Sleep related breathing disorders are common as well as a poor prognostic sign associated with higher mortality in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). These patients often have a shorter total duration of sleep, disturbed sleep structure and increased daytime sleepiness, which can negatively affect all dimensions of the life situation. The spouse has an important role in supporting the patient in relation to sleep disorders, but this role may be adversely affected by the sleep situation of the couple. The aim of this study was to describe decisive situations that influence spouses' support to patients with CHF in relation to the couple's sleep situation. A qualitative descriptive design using critical incident technique was employed. Incidents were collected by means of interviews with 25 spouses of patients with CHF, strategically selected from two hospital-based specialist clinics in southern Sweden. Two main areas emerged in the analysis: support stimulating situations and support inhibiting situations. Support stimulating situations described how spouses' support was positively affected by their own adaptation in psychosocial or practical situations, and receiving help from others. Support inhibiting situations described how the spouses' support was negatively affected by sleep disturbances as a result of the patient's symptoms, anxiety in relation to the disease, limitations as a result of the sleeping habits, dissatisfaction with care related to the sleep situation, and being left to cope alone with the problems. An increased understanding of the stimulating and inhibiting situations influencing spouses' support for patients with CHF can guide health care personnel in deciding if an intervention is needed to improve the sleep situation for patient and spouse.


Objectives & Background: The Traffic policemen working near signal junctions are exposed to harmful noise of around 72 – 100db for 7 – 8 hours per day. Noise affects several physiological processes of the body including hearing. In our study we intended to record Hearing Thresholds in Traffic policemen & to test the hypothesis "Exposure to traffic Noise will reduce Hearing Thresholds". Methodology: 30 Traffic policemen & 30 office policemen, not worked at signal junctions, were selected based on inclusion & exclusion criteria. Their Hearing Thresholds were recorded using Audiometer Results & Conclusions: The Hearing threshold for A/C in both ears were significantly high in study group for frequencies 1000, 2000, 6000Hz with 'p'<0.05. Hearing threshold for B/C in Rt ear was significantly higher in study group at 1000, 4000Hz. Hearing threshold for B/C in Lt ear was significantly higher in study group at 1000, 2000Hz. Threshold shift (10db change) was found for A/C in both ears at 1000Hz frequency. Wear, tear and adaptive changes in hair cells are responsible for such finding.


Anonymizing private data before release is not enough to reliably protect privacy, as Netflix and AOL have learned to their cost. Recent research on differential privacy opens a way to obtain robust, provable privacy guarantees, and systems like PINQ and Airavat now offer convenient frameworks for processing arbitrary userspecified queries in a differentially private way. However, these systems are vulnerable to a variety of covertchannel attacks that can be exploited by an adversarial querier.

We describe several different kinds of attacks, all feasible in PINQ and some in Airavat. We discuss the space of possible countermeasures, and we present a detailed design for one specific solution, based on a new primitive we call predictable transactions and a simple differentially private programming language. Our evaluation, which relies on a proof-of-concept implementation based on the Caml Light runtime, shows that our design is effective against remotely exploitable covert channels, at the expense of a higher query completion time.


This article studies translation effects by comparing the use of verbs meaning SIT, STAND and LIE in original and translated texts in the English-Swedish Parallel Corpus (ESPC). Effects on both the frequency of use and the use of lexical and structural translation shifts are studied. Postural verbs have a much higher frequency overall in Swedish than in English. In Swedish translated texts, postural verbs are significantly under-represented in comparison to original texts, whereas postural verbs are significantly over-represented in English translations. At a more fine-grained level, it is possible to show that various categories are treated differently, in particular the types of subjects. The effect on frequency is stronger for Human subjects, which represent an unmarked category, than it is for Inanimate subjects, which are more marked. However, the pattern of over- and under-representation presupposes a functional overlap across languages. Writing as subject, which is a category that is unique to Swedish in relation to English, follows a different pattern. (This type of subject appears in examples such as: Nyheten star i tidningen 'The news is (literally: stands) in the paper'). The result is discussed both from the point of view of the research methodology used in contrastive studies based on translation corpora and from a theoretical point of view. For methodology, the conclusion is that frequencies can be considerably skewed, whereas a language remains true to its system of basic semantic contrasts in professional translations. Theoretically, the result can be related to theories of language contact and studies of second language acquisition and bilingual development.


Consider a two-stage matching problem, where edges of an input graph are revealed in two stages (batches) and in each stage we have to immediately and irrevocably extend our matching using the edges from that stage. The natural greedy algorithm is half competitive. Even though there is a huge literature on online matching in adversarial vertex arrival model, no positive results were previously known in adversarial edge arrival model. For two-stage bipartite matching problem, we show that the optimal competitive ratio is exactly 2/3 in both the fractional and the randomized-integral models. Furthermore, our algorithm for fractional bipartite matching is instance optimal, i.e., it achieves the best competitive ratio for any given first stage graph. We also study natural extensions of this problem to general graphs and to s stages and present randomized-integral algorithms with competitive ratio ½ + 2−O(s). Our algorithms use a novel Instance-Optimal-LP and combine graph decomposition techniques with online primal-dual analysis.


Favourite-longshot bias (FLB) is a phenomenon in betting markets reported over many decades and in many jurisdictions, whereby market prices deviate systematically from their fundamental value; favourites/longshots being under-/over- value. Many studies have sought to explain the enduring presence of the FLB and its absence in some markets, but little consensus has been reached. This paper aims to settle this debate by providing a clear explanation for the FLB's continued presence in most markets and its absence in others. We develop a model which suggests the bias may result from competition between bookmakers and with betting exchanges, combined with bettors' greater demand elasticity with respect to favourites. Further, we propose that the FLB will be eliminated when informed traders dominate and transaction costs are low. We use the predictions of our model to develop hypotheses, which we test empirically by analysing how the bias develops over the course of the markets for 6,058 races run between August 2009 and August 2010, requiring the analysis of over 5.5 million market prices in total. Our results confirm that three factors contribute to the existence of the FLB: the pricing decisions of bookmakers, the availability of information, and the level of transaction costs. This analysis helps to identify the roles played by previously suggested accounts of the bias. In particular, we show that, because of (a) competition between bookmakers themselves and with exchanges, and (b) bettors' demand for competitive prices on favourites, bookmakers' optimal pricing decisions necessarily lead to the FLB. Second, we show that there is FLB in exchange prices in the early stages of the market, which is not eliminated because of higher transaction costs (in the form of wider bid-ask spreads). Finally, we draw upon models of prediction markets to suggest that, when informed traders dominate, any FLB in betting exchanges is likely to be short-lived, and we find that this is the case.


Characterization and Assessment Uncertainty in San Juan ReservoirSanta Rosa Field. (December 2003) Ernesto José Becerra, B.S., Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. W. John Lee This study proposes a new, easily applied method to quantify uncertainty in production forecasts for a volumetric gas reservoir based on a material balance model (p/z vs. Gp). The new method uses only observed data and mismatches between regression values and observed values to identify the most probable value of gas reserves. The method also provides the range of probability of values of reserves from the minimum to the maximum likely value. The method is applicable even when only limited information is available from a field. Previous methods suggested in the literature require more information than our new method. Quantifying uncertainty in reserves estimation is becoming increasingly important in the petroleum industry. Many current investment opportunities in reservoir development require large investments, many in harsh exploration environments, with intensive technology requirements and possibly marginal investment indicators. Our method of quantifying uncertainty uses a priori information, which could come from different sources, typically from geological data, used to build a static or prior reservoir model. Additionally, we propose a method to determine the uncertainty in our reserves estimate at any stage in the life of the reservoir for which pressure-production data are available. We applied our method to San Juan reservoir at Santa Rosa Field, Venezuela. This field was ideal for this study because it is a volumetric reservoir for which the material balance method, the p/z vs. Gp plot, appears to be appropriate.


The paper presents multi-physics (Mechanical, Thermal, Hydraulic, and Pneumatic) based modelling and simulation of an Oleo-pneumatic shock absorber with fault capabilities. The fault simulated in this model is leakage due to eccentricity. The one-dimensional shock absorber system models to give loads at different sink velocities. These load values, used in the structural model to do static stress analysis. By using these loads directly from the system model eliminates the error in load computation from the load's group, thereby eliminating the time and cost involved in this activity. The models and static stress analyses carried out with both 1-D and 3-D elements. The 3-D landing gear model meshed with using both auto and manual mesh generation options. The consequences of both 1-D and 3-D models mesh generation, discussed in this paper. The static stress analysis, compared with the experimental results and it is found that the results are within 5% deviation. Based on the static stress and fatigue analysis computed the life of a landing gear.


The growing wind power industry, increased occurrence of extreme weather, and the need for becoming independent of fossil fuels motivate the research on accurate simulation of near-surface wind. The aim of this study is wind resource assessment at the potential wind park site Rieppi, using two on-site measurement masts, simulations from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, and ERA-Interim reanalysis data from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forcasts (ECMWF). The main focus has been on 2014 for investigating monthly and seasonal behaviour of the wind. A climatology of the period 2004-2013 will be used for assessing the representativeness of 2014. The on-site measurements were compared to ERA-Interim data and WRF simulations in terms of Root Mean Square Error, correlation and Bias. Weibull distribution based on wind speed histograms and wind roses were also used for comparing the three data sources and for validating the WRF model. The obtained differences between ERA-Interim and the on-site measurements, in terms of horizontal wind speeds and prevailing wind directions, show little consistency. The obtained wind roses from ERA-Interim show little agreement to the prevailing on-site wind directions. In contrast, despite a systematically underrepresentation of strong and gusty wind speeds, the WRF model provides more accurate simulation results than the ERA-Interim data. The simulated wind directions and low to moderate wind speeds show high consistency to the on-site measurements. The local wind resource maps obtained by WRF provide valuable information about the local wind patterns in the area. These factors show that the WRF model is a versatile and useful tool for early stage wind resource assessment, even in complex terrains like at the Rieppi site.


Eosinophilic crystalline pneumonia (ECP), also known as acidophilic macrophage pneumonia (AMP), is a common intrapulmonary lesion that increases in prevalence with age in mice, especially those on a C57BL/6 and 129Sv background. Gross changes may be evident in severe cases as lobar to diffuse red to brown foci throughout the lungs, which fail to collapse. Definitive diagnosis is by histopathology, which shows the accumulation of brightly eosinophilic crystals within macrophages or free within lumens of alveolar spaces and conducting airways. Granulocytes, multinucleated giant cells, and epithelial hyalinosis may also be present in affected areas of the lung. The disease may represent a cause of morbidity and mortality when other disease processes interfere with clearance, leading to the accumulation of crystals and crystal laden macrophages in airways, resulting in dyspnea. Other anatomic locations may be affected by epithelial hyalinosis and/or crystals as part of the syndrome, including respiratory tract, stomach, gall bladder, bile duct, and pancreatic duct. Keywords: Epithelial hyalinosis, crystals, acidophilic macrophage pneumonia (AMP), eosinophilic crystalline pneumonia (ECP)


World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the ongoing COVID-19 as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020 For this advancement, countries all over the world has begun to implement lockdown as one of the strategies to tackle the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus Like other countries, the lockdown in India also poses serious problems to the health industry and to many other sectors One of the severely affected and ignored programs, the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)which approximately addresses 27 million newborns seeking immunization per year, is also suspended In this scenario, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases could be catastrophic for communities and health systems which are battling the impacts of COVID-19 At present, there exists no definite medicine and vaccine for COVID-19 The immunity of an individual plays a crucial role in the prevention of disease as well as severity The interruption of vaccination program can give rise to a resurgence of measles cases This resurgence can lead to profound immunosuppressants which can cause an increased incidence of COVID-19 with a rise in the number of severe cases which eventually leads to increased mortality rate Moreover, the suppression of immune function can lead to increased incidence of other infections which may have a huge burden to the healthcare system where services have already been compromised due to low resources Lessons should be learned from Europe and Africa Initiatives should be taken to restore the routine immunization program immediately with all precautionary measures as per WHO guidelines © 2020 Ubiquity Press All rights reserved


A significant part of the problem with patent damage awards comes from the non-exclusive, fifteen-factor "Georgia-Pacific" test now taken as the gold standard for calculating reasonable royalty damages. Simply handing the question of reasonable royalty to the jury, without more, is not a recipe for precision in damages analysis. But the fifteen-factor test may actually be worse, because it overloads the jury with factors to consider that may be irrelevant, overlapping, or even contradictory. And because the jury's finding is the result of such a complex, multi-factor test, it is as a practical matter almost entirely immune from scrutiny by either district or appellate judges facing a deferential standard of review. We suggest a structured approach to calculating reasonable royalties. Most of the factors in the Georgia-Pacific test in fact boil down to three fundamental questions: (1) what is the marginal contribution of the patented invention over the prior art, (2) how many other inputs were necessary to achieve that contribution, and what is their relative value, and (3) is there some concrete evidence suggesting that the market has chosen a number different than the product of (1) and (2). By structuring the inquiry in this way, courts (or Congress) can not only simplify the question for the jury, but enable district courts and the Federal Circuit to easily review the factual basis for a jury award.


Aquaculture and marine renewable energy are two expanding sectors of the Blue Economy in Europe. Assessing the long-term environmental impacts in terms of eutrophication and noise is a priority for both the EU Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and cumulative impacts will be important for the Maritime Spatial Planning under the Integrated Maritime Policy. With the constant expansion of aquaculture production, it is expected that farms might be established further offshore in more remote areas, as high-energy conditions offer an opportunity to generate more power locally using Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) devices. A proposed solution is the co-location of MRE devices and aquaculture systems using Multi-Purpose Platforms (MPPs) comprising offshore wind turbines (OWTs) that will provide energy for farm operations as well as potentially shelter the farm. Disentangling the impacts, conflicts and synergies of MPP elements on the surrounding marine ecosystem is challenging. Here we created a high-resolution spatiotemporal Ecospace model of the West of Scotland, in order to assess impacts of a simple MPP configuration on the surrounding ecosystem and how these impacts can cascade through the food web. The model evaluated the following specific ecosystem responses: (i) top-down control pathways due to distribution changes among top-predators (harbor porpoise, gadoids and seabirds) driven by attraction to the farming sites and/or repulsion/killing due to OWT operations; (ii) bottom-up control pathways due to salmon farm activity providing increasing benthic enrichment predicated by a fish farm particle dispersal model, and sediment nutrient fluxes to the water column by early diagenesis of organic matter (recycled production). Weak responses of the food-web were found for top-down changes, whilst the results showed high sensitivity to increasing changes of bottom-up drivers that cascaded through the food-web from primary producers and detritus to pelagic and benthic consumers, respectively. We assessed the sensitivity of the model to each of these impacts and the cumulative effects on the ecosystem, discuss the capabilities and limitations of the Ecospace modeling approach as a potential tool for marine spatial planning and the impact that these results could have for the Blue Economy and the EU's New Green Deal.


If the spontaneous breaking of Peccei-Quinn symmetry comes from soft supersymmetry breaking, the fermionic partners of the symmetry-breaking fields have mass of order the gravitino mass, and are called flatinos. The lightest flatino, called here the flaxino, is a CDM candidate if it is the lightest supersymmetric particle. We here explore flaxino dark matter assuming that the lightest ordinary supersymmetric particle is the stau, with gravity-mediated supersymmetry breaking. The decay of the stau to the flaxino is fast enough not to spoil the standard predictions of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, and its track and decay can be seen in future colliders.


PURPOSE: There are currently no published studies on the outcomes of keratoplasty in the Philippines.  This study aimed to report graft survival rates at years 1, 3, and 5 after surgery, visual outcomes, and causes of graft failure among private patients of corneal surgeons in Metropolitan Manila receiving tissue from a single local eye bank in the period 2008-2012.
DESIGN: Retrospective cohort, multicenter study.
METHODS: POPULATION: Private patients of Metro Manila corneal surgeons, receiving tissue from the Santa Lucia International Eye Bank of Manila in 2008-2012.  241 of 593 yielded sufficiently complete data sets. PROCEDURE: Donor and tissue characteristics, pre-op and latest follow-up characteristics/clinical findings were retrieved and processed. Data from the eye bank was merged with follow-up data from surgeons submitted March-October 2014. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years; best-corrected visual acuity as of latest follow-up; causes of failure.
RESULTS:  1-year survival: 90.4%, 3-year: 71.5%, 5-year: ~52.7%. Overall, 43.5% had VA of 20/50 or better, and 25% counting fingers or worse, with variations across diagnoses.
CONCLUSION: Though small in sample size and response rate, survival trends parallel studies with larger populations elsewhere. Specific trends like favorable survival in keratoconus were consistent. Indications for surgery have changed little since 2005, but regraft has become the most common indication. Further data collection and completion are required for multivariate analysis on factors regarding survival.  Inflammation, infection, trauma, poor adherence are among the identified reasons for failure.


A chimeric HLA-DR4-H2-E (DR4) homozygous transgenic mouse line spontaneously develops diverse hematological malignancies with high frequency (70%). The majority of malignancies were distributed equally between T and B cell neoplasms and included lymphoblastic T cell lymphoma (LTCL), lymphoblastic B cell lymphoma (LBCL), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the histiocyte/T cell rich variant of DLBCL (DLBCL-HA/T cell rich DLBCL), splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL), follicular B cell lymphoma (FBL) and plasmacytoma (PCT). Most of these neoplasms were highly similar to human diseases. Also, some non-lymphoid malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and histiocytic sarcoma were found. Interestingly, composite lymphomas, including Hodgkin-like lymphomas, were also detected that had CD30+ Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg (H/RS)-like cells, representing a tumor type not previously described in mice. Analysis of microdissected H/RS-like cells revealed their origin as germinal center B cells bearing somatic hypermutations and, in some instances, crippled mutations, as described for human Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Transgene integration in an oncogene was excluded as an exclusive driving force of tumorigenesis and age-related lymphoma development suggests a multi-step process. Thus, this DR4 line is a useful model to investigate common molecular mechanisms that may contribute to important neoplastic diseases in man.


Using the recently developed semi-infinite linear programming techniques and Caratheodory's dimensionality theory, we present a unified approach to digital filter design with time and/or frequency-domain specifications. Through systematic analysis and detailed numerical design examples, we demonstrate that the proposed approach exhibits several salient features compared to traditional methods: 1) using the unified approach, complex responses can be handled conveniently without resorting to discretization; 2) time domain constraints can be included easily; and 3) any filter structure, recursive or nonrecursive, can be employed, provided that the frequency response can be represented by a finite-complex basis. More importantly, the solution procedure is based on the numerically efficient simplex extension algorithms. As numerical examples, a discrete-time Laguerre network is used in a frequency-domain design with additional group-delay specifications, and in a /spl Hscr//sub /spl infin//-optimal envelope constrained-filter design problem. Finally, a finite impulse response phase equalizer is designed with additional frequency domain /spl Hscr//sub /spl infin// robustness constraints.


The selectins are lectin-like cell surface glycoproteins that have been implicated in playing a crucial role in the initiation of leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells (ECs) during inflammation. Binding of selectins under conditions of flow mediates leukocyte rolling, which in vivo is almost exclusively observed in venular microvessels. We have shown in previous experiments that intraperitoneal treatment of rabbits with interleukin-1 beta (IL-1) increases leukocyte rolling in exteriorized mesenteries. In the present study, we used immunohistochemistry of mesenteries and found that IL-1 induced a marked E-selectin immunoreactivity, preferentially in venules. We therefore hypothesized that the increased rolling in response to IL-1 may be related to the induction of E-selectin on venular ECs. Intravital microscopy was used to investigate interactions between leukocytes and ECs after intraperitoneal application of IL-1. The rabbit E-selectin monoclonal antibody (MoAb) 9H9 significantly reduced rolling of leukocytes by approximately 40%. Vehicle alone, class-matched control MoAb or the nonblocking anti-E-selectin MoAb 14G2 had no effect on rolling. These results indicate that leukocytes roll on inflamed venular ECs partly through interactions with E-selectin. Furthermore, we propose that the restricted E-selectin immunoreactivity by venular ECs contributes to the remarkable difference seen between arterioles and venules in exhibiting leukocyte rolling in vivo.


Background. With climate change, adverse human health effects caused by heat exposure are of increasing public health concern. Forests provide beneficial ecosystem services for human health, including local cooling. Few studies have assessed the relationship between deforestation and heat-related health effects in tropical, rural populations. We sought to determine whether deforested compared to forested landscapes are associated with increased physiological heat strain in a rural, tropical environment. Methods. We analyzed data from 363 healthy adult participants from ten villages who participated in a two-by-two factorial, randomized study in East Kalimantan, Indonesia from 10/1/17 to 11/6/17. Using simple randomization, field staff allocated participants equally to different conditions to conduct a 90 min outdoor activity, representative of typical work. Core body temperature (CBT) was estimated at each minute during the activity using a validated algorithm from baseline oral temperatures and sequential heart rate data, measured using chest band monitors. We used linear regression models, clustered by village and with a sandwich variance estimator, to assess the association between deforested versus forested conditions and the number of minutes each participant spent above an estimated CBT threshold of 38.5 °C. Results. Compared to those in the forested condition (n = 172), participants in the deforested condition (n = 159) spent an average of 3.08 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57, 5.60) additional minutes with an estimated CBT exceeding 38.5 °C, after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and experiment start time, with a larger difference among those who began the experiment after 12 noon (5.17 [95% CI 2.20, 8.15]). Conclusions. In this experimental study in a tropical, rural setting, activity in a deforested versus a forested setting was associated with increased objectively measured heat strain. Longer durations of hyperthermia can increase the risk of serious health outcomes. Land use decisions should consider the implications of deforestation on local heat exposure and health as well as on forest services, including carbon storage functions that impact climate change mitigation.


Bacterial spot disease caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria (X. axonopodis pv. vesicatoria) is a devastating pepper (Capsicum annuum) disease in Turkey. Biological control of Xanthomonas axanopodis pv. vesicatoria is of great interest, in terms of environmental safety and economic return. In this study, 3 Bacillus strains isolated from soil samples of the rhizospheres of peppers grown in greenhouses and fields were used to suppress the size of the population of X. axonopodis pv. vesicatoria. Results indicated that disease development decreased by 11%-62% and 38%-67% in pepper plants inoculated with the 3 Bacillus strains alone and in combination, respectively, in greenhouse and field experiments. In addition, stem diameter, root elongation, root dry weight, shoot dry weight, and yield increased in response to the treatments in the field experiment by 7.0%-20.5%, 7.0%-17.0%, 4.5%-23.5%, 16.5%-38.5%, and by 11.0%-33.0%, respectively. This is the first study to report the successful biological control of bacterial spot disease caused by X. axonopodis pv. vesicatoria using Bacillus species in Turkey.


The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) employs an accelerator-based source utilizing the deuteron-lithium stripping reaction (D-Li source) to irradiate materials. Its objective is to develop materials able to resist the conditions in the inner walls of a fusion reactor. High availability is a fundamental requirement to produce the fusion materials database that allows finding suitable materials for DEMO design on anticipated timeline.
In order to fulfill the availability requirements, RAMI (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Inspectability) program have to be considered from the very beginning. This Master Thesis contributes to the RAMI program for the deuterons injector of the IFMIF accelerator facility. The analysis developed starts from the identification of critical failures that leads to a loss of availability through a FMEA (Failure Modes and Effect Analysis) process. Fault tree technique has been adopted to model the failure behavior in the injector by using the failure modes found in the FMEA. RiskSpectrum PSA© code has been used for the system availability quantification.
The analysis highlights critical injector components, events and parameters that contribute to the unavailability. The main critical components are the coils power supplies and the turbomolecular pumps of the vacuum pumping system.
The present report proposes design modifications, in order to increase the availability. Several design options are evaluated, such as redundancies and components locations. In addition, technologies under study such as permanent magnets or multilayer coils have been analyzed. Both are suitable to achieve the availability requirements. However they must be evaluated by the IFMIF project team as viable options, due to the iterative nature of the RAMI process.


The common-law principle of 'substance over form' applied to tax-avoidance cases a landmark decision long overdue n March 1996 the then Appellate Division gave a judgment which, surprisingly, came as a shock to many tax consultants. In Erf 3183/1 Ladysmith (Pty) Ltd and Another v Commissioner for Inland Revenue 1996 (3) SA 942 (A) it was decided that the common-law principle of substance over form could be used to ignore a tax-avoidance scheme. Until this decision the Commissioner, mostly unsuccessfully, questioned schemes in terms of the general statutory anti-avoidance section, s 103(1) of the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962 (the Act) (see Hicklin v Secretary for Inland Revenue 1980 (1) SA 481 (A)). This created the mistaken impression that if a scheme is structured in such a way that all four requirements of the section are not complied with the Commissioner has to give effect thereto.


Introduction: In this era of preventive dentistry, many techniques are available for prevention of caries, such as plaque control, use of systemic and local fluorides and pit and fissure sealants. The rationale of pit and fissure sealants is that, when they are applied into the caries prone fissures, they penetrate and seal them from the oral environment. This study aims to correlate the relationship between the viscosity of the sealant, resin tag length and microleakage. Materials and Methods: 30 third molars were selected for study. The teeth were randomly divided into 3 groups. Group E: Embrace wetbond, H: Helioseal, G: Guardian seal. Teeth were cleaned with pumice prophylaxis and pretreated with acid etching and bonding agent. The respective pit and fissure sealants were applied. Teeth were placed in 1% methylene blue dye and sectioned mesio-distally into two halves. These were used to assess the microleakage using stereomicroscope and resin tag length using SEM. Viscosity was assessed using Brooke's field viscometer. Results: Viscosity was lowest for Embrace wetbond and highest for Guardian seal. Microleakage scores were highest with Guardian seal and lowest with Embrace wetbond. Resin tag lengths were longer with Embrace wetbond as compared to other groups. There is a definite negative correlation between viscosity, resin tag length and microleakage. Lower the viscosity, the longer were the resin tags and the microleakage decreased. Embrace wetbond pit and fissure sealant had lowest viscosity, longest resin tag length and lowest microleakage scores. Conclusion: Embrace wetbond appears to be compatible with residual moisture and ideal for use in children, where isolation is a problem.


Several International Organizations, such as the IAEA, OECD-NEA and the EC have raised concerns regarding a possible shortage of skilled people in the Nuclear Energy Sector in Europe. Apart from measures undertaken by International Communities and several EU-Member States it is vital to know how to attract potential employees. The three organizations a) EHRO-N, the European Human Resources Observatory in the Nuclear Energy Sector, operated by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, b) ENS, the European Nuclear Society and c) Thomas Thor Associates jointly prepared a survey on career orientations and expectations of nuclear professionals. The web based Survey of 18 questions was distributed to the network of EHRO-N, ENS and Thomas Thor Associates, guaranteeing data protection rules. The survey could therefore reach around 10.000 potential respondents. A summary and analysis of the responses of the survey are presented in this report.


Among the dental alloys used in prosthetic dentistry, besides the ones rich in noble elements as gold or platinum, there are also cheaper chromium-rich nickel-base and cobalt-base alloys. In this study the microstructure and the properties of a cobalt-base alloy containing 30 wt.%of chromiumand other alloying elements was characterized. In this first part of the work, the microstructure of the alloy in its as-cast state or in its heat-treated state, and its thermo-physical properties were examined. The results showed that the chemical composition, the hardness, the melting temperature range and the thermal expansion behaviourwere not exactly the oneswhichwere expected. The heat-treatments applied to the alloy for simulating the possible consequences on its constitution did not considerably change neither the microstructure of the alloy nor its hardness. In the second part of this study this will be the corrosion behaviour of the alloy in artificial saliva which will be characterized.


Eukaryotic cells maintain a compartmental cellular organization of membrane-enclosed organelles that communicate with each other through the exchange of trafficking vesicles. Members of a superfamily of membrane proteins, the so-called SNAREs, are essential for the necessary fusion of vesicle membranes to the membrane of target organelles. SNAREs are needed to overcome the energy barrier that prevents spontaneous membrane fusion events. A number of studies from the past decade indicated that SNARE proteins might fulfill a function beyond merging membranes. The mammalian plasma membrane SNARE Syntaxin1A was shown to directly interact with and through this interaction modify the activity of, for example, a calcium ion channel and a potassium ion channel. In its classical function as SNARE protein, Syntaxin1A mediates specialized vesicle fusion events such as synaptic transmission in neurons or secretion of insulin from pancreatic cells. These specialized vesicle fusion events require precise timing that is controlled by intracellular signaling events. These intracellular signaling events involve the coordinated action of members from different families of ion channels. Current models suggest that the dual functions of a SNARE protein in ion channel regulation and membrane fusion serve to fine-tune highly regulated vesicle fusion events. This thesis provides evidence for the first direct interaction between a SNARE protein and an ion channel from plants and suggests a function for this interaction in Arabidopsis potassium nutrition. Three different protein-protein interaction assays for full-length membrane proteins that comprised a yeast mating based split-ubiquitin assay, co-immunoprecipitation after expression in insect cells and bi-molecular fluorescence complementation after transient Arabidopsis root transformation, confirm that the Arabidopsis plasma membrane SNARE SYP121 interacts in vitro and in vivo with the Shaker ion channel subunit KC1. Furthermore, the interaction between KC1 and SYP121 is specific over the closest homologue of Syp121, namely SYP122. Shaker channels are plasma membrane proteins with four subunits that transport the essential macronutrient potassium in response to changes in membrane voltage. The KC1 subunit is unique among the Shaker channels. It can only act as a regulatory subunit that modifies channel properties when forming heterotetramers with other Shaker subunits such as AKT1, not as functional homotetramer. AKT1 is expressed predominantly in the root epidermis, i.e. root hairs, where it overlaps with the more broadly expressed KC1 and SYP121. Previous publications showed that a low external potassium concentration combined with high levels of ammonium that is used to block all root potassium uptake systems apart from AKT1, causes akt1 null mutants to display strongly reduced main root length as well as whole plant potassium content compared to wild type plants. It is shown here that the phenotype of both syp121 and kc1 null mutants is identical to the akt1 mutant under these growth conditions. The design of new antibodies against native AKT1 and KC1 and an optimized protocol for root plasma membrane protein enrichment and solubilisation allowed for the first time visualization of native Arabidopsis AKT1 protein. This technical advance made it possible to confirm that both Shaker channel subunits are present in equal amounts in the plasma membrane of roots cells from syp121 mutant and wild type plants. It is concluded that the potassium uptake phenotype of the syp121 mutant is not caused by the absence of channel proteins from the plasma membrane due to a disruption of the vesicle trafficking function of the SNARE SYP121. An alternative function for SYP121 in potassium nutrition that involves direct interaction with AKT1-KC1 heterotetrameric channels is supported by electrophysiological measurements after heterologous expression in Xenopus leavis oocytes. SYP121 modifies the voltage-dependent potassium uptake characteristics of AKT1-KC1 heterotetramers in a way most easily understood in context of a conformational change within the voltage sensing protein parts of the Shaker channel that are caused by the direct interaction with the SNARE protein. It is concluded that the identical potassium uptake phenotype of the akt1, kc1 and syp121 mutants is caused by the inability to form a functional tripartite complexes. As KC1 is able to form heterotetrameric channels with several different Shaker channel subunits, for example KAT1 that is highly expressed in guard cells, it is likely that this novel interaction between KC1 and SYP121 might modulate channel activities in different tripartite complexes to affect various cellular functions.


The study is important because there currently seems to be a gap in the literature, since most published research has highlighted India's overall GDP growth rates. Little academic research has been done on the importance and performance of industrial sectors in a developing economy like that of India. The industrial sector there has languished at around 16% of GDP, which is much less than that of China or of any other country at India's stage of economic development.The neoliberal reforms of 1991 in India removed tariffs and barriers to foreign trade and investment. India reduced the role of state and public sector, and dismantled controls, while increasing the role of the market and private sector within the economy. As a result, foreign capital investment and foreign exchange reserves improved. However, job expansion did not occur and there has been no corresponding decline in the share in agricultural employment. Even the much heralded IT sector's dramatic expansion over the last two decades has provided jobs directly to less than a million people.This study argues that it would be misleading to think that a large country like India could industrialise and modernise its economy whilst the unequal distribution of land and rural assets, and the dismal performance of the agricultural sector remains. This study concludes that more than two decades have passed since the neoliberal reforms were launched, but industrial growth has still not witnessed rapid expansion, especially in manufacturing areas. It seems, then, that neoliberal policies have failed to create jobs and thus improve the living conditions of a significant proportion of the population.


OBJECTIVE
Although increased signal intensity (ISI) on MRI is observed in patients with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) without major bone injury, alterations in ISI have not been evaluated. The association between postoperative ISI and surgical outcomes remains unclear. This study elucidated whether or not the postoperative classification and alterations in MRI-based ISI of the spinal cord reflected the postoperative symptom severity and surgical outcomes in patients with SCI without major bone injury.

METHODS
One hundred consecutive patients with SCI without major bone injury (79 male and 21 female) with a mean age of 55 years (range 20-87 years) were included. All patients were treated with laminoplasty and underwent MRI pre- and postoperatively (mean 12.5 ± 0.8 months). ISI was classified into three groups on the basis of sagittal T2-weighted MRI: grade 0, none; grade 1, light (obscure); and grade 2, intense (bright). The neurological statuses were evaluated according to the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scoring system and the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS).

RESULTS
Preoperatively, 8 patients had grade 0 ISI, 49 had grade 1, and 43 had grade 2; and postoperatively, 20 patients had grade 0, 24 had grade 1, and 56 had grade 2. The postoperative JOA scores and recovery rate (RR) decreased significantly with increasing postoperative ISI grade. The postoperative ISI grade tended to increase with the postoperative AIS grade. Postoperative grade 2 ISI was observed in severely paralyzed patients. The postoperative ISI grade improved in 23 patients (23%), worsened in 25 (25%), and remained unchanged in 52 (52%). Patients with an improved ISI grade had a better RR than those with a worsened ISI grade.

CONCLUSIONS
Postoperative ISI reflected postoperative symptom severity and surgical outcomes. Alterations in ISI were seen postoperatively in 48 patients (48%) and were associated with surgical outcomes.


This article argues that Harlan Fiske Stone has been largely overlooked in the recent legal literature even though his legacy should influence how we resolve contemporary legal problems. It examines Stone's archived correspondence, his speeches and opinions, and numerous secondary sources to demonstrate why he is more important now than at any time since his death in 1946. As Attorney General from 1924-25, Stone's decision to prohibit the Bureau of Investigation (BI, today's FBI) from spying on domestic radicals established a framework that should guide the troublesome relationship between domestic intelligence and law enforcement that reemerged after September 11, 2001. As an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1925-41, Stone's visionary critiques of formalistic, extra-textual interpretations of Congress's power support the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate. Even more importantly, Stone's devotion to judicial restraint when assessing the constitutionality of laws that he, his Party, and the President who appointed him opposed, contrasts sharply with the troublingly partisan divisions of the current Court. Finally, Stone's dissent in Minersville v. Gobitis, though largely overlooked in the contemporary legal literature, bravely defended the rights of a religious minority suspected of disloyalty during a surge of national paranoia that closely resembles the public's current apprehension toward Muslim Americans. This article also analyzes less attractive aspects of Stone's legacy, including his appointment of J. Edgar Hoover to head the BI and his opinion upholding the military's mistreatment of aliens and citizens of Japanese descent during World War II.


A striking insight of analyses of neoliberalism has been the extent of elite continuity throughout. But there have also been significant changes. While, in the agricultural sector, much of the literature on agricultural co-operatives has highlighted their continued market dominance, this article focuses on the case of an unsuccessfully transformed tobacco co-operative in the small South African town of Mokopane. While state deregulation of the agricultural sector did not mean that all forms of associational support for farmers were lost, farmers there faced a more precarious position. A general decline in farming has resulted in significant changes in the nature of land utilisation. Mining and game farming have become the district's economic mainstay. This article also highlights shifts away from communal, inter-personal forms of organisation within co-operatives well before the official coming of the neo-liberal epoch. None the less, the scope of decision-making by co-operative management was limited by the oversight of the Ministry of Agriculture, which functioned as a safety net of sorts, but also considered that the interests of ordinary farmers were best upheld by co-operatives remaining non-profit entities.


Passive biological treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) relies on sulfate -reducing bacteria (SRB) supported by a biodegradable organic carbon source. However, long-term treatment performance can be limited by the degradation rates of organic carbon available to SRB, and by low metal stability in spent reactive mixtures. The first part of this study focused on characterization of six natural organic materials and their short-term effectiveness in sulfate-reduction and metal removal from synthetic AMD. In the second part, long-term performance and metal precipitates in the reactive mixtures were assessed. Maple wood chips, sphagnum peat moss, leaf compost, conifer compost, poultry manure and conifer sawdust were analyzed in terms of their carbon and nitrogen content, as well as their easily available substances content (EAS). Single substrates and substrate mixtures were tested in a 70-day batch experiment (2-L reactors) and in an extended batch study for up to 350 days. Geochemical modeling and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to assess the minerals present in the solid phase. The highest EAS content and the lowest C/N ratio suggested poultry manure would be the best substrate. Nevertheless, the lowest efficiency was found in the poultry manure reactor, whereas the mixture of three organic materials was the most effective. After 350 days, the mixture of organic carbon sources was still efficient for AMD treatment. SEM analysis of the solid phase indicated the presence of iron sulfides. Substrate characterization provided insight on organic carbon availability but did not elucidate their ability to promote sulfate-reduction and metal removal. Further research is needed to accurately predict long-term carbon availability and to assess the metal precipitates in spent reactive mixtures.


We study the dynamics of massive black hole pairs in clumpy gaseous circumnuclear disks. We track the orbital decay of the light, secondary black hole M•2 orbiting around the more massive primary at the center of the disk, using N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamic simulations. We find that the gravitational interaction of M•2 with massive clumps Mcl erratically perturbs the otherwise smooth orbital decay. In close encounters with massive clumps, gravitational slingshots can kick the secondary black hole out of the disk plane. The black hole moving on an inclined orbit then experiences the weaker dynamical friction of the stellar background, resulting in a longer orbital decay timescale. Interactions between clumps can also favor orbital decay when the black hole is captured by a massive clump that is segregating toward the center of the disk. The stochastic behavior of the black hole orbit emerges mainly when the ratio M•2/Mcl falls below unity, with decay timescales ranging from ∼1 to ∼50 Myr. This suggests that describing the cold clumpy phase of the interstellar medium in self-consistent simulations of galaxy mergers, albeit so far neglected, is important to predict the black hole dynamics in galaxy merger remnants.


We propose a parametric dictionary learning algorithm to design structured dictionaries that sparsely represent graph signals. We incorporate the graph structure by forcing the learned dictionaries to be concatenations of subdictionaries that are polynomials of the graph Laplacian matrix. The resulting atoms capture the main spatial and spectral components of the graph signals of interest, leading to adaptive representations with efficient implementations. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for the sparse approximation of graph signals.


INTRODUCTION The Brady Medal, the highest award of The Micropalaeontological Society, is given to scientists who have had a major influence on micropalaeontology by means of a substantial body of excellent research and additionally service to the scientific community. It is named in honour of the brothers George and Henry Brady, pioneers of foraminiferal and ostracod research, respectively, both of whose work included landmark studies of material from the Challenger expedition. If the Challenger revolutionized nineteenth century oceanography, then the Glomar Challenger and the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) did the same for twentieth century micropalaeontology and palaeoceanography. So, it is fitting that the second Brady medal should go to one of the great contributors to DSDP microfossil studies, Katharina von Salis Perch-Nielsen. To use the words of her mother, Katharina is 'curious, logical, inventive and rebellious, with an extreme sense for justice'. As a researcher, she made outstanding contributions to nannofossil taxonomy, biostratigraphy and palaeobiology. She both carried out an immense body of primary research and synthesized her encyclopaedic knowledge of nannofossils in a series of seminal syntheses, which have provided the basis for subsequent research. Moreover, she played a unique role in encouraging, supporting and facilitating micropalaeontological research and researchers. EARLY STUDIES Katharina was born in 1940 in Zurich, and was brought up there and in Soglio in Graubünden, a high-Alpine municipality in southeastern Switzerland, and commune of origin of the distinguished von Salis family. Her own branch of the family was characterized by strong women – her grandmother …


At present,the main task of designing a mounting system of automotive engine powertrain is to select appropriate stiffness,position and angle of mounting components so that free-vibration modal frequency of the mounting system can avert from the exciting-force frequency at the idle speed of the engine and the natural frequency of vibration of the vehicle body and that the decoupling degree of each mode shape is increased as far as possible,so as to improve the vibration-isolation effect of the mounting system.The design of a mounting system based on strict decoupling at predetermined frequencies is to make the modal frequencies of the designed mounting system completely equal to the frequencies predetermined in accordance with the frequency planning of automotive design,and to enable strict decoupling of each mode shape of each mode,i.e.,the decoupling degree of vibration energy in every direction equals to 1.Based on a free-vibration equation for a mounting system,this paper presented an equation system for designing a mounting system with strict decoupling at predetermined frequencies,provided a solving method for this equation system by using the method of constructing function,so as to provide an optimal design method more efficient and simpler than the current modal optimization method of mounting system.Relevant examples validated the correctness of equations and solving method of the strict-decoupling design at predetermined frequencies.


During the Polarstern summer expedition TransArc 2011 to the Central Arctic, the biological and physical importance of melt ponds was assessed in terms of primary productivity and light transmittance.
A seasonal succession could be observed: thick algal aggregates with high Net Primary Productivity (NPP) rates were found during late summer in open ponds, while low NPP were found in early autumn in refrozen closed ponds. These different NPP rates are not correlated with nutrient concentrations. Thus, light seems to be the relevant factor for NPP. Indeed according to Lee et.al. 2011 light intensity at the pond surface favours, rather than inhibits carbon uptake rates.
Besides their potential for carbon sequestration, melt ponds will also impact the entire Arctic ecosystem as they allow more incoming light to reach the water column and therefore NPP rates in the water under the ice might increase.


Inferior temporal (IT) cortex of primates is known to play an important role in visual memory. Previous studies of IT neurons during performance of working memory tasks have found modulation of responses when a current stimulus matched an item in memory; however, this effect was lost if other stimuli intervened in the retention interval. To examine how IT cortex retains memories while new stimuli are activating the cells, we recorded from IT neurons while monkeys performed a delayed matching-to-sample task, with multiple intervening items between the sample and matching test stimulus. About half of the cells responded differently to a test stimulus if it matched the sample, and this difference was maintained following intervening stimuli. For most of the affected cells, the responses to matching stimuli were suppressed; however, for a few cells the opposite effect was seen. Temporal contiguity alone could not explain the results, as there was no modulation of responses when a stimulus on one trial was repeated on the next trial. Thus, an active reset mechanism appears to restrict the memory comparison to just the stimuli presented within a trial. The suppressive effects appear to be generated within or before IT cortex since the suppression of response to matching stimuli began almost immediately with the onset of the visual response. The memory of the sample stimulus affected not only the responses to matching stimuli but also those to nonmatching stimuli. There was suggestive evidence that the more similar a nonmatching stimulus to the sample, the more the response was suppressed. About a quarter of the cells showed stimulus- selective activity in the delay interval following the sample. However, this activity appeared to be eliminated by intervening stimuli. Thus, it is unlikely that delay-interval activity in IT contributed to the performance of this particular version of delayed matching to sample. To determine how much information about the match-nonmatch status of the stimulus was conveyed by individual neurons, we analyzed the responses with discriminant analysis. The responses of an individual IT neuron could be used to classify a stimulus as matching or nonmatching on about 60% of the trials. To achieve the same performance as the animal would require averaging the responses of a minimum of 25 IT neurons. There was no evidence that mnemonic information was carried by temporal variations in the spike trains. By contrast, there was a modest amount of temporal variation in sensory responses to different visual stimuli.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Recent development of computational resources with a huge number of multi cores facilitates implementation of the ensemble-based data assimilation techniques including ensemble Kalman filter and ensemble-based four dimensional variational methods for practical applications. To understand basic characteristics of ensemble-based data assimilation methods, we examine assimilation skills of two ensemble-based techniques: four dimensional local transformation ensemble Kalman filter (4DLETKF) and adjoint-free four dimensional variational (a4DVAR) scheme comparing them with the traditional 4DVAR and 3DVAR methods. Comparison is done in the framework of twin-data experiments with the Lorentz-96 model characterized by 40 degrees of freedom and the external forcing parameter of 8. Pseudo observation data are created by adding random noise with amplitude of 1 to the data sampled from a background ("true") model run at 6-hour intervals. These data are assimilated into the model starting from an initial condition extracted from another (first guess) simulation. The data at 0, 6, 12 hours are assimilated for adjusting the initial condition for each 12-hour long assimilation window. In the case of dense observations (13 data points per sample), 4DLETKF effectively reduces RMSE below the noise level (left panel in Fig.1). Both 4DVAR and A4DVAR with carefully tuned background error covariance matrices show comparable skills with that of 4DLETKF. The best performance of 4DLETKF in Fig. 1 might be attributable to its superior ability of capturing the error covariance structure based on the ensemble simulation because a temporal variation of the ensemble spread is quite similar to that of RMSE. In contrast, in the case of sparse observations (7 grid points per sample, right panel in Fig.1), the skill of 4DLETKF deteriorates with a mean level of RMSE (4.3) larger than those of both 4DVAR (3.3) and A4DVAR (3.6), suggesting a requirement of more tuning LETKF parameters and/or relatively robust responses of 4DVAR/a4DVAR to sparse sampling. We present more details of the experiments and discuss possible implementation of the ensemble-based methods in operational ocean forecasting systems.


During the use phase of products, a series of obsolescing factors contribute to why a product is disposed of. Currently the visual state of a product is considered primarily in terms of aesthetic obsolescence which is synonymous with influential factors such as changes in fashion or personal preferences in style. The physical condition of a product is not commonly understood within the context of product replacement and the physical changes due to use are not understood fully. The research contributes to and provides original empirical research findings for the current literature on product lifetime extension, material semantics, the circular economy, emotionally durable design and material culture.
Through an initial exploratory study (Photographic Analysis (PA) Study) of previously unexplained types of wear and damage that occur on portable electronic devices a taxonomy of damage (TOD) was established which provided the nomenclature for further studies. The second study (Retrospective Assessment (RA) Study) established the attitudes to wear based on the wear type, location, material and the stage during ownership that the wear occurred at. The RA Study highlighted the differences in the attitudinal responses to differing types of wear and damage and identified the differences in the temporal assessments of wear and damage. A third study (Real Time Assessment (RTA) Study) aimed to confirm or repudiate the findings found in the RA Study. The focus during the study was attitudes to the wear and damage in relation to the differences in materials, the location of the wear and the type of wear and damage was also looked at and led to a fuller understanding of how products and materials are perceived during the use phase; a stage of the product lifetime that is not currently well understood in terms of users aesthetic or cosmetic sensibilities. The final study (Semantic Perception of Materials (SPM) Study) focused on the visual and tactile perceptions of materials. The study established attitudinal perceptions of wear and damage of materials with a quantitative research methodology which has produced a better understanding of material semantics within the context of electronic objects.
Through the four studies, discussion topics arose and major findings of the doctoral study were drawn out and seen to be interesting enough for further research and study. These discussions include the importance of including cosmetic obsolescence into the lexicon of product obsolescence and product lifetime extension literature, the differences in the perceptions of materials when they are within the context of a product or being assessed as samples, how differing product contexts affect user perceptions of wear and damage on materials and the potential inclusion of a material wear index that could inform the material selection process that goes further than the technical aspects outlined in current material selection tools and literature.


The Efficient Global Optimization (EGO) algorithm uses a conditional Gaus-sian Process (GP) to approximate an objective function known at a finite number of observation points and sequentially adds new points which maximize the Expected Improvement criterion according to the GP. The important factor that controls the efficiency of EGO is the GP covariance function (or kernel) which should be chosen according to the objective function. Traditionally, a pa-rameterized family of covariance functions is considered whose parameters are learned through statistical procedures such as maximum likelihood or cross-validation. However, it may be questioned whether statistical procedures for learning covariance functions are the most efficient for optimization as they target a global agreement between the GP and the observations which is not the ultimate goal of optimization. Furthermore, statistical learning procedures are computationally expensive. The main alternative to the statistical learning of the GP is self-adaptation, where the algorithm tunes the kernel parameters based on their contribution to objective function improvement. After questioning the possibility of self-adaptation for kriging based optimizers, this paper proposes a novel approach for tuning the length-scale of the GP in EGO: At each iteration, a small ensemble of kriging models structured by their length-scales is created. All of the models contribute to an iterate in an EGO-like fashion. Then, the set of models is densified around the model whose length-scale yielded the best iterate and further points are produced. Numerical experiments are provided which motivate the use of many length-scales. The tested implementation does not perform better than the classical EGO algorithm in a sequential context but show the potential of the approach for parallel implementations.


There is an ancient story that King Midas hunted in the forest a long time for the wise Silenus, the companion of Dionysus.... When Silenus at last fell into his hands, the king asked what was the best and most desirable of all things for man. Fixed and immovable, the demigod said not a word, till at last, urged by the king, he gave a shrill laugh and broke out into these words: "Oh, wretched ephemeral race, children of chance and misery, why do you compel me to tell you what it would be most expedient for you not to hear? What is best of all is utterly beyond your reach: not to be bom, not to be, to be nothing. But the second best for you is?to die soon." (BT 3)1


We report the outcome at 2 or 3.5 years of 1463 neonates at high risk born between 1975 and 1984 and cared for in a regional perinatal program in Alberta. Although the number of surviving infants of very low birth weight (1250 g or less) increased over the study period, the incidence rate of neurologic impairment fell significantly, from 19% to 13% (p less than 0.01), so that there was no significant increase in the absolute number of disabled children. This finding remained valid when two other groups of infants at high risk (those weighing more than 1250 g at birth and having a positive neurologic history and those born at term with asphyxial encephalopathy) were included in the analysis, so that over the decade there was a significant decrease in the incidence of disability among the total group of neonates (p less than 0.01) and no increase in the absolute number of disabled children (23 in 1975 and 19 in 1984). We conclude that neonatal intensive care has contributed to improved survival of neonates at high risk without increasing the burden of major neurologic disability.


Amphibian declines and extinctions have been documented around the world, often in protected
natural areas. Concern for this trend has prompted the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Park
Service to document all species of amphibians that occur within U.S. National Parks and to search for any
signs that amphibians may be declining. This study, an inventory of amphibian species in Big Cypress
National Preserve, was conducted from 2002 to 2003. The goals of the project were to create a
georeferenced inventory of amphibian species, use new analytical techniques to estimate proportion of
sites occupied by each species, look for any signs of amphibian decline (missing species, disease, die-offs,
and so forth.), and to establish a protocol that could be used for future monitoring efforts.
Several sampling methods were used to accomplish these goals. Visual encounter surveys and
anuran vocalization surveys were conducted in all habitats throughout the park to estimate the proportion
of sites or proportion of area occupied (PAO) by each amphibian species in each habitat. Opportunistic
collections, as well as limited drift fence data, were used to augment the visual encounter methods for
highly aquatic or cryptic species. A total of 545 visits to 104 sites were conducted for standard sampling
alone, and 2,358 individual amphibians and 374 reptiles were encountered. Data analysis was conducted
in program PRESENCE to provide PAO estimates for each of the anuran species.
All of the amphibian species historically found in Big Cypress National Preserve were detected
during this project. At least one individual of each of the four salamander species was captured during
sampling. Each of the anuran species in the preserve was adequately sampled using standard
herpetological sampling methods, and PAO estimates were produced for each species of anuran by habitat.
This information serves as an indicator of habitat associations of the species and relative abundance of
sites occupied, but it will also be useful as a comparative baseline for future monitoring efforts.
In addition to sampling for amphibians, all encounters with reptiles were documented. The
sampling methods used for detecting amphibians are also appropriate for many reptile species. These
reptile locations are included in this report, but the number of reptile observations was not sufficient to
estimate PAO for reptile species. We encountered 35 of the 46 species of reptiles believed to be present in
Big Cypress National Preserve during this study, and evidence exists of the presence of four other reptile
species in the Preserve.
This study found no evidence of amphibian decline in Big Cypress National Preserve. Although no
evidence of decline was observed, several threats to amphibians were identified. Introduced species,
especially the Cuban treefrog (Osteopilus septentrionalis), are predators and competitors with several
native frog species. The recreational use of off-road vehicles has the potential to affect some amphibian
populations, and a study on those potential impacts is currently underway. Also, interference by humans
with the natural hydrologic cycle of south Florida has the potential to alter the amphibian community.
Continued monitoring of the amphibian species in Big Cypress National Preserve is recommended.
The methods used in this study were adequate to produce reliable estimates of the proportion of sites
occupied by most anuran species, and are a cost-effective means of determining the status of their
populations.


In this essay, researcher Paul Gaston Aaron reviews Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel9s Targeted Assassinations , by Israeli military and intelligence affairs journalist Ronen Bergman. Drawing on his deep knowledge of the subject, Aaron lauds the book for its fine-grained and chilling accounts of the mechanisms of clandestine warfare. Aaron also points out that Bergman offers no critique of the moral dilemma entrenched in policies that violate international law even when it becomes clear that the mantra to kill or be killed has little to do with state security and much more to do with raising the Israeli public9s morale, destabilizing Palestinian society, and thwarting Palestinians9 attempts at self-determination by disrupting their ruling structures. While Bergman does not question the underlying premise of the targeted killing policy, which assumes a threat, to which what Israel does is a response, he tries to redeem a few individuals by making a distinction between what he sees as an ethically responsible warrior class and an opportunistic political elite.


Industrialised Building System (IBS) is a system widely used in construction industry
in Malaysia. This study is a survey to identify the factors contributing to cost control
problems faced by local contractors in IBS projects and to identify the strategies used
to reduce the cost variation in IBS projects. From the finding of the survey, a
computer-based cost control model was developed to improve the effectiveness of
cost control on IBS.
The survey shows that management team capability & performance, buildability of
design, and timely decision making were the top-ranked factors contributing to cost
control problems in IBS construction in Malaysia. Strategies like increase the
working hours, increase manpower and/or equipment, provide close supervision to
subordinates for minimising abortive work, and coordinate closely with
subcontractors were identified as the most popular method used to reduce cost
variation of IBS projects.
In hypotheses testing of this study, it was found that there is significant association
between type of IBS used and the perceived contributor to cost control problems.Results of Logistic Regression Analysis shows that allowance of partially handover,
delay of payment from client to the contractor, deposit needed for IBS before delivery
of the precast components, and application of tracking curve for cost control are likely
to influence the cost variance of IBS construction projects.
The developed computer-based cost control model could assist constructor of IBS
(with prefabricated elements) to plan their expenses and progress of work.
Additionally, monitoring during the construction is made available through a series of
user-friendly electronic forms. With identification of potential problem contributors,
strategies to overcome cost variation, and application of the cost control model, cost
control of IBS projects in Malaysia would be unproblematic to any new or existing
IBS practitioners.


The manufacture and characterisation of an elastic dipole antenna that is reversibly deformable and stretchable is described. The metallisation technique of depositing sub-micron-thick gold (Au) film on pillar patterned elastomer polydimethylsiloxane has been developed for elastic antenna applications. Under strain, the gold films may be stretched to 20% elongation, hundreds of thousands of times with reasonable electrical conduction. The dipole antenna based on this technique can withstand 10% strain and return to its original state after removal of the applied stretch.


Due to the increasingly ageing population and the demand for improved quality of life, the life sciences sector has strong growth potential (8.3% growth in 2007), the sustainable development applications being of utmost interest. But most of the countries recently entered the European Union, with real academic base in Life Sciences, and with an important request towards business of added value, lack of competences and skills to develop innovative companies in the domain. The situation in Romania was identified by the analyses did by the Romanian Society of Bioengineering and Biotechnology and compared with other EU countries, members of the European Federation of Biotechnology. The project will develop learning curricula and contents to be delivered to target-group by blended learning in order to provide training in business enhancement in life sciences for sustainable development applications. Two products from these foreign partners will be transferred, by integrating them, but also by adapting to an economic sector of interest and by introducing modern blended learning systems, and by increasing the value with a new specific content dedicated to sustainable life sciences applications. The enterprise business in life sciences module will complementary treat the Intellectual Property issues. The impact will be on 3 levels: (1) short term: acknowledge the key competences and skills needed to develop business in sustainable development applications of life sciences and develop blended learning by testing the training on a representative selection of persons from the target group; (2) medium term: formation in the involved countries and at EU level of a general vision about the training in the field of interest as products and methodologies; (3) long term: at EU level


"In order to increase English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers' cultural diversity awareness, this study applied Schmidt's ABC's (Autobiography, Biography, and Cross-cultural Comparison) Model to an ESL teacher education course and described the patterns and effects of the adaptation. The Multicultural Attitude Survey and the Cultural Diversity Awareness Inventory were conducted in a pre/post manner with 17 participants. The results showed a significant difference (p<.01) between teachers' pre and post scores, indicating higher levels of cultural diversity awareness and perceptions of better preparedness for multicultural classrooms among the participants after conducting the ABC's project. Qualitative analysis was then conducted to illustrate the development of cultural diversity awareness of eight individual teachers with different cross-cultural and teaching experiences. Group comparisons were provided to capture the impact of teachers' cross-cultural and teaching experiences on their development. Hones' (1999) model of teachers' cultural roles was applied in the analysis of this study. The results of the study indicated that teachers' cross-cultural experiences and their teaching experiences strongly impact their development of cultural diversity awareness in conducting the ABC's project. It was confirmed that the adaptation of the ABC's model facilitated the development of ESL teachers' cultural roles. Hones' model was also modified and expanded based on the empirical data."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.


A recent federal appeals court ruling barred employment bias against the obese. A reconsideration of claims of discrimination against overweight people is therefore in order. This paper examines the effect of being overweight on lawyers' salaries as reported in the 1984 National Lawyer Survey. Using regression models derived from the clinical nutrition literature as well as models based on the lawyers in the sample themselves, we find an effect of being overweight on salary for both men and women attorneys. The effect for women is captured only in models that incorporate more categories of overweight, however. There is also an effect of being short on men's, but not on women's, salaries. We suggest that the discrimination may be based on social perceptions of people deviating from an "ideal" physique. Since this discrimination exists in a group that should "know better" about judging a person by appearance, it is important to examine how widespread this discrimination in fact is.


Background: Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are common in the general population and increase the risk of psychotic disorders. Adolescents are a high-risk group of this condition. Stressful events, such as bullying, have a role in the onset of PLEs. This study has several aims: (1) to assess PLEs in adolescents seeking help from a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, (2) to assess the association of PLEs with specific bullying victimization and (3) to assess difference in PLEs and victimizations by sex and age. Methods: Participants were help-seeking (HS) adolescents initially screened for PLEs. They completed an assessment including characteristics of PLEs and bullying victimization. We paid particular attention to different kinds of PLEs and victimization. Results: In total, 50 PLE-positive adolescents screened from 324 HS adolescents (15.4%) constituted the sample. Paranoia and verbal bullying were the PLEs and form of victimization most represented, respectively. Verbal bullying was strongly associated with paranoia (odds ratio (OR): 4.40, confidence interval (CI): 2.8−5.9, p < .001). Results remained significant after controlling for confounder (socio-demographic, anxiety, depression and for the latter analysis also other forms of victimization). Furthermore, social manipulation showed a strong association of paranoia and physical bullying with grandiosity. Verbal bullying was also associated with psychotic negative symptoms, but controlling for emotional symptoms and other victimization led to a reduction in the effect. Men were more involved in physical victimization and experienced grandiosity; on the contrary, late adolescents were most involved in social victimization and negative psychotic symptoms Conclusion: PLEs are relevant in HS adolescents. Bullying victimization interacts with the onset of these phenomena. In particular, verbal bullying predicted paranoia onset significantly.


This paper introduces an easy-to-use decision support system for COllabOrative DEsign named CO2DE. We examine the system particularly for the design concept filtering and selection stages considering the importance of conceptual design although the proposed framework can facilitate a design task, which is recurrent in many design phases. First, the paper briefly reviews what methods can be applicable to each step of the conceptual design process, and then describes the prerequisites for mathematical method-based design concept filtering and selection processes. Secondly, detailed explanation about the process and main modules of the proposed system are provided with a small satellite design case study focusing on (1) what the inputs and outputs of each module are, (2) what information should be specified by design participants, and (3) what results can be obtained from the system. Thirdly, the paper discusses the advantages/limitations of the system and the main difficulties and barriers for the future implementation. Finally, the paper provides a useful guideline to those who want to develop a decision support system for collaborative design by which they can minimise the need for critical refinement and serious modifications of the design at the subsequent design phase.


Thirty-five museum specimens collected in 1926 and 1947–48 vouch for the distinctiveness of an undescribed large mammal, a form of lechwe antelope. Their preservation has allowed comparative analyses of morphological characters to reveal this new species, the Upemba lechwe Kobus anselli sp. nov. It is most similar to the black lechwe K. smithemani and quite distinct from all other known taxa, including topotypical red lechwes K. leche . Prevailing threats and conservation concerns underwrite its formal description after neglect by science for decades. This lechwe is restricted to the Upemba wetlands, Kamalondo depression, south-east Congo basin (Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo), and has declined greatly since the 1970s. Commercial poaching through the 1980s reduced c . 20000 individuals to under 1000 estimated today. Recognition of K. anselli as a distinct evolutionary entity was previously ignored, because the entrenched taxonomy assumed it was just another red lechwe. Its speciation seems to be recent, probably Pleistocene. Lechwes evolved in an archipelago of wetlands formed through vicariance of a more extensive drainage system, the Palaeo-Chambeshi, which extended from Katanga and north-east Zambia across the south-central African plateau, into the Kalahari basin. The Palaeo-Chambeshi was a major endoreic tributary of Palaeo-Lake Makgadikgadi. Its fragmentation isolated lechwes in the Kamalondo depression from wetlands in the Upper Zambezi–Okavango, Upper Kafue, and the Chambeshi and Luapula drainages. The belated discovery of K. anselli emphasizes the region's conservation significance. Because of its high species richness and high endemism, Katanga is a biodiversity hotspot within the encompassing Katanga–Chambeshi region, also covering eastern Angola and much of Zambia. A secure future for the critically endangered Upemba lechwe hinges on reducing adverse human impact and maintaining the integrity of its wetland habitat. Support for protected areas is critical. Maintenance of ecological processes, focused on aquatic systems, is especially important to conserve biodiversity. Recognition of the complex evolutionary history of the region (since the Late Neogene) underpins the scientific foundation for all conservation plans and activities. It prescribes why a regional conservation strategy should encompass the landscape mosaic, structured across neighbouring drainage systems (Lufira, Upper Lualaba and Chambeshi–Luapula rivers). A trans-frontier conservation area will consolidate the protected areas and land use systems of the region in an ecological context.


The Thesis presents an in-depth study of arcing behaviour of H. B. C. Fuses for a range of fuse elements and fillers, under critical current conditions. The methodologies used
were the standard breaking capacity short-circuit test plus the application of crow-bar, Xray studies, metallographic microscopic and optical fiber arc detection techniques.
Due to the observation of some unknown and puzzling arc phenomena it was decided to pursue the arc investigation by an extensive test programme of single uniform wire fuse
elements. From the investigation a basic arc mechanism for the pre-peak and post-peak arcs period was discovered.
The new mechanism was applied to single wire, strip, long notched, medium notched and short notched fuse elements and to paralleled wires and strips immersed in three quartz filler types: standard sand, high quality granular quartz and bound quartz in two different sizes. The proposed arc mechanism was modelled by a computer program which was used to simulate the described fuse constructions. The results of over 800 tests and subsequent simulation undoubtedly confirm that the proposed arc mechanism is applicable for the described fuse types. The experimental and analytical results are close enough to justify the model application
for fuse designers and fuse users. A critical comparison of the experimental and analytical results with previous findings published by other researchers is presented.
A detailed arc mechanism and the key behaviour rules are proposed, they are:
" Maximum column voltage can not exceed the arc-root voltage.
" The arc-root voltage and the initial dv/dt values are influenced by filler characteristics
and are able to precisely characterize the filler behaviour.
" The dv/dt, and consequently the burn-back are instantaneous current density functions. The application of the above rules allows the fuse designer to tailor the fuse element in order to obtain specific current and arc voltage waveforms. It is believed that the proposed arc mechanism and computer model is able to explain some puzzling are phenomena and eventually could be applied to predicting other low overload H. B. C. fuse behaviour.


How to Avoid Legal Pitfalls on Social Media Social media is where your customers are--so it's where your business has to be. Unfortunately, this space is packed with land mines that can obliterate your hard-earnedsuccess in the time it takes to click a mouse. Written in easy-to-understand, accessible language, Social Media Law for Business reveals your legal rights and responsibilities in the fast-moving and ever-changing social media landscape. Learn how to: Create a social media policy for your business * Recruit, hire, and fire through social media * Share content without getting sued * Blog and run contests * Draft disclosure requirements in digital advertising "Glen Gilmore stands alone as the authority on social media law. Social Media Law for Business should become a ready reference for business leaders and digital marketers." -- MARK SCHAEFER, bestselling author of Return on Influence "Required reading not only in the classroom, but also in the boardroom--and in any business where people care about getting social media marketing right." -- PETER METHOT, managing director of executive education at Rutgers Business School "A layperson's blueprint for minimizing the legal risks of social media marketing, while maximizing the opportunities for digital marketing success." -- AMY HOWELL, founder of Howell Marketing Strategies and coauthor of Women in High Gear


This study aims to determine firstly the diversity of native insect visitors to flowers on the mass-flowering canopy tree jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), and secondly the relative abundance of feral honeybees and native insects visiting jarrah flowers. Flower density and nectar production were measured, and observations of animals visiting flowers were made during peak flowering of jarrah in Kings Park. Insects were the most commonly observed floral visitor; 83 species from 63 genera in 38 families across 5 orders were recorded. The overall richness and abundance of insect species visiting jarrah flowers changed through the day. Feral honey bees were by far the most common visitor, accounting for 47 % of observations, and suggesting they are a significant pollinator of jarrah in Kings Park. However, the presence of a number of exclusively nectar- and pollen-feeding native bees and flies, and native anthophilous tiphid wasps and beetles, suggests that the native fauna is still effecting some pollination. The diversity of insects observed visiting jarrah flowers is higher than reported for other eucalypts throughout Australia, and confirms that remnants like Kings Park are significant for the conservation of biodiversity.


Churchill and the Jews, by Michael J. Cohen, London & Portland: Frank Cass, 1985, second revised edition, 2003, 421 pp. Churchill and the Jews: A Lifelong Friendship, by Martin Gilbert, New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2007, 359 pp. Churchill's Promised Land, by Alan Makovsky, New Haven & London: New Republic Books/Yale University Press, 2007, 341 pp. Reviewed by Daniel Mandel In the second half of 2007, within a few weeks of each other, two books appeared on the subject of Winston Churchill and his relations with Jews and Zionism. The first, by Bipartisan Policy Center scholar Alan Makovsky, Churchill's Promised Land: Zionism and Statecraft, is primarily concerned with Churchill's views on and connection with Zionism as these evolved. However, in examining this motif in Churchill's career, the author encompasses virtually the whole of Churchill's experience and interaction with Jews from his earliest days. The second, by Churchill's official biographer Sir Martin Gilbert, Churchill and the Jews: A Lifelong Friendship, takes as its field Churchill's connection to all things Jewish over the course of his long life. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, the two books are congruent. To this must be added Bar-Ilan University historian Michael J. Cohen's Churchill and the Jews, first published in 1 985 but reissued in a revised edition in 2003. Thus, readers are now presented with an embarrassment of riches: Churchill's relationship to the Jewish people had not been the subject of a book-length study since Oskar K. Rabinowicz's 1956 volume, Winston Churchill on Jewish Problems - - A Half-Century Survey, produced in Churchill's lifetime, long before a vast trove of official and personal papers could be scrutinized by its author.1 Cohen set out his goal clearly in the introduction to the first edition of his work. Citing Rabinowicz's conclusion that "Sir Winston is one of the giants of our time... he ranks among the greatest friends the Jewish people have had" (Rabinowicz, 16), Cohen states that "[i]t will be the purpose of this study to examine, amplify and if necessary, revise this categorical assertion" (Cohen, xvii). Indeed, Cohen's book is self-consciously revisionist and presents a far harsher judgment on Churchill's relationship to Jews and fidelity to the Zionist cause than either Makovsky's or Gilbert's. This makes examining all three works all the more important in coming to the heart of the matter, especially since there has been a tendency to review the Makovsky and Gilbert tomes without consideration of Cohen's recently-reissued work.2 Cohen and Makovsky take a predominantly analytical approach, documenting Churchill's words and deeds, measuring the correspondence between them, and drawing conclusions according to their own lights. Gilbert, in contrast, is largely descriptive and the least historiographie of the three: he has surveyed numerous published sources but rarely cites or discusses their judgments. Rather, he presents a narrative based on a wealth of information gleaned from official and personal papers in order to construct a detailed picture of Churchill in his relations with Jews and Zionism. All three authors provide abundant evidence of Churchill's uncontested devotion to furthering the course of Western civilization, with the British Empire and its Commonwealth held by him to be the most enduring and efficacious agent of its progress. In contrast to most of his upper-class contemporaries, who often eschewed social contact with Jews, Churchill grew up widely acquainted with them. His father, Lord Randolph Churchill, exceptionally for an aristocrat, maintained close friendships with various Jewish figures. Coupled with his voracious reading, this led Churchill to arrive at an early appreciation of the extraordinary role of Jews in history, particularly as a progenitor and agent of Western civilization, a conviction that imbued his attitude toward Zionism in the present. …


The HOME OF THE HOLY FAMILY, an orphanage, was established in June 1895 (inc. 8 Dec. 1896) by Ellen Donovan. Donovan hoped to found a Roman Catholic religious community in Cleveland to serve the poor, especially orphaned children. Assisted by her sister, Theresa, and some friends, she began caring for several orphans in a residence on E. Madison St. Though her plans for a religious community did not mature, the orphans came. With funds obtained from sewing and begging, Donovan purchased a site at 645 Woodland Hills Ave. The home existed precariously on the proceeds from benefits, dances, and card parties until 1918, when it joined the Community Fund. Soon the home was receiving funds from both this fund and the fledgling CATHOLIC CHARITIES CORP. Donovan was innovative, believing that siblings should be reared together rather than separately, then common orphanage practice. Her charges attended neighborhood schools and played with local children. In 1911 the home relocated to 18120 Puritas Ave. on the west side. Donovan and her assistants staffed the home until her death in 1939. The Sisters of the Incarnate Word then managed the facility until it closed in 1952; the remaining children went to PARMADALE. Archives, Diocese of Cleveland.


Social media has opened several new marketing channels to assist in business visibility as well as provide real-time customer feedback. With the emergence of new internet technologies, businesses are increasingly recognizing the value of social media and web presence in the promotion of their products and services.Harnessing the Power of Social Media and Web Analytics documents high-quality research to empower businesses to derive intelligence from social media sites. These emerging technological tools have allowed businesses to quantify, understand, and respond to customers conversations about their corporate reputation and brands within online communities. This publication is ideal for academic and professional audiences interested in applications and practices of social media and web analytics in various industries.


We examine three low-level optimizations in the Linux® kernel for 32-bit and 64-bit PowerPC®, relating to cache flushing, memory copying, and PTE (page table entry) management. Benchmarking and profiling were used to identify areas where optimizations could be performed and to identify whether the optimizations actually improved performance. The cache flushing and memory copying optimizations improved performance significantly, whilst the PTE management optimization did not.


A debate in drug policy rankles between proponents of use reduction and harm reduction. We present a stylized two-state, one-control dynamic optimization model of this choice based on a social cost related definition of harm reduction, and parameterize it both for cocaine in the U.S. and for Australia's population of injection drug users. Static analysis of a binary choice between pure harm reduction and pure use reduction suggests that whether or not harm reduction is a good strategy can depend on various factors such as the particular drug, the country, the social cost structure, or the stage of the "epidemic". The optimal dynamic control version of the model involves boundary solutions with respect to the control variable with several switches in the optimal policy. The results have interesting interpretations for policy. Even for the U.S. parameterization, harm reduction turns out to have a potential role when drug use is either already pervasive or when use is so rare that there is no danger of explosive increases in initiation, but perhaps not when drug use is near a "tipping point". In contrast, in the parameterization for Australian IDU, where effective harm reduction tactics exist and budgetary cost for harm reduction measures are small, harm reduction appears preferable starting from any initial state. Furthermore, an interesting feature of our simple model is the occurence of indifference curves, consisting of points where the decision maker is indifferent between two transients that will approach the same steady state in the long run. These transients result in the same social cost for the decision maker, but are characterized by quite different optimal policies.


The present investigation is the impact of air pollution on biochemical parameters of fifteen common tree species growing in different locations of Virudhunagar, Tamilnadu, India. The biochemical parameters taken into considerations were soluble protein content and total carbohydrate content of leaves. Variation in carbohydrate response to pollution stress may reflect difference in pollutants concentrations. Also, pollution tolerance has been associated with several biochemical characteristics such as higher concentrations of reducing sugars. It is evident from this research that the flow of the carbohydrates from the source to the sinks was affected by increased levels of studied gases. In addition, found a decrease in protein concentration under air pollution. Plant species differ in their response to air pollution. The results indicate that protein and carbohydrate content of leaves show considerable variation with the increase of intensity of air pollutants concentration.


This book has two aims. First, to consider how risk, crisis and security, may be linked in an organisational context. Second, to review the role of, simulation and gaming in responding to these phenomena. Historically, risk has been an established concept of academic interest for some time in both the pure and social sciences. Risk however, remains a subject of intense social and political controversy. How we manage risk appears to dominate every debate from providing social services such as health, transport and public safety to the regulation of corporate activity. Debates about the theory and practice of security management are less developed. This book will inform the debate by considering the relationships between risk and security.