Abstract Background LAPTM5 (lysosomal-associated protein transmembrane 5) is a protein that is preferentially expressed in immune cells, and it interacts with the Nedd4 family of ubiquitin ligases. Recent studies in T and B cells identified LAPTM5 as a negative regulator of T and B cell receptor levels at the plasma membrane, but a positive modulator of inflammatory signaling pathways and hence cytokine secretion in macrophages. However, the expression and function of LAPTM5 in ovarian cancer remains undefined. Methods LAPTM5 expression in ovarian cancer, benign and normal ovarian tissues was examined by immunohistochemistry. The LAPTM5 mRNA and protein level of OV cells were detected by Q-PCR and Western blotting respectively. Cell apoptosis, migration and invasion changes were observed through high-content screening. The proteins expression involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and TGF-β mediated signaling pathways was verified by Werstern blotting and immunofluorescence. The role of LAPTM5 on tumorigenesis in vivo was detected by the xenograft model. Results Our study showed that in human OV cell lines and tissues, LAPTM5 were significantly induced at both mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, an OV cell model with downregulated LAPTM5 were established, revealing a significantly alteration of apoptosis. Moreover, analysis of the changes of migration and invasion, showed significant reduced LAPTM5 suppressed cell metastasis. Proteins involved in EMT were strongly altered, which plays a central role in cell metastasis. In addition, phosphorylated ERK1/2, p38 and JNK, key members of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, and phosphorylated Smad2 and Smad3 of Smad signaling pathways mediated by TGF-β regulating OV cells EMT, were strongly decreased. And, LAPTM5 knockdown also inhibited tumorigenesis in xenograft model. Conclusions Taken together, our results suggested that LAPTM 5 acts as a positive modulator of MAPK and TGFβ/Smad signaling pathways mediated by TGFβ in OV cells. Legal entity responsible for the study Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University. Funding The National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants 81672838), Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission (No. Z181100001718193). Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


On graduating as a social worker, I embarked on my career equipped with a personal practice framework based on theories which combined elements of structural, radical, pro-feminist and community development theories. My goal was to work in an empowering manner with clients to achieve structural change and social justice outcomes. When I entered the workforce, I gained first-hand experience of the reality of statutory social work practice with involuntary clients, but I was faced with the dilemma that I believe confronts many social workers, that is, how to work in an empowering manner in a statutory control role in fields such as youth justice and child protection. I found there was a gap between my framework and its underpinning theories, and the reality of using it in settings of social control. For example, theories that were useful in the context of community development, did not provide guidance on reconciling structural change and social justice agendas in statutory social work. When I worked in the youth justice field, I was fortunate to take part in the restorative justice (RJ) social movement through my work in conferencing. I noted that while social work practitioners were involved in implementing RJ techniques, these techniques were used without theoretical and practice guidance from a social work perspective. The risks of this are that the full potential of social work's particular adaptation of restorative theory towards structural change goals will not be realized, and further that RJ techniques could be implemented without incorporating social work's understanding of power dynamics and their potential abuse. My practice experience, combined with my social work and legal training, helped me develop the argument that RJ theory and practice have the potential to enhance empowering social work practice in statutory settings, in the same way they have benefited the criminal justice system. To achieve this potential required an integrated approach incorporating RJ theory and practice into a social work practice framework. To test this proposition I conducted an extensive review of the literature in both fields to identify the relevant RJ theory, then examined its usefulness for dealing with certain core social work issues as informed also by my practice experience. The main findings were that certain RJ theories are useful in this statutory social work context, and this thesis incorporates these findings into an integrated restorative social work practice framework. The next step would be to test the findings empirically by measuring the effectiveness of the application of this framework in practice settings.


Movements in the prices of different assets are likely to directly influence one another. This paper develops a model that identifies the contemporaneous interactions between asset prices in U.S. financial markets by relying on the heteroskedasticity in their movements. In particular, we estimate a structural-form GARCH' model that includes the short-term interest rate, the long-term interest rate, and the stock market. The results indicate that there are strong contemporaneous interactions between these variables. Accounting for this behavior is critical for interpreting daily changes in asset prices and for predicting the future paths of their variances and correlations. We demonstrate the importance of this consideration in a risk-management application.


This paper proposes a visualization system for getting insight into future research activities from co-authorship networks. A bibliographic network such as a co-authorship network and a citation network is important information for researchers when doing a research survey. In particular, there are many requests on research survey that relate with researchers' future activities, such as identification of remarkable of researchers including growing researchers and supervisors. Although a citation network has received many attentions from researchers, it is not suitable for such surveys because it reflects researchers' past activities. Since collaboration of researchers is essential for researchers' activities, co-authorship network is suitable for predicting future activities. In order to get insights into future research activities by discriminating growing research areas from grown-up areas, the proposed visualization system provides the function for identifying research areas and that for identifying time variation of both network structure and keyword distribution. As a basis for getting insights into future research activities, this paper focuses on the task of discriminating growing researchers from supervisors. The effectiveness of the proposed system is evaluated through the detailed analysis of two participants' analyzing process of InfoVis 2004 Contest dataset.


Cutaneous haptic feedback can be used to enhance the performance of robotic teleoperation systems while guaranteeing their safety. Delivering ungrounded cutaneous cues to the human operator conveys in fact information about the forces exerted at the slave side and does not affect the stability of the control loop. In this work we analyze the feasibility, effectiveness, and implications of providing solely cutaneous feedback in robotic teleoperation. We carried out two peg-in-hole experiments, both in a virtual environment and in a real (teleoperated) environment. Two novel 3-degree-of-freedom fingertip cutaneous displays deliver a suitable amount of cutaneous feedback at the thumb and index fingers. Results assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach. Cutaneous feedback was outperformed by full haptic feedback provided by grounded haptic interfaces, but it outperformed conditions providing no force feedback at all. Moreover, cutaneous feedback always kept the system stable, even in the presence of destabilizing factors such as communication delays and hard contacts.


Although soft robotic assistive gloves have high potential for restoring functional independence for individuals with motor impairment, their lack of rigid components makes it difficult to obtain accurate position sensing to validate their performance. To track soft device motion, standard practice relies on costly optical motion capture techniques, which have reduced accuracy due to limitations in marker occlusion and device deformation. We propose the Instrumented Hand as a low-cost, open-source measurement tool to serve as a standard solution for acquiring joint-level position and torque measurements from magnetoresistive sensors. Shown in a case study, the Instrumented Hand can be used to validate soft wearable devices and evaluate range of motion (ROM) and torque capabilities.


ABSTRACT Mnemonics (memory aids) are often viewed as useful in helping students recall information, and thereby possibly reducing stress and freeing up more cognitive resources for higher-order thinking. However, there has been little research on statistics mnemonics, especially for large classes. This article reports on the results of a study conducted during two consecutive fall semesters at a large U.S. university. In 2014, a large sample (n = 1487) of college students were asked about the usefulness of a set of 19 published statistics mnemonics presented in class, and in 2015, the students (n = 1468) were presented 12 mnemonics related to inference and then asked whether or not they used mnemonics on that exam. This article discusses how students assess the usefulness of mnemonics and evaluates the relationship between using mnemonics and reducing anxiety. Additionally, the relationship between mnemonic usage and learning outcomes achievement will be discussed, along with this study's limitations and implications for teaching.


Recombinant human interleukin 3 (rhIL-3, expressed in Escherichia coli) is a hematopoietic growth factor with protean biological effects on bone marrow in animal models, including enhanced granulocyte and platelet production and the capacity to ameliorate chemotherapy-induced bone marrow toxicity. We, therefore, undertook a Phase I trial in patients with advanced solid tumors and normal bone marrow function. Cohorts of four to six patients each received daily s.c. doses of rhIL-3 (SDZ-ILE-964; Sandoz) at dose levels of 1. 0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 microgram/kg according to the following schedule: cycle 1, rhIL-3 days 1-14; cycle 2, carboplatin (350 mg/m2) on day 1 and etoposide (100 mg/m2) on days 1-3; and cycle 3, carboplatin (350 mg/m2) on day 1, etoposide (100 mg/m2) on days 1-3, and rhIL-3 on days 4-17. Each cycle was a total of 28 days. An analysis of 20 patients entered into all four escalating dose levels revealed that, during cycle 1, absolute neutrophil count (ANC) increased from a median baseline of 6,643/mm3 to a median of 12,692/mm3, and platelets increased from a median baseline of 314,000/mm3 to a median of 465,000/mm3. When cycle 2 was compared with cycle 3, the median ANC nadir increased from 192/mm3 to 988/mm3, and the mean ANC nadir increased from 458/mm3 to 1,297/mm3. Median platelet count nadirs increased from 29,000/mm3 to 84,000/mm3, and the mean nadir platelet counts increased from 72,000/mm3 to 129,000/mm3. Total days on which platelets were <50,000/mm3 was 52 for cycle 2 and 19 for cycle 3. The maximum tolerated dose of rhIL-3 was 5.0 microgram/kg/day; dose-limiting toxicities included fatigue, chills, fever, and headache. These data suggest a clear but variable biological activity observed with IL-3, as measured by the reduction in the depth and duration of thrombocytopenia and/or neutropenia when cycle 2 was compared with cycle 3. rhIL-3 is a promising cytokine that may help to ameliorate the bone marrow toxicity observed with the use of chemotherapeutic agents.


There is increasing research on the exogenous impact of descriptive social norms on economic behavior. The research to date has a number of limitations: 1) it has not de-coupled the impact of the norm and the knowledge required to understand how to change behavior based upon it; 2) it has exclusively used offline but not online (i.e. emails) methods; and 3) it has not understood the impact of financial incentives in conjunction with norms. We address these three limitations using two natural field experiments. We find, firstly, that norms change energy behavior over a 15 month treatment period irrespective of whether information is provided or not. We find that social norms reduce consumption by around 6% (0.2 standard deviations). Norms have has their largest impact on the day that information on the social norm is received, and then decreases over time. Secondly, we do not find that social norms work online (even with experienced consumers who are used to online billing) - social norms de- livered online may have very little beneficial effects on reducing energy use. Thirdly, we find that large financial rewards work very well online in reducing consumption, with a 0.35 change in energy consumption over a four month period. Perhaps most interestingly, we find that the large effect of financial incentives is completely removed when information on social norms is added online.


Gilmore, Rachna. That Boy Red . Toronto: HarperTrophy, 2011. Print. That Boy Red by Canadian author Rachna Gilmore is an engaging, lightly humorous, episodic novel suitable for young readers ages 8 to 12. Set on a Prince Edward Island farm during the Great Depression, it tells the story of the MacRae family through the focal character of middle child Red, who is about the same age as the book's intended readers. Red is an excitable lad whose quick temper and jocularity often land him in trouble he later regrets. One immediately thinks of comparisons–Anne Shirley, Tom Sawyer, or Brian O'Connal in Who Has Seen the Wind –but the similarities only go so far. Red's unique quality is a moral compass (coupled with sensible familial guidance) that always steers him back to thoughtfulness and the tone of the book is lighter than some of these classics, being driven more by dialogue than poetic descriptions. The novel's six episodes are distributed throughout the seasons of a calendar year, and each one focuses on Red's relationship with a different family member, which provides Gilmore the opportunity to develop the family as a cast of rounded characters. Ellen, the eldest, is the teacher at the local school and lives with the family. Alex and Mac are Red's older brothers; Alex is away at college, while Mac is slightly older than Red and shares a good-natured rivalry with him. Lucy, or Bunch for short, is the youngest of the family. Other characters, such as Red's stern grandmother Cat-Less Granny, also make appearances. Red's parents are practical, hard working, and possessed of some remarkably effective parenting skills. Times are tough, but it is their steadfast ambition, indeed the family mission, to finance the advanced education of each child with the salary of an older sibling, as he or she gains well-paying employment: Ellen is paying Alex's college fees, Alex will pay Mac's fees, and so forth. The entire family has accepted this vision, but that doesn't mean Red finds school particularly motivating. For him school means enduring the taunts of other boys and studying when he would rather be tinkering in the woodshop. Ultimately, though, he comes to understand the value of education, and this is nicely figured in the final episode when Red goes up in an aeroplane. From a high vantage point, he senses instinctively the freedom of the sky, the connections between places near and far, and the way this new perspective sets him apart from others in the astonished community not brave enough to take the plunge with him. Red's ride in the sky tells us that he will eventually leave his home, but the story itself remains firmly grounded in the locales of the farm and surrounding community, which we see through the varying seasons: the swimming hole in summer, and the snow drifts on the railway tracks in winter. Much of the action involves dashing or trudging along the paths that cross the back lots of neighboring farms or riding to town to meet the train. Overlaid on these comings and goings are the routines of rural life: evening chores, family meals, and church on Sunday. These will not be the most riveting of plot events for readers looking for whizz-bang action, but they serve as a kind of rhythm for the larger story that pulls the reader along. Gilmore's language matches the scale of events in the narrative: direct, with occasional colourful turns of phrase, but not bombastic. The humour does not jump out and surprise the reader, but it serves as a kind of protective blanket that envelopes everything–even serious matters like accidents–and recalls the sense one has as a child, while still absolved of adult responsibilities, that, somehow, things will turn out all right. Gilmore neatly represents the states of mind of a young person who senses the machinations of the adult world without understanding them. In this Bildungsroman , Red begins to encounter the responsibilities of adult life at the same time that he discovers the special place his family has given him. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: John Huck John Huck is a metadata and cataloguing librarian at the University of Alberta. He holds an undergraduate degree in English literature and maintains a special interest in the spoken word. He is also a classical musician and has sung semi-professionally for many years.


Over the past 20 years, Chile has established a successful social democracy in which public policies complement and temper market forces. Economic growth and targeted social policies have led to a major reduction in poverty, while other reforms have improved the judicial system and expanded cultural liberties. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This article offers a reflection on the construction of Chilean social democracy and the country's accomplishments over the past two decades. A contrast is drawn between social democracy--in which public policies are designed in accordance with citizens' aspirations to both complement and temper market forces--and neoliberal democracy--in which die market is prioritized above all and citizens arc viewed primarily as consumers. Social democracy in Chile has entailed the implementation of well-targeted social policies in the areas of income support, education, housing, pensions, and health care, along with economic growth, which have led to an important reduction in poverty. Advances have also been made toward improving the judicial system and expanding cultural liberties. Social Democracy The first critical aspect of social democracy is the construction of a democratic political system. In Chile, the 17 years of dictatorship under Augustin Pinochet represented an interruption of a democratic system with origins in the 19th century. Democracy in the 19th century of course placed strong restrictions on the concept of citizenship due to literacy requirements and the exclusion of women. However, Chile's prior democratic roots facilitated the construction of a well-functioning, modern democratic regime after the end of the Pinochet dictatorship. Chile's transition back to democracy arose out of a civilized and pacifist opposition to the dictatorship, organized around the "NO" campaign in the 1988 plebiscite that decided whether or not Pinochet would continue in power Given the success of the "NO" campaign and the fact that the citizenry had organized to place trained observers in every polling booth, the dictator was left with no other option but to acknowledge his electoral defeat. The policies that were enacted in Chile after the reinstatement of democracy rested on four essential pillars: political reform, economic growth, well-focused social policies, and the expansion of cultural liberties. The implementation of successful policies in these four areas required that citizens properly define the type of society in which they aspired to live. Accordingly, die defining characteristic of social democracy in the 21th century is that the citizenry, not the market, defines the basic characteristics of society. In neoliberal democracies, society is defined in terms of the market, on the basis of consumers' acquisitive power. This type of society reproduces the inequities of the market, since consumers with greater acquisitive power wield more influence. However, when a society is defined by citizenship, everyone is equal; a vote does not depend on capacity for consumption. Ever>'one has equal rights and obligations. It is the will of the majority, not the interests of those with the most resources, that defines public policies. Social democracy of the 21th century, in which the citizen plays a fundamental role, requires clear rules through which conflicts or different visions among the citizenry can be resolved. These rules, embedded in the constitution, allow society to adjudicate among a diversity of opinions and to ascertain the views of the majority, which is the essence of democracy. The modern world is characterized by tensions between the market and the state. In neoliberal democracies, society is structured by market values. Public policies are viewed as unnecessary or treated as secondary in importance, because it is believed that die spontaneous, unregulated behavior of the market should determine the type of society that will emerge. …


Stochastic weather generators are a popular method for producing synthetic sequences of daily weather. We demonstrate that generalized linear models (GLMs) can provide a general modeling framework, allowing the straightforward incorporation of annual cycles and other covariates (e.g. an index of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, ENSO) into stochastic weather generators. We apply the GLM technique to daily time series of weather variables (i.e. precipitation and minimum and maximum temperature) from Pergamino, Argentina. Besides annual cycles, the fit is significantly improved by permitting both the transition probabilities of the first-order Markov chain for daily precipitation occurrence, as well as the means of both daily minimum and maximum temperature, to depend on the ENSO state. Although it is more parsimonious than typical weather generators, the GLMbased weather generator performs comparably, particularly in terms of extremes and overdispersion.


In recent times, dynamic supply voltage scaling (DVS) has been extensively employed to minimize the power and energy of VLSI systems. Also, sub-threshold circuits are becoming more popular. At the same time, the reliability of VLSI systems has become a major concern under Single Event Upsets (SEUs). SEUs are very problematic even for circuits operating at nominal voltages. With the increasing demand for low power reliable systems, it is therefore necessary to harden DVS and sub-threshold circuits efficiently. In this paper, we perform 3D simulations of radiation particle strikes in an inverter implemented using DVS and sub-threshold design. We analyze the sensitivity of the inverter to radiation particle strikes by varying the inverter size, the inverter load, the supply voltage (VDD) and the energy of the radiation particles. From these 3D simulations, we make several observations which are important to consider during radiation hardening of DVS and sub-threshold circuits. Based on these observations, we propose several guidelines for radiation hardening of DVS and sub-threshold circuit designs. These guidelines suggest that the traditional radiation hardening approaches need to be revisited for DVS and sub-threshold designs. We also propose a charge collection model for DVS circuits. Our model can accurately estimate (with an average error of 6.3%) the charge collected at the output of a gate for different supply voltages and different gate sizes for medium and high energy particle strikes. The parameters of our charge collection model can be included in SPICE model cards of transistors, to improve the accuracy of SPICE based radiation simulations for DVS circuits.


This article presents a new testing method for investigating the behavior of clayey geomaterials subjected to a tensile (negative) total stress. The method includes the use of high-capacity tensiometers to measure the pore–water pressure of the test specimen, an aspect which has not been demonstrated in any other direct tensile testing method. This addition allows interpretation of failure data in terms of effective stress rather than total stress, which is the approach that should be pursued in the saturated range. The test specimen shape and loading method have been modified from those commonly seen in existing literature to ensure that the direction of the major principal stress in the failure zone coincides with the direction of the externally applied tensile force, allowing for a more accurate analysis of tensile failure. Results are shown for saturated specimens and compared to results obtained for the same soil in uniaxial compression, using a modified version of the presented uniaxial tensile method, and a triaxial compression test. It is demonstrated that crack initiation occurs by shear failure if the data are interpreted in terms of effective stress rather than total stress and that the failure mechanisms under tension do not differ from compression.


OBJECTIVES
Prevention of beta-thalassaemia trait will, for the foreseeable future, hinge on effective screening strategies. Routine use of haematological data from automated cell counters may complement the results of the Naked Eye Single Tube Red cell Osmotic Fragility Test (NESTROFT), especially because of the high cost of a false-negative error. Our objective was to assess the potential additive value of routine haematological data in screening for beta-thalassaemia trait.

SETTINGS
Community survey of asymptomatic volunteers.

METHODS
Using the NESTROFT results, haematological data and haemoglobin A(2) concentration from 1435 young, asymptomatic Sindhi subjects recruited in a population-based survey, and statistical analysis by classification tree approach, we examined whether haematological parameters have discriminatory utility additional to that of NESTROFT in screening for beta-thalassaemia trait.

RESULTS
We observed that in the derivation subset from which the classification tree was generated, there was only a marginal--albeit statistically significant--improvement in the screening performance of NESTROFT, whereas there was no such improvement attributable to the use of haematological parameters in a separate validation subset.

CONCLUSION
Our results further substantiate the claim that the use of NESTROFT is highly indicated for screening for beta-thalassaemia trait in regions where the prevalence is high and the resources are constrained.


Introduction Prosthetic treatment is widely used for children and adolescents with upper limb difference, for functional benefit, cosmetic restoration or the performance of specific activities. Children and adolescents feel, however, that prostheses do not help function, are uncomfortable, are unreliable, are heavy and are not aesthetically acceptable. This research aims to develop an understanding of children's and adolescents' views on upper limb prostheses in relation to their daily occupations. Method Eight children and adolescents with upper limb difference participated in a focus group (n=4) or an individual interview (n=4). Data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results Participants described both positive and negative views of their prostheses. Participants described experiences where their prosthesis was helpful to them for social interactions, when playing and in self-care and productive activities. However, participants also described choosing not to use prostheses due to lack of functional benefit, causing a hindrance in certain activities and restriction of movement. Conclusion Prostheses can be useful tools for occupational participation for children and adolescents. General purpose functional prostheses for children and adolescents can result in the prosthesis not being useful, becoming a hindrance and restricting movement. Task specific devices can overcome these issues to help children and adolescents in social interactions, when playing and in carrying out self-care and productive activities.


Pressure is increasing from nongovernmental actors to incorporate food more concretely into municipal policies and plans. A qualitative case study of Buffalo, New York (USA), demonstrates that incremental, persistent food systems practice and advocacy by nonstate actors, a group we call the "rustbelt radicals," followed by their collective engagement with municipal planning, can lead to transformations in municipal policy and planning for strengthening food systems. The paper concludes with seven factors that enable "rustbelt radicals" to transform local food systems plans and policies.


Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects intermediaries from liability for distributing third-party user content. Courts have read Section 230 broadly, creating an immunity for intermediaries who do all but "materially contribute" to the user content they distribute. That is, courts have read the statute's protections to cover services that augment user content, but not services that demonstrably help to develop the alleged illegal expressive conduct. Many believe that the internet would not be as dynamic and beguiling today were it not for the protection that Section 230 has been construed to provide for online intermediaries. Members of Congress worried the intermediaries would be "chilled" by the fear that they could be held legally responsible for content posted by users.
Today, however, Section 230 doctrine has also had a perverse effect. By providing intermediaries with such broad legal protection, the courts' construction of Section 230 effectively underwrites content that foreseeably targets children, women, racial minorities, and other predictable targets of harassment and discriminatory expressive conduct. More than this: intermediaries today elicit and then algorithmically sort and repurpose the user data that they collect. The most powerful services also leverage their market position to trade this information in ancillary or secondary markets. Moreover, they design their platforms in ways that shape the form and substance of their users' content. Intermediaries and their defenders characterize these designs as substantively neutral technical necessities, but as I explain below, recent developments involving two of the most prominent beneficiaries of Section 230 immunity, Airbnb and Facebook, suggest otherwise. Airbnb and Facebook have enabled a range of harmful expressive acts, including violations of housing and employment laws, through the ways in which they structure their users' interactions.
At a minimum, companies should not get a free pass for enabling unlawful discriminatory conduct, regardless of the social value their services may otherwise provide. I argue here that Section 230 doctrine requires a substantial reworking if the internet is to be the great engine of democratic engagement and creativity that it might be. Section 230 is no longer serving all the purposes it was meant to serve. The statute was intended at least in part to ensure the vitality and diversity, as well as the volume, of speech on new communications platforms. By allowing intermediaries to design their platforms without internalizing the costs of the illegal speech and conduct they facilitate, however, the statute is having the opposite effect.


We perform a principal component analysis (PCA) of $v_3(p_T)$ in event-by-event hydrodynamic simulations of Pb+Pb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The PCA procedure identifies two dominant contributions to the two-particle correlation function, which together capture 99.9\% of the squared variance. We find that the subleading flow (which is the largest source of flow factorization breaking in hydrodynamics) is predominantly a response to the radial excitations of a third-order eccentricity. We present a systematic study of the hydrodynamic response to these radial excitations in 2+1D viscous hydrodynamics. Finally, we construct a good geometrical predictor for the orientation angle and magnitude of the leading and subleading flows using two Fourier modes of the initial geometry.


Abstract. This lecture summarises how our understanding of many aspects of the Sun has been revolutionised over the past few years by new observations and models. Much of the dynamic behaviour of the Sun is driven by the magnetic field since, in the outer atmosphere, it represents the largest source of energy by far. The interior of the Sun possesses a strong shear layer at the base of the convection zone, where sunspot magnetic fields are generated. A small-scale dynamo may also be operating near the surface of the Sun, generating magnetic fields that thread the lowest layer of the solar atmosphere, the turbulent photosphere. Above the photosphere lies the highly dynamic fine-scale chromosphere, and beyond that is the rare corona at high temperatures exceeding 1 million degrees K. Possible magnetic mechanisms for heating the corona and driving the solar wind (two intriguing and unsolved puzzles) are described. Other puzzles include the structure of giant flux ropes, known as prominences, which have complex fine structure. Occasionally, they erupt and produce huge ejections of mass and magnetic fields (coronal mass ejections), which can disrupt the space environment of the Earth. When such eruptions originate in active regions around sunspots, they are also associated with solar flares, in which magnetic energy is converted to kinetic energy, heat and fast-particle energy. A new theory will be presented for the origin of the twist that is observed in erupting prominences and for the nature of reconnection in the rise phase of an eruptive flare or coronal mass ejection.


Introduction It is well known that the presence of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach induces gastritis and causes an immune response. Exposure of gastric epithelial cell lines to this germ induces the secretion of interleukin-8 (IL-8), which is a potent PMN-activating chemotactic cytokine. Interleukin-8 is usually elevated in gastric biopsy samples of patients with H. pylori-associated gastritis and significantly increases in the supernatant of in vitro cultivated biopsy samples of gastric mucosa with active H. pylori gastritis. Interleukin-8 is an activating factor for leucocytes and other pro-inflammatory factors, free radicals, and proteolytic enzymes. That is why natural compounds potentially useful in therapy are still investigated – among them flavonoids. They reveal anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities and significantly inhibit the gastric mucosa damage. The aim of the study Was the estimation of the anti-inflammatory effects of flavonoids on H. pylori-induced activation of human gastric adenocarcinoma cells (AGS). After infection of AGS cells by cag PAI (+) H. pylori in vitro, secretion of IL-8, effects of flavonoids on viability of AGS cells, and effects of flavonoids on increase of H. pylori were determined. Such flavones as chrysin, quercetin, kaemferide, flavanone, galangin, and kaempferol were examined. Results This study has shown an inhibitory effect of flavonoids on the release of IL-8 through infected AGS cells (except chrysin), and no toxic effects to AGS cells were observed. Galangin revealed antibacterial effects against H. pylori. Flavonoids limit the inflammatory process through the inhibition of IL-8 release in infected AGS cells with H. pylori. The strongest inhibitor of IL-8 was galangin.


Over the past decade Pakistan remained involved in two major trade agreements with in the South Asia (Pakistan & Sri-Lanka FTA and SAFTA). It is meaningful from an operational and policy perspective to evaluate Pakistan's trade performance in South Asia against its objectives of greater trade integration and suggest policy interventions to improve its effectiveness. In order to achieve this objective, current study evaluates the Pakistan's overall and chapter-wise trade performance with SAARC major SAARC economies for the last seven years (2003-09). This study has been disaggregated into two parts: In the first part of the study, an assessment of trade performance of SAARC members is carried out with respect to the rest of the world. Pakistan's trade performance vis-a-vis other SAARC members is the focus of this part. In the second part Pakistan's trade performance in South Asia has been analyzed and policy interventions have been suggested to improve its effectiveness. Certain trade indicators like Trade Complementarity Index (TCI), Trade Specialization Index (TSI), Grubel Lloyd Index (GLI), Revealed Comparative Analysis (RCA), Bilateral Revealed Comparative Analysis BRCAs and Revealed Market Access (RMA) have been employed to achieve the above objectives.


In this paper we analyse the impact of a variety of private standards on worker empowerment in the horticultural export sector in Peru. Empowerment is defined as workers' knowledge on their own rights and workers' perceived agency to improve employment conditions. We use data from a company and a two-round employee survey, and difference-in-difference propensity score matching methods. We find positive effects of private standards on worker empowerment, with core labour standards having a more pronounced effect than standards with a small focus on labour, and thus complement previous evidence on the effects of standards on tangible employee wellbeing.


The style-based GAN architecture (StyleGAN) yields state-of-the-art results in data-driven unconditional generative image modeling. We expose and analyze several of its characteristic artifacts, and propose changes in both model architecture and training methods to address them. In particular, we redesign the generator normalization, revisit progressive growing, and regularize the generator to encourage good conditioning in the mapping from latent codes to images. In addition to improving image quality, this path length regularizer yields the additional benefit that the generator becomes significantly easier to invert. This makes it possible to reliably attribute a generated image to a particular network. We furthermore visualize how well the generator utilizes its output resolution, and identify a capacity problem, motivating us to train larger models for additional quality improvements. Overall, our improved model redefines the state of the art in unconditional image modeling, both in terms of existing distribution quality metrics as well as perceived image quality.


We present a trainable method for detecting objects in images from positive examples, based on hypothesis testing. During training a large number of image features is computed and the empirical probability distribution of each measurement is estimated from the available examples. Through a two–step feature selection method we obtain a subset of N discriminative and pairwise independent features. At run time, a hypothesis test is performed for each feature at a fixed level of significance. The null hypothesis is, in each case, the presence of the object. An object is detected if at least M of the N tests are passed. The overall significance level depends on M as well as on the level of the single tests. We report experiments on face detection, using the CBCL-MIT database for training and validation, and images randomly downloaded from the Web for testing. The image measurements we use for these experiments include grey level values, integral measurements, and ranklets. Comparisons with whole face detectors indicate that the method is able to generalize from positive examples only and reaches state-of-theart recognition rates.


ABSTRACT Introduction: The hemodialysis patients face with multiple physical problems and psychosocial and social challenges. The proper interventions in the field of their education have a positive impact on the reduction of complications and improvement of the quality of their life. Despite the potential benefits of patient education, its success depends on various factors. The purpose of this study was determined present situation and factors affecting success of patient education in hemodialysis centers of Urmia University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in 2015. The study population included 420 patients in hemodialysis centers in Urmia University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected using a self-structured questionnaire which was estimated as both reliable and valid. The data were analyzed by SPSS 20 software descriptive statistics and analytical statistics. Correspondence: Mohamad Jabraeily, PhD. Faculty of Paramedical Department of Health Information Technology, Urmia University of Medical Sciences. Urmia, Iran Tel:+98 4432752305 Email: email@example.com Results: The most common of patients education methods in hemodialysis centers under study included handout-pamphlet (37), oral conversation (26) and workshop (18). The most factors affective in hemodialysis patients education were related to patient education based on learning needs (4.85), ease of learning educational content (4.77), Proper communication between providers and patients (4.61), Skills of educators (4.50) and patient participation in the planning and implementation of education (4.44) respectively). Conclusion: The hemodialysis patients need education in order to adapt to their condition and perform self-care behavior. So, physicians and nurses should provide education based on learning needs of patient through effectively communicating with patients and applying various methods. It is necessary that continuing education for healthcare provider conducted and also the quality of patient education evaluated and motivation of health care providers increased.


Terrestrial ecosystems exchange vast amounts of C with the atmosphere between the processes of gross primary photosynthesis (GPP) and ecosystem respiration. As such, land surface processes that affect the balance between photosynthesis and respiration should affect the atmospheric concentration of CO2. Because atmospheric CO2 concentrations have been stable over millennia during the Holocene, it can be hypothesized that any process that has affected one biospheric C flux component has been compensated by changes in the other component. However, human activities are causing a net release of CO2 into the atmosphere, which is altering the C flux balance between global GPP and terrestrial ecosystem respiration. Reliable predictions of direct effects of CO2 and related climate forcing factors on vegetation and their feedbacks on the climate system depend deeply on our understanding of this global photosynthesis-ecosystem respiration balance. Tremendous progress has been made on understanding the photosynthetic flux of the terrestrial biosphere, but our understanding of the respiration flux and its components has advanced at a much slower pace [1]. As the majority of the ecosystem respiration flux originates from soils, understanding plant and soil biota interactions in terrestrial ecosystems represent a major challenge for climate predictions. Belowground processes are complex and govern major feedbacks between the terrestrial biosphere and climate. Here, we identified two major belowground biogeochemical processes that have been elusive to ecosystem scientists.


This article addresses open questions of the discussions in the first SIRTEL workshop at the EC-TEL conference 2007. It argues why personal recommender systems have to be adjusted to the specific characteristics of learning in Learning Networks. Personal recommender systems strongly depend on the context or domain they operate in, and it is often not possible to take one recommender system with a specific purpose from one context and transfer it to another context or domain. The article describes a number of distinctive differences for personalised recommendation to learners when compared to recommendations for consumers. Similarities and differences for informal and formal learning are discussed and used to define the recommendation goal that recommender systems in informal learning networks have to address. The article further suggests an evaluation approach for recommender systems in Learning Networks.


The multi-site evaluation of the federal Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative (SVORI) is assessing the impact on post-release offender behavior of reentry programs funded in 2002–2003 with more than $150 million in federal grant monies. The multi-faceted SVORI programs provide prison- and community-based services and programming to help released prisoners successfully transition from prison to the community. Each program was locally designed and, thus, the programs vary considerably in approach, services provided, and target populations. Although the primary purpose of the multi-site evaluation is to determine the impact of the SVORI programs, an implementation assessment is being conducted to characterize the programs in order to answer the question "impact of what?" This paper provides a brief background on prisoner reentry and the SVORI, and examines the implementation and structure of the 89 reentry programs operated by the 69 SVORI grantees. The findings, based on a program director survey, show that two years following the grant award only 74% of the programs reported being fully operational, and 31% of those reported taking more than 12 months to achieve full implementation. In addition, although most programs are targeting a broad range of offenders, enrollment of participants has proven to be a significant challenge in many sites where enrollments are below expectation. Finally, while most programs reported providing a variety of services and programs to participants, the types and quantities varied considerably among the programs.


This Handbook provides an excellent overview of our knowledge on the various facets of managerial venture capital research. The book opens with a thorough survey of venture capital as a research field; conceptual, theoretical and geographic aspects are explored, and its pioneers revisited. The focus then shifts to the specific environs of venture capital.


The distribution and species/lineage diversity of freshwater invertebrate zooplankton is understudied in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the present study, we explored the lineage diversity and regional distribution of Moinidae (Crustacea: Cladocera) species in Southeast Nigeria. Three species of Moinidae were identified, based on morphology, in 11 of 32 Nigerian lakes examined. Their phylogenetic relationships were investigated based on mitochondrial dna sequences (cytochrome oxidase c subunit I gene; coi) and two nuclear internal transcribed spacer regions (its-1 and its-2). Three coi lineages were detected, corresponding to the morphological species. Two of the coi lineages are newly reported, but one coi lineage (and the haplotype found) is globally distributed, suggesting an ability of moinids to disperse over long distances. Interestingly, two individuals that were morphologically M. cf. macrocopa and had its alleles typical of that species had mtDNA sequences typical of M. cf. micrura. Additionally, one individual that corresponded morphologically to M. cf. macrocopa (and also had a mitochondrial sequence typical of M. cf. micrura) had one its-2 allele typical of that species and one typical of M. cf. micrura. This discordance between mtDNA and nuclear phylogenies suggests gene introgression and/or hybridization between different species within the genus. Our data shows the lineage distribution/diversity and the presence of gene introgression/interspecific hybridization among moinid species from a tropical region.


There were once 300 indigenous languages spoken in the United States. Today, only 35 of those languages are still in use and are in severe risk of extinction (Reyhner, 2000). Causes of this language loss include social, economic, and political factors (Whaley, 2003). Due to the prominence of White culture and its necessity for success in the U.S., many Native American populations are losing their heritage language, and with that, their sense of ethnic identity. To combat the rapid rate of language loss, various Native American nations are implementing language revitalization programs, including the Seneca Nation. The goal of this study was to measure the ethnic identity of Seneca Nation students participating in a language revitalization program, as well as to determine the effects that the program has had on their ethnic identity. The participants of this study included seven Seneca Nation students enrolled in the Seneca language revitalization program of a school district in Western New York. Data was collected through a paper Likert-scale survey and an audio-recorded focus group. Results were varied and showed that some Seneca Nation students participating in a language revitalization program possessed a strong sense of ethnic identity while others demonstrated a weaker ethnic identity. Furthermore, the Seneca language revitalization program has positively affected and strengthened the ethnic identity of its participating Seneca students. This study may aid as a source for further research in this area.


Functional data can be clustered by plugging estimated regression coefficients from individual curves into the k-means algorithm. Clustering results can differ depending on how the curves are fit to the data. Estimating curves using different sets of basis functions corresponds to different linear transformations of the data. k-means clustering is not invariant to linear transformations of the data. The optimal linear transformation for clustering will stretch the distribution so that the primary direction of variability aligns with actual differences in the clusters. It is shown that clustering the raw data will often give results similar to clustering regression coefficients obtained using an orthogonal design matrix. Clustering functional data using an L2 metric on function space can be achieved by clustering a suitable linear transformation of the regression coefficients. An example where depressed individuals are treated with an antidepressant is used for illustration.


In 1995, Robert E. Lucas, Jr., was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. This review places Lucas' work in a historical context and evaluates the effect of this work on the economics profession. Lucas' central contribution is that he developed and applied economic theory to answer substantive questions in macroeconomics. Economists today routinely analyze systems in which agents operate in complex probabilistic environments to understand interactions about which the great theorists of an earlier generation could only speculate. This sea change is due primarily to Lucas. This essay is reprinted from the Journal of Economic Perspectives (Winter 1998, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 171–86) with the permission of the American Economic Association.


This paper studies the economic effects of news-coverage of violent events. To do so, we combine monthly aggregated and anonymized credit card data on tourism spending from 114 origin countries and 5 tourist destinations (Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, Israel and Morocco) with a large corpus of more than 446 thousand newspaper articles covering news on the 5 destination countries from a subset of 57 tourist origin countries. We document that violent events in a destination are followed by sharp spikes in negative reporting at origin and contractions in tourist activity. Media coverage of violence has a large independent effect on tourist spending beyond what can be accounted for by controlling for the incidence of violence. We develop a model in which tourist beliefs, actual violence and media reporting are modelled together. This model allows us to quantify the effect of violent events and reporting.


The extent to which tillage systems modify the near-surface soil aggregate properties affecting soil's susceptibility to erosion by water and wind is not well understood. We hypothesized that an increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) content with conservation tillage systems, particularly no-till (NT), may improve near-surface soil aggregate properties that influence soil erodibility. This regional study assessed changes in aggregate resistance to raindrops, dry aggregate wettability, and dry aggregate stability as well as their relationships with changes in SOC content. Four long-term (>19 yr) tillage systems including moldboard plow (MP), conventional till (CT), reduced till (RT), and NT were chosen across the central Great Plains at Hays and Tribune, KS, Akron, CO, and Sidney, NE. The kinetic energy (KE) of raindrops required to disintegrate 4.75- to 8-mm aggregates from NT soils equilibrated at -0.03 and - 155 MPa matric potential was between two and seven times greater than that required for MP and CT soils in the 0- to 2-cm depth in all soils. At the same depth, the water drop penetration time (WDPT) in aggregates from NT soils was four times greater at Akron and Hays and seven times greater at Sidney and Tribune compared with that in plowed soils. Aggregates from NT soils were more stable under rain and less wettable than those from plowed soils particularly in the surface 0 to 5 cm, but RT had lesser beneflcial effects than NT management. The SOC content increased with NT over MP and CT and explained 35% of the variability across soils in aggregate wettability and 28% of the variability in resistance to raindrops in the 0- to 2-cm depth. Aggregate wettability explained 47% of the variability across soils in KE of raindrops required for the disintegration of aggregates. No-till management did not affect dry aggregate-size distribution and stability except at Akron where mean weight diameter (MWD) in RT and NT was 50% lower than in MP management in the 0- to 2-cm depth. Aggregates in MP and CT soils were either stronger or equally strong when dry but less stable when wet than in NT soils. Overall, NT farming enhanced near-surface aggregate properties affecting erosion by water but had small or no effects on dry aggregate stability.


A recent increase in the popularity of EDLCs and AC-EOF has necessitated a deeper understanding of the structure and charging kinetics of electrical double layers (EDLs) at electrode-electrolyte interfaces. Here, the charging kinetics of EDLs in nanoscale EDLCs is studied by a circuit model, a Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) model, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results of the MD simulations demonstrate a linear charging behavior of EDLs near planar electrodes for both aqueous and organic electrolytes at charging below 90% and time larger than tens of picoseconds. Additionally, we will show that the circuit and PNP models are capable of accurately capturing this linearity, as well as the overall charging kinetics. Through PNP and MD simulation, a diffusional process is shown to occur which causes a decrease in the concentration of the bulk solution, yet the linearity of charging, at charging below 90%, is not be affected because the flux during the charging process is found to be relatively low. The charging kinetics of a slit nanopore electrode is also studied using MD, and interesting results about the linearity of this process is discussed. Finally, a porous geometry modeled by an exohedral pore with multiple solid cylinders will demonstrate that variations in the surface charge density around the solid cylinders will occur during charging due to interactions between nearby charged cylinders. However, these variations in surface charge density along the circumference of the cylinder will approach zero as the system reaches equilibrium.


Women, Birth and Death in Jewish Law and Practice, by Rochelle L. Millen. Hanover: University Press of New England/Brandeis University Press, 2004. 246 pp. $27.50. This book examines how women draw on and engage the Jewish tradition at the tender and momentous occasions when life is given and taken. The author identifies five different domains within which the tradition structures women's experiences of birth and death: 1) in its attitudes towards birth control and conception, 2) in its embrace of childbearing and responses to infertility, 3) in the rituals it supplies for acknowledging the birth of a daughter, 4) in the recitation of kaddish for a deceased parent, child, or sibling, and 5) at the funeral and gravesite of a deceased parent, child, or sibling. Each of these topics forms the rubric for a single chapter, except for the last two topics, which are combined in a single chapter. With a single exception, each chapter follows a standard format in which the author surveys the traditional sources and Orthodox approaches to the topic with a focus on ritual and legal concerns. Having established a so-called "halakhic baseline," the author then reviews the recent developments in the Conservative and Reform movements. Finally, the author analyzes where the traditional frameworks place women on the spectrum between public and private domains and how they impact women's realization of autonomy and/or subordinate them to community norms. The most successful part of the book, in this reader's opinion, is the survey of traditional sources and their legal interpretation amongst Orthodox decisors that form the core of each chapter. It is here that the author seems most in her element. Her mastery of a vast range of sources from rabbinic to medieval, modern and contemporary responsa is truly breaktaking. Her analysis of the legal issues at stake is also very clear and informative. These sections of the book provide a valuable resource for anyone interested in or researching life cycle events in the history of Judaism. This reader did not find the sections of each chapter in which the author examines the development of the women's participation in the Conservative and Reform movements to be as strong. Too often it seems that the analysis of Reform Judaism consists of the observation that this movement has rejected the binding authority of halakhah, and so the concepts and issues discussed in the earlier part of the chapter are not relevant for Reform Jews (e. …


Humans often make accurate inferences given a single exposure to a novel situation. Some of these inferences can be achieved by discovering and using near-deterministic relationships between attributes. Approaches based on Bayesian networks are good at discovering and using soft probabilistic relationships between attributes, but typically fail to identify and exploit near-deterministic relationships. Here we develop a Bayesian network approach that overcomes this limitation by learning a hyperparameter for each distribution in the network that specifies whether it is non-deterministic or near-deterministic. We apply our approach to one-shot learning problems based on a real-world database of immigration records, and show that it outperforms a more standard Bayesian network approach.


In a seminal paper, Kaminski et al for the first time extended the definition of spin foam models to arbitrary boundary graphs. This is a prerequisite in order to make contact to the canonical formulation of loop quantum gravity whose Hilbert space contains all these graphs. This makes it finally possible to investigate the question whether any of the presently considered spin foam models yields a rigging map for any of the presently defined Hamiltonian constraint operators. We postulate a rigging map by summing over all abstract spin foams with arbitrary but given boundary graphs. The states induced on the boundary of these spin foams can then be identified with elements in the gauge invariant Hilbert space H0?> of the canonical theory. Of course, such a sum over all spin foams is potentially divergent and requires a regularization. Such a regularization can be obtained by introducing specific cut-offs and a weight for every single foam. Such a weight could be for example derived from a generalized formal group field theory allowing for arbitrary interaction terms. Since such a derivation is, however, technical involved we forgo to present a strict derivation and assume that there exist a weight satisfying certain natural axioms, most importantly a gluing property. These axioms are motivated by the requirement that spin foam amplitudes should define a rigging map (physical inner product) induced by the Hamiltonian constraint. In the analysis of the resulting object we are able to identify an elementary spin foam transfer matrix that allows to generate any finite foam as a finite power of the transfer matrix. It transpires that the sum over spin foams, as written, does not define a projector on the physical Hilbert space. This statement is independent of the concrete spin foam model and Hamiltonian constraint. However, the transfer matrix potentially contains the necessary ingredient in order to construct a proper rigging map in terms of a modified transfer matrix.


In their recent letter to the Editor of the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, Winkel & Westgaard reflected on our earlier paper (2), where we described a research framework for the development and implementation of interventions preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Winkel & Westgaard argue that interventions described in our paper, such as manual handling advise, ergonomic workplace design, or job rotation, "… are unlikely to have much impact" since rationalization of production systems has a larger potential in the causal pathway to health effects. Furthermore, they stress that ergonomic interventions realized as spin-off from the 'all-embracing process' of rationalization of production systems should be evaluated by using either observational or quasi-experimental research designs rather than randomized controlled trials (RCT). We agree with Winkel & Westgaard that effects of system changes induced by company management generally go beyond those from standalone ergonomic adjustments in the workplace and that implementation of interventions largely occurs at company level. We disagree, however, that our research framework would not be suitable for the continuous process of rationalization resulting in ever-changing work environments, with a substantial part of these changes being the introduction of ergonomic interventions. When appraising the effects of such ergonomic spin-offs obtained from changes in the production system, a decent scientific funding of the underlying working mechanisms of the intervention (as described in steps 2-3 of our framework) remains imperative. In their conceptualization of the relation between rationalization at societal level and (musculoskeletal) health effects at individual worker level, Westgaard & Winkel themselves (3) illustrate that the rationalization process at the end of the causal pathway results in changes in exposure to occupational physical and psychosocial risk factors that eventually affect MSD. Moreover, we also agree that policy measures and interventions at the level of companies or populations may need to be evaluated in ways other than an RCT. In fact, the latter was discussed in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health (4), where we have listed several alternative observational research designs that may be suitable to evaluate various workplace interventions, such as interrupted time series, regression discontinuity, or multiple baseline design. Laestadius and colleagues (5) have published an illustrative example of a quasi-experimental research design in the context of MSD prevention. This study evaluated the move of approximately 1500 International Monetary Fund employees to a new office with an improved ergonomics design. In the study, workers who changed offices - which might be called rationalization - were compared to a similar group of World Bank workers that did not move. The study showed a reduction in awkward working postures as well as musculoskeletal pain and eye strain as a result of the change in workplace and individual workstation assessment. We believe that our model is well applicable to a broad range of interventions, such as the one mentioned in this example, as well as adequate methods evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions. In our framework, step 4 (development of intervention(s)), step 5 (evaluation of intervention(s)) and step 6 (implementation of effective intervention(s)) are suitable to do so and certainly not limited to traditional ergonomic interventions and/or evaluations using RCT only. Despite this, we do believe that, in case an intervention cannot be tested by performing an RCT, we should not neglect the scientific quality limitations of the alternative research designs used. Or as phrased eloquently by Kristensen (6): "There may be many good reasons for not performing a randomized controlled trial in an occupational setting. But there are no good reasons for ignoring the problems created by not applying such a design." As a minimum requirement, we believe that evaluation studies should be longitudinal and should enable the comparison of participants receiving the intervention to an appropriate reference group not receiving the intervention. In conclusion, we thank Winkel & Westgaard for their suggestion that a production system's approach, which goes beyond standalone adjustments in the workplace introduced by researchers or ergonomists, can be used to prevent work-related MSD and that we may need alternative research designs to evaluate this approach. We agree with these statements. However, we argue that a further development of our research framework, also accommodating interventions introduced by management and other stakeholders in real working life, is unnecessary as our framework already accommodates for this process. Therefore, we invite researchers and ergonomists to fully benefit from the input of corporate stakeholders who aim at organizational sustainability when designing interventions. Researchers should use alternative designs when testing the effectiveness of such interventions if an RCT is not possible and should also prioritize supporting relevant stakeholders in the implementation of effective interventions for the prevention of work-related MSD. 1. Winkel J, Westgaard RH. Development and implementation of interventions managing work-related musculoskeletal disorders: Inadequacy of prevalent research framework and future opportunities. Scand J Work Environ Health 2019;45(3):316-317. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3815. 2. van der Beek AJ, Dennerlein JT, Huysmans MA, Mathiassen SE, Burdorf A, van Mechelen W, et al. A research framework for the development and implementation of interventions preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Scand J Work Environ Health 2017 Nov 1;43(6):526-39. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3671. 3. Westgaard RH, Winkel J. Occupational musculoskeletal and mental health: significance of rationalization and opportunities to create sustainable production systems - A systematic review. Appl Ergon 2011 Jan;42(2):261-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2010.07.002. 4. Schelvis RM, Oude Hengel KM, Burdorf A, Blatter BM, Strijk JE, van der Beek AJ. Evaluation of occupational health interventions using a randomized controlled trial: challenges and alternative research designs. Scand J Work Environ Health 2015 Sep;41(5):491-503. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.3505. 5. Laestadius JG, Ye J, Cai X, Ross S, Dimberg L, Klekner M. The proactive approach--is it worthwhile? A prospective controlled ergonomic intervention study in office workers. J Occup Environ Med 2009 Oct;51(10):1116-24. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181bae19d. 6. Kristensen TS. Intervention studies in occupational epidemiology. Occup Environ Med 2005 Mar;62(3):205-10. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2004.016097.


The present study was designed to gather information on how both mothers and fathers are impacted by their child's feeding disorder as a precursor to the development of skills and support groups that are useful and relevant to both parents. Recent studies highlight that fathers play an important role in a child's upbringing and both impact and are impacted by their child's feeding disorder (Gueron-Sela et al., 2011; Piepenstock, 2010). Feeding disorders are treated systemically and therefore need to include both parents in the child's treatment. This study used a quantitative, questionnaire based, independent groups design, where mother and father scores were compared on a range of variables identified as being relevant to feeding disorders. These included; anxiety, depression, loneliness, parenting stress and coping. A further aim of the study was to determine whether child and parent characteristics lead to different outcomes on the identified variables and therefore highlight which aspects need to be given greater weighting in potential group interventions. Thirty-six matched mother-father pairs completed the questionnaires in full. A series of calculations, Wilcoxon Rank Tests and regressions were conducted. Whilst mother scores were higher on each of the variables, it was of note that equal numbers of mothers and father scored above clinical cut-off for depressive symptoms (six of each), indicating that parental mental health should be addressed within support groups. A further finding was that a significant proportion of both mothers and fathers report feeling isolated when parenting a child with feeding disorders, this too should be addressed in groups, enabling communication within and between parent couples. This study highlighted the difficulty of both parents attending a weekday service; therefore perhaps innovative means of support could be offered, such as internet-groups facilitated by a clinician. Other findings of interest were that age of child and presence of developmental delay/Autism impacted on the severity of depressive symptoms and loneliness in both parents. It may therefore be useful to consider child age and presence of developmental delay when setting up skills and support groups. It is hoped that a parent skills and support group will be developed and trialled using information from this study.


Using mobile devices to access the network service over public transportation system provides ubiquitous network access. Accelerometer has become standard equipment in mobile handheld devices. We proposed a power saving mechanism, AAPS, which integrates accelerometer and Wi-Fi devices to facilitate opportunistic communication while conserving power. In the scenario of BS in the station and MS on the vehicle, MS would idle during the inter-station period and waste a lot of energy. AAPS enables the devices to detect the vibration caused by moving vehicle and stay in sleep mode until the vehicle approaches next station. When MS is approaching or in the stations, accelerometer will trigger the WLAN to connect to BS in the stations. We implemented AAPS and conducted practical experiments on Taipei MRT. The experimental results showed that AAPS can save MS energy consumption without degrading the throughput performance.


Background & Objectives: Nowadays, coronary artery disease is the most common cause of death in developed countries and in the whole world. According to the WHO reports, it will be the main cause of death in 2020. Myocardial infarction is the most common diagnosis among hospitalized patients in industrialized countr ies. This disease causes more mortality and morbidity than others. Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABGS) is one of the common treatments for ischemic heart disease but it may have some complications. In this study we wanted to evaluate the incidence of CABGS complications in Imam Khomeini Hospital of Ardabil in the first month after CABG. Methods: This study was a cross sectional analytic descriptive type and performed on all of the patients underwent CABGS in Imam Khomeini Hospital during 2011-2012. All of the data from patients (like demographic, past medical history, physical exam findings, paracl inical findings and CABGS complications) were inserted in special forms after gathering, and analyzed by SPSS v.16. Results: In this study, 211 patient s were studied. About 145 (68.72%) of them were male and 66 (31.28%) were female. Seventy patient (33.17%) were more than 70 years old. About 33.22% of patients had a history of cigarette smoking and 9.95% were opioid abused. The 34.12% of patients had hypertension (HTN) history, 40.28% diabetes mellitus (DM), 17.06% history of hyperlipidemia and 63.98% had a history of the previous MI. Chest pain was the most common complication among the patients (93.36%). According to our study the prevalence rate of pos t CABGS complications were: bleeding after surgery 13.27%, postoperative myocardial infection 8.05%, neurological disorders 12.32%, renal complications 2.36%, respiratory symptoms 11.37% and 34.59% for cardiovascular complications. Also the total mortality was 5 (2.36%) persons. The data analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between sex with survival status, local infection and neurological disorders, and also there was a significant relationship between age with post CABGS survival, bleeding after surgery and renal complications. There was also a significant relationship between DM and post CABGS survival, local infections and respiratory complications and between HTN and local infections. Conclusion: According to the results of this st udy, the most common post CABGS complications were cardiovascular complications, especially arrhythmias.


This thesis addresses the topic of exploring and characterising the transient and variable radio sky, using both existing radio telescopes, and the next generation of radio facilities such as the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR). Studies of well known variable radio sources are presented in conjunction with blind searches of parameter space for unknown sources. Firstly, a three year campaign to monitor the low luminosity Active Galactic Nucleus NGC 7213 in the radio and X-ray bands is presented. Cross-correlation functions are used to calculate a global time lag between inflow (X-ray) and outflow (radio) events. Through this work the previously established scaling relationship between core radio and X-ray luminosities and black hole mass, known as the 'fundamental plane of black hole activity' is also explored with respect to NGC 7213. Secondly, the technical and algorithmic procedures to search for transient and variable radio sources within radio images is presented. These algorithms are intended for deployment on the LOFAR telescope, however, they are heavily tested in a blind survey using data obtained from the VLA archive. Through this work an upper limit on the rate of transient events on the sky at GHz frequencies is placed and compared with those found from other dedicated transient surveys. Finally, the design, operation and data reduction procedure for the Low Frequency Array, which will revolutionise our understanding of low frequency time domain astrophysics is explored. LOFAR commissioning observations are reduced and searched for transient and variable radio sources. The current quality of the calibration limits accurate variability studies, however, two unique LOFAR transient candidates that are not present in known radio source catalogues are explored (including multi-wavelength followup observations). In the conclusion to this thesis the parameter space that future radio telescopes may probe - including the potential rates of such events - is presented. At the nano-Jansky level up to 107 transients deg?2 yr?1 are predicted, which will form an unprecedented torrent of data, followup and unique physics to classify


Biofouling of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes represents one of the leading causes of performance deterioration in the desalination industry. This work investigates the biofouling potential of microbial communities present in a reverse osmosis (RO) feed tank. As an example, water from the RO feed tank of the Penneshaw desalination plant (Kangaroo Island, South Australia) was used in a static biofilm formation experiment. Cultures of the indigenous biofilms formed during the static experiment showed that α-Proteobacteria and γ-Proteobacteria accounted for nearly 80% of the classes of bacteria present in the RO feed tank. Pseudomonas sp. was identified as the major species and isolated for testing in static and laboratory-based cross flow biofilm formation experiments. Results showed that the volume of TEPs generated by Pseudomonas sp. during the laboratory-based cross-flow experiment was 10 fold higher to that produced during the static experiment for the same time period, while both experiments were inoculated with cell concentrations of the same order of magnitude. The availability of nutrients was also shown to be a key driver in TEP production, particularly for the static experiments. This study provides insights into the phenomenon of biofouling by assessing the production of biofouling precursors from one of the main genera of biofilm-forming bacteria, namely Pseudomonas sp.


This article investigates a vital phenomenon in the Arabic language, that is, idiomatic verb-preposition combination. It aims to explore the syntactic properties of this phenomenon and account for its underlying semantic subtleties. It also aims to establish a parameter for pinpointing the phenomenon, and underscore the key factors that control the syntactic and semantic relationships between the main two constituents of it. The study is based on an examination of a number of illustrative actual contexts of Arabic usage. It takes into consideration the view of both classical and modern linguists, and utilises realistic examples taken from classical and modern literature: the Qur'an, poetry, novels and press articles. It is hoped that this study may provide some practical insights not only for Arabists and constructivists, but also for pedagogues in the field of teaching Arabic for nonnative speakers and for translators from and/or into Arabic.No claim is made here for comprehensiveness.


In recent years, particular efforts have been made to derive wind fields over the oceans from SAR images. In contrast with the scatterometer, the SAR has a higher spatial resolution and therefore the potential to provide higher resolution wind information. Since there are at least two geophysical parameters (wind speed and wind direction) modulating the single SAR backscatter measurements, the inversion of wind fields from SAR observations has an inherent problem of underdetermination. Moreover, this modulation is highly non-linear, further complicating the inversion. Lorenc (1986) presented a general statistical approach to solve inversion problems (including underdetermined problems) in meteorological analysis. We propose a SAR wind retrieval method based on this general approach. This simplified method combines the SAR information with some background information coming from HIRLAM to retrieve the most probable wind vector, assuming that all sources of information contain errors and these are well characterized. We then evaluate two different SAR wind retrieval methods. The first one is commonly used by the SAR community and is based on a combination of a wind streak detection algorithm (wind direction retrieval) and a C-band model inversion (wind speed retrieval). The second one is the new method we propose, based on the general statistical approach. We show the potential problems and limitations of using any of these methods and how the second method can potentially contribute to a significant improvement on SAR wind retrieval. The new method prepares the grounds for the assimilation of SAR data in high-resolution NWP models.


Thomas Charles-Edwards, the distinguished scholar of medieval Britain and Ireland, has made important contributions to a number of fields, but is particularly renowned for his studies in Celtic history and law. In this volume, colleagues pay tribute to his work with essays that range across the medieval Celtic world, including medieval Wales, Ireland and Scotland. In the first part of the volume, they cover historical aspects (and, as is fitting, often reflect the honorand's interest in archaeology and epigraphy); in the second, they focus on medieval Irish and Welsh legal institutions and texts, which are used by some to inform new readings of literary texts. Contributors: Susan Youngs, Clare Stancliffe, Catherine Swift, David N. Dumville, Elizabeth O'Brien, Edel Bhreathnach, Oliver Padel, Nancy Edwards, Thomas Owen Clancy, Marie Therese Flanagan, Huw Pryce, Roy Flechner, Robin Chapman Stacey, Wendy Davies, Sara Elin Roberts, Fergus Kelly, Bronagh Ni Chonaill, Charlene Eska, Elva Johnston, Maire Ni Mhaonaigh, Maredudd ap Huw.


High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) piping systems have been available since 1948. In 1955, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) established the Plastics Pipe Committee. In 1978, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) approved HDPE for water tubes that were up to 75 mm (3 in.) in diameter. In 1990, AWWA developed the first edition of the AWWA Standard for HDPE water distribution pipes that range in diameter between 100 mm (4 in.) and 1575 mm (63 in.). In 1992, the Indianapolis Water Company, now US Filter, adopted this technology and became one of the first municipalities in North America to install water mains using HDPE. In 2004, AWWA is expected to publish a new Manual (M55) to assist municipalities and consultants in the design and installation of PE pipes. This paper presents the properties of HDPE pipes and compares their performance to other materials as related to environmental protection, seismic resistance, corrosion and chemical resistance, durability and reliability, and applicable Standards and Manuals. Relevant case studies are presented to demonstrate the use of PE pipe for municipal and industrial clients.


When replicating U937 cells were incubated with up to 80 microM concentrations of the in vitro inhibitor of eicosanoid biosynthesis, 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA), DNA synthesis measured by labeling with [3H]thymidine was inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. No reduction in cellular viability occurred, as judged by exclusion of trypan blue, unaltered release of 51Cr-labeled proteins, and the reversibility of inhibition after incubation for 72 h with ETYA. Neither indomethacin nor acetylsalicylic acid, inhibitors of cyclooxygenase, altered DNA synthesis in control or ETYA-inhibited cells, excluding participation of the products of this enzyme in the inhibition of DNA synthesis. Incubation of inhibited cells with extracts prepared from log-phase media partially reversed the inhibition of DNA synthesis. Addition of leukotriene B4 or D4 at 10(-7) to 10(-8) M did not reverse ETYA-induced inhibition of DNA synthesis, nor did the addition of a series of long chain fatty acids, including arachidonic acid. However, leukotriene C4 at 10(-7) M partially reversed the inhibition of DNA synthesis. Extracts of media from log-phase cells were shown by high-pressure liquid chromatography to contain leukotriene C4, and synthesis of this compound was inhibited by ETYA, as judged by measurement of UV absorbance and radioactivity. Additional inhibitors of eicosanoid metabolism including nordihydroguaiaretic acid and esculetin also suppressed DNA synthesis in U937, K562, and prostate PC3 cells, without altered cellular viability; the effect is not limited to lymphohematopoietic cells or to a single inhibitor of arachidonic acid metabolism. Suppression of U937 DNA and eicosanoid synthesis by ETYA and the partial reversal of DNA synthesis by leukotriene C4 suggest that in these cells eicosanoids may modulate DNA synthesis. Other possible consequences of incubating cells with ETYA including creation of arachidonic acid-deficient membranes, and even incorporation of the agent into membrane phospholipids, may also contribute to the reversible inhibition of DNA synthesis.


More than two million people in the United States have a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and the treatment for most of them mainly involves strong doses of antipsychotic drugs that . . . can come with unbearable side effects, like severe weight gain or debilitating tremors. Now,results of a landmark governmentfunded study call that approach into question. The findings, from by far the most rigorous trial to date conducted in the United States, concluded that schizophrenia patients who received a program intended to keep dosages of antipsychotic medication as low as possible and emphasize one-on-one talk therapy and family support made greater strides in recovery over the first two years of treatment than patients who got the usual drug-focused care. (Carey, 2015)


Background A hemostatic monitor capable of rapid, accurate detection of clinical coagulopathy within the operating room could improve management of bleeding after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The Clot Signature Analyzer® is a hemostatometer that measures global hemostasis in whole blood. The authors hypothesized that point-of-care hemostatometry could detect a clinical coagulopathic state in cardiac surgical patients. Methods Fifty-seven adult patients scheduled for a variety of elective cardiac surgical procedures were studied. Anesthesia, CPB, heparin anticoagulation, protamine reversal, and transfusion for post-CPB bleeding were all managed by standardized protocol. Clinical coagulopathy was defined by the need for platelet or fresh frozen plasma transfusion. The Clot Signature Analyzer® collagen-induced thrombus formation (CITF) assay measured platelet-mediated hemostasis in vitro. The activated clotting time, platelet count, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and fibrinogen concentration were also measured. Results The postprotamine CITF was greater in patients who required hemostatic transfusion than in those who did not (17.6 ± 8.0 min vs. 10.5 ± 5.7 min, respectively;P < 0.01). Postprotamine CITF values were highly correlated with platelet and fresh frozen plasma transfusion (Spearman r = 0.50, P < 0.001 and r = 0.40, P < 0.005, respectively). Receiver operator characteristic curves showed a highly significant relation between the postprotamine CITF and intraoperative platelet and fresh frozen plasma transfusion (area under the curve, 0.78–0.81, P < 0.005) with 60–80% sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values at cutoffs of 12–14 min. Logistic regression demonstrated that the CITF was independently predictive of post-CPB hemostatic transfusion, but standard hemostatic assays were not. Conclusions The Clot Signature Analyzer® CITF detects a clinical coagulopathic state after CPB and is independently predictive of the need for hemostatic transfusion. Hemostatometry has potential utility for monitoring hemostasis in cardiac surgery.


Sea-level rise and increased storminess are expected to destabilize low-lying reef islands formed on coral reef platforms, and increased flooding is expected to render them uninhabitable within the coming decades. Such projections are founded on the assumption that islands are geologically static landforms that will simply drown as sea-level rises. Here, we present evidence from physical model experiments of a reef island that demonstrates islands have the capability to morphodynamically respond to rising sea level through island accretion. Challenging outputs from existing models based on the assumption that islands are geomorphologically inert, results demonstrate that islands not only move laterally on reef platforms, but overwash processes provide a mechanism to build and maintain the freeboard of islands above sea level. Implications of island building are profound, as it will offset existing scenarios of dramatic increases in island flooding. Future predictive models must include the morphodynamic behavior of islands to better resolve flood impacts and future island vulnerability.


The objective of this special issue was to bring together a number of high-quality articles from people from across the globe, belonging to or working in close partnership with indigenous communities meanwhile orbiting topics of learning and digital technologies. This special issue has truly resonated globally among peers, thus enabling the publication of insightful, broad and open access research articles written by individuals and research groups. Common to the range of articles is the fact that they embrace practices, theories and reflections rooted in indigenous knowledge systems, are critical of existing tensions and trends while contributing to technology design ventures in formal and informal learning contexts. This special issue is initiated by "Only Connect: Indigenous Digital Learning" by Traxler, which is an excellent entry equipping readers to better engage with the complicated, promising and at the same time daring landscape representing the many intersections of learning, digitality, indigeneity, policy and community. The article "Preserving Indigenous voices: Web archiving in Aotearoa/New Zealand" by Ka'ai-Mahuta provides an insight into the opportunities for sharing, learning and preserving there is for indigenous communities using digital means, but also adeptly illustrates the challenges and embedded consequences of using those digital means in terms of how this stored knowledge is organized, protected and accessed by those who are the rightful owners of it. The article "A Participatory Approach for Digital Documentation of Egyptian Bedouins Intangible Cultural Heritage" by Giglitto, Lazem and Preston demonstrates a participatory approach of protecting and disseminating the intangible heritage of Beduins in Egypt through four digital prototypes. The article is highly insightful from both the community engagement perspective, but also from a didactic vantage point, as the work illuminates the benefits of bringing students into the lifeworld and nondigital domain of the Beduin. In the article "the Pedagogical Usage of Digital Technologies in an Indigenous Village in Brazil: Reflections and Challenges," the authors Ribeiro, Kaminski, Lübeck and Boscarioli provide a case study of the use of digital technologies in a Brazilian village community and how it concurs with the preservation, cultural dissemination and the appropriation of indigenous and non-indigenous knowledge. Yet, the authors also demonstrate how digital tools albeit useful in learning contexts have embedded challenges, such as connectivity, which is not the only obstacle for indigenous digital learning to fully come to fruition. In " Using ICT in designs for learning among indigenous children in Peru" by Salas-Pilco, brings the reader into seeing how ICT in indigenous learning contexts does not only showcase the use of predefined technologies but illustrates how ICT has been appropriated by indigenous children. The article not only demonstrates three inspiring prototypes but also enables the reader to keep track of the learning opportunities associated with these prototypes. In "Game-based learning to teach Higher Order thinking in Rural Schools: Case studies in Sarawak Borneo" Mohamad, Morini, Minoi and Arnab explore and report on games as a tool for learning in rural schools in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. The authors used game-based learning principles as a way of guiding teachers on how to address Higher Order thinking skills in subjects instructed. Their findings indicate that design thinking, when integrated with game-based learning, can initiate interest and engagement toward higher-order thinking. Moreover, the authors argue for the development of a CreativeCulture model that can serve as an instructional Interaction Design and Architecture(s) Journal IxD&A, N.41, 2019, pp. 5 6


Professional qualifications in Public Service Interpreting (PSI) only carry a value if they are combined with appropriate education. This paper starts by commenting on shortcomings of the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting, which is the most widespread qualification to access the profession in the United Kingdom. Current training courses mainly offer a skill based approach and they are summative assessment led, with little awareness of pedagogical principles. This paper is an attempt to define a pedagogy that relates to PSI training. It argues that PSI training has to evolve to become PSI education. A much deeper understanding of the influence of pedagogy in PSI education is essential for PSI to engage in an open debate on its professionalization.


Sum-variance is a well-known metric for assessing the performance of dc-free codes (first-order spectral-null codes), however, as we show in this paper, it is unsuitable for comparing the magnitude of spectral components of high-order spectral-null (HOSN) codes at low frequencies. In this paper, we introduce a new performance metric for evaluating the spectrum compression of arbitrarily HOSN codes around zero frequency; we call this metric the low-frequency spectrum weight (LFSW). We show that the asymptotic low-frequency spectral components of Kth-order spectral-null codes (K/spl ges/1) are exclusively determined by the order K and the LFSW, and that the LFSW equals the zero-frequency value in the spectrum of the corresponding sequence of Kth-order running digital sum values. We derive this result for symbol-by-symbol encoding, and then extend it to block HOSN codes. We then derive a closed-form expression for the LFSW of HOSN codes constructed through state-independent encoding. Closed-form expressions for LFSW of first-order zero-disparity codes and for the asymptotic LSFW of maxentropic dc-free sequences are also given.


Background Pelvic floor muscle exercises are a recommended first-line
treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women (NICE, 2006). Poor
adherence to pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFME) is a recognised problem
which has the potential to compromise successful treatment (Bo, 1995;
Alewijnse et al., 2001). Biofeedback is thought to help motivate PFME
practice but so far this has not been evaluated in a randomised study.
Aim This study tests the hypothesis that use of clinic-based sEMG
biofeedback improves women's motivation to exercise (PFME adherence) by
increasing pelvic floor muscle exercise self-efficacy, an important construct in
pelvic floor muscle exercise adherence behaviour.
Method After ensuring that they are able to make an informed decision to
participate, a sample of sixty women referred for physiotherapy treatment of
SUI between December 2008 and February 2010, gave consent to participate
in the study. They were randomised into one of two groups. Thirty one
women received clinic-based sEMG biofeedback in addition to the usual care,
twenty nine received the usual care. Each participant attended clinic twice in a
three month treatment period. Women were also asked to adhere to a daily
home exercise programme (HEP). The primary outcome was pelvic floor
muscle exercise self-efficacy. PFME self-efficacy and HEP adherence, were
assessed by means of self-completed questionnaires.
Results Ten women dropped out of the study before completion. Both
groups improved on all outcomes, but no significant difference was found
between the groups in terms of self-efficacy levels or exercise adherence
rates. PFME recall was more accurate in the intervention group receiving
clinic-based sEMG biofeedback. A positive and significant relationship was
confirmed between PFME self-efficacy and PFME adherence. These findings
are discussed in respect to the concept of self-efficacy and behavioural
change.
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Conclusion In the short term, clinic-based sEMG biofeedback does not
increase PFME self-efficacy or HEP practice beyond that achieved through
instruction using vaginal palpation. These findings refute the belief that
monitoring with sEMG biofeedback improves self-efficacy or women's
motivation to adhere to a HEP, but does suggest that biofeedback may be a
useful adjunct to teaching PFME.


Prior usability assessment research has paid little attention to how product and feature ratings are influenced by the evaluation context. However, the evaluability hypothesis, which guides this research, suggests that the evaluation context is a vital factor in shaping user's assessments and perceptions about technology features. pecifically, the evaluability hypothesis proposes that technology feature perceptions, and ultimately technology choices, will change when evaluating a single technology in isolation versus when simultaneously comparing more than one. To demonstrate the evaluability hypothesis effect in the context of consumer technology product evaluations, two experiments were conducted. Both studies support the evaluability hypothesis effect, showing that when two IT products are compared, hard-to-evaluate but easy-to-compare features are perceived to be more important and therefore have a larger influence on product preferences. Alternatively, when evaluating a single product in isolation, easy-to-evaluate features are perceived to be more important and therefore have a larger influence on product preferences. Consequently, different product preferences emerge (i.e., preference reversals) in different evaluation contexts. The results demonstrate that this theoretical lens is robust to the technology evaluation context, providing important theoretical and practical insights for technology design, usability assessments, and, ultimately, product acceptance.