We present Integral Field Unit (IFU) spectroscopy of four brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) atz 0:1. Three of the BCGs have close companions within a projected radius of 20 kpc and one has no companion within that radius. We calculate the dynamical masses of the BCGs and their companions to be 1:4 10 11 < Mdyn(M ) < 1:5 10 12 . We estimate the probability that the companions of the BCGs are bound using the observed masses and velocity osets. We show that the lowest mass companion (1:4) is not bound while the two nearly equal mass (1:1.45 and 1:1.25) companions are likely to merge with their host BCGs in 0.35 Gyr in major, dry mergers. We conclude that some BCGs continue to grow from major merging even at z 0. We analyse the stellar kinematics of these systems using the R parameter developed by the SAURON team. This oers a new and unique means to measure the stellar angular momentum of BCGs and make a direct comparison to other early-type galaxies. The BCGs and their companions have similar ellipticities to those of other early-type galaxies but are more massive. We nd that not all these massive galaxies have low Re as one might expect. One of the four BCGs and the two massive companions are found to be fast-rotating galaxies with high angular momentum, thereby providing a new test for models of galaxy evolution and the formation of Intra-Cluster Light.


A major barrier to successful construction project delivery has been the fragmentation and poor relationships existing between players in the construction industry. This significant issue has exerted a negative influence on project objectives, especially those which are predetermined, such as time, specified budget and standard quality. Construction projects require intensive efforts and processes, which it is often a challenge to provide to parties within the construction industry, to access accurate information and efficient communications. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the construction collaboration tools along with concepts of context-aware computing and cloud computing. The findings in this research are based on a thorough review of the comprehensive literature on IT, computing and construction. Consequently, this study sets out to introduce and develop the concepts of potential innovative collaborative tools, such as Context-Aware Cloud Computing Information Systems (CACCIS), for facilitating the construction supply chain processes and networks by enhancing the opportunities for achieving better competitive advantages. Firstly, it is hoped that this study will lead to improved construction collaboration to enhance the competitive advantages and opportunities for the internationalisation and globalisation of the construction industry. Secondly, it presents an effective method to provide new insights into the process of integration and, most significantly, to improve the productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of the construction industry.


Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a leading cause of acquired disability and malformation in childhood. Although virtually any joint can be affected, one of the most commonly involved yet least frequently recognized joints is the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).1 Persistent arthritis can result in pain, growth problems, cosmetic defects, and poor function, underscoring the necessity of obtaining early control of TMJ arthritis. While the therapy of JIA as a whole has benefitted enormously from the introduction of novel therapeutic agents,2 it remains uncertain to what extent these therapies benefit the TMJ specifically. Thus, many practitioners use intra-articular therapy for refractory TMJ arthritis, although concerns about their long-term safety have been raised.3 Herein, we will review the data on systemic and local anti-inflammatory therapy of TMJ arthritis.


In this thesis I provide an interpretation of Kant's theories of knowledge,
nature, and being in order to argue that Kant's ontology is a productive ontology:
it is a theory of being that includes a notion of production. I aim to show that
Kant's epistemology and philosophy of nature are based on a theory of being as
productivity. The thesis contributes to knowledge in that it considers in detail
Kant's ontology and theory of being, topics which have generally been ignored or
misunderstood.
In arguing for Kant's productive ontology, I argue against Heidegger's
interpretation of Kant, which states that Kant understands being as "produced
permanent presence" or as divinely created materiality. Based on Kant's definition
of being as positing, I argue, by contrast to Heidegger, that Kant understands being
as the original productive relation between subject and object. This can also be
expressed as the relation between formality and materiality, or between epistemic
conditions and existence, that is productive of objects of experience. Being is not
producedness but a relation of productivity, through which both subject and object
are themselves productive. The subject is productive in its spontaneity, and nature,
determined as dynamical interaction, is interpreted as productive. The subject, I
will argue, does not understand nature as produced, but approaches it with a
comportment towards its production as object of experience. Because of its own
subjective productivity - spontaneity or "life" - the subject has a "productive
comportment" towards nature.
Ontology, I claim, concerns the realm of the productive relation of being, the
realm of the relation between epistemic conditions and existence, and therefore the
realm of possible experience. This marks Kant as divergent not only from what
Heidegger calls "the ontology of the extant", but also from the concept-based
ontology of the German rationalists.
The general aims of the thesis are, first, to argue that being for Kant is the
original relation between subject and object, and that ontology concerns this
relation; second, to argue that ontology and being are understood in terms of
production and productivity; and third, to argue that Heidegger is wrong to ascribe
to Kant an understanding of being as "produced pennanent presence". I approach
these aims by examining a number of Kant's texts in detail, focusing particularly
on Kant's theses about existence and being in The One Possible Basis for a
Demonstration of the Existence of God and the Critique of Pure Reason; on
Kant's philosophy of nature and dynamical matter in the Transcendental Analytic
and Metaphysical Foundations of Natural Science; on Kant's doctrine of
experience and objectivity in the Transcendental Deductions; on ontological
reflection and the productive comportment of "life" in the Critique of Judgment;
and on Kant's final theory of matter, life and production in the Opus Postumum.


The lipase activity of resting cells of Aspergillus flavus was improved by entrapment in various polymeric acrylates (PAAFs). Commercially available ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate and ethyl methacrylate, and acrylates synthesized from 1,3-dichloropropan-2-ol were used as monomers for the in situ polymerization. The cells were physically entrapped via free-radical-polymerization in aqueous medium or by bulk polymerization. The percentage of resting cells immobilized in the polymers was assessed by analysing the ergosterol content. Bulk polymerization with ethyl methacrylate allowed the greatest incorporation ratio, with 85% of entrapped biocatalyst. Entrapped resting cells were used to prepare ethyl laurate, achieving yields of up to 98%. The specific activity (r) of PAAFs was determined using a batch reactor and a packed-bed reactor (PBR). The highest r was observed for the resting cells entrapped in poly(ethyl methacrylate) using PBR. These results demonstrate that entrapped resting cells of A. flavus can be used to prepare commercial products.


In addition to its role in storage of dietary energy in a highly concentrated form, the white adipose tissue (WAT) is an active endocrine organ that regulates various physiological processes in the body. It plays a central role in insulin responsiveness and energy homeostasis, which is mediated by the action of a wide range of biologically active molecules - adipokines.

During its "remodeling", the obese WAT becomes inflamed and dysfunctional, which causes insulin resistance. Dysfunctional WAT in obesity exhibits increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased activity of some of the key antioxidant enzymes, which leads to oxidative stress. Indeed, protein carbonyls in the visceral adipose tissue are considered as a reliable biomarker of the level of oxidative stress in this tissue. Their negative correlation with serum adiponectin is indicative of systemic effects of oxidative stress in the visceral WAT.

Glutathione S-transferase isoform A4 (GSTA4) has an important role in protection of the white adipocytes from oxidative stress and protein carbonylation. However, GstA4 is downregulated in adipocytes treated with tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), as well as in adipose tissue from obese mice, suggesting the link between oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance.

GstA4 silenced 3T3L1s are a good experimental model to study the consequences of oxidative stress in dysfunctional adipocytes in obesity induced insulin resistance. Among other findings, it has been shown that the expression of Sirtuin 3 (Sirt3) is decreased in GstA4 silenced 3T3-L1 adipocytes (Bernlohr lab., unpublished results).

Sirtuins are enzymes that deacetylate lysine residues on both histone and nonhistone proteins. Mammals have seven sirtuins with different subcellular localization. SIRT3 is located in mitochondria. There is evidence that SIRT3 can delay the onset of a number of oxidative stress- and age-related pathologies. Sirtuin activity is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) dependent and is directly linked to the energetic and redox status of the cell.

We explored the expression of some of the key genes involved in NAD+ biosynthesis and consumption in a model of inflamed white adipocytes. Our experiments demonstrated a significant disturbance of NAD+ metabolism, and decreased Sirt3 expression. These findings indicate that Sirt3 and NAD+ pathway can be considered as potential therapeutic targets in obesity induced insulin resistance.


In this paper, the enclosing control problem of second-order multi-agent systems is considered, where the targets can be either stationary or moving. The objective is to achieve an equidistant circular formation for a group of agents to enclose a team of targets. In order to do so, we first introduce a formal definition explaining certain basic properties of the exploring relation between the agents and the targets. We then construct the estimator of the centre of the targets, which is used to build the control protocol to achieve equidistant circular enclosing. Using a Lyapunov function and Lasalle's Invariance Principle, the convergency of the estimator and control protocol are, respectively, established. We then construct a smooth function to approximate the discontinuous term in the estimator. Finally, the simulations for stationary targets and moving targets are given to verify the validity of the results obtained.


MMI270B is a matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor (MMPI) with in vitro and in vivo activity. To exert optimal target inhibition, MMPI must be given chronically, and therefore, oral bioavailability is important. We analyzed the effect of food intake on AUC0-8 h, Cmax, and Tmax. Seventeen patients were entered into the study. Doses of MMI270B were 150, 400, and 600 mg. The first day, patients ingested the drug in a fasted state and were not allowed to eat for 2 h. The second day, patients ingested the drug 30 min after a light breakfast. Mean AUC0-8 h was not significantly influenced by food intake. Plasma concentrations were well above the IC50 of several MMPs at all doses tested. Mean Cmax was significantly decreased after food intake. Mean Tmax was significantly delayed after food intake. Food intake did not result in a significant change in exposure to MMI270B (AUC0-8 h) but did result in a significant, although not clinically relevant, decrease in peak plasma levels and time to reach peak plasma levels. No specific guidelines concerning the ingestion of MMI270B in either a fed or a fasted state are recommended.


Many PhD candidates bring with them a wealth of knowledge and skills; however, these may not sufficiently prepare candidates to work with high autonomy on a project with often limited interaction with the wider research community. A peer-mentor program model, in which a mentor delivers dyadic and group support to higher degree by research students from different disciplines and backgrounds, has the potential to enhance candidates' knowledge and skills. However, the mentors themselves can experience significant advantages, as peer-mentoring can also have a positive effect on the mentors' research experience. In order to further understanding of the potential benefits of peer-mentoring for mentors, three researchers explore their experiences as peermentors through an autoethnographic framework. Through discussing their personal experiences as peer-mentors, the researchers identified a range of benefits for themselves. These benefits involved finding that peermentoring enhanced their own learning, fostered reflective practice, and provided current tertiary teaching and research support experience. Peer mentoring also gave them broad exposure to a breadth of disciplines, theories, and methods; provided project management insights; created opportunities for professional networking; supported their social needs; and gave them invaluable insight into other candidate/supervisor relationships. Their role in a peer-mentor model has shaped their experiences as PhD candidates and also informed their decisions after graduation.


In this thesis I examine the relationship between school cultures and participation. I start by describing the three methodological approaches I have taken to explore these two key concepts. First, I discuss the reading I have undertaken for the study. Second, by reflecting on my existing experiences of schools and education, I present a series of autobiographical tales. Third, I provide an in-depth case study of a single school The study of this urban comprehensive school comprises the main part of the empirical work. By working as a learning support assistant whilst researching at the school I was able to observe closely its cultures and their relationship to processes of and barriers to participation. I focus on three aspects of this relationship: Interacting with Extemal Worlds, Forming Relationships within the Institutional Structures of a School and Supporting Classroom Learning: Valuing Diversity?
Through an analysis of the findings from my reading, autobiographical fragments and the case study, I am able to redefine the key concepts of the thesis and establish si"'{ principal conclusions. I argue that the concept of school cultures is central to understanding participation and that the successful development of more participatory policies and practices requires a concomitant shift in school cultures. I note the importance of understanding members' values and beliefs and suggest that at the heart of developing participation is first, the nature of relationships between members and second, responses to diversity.
I end the thesis with a critique of the study's methodology and a number of recommendations for further research. Finally, I consider the contribution this thesis has made to an understanding of the process of research through its intention to maintain integrity both within and between its methodological approaches and its conceptual development.


Model based image representation plays an important role in many computer vision tasks. Consequently, it is of high significance to model image structures with more powerful representation capabilities. In the literature, there exist bulk of researches for intensity based modeling. However, most of them suffer from the illumination variation. On the other hand, phase information, which carries most essential structural information of the original signal, has the advantage of being invariant to the brightness change. Therefore, phase based image analysis is advantageous when compared to purely intensity based approaches. This thesis aims to propose novel image representations for 2D image structures, from which useful local features can be extracted, which are useful for phase based image analysis. The first approach presents a 2D rotationally invariant quadrature filter. This model is able to handle superimposed intrinsically two-dimensional (i2D) patterns with flexible angles of intersection. Hence, it can be regarded as an extension of the structure multivector. The second approach is the monogenic curvature tensor. Coupling methods of differential geometry, tensor algebra, monogenic signal and quadrature filter, we can design a general model for 2D structures as the monogenic extension of a curvature tensor. Based on it, local representations for the intrinsically one-dimensional (i1D) and i2D structures are derived as the monogenic signal and the generalized monogenic curvature signal, respectively. From them, independent features of local amplitude, phase and orientation are simultaneously extracted. Besides, a generalized monogenic curvature scale-space can be built by applying a Poisson kernel to the monogenic curvature tensor. Compared with other related work, the remarkable advantage of our approach lies in the rotationally invariant phase evaluation of 2D structures in a multi-scale framework, which delivers access to phase-based processing in many computer vision tasks. To demonstrate the efficiency and power of the theoretic framework, some computer vision applications are presented, which include the phase based image reconstruction, detecting i2D image structures using local phase and monogenic curvature tensor for optical flow estimation.


Strains on democratic governance in many parts of Africa have led to a resurgence of the salience of traditional authority. Traditional mechanisms of accountability are being evoked at a time when across the continent the accountability of modern institutions has increasingly come under question. In the wake of these trends two broad view points have prevailed: the first is that chieftaincy is integral to sub-Saharan Africa's problems, operating as a brake on democratisation; the second is that traditional authorities have a stabilising influence under conditions of social and political turmoil or stress. In this broad climate, in South Africa democratisation was accompanied by moves to guarantee traditional leaders a role in governance, especially at the local level and most particularly in rural areas and small towns where under apartheid no other form of local government existed for black South Africans. This was not the case in cities where Black Local Authorities (BLAs) administered African townships. They were seen as stooges of the apartheid regime, and they and the services they oversaw became a central site of struggle in urban areas. Among South Africa's metropolitan municipalities, Greater Durban is something of an anomaly as an urban centre of over three million people embracing fifteen traditional authority areas. On the basis of historical research, interviews conducted among traditional leaders and local councillors in traditional authority areas, as well as a small survey of residents in three traditional authority areas, the paper considers the challenges posed for democratic consolidation arising from the accommodation of traditional authorities in city government in Durban. The paper questions whether the turn to tradition evident in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality constitutes an unfortunate retrograde step or whether institutional pluralism allows for political flexibility and stability and offers opportunities for the more effective extension of service delivery and development to the city's urban periphery. These questions are explored with reference to Albert Hirschman's seminal thesis on exit, voice and loyalty. This lens is used to interrogate the exercise of democratic consolidation and local governance in a context where elected politicians and local bureaucrats are obliged to coordinate their activities with hereditary leaders whose authority rests on royal blood or appointment.


Purpose of this review paper is to provide an overview on the application of hyperthermia (HT) [the controlled increased of tumor temperature by 8-3°C] combined with conventional cancer treatment modalities. HT is applied with different methods e.g. superficial-HT, locoregional deep-HT, interstitial-HT, intracavity-HT, and whole body-HT. Studies show that addition of HT to radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or both, will result in better tumor response rate, local control, palliative effects and survival rate, without increasing toxicity, in different tumor sites such as breast cancer, melanoma, head and neck, cervix cancer and glioblastoma. In the recent years, due to the substantial technical improvements in achieving selected increase of temperatures in superficial and deep-seated tumors, thermometry, and treatment planning, HT is becoming more accepted clinically worldwide. HT, as an adjunctive cancer treatment modality, is certainly a promising approach, however, it is not well known yet.


One practical challenge in reinforcement learning (RL) is how to make quick adaptations when faced with new environments. In this paper, we propose a principled framework for adaptive RL, called \textit{AdaRL}, that adapts reliably and efficiently to changes across domains with a few samples from the target domain, even in partially observable environments. Specifically, we leverage a parsimonious graphical representation that characterizes structural relationships over variables in the RL system. Such graphical representations provide a compact way to encode what and where the changes across domains are, and furthermore inform us with a minimal set of changes that one has to consider for the purpose of policy adaptation. We show that by explicitly leveraging this compact representation to encode changes, we can efficiently adapt the policy to the target domain, in which only a few samples are needed and further policy optimization is avoided. We illustrate the efficacy of AdaRL through a series of experiments that vary factors in the observation, transition, and reward functions for Cartpole and Atari games.


The Sciences & Technology Libraries serve the Faculty of Science, the Price Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Agricultural & Food Sciences, and the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, & Resources


Manual snow measurements are becoming increasingly expensive and climate‐change‐imposed snow alterations are affecting run‐off and frost patterns; snow observations are included in run‐off modelling, making reliable snow observations of utmost importance. Multiple new and modified ground‐based techniques for monitoring snow depth, density, snow water equivalent (SWE), wetness, and layering have been tested over the last decade, justifying a review of such methods. Techniques based on snow mass, electrical properties, attenuation of radioactivity, and other miscellaneous properties are reviewed. The following sensors seem suitable for registration of temporal variations: ultrasonic (depth) and terrestrial laser scanning (depth), several snow pillows at the same location (SWE), Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory/Natural Resources Conservation Service weighing sensor (SWE), Snowpower (depth, density, SWE, and wetness), active and passive (cosmic) γ‐ray attenuation (SWE), and adjusted time domain reflectometry probes (density and wetness). Ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) is, depending on the design and operation modes, suitable for different purposes; when arrays of antennas are pulled by a snowmobile, the technique is suitable for monitoring of spatial variations in depth, density, and SWE for dry snow. Techniques are under development, which will hopefully improve the accuracy for wet snow measurements. Frequency‐modulated continuous wave GPRs seem fit for measurement of snow layering. Some suggested techniques are not operational yet. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Morphological traits for organisms result from the concerted action of numerous genes that are interconnected into a gene network at the level of transcriptional regulation. In each network, transcription factors control the spatial, temporal, and even sex-specific patterns of gene transcription. To better understand how a gene network operates during development, I investigated the network controlling a male-specific pattern of Drosophila melanogaster abdominal pigmentation. Using RNA interference, I reduced the expression of 558 transcription factor genes to identify those needed for normal pigmentation by the occurrence of aberrant pigmentation patterns. From this, I identified 28 genes, which include several that are known to play major roles in establishing animal body plans and that regulate chromatin structure. With this new wealth of known network genes and the diversity of pigmentation patterns among fruit fly species, my thesis supports future studies into the gene network basis for trait development and evolution.


Abstract Introduction: Few studies have examined post-disaster coping abilities of health facilities and hospitals. On 15 August 2007, a 7.9 (Richter) earthquake struck off the western coast of Peru near the Department of Ica that devastated the healthcare infrastructure. The impact of the earthquake on the health facilities in the four most affected provinces (Cañete, Chincha, Ica, and Pisco), the risk factors associated with the damages incurred, ability to provide services, and humanitarian assistance received were assessed. Methods: A stratified, systematic sampling design was used to interview a sample of 40 health facilities. The most senior healthcare provider at each facility was interviewed about the facility's experience with service provision following the earthquake. Results: Sixty percent of the facilities reported some damage due to the earthquake; four (10%) were completely destroyed. A total of 78% of the facilities reported providing medical care within the first 48 hours after the earthquake and public facilities were more likely to remain open than were private facilities (p = 0.030). Facilities with an emergency response plan were more likely to provide services than were those without a plan (p = 0.043). Six months after the earthquake, similar numbers of HIV and tuberculosis (TB) patients were receiving treatment at the sampled facilities as prior to the earthquake, and no difficulties were reported in obtaining medications. Some form of assistance, most commonly medications, was received by 60% of the facilities; receipt of assistance was not associated with the facility type, location, damage incurred, or post-disaster service provision. Conclusions: Response plans were an important factor in the ability to provide services immediately following an earthquake. While a facility's ability to provide services can be determined by structural impacts of the precipitating event, response plans help the staff to continue to provide services and care for affected populations, and appropriately arrange referrals when care cannot be provided at the facility. The findings suggest that health facilities in disasterprone areas should invest in developing and implementing disaster response plans in order to improve health service provision capacity during disasters.


Applied Data Gathering and Analysis, developed using a project-based approach, helps students explore their own workplace issues while actively learning a deeper understanding and application of research gathering and analysis concepts. Students will learn how to construct measurement instruments, collect data, analyze data, and present research in a variety of settings.  Collaboration in the online discussion forums is an essential element of learning in a seven week accelerated course.  Students take on an active role with their learning by engaging in all aspects of a research project throughout the course. Students select a topic that is relevant in a real-world workplace situation in which they are an active participant. Students learn how to narrow the topic and frame an appropriate researchable problem statement.  The research interview instrument is developed and must be in alignment with the research questions. Students gain first-hand experience in the research process in which the interview instrument is validated, data is collected, and analysis is completed.


This article seeks to clarify the economic rationale for the civil law of mandate, corresponding in the common law to the law of agency, but restricted to acts of legal representation by the agent. Earlier literature suggested that it can be explained as an attempt to counter collusion, or alternatively through the general least-cost avoider logic. The principal difficulty in agency relationships is with supervision. This suggests opportunism as an explanatory factor. We examine the particular features of opportunism that would distinguish it amongst the sources of transaction costs: importance of disclosure rules, presumptions to facilitate evidence in cases of possible covert opportunism, need to sanction covert acts more severely than readily observable ones. The rules of mandate can comfortably be accounted for in the anti-opportunism logic. Most of them fit, equally comfortably, in the more general and straightforward cost-avoidance logic.


INTRODUCTION

The calculation of travel times and ray paths of seismic phases for a specified velocity model of the Earth has always been a fundamental need of seismologists. In recent years, the number of different phases used in analysis has been growing, as has the availability of new Earth models, especially models developed from detailed regional studies. These factors highlight the need for versatile utilities that allow the calculation of travel times and ray paths of (ideally) any conceivable seismic phase passing through (ideally) arbitrary velocity models. The method of Buland and Chapman (1983) provides significant progress toward this need by allowing for the computation of times and paths of any rays passing through arbitrary spherically symmetric velocity models. The implementation of this method through the ttimes software program (Kennett and Engdahl, 1991) for a limited number of velocity models and a standard set of seismic phases has been widely...


. Liquid crystals are fluids that are between the solid and conventional liquid phases. Liquid crystals are in widespread use, especially in optical technologies. They are synthesized by combining fatty acids with cholesterol. This study aims to utilize coconut oil as an alternative source of fatty acids for synthesizing liquid crystals since coconut is cheap and abundant in the Philippines. Coconut oil is eighty-five percent fatty acids. This study used commercial coconut oil. Sulfuric acid was used to liberate the fatty acids. When the fatty acid layer was collected, it was mixed with the catalysts DCC (C 7 H 12 N 2 ,N, N-dicyclohexylacarbodiamide) and DMAP (C 7 H 10 N 2 , 4-dimenopyrimidine) in 1:1 ratio. This was then mixed with commercial cholesterol and stirred until precipitates formed. The precipitates were filtered and the filtrate was collected. The organic layer was separated from the filtrate. The liquid crystal component was determined and isolated through column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography. Infrared (IR) spectrography confirmed the presence of cholesterol ester. Two melting points, 80 o C and 110 o C, further showed that the product had liquid crystalline properties. The success of this project will provide a cheaper alternative to costly commercial liquid crystal and yet another use for coconut oil.


We present a model with pre-marital schooling investment, endogenous marital matching and spousal specialization in homework and market production. Investment in schooling raises ages and generates two kinds of returns in our framework: a labor-market return and a marriage-market return because education can affect the intra-marital share of the surplus one can extract from marriage. When the returns to education and household roles are gender neutral, men and women educate in equal proportions and there is pure positive assortative matching in the marriage market. But if men and women have different market returns or household roles, then there may be mixing in equilibrium where some educated individuals marry uneducated spouses and those who educate less extract a relatively larger share of the marital surplus. The existence of large and frictionless marriage markets creates competition among potential spouses, precludes bargaining and generates premarital investments that are efficient. Given that the gender wage gap narrows with the level of education, women's labor-market return from schooling is higher than that of men. Moreover, women's household time obligations have declined over time, raising their marriage-market return from schooling. Combining these two effects, we explain why women now attain higher schooling levels than men.


During development of the cerebellum, Sonic hedgehog (SHH) is expressed in migrating and settled Purkinje neurons and is directly responsible for proliferation of granule cell precursors in the external germinal layer. We have previously demonstrated that SHH interacts with vitronectin in the differentiation of spinal motor neurons. Here, we analysed whether similar interactions between SHH and extracellular matrix glycoproteins regulate subsequent steps of granule cell development. Laminins and their integrin receptor subunit alpha6 accumulate in the outer most external germinal layer where proliferation of granule cell precursors is maximal. Consistent with this expression pattern, laminin significantly increases SHH-induced proliferation in primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells. Vitronectin and its integrin receptor subunits alpha(v) are expressed in the inner part of the external germinal layer where granule cell precursors exit the cell cycle and commence differentiation. In cultures, vitronectin is able to overcome SHH-induced proliferation, thus allowing granule cell differentiation. Our studies indicate that the pathway in granule cell precursors responsible for the conversion of a proliferative SHH-mediated response to a differentiation signal depends on CREB. Vitronectin stimulates phosphorylation of cyclic-AMP responsive element-binding protein (CREB), and over-expression of CREB is sufficient to induce granule cell differentiation in the presence of SHH. Taken together, these data suggest that granule neuron differentiation is regulated by the vitronectin-induced phosphorylation of CREB, a critical event that terminates SHH-mediated proliferation and permits the differentiation program to proceed in these cells.


Amplitude modulated full-field range-imagers are measurement devices that determine the range to an object simultaneously for each pixel in the scene, but due to the nature of this operation, they commonly suffer from the significant problem of mixed pixels. Once mixed pixels are identified a common procedure is to remove them from the scene; this solution is not ideal as the captured point cloud may become damaged. This paper introduces an alternative approach, in which mixed pixels are projected onto the surface that they should belong. This is achieved by breaking the area around an identified mixed pixel into two classes. A parametric surface is then fitted to the class closest to the mixed pixel, with this mixed pixel then being project onto this surface. The restoration procedure was tested using twelve simulated scenes designed to determine its accuracy and robustness. For these simulated scenes, 93% of the mixed pixels were restored to the surface to which they belong. This mixed pixel restoration process is shown to be accurate and robust for both simulated and real world scenes, thus provides a reliable alternative to removing mixed pixels that can be easily adapted to any mixed pixel detection algorithm.


The knowledge of small (>, 100 µm) but abundant objects in space is low. To analyze the quantity of those small objects in Earth orbit is a challenging issue and a number of different methods has been proposed and investigated in the past. However, until today there is no realised solution, which provides sufficient measure-ment data to be used for software validation. To im-prove our knowledge regarding the space environment, a new type of in-situ sensor was developed at DLR in Bremen, Germany. The Solar panel based Impact Detector "SOLID" is a large-area impact sensor that can be placed on a spacecraft in any orbit and can provide measurement data continuously. This paper provides an overview regarding the already performed as well as planned development of the SOLID system. Further-more, the main objectives corresponding the first and second on orbit verification of SOLID on TechnoSat mission (2017) and S²TEP (2019) respectively are out-lined.


CD38 is an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of cyclic adenosine diphosphate-ribose from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). We recently reported that this molecule regulates the maturation and differentiation of glial cells such as astrocytes and oligodendrocytes (OLs) in the developing brain. To analyze its role in the demyelinating situation, we employed cuprizone (CPZ)-induced demyelination model in mice, which is characterized by oligodendrocyte-specific apoptosis, followed by the strong glial activation, demyelination, and repopulation of OLs. By using this model, we found that CD38 was upregulated in both astrocytes and microglia after CPZ administration. Experiments using wild-type and CD38 knockout (KO) mice, together with those using cultured glial cells, revealed that CD38 deficiency did not affect the initial decrease of the number of OLs, while it attenuated CPZ-induced demyelination, and neurodegeneration. Importantly, the clearance of the degraded myelin and oligodendrocyte repopulation were also reduced in CD38 KO mice. Further experiments revealed that these observations were associated with reduced levels of glial activation and inflammatory responses including phagocytosis, most likely through the enhanced level of NAD+ in CD38-deleted condition. Our results suggest that CD38 and NAD+ in the glial cells play a critical role in the demyelination and subsequent oligodendrocyte remodeling through the modulation of glial activity and neuroinflammation.


This dissertation presents the theory, design, implementation and successful deployment of a cognitive engine decision algorithm by which a cognitive radio-equipped mobile robot may adapt its motion and radio parameters through multi-objective optimization. This provides a proof-of-concept prototype cognitive system that is aware of its environment, its user's needs, and the rules governing its operation. It is to take intelligent action based on this awareness to optimize its performance across both the mobility and radio domains while learning from experience and responding intelligently to ongoing environmental mission changes. The prototype combines the key features of cognitive radios and autonomous vehicles into a single package whose behavior integrates the essential features of both.
The use case for this research is a scenario where a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is traversing a nominally cyclic or repeating flight path (an "orbit") seeking to observe targets and where possible avoid hostile agents. As the UAV traverses the path, it experiences varying RF effects, including multipath propagation and terrain shadowing. The goal is to provide the capability for the UAV to learn the flight path with respect both to motion and RF characteristics and modify radio parameters and flight characteristics proactively to optimize performance. Using sensor fusion techniques to develop situational awareness, the UAV should be able to adapt its motion or communication based on knowledge of (but not limited to) physical location, radio performance, and channel conditions. Using sensor information from RF and mobility domains, the UAV uses the mission objectives and its knowledge of the world to decide on a course of action. The UAV develops and executes a multi-domain action; action that crosses domains, such as changing RF power and increasing its speed.
This research is based on a simple observation, namely that cognitive radios and autonomous vehicles perform similar tasks, albeit in different domains. Both analyze their environment, make and execute a decision, evaluate the result (learn from experience), and repeat as required. This observation led directly to the creation of a single intelligent agent combining cognitive radio and autonomous vehicle intelligence with the ability to leverage flexibility in the radio frequency (RF) and motion domains. Using a single intelligent agent to optimize decision making across both mobility and radio domains is unified multi-domain decision making (UMDDM).


Buprenorphine was evaluated for its abuse potential and utility in treating narcotic addiction. The drug was morphine-like but was 25 to 50 times more potent than morphine and was longer-acting. Little if any physical dependence of clinical significance was produced by buprenorphine. The effects of morphine to 120-mg doses were blocked by buprenorphine, a blockade that persisted for 29 1/2 hours. In man, buprenorphine has less intrinsic activity than morphine, and as such, as a low abuse potential. Moreover, the drug has potential for treating narcotic addiction since it is acceptable to addicts, is long-acting, produces a low level of physical dependence such that patients may be easily detoxified, is less toxic than drugs used for maintenance therapy, and blocks the effects of narcotics.


There is a dearth of research that investigates the effectiveness of different pedagogical methods for teaching entrepreneurship. This paper focuses on three learning design choices: experiential learning, use of teamwork, and focus on quantitative methods. The paper examines pedagogical variables that could contribute to raising student scores on constructs of change, risk taking, goal setting, feedback, and achievement as measured by our customized entrepreneurial propensity survey. Results offer moderate evidence to confirm effects of experiential learning designs for goal-setting and weak evidence for feedback. Additional findings suggest the need for rethinking the role of teamwork in entrepreneurship courses.


This chapter reports on and discusses an extensive interview conducted by the authors with the head of pre-sales at a hardware and software re-seller. The Pre-Sales division of the reseller provides advice based on end-to-end solution for IT infrastructure and technology management. Within the team there is expertise spanning a plethora of specifically defined technology areas to support end customers in the decision making process on their capital expenditure in IT equipment. Areas include Software licensing, Server infrastructure development, data storage and management, systems security, and networking infrastructure (and more). The business of being a re-seller may not initially strike the reader as being relevant to cybersecurity in general, and socio-technical matters at all, but we discovered the rather vital role that such an intermediary performs through their added value and corporate ethics. Specifically, this reseller's team of customer service agents provide advice and referral to colleagues and end customers for subject-matter expertise as well, naturally, for opportunities to up-sell – specifically with that important core of any economy: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (hereafter SMEs) - usually defined as companies with up to 250 employees. In other words, the business both responds to requests for solutions from existing customers (pull) and actively engages with customers to grow awareness about, for example, security risks in order to sell products and services (push). The authors – drawing on a background of research in corporate resilience and SMEs (with a commercial background in the IT sector) were interested to learn from an individual with his finger very firmly on the pulse of SME cyber-security awareness, just what his view was on the general level of cyber-security awareness amongst SMEs and what his company offered in the way of assistance.


The exact solution, via transfer matrix, of the simple one-dimensional lattice Coulomb gas (1d LCG) model can reproduce peculiar features of ionic liquid capacitors, such as overscreening, layering, and camel- and bell-shaped capacitance curves. Using the same transfer matrix method, we now compute the bulk properties of the 1d LCG in the constant voltage ensemble. We unveil a phase diagram with rich structure exhibiting low-density disordered and high-density ordered phases, separated by a first-order phase transition at low temperature; the solid state at full packing can be ordered or not, depending on the temperature. This phase diagram, which is strikingly similar to its three-dimensional counterpart, also sheds light on the behaviour of the confined system.


The Bomb in Bengal is a narrative history of the first phase of the revolutionary movement in Bengal. Many books and articles have been written about this period, some so uncritically laudatory that legend has taken the place of fact. Heehs provides a more accurate account than any found in previous narratives and also corrects mistakes made by academic historians. He succeeds in making his book as vivid and fast-moving as the events themselves. Heeh's approach is nationalist in focus, narrative in form, and chronological in presentation.


A number of studies have noted the occurrence of intermittent surface-water connections between depressional wetlands in general and prairie potholes in particular. Yet, the ecological implications of such connections remain largely unexplored. In 1995, we observed spillage into and out of a North Dakota wetland during two field visits. Between May 3 and May 26, there was a positive relationship between specific conductance and water level at this site, suggesting an external source of dissolved ions. We estimated that specific conductance may have increased at the site by as much as 614 μS cm−1 due to spillage from the upslope wetland. Based on a spatial analysis that compared National Wetlands Inventory maps with 1996 color infrared imagery, we estimated that 28% of the area's wetlands had a temporary surface water connection to at least one other wetland at that time, including one complex of 14 interconnected wetlands. These results indicate that the connectivity observed in 1995 was not confined to the two wetlands nor to that single year. The degree of connectivity we observed would be expected to occur during the wetter portions of the region's 20-year wet-dry cycle. We hypothesize that intermittent surface-water connections between wetlands occur throughout the prairie pothole region. Given patterns in relief and precipitation, these connections most likely would have occurred in the eastern portion of the prairie pothole region. However, wetland drainage may have altered historical patterns. The implication of these spatial and temporal trends is that surface-water connections between depressional wetlands should be viewed as a probability event that has some distribution over time and space. We refer to connections that are impermanent, temporally discontinuous, or sporadic as temporal connectivity. The most intriguing feature of these temporary connections may be that they could affect biodiversity or population dynamics through transport of individuals or reproductive bodies. Research is needed to determine whether these connections actually cause these biological effects and to characterize the distribution and effects of this phenomenon.


ABSTRACT: This review examines twenty years of research (1985 to 2005) on African-American students in science education. This analysis identified three types of research studies on African-Americans. First, a series of studies provided status reports of African-American students' performance in science. Second, a series of studies highlighted cultural discontinuities that existed between African-American students and the culture of science classrooms. A third series of studies called for the identification of cultural continuities that exist between African-American students' culture and science. The results of this review implicated scholars' failure to thoroughly explore the relationship between students' language, identity, and their influence on science learning. This review concludes with an analysis of how scholarship on African-Americans in science would benefit from incorporating a theoretical perspective that values the influence of African-American students' language practices on science learning. The Verbal Advantage Amid the barrage of negative commentaries regarding the status of education, there is good news. The good news is that those without the verbal skills associated with educational achievement can purchase the verbal advantage needed to obtain intellectual privilege. This insight came in the form of a commercial from Verbal Advantage^sup (TM)1^, a company that offers vocabulary training for those who have the desire to improve their verbal repertoire. They provide a not so subtle implication for language use, by suggesting that those who use more sophisticated words will eventually achieve an image of intelligence. Ultimately, they make the profound argument that acquiring an advanced use of words can change your image and thus, provide you a Verbal Advantage. Can this be true? Can our intelligence and sophistication be measured through our vocabulary? If one can use the evidence of words to judge sophistication and intelligence, then could the use of particular words signal intelligence and sophistication? Could I engage in the game of attempting to appear less intelligent or less sophisticated by selecting the appropriate combination of words? Could I carefully use my words to sound like a particular type of person, simply by selecting the correct set of words? This idea is far from novel and exists at the very edge of our conscious awareness. However, I was impressed that a company would be savvy enough to market and provide consumers with the promise of sophistication and the appearance of intelligence by merely teaching them to use words in a skillful manner. Challenged with these ideas, I felt compelled to visit their website where I encountered this statement: It is our mission to make certain you have the very best tools available in this millennium of Internet communication and digital dialogue. We understand that no matter what the medium, the message always needs words; used correctly, and with clarity and style.2 This excerpt from their mission statement struck a cord with me. I was particularly intrigued with the idea that language has two components that lead to the acquisition of a verbal advantage: clarity and style. The notion that clarity is key to helping individuals achieve a communicative advantage, is based on a theoretical assumption that the speaker and listener share a common understanding. Clarity is connected with two aspects of interpretation. First, the speaker selects signals that she assumes represent the idea. Second, the listener determines what the speaker intended to communicate. When both the speaker and the listener arrive at the same conceptual understanding, clarity is achieved. The style aspect of the communication process extends the notion of clarity by suggesting that the speaker can choose from several ways to communicate the same idea. Baugh's (2001) work on variation explores this phenomenon by noting how the selections of particular genres are more privileged than others. …


In the wake of Kristallnacht, November 9, 1938, Sigmund Tobias and his parents made plans to flee a Germany that was becoming increasingly dangerous for them. Like many other European Jews, they faced the impossibility of obtaining visas to enter any other country in Europe or almost anywhere else in the world. One city offered shelter without requiring a visa: the notorious pleasure capital, Shanghai. Seventeen thousand Jewish refugees flocked to Hongkew, a section of Shanghai ruled by the Japanese.Beginning in December 1938 these refugees created an active community that continued to exist through the end of the war and was dissolved by the early 1950s. In this exotic sanctuary, Sigmund Tobias grew from a six-year-old child to an adolescent. Strongly attracted by the discipline and rigor of Talmudic study, Tobias entered the Mirrer Yeshiva, a rabbinical seminary transplanted from the Polish city of Mir. The money and food the 1,200 refugees of the Yeshiva received from the American Jewish community made them a privileged elite within the Shanghai Jewish community.Tobias' own coming-of-age story unfolds within his descriptions of Jewish life in Shanghai. Depleted by disease and hunger, constantly struggling with primitive and crowded conditions, the refugees faced shortages of food, clothing, and medicine that became increasingly severe as the war continued. Tobias observes the under life of Shanghai: the prostitution and black market profiteering, the brutal lives of the Chinese workers, the tensions between Chinese and Japanese during the war, and the paralyzing inflation and the approach of the communist 'liberators' afterward.Sheltered from what was happening in Europe, Tobias recounts the anguish of the refugees when news of the Holocaust finally reached them. Richly detailed, "Strange Haven" opens a little-documented chapter of the Holocaust and provides a fascinating glimpse of life for these foreigners in a foreign land. An epilogue describes the changes Tobias observed when he returned to Shanghai forty years later as a visiting professor.


This study presents the results of a qualitative analysis based on 13 crime news articles from Italian newspapers, to show that the belief that mental disorder predisposes many of those suffering from it to behave violently has endured, though the 180 bill was passed 25 years ago. Although the question has already been addressed by social psychologists and psychiatrists, it has not been discussed in great detail by science communication. However, this considers crime articles in newspapers as very interesting examples of indirect communication on health issues, where common belief prevails. The articles analyzed were about two matricides dating back to 1972 and 2001 respectively. The analysis showed that the belief that people with mental illnesses are recognizable, antisocial, can behave violently and cannot recover, has endured over many years. Nevertheless, statements about people with mental disorders are more accurate and the idea that the risk of violence among released mental patients is predictable, has been set aside.


Thin-film solar cells based on Cu(In,Ga)Se2 contain a thin buffer layer of CdS in their standard configuration. In order to avoid cadmium in the device for environmental reasons, Cd-free alternatives are investigated. In this thesis, ZnO-based films, containing Mg or S, grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD), are shown to be viable alternatives to CdS. The CdS is an n-type semiconductor, which together with the n-type ZnO top-contact layers form the pn-junction with the p-type Cu(In,Ga)Se2. From device modeling it is known that a buffer layer conduction band (CB) position of 0-0.4 eV above that of the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 layer is consistent with high photovoltaic performance. For the Cu(In,Ga)Se2/ZnO interface this position is measured by photoelectron spectroscopy and optical methods to –0.2 eV, resulting in increased interface recombination. By including sulfur into ZnO, a favorable CB position to Cu(In,Ga)Se2 can be obtained for appropriate sulfur contents, and device efficiencies of up to 16.4% are demonstrated in this work. From theoretical calculations and photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, the shift in the valence and conduction bands of Zn(O,S) are shown to be non-linear with respect to the sulfur content, resulting in a large band gap bowing. ALD is a suitable technique for buffer layer deposition since conformal coverage can be obtained even for very thin films and at low deposition temperatures. However, deposition of Zn(O,S) is shown to deviate from an ideal ALD process with much larger sulfur content in the films than expected from the precursor pulsing ratios and with a clear increase of sulfur towards the Cu(In,Ga)Se2 layer. For (Zn,Mg)O, single-phase ZnO-type films are obtained for Mg/(Zn+Mg) < 0.2. In this region, the band gap increases almost linearly with the Mg content resulting in an improved CB alignment at the heterojunction interface with Cu(In,Ga)Se2 and high device efficiencies of up to 14.1%.


Consistently rated as the best overall introduction to computer-based image processing, The Image Processing Handbook covers two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques, image printing and storage methods, image processing algorithms, image and feature measurement, quantitative image measurement analysis, and more. Incorporating image processing and analysis examples at all scales, from nano- to astro-, this Seventh Edition: Features a greater range of computationally intensive algorithms than previous versions Provides better organization, more quantitative results, and new material on recent developments Includes completely rewritten chapters on 3D imaging and a thoroughly revamped chapter on statistical analysis Contains more than 1700 references to theory, methods, and applications in a wide variety of disciplines Presents 500+ entirely new figures and images, with more than two-thirds appearing in color The Image Processing Handbook, Seventh Edition delivers an accessible and up-to-date treatment of image processing, offering broad coverage and comparison of algorithms, approaches, and outcomes.


Economies of scale exist if long-run average costs decline as output rises. All else being equal, the decline in average costs should lead to greater profitability, making economies of scale attractive to businesses. Nobel laureate George Stigler recognized that economies of scale should help determine the optimum size of a firm. To obtain economies of scale and optimum firm size, parties may integrate resources or grant access to resources without integrating. Such arrangements create shared economies of scale. Tax law must consider the effects of shared economies of scale and address them. In particular, the varying degrees of scale-sharing raise tax classification issues. Traditional classification analyses focus on the legal definition of tax partnership, which requires a joint-profit motive. The IRS and courts have concluded that sharing economies of scale satisfies the joint-profit-motive test and that arrangements with a joint-profit motive are tax partnerships. Relying on technical analysis and economic theory, this Article argues, however, that if parties integrate resources without integrating all relevant parts of the production process, they often should not come within the definition of tax partnership. By focusing upon shared economies of scale, the IRS and courts have created a slippery slope. Sharing economies of scale is common even in nonintegrated arrangements, which allow parties to benefit from each other's specialized skills by granting access to resources. If tax law relies upon shared economies of scale to classify business arrangements, its classification system will include arrangements that are not suited for tax partnership classification.


In the conventional Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks, many research projects or practical applications still use the keyword-based retrieval methods in the information searching component, while few of them support semantic retrieval, and even less in considering issues in the largescale information searching environment. That is, few research works have achieved in enhancing both precision and recall simultaneously. The advent of Semantic Web is a highly innovative manner to enhance both the precision and recall simultaneously in the large-scale distributed environment. This paper investigates several searching problem as encountered in a tourism scenario. Bared an ambitious goal, we describe a preliminary architecture of average peer.


At the center of this paper are three questions: in the absence of a religious worldview, can one gain access to the concepts of forgiveness and reconciliation, can reconciliation be achieved in the absence of forgiveness or does the former depend in some way upon the latter, and can we make sense of a restorative approach to justice in the absence of either forgiveness or reconciliation? To answer these questions, I look closely at the concept of forgiveness in the first section of this article with the goals of disentangling it from its religious undertones and emphasizing its importance to the very concept of restorative justice. Drawing on both theoretical work and practical examples, I argue that forgiveness is not necessarily a religious concept – contrary to common perception – and that, contra Zehr, it is a foundational component of restorative justice. Having considered this first problem, I turn – in the second section – to a discussion of the concept of reconciliation, arguing that personal and political reconciliation must be separated from one another and from the concept of forgiveness. Ultimately, I conclude that forgiveness and reconciliation are quite different concepts, that the latter relies on the former, and that the latter is a goal rather than a necessary component of restorative justice. Drawing largely on the work of Hannah Arendt, Susan Dwyer, Trudy Govier, and Howard Zehr, as well as discussions with members of Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation, I argue that political reconciliation between groups can be achieved in the absence of personal reconciliation between individual victims and perpetrators in those groups. Further, I demonstrate that restorative practices open up the possibility of both types of reconciliation, but that they are ultimately founded only on the principle of forgiveness.


Collisions at active level crossings are a growing concern and largely arise from violations. The rail industry is exploring automated enforcement to target these violations. The aim of the study was to obtain a baseline measurement of violations at level crossings. A level crossing was selected for a two-day observation and the installation of monitoring equipment for 1.5 months. Over 1,000 violations were recorded. The monitoring system was installed unobtrusively, but in spite of this, the frequency of violations was disproportionally lower than during the in-situ observations, suggesting the need to consider Australian specificities during the configuration of such equipment to obtain accurate measurements of these violations.


Introduction Developing a balanced and usable collection is an important aspect of library services. Academic library collections are built to meet specific research and information needs of the institution's academic programmes. The curriculum is the frame upon which the library collection is built. All programmes must be covered to facilitate effective teaching, learning, research, and community services. Collection analysis and evaluation are crucial to ensuring efficient, effective, and usable collections. Collection effectiveness is measured, according to Lumande and Ojedokun (2005), by the extent to which a library collection can facilitate research activities and how much students can rely on it for project and assignments. Pausch and Popp (1997) maintain that accountability, outcomes measurement, and assessment are the subject of discussions in higher education, and coupled with the fact that libraries collections consume large proportion of the budget, libraries must ensure that what is collected matches or meets the expressed needs and information expectation of the university communities. One of way of ensuring that such needs are met is through collection evaluation within the framework of the curriculum. Crowder (1997) defines curriculum as the courses or programmes of study offered by an educational institution. It includes all activities that students must complete to finish a programme of study and achieve learning goals. The curriculum is not a fixed product but a dynamic process that responds to changes both in the society and in the educational institution, the library should be positioned to effectively respond to curriculum changes. Another reason for collection evaluation is accreditation by bodies such as the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC), Nigerian Legal Council, Nigerian Medical and Dental Association, and others. This imposes more responsibilities on the library, which has to ensure that the collection reflects the requirements for accreditation. Wright (2005) views accreditation as the vehicle to monitor the quality of education. Collection Evaluation Methods Pastine (1996) identifies a number of methodologies in literature which have received some acceptance and use in academic and research libraries. Some methods rely on collecting qualitative or quantitative statistics (Credaro, 2001). Quantitative statistics involves variables such as the current number of items in the collection, number of items added or rate of growth and items available per student in comparisons to recommended lists or to similar library collections and the study of the age of the collection. Qualitative approaches include analysis of circulation and InterLibrary Lending (ILL) statistics and in-house use studies of materials. A user satisfaction survey which employs a questionnaire or survey is another technique. This method is sometimes followed up with telephone interviews (Silveria, 1996). Studies of the citations and bibliographies of customers' publications to find out if items cited are available in the collections is another method of collection evaluation and assessment of customer satisfaction (Pastine, 1996). Credaro (2001) has identifies three ways of evaluating a library collection: survey of user opinion, which is user centered (through questionnaire or interview); the conspectus approach which involves the use of subject descriptors; and the cumulative approach, which combines some of the first two methods of collection assessment. Credaro concludes that "the success of any method of assessment depends on how well it meets the goals of the evaluation." In evaluating multimedia resources, Lamb (2004) agrees that collection evaluation can centre on either the collection or the customer. He identifies three methods: collection mapping, circulation statistics and patron survey. There are many benefits derivable from collection evaluation. …


SHANK3 encodes for a scaffolding protein that links neurotransmitter receptors to the cytoskeleton and is enriched in postsynaptic densities of excitatory synapses. Deletions or mutations in one copy of the SHANK3 gene cause Phelan‐McDermid syndrome, also called 22q13.3 deletion syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder with common features including global developmental delay, absent to severely impaired language, autistic behavior, and minor dysmorphic features. By whole exome sequencing, we identified two de novo novel variants including one frameshift pathogenic variant and one missense variant of unknown significance in a 14‐year‐old boy with delayed motor milestones, delayed language acquisition, autism, intellectual disability, ataxia, progressively worsening spasticity of the lower extremities, dysmorphic features, short stature, microcephaly, failure to thrive, chronic constipation, intrauterine growth restriction, and bilateral inguinal hernias. Both changes are within the CpG island in exon 21, separated by a 375 bp sequence. Next generation sequencing of PCR products revealed that the two variants are most frequently associated with each other. Sanger sequencing of the cloned PCR products further confirmed that both changes were on a single allele. The clinical presentation in this individual is consistent with other patients with a truncating mutation in exon 21, suggesting that the missense change contributes none or minimally to the phenotypes. This is the first report of two de novo mutations in one SHANK3 allele.


INTRODUCTION: Neighborhood factors affect mental health of children. There are not many studies done on neighborhood conditions and common childhood mental disorders using national level data in the US. This study aims to study the association between neighborhood characteristics and mental disorder among children in the US by analyzing nationally representative data. METHODS: Data on children aged 6-17 years from 2011/12 national survey of children's health was analyzed. Primary dependent variable was current diagnosed mental disorder that was based on the diagnosis of at least one of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), behavioral or conduct problem, depression and anxiety problem among children. Five neighborhood conditions (neighborhood amenities, neighborhood distracting element, supportive neighborhood, neighborhood safety, and school safety) were the independent variables. Analysis was conducted using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression at 95% CI. RESULTS: All the neighborhood conditions were significantly associated with current diagnosed mental disorder among children. In the multivariable model, children living in neighborhood perceived to be not supportive by parents/guardians had greater odds of mental disorder (OR 1.37, 95% CI:1.10-1.71) compared to children living in supportive neighborhood. Other noticeable factors associated with mental disorder among children were father's and mother's mental health, and number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). CONCLUSION: Neighborhood level interventions should be a part of broad interventions designed to improve mental health of children. Besides, assessment of conditions of a child's neighborhood, parents' perception of neighborhood social support, father's and mother's mental health, and adverse childhood experiences can be helpful in evaluating childhood mental disorders as well as in planning neighborhood level interventions.


Although Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is well characterized Non-Human Primate (NHP), the phenotypes of diabetic nephropathy, and its molecular mechanisms are not well studied in NHPs. Diabetic nephropathy in cynomolgus macaques with spontaneous dysmetabolism (Pre-DM, n=19) and diabetes (DM, n=20) were compared with normal controls (N, n=11). There were 9 NHPs with albuminuria (>42 mg/day) in the DM (45%), only 1 in Pre-DM and none in N group. The renal function measured by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was not significantly different among the 3 groups, indicating that these NHPs were in an early stage of renal disease. From these NHPs, 3 N, 3 Pre-DM without albuminuria and 6 DM with albuminuria were selected for transcriptome analysis of kidney biopsies. There were 95 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) detected amongst the 3 groups, of which, 75DEGs between the N and DM related to diabetic nephropathy; 66 DEGs between the N and Pre-DM related to dysmetabolism without nephropathy; 68 DEGs between N and both Pre-DM & DM related to dsymetabolism; but only 1 nephropathy specific gene (LCT lactase) between the DM with albuminuria (DM) and Pre-DM without albuminuria; only 4 DEGs between the DM with albuminuria and both N & Pre-DM without albuminuria specific to nephropathy. Signaling pathway analysis of the relevant DEGs and encoded proteins highlighted the role of a kidney failure, renal and urological diseases, and inflammatory diseases related network, in which the most pivotal gene in this network is Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), indicating that nephropathy is a disease closely related to inflammation and cell death. Thus, the present study was the first detailed characterization of the diabetic nephropathy phenotypes and the kidney histopathological changes in NHPs and provided molecular insights into novel mechanisms of disease progression, potential new drug targets as well as specific diagnostic biomarkers.


In 2006, Benin government adopted a Free Primary Education (FPE) policy, abolishing parentpaid tuition fees and increased significantly resources towards schools. In this paper, I examine whether the financing education through Government's intervention reduced the wealth and gender gap as well as prior geographical disparities in educational outcomes. I also evaluate how the expanded access has affected human capital formation as measured by student achievement. The identification strategy relies on pre-FPE differences in dropout rates across municipalities in a difference-in-differences approach. Using municipality and household level data, I find evidence that the fee elimination attenuated the inequality of access by increasing primary school completion for traditionally disadvantaged groups, including girls, low-income, and the northern region populations. The increased enrollment had no significant adverse effect on student achievement as measured by the probability of passing the primary school exit exam (CEP). Moreover, the policy potentially helped low performing municipalities narrow the achievement gap through the retention of better achieving students who would have dropped out of the education system otherwise. These results suggest that when implemented properly, public financing of educational reforms can lead to welfare improvements. The findings may therefore have important policy implications for Benin and other developing countries with similar strategies.


The chelating and antimicrobial capacity of a novel modification of 17% EDTA with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) (EDTA-AgNPs) was evaluated in-vitro for root canal treatment (RCT). The EDTA-AgNPs solution was characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, ζ-potential and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Antimicrobial capacity was evaluated against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus in planktonic and biofilm cells by broth macrodilution (24 h) and XTT assays, (1, 10 and 30 min) respectively. The chelating capacity of EDTA-AgNPs was assessed indirectly (smear layer removal) and directly (demineralizing effect) in bovine dentin at two silver concentrations, 16 and 512 μg/ml at 1 and 10 minutes of exposure time. Smear layer removal was evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The demineralizing effect was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), microhardness test (MH) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). Synthesized AgNPs were quasi-spherical in shape with an average size of 13.09 ± 8.05 nm. 17% EDTA-AgNPs was effective to inhibit C. albicans and S. aureus in planktonic and biofilm cultures. The smear layer removal and demineralizing effect were similar between 17% EDTA-AgNPs and 17% EDTA treatments. The 17% EDTA-AgNPs solution proved to be an effective antimicrobial agent, and has a similar chelating capacity to 17% EDTA alone. These in-vitro studies strongly suggest that EDTA-AgNPs could be used for effective smear layer removal, having an antimicrobial effect at the same time during RCT.


We herein report a new bioremediation method using a radiation-resistant bacterium. Biogenic gold nanomaterial-containing Deinococcus radiodurans R1 showed excellent capability for the removal of radioactive iodine (>99%) in several aqueous solutions. These observations demonstrated that our remediation system would be efficiently applied to the treatment of radioactive wastes.


Objective
Autonomy-support and quality feedback have been shown to significantly impact student learning. Unfortunately, quality feedback is often very time consuming. The goal of this study was to examine the autonomy-supportive potential from feedback provided via technology, specifically the ExamSoft Strength and Opportunities report.

Methods
Students were divided into two groups: one received enhanced performance feedback via the ExamSoft Strength and Opportunities report, the other received traditional grade-only feedback in the form of grades and course averages, via ExamSoft. The Learning Self-Regulation Survey (SRQ-L) was administered to 139 third-year doctor of pharmacy students. The survey contained 14 statements asking students to rate their reasons (relative autonomy) for reviewing ExamSoft feedback, three items related to use of the ExamSoft technology, and five demographic items.

Results
A statistical difference, t(52) = -2.07, p =0.043; d = .577, was reported between the two groups indicating enhanced feedback via ExamSoft had a moderate impact on students' autonomy.

Conclusions
Students who received enhanced ExamSoft feedback reported significantly higher relative autonomy index (RAI) for feedback review than students who did not receive the feedback. This suggests that the enhanced ExamSoft feedback was autonomy-supportive.


Liberals have generally cheered the Supreme Court's decision in Grutter v. Bollinger as validating the continued use of affirmative action in the struggle against racial injustice. But the Supreme Court's modern race cases rest on a misunderstanding of the nature of contemporary racial discrimination. From Brown, to Bakke, to Grutter, the Court has advanced a colorblind conception of racial equality that treats race-conscious affirmative action as constitutionally suspect, because it deviates from an aspirational baseline of race neutrality that lies at the core of the equal protection clause. However, race neutrality is a hopelessly artificial concept in a Nation like ours, that continues to make race an operative factor in the allocation of nearly all significant societal resources. Rather, it is colorblind race neutrality that should be viewed as constitutionally suspect, because that is what now constitutes the culture's preferred form of racial discrimination. Contemporary "race neutrality" is simply a modern descendent of the more traditional forms of invidious discrimination that have been practiced in the United States since the Nation was founded. And the Supreme Court's current preference for race-neutrality over race-consciousness is a modern descendent of the Court's own tradition of complicity in racial discrimination. Part II of this article describes the Supreme Court's current conception of racial discrimination, emphasizing the manner in which the Court has confused the concept of race neutrality with the concept of racial equality. Part III argues that the concept of race neutrality is constitutionally suspect, because it has now become a tool for discriminating against racial minorities. Part IV argues that the only way in which we are ever likely to remedy the systemic discrimination that continues to permeate American culture is by pursuing the precise racial balance goals that the Supreme Court has deemed to be unconstitutional. Part V concludes that the Supreme Court is once again impeding the Nation's progress toward racial equality, as it has done so many times in the past.


This is Part II of a two-part paper series that studies the use of the proportional fairness (PF) utility function as the basis for resource allocation and scheduling in multichannel multi-rate wireless networks. The contributions of Part II are twofold, (i) First, we extend the problem formulation, theoretical results, and algorithms to the case of time-varying channels, where opportunistic resource allocation and scheduling can be exploited to improve system performance. We lay down the theoretical foundation for optimization that "couples" the time-varying characteristic of channels with the requirements of the underlying applications into one consideration. In particular, the extent to which opportunistic optimization is possible is not just a function of how fast the channel characteristics vary, but also a function of the elasticity of the underlying applications for delayed resource allocation, (ii) Second, building upon our theoretical framework and results, we study subcarrier allocation and scheduling in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) cellular wireless networks. We introduce the concept of a W-normalized Doppler frequency to capture the extent to which opportunistic scheduling can be exploited to achieve throughput-fairness performance gain. We show that a "lookback PF" scheduling can strike a good balance between system throughput and fairness while taking the underlying application requirements into account.


SETTING
Fifteen hospitals in Malawi that offer voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) for tuberculosis (TB) patients and cotrimoxazole (CTX) for patients found to be HIV-positive.

OBJECTIVES
1) To describe the process of developing a national TB-HIV plan, conducting a country-wide situational assessment, and producing national guidelines on VCT and CTX for TB patients, and 2) to assess the implementation of VCT and CTX for TB patients registered between July and September 2003.

DESIGN
A descriptive study.

RESULTS
The 3-year HIV-TB plan was finalised in 2002. Between January and March 2003, an assessment was carried out of HIV/AIDS and joint HIV-TB services in Malawi and a decision made to support 15 hospitals in implementing VCT and CTX for TB patients. Between April and June 2003, national guidelines on VCT and CTX were developed through a consultative process, and treatment units were prepared for implementation. Between July and September 2003, 2397 TB patients were registered, and 1404 (59%) accepted VCT; 956 (68%) were HIV-positive, of whom 927 (97%) started CTX. Deficiencies in the registration process and in patient understanding about VCT and CTX were identified.

CONCLUSION
The results show that it is feasible to routinely implement VCT and CTX for TB patients.


Objectives Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome for health interventions, such as physical activity (PA) promotion among high-risk populations. The aim of this study was to investigate levels of PA and HRQoL, and associations between PA and HRQoL, in participants attending a behavior change service within primary care in Norway. Methods Adult participants (≥ 18 years) from 32 Healthy Life Centers (HLCs) in four regions of Norway, who provided valid data on HRQoL (SF-36) and PA (ActiGraph accelerometer) were included (N = 835). HRQoL scores were compared to normative data by independent sample t-tests. Associations between eight dimensions of HRQoL and time spent sedentary (SED), in light PA (LPA) or in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) were determined using general linear models adjusted for relevant confounders. Results Nineteen percent of the participants (mean age 50; body mass index 32) met PA recommendations of > 150 min MVPA per week. SF-36 scores were 10 to 28 points lower than the norm (all p < 0.001). Positive associations were found between MVPA and the SF-36 dimensions physical functioning, role physical, general health and vitality, (all p < 0.045). LPA was positively associated with physical functioning, role physical, general health, vitality and role emotional (all p < 0.046). Time spent SED was negatively associated with physical functioning, general health, vitality, social functioning and mental health (all p < 0.030). Conclusions Individuals attending a Norwegian behavior change service within primary care had low PA level and low HRQoL compared to the general population. Our study suggest there is a positive dose-response relationship between PA and HRQoL, and a negative relationship between SED and HRQoL. Furthermore, that specific PA intensities and SED are related to different dimensions of HRQoL.


Motivated by the absence of both spin freezing and a cooperative Jahn-Teller effect at the lowest measured temperatures, we study the ground state of Ba3CuSb2O9. We solve a general spin-orbital model on both the honeycomb and the decorated honeycomb lattice, revealing rich phase diagrams. The spin-orbital model on the honeycomb lattice contains an SU(4) point, where previous studies have shown the existence of a spin-orbital liquid with algebraically decaying correlations. For realistic parameters on the decorated honeycomb lattice, we find a phase that consists of clusters of nearest-neighbor spin singlets, which can be understood in terms of dimer coverings of an emergent square lattice. While the experimental situation is complicated by structural disorder, we show qualitative agreement between our theory and a range of experiments.


Background and Aim: Acute oxidative stress directly contributes to tissue injury. Hydrogen molecule with the rapid penetration is able to penetrate the biomembranes and diffuse into the cytosol. Moreover, H2 passes through the blood brain barrier, although most antioxidant compounds cannot; this is also an advantage of H2. The aim of this article was to review the literature regarding the effect of hydrogen molecule on auditory system. Material & Methods : We searched Medline, Google Scholar, PubMed and SID search engines with the "antioxidant" and "hydrogen" keywords and read textbooks about this subject between 1973 and 2012. Conclusion :  Hydrogen molecule as an antioxidant potentially has numerous benefits including rapid diffusion into tissues and cells. Also it is mild enough neither to disturb metabolic redox reactions nor to affect reactive oxygen species that function in cell signaling and the action mechanism of hydrogen molecule is performed via decrease of the enzymes involved in apoptosis and inflammation. Keywords : Oxidative stress, antioxidant, free Radical, Blood brain barrier, Hydrogen molecule


In a media-saturated age, can photographs still promote empathy? The commoditization and consequent banalization of photography has led not only to what has been condemned as the opportunistic exploitation of images by consumerist bourgeois society, but also the inhibition of empathy in discourse and practice. Exploring the role of photography in relation to empathy through an examination of the visual impact, psychological effects and emotional influence of photographic media, this paper builds on the work of Susan Sontag in On Photography (1977) and Regarding the Pain of Others (2003) to focus on the case of a Pulitzer Prize-winning image by the late South African photojournalist Kevin Carter. The haunting photograph, taken during the 1993 famine in Sudan, shows a starving Sudanese girl on her way to a feeding centre, shadowed by a vulture lurking behind her. Sontag's observations are directly applicable to Carter's case: the act of photographing may unconsciously encourage the prioritization of images above individuals, thus inhibiting empathy in the photographer. Overexposure to disaster images in the media also hampers viewers' emotional identification with suffering photographic subjects, while the dominance of the Internet in the modern age may have in fact intensified photography's anesthetizing effect. Viewer apathy further stems from the ways in which the photographic medium might influence one's emotional responses by changing perceptions of people, and indeed, of time itself. Yet while photography may impose obstacles to empathy, the vital issue that Carter's photograph demonstrates is not merely how photographs are taken but how they are interpreted, applied, and employed to prompt social action.


We present a unified metric for analyzing the risk of disclosing anonymized datasets. Datasets containing privacy sensitive information are often required to be shared with unauthorized users for utilization of valuable statistical properties of the data. Anonymizing the actual data provides a great opportunity to share the data while preserving its statistical properties and privacy. The risk of disclosure remains, as hackers may perform a de-anonymization attack to breach the privacy from released datasets. Existing metrics for analyzing this risk were established in the context of infeasibility attacks where each consistent matching (i.e., feasible mapping between actual data and anonymized data) appears equally likely to the hacker. In practice, the hacker may possess some background knowledge for assigning unequal probabilities to all the matchings. We consider these unequal probabilities assigned to matchings to compute the expected closeness of the matchings to the actual mapping adopted for anonymization. We find that our metric delivers a more practical risk assessment for decision makers but has a high computational complexity. Hence, we propose an efficient heuristic for our metric and analyze its accuracy. We also show that our heuristic results in a very close estimation to the actual metric.


Abstract In this paper, we present a novel method to supervise several discrete events and continuous processes causing failures in a blood pump. These are potential hazards which regularly cause problems in intensive care routine. We propose an indicator that considers the nonlinear shear thinning flow properties of blood. Based on a threefold of physiological motivated measures, we calculate an indicator which is not only able to detect ongoing events like gas in the blood phase but also to predict upcoming events like the suction of the withdrawing cannula to the surrounding vessel's wall. We present an algorithm that is embedded in a distributed 32 bit microcontroller network and holding hard real-time constraints. We were able to evaluate out algorithms in-vivo. For this algorithm we analyzed online data of more than 140 hours of animal experiments.


OF THESIS CHARACTERIZATION OF SEED DEFECTS IN HIGHLY SPECULAR SMOOTH COATED SURFACES Many smooth, highly specular coatings such as automotive paints are subjected to considerable performance demands as the customer expectations for appearance of coatings are continually increasing. Therefore it is vital to develop robust methods to monitor surface quality online. An automated visual assessment of specular coated surface that would not only provide a cost effective and reliable solution to the industries but also facilitate the implementation of a real-time feedback loop. The scope of this thesis is a subset of the inspection technology that facilitates real-time close loop control of the surface quality and concentrates on one common surface defect – the seed defect. This machine vision system design utilizes surface reflectance models as a rational basis. Using a single high-contrast image the height of the seed defect is computed; the result is obtained rapidly and is reasonably accurate approximation of the actual height.


The "Virtual Research Environment for Cancer Imaging" project aims to support image processing researchers and clinicians by providing a framework for sharing images and algorithms. In this paper we present the system developed to date which has focused on sharing and managing DICOM images using Microsoft's Share Point 2010. The system allows configuring the metadata to be extracted from the DICOM tags to meet requirements from both set of users: imaging researchers and clinicians. We present the work conducted to allow sharing algorithms as scientific workflows through the use of the Trident Workflow Workbench and the initial library of activities and workflows created for one of the most popular image processing toolkits among imaging researchers, the Insight Toolkit.


Drawing upon both classical insights and more recent writings, Hearn provides a compelling account of social breakdown in the United States. The book examines the conditions most responsible for the deterioration of social institutions, notably the family, and of communitarian interdependencies, such as those that support neighborhoods. More specifi cally, Hearn analyzes the defi ning forces of liberal modernity-among them, especially, the market economy (favored by the political right) and the democratic welfare state (endorsed by the political left)-whose steady expansion has diminished the social contexts that nurture trust, mutuality, and a robust sense of both personal responsibility and social obligation.


Evidence regarding the effect of psychological factors and evacuation on cardiovascular disease occurrence after large-scale disasters is limited. This prospective study followed up a total of 37,810 Japanese men and women aged 30–89 years from the Fukushima Prefecture with no history of stroke or heart disease at baseline (2012), until 2017. This period included 3000 cardiovascular events recorded through questionnaires and death certificates. The participants' psychological distress, trauma reaction, and evacuation status were defined, and divided into four groups based on combinations of psychological factors and evacuation status. We calculated the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for only psychological, only evacuation, or both of them compared with neither using Cox proportional hazard models. Psychological factors along with evacuation resulted in approximately 5% to 25% higher magnitude of stroke and heart disease risk than psychological factors only among men. Compared to neither, the multivariable hazard ratios of those with both psychological distress and evacuation were 1.75 for stroke and 1.49 for heart disease, and those of both trauma reaction and evacuation were 2.01 and 1.57, respectively, among men. Evacuation combined with psychological factors increased the risk of stroke and heart disease risks especially in men after the Great East Japan Earthquake.


Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in Nordic economic development through creating employment, stimulating competition and developing new technologies and products. However, these companies are often disadvantaged by internal and external constraints that prevent them from realising their full potential. Nordicgovernments acknowledge that environmental management forms one of these constraints, and accordingly its integration into working practices is supported by a range of public sector financial assistance schemes. However, to date, there has been no exploration of the extent of this provision, nor is there any comparative knowledge of the impact that these "environmental incentives" have on the environmental performance or the economic competitiveness of Nordic SMEs. This report presents the first cross-national overview of the main environmental incentives available for SMEs in the Nordic countries.


This research investigates factors related to crime rates for the 2013/2014 South African Crime Survey. The survey provides personal information and crime related experiences for all members of the 25 605 households that was part of the study. Using the generalized linear model analysis we show that the crime outcomes significantly differed between provinces. A further data set, containing aggregated crime statistics from 1 140 police stations, had the GPS co-ordinates included which allowed for spatial mapping of crime incidence. Results may be used to predict crime hot spots in the country, thereby having the potential to inform crime reduction initiatives, which could be deployed strategically in order to minimize overall crime by focusing on the potential crime hot spots. In a country where resources are limited and that careful planning is essential, this study potentially has a lot to offer.