In the last years it has been widely proven that the introduction of very small amounts of inorganic nanoparticles in polymeric matrices can lead to noticeable improvements of their mechanical properties, in terms of elastic modulus and tensile properties at yield and at break. Linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) is widely applied in several industrial applications, especially for the production of transparent high performance film for the packaging industry. The objective of this work is to study the role played by different kinds of amorphous silica (SiO2) micro and nanoparticles on the viscoelastic and fracture behaviour of LLDPE based composites, prepared through a melt compounding process.
Different typologies of silica filler have been considered : hydrophilic and hydrophobic fumed silica nanoparticles with different surface area, precipitated silica microparticles, and silica glass microbeads. In this way it has been possible to study the influence of the filler dimensions and morphology on the viscoelastic behaviour of the prepared composites, both in the molten and in the solid states, and on their fracture properties.
In the first part of the work, a detailed microstructural characterization was performed to assess the different morphologies and surface properties of the utilized powders. Furthermore a detailed analysis of the dispersion state of the fillers in the matrix and of the thermal behaviour of the prepared composites was also conducted through optical and electron microscopy.
In the second part of the work, viscoelastic behaviour of the composites in the molten state was studied through dynamic rheological tests. It was evidenced how the introduction of fumed silica nanoparticles and precipitated silica microparticles could lead very strong enhancement both of the storage (G') and shear moduli (G''), and of the viscosity (η), at low frequencies, especially by using high surface area fumed silicas at an high filler loading, while glass filled microcomposites showed the traditional rheological behaviour of microparticles filled polymeric systems, with marginal enhancements of rheological properties. Elaboration of new rheological models allowed us to find important correlations between fitting parameters and microstructural situation of the samples.
Viscoelastic behaviour in the solid state was analyzed through quasi-static tensile tests, creep tests and dynamic tensile tests. Elastic moduli of the prepared composites resulted to be strictly related to the surface area of the filler rather than by its dimensions. Even in this case a new model, taking into account the physical interfacial interaction between the matrix and particles, proposed to explain experimental results. The same conclusions could be drawn for the creep behaviour, with important improvements of the creep stability of the material due to the introduction of fumed silica nanoparticles, especially at high filler amounts. Moreover, the limit of the linear viscoelastic region was extended by adding fumed silica nanoparticles. Furthermore, a non linear tensile creep approach was successfully applied to study the dependence of the creep behaviour from the free volume of the samples. The application of the classic time-temperature superposition principle was successfully adopted to the nanocomposite samples, evidencing that the reinforcing effect provided by the nanoparticles was more effective at high temperatures or longer times. Burgers model was adopted to model temperature dependent creep data, revealing interesting correlations between fitting parameters and nanofiller surface area.
For as concern tensile dynamic mechanical properties, the introduction of the nanofiller lead to an increase of dynamic moduli (E' and E'') and to a lowering of tanδ values, especially when high surface area nanoparticles and elevated filler amounts were used. Even in this case dynamic properties of the material were mainly ruled by the surface area of the filler.
The last part of the work was centered on the analysis of the fracture behaviour. Tensile properties at yield and at break increased with the surface area of the nanofiller and were positively affected by the presence of the organosilane on the surface of the nanoparticles. Tensile impact tests confirmed the enhancement of the fracture toughness provided by the nanoparticles. The application of the Essential Work of Fracture (EWF) approach led to the conclusion that the introduction of fumed silica nanoparticles produced a considerable improvement of the essential work of fracture (we) with the nanofiller surface area.


Background: Seven
patients at a hospital in Houston, TX, were diagnosed during a two-week period in 2009 with joint space
infection of pansusceptible P. aeruginosa following arthroscopic procedures of the knee or shoulder. Tosh et al. (2011), who investigated and
published the principal report discussing this bacterial outbreak, conclude
that its most likely cause was the improper reprocessing of certain reusable,
physically-complex, heat-stable arthroscopic instruments used during these arthroscopic
procedures. These reusable instruments reportedly remained contaminated with
remnant tissue, despite
diligent efforts by the hospital to clean their internal structures. This retained bioburden presumably
shielded the outbreak's strain of embedded P.
aeruginosa from contact with the pressurized steam, reportedly resulting in
ineffective sterilization of these arthroscopic instruments and bacterial
transmission. Objectives: First, to clarify which specific
sterilization methods, in addition to steam sterilization, Methodist Hospital
employed to process its reusable arthroscopic instrumentation at the time of
its outbreak, in 2009; second, to evaluate Tosh et al.'s (2011) conclusion that ineffective steam sterilization due
to inadequate cleaning was the most likely cause of this hospital's outbreak;
third, to consider whether any other hitherto unrecognized factors could have
plausibly contributed to this outbreak; and, fourth, to assess whether any
additional recommendations might be warranted to prevent disease transmission
following arthroscopic procedures. Methods: The medical literature was reviewed; some of the principles of quality
assurance, engineering and a root-cause analysis were employed; and Tosh et al.'s (2011) findings and conclusions
were reviewed and compared with those of other published reports that evaluated
the risk of disease transmission associated with the steam sterilization of
physically-complex, heat-stable, soiled surgical instruments. Results and Conclusion: Reports
documenting outbreaks of P. aeruginosa or
another vegetative bacterium associated with the steam sterilization
of inadequately cleaned
surgical or arthroscopic instruments are scant. This finding—coupled with a number of
published studies demonstrating the effective steam sterilization of complex
instruments contaminated with vegetative bacteria mixed with organic debris,
or, in one published series of tests, with resistant bacterial endospores
coated with hydraulic fluid—raises
for discussion whether Methodist Hospital's outbreak might have been due to one or more factors
other than, or in addition to, that which Tosh et al. (2011) conclude was its most likely cause. An example of such a factor not ruled out by
Tosh et al. (2011) findings would be the re-contamination of the implicated arthroscopic
instruments after sterilization. The specific methods that Methodist Hospital
employed at the time of its outbreak to sterilize some of its arthroscopic
instrumentation remain unclear. A number of additional recommendations are provided
to prevent disease transmission following arthroscopic procedures.


We examine how executives' behavior outside the workplace, as measured by their ownership of luxury goods (low "frugality") and prior legal infractions, is related to financial reporting risk. We predict and find that CEOs and CFOs with a legal record are more likely to perpetrate fraud. In contrast, we do not find a relation between executives' frugality and the propensity to perpetrate fraud. However, as predicted, we find that unfrugal CEOs oversee a relatively loose control environment characterized by relatively high and increasing probabilities of other insiders perpetrating fraud and unintentional material reporting errors during their tenure. Further, cultural changes associated with an increase in fraud risk are more likely during unfrugal (vs. frugal) CEOs' reign, including the appointment of an unfrugal CFO, an increase in executives' equity-based incentives to misreport, and a decline in measures of board monitoring intensity.


Within an increasingly connected world, the exponential growth in the deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) applications presents a significant challenge in power and data transfer optimisation. Currently, the maximization of Radio Frequency (RF) system power gain depends on the design of efficient, commercial chips, and on the integration of these chips by using complex RF simulations to verify bespoke configurations. However, even if a standard 50Ω transmitter's chip has an efficiency of 90%, the overall power efficiency of the RF system can be reduced by 10% if coupled with a standard antenna of 72Ω. Hence, it is necessary for scalable IoT networks to have optimal RF system design for every transceiver: for example, impedance mismatching between a transmitter's antenna and chip leads to a significant reduction of the corresponding RF system's overall power efficiency. This work presents a versatile design framework, based on well-known theoretical methods (i.e., transducer gain, power wave approach, transmission line theory), for the optimal design in terms of power delivered to a load of a typical RF system, which consists of an antenna, a matching network, a load (e.g., integrated circuit) and transmission lines which connect all these parts. The aim of this design framework is not only to reduce the computational effort needed for the design and prototyping of power efficient RF systems, but also to increase the accuracy of the analysis, based on the explanatory analysis within our design framework. Simulated and measured results verify the accuracy of this proposed design framework over a 0–4 GHz spectrum. Finally, a case study based on the design of an RF system for Bluetooth applications demonstrates the benefits of this RF design framework.


Inspite of the strong aversion shown to Entomophagy (consumption of edible insects) due to civilization, insects have played an important part in the history of human nutrition in Africa, Australia, Asia and the Americas. Hundreds of species have been used as human food. Globally, about 14 insect orders contain one or more species of edible insects. Africa is one of the leading continents that consume insects as food. In Africa, insects form part of the traditional diets of millions of people and are also used as feed for their farm animals. Nowadays, Entomophagy is a major entomological research interest with focus on its future prospect for food and feed security. Nigeria, the focus of this study is very rich in forest edible insects due to its marked ecological and climatic diversity. Some of the popular edible insects are grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetle grubs and adults, winged termites, bee, wasp and ant brood as well as winged ants, cicadas, and a variety of aquatic insects. Despite their importance as food, biodiversity and conservation efforts have focused mainly on other groups of animals, ignoring the vast world of insects. Therefore, there is a compelling need to collect data on the diversity and conservation of edible insects in Africa, and to make this information available to all interested parties. This study provides information on the list and distribution of these edible insects in Nigeria, their harvesting, processing and preservation techniques, their seasonality, nutritional value and the potential for expanding the market.


This paper reflects on the different faces of asset-based welfare from both a theoretical and an empirical perspective. It shows that asset-based welfare can be perceived as a lever for welfare state restructuring but also as an instrument for poverty eradication. In most countries, asset-based welfare policies focus on stimulating home-ownership. The general idea is that by becoming a homeowner, households build up equity that can be released for care and pension purposes in old age. However, there are signs that such policies increase inequality between homeowners (depending on the location of the dwelling and/or the period in which it was bought), but particularly so between homeowners and tenants. We therefore contend that home-ownership based welfare policies need a clear and fundamental specification of the role of the government: how to deal with housing market risks and how to prevent politically unacceptable levels of inequality and exclusion?


Women's political participation was initiated as an instrument for gender equality yet now is under research scrutiny. Due to gender quotas and other institutionalization of women's political inclusion, Rwanda has the highest number of women in its parliament – 67%. But is women's political participation a real tool for gender equality, or is it one that through the artificial guise of women's political representation sets up an exclusive political space? Apart from women who work in political institutions, who else are participating in politics and how and where are they engaging with politics? Feminists should claim back this discussion, reject neoliberal approach to 'empower' women and propose a more distributive and collective agenda. As part of my PhD project regarding women's (dis)engagement with politics in Rwanda, female vendors drew my attention during my fieldwork in Rwanda. In Rwanda, female vendors are among the groups who are the 'furthest' to participate and influence the political decision-making process, yet are heavily influenced by various political policies on a daily base. For example, the by-law forbidding street vendors was initiated in 2015 and further enforced in 2017 was designed to punish street vendors because they build "unfair competition for customers with legitimate businesses paying rent and taxes" . Consequently, many female vendors face a great deal of violence by local forces. Using feminist ethnography as the methodology, I choose visual methods to tell the stories of female vendors. That is, the photography project is designed to elicit stories of 'what happened when', and to encourage participants to 'remember' past events, and past dynamics on the street, as well as to express their own opinions and ideas. My task is to reconstruct the process of female street vendor's engagement with politics and in doing so deconstruct the fake formal image of female political participation in Rwanda.


Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) measurements show that chemical processing was critical to the observed record‐low Arctic stratospheric ozone in spring 2020. The 16‐year MLS record indicates more polar denitrification and dehydration in 2019/2020 than in any Arctic winter except 2015/2016. Chlorine activation and ozone depletion began earlier than in any previously observed winter, with evidence of chemical ozone loss starting in November. Active chlorine then persisted as late into spring as it did in 2011. Empirical estimates suggest maximum chemical ozone losses near 2.8 ppmv by late March in both 2011 and 2020. However, peak chlorine activation, and thus peak ozone loss, occurred at lower altitudes in 2020 than in 2011, leading to the lowest Arctic ozone values ever observed at potential temperature levels from ∼400–480 K, with similar ozone values to those in 2011 at higher levels.


For the first time, the sensitivity to impurities of the solar cell conversion efficiency is reported for a state‐of‐the‐art (i.e., 18%) and advanced device architecture (i.e., 23%). The data are based on the experimental results obtained in the CrystalClear project for the state‐of‐the‐art cell process and extrapolated to a device with excellent front and rear surface passivation. Both device structures are not assumed to work in low injection level as several studies assumed before, but real operating conditions are considered. This is a fundamental difference with the past and required for modeling future high efficiency devices. The impurity with highest impact is Ti, followed by Cu, Cr, Ni and Fe, which form together a group two order of magnitude less sensitive than the former. In high efficiency devices, a large reduction of the impurity impact is visible for impurities with large capture cross‐section ratio like Fe, which reduces its relative difference in comparison with, for example, Cr, which has a small capture cross‐section ratio. In general, advanced devices will be more sensitive to the impurity content than the state‐of‐the‐art cell design. This effect is partly compensated by a reduction of the substrate thickness. The impurity sensitivity as function of the substrate thickness is reported. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Abstract The protection of foreign investment by treaties often clashes with the State's sovereign right to investigate economic crimes committed by investors. This article examines the different approaches taken by tribunals to questions concerning admissibility and jurisdiction, applicable law, the standard of review, the burden and standard of proof and deference to actions taken by domestic courts and regulators related to economic crimes. It concludes that investors should not automatically be deprived of treaty protections and their access to investment arbitration blocked. The arbitration agreement, being autonomous from the main contract (or the relevant treaty), should, as a rule, remain valid even if the conduct of investors is tainted by economic crimes. The article calls on investment tribunals to reflect in their awards on the contributory fault of the parties when representatives of States and investors are both complicit in economic crimes. To achieve greater legal certainty and procedural efficiency, a new generation of investment treaties and the practice of investment tribunals should draw on not only applicable domestic law but also existing sources of international law concerning economic crimes or national best practice.


This paper focuses on a functionalist analysis of the patterns followed when translating specific texts from English into Spanish. The original texts are written in English and, afterwards, translated to other languages. In this process, lexical variation may appear. The main objectives of this study are to determine whether English noun phrases have different lexical equivalents when translated into Spanish and whether this depends on the position of the head in the complex noun phrase. Other objectives of this paper are, on the one hand, to detect the role of the head and modifiers in English complex noun phrases when translated into the target language, and, on the other hand, to determine whether the specificity of nouns could be the cause of variation. The answer to these research questions will be useful for translators, communication specialists and scientists who use English and Spanish to communicate.


In this study, total energy (TE) singular vectors (SVs) based on the fifth generation Pennsylvania State University/National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU/NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5) and its tangent linear and adjoint models with a Lanczos algorithm are applied to Typhoon Rusa. The structures of SVs are evaluated to understand the sensitivity of forecasts with respect to the initial conditions, and thence to suggest the sensitive regions in terms of adaptive observations. In addition, the implications of applying this adaptive observation strategy for the THORPEXPacific Asian Regional Campaign (T-PARC) are discussed. Sensitive regions identified by TESVs are located horizontally in inflow regions along the edge of the subtropical high and the mid-latitude trough. Sensitive regions are located vertically in the mid-troposphere with several secondary peaks throughout the troposphere. In contrast to the upward energy propagation mechanism of SV development in extratropical cyclones, this does not occur for Typhoon Rusa. Vertically-confined, upshear-tilted SV structures under the mid-latitude trough are noticed for the temperature component of SV. The results of this study are quite consistent with recent studies on targeted observation strategies of tropical cyclones, and demonstrate that the TESVs can capture the signal of the environmental features affecting the evolution of Typhoon Rusa. The TESV guidance shown in this study will be calculated and provided for real-time field experiments during the T-PARC.


Discharge regulation and measurement in the irrigation scheme are needed to improve water distribution equity and reliability which are often constrained by damaged sluice gates and discharge measuring devices. Sluice gates which are generally made of iron are often damaged because of corrosion or theft. Whereas the discharge measuring devices are often inaccurate because the required flow condition is often eligible and demolished since in the opinion of the farmers these devices are blocking the water flow. In order to solve this problem, a research was conducted to create sluice gates that can be both, a discharge regulator and measuring device. These gates are made of fiberglass/Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic (GFRP), which is lighter and more corrosion resistant than steel. The shape of this gate is a rounded sluice gate so that it can be used as a measuring device. Tests were then conducted to determine the hydraulic characteristics of flow and discharge formulas that can be used. These tests resulted a contraction coefficient of 0,867 with error rate (Mean Absolute Percentage Error/MAPE) of 3,8% for free flow and 10,4% for submerged flow or an average of 8,71%. This indicates that this rounded sluice gate is feasible to be used as a measuring device. For operational convenience in the field, operators can be equipped with discharge charts or discharge calculators in Java programs that can be operated on a Java MIDP 2.0 cell phone.


Under low-magnesium stress, bacteria suppress ribosome synthesis. Because most ribosomes in a cell are typically actively translating at maximum capacity, the overall rate of protein synthesis is often determined by the rate of ribosome synthesis. Pontes et al. found that under stress due to low concentrations of magnesium ions, bacterial cells maintained minimal protein synthesis by suppressing ribosome synthesis and conserving magnesium for ribosome maintenance. Divalent magnesium ions (Mg2+) are essential for several aspects of protein synthesis, including neutralizing the charge on ribosomal RNA (rRNA) to allow it to correctly fold; removing Mg2+ causes ribosomes to disassemble. In Salmonella enterica growing in culture media containing low Mg2+, transcription of ribosomal RNA (the rate-limiting step in ribosome synthesis) was 10-fold lower than under high Mg2+ conditions, whereas transcription of a control gene was unaffected. rRNA transcription was suppressed by proteins involved in Mg2+ homeostasis. mgtA and mgtB encode Mg2+ transporters and mgtC encodes an inhibitor of F1FO ATP synthase that increases the amount of cytosolic Mg2+ by inhibiting the production of ATP, which has a high affinity for Mg2+. Mutations in mgtC alone or in both mgtA and mgtB resulted in higher rRNA transcription under low-magnesium conditions. Expressing ATPase in these mutants reduced rRNA expression to a value similar to that in wild-type cells, suggesting that the accumulation of ATP in cells lacking these magnesium regulators drove rRNA transcription. Cells lacking phoP—which encodes a transcription factor that regulates mgtA, mgtB, and mgtC—also had increased rRNA transcription under low-magnesium conditions. However, phoP mutant cells grow more slowly than wild-type cells, suggesting that under magnesium starvation, growth rate is not linked to ribosome synthesis. In mgtC mutant and mgtA/mgtB double-mutant cells grown under low Mg2+, the 30S and 50S ribosomal subunits accumulated but did not assemble into functional 70S ribosomes, as determined by sucrose gradient fractionation of polysomes. Wild-type bacteria and mgtC or mgtA/mgtB mutant cells rescued by expression of the respective genes on plasmids had normally assembled 70S ribosomes. Thus, in response to low Mg2+, maintenance of intracellular Mg2+ by phoP-regulated proteins reduced overall rRNA transcription but was required for ribosome assembly, creating a new stress-adapted phenotype. M. H. Pontes, J. Yeom, E. A. Groisman, Reducing ribosome biosynthesis promotes translation during low Mg2+ stress. Mol. Cell 64, 480–492 (2016). [PubMed]


The Centrifugal Reinforced Concrete(CRC) column developed by SEN Engineering is a method utilizing PHC(Prestressed High Strength Pre-Stressed Concrete) piles as columns. The CRC column is able to obtain the maximum capacity as for a reinforced concrete column due to its manufacturing method using centrifugal force to produce high strength concrete same for PHC and inserting a reinforced cage instead of a pre-stressed wire decreasing compressive strength in PHC. This expeditious and economical way to produce concrete of strength more than 80MPa by centrifugal casting makes CRC columns be easily and quickly applied to the construction site than PC(Precast Concrete). CRC column is not only improve applicability but it also enhances constructability because its buckling capacity higher than H-section column leads to increase the depth of penetration. If a required service load is higher than the capacity of the CRC column, it can be reinforced by additional concrete casting with re-bars in the site to obtain sufficient strength. The seismic resistance performance of the CRC column-to-TSC beam connection is previously demonstrated in accordance with KBC 2009 by experimental test, and the real scale test of the connection is conducted in this study. As a result, the seismic resistance performance of the connection meets the requirements of KBC2009; therefore, the CRC column-to-TSC beam connection can be used as IMF or SMF.


Widespread but seldom-observed morphological features of fossil dinoflagellates and some hystrichospheres relate to the ways in which the test ruptures, and the manner in which the plate pattern of a motile dinoflagellate is reflected on the cyst that formed within it. Evidence is presented that many post-Paleozoic hystrichospheres are dinoflagellate cysts. Criteria for recognizing fossil dinoflagellates and for distinguishing encysted and free-swimming stages are presented and applied to 112 genera variously described as dinoflagellates, hystrichospheres, or incertae sedis. Selected aspects of the morphology of 22 described and several undescribed genera are illustrated and discussed.


Images hold important information, especially in military and commercial surveillance as well as in industrial inspection and communication. Therefore, the protection of the image from abuse, unauthorized access, and damage became a significant demand. This paper introduces a new Beta chaotic map for encrypting and confusing the color image with Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) sequence. First, the DNA addition operation is used for diffusing each component of the plain image. Then, a new Beta chaotic map is used for shuffling the DNA color image. In addition, two chaotic maps, namely the proposed new Beta and Sine chaotic maps, are used for key generation. Finally, the DNA XOR operation is applied between the generated key and shuffled DNA image to produce the cipher image. The experimental results prove that the proposed method surpassed the other methods in terms of Mean Square Error (MSE), Peak Signal-To-Noise Ratio (PSNR), entropy, and correlation coefficient.


This monograph provides a framework and guidelines for the assessment of institutional frameworks for integrated water resources management (IWRM). The framework and guidelines were developed to enable expert teams of the Inter-American Development Bank to incorporate capacity-building considerations into water-related projects. The framework and guidelines were tested in four countries with different physical, social and economic environments in Latin America and the Caribbean. Using this framework, it is possible to identify shortcomings in existing water management arrangements and to formulate interventions at and between the constitutional, organizational, and operational levels. To guide the formulation of interventions, an ideal IWRM situation is formulated. Due to the temporal and spatial specificity, a desired IWRM situation is formulated in a process which consists of ten operational steps. This process is based on an extensive consultation and participation of all relevant stakeholders. The fields of interventions concern awareness creation, policy development, legal and financial arrangements, human resources development and management information and decision support systems.


Traditional models of decomposition fail to capture litter mass loss patterns in dryland systems. This shortcoming has stimulated research into alternative drivers of decomposition, including photodegradation. Here, we use aboveground litter decomposition data for dryland (arid) sites from the Long-term Intersite Decomposition Experiment Team data set to test hypotheses (models) about the mechanisms and impacts of photodegradation. Incorporating photodegradation into a traditional biotic decomposition model substantially improved model predictions for mass loss at these dryland sites, especially after four years. The best model accounted for the effects of solar radiation via photodegradation loss from the intermediate cellulosic and lignin pools and direct inhibition of microbial decomposition. Despite the concurrent impacts of photodegradation and inhibition on mass loss, the best photodegradation model increased mass loss by an average of 12% per year compared to the biotic-only decomposition model. The best model also allowed soil infiltration into litterbags to reduce photodegradation and inhibition of microbial decomposition by shading litter from solar radiation. Our modeling results did not entirely support the popular hypothesis that initial lignin content increases the effects of photodegradation on litter mass loss; surprisingly, higher initial lignin content decreased the rate of cellulosic photodegradation. Importantly, our results suggest that mass loss rates due to photodegradation may be comparable to biotic decomposition rates: Mass loss due to photodegradation alone resulted in litter mass losses of 6–15% per year, while mass loss due to biotic decomposition ranged from 20% per year during early-stage decomposition to 3% per year during late-stage decomposition. Overall, failing to account for the impacts of solar radiation on litter mass loss under-predicted long-term litter mass loss by approximately 26%. Thus, not including photodegradation in dryland decomposition models likely results in large underestimations of carbon loss from dryland systems.


Photovoltaic modules installed in the field exhibit a wide range of operating temperatures, depending on the meteorological and environmental conditions. Their temperature influences their output power and conversion efficiency. Temperature dependence is typically described as a linear function with the temperature coefficients of open-circuit voltage, shortcircuit current and maximal output power. To analyse the development of these parameters over time, the data of modules of several technologies is evaluated, monitored from five to eight years at our outdoor test site. The measurement data is cleaned of outliers and systematic measurement errors and then translated to the irradiance of 1000 W/m2 at standard test conditions. Several discrepancies compared to the datasheet values of the photovoltaic modules are found. These discrepancies are attributed to the parameters' sensitivity to other factors, mostly pronounced in the short-circuit current. One such factor is the spectrum of the incident light. The temperature coefficients are then analysed each month to evaluate their development over time. A seasonality is found, showing a higher temperature sensitivity of the short-circuit current in the winter and a correspondingly lower sensitivity of the output power at maximum power point. However, no systematical change over time due to possible influences of module degradation in the timeframe of up to eight years was observed.


Electromagnetic actuators provide fast speed, large forces, high strokes, and wide bandwidths. Most designs, however, are constructed from rigid components, making these benefits inaccessible for many soft robotics applications. In this work, we develop a new soft electromagnetic linear actuator using liquid gallium–indium for the conductor and neodymium–iron–boron and polymer composites for the permanent magnet. When combined in a solenoid configuration, high strokes can be generated using entirely soft components. To emulate the pulsing motion of Xenia coral arms, we develop an additional soft flexure system that converts the linear translation to rotary motion. The design and fabrication of the electromagnetic actuator and compliant flexure are first described. Models for the magnetic forces and the joint kinematics are then developed and compared with the experimental results. Finally, the robot dynamics are analyzed using stochastic system identification techniques. Results show that the compliant actuator is able to achieve an 18 mm stroke, allowing the soft arms to bend up to 120 deg. This further enables the tips of the arms to traverse an arc length of 42 mm. Bandwidths up to 30 Hz were also observed. While this article focuses on emulating a biological system, this highly deformable actuator design can also be utilized for fully soft grasping or wearables applications.


The standard treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) is represented by the Anderson-Hynes dismembered pyeloplasty, even if different approaches, both surgical and endoscopic, have been described. Robot-assisted pyeloplasty (RP) is a feasible and safe approach. The indications for the robotic approach remain the same as those for the laparoscopic or open pyeloplasty. Every patient with symptomatic UPJO, or with decreasing renal function in the presence of UPJO, should undergo RP. The transperitoneal, retroperitoneal, and transmesocolic approaches are described focusing on advantages and disadvan-tages of each approach. Robot-assisted pyeloplasty has excellent success rates for relief of obstruction and very low peri- and post-operative morbidity. The robotic surgical technique maintains the advantages of laparoscopic surgery providing a more precise manipulation and visualization, and a faster learning curve. Comparative studies are reported to confront the different techniques. Secondary minimally invasive pyeloplasty is obviously a more challenging procedure due to the fibrosis and the adhesions formed after the previous surgery. Newer techniques and indications such as the employment of buccal mucosal graft, the single port approach, and indocyanine green injection are described. Tips and tricks to keep in mind during this kind of procedure are listed in order to report our experience in this setting.


[1] Okmok volcano, located on Umnak Island in the Aleutian chain, Alaska, is the most eruptive caldera system in North America in historic time. Its most recent eruption occurred in 1997. Synthetic aperture radar interferometry shows deflation of the caldera center of up to 140 cm during this time, preceded and followed by inflation of smaller magnitude. The main part of the observed deformation can be modeled using a pressure point source model. The inferred source is located between 2.5 and 5.0 km beneath the approximate center of the caldera and ∼5 km from the eruptive vent. We interpret it as a central magma reservoir. The preeruptive period features inflation accompanied by shallow localized subsidence between the caldera center and the vent. We hypothesize that this is caused by hydrothermal activity or that magma moved away from the central chamber and toward the later vent. Since all historic eruptions at Okmok have originated from the same cone, this feature may be a precursor that indicates an upcoming eruption. The erupted magma volume is ∼9 times the volume that can be accounted for by the observed preeruptive inflation. This indicates a much longer inflation interval than we were able to observe. The observation that reinflation started shortly after the eruption suggests that inflation spans the whole time interval between eruptions. Extrapolation of the average subsurface volume change rate is in good agreement with the long-term eruption frequency and eruption volumes of Okmok.


This thesis investigates the dual transnationalism of ancestral return migrants, that is to say people "returning" to the territory where their ancestors had once migrated from. Dispersed from their homeland in the second half of the 19th century, the Adyge-Abkhaz diaspora has been involved in a variety of transnational practices in relation to their homeland in the Caucasus; and some, with considerable effort, have been settling there especially in the last two decades. The transnational involvement of this diaspora, most of whom live today in Turkey, is motivated by their search for belonging. Many who go back and forth between Turkey and the Caucasus are involved in transnational diaspora associations and take an active role in the formation of a transnational ethno-political-cultural environment for new generations growing up in the diaspora. The majority of those who have "return migrated" to their homeland in the Caucasus, in this study to two republics, Adygeya (an autonomous republic under the Russian Federation) and Abkhazia (a republic with contested independence), develop new transnational links to their diaspora communities in Turkey.

This thesis is the product of a multi-sited, multi-method research project that combines theories related to transnationalism, diaspora and return, as well as migrant adaptation. Using life-history interviews, semi-structured interviews and participant observation, fieldwork for the research took place in rural diaspora settlements and urban diaspora organisations in Turkey as well as in the Caucasus, thereby enabling the researcher to study both ends of the migration route. Existing studies on ancestral return migration focus on pull and push factors, which hitherto have focused on sending and receiving countries separately. This thesis argues that their dual transnationalism, both in the diaspora (in Turkey) looking back towards the diasporic homeland, and after return looking back towards the diaspora, turns them into the "diaspora of their diaspora".


The automatic extraction of relations between entities expressed in natural language text is an important problem for IR and text understanding. In this paper we show how different kernels for parse trees can be combined to improve the relation extraction quality. On a public benchmark dataset the combination of a kernel for phrase grammar parse trees and for dependency parse trees outperforms all known tree kernel approaches alone suggesting that both types of trees contain complementary information for relation extraction.


A Cyber-Physical System integrates computations and dynamics of physical processes. It is an engineering discipline focused on technology with a strong foundation in mathematical abstractions. It shares many of these abstractions with engineering and computer science, but still requires adaptation to suit the dynamics of the physical world. In such a dynamic system, mobility management is one of the key issues against developing a new service. For example, in the study of a new mobile network, it is necessary to simulate and evaluate a protocol before deployment in the system. Mobility models characterize mobile agent movement patterns. On the other hand, they describe the conditions of the mobile services. The focus of this thesis is on mobility modeling in cyber-physical systems. A macroscopic model that captures the mobility of individuals (people and vehicles) can facilitate an unlimited number of applications. One fundamental and obvious example is traffic profiling. Mobility in most systems is a dynamic process and small non-linearities can lead to substantial errors in the model. Extensive research activities on statistical inference and filtering methods for data modeling in cyber-physical systems exist. In this thesis, several methods are employed for multimodal data fusion, localization and traffic modeling. A novel energy-aware sparse signal processing method is presented to process massive sensory data. At baseline, this research examines the application of statistical filters for mobility modeling and assessing the difficulties faced in fusing massive multi-modal sensory data. A statistical framework is developed to apply proposed methods on available measurements in cyber-physical systems. The proposed methods have employed various statistical filtering schemes (i.e., compressive sensing, particle filtering and kernel-based optimization) and applied them to multimodal data sets, acquired from intelligent transportation systems, wireless local area networks, cellular networks and air quality monitoring systems. Experimental results show the capability of these proposed methods in processing multimodal sensory data. It provides a macroscopic mobility model of mobile agents in an energy efficient way using inconsistent measurements.


: Purpose: The main goal of the research is to identify the motivators used in the work of public university employees in relation to known theories of motivation, and to determine the importance of individual motivators for their involvement in work. Design/methodology/approach: The article uses qualitative research with the participation of experts and quantitative research using a survey among academic staff. Data analysis was made in the context of three theories of motivation and a simplified structure of the studied motivators was established during the analysis of factors. Findings: The research results indicated that motivators connected with the theory of self-determination (SDT) and Herzberg's theory (HT) are of the greatest importance for the involvement of academic staff in Polish universities. Motivators that result from the internal motivation of an academic staff member should be most often used in universities. The most important for scientists are motivators regarding mutual internal relations (superiors, colleagues, administration) or organization of working time and job security. In another important motivating group for academic staff, there were motivators related to funding scientific research and access to knowledge. Practical Implications: Applying an appropriate motivation system in universities is not possible without knowledge of the theory of motivating people. A properly applied motivator can improve the effectiveness of scientists' work, which in turn increases the ranking of universities in terms of competitiveness with others. Therefore, it is important to construct an appropriate incentive system, adequate to the needs and capabilities of employers, and at the same time meeting the expectations of employees. Originality/value: The article presents an attempt to match the identified motivators to individual motivation theories. In addition, the importance of individual motivators in relation to these theories and their application was determined.


A seismic image is formed by interactions of the seismic wavefield with geological interfaces, in the form of reflections, diffractions, and other coherent noise. While in conventional processing workflows reflections are favoured over diffractions, this is only beneficial in areas with uniform stratigraphy. Diffractions form as interactions of the wavefield with discontinuities and therefore can be used to image them. However, to image diffractions, they must first be separated from the seismic wavefield. Here we propose a pattern recognition approach for separation, employing image segmentation. We then compare this to two existing diffraction imaging methods, plane-wave destruction and f-k filtering.

Image segmentation can be used to divide the image into pixels which share certain criteria. Here, we have separated the image first by amplitude using a histogram-based segmentation method, followed by edge detection with a Sobel operator to locate the hyperbola.

The image segmentation method successfully locates diffraction hyperbola which can then be separated and migrated for diffraction imaging. When compared with plane-wave destruction and f-k filtering, the image segmentation method proves beneficial as it allows for identification of the hyperbolae without noise. However, the method can fail to identify hyperbolae in noisier environments and when hyperbolae overlap.


Weather routing is a method within ship routing that is used to avoid rough weather and to find the minimal fuel, time or cost route between ports. Several methods and different software exit and are available to the ship owner or vessel. Three different methods are considered to be the main methods in weather routing: The modified isochrone method, calculus of variation and dynamic programming. In this thesis a shortest path algorithm is used to find the minimal fuel route. This method is similar to the dynamic programming, but the algorithm used to find the route is different. The vessel used for modeling is a 3500 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container vessel. The total resistance for a given sea state is defined as the sum of the calm water resistance, the wave added resistance and the wind added resistance. The safety of crew and cargo is ensured by implementing a set of seakeeping criteria. The seakeeping performance of the vessel is calculated with regard to roll, relative vertical acceleration, probability of slamming and probability of deck wetness. The mean added resistance due to waves and the vessel responses is calculated by spectral analysis, where the significant wave height and peak period are the spectral parameters. The MARINTEK program ShipX was used to calculate the motion transfer functions and the attainable speed for different sea states. Network optimization is used to solve the routing problem. A network of nodes and arcs is constructed between the two ports. The network defines the feasible region for the vessel, meaning all possible ship positions. The nodes are geographical coordinates and the arcs are defined as traveled path between nodes. Each node contains information about the significant wave height, mean wave period, mean wave direction and the U- and V-component of wind. Each arc is assigned a cost, which is the fuel consumption between two nodes. The fuel consumption is calculated by keeping the brake power constant, making the only unknown variable time. The time it takes to travel between two nodes is calculated as t=Distance/Velocity, where the velocity is dependent on the total resistance. A shortest path algorithm called Dijkstra's algorithm is used to solve the optimization problem. A Matlab program was developed to find the minimal fuel route. A GRIB file (GRIdded Binary) including weather data is needed to calculate the resistance and ship responses. In addition to the GRIB file, the input files needed in the program are output files from ShipX containing transfer functions and attainable speed for different sea states. The added resistance due to wind can be calculated either by using estimated wind velocity, or actual wind velocity, i.e. the wind components from the GRIB file. The program can run for all oceans and seasons. By changing the input files from ShipX the user can use this program to find optimal routes for different vessels. The Matlab program has been run for one vessel, but for different seasons and oceans. The main result obtained in this thesis is that weather routing does not result in fuel saving. The optimal route has approximately the same fuel consumption as the great circle route, meaning the shortest route on a sphere. It can therefore be concluded that the actual distance traveled has a much higher impact on fuel consumption than the added resistance. However, the program can be used to avoid rough weather. The route over the North Atlantic in January deviates from the great circle route, and the fuel consumption is higher. This is because the the roll responses exceeds the allowable roll standard deviation for a large part of feasible region, and the route chosen avoids this. The results also show that the optimal route for estimated and actual wind are almost identical. The fuel consumption for actual wind is consequently lower than for estimated wind. This is partly due to that the estimated wind velocity is overestimated, but mainly due to differences between how the velocity is calculated in Matlab and in ShipX. The overall conclusion is that weather routing can not be used to reduce the fuel consumption, but it is applicable to ensure safety of cargo and crew.


Cyanogenic glycosides are phytoanticipins involved in plant defence against herbivores by virtue of their ability to release toxic hydrogen cyanide (HCN) upon tissue disruption. In addition, endogenous turnover of cyanogenic glycosides without the liberation of HCN may offer plants an important source of reduced nitrogen at specific developmental stages. To investigate the presence of putative turnover products of cyanogenic glycosides, comparative metabolic profiling using LC-MS/MS and high resolution MS (HR-MS) complemented by ion-mobility MS was carried out in three cyanogenic plant species: cassava, almond and sorghum. In total, the endogenous formation of 36 different chemical structures related to the cyanogenic glucosides linamarin, lotaustralin, prunasin, amygdalin and dhurrin was discovered, including di- and tri-glycosides derived from these compounds. The relative abundance of the compounds was assessed in different tissues and developmental stages. Based on results common to the three phylogenetically unrelated species, a potential recycling endogenous turnover pathway for cyanogenic glycosides is described in which reduced nitrogen and carbon are recovered for primary metabolism without the liberation of free HCN. Glycosides of amides, carboxylic acids and 'anitriles' derived from cyanogenic glycosides appear as common intermediates in this pathway and may also have individual functions in the plant. The recycling of cyanogenic glycosides and the biological significance of the presence of the turnover products in cyanogenic plants open entirely new insights into the multiplicity of biological roles cyanogenic glycosides may play in plants.


Recent trends in hydrocarbon fuel research indicate that the number of species and reactions in chemical kinetic mechanisms is rapidly increasing in an effort to provide predictive capabilities for fuels of practical interest. In order to cope with the computational cost associated with the time integration of stiff, large chemical systems, a novel approach is proposed. The approach combines an exponential integrator and Krylov subspace approximations to the exponential function of the Jacobian matrix. The components of the approach are described in detail and applied to the ignition of stoichiometric methane–air and iso-octane–air mixtures, here described by two widely adopted chemical kinetic mechanisms. The approach is found to be robust even at relatively large time steps and the global error displays a nominal third-order convergence. The performance of the approach is improved by utilising an adaptive algorithm for the selection of the Krylov subspace size, which guarantees an approximation to the matrix exponential within user-defined error tolerance. The Krylov projection of the Jacobian matrix onto a low-dimensional space is interpreted as a local model reduction with a well-defined error control strategy. Finally, the performance of the approach is discussed with regard to the optimal selection of the parameters governing the accuracy of its individual components.


This is a book built round an argument. Several variants of the argument are offered, and I shall consider but one of them. It is directed against the following act utilitarian principle: AU: An act is right if and only if it would have best consequences (i.e. consequences at least as good as those of any alternative act open to the agent) The argument may be freely rendered as follows. Suppose that we have an agent, Smith, in a society, S, such that the following conditions are satisfied: C1: Smith accepts AU and attempts always to act in accordance with it C2: Smith is rational: he understands the implications of accepting AU and applies AU correctly C3: No other person in S accepts AU C4: All others in S know that C1 and C2 obtain C5: All others in S are rational: they understand the implications of Smith's accepting AU C: All others in S are tolerant of Smith's accepting AU: they do not criticize him for acting in accordance with it C7: Smith knows that C3 – C6 obtain C1 – C7 collectively define the position of an act utilitarian in a non-act utilitarian society, with certain assumptions as to rationality and tolerance. Then the thesis is that under C1 – C7 Smith will sometimes fail to do the act with best consequences. His very acceptance and correct application of AU (under the other conditions) conspire to prevent the production of certain good consequences which would otherwise be possible.


Using annual U. S. time series data from 1950-1974, formal tests of causation are performed among three socioeconomic phenomena: women's labor force participation rates, fertility rates, and divorce rates. Box-Jenkins and other techniques are employed with Granger-Sims type definition of causation based on leads and lags. Women's labor force participation appears to be causally prior to both fertility and divorce; the direction of effect on fertility is negative and on divorce, positive. Additional tests with alternative definitions of variables and a longer (1924-1974) time span also exhibit causal influence from fertility to divorce (with no feedback). When per capita income is also tested for causal influence, it, too, appears causally prior to fertility and divorce.


In this paper, a Differentiated Services (DiffServ) architecture for Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning in Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks (WMSNs) is presented. The proposed architecture differentiates critical real-time data from real-time multimedia data by defining six traffic classes along with their forwarding behaviour. Since Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are application-specific, DiffServ for WMSNs approaches bandwidth allocation as an optimization problem. The goal is to assign bandwidth to different traffic classes in order to maximize the utilization of the whole system (subject to the overall system constraints). The proposed architecture is evaluated under different forwarding paradigms such as single-hop, multi-hop, and cluster-based. Analytical results show that DiffServ for WMSN can provide service differentiation w.r.t. the characteristics and bandwidth requirement of the traffic class.


Abstract Model calculations predict that pathways of alpha- and beta-diversity in diversifying ecosystems notably differ depending on the relative role of competition, predation, positive effects of species' interactions, and environmental parameters. Four scenarios are discussed, in which alpha- and beta-diversity are modeled as a function of increasing gamma-diversity. The graphic illustration of this approach is herein called α-β-γ plot, in which the x-axis indicates increasing diversification rather than absolute time. In purely environmentally controlled systems, beta-diversity maintains near-maximum values throughout the diversification interval, whereas mean alpha-diversity increases linearly, with a slope being reciprocal to beta-diversity. A second scenario is based on the assumption that increasing richness will have predominantly positive effects on the addition of further species; here, alpha- and beta-diversity increase simultaneously (though not necessarily at the same rates) and without reaching a predictable upper limit. In ecosystems that are characterized by low competition between species, mean alpha-diversity asymptotically approaches a saturation level, whereas the increase in beta-diversity accelerates until alpha-diversity stagnates, and then continues to rise linearly. If competition is high, addition of species first increases beta-diversity until no further habitat contraction is possible, followed by a period in which alpha-diversity increase through adaptive divergence becomes the principal drive of diversification. Because there is a continuous transition between the late stage of the low-competition model and the early stage of the high-competition scenario, both can be combined in a single model of diversity partitioning under the premise of a diversity-dependent increase of competition. This summary model predicts three phases of diversity accumulation: (1) a niche overlap phase, (2) a habitat contraction phase, and (3) a niche differentiation phase. The models herein discussed provide a potential tool to assess the question which factors primary controlled the diversification of life over geological times.


Objective The main objective of the REPRO project is to upgrade the existing knowledge and to generate new scientific and policyoriented knowledge on the factors that drive changes in the birth rates and influence the reproductive decision-making of contemporary Europeans. REPRO incorporates analyses in macro, micro, and macro-micro perspectives. At the macro level, we describe recent fertility trends observed across Europe and examine their association with selected macro-level social, economic and institutional indicators. At the micro level we use the social-psychological theory of planned behaviour to analyse the process of reproductive decision-making. The theory will be developed to fit specific demographic research on fertility intentions of individuals as well as of couples. We also use panel data to obtain insights into the realisation or nonrealisation of fertility intentions. To this end, we make use of economic, sociological, and cultural theoretical approaches whose application has proved useful. The analyses at the micro-level are furthered by inferences based on available qualitative surveys. The macro-micro approach integrates the findings reached at the macro and at the micro level using comparable data sets on fertility intentions and behaviours available in most European countries and multi-level statistical techniques. This integrated approach sheds light on the impact and interrelatedness of diverse factors such as work patterns and employment, family formation, housing, gender roles and factors related to ideational change, cultural specifics and institutional settings. Finally, the integrated method of research generates knowledge that can be streamed into relevant policy construction and implementation. A synthesis of all findings will be performed to serve as a sound basis for drawing valuable policy implications.


The focus of this paper is on the estimation of building roof area for solar PV systems, potential solar PV installed capacity and power generation in Vasteras, a typical Swedish municipality. The following sectioning of different building types has been investigated: Residence, Industry, Social function, Business, Economy, Complement, and Others. In the following sections, an estimate of available roof area potential is calculated by considering factors such as rooftop orientation, shadows and obstacles. With appropriate rooftops covered with commercial solar cells, combined with the average solar irradiation, PV panel efficiencies and other system parameters, the total solar power potential PV peak power output from the region is considered and the potential annual energy production is calculated. This will give a picture of how much the electricity demand will be met by rooftop PV deployment. We get those new understanding of roof area distribution and potential outputs that can largely help solar energy policy formulation in the city. Keywords—building rooftop area potential; installed capacity potential; solar power potential; GIS


We present a method that enables the generation of arbitrary positioned dual-beam traps without additional hardware in a single-beam holographic optical tweezers setup. By this approach stable trapping at low numerical aperture and long working distance is realized with an inverse standard research microscope. Simulations and first experimental results are presented. Additionally we present first steps towards using the method to realize a holographic 4π-microscope. We will also give a detailed analysis of the phase-modulating properties and especially the spatial-frequency dependent diffraction efficiency of holograms reconstructed with the phase-only LCOS spatial light modulator used in our system. Finally, accelerated hologram optimization based on the iterative Fourier transform algorithm is done using the graphics processing unit of a consumer graphics board.


This paper evaluates the cases for and against plant closing legislation. In spite of the growth of legislative efforts in the area, there has been surprisingly little effort devoted to analyzing what the effects are of existing plant closing legislation, of provisions in privately negotiated collective bargaining agreements that provide for advance notice in case of plant shutdowns and/or layoffs, and of voluntary employer provision of advance notice. The paper summarizes the results of previous research, and our own empirical analyses that used the January 1984 Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey of Displaced Workers, on the effects of advance notice on displaced workers' durations of nonemployment and post-displacement earnings. Based upon these findings, implications for public policy are drawn.


Textual network embedding aims to learn low-dimensional representations of text-annotated nodes in a graph. Prior work in this area has typically focused on fixed graph structures; however, real-world networks are often dynamic. We address this challenge with a novel end-to-end node-embedding model, called Dynamic Embedding for Textual Networks with a Gaussian Process (DetGP). After training, DetGP can be applied efficiently to dynamic graphs without re-training or backpropagation. The learned representation of each node is a combination of textual and structural embeddings. Because the structure is allowed to be dynamic, our method uses the Gaussian process to take advantage of its non-parametric properties. To use both local and global graph structures, diffusion is used to model multiple hops between neighbors. The relative importance of global versus local structure for the embeddings is learned automatically. With the non-parametric nature of the Gaussian process, updating the embeddings for a changed graph structure requires only a forward pass through the learned model. Considering link prediction and node classification, experiments demonstrate the empirical effectiveness of our method compared to baseline approaches. We further show that DetGP can be straightforwardly and efficiently applied to dynamic textual networks.


Background Obtaining an accurate diagnosis of pneumonia is an essential part of optimal patient care. Analysis of patients' hospital records allows clinical coding (ICD-10) of admission events which assist development of clinical decision algorithms, assessment of quality of care and public health evaluation. We sought to evaluate the reliability of applied clinical codes and the accuracy of a diagnosis of pneumonia in our institution. Methods A retrospective case note review of all patients admitted to University Hospital Llandough in 2011 with a final clinical code diagnosis of pneumonia. Pneumonia was defined as the presence of new radiographic infiltrate in patients with symptoms consistent with an acute lower respiratory tract infection.1 The chest radiographs of each patient were reviewed by a respiratory physician (KP, HED) and the formal radiology report was independently scrutinised (IM). Results 710 patient episodes of ICD-10 coded pneumonia were identified in a 1 year period at our hospital. Ten patients had no chest x-ray performed and one x-ray had no report. Radiological confirmation of pneumonia (by radiology reporting) occurred in 69.8% (488/699); a radiological diagnosis of pneumonia was made by a respiratory physician (KP, HED) in 71.8% (502/699) of patients. There was 85% agreement between the Respiratory and Radiology reports (592/699 cases) with a kappa of 0.66 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.69). The accuracy of a pneumonia diagnosis differed little between patients cared for by a respiratory physician (72.3% agreement with radiology report) and those admitted to a non-respiratory ward (68.1%). In 27.0% and 31.9% of patients respectively there was no radiological evidence of pneumonia. Conclusions A clinical coding diagnosis of pneumonia is unreliable with 30.2% of patients not having compatible radiograph change. This has implications for the validity of any research performed on data selected on the basis of clinically coded information. Misdiagnosis by clinicians is the most likely reason for this discrepancy. Reference BTS Guidelines for the Management of Community Acquired Pneumonia in Adults Update 2009.


Tool life distribution under production machining conditions must be suitably accounted for in any rational design of large volume or automated machining lines. Reliable data on the type of distributions likely to be encountered are, however, unavailable. To remedy this, using relevent physical arguments, probabilistic models of tool failure which produce distribution functions germane to tool life scatter have been proposed and developed in earlier parts of this paper. An arbitrarily introduced hazard function was used to predict the life distributions likely to be obtained. The details of the mechanisms giving rise to tool failure were, however, not examined. Mechanistic questions connected with the single-injury tool failure (tool fracture) are examined in this part. The arbitrarily introduced hazard function is shown to have a physical basis. It is shown that the hazard function is determined by the interaction between the characteristics of the environment in which the tool operates and the mechanical properties of the tool material. The concepts outlined and the mechanistic model of tool failure proposed have been tested experimentally in interrupted cutting. It is shown that the predicted Weibull-distributed tool life is obtained when tool failure is due to a single injury and that the parameters of the Weibull distribution are governed by the properties of the tool material as well as those of the machining system.


The rate of work place accidents and consequential work place fatalities in Brazil is very
high. This thesis intends to analyse whether a structured enforcement body with clear
policies, regulations, standards and guidance is necessary to improve working conditions
and to provide a safe work environment in Brazil.
Central to this study is the Brazilian Enforcement Framework. This thesis will focus on
enforcement powers and the forms of punishments that are provided to cover breaches of
health and safety legislation. It will also focus on the structure of the Enforcement Body.
An assessment will be made of the Brazilian Judiciary System, Health and Safety at Work
Legislation and the political, social and economic issues. This will be done in order to
identify if improvements alone to enforcement will be sufficient to reduce the high level of
work place accidents.
The study concluded that Brazil lacks clear and specific health and safety at work
legislation which takes into account the circumstances today such as the working
environment, the work force, working relationships and what is necessary to provide
protection to the general public. The conclusion also claims that the political, social and
economic reality in Brazil does not include a perspective that contributes to promoting a
health and safety culture generally.
Therefore this thesis does not recommend that a newly structured enforcement body be
constructed, it goes far beyond that and recommends that a whole new model of Health and
Safety at Work should be created. The recommendation follows the conclusion that a
newly structured enforcement body will not be enough to reduce the level of accidents at
work to a more acceptable level. The recommendation takes into account Brazil's reality
today and a genuine commitment towards health and safety at work on all levels.


The key to Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) successful penetration of markets lies in identifying specific needs that AVs satisfy for daily activity-travel participation of individuals. In this paper we explore whether and to what extent people's exhibited spatiotemporal activity-travel patterns correlate with their stated perceptions about self-driving cars. We investigate the travel diaries of 3,411 survey respondents who live in the Puget Sound region of the U.S. in 2017 using sequence analysis. In parallel, we apply hierarchical clustering to identify people's attitudes based on their stated interest and perception of risks about AVs. A multinomial regression model is built to examine the correlations between AV attitude clusters and daily activity-travel patterns. Statistically significant correlations are then identified. The model results suggest that people exhibiting different activity-travel behavior patterns also express distinct attitudes towards the uses of AVs. The model shows that people who travel to work during the day are more likely to be positive to AVs. In particular, the group traveling to work later than the regular 8-to-5 schedule shows stronger interest and less concerns to AVs, which can be partially explained by the diverse activities they do throughout the day, the variety of travel modes they use and presumably more schedule flexibility they need than the public transportation system offers.


In 1984, the United States started down a path towards the criminalization of domestic violence that it has steadfastly continued to follow. The turn to the criminal legal system to address domestic violence coincided with the rise of mass incarceration in the United States. Levels of incarceration have increased by five times during the life of the anti-domestic violence movement. The United States incarcerates approximately 2.2 million people, with another 5 million under the scrutiny of parole and probation officers. While the criminalization of domestic violence did not have "a significant causal role" in the increase in mass incarceration in the United States, scholars have argued that the turn to criminal law to address domestic violence has contributed to the phenomenon of mass incarceration. Given the current focus on overcriminalization and decreasing mass incarceration, the time may be ripe to consider alternatives to criminalization of intimate partner violence. In her 2007 article, The Feminist War on Crime, law professor Aya Gruber wrote, "Although I am skeptical about the ability of criminal law to solve social inequality problems, there may be good reasons to keep domestic violence crimes solidly on the books." Professors Cecelia Klingele, Michael Scott and Walter Dickey have called for the development of scholarship addressing "crime problems for which arrest, prosecution, and conviction are the most appropriate responses to crime, along with instances in which invocation of traditional response is particularly fruitless or counterproductive." Both generally and specifically in the context of intimate partner violence, these articles ask about the continued utility of criminal interventions. This article takes up those questions and asks: should domestic violence be decriminalized?


Solvothermal and classical synthesis with an identical recipe involving 4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl acetic acid (HL1) and CdCl2 afforded two-dimensional (2D) (1)l and one-dimensional (2) coordination polymers, respectively. Hexagonal plate-like crystals of [Cd-2(L1)(2)Cl-2] (1), which crystallize in the chiral orthorhombic space group (P2(1)2(1)2(1)), were obtained in high yield. The 1,2,4-triazole-4-yl acetate (Li? ligand, which has a significant kink in the spacer, leads to the formation of a Cd-II complex displaying a 2D single-stranded helical array. The pitch height of the helix is equal to the length of the crystallographic a axis (7.579 angstrom) which comprises two cadmium atoms and two ligands. Solid-state emission of 1 shows a strong emission band around 465 nm with photoexcitation at 290 nm. Mercury porosimetry measurements reveal pore size distribution with a diameter of 80, 10, and 1 mu m. BET shows no preference for N-2(g) but a low H-2(g) adsorption of 4 cm(3)/g. Complex 1, which is constituted by a "soft" nonaromatic network that begins to collapse around 170 C, was subjected to controlled pyrolysis to produce CdO with morphology and phase selectivity. Texture of the thus obtained pure cubic phase of CdO (beta-form) was further tuned with the regulation of the annealing temperature. Crystals of rectangular blocks of [Cd(HL1L1)Cl]center dot 2H(2)O (2), which were formed in small quantity, feature a centrosymmetric, monoclinic space group (P2(1)/c). Their crystal structure reveals a one-dimensional linear chain where Cd atoms are connected by a triple bridge made up of one mu-chloride and two mu-N1,N2-1,2,4-triazole HL1 and L1. The coordination polymer charge is balanced by both chloride and the carboxylate group of L1.


Summary
Ecological studies identifying a positive relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem services motivate projections that higher plant diversity will increase services from agroecosystems. While this idea is compelling, evidence of generalizable relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services that could be broadly applied in agricultural systems is lacking.
Cover crops grown in rotation with cash crops are a realistic strategy to increase agroecosystem diversity. We evaluated the prediction that further increasing diversity with cover crop polycultures would enhance ecosystem services and multifunctionality in a 2-year study of eighteen cover crop treatments ranging in diversity from one to eight species. Five ecosystem services were measured in each cover crop system and regression analysis used to explore the relationship between multifunctionality and several diversity indices.
As expected, there was a positive relationship between species richness and multifunctionality, but it only explained a small fraction of variance in ecosystem services (marginal R2 = 0·05). In contrast, indices of functional diversity, particularly the distribution of trait abundances, were stronger predictors of multifunctionality (marginal R2 = 0·15–0·38).
Synthesis and application. In a corn production system, simply increasing cover crop species richness will have a small impact on agroecosystem services, but designing polycultures that maximize functional diversity may lead to agroecosystems with greater multifunctionality.


What is the lesson in abuse, neglect, abandonment, rejection? What is the lesson when you lose someone you really love? Just what are the lessons of life's hard times? Bestselling author Iyanla Vanzant has had an amazing and difficult life -- one of great challenges that unmasked her wonderful gifts and led to wisdom gained. In this simple book, she uses her own personal experiences to show how life's hardships can be re-languaged and re-visioned to become lessons that teach us as we grow, heal, and learn to love. The pain of the past does not have to be today's reality. Iyanla Vanzant is an example of how yesterday's tears become the seeds of today's hope, renewal, and strength.


This paper gives an overview of principles, technologies, and applications using near infrared spectrometry and imaging (NIRS and NIRI) to study brain function. The physical background is reviewed and technologies and their properties are discussed. Advantages and limitations of NIRI are described. The basic functional signals obtained by NIRI, the neuronal and the hemodynamic signal are described and in particular publications about the former are reviewed. Applications in adults and neonates are reviewed, too.


Benznidazole, drug of choice for Chagas disease (CD), has been associated with a high incidence of adverse reactions that can become serious, necessitating discontinuation of the drug. We describe the case of a Bolivian patient living in Spain for 9 years, who, following treatment with benznidazole for CD in indeterminate chronic phase, presented with fever, skin lesions, digestive symptoms, general malaise, and laboratory abnormalities. After the discontinuation of benznidazole and, the intake of antihistamines and systemic corticosteroids, the patient presented a complete resolution of the symptoms. Optimization of dose strategies and development of more effective, and better-tolerated drugs is advisable.


The aim of our study was to explore whether honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) could be used as a reli- able alternative to the standard mechanical devices for monitoring of air quality, in particular with respect to the concentration of the heavy metals cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and vanadium (V). We therefore tested whether the concentrations of these metals in adult honeybees and in ambi- ent air were positively correlated, and whether differences in concentration between locations were similar for bees and air. On the basis of our measurements, conducted over a two-month pe- riod at three distinct locations in the Netherlands with each three replicate honeybee colonies placed next to mechanical monitoring devices, we concluded that a significant positive relation- ship between the concentrations in bees and in air could only be established for V. Also, only in the case of V, the differences between the three locations in mean concentration were similar for bees and air. Both outcomes were probably due to the relatively large range over which the concentra- tions of V varied, both in bees and in air, as compared to Cd and Pb. However, for V, as well as for Cd and Pb, the concentrations in ambient air were about two orders of magnitude below the es- tablished air quality standards. We therefore conclude that in the Netherlands, both variation and levels of the atmospheric concentrations of these metals are too low to establish a relationship between the concentration in bees and in air that is useful to present honeybees as an alternative to mechanical devices in monitoring of air pollution. However, in countries with larger variation and higher levels of the atmospheric concentrations of these metals, further exploration of the potential of honeybees in biomonitoring of air pollution may be worthwhile.


Stellar speckle interferometry of unresolved objects yields the short-exposure lens–atmosphere MTF. Using Korff's calculations, a value of the wave correlation scale r0 can be obtained from the MTF. We demonstrate this, and also show how the power spectra can be corrected so that r0 values can be extracted from resolvable object data. Assuming the validity of Korff's calculations for speckle interferometry, unresolved and resolved object data can be then used to test calculations for short-and long-exposure imaging. Tests with field data show only a weak distinction in speckle interferometry between short- and long-exposure imaging. A Gaussian image shape does not agree with the data.


Already a classic in its first year of publication, this landmark study of Western thought takes a fresh look at the writings of the great thinkers of classic philosophy and questions many pieces of conventional wisdom. The book invites comparison with Bertrand Russell's monumental History of Western Philosophy, "but Gottlieb's book is less idiosyncratic and based on more recent scholarship" (Colin McGinn, Los Angeles Times). A New York Times Notable Book, a Los Angeles Times Best Book, and a Times Literary Supplement Best Book of 2001.


Adaptive exponential smoothing methods allow a smoothing parameter to change over time, in order to adapt to changes in the characteristics of the time series. However, these methods have tended to produce unstable forecasts and have performed poorly in empirical studies. This paper presents a new adaptive method, which enables a smoothing parameter to be modelled as a logistic function of a user-specified variable. The approach is analogous to that used to model the time-varying parameter in smooth transition models. Using simulated data, we show that the new approach has the potential to outperform existing adaptive methods and constant parameter methods when the estimation and evaluation samples both contain a level shift or both contain an outlier. An empirical study, using the monthly time series from the M3-Competition, gave encouraging results for the new approach. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


In the last decades the women started to do sports which were originally masculine (Pfister, 1990). The parity led to the slow transformation of the old-school thinking about the traditional roles of sexes (Hall, 1996). The main questions of our investigation were whether the athletes' thought of the figure skating and the ice hockey are different according to their sport or to the existing stereotypes in the Hungarian sport society. We used semi-structured interviews to gather opinions of two different gender type icy sports' top women athletes (figure skating and ice hockey) to see their viewpoints about the gender equalization. We can verify Metheny (1965) findings, that the social acceptance or refusal of women in sports on the basis of traditional features is changing slightly. Research questions were: Are there differences in the childhood sport socialization processes of the representatives of the two sports? What was the motivation behind their choice of sports? Are there differences in the gender identities of female athletes? What is the athletes' opinion on one another and the representatives of the other sport? Method was semi-structured in-depth interviews and the samples were the members of the Hungarian women ice hockey and figure skating national team. According to our results family and siblings were decisive in the childhood socialization process. Early age patterns do not seem to have much influence on the selection of sport. Although among water polo/ice hockey girls there were a few tomboys. Among the ice hockey team members there were girlish girls and boyish girls as well, but among the figure skaters there were no one who was boyish. No differences can be observed in their views on gender roles concerning for example employment or housework.


BACKGROUND: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is delivered widely through school-based immunization programs. Some groups have expressed concern that HPV vaccination programs will result in an increase in sexual risk-taking behaviours among adolescents. We aimed to evaluate population-level changes in sexual behaviours before and after implementation of the school-based HPV vaccination program in British Columbia. METHODS: In 2008, a school-based HPV vaccination program for girls was introduced in British Columbia. Using data from the BC Adolescent Health Survey — a longitudinal provincial survey administered in schools to capture adolescent physical and emotional health indicators, we conducted a linear trend analysis on sexual health behaviours and risk factors in adolescent girls before and after the implementation of vaccination for HPV (2003, 2008 and 2013). RESULTS: We analyzed data for 298 265 girls who self-identified as heterosexual. The proportion of girls reporting ever having sexual intercourse decreased from 21.3% (2003) to 18.3% (2013; adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.79). Self-report of sexual intercourse before the age of 14 years decreased significantly from 2008 to 2013 (adjusted OR 0.76), as did reported substance use before intercourse (adjusted OR for 2003–2013 0.69). There was no significant change in the number of sexual partners reported (2003–2013). Between 2003 and 2013, girls' reported use of contraception and condoms increased, while pregnancy rates decreased. INTERPRETATION: Since the implementation of school-based HPV vaccination program in BC, sexual risk behaviours reported by adolescent girls either reduced or stayed the same. These findings contribute evidence against any association between HPV vaccination and risky sexual behaviours.


The principal preoccupation of South African foreign policy decision makers has consistently been the preservation and perpetuation of white power and privilege. This has been especially the case with respect to relations with the rest of Africa, and above all Southern Africa which South Africa has long regarded as its natural hinterland. Traditionally, the neighbouring states have been a source of minerals, markets and migrant labour, but more recently they have also been perceived as a source of insecurity. Pretoria countered the alleged "total onslaught" it faced with its "total strategy" which, in the region, amounted to a combination ofathump and talk. "The military reverse South Africa suffered in Angola in 1988 forced a reassessment of policy, leading to the independance of Namibia and the prospect of an end to apartheid domestically. How the emergence of a non-racial democratic regime in South Africa will affect policy towards the continent is uncertain. While the African National Congress recognizes the need to put the relationship on a new and mutually beneficial basis, it is likely to be preoccupied with its own formidable domestic agenda. This may leave policy effectively in the hands of the technocrats and the businessmen, which does not augur well for an end to the present exploitative relationship.


Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare disease of the pulmonary arteries. It is characterised by vascular proliferation and remodelling resulting in a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and right ventricular failure. The functional capacity of the right ventricle is the major prognostic determinant in PH, and death usually results from right ventricular failure. Although recent therapeutic advances have improved the short-to-medium term outlook of PH patients, early death due to right ventricular failure remains inevitable in many patients. The imperative role of RV performance in the clinical status and long- term outcome in PH patients is evident. Evaluation of right ventricular function is essential in the management of patients with pulmonary hypertension. Current methods of assessment of PH patients are suboptimal.

The right ventricle is difficult to assess due to its position and geometry. Recent developments in imaging techniques, such as cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and echocardiography, have improved our understanding of the structure and function of the right ventricle. Assessment of RV function is complex and no single measurement is generally accepted in clinical practice. The experimental work performed in this thesis aimed to improve our understanding of RV function in PH patients and to provide clarity in the role of CMR in the non-invasive assessment and monitoring of pulmonary hypertension patients.

A non-invasive measurement of stroke volume would be beneficial to monitor disease progression in pulmonary hypertension patients. Chapter 3 demonstrated that cardiac magnetic resonance imaging provided non-invasive measurements of stroke volume that were as accurate as those obtained by thermodilution measured during right heart catheterisation. Inert gas rebreathing using photoacoustic analysis also provided accurate non-invasive measurements of stroke volume. Chapter 4 compared two patient groups: idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and pulmonary hypertension associated with connective tissue disease (CTDPAH). We clarified that there was no significant differences in RV structure and performance between these two distinct patient groups to account for the poorer prognosis in the CTDPAH group.

Treatments for PH are always expensive, sometimes invasive and carry significant side effects. It is imperative that we are able to assess the patient's response to therapy in a clinically meaningful, accurate and non-invasive manner. The importance of escalating therapy if a patient does not respond to initial treatment has been emphasised in recently published guidelines. Current monitoring techniques have acknowledged limitations and are suboptimal. Chapter 5 presents the results obtained from my contribution to the prospective, longitudinal multinational EURO-MR study. Longitudinal CMR examination identified significant improvements in cardiac function with the introduction of disease-targeted therapy. Baseline and 4 months post therapy CMR scans were compared. It is anticipated that CMR could be a useful monitoring technique for patients with pulmonary hypertension.


Summary
Binding of the plant lectins, concanavalin A (con A), wheat germ agglutinin, soybean agglutinin and Lens culinaris agglutinin to the surface of cells infected with different Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains inhibited virus release. Binding of succinyl-con A with a lower valency than native tetrameric con A to the surface of infected cells did not inhibit virus release. It was proposed that binding of multivalent lectin molecules to the surface of infected cells impairs assembly of the virus envelope and the budding of new virus particles by the formation of cross-linkages and lattice formation between protein molecules on the cell surface. Binding of the same lectins to NDV-infected cells also caused significant inhibition of virus-induced cell fusion. In contrast, treatment of cells with a phytohaemagglutinin preparation from Phaseolus vulgaris enhanced NDV-induced cell fusion. A new form of NDV-induced c.p.e. was observed in lectin-treated cells involving extensive damage and fragmentation of cell nuclei. This c.p.e. was also found in lectin-treated cells infected with the avirulent NDV strains F and Queensland which normally induce only limited cell damage. The possible mechanisms underlying the varied effects of different lectins on NDV release and cytopathogenicity were discussed.


The impact of social networking has become a focal point for Information Systems researchers; however, its potential benefits and impact have not been fully explored. Membership in social networks has been increasing steadily within the last decade but at the same time some members have abandon their accounts or use them minimally. To understand the differences in usage among members the adoption process needs to be evaluated. Existing adoption models evaluated technology adoption from a utilitarian perspective and are deemed inadequate to evaluate social networking systems (SNS). This is because SNS are classified as social information systems whose adoption, based on the literature, should be evaluated from a motivational perspective. The purpose of this research, therefore, is to propose a social information system research model that will explain the adoption process of social networking and similar technologies.


Finding Homo nearly 3 million years ago The fossil record of humans is notoriously patchy and incomplete. Even so, skeletal remains and artifacts unearthed in Africa in recent decades have done much to illuminate human evolution. But what is the origin of the genus Homo? Villmoare et al. found a fossil mandible and teeth from the Afar region in Ethiopia. The find extends the record of recognizable Homo by at least half a million years, to almost 2.8 million years ago. The morphological traits of the fossil align more closely with Homo than with any other hominid genus. DiMaggio et al. confirm the ancient date of the site and suggest that these early humans lived in a setting that was more open and arid than previously thought. Science, this issue p. 1352, p. 1355 Sediments from the Lee Adoyta site in Ethiopia suggest that early Homo lived in open and arid conditions. Sedimentary basins in eastern Africa preserve a record of continental rifting and contain important fossil assemblages for interpreting hominin evolution. However, the record of hominin evolution between 3 and 2.5 million years ago (Ma) is poorly documented in surface outcrops, particularly in Afar, Ethiopia. Here we present the discovery of a 2.84– to 2.58–million-year-old fossil and hominin-bearing sediments in the Ledi-Geraru research area of Afar, Ethiopia, that have produced the earliest record of the genus Homo. Vertebrate fossils record a faunal turnover indicative of more open and probably arid habitats than those reconstructed earlier in this region, which is in broad agreement with hypotheses addressing the role of environmental forcing in hominin evolution at this time. Geological analyses constrain depositional and structural models of Afar and date the LD 350-1 Homo mandible to 2.80 to 2.75 Ma.


Background . Rugby Union, compared with other popular team sports, presents an above-average risk of injury to players that may increase with age and level of play. Elite schoolboy rugby players have been competing at the South African Rugby Union (SARU) Youth tournaments at the under-13 (CW13), under-16 (GK16) and under-18 (AW18 and CW18) tournaments annually since 1964. The injury epidemiology of these tournaments has yet to be established. Objectives . To determine the injury incidence densities (IIDs) and severity of SARU Youth Week tournament injuries, if the IID increases with age, and the types of injuries at the different age group levels, in 2011. Methods . All match-related injuries presenting to the Tournament Doctor during these tournaments were recorded and classified for severity and type, using the injury collection Consensus Statement for Rugby. Injury incidence per 1 000 match hours and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using overall player exposure time. Results . Match-related IIDs for 'all' (combined: 47.9 injuries/1000 match hours) and time-loss injuries (combined: 23.1 injuries/1000 match hours) were not significantly different by age group, despite a strong tendency to indicate differences. The absolute number of injuries per match increased with age. In general, there was a higher proportion of concussions at the GK16, AW18, and CW18 compared with the CW13 tournament(s). Conclusions . Time-loss IIDs at SARU Youth Weeks are similar to other elite junior rugby data. The absolute number and type/ classification of injuries per match may be more informative than IIDs alone for medical planning purposes.


Volume I of the International Criminal Law Practitioner Library series focuses on the law of individual criminal responsibility applied in international criminal law, providing a thorough review of the forms of criminal responsibility. The authors present a critical analysis of the elements of individual criminal responsibility as set out in the statutory instruments of the international and hybrid criminal courts and tribunals and their jurisprudence. All elements are discussed, demystifying and untangling some of the confusion in the jurisprudence and literature on the forms of responsibility. The jurisprudence of the ICTY and the ICTR is the main focus of the book. Every trial and appeal judgement, as well as relevant interlocutory jurisprudence, up to 1 December 2006, has been surveyed, as has the relevant jurisprudence of other tribunals and the provisions in the legal instruments of the ICC, making this a highly relevant work.


Results of an investigation into the design of Jaumann absorbers are reported. Jaumann absorbers are effective in minimizing plane wave reflection from a conducting metal surface and exhibit reasonably wide frequency and incidence angle bandwidths. The spacers between the resistive sheets are usually assumed to be lossless and a quarter-wavelength long at the center frequency. It is shown that the numerical minimization technique can result in a design which improves upon the purely analytical methods. Some representative results are shown.<<ETX>>


Equestrian sport is considered a high-risk environment for equine injury. Due to the close bond between horse and rider, it could be theorised that riders may be impacted psychologically by their horses' injuries, as seen in athletic pairs and with companion animal ownership. The extensive time commitment and responsibility of care within equestrian sport means that horse riders' day-to-day life is impacted in a way not seen in other sporting or leisure environments, thus providing a unique opportunity to investigate the psychological responses of riders to their horse's injury. The aims of this study were to investigate the psychological responses that amateur riders experienced when their horses were injured. 308 amateur horse riders (16 male and 292 female, median age 25-30 category) completed the Psychological Response to Sport Injury Inventory (19-item) (PRSII) and questions regarding demographics, investment in equestrian sport, the horse's injury and the length of rehabilitation. Devastation was significantly affected by the weekly time investment of riders (H(3)=8.255, P=0.041) and the length of ownership prior to the injury (H(2)=7.690, P=0.021). 'Devastation', 'feeling cheated', 'restlessness' and 'isolation' were all significantly affected by the length of rehabilitation for the horse (H(7)=70.825, P=0.000, H(7)=37.799, P=0.000, H(7)=37.799, P=0.004, and H(7)=27.486, P=0.000, respectively). These findings suggest that amateur horse riders are at risk of psychological distress when their horse becomes injured. Whilst the industry has developed strategies to support owners following euthanasia which are already in place, psychological support following horse injury may be necessary to buffer psychological 'devastation' within amateur horse owners.