Latest trend in research tend to fulfill requirements of the most talked about 5G networks. These networks need to be be engineered in terms of cost, energy and spectral efficiency, number of connected devices and latency. Cognitive Radio (CR) is one of the promising techniques to meet the above mentioned requirements that operates at microwave frequencies and exploits underutilized spectrum bands. Universal Filtered Multi-Carrier (UFMC) is a new channel judgment method that use multicarrier modulation scheme. UFMC is consider like an applicant for the 5th Generation of wireless communication systems and replaces OFDM .Latest research indicates that cellular networks are better operated with the novel UFMC with enhanced performance in terms of improved spectral efficiency, less usage of energy as well as latency. However, an emerging area of Information and Communication technology (ICT) are Cognitive radio based Sensor Networks (CSNs). Even basic observations using empirical approach can reveal important observations, especially if the above mentioned latest channel estimation technique (UFMC) , is tried and observed for CSNs. The option of CSNs as test bed is based on abundant use of the supporting in various social and military setups. In this work, part of frequency synchronization and channel estimation are explore and correlate with OFDM and UFMC systems with CSNs as testbed, primarily with a computer-aided software simulator and also with real time experimentation in special laboratory if resources permit.


Title of Dissertation: Cause and Effect of Threshold-Voltage Instability on the Reliability of Silicon-Carbide MOSFETs Aivars Lelis, Doctor of Philosophy, 2011 Directed by: Professor Neil Goldsman Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and associated with Reliability Engineering A significant instability of the threshold voltage (VT) in silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs in response to gate-bias and ON-state current stressing was discovered and examined as a function of bias, temperature, and time. It was determined that the likely mechanism causing this effect is the charging and discharging of gate-oxide traps, located close to the interface of the SiC conducting channel, via a direct tunneling mechanism. High-temperature reverse-bias induced leakage current in the OFF-state was identified as a potential failure mode. A simultaneous two-way tunneling model was developed, based on an existing one-way tunneling model, to simulate the time-dependent and field-dependent charging and discharging of the near-interfacial oxide traps in response to an applied gate-bias stress. The simulations successfully matched experimental results, both with respect to measurement time and to bias-stress time as a function of gate bias. Experimental results were presented, showing that the VT instability increases with both increasing gate-bias-stress time and bias-stress magnitude. The measurement conditions, including gate-ramp speed and direction, were shown to have a significant influence on the measured result, with a 20-μs measurement revealing instabilities three times greater than those at standard 1-s measurement speeds, whereas 1-ks measurements showed shifts only half as large. High-temperature bias stressing was found to cause even more significant increases in the VT instability. ON-state current stressing was found to also increase the VT instability, due to self-heating effects. VT shifts as large as 2 V were reported, with the number of calculated oxide traps switching charge state varying between 1×10 and 8×10 cm, depending on processing, stress, and measurement conditions. The standard post-oxidation NO anneal was shown to reduce the number of active oxide traps by about 70 percent. The dominant oxide trap was identified as an E′-center type defect—a weak Si-Si bond due to an oxygen vacancy which has been broken during processing or subsequent device stressing. The large increase in bias-stress induced VT instability at temperatures above 100 °C was explained by an increase in the number of active E′-center type defects. Existing reliability qualification standards based on silicon device technology are inadequate for SiC MOSFETs and need to be revised, with particular attention paid to the measurement conditions. CAUSE AND EFFECT OF THRESHOLD-VOLTAGE INSTABILITY ON THE RELIABILITY OF SILICON CARBIDE MOSFETS


Pelvic evolution from non-avian to avian dinosaurs (modern birds) is often assessed biomechanically, with functions ranging from weight-carrying, ventilation, and locomotion/flight. Recently, reproduction has been hypothesized to have constrained and shaped pelvic morphology along this lineage. Opening of the pelvis by separating the pubes is thought to have allowed an increase in relative egg size and changes in the egg shape. Since reproductive ability would be advantageous for females, pelvic dimorphism may have evolved in this group. Pelvic dimorphism and its correlation with reproduction in non-avian reptiles and mammals have been extensively studied, but not in modern birds. We are currently investigating pelvic size dimorphism using a multiple regression on representative species from the major group of modern birds (n=30). This will test if there is a significant difference in pelvis dimensions between sexes after accounting for body size. We will also use phylogenetic regression to test for a correlation between dimorphism and relative egg size. Completion of this study will not only result in a better understanding of how the avian pelvis evolved, but also of how sexual selection modifies skeletal anatomy. It is possible that the outcomes of this research will produce a reliable method for determining the sex of extinct dinosaurs, which has been a major hurdle to paleobiological research.


Fables of Modernity expands the territory for cultural and literary criticism by introducing the concept of the cultural fable. Laura Brown shows how cultural fables arise from material practices in eighteenth-century England. These fables, the author says, reveal the eighteenth-century origins of modernity and its connection with two related paradigms of difference-the woman and the "native" or non-European.The collective narratives that Brown finds in the print culture of the period engage such prominent phenomena as the city sewer, trade and shipping, the stock market, the commercial printing industry, the "native" visitor to London, and the household pet. In connecting imagination and history through the category of the cultural fable, Brown illuminates the nature of modern experience in the growing metropolitan centers, the national consequences of global expansion, the volatility of credit, the transforming effects of capital, and the domestic consequences of colonialism and slavery.


This dissertation initially attempts a brief history of the landscape tradition in the West with the emphasis on developments in nineteenth-century French landscape painting. A collection of these paintings in the Tatham Art Gallery is then closely examined in the light of the socio-political circumstances that influenced their origins and acquisition. Finally a full catalogue of the paintings is presented with digital images and documentation. III


Abstract This paper examines the rise of ISIL in the context of wider debates in the first half twentieth century on the nature and political direction of the early Bolshevik state model of Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin. It argues that there are some parallels between the Trotskyite internationalist tendency in Soviet Russia and of ISIL given the latter's calls for revolutionary jihad against both 'apostate' states in the Islamic world and, in the longer term, against the Western world as a whole. ISIL though is distinguished by its attempt to carve out a new state formation of its own in parts and Iraq and Syria, a project that may well end in failure. However, even if its so-called caliphate fails, it cannot be expected to vanish from the scene since it can either re-emerge elsewhere in a region of weak or failing states or merge with its current rival Al Qaeda.


Ultrasound of the Hip (Adapted According to SGUM Guidelines) Abstract. This review paper explains the simplified ultrasound anatomy of the hip. The adapted basic standard planes are described in detail according to SGUM guidelines and illustrated with a selection of high-resolution ultrasound images. A profound knowledge of the sonographic anatomy is essential for the detection of pathologies.


Effects of Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia on Stress and Growth Hormone Responses in Juvenile Blue Rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) by Hannah L. Bruzzio Master of Science in Marine Science California State University Monterey Bay, 2022 Global climate change is causing increasing ocean acidification (OA) and deoxygenation (hypoxia) of coastal oceans. Along the coast of California, where upwelling is a dominant seasonal physical process, these environmental stressors often co-occur and are intensified in nearshore ecosystems. For juvenile nearshore fishes, who spend a crucial developmental life stage in coastal kelp forests during the upwelling season, these stressors are experienced concurrently and may have large implications for fitness. Environmental stress can set off an endocrine response, which impacts physiology, energy allocation, growth, and behavior. To test the effects of climate change on juvenile blue rockfish, I measured the endocrine response to single and combined stressors of OA and hypoxia after one week of exposure. Assays of cortisol and IGF-1 hormone responses, served as proxies for stress and growth, respectively. Full organismal effects of environmental stressors were evaluated using a scototaxis (i.e., light/dark anxiety) behavior test, and measures of physiological changes in maximum metabolic rate (MMR) and body condition (i.e., Fulton's K condition index). I found that peak (~1 hour) cortisol levels were highest in the single stressor low pH (7.3 pH), followed by the combined stressor (7.3 pH and 2.0 mg/L O2) and then the single stressor hypoxic treatment (2.0 mg/l O2). This high peak cortisol associated with low pH may indicate the role of cortisol in acid-base regulation. Only the low DO (dissolved oxygen) group did not exhibit a recovery of cortisol levels by the end of one week. There was no observable difference in IGF-1 in juvenile blue rockfish after a week of exposure to any of the pH or DO stressors. When cortisol levels were high, the same fish had low levels of IGF-1, and when cortisol levels were lower, the same fish had highly variable levels of IGF-1. At one-week of exposure, cortisol exhibited a positive relationship with MMR, such that higher stress levels were associated with greater oxygen consumption by the fish. MMR values themselves were highest in the low DO fish, which subsequently also had slightly higher cortisol levels at one-week. Juvenile blue rockfish were largely robust to any behavioral changes associated with stress across treatments. Hypoxic treatment fish had significantly lower body condition than fish from treatments with ambient DO levels after one week. Overall, the results indicated that pH levels influenced hormonal stress physiology, while DO levels contributed to observed differences in metabolism, body condition, and behavioral anxiety in juvenile blue rockfish. I was unable to tease apart and classify whether OA and hypoxia work in an additive, antagonistic, or synergistic way. Continued research should include more experimental stressor treatment levels of varying intensity of both individual and combined treatments as well as upwelling/relaxation fluctuating treatment levels. Elucidating the effects of climate change on fish endocrine response and physiology is important for fish population management and can help inform stock assessment models of blue rockfish in a rapidly changing ocean.


Abstract: Aerodynamic admittance is a key parameter affecting the analysis accuracy of the bridge buffeting response. However, few articles have covered the issue of the wide-body flat box girder with much smaller depth-width ratio (such as 1/12 studied in this paper). Therefore, to explore the real buffeting force of the wide-body flat box girder, experiments of the static force coefficients and aerodynamic admittance are carried out in wind tunnel. Wooden segmental model has a scale ratio of 1/60 to an actual 42 m wide suspension bridge girder. Using the high-frequency-force-balance (HFFB) equipment fixed with the segmental model under the conditions of different wind speeds and different wind attack angles, wind power spectrums of the buffeting force are measured and the variation of aerodynamic admittance parameters is analyzed. The results show that the aerodynamic admittance of the box girder measured in the experiment with this so much smaller depth-width ratio differs from the corresponding classical Sears expression. Some inspiration can be presented for the future study of the buffeting response for this kind of much wider bridge with the similar ratio in this paper.


The legal framework under which patent damages are calculated changed substantially after the Federal Circuit decided Grain Processing Corp. v. American Maize-Products Co. in 1999. Perhaps the most important question in the typical lost profits analysis is determining the fraction of the infringing sales that constitute lost sales to the patent holder. The answer to this question usually depends on the set of non-infringing substitute products to which the customers of the infringing product could have turned in the but-for world where the infringing product was not available to them. Before Grain Processing, the case law as a legal matter generally restricted the set of non-infringing substitute products to include only products that were actually sold in the marketplace. For example, an infringer could claim that it would have continued to sell a non-infringing product that it had actually been selling and that this product would have captured some of the infringing sales, which would tend to limit the patent holder's lost sales. However, the infringer could not claim that it would have developed and introduced some new non-infringing product in the but-for world and that this product would have captured some of the infringing sales. Grain Processing eased this restriction on the set of non-infringing substitutes available in the but-for world by allowing an infringer to claim that it would have offered a non-infringing product that, although not actually sold in the marketplace, was technically feasible at the time and could have been made commercially available relatively quickly. The Grain Processing decision then went further and concluded that, in the particular case at issue, the plaintiff was not entitled to lost profits because the infringer's non-infringing product would have been identical from the point of view of customers (though more costly to the infringer). Damages were therefore calculated on a reasonable royalty basis only. Although Grain Processing has generated much scholarly commentary, we are unaware of any article considering the factor that we see as the decision's most important economic ramification: the grant of a free option to the infringer. Although it is widely appreciated how Grain Processing has made it more difficult for patent holders to claim lost profits damages, it is less well understood how Grain Processing has affected the incentives of companies to risk litigation by using patented technology (without a license) rather than to avoid infringement by using an economically inferior non-infringing technology. Whether the patent is valid and infringed is not known until the litigation takes place. A patent only provides the patent holder with the right to sue for infringement. A court decides whether the patent is valid and infringed. We find that the grant of a free option is contrary to the basic framework of the patent system in the United States. If a firm chooses to risk litigation and use the patented technology, it retains the option to switch to the non-infringing technology if the patent is later found to be valid and infringed. Of course, it will be liable for damages for the period of infringement. If, on the other hand, the firm chooses to use the non-infringing technology, it will not have the opportunity to learn whether the patent is valid and infringed. Thus, by choosing the patented technology, the firm keeps its options open, although at the risk of having to pay damages once the uncertainty regarding validity and infringement is resolved. Grain Processing has the effect of substantially decreasing this risk by decreasing the size of the damages award. If the patent is found to be valid and infringed, the firm can argue under Grain Processing that it would have switched to the non-infringing technology in the but-for world, thereby effectively making the switch retroactively. Grain Processing thereby makes the option essentially free. By providing potential infringers with increased option value if they use the patented technology, Grain Processing reduces the deterrent effect of litigation and therefore encourages infringement. Consequently, it reduces the returns to research and development, and so also the incentives to innovate.


Introductions: Newborn and young infants are most vulnerable for preventable deaths, particularly in developing countries. This study was conducted to see the clinical profile and outcome of infants less than two months of age admitted in children ward of Patan Hospital. Methods: This descriptive retrospective study was conducted at Patan Hospital, over 12 months from April 2014 to March 2015. Hospital records of all admitted infant less than two were reviewed. The demographic characteristics, clinical profile and clinical outcome were descriptively analyzed. Results: Out of 2062 admissions in children ward, 614 (29.8%) were infants less than two months,out of which 482were neonate less than 28 days. Among these neonates. 114 were inborn. Out of 436 infection, blood culture was positive in 37 (8.9%). There were 4 (0.04%) deaths, 4 (0.04%) referral and 22 (0.25%) left against medical advice. Infection 436 (436) was the commonest cause of illness, of which neonatal sepsis 163 (37.4%), pneumonia 130 (30%) staphylococcal skin infection 39 (8.7%) and UTI 34 (7.8%). There were 71(11.6%) cases of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Blood culture was positive in 55(9%) with CONS being the commonest organism isolated; 19  (51.3%). Conclusions: Children ward contributes significantly to the care of sick infants less than two months of age, especially out born ones, requiring neonatal care facility in tertiary level hospital of Nepal. As most admissions are for infection, followed by hyperbilirubinemia, pediatrics wards need to be equipped and staffed accordingly to meet the need of sick young infants. Keywords : children ward, clinical profile, neonatal sepsis


Henry S. Dennison was a progressive Boston business man and economic analyst who, in both his private and public activities in the first half of the twentieth century, demonstrated an activist concern with the place and character of the modem business organisation, the control and management of these bodies and their human and non-human constituents, and the impact of the capitalist business cycle on wider society. The central contention of the thesis is that Dennison was both deeply influenced by, and made an important contribution to the institutionalist 'school' of economic thought. It is contended that in his reorganisation of the family company to remove absentee owners and in his concern with inherited traits and habits of thought and their impact on human motivation, the impact of Thorstein Veblen is salient. It is demonstrated that in his theoretical inquiry into the rationale and inner logic of business firms that he was one of the first organisational or management economists. That his labour economics and industrial democracy initiatives were applauded by John R. Commons who visited Dennison, and in later writings placed him at the end of an intellectual lineage from Marx to Veblen, from Veblen to F.W. Taylor, and from Taylor to Dennison, in terms of the latter's intuitive understanding of the labour process and its place in 'managerial transactions'. It is also demonstrated that Dennison also worked closely with other recognised leaders of the institutionalist approach, namely Wesley Mitchell and Edwin Gay, particularly on business cycles, which resulted in Mitchell embracing a micro-based conception of smoothing business cycles at the level of the firm. And it is demonstrated that in his intellectual relationship with John Kenneth Galbraith, he was a major influence on the latter's economic thought especially Galbraith's concern with management and the corporation. Dennison's place in the institutionalist rubric is further vindicated by his lifelong advocacy of economic planning, both micro and macroeconomic, by his dissatisfaction with mainstream economics particularly its ignorance of the inner workings of the firm and its simplistic view of human motivation, by his activist involvement in public life and his concomitant belief in the need for institutional intervention to correct market failure, by his interest in the corporation and the power of management and owners, and finally,


Excess nutrient inputs from agricultural and urban sources have accelerated eutrophication and increased the incidence of algal blooms in the Great Lakes Basin (GLB). Lake basin management to address these threats relies on understanding the key drivers of pollution. Here, we use a random forest machine learning model to leverage information from 202 monitored streams in the GLB to predict seasonal and annual flow‐weighted concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as nutrient ratios across the GLB. Land use (agricultural and urban land) and land management (tile drainage and wetland density) emerge as the two most important predictors for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN; NO3− + NO2−) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP; PO43), while soil type and wetland density are more important for particulate P (PP). Partial dependence plots demonstrate increasing nutrient concentrations with increasing tile density and decreasing wetland density. In addition, increasing tile and livestock densities and decreasing forest cover correspond to higher SRP:Total Phosphorus (TP) ratios. Seasonally, the highest proportions of SRP occur in summer and fall. Higher livestock densities are also correlated with increasing N:P (DIN:TP) ratios. Livestock operations can contribute to the buildup of soil nutrients from excess manure application, while increasing subsurface drainage can provide transport pathways for dissolved nutrients. Given that both SRP:TP and the N:P ratios are strong predictors of harmful algal blooms, our study highlights the importance of livestock management, drainage management, and wetland restoration in efforts to address eutrophication in intensively managed landscapes.


This work considers black-box Bayesian inference over high-dimensional parameter spaces. The well-known adaptive Metropolis (AM) algorithm of (Haario etal. 2001) is extended herein to scale asymptotically uniformly with respect to the underlying parameter dimension for Gaussian targets, by respecting the variance of the target. The resulting algorithm, referred to as the dimension-independent adaptive Metropolis (DIAM) algorithm, also shows improved performance with respect to adaptive Metropolis on non-Gaussian targets. This algorithm is further improved, and the possibility of probing high-dimensional targets is enabled, via GPU-accelerated numerical libraries and periodically synchronized concurrent chains (justified a posteriori). Asymptotically in dimension, this GPU implementation exhibits a factor of four improvement versus a competitive CPU-based Intel MKL parallel version alone. Strong scaling to concurrent chains is exhibited, through a combination of longer time per sample batch (weak scaling) and yet fewer necessary samples to convergence. The algorithm performance is illustrated on several Gaussian and non-Gaussian target examples, in which the dimension may be in excess of one thousand.


Purpose: Virginia has numerous and varying congregate living facilities, to include correctional facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and 13 state-operated mental/behavioral health/rehabilitation facilities. The purpose of this literature review is to review COVID-19 trends in congregate settings and identify suggested mitigation efforts. Methods: The target population for the literature search was individuals in congregate living facilities. Both correctional facilities and nursing homes were included as congregate settings. Findings : Studies reviewed reported on disease transmission, the use of universal and serial testing, and reported additional information. Early and frequent testing to guide resident cohorting and exclusion of individuals from work was recommended. This includes the testing of asymptomatic individuals. Pre-emptive testing was associated with significant lower overall disease prevalence in one study. Conclusions: Researchers across studies recommended testing early and often to inform prompt cohorting of infected individuals and to guide infection control measure. As such, early and frequent testing of individuals living and working in congregate settings is an important tool in controlling the spread of COVID-19. Recommendations: In addition to frequent and early testing, further research regarding the spread and control of COVID-19 within Virginia congregate living facilities is recommended to inform future mitigation efforts.


Abstract In the EU new programming period 2014-2020 the Leader approach become part of community-led local development (CLLD). Under Slovak conditions, partnerships, which intend to get the legal status of local action group (LAG), are currently in the process of preparing and formulating their CLLD Strategies. Leader approach is characterised by 7 principles, which should be horizontally presented throughout the implementation process. The multilevel governance presented in the implementation of Leader approach includes the management and implementation of rural development programme, through which the Leader is implemented, as well as, formation of LAGs, as the mediators of the approach at local level. Both levels may have supporting or constraining effects on the application of Leader principles in the Leader delivery. The paper focuses on analysing the differences between theory and practice in the conditions of the Slovak Republic when answering the evaluation question: Are stakeholders in Slovakia ready for community led local development? To answer the question, six LAGs were assessed using the focus group as the assessment tool. Representatives of the national authorities were interviewed in order to complete the picture of the evaluated topic. The study pointed out several shortcomings in basic preconditions allowing smooth application of the CLLD.


Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts files and demands a ransom from victims. It can be viewed as a form of kidnapping in which the criminal takes control of the victim's files with the objective of financial gain. In this article, we review and develop the game theoretic literature on kidnapping in order to gain insight on ransomware. The prior literature on kidnapping has largely focused on political or terrorist hostage taking. We demonstrate, however, that key models within the literature can be adapted to give critical new insight on ransomware. We primarily focus on two models. The first gives insight on the optimal ransom that criminals should charge. The second gives insight on the role of deterrence through preventative measures. A key insight from both models will be the importance of spillover effects across victims. We will argue that such spillovers point to the need for some level of outside intervention, by governments or otherwise, to tackle ransomware.


Community development corporations and other community-based organizations have recently begun to make major efforts to incorporate environmental elements into their projects. This article examines this healthy trend, and lawyers' contributions to it, through the work of three groups in three diverse communities of color in New York City. It is based on the authors' experience providing or directing transactional legal assistance to those groups as directors of law school community economic development clinics (Huertas-Noble at CUNY, Glick at Fordham) or of legal services community development units (Rose at Brooklyn Legal Services Corp. A).Our clients are merging activism for economic development and environmental justice to create green-collar jobs for local residents, build affordable housing that is environmentally friendly, and use local land for sustainable projects that serve and improve the community. In the Cypress Hills section of East New York in Brooklyn, an established community development corporation works creatively to amass the financing required to make its buildings increasingly green. In West Harlem, a prominent environmental justice organization fights for community - serving sustainable land use and for programs to prepare people of color to get their fair share of jobs and contracts in the emerging green economy. In the South Bronx, a new organization forms worker-owned enterprises that train and employ local residents, protect the environment, and offer the potential for residents to accumulate a modicum of local wealth. Other articles in this symposium report a similar convergence of CED and environmental justice efforts in other parts of the country.This is a promising trend. It offers real possibilities for low-income people of color to live healthier, safer, better lives. It moves forward their efforts to gain greater control over local land and resources. It supports their struggle to survive the deepening economic crisis and offers them the potential to influence and benefit from a more supportive new administration in Washington. Our snapshots show lawyers, law students and law faculty, making small but important contributions. They help to design, maintain, and adapt legal entities and governance strictures, negotiate contracts and leases, navigate regulatory and subsidy systems, and advise and assist in project development, coordination, and financing. We are committed to doing more of this work and learning how to do it better. We hope you will join us.


This study traces the journey of cross-cultural adaptation of Polish migrant women in Ireland, which turns out to be a process of creating home when home is away, and which results in individual identity transformations, both positive and negative. It is based on 30 in-depth interviews, which were collected in the larger Dublin area, and which present a range of experiences of female Polish migration to Ireland. To explore this new form of East-West migration, this study draws on several theories from the field of intercultural studies and includes others from the social sciences to interpret findings. To allow for the exploration of various theories in different fields and the emergence of new or deeper interpretations of intercultural experiences, this study adopted a Grounded Theory approach to collecting and analysing data, detached from preconceived hypotheses. The synergy of data and theoretical concepts to interpret data finally led to the development of an individual model of cross-cultural adaptation that is specific for the women in this study.

Equipped with different levels of preparation, pre-knowledge and pre- experience as well as motivated by various push and pull factors and the overall lure of a full life in the host country, a number of factors affect this process of cross-cultural adaptation. These include perceived similarities and differences between home and host culture, the availability of and access to new and existing social networks, language issues, and different acculturation strategies by both migrant women and members of the host culture. Together, these factors have an effect on the process of cross-cultural adaptation, which includes compromising cultural practices and values, and consequently results in a transformation of Polish migrant women's original identity and the development of a larger intercultural identity involving a feeling of betweenness of living between two cultures.


We investigate the risk relevance of the standard deviation of three performance measures: net income, comprehensive income, and a constructed measure of full‐fair‐value income for a sample of 202 U.S. commercial banks from 1996 to 2004. We find that, for the average sample bank, the volatility of full‐fair‐value income is more than three times that of comprehensive income and more than five times that of net income. We find that the incremental volatility in full‐fair‐value income (beyond the volatility of net income and comprehensive income) is positively related to marketmodel beta, the standard deviation in stock returns, and long‐term interest‐rate beta. Further, we predict and find that the incremental volatility in full‐fair‐value income (1) negatively moderates the relation between abnormal earnings and banks' share prices and (2) positively affects the expected return implicit in bank share prices. Our findings suggest full‐fair‐value income volatility reflects elements of risk that are not captu...


Introduction One of the most common inflammatory mass lesions of the nose are nasal polyps, which affect up to 4% of the population. Endoscopic surgery under local anesthesia may allow for a day-care surgical procedure for the patient; however, extensive procedures, revision surgeries, and uncooperative, and pediatric age group patients will warrant the use of general anesthesia. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of local versus general anesthesia for endoscopic surgical treatment of sinonasal polyposis during operation as well as during early and late postoperative periods together with patient's acceptance for surgery. Patients and methods A total of 60 patients with sinonasal polyposis were divided randomly into two groups. Group 1 underwent endoscopic nasal surgery under local anesthesia and group 2 underwent endoscopic nasal surgery under general anesthesia. Results Most of the patients who were operated under local anesthesia showed good acceptance for surgery, short time of surgery, and less bloody field than those who were operated under general anesthesia (the P value was significant regarding bleeding and time during surgery under local anesthesia). Conclusion Surgery of sinonasal polyposis under local anesthesia is an effective method for the treatment of nasal polyposis as regards patient acceptance for the surgery, time of surgery with very good surgical field, and less cost procedures.


Task-oriented dialogue (ToD) benchmarks provide an important avenue to measure progress and develop better conversational agents. However, existing datasets for end-to-end ToD modeling are limited to a single language, hindering the development of robust end-to-end ToD systems for multilingual countries and regions. Here we introduce BiToD, the first bilingual multi-domain dataset for end-to-end task-oriented dialogue modeling. BiToD contains over 7k multi-domain dialogues (144k utterances) with a large and realistic bilingual knowledge base. It serves as an effective benchmark for evaluating bilingual ToD systems and cross-lingual transfer learning approaches. We provide state-of-the-art baselines under three evaluation settings (monolingual, bilingual, and cross-lingual). The analysis of our baselines in different settings highlights 1) the effectiveness of training a bilingual ToD system compared to two independent monolingual ToD systems, and 2) the potential of leveraging a bilingual knowledge base and cross-lingual transfer learning to improve the system performance under low resource condition.


Aim: The main aim of this research is to characterize the tourists visiting top-level restaurants to ascertain the profile of this type of customer, their behaviour and their influence on the destinations where they are located. Design/methodology : During the months of July to December 2016, a survey was conducted on a sample of 187 tourists who had visited Michelin-starred restaurants in order to highlight the most valued aspects during the process of choosing, consulting and booking the top-level restaurant service. Contributions and results: The results reveal the existence of two segments whose behaviour is different, where the individuals of the first consider the culinary experience as the main reason for their tourist visit to the destination. In contrast, the second segment considers that their visit to the destination is the main reason for their tourism. Moreover, the diners from both segments display different behaviour in terms of their post-purchase, recommendation and intention to return behaviour and the perception of the status with which their visit to the restaurant provides them. Limitations: The main limitation of this study is the fact that only the responses of tourists who have visited top-level restaurants in Spain have been studied. Practical implications: The results of this study may help both the managers of restaurants of a certain level and the public authorities responsible for tourism to make decisions, since these types of restaurants are becoming tourist resources of the first order.  Social implications: Knowledge of the diner could facilitate the optimal management of the restaurant and help orient it as a tourist resource. In certain areas such a resource can become a pole of tourist attraction and contribute towards territorial balance thanks to the positive externalities it generates in the territory where such establishments are located. Added value: The present research focuses on the study of the behaviour of the culinary tourist in an increasingly popular type of tourism with high added value. Culinary tourism is also enormously important in the economy of the destination and for territorial development.  Therefore, this work may be of interest both for public authorities and the managers of this type of restaurant, and to create synergies between the two. This work comes to fill a gap in the literature of segmentation in the restoration, since there are few research that focus on segmentation according to consumer's motivations and perceptions, and none focus on its relationship to tourism at the destination.


A study of four debris-flow impacted channels in the North Fork Mountain area of eastern West Virginia shows that the geomorphic effect of debris flows on channel morphology is variable in different reaches impacted by the debris flow. Erosion is the dominant geomorphic process in the upper two-thirds of the debris-flow track, whereas deposition dominates the lower one-third. The geomorphic effect of the debris-flow event extends beyond the terminus of the debris flow as 20 to 40 percent of the sediment generated by the debris flow is incorporated into floodwaters immediately downstream of the terminus. This influx of sediment increased the erosiveness of the floodwaters, which in turn caused intense scouring.


Accurate and reliable phase-resolved prediction of ocean surface waves is crucial for many offshore operations in ocean engineering and marine science. One important application is in optimal control of a power take-off in a wave energy converter, leading to significantly higher power production. Our interest is the forecasting of wave fields based on measurements obtained from multiple upwave locations in moderate seas with small directional spreading angles, such as is prevalent along the south coast of Australia. The prediction model, based on FFTs and propagation of waves according to the linear dispersion relation, is applied to both wave groups and irregular wave fields generated in a wave basin and, additionally, to ocean waves measured with drifting wave buoys. To account for spreading, the model numerically advances linear, plane (i.e. long-crested) waves in space at an optimum offset angle equal to the underlying sea-state root-mean-square spreading angle. Averaging predictions based on a few slightly separated measurement locations, each weighted according to the estimated variance of the individual prediction, is shown to be more accurate than that from any single location. We also assess in detail the effect of drifting-buoy measurements in both long-crested and short-crested seas using synthetic wave records and show that it is possible to satisfactorily reconstruct the signal at fixed points based on the Doppler shift felt by the drifting buoy. The reconstructed signals give much better predictions compared to those completely neglecting the effect of even rather slow drift.


Amyloidosis is a collection of pathophysiologically related disease entities caused by the extracellular deposition of abnormal fibrillar proteins called amyloid. The accumulation of amyloid may be systemic, involving many organs, or localized manifesting as infiltration of individual organs, or in the form of a focal, tumorlike lesion. Amyloidosis may develop in the setting of underlying conditions, usually chronic inflammatory diseases, in which case it is termed secondary, or it may involve no underlying disease and thus be primary or idiopathic. Amyloid infiltration leads to pathology through the disruption of normal tissue structure and function or through cytotoxic effects of intermediate forms of protein aggregates. Clinical manifestations of the disease vary and are nonspecific, increasing the need of imaging during the investigation of the disease. Imaging findings are diverse and not pathognomonic; however, combined with the patient's clinical history they can raise the suspicion of amyloidosis and direct toward its confirmation by biopsy. Radiologists should be familiar with the appearance of amyloidosis in various modalities to aid the early identification of the disease and direct toward prompt treatment planning. Such knowledge would provide the radiologist with an opportunity to contribute to patient care and aid reducing the high morbidity and mortality of the disease.


This is J.M. Barrie's timeless tale of the 'boy who would not grow up'. "Peter Pan" is edited with an introduction by Jack Zipes in "Penguin Classics". When Peter Pan and his fairy companion Tinker Bell fly in through the window of Wendy's nursery one night, it is the beginning of an adventure that whisks Wendy and her brothers Michael and John off to Neverland. There they will find mermaids, fairies, pirates led by the sinister Captain Hook, and the crocodile who bit off his leg - and still pursues him in hope of the rest! "Peter Pan" originally appeared as a baby living a magical life among birds and fairies in J.M. Barrie's sequence of stories, "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens". His adventures capture the spirit of childhood - and of rebellion against the role of adulthood in conventional society. This edition includes the novel and the stories, and reproduces the original illustrations by Francis Donkin Bedford and Arthur Rackham. In his introduction, Jack Zipes sifts through the psychological interpretations that have engaged critics, explores the cultural and literary contexts in which we can appreciate Barrie's enduring creation, and shows why "Peter Pan" is fundamentally a work that urges adults to reconnect with their own imagination. James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937) was born in Scotland, the son of a weaver. In 1885, he moved to London to pursue a literary career. "Peter Pan", with its flying and theatrical devices, was a huge success and continues to be performed today; in 1911 Barrie rewrote the play as a novel. On his death in 1937 Barrie gifted copyright of the play "Peter Pan" to Great Ormond Street hospital. If you enjoyed "Peter Pan" you might like Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass", also available in "Penguin Classics". "One of the classic children's stories of all time". ("Daily Mail"). "Intensely moving as well as enchanting in its evocation of childhood, the heartlessness of youth and parental grief as children grow older". ("Daily Telegraph").


This paper presents a comparative "gender audit" of Egypt's two constitutions (2012, 2014) developed after a people's uprising in 2011 and 2013 led to the ousting of two presidents (Mubarak and Morsi respectively). Egypt's two constitutions are particularly compelling for the study of gender politics in transitional constitutionalism because while the number of women participating in the constitution writing process was very similar, the gendered outcomes were starkly different. While the political opportunity for mobilizing around women's rights was enhanced in the aftermath of Mubarak's demise, the capitalization of these opportunities by organized political forces with an anti-feminist agenda undermined the prospects of en-gendering the first post-Mubarak constitution. In contrast, the constitution of 2014, developed under severely circumscribed political space inhibiting women's mobilization, witnessed the exercise of women's constitutional agency to redress the containment of women's rights under the previous constitution and en-gender many elements of it, though the extent of its enforceability remains obscure. This paper draws on primary and secondary data to analyse, through a gender lens, the processes and outcomes involved in constitution drafting along three axes:context and political opportunity structures; coalitional politics, and political and ideological struggles.


The ICMC/IKMZ-Building was designed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron and finished, after a three year construction phase, in November 2004; it is a 32 meter high reinforced concrete construction covered by a double-shell, glass facade embossed with stylized graffiti. The ground plan of the building has a curved outline resembling a clover leaf which does not explicitly have front and back sides. The amazing external architecture continues internally with a spiral staircase extending from the 1st to the 6th floor, and a striking colour scheme (in vibrant yellow, green, magenta, red, and blue) for parts of the floor covering and walls. In addition a further characteristic of the building is that within the ground plan none of the floor plans are the same. With the exception of the management and business areas (7th floor) and the technical and pool areas (1st and 2nd underground level) there are only a few truly separate areas. This allows a flexible and open concept for the use of the building which consciously allows for many work and communication forms for single users or user groups. The work and reading areas are in coves related to each of the floors, while the open access stacks of the library - floor related - arranged according to subject areas are located in the core of the building.


This paper investigates the application of simultaneous retiming and clock scheduling for optimizing synchronous circuits under setup and hold constraints. Two optimization problems are explored: (1) clock period minimization and (2) tolerance maximization to clock-signal delay variations. Exact mixed-integer linear programming formulations and efficient heuristics are given for both problems. When both long and short paths are considered, circuits optimized by the combined application of retiming and clock scheduling can achieve shorter clock periods or demonstrate greater tolerance to clock-signal delay variations than circuits optimized by retiming or clock scheduling. Experiments with benchmark circuits demonstrate the effectiveness of the combined optimization. In comparison with the best result obtained by either of the two optimizations, the joint application of retiming and clock scheduling increased operating speeds by more than 8% on the average. It also increased tolerance to clock delay variations by an average of 12% over a broad range of target clock frequencies. Larger relative improvements were achieved for shorter clock periods, thus suggesting that simultaneous retiming and clock scheduling can play an important role in high-speed design.


Breakthroughs in fundamental research now allow unprecedented control of materials at the molecular level, enabling a wide range of exquisite 3D structures to be assembled through a bottom-up approach. Simultaneously, developments in 3D fabrication technologies are heralding completely new and disruptive ways to control the 3D form of a rapidly growing range of materials, from hard metals, to transparent polymers, and soft biopolymers and gels, and at feature sizes from nano through micro and meso scale. Bringing this dynamically expanding knowledge base together thus will allow us, for the first time, to build devices and platforms whose form we can control over this tremendous diversity of scale. I believe this has profound implications for science and society, leading to, for example, completely new chem/bio-sensing concepts that could revolutionise how we monitor personal health, the quality of water and air, biopharma manufacturing processes, and food production.


We propose a normalization technique for verifying arithmetic circuits in a bounded model-checking environment. Our technique operates on the arithmetic bit-level (ABL) description of the arithmetic circuit parts and property. The ABL description can easily be provided by the front-end of a register transfer level property checker. The proposed normalization greatly simplifies the SAT instances to be solved for arithmetic circuit verification. Our approach has been successfully applied to verify the integer pipeline of an industrial microprocessor with advanced DSP capabilities.


We analyze the relationship between cognitive ability and bunching in the context of a large and salient kink point of the Swedish income tax schedule. Using population-wide register data from the Swedish military enlistment and administrative tax records, we find that high-ability individuals bunch more than low-ability individuals. This ability gradient is stronger for the self-employed, but is also present among wage earners. We also use high-school GPA and math grades to analyze gender differences, finding a stronger ability gradient among men.


Abstract Background A substantial gap exists between current Electronic Health Record (EHR) usability and potential optimal usability. One of the fundamental reasons for this discrepancy is poor incorporation of a User-Centered Design (UCD) approach during the Graphical User Interface (GUI) development process. Objective To evaluate usability strengths and weaknesses of two widely implemented EHR GUIs for critical clinical notes usage tasks. Methods Twelve Internal Medicine resident physicians interacting with one of the two EHR systems (System-1 at Location-A and System-2 at Location-B) were observed by two usability evaluators employing an ethnographic approach. User comments and observer findings were analyzed for two critical tasks: (1) clinical notes entry and (2) related information-seeking tasks. Data were analyzed from two standpoints: (1) usability references categorized by usability evaluators as positive, negative, or equivocal and (2) usability impact of each feature measured through a 7-point severity rating scale. Findings were also validated by user responses to a post observation questionnaire. Results For clinical notes entry, System-1 surpassed System-2 with more positive (26% vs. 12%) than negative (12% vs. 34%) usability references. Greatest impact features on EHR usability (severity score pertaining to each feature) for clinical notes entry were: autopopulation (6), screen options (5.5), communication (5), copy pasting (4.5), error prevention (4.5), edit ability (4), and dictation and transcription (3.5). Both systems performed equally well on information-seeking tasks and features with greatest impacts on EHR usability were navigation for notes (7) and others (e.g., looking for ancillary data; 5.5). Ethnographic observations were supported by follow-up questionnaire responses. Conclusion This study provides usability-specific insights to inform future, improved, EHR interface that is better aligned with UCD approach.


Development of vehicle active steering collision avoidance systems calls for mathematical models capable of predicting a human driver's response so as to reduce the cost involved in field tests while accelerating product development. This paper provides a discussion on the paradigms that may be used for modeling a driver's steering interaction with vehicle collision avoidance control in path-following scenarios. Four paradigms, namely decentralized, noncooperative Nash, noncooperative Stackelberg, and cooperative Pareto are established. The decentralized paradigm, which is developed on the basis of optimal control theory, represents a driver's interaction with the collision avoidance controllers that disregard driver steering control. The noncooperative Nash and Stackelberg paradigms are used for predicting a driver's steering behavior in response to the collision avoidance control that actively compensates for driver steering action. These two are devised based on the principles of equilibria in noncooperative game theory. The cooperative Pareto paradigm is derived from cooperative game theory to model a driver's interaction with the collision avoidance systems that take into account the driver's target path. The driver and the collision avoidance controllers' optimization problems and their resulting steering strategies arise in each paradigm are delineated. Two mathematical approaches applicable to these optimization problems namely the distributed model predictive control and the linear quadratic dynamic optimization approaches are described in detail. A case study illustrating a conflict in steering control between driver and vehicle collision avoidance system is performed via simulation. It was found that the variation of driver path-error cost function weights results in a variety of steering behaviors, which are distinct between paradigms.


We combine different analytical instruments to assess the impact of human capital and trade policies on macroeconomic aggregates and poverty, and how both sets of policies complement each other in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. We use a top-down approach —i.e. a dynamic CGE model and microsimulations— to assess the effects of two FTAs: DR-CAFTA and EU-CAAA on production and poverty. Moreover, we use a human capital satellite model to evaluate the impact of human capital formation. Combining the satellite model with the CGE model and the microsimulations, we construct a rich analytical framework to assess the direct effect of each set of policies on poverty and how these policies complement each other. We find that human capital policies have a significant and permanent effect on growth and this is associated with poverty reductions. On the other hand, the static efficiency changes associated with trade liberalization have positive but small growth and poverty effects.


While there is a general consensus that autonomous robots should be able to learn continuously over time, the learning process is traditionally envisioned for each specific robot situated in a given environment. This does not consider the fact that robots performing similar tasks in similar settings would probably learn similar concepts. They would therefore benefit by sharing their prior experience with each other. In this paper we present a transfer learning algorithm that enables robots located in different places to take advantage of each other's experience, boosting the learning process. We specifically assume to have robots equipped with a camera. We do not make any assumption on the type of camera, nor on where it is positioned. We also assume that the robots use the same feature descriptors and learning algorithms. Under these assumptions, we show that one robot can hugely benefit from what has been learned by peer robots performing similar tasks. The advantage concretely means a consistent boost in performance, especially when training data is scarce. Our algorithm is based on Least Square Support Vector Machine, and allows to determine automatically from where to transfer and how much to transfer: this makes it possible to take advantage of the prior when it is useful, while minimizing the risk of negative transfer when the priors are not informative. Thorough experiments on four different publicly available databases show the power of our approach.


From politics to sports to business, people are quick to categorize those at a competitive disadvantage as 'underdogs'. Moreover, there is ample anecdotal support that most people do not hesitate to align themselves with underdogs, a phenomenon called "the underdog effect". A series of studies were conducted to examine the scope and limitations of the underdog effect. The first study explored the extent of the underdog effect and determined that resources play a crucial role in forming alliances with those whom we perceive to have the lower chance to succeed. A second series of experiments assessed whether participants, who demonstrated the underdog effect, did truly support those at a competitive disadvantage or merely rooted against the favorite. The first experiment in this series framed questions in terms of either losing or winning, thus forcing the responders to pick the more salient of their perceptions of a novel competition scenario. Support for the underdog was found to be more extreme than rooting against the top-dog. The next experiment in this series explored the human perception under "spoiler" condition, when the underdog does not have much to gain from winning the competition, but the stakes are high for the top dog due to possible adverse repercussions above and beyond of the present competition. Spoilers were not supported more than non-spoilers. Finally, the last series of studies used memory as an


Astrocytes are becoming recognized as active participants in modulating neuronal activity. Indeed, astrocytes accumulate glutamate and release this neurotransmitter in response to purinergic receptor activation by ATP. Takano et al. provide evidence that ATP triggers transient cell swelling, which activates volume-sensitive channels, allowing glutamate and other osmolytes, such as aspartate and taurine, to be released. Cell swelling was detected in three different assays. In the presence of hypertonic medium, ATP-stimulated release of glutamate was abolished. Release of glutamate, taurine, and aspartate also required increased calcium concentrations and was blocked by calcium chelators. Whole-cell currents were measured in cultured astrocytes and showed an ATP-stimulated inward current mediated by glutamate release (under conditions where glutamate was the only possible charge carrier). Finally, a similar ATP-stimulated and calcium-dependent glutamate current was recorded in astrocytes in hippocampal slices using two-photon microscopy and whole-cell current clamp. Thus, glutamate and other osmolyte amino acids appear to be released from astrocytes by a volume-sensitive channel that is activated in response to cell swelling caused by activation of purinergic receptors. The strongest evidence against calcium-dependent vesicular release is the inhibition of release in the presence of hypertonic medium, which typically stimulates vesicular release. T. Takano, J. Kang, J. K. Jaiswal, S. M. Simon, J. H.-C. Lin, Y. Yu, Y. Li, J. Yang, G. Dienel, H. R. Zielke, M. Nedergaard, Receptor-mediated glutamate release from volume sensitive channels in astrocytes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102, 16466-16471 (2005). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Welcome to Dreamweaver CS3. This new version of the popular web design software offers a rich environment for building professional sites, with drag-and-drop simplicity, clean HTML code, and dynamic database-driven web site creation tools. Moreover, it's now integrated more tightly with Adobe's other products: Photoshop, InDesign, Flash, and their siblings. But with such sophisticated features, the software isn't simple. So say hello to Dreamweaver CS3: The Missing Manual, the fifth edition of this bestselling book by experienced web site trainer and author David McFarland. This book helps both first-time and experienced web designers bring stunning, interactive web sites to life. With jargon-free language and clear descriptions, this new edition addresses both beginners who need step-by-step guidance as well as long-time Dreamweaver users who need a handy reference to address the inner-workings of the program. Dreamweaver CS3: The Missing Manual teaches designers how to construct and manage web sites by examining web-page components and Dreamweaver's capabilities through "live examples". With a complete A-Z guide to designing, organizing, building and deploying a web site for those with no web design experience, this book: Takes you through the basics to advanced techniques to control the appearance of your web pages with CSSShows you how to design dynamic database-driven web sites, from blogs to product catalogs, and from shopping carts to newsletter signup formsTeaches you how to master your web site, and manage thousands of pages effortlessly Witty and objective, Dreamweaver CS3: The Missing Manual is a must for anyone who uses this highly popular program, from beginners to professionals. Altogether, it's the ultimate atlas for Dreamweaver CS3.


The present study investigates voice onset times (VOTs) to determine if cognates enhance the cross-language phonetic influences in the speech production of a range of Spanish–English bilinguals: Spanish heritage speakers, English heritage speakers, advanced L2 Spanish learners, and advanced L2 English learners. To answer this question, lexical items with considerable phonological, semantic, and orthographic overlap (cognates) and lexical items with no phonological overlap with their English translation equivalents (non-cognates) were examined. The results indicate that there is a significant effect of cognate status in the Spanish production of VOT by Spanish–English bilinguals. These bilinguals produced /t/ with longer VOT values (more English-like) in the Spanish production of cognates compared to non-cognate words. It is proposed that the exemplar model of lexical representation (Bybee, 2001; Pierrehumbert, 2001) can be extended to include bilingual lexical connections by which cognates facilitate phonetic interference in the bilingual mental lexicon.


The hot climate in Basra city requires many research to find a solution to reduce heat. Usually, the thermal pump needs an external energy to ensure its continued operation. The objective of the study is the possibility of building a heat pump using renewable energy. The present work addresses a renewable energy heat bump by using paraffin wax during the daytime.  The experimental and the CFD model of the solar collector and Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system based on Phase Change Materials (PCM) as a renewable heat pump system are presented. The system consists of three main parts: The solar collector, paraffin wax cavity, and cooling room. An experimental rig is constructed to conduct a practical analysis by measuring the intensity of solar radiation at different hours of the daytime. Temperatures distribution are measured with 24 type K thermocouples at different sites for the system. A numerical investigation has carried out to predict flow and heat transfer for the solar heat pump. Free convection of turbulent flow with 2-D unsteady state incompressible flow is examined. The numerical work is divided into two parts: The first part presents the development of numerical models of the heating collector room while the second is the numerical model of paraffin wax room. ANSYS FLUENT code 16 is applied to solve Navier Stock, energy, and k-Ɛ model equations by using finite volume method. The calculations of the velocity, temperatures distribution, and the Nusselt number values with different Rayleigh number for air at both heat collector room and paraffin wax room at different daytime are reported.The results of the present work guarantee future development of this technology for the food or agriculture industry. Maximum cooling temperature of the hot air is reached more than 20oC. It is found that a PCM leads to maximum energy savings and greater peak load at high solar intensity value. The practical results are also compared with numerical results, and good agreement is obtained.


Structural and financial inadequacy of Canada's retirement income system, especially with respect to income support benefits (i.e. Old Age Security), are often identified as one major reason unattached senior women experience poverty. While it may be compelling to blame low benefit levels and changing eligibility requirements, particularly because 'crisis' policy discourses have influenced questionable restructuring over time (i.e. the clawback), this paper argues that this is too simplistic of an account of the relationship between these women's poverty and the retirement income system. Other broad social-structural factors are at play in women's lives that have the potential to disentitle their access to income security in old age. Specifically, the mismatch between women's economic situations over the life course and their claims to pension or retirement savings income is presented as an important reason for why many women are still poor despite policy provisions for their retirement. Key words: poverty, unattached senior women, retirement income, policy discourse ********** Canada's retirement income system consists of three levels: income supports benefits (Old Age Security), social insurance (Canada Pension Plan) and occupational pension plans and registered retirement savings plans. As a system that expanded with the evolution of the post-war welfare state, it was designed to provide income security to elderly persons who may experience economic risks associated with age related factors such as compulsory retirement and health problems. Despite these intentions, many senior citizens are still poor. According to recent Census data, more than 600,000 Canadians over the age of 65 were living in low income in the year 2000. More unattached senior women live in low income than unattached senior men (approximately 428,300 compared to just over 173,000, respectively) (Statistics Canada, 2003). The inadequacy of Old Age Security is often identified as one major reason behind the poverty experienced by unattached senior women. This blaming of the first level of Canada's retirement income system is not surprising, especially in view of the 'crisis' policy discourses surrounding population aging and the federal debt that have influenced questionable restructuring of income support benefits over time (i.e. the clawback). However, this is not an accurate portrayal of the relationship between these women's poverty and the retirement income system. It is the argument of this paper that other, broad social-structural factors inhibit women's realization of economic security through the second and especially third level of the system. Across their life course, women overwhelmingly experience occupational segregation, income disparity, and unpaid work responsibilities prior to old age. These significant barriers impede their access to suitable pensions and/or their ability to save for their future economic security through occupational pension plans or retirement savings plans. In exploring the relationship between the poverty of unattached (widowed, divorced/ separated or ever single) senior women and Canada's retirement income system, the first section of this paper provides a brief description of the structure and provisions of the three levels of the system. Attention is drawn to the persistence of poverty among senior women and how particular discourses, sometimes contradictory, have influenced restructuring of the system in the second section. In the third section, I describe social-structural factors at play in women's lives and show how they have the potential to disentitle them to economic security through the second and third levels of the retirement income system. This discussion demonstrates that the mismatch between women's economic situations over their life course and their claims to retirement income security is an important reason why they are still poor despite policy provisions for their retirement. …


Introduced Marine Pests (IMP, = non-indigenous marine species) prevention, early detection and risk-based management strategies have become the priority for biosecurity operations worldwide, in recognition of the fact that, once established, the effective management of marine pests can rapidly become cost prohibitive or impractical. In Western Australia (WA), biosecurity management is guided by the " Western Australian Prevention List for Introduced Marine Pests " which is a policy tool that details species or genera as being of high risk to the region. This list forms the basis of management efforts to prevent introduction of these species, monitoring efforts to detect them at an early stage, and rapid response should they be detected. It is therefore essential that the species listed can be rapid and confidently identified and discriminated from native species by a range of government and industry stakeholders. Recognising that identification of these species requires very specialist expertise which may be in short supply and not readily accessible in a regulatory environment, and the fact that much publicly available data is not verifiable or suitable for regulatory enforcement, the WA government commissioned the current project to collate a reference collection of these marine pest specimens. In this work, we thus established collaboration with researchers worldwide in order to source representative specimens of the species listed. Our main objective was to build a reference collection of taxonomically vouchered specimens and subsequently to generate species-specific DNA barcodes suited to supporting their future identification. To date, we were able to obtain specimens of 75 species (representative of all but four of the pests listed) which have been identified by experts and placed with the WA Government Department of Fisheries and, where possible, in accessible museums and institutions in Australasia. The reference collection supports the fast and reliable taxonomic and molecular identification of marine pests in WA and constitutes a valuable resource for training of stakeholders with interest in IMP recognition in Australia. The reference collection is also useful in supporting the development of a variety of DNA-based detection strategies such as real-time PCR and metabarcoding of complex environmental samples (e.g. biofouling communities). The Prevention List is under regular review to ensure its continued relevance and that it remains evidence and risk-based. Similarly, its associated reference collection also remains to some extent a work in progress. In recognition of this fact, this report seeks to provide details of this continually evolving information repository publicly available to the biosecurity management community worldwide


Peanut allergy affects 1-2% of UK schoolchildren. Children with egg allergy are at increased risk. The diagnosis of peanut allergy in this group of children is challenging, with current diagnostic techniques being inadequate. Clarification of peanut allergy status in egg-allergic, peanut-sensitised children is complicated and frequently includes the need for an oral provocation challenge. This places considerable pressure on day-case services, poses a potential risk to the child and carries health economic implications. Recent research has proposed the measurement of specific IgE concentrations to the peanut component Ara h 2 to be a better test for the differentiation of allergy and tolerance than existing methods. The present study attempts to improve the diagnostic process for this group of children. The primary aim was to investigate the diagnostic value of measuring Ara h 2-specific IgE concentrations in predicting a clinical reaction to peanut. 105 eligible children were prospectively recruited via the tertiary allergy clinic at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Children were subjected to a peanut skin prick test and specific IgE testing to whole peanut and Ara h 2 followed by an oral provocation challenge. Children were allocated to either the peanut allergic or tolerant group. Outcomes were related to all three tests. The peanut skin prick test and whole-peanut specific IgE were poor discriminators between allergy and tolerance. Ara h 2 was the best predictor of peanut allergy, but had greater clinical utility as part of a two-step approach. Receiver-operator curve construction identified optimal cut-off values of 6mm for peanut skin prick testing, 0.39kUA/L for Ara h 2-specific IgE concentrations and 1.08kUA/L for whole peanut specific IgE. These were included in a diagnostic two-step model. When used in isolation, specific IgE concentrations to Ara h 2 were unable to replace the need for an oral provocation challenge for the majority of egg-allergic, peanut-sensitised children.


Abstract This paper introduces readers to the field of male-associated sports in the Republic of Ireland with specific reference to power relations between the sexes. It situates a present-day social phenomenon, i.e. Irish females' increasing involvement in traditional male-associated sports such as Gaelic football, rugby and soccer, within the context of social processes in which more or less independent groups have become more interdependent. Qualitative data from twelve in-depth interviews with high performance female athletes are situated within a sociological analysis of the emergence and development of these sports for women. These are used to support the argument that the relatively slight shift in the balance of power in favour of females has led to feelings of emancipation amongst females and resistance amongst males, though this resistance is gradually becoming weaker. Elias' theory of "established-outsider" relations is used to suggest that females who participate in these sports can be described as an 'outsider' group, one that has lacked the organizational resources and networks of mutual assistance needed to shift significantly the uneven balance of power between the sexes. Moreover, typical of outsiders in their relations with the 'established', dominant stereotypical views of females remain embedded in the personality structures of 'outsiders'.


BACKGROUND
Interventions to prevent smoking uptake or encourage cessation among young persons might help prevent tobacco-related illness.

PURPOSE
To review the evidence for the efficacy and harms of primary care-relevant interventions that aim to reduce tobacco use among children and adolescents.

DATA SOURCES
Three systematic reviews that collectively covered the relevant literature; MEDLINE, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects through 14 September 2012; and manual searches of reference lists and gray literature.

STUDY SELECTION
Two investigators independently reviewed 2453 abstracts and 111 full-text articles. English-language trials of behavior-based or medication interventions that were relevant to primary care and reported tobacco use, health outcomes, or harms were included.

DATA EXTRACTION
One investigator abstracted data from good- and fair-quality trials into an evidence table, and a second checked these data.

DATA SYNTHESIS
19 trials (4 good-quality and 15 fair-quality) that were designed to prevent tobacco use initiation or promote cessation (or both) and reported self-reported smoking status or harms were included. Pooled analyses from a random-effects meta-analysis suggested a 19% relative reduction (risk ratio, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.70 to 0.93]; absolute risk difference, -0.02 [CI, -0.03 to 0.00]) in smoking initiation among participants in behavior-based prevention interventions compared with control participants. Neither behavior-based nor bupropion cessation interventions improved cessation rates. Findings about the harms related to bupropion use were mixed.

LIMITATIONS
No studies reported health outcomes. Interventions and measures were heterogeneous. Most trials examined only cigarette smoking. The body of evidence was largely published 5 to 15 years ago.

CONCLUSION
Primary care-relevant interventions may prevent smoking initiation over 12 months in children and adolescents.


The War After (Karpf, 1996), a family memoir about the psycho-social effects of the Holocaust on the children of survivors, attracted considerable attention when first published. 20 years later, Karpf argues, it can be read as an example of post-postmemory. Hirsch (2012) defined postmemory as those memories of the Holocaust that the 'second generation' had of events that shaped their lives but took place before they were born. Post-postmemory, Karpf suggests, is the process whereby such narratives are themselves modified by subsequent events and re-readings brought about by three kinds of time - personal, historical and discursive. Although inevitable, such re-readings run the risk of encouraging Holocaust revisionism and denial. Nevertheless, Karpf claims, they are essential to maintain the post-memoir as a living text.


The alarmins Mrp8 and Mrp14 function as both activators and inhibitors of the immune response. The allergic reaction in skin cells is regulated by the adaptive immune response, in which allergen-specific T lymphocytes (T cells) are activated by mature antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DCs). Hypersensitive reactions can cause allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Alarmins are proteins that function as endogenous danger signals that amplify the immune response through various receptors, including Toll-like receptors (TLRs). The alarmins Mrp8 and Mrp14, functioning individually or as the heteromeric complex Mrp8/14, stimulate the immune response through TLR-4 and can promote autoimmune diseases, such as arthritis and lupus. Petersen et al. showed that, in addition to their stimulatory role, Mrp8 and Mrp14 also have an inhibitory role in adaptive immunity. Although incubation with purified Mrp8 or the Mrp8/14 complex activated bone marrow–derived DCs (BMDCs) from wild-type mice and induced T cell proliferation in a TLR-4–dependent manner in vitro, Mrp14–/– mice (which also lacked Mrp8 on the protein level) exhibited more severe phenotypes of ACD than did wild-type mice. This hypersensitivity was due to increased differentiation of BMDCs and, subsequently, activation of T cells. Bone marrow progenitor cells from wild-type mice pretreated with Mrp8 showed decreased lipolysaccharide (LPS)–induced differentiation, which was dependent on TLR-4. In contrast, BMDCs from Mrp14–/– mice showed increased endogenous and LPS-induced maturation. Wild-type–derived T cells, cocultured with LPS-activated BMDCs from Mrp14–/– mice exhibited increased proliferation compared with the proliferation of those cocultured with activated BMDCs from wild-type mice. Additionally, time-lapse video microscopy of 3D cell cultures showed that LPS-activated BMDCs from Mrp14–/– mice formed more contacts with and activated more T cells than those from wild-type mice. To elicit ACD in vivo, 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) was applied to the skin of the mice. DNFB increased the serum concentration of Mrp8/14 in wild-type mice, and DCs from their Mrp14–/– counterparts showed increased proinflammatory cytokine secretion and T cell proliferation. Therefore, by inhibiting early differentiation of DC progenitors, the Mrp8/14 complex suppresses the adaptive inflammatory response to allergens. Thus, the alarmins Mrp8 and Mrp14 both stimulate and limit the immune response, by activating mature DCs and inhibiting the differentiation of DC progenitors, respectively. B. Petersen, M. Wolf, J. Austermann, P. van Lent, D. Foell, M. Ahlmann, V. Kupas, K. Loser, C. Sorg, J. Roth, T. Vogl, The alarmin Mrp8/14 as regulator of the adaptive immune response during allergic contact dermatitis. EMBO J. 32, 100–111 (2013). [PubMed]


We present a constraint logic programming (CLP) approach for synthesis of fault-tolerant hard real-time applications on distributed heterogeneous architectures. We address time-triggered systems, where processes and messages are statically scheduled based on schedule tables. We use process re-execution for recovering from multiple transient faults. We propose three scheduling approaches, which each present a trade-off between schedule simplicity and performance, (i) full transparency, (ii) slack sharing and (iii) conditional, and provide various degrees of transparency. We have developed a CLP framework that produces the fault-tolerant schedules, guaranteeing schedulability in the presence of transient faults. We show how the framework can be used to tackle design optimization problems.The proposed approach has been evaluated using extensive experiments.


The Cretaceous genera of the hymenopteran family Braconidae are discussed. Overall, eight braconid subfamilies, in− cluding two only known from this period, and 17 genera together with two having unclear subfamily position, have been recorded in Cretaceous period. Two new genera, Magadanobracon gen. nov. (with two species, Magadanobracon rasnitsyni sp. nov. and M. zherikhini sp. nov.) and Cretorhyssalus gen. nov. (with type species Cretorhyssalus brevis sp. nov.) are described. The discussed position of the new genera in Protorhyssalinae remains putative owing to a lack of in− formation about multiporous sensillae of the antenna and the poor preservation of the basal half of the hind wing. The ear− liest recorded thickened hind tibia in the female sex, as a probable apomorphic character of the subfamily Proto− rhyssalinae, and the evolutionary state of the antefurcal vs. postfurcal positions of the recurrent vein in the fore wing of Braconidae are discussed.


The clopidol-imprinted polypyrrole films were electrochemically prepared on screen printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) in aqueous solutions of pyrrole, clopidol and NaClO4 as the supporting electrolyte. The clopidol template molecules were successfully trapped in the polypyrrole (PPy) film where they created artificial recognition sites. After extraction of the template, the PPy film acted as a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the specific and selective recognition of clopidol. The clopidol-imprinted PPy films were found to selectively detect clopidol. The highest anodic signal of clopidol was obtained in a phosphate buffer solution of pH 9.0. Using differential pulse voltammetry, the calibration curve for clopidol spiked to chicken meat at MIP–SPCE was linear for a concentration range of 0.3–1.8 mg kg−1. The detection limit of clopidol was found as 0.21 mg kg−1 (S/N = 3). The MIP–SPCE showed a stable and reproducible response without any influence of interferents existing in real samples.


This study analyzed the role of low-carbon energy technologies in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of Indonesia's energy sector by 2030. The aim of this study was to provide insights into the Indonesian government's approach to developing a strategy and plan for mitigating emissions and achieving Indonesia's emission reduction targets by 2030, as pledged in the country's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution. The Asia-Pacific Integrated Model/Computable General Equilibrium (AIM/CGE) model was used to quantify three scenarios that had the same socioeconomic assumptions: baseline, countermeasure (CM)1, and CM2, which had a higher emission reduction target than that of CM1. Results of the study showed that an Indonesian low-carbon energy system could be achieved with two pillars, namely, energy efficiency measures and deployment of less carbon-intensive energy systems (i.e., the use of renewable energy in the power and transport sectors, and the use of natural gas in the power sector and in transport). Emission reductions would also be satisfied through the electrification of end-user consumption where the electricity supply becomes decarbonized by deploying renewables for power generation. Under CM1, Indonesia could achieve a 15.5% emission reduction target (compared to the baseline scenario). This reduction could be achieved using efficiency measures that reduce final energy demand by 4%; This would require the deployment of geothermal power plants at a rate six times greater than the baseline scenario and four times the use of hydropower than that used in the baseline scenario. Greater carbon reductions (CM2; i.e., a 27% reduction) could be achieved with similar measures to CM1 but with more intensive penetration. Final energy demand would need to be cut by 13%, deployment of geothermal power plants would need to be seven times greater than at baseline, and hydropower use would need to be five times greater than the baseline case. Carbon prices under CM1 and CM2 were US$16 and US$63 (2005)/tCO2, respectively. The mitigation scenarios for 2030 both had a small positive effect on gross domestic product (GDP) compared to the baseline scenario (0.6% and 0.3% for CM1 and CM2, respectively). This is mainly due to the combination of two assumptions. The first is that there would be a great increase in coal-fired power in the baseline scenario. The other assumption is that there is low productivity in coal-related industries. Eventually, when factors such as capital and labor shift from coal-related industries to other low-carbon-emitting sectors in the CM cases are put in place, the total productivity of the economy would offset low-carbon investment.


Warp Drives are solutions of the Einstein field equations that allows superluminal travel within the framework of General Relativity. There are at the present moment two known solutions: The Alcubierre warp drive discovered in 1994 and the Natario warp drive discovered in 2001. Recently McMonigal,Lewis and OByrne presented an important analysis for the Alcubierre warp drive:A warp drive ship at superluminal speeds in interstellar space would trap in the warp bubble all the particles and radiations the ship encounters in its pathway and these trapped bodies would achieve immense energies due to the bubble superluminal speed.As far the ship goes by in interstellar space, more and more particles and radiations are trapped in the bubble generating in front of it a blanket with extremely large amounts of positive energy. The physical consequences of having this blanket of positive energies with enormous magnitudes in front of the negative energy of the warp bubble are still unknown. When the ship finishes the trip it stops suddenly releasing in a highly energetic burst all the trapped particles and radiations contained in the blanket damaging severely the destination point. In this work,we reproduce the same analysis for the Natario warp drive however using different mathematical arguments more accessible to beginners or intermediate students and we arrived exactly to the same conclusions. While in a long-term future some of the physical problems associated to the warp drive science(negative energy,Horizons) seems to have solutions(better shape functions for the negative energy problem and a theory that encompasses both General Relativity and non local quantum entanglements of Quantum Mechanics for the Horizons problem) and we discuss these solutions in our work,the analysis of McMonigal,Lewis and OByrne although entirely correct do not have a foreseeable solution and remains the most serious obstacle against the warp drive as a physical reality


Single molecule RNA FISH techniques have enabled the quantification of gene expression at the single cell level, revealing significant variability that has been previously obscured by techniques measuring population averages. These techniques, however, have been limited in that they cannot classify transcripts according to their allele of origin. In this thesis, we expand single molecule RNA FISH so that it can discriminate between single nucleotide differences on individual transcripts, enabling single cell allele specific expression. We derive an extensive statistical framework for the analysis of our technique, designated SNP-FISH, and explore the effect of varying many of its experimental parameters. We show how SNP-FISH can inform biological regulation by directly distinguishing cis and trans variability and can be applied to a wide range of biological questions. We then leverage SNP-FISH in the study of imprinting dysregulation. Humans with imprinting disorders have been known to present with highly variable phenotypic severity, and it was thought that these diferences might arise at the single-cell level. By applying SNP-FISH in an imprinting mouse mutant, we show that a partial deletion of methylation sites in the imprinting control region leads to epigenetic mosaicism, with some cells remaining effectively wild type with retained methylation while others are fully mutant with total loss of methylation. In showing this, we expanded SNP-FISH to work in tissues and developed a protocol for clonal bisulfite analysis of primary cells. Ultimately, our work shows how stochastic decisions by single cells can underlie disease severity. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Bioengineering First Advisor Arjun Raj


Proposals for the reform or abolition of the Electoral College have been advanced from the early Republic onwards to the present. One of the perceived problems in our existing system has been the possibility (and occasional occurrence) of a "faithless elector" – that is, an elector who is pledged to vote for one Presidential candidate, but who in fact votes for another or does not vote at all. Several States have sought to cure this problem by enacting the Uniform Faithful Presidential Electors Act (UFPEA). This article reviews the background, history and purposes of the Electoral College. It considers both American and British views and practices in the late eighteenth century and after, together with relevant case law and legal scholarship. It concludes that the UFPEA is unconstitutional.


Cancer is the most feared illness in Western societies. Yet remarkable medical advances are being made that extend life-spans the once would have been cut short by cancer. Prostate cancer is now a chronic disease in most cases. However in many cases medical treatment of a slowly progressing disease has left men with undesirable sequelae of treatment, such as impotence and urinary incontinence. Psychosocial research into prostate cancer has tended to concentrate on questions related to these side-effects of treatment. This research investigates a different aspect of prostate cancer; the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by men with prostate cancer. It is a qualitative narrative inquiry that investigates the stories of six men, all diagnosed with this condition and all using CAM, either in a complementary sense or as an alternative to biomedical treatment. They ranged in time since diagnosis from two months to 17 years. The narrative account is divided into three sections; the first explores causal narratives, the second explores narratives of diagnosis with prostate cancer, and the third section examines narratives of treatment, both CAM and biomedical . It contributes to the understanding of how men with prostate cancer negotiate the phases of their illness and actively integrate CAM and biomedical narratives, treatments and practices. The production of positions consistent with culturally dominant masculine values is shown to be a part of this negotiation. The finding of 'sensitising events ' that predisposed men to using CAM is discussed. Men with prostate cancer negotiate complex dialectics between their quantity of life and their quality of life and between active agency in their own healing and being a patient. The clinical relationship with both physicians and CAM persons is very important in ensuring that men make treatment decisions with full information and support. Implications of the findings and future research possibilities are discussed.


In this paper, we present an accessible interface in the context of our work on bringing advanced robotics closer to everyday domestic users. This interface allows inexperienced users to be capable of programming an assistive robotic arm to perform a specific desired task in a household environment. The programming process is performed through the developed Web Browsable interface, within which a Task Creator Wizard plays an essential role. The robot's open architecture enables flexible multi-modal interaction. In addition to the touch buttons provided by the Web Browsable interface when presented on a touch screen, voice commands and the use of the Wii RemoteTM controller for intuitive robotic movement have also been enabled. The Web Browsable interface has been designed to provide high accessibility while taking aesthetic details into account, in order to prevent distraction caused by boredom of the user.


This study reports on the utilisation of the residual organics in sago starch processing
effluent for the production of organic acids. Treatments were conducted under
anaerobic conditions with mild mixing in batch and continuous operations. The
production of organic acids was conducted at different concentrations of sludge (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%), pH (no pH adjustment, controlled constantly at pH 7, manual
adjustment to pH 7 every 12 hours, initial pH 5.5 and pH 7) and retention time (5 days and 7.5 days). The conversion of residual starch to organic acids was very poor
at only 1-2 g/L when the raw sago effluent was treated with its natural microflora and
pH in batch system. However, when 20%-30% (w/w) of sludge was added, about 12-
13 g/L of organic acids were produced within 2 days of treatment, with lactic acid
(9.5 g/L) and acetic acid (2.5 g/L) as the dominant acids, i.e. about 70% yield based
on the initial COD of 18,000 mg/L. The results showed that treatment with
intermittent pH adjustment at pH 7 every 12 hours with 20% of sludge addition appeared to give the highest organic acids concentration (13.4 g/L), with lactic, acetic
and propionic acids at about 9.5 g/L, 2.5 g/L and 1.5 g/L respectively.
The acid composition was dependent on the pH. Acetic acid was mainly produced at
neutral pH range with more than 60% selectivity and lactic acid at lower pH range. At
pH 5.5, lactic acid remained in the medium much longer and a higher selectivity of
more than 80% could be achieved.
During the continuous anaerobic treatment with 5 days retention time, about 7-8 g/L
of organic acids was attained under the steady state condition. By increasing the
retention time to 7.5 days, total organic acids ranged from 6-6.5 g/L was obtained
during the steady state with total microbial population stabilized at 107 cfu/mL in the
reactor. The continuous treatment system succeeded to remove the suspended solids
of the effluent which mainly comprised of residual starch from 18000 mg/L to 2000
mgIL during the steady state. This represented more than 80% of suspended solids
removal. The suspended solids which contributed to the COD of the effluent was
converted to organic acids with 45% yield at steady state. After the recovery process
by ion-exchange chromatography and evaporation, 7.5 and 8.2 times of organic acids
concentration could be achieved with the final concentration attained at 52.3 g/L and
61.3 g/L respectively. The recovery system was capable of removing more than 80% COD from the sago effluent.


—The paper presents optimized hardware structure applied to genome alignment search. The proposed methodology is based on dynamic programming. The authors show how starting from the original Smith-Waterman approach, the algorithm can be optimized and the evaluation process simplified and speeded-up. The main idea is based on the observations of growth trends in the adjacent cells of the systolic array, which leads to the incremental approach. Moreover various coding styles are discussed and the best technique allowing further reduction of resources is selected. The entire processing unit utilizes fully pipelined structure that is well balanced trade-off between performance and resource requirements. The proposed technique is implemented in modern FPGA structures and obtained results proved efficiency of the methodology comparing to other approaches in the field.


Abstract Further evidence is presented for the presence of a persistent periodicity somewhat in excess of 2 years duration. Its existence can be shown in the surface temperature at widely separated stations along two meridians from Norway to South Africa and from Canada to Cape Horn. Time series analysis by means of a narrow band-pass filter indicates phase relations among the stations, the most important of these being that the intertropical regions appear to be mutually in phase and that the higher-latitude stations are out of phase with the tropical stations. In the Northern Hemisphere, at extratropical stations, the amplitudes of the pulse are largest when the pulse extremes coincide with the winter months.