Abstract. This paper is devoted to the experimental quantitative characterization of the shape and orientation distribution of ice particles in clouds. The characterization is based on measured and modeled elevation dependencies of the polarimetric parameters differential reflectivity and correlation coefficient. The polarimetric data are obtained using a newly developed 35 GHz cloud radar MIRA-35 with hybrid polarimetric configuration and scanning capabilities. The full procedure chain of the technical implementation and the realization of the setup of the hybrid-mode cloud radar for the shape determination are presented. This includes the description of phase adjustments in the transmitting paths, the introduction of the general data processing scheme, correction of the data for the differences of amplifications and electrical path lengths in the transmitting and receiving channels, the rotation of the polarization basis by 45°, the correction of antenna effects on polarimetric measurements, the determination of spectral polarimetric variables, and the formulation of a scheme to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. Modeling of the polarimetric variables is based on existing back-scattering models assuming the spheroidal representation of cloud scatterers. The parameters retrieved from the model are polarizability ratio and degree of orientation, which can be assigned to certain particle orientations and shapes. The developed algorithm is applied to a measurement of the hybrid-mode cloud radar taken on 20 October 2014 in Cabauw, the Netherlands, in the framework of the ACCEPT (Analysis of the Composition of Clouds with Extended Polarization Techniques) campaign. The case study shows the retrieved polarizability ratio and degree of orientation of ice particles for a cloud system of three cloud layers at different heights. Retrieved polarizability ratios are 0.43, 0.85, and 1.5 which correspond to oblate, quasi-spherical, and columnar ice particles, respectively. It is shown that the polarizability ratio is useful for the detection of aggregation/riming processes. The orientation of oblate and prolate particles is estimated to be close to horizontal while quasi-spherical particles were found to be more randomly oriented.


Performing cognitive tasks requires close interaction between cortical regions of the brain. Monitoring the functional connectivity during a particular task could contribute to a better understanding of the role and interactions of underlying brain regions. In this paper, we employ time variant Multi-variate Autoregressive (MAR) modeling to establish functional connectivity between regions involved in a cognitive task. Data is collected from neonates whose brain activity was monitored by functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) while being exposed to 2 different types of auditory stimuli. The method was applied to data from 3 subjects on a predefined set of channels known to be involved in auditory and structural processing. The connectivity analysis reveals a common connectivity pattern among the subjects which is neuroanatomically and functionally relevant. Moreover, investigation of temporal evolution of connectivity between temporal and frontal areas shows an increase in connection strength towards the end of the experiment.


The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a particle accelerator aimed at exploring deeper into matter than ever before, is currently being constructed at CERN. Beam optics of the LHC, requires stringent control of the field quality of about 8400 superconducting magnets, including 1232 main dipoles and 360 main quadrupoles to assure the correct machine operation. The measurement challenges are various: accuracy on the field strength measurement up to 50 ppm, harmonics in the ppm range, measurement equipment robustness, low measurement times to characterize fast field phenomena.
New magnetic measurement systems, principally based on analog solutions, have been developed at CERN to achieve these goals. This work proposes the introduction of digital technologies to improve measurement performance of three systems, aimed at different measurement target and characterized by different accuracy levels.
The high accuracy measurement systems, based on rotating coils, exhibit high performance in static magnetic field. With varying magnetic field the system accuracy gets worse, independently from coil speed, due to the limited resolution of the digital integrator currently used, and the restrictions of the standard analysis. A new integrator based on ADC conversion and numerical integration is proposed. The experimental concept validation by emulating the proposed approach on a PXI platform is detailed along with the improvements with respect to the old integrators. Two new analysis algorithms to reduce the errors in dynamic measurements are presented. The first combines quadrature detection and short time Fourier transform (STFT) of the acquired magnetic flux samples; the second approach is based on the extrapolation of the magnetic flux samples. Unlike other algorithms presented in the literature, both the proposals do not require the information about the magnet current and are able to work in real time so, can be easily implemented in firmware on DSP. The performance of the new proposals are assessed in simulation.
As far as medium accuracy systems are concerned, at CERN was originally developed a probe to measure the sextupolar and decapolar field harmonics of the superconducting dipoles using a suitable Hall plates arrangement for the bucking of the main dipolar field, which is, 4 orders of magnitude higher than the measurement target. The output signals of each Hall plate belonging to the same measurement ring are mixed using analog cards. The resultant signal is proportional to the field harmonic to measure. A complete metrological characterization of this sensor was carried out, showing the limitation of a fully analog solution. The main problems found were the instability of the analog compensation cards and the impossibility to correct the non linearity effects beyond the first order. An automatic calibration procedure implemented in the new instrument software is presented to guarantee measurement repeatability. In alternative a digital bucking solution, namely the compensation of the main field after the sampling of each hall plate signal by means of numerical sum, is proposed. An implementation of this approach, based on 18 bit ADC converter, over-sampling and dithering techniques as well as compensation of the Hall plates non linearity in real time is analyzed.
Finally, as far as the low accuracy measurement systems are concerned, the design of an instrument based on a rotating Hall plate to check the polarity of all LHC magnets is presented. Even if this architecture is characterized by low accuracy in the measurement of field strength and phase, the results are sufficient to identify main harmonic order, type and polarity with practically no errors, thanks to an accurate definition of the measurement algorithm. A complete metrological characterization of the prototype developed and a correction of all the systematic measurement errors was carried out. This instrument, integrated in a test bench developed ad hoc, is become the standard at CERN for the polarity test of all the magnets will compose the machine.


OBJECTIVE: Evidence on the association of vitamin D with cardiovascular risk factors in youth is very limited. We examined whether low serum vitamin D levels (25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]) are associated with cardiovascular risk factors in US adolescents aged 12 to 19 years. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 3577 fasting, nonpregnant adolescents without diagnosed diabetes who participated in the 2001–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Cardiovascular risk factors were measured using standard methods and defined according to age-modified Adult Treatment Panel III definitions. RESULTS: Mean 25(OH)D was 24.8 ng/mL; it was lowest in black (15.5 ng/mL), intermediate in Mexican American (21.5 ng/mL), and highest in white (28.0 ng/mL) adolescents (P < .001 for each pairwise comparison). Low 25(OH)D levels were strongly associated with overweight status and abdominal obesity (P for trend < .001 for both). After adjustment for age, gender, race/ethnicity, BMI, socioeconomic status, and physical activity, 25(OH)D levels were inversely associated with systolic blood pressure (P = .02) and plasma glucose concentrations (P = .01). The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for those in the lowest (<15 ng/mL) compared with the highest quartile (>26 ng/mL) of 25(OH)D for hypertension was 2.36 (1.33–4.19); for fasting hyperglycemia it was 2.54 (1.01–6.40); for low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol it was 1.54 (0.99–2.39); for hypertriglyceridemia it was 1.00 (0.49–2.04); and for metabolic syndrome it was 3.88 (1.57–9.58). CONCLUSIONS: Low serum vitamin D in US adolescents is strongly associated with hypertension, hyperglycemia, and metabolic syndrome, independent of adiposity.


Loading can stimulate tendon healing. In healing rat Achilles tendons, we have found more than 150 genes upregulated or downregulated 3 h after one loading episode. We hypothesized that these changes were preceded by a smaller number of regulatory genes and thus performed a microarray 15 min after a short loading episode, to capture the primary response to loading. We transected the Achilles tendon of 54 rats and allowed them to heal. The hind limbs were unloaded by tail-suspension during the entire experiment, except during the loading episode. The healing tendon tissue was analyzed by mechanical testing, microarray, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Mechanical testing showed that 5 min of loading each day for 4 days created stronger tissue. The microarray analysis after one loading episode identified 15 regulated genes. Ten genes were analyzed in a repeat experiment with new rats using qRT-PCR. This confirmed the increased expression of four genes: early growth response 2 (Egr2), c-Fos, FosB, and regulation of G protein signaling 1 (Rgs1). The other genes were unaltered. We also analyzed the expression of early growth response 1 (Egr1), which is often co-regulated with c-Fos or Egr2, and found that this was also increased after loading. Egr1, Egr2, c-Fos, and FosB are transcription factors that can be triggered by numerous stimuli. However, Egr1 and Egr2 are necessary for normal tendon development, and can induce ectopic expression of tendon markers. The five regulated genes appear to constitute a general activation machinery. The further development of gene regulation might depend on the tissue context.


Abstract This paper describes model calculations and nuclear data evaluations of photonuclear reactions on isotopes of C, O, Al, Si, Ca, Fe, Cu, Ta, W, and Pb for incident photon energies up to 150 MeV. The calculations, using the GNASH code, include giant-dipole resonance and quasi-deuteron models for photoabsorption. The emission of secondary particles and gamma rays is computed using preequilibrium theory, together with an open-ended sequence of compound nucleus decays using the Hauser-Feshbach theory. The accuracy of the calculated and evaluated cross sections is assessed through extensive comparisons with measured cross sections, average neutron multiplicities, and energy-dependent emission spectra. The evaluated nuclear data files (ENDF) facilitate radiation transport studies of the importance of photonuclear reactions in a number of technologies including photoneutrons produced in electron/photon accelerators, shielding studies, and nondestructive detection of nuclear materials. A companion paper describes developments in the MCNP and MCNPX codes to utilize these data in transport simulations.


It is thought that the Rh antigens may be important in maintaining normal erythrocyte membrane integrity. Despite their name, Rh antigens are serologically present only on human erythrocytes. Rh structural polymorphisms are known to reside within a family of nonglycosylated Mr 32,000 integral membrane proteins that can be purified by hydroxylapatite chromatography. Mr 32,000 integral membrane proteins were purified similarly from erythrocyte membrane vesicles prepared from rhesus monkeys, cows, cats, and rats, but could not be purified from human Rhmod erythrocytes, a rare syndrome lacking Rh antigens. The purified Mr 32,000 polypeptides were labeled with 125I, digested with chymotrypsin, and found to be 30-60% identical to human Rh polypeptides when compared by two-dimensional iodopeptide mapping. The physiologic function of the Rh polypeptides remains to be identified; however, the existence of related proteins in nonhuman erythrocytes supports the concept that the Rh polypeptides are erythrocyte membrane components of fundamental significance.


United States Congressmember Sam Farr, one of the political heroes of the sustainable agriculture movement, was interviewed by Ellen Farmer on August 23, 2007. A fifth-generation Californian, Farr was born in 1941. He is the son of California State Senator Fred Farr, who sponsored a law requiring toilets in the fields for farm workers, as well as other landmark environmental legislation. Sam Farr began his career in public service in 1964, in the Peace Corps in Colombia. Before his election to the House of Representatives in 1993, Farr served for twelve and a half years in the California State Assembly. In 1990, Farr authored the California Organic Standards Act, which established standards for organic food production and sales in California. This piece of legislation became one of the models for the National Organic Program's federal organic standards. Farr now serves as co-chair of the National Organic Caucus in the House of Representatives, and worked with organic policy activists to increase support for organic farming research in the federal Farm Bill. Recognizing the contributions of the UC Santa Cruz Agroecology Program to the field of sustainable agriculture, Farr secured a line item for the program in California's higher education budget. Speaking before the 110th Congress on October 4, 2007 (in remarks entered into the Congressional Record), Farr said, "Since entering Congress, I have worked hard to share the story of the UC Santa Cruz Farm's important work with my colleagues. Congress has responded with a total of over $3 million in direct appropriations to the UC Santa Cruz Farm since 2000 to assist with its important research and extension work with the rapidly expanding organic farming sector. Indeed, the UC Santa Cruz Farm's influence has been far-reaching, inspiring many sustainable agricultural programs at other universities, including UC Riverside, Cal Poly, and USDA's Agricultural Research Service." Ellen Farmer had some previous contact with Sam Farr through her graduate studies in public policy at California State University, Monterey Bay—a program with which Farr has close associations. She interviewed Farr at his office in Santa Cruz.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effectiveness of preinduction hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) in ameliorating signs of experimentally induced endotoxemia in horses.

ANIMALS
18 healthy adult horses.

PROCEDURES
Horses were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 equal-sized treatment groups to receive normobaric ambient air and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), HBOT and LPS, or HBOT and physiologic saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Horses were physically examined, and blood was obtained for a CBC and to determine concentration or activity of plasma tissue necrosis factor-α, blood lactate, and blood glucose before the horses were treated with HBOT and then intermittently for 6 hours after administration of LPS or physiologic saline solution.

RESULTS
All LPS-treated horses developed signs and biochemical and hematologic changes consistent with endotoxemia. Treatment with HBOT significantly ameliorated the effect of LPS on clinical endotoxemia score but did not significantly improve other abnormalities associated with endotoxemia.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The protective effect of HBOT was minimal, and results did not support its use as a treatment for horses prior to development of endotoxemia.


This dissertation concerns the evaluations of critics in literary book reviewing in Dutch newspapers between 1955 and 2005. Analyses of literary evaluation in its literary-historical context have so far tended to concentrate on specific case studies – the reception of a single book or author, the poetics of a single reviewer – or on sociological aspects of book reviewing. This study, which is part of a larger research project titledThe Best Intentions, Literary Criticism in the Netherlands 1945-2005, aims to explore and describe which developments and continuities might be gleaned from evaluative statements in book reviews themselves. Both the critics' judgments on (and characterizations of) literary works in reviews are considered relevant, because they affect relations and positions in the literary field. By employing both quantitative and qualitative analyses of evaluative statements, this study endeavors to test prevailing – but hitherto uncharted – hypotheses concerning various continuities and transformations in the realm of newspaper reviews of literary novels


In this correspondence, an image resolution enhancement technique based on interpolation of the high frequency subband images obtained by discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and the input image. The edges are enhanced by introducing an intermediate stage by using stationary wavelet transform (SWT). DWT is applied in order to decompose an input image into different sub-bands. Then the high frequency sub-bands as well as the input image are interpolated. The estimated high frequency sub-bands are being modified by using high frequency sub-band obtained through SWT. Then all these sub-bands are combined to generate a new high resolution image by using inverse DWT (IDWT). The quantitative and visual results are showing the superiority of the proposed technique over the conventional and stateof-art image resolution enhancement techniques.


Curie point writing and Kerr signal reading in magneto-optical disk media are accomplished with a flint glass single-mode fiber that connects the optical source (laser diode)-detector and the magneto-optical medium. The Kerr signal is detected sensitively with high stability against external disturbances such as stress and deformation of the fiber. This technique offers a simple, flexible, light, movable, and remotely settable means for signal processing of magneto-optical devices.


Abstract Hibonite (CaAl12O19) is a constituent of some refractory calcium-aluminum inclusions (CAIs) in carbonaceous meteorites, commonly accompanied by grossite (CaAl4O7) and spinel. These phases are usually interpreted as having condensed, or crystallized from silicate melts, early in the evolution of the solar nebula. Both Ca-Al oxides are commonly found on Earth, but as products of high-temperature metamorphism of pelitic carbonate rocks. We report here a unique occurrence of magmatic hibonitegrossite-spinel assemblages, crystallized from Ca-Al-rich silicate melts under conditions [high-temperature, very low oxygen fugacity (fO2)] comparable to those of their meteoritic counterparts. Ejecta from Cretaceous pyroclastic deposits on Mt Carmel, N. Israel, include aggregates of hopper/skeletal Ti-rich corundum, which have trapped melts that crystallized at fO2 extending from 7 log units below the iron-wustite buffer (ΔIW = –7; SiC, Ti2O3, Fe-Ti silicide melts) to ΔIW ≤ –9 (native V, TiC, and TiN). The assemblage hibonite + grossite + spinel + TiN first crystallized late in the evolution of the melt pockets; this hibonite contains percentage levels of Zr, Ti, and REE that reflect the concentration of incompatible elements in the residual melts as corundum continued to crystallize. A still later stage appears to be represented by coarse-grained (centimeter-size crystals) ejecta that show the crystallization sequence: corundum + Liq → (low-REE) hibonite → grossite + spinel ± krotite → Ca4Al6F2O12 + fluorite. V0 appears as spheroidal droplets, with balls up to millimeter size and spectacular dendritic intergrowths, included in hibonite, grossite, and spinel. Texturally late V0 averages 12 wt% Al and 2 wt% Mn. Spinels contain 10–16 wt% V in V0-free samples, and <0.5 wt% V in samples with abundant V0. Ongoing paragenetic studies suggest that the fO2 evolution of the Mt Carmel magmatic system reflects the interaction between OIB-type mafic magmas and mantle-derived CH4+H2 fluids near the crust-mantle boundary. Temperatures estimated by comparison with 1 atm phase-equilibrium studies range from ca. 1500 °C down to 1200–1150 °C. When fO2 reached ca. ΔIW = –7, the immiscible segregation of Fe,Ti-silicide melts and the crystallization of SiC and TiC effectively desilicated the magma, leading to supersaturation in Al2O3 and the rapid crystallization of corundum, preceding the development of the hibonite-bearing assemblages. Reports of Ti-rich corundum and SiC from other areas of explosive volcanism suggest that these phenomena may be more widespread than presently realized, and the hibonite-grossite assemblage may serve as another indicator to track such activity. This is the first reported terrestrial occurrence of krotite (CaAl2O4), and of at least two unknown Zr-Ti oxides.


1 Earlier population genetic spatial analysis of European corn borer Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) indicated no genetic differentiation even between locations separated by 720 km. This result suggests either high dispersal resulting in high gene flow or that populations are not in migration–drift equilibrium subsequent to their invasion of the central U.S.A. in the 1940s. 2 To discriminate among these two possibilities, samples were collected at 12 locations in eight states from New York to Colorado, a geographic scale that is three‐fold greater than previously tested. Eight microsatellite markers were employed to estimate genetic differentiation and gene flow among these populations, and to test for isolation‐by‐distance. 3 Although pairwise FST estimates were very low, there was a significant isolation‐by‐distance relationship. 4 Wright's neighbourhood area (i.e. the surface area covered by a panmictic group of individuals within a larger continuous distribution) was calculated as 433 km2, and the radius indicates that approximately 13% of O. nubilalis adults disperse a net distance >12 km per generation from their natal source. 5 Analyses indicated significant differentiation between the north‐eastern region (New York and Pennsylvania) and the region combining sample locations from Ohio to Colorado, suggesting the potential for isolation of populations by topographic barriers in the Northeast. 6 Taken together, the results suggest that O. nubilalis exhibits substantial gene flow over long distances and that the lack of genetic differentiation between populations across hundreds of kilometres is not simply a result of migration–drift disequilibrium arising from the recent range expansion.


Regulators worldwide increasingly use data envelopment analysis (DEA) for the incentive regulation of electric distribution firms. Although the production/cost frontiers estimated by DEA models provide valuable information for electricity rate setting, the benefit of DEA benchmarking in regulatory practice would be limited due to specification errors of DEA models. In this paper, we summarize and discuss existing issues of using DEA models for efficiency benchmarking from four aspects: 1. Specification of inputs and outputs, 2. Selection of costs for benchmarking, 3. Imposition of structure on benchmarking models, and 4. Treatment of contextual variables. We also give suggestions for improving the use of DEA models.


N-lithio-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine [Li(tmp)] reacts with AlX3 (X = Cl, Br) in Et2O/n-hexane soln. to generate of substitution and ether cleavage products, [(tmp)Al(X)(m-OEt)]2 (X = Cl, Br). However, when the reaction is allowed to proceed in n-hexane alone, an almost quant. yield of (tmp)2AlX (X = Cl, Br, I) is obtained. According to 27Al NMR, mass spectroscopy, cryoscopy, and x-ray crystal structure detns., these compds. are monomeric in the solid state, in soln., and in gas phase. (Tmp)2AlBr reacts with AgBF4 yielding the fluoride-bridged dimer [(tmp)2AlF]2 as shown by x-ray crystal structure detn. [on SciFinder (R)]


Conceptual Modeling is one of the most important stages of the database (DB) design methodology. A number of approaches for conceptual modeling have been devised in the literature amongst which the Entity-Relationship (ER) modeling technique is extensively used. Since the quality of a conceptual model impacts the quality of the end product, our research focuses on how the quality of an ER model can be improved. We have identified modeling problems in the existing ER modeling technique and have suggested an approach which solves these problems. The
result is an improved ER model which closely represents the real-world problem thereby improving the semantic representation.Our proposed approach incorporates real-world constraints that can be described in the form of functional dependencies. This approach applies schema transformations iteratively for which a new set of
rules has also been defined. New constructs namely single-valued relationship attribute and multi-valued relationship attribute have also been proposed for improving semantics of the relationship types in an ER
model. The impact of the proposed approach on later stages of the database design methodology has also been studied which shows that the resulting relational database satisfies higher normal forms as compared to the existing technique. Quantitative aspect of measuring
improvement in the quality of a conceptual model is also an integral part of the research. For this purpose, we have proposed new metrics called completeness index, normalization index, and overall quality index. Completeness index is further refined by applying fuzzy logic and thus a fuzzy completeness index is proposed. We have also defined quantitative metrics for the structural complexity of an ER model in terms of correctness and modifiability. These metrics help us compare the quality of two ER models quantitatively and objectively. We have shown with several examples the efficacy of our approach and proposed metrics. The ultimate result is a better
database design and improved database designers productivity.


Several observers have suggested that highly skilled workers convey little in the way of competitive advantage for firms due to their mobility. Implicit in this view is the belief that organizations are not important in determining the performance of such individuals. In this study, we address this issue by examining skilled individuals who work within multiple organizations roughly simultaneously. Specifically, we consider the performance of cardiac surgeons, many of whom perform operations at multiple hospitals during the course of a given year. Using patient mortality as an outcome measure, we find that the quality of a surgeon's performance at a given hospital improves significantly with increases in his or her annual procedure volume at that hospital but does not significantly improve with increases in his or her volume at other hospitals. Our findings suggest that surgeon performance is not fully portable across hospitals (i.e., some portion of performance is firm specific). We consider the implications of our results for settings beyond health care.


40Ar/39Ar systematics within metasedimentary rocks exposed in the southern Prince Charles Mountains, East Antarctica, were thermally reset during a period of Early Palaeozoic (between 524 ± 1 Ma and 486 ± 2 Ma) orogenesis. This event affected three temporally distinct (Archaean to Neoproterozoic) stratigraphic levels that are now exposed in the upper crust. In the structural record, evidence of orogenesis during Early Palaeozoic times is preserved as late-stage, subvertical mylonite zones in the Archaean orthogneiss–metasedimentary basement and thin-skinned folding and thrusting of the overlying Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks. Synchronous cooling ages, contrasting structural styles and similar peak metamorphic conditions are interpreted as reflecting basement-involved thin-skinned deformation that was the result of inversion of a Neoproterozoic basin. The presence of pre-existing crustal heterogeneities is the mechanism that localized Early Palaeozoic orogenesis within the region. This interpretation differs from previous models that attribute Early Palaeozoic orogenesis within the southern Prince Charles Mountains to a collisional tectonic setting. An Early Palaeozoic intra-cratonic setting for the region suggests that amalgamation between India and Antarctica was likely to have occurred prior to the final construction of Gondwana.


Brain computer interface (BCI) research deals with the problem of establishing direct communication pathways between the brain and external devices. The primary motivation is to enable patients with limited or no muscular control to use external devices by automatically interpreting their intent based on brain electrical activity, measured by, e.g., electroencephalography (EEG). A widely studied BCI set up involves having subjects type letters based on so-called P300 signals generated by their brains in response to visual stimuli. Due to the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of EEG signals, brain signals generated for a single letter often have to be recorded many times to obtain acceptable accuracy, which reduces the typing speed of the system. Conventionally the measured signals for each letter are processed and classified separately. However, in the context of typing letters within words in a particular language, neighboring letters would provide information about the current letter as well. Based on this observation, we propose an approach for incorporation of such information into a BCI-based speller through hidden Markov models (HMM) trained by a language model. We then describe filtering and smoothing algorithms for inference over such a model. Experiments on real EEG data collected in our laboratory demonstrate that incorporation of the language model in this manner results in significant improvements in classification accuracy and bit rate.


Three doubled haploid (DH) upland rice lines obtained from anther culture having good agronomic and shade  tolerant traits were planted in an intercropping with maize. Their  monoculture systems were also included.  Those lines were GI-8, IG-19, and IW-56. Jatiluhur was also treated similar as shade tolerant control cultivar. The experiment was arranged in randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments consisted of eight intercropping systems, four monoculture systems of rice, and two monoculture systems of maize. The result showed that all of tested DH lines were consistently shade tolerant under intercropping condition. The characteristics was represented by  similar growth and grain yield with  Jatiluhur under  intercroping system. The highest grain yield was 2.49 t/ha resulted by GI-8 and IG-19 lines  at the time that Jatiluhur was 2.36 t/ha. The intercropping of DH lines with  maize also showed the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) =1.33-1.58, while Jatiluhur LER = 1.25-1.28, indicating that agronomically they were more advantageous than those in the monoculture system. Key words :  Doubled haploid,, intercropping system, shade tolerant lines


HYPOTHESIS
Increased Na(+)-K(+) adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity in skeletal muscle during sepsis is caused by transient increases in enzyme content within the plasma membrane.

DESIGN
Randomized controlled study.

SETTING
University laboratory.

INTERVENTION
Eighty-eight adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to undergo cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or sham operation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Gastrocnemius muscles were harvested 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after operation and Na(+)-K(+) ATPase activities were measured spectrofluorimetrically. Messenger RNA (mRNA) levels for the alpha1 and alpha2 isoforms of Na(+)-K(+) ATPase were determined by Northern blot analysis. Crude membranes, internal membranes, and purified plasma membranes were isolated from gastrocnemius muscles and protein levels of alpha1 and alpha2 isoforms were determined by Western blot analysis.

RESULTS
Na(+)-K(+) ATPase activity in the CLP group was significantly higher compared with the sham group 24 hours after operation (P<.05). However, there were no differences between the sham and CLP groups 6, 12, or 48 hours after operation. No significant differences between the CLP and sham groups were noted in mRNA levels for Na(+)-K(+) ATPase alpha1 and alpha2 isoforms. Western blot analysis revealed that the plasma membrane (but not internal membrane or crude membrane) content of alpha2 and alpha1 isoforms from the CLP group was significantly increased compared with the sham group 24 hours after operation (P<.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Na(+)-K(+) ATPase activity increases 24 hours after CLP in gastrocnemius muscle and then declines. This increase is caused by increased Na(+)-K(+) ATPase protein levels in the plasma membrane.


Abstract Measuring the value of portfolios of Standard-Essential Patents (SEP) is a difficult and controversial exercise. It has recently been suggested to use counts of technical contributions to Standard Development Organizations (SDO) as an indicator of the share of the value of a standard created by an SEP holder. Analyzing a comprehensive database of contributions to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), I find that contributions are highly heterogeneous in type, outcome, and impact. The standardization process is not intended to screen contributions for the significance of the contribution they make to the standard. Against this background, contribution counts are not a suitable basis for apportioning the value of a standard between different SEP holders. The measure is prone to be easily manipulated. Furthermore, apportioning royalty payments by contribution counts would exacerbate commercial considerations and opportunistic strategies, which could hamper the technical work of SDO working groups.


In this work, we focus on the integration of two problems arising in the management of transshipment container terminals: the problem of assigning and scheduling incoming ships to berthing positions (berth allocation problem), and the problem of assigning quay cranes to incoming ships (quay crane assignment problem). In particular, motivated by the practice in the negotiation process between the terminal management and the shipping liner, the model is based on the concept of quay-crane assignment profile, i.e., the sequence of the number of cranes assigned to the ship along each operating work shift. Two mixed integer formulations are considered with a quadratic and a linearized objective function, respectively. Both models have been validated on instances based on real data. Computation confirms that the problem is hardly solvable via exact methods, hence we introduce heuristic methods for finding good feasible solutions in a reasonable amount of time and present computational results obtained on the same set of instances.


Shakespeare had a thing for children. Ann Blake counts 30, Mark Heberle 39, Mark Lawhorn 45, and Carol Chillington Rutter counts well over 50 child parts. What it means that Shakespeare included more child figures in his plays and poems than his contemporaries remains an incitement to conversation as a recent burst of scholarship makes evident. That this interest follows the institutionalization of the study of children's literature and the formation of childhood studies programs is instructive. Approaches taken by humanities scholars may not hold the same political sway as psychological or sociological studies, some of which have real implications for the policies and standards that impact the lives of actual children. But since attempts to tell the history of childhood often produce fantasies of the ideal, sentimental child, the works of Shakespeare offer an opportunity to understand constructions and fictions of childhood in a time of the rapidly shifting cultural and historical valuation of children. This essay examines central questions and problems in the study of early modern child figures, reviews past approaches to and recent publications on early modern children, suggests topics yet to be explored in the context of the child figures of Shakespeare and his contemporaries (sexuality, temporality, sovereignty, humanity, and economy), and concludes by suggesting we think of Shakespeare's children not as strictly historical or affective objects but, rather, as figures pressed to signify with respect to cultural expectations of value, sovereignty, and futurity.


Distributed energy resources like solar power (PV Panels) are usually connected to the AC grid through a single phase voltage source inverter (VSI). The major drawback associated with single phase grid tie inverters is the double frequency component of the grid that appears on the DC bus link. Large electrolytic capacitors are generally employed in the inverters to eliminate the ripple component. However, their bulkiness and relatively short lifetime are motivational factors to replace them with small film capacitors. This paper presents a synchronous boost/buck based active power decoupling circuit in parallel with the dc-bus link capacitor and discusses the different types of control strategies implemented. Simulation results are presented for each control technique and it is shown that the ripple on the DC bus link is largely reduced due to inclusion of this circuit along with an expected extension of the lifetime due to the reduction in the amount of dc-bus capacitance used.


The advent of mandatory central clearing for certain types of over-the-counter derivatives and margin requirements for others means that margin is the most important mitigation mechanism for many counterparty credit risks. Initial margin requirements are typically calculated using risk-based margin models, and these models must be tested to ensure that they are prudent. However, two different margin models can calculate substantially different levels of margin yet both pass the usual tests. This paper presents a new approach to parameter selection based on the statistical properties of the worst loss over a margin period of risk estimated by the margin model under test. This measure is related to risk estimated at a fixed confidence interval yet leads to a more powerful test which is better able to justify the choice of parameters used in margin models. The test proposed is used on a variety of volatility estimation techniques applied to a long history of returns of the S&P 500 index. Well known techniques, including exponentially weighted moving average volatility estimation and generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity approaches are considered, and novel approaches derived from signal processing are also analysed. In each case a range of model parameters which give rise to acceptable risk estimates is identified.


The Ministry of Justice announced in early July 2013 that it is to open 70 new resettlement prisons. These are not actually new prisons but are, in effect, the re-rolling of existing prisons to fulfill this resettlement function (1). The concept is welcome in that it is intended that all prisoners within three months of release will be placed in a prison near to their home area for preparation for release and, if effectively delivered, this would increase the possibility of effective resettlement in the community and reduce future criminal behaviour. And there's the rub. Would the re-designation of prisons used previously as local or medium category prisons, often overcrowded with increasingly challenging staffing levels, suddenly be able to provide effective resettlement facilities to achieve this goal if simply given this new title without additional resourcing? So what is a resettlement prison? There are two currently designated resettlement prisons in the country. These have targeted regimes for prisoners serving more than three years where the planning of their sentence is focused on future resettlement. The current proposal would have 70 such prisons divided to fit into new arrangements for the delivery of community support into 21 areas and targeted on short-term prisoners who would become the subject of statutory supervision on release if the Offender Management Bill is passed through parliament in the Autumn Parliamentary sessions 2013. The ambition is, of course, not new. This concept has been talked about since I began my career in probation in the 1970s--but it's a welcome aspiration nonetheless. Attempts to have prisoners housed locally to make family support easier and to provide opportunities for community probation to visit and plan release has been talked about and yearned for, for at least 40 years. Since the turn of the twentieth century there has been increased interest in resettlement particularly of those sentenced to less than 12 months, the prolific so-called 'revolving door' offenders. Shortly after the 2003 Yorkshire and Humber Resettlement Strategy was launched, the prison authorities in the region initiated a project 'Closer to Home' designed to engineer the local prison estate to keep prisoners in their local area. The research evidence is clear about the potential for successful resettlement of prolific and recidivist offenders back into their local communities. To reintegrate effectively there needs to be continuity of provision from the moment the individual is sentenced through the prison regime and back into the community, what is often referred to as 'through the gate' or 'end-to-end offender management' provision. Good co-ordinated delivery facilitates the access of a range of community professionals to support such reintegration. Resettlement is not just a criminal justice issue, it is a housing issue, an employment issue, a health issue, a drug misuse issue and therefore the cooperation of the full panoply of agencies will be needed to affect a successful programme of reintegration. Preparation in prison for release is also crucial. In the last few years the development of Integrated Offender Management (IOM) involving the cooperation of police, probation, prison, voluntary and welfare agencies has begun to demonstrate some success in supporting offenders and reducing reoffending. However if these newly designated prisons are to compliment such resources we have to understand the context within which these changes are taking place. Austerity policies are impacting on all elements of government provision none more so than in the justice system where there is already the likelihood of cuts approaching 650million in the prison regime by 2015 and more promised thereafter. Local prisons already deal with huge populations where the churn in the system i.e. the movement in and out of short sentence prisoners, can disrupt the regime and prevent the planning of support services inside prisons. …


Some large system dynamics models drive simulator interfaces used for teaching; this is the case of the MacroLab model. Such a model may be useful for making students with basic instruction in system dynamics explore the economy as a dynamic system, allowing for diverse inquiry itineraries. The question is if different exploration itineraries yield sufficiently similar learning outcomes. This has been tried with ten student groups. The results are encouraging, but also indicate that the inquiry scenario design should be based on systematic analysis of the model's structure: some variables may not be reachable from everywhere. An ad-hoc structure exploration found such isolated areas. The use of a reachability matrix is suggested and an initial example is shown. Also, students need systematic guidance in constructing a loop set that will frame their exploration. Concluding, it is argued that this kind of instructional design may bring other large system dynamics models closer to instructional use.


The brief's key findings are: Workers who think they have excellent chances of living to ages 75 and 85 plan to work longer than those who think their chances are poor. These perceptions of life expectancy also influence workers' actual retirement behavior, though to a lesser degree. These results are consistent with the notion that while workers who expect to live longer plan to retire later, actual behavior is influenced by unexpected shocks.


We report research where experienced police investigators (N = 6) are trained to use potentially incriminating information in a tactical (incremental revelation) and strategic (late revelation) manner during face-to-face interviews with mock suspects, versus a control (early revelation). While officers' veracity judgments were significantly more accurate (for judging deceivers) when they used evidence tactically and strategically, a tactical approach to the revelation of evidence was found to be the most effective (for both deceivers and truth tellers). Mock witness' perceptions of their interview performance is reported and discussed with recourse to investigators' veracity performance.


Cosmic strings are topological defects possibly formed in the early Universe, which may be observable due to their gravitational effects on the cosmic microwave background radiation or gravitational wave experiments. To this effect it is important to quantitatively ascertain the network properties, including their density, velocity or the number of strings present, at the various epochs in the observable Universe. Attempts to estimate these numbers often rely on simplistic approximations for the string parameters, such as assuming that the network is scaling. However, in cosmological models containing realistic amounts of radiation, matter and dark energy a string network is never exactly scaling. Here we use the velocity-dependent one-scale model for the evolution of a string network to better quantify how these networks evolve. In particular we obtain new approximate analytic solutions for the behavior of the network during the radiation-to-matter and matter-to-acceleration transitions (assuming, in the latter case, the canonical $\Lambda$ cold dark matter model), and numerically calculate the relevant quantities for a range of possible dark energy models.


This anthology addresses the topic of change. How do third sector organizations (TSOs) cope with turbulent environments? The book investigates how five European countries manage to adapt to the restructuring of welfare states and the expansion of markets, focusing on the policy fields of sports, culture, and social services. Despite significant differences across countries and policy fields, the book sheds light on a strong trend towards polarization within the third sector. There is indeed a blossoming of grassroots organizations strengthening local cohesion, but these organizations lack any lobbying power. At the same time, powerful not-for-profit organizations, heavily engaged in service provision, have emerged that work on par with commercial and public institutions. These businesslike organizations, however, are detached from any membership base, no longer providing avenues for societal integration.


Optical beam steering can find applications in several domains such as laser scanning, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), wireless data transfer and optical switches and interconnects. As present beam steering approaches use mechanical motion such as moving mirrors or MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) or molecular movement using liquid crystals, they are usually limited in speed and/or performance. Therefore we have studied the possibilities of the integrated silicon photonics platform in beam steering applications. In this paper, we have investigated a 16 element one-dimensional optical phased array on silicon-on-insulator with a field-of-view of 23. Using thermo-optic phase tuners, we have shown beam steering over the complete field-of-view. By programming the phase tuners as a lens, we have also shown the focusing capabilities of this one-dimensional optical phased array. The field-of-view can easily be increased by decreasing the width of the waveguides. This clearly shows the potential of silicon photonics in beam steering and scanning applications.


Schiff base of 2-acetylphenolwas synthesized by the reaction of 2-acetylphenol and phenylhydrazine hydrochloride in the presence of sodium acetate in ethyl alcohol under reflux conditions. The crystal structure of the title compound was determined and analyzed by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system with space group P21 /n and unit cell parameters, a = 13.409 (4) A, b = 10.665 (3) A, c = 17.688 (4) A; β=109.2(8)° and Z = 8. The crystal and molecular structure of the title compound is stabilized by the O—H···N and N—H···O hydrogen bond interactions.


The various factors affecting the optimum performance of an
atomic absorption spectrometer with flow injection techniques
&re described. These include the study of dispersion processes
in the flowing stream by manipulation of the carrier tube
dimensions (diameter and length), the flow rate, the volume of
sample and physical properties of the solution such as viscosity,
chemical nature and level of dissolved solids. Investigation of
the peak shape produced by FIA-MS techniques leads to a simple
exponential model proposed to account for the absorbance–time
behaviour. By determining the volume of the hypothetical mixing
chamber, the model can be used for calibration purposes and
prediction of some of the experimental parameters. [Continues.]


Title of Thesis: Out of Work: Youth Unemployment in Baltimore City Name of degree candidate: Alexandra Wilding Degree and Year: Master of Arts, 2012 Thesis directed by: Dr. Katherine C. McAdams, Associate Dean, Philip Merrill College of Journalism A 2012 report from the Economic Policy Institute in Washington said that since the start of the recession in December 2007, young adults have attained the highest unemployment rate on record since 1948. Through a series of interviews, this project aims to explore the reasons and effects of unemployment on Baltimore's young adults. To complete the project, approximately 13 youth aged 17 to 24 were interviewed in the winter and spring of 2012. Almost all of the youth interviewed for this project said that getting further education was a key to having better work options. But simultaneously, the majority of out-of-work youth interviewed for the project lacked any consistent work experiences. The project aims to give a human face to statistics about youth unemployment using community reporting as a model to tell the stories of young people out of work in Baltimore in 2012. Access the project: www.alexandrawilding.com/youthunemployment.


Dual-wavelength holography has a better axial range than single-wavelength holography, allowing unambiguous phase imaging. Partial coherence sources reduce coherent noise, resulting in improved reconstructed images. We measured a ball-grid array using dual-wavelength holography with partial coherence sources. This holography method is useful for measurement samples that exhibit coherence noise and have a step height larger than the single wavelength used in holography.


Abstract The Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) concept is being developed to operate as either a pure fusion or hybrid fusion-fission system. The hybrid version is designed to generate power and burn both fertile and fissile nuclear fuel. The fuel blanket is composed of TRISO-based fuel cooled by a molten salt. Low-yield (˜25-40 MJ) targets and a repetition rate of ˜10-15 Hz produce a 300-500 MW fusion source. When this fusion power is coupled to a compact (2-4 m diameter) target chamber, a 14 MeV neutron flux of ˜2 × 1014 n/cm2-s drives fissile production and destruction in the fuel blanket providing an additional energy gain of 4-8, depending on the fuel and design objective. We employ a methodology using 6Li as a neutron absorber to generate self-sustaining tritium production for fusion and to maintain constant power over the lifetime of the engine. In a single pass, fertile LIFE blankets achieve uranium and thorium utilization beyond 80% without chemical reprocessing or isotopic enrichment. Fissile blankets destroy more than 90% of the initial load of weapons grade plutonium or highly enriched uranium.


A Russian‐American fieldwork effort on Lake Baikal, its tributaries, and surrounding hot springs was undertaken in June–July 1991. Here we report on aspects of major ion (Ca2+, Mg2+, Alk, Cl−, SO42−) and several minor and trace element (Li isotopes, Sr isotopes, Ba, Al, V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Ge, Cd, Hg, U) cycles. Our riverine data for major ions generally concur with the more extensive, time‐averaged Russian database; for the most part the homogeneously distributed major ions appear to be at steady state and dominated by riverine throughputs in the lake. Exceptions include Mg2+, which may be removed to a small extent (≤ 15% of its riverine flux) by hydrothermal activity, and Na+ and Cl−, which seem to be impacted by pollution. Of the minor and trace elements, V also seems subject to anthropogenic disturbance. Other elements for which reliable data are available show conservative steady‐state distributions (Li, Cr, Sr) or are subject to redistribution and removal within the lake (Ge, Al, Cu, Ni, Ba, U) as a result of involvement in a variety of particle cycling processes that tend to obscure non‐natural influences. Chemical geothermometers for the four hot springs sampled (Smeyney, Khakuci, Kotelnikovski, Davsha) indicate subsurface reaction temperatures ranging from 70 to 150°C and converging to smaller ranges (±15°C) for a given spring. Both depletions (Mg, Ba, Cu, Ni, Sr, U) and enrichments (Na, K, Cl, Li, Al, Ge, Sr, U) with respect to lake water were observed. Ge levels in spring waters are sufficiently enriched over lake waters that Ge could serve as a useful tracer of subaquatic hydrothermal waters.


"Explore me," you said and I collected my ropes, flasks and maps, expecting to be back home soon. I dropped into the mass of you and I cannot find the way out. Sometimes I think I'm free, coughed up like Jonah from the whale, but then I turn a corner and recognize myself again. Myself in your skin, myself lodged in your bones, myself floating in the cavities that decorate every surgeon's wall. That is how I know you. You are what I know.1


It is well understood that optical fibre quality can be affected by the conditions present during fibre drawing. fibre tension , drawing speed, furnace temperature, the atmosphere within the ddrawing zone, viscosity of the glass, pre-form neck down shape and vibration in the drawn fibre are all factors which may affect the drawing process, and consequently the properties of the optical fibre. Most of these factors can be affected by the behaviour of the drawing furnace. Therefor monitoring furnace condition and predicting furnace decay are very important to the optical fibre manufacturing process. However, furnace conditions are very complicated and cannot be described by traditional mathematical models.
In order to implement condition monitoring more effectively, the effects of process parameters and vibrations on the porperties and geometry of germanium-doped silica-core single-mode fibre, the subject of the current study were investigated by experiments and literature survey. These results can be used to determine the optimum processing conditions and select feature parameters for a condition monitoring system. Sources of vibration were analysed in order to provide information on which subsequent work to minimise vibrations on the drawn fibre could be based. The feature parameters which relate to furnace decay were extracted from the selected drawing parameters and are presented in this thesis. A new non-contact tension measurement system was devised.
Different kinds of neural networks and their application in the furnace condition monitoring systems were investigated and the results are reported. A neural network software with fast training speed and a data exchange interface was developed to meet the needs of this furnace monitoring system.
This thesis oresents a novel on-line condition monitoring system for drawing furnaces in the optical fibre drawing process. This system utilises the feature parameters extracted from drawing parameters and a neural network as the learning and decision making component. It can monitor the performance of the drawing process and give a pre-warning when furnace decay occurs or drawing parameters exceed the allowed working range. Hence, fibre properties can be enhanced, the production yield can be improved and machine utilities can be increased. This system has been used on a production optical fibre drawing tower at Pirelli Cables Limited and a high success rate for recognising furnace condition was achieved.


In 1989 a female jogger was beaten senseless, raped and left for dead in New York City's Central Park. Her skull had multiple fractures, her eye socket was crushed, and she lost three quarters of her blood. She survived, but she cannot remember anything about the incident. Within 48 hours of the attack, solely on the basis of confessions obtained by police, five Africanand Hispanic-American boys, 14 to 16 years old, were arrested. The crime scene had shown a horrific act but carried no physical traces at all of the defendants. Yet it was easy to understand why detectives, under the glare of a national media spotlight, aggressively interrogated the teenagers, at least some of whom were "wilding" in the park that night.


Post-translational modifications (PTM) of histone proteins are critical determinants of genome function. Analysis of histone PTM levels has traditionally been performed using biochemical bulk methods to measure individual modifications. These approaches are generally unable to detect differences in histone and histone PTM levels during the cell cycle, do not provide information on variability amongst individual cells, and they are not suitable for multiplexing to comprehensively analyze large numbers of histone modifications in single experiments. We have developed HiHiMap (High-throughput Histone Mapping), an automated high-throughput immunofluorescence technique to determine histone and histone PTM levels across the cell cycle at the single-cell level in a highly parallel format. Our approach uses imaging-based quantification of DNA content and cyclin A levels to stage individual cells in the cell cycle combined with determination of the corresponding histone and histone PMT levels in the same cells. We have applied HiHiMap to a set of 22 histone variants and histone modifications. As proof-of-principle for a biological application, we use HiHiMap to the histone and histone PTMs landscape in primary, immortalized and oncogenically transformed cells. We find differences in the behavior of a specific set of histone PTM during the the cell cycle in transformed cells compared to normal and immortalized cells. The method developed here is widely applicable to the systematic study of histone modifications in physiological and pathological settings at the single-cell level.


Abstract The early Eocene green lacewings (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae) of the Okanagan Highlands deposits of McAbee, and Driftwood Canyon, British Columbia (Canada) and Republic, Washington (U.S.A.) are treated in detail for the first time. At least six genera are present, one unnamed, three new, with at least 10 new species, six named: Protochrysa fuscobasalis n. sp. (McAbee) (Limaiinae, the youngest known record of the subfamily), Okanaganochrysa coltsunae n. gen. n. sp. (McAbee), Adamsochrysa aspera n. gen. n. sp. (McAbee), A. wilsoni n. gen. n. sp. (Republic), Archaeochrysa profracta n. sp. (McAbee), and Pseudochrysopa harveyi n. gen. n. sp. (Driftwood Canyon) (all Nothochrysinae, the latter provisionally). The four unnamed species include one assigned to Pseudochrysopa, two likely belonging to Adamsochrysa, and one of an unknown nothochrysine genus. Microtholi are detected on the abdominal sclerites of Adamsochrysa wilsoni, and the spermatheca and spermathecal duct in the abdomen of Pseudochrysopa harveyi, the first reported occurrences of these preserved in fossil Chrysopidae. Structures were detected on the apical wing margins of some species that appear similar to trichosors, which are unknown in Chrysopidae, but are present in some other neuropteran families. This is the richest described assemblage of the family anywhere in the fossil record. Okanagan chrysopids were also morphologically and presumably ecologically diverse, including large species with rich venation and well as those with simplified venation and the smallest known fossil species. This is the oldest reported occurrence of the family in North America.


A group of 44 high-orgasm-consistency and 34 low-orgasmconsistency women were administered the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, a Sexual Behavior Questionnaire, and the Fall Back Task. Excitatory and inhibitory controlling attitudes as manifested in hypnotic susceptibility, reported control of thinking and movement during coitus, causal attributions, and attitude toward alcoholic beverages were related to orgasm consistency. Women experiencing expectancy disconfirmation for coital outcomes attributed outcomes to unstable factors, supporting the application of Weiner's achievement model to the domain of coital orgasm. High and low consistency women showed different patterns of causal attribution for coital outcomes. High consistency women's attributions fit their reported sexual experiences, while low consistency women's attributions suggested the presence of self-esteem enhancing cognitive distortions.


Requirements negotiation in the domain of software development often runs into communication obstructions caused by the different worlds in which software engineers in software development firms and project managers in client firms exist. Toward a solution to situations of this kind, Grunbacher's Easy Win-Win model presents a limited reformulation of the general win-win approach, which emphasises the collaborative construction of a common lexicon, or dictionary of agreed-upon terms with definitions. An ontological model also exists in conceptual form, representing a philosophically informed approach to reducing complex points of interpretation to visual imagery, with the potential for a more intuitive basis for common understanding than that afforded by a lexicon. This paper presents an augmented version of Grunbacher's Easy Win-Win model for application specifically within the context of software requirements negotiation, to support future testing to assess its effect on communication effectiveness and efficiency.


We report preliminary results of PrestoPRIME, an EU FP7 integrated project, including audiovisual (AV) archives, academics and industrial partners, focused on long-term digital preservation of AV media objects and on improving access by integrating media archives with European on-line digital libraries, specifically Europeana. Project outcomes will result in tools and services to ensure the permanence of digital AV content in archives, libraries, museums and other collections, enabling long-term future access in dynamically changing contexts. PrestoPRIME has a special focus on digital preservation in broadcast environments, where very large files of digital video must be preserved at high quality (suitable for future re-use in an AV production environment) in affordable distributed and federated archives. The adoption of standard solutions for digital preservation processes (metadata representation, content storage, digital rights governance, search and access) enables the interoperability of the proposed preservation framework and guidelines. The OAIS model was chosen for the reference architecture, METS is adopted as wrapper for metadata representation, while relevant standards (e.g. from W3C, ISO/IEC and others) are used for content and rights description. Project outcomes will be delivered through a European networked Competence Centre, to gather knowledge and deliver advanced digital preservation advice and services in conjunction with Europeana and other initiatives.


A collective choice problem is a finite set of social alternatives and a finite set of economic agents with vNM utility functions. We associate a public goods economy with each collective choice problem and establish the existence and efficiency of (equal income) Lindahl equilibrium allocations. We interpret collective choice problems as cooperative bargaining problems and define a set-valued solution concept, {\it the equitable solution} (ES). We provide axioms that characterize ES and show that ES contains the Nash bargaining solution. Our main result shows that the set of ES payoffs is the same a the set of Lindahl equilibrium payoffs. We consider two applications: in the first, we show that in a large class of matching problems without transfers the set of Lindahl equilibrium payoffs is the same as the set of (equal income) Walrasian equilibrium payoffs. In our second application, we show that in any discrete exchange economy without transfers every Walrasian equilibrium payoff is a Lindahl equilibrium payoff of the corresponding collective choice market. Moreover, for any cooperative bargaining problem, it is possible to define a set of commodities so that the resulting economy's utility possibility set is that bargaining problem {\it and} the resulting economy's set of Walrasian equilibrium payoffs is the same as the set of Lindahl equilibrium payoffs of the corresponding collective choice market.


In response to the growing industrial demand for light-emitting diode (LED) design professionals, based on industry-university collaboration in Taiwan, this paper develops a novel instructional approach: a simulation-based learning course with peer assessment to develop students' professional skills in LED design as required by industry as well as to enhance cognition and metacognition in students in higher education. The simulation-based learning course enables students to understand the influences on LED performance of the variation of different parameters and to seek the best design through comparing the effectiveness of different combinations of parameters. The evaluation results of pre- and post-test knowledge maps and a photonics scoreboard indicate that this project-based instruction may help students understand the operating principles of LEDs and enhance their skill in LED design. The Constructivist Project-based Learning Environment Survey is adopted to demonstrate that the proposed project-based learning environment is beneficial in cultivating student inquiry learning, reflective thinking, teamwork, and skills in creative problem solving.


Background and aims: This thesis describes oral health and the use of tobacco with the emphasis on dental caries and Swedish snuff (snus). There appears to be a general opinion in Sweden that snus protects against caries, but there are no scientific studies that support these speculations. More research is therefore needed and the aims of the present investigations were accordingly: 1) to describe the use of tobacco and changes over time (1983-2003) in randomly selected individuals between 15 and 70 years of age, in relation to socioeconomic conditions and dental care habits, 2) to study the relationship between various intraoral caries-associated variables and the effect of smoking and of using snus on dental caries, 3) to study caries-related factors and the pH fall in dental plaque in a group of Swedish snus users and 4) to investigate pH changes in plaque in vivo when using different snus products, both with and without nicotine, and to analyse their carbohydrate content. Methods: Three previous epidemiological cross-sectional studies carried out in 1983, 1993 and 2003 were the platform for Studies I & II (n=2015 and 1591 respectively). The participants were between 15 and 70 years of age. Study III was a clinical study with middle-aged adults (26-62 years old), who had been using snus for ≥10 years (n=102) and a control group (n=101) consisting of non-tobacco users. Study IV, in which plaque pH was measured in situ, comprised 10 snus users. Results: Study I showed that there was a statistically significant reduction from 34% tobacco users in 1983 to 28% in 2003. The decrease was most obvious among smokers, while the number of snus users increased somewhat. More tobacco users than non-users did not visit a dentist regularly. In 1983 and 1993 (Study II), there were no significant differences in mean DFS between smokers and non-users, but there was a statistically significantly higher mean DFS in comparison with snus users. Study III, which was carried out in 2009-2011, showed that the salivary secretion rate was higher (p<0.001) in snus users than in non-users (2.50 vs. 2.16 ml/min). Regarding gingival inflammation, non-users showed a mean of 14.4 ± 13.9 and snus users 20.4 ± 18.2 (p<0.009). No statistically significant differences between these two groups were found regarding plaque index, primary and secondary enamel and dentine caries, DFS and salivary counts of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli. The pH fall after a sucrose rinse was more pronounced among the controls than in the snus users (NS). Snus users had fewer snacks between meals compared with non-users (p<0.001). The intraoral pH measurements in Study IV showed that all four nicotine-containing products increased the plaque pH, in contrast to three of the six nicotine-free products, which lowered the pH. The carbohydrate analyses showed only traces of glucose, fructose and sucrose (0.5-1%) and starch (≈1.5%) in the various nicotine-containing snus products. Some of the nicotine-free products, on the other hand, contained up to 6.5% low-molecular-weight carbohydrates and 26.0% starch. Conclusions: 1) During the 20-year period (1983-2003), there was a reduction in the number of smokers and an increase in the number of snus users. Tobacco users had less frequent dental visits and poorer oral hygiene habits than non-tobacco users. 2) The results of the cross-sectional epidemiological studies, performed in 1993 and 2003, indicate that daily smoking and the use of Swedish snus do not appear to increase the risk of dental caries. 3) The clinical study carried out in 2009-2011 showed only minor or no differences in caries and related factors between daily snus users and non-users. 4) All the tested nicotine-containing snus products increased the plaque pH, in contrast to three of the six nicotine-free products, which lowered the pH.


From its beginnings in a coffee house in the mid-eighteenth century, the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce has tried to improve British life in every way imaginable. It has sought to influence how Britons work, how they are educated, the music they listen to, the food they eat, the items in their homes, and even how they remember their own history. This book is the remarkable story of an institution unlike any other—a society for the improvement of everything and anything. The book shows how this vibrant and singularly ambitious organisation has evolved and adapted, constantly having to reinvent itself to keep in step with changing times. The Society has served as a platform for Victorian utilitarian reformers, purchased and restored an entire village, encouraged the planting of more than sixty million trees, and sought technological alternatives to child labour. But this is more than just a story about unusual public initiatives. It is an engaging and authoritative history of almost three centuries of social reform and competing visions of a better world-the Society's members have been drawn from across the political spectrum, including Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, and Karl Marx. The book reveals how a society of public-spirited individuals tried to make their country a better place, and draws vital lessons from their triumphs and failures for all would-be reformers today.


In this paper we present a new approach for secure transmission of message by modified version of Play fair cipher combining with Random number generator methods. To develop this method of encryption technique, one of the simplest methods of random number generator methods called Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR) has been used. Play fair cipher method based on poly alphabetic cipher. It is relatively easy to break because it still leaves much of the structure and a few hundred of letters of cipher text are sufficient. Here we are mapping random numbers to secret key of Play fair cipher method and corresponding numbers will be transmitted to the recipient instead of alphabetical letter. This method rapidly increases security of the transmission over an unsecured channel.


The purpose of this paper is to discuss the biological plausibility of the pace of creation written in the genesis. A fascinating hypothesis is made on the central role of serotonin as a guide, as the director of the phenomena that enable the best use of light by the plant world, the growth, the regulation of mood in the complex molecular interactions that characterize the varying levels of consciousness. This hypothesis provides biological interpretations of the correspondence of creative steps, from light to man, passing through the vegetable and animal world.


This study examined the profitability and efficiency of small scale ginger production in selected Local Government Areas of Kaduna State using data collected through personal interview schedules with structured questionnaire. Results from the study showed that majority (96.0%) of ginger farmers are male with an average age and farming experience of 42 and 27 years respectively. Majority of the respondents (82.5%) are married and possess an average farm size of 3.09hectares. The average household size is 7 and up to 46% of them acquired secondary education. The results also revealed that labor, seed, fertilizer and capital inputs were significant in explaining the output. The mean technical efficiency of 0.799 indicate that an average ginger farmer in the study area will enjoy an output increase of 18.55% if management techniques are improved and he attains the level of the most efficient ginger farmer. Among the various factors affecting inefficiency, farm size and extension contact accentuated inefficiency while access to credit suppressed inefficiency. This might be an indication that the two parameters that encouraged inefficiency were over-employed. Hence, in order to attain the production frontier of the most efficient farmer, farm size should be scaled down or additional quantity of other inputs should be employed. Price fluctuation, unavailability of farm input, poor remunerative price and poor access to credit are the major constraints faced by ginger farmers in the study area. There is need for policies aimed at encouraging extension education, commercial farming, access to credit, and transport facilities.


Summary Galliformes are one of the most threatened groups of birds in South-East Asia, with 27% of the species threatened with extinction. Long term population viability and extinction probability studies, at different levels of threat and management, are lacking due to weak life history data. This study aimed to define the long-term viability and extinction risk of two populations of the endangered Green Peafowl Pavo muticus, facing different threat and protection levels, using Bayesian Population Viability Analysis (BPVA), which requires less data than traditional methods. The results showed an increasing trend in the Green Peafowl population in HuaiKhaKhaeng Wildlife Sanctuary (western Thailand), with a high protection level and low disturbance and high probability of assuring persistence for the next 100 years. By contrast, the population in YokDon National Park (south-central Vietnam), with a high habitat disturbance level and significant hunting pressure, is predicted to decline and has a high probability (99%) of extinction by 2097. Also, the BPVA showed minimum viable population (MVP) estimates of 250 and 450 calling males for the HuaiKhaKhaeng and YokDon populations respectively, assuring high probabilities of long-term persistence if the minimum numbers of males are available. The population size of 219 calling males at YokDon during the 2013 survey is lower than the MVP threshold of 450 calling males, which suggests the species has a low probability of long-term persistence in the area. Despite limited life history and population data, BPVA predicted the future of this population under site-specific conditions, and the results could be used to promote better management and population restoration.


In recent years, the role of design in business has increasingly moved its concern away from only creating tangible artefacts to attempting to use design to drive organisational cultural change. The success of a design-led culture at multinationals such as 3M, Samsung, Apple and PG Trott, 2008; Bruce & Cooper, 2000). Despite design being placed much higher on the corporate agenda, research into the integration of design into an organisation's DNA has uncovered a problematic relationship between business and design. This disconnect is often attributed to differing mindsets and conflicting working practices of design and business professionals (Davenport, 2009; Fraser, 2009; Lafley & Charan, 2008; Verganti, 2006). In the context of the leadership of design, there are still substantial hurdles to extend the reach of design beyond its traditional role in product development to ultimately influence organisational culture. Within traditional development projects, design has been focussed upon time dependent, solution focussed, tangible project outcomes. Such instances may result in innovative and creative solutions but these activities may fall short of connecting with organisational cultural change. Without continued organisational support, the utilisation, implementation and ultimately effectiveness of design are limited (Topalian, 2002). The disconnect between disciplines, in particular design and dominant business disciplines such as marketing, is a barrier to integration of design into business culture (Drews, 2009; Bessant, et al, 2005; Beverland, 2005; Filson & Lewis, 2000) thus there is a clear need for the entire organisation to resonate with designerly ways of thinking (Dunne & Martin, 2006; Martin, 2009; Lockwood 2009) if they are to maximise benefits. Although there are increasing calls for organisations to become design driven (and ultimately design led) (see Jenkins (2009) for example) through engagement with concepts such as design thinking, design-driven innovation, and designerly doing (Brown, 2009; Verganti, 2009; Neumeier, 2008; Fraser, 2006), organisational culture often remains resistant to such change. There is little guidance for organisations in how to adopt a more designerly approach in specific sectoral contexts - particularly challenging when this is an alien culture to how they operate. Leadership of design in such situations is fraught with danger. There is a need for sector specific understanding of design adoption across a range of different contexts (Collins, 2010) to ensure that research is relevant to the needs of specific industry. Where organisations have adopted designerly approaches, the lack of guidance with regard to how to navigate and lead such change through design has resulted in an ad hoc adoption of design thinking and design-driven innovation perspectives. This paper aims to investigate the adoption challenges of designerly approaches within brand development in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector and proposes a framework to support the connection of designerly approaches to organisational cultural change. It provides leaders with an understanding of FMCG sector specific challenges and a route map to support organisations though such change. FMCG brands pervade our everyday life in the form of consumer packaged goods yet Olins (2007) claims that the industry has a propensity to stick with the status-quo in terms of brand development processes. Page and Thorsteinsson (2011) indicate constraints in FMCG brand development: 1) complicated manufacturing and product development mechanism due to the relationship to logistics and detailed regulatory requirements, 2) the limited capacity for the integration of internal and external parties into the brand development process. These characteristics – limited capacity to integrate internal and external stakeholders combined with a production are considered to inhibit the FMCG industry from adoption of designerly approaches which can ultimately result in innovative solutions. Hence, it is imperative to understand what impedes integration of designerly approaches into FMCG industry and to envisage the benefits of designerly approaches into brand development. Two key research questions are be considered: 1) What is a role of design in the FMCG industry? and 2) What are the barriers and drivers to the adoption of designerly approaches in the FMCG industry? A pragmatic investigation into the ways of employing design and underlying features in FMCG industry from multi-faceted perspectives is presented in three phases: firstly, content analysis identifies the features that underpin a new role for design in the organisation; secondly, quantitative data from an online-survey identifies current ways of employing designerly approaches in the FMCG industry, and finally a follow-up qualitative approach was adopted to explain underlying factors which influence the results.


Agatha Christie is one of the most popular and most translated authors of all time. Yet there is little academic work on her writing. During this exploration the discovery will be made that, when translated, Christie's detective fiction actually becomes a highly political affair.


Abstract.
 Populus tremuloides Michx. (aspen) is an iconic species of the southwestern United States, where it is known for its extensive clonality. The size of clones and pattern of clonal distribution within and among stands can provide important clues to the species' evolution and ecology, but there are very few studies that have conducted the type of sampling necessary to define these features. We examined the genetic composition and habitat associations of aspen in a mixed-species forest in Cedar Breaks National Monument on the Markagunt Plateau, southwestern Utah. Genetic analysis of 94 stems ≥1 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) selected from a population census of 2742 stems within a contiguous 13.64-ha plot revealed 2 spatially cohesive triploid genets and 2 diploid genets (all differing in 8 to 15 alleles). Aspen abundance within the 13.64 ha varied between 0 and 634 stems/ha across 8 distinct habitat types. Regenerating aspen stems (1 cm ≤ dbh < 5 cm) varied between 0 and 112 stems/ha, with higher levels of regeneration in habitats with greater aspen dominance relative to other tree species. Recent regeneration may have been stimulated by a Dendroctonous rufipennis outbreak in the 1990s, which killed a high proportion of Picea engelmannii. Even though the visual impression is of a single aspen clone, the 4 identified genets suggest a higher-than-expected level of genetic diversity in this mixed-species stand which may confer resilience to increasing climate variability and drought. Furthermore, aspen regeneration in areas of both low and high adult aspen densities show that these mixed stands can support vigorous aspen populations.


Many processes involving rotating machinery could benefit from the continuous feedback of force applied to the bearings that support the machinery. Such a system could be used to provide diagnostics for process monitoring in a manufacturing application or to provide information for machine health monitoring. Active Magnetic Bearings (AMBs) have the capability to act concurrently as a shaft force sensor and support bearing. This capability stems from the AMB's control system, which is designed to maintain a specific rotor position, regardless of forces acting on the rotor. Researchers have demonstrated the force sensing ability of AMBs; current state of the art methods typically rely on a direct measurement of magnetic flux density as provided by a Hall probe inserted in the magnetic field. In this work, a system identification approach to force measurement is proposed; the proposed approach is applicable to all active magnetic bearings and does not require Hall probes. Recent developments in system identification of bearing forces (Kasarda et al., 2000) indicate that a different approach is feasible. In the work of Marshall (Marshall et al., 2001), a variety of perturbations are applied to an AMB while the AMB controller signals are interrogated, no outside instrumentation such as force transducers or Hall probes are required. The work of Kasarda and Marshall is the starting point for the work presented here. The initial work was expanded to include a general characterization of air gap for any rotor position. Although this characterization relies on static testing to identify system parameters, the identified parameters can then be used in the measurement of dynamic forces. The identification procedure provides a measurement of effective air gap length. Effective gap length is used to infer the effective position of the rotor with respect to the stator. This measurement is made for several specific rotor locations. The relationship between the effective rotor positions provided by the identification and the rotor positions reported by the AMB system sensors establishes a coordinate transformation. The procedure is also applied at different shaft rotation angles. In this way, runout can be identified.


Philip IV of Spain (ruled 1621 - 1665) was known as the 'Planet King', shining as brightly in the sphere of the arts as would Louis XIV the Sun King after him. The Buen Retiro Palace (though how largely destroyed) was a model for Versailles, but surpassed any palace ever built in Europe for the collection of paintings it contained, especially those commissioned in the 1630s from the finest painters in Europe at the time. These included the court painters Velazquez and Zurbaran (Spanish), the honorary court painter Rubens (Flemish), Claude, Poussin (French), Jan Both and Herman van Swaneveld (Dutch), and Domenichino, Lanfranco and other Italians. A much fascinating new material illustrating the pictorial. This magnificent catalogue contains a mouthwatering display of paintings by these masters, and decoration of the major focus of the Golden Age of Spanish painting, the new Buen Retiro Palace built by Philip IV. While many of these are very famous - but seen now in a new light - others have remained unidentified in the Prado's storerooms. Jonathan Brown and John Elliott are well-known for their landmark publication on the Buen Retiro Palace in Madrid. In this catalogue accompanying a major exhibition at the Prado Museum in the summer of 2005, they summarize and add details to their earlier research. The other authors break new ground in their further exploration of the extraordinary collection of masterpieces, old and new, for the Buen Retiro.


This research described the pharmacokinetics of free/unbound and total (bound plus
unbound) enantiomers of two commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs: ketoprofen and ibuprofen) in the synovial fluid and plasma of patients with
inflammatory and non-inflammatory joint disease.
This was facilitated by the development of enantiomeric assays of sufficient sensitivity to
enable the measurement of the very low levels of non-protein bound drug commonly
encountered in plasma, and synovial fluid. The assays involved formation of a mixed
anhydride of the drug with ethylchloroformate and subsequent conversion to an amide by
reaction with optically active amphetamine. The subsequently formed diastereomers were
separated by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using selected ion monitoring
(SIM).
The sensitivity limitations of previous assays (with regard to the intended clinical studies) for
these two drugs were explored, and confirmed the benefits for use of deuterated internal
standards of the respective parent NSAIDs in subsequent GC-MS assays of these drugs. A
practical, speedy and economical means of synthesis of deuterated ketoprofen from its nondeuterated
counterpart (for use as an internal standard), was developed. This method may be
a process worthy of consideration in the synthesis of deuterated internal standards for future
GC-MS assays of similar compounds. The current GC-MS assays were capable of
quantifying ketoprofen (2ng/mL) and ibuprofen (3ng/mL) enantiomers from a 2004 sample
of synovial fluid or plasma, which made them particularly suitable for clinical
pharmacokinetic studies. The clinical studies were conducted in human volunteers with effusions into the knee.
Patients were assessed for functional capacity and severity of disease before being given a
single oral dose of either ketoprofen or ibuprofen. Synovial fluid and plasma levels of
free/unbound and total (bound plus unbound) NSAID enantiomers were determined over 24
hours, after which a number of patients continued twice daily administration of either drug
for up to six months. Chronic-dose patients maintained daily diaries and re-visited the centre at monthly intervals for clinical examination and similar determination of synovial fluid and
plasma NSAID enantiomer levels (6-10 hours post morning dose).
In the single dose studies, the pharmacokineties of total and unbound drug in ketoprofen
patients (n = 10) and ibuprofen patients (n = 5) were examined in synovial fluid and plasma
according to several different models (compartmental, non-compartmental and moment
analysis). The synovial fluid models provided a convenient means for characterising the
transfer of the enantiomers of these drugs to and from synovial fluid. The moment analysis
used to derive one of the models in the current work proved particularly convenient in this
respect, and did not require single or multi-compartmental assumptions common to the other
classic models. The synovial fluid model that provided the poorest fit to the data was a
previously developed model that used total (rather than free) plasma levels of these drugs to
describe transfer of the enantiomers to and from synovial fluid. Pharmacokinetic parameters for ibuprofen enantiomers were generally comparable to the
limited body of information able to be gleaned from previous studies. The mean plasma half
lives for enantiomers of both NSAIDs were considerably longer than indicated by previous
studies. This was most likely due to the combined effect of enhanced sensitivity of the assays
and longer sample collection periods (24 hr instead of 12 hr). This may have facilitated a
better portrayal of the terminal phase of the individual drug enantiomer concentration-time
curves compared to previous studies. Consistent with former studies, there was a general
trend for synovial fluid enantiomer levels of both drugs (though lower than corresponding
plasma levels) to take longer to reach maxima, though once achieved, were shown to persist
for a longer time after dosing than for plasma. This finding agreed with the often observed
phenomena of these NSAIDs being usefully prescribed to patients on a twice daily basis,
despite having relatively short plasma half lives.
The disposition of total ketoprofen in synovial fluid was non-stereoselective, and in
agreement with previous studies. However, an interesting finding in the current ketoprofen
work was the significantly higher level of S(+)- relative to R(-)- enantiomer observed in
unbound synovial fluid concentration-time profiles of study patients. A plausible explanation for this may be related to a greater binding affinity of the R enantiomer relative to the S
enantiomer - a finding suggested by in an in-vitro study some ten years ago, but not observed
in other subsequent studies.
The chronic dose studies were conducted to evaluate some of the difficulties associated with
attempts at correlating the concentration and rate of movement into and out of the joint with
the clinical response or adverse effects experienced by the patient. Disparity between
monthly clinical indicators, global efficacy ratings and pharmacokinetic parameters were
highlighted, and add further weight to the argument that if a simple dose-response
relationship in patients who use these agents were to exist, it may not be as straightforward as
once thought.


Knowledge of the size‐ and composition‐dependent production flux of primary sea spray aerosol (SSA) particles and its dependence on environmental variables is required for modeling cloud microphysical properties and aerosol radiative influences, interpreting measurements of particulate matter in coastal areas and its relation to air quality, and evaluating rates of uptake and reactions of gases in sea spray drops. This review examines recent research pertinent to SSA production flux, which deals mainly with production of particles with r80 (equilibrium radius at 80% relative humidity) less than 1 μm and as small as 0.01 μm. Production of sea spray particles and its dependence on controlling factors has been investigated in laboratory studies that have examined the dependences on water temperature, salinity, and the presence of organics and in field measurements with micrometeorological techniques that use newly developed fast optical particle sizers. Extensive measurements show that water‐insoluble organic matter contributes substantially to the composition of SSA particles with r80 < 0.25 μm and, in locations with high biological activity, can be the dominant constituent. Order‐of‐magnitude variation remains in estimates of the size‐dependent production flux per white area, the quantity central to formulations of the production flux based on the whitecap method. This variation indicates that the production flux may depend on quantities such as the volume flux of air bubbles to the surface that are not accounted for in current models. Variation in estimates of the whitecap fraction as a function of wind speed contributes additional, comparable uncertainty to production flux estimates.


FINRA registered representatives – commission securities salespeople – have come to be known as financial "advisors," but are not required to generally put customers' interests ahead of their own compensation and other interests, as are agents of fiduciary Registered Investment Advisors. This distinction is typically not recognized by consumers, and many registered representatives' employers' marketing claims encourage this misconception. The respective codes for CFP®, ChFC® and CFA® designees require higher ethical duties to clients than do FINRA rules, including subordinating their interests to clients'. Many such registrants hold these designations. FINRA requires the public disclosure of registrants' criminal, regulatory, complaint, and other dubious history. This study examines the comparative disclosure magnitude and frequency of undesignated vs. designated registrants in Florida, and finds with high statistical significance that such adverse disclosure materially decreases for those that hold any one of these designees; it incidentally finds that misconduct increases with maleness, dual investment advisor/registered representative status, and life insurance sales licensure. This appears to be the first such study of adverse disclosure associations with financial designations, so adding to the emerging misconduct and advisors' ethics literature. As the financial advisory profession evolves and regulators seek to enhance practice quality and duties to investors, these findings offer important policy and consumer choice insight.


Abstract The OECD considers compliance with the OECD principles of corporate governance and reduced corruption to be positively associated with economic prosperity. Prior empirical research supports this notion for developed countries. However, findings for developing and emerging countries are more diverse, as some studies document an "East Asia paradox" and link higher levels of corruption with positive outcomes at the firm or country level. Our case study on the Socialist Republic of Vietnam contributes to the literature by identifying determinants of these mixed findings. Relying on triangulation, our results suggest that internationalizing and international firms must adhere to OECD expectations to prosper, while domestic firms prefer operating in corrupt but stable conditions. Due to this mechanism, noncompliance with OECD principles and corruption can deter foreign direct investments and thus negatively influence economic growth. Nevertheless, noncompliance with OECD principles and corruption can still work to benefit domestic firms. Given our results for Vietnam, we argue that the internationalization of the business models of the firms analyzed might explain the prior inconclusive empirical findings.


UMJ is an open access publication of the Ulster Medical Society (http://www.ums.ac.uk). The Ulster Medical Society grants to all users on the basis of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence the right to alter or build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creation is licensed under identical terms. THE MICROBIOLOGY OF THE CAMÁN