The paper

Abstract

Objective To determine whether individual fruits are differentially associated with risk of type 2 diabetes.

Design Prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Setting Health professionals in the United States.

Participants 66 105 women from the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2008), 85 104 women from the Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2009), and 36 173 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2008) who were free of major chronic diseases at baseline in these studies.

Main outcome measure Incident cases of type 2 diabetes, identified through self report and confirmed by supplementary questionnaires.

Results During 3 464 641 person years of follow-up, 12 198 participants developed type 2 diabetes. After adjustment for personal, lifestyle, and dietary risk factors of diabetes, the pooled hazard ratio of type 2 diabetes for every three servings/week of total whole fruit consumption was 0.98 (95% confidence interval 0.96 to 0.99). With mutual adjustment of individual fruits, the pooled hazard ratios of type 2 diabetes for every three servings/week were 0.74 (0.66 to 0.83) for blueberries, 0.88 (0.83 to 0.93) for grapes and raisins, 0.89 (0.79 to 1.01) for prunes, 0.93 (0.90 to 0.96) for apples and pears, 0.95 (0.91 to 0.98) for bananas, 0.95 (0.91 to 0.99) for grapefruit, 0.97 (0.92 to 1.02) for peaches, plums, and apricots, 0.99 (0.95 to 1.03) for oranges, 1.03 (0.96 to 1.10) for strawberries, and 1.10 (1.02 to 1.18) for cantaloupe. The pooled hazard ratio for the same increment in fruit juice consumption was 1.08 (1.05 to 1.11). The associations with risk of type 2 diabetes differed significantly among individual fruits (P<0.001 in all cohorts).

Conclusion Our findings suggest the presence of heterogeneity in the associations between individual fruit consumption and risk …


Scholars generally have ignored the difficulty of convincing states to cooperate when advocating particular methods to address ethnic conflicts. Instead, they assume that states want to end the conflict in question, and then propose various solutions that largely depend on international cooperation. I consider the importance of international support for conflict prevention, the use of force, security guarantees, and partition. The success of each of these strategies crucially depends on what outside actors do, revealing the need for scholars to consider why states behave toward ethnic conflicts as they do.

I then address three sets of explanations of the international relations of ethnic conflict: the possible impact of norms, realist explanations, and arguments focused on domestic politics. "Domestic" refers to two sets of approaches that focus on the interests of leaders: ethnic politics and casualty aversion. States may disagree about which norms (self determination vs. territorial integrity) to apply and take opposite sides.

Realist arguments suggest that cooperation will be difficult as states may take conflicting sides. Ethnic politics suggests that states take sides based on the ethnic identities of the actors in the conflict and their ties to outsiders. Casualty aversion considers the limits placed on intervention since leaders desire not to risk the lives of the soldiers.

I conclude by considering strategies for managing ethnic conflict that take into account the difficulties of cooperation: minilateralism, subcontracting, and the strategic manipulation of identity.


As hardware support for improved endhost security becomes ubiquitous, it is important to consider how network security and performance can benefit from these improvements. If endhosts (or at least portions of each endhost) can be trusted, then network infrastructure no longer needs to arduously and imprecisely reconstruct data already known by the endhosts. Through the design of a general-purpose architecture we call Assayer, we explore the issues in providing trusted host-based data, including the balance between useful information and user privacy, and the tradeoffs between security and efficiency. We also evaluate the usefulness of such information in three case studies. To gain insight into the performance we could expect from such a system, we implement and evaluate a basic Assayer prototype. Our prototype requires fewer than 1,000 lines of code on the endhost. Endhosts can annotate their outbound traffic in a few microseconds, and these annotations can be checked efficiently; even packet-level annotations on a gigabit link can be checked with a loss in throughput of only 3.7-18.3%.


This paper surveys and projects the potential of currently available technology to improve the safety of navigation of merchant vessels. The inherent capabilities and limitations of new navigational safety systems (proposed or under development) are summarized and ways of overcoming some of the limitations are suggested. The discussion covers both shipboard and shore based systems to aid navigation, including harbor advisory radar systems, bridge-to-bridge radiotelephone systems, shipboard collision avoidance systems, and marine traffic control systems. Emphasis in the discussion of these new systems is placed on the necessity to retain full on-board autonomy as one navigational mode and on differences between theoretical capability and performance likely to be obtainable in actual operation at sea. The authors conclude that none of the developmental or proposed systems is a panacea and that many are too sophisticated for the near universal use that will be required to significantly improve overall safety at sea. Accordingly, they urge development of systems that fall somewhere between the almost completely manual systems of today and the extensively automated systems that may be acceptable in the future. As an essential ingredient of this middle-ground approach the development of a specialized transponder beacon is proposed. This beacon would permit exchange of course, speed and identity information with other beacon equipment ships or shore installations and the beacon-derived information could be used either manually or automatically for collision avoidance or piloting. A conceptual block diagram and estimates of cost and performance capability are provided. The research upon which this paper is based was supported as an in-house project by Stanford Research Institute.


This paper examines if there exists a long run relationship among five macroeconomic variables, consumer price index, industrial output, money supply, exchange rate, oil prices along with the global stock prices proxy Standard and Poor 500 index and Saudi all share stock index. Time series analysis is applied using monthly data from January 1994 to June 2013. Application of Johansen cointegration test finds the existence of a long run relationship among the chosen variables. All macroeconomic variables are found to impact stock prices. Standard and Poor 500 index does not affect Saudi stock prices. Vector error correction model shows the presence of long run causality from the explanatory variables to the stock prices. Short run causality test finds a two-way causality between stock prices and oil prices. Impulse response function shows that industrial production shocks pushes up stock prices while consumer price index shocks pulls it down. Variance decompositions show that historical stock prices are the major driver of Saudi stock prices. This implies that Saudi stock market follows weak form of market efficiency. The results of this paper have important implications for the investors in Saudi stock market.


During the reigns of Saul and David as recorded in First and Second Samuel, the people of Israel experience fear, disappointment, heartache, and betrayal. The compelling theme that weaves its way through these two books and into our lives is the need to balance both the gift of life from God and the promise of God's steadfast love with the ever-present human temptation to take control and usurp God's authority . Interpretation Bible Studies (IBS) offers solid biblical content in a creative study format. Forged in the tradition of the celebrated Interpretation> commentary series, IBS makes the same depth of biblical insight available in a dynamic, flexible, and user-friendly resource. Designed for adults and older youth, Interpretation Bible Studies can be used in small groups, in church school classes, in large group presentations, or in personal study.


We present a novel parallel algorithm to animate the deformation of a soft body in response to collision. Our algorithm incorporates elements of physically-based methods, and at the same time, it allows artistic control of general deformation behavior. Our solver has important benefits for practical use, such as evaluation of animation frames in an arbitrary order, effective approximation of volume preservation, and stability under large deformations. To deform production-complexity data at interactive rates, we leverage the computational power of modern GPUs. In our solution we propose a specialized, CUDA-based framework for the efficient access and update of mesh structures.


A volume in Research in Mathematics Education Series Editor Barbara J. Dougherty, University of Mississippi This volume investigates the evolution of the geometry curriculum in the United States over the past 150 years. A primary goal is to increase awareness of the nature of the current geometry curriculum by investigating the historical, mathematical and pedagogical influences that it has sustained since its inception. Given the limited access to first-hand accounts of the enacted geometry curriculum during the past 150 years, the book relies on textbooks to provide a record of the implemented curriculum at any given point in time and on policy documents and journal articles to provide insight into the prevalent issues and arguments of the day. The book is organized in a chronological sequence of ""notable events"" leading to discernable changes in thinking about the geometry curriculum over the past century and a half-roughly the extent of time during which geometry has been taught in American schools. Notable events include important reports or commissions, influential texts, new schools of thought, and developments in learning technologies.These events affected, among other things: content and aims of the geometry curriculum; the nature of mathematical activity as construed by both mathematicians and mathematics educators; and, the resources students are given for engaging in mathematical activity. Before embarking through the notable events, it is necessary to consider the ""big bang"" of geometry, namely the moment in time that shaped the future life of the geometry curriculum. This corresponds to the emergence of Euclidean geometry. Given its influence on the shape of the geometry curriculum, familiarity with the nature of the geometry articulated in Euclid's Elements is essential to understanding the many tensions that surround the school geometry curriculum. Several themes emerge over the course of the monograph, and include: the aims and means of the geometry curriculum, the importance of proof in geometry, the role of visualization and tactile experiences, the fusion between solid and plane geometry, the curricular connections between geometry and algebra, and the use of motion and continuity. The intended audience would include curriculum developers, researchers, teachers, and curriculum supervisors.


Abstract The outcome of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) depends on the interaction between the infectious agent and the host response. Nowadays the etiology of CAP can be established in ~60% of the cases, and Streptococcus pneumoniae remains the main etiological agent in outpatients, those hospitalized, or those requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Recently, the development of nucleic acid amplification techniques has emphasized the role of viruses as important etiological agents in CAP. However, some demographic factors and comorbidities will determine a higher risk of pneumonia. Thus elderly patients or those with toxic habits (smoking, alcohol abuse), and the presence of various comorbidities (respiratory, metabolic, or renal) favor the development of pneumonia by altering the inflammatory response to infection. Some medications like inhaled corticosteroids could play a role in CAP development in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Fortunately some of these risk factors are preventable and modifiable, for example, through smoking cessation and pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations, which are the biggest successes.


This study was based on the low career aspirations of the students' at senior high school of Muhammadiyah 1 Magelang, Indonesia and the lack of Islamic approach to improving career aspirations. Many students who did not have a career goal after graduating from high school. Otherwise, guidance and Counseling Teachers still use conventional career information services. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of information services based on Islamic approach in improving career aspirations of students at Senior High School of Muhammadiyah 1 Magelang. The type of this research was quasi-experiment research with pretest design and posttest group design. The student population of the tenth class was 240 students, and the sample (purposive sampling) was 30 students. Data collecting tool in this research was the career aspirations of the student. The result of this research showed there was an improvement of the career aspirations of the student after receiving a career information service based on Islam intervention. This result indicated that career information service based on Islam is effective in improving student career aspirations.


Land use and land cover (LULC) change causes biodiversity decline through loss, alteration, and fragmentation of habitats. There are uncertainties on how LULC will change in the future and the effect of such change on biodiversity. In this paper we applied the Land Change Modeler (LCM) and Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) Scenario Generator tool to develop three spatially explicit LULC future scenarios from 2015 to 2030 in the Pulang Pisau district of Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. The district is experiencing a rapid loss of biodiversity as a result of unprecedented LULC changes. Further, we used the InVEST Habitat Quality model to map habitat quality as a proxy to biodiversity in each of the scenarios. We find habitat quality decline is largest in a scenario where past trends of LULC change continue, followed by a scenario with planned agricultural expansion. Alternately, a conservation-oriented scenario results in significant improvements in habitat quality for biodiversity. This information can support in developing appropriate land use policy for biodiversity conservation in Indonesia.


Two-beam intensity coupling is calculated for photorefractive crystals with two types of movable charge carrier in the undepleted-pump approximation. The analytical expressions are derived for the temporal evolution of the space-charge field; for weak coupling they are used for calculation of the transmitted beam intensities. The results of the calculation are compared with the experimental observations in photorefractive tin hypothiodiphosphate (Sn2P2S6). All experimental data are in reasonable quantitative agreement with the calculations.


The study was approved by the local ethical committees, and informed consent from each participant was obtained. The purpose of the study was to compare accelerated magnetic resonance (MR) Fourier velocity encoding (FVE), MR phase-contrast velocity mapping, and echocardiography with respect to peak velocity determination in vascular or valvular stenoses. FVE data collection was accelerated by using the k-space and time sensitivity encoding, or k-t SENSE, technique. Peak velocities were evaluated in five healthy volunteers (one woman, four men; mean age, 28 years; range, 23-34 years), three patients with stenotic aortic valves (two women, one man; mean age, 67 years; range, 39-82 years), two patients with pulmonary valvular stenosis (a 14-year-old girl and a 36-year-old man), and two patients with aortic stenosis (two women aged 18 and 27 years). In volunteers, peak velocity determined by the different methods agreed well. In patients, similar peak velocities were obtained by using accelerated MR FVE and echocardiography, while phase-contrast MR imaging results tended to underestimate these values.


Hawkes processes are popular for modeling correlated temporal sequences that exhibit mutual-excitation properties. Existing approaches such as feature-enriched processes or variations of Multivariate Hawkes processes either fail to describe the exact mutual influence between sequences or become computational inhibitive in most real-world applications involving large dimensions. Incorporating additional geometric structure in the form of graphs into Hawkes processes is an effective and efficient way for improving model prediction accuracy. In this paper, we propose the Geometric Hawkes Process (GHP) model to better correlate individual processes, by integrating Hawkes processes and a graph convolutional recurrent neural network. The deep network structure is computational efficient since it requires constant parameters that are independent of the graph size. The experiment results on real-world data show that our framework outperforms recent state-of-art methods.


Background: Physical activity has the potential to improve cognition for those with dementia, as demonstrated by randomised controlled trials lasting at least 6 weeks. Research is yet to explore the acute cognitive effects of physical activity for people with dementia. Acute resistance physical activity with healthy late-middle aged individuals has been shown to facilitate general cognition, as well as benefit executive function specifically. This study therefore aimed to establish if people with dementia experience cognitive benefits from acute resistance physical activity over and above a social control.Methods: A cross-sectional study design was applied to compare resistance physical activity to bingo between 10 participants with dementia to 15 age-matched controls. Following University ethical approval, participants were recruited from Alzheimer's or dementia activity and support groups held in the community. Acute cognitive effects were assessed using the Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), Verbal Fluency (VF) and The Cognitive Computerised Test Battery for Individual's with Intellectual Disabilities (CCIID); before and after a short bout of seated resistance band physical activity or a social control, bingo. The participants then completed the opposing activity 6 weeks later, and then cognitive assessments alone a further 6 weeks later. This allowed to analyse cognitive effects immediately and 6 weeks after. Statistical analysis included Mann Whitney U test, Chi-square test and Mix-measured ANOVA to compare scores across time-points.Results: Participants had a mean age of 76 years, 40% were male and 60% were female. For participants with dementia immediately after the resistance band activity improvements can be observed on the MMSE, VF, HVLT, Series, Jigsaw and Total CCIID. Only the MMSE, Series and Total CCIID still showed improvements at 6-week follow-up. Immediately following the psychosocial intervention, participants with dementia only showed improvements on the HVLT, which were not sustained after 6-weeks. For age-matched controls, bingo appeared to be more beneficial than physical activity.Conclusion: These results indicate that there are differential acute effects of activity depending upon pre-existing cognitive ability. Specific cognitive benefits may be available for people with dementia following resistance band physical activity. This pilot study shows promising indications for physical activity as a therapy for dementia, however results should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size of this study.


A 20-year-old male had Ewing's sarcoma of the right paraspinal region (T12–L2 vertebra level) and was treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT). 99mTc hydroxydiphosphonate bone scan was performed 4 months after the end of treatment. Intense uptake was noted in both kidneys (Fig. 1). On the fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (PET/CT) for response evaluation, mild uptake was also seen in both kidneys (Fig. 2A and 2B). On 99mTc dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scan, photon defects were noted in both kidneys (Fig. 2C). When we reviewed the RT plan, the medial aspect of both kidneys was included in the radiation field (Fig. 2D and 2E). On contrast-enhanced CT, low-densities were noted in both kidneys (Fig. 2F). We thus diagnosed radiation nephritis (RN). On 6-month follow-up bone scan, the previously noted intensity on both kidneys was decreased. RN is commonly seen following RT of intra-abdominal tumors or bony metastasis of spine. The histologic findings are vascular sclerosis with tubular ischemic change. Tubular dysfunction and ischemic change explain the photon defect on DMSA scan and the delayed enhancement and retention of contrast on CT. Delayed excretion of radiopharmaceuticals could cause increased uptake on bone scan. CT and bone scan findings were previously reported, but PET/CT findings were reported in only one case. Although the exact mechanism of increased activity on PET/CT remains uncertain, delayed tracer excretion via parenchymal injury could be a major cause. Radiation-induced inflammation can also cause. However, the lack 1Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, 2Department of Radiation Oncology, 3Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea


Considering Rashba quantum wires with a proximity-induced superconducting gap as physical realizations of Majorana fermions and quantum dots, we calculate the overlap of the Majorana wave functions with the local wave functions on the dot. We determine the spin-dependent tunneling amplitudes between these two localized states and show that we can tune into a fully spin polarized tunneling regime by changing the distance between dot and Majorana fermion. Upon directly applying this to the tunneling model Hamiltonian, we calculate the effective magnetic field on the quantum dot flanked by two Majorana fermions. The direction of the induced magnetic field on the dot depends on the occupation of the nonlocal fermion formed from the two Majorana end states which can be used as a readout for such a Majorana qubit.


In the context of abstract coinduction in complete lattices, the notion of compatible function makes it possible to introduce enhancements of the coinduction proof principle. The largest compatible function, called the companion, subsumes most enhancements and has been proved to enjoy many good properties. Here we move to universal coalgebra, where the corresponding notion is that of a final distributive law. We show that when it exists the final distributive law is a monad, and that it coincides with the codensity monad of the final sequence of the given functor. On sets, we moreover characterise this codensity monad using a new abstract notion of causality. In particular, we recover the fact that on streams, the functions definable by a distributive law or GSOS specification are precisely the causal functions. Going back to enhancements of the coinductive proof principle, we finally obtain that any causal function gives rise to a valid up-to-context technique.


Excerpt] This issue of Foundation Focus looks at mobility and migration in the EU. It reviews the policy background and the practical issues that relate to movement between EU countries by EU citizens and into the EU from third countries. What is the extent of labour mobility within the EU? How can the fundamental rights of refugees and migrants from outside the EU be protected? How does intra-EU mobility impact on public services? What have social partners done to address the integration of thirdcountry nationals and challenges for EU labour markets? What has already been learned about successful local integration policies for migrants? It draws on Eurofound's extensive research findings in this area.


This document is one of a series of technical notes that describe the nature and magnitude of violence in the region, its causes and effects, and how it can be prevented and controlled. The notes provide useful information on designing programs and policies to prevent and deal with violence. This note focuses on the economic and non-economic costs of violence. The authors show how violence impedes economic development. From a macroeconomic point of view, violence reduces foreign and domestic investment as well as domestic savings, thus hindering prospects for long term growth. From the microeconomic standpoint, one of the effects of violence is to dissuade individuals from investing time and money in education; it may deter some people from attending night school out of fear of becoming a victim of violent crime, or it may even induce some individuals to turn to a life of crime instead of completing their education. Domestic violence against women and children is also a stumbling block to economic development. Tending to the consequences of both domestic and social violence cuts into the scarce resources available to society.


The growing market share in many business areas especially in service area is causing the use of conventional accounting system being ineffective. One of the companies which still using the conventional one is a window film set-up service company called HS Auto Film. The process of processing sales data is less accurate and slower in the contrary of the developing sales data.  Computer-based window film set-up Sales Information System is built in order to make the processing data more accurate and faster. The information system is built using Visual Basic programming language along with .NET framework technology and SQL Server database that embedded in the application itself. The making and development process of the Sales Information System is using waterfall method.  Waterfall method consists of user requirement, analysis, design, implementation, and testing. Entity Relationship Diagram , Data Flow Diagram and Flowchart are a lso used in the Information System design. The output of this application design is a desktop application that can help user to control the set-up of window film , manage payment bill, and manage document in accounting in faster and more accurate way. The information system can be developed later using web-based system so that the development and maintenance can be done easier.


Although the financial sector of Africa has witnessed massive reforms to enhance its ability to support economic activities, reduce poverty and lower income inequality, Africa remains the poorest region and the second most unequal region in the world after Latin America. Despite these established facts, little empirical research exists on the relationship between financial development and income inequality in Africa. This study investigates the finance-income inequality nexus in a balanced panel of 15 African countries using the Augmented Mean Group estimator to determine if there is a threshold level of financial development or income inequality is related to the sectoral structure of the economy.Overall evidence suggests that the finance-inequality relationship in the sample of African countries studied is non-linear and ranges from an inverted u-shape to a u-shape depending on the measure of financial development. Policies to boost financial development should be preceded by financial inclusion but these policies should be separated. Financial inclusion policies should focus on the quality and suitability of financial products to ensure usage and avoid dominant accounts as well as consumer protection.


The Chinese province of Shanghai has gained international recognition as a high performing education system with strong teaching and learning outcomes. One accountability mechanism in Shanghai's education reform strategy is statewide performance-based compensation (PBC), also known as performance- or merit pay. Providing a first time account of PBC in the Shanghai context, this study investigated variance in stated and perceived aims of this policy instrument. To explore this variance, the study drew on data from national, state, and school level policy documents, and data from interviews with 20 teachers and the principal in a high performing elementary school. The analysis revealed that PBC was intended to improve teaching quality. However, the teachers' perceived merit pay was meant to increase teacher enthusiasm, job satisfaction, and participation in teacher and student development activities. Importantly, the teachers perceived these aims as tangential from instructional improvement goals. Based on these findings, I argue that this particular PBC policy, as a manifestation of the marriage of standardization and incentivism, is unable to fulfill the promises of this marriage – to link incentives with homogenous, uniform metrics associated with a generic and shared notion of teaching quality.


Several factors were investigated for the transfer of an intron-containing β-glucuronidase (gusA) and green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene into banana cultivar, Pisang Rastali (AAB) single bud using the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system. Two disarmed Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains, EHA 101 (pIG121-Hm) and LBA 4404 (pCambia 1304) were evaluated as vector systems. A number of parameters such as pre-culture period of buds prior to inoculation, co-cultivation period, acetosyringone concentration used during co-cultivation in MS medium, methods of wounding, Agrobacterium strains, influence of different bud sizes and post cultivation period were evaluated to maximise transformation efficiency. Agrobacterium tumefacien, EHA101 (pIG121-Hm), a supervirulent strain proved to be significantly better than LBA 4404 (pCambia 1304) based on higher expression intensity and even spread of GUS staining (pIG121-Hm harbours gusA gene only and pCambia 1301 harbour both gusA and gfp gene). The GFP expression was higher than the GUS using Agrobacterium tumefacien, LBA 4404 (pCambia 1304). The results from transient transformation of single tiny meristematic bud suggested that Agrobacterium-mediated transfer of T-DNA to banana cells is highly efficient. By combining the best treatments, an efficient and reproducible transformation procedure has been established for the production of transgenic banana using this system. © 2006 Asian Network for Scientific Information.


This article revisits the notion of radical planning from the standpoint of the global South. Emerging struggles for citizenship in the global South, seasoned by the complexities of state—citizen relations within colonial and post-colonial regimes, offer an historicized view indispensable to counter-hegemonic planning practices. The article articulates the notion of insurgent planning as radical planning practices that respond to neoliberal specifics of dominance through inclusion — that is, inclusive governance. It characterizes the guiding principles for insurgent planning practices as counter-hegemonic, transgressive and imaginative. The article contributes to two current conversations within planning scholarship: on the implication of grassroots insurgent citizenship for planning, and on (de)colonization of planning theory.


Large volunteer desktop platforms are now available for several applications. This paper presents the work that we did to prepare the first phase of the Help Cure Muscular Dystrophy project to run on World Community Grid. The project was launched on December 19, 2006, and took 26 weeks to complete. We present performance evaluation of the overall execution and compare a volunteer grid with a dedicated one.


In order to study the mechanical behaviour of polar ice masses, the method of continuum mechanics is used. The newly developed CAFFE model (Continuum-mechanical, Anisotropic Flow model, based on an anisotropic Flow Enhancement factor) is described, which comprises an anisotropic flow law as well as a fabric evolution equation. The flow law is an extension of the isotropic Glen's flow law, in which anisotropy enters via an enhancement factor that depends on the deformability of the polycrystal. The fabric evolution equation results from an orientational mass balance and includes constitutive relations for grain rotation and recrystallization. The CAFFE model fulfills all the fundamental principles of classical continuum mechanics, is sufficiently simple to allow numerical implementations in ice-flow models and contains only a limited number of free parameters. The applicability of the CAFFE model is demonstrated by a case study for the site of the EPICA (European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica) ice core in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica.


Popular instruments to regulate consumption of oil in the transport sector include fuel taxes, biofuel requirements, and fuel efficiency. Their impacts on oil consumption and price vary. One important factor is the market setting. We show that if market power is present in the oil market, the directions of change in consumption and price may contrast those in a competitive market. As a result, the market setting impacts not only the effectiveness of the policy instruments to reduce oil consumption, but also terms of trade and carbon leakage. In particular, we show that under monopoly, reduced oil consumption due to increased fuel efficiency will unambiguously increase the price of oil.


The problem of determining the structure of an object from knowledge of its projections along straight lines arises in a variety of optical contexts. The general solution to this problem is given by the inverse Radon transform of the projections. A superposition principle is developed to show the relation between this general inversion and the more familiar inverse Abel transform that is associated with radially symmetric objects.


Purpose: Abnormal activation of the NF-κB pathway induces a more aggressive phenotype of cutaneous melanoma. Understanding the mechanisms involved in melanoma NF-κB activation may identify novel targets for this pathway. KPC1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, is a regulator of the NF-κB pathway. The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanisms regulating KPC1 expression and its clinical impact in melanoma. Experimental Design: The clinical impact of KPC1 expression and its epigenetic regulation were assessed in large cohorts of clinically well-annotated melanoma tissues (tissue microarrays; n = 137, JWCI cohort; n = 40) and The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA cohort, n = 370). Using melanoma cell lines, we investigated the functional interactions between KPC1 and NF-κB, and the epigenetic regulations of KPC1, including DNA methylation and miRNA expression. Results: We verified that KPC1 suppresses melanoma proliferation by processing NF-κB1 p105 into p50, thereby modulating NF-κB target gene expression. Concordantly, KPC1 expression was downregulated in American Joint Committee on Cancer stage IV melanoma compared with early stages (stage I/II P = 0.013, stage III P = 0.004), and low KPC1 expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival in stage IV melanoma (n = 137; HR 1.810; P = 0.006). Furthermore, our data showed that high miR-155-5p expression, which is controlled by DNA methylation at its promoter region (TCGA; Pearson's r −0.455; P < 0.001), is significantly associated with KPC1 downregulation (JWCI; P = 0.028, TCGA; P = 0.003). Conclusions: This study revealed novel epigenetic regulation of KPC1 associated with NF-κB pathway activation, promoting metastatic melanoma progression. These findings suggest the potential utility of KPC1 and its epigenetic regulation as theranostic targets. Clin Cancer Res; 23(16); 4831–42. ©2017 AACR.


Recently, an approximate boundary condition [Opt. Lett.38, 3009 (2013)] was proposed for fast analysis of one-dimensional periodic arrays of graphene ribbons by using the Fourier modal method (FMM). Correct factorization rules are applicable to this approximate boundary condition where graphene is modeled as surface conductivity. We extend this approach to obtain the optical properties of two-dimensional periodic arrays of graphene. In this work, optical absorption of graphene squares in a checkerboard pattern and graphene nanodisks in a hexagonal lattice are calculated by the proposed formalism. The achieved results are compared with the conventional FMM, in which graphene is modeled as a finite thickness dielectric layer. We show that for the same truncation order, computation time can be reduced to one-ninth by the proposed formulation in comparison with the conventional FMM. Furthermore, the convergence rate is increased. Therefore, thanks to the improved convergence rate and reduced computational cost for a given truncation order, the computational time is saved more than 100 times for relative error of less than 1%. This is crucially important in analyzing two-dimensional periodic structures of graphene by the FMM.


The number of patients with schizophrenia has increased over the past decade. Previously, many studies have been performed to establish its diagnostic criteria, prophylactic methods, and effective therapies. In this study, we analyzed whether the ratios of DNA methylation in CpG islands of the Shati/Nat8l is decreased in model mice of schizophrenia-like phenotype using genomic DNA collected from brain regions and peripheral blood, since the mouse model of schizophrenia-like phenotype, mice treated repeatedly with methamphetamine showed increase of Shati/Nat8l mRNA expression in our previous experiment. The ratios of Shati/Nat8l CpG island methylation were significantly decreased in both the nucleus accumbens and the peripheral blood of model mice compared with those of control mice. We also investigated Shati/Nat8l methylation in the blood of patients with schizophrenia. We found that Shati/Nat8l CpG island methylation ratios were lower in the patients with schizophrenia than in the healthy controls, which is consistent with our findings in the mice model. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show similar alterations in methylation status of a particular genomic DNA site in both the brain and peripheral blood of mice. Furthermore, the same phenomenon was observed in corresponding human genomic sequences of the DNA extracted from the peripheral blood of patients with schizophrenia. Based on our findings, DNA methylation profiles of the CpG island of Shati/Nat8l might be a diagnostic biomarker of schizophrenia.


Dryland soils store approximately 10-15% of the world's soil organic matter (SOM) to 1 m. Threats to carbon stocks in global dryland soils include cultivation, overgrazing, urbanization, and energy development. To limit loss of carbon from these soils, it is important to understand, first, how disturbances affect SOM and second, how SOM recovers after disturbance. In this study, we address current gaps in our understanding of the effects of oil and gas development and reclamation on SOM in the sagebrush steppe of Wyoming, a cold temperate shrub-dominated dryland. Most studies have found that soil disturbance, including from the respreading of topsoil during wellpad reclamation, is damaging to SOM stores; however, research on ~80 year old unreclaimed oil and gas wellpads found no difference in SOM between wellpads and undisturbed sites. Using a chronosequence approach and paired study design, we evaluated the effects of reclamation on SOM by comparing undisturbed sites to wellpads where reclamation activities either had or had not occurred. Our results suggest that the most important factor in recovery of SOM after disturbance in this area was not the presence or absence of reclamation, but time since wellpad abandonment and spatial heterogeneity of plants. Further study on the effectiveness of different reclamation techniques is warranted if the goal of reclamation is to aid SOM recovery and prevent further C loss from these systems.


How did the philosophy of Henri Bergson look before Gilles Deleuze's Bergsonism ? This article provides a situated answer to that question by performing a close reading of Susanne K. Langer's early engagement with Bergson in her monograph Feeling and Form from 1953. Both Bergson and Langer argue against polemical philosophizing. Such polemical modes of doing philosophy distort insight into the thought of the philosophers in question and in philosophical questions per se (such as questions about artistic creation). My reading of Langer's Bergson is therefore infused with what is nowadays called a new materialist impetus of non-linearity, a non-oppositional philosophizing, and the reading follows the methodology of diffractive reading, a thinking outside fixed and fixating schools of thought. I argue that in spite of Langer's explicit, i.e., polemical objection to Bergson's work and to its use by artists, it is a Bergsonism with which Langer's work is infused.


As Mo3Se3- chain nanowires have dimensions comparable to those of natural hydrogel chains (molecular-level diameters of ~0.6 nm and lengths of several micrometers) and excellent mechanical strength and flexibility, they have large potential to reinforce hydrogels and improve their mechanical properties. When a Mo3Se3--chain-nanowire-gelatin composite hydrogel is prepared simply by mixing Mo3Se3- nanowires with gelatin, phase separation of the Mo3Se3- nanowires from the gelatin matrix occurs in the micro-network, providing only small improvements in their mechanical properties. In contrast, when the surface of the Mo3Se3- nanowire is wrapped with the gelatin polymer, the chemical compatibility of the Mo3Se3- nanowire with the gelatin matrix is significantly improved, which enables the fabrication of a phase-separation-free Mo3Se3--reinforced gelatin hydrogel. The composite gelatin hydrogel exhibits significantly improved mechanical properties, including a tensile strength of 27.6 kPa, fracture toughness of 26.9 kJ/m3, and elastic modulus of 54.8 kPa, which are 367 %, 868 %, and 378 % higher than those of the pure gelatin hydrogel, respectively. Furthermore, the amount of Mo3Se3- nanowires added in the composite hydrogel is as low as 0.01 wt%. The improvements in the mechanical properties are significantly larger than those for other reported composite hydrogels reinforced with one-dimensional materials.


Customers are frequently required to enter substantial amounts of information at an Internet merchant site in order to complete a purchase or other transaction, especially the first time they go there. A standard set of information fields is defined as the first version of an Electronic Commerce Modeling Language (ECML) so that this task can be more easily automated, for example by wallet software that could fill in fields. Even for the manual data entry case, customers will be less confused by varying merchant sites if a substantial number adopt these standard fields. In addition, some fields are defined for merchant to consumer communication.


Multiple Kernel Learning, or MKL, extends (kernelized) SVM by attempting to learn not only a classifier/regressor but also the best kernel for the training task, usually from a combination of existing kernel functions. Most MKL methods seek the combined kernel that performs best over every training example, sacrificing performance in some areas to seek a global optimum. Localized kernel learning (LKL) overcomes this limitation by allowing the training algorithm to match a component kernel to the examples that can exploit it best. Several approaches to the localized kernel learning problem have been explored in the last several years. We unify many of these approaches under one simple system and design a new algorithm with improved performance. We also develop enhanced versions of existing algorithms, with an eye on scalability and performance.


Philip Hamburger's Is Administrative Law Unlawful? is a truly brilliant and important book. In a prodigious feat of scholarship, Professor Hamburger uncovers the British and civil law antecedents of modern American administrative law, showing that contemporary administrative law "is really just the most recent manifestation of a recurring problem." That problem is the problem of power: its temptations, its dangers, and its tendency to corrupt. Administrative law, far from being a distinctive product of modernity, is thus the "contemporary expression of the old tendency toward absolute power – toward consolidated power outside and above the law." It represents precisely the forms of governmental action that constitutionalism – both in general and as specifically manifested in the United States Constitution – was designed to prevent. Accordingly, virtually every aspect of modern administrative law directly challenges the Constitution. This extraordinary book will be immensely valuable to anyone interested in public law. My comments here concern two relatively minor points that call for more clarification. First, Professor Hamburger does not clearly identify what it means for administrative law to be "unlawful." Does that mean "in violation of the written Constitution"? "In violation of unwritten constitutional norms?" In violation of natural law"? There is evidence that Professor Hamburger means something more than the former, but it is not clear what more is intended. In order to gauge the real status of administrative law, we must have a more direct conception of law than Professor Hamburger provides. Second, much of Professor Hamburger's historical and constitutional analysis focuses on the subdelegation of legislative authority. While his discussion contains numerous profound insights, including some that require correction in my own prior scholarship on the subject, it does not discuss how to distinguish interpretation by judicial and executive actors from lawmaking by those actors. Presumably, the prohibition on subdelegation of legislative authority prohibits only the latter. Figuring out where interpretation ends and lawmaking begins is one of the most difficult questions in all of jurisprudence, and I am not convinced that Professor Hamburger can successfully perform an end-run around it. But these are modest nitpicks about a path-breaking work that should keep people of all different persuasions engaged and occupied for quite some time.


A student exchange programme was established for nursing students at UWE in 2006. The processes involved in setting up Erasmus (part of the EU Lifelong Learning Programme) will be outlined. Since then several students have seized the opportunity for placement and learning in Norway or Finland as an integral part of their overall pre-qualifying programme. This exchange opportunity contributes to the development of practitioners who are culturally competent and effective (NMC 2004, UWE 2009). Through reflection in focus groups and peer presentation, the intensive and broad learning gained through the student experience has been evaluated to better understand the benefits of such an experience, inform prospective students, and direct both the development of the exchange programme and curriculum. The themes emerging from student evaluation will be explored, namely; self and professional development, confidence and competence, and intercultural skills.

This process to establish Erasmus and student evaluation to date will be presented with the objective to inform others interested in developing similar opportunities or to offer comparative knowledge to those sharing similar experiences.

To date the integration of Erasmus opportunities into pre-registration nursing curricula has been steady and difficult to identify as nursing activity is recorded within 'medical sciences' (British Council 2009). That said, these figures suggest that there is scope for greater activity when considering UK student nurse numbers. Additionally, the need to create an adaptable, more culturally conscious nurse contributes to the rationale to ensure that this opportunity exists as an integral part of UK nurse education.

References:

British Council (2009) Erasmus [online]. Available from:http://www.britishcouncil.org/Erasmus. [Accessed 1 September 2009].

NMC (2004) Standards of proficiency for pre-registration nursing education. London: NMC.

UWE (2009) UWE Vision and Mission [online]. Available from:http://www.uwe.ac.uk/aboutUWE/strategy/vision.shtml. [Accessed 1 September 2009].

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. To understand the process involved in establishing Erasmus within pre-registration nursing education.
2. To reflect on the outcomes of an evaluation of student experience.
3. To consider both the opportunities inherent within Erasmus for pre-registration nursing education and how these may be further developed.


Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is defined as a marked and persistent fear of social situations in which an individual is exposed to potential scrutiny from others (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Prominent models of SAD (Clark & Wells, 1995; Rapee & Heimberg, 1997) postulate that postevent processing (PEP), which involves reviewing a past social event in detail (typically in a negative way), serves as a key maintenance factor of SAD. The current study examined the efficacy of a single session cognitive restructuring or mindfulness strategy on decreasing PEP and its associated effects, and also investigated the cognitive processes involved. Seventy-four socially anxious participants completed a speech task to elicit PEP, were taught a cognitive restructuring, mindfulness, or control strategy to manage their negative thoughts related to the speech, and completed several questionnaires. Participants in the cognitive restructuring condition reported decreased PEP (degree and associated distress) and improved affect (but not reduced state anxiety), as compared to the control condition. Participants in the mindfulness condition also reported decreased PEP (degree but not associated distress) and improved affect (including reduced state anxiety), as compared to the control condition. No significant differences were found between the cognitive restructuring and mindfulness conditions. Participants in the cognitive restructuring condition also reported decreased beliefs about the perceived costs of negative social situations. Regardless of study condition, decreases in cost biases and maladaptive beliefs significantly predicted reductions in PEP. Thus, cognitive restructuring and mindfulness appear to be promising strategies to decrease PEP and its associated negative effects.


OBJECTIVE
This study tested the hypothesis that compared to other DSM-IV specific phobia types, situational specific phobias have more in common with panic disorder and agoraphobia.

METHOD
Responses to hyperventilation and CO2 inhalation were compared across groups of patients with the four main DSM-IV specific phobia types, a group with panic disorder, and a group of comparison subjects with no anxiety disorder (N = 15 per group).

RESULTS
Although these challenges have been shown previously to distinguish patients with panic disorder from other groups, no groups differed significantly in their responses to hyperventilation. In addition, whereas the patients with panic disorder responded more to the CO2 challenge than did the normal subjects, the specific phobia groups did not differ from one another or from the other groups on most measures. For the few CO2 measures on which specific phobia groups differed, patients with situational and natural environment phobias showed the greatest response.

CONCLUSIONS
Overall, these findings provided only limited support for the hypothesis that situational specific phobias are related to panic disorder.


We show that there is a general limit to the performance of linear optical components, based only on their size, shape, and dielectric constants. The limit is otherwise independent of the design. The mathematics involved applies generally to linear systems with arbitrarily strong multiple scattering. Relevant optical structures include dielectric stacks, photonic crystals, nanometallics, metamaterials, and slow-light structures. The limit also covers acoustic and quantum-mechanical waves, and electromagnetic waves of any frequency. In an example, a one-dimensional glass/air structure, a thickness of at least 41.7 μm is required for the separation of pulses of 32 different frequencies near 1.55 μm center wavelength. Larger available dielectric constants would lead to correspondingly shorter limits.


The information system design process is not well understood in spite of a rich literature stream dealing with the general notion of 'design'. The few studies of IS designer behaviors that are reported in IS have focused on small tasks in single sessions, and have ignored the impact of modeling techniques on the design process. In this paper, we report preliminary results based on a study of two designers engaged in a multi-session design task using the object-oriented design modeling techniques. We use an extended version of the model proposed by Adelson and Soloway to analyze the verbal protocols. Our observations and interpretations focus on the existence of problem and design spaces and designers' use of these during design. Specifically, we discuss the distinction between problem and design spaces during object-oriented design, the shifts in emphasis between problem and design spaces, and changes in designer behaviors between the two spaces.


Timor-Leste, as a small island developing state and a fragile, post-conflict nation, faces major human development challenges, particularly in the areas of poverty alleviation, rural economic development and development of the 'non-oil' economy. Tourism has been identified as a key sector for economic development in the Timor-Leste Strategic Development Plan 2011–2030, with community-based ecotourism (CBET) and propoor tourism (PPT) identified as the major tourism models. Over the past two decades, Atauro Island has been a national and international model of CBET and PPT development. This study assesses the economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts and benefits of CBET and PPT programmes for local communities on Atauro Island through island-level, participatory mapping and spatial analysis of ecotourism assets and key infrastructure. A quantitative assessment of CBET development was conducted through a survey of 150 households in three villages of Atauro Island (Vila Maumeta, Beloi and Bikeli). Among the 150 participants, additional CBET socio-economic data were collected from 29 individual CBET owners/managers. A SWOT analysis of CBET development was undertaken for two CBET enterprises, namely, the Tua Ko'in Eco-Village (representing a 'bottom-up' approach) and the Adara CBET (representing a 'top-down' approach).  The overwhelming majority of the survey respondents reported that CBET was important for their local economy (94–98 per cent) and strongly supported further CBET development rather than mass tourqism (88–96 per cent). Economically, CBET had created jobs, increased the value of local labour and materials, provided markets for local products and increased revenue for the local transport sector Socio-culturally, CBET had promoted and strengthened local culture through its support of Ataurian traditional handicrafts. This benefit was mitigated by evidence of emerging sociocultural impacts on local communities. Environmentally, CBET enterprises were found to have had low or minimal impacts and had contributed significantly to sustainable tourism development. The results confirm that Atauro Island has significant ecotourism assets that could be further developed through CBET and PPT development. However, infrastructure, human resources, land tenure issues and financial limitations are significant challenges. Most of the CBET activities on Atauro Island have been initiated by local communities and assisted by local NGOs. Local communities recognise the need for effective management and are seeking greater regulatory support. Customary laws are viewed as a potential tool for managing the local impacts of CBET.


Megagametogenesis has been identified in the seagrass Halophila johnsonii, a species with no known seeds, using DAPI staining and manual sectioning methods. Developmental stages were documented and compared with megagametogenesis stages in Halophila decipiens, a related species widely reported to produce viable seeds. Present observations suggest that meiosis occurs in the megasporocyte and, therefore, sexual reproduction should be possible in H. johnsonii. Results of this study, which was part of a multi-level threatened-species recovery plan sponsored by NOAA, are encouraging and suggest that two additional management-related inquiries, 1) the search for male reproductive structures and 2) hybridization with related species are worthwhile. Quantification of the nuclear DNA of nine Halophila taxa was conducted to better understand interspecific genome size variation within the genus. Results suggest that three polyploidy events may have accompanied evolution in this genus. Data for 2C and 4C values are reported with H. engelmanii having the largest content of 2C = 27 pg and H. stipulacea having the lowest, 2C = 7.5 pg.


This paper presents the design and experimental results of a nonlinear circuit and a tuned amplifier developed in the same GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC), used in a 20 Gsymbol/s open-loop clock recovery unit. The nonlinearity is an unbalanced structure and its input stage performs the necessary signal formatting to reduce the recovered clock jitter, avoiding the use of additional pre-filtering. Both circuits were integrated in the same MMIC in order to improve the reliability, performance and to reduce the size and cost. Performance assessment of the clock recovery unit consisting of the two designed circuits and a high-Q bandpass filter is carried out, considering two different line codings, binary NRZ (20 Gbit/s) and 4-level (40 Gbit/s).


Typhoid fever is an important endemic health problem in Santiago, Chile. Its incidence has more than doubled in recent years, during which access to potable water and sewage disposal in the home became almost universal in the city. A matched case-control study was carried out to identify risk factors and vehicles of transmission of paediatric typhoid fever; 81 children in the 3-14-years age group with typhoid fever were compared with controls, matched with respect to age, sex, and neighbourhood. It was found that case children more frequently bought lunch at school and shared food with classmates. Also, case children more often consumed flavoured ices bought outside the home; none of 41 other food items considered in the study was associated with a higher risk of typhoid fever. Only two food handlers for cases and one for controls were positive for Salmonella typhi, indicating that persons preparing food solely for their own family were not the main source of S. typhi infection. Rather, the risk factors identified in this study are consistent with the hypothesis that paediatric endemic typhoid fever in Santiago is largely spread by consumption of food-stuffs that are prepared outside the individual's home and are shared with or sold to children.


This paper addresses the issues of current levels of inequality: their trends, determinants and future scenarios, demonstrating that welfare levels are measured by per capita consumption. Location, educational attainment and employment status have been identified as the key factors affecting levels of welfare and its distribution. A benefit incidence analysis was performed to investigate benefits of different deciles of per capita expenditure from education and health services. The inequality patterns in countries under investigation present significant variations; countries such as Turkey, Morocco and Tunisia show relatively high inequality while others, such as Egypt or Syria, show moderate to low inequality. Inequality in human development was addressed using the inequality-adjusted human development index (IHDI), introduced by Global HDR 2010. The average loss in the HDI due to inequality in all Arab countries under investigation is about 20%. Two reference scenarios (optimistic and pessimistic) were used to project future paths up to 2020 and 2030. The impact of positive growth is increasing inequality and a shrinking middle class. Results show that the rich benefit most from this growth path. The opposite trend is observed for the pessimistic scenario.


In case-based reasoning, the adaptation of a source case in order to solve the target problem is at the same time crucial and difficult to implement. The reason for this difficulty is that, in general, adaptation strongly depends on domain-dependent knowledge. This fact motivates research on adaptation knowledge acquisition (AKA). This paper presents an approach to AKA based on the principles and techniques of knowledge discovery from databases and data-mining. It is implemented in CABAMAKA, a system that explores the variations within the case base to elicit adaptation knowledge. This system has been successfully tested in an application of case-based reasoning to decision support in the domain of breast cancer treatment.


We selectively generate chiral surface-acoustic whispering-gallery modes in the gigahertz range on a microscopic disk by means of an ultrafast time-domain technique incorporating a spatial light modulator. Active chiral control is achieved by making use of an optical pump spatial profile in the form of a semicircular arc, positioned on the sample to break the symmetry of clockwise- and counterclockwise-propagating modes. Spatiotemporal Fourier transforms of the interferometrically monitored two-dimensional acoustic fields measured to micron resolution allow individual chiral modes and their azimuthal mode order, both positive and negative, to be distinguished. In particular, for modes with 15-fold rotational symmetry, we demonstrate ultrafast chiral control of surface acoustic waves in a micro-acoustic system with picosecond temporal resolution. Applications include nondestructive testing and surface acoustic wave devices.


Endoscopic therapy is the treatment of choice for bleeding oesophageal varices. This study tested the validity of the hypothesis that eradication of oesophageal varices by repeated injection sclerotherapy would reduce recurrent variceal bleeding and death from bleeding oesophageal varices in a high risk cohort of patients with portal hypertension and cirrhosis.
Patients and Methods: 306 alcoholic cirrhotic patients who presented to hospital with endoscopically proven variceal bleeding were assessed prospectively between 1984 and 2001. Data were entered into a computer based proforma and analysed in April 2004 to allow a minimum 26 months follow-up. The data presented is based on an endoscopic protocol using a standard injection technique, with eradication of varices the predetermined end point. The 306 patients (239 men, 67 women; mean age 51.6, range 24-87 years) underwent 387 emergency and 1067 elective injection treatments with 5% ethanolamine oleate using a combined intra and paravariceal technique during the study period. All patients undergoing endoscopic band ligation were excluded. The Child's grades were A:42, B:122, C:142. All oesophageal complications which occurred during the subsequent 2380 endoscopies following the index sclerotherapy treatment were documented.
Results: Before eradication of varices was achieved 111 (36.2%) of the 306 patients had a total of 191 bleeding episodes after the initial endoscopic intervention during the index hospital admission. Rebleeding was markedly reduced after eradication of varices. In 156 (81.6%) of 191 patients who survived more than 3 months, varices were eradicated after a mean of 5 injections and remained eradicated in 69 (mean follow-up: 34.6 months; range: 1-174 months). Varices recurred in 83 patients and rebled in 43 of these patients. 830 oesophageal complications were identified during follow-up in 249 (81.3%) patients. Mucosal ulceration was noted on 584 occasions in 216 patients. 27 patients developed an oesophageal stenosis of whom 15 required dilatation. Eight patients had an oesophageal perforation after repeated sclerotherapy for recurrent bleeding. Cumulative survival by life table analysis was 56%, 40%, and 24% at 1, 3 and 5 years. 213 patients (69.6%) died during follow-up. Liver failure was the most common cause of death.
Conclusion: Repeated sclerotherapy eradicates esophageal varices in most alcoholic cirrhotic patients with a reduction in rebleeding. Complications related to sclerotherapy were common and were mostly of a minor nature but were cumulative and life-threatening in some patients. Despite control of variceal bleeding, survival at 5 years was only 24% because of death due to liver failure in most patients. SA Gastroentorology Review Vol.2(2) 2004: 8-13


Abstract Nowcasting of convective systems plays a crucial role in weather forecasting. The strength of convection depends on the (in)stability of the air column. The stability can be detected by radiosonde observations. However, these observations are not frequent (typically 2 times per day) and are expensive to deploy. In this article a method is presented to detect the stability of the atmosphere based on high-frequency global positioning system (GPS) path-delay observations. The convection parameter derived from these observations is the power of the nonisotropic GPS path-delay signal. Comparisons with the convective available potential energy obtained from radiosonde observations show a correlation with the convection parameter obtained from GPS. This result implies that, because of the continuous availability of GPS estimates and the good land coverage, this method of detecting atmospheric stability may be beneficial to forecasters.


The present dissertation explored the influence of community capacity on behavior problems among adolescents. This study used 1990 census data and the National School Success Profile data set, which comprised a nationally representative sample of 6th-through 12th-grade students (N = 2,099) nested within 93 communities. The study used a contextual effects measurement approach and multilevel logistic regression to examine reports on four dependent variables (drug use, drinking, smoking, and sexual behavior). The study neither proved nor disproved study hypotheses. The present study highlights the need for complex contextual effects models. It suggests the need for conceptual frameworks that include both mediators and moderators such as caregiver support and community peer behavior problems. It also highlights the nuances associated with measuring dependent variables and establishing the structure of random effects in hierarchical generalized linear models. Finally, the study suggests that community interventions should extend beyond community capacity to include adolescents' caregivers and peers.


This article examines the performance of hedge fund portfolios when fund selection is based on the rank of a fund's alpha, rather than the estimated value of the alpha. Estimated alphas can vary significantly depending on the model used and hence induce a high degree of model risk in portfolio optimization. The authors find, even for the simplest factor models, that ranking funds according to their alpha estimates is an efficient selection process. In an extensive out-of-sample historical analysis, funds of funds that are selected in this manner are shown to outperform an equally weighted index of all funds, minimum variance portfolios of randomly selected funds and portfolios that are optimized using estimated alpha values. Of the four factor models considered here the best out-of-sample performance is obtained using the rank alphas from the principal components factor model.


Value creation in the circular economy (CE) is a result of co-creation. In the industrial context, the theme of collaboration has been studied extensively on a company-to-company basis, but related public agency remains unexplored. Still, circular actions happen in societal contexts where public actors and logics are constantly present, enabling the change toward more sustainable actions. For systematic discovery of the topic, the following research questions are considered: (a) What roles can a public actor have in an industrial CE ecosystem? (b) What are the relationship modes a public actor can have? (c) In what kind of actor structures may the roles and modes occur? The study relies on two multiple case studies in the international (Study 1) and Finnish eco-industrial parks (Study 2) contexts. The results are based on qualitative content analysis conducted with both primary and secondary data. As a result, six distinct roles—operator, organizer, financer, supporter, policymaker, and regulator—and two modes—facilitative and dirigiste—for public agency in industrial CE ecosystems were identified. The roles depict the concrete means used by public actors whereas the modes depict the characteristics of these actions. Finally, exemplar organization models for the recognized roles and modes in industrial CE ecosystems were examined. The study provides insights into how public actors can contribute to sustainability transitions among their territories and helps practitioners to better understand the premises for public–private interaction.


In an international society, hierarchies are set up differently among different countries and societies based on different values, which are naturally conflicting and colliding with each other and result in unstable conditions. Is hierarchy really necessary in an international society? Does more hierarchical order in international society mean more peace? Do we need a supranational organization like the European Union whose laws can pierce state sovereignty and bind citizens of each member state? Does the United Nations need to be reformed to create an effective hierarchy, which will give international society more peace, security, and protection of human rights?

This article may not answer to all of these questions, but will attempt to theoretically and philosophically clarify hierarchical issues in international law, particularly in the human rights field, with examples.


This study was aimed at investigating established electronic text and information projects and resources to inform the design and implementation of a South African electronic text resource. Literature was surveyed on a wide variety of electronic text projects and virtual libraries in the humanities, bibliographic databases, electronic encyclopaedias, literature webs, on-line learning, corcordancing and textual analysis, and computer application programs for searching and displaying electronic texts .The SALIT Web CD-ROM which is a supplementary outcome of the research including the database, relational table structure, keyword search criteria, search screens, and hypertext linking of title entries to the electronic full-texts in the virtual library section was based on this research. Other outcomes of the project include encoded electronic texts and an Internet web site. The research was undertaken to investigate the benefits of designing and developing an etext database (hypertext web) that could be used effectively as a learning/teaching and research resource in South African literary studies. The backbone of the resource would be an indexed ' 'virtual library" containing electronic texts (books and other documents in digital form), conforming to international standards for interchange and for sharing with others. Working on the assumption that hypertext is an essentially democratic alld anticanonical environment where the learner/users are free to construct meaning for themselves, it seemed an ideal medium in which to conduct learning, teaching and research in South African literature. By undertaking this project I hoped to start a process, based on international standards, that would provide a framework for a virtual library of South African literature, especially those works considered "marginal" or which had gone out of print, or were difficult to access for a variety of reasons. Internationally, the TEl (Text Encoding Initiative) and other, literaturebased hypertext projects, promised the emergence of networked information resources that could absorb and then share texts essential for contemporary South African literary research. III Investigation of the current status of on-line reference sources revealed that the digital frameworks underlying bibliographic databases, electronic encyclopaedias and literature webs are now very similar. Specially designed displays allow the SALIT Web to be used as a digital library, providing an opportunity to read books that may not be available from any other library. The on-line learning potential of the SALIT Web is extensive. Asynchronous Learning Network (ALN) programmes in use were assessed and found to offer a high degree of learner-tutor and learner-learner interaction. The Text Analysis Computing Tools (TACT) program was used to investigate the possibility of detailed text analysis of the full texts included in the SALIT library on the CDROM. Features such as Keyword-in-context and word-frequency generators, offer valuable methods to automate the more time-consuming aspects of both thematic and formal text analysis. In the light of current hypertext theory that emphasises hypertext' s lack offixity and closure, the SALIT Web can be seen to transfer authority from the author/teach~r/librarian, to the user, by offering free access to information and so weakening the established power relations of education and access to education. The resource has the capacity to allow the user to examine previously unnoticed, but significant contradictions, inconsistencies and patterns and construct meaning from them. Yet the resource may still also contain interventions by the author/teacher consisting of pathways to promote the construction of meaning, but not dictate it. A hypertext web resource harnesses the cheap and powerful benefits of Information Technology for the purpose ofliterary research, especially in the under-resourced area of South African literary studies. By making a large amount of information readily available and easily accessible, it saves time and reduces frustration for both learners and teachers. IV An electronic text resource provides users with a virtual library at their fingertips. Its resources can be standardised so that others can add to it, thus compounding the benefits over time. It can place scarce works (books, articles and papers) within easy access for student use. Students may then be able to use its resources for independent discovery, or via guided sets of exercises or assignments. Electronic texts break the tyranny of inadequate library resources, restricted access to rare documents and the unavailability of comprehensive bibliographical information in the area of South African literary studies. The publication of the CD-ROM enables the launch of new, related projects, with the emphasis on building a collection of South African texts in all languages and in translation. Training in electronic text preparation, and Internet access to the resource will also be addressed to take these projects forward.


The evaluation of an organization's performance may also consider the assessment of inter-organizational relationships (IORs). However, the evaluation of IORs is typically based on success factors, such as trust, which are difficult to be measured quantitatively. In this paper, we present a framework supporting inter-organizational performance evaluation which integrates (i) a bottom-up approach supporting the identification of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from business information, event logs, as well as process models, and (ii) a top-down approach for measuring business performance on the strategic level based on the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) method. In order to prove the feasibility of the framework, we present an inter-organizational performance analysis case study of a beverage manufacturing company. The case study shows that the framework enables (i) the derivation of quantifiable KPIs from operational data and (ii) the alignment of KPIs with business objectives allowing an evaluation of IORs on the strategic level.


The Gucci Group had transformed itself into the world's third largest luxury retailer with multiple brands. The company had performed well even after the departure of star designer Tom Ford and former CEO Domenico De Sole. However, the challenging global economic times in 2009 raised the question whether it was time, again, to re-adjust Gucci's portfolio, especially as YSL continued to lose money.


The International Institute of Tropical of Agriculture (IITA) established its East and Southern Africa Regional Research Centre (ESARC) in Uganda at the former Namulonge Agricultural and Animal Research Institute (NAARI), presently Namulonge Animal and Crops Research Institute (NaCRRI), to address issues of cassava, banana, and plantain development; coordinate all related activities, and work closely with the national agricultural research institutes (NARS). IITA-ESARC began extensive cassava germplasm development to counter the pandemic of African cassava mosaic disease (ACMD) in the region in 1995 through the Eastern Africa Root Crops Research Network (EARRNET). More than 100,000 seeds were evaluated through the conventional plant breeding scheme. Selected genotypes were kept in in-situ conservation from where the regional cassava national programs selected clones for further evaluation in their own countries. Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda benefited immensely. Through EARRNET, the region gained significantly from the large germplasm base to mitigate the scourge of ACMD and the production of cassava was restored. A new joint effort that was established between Catholic Relief Services and IITA in collaboration with the NARS and other stakeholders promoted the adoption of improved germplasm through participatory variety selection. The breeding approach used enabled to reduce selection period for NARS to release new varieties to farmers as they received elite materials for evaluation. However, the spread of cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) in mid altitude threatened the achievements already made as the new disease attacked most of the ACMD-resistant and high yielding varieties. Its spread in the region calls for more effective collaborative action than before from IITA and its partners to develop new resistant materials to mitigate the effects of both ACMD and CBSD. The present paper attempts to summarize the breeding work efforts made and demonstrate how the germplasm development at this regional center has been useful to the region through effective partnership. 16 African Journal of Root and Tuber Crops (2013) Vol. 10 No.1: Page 41 A Research Article in AJRTC (2013) Vol. 10 No. 1: Pages 41-54


1. The scale at which population dynamics are analysed is important, as results from analyses at different spatial scales can differ and affect interpretation.

2. In this study, detailed census data collected over a 10-year period from a population of Soay sheep (Ovis aries L.) on the Island of Hirta in the St Kilda archipelago, Scotland, is used, together with cluster analysis, to distinguish a temporally stable spatial substructure.

3. Structured demographic accounting of the variance in population change (SDA) is also used to analyse the dynamics of the whole population treated as (a) one unit; (b) one unit subdivided into three subunits; and (c) three independent units.

4. Differences in survival, recruitment and dispersal rates are demonstrated between divisions of the population, which are probably associated with variation in grazing quality.

5. If these groups were not coupled by dispersal and density-independent entrainment, the population dynamics of the three groups would diverge, however, the dynamics of the three subunits are strongly correlated.


Most research in developed countries on prejudice toward foreign-born minorities suggests that cultural rather than economic threat motivates xenophobia. Prior studies leave unanswered questions about the origins of anti-immigrant prejudice in developing countries, where one-third of worldwide immigration occurs. Alternatively, developing-country research simply assumes that economic threat drives prejudice in the global South but has not presented credible empirical evidence. In this study, we seek to reliably measure anti-immigrant prejudice and examine possible determinants of prejudice and prejudice-based voting behavior. Through a list experiment conducted on a random sample of South Africans (N = 1,088), we investigate the predictive power of economic threat theory in explaining prejudice toward immigrants in South Africa. The results show that significant prejudice toward immigrants exists among South Africans and that such prejudice is higher among the unemployed, but these sentiments do not seem to influence vote choice. The evidence suggests that the determinants of anti-immigrant sentiments due to South-South migration are distinct from South-North migration.


Variance components and genetic parameter were estimated for piglet growth traits of Large White (LW) pigs managed under intensive production systems in Kenya. Data were on piglet performance of LW pigs born between 1982 to 1996. Growth performance traits of the piglets that were considered, were body weight (BW, in kg) at birth (BW0), three weeks (BW3), eight weeks at weaning (BW8), 12 weeks ( BW12), 24 weeks (BW24) and 36 weeks (BW36); and average daily gain (g/day) from birth to eight weeks (DG0-8) and from weaning to 24 weeks (DG8-24). Variance components and genetic parameters were estimated using univariate and multivariate animal models. Direct heritability estimates from univariate analyses were 0.38, 0.24, 0.47, 0.39, 0.36 and 0.26 for BW0, BW3, BW8, BW12, BW24 and BW36, respectively. Maternal heritabilities were 0.42, 0.25 0.15 and 0.18 for BW0, BW3, BW8 and DG0-8, respectively. Genetic correlations among growth traits were positive and ranged from 0.45 to 0.98 while phenotypic correlations ranged from 0.54 to 0.95. Early piglet growth was highly heritable and under the influence of maternal effects. Selection programmes for genetic improvement of early growth performance should be based on models that account for direct and maternal genetic and litter effects. Keywords : Additive genetic effects, body weight, swine, litter effects, maternal effects South African Journal of Animal Science Vol. 38 (3) 2008: pp. 166-173


Once the site of Australia's first systematic excavation at Devon Downs, South Australia has seen a dynamic shift in the conduct of archaeological work in the past 20 years, from a concentration on archaeological research to a preoccupation with heritage management. This thesis explores the relationship between archaeological research and Indigenous heritage legislation by considering their political contexts and how this has influenced the practice of archaeology in South Australia. The premise of this thesis is set within the context of a case study, the Lower Murray Lakes Archaeological Study (LMLAS), conducted by archaeologist Roger Luebbers during the mid-1980s along the shores of Lake Alexandrina. This case study is considered within an historical context to examine how issues and debates within Australian archaeology influenced Luebbers' research agenda. Additionally, this case study is used as a specific example to illustrate the outcomes of its political context. Finally, this study explores contemporary issues faced by the Ngarrindjeri Nation as a result of the context in which the LMLAS was conducted. By retrospectively examining Aboriginal heritage protection in South Australia, with a focus on the Aboriginal and Historic Relics Preservation Act 1965 , the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1979 and the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 , this research contributes an in-depth written account exploring the history of Indigenous heritage legislation in South Australia, while demonstrating how a lack of government will and poor administration policies have lead to the insufficient management of Indigenous heritage.


We have developed a hybridoma, designated 25G11, which produced a monoclonal antibody (MAb) reactive with a 52K protein of murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV). This MAb, 2 5 G l l , was reactive with a protein band of 52K in MCMV-infected cell lysates and with a protein of 49K in human CMV (HCMV)infected cell lysates as detected by immunoblot analysis. With purified MCMV virions, 25G11 gave a faintly immunoreactive band of 52K. However, no immunoreactive protein band was detected with purified HCMV virions, nor with purified HCMV or MCMV envelope preparations. By immunocytochemistry, 25G11 detected-viral antigen primarily in the nucleus of HCMVor MCMV-infected cells. The antibody 25G11 was used to screen a 2gtl 1 library of HCMV DNA fragments. One of the isolated clones (232323B) was employed for gene mapping on the HCMV genome, which suggested that the immunoreactive HCMV protein was the DNA-binding protein (ICP36). Analysis of the recombinant fusion protein with antibody 25G11 and with an MAb (CH16) specific for a n HCMV DNA-binding protein confirmed the identity of the cross-reacting protein as ICP36. Furthermore, we found that whereas the epitope recognized by 2 5 G l l was conserved between HCMV and MCMV proteins, the epitope recognized by CH 16 was unique "to HCMV and thus represents a variable region in the protein.


BACKGROUND
The Minimum Data Set for Specialist Palliative Care
services was developed in 1995 to provide annual data
on services in the U.K. The development of payment by
results and health resource groups,together with
identified limitations of the current MDS including
missing data, the potential for double counting and a
68% return rate, resulted in a current collaborative
project to revise and update the MDS.
METHOD
Action research was utilised for the study as a group
activity that focuses on partnership between researchers
and participants involved in the change process.
Purposive sampling was used to invite key stakeholders
including multidisciplinary specialist palliative care
services involved in completing the MDS from across
England and Wales.38 respondents attended 3
workshops, where each section of the MDS were
discussed and revised. Revised sections were returned to
participants for review.
RESULTS
A consensus existed that the MDS did not completely
reflect current patient workload, extent of services
provided or development of integrated
services.Additionally, with the development of regional
Cancer Network Groups, some data was more
appropriately collected regionally.
CONCLUSION
An action research approach enabled a national
consultation process to be completed
effectively.Involving a wide sample of stakeholders
ensured revisions were made based upon a national
consensus of opinion and met the changing provision
of Specialist services. Further information regarding the
128 10th Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care, Budapest, Hungary, 7–9 June 2007
Poster abstracts
Poster abstractsaction research process,the changes made to the MDS
and the second stage of the action research cycle
piloting the revised MDS will be presented


Poppies (Papaver somniferum L.) are a major crop in Tasmanian broad-acre cropping rotations. Morphine has been the major alkaloid produced but now approximately half of the State's production is derived from thebaine-producing poppies. Yield potential in poppies is enhanced with earlier sowing, however this commonly results in excess vegetative growth and crop lodging. The effects of a range of plant growth regulators on plant growth and alkaloid yield of thebaine poppies were evaluated in three preliminary field trials conducted in northern Tasmania from 2002 - 04. Application of Slow Grow (maleic hydrazide) reduced seed weight in most trials and this result is potentially beneficial to industry as thebaine poppy seed is of limited commercial value due to thebaine residues. Application of Moddus (trinexapac) and Sunny (uniconazole) showed the greatest potential by altering alkaloid profile and reducing plant height respectively.
In a subsequent field trial with morphine poppies, single and split applications of Sunny across three growth stages were compared and while plant height was reduced, effects on plant lodging were inconsistent. Whereas lodging was decreased with the split application, the single application increased lodging, perhaps a result of the large height difference between main stem and lateral capsules. The split application of Sunny also resulted in a greater capsule yield compared with single and nil treatments through increased capsules/m2. Despite a reduction in individual seed weight, seed yield from Sunny treatments was also greater due to a large increase in the number of seeds per capsule. It is proposed that the reduction in plant height and lodging with application of Sunny leads to reallocation of assimilates to yield components. Alkaloid content, in particular morphine, was also increased with application of Sunny and this is likely to be a result of extended alkaloid biosynthesis through delayed maturity.
The alkaloid, thebaine, is of higher value than oripavine and application of Moddus in three additional rate and timing trials consistently increased thebaine content. Associated with this, oripavine content decreased and this effect was rate responsive. In contrast with Sunny, Moddus had little effect on plant height or maturity. Instead, seed yield was reduced and straw yield tended to increase and combined with alkaloid effects, this consistently increased thebaine yield around 25%. Multiple and split applications of Moddus tended to further increase thebaine content. As total alkaloid did not vary with single applications, it was postulated that Moddus inhibits the biosynthesis of oripavine from thebaine.
Results from this study and further trials conducted by industry have led to the registration of Moddus on poppy crops and close to 100% adoption rates by thebaine poppy growers. The potential of Sunny as a plant growth regulator (now marketed as Sumagic) has also been verified and in addition the benefit of split applications of both Sunny and Moddus demonstrated.


The interpretation of the signals detected by high precision experiments aimed at measuring neutrino oscillations requires an accurate description of the neutrino-nucleus cross sections. One of the key element of the analysis is the treatment of nuclear effects, which is one of the main sources of systematics for accelerator based experiments such as the Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE). A considerable effort is currently being made to develop theoretical models capable of providing a fully quantitative description of the neutrino-nucleus cross sections in the kinematical regime relevant to LBNE. The approach based on nuclear many-body theory and the spectral function formalism has proved very successful in explaining the available electron scattering data in a variety of kinematical conditions. The first step towards its application to the analysis of neutrino data is the derivation of the spectral functions of nuclei employed in neutrino detectors, in particular argon. We propose a measurement of the coincidence $(e,e^\prime p)$ cross section on argon. This data will provide the experimental input indispensable to construct the argon spectral function, thus paving the way for a reliable estimate of the neutrino cross sections. In addition, the analysis of the $(e,e^\prime p)$ data will help a number of theoretical developments, like the description of final-state interactions needed to isolate the initial-state contributions to the observed single-particle peaks, that is also needed for the interpretation of the signal detected in neutrino experiments.


According to current climate change predictions for the UK, summers are expected to become dryer and hotter in the future. This has potentially serious implications for overheating of naturally ventilated office buildings, many of which already fail to perform under current heatwave conditions. This thesis addresses the summer performance of such buildings under current and future climates by means of building performance simulation. Current industry standard weather datasets for building performance simulation are not however, suited to the assessment of the potential impacts of a changing climate. This work describes the integration of future climate scenarios into widely used weather file formats and critically assesses the resulting weather datasets. Simulations of a case study building at the University of Southampton highlight the potential impact of climate change on future summer overheating inside naturally ventilated buildings. The results of these simulations are compared to monitored data from the case study building during an extended heatwave period in the summer of 2006. It is shown that the present day performance of a naturally ventilated building under an extended heatwave period can give an indication of its likely performance during a projected typical hot summer in the 2050's under a medium-high emissions scenario. A second case study building serves to highlight that building designs and building services solutions which are suitable for retaining acceptable indoor comfort levels during current heatwave periods, are likely to be suitable to alleviate summer overheating under the predicted warmer future climates. Further simulations, encompassing various locations throughout the UK emphasize the need for timely refurbishment of naturally ventilated office buildings within the next few decades to avoid increasing numbers of existing buildings failing to perform under the predicted future summer conditions.


Reduced mechanisms for laminar premixed methaneair flames are constructed on the basis of the GRI-3.0 detailed chemistry. It is demonstrated that significant understanding of the flame chemistry can be acquired by examining reduced mechanisms generated on the basis of either the full flame domain or specific subdomains, such as the preheat, the flame and the post-flame zones. Reduced mechanisms of increasing number of steps generated by taking into account the full flame domain identify the parts of chemistry that relate to the slowest chemical time scales and thus dominate the overall flame structure. Observed differences in the reduced mechanisms of a given size generated on the basis of different regions of the flame distinguish the locally prevailing kinetic paths. The effects of inlet mixture composition on the dominant parts of chemistry are discussed.


The potential gained from "tapping" the knowledge of domain experts in war-gaming and decision-modeling has yet to be fully realized in the Intelligence Community. While there may be a number of reasons for this, perhaps chief among them is the cost of involving human experts, and the belief that intelligence based on expert opinion is poor quality and unreliable. To this end, we are working on a middleware platform, called Collaborative Panel Administrator (CPA). CPA is specifically designed to support virtual panel management and asynchronous data collection. It also allows for data aggregation and imputation to facilitate incremental validation of intelligence models. To maximize objectivity of panelist input, the CPA panel management facilitates blind collaboration, in which identities of panelists in the same panel can selectively be hidden from each other, even while working on the same intelligence model, thus reducing the effect of "group think" and adverse social dynamics. CPA mainly works as a data hub between intelligence modeling tools and corresponding model validation services. In this paper, we discuss in detail motivation and design of the CPA. Where appropriate, we also discuss how distributed agents would provide an effective means of realizing some of CPA functionalities.


In this paper, we present and verify methods for developing robust, high-level policies for metastable (i.e., rarely falling) rough-terrain robot walking. We focus on simultaneously addressing the important, real-world challenges of (1) use of a tractable mesh, to avoid the curse of dimensionality and (2) maintaining near-optimal performance that is robust to uncertainties. Toward our first goal, we present an improved meshing technique, which captures the step-to-step dynamics of robot walking as a discrete-time Markov chain with a small number of points. We keep our methods and analysis generic, and illustrate robustness by quantifying the stability of resulting control policies derived through our methods. To demonstrate our approach, we focus on the challenge of optimally switching among a finite set of low-level controllers for underactuated, rough-terrain walking. Via appropriate meshing techniques, we see that even terrain-blind switching between multiple controllers increases the stability of the robot, while lookahead (terrain information) makes this improvement dramatic. We deal with both noise on the lookahead information and on the state of the robot. These two robustness requirements are essential for our methods to be applicable to real high-DOF robots, which is the primary motivation of the authors.