Conventional wisdom once told us big companies are unbeatable...and eat smaller competitors for breakfast. Not anymore. These days It's Not the Big that Eat the Small...It's the FAST that Eat the Slow! Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton discovered what separates today's icons of speed from everybody else. They asked questions like:*What is the difference between speed and haste? *Where does business go to spot trends before the competition?*How can leaders help people stop dreading high velocity and rediscover the thrill of deciding, acting and staying fast?And studied the world's fastest companies like: *H&M Europe's fast fashion phenomenon now poised to threaten apparel stores in America.*AOL who gulped down Netscape and Time Warner in record time. *Charles Schwab the new dominant name in discount and on-line financial services. The results are in this sensational book...a national bestseller, translated all over the globe and universally praised. Would you like to make speed a competitive tool in your business? Here's your roadmap!


Objectives This meta-analysis investigates the efficacy of tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) blockers versus placebo for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). Methods A systematic literature search was conducted independently by two reviewers. Double-blind randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of adalimumab, certolizumab, etanercept, golimumab or infliximab in approved dosages in comparison with placebo were included. The use of concomitant non-steroidal antirheumatic drugs was allowed. The outcome parameters were improvement in disease activity and function measured by the Bath AS disease activity index (BASDAI), Bath AS functional index (BASFI) and ASAS40 response. The effect sizes of the changes in BASDAI/BASFI between TNFα blocker and placebo comparator groups were calculated. Mixed effect models were applied separately for RCTs with AS and nr-axSpA patients and differences between those groups were evaluated in a joint model. Results 20 studies with data from 3096 patients were included in the analysis: 15 studies with AS patients, four with nr-axSpA patients and one with both. For AS patients, TNFα blockers showed better efficacy than placebo for BASDAI (effect size 1.00), BASFI (effect size 0.67) and ASAS40 response (OR 4.7). For nr-axSpA patients, the differences were smaller (effect sizes 0.73, 0.57; OR 3.6). However, after adjustment for the year of publication as a proxy for disease severity, no differences in the effect sizes between the AS and nr-axSpA trials were observed. Conclusions Compared with placebo, TNFα blockers improve disease activity and functional capacity clinically meaningful for both AS and nr-axSpA patients.


Abstract. The torque generated by a wind turbine blade is dependent on several parameters, one of which is the angle of attack. Several models for predicting the angle of attack in yawed conditions have been proposed in the literature, but there is a lack of experimental data to use for direct validation. To address this problem, experiments were conducted under controlled conditions at the University of Waterloo Wind Generation Research Facility using a 3.4 m diameter test turbine. A five-hole pressure probe was installed in a modular 3D printed blade and was used to measure the angle of attack, α, as a function of several parameters. Local flow angle measurements for all azimuthal angles were obtained at radial positions of r / R = 0.55 and 0.72 at tip speed ratios (λ) of 5.0, 3.6, and 3.1. The yaw offset of the turbine was varied from −15° to +15°. Span-wise flow angle measurements are presented for the r / R = 0.55 cases, and show the variation in radial flow direction throughout yawed rotation. Experimental results were compared directly to angle of attack values calculated using a model proposed by Morote in 2015. Modeled values were found to be in close agreement with the experimental results. The angle of attack was shown to vary cyclically in the yawed case while remaining mostly constant when aligned with the flow, as expected. These five-hole probe measurements were also used to characterise the upstream flow profile. Wind speeds determined using the five-hole probe measurements are presented and are in agreement with measurements obtained in the wind facility during testing. The quality of results indicates the potential of the developed instrument for wind turbine measurements.


In Malawi the term justice seems to be conceived as a practical ideal based on the experience which history has so far brought to the consciousness of the legislators. It is this experience which will be examined in this paper; and for this purpose it is convenient to analyse the development of the Traditional Courts in an historical perspective.


We use Conway's \emphFractran language to derive a function R:\textbfZ^+ → \textbfZ^+ of the form R(n) = r_in if n ≡ i \bmod d where d is a positive integer, 0 ≤ i < d and r_0,r_1, ... r_d-1 are rational numbers, such that the famous 3x+1 conjecture holds if and only if the R-orbit of 2^n contains 2 for all positive integers n. We then show that the R-orbit of an arbitrary positive integer is a constant multiple of an orbit that contains a power of 2. Finally we apply our main result to show that any cycle \ x_0, ... ,x_m-1 \ of positive integers for the 3x+1 function must satisfy \par ∑ _i∈ \textbfE \lfloor x_i/2 \rfloor = ∑ _i∈ \textbfO \lfloor x_i/2 \rfloor +k. \par where \textbfO=\ i : x_i is odd \ , \textbfE=\ i : x_i is even \ , and k=|\textbfO|. \par The method used illustrates a general mechanism for deriving mathematical results about the iterative dynamics of arbitrary integer functions from \emphFractran algorithms.


OBJECT
In July 2010, the Society of Neurological Surgeons (SNS) introduced regional courses to promote patient safety and teach fundamental skills and knowledge to all postgraduate Year 1 (PGY1) trainees entering Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited US neurosurgery residency programs. Data from these courses demonstrated significant didactic learning and high faculty and resident satisfaction with hands-on training. Here, the authors evaluated the durability of learning from and the relevance of participation in SNS PGY1 courses as measured midway through PGY1 training.

METHODS
Resident participants were resurveyed 6 months after boot camp course attendance to assess knowledge retention and course effectiveness. Exposure to relevant hands-on experiences during PGY1 training and the subjective value of pre-residency simulated training in the courses were assessed.

RESULTS
Ninety-four percent of all residents entering US PGY1 neurosurgical training participated in the 2010 SNS boot camp courses. One hundred sixty-four (88%) of these resident participants responded to the survey. Six months after course completion, 99% of respondents believed the boot camp courses benefited beginning neurosurgery residents and imparted skills and knowledge that would improve patient care. The PGY1 residents' knowledge of information taught in the courses was retained 6 months after initial testing (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS
The learning and other benefits of participation in a national curriculum for residents entering PGY1 neurosurgical training were maintained 6 months after the courses, halfway through the initial training year.


You see it in every schoolyard: the girls play only with girls, the boys play only with boys. Why? And what do the kids think about this? Breaking with familiar conventions for thinking about children and gender, Gender Play develops fresh insights into the everyday social worlds of kids in elementary schools in the United States. Barrie Thorne draws on her daily observations in the classroom and on the playground to show how children construct and experience gender in school. With rich detail, she looks at the "play of gender" in the organization of groups of kids and activities - activities such as "chase-and-kiss, " "cooties, " "goin' with, " and teasing. Thorne observes children in schools in working-class communities, emphasizing the experiences of fourth and fifth graders. Most of the children she observed were white, but a sizable minority were Latino, Chicano, or African American. Thorne argues that the organization and meaning of gender are influenced by age, ethnicity, race, sexuality, and social class, and that they shift with social context. She sees gender identity not through the lens of individual socialization or difference, but rather as a social process involving groups of children. Thorne takes us on a fascinating journey of discovery, provides new insights about children, and offers teachers practical suggestions for increasing cooperative mixed-gender interaction.


"Paul Tuttle Designs" surveys Tuttle's 50-year career, primarily as a furniture designer, showcasing more than 60 examples of seating and tables, and highlighting five homes he designed in Santa Barbara early in his career. Paul Tuttle's (1918-2002) impressive oeuvre is noted for its combination of gorgeous woods with materials such as steel, glass, cane, and upholstery. Regardless of how aesthetically beautiful or freshly inventive his creations are, they were always intended to be functional. Tuttle stands out among mid-to-late twentieth-century designers in his avoidance of trends or styles and his commitment to solving design problems in an original way. Working within a modernist tradition, Tuttle's work is distinguished by an elegance of line, purity of materials, fascination with structure, and delight in small details. Although crafted with precision and taste, his furniture often exudes a distinctive quirky playfulness that reflects the designer's belief that a sense of fun should be part of a work's purpose.


Given the environmental damages caused by invasive species, it is critical to allocate limited management budgets carefully. To address this need, there are a variety of approaches for analysing invasive species risk and designing management strategies; these range from pre–border risk assessment through to local-scale prioritisation of management actions. Risk assessment can be broadly characterised into three components: risk analysis, risk characterisation and risk management. For each component we give a brief review of current approaches and then present innovative tools being developed and applied in northern Australia. We use gamba grass (Andropogon gayanus Kunth.) as a case study to contrast the benefits of the different approaches presented. With our case study, we demonstrate the practical application of novel risk management tools, with results from these tools that are being used locally to prioritise management actions. Lastly, we note that for even greater benefit to be achieved, the new spatial prioritisation approaches presented must be accompanied by further development of data and methods to accommodate planning for multiple weed species and incorporation of further human dimensions (e.g. social and cultural values).


This study presents an analysis of relations between health professionals and pregnant adolescents in the installations of the prenatal care program of a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro. It involves qualitative research based on an interpretive approach, with comprehensiveness and humanization of care in relationship dimensions as a theoretical benchmark. Based on two predefined themes - the interaction between subjects and educational dimension of health practices - 22 individual and group care sessions were observed, with the participation of 31 pregnant adolescents, 5 professionals and 2 nutrition interns. The interpretation of the data using content analysis created five categories. The results show the negative effect of the predominance of the biomedical dimension in the perception of health professionals about psychosocial and cultural aspects of teenage pregnancy. There was a failure to utilize the care session as a privileged space for the construction of collective and individual significance about pregnancy and teenage motherhood, albeit in the context studied there are professionals who are aware of the need for a broader view regarding the needs of pregnant adolescent.


A technique of direct writing of depressed cladding waveguides by a femtosecond laser beam in doped YAG laser crystals has been developed. A low threshold buried waveguide laser in the YAG:Nd3+ crystal has been demonstrated. Spectroscopic investigation of the crystal modified by a femtosecond laser beam and phase delay measurements of refractive index change in series of YAG crystals lead to conclusion that the refractive index change is due modifications in a defect system of a doped YAG crystal, while crystal lattice persists during this process.


The objective of this paper is to describe a problem based learning module, called the "Energy Cube", offered by Dublin Institute of Technology that is designed to teach mechanical, building services and manufacturing engineering concepts to first year engineering students. The Energy Cube project gives students hands-on experience in areas ranging from heat transfer, lighting and energy efficiency to industrial and product design. In the Energy Cube, students design and construct (using cardboard, clear plastic, and glue) a model of a building that admits as much daylight as possible while being energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing. The students, working in teams of four, complete most of the work within six four-hour blocks allotted for the project. Each week, students are given specific goals: (1) generate design specifications, (2) create an evaluation matrix and use it to select two preliminary designs, (3) choose one final design and make detailed construction drawings, (4) construct the final model, (5) test performance of models and record results, (6) submit and present a final report that includes recommendations for improvement. Performance tests determine what percentage of available ambient light reaches the interior and how much heat (generated by an incandescent light bulb) is retained over a 30minute period. Quality of construction is measured using an air tightness test. The teaching team, comprised of engineering and design educators, assesses aesthetics subjectively. Individual contributions are evaluated using attendance records and peer assessments. Student feedback, via a survey, was positive regarding teamwork and team-building. It also showed a good balance among the diverse learning outcomes.


Approximate query processing (AQP) provides fewer representative samples to
approximate large amounts of data. Processing these smaller data subsets enables
visualization systems to provide end-users with real-time responses. However, challenges arise for real-world users in adopting AQP-based visualization systems, e.g.,
the absence of AQP modules in mainstream commercial databases, erroneous estimations caused by sampling bias, and end-user uncertainty when interpreting approximate query results. In this dissertation, we present an AQP-centered technique
for enabling interactive visual analytics for large amounts of spatiotemporal data
under the aforementioned challenges. First, we design, implement and evaluate a
client-based visual analytics framework that progressively acquires spatiotemporal
data from an AQP-absence server-side to client-based visualization systems so that
interactive data exploration can be maintained on a client machine with modest computational power. Second, we design, implement, and evaluate an online sampling
approach that selects samples of large spatiotemporal data in an unbiased manner
and accordingly improves the accuracy of the associated estimates. Last, we design,
implement and evaluate a difference assessment approach that compares approximate
and exact spatial heatmap visualizations in terms of human perception. As such, information changes perceptible by users are well represented, and users can evaluate
the reliability of approximate answers more easily. Our results show the superior
performance of our proposed AQP-centered technique in terms of speed, accuracy,
and user trust, as compared to a baseline of state-of-the-art solutions.


Animal activity patterns correspond to the individual diel cycle time and is an important attribute of species coexistence in ecological communities. However, activity patterns of most Neotropical species are still poorly understood. Based on an 8-year camera-trapping survey conducted between 2009 and 2017, we evaluated puma (Puma concolor) activity patterns in a human-modified landscape in Southeastern Brazil. Our objectives were to determine the activity pattern of pumas and to verify the influence of main prey species and anthropogenic factors on their behavior. We categorized activity patterns of all assessed species based on the proportion of independent records during night and day times. We tested for sex differences in activity patterns of pumas, and measured their overlap with most consumed prey, people, cattle and domestic dogs. Our results suggested that males engaged in mostly nocturnal behavior while females were active both at night and day hours. Pumas exhibited higher coefficient of overlapping with prey species that were most often included in their diet, suggesting that prey availability might influence puma activity or that pumas opportunistically prey upon species with similar activity pattern. Female pumas seem to be more exposed to anthropogenic threats due to higher activity pattern overlap with people and domestic dogs. Our findings provide insights into puma-prey temporal behavior, highlighting the relevance of intrasexual dissimilarity in the activity patterns of a top predator living in a disturbed landscape.


Richard Melville Cormack is one of the giants who developed
the theory of mark-recapture. Referring to his key paper in 1964, and the
papers published back-to-back in 1965 by George Jolly and George Seber,
the "Cormack–Jolly–Seber model" is central to the development of markrecapture
methods for estimating survival.
Richard was born on 12 March 1935. His father was Principal of Stow
College of Engineering in Glasgow. From the age of 7, Richard attended
Glasgow Academy, and later entered directly into the second year at King's
College, Cambridge, intending at the time to be a theoretical astronomer. He
secured first class honours in Special Mathematics from London as an external
student in 1954, and second class honours in Mathematics from Cambridge
in 1955. After changing direction, he left Cambridge in 1956 with a
Distinction in the Diploma in Mathematical Statistics.
Richard's PhD, undertaken while a lecturer at Aberdeen, was completed
in 1961. Richard's period at Aberdeen (1956–1966) coincided with a golden
era for statistics there, and his colleagues included D. J. Finney, Bill Brass,
Peter Fisk, David M. G.Wishart, Michael Sampford, Robert Curnow, George
Jolly and Andrew Rutherford (the last four being members of the ARC Unit
of Statistics). In common with a number of these colleagues, he moved to
Edinburgh in 1966, holding a Senior Lectureship there until 1972, when he
became the first Professor of Statistics at St Andrews.
Richard's groundbreaking contributions to mark-recapture in the early
1960s continued when he addressed the issue of heterogeneity in capture
probabilities, publishing a test for heterogeneity in Biometrics in 1966. Then
in 1972, in another Biometrics paper, he showed the logic behind capturerecapture
estimates, making the methods more accessible and understandable
to the user community. In 1981, jointly with Philip North, Richard published
important insights into mark-recovery models. His work on log-linear
models for mark-recapture led to papers in Biometrika in 1984 (with Ron
Sandland) and 1991 (with Peter Jupp), and in Biometrics in 1989, and, additionally,
to four book chapters. There was also a sequence of Biometrics
capture-recapture papers in the 1990s: on modelling covariates (1990), on
interval estimation (1992) and on variance estimation (1993). After retirement
in 1994, his publications in mark-recapture were mostly as co-author in
epidemiology studies.
Richard also published on other diverse topics, often with scientists from
other disciplines. His 1971 review of classification, read to the Research Committee of RSS and later appearing in JRSS A, is a classic, and while his
1988 exposition on statistical challenges in the environmental sciences (also
in JRSS A) has had substantially less impact, it too showed his characteristic
incisiveness. His contributions to a wide range of committees, working
groups, visiting groups and scientific organisations (including council member
for NERC and the Freshwater Biological Association) were substantial.
He was elected a member of the ISI in 1962 and a Fellow of the Royal Society
of Edinburgh in 1974. He held various offices within the Biometric
Society, as Secretary of the British Region 1970–1977, Regional President
1990–1992 and President of the International Society 1980–1981. He served
on the Council and various committees of the Royal Statistical Society.
Richard married Edith Whittaker on 1st September 1960, at King's College
Chapel, Aberdeen. Edith is a plant ecologist, and a past chairperson of
the Fife and Kinross Branch of the Scottish Wildlife Trust and of the Friends
of St Andrews Botanic Garden; she was also a founding member of the Garden's
Education Trust. Their son Andrew is a European Chartered Engineer
working for the JANET network, while their daughter Anne is a Marketing
Manager.
Photography has been a passion of Richard's for many decades. He was a
lecturer and judge for 40 years for the Scottish Photographic Federation, and
was placed on their roll of honour. He has held exhibitions in Dundee (Land
of the Berbers), St Andrews (Growth and Form) and Aberdeen (Walking in
the North), and has given many talks.
Richard firmly established the University of St Andrews as a centre for
statistical ecology, a strength that continues today.


Traditional approaches to probabilistic inference such as loopy belief propagation and Gibbs sampling typically compute marginals for all the unobserved variables in a graphical model. However, in many real-world applications the user's interests are focused on a subset of the variables, specified by a query. In this case it would be wasteful to uniformly sample, say, one million variables when the query concerns only ten. In this paper we propose a query-specific approach to MCMC that accounts for the query variables and their generalized mutual information with neighboring variables in order to achieve higher computational efficiency. Surprisingly there has been almost no previous work on query-aware MCMC. We demonstrate the success of our approach with positive experimental results on a wide range of graphical models.


NASA will hold a news conference at 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday, April 4, at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, to preview the beginning of Cassini's final mission segment, known as the Grand Finale, which begins in late April. The briefing will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website.


In The Five-Colored Clouds of Mount Wutai: Poems from Dunhuang, Mary Anne Cartelli introduces a significant corpus of Chinese Buddhist poems from the Dunhuang manuscripts celebrating Mount Wutai. They offer important literary evidence for the transformation of the mountain into the earthly paradise of the bodhisattva Manjuśrī by the Tang dynasty.


The notion of regional clusters of firms has been the subject of research for over a century. Recent research has increasingly reported evidence of cluster firms' growth, contrasting with the general assumption that being embedded in a cluster restrains the possibility for firm growth in terms of attitude, opportunities and resources. However, despite the recent research interest on those firms that have experienced growth, detaching from the cluster cliche of being small, local and homogeneous, little is known on the antecedents of such growth. In this paper, we use the lenses of firm-level entrepreneurship as a framework for analysing, comparing and generalising the empirical results of four case studies (Alessi, Illycaffe, Luxottica and Geox). We argue that local and non-local resources and competencies, together with firm capabilities of acquisition and recombination, are the main antecedents of the continuous process of opportunity recognition and exploitation, i.e., growth of cluster firms.


Making greater use of the waters of the Congo could boost development across – and beyond – the region, but threatens to favour particular users' interests at the expense of others. Within its enormous catchment area, the Congo is the dominant transport network and the lifeblood of the African rain forest, upon which millions depend for their livelihoods. Tapping the river's resources could significantly improve the region's water and food supplies, while its hydro-energy potential could theoretically satisfy the electricity needs of the entire continent. Plans to construct more major dams at the Inga Falls demonstrate that the ten Congo Basin states are pursuing common goals – but also having to deal with sharpening intersectoral conflicts. An inconsistent line on dam-building makes it harder for Germany to play a constructive role in these development processes.


We deal with a mathematical model of atherosclerosis plaque
formation, which describes the early formation of atherosclerotic lesions. The
model assumes that the inflammatory process starts with the penetration of low-density lipoproteins cholesterol in the intima, and that penetration will occur
in the area of lower shear stress. Using a system of reaction-diffusion equations,
we first provide a one-dimensional model of lesion growth. Then we perform
numerical simulations on an idealized two-dimensional geometry of the carotid
artery bifurcation before and after the formation of the atherosclerotic plaque.
For that purpose, we consider the blood as an incompressible non-Newtonian
fluid with shear-thinning viscosity. We also present a study of the wall shear
stress and blood velocity behavior in a geometry with one plaque and also with
two plaques in different positions.


Research examining cognition and science learning has focused on working memory but evidence implicates a broader set of executive functions. The current study examined executive functions and learning of biology in young adolescents. Fifty-six participants, aged 12-13 years, completed tasks of working memory (Spatial Working Memory), inhibition (Stop-Signal), attention set-shifting (ID/ED), and planning (Stockings of Cambridge), from the CANTAB. They also participated in a biology teaching session, practical and assessment on the topic of DNA designed specifically for the current study which measured a) memory for biology facts taught and b) understanding of information learned in the practical. Linear regression analysis revealed that planning ability predicted performance on the factual assessment and both spatial working memory and planning were predictive of performance on the conceptual assessment. The findings suggest that planning ability is important in learning biological facts but that a broader set of executive functions are important for conceptual learning, highlighting the role of executive functions in understanding and applying knowledge about what is learned within science teaching.


Ten investigations into complaints about NHS care of elderly people in England have found that pain control, discharge arrangements, communication with patients and their relatives, and nutrition are often highly inadequate.

The health service ombudsman, Ann Abraham, says that her report shows the gulf between the principles and values of the NHS Constitution and the reality of being an older person in the care of the NHS in England. The 10 patients whose cases were looked into endured unnecessary pain, indignity, and distress while in the care of the NHS, she said.

The ombudsman, which deals with complaints against the NHS that cannot be resolved by individual trusts, carried out the 10 investigations that took place in 2009 and 2010. Nine of the 10 patients died during or shortly after the experiences investigated.

The report says …


ABSTRACT Various mixtures were prepared depending on the mixing ratio of Scutellaria baicalensis hot water extract (SB-HW), and Chrysanthemum morifolium ethanol extract (CM-E) and their anti-inflammatory activity were compared. Among them, SB-HW (80 μg/mL)/CM-E (120 μg/mL) or SB-HW (40 μg/mL)/CM-E (160 μg/mL) significantly inhibited LPS-stimulated NO and IL-6 levels in RAW 264.7 cells. The SB-HW (80 μg/mL)/CM-E (120 μg/mL) mixture, which was determined as active mixture, significantly reduced MUC5AC secretion in PMA and LPS-induced NCI-H292 cells. The active mixture also reduced the production of PGE2 and IL-8 in PMA-induced A549 cells. LC-MS/MS analysis showed that the active mixture was composed of high contents of flavone glycosides, such as baicalin and cynaroside. Western blot analysis indicated that the active mixture suppressed phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and p38, associating with the inhibition of MAPK signaling. Taken together, our results suggest that the active mixture could be applied as a new anti-inflammatory herbal medicine. Abbreviations JNK: c-Jun N-terminal kinases; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CM: Chrysanthemum morifolium; COX-2: cyclooxygenase-2; ERK: extracellular-signal-regulated kinase; IL-6: interleukin-6; IL-8: interleukin-8; IL-12: interleukin-12; LPS: lipopolysaccharide; MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinase; NO: nitric oxide; NK- κB: nuclear factor kappa B; p38: p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases; PBS: phosphate buffered saline; PMA: phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate; SB: Scutellaria baicalensis; PGE2: prostaglandin E2; TBST: Tris-buffered saline containing 0.1% Tween 20; TIC: total ion chromatogram; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-alpha Graphical Abstract The herbal mixture comprising SB-HW and CM-E showed potent anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing MAPK signaling.


The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a number of regulations aimed at protecting occupants in the event of a crash. The Code of Federal Regulations, 14 CFR 25.562, describes the compliance regulation for transport category aircraft, with similar regulations for other types of aircraft in Parts 23, 27 and 29. One of the required tests is the dynamic impact with a Hybrid-II or a FAA Hybrid-III 50th percentile dummy seated on a 60-degree pitched seat, with an input deceleration/acceleration pulse acting primarily on the mid-sagittal plane of the dummy. In particular, an important compliance criterion is that the lumbar/pelvic load must be below the 1,500 lb (6,672 N) compliance limit. The objective of this study is to develop a reasonable approach to estimate the lumbar load tolerance for potential future expansion of lumbar load regulations for other dummy sizes such as an FAA Hybrid-III 5th and 95th percentile dummy. To accomplish this, the lumbar load measured with the Hybrid-II and the FAA Hybrid-III 50th percentile dummy when subjected to the 19 g rigid seat impact tests and simulations are correlated and discussed. The FAA Hybrid-III 50th percentile dummy is then scaled to the 5th and 95th percentile sizes based on GEBOD database. The dynamic behavior of the scaled FAA dummies in the 19 g sled simulation using an ideal acceleration pulse is then simulated and their corresponding lumbar loads are estimated. The dummy models utilized are obtained from the MADYMO crash test dummy database and the dynamic impact simulations are solved using the non-linear multibody dynamic solver, MADYMO. This study proposes the lumbar load tolerances for the 5th and 95th percentile sizes represented by the scaled FAA dummies by correlating their lumbar loads to the Dynamic Response Index (DRI) values. In this study, the lumbar load tolerance values for the 5th and 95th percentiles are proposed to be 870.4 lb (3,871.7 N) and 1772.9 lb (7,886.3 N), respectively. A comparison of the lumbar load tolerances proposed from this study and other sources is also presented.Copyright © 2015 by ASME


Human preference choice suffers curious contextual effects: the relative preference between two multi-attribute options (e.g. cars with differing safety and economy ratings) can dramatically shift, depending on the presence/absence of additional options. This phenomenon defies any simple utilitybased account of choice, and has been taken to imply irrationalities/sub-optimalities in human decision-making, or reflect idiosyncrasies in neural processing. Recently, we used a Bayesian model to show that these contextual effects are normative consequences of observers using options to learn about the "market". However, it had an unsavory implication that all decision-makers asymptotically converge to the same beliefs/behavior. Here, we propose a new model that uses both market and personal utilities to make choices. This model still captures the contextual effects, while also allowing asymptotic differences in individual preferences and providing a general framework for explaining how consumption informs one's beliefs and preferences.


This thesis takes an insight look into tearing behaviour of thin materials used in food packaging. The investigation was based on 2-leg trousers-tear specimen with constant pre-crack length. The materials used in this work were al-foil and a laminate composed of paperboard, low-density polyethylene and al-foil. Theory of Essential work, experimental and finite element methods were used for analysis. Microscopic study was performed to analyse the crack behaviour for both materials and comparison was made. Microscopic photographs show the actual condition of the crack; these photographs were put together with corresponding experimental data. It provided an effective method to analyse the fluctuations in the data compared with actual crack condition. A simple finite element model was made in order to show the stress distribution around the crack tip. It was found that the tearing behaviour is a combination of mode I and mode III fracture. Commercial software ABAQUS was used for finite element modelling. Crack propagation was not considered during simulation


Historical land clearing is believed to be responsible for present-day channel instability in main stem reaches in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) in south-central Missouri. The nature of instability is related to the delivery of excess amounts of gravel sediment to stream channels and higher rates of lateral bank erosion. These conditions are of concern to resource managers because of the potential damaging effects on recreational facilities and aquatic habitat. The purpose of this study is to develop a geographic information systems (GIS)/remote sensing (RS) based methodology to monitor spatial patterns of gravel deposition and lateral channel migration within the ONSR. Two study reaches, each several kilometers in length, on the Jacks Fork and Current Rivers were selected for evaluation based on their proximity to recreation areas and history of disturbance. Stream channel bank lines, centerlines and gravel bar features were digitized and analyzed in a GIS. A mean center of mass method was used to assess spatial patterns of gravel bar movement, and a meander apex method was used to assess spatial patterns of lateral channel migration within the study reaches. Results reveal that in disturbance reaches, channel migration rates typically occurred at 4 to 30 m/yr and bar centroids shifted 3 to 35 m/yr. While both sites appear to be presently at the end of a channel migration cycle, smaller-scale gravel wave pulses continue to push through the Current River system. Park managers may find it useful to classify channel reaches according to valley location and bar planform in order to better understand and predict the spatial distribution of disturbance zones.


The U.S. agrifood system was built upon land redistribution, enslavement, and labor exploitation. This system encompasses economic, social, and biophysical components deployed under a set of policies that negatively affect Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics. Researchers have studied the problematic issues affecting marginalized groups and published their analyses, while leaving intact the issues they document and research. Researchers have the responsibility to redress the exploitative premise of the agrifood system for communities whose circumstances have helped advance academic careers. Marginalized communities can be essential partners in practical and intellectual innovation and improvement of the agrifood system. The most effective way to redirect our system is to redefine the purpose of that system. Nations that invest their public resources equitably produce greater overall well-being for people of all incomes. The purpose of public investment in our food system should be to nourish and maximize overall health and well-being. We should establish an overarching national policy to create norms leading to equitable outcomes.


Pornography viewing has become a widespread social phenomenon in the world; Kenya notwithstanding. Studies have indicated that pornography viewing is correlated to sexual aggressive behaviours among college students. Using the Social Learning Theory and
Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression, this study sought to examine the relationships between pornography viewing and sexual aggressive behaviours among male students in selected universities in Kenya. The study also sought to fmd out the extent and nature of pornographic materials used, reasons for pornography viewing and extent of sexual
aggressive behaviours among students. The study adopted a correlational research design. The study population consisted of 530 students and four students' counselors. Proportionate random was used to obtain a sample of four universities for the study. The topic being sensitive in nature, convenience sampling technique was employed to select the sample of 530 students' participants. Students' counselors were purposively sampled from the selected universities. A reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.72. A mixed method approach was used for data collection. Quantitative data was collected using closed and open ended questions while a structured interview guide were used to collect qualitative data. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi square and Pearson correlation coefficient while the qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The study found out that students used various sources of pornographic materials; magazines, videos, television or internet at 77%, and images depicting sexual intercourse at 58%. Almost half of the students (48%) indicated they viewed pornography to satisfy their curiosity, followed by 43% to acquire information about sexuality and for entertainment (43%).The average frequency of sexual aggressive behavior stood at 21% while getting her/him drunk/high in order to convince her/him to have sex strategy was the strongest predictor of regarding pornography viewership with highest standardized coefficients of 0.129. The multiple regression model to test whether there was relationship between frequency of exposure to pornography and sexual aggressive behaviours was statistically significant (F= l.827, df=6), p= 0.049 significant at 0.05 level). The multiple regression coefficient R was 0.356 and R2= 0.365. This was reaffirmed by test of the full logistic regression model which was also statistically significant, indicating that the predictors as a set reliably distinguished between respondents who noted that that noted that it is harmful at X2= 12.222, p=0.032, P < 0.05. This indicated a moderately strong relationship between pornography viewing and
sexually aggressive behaviours that could put the pornography viewers at risk if not addressed. The study has therefore, contributed knowledge on pornography use and sexual aggressive behaviours among male students in universities in Kenya. Further, the study recommends creation of awareness of effects of pornography use and the need for strong policies and programmes to regulate pornography production and consumption so as to prevent the psychological and social harms to consumers.


The peptide backbones in folded native proteins contain distinctive secondary structures, α‐helices, β‐sheets, and turns, with significant frequency. One question that arises in folding is how the stability of this secondary structure relates to that of the protein as a whole. To address this question, we substituted the α‐helix‐stabilizing alanine side chain at 16 selected sites in the sequence of sperm whale myoglobin, 12 at helical sites on the surface of the protein, and 4 at obviously internal sites. Substitution of alanine for bulky side chains at internal sites destabilizes the protein, as expected if packing interactions are disrupted. Alanine substitutions do not uniformly stabilize the protein, either in capping positions near the ends of helices or at mid‐helical sites near the surface of myoglobin. When corrected for the extent of exposure of each side chain replaced by alanine at a mid‐helix position, alanine replacement still has no clear effect in stabilizing the native structure. Thus linkage between the stabilization of secondary structure and tertiary structure in myoglobin cannot be demonstrated, probably because of the relatively small free energy differences between side chains in stabilizing isolated helix. By contrast, about 80% of the variance in free energy observed can be accounted for by the loss in buried surface area of the native residue substituted by alanine. The differential free energy of helix stabilization does not account for any additional variation.


Unlike traditional programs (such as operating systems or word processors) which have large amounts of code, machine learning tasks use programs with relatively small amounts of code (written in machine learning libraries), but voluminous amounts of data. Just like developers of traditional programs debug errors in their code, developers of machine learning tasks debug and fix errors in their data. However, algorithms and tools for debugging and fixing errors in data are less common, when compared to their counterparts for detecting and fixing errors in code. In this paper, we consider classification tasks where errors in training data lead to misclassifications in test points, and propose an automated method to find the root causes of such misclassifications. Our root cause analysis is based on Pearl's theory of causation, and uses Pearl's PS (Probability of Sufficiency) as a scoring metric. Our implementation, Psi, encodes the computation of PS as a probabilistic program, and uses recent work on probabilistic programs and transformations on probabilistic programs (along with gray-box models of machine learning algorithms) to efficiently compute PS. Psi is able to identify root causes of data errors in interesting data sets.


Background and purpose: This study aimed to manage medical errors before and after the implementation of accreditation in public, private, and social security hospitals of Mazandaran, Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study has been done in 38 hospitals. Data were collected through documents reviewed relating to 2013 and 2014. The paired t-test and Friedman test were used by statistical software SPSS. Results: Results showed that the most and the least percent of reported errors, before accreditation, in sequence, were related to public clinical unit (55.9%) and operating rooms (0.6%), and after accreditation in public clinical unit (46.6%) and operating rooms (2.3%) in teaching centers. The most errors (before accreditation) occurred in the morning (62%) and the least, in the evening (8.3%) in teaching centers. Furthermore, after accreditation, the most errors occurred in the morning (64.8%) and the least, in the night (17.3%) in therapeutic hospitals. Paired t-test showed that there is no significant difference between medical errors before and after accreditation. Friedman test showed that structural/systemic errors reported were the most important medical errors in teaching centers after accreditation and therapeutic hospitals before accreditation (P < 0.05). Conclusion: There is no significant difference between the rate of reported errors before and after the implementation of accreditation. This illustrates that the role of management in controlling of medical errors has been poor, and stronger management should be applied in providing health


OBJECTIVE
To develop and validate a measure of contemporary life stressors.

STUDY SETTING
Three interview studies: Study 1 (pilot), 32 caregivers receiving case management services for a child with chronic illness; Study 2 (validation), 311 caregivers of children receiving general pediatric care at a university clinic; Study 3 (reliability), 17 caregivers of children with a complex medical diagnosis.

STUDY DESIGN
Study 1: item development via discussions with case managers; piloted with caregivers. Study 2 examined psychometric properties of the measure and correlated it with the CES-D, a measure of depressive symptomatology and the PRQ85-Part 2, a measure of perceived social support, to establish its convergent construct validity. Study 3 established the test-retest reliability of the measure over two weeks by correlating two administrations of the index.

DATA COLLECTION
Face-to-face interviews in homes (Study 1) or in clinic waiting rooms (Studies 2 and 3) and by telephone (Study 3 retest).

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
The CRISYS is a flexible, multidimensional tool that demonstrates strong face, content, and construct validity, and excellent test-retest reliability. The format is easy to use and well accepted by respondents and is suitable for low-income populations.

CONCLUSIONS
Researchers will find the CRISYS useful when evaluating the success of a clinical model or a healthcare system, and the effectiveness of an insurance plan or a government program. Clinicians may also find that the CRISYS is an effective screen for family needs.


In order to attract more non-medical staff, the Sir Thomas Browne Library at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital decided to create a marketing campaign called "Love Your Library." The campaign sought to make non-medical staff aware of the library's many services and materials available to them. During the campaign, the library increased the number of new members by 160%, with 25% of these being non-medical members. Future promotions will help create a community hub for staff and achieve a prominent position within the Trust.


The myocardium begins to contract rhythmically by 3 weeks post-conception as a consequence of the activity of spontaneously depolarising myocardial pacemaker cells of the embryonic heart, and its maturation continues even into the postnatal period. While the exact timing of onset of the atrioventricular (AV) electromechanical relationship remains speculation in humans, by 6 weeks post-conception AV synchrony can be demonstrated using standard Doppler techniques. By 5–6 weeks the normal mean fetal heart rate is 110 beats/min (bpm). With further growth and maturation of the conduction system, including definition of the sinoatrial node as the primary cardiac pacemaker with its highest intrinsic rate of spontaneous depolarisation, there is a subsequent increase in the rate to 170 bpm by 9–10 weeks. The rise in heart rate is followed by a decrease to 150 bpm by 14 weeks, likely as a consequence of increasing parasympathetic control and improved myocardial contractility. By 20 weeks the average (SD) fetal heart rate is 140 (20) bpm with a gradual decrease to 130 (20) bpm by term. In the healthy fetus the heart rate is regular, usually remains between 110 and 180 bpm, and has a beat-to-beat variation of 5–15 bpm.

Fetal rhythm abnormalities, which include fetal heart rates that are irregular, too fast or too slow, occur in up to 2% of pregnancies and account for 10–20% of the referrals to fetal cardiologists. They are usually identified by the obstetrical clinician who detects an abnormal fetal heart rate or rhythm using a Doppler "listening device" at routine assessment of the pregnant mother. While such clinical assessments begin at 12–14 weeks, most fetal arrhythmias are detected only after 20 weeks. The vast majority of affected pregnancies have isolated premature atrial contractions which may have even spontaneously resolved by fetal echocardiographic assessment. Less than 10% of referrals for …


The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of conflicting concerns to emotion-driven design and to demonstrate their translation into emotionally appealing design concepts. People have an endless number of concerns associated with everyday activities, which are challenging, if not impossible, to satisfy simultaneously. Therefore, people often give up long-term goals for immediate satisfactions or obligations, as it is apparent when someone skips an early workout to sleep in, or eats ice cream while being on a diet. The conflicting concern approach demonstrated in this paper is based on the proposition that product emotions can play a key role in resolving concern conflicts by motivating users to pursue long-term goals instead of immediate concerns. This paper first discusses the psychological principles of emotion and motivation, to explain (1) how conflicting concerns arise, (2) why they are important, and (3) how they can be addressed through emotion-driven design. Following this understanding, a research through design approach was adopted to explore and design with conflicting concerns in the domain of sustainable eating habits. The main insights from this study are summarized to identify the initial principles for developing tools that can support using conflicting concerns in emotion-driven design, and an example of such a tool is demonstrated.


This paper investigates employment of Subspace Gaussian Mixture Models (SGMMs) for acoustic model adaptation towards different accents for English speech recognition. The SGMMs comprise globally-shared and state-specific parameters which can efficiently be employed for various kinds of acoustic parameter tying. Research results indicate that well-defined sharing of acoustic model parameters in SGMMs can significantly outperform adapted systems based on conventional HMM/GMMs. Furthermore, SGMMs rapidly achieve target acoustic models with small amounts of data. Experiments performed with US and UK English versions of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) corpora indicate that SGMMs lead to approximately 20% and 8% relative improvements with respect to speaker-independent and speaker-adapted acoustic models respectively over conventional HMM/GMMs. Finally, we demonstrate that SGMMs adapted only with 1.5 hours can reach performance of HMM/GMMs trained with 18 hours.


Objective To determine the safety of a combination of Magnesium Sulphate and Therapeutic Hypothermia in the management of term and near term newborns with moderate to severe Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Introduction The neuroprotective research in Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopthay (HIE) is currently testing Hypothermia plus therapies. The Mag Cool Study aims to test the safety and efficacy of Therapeutic Hypothermia plus Magnesium Sulphate. The current poster presents the preliminary safety results which were presented in the First DSMB meeting of the Trial. Methods Study design: Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial. Study Duration: June 2012 to December 2013. Funding: HMC Internal Research Grants Competition Qatar (Grant # GC 1028A). IRB Approval: Approved by the IRB of all participating centers. Randomization: Babies were randomized, using a web based randomization system provided by Sealed envelopes Inc. London UK, to Arm A (Magnesium Sulphate 250mg/k/dose for three doses at 24 hours interval or Arm B (an equivalent volume of normal saline as placebo) to be administered as soon as possible after birth; preferably within six hours of birth. Method: Term and near term babies (≥35 completed weeks of gestation) with evidence of moderate to severe Hypoxic Ischemic encephalopathy using Inclusion and Exclusion criteria. All babies were provided standard intensive care plus hypothermia therapy as soon after birth as possible, using either a total body cooling machine or head cooling machine to maintain a rectal temperature of 33.50 C for a period of 72 hours followed by an eight hours period of gradual rewarming to normal body temperature and another 16 hours of observation (total duration 96 hours). Safety outcome measures: Death or severe adverse events during the 96 hours of treatment Analysis SPSS Version 20 was used. Univariate analysis using cross tabulations of Intervention (MgSO4) and Control arms with outcome measures was done. Chi-square test and Fischer Exact test was used. A p-value of <0.05 was taken as significant. Results A total of 34 patients were enrolled in the safety study from 26 May 2012 till 31st April 2013. There were 18 patients in Arm A and 16 in Arm B. Therapeutic hypothermia was successfully maintained between 33.5 and 34.50 C as per standard protocol in all patients except one in which hypothermia was terminated at 62 hours of age due to persistent sinus bradycardia. All 34 patients received intensive care including endotracheal intubation and ventilation Conclusion The combined use of therapeutic hypothermia and MgSO4 appears to be safe particularly with respect to maintaining blood pressure and coagulopathy. Long term survival and neurodevelopmental outcomes remain to be evaluated. Participating Centers and Patients Contributed: Hamad Medical Corporation Qatar, Zekai Tahir Burak Hospital Turkey, Al Rayyan Hospital Riyadh KSA, Mansoura University Children's Hospital Egypt, University Malaya Medical Center Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Tawam Hospital UAE


Background In the UK, the Alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 became dominant in late 2020, rapidly succeeded by the Delta variant in May 2021. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of these variants on severity of maternal infection and perinatal outcomes within the time-periods in which they predominated. Methods This national, prospective cohort study collated data on hospitalised pregnant women with symptoms of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and compared the severity of infection and perinatal outcomes across the Wildtype (01/03/20-30/11/20), Alpha (01/12/20-15/05/21) and Delta dominant periods (16/05/21-11/07/21), using multivariable logistic regression. Findings Of 3371 pregnant women, the proportion that experienced moderate to severe infection significantly increased between Wildtype and Alpha periods (24.4% vs. 35.8%; aOR1.75 95%CI 1.48-2.06), and between Alpha and Delta periods (35.8% vs. 45.0%; aOR1.53, 95%CI 1.07-2.17). Compared to the Wildtype period, symptomatic women admitted in the Alpha period were more likely to require respiratory support (27.2% vs. 20.3%, aOR1.39, 95%CI 1.13-1.78), have pneumonia (27.5% vs. 19.1%, aOR1.65, 95%CI 1.38-1.98) and be admitted to intensive care (11.3% vs. 7.7%, aOR1.61, 95%CI 1.24-2.10). Women admitted during the Delta period had further increased risk of pneumonia (36.8% vs. 27.5%, aOR1.64 95%CI 1.14-2.35). No fully vaccinated pregnant women were admitted between 01/02/2021 when vaccination data collection commenced and 11/07/2021. The proportion of women receiving pharmacological therapies for SARS-CoV-2 management was low, even in those critically ill. Interpretation SARS-CoV-2 infection during Alpha and Delta dominant periods was associated with more severe infection and worse pregnancy outcomes compared to the Wildtype infection, which itself increased risk compared to women without SARS-CoV-2 infection.1 Clinicians need to be aware and implement COVID-specific therapies in keeping with national guidance. Urgent action to tackle vaccine misinformation and policy change to prioritise uptake in pregnancy is essential. Funding National Institute for Health Research HS&DR Programme (11/46/12).


Entrepreneurial ecosystems have become a prominent concept, yet in its current state, the concept itself represents a paradox. While it draws on a rich intellectual history and provides an opportunity to synthesize different strands of research, it is also under-theorized and the mechanisms that govern ecosystem evolution are not well understood. This paper takes stock of recent advancements in ecosystem scholarship and synthesizes the empirical reality of the causal mechanisms. We use these dynamics to position ecosystems in a broader context, within and beyond the domain of entrepreneurship research, and propose a transdisciplinary research program for ecosystem research and practice.


Part of the Supplemental Materials for INNOVATION AND U.S. COMPETITIVENESS The Conference Board report #R-1441-09-RR About the Report: The Conference Board has recently undertaken a project on innovation and competitiveness, with funding from Microsoft Corporation. The goal of the project is to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on the nature of innovation, and its role in stimulating economic growth and improved living standards in the U.S. The project draws on experts across the academic, corporate, and policy arenas, in addition to The Conference Board's own analysis, surveys, and focus groups of the business community. Such experts met in February 2007 to present and discuss various aspects of the innovation process and measurement thereof. Each presenter wrote a summary piece focusing on his respective area of expertise. These summary documents underpin the content in Innovation and U.S. Competitiveness; however the conclusions drawn are those of The Conference Board alone. These papers are retained for reference in The Conference Board Economics Program Working Paper Series.


As the number of people aged 65 and over is set to rise to two billion by 2050 efforts to understand the needs of older people have become priorities for research and policy (WHO 2011). However older people have tended to be viewed as passive recipients rather than as active partners in research and it is less common to find studies that focus on the broader aspirations of older people in relation to their lives (Katz 2011).
This paper describes an international, interdisciplinary research study that explored the experiences of groups of older people living in the United Kingdom and Switzerland as a way to understand of how design can support independence and wellbeing in later life.
Convenience sampling was used to recruit thirty older community living older people to the study and a critical artefact methodology (exhibition in a box) was used to invite individuals to identify and describe their experiences. Through a series
of carefully selected objects older people living in the United Kingdom and Switzerland were able to identify and describe their occupational needs, hopes and aspirations.
Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes which included the changing meaning of the home environment, the association of objects with identity and the pervasive nature of technology in the home and the challenges and opportunities associated with this.
The objects spoke something of the universal nature of the
tools through which we perform meaningful occupations, offering a point of contact and a way we can gain entry into understanding the value of these things in people's lives.The method was found to be culturally sensitive and was successful in both scaffolding conversation and also in positioning the older person as expert and as an active partner in the process


Abstract. An African oxalogenic tree, the iroko tree (Milicia excelsa), has the property to enhance carbonate precipitation in tropical oxisols, where such accumulations are not expected due to the acidic conditions in these types of soils. This uncommon process is linked to the oxalate-carbonate pathway, which increases soil pH through oxalate oxidation. In order to investigate the oxalate-carbonate pathway in the iroko system, fluxes of matter have been identified, described, and evaluated from field to microscopic scales. In the first centimeters of the soil profile, decaying of the organic matter allows the release of whewellite crystals, mainly due to the action of termites and saprophytic fungi. In addition, a concomitant flux of carbonate formed in wood tissues contributes to the carbonate flux and is identified as a direct consequence of wood feeding by termites. Nevertheless, calcite biomineralization of the tree is not a consequence of in situ oxalate consumption, but rather related to the oxalate oxidation inside the upper part of the soil. The consequence of this oxidation is the presence of carbonate ions in the soil solution pumped through the roots, leading to preferential mineralization of the roots and the trunk base. An ideal scenario for the iroko biomineralization and soil carbonate accumulation starts with oxalatization: as the iroko tree grows, the organic matter flux to the soil constitutes the litter, and an oxalate pool is formed on the forest ground. Then, wood rotting agents (mainly termites, saprophytic fungi, and bacteria) release significant amounts of oxalate crystals from decaying plant tissues. In addition, some of these agents are themselves producers of oxalate (e.g. fungi). Both processes contribute to a soil pool of "available" oxalate crystals. Oxalate consumption by oxalotrophic bacteria can then start. Carbonate and calcium ions present in the soil solution represent the end products of the oxalate-carbonate pathway. The solution is pumped through the roots, leading to carbonate precipitation. The main pools of carbon are clearly identified as the organic matter (the tree and its organic products), the oxalate crystals, and the various carbonate features. A functional model based on field observations and diagenetic investigations with δ13C signatures of the various compartments involved in the local carbon cycle is proposed. It suggests that the iroko ecosystem can act as a long-term carbon sink, as long as the calcium source is related to non-carbonate rocks. Consequently, this carbon sink, driven by the oxalate carbonate pathway around an iroko tree, constitutes a true carbon trapping ecosystem as defined by ecological theory.


On the physical optics of the perfect concave grating. An extension of the theory of the concave grating to the fourth order approximation shows that the diffraction pattern for a spectral line is different in shape from that for a plane grating. A generalization of Rayleigh's definition of resolving power allows the computation of the resolving power of a grating in terms of an "effective width"; i.e., the width of a plane grating having the same resolving power as the concave one in question. At grazing incidence (a case of particular interest in the spectroscopy of the extreme ultraviolet) this effective width is of the order of 1 cm.Optimum width of the grating. The optimum width of a grating (for resolving power and intensity), as a function of wave length and angle of incidence, is found. A table of values of this width shows that, in cases of large angles of incidence and short wave lengths, the gratings ordinarily used in the past have been considerably wider than the optimum.Elimination of grazing incidence ghosts. Experiments show that the reduction of the width of a grating to about the optimum eliminates the ghosts (different from Rowland ghosts) which occur in the neighborhood of strong lines in grazing incidence spectrograms.Economies in ruled area. In many cases the lengths of the rulings and of the spectrograph slit, as well as the number of rulings, may be smaller than is now customary.Inexactness of the grating condition equation. Though the intensity pattern really depends upon the value of |∫-H+Hf(η)ei(aη+η4+γη5+⋯)dη|2,usually the approximations f(η)=a constant, and γ etc.=0 are made. With the complete expression, the ordinary grating condition equation, sin θ+sin θ′=mλ/σ, becomes inexact. The error is below the threshold of importance for ordinary measurements.The spectrograph. The questions of symmetric adjustment of the grating about the point of tangency to the Rowland circle, non-uniform illumination of the grating, and finite slit width are considered. The theoretical resolving power agrees well with experimental values.


Post-Keynesian Economics (PKE) is at the crossroads. Post-Keynesians (PKs) have become eff ectively marginalized; the academic climate at universities has become more hostile to survival and the mainstream has become more diverse internally. Moreover, a heterodox camp of diverse groups of non-mainstream economists is forming. Th e debate on the future of PKE has so far focussed on the relation to the mainstream. Th is paper argues that this is, in fact, not an important issue for the future of PKE. Th e debate has so far strangely overlooked the dialectics between academic hegemony and economic (and social) stability. In times of crisis the dominant economic paradigm becomes vulnerable. Th e important question is, whether PKE off ers useful explanations of ongoing socio-economic transformations. PKE has generated valuable insights on core areas such as monetary macroeconomics and medium-term growth theory, but it off ers little on important real world phenomena like the globalisation of production and social issues like precarisation and the polarization of income distribution or ecological challenges like climate change. It is these issues that will decide the future of PKE.


Ten years ago, one of us proposed a dynamic hierarchical model of intentions that brought together philosophical work on intentions and empirical work on motor representations and motor control (Pacherie, 2008). The model distinguished among Distal intentions, Proximal intentions, and Motor intentions operating at different levels of action control (hence the name DPM model). This model specified the representational and functional profiles of each type of intention, as well their local and global dynamics, and the ways in which they interact. A core insight of the model was that action control is the result of integrated, coordinated activity across these levels of intention. Since the proposal of the model, empirical and theoretical works in philosophy and cognitive science have emerged that would seem to support and expand on this central insight. In particular, an updated understanding of the nature of sensorimotor processing and motor representations, as well as of how the different levels of intention and control interface and interact, allows for the further specification and precisification of the original DPM model. This article is categorized under: Philosophy > Psychological Capacities Psychology > Motor Skill and Performance Philosophy > Action.


A long term healthcare monitoring system requires battery operated devices with low-power technologies. Researchers tried to adapt various short-range technologies for Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) in ubiquitous health monitoring. The classical Bluetooth is known for its greedy power consumption, IrDA and NFC require line-of-sight conditions, and ANT has weak coexistence features and interference issues. A typical choice remains ZigBee/6LoWPAN over IEEE 802.15.4 based solutions in WBANs because of their low-power consumption. However, the recently proposed Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) announced more compelling features in various aspects. Only few studies have been published supporting these claims on BLE. In this paper, we present a BLE based remote healthcare monitoring platform and we study its compatibility for ECG monitoring. ECG data requires continuous and real-time transmissions, making it particularly challenging for resource constrained devices. In our system, a BLE112 module from Bluegiga and a BLE USB dongle are used for WBAN. The performance of the system is evaluated experimentally and the results showed good potential of this proposed BLE platform in meeting the main QoS requirements of medical applications in terms of throughput, end-to-end delay, and packet error rate, while staying energy efficient.


From a theoretical perspective, based on the Efficient Market Hypothesis, stock prices always should incorporate and reflect all publicly available information (see Fama, 1970). Gergoriou et al. (2009) assert that among asset prices, stock prices are typically closely monitored and are commonly regarded as being highly sensitive to economic policy news. The influence of various macro and non-macroeconomic factors including monetary and fiscal policy variables on the stock markets have been studied rigorously in earlier literature, such as Fama (1981), Pearch and Roley (1985), Chang, (2009) Belo and Yu (2013). Nevertheless, some related issues, such as the investors' behaviour after the weekend, daily transmission of information across markets, and influence of various macro and non-macroeconomic information on returns, volatility and liquidity, have been ignored or little empirical evidence is available; particularly documentations from emerging and frontier markets are rare. This study therefore selects the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), an emerging equity market and the main exchange of Bangladesh for investigation. We provide firm level evidence by sorting all listed firms on the DSE into size, dividend and sector. This study is an empirical study by nature and followed quantitative approach to carry forward the research process. For the purpose of analysis, we have used secondary data and applied several time-series and panel based econometric methods.

Major findings from this study are: First, the market opens from Sunday to Thursday and the 'information content theory' works; there is a 'Sunday effect' in returns and variance. Supporting the 'information processing hypothesis' the study finds that trading patterns of individual investors create the weekend effect and the results are significantly different for size and dividend yield based portfolios. Second, the volatility of the DSE is significantly influenced by the residuals of Japan, Hong Kong, Canada and the US. Investors take regional information from markets in similar time-zones but adjust world factors from the US and Canada at the beginning and end of the week. The multivariate cointegration shows that the DSE is cointegrated with markets from similar time-zone as suggested in Bekaert et al. (2005). Third, timing of breaks in the returns and volatility coincide with the timing of monetary policy, fiscal policy, political uncertainty, government policy, national election and electoral system as suggested in Ardagna (2009) and Chau et al. (2014). The top and bottom 20 percent firms are more sensitive to any information, however smaller firms are significantly affected by monetary policy. Financial and manufacturing sectors are subject to both macro and non-macro news. Fourth, the (il)liquidity of the DSE is significantly caused by the bank rate, government borrowing and private borrowing. The results indicate that there is significant 'crowding out' and 'cost of funds' effect in the DSE. Finally, the 2008-09 financial crisis had positive impact on market liquidity.


A possibly objective method for evaluation of the acceptance of humanoid robots in joint interaction with humans is based on the phenomenon of motor interference (MI) which claims that face-to-face or video observation of a different (incongruent) movement of another individual leads to a higher variance in one's own movement trajectory. MI is supposed to be a consequence of the tendency to imitate our partner's movements (motor resonance) during social interaction (e.g. contagious yawning). Since motor resonance correlates with the feeling of sympathy, togetherness and mutual rapport and also leads to an easier understanding of emotions and intentions of others, measuring MI can be used as an indicator of the quality of the human-robot interaction. In this review, we explain the neural basis of MI and show which features of robots trigger its emergence and thus should be taken into consideration during the development of robots for human-robot interaction scenarios.


This study was conducted in order to solve the problems of insufficient fishmeal supply for marine fish culture in Sabah, Malaysia. The nutritional values of smallscale processed fishmeal were evaluated as protein source for marine fish culture in comparison with commercial fishmeal. Four species of trash fish (Decapterus macarellus, Rastrelliger kanagurta, Selar crumenopthalmus and Nemipterus thosaporm) were selected and processed into fishmeal in the marine hatchery of Borneo Marine Research Institute, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Another four types of commercial fishmeal (Malaysian, Peruvian, Danish and enzyme treated Chilean fishmeal) were collected from the market. Dry matter, crude protein, lipid, ash, gross energy and fatty acid compositions of small-scale processed fish meal were compared with those of commercial fish meal. The nutrient composition of the small-scale processed fishmeal consisted of 92-93% of dry matter, 70-74% of crude protein, 8- 10% of crude lipid, 14-19% of crude ash and 19-21kJ per g of gross energy. The fatty acid composition of small-scale processed fish meal mainly consisted of 58-67% of saturated fatty acids, followed by 21-31 % of monounsaturated fatty acids and 4-6% of polyunsaturated fatty acids. For commercial fish meal, the nutrient compositions consisted of 93-97% of dry matter, 56-74% of crude protein, 10-21 % of crude lipid, 5- 28% of crude ash and 20-25kJ per g of gross energy. The fatty acid composition consisted of 22-42% of saturated fatty acids, 22-32% of monounsaturated fatty acids and 26-35% of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Nutritional value of small-scale processed fishmeal made from D. macarellus was then compared to Peruvian fishmeal through biological assays. Enzyme treated Chilean fishmeal was set as a control. Growth performance, apparent digestibility coefficients and nutrient retentions were compared on Pagrus major juveniles fed with three different feeds. The feeds were F.DM (feed containing 65% of D. macarellus meal), F.PRN (feed containing 65% of Peruvian fish meal) and F.ETC (feed containing 65% of enzyme treated Chilean fishmeal). The P. major juveniles fed with F.DM showed the highest survival and daily feeding rates. Feed efficiency, nutrient retention and protein digestibility were higher than those fed with F.PRN but lower than those fed with F.ETC. Gross energy digestibility was the lowest in those fed with F.DM and crude lipid digestibility was not Significantly different (P>0 .05) among the three feeds. The results on nutrient contents and nutrient and energy utilization indicated that small-scale processed fishmeal can be used as a protein source for marine fish culture.


Two trials that utilized 356 steers were conducted to evaluate the effects of various fat sources (3.596 of ration dry matter) on performance and carcass traits of finishing cattle fed flaked milo diets. In trial 1, soybean oil, bleachable tallow, and yellow grease (blend of tallow and restaurant grease) were compared to a nonfat control. Feeding fat increased (P<.05) daily gain, feed efficiency, carcass weight, and dressing percent of steers. Soybean oil and yellow grease also tended to increase 12th rib backfat thickness and marbling. Feed costs of gain were improved only by yellow grease. However, when increased carcass yield and quality were considered, there was a significant economic return from all fat sources. In trial 2, fat treatments were acidulated soybean soapstock (SBSS), tallow, a blend of 7096 SBSS:3096 tallow, and yellow grease. Feeding tallow or the SBSS: tallow blend improved (P<.05) feed efficiency by 7.796 compared to the nonfat control. Pooled across source, feeding fat increased (P<.10) backfat thickness and marbling. Compared to the control, feed cost of gain was reduced 6 cents/l b by the SBSS:tallow blend. However, when increased carcass value was accounted for, net returns of $3.50 to $6.00 per head were seen for SBSS, tallow, and SBSS:tallow priced at 13, 17, and 13 cents per lb, respectively. The SBSS:tallow blend provided greater performance than was predicted by observed performance of steers fed SBSS or tallow separately, an indication of associative response. In trial 2, intake and gain were lowest for yellow grease, resulting in a negative economic return, which is in complete disagreement with results obtained in trial 1.


While a number of hypotheses exist on the origins of sexual compulsivity, few empirical studies have examined underlying mechanisms. The current research examined if sexually compulsive individuals are more sexually conditionable. Men who have sex with men (MSM) with high or low scores on the Sexual Compulsivity Scale (Kalichman et al., 1994) were presented with an odor that was (experimental group) or was not (control group) paired with brief erotic film clips. We assessed the effects of the olfactory stimulus on genital response and on a behavioral measure of risk taking. We also assessed changes in odor preference, using explicit and implicit measures, to explore the role of evaluative conditioning. There was a trend for high compulsive men to show greater conditioned genital arousal and for conditioned cues to increase sexual motivation in high but not low compulsive men. The strongest support for sexual learning was found with our behavioral measure: High compulsive men showed greater intent to engage in sexual behavior in the presence of the olfactory cues. Results also suggest that high compulsive men experienced increased implicit liking for odors paired with erotic film. Overall, the findings suggest that conditioning processes play a role in sexual compulsivity.


Problem statement: Similar to obese patients and type 2 diabetic patie nts, adiponectin levels are reduced in former Gestational Diabetes M ellitus (GDM) patients and are lower in GDM women during late pregnancy compared with pregnant control subjects matched for BMI. Diabetic insult at later stages in gestation, such as may oc cur in gestational diabetes, will foremost lead to short- term changes in a variety of molecules for key func tions including gene expression in the placenta. Approach: In this study we assessed the expression of adipon ectin receptors in human placenta to identify the site (s) of expression and to clarify the effect of gestational diabetes in this expressi on. This study was carried on 10 normoglycemic pregnant women and 20 GDM women. The placental tissue was collected immediately after delivery and tissue biopsies were taken from both fetal and maternal sides of each placenta. One step-RT-PCR for ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 was done by Real Time PCR using Syber Green technique. Relative quantification of mRNA of the ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 genes was measured using ABI7900 Real Time machine. Results: Both types of Adiponectin Receptors (ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2) are expressed in human placenta. ADIPOR1 is more highly expressed than ADIPOR2 in both fetal and maternal sides of GDM cases and normal pregnant women. ADIPOR1 mRNA expression was significantly up regulated in GDM women compared to normal pregnant women, whereas no significant difference in the expression of ADIPOR2 was detected between the two groups. There was no evidence of maternal-fetal side difference in the expression of adiponectin receptors in GDM cases but in normal pregnant women there is a statistically significant difference between both s ides in the expression of both ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2. Conclusion: We concluded that adiponectin plays an important r ole in mediation the glucose metabolism in fetal tissues through its rec eptors, mainly Adiponectin Receptor 1 (ADIPOR1).


In India, as in many developing countries, wastewater is often used to irrigate crops. This undoubtedly helps to recycle useful nutrients through the food chain, but, as there can be toxic chemicals in the wastewater, it also poses risks to human health and may reduce the profitability of cultivated crops. The East Calcutta Wetlands have been a repository for untreated sewage water from the city of Kolkata for decades. They also sustain local agriculture and fisheries activities. But how good is untreated water for agriculture and does wastewater affect the profitability of rice cultivation? [SANDEE Policy Brief 57-11]. URL:[http://www.sandeeonline.org/uploads/documents/publication/958_PUB_Policy_Brief_57_Vivek.pdf].


: The goal of this paper is to examine the impact of human rights on income distribution and poverty by exploring how both aid and trade can influence poverty and income distribution through human rights. The analysis employs data for 125 countries and uses a number of panel data methods. The results suggest that stronger human rights contribute to greater income equality and poverty reduction. The interaction of human rights with official development assistance and trade flows shows that as they increase, or, alternatively, as human rights records increase, both official development assistance and trade flows reduce poverty and lead to greater income equality. The region-disaggregated results suggest that promoting better human rights records is important for poverty alleviation and contributing to greater equality in income distribution.


Background: Advanced glycation end products(AGEs) are formed by non-enzymatic glycation of proteins that enhance vascular permeability in both micro and macro vascular structures by binding to specific macrophage receptors. AGEs affect nearly every type of cells and molecule in the body and play causative role in the vascular complication in diabetes mellitus. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of lutein extract on Advanced glycation end product. Materials and Method: AGE reaction solution was constituted with 10mg/ml bovine serum albumin in 50mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) and 0.02% sodium benzoate into 0.2M fructose and 0.2M of glucose. 2.5 ml of the reaction mixture was treated with lutein (10, 20, 40, 60, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140 μ g/ml in methanol). Amino guanidine was used as the positive control. After incubating at 37°C for 7 days, the fluorescence intensity of the reaction was determined at excitation and emission wavelength of 350 nm and 450 nm, respectively, using a multi-mode reader. The percentage activity was calculated with respect to solvent control. Result: 7 days of exposure to lutein showed a maximum inhibition of 89.27±0.24 % at 140μg/ml and Amino guanidine exhibited 90% of inhibition. The IC50 of Lutein for AGE inhibition was found to be 77.78μg/ml and for AG, 72.66μg/ml.Conclusion: The non-enzymatic adduct formation between the keto group of sugar and amino group of proteins is one of the molecular basis of diabetic complications in hyperglycaemic state. Inhibition of this process will be useful in the management of diabetic complications. Lutein showed dose dependent inhibitory effect on the protein glycation.Hence, it may be used for the management of diabetic complication.


This article analyses some of the most important political and legal challenges faced by internationally operating Internet firms today. In addition to dealing with an important, albeit rarely discussed, issue, the present article attempts to provide a fresh perspective on this topic by utilizing the concept of political risk. Using evidence from exemplary court cases on topics such as consumption tax and intellectual property rights, the discussion demonstrates that Internet firms face serious political and legal uncertainties, which differ considerably between different markets. The article reveals that, in the age of globalization, national boundaries still matter a great deal. In terms of methodology, the article portrays how legal materials can be used to understand the impact of legal and political processes on international firms. Indeed, it suggests that future business research could make greater use of factual evidence from litigation as an alternative methodology in the study of the business environment.


Carole Hillenbrand's book offers a profound understanding of the history of Muslims and their faith, from the life of Muhammad to the religion practised by 1.6 billion people around the world today. Each of the eleven chapters explains a core aspect of the faith in historical perspective, allowing readers to gain a sensitive understanding of the essential tenets of the religion and of the many ways in which the present is shaped by the past. It is an ideal introductory text for courses in Middle Eastern studies, in religious studies, or on Islam and its history.


While many international lawmaking jurisdictions have incorporated plain language principles for statutory drafting, the United States remains reluctant, and has no official policy on employing such principles for the drafting of federal legislation. Though Executive Orders and congressional statutes regarding plain writing have recently been enacted, these have been aimed at Executive Agency regulations and communications, not statutes. This article explores the current prospects of plain language implementation for U.S. statutory law, relying primarily on interviews from Congressional insiders, including lawmakers, staffers and legal/political journalists. Responses demonstrated that plain language standards for statutory law in the U.S. do not seem likely to be implemented anytime soon. However, interviewees also noted the significant contribution that the health care debate of 2009 was having on the legislative process, including an increased focus on statutory text by both lawmakers and citizens. Discussion of plain language principles was certainly present on Capitol Hill during the health care debate. If such standards are ever implemented, interviewee responses suggest that this debate could be recognized as a pivotal moment in regard to the general access and understandability of such text that the public faces when interacting with legislation. Additionally, this article discusses both the premise and challenges of plain language being considered a democratic right, and ultimately recommends that a legislative commission study the prospect of plain language in U.S. statutory drafting.


Salmon populations in Washington have suffered severe declines in numbers leading to the listing of many as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Populations in Puget Sound are especially threatened due to degradation and loss of habitat resulting from timber harvest, farming, the effects of urbanization, and increasing human population. A critical component of salmon recovery efforts is the funding of restoration projects carried out by a variety of organizations in the area. The vast quantity of degraded habitat and the limited funding available require prioritization of restoration projects. In Washington, two organizations that have a long history of grants for habitat restoration are the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) and the NOAA Restoration Center (NOAA RC). Over a thirteen year period the SRFB granted over $217 million and the NOAA RC granted nearly $22 million to habitat restoration projects in the Puget Sound recovery region. This research includes the creation of an original database of salmon habitat restoration projects in Puget Sound funded by the SRFB and the NOAA RC between 1999 and 2011. A restoration project type hierarchy was created based on the scientific literature about restoration and prioritization. This hierarchy was compared to the data gathered from the two organizations to determine if funding decisions align with the recommended prioritization of habitat restoration projects. The results show that overall the funding decisions of the SRFB align with the restoration project hierarchy, although there is annual variability that differs from the hierarchy. The NOAA RC shows funding decisions that vary more annually with priorities that often do not align with the restoration project hierarchy.


Expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) has been found to correlate with tumour progression in breast cancer, indicating that NO activity may drive malignant growth. Previously we have shown that the stress hormone cortisol acts through a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) mediated pathway to induce production of nitric oxide (NO), and can induce DNA damage in breast cancer. Breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 as well as the mouse mammary tumour cell line 66CL4 were exposed to cortisol and levels of intracellular NO were measured using composite electrochemical sensors. DNA damage was quantified using immunofluorescence and expression of iNOS and metastatic markers VEGF and TWIST were examined using qPCR. An in vivo syngeneic breast cancer model was also used to examine the effect of L-NAME, a NOS inhibitor, on tumour aggressiveness and metastasis in conjunction with daily restraint stress (2hrs) (n=4/group repeated in duplicate). Cortisol significantly increased the expression of iNOS, the generation of NO and DNA damage in breast cancer cells and this was blocked by the NOS inhibitor L-NAME. A significant increase in VEGF and TWIST expression was also observed in response to cortisol. Furthermore, L-NAME also significantly reduced primary tumour growth in stressed mice and reduced the number of metastatic sites/mouse. Tumour microvasculature (as evidenced by CD31 expression) was significantly increased in stressed mice and this was reduced with L-NAME treatment. We demonstrated that L-NAME through inhibition of NO signalling is effective in reducing primary tumour formation and metastatic potential in stressed mice. This data may have impact for patients with breast cancer experiencing extreme stress and further genomic analysis are ongoing.


In recent developments in political and legal philosophy, there is a tendency to endorse minimalist lists of human rights that do not include a right to political participation. Against such tendencies, I shall argue that the right to political participation, understood as distinct from a right to democracy, should have a place even on minimalist lists. In addition, I shall defend the need to extend the right to political participation to include participation not just in national, but also in international and global governance processes. The argument will be based on a cosmopolitan conception of political legitimacy and on a political conception of human rights that is normatively anchored in legitimacy. The central claim of my paper is that a right to political participation is necessary – but not sufficient – for political legitimacy in the global realm.


The role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) is one of facilitating executive decisions regarding the innovation, provision and use of state-of-the-art Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The aim of this paper is to investigate CIO perceptions of strategy and ICT investment through qualitative interviews with CIOs from leading UK financial sector organisations. We were keen to find out how these executives strategise while coping with the increasing ubiquity and complexity of ICT on one hand and hyper business pressures on the other. As the title suggests, we found that recent changes in the market conditions, as well as in the trust bestowed technology as an agent for radical change, have had serious consequences for the perceptions of risk, strategy and ICT investment. CIOs expressed the dot-com boom to bust transition in terms of a shift from a higher-risk, top-down technology led strategy centred on killer applications towards a lower-risk, bottom-up, organic approach to strategy with the purpose of providing open, user driven enabling infrastructures for competitive advantage. We also note the implications of these trends for the value assessment activity and the enhanced value skill base which information age professionals would increasingly need.


Increased world population, greater pressure on the environment, increased use of land resources globally and increased demand for nutrients and non-renewable energy are predicted for coming decades. Livestock production accounts for 70% of all agricultural land use and, as the global demand for livestock products is expected to almost double by 2050, innovative production solutions are needed. Insect farming has been suggested as a good alternative to conventional livestock farming for future food production.
Land clearing for agriculture is a major contributor to global warming and efficient use of land is therefore important. Insects have a high feed conversion rate, which in a rearing system limits the demand for land for feed production. Moreover, insects emit less green - house gases than conventional livestock. It has also been suggested that the volume of water required to produce edible insects is low compared with that needed in conventional livestock production, although empirical data on this are currently lacking. Most edible insects are herbivores and therefore feed of limited value to humans may be harvested and fed to insects. By-products from the food and forest industry are also alternatives. As insects are rich in high quality protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, insect consumption reduces malnutrition in developing countries. Moreover, intake of insect products instead of traditional livestock products may have positive health effects in Western societies.
Insects are part of the diet of at least two billion people in the world and more than 1900 insect species are currently used as food. The most common insects consumed world-wide are different species of beetles (31% of all insects species consumed), caterpillars (18%) and bees, wasps and ants (14%). In many countries, but not (yet) in Europe and North America, insects are considered a delicacy. In Western societies, eating insects is instead commonly regarded with disgust and as primitive behaviour. In order to promote entomophagy – the practice of eating insects – in Western societies, the disgust factor must be addressed. Much can be learned from the Netherlands, where entomophagy has been successfully promoted since the late 1990s.
Today, most edible insects are harvested in the wild and it is only recently that farming of insects for direct human consumption has begun, mainly in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Farmed insects can also be found in the USA and the Netherlands, but mainly for purposes other than human consumption. If insects are to become a profitable commodity in Western countries, there is a need for development of safe and efficient mass-rearing systems. Many insects reproduce rapidly and have large numbers of offspring, which can be an advantage for the development of successful rearing systems. However, through their diversity in terms of types, numbers, life cycles and habitat, insects are exposed to a wide range of pathologies. Different parasites and diseases can regulate wild populations of insects, but can also have a major impact on farmed species. However, the risk of zoonotic infections can be expected to be low.
Possible candidates for food insect production in Sweden are the house cricket (Acheta domesticus), mealworms, the larvae of the beetle Tenebrio molitor, and honeybees (Apis mellifera). When planning food insect production systems in Sweden, the focus should be on species that are either native or have a long history in the country, in order to minimise the impacts arising from unintentional release of insects from farming systems. For feed production aimed at insects the same rule should be applied. New plant or crop types for food insects should not be introduced on Swedish land.
Properly managed, however, insect production systems can contribute to biodiversity and land conservation. Loss of natural habitat within the agricultural landscape and increased use of pesticides and fertilisers have negative effects on biodiversity and biological control. Possible actions to mitigate biodiversity decline are management of unfertilised meadows and wet grazing areas, increased small-scale heterogeneity in monoculture landscapes and, on a smaller scale, establishment of densely vegetated strips around crop fields. Harvesting vegetation from these areas would provide farmed insects with feed, while the plant material would be sustainably grown and enhance native biodiversity even within large-scale feed production for insects.
Due to this resource use efficiency and the good nutritional value of insects, insect rearing for entomophagy has the potential to become a modern and sustainable food production system.


Speed is often a bottleneck in conventional Raman microscopy on biological specimens. In immuno-Raman microspectroscopy, or for short iSERS microscopy, the acquisition times per pixel have been reduced by more than one order of magnitude over the past decade since its proof of concept. Typically rather high laser power densities are employed with the intention of compensating for the shorter acquisition times, without checking the reproducibility of the results in repeated experiments on the same sample. Here, we systematically analyze this aspect at the single-cell level since it forms the basis of quantification and is very important for reinspection of the same specimen. Specifically, we investigate experimentally the role of the laser power density in conjunction with the acquisition times per pixel in a series of repeated iSERS experiments on the same single cell overexpressing the breast cancer tumor marker human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Confocal iSERS mapping experiments were guided by wide-field fluorescence microscopy for selecting the regions of interest. We demonstrate that the combination of ca. a 1-2 mW laser power (40× objective, NA 0.6), 50 ms acquisition time per pixel and a high EM-CCD signal gain yields highly reproducible iSERS images in a series of four repeated experiments on the same single cell. In contrast, longer acquisition times (0.8 s, no EM gain) and in particular higher laser power (4 mW up to 18 mW) densities lead to non-reproducible iSERS results due to signal degradation.