This paper considers the adoption of an entrepreneurial orientation as a paradigm for companies operating in a complex and turbulent environment, viewing the environment as a complex and turbulent system in terms of chaos theory. Approaches suggested by chaos theory are compared with the entrepreneurial orientation to identify if such an orientation matches these suggested approaches.Literature on chaos theory and entrepreneurship is compared, and a short case is presented, providing an illustration of how a company operating successfully in a complex and turbulent environment has used the principles of an entrepreneurial orientation.The paper identifies considerable similarity between the management approaches suggested by chaos theory and the principles of the entrepreneurial orientation, indicating that chaos theory may provide the theoretical underpinning of the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and turbulent environments. The case also shows how an entrepreneurial orientation has been successfully used in a complex and turbulent environment. The conclusion is that companies operating in a complex and turbulent environment could benefit from adopting an entrepreneurial orientation.


Background In contrast to normal synovial tissue, rheumatoid synovium is hypoxic, and expresses the hypoxia-inducible transcription factors HIF-1α and HIF-2α, which allow the transcription of genes involved in angiogenesis, inflammation, apoptosis and regulation of immune function. Hypoxia also stimulates osteoclast differentiation and causes a HIF-1α-dependent 3-fold increase in bone resorption. Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) is a hypoxia- and HIF-inducible pro-angiogenic adipokine that is induced in fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis. Objectives This study sought to investigate whether ANGPTL4 is expressed in osteoclasts and other cells within rheumatoid synovial tissue, and to compare serum and synovial fluid levels of ANGPTL4 with those in normal controls and patients with osteoarthritis. Methods Serum, synovial fluid and synovial tissue samples were derived from patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA); serum was obtained from aged-matched normal controls. All donors were recruited from the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford, UK and gave written informed consent. ANGPTL4 and HIF-1α expression was assessed in OA and RA synovial sections by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Serum and synovial fluid levels of ANGPTL4 were measured by ELISA. Osteoclasts were differentiated from circulating RA monocytes using M-CSF and RANKL, and hypoxic induction of ANGPTL4 mRNA was measured by real-time PCR. Results Bone-apposing osteoclasts within the rheumatoid synovium expressed ANGPTL4 and its regulating transcription factor HIF-1α. ANGPTL4 was strongly expressed in synovial lining cells, endothelial cells, stromal cells, CD68+ macrophages and plasma cells within the RA synovium. Little ANGPTL4 was evident in normal synovium, mirroring the expression pattern of HIF-1α in rheumatoid versus normal synovial tissue. ANGPTL4 concentrations were higher in the serum and synovial fluid of RA patients than in OA patients or normal controls. High serum ANGPTL4 correlated with elevated levels of the serum bone resorption marker sRANKL. Finally, ANGPTL4 mRNA was induced 5.5-fold by hypoxia in monocyte-derived osteoclasts from RA patients. Conclusions ANGPTL4 is over-expressed in both the serum and the synovial fluid and tissue of RA patients. Expression of ANGPTL4 in bone-apposing osteoclasts and correlation of high serum ANGPTL4 with circulating sRANKL suggests ANGPTL4 as a marker for bone destruction, and a potential target for inhibition of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption in rheumatoid arthritis. Acknowledgements This work was supported by Arthritis Research UK (Grant number MP/19200), with additional support from the Oxford University National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Unit. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4208


Experiences from field tests of a nonlinear observer-based molten metal analysis estimation system are reported. The system performance is tested for a wide range of process conditions both on bulk data and in a supervised experimental campaign. Estimation of process model parameters and the observer design are discussed and exemplified on logged data. Observer performance is shown to be high with a mean absolute final carbon content estimation error for admissible heats equal to 0.0012%.


This paper examines the metaphors used in Andrew Lang's 1887 Longman's Magazine article "Literary Plagiarism," arguing that Lang repeatedly describes ideas as if they are objects in order to frame the late-nineteenth-century plagiarism debate as a discussion of the best use of materials. Lang's slippage between abstract, intangible ideas and "the material of literature" (833) enabled him to circumvent a discussion about access to publishing networks. This paper suggests that this episode exposes a concrete historical backstory for recent developments in thing theory, and suggests that the latter recapitulates in a philosophical register debates about the economics of literary publishing taking place in the late nineteenth century.


Agaresuchus fontisensis is an allodaposuchid crocodile from the Campanian–Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) of Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain). Allodaposuchidae is a clade of European basal eusuchians, which is considered a part of the stem group of Crocodylia. The holotype and paratype skulls of Agaresuchus fontisensis were scanned on computed tomography and their internal cavities, including those of the brain, nerves and blood vessels, as well as the paratympanic sinus system and the paranasal sinuses, digitally reconstructed. The cranial endocast and pneumatic sinuses were then compared with those of other crocodyliforms. The neuroanatomy of Agaresuchus fontisensis resembles those of other mesoeucrocodylians, sharing some morphological traits with extant crocodiles. The neurosensorial and cognitive capabilities inferred from the inner skull cavity reconstructions of Agaresuchus fontisensis are similar to those of other eusuchians. The olfactory acuity of Agaresuchus fontisensis is low by crocodylian standards, closer to that of the alligatoroids rather than to that of the crocodyloids. Its visual acuity is similar to that of Lohuecosuchus megadontos, a sympatric allodaposuchid also found in the fossil site of Lo Hueco.


An interactive mechanism is an algorithm that stores a data set and answers adaptively chosen queries to it. The mechanism is called differentially private, if any adversary cannot distinguish whether a specific individual is in the data set by interacting with the mechanism. We study composition properties of differential privacy in concurrent compositions. In this setting, an adversary interacts with k interactive mechanisms in parallel and can interleave its queries to the mechanisms arbitrarily. Previously, Vadhan and Wang [2021] proved an optimal concurrent composition theorem for pure-differential privacy. We significantly generalize and extend their results. Namely, we prove optimal parallel composition properties for several major notions of differential privacy in the literature, including approximate DP, R\'enyi DP, and zero-concentrated DP. Our results demonstrate that the adversary gains no advantage by interleaving its queries to independently running mechanisms. Hence, interactivity is a feature that differential privacy grants us for free. Concurrently and independently of our work, Vadhan and Zhang [2022] proved an optimal concurrent composition theorem for f-DP [Dong et al., 2022], which implies our result for the approximate DP case.


Flight tests were made to determine the profile-drag coefficients of a portion of the original wing surface of an all-metal airplane and of a portion of the wing made aerodynamically smooth and more nearly fair than the original section. The wing section was approximately the NACA 2414.5. The tests were carried out over a range of airplane speeds giving a maximum Reynolds number of 15,000,000. Tests were also carried out to locate the point of transition from laminar to turbulent boundary layer and to determine the velocity distribution along the upper surface of the wing. The profile-drag coefficients of the original and of the smooth wing portions at a Reynolds number of 15,000,000 were 0.0102 and 0.0068, respectively; i.e., the surface irregularities on the original wing increased the profile-drag coefficient 50 percent above that of the smooth wing.


The paper assesses the extent of household vulnerability to poverty in Pakistan. Preferably, household panel data of sufficient length is used to measure the incidence of vulnerability. However this data is rare in developing countries and if available is not nationally or regionally representative. As a second-best option, this study estimates the extent of vulnerability as "expected poverty" using cross-sectional household surveys. The estimates show that about 52 percent population was vulnerable to poverty during 2004-05. The rural headcount ratio in terms of household vulnerability is relatively high as compared to the vulnerability incidence in urban areas. Although monetary poverty has declined during the period 2001-05, the relative incidence of vulnerability has increased from 50 in 2001 to 52 percent in 2005.


Traditionally, economics has had a strong influence on marketing theory. The emergence of service-dominant logic (S-D logic) has challenged this position, based on a seemingly fundamental disagreement about the determination and meaning of value. This paper questions the basis of this disagreement and concludes that it is possible to reconcile the meaning of value in S-D logic and economics under the condition of scarce resources.


Efficient treatment of contaminated water in industrially viable volumes is still a challenging task. The hydrodynamic cavitation plasma jet (HCPJ) is a promising plasma source for industrial-scale generation of biologically active environments at high flow rates of several m3/h. The combined effect of a hydro-mechanical phenomenon consisting of hydrodynamic cavitation and electrical discharge in cavitation voids was found to be highly efficient for large-volume generation of reactive oxygen species, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and electro-mechanical stress in a liquid environment. Here, the persistence of biocidal properties of HCPJ-activated water (i.e., plasma-activated water (PAW)) was tested by the study of algae and cyanobacteria inactivation. Algae and cyanobacteria cultivated in media containing PAW (1:1) were completely inactivated after 72 h from first exposure. The test was performed at a total power input of up to 0.5 kWh/m3 at the treated liquid flow rate of 1 m3/h. A beneficial modification of our previous HCPJ design is described and thoroughly characterized with respect to the changes of hydrodynamic flow conditions as well as discharge performance and its optical characteristics. The modification proved to provide high biocidal activity of the resulting PAW, which confirms a strong potential for further design optimization of this promising water (liquid) plasma source.


An intermediate Si layer in Si1–xGex film, replacing the conventionally compositional graded buffer layer, was used to fabricate a relaxed SiGe substrate of high quality. The intermediate Si layer changes the relaxation mechanism of the SiGe thin film via the generation of {3 1 1} dislocation loops. The {3 1 1} dislocation loops are formed in the intermediate Si layer to prompt a state of relaxation in the SiGe overlayer, provide the defects for trapping of threading dislocations (TDs) and leave a SiGe top layer with low dislocation density. For the SiGe/Si/SiGe samples, the residual strain and TDs on the top SiGe layer are independent of the SiGe underlayer thickness. With a 700 nm thick Si0.8Ge0.2 overlayer, such a Si0.8Ge0.2/Si/Si0.8Ge0.2 heterostructure with a smooth surface has a TD density of 8.9 × 105 cm−2 and 3% residual strain. Owing to the different main relaxation mechanisms in SiGe films, the surface root mean square roughness of this relaxed buffer with a low density of surface pits was measured to be about 3 nm, which is lower than that of the sample without any intermediate Si layer (13 nm). Relaxation of the SiGe overlayer depends on the thickness of the intermediate Si layer. Optimization on relaxation in the SiGe/Si/SiGe structure with an intermediate Si layer of 50 nm is done. Strained Si n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors with various buffer layers were fabricated and examined. The effective electron mobility for the strained Si device with this novel substrate technology was found to be 80% higher than that of the Si control device. The SiGe thin films with the intermediate Si layer serve as good candidates for high-speed strained Si devices. The global strain in the Si channel with a SiGe/Si/SiGe buffer is still beneficial for short channel devices.


A new Cosmic Ray DataBase (CRDB) is under development at the Space Science Data Center, a facility of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) that provides support to several space missions and acts as a multi-mission science operation, data processing and data archiving center.
To ensure a more extensive utilisation of space data from existing, archived and future missions, on-line access to archival data, analysis software, calibration files and documentation are provided by a MultiMission Interactive Archive (MMIA) of the Space Science Data Center.
Space data from different missions and in different research fields (astro-physics, astro-particle, cosmology, planetology) are connected in the MMIA in order to stimulate their cross-analysis and comparison.
In this context, the CRDB aims to provide the scientific community with tools for an easy and efficient access to published data from missions dedicated to charged Cosmic Rays measurements. Originally developed to support the retrieval of PAMELA and AMS-02 results, it is now expanding to include more data sets from other experiments and evolving to provide new tools for data retrieval, visualisation and download.
As an example, measurements of differential energy fluxes and flux ratios for the different species are available as a function of various parameters (e.g. energy, rigidity, time, magnetic parameters), for particles of galactic and solar origin, as well as particles trapped in the Earth magnetosphere. Data are ready for retrieval, visualisation and download.
In this contribution, we will introduce the main features of the CRDB, accessible online at http://tools.asdc.asi.it/CosmicRays/, and the perspectives for its future development.


Diagrams are ubiquitous in scientific discovery and scientific reasoning. The uses of diagrams are studied by examining their role in Galileo's work on kinematics and the computational benefits of reasoning with diagrams are investigated by comparing computational models of conventional and diagrammatic approaches to discovery. Diagrams provide a convenient form of representation for experimental setups that preserve valuable topological information about the setups. Diagrams allow the ready-made and powerful inference machinery of Euclidean geometry to be used for reasoning. When suitable standardization techniques exist, diagrams furnish a basis for reasoning about the magnitudes of dissimilar properties. Diagrams can be deliberately organized to provide perceptual clues to aid the making of inferences, and to act as structured records of the available information. The consequences of this are computational savings in the processes of search and recognition. Finally, the efficiency of inferences can also be improved by replacing expensive forms of reasoning with cheaper perceptual inferences.


"As is the case for most of the Departments of Transportation in the U.S., the Texas Department of Transportation has been experiencing fluctuations of budget for maintaining and preserving its highway infrastructure over the recent years. If the maintenance budget shortfall lasts for an extended period of time, the condition of the highway network would be harmed directly or indirectly since some maintenance work would be deferred or canceled. Thus, in order to control and minimize the risk caused by maintenance budget reductions, it is important for highway agencies to adjust their maintenance and rehabilitation policies to accommodate budget fluctuations. This thesis presents a methodological framework that helps highway agencies quantify the risks to highway networks, and revise the highway routine maintenance work plans to minimize the impact of budget fluctuations. The proposed methodology aims to assist highway agencies in prioritizing and selecting maintenance functions according to the risk of not performing a specific maintenance activity. Also, this methodology considers the subjective nature of decision makers' assessments, allowing different levels of confidence and different attitudes toward risk to be captured as the uncertainty and imprecision involved in the decision making process. In the case study, the proposed methodology is tested with a set of data obtained from the Texas Department of Transportation. The result is compared with the outcome obtained from the crisp Analytical Hierarchy Process using the same set of data. The outcomes from the two methodologies are very close, validating the effectiveness of prioritizing highway maintenance functions using Multi-Attribute Analysis with Fuzzy Pairwise Comparison."


In vivo high resolution imaging of biological tissues is desirable for a wide range of biomedical applications. Recently focal modulation microscopy (FMM) has been developed and an imaging depth comparable to multi-photon microscopy (MPM) and optical coherence microscopy (OCM) has been achieved. Here we report the first focal modulation microscope that is capable of performing real-time fluorescence and scattering imaging simultaneously on thick biological tissues. A novel spatiotemporal phase modulator (STPM) has been designed and integrated into such a microscope to achieve high performances in terms of imaging speed, contrast, effective spatial resolution, signal to noise ratio, and compatibility with multiple excitation wavelengths.


This study seeks to establish the feasibility of assai as a moderating term in more cases than is typically assumed. Since evidence of concurrent competing definitions for the term assai exists from the mid- to late-18th century, understanding and putting into practice a composer's indications according to his own understanding of the term becomes murky where the word assai is concerned during and beyond the time when the two definitions exist concurrently. Through investigation of musical scores, examining such features as ornamentation, the relative brilliance of the work, tonality, meter, and structure, the characteristics of a piece of music that are crucial to navigating the multivalent qualities of the word assai are identified and tested against the actual musical content of examples from works of J. S. Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, W. F. Bach, J. C. F. Bach, Johann Friedrich Agricola, C. P. E. Bach, W. A. Mozart, F. J. Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, and Franz Liszt.


The short-period P-coda of eight earthquake events (recorded on magnetic tape) and one underground nuclear event (standard Canadian network seismogram) are analyzed in both the time and frequency domains in order to determine the transmission characteristics of the crust in the eastern section of the Canadian Shield. Surface particle motion diagrams indicate that there is appreciable anomalous P-S conversion in this region, starting at the base of the Labrador trough and extending to the upper mantle. The spectral ratio test, when applied to short-period records, is found to be capable of resolving thin crustal layers only. Coherency studies of teleseismic events recorded over a lateral distance, the same order of magnitude as the thickness of the crust in this region, show that the coherency (0.5 average) is much lower for the horizontal component than for the vertical component and also does not appear to vary appreciably with epicentral distance, whereas the vertical component does. Since for many of the records the signal-to-noise ratio of the vertical and horizontal components is comparable, these results indicate the possibility of the horizontal transfer function being more unstable over this region than the vertical transfer function.
 From these observations it is concluded that (1) in the region of the eastern Canadian Shield where there is a surface layer of Proterozoic sediments about one km thick overlying basement rocks, the short-period body-wave transmission characteristics are more similar to those of the western Canada sedimentary basin in central Alberta than to those of the western part of the Canadian Shield near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and (2) in order to resolve both thin and thick crustal layers by means of the spectral ratio test, both short- and long-period records of the P coda are required.


Abstract This paper investigates if inter-organizational socialization mechanisms initiated by a buyer organization towards a strategic supplier can influence the culture within that supplier organization to ultimately improve supplier performance to the buyer. Using a quantitative sample of 279 UK companies from across a variety of industry sectors, statistical techniques were utilized to examine the effect of informal and formal socialization mechanisms on the culture of a strategic supplier as measured by their organizational practices and the subsequent supplier performance outcomes. It was found that both informal and formal socialization efforts by a buyer organization have a significant influence on the culture of the supplier organization as measured by their organizational practices. Socialization efforts by the buyer organization influence the organizational practices of the supplier to be more result-oriented, employee-centred, open, pragmatic to customer needs and market focussed. These organizational practices were found to positively influence supplier operational performance in the eyes of the buyer organization as measured by on time delivery, conformance to product specifications, flexibility to respond to changing customer needs and cost reduction initiatives. Modelling the influence of informal and formal socialization efforts by a buyer on the organizational culture of a key supply chain partner provides new insights to academics. Firstly, this work makes a significant contribution to the extant research on socialization in the supply chain literature. Secondly, it raises the importance of understanding the influence of culture on supplier operational performance. Although the study used a dyadic method to validate the cultural insights, our study only took a snapshot of culture at one point in time. Organization culture as displayed through organizational practices is a complex construct that changes over time. Therefore, to further understand the intricacies of organization culture, a longitudinal study would be useful in the future. Secondly, future studies could develop into themes such as the green supply chain and sustainability issues. Finally, our study was undertaken in the UK. It would be useful to replicate this study in a different setting, including Eastern countries. Organizations should engage early with their key supply base from a socialization perspective. The importance of joint away days, cross function teams alongside effective communication and on site visits have been fund to have a significant influence on shaping a high performance culture along the supply chain. Therefore, a buyers' early understanding of their key supplier's culture via these mechanisms appear critical for long-term supply chain success. Measuring supplier culture at the visible level of organizational practices removes the ethereal qualities often attributed to culture as a concept; buyers can influence supplier culture. This paper presents an empirically tested model which includes informal socialization, formal socialization, deconstructed organizational culture and supplier operational performance in a supply chain setting.


Natural disasters of a geodynamic nature can cause enormous economic and human losses. The economic costs of a landslide disaster include relocation of communities and physical repair of urban infrastructure. However, when performing a quantitative risk analysis, generally, the indirect economic consequences of such an event are not taken into account. A probabilistic approach methodology that considers several scenarios of hazard and vulnerability to measure the magnitude of the landslide and to quantify the economic costs is proposed. With this approach, it is possible to carry out a quantitative evaluation of the risk by landslides, allowing the calculation of the economic losses before a potential disaster in an objective, standardized and reproducible way, taking into account the uncertainty of the building costs in the study zone. The possibility of comparing different scenarios facilitates the urban planning process, the optimization of interventions to reduce risk to acceptable levels and an assessment of economic losses according to the magnitude of the damage. For the development and explanation of the proposed methodology, a simple case study is presented, located in north-eastern zone of the city of Medellín. This area has particular geomorphological characteristics, and it is also characterized by the presence of several buildings in bad structural conditions. The proposed methodology permits to obtain an estimative of the probable economic losses by earthquake-induced landslides, taking into account the uncertainty of the building costs in the study zone. The obtained estimative shows that the structural intervention of the buildings produces a reduction the order of 21 % in the total landslide risk.


Seismic reflection data reveal that the structural geometry of the central Appalachians of northern Virginia consists of three distinct thrust systems. Each thrust system is characterized by a unique internal geometry.The Blue Ridge thrust sheet is a composite thrust sheet composed primarily of imbricated Precambrian crystalline rocks. It over-rode Cambrian-Ordovician carbonates and formed a sheared, basement-cored fault-bend fold. Thrusts within the sheet may be Taconic and earliest Alleghanian, whereas final thrusting and emplacement of the sheet were probably slightly younger but still early Alleghanian. The North Mountain thrust sheet is characterized by imbricated Cambrian-Ordovician carbonates that are deformed into large-amplitude mode II fault-bend folds and fault-propagation folds. Rocks of this sheet were transported more than 60 km across a similar section of carbonates. The leading edge of the North Mountain thrust sheet was deformed into a fold with a mode II fault-bend fold geometry and was juxtaposed against middle Paleozoic rocks. The middle Paleozoic rocks occur in a ramp across which displacement along the North Mountain thrust was transferred to a higher detachment. More than 60 km of cover rocks displaced during the emplacement of the North Mountain thrust sheet either were transported across this ramp and thrust over a similar section in the western Valley and Ridge province or were backthrust above the sheet. The timing for imbrication and emplacement of the North Mountain thrust sheet is probably Main Phase Alleghanian. The Lower Carbonate duplex extends from beneath the Blue Ridge and North Mountain thrust sheets, westward across the western Valley and Ridge province. The Lower Carbonate duplex is characterized by imbricated Cambrian-Ordovician carbonates that form low-amplitude fault-bend folds. This thrust system also probably formed during Main Phase Alleghanian deformation.


Canada and Australia championed a negotiation process that led to international treaties to respectively ban landmines and regulate the arms trade. Yet they have also sought to block progress on another treaty, on cluster munitions. These parallel yet distinct negotiating tracks suggest the question, when do states actively engage in treaty-making?To address this, this paper analyzes ten turning points across three phases in each of three multilateral negotiation cycles to compare and contrast the conditions under which Canada and Australia at times contributed to, and at times impeded, treaty negotiation processes.This paper finds that the championing of processes occurred when political leadership, substantive expertise and diplomatic resources were all present. When states attempted to slow down progress or to hollow out the substance of treaties, political leadership was noticeably absent. These findings indicate that negotiations should be analyzed within multi-layered internal and external contexts, from the streets to the world to capitals and over the threshold into diplomatic venues and the corridors, rooms, and tables. Each layer adds meaning and understanding to how treaties are born. The links between layers provide a complete picture that accurately reflects when and how championing and blocking strategies are adopted by these two states.By examining parallel negotiating tracks, this paper provides insights on the conditions under which multilateral treaty-making on the manufacture, use and trade in conventional weapons is shaped by Westminster parliamentary democracies. With many gaps to fill in this area of international regulation, these insights may help smooth the path towards further multilateral treaties.


We experimentally demonstrate a femtosecond mode-locked, all-fiberized laser that operates in the 2 μm region and that incorporates a saturable absorber based on a bulk-structured bismuth telluride (Bi(2)Te(3)) topological insulator (TI). Our fiberized saturable absorber was prepared by depositing a mechanically exfoliated, ~30 μm-thick Bi(2)Te(3) TI layer on a side-polished optical fiber platform. The bulk crystalline structure of the prepared Bi(2)Te(3) layer was confirmed by Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. The modulation depth of the prepared saturable absorber was measured to be ~20.6%. Using the saturable absorber, it is shown that stable, ultrafast pulses with a temporal width of ~795 fs could readily be generated at a wavelength of 1935 nm from a thulium/holmium co-doped fiber ring cavity. This experimental demonstration confirms that bulk structured, TI-based saturable absorbers can readily be used as an ultra-fast mode-locker for 2 μm lasers.


This study explains the differences between the outcomes for children adopted by the age of two in comparison to biologically raised children using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. It analyzes the educational attainment and income earned through a competing effects framework. The Family Background Effect measures the positive effects caused by higher than average socioeconomic status of the average family with adopted children. The Family Background Effect contrasted with the negative Adoption Effect caused by a number of different factors that could work against an adopted child. Using linear regression analysis, the study finds that the Family Background Effect prevails over the Adoption Effect. Then the Oaxaca Decomposition technique breaks down the effects of each family background variable on educational attainment for the adopted young adult. It is determined that the differences in the average level of education of the respondents' mother explains over 50% of the' difference in educational attainment between adopted and biologically raised young adults.


State-of-the-art patch-based image representations involve a pooling operation that aggregates statistics computed from local descriptors. Standard pooling operations include sum- and max-pooling. Sum-pooling lacks discriminability because the resulting representation is strongly influenced by frequent yet often uninformative descriptors, but only weakly influenced by rare yet potentially highly-informative ones. Max-pooling equalizes the influence of frequent and rare descriptors but is only applicable to representations that rely on count statistics, such as the bag-of-visual-words (BOV)and its soft- and sparse-coding extensions. We propose a novel pooling mechanism that achieves the same effect as max-pooling but is applicable beyond the BOV and especially to the state-of-the-art Fisher Vector -- hence the name Generalized Max Pooling (GMP). It involves equalizing the similarity between each patch and the pooled representation, which is shown to be equivalent to re-weighting the per-patch statistics. We show on five public image classification benchmarks that the proposed GMP can lead to significant performance gains with respect to heuristic alternatives.


Premature arrest of fermentation constitutes one of the most challenging problems in wine production. The causes of stuck and sluggish fermentations are numerous, troublesome to diagnose, and difficult to rectify. It has become well-established that fermentation rate decreases due to a targeted loss of hexose transport capacity. Factors which have been correlated with incomplete fermentations also regulate transporter expression, turnover and function. Several causes of slow and incomplete fermentations, including ethanol toxicity, have been well-characterized under enological conditions as described herein. Other potential factors that may impact cell growth, viability, and fermentative activity have not been sufficiently evaluated. The role of these factors in problematic enological fermentations is discussed.


Where migrating fish have to pass multiple dams, very high passage performance is required at the series of obstacles to avoid accumulated negative effects of multiple dam passage. In some rivers, migrating fish are trapped, transported past several obstacles, and released to continue their migration. Such trap-and-transport solutions, however, have seldom been evaluated. In the Daugava River, Latvia, several dams with no functional fishways block the river for migrating fish. A remnant Atlantic salmon population is being sustained by a sea ranching regime, where returning spawners are caught and artificially spawned, the juveniles raised in hatcheries, and smolts released in to the river in time for their seaward migration. Hatchery released fish, however, differ substantially from wild conspecifics, and in Latvia, as elsewhere throughout the range of salmon, reduced dependency on hatchery production and the reestablishment of wild salmon populations are being discussed. In the Daugava River system, suitable spawning and rearing habitat remains upstream two dams and an associated large reservoir in a mainstem tributary, the Ogre River, offering the potential to restore a wild salmon population. To explore the potential of a trap-and-transport solution to bring Atlantic salmon spawners in contact with remaining spawning grounds in the Daugava River system, spawners were caught, radio tagged, transported upstream of the two dams and the reservoir, and released to pursue their spawning migration in the tributary. Despite being unfamiliar with the river, some of the tagged spawners moved upstream, reaching areas up to 12 km from the release sites. Males were observed higher upstream in the river compared to females, and some males were tracked relatively close to potential salmon spawning habitat. Females, although displaying some movements in the lower parts of the river, did not move far upstream and were not observed close to any suitable spawning areas, highlighting potentially important sex differences in post trap-and-transport behaviour. Perhaps due to different responses to handling stress, between males and females such low post-transportation spawning success among females has the potential to negatively impact restoration efforts in the Daugava River system and elsewhere. The present study represents a first step towards the restoration of wild Daugava salmon, one of several unique Baltic Atlantic salmon populations, and a potential model for future restoration efforts. Corresponding author: email@example.com


Historically, the Arctic has been much more important to Russia than to other Arctic countries. In Soviet times, the development of the Arctic was of paramount importance and it was used by the Soviet government to legitimise its great power status to domestic and international audiences. It is argued in this paper that the administration of President Putin has re-established a narrative on Russia as an Arctic power. In this sense, Russia not only seeks to exploit natural resources and develop the Northern Sea Route, but to project status as it conceives of itself as a great power. This paper suggests that the Arctic is not only becoming more important for Russia itself but also for Northeast Asian countries, as China, Japan and South Korea require a stable regional environment and secure supply of natural resources, which are essential for their prosperity and stability. In this sense, diverse partnerships are being developed between Russian and Northeast Asian countries; this work analyses the key components of those partnerships and its potential benefits. The development of the Far North constitutes an essential component in Russia's larger and long-term project to develop Asiatic Russia. It would be fallacious to examine Russia's Arctic strategy only through the prism of the current confrontation between Russia and the West. Keywords: Russia, great power, Arctic, Far North, Northeast Asia, China, Japan, South Korea.


Sensor networks consist of small sensing devices that collaboratively fulfill a sensing task, such as monitoring the soil in an agricultural field or measuring vital signs in a marathon runner. To avoid cumbersome and expensive cabling, nodes in a sensor network are powered by batteries and communicate wirelessly. As a consequence of the latter, a sensor network's communication is affected by its radio environment, i.e., the environment's propagation characteristics and the presence of other radio devices. This thesis addresses three issues related to the impact of the radio environment on sensor networks. Firstly, in order to draw conclusions from experimental results, it is necessary to assess how the environment and the experiment infrastructure affect the results. We design a sensor network testbed, dubbed Sensei-UU, to be easily relocatable. By performing an experiment in different environments, a researcher can asses the environments' impact on results. We further augment Sensei-UU with support for mobile nodes. The implemented mobility approach adds only little variance to results, and therefore enables repeatable experiments with mobility. The repeatability of experiments increases the confidence in conclusions drawn from them. Secondly, sensor networks may experience poor communication performance due to cross-technology radio interference, especially in office and residential environments. We consider the problem of detecting and classifying the type of interference a sensor network is exposed to. We find that different sources of interference each leave a characteristic "fingerprint" on individual, corrupt 802.15.4 packets. We design and implement the SoNIC system that enables sensor nodes to classify interference using these fingerprints. SoNIC supports accurate classification in both a controlled and an uncontrolled environment. Finally, we consider transmission errors in an outdoor sensor network. In such an environment, errors occur despite the absence of interference if the signal-to-noise ratio at a receiver is too low. We study the characteristics of corrupt packets collected from an outdoor sensor network deployment. We find that content transformation in corrupt packets follows a specific pattern, and that most corrupt packets contain only few errors. We propose that the pattern may be useful for applications that can operate on inexact data, because it reduces the uncertainty associated with a corrupt packet. List of papers This thesis is based on the following papers, which are referred to in the text by their Roman numerals. Reprints were made with permission from the publishers. List of papers not included In addition to the papers that constitute this …


This article describes and critically reflects on an action research project used for professional development purposes in a Middle Eastern Gulf State. The aim of the project was to improve professional development experiences for a group of in‐service teacher educators, who were English as Second Language advisers. The initial discussion highlights different ideological and methodological approaches to action research and identifies core characteristics that were framed to evaluate the project. Second, the background to the local context is described followed by the action research project, the methodology and outcomes. Using an evaluative framework, the subsequent discussion describes the successes of this project. These include encouraging reflection in a collaborative environment, promoting a culture of learning and supporting the participant's reconstruction of professional knowledge situated in practice. Finally, there is a critical reflection around a number of challenges, tensions and questions that emerged from the project, centred on the loss of core democratic values underpinning action research. These concerns highlight power relationships and the ownership and control of research, which become more apparent in mandatory situations and hierarchical contexts.


Background Recent guidelines emphasise the importance of functional kinetic chain exercises during injury prevention training. Knowledge of muscle activation levels during various unilateral rowing exercises is lacking. Objective To describe and compare the activation levels of scapulothoracic and lumbopelvic muscle parts during eight variations of the high rowing exercise. Design Descriptive study. Exercise performance was standardised and individualised based on height, age and body weight. Setting Controlled laboratory study at Ghent University (Belgium). Participants 30 young healthy volunteers with a history of being active in sports and able to perform the exercises correctly. Interventions Activation levels of the upper trapezius (UT) and lower trapezius (LT) muscles of the dominant shoulder, and multifidus (MF) and erector spinae (ES) muscles at both sides of the trunk were investigated. Exercises were performed in front of a pulley apparatus. Main outcome measurements Individual muscle activation levels captured by surface Electromyography. Results Shoulder muscle activation was characterised by superior LT (>12.5% MVIC) over UT (<7.12% MVIC) muscle activation across exercises. Rowing in a static unipedal squat position revealed highest LT muscle activation (18.33% MVIC). Upright exercises (squatted or lunged) showed generally higher trunk muscle activation levels compared to a sitting or standing execution. Superior MF (>21% MVIC) over ES (<30.13% MVIC) muscle activation was found during all upright exercises, except during static bipedal squatting. Highest MF muscle activation was found heterolateral to arm movement during the dynamic single leg squat version of the exercise (33.26% MVIC; p<0.05). Conclusion High rowing exercises recruit posterior shoulder and trunk muscles relevant in injury prevention training. Unilateral rowing during a single leg squat position or movement seems most favourable for athletic injury prevention training purposes.


Objectives. Previous research has demonstrated mortality differences between immigrants and natives living in Sweden. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of early life conditions in the country of birth and current socio-economic conditions in adult life in Sweden on cardiovascular, cancer, all other cause and total mortality among immigrants and natives in Sweden. Design. The cohort data concerning individual demographic characteristics and socio-economic conditions stems from the Swedish Longitudinal Immigrant Database (SLI), a register-based representative database, and consists of individuals from 11 countries of birth, born between 1921 and 1939, who were residents in Sweden between 1980 and 2001. The associations between current socio-economic conditions as well as infant mortality rates (IMR) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in the year and country of birth, and total, cardiovascular, cancer and 'all other' mortality in 1980–2001 were calculated by survival analysis using Cox proportional hazards regression to calculate hazard rate ratios. Results. The effects of current adult life socio-economic conditions in Sweden on mortality are both stronger and more straightforward than the effects of early life conditions in the sense that higher socio-economic status is significantly associated with lower mortality in all groups of diagnoses; however, we find associations between infant mortality rates (IMR) in the year and country of birth, and cancer mortality among men and women in the final model. Conclusions. Socioeconomic conditions in Sweden are more strongly associated with mortality than early life indicators IMR and GDP per capita in the year of birth in the country of origin. This finding has health policy and other policy implications.


In this paper, we propose a novel 10 Gb/s-based passive optical network (PON) over optical code division multiple access (OCDMA) system to realize the new generation full capacity optical access network which is easily upgraded from existing time division multiplexing PON (TDM-PON) without sacrificing the currently uplink bandwidth assigned to the individual user. 16-ONU (4-OCDMA x 4-packet) uplink burst transmission, an upgrade scenario by a factor of four of conventional 10 Gb/s-based PON, is experimentally demonstrated by using multi-level phase-shift-keying (PSK) super-structured fiber Bragg grating (SSFBG) encoder/multi-port decoder and burst-mode receiver. In the discussions, it will be shown that 32 users can be accommodated in 10 Gb/s-based PON over OCDMA system, and a key is newly introduced multi-level phase-shifted en/decoding, of which auto-correlation waveform can be preferably adopted in the burst-mode reception at 10 Gb/s.


This project initiates a conversation about patient negligence and trust in the medical setting and offers a test to determine whether patient negligence should be considered in litigation. The project examines the line at which a physician's impermissible conduct should become reasonably obvious to a patient and therefore trigger a reasonable response. Absent a reasonable response by patients, this project considers whether comparative negligence attaches. Goodwin and Richardson argue due diligence, an aspect of loyalty, is treated as a value fiduciaries owe their clients, rather than a reasonable step that clients owe themselves. In this collaboration, the authors imagine and unpack a new theory of trust; one which is animated by tort theory, and reads reasonableness and bi-directionality into the trust relationship. In setting the tone of the paper, the authors offer a brief background in tort law's comparative negligence regime and offer an analysis of medical trust in the United States, locating contemporary reproductive monitoring in a historical context. Goodwin and Richardson consider whether the goals of established trust discourse properly and realistically align with contemporary medical problems. In this thought experiment, they begin to articulate the appropriate ex post inquiries for determining whether a patient acted reasonably in trusting her medical provider. Here, the authors propose a test that considers the patient's competence, knowledge, prior experience, access to information, and resources to investigate. The authors argue that this test provides a more nuanced approach for ascertaining the circumstances under which it might be reasonable or unreasonable for a patient to rely on a physician's diagnosis and treatment.


The fast germination of cotton seeds that occurs in blotter and agar seed health tests may become a difficulty in the identification of fungi, thus affecting the efficiency of these tests. The available alternative to impede or to reduce seed germination of dicotyledoneous species is the incorporation of 2.4-D (sodium salt formulation) solution to the substrate. Nevertheless, some questions about 2,4-D use may be raised for several reasons, including the toxicity of this compound. The aim of this work was to investigate the viability of the use of water restriction technique in place of the 2,4-D method to reduce seed germination in incubation seed health testing. The effects of water restriction produced by mannitol and sodium chloride at -0,6, -0,8, -1,0 and -1,2 MPa osmotic potentials were evaluated on seed germination, seedling elongation and in vitro mycelial growth of some fungi occurring on cotton seeds and on their development in the blotter test. The water restriction provided by the solutes at the osmotic potentials tested was proved to reduce germination and seedling elongation to satisfactory levels for cotton seed health analysis, allowing recovery of the main fungi on those seeds under blotter test conditions. This method was seen to be an efficient alternative to the use of 2,4-D. The mycelial growth of fungi was reduced on agar medium at osmotic potentials higher than -0,6 MPa. The recovery of pathogenic fungi under blotter test was not affected by the water restriction technique.


Studies of the interplay of immigration, emigration and extinction in shaping the fauna of islands (McArthur & Wilson, 1967) have influenced the terrestrial ecologists view of the creation and maintenance of diversity. Although in the deep ocean, hydrothermal vents have been the subject of a number of biogeographic studies (Tunnicliffe, 1991), there have been few attempts to validate theories of island biogeography in the shallow marine environment. To rectify this situation, a study comparing the fauna of the mainland of Cornwall, with that of the Isles of Scilly, which lie 45 km from the mainland and were separated from it ~0·3 my BP has been undertaken. Evidence for some comparative impoverishment of the Isles of Scilly fauna was provided by Crisp & Southward (1958) who noted that a small number of cirripedes and molluscs with planktonic larvae, living close to their geographic limits of distribution in Cornwall, were unable to bridge the gap to the islands. They suggested that although species with long-lived planktonic larvae can be widely dispersed, excessive dispersal can lead to their loss from the fauna of small islands. This is clearly demonstrated on the remote island of Rockall where both Crisp (1956) and Moore (1977) noted that only animals with direct development occur. On the Island of Lundy, four species of gastropod were estimated to be less abundant than on the mainland which lies only 18 km away (Hawkins & Hiscock, 1983). However, such studies only deal with a small number of conspicuous intertidal species, and there is a requirement to expand observations to the community level. The present study attempts to question the following hypotheses: (1) α - diversity (that of single samples) is lower on the islands than the mainland; (2) the diversity of species with planktotrophic larvae is lower on the islands than on the mainland.


The therapeutic alliance is considered a demonstrably effective variable for therapy outcomes independent of treatment type, yet the extent to which it may be affected by technology is vague. Similarly, studies examining how technology alters the therapeutic relationship in a traditional face-to-face context are sparse and inconclusive. The robust association between psychotherapy alliance and therapy outcomes combined with the lack of conclusive evidence concerning how technology influences this calls for more research on the relationship between alliance and technology. The current study examines how clients' perceptions of therapy alliance over the course of 10 sessions change with the administration of alliance and outcome measures via smartphone or pen and paper technologies. First-year graduate trainees (n = 24) of an APA-accredited doctoral program in clinical psychology served as beginning therapists to a non-clinical, volunteer population of undergraduate students (n = 47). Beginning therapists were randomly assigned to a control condition that administered paper-and-pen versions of the Session Rating Scale and Outcome Rating Scale or an THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY ON THERAPY ALLIANCE ! iv experimental condition administering modified versions of the same instruments through the use of an Apple iOS device. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to test for alliance differences across sessions 1, 5, and 10. Session Rating Scale administration method was used as the between-groups measure with the Outcome Rating Scale used as a covariate. Results indicated significant differences in alliance over the course of 10 sessions, F (2, 43) = 7.00, p = .002. No significant differences were found between alliance and administration method, F (2, 43) = 0.43, p = .651. Implications for clinical practice, research, and graduate training are considered. THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY ON THERAPY ALLIANCE ! v Table of


An accurate prediction of crude palm oil (CPO) prices is important especially when investors deal with ever-increasing risks and uncertainties of the businesses in future.Observation on the movement of CPO prices suggests an inconsistent trend as the
CPO prices fluctuate from time to time. With regard to this, there is need for a development of an accurate model CPO prices prediction to facilitate efficient decision making fi-om investors, businesses and policy makers. This prediction will at least provide a time lag between the decision making and the time at which the
situation reaches the market place. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to determine the most appropriate model for the prediction of CPO prices in Malaysia.Empirical evidence from the literature suggests that the statistical forecasting approach is the most widely used model to forecast CPO prices. In contrast, there is limited number of literatures on CPO prices prediction using artificial intelligence (AI) forecasting approach. Therefore, there is no clear indications on which of the particular models are associated with the CPO prices in Malaysia. As a result, the following questions are raised in this study: (1) what are the best estimation models to predict CPO prices? (2) Is statistical forecasting approach applicable in predicting CPO prices? (3) Does the CPO prices model prediction degrade the level of accuracy if the time series display a strong persistence level towards the nonstationarity? In this study, the uses of two different types of forecasting approaches were proposed in the prediction of CPO prices. The models from the statistical forecasting approach which were used in this study include the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (ARFIMA) and exponential smoothing (ES). In addition, the AI models which were utilized in this study include the artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro fiizzy inference system (ANFIS). This study employed in-sample forecasting on daily free-on-board CPO prices in Malaysia and the series data stretching from a period of January first, 2004 to the end of December 2011. In an effort to demonsfrate the predictability power of the applied models, a comparison was made with regard to three-day and five-day basis CPO prices. The general findings demonstrated that the ANN model is superior in predicting daily, three-day and five-day basis CPO prices compared to the ARIMA, ARFIMA, ES and ANFIS models


Against the backdrop of the recent conflicts in the Ukraine and Syria the article examines Russia's geopolitical strategy in the context of a "new world order". Starting with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the beginning of capitalist reforms in the early 1990s the focus lies on the negotiation process of a new hegemonic consensus among the Russian elites represented by Vladimir Putin. Special attention is drawn to the role of the state and its key role stabilizing both social and power relations. Furthermore, the article analyses the expansionist strategies of Russian capital and its geopolitical interests, especially in the post-soviet space. The current financial and economic crisis has lead to conflicts among the elites on the resource-extractive mode of development and its one-sided dependency on natural resources. Therefore, the article highlights both the plans on import substitution and new integration process in the postsoviet space (Eurasian Union) asking whether these developments might contribute to a reconfiguration of Russia's geopolitical role.


Objectives To explore the effect of drivers' use of mobile (cell) phones on road safety. Design A case-crossover study. Setting Perth, Western Australia. Participants 456 drivers aged ≥ 17 who owned or used mobile phones and had been involved in road crashes necessitating hospital attendance between April 2002 and July 2004. Main outcome measure Driver's use of mobile phone at estimated time of crash and on trips at the same time of day in the week before the crash. Interviews with drivers in hospital and phone company's records of phone use. Results Driver's use of a mobile phone up to 10 minutes before a crash was associated with a fourfold increased likelihood of crashing (odds ratio 4.1, 95% confidence interval 2.2 to 7.7, P < 0.001). Risk was raised irrespective of whether or not a hands-free device was used (hands-free: 3.8, 1.8 to 8.0, P < 0.001; hand held: 4.9, 1.6 to 15.5, P = 0.003). Increased risk was similar in men and women and in drivers aged ≥ 30 and < 30 years. A third (n = 21) of calls before crashes and on trips during the previous week were reportedly on hand held phones. Conclusions When drivers use a mobile phone there is an increased likelihood of a crash resulting in injury. Using a hands-free phone is not any safer.


GooGLe's nAtiVe CLient (typically abbreviated "NaCl" and pronounced NAHcull) is an intriguing new system that allows untrusted x86 binaries to run safely on bare metal. Untrusted code is already essential to the Web, whether shipping JavaScript source code, Java byte code, Flash applications, or ActiveX controls. Java, JavaScript, and Flash all use an intermediate representation that is quite abstracted from the hardware, using increasingly sophisticated analysis and compilation techniques to achieve good performance on modern computers. ActiveX (or Netscape/Firefox plugins), on the other hand, allows the direct transmission of Windows x86 binary objects, digitally signed and manually approved by the user to run natively. ActiveX has never been particularly desirable. It is not portable to nonWindows platforms, and every user is one mistaken click away from installing malware. Meanwhile, Flash has become a standard install, largely due to its powerful graphics and video libraries. (When you watch a YouTube video in your browser, you're looking at the Flash plugin.) Indeed, Flash has sufficient access to the local system that it has, itself, been the target of a variety of security attacks. Sure, you can uninstall Flash on your system (and mobile phones don't support it at all), but far too many Web sites assume you've got Flash installed, and will be unusable without it. Into this gap, NaCl offers a clever alternative. A plugin like Flash, compiled and optimized in native x86 code, could be downloaded, installed, and run by any Web page without bothering the user for permission. If the plugin turned out to have security flaws, those would be contained by the walls that NaCl builds around the code. Plugins could just run as distinct, unprivileged users in the system, leveraging the multi-user isolation mechanisms already present in any modern operating system, but this ignores several unpleasant realities. First, a substantial portion of the world's computers are running old Windows variants with unacceptable security holes. We must build stronger walls than those platforms' native mechanisms can support. Second, we have to worry about CPU bugs. While possibly the most famous CPU implementation error was Intel's Pentium floating-point division flaw (where arithmetic could yield errors in the low-order bits of the mantissa), other bugs have happened from time to time that result in more serious security ramifications. We need the ability to filter out instructions that might tickle CPU bugs or otherwise have undesirable behavior. If all the world were running classic RISC machines, where every instruction was 32-bits long, this process would be simple. Variable length x86 instructions, however, allow any given array of bytes to correspond to multiple different instruction streams, depending on the exact byte offset to which you jump. Consequently, NaCl introduces a simple static verifier to ensure that all jump instructions can only target instructions on 32-bytealigned boundaries, and to ensure that code blocks, starting at those offsets, have no known unsafe instructions. The NaCl system hides the native system call interface and uses its own inter-process communication mechanism, while also building an "outer sandbox" using more traditional operating system process privilege limits. In principle, NaCl could be built into a browser and ActiveX and Flash could be kicked out. Adobe could recompile Flash to pass NaCl's verifier, and end users would have one less source of security holes to worry about. Also, if Web designers wanted to use different video codecs, they would no longer be limited to whatever Flash supports. Even better, as NaCl doesn't necessarily expose the native operating system's system call interface, we can even imagine NaCl apps running portably across Linux, OS X, and Windows (NaCl is even being extended to support ARM and x86-64). How secure is the open-source NaCl implementation? I was one of the judges for a contest that Google held earlier this year to find out. In the end, only five teams had entries, together identifying what the Google development team considered to be 24 valid security issues. These can be roughly categorized into bugs in NaCl's support infrastructure (unhandled exceptions, buffer overflow vulnerabilities, and a few "type confusion" attacks that exploit the ability to pass one type where another was expected), and obscure instruction sequences that the static verifier missed (for example, the verifier missed a class of "prefix" bits on jump instructions that change their behavior). One vulnerability relied on NaCl's support for memorymapping to unmap and remap a code segment, allowing unverified code to be executed. Clever attacks, but all straightforward to remediate. In summary, the NaCl design as detailed in the following paper is pragmatic and attractive, with its known implementation flaws no worse than what we might see in any fledgling operating system's security boundaries. The NaCl codebase is small and simple enough that these sorts of bugs can and will be fixed if and when NaCl leaves the lab and gains market share in the field.


Increasing female and male farmers' access to groundwater can contribute to increased incomes, improved food security and improved access to water for livestock and domestic needs. In many contexts, private sector manual well drilling is a reliable and affordable means to access shallow groundwater, but it is not widely available in Ethiopia. Data, information and mapping on pilot manual well drilling efforts in selected areas of Ethiopia indicated that the technique provided affordable access to shallow groundwater for farmers and demonstrated high demand among farmers for manually drilled wells, as well as profitability for drilling businesses. The authors of this paper suggest that investments in creating a spatial database of hydrogeologic suitability domains, investments in driller training, and associated investments in accelerating the drilling industry could catalyze a manual well drilling industry and significantly improve smallholder farmers' affordable access to shallow groundwater.


FEYZOLLAHZADEH, M., A. M. NIKBAKHT and A. M. MOTLAGH, 2015. Investigation of the effects of irrigation methods and nutrient treatments on the mechanical properties of safflower seed. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 21: 1216–1221 A comprehensive investigation of effects of irrigation systems and nutrient treatments on mechanical properties of IL111 varieties of safflower seeds ( Carthamus Tinctorius L.) have been fulfilled. Rupture force, deformation at rupture point, hard ness, energy used for rupture and modulus of elasticity were measured in order to get an exact picture of the properties of seeds. Cutting off irrigation in the reproductive growth stage resulted in lower rupture point values while seeds grown with the conventional irrigation system were of more rupture point. The least value of modulus of elasticity was measured to be 66.53 MPa for no cutting off irrigation and combination of nutrient treatments. The similar trend was observed for hardness of seeds. It was proved that the application of organic fertilizers for safflower nutrient improved mechanical properties of seeds in comparison with the chemicals. Also, lower consumption of water in the several growth stages of the crop did not have negative effects on the mechanical attributes of seeds. This can be regarded promising due to the important effect of such attribute in machine designing.


Several European countries and Japan are in various stages of privatizing and/or introducing more competition in passenger rail service. This process has been furthered in Europe by a directive from the Commission of the European Communities (1991) requiring member states to separate operations from infrastructure on the books and give international groupings of trains access to their infrastructure. In the Netherlands, the Ministry of Transport, Public Works, and Water Management was assigned responsibility for making a recommendation to Parliament for choosing between competition for the rails and competition on the rails in increasing competition in the supply of passenger rail service. The Ministry commissioned the experiments reported here in order to acquire better understanding of the properties of the two alternative types of competition in the context of a simple stylized rail network. The experimental rail network includes station complementarity and time slot substitutability. It also includes tradeoffs between local and express trains. Competition on the rails involves allocation of rights to use station and time slot routes by price bids in a combinatorial auction. Competition for the rails involves allocation of rights to regional monopolies by fare-structure bids for supplying a pre-specified minimum transport schedule. The experiments include both allocation of rights and scheduling of trains on the network. The two forms of competition are evaluated with various criteria developed by the Ministry, including passenger service and market prices.


We present a case study that considers the application of runtime verification technology to a wireless sensor application. The case study is performed using the SURGE TinyOS application for multi-hop routing, which executes on the Avrora TinyOS simulator. We discuss the problems we have encountered in the course of case study. The problems include unclear correctness properties for wireless network applications (indicating ad hoc development process) and inadequate tool support.

A wireless sensor network usually comprises of a collection of tiny
devices with built-in processors that can gather physical and
environment information such as temperature, light, sound, etc., and
communicate with one another over radio. Many wireless sensor network
applications sit on top of an operating system called TinyOS and
are mostly written in nesC, an extension of C that provides a component-based
programming paradigm. Most of wireless sensor network applications
are developed and tested on a simulator before they are deployed in
the environment because testing and debugging directly on physical
devices are very difficult, especially when the network consists of
many nodes, and may not provide enough information for debugging. A
simulator usually produces detailed execution information and can help
find errors. However, even with the simulator and nesC, the
current state of development tools for wireless sensor network still
requires very low-level programming, which makes it hard for the
developers to maintain a high-level view of the system operation.
During the validation stage, lack of sophisticated debugging tools for
sensor networks makes it difficult to make the connection between a
high-level functional or performance requirement and a particular
aspect of system implementation.

This paper investigates a high-level approach to examine execution
data from a simulator and analyze it using runtime verification. The
technique 1) identifies and formally specifies high-level requirements
for the system under development, 2) monitors a distributed wireless
sensor network application using data provided by the simulator, and 3)
checks for timing and dynamic properties to gain understanding of the
relevant behaviors of wireless sensor nodes and to provide a
systematic approach in finding bugs and errors. A particular runtime verification
used inthis paper is MaC. MaC provides specification
languages capable of expressing functional, timing, and probabilistic
properties to specify requirements or patterns of errors. Properties
can, for example, examine periodic behaviors or identify a faulty node.
MaC then monitors and checks a wireless sensor network application
against its specification by observing data produced by a simulator.

The motivation for applying the monitoring and checking technique
to check wireless sensor network applications is threefold: 1)
raise the development level for wireless sensor network, 2)
provide a mechanism for understanding high-level behaviors of the
system in terms of low-level observation, and 3) provide a tool
based on the acceptance of the state of the art development tool for
sensor networks.


ABSTRACT Current therapies do not offer universal solutions for the 'global burden' of depression. By focusing on non-verbal communication and creativity, arts therapies might present a relevant treatment option but their effectiveness remains unclear. A pilot study was undertaken to evaluate a brief art therapy group for adults suffering from depression. Adults experiencing mild to moderate depression took part in art therapy and completed questionnaires at three points in time. The intensity of depression, levels of anxiety and general wellbeing were measured. Semi-structured interviews focused on participants' expectations and experience of therapy. A decrease in depressive symptoms was observed immediately after the therapy and at the follow-up, and a trend for improvement of subjectively perceived wellbeing was recorded. Potential benefits of therapy recognised by participants included: acceptance of depression, readiness to express emotions, sense of self and awareness of others, readiness for meaningful relationships, sense of achievement, sense of balance and new insights, growth and meaning. The statistically significant results and participants' experience indicate that art therapy may offer a valuable treatment option for depression, and further research is recommended. Future studies should explore ways of addressing both the outcomes and the process of therapy through creative methodological designs.


We report on spinor polariton interactions in GaAs based microcavities. This investigation is carried out by means of heterodyne polarized pump-probe spectroscopy. We show the dependence of the energy renormalization of the lower and upper polariton resonances with cavity detuning for different polariton densities. We use the exciton-photon based Gross-Pitaevskii equation to model the experiment for both lower and upper polariton modes. The theoretical results reproduce qualitatively the experimental observations revealing the magnitude and sign of the parallel and antiparallel spin interaction strength. We evidence the strong influence of the biexciton resonance on the antiparallel spin polariton energy shift and provide the exciton-biexciton coupling constant. We derive our results in the lower polariton basis using the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, from which we express analytically the spinor polariton interactions and identify the clear role of the biexciton resonance.


A comprehensive statistical study is performed to address the question of whether two classes of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) exist. A total of 3217 CME events observed by SOHO/LASCO in 1996-2000 have been analyzed. We have examined the distributions of CMEs according to speed and acceleration, respectively, and investigated the correlation between speed and acceleration of CMEs. This statistical analysis is conducted for two subsets containing those CMEs that show a temporal and spatial association either with GOES X-ray solar flares or with eruptive filaments. We have found that CMEs associated with flares have a higher median speed than those associated with eruptive filaments and that the median speed of CMEs associated with strong flares is higher than that of weak-flare-associated CMEs. The distribution of CME acceleration shows a conspicuous peak near zero, not only for the whole data set, but also for the two subsets associated either with solar flares or with eruptive filaments. However, we have confirmed that the CMEs associated with major flares tend to be more decelerated than the CMEs related to eruptive filaments. The fraction of flare-associated CMEs has a tendency to increase with the CME speed, whereas the fraction of eruptive-filament-associated CMEs tends to decrease with the CME speed. This result supports the concept of two CME classes. We have found a possibility of two components in the CME speed distribution for both the CME data associated with flares larger than M1 class and the CME data related with limb flares. Our results suggest that the apparent single-peak distribution of CME speed can be attributed to the projection effect and possibly to abundance of small flares too. We also note that there is a possible correlation between the speed of CMEs and the time-integrated X-ray flux of the CME-associated limb flares.


Pyogenic granuloma is one of the inflammatory hyperplasias seen in the oral cavity. This term is a misnomer because the lesion is unrelated to infection and in reality arises in response to various stimuli such as low-grade local irritation, traumatic injury or hormonal factors. It predominantly occurs in the second decade of life in young females, possibly because of the vascular effects of female hormones. Clinically, oral pyogenic granuloma is a smooth or lobulated exophytic lesion manifesting as small, red erythematous papules on a pedunculated or sometimes sessile base, which is usually hemorrhagic. The surface ranges from pink to red to purple, depending on the age of the lesion. Although excisional surgery is the treatment of choice for it, some other treatment protocols such as the use of Nd:YAG laser, flash lamp pulsed dye laser, cryosurgery, intralesional injection of ethanol or corticosteroid and sodium tetradecyl sulfate sclerotherapy have been proposed. Because of the high frequency of pyogenic granuloma in the oral cavity, especially during pregnancy, and necessity for proper diagnosis and treatment, a complete review of published information and investigations about this lesion, in addition to knowledge about new approaches for its treatment is presented.


In this thesis we examine the Graph Theoretic Facility Layout Problem (GTFLP) . The GTFLP i s concerned with designing a building layout, with a specified number of facilities, with data relating to the facilities' areas, and proximity desirability ratings or material flows between the facilities. The objective is to design an efficient layout which incorporates these issues, by attempting to minimise the transportation cost of material flow between facilities, or maximise the desirability ratings, and designing regularly shaped facilities which allow effectiveness of the layout. The GTFLP proceeds as a two phase process; the first generates a highly weighted (maximal) planar graph, called an adjacency graph, which specifies the relative spatial location of each facility, with respect to its adjacent facilities. This phase has been extensively studied, and although not a focus of this thesis, we ad dress adjacency graph generation and provide a worst case analysis of the so-called TESSA method. The main thrust of this thesis addresses the second phase of the GTFLP, where we examine the construction of the layout in light of the information given by the first phase. We review previous literature in this area, and extend this work by a series of enhancements to existing methods, and introduction of new techniques including: introducing the Vertex Splitting Algorithm, the Tiling Algorithm, and the SIMPLE Algorithm; analysis of previous methods, by completing the theory of the Deltahedron and Contraction Layout Algorithms for instance. Initial steps in characterising adjacency graphs, which by their structure allow the easy con struction of a corresponding layout, is introduced, by providing a series of template layouts; furthermore we compare and contrast algorithms which force an overly ing grid structure against those more generic methods, which do not impose this rigidity; and introduce some simple procedures for improving the regularity of a layout. We formally define the concept of regularity, by presenting a series of quantifi able measures, which can be calculated to give an evaluation of the effectiveness of a layout. Thereby we attempt to quantifiably compare and rank the layout gener ation methods, by evaluating the regularity measures over a set of test problems. The effects of the various layout improvements, and initialisation processes will be shown within this computational process. We also examine the incorporation of a Material Handling System (MHS) within a layout . The calculation of the trans portation costs involved in the implementation of each layout , via the Material Handling System, provides another mechanism for ranking the layout algorithms. Directions for future wotk are provided in the area of the Material Handling Sys tem. Indeed our work in this area only highlighted the importance of modelling this concept. The final contribution of this thesis is the generation of a framework which attempts to look beyond the more theoretical GTFLP model. By invoking a three phase process, which allows the decomposition of the adjacency graph, interaction with a decision planner, and the ability to perturb the problem constraints, we can produce a range of alternative layout scenarios, since there is no right answer to this second phase, and indeed an infinite number of different layouts satisfy the problem constraints. This allows the design process to be directed in a more mean.ingful way, by exploiting structure within the adjacency graph and the working knowledge of a decision planner, providing a basis whereby the GTFLP can be effectively used within any building design process. We conclude that the GTFLP model is an important concept within the more general Facility Layout Problem. We provide evidence that the standard Graph Theoretic model is perhaps overly restrictive. Indeed we shall see that the gen eration of a good adjacency graph does not in general correspond to obtaining a practical layout. With this in mind, we have identified the strengths and weaknesses of the various concepts and ideas used within Graph Theoretic Facility Layout De sign, and consequently have created an integration of the adjacency graph and layout phases of this problem. This has provided a unification of the GTFLP into a more malleable form, which provides enough flexibility to accurately model the mechanics behind the design process.


Over the past decades early years education throughout Europe has experienced large changes due to higher numbers of children attending centres for early childhood education and care (ECEC), a growing linguistic and cultural diversity in society and a shift from care to education, that is, preparing children for entry to primary school. These changes have created expectations from policy makers, researchers and parents for qualitatively high levels of ECEC. Language support for children at risk is often named as one of the key aspects of high-quality childcare because of its importance for a successful entry to and progression within the future educational career of a child. However, rather little is known about how early years professionals meet the linguistic expectations of twenty-first century Europe. The present special issue tries to fill this gap by giving a platform to five European investigations into language at preschool in Europe with a focus on early years educators' competences, knowledge, skills, beliefs and needs. This introductory article aims at preparing the reader for the contributions that follow in this special issue. We first describe current policy and practice of language support in European ECEC with regard to children's and educators' needs. Afterwards we review all the contributions and provide a summary focusing on the diversity as well as the commonalities of the five investigations, before formulating an outlook for future work.


This paper investigates whether there are bubbles in stock prices. We do this using a previously studied structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) model claiming to distinguish fundamental and non-fundamental shocks to real stock prices. TheSVAR model relies on an identification restriction in order to correctly label the shocks. We test this restriction by means of a Markov switching-SVAR (MS-SVAR) model in heteroskedasticity. Using data from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US we find that the restriction is rejected for Italy, supported at the 1% level for Japan and supported at least at the 5% level for the remaining countries. Several alternative specifications confirm the robustness of these findings. Using SVAR impulse responses and forecast error variance decompositions we further examine the structural shocks and confirm the shock labeling for Japan. Through historical decompositions we observe that stock prices tended to be undervalued throughout the 1970s and 1980s. This undervaluation corrects itself by the mid 1990s, after which stock prices tend to move in tandem with their fundamentals. We therefore find no evidence in favor of stock price bubbles in all the countries invested.


ABSTRACT The bark structure of Adansonia digitata L. is described in detail. Characters of the bark that are shared with other Malvaceae include the presence of strongly dilating rays, mucilage cells and cavities, druses of calcium oxalate in the cells of cortical parenchyma and phloem rays, a storied arrangement of sieve tube members and axial parenchyma strands, the presence of secondary phloem fibers and their arrangement into tangential bands. The secondary phloem fibers are longer (2.8–8.6 mm) and more abundant than the libriform fibers (1.7–2.2 mm) in the wood of this species. The abundance of parenchyma in both axial and radial parts of the secondary phloem and in the pseudocortex is a noteworthy feature. Due to the complementarity of fibrous and parenchymatous tissues, the secondary phloem can provide substantial mechanical benefits and apparently play an important role in the biomechanical stability of the trunk. The meristematic capacity of dilated phloem rays and the pseudocortex allow for substantial bark dilatation with very limited abscission of the outer portions of the secondary phloem. Subsequent phellogen initiation in the outer part of the secondary phloem was not observed, not even in mature bark. Hence no rhytidome is present. The thin translucent phellem, formed by continuous phellogen arising in the subepidermal layer, allows for photosynthesis to potentially occur within the chloroplast-containing cells of phelloderm and pseudocortex, even when the plants are leafless, thus probably assisting them to survive harsh climatic conditions. The formation of sieve tube members by transverse anticlinal divisions from fusiform cambial initials in A. digitata is a first report for the Malvaceae sensu lato.


There is a strong link between the development of skills associated with self-determination (i.e., choice-making, decision-making, problem solving, goal setting and attainment, planning, self-management, self-advocacy, self-awareness, and self-knowledge) and positive school (e.g., academic achievement) and postschool (e.g., employment, community access) outcomes. In this article, we advocate for an examination of research related to the impact, usability, and cultural sustainability of an evidence-based intervention intended to enable students to enhance skills associated with self-determination, the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction (SDLMI), when used to support students with extensive support needs, including students with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD). Theoretical foundations of the construct of self-determination and its applicability for all people and extant research on implementation of the SDLMI and students with extensive support needs are presented. Implications for researchers are addressed, including the impact, usability, and cultural sustainability of the SDLMI for students with extensive support needs, and the potential of the SDLMI to support all students in inclusive settings when implemented as a universal support.


Despite the rapid development of complex functional supramolecular systems, visualization of these architectures under native conditions at high resolution has remained a challenging endeavor. Super-resolution microscopy was recently proposed as an effective tool to unveil one-dimensional nanoscale structures in aqueous media upon chemical functionalization with suitable fluorescent probes. Building upon our previous work, which enabled photoactivation localization microscopy in organic solvents, herein, we present the imaging of one-dimensional supramolecular polymers in their native environment by interface point accumulation for imaging in nanoscale topography (iPAINT). The noncovalent staining, typical of iPAINT, allows the investigation of supramolecular polymers' structure in situ without any chemical modification. The quasi-permanent adsorption of the dye to the polymer is exploited to identify block-like arrangements within supramolecular fibers, which were obtained upon mixing homopolymers that were prestained with different colors. The staining of the blocks, maintained by the lack of exchange of the dyes, permits the imaging of complex structures for multiple days. This study showcases the potential of PAINT-like strategies such as iPAINT to visualize multicomponent dynamic systems in their native environment with an easy, synthesis-free approach and high spatial resolution.


: This study presents a ranking list of 35 management- and 28 clinical-centered e-health academic journals developed based on a survey of 398 active researchers from 46 countries. Among the management-centered journals, the researchers ranked Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association and Journal of Medical Internet Research as A+ journals; among the clinical-focused journals, they ranked BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making and IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics as A+ journals. We found that journal longevity (years in print) had an effect on ranking scores such that longer standing journals had an advantage over their more recent counterparts, but this effect was only moderately significant and did not guarantee a favorable ranking position. Various stakeholders may use this list to advance the state of the e-health discipline. There are both similarities and differences between the present ranking and the one developed earlier in 2010.


© Cambridge University Press 2008 and 2009. Throughout the twentieth century, clinicians and researchers struggled to establish a convincing account of psychosis and the processes and mechanisms underlying its manifestations. This effort depended on refinements of classification and case definition over the whole course of the century. However, despite the huge investment of intellectual energy and monetary resources, results have been slow in coming and disappointingly piecemeal. It has become clear that psychosis is a phenomenon of great complexity. Recent social and cognitive models of psychosis are attempts to deal with some aspects of this complexity. We will argue for the appositeness of such models, and place them within the broader research effort in psychosis. Before doing this, we need to revisit some of the consequences of the formulation of the concept of schizophrenia, the disorder that represents the core of psychotic phenomena. A failed category? The idea that schizophrenia is a failed category emerges regularly in the psychiatric and psychological literature, the most prominent current advocate being Bentall (2003). This is essentially a criticism of approaching schizophrenia as a medical entity. The medical strategy of investigation involves the identification of syndromes, which, in turn, form the basis of theories. These include those relating to aetiology, pathology, outcome and treatment (Wing, 1978). Syndromes are essentially theoretical constructs: while they can be regarded as disease entities, they are never really more than tentative. Nevertheless, there is a tendency in psychiatry to regard psychiatric syndromes as having more virtue than they actually possess.


We present the results of a systematic modeling study of postseismic deformation following blind thrust earthquakes. The results include qualitative and quantitative predictions of the surface movement caused by relaxation in viscoelastic near-surface layers. Finite element forward models are used in conjunction with elastic dislocation inversions to characterize the post-seismic deformation. A viscoelastic surface layer overlying a blind thrust fault in an elastic basement shows characteristic signatures of postseismic surface movement. Simple equivalent elastic dislocations located in the hanging wall wedge are found to provide an effective proxy for near-surface postseismic relaxation in two-dimensional numerical simulations. A model survey of a range of fault dip angles and layer geometries shows the time evolution and geometry of the proxy fault to be simply related to fault dip and sediment thickness. The results are of significance in the interpretation of postseismic Global Positioning System (GPS) strain data from the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake and other similar events in regions characterized by poorly consolidated or otherwise anelastic layers overlying the brittle seismogenic zone.


While countries often face similar challenges in the field of technical and vocational education and training (TVET), their approach for coming up with suitable solutions is often done independently from their immediate neighbours in the region. To promote increased cooperation and dialogue, the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre, in partnership with the Section for TVET, Asia-Pacific Programme for Educational Innovation for Development (APEID) of the UNESCO-Bangkok Office and with the cooperation of the Department of Vocational Education (DOVE) of the Ministry of Education in Thailand, organised a planning meeting of regional resource persons in the field of TVET. This meeting, which took place in Bangkok in May 2002, was attended by experts from Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam. Individual presentations on national challenges in the field of TVET were made by participants and these were followed by small group discussions that identified a range of common issues, concerns and challenges in this field.


The organisation under review, like many others, is currently facing a number of challenges, such as profitability and the life-span of the existing resources, and the ability to locate new resources. This calls for leaders to think and respond differently in such times, which has called for a revision of the current business strategy and operating model. This has included, amongst others, the disposal of marginal/loss making resources, the revision of the traditional organisational hierarchical structure, referred to as the inverted triangle (with a more direct focus on front-line employees) and the implementation of continuous business improvement, supported by lean manufacturing principles. This study aims at exploring the supporting socio-technical change considerations within a learning organisation, specifically focussing on aspects referring to the desired culture, such as communication patterns; social and behavioural patterns and leadership characteristics. In order to effect successful, holistic change, it is imperative that both the social and technological dimensions of organisational change are jointly managed and optimised. The purpose of this study will therefore be to explore and suggest the socio-technical considerations required to facilitate holistic change in order to achieve efficiency within the organisation.


To communicate effectively with others, one has to choose the appropriate way of expressing his ideas. This study aimed to identify the similarities and differences of euphemism between Arabic and English. The significance of the study was to raise public awareness of how important is to use certain words and phrases instead of other ones in particular situations. This study involved Saudi female college students and it took place in Yanbu Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. A group of 10 EFL female students was asked to answer a questionnaire that indirectly tested their usage of euphemisms in their L1 and L2. The results indicated some similarities between Arabic and English use of euphemism and most importantly at vulnerable settings like talking about death followed by culturally sensitive topics that address health status, social classification, and concepts of politeness. In view of the findings, EFL learners sometimes face difficulty in choosing their language cautiously, responsibly and consciously in cross-cultural contexts where the proper use of euphemism is the cornerstone to avoiding embarrassment and face-threatening acts.


Precise localization of single-neuron activity has elucidated functional architectures of the primate cerebral cortex, related to vertically stacked layers and horizontally aligned columns. The traditional "gold standard" method for localizing recorded neuron is histological examination of electrolytic lesion marks at recording sites. Although this method can localize recorded neurons with fine neuroanatomy, the necessity for postmortem analysis prohibits its use in long-term chronic experiments. To localize recorded single-neuron positions in vivo, we introduced MRI-detectable elgiloy deposit marks, which can be created by electrolysis of an elgiloy microelectrode tip and visualized on highly contrasted magnetic resonance (MR) images. Histological analysis validated that the deposit mark centers could be localized relative to neuroanatomy in vivo with single-voxel accuracy, at an in-plane resolution of 200 μm. To demonstrate practical applications of the technique, we recorded single-neuron activity from a monkey performing a cognitive task and localized it in vivo using deposit marks (deposition: 2 μA for 3 min; scanning: fast-spin-echo sequence with 0.15 × 0.15 × 0.8 mm(3) resolution, 120/4,500 ms of echo-time/repetition-time and 8 echo-train-length), as is usually performed with conventional postmortem methods using electrolytic lesion marks. Two localization procedures were demonstrated: 1) deposit marks within a microelectrode track were used to reconstruct a dozen recorded neuron positions along the track directly on MR images; 2) combination with X-ray imaging allowed estimation of hundreds of neuron positions on MR images. This new in vivo method is feasible for chronic experiments with nonhuman primates, enabling analysis of the functional architecture of the cerebral cortex underlying cognitive processes.


C. de La Serre was a composer, copyist and maître de musique. His known compositions are all airs sérieux and airs à boire, appearing in printed sources and manuscripts between 1716 and 1724. His individual collection, Recueil d'airs nouveaux sérieux et à boire (1724) provides the most complete picture of his achievements as a composer, as it exhibits the largest number of his songs in a single volume. Another side of La Serre's musical activity is also considered in the present study, as it includes the examination of selections from the manuscript F-CECm/Ms. 282, of which he was the copyist. The distinguishing characteristic of this manuscript is its collection of canons, which may be the largest of its kind. La Serre's own music is included in F-CECm/Ms. 282, along with airs by composers such as Jean-Baptiste de Bousset, François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau. This thesis places canons, airs sérieux and airs à boire composed by La Serre and other prominent songwriters of the period within the social context of the French Regency, and the context of the genres at the beginning of the eighteenth century. The conventions of verse and music are also considered in relation to specific airs of the printed collection and the manuscript. A catalogue of La Serre's Recueil d'airs nouveaux sérieux et à boire and the edited selections of F-CECm/Ms. 282 is also included. Volume II comprises a critical edition of La Serre's 1724 collection and selections from the manuscript.