Two arguments are made based on the analysis of traveling science exhibitions. First, sufficiently refined techniques of spatial analysis allow us to identify the impact of layout upon visitors' paths and behaviors, even in moderately sized open plans which afford almost random sequences of movement and relatively unobstructed visibility. Specifically, contact with exhibits is associated with their relative accessibility while active engagement is associated with exhibit cross-visibility. Second, newly developed or adapted techniques of analysis allow us to make a transition from modeling the mechanics of spatial movement (the way in which movement is affected by the distribution of obstacles and boundaries) to modeling the manner in which movement registers additional aspects of visual information, particularly the arrangement of exhibits according to conceptual organizing themes. The advantages of such purely spatial modes of analysis extend into providing us with a sharper understanding of some of the underlying constraints within which exhibition content is conceived and designed.


With the improvement of acceleration techniques, the intrinsic emittance of the cathode has a strong impact on the final brightness of a free electron laser. The systematic studies presented in this paper demonstrate for the first time in a radiofrequency photocathode gun a reduction of the intrinsic emittance when tuning the laser photon energies close to the effective work function of copper. The intrinsic emittance was determined by measuring the core slice emittance as a function of the laser beam size at laser wavelengths between 260 and 275 nm. The results are consistent with the measured effective work function of the cathode. Slice emittance values normalized to the laser beam size reached values down to 500 nm/mm, close to that expected from theory. A 20% reduction of the intrinsic emittance was observed over the spectral range of the laser.


Fling Out the Banner! The National Church Ideal and the Foreign Mission of the Episcopal Church. By Ian T. Douglas. New York: Church Hymnal Corporation, 1996. vii + 341 pp. $29.95 (cloth). The thirteenth Lambeth Conference that assembled in Canterbury last year brought together 740 bishops of the Anglican Communion. For the first time since the conference began in 1867 a majority of the bishops were from outside the West, with nearly a third coming from Africa and composing the single largest continental delegation. To the pride of all in attendance Lambeth 1998 displayed colorfully the global face of Anglicanism. Less pleasing to a number of bishops from the older provinces, though, was the voice of the Conference on certain issues. In debates and resolutions the Two Thirds World bishops did not hesitate to set forth their own pressing concerns and to articulate firmly their differing theological views from others, especially in the area of human sexuality. In doing so, they made clear that the shift in the center of gravity of the Communion to the Southern Hemisphere, the epiphany of which was startingly glimpsed by many a decade earlier at Lambeth, was now an unmistakable reality and challenge for the future course of Anglicanism. Forty years before, in fact, American Bishop Stephen Bayne had forecast this dramatic change in Anglican affairs in calling attention then to "the new self-consciousness and confident assertiveness of the indigenous peoples of the world" (An American Apostle, Valley Forge, PA, 1997, p. 66). In his post as the first Executive Officer of the Anglican Communion, Bayne enthusiastically undertook to promote the equal partnership of the so-called 11 younger churches" and to assure fully "their self-reliant and buoyant place" in the Anglican household. The principle of mutual responsibility and interdependence that he did so much to pioneer was based upon the fundamental conviction that there was no church which has not something to give and to teach, something to receive and to learn. Nothing was more detrimental to the developing mission and vitality of the Anglican Communion in the judgment of Bayne than what he termed a "cultural confessionalism" by which older churches nurture a continuing dependence on the part of younger churches and foil their liberties to enjoy responsible fellowship. The day had passed when the mission of the Communion should be identified exclusively with a particular nation or culture. The urgent necessity confronting Anglicanism in the last half of this century, he insisted, was to transcend national tradition or community and to grant dignity and respect to all churches, free from beggary, condescension or coercion of any kind (see An Anglican Turning Point, Austin, 1964). The forces of cultural confessionalism certainly have played their role in the development of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The foreign missionary involvement of the Episcopal Church in the United States was governed mainly by such forces, according to Ian Douglas in Fling Out the Banner! For the greater period of our foreign mission work the spread of American democratic ways and values were a strong source of inspiration. This cultural confessionalism was enshrined, as Douglas relates, in the ideal of a national church adopted by American Episcopalians in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The allure that the Episcopal Church -alone might provide a point of unity for American Christianity, as forcibly enunciated by William Reed Huntington in 1870, excited passions as to not only the ecclesial and social advances that might be realized at home, but also to obligations abroad. The result was that by 1919 some 371 American Episcopalian missionaries were to be found serving overseas in the foreign field and the extra-continental missionary districts of the church. In the years between the two World Wars the Episcopal Church would support more foreign missionaries than in any other time of its history, reaching a peak of 486 evangelistic workers. …


The amount of waste produced globally is continuously on the increase, leading to marine debris appearing on coastlines and oceans worldwide. There have been recent solutions to help reduce waste, as well as reusing and upcycling playing a significant role to minimise waste. This study examines the amount of marine debris on the beaches of Malapascua Island, in the Philippines, as an example. By conducting beach surveys, over 5000 pieces of rubbish were collected, with the study suggesting that the beaches with the greatest levels of debris occur next to villages. This highlights how the lack of education and different attitudes on the island is leading to poor waste disposal and management strategies. As a hotspot for tourists, especially divers, Malapascua must find solutions and alternatives to the poor waste management, to keep the numbers of tourists on the increase. With the help of the NGO 'People and the Sea' and these findings, there have been some positive steps taken with the solid waste management problem.


Gender in engineering is a long-standing source of inquiry, research, outreach, and discussion as inequity in demographics and negative experiences persist in the field. Women consist of just approximately 20% of our engineering undergraduate programs nationally, and roughly 14% of our national professional workforce. Absent from these numbers and research into gender minority experiences are students who lay further on the margins of discussion, awareness, inclusion, and acknowledgement of existence - students who identify as nonbinary or other genders aside from man or woman. This paper presents background literature on gender, gender minority experiences in higher education, nonbinary gender identity, and aims to present points of discussion to facilitate further engagement with a more nuanced understanding of gender in engineering. Gender as a social system is defined by multiplicity and fluidity and does not fit within two unitary and discrete categories. The majority of current gender in engineering scholarship utilizes a conceptualization of gender which does not acknowledge or incorporate more than two gender options, and is rooted in increasingly rejected notions of biological essentialism. Nonbinary and gender nonconforming students, some of which also identify within the transgender population, exist in liminal spaces throughout society and higher education, and continuation of this scholarship tacitly denies their existence by framing gender as intrinsically linked to two biological categories. Engineering professionals, faculty, and students who identify as neither men nor women must be included and our conversation be expanded for academically rigorous investigation into gender dynamics and create inclusive engineering spaces. Conversations around gender neutral bathrooms are just the beginnings of widespread cultural change to support gender expansive engineers. The discipline must re-think our approaches towards gender equity in engineering and the theoretical conceptualization of gender to not only frame its inequity through the sharp underrepresentation of women, but its gender dynamics as experienced by nonbinary and gender nonconforming students. We must continue to make space for marginalized gender identities and gendered experiences. Through reviewing existing literature and integrating my own intimate experiences I seek to discuss preliminary efforts towards nonbinary inclusion in our teaching, professionalization, and language. This paper represents a point of entry for discussing nonbinary inclusion as part of the discipline's continued commitment to cultural change surrounding gender.


Recent advances in deep learning and computer vision techniques and algorithms have inspired me to create a model application. The game environment used is Slither.io. The system has no previous understanding of the game and is able to learn its surroundings through feature detection and deep learning. Contrary to other agents, my bot is able to dynamically learn and react to its environment. It operates extremely well in early game, with little enemy encounters. It has difficulty transitioning to middle and late game due to limited training time. I will continue to develop this algorithm.


BACKGROUND
There are no existing data on alcoholic beverage prices and ethanol (EtOH) content at the level of alcohol brand. A comprehensive understanding of alcohol prices and EtOH content at the brand level is essential for the development of effective public policy to reduce alcohol use among underage youth. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively assess alcoholic beverage prices and EtOH content at the brand level.

METHODS
Using online alcohol price data from 15 control states and 164 online alcohol stores, we estimated the average alcohol price and percent alcohol by volume for 900 brands of alcohol, across 17 different alcoholic beverage types, in the United States in 2011.

RESULTS
There is considerable variation in both brand-specific alcohol prices and EtOH content within most alcoholic beverage types. For many types of alcohol, the within-category variation between brands exceeds the variation in average price and EtOH content among the several alcoholic beverage types. Despite differences in average prices between alcoholic beverage types, in 12 of the 16 alcoholic beverage types, customers can purchase at least 1 brand of alcohol that is under $1 per ounce of EtOH.

CONCLUSIONS
Relying on data or assumptions about alcohol prices and EtOH content at the level of alcoholic beverage type is insufficient for understanding and influencing youth drinking behavior. Surveillance of alcohol prices and EtOH content at the brand level should become a standard part of alcohol research.


The international monetary landscape that has emerged since the felling of Bretton Woods is characterized by a hybrid exchange rate system that lies somewhere between the textbook polar cases of a gold standard and a pure float. This system has relatively flexible exchange rates between major countries, active central bank intervention in the market for the major currencies, and predominantly fixed exchange rates (relative to the dollar or to some basket of currencies) for less developed countries and newly industrializing nations. The majority of research on currency markets since the early 1970s has focused on the characteristics of flexible exchange rates under this hybrid regime. My thesis is that this research has been unsuccessful. The proportion of (monthly or quarterly) exchange rate changes that current models can explain is essentially zero. Even after-the-fact forecasts that use actual values (instead of forecasted values) of the explanatory variables cannot explain major currency movements over the post-Bretton Woods era. This result is quite surprising, since exchange rate changes would be entirely unpredictable only in very special cases of the theoretical models discussed. As the discussion below will argue, it is not a general implication of market efficiency that exchange rates follow a random walk process.1


Traumatic experiences may affect an individual's ability to exercise self-control, which is an essential characteristic for successfully managing life. As a measure of self-control, we used the delay discounting paradigm, that is, the extent to which a person devalues delayed gratification. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between childhood trauma and delay discounting using a control group design with elderly participants with a mean age of 76.2 years. Swiss former indentured child laborers (n 5 103) who had been exposed to trauma during their childhood were compared with nontraumatized controls (n 5 50). The trauma exposure group showed a considerably higher preference for immediate smaller rewards than the controls, indicating their lower self-control. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that a history of abuse, current self-efficacy, and education were significantly associated with delay discounting. Implications for future research are discussed.


A routing protocol is the nervous system of any computer network. In a network where hundreds or thousands of nodes are working simultaneously, the job of a routing protocol is to identify/discover one or more path connecting a pair of nodes under a given set of constraints. The prime requirement for a routing protocol is to optimize the network performance. On the other hand, ad hoc networks form a distinct category of networks whereby nodes are wirelessly connected to each other and may be in constant random motion. However, in ad hoc networks like sensor networks, the performance differs with different radio models. This paper present simulation results of the comparative investigation of the performance of swarm based routing protocols for wireless sensor networks (WSNs) based on different radio models using routing modeling application simulation environment (RMASE), an application built on a probabilistic wireless network simulator (PROWLER). Our simulation results indicate that the energy aware routing objectives of Termite-hill, Sensor driven and cost-aware ant routing (SC) and Improved Energy Efficient Ant Based routing (IEEABR) protocols increases the network lifetime for Normal Radio Model (NRM), Radio Model with Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (RMSINR) and Radio Model with Rayleigh Fading (RMRYF)..


ABSTRACT Emotional dimensions of physical education have garnered attention from scholars in the last two decades. Many scholars claim that emotions significantly affect learning and that positive emotions such as joy and pleasure are necessary for continued participation in movement activities beyond the classroom. Much of the existing literature, however, is based on the idea that emotions comprise internal mental states that are retrospectively oriented. In the current paper, we work with alternative principles that can create new understandings of the affective dimensions of PE and specifically, movement learning. We draw on symbolic interactionist principles, framing emotions as multimodal communicative resources that are performed in social contexts. From this perspective, we demonstrate how emotions: (1) can be investigated as part of the production of broader sequences of pedagogical action and (2) relate to issues of knowledge, identity and authority. We present observational material generated with PE teacher education students as they develop movement capability. We focus on three interactional episodes in which fear, joy and resignation are performed by students interacting with either peers or an observing researcher. In each case, we demonstrate how emotions: affiliate or dis-affiliate the actor with the movement knowledge in focus, index an institutionally recognizable identity and influence the subsequent actions of the participants in the interactional sequence. The key thesis developed in the paper is that as symbolic resources, emotions have important consequences for actors within movement learning environments. The paper is concluded with reflections on the implications of the approach for practitioners along with a consideration of questions in need of further scientific attention.


The number of bilingual and English-Medium-Instruction (EMI) degree programmes has grown significantly in Spanish universities during the last few years, becoming a new trend within the Bologna system. The implementation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) led to changes in Spanish universities, promoting a shift in the teaching methods and enhancing the improvement in quality and international competitiveness pursuing an increase in mobility opportunities and the employability of the European graduates. The command of the English language in specialized university contexts became thus crucial. Research conducted at university level reveals that university students often have difficulty in performing the cognitive and discursive operations involved in the comprehension and production of written texts. These difficulties aggravate when the written performance has to be conducted in a nonnative language. The present paper analyses the written production of Chemistry students following an EMI approach at the University of Almeria (Spain) from a qualitative perspective. Results show the differences in the performance of certain areas of written language competence, which evidences the need to adopt methodologies that solve the problems and difficulties faced by students in order to help them integrate the global features of the writing ability within their own course contents in a second language.


Photo-real digital characters and creatures have become an integral component of modern feature films. As audiences become more accustomed with visual effects, the demand for seamless reality is ever increasing. This in turn increases complexity of all aspects of character design, from the build phases: modelling, look development, and rigging; to the execution stages: animation, fx, and lighting. We sought to develop a vfx pipeline that was highly specialized in creature and character work, while maintaining maximum flexibility for the wide-ranging scope of work that accompanies it.
 This paper explains the evolution of our creature pipeline, focusing on look development/lighting and asset management. We detail specific software design choices, highlight successful intra and inter-studio collaborations, and discuss our current development efforts towards scalable, maintainable tools for the ever increasing complexity involved in visual effects production.


Comparing food taboos across 78 cultures, this paper demonstrates that meat, though a prized food, is also the principal target of proscriptions. Reviewing existing explanations of taboos, we find that both functionalist and symbolic approaches fail to account for meat's cross-cultural centrality and do not reflect experience-near aspects of food taboos, principal among which is disgust. Adopting an evolutionary approach to the mind, this paper presents an alternative to existing explanations of food taboos. Consistent with the attendant risk of pathogen transmission, meat has special salience as a stimulus for humans, as animal products are stronger elicitors of disgust and aversion than plant products. We identify three psychosocial processes, socially-mediated ingestive conditioning, egocentric empathy, and normative moralization, each of which likely plays a role in transforming individual disgust responses and conditioned food aversions into institutionalized food taboos.


The "misunderstanding" in the process of literary accepting refers to the receiver in the reading text process with the creation main body, creation motive, the work implication, as well as between the works artistic value constitutes the situation which "the dialog" in the complex relations produces contradicts. But, in the concrete reading process, the "misunderstanding" may divide in "the error correction" and "instead harms kind of situations. Although "the error correction" refers to readers understanding in line with authors creation original meaning which produces contradicts, but the work itself actually has demonstrated readers understood connotation, thus causes this kind of the "misunderstanding" seems cuts with actual and persuasiveness. "Instead harms refers to the reader unconscious determination to carry on the far-fetched cognition and the appraisal to the literary work, including to literary work non-artistic angle of view twisting. "The error correction" should advocate that "instead harms should deny, this does not dispute. But, "the error correction" and "instead harms between has certain fuzzy regions, between them the strict demarcation line, some literary work in such time, possibly has not had "the error correction" in such receiver, but in another time, possibly has the different understanding in other receivers, to "instead harms direction transformation. The "misunderstanding" is the literature accepts the necessity, because just having the "misunderstanding", the different sound, between the literature mutual exchanges and collides, the literature only then had prosperously, the vigorous development aspect.


In Mediterranean countries, users are often equipped with private tanks, which provide a temporary water storage capacity, able to compensate service interruptions due to either scarcity or irregularity of water supply. In the presence of private water storage, water supply is no longer linked to users9 consumption and network-operating conditions can be off-design, therefore specific models have to be introduced in simulation models of water distribution networks. Here, a new mathematical model is proposed that is able to reproduce a tank9s emptying/filling cycles. Specifically, by means of experimental analysis, a hyperbolic tangent law was tested to reproduce the filling process for private tanks. The flow rate is calculated by means of the classical Torricelli law, in which the float valve emitter coefficient and the valve area are calculated using a function that takes into account the water level within the private tank. The comparison obtained through the mathematical model and those observed from experiments confirmed the ability of the model to predict the flow rate balance within private tanks. The results show that the model is suitable for any length of float valve branch. The mathematical system can be easily used in a transient model to correctly estimate the supplied demand.


ABSTRACT: Indoor environmental quality is a critical factor that significantly affects an occupant's work productivity, environmental health, and quality of life, especially in the workplace where a competent organization, and pleasant and healthy surroundings help assure maximum productivity. However, most building environmental design components, such as façade, are static, while the outdoor environmental condition (i.e., weather) is dynamically affecting the indoor environmental quality with significant and diverse changes. This structural limitation results in potentially compromising the environmental perceptions of a building's occupants. With the help of advanced technologies, there have been numerous efforts to implement dynamic features in modern buildings, especially dynamic structural façade components, such as electrochromic windows (called dynamic glazing). An industrial and academic research collaboration team conducted an on-site building study by collecting IEQ components in a commercial office, that was equipped with dynamic glazing. For effective comparison, an occupant environmental satisfaction study was conducted on two floors, one equipped with conventional manual blinds, and the other with dynamic glazing. The study outcomes showed that the occupants on the floor equipped with dynamic glazing reported higher environmental and psychological satisfaction/positive responses than those on the floor equipped with manual blinds. This study also revealed that environmental satisfaction and psychological perceptions could be affected by different workstation locations, such as core and perimeter zones. Therefore, these results confirmed that dynamic glazing could be effectively integrated with modern building environments to enhance individual occupants' environmental perceptions and psychological health. It follows that this would result in higher work productivity in a commercial office workplace.


Mutex propagation and its concomitant symmetry-breaking techniques have proven useful in Multi-Agent Path Finding (MAPF) with point agents. In this paper, we show that they can be easily generalized to richer MAPF problems. In particular, we demonstrate their application to MAPF with ``Large'' Agents (LA-MAPF). Here, agents can occupy multiple points at the same time according to their fixed shapes and sizes. While existing rule-based symmetry-breaking techniques are difficult to generalize from point agents to large agents, mutex-based symmetry-breaking techniques can be generalized easily. In a Conflict-Based Search (CBS) framework for LA-MAPF, we also develop a mutex-based conflict-selection strategy to further enhance the efficiency of the search. Through experiments on various maps, we show that our techniques significantly improve MC-CBS, a state-of-the-art optimal LA-MAPF algorithm, in terms of both success rate and runtime.


The cost-effectiveness and future progress of EUV (13.5 nm) lithography will largely depend on the resist technology development. Hybrid inorganic-organic photoresists have emerged as promising materials of EUV and have gained increasing attention in recent years. A crucial aspect for hybrid materials is their stability and the preservation of their molecular integrity when deposited as thin films. In this work, we study novel zinc (Zn) oxoclusters as molecular hybrid photoresists. Our aim is to combine the reactivity of methacrylate organic ligands with an inorganic cluster with high EUV photon absorption cross-section arising from this metal. To gain understanding on the shelf life of this material, changes in their structure under different conditions were monitored employing a combination of different spectroscopic techniques. The sensitivity of these oxoclusters under EUV light was investigated and their patterning performance is evaluated using EUV interference lithography. Our results indicate that these novel Zn-based oxoclusters are promising candidates for EUV lithography owing to their high dose sensitivity. Nevertheless, the labile nature of the methacrylate ligands has an important impact in the development process which seems to hamper their reproducibility. This work contributes to the understanding of the pitfalls and advantages of hybrid molecular resists.


Polyolefins are the world's most widely used synthetic polymers. Their global production has grown at a substantial rate over the past few years and is expected to continue to do so in future as new technologies and synthesis procedures are constantly developed to satisfy commercial demands.

Polyolefins, like any other synthetic polymer, can display various types of molecular heterogeneities. Measuring these is the key to develop structure property relationships and thus to tailor the properties of the end products. Molar mass distribution (MMD) and chemical composition distribution (CCD) are the two basic molecular parameters which are of pivotal interest in the case of polyolefins, as they have the strongest impact on the properties of the final products.

Liquid chromatography is an important tool to characterize molar mass and chemical composition heterogeneities present in copolymers or polymer mixtures which are soluble at ambient temperature. While size exclusion chromatography (SEC) is routinely used to measure the MMD, interactive high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been widely used to characterize the CCD of polymers.

HPLC may potentially provide a fast approach to characterize the CCD of polyolefins without some of the drawbacks existing in established techniques like Temperature Rising Elution Fractionation (TREF) or Crystallization Analysis Fractionation (CRYSTAF) which are based on crystallization. However, many polyolefins require temperatures > 100 °C to be dissolved due to their semi-crystalline nature. In addition to the limited choice of solvents to dissolve polyolefins, there is insufficient understanding about solute interactions with the sorbent and solvents. All these constraints make it very challenging to identify new sorbent/solvent systems for HPLC of polyolefins.

With the aim to identify new sorbent/solvent systems for high temperature (HT)-HPLC of polyolefins new mobile and stationary phases were tested in this work. Considering the ability of Hypercarb to fractionate polyolefins with regard to their composition and microstructure the focus was to probe alternative carbon-based sorbents in combination with polar solvents (aromatic solvents and alcohols) as mobile phase regarding their capability to separate polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) standards. The adsorption properties of carbon based sorbents for polyolefins were compared in a systematic way and quantitative information about the adsorption of the polymer on to a sorbent was collected to better understand the influence of solvent, molar mass and microstructure of the polymer on its adsorption. Particular attention was given to the influence of molar mass on the elution of polymer and the capability of chromatographic system to discriminate the stereoisomers in the case of PP, as these are the most prominent features of carbon based sorbents. It was found that PE and/or PP adsorb to different extent, depending on the sorbent/solvent pair used. The nature of the carbon sorbent strongly influences the extent of adsorption with Hypercarb showing a stronger affinity for adsorption than other carbon-based sorbents. When a solvent gradient alcohol (C7 – C9) →1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB) was used at 160 °C all stereoisomers of PP were selectively adsorbed and desorbed and the retention of the stereoisomers increased with the polarity of the alcohol.

The developed new chromatographic systems were used for the chemical composition separation of several olefin copolymers for some of which HPLC was never used before. Separation of ethylene/1-olefin copolymers demonstrated that short chain branches (SCB) play an important role in adsorption of polyolefins. It was observed that the SCB hinder the retention of the polymer molecule. Interestingly, in the case of 1-octadecene as comonomer the drop in adsorption is relatively less compared to the copolymers with equivalent comonomer containing carbon units C8 or less. This indicates that the SCB itself also contributes to adsorption of polymer when it is sufficiently long.

For the first time amorphous ethylene-propylene (EP) copolymers and ethylene propylene diene terpolymers (EPDM) were separated according to their chemical composition using HT-HPLC. Hypercarb in combination with a solvent gradient 1-decanol TCB selectively interacted with the ethylene units and consequently the EP copolymers elute in the gradient according to their ethylene content. In the case of EPDM, the retention volume was a function of the content of both ethylene and ethylidene-2-norbornene (ENB). The contribution of ENB alone to the chromatographic retention was quantified by calculating the difference in elution volume between the EPDM and an EP-copolymer having an equivalent content of ethylene. Studying the separation of EPDM with other dienes indicated that the contribution of the diene to the retention varies with its nature. Complete molecular heterogeneity, i.e. the relationship between CCD and MMD of EPDM was unravelled for the first time by hyphenating the HPLC separation with SEC.

HT-HPLC is a new technique for the separation of PE, PP and other polyolefins according to the chemical composition. The presented work enlarges substantially the number sorbent/solvent systems suitable to realize HT-HPLC of polyolefins. Some sorbent/solvent pairs described in this work have a potential to be applied for a routine analytical and/or preparative LC separation of polyolefins. For example, the system Hypercarb/2-octanol→TCB enables to separate ethylene-propylene copolymers according to their chemical composition in a range of 0 – 100 wt. % of ethylene. In contrast to the separation techniques TREF and CRYSTAF, HT-HPLC requires a smaller amount of samples, solvents and short time for analysis. Moreover, as HT-HPLC is based on selective adsorption and desorption, amorphous as well as semicrystalline polyolefin samples can be selectively separated.


OBJECTIVE To characterize the hormonal milieu and adipose gene expression in response to catch-up growth (CUG), a growth pattern associated with obesity and diabetes risk, in a mouse model of low birth weight (LBW). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS ICR mice were food restricted by 50% from gestational days 12.5–18.5, reducing offspring birth weight by 25%. During the suckling period, dams were either fed ad libitum, permitting CUG in offspring, or food restricted, preventing CUG. Offspring were killed at age 3 weeks, and gonadal fat was removed for RNA extraction, array analysis, RT-PCR, and evaluation of cell size and number. Serum insulin, thyroxine (T4), corticosterone, and adipokines were measured. RESULTS At age 3 weeks, LBW mice with CUG (designated U-C) had body weight comparable with controls (designated C-C); weight was reduced by 49% in LBW mice without CUG (designated U-U). Adiposity was altered by postnatal nutrition, with gonadal fat increased by 50% in U-C and decreased by 58% in U-U mice (P < 0.05 vs. C-C mice). Adipose expression of the lipogenic genes Fasn, AccI, Lpin1, and Srebf1 was significantly increased in U-C compared with both C-C and U-U mice (P < 0.05). Mitochondrial DNA copy number was reduced by >50% in U-C versus U-U mice (P = 0.014). Although cell numbers did not differ, mean adipocyte diameter was increased in U-C and reduced in U-U mice (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS CUG results in increased adipose tissue lipogenic gene expression and adipocyte diameter but not increased cellularity, suggesting that catch-up fat is primarily associated with lipogenesis rather than adipogenesis in this murine model.


[1] As opposed to the tropics, operational seasonal forecasting systems have shown little or no skill in European midlatitudes. In this paper we explore the potential source of predictability in this region given by El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events; in particular we analyze winter rainfall in Spain. First, we apply a simple statistical method to assess the teleconnections between rainfall records in 123 gauges over Spain and ENSO events during the last 40 years. A significant teleconnection for dry winter episodes is found associated with La Nina events, extending the results obtained in previous studies. Then, we adapt the statistical method to perform operational seasonal forecasts validation conditioned to ENSO events; in particular we consider a state-of-the-art operational model, the System2 from ECMWF. The validation method defines a forecast interval to account for the ensemble spread, and applies a simple skill measure based on the proportion of hits (observations falling into the forecast interval) compared with a random forecast. As a result, we uncover the significant skill of operational seasonal predictions for reproducing the dry winter episodes associated with La Nina events (a window of opportunity for operational seasonal forecast in midlatitudes). Finally, the results are improved using statistical downscaling methods and some sensitivity studies are conducted. The analysis presented in this paper can be extended to other regions under the influence of any seasonal predictability-driving factor.


The Table of Integrals, Series, and Products is the essential reference for integrals in the English language. Mathematicians, scientists, and engineers, rely on it when identifying and subsequently solving extremely complex problems. Since publication of the first English-language edition in 1965, it has been thoroughly revised and enlarged on a regular basis, with substantial additions and, where necessary, existing entries corrected or revised. The seventh edition includes a fully searchable CD-Rom.- Fully searchable CD that puts information at your fingertips included with text- Most up to date listing of integrals, series andproducts - Provides accuracy and efficiency in work


Article history: Received April 26 2016 Received in Revised Format August 16 2016 Accepted September 18 2016 Available online September 19 2016 In a continuous manufacturing environment where production and consumption occur simultaneously, one of the biggest challenges is the efficient management of production and inventory system. In order to manage the integrated production inventory system economically it is necessary to identify the optimal production time and the optimal production reorder point that either maximize the profit or minimize the cost. In addition, during production the process has to go through some natural phenomena like random breakdown of machine, deterioration of product over time, uncertainty in repair time that eventually create the possibility of shortage. In this situation, efficient management of inventory & production is crucial. This paper addresses the situation where a perishable (deteriorated) product is manufactured and consumed simultaneously, the demand of this product is stable over the time, machine that produce the product also face random failure and the time to repair this machine is also uncertain. In order to describe this scenario more appropriately, the continuously reviewed Economic Production Quantity (EPQ) model is considered in this research work. The main goal is to identify the optimal production uptime and the production reorder point that ultimately minimize the expected value of total cost consisting of machine setup, deterioration, inventory holding, shortage and corrective maintenance cost. © 2017 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved


Botia zebra was first described by Wu (1939) but changed to Leptobotia zebra by Chen (1980) based on the presence of the simple suborbital spine. In the present study, sequences of mtDNA cytochrome b gene were analyzed to investigate the systematic position of this species. The molecular data showed that the average genetic distance between samples of Leptobotia zebra and other Leptobotia species was 0.177, while only 0.057 between Leptobotia zebra and Sinibotia pulcher. Molecular phylogenetic analyses indicated that samples of Leptobotia zebra did not cluster with Leptobotia species, they grouped with Sinibotia pulcher forming a sister-group. Further morphological observations were performed on the holotype of Leptobotia zebra and other specimens including formalin-fixed museum specimens and newly collected alcohol-fixed ones. This species was found to bear similar diagnostic characteristics with Sinibotia, such as no scales on the cheek, a pair of button-like papillae on the chin region, and the diagnostic characteristics of Leptobotia as well, such as a simple suborbital spine. Based on both molecular and morphological data, this paper proposes that Leptobotia zebra is a species of the genus Sinibotia, and its valid name should be Sinibotia zebra. Morphological character evolution of genera in the family Botiidae was also discussed.


Based on the rapid development of Big Data, the data from the online social network becomea major part of it. Big data make the social networks became data-oriented rather than social-oriented. Taking this into account, this dissertation presents a qualitative study to research howdoes the data-oriented social network affect its users' privacy management for nowadays.Within this dissertation, an overview of Big Data and privacy issues on the social network waspresented as a background study. We adapted the communication privacy theory as a frameworkfor further analysis how individuals manage their privacy on social networks. We study socialnetworks as an entirety in this dissertation. We selected Facebook as a case study to present theconnection between social network, Big Data and privacy issues.The data that supported the result of this dissertation collected by the face-to-face and in-depthinterview study. As consequence, we found that the people divided the social networks intodifferent level of openness in order to avoid the privacy invasions and violations, according totheir privacy concern. They reduced and transferred their sharing from an open social networkto a more close one. However, the risk of privacy problems actually raised because peopleneglected to understand the data process on social networks. They focused on managed theeveryday sharing but too easily allowed other application accessed their personal data on thesocial network (such like the Facebook profile).


An algorithm is developed for performing calculations for the nonlocal electrostatic solvation theory of an ion in a cavity, accounting for electrostatic boundary conditions. The latter implies an induced charge distribution on the cavity surface as well as an induced volume charge distribution in the medium. This approach is validated by a variational derivation which also provides a general expression for the solvation energy. The procedure, implemented for spherical ions, is tested by calculating the analytic solution for an exponential nonlocal dielectric kernel and determining the corresponding solvation energy. Parametrization is presented for a range of solvents, fitted to experimental solvation energies. © 1998 American Institute of Physics.


The design and execution of effective and informative experiments in comparative studies on water treatment is challenging due to their complexity and multidisciplinarity. Often, environmental engineers and researchers carefully set up their experiments based on literature information, available equipment and time, analytical methods and experimental operations. However, because of time constraints but mainly missing insight, they overlook the value of preliminary experiments, as well as statistical and modeling techniques in experimental design. In this paper, the crucial roles of these overlooked techniques are highlighted in a practical protocol with a focus on comparative studies on water treatment optimization. By integrating a detailed experimental design, lab experiment execution, and advanced data analysis, more relevant conclusions and recommendations are likely to be delivered, hence, we can maximize the outputs of these precious and numerous experiments. The protocol underlines the crucial role of three key steps, including preliminary study, predictive modeling, and statistical analysis, which are strongly recommended to avoid suboptimal designs and even the failure of experiments, leading to wasted resources and disappointing results. The applicability and relevance of this protocol is demonstrated in a case study comparing the performance of conventional activated sludge and waste stabilization ponds in a shock load scenario. From that, it is advised that in the experimental design, the aim is to make best possible use of the statistical and modeling tools but not lose sight of a scientific understanding of the water treatment processes and practical feasibility.


The need for treatment of municipal wastewater prior to
its disposal is important. One method used for treating
wastewater is that of a constructed wetland system (CW).
The use of a CW has attracted interest in developing
nations due to its operational efficiency and cost
effectiveness. This paper examines an existing CW in
order to determine its effectiveness in the removal of
pollutants from a sewer that feeds into a major river
system in Nigeria. The CW, which employs hydrophytes
to degrade the wastewater from a facility of nearly 10,000 people, is comprised of six cement-block tanks. Samples were collected from the entry and exit points of the CW's cells and analysed for dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH and temperature. The pH remained constant (6.8 - 6.9) at
ambient temperature of 270C. Conductivity ranged from
700 to 840 ppm. The dissolved oxygen (DO) ranged from
0.9mg/l at the entrance to 0.1 mg/l at the final exit point.
Analysis of the data suggests that the CW is not efficient, and steps -- like aeration and an increase in the resident times of the wastewater in each cell of the CW -- need to be taken to improve its performance.


As part of the energy recovery part of the ROMA (Resource Optimization and recovery in the Materials industry) project, a laboratory prototype power production system is being built and completed in 2009. The laboratory prototype is based on a new technology for power production from low to medium temperature heat sources (the off gas from electrolysis cells in the aluminum industry) where CO2 is used as a working medium in a trans-critical Rankine cycle. The laboratory rig consists of the power cycle with a prototype expander as the core unit, an air loop to provide the heat, and an ethylene glycol loop to provide condensation of the working fluid in the power cycle. As a preparation to the assembling and instrumentation of the prototype rig, a simulation and an uncertainty analysis were conducted for the prototype rig in the autumn of 2008. This report focuses on the continuation of that work by an experimental investigation of the individual loops and the components of the prototype rig. The emphasis of this investigation has been put on the air loop and the expander unit of the power cycle. This is basically because these are of great importance to the performance of the power production prototype rig. The air loop was thoroughly tested, and from the investigations it was discovered that there was an unfavorable temperature distribution of the air going into the air-to-CO2 heat exchanger. This is the heat exchanger where heat is provided to the power cycle. The source for this temperature maldistribution was identified, and solutions were investigated to improve on the problem without results. The reduced performance of the air loop was incorporated in a new simulation of the power cycle in order to quantify the consequences for the optimization of the power cycle. The simulation was carried out for warm air temperature of 80 °C. The new calculations showed a reduction in maximum net work output of 27 % compared to the original simulation. The optimal conditions for the power cycle were also changed as a consequence of the reduced air loop performance. The investigation of the expander unit revealed that the expander isentropic efficiency was a strong function of the pressure difference across the expander, and a weak function of the expander inlet pressure. It also revealed that overall the isentropic efficiency was much less than the value of 80 % which was used in the original simulation. A new simulation of the power cycle was carried out where the expander isentropic efficiency was incorporated as a function of the pressure difference across the expander. This function was based on the data from the expander testing. The simulation showed a reduction in maximum net work output from 225 W to about 60 W, for warm air temperature of 80 °C. The new expander characteristics also affected the optimization of the power cycle. The simulation results and the results from the prototype investigation will be important in the optimization and control procedures of the assembled prototype power production system.


Difficulties in healthcare delivery in developing economies arise from poor road infrastructure of rural communities, where the bulk of the population reside. Although motorcycles are an effective means for delivering healthcare products, governments in developing economies lack expertise in providing proper maintenance and support services, resulting in frequent vehicle breakdowns. Riders for Health, a nonprofit social enterprise, has developed specialized capabilities that enable significant enhancements in vehicle maintenance. The organization has engaged with the governments and provided its services using different contract schemes, with different performance outcomes in vehicle availability and costs. In this paper we develop an analytical model based on reliability theory to compare the outcomes of these contracts, and relate the findings to data collected from a 2.5-year implementation by Riders for Health in Zambia. We also study how different elements of operational enhancements impact vehicle availability, and identify the conditions under which their interactions give rise to compromised performance. Interestingly, we find that prevention of minor failures, i.e., failures that can be addressed through vehicle repairs, always increases vehicle availability unlike other enhancements. This unambiguous benefit suggests that such basic tasks as following proper maintenance protocols and stocking the right amount of the right service parts are of utmost importance.


Taken from Foreword] The issue of how people with chronic illnesses become excluded from the workplace is a complex one. Access to work is associated with higher levels of income, autonomy, health and well-being, and social networking. Without targeted measures to address the problem, chronic illness greatly inhibits employment possibilities, resulting in consequent costs for the individual and family, the workplace and for society as a whole. Yet, in most EU Member States, the numbers of people receiving disability benefits or leaving work permanently for health reasons are similar to, or indeed exceed, the numbers of people unemployed for other reasons. This report addresses this knowledge gap by gathering information on relevant initiatives in this area in seven Member States. It proposes a new model for understanding the nature of the problem; develops an assessment tool for new initiatives in the area; and makes recommendations on how best to promote social inclusion for people with chronic illnesses.


The mechanism that promotes transition from the ATP- to the ADP-liganded state of ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels and consequent channel opening in a cytosolic environment of high ATP concentration has yet to be understood. A mechanism examined here that could reverse the ATP-inhibited state is based on the action of adenylate kinase to catalyze phosphoryl transfer between ATP and AMP, resulting in transformation of ATP into ADP. In membrane patches excised from guinea pig cardiomyocytes, AMP alone did not affect channel behavior but increased the open probability of ATP-inhibited KATP channels. This required MgCl2 and a hydrolyzable form of ATP and was prevented by P1,P5-di-adenosine-5′-pentaphosphate, an inhibitor of adenylate kinase. The single channel amplitude and kinetics of channel openings induced by the ADP-generating substrates of adenylate kinase, AMP and MgATP, were indistinguishable from the biophysical properties of the KATP channel exhibited after addition of MgADP. In whole cell voltage-clamped cardiomyocytes, introduction of exogenous adenylate kinase along with millimolar MgATP and AMP induced a K+ current that was suppressed by a sulfonylurea blocker of KATP channels. Enriched sarcolemmal membrane preparations were found to possess ATP·AMP phosphotransferase activity with properties attributable to an extramitochondrial isoform of adenylate kinase. These results indicate that adenylate kinase is a naturally occurring component of sarcolemmal membranes that could provide dynamic governance of KATP channel opening through its phosphoryl transfer catalytic action in the microenvironment of the channel.


Base station antenna tilt is a powerful tuning parameter in traditional cellular network optimization. With theintroduction of Self-Organizing Networks (SON), this parameter may now be used also in the context of self-optimization.One envisioned scenario is load balancing (LB), where the coverage shaping properties of the antenna radiation pattern canbe used to control the cell borders. In this paper, a generalized framework for antenna tilt LB is presented and discussed. Inorder to assess the performance of antenna tilt as a tool for load balancing, simulations are performed to determine theeffect of tilt angle, vertical beamwidth and handover offset. The results show that there is a direct relation between theseparameters and the number of users that can be shifted towards neighboring cells. In conclusion, it is found that usingantennas with narrow vertical beamwidths together with small hand over offsets is an efficient way of performing loadbalancing but results also in high SIR variations.


Speaking about racism in the western political climate of the first decade of the twenty-first century is more difficult than ever before. There is a feeling in post-colonial and post-immigration societies that the blatant overt racism of the past is no longer as pressing. Admitting racism elicits discomfort because common wisdom tells us that racism opposes everything that we believe in as citizens of democratic, civilised modern states. Yet state racism appears to be here to stay and, in many ways, is more acceptable than ever before. Immigration detention centres, the deportation of failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, racial profiling and the rolling back of liberties won by the civil rights movement are all examples of how state racism impacts on our daily lives. Race and State contributes to breaking the taboo of discussing the links between race and state. The papers collected in this book highlight the interconnections between race and state, from historical, theoretical or contemporary sociological perspectives.


Abstract New Anomopterella Rasnitsyn, 1975, wasps from the Jiulongshan Formation (Bathonian/Callovian) at Daohugou (Inner Mongolia of China), with well-preserved wings, body, antennae and tarsi, document relationship among species and enhance our understanding of the morphology of the extinct family Anomopterellidae Rasnitsyn, 1975. Based on eight well-preserved specimens, we describe, A. pygmea sp. n. and A. brevis sp. n., describe new materials of A. ovalis Li, Rasnitsyn, Shih & Ren, 2013, and A. ampla Li, Rasnitsyn, Shih & Ren, 2013, emend the genus in Anomopterellidae (A. pygmea sp. n. with toruli and eyes), and provide a determination key to species of the genus, including four specimens outside the formal classification.


Context. Particle systems and particle effects are used to simulate a realistic and appealing atmosphere in many virtual environments. However, they do occupy a significant amount of computational resources. The demand for more advanced graphics increases by each generation, likewise does particle systems need to become increasingly more detailed. Objectives. This thesis proposes a texture-based 3D vector field particle system, computed on the Graphics Processing Unit, and compares it to an equation-based particle system. Methods. Several tests were conducted comparing different situations and parameters for the methods. All of the tests measured the computational time needed to execute the different methods. Results. We show that the texture-based method was effective in very specific situations where it was expected to outperform the equation-based. Otherwise, the equation-based particle system is still the most efficient. Conclusions. Generally the equation-based method is preferred, except for in very specific cases. The texture-based is most efficient to use for static particle systems and when a huge number of forces is applied to a particle system. Texture-based vector fields is hardly useful otherwise.


This paper presents a new 2D-3D switchable driving method for a 3D thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) TV. The proposed driving method, which uses a film-type patterned retarder (FPR), can reduce unnecessary power consumption while displaying 2D images. The proposed driving method can change a part of a pixel according to the driving mode; the part is operated as a black matrix in a 3D display mode, whereas in a 2D display mode, the part is operated as a normal pixel. To realize the proposed driving method without increasing the data signal rates, the number of gate driver integrated circuits (ICs), and the bezel size of the panel, a novel pixel structure and an integrated a-Si:H gate driver, which can be implemented in a small size, are developed. The power consumption of the proposed driving method measured at the full white gray level is 67 W in a 47-in full-high-definition (FHD) TFT-LCD TV. This result shows that the power consumption of the proposed driving method decreases by 28% compared with that of the conventional driving method in the 2D display mode.


Often described by Latinas/os in South Florida as a low-class, slutty, tough, and crass young woman, the hypervisible figure known as the "chonga" is practically invisible in feminist scholarship. This paper examines the meanings associated with the chonga identity and the emergence of visual representations of chongas in order to understand how these bodies produce and reflect discourses about Latina girls' sexuality, ethnicity, and class. I argue that the sexual-aesthetic excess of chonga bodies complicates dichotomies of "good" versus "bad" girls and signifies non-normative politics that trouble the disciplining of behavior and dress for girls of color. I offer sexual-aesthetic excess as a concept in order to theorize modes of dress and comportment that are often considered "too much": too ethnic, too sexy, too young, too cheap, too loud.My arguments are based on a questionnaire regarding chongas that I administered to South Florida residents and analyses of related visual representations. The questionnaire responses illustrate the meanings associated with the chonga identity and reflect the discursive field in which images of these young women circulate. The chonga images and questionnaire responses inform each other, as there is a recursive relationship between social discourse and visual production.


Although there is evidence that the p53 tumor suppressor plays a role in the response of some human cells to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, its role in the response of human cells to photodynamic therapy (PDT) is less clear. In order to examine the role of p53 in cellular sensitivity to PDT, we have examined the clonogenic survival of normal human fibroblasts that express wild‐type p53 and immortalized Li–Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) cells that express only mutant p53, following Photofrin‐mediated PDT. The LFS cells were found to be more resistant to PDT compared to normal human fibroblasts. The D37 (LFS cells)/D37 (normal human fibroblasts) was 2.8 ± 0.3 for seven independent experiments. Although the uptake of Photofrin per cell was 1.6 ± 0.1‐fold greater in normal human fibroblast cells compared to that in LFS cells over the range of Photofrin concentrations employed, PDT treatment at equivalent cellular Photofrin levels also demonstrated an increased resistance for LFS cells compared to normal human fibroblasts. Furthermore, adenovirus‐mediated transfer and expression of wild‐type p53 in LFS cells resulted in an increased sensitivity to PDT but no change in the uptake of Photofrin per cell. These results suggest a role for p53 in the response of human cells to PDT. Although normal human fibroblasts displayed increased levels of p53 following PDT, we did not detect apoptosis or any marked alteration in the cell cycle of GM38 cells, despite a marked loss of cell viability. In contrast, LFS cells exhibited a prolonged accumulation of cells in G2 phase and underwent apoptosis following PDT at equivalent Photofrin levels. The number of apoptotic LFS cells increased with time after PDT and correlated with the loss of cell viability. A p53‐independent induction of apoptosis appears to be an important mechanism contributing to loss of clonogenic survival after PDT in LFS cells, whereas the induction of apoptosis does not appear to be an important mechanism leading to loss of cell survival in the more sensitive normal human fibroblasts following PDT at equivalent cellular Photofrin levels.


Visionpool is a new innovation tool based on pictures. It has a large target group within design, human resources and communication and it can be used for developing ideas, for aligning expectations and imaginations, and for benchmarking ongoing processes. Visionpool uses image fragments with special potential to develop associations, to support structured conversation and processes of developing ideas. The connection between the verbal formulation of the premise of a case, and a relevant conceptual visual expression is established from the very beginning. Typical fields of use are idea developing in television productions, concept developing and clarifying customers' needs in a broader sense within design, clarifying interests and expectation within advertising business, and as a tool for a number of different innovation processes within human resource. Visionpool brings classical methods of design into business processes outside traditional fields of design, and makes a qualified two ways visual communication available to non-professionals. Visionpool is developed by Visual Intelligence and has its origination in developing of television concepts.


About the book:
This book introduces students to attachment as an everyday social experience. Focusing on wide-ranging and accessible examples, the text explores how attachments between people, and between people and things, are made, sustained and unmade. In doing so, the book introduces a number of competing sociological approaches to these processes, in particular, feminist versions of social constructionism; theories of material culture and actor network theory; phenomenology; and psycho-societal theories. The book combines an accessible introduction to significant strands of current sociological thought with illustrative material students will find engaging and compelling, such as intimate family relations, media texts, the economy and sport.


Managing patients with myelofibrosis (MF), either those with primary MF or those whose MF has evolved from antecedent polycythemia vera or essential thrombocythemia, presents many challenges to the hematologist. MF patients have a range of debilitating disease manifestations (eg, massive splenomegaly, cytopenias, constitutional symptoms, and transformation to a treatment-refractory blast phase). Cure is potentially achievable through allogeneic stem cell transplantation; however, this therapy is either inappropriate or not feasible for the majority of patients. Therefore, remaining therapies are palliative but can be of significant value to some MF patients. In particular, management of symptomatic splenomegaly remains one of the most perplexing aspects of MF clinical care. Using medications is the simplest approach for reducing splenomegaly, yet achieving symptomatic response without undue myelosuppression is challenging. Splenectomy or radiotherapy offers benefit, but careful patient selection and close monitoring are required because both have the potential for dangerous adverse effects. Experimental medical therapies, such as JAK2 inhibitors, show promise and may soon play an important role in the management of symptomatic splenomegaly in MF patients. Future care of MF patients, including splenomegaly management, will continue to require the hematologist to select therapeutic options carefully in the context of realistic, achievable goals.


Discussions of the economic impact of open source software often generate more heat than light. Advocates passionately assert the benefits of open source while critics decry its effects. Missing from the debate is rigorous economic analysis and systematic economic evidence of the impact of open source on consumers, firms, and economic development in general. This book fills that gap. In The Comingled Code, Josh Lerner and Mark Schankerman, drawing on a new, large-scale database, show that open source and proprietary software interact in sometimes unexpected ways, and discuss the policy implications of these findings. The new data (from a range of countries in varying stages of development) documents the mixing of open source and proprietary software: firms sell proprietary software while contributing to open source, and users extensively mix and match the two. Lerner and Schankerman examine the ways in which software differs from other technologies in promoting economic development, what motivates individuals and firms to contribute to open source projects, how developers and users view the trade-offs between the two kinds of software, and how government policies can ensure that open source competes effectively with proprietary software and contributes to economic development.


Awareness of the self and awareness of others are difficult faculties to define. Part of the problem lies in the wide range of abilities that involve various aspects of awareness. Some of the most commonly studied abilities focus on the self-awareness of the individual. These abilities range from the capacity to distinguish self from non-self to the competency to reflect on one's past, present or future condition. Another set of abilities that is relevant to the study of awareness involves the interactions of individuals, and includes behaviours such as deception and empathy. We explore the possibility that species other than humans engage in deception and empathy, and consider the implications of such behaviours for self-awareness and other-awareness in these species. Although examples from a variety of species are provided, many examples come from dolphins and whales. This reflects both the authors' interest in these animals and the possibility that large-brained creatures are more likely to engage in deliberate deception and/or true empathy.


Well-respected and widely regarded as the most comprehensive text in the field, "Antibiotic and Chemotherapy, 9th Edition" by Drs. Finch, Greenwood, Whitley, and Norrby, provides globally relevant coverage of all types of antimicrobial agents used in human medicine, including all antiviral, antiprotozoan and anthelminthic agents. Comprehensively updated to include new FDA and EMEA regulations, this edition keeps you current with brand-new information about antiretroviral agents and HIV, superficial and mucocutaneous myscoses and systemic infections, management of the immunocompromised patient, treatment of antimicrobial resistance, plus coverage of new anti-sepsis agents and host/microbe modulators. Reference is easy thanks to a unique 3-part structure covering general aspects of treatment; reviews of every agent; and, details of treatments of particular infections.


This Article develops a theory of rhetoric in corporate law jurisprudence. It begins by examining a recent innovation in Delaware case-law: the emerging principle of "good faith." Good faith is an old notion in law generally, but it offers to bring significant change to corporate law, including realignment of the business judgment rule and a shift in the traditional balance between the authority of boards and the accountability of boards to courts. The Article argues, however, that good faith functions as a rhetorical device rather than a substantive standard. That is, it operates as a speech-act, a performance, as opposed to a careful method of analysis. To explain the sudden appearance of good faith, this Article articulates a model of corporate law rhetoric. Courts invent rhetorical devices to loosen corporate law doctrine and increase judicial review of board decision-making in response to scandals and other extra-legal pressures operating upon the judiciary. These pressures stem largely from the twin threats of corporate migration and federal pre-emption, both of which imperil the primacy of the Delaware judiciary as a corporate law-maker. In periods of crisis and scandal, the judiciary employs rhetorical devices to reduce these pressures, typically with the effect of increasing board accountability, only to return, once the pressure recedes, to a position of board deference. After finding several examples of this pattern in corporate law history, this Article argues, ultimately, that regular movement back and forth along the authority/accountability spectrum is an essential feature of corporate law jurisprudence and that understanding the rhetorical devices that permit this movement is necessary to complete any account of what corporate law is and how it works.


In this study, we evaluated the influence of different forms of support (peer support, ventilation or defusing led by the ordinary group leader, and more formal debriefing sessions led by an external counselor) on mental health following traumatic experiences, using a prospective study design. The sample consisted of a Swedish battalion (N = 510), which was part of NATO's implementation force in Bosnia in 1996. Preservice assessment was made of personality, sense of coherence, and mental health. One third of the soldiers experienced traumatic situations during their service. Results showed that poor mental health after service was related more to preservice mental health and sense of coherence than to trauma exposure and posttrauma support. Peer support followed by a defusing session had a positive effect on postservice mental health, although this did not apply to the individuals with the worst preservice mental health. The value of formal debriefings could not be evaluated due to insufficient data.


This article deals with the sources, drafting history and problems of recently created European Union affairs scrutiny model in Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. The first part of the article is devoted to general questions of the role of national parliaments in EU and its various models, stressing that Lithuania's model is strongly influenced by Nordic countries experience, in particularly, Finland. The general principles embedded in the Constitutional Act on Membership in European Union, Statute (Rules of Procedures) of Seimas, as well as new institutional changes in the structure of Seimas are explained and debated. The second part of the article examines, explains and illustrates various procedures of EU scrutiny model in Seimas. Special attention is paid to the procedure of preparation of national position with regard to the EU proposal to adopt legal acts that are related to the competence of Seimas. This procedure is the only procedure when the Committee of European Affairs and Committee of Foreign Affairs acts as "mandate" committees and are empowered by Constitutional Act on Membership in the European Union to speak on behalf of Seimas expressing politically obligatory opinion to the Government on national position. This procedure also forms the rules that are applicable to other closely related procedures, such as consultation procedure with the Government, etc. The final part of the article analysis system and role of Seimas in subsidiarity control procedure and procedure of nomination of officers (e.g. Member of Commission) in the European Union by the member state. It is noted that the subsidiarity control procedure in Seimas is very innovative and already reflects the newest developments, embedded in the Treaty Establishing Constitution for Europe.


Views on income inequality and concomitant redistributive preferences are crucial to the design of tax and transfer systems. Although income distribution in Germany, France and Switzerland is very similar, opinions differ widely as to how critically income differences are viewed. This is hardly surprising given that when countries are compared there is almost no connection between the actual distribution of incomes and subjective evaluations of income differentials. In fact, many nationalities assume that the structure of their society is considerably less equitable than it really is. Thus, a factor which far better explains views on distribution is the subjective perception of inequality within a society. Similarly, redistributive preferences are influenced less by actual distribution than by perceived inequality.


This paper presents an assessment of the overall economic impact of ageing for the EU Member States. It draws upon the macroeconomic assumptions developed by the Ageing Working Group attached to the Economic Policy Committee and the Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs for the purpose of making age-related expenditure projections. The paper presents and analyses projections of the impact of ageing populations on the labour market using a refined cohort approach by age and gender, as well as projections for potential economic growth rates up to 2050.


Using a rigorous microscopic point-dipole description of probe–sample interactions, we study imaging with a reflection scanning near-field optical microscope. Optical content, topographical artifacts, sensitivity window—i.e., the scale on which near-field optical images represent mainly optical contrast—and symmetry properties are considered for optical images obtained in constant-distance mode for different polarization configurations. We demonstrate that images obtained in cross-polarized detection mode are free of background and topographical artifacts and that the cross-circular polarization configuration is preferable to the cross-linear one, since it ensures more isotropic (in the surface plane) near-field imaging of surface features. The numerical results are supported with experimental near-field images obtained by using a reflection microscope with an uncoated fiber tip.


Abstract microRNAs are powerful regulators of growth, development, and stress responses in plants. The Arabidopsis thaliana microRNA miR167 was previously found to regulate diverse processes including flower development, root development, and response to osmotic stress by controlling the patterns of expression of its target genes AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 6 (ARF6), ARF8, and IAA‐Ala RESISTANT 3. Here, we report that miR167 also modulates defense against pathogens through ARF6 and ARF8. miR167 is differentially expressed in response to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae, and overexpression of miR167 confers very high levels of resistance. This resistance appears to be due to suppression of auxin responses and is partially dependent upon salicylic acid signaling, and also depends upon altered stomatal behavior in these plants. Closure of stomata upon the detection of P. syringae is an important aspect of the basal defense response, as it prevents bacterial cells from entering the leaf interior and causing infection. Plants overexpressing miR167 constitutively maintain small stomatal apertures, resulting in very high resistance when the pathogen is inoculated onto the leaf surface. Additionally, the systemic acquired resistance (SAR) response is severely compromised in plants overexpressing miR167, in agreement with previous work showing that the activation of SAR requires intact auxin signaling responses. This work highlights a new role for miR167, and also emphasizes the importance of hormonal balance in short‐ and long‐term defense and of stomata as an initial barrier to pathogen entry.


With the shift towards wireless technology increasing at a faster rate than ever before, it is becoming ever more important to focus on optimising the routing functionality of a wireless network. The purpose of this paper is to outline the different types of routing that can be applied in a Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) and to propose a new routing protocol named SOAP. The SOAP routing protocol is designed as a cognitive hybrid protocol, making use of the functionality that exists in the popular proactive OLSR (Optimized Link State Routing) and reactive AODV (Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector) MANET routing protocols. The paper concludes that the SOAP protocol brings about performance improvements across a few Quality of Service metrics such as a lower delay than AODV and a lower routing overhead than OLSR but more work needs to be placed in ensuring its reliability and consistency across different network conditions. The SOAP protocol did not perform consistently in terms of packet loss and throughput and these issues should be addressed in further research.


In this study a portion of the uncertainty in illness model was tested. Antecedents to uncertainty tested were the stimuli frame variables of symptom pattern and event familiarity and the structure provider variables of education, social support, and credible authority. Data were collected on a convenience sample of 61 women with gynecological cancer at the time of major treatment effect. Findings supported the proposed model with an empirically generated revised model presenting the influence of antecedents on specific areas of uncertainty. Divergent paths for reducing uncertainty were found. Social support, credible authority, and event familiarity had the greatest influence on lowering the level of uncertainty. Event familiarity and credible authority were primarily effective in reducing the complexity surrounding treatment and the system of care. Social support functioned to decrease the level of ambiguity concerning the state of the illness. Findings generally support the proposed explanation for uncertainty arousal and have substantive significance in identifying the sources of stimuli leading to uncertainty arousal and modification.


Seafloor sediments were collected from the Barcelona continental shelf, NE Spain, to determine the textural characteristics and sedimentary processes related to different depositional systems and human pressures. The Barcelona continental shelf is principally influenced by the discharge of the Llobregat and Besos rivers, and also by anthropogenic modifications such as the diversion of the Llobregat River or the enlargement of the Port of Barcelona. Sedimentological, physical and biogeochemical properties of 14 sediment cores and grabs indicate the presence of three distinct depositional environments linked to river-influenced, marine-influenced and mixed sedimentation. Sedimentological results have been used to groundtruth available backscatter data. The river-influenced environment, mainly associated to the Llobregat River input, does not reach the shelf edge as the prevailing oceanographic currents deflect sediments south-westward. Riverine sediments are fine-grained, with abundant plant debris, micas and relatively high organic carbon content. The associated sedimentary features are the Holocene prodelta and two modern mud patches. The marine-influenced environment extends north-easterly over the middle and outer shelf and on the upper continental slope. The sediments are coarser grained with abundant bioclasts and lower organic carbon content. Mixed sedimentation is present between the river- and marine-influenced areas. In addition, 210 Pb, 226 Ra and 137 Cs radiometric analyses were used to estimate accumulation rates as well as to identify sites with disturbed sedimentation. Relatively high sediment accumulation rates (up to 0.70-1.03 g·cm -2 ·yr -1 equivalent to 6.4-10 mm·yr -1 ) are estimated on the Llobregat prodelta while moderate rates (0.21-0.46 g·cm -2 ·yr -1 or 1.6-3.6 mm·yr -1 ) are found between the Besos and the Llobregat outlets. Two sediment cores show a sharp change from river-influenced to marine-dominated conditions that occurred in the mid1960s. This is interpreted as a significant regression (~2.5 km in 40 years) of the river-influenced domain that may be associated to the extension of the Port of Barcelona and the canalization of the Besos River, amongst other reasons. Other important human impacts observed in the Barcelona continental shelf are (i) sediment mixing by dredging, ship anchoring and trawling; and (ii) possible organic pollution associated to river and sewage discharges. Llobregat. Besos. Prodelta. Continental shelf. accumulation rate. human impact.


This work gives a survey of the rise and expansion of Christianity in ancient Lycaonia and adjacent areas, from Paul the Apostle until Amphilochius. It gives special attention to forms of charity, the reception of biblical tradition, the authority and leadership of the clergy, popular theology and forms of ascetic Christianity.


The Oxford Handbook of Project Management presents and discusses leading ideas in the management of projects. Positioning project management as a domain much broader and more strategic than simply "execution management", this book draws on the insights of over forty scholars to chart the development of the subject over the last fifty years or more as an area of increasing practical and academic interest. It suggests we could be entering an emerging "third wave" of analysis and interpretation following its early technical and operational beginnings and the subsequent shift to a focus on projects and their management. Topics dealt with include: the historical evolution of the subject; its theoretical base; professionalism; business and societal context; strategy; organization; governance; innovation; overruns; risk; information management; procurement; relationships and trust; knowledge management; practice and teams


We analyze strategic interactions between two competing distributors of an independent TV channel. Consistent with most of the relevant markets, we assume that the distributors set end-user prices while the TV channel sets advertising prices. Within this framework we show that the distributors have incentives to internalize the fact that viewers dislike ads on TV, but no incentives to internalize how the TV-channel's profits from the advertising market are affected by end-user prices. This leads to some surprising results. First, we show that even undifferentiated distributors might make positive profits. Second, a TV channel might find it optimal to commit to not raising advertising revenue. Third, regulation of the advertising volume might be welfare improving even if the unregulated advertising level is too low from a social point of view.


The construction industry plays an important role in the economy, and the activities of the industry are also vital to the achievement of national socio-economic development goals of providing shelter, infrastructure and employment. It is clear that construction activities affect nearly every aspect of the economy and that the industry is vital to the continued growth of the economy. Surprisingly, the construction industry was left out from the list of major growth drivers of the economy. In order for construction to ably perform this role, there is a need to provide information on its economic value and its place in the overall economy of a country needs to be placed in perspective, if its function is to be fully understood. This study attempted to investigate the relationship between the construction sector and aggregate economy. Time series data from 1990 - 2009 on construction output and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) used for the study were extracted from the United Nation Statistic Division. This paper uses econometric techniques such as unit root test, cointegration test as well as Granger causality test to analyze the significance of construction linkage with the aggregate economy. The result indicates that construction output is Granger caused by GDP, while the construction output also granger causes the GDP. Both GDP and construction output lead each other by one year. The study concluded that the Nigerian construction sector is very important because of its capacity to lead the economy of Nigeria.


The history of psychiatry is littered with serious failures of governance, to the detriment of mentally disordered people, especially those resident in psychiatric hospitals. Current mental health providers, increasingly focussed on community care, have also struggled to develop effective internal governance systems.
Nine peer-reviewed research papers, published by the author (mostly with others) and the wider literature, reveal deficits in mental health governance at a jurisdictional, professional, and corporate level. In this thesis new governance solutions are developed against this background, built on contemporary principles in mental health and healthcare management.
A new model of mental health governance is presented, based on the key demands of the strategic and regulatory environment, articulated as rights, risks and recovery. This integrated healthcare governance approach, covering provider policy, staff training and service audit, can monitor and ensure the protection of patients' rights, as well as those of others; it also promotes the management of clinical risks, and of patients' recovery outcomes. Rights-based risk-reduction training is the core interventional element of the model, whilst the monitoring element can be formalised as part of a Balanced Scorecard reporting system.
This thesis makes a contribution to research methodology, theory and practice in mental health, human rights, healthcare management and governance. The model generates specific propositions for testing in mental health governance, with the potential for application in wider settings of service provision.


The paper explores theoretically and empirically Brazil's tax revenue from a political and political economy perspective. The absence of 'big bang' reforms to the tax code and tax administration suggests that policy models are less directly relevant to explaining the rise in the tax/GDP ratio. The paper makes the argument that public consent to the hike in taxes is explained by a combination of democratisation, strong preferences for redistribution, fiscally responsible centre-left coalitions, and bureaucratic capacity. New political incentives under democracy combined with high state capacity and a powerful presidency with the political resource necessary to pass an agenda of social reforms to sustain this new equilibrium of high taxation and high redistribution. The current level of taxation and spending in the country in a context in which poverty and inequality is high (although declining rapidly) has prompted concerns about the fiscal sustainability of this equilibrium. The paper argues against pessimistic accounts of this dilemma - such as the arguments based on the concepts of fiscal illusion and inequality traps - and advances an optimistic perspective based on the notion that a new fiscal contract seems to be emerging.


I don't have a personal life anymore," quipped Kathleen Larey Lewton, Fellow, PRSA, surveying the piles of health care-related paperwork on her desk. "This is killing me." The massive undertaking required to implement President Clinton's health care reform proposal means that Lewton, vice president of the health care division of Porter/Novelli in Chicago, probably won't resume her social life anytime soon. She, like hundreds of other health care communicators, will simply be too busy making sense out of the massive piece of legislation. "The reform impacts on every aspect of the health care industry: physicians, health care organizations, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, dentists and dental plans," said Lewton, co-author of Public Relations In Health Care: A Guide For Professionals. "And that's just the inner circle. In the outer circle, you have medical manufacturers and suppliers, and companies that have huge contracts with hospitals." Enormous educational needs For public relations practitioners specializing in the health care field, the possibilities are immense. "There will be new opportunities for people representing these new health alliances," predicted Wayne L. Pines, president of the health care practice for Washington, DC-based APCO Associates, an affiliate of GCI Inc. Public Relations. "There are enormous educational needs because people need to understand the new health care system. "Depending upon how the pharmaceutical companies fare, there will definitely be new challenges," he added. "Drugs will have to be judged on a cost-efficient basis. Hospitals will be downsizing. There will be new services at community health centers and schools." Frank J. Weaver, president of Dallas Medical Resource, said: "The challenge is preserving the free enterprise of medicine in a socially responsible fashion. If that's not a rallying cry for public relations, I don't know what is." The plan put together by Hillary Rodham Clinton's task force is a complicated undertaking in which changes in one area of society will have a domino effect on others. Lewton equates the situation to a five-level chess board. "A move on Level One can impact on Level Four," she said. "A positive impact on Audience A can have a negative impact on Audience B." Managing the transition As a result, public relations professionals must be able to look into the future, and create carefully plotted approaches for a society in transition. "The 'who makes the decisions about health care?' may change," Lewton said. "It's the job of public relations to help clients anticipate what's going to happen one or two years down the pike, and come up with strategies to deal with those changes. We must foresee 10 different scenarios." Weaver believes that this emphasis on strategy can only enhance the field's value. "Public relations will be assimilated at a higher level in the delivery systems," he predicted. "It will be ingrained in management's responsibility" due to the intricacy of the changes and the necessity to communicate in layperson's terms. This is good news for firms which have been immersed in health care issues for several years. These firms won't "require much retooling," Lewton said. "Reform didn't happen overnight. Long before Bill Clinton became a candidate, managed health care was becoming a priority. The concern about rising health care costs has been with us for two decades. This has been an evolution. Business will boom for firms that have the senior-level staff and the depth of staff to stay in it for the long haul." But, she hastens to add, "Just because the business is out there doesn't mean that everybody will get it. For firms trying to get on the bandwagon now, it's a big learning curve. The health care industry is very complex. If you don't understand the perplexities of each situation, it's real easy to stub your toe. It's a lot more than just publicity. …


This article argues for rethinking and reorientation in the study of narrative coherence and its development in young children. The most influential model guiding current research in this area (a) tends to equate narrative coherence with causal linkages between events and (b) suggests that the primary (or exclusive) strategy used by children to achieve coherence is to embed causally-connected event sequences in the goal-directed actions of a single major protagonist. Despite its undoubted contributions, this approach is misleadingly narrow in several respects, and it has not been able to reconstruct the actual dynamics and trajectories of young children's narrative development. A first step toward overcoming these limitations is to undertake the foundational work of reconstructing and examining the range of actual modes and strategies of narrative coherence used by children, beginning with young children, which must include delineating the different narrative purposes and intentions these embody and the distinctive ways that they integrate events and event structures with the depiction and coordination of characters and relations between characters. I offer some theoretical and methodological proposals along these lines, illustrated with empirical examples.


Wearable sensors have the potential to enable continuous real-time health monitoring of people during normal daily activities. In contrast, the current paradigm requires patients to devote a period of time to attend for tests in specialist facilities and under conditions that, at best, are not representative of their normal life patterns, and at worst, may induce considerable stress, leading to significantly biased data. Physical therapy, training technique, rehabilitation, respiration monitoring and diagnostics could all be improved by implementing wearable sensors and data acquisition software [1]. This will not only improve the accuracy of the measurements, but the ability to analyze the data over time. Herein, we present an alternative to the current clinician measurement of spinal flexion; the modified Schober's test. The accuracy of the test is determined by each clinician causing a large tendency towards error [2]. By implementing a strain sensor in place of the measuring tape currently used, it is proposed that inter-observer error would be reduced and more consistent measurements would be provided over time. Using a textile sensor for this application would allow for the wearable system to be integrated into a garment. This would be more favorable than the use of traditional rigid electronics encumbering the user. In this work, two textile based sensors were tested for use in this application; a knitted spandex cylindrical structure with integrated carbon nanotubes (CNT) and a flat, knitted piezoresistive fabric (KPF) knitted with Lycra®. The sensors were tested for resistance changes versus strain both in the laboratory with a linear actuator and on-body using the protocol mandated in the Modified Schober's test. Each sensor was stretched from 0% to 100% in 10% increases with a 5 second hold at each interval. Varying CNT sensor lengths and core sizes were chosen, and after preliminary testing, a 16.5 cm 8 core sensor was chosen to have the best separation between consecutive percent strains. The same method of preliminary testing was followed for the KPF sensors. Several major features emerged as priorities on comparison of the sensors. These factors were health, robustness, and repeatability. Although the CNT sensors have a much greater elasticity than the KPF sensors, the relaxation time at room temperature is much longer than desired for clinical applications. In addition, because of the high recovery force of the KPF sensors, they show strength over time as well as the consistent readings necessary for such precise measurements. Finally, given the health risks associated with CNTs [3] it is a priority to assure that the sensors are safe to use on-body. This would require complete encapsulation of the sensor as well as additional testing to ensure no CNTs emerged over time. Taking these factors into account, the KPF sensors emerged as the optimum choice for this application.


Abstract. Equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) is constrained based on observed near-surface temperature change, changes in ocean heat content (OHC) and detailed radiative forcing (RF) time series from pre-industrial times to 2010 for all main anthropogenic and natural forcing mechanism. The RF time series are linked to the observations of OHC and temperature change through an energy balance model (EBM) and a stochastic model, using a Bayesian approach to estimate the ECS and other unknown parameters from the data. For the net anthropogenic RF the posterior mean in 2010 is 2.0 Wm−2, with a 90% credible interval (C.I.) of 1.3 to 2.8 Wm−2, excluding present-day total aerosol effects (direct + indirect) stronger than −1.7 Wm−2. The posterior mean of the ECS is 1.8 °C, with 90% C.I. ranging from 0.9 to 3.2 °C, which is tighter than most previously published estimates. We find that using three OHC data sets simultaneously and data for global mean temperature and OHC up to 2010 substantially narrows the range in ECS compared to using less updated data and only one OHC data set. Using only one OHC set and data up to 2000 can produce comparable results as previously published estimates using observations in the 20th century, including the heavy tail in the probability function. The analyses show a significant contribution of internal variability on a multi-decadal scale to the global mean temperature change. If we do not explicitly account for long-term internal variability, the 90% C.I. is 40% narrower than in the main analysis and the mean ECS becomes slightly lower, which demonstrates that the uncertainty in ECS may be severely underestimated if the method is too simple. In addition to the uncertainties represented through the estimated probability density functions, there may be uncertainties due to limitations in the treatment of the temporal development in RF and structural uncertainties in the EBM.