Abstract This case study examines a 16.5-year-old male adolescent who engages in fire setting, severe aggression and self injurious and impulsive behaviors. He was treated with Mode Deactivation Therapy (MDT) for four months and his problem behaviors have been reduced significantly. He was previously treated with Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). It appears that in this case study MDT was effective in reducing his severe behaviors. Keywords: MDT, fire setting, physical aggression, self injurious behaviors, adolescent males, personality disorders. Introduction In this case study a 16 year old adolescent male was treated successfully after MDT. The MDT therapist was trained by the first author of this case study in an intensive MDT training. MDT was shown to be more effective with aggressive adolescent males with conduct and personality disorders then Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Social Skills Training. MDT has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing aggression, personality disorders beliefs and symptoms of Post traumatic stress disorder (Apsche, Bass, Murphy 2004; Apsche & Ward 2004, Apsche, Bass, Jennings, Murphy, Hunt, Siv (2005). After a thorough literature review this appears to be the first case study that examines the effects of MDT with an adolescent with fire setting behaviors. Case Summary This case analysis is a step-by-step case study, with a corresponding theoretical analysis based in mode deactivation therapy (MDT). The methodology known as MDT suggests potential for effective treatment of youngsters with similar backgrounds as Peter. Peter is a 16.5-year-old Caucasian male. He has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Conduct Disorder and Personality Disorder Traits. Peter demonstrated a pattern of continuous disruptive behaviors including; fire setting, lying, social phobia, aggressive and threatening posturing, property destruction, academic performance problems and school behavior problems, peer relationship problems and torturing animals. He also has tortured animals in front of other children and he had a history of early sexual experience, specifically sexual touching of other children. Client Family History Peter had demonstrated significant behavioral and impulsive problems since early childhood, which were manifested more prominently when he was four. During this time he was removed from his mothers care due to her continuous substance abuse. She reported using alcohol, cocaine, and crack cocaine during her pregnancy. He was the second youngest of six children all of whom have delinquent problems and are in Department of Social Services custody or involvement in some way. He was placed with his grandmother who also failed to provide adequate supervision; as a result he was removed from her care. From 2000 to 2003 he was placed in nine inpatient settings, including residential placements and hospitals. He was removed from most of the nine placements due to disruptive, aggressive, suicidal behaviors. Peter preformed at the normal grade level at school, but he required increased structure and individualized attention. Peter has a history of repeated violations of school rules and disruption in class. He often was aggressive and cut school. He was placed briefly at a hospital then moved to a residential setting on an island. Within a couple of days, out of staff supervision he started a fire, which destroyed over 40 acres of protected woodlands. This led to his brief placement as an inpatient at a local Hospital prior to being admitted. Upon admission he has disclosed for the first time the he was sexually abused (repeated anal rape) by a 16 year old male cousin, in his grandmother's home, for several years starting at the age of seven. He reported that he told his grandmother, who did not believe him and punished him as a result of his disclosure. Later one of his older sisters eventually believed him and reported the crime. …


Michael Schmitt and Christopher Ford unpack the Trump Administration's legal justifications for the April 2017 United States attack on a Syrian airfield in response to its use of chemical weapons against civilians. Schmitt and Ford discuss three possible legal bases for the use of force: self-defense, response to an internationally wrongful act, and humanitarian intervention. The authors conclude that the US's actions run afoul of limitations in each relevant body of law, and of note, they discuss how this attack is consequential for the validity of humanitarian intervention on another state's territory without approval from the UN Security Council. They conclude by suggesting that the international community is likely to consider the nature of suffering, in addition to the quantum of suffering, as bearing on the right of States to mount future humanitarian operations.


Abstract. We present a method to model the storm-time magnetospheric magnetic field using representations of the magnetic field arising from the various magnetospheric current systems. We incorporate the effects of magnetotail changes during substorms by introducing an additional localized thin current sheet into the Tsyganenko T89 model. To represent the storm-time ring current the T89 ring current is replaced by a bean-shaped current system, which has a cross section that is close to the observed distribution of trapped particles in the inner magnetosphere and has an eastward flowing inner and westward flowing outer components. In addition to the symmetric ring current, an asymmetric partial ring current is taken into account with closing Region 2 sense field-aligned currents. Magnetopause currents are varied in accordance with solar wind dynamic pressure variations. Three moderate geomagnetic storms when Dst reached about –150 nT and one big storm with Dst about –250 nT are modelled. The model free parameters are specified for each time step separately using observations from GOES 8 and 9, Polar, Interball and Geotail satellites and Dst measurements. The model gives a high time-resolution field representation of the large-scale magnetic field, and a very good reproduction of the Dst index. It is shown that the ring current is most important during intense storms, whereas the near-Earth tail currents contribute more to the Dst index than the ring current during moderate storms. Key words. Magnetospheric physics (Current systems; Magnetospheric configuration and dynamics; Storms and substorms)


Purpose: Body worn accelerometry has previously been shown to be reliable and used to measure the external load of mixed martial arts (MMA) via the Playerload metric. These measurements were only reported on a round-by-round basis, providing little indication of how load changes on a minute-by-minute basis. Understanding these changes may provide a proxy measure of fatigue, readiness and the onset of non-functional overreaching in this population. It is also unclear as to what Playerload is measuring in MMA sparring. Therefore, this study was a secondary investigation with new analyses of previously reported data to provide a more detailed description of the minute-by-minute changes in external load in MMA. Methods: 6 male, competitive MMA participants each took part in a 3 x 5 minute sparring bout wearing a Catapult Minimax x3 which recorded accumulated Playerload throughout. Bouts were video recorded and time motion analysis was used to determine: total active time; total inactive time; high intensity time; low intensity time; standing time; grounded time; striking time; non-striking time. Results: Bayesian repeated measures ANOVA found statistically relevant differences in accumulated Playerload for each minute of sparring (BF10 = 410) with no statistically relevant differences between winners and losers. Bayesian correlations found a direct, nearly perfect relationship between accumulated Playerload and total active time (r = .992, BF10 = 9,666). No other relationships between Playerload and time motion analysis results were found, despite Bayesian t tests finding differences between standing time and grounded time (BF10 = 83.7), striking time and non-striking time (BF10 = 1,419). Conclusions: Playerload reflects overall active movement in MMA and is sensitive enough to measure changes in active movement minute-by-minute but cannot distinguish between different modes or intensities of movement. This should be investigated further as a potential measure of fatigue and non-functional overreaching during MMA training.


Randomised controlled or clinical trials (RCTs) are generally viewed as the most reliable method to draw causal inference as to the effects of a treatment, as they should guarantee that the individuals being compared differ only in terms of their exposure to the treatment of interest. This 'gold standard' result however hinges on the requirement that the randomisation device determines the random allocation of individuals to the treatment without affecting any other element of the causal model. This 'no randomisation bias' assumption is generally untestable but if violated would undermine the causal inference emerging from an RCT, both in terms of its internal validity and in terms of its relevance for policy purposes. This paper offers a concise review of how the medical literature identifies and deals with such issues.


With no capital costs, inexpensive Oxford Nanopore sequencing can be applied to novel ∼1-Gb plant genomes. Updates in nanopore technology have made it possible to obtain gigabases of sequence data. Prior to this, nanopore sequencing technology was mainly used to analyze microbial samples. Here, we describe the generation of a comprehensive nanopore sequencing data set with a median read length of 11,979 bp for a self-compatible accession of the wild tomato species Solanum pennellii. We describe the assembly of its genome to a contig N50 of 2.5 MB. The assembly pipeline comprised initial read correction with Canu and assembly with SMARTdenovo. The resulting raw nanopore-based de novo genome is structurally highly similar to that of the reference S. pennellii LA716 accession but has a high error rate and was rich in homopolymer deletions. After polishing the assembly with Illumina reads, we obtained an error rate of <0.02% when assessed versus the same Illumina data. We obtained a gene completeness of 96.53%, slightly surpassing that of the reference S. pennellii. Taken together, our data indicate that such long read sequencing data can be used to affordably sequence and assemble gigabase-sized plant genomes.


PURPOSE
Dorzolamide nanoparticle γ-cyclodextrin eye drops may prolong the effect of dorzolamide on intraocular pressure. We test whether the nanoparticle drops have an irritating or toxic effect on the eye in an in vivo rabbit model.

METHODS
Eighteen pigmented rabbits were divided into 4 groups receiving dorzolamide nanoparticle γ-cyclodextrin eye drops×1/day or×2/day, Trusopt® (dorzolamide HCl)×3/day, and untreated controls that received no drops. The rabbits received treatment for 1 month. After sacrifice, 33 eyes and 25 Harderian glands were evaluated for histopathology in a masked way.

RESULTS
Mild inflammation was seen in 19/31 eyes and 13/23 Harderian glands. The difference in inflammation (n=eyes/n=glands)between the γ-cyclodextrin nanoparticle eye drops×1/day (n=5/5),×2/day (n=5/3), Trusopt (n=7/4), or untreated control (n=2/0) groups was nonsignificant in both eyes and glands (P=0.87 and P=0.92) Acute inflammation was seen in 1 Harderian gland that received γ-cyclodextrin nanoparticle eye drops×2/day. The difference in conjunctival injection between the groups was nonsignificant (P=0.30).

CONCLUSIONS
Dorzolamide γ-cyclodextrin nanoparticle eye drops are no more locally toxic or irritating to the eye than Trusopt.


SQUID magnetometers used in Transient Electromagnetics (TEM) surveys have become a valuable tool for exploring difficult targets during the last decade. Over the past 12 years, IPHT has developed SQUID systems for TEM applications, based on "High Temperature" Superconductors (HTS, Yttrium-Barium-Copper-Oxide YBCO), cooled with liquid nitrogen at 77 K. Test measurements on many targets of very different geological and climatic conditions demonstrated that SQUID sensors are reliable and can outperform conventional induction coils, especially in late time applications. The latest version developed by IPHT uses ac-bias technology in order to overcome excessive low frequency noise and has recently been tested in Portugal. Excellent signal-to-noiseratio at late time is shown in comparison to a Crone and Zonge coil; transients and profiles compare well to "LandTEM", a SQUID system developed by CSIRO in Australia (Leslie, 2003). IPHT SQUIDs, based on Low Temperature Superconductors (LTS, Niobium Nb), cooled by liquid helium down to 4K, have been used in production mode for several years now in South Africa and Australia by Anglo American (le Roux, 2006). Gradiometers SQUIDs are able to measure the magnetic gradient directly with a very high resolution of better than 1pT/m in a 10Hz bandwidth. A short introduction of the new instrument "Jessy Star" will also be given. Introduction Measuring the magnetic field B directly instead of its time derivative (proportional to the induced voltage in a coil) can be advantageous in different scenarios, mainly, where strong and large conductors are to be detected. Richard Osmond et al. demonstrated this clearly in his paper on Raglan. In such a case, the time derivative of the secondary field of a TEM measurement is small and hence sometimes not detectable by a coil. On the other hand, a magnetometer, such as a Fluxgate or a SQUID, will easily detect very long time constants; even a real superconductor (time constant infinity) will be visible by the offset of the two opposite secondary fields – but invisible for the coil since the rate of change will be zero. A major problem in using SQUIDs for TEM is the rather high slew rate required near the transmitter loop: Standard TEM transmitters attempt to switch the primary field as fast as possible. Since SQUIDs are operated in a feedback loop, which keeps the magnetic field in the sensor itself constant, very high slew rates are necessary to keep the sensor operational. The Method: TEM The Transient Electromagnetic technique is widely used in mineral exploration since most of the mineralized ore bodies show a resistivity contrast between the conductive orebody and the host environment which is big enough to be detected. A typically square transmitter loop is laid out on the Earth's surface. The current is switched on and off in a well defined regime with opposite directions. In this way, offset drifts of the receiver unit and the sensor can be cancelled out by averaging, and most of the noise sources can be eliminated. The length of the recorded transients varies depending on the target, between several milliseconds up to several seconds (for very good conductors, usually only measurable with SQUIDs). After the primary field has been switched off, eddy currents are produced in any conductive material. These decaying eddy currents produce secondary magnetic fields which can be detected on the surface; the shape of the recorded secondary field can be interpreted to calculate a resistivity/depth model. Two configurations are used: 1. Moving loop: the receiving sensor is placed in the middle of the loop and the whole setup is moved between the stations. This is only applicable for small loop sizes, typically up to 200m by 200m. 2. Fixed loop: the receiving sensor is moved across (and outside) a fixed transmitter loop on the survey lines (shown in Figure 1). In this setup the position of the transmitter loop should be optimized to have optimum coupling to the ore body. SQUID System SQUID is an abbreviation for Superconducting QUantum Interference Detector: a superconducting loop is interrupted by two weak links. If the SQUID is biased with an appropriate current (slightly above the critical current) the voltage across the SQUID is a function of the flux in the ring – and hence a function of the external magnetic field. Since the SQUID output voltage is sinusoidal (Figure 3) it cannot be used directly as a measurement of the magnetic field. A flux locked loop (FLL) is used to keep the magnetic flux in the SQUID ring constant at the maximum slope of the output voltage by driving a current through a feedback loop. The FLL electronics is a major part of any SQUID system: it has to be adapted carefully to achieve a good noise limited magnetic field resolution as well as a high dynamic range and slew rate. Due to the nature of the material, HTS SQUIDs show an increased noise at low frequencies due to fluctuations at the weak link or the superconducting ring. The noise contributed by the weak link can be cut significantly by using an ac bias technique, switching the bias current polarity and SQUID output with a very high frequency. On the other hand, this switching has negative effects on the achievable slew rate (FLL is blind during the switching slopes). IPHT has recently developed and implemented electronics with an adjustable ac bias frequency (2 – 10 MHz) that also achieves a very high slew rate. Compared to the previous HTS TEM SQUID the low frequency noise at 1 Hz could be reduced by at least one order of magnitude. System operation has been drastically simplified; a micro-processor controlled auto-tune automatically sets up all the SQUID parameters. Data are output via symmetric banana plugs and is easily compatible with any geophysical receiver (to date tested with Crone PEM, Zonge GDP16 and GDP32, Protem, Laptem, Smartem IV and V). Results A test survey has been carried out in Portugal in order to compare different systems on the same line. A 650 m by 650 m big transmitter loop was powered with 25 Amps by a Crone transmitter with 5 Hz repetition rate (transients up to 50 ms). All data have been recorded by a Crone receiver on a profile outside the loop, where the first 10 windows (1.5 ms) represent the ramp of the current when switched off. Data are not recorded simultaneously, but in different field surveys. Figure 5 shows comparisons between the performances of IPHT and CSIRO SQUIDs with a Crone coil (region between -1 and +1 is linear in these logarithmic plots). In the upper part of each figure raw data are shown. As one would expect from theory the B field decays slower than its time derivative measured by the coil. While coil measurements at late times are subject to noise, both SQUIDs still measure a smoothly decaying transient in this region. For direct comparison and as a further verification, the lower plots in each figure show differentiated SQUID data. We see a good correlation between the coil data and the calculated dB/dt from the SQUIDs. In Figure 6 a profile line is shown for the different sensors which demonstrates more convincingly the achievable resolution and target visualization (again a linear region in [-1,1]). The x-axis represents the distance from the transmitter loop; for the SQUID's raw data are shown in arbitrary units, while coil data are in nT/s. The colour bar to the right depicts the time windows of the transients. The early channels (shown in grey), increase in amplitudes from left to right as the loop is approached. It is also seen that the late time channels (shown in dark red/brownish colour) are not very much affected by noise close to the loop. Note that the scatter of the coil readings increases significantly compared to the SQUID readings, as the distance from the transmitter loop increases. Looking at the SQUIDs only, both SQUIDs show comparable features along the profile line, with a slightly higher noise level at late times in the CSIRO recordings (especially at the left hand side). Conclusions A new generation of IPHT HTS SQUID magnetometer has been tested successfully in production mode by taking TEM measurements in a noisy and rural environment. The SQUIDs demonstrated their superior signal quality at late time as compared to a conventional receiver coil. It has to be emphasized that these field measurements can almost be viewed as early time data if one considers the full capability of a SQUID and their specific application to the measurement of very late time data. A target in rural environment with time constants of at least 100ms would clearly show the superior data quality in a much more pronounced fashion. Previous measurements with an IPHT HTS SQUID showed smooth transients up to 1 second (see Chwala, 2001 with data acquired in North Germany, and unpublished data acquired in 1999 in South Africa). Further testing will be necessary for a direct comparison of the conventional dc biased SQUID with the ac biased HTS SQUID to check if the better magnetic field resolution at low frequencies has advantages in TEM applications. Acknowledgments The new IPHT HTS SQUID has been tested on real targets and all data presented here is by courtesy of Lundin Mining. References Chwala, A., V. Schultze, R. Stolz, J. Ramos, R. Ijsselsteijn, H.-G. Meyer, and D. Kretzschmar, 2001, An HTS dc SQUID in competition with induction coils for TEM applications, Physica C 354, p. 45-48. Le Roux, T., 2005, The Development Of Low Temperature TEM SQUID Systems for the Geosciences: Talk at SAGA 2005. Leslie, K.E., R.A. Binks, C.P. Foley, R.G. Thorn, M.J. Roberts, J. Du, E.E. Mitchell, S.K.H. Lam, C.J. Lewis, C. Millar, and R.T. Osmond, 2003, Operation of a geophysical HTS SQUID system in sub-arctic environments: IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, v. 13/2, p. 759-762. Osmond, R.T., A. H. Watts, W. R. Ravenhurst, C. P. Foley, and K. E. Leslie, 2002, Finding Nickel from the B-field at Raglan – 'To B or not dB


The SLS/SLM of aluminium powder had been investigated by studying the effect of powder properties and laser processing parameters on the microstructures and
properties of both single layer and multiple layer builds. On the basis of experimental evidence, the SLS/SLM of aluminium powders could be categorised into full melting
(SLM) which was found to have occurred in both pure and pre-alloyed aluminium powders, and binary liquid phase sintering (SLS) which occurred in blended bimodal or
trimodal powders. That successful disruption of the oxide film is possible is a significant result, as is the constitutional effect on this. The spheroidisation and oxide
disruption phenomena in SLS/SLM processed aluminium powders arc suggested to be mainly controlled by the amount of oxide on the as-received powder's surface, the degree of the uniformity of the distribution of the surface oxide film covering the aluminium particles as well as the nature of thermal mismatch existing between the oxide film and the parent aluminium particle which was dependent on the phase present in the oxide film (alumina, mullite, and spinel). It was discovered that the attainment of high sintered density and desirable microstructural properties in the blended aluminium powders is consequent upon the determination of the right processing conditions,
appropriate choice of powders (in terms of particle size distribution, spherical particle shape, and component ratio). Moreover, it is now evident that chemical constitution of the blended aluminium powders only becomes influential in the determination of the properties of SLS processed parts when the choice of processing parameters and
powder properties are correct. The choice of powder properties determines the thermal conductivity of the powder bed which in effect controls the sintered properties. This had been inferred from the relationship between powder tapping density on one hand, and selective laser sintered (SLS) density, dendrite spacing and fraction of primary phase on the other hand. In making smaller samples, it has been shown that the attainment of high sintered density (up to 90%) and a good microstructure are feasible. These arc accompanied by reasonable hardness values, comparable to those of cast Al-12wt%Si castings. In fabricating larger sized parts for mechanical testing, defects such as delamination became more noticeable leading to poor mechanical properties in those samples. Thus, it is now clear that physical limitations of the sintering machine hinder the production of SLS/SLM processed parts having excellent structural integrity.

On the basis of this work, it is envisaged that the use of pre-alloyed Al-Si powders of uniform composition, but a wider particle size and size distribution, blended to
optimise the bed density, offers the potential to produce light alloy components by SLS.

In conclusion, the specific laser energy input, the component ratio, and the particle size and size distribution of the powder were found to have strongly influenced the densitication mechanism and the solidification process in a small sized aluminium
powdered part fabricatedb y SLS/SLM process.


This paper confirms earlier position that higher education is a sine-qua-non for human capital development and economic growth. However, the paper posits that the form of education that will translate to economic growth, especially, in Nigeria must place emphasis on the access to, content and openness of the education programmes to labour market demand. In today's world, human capital development is crucial for attaining a sustainable economic growth and development. To create a knowledge based economy, in the light of technological advancements and globalization, there is the inevitable need to increase innovative capacity and transmission of knowledge. Higher Education is a prerequisite for the production of highly competent experts, which in turn, contributes to the development of organizations and the economy at large. Higher Education therefore is expected to play an important and increasing role in the development of Human Capital of a nation. Nevertheless, the problem of inability to gain access into university, inadequate funding and the mismatch between university programmes and the labour market demand have become serious and alarming issues to parents, policy makers and the society at large. This paper, therefore, examines the nexus between higher education (HE) and human capital development. The paper proceeds to identify the challenges confronting HE and human capital development in Nigeria and proposes, in particular, the diversification of HE curriculum to meet the need of the labour market and generate a wider fiscal space for the nation's economic development. Finally, the paper recommends the introduction of Public-Private Partnerships in HE in order to improve the performance of the educational system in general and increase the payoff from higher education investment in particular.


Pathogen indicators normally used in water quality indicator because large numbers of the bacteria are always present in the faeces of humans, but are not naturally found in water. Since these bacteria don't live long in water once outside the intestine, their presence in water means there has been recent contamination through effluent discharges or other sources. Like other enteric pathogens, a common mode of transmission for E.coli is via contaminated water, food and by direct person to person contact. Infection often causes severe bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and possibly fever.  In some cases, infection can lead to kidney failure and possibly death. In order to evaluate the effieciency of extended aeration wastewater treatment plant (EAWWTP), the microbial analyses such as enumeration of E.coli and total coliform were measured. Besides, this study also involved the measurements of pH, turbidity, DO (Dissolve Oxygen), BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and TSS (Total Suspended Solid). This study summarized that each treatment process provides important roles to overall effieciency of EAWWTP. The secondary treatment was proved sufficient not only on reducing pathogen indicators but for all examined parameters. Significantly, this study conclude that numbers of pathogen indicators discharges in effluent meet the regulated standard guideline after treated through the EAWWTP.


Broadband antireflection coatings for terahertz (THz) components are extremely important in the application of THz technology. We present an in-depth materials study on the broadband antireflection design based on the concept of impedance matching. Several selected conductive materials are tested and compared. They can all be used as THz broadband antireflection coatings regardless of their nature of conductivity. We provide a facile method to approximately predict the impedance matching condition for various conductive materials based on their dc real conductivity. The theoretical predications are in good agreement with experimental results and published data. Doped metal oxides or polymers are recommended as good candidates for fabricating antireflection coating in THz range. The thickness-independent dc real conductivity enables better control on individual tuning parameter-film thickness. Given a substrate, THz transmission in antireflection coating has a theoretical upper limit which is further reduced with non-negligible imaginary conductivity.


We consider the problem of minimizing a convex function that is evolving in time according to unknown and possibly stochastic dynamics. Such problems abound in the machine learning and signal processing literature, under the names of concept drift and stochastic tracking. We provide novel non-asymptotic convergence guarantees for stochastic algorithms with iterate averaging, focusing on bounds valid both in expectation and with high probability. Notably, we show that the tracking efficiency of the proximal stochastic gradient method depends only logarithmically on the initialization quality when equipped with a step-decay schedule.


In 1631, the heartbroken Moghul Emperor, Shah Jahan, ordered the construction of a monument of unsurpassed splendor and majesty in memory of his beloved wife. Theirs was an extraordinary story of passionate love: although almost constantly pregnant - she bore him fourteen children - Mumtaz Mahal followed her husband on every military campaign. But then Mumtaz died in childbirth. Blinded by grief, Shah Jahan created an exquisite and extravagant memorial for her on the banks of the river Jumna. The Taj Mahal took twenty years to build and depleted the Moghul treasuries. But Shah Jahan was to pay a greater price for his obsession. He ended his days imprisoned by his own son in Agra Fort, gazing across the river at the monument to his love. The building of the Taj Mahal had set brother against brother and son against father in a savage conflict that pushed the seventeenth century's most powerful empire into irreversible decline.


It has been found that the concentration of atmospheric methane (CH4) has rapidly increased since 2007 after a decade of nearly constant concentration in the atmosphere. As an important greenhouse gas, such an increase could enhance the threat of global warming. To better quantify this increasing trend, a novel statistic method, i.e. the Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) method, was used to analyze the CH4 trends from three different measurements: the mid–upper tropospheric CH4 (MUT) from the space-borne measurements by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the CH4 in the marine boundary layer (MBL) from NOAA ground-based in-situ measurements, and the column-averaged CH4 in the atmosphere (XCH4) from the ground-based up-looking Fourier Transform Spectrometers at Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) and the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). Comparison of the CH4 trends in the mid–upper troposphere, lower troposphere, and the column average from these three data sets shows that, overall, these trends agree well in capturing the abrupt CH4 increase in 2007 (the first peak) and an even faster increase after 2013 (the second peak) over the globe. The increased rates of CH4 in the MUT, as observed by AIRS, are overall smaller than CH4 in MBL and the column-average CH4. During 2009–2011, there was a dip in the increase rate for CH4 in MBL, and the MUT-CH4 increase rate was almost negligible in the mid-high latitude regions. The increase of the column-average CH4 also reached the minimum during 2009–2011 accordingly, suggesting that the trends of CH4 are not only impacted by the surface emission, however that they also may be impacted by other processes like transport and chemical reaction loss associated with [OH]. One advantage of the EEMD analysis is to derive the monthly rate and the results show that the frequency of the variability of CH4 increase rates in the mid–high northern latitude regions is larger than those in the tropics and southern hemisphere.


Abstract Scholars who argue that social media users are exploited in the classical Marxian sense are making a fundamental category error. A case in point is work by Christian Fuchs and Paul Rey, two leading proponents who press Marxian categories into service to depict social media as inherently exploitative. Hastily applying "exploitation" to social media usage, their catachrestical mistake has negative implications for value theory and for emancipatory politics. Following a neglected lead in Dallas Smythe's writings, Marxist analysis should instead begin with social media's capacity to influence the value of labor-power. When assessed from this starting point it is evident that any increase in exploitation, due to wage-earners' private use of social media, occurs only indirectly as a second-order effect. Moreover, social media's organizationenhancing potential can help labor shift the balance of class forces back in its favor, thereby limiting rises in the rate of exploitation.


Large urban areas, commonly referred to as megacities, generally consume a huge amount of energy due to the high population density along with concentrated economic activities, and the resulting environmental burden—including air pollution—is an ongoing scientific and public issue. As several common factors and drivers cause air pollution problems in urban areas, it is widely thought that the air quality trends in different cities exhibit similarities in certain aspects correlated with urban development activity and air pollution mitigation practices. However, unique characteristics in the emission, chemistry, and dispersion of air pollutants that are specific to each urban area also exist, which often reflect differing approaches to air pollution control policy. Based on this reasoning, several comprehensive studies in big megacities, mostly in North America and Europe, have been implemented extensively over the last two decades. However, the air quality is often much poorer in the megacities of developing countries, and extensive research is still needed to tackle the urgent goals of understanding the increasing complexity of air quality and identifying appropriate mitigation measures. This MAPS (Megacity Air Pollution Studies) special issue highlights recent scientific findings from megacity air-quality research in many parts of the world. It focuses primarily on the mechanisms and drivers that result in high ozone and aerosol events in megacities but also addresses the latest advances in precursor emissions inventories, chemical transformation assessments, and forecasting models with sets of field observations, including remote sensing applications.


The concept of biosecurity is not yet part of the mainstream government policy in Indonesia. Instead, the government has adopted sectoral policies within which Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has been designated as the system of crop protection. This approach had been praised for its contribution to Indonesia achieving self-sufficient in rice consumption although briefly. However, as decentralization makes local governments more autonomous, such policies may not remain a high priority for the local governments. An example is the refusal of district governments in West Timor to acknowledge the contribution of huanglongbing (HLB) disease to the decline of the local mandarin, despite reports that the disease has been observed in the region. This research was designed to understand how local governments address, and local communities respond to, emerging biosecurity threats to citrus biosecurity. This research employed a mixed methods approach to integrate different methods for data collection and analysis, and synthesis of the findings. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected in separate sessions in a transformative design: the results of a data collection session serving as the basis for designing the later sessions and, as the basis for conducting community engagement. Qualitative data were collected using in-depth and focus-group discussions and subjected to thematic analysis to identify key themes. Quantitative data were collected using surveys, field observation, and field and laboratory tests. These data were subjected first to descriptive statistical analysis and later to inferential statistical analysis using exploratory factors analysis and regression analysis techniques. In addition, mixed data collection was carried out by including open-ended questions in survey questionnaires and descriptive assessment during field observation. The results showed that a mismatch between the local government policy and local community aspirations has contributed to the decline of the local mandarin. The mandarin was predisposed to destructive pests and diseases due to climatic and edaphic factors, as well as cultivation and harvest practices. The spread of thesepests and diseases was accelerated by local government policy, especially the policy ofpromoting planting of grafted seedlings rather than planting seeds and, most importantly, the refusal to acknowledge the occurrence of HLB despite results of a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test confirming presence of the disease in the local mandarin. Regardless of this biosecurity governance, the majority of growers continued to use their own biosecurity approaches, with no trust that the government would listen to them. Citrus biosecurity is comprised of community efforts maintained through informal networks of networks involving bonding, bridging and linking ties for accessing the necessary resources, involving direct and closely related forms of social capital. Such community efforts could be conceptualized as a tetrahedron, which is part of a more generic structure of the social-ecological system that is dynamic over time and space through processes of exploitation, conservation, release, and reorganisation in maintaining its capacity, connectedness, and resilience. This research demonstrated that to improve community biosecurity of citrus in the region, there is a need to change biosecurity governance and engagement from being top-down policy driven to a more transformative-emancipatory engagement.


A stream solute workshop was held February 1-5,1989, at The University of Mississippi with the goals of 1) suggesting a conceptual model for stream solute studies that integrates physical, chemical, and biological processes, and 2) identifying advantages and limitations of various methods for studying solute transport and exchanges. Solute dynamics refers to the spatial and temporal patterns of transport and transfers of materials that are chemically dissolved in water. Solute transport and exchange processes can be described by solute transport equations that relate solute concentration to advection, dispersion, groundwater and tributary inputs, transient storage zones, and biotic and abiotic transformations. Studies can be based on these model equations even if a full simulation of a particular system is not attempted. Although no common methodological approach can serve every investigation of solute dynamics, experimental approaches represent a range from greatest control and least realism to least control and greatest realism. The model parameters describe processes that can be investigated in laboratory, chamber, and flume experiments designed to reduce confounding experimental variables. Whole-stream studies, particularly solute injection experiments, provide estimates of solute transfer to and from the water column and can be used to calibrate the simulation models. Transport and transfer models can link experimental results obtained at different scales and increase the opportunity for inter-site comparisons and the extrapolation of results between laboratory, chamber, flume, and whole-stream studies.


Canadian businesses face costly red tape when they want to do business across provincial borders; a problem that is hindering business expansion and economic growth, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In "Registering in Harmony: The Case for Pan-Canadian Corporate Registration," authors Daniel Schwanen and Omar Chatur note that while harmonization of corporate registries is proceeding apace around the world, in Canada, incorporated companies are required in most cases to register separately in every province where they want to conduct business.


Deterministic planning is the de facto standard in deployed multi-modal journey planning systems. However, in reality, transportation networks feature many types of uncertainty, including variations of the arrival and the departure times of public transport vehicles. Under uncertainty, deterministic plans could result in missed connections, leading to an arrival time much worse than originally planned. We contribute an empirical study using transportation network data from three European cities. We show that, in the presence of uncertainty, contingent plans can often provide significant savings in terms of travel time. We view our results as important because they advocate adopting uncertainty-aware multi-modal journey plans, shifting from the current practice based on using deterministic planning.


With the award of the latest Round 3 offshore wind farm sites around the UK coast the wind industry is moving from the operation of near inshore to truly offshore wind farms. This has two major implications, the first being that wind turbines are now being specifically designed for offshore deployment, a key feature being that the new wind turbines are likely to be two to four times the size of the largest current onshore machines. The second is that due to the limitations of access to offshore wind turbines, their availability needs to be in the order of 98% or greater if reasonable costs of energy are to be achieved. The distance of the wind turbines from shore means that more attention needs to be given to the availability, reliability and maintainability of these offshore wind turbines.

The research discussed in this report set out to examine these factors in more depth, using the reliability data of Clipper Windpower's onshore 2.5 MW Liberty machine as the practical evidence for doing so. In analysing the data the primary aim was to build a picture of typical fault type and duration and more specifically alarm type, distribution and alarm quantity. These results were then compared with an external data source to identify common trends or major divergences and the findings used to identify potential improvements in availability, reliability and maintainability for the design of Clipper Windpower's offshore Britannia 10 MW machine.

The key conclusions of the research are that:
 The Britannia wind turbine pitch system needs dramatic improvement on that of the Liberty wind turbine and this requires further detailed investigation.
 The ability to access the wind farms quickly and cost effectively will be critical to maintaining the required levels of wind turbine availability.
 The Britannia wind turbine needs to be designed for reliability and availability not simply for keeping the wind turbine in a safe mode.
 The number and classification of alarms built into the wind turbine monitoring system needs to be critically reviewed with the aim of reducing and rationalising responses where possible.


The logical basis for information theory is the newly developed logic of partitions that is dual to the usual Boolean logic of subsets. The key concept is a "distinction" of a partition, an ordered pair of elements in distinct blocks of the partition. The logical concept of entropy based on partition logic is the normalized counting measure of the set of distinctions of a partition on a finite set--just as the usual logical notion of probability based on the Boolean logic of subsets is the normalized counting measure of the subsets (events). Thus logical entropy is a measure on the set of ordered pairs, and all the compound notions of entropy (join entropy, conditional entropy, and mutual information) arise in the usual way from the measure (e.g., the inclusion-exclusion principle)--just like the corresponding notions of probability. The usual Shannon entropy of a partition is developed by replacing the normalized count of distinctions (dits) by the average number of binary partitions (bits) necessary to make all the distinctions of the partition.


Infections caused by Toxoplasma gondii are frequently asymptomatic in healthy adults, however they may be serious in pregnant women and immunocompromised patients. The aims of this study were to investigate the rates of seropositivity and seroconversion in pregnant women and newborn cord blood samples, and to evaluate those data in the view of relation to lifestyle and nutrition. A total of 312 pregnant women (mean age: 28.1 ± 5.2 years) who were admitted to and followed by gynecology clinics of Inonu University Medical School Hospital, Malatya, Turkey were included in this observational and cross-sectional study. Anti-toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies in pregnants and newborn cord sera were screened by commercial ELISA and immunofluorescence antibody (BioTek; USA) methods. A total of 312 sera from pregnant women and 312 cord blood samples during delivery were collected. IgG seropositivity rate in pregnants was found as 37.5% (117/312), seroconversion was not determined in restrained pregnants and T.gondii IgM was found negative in all pregnants. Also in all newborns IgM was negative and IgG seropositivity was determined as 33.3% (104/312) in cord blood. There was a statistically significant relationship between IgG seropositivity and raw meat consumption (p< 0.001) and being engaged in agriculture (p< 0.005). It was concluded that toxoplasma antibodies should routinely be searched on the first visit of the pregnants and the seronegative cases should be trained about the preventive measures related to toxoplasmosis. The follow-up of toxoplasma seronegative cases during pregnancy can be achieved by only detecting the IgM class antibodies and this will also reduce the cost of screen test.


A dual-wavelength laser diode of 1.3um and 1.55um operating wavelength is under analysis. The structure of this laser diode involves an asymmetric dual quantum-well of AlGaSb/GaSb . The longer-wavelength quantum-well is doped with a 50A Si at the barrier near the well. This will enable a localized intermixing during an anneal under a SiNx cap, while the shorter-wavelength quantum-well is not affected. The area where GaSb is exposed has no intermixing in both the quantum-wells. It is possible to construct a dual wavelength quantum-well laser where the surface is pattered to have a section covered with SiNx and the other has GaSb exposed. The GaSb -exposed section undertakes surface lasing at 1.55u.m, while the SiNx capped section removes the longer wavelength quantum well by intermixing and lasing at 1.3um.


The goal of this manual is to enhance the capacity of all members of the educational context, whether student, parent, teacher, administrator, or consultant, to activate the benefits of infused technologies for all learners, including those who are blind or have low vision. To accomplish this purpose this manual provides background and practical information with respect to inquiry-based education, infused technologies, and blindness and visual impairment. You will discover vignettes of real-life blind learners, tips from a blind educator, key components of accessible technology- infused education including information on adaptive technologies for applications that have not yet been designed for all learners, and practical suggestions to make online courses and Web sites accessible. For those who wish to explore further, there are numerous recommendations for further reading, organized to guide the reader to specific content.


The aim of this study is to understand the impact of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) on Global Accounting Services (GAS) using the institutional logic lens. This study uses an in-depth case study approach in one of the largest global business services firm that provides global accounting services. The result of the study showed that RPA technology has significant impacts on individual and organization resulted in the change and reduction of work, thus reducing the number of employees. Nevertheless, the introduction of new technology in the organization creates unnecessary competition between humans and robots. Although the RPA technology could solve issues involving humans such as disciplinary problems, employee productivity, and human resource shortages, high level of works such as analytical aspect could not be completely replaced by robots and can only be done by humans.


Difference between creep behaviors of concrete made from stone chips and crushed clay bricks, i.e. brick chips as coarse aggregate are examined by means of creep testing on their representative samples. Two different grades of concrete 17.2 and 27.5 N/mm2 are prepared from brick chips and stone chips using appropriate mix design and are tested for creep for up to 50 days. Stone chips and brick chips aggregates used are selected in a way so that their gradation and fineness modulus remains as close as possible. Results from creep testing shows that concrete made from brick chips as coarse aggregate having same strength as that of concrete made from stone chips shows higher creep strain. As concrete strength increases, the difference in creep strain becomes more pronounced. Also, at initial loading condition, concrete made from brick chips shows higher rate of creep strain than that of concrete made from stone chips.


Synopsis On 18 August 2004 an intense rainstorm generated 31 debris flows in Glen Ogle, Stirlingshire. Two channelized debris flows traversed the A85 trunk road trapping 20 vehicles and resulting in the helicopter airlift rescue of 57 motorists and passengers. The failure zone of the largest of these debris flows occurred within a shallow hillslope depression highlighting the importance of topographic controls on hillslope hydrology and connectivity between open hillslopes and stream channels for the generation of channelized debris flows. Five years after the 2004 event, channel sediment recharge from localized slumping and slope wash on over-steepened gully walls was observed. Sediment recharge is negligible in comparison to the abundant boulder and cobble sized channel lag deposits from the 2004 debris flow. But the abundance of coarse debris within the channel and the potential for instability in gully walls and on the adjacent hillslope indicate that the gully retains a residual susceptibility to the occurrence of hazardous accumulative channelized debris flow. It is suggested that the geohazard should be mitigated by increasing culvert capacity to allow the safe passage of future debris flows under the road.


Well-known as a sculptor, Kiki Smith has also worked extensively as a printmaker--in fact her printed works and other editioned art, including books and multiples, are arguably as important as her sculpture. Smith emerged in the early 1980s as one of a generation of artists who returned to figurative imagery after a period in which American art had leaned to the abstract and conceptual. In Smith's case the interest in the figure was literal: She is fascinated by the anatomy of the human body, which is an immediate and emotionally powerful presence in much of her work. She is equally concerned with the natural world, and animals have become increasingly important in her recent imagery. The heart of printmaking is the ability to create more than one example of an artwork, and this appeals to Smith's interest in the public dissemination of imagery and information. Her work is politically sensitized but she is also fascinated by craft and is constantly exploring and experimenting with her materials. Her prolific body of printed art incorporates techniques extending from elaborate etchings to crude rubber stamps and images ranging from wall-sized lithographs and deluxe artist's books to screen-printed giveaway posters and removable tattoos. "Kiki Smith: Prints, Books and Other Things" accompanies an exhibition devoted to this underacknowledged but crucial dimension of her art.


This project report covers the evolution of a model for the development of an Integrated Human Resource Strategy for an organisation and then how this model has been applied and implemented in the Corporation of London.
At the start of this project I introduced the 'Roulette Wheel' diagram to show the large number of issues that influence the development of an HR Strategy and which
would eventually be affected by the implementation of that strategy. My major concern was that many disparate initiatives are underway to change the culture of the organisation, to improve people management and development and to raise efficiency and performance. These initiatives clearly impact on each other and need to be controlled and integrated to ensure maximum benefit and to minimise adverse effects.
Many of the current initiatives fall under specific functional HR strategies and so part of the model that has evolved links all these functional strategies together to
produce a coherent overall HR strategy and set of objectives for those having to implement the strategy.
Action research was the methodology used for this project and involved extensive literature research on HR strategy. This led me to realise the importance of values in
culture change and resulted in more reading around this topic. This literature study also convinced me that the focus of HR strategy needed to be on those factors which
address the concerns of employees about the way they are treated and valued by the organisation, about how their careers are developed, the nature of the work they
undertake, their working environment and their work-life balance. Get these and other factors right and there is a greater likelihood that the organisation will achieve
its vision and strategic aims, whatever they are.
In order to identify those factors which needed to be addressed in order to raise employee commitment, motivation and performance I undertook extensive
employee research. The main vehicles for this which are described in this report are the Stress Risk Assessment exercise, identifying the work-related causes of stress in
employees, and the Employee Opinion Survey. This survey covered management, culture and relationships between staff and the Corporation as employer, communications, equal opportunities, rules, regulations and fairness, workload, pay, career development and training,harassment, support, influence and control over one's work, attitudes to sickness absence, flexible working and work-life balance.
This employee research along with research into the impact of current and proposed employment legislation provides a crucial basis on which to develop a list of HR core values that are important to employees and employer alike. Having consulted on and agreed this set of HR core values and identified issues for change or improvement in the organisation I was able to consider the functional HR strategies to bring about the change. These ranged from resourcing, to reward, to communications, to training and development strategies. In this report I have identified thirteen separate functional HR strategies and discussed how they need to be integrated to produce the overall HR strategy and its strategic objectives.
As I progressed through the project a model for the development of an HR strategy evolved and this is presented in chapter 8. It is an integrated model starting with employment research, moving on to statements of organisation values and HR core values, the development of HR strategic aims and policy priorities, informing the
integrated set of HR functional strategies and then the overall HR strategy with its strategic objectives, targets and performance indicators.
An HR strategy is a sterile document unless it is successfully implemented, its success monitored and continuous improvements made to the strategy. The
successful implementation of the strategy depends to a large extent on HR service delivery and the working partnership between HR professionals and line management. For this reason a crucial element of any HR strategy should be a strategy for the transformation of HR service delivery. This became an important aspect of this project which was developed from the start and is still in progress. The work done and progress to date is covered in this report.
This project report would not be complete without a resume of the achievements to date in implementing the strategy. Some of the main outcomes by February 2004 of the HR strategy are discussed under the five main headings of Staff Communications, Transformation of HR service delivery, Learning, Training and Development, Performance Management and Reward. Finally recommendations are made for the future monitoring of the impact of the
HR strategy and an evaluation of changes to the culture of the organisation and the extent to which the new HR Core Values have become embedded in the organisation. Plans will be developed to disseminate this work in the hope that the Integrated Model of HR Strategy Development can be tested in a private sector organisation as well as in the public sector Corporation of London.


»Einheit schaffen: Die FAO-UNESCO Weltbodenkarte«. As a contribution to the United Nation's "Development Decade" of the 1960s, the UN FAO and UNESCO collaborated to produce a Soil Map of the World. Because of soil's privileged place in mid-twentieth century conservationist thought and its material characteristics, which were extraordinarily resistant to standardized classification, analysis of this project reveals with particular clarity how scientists made knowledge about the global environment in the international community. Producing credible global environmental knowledge required a worldwide network of disciplined observers, but soil scientists understood the Soil Map of the World as a means to produce this transnational community of experts. At a scale of 1:5 million, the units of the map applied to no place in particular; it was a heuristic device. The legend, which presented a new international classification system, was the critical accomplishment because it promised to unify diverse national soil science communities in a single discipline. The rigorously empirical descriptions of soil categories reveal the interplay of the cosmopolitan values of scientific internationalism with the nationalist tensions of the Cold War and decolonization.


BACKGROUND
Cystic fibrosis is the most common autosomal recessive disease in white populations, and causes respiratory dysfunction in the majority of individuals. Numerous types of respiratory muscle training to improve respiratory function and health-related quality of life in people with cystic fibrosis have been reported in the literature. Hence a systematic review of the literature is needed to establish the effectiveness of respiratory muscle training (either inspiratory or expiratory muscle training) on clinical outcomes in cystic fibrosis. This is an update of a previously published review.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the effectiveness of respiratory muscle training on clinical outcomes in people with cystic fibrosis.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group Trials register comprising of references identified from comprehensive electronic database searches and handsearches of relevant journals and abstract books of conference proceedings. Date of most recent search: 11 June 2020. A hand search of the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis and Pediatric Pulmonology was performed, along with an electronic search of online trial databases. Date of most recent search: 05 October 2020.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled studies comparing respiratory muscle training with a control group in people with cystic fibrosis.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Review authors independently selected articles for inclusion, evaluated the methodological quality of the studies, and extracted data. Additional information was sought from trial authors where necessary. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE system.

MAIN RESULTS
Authors identified 20 studies, of which 10 studies with 238 participants met the review's inclusion criteria. There was wide variation in the methodological and written quality of the included studies. Four of the 10 included studies were published as abstracts only and lacked concise details, thus limiting the information available. Eight studies were parallel studies and two of a cross-over design. Respiratory muscle training interventions varied dramatically, with frequency, intensity and duration ranging from thrice weekly to twice daily, 20% to 80% of maximal effort, and 10 to 30 minutes, respectively. Participant numbers ranged from 11 to 39 participants in the included studies; five studies were in adults only, one in children only and four in a combination of children and adults. No differences between treatment and control were reported in the primary outcome of pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in one second and forced vital capacity) or postural stability (very low-quality evidence). Although no change was reported in exercise capacity as assessed by the maximum rate of oxygen use and distance completed in a six minute walk test, a 10% improvement in exercise duration was found when working at 60% of maximal effort in one study (n = 20) (very low-quality evidence). In a further study (n = 18), when working at 80% of maximal effort, health-related quality of life improved in the mastery and emotion domains (very low-quality evidence). With regards to the review's secondary outcomes, one study (n = 11) found a change in intramural pressure, functional residual capacity and maximal inspiratory pressure following training (very low-quality evidence). Another study (n=36) reported improvements in maximal inspiratory pressure following training (P < 0.001) (very low-quality evidence). A further study (n = 22) reported that respiratory muscle endurance was longer in the training group (P < 0.01). No studies reported significant differences on any other secondary outcomes. Meta-analyses could not be performed due to a lack of consistency and insufficient detail in reported outcome measures.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is insufficient evidence to suggest whether this intervention is beneficial or not. Healthcare practitioners should consider the use of respiratory muscle training on a case-by-case basis. Further research of reputable methodological quality is needed to determine the effectiveness of respiratory muscle training in people with cystic fibrosis. Researchers should consider the following clinical outcomes in future studies; respiratory muscle function, pulmonary function, exercise capacity, hospital admissions, and health-related quality of life. Sensory-perceptual changes, such as respiratory effort sensation (e.g. rating of perceived breathlessness) and peripheral effort sensation (e.g. rating of perceived exertion) may also help to elucidate mechanisms underpinning the effectiveness of respiratory muscle training.


Many datatype-generic functions need access to the recursive positions in the structure of the datatype, and therefore adopt a fixed point view on datatypes. Examples include variants of fold that traverse the data following the recursive structure, or the Zipper data structure that enables navigation along the recursive positions. However, Hindley-Milner-inspired type systems with algebraic datatypes make it difficult to express fixed points for anything but regular datatypes. Many real-life examples such as abstract syntax trees are in fact systems of mutually recursive datatypes and therefore excluded. Using Haskell's GADTs and type families, we describe a technique that allows a fixed-point view for systems of mutually recursive datatypes. We demonstrate that our approach is widely applicable by giving several examples of generic functions for this view, most prominently the Zipper.


Dr. Mel Levine shows that neurodevelopmental dysfunctions are often the true cause of perceived laziness in children and offers solutions. How many times have you heard a teacher say that your child has tremendous potential if only he'd just apply himself or if only she'd work just a little harder ? How often have you said the same thing to your son or daughter? Or perhaps you have a coworker who can't seem to finish anything; his reports are never in on time, or her projects are always behind schedule. No matter what excuses you hear, you suspect that laziness is the real reason for your colleague's low productivity. Almost no one is actually lazy, says Dr. Mel Levine, author of the #1 national bestseller "A Mind at a Time." Low productivity whether in school or on the job is almost always caused by a genuine problem, a neuro-developmental dysfunction. Despite this, untold numbers of people have been stigmatized by unfair accusations of laziness, many of them adults who still carry emotional scars from their school days. In "The Myth of Laziness" Dr. Levine shows how we can spot the neurodevelopmental dysfunctions that may cause output failure, as he calls it, whether in school or in the workplace. Dr. Levine identifies seven forms of dysfunction that obstruct output. Drawing on his years of clinical experience he describes eight people children, adolescents, and adults he has worked with who exhibited one or another of these problems. He shows how identifying the problem can make all the difference, leading to a course of corrective action rather than to accusations of laziness and moral failure. For example, a child who is unable to plan or to think ahead, who cannot consider different methods of accomplishing something or has difficulty making choices may wait until it is too late to complete an assignment or may act impulsively, creating a pattern of bad judgments and careless errors. Dr. Levine explains how such a child can be helped to learn how to plan ahead and weigh various alternatives. This sort of problem, if untreated, can persist into adulthood, where it can wreak far more havoc than in the classroom. "The Myth of Laziness" explains the significance of writing as a key barometer of productivity during the school years. Because writing brings together so many neurodevelopmental functions such as memory, motor control, organization, and verbalization of ideas it can provide crucial clues to pinpoint the sources of output failure. With its practical advice and its compassionate tone, "The Myth of Laziness" shows parents how to nurture their children's strengths and improve their classroom productivity. Most important, it shows how correcting these problems in childhood will help children live a fulfilling and productive adult life."


We study differentially private stochastic optimization in convex and non-convex settings. For the convex case, we focus on the family of non-smooth generalized linear losses (GLLs). Our algorithm for the $\ell_2$ setting achieves optimal excess population risk in near-linear time, while the best known differentially private algorithms for general convex losses run in super-linear time. Our algorithm for the $\ell_1$ setting has nearly-optimal excess population risk $\tilde{O}\big(\sqrt{\frac{\log{d}}{n\varepsilon}}\big)$, and circumvents the dimension dependent lower bound of \cite{Asi:2021} for general non-smooth convex losses. In the differentially private non-convex setting, we provide several new algorithms for approximating stationary points of the population risk. For the $\ell_1$-case with smooth losses and polyhedral constraint, we provide the first nearly dimension independent rate, $\tilde O\big(\frac{\log^{2/3}{d}}{{(n\varepsilon)^{1/3}}}\big)$ in linear time. For the constrained $\ell_2$-case with smooth losses, we obtain a linear-time algorithm with rate $\tilde O\big(\frac{1}{n^{1/3}}+\frac{d^{1/5}}{(n\varepsilon)^{2/5}}\big)$. Finally, for the $\ell_2$-case we provide the first method for {\em non-smooth weakly convex} stochastic optimization with rate $\tilde O\big(\frac{1}{n^{1/4}}+\frac{d^{1/6}}{(n\varepsilon)^{1/3}}\big)$ which matches the best existing non-private algorithm when $d= O(\sqrt{n})$. We also extend all our results above for the non-convex $\ell_2$ setting to the $\ell_p$ setting, where $1


Question: Can long-term grazing management maintain and restore species-rich sand dune plant communities within a sand dune site of high conservation interest?

Location: Newborough Warren, North Wales, UK.

Methods: Vegetation changes that occurred between 1987 and 2003, subsequent to grazing by domestic livestock being introduced to the site after decades with little or no stock grazing, were analysed using data collected from permanent monitoring quadrats over a 16-year period.

Results: At the plant community level, grazing brought about a shift from a tall-grass dominated, species-poor community to a more species-rich community in the dry dunes, but did not change community type in dune slacks. However, at the species level, grazing enhanced the abundance of some desired perennial, annual and biennial species, graminoids and bryophytes in both habitat types. The increased frequency of positive indicator species for habitat condition suggests that grazing was beneficial for species of conservation interest. Ellenberg nitrogen (N) values decreased after grazing in dry habitats but showed no long-term change independent of grazing, suggesting no increase in site fertility over the study period. Surprisingly, light (L) values also decreased in the dry dunes after grazing.

Conclusions: Long-term grazing management can play an important role for the conservation of dune communities and associated species. Because of its positive effects on species diversity, plant communities and habitat condition in sand dunes, livestock grazing is recommended for conservation management.


The new edition of Advanced Wireless Communications: 4G Cognitive and Cooperative Broadband Technology, 2nd Edition, including the latest developmentsIn the evolution of wireless communications, the dominant challenges are in the areas of networking and their integration with the Future Internet. Even the classical concept of cellular networks is changing and new technologies are evolving to replace it. To reflect these new trends,Advanced Wireless Communications & INTERNET builds upon the previous volumes, enhancing the existing chapters, and including a number of new topics. Systematically guiding readers from the fundamentals through to advanced areas, each chapter begins with an introductory explanation of the basic problems and solutions followed with an analytical treatment in greater detail.The most important aspects of new emerging technologies in wireless communications are comprehensively covered including: next generation Internet; cloud computing and network virtualization; economics of utility computing and wireless grids and clouds. This gives readers an essential understanding of the overall environment in which future wireless networks will be operating. Furthermore, a number of methodologies for maintaining the network connectivity, by using tools ranging from genetic algorithms to stochastic geometry and random graphs theory, and a discussion on percolation and connectivity, are also offered. The book includes a chapter on network formation games, covering the general models, knowledge based network formation games, and coalition games in wireless ad hoc networks.Illustrates points throughout using real-life case studies drawn from the author's extensive international experience in the field of telecommunicationsFully updated to include the latest developments, key topics covered include: Advanced routing and network coding; Network stability control; Relay-assisted Wireless Networks; Multicommodity flow optimization problems, flow optimization in heterogeneous networks, and dynamic resource allocation in computing cloudsMethodically guides readers through each topic from basic to advanced areasFocuses on system elements that provide adaptability and re-configurability, and discusses how these features can improve wireless communications system performance


OBJECT
Axonal regeneration may be hindered following spinal cord injury (SCI) by a limited immune response and insufficient macrophage recruitment. This limitation has been partially surmounted in small-mammal models of SCI by implanting activated autologous macrophages (AAMs). The authors sought to replicate these results in a canine model of partial SCI.

METHODS
Six dogs underwent left T-13 spinal cord hemisection. The AAMs were implanted at both ends of the lesion in 4 dogs, and 2 other dogs received sham implantations of cell media. Cortical motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were used to assess electrophysiological recovery. Functional motor recovery was assessed with a modified Tarlov Scale. After 9 months, animals were injected with wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase at L-2 and killed for histological assessment.

RESULTS
Three of the 4 dogs that received AAM implants and 1 of the 2 negative control dogs showed clear recovery of MEP response. Behavioral assessment showed no difference in motor function between the AAM-treated and control groups. Histological investigation with an axonal retrograde tracer showed neither local fiber crossing nor significant uptake in the contralateral red nucleus in both implanted and negative control groups.

CONCLUSIONS
In a large-animal model of partial SCI treated with implanted AAMs, the authors saw no morphological or histological evidence of axonal regeneration. Although they observed partial electrophysiological and functional motor recovery in all dogs, this recovery was not enhanced in animals treated with implanted AAMs. Furthermore, there was no morphological or histological evidence of axonal regeneration in animals with implants that accounted for the observed recovery. The explanation for this finding is probably multifactorial, but the authors believe that the AAM implantation does not produce axonal regeneration, and therefore is a technology that requires further investigation before it can be clinically relied on to ameliorate SCI.


Prepare for employment in medical and other health-care related offices. Course work will include medical terminology; information systems; office management; medical coding, billing and insurance; legal and ethical issues; formatting/word processing. Frequently Asked Questions


IFRS are cultural artefacts. They are spreading worldwide, often under the benign encouragement by entities such as the World Bank, and possibly through regulators suggesting the advantages of competitive innovation. But the spread of IFRS is not like the spread of muskets two centuries earlier. They do not similarly offer a prohibitive advantage to new adopters, but have to be gently harnessed to each local legal and professional habitus. Once this happens, IFRS are not the same worldwide. Think of McDonalds hamburgers. When eating hamburgers in Shanghai or Siena, what I am offered is different: there is no Kiwiburger (with its typical beetroot) over there. IFRS, being cultural artefacts, are transformed to meet local 'consumer demand' (user needs) e.g. they may be used for a selective number of entities, or every entity (as happened in NZ from 2007: including a charity, sports club, the national Government, or a local city council). Plus, a translator of IFRS into the local language is more than a shape-shifter or skin-changer (as Tolkien described Beorn): languages embody different ways of thinking. You would be very unwise to attempt to understand the differential reception or impact of IFRS with a largely discredited quantitative approach such as Hofstede's cultural indices. A nation state is rarely one culture, and yet IFRS become culturally embedded.More and more, quality research as reported in this Handbook reflects that the impact of IFRS in share markets worldwide depends on local enforcement and monitoring. Even in one small share market, IFRS is not a package deal. It is a number of standards applied to a greater or lesser degree to variety of transactions in a diversity of companies, monitored by numerous auditors. The auditor might use the English version of the IFRS or IAS, or they might use the local version. Roll your sleeves up and talk to a good number of local auditors and preparers. Understand their understandings. We need such research. Here's another metaphor: when you have an X-ray the utility or benefit it of it depends on the expertise of those interpreting the picture of what lies within. At first, the use of X-ray (Roentgen Rays) had some disastrous side effects (childhood leukaemia in babies X-rayed in utero) because the exact impact was not well understood. As with looking at an X-ray, financial reports based on IFRS have to be examined with an expert gaze to understand what lies beneath, or within the entity, as seen in its financial report. World-wide we are all learning what can be seen and what can't. We cannot stop another financial crisis occurring with IFRS adoption. But we might reduce its disastrous impact with better educated and more expert users of IFRS (preparers and auditors). I hope you are on the path towards developing such an expert eye, and that this Handbook will assist. This Handbook has been revised extensively since its first publication in December 2009. It contains a hundred questions and answers about IFRS, prepared as a resource for my students at the Universities of Victoria (Wellington, New Zealand) and Exeter in the UK, so it is idiosyncratically written with a level of personal familiarity, as they know me well. It might have been called 'IFRS for Dummies', excepting that was published last year, and the name is heavily copyrighted. This Handbook is replete with references to other authors, as it is intended as a resource so that when planning research projects, or writing essays and assignments, students may find an entry point into the extensive IFRS literature. For any one of these 100 questions, the Abstracts offer key search words to use with any Search Engine of choice. Most of the material is referenced from, www.ssrn.com.


Quantitative single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images are degraded by several physical factors, among which Compton scatter is the most difficult to compensate. An analytical scatter modeling (ASM) method is proposed to model scatter in SPECT. The reconstruction architecture includes following steps: 1) a look-up table describing patient independent factors was precalculated, and a numerical integration method based on number theory resulted in 1 to 2 order of magnitude speed up in precalculation. 2) The transition matrix was generated based on the patient-specific attenuation map. 3) OSEM reconstruction was performed with an unmatched projector/backprojector. ASM was validated by Monte-Carlo simulation, considering the case of the point source in a homogeneous and a non-homogeneous medium. Experiment was performed using a HAMAMATSU BHP6601 SPECT and a SPECT performance phantom. Projection data was reconstructed by OSEM method with/without ASM, filtered back projection(FBP) and FBP with dual energy window (DEW) scatter correction. Results show that OSEM/ASM is more accurate and gain higher contrast than others. For a 64 /spl times/64 /spl times/ 64 image array. The computation time of the transition matrix is 80 min, and the reconstruction takes 4 min per iteration on a 1.54 GHz processor PC. This work proposed a computationally efficient method to model scatter in SPECT reconstruction within clinically acceptable time.


Among the annals of Tasmanian discovery the record of
William Bligh has scarcely had the attention paid to it which
his work merits.
The fact is often lost sight of that the famous Bounty
anchored for a period in Adventure Bay before proceeding to
Tahiti, where the charms of the Eves of the Friendly Islands
proved too great a temptation to the crew. The resultant
mutiny, and Bligh's famous voyage of 3,600 miles in an open
boat to Timor, afford material for those pages of history that
are known, in the language of Macaulay, "to every schoolboy."
Bligh's visits to Tasmania are not recorded in the lists
of the early navigators given by J. B. Walker (1890 and 1902)
or J. Moore Robinson (1921, p. 159), yet Bligh made discoveries
and added to the early knowledge of Tasmania, and
if it had not been for the rough weather experienced during
his second visit, he would almost certainly have forestalled
many of the discoveries of D'Entrecasteaux.


Abstract. Global change forces ecosystems to adapt to elevated atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2). We understand that carbonyl sulfide (COS), a trace gas which is involved in building up the stratospheric sulfate aerosol layer, is taken up by vegetation with the same triad of the enzymes which are metabolizing CO2, i.e. ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEP-Co) and carbonic anhydrase (CA). Therefore, we discuss a physiological/biochemical acclimation of these enzymes affecting the sink strength of vegetation for COS. We investigated the acclimation of two European tree species, Fagus sylvatica and Quercus ilex, grown inside chambers under elevated CO2, and determined the exchange characteristics and the content of CA after a 1–2 yr period of acclimation from 350 ppm to 800 ppm CO2. We demonstrate that a compensation point, by definition, does not exist. Instead, we propose to discuss a point of uptake affinity (PUA). The results indicate that such a PUA, the CA activity and the deposition velocities may change and may cause a decrease of the COS uptake by plant ecosystems, at least as long as the enzyme acclimation to CO2 is not surpassed by an increase of atmospheric COS. As a consequence, the atmospheric COS level may rise causing an increase of the radiative forcing in the troposphere. However, this increase is counterbalanced by the stronger input of this trace gas into the stratosphere causing a stronger energy reflection by the stratospheric sulfur aerosol into space (Bruhl et al., 2012). These data are very preliminary but may trigger a discussion on COS uptake acclimation to foster measurements with modern analytical instruments.


Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) technology is one of the possible solutions for future short-range indoor data communication with uniquely attractive features inviting major advances in wireless communications, networking, radar, imaging, and positioning systems. A major challenge when designing UWB systems is choosing a suitable modulation technique. Data rate, transceiver complexity, and BER performance of the transmitted signal are all related to the employed modulation scheme. Several classical modulation schemes can be used to create UWB signals, some are more efficient than others. These schemes are namely, Pulse Position Modulation (PPM), Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM), Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK), and On-Off Keying (OOK) are reviewed. In the thesis, the performance of PPM system, combined with Time Hopping Spread Spectrum (THSS) multiple access technique is evaluated in an asynchronous multiple access free space environment. The multiple access interference is first assumed to be a zero mean Gaussian random process to simulate the scenario of a multi user environment. An exact BER calculation is then evaluated based on the characteristic function (CF) method, for Time Hopping-Pulse Position Modulation Ultra Wide Band (TH-PPM UWB) systems with multiple access interference (MAI) in AWGN environment. The resulting analytical expression is then used to assess the accuracy of the MAI Gaussian Approximation (GA) first assumed. The GA is shown to be inaccurate for predicting BERs for medium and large signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values. Furthermore, the analysis of TH-PPM system is further extended to evaluate the influence of changing and optimising some of the system or signal parameters. It can be shown how the system is greatly sensitive to variations in some signal parameters, like the pulse shape, the time-shift parameter associated with PPM, and the pulse length. In addition, the system performance can be greatly improved by optimising other system parameters like the number of pulses per bit, Ns, and the number of time slots per frame, Nh. All these evaluation are addressed through numerical examples. Then, we can say that, by improving signal or system parameters, the BER performance of the system is greatly enhanced. This is achieved without imposing exact complexity to the transceiver and with moderate computational calculations.


As programming skills increase in demand and utility, the learnability of end-user programming systems is of utmost importance. However, research on learning barriers in programming systems has primarily focused on languages, overlooking potential barriers in the environment and accompanying libraries. To address this, a study of beginning programmers learning Visual Basic.NET was performed. This identified six types of barriers: design, selection, coordination, use, understanding, and information. These barriers inspire a new metaphor of computation, which provides a more learner-centric view of programming system design


The essential textbook for electrical engineering students and professionals-now in a valuable new edition The increasing use of high-speed digital technology requires that all electrical engineers have a working knowledge of transmission lines. However, because of the introduction of computer engineering courses into already-crowded four-year undergraduate programs, the transmission line courses in many electrical engineering programs have been relegated to a senior technical elective, if offered at all. Now, Analysis of Multiconductor Transmission Lines, Second Edition has been significantly updated and reorganized to fill the need for a structured course on transmission lines in a senior undergraduate- or graduate-level electrical engineering program. In this new edition, each broad analysis topic, e.g., per-unit-length parameters, frequency-domain analysis, time-domain analysis, and incident field excitation, now has a chapter concerning two-conductor lines followed immediately by a chapter on MTLs for that topic. This enables instructors to emphasize two-conductor lines or MTLs or both. In addition to the reorganization of the material, this Second Edition now contains important advancements in analysis methods that have developed since the previous edition, such as methods for achieving signal integrity (SI) in high-speed digital interconnects, the finite-difference, time-domain (FDTD) solution methods, and the time-domain to frequency-domain transformation (TDFD) method. Furthermore, the content of Chapters 8 and 9 on digital signal propagation and signal integrity application has been considerably expanded upon to reflect all of the vital information current and future designers of high-speed digital systems need to know. Complete with an accompanying FTP site, appendices with descriptions of numerous FORTRAN computer codes that implement all the techniques in the text, and a brief but thorough tutorial on the SPICE/PSPICE circuit analysis program, Analysis of Multiconductor Transmission Lines, Second Edition is an indispensable textbook for students and a valuable resource for industry professionals.


Possible evaporation rates from a snow surface with respect to available energy and vapour pressure deficit in the air are discussed. In literature reported measurements and measurements carried out at the University of Lulea are analysed. It is found that for northern areas the total amount of evaporation during the whole snow covered season amounts only to 10–20 mm.

Different formulas for estimating the evaporation from a snow surface are discussed. It is stressed that for forecasting purposes the aerodynamic formula and the profile method should be used only together with energy balance computations. The air density stratification reduces the evaporation rate considerably. A formula for the reduced evaporation rate is suggested. Finally, evaporation is analysed as a transient process, and possibilities of developing more soundly based evaporation models are discussed.


Abstract. An approach for analysis and modeling of global atmospheric chemistry is developed for application to measurements that provide a tropospheric climatology of those heterogeneously distributed, reactive species that control the loss of methane and the production and loss of ozone. We identify key species (e.g., O3, NOx, HNO3, HNO4, C2H3NO5, H2O, HOOH, CH3OOH, HCHO, CO, CH4, C2H6, acetaldehyde, acetone) and presume that they can be measured simultaneously in air parcels on the scale of a few km horizontally and a few tenths of a km vertically. As a first step, six global models have prepared such climatologies sampled at the modeled resolution for August with emphasis on the vast central Pacific Ocean basin. Objectives of this paper are to identify and characterize differences in model-generated reactivities as well as species covariances that could readily be discriminated with an unbiased climatology. A primary tool is comparison of multidimensional probability densities of key species weighted by the mass of such parcels or frequency of occurrence as well as by the reactivity of the parcels with respect to methane and ozone. The reactivity-weighted probabilities tell us which parcels matter in this case, and this method shows skill in differentiating among the models' chemistry. Testing 100 km scale models with 2 km measurements using these tools also addresses a core question about model resolution and whether fine-scale atmospheric structures matter to the overall ozone and methane budget. A new method enabling these six global chemistry–climate models to ingest an externally sourced climatology and then compute air parcel reactivity is demonstrated. Such an objective climatology containing these key species is anticipated from the NASA Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) aircraft mission (2015–2020), executing profiles over the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean basins. This modeling study addresses a core part of the design of ATom.


IntroductionImproving the care and management of patients with diabetes, particularly those with extreme blood glucose and/or cholesterol levels, has been identified as a key priority area for healthcare in Ontario. A multi-organizational collaboration produces audit-and-feedback reports distributed to consenting primary care physicians across the province for quality improvement purposes.
Objectives and ApproachWe examined the feasibility of linking the Ontario Laboratory Information System (OLIS), a large and nearly population-wide database of laboratory test results in Ontario, with the existing provincial audit-and-feedback reporting structure to integrate aggregated, physician-level measures of glycemic and cholesterol control among patients with diabetes.
All Ontario residents alive on March 31, 2014, attached to a primary care physician, and diagnosed with diabetes for at least two years were included. These patients were linked to OLIS to extract laboratory test orders and results for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014.
ResultsThere were 1,108,530 diabetes patients included who were assigned to 10,085 primary care physicians. During fiscal year (FY) 2013, 70%, 64%, and 59% of diabetes patients were tested for HbA1C, LDL, and both measures, respectively. Among the 648,238 diabetes patients with at least one of each test in FY2013, 13% had a HbA1C test exceeding a threshold of 9%, 4% had a LDL test exceeding a threshold of 4 mmol/L, and 0.8% exceeded both thresholds. At the physician-level, the median (Interquartile Range) proportions of diabetes patients exceeding the testing thresholds were 12% (9%-16%) for HbA1c and 4% (2%-6%) for LDL. In a multilevel logistic regression model, there was significant between-physician variability in the proportions of diabetes patients exceeding the HbA1C (p
Conclusion/ImplicationsWe developed a mechanism for integrating population-wide, clinical laboratory test results into physician audit-and-feedback reports to improve diabetes care in Ontario. Significant variation observed in the aggregated, physician-level proportions of diabetes patients testing above clinical thresholds for HbA1C and LDL highlights the importance of reporting such information to physicians.


It is not only war and conflict that can determine the political fate of a leader but also peacemaking
initiatives. Reversing long-standing national foreign policy choices that perpetuate animosity, friction and lack of diplomatic relations between states can put leaders in a precarious situation given domestic and external reactions. Accordingly, can foreign policy change of that respect be considered as risk-seeking or risk-averse behaviour on the part of leaders? Furthermore, if foreign policy change is considered as risk-seeking behaviour, then why do leaders and decision-makers spearhead and engage actively with these initiatives of peacemaking?
This study, the first of its kind in the literature of prospect theory, analyses peacemaking initiatives under conditions of risk and uncertainty by shedding light on the decisions undertaken by the leadership of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), focusing specifically on its foreign policy choices vis-a-vis Cyprus and Armenia in 2004 and 2009 respectively. In particular, it raises questions as to the extent to which Recep Tayyip Erdogan's and his inner circle's decision to promote the resolution of two long-standing diplomatic issues was risky and what induced them to actively engage with the cases at hand.
Using prospect theory's analytical tools, it is argued that the revisionary policies that the AKP leadership, in particular Recep Tayyip Erdogan, introduced and promoted were riskier choices compared to Turkey's long-standing policies vis-a-vis Cyprus and Armenia. This raises questions as to what induced Erdogan to push for a solution of the Cyprus issue during the Annan negotiations between 2002 and 2004, and the Annan Plan referendum in 2004, despite Turkish Cypriot leader's, Rauf Denktas's reactions and his support from the Turkish establishment at the time. Similarly, what induced Erdogan to seek the normalisation of Turkish-Armenian relations? This is a particularly puzzling question if one considers that Erdogan's government signed the Zurich Protocols on 10 October 2009, which provided for the normalisation of Turkish-Armenian relations without any reference to the NagornoKarabakh issue - the foremost security concern for Azerbaijan and one of Turkey's main prerequisites for normalising relations with Armenia – but then shortly after reversed the process. Towards that end, I have developed questions concerning the riskiness of these options, the risk propensity of Erdogan himself and the factors that affected this.
After a comprehensive empirical analysis on the basis of two new prospect theoretical models (a. prospect theory-diversionary peace theory model, b. prospect theory-external balancing theory model) that provide alternative hypotheses about what induces risk-seeking and riskaverse behaviour in cases of peacemaking through concessions, I argue that the prospect theory-diversionary peace model's main assumption about the effect of internal threats on decision-makers' risk propensity is validated. Accordingly, there is a direct causal link between, firstly, the internal strife that took place between the AKP leadership and the Turkish establishment at the time, particularly the Turkish Army; and, secondly, the riskseeking propensity of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in revising Turkey's traditional foreign policy.
More specifically, Erdogan felt that he was in the domain of losses in terms of his political survivability and that of his government as well as in terms of the prospects for consolidating his power in the sphere of Turkish politics. In order to counterbalance the army's subversive policies against the AKP and its clout in Turkish politics, he attempted to revise Turkey's foreign policy vis-a-vis Cyprus and Armenia. It became clear to him that changing Turkey's foreign policy in these two cases could, potentially, boost his personal image and that of his government amongst Turkey's traditional allies, the EU and the US. In the case of Cyprus, EU member states directly connected the opening of accession negotiations with Turkey with its constructive role at the UN-sponsored negotiating table for a final settlement of the longstanding issue. In the case of Armenia, US institutions, particularly the US Congress and to some extent the US administrations had traditionally pressed for the normalisation of Turkey's relations with Armenia and the opening of the borders.
By revising, for the first time, Turkey's long-standing foreign policy vis-a-vis Cyprus and Armenia, Erdogan and his government exhibited a risk-seeking behaviour compared to the reproduction of Turkish foreign policy that had traditionally taken place. The AKP leadership's expectation was to increase its international popularity with Turkey's traditional allies, the EU and the US, as a means of remedying the internal threat that the Turkish establishment, and particularly the Turkish Army, posed at the time to the survival and consolidation of Erdogan's government. Parallel to that, the AKP's revisionary policies were an attempt to discredit the Turkish Army's international profile among Turkey's traditional allies for being intransigent, while a potential final solution of the two problems would weaken the powerful domestic narrative that the Army had used to depict itself as Turkey's guarantor of security against external threats. The frozen conflict on Cyprus and the enmity with Armenia had been important sources of legitimacy for the Turkish Army.