The increasing demand for functional foods requires the design, simulation, and further optimization of preservation processes of food with the purpose of keeping as high as possible the functionality of food products. Many studies have shown that the high consumption of fruit and vegetables prevent chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, among others. Fruits and vegetables are important sources of nutrients, dietary fibers, and phytochemicals. However, after harvest, they are highly perishable because of their high moisture content of almost 3–9 g H2O/g db. Solar and airflow drying processes have been the most popular methods to increase the shelf life of these products. Nevertheless, low organoleptic and nutritional quality, hygiene problems, and long drying periods constitute significant barriers to a more widespread use. "Swell-drying" is a special drying process convective airflow drying (CAD) to the instant controlled pressure-drop (DIC) expansion. This process is well-known as guaranteeing (1) the preservation of functional properties; (2) the organoleptic quality; (3) the effective microbiological/fungi decontamination; and (4) a reduced energy consumption and a lower drying time. DIC treatment is a high temperature/short time (HTST) process that improves both performance of drying process and high-quality functional foods.


Widespread acceptability and use of biometrics for person authentication has instigated several techniques for evading identification. One such technique is altering facial appearance using surgical procedures that has raised a challenge for face recognition algorithms. Increasing popularity of plastic surgery and its effect on automatic face recognition has attracted attention from the research community. However, the nonlinear variations introduced by plastic surgery remain difficult to be modeled by existing face recognition systems. In this research, a multiobjective evolutionary granular algorithm is proposed to match face images before and after plastic surgery. The algorithm first generates non-disjoint face granules at multiple levels of granularity. The granular information is assimilated using a multiobjective genetic approach that simultaneously optimizes the selection of feature extractor for each face granule along with the weights of individual granules. On the plastic surgery face database, the proposed algorithm yields high identification accuracy as compared to existing algorithms and a commercial face recognition system.


Changes in synaptic activity of neurons can result in stable changes in neuronal function. Many such long-term changes are thought to be mediated by altered transcription of key target genes. Two studies have identified a role for the transcriptional regulator MEF2 in the control of synapse number (see the Perspective by Beg and Scheiffele). In cultured rat embryonic neurons, Flavell et al. found that the calcium-dependent signaling that accompanied neuronal activity led to activation of myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) and decreased numbers of synapses. Depletion of MEF2A and MEF2D caused increased synapse formation, and MEF2 activated transcription of genes known to reduce synapse formation. Shalizi et al. also found regulation of synapse number by MEF2 in rat cerebellum and cerebellar slices. MEF2A appeared to act by repressing transcription of the gene encoding the transcription factor Nur77. MEF2A showed this repression activity when sumoylated (modified by covalent linking of small ubiquitin-related modifier protein, or SUMO). Sumoylation was, in turn, dependent on calcium-dependent dephosphorylation of MEF2A. Phosphorylation of MEF2A appeared to switch MEF2A between an acetylated and a sumoylated state. A. A. Beg, P. Scheiffele, SUMO wrestles the synapse. Science 311, 962-963 (2006). [Summary] [Full Text] S. W. Flavell, C. W. Cowan, T.-K. Kim, P. L. Greer, Y. Lin, S. Paradis, E. C. Griffith, L. S. Hu, C. Chen, M. E. Greenberg, Activity-dependent regulation of MEF2 transcription factors suppresses excitatory synapse number. Science 311, 1008-1012 (2006). [Abstract] [Full Text] A. Shalizi, B. Gaudillière, Z. Yuan, J. Stegmüller, T. Shirogane, Q. Ge, Y. Tan, B. Schulman, J. W. Harper, A. Bonni, A calcium-regulated MEF2 sumoylation switch controls postsynaptic differentiation. Science 311, 1012-1017 (2006). [Abstract] [Full Text]


International Journal of Exercise Science 11(5): 168-178, 2018. The aims of this study were to determine if physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors were correlated to components of school readiness skills (i.e., symbol recognition – numbers and letters) in preschoolers and to evaluate the efficacy of a 12-week, academically connected PA intervention on letter and number recognition in preschoolers. Two preschool centers were randomized to a 12-week preschool-based PA intervention (INT) that incorporated short-bout PA lessons embedded into the Massachusetts Early Learning Standards or a health-tracking control group (CON). INT preschoolers completed two 10-minute (as part of morning circle time) and three 5-minute bouts (afternoon after naptime) of PA each week. One hundred fourteen students (INT, n = 60; CON, n = 54) participated in the study, but assessment was completed in 52 children INT, n = 26; CON, n = 26). Whole day PA was measured over one week (including one weekend day) by accelerometry at baseline. School readiness skills were assessed by recognition of symbols (i.e. letters and numbers) at baseline and at 12-weeks. Spearman rank correlations were used to assess a relationship between PA and symbol recognition. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the effect of the intervention on symbol recognition. There were no significant correlations between PA and symbol recognition and no significant effect of the intervention on preto post-scores. Further research may be valuable to examine the benefits of a preschool PA intervention by utilizing longer intervention periods, additional bouts of academically-tailored PA, and more comprehensive measures of school readiness skills.


Author(s): Stewart, Emma; Kiliccote, Sila; McParland, Charles; Roberts, Ciaran | Abstract: This report reviews the potential for distribution-grid phase-angle data that will be available from new micro-synchrophasors (µPMUs) to be utilized in existing distribution-grid planning and operations analysis. This data could augment the current diagnostic capabilities of grid analysis software, used in both planning and operations for applications such as fault location, and provide data for more accurate modeling of the distribution system. µPMUs are new distribution-grid sensors that will advance measurement and diagnostic capabilities and provide improved visibility of the distribution grid, enabling analysis of the grid's increasingly complex loads that include features such as large volumes of distributed generation. Large volumes of DG leads to concerns on continued reliable operation of the grid, due to changing power flow characteristics and active generation, with its own protection and control capabilities. Using µPMU data on change in voltage phase angle between two points in conjunction with new and existing distribution-grid planning and operational tools is expected to enable model validation, state estimation, fault location, and renewable resource/load characterization. Our findings include: data measurement is outstripping the processing capabilities of planning and operational tools; not every tool can visualize a voltage phase-angle measurement to the degree of accuracy measured by advanced sensors, and the degree of accuracy in measurement required for the distribution grid is not defined; solving methods cannot handle the high volumes of data generated by modern sensors, so new models and solving methods (such as graph trace analysis) are needed; standardization of sensor-data communications platforms in planning and applications tools would allow integration of different vendors' sensors and advanced measurement devices. In addition, data from advanced sources such as µPMUs could be used to validate models to improve/ensure accuracy, providing information on normally estimated values such as underground conductor impedance, and characterization of complex loads. Although the input of high-fidelity data to existing tools will be challenging, µPMU data on phase angle (as well as other data from advanced sensors) will be useful for basic operational decisions that are based on a trend of changing data.


(Multifunctional) cyclic carbonates are generating much interest, with bio-based bis-cyclic compounds attracting attention from the polymer sector as potential renewable monomers for systems such as non-isocyanate polyurethanes. Here, the efficient synthesis of one such substrate, diglycerol dicarbonate, utilising CO2-masked N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) organocatalysts is demonstrated. The 1,3-dialkylimidazole-2-carboxylate pre-catalyst, which can be produced both in and ex situ, yields the desired cyclic product, expressing full conversion within 3 h when using the ex situ synthesised pre-catalyst with 5 mol% loading, but can also operate with 1 mol% loading efficiently. Substituted derivatives of the imidazole-based organocatalyst have also been investigated to gauge the sensitivity of the system. A number of bio-based diols are also investigated, with 1,2-, 2,3- and 1,3-diols yielding five- and six-membered cyclic products, respectively; 1,3-diols are significantly more reluctant to cyclisation, yielding both 1- and 3-monocarbonates, dicarbonates and the cyclic products. A more in depth study was also carried out on glycerol as a substrate, both in its pure a crude form, providing insight into how impurities impact on the activity of the carbene catalyst. Through 13C-labelled reagent experiments, a mechanism is proposed for the conversion of diols to their cyclic carbonate analogues. Finally, the organocatalyst was immobilized on siliceous mesostructured cellular foam (MCF). Using an alternative activation procedure, a supported, masked NHC catalyst is achieved and characterised with DRIFTS, TGA and 13C solid-state NMR. This heterogenised catalyst can be easily recovered and reused up to three times expressing its original activity if properly regenerated by a simple ion exchange procedure. Of important note, this system can also successfully convert crude glycerol with high selectivity observed for the cyclic product.


Cadmium ferrocyanide modifying layers on platinum electrodes are found to be polycrystalline by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder pattern analysis, with a typical crystallite size of 1 [mu]m. Such layers are electroactive, with cation exchange at interstial lattice sites tightly coupled to charge transport processes. Charge transfer dynamics are affected by both the intrinsic mobility of interstitial cations in the [CdFe(CN)[sub 6]][sup 2-/-] surface overlayer and cation-induced structural reorganization of the over-layer. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis of interfaces which have undergone triangular wave potential cycling (cyclic voltammetric) in supporting electrolytes containing various alkali cations shows that, in general, these cations are exchanged into the surface lattice interstial (mobile) sites. One important exception is the case of a sodium nitrate containing electrolyte in which Cd[sup 2+] ions are found in a portion of these sites. This molecular configuration optimizes the observed charge transfer dynamics. A comparison of variations in powder pattern data as a function of potential cycling time (multiple cyclic voltammograms) shows specific correlations between structural changes and electrochemical reactivity. 42 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.


Cultural adaptation, i.e., the matching of a robot's behaviours to the cultural norms and preferences of its user, is a well known key requirement for the success of any assistive application. However, culture-dependent robot behaviours are often implicitly set by designers, thus not allowing for an easy and automatic adaptation to different cultures. This paper presents a method for the design of culture-aware robots, that can automatically adapt their behaviour to conform to a given culture. We propose a mapping from cultural factors to related parameters of robot behaviours which relies on linguistic variables to encode heterogeneous cultural factors in a uniform formalism, and on fuzzy rules to encode qualitative relations among multiple variables. We illustrate the approach in two practical case studies.


Advances in column technologies for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have led to the use of small, highly efficient packing materials. The use of these materials requires short, small diameter columns as well as instruments capable of withstanding high pressures (up to 1000bar) and sometimes temperature (in excess of 100°C), a technique dubbed ultra-high performance liquid chromatography or UPLC. The advantage is a greater than ten-fold reduction in analysis time without a loss of peak capacity or resolution. Due to the small volumes inherent in the new columns, the extra-column volumes of the instrument can become a significant source of dispersion leading to extra-column broadening of chromatographic peaks. Uncontrolled or accounted for, this variance severely limits the separation potential of improved column packings and reduces the accuracy of evaluations of instruments and columns. An investigation is made of the source and nature of the band broadening in instrumental components with an eye towards reduction of variance without loss of performance. Different methods for calculating the degree of extra-column band broadening are discussed. Applications of the calculated data for evaluation of the kinetic parameters of UPLC are reviewed.


The reduction in the useful-service life of reinforced concrete construction in the Arabian Gulf is attributed to reinforcement corrosion. While this phenomenon is primarily related to chloride ions, the concomitant pressure of sulfate salts may accelerate the deterioration process. Another factor which might influence reinforcement corrosion is the elevated ambient temperature. While few studies have been conducted to evaluate the individual effect of sulfate contamination and temperature on chloride binding and reinforcement corrosion, the synergistic effect of these factors on concrete durability, viz.-a-viz., reinforcement corrosion, needs to be evaluated. Further, the environmental conditions of the Arabian Gulf are also conducive for accelerated carbonation. However, no data are available on the concomitant effect of chloride-sulfate contamination and elevated temperature on the carbonation behaviour of plain and blended cements.This study was conducted to evaluate the conjoint effect of chloride-sulfate contamination and temperature on the pore solution chemistry and reinforcement corrosion. The effect of chloride-sulfate contamination and elevated temperature on carbonation in plain and blended cements was also investigated. Pore solution extraction and analysis, X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, DC linear polarization resistance and AC impedance spectroscopy techniques were utilized to study the effect of experimental parameters on chloride binding, reinforcement corrosion and carbonation.The results indicated that the concomitant presence of chloride and sulfate salts and temperature significantly influences the durability performance of concrete by: (i) decreasing the chloride binding, (ii) increasing reinforcement corrosion, and (iii) accelerating the carbonation process. To avoid such deterioration, it is advisable to minimize both chloride and sulfate contamination contributed by the mixture ingredients. Due to the known harmful role of sulfate ions in decreasing the chloride binding and increasing reinforcement corrosion, limits on allowable sulfate contamination in concrete should also be established.


THE CAUCASUS AS A GATE TO THE ORIENT. ORIENTAL MOTIFS IN TADEUSZ ŁADA-ZABŁOCKI'S OEUVREThe East, its culture and literature were always part of the rich, erudite poetic imagination of Tadeusz Łada-Zabłocki 1811–1847, a tsarist exile to the Caucasus. He spoke Oriental languages Georgian and Persian and had a thorough knowledge of the Koran, a short fragment of which he even translated probably from French. Although today we only have his poetry inspired by the Caucasian mountains, he was also no stranger to extensive travel accounts unfortunately, his Dziennik podróży mojej do Tyflisu i z Tyflisu po różnych krajach za Kaukazem Journal From My Journey To and From Tiflis Across Various Countries Beyond the Caucasus and notes from his Armenian expedition were lost. An important source of inspiration for Zabłocki, encouraging him to explore the East, were the Philomaths' translations of Oriental poetry by Jan Wiernikowski and Aleksander Chodźko, while his model of reception of the Orient were the oeuvres of Mickiewicz primarily his Crimean and Odessa Sonnets, Byron and Thomas Moore especially the fragment of Lalla Rookh — Paradise and the Peri. The exile brutally brought Zabłocki into contact with the real Orient, terribly dangerous and diametrically different from the one described by Western travellers. It is, therefore, not surprising, that their superficial and simplified accounts were criticised by the Polish poet and soldier.Zabłocki's oeuvre, both pre-exile and Caucasus period works, is full of various Oriental reminiscences: from the Biblical topos of the Paradise ab Oriente, through numerous splendid images of Caucasian nature, scenes from the life of Caucasian highlanders, poetic imitation of the metre of Caucasian folk dances, apt ethnographic observations in the verses, borrowings from Oriental languages, extraordinarily sensual eastern erotic poems, to translations of texts of Caucasian cultures Tatar, Azeri and Georgian songs. Zabłocki drew on both folk culture of Caucasian tribes, and on Eastern mythologies as well as universal culture of the Islamic world. He presents an ambivalent image of Caucasian highlanders in his poetry: sometimes they acquire traits of noble, free, valiant and indomitable individuals, typical of the Romantic idea of highlanders, on other occasions the label "Son of the East" becomes a synonym of Asian barbarity.Freed from the service in the tsarist army, Zabłocki planned travels across nearby Persia, Asia Minor, and even Arabia, Nubia and Palestine. However, the plans never became a reality, owing to a lack of funds and the poet's early death of cholera.Zabłocki's "Eastern" oeuvre fully reveals the "liminal", demarcational nature of the Caucasian mountains, for centuries constituting the limes between Europe and Asia, the East and the West, a meeting place of the Christian and the Muslim Orients.]]>


An unaddressed challenge in human-AI coordination is to enable AI agents to exploit the semantic relationships between the features of actions and the features of observations. Humans take advantage of these relationships in highly intuitive ways. For instance, in the absence of a shared language, we might point to the object we desire or hold up our fingers to indicate how many objects we want. To address this challenge, we investigate the effect of network architecture on the propensity of learning algorithms to exploit these semantic relationships. Across a procedurally generated coordination task, we find that attention-based architectures that jointly process a featurized representation of observations and actions have a better inductive bias for zero-shot coordination. Through fine-grained evaluation and scenario analysis, we show that the resulting policies are human-interpretable. Moreover, such agents coordinate with people without training on any human data.


The behavior of real wages has complicated macroeconomic policy in the industrialized world during the 1970s. Many commentators have discussed the extraordinary increase in wage inflation in Europe and Japan at the end of the last decade. Few have noted that the nominal wage gains resulted in remarkable increased in real wages. The five large economies outside North America in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) had rapid growth of real hourly compensation in 1969-73, along with high rates of increase of nominal compensation. In most large OECD economies, real wages in the late 1960s grew faster than productivity, so that the distribution of income shifted toward labor, while the rate of return on capital was substantially reduced.


Neurorhetoric is the study of how rhetoric shapes the human brain. At the forefront of science and communication studies, neurorhetoric challenges many preconceptions about how humans respond to persuasive stimuli. Neurorhetoric can be applied to a multiplicity of relevant legal issues, including the topic of this Maryland Law Review Symposium Issue: race and advocacy. After detailing the neuroscientific and cognitive theories that underlie neurorhetoric, this Essay theorizes ways in which neurorhetoric intersects with the law, advocacy, and race. This Essay explores how toxic racial stereotypes and categories become embedded in the human brain and what can be done about it.


The discovery of new anode materials and engineering their fine structures are the core elements in the development of new-generation lithium ion batteries (LIBs). To this end, we herein report a novel nanostructured composite consisting of approximately 75% Fe3O4 nanorods and 25% reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Microscopy and spectroscopy analyses have identified that the Fe3O4 nanorods are wrapped (or encapsulated) by the rGO nanosheets via covalent bonding, which further self-assemble into a mesoporous hybrid composite networked by the graphene matrix. The composite has an average pore size around 20 nm and exhibits a high surface area of 152 m2 g−1, which is 76 times as high as that of conventional Fe3O4 powder. We have used the composite as an LIB anode material to fabricate coin-type prototype cells with lithium as the cathode. Systematic half-cell testing evaluations show that the electrochemical performance of the present composite material is amongst the best of the transition metal-oxide based LIB anode materials. The performances are characterized by a high reversible capacity of 1053 mA h g−1 subjected to 250 charge–discharge cycles at 500 mA g−1 and an excellent rate capability with the deliverable energy of 788–541 mA h g−1 upon the application of high current densities of 1000–5000 mA g−1. Overall, we have demonstrated that Fe3O4 nanorod–rGO hybrid composite is an interesting and promising material for the fabrication of LIB anodes.


The aspect of atmospheric turbulence of interest to optical-propagation studies is the variation of refractive index. We demonstrate the application of high-speed temperature sensors to the direct measurement of this variation at optically important scale sizes, as small as a few millimeters. The thermometers, used in pairs with spacings ranging from 3 mm to 1 m, disclose that the turbulence near the ground frequently differs substantially from the Kolmogoroff model, and that the temperature difference does not follow the gaussian probability-distribution function. A model of the turbulent atmosphere containing sharply bounded regions with stronger than average turbulence agrees well with our observations. We also demonstrate the use of a single sensor mounted on an airplane to observe refractive-index variations at heights up to 3 km.


The paper aims at assessing the specific impact of shallow versus deep integration between Mediterranean (MED) countries1 and their partners in the European Union (EU) as well as between the MED countries themselves. It relies on dataset developed for this project concerning tariffs (as a proxy for shallow integration) and Non Tariff Measures (NTMs)2 (as a proxy for deep integration). Additional data are also included in order to take into account other trade costs, especially transport costs and logistics costs. In this regard, an original dataset of maritime freight cost (Maersk, 2007) is introduced as well as the trade logistics performance (TLP) index produced by the World Bank. Such datasets are useful for providing additional insight into deep integration. The paper starts by calculating the magnitude of NTMs in terms of ad valorem tariff equivalent (AVEs). The estimation of NTMs through ad valorem equivalents (AVEs) shows that Algeria and Jordan have the highest value of AVEs, whereas Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt have the lowest value. A gravity model is then estimated with special emphasis on trade costs which are the crucial point in our research study. Given the limitation of data on NTMs, the gravity model is estimated for only one year (2001), and for each MED country. Trade costs are represented by tariffs, AVEs of NTMs, and transport and logistics costs. The idea is to test which of the three elements of trade costs are the most impeding to bilateral trade between MED countries and EU countries as well as amongst MED countries. The model shows that tariffs, NTMs, and trade and logistics costs have a significant impact on trade, but is highly vivid in countries suffering from high tariff rates, prevalence of NTMs, and trade costs. A number of simulations are carried out trying to differentiate between the impact of partial liberalization and full liberalization on trade creation. The results obtained show that full liberalization has a significant effect whether it is only related to shallow integration (tariff removal) or deep integration (NTMs and trade and logistics). The effect is higher if trade costs and logistics are improved. The results are far less if only partial liberalization takes place and in several countries is insignificant implying that marginal reductions in NTMs or tariffs cannot always help to create trade. Finally the study shows that there is a huge potential for enhancing trade amongst MED countries if trade costs are lowered, logistics is improved, and NTMs are abolished.


This paper describes the design and construction of the first Visible Optical SETI Observatory in North America. The rationale supporting this activity is also given. The Columbus Optical SETI Observatory is designed to detect ultra-fast pulsed laser beacon signals in the visible and near-infrared. The design and construction of The Columbus Optical SETI Observatory has been underway for two years and employs the Meade LX200 10" (25.4-cm) Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope. Recently, this observatory acquired a 240 sq. ft. control/conference room and a 10 ft. diameter astronomical dome to house the telescope. The targeted search will formally begin next year, and will examine the same stars in the northern hemisphere presently under investigation by Microwave SETI's Project Phoenix. A photon-counter will be used to look for the fast laser pulses. Eventually, the photoncounting system employed will be capable of detecting pulses as short as 1 ns. Each night's observations will be data-logged onto standard VHS video cassettes; the data rate and storage requirements being kept initially modest by setting a high discriminator threshold, in accordance with the Optical SETI rationale described. The observatory's control computer will be hard-wired to the Optical SETI Computer Bulletin Board (BBS). This will allow interested users to observe the control computer's screen in real-time, and the data being acquired. Internet access to this BBS should be available next year.


It has escaped many people's attention that, just as the 1998 GFA rescinded the claim of the Irish state on the 6 counties, it also gave up any territorial claim by that state on the rest of the island. It is fair to say that the fake  exhilaration of the Celtic tiger years and the genuine relief of many in the North of Ireland finally having a life pushed consideration of this down the list of priorities. Yet it is perhaps no coincidence that this deterritorialization emerged simultaneously with an Irish deep state, with banks, universities and indeed private music rights agencies made exempt from the rule of law.  Moreover, deterritorialization was a hallmark of the Clinton presidency and the risks of alienation, predicted by Deleuze as he authored the concept, were seen as perhaps balanced by "peace, prosperity, and progress". As of 2015, more Irish citizens had committed suicide in the republic since the 2008 crash than the total number of deaths in the troubles. While this can indeed be attributed to anomie/alienation, it is worth noting that in his classic paper on the subject Durkheim pointed out the vanishingly low rate of suicide in his contemporary Ireland. The status quo seems untenable, and international human rights lawyer Hassan Ahmed demonstrated in our 2016 conference that the 1998 GFA coupled with the 2004 referendum means Ireland is in breach of international law in not granting nationality to all born on the island. Yet deterritorialization has had the paradoxical result of making Gaelic culture more portable than ever, and to increase its following by orders of magnitude. What this paper proposes is reterritorializing Ireland by providing a Mecca for the tens of millions who value this culture. Here  we look at ways of reterritorializing Ireland from reinstating the claim on the whole island to explicitly repudiating it for a 26 or 30 county state with East of the Bann left in the non-EU UK. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */
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In this report, we derive the performance graphs for UWB communication systems using different combining techniques in a RAKE Receiver. Comparisons have also been made between the techniques and conclusions have been drawn based on the requirements. We also incorporate the effect of number of fingers on the performance of the receivers. The results obtained give us way to evaluate the performance of Rake reception of UWB signals in dense multipath channels. We present simulation results using IEEE 802.15.3a UWB channel models. We evaluate the performances of Rake Receivers with different pulse-widths and also the effect of inter-frame interference.


Both carbonate (as the oil-gas reservoir) and evaporite rocks (as caprock) coexist in the Masjed Soleyman oil field. The Asmari karstic aquifer is formed within Oligo-Miocene carbonate rocks in the south of the oil reservoir. A mixing between fresh karstic groundwater and oil-field brines is to be expected because of underground migration of the brines toward the aquifer. This process can reduce the groundwater quality by both increasing the water salinity and by adding hydrocarbon and sulfur contaminants into the groundwater. Tembi river contains saline water that can affect groundwater resources. Leaking of these brines into the aquifer was distinguished using total dissolved solids, the relative concentration of major elements, bromide ion (as a trace element), total organic carbon, ion ratios, and mixing curve diagrams. The polluted zone was determined by tracking the hydrochemistry changes across the groundwater flow direction. The volume percentage of different water sources in mixed groundwater was calculated and validated using PHREEQC software. The results revealed that the contribution of the oil-field brine in the groundwater is much lower than the salty river brine, but even this low amount has a considerable impact on water quality by increasing water salinity and adding hydrocarbon and sulfur into the groundwater.


The present work, using an atomic force microscope and the colloid probe technique, investigates the interaction forces between bovine serum albumin (BSA) layers and between apoferritin layers adsorbed on silica surfaces. The measurements have been carried out in an aqueous medium at different pH values and NaCl concentrations. Similar behaviours have been found with both proteins. Electrostatic and steric forces dominate the interactions between the protein layers at low NaCl concentrations. However, a very strange behaviour is found as a function of pH at high NaCl concentrations. The results obtained under these conditions could be explained if the presence of hydration forces in these systems is assumed.


Of the many eccentric figures in Japanese Zen, the Soto Zen master Tosui Unkei is surely among the most colourful and extreme. Variously compared to Ryokan and Francis of Assisi, Tosui has been called "the original hippie." After many grueling years of Zen study and the sanction of a distinguished teacher, Tosui abandoned the religious establishment and became a drifter. The arresting details of Tosui's life were recorded in the "Tribute" ("Tosui osho densan"), a lively and colloquial account written by the celebrated scholar and Soto Zen master Menzan Zuiho. Menzan concentrates on Tosui's years as a beggar and labourer, recounting episodes from an unorthodox life while at the same time opening a new window on 17th-century Japan. The "Tribute"is translated here for the first time, accompanied by woodblock prints commissioned for the original 1768 edition. Peter Haskel's introduction places Tosui in the context of the Japanese Zen of his period - a time when the identities of early modern Zen schools were still being formed and a period of spiritual crisis for many distinguished monks who believed that the authentic Zen transmission had long ceased to exist. A biographical addendum offers a detailed overview of Tosui's life in light of surviving premodern sources.


Although rock instabilities constitute a threat to human lives and settlements all over the world, methodologies for assessing and zoning rockfall hazards for urban development planning are far from being standardised. After presentation of the general background and classification of existing approaches, the report discusses uncertainties and difficulties which emerge when elaborating hazard maps. It is then underlined how national guidelines condition the hazard zoning and the implications on land use planning. Finally, a new procedure for rockfall hazard zoning is introduced. Starting from 2D or 3D trajectory modelling results, it estimates the hazard level based on a rigorous combination of rockfall energy and return period (according to the strict definition of hazard at the international level).


Soil degradation is one of the most serious environmental problems in the highlands of Ethiopia. The prevalence of traditional agricultural land use and the absence of appropriate resource management often result in the degradation of natural soil fertility. This has important implications for soil productivity, household food security, and poverty. Given the extreme vulnerability of farmers in this area, we hypothesized that farmers' risk preferences might affect the sustainability of resource use. This study presents experimental results on the willingness of farmers to take risks and relates the subjective risk preferences to actual soil conservation decisions. The study looked at a random sample of 143 households with 597 farming plots. We found that a high degree of risk aversion significantly decreases the probability of adopting soil conservation. This implies that reducing farmers' risk exposure could promote soil conservation practices and thus more sustainable natural resource management. This might be achieved by improving tenure security, promoting access to extension services and education, and developing income-generating off-farm activities.


Multi-task learning (MTL) is a common paradigm that seeks to improve the generalization performance of task learning by training related tasks simultaneously. However, it is still a challenging problem to search the flexible and accurate architecture that can be shared among multiple tasks. In this paper, we propose a novel deep learning model called Task Adaptive Activation Network (TAAN) that can automatically learn the optimal network architecture for MTL. The main principle of TAAN is to derive flexible activation functions for different tasks from the data with other parameters of the network fully shared. We further propose two functional regularization methods that improve the MTL performance of TAAN. The improved performance of both TAAN and the regularization methods is demonstrated by comprehensive experiments.


Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine the morphology and some physical and chemical properties of individual particles collected north of latitude 80°N by impaction or electrostatic precipitation during the period July 21 to September 18, 1996. Particles smaller than 50 nm in diameter showed no evidence of the presence of sulfuric acid, previously believed responsible for new particle formation. Many were crystalline or semicrystalline often with pentagonal or hexagonal habit and more heat resistant than ammonium salts. Most were unaffected by decane or xylene vapor, but some were wholly or partly dissolved, indicating that they were chemically different. Sulfuric acid, ammonia, and probably methane sulfonic acid appeared to be mainly responsible for growth of these particles to the sizes that could become involved in cloud drop formation, about 80–100 nm in diameter. Much greater diversity was present in larger particles, the most numerous class of which usually appeared to be very variable mixtures of sulfuric acid, methane sulfonic acid, and their ammonium salts. All contained significant organic material. Particles containing sea salt were generally larger than 250 nm in diameter and contained an amazing variety of other material, much of it organic. On days with sunshine unusual numbers of particles <5 nm and in the range 10–50 nm in diameter occurred. At the same time, concentrations of three different types of particle with diameters of the order of 100 nm were enhanced. One group was liquid when collected, had a large organic content, and wet the collecting surface. The other two were bacteria and flat insoluble plates some of which contained fragments of diatoms. It is proposed that they were ejected into the air by bubbles bursting on the open leads.


Directed evolution is one of the methods to improve the characteristic of an enzyme such as activity, optimum temperature, pH, stability, substrate specificity and
enantioselectivity. Directed evolution relies on random mutation and high throughput screening. This study is mainly conducted to improve the characteristic of native
recombinant T1 lipase by directed evolution by using two methods in directed evolution which are DNA shuffling and error prone polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to create
potential mutant for further studies. No reported so far about improvement of T1 lipase by using directed evolution method. In addition, lack understanding on the factor
affecting specific activity and other characteristic of T1 lipase became the reason why this method was chosen. UPM-1 lipase and T1 lipase gene were digested randomly by using Dnase I and reassambled together before error prone PCR were taken place. Reassambled products were amplified using specific primers of T1 lipase. Full length of mutated gene was cloned into pTrHis TOPO TA expression vector and transformed into Escherichia coli TOP 10 host. More than 1500 colonies, only eleven transformants gave rise to clearing zone on trybutyrin agar plate. Eleven putative colonies were proceed for preliminary lipase activity to screen the best among eleven colonies. Only M1 and M3
chimeric lipases with lipase activity above 5 U/ml were subjected to further study. M1 and M3 chimeric lipases were purified with 1.48 fold and 2.36 fold higher specific lipase activity than native T1 lipase, respectively. Random mutations on M3 chimeric lipase increased the optimum temperature from 65°C to 70°C, but the optimum pH was shifted from pH 9 to pH 8 as compared to native T1 lipase. About 194 mutations on M1 chimeric lipase significantly decreased the optimum temperature from 65°C to 55°C but
had high lipase activity at pH 6 until 9 with wide pH range compared to native T1 lipase.Interestingly, M1 chimeric lipase has twenty percent lipase activity at pH 4 and pH 5
while no sign of lipase adetected. Substrate specificity for both mutants was not changed as compared to native
T1 lipase whereby long carbon chain length substrates were preferable. Improvement of lipase activity for both chimeric lipase (M1 chimeric and M3 chimeric) were closely related with distance of serine-histidine-aspartic acid catalytic center. Distance between histidine and serine were shorten from 3.5A (native T1) into 3.2A (M1 chimeric) and 3.0A (M3 chimeric). Proline addition at position 87 in M3 chimeric protein sequence became main reason why distance of serine-histidine catalytic center for M3 chimeric lipase was shortened. M1 chimeric lipase protein structure showed 194 mutations at Nterminal and C-terminal in protein sequence without change three amino acid catalytic center (serine-aspartic-histidine). Combination of mutation make M1 chimeric lipase characteristic such as optimum temperature, protein stability and pH profile were altered compared to native T1 lipase. As conclusion, directed evolution as been successfully altered and improved characteristic of T1 lipase such as optimum temperature, enzyme stability and pH profile.


A satisfactory comprehensive history of the social and economic development of pre-modern China, the largest country in the world in terms of population, and with a documentary record covering three millennia, is still far from possible. The present work is only an attempt to disengage the major themes that seem to be of relevance to our understanding of China today. In particular, this volume studies three questions. Why did the Chinese Empire stay together when the Roman Empire, and every other empire of antiquity of the middle ages, ultimately collapsed? What were the causes of the medieval revolution which made the Chinese economy after about 1100 the most advanced in the world? And why did China after about 1350 fail to maintain her earlier pace of technological advance while still, in many respects, advancing economically? The three sections of the book deal with these problems in turn but the division of a subject matter is to some extent only one of convenience. These topics are so interrelated that, in the last analysis, none of them can be considered in isolation from the others.


Anthrax toxin is composed of three proteins: protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF), and edema factor (EF). These proteins individually cause no known physiological effects in animals but in pairs produce two toxic actions. Injection of PA with LF causes death of rats in 60 min, whereas PA with EF causes edema in the skin of rabbits and guinea pigs. The mechanisms of action of these proteins have not been determined. It is shown here that EF is an adenylate cyclase [ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 184.108.40.206] produced by Bacillus anthracis in an inactive form. Activation occurs upon contact with a heat-stable eukaryotic cell material. The specific activity of the resulting adenylate cyclase nearly equals that of the most active known cyclase. In Chinese hamster ovary cells exposed to PA and EF, cAMP concentrations increase without a lag to values about 200-fold above normal, remain high in the continued presence of toxin, and decrease rapidly after its removal. The increase in cAMP is completely blocked by excess LF. It is suggested that PA interacts with cells to form a receptor system by which EF and perhaps LF gain access to the cytoplasm.


Sales and demand forecasting is one the most critical tasks of enterprises. It lays the foundation for many other essential business assumptions, such as cash flows, profit margins, turnover, capacity planning, and capital expenditure. This report presents a solution for the case study of forecasting monthly sales of one of the largest retail stores in Europe, Rossman chain stores. There are three steps in which this problem will be handled. First, a complete and comprehensive exploratory data analysis will be done to understand the data and perform feature engineering. Secondly, a time series will be modeled by autoregressive models using machine learning and neural networks. Thirdly, these models will be evaluated with standard time series evaluation metrics. Some of the commonly used approaches to achieving the prediction value or models include the ARIMA and classification-based modeling techniques for forecasting. The literature review indicates that these aspects are hard to choose due to the need for matching the supply and demand of consumers being critical as more consumers prefer more reliable companies and companies that can consistently deliver on what they need and when they need. People have underappreciated machine learning ' s ability to make data-driven predictions. Still, given the analysis results, companies are now starting to realize its potential and are investing more in this technology.


Proximal ground-level assessment of sulfur dioxide gas and fine aerosol in the volcanic gas plume downwind from Kilauea volcano indicates high levels of both species. Fine aerosol and SO 2 data were collected in the Kau district, 37-74 km downwind from the eruption, and at a nonexposed control site in Hawi, Hawaii. Typical trade winds and effusive eruption occurred during sampling in August-September 2003. Ambient SO 2 concentrations, measured with diffusion tubes, ranged from 6 to 34 ppbv and correlated negatively with altitude. In contrast, fine aerosol (≤0.3 μm size) concentrations, measured with a cascade impactor, ranged from 0.61 to 11.82 μg/m 3 and correlated positively with altitude. We attribute decrease of SO 2 with altitude to rapid oxidation as diurnal wind patterns blow the plume from oceanic terrain landward to more abundant oxidation sources. Aerosol increase with altitude likely reflects emission of H 2 SO 4 from Kilauea, supplemented by oxidation of SO 2 in atmospheric hydrosols. Kau residents are exposed to volcanogenic pollutants at concentrations that warrant concern for adverse health effects.


Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a human-specific virus that causes varicella (chickenpox) upon primary infection of children. During the convalescent stage of infection, VZV establishes latency in dorsal root ganglia of the nervous system and reactivates decades later in adults, causing herpes zoster (shingles). In the early 1970s, a live attenuated varicella vaccine was developed; subsequent varicella vaccination has greatly reduced VZV-related hospitalisations and fatalities, although VZV remains commonplace in areas of the world that have not achieved high degrees of vaccination. VZV research continues to study viral mechanisms and pathogenesis. Recent experiments have discovered that VZV induces the cellular process called autophagy, which can aid in prolonging cell lifespan. Phylogenetic analyses of sequenced genomes indicate that the VZV genome originated in Africa and has coevolved with its human hosts during their migration out-of-Africa throughout the world.

Key Concepts:

Varicella-zoster virus causes chickenpox initially, but remains latent in the body and can be reactivated, usually in the elderly, to cause the infection known as shingles.

VZV is one of nine human herpesviruses; in 2012, human herpesvirus type 6 was separated into two species called A and B. VZV is evolutionarily closely most related to the herpes simplex virus (HSV); however, it causes chickenpox and shingles and cannot cause herpes.

The double-stranded DNA genome of VZV has been fully sequenced and has more than 70 open reading frames that encode nearly 70 unique proteins.

A highly geometrical and complex layer of proteins known as the capsid serves as a protective housing for the viral DNA; the capsid is then covered by a tegument and a lipid bilayer called the envelope.

Glycoproteins – proteins with bound sugars – are embedded within the envelope and serve functions from attachment to the host cell and cell-to-cell spread of the infection.

VZV is thought to have originated in Africa and has spread throughout the world by coevolving with its human host.

VZV is spread only during active infection; among the human herpesviruses, VZV is the only one that is spread by aerosolizing into airborne particles.

Autophagy, the recycling of damaged organelles, is induced by VZV as a method of prolonging cell lifespan, which gives the virus more time to replicate.

A live attenuated varicella vaccine was developed in the early 1970s and has dramatically reduced the number of VZV-related hospitalisations and fatalities.

Antiviral drugs such as aciclovir are very effective in the treatment of VZV infections.

Keywords:

varicella-zoster virus;
chickenpox;
herpes zoster;
shingles;
human herpes virus;
autophagy;
vaccine;
aciclovir


The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Britain were founded in warfare beginning in the fifth century. These kingdoms developed alongside the native Romanized Britons, who attempted to reassert their authority in Britain in the wake of the Roman withdrawal. Northumbria, located north of the Humber River, the largest and most northerly of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms played a vital role in the politics of early medieval Britain. During the seventh century, the Northumbrian kings were recognized as the overkings of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, as well as the neighboring British and Pictish kingdoms. Over the course of several centuries, the leaders of Northumbria alternately engaged in military conflict and peace alliances with their most powerful northern neighbor, the Scots. After York fell to an invading Danish army in the ninth century, the lands of Northumberland were permanently divided along the Tees River valley into Yorkshire and Northumbria. The tenth and eleventh centuries witnessed power struggles between the earls of Northumbria and the 'English' kings from Wessex. While the other Anglo-Saxon ealdormen received their political appointments from the kings and worked alongside their monarchs, the earls of Northumbria alone maintained political autonomy. Northumbria was uniquely located between the two emerging powers of Scotland and Anglo-Saxon England, yet never succumbed to either. Dedication to local Northumbrian ealdormen as earls, who exhibited strong military leadership and surprising political savvy, guaranteed Northumbria self-rule and unchanged laws until the Norman Conquest. Not until William Rufus II gained the throne of England in 1087 did Northumbria begin participating as a political and military entity within greater England.


Objective: The true rate of new-onset diabetes (NODM) after distal pancreatectomy (DP) is not known. This systematic review was carried out to obtain exact percentages regarding the incidence of NODM after DP for different indications. Background: Distal pancreatectomy is the standard procedure for removal of benign or (potentially) malignant lesions from the pancreatic body or tail and increasingly used for removal of often benign lesions. It is associated with low mortality rates, though postoperative diabetes remains a serious problem. Methods: Embase, PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were searched for articles reporting incidence of NODM after DP. Methodological quality of the included studies was assessed by means of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for cohort studies and the Moga scale for case series. Mean weighted overall percentages of NODM after DP for different indications were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and corresponding P values. Results: Twenty-six studies were included, comprising 1.731 patients undergoing DP. The average cumulative incidence of NODM after DP performed for chronic pancreatitis was 39% and for benign or (potentially) malignant lesions it was 14%. Comparing the proportions of these 2 groups showed a significant difference (95% CI: 0.351–0.434 and 0.110–0.172, respectively, P < 0.000). The average percentage of insulin-dependent diabetes among patients with NODM after DP was 77%. Conclusions: This review is the largest of its kind to assess the cumulative incidence of NODM after DP and shows that NODM is a frequently occurring complication, with incidence depending on the preexisting disease and followup time. Because NODM can affect quality of life, patients undergoing DP should be preoperatively provided with this information as specific as possible.


This study explores how negative school climate factors, such as classroom violence, can influence a teacher's pedagogical approach to classroom learning and relationships with students using a transformative lens to improve student engagement and pedagogical approaches after such tragedies occur. The Burke-Litwin (2010) model of organizational climate is used as a framework to understand how a school's organizational climate contributes to a positive learning culture for teachers, post-trauma, with the goal of heightening teachers' ability to continue to teach and to maintain student engagement post-violence. Major conclusions show that the underlying school climate plays a critical role in how a teacher recovers after witnessing a school shooting. In the recovery of post-violent school events, school cultures have a major impact on teacher morale, relationships between teachers and students, absenteeism (student and teacher), school discipline and, grades and test scores. A school's organizational climate essentially contributes to teachers' abilities to engage students actively in the classroom and to continue to be involved in motivational teaching and new pedagogical approaches despite witnessing violence.


Targeting joint-lining fibroblast-like synoviocytes reduces the severity of arthritis. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), joint-lining cells—fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS)—become activated and contribute to inflammation, as well as cartilage and bone destruction. FLS have the receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase RPTPσ. In neurons, the interaction of RPTPσ with different proteoglycans either inhibits or promotes axonal growth, a phenomenon called the "proteoglycan switch." Doody et al. found that FLS also responded to proteoglycans and that an RPTPσ decoy protein blocked this switch in human cells and decreased FLS invasiveness and severity of arthritis in a mouse model of RA. Targeting this proteoglycan switch may add another option when treating patients with RA. K. M. Doody, S. M. Stanford, C. Sacchetti, M. N. D. Svensson, C. H. Coles, N. Mitakidis, W. B. Kiosses, B. Bartok, C. Fos, E. Cory, R. L. Sah, R. Liu-Bryan, D. L. Boyle, H. A. Arnett, T. Mustelin, M. Corr, J. D. Esko, M. L. Tremblay, G. S. Firestein, A. R. Aricescu, N. Bottini, Targeting phosphatase-dependent proteoglycan switch for rheumatoid arthritis therapy. Sci. Transl. Med. 7, 288ra76 (2015). [Abstract]


The Affordable Care Act (ACA) emphasis on preventive care and primary health has given community organizations and outpatient care environments renewed attention. Nursing has been offered the opportunity to lead healthcare into a new era. One of the two new nursing programs to be given life in this movement is the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL). The CNL is a graduate level educated nurse who specializes in healthcare systems leadership, a facilitator of care in the complex healthcare environments of today. They are equipped to see the wider and broader perspective of things, assess needs, research the best interventions for problems identified, implement these interventions, and evaluate the processes and outcomes of the interventions.  This paper describes the experience of a school of nursing and health professions and a community non-profit organization in developing a community faculty practice partnership allowing for CNL, nurse practitioner, and Doctorate of Psychology students to be placed at a community clinic serving high-risk patients. The Synergy Model of community partnership formation by Lasker and Weiss is used as the complimentary model to show how the CNL approach to a microsystem can be effectively adopted into the community setting with beneficial outcomes to both parties of the partnership.


Background and Aim: Telmisartan (TEL) is an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) antihypertensive agent. The aim of the present investigation was to develop a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) to enhance the oral bioavailability of poorly water soluble TEL. Materials and Methods: The solubility of TEL in various oils was determined to identify the oil phase of a SNEDDS. Various surfactants and co-surfactants were screened for their ability to emulsify the selected oil. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were constructed to identify the efficient self-emulsifying region. A SNEDDS was further evaluated for its percentage transmittance, emulsification time, drug content, phase separation, dilution, droplet size, zeta potential, pH, refractive index, and viscosity. Results: The developed SNEDDS formulation contained TEL (20 mg), Tween® 20 (43.33%w/w), Carbitol® (21.67%w/w), and Acrysol® EL 135 (32%w/w). The optimized formulation of the TEL-loaded SNEDDS exhibited a complete in vitro drug release in 15 min as compared with the plain drug, which had a limited dissolution rate. It was also compared with the pure drug suspension by oral administration in male Wister rats. The in vivo study exhibited a 7.5-fold increase in the oral bioavailability of TEL from the SNEDDS compared with the pure drug suspension. Conclusions: These results suggest the potential use of the SNEDDS to improve the dissolution and oral bioavailability of poorly water soluble TEL.


In this article, the free vibration analysis of magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) Timoshenko micro beam model based on surface stress effect and modified strain gradient theory (MSGT) under moving nano-particle is presented. The governing equations of motion using Hamilton's principle are derived and these equations are solved using differential quadrature method (DQM). The effects of dimensionless electric potential, dimensionless magnetic parameter, material length scale parameter, external electric voltage, external magnetic parameter, slenderness ratio, temperature change, surface stress effect, two parameters of elastic foundation on the dimensionless natural frequency are investigated. It is shown that the effect of electric potential and magnetic parameter simultaneously increases the dimensionless natural frequency. On the other hands, with considering two parameters, the stiffness of MEE Timoshenko micro beam model increases. It can be seen that the dimensionless natural frequency of micro structure increases by MSGT more than modified couple stress theory (MCST) and classical theory (CT). It is found that by increasing the mass of nano-particle, the dimensionless natural frequency of system decreases. The results of this study can be employed to design and manufacture micro-devices to prevent resonance phenomenon or as a sensor to control the dynamic stability of micro structures.


In this article Adorno's approach to Mahler is subjected to linguistic-conceptual critique, in order to highlight its ambiguous philosophical and methodological syncretizing of discourses of epistemological commensurability and hermeneutic incommensurability. As a response to this and to Adorno's privileging of authorial production as determinant of meaning, this study invokes Richard Rorty's pragmatist philosophy and aspects of translation theory in order better to understand the world of post-Adornian Mahlerian meaning generated by use of the music in diverse screen works over the last half century. Examples of the 're-description' of Mahler's music resulting from such usage are discussed in relation to the tradition spawned by Visconti's Death in Venice and in various contexts of appropriation, fragmentation and juxtaposition through which radical re-configurations of putative meaning take place.


Abstract Aggregation functions are widely used in answer set programming for representing and reasoning on knowledge involving sets of objects collectively. Current implementations simplify the structure of programs in order to optimize the overall performance. In particular, aggregates are rewritten into simpler forms known as monotone aggregates. Since the evaluation of normal programs with monotone aggregates is in general on a lower complexity level than the evaluation of normal programs with arbitrary aggregates, any faithful translation function must introduce disjunction in rule heads in some cases. However, no function of this kind is known. The paper closes this gap by introducing a polynomial, faithful, and modular translation for rewriting common aggregation functions into the simpler form accepted by current solvers. A prototype system allows for experimenting with arbitrary recursive aggregates, which are also supported in the recent version 4.5 of the grounder gringo, using the methods presented in this paper.


BACKGROUND: Abacavir hypersensitivity reaction (ABC HSR) is the most common reason for the early and permanent discontinuation of this drug. Objectives: To look at determinants of early and permanent discontinuation of ABC and examine subsequent healthcare utilization and treatment outcomes.

METHODS: A population-based cohort study was conducted using available drug and utilization data from the drug treatment program at the BC Centre for Excellence for patients who started abacavir between March 1998 and July 2004. Early discontinuation potentially associated with ABC HSR (EDABC) was defined as those stopping abacavir within 3 months with a diagnosis of ABC HSR or stopping abacavir within 1 month without a specified history. Determinants examined included age, gender, ethnicity, hepatitis C status, injection drug use, treatment experience, concurrent ART, baseline CD4+, viral load and physician experience. Utilization and outcome variables examined included physician visits, hospitalization data, laboratory utilization and time to viral load <500 copies/ml. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine determinants, outcomes and healthcare utilization associated with EDABC.

RESULTS: A total of 171/1448 (11.8%) of patients ever on abacavir met the definition for EDABC. EDABC patients had physicians with higher experience as measured by the median number of previously treated HIV patients (147 vs 104; P=0.012). EDABC was more common in patients started on abacavir after 2001 or later versus during or before 2001 [87/596(14.6%) vs 84/852(9.9%); P=0.006]. In multivariate analysis only baseline viral load >100000 copies/ml, treatment naive status and absence of AIDS diagnosis were associated with EDABC. The time to VL <500 copies/ml was significantly longer in patients who had EDABC versus abacavir continuation (131 vs 81 days; P<0.001). EDABC patients were more likely to seek emergency or specialist care within 30 days of starting treatment [24/93(25.8%) vs 129/802(16.1%); P=0.018] and had significantly higher costs for these services within the first 60 days of starting abacavir (P=0.014).

CONCLUSION: EDABC is common, associated with higher and more costly healthcare utilization and its incidence appears to have increased with heightened awareness of ABC HSR. Since ABC HSR is the major reason for permanent EDABC this supports the case for genetic screening programs.


Abstract Sigma (Σ) is a cognitive architecture and system whose development is driven by a combination of four desiderata: grand unification, generic cognition, functional elegance, and sufficient efficiency. Work towards these desiderata is guided by the graphical architecture hypothesis, that key to progress on them is combining what has been learned from over three decades' worth of separate work on cognitive architectures and graphical models. In this article, these four desiderata are motivated and explained, and then combined with the graphical architecture hypothesis to yield a rationale for the development of Sigma. The current state of the cognitive architecture is then introduced in detail, along with the graphical architecture that sits below it and implements it. Progress in extending Sigma beyond these architectures and towards a full cognitive system is then detailed in terms of both a systematic set of higher level cognitive idioms that have been developed and several virtual humans that are built from combinations of these idioms. Sigma as a whole is then analyzed in terms of how well the progress to date satisfies the desiderata. This article thus provides the first full motivation, presentation and analysis of Sigma, along with a diversity of more specific results that have been generated during its development.


We present near-UV transmission spectroscopy of the highly irradiated transiting exoplanet WASP-12b, obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. The spectra cover three distinct wavelength ranges: NUVA (2539–2580 Å), NUVB (2655–2696 Å), and NUVC (2770–2811 Å). Three independent methods all reveal enhanced transit depths attributable to absorption by resonance lines of metals in the exosphere of WASP-12b. Light curves of total counts in the NUVA and NUVC wavelength ranges show a detection at a 2.5σ level. We detect extra absorption in the Mg ii λλ2800 resonance line cores at the 2.8σ level. The NUVA, NUVB, and NUVC light curves imply effective radii of 2.69 ± 0.24 RJ, 2.18 ± 0.18 RJ, and 2.66 ± 0.22 RJ respectively, suggesting the planet is surrounded by an absorbing cloud which overfills the Roche lobe. We detect enhanced transit depths at the wavelengths of resonance lines of neutral sodium, tin, and manganese, and at singly ionized ytterbium, scandium, manganese, aluminum, vanadium, and magnesium. We also find the statistically expected number of anomalous transit depths at wavelengths not associated with any known resonance line. Our data are limited by photon noise, but taken as a whole the results are strong evidence for an extended absorbing exosphere surrounding the planet. The NUVA data exhibit an early ingress, contrary to model expectations; we speculate this could be due to the presence of a disk of previously stripped material.


OBJECTIVE
To compare racing performance before and after prosthetic laryngoplasty for treatment of laryngeal neuropathy in inexperienced and experienced Thoroughbred racehorses.

DESIGN
Retrospective study.

ANIMALS
52 Thoroughbred racehorses treated with prosthetic laryngoplasty for laryngeal neuropathy.

PROCEDURE
Lifetime race records were analyzed by use of a verified regression model. Individual race records and hospital records were also reviewed.

RESULTS
Experienced horses had a decline in performance, as measured by performance index, earnings percentage, and mean prediction error, during the 6-month period before prosthetic laryngoplasty. Performance improved after surgery, relative to performance in 1 to 4 races immediately before surgery, but did not attain previous baseline values for performance index and earnings percentage, although racing speed was restored to baseline values. Factors associated with failure to attain baseline levels of performance included other racing-related injuries and disorders, major complications of surgery, and age. Individually, however, many horses had long and successful careers after surgery. Performance of inexperienced horses after surgery was at least equal to that of experienced horses.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
In addition to warning clients of the complications associated with prosthetic laryngoplasty, it may be prudent to provide a guarded prognosis for full restoration of racing performance in older horses, unless they are especially talented and are free of other racing-related problems.


Road infrastructure contracting is becoming more complex due to changing transport needs and new technologies. Transportation agencies are struggling with this increased complexity. Around the world, agencies have developed a variety of methods for undertaking outsourcing initiatives known as performance-based contracting and total asset management planning. This paper investigates how agencies can deal with changing circumstances in the outsourcing of construction and maintenance activities, based upon work in performance-based contracting in the Netherlands. Using data from maintenance contracts from Rijkswaterstaat, we will develop a framework that can be used to compare several contracting practices and establish performance levels by using variables such as performance measurements. Our methodology offers significant improvements to road network performance outcomes, which enables an organisation to maximise value and deliver its objectives in an effective way. The outcomes are useful to transportation agencies for making decisions about contract price methods based on economic rationale.


Parents are important socialization agents in terms of adolescents' social, emotional, and behavioral development. Yet few studies have examined the relationship between parenting behaviors and adolescents' friendship competence during adolescence. Furthermore, the generative mechanisms by which parents affect adolescents' friendship competence are not well understood. The current study examined the prospective relationship between parenting behaviors in early adolescence and adolescents' friendship competence during middle adolescence in a community-based sample of 416 two-parent families living in the Southeastern United States. Social learning theory and attachment theory were used to deduce two generative mechanisms by which parenting affected adolescents' development of friendship competence. Gender differences also were examined. Several important findings emerged. Psychological control was the only parenting behavior that was uniquely associated with friendship intimacy and conflict behaviors in adolescents' friendships. Adolescents' perceptions of attachment insecurity fully mediated the relationship between psychological control and adolescents' intimacy behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of parents' psychological control in relation to adolescents' friendship competence. Parental hostility and warmth were not uniquely associated with friendship competence, directly or indirectly. Socioemotional behaviors did not uniquely explain the relationship between parenting behaviors and friendship competence. No gender differences were found. Results supported an attachment theory perspective and indicated that adolescents' problems with intimacy promoting behaviors in friendships are largely a function of adolescents' perceptions of insecure attachment to parents that make it difficult to be supportive and satisfied in close relationships with age-mates. Results contribute to previous research by examining why parenting behaviors affect adolescents' friendship competence during a particularly sensitive period for the development of this competency.


Many people think of the Smart Grid as a power distribution group built on advanced smart metering-but that's just one aspect of a much larger and more complex system. The "Smart Grid" requires new technologies throughout energy generation, transmission and distribution, and even the homes and businesses being served by the grid. This also represents new information paths between these new systems and services, all of which represents risk, requiring a more thorough approach to where and how cyber security controls are implemented.

This insight provides a detailed architecture of the entire Smart Grid, with recommended cyber security measures for everything from the supply chain to the consumer.

Discover the potential of the Smart Grid
Learn in depth about its systems
See its vulnerabilities and how best to protect it

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: What is the Smart Grid?

Chapter 2:?Smart Grid Network Architecture

Chapter 3: Hacking the Smart Grid

Chapter 4: Privacy Concerns with the Smart Grid

Chapter 5: Security Models for SCADA, ICS and Smart Grid

Chapter 6: Securing the Smart Grid

Chapter 7: Securing the Supply Chain

Chapter 8: The Future of the Grid

Appendix A: Reference Models and Architectures

Appendix B: Continued Reading

Glossary


Autonomous mobile robots will soon become ubiquitous in human-populated environments. Besides their typical applications in fetching, delivery, or escorting, such robots present the opportunity to assist human users in their daily tasks by gathering and reporting up-to-date knowledge about the environment. In this paper, we explore this use case and present an end-to-end framework that enables a mobile robot to answer natural language questions about the state of a large-scale, dynamic environment asked by the inhabitants of that environment. The system parses the question and estimates an initial viewpoint that is likely to contain information for answering the question based on prior environment knowledge. Then, it autonomously navigates towards the viewpoint while dynamically adapting to changes and new information. The output of the system is an image of the most relevant part of the environment that allows the user to obtain an answer to their question. We additionally demonstrate the benefits of a continuously operating information gathering robot by showing how the system can answer retrospective questions about the past state of the world using incidentally recorded sensory data. We evaluate our approach with a custom mobile robot deployed in a university building, with questions collected from occupants of the building. We demonstrate our system's ability to respond to these questions in different environmental conditions.


The traditional wavepacket interferometry for nuclear densities is extended to nuclear flux densities. Accordingly, a molecule vibrating in an electronic excited state may be prepared such that at a given time, the nuclear densities correspond to a broad distribution of the molecular bond, from short to long distances, which is subdivided into a chain of lobes. We discover that neighbouring lobes, or groups of lobes, may flow towards alternating directions, implying alternating bond stretches and bond compressions. The corresponding nuclear flux densities may be controlled by appropriate parameters of the two laser pulses, which generate the underlying interferences. Similar patterns of the nuclear densities and flux densities may also be created by a single laser pulse, which may cause interferences of the overlapping tail and head of a wavepacket as they run towards or away from a turning point, respectively. The phenomena are demonstrated for the model system I2(B).


Background. Frogs are generalist predators of a wide range of typically small prey items. But descriptions of dietary items regularly include other anurans, such that frogs are considered to be among the most important of anuran predators. However, the only existing hypothesis for the inclusion of anurans in the diet of post-metamorphic frogs postulates that it happens more often in bigger frogs. Moreover, this hypothesis has yet to be tested. Methods. We reviewed the literature on frog diet in order to test the size hypothesis and determine whether there are other putative explanations for anurans in the diet of post-metamorphic frogs. In addition to size, we recorded the habitat, the number of other sympatric anuran species, and whether or not the population was invasive. We controlled for taxonomic bias by including the superfamily in our analysis. Results. Around one fifth of the 355 records included anurans as dietary items of populations studied, suggesting that frogs eating anurans is not unusual. Our data showed a clear taxonomic bias with ranids and pipids having a higher proportion of anuran prey than other superfamilies. Accounting for this taxonomic bias, we found that size in addition to being invasive, local anuran diversity, and habitat produced a model that best fitted our data. Large invasive frogs that live in forests with high anuran diversity are most likely to have a higher proportion of anurans in their diet. Conclusions. We confirm the validity of the size hypothesis for anurophagy, but show that there are additional significant variables. The circumstances under which frogs eat frogs are likely to be complex, but our data may help to alert conservationists to the possible dangers of invading frogs entering areas with threatened anuran species.


This thesis contends that all types of film hold historical value and should be
appreciated as relevant and valuable sources for contemporary historians. It is argued
that feature films, and in particular fictional feature films, are overlooked as sources
of information for scholars analysing contemporary history. Planet of the Apes (dir.
Franklin J. Schaffner, 1968) is used as a case study to indicate the breadth of
information available within the complex audio-visual text.
This study contributes to the study of the under-researched film Planet of the
Apes that holds an important place within the history of the American science fiction
genre. The film is worthy of study because it can be understood as a countercultural
document. It reflects upon, engages with and at times critiques the complexities of the
political and social culture of the United States in the 1960s. Close analysis of the film
provides insight into the attitudes of the filmmakers and their intended audience
revealing a intricate commentary on a broad array of concerns and movements
including the civil right movement, the women's liberation movement, the Vietnam
War and the fear of the advancement and proliferation of nuclear technology.
Fictional feature films, such as Planet of the Apes, can and should be used to
provide a better understanding of a particular historical period supplementing the
archival materials traditionally consulted by historians. Film is interpreted in this
thesis as a primary source deserving of respect and incorporation into the study of
contemporary history.


benchmarking, enterprise media servers, workload analysis, performance modeling, synthetic workload generator, admission control A number of technology and workload trends motivate us to consider the appropriate resource allocation mechanisms and policies for streaming media services in shared cluster environments. First, workload measurements of existing media services indicate a "peak-to-mean" workload variance of more than one order of magnitude. It is difficult to overprovision service resources for such a highly variable workload, making the adaptive resource allocation and economies of scale of a shared hosting environment attractive for streaming media services. Second, in emerqing workloads based on enterprise, news, and music content, a significant portion of the content is short and encoded at low bit rates. Additionally, media workloads display a strong temporal and spatial locality. This makes modem servers with gigabytes of main memory well suited to deliver most of the accesses to popular files from memory. Finally, end-point admission control for streaming services is more important than for traditional web services because a streaming media object delivered in the face of insufficient server resources is doubly bad, with wasted work at the server often resulting in aborted connection at the client. We present MediaGuard -a model-based infrastructure for building QoS-aware streaming media services -that can efficiently determine the fraction of server resources required to support a particular client request over its expected lifetime. The proposed solution is based on a unified cost function that uses a single value to reflect overall resource requirements such as the CPU, disk, memory, and bandwidth necessary to support a particular media stream based on its bit rate and whether it is likely to be served from memory or disk. We design a novel, segment-based memory model of a media server to efficiently determine whether a request will incur memory or disk access when given the history of previous accesses and the behavior of the server's main memory file buffer cache. Using the MediaGuard framework, we design a novel, more accurate admission control policy for streaming media servers that accounts for the impact of the server's main memory file buffer cache. Our evaluation shows that, relative to a pessimistic admission control policy that assumes that all content must be served from disk, MediaGuard delivers a factor of two improvement in server throughput.


Studies of children's use of intonation in reference are few in number but are diverse in terms of theoretical frameworks and intonational parameters. In the current review, I present a re-analysis of the referents in each study, using a three-dimension approach (i.e., referential givenness-newness, relational givenness-newness, contrast), discuss the use of intonation at two levels (phonetic, phonological), and compare findings from different studies within a single framework. The patterns stemming from these studies may be limited in generalisability but can serve as initial hypotheses for future work. Furthermore, to shed light on the role of input in the acquisition of intonational encoding of referents, I examine caregivers' use of intonation in reference in infant direct speech. In addition, I discuss how future research can advance our knowledge of these issues.


Abstract Isopropyl alcohol/water mixture was separated by an environmentally friendly membrane process: pervaporation. Pervaporation experiments were carried out with a polymer blend membranes of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) at different temperatures. PVA/PAA cross-linked membranes were prepared with different blend ratios. The influence of PVA/PAA ratio and of liquid mixture composition were investigated. The apparent activation energies were calculated at different temperatures. With increasing PAA content in the membranes fluxes decreased and selectivities increased. The flux increased with increasing operation temperature, as selectivity decreased. The studies showed that isopropylalcohol/water mixtures can be separated by pervaporation which is an energy efficient technology using the prepared membranes.


In Garcetti v. Ceballos, the Supreme Court held that public employees are not entitled to free speech when speaking "pursuant to their official duties." In most situations, this strips teachers of First Amendment protection when they discuss controversial subjects, such as homosexuality, with their students. To ensure their classrooms are tolerant and accepting environments for homosexual and questioning youth, teachers need free speech protection against adverse employment action their schools might take. The Garcetti Court, acknowledging that "expression related to academic scholarship and classroom instruction implicates" unique constitutional concerns, explicitly left open whether its decision applied in the education context. Due to the harms restricting teachers' speech about homosexuality can cause students, not to mention community members and the teachers themselves, this paper argues that when the Supreme Court revisits the question it left open in Garcetti, it should create an exception for both university professors and public school teachers.


Abstract Title: The Impact of Management Control Systems on the Purchaser Function - A study of Scania and Sandvik Authors: Mohammad Reza Akhbari and Johanna Sullivan Svensson Published: 2011 Keywords: Management control, purchasing function, impact, control, control instruments, Key Performance Indicators, measurement, communication and organizational structure. Background and problem formulation: In order for a company's business idea or vision to be fulfilled, the management of a company needs assistance from various means to intentionally affect the operation in the desired direction. Management control concerns activities of both financial and non-financial character in order to implement the strategy of a company and to reach profitability. Since the purchaser function is responsible of spending 50 percent of a company's total revenue, the function has an optimal starting point to be a key actor in the shaping and execution of a company's strategic plan. The management control and the purchaser function can therefore impact each other, and how this appears and why, constitutes the problem that we have studied. Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the impact between the management control and the purchaser function and to explain why it appears this way. Method: To answer our objective we chose to interview and to study two companies in the manufacturing industry in order to compare and draw similarities, as well as differences in how our problem seems in reality. The approach of our study can be seen as deductive as we have built upon theory in order to compare the result with the empirical data when we drew the conclusion. Theory: We have studied a variety of literature and articles that treat the management control system in its entirety and governance within the purchaser function. In our theoretical references one can find Inga-Lill Johansson different perspectives of the use of information in 4 an organization, the aspect of measurement and follow-up on the management control system by van Weele, as well as the theory of the purchaser function as a gatekeeper by Lau et al. Conclusion: The result of the study proves that there is an impact between the management control system and the purchaser function. This influence already occurs when the choices of the control instruments are being made, as these are based on the overall strategy and vision of the company. By doing performance measurements the companies can se whether the impact is negative or positive. We further prove the impact of the purchaser function on the management control based on its location in the organizational structure. Finally we draw the conclusion that the flow of information between the management control and the purchaser function is used as basis for the impact between the two.


Power load management enables energy utilities to redace peak loads and thereby save money. Due to the large number of different loads, power load management is a complicated optimization problem. We present a new decentralized approach to this problem by modeling direct load management as a computational market. Our simulation results demonstrate hat our approach is very efficient with a superlinear rate of convergence to equilibrium and an excellent scalability, requiring few iterations even when the number of agents is in the order of one thousand. A framework for analysis of this and similar problems is given which shows how nonlinear optimization and numerical mathematics can be exploited to characterize, compare, and tailor problem-solving strategies in market-oriented programming.


Assessment of how library patrons use space and the evaluation of their needs has become a "hot" topic in library research. But determining the best way to obtain information about their activity can be a challenge. Two types of data collection are quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative data provides a numerical count of what activities students perform within the library and therefore can be measured. Qualitative data gives personal opinions, feedback and individual perspectives regarding a topic but is not measurable. In this study, we were interested to learn if we would get substantially different results from a user observation study, a quantitative method, than from the results of asking users about their library space needs, a qualitative method. Essentially, would the results from both methods provide complementary results enabling us to obtain a comprehensive picture about our patrons' needs and redesign the space to improve their library experience?


Unemployment has a strong influence on the economic prospects of the UK economy as a whole. The effect of unemployment can be long-lasting, and as an experience can imply lasting effects on future employment outcomes. In order to avoid unemployment, individuals may decide take jobs they are overqualified for as a stepping stone to a better match when such positions become available. If over-qualification is a negative productivity signal, then this could reduce future career mobility. This thesis aimed to gain some insights into the impact of where individuals live, within the UK, on their unemployment and employment experiences. With that in mind, detailed data sets were constructed in order to answer the questions of interest. Moreover, flexible econometric techniques were employed.


The Swedish State Railways have since August 1966 in operation a computerized system which is: (1) a full scale trial system intended to facilitate car tracing and also; and (2) an information system for the actual decisions and for future development. The basic input to the system are the train consists reported over the SJ teletype network and fed by way of paper tape to a computer of the type IBM 360/30. The information updates a card-file stored on disc memories. From this card-file information about the geographical position and actual task of every freight car in Sweden can be obtained. Every day information about 300-400 is distributed. This type of information can be given in a more sophisticated way for any number of cars with certain qualities in common (category, destination arrival time etc.). It can also be transformed to a daily report about the utilization of standard cars within the different traffic areas as a basis for distribution of empties. According to European rules for international traffic freight cars should be given periodical maintenance, in general every fourth year. Since December 1969 the ordering of freight cars to workshops for maintenance in Sweden is done automatically. This routine has also made it possible to distinguish certain car categories which can be given longer periods between overhauls. All information collected in the system is stored in such a way that it can be computed statistically later. Thus a data bank has been created that can produce information on demand regarding: (a) traffic flows; (b) turn round times; (c) mileage and production of different car types; (d) car utilization within the traffic areas; and (e) train utilization. This routine is also used to produce the basic information for the per diem calculations.


Many studies in bilingual visual word recognition have demonstrated that lexical access is not language selective. However, research on bilingual word recognition in the auditory modality has been scarce, and it has yielded mixed results with regard to the degree of this language nonselectivity. In the present study, we investigated whether listening to a second language (L2) is influenced by knowledge of the native language (L1) and, more important, whether listening to the L1 is also influenced by knowledge of an L2. Additionally, we investigated whether the listener's selectivity of lexical access is influenced by the speaker's L1 (and thus his or her accent). With this aim, Dutch-English bilinguals completed an English (Experiment 1) and a Dutch (Experiment 3) auditory lexical decision task. As a control, the English auditory lexical decision task was also completed by English monolinguals (Experiment 2). Targets were pronounced by a native Dutch speaker with English as the L2 (Experiments 1A, 2A, and 3A) or by a native English speaker with Dutch as the L2 (Experiments 1B, 2B, and 3B). In all experiments, Dutch-English bilinguals recognized interlingual homophones (e.g., lief [sweet]-leaf /li:f/) significantly slower than matched control words, whereas the English monolinguals showed no effect. These results indicate that (a) lexical access in bilingual auditory word recognition is not language selective in L2, nor in L1, and (b) language-specific subphonological cues do not annul cross-lingual interactions.


We present analyses of new and previously published estimates of total (vegetation plus soil) carbon storage on exposed continental shelves during the LGM. Carbon stock estimates from environmental reconstructions vary from 113 to 202 Pg C. Estimates from vegetation models range from 112 to 323 Pg C. After standardization of exposed shelf area by a topographic model the range of best estimates for reconstructions and models converge to 182–266 Pg C. Up to ∼10000 years before present, the time dependent estimate of the amount of inundated carbon is in good qualitative agreement with the increase in the atmospheric carbon reservoir. Given its relative size compared to the change in terrestrial carbon storage and the potential link between inundated carbon and atmospheric CO2 increase, the carbon stock of the LGM exposed shelves cannot be ignored and merits more detailed attention from modelling and reconstruction efforts.


Patient safety is an issue of global concern, which is sometimes missed due to the complexity of the healthcare systems. There is an increasing concern for negligence of patient safety in developing countries, especially countries with poor healthcare systems and less reliable data. In 2005, the Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan developed the Essential Package of Hospital Services (EPHS) in order to promote quality of care in Afghan Hospitals. Patient safety, as one of the key objective of the EPHS, appears to need additional attention and evaluation. The main purpose of this research proposal is to develop a validated patient safety culture instrument and to evaluate the use of the instrument in Afghan Hospitals. The proposal introduces a framework for sampling hospitals followed by a plan for conducting a cross-sectional study using the survey instrument. The proposal also includes an assessment of the psychometric properties of the instrument. The findings achieved from the administration of the survey are intended to compare 12 dimensions of patient safety culture among different groups of providers, categories of hospitals under EPHS and the overall grade of patient safety culture within Afghanistan and with results from use of the instrument in other countries. The proposed research will have important implications for both the hospital management systems and policy making. The findings will help hospital managers and decision makers understand different dimensions of patient safety. Results should assist hospitals and health departments redesign strategies and policies that are focused on attitudes, behaviors and practices to improve the overall culture of safety. Additionally, hospitals will recognize their weak and strong points and will contribute in exchange of experiences and share their best practices. ASSESSING PATIENT SAFETY CULTURE IN AFGHAN HOSPITALS 2


Accurately classifying and mapping plant communities is essential for natural resource conservation and management planning. In recent decades, the application of hyperspectral remote sensing to biodiversity assessment and vegetation mapping has become an increasingly effective approach in supporting conservation efforts. The key focus of this work was to classify and map the vegetation on Rottnest Island, Western Australia by conducting a vegetation survey and using hyperspectral imagery. The application of HyMap airborne hyperspectral data to map plant communities seeks to capture unique spectral characteristics of plant communities, thereby allowing more accurate mapping and analysis of the complexity and heterogeneity of vegetation.

Rottnest Island, Western Australia, represents a valuable natural habitat for biodiversity conservation due to its unique features, but is highly vulnerable to disturbance, especially from invasive species. The aim of this research was twofold:

1. to classify the distribution patterns of plant communities as well as their floristic composition through a quadrat survey and investigate their relationship to environmental factors

2. to map the communities using HyMap hyperspectral data and compare the remote sensed map with the field data.

The study is divided into two major parts. Firstly, analysis of vegetation was based on a vegetation survey for 210 plots derived from a stratified random sample. TWINSPAN classification and Mutidimensional scaling (MDS) ordination were used to elucidate plant communities and the ecological relationships among them. Secondly, HyMap data was used to map the vegetation communities using the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) classification.

Eleven vegetation types were identified from the TWINSPAN analysis comprising a variety of heathy communities, woodlands, coastal scrub, and halophytic lake-shore communities. NMDS revealed distance from the coast and disturbance by fire as potential drivers of community distribution. Heath communities were extensive across the island, and were characterised by dominance of Acanthocarpus preissii. In addition, results underlined that disturbance likely has a considerable impact on the distribution of invasive plants, particularly Trachyandra divaricata. The HyMap image classification demonstrated its utility in mapping the vegetation with evaluation performed using accuracy matrices indicated a high accuracy (86.2%) and reliability (Kappa coefficient 0.84).

This study explored the relationship between field vegetation data and the unique spectral signatures extracted and classified for each community type. The map is an important summary of the vegetation patterns for comprehensive cover of the entire landscape of Rottnest Island and will be useful for management strategies and further research, including, monitoring change and potential disturbance impacts on the island. The high accuracy of the classification based on remotely-sensed data highlights the growing efficiency of such data as surrogates for field-based approaches to landscape analysis and interpretation.