Continuous Professional Development (CPD), sometimes referred to as Lifelong Learning or Continuing Education, is a relevant and important issue for nurses, doctors and other professionals. However there is little specific literature that demonstrates children's nurses' perceptions about CPD. This study aimed to explore (1) what children's nurses perceive CPD to be; (2) examine whom children's nurses perceive to be responsible for CPD; (3) explore what factors children's nurses perceive could improve CPD and (4) to examine if children's nurses perceive clinical practice to be influenced by CPD. Three focus groups were undertaken with different grades of children's nurses working in an acute children's unit in the North West oEngland. Following this two hundred and forty questionnaires based on the analysis from the focus groupwere sent to children's nurses across the North West of England. Eighty one questionnaires were returned which represented a 34% response rate and the data were analyse using thematic analysis. Numerical data were handled usindescriptive statistics and presented in the text in graph form and tables. Respondents' qualitative comments were selected and presented in the text to clarify and support results and findings. The key findings were that most had positive perceptions of CPD and their relation to it. Most of the major bathers were perceived to be work linked and due to constraints that the individual felt unable to overcome. Also, despite difficulty in accessing relevant CPD, most participants perceived that their practice had been influenced considerably by CPD. Several recommendations are proposed which managers of children's nurses could implement to ensure their staff felt valued by the organisation. These include (1) providing relevant,appropriate and accessible CPD; (2) ensuring staffing establishments are calculated realistically rather than historically; (3) improving liaison between health and education to ensure joint planning of CPD, (4) developing comprehensive and relevant Personal Development Plans for each individual and preparing appropriate training needs analysis based on the children's nurses needs rather than the availability of courses.


Author(s): Falcon, Maria Inez | Advisor(s): Solodkin, Ana | Abstract: Identifying biomarkers of brain disease is a crucial goal of neurological care as it could translate into improved diagnoses and targeting of individualized treatments. Such biomarkers at the cellular and molecular level are difficult to detect directly in humans with current imaging methods, precluding the identification of true biomarkers of disease. Recent advancements in network analyses and computational modeling have enabled novel ways to identify biophysical parameters in imaging data. The studies in this dissertation explored these methods using two models of neurological disease: Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 6 (SCA6), a neurodegenerative disease, in which biomarkers can help determine pre-symptomatic changes, and stroke, in which biomarkers can be used to predict long-term recovery. The general objective was to examine physiological mechanisms subjacent to individualized clinical phenotype in SCA6 and stroke, to get closer to developing concrete cures. In Chapter 1, a combination of structural equation modeling, DTI, and functional activation maps were used to detect functional and structural brain changes at different stages of severity of SCA6. An increase in cerebellar activation as well as increased connectivity between cerebellum and cerebral cortex in pre-symptomatic patients was found. A concomitant structural change was seen in the cerebral and cerebellar peduncles. These results showed the sensitivity of using network analysis in detecting brain alterations prior to symptom onset in a degenerative disease. However, these changes seen were at a network level with no ties to the underlying physiology, limiting them from being true biomarkers of SCA6. Therefore, Chapters 4-7 used a novel modeling application, The Virtual Brain, to model brain dynamics associated with stroke using models dependent on the structural brain connectivity of individuals, plus local physiological parameters. Results showed that compared to controls, individuals with stroke showed differences in several physiological parameters indicating a hyper-excitable brain state. This hyper-excitable state was associated with poor motor recovery. Manually normalizing the identified parameters in stroke cases led to a normalization of brain activity, indicating the promise of these parameters in acting as biomarkers for stroke recovery, and the utility of The Virtual Brain in furthering the goal of individualized medicine. These studies in stroke comprise some of the first forays into a new type of brain analysis, in which multiple scales are explored to bridge the brain dynamics and global level connectivity changes associated with neurologic disease with their underlying mechanistic underpinnings in individuals. In summary, the results from the studies comprising this dissertation hopefully provide evidence that novel network analyses and advances in computational modeling can herald a new era of biomarker exploration to pave the way for individualized medicine.


Introduction: Recent NICE guidance in England and Wales states that statin therapy for secondary CVD should " usually be initiated with a drug with a low acquisition cost (taking into account required daily dose and product price per dose)". Intensive dose statin therapy is more costly than standard dose, but offers additional benefits and may potentially be more cost effective for a sub-group of high risk patients. Objective: To determine if the strategy of treating ACS patients with intensive dose statin compared with standard dose statin can be considered to be cost effective and to what extent these results are influenced by the age of the patient at start of treatment. Methods: A Markov model was used to explore the costs and health outcomes associated with a lifetime of intensive dose (represented by 80mg atorvastatin) versus standard dose (represented by 20mg simvastatin) treatment for patients with acute coronary syndrome. Health states included unstable angina, MI, stroke, fatal CHD, fatal stroke, or non vascular death. The benefits associated with statin treatment were modelled by applying the relative risks from a meta-analysis of 4 large RCTs reporting clinical endpoints. Costs and utilities assigned to health states were derived from a review of published evidence. Results: Treatment with intensive dose statin therapy offers additional benefits over standard dose therapy. The cost offsets through avoided events are less than the associated treatment costs and result in a cost per QALY of around £24,000 for patients with ACS starting treatment at 60 years of age and falling to around £14,000 for patients starting treatment at 70 years. The key driver of cost effectiveness is the relative risk for mortality. Conclusions: This analysis suggests that intensive statin regimens (represented by atorvastatin 80mg /day) are cost effective compared with standard statin regimens (represented by simvastatin 20mg /day) for patients with ACS over the age of 60 years. A recent registry study report a mean age of 70 years for ACS patients admitted to UK hospitals and hence this comparison applies to the great majority of ACS patients. one The Pravastatin or Atorvastatin Evaluation and Infection Therapy 14 study compared atorvastatin 80 mg /day with pravastatin 40mg /day. The Aggrastat to Zocor 12 study compared simvastatin with a target dose of 80mg /day with simvastatin 20mg /day. The Treating to New Targets 13 study compared atorvastatin 80mg /day with atorvastatin 10mg /day. The Incremental Decreases in End Points Through Aggressive Lipid Lowering 11 study compared atorvastatin 80mg /day with simvastatin 20mg /day. For the purpose of this analysis we assume that the intensive dose statin treatment arms are represented by atorvastatin 80mg /day and that the standard dose control arms are represented by simvastatin 20mg /day.


In this essay, I explore historical and theoretical issues germane to an understanding of an 1885 piano composition with an intriguing title: LisztOs Bagatelle ohne Tonart --a bagatelle "without tonality" or "without a key." After briefly describing the workOs history and musical associations with other compositions by Liszt, I survey two present-day approaches that reveal ways in which the work defies tonality: octatonic interpretations via set-class examinations, and Schenker-influenced prolongational models. I then turn to focus instead on how the Bagatelle fit within the framework of nineteenth-century musical thought; how its processes were supported by contemporaneously evolving theories of chromaticism. Partly through an analysis based on the practice of Gottfried Weber (1779-1839), I demonstrate that the Bagatelle is not a piece "without tonality" as much as it is one "without the fulfillment of the tonic." It maintains harmonic tension by avoiding anticipated resolutions, as well as by preserving a sense of ambiguity as to what the actual "missing" key is.
Next, I consider why Liszt was prompted to write a piece in such a manner. We know that he was a proponent of musical progress--of Zukunftsmusik ("music of the future")--but for this fact to be relevant we must confirm, first, that Liszt had definite ideas about a Zukunftsharmoniesystem; and second, that such a system is reflected in the processes exhibited by the Bagatelle. I argue that the BagatelleOs traits are indeed in accordance with theoretical views about musicOs future direction, to which Liszt subscribed. Relevant theories of Karl Friedrich Weitzmann (1808-80) and Fran�ois-Joseph FŽtis (1784-1871) are assessed. Lastly, in a "Schoenbergian epilogue" I explore connections between LisztOs operations and SchoenbergOs ideas, addressing historical associations that conjoin their views of composing "ohne Tonart."
I conclude that the 1885 BagatelleOs attenuation of tonality was part of a tradition that extended from the mid-nineteenth into the early twentieth century--one that stretched from Liszt and his contemporaries through Schoenberg and his pupils and beyond, embracing along the way the theoretical prescriptions of Weitzmann, FŽtis, and Schoenberg himself. The various threads of theory and analysis explored in this article contribute to an understanding of the same strand of musical evolution: the increasing circumvention of tonality to the point that a piece could be written "ohne Tonart."


In nature, electrical signals have been recorded contemporaneously with volcanic and seismic activity, and have been proposed as precursors to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In the hydrocarbon industry, streaming potentials are used to investigate steam fronts, thus aiding enhanced oil recovery. There is therefore considerable current interest in electrical signals emanating from the Earth's crust and the mechanisms which give rise to them. Two of the theories that have been proposed to explain electrical signal generation are: The piezoelectric effect, caused by stress changes on piezoelectric minerals, such as quartz, which is found in many crustal rocks. The electrokinetic phenomenon, produced at a solid-liquid interface, where an electrokinetic current such as the streaming potential can be induced through a pressure, chemical or temperature gradient, resulting in electrical charge transport within the moving fluid. In order to investigate the possible mechanisms responsible for the generation of electrical signals in the Earth's crust, carefully controlled laboratory rock deformation and rock physics experiments have been performed under simulated shallow crustal conditions, where both electrical potential signals and acoustic emissions were measured. The deformation strain rate, confining pressure, pore fluid pressure, pore fluid chemistry and temperature were all varied systematically during conventional triaxial rock deformation tests on a range of rock types. Confining pressures were varied from 20 MPa to 100 MPa, pore fluid pressures from 5 MPa to 40 MPa, strain rates from 1.5 x 10"4 s"1 to 1.5 x 10"7 s"1 and temperatures from room temperature (25 C) up to 125 C. Over thirty five experiments were completed at room temperature on rock samples Clashach, Bentheim and Darley Dale sandstones and Portland limestone. More than ten experiments were done at elevated temperature on both dry and saturated samples of Clashach sandstone using a range of pore fluid chemistries. Significant developments in experimental apparatus were necessary for these latter experiments, including the design and construction of an electrical internal heater for the triaxial deformation cell. I identify that, for the temperature range between 25 and 125 C, that the primary sources of electrical potential signal generation are (i) piezoelectric in dry quartz-rich sandstone and (ii) electrokinetic in saturated samples of both sandstones and limestone. Factors that are found to influence the electrical potential signals during deformation include effective pressure, temperature, strain rate, pore fluid type and fluid flow. As failure is approached, both pre-seismic and co-seismic signals are observed with the magnitude of the signals varying with rock type. These observations can be explained by differences in the rock composition and variation in hydraulic and electrical pathways available for electric current flow during rock deformation. Variation in electrical potential difference can be seen during both the compactive and dilatant stages of deformation. At slower strain rates, local rock variation can be seen through changes in electrical potential signals which appear to be obscured at higher strain rates. The change in electrical and streaming potential signals during deformation reflect both the accumulating and accelerating damage identified by acoustic emission prior to fracture and the localisation of damage at dynamic fracture. After failure the potential decreases to a background value where it remains during constant frictional sliding at essentially constant stress. The presence of a crack or fault was identified to affect the electrical and streaming potential signals depending on their relative position with respect to the fault suggesting that electrical potential could be used as a method for fault location. An increase in temperature was found not to affect the mechanical properties within the range of experimental conditions explored. The effect of increased temperature on the electrical potential signals depends on the conditions applied to the rock such as thermal equilibrium times, deformation and ionic species within the pore fluid. If the rock is allowed to reach thermal equilibrium, the electrokinetic reactions between the solid-liquid interface are increased with an average electrical potential increase of 38 mV per 25 C. However, the new surfaces formed during rapid deformation cannot reach equilibrium, so that temperature has no effect on the electrical potential signals during compaction, dilatancy & failure. With this, the results as a whole suggest that in shallow crustal rocks, the change in electrical potential signal with temperature is below the background electrical noise level.


In this comprehensive and practical guide, the secrets of the ancient science of Tantra become available to a contemporary audience for the first time. Confined to small, hidden mystery schools for centuries, and often misunderstood and misinterpreted today. Tantra is not just a collection of techniques to enhance sexual experience. As Osho shows in these pages, it is a complete science of self-realizatoin, based on the cumulative wisdom of centuries of exploration into the meaning of life and consciousness. Tantra-the very word means "technique"-is a set of powerful, transformative tools that can be used to bring new meaning andjoy to every aspect of our daily lives.


BACKGROUND
The insertion of a lumbar puncture needle or epidural catheter may be associated with peri- and post-procedural bleeding. People who require this procedure may have disorders of coagulation as a result of their underlying illness, co-morbidities or the effects of treatment. Clinical practice in some institutions is to mitigate the risk of bleeding in these patients by prophylactically transfusing plasma in order to correct clotting factor deficiencies prior to the procedure. However, plasma transfusion is not without risk, and it remains unclear whether this intervention is associated with reduced rates of bleeding or other clinically-meaningful outcomes.

OBJECTIVES
To assess the effect of different prophylactic plasma transfusion regimens prior to insertion of a lumbar puncture needle or epidural catheter in people with abnormal coagulation.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomised controlled trials (non-RCT) and controlled before-after studies (CBAs) in CENTRAL (the Cochrane Library 2016, Issue 11), MEDLINE (from 1946), Embase (from 1974), CINAHL (from 1937), the Transfusion Evidence Library (from 1950), and five other electronic databases as well as ClinicalTrials.gov and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) for ongoing trials to 9 January 2017.

SELECTION CRITERIA
We planned to include RCTs, non-RCTs, and CBAs involving transfusions of plasma given to prevent bleeding in people of any age with a coagulopathy requiring insertion of a lumbar puncture needle or epidural catheter. If identified, we would have excluded uncontrolled studies, cross-sectional studies and case-control studies. We would only have included cluster-RCTs, non-randomised cluster trials, and CBAs with at least two intervention sites and two control sites. In studies with only one intervention or control site, the intervention (or comparison) is completely confounded by study site making it difficult to attribute any observed differences to the intervention rather than to other site-specific variables.We planned to exclude people with haemophilia as they should be treated with the appropriate factor concentrate. We also planned to exclude people on warfarin as guidelines recommend the use of prothrombin complex concentrate for emergency reversal of warfarin.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.

MAIN RESULTS
We identified no completed or ongoing RCTs, non-RCTs, or CBAs.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is no evidence from RCTs, non-RCTs, and CBAs to determine whether plasma transfusions are required prior to insertion of a lumbar puncture needle or epidural catheter, and, if plasma transfusions are required, what is the degree of coagulopathy at which they should be given. We would need to design a study with at least 47,030 participants to be able to detect an increase in the number of people who had bleeding after lumbar puncture or epidural anaesthetic from 1 in 1000 to 2 in 1000.


Sperm function and quality are primary determinants of male reproductive performance and hence fitness. The presence of rival males has been shown to affect ejaculate and sperm traits in a wide range of taxa. However, male physiological conditions may not only affect sperm phenotypic traits but also their genetic and epigenetic signatures, affecting the fitness of the resulting offspring. We investigated the effects of male‐male competition on sperm quality using TUNEL assays and geometric morphometrics in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. We found that the sperm produced by males exposed to high male–male competition had smaller heads but larger midpiece and flagellum than sperm produced by males under low competition. Head and flagella also appeared less sensitive to the osmotic stress induced by activation with water. In addition, more sperm showed signals of DNA damage in ejaculates of males under high competition. These findings suggest that the presence of a rival male may have positive effects on sperm phenotypic traits but negative effects on sperm DNA integrity. Overall, males facing the presence of rival males may produce faster swimming and more competitive sperm but this may come at a cost for the next generation.


The paper tries to analyze critically what is usually taken for granted – the causal relation between empirical knowledge about external world and the world which is (supposedly) known. The aim is neither to propose a new definition of knowledge nor to restate an old one but rather to take a closer look at the claim that knowledge is a true belief caused in a proper way by facts, events, etc. of the external world. This claim is a core of the epistemological approach usually labeled as "causal theory of knowledge", but there are many causal theories distinct from each other. The paper therefore sketches the causal components of D. Davidson's epistemology and the roles they play in the process of cognizing, first. Then it exposes more details of Davidson's approach and pushes some of them further critically.


The purpose of the present article is to offer thoughts on the 'Guidance Communication on the Commission's Enforcement Priorities in Applying Article 82 of the EC Treaty' and, in particular, to review the requirements which the Commission must meet in Article 82 EC cases when it purports to apply the Communication's economics-oriented, effects-based. In addition, this article seeks to assess whether the Communication's effects-based approach really entails a paradigmatic shift toward increased competition economics, comparable to the (r)evolution that has taken place in other areas of EC antitrust enforcement since the early 2000. It comes to the conclusion that while the Communication marks a welcome economic sophistication of the Commission's Article 82 EC enforcement policy, it nonetheless often fails to go beneath the surface of modern antitrust economics and thus provide only limited guidance to firms and their counsels.


Abstract Prior to European settlement, the portion of north and central Florida corresponding to the historic range of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) was dominated by fire-dependent, herbaceous and open woodland plant communities. Economic development coupled with fire suppression lead to a drastic decline in the abundance, contiguity and integrity of these natural communities. We present a classification and description of natural, fire-maintained pineland communities of this highly fragmented landscape. Plot locations were stratified by region and topographic position to assure comprehensive coverage of compositional variation associated with local and regional gradients of environmental and geographic variation. Our focus was description of groundcover vegetation, which harbors most of the plant diversity. We censused all plant species within 293 vegetation plots of 1,000 m2. We then developed a comprehensive vegetation classification based on floristic similarity using K-means cluster analysis and ordination. Sixteen distinct "communities" are recognized, corresponding to plant assemblages that we deem readily discernable in the field. These communities were grouped into five ecological "series" corresponding to those of Peet: Xeric Sandy Uplands (2 communities), Subxeric Sandy Uplands (2 communities), Silty Uplands (2 communities); Flatwoods (3 communities); and Wetlands (7 communities). For each community we summarize species diversity, woody plant structure, diagnostic (indicator) species, and environmental and physiographic characteristics. Floristic variation within and between series is described relative to geographic variation and edaphic characteristics.


The use of cognition is a promising element for the control of heterogeneous optical networks. Not only are cognitive networks able to sense current network conditions and act according to them, but they also take into account the knowledge acquired through past experiences; that is, they include learning with the aim of improving performance. In this paper, we review the fundamentals of cognitive networks and focus on their application to the optical networking area. In particular, a number of cognitive network architectures proposed so far, as well as their associated supporting technologies, are reviewed. Moreover, several applications, mainly developed in the framework of the EU FP7 Cognitive Heterogeneous Reconfigurable Optical Network (CHRON) project, are also described.


Much ink has been spilled on the perils of allowing some companies to become "too big to fail." This assumes that governments, hence taxpayers, must foot the bill when these Top Dogs become seriously ill, while reinforcing a view that the Top Dogs, whose failure might do systemic damage, should be heavily regulated to mitigate the damage that they might cause. The flip side of this view receives scant attention: companies can become "too big to succeed." Indeed, the "too big to fail" ethos may create headwinds for these self-same companies that can impede their continuing success. When you are #1, you have a bright bull's-eye painted on your back. Governments and pundits are gunning for you. Competitors and resentful customers are gunning for you. Indeed, in a world of fierce competition and serial witch hunts in the halls of government, that target is probably painted on your front and sides too. In a world that generally roots for the underdog, hardly anyone outside of your own enterprise is cheering for you to rise from world-beating success to still-loftier success. For investors, Top Dog status — the #1 company, by market capitalization, in each sector or market — is dismayingly unattractive. We find a statistically significant tendency for top companies in each sector to underperform both the overall sector and the stock market as a whole. In an earlier U.S.-only study, we found that 59% of these Top Dogs underperformed their own sector in the next year, and two-thirds lagged their sector over the next decade. We found a daunting magnitude of average underperformance, averaging between 300 and 400 bps per year, over the next 1 to 10 years. In this study, we have broadened the test to examine whether the "Top Dog" phenomenon is prevalent elsewhere. We find the same phenomenon in each and every market, with no exceptions. Indeed, outside the United States, the Sector Top Dogs generally underperform their own sector even more relentlessly than in the United States! It would appear that our Top Dogs, the most beloved and winningest companies in each sector or country, are typically punished — often severely — in subsequent market action.


We have created a statistically grounded tool for determining the correlation of genomewide data with other datasets or known biological features, intended to guide biological exploration of high-dimensional datasets, rather than providing immediate answers. The software enables several biologically motivated approaches to these data and here we describe the rationale and implementation for each approach. Our models and statistics are implemented in an R package that efficiently calculates the spatial correlation between two sets of genomic intervals (data and/or annotated features), for use as a metric of functional interaction. The software handles any type of pointwise or interval data and instead of running analyses with predefined metrics, it computes the significance and direction of several types of spatial association; this is intended to suggest potentially relevant relationships between the datasets. Availability and implementation: The package, GenometriCorr, can be freely downloaded at http://genometricorr.sourceforge.net/. Installation guidelines and examples are available from the sourceforge repository. The package is pending submission to Bioconductor.


In recent years, non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), once considered merely environmental saprophytes, have emerged as a major cause of opportunistic infections. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission but they have been found in several environmental water samples. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance to develop methods of rapidly and accurately detecting non-tuberculous mycobacteria in water samples. To obtain a maximum recovery rate and a reduction of Mycobacterium spp. detection time in water samples, different decontamination, enrichment procedures and antibiotics supplements were tested before the inoculation into the Bactec® system. The proposed method of sample treatment (decrease in the decontamination time, followed for a peptone pre-enrichment step and an aztreonam and cefepime supplement) before the inoculation into the Bactec® system proved to be a good option for reliable and fast detection of Mycobacterium spp. in water samples.


All biological populations are to a greater or lesser degree evolvable, but the forces that shape evolvability, especially the evolution of evolvability as an adaptive response to a changing environment, have been a source of controversy. One source of enhanced evolvability is the benign status of "cryptic sequences" typically expressed at low levels due to molecular errors, but with the potential to be expressed more fully following mutational co-option. A genome enriched for benign cryptic sequences has a more benign mutational neighborhood, via the possibility of co-option, and thus enhanced evolvability. Whether selection for evolvability itself can be the cause of a more benign mutational neighborhood remains an open question. Here, we show that environmental change can cause the evolution of increased evolvability, despite our use of a strong-selection weak mutation regime that precludes, by design, the adaptive evolution of evolvability. Instead, enhanced evolvability arises as a byproduct of environmental change via a novel mechanism that we call "emergent evolutionary capacitance". When the environment changes, increased molecular error rates evolve as a strategy to rapidly change phenotypes, with the side effect of purging deleterious cryptic sequences and enhancing the mutational neighborhood for future adaptation. The behavior is strikingly similar to that seen in a model system for capacitance, the yeast prion [PSI+].


Abstract. SHIMMER (Soil biogeocHemIcal Model for Microbial Ecosystem Response) is a new numerical modelling framework designed to simulate microbial dynamics and biogeochemical cycling during initial ecosystem development in glacier forefield soils. However, it is also transferable to other extreme ecosystem types (such as desert soils or the surface of glaciers). The rationale for model development arises from decades of empirical observations in glacier forefields, and enables a quantitative and process focussed approach. Here, we provide a detailed description of SHIMMER, test its performance in two case study forefields: the Damma Glacier (Switzerland) and the Athabasca Glacier (Canada) and analyse sensitivity to identify the most sensitive and unconstrained model parameters. Results show that the accumulation of microbial biomass is highly dependent on variation in microbial growth and death rate constants, Q10 values, the active fraction of microbial biomass and the reactivity of organic matter. The model correctly predicts the rapid accumulation of microbial biomass observed during the initial stages of succession in the forefields of both the case study systems. Primary production is responsible for the initial build-up of labile substrate that subsequently supports heterotrophic growth. However, allochthonous contributions of organic matter, and nitrogen fixation, are important in sustaining this productivity. The development and application of SHIMMER also highlights aspects of these systems that require further empirical research: quantifying nutrient budgets and biogeochemical rates, exploring seasonality and microbial growth and cell death. This will lead to increased understanding of how glacier forefields contribute to global biogeochemical cycling and climate under future ice retreat.


This Article is an invited special projects paper for the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. It examines how society and law work together to frame the normative ideal of intimate couples and families as both heterosexual and monoracial. This Article sets out to accomplish three goals. First, it examines the daily social privileges of monoracial, heterosexual couples as a means of revealing the invisibility of interracial marriages and families within our society. Specifically, Part II of this Article uses the work of Professor Peggy McIntosh to identify unacknowledged monoracial, heterosexual-couple privileges and list unearned privileges, both social and legal, for such couples. It also uses Professor Kimberle Crenshaw's theory of intersectionality to explicate how couples in general may experience societal benefits and disadvantages differently based upon various intersections of identity categories. Second, this Article examines housing discrimination law to demonstrate the connection between the daily social disadvantages of interracial, heterosexual couples and families and the lack of legal recognition for interracial couples and families. Specifically, Part III of this Article utilizes housing discrimination law to show how law can ignore the existence of interracial, heterosexual couples, thereby reinforcing an ideal of marriage and family as monoracial. In so doing, this Part explains how housing discrimination statutes assume that plaintiffs will be monoracial, heterosexual couples, and fail to fully address the harms to interracial, heterosexual couples who are subjected to discrimination in housing and rental searches because of their interraciality (i.e., because they have engaged in race-mixing). Part III.A describes the legal framework for evaluating housing discrimination cases, including the means for analyzing discrimination by association cases in court. Part III.B details the categories of plaintiffs who can allege discriminatory action "because of" race, familial status, or marital status under housing discrimination statutes. It then explicates how interracial couples who are victims of discrimination in housing because of their status as an interracial couple alone do not neatly fit within any of these categories. Third, this Article calls for housing discrimination statutes to explicitly recognize interracial couples and families, thereby filling this hole in anti-discrimination law. Specifically, Part IV proposes that legislators add a new protected class category for "interraciality" to housing discrimination statutes. The Article argues that such an addition is the only means by which the law can address the "expressive harms" or lack of dignity that result from the current framing of family in housing discrimination statutes as monoracial.This Article concludes with a call for statutes and rights to be legally framed in a manner that is inclusive, rather than exclusive.


Financial stress is a condition that is becoming more prevalent in todays society due to factors such as high debt levels, low savings and economic recessions. Research has found that financial stress negatively influences employees performance at work. With these increasing pressures on personal finances and its interference on work, this study considers whether management should attempt to improve employees financial well-being. Management needs to be convinced that their actions can improve their employees financial well-being. This study established and measured the relationship that the subjective measures financial efficacy and satisfaction with remuneration have on financial well-being. A sample size of 9 057 employees from different sectors in South Africa was used. Confirmatory factor analyses were used, as the survey was based on a previously developed survey and it was already known which items load onto which factors. Data was analysed using Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. Three hypotheses were tested. Hypothesis 1: There is a relationship between satisfaction with remuneration and financial well-being. Hypothesis 2: There is a relationship between financial well-being and financial efficacy. Hypothesis 3: Financial efficacy moderates the relationship between satisfaction with remuneration and financial well-being. The results from this study supported all three hypotheses. Personal financial efficacy and satisfaction with remuneration were found to have a strong positive relationship with financial well-being. The study also established that the relationship between remuneration satisfaction and financial well-being was stronger in people with higher financial efficacy. It is argued that management can intervene with employees financial well-being by improving financial efficacy through financial education and by improving their satisfaction with remuneration. Satisfaction with remuneration can be increased by increasing actual remuneration and benefits, addressing administrative issues of the pay system, addressing staff morale or by increasing financial efficacy. Staff with higher well-being will contribute to the better performance of the entity.


According to Strachey, a polymorphic program is parametric if it applies a uniform algorithm independently of the type instantiations at which it is applied. The notion of relational parametricity, introduced by Reynolds, is one possible mathematical formulation of this idea. Relational parametricity provides a powerful tool for establishing data abstraction properties, proving equivalences of datatypes, and establishing equalities of programs. Such properties have been well studied in a pure functional setting. Many programs, however, exhibit computational effects. In this paper, we develop a framework for extending the notion of relational parametricity to languages with effects.


ABSTRACT Male corncrakes Crex crex produce repetitive calls the elements of which are composed of individual pulses. The inter-pulse intervals were measured for elements of calls from ten birds recorded on one to three nights. The abilities of discriminant analysis and two artificial neural nets to correctly attribute calls to birds across nights, using sets of vectors of inter-pulse intervals, were compared. Discriminant analysis correctly attributed all calls to the correct individual without error. One of the two neural nets incorrectly attributed less than 1% of calls. Using coded data the second neural net incorrectly attributed less than 6% of calls overall but the individual error rate varied between zero and more than 50%.


Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Case Studies" is a freely accessible eCampus Ontario Pressbook containing case studies of immigrant women experiencing domestic violence to be used as educational materials. The contents were created by analysing closed legal case files of 15 immigrant women living in Ontario who experienced domestic violence. The comprehensive case studies that emerge from this research present domestic violence experienced by immigrant women in all its complexity, highlighting their unique vulnerability at the intersections of race, gender and immigration status. The book also highlights the different legal processes that these women encounter in seeking justice and the challenges they face in relation to re-establishing their own lives and the lives of their children. In addition to the cases, the book contains questions for reflection; a description of legal processes involved in DV cases, and a glossary of the terms used throughout the case studies. This interactive Pressbook is an ideal resource for social work and legal practitioners, including students in social service work, social work and law programs, in order to increase their understanding about the complexity of domestic violence cases in immigrant families and develop strategies for culturally informed interventions.


ABSTRACT The current pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID) 2019 constitutes a global public health issue. Regarding the emerging importance of the gut-lung axis in viral respiratory infections, analysis of the gut microbiota's composition and functional activity during a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection might be instrumental in understanding and controling COVID 19. We used a nonhuman primate model (the macaque), that recapitulates mild COVID-19 symptoms, to analyze the effects of a SARS-CoV-2 infection on dynamic changes of the gut microbiota. 16S rRNA gene profiling and analysis of β diversity indicated significant changes in the composition of the gut microbiota with a peak at 10–13 days post-infection (dpi). Analysis of bacterial abundance correlation networks confirmed disruption of the bacterial community at 10–13 dpi. Some alterations in microbiota persisted after the resolution of the infection until day 26. Some changes in the relative bacterial taxon abundance associated with infectious parameters. Interestingly, the relative abundance of Acinetobacter (Proteobacteria) and some genera of the Ruminococcaceae family (Firmicutes) was positively correlated with the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract. Targeted quantitative metabolomics indicated a drop in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and changes in several bile acids and tryptophan metabolites in infected animals. The relative abundance of several taxa known to be SCFA producers (mostly from the Ruminococcaceae family) was negatively correlated with systemic inflammatory markers while the opposite correlation was seen with several members of the genus Streptococcus. Collectively, SARS-CoV-2 infection in a nonhuman primate is associated with changes in the gut microbiota's composition and functional activity.


This Note seeks to examine the evolution of sex and sexuality in the media, by critically examining how the prevalence of sex and more recently the prevalence of topics and issues related to sexuality in television, literature, electronic media, and art have and continue to impact societal views and notions on obscenity. This Note will also examine the Miller test for obscenity, and the long term effects of societal value evolution on the application of the Miller test. This Note concludes by positing that at some point, the line between what is deemed sexually offensive and what is socially acceptable will become so blurred that the Miller test will no longer be definitively able to differentiate between the two, ultimately rendering it inapplicable.


Western cultures support the notion that the ideal 'professional' behaviour for a leader is primarily rational and carefully controlled emotionally. The relationship of reason and emotion is often played out as one of mutual exclusion, and moreover as one representing hierarchy of leaders and followers. Power positions in most organizations are ritually emphasized through strict emotional control/suppression. Thus this display of unemotional rationality is held to be synonymous with control, may actually belie emotional and psychical insanities, and indicate organizational incongruities. Since, emotions play crucial role in the regulation of workplace relations. Negative emotions are the basis of awareness and positive ones are that of trust, and hence they both are needed in everyday situations. Leaders' emotions can be used as tools to motivate and to express individualist attention and caring. However, this use of emotions as tools may come at a price for those leaders who are less apt at emotion regulation. In sum, workplace is an emotional place and it is of best interest of the organizational members, – both the leaders and those led, – to understand the leaders' genuine and displayed emotions, their antecedents and their consequences.


We have designed and tested a single-chip analog VLSI sensor that detects imminent collisions by measuring radially expansive optic flow. The design of the chip is based on a model proposed to explain leg-extension behavior in flies during landing approaches. A new elementary motion detector (EMD) circuit was developed to measure optic flow. This EMD circuit models the bandpass nature of large monopolar cells (LMCs) immediately postsynaptic to photoreceptors in the fly visual system. A 16 × 16 array of 2-D motion detectors was fabricated on a 2.24 mm × 2.24 mm die in a standard 0.5-µm CMOS process. The chip consumes 140 µW of power from a 5 V supply. With the addition of wide-angle optics, the sensor is able to detect collisions around 500 ms before impact in complex, real-world scenes.


This in-depth study of U.S. involvement in the modern Middle East carefully weighs the interplay of domestic, cultural, religious, diplomatic, international, and military events in one of the world's most troubled regions. The monumental, five-volume The Encyclopedia of Middle East Wars: The United States in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts is a must-have resource for anyone seeking to comprehend U.S. actions in this volatile region. Under the expert editorship of Spencer C. Tucker, the encyclopedia traces 20th- and 21st-century U.S. involvement in the Middle East and south-central Asia, concentrating on the last three decades. Beginning with the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, it covers the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the 1991 Persian Gulf War, allied punitive actions against Iraq during the 1990s, the Afghanistan War, the Iraq War, and the Global War on Terror. Many smaller military actions against Iran, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and other regimes that have been involved in international terrorism are also included. Diplomacy, religion as it pertains to Middle East conflict, and social/cultural developments are other key subjects of analysis, as is the interplay of politics with military policy in the United States and other nations involved in the region. * Hundreds of alphabetically organized entries on wars, political events, religious and cultural issues, and diplomatic initiatives, as well as in-depth essays on background material, area and regional analyses, and biographical entries * An introduction by General Anthony Zinni, USMC (Ret), former commander in chief of U.S. Central Command * A chronologically arranged final volume comprised of primary and contemporary documents with individual introductions * A detailed chronology of events * Cross-references and books for further reading appended to each entry * A bibliography of over 450 books that are the latest in the field


Objectives. Increasing availability of predictive testing highlights the importance of understanding the decision-making process when people are confronted with the option to have testing. The present study aimed to demonstrate experimentally the impact of (i) providing relatively positive versus relatively negative information, and (ii) focusing on positive or negative issues, on anticipated decisions regarding genetic testing. Method. Two experimental studies were carried out in order to investigate what influences the anticipated decision, one relating to breast cancer and the other heart disease. In each study, participants were randomly allocated to either the positive, the negative or the control group. There were two consecutive experimental manipulations. Firstly, participants were given further information on detecting and preventing the disease (positive group) and on the limitations of these methods (negative group). The control group received information about the common cold. Secondly, participants were encouraged to focus on positive (positive group) or negative (negative group) issues of predictive testing. The control group focused on statements referring to the common cold. Participants made pre-experimental and post-information and post-focusing ratings including how likely they would be to opt for the test. Results. Both information and the focusing manipulations separately modified the rating of anticipated likelihood of being tested in the expected direction. There was also a significant decrease of rated anxiety in the negative group. Conclusion. It appears that anticipated decisions are strongly influenced not only by the information received by the decision maker, but also by the factors on which the decision maker focuses at the time of the decision. This second result in particular has implications for the way in which pre-test counselling is carried out; counsellors may believe that they are being non-directive in their questioning when they are in fact directly and systematically influencing the decision whether or not to be tested.


Some recent literature has concluded that patent remedies result in systematically excessive royalties because of holdup and stacking problems. This article shows that this literature is mistaken. The royalty rates predicted by the holdup models are often (plausibly most of the time) below the true optimal rate. Further, those predicted royalty rates are overstated because of incorrect assumptions about constant demand, one-shot bargaining, and informational symmetry. Although this literature concludes that overcompensation problems are exacerbated by doctrines measuring damages using past negotiated royalties, in fact such doctrines exacerbate undercompensation problems. Undercompensation problems are further increased to the extent that juries cannot measure damages with perfect accuracy, a problem that persists even if damages are just as likely to be overestimated as underestimated. Nor do the royalty rates predicted by the holdup model apply if there is competition in the downstream product market or upstream market for inventions. Royalty stacking does not lead to royalties that exceed the optimal rate, contrary to this literature, but in fact tends to produce royalties that are at or below the optimal rate. JEL: K00; K10; K11; K20; K21; K29; K30; K39; K40; K41; K49; L40; L49; L50; L51; L59


Abstract The foraging behaviour of a parasitoid insect species includes the host's habitat and subsequent location of the host. Habitats substrate, substrate moisture, and light levels can affect the host searching of different species of parasitoids. However, the depth at which parasitoids concentrate their search effort is another important ecological characteristic and plays an important role in locating a host. Here, we investigated the ability of a pupal parasitoid, Nasonia vitripennis Walker (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), to penetrate and kill fly pupae located at different depths of the substrate. Three different types of substrate were tested: loam soil, compost, and vermiculite substrate. In both loam soil and compost, all of the parasitism activity was restricted to pupae placed directly on the surface. Parasitism activity in vermiculite showed that the average number of pupae parasitized decreased with depth of substrate. These results suggest that fly pupae situated deeper in the substrate are less subjected to parasitism by N. vitripennis.


Background: Endogenous opioids modulate the growth of nervous and non-nervous cells. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the main cell phenotype involved in liver fibrogenesis, display molecular markers of neuronal cells and respond to neurotransmitters. Aim: To evaluate the role of endogenous opioids on liver fibrogenesis. Methods: Activated rat HSCs (passage 1–3) were used to evaluate cell proliferation and intracellular signalling pathway activation. Liver fibrosis was induced in rats by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) administration. Results: Opioid receptors showed a different pattern of expression when measured in quiescent and activated (in vitro and in vivo) HSCs. The activation of opioid receptors increased HSC proliferation and collagen accumulation. Opioid receptor stimulation induced a calcium-dependent protein kinase Cα (PKCα)/extracellular regulated kinase (ERK)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway activation that mediated the effect of endogenous opioids on HSC proliferation and collagen synthesis. In DMN-treated rats, the opioid antagonist naloxone reduced α-smooth muscle actin expression (as a marker of HSC activation) and collagen deposition, both measured by morphometry after 5 weeks of treatment. In both DMN-treated rats and human liver biopsies from chronic liver diseases, opioid receptors were observed in HSCs in area of active fibrogenesis. The endogenous opioid met-enkephalin increased its expression in zone 3 hepatocytes close to the area of necrosis after DMN administration and in the cellular target of chronic liver injury in human biopsies, and stimulated HSC proliferation and collagen synthesis. Conclusions: Endogenous opioids released during chronic liver injury participate in the process of liver fibrogenesis by stimulating HSC proliferation and collagen production in a paracrine manner.


Among the consequences of war, the impact on the mental health of the civilian population is one of the most significant. Studies of the general population show a definite increase in the incidence and prevalence of mental disorders. Women are more affected than men. Other vulnerable groups are children, the elderly and the disabled. Prevalence rates are associated with the degree of trauma, and the availability of physical and emotional support. The use of cultural and religious coping strategies is frequent in developing countries.


IIASA has played a crucial role in the development of the "graphical approach" to the differential calculus of set-valued maps, around J.-P. Aubin, H. Frankowska, R.T. Rockafellar and allowed to make contacts with Soviet and eastern European mathematicians (C. Olech, B. Pschenichnyiy, E. Polovinkin, V. Tihomirov, etc.) who were following analogous approaches. Since 1981, they and their collaborators developed this calculus and applied it to a variety of problems, in mathematical programming (Kuhn-Tucker rules, sensitivity of solutions and Lagrange multipliers), in nonsmooth analysis (Inverse Functions Theorems, local uniqueness), in control theory (controllability of systems with feedbacks, Pontryagin's Maximum Principle, Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations, observability and other issues), in viability theory (regulation of systems, heavy trajectories), etc.

The first version of this survey appeared at IIASA in 1982, and constituted the seventh chapter of the book "Applied Nonlinear Analysis" published in 1984 by I. Ekeland and the author. Since then, many other results have been motivated by the successful applications of this calculus, and, maybe unfortunately, other concepts (such as the concept of intermediate tangent cone and derivatives introduced and used by H. Frankowska). Infinite-dimensional problems such as control problems or the more classical problems of calculus of variations require the use of adequate adaptations of the same main idea, as well as more technical assumptions.

The time and the place (IIASA) were ripe to update the exposition of this differential calculus. The Russian translation of "Applied Nonlinear Analysis" triggered this revised version.


Greatwall (Gwl) functions as an essential mitotic kinase by antagonizing protein phosphatase 2A. In this study we identified Hsp90, Cdc37 and members of the importin α and β families as the major binding partners of Gwl. Both Hsp90/Cdc37 chaperone and importin complexes associated with the N-terminal kinase domain of Gwl, whereas an intact glycine-rich loop at the N-terminus of Gwl was essential for binding of Hsp90/Cdc37 but not importins. We found that Hsp90 inhibition led to destabilization of Gwl, a mechanism that may partially contribute to the emerging role of Hsp90 in cell cycle progression and the anti-proliferative potential of Hsp90 inhibition. Moreover, in agreement with its importin association, Gwl exhibited nuclear localization in interphase Xenopus S3 cells, and dynamic nucleocytoplasmic distribution during mitosis. We identified KR456/457 as the locus of importin binding and the functional NLS of Gwl. Mutation of this site resulted in exclusion of Gwl from the nucleus. Finally, we showed that the Gwl nuclear localization is indispensable for the biochemical function of Gwl in promoting mitotic entry.


In the first half of the 20th century, engineering geology and geotechnical engineering were in their infancy, and dams were often built where landslides provided valley constrictions, often without expert site investigation. Only the most important projects were subjected to careful geologic examination. Thus, dams were often built without complete understanding of the possible geotechnical problems occurring in foundations or abutments. Most of these dams still exist, although many have undergone costly repairs because of stability or leakage problems. Today, however, every effort is made in the selection of damsites, including those sited on landslides, to provide foundations and abutments that are generally impervious and capable of withstanding the stresses imposed by the proposed dam and reservoir, and possible landslides. By means of a literature search, technical interviews, and field inventory, I have located 254 large (at least 10 m high) dams worldwide that directly interact with landslides; that is, they have been built on pre-existing landslides or have been subjected to landslide activity during or after construction. A table (Appendix table A) summarizes dam characteristics, landslide conditions, and remedial measures at each of the dams. Of the 254 dams, 164 are earthfill, 23 arc rockfill, and 18 are earthfill-rockfill; these are flexible dam types that generally perform better on the possibly unstable foundations provided by landslides than do more rigid concrete dams. Any pre-existing landslides that might impinge on the foundation or abutments of a dam should be carefully investigated. If a landslide is recognized in a dam foundation or abutment, the landslide deposits commonly are avoided in siting the dam or are removed during stripping of the dam founda- tion and abutment contacts. Contrarily, it has often been found to be technically feasible and economically desirable to site and construct dams on known landslides or on the remnants of these features. In these cases, proven preventive and remedial measures have been used to ensure the stability of the foundations and abutments, and to reduce seepage to acceptable levels.


The current market requirements to obtain wines with enhanced complexity and varietal character propose the finding of new microorganisms capable of driving the malolactic fermentation (MLF) and contributing to new and distinctive sensory profiles in wines. During MLF, malic acid naturally present in the must is converted into lactic acid by a decarboxylation reaction driven by lactic acid bacteria. Recently, a new strain of Lactobacillus plantarum suitable for MLF in high-pH wines was selected. This study evaluates the capacity of the L. plantarum V22 starter culture to complete MLF at laboratory and semi-industrial scale in different Malbec musts from Argentina. Malbec musts were co-inoculated with S. cerevisiae D254 and L. plantarum V22 to conduct alcoholic fermentation and MLF respectively. Two groups of Malbec musts were identified according to the ability of L. plantarum to consume malic acid. A first group, called "High Feasibility for MLF", is characterised by the high viability of L. plantarum and the completion of MLF. On the other hand, a second group was identified, termed "Partial Feasibility for MLF", and is characterised by a decreased viability of L. plantarum and incomplete MLF. This study shows that the capacity of L. plantarum to conduct MLF in Malbec musts is dependent on must composition, further suggesting that the evolution of pH during the fermentation process, rather than initial pH, is a critical factor affecting the successful completion of MLF.


West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WCATWC) response criteria for earthquakes occurring in the Atlantic and Caribbean basins are presented. Initial warning center decisions are based on an earthquake's location, magnitude, depth, distance from coastal locations, and precomputed threat estimates based on tsunami models computed from similar events. The new criteria will help limit the geographical extent of warnings and advisories to threatened regions, and complement the new operational tsunami product suite. Criteria are set for tsunamis generated by earthquakes, which are by far the main cause of tsunami generation (either directly through sea floor displacement or indirectly by triggering of sub-sea landslides). The new criteria require development of a threat data base which sets warning or advisory zones based on location, magnitude, and pre-computed tsunami models. The models determine coastal tsunami amplitudes based on likely tsunami source parameters for a given event. Based on the computed amplitude, warning and advisory zones are pre-set.


Gender wage differentials and discrimination are issues of primary significance both in terms of equity and efficiency. Current policy debate emphasises the importance of labour market efficiency with various HM Treasury reports highlighting productivity as the key determinant of economic growth. Consequently a deeper understanding of where the labour market allocates its scare human resource inefficiently, as a result of discrimination, is always desirable.
The vast majority of the existing literature is based upon single country studies using cross-sectional data. This has led to weaknesses in our understanding of the inter-temporal processes generating changes to the wage gap, as well as the impact of national differences to relative cross-country gender differentials. Using the UK as the major focus, and other European countries for comparison, this thesis improves upon both of these. Paying particular attention to the roles played by inequality and sample selection.
Blau and Kahn (1992) initially highlighted the importance of wage inequality to cross-country wage gaps. This is built upon by applying the techniques they pioneered and making use of the higher levels of comparability and compatibility inherent within the Panel Comparability Project (PACO) and European Community Household Panel (ECHP) data sets. With the analysis revealing that the gender wage gap would be narrower in the UK if the level of inequality was reduced to those in the rest of Europe. Thus supporting the view that a compression of the overall wage distribution leads to smaller gender wage gaps.
The issue of sample selection is always present when empirical work is based upon earnings functions. Since Heckman (1979) it has become the norm to correct for possible bias using his two-stage procedure. However this is generally treated as a technical exercise and rarely warrants any meaningful discussion. Unfortunately selectivity is not merely a source of potential bias it also reflects relationships that have a significant effect upon the gender wage gap, most importantly its inter-temporal path. Consequently there is a clear need for a deeper understanding of this issue. It is revealed to be important, especially in the UK, where changes to the skill levels of those employed, relative to the overall population, are shown to be crucial to the narrowing of the wage gap. With this improvement resulting from more favourable skill endowments for those women entering or re-entering paid employment. This indicates that policies addressing human capital accumulation prior to labour market entry have already been successful in narrowing the differential. However there is still evidence that women are receiving inequitable returns from their human capital, hence more effective legislation addressing this is a matter of priority


Exposure of semiconductor-doped glasses to above-band-gap focused cw laser radiation results in the controllable formation of microlenses. A laser-driven thermal runaway is proposed to explain the low powers required for the process. A linear array of eight identically prepared microlenses is characterized and shown to exhibit diffraction-limited performance.


Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that occurs within the first 3 years of life, which is characterised by poor social skills, communication problems and stereotyped patterns of behaviour. Autism is a life-long disorder that has a substantial effect on the individual, their family, and society. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview about the psychosocial aspects of autism spectrum disorders. Methods: An analysis of relevant literature, sources from the internet and published literature, personal experience and observations of the author. Findings: Despite widespread research and greater public awareness, ASD has an unclear etiology and no known cure, making it difficult to acquire an accurate and timely diagnosis. Psychologic functions such as attention, executive function, academic functioning, memory, emotions, and sensory processing are described. There is a need for continuous psycho-social support for people with ASD and their relatives during the diagnostics and early intervention period, as well as resources that better represent the diversity of experiences and symptoms associated with ASD across the lifespan. Conclusion: It is clear that more special education services are needed, together with timely and ongoing psychosocial support to parents of children with ASD.


Human memory and Internet search engines face a shared computational problem, needing to retrieve stored pieces of information in response to a query. We explored whether they employ similar solutions, testing whether we could predict human performance on a fluency task using PageRank, a component of the Google search engine. In this task, people were shown a letter of the alphabet and asked to name the first word beginning with that letter that came to mind. We show that PageRank, computed on a semantic network constructed from word-association data, outperformed word frequency and the number of words for which a word is named as an associate as a predictor of the words that people produced in this task. We identify two simple process models that could support this apparent correspondence between human memory and Internet search, and relate our results to previous rational models of memory.


This paper examines the long-run effects of oil revenue and its volatility on economic growth as well as the role of institutions in this relationship. We collect annual and monthly data on a sample of 17 major oil producers over the period 1961-2013, and use the standard panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach as well as its cross-sectionally augmented version (CS-ARDL) for estimation. Therefore, in contrast to the earlier literature on the resource curse, we take into account all three key features of the panel: dynamics, heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependence. Our results suggest that (i) there is a significant negative effect of oil revenue volatility on output growth, (ii) higher growth rate of oil revenue significantly raises economic growth, and (iii) better fiscal policy (institutions) can offset some of the negative effects of oil revenue volatility. We therefore argue that volatility in oil revenues combined with poor governmental responses to this volatility drives the resource curse paradox, not the abundance of oil revenues as such.


Baited remote underwater stereo-video (stereo-BRUV) stations and diver operated stereo-video (stereo-DOV) transects are increasingly used to sample both tropical and temperate fish assemblages. Compared to in situ visual census methods, the use of stereo-video reduces inter- observer variability, improves definition of the sample unit area, increases accuracy of fish length estimates and provides a permanent record of the assemblage that can be validated where required or independently reanalysed. Previous studies have suggested that stereo-BRUV collects representa- tive data on both carnivorous and herbivorous species and can be more cost-efficient than diver- based survey methods. This study compares estimates of common fish assemblage metrics obtained with stereo-BRUV stations and stereo-DOV transects across 3 biogeographic regions, and uses a cost- optimization procedure to compare the efficiency of these 2 methods. Stereo-BRUV stations were found to sample greater species richness and obtain greater estimates of relative biomass of general- ist carnivores, but no differences occurred in the biomass of herbivores sampled by the 2 techniques. Stereo-BRUV stations generally obtained estimates of assemblage metrics with less variance, result- ing in greater power to detect spatial and temporal changes in the fish assemblage metrics. Cost-benefit analyses found that stereo-BRUV was generally more time efficient than stereo-DOV transects in terms of smaller standard error around the mean of the various metrics considered. How- ever, across the 3 biogeographic regions sampled there was considerable variation in the magnitude of these differences. Results suggest that stereo-BRUV stations are, in general, a more cost-effective method for monitoring fish assemblages than stereo-DOV transects.


The stimulus for this research was the publication of the Green and White papers: Our Healthier Nation (OHN) - Saving Lives (DoH, 1998/9). The aim was to ascertain factors affecting the pattern and speed of local reactions to the new policy. These factors were predicted to be similar to those found in analysis of pre-1997. Conservative government, public health policy. However, the particular hypothesis of the thesis was that tensions in the Labour Party and government concerning aspects of the wider determinants of health would also play a role in affecting local implementation. Of specific importance was the equivocal determinant of 'income inequalities'. A case study of one inner-London borough was undertaken. Data collection was by way of in-depth interviews, participant observation and a review of local and national policy documents. Findings based on fieldwork are: 1. The implementation process was protracted. Delays need to be distinguished from policy failure. 2. Staff views did influence the pattern of implementation. However, some widely-held beliefs did not affect local work developed in response to the policy. This was primarily because no permission had been granted by central government for local staff to act on these opinions. 3. Local NHS staff needed clear guidance on how to prioritise work, this was not provided until 2003. 4. Unresolved anomalies exist in NHS and local authority public involvement work relating to health inequalities reduction. This is because the policy highlights the wider determinants of health, including income distribution. The latter is a politically partisan subject. The 'neutral' state bureaucracy is less adept at facilitating 'citizen' influence over the issue than political parties have been. However, sections of the Labour Party itself appear to have some interest in directing involvement away from party organisation.


Peer-to-peer (P2P) systems show numerous advantages over centralized systems, such as load balancing, scalability, and fault tolerance, and they require certain functionality, such as search, repair, and message and data transfer. In particular, structured P2P networks perform an exact search in logarithmic time proportional to the number of peers. However, keyword similarity search in a structured P2P network remains a challenge. Similarity search for service discovery can significantly improve service management in a distributed environment. As services are often described informally in text form, keyword similarity search can find the required services or data items more reliably. This paper presents a fast similarity search algorithm for structured P2P systems. The new algorithm, called P2P fast similarity search (P2PFastSS), finds similar keys in any distributed hash table (DHT) using the edit distance metric, and is independent of the underlying P2P routing algorithm. Performance analysis shows that P2PFastSS carries out a similarity search in time proportional to the logarithm of the number of peers. Simulations on PlanetLab confirm these results and show that a similarity search with 34,000 peers performs in less than three seconds on average. Thus, P2PFastSS is suitable for similarity search in large-scale network infrastructures, such as service description matching in service discovery or searching for similar terms in P2P storage networks.


Compilers for higher-order programming languages like Scheme, ML, and Lisp can be broadly characterized as either "direct compilers" or "continuation-passing style (CPS) compilers", depending on their main intermediate representation. Our central result is a precise correspondence between the two compilation strategies.
Starting from the theoretical foundations of direct and CPS compilers, we develop relationships between the main components of each compilation strategy: generation of the intermediate representation, simplification of the intermediate representation, code generation, and data flow analysis. For each component, our results pinpoint the superior compilation strategy, the reason for which it dominates the other strategy, and ways to improve the inferior strategy. Furthermore, our work suggests a synthesis of the direct and CPS compilation strategies that combines the best aspects of each.
The contributions of this thesis include a comprehensive analysis of the properties of the CPS intermediate representation, a new optimal CPS transformation and its inverse, a new intermediate representation for direct compilers, an equivalence between the canonical equational theories for reasoning about continuations and general computational effects, a sound and complete equational axiomatization of the semantics of call-by-value control operators, a methodology for deriving equational logics for imperative languages, and formal relationships between code generators and data flow analyzers for direct and CPS compilers. These contributions unify concepts in two distinct compilation strategies, and can be used to compare specific compilers.


We study the possibilities and limitations of pseudodeterministic algorithms, algorithms, a notion put forward by Gat and Goldwasser (2011). These are probabilistic algorithms that solve search problems such that on each input, with high probability, they output the same solution, which may be thought of as a canonical solution. We consider both the standard setting of (probabilistic) polynomial-time algorithms and the setting of (probabilistic) sublinear-time algorithms. Some of our results are outlined next. In the standard setting, we show that pseudodeterministic algorithms are more powerful than deterministic algorithms if and only if \cP\neq\BPP, but are weaker than general probabilistic algorithms. In the sublinear-time setting, we show that if a search problem has a pseudodeterministic algorithm of query complexity q, then this problem can be solved deterministically making O(q4) queries. This refers to total search problems. In contrast, for several natural promise search problems, we present pseudodeterministic algorithms that are much more efficient than their deterministic counterparts.


Pattern Matching in Compressed Texts and Images surveys and appraises techniques for pattern matching in compressed text and images. Normally compressed data needs to be decompressed before it is processed. If however the compression has been done in the right way, it is often possible to search the data without having to decompress it, or, at least, only partially decompress it. The problem can be divided into lossless and lossy compression methods, and then in each of these cases the pattern matching can be either exact or inexact. Much work has been reported in the literature on techniques for all of these cases. It includes algorithms that are suitable for pattern matching for various compression methods, and compression methods designed specifically for pattern matching. This monograph provides a survey of this work while also identifying the important relationship between pattern matching and compression, and proposing some performance measures for compressed pattern matching algorithms. Pattern Matching in Compressed Texts and Images is an excellent reference text for anyone who has an interest in the problem of searching compressed text and images. It concludes with a particularly insightful section on the ideas and research directions that are likely to occupy researchers in this field in the short and long term.


Background and Purpose To compare the efficacy and safety of antiplatelet agents for the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke based on cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) polymorphisms. Methods This study was a prospective, multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, open-label, blind genotype trial. First time non-cardiogenic ischemic stroke patients were enrolled and screened within 30 days. Participants were randomized to receive either triflusal or clopidogrel for secondary stroke prevention. The primary outcome was the time from randomization to first recurrent ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic stroke. Results The required sample size was 1,080 but only 784 (73%) participants were recruited. In patients with a poor CYP2C19 genotype for clopidogrel metabolism (n=484), the risk of recurrent stroke among those who received triflusal treatment was 2.9% per year, which was not significantly different from those who received clopidogrel treatment (2.2% per year; hazard ratio [HR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60–2.53). In the clopidogrel treatment group (n=393), 38% had good genotypes and 62% poor genotypes for clopidogrel metabolism. The risk of recurrent stroke in patients with a good CYP2C19 genotype was 1.6% per year, which was not significantly different from those with a poor genotype (2.2% per year; HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.26–1.79). Conclusions Whilst there were no significant differences between the treatment groups in the rates of stroke recurrence, major vascular events, or coronary revascularization, the efficacy of antiplatelet agents for the secondary prevention of stroke according to CYP2C19 genotype status remains unclear.


Computing is becoming next stage platform in the evolution of the internet. It provides the customer an enhanced and efficient way to store data in the cloud with different range of capabilities and applications. The data in the cloud is stored by the service provider. Service provider capable and having a technique to protect their client data to ensure security and to prevent the data from discloser by unauthorized users. This paper, will gives a descriptive knowledge regarding cloud computing privacy and security issue provided by encryption and decryption services. If a cloud system is performing a task of storage of data and encryption and decryption of data on the same cloud then there are much more chances of getting access to the confidential data without authorization. This increases the risk factor in terms of security and privacy. This paper helps us on proposes a business model for cloud computing which focused on separating the encryption and decryption service, from the storage service provided by service provider. I means that both encryption and decryption of the data can performed at two distinct places. For studying this proposal are using a business model named as CRM (customer relationship model) for an example. For the evaluation of effective an efficient technique of data storage and retrieval we are providing three clouds separately such as including encryption and decryption services, secondly storage and a CRM application system. In this Research paper, we have tried to access separate encryption and decryption service using RSA algorithm and computing is a paradigm in which information is stored in servers on the internet. That information retrieved by the client as per usage. For this manner, we provide us a solution for data security, confidentiality and privacy based on a concept of separate encryption and decryption service. Keywordscomputing; encryption and decryption cloud service; service level agreement; availability; reliability; integrity; data privacy protection


This thesis is concerned with the development of a predictive model for batch cooling suspension pharmaceutical crystallizations, with a focus on product performance. A major challenge involved in the design of industrial pilot plant pharmaceutical crystallizers, is to predict the influence of crystallizer geometry, scale and operating conditions on the process behaviour and crystal size distribution (CSD). The design of industrial crystallizers is hindered by the lack of scale-up rules due to the absence of reliable predictive process models. Currently no reliable predictive or 'dial up a particle size' tool exists for scale-up predictions. The research involves the development of a novel predictive compartmental modelling framework for the scale-up of an organic fine chemical. A new approach of using compartments is developed in order to facilitate scale-up design and process modelling by separating crystallization kinetic and hydrodynamic phenomena. Application of this technique involves determining key process engineering information on a laboratory scale, which is critical for technology transfer, and combining this data with hydrodynamic information on transfer to large scale for predictive scale-up purposes. The key process engineering information required for predictive modelling includes the determination of solubility characteristics, thermodynamic properties and crystallization kinetics of the organic fine chemical. Attenuated Total Reflectance Ultra-Violet (ATR-UV) spectroscopy is used as an 'in-situ' measurement technique to measure solute concentration. A modified continuous Mixed Suspension Mixed Product Removal (MSMPR) crystallizer is designed specifically for innovative drug candidates available in limited quantities to derive steady state crystallization kinetics with minimal influence from hydrodynamic phenomena. Batch attrition experiments were carried out to determine the effects of specific power input on the CSD using Lasentec Focussed Beam Reflectance Monitoring (FBRM) to monitor the process on-line and to develop an attrition rate model. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a simulation tool that is also introduced to provide valuable insight into mixing, heat transfer and hydrodynamic phenomena within agitated batch cooling suspension crystallization vessels including investigating the effects of scale-up. CFD is used to aid the development of the compartmental modelling framework. The design of the compartmental structure is based on high spatial resolution CFD simulations of internal flow, mixing and heat transfer within crystallizers upon scale-up. The great advantage of using a compartmental modelling framework is that the spatial resolution is reduced and the full population balance with kinetic models can be implemented. The detailed compartmental framework is based on the overall flow pattern, local energy dissipation rate, solids concentration and temperature distribution obtained from CFD. The number, location, cross-sectional area and volume of compartments are determined from CFD results based on the physical crystallizer dimensions. The compartments are selected such that they have approximately uniform temperature, local energy dissipation and solids concentration. Each dynamic compartment has a mass, concentration, enthalpy and population balance combined with MSMPR crystallization kinetic models. The compartments are therefore well mixed and physically connected via interconnecting flows determined from CFD. A general process modelling tool, gPROMS (Process Systems Enterprises) that supports both steady state and dynamics simulations is used to solve sets of ordinary differential and algebraic equations in each compartment. A single compartmental modelling approach is used initially as a first approach without taking into account local variations in process conditions. Predictions on a laboratory scale for an MSMPR and batch cooling crystallizer were satisfactory but upon scale-up the effects of mixing and hydrodynamics is not taken into account and therefore the predictions become less reliable. A compartmentalization approach can be introduced into gPROMS whereby the compartments are modelled as individual units with input and output streams using CFD hydrodynamic information.


The increasing prevalence of Virtual Reality technologies as a platform for gaming and video playback warrants research into how to best apply the current state of the art to challenges in data visualization. Many current VR systems are noncollaborative, while data analysis and visualization is often a multi-person process. Our goal in this paper is to address the technical and user experience challenges that arise when creating VR environments for collaborative data visualization. We focus on the integration of multiple tracking systems and the new interaction paradigms that this integration can enable, along with visual design considerations that apply specifically to collaborative network visualization in virtual reality. We demonstrate a system for collaborative interaction with large 3D layouts of Twitter friend/follow networks. The system is built by combining a 'Holojam' architecture (multiple GearVR Headsets within an OptiTrack motion capture stage) and Perception Neuron motion suits, to offer an untethered, full-room multi-person visualization experience.


The Mw 7.8 Kokoxili earthquake of 14 November 2001, which ruptured a 450-km-long stretch of the sinistral Kunlun strike-slip fault, at the northeastern edge of the Tibet plateau, China, ranks as the largest strike-slip event ever recorded instrumentally in Asia. Newly available high-resolution satellite HRS images (pixel size 1 m) acquired in the months following the earthquake proved a powerful tool to complement field investigations and to produce the most accurate map to date of the coseismic displacements along the central Kusai Hu segment of the rupture. The coseismic rupture geometry south and west of Buka Daban Feng, near the earthquake epicenter, was also investigated in detail. Along the Kusai Hu segment, slip parti- tioning is for the first time observed to occur simultaneously during a single event, with two parallel strands, 2 km apart, localizing almost pure strike-slip and normal faulting. In all, 83 new HRS coseismic offset measurements, some of which calibrated by field work, show large, well-constrained variations (100%) of the slip function over distances of only25 km. Tension cracks opening ahead of the shear dislocation and later offset by the upward propagating strike-slip rupture were observed, dem- onstrating that the rupture front propagated faster at depth than near the surface. The triple junction between the central Kusai Hu segment, the Kunlun Pass fault, where the rupture ended, and the Xidatan-Dongdatan segment, which could be the next segment to fail along the main Kunlun fault, acted as a strong barrier, implying that direct triggering of earthquake rupture on the Xidatan-Dongdatan segment by Kokoxili-type earthquakes may not be the rule.


In an age of immediate and global exchange of information, the ability to theorize about political conditions remains largely an elite, technocratic, and esoteric enterprise. In this timely intervention, Dean Caivano and Sarah Naumes argue that storytelling in the form of narrative and autoethnography creates an emancipatory potential through its ability to theorize from below, welcoming marginalized and excluded voices. Drawing from the disciplines of political studies, philosophy and literary studies, this volume offers a new assessment of political texts through the lens of the sublime as a fertile terrain to challenge who can write and disseminate political ideas - and how.


Thought, according to Hegel, is not only the product of a faculty of a subject, or a means by which a thinking subject tries to grasp a world that is alien to him. It is also the very structure of the world, that is disclosed to a subject through the thinking activity of a subject. The fundamental question that crosses the whole post-Kantian philosophy is that of the relation between thought and reality, i.e. the question of whether reality depends on the categorial requirements imposed by the thinking subject, or whether reality maintains some form of independence from the thinking subject. Seen from this standpoint, Hegel can be read both as an author who radicalizes Kant's transcendental perspective, and also as a critic of that perspective. In other words, he can be seen as an idealist: according to Hegel, any philosophy is idealist if it claims that something finite, qua finite, is essentially connected with something other. He can also be seen as an anti-idealist: insofar as his philosophy aims to overcome a hyper-transcendentalist perspective, i.e. it is so since it rejects idealism as subjective idealism. Moreover, Hegel's anti-idealism can be characterized as realism.
This is because, if we admit that overcoming transcendentalism without falling back again on a pre-critical conception of thought and of reality involves an idea of thought which is not reducible to a "mentalistic" conception of it, we need to conceive of thought as something that is not alien to reality. Hegel conceives of thought as intimately connected with the world, as its own rational structure. This "realism" of thought is what makes Hegelian idealism, so to speak, anti-idealistic. Through this "realism" of thought Hegel pursues two goals. On the one hand, Hegel attempts to overcome a subjectivistic and instrumentalistic conception of thought, according to which a subject talks and relates to a reality that is always only a construction of him, and so it is necessarily the simulacrum of something that remains inaccessible in its truth. On the other hand, Hegel attempts to overcome a conception of reality characterized merely as alien and opposite to thought itself, and which is the counterpart of the subjectivistic and instrumentalistic conception of thought. By pursuing these two goals it should be gained a conception of reality which could warrant some form of objectivity, but which cannot be equated with the substantialistic conception of the pre-Kantian metaphysics.


Sorbian is a West Slavic language spoken in eastern Germany, in Saxony and Brandenburg near the borders of Poland and the Czech Republic, and is recognized as an endangered language by UNESCO (Moseley 2012). It is commonly referred to as Sorbian in English, but has historically been referred to as both Wendish and Lusatian. The Sorbian speech area used to expand from its northernmost point approximately 50 km south-east of Berlin to its southernmost point approximately 8 km from the borders of the Czech Republic (Stone 1993). This area is also referred to as Lusatia (Figure 1). However, the Sorbian-speaking area continues to shrink every year and is currently much smaller than Stone (1993) describes. Upper Sorbian is currently only used in daily communication in and immediately around Budyšin (personal communication, Lechosław Jocz).


The Upper Valdarno Basin stands out from the Neogene-Quaternary basins of the Northern Apennines given its outstanding fossil mammal record, good quality of natural and artificial outcrops and remarkable chronological control on the basin-fill succession. The present paper aims to summarize the stratigraphic and sedimentological studies focused on the Upper Valdarno Basin during the past decades, and integrate them with recent investigations. The Upper Valdarno Basin is located about 35 km SE of Florence between the Chianti Mountains and the Pratomagno Ridge. It consists of a main asymmetric tectonic depression filled with 550 m of Plio-Pleistocene fluvio-lacustrine deposits (Upper Valdarno Basin s.s.) and a minor basin known as the Palazzolo sub-basin. The Upper Valdarno Basinfill is made of three unconformity-bounded units, named Castelnuovo dei Sabbioni (CSB), Montevarchi (VRC), Torrente Ciuffenna (UFF) synthems, whereas the Palazzolo sub-basin fill consists of the Fosso Salceto (OLC) and Torrente Ciuffenna (UFF) synthems. The Upper Valdarno Basin formed during Late Pliocene because of the tectonic damming of a northeastward flowing drainage. The early phase of basin development is recorded by the accumulation of fluvial gravels in vallive settings, whereas the definitive of these streams damming caused the development of lacustrine conditions at about 3.1 Ma. The accumulation of deltaic sand fed from the SW margin caused the lake filling and stopped the deposition of the CSB Synthem.Before 2.58 Ma, a tectonic phase caused uplift of the basin and partial erosion of the CSB deposits. Deposition of the lower part of the VRC Synthem occurred during a marked basin broadening and accumulation of alluvial fan successions, which were capped by aeolian-reworked alluvial sand deposited at about 2.5 Ma. At about 2.3 Ma, a new deformative phase caused further basin widening, erosion along the SW margin and development of a small lake inthe central areas. Deposition of the upper part of the Montevarchi Synthem started just after this tectonic phase and was characterized by development of axial fluvial drainage and marginal alluvial fans.During the Early Pleistocene (Olduvai Subchron, 1.95-1.78 Ma) a subsidence pulse promoted development of floodplain lakes and swamps in the axial part of the basin, where thick organic-rich mud were accumulated. During late Early Pleistocene the capture of the paleo-Arno River, which started to flow into the basin, caused the development of a marked unconformity. This unconformity was covered by fluvial and alluvial fan deposit in the axial part and along the margin respectively.


Feature Issue on ConvergenceWe focus on the integration of peer-to-peer strategies and simple object access protocol/extensible markup language (SOAP/XML) for inter-domain, user-driven provisioning in an automatic switched optical network/generalized multiprotocol label switching (ASON/GMPLS) network. To the soft-permanent connection (SPC) defined in ASON networks, a user-management interface is added to allow direct negotiation between the users and the management system. Moreover, the management system combines SOAP/XML and simple network management protocol (SNMP) to communicate with a GMPLS control plane that is responsible for rapid connection establishment, including routing and resource management. The management system is distributed and integrates a communication interface ( the internal management interface, I-MI) based on SOAP and on the peering strategy Chord to perform provisioning related actions. Experimentation results with an ASON/GMPLS testbed assess potential suitability of the overall approach for service provisioning due to its low delays and high flexibility.


CMMI-ACQ (Capability Maturity Model Integration for Acquisition) describes best practices for the successful acquisition of products and services. Providing a practical framework for improving acquisition processes, CMMI-ACQ addresses the growing trend in business and government for organizations to purchase or outsource required products and services as an alternative to in-house development or resource allocation. Modeled after CMMI, Second Edition, which documented CMMI for Development, this book is the definitive reference for the current release of CMMI for Acquisition (version 1.2). In addition to the entire CMMI-ACQ model, the book includes tips, hints, cross-references, and other author notes to help you understand, apply, and find more information about the content of the acquisition process areas. The authors also have added two chapters to illustrate the application of CMMI-ACQ in industry (a case study from General Motors) and government. Whether you are new to CMMI models or are already familiar with one or more of them, you will find this book an essential resource for managing your acquisition processes and improving your overall performance. The book is divided into three parts. Part One introduces CMMI-ACQ in the broad context of CMMI models, including essential concepts and useful background. It then describes and shows the relationships among all the components of the CMMI-ACQ process areas, and explains paths to the adoption and use of the model for process improvement and benchmarking. Finally, two separate chapters describe special acquisition needs in a government environment and real experiences with CMMI-ACQ from industry. Part Two first describes generic goals and generic practices, and then, in twenty-two sections, details each of the CMMI-ACQ process areas, including specific goals, specific practices, and examples. These process areas are organized alphabetically by process area acronym to facilitate quick reference. Part Three provides several useful references, including sources for further information about CMMI and CMMI-ACQ, acronym definitions, a glossary of terms, and an index.