Cognitive modelling can discover the latent characteristics of examinees for predicting their performance (i.e. scores) on each problem. As cognitive modelling is important for numerous applications, e.g. personalized remedy recommendation, some solutions have been designed in the literature. However, the problem of extracting information from both objective and subjective problems to get more precise and interpretable cognitive analysis is still underexplored. To this end, we propose a fuzzy cognitive diagnosis framework (Fuzzy CDF) for examinees' cognitive modelling with both objective and subjective problems. Specifically, to handle the partially correct responses on subjective problems, we first fuzzify the skill proficiency of examinees. Then, we combine fuzzy set theory and educational hypotheses to model the examinees' mastery on the problems. Further, we simulate the generation of examination scores by considering both slip and guess factors. Extensive experiments on three real-world datasets prove that FuzzyCDF can predict examinee performance more effectively, and the output of FuzzyCDF is also interpretative.


Flux is continually emerging on the Sun, making its way from the solar interior up into the atmosphere. Emergence occurs on small-scales in the quiet Sun where magnetic fragments emerge, interact and cancel and on large-scales in active regions where magnetic fields emerge and concentrate to form sunspots. This thesis has been concerned with the large-scale emergence process and in particular the results from previous solar flux emergence modelling endeavours. Modelling uses numerical methods to evolve a domain representing simplified layers of the Sun's atmosphere, within which the subsurface layer contains magnetic flux. The flux is initialised such that it will rises towards the surface at the start of the simulation. Once the flux reaches the solar surface, it can only emerge into the atmosphere if a magnetic buoyancy instability occurs, after which it expands rapidly both vertically and horizontally. The aim of this thesis is to test the robustness of these general findings from simulations to date upon the seed magnetic field. More explicitly, we have used three-dimensional numerical simulations to investigate how variations in the subsurface magnetic field modify the emergence process and the resulting atmospheric field. We initially consider a simple constant twist flux tube for the seed field and vary the tube's magnetic field strength and degree of twist. Additionally, we have examined the effects of using non-constant twist flux tubes as the seed field by choosing two different profiles for the twist that are functions of the tube's radius. Finally, we have investigated the effects of increasing the complexity of the seed field by positioning two flux tubes below the solar surface and testing two different configurations for the tubes. In both cases, the magnetic fields of the two tubes are such that, once the tubes come into contact with each other, reconnection occurs and a combined flux system is formed. From our investigations, we conclude that the general emergence results given by previous simulations are robust. However, for constant twist tubes with low field strength and twist, the buoyancy instability fails to be launched when the tubes reach the photosphere and they remain trapped in the low atmosphere. Similarly, when the non-constant twist profile results in a low tension force throughout the tube, we find that the buoyancy instability is not initialised.


This substance is a combination of lime and sulphuric acid, in the proportion, according to Vauquelin, of 0,40 lime and 0,60 sulphuric acid. It has obtained various names: being called Chaux Sulfatee Anhydre by Hauy, Chaux Sulfatine by Brongniart, Anhydrite and Wurfelpath by Werner, Muriacite by Poda and Klaproth, Pierre de Vulpino by Fleuriau de Bellevue, and Marmo bardiglio di Bergamo by the Italian statuaries. The name sulphate of lime has hitherto been applied to gypsum; but as it is now well known that the simple combination of lime and sulphuric acid produces bardiglione, while water is essential to the composition of the former, that expression is inapplicable, and might be supplied by that of Hydro-sulphate of lime.

Primitive Crystal A rectangular tetrahedral prism with square bases, which, from every indication, do not belong to the cube, but the height of which it has hitherto been impossible to determine, fig. 1.

Integrant Molecule The tetrahedral prism very distinctly exhibits natural joints', parallel to the diagonals of its bases; the integrant molecule is therefore a right trihedral prism, having for its terminal face a right angled isosceles triangle, fig.2: the height of the integrant molecule as well as that of the primitive crystal, which is composed of four of these molecules, fig. 3,* is yet undetermined.

Fracture Even and shining in the direction of the cleavage; but having commonly more lustre, and often a pearly aspect, on those sides of the prism on which the Cleavage


This chapter will present a detailed overview of biometric systems and how they work. The system attributes, performance metrics, modalities are all discussed, alongside an analysis of attacks that exist against biometric systems. Given the limitations that exist in all biometric systems, a trend in biometric research is towards the use of multibiometric systems, which seek to overcome the issues through the application of multiple modalities, algorithms, instances or samples. These systems and the approaches that exist are presented. The chapter ends with a discussion of the efforts being made with the standardization of the domain - which has been the essential factor in bringing biometrics from a niche into the mainstream.


Cryptography in the form of digital signatures can be part of the solution to the threat of spoofing and is going to be implemented on Galileo and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems. Digital signatures incorporated into the data stream authenticate the integrity of the data as well as the origin of the message. Implementing a digital signature on a satellite-based augmentation system for use in aviation will require the signature to be short and the signing procedure to be cryptographically relevant for the next 30 or more years. With the advent of quantum computing, many state-of-the-art authentication schemes are no longer viable, so an authentication scheme implemented in satellite-based augmentation system will need to be quantum secure. This paper introduces the cryptographic primitives (foundational problems) necessary to understand the vulnerabilities in modern-day cryptography due to quantum computing and investigates the use of TESLA (Timed Efficient Stream Loss-tolerant Algorithm) and EC-Schnorr (Elliptic Curve-Schnorr) algorithms in broadcast systems.


OBJECTIVES
Investigating the prevalence and sensitivity of germs isolated from newborn in a referral hospital in Bogotá. Suggesting an empirical antibiotic treatment for neonatal infection.

METHODS
Cultures taken between February and December 2002 were analysed. Blood cultures were processed using BacT/ALERT (Durham, NC), urine cultures by UROCULT (Bio-Bacter) and catheter tips in thioglycollate. BBL CRYSTAL identification system (BD, Sparks, MD) was used for identifying germs. Antibiotic sensitivity was determined by disk diffusion.

RESULTS
There were 1,097 positive aerobic and facultative aerobic germ cultures; 64.3% were Gram-positive, 30.6% Gram-negative and 4.9% were yeasts. Gram-positive germs consisted of coagulase-negative staphylococci (64.2%), enterococcus (13.8%) and coagulase-positive staphylococci (13.3%). The most frequent Gram-negatives were Klebsiella (45.2%), Eschericha coli (30.9%) and Serratia (10.1%). Staphylococcus epidermidis accounted for 64% of the coagulase-negative staphylococci. S. epidermidis susceptibility to vancomycin was 100%. Coagulase-negative staphylococci susceptibility to rifampin and amikacin was 59% and 67.4% (respectively). Coagulase-negative staphylococci resistance to beta-lactams was 86.4% (95% CI: 82.3-89.9). Coagulase-positive staphylococci sensitivity to vancomycin was 100%. Gram-negative susceptibility to imipenem was 98.1% (95% CI: 89.9-99.9), 78.1% to gentamicin (95% CI: 64.9-88.2) and 46.6% to amikacin (95% CI: 28.3-65.7).

CONCLUSIONS
There was high coagulase-negative staphylococci prevalence in neonatal infection (particularly S. epidermidis). All S. epidermidis and coagulase-positive staphylococci were sensitive to vancomycin. There was increasing coagulase-negative staphylococci and Gram-negative resistance to oxacillin and amikacin, respectively.


Construction sector in India has been on a high growth path lately and maximizing efficiency and profitability has been a key concern. Lean Construction offers a potential solution for system level efficiency improvement. Given the weak planning processes, diverse cultures and ill-trained labour in the industry, Lean implementation has been a challenge. IIT Madras, an educational institution, had recently taken up a carefully-structured programme for training and implementation of Lean construction practices in nine trial projects with varying characteristics through classroom and webinar-based trainings, reporting in predefined formats, monitoring by site visits and periodic reviews. Sites were encouraged to adopt the LPS as the core and use various other Lean tools with close assistance from the Faculty. Overall many of the standard benefits of Lean implementation were realised. However, the extent of gains was seen to be influenced by many soft aspects, such as the culture of the site and the organisation, planning and engineering expertise available, commitment and support from top management and site management. The paper presents an overview of the programme and an analysis of the results obtained/lessons learned across the different sites based on the organisational and cultural aspects of the sites.


After Egon Schiele (1890-1918) freed himself from the shadow of his mentor and role model Gustav Klimt, he had just ten years to inscribe his signature style into the annals of modernity before the Spanish flu claimed his life. Being a child prodigy quite aware of his own genius and a passionate provocateur, this didn't prove to be too big a challenge. His haggard, overstretched figures, drastic depiction of sexuality, and self-portraits in which he staged himself with emaciated facial expressions bordering between brilliance and madness, had none of the decorative quality of Klimt's hymns of love, sexuality, and yearning devotion. Instead, Schiele's work spoke of a brutal honesty, one that would upset and irreversibly change Viennese society. Although his works were later defamed as "degenerate" and for a time were almost forgotten altogether, they influenced generations of artists - from Gunter Brus and Francis Bacon to Tracey Emin. Today, his then-misunderstood oeuvre continues to fetch exorbitant prices on the international art market. Presented in a voluminous format that captures all of the intensity and emotional truth of his work, Egon Schiele. The Complete Paintings 1909-1918 features 221 paintings and 146 drawings that retrace the fertile last decade of Schiele's life. With many pieces newly photographed for this edition, these works are paired with excerpts from his countless writings and poems, as well as essays introducing his life and oeuvre, to situate the Austrian master in the context of European Expressionism and trace his extraordinary legacy.


In this case study, we document challenges to reform implementation posed by line staff, supervisors, and managers during a large-scale realignment of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) in which they sought to replace a traditional approach of "risk containment" focused on surveillance and incarceration with a new model of "risk reduction" focused on service delivery and reintegration. We draw on interviews, observations, and archival research to document the staff's discursive challenges to the rollout of the new policy. More specifically, we describe how varying challenges to the reforms—"denial," "dismissal," and "defiance"—reflect actors' positions within the organization, the local contexts in which they operate, and more general frames of interpretation of the long-term orientation of the KDOC. We integrate these perspectives to contribute to the ongoing expansion of conventional models of penal change that highlight the role of actors and local social and institutional context as moderators of the gap between "law on the books" and "law in action."


Introduction Achilles tendon pathology (ATP) encompasses a range of tendon overuse injuries that can be sub-classified into separate pathologies [Weinfeld, 2014]. To date, a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with ATP [Raleigh and Collins, 2012] but, with the exception of the COL5A1 rs12722 variant, limited work has been published on attempting to replicate these findings in cohorts other than those recruited from either South Africa or Australia. We selected variants within the TIMP2 (rs4789932) and GDF-5 (rs143383) genes, that have previously been shown to associate with ATP [El Khoury et al , 2013 and Posthumus et al , 2010], and attempted to replicate previous associations in a newly recruited British-based, case-control, Caucasian cohort. Methods We recruited 133 ATP Caucasian patients from the County Clinic in Northampton along with 131 physically active controls from various sports clubs within the East Midlands region. DNA samples were collected from saliva (DNA genotek Ltd) and Taqman technology, using allele specific probes and primers, was used to genotype all DNA samples. Reactions were run on a StepOne Plus real-time PCR instrument (ABI). Genotypes were called according to post run cluster profiles and data were analysed using Chi-squared (c 2 ) analysis or Fisher's exact test. Significance was accepted at p Results For the TIMP2 rs4789932 variant we found no association between genotype and case or control status in the entire cohort (p = 0.279). However, in sex specific analysis we did find that the CC genotype was associated (p = 0.043) with male ATP cases compared to controls (Table 1). For the GDF- 5 rs143383 variant, we found no association between genotype and case or control status in the entire cohort (p = 0.538) or in either male (p = 0.319) or female (p = 0.737) specific analysis (data not shown). Genotypes did not associate with any other potential confounding variables. Conclusions The TIMP2 rs478992 CC genotype was associated with male cases of ATP. Although this locus was previously associated with ATP in cohorts recruited from the Southern Hemisphere it was the CT genotype that was the risk factor and the association was not sex specific [El Khoury et al , 2013]. This result might be related to differences in unknown environmental exposures between the cohorts investigated that may modify the effect of the genotype. We found no evidence of an association between ATP and the GDF-5 variant. These data should be viewed as preliminary findings and will need to be repeated in a larger cohort. References El Khoury et al , J Sci Med Sports. 2013;16, 493–498 Posthumus et al , Rheumatology. 2010;49, 2090–2097 Raleigh, Collins, Achilles Tendon. 2012;p26–37 Weinfeld, Med Clin North Am. 2014;98, 331–8


According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, human population growth is one of the two primary causes of increased greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating global climate change. Slowing or ending population growth could be a cost effective, environmentally advantageous means to mitigate climate change, providing important benefits to both human and natural communities. Yet population policy has attracted relatively little attention from ethicists, policy analysts, or policy makers dealing with this issue. In part, this is because addressing population matters means wading into a host of contentious ethical issues, including family planning, abortion, and immigration. This article reviews the scientific literature regarding voluntary population control's potential contribution to climate change mitigation. It considers possible reasons for the failure of climate ethicists, analysts, and policy makers to adequately assess that contribution or implement policies that take advantage of it, with particular reference to the resistance to accepting limits to growth. It explores some of the ethical issues at stake, considering arguments for and against noncoercive population control and asking whether coercive population policies are ever morally justified. It also argues that three consensus positions in the climate ethics literature regarding acceptable levels of risk, unacceptable harms, and a putative right to economic development, necessarily imply support for voluntary population control. WIREs Clim Change 2012, 3:45–61. doi: 10.1002/wcc.153


One of the main rules of subtitling states that subtitles should be formatted and timed so that viewers have enough time to read and understand the text but also to follow the picture. In this paper we examine the factors that influence the time viewers spend looking at subtitles. We concentrate on the lexical and structural properties of subtitles. The participant group (N = 14) watched a television documentary with Russian narration and Finnish subtitles (the participants' native language), while their eye movements were tracked. Using a linear mixed-effects model, we identified significant effects of subtitle duration and character count on the time participants spent looking at the subtitles. The model also revealed significant inter-individual differences, despite the fact that the participant group was seemingly homogeneous. The findings underline the complexity of subtitled audiovisual material as a stimulus of cognitive processing. We provide a starting point for more comprehensive modelling of the factors involved in gaze behaviour when watching subtitled content.
Lay summary
Subtitles have become a popular method for watching foreign series and films even in countries that have traditionally used dubbing in this regard. Because subtitles are visible to the viewer a short, limited time, they should be composed so that they are easy to read, and that the viewer has time to also follow the image. Nevertheless, the factors that have impact the time it takes to read a subtitle is not very well known. We wanted to find out what makes people who are watching subtitled television shows spend more time gazing at the subtitles? To answer this question, we recorded the eye movements of 14 participants when they were watching a short, subtitled television documentary. We created a statistical model of the gaze behavior from the eye movement data and found that both the length of the subtitle and the time the subtitle is visible are separate contributing factors. We also discovered large differences between individual viewers. Our conclusion is that people process subtitled content in very different ways, but there are some common tendencies. Our model can be seen as solid starting point for comprehensive modelling of gaze behavior of people watching subtitled audiovisual material.


In this magnificent book, distinguished archaeologist Barry Cunliffe reframes our entire conception of early European history, from prehistory through the ancient world to the medieval Viking period. Cunliffe views Europe not in terms of states and shifting political land boundaries but as a geographical niche particularly favored in facing many seas. These seas, and Europe's great transpeninsular rivers, ensured a rich diversity of natural resources while also encouraging the dynamic interaction of peoples across networks of communication and exchange. The development of these early Europeans is rooted in complex interplays, shifting balances, and geographic and demographic fluidity. Drawing on archaeology, anthropology, and history, Cunliffe has produced an interdisciplinary tour de force. His is a bold book of exceptional scholarship, erudite and engaging, and it heralds an entirely new understanding of Old Europe.


The performance of a battery-ultracapacitor hybrid power source under pulsed load conditions is analytically described using simplified models. We show that peak power can be greatly enhanced, internal losses can be considerably reduced, and that discharge life of the battery is extended. Greatest benefits are seen when the load pulse rate is higher than the system eigenfrequency and when the pulse duty is small. Actual benefits are substantial; adding a 23 F ultracapacitor bank (3 /spl times/ 7 PC10 ultracapacitors) in parallel with a typical Li-ion battery of 7.2 V and 1.35 A hr capacity can boost the peak power capacity by 5 times and reduce the power loss by 74%, while minimally impacting system volume and weight, for pulsed loads of 5 A, 1 Hz repetition rate, and 10% duty.


Summary A survey of charcoal-roasted plantain and fish (CRPF) vendors in Port Harcourt, Nigeria was carried out to determine if they were a potential anaesthetic high risk group. Questionnaires which contained vendor's biodata and educational qualification including information on hours of exposure as well as number of years in the business and respiratory symptoms if present were filled by the authors in the presence of the vendors. Oxygen saturation and heart rate were recorded using the Nonnin 9250 portable battery-operated oximeter. Results were programmed into Microsoft EXCEL work sheet and data analysed. A total of 102 vendors were visited at their place of work over a three month period. Two declined to be interviewed leaving 100 vendors. All vendors were women aged 16 to 60 years (mean 34.3 years). More than half of the vendors (52%) had secondary level education. Seventeen per cent were part-time vendors while 83% were full-time. Number of years of exposure ranged from 1 to 30 years (Mean 6.4 years). The daily duration of exposure ranged from 4 to 14 hours (mean 7.7 hours). Mean oxygen saturation was 97%, while mean pulse rate was 85bpm. There were no significant respiratory symptoms. We conclude from this survey that outdoor cooking or roasting with charcoal less than 14 hours daily for less than 10 years may not be enough to cause respiratory problems or pose any significant anaesthetic risk.


A broadly tunable picosecond singly resonant optical parametric oscillator based on a Brewster-angled crystal of lithium triborate in a ring cavity is described. The optical parametric oscillator is synchronously pumped by an all-solid-state frequency-doubled additive-pulse mode-locked Nd:YLF laser pumped by laser diodes. Continuous noncritically phase-matched tuning is demonstrated from 839 to 1392 nm by use of one set of optics. The oscillator has a threshold of 47 mW of average pump power and, with a pump depletion of 70%, can deliver a tunable output of as high as 88 mW.


Mind-wandering is associated with switching our attention to internally directed thoughts and is by definition an intrinsic, self-generated cognitive function. Interestingly, previous research showed that it may be possible to modulate its propensity externally, with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting different regions in the default mode and executive control networks (ECNs). However, these studies used highly heterogeneous montages (targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL), or both concurrently), often showed contradicting results, and in many cases failed to replicate. Our study aimed to establish whether tDCS of the default mode network (DMN), via targeting the right IPL alone, could modulate mind-wandering propensity using a within-subjects double-blind, counterbalanced design. Participants completed sustained attention to response task (SART) interspersed with thought-probes to capture their subjective reports of mind-wandering before and after receiving anodal, cathodal, or sham tDCS over the right IPL (with the reference over the left cheek). We found evidence for the lack of an effect of stimulation on subjective reports of mind-wandering (JZS-BF01 = 5.19), as well as on performance on the SART task (errors (JZS-BF01 = 6.79) and reaction time (JZS-BF01 = 5.94). Overall, we failed to replicate previous reports of successful modulations of mind-wandering propensity with tDCS over the IPL, instead of providing evidence in support of the lack of an effect. This and other recent unsuccessful replications call into question whether it is indeed possible to externally modulate spontaneous or self-generated cognitive processes.


We study the problem of learning one-hidden-layer neural networks with Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) activation function, where the inputs are sampled from standard Gaussian distribution and the outputs are generated from a noisy teacher network. We analyze the performance of gradient descent for training such kind of neural networks based on empirical risk minimization, and provide algorithm-dependent guarantees. In particular, we prove that tensor initialization followed by gradient descent can converge to the ground-truth parameters at a linear rate up to some statistical error. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work characterizing the recovery guarantee for practical learning of one-hidden-layer ReLU networks with multiple neurons. Numerical experiments verify our theoretical findings.


Survivability is one of the most important requirements in design of communications networks, since we as a society are increasingly relying on the Internet, and service interruptions are very costly. Unfortunately, submarine fibre-optic networks are vulnerable to unpredictable disasters, such as earthquakes or nuclear explosions, which pose significant large-scale threats to the submarine cables of modern telecommunication networks. In this paper, we formulate an optimization problem on the plane to minimize the total cable cost under the survivability constraints. We consider at first a simple example of a network of two nodes located on two different islands and propose a rectangular topology network to reduce the probability that all the cables are damaged simultaneously by a single disaster. Then we consider cases of multiple cables, rectangular with rounded corners and rhombus network topologies. Analytical results, validated by simulations, for the survivability of all topology cases are presented including a comparison of the various topologies. Finally, we extend the discussion to a network with an arbitrary number of nodes and a general geography, and to various scenarios of different disaster and cable break probability functions. Overall, this paper provides a methodology for discussing and solving a real world problem.


Phytoextraction is an in situ decontamination technique using metal accumulating plants and appropriate soil amendments to transport and concentrate metals from the soil into the aboveground parts of plants, which are harvested with conventional agriculture methods. Since most of the metal hyperaccumulating plants only produce very low biomass, and most of plants producing high biomass accumulate only moderate amounts of metals, the current research is mainly focused on the overcoming of this deficiency to optimise metal phytoextraction. The main goal of our study aimed at improvement of phytoextraction through improved metal accumulation in sunflowers producing a high biomass. The potential use of their oil and biomass for technical purpose (biodiesel, biogas and energy) allows to produce an added value and to improve the economical balance of phytoextraction. Chemical mutagenesis (non-GMO approach) and appropriate fertilization treatments stimulating metal bioavailability in the soil were used as an alternative to genetic engineering to enhance both metal accumulation and extraction efficiency of oil crops. The effect of chemical mutagenesis on metal accumulation and extraction potential of two sunflower cultivars was directly assessed on a metal contaminated field. Theoretical calculations for phytoextraction potential of new variants show that the best sunflower mutants of the 2nd generation can produce up to 26 t dry matter yield per ha and remove 13.3 kg Zn per ha and year at the sewage sludge contaminated site; that is a gain factor of 9 compared to Zn removal of sunflower controls. Results of field experiments on the same metal contaminated site confirmed the improved yield, metal accumulation and metal extraction efficiency by new sunflower mutant lines in the 3rd and 4th generation. Sunflowers still showed a yield improvement by a factor of 4-6 and metal extraction by a factor of 3-4 for Cd, 5 for Zn and 5-6 for Pb.


This paper examines the performance of rural groups in Kenya and addresses the methodological issues and challenges faced in doing this, and presents the empirical evidence regarding various hypothesized explanatory factors for relative performance levels. Eighty-seven groups and 442 households were surveyed using several approaches. Various performance measures were tested. Both descriptive analysis and regression models were used to gain a better understanding of the group-level and household-level factors that explain performance. Collective action is desired and practiced for a large number of tasks. The findings highlight the incredible number, diversity and dynamic nature of groups in the highlands of Kenya (and we suspect this finding is not terribly unique to this region). Assessing and comparing performance across a range of group activities is wrought with difficulties related to measurement and standardization. Focusing on groups undertaking similar activities makes it easier to delve more deeply into performance drivers. The empirical analysis focused on the effect of group structural variables (e.g. its size) on performance. We found that choice of performance measure and level at which it is measured (e.g. household, group) matters when it comes to trying to explain the variability in that measure. An analysis across different types of groups engaged in exactly the same activity (tree nurseries) found that predicted group performance was not linked to any easy-to-measure group characteristic, implying that for this task dissemination need not be targeted towards particular types of groups. Looking more broadly at a range of activities, we found that structural factors had varied results.


Sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate and potassium citrate cause alkalinisation of the urine. They may be given to relieve urinary discomfort in mild urinary tract infections, and to prevent the development of uric acid renal calculi in the initial stages of uricosuric therapy for hyperuricaemia. Sodium bicarbonate is also used parenterally to correct metabolic acidosis, and orally, as an antacid. This article provides a brief review of the therapeutic role of alkalinising agents for alkalinisation of the urine and for neutralisation of acid secretions in the gastrointestinal tract.


The American Brain Foundation (ABF) has partnered with the Alzheimer's Association, TheMichael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, and the American Academy of Neurology to establish the 2022CureOne, CureMany Award: A research award for early diagnosis of Lewy body dementia (LBD). This $3 million, multi-year research award was created to improve the diagnosis of LBD, which causes a progressive decline in cognitive function and is one of the common causes of neurodegenerative dementia. Currently, LBD can only be definitively diagnosed with a brain autopsy after death. As a result of a delay in diagnosis and misdiagnosis, people with LBD and their caregivers endure daily challenges and uncertainty. The goal of the 2022 Cure One, Cure Many Award is to attract the best minds in brain disease research to find a biomarker (diagnostic test) for LBD. The hope is that this will lead to an accurate method of diagnosing the disease, giving patients and their loved ones clarity about the prognosis. This will also allow researchers to better study LBD and develop effective therapies. ABF Board Vice Chair Susan Schneider Williams spearheaded this initiative in honor of her late husband, actor and comedian Robin Williams, after receiving his diagnosis of LBD after his death. "I am so hopeful about the inaugural Cure One, Cure Many Award and the changes it could bring. Diagnosis is vital—not only for the LBD patients and caregivers but also for the doctors and researchers. So much time, effort, resources, and life itself can be saved by having an accurate diagnosis," saidWilliams. Funding for the 2022 Cure One, Cure Many Award is provided by the Alzheimer's Association and The Michael J. Fox Foundation. The American Academy of Neurology is the ABF's research partner. These partnerships highlight the interconnectedness of brain diseases. "Better biological measures of brain disease are urgently needed to speed therapeutic development and improve care. More resources, research, and collaboration are critical toward those goals," said Todd Sherer, PhD, CEO of TheMichael J. Fox Foundation. "Shared pathology across Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia means that better understanding the biology of one can help advance research into the other, growing the impact of this program across diagnostic lines." "The Alzheimer's Association is pleased to collaborate with these other passionate and dedicated organizations to inject much-needed energy and resources into Lewy body dementia research," said Maria C. Carrillo, PhD, Alzheimer's Association chief science officer. "As an added benefit, it may also increase the understanding of degenerative brain diseases, including Alzheimer's and all other dementia, leading to better diagnosis, improved treatments, and effective prevention strategies that may benefit millions of people around the world," Carrillo said. Proposals for the award will be reviewed by a panel of preeminent scientists andwill address disorders across the LBD spectrum. Projects should specifically have the potential to identify one or more biomarkers that can be used to diagnose LBD as the underlying cause of cognitive impairment. The application process for the 2022 Cure One, Cure Many Award will open on July 1, 2021. Grant winners will be selected and announced later this year. LBD and other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease sharemany similarities, and patients often experience overlapping symptoms—as well as the abnormal synuclein protein clusters called Lewy bodies. As a result, they are often mistaken for one another, which hinders diagnosis, treatment, and research. "The American Brain Foundation promotes and invests in research across the whole spectrum of brain diseases and disorders in the belief that when we find a cure for one brain disease, we will find cures for many. Our holistic approach focuses on building bridges between different brain diseases to break new ground in both research and application," said Jane Ransom, the Foundation's executive director.


Stable isotope methods offer a powerful means of investigating trophic interactions, allowing assessment of the relative importance of multiple nutrient sources to biological assemblages, as well as estimation of the trophic positions of consumers. Differences in the isotope ratios of consumers between habitats can thus indicate differences in the structures of food webs, or the contributions of different food sources to those food webs. Isotope methods were used to compare the food web of an artificial reef located off the south coast of England with that of a nearby natural reef system, revealing a similarly complex food web, with similar trophic structure, and similar inputs from the available food sources. Isotope methods should be incorporated into more artificial reef studies, where they have been seldom applied. Offshore oil and gas platforms in the North Sea are artificial reefs, hosting substantial assemblages of sessile invertebrates and other associated fauna, and attracting large numbers of fish and motile invertebrates. Structural survey footage provided by the oil and gas industry allowed the investigation of the marine life associated with several of these structures, of varied ages and in various locations in the North Sea. At least thirty?six taxa of motile invertebrates and fish were observed in association with the structures, most of which were present on all platforms surveyed. While most reef?associated fish were observed around the base of the larger platforms, many thousands of fish were also observed in the water column around these structures at other depths. A small number of sessile taxa dominated the fouling assemblages, in places achieving total coverage of the available surfaces. Fouling composition changed with depth, but this pattern was not identical on all platforms. Platform age and location both affected the fouling assemblages present, but these two factors did not fully explain all the variation.


The study of the boundary layer transition plays a fundamental role in the field of turbomachinery. The main reason is the strong influence of the transition on the flow field local parameters, such as skin friction and heat transfer, this variation is reflected on the global ones such as efficiency and heat load of the blade row.
 Turbulent transition models are nowadays commonly used tools in both CFD research and design practice. It is then of particular interest to understand if they are able to predict the effect of temperature on bypass transition and, in case of positive answer, the reasons of their behaviour.
 This becomes even more interesting as the effect of the flow aero-thermal coupling becomes prominent in the analysis of such phenomena and is typically not accounted for in the validation of turbulence models. In this work we focus our attention on two state of the art transition model that use two radically different approaches to describe transition.
 To isolate the effects of the temperature ratio on the transition the simulations have been performed keeping the same values of Reynolds and Mach numbers and changing the value of the wall to freestream Temperature Ratio (TR).
 The results of the two transition models have been compared between them as well as with experimental results. They show that both models are sensitive to TR, though a locally based (rather than correlation based) approach for transition modelling should be favoured.


Care Managers: Working with the Aging Family addresses the unmet needs of care managers working with aging clients as well as the client's entire family. With its in-depth focus on the " aging family system, this book fills a gap for medical case managers and geriatric care managers giving them tools to better meet the treatment goals of aging clients and their families, as the older clients move through the continuum of care in institutional based settings or community based settings. Care Managers: Working With the Aging Family uniquely focuses on helping the entire family unit through the process of death and dying, helping midlife siblings to work together to render care to aging parents. It adds proven techniques to the care manager repertoire such as family meetings, forgiveness, technology, and care giver assessment. It offers multiple tools to do an effective care plan so that both the needs of the family and the older client are met.


Abstract : This paper presents results from investigating indentation impressions on human enamel under micro-hardness tests. The experiments of hardness testing were performed on a microhardness indentation machine under different loading conditions. Images of indentation impressions were obtained using an environmental scanning electron microscope. Geometrical shapes of hardness indentations were visualized in three-dimensional space using computer graphics. Quantitative information was obtained through atomic force measurements to characterize "pile-up", "sink-in", and elastic recovery of enamel. Special efforts have been made to study the microstructural effect of the calcified rods orientations on the fracture patterns formed during the hardness tests. Significant findings include that the occlusal surface demonstrates much stronger resistance to the indentation force than does the buccal surface and shows 40% elastic recovery after indentation. A new formula to determine hardness value has been proposed. By incorporating the reversible deformation into the evaluation, a normalized hardness measurement can be made to form a basis for comparison and other investigations where hardness has its unique role to play.


The link between measured sub-saturated hygroscopicity
and cloud activation potential of secondary organic
aerosol particles produced by the chamber photo-oxidation
of α-pinene in the presence or absence of ammonium sulphate
seed aerosol was investigated using two models of
varying complexity. A simple single hygroscopicity parameter
model and a more complex model (incorporating surface
effects) were used to assess the detail required to predict
the cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) activity from the subsaturated water uptake. Sub-saturated water uptake measured by three hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyser (HTDMA) instruments was used to determine the water activity for use in the models. The predicted CCN activity was compared to the measured CCN activation potential using a continuous flow CCN counter.
Reconciliation using the more complex model formulation
with measured cloud activation could be achieved widely
different assumed surface tension behavior of the growing
droplet; this was entirely determined by the instrument used
as the source of water activity data. This unreliable derivation of the water activity as a function of solute concentration from sub-saturated hygroscopicity data indicates a limitation in the use of such data in predicting cloud condensation nucleus behavior of particles with a significant organic fraction. Similarly, the ability of the simpler single parameter model to predict cloud activation behaviour was dependent on the instrument
used to measure sub-saturated hygroscopicity and
the relative humidity used to provide the model input. However, agreement was observed for inorganic salt solution particles, which were measured by all instruments in agreement with theory. The difference in HTDMA data from validated and extensively used instruments means that it cannot be stated with certainty the detail required to predict the CCN activity from sub-saturated hygroscopicity. In order to narrow the gap between measurements of hygroscopic growth and CCN activity the processes involved must be understood and the instrumentation extensively quality assured. It is impossible to say from the results presented here due to the differences in HTDMA data whether: i) Surface tension suppression occurs ii)
Bulk to surface partitioning is important iii) The water activity coefficient changes significantly as a function of the solute concentration.


A novel red to transmissive electrochromic polymer is described. A monomer which consists of EDOT and phenanthrocarbazole units was designed. Upon electrochemical polymerization of this material, a red colored polymer film was formed, which upon oxidation switches to a highly transmissive state. A high optical contrast (51%) and fast switching times (0.65 s and 0.52 s) were achieved, making this polymer an important candidate for electrochromic device and simple display applications. In addition, to best of our knowledge, this is the first example of a phenanthrocarbazole containing electrochromic polymer.


The present study was conducted to ascertain the socio- psychological effects of emigration on left behind families in district Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The data was collected from 367 sampled respondents, which were selected from four union councils of four tehsils of district Buner. The data was analyzed by using simple percentages and frequency. The chi-square statistics was used to determine association between independent variable and dependent variable. The study concluded that wives of emigrants faces loneliness; there was more tension in left behind families; basic needs like emotional needs were not fulfilled; conflict has been develop between spouses; emigration of husband force wives to leave the houses for buying of daily needs, goods; in laws start interference and objections on female outside activities. Moreover, the rate of divorce has not been increased after emigration; emigrant's wives were discriminated by in laws. It is recommended that migrant should increase visiting home or shift their family to abroad to reduce tensions and conflict.


Many biological and economic processes in fishery happen seasonally. Most of the extant literature tends to neglect this fact. This work is an initial attempt to treat seasonality in a systematic and proper way. We apply a periodic Bellman approach to obtain the optimal feedback policy of each season. Our approach has rich potentials. It could deal with seasonal patterns of uneven lengths: some may span years and some within the year. We find that, in some cases the equilibrium consists of one harvesting season followed by a moratorium period, indicating an optimal closure of the fishery that would be overlooked by a yearly model. Unlike a typical policy that enforces a moratorium to recover the stock, we find that many states first undergo harvesting all year round and later evolve into the seasonal moratorium. A rising group biomass could be the overshooting effect instead of a clear sign to increase harvest. We sometimes observe declining optimal harvest with increasing states ('valley'), which may relate to the unit profit difference between seasons. Fishing pressure on the mature elicits even heavier harvest in the next season on the same group. A protective moratorium of the immature seems to hinder the value of the whole stock.


Background: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a potentially malignant collagen - metabolic disorder linked to consumption of betel quid and areca nut. The deposition of collagen and its major subtypes have been the subject of intense scrutiny in the etiopathogenesis of the disorder. Aims and Objectives: The present study was planned to immunohistochemically identify the expression of collagens I and III (COL I and III) in different grades of OSF and compare it with normal oral mucosa and scar tissue. Materials and Methods: Archival paraffin sections of 72 cases of various grades of OSMF, ten cases of normal mucosa as controls and four cases of scar tissue were stained with antibodies to COL I and III (BioGenex Laboratories, CA, USA) to evaluate the collagen subtypes on paraffin sections. The expression was quantified by image analysis software (Jenoptik Optical System, ProgRes ® Capture Pro, version 2.8.8) and statistically analyzed. Results: COL I and III stained all the tissues ubiquitously. COL I was more in ratio and quantity in all the grades of OSMF, normal mucosa, and scar tissue. The proportion of COL I to COL III seemed to increase with progressive grades of OSF. Interestingly, during the process of fibrosis COL III seems to be deposited earlier and gradually replaced by COL I resulting in a skewed ratio vis a vis normal oral mucosa and scar tissue. Conclusions: COL I expression was found to be proportionate with advancing grades of OSF while COL III expression increased in Grade I but subsequently decreased as severity of OSF increased. The increase in COL I at the expense of COL III showed a similar pattern in the submucosa while in the deeper muscle only Grade III cases reflected the trend. While all cases of OSF revealed excessive expression in comparison with normal oral mucosa, the comparison with scar tissue was variable.


The ¿ la" (Associative Linking of Attributes) project demonstrates how a system for managing document collections in an organisational setting could be enhanced to support the information delivery process. Contemporary approaches to managing collections of documents typically lack support for flexible metadata definition, browsing and ultimately use for document retrieval. Users are forced to resort to keyword searching without knowing which keywords exist in the domain and which were used by other searchers. This work demonstrates how the usage of metadata linked into the ontological structure for tasks of supporting information retrieval, offers an advantage over the traditional full text searching techniques. The "¿ la" system introduces a novel approach to metadata linking by using ontological zzstructures and ZigZag linking. It makes use of a metadata network for document retrieval, introducing a "Query by association" approach. Also, browsing metadata connected in a ZigZag fashion could benefit the knowledge engineers in their first step towards building a formal organisational ontology. It is concluded that the "¿ la" method has the potential to be applicable towards establishing principles of the Semantic Web within a corporate environment.


Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBP) are known to modulate the actions of insulin-like growth factors (IGF) mainly by controlling the amount of free IGF that can bind to its receptors. IGFBP are also known to regulate cell survival in an IGF-independent pathway. However, they can have a complex bidirectional effect on tumorigenesis. Among the various IGFBP, the expression and role of IGFBP2 in gliomas has been extensively studied. In an earlier gene-expression profiling study on the various grades of astrocytoma, we identified the upregulation of IGFBP-2, - 5, and -7 in glioblastoma tumors. In order to establish a role for all the IGFBP isoforms in the progression and prognosis of astrocytoma, we analyzed the gene expressions of IGFBP-1 to –5, -7 to -10, and -L1 by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and IGFBP-2, -3, -4, -5, and -7 by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in a cohort of 50 diffusely infiltrating astrocytoma tissues. There were greater than two-fold upregulations in the transcript levels of IGFBP-2, -3, and -4 and in the majority of glioblastomas (GBM) relative to anaplastic astrocytomas (AA). On the other hand, IGFBP-5 and -7 were upregulated in the majority of malignant astrocytomas (AA and GBM). In contrast to these observations, IGFBP-9 transcript levels were found to be downregulated in both AA and GBM tumors. Overexpression of IGFBP -2, -3, -4, –5, and -7 was observed by IHC maximally in the tumor cells of GBM. Notably, we found that in an independent set of GBM patients, expression of IGFBP-2 alone and coexpression of IGFBP-2 and -5 in the tumor were indicative of shorter survival. In addition, when IGFBP-3 coexpressed with epidermal growth factor receptor, it indicated shorter patient survival. Our study suggested associations between IGFBP-2, -3, -4, -5, and -7 and malignant transformation in diffusely infiltrating astrocytomas, with maximal expression in GBM. We also showed that overexpression of IGFBP-2, -3, and -5 isoforms portended poor prognosis in GBM patients.


Combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulations of the reaction catalysed by phosphite dehydrogenase (PTDH) identify Met53 as important for catalysis. This catalytic role is verified by experiments (including replacement by norleucine and selenomethionine), which show that mutation of this residue significantly affects kcat, without changing KM for phosphite. QM/MM and ab initio QM calculations show that the catalytic effect is electrostatic in nature. The side chain of Met53 specifically stabilizes the transition state for the hydride transfer step of the reaction catalysed by PTDH, forming a 'face-on' interaction with His292. To our knowledge, a defined catalytic role for methionine in an enzyme (as opposed to a steric or binding effect, or interaction with a metal ion) has not previously been identified. Analyses of the Protein Data Bank and Cambridge Structural Database indicate that this type of interaction may be relatively widespread, with implications for enzyme-catalysed reaction mechanisms and protein structure.


Electromechanics of Dielectric Particles in Dielectric Liquids Acted on by a Microelectrode Array. (December 2005) Cheong Soo Seo, B.S. Sung Kyun Kwan University; M.S., Sung Kyun Kwan University Chairman of Advisory Committee: Dr. James G. Boyd IV Arrays of microelectrodes were used to apply forces to dielectric (soda lime glass) spheres in a thin (200 micrometer thick) layer of a dielectric liquid polymer (EOPN 8021). The microelectrodes were fabricated using standard photolithographic methods of evaporating and electroplating gold onto a glass substrate. The objective is to use the electric body forces in the sphere and the electric surface tractions on the sphere to position the spheres in a microscale pattern, in this case a square array in-plane. Three sizes of spheres were used: 30, 90, and 170 microns in diameter. The 30 micron spheres formed clusters associated with the regions of highest electric energy density, whereas single 90 micron spheres were located at the regions of highest electric energy density. The 170 micron spheres generally did not form patterns. The experiments indicated that free charges, either in the volume of the sphere and/or on the sphere surface, significantly influence the motion of the sphere. A finite element analysis was performed to study the electro-fluid mechanics. The liquid velocity and streamlines were plotted, and the force resultants due to the liquid acting on the sphere were calculated. Also, the electric body force and surface


This paper reviews key issues of public understanding of science (PUS) research over the last quarter of a century. We show how the discussion has moved in relation to large-scale surveys of public perceptions by tracing developments through three paradigms: science literacy, public understanding of science and science and society. Naming matters here like elsewhere as a marker of "tribal identity." Each paradigm frames the problem differently, poses characteristic questions, offers preferred solutions, and displays a rhetoric of "progress" over the previous one. We argue that the polemic over the "deficit concept" voiced a valid critique of a common sense concept among experts, but confused the issue with methodological protocol. PUS research has been hampered by this "essentialist" association between the survey research protocol and the public deficit model. We argue that this fallacious link should be severed to liberate and to expand the research agenda in four directions: contextualizing survey research, searching for cultural indicators, integrating datasets and doing longitudinal analysis, and including other data streams. Under different presumptions, assumed and granted, we anticipate a fertile period for survey research on public understanding of science.


Spyware is a class of malicious code that is surreptitiously installed on victims' machines. Once active, it silently monitors the behavior of users, records their web surfing habits, and steals their passwords. Current anti-spyware tools operate in a way similar to traditional virus scanners. That is, they check unknown programs against signatures associated with known spyware instances. Unfortunately, these techniques cannot identify novel spyware, require frequent updates to signature databases, and are easy to evade by code obfuscation.

In this paper, we present a novel dynamic analysis approach that precisely tracks the flow of sensitive information as it is processed by the web browser and any loaded browser helper objects. Using the results of our analysis, we can identify unknown components as spyware and provide comprehensive reports on their behavior. The techniques presented in this paper address limitations of our previouswork on spyware detection and significantly improve the quality and richness of our analysis. In particular, our approach allows a human analyst to observe the actual flows of sensitive data in the system. Based on this information, it is possible to precisely determine which sensitive data is accessed and where this data is sent to. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the detection and the comprehensiveness of the generated reports, we evaluated our system on a substantial body of spyware and benign samples.


The premise of this Article is that an underlying attitude of "othering" pervades current discussions about what the law should and should not do to address the conditions and needs of various categories of persons. Although we do not necessarily acknowledge it, the fact that our discussions proceed from a view of the people whose situations or problems being discussed as "other" makes a difference to how we evaluate various public policy initiatives. The Article is not an effort to engage in a detailed discussion or resolution of any particular question of law and public policy. Instead its focus is the attitude of othering – where it proceeds from, how religion, law and culture promote it, and how the law might help move us beyond it. It begins by articulating a view of the human person and human relations derived from Catholic social thought, a view that is very much at odds with othering and that I argue should be the foundation of our legal system. It then discusses both the prevalence of othering and the forces that promote it, including religion, culture and the law. After talking about how othering infect public policy debates, the Article addresses the question of how the law might move us from an attitude of othering to the vision drawn from Catholic social thought.


Compelling clinical evidence indicates that obesity and its associated metabolic abnormalities supersede the protective effects of female sex-hormones and predisposes premenopausal women to cardiovascular disease. The underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined; however, recent studies have implicated overactivation of the aldosterone-MR (mineralocorticoid receptor) axis as a cause of sex-specific cardiovascular risk in obese females. Experimental evidence indicates that the MR on endothelial cells contributes to obesity-associated, leptin-induced endothelial dysfunction in female experimental models, however, the vascular-specific mechanisms via which females are predisposed to heightened endothelial MR activation remain unknown. Therefore, we hypothesized that endogenous expression of endothelial MR is higher in females than males, which predisposes them to obesity-associated, leptin-mediated endothelial dysfunction. We found that endothelial MR expression is higher in blood vessels from female mice and humans compared with those of males, and further, that PrR (progesterone receptor) activation in endothelial cells is the driving mechanism for sex-dependent increases in endothelial MR expression in females. In addition, we show that genetic deletion of either the endothelial MR or PrR in female mice prevents leptin-induced endothelial dysfunction, providing direct evidence that interaction between the PrR and MR mediates obesity-associated endothelial impairment in females. Collectively, these novel findings suggest that progesterone drives sex-differences in endothelial MR expression and predisposes female mice to leptin-induced endothelial dysfunction, which indicates that MR antagonists may be a promising sex-specific therapy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases in obese premenopausal women.


Present arrangements governing the accumulation and discharge of debt by states are difficult to justify fully on the basis of underlying normative considerations. States are different from individuals in important respects and the deontological justifications that explain why individuals have a strong burden to abide by promises to repay do not straightforwardly apply to countries. Consequentialist considerations must play a central role in determining what norms should govern the accumulation and discharge of sovereign debt. Modified background norms for the accumulation and discharge of international debt which permit countries' repayments to be made formally contingent on specific circumstances and the reasons that these circumstances have arisen are more likely to be morally justifiable than the existing rules, which in general require countries to repay their debts according to an inflexible schedule. Modified rules for the accumulation and discharge of international sovereign debt can codify the moral and legal basis for existing ad hoc deviations and present a justifiable framework within which international lending and borrowing can take place.


Systematic relationships among four genera and nine species (Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758, Mugil soiuy Basilewsky, 1855, Liza ramada (Risso, 1827), Liza aurata (Risso, 1810), Liza abu (Heckel, 1843), Liza saliens (Risso, 1810), Liza carinata (Valenciennes, 1836), Chelon labrosus (Risso, 1827), Oedalechilus labeo (Cuvier, 1829)) of the Mugilidae family living in the Mediterranean Sea were investigated using morphological characters. Moreover the systematic relationship of M. soiuy and L. abu among other mullet species was investigated in the present study for the first time. Hierarchical cluster analyses of morphometric data were not concordant with the meristic data. Meristic characters in the present study were more discriminative than morphometric characters in terms of taxonomic classification of the mullets. According to meristic data in UPGMA tree, all nine species were grouped in two main branching. In the first branch, C. labrosus and O. labeo were clustered as closest taxa, and being the sister group to the L. aurata. The other four Liza species produced two sub-branching in this group; L. carinata was branched with L. saliens, which is neighbour to L. ramada. In the second branch two species, M. soiuy and L. abu were clustered together and highly isolated from others. M cephalus was clustered as a most differentiated species from all other Mugil species.


Epidemiological data on 448 cases of human cutaneous anthrax from the Gambia showed that this particular strain of anthrax bacillus causes widespread morbidity and some mortality with, at the same time, subclinical infection. Analysis also showed that anthrax is not an occupationally related disease in the Gambia. The possibility of human-to-human spread, affecting all age groups and both sexes, by means of a communal toilet article was also shown. The fact that the strain is a good toxin producer but contains a weak antigen may have accounted for the repeated clinical infection and the fact that antibody titres were generally transient. Subclinical infection in animals was also found, particularly in sheep and goats, and also, with an unusually low mortality, in cows. Insect vectors were not excluded, but were unlikely. Vultures may spread the disease from village to village. Some possible public health and immunization procedures are discussed, with a view to containing this difficult problem in this part of west Africa.


It is a recognized fact that the boundaries between the various religions in China, and those between religion and culture in general, have always been fluid. This can only be duly acknowledged by careful research from many angles - and by many experts. It is exactly these mutual influences that form the leading theme in this Festschrift in honour of Kristofer Schipper, taken up by a selection of his many pupils and colleagues. The 13 contributions span over two millennia, ranging from the late Zhou to the 1990s. Topics include divination, religious puppet theatre, the art of translating, late Ming Christianity, and literature. The major focus, however, is Taoism and its connections with medieval society, popular cults and medicine. Special mention, in this connection, should be made of an extensive analysis and translation of a 4th century poem from the Taoist Canon, and a study of the social circle of a leading Tang dynasty Taoist.


A new learning strategy for object detection is presented. The proposed scheme forgoes the need to train a collection of detectors dedicated to homogeneous families of poses, and instead learns a single classifier that has the inherent ability to deform based on the signal of interest. Specifically, we train a detector with a standard AdaBoost procedure by using combinations of pose-indexed features and pose estimators instead of the usual image features. This allows the learning process to select and combine various estimates of the pose with features able to implicitly compensate for variations in pose. We demonstrate that a detector built in such a manner provides noticeable gains on two hand video sequences and analyze the performance of our detector as these data sets are synthetically enriched in pose while not increased in size.


The dynamic behavior and retreat of the northern Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula, and its relation to climatic parameters areinvestigated. The analysis concentrates on the period after 1986 and is based on satellite remote sensing methods and fieldmeasurements.Temperature series of the eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula are analyzed. They show a significant warming trend since the 1970s,which caused a shift of the climatic limit for the existence of ice shelves further to the south. Major retreat of the ice shelf was observed inyears with mean summer temperatures above average. Extensive surface melting is observed in satellite images of those summers. Theduration of the melt periods is estimated from ERS scatterometer data.Based on satellite images and topographic data five ice shelf sections and their corresponding grounded catchment basins were analyzed.The sections are from north to south: Prince Gustav Channel (P-G), Larsen Inlet (L-I), the ice shelf between Sobral Peninsula and SealNunataks (S-S), the stagnant part around the Seal Nunataks (S-N), and the ice shelf between Seal Nunataks and Jason Peninsula (S-J).The three northern ice shelf sections were already in a state of retreat in 1986 and disintegrated until 1995.Stake measurements at the ice shelf sections S-S, S-N, and S-J provide information on mass balance, ice thickness, and ice motion. Thesurface mass balance turned to negative values in the beginning of the 1990s but was roughly balanced after 1995 at section S-N andS-J. Ice thickness and bottom melting rates are estimated from surface elevation measurements between 1996 and 1999 for section S-Nand the northern part of S-J. An increase in ice motion was observed since the beginning of the 1990s at section S-S and S-J andreached values up to 15% until 1997 at section S-J. The mass balance measurements and dynamic behavior suggest that the ice shelf isno more in equilibrium.High resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images which were acquired by the European Remote Sensing Satellites ERS-1/2between 1992 and 1999 represent the main remote sensing data base. Additional information is derived from declassified intelligencesatellite photographs from 1962/63, Landsat images between 1986 and 1990, and Radarsat SAR images for 1998 and 1999.The motion field is derived from satellite images by means of cross correlation for various periods between 1986 and 1993. SAR dataacquired during the ERS Tandem Mission in October/November 1995 enabled the interferometric analysis of motion at the two southernice shelf sections. Satellite derived velocities are in good agreement with field measurements. A comparison of satellite derived velocitiesfrom 1986/88 and 1995 at selected flow lines of section S-J shows an increase in velocity of 7% to 16%, with higher values towards theice edge. The vertical displacement in the tidal flexure zone is analyzed using interferometry and GPS measurements and shows goodagreement with a tidal model. An automatic algorithm is defined for the detection of the grounding line and hinge zone by means ofinterferometry.The changes of ice extent are documented by means of satellite images. Since 1986 continuous retreat of the ice shelf was observednorth of Seal Nunataks. Large parts of section L-I disintegrated already in 1989. The sections P-G and S-S collapsed in early 1995, andsimultaneously a major calving event occurred at the ice shelf section S-J after decades of continuous advance. Based on a close ERS-1SAR image sequence and meteorological information this break up event is analyzed in detail. Within one week about 3800 km2 of icecalved off. The occurrence of many small icebergs indicates the ice was fractured already before. After the disintegration some of theinput glaciers retreated beyond the former grounding line.Between 1986 and 1999 the investigated ice shelf area decreased from 15500 km2 to 8300 km2. The analysis suggests that the furtherdisintegration of the remnant parts of the ice shelf has to be expected in the near future. The re-formation of the ice shelf is extremelyunlikely under the current climatic conditions.


The study of feeding activities and feeding preferences of eight orangutans had been conducted at Schmutzer Primate Centre, Jakarta. The data has been collected from March to September 2008. Data collections of feeding behaviours were performed using focal animal sampling method. While based in 336 hours of observation within 6 months, orangutans spent 53,18% of the time on feeding, 17,27% on resting, and 14,79% on traveling. The daily activity pattern was distributed bimodally with peaks at about 08.00 and 14.00. More feedig took place in the morning (08.0010.30) and in the afternoon (13.30-16.00), while midday was reserved for resting. Orangutans were fed 96,90% of the feeding time on foods from the Schmutzer Primate Centre, and 3,10% on other foods available in the exhibition cages. Three species of plants were consumed frequently; figs (Ficus benjamina) (0,48%), rumput gajah (Pannisetum purpureum) (0,24%) and velvet tamarind (Dialium indicum) (0,21%), respectively. In addition, orangutans sometimes ate soil, feces, and insects.


In this paper we focus on identifying the short-term changes of the net wage distribution in terms of gender inequalities. The case of Romania is discussed for the year 2014, using quarterly data. The AMIGO database with observable data at individual level is used. The period chosen for investigation corresponds to a time when the minimum wage registered two successive increases. Since the minimum wage policy is generally assumed to have several implications on the national wage distribution, the analysis will investigate the short-term quarterly dynamic of the wage distribution based on both individuals' social-demographic and economic characteristics. Our findings suggest that male employees are better represented than females in the higher wage deciles. Slight decreases among employees living in urban areas as compared to those living in rural areas were notices during 2014, as well as among the graduates of tertiary education. Moreover, a short-term decreasing tendency of the adult employed population (25-44 years) was noticed in favour of those ageing between 45-64 years, while the share of the elderly (over 65 years old) did not register any changes during the whole year 2014.


In Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, 131 S. Ct. 2541 (2011), the Supreme Court concluded that the allegations of pay discrimination in a case brought by over a million female employees lacked sufficient commonality to warrant class certification under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(a). Though the case was expressly decided under the federal rules, some well-known employer groups have begun to advance the argument that Wal-Mart was decided on constitutional grounds. These advocates maintain that the Supreme Court's decision creates a commonality standard for all class-action plaintiffs — regardless of whether those litigants bring their claims in federal or state court. This Article explores the possible constitutional implications of the Wal-Mart decision. This paper explains the potential due process concerns of commonality in class-action claims, and critiques the argument that Wal-Mart creates a constitutional floor for all systemic litigation. This Article further fills a void in the scholarship by establishing a framework for analyzing whether class-action claims satisfy commonality under the Constitution. This paper develops a normatively fair definition of commonality, identifying five core guideposts that should be considered when determining whether a class-action claim complies with due process guarantees. This Article explains the implications of adopting the proposed guideposts, and situates the suggested framework within the context of the existing academic literature. Wal-Mart signals a sea change for how commonality will be analyzed in all class-action cases. This Article helps define what commonality means under the Constitution, and the guideposts identified here will help streamline all future complex litigation.


This paper evaluates the four leading techniques proposed in the literature for construction of prediction intervals (PIs) for neural network point forecasts. The delta, Bayesian, bootstrap, and mean-variance estimation (MVE) methods are reviewed and their performance for generating high-quality PIs is compared. PI-based measures are proposed and applied for the objective and quantitative assessment of each method's performance. A selection of 12 synthetic and real-world case studies is used to examine each method's performance for PI construction. The comparison is performed on the basis of the quality of generated PIs, the repeatability of the results, the computational requirements and the PIs variability with regard to the data uncertainty. The obtained results in this paper indicate that: 1) the delta and Bayesian methods are the best in terms of quality and repeatability, and 2) the MVE and bootstrap methods are the best in terms of low computational load and the width variability of PIs. This paper also introduces the concept of combinations of PIs, and proposes a new method for generating combined PIs using the traditional PIs. Genetic algorithm is applied for adjusting the combiner parameters through minimization of a PI-based cost function subject to two sets of restrictions. It is shown that the quality of PIs produced by the combiners is dramatically better than the quality of PIs obtained from each individual method.


of a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy AUDIT JUDGMENTS OF REVALUED NON-CURRENT ASSETS by J.D. Goodwin 11 The revaluation of non-current assets has become an accepted accounting practice in many countries including the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. This practice has iPlplications for the external auditor who must decide whether to accept a valuation as reasonable and how much evidence to collect to support the decision. This thesis represents the ftrst study to examine audit decision making in this area. Because of the absence of prior research, a series of structured interviews was undertaken with audit partners to identify the main audit issues. The results of these interviews, together with the relevant literature, were used to identify some of the factors that may impact on audit judgments concerning revalued assets. Hypotheses were developed and two complementary experiments were designed to test them. These were based on the premise that client management may be motivated to revalue in order to improve the appearance of the balance sheet, thereby increasing the inherent risk of misstatement. A 2 x 2 between-subjects design was used for both experiments, and the dependent variables measured were estimates of the planned audit hours to be spent on the revalued assets and likelihood judgments that the valuations would be accepted as reasonable. Experiment One considered the situation where auditors are faced with two conflicting risks which are likely to exist simultaneously in the audit environment. These were the threat of litigation arising from the client's breach of a debt covenant and the risk of losing the client. The study examined auditors' responses to high and low levels of these risks on the audit of revalued owner-occupied property and an investment property. For the planned audit hours, results indicated a strong interaction effect between the two factors, "-,-iii with auditors planning to spend significantly more time on the audit of revalued assets when both the risk of breaching a debt covenant was high and the risk of losing the client was low. Similar results were found for the likelihood judgment that the valuations would be accepted as reasonable, except that for the investment property the results were only marginally significant. Experiment Two examined the impact of a proposal to issue shares to the public and the competence of the independent valuer on the audit of four classes of non-current assets. Results indicated that auditors would plan to spend longer on the audit of revalued assets when the client proposed to make a share issue and also when the competence of the valuer was lower. They were also less likely to accept the valuations as reasonable in these cases. However, an interaction effect between class of asset and competence of the valuer indicated that concern with some aspects of the evidence could override subjects' sensitivity to the competence of the valuer. An additional finding was a significant experience effect for the likelihood judgments, based on the number of audits, in which subjects had been involved, that had included asset revaluations. More experienced subjects were more likely than less experienced subjects to accept the valuations as reasonable.


OBJECTIVES
The menopausal transition is the time from the onset of menstrual changes until one year after the final menstrual period. During this phase, perimenopausal women experience a variety of health-related symptoms, which seemingly derive from declining level of estrogen secretion. It has long been recognized that some essential oils have the efficacy of alleviating menopausal symptoms. On the basis of this, it is possible that these essential oils have the potency to facilitate estrogen secretion in women. The present study investigated this possibility by examining if the olfactory exposure to the essential oil increase salivary estrogen concentration.

METHODS
We tested the effect of ten essential oils; clary sage, frankincense, geranium, lavender, jasmine absolute, neroli, rose otto, ylang ylang, orange and roman chamomile, which are thought to relieve perimenopasal symptoms.

RESULTS
The results have shown increase of salivary estrogen concentration induced by exposure to geranium and rose otto compared to control odor.

CONCLUSION
Together with the previous studies, the present study may give support to the notion that olfactory exposure to some essential oils can influence salivary concentration of estrogen.


The replication principle was first proposed by Hill (1973, Ecology 54: 247–432) as an advantageous property of his family of diversity indices. Later Jost (2007, Ecology 88: 2427–2439) discovered that diversity measures satisfying this principle allow partitioning of gamma diversity into independent alpha and beta components by simple multiplicative partitioning. Despite the emerging agreement on measuring taxonomic beta-diversity by multiplicative partitioning of Hill diversity, there is no consensus on how to measure functional beta diversity. Two different generalizations of Hill numbers for measuring functional diversity were proposed by Leinster and Cobbold (2011, Ecology 93: 477–489) and Chiu and Chao (2014, PLoS One 9: e1000014). Both generalizations attempted to satisfy the generalized replication principle, but they formulate it in different ways. The aims of this paper are 1) to review approaches for measuring functional diversity in units of equivalent numbers without explicit reference to replication principle; 2) to compare the two proposed replication principle and to point out some important differences in the behavior of diversity families derived from the two principles; 3) to explore the conditions necessary for partitioning functional diversity of Leinster and Cobbold into meaningful alpha and beta components; 4) and, finally, to explore how transformation of among-species distances into similarities influences the sensitivity of functional diversity to the scale parameter.


A real-time dispersion model SNAP (Severe Nuclear Accident Program) has been developed at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute to simulate long-range atmospheric transport of the radioactive debris released during nuclear accidents. This model is the most important tool for meteorologist on duty responsible for preparation of the real-time forecast of the dispersion. The forecast is then used by the National Crisis Committee in Norway responsible for management of the crisis situation in case of a nuclear accident. The question then naturally arises, "What is the uncertainty of dispersion model forecasts?" To get a measure of the inherent model uncertainty in such forecasts, National Meteorological Services (NMS) in Europe have joined their resources together in the EU-project "ENSEMBLE". The project is strictly internet oriented and its main aim is to develop a new internet based decision support system for operational use by the national decision makers – in real accidents. Selected results from one of the project exercises, seen from Norwegian perspective, are presented here.


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Eukaryotes carry numerous asexual cytoplasmic genomes (mitochondria and plastids). Lacking recombination, asexual genomes should theoretically suffer from impaired adaptive evolution. Yet, empirical evidence indicates that cytoplasmic genomes experience higher levels of adaptive evolution than predicted by theory. In this study, we use a computational model to show that the unique biology of cytoplasmic genomes—specifically their organization into host cells and their uniparental (maternal) inheritance—enable them to undergo effective adaptive evolution. Uniparental inheritance of cytoplasmic genomes decreases competition between different beneficial substitutions (clonal interference), promoting the accumulation of beneficial substitutions. Uniparental inheritance also facilitates selection against deleterious cytoplasmic substitutions, slowing Muller's ratchet. In addition, uniparental inheritance generally reduces genetic hitchhiking of deleterious substitutions during selective sweeps. Overall, uniparental inheritance promotes adaptive evolution by increasing the level of beneficial substitutions relative to deleterious substitutions. When we assume that cytoplasmic genome inheritance is biparental, decreasing the number of genomes transmitted during gametogenesis (bottleneck) aids adaptive evolution. Nevertheless, adaptive evolution is always more efficient when inheritance is uniparental. Our findings explain empirical observations that cytoplasmic genomes—despite their asexual mode of reproduction—can readily undergo adaptive evolution.


The transient response of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) to a deglacial ice sheet retreat is studied using the Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3), with a focus on orographic effects rather than meltwater discharge. It is found that the AMOC weakens significantly (41%) in response to the deglacial ice sheet retreat. The AMOC weakening follows the decrease of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheet volume linearly, with no evidence of abrupt thresholds. A wind‐driven mechanism is proposed to explain the weakening of the AMOC: lowering the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets induces a northward shift of the westerlies, which causes a rapid eastward sea ice transport and expanded sea ice cover over the subpolar North Atlantic; this expanded sea ice insulates the ocean from heat loss and leads to suppressed deep convection and a weakened AMOC. A sea ice‐ocean positive feedback could be further established between the AMOC decrease and sea ice expansion.


A field investigation resulted in a detailed stratigraphic profile of the full sequence of the Permo-Carboniferous, glaciomarine Dwyka Group in the Elandsvlei-Elandsdrif area. Six cycles of a basal tillite unit capped by a terminal zone of stratified sediments, are documented. Of note is the recurrence in the tillite units of the association diamictite-boulder beds-eskers. This facies association is interpreted as a subglacial deformation tillite, with the boulder beds as products of the deforming-bed process. The sediments of the terminal zones indicate a sub-ice shelf environment. Nine advance/retreat fluctuations are interpreted from the facies associations. The immature eskers and lack of sorted sediments point to a low level of melt water supply, pointing to a polar ice sheet. Westward ice-flow is supported by macrofabric data, basal and boulder pavements. An analysis of the boulder lithologies shows that the source area stayed the same throughout the glacial period. It is proposed that part of the onset area due east is an extrusive-intrusive complex with a chert-carbonate-banded iron formation component. This investigation supports a series of glacial advance/retreat cycles rather than the previous model of deglaciation.


In this study, Aivazian, Ge and Qiu's (2005) analysis using static panel models is extended to using dynamic panel estimators, considering data for listed Portuguese companies. The results confirm Aivazian et al.'s (2005) conclusion that an ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression is not the best way to estimate the investment/determinant relationship. Investment decisions are probably dynamic, so the most suitable way to estimate the investment/determinant(s) relationship is using dynamic panel estimators. Alternatively a fixed effect panel model can be used, consistent with a first order autocorrelation. In this way, firstly, it is possible to determine more accurately the positive impact of sales (Neo-classic theory) and cash flow (Free Cash Flow theory) on the investments of listed Portuguese companies. Secondly, the positive effect of growth opportunities (Agency theory) is not overestimated when it seems to be the consequence of a first order autocorrelation. Using dynamic panel estimators permits correct measurement of dynamism in company investment decisions by examining the relationship between investment in the previous and the current periods.


We present HornDroid, a new tool for the static analysis of information flow properties in Android applications. The core idea underlying HornDroid is to use Horn clauses for soundly abstracting the semantics of Android applications and to express security properties as a set of proof obligations that are automatically discharged by an off-the-shelf SMT solver. This approach makes it possible to fine-tune the analysis in order to achieve a high degree of precision while still using off-the-shelf verification tools, thereby leveraging the recent advances in this field. As a matter of fact, HornDroid outperforms state-of-the-art Android static analysis tools on benchmarks proposed by the community. Moreover, HornDroid is the first static analysis tool for Android to come with a formal proof of soundness, which covers the core of the analysis technique: besides yielding correctness assurances, this proof allowed us to identify some critical corner-cases that affect the soundness guarantees provided by some of the previous static analysis tools for Android.


In recent years, innovations in consumer financial protection have drawn heavily from the law governing the safety of tangible products. This short essay, prepared for a symposium entitled "Frontiers of Consumer Protection," extends this approach by evaluating whether the law governing post-sale product safety for tangible consumer products offers potential lessons for consumer financial protection. In particular, it considers the extent to which the law could require providers of consumer financial products to affirmatively monitor, report or correct regulatory problems with their products that come to light after sale. Such post-sale self-policing by financial firms could offer benefits similar to those that justify standard product recall law: the sellers of financial products may be best situated to identify unintended negative consequences of their products that come to light after sale and to minimize the resulting costs through proactive market interventions. The essay illustrates this approach by reconsidering the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's rules implementing the Dodd-Frank Act's "ability to repay" requirement for mortgages. It also suggests that the analytical frame embedded in post-sale safety requirements offers potential lessons for a number of other consumer financial protection issues, such as disclosure requirements and prohibitions on impermissible discrimination.


Abstract. The annular modes characterize the dominant variability of the extratropical
circulation in each hemisphere, quantifying vacillations in the position of
the tropospheric jet streams and the strength of the stratospheric polar
vortices. Their representation in all available reanalysis products is
assessed. Reanalysis uncertainty associated with limitations in the
ability to constrain the circulation with available observations, i.e., the
inter-reanalysis spread, is contrasted with sampling uncertainty
associated with the finite length of the reanalysis records. It is shown that the annular modes are extremely consistent across all modern
reanalyses during the satellite era (ca. 1979 onward). Consequently,
uncertainty in annular mode variability, e.g., the coupling between the
stratosphere and troposphere and the variation in the amplitude and timescale of jet variations throughout the annual cycle, is dominated by sampling
uncertainty. Comparison of reanalyses based on conventional (i.e.,
nonsatellite) or surface observations alone with those using all available
observations indicates that there is limited ability to characterize the
Southern Annular Mode (SAM) in the presatellite era. Notably, prior to 1979,
surface-input reanalyses better capture the SAM at near-surface levels than
full-input reanalyses. For the Northern Annular Mode, however, there is
evidence that conventional observations are sufficient, at least from 1958
onward. The addition of 2 additional decades of records substantially
reduces sampling uncertainty in several key measures of annular mode
variability, demonstrating the value of more historic reanalyses.
Implications for the assessment of atmospheric models and the strength of
coupling between the surface and upper atmosphere are
discussed.


Urban sociology has long ignored districts of wealth and privilege in cities because they harbor few 'social problems' and the class background of sociologists has not inclined them to venture there. In France after 1968, the continued attraction of Marxism and the sulfurous reputation of sociology conspired to make such investigation difficult. Pierre Bourdieu pioneered it with his landmark book on the bourgeoisie, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste. This essay reports on two decades of research extending Bourdieu's model of social space to study the territories and strategies of the French high bourgeoisie and aristocracy. The dominant class lives in reserved upscale districts and this seclusion, resulting from the elective spatial aggregation of familial dynasties, is a fundamental characteristic of the group. Segregative isolation is strengthened by specific institutions, such as society balls and social clubs, entrusted with effecting class closure and perpetuation. But, in the greater Paris region, the best districts also attract businesses (corporate headquarters, luxury firms), and thus employment that prompts the established bourgeoisie to migrate westwards in an endless search for social exclusivity. In addition to their Paris homes, upper†class dynasties possess family properties (a castle or a large manor house) in the provincial hinterland that serve as a basis for paternalistic forms of sociability, linking them to the local lower class via such institutions as riding to hounds. Spaces reserved by and for the high bourgeoisie are major vectors of social reproduction and, along with family and elite schools, help to train heirs suited to safeguarding and valorizing their inherited assets.


RESAMPLING-BASED MARKOVIAN MODELING FOR AUTOMATED CANCER DIAGNOSIS Erdem Özdemir M.S. in Computer Engineering Supervisor: Assist. Prof. Dr. Çiğdem Gündüz Demir August, 2011 Correct diagnosis and grading of cancer is very crucial for planning an effective treatment. However, cancer diagnosis on biopsy images involves visual interpretation of a pathologist, which is highly subjective. This subjectivity may, however, lead to selecting suboptimal treatment plans. In order to circumvent this problem, it has been proposed to use automatic diagnosis and grading systems that help decrease the subjectivity levels by providing quantitative measures. However, one major challenge for designing these systems is the existence of high variance observed in the biopsy images due to the nature of biopsies. Thus, for successful classifications of unseen images, these systems should be trained with a large number of labeled images. However, most of the training sets in this domain have limited size of labeled data since it is quite difficult to collect and label histopathological images. In this thesis, we successfully address this issue by presenting a new resampling framework. This framework relies on increasing the generalization capacity of a classifier by augmenting the size and variation in the training set. To this end, we generate multiple sequences from an image, each of which corresponds to a perturbed sample of the image. Each perturbed sample characterizes different parts of the image, and hence, they are slightly different from each other. The use of these perturbed samples for representing the image increases the size and variability of the training set. These samples are modeled with Markov processes which are used to classify unseen image. Working with histopathological tissue images, our experiments demonstrate that the proposed framework is more effective for both larger and smaller training sets compared against other approaches. Additionally, they show that the use of perturbed samples is effective in a voting scheme which boosts the performance of the classifier.


Analyzing how hacks are done, so as to stop them in the futureReverse engineering is the process of analyzing hardware or software and understanding it, without having access to the source code or design documents. Hackers are able to reverse engineer systems and exploit what they find with scary results. Now the good guys can use the same tools to thwart these threats. Practical Reverse Engineering goes under the hood of reverse engineering for security analysts, security engineers, and system programmers, so they can learn how to use these same processes to stop hackers in their tracks.The book covers x86, x64, and ARM (the first book to cover all three); Windows kernel-mode code rootkits and drivers; virtual machine protection techniques; and much more. Best of all, it offers a systematic approach to the material, with plenty of hands-on exercises and real-world examples.Offers a systematic approach to understanding reverse engineering, with hands-on exercises and real-world examplesCovers x86, x64, and advanced RISC machine (ARM) architectures as well as deobfuscation and virtual machine protection techniquesProvides special coverage of Windows kernel-mode code (rootkits/drivers), a topic not often covered elsewhere, and explains how to analyze drivers step by stepDemystifies topics that have a steep learning curveIncludes a bonus chapter on reverse engineering toolsPractical Reverse Engineering: Using x86, x64, ARM, Windows Kernel, and Reversing Toolsprovides crucial, up-to-date guidance for a broad range of IT professionals.


Women's leadership significantly contributes to building high-performing organizations. However, challenges with balancing work and family responsibilities are inhibiting them from exerting their fullest potential towards this end. This study aims at investigating the challenges women leaders in Addis Ababa face in balancing the demands of their organizations with that of their families. A sample of eight women leaders of positions from large and middle scale organizations were taken using a purposive sampling technique. In-depth interviews were used to gather information for the study, and a phenomenological qualitative study was applied to analyze the data. The study identified some organizational, societal, and individual factors that challenge women leaders in balancing their work and family responsibilities. Work overload, cultural and social norms, family responsibilities, and upbringing related behaviors of the interviewees themselves were among the major challenges in maintaining their work-family balance. This study contributes insights into work-family balance theory and practice, by presenting women leaders' voices about their work-life challenges as expressed in their own words, from their own testimonies. It indicates that much needs to be done on the part of organizations, society, family, and women themselves for women leaders to have the desired level of work-family balance.


In the years between the end of World War II and the mid-1950s, American popular culture was first created in the pulpy, boldly illustrated pages of comic books. But no sooner had comics emerged than they were beaten down by mass bonfires, congressional hearings, and a McCarthyish panic over their unmonitored and uncensored content. Esteemed critic David Hajdu vividly evokes the rise, fall, and rise again of comics, in this engrossing history.