Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves are a standard way to display the performance of a set of binary classifiers for all feasible ratios of the costs associated with false positives and false negatives. For linear classifiers, the set of classifiers is typically obtained by training once, holding constant the estimated slope and then varying the intercept to obtain a parameterized set of classifiers whose performances can be plotted in the ROC plane. In this paper, we consider the alternative of varying the asymmetry of the cost function used for training. We show that the ROC curve obtained by varying the intercept and the asymmetry—and hence the slope—always outperforms the ROC curve obtained by varying only the intercept. In addition, we present a path-following algorithm for the support vector machine (SVM) that can compute efficiently the entire ROC curve, that has the same computational properties as training a single classifier. Finally, we provide a theoretical analysis of the relationship between the asymmetric cost model assumed when training a classifier and the cost model assumed in applying the classifier. In particular, we show that the mismatch between the step function used for testing and its convex upper bounds usually used for training leads to a provable and quantifiable difference around extreme asymmetries.


We measured the height of Pd microdisks during H2 exposure using epi-illumination diffraction phase microscopy, a quantitative phase imaging technique for capturing nanoscale dynamics in situ. From these microdisk height measurements, we extracted the axial expansion coefficient as a function of H2 concentration as well as image sequences that show the instantaneous rate of axial expansion in a spatially and temporally resolved manner. Quantifying these two parameters is important in modeling Pd-based H2 sensors. For H2 concentrations below 0.5%, i.e. an order of magnitude below the lower explosive limit, the axial expansion coefficient followed the Freundlich distribution: Δh(c) = 1.28 c0.51 where Δh is the percentage change in height of the Pd microdisk and c is the percent concentration of H2 in N2. The fit agrees well with the anticipated square root dependence for diatomic gas.


From the Book:
Java™ technology has achieved remarkably widespread use in a very short time. The broad acceptance of Java reflects Java's technical strengths and feature set: platform-neutrality, dynamism, object-orientation, garbage collection, security, concurrency, robustness, and Internet savvy. The Java language has established itself as a mature, general-purpose programming language, and the standard Java class libraries provide an ever-broadening platform supporting a wide spectrum of application development.

Nevertheless, the speed and passion with which many developers have adopted Java shows that more than just technical soundness is at work. Java is fun to use and practical. It removes tedious and error-prone parts of application development such as memory management and cross-platform porting. It allows the developer to focus more energy on program design and functionality. The language is also comparatively easy to learn, thanks to a strong principle that guided the creation of Java: "Keep it simple!" An important corollary to this principle is: "Keep it learnable!" Java is not only fun to use but also fun to learn.

This book is a tool for developers learning to use Java. Its primary goals are unabashedly pragmatic:

to provide easy access to highly relevant information to avert or debug common misunderstandings and errors to give you the information you need in a form you can use

The Java FAQ is not a fully detailed treatise on Java technology-for this, see The Java Language Specification, The Java Virtual Machine Specification, or one of the API reference books in the JavaSeries. Nor is it a carefully guided, sequenced exposition of Java-for this, see The Java Programming Language or The Java Tutorial.

This book, by means of its frequently asked-question (FAQ) format, takes direct advantage of a teacher's two favorite tools, questions and examples. Questions specify an informational need: if you can spell out what information you are missing, you are more than halfway towards attaining it. A question sets the context for linking new information into existing knowledge; it establishes the relevance (or usefulness) of the information.

Examples, likewise, give a penetrating edge to information. A specific example is usually easier to grasp than the general idea it illustrates. Sample code, moreover, is an especially useful form of example, since it can often be built into larger, working programs.

What qualifies as a frequently asked question? The primary source of questions for this book was the e-mail traffic at the [email protected] address. This e-mail address was the default technical support pipeline for Java technology, especially in the formative period when Java and HotJava were progressing from a 1.0 alpha release, to beta, and finally to FCS (First Customer Ship). Although the term frequently asked questions suggests a collection of the most common questions (plus answers), this book has a slightly different target: frequently ask-worthy questions, that is, the questions you need to have answered in order to learn Java quickly and use it effectively. The Java FAQ aims for the question behind the question: the more general information gap or misunderstanding that, when filled or corrected, can answer a host of more specific questions. When you ask a question, it is important to know if your question has been answered. Thus, this book follows the admirable example set by The C++ FAQs (by Cline and Lomow, Addison-Wesley, 1995) of providing a highlighted short answer immediately following each question. This gives the answer in a nutshell, and the rest of the answer then explains and exemplifies the nutshell answer.

Many answers end in a pointer in the form of a partial URL (Uniform Resource Locator), such as GrabPixelsExample.html. These pointers refer to web pages containing sample code, applets, or other example material related to the answer. You can access these web pages by following links starting from the Java Series home page at the JavaSoft web site: http://java.sun.com/Series.

Each question-answer pair is intended to stand on its own as far as possible, but numerous cross references are included to indicate connections or dependencies in the material. You can dive into the middle of the book and follow leads from there, or you can start at the beginning and read straight through.

The Java FAQ covers the Java language, the Java Virtual Machine, and the standard classes in the following packages: java.lang, java.applet, java.awt, java.awt.image, java.awt.event, java.io, java.net, and java.util. This is essentially the contents of Sun's Java Devloper's Kit (JDK) 1.0 release together with updated information for the JDK 1.1 release. Information and sample code specific to one or another release is flagged explicitly throughout the book: "JDK 1.0.2" for the version most widely deployed during the span of this book's writing and "JDK 1.1" for the family of releases from JavaSoft in the first half of 1997 (JDK 1.1, 1.1.1, and 1.1.2). Packages representing wholly new functionality added in the JDK 1.1, such as java.rmi, java.beans, and java.security, are not covered.

This book would not have been possible but for the professional and personal assistance of many fine people at JavaSoft and elsewhere. Lisa Friendly first conceived of the book and encouraged me to take it on. Her patient yet persistent care as series editor helped me stick out this large project to the end. Carla Schroer graciously allowed me to take on the commitment despite other duties that were already claiming more than 100 percent of my time. Mary Aline's detailed edits of several early draft chapters reminded me to keep the writing clear, simple, and pleasantly grammatical. Mary Campione, Eric Chu, Jazmin Ellis, Doug Kramer, Nancy Lee, Rick Levenson, Marvin Ma, Ron Mandel, Freeman Murray, Scott Rautmann, Richard Scorer, Greg Voss, and Kathy Walrath added that nice human touch to my work environment, improving the quality of both my work time and my break time. For technical assistance with wide-ranging material, I am indebted to Tom Ball, Dave Brown, Patrick Chan, Dave Connelly, Jeff Dinkins, Pavani Diwanji, Amy Fowler, Jim Graham, Jeannette Hung, Herb Jellinek, Tim Lindholm, Marianne Mueller, Tim Prinzing, John Rose, Georges Saab, Nakul Saraiya, Sami Shaio, Arthur van Hoff, Chris Warth, and Frank Yellin. It was a delight to work with and learn from such a talented group of engineers. At Addison Wesley, Mike Hendrickson, Katie Duffy, Marina Lang, and Simone Payment made the difficult process of book development as sane as possible. Their good humor, hard work, and courteous professionalism go beyond the call of duty. Addison Wesley's manuscript reviewers and proofreaders considerably improved the book by their detailed comments and constructive criticism. In the later stages of the game, Vicki Hochstedler helped me navigate the joys and agonies of putting the book into final format, and Rosemary Simpson pulled together a painstaking and powerful index.

Above all, I am indebted to my family, who understand the demands of a normal job but gave up far more because of this book. My wife, Jean, is a gem. Her intelligence, honesty, thoughtfulness, and dead-on knack for the essential have been a cornerstone of my life and work for fifteen years. Thanks to her, I hope this book has not just content, but spirit. Our children, Kirsti, Silva, and Justin, are potent lessons in the value, challenge, and joy of life. Getting more time again to grow and play with them was special motivation for me to bring this project to conclusion. The household had one frequently asked question that couldn't be answered until the very end: "When will the book be done?" Well, the answer to that is finally, happily, at hand.

Jonni Kanerva
Mountain View, California
June, 1997


This paper studies how comparative advantage and the political elites' endowments shape long-run performance in an economy with imperfect political institutions. In a capital-scarce economy, an autocrat catering to the needs of landowners favours openness to trade at an early stage of development, while an autocrat complying with the preferences of capitalists chooses to shelter the economy from trade. The trade regime interacts with economic institutions, and with policies on capital mobility, to govern capital accumulation. A landed autocrat neglects to improve institutions and blocks foreign capital to maximize extractable rents, leading the economy towards stagnation. By contrast, a capitalist autocrat strengthens institutions, which promotes manufacturing TFP growth, gradually shifts the comparative advantage towards manufacturing and renders the economy attractive to foreign investors. Allowing for trade and foreign capital inflows are thus complementary policies that provide an environment of growth and development in the capital autocracy.


Recent interest in the tidal current industry has driven development of the prototype from the standalone turbine to the twin-turbine system. In this paper, we develop a numerical model to systematically analyze the relationship between the power output and the configuration of a twin-turbine system. First, we present the design principle of the twin-turbine system. We then develop the numerical model for simulating the operation of the system, and validate the model by conducting towing tank experimental tests. We then use the model to predict the power output of the system. The results of this study show that the total power output of a twin-turbine system with optimal layout can be about 25% higher than two times that of a stand-alone turbine. We also discuss the hydrodynamic interaction between the two turbines under different configurations of the system. We conclude that the optimally configured counter-rotating system should be a side-by-side system, and that the optimally configured co-rotating system should have the downstream turbine partially in the wake of the upstream turbine, depending on the detailed configuration of the turbine. & 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


The paper comprehensively researched characteristics and various indexes and properties of E-business websites by the expert grading method. A multi-index hierarchical structure was established for assessment of E-business website competitiveness. An assessment index system for E-business website competiveness was set up to quantize competiveness level of websites. Afterwards, the E-business websites were assessed and researched by the RBF neural network algorithm. Aiming at problems in the assessment research, RBF neural network algorithm was improved by Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm. It was found in empirical simulation comparison that assessment of E-business websites by FOA-RBF algorithm was obviously better than RBF neural network algorithm in accuracy and handling time. In this way, effectiveness and reliability of algorithm in the paper were verified. Along with rapid development of E-business in recent years, competition has also become increasingly keen. If an E-business website can completely assess and know its competiveness, website construction will be strengthened and the website will be improved. As the premise for an enterprise to strengthen competiveness and obtain competitive advantages, such assessment and acquaintance shall also be realized at present.


Background: Traditional Japanese drugs called Kampo medicine are widely used in Japan. Each Kampo medicine consists of several crude drugs, most of which are derived from medicinal plants. Clinical administration has empirically evaluated the effects of Kampo medicine In contrast, functional foods are prepared from foods and edible plants (e.g., herbs, vegetables, and fruits). Due to the relatively low content of a pharmacologically active constituents in functional foods, their effectiveness has not been well evaluated and thus should be better investigated. Kampo medicine and functional foods have beneficial effects for humans, and many of them exhibit anti-inflammatory effects. Here, we discuss the principles and methods to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of functional foods and Kampo medicine.To investigate pharmacological effects of functional foods and Kampo medicines, their constituents should be isolated to identify their chemical structures. Cell-based studies are commonly performed to evaluate anti-inflammatory effects of the constituents in Kampo medicine and functional foods. Primary cultured rat hepatocytes are used and produce pro-inflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide. When an extract from a Kampo medicine, functional food, or a respective constituent is added to the medium, pro-inflammatory mediator production decreases, and the anti-inflammatory activity is estimated. Animal experiments have been performed using disease models, such as the endotoxemia model for animals, to which bacterial endotoxin is administered. Administering an effective functional food or Kampo medicine improves the survival of the model animals. The action of the anti-inflammatory effects of functional foods and Kampo medicines can be investigated by the above-mentioned methods. The studies using cells and animals will provide a basis for the safe and effective use of functional foods and Kampo medicine in humans to treat diseases or improve health conditions.Keywords: herbal drug, Kampo medicine, nitric oxide, inflammation, hepatocytes.


Western culture has a long and fraught history of cultural appropriation, a history that has particular resonance within performance practice. Patrice Pavis asks what is at stake politically and aesthetically when cultures meet at the crossroads of theatre.? A series of major recent productions are analysed, including Peter Brook's Mahabharata, Cixous/Mnouchkine's Indiande, and Barba's Faust. These focus discussions on translation, appropriation, adaptation, cultural misunderstanding, and theatrical exploration. Never losing sight of the theatrical experience, Pavis confronts problems of colonialism, anthropology, and ethnography. This signals a radical movement away from the director and the word, towards the complex relationship between performance, performer, and spectator. Despite the problematic politics of cultural exchange in the theatre, interculturalism is not a one-sided process. Using the metaphor of the hourglass to discuss the transfer between source and target culture, Pavis asks what happens when the hourglass is turned upside down, when the 'foreign' culture speaks for itself.


The web has become an indispensable part of our lives. Unfortunately, as our dependency on the web increases, so does the interest of attackers in exploiting web applications and web-based information systems. Previous work in the field of web application security has mainly focused on the mitigation of Cross Site Scripting) and SQL injection attacks. In contrast, Cross Site Request Forgery attacks  have not received much attention. In an attack, the trust of a web application in its authenticated users is exploited by letting the attacker make arbitrary HTTP requests on behalf of a victim user. The problem is that web applications typically act upon such requests without verifying that the performed actions are indeed intentional. Because is a relatively new security problem, it is largely unknown by web application developers. As a result, there exist many web applications that are vulnerable to attacks. Unfortunately, existing mitigation approaches are time-consuming and error-prone, as they require manual effort to integrate defense techniques into existing systems. In this paper, we present a solution that provides a completely automatic protection from attacks. More precisely, our approach is based on a server-side proxy that detects and prevents attacks in a way that is transparent to users as well as to the web application itself. We provide experimental results that demonstrate that we can use our prototype to secure a number of popular open-source web applications, without negatively affecting their behavior.


Purpose

The literature has shown great interest in open innovation (OI), and also discussed its degree of openness based on, for example, the number of parties involved. Less is known, however, about what makes OI processes work. The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss the importance of trust in OI, and the paper specifically focusses on a start-up company's OI processes with collaboration parties. The paper points out how a lack of trust antecedents may disable such OI processes.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical part of the paper consists of a case study on a medicine technology start-up. Interviews and analyses of secondary sources made up the main data capturing methods. Each collaboration between the start-up and another party is analysed through three trust antecedents: contractual, competence based, and goodwill.

Findings

The paper shows how either party may have chosen to discontinue the collaboration, based on the lack of competence or goodwill antecedents to trust. Specifically, the case indicates how the start-up discontinues the collaboration based on a perceived lack of goodwill, while the collaboration party bases its decision on competence deficits by the start-up.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to previous research through describing OI related to start-ups, and introducing trust antecedents as prerequisites for OI. To the literature on trust, trust mutuality makes a research contribution.


The creation of a semi insulating (SI) buffer layer in AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) devices is crucial for preventing a current path beneath the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). In this investigation, we evaluate the use of a gaseous carbon gas precursor, propane, for creating a SI GaN buffer layer in a HEMT structure. The carbon doped profile, using propane gas, is a two stepped profile with a high carbon doping (1.5 x 10(18) cm(-3)) epitaxial layer closest to the substrate and a lower doped layer (3 x 10(16) cm(-3)) closest to the 2DEG channel. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry measurement shows a uniform incorporation versus depth, and no memory effect from carbon doping can be seen. The high carbon doping (1.5 x 10(18) cm(-3)) does not influence the surface morphology, and a roughness root-mean-square value of 0.43 nm is obtained from Atomic Force Microscopy. High resolution X-ray diffraction measurements show very sharp peaks and no structural degradation can be seen related to the heavy carbon doped layer. HEMTs are fabricated and show an extremely low drain induced barrier lowering value of 0.1 mV/V, demonstrating an excellent buffer isolation. The carbon doped GaN buffer layer using propane gas is compared to samples using carbon from the trimethylgallium molecule, showing equally low leakage currents, demonstrating the capability of growing highly resistive buffer layers using a gaseous carbon source.


Not everyone believes in the desirability of Intellectual Property (IP) rights for individual creators, but almost everyone believes that even when these rights make sense the cost of moving them around is a major headache. One aspect of anti-commons theory is the observation that the cost of assembling and aggregating property rights (including IP) is an important and often hidden downside of the logic of individual ownership. Put simply, no one has much of a good word to say about transaction costs. I begin with the conventional point that sometimes the benefits of disaggregated production of IP-covered works are worth the cost. But then I go further and argue that the benefits of individual autonomy and small team production are substantial enough that, in some cases, society ought to encourage this type of production even when the net measurable costs of this arrangement are slightly negative. Transaction costs, in other words, are sometimes the byproduct of production arrangements that serve important normative values (autonomy and independence, for example), and when this is so they ought to be tolerated.


One of the most important consequences of the 2002 midterm congressional election will be its effect on federal judicial appointments. With the same political party controlling the White House and the Senate for the first time in eight years, President George W. Bush should have an easier time securing Senate confirmation of his federal judges than he did during his first two years in office. (1) As of January 1, 2003, the president had sixty vacancies to fill on the federal bench, including twenty-five on the courts of appeals. (2) There was also much speculation that Bush would have the opportunity to appoint at least one justice to the Supreme Court in 2003. (3) The last Supreme Court vacancy had occurred in 1994 when Harry Blackmun resigned and President Bill Clinton appointed Stephen Breyer. With more than eight years since that vacancy, the nation faced the longest stretch without an opening on the Supreme Court since 1823. That stretch had been dominated by "divided government." Democrats controlled the White House while Republicans controlled both houses of Congress from 1995 through 2000. Republicans controlled the White House and the House of Representatives while Democrats controlled the Senate from 2001 through 2002. (4) Those eight years of all but continuous divided government were part of an emerging pattern. From 1969 through 2002, the same political party had controlled the White House and both houses of Congress for only six out of twenty-four years. (5) The same party controlled both the Senate and the White House for only twelve of those twenty-four. (6) Although divided government has been the norm since World War II, unified government had been the norm before that. (7) Divided control of the White House and the Senate has significant ramifications for judicial appointments because presidents only have the authority under the constitution to nominate individuals to fill those posts. Appointment only comes with the "advice and consent" of the Senate. The recent period of divided government has been accompanied by a trend toward polarized politics in the United States. (8) Political scientists Jon Bond and Richard Fleisher have documented the decline in the number of "partisan nonconformists" in Congress (which they define as "moderate and cross-pressured Democrats and Republicans"). (9) As a result, the parties in Congress have become more polarized, leading to a dramatic increase in partisan voting. The trend began in the House of Representatives after the 1982 midterm elections. The trend did not emerge in the Senate until some years later, but by the mid 1990s the Senate (as measured by party votes) was even more partisan than the House. (10) Another political scientist, Gary Jacobson, has noted that this has been accompanied by an increase in partisanship among the electorate: Party loyalty has increased, ticket splitting has decreased, and the ideological gap between members of the two parties has widened. (11) All of this has helped to increase the likelihood of confirmation battles over judicial nominees. It also produced "confirmation gridlock"--a dramatic slowdown of the confirmation process for federal judges--begun by the Republicans after President Clinton's re-election in 1996 and perpetuated by the Democrats in the first two years of the Bush administration. Polarized politics led to confirmation battles and confirmation gridlock because judicial appointments were thought by participants in the process to have a potentially profound impact on public policy. White House aide Tom Charles Huston made this clear in a 1969 memorandum to President Richard Nixon. Huston noted that judicial nominations were perhaps the least considered aspect of Presidential power.... In approaching the bench, it is necessary to remember that the decision as to who will make the decisions affects what decisions will be made. That is, the role the judiciary will play in different historical eras depends as much on the type of men who become judges as it does on the constitutional rules which appear to [guide them]. …


AIM
To study whether the glucocorticoid receptor (GR/NR3C1) gene haplotypes influence the steroid therapy outcome in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

METHODS
We sequenced all coding exons and flanking intronic sequences of the NR3C1 gene in 181 IBD patients, determined the single nucleotide polymorphisms, and predicted the NR3C1 haplotypes. Furthermore, we investigated whether certain NR3C1 haplotypes are significantly associated with steroid therapy outcomes.

RESULTS
We detected 13 NR3C1 variants, which led to the formation of 17 different haplotypes with a certainty of > 95% in 173 individuals. The three most commonly occurring haplotypes were included in the association analysis of the influence of haplotype on steroid therapy outcome or IBD activity. None of the NR3C1 haplotypes showed statistically significant association with glucocorticoid therapy success.

CONCLUSION
NR3C1 haplotypes are not related to steroid therapy outcome.


A state-of-the-art chemistry climate model coupled to a three-dimensional ocean model is used to produce three experiments, all seamlessly covering the period 1950–2100, forced by different combinations of long-lived Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) and Ozone Depleting Substances (ODSs). The experiments are designed to quantify the separate effects of GHGs and ODSs on the evolution of ozone, as well as the extent to which these effects are independent of each other, by alternately holding one set of these two forcings constant in combination with a third experiment where both ODSs and GHGs vary. We estimate that up to the year 2000 the net decrease in the column amount of ozone above 20 hPa is approximately 75% of the decrease that can be attributed to ODSs due to the offsetting effects of cooling by increased CO 2. Over the 21st century, as ODSs decrease, continued cooling from CO 2 is projected to account for more than 50% of the projected increase in ozone above 20 hPa. Changes in ozone below 20 hPa show a redistribution of ozone from tropical to extra-tropical latitudes with an increase in the Brewer-Dobson circulation. In addition to a latitudinal redistribution of ozone, we find that the globally averaged column amount of ozone below 20 hPa decreases over the 21st century, which significantly mitigates the effect of upper stratospheric cooling on total column ozone. Analysis by linear regression shows that the recovery of ozone from the effects of ODSs generally follows the decline in reactive chlorine and bromine levels, with the exception of the lower polar stratosphere where recovery of ozone in the second half of the 21st century is slower than would be indicated by the decline in reactive chlorine and bromine concentraCorrespondence to: D. A. Plummer (firstname.lastname@example.com) tions. These results also reveal the degree to which GHGrelated effects mute the chemical effects of N 2O on ozone in the standard future scenario used for the WMO Ozone Assessment. Increases in the residual circulation of the atmosphere and chemical effects from CO 2 cooling more than halve the increase in reactive nitrogen in the mid to upper tratosphere that results from the specified increase in N 2O between 1950 and 2100.


Background: Caustic substance ingestion is known for causing a wide array of gastrointestinal and systemic complications. In Russia, ingestion of acetic acid is a major problem which annually affects 11.2 per 100,000 individuals. The objective of this study was to report and analyze main complications and outcomes of patients with 70% concentrated acetic acid poisoning. Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients with acetic acid ingestion who were treated at Sverdlovsk Regional Poisoning Treatment Center during 2006 to 2012. GI mucosal injury of each patient was assessed with endoscopy according to Zargar's scale. Data analysis was performed to analyze the predictors of stricture formation and mortality. Results: A total of 400 patients with median age of 47 yr were included. GI injury grade I was found in 66 cases (16.5%), IIa in 117 (29.3%), IIb in 120 (30%), IIIa in 27 (16.7%) and IIIb in 70 (17.5%). 11% of patients developed strictures and overall mortality rate was 21%. Main complications were hemolysis (55%), renal injury (35%), pneumonia (27%) and bleeding during the first 3 days (27%). Predictors of mortality were age 60 to 79 years, grade IIIa and IIIb of GI injury, pneumonia, stages "I", "F" and "L" of kidney damage according to the RIFLE scale and administration of prednisolone. Predictors of stricture formation were ingestion of over 100 mL of acetic acid and grade IIb and IIIa of GI injury. Conclusion: Highly concentrated acetic acid is still frequently ingested in Russia with a high mortality rate. Patients with higher grades of GI injury, pneumonia, renal injury and higher amount of acid ingested should be more carefully monitored as they are more susceptible to develop fatal consequences.


Generic drugs play an important role in disciplining drug prices and controlling rising drug costs. However, the effect that an additional generic drug competitor has on drug prices is difficult to measure because the number of firms competing in a market is endogenously determined. We identify the causal effects of a second and a third generic competitor on generic drug prices by exploiting the 180-day period of marketing exclusivity created by provisions of the HatchWaxman Act. The effects of the second and third competitors on price have important implications for drug competition policy and the interpretation of theory relating price to competition in generic drug markets. We find significant biases associated with estimates that do not properly account for endogenous entry. Specifically, we find that the failure to account for endogenous entry leads to significant underestimation of the effects of two and three competitors on generic drug prices, especially among large drugs.


In her first two terms on the Supreme Court, Justice Elena Kagan has crafted a distinctive judicial voice that speaks to her readers in a remarkably conversational tone. She employs a variety of rhetorical devices: invocations to "remember" or "pretend"; informal and even colloquial diction; a diverse assortment of similes and metaphors; and parenthetical interjections that guide the reader's response. These strategies engage the reader in much the same way that Kagan as law professor may well have worked to engage her students, and in the context of judicial opinions they serve several purposes. They make Kagan's opinions accessible to lay readers as well as legal professionals, a goal she has specified. More generally, her conversational style works to persuade her readers that her arguments are grounded in both legal doctrine and the familiar texture of human experience.


The major element and Sr isotope geochemistry of surface waters, bedrock, and river sands was investigated in the Raikhot watershed within the High Himalayan Crystalline Series (HHCS) in northern Pakistan. Mass-balance calculations of mineral-weathering contributions to the dissolved flux of ions from the watershed indicate that 82% of the HCO 3 − flux is derived from the weathering of carbonate minerals and only 18% is derived from silicate weathering, even though the bedrock is predominantly quartzofeldspathic gneiss and granite with only ∼1% carbonate in the watershed. This study demonstrates the importance of trace amounts of bedrock carbonate in controlling the water chemistry of glacial watersheds. We suggest that the flux of Sr with a high 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio in the major Himalayan rivers may be derived in large part from weathering of trace amounts of calcite within the largely silicate HHCS. Models that use the flux of radiogenic Sr from the Himalayas as a proxy for silicate weathering rates may, therefore, overestimate the amount of CO 2 consumption due to silicate weathering in the Himalaya.


The text clarifies the biography and works of Ferdinando Martini (1841-1929), researcher and bibliophile, owner of a big library, which was later given to the Biblioteca Forteguerriana in Pistoia. Martini was at his time, together with Bonghi, the politician most involved in the reassessment of library policies in Italy after the national unification. He was Deputate at the Italian Parliement between 1876 and 1919, General Secretary of the Ministry of Education and collaborator of the Minister, Michele Coppino, in the first Giolitti government (1892-1893). He attended the 1879 inquiry on the Alessandrina Library in Rome, which is here re-examined, and partecipated in the political debate on State libraries in Italy, especially on the two National libraries founded in Rome and Florence. Martini's contribute to the Regulation on governmental libraries in Italy (october 28th, 1885, no. 346) reveals also his commitment to promoting the knowledge of the national bibliographic heritage, especially through the project Indici e cataloghi for the description of the main Italian collections of manuscripts and books.


At most church weddings, the person presiding over the ritual is not a priest or a pastor, but the wedding planner, followed by the photographer, the florist, and the caterer. And in this day and age, more wedding theology is supplied by Modern Bride magazine or reality television than by any of the Christian treatises on holy matrimony. Indeed, church weddings have strayed long and far from distinctly Christian aspirations. The costumes and gestures might still be right, but the intentions are hardly religious. Why then, asks noted gay commentator Mark D. Jordan, are so many churches vehemently opposed to blessing same-sex unions? In this incisive work, Jordan shows how carefully selected ideals of Christian marriage have come to dominate recent debates over same-sex unions. Opponents of gay marriage, he reveals, too often confuse simplified ideals of matrimony with historical facts. They suppose, for instance, that there has been a stable Christian tradition of marriage across millennia, when in reality Christians have quarreled among themselves for centuries about even the most basic elements of marital theology, authorizing experiments like polygamy and divorce. Jordan also argues that no matter what the courts do, Christian churches will have to decide for themselves whether to bless same-sex unions. No civil compromise can settle the religious questions surrounding gay marriage. And queer Christians, he contends, will have to discover for themselves what they really want out of marriage. If they are not just after legal recognition as a couple or a place at the social table, do they really seek the blessing of God? Or just the garish melodrama of a white wedding? Posing trenchant questions such as these, Blessing Same-Sex Unions will be a must-read for both sides of the debate over gay marriage in America today.


Hummingbirds have one of the highest mass-specific metabolic rates among vertebrate animals. High activities of pyruvate carboxylase (an enzyme involved in gluconeogenesis) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (an enzyme involved in fatty acid synthesis) in hummingbird liver indicate that biosynthetic capacity is adjusted to cope with the high metabolic fuel requirements imposed by small size and hovering flight. This high biosynthetic capacity is supported by a correspondingly high oxidative capacity, as judged qualitatively by the abundance of mitochondria in electron micrographs and quantitatively by the presence of high citrate synthase activity (a Krebs cycle enzyme). To support their high metabolic fuel requirements, hummingbirds may possess the most biosynthetically active livers in nature.


The 2022 Annual Business Review (ABR) provides an overview of the IDB's performance on sovereign-guaranteed outputs and lending program priorities. The ABR identifies trend deviations from IDB portfolio targets to support Bank managements efforts to identify and implement corrective measures. This edition compiles data for all quarters in 2022.


Abstract Contemporary models of light conditions on the forest floor can be divided into two categories: undercanopy models that allow the light conditions in a stand under the canopy to be simulated, and models that take into account shielding from the side. Under-canopy models precisely estimate the availability of wavelengths of light spatially distributed under the canopy of stands: however, these models require a large amount of data on the spatial structure of forest stands. The other class of models describe the light conditions on a particular open surface. These incorporate shielding from the side and are easier to use as they require less data than under-canopy models. In practice, in forest conditions, such models require data on the size, shape and geographical location of surveyed surfaces (e.g. gaps and cut areas) and on the height of the surrounding stand. Often, these data are available in databases, such as the State Forest Information System (SKP), orcan otherwise be obtained relatively easily (and inexpensively). Compared to under-canopy models, these models provide a cheap way to obtain useful information on variation in the light environment that affects the microclimate for regenerating plants on clearcuts and canopy gaps.


In case of unsuccessful application of VVER1000 Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs) for different reasons during the accident in Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), the operators have to leave the EOPs and to start applying Severe Accident Management Guidance (SAMGs). This paper presents calculation results using computer code for validation of operator actions during severe accident conditions in NPP with VVER-1000 type of reactors. The Kozloduy NPP Units 5&6 has been selected as a reference NPP. As an analytical tool has been used ASTECvp2r3p2 computer code developed by IRSN and GRS. The work is oriented on investigation of plant behavior mainly after beginning of reactor core heat up, due to simulation of Large Break Loss of Coolant Accident (LB LOCA) with simultaneous loss of AC and DC power. It is assumed that DGs are missing until a certain plant state, and after that they are available. It have been done calculations without and with operator actions selected based on severe accident management strategies considered in KozloduyNuclear Power Plant (KNPP). Based on the SAMG strategies the operator should depressurize primary circuit by gas removing system (YR) if there is a need of additional primary depressurization and to start to cool down the reactor core at 923 K and 1253 K core exit temperatures as it is pointed in SAMG strategy. The purpose of these analyses is to study the reactor core behavior parameters and to estimate the time available for performing actions. The main goal is to analyze the possibility of preserving the reactor core from damage during a severe accident and to assess hydrogen generation as a result of reflooding of the overheated core. LB LOCA scenario has been selected with break sizes ID 300 mm in the cold leg between main coolant pump (MCP) and reactor pressure vessel. The cold water is injected by a high pressure pump (HPP) in the undamaged cold leg.


Abstract Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) result in lost-time injury claims and lost productivity worldwide, placing a substantial burden on workers and workplaces. Participatory ergonomics (PE) is a popular approach to reducing MSDs; however, there are challenges to implementing PE programmes. Using evidence to overcome challenges may be helpful but the impacts of doing so are unknown. We sought to disseminate an evidence-based PE tool and to describe its use. An easy-to-use, evidence-based PE Guide was disseminated to workplace parties, who were surveyed about using the tool. The greatest barrier to using the tool was a lack of time. Reported tool use included for training purposes, sharing and integrating the tool into existing programmes. New actions related to tool use included training, defining team responsibilities and suggesting programme implementation steps. Evidence-based tools could help ergonomists overcome some challenges involved in implementing injury reduction programmes such as PE. Practitioner Summary Practitioners experience challenges implementing programmes to reduce the burden of MSDs in workplaces. Implementing participatory interventions requires multiple workplace parties to be 'on-board'. Disseminating and using evidence-based guides may help to overcome these challenges. Using evidence-based tools may help ergonomics practitioners implement PE programmes.


A major figure in Latin American struggles for women's rights and social justice, Magda Portal (1900-1989) co-founded the revolutionary nationalist APRA Party of Peru and was the principal women's leader of that party. In her Chilean exile Portal discovered the nineteenth century writer and social reformer, Flora Tristan. In 1944 Portal offered her first lecture on Tristan (1803-1844)—a brilliant diarist and journalist as well as a seminal social theorist, labor organizer, champion of women's rights, and a significant precursor—arguably co-founder—of socialist internationalism. Expanding and revising her initial account, Portal continued into her later years to lecture on Tristan, whom she revered as an exemplary social fighter. The introduction by Weaver, author of Peruvian Rebel, The World of Magda Portal, situates the lecture in the context of Portal's own life and her evolving views on the role of women in a developing country, noting parallels between Portal's life and that of Tristan. Portal's admiring narrative starts with Tristan's beginnings as the daughter of an aristocratic Peruvian landowner living in Spain and France, proceeding through the father's death, the family's impoverishment, and Tristan's awakening to the social misery occasioned by rapid industrialization. Portal traces Tristan's journey to Peru to present herself as a hopeful but unrecognized heir to her late father's lands. The publication of Tristan's Peruvian diaries is mentioned: an acerbic critique of a decadent colonial upper class. Portal also treats Tristan's travels in industrial London; her attempts to organize workers throughout the industrial zones of France; her involvement with the Chartists, the Utopians, and the proto-socialist circles that included Marx and Engels; as well as her attempts to escape a homicidal husband when divorce in France was outlawed. Portal's bibliography and notes are supplemented by translator's notes and bibliographical references.


The Arctic Council is an international institution made up of the eight states that have territory in the Arctic, namely Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States, as well as six indigenous peoples' organizations. When states created the Council in 1996, it was a research institution that addressed environmental issues and a loosely defined version of sustainable development. It was a weak institution, without a permanent secretariat. By 2014, it had become a policy-making body, as well as a research body, that addressed a wide range of issues, with the aid of a permanent secretariat. New states and institutions sought to become a part of the Council, which potentially challenged the role of the indigenous peoples' organizations. This thesis answers the following question: how can we explain this evolution of the Arctic Council? It examines the Council's evolving mandate, policy-making role, institutional capacity and membership. It addresses this question by analyzing three international relations theories, namely functionalism, neorealism and neoliberal institutionalism. This thesis concludes that the economic opportunities in the region made possible by climate change best explain the evolution of the Arctic Council. Neoliberal institutionalism best explains the evolution of the Council, while neorealism provides the best explanation for the outcome of that process.


Photo-grafting is a straightforward and promising technique for surface modification of polymeric membranes. This work emphasized on the development and investigation of surface-selective photo-grafting method from polar organic solution; on the other hand, on the preparation of membrane adsorbers via the proposed grafting methods and evaluation of the resulting membrane adsorbers.
Two novel surface-selective photo-grafting methods have been developed: synergist immobilization and iniferter immobilization methods. Hydrophilized polypropylene (PP) microfiltration (MF) membrane, whose surface polymer layer contains polyacrylate, was used as base membrane for both methods; track-etched polyethylene terephthalate (PET) MF membranes (PET200 and PET400) were used for extension of synergist immobilization method and further investigation; methanol or acetonitrile solution of acrylamide (AAm) with/without cross-linker (EDMA) was applied for investigation of grafting mechanism.
For synergist immobilization method, the synergist (tertiary amino groups) for photo-initiator benzophenone (BP) was introduced onto the membrane surface via an aminolysis reaction with diethyl ethylenediamine (DEEDA). The reaction conditions have been optimized. The proposed grafting mechanism was verified by the significant difference in degree of grafting (DG) between original and aminolysed membranes. In order to better understand and improve this novel method, detailed investigation of functionalization parameters and affecting factors has been carried out. The grafted membranes were characterized by ATR-IR, contact angle, SEM, permporometry, liquid permeability and zeta potential. The obtained results demonstrated that the highest surface-selectivity of photo-grafting could be achieved only under the optimum grafting conditions, i.e., inert solvent to excited BP should be used to reduce/avoid homopolymerization in bulk solution; appropriately low UV intensity should be applied to exclude the uncontrolled side grafting reaction (another functionalization mechanism was discovered at high UV intensity based on direct generation of starter radical); appropriately low BP concentration was used to reduce the non-selective photo-grafting. Thus, the grafted layer could be well controlled by immobilized synergist concentration, UV irradiation time, monomer concentration and initiator concentration. In addition, this method has been successfully applied to track-etched PET membrane, and it is also expected to functionalize other polymeric membranes with similar chemical structure.
For iniferter immobilization method, the reaction conditions for immobilization of photo-iniferter (dithiocarbamate group) have been optimized. The grafting mechanism has been verified by the relationship between DG and photo-iniferter concentration. Detailed investigation with respect to grafting efficiency, uniformity on the whole membrane surface and controlled grafted layer structure has been carried out. This grafting method exhibited high grafting efficiency, uniform modification and high controllability. However, the re-initiation efficiency was low for the selected grafting system based on the significant difference in DG value obtained by continuous and intermittent UV irradiation.
Via developed synergist immobilization method and conventional photo-initiator adsorption method, three types of anion-exchange membranes (low and high grafting density and slightly cross-linked grafted layer) have been prepared in aqueous solution of (2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl) trimethylammonium chloride (MAETMAC) with/without EDMA, using hydrophilized PP MF membrane as support. The effect of grafted layer architecture on protein binding capacity and liquid permeability has been investigated. Buffer/elution solution permeability, static and dynamic protein binding behaviors have been determined for selected resulting anion-exchange membranes. Analyses demonstrated that cross-linking of grafted layer and high grafting density can improve the liquid permeability of membrane adsorbers. But the protein binding capacity was relatively low for high grafting density membrane. In comparison, the membranes with slightly cross-linked grafted layer exhibited improved overall performance. In addition, compared to conventional adsorption method, synergist immobilization method is a more efficient and suitable grafting technique for the preparation of anion-exchange membranes with three-dimensional grafted layer based on the higher grafting efficiency and better dynamic performance for membrane adsorbers prepared via this method.
For the preparation of affinity membrane, track-etched PET400 membrane was grafted with a special functional copolymer with bisphosphonate ester groups via synergist immobilization method from acetonitrile solution. The resulting affinity membrane showed high binding capacity for selected proteins. Especially, it was found that markedly higher binding capacity and affinity have been achieved for lysozyme than for cytochrome C, both proteins with similar pI value and protein size. With this affinity membrane, the protein separation has been realized in the 1:1 mixture solution of lysozyme and cytochrome C with a very high selectivity.
Using hydrophilized PP MF membrane, MIP thin-layer composite membranes have been prepared via synergist immobilization. However, the imprinting effect was not observed probably due to the influence of synergist on the stability of formed complex between functional monomer and template and template concentration in bulk solution. The optimization of composition for MIP has been performed.
Iniferter immobilization method would be a promising alternative. MIP thin-layer composite membranes have been synthesized via this method, but the evaluation and further investigation is still in progress.


Background There is rapidly increasing pressure to employ social media in medical education, but a review of the literature demonstrates that its value and role are uncertain. Objective To determine if medical educators have a conceptual framework that informs their use of social media and whether this framework can be mapped to learning theory. Methods Thirty-six participants engaged in an iterative, consensus building process that identified their conceptual framework and determined if it aligned with one or more learning theories. Results The results show that the use of social media by the participants could be traced to two dominant theories—Connectivism and Constructivism. They also suggest that many medical educators may not be fully informed of these theories. Conclusions Medical educators' use of social media can be traced to learning theories, but these theories may not be explicitly utilised in instructional design. It is recommended that formal education (faculty development) around learning theory would further enhance the use of social media in medical education.


The significance of familiarity with and interest in the cultural features of the target language society has been highly recognized. The present study investigated the attitude of Iranian language learners towards the incorporation of cultural components of the target language community into their classroom instructions from affective, cognitive, and behavioral viewpoints. The data were collected through the completion of a 12-item Likert scale attitude questionnaire by 47 Iranian adult intermediate-level learners of English as a foreign language at a language institute in Iran, following a semester-long cultural instructions. The findings suggested that Iranian language learners have overall positive attitudes towards learning about the target language culture and this positive attitude is evident within affective, behavioral, and more significantly cognitive domains. The pedagogical implications of the study suggested integration of target language cultural components into every language classroom instruction.


Objective: Systemic hypoperfusion is intricately involved in neurohormone secretion, vascular calcification (VC) related impaired vasodilation, and luminal stenosis. We aimed to conduct a joint evaluation of vasopressin-neurophysin II-copeptin peptide (VP) and advanced aortic arch calcification (AAC) on all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Methods: Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of mortality risks were analyzed for different groups of VP and AAC in 167 MHD patients. The modification effect between higher VP and advanced AAC on mortality risk was examined using an interaction product term. Results: Interactions between VP and AAC with respect to all-cause and CV mortality were statistically significant. In multivariable analysis, higher VP predicted all-cause and CV mortality [aHR: 2.2 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1–4.5)] and 2.6 (95% CI: 1.1–4.6), respectively. Advanced AAC was associated with incremental risks of all-cause and CV mortality [aHR: 2.1 (95% CI: 1.1–4.0)and 2.5 (95% CI: 1.0–4.3), respectively]. Patients with combined higher VP (>101.5 ng/mL) and advanced AAC were at the greatest risk of all-cause and CV mortality [aHR: 4.7 (95% CI: 1.2–16.2)and 4.9 (95% CI: 1.1–18.9), respectively]. Conclusion: Combined VP and advanced AAC predict not only all-cause but also CV death in MHD patients, and a joint evaluation is more comprehensive than single marker. In light of hypoperfusion and ischemic events in vital organs, VP and AAC could act as more robust dual marker for prognostic assessment.


This study was designed to test the main effects and interaction effects of applicant sex, applicant physical attractiveness, rater sex and rater sex-role stereotype on the ratings of applicants in the screening phase of undergraduate student admission procedures. The participants were undergraduate students in the allied health sciences at a regional university in the southeast. The experimental task, consisted of rating hypothetical applicants on overall suitability, a series of adjectives which reflect personality characteristics of the applicant, and assigning causal attributions for the past performance of the candidate. Each subject evaluated four hypothetical applicants attractive male, unattractive male, attractive female and unattractive female. The four independent variables yielded a 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design. Rater sex and sex-role stereotype were between-group factors and applicant sex and applicant attractiveness were repeated measures. Results of the repeated measures analysis of variance on the ratings of the candidate's overall suitability indicated that attractive applicants were rated higher than unattractive applicants; male applicants were rated higher than female applicants; and suitability ratings from female raters were significantly higher than the ratings from male raters. There was no main effect for the rater's sex-role stereotype. Analysis also revealed chat there were two significant Interactions which affected candidate ratings; the rater sex/applicant attractiveness interaction and the applicant sex/rater sex-role stereotype interaction. Analysis of the bipolar adjectives revealed that high levels of attractiveness were associated with positive traits and low levels of attractiveness were associated with negative traits. The analyses of the causal attributions revealed a significant main effect for applicant attractiveness on the ratings for ability, effort and luck. The past performance of attractive applicants was attributed to a higher level of ability and effort; the past performance of unattractive applicants was attributed more to luck.


A new theory of gravitation is developed. The theory is equivalent to that of Einstein in the description of macroscopic phenomena, and hence the situation is the same so far as the classical tests of general relativity are concerned. The new theory differs in its global implications, however. There are two main differences of principle. In the usual theory, the negative sign of the constant of proportionality –8πG which appears in the field equations Rik – ½gikR = –8πGTik is chosen arbitrarily. In the present theory there is no such ambiguity; the sign must be minus. Further, the magnitude of G follows from a determination of the mean density of matter, thereby enabling the cosmologist to know how hard he will hit the ground if he is unfortunate enough to fall over a cliff. The second point of principle is that the equation Rik = 0 for an empty world in Einstein theory becomes meaningless; there is no such thing as an 'empty' world; in the present theory emptiness demands no world at all. Nor can there be a world containing a single particle, the least number of particles is two.


The paper presents two phases of the subject. (I) Schematic description of an apparently new type of optical instrument, designed by Liggett and Dodd, which permits conditions within wide limits for accommodation of the eyes independent of convergence, and also the measurement of muscular imbalance (strabismus) and range of fusion. It uses plane mirrors rather than refracting prisms, thus eliminating distortion, chromatic aberration and astigmatism in the images. The optical system is essentially different from that of the short-base range finder and of the Helmholtz stereoscope, in that (a) rays enter the eyes from the outer rather than the inner mirrors, and (b) the outer mirrors are variable in position through large angles. (II) Derivation of geometrical expressions for (1) magnitude of "field of view" (that is, angular range of visibility of secondary image of stationary point-object), (2) direction of field of view, and (3) boundaries of useful areas of mirrors, —applicable to a pair of independently variable plane mirrors with parallel axes in the respective planes, as adapted in an instrument of this kind (one pair of mirrors to each eye).The designing entailed the fulfilling of several requirements having somewhat narrow limits and culminated in finding a suitable combination of some half-dozen variable quantities.


The Pak Pa-Nang River Basin is located in southern Thailand. Its environmental degradation has been arising because its catchment is mineralized with substantial deposits of tin forming part of the SE Asian Tin Belt, with the presence of arsenopyrite gives rise to high arsenic concentrations, mobilized during past mining activity. Suitable techniques have been developed, for the extraction of arsenic species in a variety of environmental and biological samples. Trypsin and cellulase enzymatic extraction procedures were used to extract arsenic species from fish and plant samples, respectively. Arsenic species in sediments were determined following 1 M H3P04 extraction in an open focused microwave system. An anion-exchange HPLC system employing a step elution, with sulphate and phosphate solution as the mobile phase coupled with ICP-MS was used for separation and detection of the important arsenic species, e.g. AsB, DMA, MMA, and inorganic arsenic in fish and plant samples. And species of Asm, Asv, MMA and DMA were determined in sediment samples. A nitric acid microwave digestion procedure, followed blo carrier gas nitrogen addition (N2)-ICP-MS analysis, to overcome argon chloride ( 0 ArCr') interference, was used to measure total arsenic. Validation for these procedures was carried out using certified reference materials and real samples, mussel, cockle, green seaweed, brown seaweed and sediment collected from the Tamar Estuary, UK. Fish samples from the Pak Pa-Nang Estuary showed a range for total arsenic concentration, up to 17 J.Lg g1 dry mass. The highest total arsenic found in plant samples was 189 J.lg g1 (dry mass), in the root of rice plants. The major species of arsenic in all fish samples was AsB, together with smaller quantities of DMA and, more importantly, inorganic arsenic. The major species found in plant was MMA, together with inorganic arsenic at various levels, ranging from minor to trace, dependent upon the part of the plant. Total concentrations of arsenic in the sediments covered a range up to 285 J.lg g, and showed a steep decreasinJ concentration gradient downstream from the upper mined areas to the estuary. As was the major species found in the sediment samples with smaller quantities of Asm and MMA. The presence of the more toxic inorganic forms of arsenic in water, sediments and biota samples has implications for human health, particularly as they are readily 'available'. Considering the dynamic conditions found in the river basin between the dry and wet (monsoon) season, the supply of these highly toxic arsenic species to humans and environment is likely to continue. This may be for many years, particularly when the levels of arsenic stored in river sediments are considered. Higher rainfall could remobilize arsenic from the various main and intermediate sources and could be carried on SPM, especially on fine particulate matter, to the Pak Pa-Nang Estuary and also the Gulf of Thailand. From this study, the implications of arsenic transport within the water management system for the Pak Pa-Nang River Basin are highlighted.


Always-listening devices like smart speakers, smartphones, and other voice-activated technologies create enough privacy problems when working correctly. But these devices can also misinterpret what they hear, and thus accidentally record their surroundings without the consent of those they record, a phenomenon known as a 'false positive.' The privacy practices of device users add another complication: a recent study of individual privacy expectations regarding false positives by voice assistants depicts how people tend to carefully consider the privacy preferences of those closest to them when deciding whether to subject them to the risk of accidental recording, but often disregard the preferences of others. The failure of device owners to get consent from those around them is exacerbated by the accidental recordings, as it means that the companies collecting the recordings aren't obtaining the consent to record their subjects that the Federal Wiretap Act, state wiretapping laws, and consumer protection laws require, as well as contravening the stringent privacy assurances that these companies generally provide. The laws governing surreptitious recordings also frequently rely on individual and societal expectations of privacy, which are warped by the justifiable resignation to privacy invasions that most people eventually acquire.

The result is a legal regime ill-adapted to always-listening devices, with companies frequently violating wiretapping and consumer protection laws, regulators failing to enforce them, and widespread privacy violations. Ubiquitous, accidental wiretaps in our homes, workplaces, and schools are just one more example of why consent-centric approaches cannot sufficiently protect our privacy, and policymakers must learn from those failures rather than doubling down on a failed model of privacy governance.


In the mining industry determination of size distribution is traditionally done with big and very expensive ridars. In this paper a new method for analyzing crushed ore size distribution by means of image analysis from a conveyor belt is introduced. The method introduces a cheap and effective way to do size distribution analysis. Also a special analysis system based on the idea and built at Pyhäsalmi, Finland, is described. With this system the analysis can be performed on-line right after crushing.


Intelligent user interfaces mediate between person and machine to increase the ease and effectiveness of user interactions. Research in intelligent user interfaces draws on areas such as artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction to study methods for supporting varied users for a wide range of tasks, task environments, platforms, and interaction paradigms.

The IUI conference is the annual meeting of the intelligent interfaces community, and serves as the principal international forum for reporting outstanding research and development in intelligent user interfaces.

IUI'03, the Seventh IUI, was held at The Palms South Beach hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, USA, from January 12-15, 2003. A special theme of the conference was highlighting interfaces whose focus goes beyond rational "intelligence" to address psychological concerns such as emotion, personality, and motivation.

IUI'03 solicited submissions in three categories, long papers, describing mature work; short papers, describing work in progress, and brief abstracts of system demonstrations.

The conference received 134 submissions, an all-time record, including 80 long papers and 49 short papers. Based on rigorous review by an international program committee, 28 papers were selected for oral presentation, with 45 additional submissions featured as posters and demonstrations.

Oral presentations spanned the areas of adaptive and collaborative interfaces, affective interfaces, agent-based interfaces, knowledge acquisition and visualization, model-based interface design, multimodal input, and natural language interfaces.

The conference program highlighted three invited talks: Daniel Weld presented "What Users Want," Hiroshi Ishii presented "Tangible Bits: Designing the Seamless Interface between People, Bits, and Atoms," and Allen Gorin presented "Semantic Information Processing of Spoken Language in 'How May I Help You?'"(sm).

The panel "A Life without Friction: Tales from the InfoLab", chaired by Kristian Hammond and Larry Birnbaum, gave an in-depth view of IUI research at the Intelligent Information Laboratory of Northwestern University, and the panel "XML: The Lingua Franca of IUIs?", chaired by Angel Puerta, examined the role of standardization of interoperation and data interchange in the IUI software industry.

The conference opened with two tutorials, "Intelligent User Interfaces: An Introduction", by Mark Maybury, and "Recommender Systems: Interfaces and Technology", by John Riedl and Joseph Konstan


Wireless sensor networks have been demonstrated, at an early stage in their development, to be a useful measurement technology for environmental monitoring applications. Based on their independence from existing infrastructures, wireless sensor networks can be deployed in virtually any location and provide sensor samples in a spatial and temporal resolution, which otherwise would only be achievable at high cost or involve significant work by humans.The feasibility of the usage of wireless sensor networks in real-world applications, however, is only maintained if certain technological challenges are overcome. Amongst these challenges, are the limited lifetime of the distributed sensor nodes, and user interfaces, which allow for the technology to be utilized in an efficient manner. Contributions to the solution of these challenges have been the objective of this thesis.After an analysis of the contributions wireless sensor networks can provideto the application domain of environmental monitoring, and the introductionto the restrictions, which are posed by a limited operational lifetime and lowsystem usability, these issues are addressed at the system level of sensor nodedevices.The lifetime of sensor nodes, which is closely linked to the lifetime of thecomplete wireless sensor network, is addressed with regards to the energyefficiency of nodes, as well as the utilization of solar energy harvesting inorder to increase the available energy resources. With respect to energyefficiency, an analysis has been performed of the contributions to the energyconsumption of environmental monitoring sensor nodes, which leads to thedesire to minimize the nodes' duty cycles and quiescent currents. A sensornode design is presented, which features energy efficiency as a key attribute by utilizingmodern semiconductor architectures. Moreover, an argument for the usage of synchronization-based, contention-free communication is madein order to reduce active communication periods and, thus, the duty cycleof a sensor node. A synchronization method with its focus on low protocoloverhead is introduced as a basis for such communication forms. After an initial feasibility study in relation to using battery-less solar energyharvesting architectures in locations with limited solar irradiation, multiplearchitectural implementations are analyzed in a comparative manner.Among these comparisons is an analysis of short-termenergy storage devices in the form of double-layer capacitors and thin-film batteries, which provide prolonged component lifetimes than those for conventional secondary batteries, but which can only buffer for short periods of time due to their limited energy capacity. In order to be able to dimension such energy harvesting systems with respect to the individual application constraints at hand, state of charge simulations are proposed. Amethod for such simulations is presented and demonstrated for the implementation of an energy harvester model on a component basis. While the modeling in this manner is time consuming, the model can predict the state of charge of the energy buffer in the architecture with a high level of accuracy. Finally, a method for the systematic evaluation of solar energy harvesting architectures is presented. The presented method can be summarized as a solar energy harvesting testbed, which utilizes configurable energy harvesting circuits in order to create a deploy-once-test-many type of system. The output results of this testbed can significantly improvethe efficiency of architecture comparisons and system modeling.Contributions to the improvement of the usability of wireless sensor nodesare made on two separate levels, namely, developer usability and end userusability. A method for the programming of sensor nodes based on hierarchical finite state machines is presented, which improves the usability of software development by creating familiarity for technically experiencedusers. Moreover, the utilization of finite state machine principles allowsfor the software to be developed in a systematic andmodular manner. Asimplemented applications typically require to be verified, which, in the environmental monitoring domain, usually results in outdoor deployments,usability considerations for sensor nodes are presented, which can simplifythis process. Special attention has been paid in order for these improvements to be achieved with low overheads. While software development is a familiar concept for most system developers, this is not the case for the end users of these systems, who are typically domain experts. In order to allow for wireless sensor nodes to be operatedby domain experts, a method for the configuration of sensor nodes has been proposed.The method uses a combination of graphical specification of the node behavior and a configurable sensor node. Theevaluation of this method, which has been based on a proof-of-concept implementation, demonstrated that the performance can remain high, while end users, without technical experience, are enabled to configure sensor nodes without prior training.In summary, the contributions, presented in this thesis, address systemlifetime and usability with regards to the sensor node level. The results haveled to the implementation of an energy efficient sensor node, which allows for the operation frombattery-less solar energy harvesting sources. Furthermore, support tools for the implementation of these nodes, both on the hardware and software level, have been proposed.


Introduction Diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in primary healthcare is challenging and often associated with a considerable diagnostic delay. This delay is associated with worse disease progression and outcomes. Although testing for faecal calprotectin is a useful screening tool to identify patients who need endoscopy for IBD, the widespread use may not be appropriate due to the low prevalence of patients with IBD among all patients attending a general practitioner (GP) with gastrointestinal symptoms. To increase the appropriate application of the faecal calprotectin test, an 8-item questionnaire, the CalproQuest, has been developed to increase pretest probability for a positive test result. Methods and analysis This is a prospective diagnostic trial. The study consists of two independent and consecutive parts A and B, conducted by gastroenterologists (A) and GPs (B), respectively. Patients included in part A are referred to the gastroenterologist for any endoscopic evaluation. Patients included in part B present at their GP because of ongoing unspecific gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, bloating, stool irregularities, diarrhoea) for at least 2 weeks. CalproQuest consists of four main and four secondary questions specific for IBD; it is considered positive if ≥2 main criteria are answered positively or one main criterion and two secondary criteria are answered positively. In part A, the sensitivity and specificity of CalproQuest for stool calprotectin levels ≥50 μg/g faeces and for positive IBD diagnosis will be investigated. In part B, the feasibility of CalproQuest in daily primary healthcare practice will be assessed. Ethics and dissemination The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Kanton Zurich (reference KEK-ZH-number 2013-0516). The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and shared with the worldwide medical community. Trial registration number ISRCTN66310845.


There are three general litigation forums for persons aggrieved by constitutional violations - exclusionary rule litigation in a criminal case, habeas corpus challenges to the legality of one's confinement, and civil litigation seeking damages or equitable relief. Over the past three decades, the Supreme Court has drastically limited the availability of remedies for constitutional violations in each of these three fields, and the scope of such limitations has begun to compound exponentially in recent years. The stagnating impact on the development of Fourth Amendment law as a result of the increasingly emaciated constitutional-remedial regime is cause for concern and the subject of this Article.Commentary criticizing recent curtailments of constitutional remedies has focused primarily on the way that limited remedial access might result in the under-enforcement of the Fourth Amendment and a corresponding under deterrence, or skewing of police incentives. This Article, in contrast, addresses the potential for under-announcement of Fourth Amendment law based on a skewing of judicial incentives. Procedural limitations on the development of the Fourth Amendment threaten to create a substantive three-way stop, a virtual freezing of search and seizure doctrine. The threat of a procedurally induced constitutional stagnation is particularly notable in view of the fact that the modern hallmark of Fourth Amendment law is the Katzian imperative of doctrinal evolution and the need for an ever evolving set of legal protections.


"Polypill" describes a fixed dose combination pill containing several components designed to lower several cardiovascular risk factors simultaneously.1 For people who have had a cardiovascular disease event or related disorders such as angina pectoris, combination treatment has been practised for many years, although apart from the use of aspirin there has been a tendency to treat each risk factor rather than the overall risk of the disease. For example, until recently statins have been prescribed only if serum cholesterol is raised.2 3 4 Blood pressure lowering drugs are given only if a diagnosis of hypertension has been made.2 4 5 6 7 This is inappropriate and leads to many people not receiving preventive treatment who could benefit from receiving such treatment.

The basis for preventing clinical cardiovascular disease with a combination of agents that reduce causal risk factors is that, within the range of values of these risk factors in the population, there is no threshold below which a reduction in risk factor ceases to confer a reduction in risk. Indeed, cohort (prospective observational) studies show that blood pressure and cholesterol exhibit a linear relation between the level of the risk factor and the risk of the disease when the risk of the disease is plotted on a proportional (that is, logarithmic) scale.8 9 10 11 12 This relation has great clinical significance, because it shows that for given changes in the risk factor there is a constant proportional change in the risk of disease. So, for example, a reduction of 1 mmol/l in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is associated with an approximate 40% reduction in the risk of having an ischaemic heart disease (IHD) event,13 and a 10 mm Hg decrease in diastolic blood pressure is associated with an approximate 60% decrease in risk of …


Learning to hash has become a crucial technique for big data analytics. Among existing methods, supervised learning approaches play an important role as they can produce compact codes and enable semantic search. However, the size of an instance-pairwise similarity matrix used in most supervised hashing methods is quadratic to the size of labeled training data, which is very expensive in terms of space, especially for a large-scale learning problem. This limitation hinders the full utilization of labeled instances for learning a more precise hashing model. To overcome this limitation, we propose a class-wise supervised hashing method that trains a model based on a class-pairwise similarity matrix, whose size is much smaller than the instance-pairwise similarity matrix in many applications. In addition, besides a set of hash functions, our proposed method learns a set of classwise code-prototypes with active bits for different classes. These class-wise code-prototypes can help to learn more precise compact codes for semantic information retrieval. Experimental results verify the superior effectiveness of our proposed method over other baseline hashing methods.


Background Sudden cardiac death/arrest (SCD/SCA) on the field of play remains one of the most tragic and challenging events for a team physician. Even with robust regular preparticipation cardiac screening we cannot prevent all cases of SCA/SCD. Ability to recognise imminent cardiac arrest occurring on the field of play remains an important step in managing this condition without delay. Objective The purpose of this study was to more closely characterise the presentation of cardiogenic collapse on the field of play. Methods You Tube was searched for video clips clearly depicting sequence of athlete's collapse of cardiac origin. A pattern of collapse was subsequently analysed. Results 13 cases were available for public viewing on You Tube and demonstrated final position of collapse. 12 collapses had full video footage of athlete's fall. All athletes were men. 84.6% (11) cases were from football (soccer). 15.4% (2) of cases were from martial arts. In 10 out of 12 cardiac event cases (83.3%) bowing and/or kneeling were followed by decubitus position. 58.3% (7) of cases demonstrated bowing at the beginning of collapse. 58.3% (7) cases had kneeling as an element of collapse. 61.5% (8 out of 13 cases) of casualties adopted position of 'prostration' as final stage of collapse. Conclusion When on the field of play, in the absence of head injury, athletes displaying bowing and/or kneeling positions followed by collapse may experience a life threatening cardiac event. Final position of 'prostration' was adopted in over half of cardiogenic collapses. Sports physician attending such casualties should bear this in mind and target his/her initial and subsequent assessment and treatment accordingly. A defibrillator should be taken to the player when attending such casualties.


Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based, directive, client-centered therapy designed to develop discrepancy and resolve ambivalence by eliciting and reinforcing client Change Talk. However, the exact link between the process engaged in during MI and outcome is only starting to be uncovered. The present thesis has replicated and expanded on the current knowledge of the relationship between Therapist and Client Behaviours during a MI-based intervention (Motivational Enhancement Therapy; MET) and outcome, and has provided support for the emergent theory of the inner workings of MI. This was achieved by coding 106 audiotaped MET sessions primarily by the methods outlined in the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code Version 2.0. Data was drawn from 28 participants who received 3-4 sessions of MET with the contest of a randomised controlled trial for mild-moderate alcohol dependence at the Community Alcohol and Drug Service of Christchurch. Therapist and Client Behaviours were analysed within sessions (categorised into Early, Mid, or End Intervals) and across sessions, and compared with whether the client had drank within national drinking guidelines during the 6-months after MET (Controlled Drinkers). In terms of Client Behaviours during MET it was found that Uncontrolled Drinkers (Compared with Controlled Drinkers) uttered a significantly higher frequency of Sustain Talk, lower Ability Language strength (over all MET and during End Intervals), and lower Commitment Language strength (during Session 2 and 4, and change over MET). Giving Information was the only Therapist Behaviour where significant differences were observed over all MET, with a higher frequency given to the Uncontrolled Drinkers. However, during End Intervals within MET Sessions, Controlled Drinkers received a significantly higher frequency of Advise without Permission and a lower frequency of Emphasise Control statements. In most instances MI-Consistent Therapist Behaviours were associated with higher strength of Ability and Commitment Language, and a lower frequency of Sustain Talk. MI-Inconsistent Therapist Behaviour, Direct, was associated with lower Client Language strength. Limitations to these results include small sample, limited ability to make inferences about causality, coder biases, and uneven reliability. However, this exploratory study was unique in investigating the relationship between Therapist Behaviours and the strength of Client Language, and in examining these factors within and across multiple sessions, and has produced a number of potentially valuable findings that warrant further investigation.


The fourteen laws found in Title 29 of Book Two of the Leyes de las Indias which governed the selection, procurement, role and compensation of the interpreters used in the governance of the New World by the Spanish Crown provides rich fodder for present days dilemmas. Each of these laws addresses an issue that continues to be a point of debate in the legal interpreting community. Detailed development of each law adds insight into specific problems and offers guidelines for dealing with the challenge presented. These laws constitute one of the most interesting, yet surprisingly unknown, sources of historical thought on the role of interpreters in society. In this paper, each law and its detailed development will be presented in both Spanish and English, and their application to contemporary society explored.


In the EMIME project, we are developing a mobile device that performs personalized speech-to-speech translation such that a user's spoken input in one language is used to produce spoken output in another language, while continuing to sound like the user's voice. We integrate two techniques, unsupervised adaptation for HMM-based TTS using a word-based large-vocabulary continuous speech recognizer and cross-lingual speaker adaptation for HMM-based TTS, into a single architecture. Thus, an unsupervised cross-lingual speaker adaptation system can be developed. Listening tests show very promising results, demonstrating that adapted voices sound similar to the target speaker and that differences between supervised and unsupervised cross-lingual speaker adaptation are small.


Abstract. Uncertainty in rainfall datasets and landslide inventories is known to have negative impacts on the assessment of landslide-triggering thresholds. In this paper, we perform a quantitative analysis of the impacts of uncertain knowledge of landslide initiation instants on the assessment of rainfall intensity–duration landslide early warning thresholds. The analysis is based on a synthetic database of rainfall and landslide information, generated by coupling a stochastic rainfall generator and a physically based hydrological and slope stability model, and is therefore error-free in terms of knowledge of triggering instants. This dataset is then perturbed according to hypothetical reporting scenarios that allow simulation of possible errors in landslide-triggering instants as retrieved from historical archives. The impact of these errors is analysed jointly using different criteria to single out rainfall events from a continuous series and two typical temporal aggregations of rainfall (hourly and daily). The analysis shows that the impacts of the above uncertainty sources can be significant, especially when errors exceed 1 day or the actual instants follow the erroneous ones. Errors generally lead to underestimated thresholds, i.e. lower than those that would be obtained from an error-free dataset. Potentially, the amount of the underestimation can be enough to induce an excessive number of false positives, hence limiting possible landslide mitigation benefits. Moreover, the uncertain knowledge of triggering rainfall limits the possibility to set up links between thresholds and physio-geographical factors.


Students learn or progress at their own paces. Each needs different amounts of support, at different points in a school career and at different times of the school year. Some need very little help to stay on track, while others are facing serious challenges in learning, in their behavior, or at home, and need significant interventions. It would not only be a waste of resources to give students who are on track the same intensive services as students who are struggling, it can actually be a counterproductive waste of on-track students' time. So how can schools make sure that students get the help they need — and only the help they need?


Since landing in Gale crater, the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity has traversed fluvial, lacustrine, and eolian sedimentary rocks that were deposited within the crater ∼3.6 to 3.2 b.y. ago. Here we describe structures interpreted to be pipes formed by vertical movement of fluidized sediment. Like many pipes on Earth, those in Gale crater are more resistant to erosion than the host rock; they form near other pipes, dikes, or deformed sediment; and some contain internal concentric or eccentric layering. These structures provide new evidence of the importance of subsurface aqueous processes in shaping the near-surface geology of Mars.


: Empyema of gallbladder is a potential fatal complication of gallstone. It is characterized by suppuration superimposed on acute cholecystitis. It is considered as a common factor of difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Aim of the study: to determine the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with empyema of gallbladder. Patient and method: A prospective study of 800 patients suffering from gallstone diseases from 2011 to December 2014 in Azadi teaching hospital in The procedure was performed by standard three – ports technique with a few modifications made to facilitate dissection subjected to situation. Results: 800 patients with male to female ratio 1:5.25 undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Among these, 50 patients (6.25%) were identified having empyema of gallbladder and were included in the study population. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was successfully completed for 49 (98%) patients while only one (2%) patient was converted to open cholecystectomy due to uncontrolled bleeding. Conclusion: In well-trained and skillful hands of cholecystectomy surgery is a safe and acceptable option for patients with empyema of gallbladder.


The present investigation is based on a linguistic analysis of the 'Housing Act 1980' and attempts to examine the role of qualifications in the structuring of the legislative statement. The introductory chapter isolates legislative writing as a "sub-variety "of legal language and provides an overview of the controversies surrounding the way it is written and the problems it poses to its readers. Chapter two emphasizes the limitations of the available work on the description of language-varieties for the analysis of legislative writing and outlines the approach adopted for the present analysis. This chapter also gives some idea of the information-structuring of legislative provisions and establishes qualification as a key element in their textualisation. The next three chapters offer a detailed account of the ten major qualification-types identified in the corpus, concentrating on the surface form they take, the features of legislative statements they textualize and the syntactic positions to which they are generally assigned in the statement of legislative provisions. The emerging hypotheses in these chapters have often been verified through a specialist reaction from a Parliamentary Counsel, largely responsible for the writing of the 'Housing Act 1980'• The findings suggest useful correlations between a number of qualificational initiators and the various aspects of the legislative statement. They also reveal that many of these qualifications typically occur in those clause-medial syntactic positions which are sparingly used in other specialist discourse, thus creating syntactic discontinuity in the legislative sentence. Such syntactic discontinuities, on the evidence from psycholinguistic experiments reported in chapter six, create special problems in the processing and comprehension of legislative statements. The final chapter converts the main linguistic findings into a series of pedagogical generalizations, offers indications of how this may be applied in EALP situations and concludes with other considerations of possible applications.


Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine supplier selection among smalland medium-sized firms in the US textile and apparel industry. For smalland medium-sized firms, one powerful method of improving the firm's competitiveness in the dynamic business environment is through strategic approach of supplier selection, which emphasizes supplier's contributions to the total product and to overall customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Empirical survey-based research methodology was implemented and data were collected from small and medium firms in textile and apparel business in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, California, and New York which are the major areas of the US textile and apparel industry. Findings This study demonstrates the supplier selection practices of the smalland medium-sized firms in the US textile and apparel industry and their perceptions of supply market and supplier evaluation systems. Results indicate that supplier selection criteria impact firm performance in different ways. Smalland medium-sized firms carry out supplier selection based on product quality, supplier responsiveness, and strategic consideration which positively impact overall customer service level and overall customer satisfaction. Originality/value This paper focuses on supply chain management practices, specifically the supplier selection issue in smalland medium-sized firms in the textile and apparel industry.


Objectives: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of amateur outdoor and indoor volleyball players in a KwaZulu-Natal North Coast region. Methods: The location of the study was the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast region, which includes two of its districts, viz, Tongaat (Indoor) and Kwa Dukuza (Outdoor). A total of 115 out of a possible 160 volleyball players participated in this study which comprised of 68 outdoor and 47 indoor players. The answering of the questionnaires was done on separate days for both the districts. On the allocated days, they were given a letter of information (Appendix B) to read and the questionnaires (Appendix C) to answer. Participation in the study was voluntary and consent was given by filling in the questionnaire. The researcher was present on this day to supervise and to collect the completed questionnaires immediately after the session was completed. Results: Out of a total of 115 participants, 79 (68.7%) of the participants sustained an injury due to volleyball. According to results found in this study, the knee, ankle and shoulder were the most frequently injured sites. 79 Participants reported to have sustained an injury, 67 participants reported to have a present injury and 60 participants reported a worst injury. The knee was found to be the most injured site in both the outdoor and indoor participants, followed by the ankle. The results in this study show that the use of protective gear can help minimise injury rates. 6 Conclusion: The prevalence and risk factors of amateur outdoor and indoor volleyball players in a KwaZulu-Natal North Coast region has been discussed in this study. With regards of number of injuries, the results have shown that there is no significant difference between outdoor and indoor volleyball players. In terms of the site of injuries, the lower limb was affected the most in comparison to the rest of the body. Results in this study have shown that outdoor players sustained more knee injuries whilst indoor players showed a high number of ankle injuries.


OBJECTIVE
To test how the implementation of new Medicare post-acute payment systems affected the use of inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), and home health agencies.

DATA SOURCES
Medicare acute hospital, IRF, and SNF claims; provider of services file; enrollment file; and Area Resource File data.

STUDY DESIGN
We used multinomial logit models to measure realized access to post-acute care and to predict how access to alternative sites of care changed in response to prospective payment systems.

DATA EXTRACTION METHODS
A file was constructed linking data for elderly Medicare patients discharged from acute care facilities between 1996 and 2003 with a diagnosis of hip fracture, stroke, or lower extremity joint replacement.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Although the effects of the payment systems on the use of post-acute care varied, most reduced the use of the site of care they directly affected and boosted the use of alternative sites of care. Payment system changes do not appear to have differentially affected the severely ill.

CONCLUSIONS
Payment system incentives play a significant role in determining where Medicare beneficiaries receive their post-acute care. Changing these incentives results in shifting of patients between post-acute sites.


This paper suggests that the orientation of sociolinguistics is becoming less practical.The initially practical orientation of sociolinguistics, which was almost programmatic in nature, gave rise, notably among teachers, to certain expectations concerning the educational relevance and practical utility of sociolinguistic insights and sociolinguistic research. These expecta-tions are not in accordance with the fact that sociolinguistics is increasingly developing into a descriptive discipline which has hardly any educational significance. As a consequence sociolinguistics often keeps itself apart from education.We try to explain this state of affairs, considering social developments and the related development of sociolinguistics as a discipline. Finally we consider the possible contribution of sociolinguistics towards educational practice in general. More specifically we describe a series of lessons which has been developed on the basis of sociolinguistic insights. These lessons have been tried out in the classroom.


A 17-year-old girl presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea approximately 9 hours after swallowing 25 tablets (200 mg each) of iron sulfate in a suicide attempt. Her vital signs were within normal limits. She was mildly lethargic; stool was hemoccult-positive.