In this paper, we study the performance of regularized channel inversion (RCI) precoding in large MISO broadcast channels with confidential messages (BCC). We obtain a deterministic approximation for the achievable secrecy sum-rate which is almost surely exact as the number of transmit antennas M and the number of users K grow to infinity in a fixed ratio β=K/M. We derive the optimal regularization parameter ξ and the optimal network load β that maximize the per-antenna secrecy sum-rate. We then propose a linear precoder based on RCI and power reduction (RCI-PR) that significantly increases the high-SNR secrecy sum-rate for 1<;β<;2. Our proposed precoder achieves a per-user secrecy rate which has the same high-SNR scaling factor as both the following upper bounds: (i) the rate of the optimum RCI precoder without secrecy requirements, and (ii) the secrecy capacity of a single-user system without interference. Furthermore, we obtain a deterministic approximation for the secrecy sum-rate achievable by RCI precoding in the presence of channel state information (CSI) error. We also analyze the performance of our proposed RCI-PR precoder with CSI error, and we determine how the error must scale with the SNR in order to maintain a given rate gap to the case with perfect CSI.


With sensitivity, common sense and preparation, an engineer can explain risk effectively and fairly without alienating the public. Risk communicators should use a standard set of terms so the public is not confused. Consistency of terms and names, of chemicals for example, should be maintained throughout a presentation. Anger and confusion can result from inconsistency in the discussion. At an Idaho Superfund site, the state expressed contamination in parts per million. Several years later, EPA measured the same level of contamination, but expressed the results in parts per billion. The public was unduly alarmed by the higher numbers and EPA officials lost credibility, even though they explained that there was no real difference between the numbers. Unit conversion is easy for environmental professionals; the public should not have to do it. The article lists helpful rules in explaining risks to the public, and the worries that most often need to be addressed by engineers. Although risk communication is one of the hardest tasks the environmental professional faces, it is important. Without it people will not understand, accept, or be able to participate in decisions that affect their lives.


Abstract The "Target Fabrication Facility" (TFF) of an IFE power plant must supply about 500,000 targets per day. The targets are injected into the target chamber at a rate of 5-10 Hz and tracked precisely so the driver beams can be directed to the target. The feasibility of developing successful fabrication and injection methodologies at the low cost required for energy production (about $0.25/target, about 104 less than current costs) is a critical issue for inertial fusion. To help identify major cost factors and technology development needs, we have utilized a classic chemical engineering approach to the TFF. The analyses assume an "nth-of-a-kind" TFF and utilize standard industrial engineering cost factors. The results indicate that the direct drive target can be produced for about $0.16 each. Iterations are still underway for the indirect drive target. These cost analyses assume that the process development is accomplished to allow scaling of current laboratory methods to larger sizes, while still meeting target specifications. A development program is underway at various laboratories to support this scale-up.


This study uses discontinuities in U.S. strategies employed during the Vietnam War to estimate their causal impacts. It identifies the effects of bombing by exploiting rounding thresholds in an algorithm used to target air strikes. Bombing increased the military and political activities of the communist insurgency, weakened local governance, and reduced non-communist civic engagement. The study also exploits a spatial discontinuity across neighboring military regions, which pursued different counterinsurgency strategies. A strategy emphasizing overwhelming firepower plausibly increased insurgent attacks and worsened attitudes towards the U.S. and South Vietnamese government, relative to a hearts and minds oriented approach.


There is growing national and international concern about the mental health of children and young people, and in countries such as England there is now a political and policy commitment to developing whole-school approaches to mental health. This paper presents new evidence on how pupils' mental health is being addressed in schools using learning activities associated with physical education, sport and physical activity, as part of a school-based sport- and mental health-themed programme ('Tackling the Blues') for pupils aged 6–16 years old in north-west England. In particular, we examine how pupil-centred learning activities have been used in weekly multi-sport activity sessions and related classroom-based workshops, and draw upon insight from 29 focus groups to explore pupils' (n = 116) mental health awareness and associated socio-emotional learning (SEL). The learning activities led pupils to focus on the impact personal relationships with family and friends, feelings and emotions, and experiences of stress, anger and entrapment can have on mental health. It is argued that embedding socially relevant learning activities into the content, organisation and delivery of school curricula may help improve pupils' sense of enjoyment, participation and achievement which are important for enhancing their knowledge and awareness of mental health, and developing SEL. However, we conclude that the effectiveness of whole-school approaches also depends, perhaps to a greater degree, on the wider educational systems in which schools are located and especially the widening social, economic and health inequalities which have profound impacts on child development, educational and other outcomes, and mental health.


as ever, it started with an innocent looking email. "idea" stated the subject line, but who could be emailing ideas to me on a sunny wednesday lunchtime in june? jennifer barrow, as it turned out, had not been spending her lunch in the park drinking too much pimms, but had been browsing through mary blake's history of biall (as a good council member does) and discovered that the law for librarians course (as was) had been running for 20 years. the very first course had started in the autumn of 1984, meaning that our 2004/2005 year would be the 21st year of the course, surely reason for celebration! after much deliberating over what would be most suitable for such an esteemed and valuable part of biall's portfolio of courses, a special logo was created for the year's course materials, and a successful evening reunion was held in april. this took place at bpp's new law school at waterloo and was attended by over 30 past and current law librarians, including a brave few who attended that very first year.


This project's main focus is to perform a feasibility study of existing wastewater treatment technologies and methods which can be minimally altered in order to be integrated into the Army Force Provider system (1). The US Army is the most accomplished fighting force in the world and the key to its successes are the soldiers who risk their lives every day for their country. There is a constant push for innovation and improvement on technologies that would help protect the men and women serving at home and overseas. Base camps now have the ability to be almost completely self-sustainable for extended periods of time. One of the aspects that prevent base camp self-sustainability is the challenge of disposing of wastewater. The integration of portable wastewater treatment technologies into the Army Force Provider system would greatly increase the sustainability of base camps and the security of military missions at home and abroad.


Importance
A prediction model for new-onset nonmelanoma skin cancer could enhance prevention measures, but few patient data-driven tools exist for more accurate prediction.

Objective
To use machine learning to develop a prediction model for incident nonmelanoma skin cancer based on large-scale, multidimensional, nonimaging medical information.

Design, Setting, and Participants
This study used a database comprising 2 million randomly sampled patients from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2013. A total of 1829 patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer as their first diagnosed cancer and 7665 random controls without cancer were included in the analysis. A convolutional neural network, a deep learning approach, was used to develop a risk prediction model. This risk prediction model used 3-year clinical diagnostic information, medical records, and temporal-sequential information to predict the skin cancer risk of a given patient within the next year. Stepwise feature selection was also performed to investigate important and determining factors of the model. Statistical analysis was performed from November 1, 2016, to October 31, 2018.

Main Outcomes and Measures
Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve were used to evaluate the performance of the models.

Results
A total of 1829 patients (923 women [50.5%] and 906 men [49.5%]; mean [SD] age, 65.3 [15.7] years) with nonmelanoma skin cancer and 7665 random controls without cancer (3951 women [51.5%] and 3714 men [48.4%]; mean [SD] age, 47.5 [17.3] years) were included in the analysis. The 1-year incident nonmelanoma skin cancer risk prediction model using sequential diagnostic information and drug prescription information as a time-incorporated feature matrix could attain an AUROC of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.87-0.91), with a mean (SD) sensitivity of 83.1% (3.5%) and mean (SD) specificity of 82.3% (4.1%). Carcinoma in situ of skin (AUROC, 0.867; -2.80% loss) and other chronic comorbidities (eg, degenerative osteopathy [AUROC, 0.872; -2.32% loss], hypertension [AUROC, 0.879; -1.53% loss], and chronic kidney insufficiency [AUROC, 0.879; -1.52% loss]) served as more discriminative factors for the prediction. Medications such as trazodone, acarbose, systemic antifungal agents, statins, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and thiazide diuretics were the top-ranking discriminative features in the model; each led to more than a 1% decrease of the AUROC when eliminated individually (eg, trazodone AUROC, 0.868; -2.67% reduction; acarbose AUROC, 0.870; -2.50 reduction; and systemic antifungal agents AUROC, 0.875; -1.99 reduction).

Conclusions and Relevance
The findings of this study suggest that a risk prediction model may have potential predictive factors for nonmelanoma skin cancer. This model may help health care professionals target high-risk populations for more intensive skin cancer preventive methods.


Purpose To report the outcomes of lensectomy in spherophakic eyes with subluxated or dislocated crystalline lenses and secondary glaucoma. Methods Lensectomy was performed in 52 eyes, 36 eyes with lens subluxation and 16 eyes with lens dislocation with secondary glaucoma from 1991 to 2016. Glaucoma was diagnosed based on intraocular pressure (IOP) ≥22 mm Hg and/or glaucomatous optic disc damage. Complete success was defined as IOP ≥5 and ≤21 mm Hg without antiglaucoma medications (AGMs) or surgery, and eyes needing oral AGM or surgical intervention for IOP control or those with complication causing loss of light perception were considered failure. Results Median (IQR) age at lensectomy was 12 (6–18) years, and median spherical equivalent was −14.5D (−23.7to −13). Median follow-up was 30.6 (5.4–103.4) months. Median logMAR (logarithm of minimal angle of resolution) visual acuity improved from 0.95 (0.6–1.8) to 0.4 (0.2–1.3) after lensectomy (p=0.01). Median IOP decreased from 22 mm Hg (17–31) to 14 mm Hg (11–19) at final follow-up (p=0.01). Median number of AGM decreased from 2 (2–3) to 1 (0–2) at final follow-up (p<0.0001), and glaucoma surgery was needed in four eyes (7.7% eyes). Complete success probability was 69% at 1 year and 51% at 5 years. Younger age (<6 years), higher presenting IOP (>32 mm Hg) and larger cup to disc ratio at presentation were found to be significant risk factors for failure. Conclusion Lensectomy was effective in controlling IOP in close to half of all eyes with spherophakia and secondary glaucoma, 40% eyes needed AGM and only 7.7% eyes needed glaucoma surgery for IOP control. In this cohort, younger age, higher IOP and larger cup to disc ratio at presentation were risk factors for poor glaucoma control after lensectomy.


In 2003, the Building Code of Australia (BCA) introduced its first thermal performance
requirements for residential buildings as a means to reduce Australia's energy consumption
and greenhouse gas emissions in the construction sector. This mandated a minimum energy
performance rating of 4 stars for all new residential buildings. This requirement was
increased to 5 stars in 2006 and to 6 stars in 2010. The introduction of the 4-star requirement
had only a minor impact on construction practices and construction costs. However, the
adjustment to 5 and 6-star ratings resulted in changes within the building industry,
particularly on timber floor construction. The BCA's requirements for increased star ratings
and energy efficiency resulted in concerns within the building industry, one of which was in
relation to the accuracy of the House Energy Rating scheme's (HER) software "AccuRate"
and its capability to model the building envelope and provide the star rating. AccuRate was
developed gradually over a number of years by the CSIRO and was primarily used by
building designers as a design tool. When the energy efficiency section was incorporated into
the BCA as part of the building approval requirements, AccuRate was developed into a
regulatory tool. Consequently, industry and government have recognized the need to validate
this software empirically.
The University of Tasmania, in collaboration with Forest and Wood Products Australia, the
Australian Government, and housing developer Wilson Homes, constructed three test houses
in Kingston, Hobart for the purpose of validating AccuRate empirically for the cool
temperate climate zones of Australia. The test houses were built to standard building
practices, comprising: brick veneer walls, aluminum-framed windows and Colorbond steel
roofing. Two houses have suspended timber floors and the third house has a concrete slab
floor.
An extensive array of instruments and data loggers was installed to measure and document
the thermal performance of the three houses. Comprehensive AccuRate simulations of the
test houses were carried out, and hourly measured and simulated data were compared. The
research presents the findings of the graphical and statistical analysis of the variation between
the simulated and measured data from the three test houses.
The findings demonstrate that while simulated and measured temperatures had comparable
profiles for most zones of the three houses, individual hourly simulated temperatures did not
in most cases, match the measured temperatures, and were at times quite dissimilar.Simulated temperature ranges were larger in all zones of the houses than measured values.
Simulated temperatures were closer to measured values in the slab floor house than in the two
timber floor houses. In addition, simulated temperatures were closest to measured values in
the living room and bedrooms of the concrete slab floor house and were furthest away from
measured values in the hall way and roof space of all three houses and in the subfloor space
of the timber floor houses. The large discrepancies between simulated and measured
temperatures in these spaces of the houses require further investigation and resolution for the
continuing improvement and calibration of the AccuRate software. The considerable
disagreement of temperatures between simulated and measured values will significantly
compromise the accuracy of the heating and cooling loads and consequently, the star rating of
the software.


Objectives and Data Usage. Studies were undertaken at several stations in the
southern Chesapeake Bay in support of the Sediment Data Monitoring Plan for the Time Variable Model. This work followed the consensus plan initially produced by the EPA sediment modelling workshop held on January 4, 1987, and subsequently modified based
on discussions held on February 5, 1988 meeting at the Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and discussions with officials from the EPN Chesapeake Bay
Program, HydroQual, Inc. and other scientists involved in the Chesapeake Bay sediment data collection program. These studies in Southern Chesapeake Bay were undertaken in conjunction with
parallel studies in the Northern Chesapeake Bay by W.R. Boyton, W.M. Kemp and coworkers
at the University of Maryland, and studies of sediment accumulation rates at all
sites by G. Brush (The Johns Hopkins University). Together these data sets will provide
information on the sediments of the entire Chesapeake Bay, to be used in the development
of the sediment component of the three-dimensional, time-variable model of Chesapeake Bay.


Short circuit fault of a motor, due to breakdown of an insulating material of winding, is one of the most probable faults in motor drive systems. Establishment of an easy and effective fault diagnosis method has been strongly required to assure operation with high reliability. This paper proposes a novel diagnosis method for insulation failure of motor windings by a combination of impulse testing and pattern recognition based on Hidden Markov Model (HMM). A voltage waveform across two winding terminals is recorded under application of an impulse voltage. HMM is exploited to distinguish a small difference in voltage waveforms between healthy and faulty winding insulations. Usefulness of the proposed diagnostic method is verified through voltage waveforms experimentally obtained for motors with several kinds of turn-to-turn insulation failures.


Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) achieve high accuracy in vision-based object detection tasks. For their usage in the automotive domain, CNNs have to be robust against various kinds of natural distortions caused by different weather conditions while state-of-the-art datasets like KITTI lack these challenging scenarios. Our approach automatically identifies corner cases where CNNs fail and improves their robustness by automated augmentation of the training data with synthetic rain variations including falling rain with brightness reduction as well as raindrops on the windshield. Our method achieves higher performance upon validation against a real rain dataset compared with state-of-the art data augmentation techniques like Gaussian noise (GN) or Salt-and-Pepper noise (SPN).


This study focuses on advising international students in a Texas community college. Guided by Bronfenbrenner's ecological model, I explored how academic advising with international students was shaped by individual backgrounds and environmental influences. I utilized a qualitative research design and analyzed information collected from interviews with 20 academic advisors and 15 international students at the community college. The findings of the study revealed factors in each subsystem of the model that may exert an important impact on international students' experiences in advising and academic success. The findings can provide a valuable lens for advisors to better understand the challenges of working with international students and unveil forthcoming experiences for prospective international students


This article explores the role of Chinese Christian women in the internationalization of Chinese education in the early twentieth Century. In particular, it examines the changing relationship between Church Missionary Society (CMS) missionary Louise Barnes, and Zeng Baosun, the great granddaughter of Zeng Guofan. Zeng Baosun was born in 1893 in Changsha, educated at the CMS's Mary Vaughan School in Hangzhou, and became the first Chinese woman to graduate from the University of London, before returning to China to establish a Christian school for girls in Changsha (Yifang) in 1918. Although an extraordinary example because of her elite family background, Zeng's story highlights how Chinese women used the networks to which their Christian education exposed them on a local, national and international scale to play an important role in the exchange of educational ideas between China and the West during the early twentieth century. The story of the relationship between Zeng and Barnes also reveals the changing power dynamics between foreign missionaries and Chinese Christians in the process of indigenizing the church in China: the roles of teacher and pupil were reversed upon their return to Changsha, with Zeng serving as headmistress of her own school and Barnes as a teacher.


While the spatializations of social exclusion have long been critically assessed, legislative responses to these exclusions have also been found to be limited. Addressing the exclusions of Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans* and Queer people, social inclusions in the form of equalities legislations have been used as a marker of 'progress' and development, creating neo-colonial geographic comparisons between the legal and policy regimes of different contexts. Taking a decolonial optic, this paper shows that even in one of the most progressive legislative contexts – England – equalities legislation is differentially implemented, and indeed resisted by some local government organizations creating what we term as an implementation gap. This paper uses liveability as an understanding of the importance of recognition that does not proscribe restrictions, while also seeking 'a life that is a life'. It works across India and the UK to create transnational thinking that seeks commonalities without negating difference, showing that liveability enables both an articulation of Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans* and Queer people's ongoing unease in England, and a counter-narrative to reductive readings of legislative oppression in India. In both countries, liveability refuses to negate the possibilities of legislation, but neither does it become beholden to them. Liveability, it is argued, has the potential to discursively unlink a naturalized linkage between sexual sub/ab/jects and a progress/backward binary. The paper concludes that liveable lives are fluid, contingent and can be precarious even with recognition. A decolonial optic refuses to place precarity in the 'Backward Global South' and recognition in the 'progressive Global North'. Instead commonalities between Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans* and Queer lives query these assumptions and associated hierarchical politics of 'saving' 'backward' nations. This has the potential to deepen demands for social justice, in ways that do not abandon legislative reforms, but go beyond them to seek lives that are 'worth living', including through transnational interconnections and solidarities.


The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), as defined in the Kyoto Protocol, has two objectives: to promote sustainable development in host developing countries, and to improve global cost- effectiveness by assisting developed countries in meeting their Kyoto targets. The aim of this paper is to explore the background of the CDM and discuss to what extent its current design allows it to achieve its dual objective. The first part of the paper is a literature review that includes descriptions of the flexibility mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol, the CDM's market potential, and the issues of cost- effectiveness and sustainable development. In the second part of the paper, we discuss to what extent there is a conflict between cost-effectiveness and sustainability, and whether the two objectives of the CDM can be achieved simultaneously. We develop a set of indicators to evaluate non-carbon benefits of CDM projects on the environment, development, and equity, and show how these indicators can be used in practice by looking at case studies of CDM project candidates in the energy sector from Brazil and China. We demonstrate that for some CDM projects there is a trade-off between cost-effectiveness, in terms of a low quota price, and a high score on sustainability indicators. We have reason to believe that the size of the CDM market in some studies is over-estimated since transaction costs and the challenge of promoting sustainable development are not fully accounted for. Also, we find that the proposed set of indicators can be a necessary tool to assure that sustainability impacts of CDM projects are taken into consideration.


This paper investigates an interpreter's handling of a distinctive 'paternalistic' (following Tates et al. 2002 ) participation framework in a Belgian criminal court, whereby the defendant is the topic – but not the addressee – of the interaction. The hearing analysed, which was recorded and transcribed, was part of a drugs trial. An experienced court interpreter provided consecutive and whispered interpreting, almost always asymmetrically, so that the French-speaking defendant could follow everything said to/about her in Dutch; the Dutch-speaking bench and counsel listened to the defendant's French. The paternalistic participation framework seems to prompt various strategies by the interpreter, leading her to disregard major aspects of the code of ethics she works by. First, she sets up a separate participation framework with the defendant as the addressee of the interpretation (the 'interpreter's dyad'), systematically using the deictic coordinates of this framework in presenting the court's interaction. Second, she tends sometimes to position herself in the role of principal, arguably as a result of the dyad arrangement. Finally, though interpretation is required only for the defendant, the latter's French is occasionally interpreted into Dutch for the court –sometimes at the interpreter's own initiative, possibly to protect the interests of the defendant in response to a verbal challenge from the judge.


Background

Much of the debate around the science and technology of genetically modified (GM) crops has focussed on the policies and practices of national governments and international organisations or on the acceptability of GM products with consumers. Little work had been done with the primary users of such technologies – farmers. Further, the management of knowledge has become a significant issue for all sectors of the economy and yet little attention had again been given to farmers as a particular societal group of small to medium sized enterprises subject to 'knowledge-based' influences from many other societal groups.

Aims and objectives

This project investigated the attitudes, intentions and practices of farmers regarding the new technology of GM crops (both those with experience of them and those without) in relation to their social setting. The relationship building research approach we developed had three phases that used three different, and progressively more interactive, discussion and mapping techniques to engage with (often the same) participants. Telephone and face-to-face interviews with farmers, and a workshop with farmers and others involved in agriculture, helped:

1. Explore how farmers construct their understandings of GM crops through their interactions with others, in particular family members, neighbouring farmers, seed companies, farming advisors and the local community.

2. Ascertain the acceptability to farmers of recommended management practices for GM crops used in the Government sponsored Farm Scale Evaluations (FSEs).

3. Develop models of social learning systems appropriate to support individual farmers within informal social settings who decide to adopt contentious new technologies such as GM crops.

Key findings

Farmers' understandings of GM crops as a new technology:

Farmers view GM crops as a technology derived from new practices in plant breeding that build upon previous technologies and contribute to the running of the whole farm business. They are responding to them much as they would to any new technology, as a technology that provides improvements that are assessed for their value in practice by experimentation in the individual farm context. Farmers who had been involved in the FSEs, and those who had not, believed that GM crops offer clear economic and environmental benefits to themselves and the wider public. New technologies, such as GM crops are attractive to farmers as a way of reconciling conflicting demands to deliver high quality products at low cost and also to farm in an environmentally responsible way.

Farmers' acceptance of recommended management practices:

The farmers involved in the FSEs had no problems following the recommended management practices and several could see ways in which to modify them to create benefits to themselves and to others if GM crops were licensed in the UK, in particular by using lower rates of herbicide.

Farmers' social learning systems and links to their communities:

Farmers' learning is dominated by informal learning, beyond any initial formal training, and this occurs through experimenting and the use of tacit knowledge arising from using new technologies in practice on their own farm. They also actively engage with other farmers (their network of practice) and many organisations that impact on their work (their community of influencers). That is, they draw on and exchange knowledge and experience from the range of people in their social environment.

Farmers' network of practice is widely distributed rather than being local while their community of influencers is complex, but relatively stable and consistent over time, and largely not local, although the degree of influence of individual members of the community may change. Some influence over practice is one-way (e.g. regulations that impose restrictions on what can be done) while some influences result from two-way negotiation (e.g. with agricultural advisers on agronomic matters). Key individuals within organisations in their community of influencers are often important, rather than simply the organisations themselves.

Most farmers have to act individually at the boundary between their network of practice and community of influencers in order to find and exchange information and knowledge. For example, with the decline in public funding for the former Agricultural Development and Advisory Service (ADAS) there is a lack of official people working at the boundary between farmers' network of practice and other key communities of practice within a farmer's community of influencers. Similarly, there is a less effective connection between both the scientific research occurring in the agricultural science community of practice and agricultural policy development occurring in government departments and agencies, with the day-to-day agricultural practices and long term plans of farmers.

The value of our research approach:

Farmers appreciated the use of a more participatory approach that sought the inclusion of their views, as users, into the broader conversations about new technologies. They also valued the interactive, relationship-building nature of the research approach.

Dissemination of findings

An integral part of the project has been the sharing of the outcomes of each phase of the study with the participants and with key stakeholders in the agricultural sector. A project website, project reports, conference papers, journal articles and an executive summary document are being used to disseminate the findings to different audiences.

Implications for policy and practice

Based on our findings there is a need for:

• An enabling environment that is responsive to farmers' needs, with clear, consistent and long-term policy signals about the future of agriculture, to allow them time to adapt to changing demands.
• Improved connections between farmers and consumers.
• Greater awareness amongst policy makers, regulators, scientists and the supermarkets, of what farmers can and cannot do.
• Independent, trustworthy, sources of research and advice for farmers.
• The valuing of farmers' informal learning from experience, for example in the shaping of agricultural research.

The following features are among those that would most improve the systems of support available to farmers in their decisions about new technologies:

• horizon-scanning on behalf of farmers, to synthesise information, look at the potential of new technologies, and develop clear long-term directions for agriculture
• government-sponsored intermediaries qualified in and knowledgeable about agriculture, to improve the links between government policies, scientific research and the grassroots


Rheumatoid arthritis has a non-homogeneous pattern around the world. The current study aimed to describe the clinical manifestations and disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis patients in southeastern Iran. In this descriptive, cross-sectional study with convenience sampling, data regarding the demographics, painful joints, number of swollen and tender joints, ESR, disease activity, and therapeutic regimen of 500 patients with rheumatoid arthritis who referred to the Rheumatology Clinic of Ali Ebn Abitaleb Hospital between October 2012 and October 2013 was collected using a data form. After collection, the data was analyzed using SPSS version 16. Of the 500 studied cases, 437 cases (87.4%) were female and 63 cases (12.6%) were male. Average patient age was 48.78 ± 13.97 years, and the mean duration of the disease was 7.28 ± 7.14 years. The mean value of disease activity score-28 (DAS-28) was 3.54 ± 1.38. The DAS-28 in 30.25% of cases was below 2.6, while in 14.7% of cases it was greater than 5.1. The knee (49.6%) and the wrist (36.6%) were the most prevalent painful joints, and 375 patients complained of morning stiffness. The most frequent therapeutic regimens were prednisolone (81%), methotrexate (62.4%), hydroxychloroquine(60.8%), sulfasalazine (24%), and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (22.2%). Based on the results of this study, the mean value of DAS-28 of 3.54 ± 1.38 implies disease activity in most cases in southeastern Iran. This indicates that changing therapy regimens is necessary.


Real cities are comprised of a diverse, random arrangement of building positions, shapes, and sizes. Yet most of the urban parameterisations thus far developed share the assumption that a city is made up of either a regular array of parallelepipeds or infinitely long canopies. The inputs to these models, which include street width, building width, building density and a statistical representation of building heights, are generally obtained through quantitative field surveys (which are very slow and time consuming to perform) or qualitative estimates from Digital Elevation Model. But in performing this geometric abstraction there is no way to ensure that the total built surfaces and volumes of the simplified geometry match those of the actual city, or more importantly, that the energy and momentum exchanges are equivalent. In this paper, we aim to test the central hypothesis that cities can be accurately represented by a regular array of parallelepipeds or canopies. For this, we investigate, for a particular scenario, the effects of complexity in urban geometry on the spatially averaged drag forces and shortwave radiation exchange. For drag computation, we used the Immersed Surface Technique, while for computing the incident radiation we used the Simplified Radiosity Algorithm. After testing the above hypothesis, we propose a new approach for fitting an array of cubes to any complex (realistic) geometry, so that new or existing urban parameterisation schemes can be used with confidence. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society


Various organic solvents like methanol, chloroform, alcohol, dimethyl formamide; acetonitrile, hexane, acetone and carbon tetrachloride have been employed for solubilization of poorly watersoluble drugs for spectrophotometric estimations. Drawbacks of organic solvents include high cost and error in analysis due to volatility. Attempting to minimize these drawbacks, three new, simple, accurate, environmental friendly, cost effective, safe, sensitive spectrophotometric methods have been developed for simultaneous estimation acetaminophen, chlorzoxazone, and aceclofenac in tablet dosage form by using 8.0 M urea solution, as a hydrotropic agent. Aqueous solubility of these model drugs were enhanced to a great extent 18, 5 and 10 fold for acetaminophen, chlorzoxazone, and aceclofenac in 8.0M urea solution respectively. Urea solution and additives of tablet did not interfere in analysis, as urea did not show any absorbance above 243nm. In 8.0M urea solution, acetaminophen, chlorzoxazone, and aceclofenac show maximum absorbance at wavelength 244.4nm, 281.6 and 276.0nm respectively. Beer's law was obeyed in the concentration range 0-40μg/ml for three drugs. Method-I is based on simultaneous equation method, method-II is area under curve and method III is multi-component methods of spectrophotometric analysis. Results of analysis for these methods were tested and validated for various parameters according to ICH guidelines, hence can be adopted for the routine analysis of acetaminophen, chlorzoxazone, and aceclofenac in tablet dosage form.


Hearing loss effects millions of people of all ages and is commonly treated with hearing aids and prostheses. Bone anchored hearing prostheses use bone conduction to transmit sound through the skull bone to the functioning inner ear and cochlea, bypassing the outer and middle ear. A challenge associated with these prostheses is optimizing the location of the surgical implant. A better understanding of how vibrations travel through the skull bone will be beneficial in the improvement of current prostheses and the development of new bone conduction technologies. Using laser Doppler vibrometry, vibration characteristics of dry human skulls were investigated. Three-dimensional vibration patterns were obtained at several frequencies and the dispersion relationship was determined. A closed-spherical shell model proved to be a good indicator of the frequency response of a dry human skull in the frequency range of normal human hearing.


markdownabstractThe public sector makes up for an important part of our economy. According to estimates by the OECD (2008) a large share of the labor force in OECD countries is employed by the public sector. These public sector workers provide a wide range of goods and services to the public. Examples of services that are publicly provided range from education, health care, transport, garbage collection, to public safety. This large variety in public services suggests that all people, at some point in their lifetime, will either have to deal with or rely on public service. The performance of public sector organizations, therefore, receives considerable attention from the public. Even more so, because public services are paid for by taxes. People expect good services and value for tax money.

The delivery of public goods and services is highly labor intensive. Key to good public services are the e¤orts and output of public sector workers. However, incentivizing public sector workers to work hard may prove costly and di¢ cult. Performance in the public sector is often hard to measure and verify. This is also reflected in the way performance is assessed in the public sector. Performance assessment in the public sector is relatively rare and, if present, often tied to weak incentives (see Burgess and Metcalfe 1999). As a result, public sector performance relies to a great extent on the intrinsic motivations of the workers employed by the public sector. Learning about the motivations of public sector workers may therefore contribute to our understanding of performance in the public sector.

This thesis contributes to the growing literature on motivations of workers in the public sector. The first part of this thesis empirically studies differences in motivations between public sector and private sector workers. In particular, we study two closely related topics. We investigate how a worker's altruism and valuation of the mission of the public sector jointly aspect the likelihood of public sector employment. Moreover, we examine whether public sector workers rate themselves as more altruistic and lazy as compared to private sector workers. Next, chapter 4 studies the motivations of government workers in particular. It empirically investigates whether government workers are more satisfied with their job when their own mission preferences align with the mission preferences of the politicians in office. In the last part of this thesis we take a somewhat different approach. We investigate one possible way to motivate public sector workers. We conducted a field experiment at a large Dutch school for intermediate vocational education to study whether the provision of performance feedback to teachers can improve the performance of teachers. The remainder of this introduction proceeds as follows. The next section discusses intrinsic motivation and its consequences for the public sector. Section 1.2 provides a general discussion on feedback and, in particular, the role of feedback as an incentive. Finally, section 1.3 provides a short overview of the chapters in this thesis.


Potassium is a crucial nutrient required for maintaining the health of a plant. It increases the resistance power of the plant against the diseases. Apart from this potassium plays important role in various other physical and physiological functions involved in the growth of a plant. Uptake of potassium by the root of crop plant depends upon its availability in the rhizosphere of the root. The potassium dynamics in the soil is not well understood till date. In this paper an attempt has been made to study the potassium dynamics in the rhizosphere of the root of wheat crop in the presence and absence of bio-physical source. A finite element model is proposed for a two dimensional unsteady state case. A bio-physical source consisting of rock powder and yeast torulaspora globosa is assumed to be present in the soil. The rock powder contains insoluble potassium which is converted into soluble form of potassium by yeast torulaspora globosa. The model incorporates the term water flux, diffusion coefficient, soil porosity, soil buffer power, uptake coefficient of root etc. The results have been computed using MATLAB. The numerical results have been used to analyze the impact of bio-physical source on the potassium dynamics in the rhizosphere of a root of wheat. The presence of bio-fertilizer leads to significant changes in potassium concentration in the rhizosphere of the wheat root and therefore the bio-physical source consisting of rock powder and yeast torulaspora globosa is recommended as a bio-fertilizer for maintenance of health and growth of wheat crop.


In order to foster peace, stability and prosperity in its near abroad, the European Union has invoked the European Neighbourhood Policy that seeks to transform the domestic structures of the Newly Independent States in the post-Soviet space thus building a ring of friends that share European norms and principles of democracy, rule of the law, market economy, and good governance. Empirical evidence, however, suggests that the EU's capacity to hit across its borders and to realize its reform agenda seems limited. Moreover, most neighborhood countries appear to be stuck in transition and suffer from serious problems of both weak state capacity and defect democracy. Hence, EU efforts may also bear the danger of unintended and negative effects on the domestic structures of states, as its policies and institutions do not only empower liberal reform coalitions, to the extent that they exist in the first place, but can also bolster the power of incumbent authoritarian and corrupt elites. This paper intends to capture this dark side of Europeanization (Schimmelfennig 2007). It thus conceptualizes ENP as a political opportunity structure that provides opportunities and constraints to both supporters and opponents of the European Union's reform agenda. Which of the two ultimately get empowered depends not only on the EU's capacity to push for reforms but also on the pull of domestic actors.


Driver behavior within the dilemma zone can be a major safety concern at high-speed signalized intersections. The Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) has developed and implemented an actuated advance warning (AAW) dilemma zone protection system. Although these systems have received positive reviews from the public, and commercial vehicle operators in particular, there has been no comprehensive analysis of their effects on safety and traffic operations. The focus of this research was to conduct a quantitative study to ascertain the efficacy of the NDOR advance warning system. First, crash records from before and after the implementation of the system at 26 intersections were compared. In addition, 29 control intersections were used to compare crash rates over time, and a fully Bayesian technique was employed to ensure that no exogenous variables affected the study. Results of the safety analysis were promising (a 43.6% reduction in right-angle crashes) and suggested that the use of the system should be encouraged as an effective safety treatment for the dilemma zone problem at high-speed signalized intersections. Second, a non-intrusive data collection system was used to monitor traffic and to collect a continuous stream of data up to 1,000 ft upstream of the stop line at two high-speed signalized intersections equipped with the system. The results suggested that the system was effective at alerting drivers to the impending end of the green signal; approximately 78% of drivers observed in this study either maintained their speeds or slowed down when the signs began to flash. It was also found that the number of vehicles in their dilemma zones when the signal indication changed from green to amber was 77.2% smaller than the number that would have been expected if the NDOR AAW system had not been installed. Finally, a modeling framework was developed that could be used to perform consistent, detailed analyses of these systems. Results from two demonstration studies indicated that the proposed procedure had potential for studying these systems in a microsimulation environment.


Buddenbrockia plumatellae is an active, muscular, worm-shaped parasite of freshwater bryozoans. This rare and enigmatic animal has been assigned to the Myxozoa on the basis of 18S ribosomal DNA sequences and the presence of malacosporean spores. Here we report cloning of four homologous protein-coding genes from Buddenbrockia worms, the putatively conspecific sac-shaped parasite originally described as Tetracapsula bryozoides and the related sac-shaped parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, the causative agent of proliferative kidney disease in salmonid fish. Analyses are consistent with the hypothesis that Buddenbrockia is indeed a malacosporean myxozoan, but do not provide support for conspecificity with either T. bryozoides or T. bryosalmonae. Implications for the evolution of worm-like body plans in the Myxozoa are discussed.


Lipase‐catalyzed acidolysis was examined for the production of structured phospholipids in a hexane system. In a practical operation of the reaction system, the formation of lyso‐phospholipids from hydrolysis is often a serious problem, as demonstrated from previous studies. A clear elucidation of the issue and optimization of the system are essential for the practical applications in reality. The effects of enzyme dosage, reaction temperature, solvent amount, reaction time, and substrate ratio were optimized in terms of the acyl incorporation, which led to the products, and lyso‐phospholipids formed by hydrolysis, which led to the low yields. The biocatalyst used was the commercial immobilized lipase Lipozyme TL IM and substrates used were phosphatidylcholine (PC) from soybean and caprylic acid. A response surface design was used to evaluate the influence of selected parameters and their relationships on the incorporation of caprylic acid and the corresponding recovery of PC. Incorporation of fatty acids increased with increasing enzyme dosage, reaction temperature, solvent amount, reaction time, and substrate ratio. Enzyme dosage had the most significant effect on the incorporation, followed by reaction time, reaction temperature, solvent amount, and substrate ratio. However the parameters had also a negative influence on the PC recovery. Solvent amount had the most negative effect on recovery, followed by enzyme dosage, temperature, and reaction time. Individually substrate ratio had no significant effect on the PC recovery. Interactions were observed between different parameters. On the basis of the models, the reaction was optimized for the maximum incorporation and maximum PC recovery. With all of the considerations, the optimal conditions are recommended as enzyme dosage 29%, reaction time 50 h, temperature 54 °C, substrate ratio 15 mol/mol caprylic acid/PC, and 5 mL of hexane per 3 g substrate. No additional water is necessary. Under these conditions, an incorporation of caprylic acid up to 46% and recovery of PC up to 60% can be obtained from the prediction. The prediction was confirmed from the verification experiments.


Molybdenite from the Voznesensk porphyry Cu ± (Mo,Au) deposit, southern Urals, Russia, displays high Re content and a well-documented oscillatory zoning for this mineral. The molybdenite forms part of a quartz-molybdenite-pyrite-chalcopyrite assemblage cemented at low-temperatures by pumpellyite and tobermorite. Oscillatory zoning occurs as micro-bands up to 200 μm wide and 200–600 μm long oriented parallel to the basal cleavage, as well as within basal planes of molybdenite sheets. The micro-bands are Re-enriched to different degrees (0.3–1.0 wt.%, typically they contain 0.6–0.8 wt.% Re). Outside these structures the Re content in molybdenite is up to 0.25 wt.%, usually <0.10–0.15 wt.%. It is suggested that the Re in the Voznesensk molybdenite retains its original growth pattern, marked by sharp concentration variations, and is not the result of leaching through post-crystallization diffusion. Variations in the number, width, and Re-content in individual micro-zones observed within the oscillatory zones may suggest involvement of extrinsic mechanisms of micro-zone formation. However, the Re content of the Voznesensk molybdenite (ICP-MS and EPMA data) is almost uniform along the studied vertical and lateral interval of the mineralization, suggesting no major variation in Re concentration in the fluid and favoring uniform, self-organization processes causing Re enrichment and oscillatory zoning in molybdenite. Despite the strong degree of epigenetic post-crystallization deformation of the molybdenite flakes and their cementation by low-temperature tobermorite, there is no essential change of the primary micro-zoning in the distribution of Re and any evidence of its epigenetic migration.


Background Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile bacterial opportunist responsible for a wide spectrum of infections. The severity of these infections is highly variable and depends on multiple parameters including the genome content of the bacterium as well as the condition of the infected host. Clinically and epidemiologically, S. aureus shows a particular capacity to survive and adapt to drastic environmental changes including the presence of numerous antimicrobial agents. Mechanisms triggering this adaptation remain largely unknown despite important research efforts. Most studies evaluating gene content have so far neglected to analyze the so-called intergenic regions as well as potential antisense RNA molecules. Principal Findings Using high-throughput sequencing technology, we performed an inventory of the whole transcriptome of S. aureus strain N315. In addition to the annotated transcription units, we identified more than 195 small transcribed regions, in the chromosome and the plasmid of S. aureus strain N315. The coding strand of each transcript was identified and structural analysis enabled classification of all discovered transcripts. RNA purified at four time-points during the growth phase of the bacterium allowed us to define the temporal expression of such transcripts. A selection of 26 transcripts of interest dispersed along the intergenic regions was assessed for expression changes in the presence of various stress conditions including pH, temperature, oxidative shocks and growth in a stringent medium. Most of these transcripts showed expression patterns specific for the defined stress conditions that we tested. Conclusions These RNA molecules potentially represent important effectors of S. aureus adaptation and more generally could support some of the epidemiological characteristics of the bacterium.


There is a huge amount of information available on the how's and why's of performance testing .NET applications, but it is often fairly subjective, narrow in scope, or doesn't quite cover everything you were hoping to learn. The Complete Guide to Performance Testing and Optimizing .NET Applications (by Paul Glavich and Chris Farrell) covers everything from why you should test, through the steps of setting up your test environment, all the way to how to actually run and record tests, and what you should be looking for. Once you're up and running, Paul and Chris cover the fine details of tips and techniques to make the most of your performance testing, and some good ways to get fast results. With all this detail, you will have everything you need to make the most of your .NET code.


The New York Court of Appeals' two recent blight condemnation decisions are the most widely publicized and controversial property rights rulings since the Supreme Court decided Kelo v. City of New London. In Kaur v. New York State Urban Development Corp., and Goldstein v. New York State Urban Development Corp., the Court of Appeals set new lows in allowing extremely dubious "blight" condemnations. This Article argues that the New York Court of Appeals erred badly, by allowing highly abusive blight condemnations and defining pretextual takings so narrowly as to essentially read the concept out of existence.Part I briefly describes the background of the two cases. Goldstein arose as a result of an effort by influential developer Bruce Ratner to acquire land in Brooklyn for his Atlantic Yards development project, which includes a stadium for the New Jersey Nets basketball franchise and mostly market rate and high-income housing. Kaur resulted from Columbia University's attempts to expand into the Manhattanville neighborhood of West Harlem. When some of the landowners refused to sell, Ratner and the University successfully lobbied the government to declare the land they sought to be blighted and use eminent domain to transfer it to them.Part II addresses the issue of blight condemnation. Goldstein and Kaur both applied an extraordinarily broad definition of "blight" that included any area where there is "economic underdevelopment" or "stagnation." In addition, the court opened the door for future abuses in three other, more novel, respects. First, it chose to uphold the condemnations despite evidence suggesting that the studies the government relied on to prove the presence of "blight" were deliberately rigged to produce a predetermined result. Second, it dismissed as unimportant the fact that the firm which conducted the blight studies had previously been on the payroll of the private parties that stood to benefit from the blight condemnations. Finally, the court refused to give any weight to extensive evidence indicating that Ratner and Columbia had themselves created or allowed to develop most of the "blight" used to justify the condemnations. The court's approach opens the door to future abusive condemnations and violates the text and original meaning of the New York State Constitution.Part III discusses Goldstein and Kaur's treatment of the federal constitutional standard for "pretextual" takings. In Kelo and earlier decisions, federal courts made clear that "pretextual" takings remain unconstitutional despite the Supreme Court's otherwise highly deferential posture on "public use." Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has been extremely unclear as to what constitutes a pretextual taking. As a result, courts have taken widely differing approaches to the issue. Nevertheless, Kaur and Goldstein are outliers in this area, deferring to the government more than almost any other court that has addressed the question since Kelo. They virtually read the concept of pretext out of existence.


This paper proposes a new unified theory of sociobehavioral forces. The goal of the new theory is to integrate theories describing five sociobehavioral processes – comparison (including justice and self-esteem), status, power, identity, and happiness – bringing under a single theoretical umbrella diverse mechanisms together with their effects across disparate domains and for both individuals and societies. The integration is made possible by the remarkable similarity of the internal core of the theories, a core comprised of three elements: personal quantitative characteristics, personal qualitative characteristics, and primordial sociobehavioral outcomes. The unified theory posits the operation of three sociobehavioral forces – comparison, status, and power – each associated with a distinctive mechanism, in particular, a distinctive rate of change of the outcome with respect to the quantitative characteristic. Each combination of elements – e.g., status-wealth-city – generates a distinctive identity and a distinctive magnitude of happiness. Thus, the theory enables systematic and parsimonious analysis of both individuals and societies via the distinctive configurations of elements. To illustrate the unified theory, we analyze the three-way contest between loyalty to self, subgroup, and group in a two-subgroup society, deriving many new testable predictions, for example, that the bottom subgroup will have difficulty mobilizing itself, that the ablest individuals in a society will not make good leaders as their first loyalty is to self, and that the proportions loyal to self, subgroup, and group differ sharply, depending on the sociobehavioral forces, valued goods, and subgroup size. Finally, the theory provides a foundation for making explicit connections among the most important themes and insights of contemporary social science, including inequality, oppositional culture, group boundary permeability, social inclusion and exclusion, segregation and integration, social distance and polarization, and bonding and bridging.


Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is initiated after activation of donor T cells by host antigen-presenting cells (APCs). The immunosuppressive enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is expressed by APCs and parenchymal cells and is further inducible by inflammation. We investigated whether lethal conditioning and GVHD induce IDO and if IDO prevents tissue injury by suppressing immune responses at the induction site. We determined that IDO is a critical regulator of GVHD, most strikingly in the colon, where epithelial cells dramatically up-regulated IDO expression during GVHD. IDO"'" mice died more quickly from GVHD, displaying increased colonic inflammation and T-cell infiltration. GVHD protection was not mediated by control of T-cell proliferation, apoptosis, or effector mechanisms in lymphoid organs, nor did it require donor T regulatory cells. Instead, T cells in IDO -/- colons underwent increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis compared with their wild-type counterparts. This evidence suggests that IDO can act at the site of expression to decrease T-cell proliferation and survival, diminishing colonic inflammation and reducing disease severity. These studies are the first to identify a function for IDO in GVHD lethality and indicate that modulation of the IDO pathway may be an effective strategy for treatment of this disease.


Sollis PD, Cisar CJ. Assessing osteoporosis learning needs and preferences of exercise physiologists. JEPonline 2008;11(3):13-19. Research has revealed substantial knowledge deficits regarding osteoporosis among various healthcare professionals , such as physicians, nurses, and physical therapists. However, no previous studies have addressed the levels of knowledge regarding osteoporosis among exercise physiologists working in a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation setting. It is essential that exercise physiologists ha ve a thorough understanding of osteoporosis so they can ensure client safety and provide accurate information to the client and support group. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the levels of knowledge about osteoporosis among exercise physiologists working with clients who are at high risk for fragility fractures. Ninety-six exercise physiologists (female = 63, m ale = 33) working in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation clinics throughout the United States were randomly selected and completed a three component survey, which included a 21-item osteoporosis knowledge test. The scores ranged from 11 to 20 with a mean score of 16.3 ± 1.7. Fifty percent of the respondents scored lower than 80% on the test. The major areas of knowledge deficit found were related to disease prevalence, nutritional relationships, and prevention. Additional findings suggest journal articles, websites, pamphlets, and presentations are the preferred methods for learning among exercise physiologists. These findings are vital for guiding educational programs aimed at improving the osteoporosis related knowledge base of exercise professionals working with clients at high risk for fracture.


In lieu of an abstract, here is the essay's opening paragraph: Marguerite Duras prefaces the second edition of Le navire night , from which an excerpt is cited above, by explaining that after writing the story of a man named J.M., everything came too late, including the realization of the film version of Le navire night. Once the event has been written and the common night of history been closed up, did she have the right to flash a light into the darkness to go back and see? The only seeing through cinema that was possible, she continues, was to film the failure, the disaster of the film. But how does one film the failure of realizing a film adaptation of a written text, which itself was transcribed from an oral re-telling of a story, which itself was adapted from memory? The event already took place – writing, "this history here" –, leaving cinema to film what never took place, namely, the film itself. As Jean-Luc Godard confirms in a chapter titled Seul le cinema in Histoire(s) du cinema, not only in the form of his project as a whole but also more explicitly in one shot that positions two close-up photographs of his face with the sound of Paul Hindemith's "Funeral Music" and this text: "Faire une description precise de ce qui n'a jamais eu lieu est le travail de l'historien." Describing the rise of the film Le navire night from its disastrous death, Duras writes: "On a mis la camera a l'envers et on a filme ce qui entrait dedans, de la nuit, de l'air, des projecteurs, des routes, des visages aussi." The camera turned upside-down, or in the other sense, inside-out, Duras films the entrance of the exterior, a sort of a Levinasian visage. The question no longer is one of having the right but of the duty to re-write history, as is insinuated by the reference to "The Critic as Artist" written across one of the photographs mentioned above, which is again a gesture of Godard's positioning himself as the critic whose role Oscar Wilde defined: "The one duty we owe to history is to rewrite it."


Purpose: Insulin, a member of a family of growth factors that includes insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II, exerts mitogenic effects on normal and malignant breast epithelial cells, acting via insulin and IGF-I receptors. Because of this and because of its recognized association with obesity, an adverse prognostic factor in breast cancer, we examined the prognostic associations of insulin in early-stage breast cancer. Patients and Methods: A cohort of 512 women without known diabetes, who had early-stage (T1 to T3, N0 to N1, and M0) breast cancer, was assembled and observed prospectively. Information on traditional prognostic factors and body size was collected, and fasting blood was obtained. Results: Fasting insulin was associated with distant recurrence and death; the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for those in the highest (> 51.9 pmol/L) versus the lowest (< 27.0 pmol/L) insulin quartile were 2.0 (95% CI, 1.2 to 3.3) and 3.1 (95% CI, 1.7 to 5.7), respectively. There was some evidence to suggest that the association of insulin with breast cancer outcomes may be nonlinear. Insulin was correlated with body mass index (Spearman r 0.59, P < .001), which, in turn, was associated with distant recurrence and death (P < .001). In multivariate analyses that included fasting insulin and available tumorand treatmentrelated variables, adjusted hazard ratios for the upper versus lower insulin quartile were 2.1 (95% CI, 1.2 to 3.6) and 3.3 (95% CI, 1.5 to 7.0) for distant recurrence and death, respectively. Conclusion: Fasting insulin level is associated with outcome in women with early breast cancer. High levels of fasting insulin identify women with poor outcomes in whom more effective treatment strategies should be explored. J Clin Oncol 20:42-51. © 2001 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.


This study developed from my Interests in the industrial system and
the education and training needs of individuals. The starting point
for the research was Maslow's need theory, and Scheler's
proposition that Individuals must continually update their acquisition
of technological (artificial) knowledge to avoid alienation from the
culture created by this type of knowledge.
This study Initially began with a review of literature which
demonstrated that the educational and training needs of individuals
arose from the demands of the Industrial system. This raised the
question of whether individuals' needs were similar to or different
from those of the organisations in which they worked. The empirical
research which developed from this question was to test the
hypothesis that Individuals' perception of needs could serve as the
basis for the development of training strategy and policy.
The research was carried out amongst unemployed adults, employed
adults In three companies and 100 employers in the engineering
industry. An inductive-deductive approach was taken to identify the
education and training needs of individuals and organisations. The
investigation was carried out by a multi-method approach involving
questionnaire and interviews in the collection of both quantitative
and qualitative data. The research confirmed the literature and
hypothesis. It also raised the question of whether the individuals'
perception of needs could be discussed within the wider context of
individuals' ability to participate in discussions about the socloeconomic-
political environment.
The study claims individuals' and industries' needs are similar, thus
individuals' perception of needs can be the basis for the
development of training strategy and policy, and it proposes a model
of Knowledge-Based Training as a possible way forward. It builds on
Mallow's theory of needs and also supports Robbins' theory that
harmony can exist between the life and system worlds.


Regulation 17 from the Water Services Act 108 (1997) is currently being implemented for the classification of wastewater treatment facilities and process controllers in South Africa. Green Drop Assessments (an incentive-based programme for wastewater treatment works) place a large focus on Regulation 17 compliance, which replaces Regulation 2834. Over the years, a lack of enforcement of Regulation 2834 has resulted in the incorrect appointment of staff. Many municipalities are therefore struggling to meet the Regulation, which requires appointment of the correct skill level staff to corresponding treatment facilities. The purpose of this paper is to identify the common problems experienced by municipalities, more specifically by the eThekwini Metro Municipality, and to identify possible solutions for closing the gaps. The four key problem areas identified were: imbalanced staff allocation, lack of education amongst staff, lack of experience amongst staff and the need for grandparenting assessments. The solution began with the correct classification of plants and staff, and included education drives and training programmes in addition to staff reallocation methods. These initiatives form part of both a short-term gap-closing strategy and a broader long-term sustainable plan for compliance with Regulation 17, enhanced process control at a plant level and ultimately the acquisition of Greens Drops, as part of the Green Drop Assessments.


The free access to online materials has changed the role of traditional lectures from being a vehicle to deliver course content to providing face-to-face guidance to clarify and expand on difficult concepts. This means students instead of listening and taking notes, participate in interactive activities that revise the lecture's content. Active learning strategies are seen as positive steps towards increasing students' engagement and learning during class time. In particular, posting multiple-choice questions (MCQ) is a popular technique to both capture student attention and fix possible misconceptions. Quizzes using IF-AT cards differ from other in-class MCQ approaches such as clickers in that students work in groups, and that they must continue to discuss a question until they find the correct answer. This paper reports on two different experiences of using IF-AT cards to revise course content for (a) a second- year Computer Systems course at the University of Adelaide and (b) a first-year Physics course at Universidad del Pacifico. The dynamics of team collaboration and its impact on test results is analysed for each course. Both case studies indicate that IF-AT cards succeed in engaging students to discuss and consolidate their knowledge. Additionally, collaborative discussion supports soft skills development such as technical communication skills.


There is little doubt that throughout the world there is a growing concern about health services and the provision of health care. It is of interest that the worry seems to be independent of the precise structure of health services, the form of provision, and how it is paid for. This suggests two things. One is that the causes of the problem (or problems) are fundamental, and are not entirely, or mainly attributable, to the precise position in any individual country. The second is that each country may have something to learn from the others. It was this kind of thinking that underlay, at least to some extent the original NERA international study of health care and finance (Hoffmeyer and McCarthy, 1994). It was certainly why OHE organised the conference of which this booklet is the outcome. It should be said immediately that the purpose of the present contribution is to offer a balanced introduction to the work done by NERA and to the field in general. It is not a substitute for the NERA volumes themselves. They contain a mass of important information that experts, in particular, must acquaint themselves with. That is not, of course, to say that everyone will agree with NERA's approach or their conclusions. The central questions appear to be simple, perhaps deceptively so. What are the causes of the rise in demand? What determines the supply response? Does the former always outstrip the latter, and, if so what is the significance of that? What are the optimum policy responses, and, in particular, what are the best future roles, respectively, for public and private finance? On the latter, it ought to be borne in mind that while the rhetoric often seems to suggest that the latter is that of individual household choice, in practice, especially in the US experience is anything to go by, it really means business finance. (As a historical comment, before the NHS, health care in the UK also had a tendency to be based on the workplace, either from the firm itself or from trade unions.) NERA itself emphasised technical progress increased expectations of life, and rising expectations as causes of the underlying problem. To the layman this may seem a strange use of language since all of these seem prima facie to be good things rather than bad. Nonetheless, it must be agreed that the system, whatever it is, needs to respond to them. One topic not covered at length in the report is the so-called relative price effect. In essence as gross domestic product rises chiefly as result of productivity improvements in some sectors, relative prices in labour intensive sectors rise. In terms of health care, which despite its own technical progress, is inevitably labour intensive, this means extra cost pressures. This subject has been dealt with in Professor Baumol's recent OHE paper (Baumol, 1995), and itself helps to place the present booklet in a useful context. There can be no doubt that the issues discussed in this book are highly controversial. That does not mean that they can be avoided, even though a debate on them may be painful. The fact that health care is so important does not mean that economic questions can be left out. Quite the reverse is true. Because we are all committed to decent health care, we are obliged to look at matters of costs and efficiency. But it must not be forgotten that it is outcomes that matter. Efficiency in economics means relating costs to benefits (including who benefits). It is not solely about cost saving. In the UK we must not be insular. There may be lessons to be learned from what other countries do, although some of them may be to warn us not to make their mistakes! It is hoped that the present booklet in contributing to the discussion will also assist in the eventual decisions to be taken on policy.


Summary Pipes are the most significant ones of the components which constitutes the vessel body. Pipes are fabricated in piping plant at shipyard and exposed to some processes such as cutting, bending, hydrostatic tests, galvanizing and so on. Cutting operation is also vital process among the other ones since it is very crucial that the cutting surfaces are flat and the right angles. In shipyards, there are various pipe cutting methods such as plasma, oxygen, metal saw, band saw and abrasive cutting wheel. Shipyard production department desires to implement the most appropriate pipe cutting method in order to operate properly and effectively. The purpose of this study is to present the most convenient pipe cutting method according to the determined criteria. For this, fuzzy TOPSIS technique which is one of the most used fuzzy Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods in the literature is employed. The importance degrees of the criteria are evaluated by using fuzzy AHP. As a result of the presented study, the most appropriate pipe cutting method is determined for ship building industry.


Kinetic and structural data are presented on the interaction with Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase (TcAChE) of (+)-huperzine A, a synthetic enantiomer of the anti-Alzheimer drug, (-)-huperzine A, and of its natural homologue (-)-huperzine B. (+)-Huperzine A and (-)-huperzine B bind to the enzyme with dissociation constants of 4.30 and 0.33 microM, respectively, compared to 0.18 microM for (-)-huperzine A. The X-ray structures of the complexes of (+)-huperzine A and (-)-huperzine B with TcAChE were determined to 2.1 and 2.35 A resolution, respectively, and compared to the previously determined structure of the (-)-huperzine A complex. All three interact with the "anionic" subsite of the active site, primarily through pi-pi stacking and through van der Waals or C-H.pi interactions with Trp84 and Phe330. Since their alpha-pyridone moieties are responsible for their key interactions with the active site via hydrogen bonding, and possibly via C-H.pi interactions, all three maintain similar positions and orientations with respect to it. The carbonyl oxygens of all three appear to repel the carbonyl oxygen of Gly117, thus causing the peptide bond between Gly117 and Gly118 to undergo a peptide flip. As a consequence, the position of the main chain nitrogen of Gly118 in the "oxyanion" hole in the native enzyme becomes occupied by the carbonyl of Gly117. Furthermore, the flipped conformation is stabilized by hydrogen bonding of Gly117O to Gly119N and Ala201N, the other two functional elements of the three-pronged "oxyanion hole" characteristic of cholinesterases. All three inhibitors thus would be expected to abolish hydrolysis of all ester substrates, whether charged or neutral.


To promote better performance-bandwidth trade-off for multi-agent perception, we propose a novel distilled collaboration graph (DiscoGraph) to model trainable, pose-aware, and adaptive collaboration among agents. Our key novelties lie in two aspects. First, we propose a teacher-student framework to train DiscoGraph via knowledge distillation. The teacher model employs an early collaboration with holistic-view inputs; the student model is based on intermediate collaboration with single-view inputs. Our framework trains DiscoGraph by constraining post-collaboration feature maps in the student model to match the correspondences in the teacher model. Second, we propose a matrix-valued edge weight in DiscoGraph. In such a matrix, each element reflects the inter-agent attention at a specific spatial region, allowing an agent to adaptively highlight the informative regions. During inference, we only need to use the student model named as the distilled collaboration network (DiscoNet). Attributed to the teacher-student framework, multiple agents with the shared DiscoNet could collaboratively approach the performance of a hypothetical teacher model with a holistic view. Our approach is validated on V2X-Sim 1.0, a large-scale multi-agent perception dataset that we synthesized using CARLA and SUMO co-simulation. Our quantitative and qualitative experiments in multi-agent 3D object detection show that DiscoNet could not only achieve a better performance-bandwidth trade-off than the state-of-the-art collaborative perception methods, but also bring more straightforward design rationale. Our code is available on https://github.com/ai4ce/DiscoNet.


This study focuses on scheduled macroeconomic news announcements and evaluates their impact on the volatility of the South African rand (ZAR) and US dollar (USD) exchange rate using high frequency data. The following asymmetries are studied: news items by geographical location, no-news vs. surprise news announcements and positive vs. negative news announcements. We make the following findings in our empirical study: (i) After the release of a news announcement, the level of foreign exchange volatility rises. This is independent of whether the news item surprised the market or not. (ii) Both South African and US news items significantly impact USD/ZAR volatility, suggesting that the news items are being used to formulate investor expectations regarding the future prospects of the currency pair. (iii) Negative news appears to have a greater impact on exchange rate volatility relative to positive news. This result is also state dependent, as investors tend to behave differently to news depending on the economic climate at that point in time. Investor cognitive biases give rise to the asymmetric news effects on exchange rate volatility. Finally, investors do not always act in rational manner, especially when faced with multiple news items that are contradictory to each other.


Foot and ankle problems such as injuries, arthritis, congenital and acquired deformities, tendenopathies, heel pain, and nerve damage account for a large percentage of orthopaedic conditions. A better understanding of the biomechanics of the foot and ankle and improved outcome research have led to considerable advances in foot surgery techniques, superior results, and improved functional outcomes. Foot and Ankle Surgery: Tricks of the Trade by renowned foot and ankle specialist Steven Raikin and experts from 12 countries, presents step-by-step guidance on the latest foot and ankle surgery procedures.Each succinct, consistently organized chapter takes the reader from patient assessment, diagnostic evaluations and patient selection to surgical planning and positioning, the procedure itself, how to handle complications, postoperative management, and the authors' pearls and surgical tips. The book is divided into forefoot, midfoot, hindfoot, nerve, and ankle pathologies, encompassing commonly performed reconstructive and traumatic procedures. Different techniques are discussed for similar pathologies, such as open and arthroscopic lateral ankle ligament reconstruction, and augmentation options utilizing tendon allograft or an internal brace.Key FeaturesDiscussion of six different total ankle replacement systems, many written by designers of the systems themselves, affords unique insightsA full spectrum of techniques to correct plantar plate tears, hallux valgus, tarsal tunnel syndrome, drop-foot, midfoot arthritis and deformity, tibial tendon dysfunction, Achilles rupture, osteochondral lesions of the talus, ankle fractures, and moreTricks and pearls for optimizing procedural performance, managing hazards and pitfalls, and preventing or resolving intraoperative complicationsA mix of 500 high quality artist illustrations and intraoperative photographs delineate anatomy and proceduresThis highly practical book provides a robust teaching tool for orthopaedic procedures of the foot and ankle. Orthopaedic residents, foot and ankle surgeons, and podiatrists will benefit from clinical pearls and tips from top experts who made major significant contributions to this subspecialty.


This study focuses on the analysis of winter (October-November-December-January-February-March; ONDJFM) storm events and their changes due to increased anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations over Europe. In order to assess uncertainties that are due to model formulation, 4 regional climate models (RCMs) with 5 high resolution experiments, and 4 global general circulation models (GCMs) are considered. Firstly, cyclone systems as synoptic scale processes in winter are investigated, as they are a principal cause of the occurrence of extreme, damage-causing wind speeds. This is achieved by use of an objective cyclone identification and tracking algorithm applied to GCMs. Secondly, changes in extreme near-surface wind speeds are analysed. Based on percentile thresholds, the studied extreme wind speed indices allow a consistent analysis over Europe that takes systematic deviations of the models into account. Relative changes in both intensity and frequency of extreme winds and their related uncertainties are assessed and related to changing patterns of extreme cyclones. A common feature of all investigated GCMs is a reduced track density over central Europe under climate change conditions, if all systems are considered. If only extreme (i.e. the strongest 5%) cyclones are taken into account, an increasing cyclone activity for western parts of central Europe is apparent; however, the climate change signal reveals a reduced spatial coherency when compared to all systems, which exposes partially contrary results. With respect to extreme wind speeds, significant positive changes in intensity and frequency are obtained over at least 3 and 20% of the European domain under study (35–72°N and 15°W–43°E), respectively. Location and extension of the affected areas (up to 60 and 50% of the domain for intensity and frequency, respectively), as well as levels of changes (up to +15 and +200% for intensity and frequency, respectively) are shown to be highly dependent on the driving GCM, whereas differences between RCMs when driven by the same GCM are relatively small.


Livestock production is an important contributor to rural development. In the past two decades, developing countries have experienced changes in market structures, climate and demographic characteristics. These changes have been accompanied by fast growth in demand for livestock products and the increasing dependence on livestock for sustainable livelihood systems. In response to these changes, there has been rapid land use and land cover changes, characterized by expansion of agricultural land, and land fragmentation. This has caused environmental degradation in several rural areas, including the River Njoro watershed. Policy makers and development agents are therefore, facing a dilemma on trade-offs between meeting the expanding demand for livestock products and sustainable utilization of the limited stock of natural resources. At the backdrop of this dilemma, this study sought to identify and characterize livestock production systems in Njoro River watershed using principal components and cluster analysis. A multinomial logistic regression model was then used to determine the factors that influence the spatial distribution of livestock production systems and Changes in Land Use Efficiency for Small extent (CLUE- S) model used to assess the effect of suggested policies on the spatial distribution of livestock production systems. Primary data used in the study was collected using a household survey. Data was managed and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) v15, STATA V9, and (CLUE-S) Modeling softwares. Results indicate that farmers in the watershed fall under three major livestock production systems: Intensive, Semi intensive, and Extensive. Land size, access to extension services, age of household head, altitude of the farm, distance of farm household to the river, number of extension visits, value of physical assets, access to credit, household size, household income, and involvement in off-farm activity are the factors found to significantly influence changes in livestock production systems. It was also observed that if the current trends in land use changes continue, the production of livestock products will continue to decline in the future. This study concludes that if the growth in food production has to surpass the population growth rate, relevant policy issues to enhance sustainable livestock production have to be addressed. Policy implications drawn from this study have focused on incentives for intensification, institutional reforms, improving livestock productivity, and innovations that enhance the synergies between livestock production and the environment.


Why does a power expand and become an empire? Writing in the early years of the Peloponnesian War, Herodotus gave Athens full credit for saving Greece from Persia, but also identified the city's expansion as a new manifestation of imperialist aggression. In this skillful analysis of Herodotus' intellectual world, J.A.S. Evans combines historical, anthropological, and literary techniques to show how the war affected not only the great thinker's view of Persian aggression and of the people involved in it but also the shape of the Histories themselves. The first essay discusses Herodotus' investigation of imperialism, and the second finds the beginnings of biography in his descriptions of individuals, particularly in his well-crafted portrait of Cyrus. The third essay describes the "Father of History" as a collector and evaluator of local oral stories, sources for the written work that was destined by its scope and unifying plan to introduce a new genre. Evans draws analogies between Herodotus' methods and those of oral historians in other cultures, particularly in precolonial Africa. He also explores comparisons between Herodotus in Egypt and sixteenth-and seventeenth-century European ethnologists in the Americas.Originally published in 1990.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


Author(s): Dufault, Olivier | Abstract: Early Greek alchemy, Patronage and Innovation in Late Antiquity provides an example of the innovative power of ancient scholarly patronage by looking at a key moment in the creation of the Greek alchemical tradition.New evidence on scholarly patronage under the Roman empire can be garnered by analyzing the descriptions of learned magoi in several texts from the second to the fourth century CE. Since a common use of the term magos connoted flatterer-like figures (kolakes), it is likely that the figures of "learned sorcerers" found in texts such as Lucian's Philopseudes and the apocryphal Acts of Peter captured the notion that some client scholars exerted undue influence over patrons.The first known author of alchemical commentaries, Zosimus of Panopolis (c. 300 CE), presented himself neither as a magos nor as an alchemist. In his treatises, he rather appears as a Christian scholar and the client of a rich woman named Theosebeia. In three polemical letters to his patroness, Zosimus attempted to discredit rival specialists of alchemy by describing them as magoi and demon-worshippers and by equating their techniques with Egyptian temple practice. In a subtler attempt to edge out his competitors, Zosimus pointed to their limited education and suggested that true alchemy could only be acquired by a meticulous interpretation of Greek alchemical texts.Extant evidence thus suggests that alchemical texts were first introduced among other Greek scholarly traditions when Zosimus annexed Egyptian temple rituals into the ambit of paideia thanks to the support and venue provided by his patroness.


Problem Statement: This paper focuses on assessment in Irish education, which, despite best intentions, shepherds students through the process to an extent that the individual is prone to undervalue her/his ability to trust in the self as a rational, self-thinking individual.  In Ireland's assessment system lies the paradox whereby from childhood the learner develops the habit of depending on 'authority' (teacher/examiner) to assess their work, with the expectation that the learner will graduate a self-reliant, achieving person.  Purpose: This paper shows how a step away from the traditional form of assessment, beginning at elementary school, can help redress this incongruity.  Self- and peer-assessment, in a study with 523 students and their teachers, is shown to be more congruent with developing skills, attitudes and behaviour necessary to help students graduate as self -reliant and self -directed individuals.  Methods : These were from the post‑positivist/phenomenological/interpretive family.  The study used Action Research from the emancipatory paradigm.  Concerned with experience, phenomenological analysis emerged from the interpretive paradigm.  Throughout, the quantitative element added a positivist dimension which was a constant aspect, strengthening the research.  In accordance with phenomenological philosophy, attention was paid to minority viewpoints, ensuring the study was inclusive and culturally sensitive. Results and Findings: A sociological phenomenon, learning applies to all, and any theory of learning must embrace all learners, in accordance with social justice.  During self- and peer-assessment, students developed skills as critical, creative thinkers, effective communicators, collaborative team workers, becoming more personally productive and effective.  Their self-awareness and self-reflection increased significantly.  All of these aspects are essential components of self-direction. Conclusions and Recommendations: Self- and peer-assessment, a culturally responsive student-teacher partnership approach, serves all ages in any learning context.  It is a step toward redressing the balance from dependence on the teacher/examiner to self-direction.  Self- and peer-assessment is a sustainable lifelong learning methodology and needs implementing urgently at all levels of the curriculum.  This will lead to a reconstruction of boundaries as learners take more control of their assessment and learning.  The focus is on ' self', learning control and self-direction through the practice of assessing own and peer performance.  Ultimately, this creative form of assessment influences, self, community and greater society. Key Words: Self-assessment, peer-assessment, self-reliance, self-direction, culturally responsive


Abstract. CORS-TR (TUSAGA-Aktif (Turkish National Permanent GNSS Network – Active)), serves location information at cm level accuracy in Turkey and TR Northern Cyprus in few seconds, where adequate numbers of GNSS satellites are observed and communication possibilities are present. No ground control points and benchmarks are necessary. There are 146 permanent GNSS stations within the CORS-TR System. Station data are transferred online to the main control center located in the Mapping Department of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre. CORS-TR System was established in 2008 and has been updated in software, hardware, communication and pricing areas from technical and administrative point of view in order to improve the system and provide better service to the users. Thus, the added value obtained from the CORS-TR System has been increased and contributed to the more efficient use of country resources. In this paper, how the technical, administrative and financial studies in the operation of the CORS-TR System were managed with a sustainable business model, studies for solving problems encountered in operating of the system, the cost / benefit analysis of the system and the sharing of experience gained from the perspective of how web-based applications are managed and the business model of the CORS-TR System are explained in detail.


A secure, tamperproof execution environment is critical for trustworthy network computing. Newly emerging hardware, such as those developed as part of the TCPA and Palladium initiatives, enables operating systems to implement such an environment through Merkle hash trees. We examine the selection of optimal parameters, namely blocksize and tree depth, for Merkle hash trees based on the size of the memory region to be protected and the number of memory updates between updates of the hash tree. We analytically derive an expression for the cost of updating the hash tree, show that there is an optimal blocksize for the leaves of a Merkle tree for a given file size and update interval that minimizes the cost of update operations, and describe a general method by which the parameters of such a tree can be determined optimally.


stem cells and cancer; however, its function in hematopoiesis is unclear. Here, we find that Jarid1b is highly expressed in primitive hematopoietic compartments and is over-expressed in acute myeloid leukemias. Constitutive genetic deletion of Jarid1b did not impact steady-state hematopoiesis. In contrast, acute deletion of Jarid1b from bone marrowincreased peripheral blood T cellsand, following secondarytransplantation, resulted in loss of bone marrow reconstitution. Our results reveal that deletion of Jarid1b compromises hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal capacity and suggest that Jarid1b is a positive regulator of HSC potential. ( Blood . 2015;125(13):2075-2078)


At the turn of the century, Colorado's Cripple Creek District captured the national imagination with the extraordinary wealth of its gold mines and the unquestionable strength of the militant Western Federation of Miners. In All That Glitters, Elizabeth Jameson tells the better-than-fiction story of Cripple Creek, the scene in 1894 of one of radical labor's most stunning victories and in 1903-4 of one of its most crushing defeats. Jameson's sources include working-class oral histories, the Victor and Cripple Creek Daily Press, published by thirty-four of the local labor unions, and the 1900 manuscript census. She connects unions with lodges and fraternal associations, ethnic identity, families, households, and partisan politics. Through these ties, she probes the differences in age, skill, gender, marital status, and ethnicity that strained working-class unity and contributed to the fall of labor in Cripple Creek. Jameson's book will be required reading for western, ethnic, and working-class historians seeking an alternative interpretation of western mining struggles that emphasizes class, gender, and multiple sources of social identity.


It is critical to develop an effective way to monitor advanced metering infrastructures (AMI). To ensure the security and reliability of a modernized power grid, the current deployment of millions of smart meters requires the development of innovative situational awareness solutions to prevent compromised devices from impacting the stability of the grid and the reliability of the energy distribution infrastructure. To address this issue, we introduce a specification-based intrusion detection sensor that can be deployed in the field to identify security threats in real time. This sensor monitors the traffic among meters and access points at the network, transport, and application layers to ensure that devices are running in a secure state and their operations respect a specified security policy. It does this by implementing a set of constraints on transmissions made using the C12.22 standard protocol that ensure that all violations of the specified security policy will be detected. The soundness of these constraints was verified using a formal framework, and a prototype implementation of the sensor was evaluated with realistic AMI network traffic.


With the design of the Token-Ring for the TRM (Tiny Register Machine) I pursued mainly two aims. The first is to design a network connecting several TRM cores. The second is to go for a design that is as simple as possible, considering that the TRM project is oriented towards educational hard- and software. Featuring a ring architecture, it provides a welcome alternative to the already existing bus architecture implemented by Ling Liu, allowing to compare complexity and performance.