Previous research indicates that aircraft noise and meaningful background speech are particularly detrimental to school adolescents' ability to remember what they read, but until now the effects from aircraft noise and speech have never been compared directly in an experiment. Furthermore, individual differences in susceptibility to these effects are not well understood. The present investigation addressed these two issues. Adolescents attending upper secondary school were recruited as participants and the data collection was made in their ordinary classrooms. The results from two experiments revealed that speech is more detrimental to prose memory than is aircraft noise, and individual differences in working memory capacity contributes more to individual differences in susceptibility to the effects of aircraft noise on prose memory than to the effects of speech. Some applied implications of those findings to noise abatement interventions are suggested.


We offer empirical information on the correlates of commercialization activity for research projects funded through the US National Institutes of Health's (NIH's) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award program. Based on this analysis we suggest possible recommendations for improving this aspect of the performance of NIH's SBIR program. Specifically, we estimate a model of the probability of commercialization as a function of the project's ability to attract additional developmental funding, along with other control variables. We find that additional developmental funding from non-SBIR federal sources and from own internal sources are important predictors of commercialization success, relatively more so than additional developmental funding from venture capitalists. We also find, among other things, that university involvement in the underlying research increases the probability of commercialization. Thus, these factors should be considered by NIH when making awards, if increased commercialization is an objective.


Round baled silage of mixed grasses was tested as emergency food for reindeer in winter. The silage was made of leaf rich regrowth of Phleum pratense, Agrostis tenuis and Poa spp. It contained 33-3% dry matter (DM), and 14.8 % crude protein, 24.5% cellulose and 26.7% hemicellulose on a DM basis. Palatability, food intake, digestion, rumen fermentation, body mass (BM), carcass weight and gastrointestinal (GI) anatomy were investigated. A group of adult female reindeer (n = 38), were taken from natural winter pasture and fed grass silage ad libitum. The majority (78%) of the animals were eating silage after two days and 95% of the animals ate silage after five days. Five reindeer calves were taken from natural winter pasture and fed lichens ad libitum for 14 days after which they were starved for two days before being offered silage adlibitum. The median daily DM food intake was 370 g (range 250-610 g) on the first day increasing to 810 g (range 530-1100 g) at days 16 to 20. Median apparent digestibility coefficient (DC) of DM was 64.3% (range 62.4-66.2%). The median in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD) of the silage after 72 h of microbial digestion was 68.3 % (range 66.6-71.3 %) (Ws=30, n,=5, n2=4, P<0.01). Median ruminal VFA concentration and pH were 48.2 mM (range 38.4-52.5 mM) and 7.0 (range 6.95-7.17), respectively, in the reindeer calves (n=5). BM initially increased when the reindeer calves were fed silage, but stabilised after 11 days. The increased BM may have been due to an increased recticulo-rumen digesta load, which amounted to 19.6-23.7 % of BM (n=3). The carcass weight of the reindeer calves was 42.6-44.2% of the BM (n=3) after 47 days of silage feeding. The results indicate that although the round bale silage of mixed grasses of medium quality was highly palatable to reindeer it was apparantly of only limited value as an emergency food for the reindeer calves, as indicated by low DC of DM and low ruminal VFA concentration.


The focus of our research is on designing a new architecture (RF front-end and digital) for processing multi GNSS signals in a single receiver chain. The motivation is to save in overhead cost (size, processing time and power consumption) of implementing multiple signal receivers side-by-side on-board Smartphones.
This thesis documents the new multi-signal receiver architecture that we have designed. Based on this architecture, we have achieved/published eight novel contributions. Six of these implementations focus on multi GNSS signal receivers, and the last two are for multiplexing Bluetooth and GPS received signals in a single processing chain. We believe our work in terms of the new innovative and novel techniques achieved is a major contribution to the commercial world especially that of Smartphones. Savings in both silicon size and processing time will be highly beneficial to reduction of costs but more importantly for conserving the energy of the battery. We are proud that we have made this significant contribution to both industry and the scientific research and development arena.
The first part of the work focus on the Two GNSS signal detection front-end approaches that were designed to explore the availability of the L1 band of GPS, Galileo and GLONASS at an early stage. This is so that the receiver devotes appropriate resources to acquire them. The first approach was based on folding the carrier frequency of all the three GNSS signals with their harmonics to the First Nyquist Zone (FNZ), as depicted by the BandPass Sampling Receiver technique (BPSR). Consequently, there is a unique power distribution of these folded signals based on the actual present signals that can be detected to alert the digital processing parts to acquire it. Volterra Series model is used to estimate the existing power in the FNZ by extracting the kernels of these folded GNSS signals, if available. The second approach filters out the right-side lobe of the GLONASS signal and the left-side lobe of the Galileo signal, prior to the folding process in our BPSR implementation. This filtering is important to enable none overlapped folding of these two signals with the GPS signal in the FNZ. The simulation results show that adopting these two approaches can save much valuable acquisition processing time.
Our Orthogonal BandPass Sampling Receiver and Orthogonal Complex BandPass Sampling Receiver are two methods designed to capture any two wireless signals simultaneously and use a single channel in the digital domain to process them, including tracking and decoding, concurrently. The novelty of the two receivers is centred on the Orthogonal Integrated Function (OIF) that continuously harmonies the two received signals to form a single orthogonal signal allowing the "tracking and decoding" to be carried out by a single digital channel. These receivers employ a Hilbert Transform for shifting one of the input signals by 90-degrees. Then, the BPSR technique is used to fold back the two received signals to the same reference frequency in the FNZ. Results show that these designed methods also reduce the sampling frequency to a rate proportional to the maximum bandwidth, instead of the summation of bandwidths, of the input signals.
Two combined GPS L1CA and L2C signal acquisition channels are designed based on applying the idea of the OIF to enhance the power consumption and the implementation complexity in the existing combination methods and also to enhance the acquisition sensitivity. This is achieved by removing the Doppler frequency of the two signals; our methods add the in-phase component of the L2C signal together with the in-phase component of the L1CA signal, which is then shifted by 90-degree before adding it to the remaining components of these two signals, resulting in an orthogonal form of the combined signals. This orthogonal signal is then fed to our developed version of the parallel-code-phase-search engine. Our simulation results illustrate that the acquisition sensitivity of these signals is improved successfully by 5.0 dB, which is necessary for acquiring weak signals in harsh environments.
The last part of this work focuses on the tracking stage when specifically multiplexing Bluetooth and L1CA GPS signals in a single channel based on using the concept of the OIF, where the tracking channel can be shared between the two signals without losing the lock or degrading its performance. Two approaches are designed for integrating the two signals based on the mathematical analysis of the main function of the tracking channel, which the Phase-Locked Loop (PLL). A mathematical model of a set of differential equations has been developed to evaluate the PLL when it used to track and demodulated two signals simultaneously. The simulation results proved that the implementation of our approaches has reduced by almost half the size and processing time.


Bottom sediment samples from six stations were sampled in pre monsoon 2016, from the Govindampalli – Durgarajupatnam (GP-DP) coast. Heavy metals viz., Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Cd analysis was carried out by using ICP-OES, and the average concentrations are as follows Fe > Mn > Zn > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cu > Cd. Various environmental indices like Factor Analysis (FA), Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo), Enrichment Factor (EF) and Pollution Load Index (PLI) were applied to the chemical data in order to know the levels of contamination and factors contributing to the pollution. Correlation coefficient results exhibits significant positive and negative relationships among Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, Cd. All the environmental indices suggest that heavy metals were present at higher concentrations and the impacts of anthropogenic activities are crucial that serves as source of heavy metals in the zone. Relatively, maximum number of heavy metals viz., Fe, Ni and Pb were accumulated at the brackish environment i.e., at confluence of Swarnamukhi river (GP-S Station).


Places to Go, People to See picks up where Things We Love left off, focusing on glamorous cities around the world, through the lens of the always-stylish Kate Spade girl. This new volume will feature vibrant photography, a dash of old-world charm and inspirational quotes, tips and words of wisdom that every jet-setting Kate Spade girl should know. Places to Go, People to See will showcase chic locales such as Paris, New York, Capri, Monte Carlo, Rio, Buenos Aires, Shanghai, Las Vegas and more. In each of these enchanting destinations, readers will be shown how to experience their travels with the utmost elegance.


This research report investigates the relationship between the growing integration into global and regional value chains (VCs) and structural change in the South and South East Asian (SEA) region. The analysis includes a sample of 60 developed and developing countries covered in the OECD's Inter-Country Input-Output Tables. Focusing on the SEA region, we find the usual inverted U-shaped relationship between the manufacturing share and per capita income. With regards to the impact of growing VC integration, the econometric results suggest a small positive effect of the overall VC integration on the change in the manufacturing share at the global level. Very similar patterns are found for the South and South East Asian region, however, with a large degree of country heterogeneity. The main beneficiaries from VC integration in the region in terms of the relative importance of manufacturing in the economy include for example Korea and Thailand. Unexpectedly, no significant differences in the (manufacturing-related) structural impacts of regional and global VCs could be identified.


Sub-lethal responses to heat stress were investigated in the limpet Cellana grata. Dur- ing summer low tides, foot temperatures were hotter than rock temperatures, but positively corre- lated with, heart rate, air and rock temperatures. Hotter limpets showed mushrooming behaviour, raising their shell from the rock. Over 30% of monitored limpets were not relocated during the sub- sequent daytime low tide. Missing animals were mostly situated on horizontal surfaces, were smaller than those recaptured, and had higher body temperatures, mushrooming heights and heart rates. A laboratory protocol was designed to resemble on-shore thermal stress conditions. Firstly, small and large limpets were held on a hot plate for 60 min and either constrained or allowed to mushroom. Secondly, unconstrained, large animals were held on the hot plate for 120 min. Unconstrained limpets were able to mushroom and had lower foot temperatures but higher heart rates than those con- strained, suggesting mushrooming is an active response. Small animals had higher heart rates than large individuals. Mantle water could not be collected from most small, mushrooming limpets but was from constrained animals, and was more concentrated in small limpets. Small and constrained limpets had more concentrated haemolymph than large or mushrooming animals. Mantle and haemolymph osmolalities were positively related, except at high mantle water osmolalities. Smaller animals lost relatively more water, and constrained limpets more than those allowed to mushroom. Large limpets on the hot plate for 120 min showed similar mushrooming heights and heart rates but had hotter foot temperatures, higher haemolymph concentrations, lost all their mantle water and nearly twice as much water than those held for 60 min. Mushrooming behaviour appears to be a short-term, high-risk strategy that allows limpets temporary relief from stressful conditions and may increase their chance of survival until the next tidal immersion.


From the psychotherapy outcome literature, many have inferred that either theory-specific techniques or interventions common to all therapies are what produce symptom change. However, such conclusions are premature because (a) too few direct tests have been conducted of how variation in the levels of either specific or common factor interventions relate to outcome, (b) those prior investigations of specific and common factors and outcome have often been limited to examining linear relations between intervention use and outcome when curvilinear functions might better model their association, and (c) most studies of psychotherapy and outcome have failed to consider how interventions specific to theoretical orientations other than that being studied (i.e., interventions not intended to be in the specific treatment under investigation nor common to all therapies) might also contribute to outcome. In this thesis, I present two studies investigating the relation of interventions from a number of different therapy systems to subsequent symptom improvement in behavioral therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and psychodynamic therapy for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Theory-specific techniques were prominent in both therapies (e.g., behavioral techniques in behavioral therapy, psychodynamic techniques in dynamic therapy), and moderate levels of specific factors were related to better outcome than were higher or lower levels in each treatment. Common factor techniques were among the highest reported interventions in both treatments, but were not predictive of symptom improvement in either therapy. Interventions from other theoretical orientations were present in both therapies, but in such a way that individual techniques appeared to be selected for use based on their congruence with the theoretical orientation of the treatment. In behavioral therapy, no other types of interventions contributed to outcome more than behavioral interventions. In psychodynamic therapy, moderate levels of process-experiential techniques were associated with better outcome than were higher or lower levels. Further research needs to document how specific, common, and unintended factors occur in different psychotherapies and how such interventions might relate to outcome in complex ways before conclusions can be made about the mechanisms of therapy. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Psychology First Advisor Jacques P. Barber


PURPOSE The VIT-0910 trial was conducted to evaluate efficacy and safety of the vincristine-irinotecan combination with and without temozolomide (VIT and VI, respectively) in relapsed or refractory rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). METHODS In this randomized European phase II trial, patients age 0.5-50 years received 21-day cycles combining vincristine (1.5 mg/m2 once a day on day 1 and day 8) and irinotecan (50 mg/m2 once a day from day 1 to day 5) with and without temozolomide (125 mg/m2 once a day from day 1 to day 5 and 150 mg/m2 once a day from cycle 2), until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary end point was objective response rate after two cycles. Secondary end points included best response, progression-free survival, overall survival, and adverse events. A Simon 2-stage design was initially planned to separately analyze 40 patients/arm. After amendment, the trial sample size was increased to 120 and a comparison between arms, adjusted for confounding factors, was added to the statistical plan (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01355445). RESULTS Overall, 120 patients (60 per arm) were recruited in 37 European centers. The median age was 11 years (range, 0.75-45); 89% of patients had a relapsed RMS. The objective response rate was 44% (24 of 55 evaluable patients) for VIT versus 31% (18 of 58) for VI (adjusted odds ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.22 to 1.12; P = .09). The VIT arm achieved significantly better overall survival (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.35 to 0.84; P = .006) compared with VI, with consistent progression-free survival results (adj-hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.46 to 1.01; P = .059). Overall, patients experienced adverse events ≥ grade 3 more frequently with VIT than VI (98% v 78%, respectively; P = .009), including a significant excess of hematologic toxicity (81% v 61%; P = .025). CONCLUSION The addition of temozolomide to VI improved chemotherapy efficacy for patients with relapsed RMS, with manageable increase in toxicity. VIT is considered the new standard treatment in these patients in the European paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Group and will be the control arm in the next randomized trial.


Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a tracer based tomographic imaging technique that uses static and oscillating magnetic fields to generate an image contrast from the spatial distribution of magnetic nanoparticles. Recent investigations have shown that the MPI is able to generate additional contrasts from different tracer materials or their environments. For example, multi-contrast MPI can be used to determine the viscosity or temperature of the particle environment, or to distinguish tracer particles based on their core size. In this work, we investigate a novel contrast based on the magnetic anisotropy of immobilized particles which allows to estimate the orientation of samples.

Int. J. Mag. Part. Imag. 6(2), Suppl. 1, 2020, Article ID: 2009023, DOI: 10.18416/IJMPI.2020.2009023


This paper explores the news trustworthiness and media credibility of The Economist's news report on 9 July 2009, and the communicative roles of 846 readers' responses. Theoretically guided by news translation and cultural resistance and the online public sphere, we applied online field observation and discourse analysis and achieved two main findings: First, although the news report covered the Xinjiang riots with comprehensive and attractive details, it violated the core journalism value of media credibility and journalistic objectivity by providing misleading pictures and significant unreliable and biased coverage. Second, the major communicative roles of the online readers' responses generally match Dahlberg's six conditions of an ideal online public sphere, which is still challenging but promising to realize.


ABOUT HALF THE APPROXIMATELY $770 MILLION IN ESTIMATED MATERIAL LOSSES incurred during the Los Angeles upheavals was sustained by a community no one seems to want to talk much about. Korean Americans in Los Angeles, suddenly at the front lines when violence came to the buffer zone they had been so precariously occupying, suffered profound damage to their means of livelihood.(1) Yet my concern here is the psychic damage that, unlike material damage, is impossible to quantify. I wish to explore whether recovery is possible for Korean Americans and to ask what will become of our attempts to "become American" without dying of han. Han is a Korean word that means, loosely translated, the sorrow and anger that grow from the accumulated experiences of oppression. Although the word is frequently and commonly used by Koreans, the condition it describes is taken quite seriously. When people die of han, it is called dying of hwabyong, a disease of frustration and rage following misfortune. Situated as we are on the border between those who have and those who have not, between predominantly Anglo and mostly African American and Latino communities, from our current interstitial position in the American discourse of race, many Korean Americans have trouble calling what happened in Los Angeles an "uprising." At the same time, we cannot quite say it was a "riot." So some of us have taken to calling it sa-i-ku, April 29, after the manner of naming other events in Korean history -- 3.1 (sam-il) for March 1, 1919, when massive protests against Japanese colonial rule began in Korea; 6.25 (yook-i-o), or June 25, 1950, when the Korean War began; and 4.19 (sa-il-ku), or April 19, 1960, when the first student movement in the world to overthrow a government began in South Korea. The ironic similarity between 4.19 and 4.29 does not escape most Korean Americans. Los Angeles Koreatown has been important to me, even though I visit only a dozen times a year. Before Koreatown sprang up during the last decade and a half,(2) I used to hang around the fringes of chinatown, although I knew that this habit was pure pretense.(3) For me, knowing that Los Angeles Koreatown existed made a difference; one of my closest friends works with the Black Korean Alliance there,(4) and I liked to think of it as a kind of "home" -- however idealized and hypostatized -- for the soul, an anchor, a potential refuge, a place in America where I could belong without ever being asked: "Who are you and what are you doing here? Where did you come from and when are you going back?" Many of us watched in horror the destruction of Koreatown and the systematic targeting of Korean shops in South Central Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict. Seeing those buildings in flames and those anguished Korean faces, I had the terrible thought that there would be no belonging and that we were, just as I had always suspected, a people destined to carry our han around with us wherever we went in the world. The destiny (p'aljja) that had spelled centuries of extreme suffering from invasion, colonization, war, and national division had smuggled itself into the U.S. with our baggage. African and Korean American Conflict As someone whose social consciousness was shaped by the African American--led Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, I felt that I was watching our collective dreams for a just society disintegrating, cast aside as naive and irrelevant in the bitter and embattled 1990s. It was the courageous African American women and men of the 1960s who had redefined the meaning of "American," who had first suggested that a person like me could reject the false choice between being treated as a perpetual foreigner in my own birthplace on the one hand and relinquishing my identity for someone else's ill-fitting and impossible Anglo--American one on the other. Thanks to them, I began to discern how institutional racism works and why Korea was never mentioned in my world history textbooks. …


The recent Republican win of Donald Trump, as the new President of the US, has raised several questions about what shape the Pak-US relations will take under the Trump administration. Analysts, policy makers and the general public have been sceptical about the new Republican nominee's stance towards Pakistan, as has been evident from his previous statements. Also, since the US policy has not been a balanced one in recent years, owing to the situation in the region, it is pertinent to note that in recent times, the US has also been largely tilted towards Pakistan's arch rival ─ India. Moreover, the decisive factors, likely to influence relations between the two countries, are the rise of China and the security situation in Afghanistan through which a not so pro-Pakistan, the Republican presidency will view the country and adjust its strategic interests to this part of the world. Counterterrorism operations are likely to be under constant review, as well as aid to Pakistan. The "do more" phenomenon is expected to reverberate with more enthusiasm from a Republican Congress backed by a Republican president. The most likely implication for Pakistan can be of extreme disengagement in case the Trump presidency decides to isolate the country, but a total cut off is not likely due to Pakistan's strategic location. This paper attempts to discuss what could be the possible implications for Pakistan while keeping in view that the Trump administration has assumed power recently. The Trump administration has largely been silent on its Pakistan policy, with the exception of a few statements.


In the 21st century digital data generated from various sources and growing exponentially. Generated data from various sources are in the different format such as structure, unstructured & semi-structured and huge in size (GB, PB, TB etc). This types of data are complex in nature which cannot be stored by traditional databases. Traditional databases get slow, expensive and gives degrade performance, in the form storing, processing & analysis.. To handle Big data Hadoop is introduced by Apache, which can store different type of data in seconds and it is quite better than traditional storage databases. In this paper, we survey on traditional databases storage vs hadoop.


Objective: To evaluate the impact of emerging care delivery models on hospital profitability. Data Sources/Study Setting: Data was collected from the 2014 American Hospital Association (AHA) survey. Study Design: We used binary logistic regression analyses to assess the relationships between historically significant and recent evolutionary hospital care delivery characteristics and profitability measures. We considered four profitability measures: operating margin, net patient revenues, net income and return on assets. Our independent variables of interest focused on hospitalist staffing, patient centered medical home and accountable care organizational development. Data: We had a usable sample of 2,049 hospitals from the AHA dataset. Principal Findings: Our findings suggest medical home development is significantly associated with improved financial performance across four profitability measures – operating margin, net patient revenue, net income and return on assets. Hospitalists are associated with improved operating margin and net patient revenue. Accountable Care Organizations were neither positively or negatively associated with any measures of financial performance. Conclusions: Hospitals that have progressively taken steps to adopt patient centered medical homes as a care delivery modality appear be well positioned to have stronger organizational financial performance. Additional organizational enhancements such as hiring hospitalists are associated with better financial performance.


Application-specific validation of antibodies is a critical prerequisite for their successful use. Here we introduce an automated framework for characterization and screening of antibodies against synaptic molecules for high-resolution immunofluorescence array tomography (AT). The proposed Synaptic Antibody Screening Tool (SACT), is designed to provide an automatic, robust, flexible, and efficient tool for antibody characterization at scale. By allowing the user to define the molecular composition and size of synapses expected to contain the antigen, the method detects and characterizes puncta and synapses, and outputs automatically computed characteristics such as synapse density and target specificity ratio, which reflect the sensitivity and specificity of immunolabeling with a given antibody. These measurements provide an objective way to characterize and compare the performance of different antibodies against the same target, and can be used to objectively select the antibodies best suited for AT and potentially for other immunolabeling applications.


The problem of statistical linkages between large‐scale and local‐scale processes is investigated through noise reduction by singular spectrum analysis (SSA) and spatial principal component analysis in order to construct appropriate statistical models for estimating the local‐scale climate variables from large‐scale climate processes. This paper presents an approach for downscaling monthly temperature series over Turkey by upper air circulations derived from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research Reanalysis data sets (500 hPa geopotential heights and 500–1000 hPa thicknesses). The proposed approach consists of three stages. First, the available data sets are separated into deterministic, statistical components and random components by SSA. Second, the deterministic components are saved and the random components are eliminated by spatial principal component analysis. Subsequently, the statistical components are combined with the deterministic components constituting a noise‐free data set. Furthermore, so‐called Sampson correlation patterns are determined between the noise‐free large‐scale and the local‐scale variables for interpreting the large‐scale process impacts on local‐scale features. Third, the significant redundancy variates based on canonical correlation analysis are extracted in order to identify the statistical downscaling model for temperature series of 62 stations in Turkey. The results show that the interpretation of the local‐scale processes with the noise‐free data sets is more significant than with the raw data sets. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society


Giardia intestinalis is a ubiquitous parasitic protist that is the causative agent of giardiasis, one of the most common protozoan diarrheal diseases in the world. Giardia trophozoites attach to the intestinal epithelium using a specialized and elaborate microtubule structure, the ventral disc. Surrounding the ventral disc is a less characterized putatively contractile structure, the lateral crest, which forms a continuous perimeter seal with the substrate. A better understanding of ventral disc and lateral crest structure, conformational dynamics, and biogenesis is critical for understanding the mechanism of giardial attachment to the host. To determine the components comprising the ventral disc and lateral crest, we used shotgun proteomics to identify proteins in a preparation of isolated ventral discs. Candidate disc-associated proteins, or DAPs, were GFP-tagged using a ligation-independent high-throughput cloning method. Based on disc localization, we identified eighteen novel DAPs, which more than doubles the number of known disc-associated proteins. Ten of the novel DAPs are associated with the lateral crest or outer edge of the disc, and are the first confirmed components of this structure. Using Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) with representative novel DAP::GFP strains we found that the newly identified DAPs tested did not recover after photobleaching and are therefore structural components of the ventral disc or lateral crest. Functional analyses of the novel DAPs will be central toward understanding the mechanism of ventral disc-mediated attachment and the mechanism of disc biogenesis during cell division. Since attachment of Giardia to the intestine via the ventral disc is essential for pathogenesis, it is possible that some proteins comprising the disc could be potential drug targets if their loss or disruption interfered with disc biogenesis or function, preventing attachment.


Formal specifications can help with program testing, optimization, refactoring, documentation, and, most importantly, debugging and repair. However, they are difficult to write manually, and automatic mining techniques suffer from 90-99 percent false positive rates. To address this problem, we propose to augment a temporalproperty miner by incorporating code quality metrics. We measure code quality by extracting additional information from the software engineering process and using information from code that is more likely to be correct, as well as code that is less likely to be correct. When used as a preprocessing step for an existing specification miner, our technique identifies which input is most indicative of correct program behavior, which allows off-the-shelf techniques to learn the same number of specifications using only 45 percent of their original input. As a novel inference technique, our approach has few false positives in practice (63 percent when balancing precision and recall, 3 percent when focused on precision), while still finding useful specifications (e.g., those that find many bugs) on over 1.5 million lines of code.


Historical species records offer an excellent opportunity to test the predictive ability of range forecasts under climate change, but researchers often consider that historical records are scarce and unreliable, besides the datasets collected by renowned naturalists. Here, we demonstrate the relevance of biodiversity records developed through citizen-science initiatives generated outside the natural sciences academia. We used a Spanish geographical dictionary from the mid-nineteenth century to compile over 10 000 freshwater fish records, including almost 4 000 brown trout (Salmo trutta) citations, and constructed a historical presence–absence dataset covering over 2 000 10 × 10 km cells, which is comparable to present-day data. There has been a clear reduction in trout range in the past 150 years, coinciding with a generalized warming. We show that current trout distribution can be accurately predicted based on historical records and past and present values of three air temperature variables. The models indicate a consistent decline of average suitability of around 25% between 1850s and 2000s, which is expected to surpass 40% by the 2050s. We stress the largely unexplored potential of historical species records from non-academic sources to open new pathways for long-term global change science.


While party membership figures are clearly in decline in several Western countries, different interpretations have been offered on the likely consequences of this trend. Some authors stress that members have lost most of their importance for political parties that increasingly rely on professionalized campaign techniques. Other scholars have expressed concern about the decline of party membership. They emphasize the fact that party members continue to function as an important linkage mechanism providing a structural alignment between the party and society (and thus also to potential voters). By means of an election forecasting model for Belgium, we test whether party membership figures can still be related to election results. Results show that party membership has a strong effect on election results and, furthermore, that this relation does not weaken during the period under investigation (1981–2010). The analysis also demonstrates that forecasting models can also be used in a complex multiparty system like that of Belgium.


This study was conducted to investigate the effects of in-ovo administration of Tongkat Ali (TA) on the mortality and pre-hatch development of chicken embryo. The fertile
eggs of cross-bred village chicken were injected with liquid TA that diluted from powder form at the beginning of incubation. Initially, a dosage response study of TA
(0 mg, 0.1 mg, 1 mg and 10 mg/ 100g egg) was conducted. Then, the effects of 0.1 mg/ 100g egg TA were investigated on the embryonic mortality and body parts development until 19th day of incubation. Results showed a toxic effect of TA on the embryonic survivability and development, and the LDâ'…â'€ was found at around 10 mg/ 100g egg in comparison of control mortality. At 88 to 96 hours of incubation, the 0.1
mg/ 100g egg TA injection (38 somites) significantly reduced the number of somite in the embryo as compared to that in the control (42 somites). At 19th day of incubation,
this dosage also attributed an insignificantly lower embryonic weight (53.38 % to egg weight) than in the control (70.50 % to egg weight). The dosage applied showed the
insignificant difference on the wing length at 9th, 16th and 19th day of incubation. For limb length parameter, the TA dosage had showed a significant higher in 19th day TA
injected chick embryo. Relatively much earlier and huge feather-follicle development was observed in the TA injected embryos compared to control. On the day 19th of incubation, 100 % TA exposed chicks produced a traceable vocal sound along with pipping mark in the shell, but these phenomena were completely absent in the chick of control group. This study suggested that administration of TA through in-ovo injection route could bring both the positive and negative effects in developing chicken embryo, however, more studies are required to elucidate the mechanisms of TA effect including the embryonic sex-specificity in different poultry species.


Purpose

Both customer engagement (CE) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have been linked to customer loyalty. Past studies use service dominant logic and customer value co-creation to explain this relationship. The purpose of this paper is to apply utility theory to develop and test a new theoretical model based on CSR initiative preference to understand the relationship between CE and customer loyalty to the organisation in a CSR platform.

Design/methodology/approach

This empirical study uses choice theory in the form of best-worst scaling, and structural equation modelling, to measure the impact of sports club members' choice preferences for a range of CSR initiatives on their intention to engage with the initiative and subsequent loyalty to the club.

Findings

This study highlights the importance of engaging members in the CSR strategy they prefer as it enhances not only the extra value to the organisation via customer loyalty to the organisation, but also CE with the organisation. Furthermore, the study reveals age and gender impact on the relationship between CE in CSR initiatives and customer loyalty.

Originality/value

This study extends CE to CSR behaviours and provides empirical evidence for a unique theoretical framework of CE based on utility theory. It also highlights the need to take into account moderating variables such as customer demographics.


Abstract. Waagen (1875) was the first who dealt with the Jurassic ammonites of Kutch based on detailed taxonomic work. In his monograph, he described among many species Perisphinctes spirorbis Neumayr, 1870 and P. aberrans Waagen, 1875 from the Callovian of Kutch, but the figures mentioned in the description did not correspond to the actual species. For P. spirorbis, the plate illustrated the holotype of an entirely different species (P. aberrans). On the other hand, P. spirorbis was illustrated as the lectotype of P. aberrans. Later, Spath (1924) introduced a new genus, Subgrossouvria, based on Waagen's P. aberrans as type species. He also erected another genus, Indosphinctes, and included P. spirorbis Waagen, 1875 within the synonymy of I. indicus (Siemiradzki, 1899). Spath (1931) was aware of wrong numbering of plates of Waagen's two species. But subsequent workers were ignorant of these taxonomic errors and continued to refer Waagen's wrong plate numbers. We have here described both the type specimens and provided diagnoses for Spath's two genera. We plead for this taxonomic correction in the incoming revised Treatise on Jurassic ammonites.


. The study aimed to get valid and reliable CIPP model program evaluation instrument to measure effectiveness level of learning implementation in Politeknik Negeri Bali, in terms of component: context, Input, Process, and product. This study is a research and development (R & D) using nine from 10 steps Borg and Gall models. The evaluation model used is the Stufflebeam evaluation model CIPP. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, observations, and document studies. Number of questionnaire test subjects for 45 students, 20 lecturer questionnaires, questionnaire for Head of Study program 4 peoples, and admin questionnaire 6 peoples. The validity of the contents of the instrument is determined using the Aiken's suggested (V) agreement index, involving 5 validators. Item instrument validity was analyzed by using bivariate correlation between each score indicator with total score, instrument reliability was analyzed formula alfa cronbach formula using SPSS 23.00 for windows. The results showed: content validity using expert judgement with Aiken's index coefficient for 0.78 mean input component is classified as very good and feasible to use, the coefficient for average context component of 0.79 classification is very good and feasible to use, and for flat process components 0.76 classification is very good and feasible to use. The grain validity of all instrument grains has a correlation coefficient r > 0.232 and satisfies the reliability coefficient α > 0.70. The result of evaluation of learning program of total contex component is at least good enough 93%. The total input component is at least 85% good enough. The total process component is at least quite good at 79.4%. Head of departement and head of study program from each department through UP2AI can use this instrument to evaluate the implementation of the learning process in Politeknik Negeri Bali.


While most farmers take steps to enhance natural resources, times of low prices and high costs may create difficulties for farmers who wish to spend resources on agriculture conservation. Consequently, farming can have a harmful effect on natural resources. Because many farmers rely on income support payments, and most income programs do not require farmers to utilize environmental conservation practices, environmental degradation continues. To ensure adequate protection of water quality, soil quality and wildlife habitat, and to provide income support for farms of all sizes, politically feasible legislation is needed to link income payments with conservation practices. This article follows the outline of atraditional policy analysis to examine four policy options for the farm bill the Conservation Security Program (CSP), Flex Fallow, the Conservation Reserve Program, and conservation easements. The options range from conservative to liberal, with differing environmental and income impacts. Policy options for achieving these goals were judged using the following criteria: effectiveness in achieving conservation goals,' effectiveness in supporting farmer income,' political feasibility,' and strength of the linkage between conservation practices and income payments. Based on this analysis, CSP is the best option for the farm bill, because it is a compromise approach to achieving the goals of this analysis. This evaluation is presented as a policy analysis in order to provide a systematic technique for identifying solutions to current farm policy problems. The elements of a policy analysis traditionally include formulating a problem, identifying policy alternatives, forecasting the future, modeling the impacts of alternatives, and comparing and ranking the policy alternatives.


"Evidence-based Clinical Chinese Medicine provides a "whole evidence" analysis of the Chinese medicine management of allergic rhinitis. Evidence from the classical Chinese medicine literature, contemporary clinical literature, and the outcomes of clinical trials and experimental studies are reviewed, analysed and synthesized. The data from all these sources are condensed to provide evidence-based statements which will inform clinical practice and guide future research. This book has been designed to be an easy reference at the point of care. During a patient consultation, Chinese medicine practitioners can refer to this book for guidance on which Chinese herbal medicine formulas, specific herbs, or acupuncture points, can best treat their patient, and be confident there is evidence which supports its use. Currently, Chinese medicine practitioners who develop a special interest in a particular health condition such as allergic rhinitis have to consult a variety of sources to further their knowledge. Typically, they use the contemporary clinical literature to understand the theory, aetiology, pathogenesis and obtain expert opinions on the Chinese medicine management of allergic rhinitis. They search the electronic literature to identify systematic reviews of clinical trials, if any exist, to obtain assessments of the current state of the clinical evidence for particular interventions. If they have the skills and resources, they may search the classical Chinese medicine literature for an historical perspective on treatments that have stood the test of time." -- from the publisher.


According to Wood (1998), patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) refers to a syndrome that comprises of the following signs and symptoms: anterior knee pain, inflammation, imbalance, instability, or any combination thereof. Prevailing literature suggests that the presence of myofascial trigger points (MFTP's) in quadriceps femoris (QF) muscle could result in a combination of the following signs and symptoms: - Retro- or peripatella pain, - Weakness of the quadriceps muscle (Chaitow and DeLany, 2002) - Loss of full lengthening (Travell and Simons, 1983:248-250) The aetiology of PFPS is poorly understood (Kannus et al. 1999). The current trend in literature suggests an extensor mechanism dysfunction as the most probable aetiology (Galantly et al., 1994; Juhn, 1999). There appears to be a clinical overlap between the two syndromes, in terms of an extensor mechanism dysfunction and of signs and symptoms. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the role of active myofascial trigger points in the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle as perpetuating, causative or concomitant factors in the alteration of VL/VM Total Work (TW) in PFPS in distance runners.


The contribution provided for the conference presents initiatives which have been launched within last year in order to improve training of trainers and TVET teachers all over Europe by establishing Europe-wide standards and networks relating national debates to European issues. For the purpose of better understanding, the background will be shortly described against which all European activities in the area of education and training nowadays should be considered; the Lisbon Agenda from 2000 and all processes related to or derived from it, as the Bologna process in the field of tertiary education, the Copenhagen process in the area of VET, and, in particular, the set-up of the European Qualification Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF) which is now available as a Europe-wide usable reference grid to describe national and sectoral qualification systems in terms of learning outcomes, intended to enhance transparency of certificates all over Europe for various purposes , as mobility of students, employees and competition with regard to efficiency of learning, etc. It will then be highlighted which initiatives at European level have been undertaken in order to support specifically the improvement of trainers' and TVET teachers competences with the help of the EQF. After a short overview of some studies and papers initiated by the European Commission and CEDEFOP, the European Centre of Vocational Training Development, the presentation will focus on the European Training of Trainers Network (TTNet) and the initiative to establish a European Competence Framework for VET Professions. Taking in account that the overall aim of the framework should be to support the quality of vocational teaching and training in Europe, which includes finally the delivering of benchmarks for best practice, it will be shown that it is problematic to start with (national) occupational profiling (resp. curricula) and corresponding activities of trainers and VET teachers, and to assign them to EQF levels; Profiles often have to be considered as bundles of obligations which are not necessarily directly oriented to the general objective of delivering best training, but reflect more on the specific (institutional, market) conditions under which training is carried out. These circumstances (as dealing with administrative or financial matters) are nearly always connected to specific national settings resp. traditions, not necessarily to be considered as a model for improving the system of training the trainers elsewhere. Before setting up a competence framework in the field of training trainers and TVET teachers, we regard it therefore as crucial to determine clearly the actual domain of trainers' or TVET teachers who work independently from specific national environments, and then to relate national profiles to it. Taken as starting point the work process and training requirements derived from it (incl. the needs arising from the change of work processes) some general recommendations will be made how trans-national standards can be used successfully as an instrument to enhance training of trainers or TVET teachers and TVET in general.


This work uses the canopy height model (CHM) based workflow for individual tree crown delineation and 3D feature extraction approach (Overwatch Geospatial's proprietary algorithm) for building feature delineation from high-density light detection and ranging (LiDAR) point cloud data in an urban environment and evaluates its accuracy by using very high-resolution panchromatic (PAN) (spatial) and 8-band (multispectral) WorldView-2 (WV-2) imagery. LiDAR point cloud data over San Francisco, California, USA, recorded in June 2010, was used to detect tree and building features by classifying point elevation values. The workflow employed includes resampling of LiDAR point cloud to generate a raster surface or digital terrain model (DTM), generation of a hill-shade image and an intensity image, extraction of digital surface model, generation of bare earth digital elevation model (DEM) and extraction of tree and building features. First, the optical WV-2 data and the LiDAR intensity image were co-registered using ground control points (GCPs). The WV-2 rational polynomial coefficients model (RPC) was executed in ERDAS Leica Photogrammetry Suite (LPS) using supplementary *.RPB file. In the second stage, ortho-rectification was carried out using ERDAS LPS by incorporating well-distributed GCPs. The root mean square error (RMSE) for the WV-2 was estimated to be 0.25 m by using more than 10 well-distributed GCPs. In the second stage, we generated the bare earth DEM from LiDAR point cloud data. In most of the cases, bare earth DEM does not represent true ground elevation. Hence, the model was edited to get the most accurate DEM/ DTM possible and normalized the LiDAR point cloud data based on DTM in order to reduce the effect of undulating terrain. We normalized the vegetation point cloud values by subtracting the ground points (DEM) from the LiDAR point cloud. A normalized digital surface model (nDSM) or CHM was calculated from the LiDAR data by subtracting the DEM from the DSM. The CHM or the normalized DSM represents the absolute height of all aboveground urban features relative to the ground. After normalization, the elevation value of a point indicates the height from the ground to the point. The above-ground points were used for tree feature and building footprint extraction. In individual tree extraction, first and last return point clouds were used along with the bare earth and building footprint models discussed above. In this study, scene dependent extraction criteria were employed to improve the 3D feature extraction process. LiDAR-based refining/ filtering techniques used for bare earth layer extraction were crucial for improving the subsequent 3D features (tree and building) feature extraction. The PAN-sharpened WV-2 image (with 0.5 m spatial resolution) was used to assess the accuracy of LiDAR-based 3D feature extraction. Our analysis provided an accuracy of 98% for tree feature extraction and 96% for building feature extraction from LiDAR data. This study could extract total of 15143 tree features using CHM method, out of which total of 14841 were visually interpreted on PAN-sharpened WV-2 image data. The extracted tree features included both shadowed (total 13830) and non-shadowed (total 1011). We note that CHM method could overestimate total of 302 tree features, which were not observed on the WV-2 image. One of the potential sources for tree feature overestimation was observed in case of those tree features which were adjacent to buildings. In case of building feature extraction, the algorithm could extract total of 6117 building features which were interpreted on WV-2 image, even capturing buildings under the trees (total 605) and buildings under shadow (total 112). Overestimation of tree and building features was observed to be limiting factor in 3D feature extraction process. This is due to the incorrect filtering of point cloud in these areas. One of the potential sources of overestimation was the man-made structures, including skyscrapers and bridges, which were confounded and extracted as buildings. This can be attributed to low point density at building edges and on flat roofs or occlusions due to which LiDAR cannot give as much precise planimetric accuracy as photogrammetric techniques (in segmentation) and lack of optimum use of textural information as well as contextual information (especially at walls which are away from roof) in automatic extraction algorithm. In addition, there were no separate classes for bridges or the features lying inside the water and multiple water height levels were also not considered. Based on these inferences, we conclude that the LiDAR-based 3D feature extraction supplemented by high resolution satellite data is a potential application which can be used for understanding and characterization of urban setup.


Gross primary production (GPP) is the process by which carbon enters ecosystems. Models based on the theory of light use efficiency (LUE) have emerged as an efficient method to estimate ecosystem GPP. However, problems have been noted when applying global parameterizations to biome-level applications. In particular, model–data comparisons of GPP have shown that models (including LUE models) have difficulty matching estimated GPP. This is significant as errors in simulated GPP may propagate through models (e.g. Earth system models). Clearly, unique biome-level characteristics must be accounted for if model accuracy is to be improved. We hypothesize that in boreal regions (which are strongly temperature controlled), accounting for temperature acclimation and non-linear light response of daily GPP will improve model performance. To test this hypothesis, we have chosen four diagnostic models for comparison, namely an LUE model (linear in its light response) both with and without temperature acclimation and an LUE model and a big leaf model both with temperature acclimation and non-linear in their light response. All models include environmental modifiers for temperature and vapour pressure deficit (VPD). Initially, all models were calibrated against five eddy covariance (EC) sites within Russia for the years 2002–2005, for a total of 17 site years. Model evaluation was performed via 10-out cross-validation. Cross-validation clearly demonstrates the improvement in model performance that temperature acclimation makes in modelling GPP at strongly temperature-controlled sites in Russia. These results would indicate that inclusion of temperature acclimation in models on sites experiencing cold temperatures is imperative. Additionally, the inclusion of a non-linear light response function is shown to further improve performance, particularly in less temperature-controlled sites.


This dissertation investigates on-going language variation and change in Abui, a Timor-Alor-Pantar (Papuan) language spoken on the island of Alor, eastern Indonesia. Like many indigenous languages spoken on Alor, Abui has been in intensive contact with Alor Malay, the regional lingua franca, for around 50-60 years. This has had the greatest impact on younger speakers, who are now being raised in Alor Malay and only learn Abui during or after adolescence. Drawing on methods from descriptive linguistics, bilingualism research, and variationist sociolinguistics, the Abui of four different age-groups was found to vary significantly, suggesting that this shift to Alor Malay is having an impact on Abui.This was illustrated using three case-studies of language variation and change, examining reflexive possessive marking, verb usage, and reduplication. Broadly speaking, it was found that the 50-60 years of intense contact between Alor Malay and Abui has led to the simplification of Abui grammar. In particular, the reflexivity distinction in possession is becoming neutralized, certain verbs are taking over others and becoming more generic, while reduplication is becoming more productive and more Malay-like in function and form. These outcomes are argued to be a case of both incomplete acquisition and transfer.This dissertation may prove of relevance to anyone interested in the study of language contact and change, bilingualism, sociolinguistics, descriptive linguistics, endangered languages, Papuan and Austronesian languages, and language variation in minority languages.


Abstract : Background : the main purpose of this study was to identify and describe knowledge, beliefs and atti- tudes towards Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and HPV vaccination among Italian women aged between 18 and 55. MeTHods: 6 Focus groups, in each of which 8 women took part, held in 6 different locations and a survey on a representative sample of 3 500 Italian women aged between 18 and 55, with oversizing for three regions (Lombardy, Latium, sicily). The survey was conducted by telephone using the caTI (computer assisted Telephone Interview) technique, in september 2011, adopting a structured questionnaire. data were codified and statistical analysis was computed using sPss software. Results : italian women have only a partial, even superficial, knowledge of pathologies associated with HPV, and also their information on the purpose of prevention activity, in which they choose to partici- pate, is more generic than one might expect. The weakness of the information framework is partly due to the fact that the main source of information is the mass media, mainly the press and television, and to a lesser extent the Internet, and that information is random and fragmented. Information about HPV and the possibility of vaccination often overlap, and it is the specific occasion of contact with the asL (local health authority) vaccine services, providing information to youngsters that are the target of the free campaign, that is central in gaining access to information about the virus and vaccination, especially for the mothers of adolescent daughters. The vaccine campaign not only plays a key role in providing information about HPV and about the vaccination, but also ends up by influencing the notions and beliefs that Italian women hold about this vaccination. Conslusions : only a small portion of the female population, directly involved in the free vaccination scheme for adolescents, has actually been given information, often partial, on this subject. a crucial issue for future health promotion campaign in this sector is information, since women exposed to the highest level of qualified and targeted information, mothers of vaccinated girls, believe that the information available is generally inadequate....


Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing how the financial system is operated, taking over core functions because of cost savings and operational efficiencies. AI will assist both risk managers and microprudential authorities. It meanwhile has the potential to destabilise the financial system, creating new tail risks and amplifying existing ones due to procyclicality, endogenous complexity, optimisation against the system and the need to trust the AI engine.


Dendritic cells (DCs) are an attractive tool for immunomodulation, targeting mature DCs (mDCs) for immunization or immature/semimature DCs (iDCs) for tolerization. Therefore, introducing antigens into DCs has become a prime topic in various immunological disciplines. Numerous studies have shown that lentiviruses are an efficient vehicle for this purpose. This study evaluates the effects of lentiviral transduction on iDC activation. Immature DCs are efficiently transduced with increasing doses of lentivirus without affecting cell viability. Transduction at low multiplicities of infection (MOIs) did not result in phenotypical or functional maturation. Higher doses of lentivirus, however, resulted in upregulation of adhesion, costimulatory, and HLA molecules, as well as in increased allostimulatory capacity and secretion of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Production of IL-12 p70, IL-10, and interferon-alpha was observed only at extremely high doses. Protein kinase R phosphorylation on transduction at an MOI of 150 was demonstrated by Western blotting. A Toll-like receptor (TLR)-driven luciferase reporter assay showed dose-dependent activation of TLR2, TLR3, and TLR8, which was independent of the pseudotype, production, or transduction protocol and was abrogated on heat inactivation. These data show that lentiviral vectors provide not only the antigen but also appropriate activation signals to iDCs, favoring their use for immunotherapy and vaccine development.


Following previous research on the origin of the Western Patriarch, the author examines the debates of Vatican I. In some interventions, made with the aim of claiming the rights and privileges of the more or less direct, to the patriarchate of the West. But from the reactions to such interventions, it follows that the patriarchal institution was considered rather as a purely disciplinary reality, a characteristic and exclusive prerogative of the Eastern ecclesiastical organisation. The Bishop of Rome is not, then, to be considered as the Patriarch of the West, but Shepherd of the Universal Church, who grants to the oriental patriarchs special rights and privileges, thus making them participants of his supreme authority.


In this paper, we evaluate the capacity gains offered by MIMO systems relative to SISO by using two metrics: the ratio between the expected value of the two capacities and a weighted difference between the two capacities. We present results for these metrics for the case of a general channel, where fading could be iid, correlated Rayleigh, or any other type. We derive limiting values of the capacity metrics for low and high SNR and show via simulation their behavior at other values of SNR. These simulations provide valuable insight into the variation of the capacity metrics in the important SNR range from -5 dB to 20 dB which is commonly observed in cellular systems.


This introduction to DC/AC circuit analysis includes abundant examples of electronics applications as well as coverage of machines. The first part introduces DC circuits, measuring instruments, and machines, while the second part examines the effect of alternating current on electric circuits, generators, and motors. Appropriate for courses in circuit analysis and electronics


This thesis describes the social organisation of Kurdish refugee communities and is a
contribution to the theoretical discussion of the concept of diaspora. Field research
methods were used in this comparative sociological study among Kurdish refugees
from Turkey, Iraq and Iran, who live in exile in Finland and England.
The writer uses rich ethnographic material to describe the social organisation of the
Kurdish refugee communities. The thesis introduces new arguments about, and
suggests a rethinking of, the process of integration among refugees. In many
different ways refugees living in exile have a continuous relation to their societies of
origin. The thesis describes various transnational social relations and networks
among the Kurdish refugees. It is argued that the Kurds in exile can be regarded as a
diaspora.
The concept of diaspora highlights the refugees' continuous relation to their
countries of origin. However, the transnational social networks and associations can
also be important resources for the refugees in their new country of settlement.
There is also reason to remember the importance of social structures and
exclusionary policies in the country of settlement. The comparison of the two
different countries of settlement shows that these structures and policies have a great
impact on how the refugees will be integrated into the receiving society.
It is argued that a study of refugee communities needs to take into account refugees'
relations to both the society of origin and the society of settlement. The writer
emphasises that a diaspora can be understood as a transnational social organisation
relating both to the country of origin and the country of settlement. Thus, it is argued
that the concept of diaspora is a useful analytical tool for an understanding of the
transnational social reality in which refugees live.


A quasi-Hermitian operator is an operator that is similar to its adjoint in some sense, via a metric operator, i.e., a strictly positive self-adjoint operator. Whereas those metric operators are in general assumed to be bounded, we analyze the structure generated by unbounded metric operators in a Hilbert space. It turns out that such operators generate a canonical lattice of Hilbert spaces, that is, the simplest case of a partial inner product space (PIP-space). We introduce several generalizations of the notion of similarity between operators, in particular, the notion of quasi-similarity, and we explore to what extend they preserve spectral properties. Then we apply some of the previous results to operators on a particular PIP-space, namely, a scale of Hilbert spaces generated by a metric operator. Finally, motivated by the recent developments of pseudo-Hermitian quantum mechanics, we reformulate the notion of pseudo-Hermitian operators in the preceding formalism.


The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), in partnership with the Farmers Market Consortium, hosted the National Farmers Market Summit November 7–9, 2007, in Baltimore, MD. The Summit assembled key stakeholders from the farmers market community to convene a national conversation on issues and challenges facing today's farmers markets. The National Farmers Market Summit had three broad objectives: (1) Identify farmers market needs and existing gaps in assistance, (2) Prioritize future research and technical assistance initiatives, and (3) Provide guidance to policymakers on how best to allocate available resources. The Summit was attended by 75 participants who represented a diverse range of farmers market stakeholders, including national resource providers, farmers market representatives, and community partners. Invitations were sent to farmers market stakeholders with diverse interests, expertise, and geographic location. Participants included representatives from 31 States and the District of Columbia. The Summit also included 12 staff members of AMS's Marketing Services Division (MSD), the lead organizer of the Summit, and Dr. Kenneth C. Clayton, the Associate Administrator of AMS and chair of the Farmers Market Consortium. Using the brainstorming and consensus priority exercises, participants at the National Farmers Market Summit identified 12 key issues that they believe deserve attention from policymakers, funders, and other market assistance providers. These included: "Growing" Farmers, Policy/Regulation, Professional Development, Partnerships, Message Related to Farmers Market Promotion, Research, Funding/Resources, Farmers Markets as Center of Community, Public Health, Low Income Access, Local Food Systems, and Economic Sustainability. To explore possible approaches and solutions for addressing each consensus priority, Summit attendees were invited to engage in one of 12 issue-specific discussions, based on their level of interest in the given discussion topic. Although each of the 12 key issues has a distinctive scope and set of associated characteristics, they primarily fall into the following three broadly defined categories of activity: (1) Policy and Advocacy-based Initiatives; (2) Education and Training Initiatives; and (3) Community-based Initiatives. Policy and advocacy-based initiatives aimed at championing the importance of farmers markets and facilitating their continued growth. As defined by Summit participants, specific priorities to be addressed within the framework of policy-based initiatives included: Policy/Regulatory Barriers, Message Related to Farmers Market Promotion, and Funding/Resources. One of the common themes that surfaced repeatedly during discussions of all three priority issues related to policy and advocacy was the notion of creating a single national trade organization for farmers market stakeholders (perhaps similar to the newly reorganized Farmers Market Coalition) to speak with a unified voice to policymakers and be a centralized point of contact for disseminating information about available funding and technical assistance to community members. Other strategies that appeared to share wide support were the development of a professional training curriculum aimed at enhancing and creating greater consistency in the expertise and knowledge base of farmers market managers (a theme that also emerged repeatedly during the "education and training" related priority discussions), and the development of a national farmers market promotional campaign aimed at informing policymakers and the public about the economic, community, and health benefits of farmers markets. All three discussions touched on the difficulty of preserving some degree of local autonomy while centralizing authority. Education and training initiatives, especially those targeted at enhancing the technical skills of farmers-market practitioners. As defined by Summit participants, specific priorities to be addressed include: "Growing" Farmers, Professional Development, Economic Sustainability, and Research, One common theme that surfaced repeatedly throughout each of the priority discussions related to education and training was the importance of establishing a minimum standard of technical experience in business planning and marketing for farmers market participants, whether through the development of a formal curriculum or the provision of other relevant continuing educational opportunities. The ability to properly gauge production costs and prices, and gain ongoing exposure to such rapidly changing issues as emerging consumer trends, new product varieties, and improved season extension techniques, were seen as essential tools in enhancing the profitability and long-term economic viability of farmers market vendors and suppliers. With respect to farmers market managers and members of market boards/management organizations, who often serve as a market's primary point of contact with community members and policymakers, it was recommended that workshops or courses be developed that help such individuals learn how to: (1) Develop effective community partnerships (especially by examining the lessons learned from successful partnership models); (2) Augment the reach and impact of existing partnerships by exploring the possibility of relationships with nontraditional organizations; (3) Locate available resources from Federal, State, and local sources; and (4) Train market managers and other advocates on how to best capture, document, and report information that measures a market's impact on the local economy/community. Community-based initiatives aimed at establishing farmers markets as vital cornerstones of their community's quality of life. As defined by Summit participants, priorities included: Partnerships, Farmers Markets as Center of the Community, Public Health, Low-Income Access, and Local Food Systems. Probably the most common conversational thread that appeared in all of these independent discussions was the emphasis given to the importance of establishing innovative—and possibly untraditional—partnerships in order to achieve desired community goals. Lack of public awareness about the opportunities and benefits offered by farmers markets was a pervasive complaint throughout many of the discussions, whether the members of the public in question involved household consumers, local farmers, elected officials, or Federal policymakers, and improvement in outreach to potential allies was considered essential to obtain the level of attention necessary to change consumer behavior and/or public policy. Discussion participants also expressed the general opinion that current levels of communication and collaboration with relevant farmers market stakeholders was less than optimal and could easily be improved if greater attention were paid to the issue. This phenomenon appeared to hold true whether or not such discussions were occurring at a local, regional, or national level, suggesting that geographical proximity alone did not ensure that proper lines of communication were established and maintained.


HIV-AIDS case in Bali each year continued to increase. Rural areas rarely got the intervention of HIV-AIDS program. Whereas cases of HIV-AIDS in Bali continues to rise and cafes in rural areas that provide female sex worker. This condition causes the spread of HIV-AIDS rapidly increased in rural areas. The study was done in a qualitative and quantitative mix in Gianyar regency. Observation participated and survey to 150 rural men and in-depth interview to 15 rural man that was risky. Respondents were selected based on snowballing sampling. Respondents were met from a place they like to hang out in the village shops, fields, village roads, banjo hall (a village meeting place). Rural men consistent use condom only 24.67%, have experience with sexual transmitted disease 46.67%, sexual contact with direct and indirect female sex worker 29.33%, get information from electronic media and mass media 72%, knowledge respondent about HIV-AIDS still low which 14% don't know and 58% less know. The Rural men usually went to the place of prostitution with his group, most of the rural man did not feel comfortable used the condoms. Some of them had been affected by sexual transmitted diseases and usually bought medicine themselves or being told by a friend. The habit bought medicine on their own without the proper dosage and not to health services increased the risk of HIV transmission. Sexual behaviors that did not use condoms and changed partners was at risk of the spread of HIV/ IDS. Health promotion interventions need to be done on rural areas so that their behavior could decrease risk for HIV.


By Kathrin Hille in Zhengzhou Foxconn, the Taiwanese contract manufacturer that makes products for Apple, has been hit by a second bout of labour unrest in less than two weeks as one of its largest factories in China is hurrying to churn out the latest iPhone. More than 200 quality control employees at the plant in Zhengzhou, a central Chinese city, refused to work on Friday in protest over their high-pressure work conditions, the company said on Sunday. Foxconn, the world's largest contract manufacturer by revenue, said large numbers of production-line workers had resisted strict quality requirements introduced in connection with production of the iPhone 5. Some quality control staff told the FT that they had been threatened by workers. Some workers said one quality controller had been beaten, but that could not be confirmed. The Zhengzhou plant is one of two Foxconn factories in the country that makes the iPhone 5. Foxconn has not officially commented on the size of its workforce there, but human resources officials at the plant said it now employs close to 200,000 workers. "The incident was triggered by an emotional standoff between quality control personnel and production-line workers," said Foxconn. "After we addressed the issues, people on the [Friday] day shift resumed work, and there was basically no impact on the production lines." Since orders for Apple's latest gadget started coming earlier this year, Foxconn has battled chronic labour shortages in manning its huge production lines in China. The ramp-up of the Zhengzhou plant since 2010 is part of Foxconn's gradual shift of its manufacturing operation to China's inland provinces, a strategy which the company hoped could address rising labour costs and labour shortages. But some of the new plants, have met the same problems as the company's largest factory in Shenzhen, the export hub next to Hong Kong. This comes as labour unrest is generally on the rise in China, with young workers less willing to sacrifice their personal lives for meagre savings, and more aware of their rights. The Zhengzhou dispute follows a riot at Foxconn's plant in Taiyuan in late September. More than 2,000 workers in that factory – which makes iPhone components – smashed shop windows, overturned cars and burnt a police post following a brawl between workers and security guards. On Saturday, Foxconn denied a report by China Labor Watch, a US-based non-governmental organisation, that up to 4,000 of its workers in Zhengzhou went on strike on Friday. It would only acknowledge in a statement that there had been disputes between a small group of production-line workers and quality assurance personnel at the Zhengzhou factory earlier in the week on October 1 and 2. In the Saturday statement, Foxconn said: "These were isolated incidents and were immediately addressed and measures taken, including providing additional staff for the lines in question, to address the issues raised by both production workers". But in Zhengzhou, workers, company representatives and government officials told the FT of a continued strain on labour relations that was exacerbated by the pressure caused by the iPhone 5 orders. There have been complaints, for example, from consumers about scratches on the back of the new device. "There was some problem with the coating chosen for the casing, so they tightened the rules for quality control," said Cai Yun, an engineer who has been with Foxconn for six years. "But the pressure in these jobs is already too high. You add one more thing, and there's bound to be trouble." Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/116dc2e8-105a-11e2-a5f7-00144feabdc0.html#axzz28cZDbhFH


The progression of distributed generation within a bulk power system will lead to the need for greater control of transmission-line power flows. Static synchronous compensators (STATCOMs) provide a power-electronics-based means of embedded control of transmission-line voltage and power flows. The integration of energy storage with a STATCOM can extend traditional STATCOM capabilities to four-quadrant power flow control and transient stability improvement. This paper discusses energy storage systems (ESSs) integrated with conventional and multilevel bidirectional power converters for a hybrid STATCOM/ESS. Conventional, diode-clamped, and cascaded multilevel converter-based STATCOM/ESSs are developed, and their performances for a variety of power system applications are compared using battery energy storage. The advantages and disadvantages of each topology are presented. Both simulation and experimental results are provided to validate the conclusions


The turn toward ethics within literary studies during the last two decades has been so widespread that contemporary scholars can no longer be said to ignore the ethical assumptions and implications of literary and critical texts. (1) Some scholars (e.g. Buell 9-10; Eskin, "Introduction"; Parker 33-34) have pointed out that this turn corresponds to a literary turn in ethics. However, this (double) turn--even if it has established the ethical importance of literature in itself and of reading literature, thereby contributing to the revaluation of certain works (Gibson 1; Eskin, Ethics)--has engendered more disagreement than consent. Scholars who endorse an ethical approach to literature share neither assumptions about literary theory and interpretation nor conceptions about the essence or the meaning of ethics. These heterogeneous, conflicting, and often incommensurable approaches confirm Jean-Francois Lyotard's point of departure in his book The Differend: Phrases in Dispute. In this essay, I attempt first to outline some of the significant differences among the leading approaches to ethical criticism in literary studies and to point out the possible contribution of Lyotard to these ongoing disputes. This preliminary section is followed by an interpretation of John Fowles's The Collector in light of Lyotard's thesis and its ethical implications. Finally, I contend that Fowles's novel illuminates and challenges Lyotard's conception of differend, especially in its relation to narrative. Lyotard's thesis in The Differend is significant to ethical literary criticism, particularly concerning novels, for three main reasons: first, because it is based on a linguistic model of communication that highlights the connections between terms extensively discussed in literary studies, such as addressor, addressee, referent, sense, and, of course, discourse. Second, despite Lyotard's reductive conception of narrative (which will be dealt with toward the end of this essay), his insights regarding the perpetual competition between discourses that generate irreconcilable conflicts can contribute to the understanding of the structure of narrative discourse. Indeed, the novel has been recognized by some leading literary scholars, for example Mikhail Bakhtin and Martha Nussbaum, to extend our all-too-limited experience and to intensify the encounters between conflicting voices or world-views that occur in ordinary language by intentionally and consciously intersecting various discourses, including ones that do not usually interrelate (Nussbaum 47-48; Bakhtin 298). The third reason for the importance of Lyotard to literary ethics, which deserves a separate discussion in another essay, is his belief that ethics cannot be separated from politics, nor can justice be from goodness. This conception allows literary critics to link the political (as well as the social and the historical) to the ethical, instead of regarding them untenably as mutually exclusive (see Parker 194). (2) For the sake of clarity, I focus on two of the main approaches to ethics within literary studies: the (neo-)humanist and the Levinasian. In suggesting this division, I claim neither that all scholars of Levinas's work hold to a single view nor that all (neo-)humanists do. Instead, I point out some of the presuppositions and views that some prominent scholars of each approach share with each other despite significant differences between them. Furthermore, humanism and Levinasianism do not exhaust the approaches to ethical literary criticism (see Buell; Eskin, "Introduction" and "Literature"). Humanists and Levinasians have starkly different premises regarding the essence of both ethics and literary texts. Although Lyotard's views are closer to those typical of Levinasians, I shall demonstrate that the moral thesis implied by his differend can be neither identified with nor subsumed under the Levinasian conception of the radical Other. The point of departure of humanist literary criticism, represented most prominently in the work of scholars like Cora Diamond, Samuel Goldberg, Alisdair MacIntyre, Colin McGinn, Martha Nussbaum, David Parker, James Phelan, D. …


Objective: Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is related to poorer cognitive performance, but the neural underpinnings of this relation are not fully understood. This study examined whether SES-linked decrements in executive function were mediated by smaller dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) volumes. Given the literature demonstrating that SES-brain relations differ by race, we examined whether race moderated these mediations. Method: Participants were 190 socioeconomically diverse, self-identified African American (AA) and White adults from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) SCAN study. Regional brain volumes were derived using T1-weighted MP-RAGE images. Adjusting for age and sex, moderated mediation analyses examined if the DLPFC mediated SES-executive function relations differently across racial groups. Executive function was measured using Trail Making Test part B (Trails B), Digit Span Backwards (DSB), and verbal fluency. Results: Moderated mediation demonstrated that DLPFC volume significantly mediated the association between SES and Trails B in Whites (lower confidence interval [CI] = 0.01; upper CI = 0.07), but not in AAs (lower CI = −0.05; upper CI = 0.01). No mediations were found for DSB or verbal fluency, although SES was related to all tests. Conclusion: The DLPFC may be important in the association of SES and mental flexibility for White, but not AA adults. It is possible that the well-replicated advantages of high SES among Whites do not readily translate, on average, to AAs. These findings highlight the importance of brain volume for cognitive functioning, while adding to the literature on sociodemographic health disparities.


A type of water dispersible graphene (PG) has been synthesized by nucleophilic ring-opening reaction of the primary amine group in 3-(1-(2-aminopropoxy) propan-2-ylamino) propane-1-sulfonate sodium (PPS) with epoxy groups on the basal plane of graphene oxide (GO), followed by in situ reduction with hydrazine hydrate. The PG is employed as nanoscale reinforcement fillers in waterborne acrylic modified alkyd resin (AMAR) coatings. The stability and corrosion resistance of the waterborne PG/AMAR nanocomposite coatings are investigated. SEM and stability of nanocomposite indicated that the PG sheet is uniformly distributed in AMAR nano-emulsion. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies indicated that the PG/AMAR composite coatings exhibit higher corrosion resistance in simulated body fluid (SBF) compared with pure AMAR coatings and GO/AMAR coatings. In addition, the stability and corrosion resistance of the composite materials reach optimum when the PG content is 1%. PPS functionalized graphene (PG) displays prospective application in anticorrosion field. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 44445.


Low pressure migmatites from the Sanandaj-Sirjan Metamorphic Belt in the Hamedan region (Iran) Migmatites with evidence for low pressure metamorphism and partial melting occur adjacent to the Alvand Plutonic Complex in the Hamedan region of Iran. They show stromatic, schollen, diktyonitic and massive structure. Sillimanite/andalusite/(kyanite)-garnet- and cordierite-K-feldspar-andalusite-spinel-bearing migmatites are the most common rock types. Some of the granitic intrusions contain xenocrysts which resemble the porphyroblasts of nearby migmatites (e.g. sillimanite, andalusite, cordierite and garnet). Although migmatitic rocks of the region are located near the granitic intrusions, the degree of partial melting is not related to intrusions and is irregular. It appears that partial melting and migmatization pre-date the intrusion of major granitic bodies in the region. Leucosomes in stromatic migmatites are commonly parallel to bedding planes and are mostly formed by metamorphic segregation and/or in situ partial melting (showing mafic selvedges, pinch and swell structures). The melt fraction and migmatite type depend on the chemical composition of parent rocks and the distribution of high strain zones. The formation of thin leucosomes in the stromatic migmatites was controlled by short-range melt movement along the grain boundaries. Melt-rich layers are constrained by pre-existing compositional layering and foliation. Peak metamorphic conditions of ~650 °C and ~300 MPa are consistent with the observed mineral assemblages and the presence of melt in the investigated migmatites.


This paper concerns the inclusion of information literacy and skills training in the undergraduate curriculum. Students were studied to determine their strengths and weaknesses in terms of their information literacy and skills. The methods used to study the students included a number of qualitative techniques and were applied while students conducted a research project. In general it was found that students had limited skills in the area of information literacy. Based on these findings recommendations were proposed to help develop information literacy and skills and incorporate their delivery in the university curriculum. The paper argues that incorporation in the curriculum is a necessity for their successful delivery. This is in contrast to treating these areas as a separate subject. In addition the implications of these changes for faculty staff and librarians were defined. The initiative took place at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore and involved the NTU Library and the Division of Information Studies. To Bangkok


We study auction-like algorithms for the distributed allocation of tasks to cooperating agents. To reduce the team cost of sequential single-item auction algorithms, we generalize them to assign more than one additional task during each round, which increases their similarity to combinatorial auction algorithms. We show that, for a given number of additional tasks to be assigned during each round, every agent needs to submit only a constant number of bids per round and the runtime of winner determination is linear in the number of agents. The communication and winner determination costs do not depend on the number of tasks and thus scale to a large number of tasks for small bundle sizes. We then demonstrate empirically that the team cost of sequential bundle-bid single-sale (= single-item) auction algorithms can be substantially smaller than that without bundles for multi-agent routing problems with capacity constraints.


The challenge of institution building in African countries remains a major threat to the establishment of peace and justice, and the entrenchment of sustainable social and economic development. This may be attributed largely to the dynamic and complex social landscape of most African countries. While single borders bring political definition to post-independent countries, such countries often struggle to find a single national identity that transcends numerous tribal, ethnic or historic identities. The role of central government in creating an effective structure of governance is crucial in the steps towards postconflict nation-building. However, national institution building is not necessarily the right answer, especially in contexts difficult to govern, such as vast geographic areas or complex social and ethnic realities. It is in this sense that this paper – and the initial states of this research – seeks to find an alternative to 'institution building' as a way forward in good governance practices, suggesting rather a decentralised and localised approach. The case study that will be brought to be bear as an example of this is Rwanda and a recent governance mechanism – Imihigo – as an approach that has helped create a new national identity while instilling a culture of service delivery and accountability amongst its public servants and political leadership. What this paper will seek to argue – in looking at the approach by Rwanda in decentralising its government – is that institution building is not necessarily the way forward in Africa's 'good governance' discourse. Instead, this paper – and the broader borders of what my research is seeking to explore and understand – seeks to present a reformed approach to good governance in Africa, especially contexts that have been divided along complex lines such as ethnicity, geography, national identity, or the competition for natural resources. Though it will be beyond the scope of this research paper specifically, intended environments that this research is hoped to be applicable – and will therefore involve further research around the applicability of such – include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Burundi and Sudan.


In one of the first environmental histories of the Ottoman Empire, Alan Mikhail examines relations between the empire and its most lucrative province of Egypt. Based on both the local records of various towns and villages in rural Egypt and the imperial orders of the Ottoman state, this book charts how changes in the control of natural resources fundamentally altered the nature of Ottoman imperial sovereignty in Egypt and throughout the empire. In revealing how Egyptian peasants were able to use their knowledge and experience of local environments to force the hand of the imperial state, Nature and Empire in Ottoman Egypt tells a story of the connections of empire stretching from canals in the Egyptian countryside to the palace in Istanbul, from Anatolian forests to the shores of the Red Sea, and from a plague flea's bite to the fortunes of one of the most powerful states of the early modern world.


In adipocytes, PDE3B (phosphodiesterase 3B) is an important regulatory effector in signalling pathways controlled by insulin and cAMP-increasing hormones. Stimulation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with insulin or the beta3-adrenergic receptor agonist CL316243 (termed CL) indicated that insulin preferentially phosphorylated/activated PDE3B associated with internal membranes (endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi), whereas CL preferentially phosphorylated/activated PDE3B associated with caveolae. siRNA (small interfering RNA)-mediated KD (knockdown) of CAV-1 (caveolin-1) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes resulted in down-regulation of expression of membrane-associated PDE3B. Insulin-induced activation of PDE3B was reduced, whereas CL-mediated activation was almost totally abolished. Similar results were obtained in adipocytes from Cav-1-deficient mice. siRNA-mediated KD of CAV-1 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes also resulted in inhibition of CL-stimulated phosphorylation of HSL (hormone-sensitive lipase) and perilipin A, and of lipolysis. Superose 6 gel-filtration chromatography of solubilized membrane proteins from adipocytes stimulated with insulin or CL demonstrated the reversible assembly of distinct macromolecular complexes that contained 32P-phosphorylated PDE3B and signalling molecules thought to be involved in its activation. Insulin- and CL-induced macromolecular complexes were enriched in cholesterol, and contained certain common signalling proteins [14-3-3, PP2A (protein phosphatase 2A) and cav-1]. The complexes present in insulin-stimulated cells contained tyrosine-phosphorylated IRS-1 (insulin receptor substrate 1) and its downstream signalling proteins, whereas CL-activated complexes contained beta3-adrenergic receptor, PKA-RII [PKA (cAMP-dependent protein kinase)-regulatory subunit] and HSL. Insulin- and CL-mediated macromolecular complex formation was significantly inhibited by CAV-1 KD. These results suggest that cav-1 acts as a molecular chaperone or scaffolding molecule in cholesterol-rich lipid rafts that may be necessary for the proper stabilization and activation of PDE3B in response to CL and insulin.


We study how the sequence of financing of R&D varies according to the ease with which property rights over knowledge can be defined. There are two financiers: a venture capitalist (VC) and a corporation. The knowledge acquired in costly research becomes embodied in the researcher's human capital, and she may hold up the financier and walk away with the project to develop it elsewhere. The main results are: (1) When property rights are strong, research is always funded by the VC, development is performed efficiently, and breakaways from the VC to the corporation are observed in equilibrium. (2) When property rights are weak, projects may be financed by the VC or the corporation, or may remain unfunded. (3) When property rights are weak, no breakaways occur in equilibrium; local spillovers and strong product market competition increase the likelihood that research projects will get funding. (4) The equilibrium sequence of R&D finance need not be first‐best efficient. (5) In equilibrium, and controlling for the strength of property rights, VCs finance projects that are more profitable on average.


Background: Hyperlipidemia and low antioxidant levels is one the diabetes side effects. Some studies have indicated the possible effects of nutrients on the improvement of hyperlipidemia, by their antioxidants ingredients. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the synthetic antioxidant, tempol, on blood lipid profiles and glucose levels in healthy and diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Adult Wistar rats were randomly divided to four experimental groups including, healthy control, diabetic control, diabetic receiving tempol and healthy receiving tempol groups. Diabetes was induced by injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg, Intraperitoneally (IP)). The rats were then fed saline or tempol (30 mg/kg) by gavage for 60 days. Blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture. Next, glucose, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), cholesterol, triglyceride and HbA1c were measured by specific kits. Also, the coronary risk index was calculated. Results: The blood glucose level increased following diabetes induction. The level of blood glucose in the diabetic receiving tempol group decreased compared to the control diabetic group. The comparison of LDL, VLDL, cholesterol, triglyceride, HbA1c and coronary risk index among experimental groups indicated the increase of these factors in the diabetic group. High-density lipoprotein in the diabetic groups was lower than the other groups. Conclusions: It can be concluded that tempol can improve dyslipidemia and may decrease hyperglycemia in diabetes. It seems that antioxidants such as tempol can improve dyslipidemia and may decrease hyperglycemia in diabetes.