Over the course of more than a century, structural gender bias has been a remarkably durable feature of United States juvenile justice systems. Consequently, as these systems have developed over the years, reducing gender bias and addressing girls in helpful, rather than harmful, ways has required specific and concerted efforts on the part of federal and state governments. Currently, there are a number of positive trends in juvenile justice, including policy and practice that is increasingly developmentally centered and data-driven. The question for those focused on girls in the juvenile justice system is how to ensure that girls are the beneficiaries of these positive trends. This article discusses the history of federal leadership on girls' issues and then considers the impact on girls of current trends toward developmentally centered and data-driven juvenile justice. It considers the application of developmentally centered policy in relation to girls who experience family violence and those who are commercially sexually exploited. The movement toward data-driven decision-making is examined for its potential to reduce embedded gender bias and particularly bias at the intersection of race and gender. It examines the impact on girls of the increasing use of assessment instruments and the consequences of greater reliance on evidence-based practice as further illustrations of the new data-driven approaches. Throughout, the Article discusses the implications of these trends for girls and suggests ways that systems can ensure that girls' issues are considered and addressed.


Summary Impact of opening full labour market access to Bulgarians and Romanians as of 1 January 2014 the case of Austria The study analyses the migration potential and the impact on Austria's economy that is to be expected after the lifting of access restrictions for Bulgarian and Romanian nationals as of 1 January 2014. Estimates show that in the years 2014 and 2015 net migration from the EU-2 to Austria will account for 5700 and 5300 additional migrants, respectively, solely due to the full liberalisation of the labour market. About three quarters of EU-2 migrants are expected to come from Romania. The macroeconomic impact of opening the labour market in January 2014 is being assessed by using the general equilibrium model TaxLab. Given the fact that persons with a higher educational level may work in Austria already now under certain conditions, it can be expected that after the liberalisation larger shares of persons with a lower level of education will migrate to Austria. The simulations reveal that in the years following the opening of the labour market, employment will be by about 6700 persons higher than it would be without liberalisation in 2014 and by about 10,300 persons above that level in 2015. The employment effect results not only from the higher population flows but also from the activation of a part of those Bulgarian and Romanian migrants who have been resident in Austria already before the liberalisation. The additional labour force supply together with labour market frictions cause a temporary marginal increase in the overall unemployment rate by only 0.03 percentage points in both 2014 and 2015. The additional labour supply will have a very minor dampening effect on wage growth. As compared to a scenario where the current restrictions are maintained, wages will rise by about 0.2 percentage points more slowly. The strongest losses in wage growth will occur for the low-skilled and the smallest losses in the case of the high-skilled workforce. As a result of the rise in employment and the increased capital stock, value-added will rise as well. The simulation shows that gross domestic product in 2014 and 2015 will be higher by about 0.09% and 0.13%, respectively, than it would be without labour market liberalisation.


G12 rotaviruses are emerging rotavirus strains causing severe diarrhea in infants and young children worldwide. However, the whole genomes of only a few G12 strains have been fully sequenced and analyzed. In this study, we sequenced and characterized the complete genomes of six G12 strains (RVA/Human-tc/MMR/A14/2011/G12P[8], RVA/Human-tc/MMR/A23/2011/G12P[6], RVA/Human-tc/MMR/A25/2011/G12P[8], RVA/Human-tc/MMR/P02/2011/G12P[8], RVA/Human-tc/MMR/P39/2011/G12P[8], and RVA/Human-tc/MMR/P43/2011/G12P[8]) detected in six stool samples from children with acute gastroenteritis in Myanmar. On whole genomic analysis, all six Myanmarese G12 strains were found to have a Wa-like genetic backbone: G12-P[8]-I1-R1-C1-M1-A1-N1-T1-E1-H1 for strains A14, A25, P02, P39, and P43, and G12-P[6]-I1-R1-C1-M1-A1-N1-T1-E1-H1 for strain A23. Phylogenetic analysis showed that most genes of the six strains examined in this study were genetically related to globally circulating human G1, G3, G9, and G12 strains. Of note is that the NSP4 gene of strain A23 exhibited the closest relationship with the cognate genes of human-like bovine strains as well as human strains, suggesting the occurrence of reassortment between human and bovine strains. Furthermore, strains A14, A25, P02, P39, and P43 were very closely related to one another in all the 11 gene segments, indicating derivation of the five strains from a common origin. On the other hand, strain A23 consistently formed distinct clusters as to all the 11 gene segments, indicating a distinct origin of strain A23 from that of strains A14, A25, P02, P39, and P43. To our knowledge, this is the first report on whole genome-based characterization of G12 strains that have emerged in Myanmar. Our observations will provide important insights into the evolutionary dynamics of spreading G12 rotaviruses in Asia.


Title of dissertation: ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION AND ALTERNATE PREMIUM RATING METHODS IN U.S. CROP INSURANCE: A COMPARISON OF HIGH AND LOW RISK REGIONS Roger Claassen Dissertation directed by: Professor Richard E. Just Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics Federally subsidized crop insurance has a long history of underwriting losses. These losses may be due to premium rating procedures that do not account, as fully as possible, for differences in yield loss risk across farms. If farmers understand their own yield loss risk in more detail than is reflected in crop insurance premium rates, an information asymmetry may be leading to adverse selection or moral hazard. Regional differences in underwriting losses suggest that the effect of asymmetric information is relatively large where inter-farm yield variability is also relatively large. An econometric model is used to identify asymmetric information in crop insurance premium rating. A simulation model is used to compare existing crop insurance premium rates to alternative rates calculated using yield loss risk measures based on existing, farm-specific yield history data. Both models are applied to crop/region combinations where inter-farm yield variability is relatively low (nonirrigated corn in the Corn Belt region) and where inter-farm yield variability is relatively high (non-irrigated, continuously cropped wheat in the Northern Plains). Region-wide asymmetric information effects are identified for both regions, but the asymmetric information effect is found to be larger in the high variability region. This difference explains at least part of the inter-regional difference in underwriting losses. The simulation analysis suggests that, on average, across an entire region, premium rates derived from a farm-specific measure of yield variability are closer to actuarially fair rates than RMA premium rates. At a countyand farm-level, however, it is much more difficult to say, with a high level of statistical confidence, whether these alternate premium rates are closer than RMA rates to the actuarially fair rates. To provide a foundation for the crop insurance models, an econometric model of crop yields is estimated and used to separate total yield variation into systematic and random components. Random yield variation is tested against several common distributions, including normal, gamma, and beta. The effect of aggregation on the representation of both systematic and random yield variation is also investigated. ASYMMETRIC INFORMATION AND ALTERNATE PREMIUM RATING METHODS IN U.S. CROP INSURANCE: A COMPARISON OF HIGH AND LOW RISK REGIONS


The study treats Latin American countries as one regional economy by aggregating data of individual countries. Principles of aggregating data of individual countries for different types of variables are laid out and the generated data is laid out in terms of an accounting framework. Data series are also projected up to 2000 to provide a long track of 29 years for simulations which follow later. Original econometric work consists in estimating equations for export volume and prices, which is very much in the tradition of global modelling, and modelling aggregate investment for the region. A prototype full macro model is assembled for the Latin American region by using own work and also adopting econometric contributions from others. First, partial model simulations are performed to understand the underlying structural features. Aggregate demand block is simulated to reveal the size, plausibility and time pattern of Keynesian multipliers. This reveals a multiplier of 1.6 and a 11 year cycle generated by the multiplier-accelerator process. Aggregate supply bloc is simulated to exhibit the nature of supply response which shows that supply elasticity with respect to real exchange rate is about .2 and it is unkeynesian in the sense that there is little scope for action by inflationary surprises. Trade bloc is simulated to check whether Marshall-Lerner conditions are satisfied. Current account balance does improve upon devaluation with an elasticity of 2, but once prices and output are endogenized very soon the improvements are lost. Then, full model simulations are conducted in open loop mode to study the response of the regional economy to both external and internal shocks. These simulations show sensible and stable outcomes. Finally the Latin American model is simulated in `closed loop mode' to illustrate the use of the model built for policy analysis. Fiscal and exchange rate policy choices in the face of a negative external shock are investigated. The policy seeks to correct external imbalance. A qualified conclusion is drawn that expenditure cutting works as desired but exchange rate policy sets up severe cycle in current account balance.


In southern Africa, Boerhavia L. and Commicarpus Standl. are the most species-rich genera of the Nyctaginaceae. Hitherto, the pollen morphology of only three southern African species of each of these genera has been described. A palynological study of the remaining species is therefore necessary to complete the information for the taxa. The pollen morphology of sixteen species was studied with light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy. Pollen grains of Boerhavia and Commicarpus are uniform in shape and sculpturing. Grains are spheroidal and pantoporate, and the tectum tubuliferous and spinulose. Pollen grains of the Boerhavia are 52–91 μm in diameter and those of Commicarpus 52–129 μm. Spinules in both genera are 1–5 μm long. Pore plates have one or two spinules. In both genera the exine is 3.5–11.5 μm thick, the tectum 0.9–3.9 μm thick and the collumellae 0.6–2.8 μm long. Foot layers are 0.9–5.1 μm thick and the endexine is barely visible. Size variation of the pollen grain, pore diameter and exine thickness overlap and cannot be used to distinguish between the two genera or the individual species.


ABSTRACT The Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement Demonstration Field Experiment (HOPE DFE) was the largest and most rigorous test of the HOPE model. Outcomes from this experiment indicated null or even iatrogenic results for HOPE, in spite of high implementation fidelity. This article explores in greater detail the implementation experience at the four DFE sites, examining factors that may elucidate these outcomes. The implementation experience was smooth, although HOPE at one site clashed with the existing organizational culture. The implementation of HOPE did seem to be resilient to local administrative variations and the site that struggled to accept HOPE yielded a successful implementation. Still, good implementation experiences did not produce positive outcomes, suggesting that HOPE was an ineffective model that was implemented well. While the HOPE teams overall were enthusiastic about HOPE, thinking that HOPE was the way that probation should be, this faith in the model did not translate into measurable outcomes, suggesting that correctional policy should be driven by evidence rather than aspirations.


This paper draws lessons from research on trust in social sciences. Human beings have an innate drive towards cooperation including a basic willingness to trust strangers, and to altruistically punish defectors, even at a high cost to themselves. The ability to trust people, i.e. having an environment, in which people can be generally assumed to be benevolent, is considered important for democracy and working markets. Market efficiency and creation of communities are of importance for the future of communications. Based on the findings, a number of architectural principles that have effects on trust are proposed: prefer code, multi-dimensional compensation, intention neutrality, balancing privacy and attribution, internalising and market shaping, and explicit representation of trust and reputation. The findings indicate that a technical architecture that fosters trust is necessary for the future of communication networks.


Business agility is of vital importance to chemical and petroleum industry, especially in rapid response to diagnose and exchange of real-time information and other relevant data sources. From IT perspective, emerging delivery models such as cloud computing offer the possibility to build the elastic infrastructure and flexible computing platform, thus enable enterprises to focus on their core competences. In this paper we investigate how the new delivery models of cloud service achieve the improvement of the efficiency by means of Integrated Information Framework (IIF) of chemical and petroleum. In infrastructural level, the capabilities and implementation mechanism of cloud based IIF solution lifecycle management are presented. Based on such management foundation, a business process environment delivered in Platform-as-a-Service business model is provided for rapid development of business agility. Finally, IIF in public and enterprise SaaS models to enable the chemical and petroleum value chain and service market is discussed. This paper demonstrates how the cloud computing technologies and architecture patterns significantly enhance the capability and agility of not only chemical and petroleum using IIF, but also the enterprise with similar requirements, business models and IT architectures in other industries.


We prove two universal approximation theorems for a range of dropout neural networks. These are feed-forward neural networks in which each edge is given a random $\{0,1\}$-valued filter, that have two modes of operation: in the first each edge output is multiplied by its random filter, resulting in a random output, while in the second each edge output is multiplied by the expectation of its filter, leading to a deterministic output. It is common to use the random mode during training and the deterministic mode during testing and prediction. Both theorems are of the following form: Given a function to approximate and a threshold $\varepsilon>0$, there exists a dropout network that is $\varepsilon$-close in probability and in $L^q$. The first theorem applies to dropout networks in the random mode. It assumes little on the activation function, applies to a wide class of networks, and can even be applied to approximation schemes other than neural networks. The core is an algebraic property that shows that deterministic networks can be exactly matched in expectation by random networks. The second theorem makes stronger assumptions and gives a stronger result. Given a function to approximate, it provides existence of a network that approximates in both modes simultaneously. Proof components are a recursive replacement of edges by independent copies, and a special first-layer replacement that couples the resulting larger network to the input. The functions to be approximated are assumed to be elements of general normed spaces, and the approximations are measured in the corresponding norms. The networks are constructed explicitly. Because of the different methods of proof, the two results give independent insight into the approximation properties of random dropout networks. With this, we establish that dropout neural networks broadly satisfy a universal-approximation property.


Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this research activity is to understand the challenges faced within the fast moving UK automotive industry. The research focusses on the operations of a first-tier supplier for a luxury car manufacturer. A major challenge identified was the practice of safety-stock provision, given the dynamic nature of customer demand. The paper aims to identify a robust method of safety stock provision amid fluctuating customer demand in order to maintain service levels and customer satisfaction.

Research Approach: The research activity adopts a case study strategy. This approach is employed in order to capture a broad view of safety stock provision techniques in production planning from the review of literature articles. In addition, industry practice within the automotive sector would be investigated to conduct an empirical inquiry that investigates safety stock provision within its real-life context and the challenges associated with it in order to provide solutions. The research method includes primary data collection through questionnaire design and interview sessions as well as secondary method of reviewing of relevant academic and industrial publications.

Findings and Originality: Original research was conducted by investigating the operations of a first-tier supplier for a luxury car manufacturer. The findings revealed that the customer demand was very dynamic which caused challenges for the supplier and posed the risk of stock outs. This posed additional pressure to the supplier to increase the resources, such as employee time and other resources in order to meet acceptable service level and deliver customer order. In order to address the challenge, the supplier needed to implement an effective process of capturing, processing and storing demand data and safety stock provision. Two different approaches of safety stock provision were identified and compared to each other in order to propose a robust technique for safety stock provision. This approach is applied to a case study within the supplier organisation and further validated by applying the technique to a number of products.

Research Impact: This contributed to existing body of knowledge by identifying different approaches to safe stock provision and comparing them to propose the most robust approach for the automotive supplier. This approach is applied to different products in a real-life case study.

Practical Impact: The research activity led to an improvement of a UK supplier organisation's safety stock provision as well as production planning. This also helped the supplier to be able to deliver customer demand at the right service level.

Keywords: safe stock, dynamic customer demand, automobile industry


This doctoral thesis presents the results of ten years of research on informal settlements, with particular reference to Brazilian favelas. The research aimed to understand the social dynamics of the production of space in these settlements. To this purpose, the author took residence in favelas and performed field research for a total of six years, including the witnessing of a resettlement process from a favela to a formal social housing development in the city of Maceió, in Brazil. The social dynamics that produces and influences the space of the favelas observed in the field were systematically codified in a new pedagogic tool by the author. As main findings from the analysis, it emerged that labor primarily shapes, plans and governs space in informal settlements. Working activities explain the emergence of these settlements, influence the dynamics of space inside the domain of the house, influence the shape of streets up to the margin of the favelas, but also has influence on city and global scales. From the residents' perspective, labor represents both a means to earn their subsistence, livelihoods and underscores their inner self-esteem as human beings. Working practices originally present in the favelas were in fact restored in the social housing development to where citizens were relocated, with their original domestic function. According to this thesis, labor practices of inhabitants of informal settlements must be addressed when designing housing solutions for deprived citizens fighting for their survival and must be considered as a housing right. The reasons why the current housing approaches do not contemplate work are understood in context and interpreted according to their historic and economic backgrounds. A housing architectural and planning approach aimed at restoring the combination of working and domestic functions of human beings is proposed instead.


The defining challenge of sustainable agriculture is the production of food and other agricultural products at an environmental cost that does not jeopardize the food security and general welfare of future generations. Feeding another three billion people in the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, and an environment already saturated with excess nitrogen and other reactive pollutants requires new approaches and new tools in the design and deployment of workable solutions. Solutions will be local but all will require an ecological systems approach that considers sustainable farming practices in the full context of ecosystems and landscapes. And their deployment will require an understanding of the social systems capable of building incentives that produce socially desired outcomes. Socioecological models for agriculture provide an opportunity to explore feedbacks, trade-offs, and synergies that can optimize and strengthen emerging connections between farming and society. With the right incentives, innovative research, and political will, a sustainable agriculture is within our reach.


Computer vision is increasingly effective at segmenting objects in images and videos; however, scene effects related to the objects—shadows, reflections, generated smoke, etc.—are typically overlooked. Identifying such scene effects and associating them with the objects producing them is important for improving our fundamental understanding of visual scenes, and can also assist a variety of applications such as removing, duplicating, or enhancing objects in video. In this work, we take a step towards solving this novel problem of automatically associating objects with their effects in video. Given an ordinary video and a rough segmentation mask over time of one or more subjects of interest, we estimate an omnimatte for each subject—an alpha matte and color image that includes the subject along with all its related time-varying scene elements. Our model is trained only on the input video in a self-supervised manner, without any manual labels, and is generic—it produces omnimattes automatically for arbitrary objects and a variety of effects. We show results on real-world videos containing interactions between different types of subjects (cars, animals, people) and complex effects, ranging from semitransparent elements such as smoke and reflections, to fully opaque effects such as objects attached to the subject.1


How can cities and regions foster sustainable development? What role can a university play in this process? These are the central questions addressed in this innovative collection of essays, which brings together scholars in such diverse fields as history, political economy, community studies, industrial theory, economic geography, environmental studies, ergonomics and work design, race and gender studies, manufacturing engineering, and public health. In 1993 a core group of faculty members at the University of Massachusetts Lowell launched an interdisciplinary study to find ways for the university to help stimulate regional development on a sustainable basis. They looked at models of development, new processes, and practical tools for transforming ideas into actions. At the same time, they moved beyond traditional research paradigms that focus on business growth and technology diffusion to the exclusion of social, environmental, and cultural development. Lowell is an ideal place for exploring these issues, given its rich industrial and immigrant history and the University's expertise as a science and engineering institution. The product of this research is a set of thoughtful essays that span the physical and social sciences, engineering, and the humanities and engage the debate over how best to achieve sustainable development - a debate in which issues of social justice, popular participation, and economic development are inextricably linked.


The purpose of this paper is to analyze some features of contaminant flow passing through cracked porous medium, such as the influence of fracture net- work on the advection and diffusion of contaminant species, the impact of adsorp- tion on the overall transport of contaminant wastes. In order to precisely describe the whole process, we firstly build the mathematical model to simulate this prob- lem numerically. Taking into consideration of the characteristics of contaminant flow, we employ two partial differential equations to formulate the whole problem. One is flow equation; the other is reactive transport equation. The first equation is used to describe the total flow of contaminant wastes, which is based on Darcy law. The second one will characterize the adsorption, diffusion and convection behavior of contaminant species, which describes most features of contaminant flow we are interested in. After the construction of numerical model, we apply locally conserva- tive and compatible algorithms to solve this mathematical model. Specifically, we apply Mixed Finite Element (MFE) method to the flow equation and Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for the transport equation. MFE has a good convergence rate and numerical accuracy for Darcy velocity. DG is more flexible and can be used to deal with irregular meshes, as well as little numerical diffusion. With these two numerical means, we investigate the sensitivity analysis of different features of contaminant flow in our model, such as diffusion, permeability and fracture den- sity. In particular, we study Kd values which represent the distribution of contami- nant wastes between the solid and liquid phases. We also make omparisons of two different schemes and discuss the advantages of both methods. AMS subject classifications: 65M12, 65M15, 65N30, 76D07, 76S05


High inequality in incomes and assets and persistent poverty continue to plague Latin America and remain a central economic policy challenge for Latin American policymakers. At the same time, dramatically improved methods and data allow researchers to analyze these problems and how they are affected by economic policy. In this book, experts on Latin American economic affairs use these new approaches to examine the dynamics of poverty and inequality in Latin America and the ability of policy to address them. Contributors first analyze the historical evolution of inequality in Latin America, examining such topics as the origins of inequality in colonial land distribution, the impact of educational opportunities on earnings inequality in Brazil, and racial discrimination in Brazil's labor market. Contributors then use sophisticated panel data techniques to analyze the regional dynamics of poverty and inequality in Peru and Brazil, considering whether there are spatial poverty traps and, if so, what determines such traps. Finally, contributors use innovative impact evaluation and modeling techniques to examine specific policy issues: devaluation and dollarization in Bolivia, the Oportunidades conditional cash transfer program in rural Mexico, and the distributional effect of Brazil's tax-benefit system. Contributors include Rozane Bezerra de Siqueira, Jere R. Behrman, Denis Cogneau, Philippe De Vreyer, Ewout Frankema, Jeremie Gignoux, Javier Herrera, Herwig Immervoll, Stephan Klasen, Phillippe G. Leite, Horacio Levy, Sandrine Mesple-Somps, Jose Ricardo Nogueira, Felicitas Nowak-Lehmann, Cathal O'Donoghue, Susan W. Parker, Rainer Schweickert, Gilles Spielvogel, Rainer Thiele, Petra E. Todd, and Manfred Wiebelt. CESifo Seminar series


The main objective of the present work is to propose and evaluate a learning computational engine for history matching, which is based on a hybrid multilevel search methodology. According to this methodology, the parameter space is globally explored and sampled by the simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) algorithm at a given resolution level. This estimation is followed by further analysis by using a neural learning engine for evaluating the sensitiveness of the objective function with respect to variations of each individual model parameter in the vicinity of the promising optimal solution explored by the SPSA algorithm. The proposed methodology is used to numerically determine how additional sources of information may aid in reducing the ill-posedness associated with permeability estimation via conventional history matching procedures. The additional sources of information considered in this work are related to pressures, concentrations and fluid velocities at given locations in a reliable fashion, which in practical scenarios might be estimated from high resolution seismic surveys, or directly obtained as in situ measurements provided by sensors. This additional information is incorporated, along with production data, into a multi-objective function that is mismatched between the observed and the predicted data. The preliminary results presented in this work shed light on future research avenues for optimizing the use of additional sources of information such as seismic or sensor data in history matching procedures.


Until recently, the standard story line in history of thought textbooks was that a triumvirate of British and Continental writers established demarcation between classical economics and neoclassical economics in the early 1870s. The authors raise two objections to this potted history. The first is that the tools of neoclassical economics were invented earlier. Recent work has demonstrated that the tools of neoclassical analysis were widely available across Europe well before 1870. The notion that neoclassical economics experienced a tripartite immaculate conception around 1870 cannot stand. The second objection is that the method of neoclassical economics was invented later. As it stands, the legend undervalues the key contribution of Alfred Marshall, who put an indelible stamp on neoclassical economics by defining the appropriate method of economic inquiry. When we refer to neoclassical economics today, we usually mean the collection of tools of economic knowledge available to (and invented by) Marshall, channeled and directed into uses dictated by Marshall's view of economic science. Yet as we shall see, Marshall had an eminent predecessor in method as well, in the person of Jules Dupuit.


The textbook view that a primary sequence determines the unique fold of a given protein has been challenged by identification of proteins with variant structures, such as prions. Our recent studies revealed that the transcription factor RfaH simultaneously changes its topology and function. RfaH is a two-domain protein whose N-terminal domain binds to transcribing RNA polymerase, stimulating its processivity. The α-helical C-terminal domain masks the RNA polymerase-binding site of the N-terminal domain, preventing unwarranted recruitment to genes lacking a specific DNA sequence. Upon binding to its DNA target, RfaH domains dissociate, and the C-terminal domain refolds into a β-barrel. This dramatic transformation allows binding to the ribosomal protein S10 and subsequent recruitment of a ribosome, coupling transcription and translation. We define RfaH as first example of "transformer proteins", in which two alternative structural states have distinct cellular functions and hypothesize that transformer proteins may be widespread in nature.


Over the last 4 decades River Niger has continuously been affected by the impact of climate change and abuse from human activities to the extent that in June 1985, the river was completely dry in Niamey (Niger Republic) for the first time in history. Similar low flow was recorded 2003 that was among the lowest in 50 years and the month of  April, May and June are its most critical low flow periods. The continued low flow, which is as a result of the impact of climate change coupled with the enormous negative human activities is now increasing the rate of movement of Sahara desert southward towards the Atlantic Ocean. The low flow has also lead to the continued reduction in storage of reservoirs (e.g Kainji and Jebba dams) and also reduction in food crop production, water shortages due to increasing water demand, river pollution, weed encroachment, increasing water borne diseases, mortality rate, famine, urban migration and poverty. According to the 1995 UNESCO Study Report No. 52  on the hydrology of selected discharge of rivers in Africa, the river Niger 'loses' nearly two-thirds of its potential flow due to seepage and evaporation in the Inland Delta, the latter being aggravated by the fact that the river here touches the southern flanks of the Sahara desert. The Inland Delta, located in Mali, is swampy with the sandy soil that has a network of tributaries, channels, swamps and lakes covering about 30,000 km 2 during the wet season which also extends into the Sahara Desert. Experts have been particularly worried by the proposed construction of a  dam at the downstream of the Inland Delta at Taoussa in Mali that was approved by all the 9 NBA member countries (including Nigeria) for the NBA Shared Vision and Sustainable Development Action Plan. The location of Taoussa dam just downstream of the Inland Delta could technically aggravate the tremendous inundation in the Inland Delta deeper into the Sahara desert. On the other hand,  the approval the Fomi dam in Guinea and Kandaji dam in Niger are regarded by experts as the most effective measures for sustainable water resources and ecosystem conservation of the river Niger. Today, Lake Chad has almost completely disappeared from its basin, with many unfolding tragic consequences for victims in the affected region of Nigeria and Chad. Unlike the case of Lake Chad, however, it is believed that the consequences of the disappearance of River Niger in Nigeria will have all the makings of the proverbial Armageddon, in terms of its cataclysmic socio-economic and political effects on the nation.


Neural speech synthesis models have recently demonstrated the ability to synthesize high quality speech for text-to-speech and compression applications. These new models often require powerful GPUs to achieve real-time operation, so being able to reduce their complexity would open the way for many new applications. We propose LPCNet, a WaveRNN variant that combines linear prediction with recurrent neural networks to significantly improve the efficiency of speech synthesis. We demonstrate that LPCNet can achieve significantly higher quality than WaveRNN for the same network size and that high quality LPCNet speech synthesis is achievable with a complexity under 3 GFLOPS. This makes it easier to deploy neural synthesis applications on lower-power devices, such as embedded systems and mobile phones.


Proficiency testing (PT) and external quality assurance/assessment (EQA) are considered interchangeable terms; the generally accepted international terminology is ''proficiency testing,'' which is used in this chapter. The requirement for PT, as discussed in the chapter, applies to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-accredited laboratories and pertains to nonwaived testing. Laboratory-specific aspects of the protocols should include detailed information regarding specimen evaluation, methods and reagents used for sample reconstitution and testing, maximum interval between reconstitution and testing, storage of excess sample, documentation. In order for PT to be relevant to the quality of patient care testing, PT challenge specimens must be tested in the same manner as patient specimens, including the processing, method and extent of testing, and personnel assigned to perform the testing. Among the microbiology surveys, there are pathogen-specific surveys specifically challenging molecular diagnostic strategies, including qualitative detection and identification, quantification, and genotyping. Proficiency testing, along with other Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) quality requirements, provides laboratories and accreditation organizations the tools needed to assess and improve the quality of diagnostic testing. The collaborative efforts of external advocacy groups, professional organizations and societies, governmental and nongovernmental agencies, and commercial providers of quality assurance products should result in increasing improvements to the technical quality and clinical utility of molecular diagnostic testing for infectious diseases. These improvements should result in improvements in patient safety and clinical outcomes as well as the efficiency of diagnostic testing for laboratories and health care systems.


Water has always been an important and life-sustaining drink to humans and is essential to the survival of all known organisms. Over large parts of the world, humans have inadequate access to drinking water and use water contaminated with disease vectors, pathogens or unacceptable levels of toxins or suspended solids. Drinking such water or using it in food preparation leads to widespread, acute and chronic illnesses and is a major cause of death and misery in many countries. The UN estimates that over 2.0 billion people have limited access to safe water and nearly 800 million people lack even the most basic supply of clean water. The main issue is the affordability of water purifying systems. Many people rely on boiling water or bottled water, which can be expensive. Therefore, technologies that are cost effective, sustainable, ease of operation/maintenance and the treatment processes with locally available materials are required. In this article, some unique low-cost sustainable technologies available/or in-use, i.e. natural filtration, riverbank filtration, biosand filtration, membrane filtration, solar water disinfection technique, biologically degradable materials such as moringa powder, scallop powder treatment, and biosand pitcher treatments have been discussed.


Young adults in college have high rates of marijuana use, abuse, and dependence. Web-based interventions have been growing in popularity, but their dissemination currently exceeds empirical support. One especially popular (but understudied) program is The Marijuana eCHECKUP TO GO (e-TOKE) for Universities & Colleges (San Diego State University Research Foundation, 2009). The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether this program is effective in changing marijuana involvement and perceived norms in undergraduates. Participants were 317 undergraduates (52% female, 78% White) who reported marijuana use within the month preceding baseline. Conditions were the e-TOKE program or assessment only, crossed with brief vs. extensive baseline assessment (to assess assessment reactivity), producing four experimental conditions to which participants were randomly assigned. Thus, 161 (51%) received eTOKE (77 with extended baseline, 84 with brief baseline), and 156 (49%) received assessment-only control (85 with extended baseline, 71 with brief baseline). One month later, all participants reported on marijuana use, problems, abuse and dependence symptoms, and descriptive norms. Assessment reactivity analyses yielded no significant differences by assessment condition. Individuals completing the e-TOKE program reported less extreme descriptive norms (ps 0.10). Analyses controlling for baseline yielded similar results. The program thus seems effective for changing perceptions of others' use, but there is not yet evidence for its utility in changing personal use and problem indicators. More research with longer follow-ups is indicated, especially given the possibility that descriptive norms could play a mediating role in change. EVALUATION OF A WEB-BASED INTERVENTION FOR COLLEGE MARIJUANA USE


In unexplained death cases it is important to be able to determine the role (if any) of the drugs detected may have played in the death. However, drug concentrations can change between the time of death and the time of the analysis of the post-mortem sample, thus the concentration of the drug detected needs to be interpreted with caution. Post-mortem redistribution (PMR) is a process that involves the passive movement of drugs after death that can lead to changes in post-mortem drug concentrations at certain sites after death. In addition, other factors that could account for post-mortem changes include the environment in which an individual is found, as certain environments could accelerate decomposition, also the circumstances surrounding the death and the length of time between the death and recovery of the body. Certain organs including lungs, liver, and heart are depots of drugs for PMR as they can have higher concentrations than surrounding sites. The bladder has traditionally not been considered a possible depot for PMR. However one study, a case report, published in Japan discussing an individual that had a PMI of nine days with higher concentrations of diphenhydramine and dihydrocodeine in the femoral vein compared to the cardiac blood, has suggested that it may be. There have been no further studies to elucidate any possible role of the bladder in the PMR process.

The aim of this thesis was to determine if the bladder is a potential site for PMR and to develop methodology to allow further study. The investigation included the influence of temperature, pH, porcine bladder degradation, and solution volume on diffusion from the bladder using in vitro diffusion through porcine bladder sections, whole porcine bladders and finally in vivo diffusion from the bladder in rat models over nine days.

This thesis looked at three methods to investigate the possible diffusion of drugs from the bladder. 1) porcine bladder sections; 2) whole porcine bladders and 3) whole rats.

The initial method used Franz Cells to determine the diffusion of rhodamine B, amitriptyline and amitriptyline's metabolite nortriptyline across the porcine bladder wall. Acceptor chamber solutions were 20 mM pH 7.4 phosphate buffer (PBS) and 20 mM pH 5 ammonium acetate (AA). Donor solutions, dependent on experiment, contained 100 mg/L rhodamine B or amitriptyline and nortriptyline in the respective solutions. Sampling was over five days. Parameters included temperature (37 °C, 20 °C, and 5 °C), pH (7.4, 5), intra-variability of porcine bladder diffusion and tissue degradation. Quantitation methods of rhodamine B (UV, Agilent, Cary 60), amitriptyline, and nortriptyline (HPLC, Dionex Ultimate 3000) were validated according to SWGTOX guidelines.

The femoral vein has been stated as the best site for sampling post-mortem blood and interpretation due to the isolation from the main viscera. However, due to the above case report suggesting redistribution from the bladder this is a possible factor that could affect this sampling site. The porcine bladder sections and whole porcine bladders were analysed to determine how much drug would diffuse through the tissue over the first 100 hrs after death, which is the initial steps in determining the likelihood of drugs diffusing from the bladder to the femoral vein. Whole porcine bladder studies used the validated UV method for rhodamine B. Experimental temperature was 20 °C. Full and half-filled porcine bladders contained rhodamine B (100 or 200 mg/L) dissolved in pH 7.4 PBS and pH 5 AA. Triplicate analysis performed using the UV spectrophotometer at 554 nm. The in-vivo study involved catheterizing a rat and inserting silver nitrate into the bladder then securing it for Computed Tomography (CT) analysis over nine days.

There was increased diffusion of all three drugs at physiological temperature (37°C) with a peak rhodamine B concentration of 3.46 ± 2.72 mg/L (intra-bladder, pH 5), 6.69 mg/L and 6.69 ± 4.76 mg/L for amitriptyline and nortriptyline respectively (pH 7.4). The other parameters including solution pH and tissue degradation showed no significant difference for drugs diffusing through the bladder over 5 days. Concentration and volume was not a factor for rhodamine B diffusing through the whole porcine bladder tissue. There was an increase in drug diffusion over the five days with a peak concentration of 3.5 ± 1.02 mg/L (pH 7.4). The rat bladder was intact for two days, and then between 2-6 days, an opening was observed with leakage of solution. However, after day 7 this solution was not observed on the CT image. The CT data show that it is a good technique for the detection of diffusion of ions from the bladder, but would need to be further developed to look at the diffusion of larger molecular weight organic molecules.

Based on this work, methods for investigating the diffusion of drugs across the bladder have been developed and validated. The use of μCT shows promise for the further visualization of PMR to investigate not only diffusion from the bladder but also diffusion from other drug depots in the body. However, based on this work it is unlikely that the bladder is a significant source of PMR to the femoral vein, at least in PMI of less than 100 hours after death.


Scheduling for tandem cold mills refers to the determination of inter-stand gauges, tensions and speeds of a specified product. Optimal schedules should result in maximized throughput and minimized operating cost. This paper presents a genetic algorithm based optimization procedure for the scheduling of tandem cold rolling mills. The optimization procedure initiates searching from a logical staring point an empirical rolling schedule and ends with an optimum cost. Cost functions are constructed to heuristically direct the genetic algorithm's searching, based on the consideration of power distribution, tension, strip flatness and rolling constraints. Numerical experiments have shown that the proposed method is more promising than those based on semi-empirical formulae. The results generated from a case study show that the proposed approach could significantly improve empirically derived settings for the tandem cold rolling mills.


Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a structural equation model for underwater gliding distance based on its determinant variables, in order to confirm whether it is an informative test of young swimmers' hydrodynamic profile. Methods: Twenty-three subjects (twelve boys and eleven girls with a mean age of 13.61 ± 0.83 years old) were evaluated. The following were determined: (i) the underwater gliding distance; (ii) the squat jump performance; (iii) the passive drag; (iv) the passive drag coefficient; (v) the trunk transverse surface area and; (vi) the gliding velocity. Results: The underwater gliding distance was significantly correlated with the squat jump (rs = 0.47; p = 0.038) and with the coefficient of passive drag (rs = -0.55; p < 0.01) but not with passive drag (rs = 0.41; p = 0.09). The overall model explained 45% of the underwater gliding distance (x 2 /df = 3.138). Conclusion: The underwater gliding distance seems to be more dependent from the squat jump than from the passive drag. Therefore it seems as if the underwater gliding test is not representative of the swimmers' passive drag or his /her passive drag coefficient.


Background: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most common parasitic disease of the central nervous system. On the basis of an incorrect assumption that human NCC does not occur in countries in which law prohibit swine breeding and consumption of pork, the disease has been considered rare in Arab world. Materials and methods: A retrospective study carried out in Emergency Department, Alkhor hospital, HMC from April 2014 to May 2015 (14170/14). All patients above age of 18 yrs diagnosed to have neurocysticercosis from August 2005 to December 2013 were included. Data were retrieved from medical record department and electronic data base. This included baseline demography, clinical presentation and radiological findings. Results: Out of a total of 137 subjects enrolled 9 were excluded. All the 128 subjects were male Majority of the subjects was in the age group 21–30 yrs (n = 86). Majority were from Nepal 76 (58.1%). 30 (20.3%) patients gave history of previous episodes of seizure, however only 8 of them were on antiepileptic medication. 107 patients presented to A&E with seizures (83.5%). Among which GTCS was the most common form 85%. Use of tobacco was seen in 20 subjects (13.6%) and alcohol in 10 (6.8%). Radiological examination, CT scan revealed solitary lesion in 84 (65.5%) subjects and majority were calcified. 114 patients were admitted to the hospital out of which 5 required ICU care. Anti-epileptic medication was initiated in all patients except 10 patients. Reason could not be identified. Except 13 patients all other patients received short course of oral steroids. Conclusion: 1) Majority of the patients are young males from Asian countries, 2) GTCS is the most common mode of presentation, 3) Solitary lesion is the most common radiological finding. The increased ease of international travel and increasing number of immigration from developing countries have led to widespread recognition of NCC developed countries.


Bee pollen is a valuable apitherapeutic product greatly appreciated by the natural medicine because of its potential medical and nutritional applications. It demonstrates a series of actions such as antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anticancer immunostimulating, and local analgesic. Its radical scavenging potential has also been reported. Beneficial properties of bee pollen and the validity for their therapeutic use in various pathological condition have been discussed in this study and with the currently known mechanisms, by which bee pollen modulates burn wound healing process.


The main objective of risk adjustment in systems of regulated competition on health insurance markets is the removal of incentives for undesirable risk selection. We introduce a simple conceptual framework to clarify how the definition of "acceptable costs" and the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate risk adjusters imply difficult ethical trade-offs between equity, avoidance of undesirable risk selection and cost-effectiveness. Focusing on the situation in Belgium, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands and Switzerland, we show how differences in the importance attached to solidarity and in the beliefs about market efficiency, have led to different decisions with respect to the definition of the basic benefits package, the choice of risk-adjusters, the possibilities of managed care, the degree of consumer choice and the relative importance of income-related financing sources in the overall system.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
As recent studies have suggested relatively low α/β for prostate cancer, the interest in hypofractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer is rising. The aim of this study is to compare dosimetric results of Cyberknife (CK) with Tomotherapy (HT) in SBRT for localized prostate cancer. Furthermore, the radiobiologic consequences of heterogeneous dose distribution are also analyzed.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
A total of 12 cases of localized prostate cancer previously treated with SBRT were collected. Treatments had been planned and delivered using CK. Then HT plans were generated for comparison afterwards. The prescribed dose was 37.5Gy in 5 fractions. Dosimetric indices for target volumes and organs at risk (OAR) were compared. For radiobiological evaluation, generalized equivalent uniform dose (gEUD) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) were calculated and compared.

RESULT
Both CK and HT achieved target coverage while meeting OAR constraints adequately. HT plans resulted in better dose homogeneity (Homogeneity index: 1.04±0.01 vs. 1.21±0.01; p = 0.0022), target coverage (97.74±0.86% vs. 96.56±1.17%; p = 0.0076) and conformity (new vonformity index: 1.16±0.05 vs. 1.21±0.04; p = 0.0096). HT was shown to predict lower late rectal toxicity as compared to CK. Integral dose to body was also significantly lower in HT plans (46.59±6.44 Gy'L vs 57.05±11.68 Gy'L; p = 0.0029).

CONCLUSION
Based on physical dosimetry and radiobiologic considerations, HT may have advantages over CK, specifically in rectal sparing which could translate into clinical benefit of decreased late toxicities.


This article consider's the politics of immigration from the perspective of one state grappling with divergent and confusing federal immigration policies. Although Maryland is not a state that attracts national attention for its treatment of immigrants, its many jurisdictions (with their varying histories and demographics) offer an interesting contrast in approaches taken in response to differing federal initiatives. When immigration regulation moves to the state-level, it reveals the sharp divides that exist within states; it does not resolve the federal-level contradictions, but simply shifts their playing field. The divergence of policies even within a generally pro-immigrant state like Maryland reveals the difficulty for states when the federal government devolves significant enforcement responsibility to the states, with no ability to concurrently devolve responsibility for benefits. The article concludes that recent Congressional paralysis on matters of immigration has inexcusably moved a contentious political conversation to a level of government with no authority to address its real substance. Maryland's difficulties finding state-wide solutions to the regulation of immigrants within its borders offers a cautionary tale, making it all the more essential that the federal government, and Congress in particular, summon the courage to create a more sustainable framework.


We present a model of an infrared metamaterial absorber composed of metal dendritic resonators, dielectric substrate, and continuous metal film. Numerical simulation confirms an absorptivity of 98.6% at the infrared wavelength of 2.79 μm. The proposed metamaterial absorber has an excellence of two-dimensional isotropy, and it could be fabricated with a chemical double-template technique. Our simulation shows it could be operated for a wide range of incident angles. The optical metamaterial absorber proposed in this paper has potential applications such as in infrared imaging devices, thermal bolometers, and wavelength-selective radiators.


Abstract Animal movement patterns contribute to our understanding of variation in breeding success and survival of individuals, and the implications for population dynamics. Over time, sensor technology for measuring movement patterns has improved. Although older technologies may be rendered obsolete, the existing data are still valuable, especially if new and old data can be compared to test whether a behavior has changed over time. We used simulated data to assess the ability to quantify and correctly identify patterns of seabird flight lengths under observational regimes used in successive generations of wet/dry logging technology. Care must be taken when comparing data collected at differing timescales, even when using inference procedures that incorporate the observational process, as model selection and parameter estimation may be biased. In practice, comparisons may only be valid when degrading all data to match the lowest resolution in a set. Changes in tracking technology, such as the wet/dry loggers explored here, that lead to aggregation of measurements at different temporal scales make comparisons challenging. We therefore urge ecologists to use synthetic data to assess whether accurate parameter estimation is possible for models comparing disparate data sets before planning experiments and conducting analyses such as responses to environmental changes or the assessment of management actions.


This work based on literary data discusses the influence of the process of metal fatigue on the change of coercivity. Experimentation on alternate stress (alternating voltage) has resulted in an increase of defects concentration of a structure: pin-hole defects – vacancies, line defects – relocations, volumetric defects – micro separation. The area of reversible damaging was chosen as a criterion of an uninterrupted operation. According to a linear accumulative damage theory (Ψi) there was chosen an amount equal to ratio a number of strain cycles (ni) to the totality of strain cycles at the given strain or load amplitude (Np). It is proposed to consider that in the area of reversible damaging a condition Ψ= (0,2-0,3)δp must be met where δp is a homogeneous deformation of a given steel grade. Devices for testing coercive strength and state standards allowing to define mechanical properties of steel to coercivity.


The purpose of this Thesis is to present a Bayesian analysis of oncological data sets with particular focus on cervical carcinomas and ovarian cancers. Bayesian methods of data analysis have a very long history, and have been used with great success in many disciplines, from Physics to Econometrics. Nonetheless, they remain very controversial among statisticians who belong to the orthodox i.e, frequentist school, and are not well known by the medical community. To help in that direction, we reviewed in the introductory chapter the basic philosophical and practical differences between the two schools, and in the second chapter, we briefly reviewed the history of Bayesian methodology, from the early efforts of Thomas Bayes and of Pierre Simon de Laplace to the modern contributions of Harold Jeffreys, Richard Cox, and Edwin Jaynes. In many aspects of medical research, we deal with experimental data from which a certain proposition or hypothesis is validated. Unlike in physics, where we have strong and solid foundations such as Newton's law of motion, Snell's optical laws, Kirchoff's laws, Einstein's relativity theory, and many more, we do not have such privileges in medical research. Hence, many hypotheses are constantly tested as new evidence becomes available. One of the actively-researched medical areas is cancer research about which our understanding is still in its infancy. Numerous experiments (both in vivo and in vitro) and clinical trials have been conducted to further our knowledge; thus, Bayesian methodology finds its place to aid us in obtaining scientific inferences about certain propositions or hypotheses from available data and resources. In this work, we use data given to us by our medical collaborators at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in Toronto to carry out two main projects: Firstly, to make an inference about the oxygenation status (oxygen partial pressure, pO2) within human cervical carcinomas and secondly, an inference about the effectiveness of various molecularly-targeted agents (MTAs) in phase II clinical trials of relapsed ovarian cancer patients. iii In the first problem, we address the challenges of tumor hypoxia a state of oxygen deprivation in tumors. Currently, there are two methods to obtain tumor oxygen status, namely the direct Eppendorf needle electrode and the indirect immunohistochemical assay of a protein marker, Carbonic Anhydrase IX (CAIX). In this project, we introduce Bayesian probability theory to obtain inferences about tumor oxygenation from each technique and the concordance between the two techniques. From this study, we conclude that under certain conditions, two biopsies are sufficient to infer the tumor oxygenation level based on the immunohistochemical assays of CAIX. Additionally, there is a fair concordance between the direct and the indirect measurements of tumor oxygenation. In the latter problem, ovarian cancer is the topic of study. Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among gynecological cancers and one that is known to relapse. CA-125 is still the most inexpensive biomarker for monitoring ovarian cancers. From the phase II clinical trial data, we demonstrate the survival advantage of CA-125 responsive group of patients by means of a non-parametric Kaplan-Meier statistic.


The standard account of the First Amendment presupposes that the Supreme Court has consistently expanded the scope of free speech rights over time. This account holds true in some areas, but not in others. In this illuminating work, Ronald J. Krotoszynski, Jr acknowledges that the contemporary Supreme Court rigorously enforces the rules against content and viewpoint discrimination for those who possess the wherewithal to speak but when citizens need the government's assistance to speak - for example, access to public property for protest - free speech rights have declined. Instead of using open-ended balancing tests, the Roberts and Rehnquist Courts have opted for bright line, categorical rules that minimize judicial discretion. Opportunities for democratic engagement could be enhanced, however, if the federal courts returned to the Warren Court's balancing approach and vested federal judges with discretionary authority to require government to assist would-be speakers. This book should be read by anyone concerned with free speech and its place in democratic self-government.


Bilevel optimization problems, which are problems where two optimization problems are nested, have more and more applications in machine learning. In many practical cases, the upper and the lower objectives correspond to empirical risk minimization problems and therefore have a sum structure. In this context, we propose a bilevel extension of the celebrated SARAH algorithm. We demonstrate that the algorithm requires O (( n + m ) 12 ε − 1 ) gradient computations to achieve ε -stationarity with n + m the total number of samples, which improves over all previous bilevel algorithms. Moreover, we provide a lower bound on the number of oracle calls required to get an approximate stationary point of the objective function of the bilevel problem. This lower bound is attained by our algorithm, which is therefore optimal in terms of sample complexity.


The mechanisms controlling surface evaporation and water redistribution in layered, unsaturated soil profiles are of particular interest for the design of soil covers for landfills and mine waste (e.g., tailings) where layering of texturally contrasting soils is common. Evaporation and water redistribution were observed in laboratory tests of three layered soil columns (sand overlying silt, silt overlying sand, and multiple sand and silt layers), with two homogeneous soil columns (sand or silt) serving as controls. Changes in water storage were monitored along with changes in potential and actual evaporation with time. Near continuous monitoring of temperature along the columns was also conducted. The hydraulic properties of the sand and silt were measured but also verified through simulations of the homogeneous sand and silt columns. These optimized parameters were then used to simulate the layered columns. Layered columns with silt at the surface had more evaporation than homogeneous soil columns of either sand or silt. Changes in water storage in the columns with sand at the surface occurred primarily within the surficial sand layer without drawing water from deeper in the column. Columns with silt at surface drew water for evaporation from sand layers deeper within the column. Numerical modeling of the columns was able to reproduce the observed changes in evaporation rates and water content for all layered soil columns. The laboratory and simulation studies illustrated the strong influence that textural layering may have on water dynamics in soil profiles under evaporative conditions.


This paper describes MyInfo, a novel interface for a personal news demonstrator that processes and combines content from TV and the web. We detail our design process from concept generation to focus group exploration to final design. Our design focuses on three issues: (i) ease-of-use, (ii) video summarization, and (iii) news personalization. With a single button press on the remote control, users access specific topics such as weather or traffic. In addition, users can play back personalized news content as a TV show, leaving themselves free to complete other tasks in their homes, while consuming the news.


Predicting fault-prone modules for software development projects enables companies to reach high reliable systems and minimizes necessary budget, personnel and resource to be allocated to achieve this goal. Researchers have investigated various statistical techniques and machine learning algorithms until now but most of them applied their models to the different datasets which are not public or used different criteria to decide the best predictor model. Artificial Immune Recognition System is a supervised learning algorithm which has been proposed in 2001 for the classification problems and its performance for UCI datasets (University of California machine learning repository) is remarkable.

In this paper, we propose a novel software defect prediction model by applying Artificial Immune Recognition System (AIRS) along with the Correlation-Based Feature Selection (CFS) technique. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed model, we apply it to the five NASA public defect datasets and compute G-mean 1, G-mean 2 and F-measure values to discuss the effectiveness of the model. Experimental results show that AIRS has a great potential for software defect prediction and AIRS along with CFS technique provides relatively better prediction for large scale projects which consist of many modules.


Recently, deep learning models have made great progress in MWP solving on answer accuracy. However, they are uninterpretable since they mainly rely on shallow heuristics to achieve high performance without understanding and reasoning the grounded math logic. To address this issue and make a step towards interpretable MWP solving, we first construct a high-quality MWP dataset named InterMWP which consists of 11,495 MWPs and annotates interpretable logical formulas based on algebraic knowledge as the grounded linguistic logic of each solution equation. Different from existing MWP datasets, our InterMWP benchmark asks for a solver to not only output the solution expressions but also predict the corresponding logical formulas. We further propose a novel approach with logical prompt and interpretation generation, called LogicSolver. For each MWP, our LogicSolver first retrieves some highly-correlated algebraic knowledge and then passes them to the backbone model as prompts to improve the semantic representations of MWPs. With these improved semantic representations, our LogicSolver generates corresponding solution expressions and interpretable knowledge formulas in accord with the generated solution expressions, simultaneously. Experimental results show that our LogicSolver has stronger logical formula-based interpretability than baselines while achieving higher answer accuracy with the help of logical prompts, simultaneously. The source code and dataset is available at https://github.com/yangzhch6/InterMWP.


Euglena gracilis responds to abiotic stress factors (high light, salinity, heavy metals) with a sign change of its gravitactic behavior. This phenomenon is oxygen dependent and can be suppressed by the application of the reductant dithionite. It is not mediated by the photoreceptor since also blind mutants change their movement behavior upon high light exposure. It is also not mediated by the chloroplasts since the gravitactic sign change was also found in white, chloroplast-free mutants. The NO radical donor SNAP and the NO cleaver carboxy-PTIO had no obvious effects on gravitaxis or gravitactic sign change, respectively, indicating that NO radicals are not likely involved in gravitactic sign change. Gravitactic sign change was suppressed when oxygen was removed by flushing the cell suspension with nitrogen. Also, the addition of the radical scavengers Trolox, ascorbic acid or potassium cyanide abolished or reduced gravitactic sign change. Quantification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells indicated that these treatments reduced the evolution of ROS. Furthermore, addition of hydrogen peroxide induced gravitactic sign change in the absence of external stress factors. These results indicate that gravitactic sign change is triggered by ROS (most likely hydrogen peroxide) which are probably produced by cytochrome-c-oxidase in the mitochondria. The clear responses of Euglena to abiotic stress factors suggest that these cells are probably interesting model systems in the study of stress signaling.


Image registration is the process of estimating the optimal transformation that aligns different imaging data into spatial correspondences. Multi-modal image registration is to register images which are captured by different types of imaging devices. This thesis aims to develop robust and effective techniques for multi-modal image registration. The challenge lies in the fact that the visual appearance may differ a lot between corresponding parts of multi-modal images. We have been exploring ways by investigating local image features. Two main contributions have been made in this thesis. First, we have improved existing mono-modal and multi-modal image registration techniques by better utilizing gradient information. For a feature-based image registration technique, its effectiveness to a large extent relies on the discrimination power of local descriptors. In the existing techniques, gradient information is utilized in a number of ways for building local descriptors. We have analyzed the limitations of these techniques, and have proposed a technique for better utilizing gradient information. As a result, the discrimination power of local descriptors has been enhanced, leading to a better registration performance. Second, we have developed a new multi-modal image registration technique, which has the following innovations: 1. We have proposed a technique to detect the intrinsic structural similarity in multi-modal microscopic images. This is achieved by exploiting the characteristics in intensity relationships between the Red-Green-Blue color channels. 2. To increase robustness to content differences, contour-based corners are used, instead of intensity-based keypoints in a state-of-the-art multi-modal image registration technique. 3. We have proposed a new local descriptor to better represent corners. 4. We have proposed a new way of scale estimation by making use of geometric relationships between corner triplets in two images. The proposed multi-modal image registration technique achieves greater robustness in terms of both content differences and scale differences as compared to the state-of-the-art multi-modal image registration technique.


A colloidal particle is driven across a temporally oscillating one-dimensional optical potential energy landscape and its particle motion is analysed. Different modes of dynamic mode locking are observed and are confirmed with the use of phase portraits. The effect of the oscillation frequency on the mode locked step width is addressed and the results are discussed in light of a high-frequency theory and compared to simulations. Furthermore, the influence of the coupling between the particle and the optical landscape on mode locking is probed by increasing the maximum depth of the optical landscape. Stronger coupling is seen to increase the width of mode locked steps. Finally, transport across the temporally oscillating landscape is studied by measuring the effective diffusion coefficient of a mobile particle, which is seen to be highly sensitive to the driving velocity and mode locking.


Wireless sensor networks utilize large numbers of wireless sensor nodes to collect information from their sensing terrain. Wireless sensor nodes are battery-powered devices. Energy saving is always crucial to the lifetime of a wireless sensor network. Recently, many algorithms are proposed to tackle the energy saving problem in wireless sensor networks. In these algorithms, however, data collection efficiency is usually compromised in return for gaining longer network lifetime. There are strong needs to develop wireless sensor networks algorithms with optimization priorities biased to aspects besides energy saving. In this paper, a delay-aware data collection network structure for wireless sensor networks is proposed. The objective of the proposed network structure is to minimize delays in the data collection processes of wireless sensor networks. Two network formation algorithms are designed to construct the proposed network structure in a centralized and a decentralized approach. Performances of the proposed network structure are evaluated using computer simulations. Simulation results show that, when comparing with other common network structures in wireless sensor networks, the proposed network structure is able to shorten the delays in the data collection process significantly.


Extracted from text ... 34 - IMIESA JANUARY 2006
IMESA STRATEGY
As major changes unfold in the global and local environment, it is
clear that the Institution of Municipal Engineering of Southern
Africa (IMESA) needs to transform and become more strategically
focused and representative. As part of this transformation process,
a new vision and strategy for the institution was developed. This
five year plan - aptly entitled 'IMESA 2010 and Beyond' - includes,
among others, the establishment of a dedicated IMESA office led
by a full-time CEO, ensuring that IMESA becomes more externally
focused, addressing the current skills shortage, seeking longer-term
partnerships and collaboration ..


Excitation and photoionization of Rydberg wave packets are described. Interference of bound-free transitions from many coherently populated Rydberg levels is shown to affect the dependence of the photoionization probability on the duration of interaction. Strong-field interference effects in such a system are described also. The most important of these is the field-induced interference stabilization of Rydberg atoms in a strong ionizing field. The intensity range in which this effect can exist is determined. The results derived are used for a qualitative model describing supercontinuum emission in the process of multiphoton ionization.


The hormones can have different functions and modes of actions. They regulate metabolism, growth, development, puberty and many different tissue functions. One hormone can have multiple effects and target organs and, likewise, one physiological event or target organ can be affected by more than one hormone. For example, the major function of growth hormone (GH) in children is to promote linear growth, but GH has other important physiological effects which influence several key metabolic processes, including body composition, muscle strength, bone mineral density and reproductive capacity (1). Thyroid hormones (TH) are critical for energy metabolism of nutrients and inorganic ions, thermogenesis, and the normal growth and development at critical periods of various tissues, including CNS. In fact, TH regulate neurogenesis, myelination, dendrite proliferation and synapse formation (2). Therefore, TH effect somatic and skeletal growth modulating the action of GH and insulin like growth factors.
Endocrine diseases are derived from defects found at any point in the hormonal synthesis, secretion, transport, action, or regulatory control of a hormone, leading a reduction or an increase of hormonal effects.
Because the hormones act on multiple target organ, endocrine diseases affect multiple organs and are characterized by multisystemic signs ad symptoms, almost always involving the heart and cardiovascular system. In many case the adaptative cardiac response is physiologically normal and the clinical findings are subtle.
Endocrine diseases and, in particular, thyroid dysfunction and growth hormone deficiency in adults are associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality due to premature atherosclerosis and cardiac abnormalities (3-6). It has established that atherosclerotic disease begins in childhood, however relatelively few studies have shown that some endocrine dysfunction in children and adolescents may be associated with detrimental cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities, such as alteration of left ventricular mass, low flow-mediated endothelium dependent vasodilatation, abnormal lipid profile and increased homocysteine and inflammatory markers, which place them at higher risk of cardiovascular disease at an early age (8). Hormonal therapy exerts a beneficial effect on cardiovascular abnormalities and metabolic alterations and is likely beneficial in terms of cardiovascular risk. Moreover, sometimes, as for congenital hypothyroidism (CH), the hormonal replacement therapy is necessary for life and during treatment patients may experience periods of over or under-treatment, particularly during adolescence, when the compliance to the treatment becomes less regular, not withstanding an accurate biochemical follow-up and frequent adjustments. These unphysiological fluctuations of hormones levels might place the patients at an increased risk of early cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities.
However, the multisystemic involvement in endocrine disease may be due to an alteration of a signaling pathway shared between endocrine and other systems.
It is notable, for example, that many components of the GH receptor (GHR) signalling pathway are also activated by other cytokines and growth factors and defects in these intracellular components may manifest in clinical phenotypes in addition to severe growth failure. Hence, a complex clinical phenotype that includes GH insensitivity with normal GHR would be strongly indicative of post-GHR defects. In fact, in the recent years, defects in intracellular components of GHR and cytokine signalling, such as mutations of gamma chain (γc), Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription 5b (STAT5b), Nuclear Factor-κB (NF-κB) gene have been observed in patients with complex phenotype characterized by short stature due to GHI and immunodeficiencies (9-12).
Aim of this project was to define the multisystemic aspects of the endocrine diseases related to etiopathogenetic mechanisms of molecular and/or anatomical alterations responsible for endocrine dysfunction and the effects of hormonal treatment on various organs and systems. To this aim, we started from 3 model of disease:

• Idiopathic Short Stature
• Congenital Hypothyroidism
• Growth Hormone Deficiency


The options framework is a popular approach for building temporally extended actions in reinforcement learning. In particular, the option-critic architecture provides general purpose policy gradient theorems for learning actions from scratch that are extended in time. However, past work makes the key assumption that each of the components of option-critic has independent parameters. In this work we note that while this key assumption of the policy gradient theorems of option-critic holds in the tabular case, it is always violated in practice for the deep function approximation setting. We thus reconsider this assumption and consider more general extensions of option-critic and hierarchical option-critic training that optimize for the full architecture with each update. It turns out that not assuming parameter independence challenges a belief in prior work that training the policy over options can be disentangled from the dynamics of the underlying options. In fact, learning can be sped up by focusing the policy over options on states where options are actually likely to terminate. We put our new algorithms to the test in application to sample efficient learning of Atari games, and demonstrate significantly improved stability and faster convergence when learning long options. 1


In Lao PDR, one of the less developed countries, water represents a valuable natural resource via the development of hydropower dams and irrigation schemes. In the lower part of the Nam Ngum River Basin, the Vientiane plain is one of the largest food production areas of the country and the largest irrigated area in Lao PDR. While food demand is expected to continue to increase in the future, hydropower dams are under rapid development in the upper part of the basin, modifying the seasonal distribution of the river flow regimes. This study aims at assessing the current water supply and agricultural water demand in the Vientiane Plain and concluding whether the water resource is or may become a limiting factor for food production. The agricultural water demand is assessed from two types of data (characteristics of large-scale pumping stations and official statistics on irrigated areas) and using remote sensing analyses. Flow measurements of the Nam Ngum River were used to quantify the water supply. A 43-year time series (1962-2004) of daily river discharge was reconstructed from actual discontinuous data recorded in the river reach where most of the pumping stations are found. Distinctions in the water resource assessment were made between pristine conditions (before the construction of the hydropower dams) and current conditions of water infrastructure development. A comparison of the water supply and demand indicates that during the 4 driest months of the year (January to April) when the river reaches its minimum level and the irrigation water demand is the highest, pumped volumes represent less than 30% of the river discharge. This ratio should decrease as new hydropower dams are built, storing and releasing more water during the wet and the dry season, respectively. These figures indicate that the availability of water in the Nam Ngum River is not a limiting factor for irrigation, even during the dry seasons of exceptionally dry years. The water demand could exceptionally exceed the water supply in the case of an extreme scenario of irrigation development with irrigated areas 3-fold larger than the current ones. Next analyses will consist in assessing how this water balance will be altered by the development of new hydropower dams and irrigation projects. Possible uses of water surplus will be prioritized, depending on their economic viability and benefits.


Darjeeling occupies a special place in the South Asian imaginary with its Himalayan vistas, lush tea gardens, and brisk mountain air. Thousands of tourists, domestic and international, annually flock to the hills to taste their world-renowned tea and soak up the colonial nostalgia. Darjeeling Reconsidered rethinks Darjeeling's status in the postcolonial imagination. Mobilizing diverse disciplinary approaches from the social sciences and humanities, this definitive collection of essays sheds fresh light on the region's past and offers critical insight into the issues facing its people today. While the historical analyses provide alternative readings of the systems of governance, labour, and migration that shaped Darjeeling, the ethnographic chapters present accounts of dynamics that define life in twenty-first century Darjeeling, including the Gorkhaland Movement, Fair Trade tea, indigenous and subnationalist struggle, gendered inequality, ecological transformation, and resource scarcity. The volume figures Darjeeling as a vital site for South Asian and postcolonial studies and calls for a timely re-examination of the legend and hard realities of this oft-romanticized region.


Background: Treatment of patients with multiple brain metastases has shifted to stereotactic radiosurgery, withholding whole-brain (WB) radiation therapy. However, radiation toxicity to the brain is a concern when treating multiple brain lesions with single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in brain radiation doses when treating various numbers of targets and lesion volumes. Methods: We simulated different treatment plans with different combinations of varying tumor volumes including 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 cm3, and tumor numbers including 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25. Treatment planning was performed for all combinations in a computerized tomography of the head of a patient, using Leksell GammaPlan version 10.1.1 (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden). Two different dosing strategies were used. In the lower-prescription dosing schedule, a marginal dose was given to the 50% isodose line, and 20 Gy were used when the number of lesions was less than 15 and 18 Gy were applied when the number of lesions was equal to or more than 15. In the higher-prescription dosing schedule, a marginal dose of 24 Gy was used for lesions of less than 5 cm3 and 20 Gy were applied for lesions equal to 5cm3. The mean WB dose, the WB integral dose, and the volume of brain receiving 12 Gy (V12 Gy) were calculated for each scenario. Also, the beam-on time of the Gamma Knife 4C unit was reported for all treatment scenarios. Results: Regression analysis showed that the total tumor volume was a more significant predictor of V12 Gy than the number of lesions, and a linear correlation between the total tumor volume and V12 Gy was found. We also found that the total tumor volume was a more significant predictor of the mean WB dose and the WB integral dose compared to the number of lesions. Conclusion: Our results suggest that multiple small to mid-sized lesions could be safely treated with a single-fraction gamma knife.


The founders of the company IneraTec are developing a chemical reactor that can produce synthetic fuels from a broad range of different gas sources. What is completely new is the size of the reactor: it is no bigger than a desk. The IneraTec founders have found a way to design a compact reactor that fits into a container and only needs be connected to a gas source. At present, the reactor is set up to use methane as a source gas, but it has the potential to convert carbon dioxide and hydrogen mixtures into fuels at some point in the future. This, in combination with its decentralised application, gives some idea of the huge potential of the IneraTec reactor.


Employing Ernest Bormann's (1972) fantasy theme analysis methodology, this chapter examines selected rhetorical texts and symbolic actions in the coverage of China's anti-SARS campaign. Fantasy themes of character, action, and setting are identified and analyzed. The study finds that through the positive portrayal of national leaders and the heroic acts of medical workers, a renewed sense of nationalism was constructed, characterized by patriotism and sacrifice for the Party and country. The anti-SARS rhetoric nationwide also provided moral legitimacy for the new leadership in the time of political transition. The rhetorical vision created through fantasy themes promoted a unified national spirit and reinforced the traditional Chinese cultural value of collectivism.


Part I: This chapter develops a lattice method for option evaluation aiming to investigate whether the option prices reflect the shifts in the distributions of the underlying asset returns and the risk-free interest rate. More precisely we try to investigate whether the option prices reflect the switches in the correlation between the underlying and risk-free bond returns that characterise different states of the economy. For this reason we develop and test two models. In the first model we allow all the parameters to follow a regime-switching process while in the second model, in order to isolate the regime-switching correlation effect on the option prices, we allow only the correlation to follow a regime-switching process. The models developed use pentanomial lattices to represent the evolution of the regime-switching underlying assets. Our findings suggest that the option prices reflect the regime-switches and that a model which considers these switches could produce more accurate results than a single-regime model.
Part II: This part develops a class of closed-form models for options on commodities evaluation under the assumptions of mean-reversion in the commodity prices and factors' values and regime-switching in the volatilities and correlations. At first we develop novel closed-form solutions of the 1-, 2- and 3-factors models and later in the paper these three models are transformed into regime switching models. The six models (three with and three without regime-switching) are then tested and compared on real market data. Our findings suggest that the by increasing the stochastic factors and assuming regime-switching in the models their flexibility and thus their accuracy increases.


Predicting blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability is essential to drug development, as a molecule cannot exhibit pharmacological activity within the brain parenchyma without first transiting this barrier. Understanding the process of permeation, however, is complicated by a combination of both limited passive diffusion and active transport. Our aim here was to establish predictive models for BBB drug permeation that include both active and passive transport. A database of 153 compounds was compiled using in vivo surface permeability product (logPS) values in rats as a quantitative parameter for BBB permeability. The open source Chemical Development Kit (CDK) was used to calculate physico-chemical properties and descriptors. Predictive computational models were implemented by machine learning paradigms (decision tree induction) on both descriptor sets. Models with a corrected classification rate (CCR) of 90% were established. Mechanistic insight into BBB transport was provided by an Ant Colony Optimization (ACO)-based binary classifier analysis to identify the most predictive chemical substructures. Decision trees revealed descriptors of lipophilicity (aLogP) and charge (polar surface area), which were also previously described in models of passive diffusion. However, measures of molecular geometry and connectivity were found to be related to an active drug transport component.


The ability of state DOTs to adequately clear roadways during winter weather conditions is critical for a safe and effective freight transportation system. Variables affecting winter maintenance operations include the type of precipitation, air and pavement temperature, traffic, wind, time of day, day of week, and maintenance equipment. The main objective of this study is to identify the best practices for normal deicing operations, based on the performance rating of deicing chemicals. Optimum deicer/brine ratios and the associated application rates will be determined for various weather conditions. The best practices will ensure effective deicing operation and economical use of deicing chemicals. Common deicing chemicals include sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, potassium acetate, potassium formate and carbohydrate–based (corn or beet) deicer solution. Deicers take the form of pellets or liquids. Liquid deicers are commonly used for prewetting road salt or other chemicals, or they are used as liquid solution. Several laboratory tests for deicer performance evaluation have been developed. However, none of these tests have been correlated with field performance data nor have they provided standardized results to ensure an acceptable performance in the field. Nebraska will serve as the test bed for this study although the results can be generalized to other locations. This is an ideal test site because a large quantity of automatic vehicle location (AVL) system data from NDOR plow trucks will be available. The AVL data includes truck location with GPS coordinates and time stamps. In addition, the snow plow trucks are equipped with digital cameras, which take snapshots of the roadway. These onboard systems will also provide real-time surface temperatures, air temperatures, wind speed, deicer application rates, and roadway conditions. The field data will be available for correlation analysis with the data from laboratory testing through the use of a Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS). The correlations between the field deicing performance and the laboratory testing are crucial for the development of the best practices using competing deicing products for a variety of weather conditions. The end result will be clearer roads during snow events, which will lead to a safer and more efficient freight and passenger roadway system.


Binge watching via video-on-demand services is now considered the new 'normal' way to consume television programs. In fact, recent surveys suggest upwards of 80 percent of consumers prefer and indulge in binge watching behavior. Despite this, there is no evidence regarding the impact of binge watching on the enjoyment of and memory for viewed content. In this, the first empirical and controlled study of its kind, we determined that, although binge watching leads to strong memory formation immediately following program viewing, these memories decay more rapidly than memories formed after daily- or weekly-episode viewing schedules. In addition, participants in the binge watching condition reported significantly less show enjoyment than participants in the daily- or weekly-viewing conditions — though, important considerations with regards to this finding are discussed. Although it is a preferred viewing style catered to by many internet-based on-demand distribution companies, binge watching does not appear to benefit sustained memory of viewed content and may affect show enjoyment.


Two-year transport simulations are performed for passive tracers continuously emitted from Japan, Europe, North America and Amazon regions in order to study transport processes of anthropogenic gases such as CO 2 and halocarbons. Three-dimensional wind data produced by the Meteorological Research Institute global spectral model with rhomboidal 24 truncation and 23 levels are used. Globally, there are three regions within which the transport of tracer is relatively rapid. These are the tropics, and the northern/southern extratropics. Within the tropics, the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions may be considered as further subdivisions. Transports between regions are much slower. In the case of a Japanese source, an equatorward transport occurs mainly in the lower troposphere during winter associated with the Asian winter monsoon circulation. The tracers are advected upward over the equatorial Indian Ocean and transported into the southern hemisphere. A significant seasonal oscillation in tracer density develops in the Antarctic region with the maximum in early June. In the cases of European and North American sources, an equatorward transport is slow and a poleward transport is enhanced in winter. In all cases, transport to the southern extratropics occurs in the upper troposphere because of upward advection in the tropical region. The tracer density increases with altitude in the troposphere in the southern extratropics except over Antarctica. Over Antarctica, the tracer density decreases with altitude and the horizontal distribution is rather uniform at the surface, indicating downward transport of low-density stratospheric air. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1993.t01-1-00008.x


The first generation of genetically modified (GM) crop varieties sought to increase farmer profitability through cost reductions or higher yields. The next generation of GM food research is focusing also on breeding for attributes of interest to consumers, beginning with 'golden rice', which has been genetically engineered to contain a higher level of vitamin A and thereby boost the health of unskilled labourers in developing countries. This paper analyses empirically the potential economic effects of adopting both types of innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It does so using the global economy-wide computable general equilibrium model known as GTAP. The results suggest the welfare gains are potentially very large, especially from golden rice and that--contrary to the claims of numerous interests--those estimated benefits are diminished only slightly by the presence of the European Union's current barriers to imports of GM foods. In particular, if SSA countries impose bans on GM crop imports in an attempt to maintain access to EU markets for non-GM products, the loss to domestic consumers due to that protectionism boost to SSA farmers is far more than the small gain in terms of greater market access to the EU. Copyright 2005, Oxford University Press.