This paper explains why diesel fuel is the preferred fuel in freight transportation. It identifies possible substitute fuels for motor carriers and railroads that are currently available and under development. It identifies which of these substitutes are likely to be used in the near and medium term years and the circumstances under which they will be used. The paper discusses which fuel efficiency measures have been successfully adopted by railroads and motor carriers. Finally, it suggests opportunities for transportation researchers to evaluate investment options to improve fuel efficiencies in freight transportation.


You have never read a book like this before...The Celestine Prophecy contains secrets that are currently changing our world. Drawing on the ancient wisdom found in a Peruvian manuscript, it tells you how to make connections between the events happening in your own life right now...and lets you see what is going to happen to you in the years to come. The story it tells is a gripping one of adventure and discovery, but it is also a guidebook that has the power to crystalize your perceptions of why you are where you are in life...and to direct your steps with a new energy and optimism as you head into tomorrow. A book that comes along just once in a lifetime to change lives forever.


The effect of fiber birefringence on the propagation delay in an embedded fiber-optic strain sensor is studied. The polarization characteristics of the sensor are described in terms of polarization mode dispersion through the principal states of polarization and their differential group delay. Using these descriptors, an analytical expression for the response of the sensor for an arbitrary input state of polarization is given and experimentally verified. It is found that the differential group delay, as well as the input and output principal states of polarization, vary when the embedded fiber is strained, leading to fluctuations in the sensor output. The use of high birefringence fibers and different embedding geometries is examined as a means for reducing the polarization dependency of the sensor.


This paper analyzes the possibility of implementing a variety of analog and acoustical processes for music production as remote audio servers accessed by the World Wide Web. The opportunity is motivated by the simple idea of making a MIDI-controlled analog synthesizer available to the general public as a batched recording service, for which a prototype has been developed and described in [Johann and Zawacki, 2012]. As soon as the advantages of such system are considered, the question arises as what other instruments and audio processes could be implemented as servers, providing quality and cost effective remote access from anywhere, to anyone. The ultimate goal is to allow musicians to compose, record and mix their music from simple tools in their computers but having the opportunity to access also very high-quality analog an real instruments for final sound rendering. In this text, both digitally controlled and old analog synthesizers are considered, as well as adapted and custom instruments, acoustical musical instruments of many sorts, effects audio processing units, analog mixing consoles and a few others. Each different class of tools has its own context, requirements and some challenges, whose discussion is the main focus of the present work, that also highlights the many commercial and creative possibilities of such an ubiquitous approach to analog audio.


In this thesis I investigated nitrification, dissolved inorganic and organic nitrogen uptake, and the relative importance of nitrification and ammonium assimilation. I have also investigated exchange with marshes and sediments.
Nitrification, oxidation of ammonium to nitrate is the first step for removal of nitrogen from a system. Evaluating a suitable method to quantify nitrification in estuarine systems was the subject of the first study. One method quantifying nitrification as nitrifier activity was compared to another method using growth of nitrifying bacteria in the Scheldt estuary over a salinity gradient. Measurements were made during 4 seasons using 15N enriched ammonium and 14C labeled carbon incorporation. Our study demonstrated that the conversion of growth rates to nitrifying activity induces uncertainty because activity and growth of nitrifiers may be uncoupled.
Uptake of dissolved ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, urea and amino acids was the topic of the second study. It was studied in the Scheldt estuary during the same cruises mentioned above. Urea and amino acids constituted up to 43 and 29 % of total nitrogen uptake, respectively, and were of similar importance as inorganic substrates. In January, April and November amino acids constituted a source of both nitrogen and carbon while urea mainly constituted a source of carbon. During the summer months amino acids were used mainly as a source for nitrogen, while urea was a source for both carbon and nitrogen; urea was rarely used as nitrogen substrate alone.
The subject of the third study was production of N2. Sediment nitrogen removal via production of N2, depends on a number of factors. This study showed that the interaction between two factors, temperature and nitrate concentration in the overlying water, governs benthic production of N2, whereas these factors separately have a minor effect. Increasing temperatures above ambient levels, both during winter and summer, caused the flux of ammonium out of the sediment to increase.
After investigating the abiotic factors, temperature and nitrate concentration on N2 production, attention turned in the fourth study to biotic factors, such as macrofauna. We successfully defaunated the sediment of a tidal flat in situ and were able to follow the effect of recolonization on biogeochemical processes. The experiment did not last long enough for the sediment to return to natural conditions. Nevertheless, a strong effect of faunal community on biogeochemical processes were found. N2 production rates were up to 70 % lower in defaunated sediment compared to control sediment.
The fifth study was a whole-ecosystem whole-ecosystem labelling experiment in a freshwater marsh. 15N-NH4+ was added to the floodwater entering a tidal marsh area, and marsh ammonium processing and retention were traced in six subsequent tide cycles. Data were presented for the water phase components of the marsh system, in which changes in concentration and isotopic enrichment of NO3-, NO2-, N2O, N2, NH4+ and suspended particulate nitrogen were used in a mass balance study. 31 % of added 15N-NH4+ was retained or transformed. NO3- was the most important pool for 15N, with nitrification accounting for 30 % of 15N-transformation. Whole-ecosystem nitrification rates were four to nine times higher than those in the water column alone, implying a crucial role for the large reactive marsh surface area in N-transformation.


In this article, we provide an overview of the key mechanisms by which sectoral disturbances affect aggregate economic activity. We describe how the distribution of sectoral shares influences each sector's contribution to the variation in aggregate output. We also illustrate different aspects of the effects of input-output linkages across sectors on the amplification and propagation of idiosyncratic sectoral shocks. In particular, we review and summarize key conditions, first articulated in Dupor (1999), under which movements in aggregate output are invariant to sectoral disturbances, even in the presence of intersectoral linkages in production. Finally, using estimates of a two-digit input use table constructed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, we provide various calculations of the contribution of different sectors to variations in aggregate output.


This paper studies unevenness in network properties on the social Semantic Web. First, we propose a two-step methodology for processing and analyzing social network data from the Semantic Web. Using the SPARQL query language, a derived RDF graph can be constructed that is tailored to a specific question. After a brief introduction to the notion of unevenness, this methodology is applied to examine unevenness in network properties of semantic data. Comparing Lorenz curves for different centrality measures, it is shown how examinations of unevenness can provide crucial hints regarding the topology of (social) Semantic Web data.


The solution to the structure of the AMPA receptor reveals clues about the general mechanisms of action of ionotropic glutamate receptors. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter, which when released into the synapse activates metabotropic and ionotropic glutamate receptors in postsynaptic cells. Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs), such as AMPA, NMDA, and kainate receptors, are ligand-gated ion channels consisting of tetramers of receptor subunits containing amino-terminal domains (ATDs), ligand-binding domains (LBDs), and transmembrane domains (TMDS), which form the ion channel (see Wollmuth and Traynelis). Whereas previous studies have focused on individual domains of various iGluRs, Sobolevsky et al. solved the x-ray crystal structure of the full-length rat AMPA receptor, a homotetramer of GluA2 subunits, bound to an antagonist. The structure resembled a "Y," with the ATDs at the prongs, the TMDs at the base, and the LBDs between the two. Whereas the extracellular ATDs and LBDs consisted of pairs of dimers arranged around two-fold axes of symmetry, the TMDs exhibited a four-fold, rotational axis of symmetry. Substantial crossover of the subunits (A to D) resulted in domain-swapping in the extracellular regions. Thus, the dimer pairs at the level of the ATDs were A-B and C-D, whereas at the lower level of the LBDs, the pairs were A-D and B-C. The authors found similar structural features in NMDA receptors made up of GluN1 and GluN2 subunits. Analysis of the structure of the TMDs and the ion channel of the AMPA receptor, which was closed because of the antagonist, revealed similarities with the pores of K+ channels. Based on the structure as a whole, the authors proposed mechanisms for the action, desensitization, and inhibition of the AMPA receptor, which they suggest can be applied to iGluRs in general. A. I. Sobolevsky, M. P. Rosconi, E. Gouaux, X-ray structure, symmetry and mechanism of an AMPA-subtype glutamate receptor. Nature 462, 745–756 (2009). [PubMed] L. P. Wollmuth, S. F. Traynelis, Excitatory view of a receptor. Nature 462, 729–731 (2009). [Online Journal]


The chemical components and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils from Centaurea appendicigera C. Koch and Centaurea helenioides Boiss, two different endemic members of the genus Centaurea L. (Asteraceae), were studied. The essential oils of air-dried C. appendicigera and C. helenioides were obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus and analyzed by GC-MS. Forty-five and fifty-one components were identified in the essential oils of C. appendicigera and C. helenioides, respectively, and the main components of these taxa were found to be β-caryophyllene (17.5%) from C. appendicigera and caryophyllene oxide (18.2%) from C. helenioides. The antimicrobial activity of the isolated essential oil of the plants was also investigated, and demonstrated moderate antibacterial activity against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, and yeast-like fungi.


Context. Supermassive black holes with masses of 10 5 − 10 9 M⊙ are believed to inhabit most, if not all, nuclear regions of g alaxies, and both observational evidence and theoretical models suggest a scenario where galaxy and black hole evolution are tightly related. Luminous AGNs are usually selected by their non-stellar colours or their X-ray emission. Colour selection cannot be used to select low-luminosity AGNs, since their emission is dominated by the host galaxy. Objects with low X-ray to optical ratio escape even the deepest X-ray surveys performed so far. In a previous study we presented a sample of candidates selected through optical variability in the Chandra Deep Field South, where repeated optical observations were performed in the framework of the STRESS supernova survey. Aims. The analysis is devoted to breaking down the sample in AGNs, starburst galaxies, and low-ionisation narrow-emission li ne objects, to providing new information about the possible dependence of the emission mechanisms on nuclear luminosity and blackhole mass, and eventually studying the evolution in cosmic time of the different populations. Methods. We obtained new optical spectroscopy for a sample of variability selected candidates with the ESO NTT telescope. We analysed the new spectra, together with those existing in the literature and studied the distribution of the objects in U− B and B− V colours, optical and X-ray luminosity, and variability amplitude. Results. A large fraction (17/27) of the observed candidates are broad-line luminous AGNs, confirming the e ffi ciency of variability in detecting quasars. We detect : i) extended objects which would have escaped the colour selection and ii) objects of very low X-ray to optical ratio, in a few cases without any X-ray detection at all. Several objects resulted to be narrow-emission line g alaxies where variability indicates nuclear activity, while no emission lines were detected in others. Some of these galaxies have variability and X-ray to optical ratio close to active galactic nuclei, whil e others have much lower variability and X-ray to optical ratio. This result can be explained by the dilution of the nuclear light due to the host galaxy. Conclusions. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of supernova search programmes to detect large samples of low-luminosity AGNs. A sizable fraction of the AGN in our variability sample had escaped X-ray detection (5/47) and/or colour selection (9/48). Spectroscopic follow-up to fainter flux limits is strongly e ncouraged.


This paper describes the creation and evolution of an undergraduate dynamics and vibrations course for civil engineering students. Incorporating vibrations into the course allows students to see and study real civil engineering applications of the course content. This connection of academic principles to real life situations is in itself a critical learning stage for the students, and addressing the creation of these connections led to the incorporation of active demonstrations into the course. The course also focuses on developing skills through various active learning strategies that can be transferred to other non-structural engineering courses, such as problem solving and critical thinking, as well as ABET skills such as teamwork and the utilization of computer tools. This paper presents how designing a course structure and implementation with the explicit consideration of developing these critical skills aids students in mastering both course content and in enhancing their educational development. Results of increased student performance due to the synthesis of strategies incorporated into the course are presented, including performance in a later course as well as in the dynamics portion of the Fundamentals of Engineering exam.


These are tough times to be a progressive in support of campaign finance reform. Through a series of cases, most importantly Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court has taken key steps toward deregulating campaign finance law. Since Citizens United, outside spending in federal elections has increased markedly, such as a 245 percent increase in outside spending on presidential elections, a 662 percent increase in outside spending on House elections and a 1,338 percent increase in outside spending on Senate elections, raising dangers of corruption and increasing political inequality. The Court could well take further steps toward deregulation in its new term, when it considers the constitutionality of aggregate limits on campaign contributions. While Citizens United leaves ample constitutional space for the enactment of effective disclosure laws, disclosure is a poor substitute for more serious and effective campaign regulation including limits on outside spending and ample public funding. Even worse, Congress has not fixed holes in our disclosure laws exploited by clever campaign finance lawyers which not only increase the danger of corruption but also deprive the public of important information to make intelligent voting decisions. The prospect for legislative responses in the near term are bleak, when Democrats cannot get Republicans to sign on even to disclosure fixes. The Federal Election Commission has become mired in ideological struggle, with three Republican Commissioners marching lockstep to disable what remains of campaign finance enforcement. President Obama, who campaigned as a reformer, has done nothing significant to help the cause of reasonable campaign regulation, and in fact his own new 501(c)(4), Organizing for America, will push politics further toward deregulation.The current reality is far from progressive ideal campaign finance regulation for the 21st century: strong protections for robust political debate, a free press, and multi-dimensional partisan competition; programs such as voucher-based public financing fostering the voice and power of all voters; a strong disclosure regime, deterring corruption and providing valuable information to voters; and sensible limits on contributions and spending to inhibit political corruption and promote political equality.What are progressives to do to move from bleak reality closer to this ideal? In this short essay, I argue against three misguided approaches to reform: seek to amend the Constitution to overrule Citizens United; pay lip service to the cause of reform but take no concrete steps against the worst problems with the system; and throw in the towel, giving up the fight to limit money in politics. Each of these approaches likely will make things worse rather than promote the progressive ideal. Instead, I argue that progressives should seek to preserve and protect what remains of campaign finance law today, especially contribution limitations, public financing, and disclosure laws, and progressive thinkers and lawyers should lay the intellectual groundwork for effective campaign reform proposals and constitutional arguments to be presented to a future, more progressive Supreme Court majority.


Native American educators occupy a significant place within their respective communities. In this article I report findings from a qualitative investigation on the various ways Native educators define their roles to their students, schools, and communities. Using personal interviews in conjunction with combined snowball and purposive sampling techniques, I documented the perceptions and experiences of 21 Native American educators on their roles as professionals serving reservation schools in the Northern Great Plains. Reflecting the complexities of reservation life, the educators played a myriad of intertwined roles. Analysis of the data led me to identify two types of educators. One I refer to as affinitive educators and the other facilitative educators. Moreover, upon closer examination, I also discovered that the participants articulated two types of roles they perform, definitional roles and foundational roles. In this article I present the two types of educators and the associated roles expressed by the participants.


Large-scale prediction problems are often plagued by correlated predictor variables and missing observations. We consider prediction settings in which logistic regression models are used and propose a novel approach to make accurate predictions even when predictor variables are highly correlated and only partly observed. Our approach comprises three steps: first, to overcome the collinearity issue, we propose to model the joint distribution of the outcome variable and the predictor variables using the Ising network model. Second, to render the application of Ising networks feasible, we use a latent variable representation to apply a low-rank approximation to the network's connectivity matrix. Finally, we propose an approximation to the latent variable distribution that is used in the representation to handle missing observations. We demonstrate our approach with numerical illustrations.


The earthquake deformation cycle (EDC) produces a sequence of specific relative land- and sea-level movements associated with large (magnitude>8) plate boundary earthquakes forming pre-seismic, co-seismic, post-seismic and inter-seismic periods. Measurements available for the 1964 Alaskan earthquake allow a comparison between late Holocene earthquakes and an event of known magnitude. This thesis analyses multiple late Holocene co-seismic events at three sites around the upper Cook Inlet, Alaska, including at least one complete EDC at each site, quantified using transfer function techniques. Results describe five definite co-seismic events at Girdwood and one each at Kenai and Kasilof, with further possible events at all three sites. These fall within six periods of co-seismic submergence, including 1964, spaced at irregular intervals over the last 4000 years. Quantitative reconstructions suggest that submergence resulting from most co-seismic events studied are of similar magnitude to the 1964 earthquake but it is not possible to identify whether pre-1964 events affected the same area. A key finding is the identification and quantification of pre-seismic relative sea-level (RSL) rise before all those events attributed to co-seismic submergence. The maximum magnitude of pre- seismic RSL rise is +0.21 ± 0.10 m and for the 1964 event starts approximately 10 years before the earthquake. This is strong evidence to suggest it represents a precursor to a large event and independent work elsewhere describes possible mechanisms for this phenomenon. Long-term patterns of RSL change show significant differences between sites around Turnagain Arm compared to Kenai and Kasilof. The latter show negligible permanent deformation over multiple EDC's but this is not the case at sites around Turnagain Arm. Before attributing this to only partial recovery between two earthquakes, other factors deserve further attention, especially sediment consolidation, tidal range change through time and improvements in GIA modelling taking into account local ice sheet reconstructions.


The animal species depicted in the rock art of Shuwaymis, Saudi Arabia, provide a record of Holocene climatic changes, as seen by the engravers. Of 1903 animal engravings, 1514 contained sufficient detail to allow identification with confidence. In addition, the stratigraphy of the engravings and the depiction of domesticates provide a broad chronological framework that allows a division into images created during the Holocene humid phase and animals represented after the onset of desert conditions. Despite the large sample size, only 16 animal species could be identified, which represents an extraordinarily narrow species spectrum. Comparison with the scarce faunal record of the Arabian Peninsula shows that all larger animals that are thought to have been present in the area were also depicted in the rock art. The contemporaneous presence of at least four large carnivores during the Holocene humid phase suggests that prey animals were abundant, and that the landscape consisted of a mosaic of habitats, potentially with thicker vegetation along the water courses of the wadis and more open vegetation in the landscape around them. Community Earth System Models (COSMOS) climate simulations show that Shuwaymis was at the northern edge of the African Summer Monsoon rainfall regime. It is therefore possible that Shuwaymis was ecologically connected with southwestern Arabia, and that an arid barrier remained in place to the north, restricting the dispersal of Levantine species into Arabia.


Introduction: Today, cancer is the third leading cause of human death and one of the main challenges faced by Iran's health care system, which reduces the quality of life of patients. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of self-care program based on Orem theory on quality of life of cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy in military personal visiting selective in AJA Hospital. Material and Method: This study was conducted as a randomized clinical trial that involved 64 patients randomly assigned into experimental and control groups (each group, n = 32). Five educational- counseling sessions based on Orem self-care was conducted through individual instruction based on the needs of patients over a week. Before and after two months of implementation of program QLQ-C30 questionnaire were used in both groups. Data obtained before and after program were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Results: Before intervention, statistically significant differences in quality of life scores in both groups didn't exist. Independent t-test showed a significant difference between the two groups after the intervention (P<0.001). Paired t-test showed a significant difference in quality of life scores before and after the intervention in experimental groups (P<0.001). The overall effect size according to Cohen's criteria table indicate the desirable effectiveness of the intervention. Discussion and Conclusion: Application of Orem based self-care programs built on the patient's educational needs on quality of life in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy is probably effective.


Introduction Protein deimination, defined as the post-translational conversion of protein-bound arginine to citrulline, is carried out by a family of 5 calcium-dependent enzymes, the peptidylarginine deiminases (PADs) and has been linked to various cancers. Cellular microvesicle (MV) release, which is involved in cancer progression, and deimination have not been associated before. We hypothesize that elevated PAD expression, observed in cancers, causes increased MV release in cancer cells and contributes to cancer progression. Background We have previously reported that inhibition of MV release sensitizes cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. PAD2 and PAD4, the isozymes expressed in patients with malignant tumours, can be inhibited with the pan-PAD-inhibitor chloramidine (Cl-am). We sought to investigate whether Cl-am can inhibit MV release and whether this pathway could be utilized to further increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to drug-directed treatment. Methods Prostate cancer cells (PC3) were induced to release high levels of MVs upon BzATP stimulation of P2X7 receptors. Western blotting with the pan-protein deimination antibody F95 was used to detect a range of deiminated proteins in cells stimulated to microvesiculate. Changes in deiminated proteins during microvesiculation were revealed by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting, and mass spectrometry identified deiminated target proteins with putative roles in microvesiculation. Conclusion We report for the first time a novel function of PADs in the biogenesis of MVs in cancer cells. Our results reveal that during the stimulation of prostate cancer cells (PC3) to microvesiculate, PAD2 and PAD4 expression levels and the deimination of cytoskeletal actin are increased. Pharmacological inhibition of PAD enzyme activity using Cl-am significantly reduced MV release and abrogated the deimination of cytoskeletal actin. We demonstrated that combined Cl-am and methotrexate (MTX) treatment of prostate cancer cells increased the cytotoxic effect of MTX synergistically. Refined PAD inhibitors may form part of a novel combination therapy in cancer treatment.


The Plasmodiophora brassicae Woronin is an important soil pathogen that attacks brassicaceae family of plants. The ability of pathogen to survive in soil for many years as a resting structure even in the absence of suitable host has increased its threat by making it more devastating. Lower effectiveness of treatments applied so far and failure to completely eradicate the disease once it enters the field has posed more problems. The study was conducted at a disease infected field in Sidhuwa, Dhankuta. It was focused on the effectiveness of different cultural and biological treatments against clubroot disease under field conditions. The treatments; lime, combination of lime and vermicompost, Effective Microorganisms (EM) solution and Trichoderma viride were arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design and replicated four times. The yield and yield attributing parameters and clubroot scale were recorded at the time of harvest. Values like Disease Incidence, Disease Severity Index and Disease Control Percentage were calculated based on clubroot scale value. The treatments showed no significant influence on vegetative parameters of the plants and on disease incidence. However, the combined treatment of lime and vermicompost was found to be most effective regarding disease severity and disease control i.e. the least Disease Severity Index (31.25%) and highest Disease Control Percentage (50.94%) compared to the control were obtained from the combined treatment of lime and vermicompost. Effective Microorganisms showed the highest disease severity. The combination of lime and vermicompost used as a treatment yielded highest marketable head weight (1.779 kg) and head diameter (19.90 cm).
Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 7(1): 96-101


A laboratory method was developed, which facilitates to investigate how the temperature profile during a TMP-process including a bleaching stage influences pulp brightness. Thin shavings are prepared by slicing a fresh and frozen block of wood with a microtome. The shavings are rapidly dried in an air-stream at room temperature and the optical properties are measured in an Elrepho instrument. After that the shavings are placed in a stainless steel container that can be pressurized with steam, where the temperature profile in a TMP-process or a bleach plant can be simulated. Addition of bleaching chemicals can be done during the simulation. The optical properties are measured and can be compared to those of the same shaving before treatments. The temperature profile in a TMP-process has a large impact on the optical properties of the pulp. Many studies have been done to show how brightness is affected, when temperature/pressure in TMP processes are varied. However, pilot-scale or full scale-trials can often be performed only under certain limitations. With this new method it is easy to simulate different processing conditions and measure the kinetics of the brightness change on a shaving sample before and after treatments. To get as high final brightness as possible it is necessary to limit the brightness reduction as much as possible in manufacturing of the unbleached pulp.


An approach for analyzing large gene expression data sets is reported by Kim et al., who have combined data from 553 experiments done in collaboration with 30 laboratories in order to correlate profiles for more than 17,000 Caenorhabditis elegans genes. They used a visualization protocol that converts data points into a mountainous terrain, in which genes with correlated patterns of gene expression are grouped together. For example, an association of three genes with a particular mountain suggested that they might be heat shock-regulated, a hypothesis that was confirmed by subsequent experimentation. The expression map can be used to identify correlations in gene expression for the large fraction of genes in the genome whose functions were previously unknown. S. K. Kim, J. Lund, M. Kiraly, K. Duke, M. Jiang, J. M. Stuart, A. Eizinger, B. N. Wylie, G. S. Davidson, A gene expression map for Caenorhabditis elegans. Science 293, 2087-2092 (2001). [Abstract] [Full Text]


The following study is a continuation of our research on spontaneous synthesis of sodium zincophosphate sodalite by a simple grinding of the substrate components ( e.g. , ZnCl 2 or Zn(NO 3 ) 2 , Na 2 HPO 4 , Na 2 CO 3 ). Rapid crystallization was used for the encapsulation of some substances (elemental sulphur, CdS, KBr, pyridine, hydroquinone) during sodalite structure formation. Attempts to increase the thermal stability of the resulting sodalite by adding some silicon or tin to the starting mixture brought about only a moderate improvement. The synthesis of potassium or ammonium derivatives of zincophosphate did not result in a sodalite structure.


In this paper, we consider a channel estimator in code-di- vision multiple-access (CDMA) systems, where both the common pilot channel (CPICH), which is not power controlled, and the dedicated physical channel (DPCH), which is power controlled, exist. The proposed channel estimator estimates the channel gain by combining the common pilot symbols in CPICHsymbols and the dedicated pilot symbols, which are inserted in DPCH. We derive the maximum likelihood (ML) estimator and present the approximate ML estimator, which can be readily used for fast and accurate online channel estimation. We also derive the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) of the proposed method and compare it with the CRLB of the method using the CPICHsymbols only. End-to-end full-downlink signal-processing worksystem-based simulations have been run and the results confirm that significant gains can be achieved in power-controlled CDMA systems. The resulting estimator can be applied to open- and closed-loop transmit diversity cases as well as the single-antenna case. A similar concept can be applied to other wireless communication systems, where the pilot symbols are used as a reference signal, such as frequency offset estimation.


Abstract
In this chapter, Cheryl Craig and Lily Orland-Barak, editors of International Teacher Education: Promising Pedagogies (Part A), expound on the traveling pedagogies theme as well as the theory–practice chasm, and conclude the edited volume with a model capturing the nature of fruitful, contextualized international pedagogies. Throughout the discussion, they highlight connections between and among potentially promising pedagogical approaches documented by the contributing authors whose countries of origins differ. As authors of this chapter and editors of this book, they claim that promising pedagogies have the potential to "travel" to other locales if their conditions of enactment are locally grounded, deliberated, and elaborated. This contextualization adds to the fluidity of knowledge mobilization to contexts different from the original one. Furthermore, all of the pedagogies have a praxical character to them, which means they strive to achieve a dialectical relationship between theory and practice. At the same time, they address local complexities in a reflective, deliberative, and evidence-based manner while acknowledging connections/contradictions in discourses and daunting policy issues/constraints/agendas. Against this "messy" backdrop, a model for traveling international pedagogies is proposed. The model balances a plethora of complexities, on the one hand, with the seemingly universal demand for uniformity, on the other hand. Through ongoing local, national, and international deliberation and negotiation, quality international pedagogies of potential use and value become readied for "travel".


The dominant belief in Africa is that same-sex intimacy is a child of modern civilization and Western culture. Hence, we see a high level of homophobia and continuous policing of same-sex relationships in most African countries, including those that have decriminalized them. Over time, different scholarly discourses have emerged about homosexuality in Africa. Although some writers believe that same-sex intimacy is fundamentally un-African, others argue that same-sex intimacy is inherent in African culture. Arguably, the introduction of Western religion, such as Christianity, which forms part of the colonization agenda, favors the monogamous, heterosexual relationship (the basis of the "ideal family unit") as the acceptable natural union while any relationship outside it is regarded as unnatural. Given deteriorating socioeconomic and political situations in Africa, political leaders often find it expedient to use religious-based homophobic narratives to distract their impoverished citizens and muster popular support. Put together, this has led to the criminalization of same-sex unions in most African countries. Modern discourses in Africa on gender equality and sexual freedoms reveal more liberal attitudes, but the same cannot be said about how same-sex desire is viewed. Toleration of same-sex intimacy is seen as a threat to the dominant African definition of marriage, family, and patriarchal gender and power relations.
 Despite the prevalence of homophobia, the establishment of gay networks and movements that championed the liberation struggles of sexual minorities in South Africa from the apartheid to postapartheid era have sharpened the sense of belonging of LGBTIA groups. While some countries (e.g., South Africa, Lesotho, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Mali, and Mozambique) have abandoned sodomy laws that criminalized same-sex relationships (often after much pressure was exerted), others (e.g., Chad, Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Mauritania) have upheld the laws with stiff punishment—prison terms up to 14–30 years or death sentences for the crime of being homosexual. The first half of 2019 raised some hopes about LGBTIA rights in Africa when Angola (January 2019) and Botswana (June 2019) decriminalized homosexuality. However, Kenya, which had previously shown a "glimmer of hope" in decriminalizing same-sex relationships, upheld laws that criminalize homosexuality in May 2019. Currently, more than 30 of the 54 recognized African countries still have laws (with harsh punishments or death) that outlaw consensual same-sex relationships. Both theoretical and empirical insights into the current state of Africa's LGBTIA rights and scholarship are discussed.


Abstract:The journalistic and policy communities have been alive with speculation as to whether Islamist groups involved in politics—including Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and Palestine's Hamas— are true believers in democracy or calculating pragmatists who, in Steven Cook's words, are "seeking to use democratic procedures in order to advance an antidemocratic agenda." This article suggests that instead of focusing on the credibility of such groups' democratic aspirations, we would do better to consider the ways in which democratic institutions in Middle Eastern countries can be fortified and liberal democratic parties freed from the grip of the authoritarian regimes throughout the region.


The ground-based facilities ESO/VLT+FORS2 (Very Large Telescope + FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph) and GTC+OSIRIS (Gran Telescopio CANARIAS + Optical System for Imaging and low Resolution Integrated Spectroscopy) were used to probe the atmospheres of the two hot Jupiter planets WASP-17b and HAT-P-32Ab using multi-object-spectrophotometry. For WASP-17b, observed with FORS2, 14 transit light curves were extracted from the observed spectra and for HAT-P-32Ab, observed with OSIRIS, 20 light curves. Each light curve represents a 20 nm wide wavelength interval and was fitted with an analytical transit model to determine the wavelength dependent transit depth. For both planets strong non-astrophysical systematic noise, caused by the instrument, was found to affect the light curves. This thesis presents new findings regarding the source, nature and proper correction of these instrument specific and observing set-up dependent systematics, as well as the results for the planet transmission spectra. By including terms for the correction of the systematic noise signals into the light curve modeling, results for the transit depths were reached with uncertainties between 108 and 297 ppm for HAT-P-32Ab and between 127 and 481 ppm for WASP-17b.
The results for WASP-17b show a large-scale trend towards larger transit depth with shorter wavelength indicating strong absorption in the blue. Furthermore, these results act as a possible connection between two spectrophotometric studies in neighboring wavelength regions which are separated by a $>0.2\%$ gap in transit depth. Neither a hot atmosphere containing titanium and vanadium oxide nor a cool atmosphere free of these molecules is fully consistent with the measurements.
In contrast, a flat transmission spectrum was measured for HAT-P-32Ab, which could be indicative of a cloud layer at high altitude masking any atmospheric features below. Other possible explanations are an atmospheric depletion in alkali metals or a smaller than expected atmospheric scale height caused by either a lower planet equilibrium temperature or a heavier atmospheric mean molecular weight. The result is in excellent agreement with another ground-based study probing HAT-P-32Ab's optical transmission spectrum. This independent reproduction of compatible results demonstrates that ground-based measurements of exoplanet atmospheres can achieve robust and dependable measurements if the sources of systematic noise are well studied and corrected for appropriately.
Furthermore, an optical spectrum of the M-dwarf HAT-P-32B was obtained to correct its flux contribution to the HAT-P-32Ab transit light curves. By comparing the spectrum to PHOENIX stellar atmosphere models an effective temperature of $T_\mathrm{eff} = 3187^{+60}_{-71}$\,K was derived. This value is slightly lower than results obtained by other groups in studies using broadband infrared data only.


There is a substantial amount of carbon stored in the permafrost soils of boreal forest ecosystems, where it is currently protected from decomposition. The surface organic horizons insulate the deeper soil from variations in atmospheric temperature. The removal of these insulating horizons through consumption by fire increases the vulnerability of permafrost to thaw, and the carbon stored in permafrost to decomposition. In this study we ask how warming and fire regime may influence spatial and temporal changes in active layer and carbon dynamics across a boreal forest landscape in interior Alaska. To address this question, we (1) developed and tested a predictive model of the effect of fire severity on soil organic horizons that depends on landscape-level conditions and (2) used this model to evaluate the long-term consequences of warming and changes in fire regime on active layer and soil carbon dynamics of black spruce forests across interior Alaska. The predictive model of fire severity, designed from the analysis of field observations, reproduces the effect of local topography (landform category, the slope angle and aspect and flow accumulation), weather conditions (drought index, soil moisture) and fire characteristics (day of year and size of the fire) on the reduction of the organic layer caused by fire. The integration of the fire severity model into an ecosystem process-based model allowed us to document the relative importance and interactions among local topography, fire regime and climate warming on active layer and soil carbon dynamics. Lowlands were more resistant to severe fires and climate warming, showing smaller increases in active layer thickness and soil carbon loss compared to drier flat uplands and slopes. In simulations that included the effects of both warming and fire at the regional scale, fire was primarily responsible for a reduction in organic layer thickness of 0.06 m on average by 2100 that led to an increase in active layer thickness of 1.1 m on average by 2100. The combination of warming and fire led to a simulated cumulative loss of 9.6 kgC m−2 on average by 2100. Our analysis suggests that ecosystem carbon storage in boreal forests in interior Alaska is particularly vulnerable, primarily due to the combustion of organic layer thickness in fire and the related increase in active layer thickness that exposes previously protected permafrost soil carbon to decomposition.


Geophysical hazards such as earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and storms affect electricity transmission infrastructure by destroying its elements including grids, masts, interconnectors and other elements of the electricity transmission system. Extreme temperatures also have negative impacts on transmission capacities of electricity networks. This paper discusses historical evidence of impacts of geophysical hazards and how they lead to major blackouts, which took place during the last decades in France, in the Balkans region and in China.
In 1999 France experienced the storms Lothar and Martin, which had the wind speed of 200 km/h and had severe impacts on electricity transmission infrastructure. For instance 0.5% of the total number of towers were affected, 10% of circuits and 180 substations were out of order (Eurelectric, 2006). In the middle of 2015 the heavy rainfall resulted in extensive flooding in the Balkan region, which affected Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Croatia. This was a real multi-risk event, which was followed by landslides, which damaged overhead lines and underground infrastructure as well as transformer stations, customer connections and metering equipment. This resulted in an interruption of power supply, which affected more than 250,000 customers. The Wenchuan earthquake, which happened in May 2008, was one of the most devastating earthquakes in the history of China for the last 60 years. It had the magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale and severely damaged regional infrastructure, including electricity systems, such as regional high voltage power transmission lines and distribution lines. The earthquake damaged three 500 kV electricity transmission lines, fifty six 220 kV transmission lines, one hundred and ten 35 kV lines and seven hundred ninety five 10kV lines. The lines tripped mainly because of the broken poles, fallen pylons and damages to transformers and circuit breakers (Eidinger, 2009). The destruction of electricity transmission infrastructure resulted in a blackout, which affected 2.5 million people.
Based on the analysis of the reports about these blackouts, lessons learned as well as elicitations from stakeholders from different sectors such as transmission systems operations, NGOs, academia and international organizations, this paper provides recommendations on risk management and short and medium term response and recovery measures.

References

1. Eidinger, J. (2009). Wenchuan earthquake impact to power systems. In Proceedings of the 2009 technical council on lifeline earthquake engineering (TCLEE) conference: lifeline earthquake engineering in a multihazard environment, Oakland, June.

2. Eurelectric, (2006). Impacts of Severe Storms on Electric Grids. Union of the Electricity Industry – Eurelectric.


We show that the Hopf link invariants for an appropriate set of finite dimensional representations of $ U_q SL(2)$ are identical, up to overall normalisation, to the modular S matrix of Kac and Wakimoto for rational $k$ $\widehat {sl(2)}$ representations. We use this observation to construct new modular Hopf algebras, for any root of unity $q=e^{-i\pi m/r}$, obtained by taking appropriate quotients of $U_q SL(2)$, that give rise to 3-manifold invariants according to the approach of Reshetikin and Turaev. The phase factor correcting for the `framing anomaly' in these invariants is equal to $ e^{- {{i \pi} \over 4} ({ {3k} \over {k+2}})}$, an analytic continuation of the anomaly at integer $k$. As expected, the Verlinde formula gives fusion rule multiplicities in agreement with the modular Hopf algebras. This leads to a proposal, for $(k+2)=r/m$ rational with an odd denominator, for a set of $\widehat {sl(2)}$ representations obtained by dropping some of the highest weight representations in the Kac-Wakimoto set and replacing them with lowest weight representations. For this set of representations the Verlinde formula gives non-negative integer fusion rule multiplicities. We discuss the consistency of the truncation to highest and lowest weight representations in conformal field theory.


ABSTRACTFilter media for respirator applications are typically exposed to cyclic flow condition instead of constant flow adopted in the standard filter media tests. The objective of this study is thus to investigate the effects of breathing frequency (BF) and peak inhalation flow rate (PIFR) on the peak particle penetration of respirator filter media, especially for particles at the most penetration particle sizes under the constant flow condition having equivalent mean inhalation flowrate (MIFR). Five respirator filter media were evaluated under inhalation-only conditions. Three BFs and three PIFRs were selected for the testing. Our study evidenced that both BF and PIFR would increase the peak particle penetration under the cyclic inhalation-only conditions. It is further found that, for each filter media, the peak particle penetration at various PIFRs could be merged into one curve via the newly-defined peak penetration ratio (i.e., the ratio of peak particle penetration at cyclic flow condition to the penetration at the constant flow condition having the equivalent MIFR) and the curve is only a function of BF. The above observation indicates that the increase of peak particle penetration resulted from the increase of PIFR is simply because of the increase of MIFR. The effect of BF on the peak particle penetration is clearly observed using the defined penetration ratio. Based on our finding a semi-theoretical model was further proposed to estimate the peak particle penetration of respirator filter media under inhalation-only conditions.


Business process outsourcing (BPO) is expected to be "the next big wave" in the development of information technology services. However, managing the tacit knowledge underlying the interfaces is costly and complicated. Modularization of the outsourced business process can mitigate such complexity and the risk of knowledge misappropriation. This research-in-progress paper introduces the concept of modularization of outsourced business process (MOBP), which is viewed as the operational concept of "modular global sourcing" proposed by Infosys, a leading Indian outsourcing provider. Standing the position of the client firm, we examine the antecedents and consequents of MOBP based on transaction cost economics theory and knowledge-based theory. We explore the impacts of process human asset specificity, environmental uncertainty, behavioral uncertainty, small-number trading, strategic criticality of process knowledge, and process knowledge ambiguity on the extent of MOBP and also the impacts of MOBP on cost reduction and knowledge spillover. This paper also describes the research plan to test the research hypotheses. Contributions to research and practice are highlighted.


Organizations today face great challenges from the unpredictable, globalized and competitive
business environment. One of the ways that organizations achieve competitive advantages is
by the adoption and diffusion of open standard inter-organizational systems (OSIOS). Despite
the benefits that are promised by the adoption of OSIOS, its adoption has slowed down and
there are increased cases of failure in OSIOS adoptions. In trying to explain this phenomenon,
this study examines various factors relating to the social network theory and coordination
theory with the adoption of OSIOS. A survey questionnaire was administered and data was
collected from 101 companies in China. Using partial least square analysis, we found that
extent of coordination mechanism use and tie strength are positively and significantly
associated with the adoption of OSIOS. Results and implications are briefly discussed.


High-rate streaming in WSN is required for future applications to provide high-quality information of battlefield hot spots. Although recent advances have enabled large-scale WSN to be deployed supported by high-bandwidth backbone network for high-rate streaming, the WSN remains the bottleneck due to the low-rate radios used and the effects of wireless interferences. First, we propose a technique to evaluate the quality of a pathset for multipath load balancing, taking into consideration the effects of wireless interferences and that nodes may interfere beyond communication ranges. Second, we propose an interference- minimized multipath routing (I2MR) protocol that increases throughput by discovering zone-disjoint paths for load balancing, requiring minimal localization support. Third, we propose a congestion control scheme that further increases throughput by loading the paths for load balancing at the highest possible rate supportable. Finally, we validate thepath-set evaluation technique and also evaluate the I2MR protocol and congestion control scheme by comparing with AODV protocol and node-disjoint multipath routing (NDMR) protocol. Simulation results show that I2MR with congestion control achieves on average 230% and 150% gains in throughput over AODV and NDMR respectively, and consumes comparable or at most 24% more energy than AODV but up to 60% less energy than NDMR.


MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a conserved class of small non-coding RNA genes with 19 to 25 nucleotides in length that are found in all higher eukaryotes as well as some DNA viruses. MiRNAs have been elucidated to exert important regulatory functions in many biological and pathological processes, by imperfect base pairing to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of target mRNAs, leading to translational repression or mRNA degradation. In the recent years, the rapid development of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has tremendously enhanced the identification of novel miRNA genes as well as the profiling of miRNA expression levels. In this study, NGS method has been applied to two different gammaherpesviruses (γ-herpesviruses) associated models: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in human and murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68)-infected cell lines from
mouse. As a result, two novel miRNA precursors from EBV and six novel miRNA precursors from MHV-68 have been successfully identified and characterized. In addition, the completion of MHV-68 miRNA set has revealed a unique viral tRNA (vtRNA)-miRNA-miRNA structure in MHV-68 genome. Furthermore, expression levels of the viral miRNAs suggest a distinct pattern during different stages of the viral life
cycle. On the other hand, the profiling of cellular miRNAs also defined a number of miRNAs that have been dysregulated in EBV-positive NPC tissues compared to healthy control tissues, and in MHV-68-infected compared to non-infected NIH 3T3 murine fibroblasts. Among them, miR-15 and miR-16 were upregulated upon EBV or MHV-68 infection. The tumor suppressor gene BRCA1 has been revealed to be the repressed target protein of miR-15/16 in both models, implying an interesting role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of γ-herpesviruses. Meanwhile, to facilitate the analysis of NGS data, an automated software was designed and developed. Additional information gained during the analysis processes revealed the possible mis-annotations existing in the miRNA registry database, suggesting that the definition and characterization of novel miRNA genes has to be performed with much more caution.


Objective: To examine the association between height loss and calcaneus bone mineral density (BMD) through data gathered from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB). Methods: The present study included 24 231 participants who attended the CKB resurvey during 2013-2014, in which calcaneus BMD was measured by quantitative ultrasound method for the first time. Height loss was calculated according to the differences appeared in height measurement between baseline and resurvey. We used linear regression models to estimate the association between height loss and BMD measures. Results: The mean interval between baseline and resurvey was (8.0±0.8 ) years. 33.0% of the participants showed a height loss of ≥1.0 cm, and another 3.7% were with height loss of ≥3.0 cm. After adjustment for potential confounders, there was a linear correlation seen between height loss and BMD (P for all linear trend were <0.001). The βs (95%CIs) for each 1.0 cm of height loss were -0.79 (-0.95--0.63) for broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), -2.74 (-3.35--2.13) for speed of sound (SOS), and -1.29 (-1.54--1.04) for stiffness index (SI). Compared with participants with stable height, the multivariate-adjusted βs (95%CIs) for those with height loss of ≥3.0 cm were -3.29 (-4.08--2.50) for BUA, -10.70 (-13.66--7.73) for SOS, and -5.16 (-6.36--3.96) for SI, respectively. According to the subgroup analyses, the association of height loss with BMD measures seemed to be more apparent among females, in those aged ≥55 years, and those being less physically active. Conclusions: BMD became lower with the increase of height loss. Regular height measurement may contribute to the early diagnosis and prevention of osteoporosis.


Typhoon Bilis which struck Taiwan in July 2006 was chosen to assess the potential impact of GPS radio occultation (RO) refractivity soundings on numerical simulation using the WRF model. We found that this case elucidates the impact of the limited GPS RO soundings on typhoon prediction due to their favorable locations. In addition, on top of available precipitable water (PW) and near-surface wind speed from S SM/I data, we have also explored their combined impacts on model prediction. The two GPS RO soundings available from FORMOSAT-3 near the model initial time are assimilated using the nonlocal operator in WRF 3DVAR. More contributions after the assimilation are found in the moisture increments (up to -1.2 g kg^(-1)) surrounding the corresponding occultation positions to the east of the typhoon vortex and southwest of the subtropical high, with dryness occurring in the lower troposphere. The assimilation of PW induces much larger and wider moisture increments to the west of the typhoon center. The ingestion of near-surface wind speeds produces more pronounced temperature and wind increments at lower levels. The S SM/I data improve the predictions of typhoon intensity and intense rainfall over Taiwan, especially for the later simulation time, but generally have a less impact on track prediction as compared to the GPS RO data. Assimilation of the two GPS RO soundings leads to a marked improvement on the track that otherwise will be southward biased prior to landfall and also enhances the positive impact when the SSMII data have been assimilated as well. An improvement using the GPS RO data is also found for daily rainfall but only for larger thresholds at later times when the bias in track in the control experiment is remedied. In general, the combined assimilation of both GPS RO and SSM/I data has shown the most promising performances. Finally, the sensitivity tests indicate that the closer GPS RO sounding to the east of the typhoon plays a more crucial role in the positive impact on track prediction.


The 'City of London' is famed throughout the world. However, few people realise that, today, it is actually very limited in physical ambit (to the 'Square Mile'). And, that it is not the same as the city of London as such. Nor, that it's mayor (the Lord Mayor of the City of London) is not the same as the Mayor of London (currently, Boris Johnson). However, the City of London is governed by a series of charters from c. 1132. Charters in which sovereigns of England - in return for generous loans and sums of money - granted to the City of London many Crown prerogatives (privileges). These charters were to be replicated in numerous other charters granted to cities, boroughs and towns throughout England in the ensuing centuries. This article argues that - in modern times - we need modern law. Law that is understandable to laymen as well as lawyers. It also argues that all these charters granted to the City of London are palpably obsolete and should be cancelled. If so, then so should those charters granted to cities, boroughs and towns. In this way, much obsolete law will be removed and the law made more intelligible. This can only be to the common good.


Mature sympathetic neurons contain one or more neuropeptides in addition to a classical neurotransmitter. We compared the development of two peptides, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), in rat superior cervical (SCG) and stellate ganglia. NPY immunoreactivity (-IR) was first detected at embryonic day (E) 12.5. It was of similar immunofluorescence intensity in almost all tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-IR cells. In contrast, VIP-IR, of variable fluorescence intensity, appeared at E14.5 in a subset of TH-IR cells in the stellate ganglion but not in SCG. Both peptides were present in bromodeoxyuridine-labeled neuronal precursors as well as neurons. The intensity of NPY immunofluorescence increased until E16.5. Subsequently, while it continued to increase in some neurons, the intensity decreased in others so that at birth approximately 55% of SCG and stellate neurons were NPY-IR. Developmental changes in NPY concentration, determined by radioimmunoassay, were similar in both ganglia, increasing between E14.5 and E16.5 and then decreasing 60% between E16.5 and birth. VIP expression differed from that of NPY. The proportion of VIP-IR cells began to decrease the day after VIP-IR was first detected. Although VIP-IR was present in one-third of E14.5 TH-IR stellate cells, at birth only 2% were VIP-IR. VIP-IR, measured by radioimmunoassay, was uniformly severalfold more concentrated in the stellate than SCG, and its concentration decreased throughout embryonic development, 40% between E14.5 and E16.5 and 95% by birth. In situ hybridization revealed detectable mRNA for both NPY and VIP at E14.5 in stellate ganglion and mRNA for NPY, but not VIP, in SCG. Initially, ganglionic neuropeptide mRNA appeared uniformly distributed but became heterogeneous. Our data indicate that features of the diverse peptidergic phenotypes expressed by sympathetic neurons are present when peptides are first detected while others arise subsequently. The final acquisition of peptidergic phenotypic diversity is complex, entailing both early induction in many cells and subsequent restriction to specific subpopulations.


The Dolby Bitstream Syntax Description Language (BSDL) is a generic, XML-based language for describing the syntactical structure of compressed audio-visual streams. This paper describes how the representation of a bitstream syntax in the BSDL is used to ease the development of serialization, deserialization and editing tools. Additionally, the formal syntax description allows realizing a range of novel analysis methods including bitstream syntax coverage measurements, detailed bitrate profiles, and the automatic generation of rich specification documentation. The approach is exemplified using the AC-4 codec.


Unlock deeper insights into Machine Leaning with this vital guide to cutting-edge predictive analyticsAbout This BookLeverage Python's most powerful open-source libraries for deep learning, data wrangling, and data visualizationLearn effective strategies and best practices to improve and optimize machine learning systems and algorithmsAsk and answer tough questions of your data with robust statistical models, built for a range of datasetsWho This Book Is ForIf you want to find out how to use Python to start answering critical questions of your data, pick up Python Machine Learning whether you want to get started from scratch or want to extend your data science knowledge, this is an essential and unmissable resource.What You Will LearnExplore how to use different machine learning models to ask different questions of your dataLearn how to build neural networks using Keras and TheanoFind out how to write clean and elegant Python code that will optimize the strength of your algorithmsDiscover how to embed your machine learning model in a web application for increased accessibilityPredict continuous target outcomes using regression analysisUncover hidden patterns and structures in data with clusteringOrganize data using effective pre-processing techniquesGet to grips with sentiment analysis to delve deeper into textual and social media dataIn DetailMachine learning and predictive analytics are transforming the way businesses and other organizations operate. Being able to understand trends and patterns in complex data is critical to success, becoming one of the key strategies for unlocking growth in a challenging contemporary marketplace. Python can help you deliver key insights into your data its unique capabilities as a language let you build sophisticated algorithms and statistical models that can reveal new perspectives and answer key questions that are vital for success.Python Machine Learning gives you access to the world of predictive analytics and demonstrates why Python is one of the world's leading data science languages. If you want to ask better questions of data, or need to improve and extend the capabilities of your machine learning systems, this practical data science book is invaluable. Covering a wide range of powerful Python libraries, including scikit-learn, Theano, and Keras, and featuring guidance and tips on everything from sentiment analysis to neural networks, you'll soon be able to answer some of the most important questions facing you and your organization.Style and approachPython Machine Learning connects the fundamental theoretical principles behind machine learning to their practical application in a way that focuses you on asking and answering the right questions. It walks you through the key elements of Python and its powerful machine learning libraries, while demonstrating how to get to grips with a range of statistical models.


In Danube region various difficulties related to the employment of knowledge workers have occurred, e.g. decrease of job security over the career, high probability of having obsolete professional competences in a short period of time, incapacity of choosing the suitable working place according to one's education, aspects which conducted to a decrease in life satisfaction.
The current paper is a survey of the specific situation of Danube region countries related to lifelong learning practices with the purpose of increasing one's employability and, consequently, quality of life. In order to offer a realistic description of those practices, the cultural and social values of people in this region with regard to job seeking and job holding are also debated. Among lifelong learning activities, a special place is taken by the IT-supported ones, including extensive use of virtual communities, social networks or online learning environments. Based on a qualitative analysis, we provide an answer to the question whether these modern lifelong practices, are aligned with the life values of Danube region people.
A special attention is given in our survey to the case of university graduates engaged in lifelong learning practices correlated with their occupational employment. We even propose an innovative model for connecting the traditional universities learning environment with modern IT-supported lifelong learning practices in order to provide the graduate students the opportunity to find suitable professional e-communities, in which they can enhance their chances of getting a more rewarding job. We claim that our solution has the potential of generating added value for Danube region, by increasing the knowledge level of the countries within the region and the employability level of the university graduates, by providing the organizations the needed skilled workers, thus raising their competitiveness and by strengthening the collaboration between universities and organizations.


This paper discusses the concept of capacity in relation to capacity building and economic development. The critical issues involved in capacity building for development are identified, and recommendations made. The roles and importance of librarians and libraries in capacity building and economic development are also discussed. Developing countries must give attention to building capacity, especially in the areas of policy analysis, development, and educational management.


We show theoretically that the absolute frequency stability of a solid-state millimeter-scale whispering gallery mode resonator can reach one part per 10−14 per 1 s integration time if proper crystalline material as well as proper stabilization technique is selected. Both the fluctuations of the resonator temperature and the fluctuations of the temperature in the mode volume can be measured with the sensitivity better than the fundamental thermodynamic limit and actively compensated.


In many health care settings in Africa, motivation tends to be closely associated with financial incentives. In our eye care programme in northern Ghana, we have developed a different concept of motivation that we find more sustainable and mutually rewarding to both workers and management and, consequently, the entire programme.

We perform some 3,000 operations annually, and we have focused on building the skills of our ophthalmic nurses beyond levels normally required in practice here. In the outpatient department this has included use of the slit lamp in quantitative and qualitative evaluation of anterior and posterior segment changes, applanation tonometry, visual field assessment and retinoscopy. We are currently training the more experienced nurses in indirect ophthalmoscopy and biomicroscopy for fundus examination. In the theatre, nurses do a wide range of minor operations and also give most of the ocular anaesthetic.

Ophthalmic nurse at Bawku hospital eye unit doing objective refraction using the retinoscope. GHANA

With this level of training, the ophthalmic nurses perform competently in both preoperative assessments and post-operative reviews of uncomplicated cases. This frees the hands of the ophthalmologists from managing common refractive errors and red eye conditions and also frees up theatre time, allowing him or her to concentrate on the more serious cases and surgery. This may seem unorthodox to many surgeons, especially those in the large teaching hospitals, but is not uncommon in many developing and developed countries. During my recent visit to the United Kingdom, I saw nurses competently using sophisticated equipment at every level of eye care management. The most important thing is to identify the skills deficiency and design appropriate solutions. In a recent qualitative study in our unit, nurses found motivation to be the most important reason for being part of the programme and this was attributed largely to training and recognition.

What we need to do is to break the myth around ophthalmic instruments and impart more quality knowledge and technical skills to the nurse. This of course must include periodic reviews for quality assurance. In this way, we shall be making our nurses more useful partners in our collective drive to eliminate avoidable causes of blindness by the year 2020.

Ophthalmic nurse at Bawku hospital eye unit examining the optic disc on the slit lamp using a fundus-viewing lens. GHANA


The present work is concerned with the development and application of a novel fringe analysis technique based on the principles of the windowed-Fourier-transform (WFT) for the determination of temperature and concentration fields from interferometric images for a range of heat and mass transfer applications. Based on the extent of the noise level associated with the experimental data, the technique has been coupled with two different phase unwrapping methods: the Itoh algorithm and the quality guided phase unwrapping technique for phase extraction. In order to generate the experimental data, a range of experiments have been carried out which include cooling of a vertical flat plate in free convection conditions, combustion of mono-propellant flames, and growth of organic as well as inorganic crystals from their aqueous solutions. The flat plate and combustion experiments are modeled as heat transfer applications wherein the interest is to determine the whole-field temperature distribution. Aqueous-solution-based crystal growth experiments are performed to simulate the mass transfer phenomena and the interest is to determine the two-dimensional solute concentration field around the growing crystal. A Mach-Zehnder interferometer has been employed to record the path-integrated quantity of interest (temperature and/or concentration) in the form of interferometric images in the experiments. The potential of the WFT method has also been demonstrated on numerically simulated phase data for varying noise levels, and the accuracy in phase extraction have been quantified in terms of the root mean square errors. Three levels of noise, i.e., 0%, 10%, and 20% have been considered. Results of the present study show that the WFT technique allows an accurate extraction of phase values that can subsequently be converted into two-dimensional temperature and/or concentration distribution fields. Moreover, since WFT is a local processing technique, speckle patterns and the inherent noise in the interferometric data do not affect the resultant phase values. Brief comparisons of the accuracy of the WFT with other standard techniques such as conventional Fourier-filtering methods are also presented.


We provide causal evidence for the value of asset pledgeability. Our empirical strategy is based on a unique feature of the Chinese corporate bond markets, where bonds with identical fundamentals are simultaneously traded on two segmented markets that feature different rules for repo transactions. We utilize a policy shock on December 8, 2014, which rendered a class of AA+ and AA bonds ineligible for repo on one of the two markets. By comparing how bond prices changed across markets and rating classes around this event, we estimate that an increase in the haircut from 0 to 100% would result in an increase in bond yields in the range of 40 to 83 bps. These estimates help us infer the magnitude of the shadow cost of capital in China.


A stretchable and multicolor electrothermal chromatic fiber is prepared based on reduced graphene oxide (RGO) functionalized elastic conductive fibers and various thermochromic materials. The colors of the fibers can be switched within 15s due to the good resistive-heating performance of the conductive fibers. Through a combination of different thermochromic materials, abundant and reversible color changes are clearly observed by the naked eye (e.g., from orange, red, green to yellow, purple, blue and white, respectively). Moreover, the fibers exhibit excellent color changing stability even after 1000 resistive-heating or stretching/releasing cycles owing to the structural stability of the multilayered fibers and the excellent electrothermal stability of RGO. Finally, they are easily woven into textiles and plaited into colorful hand chains, which showed huge application value especially for stretchable visual sensors and clothing integrated wearable displays.


We study the online learning problem of a bidder who participates in repeated auctions. With the goal of maximizing his T-period payoff, the bidder determines the optimal allocation of his budget among his bids for $K$ goods at each period. As a bidding strategy, we propose a polynomial-time algorithm, inspired by the dynamic programming approach to the knapsack problem. The proposed algorithm, referred to as dynamic programming on discrete set (DPDS), achieves a regret order of $O(\sqrt{T\log{T}})$. By showing that the regret is lower bounded by $\Omega(\sqrt{T})$ for any strategy, we conclude that DPDS is order optimal up to a $\sqrt{\log{T}}$ term. We evaluate the performance of DPDS empirically in the context of virtual trading in wholesale electricity markets by using historical data from the New York market. Empirical results show that DPDS consistently outperforms benchmark heuristic methods that are derived from machine learning and online learning approaches.


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Objective. To report a large outbreak of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI; ribotype 027) between June 2007 and August 2008, describe infection control measures, and evaluate the impact of restricting the use of fluoroquinolones in controlling the outbreak. Design. Outbreak investigation in 3 acute care hospitals of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland. Interventions. Implementation of a series of CDI control measures that targeted high-risk antibiotic agents (ie, restriction of fluoroquinolones), infection control practices, and environmental hygiene. Results. A total of 318 cases of CDI were identified during the outbreak, which was the result of the interaction between C. difficile ribotype 027 being introduced into the affected hospitals for the first time and other predisposing risk factors (ranging from host factors to suboptimal compliance with antibiotic guidelines and infection control policies). The 30-day all-cause mortality rate was 24.5%; however, CDI was the attributable cause of death for only 2.5% of the infected patients. Time series analysis showed that restricting the use of fluoroquinolones was associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of CDI (coefficient, —0.054; lag time, 4 months; P = .003). Conclusion. These findings provide additional evidence to support the value of antimicrobial stewardship as an essential element of multifaceted interventions to control CDI outbreaks. The present CDI outbreak was ended following the implementation of an action plan improving communication, antibiotic stewardship, infection control practices, environmental hygiene, and surveillance.


This thesis discusses the revisions of the Egyptian Islamic Group and al-Jihād Organisation with a special focus on the theology and ideology of the two movements. The main question is: how could these groups revise their thought using Islamic theological arguments though their previous pro-violence thought was also based on Islamic theological arguments. Textual analysis, coupled with the relevant aspects of framing literature, is the main tool used to discuss the ideology of the two groups and answer the research questions. Yet, the thesis also provided extended literature review of the topic as well as historical sociopolitical and economic accounts of the two organisations in order situate the texts in their proper contexts and link thought to action. The thesis provides detailed description and analysis of the two groups' ideologies and concludes that one of them has genuinely revised its thought while the other has not. After explaining how this change has happened in theological textual as well as in framing terms, the thesis provides an analysis on why one group could change while the other could not. The thesis shows the level of change in any Jihadist movement thought corresponds with the level of concepts it transfers from the static to the flexible sides of the Sharia, and that the nature and original objectives of each group at the time of its establishment play a great role in any revision process when violence proves counterproductive to the original objectives of that group. The thesis also proves that it is not just the ideas or ideological arguments that matter but also the process through which these ideas and arguments are framed. In addition, the fact that only one of the two groups has genuinely changed while both have undergone the same structural sociopolitical and economic conditions in the same country shows the failure of structural sociopolitical and economic approaches in explaining the reasons of violence and revisions of Islamist movements in causal terms, and illustrates the ability of the textual approach to reveal facts and secrets that other approaches could not


The purpose of this study is to utilize egocentric network analysis to predict repurchase behaviors for college football season-ticket holders. Using a research approach grounded in network theory, we included the relational and behavioral characteristics of sport fans in a binomial regression model to predict renewal decisions among college football season-ticket holders. More specifically, we developed a model that incorporates the egocentric network variables, past behavior, and behavioral intentions to empirically test which consumer characteristics predict future behavior. Building on previous research emphasizing the role of socializing agents and social connections in sport fan consumption, through the use of egocentric network analysis, we examined the effects of social structure and social context on repurchasing decisions. Moreover, the present study is positioned within the larger discourse on season-ticket holders, as we aimed to add a network theory perspective to the existing research on season-ticket holder churn and renewal.


Kate Wilkinson An exploration of the extensive intra-personal, interpersonal and group dynamic landscape of human experience pertinent to the understanding of the human shadow in the training of psychotherapists. Using phenomenological enquiry this book invites unique in-depth experiences, provides new insights, and addresses the complexities and diversities inherent in the emergence and containment of shadow experience in psychotherapy training. The book demonstrates a process of qualitative research and invites the reader to explore his or her own relationships to the love of others, through the exploration of all the things that love is not. It argues that without hate we cannot truly love. Interspersed throughout the book are suggestions for personal exploration and it is hoped that reading this book will both stimulate practitioners to a process of self-reflection and questioning, and also support practitioner researchers in their own journey to self-understanding.


Many machine learning tools for regression are based on recursive partitioning of the covariate space into smaller regions, where the regression function can be estimated locally. Among these, regression trees and their ensembles have demonstrated impressive empirical performance. In this work, we shed light on the machinery behind Bayesian variants of these methods. In particular, we study Bayesian regression histograms, such as Bayesian dyadic trees, in the simple regression case with just one predictor. We focus on the reconstruction of regression surfaces that are piecewise constant, where the number of jumps is unknown. We show that with suitably designed priors, posterior distributions concentrate around the true step regression function at a near-minimax rate. These results do not require the knowledge of the true number of steps, nor the width of the true partitioning cells. Thus, Bayesian dyadic regression trees are fully adaptive and can recover the true piecewise regression function nearly as well as if we knew the exact number and location of jumps. Our results constitute the first step towards understanding why Bayesian trees and their ensembles have worked so well in practice. As an aside, we discuss prior distributions on balanced interval partitions and how they relate to an old problem in geometric probability. Namely, we relate the probability of covering the circumference of a circle with random arcs whose endpoints are confined to a grid, a new variant of the original problem.


This thesis proposes a framework for haptic devices interacting with virtual environments. As application of the theoretical results a haptic device for the surgical training of hysteroscopy, a gynecologic intervention, is presented. Surgery simulators, which can be described as 'flight simulators for surgeons', comprise a virtual reality for modeling and visualization of organs, and the haptic device: While the surgeon interactively follows the scene on the computer screen, he perceives the contact forces at the tool handle of the surgical instrument. The haptic device tracks the position of the surgery tool and transforms the virtual contact forces to real forces, which can be actually felt by the surgeon. This thesis treats haptic devices with application to surgery simulators for minimally-invasive surgery. Haptic interfaces are complex mechatronic systems and show inherent trade-offs between haptic realism and system stability. Human factors play an important role, as the human operator can both stabilize or destabilize the system. The haptic perception, which can vary between individuals, as a criterion for haptic rendering quality is still not formalized. The optimization of haptic interfaces, within focus of research since 15 years ago, has remained a complex task. However, with look at the emerging applications for haptics, it has become an even more important topic. For this reason it is necessary to integrate mechanical design, control design, mechatronic elements and human factors in a unifying approach. This thesis highlights the principal trade-offs of haptic interfaces and works out design guidelines for new developments and quantitative information on where and how to optimize haptic systems. As application example a haptic interface for the simulation of hysteroscopy, a gynecologic intervention on the female uterus, has been realized as prototype. The device takes the characteristics of hysteroscopy into account and introduces features like insertion and complete removal of the surgery tool from the haptic interface. A design methodology is proposed, which combines aspects of theoretical kinematics based on Lie-Groups with integrated product development – a systematic approach for engineering tasks. The result, a novel kinematic design, has been realized as haptic interface prototype. The well-known affine parameterization for all stabilizing controllers is shown to be a well-suited tool for haptic control synthesis. It provides insights into the control trade-offs and allows to integrate human factors at controller design stage. The resulting controller, demonstrated by experimental results, can reduce parasitic effects (friction, device dynamics) close to and below the human perception threshhold, thus making the device transparent within the specified bandwidth and suitable for real-time implementation. For numerical controller representation the δ-operator is discussed. It unifies continuous and discrete time domain and has beneficial numerical properties. As there is still no standardized procedure for technical performance evaluation of haptic interfaces methods proposed in literature are summarized. In the near future a large market for haptic technology can be expected with applications from surgery-assist devices and drive-by-wire interfaces in automobiles to entertainment, which highlights the relevance of the treated topic.


ABSTRACT In this article, we introduce an age-based replacement policy in which the preventive replacements are restricted to specific calendar times. Under the new policy, the assets are renewed at failure or if their ages are greater than or equal to a replacement age at given calendar times, whichever occurs first. This policy is logistically applicable in industries such as utilities where there are large and geographically diverse populations of deteriorating assets with different installation times. Since preventive replacements are performed at fixed times, the renewal cycles are dependent random variables. Therefore, the classic renewal reward theorem cannot be directly applied. Using the theory of Markov chains with general state space and a suitably defined ergodic measure, we analyze the problem to find the optimal replacement age, minimizing the long-run expected cost per time unit. We further find the limiting distributions of the backward and forward recurrence times for this policy and show how our ergodic measure can be used to analyze more complicated policies. Finally, using a real data set of utility wood poles' maintenance records, we numerically illustrate some of our results including the importance of defining an appropriate ergodic measure in reducing the computational expense.


We define a generalization of the winding number of a piecewise $C^1$ cycle in the complex plane which has a geometric meaning also for points which lie on the cycle. The computation of this winding number relies on the Cauchy principal value, but is also possible in a real version via an integral with bounded integrand. The new winding number allows to establish a generalized residue theorem which covers also the situation where singularities lie on the cycle. This residue theorem can be used to calculate the value of improper integrals for which the standard technique with the classical residue theorem does not apply.


This book provides a concise treatment of the core concepts of microeconomic theory at the intermediate level with calculus integrated into the text. The authors, Roberto Serrano and Allan M. Feldman, start with consumer theory and then discuss preferences and utility, budget constraints, the consumer's optimal choice, demand and the consumer's choices about labor and savings. They next turn to welfare economics: when is one policy better for society than another? Following are chapters presenting the theory of the firm and profit maximization in several alternative and partial equilibrium models of competitive markets, monopoly markets and duopoly markets. The authors then provide general equilibrium models of exchange and production and analyze market failures created by externalities, public goods and asymmetric information. Finally, they offer introductory treatments of decision theory under uncertainty and game theory. Graphic analysis is presented where necessary but distractions are avoided.


White clover (Trifolium repens) is a common and difficult weed to control in turfgrass as it is a highly visible and unsightly weed that disrupts the uniformity of the turfgrass surface. This weed is a serious problem in the turfgrass industry in California and there is a need for better methods of control. With more regulations on pesticides and less information about efficient application techniques, controlling white clover with available herbicides can be difficult. Compatibility trials were conducted during the summer of 2005 to determine the compatibility of the herbicides and adjuvants planned for use in subsequent greenhouse and field trials. A greenhouse trial was conducted in the spring of 2006, followed by field trials in fall of 2006 and spring of 2007 to determine the efficacy of two herbicides on white clover when combined with each of three adjuvants and two nozzles. Results showed the nozzles to have no significant effect on phytotoxicity to white clover in the greenhouse trial, while some of the herbicides and adjuvants significantly increased phytotoxicity to white clover. In the field trials, adjuvants had no effect on phytotoxicity, while some herbicides and nozzles significantly increased phytotoxicity to white clover, perennial ryegrass and common bermudagrass. Information about the combination of herbicides, adjuvants and nozzles will help turfgrass managers to improve their management of white clover in turfgrass. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


Fitness training to attain the lean body ideal is becoming increasingly popular among women. However, it remains unclear how the drive for leanness (DL), as compared to the drives for thinness (DT) and muscularity (DM), relates to body image pathology and substance use in female weight-trainers. Participants (N = 168) completed a survey assessing DL, DT, DM, eating and body dysmorphic disorder pathology, and substance use. DT and DM were related to eating disorder and body dysmorphic disorder symptoms (all r ≥ .29; all ps < .01), while DL only to the former (r = .19, p < .05). Supplement use was associated with DL and DM (r = .17 and .55; both p < .01) and pharmaceutical use with DT and DM (r ≥ .21; both p < .01). Female weight-trainers should not be neglected in body image disorder prevention, with a particular focus on DT and DM.


Men between the ages of 25 and 45 years attending a surgery were screened for risk of heart disease. An ;at-risk' group of 188 men were identified and 118 of them (63 per cent) accepted an invitation to attend a coronary heart disease prevention clinic at the practice. A sample of the attending group showed favourable changes in risk factors one year later.Subsamples of 20 men from the attending and non-attending groups were interviewed at the clinic or at home; they showed significant differences with respect to employment status, family history of myocardial infarction and knowledge about coronary heart disease as a cause of death in the United Kingdom. Implications for preventive programmes of this nature are discussed, and the need to utilize routine doctor-patient contacts for health education and prevention is stressed.


Routledge is now re-issuing this prestigious series of 204 volumes originally published between 1910 and 1965. The titles include works by key figures such asC.G. Jung, Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Otto Rank, James Hillman, Erich Fromm, Karen Horney and Susan Isaacs. Each volume is available on its own, as part of a themed mini-set, or as part of a specially-priced 204-volume set. A brochure listing each title in the "International Library of Psychology" series is available upon request.


On $h$-vectors and symmetry by R. M. Adin Combinatorial aspects of the Poincare polynomial associated with a reflection group by H. Barcelo and A. Goupil Partial unimodality for $f$-vectors of simplicial polytopes and spheres by A. Bjorner Polyominoes and polygons by M. Bousquet-Melou Log-concave and unimodal sequences in algebra, combinatorics, and geometry: An update by F. Brenti A fine classification of closed planar sets according to their non-seeing property by Z. Deutsch On the skeleton of the dual cut polytope by A. Deza and M. Deza A High-school Algebra, "formal calculus," proof of the Bieberbach conjecture [after L. Weinstein] by S. B. Ekhad and D. Zeilberger Node firing games on graphs by K. Eriksson Combinatorial presentation of the structure constants of the center of the group algebra of $ {\mathfrak S}_n$ by A. Goupil Abstract rigidity in $m$-space by J. E. Graver, B. Servatius, and H. Servatius A meshing technique for de Bruijn tori by G. Hurlbert and G. Isaak A structural decomposition for hypergraphs by P. Jeavons, D. Cohen, and M. Gyssens Hypercube embedding of distances with few values by M. Laurent On Borsuk's problem by A. Nilli Zonotopal tilings and the Bohne-Dress theorem by J. Richter-Gebert and G. M. Ziegler Plane trees and algebraic numbers by G. Shabat and A. Zvonkin Applications of the Hopf trace formula to computing homology representations by S. Sundaram Stabbing oriented convex polygons in randomized $O(n^2)$ time by S. Teller and M. Hohmeyer On the finitization of Eckhoff's conjecture by H. Tverberg New cases of the colored Tverberg theorem by S. T. Vrecica and R. T. Zivaljevic Shellability in the lattice of subgroups of a finite group by V. Welker.


Traditional measures of inter-generational mobility such as the inter-generational elasticity are not useful for inferences concerning group differences in mobility with respect to the pooled income distribution. This paper uses transition probabilities and measures of "directional rank mobility" that can identify inter-racial differences in inter-generational mobility. The study uses two data sources including one that contains social security earnings for a large inter-generational sample. I find that recent cohorts of blacks are not only significantly less upwardly mobile but also significantly more downwardly mobile than whites. This implies a steady-state distribution in which there is no racial convergence in income. A descriptive analysis using co-variates reveals that test scores in adolescence can explain much of the racial difference in both upward and downward mobility. Family structure can account for some of the racial gap in upward mobility but not downward mobility. Completed schooling and parental wealth also appear to account for some of the racial gaps in inter-generational mobility.


A path query aims to find the trajectories that pass a given sequence of connected road segments within a time period. It is very useful in many urban applications, e.g., 1) traffic modeling, 2) frequent path mining, and 3) traffic anomaly detection. Existing solutions for path query are implemented based on single machines, which are not efficient for the following tasks: 1) indexing large-scale historical data; 2) handling real-time trajectory updates; and 3) processing concurrent path queries. In this paper, we design and implement a cloud-based path query processing framework based on Microsoft Azure. We modify the suffix tree structure to index the trajectories using Azure Table. The proposed system consists of two main parts: 1) backend processing, which performs the pre-processing and suffix index building with distributed computing platform (i.e., Storm) used to efficiently handle massive real-time trajectory updates; and 2) query processing, which answers path queries using Azure Storm to improve efficiency and overcome the I/O bottleneck. We evaluate the performance of our proposed system based on a real taxi dataset from Guiyang, China.