Leverage the power of Zend Framework to build practical MVC applications Overview Learn something new in an Instant! A short, fast, focused guide delivering immediate results Discover how to get the skeleton application Configure the skeleton application to use Zend Framework 2 Understand how to validate forms, and upload files using Zend Framework 2 In Detail Zend Framework 2 is a modern object-oriented PHP framework. It has lots of useful components, which are easy to use and user friendly, helping you get your job done faster. This book shows you how to use the framework components to build a practical MVC application. Topics covered in this application include validation, file upload, database CRUD (create, read, update, and delete) operations, and so on. Instant Zend Framework 2.0 has been specifically created to provide you with all the information that you need to get up with Zend Framework 2 applications. You will learn the basic of Zend Framework 2.0, and get started with building your first Zend Framework MVC application. The book promises to deliver all the information you need to get started with Zend Framework 2.0. Instant Zend Framework 2.0 starts with how to download Zend Framework 2.0 and the skeleton application, and then shows how to configure the skeleton application to use the Zend Framework 2.0. Then it takes you through step-by-step instructions of how to create and configure modules, controllers, views, models, helpers and so on. By following the instructions in the book, you will be able to build a small fully functional database-driven MVC application. You will also learn how to use different framework components like the event manager, Zend log, and how to configure them with the module. This will give you an idea of how to configure any component with the module. After finishing this book you will be able to build a small database-driven web application with Zend Framework 2. What you will learn from this book Understand how to download and configure a skeleton application Create a module Add a controller, model, and view Explore the basics of configuring databases Validate forms Upload files Get to grips with aspect-oriented programming using EventManager Explore the logging application using Zend Log Approach Get to grips with a new technology, understand what it is and what it can do for you, and then get to work with the most important features and tasks. This book is fast-paced, practical guide that will provide step-by-step instructions for building a practical database-driven MVC application using Zend Framework 2. Who this book is written for This book is for developers who possess entry level knowledge or who have no prior experience with Zend Framework. An understanding of object-oriented programming is important and experience with namespaces will be required.


Since the late 1970s, and particularly the early 1990s, work carried out on language ideologies within the fields of linguistic anthropology and the sociology of language has contributed considerably to an understanding of the interplay between speakers' language use on the one hand, and their views and beliefs about language and its use on the other. At the same time, ongoing research into the phenomenon of code-switching within interactional sociolinguistics has demonstrated the multiple motivations that multilingual speakers may have in alternating between the various codes available to them. This paper provides a preliminary synthesis of the two approaches in the context of Scottish Gaelic-English bilinguals' interactions, drawing on two corpora of recorded bilingual speech to look at how language choice can relate to expressions of language ideologies and the interactional contexts in which these expressions take place. We focus specifically on how speakers orient to language ideologies related to language policy and argue that code-switching offers the interactant a way to "voice the other" when expressing negative views of language policy and practice. We then consider the interactional motivations for drawing on this "other" voice in the discourse.


In this article, we utilize 25 years of data on the Milwaukee voucher program to test the relationships among organizational liabilities of newness, institutional affiliation, market-share, and regulatory environment on the cumulative risk of school failure. Overall, we find that 41 percent of all private voucher schools operating in Milwaukee between 1991 and 2015 failed. Start-up voucher schools, and those unaffiliated with a larger institution, have comparatively higher failure risk over time. The results of our analysis shed light onto one of the long-term impacts of a public policy reform premised on social entrepreneurship. We conclude that policymakers should consider the consequences of organizational failure when utilizing nongovernment entities in the provision of public goods, and that scholars focus increased attention to understanding the negative externalities created by public entrepreneurship.


Crop irrigation requirements vary greatly across Utah's wide range of climatic conditions. About 40 electronic weather stations have been established in areas representing most of Utah's irrigated crop land. With this weather data reference evapotranspiration has been calculated using either a modified Penman or calibrated M.E. Jensen-H.R. Haise equation for each region. The crop irrigation requirement model contains historical precipitation and a polynomial equation approximating reference evapotranspiration for each region. Crop coefficient equations along with typical planting, effective cover and harvest dates for each region and crop are also included. Irrigation requirements can be calculated for user selected regions and crops. The program results compare reasonably well with field measured crop water use. This program runs on an IBM PC or compatible and is publicly available.


"Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting" presents an array of works that reflect the energy, vitality and innovation demonstrated by a diverse group of contemporary artists who apply traditional knitting and lacemaking techniques to unusual materials, or new techniques and technologies to traditional materials. The works brought together here are by artists from many different countries. Individually these works peak to the pervasive and persuasive cultural, social, and political issues with which art intersects today. The role of hand work as a symbol of community and communication is highlighted in many of these pieces, and the artist's personal commitment to collaborative experiments is the focus of others. The works are also barometers of change in the visual arts of our time, signaling the dissolving of the categories of art, craft and design that have fragmented the world of aesthetic and functional objects for more than a century.


Received: 12 January 2015 / Accepted: 23 February 2015 / Published: 4 March 2015 ABSTRACT: The synthesis parameter of thin film photovoltaic materials plays important role on their properties and the performance of DSSC. ZnO thin film nanotubes which serve as a photovoltaic material in DSSC was synthesized via seed mediated hydrothermal technique. The effect of natrium hydroxide (NaOH) precursor concentration at constant hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) surfactant and zinc nitrate [Zn(NO3)2] concentration on the morphology, optical absorption and the performance of the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) utilizing the ZnO samples has been investigated. The samples were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and ultraviolet-visible optical absorption techniques. The DSSC was tested under dark condition and under illumination of 100 mW cm light from tungsten halogen lamp. It was found that the morphology and optical absorption of ZnO nanostructure are significantly affected by the NaOH concentration. The diameter of the ZnO nanotubes decreases as the precursor concentration increases. The device does not show rectification property in dark. The photovoltaic parameters increase with the decrease in the NaOH concentration. The DSSC utilizing ZnO nanotubes synthesized at 0.005 M NaOH performs the JSC, VOC, FF and η of 0.80 mA cm, 0.38 V, 0.388 and 0.103%, respectively. The highest performance of that cell is due to the broadest absorption window of 0.005 M sample.


A 4-generation family with multiple synostoses syndrome type 4 (SYNS4) is reported, the third family identified so far. The phenotype segregated with a previously undescribed Asn399Lys (c.1197C>A) substitution in GDF6. N399 is part of a hydrophobic pocket critical for binding the BMP/GDF antagonist noggin. The N399K substitution renders GDF6 more similar to noggin-resistant members of the BMP family, namely GDF2 and BMP10, both of which contain lysine in the corresponding position. To further define the SYNS4 phenotype, we examined 6 of 9 affected family members. The phenotype was carpal and tarsal synostoses with painful feet after walking, but the condition could also be asymptomatic. Interestingly, unlike the previous SYNS4 families, the family presented here has no history of hearing loss, and a 73-year-old mutation carrier had normal audiometry for his age. Based on structure modelling, BMPR2 binding should not be affected by the GDF6-N399K substitution, unlike the S429R and Y444N mutations found in the 2 other families. Hypothetically, this difference may be related to lack of hearing loss.


The present investigation was done to assess how health locus of control effects management of type 2 diabetes. The sample of the present study comprised of 200 type 2 diabetic patients. They were selected from the Out Patient Department (OPD) of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University. The sample consisted of 84 male type 2 diabetic patients, and 116 female type 2 diabetic patients. The sample was further divided into controlled and uncontrolled diabetic patients on the basis of HbA1C levels. 18 item Multidimensional scale developed by K.A Wallston et al. (1978) was used to measure health locus of control. Findings of the study suggested that male diabetic patients scored higher on internal health locus of control, whereas female diabetic patients scored higher on chance health locus of control. Educated diabetic patients scored higher than uneducated diabetic patients on internal health locus of control. Further it was found that participants high on internal health locus of control better manage their diabetes and thus, suffer from less complications related to type 2 diabetes. It was concluded from the present study that health locus of control plays an important role in the effective management of type 2 diabetes.


Despite two decades of government and commercial intervention, a digital divide persists in the UK. Access to internet connectivity and the associated tools and services that permit full participation in the information society greatly varies. Researchers argue that a more complex set of insufficiencies must be overcome and continually re-addressed to enable individuals and communities to make meaningful usage of the internet to enhance their activities.

This thesis examines the discourse surrounding the digital divide and investigates one response: the establishment of grassroots initiated networked communities. These initiatives represent local neighbourhoods attempting self-provisioning solutions; appropriating technology within their own communities to connect residents to each other, and the wider world through the internet, often building on an existing set of social relationships and ongoing interaction.

The research consists of a literature review, a survey of grassroots initiated networked communities in the UK, and the collaborative development of software tools to enhance community interaction working alongside two communities. An analysis of the motivations and goals of these initiatives is presented based on the survey and interviews with ten groups, providing evidence of a range of activities and a simple typology of initiatives, which I define as Pioneers, Subcultures and Cooperatives. The thesis provides recommendations to practitioners and policy makers on how best to support such initiatives, and indicates useful areas of further research.

The collaborative development of software tools alongside two initiatives reveals the challenges of undertaking a participatory research approach and identifies barriers to social software adoption. I identify that grassroots community responses to the digital divide face challenges, including achieving critical mass, sponsorship, and sustainability. The research concludes by establishing that grassroots initiated networked communities are a valid response to overcoming the digital divide, and that a community approach offers shared motivation, social support, and knowledge sharing.


This study examines the nature and development of midwifery knowledge and its relationship to the curriculum. Central to this examination is the thesis that its origin and development is linked principally to a radical cultural transformation of society. Ideas from three socio-philosophical theories are used as a conceptual framework in. this analysis. These are modernity, postmodernity and premodernity. They represent the cultural shifts that have taken place as midwifery has evolved and play a central role in providing the tools for questioning the impact of cultural transformation on the construction of midwifery knowledge and to even question whether there is such a thing called midwifery knowledge. This study uses a non-experimental research approach. In combines two stages of enquiry, which involve two cases. The first entails a theoretical investigation of the evolution of midwifery in the UK. The second phase was conducted in Mauritius. The data was analysed using the perspective of critical theory. This study shows that midwifery knowledge is a social construct, culturally determined, relative and embedded in the historical context. It is interpreted within two contending worldviews, one scientific and the other religious. Both of these have to be kept in balance in order to reach a total representation of midwifery knowledge. Whilst there is a unity of purpose, which is assisting women in giving birth, the conclusion about the examination of midwifery knowledge suggests that there is no single body of midwifery knowledge but that there are different knowledges, which stem from different epistemological positions. How should we integrate these positions into the development of the curriculum and in tailoring our practice that must be relevant to a population that is increasingly culturally diverse? This study concludes by addressing this question and suggests that there is need for further research into the context within which midwifery knowledge is produced and legitimised. Other areas for future research are also identified.


Abstract This paper examines transition patterns in post-Gulf war Iraqi Kurdistan as a function of external aid, and the impact of these developments on relations between the Kurdistan region and Baghdad. It argues that, despite ethnic traditions and structural legacies, the asymmetrical and changing nature of aid has created new incentives for conflict and co-operation. Since 1991 aid has strengthened the Kurdistan region's power in relation to the state and increased leverage on the central government to accommodate Kurdish demands for autonomy. Yet it has also created an increasingly complex political – economic order and new interdependencies between the regions. The shift from relief aid to reconstruction within a neoliberal framework has helped open the Iraqi and Kurdish political economies by encouraging trade between the Kurdistan region, regional states and foreign governments. The creation of a federal Iraqi state has also led to financial and political linkages between the Kurdistan region and Baghdad and to new requirements for negotiation.


Purpose: The article aims to determine the degree of use of ethical patterns contained in the Code of Professional Ethics in Accounting by the management of selected economic units representing the following two provinces in Poland: the pomorskie province and the kujawsko-pomorskie province in 2015, 2017 and 2019, as well as to show the factors influencing unethical behaviour Design/Methodology/Approach: The study analyses the results of the surveys conducted in November and December 2015 in the period from March to May 2017 and in the period from October to December 2019 among 220 heads of economic units operating in two Polish provinces, i e , the pomorskie and the kujawsko-pomorskie provinces Findings: The practical application of ethical standards in accounting raises doubts in the opinions expressed by managers of units Therefore, the role of professional ethics should be strengthened by undertaking various activities to promote, educate, or by taking directly measures to protect and confirm compliance with ethical standards by units However, the introduction of such solutions requires changes in legal regulations as well as in the way of thinking in all economic entities operating on the market Practical Implications: Differentiating the ethical certification period from two up to four years depending on the economic and financial situation of the enterprise seems to be justified Changes and limitations in running a business in selected industries and branches of production dictated by the COVID 19 pandemic may contribute to the use of creative accounting, problems with continuing operations in an unchanged scope and maintaining financial liquidity Originality/value: The legitimacy and potential organization of ethical certification was verified on a group of people actually working in managerial accounting positions As part of the survey, managers of economic units were asked how they assess the application of ethical standards in accounting and what the main premises for violating the rules are


Over the past thirty years, a significant amount of research from a variety of social science disciplines has considered tax compliance. Economists, psychologists, and sociologists have contributed to the discussion, offering research and, at times, conflicting explanations regarding whether a person is likely to comply with his obligation to file an accurate tax return. The unifying theme among this research is a search for explanatory reasons which are the factors that lead to non-compliance. In broad terms, the economic models of tax compliance assume rational behavior, and that people will coldly consider compliance from the perspective as to whether the expected utility of non-compliance exceeds the utility of complying. To that end, researchers relying on the economic model have looked to a variety of independent variables likely to affect the calculus, including penalty rates, the likelihood of an audit, and complexity. There are numerous studies testing the variables that economists believe contribute to taxpayers' decisions to comply with the tax laws. Psychologists and sociologists have rightly pointed out that the economic model is insufficient as an explanatory tool. Sociologists and psychologists alike argue that some economic models fail to capture the complexities of human behavior and relationships, and fail to explain why compliance rates exceed what would otherwise be expected if people were solely evaluating compliance in terms of dollars and cents. The challenge among policymakers mining the social science research is that the research is at times inconsistent and incomplete. This article considers how the current earned income tax credit (EITC) creates opportunities for individuals to affirmatively misstate eligibility. It examines insights from the popular book Freakonomics and argues that despite the confusing and sometimes inconsistent state of research relating to tax compliance, policymakers concerned with reducing the tax gap should consider structural incentives and visibility as key factors relating to the decision to intentionally comply with the tax laws. While more empirical research must be done that examines and considers the relationship between various independent variables that may affect the decision to comply with the tax laws, policymakers can limit opportunities for noncompliance by considering (i) how taxpayers and return preparers perceive the visibility of their conduct, and (ii) how structural incentives of particular provisions might contribute to the willingness to cheat. The article examines how structural incentives and visibility operate in the context of the EITC, and create the conditions that allow individuals to intentionally misstate eligibility on tax returns.


Abstract The broad-scale distribution of δ18O values of kaolinite developed in weathering profiles in the Yilgarn Craton is interpreted as reflecting their age. As Australia progressively moved from a near-polar latitude in the Permian to lower latitude, with most translation during the past 60 Ma, the imprint of varying oxygen-isotope composition of meteoric water (rainwater and groundwater) has been preserved in weathering minerals such as clays and iron oxides. This correlation, namely δ18O values of kaolinite v. palaeo-latitude (and therefore, age), is well understood for eastern Australia. We have applied the same approach to samples widely spaced across the entire Yilgarn Craton and find that kaolinite from the majority of partially dissected weathering profiles displays Neogene δ18O ages. There are older profiles, some seemingly of pre-late Mesozoic age, and these are predominantly in the north and east of the craton. There is no evidence within the δ18O-derived age pattern for a northern older plateau and a younger southern plateau, at least in terms of their primary age of deep weathering as equated to planation. Instead, the difference between northern and southern areas is that the southern area is more dissected and displays more deeply stripped weathering profiles.


COGEMA Engineering Corporation (COGEMA), under a contract from CH2M Hill Hanford Group (CH2M Hill), has performed an ultrasonic nondestructive examination of selected portions of Double-Shell Tank 241-AP-104. The purpose of this examination was to provide information that could be used to evaluate the integrity of the wall of the primary and secondary tank. The requirements for the ultrasonic examination of Tank 241-AP-104 were to detect, characterize (identify, size, and locate), and record measurements made of any wall thinning that might be present in the wall of the primary tank in the upper knuckle region, and any wall thinning, pitting, or cracks in the wall of the secondary tank in the lower knuckle region. Any measurements that exceed the requirements set forth in the Engineering Task Plan (ETP), RPP-22571 (Jensen 2004) and summarized on page 1 of this document, are reported to CH2M Hill and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for further evaluation. Under the contract with CH2M Hill, all data is to be recorded on disk and paper copies of all measurements are provided to PNNL for third-party evaluation. PNNL is responsible for preparing a report that describes the results of the COGEMA ultrasonic examinations.


Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to examine how an electrical item manufacturer in Sri Lanka uses EMA and other practices to manage waste. Design/methodology/approach – The study followed the case study approach. In-depth interviews, and observations were used as primary sources of data and documentary evidences such as quality manuals, records prepared by the Finance Division, brochures and internal documents along with online resources were used as secondary sources of data. In collecting data, measures were taken to improve trustworthiness. Collected data were analyzed using explanatory building approach.  Findings – Despite the conventional absorption method to absorb waste related costs, the organization currently follows several practices such as cleaner production, Kanban and Kaizen to manage waste.  The manufacturer has some physical and monetary accounting practices relevant to recording, measurement and analysis of waste. The study further reveals that the intensity of accounting and environmental management strategies depends on the significance of a particular cost element to the organization. Research limitations/implications – Since the study covers only a particular electronic item manufacturer, generalizing the findings is somewhat difficult. This is mainly due to the context specific characteristics of the manufacturer. Therefore, the findings will be better suited for organizations in the electronic industry with similar characteristics. Originality/value – This study aims to contribute to the dearth of research on the application of EMA practices towards waste management in the manufacturing sector of a developing country. The findings will be useful for manufacturing sector organizations to enhance focus on physical and monetary accounting practices towards improving efficiency in waste management. Keywords- Electronic industry, manufacturing organizations, environmental management accounting practices, Sri Lanka, waste management. Paper type - Case Study


Libtensor is a framework designed to implement the tensor contractions arising form the coupled cluster and equations of motion computational quantum chemistry equations. It has been optimized for symmetry and sparsity to be memory efficient. This allows it to run efficiently on the ubiquitous and cost-effective SMP architectures. Unfortunately, movement of memory controllers on chip has endowed these SMP systems with strong NUMA properties. Moreover, the many core trend in processor architecture demands that the implementation be extremely thread-scalable on node. To date, Libtensor has been generally agnostic of these effects. To that end, in this paper, we explore a number of optimization techniques including a thread-friendly and NUMA-aware memory allocator and garbage collector, tuning the tensor tiling factor, and tuning the scheduling quanta. In the end, our optimizations can improve the performance of contractions implemented in Libtensor by up to 2× on representative Ivy Bridge, Nehalem, and Opteron SMPs.


BACKGROUND
Alcohol average volume (quantity multiplied by frequency) has been associated with mortality in drinkers. However, average volume may mask associations due to quantity or frequency alone.

METHODS
We prospectively assessed relationships between alcohol quantity and frequency, and mortality from all-causes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other-causes in a cohort created by linking the 1988 National Health Interview Survey (response rate 87%) to the National Death Index through 2002. Participants were 20,765 current drinkers age > or = 18 years. At 14-year follow-up 2,547 had died.

RESULTS
For quantity, among men who consumed > or =5 drinks (compared to 1 drink) on drinking days, adjusted relative risks (RR) of mortality were: for cardiovascular disease, 1.30 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96-1.75; p for linear trend (p-trend) = 0.0295], for cancer, 1.53 (95% CI 1.11-2.09; p-trend = 0.0026), and for other-causes, 1.42 (95% CI 1.08-1.87; p-trend = 0.0029); among women for other-causes, 2.88 (95% CI 1.61-5.12; p-trend = 0.0010). For frequency, among men in the highest frequency quartile (compared to the lowest), RR were: for cardiovascular disease, 0.79 (95% CI 0.63-0.99; p-trend = 0.0330), for cancer, 1.23 (95% CI 0.95-1.59; p-trend = 0.0461), and for other-causes, 1.30 (95% CI 1.01-1.67; p-trend = 0.0070); among women, for cancer, 1.65 (95% CI 1.12-2.45, p-trend = 0.0031). Average volume obscured effects of quantity alone and frequency alone, particularly for cardiovascular disease in men where quantity and frequency trended in opposite directions.

CONCLUSIONS
Alcohol quantity and frequency were independently associated with cause-specific mortality. Accumulating evidence of their differential effects may, in the future, be useful for clinical and public health recommendations.


Wildlife diseases can have undesirable effects on wildlife, on livestock and people. Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is such a disease. This study derives and then evaluates relationships between the proportion of cattle herds with newly detected TB infection in a year and data on badgers, in parts of Britain.The relationships are examined using data from 10 sites which were randomly selected to be proactive culling sites in the UK Randomized Badger Culling Trial. The badger data are from the initial cull only and the cattle incidence data pre-date the initial badger cull.The analysis of the proportion of cattle herds with newly detected TB infection in a year, showed strong support for the model including significant frequency-dependent transmission between cattle herds and significant badger-to-herd transmission proportional to the proportion of M. bovis-infected badgers. Based on the model best fitting all the data, 3.4% of herds (95% CI: 0 – 6.7%) would be expected to have TB infection newly detected (i.e. to experience a TB herd breakdown) in a year, in the absence of transmission from badgers. Thus, the null hypothesis that at equilibrium herd-to-herd transmission is not sufficient to sustain TB in the cattle population, in the absence of transmission from badgers cannot be rejected (p=0.18). Omitting data from three sites in which badger carcase storage may have affected data quality; the estimate dropped to 1.3% of herds (95% CI: 0 – 6.5%) with p=0.76.The results demonstrate close positive relationships between bovine TB in cattle herds and badgers infectious with M. bovis. The results indicate that TB in cattle herds could be substantially reduced, possibly even eliminated, in the absence of transmission from badgers to cattle. The results are based on observational data and a small data set to provide weaker inference than from a large experimental study.


Modern factory crushing units process prepared sugar cane through sets of counter-rotating grooved rolls. A typical unit in Australia would process in excess of 600 tonnes of material per hour. Throughput and extraction performance is strongly dependent on material behaviour, the geometry and surface condition at the roll bagasse interface. Factories use welding procedures to arc roughen the tips of grooves in an effort to increase friction. Although industry procedures appear ad hoc it is clear that some level of roughness is crucial to performance. A similar statement can be made in respect to roll grooving given the wide variation in adopted practice. This project involved an experimental investigation into the effects of interface friction on bagasse compaction between grooved steel platens. An apparatus was developed for use in the SOE MTS testing facility. A factorial design experiment involving 105 tests randomised in blocks was conducted to discover the interaction between friction (the dependent variable) and groove angle, compaction, and roughness (independent variables). The results indicate that roughness, groove angle and compaction significantly affect friction coefficient. While roughness and groove angle contribute to increase friction coefficient, compaction causes a marked decrease. Observations on samples of bagasse exhibiting pure shear suggest that the frictional forces generated at the interface cannot be sustained by the shear strength of bagasse. Comparisons between friction coefficient and shear coefficient showed that the friction coefficient values approach the shear coefficient values under particular geometric and loading conditions. An empirical model was developed to explore variables. The effect of groove angle, degree of roughness (location and size of roughened asperity) and sample compaction on friction has been ascertained.


[1] In this study we prove the feasibility of the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer sea surface temperature algorithms to derive operational lake surface water temperature (LSWT). A validation study covering 2 years was done using data from the AVHRR on NOAA 12, 15, 16, and 17, the MODIS on TERRA, and AQUA and with different method-ingested in situ data from different sized lakes. Best results were found for NOAA 16 nighttime data at Lake Geneva (bias of 0.18 K and standard deviation of 0.73 K) and TERRA nighttime data at Lake Constance (satellite-buoy bias of −0.08 K and standard deviation of 0.92 K). For all sensor families an overall scatter ranging from 0.9 to 1.6 K was found. Bias of MODIS is larger, −1.73 to 1.9 K, than the one of the AVHRR (−0.28 to 1.5 K). The current orbital configuration of the platforms used revealed the diurnal evolution of the lake surface temperature amplitude from space. The damped mixing found for a typical calm and clear-sky regime is different from open ocean conditions. As the main error source, we found undetected cloudy pixel. Furthermore, the physical difference between skin and bulk temperature, especially its relation to the diurnal thermocline, solar insolation, and wind stress contributes to the bias and scatter within the match-up data set. The data sets have been validated to allow further application for LSWT climatology and assimilation into numerical weather prediction models.


A highly dangerous situations for tractor driver is the lateral rollover in operating conditions. Several accidents, involving tractor rollover, have indeed been encountered, requiring the design of a robust Roll-Over Protective Structure (ROPS). The aim of the thesis was to evaluate tractor behaviour in the rollover phase so as to calculate the energy absorbed by the ROPS to ensure driver safety. A Mathematical Model representing the behaviour of a generic tractor during a lateral rollover, with the possibility of modifying the geometry, the inertia of the tractor and the environmental boundary conditions, is proposed. The purpose is to define a method allowing the prediction of the elasto-plastic behaviour of the subsequent impacts occurring in the rollover phase. A tyre impact model capable of analysing the influence of the wheels on the energy to be absorbed by the ROPS has been also developed. Different tractor design parameters affecting the rollover behaviour, such as mass and dimensions, have been considered. This permitted the evaluation of their influence on the amount of energy to be absorbed by the ROPS. The mathematical model was designed and calibrated with respect to the results of actual lateral upset tests carried out on a narrow-track tractor. The dynamic behaviour of the tractor and the energy absorbed by the ROPS, obtained from the actual tests, showed to match the results of the model developed. The proposed approach represents a valuable tool in understanding the dynamics (kinetic energy) and kinematics (position, velocity, angular velocity, etc.) of the tractor in the phases of lateral rollover and the factors mainly affecting the event. The prediction of the amount of energy to be absorbed in some cases of accident is possible with good accuracy. It can then help in designing protective structures or active security devices.


1.1 What is it? Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect various organs of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, kidneys and central nervous system. "Chronic" means that it can last for a long time. "Autoimmune" means that there is a disorder of the immune system, which, instead of protecting the body from bacteria and viruses, attacks the patient's own tissues. The name "systemic lupus erythematosus" dates back to the early 20th century. "Systemic" means that it affects many organs of the body. The word "lupus" is derived from the Latin word for "wolf" and it refers to the characteristic butterfly-like rash on the face, which is similar to the white markings on a wolf's face. "Erythematosus" in Greek means "red" and it refers to the redness of the skin rash.


Decarbonizing the global energy system requires large‐scale investment flows, with a central role for international climate finance to mobilize private funds. The willingness to provide international finance in accordance with common but differentiated responsibilities was acknowledged by the broad endorsement of the Paris Agreement, and the Green Climate Funds in particular. The international community aims to mobilize at least USD 100 billion per year for mitigation and adaption in developing countries. In this article, we argue that too little attention has been paid on the spending side of climate finance, both in the political as well as the academic debate. To this end, we review the challenges encountered in project‐based approaches of allocating climate finance in the past. In contrast to project‐based finance, we find many advantages to spending climate finance in support of price‐based national policies. First, the support for international climate cooperation is improved when efforts of successively rising domestic carbon pricing levels are compensated. Second, carbon pricing sets incentives for least‐cost mitigation. Third, investing domestic revenues from emission pricing schemes could advance a country's individual development goals and ensure the recipient's 'ownership' of climate policies. We conclude that by reconciling the global goal of cost‐efficient mitigation with national policy priorities, climate finance for carbon pricing could become a central pillar of sustainable development and promote international cooperation to achieve the climate targets laid down in the Paris Agreement. WIREs Clim Change 2017, 8:e437. doi: 10.1002/wcc.437


Introduction The current school reform era has moved through a series of phases, coupling state centralization with a focus on school-level change at each step. Yet this era of reform also has a deeper history. In many ways, this era was a backlash to school desegregation. During school desegregation, educational policy became explicitly connected to promoting equity and challenging the dominance of whites and their interests. It also represented a decline in the influence of business and industry in educational affairs. It can be argued that the most progressive cases of school desegregation in the South were championed by business interests because of fears that the image of a racist community would undercut the migration of business to the South. However, it is also true that schooling during desegregation clearly served wider social goals rather that reaching beyond the realm of economics. Many business leaders found it in their interest to avoid the controversy of desegregation by stepping away from direct involvement on school boards and other venues. However, the economic downturn of the late 1970s left business looking for scapegoats and education became the social institution of choice that fulfilled this need. The arguments contained in The Nation At Risk (National Commission on Education and Excellence, 1983) blamed schooling for a general societal decline and implicitly implicated that the problems in schools stemmed from a focus on equity. In the language of the times, excellence was touted as a necessity if America was to be economically competitive. In this deeper history, there was also an interest in "reining in" public funding while simultaneously facilitating the need for change, thus the argument was made that money was not the solution to the problem. In short, excellence was expected to come with no appreciable increases in funding for schools. Indeed, excellence would also be coupled with efficiency emanating from the creation of a competitive market in education that utilized proposals for vouchers and other measures. This deeper history then reveals the dynamics that would plague the school reform era until the present day. Schools were to redirect their efforts to excellence but they were to do so under conditions not of support but rather of threat. It should be of little surprise then that it proved rather difficult to produce dramatic demonstrations of measurable results. The threat itself became transformed into a movement that focused on specifying standards and then requiring schools to implement those standards. Yet without resources schools could do little more than simply comply with such edicts. This led policymakers and policy entrepreneurs to conclude that schools lacked the capacity to reform on their own, thus promoting the development of a school reform industry. Ironically, public funding would be made available to support this industry even if the schools had been denied funding for their earlier reform efforts. New American Schools (as one of the principal design organizations for school reform) decided that education was a new market and gave up its nonprofit to become a for-profit venture (Hare, 1999). Yet the efforts of this new industry did not result in dramatic changes in educational outcomes. The inherit difficulties in changing schools soon became readily apparent and (rather than admit defeat) politicians decided to emphasize accountability and remand the responsibility for reform to the public schools themselves. It could be cynically argued that since school reform turned out to be hard to achieve, accountability was a way to demonstrate the failure of the public schools thus facilitating the privatization of education. However, accountability policies created evidence that some schools did need considerable assistance while reinforcing school reform as part of the stigmatization process (Murillo, 2002). With the comprehensive school reform act at the federal level and parallel efforts at the state level, schools could access funds to reform (or to purchase reforms) when test data indicated the school was low performing. …


Limited evidence is available from the existing literature that relates teachers' career motivation to their attitudes towards special and inclusive education and their motivation for professional development in China. A mixed-method approach was used to investigate teachers' perspectives on their professional life in this respect. A sample of teachers at seven mainstream schools (N=326), two special schools (N=37) and student teachers from one university (N=565) in a city in China was identified. Triangulation of data collected from questionnaire surveys, interviews and observations facilitated the identification of cases for narrative enquiry. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) was applied in data analysis and discussion. The key findings are as follows:

First, teachers researched were mostly extrinsically motivated. Some were amotivated (unwilling) and were regretful of their career choice. The majority of them would have chosen other professions if possible. Second, special school teachers' extrinsic motivation for working in special schools became less controlled and more autonomous with the accumulation of knowledge and skills in teaching practice. Similarly, their initial unwillingness had altered to controlled extrinsic motivation or even autonomous motivation. Third, initial teacher education had prepared teachers with limited knowledge and understanding about special and inclusive education. This contributed to the less positive attitudes towards inclusive education. Despite a high awareness of, and motivation for professional development, most teachers were not taking an active initiative in engaging themselves in professional development.

The thesis highlights the impact of teacher recruitment policies on career motivation, models of initial and continuing teacher training on teacher attitudes values and incentives for professional development. This study implies a correlation between the key themes and extends the discussion of the SDT model in terms of the continuum of extrinsic motivation.


This work seeks to find a way in which lateritic soil within Ota, Ogun State of Nigeria could be use in the production of hollow sandcrete blocks. This replacement is intended to observe the effect of lateritic soil on the strength characteristic when employed in the production of sandcrete blocks.
It was deduced from past works that the inclusion of lateritic soil in sandcrete block production will produce a lesser quality blocks but this work seeks to find the maximum permissible replacement that will still make the blocks be within the recommended standard.
Sandcrete blocks were produced with each lateritic soil samples from different sources replacing the conventional fine aggregate, sand, in steps of ten percent (10%) to sixty percent (60%) and their compressive strengths determined and compared with that of a standard sandcrete block to check for the acceptable percentage replacement.
Tests like gradation tests which include sieve analysis and hydrometer test, compaction test to determine the bulk density, Atterberg's limit test, specific gravity test were performed on the lateritic soil samples to characterise the soils.
The blocks were cured by sprinkling them with water twice daily till the twenty seventh (27th) day.
In the compressive strength test, seventy two (72) numbers of 225 x 225 x 450mm hollow laterised sandcrete block sizes were produced and crushed with the compressive strength machine to determine their twenty eight-day compressive strength.
Classifying the lateritic soil samples with the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS), it was found out that the lateritic soil is sandy silt of high plasticity and can replace sand by twenty percent (20%). This percentage replacement can be recommended to the block moulding industries within Ota.


Who would have thought that the southern part of 'stable, old South Africa' was in fact 'not-so-stable', and that there has been spectacular tectonic activity in the Cape Fold Belt as recent as the early Holocene, about 10,327 ± 755 years ago?

Large-scale surface rupture, with at least 2 m of vertical geomorphic offset, has been recorded along the Kango Fault over a lateral distance of at least 84 km, from near the town of De Rust, east of Oudtshoorn, towards the western end of the Baviaanskloof in the Eastern Cape. Although the Kango Fault scarp was reported in the mid-1970's and late-1980's, detailed palaeoseismic investigation was not undertaken until recently, when the chief energy supplier for South Africa, Eskom, rekindled investigations to establish a number of nuclear power plants along the South African coastline. This paper reports the results of the first palaeoseismic trench excavated across the Kango Fault during the initial phase of the nations' current New Build programme.

The location and date of the most recent event (MRE) is reported, as well as the style of faulting and local stress direction. These palaeoseismic data are derived from carefully-mapped logs of an 82 m long, 5 m deep trench, supported by 12 optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates of stratigraphic horizons exposed in the trench. Various features of the stratigraphy, pedology and structure in the trench sidewall are described in detail, particularly those leading to the interpretation of the MRE. Development of a shear fabric in the cobble- to small boulder-sized alluvium at the main fault zone indicates that interpretation of local neotectonic fault style and stress direction should be made at least 4 to 5 m below the free face of the fault scarp. Retro-deformation of the trench log clearly defines the MRE and distinguishes apparent vertical displacement from the actual displacement of 2.0 ± 0.06 m. It also reveals that 1.9 m of surface extension occurred during the rupture, as well as the depositional processes that subsequently buried the 32 m wide graben formed at the site.


Equinor has plans to develop a whale monitoring station using acoustic animal destiny estimation at their cabled ocean observatory, the LoVe Observatory, in Lofoten-Vesterålen basin. The fauna of this area is of remarkable importance to the Norwegian economy due to its unique fishing banks and its newly discovered petroleum reserves. This makes it important to monitor the Fin whale population in the area, especially if human interference in the region is to be increased due to new petroleum related interventions. Moreover, the observatory will hopefully bring about new knowledge of the habitat and migratory routes of the Fin whale, which are currently poorly understood. In order to implement an animal density estimation algorithm at the LoVe Observatory it is necessary to know how the transmission loss experienced by sounds reaching the observatory varies as a function of position around the receiver. This study has developed a set of model tools fit to simulate the transmission loss at any position in the Lofoten-Vesterålen basin, by using environmental data available at various databases as input parameters to the parabolic equation model Range-dependent Acoustic Model (RAM). The study has utilized these tools to produce simulations of the transmission loss at a number of example transects, in order to present some conclusions about how the transmission loss is affected by the environmental parameters bathymetry, sound speed profiles and sedimentary geoacoustic properties. Furthermore, the simulations have been repeated for each of the four seasons, to look at how the transmission loss varies across the year. Generally, the study will show that the variation of transmission loss with position is complex and that the inclusion of environmental parameters in the simulations is necessary. It will be shown that the observatory is capable of detecting Fin whales at 190 km in low noise conditions, but that this range is limited by the angular direction of the propagation path and by increases in the noise level. Seasonal variability in the transmission loss will be shown, but it has not been possible connect this variation to the observed yearly variation in Fin whale detections. Sigrid Husebø Øygard 2


Academics have long known that the experiences of women faculty members of color differ in important respects from those of any other faculty members. Adding significantly to that body of knowledge, Presumed Incompetent: The Intersections of Race and Class for Women in Academia edited by Professors Angela P. Harris and Carmen Gonzalez in a collection of essays of different voices offers important lessons for scholars, university administrators and leaders, faculty members, and, for that matter, students interested in the experiences of women of color in academia. People of good faith who want to "do the right thing" may find it difficult to read the unsettling stories and pleas for empathy, internalize the lessons as based on common occurrences rather than outlier experiences, and consider how to address and redress the issues. Still, we as a collective have the obligation and responsibility to think about what might be done to improve the day-to-day lives of the next generation of women faculty of color.To that end, this review essay directs attention at one chapter of the volume, which offers invaluable commentary and perspective on the other chapters and provides many lessons for university leaders hoping to make a positive difference. This is terrain where one might expect two minority law school deans (and faculty members) to feel most comfortable. In addition, as people of color with real life experience with these issues, we hope to provide insights that help university leaders to better appreciate, grapple with, and attempt to effectively address the concerns of women faculty of color.In Lessons from the Experiences of Women of Color Working in Academia, Professor Yolanda Flores Niemann ably distills valuable lessons from the preceding chapters of the book (p. 446). She cogently analyzes, synthesizes, and elaborates upon the lessons from the experiences of the diverse group of faculty women of color, who offer different perspectives on the challenges that they have encountered in academia. In this essay, we by necessity narrow our focus to just a few of Professor Flores Niemann's many insights. In so doing, our hope is to highlight, and expand upon, ten important lessons from her rich chapter. Building on these lessons, we offer relevant experiences both as minority faculty members ourselves and law school deans.The pursuit of equity for women of color faculty members obviously requires consideration of a wide array of academic personnel matters and issues of general university and faculty governance. This short essay, of course, cannot do justice in the analysis of those issues in their entirety. What we instead hope to do is to briefly explain how and why university leaders should be sensitive to the possible diversity consequences of just about every decision that he or she makes and take preliminary steps toward beginning a process that can improve the experiences of faculty members of color. As discussed in this review essay, devotion to a transparent process of decision-making has proven critically important to our success and happiness, as well as to that of many other influential university leaders. In addition, awareness, sensitivity, and commitment are important ingredients to any process aimed at ensuring that the academic workplace is fair, safe, and hospitable to all faculty members. The next steps for academic leaders include concrete and practical action on a variety of fronts.We currently live in a time of considerable tumult in American law schools, with falling numbers of applications, a challenging legal job market, and rising tuitions. Many of the same trends are evident in higher education generally. The pressing concern in the minds of many university leaders involves financial viability, which unquestionably deserves attention. Concerns with the diversity of faculties and student bodies, as well as the experiences of minorities in academia, are secondary at best to most university leaders and not nearly as high a current priority as one would hope.The crisis mentality about the economic trends at many universities makes it all the more important to take to heart the lessons of Presumed Incompetent. We collectively must strive to avoid allowing the turbulent times in modern academia to drown out the voices of women faculty members of color and ultimately distract us from the goals of diversity and social justice in academia.


The advent of low-cost microcomputer chip sets is having a dramatic impact on the direction of digital design. Except for very cost-sensitive products, most new designs are constructed utilizing programmable logic to replace more conventional random logic designs. The premise of this new logic form is based on the cost savings exhibited by solutions consisting of a small number of different LSI parts over those with many SSI/MSI parts performing the same functions. Low LSI parts costs are achieved by producing functions (e.g., RAM, ROM, processor, and I/O parts) with general utility so that each chip can be manufactured in very high volume. Logic functions are realized by specifying a set of step-by-step instructions which are executed sequentially by the processor.


Summary Introduction: Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) is a group of rare diseases caused by the deficit of lysosomal enzymes, causing an accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in organs and tissues responsible for the multi-systemic clinical, chronic and progressive status. Objective: Describe the profile of the otorhinolaryngologic clinical evaluation in patients submitted to Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT) and suggest an algorithm to otorhinolaryngolgically follow up with these patients. Method: A study with a number of cases was performed, including 21 patients having MPS I, II and VI. Results: The most common otorhinolaryngological complaints were nasal obstruction, snore, and mouth-breathing. Apnea was reported in 31% of the cases. In the physical examination, macroglossia was the main alteration (41%) of oral pharyngoscopy. At otoscopy, the retraction of the tympanic membrane was found in 33% and hearing loss was found in 45%. Conclusion: It is important to evaluate the complaints, physical examination and the impact of alterations associated with MPS-produced breathing and hearing, for purposes of better following up with these patients and preventing consequential chronic alterations such as hearing loss, sleep disorder, and mouth breathing, thus, enhancing these patients' quality of life.


The aim of this work was to study the influence of biological and technical factors on the effect of flame weeding, as a basis for reducing the energy consumption and increasing the effective ground speed required for good weed control Responses of weeds and test plants were evaluated in the field. Effects of propane dose and ground speed were described by logistic models. The sigmoidal dose-response and speed-response curves imply that propane dose and the ground speed can be adjusted to the required control effect, the weed flora and the developmental stage of the plants, A 95% reduction in susceptible annual weed species, with 0-4 true leaves, was achieved at propane doses of 10-20 kg ha^-1, and the weeds were completely killed at 20-50 kg ha^-1 (900-2300 MJ ha^-1). Considerably higher doses were needed at later stages and for more tolerant species. The most tolerant species could not be controlled with one treatment, regardless of dose. Flamers with different characteristics were studied Flamers with covered burners were generally more effective than an open flamer, especially on larger plants and tolerant species. The effective ground speed was generally higher for flamers with a higher fuel input, but only up to a certain level, A flamer with a relatively high propane consumption of 34 kg h^-1 per metre working width (440 kW m^-1) allowed an effective ground speed of 8 km h^-1 when smaller plants were treated, whereas the effective ground speed was 2,6 km h^-1 for a flamer with the more usual burner power of 12 kg h^-1 m^-1 (150 kW m^-1). Temperatures from the flamers were measured above the ground under weed-free conditions in the laboratory. There was generally a high correlation between different thermal parameters, e. g. the maximum temperature and the temperature sum, measured from the flamers in the laboratory, and the weed reduction in the field, although discrepancies were found, Flame weeding is useful although the method could be further improved.


BACKGROUND: It has been accepted that after training, a competent endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) operator should perform at least twenty procedures per year. However, the literature supporting this subject is scarce. This study focuses on the return performance of an experienced bronchoscopist after a 5-year long break. The aim of this study is to reveal a possible decrease in the diagnostic performance after discontinued practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of patients who have undergone EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for mediastinal or hilar lesions (lymphadenopathies and masses) between April and September 2016 were reviewed retrospectively. All consecutive patients were involved in the study. All EBUS-TBNA procedures were performed by a single experienced bronchoscopist who have returned after a 5-year long break and restarted to perform EBUS. The patients were divided into two groups: first twenty cases and subsequent eighty cases. The diagnostic performance of EBUS was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: One hundred consecutive patients were included (2.89 lesions per patient) in the study. Demographic and sonographic data were not different between the two groups. In overall, EBUS-TBNA was diagnostic in 281 (97.2%) of 289 lesions. The sensitivity values of EBUS-TBNA in the first and second groups were 92.9% and 98.3%, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the need for continuing practice in EBUS. An operator should perform at least twenty procedures per year to maintain competency.


Interleukin-2 (IL-2) induces heterodimerization of the IL-2 receptor β (IL-2Rβ) and γc chains of its receptor and activates the Janus family tyrosine kinases, Jak1 and Jak3. Whereas Jak1 associates with IL-2Rβ, Jak3 associates primarily with γc but also with IL-2Rβ. We analyzed four IL-2Rβ mutations that diminish IL-2-induced proliferation and found that each also decreased IL-2-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) activation. For this reason, and because the mutations were in the IL-2Rβ membrane-proximal region, we investigated and found that each mutation diminished IL-2Rβ association with both Jak1 and Jak3. This suggested that these Jaks might interact with the same region of IL-2Rβ; however, certain IL-2Rβ internal deletions and C-terminal truncations differentially affected the association of Jak1 and Jak3. Interestingly, just as Jak1-IL-2Rβ association is Jak3-independent and functionally important, we show that Jak3-IL-2Rβ association is Jak1-independent and implicate this association as being important for IL-2-induced Stat5 activation. Moreover, Jak1 and Jak3 could associate only in the presence of IL-2Rβ, suggesting that these kinases can simultaneously bind to IL-2Rβ. Thus, our data not only demonstrate that somewhat more distal as well as membrane-proximal cytoplasmic regions of a type I cytokine receptor are important for Jak kinase association but also suggest that two IL-2Rβ-Jak kinase interactions are important for IL-2 signaling.


htmlabstractMeta-programming environments and language workbenches provide support for analysis, creation and usage of a multitude of languages. Internal artifacts of these environments are based on source code information and include items such as parse trees and error messages. If these artifacts or parts of them are to be reused it can prove
useful to store them persistently. By having this information in persistent storage the computational steps in order to produce the information can be omitted, improving performance of retrieving wanted information. Program databases can be used to accomplish the goals of persistent storage but are generally suited for a specific language.
We propose a language-agnostic program database, LAPD, for providing persistent storage support in meta-programming environments. LAPD is based on the type system of the meta-programming environment Rascal, ensuring its language-agnosticism. The graph database Neo4j is used as a backend for an LAPD implementation. We found that LAPD performs well in querying scenarios, but that it suers in large write and read
operations. We conclude that language-agnostic program databases are a viable option in scenarios where persistent storage, but most of all querying of information about projects made in many dierent programming languages is required, where languagespecific databases are not readily available. The LAPD implementation shows that such a language-agnostic program database can be based on and integrated with the type
system of a meta-programming language such as Rascal.


Abstract. We present results from a systematic study of vertical profiles of aerosol number size distribution and black carbon (BC) concentrations conducted in the Arctic, over Ny-Alesund (Svalbard). The campaign lasted 2 years (2011–2012) and resulted in 200 vertical profiles measured by means of a tethered balloon (up to 1200 m a.g.l.) during the spring and summer seasons. In addition, chemical analysis of filter samples, aerosol size distribution and a full set of meteorological parameters were determined at ground. The collected experimental data allowed a classification of the vertical profiles into different typologies, which allowed us to describe the seasonal phenomenology of vertical aerosol properties in the Arctic. During spring, four main types of profiles were found and their behavior was related to the main aerosol and atmospheric dynamics occurring at the measuring site. Background conditions generated homogenous profiles. Transport events caused an increase of aerosol concentration with altitude. High Arctic haze pollution trapped below thermal inversions promoted a decrease of aerosol concentration with altitude. Finally, ground-based plumes of locally formed secondary aerosol determined profiles with decreasing aerosol concentration located at different altitude as a function of size. During the summer season, the impact from shipping caused aerosol and BC pollution plumes to be constrained close to the ground, indicating that increasing shipping emissions in the Arctic could bring anthropogenic aerosol and BC in the Arctic summer, affecting the climate.


Abstract : A WebView is a web page that is automatically created from base data, which are usually drawn from a DBMS. A WebView can be either materialized as an html page at the web server, or virtual, always being computed on-the-fly. For the materialized case, updates to base data lead to immediate recomputation of the WebView, whereas in the virtual case, recomputation is done on demand with each request. We introduce the materialize on-demand approach which combines the two strategies, and generates WebViews on demand, but also stores the results and re-uses them in the future if possible. Deciding on one of the three materialization policies for each WebView is clearly a performance issue. In this paper, we give the framework for the problem and provide a cost model, which we test with experiments on a real web server.


As a variety of challenges emerge in the Arctic, the demand for scientific and technological solutions is increasing. Due to the complex nature of the given challenges, cooperation in the fields of science and technology could serve profitable in order to tackle these issues. The impact of cooperation in Science and Technology however exceeds the purely practical dimension; it rather opens opportunities for closer political cooperation as well as requiring diplomatic efforts in order to establish cooperative structures. This chapter assesses the current state and possible future trajectory of scientific and technological cooperation within the Arctic Council by applying the concept of science diplomacy and assesses if scientific cooperation can assist in ameliorating political cooperation by creating an epistemic community. Examples will comprise the development of the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy into the Arctic Council as well as the legally binding agreements.


Digital filtering is an integral part of many digital signal processing algorithms. Digital filters are characterized as either recursive [infinite impulse response (IIR)] or non-recursive [finite impulse response (FIR)] filters. IIR filters require a smaller order for the same set of specifications compared to FIR filters, while FIR filters provide a linear phase property. However, IIR filters, if not designed properly, tend to be unstable and use coefficients that are difficult to implement. This application report discusses the design of a certain type of IIR digital filter with excellent stability properties, known as a Lattice Wave Digital Filter (LWDF), given a set of analog filter specifications. An elementary knowledge of filters is sufficient to understand the design of LWDF as discussed in this report. The complete design of the basic filters (low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass) is given with examples. Code that implements these LWDFs on the MSP430 CPU is provided with this report.


Following an application from Unilever PLC and Unilever NV, submitted pursuant to Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of the United Kingdom, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of an application to modify the conditions of use of an authorised Article 14 claim related to 1.5 – 3.0 g plant sterols/stanols per day and lowering blood LDL-cholesterol by 7 – 12 % and reduced risk of (coronary) heart disease. The applicant has further requested that the minimum duration to obtain the effect be one to two weeks. The applicant provided a published systematic review and meta-analysis that evaluated the comparative efficacy of plant sterols and plant stanols for lowering blood LDL-cholesterol in healthy and hypercholesterolaemic subjects and an unpublished meta-analysis on 27 randomised controlled human studies on the LDL-lowering efficacy at a dose range between 2.6 and 3.4 g per day. On the basis of the data presented, the Panel concludes that plant sterols and stanol esters at daily intakes ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 g plant sterols/stanols in matrices approved by Regulation (EC) No 376/2010 (yellow fat spreads, dairy products, mayonnaise and salad dressings) have a similar efficacy on blood LDL-cholesterol lowering, that plant sterols and stanol esters at a daily intake of 3 g (range 2.6 g to 3.4 g) plant sterols/stanols in matrices approved by Regulation (EC) No 376/2010 lower LDL-cholesterol by 11.3 % (95 % CI: 10.0 – 12.5), and that the minimum duration required to achieve the maximum effect of plant sterols and stanols on LDL-cholesterol lowering is two to three weeks.


Smith's essay examines history, politics, and literary form in September 11 fiction. It begins with the contention that the traditionally conceived relationship between trauma and form poses a problem for the analysis of September 11 fiction. It is often posited that traumatic events produce formal changes in narrative strategies that reflect transformations in historical and political thinking, but many 9/11 novels, like Don DeLillo's Falling Man, do not demonstrate significant formal departures from pre-9/11 works. Others, like Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, offer gestures toward formal innovation but ultimately support sentiments that are tied to a regressive view of history. Yet in turning to a less commonly considered work of September 11 fiction, Laird Hunt's experimental noir The Exquisite, the essay offers another way of thinking about the role of form in relation to political change. Hunt's work shows that formal innovations-in this case, a particularly strange use of ecological metaphor-need not merely reflect historical ruptures, but can also be understood to produce bodily affects that are themselves constitutive of altered attitudes toward the present.


Rapid development of structural members requiring high damping possesses a big challenge to the designers. An extensive study on the dynamic behaviour of these structures is required in order to assess their damping capacity. This study further helps the designers to know the parameters affecting the dynamic characteristics of these members. Improvement of damping capacity is one of the vital characteristics for these structures. Usually, the structural members have inherently low damping capacity. The damping capacity of a structural member can be enhanced using various techniques such as; inserting visco-elastic layers in between two layers, manufacturing sandwich structures and layered jointed structures. The jointed
structures usually provide adequate damping due to micro-slip and friction at the interfaces. Jointed structures are manufactured with the help of fasteners such as bolts,
rivets or welds. The bolted structure gives maximum damping compared to the other fasteners. The main source of damping in bolted structures is the energy loss due to friction and micro-slip at the interface of two layers. The damping capacity of the jointed structures mainly depends upon a number of parameters; length of the beam, thickness ratio, tightening torque on the bolt, and number of layers etc. When a dynamic load is applied on a bolted layered beam, it
vibrates with some amplitude of excitation at a particular frequency of vibration and the damping in this type of structure is achieved by the energy dissipation. It is
established that 90% of energy dissipation in jointed structure takes place due to micro-slip at the interfaces.
In the present work energy approach has been used to evaluate the damping capacity of structures. Euler-Bernoulli beam theory has been applied as the dimensions of the test specimens satisfy the criterion of thin beam theory. A theoretical equation has been derived to evaluate the damping capacity of the jointed cantilever structures. An
experimental set-up has been developed and experiments are conducted with a large number of specimens under different vibrating conditions to authenticate the theory developed. The logarithmic decrement technique has been used for measuring the damping capacity of the structures with the help of a digital storage oscilloscope. The experimental results are compared with the corresponding theoretical ones and useful conclusions have been drawn from both the results accordingly.


In this study water samples of different origins (subalpine lake, artificial lake and river) were treated by pre-oxidation, coagulation/flocculation, adsorption on granular activated carbon and disinfection. Different laboratory-scale tests were carried out to evaluate the treatment impact on ClO2 consumption in disinfection and on the formation of disinfection by-products (trihalomethanes, adsorbable organic halogen, chlorite and chlorate). The results showed that coagulation/flocculation and activated carbon adsorption have the most significant impact on reducing disinfectant consumption. Pre-oxidation of artificial lake water with KMnO4 and NaClO determines the highest ClO2 consumption. Regardless of the water source, the amount of chlorite produced after disinfection with ClO2 is 40–60% lower using NaClO as the pre-oxidant rather than KMnO4 or ClO2. Otherwise, NaClO leads to a high formation of adsorbable organic halogens and trihalomethanes in artificial lake water (up to 60 μg/L and 20 μg/L respectively), while in the case of ClO2 oxidation, trihalomethane formation is 98% less compared to NaClO. Further, adding ferrous ion in coagulation/flocculation improves the removal of chlorite produced during pre-oxidation, with a 90% removal, mainly due to the reduction of chlorite to chloride. Finally, activated carbon adsorption after pre-oxidation and coagulation/flocculation removes adsorbable organic halogens and trihalomethanes respectively by 50–60% and 30–98%, and completes the chlorite and chlorate removal.


This paper addresses a variant of multi-agent path finding (MAPF) in continuous space and time. We present a new solving approach based on satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) to obtain makespan optimal solutions. The standard MAPF is a task of navigating agents in an undirected graph from given starting vertices to given goal vertices so that agents do not collide with each other in vertices of the graph. In the continuous version (MAPF$^\mathcal{R}$) agents move in an $n$-dimensional Euclidean space along straight lines that interconnect predefined positions. For simplicity, we work with circular omni-directional agents having constant velocities in the 2D plane. As agents can have different sizes and move smoothly along lines, a non-colliding movement along certain lines with small agents can result in a collision if the same movement is performed with larger agents. Our SMT-based approach for MAPF$^\mathcal{R}$ called SMT-CBS$^\mathcal{R}$ reformulates the Conflict-based Search (CBS) algorithm in terms of SMT concepts. We suggest lazy generation of decision variables and constraints. Each time a new conflict is discovered, the underlying encoding is extended with new variables and constraints to eliminate the conflict. We compared SMT-CBS$^\mathcal{R}$ and adaptations of CBS for the continuous variant of MAPF experimentally.


Double crystal x-ray topography using a synchrotron radiation source has been used to measure the lattice distortions present in 50mm diameter samples of (001) semi-insulating LEG gallium arsenide. Lattice strains and tilts have been mapped in In-doped and undoped samples as well as annealed and unannealed samples taken from the seed and tail ends of boules. The properties of the x-ray source which are necessary for these measurements are discussed and it is concluded that a synchrotron source is the only practical choice. Lattice strains of 90ppm and tilts greater than 100 arc seconds were measured in In-doped material both of which appear to be due to a combination of In concentration variations and the inhomogeneous dislocation distribution. Undoped samples were found to be more uniform with lattice strains of typically +20ppm towards the samples edges where the dislocation density is largest. The lattice tilt distribution in seed and undoped samples invariably exhibited a four-fold symmetry which was enhanced by the presence of lineage features lying along the directions. Tail end samples were generally less uniform in lattice strain and showed a lower symmetry in their lattice tilts. These results are discussed in the light of current ideas concerning the origin of variations in lattice strain and EL2 concentration. An x-ray diffraction method involving integrated intensity measurements of the quasi-forbidden 200 reflection, which is highly stoichiometry sensitive, is investigated. The results, however, show no conclusive stoichiometry variations but do highlight important experimental conditions which must be satisfied if such measurements are to be meaningful. The images of dislocations in double crystal x-ray topographs are investigated and compared with theoretical simulations in order to assess the effects of point defect environment on the dislocation strain field. The results suggest that the EL2-dislocation interaction is not significantly strain driven.


The changes of the solid Earth in south central Alaska in response to two major glacial fluctuations on different temporal and spatial scales have been estimated and we evaluated their influence on the stress state and ongoing tectonic deformation of the region. During the recent (1993–1995) Bering Glacier surge, a large transfer of ice from the Bagley Ice Field to the Bering Glacier terminus region occurred. We estimated the elastic displacement of the solid Earth due to ice mass redistribution from Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements at sites near the surging glacier. We can account for these displacements by transfer of an ice volume of about 14 km3 from the surge reservoir area to the terminus region. We examined the background seismicity (ML ≥ 2.5) before, during, and after the surge. We found that the occurrence of small earthquakes (ML ≤ 4.0) in the surge reservoir region increased during the surge time interval possibly in response to a decrease in ice mass. This suggests that a small decrease in the vertical stress, σ3, could be enough to modulate the occurrence of small, shallow earthquakes in this dominantly thrust fault setting. During this century the southern Alaska coastal glaciers have been undergoing an overall decrease in volume. Based on our compilation of changes in the extent and thickness of the coastal glaciers between the Malaspina and Bering, we calculated surface displacements due to the Earth's viscoelastic response to annual thinning and to the cumulative retreat over the last 100 years. The uplift of the region due to an average annual thinning rate of 1–6 m/yr in the ablation region is 1–12 mm/yr. For our reference model with a viscosity of 5×1019 Pa s for depths between ≈ 40 and 200 km the total viscoelastic response due to the retreat over the last century may be as much as a couple of meters within the coastal ablation zone near Icy Bay. The maximum decrease in σv between 0 and 10 km was ≈ 1.0 MPa, which is significant in relation to the stress drops in recent earthquakes (≈ 2 to 10 MPa) but small in relation to the estimated tectonic stress magnitude. Therefore the occurrence of an earthquake such as the St. Elias (1979, MS = 7.2) may have been advanced in time; however, most of the ongoing stress accumulation would be primarily due to tectonic forces.


There are significant opportunities to learn from but also develop the literature on multinational corporations (MNCs) when analysing bottom of the pyramid (BOP) markets. This short review explores three potential opportunities relating to market making dynamics, knowledge mobilities and embedded power geometries. Each is explored in turn and helps reveal the complex questions that exist about the situated nature of both BOP markets and the activities of MNCs in these markets. The underlying theme that emerges from the review is that multinationals have the potential to shape in both positive and negative ways in terms of 'trade not aid' the development of BOP markets.


Trying to orient undergraduate students into the teaching profession is difficult under any circumstances. After modifying instruction and adding a technology component over a three week period, students appeared more effectively engaged with the course content. The researcher concluded that instructional systems like the one used in this study are assisting instructors in improving student learning, adding another dimension to the classroom experience, and delivering effective instruction. A short overview of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and the area's mostly Latino population introduces this study.


In this technical report, we discuss the use of code obfuscation as means of protecting the intellectual property of software. An obfuscation is a behaviour preserving program transformation which aims to make a program harder to understand (which can mean it becomes unintelligible to automated program comprehension tools or that the result of program analyses become less useful to a human adversary). This report consists of three main parts. The first part of the report discusses some of the possible definitions of obfuscation and gives an extensive survey of some of the current obfuscation techniques. The second part considers a report written by University of Applied Sciences of Upper Austria, Hagenberg which discuss a variety of different protection techniques (including obfuscation). The last part reviews the techniques that we have seen so far. We provide an analysis of some of the reasons why current obfuscators are generally weak and why some of the better obfuscation techniques have not been implemented. Finally, we give recommendations for how better obfuscators can be created using obfuscation techniques which have not yet been implemented. Acknowledgements I would like to thank to Siemens AG, Munich for sponsoring the work and, in particular, Barbara Fichtinger, my contact in Siemens, who gave constructive comments during the writing of this report.


Because of the inherent inefficiency of jet propulsion, squid are considered to be at a competitive disadvantage compared with fishes, which generally depend on forms of undulatory/oscillatory locomotion. Some squid, such as the brief squid Lolliguncula brevis, swim at low speeds in shallow-water complex environments, relying heavily on fin activity. Consequently, their swimming costs may be lower than those of the faster, more pelagic squid studied previously and competitive with those of ecologically relevant fishes. To examine aerobic respiratory swimming costs, O(2) consumption rates were measured for L. brevis of various sizes (2-9 cm dorsal mantle length, DML) swimming over a range of speeds (3-30 cm s(-1)) in swim tunnel respirometers, while their behavior was videotaped. Using kinematic data from swimming squid and force data from models, power curves were also generated. Many squid demonstrated partial (J-shaped) or full (U-shaped) parabolic patterns of O(2) consumption rate as a function of swimming speed, with O(2) consumption minima at 0.5-1.5 DML s(-1). Power curves derived from hydrodynamic data plotted as a function of swimming speed were also parabolic, with power minima at 1.2-1.7 DML s(-1). The parabolic relationship between O(2) consumption rate/power and speed, which is also found in aerial flyers such as birds, bats and insects but rarely in aquatic swimmers because of the difficulties associated with low-speed respirometry, is the result of the high cost of generating lift and maintaining stability at low speeds and overcoming drag at high speeds. L. brevis has a lower rate of O(2) consumption than the squid Illex illecebrosus and Loligo opalescens studied in swim tunnel respirometers and is energetically competitive (especially at O(2) consumption minima) with fishes, such as striped bass, mullet and flounder. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that, like aerial flyers, some negatively buoyant nekton have parabolic patterns of O(2) consumption rate/power as a function of speed and that certain shallow-water squid using considerable fin activity have swimming costs that are competitive with those of ecologically relevant fishes.


This report provides a first-time analysis of the nation's current spending on elementary-age children by examining 2008 federal expenditures from more than 100 federal programs on children ages 6 through 11. Findings show that six programs account for 63 percent of the expenditures on elementary-age children. Three of these are tax programs (CTC, EITC, and the dependent exemption), while the other three are child nutrition, Medicaid, and education for the disadvantaged. Education programs figure prominently in federal spending on this age group, representing 16 percent of total spending.


Interactions of structured light and structured media belong to the topical trends of modern optics. Dynamic vector speckle fields induced by the feedback interaction with the dynamic "optical-damage" effect provide, for the first time, real possibilities to produce and investigate the topological regularities of structured photorefractive media and coherent structured light interactions [Proc. SPIE6905, 690505 (2008)]. The experiments provide evidence that dynamic topological speckle fields form ergodic systems, which develop through loop and chain trajectories in accordance with paired nucleation and annihilation of optical singularities. The loop/chain trajectories are realized for even/odd numbers of involved singular C points. Each loop reaction starts from a nucleated pair of C points and occurs in the same speckle up to their annihilation. A chain reaction starts from one C point of a nucleated C-point pair. It leaves the starting speckle and moves through the speckle field to other C-point pairs and annihilates with one of these. The second C point moves through the varying speckle field to the next pair of C points and so on. The conserved topological charge is equal to +(1/2) or –(1/2) for L-type and S-type chain reactions, respectively. Loop trajectories with zero topological charges are short-lived in contrast with the chain reactions that are theoretically not limited in space and time. The chain reactions consist of long links with a standard topological structure. The results obtained are important for fundamentals and applications. This paper is the first study of the optical dynamic topology.


Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) provides an online, indexed database of lesson plans designed for teachers. This set of studies evaluates this resource and explores characteristics of teachers who use it. Specifically, the authors sought to determine if teachers possessed the technological skills needed to use The Gateway. and if they were successful in their quests for educational materials. Results of the study indicated that the participants tended to lack sufficient searching skills, and that novice Internet users among the teachers had particularly pronounced difficulties. These results suggest specific additions to teacher preparation programs and continuing education efforts. TEACHERS AND AN EXPLORATION OF USER BEHAVIOR The Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) is a web site (1) created through the efforts of several groups, including the United States Department of Education, The National Library of Education, and a team from Syracuse University. The goal of the project is to provide teachers with a broad range of educational materials on the World Wide Web (WWW or Web). These studies evaluated The Gateway as an online source of educational information, and explored technology preparedness among in-service teachers. Today, teachers have discovered that the Internet can provide resources for planning episodes of guided learning. Rich educational materials abound on the Internet at little or no cost, many of them of high quality. However, potential users of these resources must first find them amidst the millions of pages available on the Web. Current web-wide commercial search engines (such as Alta Vista, Excite, and Lycos) scan entire web documents for keywords entered by the searcher. These searches locate high numbers of documents, many of which have little relationship to the original search criteria. In addition, relevant documents must then be assessed for quality and applicability to the user's situation. Unfortunately, teachers have little time or opportunity to spend searching the Internet for these materials. In 1997, President Clinton encouraged federal agencies to initiate projects that used the Internet as a tool for teaching and learning, as part of his programmatic emphasis on education (White House, 1997). Following the President's mandate, the United States Department of Education's National Library of Education, along with the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) Clearinghouse on Information and Technology, began The Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM) Project. Their goal was to improve educators' capability to access Internet-based lesson plans, curriculum units, and other educational materials used in the classroom. The GEM Project produced The Gateway, an online search engine for educational resources. Funded by the United States Department of Education through the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology, this project teamed a range of public and private information providers, national educational organizations, regional education laboratories, and state education departments. Description. The Gateway was developed based on research about the types of educational resources readily found on the Internet, Internet-based educational resources important for preKindergarten through 12th-grade planning, and research about information-seeking strategies used by educators to locate instructional resources on the Internet (Small, Sutton, Eisenberg, Miwa, & Urfels, 1998). The Gateway allows users to search for educational materials in a variety of formats, including lesson plans, educational web pages, books for sale, and web pages for national museums by subject, keyword, or grade level. In addition, the interface of The Gateway allows users to browse through hierarchical lists organized by subject, keyword, or grade level. Equally important, the resources found. through The Gateway have been reviewed, accepted, and cataloged by experts within member organizations. …


Purpose To perform the first meta-analysis of the performance of the genomic classifier test, Decipher, in men with prostate cancer postprostatectomy. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Decipher genomic resource information database were searched for published reports between 2011 and 2016 of men treated by prostatectomy that assessed the benefit of the Decipher test. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models fit to individual patient data were performed; meta-analyses were conducted by pooling the study-specific hazard ratios (HRs) using random-effects modeling. Extent of heterogeneity between studies was determined with the I2 test. Results Five studies (975 total patients, and 855 patients with individual patient-level data) were eligible for analysis, with a median follow-up of 8 years. Of the total cohort, 60.9%, 22.6%, and 16.5% of patients were classified by Decipher as low, intermediate, and high risk, respectively. The 10-year cumulative incidence metastases rates were 5.5%, 15.0%, and 26.7% ( P < .001), respectively, for the three risk classifications. Pooling the study-specific Decipher HRs across the five studies resulted in an HR of 1.52 (95% CI, 1.39 to 1.67; I2 = 0%) per 0.1 unit. In multivariable analysis of individual patient data, adjusting for clinicopathologic variables, Decipher remained a statistically significant predictor of metastasis (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.47; P < .001) per 0.1 unit. The C-index for 10-year distant metastasis of the clinical model alone was 0.76; this increased to 0.81 with inclusion of Decipher. Conclusion The genomic classifier test, Decipher, can independently improve prognostication of patients postprostatectomy, as well as within nearly all clinicopathologic, demographic, and treatment subgroups. Future study of how to best incorporate genomic testing in clinical decision-making and subsequent treatment recommendations is warranted.


Off-line handwritten biometric recognition (OLHBR) is an authentication method based on writing features detected from differenthandwriting images. It remains a challenge for no dynamicwriting order can be used. In this paper, a method based on stroke direction distribution feature (SDDF) is proposed for OLHBR. The proposed feature is utilized for catchingthe distribution features of strokes, which are counted by a loop counting procedure. Then, the similarities between features are measured by the weighted Manhattan distance. In order to reduce the impact of the stroke thickness, two methods have been applied in our method. One is decomposing the whole contour into strokes. Another is ignoring the fragments not connecting the center pixel in a current loop counting window. At last, the experiments on ICDAR 2011writer identification database show the effectiveness of the proposed method.


The effects of calcium on the equilibrium adsorption capacity of As(III) and As(V) onto iron oxide-coated sand (IOCS) and granular ferric hydroxide (GFH) were investigated through batch experiments, rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCT) and kinetics modelling. Batch experiments showed that at calcium concentrations≤20 mg/L, high As(III) and As(V) removal efficiencies by IOCS and GFH are achieved at pH 6. An increase of the calcium concentration to 40 and 80 mg/L reversed this trend, giving higher removal efficiencies at higher pH (8). The adsorption capacities of IOCS and GFH at an equilibrium arsenic concentration of 10 μg/L were found to be between 2.0 and 3.1 mg/g for synthetic water without calcium and between 2.8 and 5.3 mg/g when 80 mg/L of calcium was present at the studied pH values. After 10 hours of filter run in RSSCT, approximately 1000 empty bed volumes, the ratios of C/Co for As(V) were 26% and 18% for calcium-free model water; and only 1% and 0.2% after addition of 80 mg/L of Ca for filter columns with IOCS and GFH, respectively. The adsorption of As(III) and As(V) onto GFH follows a second-order reaction, with and without addition of calcium. The adsorption of As(III) and As(V) onto IOCS follows a first-order reaction without calcium addition, and moves to the second-reaction-order kinetics when calcium is added. Based on the intraparticle diffusion model, the main controlling mechanism for As(III) adsorption is intraparticle diffusion, while surface diffusion contributes greatly to the adsorption of As(V).


On average, child health outcomes are better in urban than in rural areas of developing countries. Understanding the nature and the causes of this rural-urban disparity is essential in contemplating the health consequences of the rapid urbanization taking place throughout the developing world and in targeting resources appropriately to raise population health. We use micro data on child health taken from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys for 47 developing countries. First, we document the magnitude of rural-urban disparities in child nutritional status and under-five mortality across all 47 developing countries. Second, we adjust these disparities for differences in population characteristics across urban and rural settings. Third, we examine rural-urban differences in the degree of socioeconomic inequality in these health outcomes. We find considerable rural-urban differences in mean child health outcomes. The rural-urban gap in stunting does not entirely mirror the gap in under-five mortality. The most striking difference between the two is in the Latin American and Caribbean region, where the gap in stunting is more than 1.5 times higher than that in mortality. On average, the rural-urban risk ratios of stunting and under-five mortality fall by respectively 53% and 59% after controlling for household wealth. Controlling thereafter for socio-demographic factors reduces the risk ratios by another 22% and 25%. In a considerable number of countries, the urban poor actually have higher rates of stunting and mortality than their rural counterparts. The findings imply that there is a need for programs that target the urban poor, and that this is becoming more necessary as the size of the urban population grows.


The unconventional wire electric discharge machining technology (WEDM) is widely used in many industries, which is why there is a permanent emphasis on increasing the quality of suchmachined surface. The aim of this study was to carry out a design of experiment (DoE) to reduce the surface qualit yparameter Pq. During the 33-round experiment, the input factors – machine setting parameters, such as gap voltage, pulse on time, pulse off time, wire speed, and discharge current, were changed. Subsequently, Pq – root mean square deviation of the primary profile and Pa – arithmetic average of the primary profile were evaluated on the machined surfaces of pure aluminium. By using DoE, the setting of the machine's parameters was designed in order to achieve the highest possible surface quality.