In view of the recent explosion in genome sequence data, and the 200 or more complete genome sequences currently available, the importance of genome-scale bioinformatics analysis is increasing rapidly. However, computational genome informatics analyses often lack a statistical assessment of their sensitivity to the completeness of the functional annotation. Therefore, a pre-analysis method to automatically validate the sensitivity of computational genome analyses with regard to genome annotation completeness is useful for this purpose. In this report we developed the Gene Prediction Accuracy Classification (GPAC) test, which provides statistical evidence of sensitivity by repeating the same analysis for five different gene groups (classified according to annotation accuracy level), and for randomly sampled gene groups, with the same number of genes as each of the five classified groups. Variability in these results is then assessed, and if the results vary significantly with different data subsets, the analysis is considered "sensitive" to annotation completeness, and careful selection of data is advised prior to the actual in silico analysis. The GPAC test has been applied to the analyses of Sakai et al., 2001, and Ohno et al., 2001, and it revealed that the analysis of Ohno et al. was more sensitive to annotation completeness. It showed that GPAC could be employed to ascertain the sensitivity of an analysis. The GPAC bendhmarking software is freely available in the latest G-language Genome Analysis Environment package, at http://www.g-language.org/.


The lack of integration between implants and articular cartilage is an unsolved problem that negatively impacts the development of treatments for focal cartilage defects. Many approaches attempt to increase the number of matrix-producing cells that can migrate to the interface, which may help to reinforce the boundary over time but does not address the problems associated with an initially unstable interface. The objective of this study was to develop a bioadhesive implant to create an immediate bond with the extracellular matrix components of articular cartilage. We hypothesized that implant-bound collagen adhesion protein (CNA) would increase the interfacial strength between a poly(vinly alcohol) implant and an articular cartilage immediately after implantation, without preventing cell migration into the implant. By way of a series of in vitro immunohistochemical and mechanical experiments, we demonstrated that (i) free CNA can bind to articular cartilage, (ii) implant-bound CNA can bind to collagen type II and (iii) implants functionalized with CNA result in a fourfold increase in interfacial strength with cartilage relative to untreated implants at day zero. Of note, the interfacial strength significantly decreased after 21 days in culture, which may be an indication that the protein itself has lost its effectiveness. Our data suggest that functionalizing scaffolds with CNA may be a viable approach toward creating an initially stable interface between scaffolds and articular cartilage. Further efforts are required to ensure long-term interface stability.


Prompted by the thesis that an organism's umwelt possesses not just a descriptive dimension, but a normative one as well, some have sought to annex semiotics with ethics. Yet the pronouncements made in this vein have consisted mainly in rehearsing accepted moral intuitions, and have failed to concretely further our knowledge of why or how a creature comes to order objects in its environment in accordance with axiological charges of value or disvalue. For want of a more explicit account, theorists writing on the topic have relied almost exclusively on semiotic insights about perception originally designed as part of a sophisticated refutation of idealism. The end result, which has been a form of direct givenness, has thus been far from convincing. In an effort to bring substance to the right-headed suggestion that values are rooted in the biological and conform to species-specific requirements, we present a novel conception that strives to make explicit the elemental structure underlying umwelt normativity. Building and expanding on the seminal work of Ayn Rand in metaethics, we describe values as an intertwined lattice which takes a creature's own embodied life as its ultimate standard; and endeavour to show how, from this, all subsequent valuations can in principle be determined.


This essay examines the capital accounting of Kovacik v. Reed, leading authority addressing allocation of losses between a partner who contributed only property and another who contributed only services. Kovacik posits that such parties having agreed to share profits equally have implicitly agreed their contributions were of equal value. This essay shows that such an agreement would not produce the result Kovacik reaches. The Kovacik result is instead produced by the following implausible implicit agreement between the parties: The value of the services provided by the services partner to be treated as a capital contribution equals the amount the partnership loses on a cash basis. The more the firm ultimately loses, the more those services are agreed to be worth. Prior work by Bainbridge identifies a manifestation of a problem in this context referenced as overinvestment in the financial economics literature. This essay further demonstrates the Kovacik result can create a complementary underinvestment problem.


Using more than two decades of industry data, the authors profile the external orientation of manufacturing industries in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan. They use the term "external orientation" to describe the potential exposure of an industry's revenues and costs to world events through exports, imports, and imported inputs. For each major manufacturing industry, the authors provide histories of the share of total revenues earned in foreign markets, the role of imports in domestic consumption, and the costs of imported inputs in total production. In addition, they construct a measure of net external orientation, which is intended to capture how much an industry's use of imported inputs (a cost factor) can potentially offset exposure to the international economy through exports (a revenue factor).


Title of Document: A MODEL-BASED HUMAN RELIABILITY ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY (PHOENIX METHOD) Nsimah Joseph Ekanem, Ph.D., 2013 Directed By: Professor Ali Mosleh, Department of Mechanical Engineering Despite the advances made so far in developing human reliability analysis (HRA) methods, many issues still exist. Most notable are; the lack of an explicit causal model that incorporates relevant psychological and cognitive theories in its core human performance model, inability to explicitly model interdependencies between human failure events (HFEs) and influencing factors on human performance, lack of consistency, traceability and reproducibility in HRA analysis. These issues amongst others have contributed to the variability in results seen in the application of different HRA methods and even in cases where the same method is applied by different analysts. In an attempt to address these issues, a framework for a model-based HRA methodology has been recently proposed which incorporates strong elements of current HRA good practices, leverages lessons learned from empirical studies and the best features of existing and emerging HRA methods. This research completely develops this methodology which is aimed at enabling a more credible, consistent, and accurate qualitative and quantitative HRA analysis. The complete qualitative analysis procedure (including a hierarchical performance influencing factor set) and a causal model using Bayesian Belief network (BBN) have been developed to explicitly model the influence and dependencies among HFEs and the different factors that influence human performance. This model has the flexibility to be modified for interfacing with existing methods like Standard-Plant-Analysis-Risk-HRA-method. Also, the quantitative analysis procedure has been developed, incorporating a methodology for a cause-based explicit treatment of dependencies among HFEs, which has not been adequately addressed by any other HRA method. As part of this research, information has been gathered from sources (including other HRA methods, NPP operating experience, expert estimates), analyzed and aggregated to provide estimates for the model parameters needed for quantification. While the specific instance of this HRA method is used in nuclear power plants, the methodology itself is generic and can be applied in other environments. A MODEL-BASED HUMAN RELIABILITY ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY (PHOENIX METHOD)


Multiple experiments using diabetes animal models have demonstrated the antihyperglycemic properties of several Mexican Copalchi species, mainly Hintonia latiflora (HLA) and Hintonia standleyana (HSL). The active compounds of these plants have recently been characterized and their therapeutic mechanisms proposed. Though widely studied in animals, evidence indicating therapeutic efficacy in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is limited. Still, copalchis have been utilized as a folk remedy, and in Germany as a marketed drug, for managing NIDDM. The risks and benefits of using this drug warrant critical analysis. This review summarizes research evidence for the antidiabetic efficacy of Copalchis in NIDDM animal models, recent toxicity findings, and limited clinical findings in human subjects.


The Most Widely Read Work on the Subject _ Completely Updated to Cover the Latest Developments and Advances In Today's Money Market! First published in 1978, Stigum's Money Market was hailed as a landmark work by leaders of the financial, business, and investment communities. This classic reference has now been revised, updated, and expanded to help a new generation of Wall Street money managers and institutional investors. The Fourth Edition of Stigum's Money Market delivers an all-encompassing, cohesive view of the vast and complex money market!offers careful analyses of the growth and changes the market has undergone in recent years!and presents detailed answers to the full range of money market questions. Stigum's Money Market equips readers with: A complete overview of the large and ever-expanding money market arena Quick-access to every key aspect of the fixed-income market A thorough updating of information on the banking system Incisive accounts of money market fundamentals and all the key players In-depth coverage of the markets themselves, including federal funds, government securities, financial futures, Treasury bond and note futures, options, euros, interest rate swaps, CDs, commercial paper, and more Expert discussions of the Federal Reserve, the Internet and electronic trading, and the new roles of commercial banks and federal agencies This updated classic also includes hundreds of helpful new illustrations and calculations, together with an improved format that gives readers quick access to every major topic relating to the fixed-income market.


A plenitude of technology is neither developed in-house nor simply outsourced in dyadic relationships. Instead, we are in a new age where technologies are developed by a networked community of actors and organizations, which base their relations dynamically to each other on a common interest. Such dynamic and networked complexity of technology development is often theoretical explored around the concept of platform, and more recently by employing the concept of ecosystem in an analogy to natural ecosystems. Following the success of open-source software, academics have long been examining openness in digital platforms/ecosystems; however most contributions take the perspective of a single stakeholder from the many that constitute a digital platform/ecosystem. Predominantly, they take the sole perspective of platform providers, those bundling hardware and software or more rarely, the perspective of third-party software developers developing valuable software 'apps' that add value to the overall platform. In this conceptual article, we grasp openness more holistically, both by acknowledging that openness means different things to different people and involve all stakeholders within the platforms/ecosystems. Towards the development of a theory of openness within digital settings, we propose six novel aspects of openness for enabling a greater understanding of the open-source software movement with a digital platforms/ecosystems perspective. Moreover, we invite scholars to reconsider the more predominating product-dominant logic in open-source software research to a more holistic logic embracing platforms and ecosystem thinking.


This article describes a restorative justice project run in three Canadian prisons. The project, Partners in Healing, aimed to promote restorative justice by running restorative justice committees inside and recruiting volunteers from the community to participate along with prisoners. The main goals of the project were to increase participants' awareness of restorative justice and help prisoners gain an understanding of the effects of their crime(s). An evaluation of the project solicited stories about the restorative justice committees and this article reports on some of the evaluation findings. The qualitative data offer insights into how to best design a restorative justice project in prisons. It also reveals dilemmas associated with evaluating such projects. The article concludes that projects need to be guided by a clear conceptualization of restorative justice.


This paper discusses the spectroscopic fundametals, the scaling properties and experimental results of quasi-three-level resonantly diode-pumped Er3+:YAG solid-state heat-capacity laser (SSHCL) technology. With an output power of 4650 W and output energies in excess of 440 J this laser is currently the most powerful "eye-safe" SSHCL. Due to a moderate crystal temperature rise of only 56.7 K/s at 11.3 kW of pump power and a temperature-related power drop of 8.8 W/K the laser shows strong potential for further upscaling.


In a world in which media images of crime and deviance proliferate, where every facet of offending is reflected in a 'vast hall of mirrors', Framing Crime: Cultural Criminology and the Image makes sense of the increasingly blurred line between the real and the virtual. Images of crime and crime control have become almost as 'real' as crime and criminal justice itself. The meaning of both crime and crime control now resides, not solely in the essential - and essentially false - factuality of crime rates or arrest records, but also in the contested processes of symbolic display, cultural interpretation, and representational negotiation. It is essential, then, that criminologists are closely attuned to the various ways in which crime is imagined, constructed and framed within modern society. Framing Crime responds to this demand with a collection of papers aimed at helping the reader to understand the ways in which the contemporary 'story of crime' is constructed and promulgated through the image. It also provides the relevant analytical and research tools to unearth the hidden social and ideological concerns that frequently underpin images of crime, violence and transgression. Framing Crime will be of interest to students and academics in the fields of criminology, crime and the media, and sociology.


This paper examines, in the light of the COVID-19 crisis, the room for judicial oversight of health crisis measures based on the public's expectations of how governments should act in the interplay with experts. The paper explains how trust theory and procedural rationality review help to address concerns related to legitimacy and expertise. The paper argues that courts should distinguish between two stages. In the initial stage, fear as a driver for government support based on expertise justifies that the proportionality test is limited to the question of whether measures were based on virologist expert advice. In the next stage, people expect the government to take expert-informed decisions, but also require that the government takes into account societal needs. Procedural rationality review in this stage demands that courts examine whether the decision was based on an informed balance of rights and interests.


It has been previously demonstrated that three months exposure to high physiological levels of corticosterone in young rats resulted in a pattern of hippocampal neuron loss similar to that observed in aged rats (Sapolsky, Krey and McEwen, 1985). The purpose of the present experiments was to examine the behavioral consequences of this treatment. In a series of experiments, young adult or mid-aged Long-Evans rats were treated for either one or three months with corticosterone, sufficient to mimic the elevated corticosterone levels seen in aged rats. Following the termination of the treatment period, the rats were tested in the Morris water maze (a task that is sensitive to hippocampal damage) to assess spatial learning. There was no observable behavioral deficit in young adult rats treated for either one or three months with corticosterone. A one-month treatment period also had no behavioral effect in mid-aged rats. However, after three months of exposure to elevated corticosterone levels, mid-aged rats took significantly longer to successfully navigate the maze, although their performance eventually approximated that of the control animals. A second experiment with mid-aged rats treated with either p.m. diurnal (Medium-B: $\approx$ 12-15 $\mu$g/dl) or stress (High-B $\approx$ 25-35 $\mu$g/dl) levels of corticosterone demonstrated that only the performance of the High-B rats was impaired on the Morris maze, relative to the Medium-B and controls. In addition, a threshold model of long-term potentiation (primed burst potentiation) suggested significantly reduced hippocampal synaptic plasticity in both the Medium- and High-B rats, relative to the controls. Finally, hippocampal neuropathology was assessed in two of the experiments and the cell counting data suggested that there was no significant neuron loss in either the CA$\sb1$ or CA$\sb3$ pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampus in the corticosterone-treated rats compared with age-matched controls. Finally, mid-aged rats were exposed to a six-month social stress regimen that elevated corticosterone levels ($\approx$12-18 $\mu$g/dl) throughout the diurnal cycle. A second group of mid-aged rats was adrenalectomized and given basal levels of corticosterone replacement prior to the commencement of the social stress regimen. Acquisition of the Morris swim task was impaired in the socially-stressed animals relative to both the adrenalectomized, stressed animals and age-matched controls. The data presented here suggested that long-term exposure to elevated corticosterone levels, either by exogenous treatment or social stress, resulted in spatial learning deficits, but only in mid-aged rats. Further, these impairments appeared to be related to reduced synaptic plasticity rather than hippocampal neuron loss. These findings are discussed in terms of the potential mechanisms by which long-term exposure to high glucocorticoid levels produces deficits in both behavior and hippocampal synaptic plasticity


We hereby describe DIANE an environment that aims at performing an automatic diagnosis on arithmetic problems depending on the productions of the learners. This work relies on results from cognitive psychology studies that insist on the fact that problem solving depends to a great extent on the construction of an adequate representation of the problem, which is highly constrained. DIANE allows large-scale experimentations and has the specificity of providing diagnosis at a very detailed level of precision, whether it concerns adequate or erroneous strategies, allowing one to analyze cognitive mechanisms involved in the solving process. The quality of the diagnosis module has been assessed and, concerning non verbal cues, 93.4% of the protocols were diagnosed in the same way as with manual analysis.


Concurrency libraries can facilitate the development of multi-threaded programs by providing concurrent implementations of familiar data types such as queues and sets. Many optimized algorithms that use lock-free synchronization have been proposed for multiprocessors. Unfortunately, such algorithms are notoriously difficult to design and verify and may contain subtle concurrency bugs. Moreover, it is often difficult to place memory ordering fences in the implementation code. Such fences are required for correct function on relaxed memory models, which are common on contemporary multiprocessors.
To address these difficulties, we describe an automated verification procedure based on bounded model checking that can exhaustively check all concurrent executions of a given test program on a relaxed memory model and can either (1) verify that the data type is sequentially consistent, or (2) construct a counterexample.
Given C implementation code, a bounded test program, and an axiomatic memory model specification, our CheckFence prototype verifies operation-level sequential consistency by encoding the existence of inconsistent executions as solutions to a propositional formula and using a standard SAT solver to decide satisfiability.
We applied CheckFence to five previously published algorithms and found several bugs (some not previously known). Furthermore, we determined where to place memory ordering fences in the implementations and verified their sufficiency on our test suite.


Sexual fantasies of dominance and submission are commonly reported as preferred fantasies in healthy women, yet little is understood regarding whether these fantasies affect other aspects of sexuality (Leitenberg et al., 1995). Even less research exists regarding associations between dominant and submissive fantasies, dominant and submissive sexual behavior, and resulting sexual satisfaction. It is not well understood how sexual fantasy may translate into sexual behavior in non-clinical populations, and what factors might facilitate or inhibit individuals' engagement in sexual behavior that matches their sexual fantasies. The current study measured the relationship between dominant and submissive sexual fantasies, dominant and submissive sexual behavior, partner closeness, and sexual satisfaction in 40 sexually healthy women between the ages of 18-25 who were in committed relationships. Specifically, we investigated whether dominant or submissive sexual fantasies were correlated with higher sexual satisfaction when accompanied by dominant or submissive sexual behaviors. We also sought to examine whether emotional closeness with a partner strengthens or attenuates the relationship between sexual fantasy and sexual behaviors. Data were collected via self-report questionnaires which asked about the frequency of submissive and dominant fantasies, as well as self-reports of sexual satisfaction in the past 4 weeks before the study began. Participants also completed event diaries at home immediately after at least 5 sexual events, reporting on submissive and dominant sexual behaviors, feelings of closeness, and sexual satisfaction. Congruency between sexual fantasy and sexual behavior did not correlate with higher event satisfaction. Significant evidence was found that individuals with dominant fantasies were likely to report dominance in their sexual behavior when they felt close to their partner.


"Bull by the Horns" -project initiated landscape management and promoted biodiversity associated with diminishing High Nature Value farmland habitats in Finland. A specific focus was on grazed semi-natural grasslands and wood-pastures which are collectively referred to as traditional rural biotopes (TRBs). Collaboration among project workers, non-farming landowners, and cattle owners reintroduced grazing to abandoned pastures, and management was financed through agri-environmental payments. Using adaptive co-management principles, the project enabled collective definition of integrated site-specific management objectives. A better understanding of contemporary challenges and opportunities to advance TRB management cumulated through incorporation of local actors into collaborative management planning. Authority-driven measures failed to engage locals, but supporting existing networks among landowners and cattle farmers was successful. The project gave insight into good practices on collaborative landscape management, and it proved to be efficient in directing management actions to biologically valuable sites. Due to a short operative period and lack of follow-up procedures, the actual environmental outcomes of established management could not be verified. Concernedly, environmental administration is becoming heavily reliant on projects, which creates further risks because of their short time frames and narrow focus. Functional governance practices that are tested in projects should be consolidated through more permanent resources.


This study examines the impact of corporate philanthropy growth on sales growth using a large sample of charitable contributions made by U.S. public companies from 1989 through 2000. Applying Granger causality tests, we find that charitable contributions are significantly associated with future revenue, whereas the association between revenue and future contributions is marginally significant at best. We then identify the mechanism underlying our findings. Our results are particularly pronounced for firms that are highly sensitive to consumer perception, where individual consumers are the predominant customers. In addition, we document a positive relationship between contributions and customer satisfaction. Overall, our evidence suggests that corporate philanthropy, under certain circumstances, furthers firms' economic objectives. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the application of service design methodology for the creation of heritage experiences in Archaeology, looking in particular at harnessing the power of co-creation for user centered experience design in community-centric cultural tourism. Co-creation is a central aspect of a holistic service design approach and proposes to treat all stakeholders as co-creators. It offers the opportunity to engage a host community as well as a visitor community in the heritage experience and its creation. Post-modernism proposes that knowledge is socially constructed and if we consider this to be an important insight, we may concur that knowledge construction in the heritage experience should be inclusive and socially accessible. Archaeology is an area of practice where the notion of socially constructed knowledge is examined within the discipline, but does not always translate into how archaeological knowledge and artifacts are presented to the public or cultural tourisms host communities. Artifacts and fact may potentially be presented as static knowledge without the context the knowledge was created in being examined or opened up for discussion. This limits opportunity for audience engagement and for stakeholder inclusion in the construction and communication of that knowledge and thus how the Archaeological heritage is experienced. This paper will be looking at how service design can help create archaeological heritage experiences that explore a multi-layered narrative through co-creation and democratised strategies of engagement. Silverman (2002) noted that "archaeological tourism provides the opportunity for selective re-creation and reconstruction of the past", but in todays interconnected age this does not sound like a strategy fit for the 21st century. The aim of the paper is to discuss the overall relevance of service-design to a heritage experience design in archaeology and how it may offer the potential to engage new audiences in archaeological heritage through stakeholder inclusion.


The Horizon 2020 framework programme for research and innovation is promoting an approach referred to as Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). Mandates to implement and mainstream RRI are already evident, whereby interdisciplinarity and integration are treated as pre-given in accounts of what the RRI approach is in practice. In this paper, our point of departure is to ask what to expect realistically when experts and professionals are brought together across disciplines, institutions and national borders in practical attempts to achieve interdisciplinarity and integration of approach to innovation. We revisit Woolgar's and Ashmore's treatise on social epistemology in their development of the reflexive thesis in the late 1980s, and we revisit the turn to practice in STS in the early 2000s. We present our analysis of commitment to matters of practical sensitivity and reflexivity in reference to the philosophical influences and study objectives of the reflexive thesis and the practice turn and we consider how sociological studies have articulated expert practices and the use of knowledge and skill. We address the epistemological challenges innovation assessments face in justifying the relationship they draw between study objects, observation, interpretation and representation and in justifying ideologically and methodologically their own production of knowledge about how others produce knowledge. We address the implications this work has for the development of interdisciplinarity and integration in case studies we have observed, of evaluating new-emerging innovation domains. We argue that the consequences of advancing reflexivity (or awareness of it) as a progressive step forward, rather than a problem to remedy, is critical in shaping a more balanced approach to innovation, even though achieving interdisciplinarity and integration is fragmented and partial. 1 Lancaster University 2 Vrije Universiteit Brussel 1 See https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/responsible-research-innovation . This is a preprint draft copy, freely available for fair use, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use .


The dynamics of a semiconductor laser subject to polarization-rotated (incoherent) optical feedback in the long cavity limit has been numerically and experimentally investigated. The results show that the induced dynamics can be grouped into four regimes (stable, chaotic, pulsed, and two state) and that the transverse-magnetic mode of the laser never lases in the ring cavity configuration studied. In addition, unlike the earlier short-cavity work, the boundaries between the regimes in the long-cavity case were found to be independent of the external-cavity delay time.


In this paper we revisit the relationship between institutions, human capital and development. We argue that empirical models that treat institutions and human capital as exogenous are misspecified both because of the usual omitted variable bias problems and because of differential measurement error in these variables, and that this misspecification is at the root of the very large returns of human capital, about 4 to 5 times greater than that implied by micro (Mincerian) estimates, found in some of the previous literature. Using cross-country and cross-regional regressions, we show that when we focus on historically-determined differences in human capital and control for the effect of institutions, the impact of institutions on long-run development is robust, while the estimates of the effect of human capital are much diminished and become consistent with micro estimates. Using historical and cross-country regression evidence, we also show that there is no support for the view that differences in the human capital endowments of early European colonists have been a major factor in the subsequent institutional development of these polities.


Abstract. Monitoring the flow features over wind turbine blades is a challenging
task that has become more and more crucial. This paper is devoted
to demonstrate the ability of the e-TellTale sensor to detect the
flow stall–reattachment dynamics over wind turbine blades. This sensor
is made of a strip with a strain gauge sensor at its base. The velocity
field was acquired using time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) measurements over an oscillating 2D
blade section equipped with an e-TellTale sensor. PIV images were
post-processed to detect movements of the strip, which was compared
to movements of flow. Results show good agreement between the measured
velocity field and movements of the strip regarding the stall–reattachment
dynamics.


Establishing a 'secure' Maori identity based solely on particular criteria of Maori culture (te reo Maori, tikanga, marae, etc.) continues to be problematic for some Maori. Those who are not seen as connected in this way are often defined by what they are seen as lacking, hence terms such as disconnected, distanced, detached and dissociated. Although young Maori may define themselves in terms of difference from others there is an increasing danger of some urban youth being defined as different from Maori who are 'culturally connected' and for this to be seen primarily as a negative demarcation. Although it may be the aspiration of some to have greater cultural connection, what this means for different groups and individuals may have both congruence and divergence with what are usually considered to be markers of cultural inclusion. This thesis presents the findings from a wider research project funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand. The project objective was to gather data that can inform and contribute to existing knowledge about cultural identity of rangatahi Maori with a view to establishing a framework(s) for greater youth development and a more positive and embracing perspective of culture. Kaupapa Maori and social constructionist framings are used to centre the focused life story interviews that were conducted with young people aged between 13-21 years, who identified as Maori and lived in the South Auckland area. Findings suggest that conventional and experiential indicators of Maori identity as well as a strong localised identity are key factors in this exploration. Challenges for identity theorists, societal institutions and other Maori are discussed.


The aim of this paper is to evaluate on how good traditional house design is able to give residential satisfaction levels and could contribute towards habitability in Shibam, Yemen. House design in this study is a subject dealing with efficient space-function design of the house layout which shows cultural aspects of the community. Houses in Shibam typify the traditional architecture which reflects to the structure of family, and social and cultural realms. The houses comprises mid and high-rise mud brick house types, considered as one of the earliest high-rise house type built in the world. Today, the city of Shibam with mid and high-rises mud brick house types is recognized as one of the heritage sites under UNESCO's World Heritage Lists. The literature study is conducted to understand the definitions of the title, which is important to identify the measurable factors for the research analysis. The study finds that diwan, dining area, bedrooms, bathrooms, corridor and storage, courtyard and balcony, and the composition of the rooms' layout are important measurable checklist's factors under category of space planning and function. There are two types of the research analyses which are qualitative and quantitative analysis. The qualitative analysis is a study by the researcher based on the researcher's observation on the house design during the site visit while the quantitative analysis is from the respondents' answers (300 respondents) on their satisfaction level from the research questionnaires. With high average scores of 94% in qualitative and 90% in quantitative analysis on satisfactory level, it shows that both results of qualitative and quantitative analysis support the research assumption. In that light, within the ambit of this study, the house design in Shibam can and does serve as a reference.


Morphology-dependent resonances (MDR's) of polystyrene microspheres were excited by an optical fiber coupler. For optical elimination of the air–cladding interface at the optical fiber coupler surface, the microsphere was immersed in an index-matching oil. MDR's were observed, even though the relative refractive index between the microsphere and the oil was only 1.09. The observed MDR spectra are in good agreement with the generalized Lorenz–Mie theory and the localization principle. The scattering efficiency into each MDR is estimated as a function of the impact parameter by means of generalized Lorenz–Mie theory.


We have demonstrated self-sustaining operation of a mode-locked chromium-doped forsterite laser in which short-pulse formation is entirely due to the nonlinearity of the laser crystal. Stable pulse trains are generated for intracavity pulse energies from 35 to 120 nJ. Pulses less than 100 fs in duration are obtained over the range of 1.23–1.28 μm, with a maximum average output power of 700 mW for 9 W of pump power.


We study domain-specific video streaming. Specifically, we target a streaming setting where the videos to be streamed from a server to a client are all in the same domain and they have to be compressed to a small size for low-latency transmission. Several popular video streaming services, such as the video game streaming services of GeForce Now and Twitch, fall in this category. While conventional video compression standards such as H.264 are commonly used for this task, we hypothesize that one can leverage the property that the videos are all in the same domain to achieve better video quality. Based on this hypothesis, we propose a novel video compression pipeline. Specifically, we first apply H.264 to compress domain-specific videos. We then train a novel binary autoencoder to encode the leftover domain-specific residual information frame-by-frame into binary representations. These binary representations are then compressed and sent to the client together with the H.264 stream. In our experiments, we show that our pipeline yields consistent gains over standard H.264 compression across several benchmark datasets while using the same channel bandwidth.


In the past twenty years, there has been a surge in legal scholarship that recognizes the value of story in law, and law schools are beginning to tap into the extraordinary power of story. Largely absent from this mix are stories told by law students about their own experiences with the law. The authors used class time formerly devoted to clinic rounds to offer students the opportunity to tell stories about their cases outside the presence of their supervising attorneys. Clinical faculty then compared their own, recorded version of the story of a case with the student's version. This article explores how the integration of storytelling into law school clinics can help law students move through the six levels of cognition identified in Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives in order to become more practice-ready, and how listening to student stories can help faculty deepen their understanding of students and cases. In addition to helping students develop insights into their casework, storytelling offered an opportunity to practice oral advocacy skills and to understand the role of story in case theory. Providing clinical faculty a formal opportunity to tell their own stories about student work on cases can deepen faculty members' understanding and inform their pedagogical approach.


Business simulations provide a teaching method that typically yields (1) more hands-on experience, (2) a higher level of excitement, (3) a higher noise level (and yet a lower incidence of problems), and (4) more commitment than traditional methods of teaching (McLure 1997, 3). Business simulations are experiential learning opportunities that have been successfully used for higher education in a wide range of disciplines. They are also ideally suited for use in adult education, where the focus is more on facilitating learning than traditional methods of knowledge transfer are. This article reports on a study that examines the value added by business simulations in a financial management course, as perceived by the learners. The reasons why learners experience this teaching method as positive are investigated. It would seem that higher education in financial management has
much to gain from a wider application of business simulations. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol. 20 (2) 2006: 352-366


Coefficients of temperature change in relation to body size are given for three species of fish native in Lake Huron, subjected to a sudden drop in ambient temperature of about 5C. These observations together with published data provide cooling coefficients for fish and aquatic reptiles over a weight range of 1–5000 g. The slope of the regression-log cooling coefficient on log body weight is about −0.6. The hypothesis offered is that the magnitude of the slope in question results from the temperature measured being close to the center of a body of constant thermal conductivity, retaining essentially the same proportions throughout growth.In addition, various observations of excess deep-body temperatures were collected in relation to weight for poikilothermal fish and aquatic reptiles, all presumed to be in thermal equilibrium with their environment. A double logarithmic plot of deep body temperature on weight in this case has a slope of about 0.4. The relation between these two slopes appears to be satisf...


The current study examines the effects of ingroup identification, outgroup trust, and intergroup forgiveness on intergroup contact quantity in the diverse cities of Sarajevo and Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 455 individuals ranging in age from 14 to 102 self-reported as either Muslim, Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, or Other completed a questionnaire. Analyses revealed that ingroup identification was significantly and negatively correlated with intergroup contact quantity; however, ingroup identification was not significantly correlated with outgroup trust or intergroup forgiveness. The comparison between groups revealed significant group differences across all predictor and criterion variables. To confirm whether age or community background had a moderating effect on predicting the relation between ingroup identification, outgroup trust, and intergroup forgiveness on intergroup contact quantity, moderated regression analyses were conducted. Results revealed community background, ingroup identification, and outgroup trust were all significant contributors to the model; however, age and forgiveness were not. Taken as a whole, the entire model accounted for approximately 21% of variability in intergroup contact quantity. The results from the current study reinforce the supposition that the two cities of Sarajevo and Tuzla in Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot move towards reconciliation without first understanding the effect that strong ingroup identification has on mixing with the other diverse groups, and implementing proactive measures to enhance outgroup trust and cross-community outreach. Implementing these measures in the two cities of Sarajevo and Tuzla, along with other areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina, may improve future intergroup relations and move the country closer to reconciliation and peace.


This paper addresses legal classifications by comparing legal doctrine and computational ontologies. In recent years legal ontologies have attracted a growing interest, not only from knowledge engineers but also from legal scholars. Indeed, several controversial issues arise concerning the elicitation and structuring of domain (legal) knowledge, and legal theory can provide useful insights in this respect. The existing tradition of definition and classification of legal concepts by legal doctrine can provide a source for the extraction and characterisation of concepts to be included in legal ontologies. The question arises as to what extent doctrinal structures can be reused in the construction of legal ontologies, and as to what extent doctrinal analyses can draw inspiration from computational ontologies. Firstly, different theoretical approaches to legal conceptualisation are presented. Special emphasis is put on the tension existing in the law between the possibility of defining legal concepts in abstract and the need to define them in the context of each norm, which is a specially relevant issue for legal ontology building, since it concerns capturing the semantics of legal concepts. Secondly, systems of concepts in legal doctrine are analysed and compared, considering both their structure as well as the kind of semantic relationships they include. Through the examination of several examples taken from a broad temporal span in the history of legal thought, it is observed that the systems of legal concepts in doctrine have different levels of abstraction (from very general legal categories encompassing the whole legal domain, to specialised conceptual systems representing particular domains like private law) and different structures (from is-a hierarchies to more complex functional networks of concepts). Some conclusions are drawn as to the possible mappings between doctrinal systems of concepts and computational ontologies. Further lines of research are suggested to better exploit the possible cross-fertilisation between legal doctrine and ontological research in the framework of knowledge representation for intelligent legal information management.


This paper presents new near-infrared observations of the planetary nebula NGC 2346. The data include a broad K-band image, an image in the H2 vibrationally excited 1-0S(1) line and K band slit spectra at three positions in the nebula. In the H2 1-0S(1) line, the nebula is characterized by a central, bright torus, surrounded by weaker emission with a typical butterfly shape, as seen in Halpha and CO lines. The K band spectra show 11 H2 lines with excitation energies from 6150 to 12552 K. The H2 data have been compared to the predictions of models which follow the evolution with time of the H2 emission in PNe of different core mass and shell properties (Natta & Hollenbach 1998). These models compute the emission originating in the photodissociation region (PDR) created at the inner edge of the neutral shell by the UV radiation of the central core, as well as the emission in the shock associated to the expansion of the shell inside the precursor red-giant wind. In NGC 2346, a PDR origin of the H2 emission in a low-density molecular shell (n<~10^4 cm^-3) is indicated. At these low densities, time-dependent H2 chemistry and X-ray heating of the neutral gas enhance the predicted PDR H2 line intensity by large factors.


Planned in fi ve volumes, this critical fl ora provides a defi nitive account of the native species, naturalised species, frequent garden escapes and casuals found in the British Isles. Full keys and descriptions will enable the user to name all plants occurring in the wild, plus some ornamental trees and shrubs. For the fi rst time, detailed accounts of all the large apomictic genera are given and many infraspecifi c variants included. Each species entry begins with the accepted Latin name, synonyms and the English name. A detailed description follows, including information on fl owering period, pollination and chromosome number. Separate descriptions are given for infraspecifi c taxa. Information on the status, ecology and distribution (including worldwide distribution) of the species and infraspecifi c taxa is also given. Clear black and white line drawings illustrate an extensive glossary and also illuminate the diagnostic features in a number of groups of plants.


BACKGROUND
Neuroanatomic studies of schizophrenia have reported temporolimbic abnormalities. Most magnetic resonance imaging studies have evaluated small samples of primarily men with chronic schizophrenia. Our goal was to evaluate sex differences in segmented temporal lobe subregions with reliable parcellation methods, relating volume with clinical and neurocognitive parameters.

METHODS
Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 100 patients with schizophrenia (58 men, 42 women; 39 neuroleptic naive, 61 previously treated) and 110 healthy controls (51 men, 59 women). Gray and white matter volumes of temporolimbic (hippocampus and amygdala) and neocortical regions (superior temporal gyrus and temporal pole) were examined. Symptoms, functioning, and neurocognition were assessed concurrently.

RESULTS
Hippocampal gray matter volume was reduced in men (7%) and women (8.5%) with schizophrenia. In the amygdala, however, decreased volume was evident for men (8%) whereas women (10.5%) had increased volume. Magnetic resonance imaging of the temporal pole showed decreased gray matter in men (10%) and women (8.5%). For the superior temporal gyrus, the decrease exceeded that of whole-brain only in men (11.5%). Volumes were largely uncorrelated with clinical measures, but higher hippocampal volumes were associated with better memory performance for all groups. Cortical volumes were associated with better memory performance in healthy women.

CONCLUSIONS
Schizophrenia is associated with reduced gray matter volume in temporolimbic structures. In men, reduction was manifested in all regions, whereas women showed decreased hippocampal volumes but increased amygdala volumes. The abnormalities are evident in patients with first-episode schizophrenia and correlate more strongly with cognitive performance than with symptom severity.


In 21st century, convergences of technologies and services in heterogeneous environment have contributed multi-traffic. This scenario will affect computer network on learning system in higher educational Institutes. Implementation of various services can produce different types of content and quality. Higher educational institutes should have a good computer network infrastructure to support usage of various services. The ability of computer network should consist of i) higher bandwidth; ii) proper network design; and iii) higher performance of communication devices/servers. Thus, presently there is no software to plan and help network administrator in determine ability of network services during introduce a new service. Current approach using by network administrators are planning computer network performance via prediction and measure ability of real network performance using hardware/software network analyzer. This approach can influence several problems such as prediction without software always inaccurate and most of the software/hardware network analyzer in real network is limited by network interfaces. Therefore, to encounter these problems, network administrators need software that can plan and measure additional network resources. Thus, this study presents a novel approach for measurement and planning network performance management in heterogeneous environment. The main objectives of this research is to i) identify which approach and problem occurs in Malaysia higher educational institutes; ii) create simulation model that able to plan and measure network performance for various services; iii) software network analyzer development based on simulation model design; and iv) conduct an evaluation of simulation model and software development with real network. These objectives can achieve as follows: i) conduct a survey; ii) select appropriate mathematical formula to create simulation model; iii) select appropriate modeling application for software development; and iv) conduct verification and validation technique for simulation modeling and evaluation of software network analyzer . The results from survey show that most of the network administrators are using hardware/software network analyzer to measure network performance during operational phase. The minimum size of bandwidth capacity has contributed higher network utilization usage. It can generate network congestion and network service failure in higher educational institutes. We create suitable models to evaluate the network performance using Little Law and Queuing theory that can represent similar to hardware/software network analyzer. In order to get accuracy results on the performance of simulation model, we measure (verify and validate) data from lab experiment and real network environment. Development of software network analyzer is based on simulation model architecture. This software will undergo evaluation process using qualitative technique. As a result, this software prototyping can provide a good approximation of real functionality observed in the real network environment. In addition the software is capable of approximating the performance within a minimum error rate. This software network analyzer can significantly enhance to analyze and propose solution on computer network performance. Future work is to develop software network analyzer for planning, suggestion and analyzing computer network performance on wireless transmission (WLAN, WWAN and WiMax) and Ipv6 protocol. We investigate how preparation and planning phases can be applied to heterogeneous environment in order to better utilize network resources. Our software network analyzer prototyping development is based on Fluke Optiview Network Analyzer. Before we develop any software prototype, it should define the following criteria: i) establish prototype objectives; ii) define prototype functionality; iii) develop prototype; and iv) evaluate prototype. Software network analyzer prototype consists of two phases: analyzing computer network performance under optimum condition and without optimum condition. Software network analyzer prototype was developed to measure and predict network activities based on offline condition. We use qualitative technique to measure our software network analyzer prototype to identify this software is able to plan, propose and analyze computer network performance. Evaluation of software network analyzer prototype is based on focus groups in University of Kuala Lumpur (UniKL). Six evaluators are experienced in education and industrial sector will select to complete the survey and interview task. Three evaluators will select who are experienced in industrial sector only, while, another three evaluators experienced in academic and industrial sector. All evaluators have experienced more than 6 to 13 years in network management field. All evaluators need to complete the following task such as: acceptance test, performance test, loading test, network responsive test and repetition test. A common strategy is to design, test, evaluate and then modify the design based on analysis of the prototype.


With a population of 82.5 million, the German market is the largest in the EU and therefore of special interest for the trade partners. Despite an unsatisfying economic development in the last years (lowest GDP growth in the EU and rising unemployment, see Table 9 in the annex) Germany is still a very attractive market with well funded consumers. Although agriculture has a small and declining contribution to the country?s gross domestic product, in the wider definition of the agribusiness, it is still one of the most important sectors with regard to turnover and employment. Taking consumers? expenditure for food as a proxy for the total turnover of the agribusiness yields a figure of 240 billion – in 2003, nearly as much as the turnover of the car industry in Germany. In total, 4.5 million people are employed in the agribusiness, which is 11.6% of Germany?s total labour force. Among agricultural markets, the market of fruit and vegetables is of special interest for the trade with Mediterranean countries and also of special importance for the food industry and the food consumption. In 2003 consumers? expenditure for fresh fruit and vegetables were more than 10 billion ?. The processing industry of fruit and vegetables generated another 6.5 billion – turnover, demonstrating the importance of fruit and vegetables in Germany. Bearing in mind that the self sufficiency ratios for fruit and vegetables in Germany are low (13% respectively 50%), the extent of market opportunities for the Mediterranean countries become obvious. Against this background it is the objective of this report to analyse the supply chain of fresh fruit and vegetables in Germany. In the second chapter the current market situation is briefly presented with regard to production, consumption and trade in Germany. Other aspects covered in this chapter are the demographic structure in Germany, important consumer trends and food quality issues. The third chapter is devoted in depth to the analysis of the supply chains for both fruit and vegetables. In this chapter the different actors and market channels are described with regard to their task and importance in the supply chain. In the fourth chapter the overall institutional structure is analysed. After the conclusions in the fifth chapter extensive tables and figures can be found in the annex.


This article contributes to the revision of thinking on the origin of author's copyright by examining the first grant of a printing privilege to an author in the sixteenth century, not with a focus on its value to the author, the humanist scholar Thomas Linacre, but rather on its value to Henry VIII's regime. The privilege, which applied to a Latin grammar, served Henry VIII's initiative to foster humanist scholarship in England. The privilege represents early recognition of the power of monopolies in printing rights to incentivize the creation of particular texts. The printing privilege arose when a convergence of factors began to change the economics of book printing, as both supply and demand for printed books increased. Humanist luminaries, like Erasmus and Linacre, created demand for new content from living authors. Yet, the patronage system that largely compensated these authors drove down the prices they were able to get for the sale of their manuscripts to printers and burdened them with obligations to patrons. A close-grained history of Linacre's privilege, and new evidence in support of dating the privilege before 1517, suggest that Henry VIII used the privilege as a tool, costless to the fisc, to make the publication of Linacre's Latin grammar textbook more profitable to the author, and thereby to promote an English brand of the New Learning that would increase the prestige of the crown. The advancement of learning has been at the core of Anglo-American copyright since its origins.


Fabric (distribution of crystallographic orientations) profile along the full NEEM ice core, Greenland, is presented in this work. Data were measured in the field by an Automatic Ice Texture Analyzer every 10 m, from 33 m down to 2461 m depth. The fabric evolves from a slightly anisotropic fabric at the top, toward a strong single maximum at about 2300 m, which is typical of a deformation pattern mostly driven by uniaxial compression and simple shearing. A sharp increase in the fabric strengthening is observed at the Holocene to Wisconsin climatic transition. A similar strengthening, toward an anisotropic single maximum-type fabric, has been observed in several ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica, and can be attributed to a positive feedback between changes in ice viscosity at the climatic transition, and the impact of a shear component
of stress. Centimeter scale abrupt texture (fabric and microstructure) variations are observed in the bottom part of the core. Their positions are in good agreement with the folding hypothesis used for a climatic reconstruction by Dahl-Jensen and co authors (2013). Comparison is made to two others ice cores drilled along the same ridge; the GRIP ice core drilled at the summit of the ice sheet, and the NorthGRIP ice core, drilled
325 km to the NNW of the summit along the ridge, and 365 km upstream from NEEM. The fabric profile clearly reflects the increase in shear deformation when moving NW along the ridge from GRIP to NorthGRIP and NEEM. The difference in fabric profiles between NEEM and NorthGRIP also evidences a stronger lateral extension associated with a sharper ridge at NorthGRIP.
References:
Dahl-Jensen, D. and 120 co-authors. Eemian interglacial reconstructed from a Greenland folded ice core, Nature, 493, 489–493, 2013.


Abstract The biomechanical roles of skeletal muscle and their tendons are diverse. Perhaps most intuitively, muscle is regarded as a biological 'motor' that provides the work required for accelerating the body and overcoming aero- and hydrodynamic forces. With detailed biomechanical analyses, more intricate roles of the muscle-tendon unit have been uncovered, ranging from energy recyclers, to shock absorbers and capacitors. The functional scope of muscle-tendon tissue makes it an attractive choice for exploring bio-machine integration. Research and cross-disciplinary collaboration at SymbioticA offers a testbed for scientific and artistic exploration into engineered muscle-tendon constructs and the broader philosophical debate surrounding their place in 'semi-living' machine systems.


We consider the problem of evaluating the predictive log likelihood of a previously unseen document under a topic model. This task arises when cross-validating for a model hyperparameter, when testing a model on a hold-out set, and when comparing the performance of dierent tting strategies. Yet it is known to be very challenging, as it is equivalent to estimating a marginal likelihood in Bayesian model selection. We propose a fast algorithm for approximating this likelihood, one whose computational cost is linear both in document length and in the number of topics. The method is a rst-order approximation to the algorithm of Carvalho et al. (2010a), and can also be interpreted as a one-particle, Rao-Blackwellized version of the \left-to-right" method of Wallach et al. (2009). On our test examples, the proposed method gives similar answers to these other methods, but at lower computational cost.


A specification in Enterprise Architecture (EA) requires the modeling of an enterprise across multiple levels, from the markets in which it operates down to the implementation of the IT systems that support its operations. Our goal is the development of a method and of a CAD tool that support such modeling. To achieve our goal, we need an ontology to represent systematically all the systems at the multiple levels identified in an enterprise. We base our ontology on the foundation modeling concepts defined in Part 2 of ISO/ITU Standard "Reference Model of Open Distributed Processing" (RM-ODP). In this paper, we present how multi-level systems can be represented using directly the concepts defined in Part 2 of the RM-ODP. Our modeling approach differs from that defined in Part 3 of the RM-ODP, which focuses on the specification of IT systems in terms of viewpoint models representing the IT system environment and its construction. The benefit of our approach is the capability to model systematically and consistently the multiple systems represented in a company.


Background Critical care is described as complex, detailed healthcare in a unique, technologically rich environment. Critical care nursing requires a strong knowledge base and exceptional clinical and technological skills to cope in this demanding environment. Many registered nurses (RNs) commencing work in these areas may lack resilience, and because of the stress of the critical care environment, coping mechanisms need to be developed. To prevent burnout and to enable critical care nurses to function holistically, emotional intelligence (EI) is essential in the development of such coping mechanisms. Objective The aim of this study was to describe the EI of RNs commencing work in critical care units in a private hospital group in Gauteng, South Africa. Method The design used for this study was a quantitative descriptive survey. The target population were RNs commencing work in critical care units. Data were collected from RNs using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire – Short Form and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Results The sample (n = 30) had a mean age of 32 years. Most of the participants (63%) qualified through the completion of a bridging course between 2010 and 2012. The majority (62%) of the sample had less than 2 years' experience as RNs. Conclusion The EI of RNs commencing work in a critical care environment was indicative of a higher range of Global EI, with the well-being factor scoring the highest, followed by the emotionality factor, then self-control, with the sociability factor scoring the lowest.


An atmospheric-water-budget-related phase space is constructed with the tendency terms related to dynamical convergence (QCON ≡ -Q∇ · V) and moisture advection (QADV ≡ -V · ∇Q) in the water budget equation. Over the tropical oceans, QCON accounts for large-scale dynamical conditions related to conditional instability, and QADV accounts for conditions related to lower-tropospheric moisture gradient. Two reanalysis products [MERRA and ERA-Interim (ERAi)] are used to calculate QCON and QADV. Using the phase space as a reference frame, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) cloud-top pressure (CTP) and cloud optical depth (COD) are used to evaluate simulated clouds in the GISS-E2 general circulation model. In regimes of divergence over the tropical oceans, moist advection yields frequent high- to midlevel medium-thickness to thick clouds associated with moderate stratiform precipitation, while dry advection yields low-level thin clouds associated with shallow convection with lowered cloud tops. In regimes with convergence, moist and dry advection modulate the relative abundance of high-level thick clouds and low-level thin to medium-thickness clouds. GISS-E2 qualitatively reproduces the cloud property dependence on moisture budget tendencies in regimes of convergence but with larger COD compared to MODIS. Low-level thick clouds in GISS-E2 are the most frequent in regimes of near-zero convergence and moist advection instead of those of large-scale divergence. Compared to the Global Precipitation Climatology Project product, MERRA, ERAi, and GISS-E2 have more rain in regimes with deep convection and less rain in regimes with shallow convection.


Background: Chromosomal alterations occur frequently in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), affecting either the chromosome number or structural changes. These alterations can lead to inactivation of tumor suppressor genes and/or activation of oncogenes. The objective of this study was to identify recurrent and/or novel chromosomal alterations in adult ALL using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analysis. Methods: We studied 41 cases of adult ALL compared with healthy normal controls using SNP array. Results: Our analysis revealed 43 copy number variant regions, of which 44% were amplifications and 56% were deletions . The most common amplifications were on chromosome regions 8p23.1 (71%), 1q44 (66%), 1q23.3 (54%), 11q23.3 (54%), 12p13.33 (54%) and 8q24.21 (51%). On the other hand, the most common deletions were identified on chromosomes 1p31.1 (76%), 3q26.1 (68%), 11p11.12 (63%), 4q12 (59%), 19p13.2 (59%), 7q11.21 (56%), Xp22.33 (54%), 7q11.21 (51%) and 19p13.11 (51%). Conclusions: Amplification of chromosome 8p23.1 and deletion of chromosome 1p31.1 were the most frequently found alterations in this study. These chromosomal regions contain genes such as SPAG11B , DEFB104A , DEFB105A , DEFB107A , DEFB106A and SPAG11A . These potential genes may contribute to leukemogenesis in adult ALL. The cytogenetic and molecular mechanisms underlying these chromosome changes deserve further investigations. J Hematol. 2014;3(3):65-71 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jh140w


This paper discusses recent progress on the analysis and measurement of frequency selective surfaces (FSS). The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is used for the analysis of the structures and measurements are made in a free-space system using a focused Gaussian beam. The extensions required for extending the FDTD method to analyzing periodic structures are reviewed. Computed and measured results are presented and compared for a variety of cases, including both normal and off-normal incidence. Good agreement has been obtained. Parametric studies are reported. Some problems encountered are discussed.


OBJECTIVE
Metabolic syndrome-related traits (obesity, glucose intolerance/insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension) have been shown to be genetically correlated. It is less clear, however, if the genetic correlation extends to novel risk factors associated with inflammation, impaired fibrinolytic activity, and hyperuricemia. We present a bivariate genetic analysis of MetS-related traits including both traditional and novel risk factors.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
Genetic correlations were estimated using a variance components procedure in 1,940 nondiabetic white individuals from 445 families in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Family Heart Study. Twelve MetS-related traits, including BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, white blood cell count, fasting serum triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, insulin, glucose, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen, uric acid, and C-reactive protein, were measured and adjusted for covariates, including lifestyle variables.

RESULTS
Significant genetic correlations were detected among BMI, waist circumference, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen and between uric acid and all of the above variables except insulin. C-reactive protein and white blood cell count were genetically correlated with each other, and both showed significant genetic correlations with waist circumference and insulin. Fasting glucose was not significantly genetically correlated with any of the other traits.

CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that pleiotropic effects of genes or shared family environment contribute to the familial clustering of MetS-related traits.


Background: Phenotypic characterisation of COPD subjects may rely on clinical and physiological manifestations, imaging, assessment of patient-related outcomes (health related quality of life), COPD comorbidities, COPD exacerbations and systemic inflammation The aim of the study was to evaluate and to analyze the health-related quality of life in COPD patients classified into different phenotypes. Methods: 395 consecutive COPD patients were enrolled into the study. Spirometric data were analyzed (FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC). Health-related quality of life was assessed by the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ). Results: The cohort consisted of 395 COPD patients with mean age 62.7 ± 9.4 years, 79 % were males. Patients were divided in 4 groups according to phenotypes: 44% of the patients were non-exacerbators, 35% frequent exacerbators with chronic bronchitis (CB), 12% frequent exacerbators without CB, and 8% were patients with asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). There were statistically significant differences in health-related quality of life and lung function between COPD phenotypes. Frequent exacerbators with chronic CB and without CB had the similar total SGRQ scores, CCQ scores and CAT, and these scores were worse in comparison with HRQL of non-exacerbators and patients with ACOS. Conclusion: Frequent exacerbators with chronic CB and without CB have a more severe deterioration of the HRQL and worse lung function then non-exacerbators and patients with ACOS.


We demonstrate the generation of quantum-correlated photon pairs combined with the spectral filtering of the pump field by more than 95 dB on a single silicon chip using electrically tunable ring resonators and passive Bragg reflectors. Moreover, we perform the demultiplexing and routing of signal and idler photons after transferring them via an optical fiber to a second identical chip. Nonclassical two-photon temporal correlations with a coincidence-to-accidental ratio of 50 are measured without further off-chip filtering. Our system, fabricated with high yield and reproducibility in a CMOS-compatible process, paves the way toward large-scale quantum photonic circuits by allowing sources and detectors of single photons to be integrated on the same chip.


Purpose: Unlike the commercial industries, the risks arising from the healthcare industry's internal system and the surrounding environment may cause serious consequences, even the patients' health. Concerning the increasing emphasis on risk management in the healthcare supply chain environment, there is an urgent demand for a novel decision support method that supports supply chain risk management in the hospital setting. As the topic is still in the early stage and only a few systematic academic studies on this topic can be found over the last decades. This research aims to propose a novel comprehensive framework and integrated risk management model that takes explicit account of multiple types of risk factors in aiding decision-making as well as compares and ranks the current implemented alternative risk mitigation strategies using fuzzy set theory and multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods. Methodology: In pursuit of meeting the requirements of the research objectives, this research conducts empirical studies from both China and UK healthcare industries and follows three steps of risk management procedure based on the proposed framework to conduct risk factors identification, assessment and risk mitigation strategies identification. In order to ensure that the analysis is systematic and inclusive, various types of risk factors are identified through a related systematic literature review and are validated through a set of empirical studies. Risk assessment is conducted through two stages of questionnaire surveys and evaluated through Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM). Thereafter, risk mitigation strategies are identified through conducted empirical studies and evaluated through Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Research Implications: This is the first study which has developed a comprehensive risk management framework in the healthcare supply chain that effectively integrates supply chain risk factors identification, risk assessment as well as mitigation strategy identification and evaluation. The novelty of the developed framework lies in the fact that a systematic and practical decision making tools are proposed supporting hospital managers making strategic decisions on healthcare supply chain risk management. Furthermore, compared with several studies using secondary data, this thesis uses empirical data to conduct the identification and evaluation of risk mitigation strategies, enabling the results closes to the reality of the situation in the healthcare setting. Practical Implications: The profile of risk sources, the priority weighting and inter-relationship among these risks and, the ranking of mitigation strategies provide a guideline for hospital managers to anticipate and proactively deal with potential risks. The proposed framework applies to both the UK and China healthcare industries, the finding can also be applied in other countries and regions.


Pynnönen, Katja Social engagement, mood, and mortality in old age Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2017, 98 p. (Studies in Sport, Physical Education and Health ISSN 0356-1070; 259) ISBN 978-951-39-7128-1 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-7129-8 (PDF) Social relationships, social activity, and experiencing fulfilment of interpersonal needs are essential aspects of well-being in older people. The purpose of this research was twofold: first, to investigate the associations of various dimensions of social activity and perceived togetherness with indicators of health decline; and second, to identify potential mediators in these associations. This dissertation is based on data from two research projects. The first, the Evergreen project, is a multidisciplinary, longitudinal follow-up study on the health and functional capacity of people aged 65–84 in 1988 (n=1 181) resident in Jyväskylä, Finland. Data on institutionalization and mortality were obtained from local and nationwide registers. The second, Promotion of mental wellbeing in older people (GoodMood), was a randomized controlled trial lasting for 1.5 years targeting persons aged 75–79 years (n=222–223) who reported symptoms of loneliness or melancholy at study entry. In both studies, data on social factors and health were gathered in face-to-face interviews. The results showed that those who were more active in collective social activity had reduced risk for mortality and institutionalization over the 17-year follow-up. Better mobility partially explained the association between collective and productive social activities and mortality risk. Better cognitive functioning and fewer depressive symptoms were prerequisites for participating in social activities. Of the dimensions of perceived togetherness, higher sense of attachment and opportunity for giving nurturance at baseline predicted a lower number of depressive symptoms at follow-up. In addition, the presence of depressive symptoms and loneliness at baseline predicted lower scores in the dimensions of perceived togetherness at follow-up. A social intervention of choice increased experiences of social integration, but did not affect depressive symptoms. Loneliness and melancholy were attenuated over time, also equally among controls, suggesting no additional benefit from the social intervention. Collective and productive social activity may contribute to preventing health decline in older people. A higher level of social activities and contentment in perceived togetherness, less frequent feelings of loneliness and fewer depressive symptoms often co-exist, but increased social activity may not lead to improvements in these variables.


ABSTRACT Temporomandibular (TM) disorders afflict many people globally and, despite the presence of existing peer-reviewed material that assists conservative orthopedic providers, recent advances in knowledge indicate that updated resources are required for students, clinicians, and educators. This two-part series builds off previously published material to present newer supplementary information that can be useful during the evaluation and management processes. Content in Part 1 of this series includes a discussion about the factors that have been shown to contribute to TM disorders, an updated perspective of relevant pain science, a discussion of self-report outcome measures, and various different topics related to the examination of patients with TM disorders. Part 2 addresses information related to the temporomandibular joint disc, joint hypermobility, oral splints, and clinical reasoning. In combination with other available publications, this two-part series provides clinicians an opportunity to improve their delivery of effective and efficient clinical services for people diagnosed with TM disorders.


Abstract We appear to be on the brink of a new epoch of treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Compelling evidence suggests that Aβ42 secretion is the triggering event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, and that tau aggregation may be an important secondary event linked to neurodegeneration. Prophylactic administration of anti-amyloid agents designed to prevent Aβ accumulation in persons with subclinical disease is likely to be more effective than therapeutic interventions in established Alzheimer's disease. Drug development programs in Alzheimer's disease focus primarily on agents with anti-amyloid disease-modifying properties, and many different pharmacologic approaches to reducing amyloid pathology and tauopathy are being studied. Classes of therapeutic modalities currently in advanced-stage clinical trial testing include forms of immunotherapy (active β-amyloid immunoconjugate and human intravenous immunoglobulin), a γ-secretase inhibitor, the selective Aβ42-lowering agent R-flurbiprofen, and the anti-aggregation agent tramiprosate. Non-traditional dementia therapies such as the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), valproate, and lithium are now being assessed for clinical benefit as anti-amyloid disease-modifying treatments. Positive findings of efficacy and safety from clinical studies are necessary but not sufficient to demonstrate that a drug has disease-modifying properties. Definitive proof of disease-modification requires evidence from validated animal models of Alzheimer's disease; rigorously controlled clinical trials showing a significantly improved, stabilized, or slowed rate of decline in cognitive and global function compared to placebo; and prospectively obtained evidence from surrogate biomarkers that the treatment resulted in measurable biological changes associated with the underlying disease process.


Background: The β2-adrenergic signaling pathway mediates the effects of chronic stress on ovarian cancer progression in mouse models. The relevance of this pathway to human ovarian cancer remains unknown. Methods: We assessed tumor expression of β2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) using tissue microarrays in 237 ovarian cancer cases from the Nurses' Health Studies (NHS/NHSII). Competing risks Cox regression was used to evaluate whether associations of reproductive, hormonal, and psychosocial factors with ovarian cancer risk differed by ADRB2. We also examined the association between tumor ADRB2 expression and ovarian cancer survival. Results: Forty-five (19%) cases were positive for ADRB2 staining. High levels of anxiety symptoms were positively associated with ADRB2-positive tumors (HR, 2.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15–5.84) but not with ADRB2-negative tumors (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.81–1.66; Pheterogeneity = 0.07). We observed similar results for depression. No associations were observed for job strain, caregiving stress, or widowhood for either positive or negative ADRB2 status. Lifetime ovulatory years were more strongly associated with ADRB2-positive tumors (HR per 5 years, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.15–2.21) compared with ADRB2-negative tumors (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.96–1.27; Pheterogeneity = 0.04). Significant heterogeneity by ADRB2 was also observed for parity (Pheterogeneity = 0.01), oral contraceptive use (Pheterogeneity = 0.03), and age at menopause (Pheterogeneity = 0.04). Tumor expression of ADRB2 was not associated with ovarian cancer mortality (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.69–1.59). Conclusions: Several stress- and ovulation-related factors were differentially associated with ovarian tumors responsive to β2-adrenergic signaling. Impact: Replication in larger studies is warranted to confirm the role of β2-adrenergic signaling in ovarian cancer etiology. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(12); 1587–94. ©2016 AACR.


We present a bottom trawl survey (BTS) field experience carried out off the Portuguese Continental shelf to test two sampling designs proposals previously analysed by simulation which implement a hybrid random-systematic and a systematic sampling strategy. We used a common base regular grid covering the survey area and overlapped it with the existent random design to build the hybrid design while the systematic design added a set of regular locations at smaller distances creating four denser sampling areas. We use hake ( Merluccius merluccius ) abundance and model-based geostatistics to compute measures such as mean abundance, µ, and the 95% percentile, p95, which summarise the areal behaviour; coverage of the prediction confidence interval, ξ, to assess the adequacy of the model; and a modified generalised cross validation index, p, to evaluate prediction precision. The hybrid design showed a lower coefficient of variation for µ (11.89% against 13.25%); a slightly higher coefficient of variation for p95 (11.31% against 11.09%); similar ξ (0.94); and lower π (16.32 against 18.82). We conclude that the hybrid design performs better, our procedure for building it can be used to adjust BTS designs to modern geostatistical techniques, and the statistics used constitute valuable tools for assessing BTS performance.


Light wave diffraction from multiple superposed volume gratings is inestigated using a perturbative iteration method of the integral equation of Maxwell's wave equation. The host material and index gratings are anisotropic and non-coplanar multiple volume gratings are considered. In this method, the paraxial approximation and lack of backward scattering in conventional coupled mode theory are not assumed. Systematic analysis of anisotropic wave diffraction due to multiple noncoplanar volume index gratings is performed in increasing level of diffraction orders corresponding to successive iterations.


Brucellosis is a febrile zoonotic disease that presents a severe hazard to humans and domestic animals, which requires a One Health approach to control socioeconomic consequences and public health implications on the people in the country. The majority of the cattle owners are illiterate herds' men with traditional knowledge of cattle management handed down by their ancestors. Management is free range with no supplementing or balanced diet. Access to veterinary services is almost not available, and local herdsmen treat their animals. Most of these herdsmen do not allow livestock officer visitors to have access to their animals. Processing of meat and milk uses traditional methods, and people consume fresh milk without due regard to sanitary conditions. This behavior has serious public health implications especially when the majority of the beneficiaries live in rural communities. Animals abort, while production decreases due to delayed conception. Local herdsmen confer confidence in people who are knowledgeable about cattle management. Researchers have no data on the disease in the last 50 years. Supportive action from various sectors such as human, animal and environmental health stakeholders backed by social anthropologists using the One Health Platform will provide a conducive atmosphere to engage herdsmen in initiating control measures of the disease.


In this paper we present the results of seasonal monitoring and irrigation tests performed on an experimental farm in a semiarid region of Southern Sardinia. The goal of the study is to understand the soil–vegetation interactions and how they can affect the soil water balance, particularly in view of possible climatic changes. We used long‐term electromagnetic induction (EMI) time lapse monitoring and short‐term irrigation experiments monitored using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and EMI, supported by time domain reflectometry (TDR) soil moisture measurements. Mapping of natural γ‐ray emission, texture analysis, and laboratory calibration of an electrical constitutive relationship on soil samples complete the dataset. We observe that the growth of vegetation, with the associated below‐ground allocation of biomass, has a significant impact on the soil moisture dynamics. It is well known that vegetation extracts a large amount of water from the soil particularly during summer, but it also reduces evaporation by shadowing the soil surface. Vegetation represents a screen for rainfall and prevents light rainfall infiltration but enhances the wetting process by facilitating the infiltration and the ground water recharge. In many cases, the vegetation creates a positive feedback system. In our study, these mechanisms are well highlighted by the use of noninvasive techniques that provide data at the scale and resolution necessary to understand the hydrological processes of the topsoil, also in their lateral and depth spatial variability. Unlike remote sensing techniques, noninvasive geophysics penetrates the soil subsurface and can effectively image moisture content in the root zone. We also developed a simple conceptual model capable of representing the vegetation–soil interaction with a simple enough parameterization that can be fulfilled by measurements of a noninvasive nature, available at a large scale and evidences possible relevant developments of our research.


This Article addresses the general principles of preemption, and describes the history, purpose and language of the Carmack Amendment. The Article then demonstrates that at the time the amendment was passed, Congress had no intention of preempting claims based on moving industry misconduct. Part II discusses the constitutional principles that govern application of the law of federal preemption and describes how application of preemption in Carmack Amendment cases has diverged from the overall application of preemption principles in other areas of congressional legislation. Finally, Part III argues that the courts have improperly granted the moving industry carte blanche to deceive and mistreat consumers without consequence, and suggests congressional action to solve this problem.


What kind of appetite does poetry have for creating new discourses about the nation? This essay will ask if poetry can re-imagine and rewrite what are often oppressive and exclusionary national discourses, asking how - historically and in contemporary work - poetry has been concerned with national forms of belonging and unbelonging. Further, the essay will ask whether Australian poetry is able to generate new and even hopeful language in which to think about the nation.


Earning money is a primary motivation for workers on Amazon Mechanical Turk, but earning a good wage is difficult because work that pays well is not easily identified and can be time-consuming to find. We explored the strategies that both low- and high-earning workers use to find and complete tasks via a survey of 360 workers. Nearly all workers surveyed had earning money as their primary goal, and workers used many of the same tools (browser extensions and scripts) and strategies in an attempt to earn more money, regardless of earning level. However, high-earning workers used more tools, were more involved in worker communities, and more heavily used batch completion strategies. A natural next step is to use automated systems to assist workers with finding and completing tasks. Workers found this idea interesting, but expressed concerns about impact on the quality of their work and whether using automated tools to support them would violate platform rules. We conclude with ideas for future work in supporting workers to earn more and design considerations for such tools.


microRNAs regulate the development of myogenic progenitors, and the formation of skeletal muscle fibers. However, the role miRNAs play in controlling the growth and adaptation of post-mitotic musculature is less clear. Here, we show that inhibition of the established pro-myogenic regulator miR-206 can promote hypertrophy and increased protein synthesis in post-mitotic cells of the myogenic lineage. We have previously demonstrated that histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) is a target of miR-206 in the regulation of myogenic differentiation. We confirmed that inhibition of miR-206 de-repressed HDAC4 accumulation in cultured myotubes. Importantly, inhibition of HDAC4 activity by valproic acid or sodium butyrate prevented hypertrophy of myogenic cells otherwise induced by inhibition of miR-206. To test the significance of miRNA-206 as a regulator of skeletal muscle mass in vivo, we designed recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV6 vectors) expressing miR-206, or a miR-206 "sponge," featuring repeats of a validated miR-206 target sequence. We observed that over-expression or inhibition of miR-206 in the muscles of mice decreased or increased endogenous HDAC4 levels respectively, but did not alter muscle mass or myofiber size. We subsequently manipulated miR-206 levels in muscles undergoing follistatin-induced hypertrophy or denervation-induced atrophy (models of muscle adaptation where endogenous miR-206 expression is altered). Vector-mediated manipulation of miR-206 activity in these models of cell growth and wasting did not alter gain or loss of muscle mass respectively. Our data demonstrate that although the miR-206/HDAC4 axis operates in skeletal muscle, the post-natal expression of miR-206 is not a key regulator of basal skeletal muscle mass or specific modes of muscle growth and wasting. These studies support a context-dependent role of miR-206 in regulating hypertrophy that may be dispensable for maintaining or modifying the adult skeletal muscle phenotype – an important consideration in relation to the development of therapeutics designed to manipulate microRNA activity in musculature.


Alcohol use and sexual behavior are important risk behaviors in adolescent development, and combining the two is common. The reasoned action approach (RAA) is used to predict adolescents' intention to combine alcohol use and sexual behavior based on exposure to alcohol and sex combinations in popular entertainment media. We conducted a content analysis of mainstream (n = 29) and Black-oriented movies (n = 34) from 2014 and 2013–2014, respectively, and 56 television shows (2014–2015 season). Content analysis ratings featuring character portrayals of both alcohol and sex within the same five-minute segment were used to create exposure measures that were linked to online survey data collected from 1,990 adolescents ages 14 to 17 years old (50.3% Black, 49.7% White; 48.1% female). Structural equation modeling (SEM) and group analysis by race were used to test whether attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral control mediated the effects of media exposure on intention to combine alcohol and sex. Results suggest that for both White and Black adolescents, exposure to media portrayals of alcohol and sex combinations is positively associated with adolescents' attitudes and norms. These relationships were stronger among White adolescents. Intention was predicted by attitude, norms, and control, but only the attitude–intention relationship was different by race group (stronger for Whites).


Abstract Introduction Injury mechanisms for Whiplash associated disorders (WAD), caused by rear-end car accidents, are not fully understood. Previous studies have demonstrated cervical vertebral kinematics are influenced by both cervical spinal alignment [1-2] and interaction between thoracolumbar spine and seatback [3]. However, whole spinal alignment has not been well analysed for car occupants [4], despite its importance for WAD-injury mechanisms. Therefore, our aim is to investigate representative whole spinal alignments for male and female occupants. Methods The spinal column was scanned for eight female and seven male subjects in one occupant posture using an upright open magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. The wooden plate seat (seatback angle of 20 degrees) was designed to obtain a seating posture similar to previous rear impact sled tests [5]. The spinal alignment from C2 to sacrum was defined with the centres of the vertebral bodies obtained in the MRI data, and normalised by C2-sacrum length. Spinal alignment patterns were investigated with Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) [6], identifying the two MDS dimensions with largest inter-subject variance. On the 50% probability ellipsoid, four spinal alignments were calculated based on weighted average of all subjects to describe the MDS dimension (Figure1b-e). Average gender specific spinal alignments were estimated at the average point on the distribution map for female and male subjects, separately. Results Limiting the MDS to two dimensions captured 87% of total inter-subject variance. The spinal alignments along the two MDS dimension are illustrated in Figures 1b and c with minor differences along the 2nd MDS dimension. Variance along the 1st MDS dimension, shifted from a slightly kyphotic cervical and less-kyphotic thoracolumbar spine to a lordotic cervical and more pronounced kyphotic thoracolumbar spine.  All female subjects except one had slightly kyphotic cervical and thoracolumbar spine (Figure1b). Male subjects had large variance in spinal alignment, ranging from a slightly kyphotic spine to a lordotic cervical and pronounced kyphotic thoracolumbar spine. Average gender specific spinal alignments were estimated in Figure 1d; a slightly kyphotic or almost straight cervical and less-kyphotic thoracolumbar spine for females, and a lordotic cervical and more pronounced kyphotic thoracolumbar spine for males. Discussion There was a prominent relationship showing that cervical lordosis occurred together with pronounced thoracolumbar kyphosis. This was reflected in the estimated average gender specific spinal alignments. This study showed substantial difference in spinal alignment between males and females, with smaller variance for female subject than male subjects. These differences may explain some of the difference in WAD injury risk seen in real-world data. Acknowledgements JSPS KAKENHI 16KK0137. References 1. Maiman(2002). Neurosurgery, 97:57-62. 2. Stemper(2005). J Biomech, 38(6):1313-1323. 3. Sato(2010). IRCOBI, p41-58. 4. Chabert(1998). ESV, p2072-2079. 5. Ono(2006). IRCOBI, p103-113. 6. Cox(2000). Multidimensional Scaling. Conference website: www.wcb2018.com