Using the first estimable dynamic programming model of retirement behavior that accounts for both savings and uncertain medical expenses, we assess the importance of employer-provided health insurance and Medicare in determining retirement behavior. Including both of these features allows us to determine whether workers value employerprovided health insurance because the subsidy contained in the insurance lowers their average medical expenses, or because health insurance also reduces their medical expense risk. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we find that the reduction in expected medical expenses explains about 60% of a typical individual's valuation of health insurance, with the reduction in volatility explaining the remaining 40%. We find that for workers whose insurance is tied to their job, shifting the Medicare eligibility age to 67 will significantly delay retirement. However, we find that the plan to shift the Social Security normal retirement age to 67 will cause an even larger delay.


In this Article, we demonstrate, contrary to conventional wisdom, that all rights are relationally contingent. Our main thesis is that rights afford their holders meaningful protection only against challengers who face higher litigation costs than the rightholder. Contrariwise, challengers who can litigate more cheaply than a rightholder can force the rightholder to forfeit the right and thereby render the right ineffective. Consequently, in the real world, rights avail only against certain challengers but not others. This result is robust and pervasive. Furthermore, it obtains irrespectively of how rights and other legal entitlements are defined by the legislator or construed by courts. We also show that in many legal areas, such as property law, intellectual property law, insurance law, and criminal law, rightsholders systematically suffer from cost disadvantage vis-a-vis certain categories of challengers who can render their rights virtually unrealizable. After uncovering these problems and analyzing their implications for prevalent understandings of rights in the jurisprudential and economic literatures, we identify mechanisms that our legal system ought to adopt to fend off the threat to the integrity of its rights-based design and bolster the protection afforded by rights. These mechanisms include heightened court fees, fee shifting, punitive damages, and various procedural safeguards. We submit that under the appropriate design, they can go a long way toward countering the strategic abuse of rights.


A simplified procedure for the capacity calculation of batch-in-bin and crossflow grain dryers has been developed by making a number of simplifying assumptions in the heat and mass transfer equations. The calculations require only a hand calculator and a psychrometric chart. Dryer-capacity data computed with the new procedure are within ± 10% of those obtained experimentally or those calculated by computer simulation. The method provides a simple and rapid procedure to predict the effect of the drying temperature and the airflow rate on dryer capacity.


Background Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions affect millions of people around the world. Gait, Arms, Legs and Spine (GALS) is a simple and useful screening tool for routine MSK examination in hospitals and general practice and has been integrated into the undergraduate medical curriculum. Despite this, there is evidence that doctors lack competency in MSK examination and that GALS are underperformed routinely. Objectives The study explored the views of junior doctors (JDs) on how they were taught MSK examination as undergraduates; the usefulness of GALS as a technique for excluding significant MSK problems; why MSK examination was often poorly carried out and how this could be improved. Methods A qualitative study was performed with data gathered through focus group interviews from 32 JDs working in two acute NHS hospitals. Six interviews were conducted over a 6-week period from mid-June to the end of July in consecutive years 2013 and 2014. Results Ninety JDs were invited to participate in the focus group interviews; 32 (36%) agreed to participate, 28 (88%) of whom had graduated in the UK. The perception of JDs was that undergraduate training for GALS and regional MSK examination was adequate, but reasons for lack of MSK competency in the workplace are multifactorial and complex. Conclusions Proposing more practical and interactive sessions to reinforce MSK skills during postgraduate training may not resolve issues of MSK competency among JDs. Recognition of the complexity of workplace learning and the influence of tacit learning is required if MSK competency is to be enhanced.


In 1993, the measurement law was revised and enacted in Japan. The old law had provided only the use of legal metrology units and the approval and verification systems for measuring equipment. The new one has added the provision of a traceability system to match the needs for a high accuracy measurement technique and international mutual recognition. In the Electrotechnical Laboratory (ETL), the national standard of sound‐pressure level has been established and maintained in an audible frequency range. The type approval test and verification of sound level meters have been carried out in the Japan Quality Assurance Organization (JQA). Now, in conformity with the law, ETL has started to construct the new traceability system for the acoustical standards in cooperation with JQA. An outline, is made of the traceability system in Japan and of the newly constructed pressure calibration systems for laboratory standard microphones.


The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a widespread shift to online education around the world and in Hungary, too. Educational institutions from kindergartens to universities were forced to adapt rapidly to this new situation, when the space of education moved from classrooms to online video meetings; the regular methods and tools needed to be changed or modified. Nonetheless, we should keep in mind that online education itself was an already existing concept before the pandemic as part of digitalization as a current societal megatrend, however it was not widely used in educational institutions across different programs. By 2021, there are university students who have mostly or exclusively participated in higher education online. Online classes could be a new normal situation to these students instead of the pre-pandemic personal activities in physical classrooms, leading to altering the norms of participation. In our research, we collected answers to open-ended sentences from such students. As we wish to understand how students perceive the differences between online and offline education, we investigated the perceived advantages and disadvantages of online-only education, how this influenced their social networks, study efficiency and their whole experience in university education.


Literature is one of great creative and universal means of communicating the emotional, spiritual or intellectual concerns of mankind. Novel is one of literary works, which has purpose for entertainment, enjoyment and experience. They have a certain message for the reader. They must read a novel critically if they want to see message in it. To be interested in a literary work, a sharp sense of appreciation is needed to get the willingness to find out what the author wants to express to the readers and how the reader interprets the author's intention and achievement. The purpose of the study is to find out the answer of the research problems: (1) The causes of Marc Edouard's love affair, (2) The effects of Marc Edouard's love affair, (3) The ending of Marc Edouard's love affair. The study uses the descriptive qualitative which aims at predicting the characteristic of population systematically, factually, and accurately. The approach that is used in this study is objective approach. It means that the writer does not need studying the author's life and the background of society. In studying this novel, the whole sequences of events, in "The Summer's End" novels are the population of this study. The sample is the events, which represent love affair of Marc in the story. It is obtained by taking some paragraphs and dialogues in the novel "The Summer End" which have relation to Marc's love affair. The causes of Marc Edouard's love affair were when Deanna refused to spend a summer in France and Marc felt strange to spend a summer without Deanna. The effects of Marc Edouard love affair were: Marc had less attention to Deanna, Deanna leaved Marc and Deanna choosed to live with her baby and Ben Thomson and they (Marc and Deanna) divorced in May. The endings of Marc Edouard's love affair were that Marc stay in San Francisco with Chantal and Deanna got married with Ben Thomson at the end of May.


Multivariate data occurs in a wide range of fields, with ever more flexible model specifications being proposed, often within a multivariate generalised linear mixed effects (MGLME) framework. In this article, we describe an extended framework, encompassing multiple outcomes of any type, each of which could be repeatedly measured (longitudinal), with any number of levels, and with any number of random effects at each level. Many standard distributions are described, as well as non-standard user-defined non-linear models. The extension focuses on a complex linear predictor for each outcome model, allowing sharing and linking between outcome models in an extremely flexible way, either by linking random effects directly, or the expected value of one outcome (or function of it) within the linear predictor of another. Non-linear and time-dependent effects are also seamlessly incorporated to the linear predictor through the use of splines or fractional polynomials. We further propose level-specific random effect distributions and numerical integration techniques to improve usability, relaxing the normally distributed random effects assumption to allow multivariate $t$-distributed random effects. We consider some special cases of the general framework, describing some new models in the fields of clustered survival data, joint longitudinal-survival models, and discuss various potential uses of the implementation. User friendly, and easily extendable, software is provided.


Prestack depth-migrated seismic lines provide accurate images of the convergent Ecuadorian margin, where the southern flank of the Carnegie Ridge subducts. The margin is fronted by a 5–7-km-wide compressional sediment prism. Beneath the slope, margin thinning is accomplished by gradual thinning of the lower part of the basement, accompanied by pervasive seaward-dipping normal faulting, indicating basal subduction erosion at a low-friction plate interface. Along the plate boundary, a thin subduction channel locally thickens to form low-velocity, ∼600-m-thick lenses of underthrusted fluid-rich sediment supplied by slope mass wasting. The contrast between the fluid-rich sediment and the surrounding thinner and drier sections of the subduction channel creates a three- dimensional patchiness across the plate boundary, implying variations in mechanical interplate coupling. The subduction channel patchiness modulates subduction erosion processes by alternately favoring margin basement weakening and material removal. Basement weakening would occur (1) at the base of the upper plate, where enhanced reflectivity indicates basement damage by overpressured fluids from the subduction channel, and (2) at the basement apex, where basement breakup is caused by superposition of compressional and extensional fault systems resulting from time-variable interplate mechanical coupling. The detachment of rock debris in the higher coupled sections and the subsequent dragging of the fragments into the subduction channel cause tectonic erosion. Deeper in the subduction, the subduction channel patchiness may influence processes like earthquake nucleation and rupture propagation and material recycling in the mantle.


The present consensus in the literature is that the traditional personnel selection paradigm is flawed and as a consequence, it has not readily been adopted into practice (Cascio & Aguinis, 2oo8). This disparity between research and practice has particularly been attributed to researchers' lack of awareness of the complex variables impacting organisational decision-making processes (Herriot & Anderson; 1997; Hodgkinson & Payne, 1998); the conceptualisation of scientific selection along a continuum based strictly on criterion validity indices (Hough & Oswald 2000; Borman, Hanson & Hedge, 1997) and a lack of clarity on the role of culture in selection research (Ryan, McFarland, Baron & Page, 1999; Moscoso & Salgado, 2004). In an attempt to identify the impact of these variables on personnel selection decisions, this thesis examines the landscape of what is generally viewed as scientific personnel selection by taking the discussion to a setting that is atypical of those normally represented in the selection research literature. The current scheme of research utilises samples from Jamaica to examine the role of culture in individual and organisational selection decisions. In so doing, studies throughout this thesis aim to challenge the assumption of universality espoused by the traditional psychometric paradigm in the measurement and understanding of personnel selection outcomes. Through a series of 6 studies quantitative, qualitative and experimental methods were adopted to determine the influence of cultural, internal and external factors on organisational decisions to utilise criterion-based selection techniques, applicant's decisions to pursue a job and selector decisions in a simulated managerial task. Findings revealed: a) Jamaica's colonial history, workermanager relationships and worker expectations influenced perceived personnel challenges, selection decisions and the likelihood of Jamaican organisations using criterion-based selection techniques; b) the cultural history necessitated a fit-based approached to selection and preference for techniques such as structured interviews, references and application forms; c) as represented by a multidimensional perceptual map, factors influencing Jamaican selection decisions are most similar to countries characterised by moderate power distance and masculinity indices (Australia and Canada) and most divergent to cultures characterised by extremely low individualism, high power distances and high long-term orientation (Taiwan and China); d) job and organisational factors influencing applicants' decisions to apply varied across cultures and applicant performing ability. Compared to UK graduates, higher-performing Jamaican applicants were more confident when applying to jobs emphasising performance although they preferred applying to jobs emphasising fit; e) for higher-performing Jamaican applicants, overall perceptions of structured interviews mediated the attractiveness of pay in their decision to pursue a job; f) framing and information order may mediate the process and outcomes of decisions rather than act as predictors of choices in and of themselves; and g) Jamaican selectors make attributions about a candidate's suitability based on perceptions of both functional and psychosocial consequences. Fit-based factors are given priority as fit with the organisation and team is cognitively weighted as better indicators of effective performance. Findings from all six studies emphasise the role of culture in individual and organisational personnel selection decisions and indicate 'scientific' personnel selection is more fit-based and culturally determined than previously suggested. It is therefore proposed that the dominant paradigm of personnel selection be reconceptualised from a psychometric emphasis to an attitudinal-cognitivebehavioural theoretical perspective which takes into account the impact of cultural and social variables on selection decisions. The implications of this alternate approach are discussed in relation to organisational, selector and applicant selection decisions and tackling future selection research agenda.


This paper describes how to secure e-learning systems by applying the Holistic and Immune Security Framework. E-learning has great potential for developing communities but security of e-learning systems has not been fully addressed. We have developed a security framework that considers culture of users and environments where information systems operate. The holistic and immune security framework is a function of the deterrence, prevention, detection, response, and recovery system. The security framework makes an E-learning system learn to adapt to environments and to culture of users. We apply the principles of immune system to secure E-learning systems. We describe how to secure the weak links that are created by culture of users in E-leaning systems.


In our practise, pregnant women are not routinely screened or treated for subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) Our objective was to compare the IQ of children whose mothers had been diagnosed with SCH antenatally with closely matched controls. In a previous study we screened 1000 healthy nulliparous patients for SCH. Those with overt hypothyroidism were treated, whereas those with SCH were contacted postnatally for paediatric follow-up. SCH (defined as reduced free T4 with normal TSH, or normal free T4 with raised TSH) was found in 4.6% (n = 46) All children underwent a formal neurodevelopmental assessment at age 7 to 8 years by a psychologist blinded to the original maternal thyroid status. From the cases, 23 mothers agreed to assessment of their children as well as 47 controls. The children in the control group had higher mean scores than those in the case group across Verbal Comprehension Intelligence, Perceptual Reasoning Intelligence, Working Memory Intelligence, Processing Speed Intelligence and Full Scale IQ. Statistical testing confirmed a statistically significant difference in IQ between the groups. This had a 95% confidence interval (.144, 10.330) Our results highlight significant differences in IQ of children of mothers who had unrecognised SCH during pregnancy. Our study size and design prevents us from making statements on causation but our data suggests significant public health implications in terms of routine thyroid screening in pregnancy. The results of prospective intervention trials to address a causative association will be vital to address this issue.


We present simulation and experimental results on a silicon photonic strictly nonblocking 4 × 4 electrooptic Mach- Zehnder-based switch fabric. We propose a simulation framework based on the transfer matrix approach that enables calculating the transmission spectra of any type of multistage interconnect switch network. The model is used to analyze the spectral characteristics of the switch fabric. We also show experimental results on a fabric designed and fabricated in IBM's 90-nm photonics-enabled CMOS process. The fabric monolithically integrates the CMOS logic, the switch drivers, and all the photonics. We fully characterized all the transmittances of the switch and demonstrate onchip insertion loss between 1.5 and 3 dB and a crosstalk less than -25 dB for all the signal paths.


This book contains information on pineapples cultivation on tropical peat soil and it discusses some essential elements for sustainable cultivation of pineapples on this type of organic soils. Therefore, the book is designed as a quick reference text, with the aim that farmers, students and scientists with little experience on pineapples cultivation on organic soils are able to grasp the rudiments of their cultivation on these soils. This book will also be of significant interest to those working in the applied sciences.


The present research explores how people's place in a power hierarchy alters their representations of valued objects. The authors hypothesized that powerlessness produces an accentuation bias by altering the physical representation of monetary objects in a manner consistent with the size-to-value relationship. In the first three experiments, powerless participants, induced through episodic priming or role manipulations, systematically overestimated the size of objects associated with monetary value (i.e., quarters, poker chips) compared to powerful and baseline participants. However, when value was inversely associated with size (i.e., smaller objects were more valuable), the powerless drew these valued objects smaller, not larger. In addition, the accentuation bias by the powerless was more pronounced when the monetary value associated with the object was greater, increased when the object was physically present, and was mediated by differences in subjective value. These findings suggest that powerlessness fosters compensatory processes that guide representations of valued objects.


Planning balanced whole-body reaching configurations is a fundamental problem in humanoid robotics on which manipulation and locomotion planners depend on. While finding valid whole-body configurations in free space and on flat terrains is relatively straightforward, the problem becomes extremely challenging when obstacle avoidance is taken into account, and when balancing on more complex terrains, such as inclined supports or steps. Previous work using Paired Forward-Inverse Dynamic Reachability Maps demonstrated fast end-pose planning on flat terrains at different heights by decomposing the kinematic structure and leveraging combinatorics. In this paper, we present an efficient whole-body end-pose planning framework capable of finding collision-free whole-body configurations in complex environments and on sloped support regions. The main contributions in this paper are twofold: (i) the integration of contact property information of support regions into both precomputation and online planning stages, including whole-body static equilibrium robustness, and (ii) the proposal of a more informed and meaningful sampling strategy for the lower-body. We focus on humanoid robots throughout the paper, but all the principles can be applied to legged platforms other than bipedal robots. We demonstrate our method on the NASA Valkyrie humanoid platform with 38 Degrees of Freedom (DoF) over inclined supports. Analysis of the results indicate both higher success rates – greater than 95 % and 80 % on obstacle-free and highly cluttered environments, respectively – and shorter computation times compared to previous methods.


There is a need for epilepsy-based health education programs to enlighten Nigerian communities and reduce the stigma associated with epilepsy. Epilepsy in Nigeria is viewed by some as a contagious and an infectious disease or a condition imposed from the gods, possessed by demons, as the work of witchcraft, or punishment from ancestral spirits, which are all related to a lack of knowledge about epilepsy leading to stigmatization of persons with epilepsy. Guided by the stigma theory, the purpose of this community-based, cross sectional study was to quantitatively examine the effect of an educational program on interpersonal, internalized, and institutional stigma of epilepsy in terms of knowledge, attitude, and treatment gained. Two hundred and fifty participants completed a general domain instrument which had been used in different countries, including South Eastern Nigeria, and revised for greater validity via a pilot study. Chi-square tests were used to examine any significant differences in participants' responses between pre- and post-test surveys regarding knowledge, attitude, and treatment gained of all 3 identified stigma levels. According to study results, the educational program reduced all 3 stigma levels in terms of attitude, knowledge, and treatment gained of epilepsy (p


The idea that religion warrants special treatment has been criticized as violating norms of equality and fairness. In response, Andrew Koppelman has argued recently that the American legal tradition of treating religion as a "good thing" is justified on the grounds that when interpreted at a sufficiently high level of abstraction, religion serves as an indispensable legal proxy for a plurality of important goods. In this essay, I argue that using religion as a legal proxy remains vulnerable to charges of unfairness toward those with secular ethical and moral convictions. The case for adopting religion as a proxy turns on arguments against potential substitutes. Even if no category can serve as a complete substitute for religion, however, its use as a proxy can be complemented by protections for the freedom of conscience. The law need not choose between protecting religious and secular convictions. It can and should provide significant protections for both.


A novel approach to silicon (Si) etching has been demonstrated using glass assisted CO(2) laser processing. Conventional Si etching can be performed by wet etching, dry etching, Nd:YAG or UV lasers. No CO(2) laser was used to etch Si due to the absorption problem. We have etched Si with the assistance of glass beneath the Si. This approach changes light absorption behavior of Si and makes Si be etched from the top surface toward the interface. The new mechanism was discussed in viewpoint of the variation of electronic band structure, surface oxidation and light absorption of Si at high temperature.


Jadianta, Lande and Jalmor, children of the Kadimakara People, are lost ?wept away from their home by a fierce storm. the children survived the unfamiliar surroundings of the friendly Dingo People, but now, in the land of the Magpie Goose People, they face giant goannas and marsupial lions. Will Jadianta, Lande and Jalmor ever see their family again? Journey of the Great Lake is a beautifully illustrated series that follows the journey of three children, providing a unique picture of Australia during this ancient time. Read the story of Jadianta, Lande and Jalmor, then follow their path as they travel to find their way home on the specially provided poster-sized map included with the book.


Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The people from South East Asian countries constitute the bulk of immigrant resident work force in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and neighboring Gulf Countries. It is a common believe that TB infected expatriates, are mainly responsible for the spread of the disease.
However, another hypothesis from some scientific community states that there is an additional indigenous TB source in the local community. There are seven Emirates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while Abu Dhabi Emirates is the largest among seven. The UAE health authorities vigilantly monitor the threat of numerous infectious diseases including TB. Expatriates are granted resident visa only after screening of health condition and infectious diseases. The Al-Ain Medical District is one of the three Medical Districts of Abu Dhabi Emirate and covers the Eastern Region. Al-Ain has a higher proportion of
Emirati nationals than elsewhere. It represents a true conservative resident population. The study was undertaken to compare the present TB situation with the past and to determine whether this is an imported disease prevalent mostly in either immigrant expatriates or there is an endemic source. The data were collected for the period of 2001 to 2006, analyzed statistically, and compared with past reports. All Epidemiological data and samples were collected from the local hospitals and the UAE district clinics in Al-Am.
The epidemiological data of the study revealed that the prevalence of TB did not change significantly during the last twenty years. The disease is more prevalent in expatriate population in terms of numerical figures, but it is proportional to population size whether expatriates or Emirati Citizens. The prevalence of disease is more pronounced in young adults of working age between 25-30 years rather than the old age groups. Moreover, the female to male ratio was increased in the present study period. Overall, nine different parameters were analyzed.
The study of Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of 106 isolates revealed low copy number of 156110 which seemed to be related to South Asian sub-population strain. There was evidence of typical mycobacterium species prevailing for primary infections. The data showed increasing rate of infection by atypical mycobacterium but further molecular biology work is needed to establish a clear conclusion. There was evidence of exogenous and endogenous strains infecting both the Emirati and non-Emirati population with no bias. The molecular technique was of limited discriminatory power because it yielded less polymorphism and low number of 1S6 110 copies. Hence, secondary genotyping would have more benefit for a definite conclusion.
From this study, it may be concluded that the prevalence of TB in UAE has remained more or less stable for the past 20 years. The results also show that expatriate carriers are not the only cause for TB. Molecular-biology gave evidence of remotely acquired and latent sources of infection in the resident population which may be a reason for a stable infectivity
rate. Stringent control measure adopted by Ministry of Health seems to have been successifil. More extended molecular biological work is needed to establish the transmission route and etiology of the disease in the multinational, multi cultured and mixed ethnic population of UAE.


Enjoyable pronunciation practice of English sounds, word stress and intonation for beginner-level students. Now in full colour and with updated artwork, this revised edition of Tree or Three? retains its simplicity and straightforward syllabus. The emphasis on minimal pairs, which made the original edition so popular, makes pronunciation practice light-hearted and accessible. * Clear rubrics for exercises with answer key and improved navigation make the material even more user-friendly. * Each unit offers comprehensive practice of sounds, with additional work on stress and intonation. * The accompanying audio CDs give lots of listening and pronunciation practice. This pack contains the second edition of Tree or Three? and a set of 3 audio CDs.


This book entitled How to successfully complete your DBA? (Doctorate in Business Administration) aims to answer the questions of managers who wish to gain perspective, defend and publish a thesis grounded in their managerial experience and create knowledge.

 What is a DBA? What are the differences between a DBA and a PhD? How to prepare a DBA in three years? Should you choose a face-to-face or distance learning DBA? How to choose your thesis supervisor? How to start your DBA? What methodology (ies) to choose for your DBA? What plan to adopt for the DBA thesis? And finally: How to enhance your DBA?

 The author provides clear and pragmatic answers to all these questions on the basis of his experience in managing DBA programs and he takes the reader through a three steps plan:
 1. Choosing a DBA
 2. Choosing a thesis theme
 3. Managing your DBA


OBJECTIVE Successful self-management of type 1 diabetes requires cognitive skills such as executive functioning (EF). In the transition to adolescence, youth take over responsibility for diabetes management. We set out to test: 1) the association between EF and glycemic control over time and 2) whether this association was moderated by: a) youth, shared, or parent responsibility for diabetes management and b) youth's age. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Within the Diabetes IN DevelOpment study (DINO), parents of youth with type 1 diabetes (8–15 years at baseline; N = 174) completed a yearly assessment over 4 years. Glycemic control (HbA1c) was derived from hospital charts. Youth's EF was measured using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF)-parent report. The Diabetes Family Responsibility Questionnaire (DFRQ)-parent report was used to assess diabetes responsibility (youth, shared, and parent). Linear generalized estimating equations were used to analyze data including youth's sex, age, and age of diabetes onset as covariates. RESULTS Relatively more EF problems are significantly associated with higher HbA1c over time (β = 0.190; P = 0.002). More EF problems in combination with less youth responsibility (β = 0.501; P = 0.048) or more parental responsibility (β = −0.767; P = 0.006) are significantly associated with better glycemic control over time. Only age significantly moderates the relationship among EF problems, shared responsibility, and glycemic control (β = −0.024; P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS Poorer EF is associated with worse glycemic control over time, and this association is moderated by responsibility for diabetes management tasks. This points to the importance of EF when youth take over responsibility for diabetes management in order to achieve glycemic control.


Reports show that compliance level of zakah among qualified Muslim employees is relatively low. One of the factors that has contributed to this phenomenon is the attitude of individuals. Literature has indicated that individual attitude towards regulated social activities influences his compliance behaviour in such activities. However, attitude towards regulated social activities is considered complex in nature. Due to this complexity, many researchers have suggested that attitude should be studied by dividing an object or issue into smaller and less complex elements on the basis of component parts, specific functions, or particular contexts. Thus, this study attempts to discover some components of attitude towards zakah on employment income and their implications to the compliance behaviour. Synthesis of literature suggests that studies on attitude
and understanding its impact on behaviour may help one to formulate management strategies to increase the compliance level. This paper presents several components of attitude towards zakah on employment income and their impact
on the compliance behaviour. The components of attitude were determined by using Factor Analysis on the 24 attitude items. Each factor was then named and treated as a new variable, which was then tested to see if any relationship exists with the compliance behaviour. The findings of this study indicate that attitude towards zakah on employment income can be divided into five categories, namely, General Attitude, Positive Attitude, Uncertain Attitude, Conditional
Attitude, and Technical Attitude. These five categories of attitude were tested by using logistic regression analysis to see their relationship with the compliance behaviour, which is simply the dichotomously measured variable, of zakah payment on income. The test results show that the second, third, and fourth categories of attitude were positively and significantly related to the compliance
behaviour.


Globally, consumption tax compliance (value added tax and retail sales tax) has gone digital – digital invoices are becoming mandatory, centralized monitoring of transactions and tax payments are increasingly common, and artificial intelligence is assessing fraud risks in real-time. When tax is collected, it is increasingly being remitted in near-real-time. This is the trajectory for the modern retail sales tax (RST) imposed by most states in the US. While this may appear to be revolutionary to the average American, it is a well-worn path among global nations using the value added tax (VAT). The RST will eventually be following suit. Washington has taken the first step on this journey with the help and cooperation of a small business owner who admitted to using an Electronic Sales Suppression (ESS) device when operating a highly regarded Asian restaurant in Seattle.

To address sophisticated tax fraud in the digital age, the Washington State Legislature commissioned a world-wide study, conducted by Gartner, Inc. was delivered April 22, 2019, to the Washington Department of Revenue (DOR) which in turn "... completed [its] review of relevant research into technology trends; Point of Sales (POS) solutions, the ecosystem of integrated retail software solutions, cloud technologies, [and] other underpinning technologies ..." The Gartner research effort was practical, market-driven, and encapsulated in a set of "... scenarios represent[ing] the full set of reasonable solutions for DOR's consideration, ..."

Gartner's scenarios in the commissioned study were distilled to four. In each instance the scenarios were numbered, characterized with a single word, differentiated by their primary focus, and then made more concrete by identifying (what Gartner considered to be) a representative country for each scenario.

• Alternative #1: Foundational – Internal Focus ("Like UK") (more properly Japan)

• Alternative #2: Targeted – External Focus ("Like Netherlands")

• Alternative #3: Broad – External Focus ("Like Belgium")

• Alternative #4: Cutting Edge – External Focus ("Like Fiji")

Unfortunately, the report has major deficiencies. Notably, it makes no reference to an ongoing pilot project conducted by the DOR as a result of a plea agreement in the State of Washington v. Wong, that initially followed an Gartner's Alternative #2 approach, and then shifted to Gartner's Alternative #4 to improve data monitoring scope and accuracy. This paper largely corrects the focus and the conclusions of the Gartner report, which (at some cost) completely missed an opportunity to contribute substantively to this field of endeavor.

The State of Washington's pilot program on preventive technology for monitor electronic sale suppression is extraordinary, both in its design and in its implementation. As pilot programs go, this is a uniquely marketplace-driven effort controlled by self-interest and achievement not by fiat. This is not a top-down pilot. It is a DOR hands-off, but outcome-controlled effort that forces the parties (POS providers, third-party security firms, and businesses/taxpayers) to explore the data security options that promise to counter suppression, and select the best.

For example, there is no POS manufacturer or standardized file format, no third-party provider of security systems recommended or even suggested by the DOR (not in person, in regulation, nor on a DOR web site). The desired outcome is very clear, but the means each taxpayer will employ to achieve that outcome is not dictated. It is entirely up to the taxpayer to find an acceptable solution, pay for it, present it to the DOR and then convince the authority that this solution solves sales suppression, as the DOR sees it.

There is no rule, regulation or other guidance provided by the DOR on what constitutes "a method acceptable to the department." It is up to the taxpayer to find an acceptable method.

In a very real sense, the State of Washington's electronic monitoring pilot project has been designed, developed, and paid for by Ms. Yu-Ling Wong. Without her sincere efforts to try one solution after another, the State of Washington would not have an electronic monitoring pilot. Washington would not be on the "cutting edge" without her.


Mast cells make up between 0.5 and 3% (mean 1.35%) of total cells recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). The majority of these cells have the morphological characteristics of mucosal mast cells in that they fail to stain in the alcian blue-safranin reaction after fixation in formol-saline but stain well after fixation in Carnoy's solution. Cells staining with berberine sulphate were seen in only four of the 26 lavages. BAL cells released histamine in response to anti-human immunoglobulin E (IgE) in a dose-dependent manner that was optimal at a dilution of anti-IgE of 1:100. Maximum release was obtained by 2 min. Histamine release was completely inhibited by a combination of 2-deoxyglucose (5 mmol/l) and antimycin A (1 mumol/l). Disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) significantly inhibited this histamine release at 1 mmol/l (P less than 0.02), 100 mumol/l (P less than 0.002) and 10 mumol/l (P less than 0.003), with maximum inhibition of 50.1% at 10 mumol/l.


The implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is crucial for organizational legitimacy in today's globalized world. In the absence of a global governance system, several initiatives have emerged to support companies in designing, implementing and communicating CSR. However, research has so far mainly neglected to empirically evaluate the impact of such initiatives on organizational practices. This study aims to close this gap by analyzing on a large quantitative basis how business participants in the largest voluntary CSR initiative - the UN Global Compact (UNGC) - embed CSR into their organizations. Drawing on insights from institutional and stakeholder theory, I derive determinants of UNGC implementation and analyze the accountability of the initiative. My study contributes to the literature in several ways: I develop a theoretical model to describe and explain variation in UNGC implementation, and scrutinize the new measure for UNGC implementation. My results show that the initiative affects organizational practices: Contrary to the bluewashing arguments of UNGC critics, the level of CSR implementation increases with the time of membership in the UNGC. However, my findings also suggest that the declared participant information still lacks credibility - higher UNGC implementation levels are not associated with significantly less UNGC scandals. Implications for CSR research, the Global Compact and its participants are discussed.


Progression‐free survival is an increasingly popular end point in oncology clinical trials. A complete blinded independent central review (BICR) is often required by regulators in an attempt to reduce the bias in progression‐free survival (PFS) assessment. In this paper, we propose a new methodology that uses a sample‐based BICR as an audit tool to decide whether a complete BICR is needed. More specifically, we propose a new index, the differential risk, to measure the reading discordance pattern, and develop a corresponding hypothesis testing procedure to decide whether the bias in local evaluation is acceptable. Simulation results demonstrate that our new index is sensitive to the change of discordance pattern; type I error is well controlled in the hypothesis testing procedure, and the calculated sample size provides the desired power. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Humans exhibit the same inverse relationship between group size and vigilance rates that has been classically described in animals. We collected data on natural human vigilance behaviour in two different contemporary environments (a large refectory-style cafeteria and open parks) to test between four alternative hypotheses for this relationship: predation risk, searching for friends, mate searching and mate guarding. The results demonstrate that, at least in contemporary city environments, humans monitor their surroundings largely for reasons motivated by mate searching. Data on whom subjects look at in a busy environment indicate that males are significantly more likely to attend differentially to female passers-by, but that females show a less clear-cut discrimination. We conclude that vigilance patterns are determined by locally salient functions.


Background:Total knee arthroplasty can result in blood loss severe enough to require postoperative blood transfusions. Minimizing blood loss perioperatively is therefore essential to minimize morbidity in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Floseal (Baxter International, Inc., Deerfield, IL) is a topical hemostatic matrix agent used for hemostasis during surgical operations. Methods:Patients undergoing routine total knee arthroplasty were randomized into two groups. One group received intraoperative standard hemostatic therapy and another group received intraoperative standard hemostatic therapy as well as Floseal. The groups were compared based on 24-hour postoperative drain output, 3-day postoperative drop in hematocrit and hemoglobin levels, and the incidence of postoperative transfusions. Results:One hundred and forty patients with primary unilateral total knee arthroplasties were recruited and 70 were randomized to the control group and 70 to the Floseal group. The mean 24-hour postoperative drain output for patients in the control group was 457.1 (+/−28.60) mL compared with 405.0 (+/−22.93) mL in the Floseal group. This difference was not significant (P=0.1651). Comparison of 3-day postoperative drops in hemoglobin and hematocrit values between the control and experimental groups also demonstrated no statistical significance (P=0.5422 and P=0.6524, respectively). The incidences of postoperative blood transfusions based on intraoperative use of Floseal were not significantly different (P=0.4389). Perioperative complications and their rates were not found to be changed with the intraoperative use of Floseal. Conclusions:Our data suggest that there is no benefit from the regular use of Floseal in routine total knee arthroplasty. Intraoperative use of Floseal in total knee arthroplasty did not increase complications and can likely be used safely.


Cryptography Ueli Maurer Renato Renner Department of Computer Science, ETH Zurich, Switzerland Institute for Theoretical Physics, ETH Zurich, Switzerland firstname.lastname@example.com email@example.com Abstract: In the spirit of algebraic abstraction, this paper advocates the definition and use of higher levels of abstraction in cryptography (and beyond). If contrasted with the standard bottom-up approach to defining models of computation, algorithms, complexity, efficiency, and then security of cryptographic schemes, our approach is top-down and axiomatic, where lower abstraction levels inherit the definitions and theorems (e.g. a composition theorem) from the higher level, but the definition or concretization of low levels is not required for proving theorems at the higher levels. The goal is to strive for simpler definitions, higher generality of results, simpler proofs, improved elegance, possibly better didactic suitability, and to derive new insights from the abstract viewpoint. In particular, we propose a general framework for defining and proving that a system satisfying an (abstract or ideal) specification is constructed from some systems satisfying certain (concrete or real) specifications. This puts the well-known "ideal-world real-world" paradigm on a new theoretical foundation, applicable in various cryptographic settings. Existing frameworks for proving composable security can be explained as special cases of our framework, thereby allowing to distinguish between relevant and less relevant aspects of the underlying technical definitions and to prove a single common composition theorem. Some properties of our framework are as follows. It is independent of particular models of computation, communication, and adversary behavior. It can be instantiated in many different ways, for example to arrive at different notions of security or of efficiency and infeasibility. It can precisely capture settings with no central adversary where entities have potentially conflicting goals (e.g. a coercion scenario). The relation between the ideal and the real setting is tight, via an isomorphism notion for settings. The (desired) asymmetry between real and ideal is captured in a formal abstraction notion (the ideal setting is an abstraction of the real setting). A main theorem states that such an abstraction statement can be proved by using local (as opposed to monolithic) simulators. In the spirit of algebraic abstraction, this paper advocates the definition and use of higher levels of abstraction in cryptography (and beyond). If contrasted with the standard bottom-up approach to defining models of computation, algorithms, complexity, efficiency, and then security of cryptographic schemes, our approach is top-down and axiomatic, where lower abstraction levels inherit the definitions and theorems (e.g. a composition theorem) from the higher level, but the definition or concretization of low levels is not required for proving theorems at the higher levels. The goal is to strive for simpler definitions, higher generality of results, simpler proofs, improved elegance, possibly better didactic suitability, and to derive new insights from the abstract viewpoint. In particular, we propose a general framework for defining and proving that a system satisfying an (abstract or ideal) specification is constructed from some systems satisfying certain (concrete or real) specifications. This puts the well-known "ideal-world real-world" paradigm on a new theoretical foundation, applicable in various cryptographic settings. Existing frameworks for proving composable security can be explained as special cases of our framework, thereby allowing to distinguish between relevant and less relevant aspects of the underlying technical definitions and to prove a single common composition theorem. Some properties of our framework are as follows. It is independent of particular models of computation, communication, and adversary behavior. It can be instantiated in many different ways, for example to arrive at different notions of security or of efficiency and infeasibility. It can precisely capture settings with no central adversary where entities have potentially conflicting goals (e.g. a coercion scenario). The relation between the ideal and the real setting is tight, via an isomorphism notion for settings. The (desired) asymmetry between real and ideal is captured in a formal abstraction notion (the ideal setting is an abstraction of the real setting). A main theorem states that such an abstraction statement can be proved by using local (as opposed to monolithic) simulators.


Title of dissertation: PHYLOGENETIC STUDIES OF THE CHARALES: THE CLOSEST LIVING RELATIVES OF LAND PLANTS Kenneth Gregory Karol, Doctor of Philosophy, 2004 Dissertation directed by: Associate Professor Charles F. Delwiche Department of Plant Biology The embryophytes (land plants) consist of organisms such as mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants. Although land plants have long been thought to be related to the green algal group Charophyceae, the nature of this relationship has been unresolved for over a century. A four-gene phylogenetic analysis supports the hypothesis that land plants arose from within the Charophyta and unambiguously identifies the Charales as the closest living relatives of plants. With a robust phylogeny, it is now possibly to explore phylogeny-dependant questions that were previously difficult to assess. Estimating the divergence time of the land plant lineage is one such question. A recent time estimate for the colonization of land by plants is 1,061 ± 109 mya and 703 ± 45 mya for the divergence of vascular plants and bryophytes, a result much older than the fossil record suggests (roughly 470 mya). Unlike most algae, a rich fossil record exists for the Charales in the form of calcified oospores. Representative fossils that can be attributed to five extant lineages in the Charales have been identified with reasonable accuracy. These multiple calibration points were used in conjunction with the four-gene DNA data set to estimate the divergence time of the land plant and Charales lineages. The Bayesian relaxed-clock approach estimated divergence of the Charales/land plant common ancestor in the Late Proterozoic (674.10 ± 99.96 MYA), modern land plants in the Cambrian (497.78 ± 75.66 MYA), and modern Characeae at the Paleozoic/Mesozoic boundary (247.75 ± 25.98 MYA). The genus Nitella is one of the most diverse genera in the Charales. Wood and Imahori's worldwide monograph divides Nitella into three subgenera with seventeen sections and radically modified the taxonomy of this group my submerging over 200 Nitella species into 53 loosely defined species. Phylogenetic analyses of rbcL sequence data from 79 Nitella species (plus outgroups) support the monophyly of Nitella and two subgenera (Hyella and Tieffallenia). Subgenus Nitella formed two paraphyletic lineages at the base of the genus. Few sections were monophyletic and species diversity is interpreted as being much higher than proposed by


Objective: this study was aimed to determine the effects of CoQ10 administration on glucose homeostasis parameters, oxidative stress parameters and biomarkers of inflammation among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: 28 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (18 Female (64.29%) and 10 Male) of age range from 35-60 years old and mean ± SD age 46.76 ± 7.89 years. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups. Group A (n = 14) received placebo and group B (n = 14) received 150 mg CoQ10 supplements for 12 weeks in addition to the already given oral hypoglycemic agent (glibenclamide) and dietary control. In addition, twenty five age and sex matched healthy volunteers were included in the study as a control group. Fasting blood samples were taken at the beginning of the study and after 6 and 12-week intervention to quantify glucose homeostasis parameters, oxidative stress and biomarkers of inflammation. Results: compared with the placebo, CoQ10 supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, improvement in antioxidant status, and reduction of inflammatory biomarkers. Conclusion: daily administration of 150 mg CoQ10 supplements for type 2 diabetic patients for 12 weeks had beneficial effects on glycemic control, oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory markers.


Marine research is as important as very demanding since it requires expensive infrastructures and resources. Scientific institutions, on the contrary, have very limited funding so that the seas remain, still, mostly unexplored. Another serious concern is that society at large often resonates with fake news, while scientists sometimes tend to bias research with their backgrounds and paradigms. We think that all these issues can be addressed opening the process of knowledge building to the questions and needs of stakeholders and laypeople. The MaDCrow project proposed and tested several paths to attain these goals.


Israel Antiquities Authority  firstname.lastname@example.com Abstract This article presents a Proto-Canaanite inscription written in ink on a jug. It was unearthed in 2019 at Khirbet al-Ra'i, located 4 km west of Tel Lachish, in a level dated to the late twelfth or early eleventh century BCE. Only part of the inscription had survived, with five letters indicating the personal name Yrb'l (Jerubba'al). This name also appears in the biblical tradition, more or less in the same era: "[Gideon] from that day was called Yrb'l " (Judg. 6:31–32). This inscription, together with similar inscriptions from Beth-Shemesh and Khirbet Qeiyafa, contributes to a better understanding of the distribution of theophoric names with the element ba'al in the


We present ExaGeoStat, a high performance framework for geospatial statistics in climate and environment modeling. In contrast to simulation based on partial differential equations derived from first-principles modeling, ExaGeoStat employs a statistical model based on the evaluation of the Gaussian log-likelihood function, which operates on a large dense covariance matrix. Generated by the parametrizable Matern covariance function, the resulting matrix is symmetric and positive definite. The computational tasks involved during the evaluation of the Gaussian log-likelihood function become daunting as the number n of geographical locations grows, as O(n2) storage and O(n3) operations are required. While many approximation methods have been devised from the side of statistical modeling to ameliorate these polynomial complexities, we are interested here in the complementary approach of evaluating the exact algebraic result by exploiting advances in solution algorithms and many-core computer architectures. Using state-of-the-art high performance dense linear algebra libraries associated with various leading edge parallel architectures (Intel KNLs, NVIDIA GPUs, and distributed-memory systems), ExaGeoStat raises the game for statistical applications from climate and environmental science. ExaGeoStat provides a reference evaluation of statistical parameters, with which to assess the validity of the various approaches based on approximation. The framework takes a first step in the merger of large-scale data analytics and extreme computing for geospatial statistical applications, to be followed by additional complexity reducing improvements from the solver side that can be implemented under the same interface. Thus, a single uncompromised statistical model can ultimately be executed in a wide variety of emerging exascale environments.


Abstract Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the surgical treatment on Slovenian colorectal cancer patients' health-related quality of life and to compare the results to the health-related quality of life of the general Slovenian population. Patients and methods A total of 413 patients with colorectal cancer operated on at the Abdominal Surgery Department at the Ljubljana University Medical Center between January 1st, 2016 and December 31st, 2017 were sent two standardized and validated questionnaires: the EORTC QLQ-C30 version 3 and EORTC QLQ-CR29. The questionnaires were returned by 197 patients. Results Compared to the general population, poorer physical (p < 0.001), role (p = 0.002), cognitive (p = 0.021), and social functioning (p < 0.001) with higher frequency of constipation (p < 0.001), diarrhea (p < 0.001), and financial difficulties (p < 0.001) were reported by the colorectal patients. Female patients reported lower cognitive (p = 0.034) and emotional (p = 0.008) functioning, as well as higher frequency of bloating (p = 0.049) and hair loss (p = 0.01). Compared to the younger group of patients, lower physical functioning (p < 0.001) and higher urinary frequency (p = 0.007), urinary incontinence (p = 0.007), buttock pain (p = 0.007), and anxiety regarding body weight (p = 0.031) were detected among the older group of colorectal patients. Conclusions The global health status of colorectal patients in Slovenia is comparable to that of the general Slovenian population, but there is a significantly lower level in some of the quality-of-life scales.


The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate to what extent young adults with close ties to Mexico were at greater risk for self-reported negative mental health outcomes than comparison groups during drug-related armed conflict from 2008 through 2012, and the effect of type and number of traumatic events on mental health outcomes. Using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, 202 university students living in the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez border region were surveyed for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. Students with close ties to Mexico reported symptoms of anxiety and posttraumatic stress at significantly higher rates compared with those without connection to Mexico, but there was no significant difference in rates of depression. Although more than a third of participants reported experiencing 5 or more traumatic events connected with the drug war, being confined to home had the most significant effect. Frequency of traumatic events reported by students as well as rates of anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms were higher among students with greater connection to Mexico. Rates of clinically-significant depressive symptoms among all students were higher than expected for U.S. adults but comparable with all U.S. college students. This study presents important new data on the mental health effects of Mexico's drug war.


This communication intends to summarize the recent strides carried out by the study of original Very Large Mode Area fibers (VLMA) that offer remarkable beam qualities. This work also aims in pushing farther the threshold of appearance for non-linear processes as well as thermal induced beam degradation hindering the power scaling in optical fibers. So as to fulfil this objective, thorough investigations of fibers modal content has been performed, leading to the evidencing of primordial statements for exacerbation of the beam quality and its robustness. Theoretical principles driven toward the conception of aperiodic Large Pitch Fibers (LPFs) will be reported together with experimental validation into passive fiber designs. The relevance of these original structures will then been discussed in regard to the power scaling.


The constitution, the law of the land of the modern state, is fertile ground for the Eurocentric imagination of the Canadian polity as a result of the resiliency of Victorian-era sentiments. The ethno-racial hierarchy contained within this political imagery merges well with the public health mandate process of 'othering'. Othering situates the causes of disease and illness in foreign bodies rather than in the social structures of industrial capitalism. Chief among its morbid symptoms, othering produces a sense of alienation in those subjected to it. Sri Lankan Tamils are one of the newer migrant populations who have been subjected to, and have resisted this intrinsically violent othering process. This article examines the Canadian constitution as it relates to ethno-racial classification, and then explores how this scheme is reproduced in common experiences of the public health system and its effects on the health and well-being of Canadian Tamils.


The Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR), together with its companion body, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), are autonomous organs of the Organization of American States (OAS). The IACHR promotes and protects human rights in the Western Hemisphere. Created by the OAS in 1959, the Commission has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Together with the Court, established in 1979 in San Jose, Costa Rica, the Commission has emerged as a model of international human rights and humanitarian law, as well as of individual rights.Since its inception, the Commission has made extraordinary progress. Through its 55-year history, it has processed over 12,000 cases. The Commission has held almost 140 sessions, some of them at its headquarters, others in different countries of the Americas. For a special report on the Commission, the Perry Center Publications Editor-in-Chief Pat Paterson met with Professor Richard Wilson, Director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic at the Washington College of Law, to discuss the most important cases or reports in the history of the Commission. Professor Wilson, a frequent lecturer at the Perry Center, is a longtime observer of the Commission and Court, where he and his students have presented more than 30 cases. Of the thousands of cases and reports of the Commission, Professor Wilson selected a few that he thought were especially important or influential, especially those at the intersection of the international law of human rights and armed conflict .


A modelling study on a multi-layered confined/unconfined alluvial aquifer system was performed to quantify surface water/groundwater interactions. The calibrated groundwater flow model was used to forecast climate change impacts by implementing the results of a downscaled A1B model ensemble for the Po river valley. The modelled area is located in the north-western portion of the Ferrara Province (Northern Italy), along the eastern bank of the Po river. The modelling procedure started with a large scale steady state model followed by a transient flow model for the central portion of the domain, where a telescopic mesh refinement was applied. The calibration performance of both models was satisfactory, in both drought and flooding conditions. Subsequently, forecasted rainfall, evapotranspiration and Po river stage at 2050, were implemented in the calibrated large scale groundwater flow model and their uncertainties discussed. Three scenarios were run on the large scale model: the first simulating mean hydrological conditions and the other two simulating one standard deviation above and below the mean hydrological conditions. The forecasted variations in groundwater/Po river fluxes are relevant, with a general increase of groundwater levels due to local conditions, although there are large uncertainties in the predicted variables.


Quantum Cryptography, or more accurately, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is based on using an unconditionally secure "quantum channel" to share a secret key among two users. A manufacturer of QKD devices could, intentionally or not, use a (semi-)classical channel instead of the quantum channel, which would remove the supposedly unconditional security. One example is the BB84 protocol, where the quantum channel can be implemented in polarization of single photons. Here, use of several photons instead of one to encode each bit of the key provides a similar but insecure system. For protocols based on violation of a Bell inequality (e.g., the Ekert protocol) the situation is somewhat different. While the possibility is mentioned by some authors, it is generally thought that an implementation of a (semi-)classical channel will differ significantly from that of a quantum channel. Here, a counterexample will be given using an identical physical setup as is used in photon-polarization Ekert QKD. Since the physical implementation is identical, a manufacturer may include this modification as a Trojan Horse in manufactured systems, to be activated at will by an eavesdropper. Thus, the old truth of cryptography still holds: you have to trust the manufacturer of your cryptographic device. Even when you do violate the Bell inequality.


(NOTE: Each chapter begins with an Introduction and concludes with Summary, Review Questions, and Exercises sections.) I. OVERVIEW. 1. Introduction. Cost Estimating Process. Design Process. Uses of Cost Estimates. Types of Cost Estimates. Types of Construction Contracts. Procurement Methods. Preconstruction Services. Risk Analysis and Contingencies. 2. Case Study: Training Center. Project Description. Project Execution Strategy. Project Participants. II. BUDGET ESTIMATING PROCESS. 3. Budget Estimates. Programming Budget Estimates. Schematic Design Budget Estimates. Design Development Budget Estimates. 4. Budget Estimates for the Training Center. Design Status. Take-Off of Substantial Areas. Pricing Data. Budget Estimate Accuracy. 5. Estimates for Preconstruction Services. Marketing for the General Contractor. The Request for Proposal. Development of the Preconstruction Services Estimate. Preconstruction Services Contract. Budget Control Log. III. BID CONTRACT ESTIMATING PROCESS. 6. Pre-Estimate Activities. Estimating Process. Solicitation of Lump-Sum Bids. Invitation for Bid. Pre-Bid Meeting. Bid Date and Time. Bid Document Revisions. Personal Estimating Notebook. Order-of-Magnitude Estimates. Decision Whether or Not to Tender a Bid. Work Breakdown Structure. Estimating Team. Scheduling the Estimating Work. Subcontractors and Major Suppliers. Plan Centers and Rooms. Data Resources. Estimating Forms. Estimate Files. Electronic Spreadsheets. Accuracy and Error Prevention. 7. Quality Take-Off. Basic Procedures. Substructure Concrete. Structural Steel. Rough Carpentry. Doors. Toilet Accessories. Finish Carpentry. Completing and Checking the Quantity Take-Off. 8. Pricing Self-Performed Work. Recapitulation Sheet. Materials. Labor. Applying Pricing Factors. Summary Recap. 9. Estimating Subcontractor Work. Subcontractor Work. Estimating Subcontractor Work for the Training Center. Completing the Subcontractor List. 10. Estimating General Conditions. Project Summary Schedule.Alternative Techniques. Elements of the General Conditions Estimate. 11. Completing the Estimate. Final Document Review. Completing the Bid Summary. First Run Bid Estimate. Final Markups. Sales Tax. Validating the First Run Estimate. Preparing the Estimate for Bid Day (Electronic). 12. Unit Price Estimates. Unit Price Bid Forms. Direct Cost Estimation. Markup Determination. Variation-in-Quantity Contract Provision. Risk Analysis. Bid Finalization. 13. Pre-Bid Day Activities. Setting Up the Bid Room. Bid Forms. The Bid Day Team. Subcontractor Bid Evaluation Procedures. 14. Bid Day Activities. Receiving Subcontractor and Supplier Bids. Posting Subcontractor and Supplier Bids. Evaluating Subcontractor and Supplier Bids. Preparing for Delivery of the Bid. Completing and Tendering the Bid for the Training Center. Additional Bid Day Issues. 15. Post-Bid Day Activities. Bid Opening. Subcontractor and Supplier Inquiries. Post-Bid Analysis. Post-Bid Ethics. Post-Bid Negotiations. Record Keeping. IV. NEGOTIATED CONTRACT ESTIMATING PROCESS. 16. Guaranteed Maximum Price Estimates. Contract Procurement Process. Documents. Strategies. Estimating Process. Contingencies. 17. Fee Determination. Reimbursable versus Non-Reimbursable Costs. Home Office Overhead. Risk Evaluation. Other Impacts on Fee. Fee Structure. Construction Cost Savings Split. 18. Guaranteed Maximum Price Estimate for the Case Study. Design Status. Assemblies Method. Estimating General Contractor Work. Estimating Subcontractor Work. Estimating Contractor General Conditions. Markups and Add-Ons. 19. Cost Proposals for Negotiated Contracts. Strategies for Responding to the Request for Proposal. Documents to be Included with the Written Proposal. General Contractor Interview and Selection Process. Negotiated Subcontracts. V. ADVANCED ESTIMATING TOPICS. 20. Automated Estimating Techniques. Pre-Estimate Automated Techniques. Automated Estimating Techniques. Project Management Automation Tools. 21. Other Types of Estimates. Estimating Bid Alternatives. Residential Project Estimates. Industrial Project Estimates. Change Order Estimates. Claim Preparation. As-Built Estimates. Database Updates. 22. Project Management Issues. The Buyout Process. Correcting the Estimate. Schedule of Values. Cash Flow Curves. Cost Control. Appendices. List of Abbreviations. Glossary. Estimating Resources. Request for Proposal. Invitation for Bid. Estimating Forms.Selected Project Specifications for the Training Center. Selected Project Drawings for the Training Center. Index.


This beautifully illustrated pocket atlas provides physical therapists, occupational therapists, sports therapists, and students with practical guidelines and quick tests for evaluating gross motor function throughout the body. The tests in this manual are particularly suitable for analyzing isolated muscle deficits and evaluating other testing methods. When used as a regular part of the physical therapy routine, manual muscle testing provides valuable information on individual treatment needs, enables the therapist to monitor progress and modify procedures, and allows the patient to see the results for themselves. Key features: * Almost 200 high-quality color photographs and illustrations help demonstrate each step in the testing process* Quick tests for evaluating overall muscle function, followed by detailed guidelines for testing muscle function in the head and face, spine, and upper/lower extremities* Detailed introductory chapter on the foundations and anatomical basis of muscle testing* Clear descriptions of clinical symptoms for each muscle group, plus examples from practice* Online access to assessment forms on Thieme's MediaCenter* Test questions and answers for self-study This book is a valuable resource for all PT practitioners and students that will enrich their practice and help them to successfully evaluate and treat patients suffering from muscle-related injuries.


This thesis examines local government in Tasmania between 1840 and 1907. It is
primarily concerned with the establishment of the so-called 'permissive' system of local
government, its evolution during the colonial period, and why it was eventually replaced
by a system of comprehensive municipal government in 1907. The thesis pays particular
attention to the relationship between the central government and local bodies, and argues
that there was a significant shift in this relationship during the history of the permissive
system. When Tasmania was granted responsible self-government in the 1850s, public
opinion was decidedly in favour of promoting decentralization, and a flourishing system
of local government was considered vital to ensure its success. Bills were soon passed
allowing settlers to establish rural municipalities and road trusts to handle local affairs,
and generous financial aid was supplied to help fledging local bodies onto their feet.
During the 1860s and 1870s, with continuing financial constraints limiting its activity, the
central government was content to encourage the spread of local institutions into regions
of the colony that were steadily increasing in population and wealth.
The 1870s, however, saw the first murmurs of discontent appear about the local bodies'
poor handling of road maintenance, management of police, and lack of public works.
Pressure was put on the central government to improve their performance. Subsequently,
three reforms were enacted to improve the effectiveness of local bodies - franchise
liberalization, local financial responsibility, and greater scrutiny of the actions of local
bodies by government departments. There was a shift in emphasis, therefore, in the
1880s away from just encouraging the spread of local institutions to a focus on outcomes.
This shift in emphasis would have a significant consequence for local government in
the colony. The recession of the early 1890s, coupled with the reductions in government
aid at the same time, revealed the weaknesses and flaws of the existing system. By
Federation the permissive system of local government was under severe strain. The
central government, unwilling and financially unable to take over the responsibilities of
the existing local bodies, instead sought to rectify a major problem of the permissive
system - the existence of a large number of small bodies with limited finances. The
solution arrived at was to vest all local duties in the largest local body of the island- the
municipal council. As there were only nineteen municipalities in rural Tasmania,
existing in the corridor of flat plains between Hobart and Launceston, extra
responsibilities for municipal councils meant that they had to be established throughout
the island. The permissive system, in other words, had to give way to comprehensive
municipal government.
To present this argument, the thesis has been broken into three sections, with each
section dealing with one broad question concerning the evolution of local government in
the colonial period. The first section, consisting of two chapters, examines why the
permissive system of local government was introduced into Tasmania and what was
expected of it. The second section of the thesis will then deal with how the permissive
system actually worked and evolved during its long history. This section is divided into
four chapters, each dealing with the most important local bodies of the permissive
system, such as rural municipalities, road trusts, fruit boards, rabbit boards and town
boards. The third section containing the final two chapters deals with the issue of whythe permissive system was abolished and replaced by comprehensive municipal
government.


Today legal controversies are tried in the "court" of public opinion as much as in any court of law. Corporate lawyers' traditional tendency, however, has been to attempt to compartmentalize legal activities from public relations activities. Accordingly, they have viewed media considerations as separate from those involved in providing legal advice and corporate counsels' typical media strategy often has consisted of no more than "no comment." Given today's saturated media culture, this is no longer a viable strategy. Indeed, there are indications that some corporate lawyers are adapting to the new media environment and attempting to help their clients manage the public relations impact of legal controversies. To date, however, there has been little systematic evidence gathered on the role corporate lawyers are playing in the court of public opinion for their clients' legal controversies and little sustained examination of the implications of these trends.The purpose of this project is to analyze: (1) how the court of public opinion affects legal controversies of large publicly traded corporations that have high demand for legal services; (2) how the intersection of public relations and law is managed by general counsels of these corporations, and (3) what ought to be lawyers' ethical obligations, if any, in this extra-judicial court. To investigate these questions, the author sent a questionnaire to all general counsels of the S&P 500 and conducted fifty-seven interviews with general counsels of S&P 500 corporations, law firm partners, and public relations consultants. The preliminary findings from this study will appear in two installments to be published in forthcoming issues of the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics. In the first installment, the author focuses on how the court of public opinion can shape legal controversies and how corporate attorneys actually manage legal PR for their corporate clients. The author argues that the "court" of public opinion is a real part of our justice system and that managing "legal public relations" is a legitimate and fundamental component of corporate legal services. She contends that the role corporate attorneys play in managing legal PR for corporate clients is at odds with the conventional view and that it is time to broaden our view of the corporate attorneys' role in this venue.In the second installment, the author highlights some examples of wrongdoing by corporate attorneys. She contends that there is little oversight of lawyers' typical management of legal PR "behind the scenes." Because professional guidelines focus on lawyers' extrajudicial statements regarding matters that are adjudicated in a court of law, they put the spotlight in the wrong place and on the wrong subjects and are not relevant to corporate practice as it relates to public relations. Moreover, they risk a race to the bottom - where lawyers' ability to spin is valued over their ability to provide effective legal advice that accounts for PR concerns and the corporation's long term interests. Given that the court of public opinion is an extra-legal decision-maker, an alternate forum for administering justice, the author contends that corporate lawyers should behave socially responsibly when advocating there and promote socially responsible behavior on the part of their corporate clients. Ultimately, the author recommends different education methods and disciplinary rules to raise awareness of the importance of managing legal PR for corporate clients and to provide better guidance to lawyers as to how to advocate ethically within the court of public opinion.


In e-commerce industry, graph neural network (GNN) methods are the new trends for transaction risk modeling. The power of graph algorithms lie in the capability to catch transaction linking network information, which is very hard to be captured by other algorithms. However, in most existing approaches, transaction or user connections are defined by "hard link" strategies on shared properties, such as same credit card, same device, same ip address, same shipping address, etc. Those types of strategies will result in sparse linkages by entities with strong identification characteristics (ie. device) and over-linkages by entities that could be widely shared (ie. ip address), making it more difficult to learn useful information from graph. To address aforementioned problems, we present a novel behavioral biometric based method to establish transaction linkings based on user behavioral similarities, then train an unsupervised GNN to extract embedding features for downstream fraud prediction tasks. To our knowledge, this is the first time similarity based "soft link" has been used in graph embedding applications. To speed up similarity calculation, we apply an in-house GPU based HDBSCAN clustering method to remove highly concentrated and isolated nodes before graph construction. Our experiments show that embedding features learned from similarity-based behavioral graph have achieved significant performance increase to the baseline fraud detection model in various business scenarios. In new/guest buyer transaction scenario, this segment is a challenge for traditional method, we can make precision increase from 0.82 to 0.86 at the same recall of 0.27, which means we can decrease false positive rate using this method.


The relationship between capital structure and product market competition is examined using a theoretical model and two econometric analyses. In an extension of Glazer (1994), a theoretical model is derived that allows a quantity leader and follower to issue debt and then twice play a sequential product market game, after which each firm must either repay its debt in full or go bankrupt. It is demonstrated that the follower maximizes operating profit irrespective of capital structure but that the levered quantity leader in every period produces more than the Stackelberg profitmaximizing level of output. As such, the industry characterized by a financially levered leader and follower is more competitive than it otherwise would be. Simultaneous equations models consisting of a demand and supply relation are used to analyze monthly data from the domestic steel industry so as to test whether the industry's increased reliance on debt finance over the period 1958 to 1981 affected competition in the market for steel. The supply relation, which follows from the assumption that firms simultaneously select output in order to maximize profit, is augmented with a sales-weighted debt to market value ratio. Two-stage least squares (2SLS), weighted two-stage least squares (W2SLS), and iterative weighted three-stage least squares (IW3SLS) regressions are estimated. Results from all regressions show a statistically significant and positive relationship between the sales-weighted debt-value ratio and the price of steel, which suggests that increased debt finance served to reduce competition in the domestic steel industry over the sample period. In light of the fact that U.S. Steel's market share over the sample period was significantly higher and less volatile than that of any other integrated producer, the second econometric model tests the null hypothesis of quantity leadership, using insights from the theoretical model. Two supply relations, one for the leader and one for the follower, are derived and estimated. To account for the possibly endogenous decision on the part of U.S. Steel to issue debt, a binomial probit is estimated and its fitted probabilities are included as a predetermined variable in the leader's supply relation. Results show that one must reject the null hypothesis of quantity leadership and that U.S. Steel's decision to issue debt had a positive but statistically insignificant effect on the composite steel price.


The first known experiment with an exchange rate band took place in Austria- Hungary between 1896 and 1914. The rationale for introducing this policy rested on precisely those intuitions that the modern literature has emphasized: the band was designed to secure both exchange rate stability and monetary policy autonomy. However, unlike more recent experiences, such as the ERM, this policy was not undermined by credibility problems. The episode provides an ideal testing ground for some important ideas in modern macroeconomics: specifically, can formal rules, when faithfully adhered to, provide policy makers with some advantages such as short term autonomy? First, we find that a credible band has a "microeconomic" influence on exchange rate stability. By reducing uncertainty, a credible fluctuation band improves the quality of expectations, a channel that has been neglected in the modern literature. Second, we show that the standard test of the basic target zone model is flawed and develop an alternative methodology. We believe that these findings shed a new light on the economics of exchange rate bands.


Recently, copper chalcogenides Cu2−xδ (δ = S, Se, Te) have attracted great attention due to their exceptional thermal and electrical transport properties. Besides these binary Cu2−xδ compounds, the ternary Cu2−xδ solid solutions are also expected to possess excellent thermoelectric performance. In this study, we have synthesized a series of Cu2Se1−xSx (x = 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7) solid solutions by melting the raw elements followed by spark plasma sintering. The energy dispersive spectroscopy mapping, powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction and X-ray powder diffraction studies suggest that Cu2Se and Cu2S can form a continuous solid solution in the entire composition range. These Cu2Se1−xSx solid solutions are polymorphic materials composed of varied phases with different proportions at room temperature, but single phase materials at elevated temperature. Increasing the sulfur content in Cu2Se1−xSx solid solutions can greatly reduce the carrier concentration, leading to much enhanced electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficients in the whole temperature range as compared with those in binary Cu2Se. In particular, introducing sulfur at Se-sites reduces the speed of sound. Combining the strengthened point defect scattering of phonons, extremely low lattice thermal conductivities are obtained in these solid solutions. Finally, a maximum zT value of 1.65 at 950 K is achieved for Cu2Se0.8S0.2, which is greater than those of Cu2Se and Cu2S.


Bacterial bio fi lms are a leading cause of infection in health-care settings. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors stand as valuable tools not only for the detection of biological entities and the characterisation of biomaterials but also as a suitable means to monitor bacterial fi lm formation. This article reports on a proof-of-concept study for the use of an angular-based SPR biosensor for the monitoring of bacterial cell growth and bio fi lm formation and removal under the e ff ect of di ff erent cleaning agents. The bene fi t of this custom-made SPR instrument is that it records simultaneously both the critical and resonant angles. This provides unique information on the growth of bacterial cells which is otherwise not obtainable with commonly used intensity-based SPR systems. The results clearly showed that a multilayer bio fi lm can be formed in 48 hours and the steps involved can be monitored in real-time with the SPR instrument through the measurement of the refractive index change and following the evolution in the shape of the SPR curve. The number, the depth and the sharpness of the re fl ection ripples varied as the fi lm became thicker. Simulation results con fi rmed that the number of layers of bacteria a ff ected the number of ripples at the critical angle. Real-time monitoring of the fi lm breakdown with three cleaning agents indicated that bleach solution at 4.5% was the most e ff ective in disrupting the bio fi lm from the gold sensor. Our overall fi ndings suggest that the SPR biosensor with angular modulation presented in this article can perform real-time monitoring of bio fi lm formation and has the potential to be used as a platform to test the e ffi ciency


The agardite from the Osenovlak deposit (indications data of Cu-porphyry and epithermal systems) has been found in small amounts among the zone of oxidation of altered and mineralized granodiorites and porphyritic diorites. Together with agardite supergene minerals are observed: malachite, azurite, chrysocolla, smithsonite, jarosite, seladonite, rozenite, cerussite, hemimorphite and romaneshite. Most often agardite associates with hemimorphite and romaneshite. Its color is bright green and forms radial aggregates up to 1-2 mm of rod-like crystals. They represent thin hexagonal prisms, elongated parallel [001]. In the chemical composition Y, Nd, La, Eu, and Sm are present. At least three phases seem to exist: first, without Y, with domination of La and Eu (or Nd); second, with Y and different values of La and Nd; third, with dominating Nd, compared to Y and La. Ca is always present. The value of PbO is high (5.77 to 7.51 wt.%), confirming previously published experimental data dealing with the crystal-chemical peculiarities of the mixite group (OLMI et al. 1991) and the role of Pb together with REE, Bi and Al.


This paper studies the life and thought of Kawakami Kiyoshi (1873 – 1949), a Meiji Christian socialist and prominent journalist in late 1890s Japan for the popular newspaper Yorozu ch ō h ō (Complete morning report). Kawakami was one of the six founding members of Japan ' s first but short-lived Social Democratic Party (Shakai minshut ō , 1901). After the party was forced to dissolve under the Public Peace Police Law ( Chian keisatsuh ō , 1900) on 16 July 1901, Kawakami left for the USA to take up a postgraduate scholarship at the University of Iowa. While in the USA, he continued his career in the press, establishing himself as a well-respected international journalist. This paper focuses on his earlier thoughts, those developed during his B pilgrimage ^ to the USA from 1901 to 1907, during which his interests shifted from a gradual social reform to the issue of nascent anti-Japanese agitation in California and the question of Japanese immigration. During this time, he became convicted of the humanitarian ideals of Christianity and the values of sympathy and tolerance found in the chivalrous moral tradition. This journalistic period is under-explored in the literature and yet is essential in understanding Kawakami ' s later role in US-Japan relations.


This article analyzes the clusters of similarities among EU member states before and during the recent financial and debt crisis, using variables from banking, taxation, government debt and deficit, and the Current Account of the Balance of Payment; our study follows the method of Multi-Sample Case of Cluster Analysis between and within groups of EU countries. Our findings show that the current economic crisis the EU is faced with is twofaceted and has arisen from the financial and banking sectors and from government debt. In this sense, problems have resulted from the credit policies of the national banking sectors and from national fiscal and budgetary controls. These two crisis facets are correlated and a new problem emerges concerning the fiscal similarities of European Monetary Union (EMU) countries and the necessity for a fiscal union or for common fiscal policies between them. The aim of this article is to help us understand that the current EU crisis is due to the lack of homogeneity in fiscal and financial polishes across the Union.


Introduction: Biologics are currently protected from competition by eight years of data protection. The renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) increases data protection from 8 to 10 years. This study investigates the effect of such an extension on drug spending in Canada. Methods: A list of currently available biologics eligible for data protection along with their 2017 sales was compiled. Two years were added to the current expiration date of data protection to see if it exceeded patent protection, and any theoretical change in spending due to delayed competition was calculated. The number of biologics approved after January 1, 1995, that have competition and the time until competition started was analyzed. Theoretical competition due to increased data protection for biologics where data protection has already expired was examined. Results: Depending on how much of the market is captured by biologic competitors and how strong the patents are, lost savings from data protection extension could range from $0 to $305.8 million. One biologic competitor currently on the market could theoretically have been affected by an increase in data protection. Increased data protection would have had minor effects on products that have already lost data protection. Discussion: The potential impact on drug expenditures of a two-year extension in data protection is highly variable. Possible increases in spending on biologics strengthen the rationale for a national pharmacare plan where monopsony buying power would help to control drug prices overall and offset increased spending on biologics.


American workers rely on their employers to provide a way to generate retirement income beyond their Social Security earnings. Many employers still offer traditional defined benefit (DB) pension plans. A growing majority, however, have replaced DB plans with account-based defined contribution (DC) plans. Virtually everyone acknowledges that the basic DC plan design is flawed. Yet as a society with low private savings and a fraying Social Security system, we count on this imperfect structure to serve as a retirement security bulwark. Workers and society both need the employer-sponsored retirement system to function well. Enhancing DC plan design therefore becomes critical. Defined Contribution Plans: Challenges and Opportunities for Plan Sponsors offers guidance to plan sponsors interested in better understanding the primary issues confronting DC plans. We wrote this book from the viewpoint of the plan sponsor seeking to improve the DC system, and it follows five major themes: the plan participant, the plan sponsor, plan design, investments and investment managers, and asset decumulation in retirement. We present the material conversationally from a high-level perspective. We have not sought to write an encyclopedia on DC plans but rather focus on the basic features of well-run plans. We address key challenges facing DC plans and offer associated design and policy recommendations for plan sponsors and other interested parties to consider. Plan design improvements almost certainly will be incremental, rather than sweeping top-down changes mandated by regulators. Plan sponsors individually will make the important decisions that have lasting consequences for participants and for society. Our objective is to spark interest among sponsors, encouraging them to carry out additional research and take action. We believe the DC system will be strengthened by informed sponsors advocating for and implementing thoughtful strategic changes to their plans.


The paper presents a system and the associated algorithms for repairing the boundary representation of CAD models. Two types of errors are considered: topological errors, i.e., aggregate errors, like zero volume parts, duplicate or missing parts, inconsistent surface orientation, etc., and geometric errors, i.e., numerical imprecision errors, like cracks or overlaps of geometry. The output of our system describes a set of clean and consistent two-manifolds (possibly with boundaries) with derived adjacencies. Such solid representation enables the application of a variety of rendering and analysis algorithms, e.g., finite element analysis, radiosity computation, model simplification, and solid free form fabrication. The algorithms described were originally designed to correct errors in polygonal B-Reps. We also present an extension for spline surfaces. Central to our system is a procedure for inferring local adjacencies of edges. The geometric representation of topologically adjacent edges are merged to evolve a set of two-manifolds. Aggregate errors are discovered during the merging step. Unfortunately, there are many ambiguous situations where errors admit more than one valid solution. Our system proposes an object repairing process based on a set of user tunable heuristics. The system also allows the user to override the algorithm's decisions in a repair visualization step. In essence, this visualization step presents an organized and intuitive way for the user to explore the space of valid solutions and to select the correct one.


The Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS) is a course in adult theological education across England & Wales which has been in existence since 1991-92. It is open to any person wishing to deepen their formal knowledge of the Catholic faith and has included teachers and others working in church schools as well as parish catechists and lay pastoral ministers seeking a theological foundation for their role. Other adults have taken the CCRS for personal reasons or spiritual formation. The CCRS has thus been both vehicle and benchmark for adult theological formation since the early 1990s.

This Report is the result of a two-phase research project set up in light of the twenty-fifth anniversary since the course began and in recognition of changing religious, cultural, political and educational contexts. The research project undertook a systematic exploration of the CCRS among course participants, providers and stakeholders and gathered a wealth of quantitative and qualitative data. Core research questions asked about the role and purpose of the CCRS, the nature and scope of adult theological learning, the reasons why people want to study, the impact the course has made, and the new directions or initiatives needed for continuation in the future.

Research findings give clear affirmation and high regard for the role and value of the CCRS and provide sound evidence of the continuing demand for adult theological literacy. They show that the CCRS makes a considerable impact in terms of providing opportunities for personal, spiritual and professional growth. At the same time, however, there are concerns and questions about what sort of theological learning and curriculum is needed and how best to enable adult learning with clear theological purpose and practical relevance for today.

The Report concludes by summarising the main themes that arise from the research project and by making a series of recommendations to the CCRS awarding body, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales Board of Religious Studies.