations of the lateral perianth organs acting as an evolutionary module: bracteoles, lateral sepals (with delayed initiation and petaloid appearance), and lateral petals (suppressed or lost). The plastochron between initiation of the lateral sepals and that of the other sepals is relatively long in the tribe Polygaleae, in which the calyx is usually heteromorphic. By contrast, in the petal whorl, the difference between a zygomorphic and an actinomorphic corolla involves organ suppression rather than heterochrony. Four primary androecial patterns are identified in the family, and the gynoecium ranges between syncarpous‐bicarpellate and multicarpellate. Stigma diversity is based on two primary morphological types: one in which the papillate stigmatic surfaces lie close together, the other in which they are physically separated. The floral ontogeny of Polygalaceae is considered alongside comparative data available for other members of the order Fabales, and hypotheses to account for the similarities and differences between keeled flowers are discussed.


Supergene minerals form under near-ambient conditions on the Earth9s surface. Supergene mineralization is controlled by the parent rock composition, climatic conditions, geomorphological environment, and chemical compounds added during mineral processing. They appear in alteration zones called "orecretes." Bronze Age miners exploited these easily accessible high-grade soft ores for Fe, Cu, Pb, and Ag. Some supergene minerals can also grow in poorly ventilated mining galleries and shafts, coat metal mining artifacts and smelting residues, and form from disastrous blasts and fires in ancient mining settlements. Supergene deposits bridge the gap between humans and metal resources at the interface between rock, soil, air, water, and living organisms. These deposits provide essential clues to geological, environmental, and archeological studies.


The application of a thermal source in non-contact forming of sheet metal has long been used. However, the replacement of this thermal source with a laser beam promises much greater controllability of the process. This yields a process with strong potential for application in aerospace, shipbuilding, automobile, and manufacturing industries, as well as the rapid manufacturing of prototypes and adjustment of misaligned components. Forming is made possible through laser-induced non-uniform thermal stresses. In this letter, we use the geometrical transition from rectangular to circle-shaped specimen and ring-shaped specimen to observe the effect of geometry on deformation in laser forming. We conduct a series of experiments on a wide range of specimen geometries. The reasons for this behavior are also analyzed. Experimental results are compared with simulated values using the software ABAQUS. The utilization of line energy is found to be higher in the case of laser forming along linear irradiation than along curved ones. We also analyze the effect of strain hindrance. The findings of the study may be useful for the inverse problem, which involves acquiring the process parameters for a known target shape of a wide range of complex shape geometries.


In the context of a master level programming practical at the computer science department of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, we developed and make available two independent and highly optimized open-source implementations for the pair-wise statistical alignment model, also known as TKF91, that was developed by Thorne, Kishino, and Felsenstein in 1991. This paper has two parts. In the educational part, we cover teaching issues regarding the setup of the course and the practical and summarize student and teacher experiences. In the scientific part, the two student teams (Team I: Nikolai, Sebastian, Daniel; Team II: Sarah, Pierre) present their solutions for implementing efficient and numerically stable implementations of the TKF91 algorithm. The two teams worked independently on implementing the same algorithm. Hence, since the implementations yield identical results —with slight numerical deviations— we are confident that the implementations are correct. We describe the optimizations applied and make them available as open-source codes in the hope that our findings and software will be useful to the community as well as for similar programming practicals at other universities.


Various proposals have been made for the pridiction of strength of high strength concrete sections. One of the most important parts of any strength computation procedure is the assumption of a suitable compression concrete stress block. Another important aspect of a strength prediction procedure is the assignment of a value to the ultimate compression strain of concrete Eu and the value of Ec. These investigations were undertaken to address those concerns. A rectangular stress block of the ACI code(1) was also forwarded to give acceptably conservative strength predictions over the entire range of concrete strength from 27.6 MPa (4Ksi) to 103.5 MPa (15Ksi). Some of the measured maximum extreme compression fiber strain do fall below 0.003 at high concrete strength. Eu= 0.0025 would be a more conservative lower bound.


We theoretically and experimentally investigated the optical performance of fiber connections with various air-filled gaps. Such gaps might occur when a fiber connection realized using physical contact (PC) fails unexpectedly resulting in imperfect PC. The experimental results suggested that the optical performance of these fiber connections depends on both wavelength and gap width. When the air-filled gap between the fiber ends is narrow (of wavelength order) the insertion loss increases between 0.0 and 0.6 dB. The return loss varies greatly and the worst value is about 8.7 dB. When the gap is much wider than the wavelength, the insertion losses are mainly affected by the radiation loss in the air-filled gap between the fiber ends and the return losses are close to 14.7 dB, which is the Fresnel reflection value at a fiber end in air. We also found that in the worst case the insertion and return losses for fiber connections with imperfect PC can deteriorate respectively to ~ 18 and 9.4 dB at a wavelength of 1.31 μm and ~ 17 and 9.9 dB at a wavelength of 1.55 μm. In addition, we studied the characteristics of multi-connected PC-type connectors with an air-filled gap. We discovered that the total returned light from multi-connected joints with an air-filled gap could deteriorate to 5.9 dB at worst for four-connected connectors. These results support the practical use of PC-type connectors in the construction and operation of optical network systems.


Many current large-scale multiagent team implementations can be characterized as following the "belief-desire-intention" (BDI) paradigm, with explicit representation of team plans. Despite their promise, current BDI team approaches lack tools for quantitative performance analysis under uncertainty. Distributed partially observable Markov decision problems (POMDPs) are well suited for such analysis, but the complexity of finding optimal policies in such models is highly intractable. The key contribution of this article is a hybrid BDI-POMDP approach, where BDI team plans are exploited to improve POMDP tractability and POMDP analysis improves BDI team plan performance.

Concretely, we focus on role allocation, a fundamental problem in BDI teams: which agents to allocate to the different roles in the team. The article provides three key contributions. First, we describe a role allocation technique that takes into account future uncertainties in the domain; prior work in multiagent role allocation has failed to address such uncertainties. To that end, we introduce RMTDP (Role-based Markov Team Decision Problem), a new distributed POMDP model for analysis of role allocations. Our technique gains in tractability by significantly curtailing RMTDP policy search; in particular, BDI team plans provide incomplete RMTDP policies, and the RMTDP policy search fills the gaps in such incomplete policies by searching for the best role allocation. Our second key contribution is a novel decomposition technique to further improve RMTDP policy search efficiency. Even though limited to searching role allocations, there are still combinatorially many role allocations, and evaluating each in RMTDP to identify the best is extremely difficult. Our decomposition technique exploits the structure in the BDI team plans to significantly prune the search space of role allocations. Our third key contribution is a significantly faster policy evaluation algorithm suited for our BDI-POMDP hybrid approach. Finally, we also present experimental results from two domains: mission rehearsal simulation and RoboCupRescue disaster rescue simulation.


NoSQL distributed databases have been devised to tackle the challenges resulting from volume, velocity and variety of big data. Graph representation of datasets requires efficient distributed linear algebra operations for large sparse matrix constructed from big data. Storing the transformed matrix into the database not only speeds up the big data analysis process but also facilitates the computation because of indexing. The Hadoop based approach does not natively support iterative algorithms due to data shuffling during each iteration. This paper presents a novel database-based distributed computation architecture bridging the gap between Hadoop and HPC. The novelty results from exploring the indexing capability of D4M (Dynamic Distributed Dimensional Data Model) to support linear algebra operations in a distributed computation environment. The idea is to store input data and intermediate results in associative array format inside Accumulo table to facilitate the data sharing among working nodes. pMatlab is deployed as the parallel computation engine. Our proposed architecture is proved to be lighter, easier and faster than MapReduce based approach. One example application is calculating top k eigenvalues and eigenvectors for large sparse matrix. Experiments on Graph500 benchmark datasets demonstrate 2X speedup of our architecture as compared to HEIGEN (An eigensolver for billion-scale matrices using MapReduce).


People in developed countries spend today most of their time inside buildings as part of the modern way of life. As a result, the building sector accounts for almost 40% of the total energy consumption and a big part of the energy bill goes to maintain the visual and thermal comfort of their occupants. At the same time, awareness is being raised during the last decades about the greenhouse gas emissions and the possibly irreversible effects of global warming; both linked to excessive use of non-renewable primary energy sources which still power most of the world, including our buildings. Thus, moderating the energy consumed in them is a top priority. However, this does not imply a horizontal cut in energy consumption that would result in a drop of user comfort. Instead, we suggest that improving energy efficiency in buildings while maintaining or even improving the user comfort is the optimal solution. It is indeed the core of this thesis that there is a great energy saving potential in refining the control of building systems such as electric lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation, which more than often consume a lot of energy without delivering the analogous amount of visual and thermal comfort. In this direction, this thesis proposes the development of a novel predictive control algorithm for the control of electrochromic glazing using a low cost sky scanner using a simple web camera. The developed algorithm demonstrated an average prediction accuracy of 92% and integrates and controls the blinds and electric lighting to maximise visual comfort taking into account outdoor and indoor conditions, presence and user actions. Measurements and extensive simulations showed that the elaborated algorithm improves thermal and visual comfort when compared to standard glazing coupled with blinds and exhibits acceptable levels of energy consumption for space heating and electric lighting. In the same subject of improving building control, a novel approach for controlling building systems by using state-based stochastic data-driven models to identify "season" is defined and developed. We reason that the season variable is unique to every building and it depends on weather conditions, user behaviour and building construction. The developed models identified "season" with an accuracy that ranged from 69 to 91% and it was shown through simulations that a controller based on Hidden Markov Models can reduce energy demand for heating and improve the thermal comfort of occupants in different building construction types. Finally, the use of Hidden Markov Models was further explored in this thesis by suggesting a novel model for the estimation of occupants' visual comfort in buildings. The proposed model is based on horizontal workplane illuminance measurements using ceiling-mounted sensors as well on vertical illuminance monitoring at the observer's eyes plane (pupillary illuminance) by means of wearable portable sensors. We argue that the proposed model improves greatly over the various existing discomfort glare indices and metrics and it is also convincingly demonstrated that it can be seamlessly integrated and used in building automation systems based on fuzzy logic.


SUMMARY

This article highlights the organization change implications for organizations that are attempting to develop collaborative relationships with their suppliers. The research focuses on four dimensions of collaborative relations including joint buyer-supplier cost reduction, supplier involvement in new product development, delivery and logistics management, and core business strategy. A case study is presented which outlines how an organization adopted a strategy that led to extensive outsourcing and the adoption of more collaborative relations with its key suppliers. The pursuit of this strategy has acted as a stimulus for change within the organization. The article identifies a number of issues that must be addressed, including the adoption of an integrated approach to the management of strategic change, the pivotal role of senior managers as facilitators of this change, and the involvement of those most affected by the movement toward more collaborative buyer-supplier relationships.


Critical success factors and lessons learnt from our mistakes are two sides of the same coin. Evidence which contributes to debates in this area can emerge from a number of different sources. The current era of using the Web and the Internet to enhance learning builds on significant advances which were made from the mid-1990's. Over the last decade and a half numerous projects and programs worldwide have attempted to harness the power of computers and communications technologies to enhance learning. The literature on technology enhanced learning contains much on individual innovations which have been engineered to address specific educational issues. But individual institutions are also consolidating learning through activities such as benchmarking of e-learning. The evidence can therefore be drawn from two rather different perspectives, the individual technologically inspired view, and the more holistic, strategic, institutional view. Most conferences and workshops report on success stories only. But reality consists of successes, failures, and many points in between. Perhaps the most interesting is the knowledge which has accumulated which enables project managers to identify potential failures at an early stage and apply remedial measures. This type of knowledge is extremely valuable. Millions are being invested to innovate education, and to build European-wide strength and cohesion in the area of technology enhanced learning. As a community which sees its future strength in knowledge, harnessing technology effectively to facilitate high quality post-secondary education is especially important. For this reason, it would be especially helpful to develop a Pan European perspective which is able to differentiate between factors which are specific to particular approaches to education, and those understandings which have a more global value. A useful discussion was begun at previous conferences, but there are many more contributions which could be made. What hard-learned lessons aren't we hearing about? What are the challenges that even successful projects have faced? What about the projects that don't' work out as planned?


"Informality" is a term used to describe the collection of firms, workers, and activities that operate outside the legal and regulatory systems. It is widespread in the majority of developing countries—in a typical developing economy, the informal sector produces about 35 percent of gross domestic product and employs 70 percent of the labor force. This paper studies informality in the context of economic development by presenting a model and projections that link informality, regulations, migration, and economic growth. This analytical framework highlights the trade-offs between formality and informality, the relationship between the different types of informality, and the connection between them and the forces of labor, capital, and productivity growth. The paper models the behavior of the informal sector based on the following fundamental asymmetry: formal firms confront higher labor costs while informal firms face higher capital costs and lower productivity. Using mandated minimum wages as the policy-induced distortion, the model first studies the static allocation of formal and informal capital and labor in a modern economy. Second, it opens the possibility of labor migration from a rudimentary economy with an ample supply of labor (rural areas or less advanced neighboring countries). Third, the model analyzes the dynamic behavior of the formal and informal sectors, considering how they affect and are affected by economic growth and labor migration. Then, the paper presents projections for the size of labor informality, in the modern and rudimentary economies, in the next two decades for a large group of countries representing all regions of the world. The projections are based on the calibration and simulation of the model and serve to discuss its usefulness and limitations.


Expression analysis of ~omics data using microarrays has become a standard procedure in the life sciences.
However, microarrays are subject to technical limitations and errors, which render the data gathered likely to
be uncertain. While a number of approaches exist to target this uncertainty statistically, it is hardly ever even
shown when the data is visualized using for example clustered heatmaps. Yet, this is highly useful when trying
not to omit data that is "good enough" for an analysis, which otherwise would be discarded as too unreliable
by established conservative thresholds. Our approach addresses this shortcoming by first identifying the margin
above the error threshold of uncertain, yet possibly still useful data. It then displays this uncertain data in
the context of the valid data by enhancing a clustered heatmap. We employ different visual representations for
the different kinds of uncertainty involved. Finally, it lets the user interactively adjust the thresholds, giving
visual feedback in the heatmap representation, so that an informed choice on which thresholds to use can be
made instead of applying the usual rule-of-thumb cut-offs. We exemplify the usefulness of our concept by giving
details for a concrete use case from our partners at the Medical University of Graz, thereby demonstrating our
implementation of the general approach.


BACKGROUND
Social factors have been shown to be predictors of suicide. It is not known whether these factors vary between countries.

AIMS
To present a first European overview of socio-economic inequalities in suicide mortality among men and women.

METHOD
We used a prospective follow-up of censuses matched with vital statistics in ten European populations. Directly standardised rates of suicide were computed for each country.

RESULTS
In men, a low level of educational attainment was a risk factor for suicide in eight out of ten countries. Suicide inequalities were smaller and less consistent in women. In most countries, the greater the socio-economic disadvantage, the higher is the risk of suicide. The population of Turin evidenced no socio-economic inequalities.

CONCLUSIONS
Socio-economic inequalities in suicide are a generalised phenomenon in western Europe, but the pattern and magnitude of these inequalities vary between countries. These inequalities call for improved access to psychiatric care for lower socio-economic groups.


This paper presents an implementation of a fuzzy reactive architecture. The application considered is where a virtual agent must navigate to pass obstacles on heading towards a desired target with no prior knowledge of the environment. The agent might not reach the goal and may get trapped in local minima. A behaviour-based fuzzy controller with a local path planning algorithm has been developed. The fuzzy α-level technique, as a behaviour selection method, has been used to decide which behaviour task needs to be executed. Evaluation has shown that the virtual agent can handle such situations without problem. The paths produced are reasonably smooth even though there are some sharp turns and are not too far from the potential shortest paths. This indicates the benefit of our method, where reliable and accurate decisions have been made during navigation tasks.


This study presents a comprehensive review of the published literature on the evidences of a changing climate in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) and its impacts on the glacio‐hydrology of the region. The IHR serves as an important source of fresh water for the densely populated areas downstream. It is evident from the available studies that temperature is significantly increasing in all parts of the IHR, whereas precipitation is not indicative of any particular spatiotemporal trend. Glacio‐hydrological proxies for changing climate, such as, terminus and areal changes of the glaciers, glacier mass balance, and streamflow in downstream areas, highlight changes more evidently in recent decades. On an average, studies have predicted an increase in temperature and precipitation in the region, along with increase in streamflow of major rivers. Such trends are already apparent in some sub‐basins of the western IHR. The region is particularly vulnerable to changing climate as it is highly dependent on snow and glacier melt run‐off to meet its freshwater demands. We present a systematic review of key papers dealing with changing temperature, precipitation, glaciers, and streamflow in the IHR. We discuss these interdisciplinary themes in relation to each other, in order to establish the present and future impacts of climatic, glaciological, and hydrological changes in the region. WIREs Clim Change 2016, 7:393–410. doi: 10.1002/wcc.393


Abstract:Today, most countries in Latin America are experiencing the longest uninterrupted period of democracy in their respective histories. Yet while Latin American democracies may be surviving, few are thriving. Public-opinion surveys reveal waning satisfaction with democratic systems, which Latin Americans have expressed by voting against the political establishment. Public anger at established parties is in some cases a response to poor governance, but also has deeper structural causes that include persistent social inequality, state weakness, and weak political parties. Latin American democracies also face new challenges from a resurgent illiberal right; rising partisan polarization; and a changing international environment. Nonetheless, the continuing robustness of core democratic institutions—together with the poor recent track record of the region's autocracies—offers some grounds for democratic optimism.


The therapeutic efficiency of ultrasound has become an indispensable tool of physical therapy treatment in cases of alteration by lesions and in many kinds of sickness. However, in pediatric cases the use of ultrasound is controversial due to possible disturbance and damage to the growth plate. The aim of this study is to find out if the continuous ultrasound presents alteration effects on the growth plate of female rabbits. Eight New Zealand female rabbits with two months of age were tested. They were treated by continuous therapeutic ultrasound with doses of 1 W/cm2 in the lateral region of the right knee joint for five minutes, during 10 days, with an interval of two days after five applications. The left knee joint was used as a control. The histological analysis showed an alteration in the thickness of the growth plate on the treated side 24.40% bigger than in the left knee joint of the control (p < 0.0001). On other hand, the radiological analysis did not show any difference between the limbs. The conclusion was that the therapeutic ultrasound produced significant histological alterations in the cartilage thickness on the treated side according to the manner it was used in the experiment. Such fact suggests an acceleration in the growth plate metabolism.


We prove that the moduli space of Calabi-Yau 3-folds coming from eight planes of $P^3$ in general positions is not modular. In fact we show the stronger statement that the Zariski closure of the monodromy group is actually the whole $Sp(20,R)$. We construct an interesting submoduli, which we call \emph{hyperelliptic locus}, over which the weight 3 $Q$-Hodge structure is the third wedge product of the weight 1 $Q$-Hodge structure on the corresponding hyperelliptic curve. The non-extendibility of the hyperelliptic locus inside the moduli space of a genuine Shimura subvariety is proved.


Ultrasound is a method of medical investigation that relies on ultrasound reflecting by tissues. It is a non-invasive and easy to apply method, but the interpretation of the images requires a good knowledge of the semiology and of the physical bases of the ultrasound. The liver is one of the organs best suited to the ultrasound examination due to its size and structural uniformity. The presentation of the ultrasound features of hepatopathies in dogs and cats aims to guide the ultrasound doctor in the detection of liver lesions, their interpretation and the indication of a clear and complete echographic diagnosis.


Arsenic speciation in fish samples on the market was analyzed using gradient anion exchange high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) detection. Freeze-dried samples were extracted by methanol and water mixture (8:2v/v) with a high-speed Soxhlet system; the concentration of arsenobetaine (AsB), dimethylarsinic acid (DMAA), monomethylarsonic acid (MMAA), arsenate (As(V)) and arsenite (As(Ⅲ)) in the extract were then determined using HPLC-ICPMS. The method for determining arsenobetaine concentration was confirmed using standard reference material (SRM) of BCR 627 (tuna fish) and DORM-2 (dogfish muscle); recovery rates were 95 and 90%, respectively. The arsenic compounds in 60 market-ready fish muscle samples were investigated. The predominant arsenic compound found in samples was AsB. Arsenate was detected in low concentrations (ranged in 0.02-0.34 mg/kg As for fresh weight), whereas DMAA, MMAA and arsenite content were undetectable. Average AsB content in cephalopods, small fish and large fish were 5.42, 1.57 and 1.54 mg/kg As (fresh weight), respectively. The weekly intake of As was calculated based on the consumption of fish by Taiwanese residents. The calculated results demonstrated that the intake is 30.6 μg/kg (total As) body weight/week, higher than the acceptable weekly intake of 15 μg/kg body weight/week for inorganic arsenic that was suggested by WHO. However, around 87% of As in fish muscle was AsB. AsB is non-toxic and non-carcinogenic to humans, and is rapidly excreted after ingestion. Therefore, intake of fish muscle is low risk based on investigation results.


Information plays a critical role in complex biological systems. Complex systems like immune systems andant colonies co-ordinate heterogeneous components in a decentralized fashion. How do these distributeddecentralized systems function? One key component is how these complex systems efficiently processinformation. These complex systems have an architecture for integrating and processing information comingin from various sources and points to the value of information in the functioning of different complexbiological systems. This paper is a teaching resource that explains the role of information processing inquestions around the origin of life and suggests how computational simulations may yield insights intoquestions related to the origin of life.


Indonesia is a member of the WTO and has ratified the Opportunity of WTO Establishment with Law No.7 of 2004. As a member of the civil society international community, Indonesia has the obligation to harmonize its laws and regulations with international obligations that have been agreed. Law no. 25 Year 2007 is the only law that regulates the investment in Indonesia. The principle of legal certainty embraced in the Law No.25 of 2007, the development of law is directed at the realization of the national legal system originating from Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, which includes the development of legal material of the apparatus of law and facilities and infrastructure in the framework of the development of the rule of law, to create Life of a safe and peaceful society. The protection expected by investors from the country of destination of investment has actually been done by the Indonesian government by making an agreement with the state of the investors (investment guarantee agreement).


Abstract This study investigated the effects of ethnicity and gender on the health of young people (14–25 years old) living in Mauritius. Combinations of female and male by four ethnic groups—"Creole", "Hindu", "Muslim" and "Mixed"—were used for multivariate analysis of variances. "Mixed" ethnic group consumed most tobacco, alcohol and drugs compared to other ethnic groups. They were also the ones that mostly skipped breakfast and lunch and were found to eat most fast food. Moreover, "Mixed" ethnic group had heard most about HIV/AIDS programmes, but were least satisfied with such programmes and with public hospitals and health services. Females were shown to perceive more physical and mental health issues than did males; although males smoked more cigarettes and drunk more alcohol. However, females consumed more fast food and deep fries and rated public hospitals and sexual and reproductive health services as less good than did males. The findings call for further research on the health of young people living in Mauritius with respect to socio-economic variables in order to promote social justice in the Mauritian society. In addition, this article also emphasises on the need of having a new National Youth Policy for Mauritius, which is long overdue.


neuralized (neu) represents one of the strong neurogenic mutants in Drosophila. Mutants of this class display, among other phenotypes, a strong overcommitment to neural fates at the expense of epidermal fates. We analyzed the role of neu during adult development by using mutant clonal analysis, misexpression of wild-type and truncated forms of Neu, and examination of genetic interactions with N-pathway mutations. We find that neu is required cell-autonomously for lateral inhibition during peripheral neurogenesis and for multiple asymmetric cell divisions in the sensory lineage. In contrast, neu is apparently dispensable for other N-mediated processes, including lateral inhibition during wing vein development and wing margin induction. Misexpression of wild-type Neu causes defects in both peripheral neurogenesis and wing vein development, while a truncated form lacking the RING finger is further capable of inhibiting formation of the wing margin. In addition, the phenotypes produced by misexpression of wild-type and truncated Neu proteins are sensitive to the dosage of several N-pathway components. Finally, using epitope-tagged Neu proteins, we localize Neu to the plasma membrane and reveal a novel morphology to the sensory organ precursor cells of wing imaginal discs. Collectively, these data indicate a key role for neu in the reception of the lateral inhibitory signal during peripheral neurogenesis.


State price densities (SPD) are an important element in applied quantitative finance. In a Black-Scholes model they are lognormal distributions with constant volatility parameter. In practice volatility changes and the distribution deviates from log-normality. We estimate SPDs using EUREX option data on the DAX index via a nonparametric estimator of the second derivative of the (European) call price function. The estimator is constrained so as to satisfy no-arbitrage constraints and it corrects for intraday covariance structure. Given a low dimensional representation of this SPD we study its dynamic for the years 1995–2003. We calculate a prediction corridor for the DAX for a 45 day forecast. The proposed algorithm is simple, it allows calculation of future volatility and can be applied to hedging exotic options.


We investigated the effects of temperature (4°C, 8°C, and 12°C) on structural and storage dynamics, as measured by changes in fatty acids (FA) associated with cell membrane phospholipids (PL) and triacylglycerols (TAG), respectively, as well as on body weight and survival of a freshwater calanoid copepod (Eudiaptomus gracilis) during fasting (10 d) and refeeding (10 d) with two algae of differing nutritional quality (Cryptomonas ozolinii and Scenedesmus obliquus). Fasting led to 50% loss in body weight, a near total depletion of TAG, and a drastic decrease of the polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) in TAG and PL, indicating their preferential utilization and alterations in membrane function, respectively. Higher temperatures accelerated the decrease of body weight and of PUFA in PL and TAG, and decreased survival. After 10 d of refeeding, copepods partially recovered their initial lipid stores and cell membrane composition. The effects of food quality were temperature dependent: Cryptomonas promoted better recovery (i.e., return to or close to the levels at the beginning of the experiment) of both body weight and TAG at only the two higher temperatures (8°C and 12°C), whereas no recovery was observed at 4°C. Higher temperatures and refeeding on Cryptomonas also had a positive, but minor, influence on the recovery of membrane FA composition. Survival differed among treatments but was lowest at the intermediate temperature (8°C) for both diets. We conclude that temperature changes on the order of 4–8°C significantly influence TAG and PL during fasting periods and interact with food quality to determine the extent of recovery in copepod lipids.


esophagectomy are associated with high morbidity and mortality [1,2]. We pres− ent here a patient who had a subtotal esophagectomy with gastric interposition because of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Anastomotic leakage occurred and was treated by endoscopic applications of fi− brin glue. One month after discharge she presented with a large (2.5 cm " 5 cm) ia− trogenic esophagotracheal fistula. Be− cause of the extensive defect in the pars membranacea and the inflammation we decided against surgical intervention and treated the defect endoscopically using a combination of a Vicryl plug and fibrin glue, as described previously [3]. The tra− cheal fistula was treated with a covered self−expanding tracheal stent [4]. Despite repeated endoscopic dilations, the stenosis recurred due to ischemia. Ad− ditional stenting of the anastomotic ste− nosis was impossible because there was only a thin tissue bridge between the pars membranacea and the (neo−)esoph− agus and because a stent−to−stent ar− rangement would most probably have led to further necrosis. The presence of the nasojejunal tube caused considerable psychological stress and impaired the pa− tient's quality of life. To enable her to re− commence oral feeding, ascending colo− nic bypass surgery with collar side−to− side esophagocolostomy and intra−ab− dominal side−to−side colojejunostomy was performed 11 months after the initial operation, leaving the gastric bypass in situ. The endoscopic control showed a wide anastomosis of the esophagocolos− tomy, but a siphon−like reservoir at the stenotic entrance of the gastric interposi− tion led to regurgitation (l" Fig. 1, 2). We therefore performed an endoscopic clo− sure of the esophagogastric anatomosis, with de−epithelialization of the stenotic gastric tube and sealing with bucrylate and histoacrylate. Control radiography showed adequate efflux without filling of the sealed gastric tube (l" Fig. 3). She was able to resume normal oral feeding and her body weight stabilized. This endo− scopic approach has not been described in the published literature before. It re− presents a useful alternative for the treat− ment of this serious clinical situation. Endoscopy_UCTN_Code_TTT_1AO_2AI


Liberalism and communitarianism have figured prominently in discussions of how to govern forensic DNA practices (forensic DNA typing and databasing). Despite the prominence of these two political philosophies and their underlying values, no studies have looked at the governance of forensic DNA practices in a nondemocratic country governed by a communitarian logic. To fill this lacuna in the literature, this article considers Singapore as an authoritarian state governed by a communitarian philosophy. The article highlights basic innovations and technologies of forensic DNA practices and articulates a liberal democratic version of "biolegality" as described by Michael Lynch and Ruth McNally. It goes on to consider briefly various (political) philosophies (liberalism and communitarianism) and law enforcement models (due process and crime control models). The main part of the article records the trajectory, and hence biolegal progress, of forensic DNA practices in Singapore and compares it with trajectories in England and the United States. The article concludes that Singapore's forensic DNA practices are organized according to the crime control model and therefore safety and the war against crime and terrorism trump individual rights and legal principles such as privacy, bodily integrity, proportionality, presumption of innocence. and onus of proof.


Niphargus dancaui sp. nov., previously referred to as Niphargus cf. stygius , was sampled from various groundwater sites in and near the town of Mangalia (SE Romania) and described with Movile Cave (a sulfidic, chemoautotrophically based ecosystem) as type locality. A short comparison with Niphargus stygius specimens from Slovenia was made, together with a morphological analysis of interpopulational variability. Males of N. dancaui sp. nov. were relatively large (17 mm), with long antennae, pereiopods and uropod III. Females were slightly smaller, with shorter antennae, pereiopods and uropod III. Interpopulational variability was noticed in the chaetotaxy of the telson lobes and uropod III. N. dancaui sp. nov. is morphologically very close to N. lessiniensis and N. tridentinus , two species present in northern Italy, but distinct genetically from them based on 28S rRNA sequences. Instead, the closest relative of N. dancaui sp. nov. sequenced so far for this marker is N. montanarius , which inhabits a sulfidic cave system in central Italy. The work presented here contributes to our knowledge of groundwater crustacean biodiversity in general and of the systematics of the genus Niphargus in particular.


To celebrate the 50th anniversary of our department, the Vision of Social Psychology Conference brought together some of the leading social psychologists in the UK. Below are some pictures from the event courtesy of our photographer, PhD candidate Geetha Reddy. A summary of the event will soon follow. If you attended then don't forget to fill out our feedback form.


Mladenova, V., D. Abadjieva, A. Shumkis, A. Shimkine and, E. Kistanova, 2017. Changes in the expression of the aromatase and superovulatory response in mice treated with the feed additive Provit E10% Super. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 23 (2): 304–309 The success rate of superovulation procedure is crucial for the embryo transfer biotechnology, applied to the preservation of the genetic resources. The aim of the present study was to track the changes in superovulatory response and the expression of the aromatase in the ovaries of mice treated with the supplement Provit E10% Super. The experiment was conducted in vivarium of the Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences with 30 female laboratory mice, separated and leveled by weight into three groups (n = 10): control group, fi rst experimental group, stimulated by standard protocol for superovulation and second experimental group, in which an effect of superovulation was combined with the individual intake of the supplement for 30 days before hormonal treatment. The methodology included an evaluation of success rate of superovulation, through extraction of the ovulated oocytes from the ampoule of the oviduct. Histological examination of an ovary was carried out on 5 μm paraffi n slices stained with H & E by routine method. Aromatase expression was estimated by immunochistochemical method using antibody agains CYP19. Preparations were examined and documented by microscope system Olympus BX 51 (Japan). The results showed that treatment of mice with supplement before superovulation exerts an effect on the folliculogenesis and improves cumulus expansion that refl ects on the number of the ovulated oocytes. A more active expression of the enzyme aromatase in the theca cells of preantral and antral follicles in both treated groups compared to the control was observed. For the fi rst time the positive immunostaining of the aromatase in the mice oocytes was found. Stronger immunochemical reaction of aromatase was observed in the corpora lutea of the mice, received the feed additive. In conclusion, supplementing of the Provit E10% Super before hormonal treatment affects the folliculogenesis activity and could be considered as an improvement of the superovulation protocol for the laboratory animals as well as for other species.


This lively survey of the history of conflict between democracies reveals a remarkable-and tremendously important-finding: fully democratic nations have never made war on other democracies. Furthermore, historian Spencer R. Weart concludes in this thought-provoking book, they probably never will. Building his argument on some forty case studies ranging through history from ancient Athens to Renaissance Italy to modern America, the author analyzes for the first time every instance in which democracies or regimes like democracies have confronted each other with military force. Weart establishes a consistent set of definitions of democracy and other key terms, then draws on an array of international sources to demonstrate the absence of war among states of a particular democratic type. His survey also reveals the new and unexpected finding of a still broader zone of peace among oligarchic republics, even though there are more of such minority-controlled governments than democracies in history. In addition, Weart discovers that peaceful leagues and confederations-the converse of war-endure only when member states are democracies or oligarchies. With the help of related findings in political science, anthropology, and social psychology, the author explores how the political culture of democratic leaders prevents them from warring against others who are recognized as fellow democrats and how certain beliefs and behaviors lead to peace or war. Weart identifies danger points for democracies, and he offers crucial, practical information to help safeguard peace in the future.


The current debate on deworming presents an interesting public health paradox. Self-treatment for intestinal worm infection is among the most common selfadministered public health interventions, and the delivery of donated drugs through mass drug administration (MDA) programs for soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) exceeds 1 billion doses annually. The clinical literature, especially the older historical work, shows significant impacts of intense STH infection on health; a burgeoning economics literature shows the long-run consequences for development (see, for example, chapter 29 in this volume, Ahuja and others 2017; Fitzpatrick and others 2017). Yet, the literature on clinical trials shows conflicting results, and the resulting controversy has been characterized as the worm wars. The two previous editions of Disease Control Priorities contain chapters on STH and deworming programs (Hotez and others 2006; Warren and others 1993). Much of the biological and clinical understanding reflected in those chapters remains largely unchanged. This chapter presents current estimates of the numbers infected and the disease burden attributable to STH infections to illuminate current program efforts, advances in the understanding of epidemiology and program design, and the controversy regarding the measurement of impact. Definitions of age groupings and age-specific terminology used in this volume can be found in chapter 1 (Bundy, de Silva, and others 2017).


Research reveals that medicines are frequently not taken as intended, stockpiled for future use, discontinued when symptoms fade or passed to others. Medications are material objects with therapeutic uses that enter into and take on meaning within people's lives. In this way they are
culturally embedded phenomena that carry meanings and shape social relationships and practices. The symbolic meanings given to medications and cultural relations are important for understanding variations in medication practices. Households with elders often contain more medications and have more complex age-related medical conditions. In households where members are engaged in the reciprocation of care among two or three generations, medications within and between these relationships take on a range of dynamic meanings. In this paper, we explore how interactions between
household members affect medicines-taking practices of elders and their families from three cultural groups: Māori, Tongan and Chinese. This research was funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand and the Marsden Fund of the Royal Society of New Zealand.


Conventional security surveillance systems require the constant attention of security personnel, to monitor several locations concurrently. With the declining cost of computing power and widespread acceptance of the Internet as a viable communication medium, a low-cost and effective web-based surveillance system becomes an attractive alternative to conventional system.

Apart from the increased availability of inexpensive computing power and image sensors, the inefficiency of manual surveillance and monitoring system has also become the contributing factor towards the growth of motion detection application.

The aim of this research is to study and develop a web-based surveillance system consisting of a motion detection technique. By adopting WebCam Monitor as the motion detection tool, the thesis describes the construction of the remote monitoring surveillance system consisting of webcam technology.

This thesis discusses the system and network performances evaluated from the developed surveillance system. Network Quality of Service (QoS) is implemented in system design, by means of bandwidth management appliance, Packet Shaper. The research results describe the findings in the QoS implementation on the proposed system, focusing on bandwidth requirements, bandwidth utilization, and network efficiencies.


Few disputes in the annals of US environmentalism enjoy the pedigree of the conservation-preservation debate. Yet, although many scholars have written extensively on the meaning and history of conservation and preservation in American environmental thought and practice, the resonance of these concepts outside the academic literature has not been sufficiently examined. Given the significance of the ideals of conservation and preservation in the justification of environmental policy and management, however, we believe that a more detailed analysis of the real-world use and understanding of these ideas is needed. In this paper, we describe the results of a qualitative, semantic study of the concepts of conservation and preservation undertaken in the context of the Chattahoochee National Forest (CNF), located in northern Georgia (USA). Thirty in-depth interviews were conducted with scientists and north Georgia residents either interested or involved in the future management of the forest. Respondents were asked to define conservation and preservation in their own words and to indicate which approach they felt was more appropriate for the management of the CNF. Qualitative content analysis was used to elicit a set of recurring themes for each foundational concept. Taken together, these themes help to flesh out the meaning of conservation and preservation for citizens and scientists today, and illustrate the evolving nature of two of the more significant and venerable ideas animating US environmental policy and management.


Winner, Trade Illustrated Category, 2009 AAUP Book, Journal, and Jacket Show. Over the past two decades, artists James Luna, Fred Wilson, Amalia Mesa-Bains, Pepon Osorio, and Renee Green have had a profound impact on the meaning and practice of installation art in the United States. In Subject to Display, Jennifer Gonzalez offers the first sustained analysis of their contribution, linking the history and legacy of race discourse to innovations in contemporary art. Race, writes Gonzalez, is a social discourse that has a visual history. The collection and display of bodies, images, and artifacts in museums and elsewhere is a primary means by which a nation tells the story of its past and locates the cultures of its citizens in the present. All of the five American installation artists Gonzalez considers have explored the practice of putting human subjects and their cultures on display by staging elaborate dioramas or site-specific interventions in galleries and museums; in doing so, they have created powerful social commentary of the politics of space or power of display in settings that mimic the very spaces that they critique. These artists' installations have not only contributed to the transformation of contemporary art and museum culture, they have also linked Latino, African American, and Native American subjects to the broader spectrum of historical colonialism, race dominance, and visual culture. From Luna's museum installation of his own body and belongings as "artifacts" and Wilson's provocative juxtapositions of museum objects to Mesa-Bains's allegorical home altars, Osorio's condensed spaces (bedrooms, living rooms; barbershops, prison cells) and Green's genealogies of cultural contact, the theoretical and critical endeavors of these artists demonstrate how race discourse is grounded in a visual technology of display.


Scientific and economic interest has recently turned to smaller and smaller magnetic structures which can be used in hard disk drives, magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), and other novel devices. For nanomagnets the geometric shape of the object becomes more important than other factors such as magnetocrystalline anisotropy . the smaller the object, the more strongly the shape anisotropy affects the hysteresis loop. We investigate the micromagnetic behaviour of ferromagnetic samples of various geometries using numerical methods. Finite differences and finite elements are used to solve the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert and Brown's equations in three dimensions. Simulations of basic geometric primitives such as cylinders and spheres of sub-micron size orders provide hysteresis loops of the average magnetisation, and additionally our computations allow the study of the microscopic configuration of the magnetisation. We show different mechanisms of vortex penetration for these geometries, and investigate part-spherical geometries whose magnetisation pattern demonstrates qualities of other primitives. Developing this further, we calculate the hysteresis loops for a droplet shape - a part-sphere capped with a half-ellipsoid. This resembles the shapes formed by some chemical self-assembly methods, a low-cost and efficient way of creating a commercially viable product. When examining the magnetic microstructure of this geometry we find different types of vortex behaviour, and reveal the dependence of this on the physical characteristics of the droplet. We also examine the hysteresis loops and magnetic structures of other geometries formed through the self-assembly method such as antidots:honeycomb-like arrays of spherical holes in a thin film. We show magnetisation patterns and comparison between experimental and computed magnetic force microscopy (MFM) measurements.


Chuck Thacker et al. have proposed a data center network design using FPGAs to implement the switching infrastructure [2]. Inside each switch, the design uses time slot circuit switching of data cells via a distributed crossbar in the data plane and besteffort forwarding of control messages via a high-speed ring in the control plane. The goal is to produce a system with minimum total complexity. Existing networks are extremely complex, have many different failure modes, and are difficult to scale out to the size of a large data center. The design fits in the context of a data center built in shipping containers. Each container holds a large number of servers and L0 switches, and holds two, top-level L1 switches, called A and B. Cables are run between all the containers to form a complete interconnection graph of the A L1 switches and likewise for the B L1 switches. This paper presents a TLA+ [1] specification of the L1 switch infrastructure.


Open-architecture composite structures (O-ACS) can be seen as structures, optimized for weight, meant to be used as beams or columns, in applications where the stiffness to weight ratio of the structure governs the design. The transversely isotropic, braided composite yarn that is used to make O-ACS in tube form is important in making them light and strong. Characterization of this yarn's mechanical properties was the goal of this study. Young's modulus along the axis was found using uniaxial tensile testing. Modulus along the transverse axis was found by performing transverse compression test and using Hertzian-contact model. Poisson's ratio was found using an image processing technique. Flexural modulus was found by performing a 3 point bend test and shear modulus was found using micromechanical modeling. Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio and shear modulus have also been calculated using the micromechanical model and good correlation was observed between the values found experimentally and from the micromechanical model. The bond strength of joints formed by these yarns is also an important property that would govern the progressive developments of the yarn in order to make lighter and stiffer tubes. Mode 1 type of debonding of the joints has been studied and experimental techniques for finding the maximum load to failure of the joints have been developed. Four yarns with different jacket architectures have been tested and compared on the basis of their mechanical properties and bond strength of the joints formed. Our initial work towards simulating the mode 1 and mode 2 type of debonding of the joints using finite element software and cohesive zone modeling approach, in particular, has been reported.


The character of missions and conditions in which they are carried out by military unmanned aerial vehicles are usually special and difficult. This causes a necessity to provide support for their missions, especially with regard to checking their condition on the controlled or autonomic flight path, especially during landing and take-off operations. This paper offers an account of an experiment and an attempt of assessing usefulness of thermal imaging cameras for controlling flights of aerial vehicles, mainly in areas of airdromes and approach paths.


We present a unified evolution of the universe from very early times until the present epoch by including both the leading local correction $R^2$ and the leading non-local term $R\frac{1}{\square^2}R$ to the classical gravitational action. We find that the inflationary phase driven by $R^2$ term gracefully exits in a transitory regime characterized by coherent oscillations of the Hubble parameter. The universe then naturally enters into a radiation dominated epoch followed by a matter dominated era. At sufficiently late times after radiation-matter equality, the non-local term starts to dominate inducing an accelerated expansion of the universe at the present epoch. We further exhibit the fact that both the leading local and non-local terms can be obtained within the covariant effective field theory of gravity. Our scenario thus provides a unified picture of inflation and dark energy in a single framework by means of a purely gravitational action without the usual need of a scalar field.


Abstract. A compact film type antenna capable of generating two wide resonant modes for covering the AMPS/GSM bands and the DCS/PCS/UMTS bands for mobile phones is proposed. The antenna consists of two superimposed radiation arms which can support two resonant modes by themselves. The frequency range of a resonant mode generated by one of the arm is arranged to differ a little with the corresponding mode of the other, at the fundamental and higher-order modes. As a result, the bandwidths at both of the resonant modes are significantly enhanced. The antenna has a compact dimension of 5 x 15 x 40 mm and covers five bands of AMPS/GSM/DCS/ PCS/UMTS for a VSWR less than 2.5:1. It shows fairly good omnidirectional radiation patterns and high gains over 0 dBi in the azimuthal plane, at all the operating bands.


ALTHOUGH THE UNITED STATES is the preeminent power in the world, we are not yet an empire. Notwithstanding periodic foreign interventions and our considerable international influence, we have not used our military to secure direct and continuous control over the domestic affairs of foreign lands. If anything, the United States has avoided empire. We have abolished the draft, reduced taxes, cut defense spending, and eschewed nation-building. Only recently, we were accused of "abandoning" Afghanistan in the wake of the Soviet departure from that country. Today, Afghanistan may be the germ of a new American imperium. Iraq forces the imperial question. In the aftermath of an Iraqi war, it may suffice to install a friendly autocracy, withdraw the bulk of our forces, and exert our influence from afar. Yet some have called for more. From voices within the administration like Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, to policy intellectuals like Richard Perle, to esteemed scholars like Bernard Lewis, many have argued that only a democratic transformation of Iraq, and eventually of the larger Arab world, can provide long-term security against terrorism and nuclear attack. In an important address in February, George W. Bush lent his voice to this chorus. In no uncertain terms, the president affirmed that "the world has a clear interest in the spread of democratic values," not least because "free nations do not breed the ideologies of murder." The president invoked the examples of American-led democratization in post-World War II Germany and Japan, and he pointedly rejected the claim that Arab nations are incapable of sustaining democracy. What the president did not say, yet gently and ambiguously implied, was that so deep a cultural change would require America to occupy Iraq in force and manage its affairs for years to come. Could such a venture in democratic imperialism be harmonized with our liberal principles? Even if so, would it work? Is it possible to bring liberalism to a society so long at odds with the values of the West? All of these questions were posed and answered, both in theory and in practice, during Britain's imperial rule of India. Three great British thinkers, Edmund Burke, James Mill, and John Stuart Mill, not only philosophized about liberal imperialism; they lived it. Burke helped force a major reform of Britain's early imperial system, while John Stuart Mill succeeded his father James as the "chief examiner" in the London headquarters of the British East India Company. Burke on one hand and the Mills on the other founded the two competing moral and administrative schools of thought on the British Empire. Burke's colonialism was conservative, respectful of indigenous practices and elites, and insistent on the highest standards of stewardship. The Mills were skeptical, even contemptuous, of traditional practices and elites; they were determined to force a democratic social transformation. Neither approach, it turns out, was able to operate independently of the other. If we find ourselves shouldering an imperial burden in Iraq or beyond, we shall want to study the wisdom -- and the folly of Burke, the Mills, and their respective disciples. Far more than America's post-World War II occupation of Japan, the British experience in India may be the key precedent for bringing democracy to an undemocratic and non-Western land like Iraq. From India to Iraq BRITISH IMPERIAL India might seem an unlikely model for an American occupation of Iraq. American rule in Iraq would ideally be a successful and time-limited experiment in democratization. Yet the British governed sections of the Indian subcontinent for nearly 200 years. The earliest period of British colonial rule was marked by extreme exploitation and neglect. Once colonial government was placed on a sounder footing, even the best-intentioned policies of dedicated and sympa thetic administrators frequently went awry, leading to serious social disruption. …


Summary A mechanism for basement shortening underneath allochthonous foreland fold and thrust belts is reverse faulting along inherited normal faults. Normal faulting of basement rocks beneath much of southernmost South America indicates that up to 30–40% extension occurred before sedimentation in a subsiding foredeep. The basement is divided into blocks of similar dimensions to those in the Basin and range of Nevada, U.S.A. Post-depositional reverse motion along some of these high-angle block boundaries under the foreland can account for the 20–40 km of shortening observed in the cover rocks, without showing upthrust wedges of basement rocks. The folds in the cover rocks of the foreland fold-belt are asymmetric, open to closed with over-steepened to overturned limbs which are frequently truncated by high-angle reverse faults. These faults attain a shallower dip with depth toward a décollement plane above a basal volcanic section. Basement involvement in thrusts (0.5–1.5 km vertical displacement) is suggested where basal volcanics are involved in thrust wedges, as revealed by drilling and seismic reflection data. Block faults have been observed beneath many forelands and have always been assumed to be pre-orogenic and passive with respect to deformation of the cover. The block dimensions, fault angles, vertical displacements and other parameters from the southern Andes are inserted to calculate pre-depositional extension and syn-orogenic shortening that can occur without producing obvious basement upthrusting. The results are compared with data from the Appalachians and Canadian Rockies.


We present radio and submillimetre observations of the O4I(n)f star ζ Pup, and discuss structure in the outer region of its wind (∼10−100 R∗). The properties of bremsstrahlung, the dominant emission process at these wavelengths, make it sensitive to structure and allow us to study how the amount of structure changes in the wind by comparing the fluxes at di fferent wavelengths. Possible forms of structure at these distances include Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs), stochastic clumping, a disk or a polar enhancement. As the CIRs are azimuthally asymmetric, they should result in variability at submillimetre or radio wavelengths. To look for this variability, we acquired 3.6 and 6 cm observations with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), covering about two rotational periods of the star. We supplemented these with archive observations from the NRAO Very Large Array (VLA), which cover a much longer time scale. We did not find variability at more than the ±20% level. The long integration time does allow an accurate determination of the fluxes at 3.6 and 6 cm. Converting these fluxes into a mass loss rate, we findṀ = 3.5× 10−6 M /yr. This value confirms the significant discrepancy with the mass loss rate derived from the Hα profile, makingζ Pup an exception to the usually good agreement between the H α and radio mass loss rates. To study the run of structure as a function of distance, we supplemented the ATCA data by observing ζ Pup at 850μm with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) and at 20 cm with the VLA. A smooth wind model shows that the millimetre fluxes are too high compared to the radio fluxes. While recombination of helium in the outer wind cannot be discounted as an explanation, the wealth of evidence for structure strongly suggests this as the explanation for the discrepancy. Model calculations show that the structure needs to be present in the inner ∼70R∗ of the wind, but that it decays significantly, or maybe even disappears, beyond that radius.


This manuscript addresses the gap that exists between modern geoscience and geology, which is caused by the relative isolation in which mainstream geologists have operated and continue to operate. This gap is inevitable, but could be significantly reduced by adopting frontline developments in "Complex System Science" and its geoscience equivalent "Earth System Science". To aid this process one proposes the use of "Geo-Logic" to express geologic problems explicitly and to impose scientific rigour. This paper is a statement of intent to direct geology into a theoretic direction and demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach with case studies where the theoretic approach was instrumental to the solution of a problem. The use of geo-logic would also serve as common language between geoscientists and aid communication between them.


Data assimilation applications with large-scale numerical models
exhibit extreme requirements on computational resources. Good
scalability of the assimilation system is necessary to make these
applications feasible. Sequential data assimilation methods based on
ensemble forecasts, like ensemble-based Kalman filters, provide such
good scalability, because the forecast of each ensemble member can be
performed independently. However, this parallelism has to be combined
with the parallelization of both the numerical model and the data
assimilation algorithm. In order to simplify the implementation of
scalable data assimilation systems based on existing numerical models,
the Parallel Data Assimilation Framework PDAF (http://pdaf.awi.de) has
been developed. PDAF provides support for implementing a data
assimilation system with parallel ensemble forecasts and parallel
numerical models. Further, it includes several optimized parallel
filter algorithms, like the Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter.
We will discuss the philosophy behind PDAF as well as features and
scalability of data assimilation systems based on PDAF on the example
of data assimilation with the finite element ocean model FEOM.


Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global pandemic. Large platelets are highly thrombotic and thus put the patient at a higher risk. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a determinant of platelet functionality and increased MPV are associated with increased risk for hyperglycemic complications. We aimed to investigate the association of MPV, a marker for platelet size and activity with fasting blood glucose (FBS), postprandial blood glucose (PPBS), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and duration of diabetes. We also compared MPV in diabetics and healthy controls. This is a case control study carried out in both individuals with type II diabetes mellitus and healthy controls. All the patients who attended our hospital during September 2012 to march 2013 were included in the study, taking inclusion and exclusion criteria into consideration. In 171 individuals with type II DM and 37 healthy controls, MPV and platelet counts were analyzed by fully automated hematology analyzer SEIMENS ADVIA 2120. Samples were also subjected for FBS, PPBS and HbA1c. The control and test groups were compared with Z test; difference between two means. Pearson's coefficient of correlation (r value) was calculated to know the relationship between two variables. t Test was done to test the significance of r value obtained and p value was calculated. p Value 6.91 + 0.71). There was also a statistically significant positive correlation between HbA1c and MPV (r value - 0.5, p value - 0.4). Though FBS and PPBS showed a negative correlation with MPV but were not statistically significant. MPV, a simple, reliable and cost effective tool can be used in diabetes mellitus as an accessory marker for monitoring vascular complications and glycemic control.

 Key words: Mean platelet volume, diabetes mellitus, glycosylated hemoglobin.


Seven major carbonate microfacies are defined in the Devonian - Carboniferous (D/C) strata (50 m) of the Anseremme railway bridge section, south of Dinant. They permit recognition of several levels encompassing the Etroeungt and Hastiere formations. "Bathymetric" sequences range from open marine, below the storm wave base, to semi-restricted lagoon. This sequence records a shallowing-upward trend of the relative sea level, from environments below the storm wave base to strongly eroded supraticial pre-evaporitic environments. Faunal components (echinoderms, brachiopods...) indicate open-marine domain for the first six microfacies located within the dysphoticeuphotic zone in relatively shallow waters. The textures of the rocks (mudstones to rudstones) associated with lamination characteristics indicate the position of the storm (SWB) and the fair-weather (FWWB) wave bases. Microfacies seven suggests a semi-restricted platform with salinity fluctuations from hypersaline brines to brackish waters. Thus, the boundary of the Etroeungt/Hastiere formations is marked by an abrupt drop in sea level. Carbonate micro-conglomerates recording an important erosive phase and a sedimentary hiatus. The environment is again open marine in the upper part of the Hastiere Formation. Our conclusion is that the Anseremme section is not a reliable continuous succession for the study of the D/C boundary. This confirms the VAN STEENWINKEL (1988, 1993 hypothesis based on other arguments. Conodont faunas demonstrate that the Devonian sequence spans the five youngest conodont zones, but that two of these zones are not represented. The Epinette Formation is dated as the youngest part of the Middle expansa Zone. Thus, the boundary with the Late praesulcata Zone probably coincides with the sharp sedimentological change at the base of the Etroeungt Formation, which is interpreted to belong entirely to this zone. The disconformably overlying basal bed 159 of the Hastiere Formation is dated as Late praesulcata Zone, with the Early and Middle praesulcata Zones unrepresented because of an hiatus or unconformity. Sparse conodont faunas suggest that only the two next-to-oldest Carboniferous duplicata and sandbergi Zones are represented in the higher part of the Hastiere Formation. The oldest Carboniferous sulcata Zone and possibly part ofthe duplicata Zone are unrepresented because of an hiatus or unconformity above bed 159. Ostracods are abundant and diversified at most levels in the Anseremme railway bridge section and sixty taxa, the majority in open nomenclature, have been identified and nearly all of them are figured. The ostracod fauna is indicative of shallow-marine environments between fair-weather and storm wave bases in the Etroeungt Formation, and to shallower water conditions periodically subjected to minor salinity variations in the base of the Hastiere Formation. The upper part of the Hastiere Formation is marked by a sea-level rise associated with a moderate decrease of the oxygenation of bottom waters. The intra-Devonian hiatus at the Etroeungt-Hastiere boundary shows no abnormal extinctions and no appearance of new taxa. Thus, the Hangenberg Event is not recognizable in the studied section. Neither the sedimentological analysis nor the palaeontological study of the Bocahut quarry in the Avesnois and of the Anseremme railway bridge section confirm the hypothesis of a highstand for the Hastiere Formation.


Abstract This article examines the introduction of Economic Value Added (EVA) as a performance measure that South African wine co-operatives can use to determine whether value has been created for members. A detailed explanation of EVA is given, and the components of EVA are calculated. The EVA's of a number of co-operatives have been calculated and analysed. Important trends have been identified. Recommendations have been made based on the conclusions drawn from these results. Finally, opportunities for potential improvement that could arise from using EVA as a performance measure in wine co-operatives are discussed.


In a variety of vertebrate species, early life environmental cues are important drivers of an individual's phenotypic trajectories, priming physiological pathways, with consequences for growth, reproductive-related traits and lifespan. These phenotypic responses are believed to be adaptive in the short-term, but may impinge on health and survival over the long-term. Much of the work in this field has focused on the potential constraints imposed on animals after exposure to early life adversities, including nutritional deficit, sibling competition, and high predator pressure. Such stressful experiences can result in direct, but also indirect (via the maternal route) increases in the exposure to glucocorticoid stress hormones in the developing individuals. Glucocorticoids, whose production and secretion is regulated by the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (HPA axis), have been hypothesised to be the main candidates mediating the programming effects of developmental stress. Earlier predictions based on this assumption came from studies conducted in mammals. In mammals it is particularly difficult to manipulate exposure to circulating hormones in developing individuals because of the physiological intimacy between mother and offspring via the placenta and lactation. Here, I circumvent this complicating factor by using the precocial Japanese quail as a study species. In chapter 2 I measure corticosterone (B, the main avian glucocorticoid) stress responses to a standardised environmental stressor in growing quail aged 8- and 16-days-old. The results are consistent with those previously reported in other precocial birds, showing that the magnitude of the stress response (i.e. peak B within 30 min period) is higher in the 8- than the 16-day-old hatchlings. I find no differences in baseline B concentrations between the two groups. I then describe the main experiment in which I elevate B concentrations in ovo and/or in the endogenous circulation of the hatchlings (oral B administration from day 5 to day 19 post-hatching) in order to obtain four distinct phenotypes: pre-hatching B-treated birds, post-hatching B-treated birds, both pre- and post-hatching B-treated birds, and controls. I examine the specific and combined effects of pre- and post-hatching B on (1) growth trajectories and physiological stress responses before sexual maturity (post-hatch day 22) and upon adulthood (post-hatch day 64); (2) adult gene expression patterns within the hippocampus and hypothalamus, and (3) oxidative stress in the blood and the brain in the adults. The main results of Chapter 3 show that post-hatching B, regardless of pre-hatching experiences, decrease HPA axis responsiveness in the juveniles, but only in the female quail; whilst pre-hatching stress, when not combined with post-hatching B, increase HPA responsiveness in both sexes upon adulthood. I also show that both pre- and post-hatching B induce short-term alterations in triglyceride basal concentrations, which are linked with the sex and basal glucose concentrations of the birds; the effects of pre-hatching B exposure were visible also upon adulthood with sex-specific alterations on basal glucose concentrations. Overall these results suggest that early life stress can trigger both transient and permanent physiological changes, depending on the sex and the quality of both the pre- and post-hatching environment. In Chapter 4 I show that the gene expression responses to pre- and post-hatching B are overall subtle, results similar to those reported in previous genomic studies that have manipulated early life rearing environments. The effects are, however, distinguishable, strongly tissue-specific and involve well characterised key candidate genes in the regulation of the HPA axis. These data also suggest important novel regulatory mechanisms, likely linked with cellular redox state, which may be driving the long-term effects of developmental stress. Finally, in chapter 5, I show that developmental B induces alterations in the basal antioxidant defences upon adulthood. The magnitude of these effects, once more, depends upon the timing of exposure, interactions between the pre- and post-hatching B and the tissue examined. As there are no differences in terminal oxidative damage, these results suggest that the B-treated birds could avoid oxidative stress via altering body oxidative defences. In summary, my findings throughout this thesis, illustrate the complexity of glucocorticoid programming and the importance of integrating analyses at multiple levels, from physiology to genome-wide investigations. The results of this thesis also strengthen the importance of examining the effects of early life stress over differing life stages in order to consider the overall balance of costs and benefits that may ultimately affect Darwinian fitness and survival.


Globally, studies show that women in the labor force are paid less, hold fewer senior positions and participate less in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. A 2019 UNESCO report found that women represent only 29% of science R&D positions globally and are already 25% less likely than men to know how to leverage digital technology for basic uses. As the use and development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to mature, its time to ask: What will tomorrows labor market look like for women? Are we effectively harnessing the power of AI to narrow gender equality gaps, or are we letting these gaps perpetuate, or even worse, widen? This collaboration between UNESCO, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) examines the effects of the use of AI on the working lives of women. By closely following the major stages of the workforce lifecycle from job requirements, to hiring to career progression and upskilling within the workplace - this joint report is a thorough introduction to issues related gender and AI and hopes to foster important conversations about womens equality in the future of work.


Two green chemistry extraction systems, an in-house stainless-steel column Pressurized Hot Water Extraction system (PHWE) and a commercially available Espresso machine were applied for analysing 23 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in sewage sludge. Final analysis was performed on UPLC-MS/MS using two different chromatographic methods: acid and basic. When analysing all 23 APIs in sewage sludge both extraction methods showed good repeatability. The PHWE method allowed for a more complete extraction of APIs that were more tightly bound to the matrix, as exemplified by much higher concentrations of e.g., ketoconazole, citalopram and ciprofloxacin. In total, 19 out of 23 investigated APIs were quantified in sewage sludge, and with a few exceptions the PHWE method was more exhaustive. Mean absolute recoveries of 7 spiked labelled APIs were lower for the PHWE method than the Espresso method. Under acid chromatographic conditions mean recoveries were 16% and 24%, respectively, but increased to 24% and 37% under basic conditions. The difference between the PHWE method and the Espresso method might be interpreted as the Espresso method giving higher extraction efficiency; however, TIC scans of extracts revealed a much higher matrix co-extraction for the PHWE method. Attempts were made to correlate occurrence of compounds in sewage sludge with chemical properties of the 23 APIs and there are strong indications that both the number of aromatic rings and the presence of a positive charge is important for the sorption processes to sewage sludge.