For the continuing search for effective teaching methodology in Maritime English Instruction, this paper examines the effect of the Computer-Assisted Collaborative Learning (CACL) Method on the academic performance of maritime students in terms of their scores in the summative test, pretest and post test, and midterm examination. The study used the experimental design. A series of CACL-based modules covering the midterm topics which was enriched from the existing Instructor's Guide for Maritime English was tested with two experimental groups of students against two other classes who were exposed to the Traditional Method (TM) of instruction. The four groups of students were categorized into academic achievers and non-academic achievers. Findings revealed a significant improvement on the academic performance of all groups after their separate exposure to the two methods. Results from the midterm exam and the summative test further revealed that there is no significant difference on the academic performance of the groups of academically advanced students. For the groups of non-achievers, however, those who were exposed to the CACL method had significantly scored higher than those who were taught using the Traditional Method. Keywords - collaborative learning, computerassisted instruction, academic performance


We investigate the empirical relationship between company investment and measures of uncertainty, controlling for the effect of expected future profitability on current investment decisions. We consider three measures of uncertainty derived from (1) the volatility in the firm's stock returns; (2) disagreement among securities analysts in their forecasts of the firm's future profits; and (3) the variance of forecast errors in analysts' forecasts of the firm's future profits. We consider two controls for expected profitability: (1) a standard measure of Brainard-Tobin's q constructed from the firm's stock market valuation; and (2) an alternative measure of the q ratio constructed from discounted forecasts of the firm's future profits. Our sample consists of publicly-traded U.S. companies that were tracked by two or more securities analysts for at least four consecutive years between 1982 and 1999. The results show that all three measures of uncertainty are positively correlated and appear to pick up underlying movements in uncertainty. When we consider these measures individually, we find a significantly negative long-run effect of higher uncertainty on capital accumulation, which is robust to the inclusion of either of our controls for expected profitability. When we consider our uncertainty measures jointly, we find that the level of disagreement among analysts provides the most informative indicator for identifying this long-run effect of uncertainty on capital accumulation. In addition, we find a significantly negative short-run interaction term between share price volatility and current sales growth, consistent with the idea that investment will respond less to a given demand shock at higher levels of uncertainty. These effects of uncertainty on investment are shown to be quantitatively as well as statistically significant.


We reviewed the historic and present distribution of Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in Canada and found that the species has been eliminated from approximately 90% of its estimated historic distribution. Sage-grouse have been extirpated from British Columbia and reduced to remnant populations in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Estimates of the size of the population decline in Canada range from 66 to 92% over the last 30 years based on currently occupied habitat. As a result, sage grouse have been listed as Endangered in both Alberta and Saskatchewan by provincial governments and federally in Canada by COSEWIC. Intensive surveys from 1994 to 1999 in both provinces suggest that the 1999 spring breeding population had declined to between 813 and 1204 individuals. The number of active lek sites has continued to decline, suggesting that some habitats have become unsuitable to support viable sage-grouse populations. Number of yearling males recruiting to leks each spring has been low, suggesting that production and overwinter survival of young are the major problems related to the decline. Low chick survival rate, with only 18% surviving to 50 days of age, is the most likely parameter contributing to the population decline. These declines could be related to one or any combination of habitat changes, livestock grazing pressure, oil and gas developments, or climate change, all of which could lead to increased predation rates and decreased survival. It is questionable if the present population of sage-grouse in Canada is large enough to remain viable.


This book draws together the most interesting recent results to emerge in mechanical engineering in Russia, providing a fascinating overview of the state of the art in the field in that country which will be of interest to a wide readership. A broad range of topics and issues in modern engineering are discussed, including dynamics of machines, materials engineering, structural strength and tribological behavior, transport technologies, machinery quality and innovations. The book comprises selected papers presented at the 7th conference "Modern Engineering: Science and Education", held at the Saint Petersburg State Polytechnic University in May 2018 with the support of the Russian Engineering Union. The authors are experts in various fields of engineering, and all of the papers have been carefully reviewed. The book will be of interest to mechanical engineers, lecturers in engineering disciplines and engineering graduates.


Industrial diagnosis systems aim to anticipate the occurrence of failures or, if failures have occurred, to detect them and identify their cause, based on observable symptoms captured by sensors from the process. In case of large and complex industrial systems, characterized by dynamic situations and extensive data, such diagnosis system must satisfy requirements for modularity, flexibility and adaptability. Thus, it is difficult to tackle the problem through the strength and capability of a single intelligent entity. This paper introduces a multiagent cooperative architecture customized for computer-supported fault diagnosis, as a solution to better solve the variety of problems in modern, real-time applications.


This article integrates the comparative literature on gender quotas with the existing body of research on women's substantive representation. Quota laws, which bring greater numbers of women into parliaments, are frequently assumed to improve women's substantive representation. We use the Argentine case, where a law mandating a 30% gender quota was adopted in 1991, to show that quotas can affect substantive representation in contradictory and unintended ways. To do so, we disaggregate women's substantive representation into two distinct concepts: substantive representation as process, where women change the legislative agenda, and substantive representation as outcome, where female legislators succeed in passing women's rights laws in the Argentine Congress. We argue that quota laws complicate both aspects of substantive representation. Quotas generate mandates for female legislators to represent women's interests, while also reinforcing negative stereotypes about women's capacities as politicians. Our case combines data from bill introduction and legislative success from 1989 to 2007 with data from 54 interviews conducted in 2005 and 2006. We use this evidence to demonstrate that representation depends on the institutional environment, which is itself shaped by quotas. Institutions and norms simultaneously facilitate and obstruct women's substantive representation.


The reflection properties of a coupled-ring reflector (CRR) are analyzed using the transfer matrix method. The CRR is composed of two coupled rings that are coupled to a bus waveguide. Depending on the combination of the cross-coupling ratios of the couplers, the reflection spectrum shape changes greatly. In the lossless case, the reflection spectrum has four peaks when the ring-bus coupling ratio is small. When the ring-bus coupling ratio is more than half and the ring-ring coupling is very small, the four peaks broaden, forming a single peak with still considerably narrow reflection spectrum, which makes the CRR attractive in applications requiring compact reflectors such as for single-mode laser diodes. The dependence of the propagation and insertion losses of the couplers on the reflection spectrum is also investigated, and the design guidelines are presented.


T he response of the bird community in the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus was evaluated before and after the university embarked on major infrastructure and landscape development in 20062008. Surveys using the Jokimaki walk were made monthly from 2004-2006 prior to development and from 20072010 after development in three 22-25 ha plots, i.e., 1) College of Science (CS), 2) Academic Oval (OV) and 3) Open Fields (OP), representing biophysical development gradient. Diversity indices before and after redevelopment were compared. Principal components analysis (PCA) and Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression were done to determine how the dominant species responded to change over time. The Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus and the Yellow vented bulbul Pycnonotus goiaiver experienced declines in all plots but most significantly in the CS plot which experienced the most infrastructure development. A MANOVA was used to determine if the declines in Passer and Pycnonotus populations had an effect on other species in the CS plot. MANOVA results suggest that the declines are significant with the increase in populations of the flycatcher Gerygone and the ground dove Geopelia suggesting ecological replacement of the once numerous species.


Neuroimaging enables rich noninvasive measurements of human brain activity, but translating such data into neuroscientific insights and clinical applications requires complex analyses and collaboration among a diverse array of researchers. The open science movement is reshaping scientific culture and addressing the challenges of transparency and reproducibility of research. To advance open science in neuroimaging the Organization for Human Brain Mapping created the Committee on Best Practice in Data Analysis and Sharing (COBIDAS), charged with creating a report that collects best practice recommendations from experts and the entire brain imaging community. The purpose of this work is to elaborate the principles of open and reproducible research for neuroimaging using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and then distill these principles to specific research practices. Many elements of a study are so varied that practice cannot be prescribed, but for these areas we detail the information that must be reported to fully understand and potentially replicate a study. For other elements of a study, like statistical modelling where specific poor practices can be identified, and the emerging areas of data sharing and reproducibility, we detail both good practice and reporting standards. For each of seven areas of a study we provide tabular listing of over 100 items to help plan, execute, report and share research in the most transparent fashion. Whether for individual scientists, or for editors and reviewers, we hope these guidelines serve as a benchmark, to raise the standards of practice and reporting in neuroimaging using MRI.


By default, all announcements notify listeners or readers of a given event, be it social, cultural, or religious. Newspaper personal or non-product advertisements tend to make audiences focus on its sponsors or the subject-matter of the announcements. Most personal announcements fall within the homely discourse genre. Scholars believe that careful examination of these types of announcements reveals further communications achieved beyond its primary functions and literal wordings. These communications could be within sociocultural or religious contexts. This critique reviews scholarly literature on how language is employed in a variety of newspaper announcements to convey much deeper sociocultural, religious, or political messages. The review focuses two types of genres, viz: congratulatory, and obituary and death announcements. Findings reveal that in congratulation and thank-you messages, a higher level of communication is achieved through various segments of such announcements, i.e. the use of multimodal, its position in the newspaper, etc. It shows how the announcements serve certain communicative purposes and how they are being influenced by factors such as gender and socioeconomic class. On the other hand, the literature reviewed on obituary and death announcements discloses how language is being utilized in the advent of death to communicate, not only to the deceased, but with wider audiences. The appraisal demonstrates how pages of newspaper death notice become platforms for eradicating social divisions and fighting the privileged groups. Another part of the evaluation discusses some contrasting conflicting views on the question of invoking God and religion in death rituals. As deceased persons are being celebrated and seen as martyrs in given cultures, others subscribe to notions that perceive death as personal choice and mere departure from the world. It is therefore recommended that more empirical works be conducted on congratulatory and other happy ceremony category of the newspaper announcements as the literature reviewed, so far, shows a very few scholarly works in that aspect of the genre.


This article is an attempt to assess the effect of the low oil prices the world experienced in the mid-1980s, 1998 and early 1999. Such an assessment will help us predict the consequences of low oil prices in the future. The study focuses on the boon and bane of low oil prices from the producers' and consumers' points of view.

Low oil prices, which are not related to technology and lower production costs, have depleted oil reserves, increased the income gap between consumers and producers, created friction among OPEC Members and between OPEC and non-OPEC producers, and led to the imposition of tariffs on oil imports in consuming countries. In addition, they have led to economic hardship in oil-producing countries, including declines in oil revenue, budget deficits, budget cuts and cancelled projects, borrowing and debts, deterioration in the balance of payments, negative economic growth, currency devaluations and political unrest. They have affected oil companies through reduced earnings, forced lay-offs of workers, lower investment and increased mergers. Despite these disadvantages, oil producers may benefit from low oil prices in the long run. They will increase demand, slow the process of substitution and decrease non-OPEC production.

Consumers, on the other hand, will benefit from low oil prices, through higher economic growth and disposable income, and lower legislative and import costs. In addition, consumers will drive faster and longer. These benefits do not come without cost. Low prices will also increase the future vulnerability of consuming countries and lead to more dependence on oil at the expense of alternative energy sources, more dependence on oil imports, more waste, more environmental damage and less efficiency.

After outlining the advantages and disadvantages, the study concludes that the disadvantages of low oil prices outweigh their benefits; that is, low oil prices have caused substantial damage. This is due to market inefficiencies and imperfections that include government intervention, especially in consuming countries. Competitive markets, on the other hand, may not lead to such damage.

Also, the recent increase in oil prices may have been caused by the low oil prices in 1998 and early 1999, which resulted in lower investment and maintenance spending that, in turn, led to reduced capacity and production.


The influence of the conditions during growth of InAs/GaAs quantum-dot structures on GaAs(001) by molecular-beam epitaxy was investigated systematically with respect to achieving high quantum dot densities, homogeneity and narrow sizes distribution. These are requirements for obtaining the necessary intermediate band in intermediate band solar cells. The growth temperature, InAs deposit, As flux, growth rate and III/V flux ratio were varied. Atomic force microscopy and a modular program for SPM data analysis were used to study the morphological properties of the QDs. The effect of several operations during image processing was analysed and a suitable routine was defined. The optimal temperature for the growth was found to be 480◦C although 420◦C was sufficient to induce 2D-3D transition. Varying the InAs thickness, a self-limiting size effect was detected at 2.2 ML, while increasing As-flux to 6x10−6 Torr led to big clasters formation. Finally, low growth rate (0.1-0.5 ML/s) was necessary to keep good homogeneity and the optimal III/V flux ratio was found to be in the range 1/10 - 1/5.


This paper analyzes the investment timing of firms facing two dimensions of financing constraints: Liquidity constraints and capital market frictions inducing financing costs. We show that liquidity constraints are not sufficient to explain voluntary investment delay. However, when additionally considering financing costs, we can explain both voluntary delay and acceleration of investment. More precisely, we find that investment thresholds are U-shaped in liquid funds. For high-liquidity firms, investment thresholds are decreasing (i.e., accelerated investment takes place) in either dimension of financing constraint. In contrast, investment thresholds are increasing (i.e., investment is further delayed) in either form of financing constraint for low-liquidity firms. For intermediate levels of liquidity, investment thresholds are U-shaped in market frictions. Copyright (c) 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.


Many graphs in real-world applications, such as telecommunications networks, social-interaction graphs and co-authorship graphs, contain temporal information. However, existing graph mining algorithms fail to exploit these temporal information and the resulting subgraph patterns do not contain any temporal attribute. In this paper, we study the problem of mining a set of diversified temporal subgraph patterns from a temporal graph, where each subgraph is associated with the time interval that the pattern spans. This problem motivates important applications such as finding social trends in social networks, or detecting temporal hotspots in telecommunications networks. We propose a divide-and-conquer algorithm along with effective pruning techniques, and our approach runs 2 to 3 orders of magnitude faster than a baseline algorithm and obtains high-quality temporal subgraph patterns in real temporal graphs.


As shown in several chapters of this book, actors confronted with the need to communicate in a multilingual context use a variety of strategies. These strategies may be more or less directly influenced by the language policies adopted by the public or private sector institutions in which they operate. Such policies may also be extremely diverse. Whether we are referring to actual language practices or explicit language policies, they can prove more or less multilingual. Assessing the relative merits of "more" or "less" multilingual practices and policies presupposes that we have a set of criteria which we can use as a basis for comparing them with each other. This chapter is devoted to the development of such criteria on the basis of the core principles of policy analysis, as it is applied to a host of other questions ranging from education planning to the provision of health services and environmental protection. We first show how the standard criteria of efficiency and fairness can be constructed and used with reference to language. We then infer from this analytical framework a matrix for the generation of a system of indicators of efficiency and fairness in multilingual communication. Examples of indicators, which can be "populated" with data, are provided in the appendix.


Simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) is a promising solution to increase the lifetime of wireless nodes and hence alleviate the energy bottleneck of energy constrained wireless networks. To recent days, there are three different designs of SWIPT system which includes integrated SWIPT, closed-loop SWIPT, decoupled SWIPT. Integrated SWIPT is the simplest design where power and information are extracted by the mobile from the same modulated microwave transmitted by a base station (BS). For this scheme, the information transfer (IT) and power transfer (PT) distances are equal. For the closed loop scenario, it splits IT and PT between uplink and downlink wherein PT is in downlink and IT is for dedicated for uplink. The last one is to add additional special base station (BS) called a power beacon PB in which PT and IT are orthogonalized by using different frequency bands or time slots to avoid interference. Therefore, powering a cognitive radio networks through RF energy harvesting can be efficient in terms of spectrum usage and energy limits for wireless networking. The RF energy harvesting technique also is applicable in cooperative networks wherein an energy constrained relay with limited battery depends on external charging mechanism to assist the transmission of source information to the destination. In an effort to further improve spectrum sharing network performance, a number of works has suggested the idea of incorporating the multiple antenna technique into cognitive relaying. In particular, transmit antenna selection with receive maximal ratio combining (TAS/MRC) is adopted as a low complexity and power efficient approach which achieves full transmit/receive diversity. Since the SUs and PUs share the same frequency band, there will be inevitably interference between the SUs and PUs. Therefore, reducing the effect of PU interference on the performance of secondary receiver is of significance important. Consequently, smart antennas can be employed to mitigate the PU interference. With knowledge of the direction of arrival (DoA), the receive radiation pattern can be shaped to place deep nulls in the directions of some of interfering signals. By doing so, two null-steering algorithms were proposed in the literature i.e., dominant interference reduction algorithm, and adaptive arbitrary interference reduction algorithm. The first algorithm requires perfect predication and statistical ordering of the interference signals instantaneous power, and the later algorithm does not need prior knowledge of the statistical properties of interfering signals. In this work, we limit our analysis to the dominant interference reduction algorithm. In this work, we consider a dual-hop relaying with amplify-and-forward (AF) scheme where the source, relay, and the destination are equipped with multiple antennas. The relay node is experiencing co-channel interference. The purpose of array processing at the relay is to provide interference cancellation. Therefore, the energy constrained relay collects energy from ambient RF signals, cancel CCI, and then forward the information to the destination. In particular, we provide a comprehensive analysis for the system assuming selection at the source, and the destination. We derive the end-to-end exact and asymptotic outage probability for the proposed system model. A key parameters are also obtained featuring the diversity and coding gains.


A spectral decomposition-based approach is proposed to estimate the light flicker caused by electrical arc furnaces (EAFs) where the system frequency deviates significantly due to the EAF operation. Analytical expressions of the instantaneous light flicker sensation are obtained beginning from a voltage waveform and these expressions are used to obtain a flicker estimation method based on the IEC flickermeter. In the proposed method, the leakage effect of the FFT algorithm due to fundamental frequency variation is reduced by employing a spectral amplitude correction around the fundamental frequency. The eye-brain weighting curve is realised comparing the voltage spectrum with the tabulated normalised IEC flickermeter responses for sinusoidal voltage fluctuations of the IEC standard. The proposed method is tested on both simulated data and field data obtained from three different EAF plants. The comparison with the digital realisation of the IEC flickermeter shows that the method gives satisfactory estimations of both the instantaneous flicker sensation and the short term flicker severity with low computational complexity. The method is especially useful for all other conditions such as disturbances and subsequent system transients where the system frequency deviates without the need for online sampling rate adjustment.


BACKGROUND: Road traffic injuries involving motorcycles are increasing especially in rural Kenya resulting in both human and economic loss. This study was done to identify the risk factors and the host characteristics associated with motorcycle injury victims in rural setting so as to institute appropriate interventions for prevention of these incidents. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at Kangundo District Hospital between 1st July and 31st December 2011. Results:167 crash victims (136 (81.4%) males, 31 (18.6%) females) were seen. Mean age was 29 years; most victims (94.2%) being aged 16-40 years. Cyclists comprised 61 (36.5%) while 79 (47.3%) were passengers. All cyclists were men; more women were passengers (p, 0.03), while pedestrians were mostly children below 10 years. Most victims (74.3%) did not wear helmets while 72.1% did not wear jackets with reflectors. Alcohol use was recorded in 22.8% of cyclists. About 71.9% of cyclists lacked valid driving licenses. Overloading was common, with 74.8% of the cyclists carrying two or more passengers. Conclusion: Poor driving skills, reluctance to use protective gear, alcohol use and overloading of passengers were the main risk factors observed. Our observations call for more stringent regulations and aggressive road safety campaigns. Injury prevention and safety promotion campaigns should focus more on the risk factors for motorcycle accidents. Key Words: Motorcycles, Crash, Risk factors, Rural Language: en


Indium(III) halides catalyze the hydroalkoxylation reaction of ortho-alkynylphenols to afford benzo[ b]furans in good yields. The reaction proceeds with 5- endo- dig regioselectivity with a variety of phenols functionalized at the arene and alkyne moieties in high yields using InI3 (5 mol %) in DCE. Experimental and computational studies support a mechanism based on the indium(III) π-Lewis acid activation of the alkyne followed by nucleophilic addition of the phenol and final protodemetalation to afford the corresponding benzo[ b]furan. DFT calculations suggest that dimer In2I6 is the catalytic species through a novel double coordination with the alkyne and the hydroxyl group.


A variety of methods have been developed for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer surface functionalization, particularly for the improvement of hydrophilicity. However, in addition to difficulties in avoiding undesired physical changes to the modified surface, including surface cracking, "hydrophobic recovery" frequently leads hydrophilically modified surfaces to completely return over time to their hydrophobic nature, with accompanying loss of accessible functional groups. Thiol-ene chemistry provides a mild and robust technology for synthetic elaboration. We demonstrate the introduction of thiol groups onto the PDMS surface via base-catalyzed equilibration of MTS ((MeO)3Si(CH2)3SH). Thiols in the product elastomer were shown to be located primarily at the air interface using EDX, XPS, and fluorescence labeling initially, and after extended periods of time: total thiol concentrations at the surface and in the bulk were established by complementary chemical titrations with DTDP (4,4'-dithiodipyridine) and iodine titrations in different solvents. The surface density of thiols was readily controlled by reaction conditions: the rate of hydrophobic recovery, which led to incomplete loss of accessible functional groups, was determined. Thiol-ene click chemistry was then used to introduce a variety of hydrophilic moieties onto the surface including a silicone surfactant and maleic anhydride, respectively. In the latter case, molecular functionalization with both small (fluorescent labels) and polymeric nucleophiles (poly(ethylene glycol), chitosan) could be subsequently induced by simple ring-opening nucleophilic attack leading to permanently functional surfaces.


Background/Context Parental involvement is a key ingredient in the educational success of students and an integral component of involvement is teacher-parent communication. One body of research finds that minority immigrant parents face barriers in interacting with schools, and communicate less with schools than native-born White parents. However, we know little of how schools reach out to parents. Purpose In this study, I use a nationally representative sample of high schoolers to examine patterns of teachers communicating with parents. Population/Participants/Subjects I utilize a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school sophomores, the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002). Research Design This study employs quantitative analyses of secondary data, including two-sample tests for proportions, logistic regression, and predicted percentages. Findings/Results Even after considering measures of student behavior and other factors, I find that mathematics teachers are more likely to contact parents of third-generation Black and Latino youth about disruptive behavior than parents of third-generation White youth. Mathematics and English teachers are less likely to contact immigrant Asian parents about academic and behavioral concerns, even when students are struggling. Teachers are also less likely to contact minority parents with news of accomplishments. Conclusions/Recommendations The findings of this study point to the important role that race and nativity play in shaping teacher communication with parents. Education policy should be cognizant that racial/ethnic and immigrant disparities exist in teacher-parent contact, and encourage more training in teacher preparation programs and professional development coursework for teachers and school administrators. Moreover, existing programs and interventions on multicultural / diversity training should be evaluated for their impact on teacher perceptions and behavior.


Closed-end furrows are commonly used to irrigate crop in northern part of China. The irrigation performance of furrow in this area is often low. The objectives of this paper are to verify reliability of infiltration parameters and Manning roughness estimated with SIPAR_ID software and present an optimized method for design of closed-end furrow system. The study consisted of field experiments and numerical simulation. Field experiments were conducted in two villages of Yangling district in October 2007. Infiltration parameters and Manning roughness values were estimated with SIPAR_ID software. The estimated values were put into the WinSRFR software, and then the advance trajectory, flow depths in the upstream, and irrigation performance were simulated on each test furrow. The results showed that the simulated values with the WinSRFR software were in excellent agreement with the measured data. Therefore, the infiltration parameters and Manning roughness estimated with SIPAR_ID software were reliable. Later, an optimized model for design of closed-end furrow irrigation system was proposed, based on field data and using the project of Uniform design and the WinSRFR software. Its solution required the use of optimized methodology with genetic algorithm (GA), and the inflow discharge and cutoff time were the independent variables. The results showed that adequate and efficient irrigations can be obtained using closed-end furrows through a proper selection of inflow discharge and cutoff time.


This report presents the findings of a preliminary inquiry into the nature of and the risks arising from misuse of the Domain Name System (DNS), and how criminological and regulatory approaches can assist in minimising risks of such misuse. Criminal misuse of the DNS has received relatively little academic attention, falling as it does between the disciplines of law, information technology, regulation, criminology and public policy. Solving the problem requires an understanding of how users and infrastructure and service providers use and contribute to the internet, and an appreciation of the complex legal and regulatory framework that governs the DNS. The research explores the issue from a policy perspective that will be beneficial in devising appropriate legal and policy responses.


INTRODUCTION
The need for all physicians to function as leaders in their various roles is becoming more widely recognized. There are increasing opportunities for physicians at all levels including Graduate Medical Education (GME) to gain leadership skills, but most of these opportunities are only for those interested. Although not an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirement, some US graduate medical education programs have incorporated leadership training into their curricula. Interestingly, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada adopted the Leader role in its 2015 CanMEDS physician training model and requires leadership training. We sought to understand the value of a leadership training program in residency in our institution.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Our 2017 pilot leadership training program for senior military internal medicine residents consisted of four one-hour sessions of mini-lectures, self-assessments, case discussions, and small group activities. The themes were: Introduction to Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Teambuilding, and Conflict Management. Participants were given an 18-question survey (14 Likert scale multiple-choice questions and 4 open-ended response questions) to provide feedback about the course. The Brooke Army Medical Center Institutional Review Board approved this project as a Quality Improvement effort.

RESULTS
The survey response rate was 48.1% (26 of 54). The majority of respondents (84.6%) agreed the leadership training sessions were helpful and relevant. Following the sessions, 80.8% saw a greater role for physicians to function as leaders. Most (88.4%) agreed that these sessions helped them understand the importance of their roles as leaders, with 80.8% feeling more empowered to be leaders in their areas, 76.9% gaining a better understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses as leaders, and 80.8% feeling better prepared to meet challenges in the future. After exposure to leadership training, 73.1% indicated a plan to pursue additional leadership development opportunities. All respondents agreed that internists should be able to lead and manage a clinical team, and every respondent agreed that leadership principles should be taught in residency.

CONCLUSIONS
This pilot project supports the premise that leadership training should be integrated into GME. Initial results suggest training can improve leadership skills and inspire trainees to seek additional leadership education. Moreover, much like the published literature, residents believe they should learn about leadership during residency. While more effort is needed to determine the best approach to deliver and evaluate this content, it appears even small interventions can make a difference. Next steps for this program include developing assessment tools for observation of leadership behaviors during routine GME activities, which would allow for reinforcement of the principles being taught. Additionally, our experience has led our institution to make leadership training a requirement in all of our GME programs, and we look forward to reporting future progress. Finally, an ACGME requirement to incorporate leadership training into GME programs nationwide would prove useful, as doing so would reinforce its importance, accelerate implementation, and expand knowledge of best approaches on a national level.


Fiscal uncertainties can sometimes affect national continuous forest monitoring efforts. One solution of interest is to lengthen the time it takes to collect a "full set" of plot data from five to 10 years in order to reduce costs. Here, we investigate using ancillary information to partially offset this proposed solution's negative effects. We focus our discussion on the corresponding number of years between measurements of each plot while we investigate how thoroughly the detrimental effects of the reduced sampling effort can be ameliorated with change estimates obtained from temporally-dense remotely-sensed images. We simulate measured plot data under four sampling error structures, and we simulate remotely-sensed change estimates under three reliability assumptions, integrated with assumptions about the additional unobserved growth resulting from the lengthened observation window. We investigate a number of estimation systems with respect to their ability to provide compatible annual estimates of the components of change during years spanned by at least half of the full set of plot observations. We show that auxiliary data with shorter observation intervals can contribute to a significant improvement in estimation.


Soil moisture monitoring systems involving correlations with soil dielectric content measured using WCR (water content reflectometer) probes are susceptible to lightning‐induced errors during field monitoring programs. These errors must be understood and corrected to use moisture data in geoenvironmental or hydrological applications. This study evaluated the effect of lightning on WCR measurements observed during the monitoring of four evapotranspirative landfill test covers. Several lightning strikes at the site caused unrealistic shifts in the inferred moisture content (from 0.001 to 3.900 m3 m−3), which showed a time‐dependent decay. A conceptual model for lightning strike effects was developed that allowed correction of affected WCR data. Because duplicate probes were available in this project, WCR corrections could be calibrated by minimizing the difference between the data from affected probes with data from unaffected probes to within ±5 m3 m−3. This led to a correlation useful in other cases where duplicate probes were not available. Assessment of the consistency of the corrected data included evaluation of wetting fronts, comparison of moisture changes against meteorological patterns, and comparison of the corrected moisture content with upper‐ and lower‐bound moisture content values.


This article argues that the same legal standards should apply to RAND commitments whether they are made to standard-setting organizations or not. The arguments for concluding that RAND commitments should limit injunctive patent relief or trigger antitrust liability turn on whether the commitment reasonably induces lock-in that generates hold-up effects or market power when that commitment is breached. But RAND commitments can induce such lock-in effects when they are made outside of standard-setting organizations and do not always induce them when they are made to standard-setting organizations. Thus, any special legal rules for RAND commitments should turn on whether the commitments induced such lock-in, rather than on the institutional context. The arguments against using special legal rules for RAND commitments turn on the extent to which lock-in might fail to generate holdup problems, denying patent injunctions might generate reverse-holdup problems, and contract or promissory estoppel remedies might obviate the need for antirust liability. But those arguments likewise apply equally inside and outside of standard-setting organizations. Thus, however one resolves the arguments for and against applying special legal rules to RAND commitments, the resulting legal standards should be the same whether or not the commitment is made to a standard-setting organization.


The Arabian Shield has long been recognized as a region where plate-tectonic processes have been in action during most of the Late Proterozoic resulting in the amalgamation of the shield's five constituent terranes along four major suture zones. Studies thus far carried out on these collisional belts have concentrated on the origin and dating of intermediate to acidic igneous rocks, and very little emphasis has been placed on the understanding of metamorphic processes operative during plate convergence. The Al-Amar Suture separates the Afif microplate from the Ar Rayn Block in the easternmost section of the Shield. Among several ophiolite occurrences in this suture, the Halaban Belt is by far the largest and preserves within and around it a record of a number of thermal/structural events related to the opening and eventual closure of a supra-subduction zone back-arc basin that existed in the period 695–680 Ma. The bimodal nature of 40Ar/39Ar dates from the Halaban Ophiolite and associated units is indicative of a two-stage orogenesis climaxing at 680 and 600 Ma, instead of the previously proposed model of a single orogenic episode between 670 and 630 Ma. The first stage (680 Ma) is believed to be related to basin closure and ophiolite emplacement as the Ar Rayn island arc collided with the Afif microcontinent. The second episode (600 Ma) was the outcome of a major collisional event between the Arabian craton and a large continental mass east of the Ar Rayn Block.


The course of multiple sclerosis (MS) is generally difficult to predict. This is due to the great inter-individual variability with respect to symptoms and disability status. An important prognostic endpoint for MS is the expected time to sustained disease progression. Using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) this endpoint is here defined as a rise of 1.0 or 0.5 compared to baseline EDSS ( 5.5) which is confirmed for at least six months. The goal of this paper was threefold. It aimed at identifying covariates which significantly influence sustained progression, determining size and form of the effect of these covariates and estimating the survival curves for given predictors. To this end a piecewise exponential model utilizing piecewise constant hazard rates and a Poisson model were devised. In order to improve and simplify these models a method for piecewise linear parameterization of non-parametric generalized additive models (GAMs) was applied. The models included fixed and random effects, the posterior distribution was estimated using Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods (MCMC) as well as a penalized likelihood approach and variables were selected using Akaikes information criterium (AIC). The models were applied to data of placebo patients from worldwide clinical trials that are pooled in the database of the Sylvia Lawry Centre for Multiple Sclerosis Research (SLCMSR). Only with a pure exponential model and fixed effects, baseline EDSS and the number of relapses in the last 12 month before study entry had an effect on the hazard rate. For the piecewise exponential model with random study effects there was no effect of covariates on the hazard rate other than a slightly decreasing effect of time. This reflects the fact that unstable patients reach the event early and are therefore eliminated from the analysis (selection effect).


Face manipulation has become a standard feature of many social media services.. Most of these applications use the feature for entertainment purposes.. However,, such manipulation techniques could also have potential in a journalistic setting.. For instance,, one could create realis tic,, anonymized faces,, as an aesthetic alternative to the coarse techniques of blurring or pixelation normally used today.. In this paper,, we describe how we can use algorithms for face manipulation from computer vision to anonymize faces in journalism . The technique described uses morphing with average faces from a selection of faces that is similar to the original face,, and alters the faces in the original pictures into realistic - looking face manipulations . However,, it struggle s with sufficient anonymizati on due to identifiable non - facial features of persons in an image..


SUMMARY Beginning with an exploration of the importance of understanding the power of questions, this paper examines the question, "Does it work?" regarding restorative justice as a philosophy and a set of practices based on that philosophy. The paper identifies problems in the dominant retributive philosophical paradigm for responding to crime that the philosophy of restorative justice resolves. The author describes the practices of restorative justice in criminal justice as well as other contexts and presents evidence of effectiveness in achieving restorative outcomes. The paper discusses challenges and limitations in restorative practices.


Since publication of the 3rd Edition of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Drinking Water Quality guidelines, global adoption of water safety plans (WSPs) has been gathering momentum. Most guidance lists managerial commitment and 'buy-in' as critical to the success of WSP implementation; yet the detail on how to generate it is lacking. This commentary discusses aspects of managerial commitment to WSPs. We argue that the public health motivator should be clearer and a paramount objective and not lost among other, albeit legitimate, drivers such as political or regulatory pressures and financial efficiency.


Interest in radiation damage to macromolecules during structural experiments has a long history dating back to 1962, when the first room-temperature study of the phenomenon was carried out on crystals of myoglobin [1], and this interest has not abated over the last few years, since there remains a need to understand both the parameters that affect radiation damage progression and also the artifacts produced by it. Although there is now a growing body of literature pertaining to this topic, clear and foolproof methods for experimenters to routinely minimize damage have yet to emerge. Additionally, radiation damage is also a concern and limiting problem in other methods used in structural biology, such as electron microscopy [2] and SAXS [3, 4]. However, the recently available free electron lasers (FELs) have presented the possibility and promise that samples will give "diffraction before destruction"; is this indeed the "cure" for the challenges of radiation damage?


Abstract. This study evaluates the significance of glyoxal acting as an intermediate species leading to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation from aromatic hydrocarbon photooxidation under humid conditions. Rapid SOA formation from glyoxal uptake onto aqueous (NH4)2SO4 seed particles is observed in agreement with previous studies; however, glyoxal did not partition significantly to SOA (with or without aqueous seed) during aromatic hydrocarbon photooxidation within an environmental chamber (RH less than 80%). Rather, glyoxal influences SOA formation by raising hydroxyl (OH) radical concentrations. Four experimental approaches supporting this conclusion are presented in this paper: (1) increased SOA formation and decreased SOA volatility in the toluene + NOx photooxidation system with additional glyoxal was reproduced by matching OH radical concentrations through H2O2 addition; (2) glyoxal addition to SOA seed formed from toluene + NOx photooxidation did not increase SOA volume under dark; (3) SOA formation from toluene + NOx photooxidation with and without deliquesced (NH4)2SO4 seed resulted in similar SOA growth, consistent with a minor contribution from glyoxal uptake onto deliquesced seed and organic coatings; and (4) the fraction of a C4H9+ fragment (observed by Aerodyne High Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer, HR-ToF-AMS) in SOA from 2-tert-butylphenol (BP) oxidation was unchanged in the presence of additional glyoxal despite enhanced SOA formation. This study suggests that glyoxal uptake onto aerosol during the oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons is more limited than previously thought.


Over the years Congress has made plenty of efforts to "improve" the military justice system for a variety of reasons, but few matters have generated more offerings than did the Pentagon's report this past spring of an estimated 26,000 victims of "unwanted sexual contacts" in the armed forces. Some initiatives to address this very critical problem, like the bipartisan effort of Senators Barbara Boxer and Lindsey Graham, look promising; others, not so much. However, none are as misguided as Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's proposal. Indeed, it is hard to think of a proposal that could be more wrong for the military, and especially for the victims of sexual assaults. Sen. Gillibrand wants to remove commanders from the military justice process and replace them with a new, 600-person bureaucracy which would have lawyers as the "deciders" in disciplinary matters involving sexual assault and other serious cases. Her proposal is based on a popular narrative that is filled with false impressions such as the notion that the majority of the estimated 26,000 victims are women (actually, 53% are men); that military personnel do not "trust" their commanders (polls show they do); that the handful of foreign militaries who have removed their commanders have shown progress in combatting sexual assault (they have not); and that prosecutor-centric systems like the one Sen. Gillibrand wants to impose on the military are more successful than the military's in suppressing sexual assault (the evidence shows they are less so). Most troubling is the fundamental lack of a real understanding in Sen. Gillibrand's proposal as to what solves problems in the armed forces. It is axiomatic in the military that everything important is commander-led. This is particularly true with respect to the matters of morale and discipline that are so central to the warfighting capabilities for which commanders – not lawyers – are ultimately responsible and accountable. Lawyers, even those thoroughly expert in the law and indisputably well-intentioned as those serving in the armed forces, simply do not, and could not, have the broader insights and experience that commanders acquire through years of leadership, and by bearing the grave burden of sending young Americans in harms' way to do the Nation's business. Commanders are uniquely and irreplaceably equipped to exercise disciplinary authority in what the Supreme Court recognizes as the military's "separate society."This essay argues that combatting sexual assault through the military justice system is just too important to be anything other than commander-led, and offers ten reasons why Sen. Gillibrand's proposal will hurt not only the military's readiness and warfighting capability, but also sexual assault victims. In addition, it describes legislative initiatives that should be examined, but are not being considered by anyone in Congress.


An increasing number of economists argue that income inequality was a root cause behind the subprime crisis of 2007. The aim of this paper is to outline and contrast the theoretical underpinnings of Marxian, Post Keynesian and mainstream crisis theories and to compare their viewpoints regarding the role that inequality plays. The main finding of this paper is that despite important theoretical differences, economists from all three strands provide a similar explanation for the link between inequality and the subprime crisis (even though conventional mainstream crisis theories do not regard inequality as destabilizing factor). This suggests that the rise in income inequality indeed played an important role in the build-up of the crisis. To ensure that a wider audience accepts inequality as a prominent causal factor for the crisis it is however necessary that the negative effects of wealth concentration are also taken into account.


Winner of the Colbert Award for the best adult book about dinosaurs Louis Jacobs reopened paleontologists' eyes to the African continent when he uncovered a major fossil site in the hills of Malawi in the 1980s. During five digging seasons in Malawi and three in Cameroon, Jacobs found the remains of two meat-eating theropods, two herbivorous sauropods, an odd crocodile about the size of a Chihuahua, and rare early mammals. Now in paperback, Quest for the African Dinosaurs includes Jacobs' new introduction, which discusses recent developments in paleontological research in Africa.


Photonic bandgap structures are very promising for the integration of optical function at the nanoscale level and particularly 2D structures perforated on a slab waveguide. In this context, photonic crystal waveguides obtained by removing rows of holes in the periodic structure are very interesting. We will present here, results of near field optical microscopy conducted on PCW. With a Fourier transform analysis of the image, we can image the Bloch waves propagating in the waveguide. The results are compared to FDTD simulations and we will show that the images obtained correspond to the electric field. Such result allows us to study the interaction of the optical tip with the electromagnetic field. 2D FDTD simulations of 1D photonic crystal interaction with a SNOM tip is presented. The results obtained confirm that the SNOM signal is mainly related to the electric field.


Genetic generalized epilepsies (GGE) are genetically determined, as their name implies and they are clinically characterized by generalized seizures involving both sides of the brain in the absence of detectable brain lesions or other known causes. GGEs are yet complex and are influenced by many different genetic and environmental factors. Methylation specific epigenetic marks are one of the players of the complex epileptogenesis scenario leading to GGE. In this study, we have set out to perform genome-wide methylation profiling to analyze GGE trios each consisting of an affected parent-offspring couple along with an unaffected parent. We have developed a novel scoring scheme within trios to categorize each locus analyzed as hypo or hypermethylated. This stringent approach classified differentially methylated genes in each trio and helped us to produce trio specific and pooled gene lists with inherited and aberrant methylation levels. In order to analyze the methylation differences from a boarder perspective, we performed enrichment analysis with these lists using the PANOGA software. This collective effort has led us to detect pathways associated with the GGE phenotype, including the neurotrophin signaling pathway. We have demonstrated a trio based approach to genome-wide DNA methylation analysis that identified individual and possibly minor changes in methylation marks that could be involved in epileptogenesis leading to GGE.


Thus far, the novel Naked Lunch has not been discussed from the aspect of critical animal studies, nor has it been connected to the theories of Michel Foucault. This essay however, argues that these diverse fields could be connected through the use of the simians that are frequently employed in Naked Lunch. By analyzing the metaphorical role of the simian, the structure of the normalization process can be revealed. Therefore the simian's metaphorical role becomes to reveal the different stages character goes through in that process and ultimately revealing its negative effects. They also prove to employ the role of abnormality which normalization wants to subtract from the human in order to render her docile. By applying the power mechanisms such as signals, the concept of panopticism and the theory of the docile body to specific passages where simians are highly prominent, the claim of this paper can be demonstrated. Besides Foucault, the theories of Robin Lydenberg are also used consistently throughout the essay due to her valuable observations such as the struggle between body and mind.


In many marketing-related concepts, the idea of a product life cycle creeps in occasionally. How does a marketing plan evolve from the often high profile product launch, to support sales growth and maturity? How is the concept of the Product Life Cycle (PLC) useful for marketing? These are the core questions of this lesson. The lesson introduces the concept of the Product Life Cycle and familiarizes students with how this concept impacts the marketing mix. The lesson begins with the Apple iPhone commercial, a smartphone that was introduced in the market in 2007. The class then analyzes the iPhone's Product Life Cycle. While the limitations and variations are noted, students are also asked to consider how the concept of the Product Life Cycle can be useful while designing the marketing strategy, particularly the 4Ps.


Proteolytic cascades are hierarchic sets of proteases that activate each other by proteolytic cleavage. Textbook examples are Ser proteases regulating blood coagulation and caspases regulating apoptosis. Many additional proteolytic cascades have been described in animal biology. In plants, however, knowledge on proteolytic cascades is fragmentary. Some plant proteases require non-self processing to become active and vacuolar processing enzymes, subtilase- and papain-like proteases have been implicated in proteolytic cascades. We discuss these examples against four criteria that are set for proteolytic cascades in animal science and conclude that proteolytic cascades are likely to occur in plants but remain to be characterised.


The deific decree doctrine allows criminal defendants who believe that God commanded them to kill to plead not guilty by reason of insanity to murder. The insanity defense has remained moored to its Judeo-Christian roots, which has artificially limited its bounds. While civil law has focused on individualism within religion, criminal law has imposed state-defined limits on what religion (or socially acceptable religion) is. This Article argues that the deific decree doctrine is too closely tied to artificial limits on insanity imposed by 19th century developments in the mental health profession and criminal law. The doctrine unacceptably privileges certain mentally ill criminal defendants whose delusions fit within an outdated model that is not psychiatrically valid. Moreover, it has disparate gender consequences that harm women with postpartum psychosis who kill their children while supporting men who kill their female partners. The Article concludes by calling for the end of the deific decree doctrine and expanding the insanity defense so it more accurately tracks psychiatric understanding of mental illness.


Resection of lung metastases Introduction: Surgical treatment of lung metastases (LM) is a therapy used for several types of metas- tatic cancers. However, the type of surgery and its outcome is controversial. Aim: To describe a series of pa- tients with LM undergoing surgical treatment, their results and long-term follow up. Material and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all the medical records of patients with the diagnosis of LM, of whatever origin, operated at our hospital between the years 2002 and 2008. We analyzed their clinical characteristics, treatment, morbidity, mortality and results. Results: During this period 24 patients with LM were operated. The mean age was 52.8 ± 16.6 years. Most patients had kidney cancer as primary tumour. The usual clinical presen- tation was multiple bilateral nodules. The surgical approach was in general a video-thoracoscopy (40.9%) associated with a wedge resection of the lesions (81.8%). In 83.4% of cases, there were no post-operative complications. Seventy six percent of the patients relapse, in an average of 16.7 ± 12 months and 68.7% were reoperated for a new resection. The probability of surviving more than 3 and 5 years post metastasectomy was 57% and 36% respectively. Conclusions: In this series the LM were mostly secondary to renal cancer. The video-thoracoscopy is an emergent and safe technique in the treatment of LM, being the main type of surgical approach in our patients. Despite the high percentage of reoperations, the survival rate is comparable to the rest of the published series.


The major challenge to adoption of improved forage technologies in the smallholder farming sector is poor accessibility to seed of improved cultivars. Since 2012, the Zimbabwe Crop Livestock Integration for Improved Food Security (ZimCLIFS) project set out to address such challenges through research-for-development initiatives. The main objective was to demonstrate the potential viability of a pasture seed business using a lead farmer approach, farmer-to-farmer technology dissemination, innovation platforms and field demonstrations. Snapshot surveys were used to map forage seed distribution pathways within and outside project areas. Total land area planted to forages from the 2012/13 to 2014/15 seasons increased by 147% from 14.6 ha. In 2013, Mucuna pruriens (mucuna), Lablab purpureus (lablab) and Vigna unguiculata (cowpea) seed produced was 2 250 kg, 120 kg and 4 450 kg, respectively, and by the third season, total yield increased by 163%. Seed diffusion was within and beyond project boundaries, with mucuna (67%) and lablab (43%) seed produced in the 2013/14 season being distributed outside the project area. Highest amounts received by some farmers were US$800 and US$750 for lablab and mucuna, respectively. It was concluded that there is scope to develop formal pasture seed businesses to increase rural industrialisation and provide a pathway out of poverty in the smallholder sector.


Context: The ethnic difference in β-cell regenerative capacity in response to obesity may be attributable to different phenotypes of type 2 diabetes among ethnicities. Objective: This study aimed to clarify the effects of diabetes and obesity on β- (BCM) and α-cell mass (ACM) in the Japanese population. Design, Setting, and Participants: We obtained the pancreases of 99 individuals who underwent pancreatic surgery and whose resected pancreas sample contained adequate normal pancreas for histological analysis. Questionnaires on a family history of diabetes and history of obesity were conducted in 59 patients. Pancreatic sections were stained for insulin or glucagon, and fractional β- and α-cell area were measured. Islet size and density as well as β-cell turnover were also quantified. Results: In patients with diabetes, BCM was decreased by 46% compared with age- and body mass index-matched nondiabetic patients (1.48% ± 1.08% vs 0.80% ± 0.54%, P < .001), whereas there was no difference in ACM between the groups. There was no effect of obesity or history of obesity on BCM and ACM irrespective of the presence or absence of diabetes. There was a negative correlation between BCM, but not ACM, and glycated hemoglobin before and after pancreatic surgery. In addition, reduced BCM was observed in patients with pancreatic cancer compared with those with other pancreatic tumors. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the increase in BCM in the face of insulin resistance is extremely limited in the Japanese, and BCM rather than ACM has a major role in regulating blood glucose level in humans.


The Angooran Lead & Zinc Mine located in Zanjan province, Iran is one of the largest ones of its kind in the Middle East. At present, a part of the ore body located within host rock mineralised schist is not included in the milling design. According to previous work, wet chemical assay, XRF, XRD and ore microscopy studies of the ore samples show that the ore contains Smithsonite (16%), Mimetite (0.6%), Quartz (52%), Sericite (16.5%), Kaolinite (12%), Iron Oxides Minerals (1.5%), Rutile (0.4%) and other minerals (1%). (Hosseini S.H. et al ,2001) In the present study, XPS (ESCA) and EDX have been utilized, in order to study the characterization of the surface and bulk composition respectively for three fraction of 250, +200 μm; -200, +150 μm and -150μm. The results of XPS show that these have no difference especially in Zn percentage and also for other elements for three size fractions. It can be concluded that the surface composition are approximately the same for both three-size fractions. A comparison between the data obtained from XPS (Surface Composition) and from EDX Analysis (Bulk Composition) shows that there are some differences for the Si, Fe, and Al content in the ore sample and these differences between XPS and other techniques should be based on the amount of Oxygen for each technique.


We live at an exciting time where software has become a dominant aspect of our everyday life. Although software provides opportunities for improving various aspects of our society, it also presents many challenges. One of them is development, deployment, and sustaining of high quality software on a broad scale. While agile methods (Scrum being one of the most prominent examples) ease the process, their popularity deteriorates the clarity and simplicity they were once meant to bring into software development. This article explores the synergy of Scrum and Essence, a domain model of software engineering processes, intending to become a common ground for software development methods, bringing clarity into the composition of methods from individual practices. This short communication motivates the interplay of Scrum and Essence, being accompanied with a set of videotutorials and 21 Scrum Essential cards to further guide more effective team's way of working.


All day school concept has been actively promoted and realized during past decade in several EU countries. This concept is related with attempts to guarantee child 's welfare and equal possibilities for academic success, to decrees social inequalities as such. All day school model is implemented in West, South and East Europe, but its implementation differs by school types, forms, etc. Even definitions, titles, descriptions of all day school vary from country to country in all Europe. Such variety is determined by different in-countries needs and contexts, different ways of school's life organization and implementation. Differences exist not only in separate countries, but also in separate schools of a same country. The authors of this article aim to present positive, challenging and to be improved aspects of all day schools' in five EU countries. Those aspects were analysed on student's, teacher's, family's and community's levels. The scientific work was carried on by meta -analysis of secondary sources. The first step was search for countries to be analysed and decision to choose concrete ones. The second one - identification and selection of reliable sources. At general level all day school is understood as regular school with prolonged in time curriculum and additional (non-formal) activities, that last till certain afternoon hours. The authors of this article reviewed and analysed experience of 5 EU countries - England, Greece, Germany, Finland and Portugal. The analysis revealed that all day school concept depends on in-country culture, educational tradition, and general socio-economic and political context. Positive aspects of all day schools are related to: possibility of individual choice; variety of educational forms; participation of parents and wider community in a school life; promotion of equal learning opportunities; growing motivation to learn and general satisfaction with school. Support for families is considered to be one of essential positive aspects in all day schools in all researched countries. Parents may combine their work with family duties and get social-pedagogical supervision. Usefulness of such school type for poor learners, especially immigrants, and others, coming from socio-economical background, is evident in all five countries. Challenging issues are related to: free choice possibilities; variety of activities at school; students' tiredness because of work overload and time spent in one place; applicability of physical environment; involvement of social partners; work overload of school teachers. Additional funding of all day schools is considered to be great challenge in all researched countries. Funding is necessary for implement of all days' school goals in full scope and comprehensive way.


Virtual reality (VR) simulators have been extended to transfer knowledge and education, and demands for exhibition systems for science education and cultural experiences has also increased. Existing VR simulators, which are based on the dynamics equations of motion, cannot easily be adapted to changes in simulation contents. In order to effectively transfer knowledge and maintain interests through educational applications, an experiential system that has multi-sensory effects as well as motion effects is required. In this study, we designed and implemented a motion generation that is tailored to experiential exhibition systems and multi-sensory VR effects. Both the sense of motion which is generated from the movement of the viewpoint of the visual image, and motion effects which are constructed in advance, are applied to motion simulation. Motion effects which occur during interaction between the user and the exhibition system can be easily added. Various sensory cues that are appropriate to the exhibition system are also considered.


Haloacetic acids (HAAs) are a second major class of disinfection by-products (DBPs) arising from the chlorination of drinking water. They have not been studied as extensively as the trihalomethanes (THMs), but in many waters they are found at concentrations equal to, or greater than, the concentration of THMs. Hearth effects research suggests that some HAA species are more harmful than THM species. This paper summarizes a number of the author's recent investigations concerning the formation, occurrence, stability, and control of HAAs in chlorinated drinking water. A number of examples linking observations made under controlled laboratory conditions to field-scale observations are presented, and the significance of the findings to water treatment practice is discussed.


OBJECTIVE
To determine if the mandibular condylar cartilage (MCC) will grow with and without mandibular anterior repositioning appliances with the administration of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty-four growing New Zealand rabbits were divided into three groups: a group with saline injection in the temporomandibular joint, a group that received anterior positioning appliance, and a group that received injection of growth factors as well as mandibular repositioning appliance. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction technique was used to study gene expression supported by histomorphometry.

RESULTS
Administration of growth factors along with mandibular repositioning appliances has induced 5.70-fold expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) (P < .0005) and 1.29-fold expression of MMP-13 (P < .0005). In contrast, administration of mandibular repositioning appliances only has induced 2.33-fold expression of MMP-1 (P < .0005) and 0.83-fold expression of MMP-13 (P < .0005). Histomorphometric analysis revealed increased proliferation of the condylar cartilage in the appliance and injection group as compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION
The administration of growth factors along with the use of mandibular advancement appliance has increased genetic expression of MMP-1 and MMP-13 supported by histomorphometric evidence indicating growth of condylar cartilage.


What we believe to be a new phase-contrast technique is proposed to recover intensity distributions from phase distributions modulated by spatial light modulators (SLMs) and binary diffractive optical elements (DOEs). The phase distribution is directly transformed into intensity distributions using a 4f optical correlator and an iris centered in the frequency plane as a spatial filter. No phase-changing plates or phase dielectric dots are used as a filter. This method allows the use of twisted nematic liquid-crystal televisions (LCTVs) operating in the real-time phase-mostly regime mode between 0 and p to generate high-intensity multiple beams for optical trap applications. It is also possible to use these LCTVs as input SLMs for optical correlators to obtain high-intensity Fourier transform distributions of input amplitude objects.


International criminal courts deal primarily with high-ranking suspects whom the municipal legal systems are either unable or unwilling to prosecute, and not with immediate perpetrators of atrocities. As a rule, the former possess great power and influence. They usually have an organization supporting them, both in the commission of crimes and in their attempts to escape responsibility, and are more than able to cover up their tracks, obstruct investigations and intimidate witnesses. This has justified the use of some unorthodox mechanisms of substantive criminal law, such as command responsibility and joint criminal enterprise, as well as procedural instruments similar to those used in domestic trials for organized crime, as they both require special rules on the collection and admissibility of evidence, witness protection etc. Finally, international criminal trials frequently occur in post-conflict or ongoing conflict situations and can considerably impact international peace and security. The purpose of these trials is then much wider than mere deterrence, and allows them to become a major way of re-establishing the fundamental principles of justice and furthering the process of reconciliation. These distinct features of international criminal proceedings make it impossible to simply transpose to them the human rights standards developed in the context of domestic criminal justice. However, this does not mean that human rights of suspects in such proceedings can be flaunted on the pretext of pursuing some higher aim. International courts and tribunals must respect the fundamental human rights of those who appear before them: this is the only way in which they can maintain their legitimacy. This paper will attempt to analyze the human rights provisions and safeguards in what can be regarded as contemporary conventional international criminal law, i.e. the statutes and the rules of procedure and evidence of the ICTY, the ICTR and the ICC. Particular emphasis will be put on any divergence between these standards and the standards of international human rights law which apply to national criminal proceedings.


Computer-generated-holograms are particularly of interest since they enable complex optical functions. Imaging the pattern of an absorption synthetic hologram in photopolymerizable layers was a simple way to produce permanent phase elements with high diffraction efficiencies and signal-to-noise ratios. Information was stored as a spatial modulation of the refractive index. Binary holograms with pixels from 5x5 to 50x50?m2 were recorded. A method was developed to provide a precise measurement of the diffraction efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio of the studied holograms. Optimization of the amplitude/phase conversion procedure was so possible.


The heterogeneous reaction of NO2 with water on the surface of laboratory systems has been known for decades to generate HONO, a major source of OH that drives the formation of ozone and other air pollutants in urban areas and possibly in snowpacks. Previous studies have shown that the reaction is first order in NO2 and in water vapor, and the formation of a complex between NO2 and water at the air–water interface has been hypothesized as being the key step in the mechanism. We report data from long path FTIR studies in borosilicate glass reaction chambers of the loss of gaseous NO2 and the formation of the products HONO, NO and N2O. Further FTIR studies were carried out to measure species generated on the surface during the reaction, including HNO3, N2O4 and NO2+. We propose a new reaction mechanism in which we hypothesize that the symmetric form of the NO2 dimer, N2O4, is taken up on the surface and isomerizes to the asymmetric form, ONONO2. The latter autoionizes to NO+NO3−, and it is this intermediate that reacts with water to generate HONO and surface-adsorbed HNO3. Nitric oxide is then generated by secondary reactions of HONO on the highly acidic surface. This new mechanism is discussed in the context of our experimental data and those of previous studies, as well as the chemistry of such intermediates as NO+ and NO2+ that is known to occur in solution. Implications for the formation of HONO both outdoors and indoors in real and simulated polluted atmospheres, as well as on airborne particles and in snowpacks, are discussed. A key aspect of this chemistry is that in the atmospheric boundary layer where human exposure occurs and many measurements of HONO and related atmospheric constituents such as ozone are made, a major substrate for this heterogeneous chemistry is the surface of buildings, roads, soils, vegetation and other materials. This area of reactions in thin films on surfaces (SURFACE = Surfaces, Urban and Remote: Films As a Chemical Environment) has received relatively little attention compared to reactions in the gas and liquid phases, but in fact may be quite important in the chemistry of the boundary layer in urban areas.


Graphical interfaces and windowing systems are now the norm for computer-human interaction. Also, advances in computer networking have given computer users access to immense distributed resources accessible from anywhere on the network. In this setting, the desktop, or personal computer plays the role of a user-interface engine that mediates access to the available resources. Interface paradigms, such as the "desktop metaphor" and "direct manipulation," provide the user with a consistent, intuitive view of the resources. Traditional computer research has focused on enhancing computer performance from the numerical processing and transaction processing perspectives. In the research described in this thesis a systematic framework is developed for analyzing and improving the performance of window systems and graphical user interfaces. At the system level a protocol-level profiling strategy has been developed to profile the performance of display-server computers. A sample protocol-level profiler, Xprof, has been developed for applications under the X Window System. At the microarchitecture level the memory access characteristics of windowing programs are studied. Cache tradeoffs for a frame-buffer cache are presented. A cache organization is proposed to improve the frame-buffer performance.


Conservative culture in the Romantic period should not be understood merely as an effort to preserve the old regime in Britain against the threat of revolution. Instead, conservative thinkers and writers aimed to transform British culture and society to achieve a stable future in contrast to the destructive upheavals taking place in France. Kevin Gilmartin explores the literary forms of counterrevolutionary expression in Britain, showing that while conservative movements were often inclined to treat print culture as a dangerously unstable and even subversive field, a whole range of print forms - ballads, tales, dialogues, novels, critical reviews - became central tools in the counterrevolutionary campaign. Beginning with the pamphlet campaigns of the loyalist Association movement and the Cheap Repository in the 1790s, Gilmartin analyses the role of periodical reviews and anti-Jacobin fiction in the campaign against revolution, and closes with a fresh account of the conservative careers of Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.


There is currently a consensus amongst the political establishment - and amongst the intellectual communities that feed into it - that detailed and wide-ranging government intervention is necessary to combat the effects of climate change. This monograph challenges that consensus.The authors look in detail at a number of the underlying assumptions and proposals of the policy activists and find that there is enormous uncertainty relating both to the economics and to the science of climate change. As one author shows, the policy activists have form: alarmists have been wrong, time and time again, about ecological disasters.However, the authors of this monograph have more humility than their critics. They do not argue that there is no threat from climate change, merely that the level of uncertainty is huge. Given this uncertainty, and the historic failure of central planning to do anything other than undermine economic welfare, the editor, Colin Robinson, one of the country's leading energy economists, argues that it is prudent to proceed with caution. The flexibility of the market economy will deal better than central planning with any problems arising from man-made climate change. The wide ranging array of regulations, taxes, subsidies and artificially created incentives proposed by climate change activists should be rejected.


This specification defines a new mobility option, the Quality-of-
Service (QoS) option, for Proxy Mobile IPv6. This option can be used
by the local mobility anchor and the mobile access gateway for
negotiating Quality-of-Service parameters for a mobile node's IP
flows. The negotiated QoS parameters can be used for QoS policing and
marking of packets to enforce QoS differentiation on the path between
the local mobility anchor and the mobile access gateway. Furthermore,
making QoS parameters available on the mobile access gateway enables
mapping of these parameters to QoS rules that are specific to the
access technology and allows those rules to be enforced on the access
network using access-technology-specific approaches.


The construction of the Dacian Kingdom in the Transylvanian area would not have been possible without the favourable combination between the military and political infrastructure and the exceptional military capacities of certain warlords. The Roman Empire managed to install itself on the entire right bank of the Danube, as part of an Imperial policy. Thus, the Danube became, after lengthy efforts, an important natural obstacle between the Roman world and the "Barbarians". In our view, a special interest zone for understanding the said phenomena is the Danube Gorge as here, for over a century, the armies of Rome and those of the Dacian kings were in direct and permanent contact, separated only by the great European river. A series of four Dacian forts defended this area, the most important being the one from Divici–Grad, where two curved weapons, typical to Dacian professional warriors were found. It is likely that the garrison stationed here, obviously related to the power centre from the Șureanu Mountains, was composed of elite soldiers, as the weapons, type of fortification tower itself, and geographical position converge towards this hypothesis.


Morganella morganii (M. morganii) is one of the important nosocomial pathogen associated with the urinary tract infections and bacteremia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Mr. Trivedi's biofield energy treatment on M. morganii in the lyophilized as well as revived state for antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, biochemical characteristics, biotype number and genotype. M. morganii cells were procured from MicroBioLogics Inc., USA in sealed packs bearing the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC 25829) number and stored according to the recommended storage protocols until needed for experiments. M. morganii strain was divided into two groups, Group (Gr.) I: control and Gr. II: treated. Gr. II was further subdivided into two groups, Gr. IIA and Gr. IIB. Gr. IIA was analyzed on day 10, while Gr. IIB was stored and analyzed on day 142 (Study I). After retreatment on day 142, the sample (Study II) was divided into three separate tubes. First, second and third tube was further analyzed on day 5, 10 and 15 respectively. All experimental parameters were studied using the automated MicroScan Walk-Away® system. The 16S rDNA sequencing of lyophilized treated sample was carried out to correlate the phylogenetic relationship of M. morganii with other bacterial species. Antimicrobial susceptibility results showed 32.14% alterations, while minimum inhibitory concentration results showed 18.75% alterations of the tested antimicrobials. Biochemical study also showed altered positive reactions in nitrofurantoin and indole with respect to control. Biotype study showed alteration in Gr. IIB, study II, on day 15 (4005 1446) as compared to the control (4004 1446). 16S rDNA sequencing analysis showed similar results with the identified microbe as M. morganii (GenBank accession number: AB210972) having 80% identity of the gene sequencing data. Total 1507 base nucleotide of 16S rDNA gene sequences were analyzed by multiple alignments, while nearest homolog genus-species of M. morganii was found as Providencia rettgeri (accession number: AM040492). These results suggested that biofield treatment has a significant impact on M. morganii in lyophilized as well as revived state.


Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is a perennial plant native to Eurasia where it grows along streams, rivers, and wet seepage areas (fig. 1). Seeds were inadvertently brought to North American territories in the ballast water of ships. Purple loosestrife was also intentionally planted throughout North America for its ornamental flowers but has since escaped cultivation to spread to wetlands. Some purple loosestrife plants release millions of seeds during the summer season, and these seeds readily disperse to new wetlands via water, animals, and even on people's shoes. In addition, both its roots and stem fragments can sprout and begin new plants. When purple loosestrife invades a wetland, the species sometimes becomes more dominant than the original native wetland species, such as cattails and sedges. While many people think that purple loosestrife reduces the value of wetlands for wildlife, these claims are disputed. Most people agree, however, that purple loosestrife grows more prolifically in North America than elsewhere, probably because the species has left its native enemies behind in Eurasia and Australia. Although we do not understand how well the species grows in various climates, there is some thought that purple loosetrife may never fully invade the southern United States. Studies looking at the species' response to temperature and analyses of its growth patterns across latitudes can help us determine its future threat to uninvaded portions of the United States. This is where volunteers come in. Volunteers in North America, Eurasia, and Australia are helping assess purple loosestrife growth in their regions (fig. 2). The program is part of Dr. Beth Middleton's project to compare the role of purple loosestrife in its native and invasive habitats. Anyone can participate, and volunteers currently include high school and college students, retirees, professionals from all disciplines, agency personnel, and university faculty. Volunteers collect data by marking off a sampling area, recording the number and height of purple loosestrife, and observing the sunlight and water conditions at each location. Data collection only occurs once in each wetland and takes less than 30 minutes (see form on back). The results of the study will help efforts to control and predict the future spread of this species. If you would like to become involved in the project, please contact:


Fluctuating quantities in magnetic confinement geometries often inherit a strong anisotropy along the field lines. One technique for describing these structures is the use of a certain set of Fourier components on the tori of nested flux surfaces. We describe an implementation of this approach for solving partial differential equations, like Poisson's equation, where a different set of Fourier components may be chosen on each surface according to the changing safety factor profile. Allowing the resolved components to change to follow the anisotropy significantly reduces the total number of degrees of freedom in the description. This can permit large gains in computational performance. We describe, in particular, how this approach can be applied to rapidly solve the gyrokinetic Poisson equation in a particle code, ORB5 [Jolliet et. al. Comp. Phys. Comm. 177, p409, (2007)], with a regular (non field-aligned) mesh.


This thesis sets out to investigate the meaning, understanding and application of corporate governance in a public sector health service provider in Victoria, Australia. The methodological and analytical approach is based on an adaptation of the Glaser and Strauss' grounded theory, using ethnographic and survey techniques to collect
and describe data so as to capture a broad interpretation of how governance as a process is interpreted, understood and practiced in this organisation. Most studies of governance focus on economic compliance and performance, and
questions concerning less obvious human elements of governance involving decision-making are left largely unaddressed and unresolved. In this thesis, these
less tangible elements of governance are explored. The perspective presented here is that corporate governance is a socio-cultural phenomenon that requires not only an
examination of the governance structures and processes in place, but also the direct observations of social and cultural elements including individual and organisational
decision-making. There is a dearth of corporate governance research in the public sector, which has in the past decade adopted a system of governance more aligned to a private sector model. This thesis starts to address this lack. It combines a study of the Board and its accountabilities in the face of rapid change (analogous to the private sector model) with evidence from stakeholders to assess the impact of the governance in the public sector. From the analysis of the data collected and from the researcher's observations, the health provider studied here can be described as having an effective Board. It appears
to have integrated decision-making, with the Board strategically setting the direction of the service and supporting the actions of management to meet the key performance targets and measures as prescribed by the Department of Human Services (DHS). This research explores how governance as a process is interpreted, understood and
practiced in the context of a public sector organisation. It offers a unique insight into the complex concept of corporate governance and offers a constructionist conceptual
paradigm for further governance inquiry.


Noncommutative (deformed, quantum) spaces are deformations of the usual commutative space-time. They depend on parameters, such that for certain values of parameters they become the usual space-time. The symmetry acting on them is given in terms of a deformed quantum group symmetry. In this work we discuss two special examples, the $\theta$-deformed space and the $\kappa$-deformed space.

In the case of the $\theta$-deformed space we construct a deformed theory of gravity. In the first step the deformed diffeomorphism symmetry is introduced. It is given in terms of the Hopf algebra of deformed diffeomorphisms. The algebra structure is unchanged (as compared to the commutative diffeomorphism symmetry), but the comultiplication changes. In the commutative limit we obtain the Hopf algebra of undeformed diffeomorphisms. Based on this deformed symmetry a covariant tensor calculus is constructed and concepts such as metric, covariant derivative, curvature and torsion are defined. An action that is invariant under the deformed diffeomorphisms is constructed. In the zeroth order in the deformation parameter it reduces to the commutative Einstein-Hilbert action while in higher orders correction terms appear. They are given in terms of the commutative fields (metric, vierbein) and the deformation parameter enters as the coupling constant. One special example of this deformed symmetry, the $\theta$-deformed global Poincar\' e symmetry, is also discussed.

In the case of the $\kappa$-deformed space our aim is the construction of noncommutative gauge theories. Starting from the algebraic definition of the $\kappa$-deformed space, derivatives and the deformed Lorentz generators are introduced. Choosing one particular set of derivatives,
the $\kappa$-Poincar\' e Hopf algebra is defined. The algebraic setting is then mapped to the space of commuting coordinates. In the next step, using the enveloping algebra approach and the Seiberg-Witten map, a general nonabelian gauge theory on this deformed space is constructed. As a consequence of the deformed Leibniz rules for the derivatives used in the construction, the gauge field is derivative-valued. As in the $\theta$-deformed case, in the zeroth order of the deformation parameter the theory reduces to its commutative analog and the higher order corrections are given in terms of the usual (commutative) fields. In this way the field content of the theory is unchanged, but new interactions appear. The deformation parameter takes the role of the coupling constant. For the special case of $U(1)$ gauge theory the action for the gauge field coupled to fermionic matter is formulated and the equations of motion and the conserved current(s) are calculated. The ambiguities in the Seiberg-Witten map are discussed and partially fixed, and an effective action (up to first order in the deformation parameter) which is invariant under the usual Poincar\' e symmetry is obtained.


This paper revisits the classical problem first laid out and analyzed by Stoner and Wohlfarth in their remarkable paper from 1948. While it is straightforward to solve the inverse problem and determine the field required to produce a given magnetization angle, the direct problem of finding the magnetization angle resulting from a given field is more difficult. This paper presents a reasonably compact analytic solution to the direct problem. Within a certain range of applied fields, there exist two stable solutions separated by an energy barrier. The height of the energy barrier can be computed exactly from the solutions for the magnetization. However, as an alternative, a simple approximation for the energy barrier is developed from the known boundary conditions. This approximation is slightly more accurate than the earlier Pfeiffer approximation.


Several recently developed particle-tracking and imaging methods have achieved three-dimensional sensitivity through the introduction of angled micromirrors into the observation volume of an optical microscope. We model the imaging response of such devices and show how the direct and reflected images of a fluorescent particle are affected. In particle-tracking applications, asymmetric image degradation manifests itself as systematic tracking errors. Based on our results, we identify strategies for reducing systematic errors to the 10nm level in practical applications.


BACKGROUND
How some organizations improve while others remain stagnant is a key question in health care research. Studies identifying how organizations can implement improvement despite barriers are needed, particularly in primary care.

PURPOSES
This inductive qualitative study examines primary care clinics implementing improvement efforts in order to identify mechanisms that enable implementation despite common barriers, such as lack of time and fragmentation across stakeholder groups.

METHODOLOGY
Using an embedded multiple case study design, we leverage a longitudinal data set of field notes, meeting minutes, and interviews from 16 primary care clinics implementing improvement over 15 months. We segment clinics into those that implemented more versus those that implemented less, comparing similarities and differences. We identify interpersonal mechanisms promoting implementation, develop a conceptual model of our key findings, and test the relationship with performance using patient surveys conducted pre-/post-implementation.

FINDINGS
Nine clinics implemented more successfully over the study period, whereas seven implemented less. Successfully implementing clinics exhibited the managerial practice of integrating, which we define as achieving unity of effort among stakeholder groups in the pursuit of a shared and mutually developed goal. We theorize that integrating is critical in improvement implementation because of the fragmentation observed in health care settings, and we extend theory about clinic managers' role in implementation. We identify four integrating mechanisms that clinic managers enacted: engaging groups, bridging communication, sensemaking, and negotiating. The mean patient survey results for integrating clinics improved by 0.07 units over time, whereas the other clinics' survey scores declined by 0.08 units on a scale of 5 (p = .02).

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
Our research explores an understudied element of how clinics can implement improvement despite barriers: integrating stakeholders within and outside the clinic into the process. It provides clinic managers with an actionable path for implementing improvement.


Understanding the nature of polarons – the fundamental charge carriers in molecular semiconductors – is indispensable for rational material design that targets superior (opto-) electronic device functionality. The traditionally conceived picture of the corresponding energy levels invokes singly occupied molecular states within the energy gap of the semiconductor. Here, by employing a combined theoretical and multi-technique experimental approach, we show that this picture needs to be revised. Upon introducing an excess electron or hole into the material, the respective frontier molecular level is split by strong on-site Coulomb repulsion into an upper unoccupied and a lower occupied sub-level, only one of which is located within the semiconductor gap. By including also inter-site Coulomb interaction between molecular ions and circumjacent neutral molecules, we provide a complete picture for the electronic structure of molecular semiconductors in the presence of excess charges. With this understanding, a critical re-examination of previous results is called for, and future investigations of the properties and dynamics of polarons in weakly interacting molecular systems are put on sound footing.