Since 1994, a growing number of South African writers of young adult and crossover fiction have experimented with science fiction and fantasy as tools for anticipating potential futures. In this article, three of these works are considered: The Slayer of Shadows by Elana Bregin, Zoo City by Lauren Beukes and The Mall Rats series consisting of Deadlands and Death of a Saint by Lily Herne. The texts are initially briefly contrasted with two texts by authors based in the USA: Lauren St John's The White Giraffe and Sarah Pinsker's "The Trans-dimensional Horsemaster Rabbis of Mpumalanga  Province" to show that the three local  writers' engagement with the South African present enables them to resist, in varying degrees, prevalent Western tendencies to see positive African futures in terms of either an idealised pre-colonial past or as the result of redemptive agency by external forces. Although almost twenty years separate the Bregin novel from the others, there are clear similarities between them: each is written by a white woman (or women) and each places a young female protagonist within a crumbling, violent and resolutely urban environment. Paradoxically, the future worlds the authors create are at once both profoundly unfamiliar and recognisably South African, perhaps lending credence to Darko Suvin's view that good fantasy gives rise to "cognitive estrangement" (4) by which the reader is freed to explore troubling issues such as guilt and complicity at a safe emotional remove. By foregrounding and contrasting the presentation of divisive contemporary themes such as gender, race, guilt and violence in these novels, it is hoped to establish whether the repressed fears/desires they articulate are in any way indicative of social attitudes to either present experience or imagined futures and whether such attitudes have changed significantly in the twenty years  since  the  first democratic  elections.  Keywords:  Futures  literatures,  science  fiction,  South  African  English  Literature,  youth  literature.


Two genes, originally identified in genetic screens for Caenorhabditis elegans mutants that arrest in metaphase of meiosis I, prove to encode subunits of the anaphase-promoting complex or cyclosome (APC/C). RNA interference studies reveal that these and other APC/C subunits are essential for the segregation of chromosomal homologs during meiosis I. Further, chromosome segregation during meiosis I requires APC/C functions in addition to the release of sister chromatid cohesion.


While barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is the most sensitive species to Al toxicity among small-grain crops, variation in Al resistance between cultivars does exist. We examined the mechanism responsible for differential Al resistance in 21 barley varieties. Citrate was secreted from the roots in response to Al stress. A positive correlation between citrate secretion and Al resistance ((root elongation with Al)/(root elongation without Al)) and a negative correlation between citrate secretion and Al content of root apices, were obtained, suggesting that citrate secretion from the root apices plays an important role in excluding Al and thereby detoxifying Al. The Al-induced secretion of citrate was characterized using an Al-resistant variety (Sigurd korn) and an Al-sensitive variety (Kearney). In Sigurdkorn, Al-induced secretion of citrate occurred within 20 min, and the secretion did not increase with increasing external Al concentration. The Al-induced citrate secretion ceased at low temperature (6 °C) and was inhibited by anion-channel inhibitors. Internal citrate content of root apices was increased by Al exposure in Sigurdkorn, but was not affected in Kearney. The activity of citrate synthase was unaf fected by Al in both Al-resistant and Al-sensitive varieties. The secretion rate of organic acid anions from barley was the lowest among wheat, rye and triticale.


This thesis studies the maximum entropy principle in statistical modelling. Applications are taken from the emerging field of cancer genomics.

We start with a short introduction to the biology of cancer in chapter 1. In chapter 2, we discuss general principles of statistical modelling. We discuss in detail the maximum entropy principle in statistical modelling. In particular, we show that many statistical models can be put in a unified framework based on the principle of maximum entropy, which maps them into problems of statistical mechanics. In chapter 3, we consider a particular maximum entropy model, the Ising model, in the context of the inverse Ising problem. We introduce a Bethe–Peierls approximation to the inverse Ising problem. We then also suggest a modification for the mean-field approximation to work at low temperatures. The following chapters apply maximum entropy models to different problems of cancer genomics. A direct application of the inverse Ising problem to gene copy-number data of cancer cells is described in chapter 4. In chapter 5, we extend the concepts of indirect correlations and direct couplings of the inverse Ising problem to investigate the influence of gene copy-numbers on gene expressions in cancer cells. We show that the correlations in gene expression need not be due to regulatory interactions between genes. Instead, correlations in gene expression of cancer cells can be induced by the correlations in their copy-numbers, which is due to the geometrical organisation of the genome. We show that a simple maximum entropy-model can disentangle copy-number-induced correlations and the so-called "bare-correlations" in gene expression, which capture the effect of regulatory interactions alone. Chapter 6 is devoted to cancer classification. We introduce a simple semi-supervised learning algorithm to train a mixture of paramagnetic models with Ising spins to classify cancer mutation profiles. We show that, with the capability of both learning from unlabelled samples and correcting mislabelled samples, this learning algorithm outperforms both the supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms. The two appendices A and B summarise recent studies on sensitivity and resistance of cancer cells to therapy.

The results of chapter 3 were published in H. C. Nguyen and J. Berg (2012a). "Bethe– Peierls approximation and the inverse Ising problem". J. Stat. Mech. P03004; and H. C. Nguyen and J. Berg (2012b). "Mean-field theory for the inverse Ising problem at low temperatures". Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, p. 50602. Some results of chapter 6 were published as a part of The Clinical Lung Cancer Genome Project (CLCGP) and Network Genomic Medicine (NGM) (2013). "A genomics-based classification of human lung tumors". Science Transl. Med. 5.209, 209ra153.


ABSTRACT Suicide is a growing concern in the virtual warrior community of the United States Air Force (USAF). Identifying risk factors for suicide that are unique to this community of military personnel is therefore critical. A total of 4,340 USAF remote warriors (27.8% remotely piloted aircraft, 60.3% intelligence, and 11.9% cyber warfare operators) completed anonymous surveys that assessed demographic, occupational demands, psychological distress, and suicide ideation. Suicide ideation was self-reported by 5–6% of participants. Results of multinomial logistic regression indicated that burnout increased risk for suicide ideation, but not when psychological distress was included as a covariate.


The cold dark matter model has become the leading theoretical paradigm for the formation of structure in the Universe. Together with the theory of cosmic inflation, this model makes a clear prediction for the initial conditions for structure formation and predicts that structures grow hierarchically through gravitational instability. As a result, small structures collapse first and eventually build large structures such as groups and cluster of galaxies. While clusters are among the most massive bound structures in the Universe, groups are more numerous and most of the galaxies reside within galaxy groups. Testing this model requires that the precise measurements delivered by galaxy surveys can be compared to robust and equally precise theoretical models. The current project consists of two parts. In the first part, we investigate the existence and evolution of early-formed fossil galaxy groups, and the development of the luminosity gap between its brightest galaxies. We study the correlation of these properties with the group mass assembly history, by comparing observations to the Millennium simulation of dark matter particles, and the associated semi-analytic catalogues of galaxies, together with the Millennium gas simulation. Fossil Galaxy Groups are believed to be the end result of galaxies merging within a normal galaxy group, leaving behind the X-ray halo characteristic of a group. The sample of fossils in our study are selected according to the useful definition of fossil groups. The luminosity gap statistics in the Millennium Run are compared to the theoretical models. The study of the mass evolution of fossils shows that in comparison to normal groups, fossils are more evolved systems and have assembled their masses at higher redshifts, while normal groups are still evolving. Our work suggests the earlier formation and higher mass concentration of fossil systems. The estimated space densities from the Millennium Run are smaller (sometimes in agreement within the range of errors in the observations) than those obtained from the observations. Furthermore, we study the development of magnitude gap from a general point of view and its correlation with the mass assembly of groups and clusters of galaxies using the same dark matter simulations. The results show that the current definition of fossils, based on the magnitude gap \(\Delta\)m\(_{12}\)\(\leq\)2, does not satisfy the necessity for a group or cluster to be an early formed system. Moreover, the fossil phase (the duration in which the magnitude gap of a galaxy group remains always above a threshold value, i.e. \(\Delta\)m\(_{12}\)\(\leq\)2 is a temporary phase in the life of groups, and most groups would experience such a phase in their lifetime. We revise the current optical definition of fossil groups, by studying the evolution and history of various physical parameters associated with the mass assembly of galaxy groups and clusters. In the second part of this dissertation, we study the optical properties of a sample of 25 optically selected groups from the XMM-IMACS (XI) project. The project aims to improve our knowledge of how the dynamics and properties of group galaxies describe the global characteristics of groups, by using a combination of radio, X-ray, infrared, and optical observations together with the imaging and spectroscopy of the group galaxy population. The observations were performed during three observing run at the Las Campanas observatory. Image processing and precise astrometry was done for spectroscopic follow-up observations. Group virial radii were found by combining the spectroscopic results together with those from the Millennium simulation. Finally we determined the group luminosity functions using the overdensity radii, with the extracted colour-magnitude relation from the spectroscopic observations, and find that the luminosity function of optically selected groups are very similar to that of X-ray selected groups.


The
key aim of this study was to critically examine stakeholders' perceptions about
how multinational corporations (MNCs) in Sierra Leone can use Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to contribute to sustainable development and
in so doing address the ideals of sustainable development goals (SDGs). This
thesis focuses on Socfin Agricultural Company Ltd. (SL), Addax Bioenergy and
Goldtree (agricultural) as well as Sierra Rutile Ltd. and Koidu Holdings
(mining), which are the largest MNCs operating in Sierra Leone. These two
sectors are the largest in Sierra Leone and constitute the bulk of the
country's GDP. Also, given the huge presence of these MNCs in Sierra Leone,
they are considered to contribute to sustainable development and CSR. Additionally,
in comparison to other developing countries, there is paucity of research in
Sierra Leone addressing the relationship between CSR and sustainable
development. Accordingly, this research examines CSR practices and initiatives
of MNCs in Sierra Leone with the aim to critically determine if their CSR
practices and initiatives as well as comparable projects are advancing the
principles of sustainable development and corporate responsibility. In order to
answer this study's research questions, interviews and focus group data was
gathered from internal and external stakeholders including documentary data for
triangulation. Documentary data was sourced from four main organisations
including Oxfam, Christian Aid (CA), The Human Rights Defenders Network – Sierra
Leone (HRDN-SL), and Human Rights Watch (HRW). Specifically, thematic textual
analysis (TAA) was used in the analysis.

In
this study, combination of legitimacy, stakeholder and triple-bottom-line
theories are used within an interpretive, qualitative research method to
contribute new insights into how CSR can be used to achieve the ideals of
sustainable development. This study therefore demonstrates the centrality of
normative CSR as opposed to the strategic approach for legitimate CSR practice
that will impact on win-win principle. The findings of this study demonstrate
that although MNCs in Sierra Leone make efforts towards sustainable development
through CSR, however as empirically shown, these efforts are not effective
given the ''business case'' and strategic orientation of CSR initiatives and
engagement platforms, which undermine the win-win approach aimed at encouraging
firms to be normative in their operation as well as socially and
environmentally responsible and make profit.

This
thesis thus concludes that in order to arrive at win-win approach, MNCs have to
engage in more result-oriented, genuine approaches for sustainable development
and for MNCs to continually have social licence to operate in a complex,
challenging business environment in Sierra Leone. In sum, the thesis shows that
CSR programmes and policies initiated and/or supported by MNCs are appropriated
to further the interest of economically powerful stakeholders – shareholders –
at the detriment of less economically powerful stakeholders – particularly the
local communities in Sierra Leone.


Artificial spin ice (ASI) is a class of magnetic patterned arrays consisting of interacting ferromagnetic nanomagnets. The nano-scale size and the elongated shape of each nanomagnet ensure the formation of a single domain, which behaves as a 'macrospin' and results in only two possible magnetisation directions along the long axis of the nanomagnet.
ASI system has the potential ability not only as a magnonic crystal because of the microwave properties being associated with its intrinsically intricate magnetisation topologies and inter-element interaction, but as a tool to model the microstructure of atomic scale allowing its fundamental physics to be studied.
This thesis addresses the field-induced properties of the static and dynamic magnetisation in square and pinwheel ASI. Firstly, the magnetic properties of the square ASI specimens were characterised using alternating gradient force magnetometry, Brillouin light scattering and ferromagnetic resonance. Micromagnetic simulations were employed to assist in understanding the experimental results. Secondly, the field-induced evolution of the magnetisation configuration in a finite-size pinwheel ASI array was imaged using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy.
The square structure of the square ASI lattices allows a comparison of the response of the spin-wave modes in the two groups of magnetic elements which are orthogonally aligned to one another. The frequency of the spin-wave mode is dependent on the direction of the applied field, either along the easy or hard axes of the nanomagnet. It has been found that more spin-wave modes are found when the magnetic field lies along the hard axis of the nanomagnet compared to when the field is aligned with the easy axis of the island. This attributes to the formation of more edge modes of standing spin waves in the former case. The experimental behaviour of the static and dynamic magnetisation can be well described via the micromagnetic simulations where only an individual island is considered with an assumption that the inter-island interaction is negligible. Additionally, the field direction with respect to the square ASI lattices is also responsible for the changes in spin-wave frequencies. The results imply that the square ASI could act as a reconfigurable microwave resonator due to its spin-wave frequency being dependent on the changes in magnetisation configuration that were controlled by the applied field.
The dependence of the nanomagnet thickness on the static and the dynamic properties of the square ASI was studied. The nanomagnet thickness is found to be responsible for the coercivity and the number of observed spin-wave modes of the square ASI array. The thicker ASI array has a larger coercive field and produces more spin-wave modes. Micromagnetic simulations suggest that the inter-island coupling contributes weakly to the coercivity and the spin-wave frequency of the thicker array whereas it is negligible for a thinner array. Furthermore, fitting to ferromagnetic resonance data allows for access to information on ferromagnetic parameters, such as gyromagnetic ratio and saturation magnetisation.
Finally, static and dynamic magnetisation topologies in a pinwheel ASI is explored as a function of magnetic field. The pinwheel ASI is a square ASI modified by rotating each nanomagnet 45° around its central axis in the same direction. The energy spread between the pinwheel vertices significantly decreased as the geometrical structure transforms from the square vertices to the pinwheel vertices. The ferromagnetic magnetisation process shows the domain growth mediated via the propagation of domain walls. Intriguingly, some of the observed mesoscopic domain-wall topologies resemble the Neel and the crosstie walls seen in natural ferromagnetic films, while others mimic the configurations of the charged walls found in the ferroelectric materials. In addition, a rotational-field demagnetisation was carried out in order to anneal the pinwheel ASI to the ground state. The results show that the net moment of the entire array decreases and the short-range ground state is attained through the presence of the vortices (Type III) and antivortices (Type IV) vertices, rather than the global Landau-like flux closure structure predicted by Monte Carlo simulations.


Background: Patients often judge their experiences in the emergency department (ED) based upon how long they have to wait, the attitudes of staff, and the information provided them. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the causes in constraints to patient flow in emergency departments by comparing staff, patient, and DSS data findings. Methods: A random sample of patients and their healthcare providers were administered a survey asking them to rank the reasons for delay during three points after triage (60, 120, 180 minutes). A comparison was then done using Spearman's rank correlations and a regression model with independent indicators collected from the hospitals Decision Support System (DSS) which included: time to be seen by doctors, time to laboratory test results, time for radiological results, wait time for hospital bed and discharge in order to compare if the perceptions of constraints are related to the actual reasons for delays in the ED. This study was approved by the Internal Review Board. Results: There was a significant correlation in the ranking of the reason for delays within the first, second and third hours between patients, nurses and doctors. However, when comparing perceptions for delay and independent data, only nurses within the third hour were correct in their understanding of the constraints that lead to delays. Conclusions: Overall, patients and staff view similar reasons for constraints to their timely flow through the ED. There is, however, very little correlation between the survey responses and the independent factors that did constrain the flow of the ED. A more extensive use and integration of the DSS system by staff could provide more reliable information for reasons for delay that could be communicated to the ED patients which could improve customer service.


Optical flow switching is a promising architecture to service large transactions of end users with cost-effective and power-efficient direct access to all-optical networks. For dynamic sessions that are bursty, unscheduled, and only require short transmission times at the full rate of a single wavelength (approximately ones to tens of seconds), the network management and control effort can be substantial, even unimplementable if fast booking and initiation of flow service is needed. In this paper, we describe a fast scheduling algorithm that sets up end-to-end connections for users with urgent large transactions with a scheduling delay of slightly more than one round-trip time. This fast setup of connections is achieved by probing multiple lightpaths between the source and the destination. Probing multiple lightpaths is necessary for moderate to high network loads to achieve low blocking probability. However, the network burden of network-state updates and computational complexity of scheduling can be overwhelming and make the algorithm hard to scale to large networks. With the help of information about network regions periodically updated in the form of sampled entropy and mutual information of the network states, the required efforts can be substantially reduced. To minimize probing efforts and avoid unnecessarily tying up network resources, we use a modified Bellman - Ford Algorithm (Entropy - BF) to select the fewest lightpaths for probing that can satisfy a service-level-blocking probability agreement between the user and the network provider. By collapsing details of network states into scalar parameters for average entropy and mutual information, we can greatly reduce both the amount of network-state information collected and/or disseminated and the computation complexity of the lightpath selection process of the probing algorithm. The algorithm is also robust to variations of traffic statistics because it does not depend on detailed assumptions about the statistical model of the traffic, which is often unknown and highly variable in real networks. The throughput performance of this access protocol can be kept high while the network-state protocol burden and computation efforts are reduced by orders of magnitude.


DC-SIGN (dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3 grabbing non-integrin) is a C-type lectin receptor (CLR) present, mainly in dendritic cells (DCs), as one of the major pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). This receptor has a relevant role in viral infection processes. Recent approaches aiming to block DC-SIGN have been presented as attractive anti-HIV strategies. DC-SIGN binds mannose or fucose-containing carbohydrates from viral proteins such as the HIV envelope glycoprotein gp120. We have previously demonstrated that multivalent dendrons bearing multiple copies of glycomimetic ligands were able to inhibit DC-SIGN-dependent HIV infection in cervical explant models. Optimization of glycomimetic ligands requires detailed characterization and analysis of their binding modes because they notably influence binding affinities. In a previous study we characterized the binding mode of DC-SIGN with ligand 1, which shows a single binding mode as demonstrated by NMR and X-ray crystallography. In this work we report the binding studies of DC-SIGN with pseudotrisaccharide 2, which has a larger affinity. Their binding was analysed by TR-NOESY and STD NMR experiments, combined with the CORCEMA-ST protocol and molecular modelling. These studies demonstrate that in solution the complex cannot be explained by a single binding mode. We describe the ensemble of ligand bound modes that best fit the experimental data and explain the higher inhibition values found for ligand 2.


The Supreme Court accords starkly different treatment to private expression and government speech for First Amendment purposes. While regulation of private speech generally must be viewpoint neutral, the government is subject to no such requirement when it engages in speech of its own. But the line between private expression and government speech is often fuzzy. To draw this distinction, the Supreme Court has placed increasing emphasis on whether members of the public reasonably perceive the relevant expression to be private or government speech. We think this turn toward public perception is a welcome development: government intervention in the marketplace of ideas is especially dangerous when it is nontransparent, so before allowing government officials to escape the viewpoint-neutrality requirement, courts should verify that the public actually perceives the speech in question to emanate from the government. But the Court has so far failed to develop a reliable method for determining how ordinary citizens distinguish between private and government messages, relying instead on armchair speculation. Meanwhile, scholars have not yet mustered any evidence as to when and why individuals understand messages to be private expression or government speech.
To begin to fill this empirical void, we presented a variety of speech scenarios to a nationally representative sample of more than 1200 respondents and asked the respondents to assess whether the speech in question was the government's. Some of the speculative claims made by the justices in recent government speech cases are borne out by our survey, but others prove less accurate. We further find that respondents are somewhat more likely to attribute messages to the government if they agree with those messages themselves; in this respect, lay people may be little different from judges, whose decisions in government speech cases sometimes seem to be influenced by ideology. We end by considering whether courts should consult survey evidence in resolving cases that involve government speech claims. An advantage of survey experiments is that they can be used to disentangle the effects of medium from the effects of message, reducing the risk that government speech doctrine will systematically favor some messages over others. To be sure, the use of survey evidence raises a number of implementation issues that require careful thought, but we ultimately conclude that an empirically informed government speech doctrine would protect First Amendment values more successfully than a doctrine dependent upon judicial guesswork.


This research proposes a new (old) metric for evaluating goodness of fit in topic models, the coefficient of determination, or $R^2$. Within the context of topic modeling, $R^2$ has the same interpretation that it does when used in a broader class of statistical models. Reporting $R^2$ with topic models addresses two current problems in topic modeling: a lack of standard cross-contextual evaluation metrics for topic modeling and ease of communication with lay audiences. The author proposes that $R^2$ should be reported as a standard metric when constructing topic models.


We describe a three-hour class on global dual sourcing built around a game that demonstrates the challenges in making operational decisions, and transfers recent academic insights to the classroom. Student teams manage a firm with access to a responsive but expensive supply source Mexico and a cheap but remote source China. Each team must determine a sourcing strategy to satisfy random demand that is revealed throughout the game. In each period, teams place orders to both sources and manage two assets: inventory and their bank account. The goal is to maximize each team's value final bank balance. During the debriefings, we analyze the policies used by different teams along both financial and operational metrics, present the optimal strategy, and summarize the experiential learning points.


Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of primary brain tumor in humans. Its aggressive and infiltrative growth into the brain, and, at best, only partial sensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, renders it extremely difficult to treat and survival remains dismal. Growth factors, such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF), and their corresponding receptors are seen in glioma tissue, suggesting the presence of autocrine stimulatory loops. PDGFB and a mutated EGF receptor were also identified as cellular homologues of two oncoviruses, thereby indicating a role in tumorigenesis. This thesis presents a brain tumor model in mice, developed using a PDGFB coding retrovirus to induce overexpression of PDGF-B in neonatal mouse brain. Immature tumors, with histological characteristics of primary brain tumors developed at relatively high frequencies. Mice injected with a non-coding retrovirus did not develop tumors, indicating the crucial role of PDGF stimulation in this system. Tumor cells were also shown to continue to depend on PDGF stimulation when cultured in vitro. In human glioblastomas, growth factor receptor signaling is present in conjunction with defects in cell cycle arrest pathways. When the PDGFB-virus model was used with p53 or Ink4a-Arf deficient mice, tumors arose with shorter latency and higher frequency. Loss of p53 or Ink4a-Arf seemed to facilitate signaling through the PI3K/Akt pathway. Thus, a functional role for the co-existence of p53 loss of function and PDGF signaling in a subset of gliomas is presented. Human GBM samples were collected and analyzed with respect to expression and activation of the EGFR and PDGFRα. Most tumors expressed the both receptors at moderate to high levels, but high activation of either receptor seemed mutually exclusive.


The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC), which includes the World Data Center (WDC) for Atmospheric Trace Gases, is the primary global-change data and information analysis center of the Department of Energy (DOE). More than just an archive of data sets and publications, CDIAC has--since its inception in 1982--enhanced the value of its holdings through intensive quality assurance, documentation, and integration. Whereas many traditional data centers are discipline-based (for example, meteorology or oceanography), CDIAC's scope includes potentially anything and everything that would be of value to users concerned with the greenhouse effect and global climate change, including concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and other radiatively active gases in the atmosphere; the role of the terrestrial biosphere and the oceans in the biogeochemical cycles of greenhouse gases; emissions of CO{sub 2} and other trace gases to the atmosphere; long-term climate trends; the effects of elevated CO{sub 2} on vegetation; and the vulnerability of coastal areas to rising sea level. CDIAC is located within the Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. CDIAC is co-located with ESD researchers investigating global-change topics, such as the global carbon cycle and the effects of carbon dioxide on vegetation. CDIAC staff are also connected with current ORNL research on related topics, such as renewable energy and supercomputing technologies. CDIAC is supported by the Environmental Sciences Division (Jerry Elwood, Acting Director) of DOE's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. CDIAC's FY 1999 budget was 2.2M dollars. CDIAC represents the DOE in the multi-agency Global Change Data and Information System. Bobbi Parra, and Wanda Ferrell on an interim basis, is DOE's Program Manager with responsibility for CDIAC. CDIAC comprises three groups, Global Change Data, Computer Systems, and Information Services, with seventeen full-time and part-time staff. The Global Change Data group is responsible for identifying and obtaining databases important to global-change research, analyzing data, compiling needed databases, providing data management support to specific programs (e.g., NARSTO), and preparing documentation to ensure the long-term utility of CDIAC's data holdings. The Computer Systems group provides computer system support for all CDIAC and WDC activities, including designing and maintaining CDIAC's computing system network; ensuring compliance with ORNL/DOE computing security regulations; ensuring long-term preservation of CDIAC data holdings through systematic backups; evaluating, developing, and implementing software; ensuring standards compliance; generating user statistics; providing Web design, development, and oversight; and providing systems analysis and programming assistance for scientific data projects. The Information Services group responds to data and information requests; maintains records of all request activities; assists in Web development and maintenance; and produces CDIAC's newsletter, CDIAC Communications, catalog, glossary, and educational materials. The following section provides further details on CDIAC's organization.


Liability of arbitrators touches the heart of the concept of arbitration as it affects the legal relationship between the arbitrators and the parties and concerns some essential issues on the nature of the arbitrator's mandate. This article intends to propose an alternative conceptual approach to the immunity-based theories, endorsing the suggestion that the arbitrator shall be liable as any normal intellectual service provider for breach of her obligations. Regarding the regime of liability, a systematization is proposed whereby strict liability, fault-based liability and tortious liability cohabitate. This relationship is argued being contractual. The existence of an objective contractual exchange underlies contractual liability for breach. As a consequence, the thesis proposed in this article is that the arbitrator shall be liable for breaches of the obligations contractually incurred. These contractual obligations can be divided into two main clusters, namely, the obligation to decide the dispute submitted and the obligation to provide a fair and equal adjudication. Thus, a dual regime of contractual liability for arbitrators is proposed. A separate set of obligations is represented by the pre-contractual duties of disclosure, which are tort-based. The plain existence of a contractual relationship between the arbitrator and the parties automatically sets aside all those theories claiming that because of the status or for some policy argument, the arbitrator must be immune from liability. As a consequence, any immunity or qualified immunity-based theory is rebutted in favor of a full liability-based conceptual scheme.


In Szurovecz v. Hungary, the European Court of Human Rights has held that a refusal to grant a journalist access to an asylum-seeker 'reception centre' in Hungary violated his right to freedom of expression under Article 10 ECHR. The ECtHR emphasised that newsgathering, including 'first-hand' observation by a journalist reporting on a matter of significant public interest, is an essential part of journalistic research and press freedom. The ECtHR found that the public interest in reporting from certain locations is especially relevant where the authorities' handling of vulnerable groups is at stake, and the presence of media is a guarantee that the authorities can be held to account for their conduct.


: Spring (MAM) snow coverage across North America (NA) has significantly declined during the last half-century (1967−2016), with possible linkages to changing behaviors in large-scale atmospheric circulation. In this study, we investigated relationships between intraseasonal, sub-continental NA snow cover characteristics and the Pacific−North American (PNA) teleconnec-tion pattern, which quantifies longwave, ridge−trough fluctuations in the 500 hPa geopotential height (GPH) field over the Northern Hemisphere. Correlation and composite techniques were applied to analyze NA spring and intra-spring snow cover extent (SCE) and snowline (SL) associations with PNA index variations. Results show the PNA pattern to be significantly correlated to interannual SL and SCE during April and climatological spring, particularly over western NA. Anomalous PNA values (i.e. exceeding ±1 SD from the index mean) particularly influence transient snow in early/mid-spring. Composites of 500 hPa GPH and low-level air temperature fields suggest that both positive and negative March PNA index anomalies are linked with expansion of western and NA-wide snow cover, while positive (negative) April PNA anomalies yield retreat (advance) to varying magnitudes across sub-continental NA. Seasonal persistence of the PNA pattern is also an important factor in determining regional snow conditions, as negative PNA values in March−April favors above-normal total spring snow coverage, while positive PNA values in these months evoke a slight retreat (advance) that is dependent on negative (positive) phase persistence through May. This study provides additional insight into mid-tropospheric circulation connections to NA spring-time snow cover during an era of rapid climate and environmental change.


This article deals with a problem of measuring of magnetic materials, especially a punched laminations, which are used in construction of electric machines. It is very complicated to reach precise value of magnetic parameters, when there are used different methods. In this paper, there are compared values from manufacturer (Epstein frame) and alternative values obtained during the measurement on own sample (in shape of toroid). Magnetic properties of material can be changed relatively easy so it is appropriate to measure up worked material.


Aged-care provision is a burning issue in Japan because of the country's unparalleled longevity and a fraying tradition of children caring for parents. Use of technology offers one approach to helping ease the increasing burden of aged care. Ways of using technology can be conveniently classified into three options. The first is to rely on well-tested technologies developed outside Japan. The second is for significant Japanese investment in high-technology aged-care supports, including robotics. The third is for significant Japanese development in barrier-free technology, a low-technology direction. Articulating these options and spelling out their likely consequences helps to highlight some of the implicit value judgements involved in Japanese technology policy for aged care. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.


Trepanation is a worldwide phenomenon that is most often studied on a case-by-case basis with few comparisons cross-culturally or through time and with no agreement as to why it was practiced. Earlier theories have suggested ritualistic and magico-therapeutic purposes and have proposed a higher frequency of trepanations in adult males as a result of injuries sustained in warfare and gender-specific ritual practices. A compilation of case reports and information on trepanation is therefore vital for a bioarchaeological study of the procedure. This research catalogues and describes 297 incidences of trepanation in the extant literature in order to present a worldwide comparison of the practice and ascertain reasons for its performance. This thesis collects and reviews all of the cases of trepanation reported in the English-language scholarly literature to look for overall patterns that might lend credence to one explanation or another and to examine temporal and geographic variation. This study is of potential significance because it establishes a baseline review of all cases that others can use to draw conclusions about the reasons for this fascinating practice worldwide or in specific localities.  Four questions are answered in the Discussion section. Are more men than women trepanned because men are more likely to be involved in warfare as the literature suggests? Yes in fact more than twice the number of males than females were trepanned. Is there any evidence to support cultural explanations or is this a residual category used for when skeletal remains show no evidence of pathology? It is difficult to determine if a procedure was done for cultural reasons especially when there are no written records. Additionally lack of skeletal pathology is linked to the osteological paradox the fact that individuals who are the sickest die before manifesting any skeletal evidence. A third question is whether or not there is any evidence to support the theory of diffusion which states that trepanation originated in one or two centers and then diffused to other areas. This is also difficult to prove although there are two centers that have evidence of trepanation from the Mesolithic: Eastern and Western Europe. And lastly is there any cultural evidence to support subadult trepanation or only biological evidence? Most of the trepanned juvenile population showed biological factors that would necessitate trepanation except for one case. Out of the total observed sample sex was mentioned in 215 out of all 293 cases. Out of these 215 individuals 52.9% (155) were male 20.45% (60) were female and 26.62% (78) individuals' sex was indeterminate. Only 209 out of the total 293 individuals' age-at-death were reported. The majority of the sample of both sexes was under 30 years of age.  These data sources revealed that slightly more adult males were trepanned than females and children. The few trepanned children showed evidence of developmental disorders such as scurvy and hydrocephaly but this may not necessarily have been the reason for trepanation. Since the trepanned males did not always display possible related pathologies it is highly likely that they were trepanned for both biological and ritualistic reasons.


In 1988, John Paul II wrote on the dignity and vocation of women, anddeveloped his view of the "equal but complementary" status and role of men andwomen. This article seeks to juxtapose John Paul II's theological anthropologyin light of the situation of Filipino women, framing the discussion within thedynamics of the Filipino cultural traits of hiya (shame) and dangal (honor).The article depicts the tension within John Paul II's anthropology, discussingthe ways in which his anthropology is helpful in allowing Filipino women todiscover their dangal, and the ways in which it is detrimental to her, allowingher to remain in her hiya. Though the primary focus is on the experience ofFilipino women, recasting the virtues that Filipino women might seek, thearticle seeks a shared vision for all Filipino women and men, exposing pathsto fuller dignity for all.


Kernel approximation is commonly used to scale kernel-based algorithms to applications containing as many as several million instances. This paper analyzes the effect of such approximations in the kernel matrix on the hypothesis generated by several widely used learning algorithms. We give stability bounds based on the norm of the kernel approximation for these algorithms, including SVMs, KRR, and graph Laplacian-based regularization algorithms. These bounds help determine the degree of approximation that can be tolerated in the estimation of the kernel matrix. Our analysis is general and applies to arbitrary approximations of the kernel matrix. However, we also give a specific analysis of the Nystr ¨ om low-rank approximation in this context and report the results of experiments evaluating the ′ − �| =


Objectives: Holistic face processing is considered a developmental face recognition marker, and is often assessed using the Composite Face Effect. This research, comparing adults and young children, employed chimeric (vertically-split) hemi-faces as a paradigm variation. Horizontally separated (gap) and vertically separated (misaligned) conditions measured release from holistic binding. A simultaneous matching condition, examined whole face processing. Images were constructed from photographs of a single target (Target present - TP), or of two different targets (Target absent – TA). Overall, children's performance was expected to be inferior to adults. However, with less developed holistic binding processes, their performance at TA hemi-face discrimination might be comparatively superior.

Design: A 2 (age: adult, children) x 4 (image condition: matching, chimeric, gap, misaligned) x 5 (image identity: TP-Same, TP-Mirrored, TP-Different, TA-Similar (physical appearance), TA-Dissimilar) mixed design was employed. Accuracy and response time data were collected.

Methods: Participants (21 adults; 27 children) provided speeded 'same' or 'different' identity responses to randomly presented images across conditions.

Results: No response time effects across age groups were significant. Adults were more accurate in the gap, matching and the chimeric conditions, but not misaligned trials. TA-Similar accuracy, particularly in children was worse than TA-Dissimilar.

Conclusions: In matching and chimeric trials children displayed equivalent but inferior patterns of performance to adults, suggesting that expertise develops with age. There were no age group differences in the misaligned trials. Children's gap condition accuracy was considerably worse suggesting that they release less readily from holistic binding with horizontally, but not vertically separated hemi-face images.


There is a growing consensus that the charge separation taking place in dye-sensitized solar cells is a multiscale process occurring on a times scale from a few to hundreds of picoseconds. We studied the excited state dynamics of the robust and efficient push-pull dye RK1 in solution, on mesoporous films and in complete photovoltaics cells by femtosecond fluorescence upconversion. On polar environment and cells, the dynamics at early times are dominated by an intramolecular electronic relaxation while electron injection is predominant on thin films only. In cells, the electron injection process becomes visible on a later stage, from tens to hundreds of picoseconds. Our study shows that it is crucial to record and analyze full time-resolved fluorescence spectra in order to obtain wavelength independent dynamics and get a correct description of the nature and the population of the excited state.


With the maturity and wide availability of GPS, wireless, telecommunication, and Web technologies, massive amounts of object movement data have been collected from various moving object targets, such as animals, mobile devices, vehicles, and climate radars. Analyzing such data has deep implications in many applications, such as, ecological study, traffic control, mobile communication management, and climatological forecast. In this article, we focus our study on animal movement data analysis and examine advanced data mining methods for discovery of various animal movement patterns. In particular, we introduce a moving object data mining system, MoveMine, which integrates multiple data mining functions, including sophisticated pattern mining and trajectory analysis. In this system, two interesting moving object pattern mining functions are newly developed: (1) periodic behavior mining and (2) swarm pattern mining. For mining periodic behaviors, a reference location-based method is developed, which first detects the reference locations, discovers the periods in complex movements, and then finds periodic patterns by hierarchical clustering. For mining swarm patterns, an efficient method is developed to uncover flexible moving object clusters by relaxing the popularly-enforced collective movement constraints.
 In the MoveMine system, a set of commonly used moving object mining functions are built and a user-friendly interface is provided to facilitate interactive exploration of moving object data mining and flexible tuning of the mining constraints and parameters. MoveMine has been tested on multiple kinds of real datasets, especially for MoveBank applications and other moving object data analysis. The system will benefit scientists and other users to carry out versatile analysis tasks to analyze object movement regularities and anomalies. Moreover, it will benefit researchers to realize the importance and limitations of current techniques and promote future studies on moving object data mining. As expected, a mastery of animal movement patterns and trends will improve our understanding of the interactions between and the changes of the animal world and the ecosystem and therefore help ensure the sustainability of our ecosystem.


SUMMARY We present a resolution study of the velocity structure beneath Iceland as constrained by teleseismic traveltime tomography using data from the HOTSPOT seismic network. This temporary PASSCAL network and the tomographic technique that was used to generate the ICEMAN velocity models are typical of regional seismic studies. Therefore, this study also provides a basis for understanding the resolution of other regional seismic experiments. A suite of tests is used to constrain the range of velocity models that satisfy the traveltime observations on Iceland. These include ray-theoretical squeezing experiments, which attempt to force velocity anomalies into specific geometries while still satisfying the data set, and finite-frequency experiments, which use the spectral-element method (SEM) to simulate full waveform propagation through various 3-D velocity models. The use of the SEM allows the verification of the ray-theoretical ICEMAN models without the assumption of ray theory. The tests show that the ICEMAN models represent an end-member of the range of velocity models that satisfy the data set. The 200-km-width Gaussian-shaped upwelling beneath Iceland, imaged in the ICEMAN models, is at the broadest end of the allowed model range; the peak −2 per cent compressional and −4 per cent shear wave perturbations are lower bounds on the amplitude of the velocity model. Such broadening and lowering of velocity anomalies is the product of data coverage, the ray-theory approximation and regularization of the inversion. Comparison of the traveltime delays produced by a 100-km-diameter conduit as measured at short (1 s) and long (∼20 s) periods demonstrate that such a conduit cannot satisfy the observed traveltime delays. Thus the width of the upwelling conduit beneath Iceland must lie in the range of 100 to 200 km. Separate tests on the minimum depth extent of the anomaly show that significant low velocities are required to 350 km depth. Should the true conduit be at the narrower end of the possible range, both compressional and shear wave perturbations greater than 10 per cent would be required to depths of at least 350 km. Mineral physics experiments indicate that such velocity anomalies would in turn require the presence of partial melt or some other fluids to these depths. These bounds on the allowed velocity structure beneath Iceland provide a constraint on geodynamic models for the generation of the Iceland hotspot, whether it is the result of a top-down or bottom-up process.


This paper explores the dynamics that underlie the process of mentoring high-school students, with Catholic Junior College in Singapore as a site of practice. Using Luke's journey narrative of Jesus' walk with the two disciples to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), it proposes a Christological framework that construes the relational practice of mentoring as involving four movements - receiving, blessing, breaking and giving. Within the limited scope of this paper, I focus specifically on the movement of receiving: What does it mean to receive a young person as a mentee? In what manner can a teacher-mentor receive the young person? What practical strategies can teacher-mentors employ to help them 'see' where the young person is at?


In this article, we examine policies related to in-state resident tuition and state financial aid policies aimed at undocumented students. To help frame the discussion and spark further debate and research in this area the article seeks to do three things. First, it provides a comprehensive review of state and institutional in-state tuition policies aimed at undocumented students as well as state college or university system responses. Second, it charts the policy landscape for state financial aid access for this population. Third, it examines the numerous implications that such policies engender and highlights the role of the federal government and the proposed Dream Act in mitigating some of these concerns. It closes by underscoring the important financial role played by the critical interaction of state, institutional, and federal policies in making college going a reality for these students while proposing avenues for future study around the issue.


This article seeks to understand the manner in which
the commitment to freedom of expression has evolved
in both Canada and Colombia, based on the examination
of historical patterns and court decisions. Through the
lens of the Canadian experience, it looks at the difficulties
faced by Colombia, where the state is still struggling to
exercise the monopoly of power within its own territory
as a first stumbling block to the consolidation of its
democracy. Any effort to compare the exercise of liberties
in two countries with such different legal traditions
faces obvious challenges, even more so when after 200
years of independence one of the countries has still
failed to achieve the stability and security required to
assure sustainable economic development. However, in the 21st century the principles underlying the political and economic systems of both
countries are the same, and they share, at least formally, a commitment to respect
democracy, human rights and principles of good government. This is the primary
motivation behind this analysis.


Numerous studies have discussed the potential impacts of tourism on residents' quality of life (QOL). Despite this rich body of research, some researchers have identified the need to investigate this dimension using a qualitative approach as well as in rural areas where tourism is under development. Partly in response to these calls, the present study uses the case of a Western Australian town to investigate QOL through the lens of social exchange theory. Through focus groups, face-to-face interviews, and online questionnaires, qualitative data were gathered among the town's residents. Overall, the impacts of tourism on participants' QOL are positive. Four predominant exchanges related to QOL from tourism's effects emerged: economic, bonding, material, and cultural. Although economic exchanges—including job creation and income—are the main triggers of QOL, bonding exchanges—through volunteering and attending events—are also considered as fundamental. This study discusses key implications and suggests future research avenues.


A large body of quantitative research has addressed people's sunbathing and artificial tanning behaviour although to date there has not been any qualitative studies on these topics. This study seeks to extend what is known about sunbed use from prior statistically based research by taking a qualitative approach to explore the reasoning which underpins sunbed use. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 18 (nine male and nine female) sunbed users. Interviews transcripts underwent Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, which resulted in the emergence of five themes. These themes revealed varied reasons why participants began using a sunbed. However, continued use was found to be mainly due to a feeling that it enhanced the way participants looked, despite all participants acknowledging that the tan a sunbed produces is not necessarily healthy and carries the risk of skin cancer. Three findings are of particular note: a varied peer element to engaging in and maintaining sunbed use is consistently related by participants; many experienced their tanning behaviour as addictive; and participants were more concerned about the possible aging effects of artificial tanning than the risk of skin cancer. The emergent themes are discussed and compared in the light of previous research, and in terms of theory on 'risk'.


An image of Shakespeare hitherto unnoted and unrecorded is found in an engraved frontispiece placed before The Lives of the Most Famous English Poets: Or, The Honour of Parnassus (1687) by William Winstanley. The engraving depicts a bust of Shakespeare placed on a pedestal that stands between obelisks honoring Chaucer and Cowley. A winged figure conferring fame on all three poets hovers above Shakespeare, who is accorded pride of place. The engraving is by Frederick Hendrick van Hove and appears to derive from Gerard Soest's adaptation of the Chandos portrait of Shakespeare.


11 Food Composition Harmonisation in International Nutrition Programme Management Food composition data underpin some of the most fundamental activities in nutrition . Yet these data are being generated, compiled, disseminated and used without a consistent approach, cohesive framework or proper management guidelines. The International Network of Food Data S ystems (INFOODS) was established to address these problems. The aim of this thesis was to examine the concept of the international food composition programme management framework, and extend that concept specificall y as it relates to harmonisation issues, into the next stages of elaboration. The research focus was to identify the issues, analyse the problems, and propose solutions. The management challenges identified and analysed included technical harmonisation issues, inter-sectoral coordination of activities, infrastructural capacity-building, and establishing broad interand intra-agency affi liations . The two technical harmonisation issues most critical to achieving success were identification of foods, including development of standards and guidelines for food nomenclature, terminology, descriptions, images, and associated documentation; and identification of food components, including all the methodological and documentation considerations. The development of these standards required coordination at the international level , and implementation regionall y and nationally . The significant sectors involved in food composition activities included health, agriculture and trade. Each had its own dominant area but the overlaps were significant, and in many cases, coordination of the sectors was not achieved, even at the national leveL This led to inefficient use of resources and the production of data that was not suitable for all required purposes. Pursuing greater coordination between sectors led to better al location of funds for all the activities, and ultimately addressed some of the significant infrastructural problems which were l argely related to resource restriction. Trade was shown to be the sector presenting the most demanding of the harmonisation requirements. Affi liation required l iaison and agreements with international agencies involved in different or the same aspects of food composition work. For food composition harmonisation issues, the Codex Alimentarius Commission , the World Trade Organization, and AOAC International were identified as being most relevant for INFO ODS to pursue on behalf of the food composition community. Many other aspects of affil iation were identified at the regional and national levels . The INFOODS concept was endorsed as the appropriate framework; with national food composition programmes contributing to and cooperating with regional data centres, which facilitated a coordinated approach to food composition activities for a group of countries; and with a global secretariat undertaking the work of international coordination. A lthough the concept was endorsed, the framework and the activities required more development.


We consider the task of learning a parametric Continuous Time Markov Chain (CTMC) sequence model without examples of sequences, where the training data consists entirely of aggregate steady-state statistics. Making the problem harder, we assume that the states we wish to predict are unobserved in the training data. Specifically, given a parametric model over the transition rates of a CTMC and some known transition rates, we wish to extrapolate its steady state distribution to states that are unobserved. A technical roadblock to learn a CTMC from its steady state has been that the chain rule to compute gradients will not work over the arbitrarily long sequences necessary to reach steady state —from where the aggregate statistics are sampled. To overcome this optimization challenge, we propose ∞-SGD, a principled stochastic gradient descent method that uses randomly-stopped estimators to avoid infinite sums required by the steady state computation, while learning even when only a subset of the CTMC states can be observed. We apply ∞-SGD to a real-world testbed and synthetic experiments showcasing its accuracy, ability to extrapolate the steady state distribution to unobserved states under unobserved conditions (heavy loads, when training under light loads), and succeeding in difficult scenarios where even a tailor-made extension of existing methods fails.


Growth of seven species of mayflies in three families (Baetidae, Leptophlebiidae and Heptageniidae) was investigated in the laboratory (Procloeon sp. 2 and Chopralla sp.), in the field (Cinygmina sp. and Baetiella pseudofrequenta), or both (Afronurus sp., Procloeon sp. 1 and Choroterpes spp.). Animals were reared in laboratory tanks and or in field cages at three sites in two Hong Kong (lat. 22° 17'N) streams, Tai Po Kau Forest Stream (TPKFS) and an open and shaded section of the Lam Tsuen River (LTR: LTRO and LTRS, respectively). Growth rates (mg mg -1 d -1 ) in the laboratory ranged from 0.12 (Afronurus sp.) to 0.3 (Procloeon sp. 1), and from 0.059 (Cinygmina sp.) to 0.23 (B. pseudofrequenta) in the field. All species were multivoltine. Baetids could complete more than eight generations a year, heptageniids at least four, and Choroterpes (Leptophlebiidae) up to eight. The influence of food quantity on growth was measured under laboratory and field conditions, while the effect of temperature was studied by rearing mayflies in the field throughout the year. In the laboratory, some mayfly species grew faster when reared on food collected from LTRO than from LTRS but in situ growth rates of Afronurus sp., Cinygmina sp. and Choroterpes spp. were similar in both LTR sites. No significant differences in growth rates among any sites were found for B. pseudofrequenta and Procloeon sp. 1, but growth rates at TPKFS were generally lower than at LTR for most species. Mayfly growth increased linearly with temperature, explaining 23-77 % of the total variation in field growth rates throughout the year.


Motion picture technology developed at the dawn of the 20th century, just as the formal colonization of Africa was launched at the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885. While it took a few decades for cinema houses to spread in West Africa, by mid-century the colonial administrations began to use film as a means for conveying colonial culture to African subjects. For the British and French colonials, film was a means to shape public opinion. Both British and French colonial administrations criminalized indigenous filmmaking for fear of the subversive potential of anti-colonial messages—film communicated in one direction only. When West African nations became independent in the late 20th century, these restrictions vanished and Africans began to make films. This process played out differently in Francophone Africa than in Anglophone countries. France cultivated African filmmakers, sponsored training, and funded film projects. Talented and determined filmmakers in Anglophone Africa also struggled to produce celluloid films, but unlike their counterparts in former French colonies, they received little support from abroad. A significant number of excellent celluloid films were produced under this system, but largely in Francophone Africa. Though many of these filmmakers have gained global recognition, most remained virtually unknown in Africa outside the elite spaces of the FESPACO film festival and limited screenings at French embassies. Though West African filmmakers have produced an impressive body of high-quality work, few Africans beyond the intellectual elite know of Africa's most famous films. This paradox of a continent with renowned filmmakers but no local film culture began to change in the 1990s when aspiring artists in Nigeria and Ghana began to make inexpensive movies using video technology. Early works were edited on VCRs, but as digital video technology advanced, this process of informal video production quickly spread to other regions. The West African video movie industry has grown to become one of the most prominent, diverse, and dynamic expressions of a pan-African popular culture in Africa and throughout the global diaspora.


Background
Total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) is considered a successful curative procedure for many stiff painful shoulder disorders. However, it may be associated with many complications. Glenoid loosening is thought to be the most common complication of anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (ATSA); its underlying causes could be mechanical (abnormal loading), septic (infections) or aseptic (autoimmune reaction). This study discusses the mechanical glenoid component loosening after ATSA.

II. Hypotheses (Hi, Hii & Hiii)
(Hi) The recorded mean peak pressure values of the ATSA components are expected to vary greatly according to the motion type; (Hii) the recorded mean peak pressure values are expected to vary between the initial and final phases of each tested specimen; and (Hiii) the occurrence of glenoid component loosening and its degree of extension are expected to be related to the changes of the obtained mean peak pressure values.

III. Objectives
This study's aim was to conduct a comprehensive experimental biomechanical evaluation of the stability of ATSA components under phasic cyclic loading, as follows: (i) testing of the degree of artificial glenoid component stability under repetitive phasic cyclic loading; (ii) testing of the relation between the criteria of the applied cyclic loading according to our testing plan and the occurrence of glenoid component loosening; (iii) measurement and assessment of the values, patterns and magnitudes of the contact pressure between the joint components under cyclic loading; (iv) comparison between the obtained mean peak contact pressure values under cyclic loading in the initial and final phases to detect any relations and/or differences; (v) correlation of the measured pressure values during testing with the QCT findings with respect to glenoid component loosening.

IV. Materials
A series of six fresh-frozen complete cadaveric shoulder joint specimens (bones and soft tissues) was used in this study. The specimens were implanted with ATSA components and tested successively by mounting them on the shoulder simulator. To measure the values mentioned above, we used a TekScan system with a group of two-headed pressure sensor foils, QCT, shoulder pointer and a digitalized 3Dimaging Zebris system with US, in addition to the routinely used surgical and lab instruments in such experiments.

V. Methodology
The specimens were scanned prior to experimentation to evaluate their articular surfaces morphology. Then the specimens were implanted with ATSA components and a pressure sensor was inserted within the joint cavity of each specimen and situated on the glenoid component surface. The six specimens were successively mounted on the shoulder simulator and each was tested through three phases of cyclic loading in the three directions of motion. The 1st and 3rd short phases took place for each specimen with insertion of a pressure sensor within the joint cavity, while the 2nd long phase took place without sensor insertion. After the completion of all experiments, the specimens were again scanned with QCT to evaluate the position of the implanted glenoids and any presence of radiolucency and/or loosening.

VI. Findings (Observations & Examinations)
Two specimens were severely unstable during testing, even with the application of lower loads, particularly during abduction/adduction motion cycles. Provisional and/or subsequent controlling physical examinations revealed either a malposition of the glenoid component or a suspected abnormal glenoid morphology. The other four specimens were completely stable during testing in all motion directions with the application of different loading forces and stabilizing weights. Four specimens were radiologically determined to have a massive glenoid component loosening after the completion of testing.

VII. Results
The recorded mean peak pressure values varied greatly between the testing phases, testing cycles and motion directions. The highest mean peak pressure values were recorded during AA testing episodes, followed by FE testing episodes. The lowest mean peak pressure values were recorded during IE testing episodes. However, high mean peak pressure values were also recorded during IE testing episodes, but with a low frequency. In seven testing episodes, the recorded mean peak pressure values were higher by 16.7 % in all directions of motion in the final testing phase than those recorded in the initial phase of all testing episodes (42 testing episodes). According to the computed t-test values between the initial and final phases per motion direction/per specimen, null hypothesis (Hypothesis (Hii)) was accepted in the whole AA & FE testing cycles with a percentage of 100%, while it was rejected in only one relation of IE testing cycles with a percentage of 5% and accepted in six relations of IE testing cycles with a percentage of 95%. In total, null hypothesis (Hypothesis (Hii)) was rejected in only one relation of the testing cycles, with a percentage of 5%, and accepted in twenty relations of the testing cycles with a percentage of 95%. According to the calculated t-test values between all initial and final phases for each specimen, null hypothesis (Hypothesis (Hii)) was rejected in two experiments with a percentage of 28.6% and accepted in five experiments with a percentage of 71.4%. Four specimens (three keeled and one pegged) were found to be loose, representing 66.7% of all specimens; one of them was unstable during the testing, representing 25% of the loose specimens and 16.7% of all specimens.

VIII. Conclusion
The recorded mean peak pressure values and load quantities of the tested shoulder joint varied greatly between motion phases, motion cycles and motion types. The resulting contact pressures across the shoulder joint during its action varied greatly according to the acting force, motion type, muscles status and pathologies within the joint and were directly proportional to the motion type, being higher during AA and FE motion cycles than during IE motion cycles. Also, they were directly proportional to the contact surface area and to the degree of compression between joint articulating surfaces during motion. The greatest degree of variability of SD and mean peak pressure values was seen during FE testing cycles. Shoulder joint instability after ATSA could result from component malposition and/or the articular surface morphological abnormalities. Both glenoid loosening and joint instability could incite the occurrence of the other and could worsen its course in a devastating vicious circle. We concluded that glenoid component loosening could be related to joint stability, loads and the mode of load application in relation to the application duration, and to some extent to the component type, which was apparently evident in our study. The first and third hypotheses were approved, while the second hypothesis was statistically rejected (according to the computed t-test values), which may require a further evaluation in future studies.


Based on the conceptual change literature, this study assessed factors influencing change in students' misconceptions about psychology. We expected students' ability and their critical thinking to predict whether they would change their misconceptions following completion of an introductory psychology course. GPA, scores on a test of critical thinking, and scores on a misconceptions test given at the beginning and end of the course were obtained from 74 introductory psychology students. Analyses indicated that critical thinking made a unique contribution to the prediction of change in student misconceptions but that the effect of GPA was accounted for by its relation with critical thinking. The study suggests that misconceptions can change for students at any level of ability and are particularly likely to change for students who think critically. ********** A variety of studies indicate both the prevalence of student misconceptions about psychology and the limited effect the introductory psychology course has in correcting these misconceptions (e.g.; Gardner & Dalsing, 1986; McKeachie, 1960; Vaughan, 1977). Although instructors are often surprised at the limited impact of their courses on students' beliefs, the finding is exactly what the conceptual change literature would predict. Cognitive psychology suggests that learning involves the interpretation of new information based on existing knowledge or schemata. Prior knowledge that is congruent with new information can aid learning. Prior knowledge that is inconsistent with new information, however, can hamper learning (Guzzetti, 2000; Lipson, 1982). Conceptual change learning refers to the kind of learning that occurs when newly presented information is inconsistent with prior knowledge and the learner must reorganize existing schemata and change previously held ideas. This kind of knowledge reorganization is most likely when students are able to engage in effortful processing, evaluating old beliefs and comparing them with new intelligible, plausible, and more useful concepts (Dole & Sinatra, 1998: Posner, Strike, Hewson, & Gertzog, 1982). Because such evaluation involves effort, it is easier and often more likely for people to ignore, reinterpret, or reject competing beliefs rather than to reorganize their belief systems (Chinn & Brewer, 1993). As a result, changing misconceptions is difficult, and students often leave a class believing what they did when they entered. This resistance to change can be particularly prevalent among students with below average ability, who may be less able to comprehend the new information (Guzzetti, 2000), and students with poor metacognitive skills who may be less able to detect inconsistencies between the old and the new information (Dole & Sinatra, 1998: Maki, 1998; Otero, 1998). Despite several similarities between this conceptual change literature and the studies conducted to date on psychological misconceptions, the link between the two lines of research has never been made. As noted previously, students come into the introductory course with many misconceptions about psychology. Across a variety of studies, scores on tests of misconceptions given at the beginning of a course range from 28% correct (McCutcheon, 1991) to 62% correct (Gardner & Dalsing, 1986). Psychology students also leave their courses having changed few of their original misconceptions. Some researchers report as little as 5.5% improvement in students' scores (Gardner & Dalsing, 1986; McKeachie, 1960: Vaughan, 1977), although an improvement of 25% to 50% is reported when items are explicitly discussed in class (Taylor & Kowalski, 2004; Vaughan, 1977). Even after several psychology courses, 30% of the students still believe someone experiencing schizophrenia demonstrates a "split personality" (Gardner & Dalsing, 1986) and that "most people use only about 10% of their potential brain power" (Higbee & Clay, 1998). …


A number of methodologies are being suggested for multi-agent systems. Yet, their application is still very limited because they still lack several aspects for the development of agent systems and require improvement. In this context, a comparative framework for the evaluation of those methodologies is needed in order to show their advantages and disadvantages. This framework is an important factor for their improvement and development. This paper presents a framework for comparison and evaluation of agent methodologies. Several known methodologies are evaluated using this framework. The framework aims at recognizing the shortcomings of each of the methodologies and should help those pursuing development and improvement of agent oriented methodologies.


The success story continues making Nudge well read and much applied. The key message is that people are irrational on their decision making and need to be guided by policy markers, which are able to have useful insights from Psychology and Behavioral Economics about how to elaborate choice structures to rationalize people's financial behavior. Inertia is one popular of these insights and refers to the tendency of humans to procrastinate in making choices. This tendency is acknowledged but not understood and explained. The same occurs with other reported insights. In contrast, the present paper proposes any decision guaranteeing the individual biological; psychological and social homeostasis are rational despite being or not the expected decision supported by any formal model. Most of the important human decisions are about keeping homeostasis within boundaries promoting well being, hence resulting from complex analyses of benefits; risks and costs from both the personal and social point of view as carried out by two different Personal and Social Decision Networks. Rational choice selects, therefore, high beneficial goods or services for promoting homeostasis at lowest risk and cost from both personal and social point of views. A decision neural model for decision making is presented and used to illustrate how rational choices are computed to guarantee individual homeostasis, and to propose that individuals seem to be irrational because the proposed economic formal theories take into consideration just the policy maker point of view disregarding the individual needs.


Blogs have become a means by which new ideas and information spreads rapidly on the web. They often discuss the latest trends and echo with reactions on different events in the world. The collective wisdom present on the blogosphere is invaluable for market researchers and companies launching new products. In this paper, we validate the effectiveness of some of the influence models on the blogosphere. We validate the robustness of different heuristics in presence of splogs or spam blogs on the web. Experiments also show how PageRank based heuristics could be used to select an influential set of bloggers such that we could maximize the spread of information on the blogosphere.


Hyperosmotic stress is the increase in whole extracellular solute concentration in cell causing many disruption that may lead to the physiological disease conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. In order to protect itself cells generated an osmotic stress adaptive mechanism in which intracellular inorganic ion homeostasis is restored by mainly activating NFAT5 (TonEBP) and in return it transactivates the target genes or interact with specific regulatory proteins. NFAT5 and p65 have been previously shown to interact at IκB α promoter for regulation of NFκB pathway. In addition to the interaction between NFAT5 and p65, it has been also shown that SIRT1 deacetylates p65 and inhibits its nuclear translocation. However, there is no such study that examines the expression profile of SIRT1, NFAT5 and p65 all together under hyperosmotic stress in U937 cells. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the role of SIRT1 activity on NFAT5 and p65 expression profile under 100mM NaCl induced hyperosmotic stress in U937 monocyte cells. In addition, the aim concerns to understand the scale of contribution of NFAT5 and p65 on NFκB pathway regulation for the cell survival/death under hyperosmotic stress through examining IκB α expression profile. 100mM NaCl induced hyperosmotic stress in U937 monocyte cells indicated high expression levels of NFAT5 and SIRT1 overlapping with the activation of NFκB pathway. It is shown that in U937 cells under 100mM NaCl induced hyperosmotic stress, the activation of NFκB pathway and its regulation may be independent of NFAT5 but highly dependent on translocated p65, and SIRT1 activity may control p65 nuclear translocation, hence NFκB pathway activation.


Stress urinary incontinence has a prevalence of up to 50%. The open Burch colposuspension was first described in 1961. This procedure proved to be very effective in the treatment of genuine stress urinary incontinence and it remained the gold standard until the advent of the midurethral sling in 1995. Although the laparoscopic Burch was also introduced in the early 1990's the midurethral sling gained rapid traction due to the minimally invasive nature, ease of use, decreased operating time and excellent short and long term results. With the passage of time several studies have highlighted the potential complications associated with the use of vaginal mesh. The public's perception on the use of vaginal mesh has shifted the attention back to non-mesh options in the treatment of genuine stress incontinence. The aim of this article is to clarify the role of the Burch colposuspension in the era of the midurethral sling. The review will highlight the efficacy of the open versus the laparoscopic Burch, discuss potential complications associated with this technique and also compare the laparoscopic Burch directly with the transvaginal and transobturator midurethral slings. The selection of patients and surgical technique for the laparoscopic Burch are also discussed. The Burch procedure remains an excellent choice for the treatment of genuine stress urinary incontinence in patients who wish to avoid the use of vaginal mesh.


We have analyzed the content ofN-unsubstituted glucosamine in heparan sulfate from glypican-1 synthesized by endothelial cells during inhibition of (a) intracellular progression by brefeldin A, (b) heparan sulfate degradation by suramin, and/or (c) endogenous nitrite formation. Glypican-1 from brefeldin A-treated cells carried heparan sulfate chains that were extensively degraded by nitrous acid at pH 3.9, indicating the presence of glucosamines with free amino groups. Chains with such residues were rare in glypican-1 isolated from unperturbed cells and from cells treated with suramin and, surprisingly, when nitrite-deprived. However, when nitrite-deprived cells were simultaneously treated with suramin, such glucosamine residues were more prevalent. To locate these residues, chains were first cleaved at linkages to sulfatedl-iduronic acid by heparin lyase and released fragments were separated from core protein carrying heparan sulfate stubs. These stubs were then cleaved off at sites linking N-substituted glucosamines to d-glucuronic acid. These fragments were extensively degraded by nitrous acid at pH 3.9. When purified proteoglycan isolated from brefeldin A-treated cells was incubated with intact cells, endoheparanase-catalyzed degradation generated a core protein with heparan sulfate stubs that were similarly sensitive to nitrous acid. We conclude that there is a concentration ofN-unsubstituted glucosamines to the reducing side of the endoheparanase cleavage site in the transition region between unmodified and modified chain segments near the linkage region to the protein. Both sites as well as the heparin lyase-sensitive sites seem to be in close proximity to one another.


No poem in German literature is so well known and studied in Europe as the 800-year-old "Das Nibelungenlied". In the English-speaking world, however, the poem has remained little known, languishing without an adequate translation. This wonderful new translation by eminent translator Burton Raffel brings the epic poem to life in English for the first time, rendering it in verse that does full justice to the original High Middle German. His translation underscores the formal aspects of the poem and preserves its haunting beauty. Often called the German "lliad", "Das Nibelungenlied" is a heroic epic both national in character and sweeping in scope. The poem moves inexorably from romance through tragedy to holocaust. It portrays the existential struggles and downfall of an entire people, the Burgundians, in a military conflict with the Huns and their King. In his foreword to the book, Michael Dirda observes the story 'could be easily updated to describe the downfall of a Mafia crime family, something like "The Godfather", with swords'. The tremendous appeal of "Das Nibelungenlied" throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries is reflected in such works as Richard Wagner's opera tetralogy "Der Ring des Nibelung", Fritz Lang's two-part film "Die Nibelungen", and, more recently, J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings".


Infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii is a frequent event in Portugal. When this occurs in immunocompetent individuals it is rarely a matter of concern; the contrary occurs with immunosuppressed patients or in pregnancy. Transplant patients are treated with immunosuppressive drugs which mainly disturb their mechanisms of cellular immunity, and that opens the way to infections by opportunistic intracellular microorganisms. We recently treated a renal transplant patient who suffered from cerebral toxoplasmosis, and this provided an opportunity for a review of the other 20 patients reported in medical literature to date.


Lave and Wenger's CoPs concept projects learning as 'situated', occurring through and shaped by participative social interaction within CoPs, along a trajectory from legitimate peripheral participation to full participant position. Lave and Wenger advocate CoPs to be an appropriate vehicle for effective knowledge generation, recreation and transfer. Contemporary organisations, inundated by pressures such as globalisation, rapid technology advances and an ever-growing knowledge economy, have shaped themselves into dynamic structures, as well as are continually evolving into borderless and multinational formats. Indeed, this has brought forth the crucial need for transforming companies into learning organisations, whilst endorsing effective knowledge generation and management. This research aims to see whether Lave and Wenger's concept of CoPs is present within contemporary organisations, and to what extent this reality is relevant and helpful towards our understanding of workplace learning in contemporary organisations. In order to achieve its aims, this study adopted a qualitative research approach, in the form of a case study involving Malta Public Service organisations, covering a wide spectrum of different and diverse service operations. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, whereas results were mainly analysed utilising grounded theory techniques. Research findings confirm the real presence of situated learning and CoPs. However, they expose that the CoPs concept was presented as 'too simplistic' by Lave and Wenger. Hence, this study shows how the concept should be moulded in order to reflect the evolving CoPs' formats, as well as human interaction complexities which do impact on the learning trajectory. Informed by research results, this study proposes an amended view of the CoPs concept, positing CoPs as the hub within learning organisations and acting as the ideal vehicles for nurturing expansive learning and knowledge generation and management, whilst insisting on strong leadership for the effective nurturing and operation of CoPs.


Determination of the levels of antibody to Legionella pneumophila was one of the first methods used to diagnose Legionnaires' disease and was especially valuable when culture diagnosis was at a primitive stage. This chapter describes antibody testing because it is still very widely used and is of major importance for epidemiologic and research studies. Patients infected with some Legionella serogroups may not demonstrate antibody to other serogroups. About 40% of people who eventually seroconvert have agglutinating antibodies detected during the first week of infection. Detection of specific IgA antibodies may also increase the sensitivity and specificity of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The sensitivity of the kits for measurement of antibody to L. pneumophila SG2 to SG6 is unknown, but they do appear to be reasonably sensitive in comparison to the indirect immunofluorescent-antibody (IFA) method (70 to 90%) for the estimation of SG1 antibodies. Cross-reactive antibody is occasionally found in patients with non-Legionella infections. Up to 25% of people with Campylobacter jejuni enteritis have cross-reactive antibodies to L. pneumophila. However, as many as 10% of patients with tuberculosis had cross-reactive antibodies to other Legionella serogroups and species. It is unclear whether this absorption removes only nonspecific antibodies and what criteria should be used to evaluate the serologic results of testing before and after the use of this blocking antigen. Pontiac fever is an acute, nonfatal febrile illness associated with Legionella but not proven to be caused by it.


One in twenty-five patients admitted to a hospital will suffer from a hospital acquired infection. If we can intelligently track healthcare staff, patients, and visitors, we can better understand the sources of such infections. We envision a smart hospital capable of increasing operational efficiency and improving patient care with less spending. In this paper, we propose a non-intrusive vision-based system for tracking people's activity in hospitals. We evaluate our method for the problem of measuring hand hygiene compliance. Empirically, our method outperforms existing solutions such as proximity-based techniques and covert in-person observational studies. We present intuitive, qualitative results that analyze human movement patterns and conduct spatial analytics which convey our method's interpretability. This work is a first step towards a computer-vision based smart hospital and demonstrates promising results for reducing hospital acquired infections.


This paper investigates the association between weight and elementary school students' academic achievement, as measured by standardized Item Respond Theory scale scores in reading and math. Data for this study come from the 1998 cohort of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten-Fifth Grade (ECLS-K), which contains a large national sample of children between the ages of 5 and 12. Estimates of the association between weight and achievement were obtained by utilizing two regression model specifications, a mixed-effects linear model and a student-specific fixed-effects model. A comprehensive set of explanatory variables such as a household's motivation in helping the student learn (e.g. parents' expectations for their child's schooling and levels of parental involvement with school activities), teacher qualification, and school characteristics are controlled for. The results show that malnourished children, both underweight and overweight, especially obese, achieve lower scores on standardized tests, particularly for mathematics, when compared to normal weight children. The outcomes are more pronounced for female students compared to male students. These results emphasize the need to reduce childhood malnutrition, especially childhood obesity.


An indirect assessment of the effects of oil pollution on the diversity and functioning of turtle communities in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.— There are many documented cases of oil spillage in the Niger Delta region, southern Nigeria (West Africa). Due to both habitat characteristics and omnivorous habits, the freshwater turtles are important vertebrates species in the trophic chain. They are therefore considered to play a significant role as ecological indicators for areas subjected to oil spillage events. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of oil spillage and consequent pollution on the abundance, complexity and functioning of freshwater turtle communities of the Niger Delta, by comparing the turtle fauna found in two areas with similar environmental characteristics, one unpolluted and the other polluted by a case of oil spillage in 1988. A total of 510 turtle specimens belonging to four different species (Trionyx triunguis, Pelusios castaneus, Pelusios niger, and Pelomedusa subrufa) were captured in the unpolluted area, whereas 88 specimens, from two different species (P. castaneus and P. niger) were captured in the polluted area. The dominant species was P. castaneus followed by P. niger in the unpolluted area, and P. niger in the polluted area. A marked shift in habitat use was observed in one species (P. niger) after the oil spillage event. This study revealed both direct and indirect effects of oil pollution on the complexity and habitat use of Nigerian freshwater communities of turtles. The main direct effect was a considerable reduction in the specific diversity of the turtles; 50% of species were lost after oil spillage and there was a very strong decline in the numbers of turtle specimens also for those species which were able to survive the catastrophic pollution event. The shift in habitat use after oil spillage by P. niger may have a significant effect on the long–term persistence of this species, independently of the pollution effects of the oil spillage event, because it considerably reduced habitat niche separation between this species and the closely related P. castaneus, a potential competitor. It is therefore stressed that eco–ethological modifications in populations of animals subjected to catastrophic events such as oil pollution should be taken into account when evaluating the long–term effects of these devastating phenomena.


Every state regulates the substance of health insurance contracts issued to its residents, requiring the coverage of certain treatments, services, and providers. These state mandated health benefit laws apply only to insured health plans, while self-insured plans (typically sponsored by a large employer) are exempt. The disparate application of state mandated benefit laws is criticized as contributing to an unjust and expensive system of health care in the United States. As a result, state mandated benefit laws are under attack and the subject of numerous federal reform efforts. This article explores three possible approaches to mandated benefit reform: (1) exclusive state regulation of mandated benefits, (2) deregulation of mandated benefits, and (3) positive federal regulation of mandated benefits. The article concludes that there are compelling arguments against both exclusive state regulation and deregulation. While federal regulation is far from perfect, it has significant advantages over the status quo and represents the best way forward for mandated benefit reform. Current and proposed mandated benefit reforms are analyzed in light of these conclusions. The article exposes these reform efforts as coordinated movements toward deregulation, an option that, while respecting individual rights, will harm the sick while improving the position of the healthy.


This article offers an analytical perspective on the implications of recent media evolutions for the conventional roles of the designer, with a particular emphasis on the changing relation between amateur and professional design in fashion culture. The article builds on the recent media studies literature on the intensification of media communications in the early 21 st century and how it involves deeper transformations — mediatizations — of many areas in business and society. There are already extensive literatures on the mediatization of finance, politics, food, and religion, for instance, but how is the process playing out in fashion? And what are the implications of this process for designers and design education? The article argues that media have become a key context for understanding the changing dynamics between professionals and amateurs and the evolution of more distributed forms of design creativity. The article is a conceptual paper that begins by situating the evolution of amateur design in theories of media and modernity to offer a contemporary theorization of amateur design and to establish an analytical perspective from which core aspects of the changing amateur/industry divide are illustrated through influential examples in the analytical sections of the article. Among the examples are the online platform Etsy and T-shirt company Threadless. The conclusion puts the findings of the case studies into perspective and points to a future where new generations of designers and design educators approach and strategically manage these new relationships and distributed forms of creativity.


In a cross-disciplinary study, we carried out an extensive literature review to increase understanding of vulnerability indicators used in the disciplines of earthquake- and flood vulnerability assessments. We provide insights into potential improvements in both fields by identifying and comparing quantitative vulnerability indicators grouped into physical and social categories. Next, a selection of index- and curve-based vulnerability models that use these indicators are described, comparing several characteristics such as temporal and spatial aspects. Earthquake vulnerability methods traditionally have a strong focus on object-based physical attributes used in vulnerability curve-based models, while flood vulnerability studies focus more on indicators applied to aggregated land-use classes in curve-based models. In assessing the differences and similarities between indicators used in earthquake and flood vulnerability models, we only include models that separately assess either of the two hazard types. Flood vulnerability studies could be improved using approaches from earthquake studies, such as developing object-based physical vulnerability curve assessments and incorporating time-of-the-day-based building occupation patterns. Likewise, earthquake assessments could learn from flood studies by refining their selection of social vulnerability indicators. Based on the lessons obtained in this study, we recommend future studies for exploring risk assessment methodologies across different hazard types.