The paper discusses different modelling assumptions for spandrels in equivalent frame models and their effect on the global response of the wall. The topic is motivated by the following issues: i) reliable and practice oriented numerical tools constitute a key instrument to support mitigation policies and plan effective (in terms of cost and impact) retrofit interventions; ii) spandrels have lately been increasingly recognized to play a significant role on the load bearing capacity of masonry walls; iii) despite the experimental evidence of last years that highlighted significant differences between spandrels and piers, numerical tools available in literature and recommendations of codes do not yet account properly for the progress achieved with regard to spandrel models. To deepen such issues, various strength criteria specifically formulated for spandrels and available in literature have been implemented in the Tremuri program, including those proposed by Beyer (2012) that have been recently incorporated in the updated release of the NZSEE recommendations. With the so enhanced program, parametric nonlinear static analyses on 2D masonry walls have been performed to quantitatively assess the influence of spandrel modelling.


Investment arbitration against Central and Central‐Eastern EU Member States is on the rise. A significant number of these claims are brought by EU investors despite the fact that the European Commission has opined that international arbitral tribunals established under these intra‐EU BITs are not competent to decide these disputes with EU law relevance. In the wake of the Commission's relative inaction in respect of these intra‐EU BITs, Member States have been tasked with responding to this increasing number of claims. To date, however, they have had limited success. This brief policy paper outlines likely causes of this unsatisfactory situation in particular for new Member States. It identifies the structure of the legal arguments in these arbitrations and the lack of a comprehensive overall policy approach as likely main causes. To remedy these shortcomings, the paper suggests new Member States adopt a three pillar strategy, consisting of legal, policy and public awareness elements.


Abstract The spatio-temporal development of an incompressible two-dimensional viscous wake flow confined by two flat slipping plates is investigated by means of direct numerical simulation (DNS), using a spectral Chebyshev multi-domain method. The limit between unstable and stable configurations is determined with respect to several non-dimensional parameters: the confinement, the velocity ratio and two different Reynolds numbers, $100$ and $500$. The comparison of such limit curves with theoretical results obtained by Juniper (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 565, 2006, pp. 171–195) confirms the existence of a region at moderate confinement where the instability is maximal. Moreover, instabilities are also observed under sustained co-flow, in the form of a vacillating front. Using a direct computation of the two-dimensional base flow, we perform a local linear stability analysis for several velocity profiles prevailing at different spatial locations, so as to determine the local spatio-temporal nature of the flow: convectively unstable or absolutely unstable. Comparisons of the DNS and local stability analysis results are provided and discussed.


In this paper, a virtual mesh refinement (VMR) algorithm for unstructured grids is presented in a parallelized direct simulation Monte Carlo code (PDSC) which features transient adaptive sub-cell (TAS). This algorithm is a virtual mesh refining process, in which the background mesh is refined based on an initial DSMC simulation. The refined cells are designed in a way similar to the structured grid, which makes the particle tracing on them very efficient, unlike on unstructured grids. These refined cells are only used for particle collision and sampling to physically resolve the collision mechanics. Only a refined cell, which includes centroid of the background cell, in a background cell is used for outputing macroscopic data. Two hypersonic flows including a hypersonic cylinder flow and a scramjet flow are simulated. Results show that the simulations using VMR can faithfully reproduce the benchmark case with a much reduced computational time. Corresponding parallel performance of this VMR in PDSC up to 128 processors will be presented in the conference.


ABSTRACT Enteropathogen contamination of groundwater, including potable water sources, is a global concern. The spreading on land of animal slurries and manures, which can contain a broad range of pathogenic microorganisms, is considered a major contributor to this contamination. Some of the pathogenic microorganisms applied to soil have been observed to leach through the soil into groundwater, which poses a risk to public health. There is a critical need, therefore, for characterization of pathogen movement through the vadose zone for assessment of the risk to groundwater quality due to agricultural activities. A lysimeter experiment was performed to investigate the effect of soil type and condition on the fate and transport of potential bacterial pathogens, using Escherichia coli as a marker, in four Irish soils (n = 9). Cattle slurry (34 tonnes per ha) was spread on intact soil monoliths (depth, 1 m; diameter, 0.6 m) in the spring and summer. No effect of treatment or the initial soil moisture on the E. coli that leached from the soil was observed. Leaching of E. coli was observed predominantly from one soil type (average, 1.11 ± 0.77 CFU ml−1), a poorly drained Luvic Stagnosol, under natural rainfall conditions, and preferential flow was an important transport mechanism. E. coli was found to have persisted in control soils for more than 9 years, indicating that autochthonous E. coli populations are capable of becoming naturalized in the low-temperature environments of temperate maritime soils and that they can move through soil. This may compromise the use of E. coli as an indicator of fecal pollution of waters in these regions.


The purpose of this work is to present some recommendations regarding the concession of roadways to take place in Peru in the coming years. The Road Systems Concessions Program's scheme comprises the granting of approximately 7.000 km of roadway. Two of the methods used to define the auction variable are analyzed. Minimum Toll (fixed term), and Least Present Value of Income (variable term). Auction Theory is utilized and, on this basis, an auction mechanism is designed. In this sense the proposal includes: a) the auctioning in the first place, of the most profitable systems in a sequential manner, the objective being that both the auctioneer and the concessionaire companies may master the process. b) The auctioning of the systems, by way of a closed-envelope by turns auction. c) The simultanous auctioning, of those road packages where the benefits granted by synergies present are superior to organizational costs; in this case the participants may make simultaneous offers for various road segments under concession. In this manner, advantage can be taken of possible scale economies, and market concentration will be limited.


The prevalence of corrupt practices and in particular bribery is increasing adding significant costs to business. Furthermore the advent of anti-bribery legislation and anti corruption bodies are targeting individuals and organsiations that engage in such practices. Corruption is deemed to be more prevalent in developing economies mainly as by-product of the desire for pecuniary gain (Gray & Kaufman 1998). It can be viewed as a symptom of fundamental economic, political and institutional causes and is not due to cultural difference of values or ethics as some authors purport. The opportunity for bribery is usually coupled with poor governance measures, a lack of enforcement of enacted governance legislation, accompanied by poverty, low public sector salaries and inconsistent accountability. A better understanding of why managers offer and accept bribes can assist organsiations in the development of appropriate strategies to manage such risks, particularly in developing economies such as Vietnam.
According to Transparency International (2012) the Corruption Perception Index rankings, Vietnam is 112 out of 183 countries, suggesting it is quite corrupt when compared to Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan ranked 5, 12 and 14 respectively. In 2003 more than half of foreign and local businesses complained that corruption and bureaucracy were major issues when conducting business (United Nations Development Programme, 2010). This paper surveyed the views of over 100 practicing managers in Vietnamese organsiations presents evidence that management perceptions of bribery and corruption in Vietnam are in-line with literature suggestions about the causes of bribery and corruption in emerging economies.
Whilst the paper confirms that unethical practices occur in the majority of organisations in Vietnam, it also highlights inconsistent results with respect to the propensity of managers to accept bribery and corruption and their willingness to engage in these practices. These findings represent a new development in the area of corruption perceptions of managers, particularly as they apply in Vietnam.


This project will examine the ways in which the self-proclaimed Mongolian "folk rock" band, Altan Urag, combines elements of both traditional Mongolian and Western music and culture in order to recast and recreate Mongolian tradition. These new representations of Mongolian tradition occur within the context of a young and rapidly developing democratic nation which looks both deeply into its own past to construct a strong national sense of identity and looks increasingly outward to the international community with aspirations of establishing itself as a recognized and respected member of that community. Altan Urag's new representations of Mongolian national heritage are both audial and visual in nature, and occur in live performance, album packaging, and digital mediums. Accordingly, this investigation will use data from all three mediums, as well as personal interviews with the band members and with persons related in various capacities to the band. In order to analyze these diverse data, both musical and sociological analytical methods will be used. The result will be a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between Mongolian tradition and Western ideas in the music of Altan Urag on all levels of musical experience.


The standard approach to deriving fluctuation theorems fails to capture the effect of quantum correlation and coherence in the initial state of the system. Here we overcome this difficulty and derive heat exchange fluctuation theorem in the full quantum regime by showing that the energy exchange between two locally thermal states in the presence of initial quantum correlations is faithfully captured by a quasiprobability distribution. Its negativities, being associated with proofs of contextuality, are proxys of non-classicality. We discuss the thermodynamic interpretation of negative probabilities, and provide heat flow inequalities that can only be violated in their presence. Remarkably, testing these fully quantum inequalities, at arbitrary dimension, is not more difficult than testing traditional fluctuation theorems. We test these results on data collected in a recent experiment studying the heat transfer between two qubits, and give examples for the capability of witnessing negative probabilities at higher dimensions.


In this paper, we propose a new design method of continuous deadbeat control system without using delay-element, and apply it to a speed control of the current type inverter-induction motor system.The dynamic characteristic of the system is expressed by the step or impulse response, then the deadbeat control signal which designed to minimize the quadratic form of the input and output errors can be easily obtained by the matrix computation using sampled data of these responses.The method of designing the continuous deadbeat controller which composed of both the pre-compensator and state feedback compensation is derived by use of the sequence of the deadbeat control signal.An actual continuous deadbeat controller is constructed by the microprocessor and it is found from experimental results that the speed control system proposed here gives stable operations and good transient performances for the step change of the desired value and disturbance.


This paper presents a novel model of the lending process that takes into account that loan officers must spend time and effort to originate new loans. Besides generating predictions on loan officers' compensation and its interaction with the loan review process, the model sheds light on why competition could lead to excessively low lending standards. We also show how more intense competition may fasten the adoption of credit scoring. More generally, hard-information lending techniques such as credit scoring allow to give loan officers high-powered incentives without compromising the integrity and quality of the loan approval process. The model is finally applied to study the implications of loan sales on the adopted lending process and lending standard.


The aging world-wide aviation fleet requires methods for accurately predicting the presence of structural flaws that compromise airworthiness in aircraft structures. Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) provides the means to assess these structures quickly, quantitatively, and noninvasively. Ultrasonic guided waves, Lamb waves, are useful for evaluating the plate and shell structures common in aerospace applications. The amplitude and time-of-flight of Lamb waves depend on the material properties and thickness of a medium, and so they can be used to detect any areas of differing thickness or material properties which indicate flaws. By scanning sending and receiving transducers over an aircraft, large sections can be evaluated after a single pass. However, while this technique enables the detection of areas of structural deterioration, it does not allow for the quantification of the extent of that deterioration. Tomographic reconstruction with Lamb waves allows for the accurate reconstruction of the variation of quantities of interest, such as thickness, throughout the investigated region, and it presents the data as a quantitative map. The location, shape, and extent of any flaw region can then be easily extracted from this tomographic image. Two Lamb wave tomography techniques using Parallel Projection tomography (PPT) and Cross Borehole tomography (CBT), are shown to accurately reconstruct flaws of interest to the aircraft industry. A comparison of the quality of reconstruction and practicality is then made between these two methods, and their limitations are discussed and shown experimentally. Higher order plate theory is used to derive analytical solutions for the scattering of the lowest order symmetric Lamb wave from a circular inclusion, and these solutions are used to explain the scattering effects seen in the tomographic reconstructions. Finally, the means by which this scattering theory can be used to develop Lamb wave tomographic algorithms that are more generally applicable in-the-field, is presented.


Lake Turkana fishery consists of seven endemic and 12 commercially exploited species and is the second largest producer of freshwater fish in Kenya. It supports livelihoods of approx. 300,000 people locally. The lake is managed by beach management units (BMU) through a co-management arrangement between the government and stakeholders. Despite this, it faces management related challenges that have resulted in plummeting fish production due to uncontrolled fishing effort, increased competition among fishermen and deficient statistics to support management objectives. This study investigated institutional factors influencing BMUs' performance by examining training and level of understanding of BMU laws and regulations, funding sources and usage and equipment ownership. A cross-sectional study was adopted and purposive sampling used to collect data from 693 respondents using questionnaires. Chi square was used to test for statistical differences at 95% significant level using MINITAB statistical software. Results showed that resource mobilization was statistically significant (x2=154.098, df=21, p=0.00) but donors (45%) contributed most funds compared to national government (21%), county government (19%) and well wishers (15%). Main revenue sources were membership registration (41%) and daily landing fees (25%). Revenue was used to purchase fishing gears (47%), supported welfare activities (18%) while significant portion (35%) was shared by members. Members' training was statistically significant (x2=79.510, df=14, p= 0.000) but only 35% were effectively trained while 65% had contrary opinion. Members were trained on fish handling (49%), BMU laws (28%) and micro-credit (23%) but key training gaps included data collection, conflicts resolution and sea surveillance/patrols. BMUs owned equipment; however, 87% were poorly serviced while others were not available. BMU performance could be improved mainly by providing financial support (27%), capacity building (19%) and security to fishermen (17%). This study identified critical capacity factors influencing BMU operations. The factors should be enhanced by various stakeholders to support BMU performance and promote collaborative management of fisheries resources in Lake Turkana.


Abstract This study focused on the mineralogical and physico-chemical properties of heulandite/clinoptilolite (Heu/Cpt)-rich zeolitic tuffs SE of Ankara (Turkey) and evaluated their potential for use as adsorbents. The main Heu/Cpt minerals correspond to the intermediate type and the Cpt-type of the heulandite series. Minor chabazite, erionite and rarely analcime and accessory feldspars, mica, smectite, and quartz were also detected. Three types of Heu were recognized according to their thermal behaviour. Cpt (type-III Heu) was thermally stable at 600°C, whereas type-I Heu collapsed and type-II Heu partially collapsed. The Si/Al ratios of the Hul/Cpt ranged from 3.54 to 5.03, the Γ parameter (Γ = Ca/Al + 0.115*Al) varied between 0.78 and 1.85 and Al + Fe3+ varied between 6.27 and 8.00. The Na, K and Ca contents of Heu/Cpt varied widely and the Heu had an intermediate composition between types II and III. The Mg + Ca content is greater than the Na + K content in Heu-type II and smaller in Heu-type III zeolites. The BET surface area and the pore-size of the samples varied between 10.15 and 194.27 m2/g, and between 1.41 and 12.42 nm, respectively. The N2 adsorption and desorption isotherms were comparable, but the adsorption/desorption capacity is greater in type III than in type II Heu zeolites. The cation exchange capacities of the Heu/Cpt-rich samples ranged from 185 to 280 meq/100 g.


We present a CO(2-1) and 1240 μm continuum survey of 23 debris disks with spectral types B9-G1, observed at an angular resolution of 0.″5–1″ with the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). The sample was selected for large infrared excess and age ∼10 Myr, to characterize the prevalence of molecular gas emission in young debris disks. We identify three CO-rich debris disks, plus two additional tentative (3σ) CO detections. Twenty disks were detected in the continuum at the >3σ level. For the 12 disks in the sample that are spatially resolved by our observations, we perform an independent analysis of the interferometric continuum visibilities to constrain the basic dust disk geometry, as well as a simultaneous analysis of the visibilities and broadband spectral energy distribution to constrain the characteristic grain size and disk mass. The gas-rich debris disks exhibit preferentially larger outer radii in their dust disks, and a higher prevalence of characteristic grain sizes smaller than the blowout size. The gas-rich disks do not exhibit preferentially larger dust masses, contrary to expectations for a scenario in which a higher cometary destruction rate would be expected to result in a larger mass of both CO and dust. The three debris disks in our sample with strong CO detections are all around A stars: the conditions in disks around intermediate-mass stars appear to be the most conducive to the survival or formation of CO.


Blue Bamboo is a collection of seven short stories by one of Japan's preeminent postwar writers and prose stylists, Osamu Dazai. Not the typical romantic fantasies so often seen in Japanese writing, filled with water sprites and vengeful ghosts, these stories are a mixture of fantastic allegory, slightly skewed fables, and affecting romantic tales. Revealing the wide range of Dazai's imaginative powers, they also give a glimpse of his humane and idealistic side. From the title story, about an impoverished, henpecked scholar who is transformed by the love of a voluptuous bird, to "The Chrysanthemum Spirit," about a passionate gardener who meets a brother and sister with extraordinary powers, Dazai creates a world of fantasy and romance that is infused with his own psychological concerns. Many readers may recall the poignancy of Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince or Han Christian Andersen. The collection is capped by two delightful stories-within-a-story, in which the assorted members of a quirky family compose alternate episodes of a slightly gothic romance with hints of Poe and Saki (in "On Love and Beauty") and a wildly elaborate retelling of Rapunzel that is engaging, horrifying, and touching by turns (in "Lanterns of Romance"). All in all, these warm, inventive, and life-affirming stories will strike a deep, satisfying chord in many readers.


Globally, health care has recently known indisputable challenges. Even the strongest nations have seen their supposedly strong health systems crush down. No health organisation has been left un-disrupted with the coming of Covid-19. If even the mighty have fallen what becomes of the weak?

African countries at independence were organized and financed by governments which provided facilities, personnel and other inputs. By the 1980s, however economic downturn and the embrace of international monetary fund loans with stringent conditionality meant that many governments had to cut public spending on infrastructure and services, including healthcare and education. Consequently, many African governments stopped subsidizing public services and began implementing various costs – recovery measures in public services. The cost recovery era witnessed the introduction of OOP (out-of-pocket) for healthcare services, public water supply and consumables in schools. Thus, since the 1980s and 1990s, OOP by individuals and households have accounted for a larger scale of healthcare expenditure in many African countries of sub-Saharan Africa (1). These payments popularly known as user-fees or the 'cash and carry' health system in Ghana are known for raising the cost of healthcare, thus making it un-affordable for a large number of the population. In many sub-Saharan countries, governments rank healthcare relatively low among development priorities (2). For this reason, insufficient resources are allocated to healthcare, including drugs; which is often financed OOP (3)

Healthcare statistics in sub-Sahara Africa are generally poor. For example, although the region makes up only 11 per cent, of the world's population; it accounts for é' per cent of the global disease burden and commands less than 1 per cent of global expenditure (4). Although the WHP suggests thresholds of OOP for health as a guarantee of adequate financial protection is in the region of 15-20 per cent, residents of many African countries spend more (5). For example, OOP spending on health was between 27 – 37 per cent in Ghana in 2012 about 52 per cent in Kenya, 6405-70 per cent in Nigeria in the 1998 – 2008 period: while in South Africa, the government contributes about 42 per cent of all expenditures on health. The remaining 58 per cent is paid by private sources insurance premiums and OOP.

The United Nations recommends minimum required budgetary allocation to health is 15 per cent, many African countries fall below this minimum in their budgetary allocations. In 2007 more than half of the 53 African countries spent less than $50 per person (as average) on health (6). Of the total expenditure, 30 per cent came from governments, 20 per cent from donors and 50 per cent from private sources of which 71 per cent was paid by patients themselves, the so-called out-of-pocket-payments.

The dire picture of the healthcare system in the world and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa described above, coupled with Africa's status as a 'low-income' region where poverty is a major barrier to accessing healthcare and underscores the need to rethink the health system.

To talk of healthcare systems, we must first consider the elements that make up this system. If the target is having a better health system then the individual elements making up the system must be reviewed. Knowing what it is to be what is has been and what it could be, will be a good step forward.


German social security records involve an indicator for part-time or full-time work. In 2011, the reporting procedure was changed suggesting that a fraction of worker recorded to be working full-time before the change were in fact part-time workers. This study develops a correction based on estimating the probability of being a part-time worker before and after the break. Using the correction, the paper confirms that the rise in wage inequality among full-time workers in West Germany until 2010 is not a spurious consequence of the misreporting of working time.


This paper attempts to provide a synthesis and appraisal of the field of executive functions (EF). In a moment in which early education is a very important issue in Romania, the purpose of this study is to emphasize the importance of early development of EF and EF correlation with school readiness (Ionescu and Benga, 2007). Core EF skills are (i) inhibitory control, (ii) working memory (WM), and (iii) cognitive flexibility. According to empirical studies, the model of WM proposes a multicomponent architecture, including specialized subsystems, considered important in developing children's language skills and mathematics. The WM model comprises four subcomponents. Two domain-specific limited capacity slave systems, the phonological loop (Baddeley, 1986), and the visuo-spatial sketchpad assume responsibility for storing and manipulating verbal or visuo-spatial information. These are coordinated by a domain-general limited capacity system, the central executive, which commands a number of functions including planning, inhibition, switching attention, and monitoring the processing of temporarily held information. The recently added fourth subcomponent, the episodic buffer (Baddeley, 2000), is considered to be responsible for the integration of information from the subcomponents of WM and long-term memory (LTM). Research has suggested that that independent contribution of the different working memory components and functions suggests that the relationship between individual differences in working memory and arithmetic is mediated by a number of resources, not only processing efficiency but also storage capacity and (central) executive ability. In conclusion, the present study shows strong evidence regarding implications of WM for mathematical development and mathematic curricula.


It is essential to objectively test how well policy models predict real world behavior. The method used to support this assertion involves the review of three SD policy models emphasizing the degree to which the model was able to fit the historical outcome data and how well model-predicted outcomes matched real world outcomes as they unfolded. Findings indicate that while historical model agreement is a favorable indication of model validity, the act of making predictions without knowing the actual data, and comparing these predictions to actual data, can reveal model weaknesses that might be overlooked when all of the available data is used for model development. Although this finding is based on just three cases, the value of using prediction to validate models, as recommended by leaders in the field, is compellingly demonstrated. The implication for decision makers is to be cautious about analyses made using models that have been tested only against historical data. The primary contribution is to clearly demonstrate the oft-prescribed but less often performed validation method of testing model predictions against reality.


Engaging with the literature on deliberative democracy, this article contends that in the context of ethnic group hostilities, deliberative processes where participants have a genuine opportunity to communicate and 'hear the other side' can be a way for inter-group dialogue and reconciliation. Separating the deliberative process into three distinct moments, it offers a framework for understanding how unequal and conflicting parties may be brought together to deliberate, how to grasp the micro-politics of deliberation, and to understand the diffusion mechanisms that bring society back in. The approach we propose aims to bridge the normative-macro and the experimental-micro accounts of deliberation in order to focus on non-ideal real-life contexts and to offer 'deliberative lenses' to study the (rare) cases of deliberative inter-ethnic reconciliation. The approach and the three moments are illustrated by the deliberative turn taken to resolve a conflict between the Innu communities, the Quebec government and the local non-Innu in Saguenay-Lac-Saint Jean.


Whereas efforts that prohibit employment discrimination based on factors such as race or sexual orientation require certain organizational changes, creating a transgender-inclusive workplace requires organizational changes that include personnel, policy, legal, and medical issues unique to transgender people. At present, it is not clear whether communities are actually implementing these organizational changes, even after adopting transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination laws. This research project surveyed 74 municipalities with transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination employments laws, in order to assess and better understand the state of transgender-inclusive public workplaces. The initial results of the survey suggest that although innovation continues to increase, implementation and enforcement remain low, affecting managers' and employees' abilities to operate in a transgender-inclusive environment. Recommendations are made to improve implementation and enforcement of transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination laws.


Visualization of shaft pressure variations and spatial changes caused by slipping in the blast furnace has established by turning stave temperature and shaft pressure data into images distributed in two dimensions. In addition, combining the twodimensional distribution of secondarily processed data of changes in space and time with the progress of operation data enables early detection of shaft pressure fluctuations. It has been also found that there exists a relationship between the cohesive zone root position, assumed by the visualized two-dimensional image of the stave temperature change over time, and the origins of shaft pressure fluctuations. It is extracted quantity of characteristic namely an independ-ent ingredient from a twodimensional image using an independent component analysis. It will be expected that spatial image and time series order become easy by watching a change of time series of independent ingredient. We have developed "Large scale database Online Modeling" as the practical method based on the Just-In-Time modeling concept on blast furnace operation, which has very complicated physical phenomena and strong non-linear specific characteristics. The validity of the developed modeling method has been confirmed by the study with blast furnace operation data, then the past similar operation data have been searched and the prospective operation data have been estimated very quickly and precisely.


Objective To appraise studies reporting on clinical effectiveness and safety of surgical meshes used to augment rotator cuff repairs (RCRs). Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched between April 2006 and April 2020. Eligibility criteria All studies evaluating adults (≥18 years) undergoing RCR were considered. There were no language restrictions. Data extraction and synthesis Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal were conducted by two independent reviewers. Meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects models if ≥2 comparative studies reported the same outcome measure. Risk of bias assessment was undertaken for randomised (RoB2, Cochrane) and comparative studies (ROBINS-I, Cochrane). Results We included 60 studies, consisting of 7 randomised controlled trials, 13 observational comparative studies and 40 observational case series. All comparative studies reported on shoulder-specific functional outcome scores, 18 on the radiographic occurrence of re-tear and 14 on pain score metrics. All studies contained some risk of bias. Compared with non-augmented repair, a small improvement in shoulder-specific function or pain scores was observed for synthetic patches with a mean improvement of 6.7 points on the University of California Los Angles (UCLA) shoulder score (95% CI 0.1 to 13.4) and 0.46 point reduction on the Visual Analogue Scale (95% CI −0.74 to −0.17), respectively. A reduced likelihood of radiologically observed re-tear was observed for synthetic (risk ratio (RR) 0.41, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.61) and allograft (RR 0.34, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.65) patches. A total of 49 studies reported on the occurrence of complications. Slightly higher crude complication rates were observed following patch-augmented repair (2.1%) than standard repair (1.6%). Conclusions While several studies suggest a decreased failure rate and small improvements in shoulder function and pain following augmented RCR, a paucity of rigorous clinical evaluation, for both effectiveness and safety, prevents firm recommendations. Prospero registration number CRD42017057908.


A game-theoretic analysis of forum shopping reveals how opportunities for strategic choices can influence the behavior of plaintiffs and defendants. If neither party has the opportunity to make strategic choices about participation or forum choices, we should expect no adverse selection or moral hazard problems. By contrast, if only one of the parties can control both the participation and forum selection choices, then we could expect pervasive adverse selection and moral hazard problems. In this paper we build on this simple game-theoretic framework, to analyze Dreyfuss and Ginsburg's (2001) Draft Convention on Jurisdiction and Recognition of Judgments in Intellectual Property Matters. We suggest that if the parties are faced with a bilateral strategic problem (i.e., if one party has control over one strategic choice and the other party has control over the other strategic choice), the extent of opportunistic behavior by either party, and the resulting deadweight losses, are likely to be minimized. In this respect, the Dreyfuss-Ginsburg proposal sensibly minimizes the strategic problems of forum shopping and creates an enforcement scheme which leaves intact the innovation incentives underlying intellectual property rights.


Objective: This study aims to explore the influence of continuous nursing on the survival quality and prognosis of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Method: A total of 100 patients with COPD from September 2013 to September 2015 were investigated. The Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) depression questionnaire, Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) anxiety questionnaire and SGRO life quality scale were used.
Results: The SDS and SAS scores of the experimental group 41.3 ± 3.6 and 37.5 ± 7.4, respectively were significantly lower P<0.05 than those of the control group 53.5 ± 4.7 and 51.3 ± 5.6, respectively. In addition, the SGRO total score of the experimental group 33.5 ± 12.6 was significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of the control group 57.5 ± 13.6. Furthermore, the symptoms, limitation of motion, and disease impact in the experimental group were significantly lower (P<0.05) than those in the control group. The PEF of the experimental group 7.94 ± 0.46 mL.s-1 was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the control group 7.50 ± 0.68 mL.s-1. In addition, the FEV1 and FEF25-75 of the experimental group were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those of the control group.
Conclusion: Continuous nursing can improve the survival quality and alleviate the negative emotions of patients with COPD.


The purpose of this study was to determine the demographic profiles, the major reported health problems, and the complementary, alternative (CAM), and conventional treatments used for these health problems and for wellness by a sample of rural Appalachian chiropractic patients. Differences in patient profiles among patients with acute and chronic problems and between chiropractic and non-chiropractic problems were also analyzed. A non-experimental descriptive cross-sectional design was employed. Descriptive analyses revealed that participants (N = 130) were 37 men and 93 women who were predominately white, married, middle-aged, well-educated and lived in Lee, Wise, Floyd or a surrounding county in Southwest Virginia. The majority of respondents were employed, insured, had an income greater than $35,000 per year, and reported their health as either "very good" or "good." They reported a low rate of alcohol and tobacco use. They tended to use either a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) or a medical provider or both as a regular source of health care. A DC was used as a health care provider six percent more than a medical provider for regular health care visits. Respondents reported forty separate health conditions as the main two health problems they experienced, the majority being chronic versus acute problems. Back, neck, and joint problems were the most frequently reported followed by headaches, diabetes, hypertension, thyroid, gastrointestinal, sinus and lung problems. The majority of the sample used chiropractic manipulation/adjustment with a substantial percentage of respondents using massage therapy or the two treatments concurrently. Chiropractic manipulation was used by one-quarter to one-third of those with diabetes and hypertension to treat these conditions and was employed by respondents with thyroid, gastrointestinal, sinus and lung problems as well. About one-quarter to one-half of respondents with these conditions used chiropractic manipulation, massage therapy, or both therapies together for treatment. The use of energy work, counseling, physical therapy, and reflexology were reported by only a small number of respondents. Differences in patient profiles among patients with acute and chronic health problems were evaluated with health status found to be significantly better in those with acute as compared with chronic health conditions. Those respondents who were not working were found to have non-chiropractic or medical problems more often.


In this book Jean-Jacques Nattiez, well-known for his pioneering work in musical semiology, examines both music, and discourse about music, as products of human activity that are perceived in varying ways by various cultures. Asking such questions as "what is a musical work" and "what constitutes music," Nattiez draws from philosophy, anthropology, music analysis, and history to propose a global theory for the interpretation of specific pieces, the phenomenon of music, and the human behaviors that music elicits. He reviews issues raised by the notion of the musical sign, and shows how Peircian semiotics, with its image of a chain or web of meanings, applies to a consideration of music's infinite and unstable potential for embodying meaning. In exploring the process of ascribing meaning to music, Nattiez reviews writings on the psychology of music, non-Western metaphorical descriptions, music-analytical prose, and writings in the history of musical aesthetics. A final analytical chapter on the Tristan chord suggests that interpretations of music are cast in terms of analytical plots shaped by transcendent principles, and that any semiological consideration of music must account for these interpretive narratives.


This article examines cross-cultural differences in the value cluster
of environmentalism and postmaterialism. Based on an extension of Ronald
Inglehart's "objective problems–subjective values" hypothesis, we posit
different sources of postmaterialism and environmental concern in wealthy
versus poor countries. We test hypotheses on the relationship between
national wealth, postmaterialist values, and environmental concern using
empirical data from the World Values Survey waves 5 and 6 and the International
Social Survey Program 2010. Using multilevel regression models with
cross-level interaction terms and country fixed effects, we show that the
effect of postmaterialism on environmental concern is indeed moderated by
national wealth: whereas there is a weak or even no effect in poorer countries,
the relationship is substantial in wealthy countries. Therefore, we argue
that individual postmaterialist values and environmental concern do in fact
form a coherent structure in wealthy countries, but should be considered as
isolated constructs in poorer countries.


Wood as a renewable resource is briefly discussed to provide an understanding of the complex nature of the relationship between its availability and its efficient use for engineered construction. Potentials for optimizing wood resource utilization through the application of structural reliability concepts and the recognition of the unique behavior of wood structures are developed. Structural reliability is discussed from the viewpoint of the selection of appropriate safety levels and developing improved structural wood products. The interaction of the influence of strength variation and level of safety chosen on the required design factors for engineered wood structures is illustrated. The important distinction between wood structural systems with a high degree of load sharing and those which are dependent on the structural integrity of a single member is defined. Research developments required to achieve full potentials for optimizing engineered wood structures are enumerated.


Research into shell midden sites of the Danish late Mesolithic(5400 BC to 3900 BC) over the last 160 years has largely gathered chronological and typological data. The high standard of excavations means that questions of site layout and usage can now be considered, but the use of a chronological approach limits the data available on these issues. In order to find better methods for investigating this and for interpreting the available data, research was undertaken into ethnographic and ethnohistorical records of shell midden usage by Aboriginal Australian people. The assumption was not that these records could be used to directly interpret Danish archaeological evidence, but to contemplate the spatial aspect of site use and the archaeological implications this may have. The research undertaken involved classifying data on a range of aspects of shell midden/coastal usage by Aboriginal people in southeast and tropical northern Australia. These data were synthesised as an overview of aspects of shell midden use (from shellfish gathering to food preparation to discard). Consideration was then given to the archaeological implications of these historical/spatial data.  Results demonstrate that current excavation techniques employed in Denmark (and elsewhere) are inadequate for assessing how shell midden sites were used and formed through time. The area covered by even a small settlement is many times larger than the areas currently being excavated. Without understanding how these settlements were laid out and used by the people of the late Mesolithic, it is hard to draw conclusions about the way in which sites built up through time, and of their relationship with other sites. The best way to investigate site layout is to concentrate on methods which will help define contemporary midden surfaces, such as refitting, and to develop suitable excavation techniques.


Understanding transport logistics trends as a basis for sustainable transport policymaking is
a growing research field. Within this field, a focus on transport logistics needs of
innovative firms has received hardly any attention despite their greater importance to
sustainable economic growth compared with non-innovative firms.
This research addressed this gap by determining the evolution of transport logistics
patterns and characteristics of innovative firms in the small-scale economy of Tasmania,
Australia, for the period 2002-03 to 2005-06. The main implications of this evolution for
public transport policymaking, although not representing a major focus of the research,
were also identified. To achieve its aim, the research included a comparative assessment
between innovative and non-innovative firms in terms of their freight transport intensity
and contribution to Tasmanian economic growth.
The objective of the research was to provide a missing link in the knowledge chain of
transport policymaking that would assist transport policymakers in understanding current
and future transport logistics needs of innovative firms. This, in turn, could enable the
development of sustainable transport policies that meet such needs and support the
competitiveness and growth of innovative firms, and hence the growth of the economy.
The methodology of the research consisted of an industry-based and logistics-oriented
quantitative analysis developed within the boundaries of a broader methodological
framework in the research field of identifying logistics trends. The analysis was applied on
two secondary datasets. The first dataset consisted of the land freight tasks in 2002-03 and
2005-06 provided by the Tasmanian Department of Infrastructure Energy and Resources.
The second dataset was from the Tasmanian innovation census for the period 2004 to 2006
provided by the Australian Innovation Research Centre of the University of Tasmania. The research found that innovative Tasmanian firms were more export-oriented,
contributed more to economic growth, and were more freight-intensive, than the general
population of firms. It also found that innovative Tasmanian firms had distinctive transport
logistics patterns and characteristics, and hence distinctive transport logistics requirements.
In particular, they were more intensive users of road/rail intermodal transport, and their
transport logistics characteristics in general are becoming increasingly more suitable for
intermodal transport.
Overall, the findings imply that the capacity of innovative firms to contribute to sustainable
economic growth would be enhanced through long-term transport policymaking tailored to
their distinctive needs. For Tasmania, this could be achieved by centring transport
policymaking on the development of a small-scale intermodal transport system that could
accommodate changes in the transport logistics needs created by the dynamics of supply
chain management of innovative firms. A further issue is whether innovative firms have
distinctive inherent characteristics from a transport logistics perspective and this too calls
for further investigation.


Recent studies indicate that right ventricular performance is impaired even in uncomplicated systemic hypertension. Because of widespread use of beta-blockade in essentially hypertension, it is possible that such treatment often further depresses right ventricular contractility. To test this premise, and to evaluate the changes induced by different beta-adrenoceptor blocking agents on the contractility of right ventricular myocardium, 20 patients with essential hypertension were divided into two groups on a double-blind randomised basis, and maintained on oral oxprenolol or propranolol for five weeks. Cardiac catheterisation and right ventricular cineangiography were performed at the beginning and again at the end of the five week period. Right ventricular end-diastolic volume index did not change significantly in either group. In contrast, right ventricular end-systolic volume index increased, and right ventricular ejection fraction significantly decreased after chronic beta-blockade. Cardiac index decreased in both groups, but these changes were not statistically significant. When the intergroup differences were compared for all measured indices none of the changes between the two groups was statistically significant. Despite its intrinsic sympathomimetic activity, oxprenolol therefore impairs right ventricular performance to an extent nearly equal to that of propranolol. Moreover, right ventricular contractility is clearly diminished after the institution of beta-blockade in hypertensive patients--an effect that has until now been thought to be limited to the left side of the heart. Great caution must therefore be exercised when beta-blockade is initiated in patients with severely abnormal right ventricular function, because frank right ventricular decompensation may result.


ABSTRACT This small-scale research project investigated the impact of a person-centred planning (PCP) tool – Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope (PATH) – with children and young people (CYP) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in mainstream settings. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the perceived impact of the PATH process for three secondary-aged male students, three parents and the member of school staff who conducted the students' PATH. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, which resulted in four main themes: usefulness of the graphic, positive effects, child-centredness, and possible barriers to successful implementation. PATH was described as having a variety of useful benefits, such as increasing CYP's confidence and motivation. In addition, barriers to successful implementation of PATH were identified by participants, which in turn may limit its impact. In particular, families and children identified that they would benefit from receiving additional information and guidance about the process before the meeting to maximise its utility.


Background Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex musculoskeletal disorder treated with multidisciplinary therapies. It is manifested by widespread musculoskeletal pain, functional disability, sleep disturbances and poor quality of life. Classical Indian Yoga is an ancient life style healing technique which has an integrated mind-body approach to enhance both physical and mental health, thus having a positive impact in treatment of FM. Objectives To study the role of Classical Indian Yoga as an integrated mind-body healing approach in the comprehensive treatment of fibromyalgia. Methods This study incorporated a 6 months, single-blind, randomized trial of Classical Indian Yoga (50 patients) versus attention control group (stretching and wellness education) of 50 patients for Fibromyalgia. The classical Yoga involved 60-minute group sessions thrice-weekly. The primary outcome measure was change in the FM Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) score at 1 year. Secondary outcome measures were tender point count, patient and physician global assessments, sleep quality (PSQI), 10-minute walk, timed chair stand, grip strength, depression and quality of life. These outcome measures were repeated at 1 year to test durability of response. Both groups were compared using an intent-to-treat analysis. Results Mean age of 100 patients was 55 years (SD 11), disease duration 10 years (SD 7) and BMI 30 kg/m2 (SD 8), 80 patients were females. Patients baseline expectations of benefit from an exercise intervention were similar: Classical Yoga =4.1 and the controls=4.3. After 6 months patients in the classical Yoga group had a significantly greater improvement in FIQ score: between-group change -20, 95% CI (-24.0 to -8.8); P=0.0005). The Yoga group patients also had significant improvement in secondary outcome measures: reduction in pain scale (VAS), improved patient global assessment, physical function, depression, and health status. After 1 year patients compliant with the classical Yoga had sustained and durable benefits in FIQ score quality of sleep and quality of life. The two groups did not differ in medication usage. No adverse events were noted. Conclusions Classical Indian Yoga appears to be highly effective in the management of FM having a positive impact on physical, psychological and social aspects of FM. Yoga can be used as a useful adjunctive treatment in the multidisciplinary treatment of this complex disorder. Disclosure of Interest : None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.1020


A 1960s era California marine oil terminal was determined to be a possible collapse hazard in a major earthquake. Rather than replace the structures with an estimated construction cost of over $100M (plus millions more in operational downtime), a unique retrofit design was developed at a fraction of the cost to improve the seismic performance of the structure. Additionally, with creative scheduling and flexibility, the terminal was able to remain operational, at or near full capacity, for the duration of construction. The final retrofit design includes the installation of new seismic dolphins around the perimeter of the existing loading platform structure to limit global displacement demands on the existing supporting piles. The seismic performance of existing piles and deck beams are also improved with the use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) applications. The paper will discuss alternatives considered by the owner, the reasoning for the final selection, and discusses unique construction aspects and lessons learned during installation of this work. Construction for this project is occurring over two complete phases, with one phase nearly complete as of February 2016.


1. The presumptive cortical cells of hair in the undifferentiated matrix of the bulb contain mitochondria, agranular vesicles, and many small dense R.N.P. particles, but no keratin, pigment granules, or endoplasmic reticulum. 2. In the mid-bulb region intercellular adhesion is limited to small localised areas. Intercellular gaps are common and the cell surfaces are irregularly convoluted. The melanocyte processes penetrate the cell gaps. The relation between their pigment-bearing tips and the involutions of the cell membranes suggests an active phagocytosis of the tips. 3. Fibrous keratin first appears in loose parallel strands of fine filaments (ca. 60 A diameter) in the mid-bulb. The filaments, the long mitochondria, and elongated nucleus are all parallel to the long axis of the cell and the axis of the follicle. 4. At the level of the constriction of the bulb and above, a dense amorphous substance appears between the fine filaments and apparently acts as adhesive cement. The bundles of filaments now form well defined fibrils. The packing of the filaments within the fibrils is in places hexagonal and elsewhere in the form of "whorls." 5. At higher levels further filaments and interfilamentous cement are added together and the whole cytoplasmic space becomes packed with fibrils which finally condense to massive blocks of keratin. The residual cellular material occupies the interstices. 6. The addition of the interfilamentous substance is regarded as an essential factor in keratinisation. Keratin is considered to be a complex made of fine filaments (α-filaments) embedded in an amorphous substance (γ-keratin) which has the higher cystine content. 7. The wide-angle fibre-type x-ray pattern is thought to be due to scattering by the fine α-filaments and some low angle lateral spacings to the filament-plus-cement structure.


Computer modeling is now widely used to predict how effective cathodic protection (CP) systems are at protecting structures and maritime vessels. There are two types of CP systems based on either sacrificial anodes or impressed anodes (ICCP) or some combination of the two types. Impressed anodes are often referred to as "active" systems as they can respond to changes in the protection requirements as they are connected to some form of control system. Typically in computer models ICCP anodes are controlled by specifying the current they output in response to the potential measured at a reference electrode. In this paper an alternative approach has been investigated where the model also includes the power supply as well as the associated cables etc connecting to the anodes. This enables us to more accurately model situations where any number of anodes are connected to a single power supply, anode/reference electrode (RE) failure scenarios, non symmetric anode layouts, localized damage to coatings and situations where there are significant appendages to the vessel which change the current requirements. The paper will describe the technical approach to the modeling and present examples of modeling of a commercial FPSO vessel. (Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading vessels are used in the Oil & Gas industry typically as part of deepwater developments) The benefits of the proposed approach compared with the conventional approach will be presented and the results critically analyzed.© 2009 ASME


In recent times the entire public education sector in Zimbabwe underwent a significant deterioration in quality. In 2009 the state appointed National Education Advisory Board similarly noted with concern the increasingly worsening state of education in the primary and secondary schools in rural and urban areas. However, worryingly, official and scholarly attention focused on the mainstream conventional schools, ignoring a sub-category of uniquely circumstanced rural schools, located on newly resettled farming areas. To inquire about the state of education in these schools, the researchers employed a mixed methods design, sending out open-ended questionnaires to twenty school teachers and headmasters at four primary schools in the newly resettled farming areas in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. The questionnaire focused on the availability of print curriculum materials and the coping strategies used by teachers working in schools on newly resettled farms. The study established that schools on newly resettled farms face acute shortages of textbooks in all subjects for both pupils and teachers. Where the print curriculum materials are available, they are in most cases of very limited quantity and variety. The study also established that this shortage of print curriculum materials negatively impacts on the quality of curriculum delivery as teachers resort to teacher-centred and transmissive approaches as a way of coping with the shortage of learning resources. Following these findings, the study recommended that the educational authorities in Zimbabwe should adopt a positive discrimination model of resource distribution whereby schools in the newly resettled farming areas are given preferential consideration when it comes to resource allocation.


This paper studies experimentally how the existence of social information networks affects the ways in which firms recruit new personnel. Through such networks firms learn about prospective employees' performance in previous jobs. Assuming individualistic preferences social networks are predicted not to affect overall labor market behavior, while with social preferences the prediction is that when bilaterally negotiated: (i) wages will be higher and (ii) that workers in jobs with incomplete contracts will respond with higher effort. Our experimental results are consistent with the social preferences view, both for the case of excess demand and excess supply of labor. In particular, the presence of information networks leads to more efficient allocations.


In every scientific field, automated citation analysis enables the estimation of importance or reputation of publications and authors. In this paper, we focus on the task of ranking authors. Although previous work has used content-based approaches or citation network link analyses, the combination of the two with topical link analyses is unexplored. Moreover, previous citation analysis applications are typically limited to a graph based on author citations, or a bipartite graph based on author and paper citations. We present in this paper a novel integrated probabilistic model which combines a content-based approach with a multi-type citation network which integrates citations among papers, authors, affiliations and publishing venues in a single model. We further introduce the application of Topical PageRank into citation network link analysis due to the fact that researchers may be experts in different scientific domains. Finally, we describe a heterogenous link analysis of the citation network, exploring the impact of weighting various factors. Comparative experimental results based on data extracted from the ACM digital library show that 1) the multi-type citation graph works better than citation graphs integrating fewer types of entities, 2) the use of Topical PageRank can further improve performance, and 3) Heterogenous PageRank with parameter tuning can work even better than Topical PageRank.


The financial position of British households has been affected by a number of developments over the past year, including sharp fluctuations in food and energy bills, falling house prices and tighter credit conditions. Evidence from the latest survey of households, carried out for the Bank by NMG Research in late September and early October, shows how these and other changes have impacted on household budgets and spending decisions. The typical household reported that the income it had available after meeting household bills had fallen over the past year and that it had saved less than it had expected. Some households had been put off spending by tighter credit conditions, and more households were finding their debts to be a burden than in similar surveys carried out since the mid-1990s. But despite the greater pressures on household finances, only 3% of the households surveyed had so far fallen behind on bill or debt payments. Lower house prices had reduced the housing equity of homeowners.


Current publications and polemics attest to the on-going efforts to explain Evil and death to post-modern man 'acceptably'/scientifically? – the theodicy that has already been grappled with in the ancient writings. The search for the origin of Evil is one of the numerous facets in this virtually impossible undertaking. In ancient times, a deeper meaning was attached to name-giving. The obvious starting point is in the names given to the Evil in the Ancient Writings. Various names are used in turn for the Evil One. Each name reflects an aspect of the Entity. However, it is interesting to note that the names do link with one another. A further line of tradition that is closely connected to the Two Spirits in the Zoroastrianism, is the choice that every person must make between Good and Evil. Thus the Two Spirits are placed within man and by his choice expanded into two cosmic powers. This research on the ancient writings attempts to contribute to the ongoing unravelling and wording of this burning question.


Ultrasound scanners can be used for displaying the distribution of velocities in blood vessels by finding the power spectrum of the received signal. It is desired to show a B- mode image for orientation and data for this has to be acquired interleaved with the flow data. Techniques for maintaining both the B-mode frame rate, and at the same time have the highest possible fprf only limited by the depth of investigation, are, thus, of great interest. The power spectrum can be calculated from the Fourier transform of the autocorrelation function Rr(k). The lag k corresponds to the difference in pulse number, so that for lag k data from emission i is correlated with i+k .I t is possible to calculate Rr(k) for a sparse set of emissions, as long as all combinations of emissions cover all lags in Rr(k) .A sparse set of emissions interleaved with B-mode emissions can, therefore, be used for estimating Rr(k). The approach has been investigated using Field II simulation of the flow in the carotid and femoral arteries. A 5 MHz linear array transducer with 128 elements, a pitch of λ and an element height of 5 mm was simulated. The autocorrelation was calculated from the sparse sequence and averaged over a pulse length. The 1:2 sequence using 2 flow emission for one B-Mode emissions showed a nearly indistinguishable spectrum compared to a Fourier spectrum calculated on the full data. The sparser sequences give a higher noise in the spectrum proportional to the sparseness of the sequence. The audio signal has also been synthesized from the autocorrelation data by passing white, Gaussian noise through a filter designed from the power spectrum of the autocorrelation function. The results show that the full velocity range can be maintained at the same time as a B-mode image is shown in real time, where the trade-off between B-mode frame rate and spectral accuracy can be selected.


Recently, the memristor based relaxation oscillators become an important topic in circuit theory where the reactive elements are replaced by memristor which occupies a very small area. In this paper, a design of memristor-based relaxation oscillator is introduced based on exponential memristor model. Unlike previously published oscillators which were built based on a simple memristor model, the exponential model is used, as a generalized model, to verify the concept of memristor based RM oscillator using a model that has electrical characteristic very close to the fabricated device. First, the effect of changing parameters of the memristor is illustrated using graphical analysis. Then, a reasonable range of values for the device parameters are selected to be suitable for the operation of the RM oscillator. The mathematical modeling of the memristor in the oscillator is introduced, in addition to the effect of changing the control voltage on the oscillation frequency. The design and simulations were carried out using Cadence Virtuoso.


Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can play a crucial role in meeting multifaceted developmental challenges such as providing access to quality health care in developing countries. Initiatives such as telemedicine have been vital in bringing health care to marginalized groups in remote areas of such countries. While the implementation and effects of telemedicine projects have been studied in the literature, the actual mechanisms and conditions that facilitate the process have seldom been addressed. In this paper, we present an interpretive case study of a telemedicine project in a remote mountainous region of Nepal. Our findings indicate that it was the action of a group of focal actors who leveraged a supportive social capital that resulted in successfully bringing in quality health care to marginalized groups in these remote villages. Our findings reveal social capital as a facilitating condition through which ICT can play a crucial role in meeting developmental challenges such as quality health care.


The join operation, which combines tuples from multiple relations, is the most fundamental and, typically, the most expensive operation in database queries. The standard approach to join-query optimization is cost based, which requires developing a cost model, assigning an estimated cost to each query-processing plan, and searching in the space of all plans for a plan of minimal cost. But as the number of joins increases, the size of the search space grows exponentially. Another approach to the problem, one that has been successful in constraint satisfaction, is that of structural optimization. The focus is on project-join orders that minimize the size of intermediate results. This thesis shows how structural techniques, including projection pushing and join reordering, can yield exponential improvements in query execution time. Finally, an implementation of the bucket elimination method is used to obtain another exponential improvement.


The Eocene-Oligocene transition (EOT) at ∼34 Ma constitutes one of the major episodes of climate change that occurred in the last 50 myr, associated with the establishment of permanent Antarctic ice sheets and the initiation of meridional overturning circulation. We present a high-resolution quantitative study (>125-μm fraction) of a group of calcareous, deep-sea, benthic foraminifera with elongate-cylindrical morphologies (Elongate Gp.) across the EOT at high latitudes in the North Atlantic Ocean (ODP Hole 647A). This group experienced significant declines in abundance and diversity during periods of global cooling, disappearing almost completely during the mid-Pleistocene Climate Transition.

The Elongate Gp. was a common component of deep-sea benthic foraminiferal assemblages at Hole 647A (average 20%). The family Stilostomellidae dominated during the late Eocene and at the EOT; the Nodosariidae slightly dominated during the early Oligocene. During the EOT at Hole 647A, an abrupt decline in the abundance and diversity of agglutinated foraminifera occurred, but not a distinct taxonomic turnover of the Elongate Gp. Siphonodosaria jacksonensis was the most abundant species and showed the most significant changes in relative abundance across the EOT, from almost no record to a peak of >50% of total benthic foraminifera coincident with the lowest diversity and highest absolute abundance of the Elongate Gp. We attribute these changes to the influence of more than one mechanism, including increased productivity, deepening of the calcite compensation depth, and more vigorous deep-ocean circulation.


Prediction of the properties of the crude oil distillation sidestreams based on statistical methods and laboratory-based analysis has been around for decades. However, there are still many problems with the existing estimators that require a development of new techniques especially for an on-line analysis of the quality of the distillation process. The nature of non-linear characteristics of the refinery process, the variety of properties to measure and control and the narrow window that normally refinery processes operate in are only some of the problems that a prediction technique should deal with in order to be useful for a practical application. There are many successful application cases that refinery units use real plant data to calibrate models. They can be used to predict quality properties of the gas oil, naphtha, kerosene and other products of a crude oil distillation tower. Some of these are distillation end points and cold properties (freeze, cloud). However, it is difficult to identify, control or compensate the dynamic process behavior and the errors from instrumentation for an online model prediction. The objective of this paper is to report an application and a study of a novel technique for real-time modeling, namely extended evolving fuzzy Takagi-Sugeno models (exTS) for prediction and online monitoring of these properties of the refinery distillation process. The results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique and it's potential. The limitations and future directions of research are also outlined


This chapter traces the origins and the entry of Middle East states into the international system after the First World War. The modern states of the Arab Middle East emerged from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the post-First World War settlement. The fall of the Ottoman Empire left the Turks and Arabs ready for statehood, although unprepared for dealing with the international system. Indeed, the Palestine crisis brought to light Arab weaknesses in the international arena and in regional affairs that were a legacy of the way in which the colonial powers shaped the emergence of the modern Middle East. Ultimately, the emergence of the state system in the Middle East is a history both of the creation of stable states and of destabilizing conflicts.


A Fencing mask with a transparent polycarbonate visor has recently been introduced which replaces the conventional metal mesh mask. The visor is constructed using two polycarbonate sheets, one forming the structural layer and the other a removable scratch plate. This multilayer system has inherent disadvantages with regard to optical transmission, since the intensity of reflected light is related to the difference in refractive index of the materials. As such, a large step change in refractive index leads to greater reflective losses, thereby lowering the intensity of transmitted light. The magnitude of this reflective loss may be calculated using the Fresnel equations.Light scattering and the appearance of a `ghost' image are a manifestation of the Fresnel re ections. Light re ected at one surface undergoes internal re ection and thus appears to originate in a different optical plane. Since there are re ective losses at every interface, it is essential to reduce the re ectivity at each step.Results presented here show that the optical properties of an air-filled multilayer system offer substantially lower transmission than a liquid-filled structure. Modelling of this simple modification to the existing mask design has been shown to increase the theoretical transmission of light by a minimum of 7%, with experimental work substantiating these findings.


The first issue of the Open Schools Journal for Open Science created an interest in the education community in Greece and other European countries. The organisers of the 1st Student Conference on Research and Science that took place in Greece in March 2017 contacted the Journal editorial committee expressing their interest to present the conference findings to the wider journal community. This issue presents 44 articles written by students from across Greece in collaboration with their teachers/mentors. Below you will find a welcome note from the programme committee of the conference. All articles in this special issue are written in Greek.


Abstract Football is Africa's game, but performance in world competition reveals the sport as metaphor for African development is stymied by political corruption, infrastructure deficiency, and neocolonial exploitation. The media‐sport complex has perpetuated this cycle. Development journalism contrarily posits media as a force for good. Where the ideal of objectivity dominates traditional news, development journalism stresses nation building. However, emphasizing news, development journalism overlooks the powerful role of sport in African life. Through meta‐analysis, this article compares the values and practices of development journalism and of sportswriting. The article concludes that sportswriters are well positioned to act as development journalists. As mediator of football, the sportswriter can capitalize on the promise of sport to effect nation building and development in Africa.


This work explores the hypothesis that functionalized biomass-derived chars (charcoal) can act as fertilizer-delivering, carbon-sequestering soil amendments. A naturally occurring precedent for this approach is based on recent results that clearly link increased soil productivity with charcoal-like Terra Preta deposits, which are characterized by enhanced microbial and fungal activity and are found in both temperate and tropical climates. In this work, peanut shell pellets were pyrolyzed under mild conditions (400°C). The resulting char retained nitrogen from the feedstock's high protein content. This char also provided the baseline material for further nutrient addition by reaction of pyrolysis oil with urea to add more bioavailable nitrogen. Replicated plant growth tests with corn conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment showed that these biomass-derived chars, as produced (raw) and chemically reacted (functionalized) with urea and pyrolysis oil, enhanced above and below ground plant growth similar to the periodic addition of an aqueous NPK fertilizer to the potting soil used for all experiments. We also found that char (raw and functionalized) addition to soil significantly enhanced root growth and that char could support the growth and subsequent release of nitrogen-fixing bacteria ( Azotobacter vinelandii ) into soils. These promising results provide the basis to design renewable time-release fertilizers for promoting above and below ground plant growth that also sequester carbon in the soil. Sustainable benefits of using these materials as targeted agricultural fertilizers include producing fertilizers from renewable biomass, eliminating conventional fertilizer nitrate runoff into watersheds (a severe and growing water quality problem), increasing soil organic matter accumulation from enhanced root growth, and sequestering carbon in soils. Permanent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20000247


Csk phosphorylates Src family members at a key regulatory tyrosine in the C-terminal tail and suppresses their activities. It is not known whether Csk activity is regulated. To examine the features of Csk required for Src suppression, we expressed Csk mutants in a cell line with a disrupted csk gene. Expression of wild-type Csk suppressed Src, but Csk with mutations in the SH2, SH3, and catalytic domains did not suppress Src. An SH3 deletion mutant of Csk was fully active against in vitro substrates, but two SH2 domain mutants were essentially inactive. Whereas Src repressed by Csk was predominantly perinuclear, the activated Src in cells lacking Csk was localized to structures resembling podosomes. Activated mutant Src was also in podosomes, even in the presence of Csk. When Src was not active, Csk was diffusely located in the cytosol, but when Src was active, Csk colocalized with activated Src to podosomes. Csk also localizes to podosomes of cells transformed by an activated Src that lacks the major tyrosine autophosphorylation site, suggesting that the relocalization of Csk is not a consequence of the binding of the Csk SH2 domain to phosphorylated Src. A catalytically inactive Csk mutant also localized with Src to podosomes, but SH3 and SH2 domain mutants did not, suggesting that the SH3 and SH2 domains are both necessary to target Csk to places where Src is active. The failure of the catalytically active SH3 mutant of Csk to regulate Src may be due to its inability to colocalize with active Src.


Understanding the detailed timing of crop phenology and their variability enhances grain yield and quality by providing precise scheduling of irrigation, fertilization, and crop protection mechanisms. Advances in information and communication technology (ICT) provide a unique opportunity to develop agriculture-related tools that enhance wall-to-wall upscaling of data outputs from point-location data to wide-area spatial scales. Because of the heterogeneity of the worldwide agro-ecological zones where crops are cultivated, it is unproductive to perform plant phenology research without providing means to upscale results to landscape-level while safeguarding field-scale relevance. This paper presents an advanced, reproducible, and open-source software for plant phenology prediction and mapping (PPMaP) that inputs data obtained from multi-location field experiments to derive models for any crop variety. This information can then be applied consecutively at a localized grid within a spatial framework to produce plant phenology predictions at the landscape level. This software runs on the 'Windows' platform and supports the development of process-oriented and temperature-driven plant phenology models by intuitively and interactively leading the user through a step-by-step progression to the production of spatial maps for any region of interest in sub-Saharan Africa. Maize (Zea mays L.) was used to demonstrate the robustness, versatility, and high computing efficiency of the resulting modeling outputs of the PPMaP. The framework was implemented in R, providing a flexible and easy-to-use GUI interface. Since this allows for appropriate scaling to the larger spatial domain, the software can effectively be used to determine the spatially explicit length of growing period (LGP) of any variety.


Community radio is a powerful tool for self-expression, alternative discourse, and democratizing media access. What is less established, though, is the role of community radio in the construction and expression of a mediatized identity. Drawing on research conducted at 2 community radio stations in India, this article considers mediatized identity formation and expression as facets of social change, and explores the role of community radio in these processes. This research found that community radio facilitates the articulation and expression of both community identity and individual identity among producers and volunteers. These processes can have significant benefits from a social change perspective in terms of both local knowledge sharing and empowering women. There are, however, significant gaps and silences in terms of how marginalized groups are able to access the same benefits. Participation in community radio allows certain groups to express identity in an increasingly globalized and homogenous media landscape.


This article, via discussing various psychological manifestations among Chinese elite athletes, illustrates sociocultural "meridians" in Chinese elite sports including (a) "Whole-Nation system," (b) Chinese culture, and (c) their interaction. We propose that the sociocultural characteristics be integrated in athletes' psychological training and further discuss the aspects of (a) cultural inheritance and (b) traditional beliefs, including "harmony with differences," "doing the best and following the fate," "Ah Q spirit," "all are Buddha," and the balance between Confucianism and Taoism. We suggest that the ultimate goal of sport psychologists is to facilitate the athlete's overall development, with such a maturing process only achieved by integrating the above factors into athletes' sociocultural contexts.


After previous work producing a successful 3D tomographic reconstruction of dislocations in GaN from conventional weak-beam dark-field (WBDF) images, we have reconstructed a cascade of dislocations in deformed and annealed silicon to a comparable standard using the more experimentally straightforward technique of STEM annular dark-field imaging (STEM ADF). In this mode, image contrast was much more consistent over the specimen tilt range than in conventional weak-beam dark-field imaging. Automatic acquisition software could thus restore the correct dislocation array to the field of view at each tilt angle, though manual focusing was still required. Reconstruction was carried out by sequential iterative reconstruction technique using FEI's Inspect3D software. Dislocations were distributed non-uniformly along cascades, with sparse areas between denser clumps in which individual dislocations of in-plane image width 24 nm could be distinguished in images and reconstruction. Denser areas showed more complicated stacking-fault contrast, hampering tomographic reconstruction. The general three-dimensional form of the denser areas was reproduced well, showing the dislocation array to be planar and not parallel to the foil surfaces.


Data mining techniques are routinely used by fundraisers to select those prospects from a large pool of candidates who are most likely to make a financial contribution. These techniques often rely on statistical models based on trial performance data. This trial performance data is typically obtained by soliciting a smaller sample of the possible prospect pool. Collecting this trial data involves a cost; therefore the fundraiser is interested in keeping the trial size small while still collecting enough data to build a reliable statistical model that will be used to evaluate the remainder of the prospects.We describe an experimental design approach to optimally choose the trial prospects from an existing large pool of prospects. Prospects are clustered to render the problem practically tractable. We modify the standard D-optimality algorithm to prevent repeated selection of the same prospect cluster, since each prospect can only be solicited at most once.We assess the benefits of this approach on the KDD-98 data set by comparing the performance of the model based on the optimal trial data set with that of a model based on a randomly selected trial data set of equal size.


The first reliable diagnostic tools for the diagnosis of HIV infection, Western blot and ELISA, were created 20 years ago in the U.S., using initially sera from AIDS patients diagnosed clinically in Switzerland. In Swiss laboratories the diagnosis of HIV infection today is established by using 4th generation screening tests which detect both antibodies and p24 antigen while in the doctor's surgery a rapid antibody assay is used. Confirmation in authorized confirmatory labs relies on a set of different minimal combinations of positive test results derived from both the first and second blood specimen. In patients with a confirmed diagnosis of HIV infection, two further principal questions arise concerning, on the one hand, the virus load and, on the other hand, some clinically relevant properties of the infecting virus (type or subtype, resistance against antiretroviral drugs). The paper starts with a personal flashback to the first days of HIV diagnostics and describes the sensible use of tests available today for answering the above-mentioned principal questions. Alternative methods which can be used when standard tests fail or appear unreliable are mentioned also.


Propagation losses in transmission media limit the transmission distance of optical signals. In the case where the signal is made up of quantum optical states, conventional deterministic optical amplification schemes cannot be used to increase the transmission distance as the copying of an arbitrary and unknown quantum state is forbidden. One strategy that can offset propagation loss is the use of probabilistic, or non-deterministic, amplification schemes - an example of which is the state comparison amplifier. Here we report a state comparison amplifier implemented in a compact, fiber-coupled femtosecond laser-written waveguide chip as opposed to the large, bulk-optical components of previous designs. This pathfinder on-chip implementation of the quantum amplifier has resulted in several performance improvements: the polarization integrity of the written waveguides has resulted in improved visibility of the amplifier interferometers; the potential of substantially-reduced losses throughout the amplifier configuration; and a more compact and environmentally-stable amplifier which is scalable to more complex networks.


1. Introduction: Geographies of Children, Youth and Families, Disentangling the Socio-Spatial Contexts of Young People Across the Globalising World by Louise Holt 2. Geographies of Children, Youth and Families: Defining Achievements, Debating the Agenda by Sarah L. Holloway and Helena Pimlott-Wilson Part 1: Bodies and Identities 3. Foucault's Children by Chris Philo 4. Building a Sense of Community: Children, Bodies and Social Cohesion by Peter J. Hemming 5. Shutting the Bathroom Door: Parents, Young Teenagers and the Negotiation of Bodily Boundaries at Home by Ruth Lewis Part 2: The Home, Family and Intergenerational Relationships 6. The Search for Belonging: Youth Identities and Transitions to Adulthood in an African Refugee Context by Kate Hampshire, Gina Porter, Kate Kilpatrick, Peter Kyei, Michael Adjaloo, and George Oppong 7. Travellers, Housing and the (re)Construction of Communities by David Smith and Margaret Greenfields 8. On Not Going Home at the End of the Day: Spatialised Discourses of Family Life in Single Location Home/Workplaces by Julie Seymour 9. Geographies of 'Family' Life: Interdependent Relationships Across the Life Course in the Context of Problem Internet Gambling by Gill Valentine and Kahryn Hughes 10. Negotiating Children's Outdoor Spatial Freedom: Portraits of Three Parisian Families by Olga den Besten Part 3: Cities and/or Public Spaces 11. Children Living in the City: Gendered Experiences and Desires in Spain and Mexico by Mireia Baylina, Anna Ortiz and Maria Prats 12. Dredging History: the Price of Preservation at La Jolla's Children's Pool by David Lulka and Stuart Aitken 13. Filling the Family's Transport Gap in Sub-Saharan Africa: Young People and Load Carrying in Ghana by Gina Porter, Kathrin Blaufuss and Frank Owusu Acheampong 14. Adult Anxieties Versus Young People's Resistance: Negotiating Access to Public Space in Singapore by Tracey Skelton and Nafisah Bte Abd Hamed 15. Socio-spatial Experiences of Young People under Anti-social Behaviour Legislation in England and Wales by Rachel Manning, Robert Jago and Julia Fionda Part 4: Institutional Spaces 16. Tears and Laughter at a Sure Start Centre: Preschool Geographies, Policy Contexts by John Horton and Peter Kraftl 17. Social and Educational Inequalities in English State Schools: Exploring the Understandings of Urban White Middle Class Children by Sumi Hollingworth, Katya Williams, Fiona Jamieson and Phoebe Beedell 18. De/re-institutionalising Deafness through the Mainstreaming of Deaf Education in the Republic of Ireland by Elizabeth S. Mathews 19. 'The Teachers seemed a bit Obsessive with Health and Safety': Fieldwork Risk and the Social Construction of Childhood by Victoria Ann Cook


The emerging field of climate-change adaptation has experienced a dramatic increase in attention as the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystems have become more evident. Preparing for and addressing these changes are now prominent themes in conservation and natural resource policy and practice. Adaptation increasingly is viewed as a way of managing change, rather than just maintaining existing conditions. There is also increasing recognition of the need not only to adjust management strategies in light of climate shifts, but to reassess and, as needed, modify underlying conservation goals. Major advances in the development of climate-adaptation principles, strategies, and planning processes have occurred over the past few years, although implementation of adaptation plans continues to lag. With ecosystems expected to undergo continuing climate-mediated changes for years to come, adaptation can best be thought of as an ongoing process, rather than as a fixed endpoint.


Inspired by the Innocence Movement, the American Bar Association has approved an unprecedented new obligation on defense counsel in the form of an "Innocence Standard." This new Standard imposes an affirmative "duty to act" upon criminal defense attorneys who learn of newly discovered evidence that a former client may be innocent or wrongfully convicted. The new Standard, while well-intentioned, reconceives the traditional defense attorney function, creating an ethical parity between prosecutors and defense attorneys in innocence cases while overlooking the fact that the two sides play distinct and incompatible roles in our adversarial system. While prosecutors must to seek the truth and administer justice, defense counsel's obligation is to zealously defend her current client. The Innocence Standard has the unintended effect of potentially destabilizing that primary and paramount relationship. It may require counsel to place the interests of a former client above those of a current client. It may expose counsel to allegations of ineffective assistance in the representation of the former client. And, perhaps most importantly, it may require labor-intensive, complex work that will draw scarce resources away from current clients because most defense attorneys are already under-resourced and staggering under excessive caseloads. In an ideal world, every defense attorney would embrace the work of freeing a wrongfully convicted former client, but in the real world, is it practicable to demand that they do so and fair to suggest that they are unethical if they do not?This Article - the first scholarship to discuss the Innocence Standard - examines how the innocence movement's influential emphasis on accuracy may be eroding other important values and aims served by the adversarial process. The Innocence Standard asks defense counsel to serve two masters, her client and the truth. The creation of this dual obligation conflicts with centuries of defense tradition and decades of well-established doctrine. The truth-seeking function has traditionally rested with prosecutors, judges and juries: defense counsel's primary obligation has always been to zealously represent her present-day client. Shifting the truth-seeking burden onto defense counsel after her representation of a client has ended threatens to erode the adversarial system, the historical loyalties of defense counsel, and the meaning of zealous advocacy.


This book gives a new foundation for the theory of links in 3-space modeled on the modern developmentby Jaco, Shalen, Johannson, Thurston et al. of the theory of 3-manifolds. The basic construction is a method of obtaining any link by "splicing" links of the simplest kinds, namely those whose exteriors are Seifert fibered or hyperbolic. This approach to link theory is particularly attractive since most invariants of links are additive under splicing. Specially distinguished from this viewpoint is the class of links, none of whose splice components is hyperbolic. It includes all links constructed by cabling and connected sums, in particular all links of singularities of complex plane curves. One of the main contributions of this monograph is the calculation of invariants of these classes of links, such as the Alexander polynomials, monodromy, and Seifert forms.


The scouting of alternative plasmonic materials able to enhance and extend the optical properties of noble metal nanostructures is on the rise. Aluminum is endowed with a set of interesting properties which turn it into an attractive plasmonic material. Here we present the optical and electronic features of different aluminum nanostructures stemming from a multilevel computational study. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations using a reactive force field (ReaxFF), carefully validated with Density Functional Theory (DFT), were employed to mimic the oxidation of icosahedral aluminum nanoclusters. Resulting structures with different oxidation degrees were then studied through the Time-Dependent Density Functional Tight Binding (TD-DFTB) method. A similar approach was used in aluminum nanoclusters with a disordered structure to study how the loss of crystallinity affects the optical properties. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that addresses this issue from the fully atomistic time-dependent approach by means of two different and powerful simulation tools able to describe quantum and physicochemical properties associated with nanostructured particles.


Although impulsivity is suggested as a possible link to explain the association of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with an Eating Disorder (ED), there is little research on how clinical and cognitive/neuropsychological functioning might change when this comorbidity occurs. ADHD individuals are at a higher of developing ED and also obesity. Some research has described the impact of ADHD in clinical treatment-seeking samples of ED patients. Consequently, we investigated how ED impacted on clinical and cognitive variables of a community sample of treatment-naive ADHD individuals. Ninety college students arranged in three groups (ADHD+ED, ADHD only and Controls) were analyzed using semi-structured interviews for ADHD (K-SADS), the Iowa Gambling Task, the Conner's Continuous Performance Test, Digit and Visual span, as well as rating scales for anxiety (STAI), depression (BDI) and impulsivity (BIS-11), and binge eating (BES). We found that ADHD+ED individuals significantly differed from both groups, presenting with a higher body mass index; more hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms; higher binge eating scores; more omission errors on the Continuous Performance Test; disadvantageous choices on the Iowa Gambling Task. Also, we demonstrated through a moderation/mediation analysis that a greater level of binge eating mediated the increases in body mass index on our sample. There were no significant paths to explain binge-eating severity through changes on any of the neuropsychological tests used. The presence of an ED in normal weight in a community sample of ADHD individuals is associated with higher body mass index and a worse cognitive functioning.


This Paper provides guidance for increasing involvement of low income urban communities in accessing neighbourhood level sanitation services in densely populated areas, based on the experience of CBS demonstration projects in Indonesia and India. It further explores the demand-responsive approaches in community selection and informed choice while attempting to mainstream CBS as an urban planning tool with local governments. The Paper aims to contribute to the reduction of the mismatch of overall CBS implementation plans and the reality situation. This review highlights strategies for effective cooperation among stakeholders and the need for better sanitation mapping and prioritization as a first step toward strategic sanitation planning.


International tourism has become one of the largest and most vital economic sectors of the global economy driving huge flows of people, commodities, and capital. Tourism has been and continues to be an important foreign exchange earner to many countries in South East Asia and Malaysia is no exception. The aim of this article is to trace the factors for visiting Malaysia, image of Malaysia as a tourism destination and competitiveness of Malaysia as a tourism destination among outbound Middle East tourists to Malaysia. A survey was used to obtain data randomly from 357 outbound Middle East tourists leaving Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). From the results, for most of the Middle East tourists, safety and security is extremely important for choosing Malaysia as a foreign country for long-haul travel. Malaysia is at the top of the list of top five countries for long-haul travel. Hospitality in Malaysia was better and excellent than many long-haul countries for the Middle East tourists, followed by natural environment. From the overall implications of this study, it could be concluded that a strong relationship between government, tourism industry players, local authorities, private agencies and businesses should be fostered to ensure that tourists' needs, especially Middle East tourists, are fulfilled. It is a known fact that Middle East tourists have a high taste. Therefore the various tourism industry players need to work hand in hand to improve all types of services provided to the Middle East tourists.