The Mio-Pliocene deposits of Djebel Diss (Mostaganem, Northwestern Algeria) are mainly constituted of marls including gypsy-calcareous beds with whitish limestone and stromatolithic limestone, closely comparable to those of the Murdjadjo carbonate platform. The sample analysis from studied sections (Djebel Aizeub, Sidi Abd Allâh, Douar Amarna) revealed successive planktonic foraminifera bio-events allowing to identify six biozones (Neogloboquadrina acostaensis p.p., Sphaeroidinellopsis seminulina, Globorotalia. margaritae, G. puncticulata-G. margaritae, G. puncticulata and G. aemiliana p.p.), ranging from the Lower Tortonian to the Piacenzian stages. Thus, yellowish sandy marls and blue marls are attributed to the lower Tortonian (N. acostaensis p.p.), the Trubi marls to the Zanclean (S. seminulina, G. margaritae, G. puncticulata-G. margaritae) and to the Piacenzian stages (G. puncticulata and G. aemiliana p.p.). An important stratigraphic gap, corresponding to the upper Tortonian and the late Messinian, is observed. Therefore, the gypsy-calcareous beds, comprised between the lower Tortonian blue marls at the base and the Zanclean Trubi marls at the top, is considered as upper Messinian in age by correlation with the Mediterranean Basin evaporites which are positioned, in a synchronous way, at 5,94 or even 5,96 Ma.


OBJECTIVES
The secretion of prolactin (PRL), which is a growth factor for prostate cancer cell proliferation, has been proven to present profound alterations in advanced prostate cancer patients, consisting of abnormally elevated baseline levels and paradoxical response to L-dopa. Moreover, the efficacy of standard therapies for prostate cancer may be mediated at least in part by changes in PRL secretion. The present study was carried out to analyze the effects of the new antiandrogen agent bicalutamide on basal levels of PRL and on its response to L-dopa in metastatic prostate cancer patients.

MATERIAL & METHODS
The study included 10 metastatic prostate cancer patients. They were treated with bicalutamide at a dose of 50 mg/day orally. They were investigated with L-dopa test before therapy and after one month of treatment. L-dopa was given orally at 500 mg, by collecting blood samples before and at 60, 120 and 180 minutes after L-dopa administration. Serum levels of PRL were measured by the RIA method.

RESULTS
Abnormally basal levels of PRL were seen in 4/10 (40%) patients. Mean PRL basal levels decreased after bicalutamide therapy, without, however, significant differences. Before therapy, a paradoxical increase in PRL levels after L-dopa occurred in 4 patients, 3 of them showed basal concentrations of PRL within the normal range. Moreover, bicalutamide therapy significantly reduced PRL increase in response to L-dopa.

CONCLUSIONS
This study would suggest that the measurement of the only basal levels is not sufficient to define as normal the secretion of PRL in advanced prostate cancer, because of the possible existence of altered response to the dynamic tests for PRL secretion. Moreover, the study shows that the antitumor therapy with the new anti-androgen bicalutamide may reduce PRL secretion and improve its paradoxical secretion in response to L.-Dopa. Further studies will be required to better define the possible prognostic impact of changes in PRL secretion on the efficacy of treatments for metastatic prostate cancer.


Immature neovessels in tumors lead to the formation of heterogeneous hypoxic areas within tumors. Such hypoxic conditions not only reduce the effectiveness of radiation treatment but are also related to tumor invasion and metastasis. To better understand tumor-related mechanisms, it is important to quantitate the temporal and spatial changes of tumor hypoxia. However, no useful technique capable of measuring oxygen concentration in vivo has been proposed to date. We aimed to develop a microscope system to measure oxygen metabolism in tumor tissues using a laser-assisted oxygen quenching method. A scanning laser with galvano mirrors was capable of imaging tissue hypoxia and allowed configuration of time and spatial resolution by altering the laser spot size, scan rate, or scan distance. We examined the feasibility of the system by in vitro oxygen measurement, and applied this method to in vivo imaging of tumor oxygenation during oxygen inhalation in tumor-implanted mice. Oxygen tension inside tumors increased soon after oxygen inhalation, but decreased gradually after 20 min in spite of continuous oxygen inhalation, indicating that this model replicates the clinical experience that long-term tumor oxygenation cannot be achieved by oxygen inhalation. Quantitative analysis of tumor oxygenation may help reveal the mechanisms of oxygen metabolism in tumor tissues, leading to the development of more effective radiation therapy.


In the current theme of dental pulp regeneration, biological and synthetic scaffolds are becoming a potential therapy for pulp revitalization. The extracellular matrix has shown success in preclinical models and humans, promoting constructive remodeling and formation of site-appropriate tissue after injury. The use of ECM-based scaffolds has shown an improved tissue remodeling outcome, as it modulates the host response into an anti-inflammatory response that is characterized by the presence of alternatively activated macrophages around the scaffolds. This effect was demonstrated in other studies, yet the underlying mechanism is still largely unknown. There is currently a growing evidence that the source and composition of ECM scaffolds can be responsible for a pro-inflammatory response, while other scaffolds were able to maintain M2 like macrophage response. This phenomenon has led us to the conclusion that host immune cells behavior varies depending on the chemical composition of the matrix. Cathepsin V, K, S, and L have shown collagenolytic ability with cathepsin K being the most potent. We speculate that lysosomal cathepsin K might play a major role in the hydrolysis of collagen in endosomes. In this work, the swine decellularized pulp extracellular matrix (DP-ECM) was used to understand its effect on dental pulp cells and periodontal ligament cells as a candidate for cell-based pulp therapy. The goal is to understand the process of tissue remodeling and cells contribution to this process over the course of 6 and 12 weeks. The generated matrix was analyzed for odontogenic proteins, levels of retained growth factors and bioactive molecules. To simulate the dental model of pulp regeneration, the ECM was placed into the canal space of human tooth root fragment that were implanted subcutaneously in immune compromised mice. The resulting tissue was analyzed for the expression of βIII-Tubulin, CD31, and DSPP. This was followed up with an investigation of macrophage response toward the DP-ECM. We also, investigated the effect of collagen and matrix components on Cathepsin K activity and macrophages polarization.


. Background: The prevalence of malocclusion in Indonesia is very high, which is around 80% of the total population. Orthodontic treatment in the mixed dentition stage is the right time to minimize the occurrence of malocclusion, and it requires space analysis in advance. To predict the space required in space analysis, prediction methods can be applied, such as Moyers method, Tanaka- Johnston method, and Sitepu method. These three methods are obtained from studies with different races. Objective: This research was conducted to determine the differences in the results of space analysis with the three methods. Methods: Seventy-three (73) dental casts were obtained from children aged 8-12 years at SD Negeri Gubeng 1. The space available and space required was measured by these three methods. The discrepancy of these methods was calculated based on the space available and the space required. The results were statistically analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis. Results: By Kruskall-Wallis test, the space analysis measurement method in maxillary arch showed no significant differences (p> 0.05), while in mandibular arch showed significant differences (p< 0.05).Mann-Whitney Utest on the maxillary arch showed no significant differences (p> 0.05), while in mandibular arch was (p< 0.05). This means that there was a significant difference between the Moyers method in mandibular arch and the Sitepu method in mandibular arch, and also between the Tanaka-Johnston method in mandibular arch and the Sitepu method in mandibular arch. Conclusion: By using these three methods, the results of space analysis on mandibular arch showed a significant difference, while on maxillary arch showed no significant differences.


At a recent New South Wales forum about the future of residential care, various speakers cited what they thought were the key themes that should guide thinking about the development of future residential programs for 'at risk' youth. The themes were that these programs must be small, local and, somewhat less confidently, that they should only be used as a 'last resort' when all other ways of addressing the care and treatment needs of these young people have been tried. It was also noted that funding for programs should reflect the level of staff expertise required when programs are treatment rather than accommodation focussed, although what this might mean in practice was not explored. These are all themes that are part of any discussion about the future of the residential component of the out-of-home care system. The contention of this paper is that these themes are based on unfounded assumptions. When used in service planning to guide future services these assumptions contribute to the abandonment of 'at risk' youth to either no service or services that are less than adequate. The themes are explored by applying them to services in other sectors that also deal with 'at risk' youth, namely, health, education and criminal justice. The conclusion is that these themes should be replaced with others that will enable community service organisations to develop more appropriate services for 'at risk' youth.


Vehicle Kilometers Travelled (VKT) represents number of kilometers travelled by vehicles during a specific period of time in a specific area of concern. Transportation planners, policy makers, urban planners, and estimators of vehicle emission, energy consumption and fuel-price encourage the calculation of VKT for various analytical purposes. However, in most of the developing countries VKT is not estimated due to data challenges. This study aimed at proposing a household travel survey method for estimating VKT in developing countries where timely VKT data are not available. Also, estimating Personal Kilometers Travelled (PKT) seems important in developing countries, since the majority is using public and non-motorized transport modes rather than personal vehicles in those countries. This proposed method allows to collect data that are needed for estimating both VKT and PKT together with socio demographic information. A case study was conducted in three different regions; Northern, Eastern and Southern areas of Sri Lanka, which is a developing country. Questions were asked regarding to trips in a typical week, trips in holidays, special seasons or vacations, number of passengers travelled, travel modes and, socio demography of the respondent. Pilot surveys were conducted prior to the actual surveys to verify the efficiency of developed questionnaire. Samples were taken satisfying all the selected socio demographic categories within the community. Collected data through surveys were aggregated to annual level and, weighted using relevant census and population data. Weighted VKT and PKT estimates were obtained under each selected socio demographic category. Also, VKT estimates were statistically compared for studying the travel behavior of people across different regions. ANOVA and Post Hoc tests were employed for statistical comparisons. These findings can efficiently be used for transport planning, policy making activities, emission calculations, energy consumption estimations etc. by transport and environmental agencies of the country. The case study revealed the experience of utilizing the household travel survey method in Sri Lanka, making it possible to be replicated in other developing countries as well.


This article explores the theoretical and substantive connections between iconicity and consumerism in the field of contemporary iconic architecture within the framework of a critical theory of globalization. Iconicity in architecture is defined in terms of fame and special symbolic/aesthetic significance as applied to buildings, spaces and in some cases architects themselves. Iconic architecture is conceptualized as a hegemonic project of the transnational capitalist class. In the global era, I argue, iconic architecture strives to turn more or less all public space into consumerist space, not only in the obvious case of shopping malls but more generally in all cultural spaces, notably museums and sports complexes. The inspiration that iconic architecture has provided historically generally coexisted with repressive political and economic systems, and for change to happen an alternative form of non-capitalist globalization is necessary. Under such conditions truly inspiring iconic architecture, including existing architectural icons, may create genuinely democratic public spaces in which the culture-ideology of consumerism fades away. In this way, a built environment in which the full array of human talents can flourish may begin to emerge.


At least half of the seven thousand or so languages spoken today are in danger of disappearing during the 21st century. Although languages have always come and gone, the current rate of language extinction is unprecedented, a loss which not only affects individual communities but also diminishes the world's linguistic heritage. This crisis has stimulated a variety of responses from linguists: sociolinguists have been concerned with the study of language revitalisation—how the tendency to shift away from minority languages can be reversed—while general linguists have paid more attention to the structural aspects of language endangerment—how languages change as they fall into disuse. In recent years linguists have been particularly concerned with language documentation—the activity of recording, annotating, translating and archiving audiovisual materials of languages before they are lost. In addition, all linguists working on endangered languages face the ethical question of how much effort they should devote to non-academic activities in support of the communities with whom they work.

The study of language endangerment has only really become a concern of mainstream linguistics in the past twenty years, and this four-volume collection is the first of its kind, bringing together research on language endangerment from leading scholars. Theoretical and practical responses by linguists have led to the emergence of the linguistic sub-fields of language documentation and language revitalisation, and most of the publications within them date from just the last ten years. There has however been a veritable flood of books and articles during this time, and an enormous flowering of interest both within academia and in the wider community as well. Twenty years ago an extensive collection on this topic could not have been put together.

A general introduction by the editors gives an overview of the history of research on endangered languages and the main issues faced by scholars of language endangerment today, while specific volume introductions detail the research context for the individual articles. Endangered Languages is an essential one-stop work of reference and will be appreciated by researchers and students of language endangerment and related disciplines.


Patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) typically present with lower-extremity radiculopathy. However, there are patients who have concomitant substantial back pain (BP) and are considered candidates for fusion. The purpose of this study was to determine if patients with LDH and substantial BP improve with discectomy alone.The DaneSpine database was used to identify 2399 patients with LDH and baseline BP visual analog scale (VAS) scores ≥ 50 who underwent a lumbar discectomy at one of 3 facilities between June 2010 and December 2017. Standard demographic and surgical variables and patient-reported outcomes, including BP and leg pain (LP) VAS scores (0–100), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and European Quality of Life–5 Dimensions Questionnaire (EQ-5D) at baseline and 12 months postoperatively, were collected.A total of 1654 patients (69%) had 12-month data available, with a mean age of 48.7 years; 816 (49%) were male and the mean BMI was 27 kg/m2. At 12 months postoperatively, there were statistically significant improvements (p < 0.0001) in BP (72.6 to 36.9), LP (74.8 to 32.6), ODI (50.9 to 25.1), and EQ-5D (0.25 to 0.65) scores.Patients with LDH and LP and concomitant substantial BP can be counseled to expect improvement in their BP 12 months after surgery after a discectomy alone, as well as improvement in their LP.


A common approach to the modeling of gene regulatory networks is to represent activating or repressing interactions using ordinary differential equations for target gene concentrations that include Hill function dependences on regulator gene concentrations. An alternative formulation represents the same interactions using Boolean logic with time delays associated with each network link. We consider the attractors that emerge from the two types of models in the case of a simple but nontrivial network: a figure-8 network with one positive and one negative feedback loop. We show that the different modeling approaches give rise to the same qualitative set of attractors with the exception of a possible fixed point in the ordinary differential equation model in which concentrations sit at intermediate values. The properties of the attractors are most easily understood from the Boolean perspective, suggesting that time-delay Boolean modeling is a useful tool for understanding the logic of regulatory networks.


The present research work was conducted to compute seepage and slope stability analysis of Hub dam (earthen dam) by using the slave programs of Geo-Slope software i.e. SEEP/W and SLOPE/W respectively. The simulation results obtained from the SEEP/W program revealed that the average flow rate of seepage at maximum, normal and minimum pond level were 5.728 x 10-4 (ft3/sec/ft), 4.988 x 10-4 (ft3/sec/ft), and 4.513 x 10-5 (ft3/sec/ft) respectively. The exit gradient value in all different pond levels was less than 1.0, and maximum seepage velocity is within permissible limits, which implies that the dam is secure against piping for the entire scenarios. SLOPE/W program was used to analyze static slope stability of embankment slope under various loading conditions. The stability of embankment slopes was checked by four different analysis methods i.e. Bishop, Janbu, Ordinary method of slice and Morgenstern-Price method accordingly. The simulation results revealed that upstream and downstream side of the dam section has a direct effect on the factor of safety. The three different loading cases were analyzed i.e. end of construction (upstream and downstream slope), steady state seepage (downstream slope) at maximum water level at EL 346 ft, and rapid drawdown for (upstream slope) with the minimum factor of safety 1.653, 1.911, 1.634 and 1.766 respectively. From the results achieved, thus it can be concluded that the Hub dam is safe against the danger of piping and slope failure.


Background: In this study, we are aiming in determine diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination (CE), ultrasonography (USG) and mammography (MG) in pretreatment evaluation of breast cancer.
Materials and methods: This present prospective clinical study was conducted during sept-2009 to May-2014 includes 540 patients of breast cancer. All these patients were underwent CE,USG and MG. After these entire test patient underwent Surgery. The exact tumor size, lymph nodes number and size were analyzed from the surgical specimen.
Results: The diameter of the tumor determined with CE, MG, USG and final histopathological examination(HPE) were 6.58 ± 2.24 cm, 5.20 ± 1.68 cm, 4.63 ± 2.03 and 4.7 ± 1.88 cm respectively. The total number and size of the Lymph node were 2.187 ± 1.22 and 1.87 ± 1.22 cm by CE, 2.53 ± 2.6 and 1.37 ± 0.96 cm by USG, 2.1 ± 3.6 and 1.67 ± 0.796 cm by final HPE, respectively. The mean actual difference in tumor Size-Histopathological Vs CE Vs MG Vs USG was 1.208 ± 0.629 cm. 0.559 ± 0.084 cm, and 1.19 ± 1.06 cms, respectively. The mean actual difference in lymph nodes Size-HPE Vs CE Vs. USG were 0.573 ± 0.517 cm. 0.758 ± 0.573 cm respectively. The correlation between HPE of tumor size with CE, MMG and USG were N=440, t=-5.2, r=0.886 (P<0.05) Vs t=2.06, r=0.902 (p<0.05) Vs t=-3.93, r=0.601(p<0.05), respectively. For the Lymph node by clinically and sonographically were N=440, t=4.19, r=0.687 (P<0.05) Vs t=6.7, r=0.648(p<0.05), respectively.
Conclusion: MG is seems to be the better modality than CE and USG in detecting the tumor size and CE is better modality in detecting lymph nodes than USG.


Bank deleveraging is often used synonymously for a reduction in the supply of credit to the real economy which hampers economic growth. We investigate this hypothesis empirically. We define deleveraging as the increasing ratio of capital to total assets. This paper aims at identifying the priorities of deleveraging in the euro area and Austria and its implications for Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE). The data analysis utilizes ECB balance sheet data for monetary financial institutions (MFIs) for the euro area and Austria; reporting data of Austrian banks at the consolidated level and BIS locational statistics are employed to study the impact of deleveraging on credit to the real economy in CESEE. We focus on the postcrisis period from October 2008 to February 2014 (latest available data). In addition, we study the developments in the precrisis period from June 2003 to October 2008. The data reveal that banks in the euro area and Austria did in fact deleverage. In the postcrisis period, the priorities of deleveraging are similar in the euro area and in Austria. The process was predominantly driven by the numerator (capital), which contributed 88% to deleveraging in the euro area and 73% in Austria. The denominator of leverage (total assets) contributed the remaining shares. In both samples, the decrease in total assets was driven by reductions in interbank lending and external assets. Funding for the real economy increased in the euro area and in Austria.As external asset reductions play a major role in deleveraging in both the euro area and Austria, we analyze the relevant developments in CESEE in detail. The priorities of Austrian banks' deleveraging in CESEE are similar to that of banks in the euro area and Austria: They were driven by capital increases (99%). The small reduction of total assets in the sample was due to reductions of interbank lending, cash and central bank reserves; funding for households and nonfinancial corporations slightly increased. Similar to developments in the euro area and in Austria, banks' sovereign exposure in CESEE increased, too. However, at the disaggregate level, Austrian banks reduced their activities in some countries during the past five years. But these reductions did not translate into decreasing funding for households and nonfinancial corporations. We conclude that overall, the priorities of deleveraging of euro area and Austrian banks as well as their subsidiaries in CESEE since October 2008 are positive from a macroprudential perspective.


Background: Ketogenic diets have repeatedly been suggested for the treatment of cancer. To date, only a few case studies reporting long term benefits associated with such diets have been published. Case report: Here we present a case where recurrent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), a premalignant condition of cervical cancer, was successfully treated with the paleolithic ketogenic diet. The patient had a history of high grade CIN in 2011, which was successfully treated with cervical conization and fractional curettage. In October 2015 she was found to have a recurrence of high grade CIN (HSIL: High Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion). The patient was then commenced on the paleolithic ketogenic diet and her repeat Pap (Papanicolaou) smear three months later was found to have reverted to normal. The patient has remained on the paleolithic ketogenic diet for 26 months, her repeat smears have stayed normal, and she is free of symptoms and side effects. Conclusion: We conclude that the diet was effective and safe in this patient. As a major benefit the patient was able to avoid a hysterectomy, which is the standard treatment for recurrent high-grade CIN. We believe that the paleolithic ketogenic diet combines benefits of both paleolithic and classical ketogenic diets, while excluding their disadvantages.


We use a case study of a pension plan wishing to hedge the longevity risk in its pension liabilities at a future date. The plan has the choice of using either a customised hedge or an index hedge, with the degree of hedge effectiveness being closely related to the correlation between the value of the hedge and the value of the pension liability. The key contribution of this paper is to show how correlation and, therefore, hedge effectiveness can be broken down into contributions from a number of distinct types of risk factors. Our decomposition of the correlation indicates that population basis risk has a significant influence on the correlation. But recalibration risk as well as the length of the recalibration window are also important, as is cohort effect uncertainty. Having accounted for recalibration risk, additional parameter uncertainty has only a marginal impact on hedge effectiveness. Finally, the inclusion of Poisson risk only starts to become significant when the smaller population falls below about 10,000 members over age 50. Our case study shows that, at least for medium and large pension plans, longevity risk can be substantially hedged using index hedges as an alternative to customised longevity hedges. As a consequence, when the hedger's population involves more than about 10,000 members over age 50, index longevity hedges (in conjunction with the other components of an ALM strategy) can provide an effective and lower cost alternative to both a full buy-out of pension liabilities or even to a strategy using customised longevity hedges.


In this paper, some preliminary results on the use of pronouns in oral discourse of language learners of Spanish will be discussed. The article mainly focuses on the use of different kinds of personal pronouns and the pro-drop phenomenon, namely the existence of a null subject, typical of the Spanish language. The absence of an explicit subject due to a rich verbal conjugation opposes Spanish to other languages, such as French, English and Dutch, where an explicit subject pronoun is obligatory.
As to investigate the use of the pronouns by language learners of Spanish, we compiled a corpus of oral productions of second language learners of Spanish who are all native speakers of Dutch and also learned French and English, which means that for them the pro-drop phenomenon is new. We will investigate which kinds of pronouns are used in which syntactic contexts and indicate in what contexts the use of a pronoun is not required. Next to this, we observe in our learners' corpus an unnecessary repetition of proper names and an over-use of personal pronouns as subjects. This can be related to the concept of "over-explicitation" or "overspecification", whereby learners of a second language tend to use more explicit forms than necessary.


Coalition governance is a challenge for political parties because it involves cooperation and compromises between parties that have different political goals and are competitors in political elections. Coalition coordination is crucial for the intra-coalitional cooperation of the governing parties. A key element in coalition coordination is coalition agreements, which to a varying degree constrain the behaviour of the coalition partners. This article explores the share of laws that were precisely defined in government agreements and/or legislative agreements, and sets out to explain variation in this share of coalition agreement-based laws. The analyses are based on unique data on legislative as well as governmental coalition agreements entered by three Danish governments with varying parliamentary strength. This study brings the blooming literature on coalition agreements one step further by showing that coalition governance is influenced by government strength. The legislative practice of strong coalition governments is less accommodative but more pre-regulated by coalition agreements.


Research and Information Service briefings are compiled for the benefit of MLAs and their support staff. Authors are available to discuss the contents of these papers with Members and their staff but cannot advise members of the general public. We do, however, welcome written evidence that relate to our papers and these should be sent to the Research and Information Service, Northern Ireland Assembly, Room 139, Parliament Buildings, Belfast BT4 3XX or e-mailed to email@example.com 28 September 2011


Slices of cerebral cortex from the adult rat were incubated with and without hydrocortisone succinate, and their subsequent uptake of isotopically labeled norepinephrine was measured. Preincubation with hydrocortisone resulted in a statistically significant increase in the amount of exogenous norepinephrine taken up by the slices. Preincubation with corresponding concentrations of sodium succinate was without effect. The principal effect of the hydrocortisone-mediated increase in norepinephrine concentration is apparently on an active transport mechanism.


Motivation: Many terminologies such as MeSH have a hierarchical structure, but no trans-ontological relations. Such relations, however, are useful for characterizing the relations identified in data sets. Methods: We identified trans-ontological relations in MeSH (between diseases and other categories) based on formal ontological principles and compared them to co-occurrence data in MEDLINE. Results: Dependence relations identified between a disease and other categories generally correspond to the highest proportion of relations between this disease and any other category under investigation. The other relations observed between this disease and other categories correspond mostly to contingent relations.


ABSTRACT A molecular approach was used to investigate a recently described candidate division of the domain Bacteria, TM7, currently known only from environmental 16S ribosomal DNA sequence data. A number of TM7-specific primers and probes were designed and evaluated. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of a laboratory scale bioreactor using two independent TM7-specific probes revealed a conspicuous sheathed-filament morphotype, fortuitously enriched in the reactor. Morphologically, the filament matched the description of the Eikelboom morphotype 0041-0675 widely associated with bulking problems in activated-sludge wastewater treatment systems. Transmission electron microscopy of the bioreactor sludge demonstrated that the sheathed-filament morphotype had a typical gram-positive cell envelope ultrastructure. Therefore, TM7 is only the third bacterial lineage recognized to have gram-positive representatives. TM7-specific FISH analysis of two full-scale wastewater treatment plant sludges, including the one used to seed the laboratory scale reactor, indicated the presence of a number of morphotypes, including sheathed filaments. TM7-specific PCR clone libraries prepared from the two full-scale sludges yielded 23 novel TM7 sequences. Three subdivisions could be defined based on these data and publicly available sequences. Environmental sequence data and TM7-specific FISH analysis indicate that members of the TM7 division are present in a variety of terrestrial, aquatic, and clinical habitats. A highly atypical base substitution (Escherichia coli position 912; C to U) for bacterial 16S rRNAs was present in almost all TM7 sequences, suggesting that TM7 bacteria, like Archaea, may be streptomycin resistant at the ribosome level.


As vehicle manufacturers continue to increase their emphasis on safety with advanced driver-assistance systems (ADASs), we propose a device that is not only already in abundance but portable enough as well to be one of the most effective multipurpose devices that are able to analyze and advise on safety conditions. Mobile smartphones today are equipped with numerous sensors that can help to aid in safety enhancements for drivers on the road. In this paper, we use the three-axis accelerometer of an Android-based smartphone to record and analyze various driver behaviors and external road conditions that could potentially be hazardous to the health of the driver, the neighboring public, and the automobile. Effective use of these data can educate a potentially dangerous driver on how to safely and efficiently operate a vehicle. With real-time analysis and auditory alerts of these factors, we can increase a driver's overall awareness to maximize safety


Since the advent of digital photography, we have been able to post-process our pictures. However, to do it properly, we have to become digital art apprentices. Sebastian Montabone is a computer vision expert who wants us to use our cameras and image processing software to come up with works of art. In this book, he teaches image processing techniques of ascending difficulty based on freely available tools. The book teaches you to use the best tools for the job, and it focuses on the techniques, not the environments or toolchains in which they run. Also in this book, you'll learn about the Canon Hack Development Kit (CHDK), which expands the features of some cameras. What you'll learn Learn how to process your photos by example. Save money by using free tools instead of expensive commercial software. Create unbelievable high-dynamic range (HDR) pictures. Generate stunning panoramas from ordinary pictures. Use the Canon Hack Development Kit (CHDK) to expand your camera features. Make videos and edit them easily using free software. Who this book is for This book is for anyone who is interested in photography, image processing, or free image editing software, with no exceptions. (edited by author)


How can I increase my effectiveness at work? How can I enhance my productivity? How can I make better decisions? How can I become better at networking? How can I boost my memory? How can I become a better negotiator? How can I learn great interview skills? You'll find answers to all these questions and many more in Success 365. Success 365 contains an idea a day, one for each day of the year, that will give you all the tools and strategies you need to become more effective and successful. Compiled and edited by popular speaker, trainer and author, Shirley Taylor, Success 365 contains contributions from 9 leading experts. You will find lots of useful advice from email to networking, from decision making to networking, from confidence to negotiating, from productivity to business etiquette, and much more. All the tips in Success 365 are explained clearly with practical examples and advice you can apply immediately to help with your own work and career. Success 365 - a powerful collection of great tips and advice to help with your professional and personal development - every day of the year!


150 Best Jobs Through Military Training, by Laurence Shatkin 2008. Indianapolis, IN: Jist Works 402 pages, $19.95, Softcover Intended Audience(s): A, B, C, F, G, H, I, K Major Headings from the Table of Contents: Overview of Military Training; Descriptions of the Military Jobs that Provide Training for the 150 Best Civilian Jobs; The Best Jobs Lists; Descriptions of the Best Civilian Jobs through Military Training; Resources for Further Exploration; Military Jobs Not Described in This Book How Is the Book Most Useful for Its Intended Audience? Provides data compiled from the Department of Defense, Department of Labor, and the Census Bureau to create lists of jobs in the civilian workforce for which military experience provides preparation. The Top Five Things You Learned from Reading this Book: The variety of jobs available in the civilian workforce utilizing skills from the military. The far-reaching impact of military training throughout the workforce (e.g., self-employment, part-time work availability). The personality and interest types across many military positions. Transferability of skills within and across military and civilian sectors of the work force. The vast amount of information available to veterans which can assist them in transitioning from the military to civilian work. There are positives and negatives about being a job seeker in the current information age. The positives include the fact that there is so much information at the job seeker's disposal. The negatives include the fact that there is so much information at the job seeker's disposal. Luckily for job seekers who are considering or who have had a military career, the authors of 150 Best Jobs through Military Training have done much research about civilian careers which harness the knowledge and expertise gained in the military. By combining occupation data from the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Census Bureau, the authors have provided readers with a gold mine of information in one place. Some of the ways in which readers can use the book include: * Development of long-term career plans for jobs that utilize military training; * Identification of jobs that use military training that readers already possess; * Preparation for discussion of career goals with a military recruiter; * Preparation for interviews by relating military-acquired skills to a career goal. The book's criteria for best jobs include positions that have high pay, high growth, or large numbers of openings. By definition, there are several types of jobs that are excluded. For example, officer-level jobs are not included, because considerable education and training are required prior to entering the military. In addition, jobs that do not have a civilian equivalent (e.g., infantry) are excluded. There are currently 141 military jobs, officially known by the armed forces as military occupational training database [MOTD], which represent a family of job titles. The book only describes 75 of these military jobs, due to the fact that many of them are officer-level or require a great deal of training prior to the military. The remaining 66 MOTDs are listed in one of the appendices. The book is organized around several major categories, making it useful for audiences to seek information based on the data most relevant to them. The overview of military training is very helpful for individuals considering a military career and its transferability of expertise into a civilian career. …


This paper lists the requirements imposed by the designers of powerful
 high-energy lasers and radiation amplifiers on KGSS 0180 phosphate glasses with
 various neodymium concentrations, used to manufacture large disk- and rod-shaped
 active elements. The classical two-stage technology for melting them is
 described, and a quantitative characterization is given of the extent to which
 structural water and the neodymium concentration in the glasses affect the
 maximum achievable luminescence time and quantum yield. A description is given
 of why inactive absorption of radiation appears at the lasing wavelength and a
 method for reducing it in the resulting glasses. A method is indicated for
 reducing the number of inclusions of metallic platinum in the glass, which
 affect its radiation strength.


This paper reports on a student competition in which teams of 4 students were asked to design an egg launching and catching device capable of launching an egg an initial distance of 2 metres without breakage. The design exercise was part of a creativity module in a Systems Engineering course and the objective of the exercise was to illustrate to students how the design process involves trade-offs between sometimes potentially conflicting criteria. Thus, the designs were judged not only on the winning distance but also factored into the total score were points for weight, cost, good appearance and accuracy/repeatability. Anecdotal comments from students indicated an immense enjoyment of the design experience and a full cognisance of the objectives of the competition.


Excellent, thought-provoking articles have the capacity to inspire readers to take up their own pens or computers. The Articles published in the Guilt vs. Guiltiness Symposium of the Seton Hall Law Review are definitely of that quality. They have prompted in me a number of reflections, a few of which I have set forth below, concerning two of the Articles - Christopher Slobogin's and Eleanor Swift's.These two Articles have much in common. Each concentrates its fire on a particular evidentiary exclusionary rule when applied to bar pieces of a criminal defendant's evidence of his state of mind. Professor Slobogin argues that the full Daubert scientific reliability rule should not apply to a criminal defendant's expert psychological evidence of his past mental state because such states are not susceptible of strict scientific proof. Professor Swift deplores what she believes is a defense-evidence-restricting misinterpretation of the hearsay exception for defendant's state of mind. Both base their arguments on the narrative or story-telling view of trials. Because juries are in the business of choosing among alternative, plausible stories of guilt and innocence, a criminal defendant should be able to tell, with some degree of richness, his story of what unfolded and the kind of person he is. The authors allege these rules or rulings prevent a defendant from doing so.Both Articles are finely nuanced contributions to the field and provide useful perspectives on some vexing problems. But I think they both have implications that go well beyond the particular evidentiary rules they address and well beyond evidence offered by a criminal defendant. Further, they make some assumptions about what present evidentiary law provides, thereby underplaying possible alternative readings of that law.


In this paper, we argue that a core ontology is one of the key building blocks necessary to enable the scalable assimilation of information from diverse sources. A complete and extensible ontology that expresses the basic concepts that are common across a variety of domains and can provide the basis for specialization into domain-specific concepts and vocabularies, is essential for well-defined mappings between domain-specific knowledge representations (i.e., metadata vocabularies) and the subsequent building of a variety of services such as cross-domain searching, browsing, data mining and knowledge extraction. This paper describes the results of a series of three workshops held in 2001 and 2002 which brought together representatives from the cultural heritage and digital library communities with the goal of harmonizing their knowledge perspectives and producing a core ontology. The knowledge perspectives of these two communities were represented by the CIDOC/CRM [31], an ontology for information exchange in the cultural heritage and museum community, and the ABC ontology [33], a model for the exchange and integration of digital library information. This paper describes the mediation process between these two different knowledge biases and the results of this mediation - the harmonization of the ABC and CIDOC/CRM ontologies, which we believe may provide a useful basis for information integration in the wider scope of the involved communities.


Objective Recent evidence suggests that signalling cascades located downstream of monoamine receptors are altered following antidepressant treatment. Our objective was to investigate whether genetic polymorphisms in genes involved in these signalling cascades influenced antidepressant efficacy. Methods Polymorphisms in the G-protein &bgr; subunit GNB3, the cAMP response element binding protein 1 gene (CREB1), the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and CREB binding protein (CREBBP) were studied in well characterised unipolar (n=166) and early onset (n=102) depressive populations and correlated with treatment response. Results The GNB3 C825T polymorphism, which results in a 41 amino acid deletion, was significantly associated with lack of remission (OR=0.18, P=0.02) and lack of response (OR=0.26, P=0.03) following 2nd switch treatment. A cytosine deletion 16 base pairs from the start of exon 8 in CREB1 was found more frequently in remitters and responders to 2nd switch antidepressant drug therapy, although these differences failed to reach significance. Polymorphisms detected BDNF (G196A) and CREBBP (T651 C) did not appear to influence antidepressant response. Conclusions These results suggest that inheritance of the GNB3C825T allele may significantly influence antidepressant response and emphasises the potential importance of polymorphisms in genes in signalling cascades activated by commonly prescribed antidepressants.


The updated fourth edition of the "bible" of solar energy theory and applications

 Over several editions, Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes has become a classic solar engineering text and reference. This revised Fourth Edition offers current coverage of solar energy theory, systems design, and applications in different market sectors along with an emphasis on solar system design and analysis using simulations to help readers translate theory into practice.

 An important resource for students of solar engineering, solar energy, and alternative energy as well as professionals working in the power and energy industry or related fields, Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes, Fourth Edition features:

 Increased coverage of leading-edge topics such as photovoltaics and the design of solar cells and heatersA brand-new chapter on applying CombiSys (a readymade TRNSYS simulation program available for free download) to simulate a solar heated house with solar- heated domestic hot waterAdditional simulation problems available through a companion websiteAn extensive array of homework problems and exercises


For given laser output power, object under investigation, and photodiode noise level, we have theoretically compared the signal-to-noise ratios of a heterodyne scanning imager based on a Michelson interferometer and of an autodyne setup based on the laser optical feedback imaging (LOFI) technique. In both cases, the image is obtained point by point. In the heterodyne configuration, the beating between the reference beam and the signal beam is realized outside the laser cavity (i.e., directly on the detector), while in the autodyne configuration, the wave beating takes place inside the laser cavity and therefore is indirectly detected. In the autodyne configuration, where the laser relaxation oscillations play a leading role, we have compared one-dimensional scans obtained by numerical simulations with different lasers' dynamical parameters. Finally, we have determined the best laser for LOFI applications and the experimental conditions for which the LOFI detection setup (autodyne interferometer) is competitive compared to a heterodyne interferometer.


The methodological development and the application in this paper originate from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a powerful nuclear magnetic resonance technique enabling diagnosis and monitoring of several diseases as well as reconstruction of neural pathways. We reformulate the current analysis framework of separate voxelwise regressions as a 3d space-varying coefficient model (VCM) for the entire set of DTI images recorded on a 3d grid of voxels. Hence by allowing to borrow strength from spatially adjacent voxels, to smooth noisy observations, and to estimate diffusion tensors at any location within the brain, the three-step cascade of standard data processing is overcome simultaneously. We conceptualize two VCM variants based on B-spline basis functions: a full tensor product approach and a sequential approximation, rendering the VCM numerically and computationally feasible even for the huge dimension of the joint model in a realistic setup. A simulation study shows that both approaches outperform the standard method of voxelwise regressions with subsequent regularization. Due to major efficacy, we apply the sequential method to a clinical DTI data set and demonstrate the inherent ability of increasing the rigid grid resolution by evaluating the incorporated basis functions at intermediate points. In conclusion, the suggested fitting methods clearly improve the current state-of-the-art, but ameloriation of local adaptivity remains desirable.


Ecological economics formally emerged in the late 1980s in response to the failure of mainstream economic paradigms to deal adequately with the interdependence of social, economic and ecological systems. Frontier Issues in Ecological Economics focuses on a range of cutting-edge issues in the field of ecological economics and outlines plausible measures to achieve a more sustainable, just, and efficient world for all.


The objective of this paper is to offer further insights into Lean Six Sigma deployment, highlighting the more important critical success factors (CSFs) and particularly the role of leadership in successful deployment. Identification of CSFs for Lean Six Sigma is important as it allows organisations to focus their efforts on these factors to ensure success. The study is in two parts: the first part reviews the literature on leadership, Lean Six Sigma and CSFs for continuous improvement programmes. The second part illustrates the results of a longitudinal study through the administration of a survey questionnaire and exploratory factor analysis of the answers. The results suggest that the most important and significant factors for the effective implementation of Lean Six Sigma are project management, leadership, selection of top talented people and financial accountability. Although they highlight the importance of leadership as a CSF for effective deployment of Lean Six Sigma, more research is needed to determine what type of leadership is appropriate at different stages of Lean Six Sigma programme maturity.


We study the problem of atomic scale fracture using the recently developed quasicontinuum method in which there is a systematic thinning of the atomic-level degrees of freedom in regions where they are not needed. Fracture is considered in two distinct settings. First, a study is made of cracks in single crystals, and second, we consider a crack advancing towards a grain boundary (GB) in its path. In the investigation of single crystal fracture, we evaluate the competition between simple cleavage and crack-tip dislocation emission. In addition, we examine the ability of analytic models to correctly predict fracture behaviour, and find that the existing analytical treatments are too restrictive in their treatment of nonlinearity near the crack tip. In the study of GB-crack interactions, we have found a number of interesting deformation mechanisms which attend the advance of the crack. These include the migration of the GB, the emission of dislocations from the GB, and deflection of the crack front along the GB itself. In each case, these mechanisms are rationalized on the basis of continuum mechanics arguments.


Numerical methods for the solution of
partial differential equations without background mesh -- mesh free
methods - constitute the subject of this dissertation.
Particular emphasis is laid on their mathematical formulation, accuracy,
time complexity, and
applicability on parallel computers.

Solving partial differential equations numerically involves their conversion
into a system of linear or nonlinear equations, usually algebraic, which is
then
solved. The finite difference and finite element methods have
traditionally been used to construct the algebraic system. The finite
difference method uses a rectangular, usually equidistant, mesh of points.
While it is simple and fast, and works well on domains with only vertical
and
horizontal boundaries, any other domain shape causes a significant loss of
accuracy. In the finite element method, the domain is divided into a mesh of
small elements, e.g. triangles or quadrilaterals in two-dimensional
problems. The approximate solution is represented as a linear combination of
base functions, which are defined on individual elements. Unfortunately,
mesh construction is a complex task and is not fully automated, and thus
requires human effort.

The above problems can be overcome with mesh free methods, also known as
meshless methods. Instead of the elements, an appropriate number of nodes
are scattered throughout the domain and the base functions are defined on
sets of nodes. Moreover, the solution accuracy does not depend as much on
the distribution of nodes as it does in the finite element method. The
different
base function definition causes substantial differences in the mathematical
formulation of the method as well as in the implementation on a computer.
After the introductory part, this dissertation focuses on base functions
constructed using the moving least squares approximation, which is the one
most
frequently used in mesh free methods.

The steps involved in construction of the algebraic system are shown in
detail for the three methods. The diffusion equation is used as a test
case. A simple node generation algorithm is proposed for the mesh free
method and two algorithms for determination of the support domain of
a given point. The accuracy of each of the three methods for different
numbers of
nodes is analysed and comparisons are made. The analysis also includes
accuracy optimization of the mesh free method by finding optimal
parameter values. The superior accuracy of the mesh free method over the
other
two methods is shown for different domain shapes.

A detailed description of the suggested implementation of the mesh free
method is given. The key idea is the use of $k$-D trees for finding the
nodes in the vicinity of a given point. Also, two numerical libraries are
tested for the solution of small linear equation systems, which constitute a
part
of base function evaluation. Their performances are compared and the faster
is chosen. The time and space complexity of the suggested implementation are
analysed and compared to the finite difference and finite element methods.

In the last part, the parallelization of the mesh free methods is discussed,
again in comparison with the other two methods. Two domain decomposition
methods are suggested, both of which guarantee ideal load balancing among
the processors. In the one-dimensional decomposition, domain slices are
assigned to each processor. The hierarchical distribution is similar to the
$k$-D tree in the sense that it first divides the set of nodes into left and
right halves, after which each is further divided into top and bottom, etc,
until the number of subsets matches the number of processors. The initial,
serial part of the program is somewhat longer with the hierarchical
distribution. The speedups on a test cluster are measured and analysed for
both decomposition methods, and the impacts of communication and computation
speed are given.

The above theoretical and practical analysis contributes some new knowledge
in the field of mesh free methods, which is summarized in the Conclusions,
together with possible directions for future research.


Over the last few years, novel architectures like ad-hoc and sensor networks have introduced new challenges in the way the communication infrastructure must be addressed. Unlike traditional approaches, these architectures require the complete self-organization of nodes as well as the support of mobility. A common problem encountered in such networks is the fundamental requirement of guaranteeing the connectivity between nodes. A number of network functionality have then to be reassessed, where two components must receive particular attention: topology control and node localization. In this paper, we survey the current state of the art for these domains and identify some open issues for future research and development.


Composting among college students can promote a healthy environment and encourage the appropriate disposal method for generated organic wastes. The purpose of this study was to observe composting behaviors and attitudes among students and foster an increase in knowledge of suitable composting behavior in on-campus apartments. Waste management issues are quickly becoming a key societal concern. As a result, there has been extensive literature surrounding the benefits of, and factors leading to, pro-environmental behaviors. What specific factors lead an individual, institution, or community to begin composting? In analyzing research on related topics, we can investigate drivers that are transferable to increase composting participation. Through survey analysis and implementation of an on-campus composting program this study found that undergraduate students living in the on-campus apartments at University of Maine's undergraduate have positive feelings and attitudes towards composting and sustained interest in practicing environmentally conscious behaviors. The positive perception of composting that students expressed can be expanded into change within the university community.


The user-generated content platforms like MySpace, YouTube or Flickr produce emergent sociability patterns and behaviors, which are well observed in various studies. Few of them deal with the nature of the reputation in these large social networks. In this work, we extract a sample of MySpace Music by parsing the artists' pages and following the "best friend" links. The study of the network shows that the online fame is composed by two independent features: the audience, dominated by the major companies' artists, and the influence, more associated with independent labels. We observe that most of the audience is focused on a few stars: the tail of MySpace Music is long, but flat. The network structure shows that artists tend to link to artists of similar reputation.


The European Union budget mostly redistributes resources across its member countries. Using a multi-country overlapping-generations model covering 14 European countries, I investigate the macroeconomic and labor market impacts of central budget options, each leading to different transfers between governments. Simulations show that one can shift prosperity from country to country, measured as gross domestic product variations, at no efficiency cost nor efficiency gains, as long as the central budget can be operated for free and net recipient countries use the transfers to stimulate economic activity rather than support household income. Failing these conditions, the net deadweight loss caused by the distortionary nature of taxation can reach 5% to 8% of the size of the central budget. Simulations also show that the economic burden of large, one-time asymmetric shocks can be shared by all members of the union with a limited public finance cost. Chief among policy implications is a recommendation for earmarking cross-country transfers.
FIRSTRUN deliverable D3.5, Final Report


In recent years, changes in participatory methodologies (PMs) may have been even more rapid than those in spatial technologies. Local people's abilities to make maps only became widely known and facilitated in the early 1990s. Participatory mapping has spread like a pandemic with many variants and applications not only in natural resource management but also in many other domains. With mapping as one element, there are now signs of a new pluralist eclecticism and creativity in PMs. The medium and means of mapping, whether ground, paper or GIS and the style and mode of facilitation, influence who takes part, the nature of outcomes and power relationships. Much depends on the behaviour and attitudes of facilitators and who controls the process. Many ethical issues present troubling dilemmas, and lead to overarching questions about empowerment and ownership. Questions to be asked, again and again, are: Who is empowered and who disempowered? And, who gains and who loses?


The literature suggests that the dynamics prevailing in an internal audit (IA) milieu possibly influence internal audit effectiveness. Besides organizational attributes that appear to influence IA effectiveness, other factors grounded in country context could influence IA effectiveness in developing countries. A study of IA practice as embedded in its broader context and identification of factors that enhance or inhibit its effectiveness could enable understanding IA's potential to support organizational performance and thereby assist national economic development. A few prior studies attempted to examine contextual influences on IA practices. The association of IA effectiveness with company performance, however, appears unexplored as yet. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, this study examines IA practices in selected Ethiopian Government ministries, State-owned enterprises, and private companies. It aims to identify country- and organization-level influences on IA effectiveness from an institutional theory perspective. It then explores the association between internal audit effectiveness and company performance using Marx's theory of the circuit of industrial capital.

Results of canonical analysis suggest that IA effectiveness, as measured by IA proficiency, IA independence and objectivity, scope of IA work, quality of IA planning and execution, and quality of IA reporting and follow up, is significantly associated with a set of organization-level context factors. These factors are organizational category, organizational size, organizational policies authorizing IA, organizational risk exposure, auditee cooperation, and internal-external audit linkages. IA proficiency, scope of IA work and IA planning and execution appear to be higher in organizations where organizational policy authorizing IA is clearly defined and organizational risk exposure and internal-external audit linkages are stronger. Furthermore, Kruskal-Wallis tests show that IA proficiency and IA independence and objectivity are highest for State-owned enterprises followed by ministries and private companies. Spearman's correlation test results suggest that the association between IA effectiveness and company performance (as measured by return on assets) was not statistically significant. A hypothesized moderating effect of management attention to internal audit recommendations on this association was also not statistically significant. This lack of support for the hypothesis is possibly explained by the relatively small sample used (for this hypothesis). Another potential reason is that the relatively young age of internal audit in Ethiopia could not help capture the possible positive association. Furthermore, the use of a single proxy measure of company performance (i.e., ROA) may not be sufficient to capture the contributions of effective IA to several dimensions of company performance. Survey results were then enriched through interviews with selected internal audit directors and leaders of three professional associations in Ethiopia as well as reviews of documentary evidence.

Overall, the results portray the State's contribution to the development of IA through coercive isomorphic pressures. These pressures are largely attributable to Government involvement in economic activity and its regulatory roles. Government's role in setting the overall scene of accountability mechanisms in government organizations appears to have contributed to IA adoption in Ethiopian organizations. The State also serves as a nexus for IA and international sources of normative pressure for IA development. Nevertheless, organization-level factors, i.e., top management support for IA, extent of risk exposure, company connection with the international business environment, IA's information technology advancement, and IA leadership demeanor tend to be linked with IA effectiveness to a greater extent than the contributing factors for IA adoption. In conclusion, country- and organizational-level contextual dynamics appear to influence IA effectiveness. In this process, government coercive pressures foster IA adoption while largely normative and mimetic pressures advance IA effectiveness by building upon the coercive inputs. Government coercive pressures also tend to transform into a normative pressure over time.

The study contributes to the IA literature and practice in several ways. First, it conceptualizes internal audit effectiveness as a multi-dimensional construct by measuring IA effectiveness in terms of its components rather than the hitherto dominant approach of using an aggregate measure or a proxy variable. Conceptualization of IA effectiveness as a multi-dimensional construct enabled employing analytical approach of canonical analysis. This approach helps examine the nature of the relationships between context factors and specific dimensions of IA effectiveness. Canonical analysis also helps consider the interrelationships among the different dimensions of IA effectiveness.

Second, it is one of the few recent attempts to statistically test the relationships of IA effectiveness with its contextual influences. By formulating and testing such hypotheses, the study has attempted to identify major organization-level factors that tend to enhance or inhibit IA effectiveness. It also extends IA studies under institutional theory by considering a broader set of factors influencing IA practice and their possible interplay. Furthermore, it illustrates how the coercive, mimetic and normative isomorphic pressures interrelate and how this influences both IA adoption and IA effectiveness. This is considered an extension to existing literature because prior studies employed institutional theory largely to explain IA development at a national level by considering patterns of IA adoption by companies. Third, it contributes to the limited literature that employed Marx's theory of the circuit of industrial capital in accounting in general and IA research in particular. Specifically, the study extends IA theory by developing hypotheses on the relationship between IA effectiveness and organizational performance.

Fourth, prior IA research has largely been on the empirical context of developed economies. Thus, some of the findings of this study could be considered additional insights to the literature emanating from the empirical setting of a developing country. Finally, the study is expected to inform government policy makers, boards of directors, managers, Global as well as national IIA institutes, transnational corporations engaged in business in developing countries, and international financial institutions that provide funds in different arrangements to developing countries including Ethiopia. It does this in two ways. Firstly, being a study on a developing economy setting, it helps enhance understanding of the global configuration of the internal audit profession. Thus, it enables figuring out the current state of internal audit in Ethiopia vis-a-vis the profession's global status. This could then be extrapolated into the role of internal audit in the control
and governance mosaic of developing economies. Secondly, it highlights major factors that enhance or inhibit internal audit effectiveness. Thus it informs stakeholders on key priorities for the development of IA as a profession as well as its advancement as a key function in organizations.


Lateral Rectus Palsy Associated with Isolated Sphenoid Sinus Fungal Lesion
Fungal sinusitis of isolated sphenoid sinus is a rare entity. Most of the sufferers referred with complications since the primary manifestations are non-characteristic. Occasionally the patients present with ophthalmic signs and symptoms most commonly proptosis and diplopia. We describe a sixty year old woman presenting with headache and diplopia. On examination there was right lateral rectus palsy and further studies revealed isolated right sphenoidal sinusitis, for which she underwent endoscopic sphenoidotomy. Histopathology revealed Aspergillus species. All the symptoms completely resolved one month post-surgery and the patient has been symptom free till date. Hence a prompt diagnosis and treatment of isolated sphenoidal sinusitis is of utmost importance since it has non characteristic manifestations. Non-invasive fungal sinusitis is best treated with sphenoidotomy. Abducens nerve palsy could be implicated to sphenoid fungal sinusitis since the patient condition improved promptly following sphenoidotomy.


Modern databases contains very huge amount of data. Also the databases have exists various complex relationships among them. These databases contains over thousands of relations and their entities. Existing query forms are unable to generate queries dynamically as per the user requirements. Alternative Query Form which takes input in the form of human understandable language and converts it into appropriate SQL query and the query will be fired on relational database to fetch the appropriate data. It is very easy and convenient to ask questions to database in natural language especially to the non-technical users who do not understand the database query language such as SQL. Our system will provide easy access to complex databases using NLP which perform lexicon processing, query formulation, and dynamic generation of SQL queries which can be easily reused or modified.


A Cryogenic CMOS-based Control System for Testing Superconductor Electronics P.C. van Niekerk Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering University of Stellenbosch Private Bag X1, 7602 Matieland, South Africa Thesis: M.Sc.Eng. (E&E) March 2008 A complete control system, with accompanying software, is designed to interface superconductive digital and sensory circuits for use in cryogenic vacuumed environments. It acts as an inter-mediator between superconductor electronics and room temperature electronics for research purposes. In order to facilitate low bit-error rate communications with superconductive electronics, the system is designed to have ultra low-noise current and voltage sources for transmitting data to superconductor electronics. Very high sensitivity voltage inputs are also implemented for data extraction from superconductor electronics. It implements both digital as well as analog design components, including ADC and DAC devices. The data is transmitted via a USB cable connection at 1Mbaud to a computer where the data is processed by specially designed software and graphically displayed for user interfaced research. Extensive research is done on the electronic components, such as CMOS devices, for functioning in an average temperature of 70 Kelvin inside cryogenic environments. This is done to reduce the thermal noise and heat transfer to superconductor electronics. An integrated temperature control system also ensures a stable environment for the electronics to operate at 70 K.


This paper proposes a multiresolution Matching Pursuit decomposition of natural images. Matching Pursuit is a greedy algorithm that decomposes any signal into a linear expansion of waveforms taken from a redundant dictionary, by iteratively picking the waveform that best matches the input signal. Since the computational cost rapidly grows with the size of the signal, we propose a multiresolution strategy that, together with a dictionary training, significantly reduces the encoding complexity while still providing an efficient representation. Such a decomposition is perceptually very effective at low bit rate coding, thanks to similiarities with the Human Visual System information processing.


Abstract. Thermal structure associated with deep convective clouds is investigated using Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation measurements. GPS data are insensitive to the presence of clouds, and provide high vertical resolution and high accuracy measurements to identify associated temperature behavior. Deep convective systems are identified using International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) satellite data, and cloud tops are accurately measured using Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIPSO) lidar observations; we focus on 53 cases of near-coincident GPS occultations with CALIPSO profiles over deep convection. Results show a sharp spike in GPS bending angle highly correlated to the top of the clouds, corresponding to anomalously cold temperatures within the clouds. Above the clouds the temperatures return to background conditions, and there is a strong inversion at cloud top. For cloud tops below 14 km, the temperature lapse rate within the cloud often approaches a moist adiabat, consistent with rapid undiluted ascent within the convective systems.


Mineral dust is an important component of Earth's climate system and biogeochemical cycles on a global scale. In order to understand the relationship between climate processes in the source areas and the properties of aerosols at distant receptor sites, we must be able to identify the source provenance of dust. Here we present a multiproxy study that characterizes the temporal variability in the geochemical composition of long-range African dust (LRAD) collected between 2003 and 2011 in the trade winds on the Caribbean island of Barbados. We find systematic differences between Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic composition and rare earth element anomalies of individual dust events and evidence of seasonal shifts in dust source activity and transport. These results indicate that coherent geochemical source signatures of LRAD can be preserved even after transport across thousands of kilometers. We investigated the possibility of identifying the potential source areas through comparisons with literature data. However, these data are almost entirely based on measurements of soil and sediment samples; this could lead to biases because of soil-aerosol particle size and composition differences. Nonetheless, our data suggest that many samples are linked to sources in Mali and sub-Saharan regions. Radiogenic Nd-Hf composition of aerosols can potentially be a useful proxy to study the proximity of mineral dust sources to depositional sites. In order to establish firmer links between LRAD and dust source areas, however, we require much more data on the geochemical composition of aerosols from potential source areas in North Africa.


The stress-strain and strength behavior from conventional triaxial extension tests is usually erratic due to excessive influence of necking in the hardening regime followed by shear banding. Two techniques have been attempted to impede the onset and gross development of strain localization. These resulted in macroscopically more uniform strains in the hardening regime and therefore more reliable stress-strain and strength behavior in triaxial extension. The results of tests on three different sands are compared with those from conventional extension tests in which strain localization can progress due to the soft rubber membrane. The effectiveness of each of the techniques is evaluated in view of its ability to maintain uniform strains and in view of the resulting sand behavior. The influence of the type of results on the choice of 3-D failure criterion is discussed.


Since the creation of the Corporate Fraud Task Force in July 2002, the United States Department of Justice and the other member agencies have worked feverishly to ferret out corporate crime and punish wrongdoers. The Task Force, in the three years following the announcement of its formation by President Bush, has instituted hundreds of investigations, secured over five hundred corporate fraud convictions or guilty pleas, and charged over nine hundred defendants. Not to be outdone by federal law enforcement authorities, some state attorneys general have followed suit, pursuing their own well-publicized probes of corporate practices. The stakes in these investigations are enormously high, not just for the individuals whose conduct comes under review, but also for the corporations themselves. Corporations risk substantial criminal fines and civil penalties, and they often must endure a host of investigation-related side effects such as a disruption of business and a diminution of market capitalization. The severity of these consequences, and the ease with which criminal liability can attach to an organization for the acts of employees within the scope of their authority, means that no responsible company can afford to ignore suspected wrongdoing within its ranks. The government's new focus on corporate America, in turn, has generated a sharp increase in the number of internal investigations. Today, perhaps more than ever, internal investigations are an integral part of the business landscape. In general, a corporation will undertake an internal investigation for one of two reasons. First, an internal investigation may be launched in response to a government inquiry, such as a grand jury subpoena or a letter of informal inquiry by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Second, a corporation may initiate an investigation to address an issue brought to its attention through internal means, such as an allegation of wrongdoing by an employee of the company or an issue identified by the company's external auditor. As a result of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the obligations that it imposes on public corporations, these internally-sparked investigations have increased dramatically in the post-Enron business climate, so much so that "internal investigation attorneys are becoming a dreaded necessity for a growing number of public companies." Regardless of the event that triggers an internal investigation, attorneys engaged to handle this kind of matter for a corporation often confront complex issues unique to this practice area. To navigate these issues successfully requires a basic understanding of the ways in which missteps by counsel can compound the client's problems and potentially undermine the engagement. This article offers certain key points to keep in mind when conducting an internal investigation, the consideration of which will better prepare counsel for the challenges that may surface and the pitfalls and perils that could lead to problems for both client and attorney.


The pathogenicity of known and locally discovered strains of bacterial and fungal pathogens was studied. It was found that various concentrations of commercial preparation of B. thuringiensis (Bifiditermes beesoni and Heterotermes indicola. Other B. and Bectospeine ) initiated mortality of odeontotermes obesus in the mounds. Histopathological studies showed that B. thuringiensis eroded epithelial cells of various portion of the guts in all the three species of termites.

Various strains of B. thuringiensis such as HD-201, 11 – toumanoffi; HD-224, 5a, c-Canadensis and HD-109, 6-subtoxious were highly pathogenic to the nymphs of B. beesoni and workers of M. championi and H. indicola, respectively.

A survey of pathogens, parasites and predators of termites was carried out in different ecological zones of Pakistan. the search for possible pathogens yielded seven bacteria (serratia marcescens, pseudomonas fluorescence, staphylococous aureus, citrobacter frundii, Ecterobacter aero genes, bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis); two fungi (A. flavus and aspergillus sp.) a probable cytoplasmic polyedrosis virus, a possible pathogenic nematode, microsporidia and a probable predatory mite. All these bacteria were pathogenic to M. championi, B. beesoni H. indicola. However, termites showed various degrees of susceptibility to each bacterial pathogen. The locally discovered Aspergillus and Aspergillus sp. Were highly pathogenic to m.chamioni, H. indicola and B. beesoni. Higher mortality of termites occurred when they were crawled on fungal culture for a longer period. Histopathological studies and B. beesoni was through integuments, their mycelia branched into the body cavity and attacked all the organs including the gangilion of the nierve cord. when the conidia entered the termites through oral rounded, they were seen trapped by cytoplasmic masses and atranda developing in the gizzards and guts of the termites concerned.

Studies were conducted on the enhancement of pathogenicity of H. thuringiensis, serratia marcescens and pseudomonas fluorescens by gamma rays. The results showed that 72 hrs old and 60 or 70 irradiated cultures of B. thuringiensis, and 72 hrs old and 30 kr irradiated S. marcescens were more pathogenic than non-irradiated ones.

Boric acid (1%) when mixed with B. thuringiensis and 1% potassium chloride or sodium citrate when with S. marcescens also enhanced the pathogenicity of the bacteria concerned.

The synergistic action of pathogena on termites was studied. The results showed that A. flavus or aspergillus sp. , when combined with b. thuringiensis , p. fluorescens or S. marcescesn, caused mortality of m. championi, H. indicola and B. beesioni more rapidly than when used alone. Histopathological studies of H. indicola infected by a combination of A. flavus and B. thuringiensis showed that both the pathogens attacked epithelial cells of the gut and fat body tissues of the host.

Cannibalism and prophylaxis help in the spread of pathogens from one individual to another. The role of trophallaxis in the transfer and localization of 1131 in B. beesoni infected by various bacterial pathogens was studied. The results showed that there was more flow of radioactivity from the guts towards the exoskeletons of B. thuringiensis, p. fluorescens and s.marcens infected termites as compared to the non- infected one


Problem statement: The enzyme β-glucuronidase is being used as a reporter molecule in the area of genetic engineering, as a component of prodrug therapy in cancer treatment and in the scouring process of cotton fabrics. However, a deta iled understanding of the factors responsible for t he stability and the activity of this enzyme is still not available. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations provide an estimate of equilibrium and dynamic prop erties of enzyme systems that cannot be calculated analytically. With this perspective, mol ecular dynamics simulations of human β- glucuronidase (GUS) have been carried out to determine the behavior of this enzyme in vacuum and solvent environments at a defined temperature. Approach: CHARMM force field along with distance dependent dielectric model was used to represent th e solvent environment in the MD simulations. The parameters employed in various stages of MD simulations had been selected based on repeated trials under various conditions as a method of choosing th e optimum parameters for each stage. Results: It was found that simulations in vacuum caused the backbone of GUS to have smaller fluctuations from their mean values compared with the fluctuation in implicit solvent simulations, due to the fact that vacuum environment did not provide for the electros tatic interactions affecting the backbone of GUS that may otherwise exist in a solvent environment. Conclusion: Inclusion of solvent effects in MD simulations is crucial in understanding structural flexibility and stability of β-glucuronidase. Implicit solvent method can provide a realistic inclusion of backbone flexibility and structural compactness of GUS, which will have profound influence on the stability and activity of the enzymes, with a marginal increase in computational time.


One of the renowned, and most recently influential, philosophers of cyberculture, Pierre Levy (1998; 2001) offers a metaphorical conceptualisation of cyberspace in terms of 'cosmopaedia', a space that is not ordered by pre-determined taxonomies, but by limitless global cultural formations. Levy argues for a new/revised relationship between technology and knowledge, a relationship that allows the cultivation of a mutually developed and enhanced knowledge space through collective intelligence and interactive potentialities. Inspired by Levy, Henry Jenkins argues that collective intelligence can be seen as an 'alternative source of media power' and as a means for understanding 'consumption as a collective process' – a process that involves 'learning how to use that power through our day-to-day interactions with convergence culture' (2006: 4). Taking further Levy's utopian track, Lessig (e.g. 2004; 2006) and Benkler (e.g. 2006) offer prescriptive accounts of how 'architecture' and 'governance' structures of FLOSS movements and specific collaborative formations in the Web 2.0 cyberspace, also function as sources of alternative media power.

This paper offers a critical approach to such theorisations to argue for a need to conceptualise the heterogeneous spaces of Web 2.0 by considering their 'historical emergence' and by combining the 'material specificity' of such formations with the discursive frameworks that enable participation and reception. It firstly considers how critical traditions that range from Actor Network Theory (e.g. Latour, 1993; Latour and Woolgar, 1984; Latour and Serres 1995; Serres, 1983), critical and post-hermeneutical theories of technology (e.g. Kittler, 1990; Feenberg, 1999) to post-Marxist approaches on labour value (e.g. Terranova, 2000; 2004), may challenge utopian and prescriptive theorising outlined above. Secondly, it proposes how a critical reconsideration in theoretical approaches to the sociology of genre may address the methodological challenges for researching the heterogeneity of contemporary spaces of communication, representation and participation enabled by social software.


Lifestyle refers to the quantity and quality of time spent in one's activities of daily life. Lifestyle diseases arise due to inappropriate relationship of people with the environment and wrong choices like sedentary habits, poor diet, and lack of physical exercise, alcohol abuse and smoking. The primary reason triggering lifestyle diseases among people are the lifestyle of the people. So, it is necessary to control this risk factor in order to improve health condition. The diseases are widespread across the globe and both the developing as well the developed countries are facing the burden of lifestyle diseases. Millions of people in the developing countries are adopting a westernized lifestyle, as a result of which the health status of the people is in tremendous risk. The objective of the study is to find out the prevalence of common lifestyle diseases among the city dwellers and to examine the risk factors responsible for the common lifestyle disease. A semi structured questionnaire comprising of people's daily schedule, food habit, physical activity, health threatening and promoting behavior etc. was developed by the researcher. Primary data collected from 100 respondents of Rourkela city in which 61% male respondents and 39% female respondents participated following an initial rapport. Upon willingness they were asked some questions related to lifestyle issues. The findings of the study showed an overall prevalence rate for the common lifestyle diseases like hypertension (30%), diabetes (18%), asthma (14%), and heart disease (4%). However, 34% of the participants reported for absence of any lifestyle diseases. It was found out that respondents were taking high fatty diet, high salt intake, smoking, consuming alcohol, lack of physical activity. One of the significant finding was on the perceived body image and actual BMI (Body Mass Index). Pearson correlation for these two variables was 0.20, suggesting a lack of self-evaluation among the participants with respect to their body. As an increased BMI is an important indicator for many of the lifestyle diseases, serious thought should be given to this growing burden of lifestyle diseases in the study population. In order to fight lifestyle diseases, improper eating habits should be changed followed by balanced diet and proper physical exercise.


THIS is a selected list of glaciological literature on the scientific study of snow and ice and of their effects on the Earth; for the literature on polar expeditions, and also on the "applied" aspects of glaciology, such as snow ploughs, readers should consult the bibliographies in each issue of Recent Polar Literature (supplement to the Polar Record). For Russian material the system of transliteration used is that agreed by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names and the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use in 1947. Readers can greatly assist by sending reprints of their publications to the Society, or by informing Dr J. W. Glen of publications of glaciological interest. It should be noted that the Society does not necessarily hold copies of the items in this list, and also that the Society does not possess facilities for microfilming or photocopying.


In queuing theory, it is usual to have some models with a "reset" of the queue. In terms of lattice paths, it is like having the possibility of jumping from any altitude to zero. These objects have the interesting feature that they do not have the same intuitive probabilistic behaviour as classical Dyck paths (the typical properties of which are strongly related to Brownian motion theory), and this article quantifies some relations between these two types of paths. We give a bijection with some other lattice paths and a link with a continued fraction expansion. Furthermore, we prove several formulae for related combinatorial structures conjectured in the On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences. Thanks to the kernel method and via analytic combinatorics, we provide the enumeration and limit laws of these "lattice paths with catastrophes" for any finite set of jumps. We end with an algorithm to generate such lattice paths uniformly at random.


The topic of this paper is access to and documentation of survey data financed through public funds. We distinguish between four types of publicly financed survey data: (1) Academic survey data from the national or international research infrastructures; (2) data from DFG projects or similarly funded projects; (3) survey data collected in research projects funded by the Federal State and the Lander (Ressortforschung); (4) Population and Household surveys from national and international statistical agencies. For each of these types of data we describe the current situation and present recommendations for future developments.


We accurately capture the shape and appearance of a person's hairstyle. We use triangulation and a sweep with planes of light for the geometry. Multiple projectors and cameras address the challenges raised by the reflectance and intricate geometry of hair. We introduce the use of structure tensors to infer the hidden geometry between the hair surface and the scalp. Our triangulation approach affords substantial accuracy improvement and we are able to measure elaborate hair geometry including complex curls and concavities. To reproduce the hair appearance, we capture a six-dimensional reflectance field. We introduce a new reflectance interpolation technique that leverages an analytical reflectance model to alleviate cross-fading artifacts caused by linear methods. Our results closely match the real hairstyles and can be used for animation.


Diabetic patients tend to develop plantar ulcers due to various factors related to their pathology. These factors include, but are not limited to, a lack of plantar sensation, a poor blood circulation, and feet deformities. The plantar ulcers can be managed and cured if detected at an early stage and appropriately treated. However, if not detected early, they can evolve to rich critical stages involving extreme curative strategies such as amputation. Accordingly, it is crucial to detect these ulcers at an early stage. A common strategy to prevent ulcers worsening is by increasing the patient's medical check frequency. Although beneficial, this therapeutic approach is time consuming and might not be a perfect solution for elderly patients, and patients with reduced locomotive abilities. Accordingly, various groups have oriented their work toward the development of smart shoes to monitor plantar physical parameters under various conditions [1-3]. Previous studies have focused on healthy foot pressure analysis and soft therapies. Moreover, none of these studies has developed a centralized data system. Accordingly, our present work aim to develop a user and mobile phone friendly wireless device that is specifically targeting patients with diabetes to prevent plantar ulcers from reaching the critical levels by early detection of peak pressure, temperature, and humidity. Moreover, to improve patient monitoring, collected data will be centralized in a global database. To the aim of our present work we employed Velostat (a.k.a. Linqstat) to acquire plantar pressure. Velostat is thin conductive material that was previously employed as pressure sensor. When combined with an array of conductive net, this material can act as an array of pressure-sensors. Accordingly, we built a 10 cell array to acquire pressure from 10 strategic plantar locations, namely: Medial Plantar; Lateral Plantar; Saphenous; Sural; Tibial. Plantar wounds are often associated with increased local temperature that reflects a local sub-dermal infection. To monitor the temperature alteration, we utilized a DHT11 module. The DHT11, is an ideal module for simultaneous measurement of both temperature and humidity. Wound infection is often accompanied by local swelling and bleeding, Hence, the humidity detection. To acquire and pre-process the raw data, we employed an ATMEL 8-bit Microcontroller (ATMEGA 2560). Given it's high pin count, this device allowed as to overcome adding multiplexers to handle the significant number of input signals (13). Thus, allowing us to reduce the prototype footprint. To secure an effective data transfer to the mobile phone, we have used an HC-06 as a Bluetooth transceiver. Once collected and sampled (1 Hz rate), the data is then transferred to the mobile phone trough the Bluetooth connection. For user convenience, the mobile application displays current values at 1 Hz frequency along with a time-stamp chart. When the temperature reaches a critical wound level (33-34°C)[4], the device sends a warning notification to the monitoring application that is held by the health-care processionals (i.e. nurses and doctors). In addition, wound maceration[5] and drying[6] notification warnings are detected and sent to the monitoring application. The later values are calculated based on the humidity sensor's raw data. The monitoring application pulls data from the server and evaluates the wound severity by combings all sensors' data. To centralize all collected data, and improve patient monitoring, the raw and analyzed data are stored in a global database that can be accessed from either a web application or the monitoring mobile phone application. Reference: 1. Bamberg, S.J.M., Benbasat A.Y., Scarborough D.M., Krebs D.E. Paradiso J.A. Gait Analysis Using a Shoe-Integrated Wireless Sensor System. IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine, Vol. 12, No. 4, July 2008, pp. 413-423.2. Paradiso, J.A., Morris, S.J., Benbasat, A.Y., Asmussen, E., «Interactive Therapy with Instrumented Footwear,» in the Proc. of the ACM Conference on Human Factors and Computing Systems (CHI 2004), Extended Abstracts, Vienna, Austria, April 27-29, 2004, pp. 1341-1343.3. Benbasat, A.Y., Morris, S.J, and Paradiso, J.A. «A Wireless Modular Sensor Architecture and its Application in On-Shoe Gait Analysis.» In the Proceedings of the 2003 IEEE International Conference on Sensors, October 21-24, Toronto, Ontario, pp. 1086-1091.4. Dini V, Salvo P, Janowska A, Di Francesco F, Barbini A, Romanelli M. Correlation Between Wound Temperature Obtained With an Infrared Camera and Clinical Wound Bed Score in Venous Leg Ulcers. Wounds 2015, Oct 15.5. K.F. Cutting, R.J. White. Maceration of the skin and wound bed. 1: Its nature and causes. J Wound Care, 11 (2002), pp. 275-278.6. G.D. Winter. Formation of the scab and the rate of epithelialization of superficial wounds in the skin of the young domestic pig. Nature, 193 (1962), pp. 293-294