In this dissertation is exemplified how different laser based methods are applied in high-resolution spectroscopic studies of internal properties of diatomic molecules.A molecular beam apparatus assembly is described, where a laser ablation source is combined with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Compounds investigated with this equipment are hafnium sulfide and hafnium oxide. The molecules are excited and ionized applying the resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI) scheme, which is a sensitive absorption and detection technique for probing the population of an excited state.By means of the DC Stark effect, permanent electric dipole moments of HfS in the D 1Π state and HfO in the b 3Π1 state are determined while the molecules are exposed to a static electric field. Under field-free conditions low temperature rotationally resolved spectra are recorded, generating line positions from which molecular parameters are derived.The R2PI method, modified with an adjustable delay time, is also used in lifetime measurements of individual rotational levels of the HfS D 1Π and HfO b 3Π1 states. Oscillator strengths for transitions from the ground state are calculated, and in this connection basic concepts like Einstein coefficients, line strengths and Honl-London factors, are surveyed. Theoretical calculation of lifetimes is discussed in view of the fact that a commonly available computer program (LEVEL 7.5 by Le Roy) gives erroneous output.Some coherence and quantum interference related phenomena, such as electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and Autler-Townes (AT) splitting, are presented in the latter part of this thesis. Fundamental concepts and relations are introduced and explained. The driven three-level cascade system is elucidated, including some of its experimental applications to alkali metal dimers, Na2 and Li2.A triple resonance spectroscopy experiment is described in terms of a three-laser, four-level inverted-Y excitation scheme, implemented in Na2. The accompanying density matrix formalism, providing the basis for theoretical simulations, is accounted for. From analysis of the results an absolute value of the electric dipole moment matrix element (transition moment) is extracted, using the AC Stark effect.Some recently reported unexpected experimental results and unforeseen features, occurring in Doppler broadened samples and related to the open character of molecular systems, are briefly commented.


This article introduces a novel flexible mobile device reconfiguration classes (MDRCs) framework which is expected to be applicable to future generation mass market radio devices. This framework sets the scene for a vision of a smooth evolution of reconfigurability features in mobile devices, paving the way from current, mainly static implementation choices toward a fully flexible device platform environment. For this flexible mobile device framework, baseband interfaces are introduced as they are currently discussed in ETSI reconfigurable radio systems standardization. Furthermore, this technical solution is positioned with respect to security requirements and the basic regulatory framework which is currently under revision in Europe. Indeed, the future revised Radio Equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Directive is expected to allow for such advanced reconfiguration, enabling users to acquire and install so-called RadioApps software components which may affect the compliance of a mobile device to the essential requirements of the Directive.


Motivated by the technology of magnetically targeted drug and gene delivery, in which a magnetic field is used to direct magnetic carrier particles from the circulation to a target site, we develop a continuum model for the motion of particles (magnetic carriers) subject to an external body force (magnetic field) in a flow of a concentrated suspension of a species of neutrally buoyant particles (blood). An advection–diffusion equation describes the evolution of the carrier particles as they advect in the flow under the action of an external body force, and diffuse as a result of random interactions with the suspension of neutrally buoyant particles (shear-induced diffusion). The model is analysed for the case in which there is steady Poiseuille flow in a cylindrical vessel, the diffusive effects are weak and there is weak carrier uptake along the walls of the vessel. The method of matched asymptotic expansions is used to show that carriers are concentrated in a boundary layer along the vessel wall and, further, that there is a carrier flux along this layer which results in a sub-layer, along one side of the vessel, in which carriers are even more highly concentrated. Three distinguished limits are identified: they correspond to cases for which (i) the force is sufficiently weak that most particles move through the vessel without entering the boundary layers along the walls of the vessel and (ii) and (iii) to a force which is sufficiently strong that a significant fraction of the particles enter the boundary layers and, depending upon the carrier absorption from the vessel walls, there is insignificant/significant axial carrier flux in these layers.


Thermoelectric and plasmonic properties of systems comprising small golden nanoparticles (NPs) linked by narrow conductive polymer bridges are studied using the original hybrid quantum‐classical model. The bridges are considered here to be either conjugated polyacetylene, polypyrrole, or polythiophene chain molecules terminated by thiol groups. The parameters required for the model are obtained using density functional theory and density functional tight‐binding simulations. Charge‐transfer plasmons in the considered dumbbell structures are found to possess frequency in the infrared region for all considered molecular linkers. The appearance of plasmon vibrations and the existence of charge flow through the conductive molecule, with manifestation of quantum properties, are confirmed using frequency‐dependent polarizability calculations implemented in the coupled perturbed Kohn–Sham method. To study the thermoelectric properties of the 1D periodical systems, a universal equation for the Seebeck coefficient is derived. The phonon part of the thermal conductivity for the periodical –NP–S–C8H8 – system is calculated by the classical molecular dynamics. The thermoelectric figure of merit ZT is calculated by considering the electrical quantum conductivity of the systems in the ballistic regime. It is shown that for Au309 nanoparticles connected by polyacetylene, polypyrrole, or polythiophene chains at T = 300 K, the ZT value is {0.08;0.45;0.40}, respectively.


Insecticide usage in the United States is ubiquitous in urban, suburban, and rural environments. There is accumulating evidence that insecticides adversely affect non-target wildlife species, including birds, causing mortality, reproductive impairment, and indirect effects through loss of prey base, and the type and magnitude of such effects differs by chemical class, or mode of action. In evaluating data for an insecticide registration application and for registration review, scientists at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) assess the fate of the insecticide and the risk the insecticide poses to the environment and non-target wildlife. Current USEPA risk assessments for pesticides generally rely on endpoints from laboratory based toxicity studies focused on groups of individuals and do not directly assess population-level endpoints. In this paper, we present a mechanistic model, which allows risk assessors to estimate the effects of insecticide exposure on the survival and seasonal productivity of birds known to forage in agricultural fields during their breeding season. This model relies on individual-based toxicity data and translates effects into endpoints meaningful at the population level (i.e., magnitude of mortality and reproductive impairment). The model was created from two existing USEPA avian risk assessment models, the Terrestrial Investigation Model (TIM v.3.0) and the Markov Chain Nest Productivity model (MCnest). The integrated TIM/MCnest model was used to assess the relative risk of 12 insecticides applied via aerial spray to control corn pests on a suite of 31 avian species known to forage in cornfields in agroecosystems of the Midwest, USA. We found extensive differences in risk to birds among insecticides, with chlorpyrifos and malathion (organophosphates) generally posing the greatest risk, and bifenthrin and λ-cyhalothrin (pyrethroids) posing the least risk. Comparative sensitivity analysis across the 31 species showed that ecological trait parameters related to the timing of breeding and reproductive output per nest attempt offered the greatest explanatory power for predicting the magnitude of risk. An important advantage of TIM/MCnest is that it allows risk assessors to rationally combine both acute (lethal) and chronic (reproductive) effects into a single unified measure of risk.


Abstract The traditional problem of evil sets theists the task of reconciling two things: God and evil. I argue that theists face the more difficult task of reconciling God and evils that God is specially obligated to prevent. Because of His authority, God's obligation to curtail evil goes far beyond our Samaritan duty to prevent evil when doing so isn't overly hard. Authorities owe their subjects a positive obligation to prevent certain evils; we have a right against our authorities that they protect us. God's apparent mistake is not merely the impersonal wrong of failing to do enough good – though it is that too. It is the highly personal wrong of failing to live up to a moral requirement that comes bundled with authority over persons. To make my argument, I use the resources of political philosophy and defend a novel change to the orthodox account of authority.


Extracted from text ... WATER & SANITATION
Ecological solutions
by Nicholas McDiarmid
The need for a paradigm shift in the provision of sanitation
systems is one of the key principals behind the ecological
sanitation (ecosan) concept. A move away from linear,
expensive and energy intensive end-of-pipe technologies towards
ecosystems-based approaches is a hallmark of ecosan. It
seeks not only to provide new systems, but to find ecological
applications for human excreta and domestic wastewater. The
benefits are numerous and include the use of these resources
in an attempt to reduce health risks related to sanitation
problems, contaminated water and waste, as well as ..


In August 2010, Andreas Georgiou, former President of the Hellenic Statistical Authority, was charged with having harmed Greece's national interests. In this paper, Nicolas Veron argues that the relentless prosecutions against Georgiou are more than a matter of shameful harassment by Greece. Georgiou's case also raises disturbing questions about the integrity of European statistical processes. The European Union also needs to consider reforming its statistical framework to ensure a similar scandal cannot recur.


Since the discovery of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), our understanding of the cosmos has been rapidly evolving. Detailed measurements of the CMB temperature fluctuations have led to a standard cosmological model, which traces the origin of the large-scale structure of the universe to quantum fluctuations during inflation. Although the basic framework of inflationary cosmology is now well-established, the microphysical mechanism responsible for the accelerated expansion remains a mystery. In this thesis, we describe how the physics underlying inflation can be probed using two cosmological observables: higher-order correlations of primordial density perturbations (non-Gaussianity) and primordial gravitational waves (tensor modes). In the first part of the thesis, we explore novel signatures of high-energy physics in higherorder correlation functions of inflationary perturbations. First, we use causality and unitarity to make connections between cosmological observations and the underlying short-distance dynamics of single-field inflation. We obtain a constraint on the size and the sign of the four-point function in terms of the amplitude of the three-point function. We then study the imprints of extra massive particles of arbitrary spin on the three-point function. We classify the couplings of these particles to inflationary scalar and tensor perturbations and derive explicit shape functions for their threepoint functions that can serve as templates for future observational searches. Establishing the particle content during inflation would provide important hints for the microscopic theory of inflation. In the second part, we study ways of testing the nature of inflation using inflationary tensor modes. We consider effects of gravitational corrections to Einstein gravity in models of high-scale inflation. We show that these scenarios can lead to a violation of the tensor consistency condition (i.e. the relation between the amplitude and the scale-dependence of the tensor two-point function) that is satisfied by canonical single-field inflationary models. Finally, we consider the prospects for measuring the inflationary superhorizon signature in future observations. We define an estimator that captures superhorizon correlations and present forecasts for the detectability of the signal with future CMB polarization experiments.


Large ontologies and taxonomies are automatically harvested from web-scale data. These taxonomies tend to be huge, noisy, and contains little context. As a result, cleansing and enriching those large-scale taxonomies becomes a great challenge. A natural way to enrich a taxonomy is to map the taxonomy to existing datasets that contain rich information. In this paper, we study the problem of matching two web scale taxonomies. Besides the scale of the problem, we address the challenge that the taxonomies may not contain enough context (such as attribute values). As existing entity resolution techniques are based directly or indirectly on attribute values as context, we must explore external evidence for entity resolution. Specifically, we explore positive and negative evidence in external data sources such as the web and in other taxonomies. To integrate positive and negative evidence, we formulate the entity resolution problem as a problem of finding optimal multi-way cuts in a graph. We analyze the complexity of the problem, and propose a Monte Carlo algorithm for finding greedy cuts. We conduct extensive experiments and compare our approach with three existing methods to demonstrate the advantage of our approach.


Background: Increasing attention to patients' rights and their ability to choose their healthcare provider have changed the way patients can respond to untoward, disempowering and abusive healthcare encounters. These responses are often seen as crucial for quality improvement, yet they are little explored and conceptualized. Objective: To explore patients' potential responses to untoward healthcare encounters and looking at their possible consequences for care quality improvement as well as for the individual patient. Research design: The article is structured looking at two primary strategies: patient exit (leaving a healthcare provider) and patient voice (expressing grievances), derived from Hirschman (1970). These strategies were explored by the use of theoretical and empirical literature and applied to an individual patient case. The case functions as a pedagogical tool to illustrate and problematize what exit and voice strategies can mean for a single patient. Ethical considerations: The patient case is my version of a generalized scenario that is described elsewhere. It does not represent an individual patient's story, but aims to be realistic and recognizable. Findings and conclusion: Based on the existing literature, it is hypothesized that, in their current form, exit and voice strategies have a limited effect on care quality and can come at a price for patients. However, both strategies may be of value to patients and providers. Therefore, the healthcare system could empower patients to engage in action and could further develop ways for providers to effectively use patients' responses to improve practice and find ways to prevent patients from untoward experiences in healthcare.


Hypoxia, a common consequence of solid tumor growth in breast cancer and other cancers, serves to propagate a cascade of molecular pathways which include angiogenesis, glycolysis, and alterations in microenvironmental pH. Hypoxia‐inducible factors, heterodimeric DNA binding complexes composed of two subunits, provide critical regulation of this response. This review presents a synopsis of the genes induced by hypoxia in the context of breast cancer and discusses how upregulation of HIF‐1 activity, and the homologous factor HIF‐2, are not only fundamental for the adaptation to hypoxia but also may be critical for tumor progression. Microsc. Res. Tech. 59:41–48, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Lattice-reduction-aided precoding (LRP) provides near-capacity rates with the use of low-complexity linear receivers for coded multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. However, a large amount of feedback in the feedback for an integer or binary precoding matrix has been a bottleneck in its implementation. In this paper, we propose a codebook-based LRP scheme for limited-feedback coded MIMO systems. The proposed LRP scheme follows the fundamentals of the previous LRP scheme that employed multilevel binary coset coding so that the precoding matrix is binary. In the proposed LRP scheme, the conventional precoding matrix obtained from the Lenstra-Lenstra-Lovasz algorithm is modified to specific forms that are predefined in a codebook set. The new precoding matrix is selected such that the lower bound on the capacity is maximized for a given codebook set, while the codebook set is designed offline such that the upper bound of the average capacity loss induced by the limitation on the codebook size is minimized. The simulation results show that the proposed LRP scheme nearly achieves the achievable rate of the conventional LRP scheme with a greatly reduced amount of feedback.


In 2000 Italy replaced its traditional system of severance pay for public employees with a new system. Under the old regime, severance pay was proportional to the final salary before retirement; under the new regime it is proportional to lifetime earnings. This reform entails substantial losses for future generations of public employees, in the range of €20,000-30,000, depending on seniority. Using a difference-in-difference framework, we estimate the impact of this unanticipated change in lifetime resources, on the current consumption and wealth accumulation of employees affected by the reform. In line with theoretical simulations, we find that each euro reduction in severance pay reduces the average propensity to consume by 3 cents and increases the wealth-income ratio by 0.32. The response is stronger for younger workers and for households where both spouses are public sector employees.


Geology of Cerro Guanaquero region, Diamante River, Mendoza. This study presents new data on a poorly known sector of the Cordillera Principal of Mendoza, in the headwaters of the Diamante river basin in Cerro Guanaquero and surrounding areas. The exposed units are divided in four main groups: mari- ne and continental sedimentary Mesozoic sequences intensively folded and thrust, intermediate intrusives and volcanic rocks of Neogene age, Pliocene to Recent volcanic rocks of intermediate to basic composition, and unconsolidated Quaternary deposits. The Cerro Guanaquero, a Quaternary stratovolcano intensively eroded by Pleistocene glaciers, with its 4,841 meters is the most prominent orographic feature of the region. It is constituted essentially by pyroxene to biotite-bearing gray porphyritic andesites. Pyroclastic deposits, volcanic agglomerates, ignimbrites, and basalts are interbedded with the andesitic flows. The K-Ar date by whole-rock method of an andesite yielded an age of 1.4 ± 0.1 Ma. The Andean deformation begins as a thin-skinned fold and thrust belt, with detachment folds in the western areas that advanced to the east as propagation folds. The compression ended west of the 69o47´W with the inversion of the Mesozoic rift normal faults. Along this meri- dian the most important fault of the region is found, which has been correlated with the Malargue fault, well developed south of the study area. This fault bounds the thin-skinned Aconcagua fold and trust belt, and the thick-skinned Malargue fold and trust belt, controlled by tectonic inversion. The volcanism was very intense in the Pliocene and Quaternary, associated with a steepening of the subducted oceanic slab, at the time that the region was passively uplifted. The resistance of the volcanic rocks to the erosion compared with the Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, plus the high erosive efficiency of the Pleistocene's gla- ciers, gave place to the inversion of the relief. The erosion rate was exceptional, reaching at least 7 cm/100 years during the Quaternary.


In her short foreword to a symposium issue, the author discusses the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act enacted by Congress in 2010. She then introduces the symposium papers by professors Kathleen Engel, Christopher Odinet, and Steven Schwarcz, which examine the new regulatory framework created by Dodd-Frank from different points of view and consider other types of mortgage lending regulation, including regulation at the state and local levels and proposals for macroprudential regulation. Lastly, the author concludes that mortgage lending regulation promises to continue to be an important topic of discussion, because the bursting of a housing bubble can significantly impact the health of the economy.


For 3D object detection and pose estimation, it is crucial to extract distinctive and representative features of the objects and describe them efficiently. Therefore, a large number of 3D feature descriptors has been developed. Among these, Point Feature Histogram RGB (PFHRGB) has been evaluated as showing the best performance for 3D object and category recognition. However, this descriptor is vulnerable to point density variation and produces many false correspondences accordingly. In this paper, we tackle this problem and propose an algorithm to find the correct correspondences under the point density variation. Experimental results show that the proposed method is promising for 3D object detection and pose estimation under the point density variation.


Abstract The Charters Towers Province, of the northern Thomson Orogen, records conversion from a Neoproterozoic passive margin to a Cambrian active margin, as characteristic of the Tasmanides. The passive margin succession includes a thick metasedimentary unit derived from Mesoproterozoic rocks. The Cambrian active margin is represented by upper Cambrian–Lower Ordovician (500–460 Ma) basinal development (Seventy Mile Range Group), plutonism and metamorphism resulting from an enduring episode of arc–backarc crustal extension. Detrital zircon age spectra indicate that parts of the metamorphic basement of the Charters Towers Province (elements of the Argentine Metamorphics and Charters Towers Metamorphics) overlap in protolith age with the basal part of the Seventy Mile Range Group and thus were associated with extensional basin development. Detrital zircon age data from the extensional basin succession indicate it was derived from a far-field (Pacific-Gondwana) primary source. However, a young cluster (<510 Ma) is interpreted as reflecting a local igneous source related to active margin tectonism. Relict zircon in a tonalite phase of the Fat Hen Creek Complex suggests that active margin plutonism may have extended back to ca 530 Ma. Syntectonic plutonism in the western Charters Towers Province is dated at ca 485–480 Ma, close to timing of metamorphism (477–467 Ma) and plutonism more generally (508–455 Ma). The dominant structures in the metamorphic basement formed with gentle to subhorizontal dips and are inferred to have formed by extensional ductile deformation, while normal faulting developed at shallower depths, associated with heat advection by plutonism. Lower Silurian (Benambran) shortening, which affected metamorphic basement and extensional basin units, resulted in the dominant east–west-structural trends of the province. We consider that these trends reflect localised north–south shortening rather than rotation of the province as is consistent with the north–south paleogeographic alignment of extensional basin successions. KEY POINTS Northern Tasmanide transition from passive to active margin tectonic mode had occurred by ca 510 Ma, perhaps as early as ca 530 Ma. Cambro-Ordovician active margin tectonism of the Charters Towers Province (northern Thomson Orogen) was characterised by crustal extension. Crustal extension resulted in the development of coeval (500–460 Ma) basin fill, granitic plutonism and metamorphism with rock assemblages as exposed across the Charters Towers Province developed at a wide range of crustal levels and expressing heterogeneous exhumation. Protoliths of metasedimentary assemblages of the Charters Towers Province include both Proterozoic passive margin successions and those emplaced as Cambrian extensional basin fill.


Background: Post partum hemorrhage (PPH) is a major cause of maternal mortality worldwide, accounting for approximately 100 000 deaths annually. It is the most common maternal morbidity in developed countries and accounts for half of all postpartum mortalities in developing countries. The third stage of labor remains the most dangerous for women to endure. It is the time frame between delivery of the fetus and expulsion of the placenta that more complications arise, the most severe of which is post partum hemorrhaging (PPH). It has been scientifically and clinically proven that an active management of the third stage of labor (AMTSL protocol) prevents PPH up to 65%, but it is the purpose of this review to dissect this protocol and determine if the use of controlled cord traction (CCT) has any significant benefit of reducing PPH. Methods: An exhaustive literature search was conducted using Medline-OVID, CINAHL, EBMR Multifile, Web of Science and ClinicalTrials.gov utilizing the following search terms: post partum hemorrhage, controlled cord traction, oxytocin and labor stage third. Relevant articles were assessed for quality using GRADE. A search of ClinicalTrials.gov revealed one currently registered clinical trial, which has not yet been published, as well as a protocol outline for a study that remains in progress. Results: Three studies met inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. A prospective randomized controlled trial with 1648 participants demonstrated a significant difference in PPH when the CCT method was utilized, as opposed to a physiological approach. A randomized, controlled, non-inferiority trial with 12 227 women found that the total loss of blood was less in the CCT group, but did not represent a statistically significant margin. The final study was a randomized, controlled, superiority trial with 103 women participating. Again, blood loss was greater in the physiologically controlled group, but the findings were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Controlled cord traction, in combination with a complete AMTSL protocol has been shown to reduce the occurrence and subsequent complications of post partum hemorrhage. More specifically, CCT has been attributed to shorter durations of the third stage of labor, which is linked to significant clinical benefit and reduces a plethora of maternal complications. The advantages of this treatment far outweigh the risks in the setting of post partum hemorrhaging. Further research is needed to underscore this finding in a more definitive manner.


ABSTRACT This paper examines the amount of time that care-home residents spend in bed at night, focusing on how residents' bedtimes and getting-up times are managed. Using a mixed-methods approach, diary data were collected over 14 days from 125 residents in ten care homes in South East England. The findings indicate that residents spent, on average, nearly 11 hours in bed at night, significantly more time than was spent sleeping. There was greater variance in the amount of time residents who needed assistance spent in bed than there was for independent residents. Detailed investigation of six care homes, each with 8 pm to 8 am night shifts, showed that bedtimes and getting-up times for dependent residents were influenced by the staff's shift patterns. Analysis of qualitative interviews with 38 residents highlighted a lack of resident choice about bedtimes and many compromises by the residents to fit in with the care-home shift and staffing patterns. The social norm of early bedtimes in care homes also influenced the independent residents. It is argued that the current system in care homes of approximately 12-hour night shifts, during which staff ratios are far lower than in the daytime, promotes an overly long 'night-time' and curbs residents' choices about the times at which they go to bed and get up, particularly for the most dependent residents.


Many of the world's vital natural ecosystems, and the communities reliant on them, are vulnerable to climate change. But there is increasing recognition that ecosystems — if sustainably restored and protected — can also form a strong line of defence against the direct impacts of climate change and support human adaptation over the long term. As the evidence base grows, ecosystems are increasingly prominent in climate change policy, especially in developing nations. Yet intentions rarely translate into robust and informed measurable targets, undermining action. As signatories to the Paris Agreement revise their Nationally Determined Contributions for 2020, we argue that nature-based solutions are a key tool for meeting global goals on climate change and sustainable development. We urge national policymakers to work with scientists to identify meaningful targets that benefit both people and the ecosystems on which they depend.


We use a novel dataset that merges goods-level prices underlying the CPI in Mexico with the balance sheet information of Mexican publicly listed firms and study the connection between firms' financing structure and price dynamics in an emerging economy. First, we find that larger firms (in terms of sales and employees) tend to use more interfirm trade credit relative to bank credit. Second, these firms use interfirm trade credit as a mechanism to smooth variations in their prices. Third, all else equal, firms with a higher trade-to-bank credit ratio tend to lower prices. In turn, the behavior of these firms explains the negative relationship between aggregate trade credit growth and in inflation in the data. A tractable New Keynesian model with search frictions in physical input markets sheds light on firms' structural characteristics as well as the economic mechanisms that rationalize our empirical findings.


A detailed account is given of the macrophytic vegetation of the major rivers within the Tweed Basin. Of these rivers, the Tweed and its largest tributary, the Teviot, tare been studied in most detail, both being surveyed from source to mouth. Information brought together on the history and physiography of the Tweed Basin are summarized in this account, together with physical and water chemical data collected during the survey. The distribution of species is discussed in relation to changes in such parameters. The method of survey involved recording the presence or absence of all macrophytic species within 0.5 km lengths of river, together with a subjective evaluation of their abundance. 570 such 0.5 km lengths were surveyed. All macroscopically visable species were recorded which were found completely submerged or at the immediate edge of the river. A total of 180 different macrophytic growths (usually species, but occasionally identified only to genus level ) were present in the basin, including: 31 algae, 5 lichens, 83 bryophytes, 59 angiosperms, 2 macroscopic microbial communities. The identification and taxonomy of all species were studied critically. Environmental parameters collected in most detail were the physical characteristics of each river, such as altitude, features of the substratum and flow regime. A water sampling programme was undertaken which involved the collection of 5 duplicate samples from sites in the main river and tributaries, and subsequent analysis for optical density, pH, conductivity, 10 cations and 6 anions. The final discussion includes an appraisal of literature concerned with macrophytes in rivers, methods of study, and results obtained. Particular attention is paid to floristic accounts, especially those from the neighbourhood of the Tweed, the floras of these rivers being compared with the flora of the Tweed Basin. Comparison with data from these surveys would suggest that the Tweed is a river which is especially rich in macrophyte species. The presence of historical data and herbarium specimens collected over the past two centuries has made it possible to suggest tentatively that the distribution of some species has changed markedly, whereas others appear to have changed little over 150 years. Cladophora, glomerata is an example of a species which in recent years has become much less abundant. This is most probably due to a decrease in total phosphate content ±n. the water, this in turn being due to a reduction in the use of synthetic detergents by the textile industry.


The epidemics of poverty and HIV/ AIDS, whether individually or when combined, pose major threats to development both in South Africa and elsewhere in the world. However, it is when these epidemics coexist that major devastation occurs. As such exploration of the relationship between these two epidemics has been the focal point of most research on either poverty or HIV/ AIDS. Through mainly the use of literature based research, studies have indicated how poverty and disease, most specifically HIV/ AIDS are related. Since most of these studies have been literature based, this has resulted in a lack of sufficient empirical evidence arguing for the existence of this poverty-HIV/ AIDS cycle. Providing such evidence forms the main objective of this study. This study uses data collected by the 1998 South African Demographic and Health Survey as well as existing literature on the link between poverty and disease. For purposes of this study, analysis is restricted to women in their reproductive ages (15-49) . The results indicate an increased risk of HIV infection among the poor due to poverty related characteristics of low education and low knowledge of the means of avoiding HIV infection as opposed to the non-p oor. Moreover the poor and the less educated people were found to be more likely to not use condoms than the non-poor. The results do not , however, provide reasons for these relations and as such further research is required. One possible explanation was financial dependence on their partners as it was found that women who received money from their partners as well as those who came from households where hunger was a common phenomenon were more likely to not use condoms because their partners disliked condoms than those who didn't receive any money from their partners. The results also hinted on the intricacy of the poverty-HIV/ AIDS relation whereby it was not only low socia-economic status that increased susceptibility to HIV infection but also high socio-economic status. This was indicated by the high odds of non-use of condoms due to low perceived risk of HIV infection among the non-poor and the White population (a race with the minority poor people). These results also hint at the prevailing stigmatization of HIV/ AIDS as a disease of the poor despite efforts by prevention programmes to destigrnatize this disease.


The controller area network is a well-established networking system specifically designed with real-time requirements in mind. Developed in the 1980s by Robert Bosch, its ease of use and low cost has led to its wide adoption throughout the automotive and automation industries. However, for the beginner using CAN may seem somewhat bewildering. This article goes some way into explaining how CAN is used both at the hardware and the software levels.


Understandings of law and politics are intrinsically bound up with broader visions of the human condition. Sean Coyle argues for a renewed engagement with the juridical and political philosophies of the Western intellectual tradition, and takes up questions pondered by Aristotle, Plato, Augustine, Aquinas and Hobbes in seeking a deeper understanding of law, politics, freedom, justice and order. Criticising modern theories for their failure to engage with fundamental questions, he explores the profound connections between justice and order and raises the neglected question of whether human beings in all their imperfection can ever achieve truly just order in this life. Above all, he confronts the question of whether the open society is the natural home of liberals who have given up faith in human progress (there are no ideal societies), or whether liberal political order is itself the ideal society?


Classic pulse-chase studies have shown that actin is conveyed in slow axonal transport, but the mechanistic basis for this movement is unknown. Recently, we reported that axonal actin was surprisingly dynamic, with focal assembly/dis-assembly events ("hotspots") and elongating polymers along the axon-shaft ("trails"). Using a combination of live imaging, super-resolution microscopy, and modeling, here we explore how these axonal actin dynamics can lead to processive transport. We found abundant actin nucleation, along with a slow, anterogradely-biased flow of actin in axon-shafts. Starting with first principles of monomer/filament assembly – and incorporating imaging data – we generated a quantitative model simulating axonal hotspots and trails. Our simulations predict that the axonal actin dynamics indeed lead to an anterogradely-biased flow of the population, at rates consistent with slow transport. Collectively, the data point to a surprising scenario where local assembly and biased polymerization generate the slow axonal transport of actin. This mechanism is distinct from polymer-sliding, and seems well suited to convey highly dynamic cytoskeletal cargoes. Acknowledgements This work was supported by an NIH grant to SR (R01NS075233). The authors thank Stephanie Gupton (UNC) for the Mena/Vasp constructs.


A public health emergency operations centre (PHEOC) exists to coordinate information and resources in order to manage responses to public health events or emergencies.

Emergency operations centres (EOCs) are used in a variety of emergencies, including natural disasters; foodborne disease outbreaks; radio-nuclear events; bioterrorism; chemical incidents; mass gatherings; blackouts; humanitarian emergencies; and disease outbreaks or pandemics. They are employed at a variety of jurisdictional levels, and range from field EOCs to local, regional, national or international EOCs. Effective communication and coordination within and between EOCs and response agencies is critical to the successful management of an emergency.

The structure and function of EOCs varies across countries and organisations; they have different capacities and resources, and use different staff, terminologies, procedures and tools. These variations pose significant challenges to the interoperability that is essential to effective coordination between EOCs and responding agencies.

In 2012, WHO's Department of Global Capacities, Alert and Response (GCR) established the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre Network (EOC-NET)[2]. EOC-NET exists to support Member States as they strengthen their capacity for effective response to public health emergencies, in line with the requirements of the 2005 International Health Regulations.

EOC-NET has four working groups focussed on priority areas in public health emergency response:

1. The EOC Communication Technology and Infrastructure (CTI) working group, which provides guidance on minimum CTI requirements and assessment tools.

2. The EOC Minimum Data Sets and Standards (MDSS) working group, which develops guidance on minimum datasets, data structure, standards and common terminologies to ensure interoperability, effective data collection, display and exchange of operational information.

3. The EOC Procedures and Plans (P&P) working group, which identifies or develops generic procedures and plans, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

4. The EOC Training and Exercises (T&E) working group, which develops training programmes and exercises for EOC personnel.

In December 2013, WHO conducted a systematic review of public health emergency operations centres[3], in collaboration with Emory University. This review documented best practices and barriers in establishing and using EOCs for effective responses to public health emergencies. This review has been followed by four more focussed reviews exploring key elements of EOCs: communication technology and infrastructure, minimum datasets and standards, plans and procedures, and training and exercises. The results of all five reviews will be used to inform the development of a series of guidance resources and recommendations for PHEOCs.

This report summarises the four focussed reviews.


In the past few years, new concepts for general-purpose, programmable photonic integrated circuits have been proposed. These stand in contrast to custom-designed, application-specific photonic integrated circuits (ASPIC), in a similar way as electronic field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and microcontrollers stand in contrast with application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC). Several programmable PIC concepts have already been experimentally demonstrated on a modest scale, reproducing functionality in programming that was hitherto limited to custom-designed hardware. The PhotonicSWARM project looks into the scaling potential of such programmable PICs, combining distributed optical paths with distributed control algorithms to keep larger circuits manageable. We will discuss these concepts and the recent results in this project, implemented using silicon photonics technology.


Animals often respond differently to the same environmental cues. Where behavioural responses
differ consistently between individuals over time or contexts, this is "personality". In wild
animals, personality is linked to variation in fitness and survival. Predictions on the behavioural
mechanisms underlying this variation come from captive studies, on the often untested
assumption that captive behaviour reveals how animals would behave in the wild. In chapter 2,
using blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) I tested first whether behaviour in captivity predicted
foraging behaviour in the wild. I measured the personality traits neophobia (latency to feed in
novel scenarios) and exploratory tendency, first by relatively standard captive protocols and
second, using an electronic monitoring system at feeding stations, by novel wild methods. As
predicted, analogous traits correlated across contexts. Moreover, neophobia and exploratory
tendency were uncorrelated within individuals in both contexts, in contrast to many other species.
In captive studies, personality types also respond differently to changing environmental cues, or
"environmental sensitivity": neophobic and non-exploratory types adjust behaviour whilst
neophilic and exploratory types maintain foraging routines. In chapter 3, I tested this second
captive prediction in the wild, defining environmental sensitivity in the wild by changes in feeder
use with varying air temperature or food supply. Neophobic and, contrary to expectation,
exploratory blue tits were most environmentally sensitive. By contrast, neophilic and nonexploratory
birds visited feeders at a fixed level independent of temperature and continued to visit
feeders for a prolonged period even after they were emptied. Age and body size also influenced
environmental sensitivity, suggesting learning and dominance interactions modify the expression
of personality in the wild. From potential behavioural costs, in chapter 4 I turned to the
physiological costs of personality. Variation in metabolic rate and stress metabolism may be
proximate mechanisms for personality. Whilst these physiological traits are linked to oxidative
stress directly, with pro-oxidants that damage body tissue a by-product of metabolism, few
studies link personality to oxidative stress. I found that oxidative profile (pro-oxidants,
antioxidants, oxidative stress and oxidative damage) and hence physiological costs differed notonly within traits but also related differently to neophobia and object exploration in captive-bred
greenfinches (Carduelis chloris). Finally, variation in response to environmental cues may reflect
differences in learning between individuals, as perhaps illustrated by age differences in
environmental sensitivity (Chapter 3). In chapters 5 and 6, I investigated whether learning that a
feeding site is temporally stable could cause changes in response to food appearance ("local
cues") when foraging. I predicted that birds would re-find food by spatial rather than local cues in
these scenarios, as appearance can change hence local cues become unreliable over time. In
chapter 5, I carried out an associative learning test to test this prediction in captive-bred
greenfinches. Within a simple foraging scenario, the prediction was upheld: greenfinches
favoured local cues in situations where the temporal stability of food was unknown, but switched
to spatial cues when temporal stability was learnt through repeated encounters. In chapter 6
though, four of five wild bird species foraging at temporally stable bird feeders continued to
respond to local cues, selecting feeders on the basis of colour. Most species were biased toward
red feeders, and also responded to social cues when finding feeders: foraging strategies better
suited to finding ephemeral food than re-finding temporally stable feeding sites. I suggest that
wild birds use information on temporal stability from the broader environment (i.e. natural
ephemeral food beyond temporally stable artificial feeders). This illustrates how animals may not
necessarily forage in the wild as we would expect within specific contexts. Throughout this thesis
therefore, my findings illustrate the importance of testing predictions generated from captive
behaviour in the wild. Moreover, identifying variation in both the foraging strategies and
physiological costs to individual variation in behaviour, this thesis provides new insight into the
adaptive significance of animal personality.


The chapter discusses implied subjects creating open or generic reference inFinnish and Estonian if-clauses from a contrastive perspective. We focus on theso-called zero person constructions, passives/impersonals, and the Estonianda-infinitive which acts as a predicate of an if-clause. These construction typeslack subject; in addition they can create open or generic reference. The constructionsare closely interrelated; however, each of them has some restrictions in useand differences in interpretation. The passive in Finnish and the impersonal inEstonian if-clauses have a tendency to refer to a group, whereas the zero personand Estonian da-infinitive refer to one individual. The interpretation of impliedsubject depends on the conditional clause type, the context, and the verb formthat is used.


Human capital theory states that workers' knowledge and skills increase their productivity and thus raise their earnings. An important dimension of human capital theory distinguishes between general human capital and specific human capital. Chapter Two and Chapter Three of this dissertation examine two groups of individuals who encounter interruptions in their work careers and cannot completely transfer their specific human capital to their new jobs. Chapter Two investigates displaced workers who lose jobs due to mass layoffs by their employers. Their success in job transition depends partially on the extent to which their human capital can be carried over across jobs. The Chapter Two analysis adds to the extensive literature on the earnings cost of displacement by distinguishing the earnings losses between high technology (hi-tech) displaced workers and low-tech displaced workers. Earnings losses are estimated using a generalized difference-indifference model which compares the earnings patterns of displaced workers with a comparison group of non-displaced workers. The empirical results demonstrate that earnings decline substantially upon displacement and then recover gradually. Hi-tech displaced workers suffer larger initial earnings losses and have faster recoveries than other displaced workers. Chapter Three examines female immigrants to the U.S. whose entry wages fall short of those of comparable natives because their human capital accumulated in foreign countries is not completely transferable to the U.S. labor market. The entire literature on immigrant skills has focused almost exclusively on male immigrants. Chapter Three extends the previous research to the population of female immigrants by examining changes across cohorts in their labor market skills, as measured by their English proficiency, educational attainment and wages. The results show that, across successive cohorts of female immigrants, English proficiency at entry stays constant and average education level increases. After controlling for human capital and demographic characteristics, predicted wages are lower for female immigrants upon entry relative to female natives. Compared to male immigrants in the same period, female immigrants exhibit faster growth across cohorts in educational attainment and in predicted wages. Overall, this dissertation provides further evidence of the role of specific human capital in explaining multiple dimensions of workers' earnings patterns. Without your continual support and understanding, it would have been much harder to complete this research. To my mother, father, and grandfather, who gave me the passion and courage to pursue this difficult but fascinating path. To my aunt, uncle, and brother, who provided tremendous help and support throughout this …


Previously published work on applied impact damping typically relates to SDOF models or simple MDOF models such as the classical cantilever beam. Structural models often require an extremely large number of DOF with mode shapes that are generally very complex. Dynamics simulation of these typically becomes both complicated and time consuming. The nonlinear behavior of impact dampers further complicates such simulation in that standard linear solutions are not possible. The primary objective in this research extends previous work by applying impact dampers to MDOF structures that are modeled with general three-dimensional beam finite elements. Modal-based models of the MDOF systems and efficient impact damper tracking algorithms were also developed that significantly reduced CPU time for simulation. Significant among the objectives was obtaining an impact damper design for the MDOF casing structure of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), High-Pressure Oxygen Turbo-Pump (HPOTP), subject to pump rotor shaft unbalance. Impact damper performance is based on suppression of vibration at casing critical frequencies for rotor speed ranges, at rotor full speed, and very high unbalance to simulate a defect such as losing an impeller blade fragment or a cracked bearing [6]. Simulations show significant reductions in vibration at the casing critical frequencies and very high unbalance levels while little or no improvement was observed off resonance. Additionally, the previous work with an experimental rotor bearing system (RBS) and impact damper was modeled using the developed modal-based methods. Simulation of the resulting model response shows remarkable agreement with the experimental. Finally, both the RBS and the HPOTP were modeled and simulated as unstable systems with attached impact dampers. The simulations predict that the impact damper is an excellent stabilizing mechanism for a range of instability driver values. Simulation of the models in this research with the developed modal based algorithms were accomplished with excellent efficiency, and accurate results.


The present study substantiates the economic basis for regulating land relations in the agricultural sector, outline the main stages of the formation and development of land relations in Russia. It also carries out a comparative analysis of land relations in Russia and foreign countries, presents theoretical aspects of economic regulation of land relations in the agricultural sector and considers domestic and foreign experience of the regulation of land relations. The activities of human society in connection with land are carried out on the basis of social relations, the key element of which is land relations. Transformations and regulation of land relations occur in the process of agrarian transformations. Historically, it has been proven that the implementation of agrarian reforms that change the socioeconomic situation, the working conditions of people, the production and marketing of products, does not bring about solid results without a proper transformation of land relations. The unique role of land relations in the system of agrarian reforms suggests that agrarian restructuring must begin with land reform.


Background: Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is associated with a poor prognosis. It is an uncommon malignancy and therefore difficult to study. Randomized phase III trials are not available to guide best approaches. The Provincial Cancer Registry of the British Columbia Cancer Agency contains long-term data on patients with SBA. The authors analyzed characteristics and treatment outcomes for SBA patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2008. Material and methods: Charts of 150 patients with a histological diagnosis of SBA were retrospectively analyzed. Epidemiological and treatment data were collected. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Baseline characteristics, such as median age at diagnosis (64.5 years), tumor stage (I-II 33%, III-IV 58%, unknown 9%), and location (duodenum 48%, jejunum 31%, ileum 21%) were consistent with published data. 55% of patients had a positive family history of cancer. DFS and OS of 29 patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy were not significantly different to that of 47 patients without (p = 1 and p = 0.211, respectively). In the palliative setting patients treated with polychemotherapy (21 patients) had statistically better OS than patients treated with monochemotherapy (12 patients) (p = 0.0228). Conclusions: Our study suggests a survival benefit for advanced-stage SBA patients treated with poly- versus monochemotherapy. This, however, was a retrospective analysis with several potential confounders. Nevertheless, our study adds to the evidence suggesting that chemotherapy may be beneficial for patients with SBA, at least in the palliative setting.


Whether welfare analysis of legal rule changes should evaluate distributional outcomes as well as efficiency depends crucially on how much their distributional impacts stick. That is, do court mandates ultimately affect the distribution of taxes and spending or do legislatures offset the distributional consequences of those court orders with other changes? Little is known about this question. To offer insight into it, I use an event study methodology to show how state revenues and expenditures respond to court orders to increase funding for schools.
I find that the court orders' distributional impacts do stick. The education spending is financed by tax increases that do not target the largest beneficiaries of the increased education spending, the poor and those with children. Thus, since the main beneficiaries of the school spending do not pay a disproportionate share of the costs, advocates for school finance reform are effective at transferring resources to poor families. The results suggest that welfare analysis of these legal rules should take into account not only efficiency but also distribution, in a departure from traditional economic analysis of legal rules.


Foundry work was first introduced into schools
some thirty years ago. At this time aluminium alloys were
generally used, LM4 and LM6 being the most suitable. Some
schools were a little more adventuresome and involved
themselves with casting iron and brasses, but the high
temperatures, obnoxious gases, noisy furnaces and inadequate
extraction, coupled with length and cost of melt and the
necessity of close furnace supervision, proved too much
of a handicap for most. Few persisted for long in their
attempts to introduce these materials into school. Progress
was virtually halted when legislation placed school workshops
under the jurisdiction of factory inspectors. This had
several very desirable effects in the long term and, although
working conditions in schools still lag far behind those of
industry, several positive developments were made. Standards
were raised by the insistence on adequate ventilation, efficient
extraction systems and a general tightening of safety in all
its aspects. [Continues.]


Auctions are common mechanisms for identifying prices and suppliers of commodities and are particularly important in agricultural marketing. Information asymmetries among bidders may be ameliorated over time through some form of learning. In this study, we incorporate prior decisions to participate, information from previous auctions, and firm-specific attributes to explain both the decision to bid and the level of the bid. Our analysis uses data from Egyptian oilseed tenders, an important market both for oilseeds and tendering. Because of the unbalanced nature of the panel data, we are able to evaluate the effects of signals received from previous tenders. We find that firms learn from previous auctions and can gain an informational advantage through some form of representation (e.g., by having an agent and/or direct sales agent to the country). Our results provide strong evidence that learning-by-doing affects the decision to participate and that learning affects the bid value. We also find that firms use outcomes of previous auctions to update information in both their decisions to participate in a market as well as determining the bid level. Finally, we find that firms with representation have a higher probability of participating in auctions and some evidence that they submit higher bids (earning higher returns).


The episcopal office, and the individuals who held it, were fundamental to the political, religious, social and cultural development of ducal Normandy. Not only men of great political power, many strove to create vibrant centres of learning in their dioceses, and accounts of their efforts to reform the Norman Church spread throughout Europe. However, while the episcopate of twelfth-century Normandy continues to be the subject of various studies, such as that published recently by Jorg Peltzer, there are few works, especially in English, which examine the careers of their predecessors in any real detail. This thesis is intended, therefore, as the first comprehensive analysis of the tenth and eleventh-century episcopate, and their role in the emergence of the Norman and Anglo-Norman realms. Using chronicles, ducal and episcopal acta, published conciliar records, architecture, and a wide variety of unpublished material in both French and English archives, this thesis traces the origins of the bishops, their recruitment and relations with the dukes of Normandy, their role in Normandy before the Conquest of England and in the governance of the Anglo-Norman realm, their secular role and connections, and their role as cultural patrons. It also includes, in various appendices, critical editions of texts either associated with, or created by, members of the episcopate, including the texts of over eighty episcopal acta.


A new image encoding and identification scheme is proposed for security verification by us-ing a CGH(computer generated hologram), random phase mask, and a correlation technique. The encrypted image, which is attached to the security product, is made by multiplying a QP- CGH(quadratic phase CGI) with a random phase function. The random phase function plays a key role when the encrypted image is decrypted. The encrypted image can be optically recovered by a 2-f imaging system and automatically verified for personal identification by a 4-f correlation system. Simulation results show the proposed method can be used for both the reconstruction of an original image and the recognition of an encrypted image.


This paper studies one of the healthcare industry of India "Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited" which is ranked at 352 amongst the world's largest 500 companies on corporate sustainability and environmental impact according to Newsweek in 2016. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries limited is the only company in the healthcare sector in India which has been listed as one of the Green companies in India. This paper mainly focuses on understanding and analysing the Green initiatives as a part of Corporate social responsibility (CSR) taken by the company which makes it the green company in India in Healthcare sector. The green scores of the company has also increased by 4% compared to the previous year (2015), which shows that the company is always striving to incorporate strategic Green HRM. Strategic Green HRM is one of the growing innovative approaches which promotes the sustainable use of resources of the business organisation and thus integrates environmental management into HRM.


In this study peripherally tetra-substituted metal-free, metallophthalocyanines bearing (3,4-dimethoxybenzyl) oxy groups have been synthesized and characterized. Electrochemical properties of novel phthalocyanines 4, 5, 6, and 7 were determined by cyclic and square wave voltammetry in order to define their possible applications in different electrochemical technologies. Co^{II} and Ti^{IV}O metal ions behave as redox active cations in the core of the CoPc and TiOPc complexes, respectively. Voltammetric studies revealed that phthalocyanines have reversible/irreversible redox processes, which are the main requirement for the technological usage of these compounds.


BACKGROUND
Surgery for symptomatic spinal metastases aims to improve quality of life, pain, function, and stability. Complications in the postoperative period are not uncommon; therefore, it is important to select appropriate patients who are likely to benefit the greatest from surgery. Previous studies have focused on predicting survival rather than quality of life after surgery.

OBJECTIVE
To determine preoperative patient characteristics that predict postoperative quality of life and survival in patients who undergo surgery for spinal metastases.

METHODS
In a prospective cohort study of 922 patients with spinal metastases who underwent surgery, we performed preoperative and postoperative assessment of EuroQol EQ-5D quality of life, visual analog score for pain, Karnofsky physical functioning score, complication rates, and survival.

RESULTS
The primary tumor type, number of spinal metastases, and presence of visceral metastases were independent predictors of survival. Predictors of quality of life after surgery included preoperative EQ-5D (P = .002), Frankel score (P < .001), and Karnofsky Performance Status (P < .001).

CONCLUSION
Data from the largest prospective surgical series of patients with symptomatic spinal metastases revealed that tumor type, the number of spinal metastases, and the presence of visceral metastases are the most useful predictors of survival and that quality of life is best predicted by preoperative Karnofsky, Frankel, and EQ-5D scores. The Karnofsky score predicts quality of life and survival and is easy to determine at the bedside, unlike the EQ-5D index. Karnofsky score, tumor type, and spinal and visceral metastases should be considered the 4 most important prognostic variables that influence patient management.


A challenge of archaeology is to analyze the history through chronotypology evolution of the material remains of cultural heritage. Firstly, this means that is necessary a 3D record, georeferenced, detailed and accuracy, and a three dimensional model that graphically represents both the geometry of the element under study and its current conservation state; secondly, after a detailed stratigraphic sequence, that allowing us to organize structural elements in time, we can propose the development of typologies linked to a specific chronology.This paper presents the work of 3D recording and geometric documentation of the walls of "Ciudad de Vascos" through specific methodologies of Archaeology of Architecture, such as the geometric definition and the measurement of its elements.The Archaeological Site of Vascos or City of Vascos is located at southwest of the province of Toledo (Spain), it´s one of the fortified enclosures of X-XI centuries most important of the Iberian Peninsula, which has fossilized the emirate-caliphate architecture of Al-Andalus, with little further transformation. In this way, the medina consists of two basic defensive elements, northwest of the city, the Kasbah, with several walled enclosures of different masonry, from mud to regular blocks. Closing the urban space, there is a vast wall of irregular shape, which well preserved in the most part. The wall presents different typologies with predominant of squared granite ashlars but there are also parts of little stones masonry fixed with mortar, which tell of different historical processes.Due to the large volume of data required to have a metric knowledge to determine typologies, and in order to facilitate and automate the process of obtaining measurements, we have implemented a technique that aims to combine the high-resolution of terrestrial laser scanner, with digital images processing, to obtain the largest number of metric data that distinguish each typology.We carried out a survey of the wall with a SLT (Leyca ScanStation C10), for the geometric and volumetric reconstruction; in addition we used a GPS to give absolute coordinates to the work. After data capture, it is necessary a process of depuration of the point clouds and a mesh was created with a resolution of centimeters to obtain the 3D textured model and a serie of plan or sections, like first results of the project, as well as a series of orthoimages that will support archaeological stratigraphy units.With these orthoimages be held the draw and measurement of ashlars, masonry blocks and areas of interest, using techniques of digital image processing, mainly, image enhancement, edge detection and filters in order to automate the process of defining structural elements. Them, we will proceed to the automatic extraction of numerical data of the elements of the wall, that is, the dimensions, as a contribution to the technique mensiochronology. Finally, verification of results ensures that the proposed methodology allows obtaining precise and quality data.


A new Morawetz or integrated local energy decay estimate for Maxwell test fields on the exterior of a Schwarzschild black hole spacetime is proved. The proof makes use of a new superenergy tensor H ab ?> defined in terms of the Maxwell field and its first derivatives. The superenergy tensor, although not conserved, yields a conserved higher order energy current H ab ( ∂ t ) b ?> . The tensor H ab ?> vanishes for the static Coulomb field, and the Morawetz estimate proved here therefore yields integrated decay for the Maxwell field to the Coulomb solution on the Schwarzschild exterior.


The role that dependency can play in developing programs is a longstanding topic of interest. The idea that spreadsheet principles are the key to new more accessible ways of programming continues to be a focus for current research. This paper further elaborates an idea whose development has been documented in several previous PPIG meetings: that programming can be best understood by construing human and automated agency in observational terms. Its main focus is on illustrating and discussing a new concept: a with-construct that has been introduced in a recently developed environment for making such construals (the 'MCE'). Preliminary work indicates that introducing this concept has a transformative impact both on the practice of making construals and its relationship to conventional programming.


In the past it has been found that serious damage and breaching of seawalls is most frequently caused by overtopping. Hence for the design of seawalls data must be available about the overtopping by waves of the different profiles that might be possible. Naturally the conditions under which damage is caused to the seawall also depend on the type of construction and the materials used, for example: the stability of grass covered dikes can be endangered seriously by water flowing over the inner slope. In many designs the necessary height of a seawall has been defined such that not more than 2% of the waves overtop the crest, under chosen design conditions. This criterion has been determined on the assumption that the overtopping must remain very small. Some overtopping has to be accepted because no maximum value for wave height and wave run-up can be given, unless of course the wave height is limited by fore-shore conditions. Unfortunately this criterion gives no information about the volume and concentration of water overtopping the crest in each instance. Moreover it is of interest to know how this overtopping varies with other conditions, such as changes in the significant wave height. Information about the overtopping by waves was obtained from model investigations on simple plane slopes w^th inclinations varying from 1 : 8 to 1 : 2. The experiments were made in a windflume where wind generated waves as well as regular waves were employed. Using wind generated waves, conditions from nature regarding the distribution of wave heights could be reproduced. It appeared that the overtopping depends on the irregularity of the waves and that the same effects cannot be reproduced using regular paddle generated waves. In this paper a description of the model and the results of these tests are given. Investigations are m progress on composite slopes, including the reproduction of conditions for a seawall which suffered much overtopping but remained practically undamaged during the flood of 1953.


The significant increase in the number of consumer transactions, along with the expansion of information technology, have created massive amounts of detailed information on each individual's credit history. Consumer credit reporting agencies ("CRAs") play an important role in this financial information market. Although the credit reporting system has significant economic benefits, CRAs have a tarnished reputation as far as consumer protection is concerned. While making their business out of gathering, compiling and analyzing consumers' information, CRAs generally do not have privity of contract with those very same consumers and thus have little or no incentive to protect consumers' privacy and ensure the accuracy of every single credit report. Such lack of incentive has resulted in numerous consumer problems, including inaccuracies in credit reports and erroneous credit scores; infringement of consumers' right to privacy; contribution to the prevalence of identity theft; and the creation of a fertile ground for consumer manipulation through targeted marketing lists. This paper suggests that the current regulatory system has been captivated by the misconception of the consumer as Homo Economicus. Existing regulation has given consumers a significant role in facilitating the production of more accurate credit, envisioning rational, vigilant and alert consumers, who regularly monitor their credit reports, dispute errors and opt-out from marketing lists. However, studies have shown that consumers' rationality in decision making is in fact doubtful, and so too is the justification of imposing monitoring responsibilities on consumers. The paper challenges the economic regulatory approach through the behavioral economic approach – a relatively new model that aspires to explain consumers' biases and cognitive limitations, which are absent in the standard economic framework. The paper then explores two potential consumer protection mechanisms, drawn from the behavioral economic framework: applying psychological tools, such as disclosure and framing, for a better designed system; and enhancing consumer financial literacy.


Abstract. We present an evaluation of the online regional model WRF-Chem over Europe with a focus on ground-level ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The model performance is evaluated for two chemical mechanisms, MOZART-4 and RADM2, for year-long simulations. Model-predicted surface meteorological variables (e.g., temperature, wind speed and direction) compared well overall with surface-based observations, consistent with other WRF studies. WRF-Chem simulations employing MOZART-4 as well as RADM2 chemistry were found to reproduce the observed spatial variability in surface ozone over Europe. However, the absolute O3 concentrations predicted by the two chemical mechanisms were found to be quite different, with MOZART-4 predicting O3 concentrations up to 20 µg m−3 greater than RADM2 in summer. Compared to observations, MOZART-4 chemistry overpredicted O3 concentrations for most of Europe in the summer and fall, with a summertime domain-wide mean bias of +10 µg m−3 against observations from the AirBase network. In contrast, RADM2 chemistry generally led to an underestimation of O3 over the European domain in all seasons. We found that the use of the MOZART-4 mechanism, evaluated here for the first time for a European domain, led to lower absolute biases than RADM2 when compared to ground-based observations. The two mechanisms show relatively similar behavior for NOx, with both MOZART-4 and RADM2 resulting in a slight underestimation of NOx compared to surface observations. Further investigation of the differences between the two mechanisms revealed that the net midday photochemical production rate of O3 in summer is higher for MOZART-4 than for RADM2 for most of the domain. The largest differences in O3 production can be seen over Germany, where net O3 production in MOZART-4 is seen to be higher than in RADM2 by 1.8 ppb h−1 (3.6 µg m−3 h−1) or more. We also show that while the two mechanisms exhibit similar NOx sensitivity, RADM2 is approximately twice as sensitive to increases in anthropogenic VOC emissions as MOZART-4. Additionally, we found that differences in reaction rate coefficients for inorganic gas-phase chemistry in MOZART-4 vs. RADM2 accounted for a difference of 8 µg m−3, or 40 % of the summertime difference in O3 predicted by the two mechanisms. Differences in deposition and photolysis schemes explained smaller differences in O3. Our results highlight the strong dependence of modeled surface O3 over Europe on the choice of gas-phase chemical mechanism, which we discuss in the context of overall uncertainties in prediction of ground-level O3 and its associated health impacts (via the health-related metrics MDA8 and SOMO35).


Purpose: Estrogen receptor (ER) targeting is key in management of receptor-positive breast cancer. Currently, there are no methods to optimize anti-ER therapy dosing. This study assesses the use of 16α-18F-fluoroestradiol (18F-FES) PET for fulvestrant dose optimization in a preclinical ER+ breast cancer model. Experimental Design: In vitro, 18F-FES retention was compared with ERα protein expression (ELISA) and ESR1 mRNA transcription (qPCR) in MCF7 cells (ER+) after treatment with different fulvestrant doses. MCF7 xenografts were grown in ovariectomized nude mice and assigned to vehicle, low- (0.05 mg), medium- (0.5 mg), or high-dose (5 mg) fulvestrant treatment groups (5–7 per group). Two and 3 days after fulvestrant treatment, PET/CT was performed using 18F-FES and 18F-FDG, respectively. ER expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and qPCR on xenografts. Tumor proliferation was assessed using Ki67 immunohistochemistry. Results: In vitro, we observed a parallel graded reduction in 18F-FES uptake and ER expression with increased fulvestrant doses, despite enhancement of ER mRNA transcription. In xenografts, ER expression significantly decreased with increased fulvestrant dose, despite similar mRNA expression and Ki67 staining among the treatment groups. We observed a significant dose-dependent reduction of 18F-FES PET mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) with fulvestrant treatment but no significant difference among the treatment groups in 18F-FDG PET SUVmean. Conclusions: We demonstrated that 18F-FES uptake mirrors the dose-dependent changes in functional ER expression with fulvestrant resulting in ER degradation and/or blockade; these precede changes in tumor metabolism and proliferation. Quantitative 18F-FES PET may be useful for tracking early efficacy of ER blockade/degradation and guiding ER-targeted therapy dosing in patients with breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 21(6); 1340–7. ©2015 AACR.


Background: Rural district hospitals are frequently understaffed and inexperienced medical officers must make clinical decisions with no supervision. Medical officers from rural district hospitals in the Eastern Cape attending a two-week 'in-reach' anaesthesia training course at the Port Elizabeth academic complex were provided with subsequent telephonic support that enabled them to contact an experienced anaesthetist in the urban centre with clinical problems for advice. This survey was to determine user perceptions of the utility and effectiveness of the telephonic support system. Methods: Two questionnaires designed for both rural and urban-based doctors were completed either online or telephonically and were used to assess perceived values and limitations of the support system. Results: A total of 17 rural doctors, of whom 14 were foreign medical graduates, were eligible and agreed to participate; all were positive about the useful role and value of the programme, although many felt that the telephonic support system needs to be more structured and formalised. Open-ended questions revealed feelings of isolation and insecurity amongst the participants. Conclusion: The telephonic system is valuable and readily accessible. However, its ready acceptance by the participants should be viewed in the light of the lack of other resources. A systemic approach towards clinical support of medical officers in rural district hospitals should be adopted, which might include remote supervision by telephone.


Information on vertical and horizontal distribution patterns, abundance and morphology of the decapod Pasiphaea semispinosa in the Benguela upwelling system is presented. P. semispinosa is the dominant pelagic decapod in the system, occurring between 19 and 32°S along the mid and inner shelf in concentrations of 10–100·m−2. Although it is more abundant during abated than during active upwelling in the northern Benguela, it would appear to be equally abundant during both upwelling scenarios in the southern Benguela. In the southern Benguela, reproductive females are present during winter and juveniles dominate during active upwelling, but juveniles appear to be more common during abated upwelling in the northern Benguela. The estimates of abundance of P. semispinosa presented in this study are subject to sampling biases attributable to their vertical migratory behaviour and net avoidance capabilities.


Bradley; Programming in Visual Basic 2010 The author team of Julia Bradley and Anita Millspaugh remain the guiding light for countless students around the world in Programming with Visual Basic 2010. How better to master the most popular object-oriented programming language than to use the bestselling textbook? Be at the cutting edge of technology with examples, feedback questions, and a full Hands On Programming Example. Apply the concepts yourself with Case Studies and Exercises. Screen captures, step-by-step exercises, and thorough appendices ensure that Programming Excellence Begins Here.


Total mesorectal excision (TME) indicates a surgical technique for the removal of the rectum and mesorectum during an anterior resection for rectal cancer. The concept of complete TME was first described by Heald in 1979. In the past ten years laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (LTME) has been introduced as an alternative to the open technique and proved to be equivalent by many studies. Anyhow, the laparoscopic approach is technically more challenging than the open one, and its learning curve is often longer. The purpose of this study is to suggest a standardization of the procedure by suggesting a critical view of safety for laparoscopic rectal resection, advising some tips and tricks which could benefit its learning and its performance.


Vegetation phenological events, such as bud break, flowering, and leaf coloring, are closely associated with lower atmospheric conditions as seasons change. Plant phenology during springtime is particularly sensitive to climatic factors, especially temperature variations. Therefore, the occurrence of specific plant events can be used to identify the onset of spring. Advance or delay in these timings can serve as potential climate change detection measures over long periods. In this paper, changes to spring's onset in Wisconsin were examined using the first-bloom event of several introduced and native species in 1965-1998. Due to the incompleteness of these observations, satel- lite data were applied to derive 3 phenological regions across the state. Next, average first-bloom time-series were formed at this regional scale. Several multi-species indices were then created based on regional first-bloom variations. Trends toward earlier first-bloom dates over the study period, especially for early-spring species, were revealed in the southwestern and central/eastern regions of Wisconsin. Two of the most important aspects of our study are: (1) phenology is regarded as a multi- species problem that can be more easily manipulated by reducing species variations to several indices; and (2) satellite data, weather data, and phenological observations are integrated to create and validate phenological regions, a process that can be used in other areas to facilitate long-term phenological data reconstruction.


Integration of distributed generation (DG) units and shunt capacitors in the radial distribution networks is one of the effective options that can be used to improve the system voltage and reduce system losses. Optimal sizing and siting of DG units and shunt capacitors need to be ensured for strengthening the supply quality and reliability of distribution systems. In this regard, new analytical strategies need to be devised to minimise the computational burden and improve the overall accuracy of the solution. In this paper, a numerical method for the identification of the target voltage support zones is proposed by reducing the large search space. The strategic placement of DG units and shunt capacitors is proposed for overall voltage support and power loss reduction in a distribution feeder. The investment cost for DG units and shunt capacitors is minimised by using particle swarm optimisation (PSO) technique.


A comparative study between fibre and Nd:YAG (neodymium, yttrium, aluminium, garnet) laser surface treatment on a cold isostatic pressed (CIP) ZrO 2 engineering ceramic was conducted to investigate the individual differences of laser brightness (radiance) produced by the two laser sources. The effects of brightness exhibited by the two lasers were investigated in respect to the change in the hardness, dimensional size of the laser irradiated zones and the microstructure of the ZrO 2 engineering ceramic. The results showed that the hardness of the ZrO 2 engineering ceramic was reduced by 36% for the Nd:YAG laser in comparison to the as-received surface. However, only 4% reduction in the surface hardness was found from employing the fibre laser surface treatment which was not significant as much as the results of the Nd:YAG laser irradiation. The change in hardness occurred due to softening of the laser irradiated surface of the ZrO 2 with a changed composition which was softer than the laser unaffected surface. The dimensional size of the fibre laser irradiated track was also found to produce broader surface profiles in comparison to that of the Nd:YAG laser. The fibre laser irradiated surface track was 32% larger in width and 51.5% longer in depth of penetration in comparison to that of the Nd:YAG laser. Change in microstructure of the ZrO 2 engineering ceramic irradiated by both lasers was found as opposed to the ground and polished untreated surface. The fibre laser affected the grain morphology to a greater extent in comparison to that of the Nd:YAG laser irradiation. The physical and micro-structural effects from applying the two laser types to the ZrO 2 engineering ceramic differed as deep penetration and broader laser irradiated track as well as larger grains were produced by the fibre laser, despite using identical laser processing parameters such as spot size, power density, traverse speed, gas flow rate, wavelength and the Gaussian beam profile. This occurred due to the high brightness exhibited by the fibre laser irradiation which generated larger power per unit area which in turn induced into the ZrO 2 engineering ceramic and resulted to producing high processing temperature, larger fibre laser-ceramic-interaction zone and melt-pool at the laser-ZrO 2 interface in comparison to that of the Nd:YAG laser which intrinsically resulted to a change in physical attributes of the ceramic. © 2011 Old City Publishing, Inc.


Gardens for All Seasons is a gardening lifestyle book by bestselling author Mary Horsfall, celebrating the role of gardens in our lives and advising on the timing of jobs in the gardening year throughout Australia.

Monthly chapters include topics such as planning, bushfire preparation, watering, pot plant care, mulching, weeding, fertilising, pruning, propagating, pest control, what to plant for different climate zones and what garden venues and events to visit.

Mary details her own gardening year, including jobs done, fruits and vegetables harvested, food cooked based on the harvest, what was in flower and wildlife observations – all on a month by month basis. Each chapter includes a special topic of the month, such as fun for kids in the garden, biodiversity, manipulating microclimate, and fragrance and first aid.

Covering both edible and decorative gardens, and including colour photographs as well as some of Mary's own recipes, Gardens for All Seasons is sure to please all types of gardeners.


The terms Wahhabi or Salafi are seen as interchangeable and frequently misunderstood by outsiders. However, as Madawi al-Rasheed explains in a fascinating exploration of Saudi Arabia in the twenty-first century, even Saudis do not agree on their meaning. Under the influence of mass education, printing, new communication technology, and global media, they are forming their own conclusions and debating religion and politics in traditional and novel venues, often violating official taboos and the conservative values of the Saudi society. Drawing on classical religious sources, contemporary readings and interviews, Al-Rasheed presents an ethnography of consent and contest, exploring the fluidity of the boundaries between the religious and political. Bridging the gap between text and context, the author also examines how states and citizens manipulate religious discourse for purely political ends, and how this manipulation generates unpredictable reactions whose control escapes those who initiated them.


We analyse the impact of standard and non-standard monetary policy on bank profitability. We use both proprietary and commercial data on individual euro area bank balance-sheets and market prices. Our results show that a monetary policy easing – a decrease in short-term interest rates and/or a flattening of the yield curve – is not associated with lower bank profits once we control for the endogeneity of the policy measures to expected macroeconomic and financial conditions. Accommodative monetary conditions asymmetrically affect the main components of bank profitability, with a positive impact on loan loss provisions and non-interest income offsetting the negative one on net interest income. A protracted period of low monetary rates has a negative effect on profits that, however, only materialises after a long time period and is counterbalanced by improved macroeconomic conditions. Monetary policy easing surprises during the low interest rate period improve bank stock prices and CDS. JEL: E52, E43, G01, G21, G28.


DS-CDMA has been recognized as the major candidate for providing high and variable data rates in third generation wireless networks, where multi-code structures and different spreading gains will be employed. In this paper, we address the problem of assignment of variable spreading gain deterministic codes to a set of users, with the objective to maximize down-link system throughput. We propose an algorithm to allocate codes to users with different minimum rate requirements, based on code crosscorrelation properties and spreading gains. Our algorithm first constructs an admissible set of codes by using criteria which are based on induced interference to the system and code rates. These codes are then appropriately assigned to users, so that user rate requirements are satisfied. Comparative numerical results for different performance measures of these criteria are also provided.


"This paper analyzes the vulnerability of South African farmers to climate change and variability by developing a vulnerability index and comparing vulnerability indicators across the nine provinces of the country. Nineteen environmental and socio-economic indicators are identified to reflect the three components of vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The results of the study show that the region's most vulnerable to climate change and variability also have a higher capacity to adapt to climate change. Furthermore, vulnerability to climate change and variability is intrinsically linked with social and economic development. The Western Cape and Gauteng provinces, which have high levels of infrastructure development, high literacy rates, and low shares of agriculture in total GDP, are relatively low on the vulnerability index. In contrast, the highly vulnerable regions of Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal and the Eastern Cape are characterized by densely populated rural areas, large numbers of small-scale farmers, high dependency on rainfed agriculture and high land degradation. These large differences in the extent of vulnerability among provinces suggest that policy makers should develop region-specific policies and address climate change at the local level." from authors' abstract


The phenomenon of berdache sexual inversion among the Northern Plains Indians continues to be both a source of interest and confusion for anthropologists. Early ethnohistoric literature and later causal analyses of the role of the berdache have tended to be biased by either western morality or western psychological paradigms. This problem was clearly described by Blakeslee (1979). Yet even recent interpretations have tended to circumvent the issues of role transgression in regards to the maintenance of the role in Plains cultures and the ritualistic importance of the berdache to those groups. What has been missing in the analysis of the berdache is the process of native conceptualization of sex roles and the process by which these cultures accommodate individuals who do not conform to the norm. A comparative analysis of belief systems can be useful in demonstrating the integration of atypical roles into society, for it appears that the berdache is intimately associated with shamanism.


Background: To compare the diagnostic performance of different first-line screening tests for subclinical hypercortisolism (SH) in patients with adrenal incidentaloma (AI). Methods: We studied a series of patients with AI, with no clinical evidence of hormonal hypersecretion. For screening for SH, all patients performed 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (1-mg DST), late night salivary cortisol (LNSC) and 24-h urinary free cortisol (UFC). A control group of patients with confirmed Cushing's syndrome (CS) was used to calculate the diagnostic performance of the screening tests. Results: In the 83 patients with AI, morning cortisol after 1-mg DST was ? 1.8 ?g/dL in 69.9%, 1.9 to 5 ?g/dL in 26.5% and > 5 ?g/dL in 3.6%. LNSC was elevated in 20.5% and all patients had normal UFC levels. In the control group, composed of 50 patients with confirmed CS, all patients who underwent 1-mg DST had cortisol levels > 1.8 ?g/dL (1.9 to 5 ?g/dL in 16.2% and > 5 ?g/dL in 83.3%); LNSC was elevated in 93.8% and the UFC was increased in 85.4% of patients tested. Overall, for the screening of SH, the 1-mg DST presented a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 69.9% with its lowest threshold (? 1.8 ?g/dL) and 83.3% and 96.4% with its highest threshold (< 5 ?g/dL). LNSC showed a sensitivity and specificity of 93.8% and 79.5% and the UFC of 85.4% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: The 1-mg DST at its lowest threshold presented the highest sensitivity in identifying SH, but its low specificity encourages us to consider UFC levels, to reduce false-positive test results. J Endocrinol Metab. 2018;8(4):62-68 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jem510w


The article deals with the concept of student-centred Personal Learning Environment (PLE) in the context of higher education, which is used as a means of transforming foreign language learning and teaching practices. It aims to reveal the opportunities for creating PLEs through incorporating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the process of foreign language education. The study focuses on the roles of teachers and students of non-language University majors in designing efficient learning environments highly adapted to changing objectives and student personal needs. The authors reveal the unlimited potential of ICT in constructing PLEs for both in-class activities and informal learning, providing a scope of practical student activities, which imply their active engagement both in and outside the classroom, as well as constructing a flexible, personalized, time and space independent learning environment. Students, teachers, ICT, which is a set of resources based on the use of educational technology tools thoroughly selected and organised in order to manage the content, applying relevant methods of teaching and learning strategies, as well as a learning process, are all regarded as constituents of PLEs aimed at mastering four foreign language skills when taking the course "Foreign Language for Specific Purposes": reading, listening, writing and speaking within personal, academic, and field-related contexts.


The Department of Homeland Security estimates that 11.4 million undocumented persons reside in the United States. Congress and President Obama are considering a number of proposals to regularize the status of the undocumented population and provide a "path to citizenship." Any future change in the immigration status of this group is bound to have significant effects on the labor market, on the number of persons that qualify for various government-provided benefits, on the timing of retirement, on the size of the population receiving Social Security benefits, and on the funding of almost all of these government programs. This paper provides a comprehensive empirical study of the labor supply behavior of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Using newly developed methods that attempt to identify undocumented status for foreign-born persons sampled in the Current Population Surveys, the empirical analysis documents a number of findings, including the fact that the work propensity of undocumented men is much larger than that of other groups in the population; that this gap has grown over the past two decades; and that the labor supply elasticity of undocumented men is very close to zero, suggesting that their labor supply is almost perfectly inelastic.


This is a multi-chapter report by C.M. Hutchinson and Doug Gergela. In the process of being published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, January-July 2007.


Abstract. In this contribution, the limitations of the Carleman linearization approach are presented and discussed. The Carleman linearization transforms an ordinary nonlinear differential equation into an infinite system of linear differential equations. In order to transform the nonlinear differential equation, orthogonal polynomials which represent solutions of a Sturm–Liouville problem are used as basis. The determination of the time derivate of this basis yields an infinite dimensional linear system that depends on the considered nonlinear differential equation. The infinite linear system has the same properties as the nonlinear differential equation such as limit cycles or chaotic behavior. In general, the infinite dimensional linear system cannot be solved. Therefore, the infinite dimensional linear system has to be approximated by a finite dimensional linear system. Due to limitation of dimension the solution of the finite dimensional linear system does not represent the global behavior of the nonlinear differential equation. In fact, the accuracy of the approximation depends on the considered nonlinear system and the initial value. The idea of this contribution is to adapt the range of validity for the Carleman linearization in order to increase the accuracy of the approximation for different ranges of initial values. Instead of truncating the infinite dimensional system after a certain order a Taylor series approach is used to approximate the behavior of the nonlinear differential equation about different equilibrium points. Thus, the adapted finite linear system describes the local behavior of the solution of the nonlinear differential equation.