Abstract. The rate at which low-lying sandy areas in temperate regions, such as the Campine Plateau (NE Belgium), have been eroding during the Quaternary is a matter of debate. Current knowledge on the average pace of landscape evolution in the Campine area is largely based on geological inferences and modern analogies. We performed a Bayesian inversion of an in situ-produced 10Be concentration depth profile to infer the average long-term erosion rate together with two other parameters: the surface exposure age and the inherited 10Be concentration. Compared to the latest advances in probabilistic inversion of cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) data, our approach has the following two innovative components: it (1) uses Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling and (2) accounts (under certain assumptions) for the contribution of model errors to posterior uncertainty. To investigate to what extent our approach differs from the state of the art in practice, a comparison against the Bayesian inversion method implemented in the CRONUScalc program is made. Both approaches identify similar maximum a posteriori (MAP) parameter values, but posterior parameter and predictive uncertainty derived using the method taken in CRONUScalc is moderately underestimated. A simple way for producing more consistent uncertainty estimates with the CRONUScalc-like method in the presence of model errors is therefore suggested. Our inferred erosion rate of 39 ± 8. 9 mm kyr−1 (1σ) is relatively large in comparison with landforms that erode under comparable (paleo-)climates elsewhere in the world. We evaluate this value in the light of the erodibility of the substrate and sudden base level lowering during the Middle Pleistocene. A denser sampling scheme of a two-nuclide concentration depth profile would allow for better inferred erosion rate resolution, and including more uncertain parameters in the MCMC inversion.


The use of machines to perform different tasks is constantly increasing in society. Providing machines with perception can lead them to perform a great variety of tasks; even very complex ones such as elderly care. Machine perception requires that machines understand about their environment and interlocutor's intention. Recognizing facial emotions might help in this regard. During the development of this work, deep learning techniques have been used over images displaying the following facial emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, disgust, and fear. In this research, a pure convolutional neural network approach outperformed other statistical methods' results achieved by other authors that include feature engineering. Utilizing convolutional networks involves feature learning; which sounds very promising for this task where defining features is not trivial. Moreover, the network was evaluated using two different corpora: one was employed during network's training and it was also helpful for parametertuning and for network's architecture definition. This corpus consisted of facial acted emotions. The network providing best classification accuracy results was tested against the second dataset. x While the results achieved were not state-of-the-art; the evidence gathered points out deep learning might be suitable to classify facial emotion expressions. Thus, deep learning has the potential to improve humanmachine interaction because its ability to learn features will allow machines to develop perception. And by having perception, machines will potentially provide smoother responses, drastically improving the useexperience.


Diachasmimorpha kraussii is a polyphagous endoparasitoid of dacine fruit flies. The fruit fly hosts of D. krausii, in turn, attack a wide range of fruits and vegetables. The role that fruits play in host selection behaviour of D. kraussii has not been previously investigated. This study examines fruit preference of D. kraussii through a laboratory choice‐test trial and field fruit sampling. In the laboratory trial, oviposition preference and offspring performance measures (sex ratio, developmental time, body length, hind tibial length) of D. kraussii were investigated with respect to five fruit species [Psidium guajava L. (guava), Prunis persica L. (peach), Malus domestica Borkh. (apple), Pyrus communis L. (pear) and Citrus sinensis L. (orange)], and two fruit fly species (Bactrocera jarvisi and B. tryoni). Diachasmimorpha kraussii responded to infested fruit of all fruit types in both choice and no‐choice tests, but showed stronger preference for guava and peach in the choice tests irrespective of the species of fly larvae within the fruit. The wasp did not respond to uninfested fruit. The offspring performance measures differed in a non‐consistent fashion between the fruit types, but generally wasp offspring performed better in guava, peach and orange. The offspring sex ratio, except for one fruit/fly combination (B. jarvisi in apple), was always female biased. The combined results suggest that of the five fruits tested, guava and peach are the best fruit substrates for D. krausii. Field sampling indicated a non‐random use of available, fruit fly infested fruit by D. kraussii. Fruit fly maggots within two fruit species, Plachonia careya and Terminalia cattappa, had disproportionately higher levels of D. krausii parasitism than would be expected based on the proportion of different infested fruit species sampled, or levels of fruit fly infestation within those fruit.


The specific energy of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is today 200 Wh/kg, a value not sufficient to power fully electric vehicles with a driving range of 400 km which requires a battery pack of 90 kWh. To deliver such energy the battery weight should be higher than 400 kg and the corresponding increase of vehicle mass would narrow the driving range to 280 km. Two main strategies are pursued to improve the energy of the rechargeable lithium batteries up to the transportation targets. The first is the increase of LIBs working voltage by using high-voltage cathode materials. The second is the increase of battery capacity by the development of a cell chemistry where oxygen redox reaction (ORR) occurs at the cathode and metal lithium is the anode (Li/O2 battery). This PhD work is focused on the development of high-voltage safe cathodes for LIBs, and on the investigation of the feasibility of Li/O2 battery operating with ionic liquid(IL)-based electrolytes. The use of LiMn1-xFexPO4 as high-voltage cathode material is discussed. Synthesis and electrochemical tests of three different phosphates, more safe cathode materials than transition metal oxides, are reported. The feasibility of Li/O2 battery operating in IL-based electrolytes is also discussed. Three aspects have been investigated: basic aspects of ORR, synthesis and characterization of porous carbons as positive electrode materials and study of limiting factors to the electrode capacity and cycle-life. Regarding LIBs, the findings on LiMnPO4 prepared by soluble precursors demonstrate that a good performing Mn-based olivine is viable without the coexistence of iron. Regarding Li/O2 battery, the oxygen diffusion coefficient and concentration values in different ILs were obtained. This work highlighted that the O2 mass transport limits the Li/O2 capacity at high currents; it gave indications on how to increase battery capacity by using a flow-cell and a porous carbon as cathode.


Alveolar macrophages are a heterogeneous cell population. The heterogeneity of alveolar macrophages recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from 12 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and 10 normal subjects was studied using Percoll density fractionation. The numbers and subsets (on the basis of CD3, CD4, and CD8 monoclonal antibodies) of lymphocytes in BAL were measured by flow cytometry. Alveolar macrophages recovered from patients with TB were mainly in the lower-density fractions ( 1.070 g/ml). There were no significant differences in alveolar macrophages' repartition between smokers and nonsmokers in either patients with TB or normal subjects. The significant changes in the proportions of the lowest fraction and the higher fractions of alveolar macrophages in patients with TB were not altered after division of our patients into smoker and nonsmoker subgroups when compared with corresponding subgroups in normal subjects. The proportion of the alveolar macrophages in the lowest fraction was inversely related to the bacterial load of sputum and the disease extent on chest radiography in TB patients. The CD4/CD8 ratio was significantly higher in patients with TB. This study shows that alveolar macrophages from TB patients are heterogeneous with hypodense cells predominant probably by interaction with T lymphocytes. Changes in the proportions of alveolar macrophages within subpopulations may be of critical importance in determining the overall response of the lung to TB infection.


The paper discusses the functional load of definite DPs in early child German regarding sentence-internal (argument structure) and sentence-external relations (text coherence). The data consist of adult-child dialogues of two children in the period 1;11–2;11. It is argued that DPs exhibit functional load on both levels from the onset of production. Contradicting recent assumptions, (i) case-related distinctions are acquired prior to gender distinction, and (ii) children establish a functional distinction between pronominal DPs (continued or directly accessible reference) and noun-including DPs (disrupted or especially emphasized reference). The results allow the hypotheses that the noun-including DP is a functionally motivated extension of the pronominal DP and that properties relating the DP to other elements of sentence/text are the first to be acquired.


Over the past 35 years urban sociolinguistics has developed upon the base of detailed case studies carried out mainly in western countries. A fundamental dichotomy informing the interpretation of variation has been carried out within what is termed the "standard-vernacular model". Higher vs. lower social class, power vs. solidarity, open networks vs. closed networks are a few of the conceptual dyads which have been invoked to order linguistic variation operating with an input from a standard/vernacular source. The present study, based on the spoken Arabic of Maiduguri, Nigeria, focuses on a linguistic landscape where the notions of "standard" and "vernacular" are of little relevance in ordering urban linguistic variants. It is argued that linguistic variation is best conceptualized and ordered in terms of the twin variables of neighborhood and ancestral norms. A detailed analysis of 13 linguistic variables based on a corpus of about 500,000 words invokes an urban linguistic world different from that in the West. To integrate this landscape into current sociolinguistic thinking a typology of urban variation is outlined using familar, yet relatively unutilized sociolinguistic parameters: neighborhood, ancestry, minority status and institutionalization.


Samples of soil, mulch, and the soil/mulch interface zone were collected from commercial highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fields typical in their use of mulch under Arkansas conditions. Mulches included 1-year-old hardwood saw- dust, 5-year-old hardwood sawdust, and 1-year-old pine needle mulch. Herbicide ad- sorption (Kd values) of the samples was determined for diuron, terbacil, and simazine. The soils, mulches, and interfaces adsorbed nearly 10 times as much diuron and more than twice as much simazine as terbacil. Adsorption of the herbicides was three to five times greater to the mulches than to the soils. Adsorption was significantly correlated with the organic matter content of the mulch. Adsorption was not related to herbicide solubility. Although no statistical differences were found among the three mulch ma- terials, adsorption coefficients (Kd values) were numerically lower for each chemical on the 5-year-old hardwood mulch than on the 1-year-old hardwood or pine mulch. Chemical names used: 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (diuron); 3- tert -butyl- 5-chloro-6-methyluracil (terbacil); 2-chloro-4,6-bis(ethylamine)- s -triazine (simazine).


With nationalism on the rise around the world, many worry that nationalistic attitudes could lead to a surge in deadly conflict. To combat this trend, federations like the European Union have tried to build inclusive regional identities to overcome nationalist distrust and inspire international cooperation. Yet not all nationalisms are alike. This book draws on insights from psychology to explore when nationalist commitments promote conflict—and when they foster cooperation. Challenging the received wisdom about nationalism and military aggression, the book differentiates nationalisms built on unity from those built on equality, and explains how each of these norms give rise to distinct foreign policy attitudes. Combining innovative US experiments with fresh analyses of European mass and elite survey data, the book argues that unity encourages support for external conflict and undermines regional trust and cooperation, whereas equality mitigates militarism and facilitates support for security cooperation. The book provides a rigorous and compelling look at how different forms of nationalism shape foreign policy attitudes and raises important questions about whether transnational identities increase support for cooperation or undermine it.


The reliability of delivered software depends on the performance of the individuals responsible for testing it. However, there are currently no standard methods for assessing the performance of software testers, nor even agreement on important assessment criteria. A literature review reveals several different human-centric factors that have been suggested as important. However, the relative importance of these factors is unknown. This paper reports the results of a survey of professional testers indicating their views on the importance of a number of proposed factors. Their views, we believe, will be important in designing a more formal and widely acceptable performance assessment method for software testers.


This study was undertaken to better understand the range of learning practices that academic librarians use throughout their careers, and to explore the ways library schools give students the opportunities to engage in learning methods that they are likely to use in their careers as librarians. The study uses semi-structured interviews with academic librarians to explore their experiences of learning in library school, as new librarians, and later as they advanced through their careers. The study found that learning is an ongoing and essential aspect of librarianship, and that it is generally self-directed, informal, highly dependent on social interactions with peers, and embedded in practice. Participants in the study reported that most of what they needed to know was learned once they started working as librarians, and that their library school experience did little to prepare them for these ways of learning. The study also found that the conceptual model of communities of practice provides a useful perspective for understanding the learning of librarians and for designing a library school experience that is more effective at preparing students for their future careers as librarians. Implications for library school curriculum and course design are discussed.


We summarize and extend the new literature on the term structure of equity. Short-term equity claims, or dividend strips, have on average significantly higher returns than the aggregate stock market. The returns on short-term dividend claims are risky as measured by volatility, but safe as measured by market beta. These facts are hard to reconcile with traditional macro-finance models and we provide an overview of new models that can reproduce some of these facts. We relate our evidence on dividend strips to facts about other asset classes such as nominal and corporate bonds, volatility, and housing. We conclude by discussing the broader economic implications by linking the term structure of returns to real economic decisions such as hiring and investment.


This study was conducted to investigate how the emotional intelligence (EI) and social competence (SC) of principals are linked to their transformational leadership qualities (TLQ). Descriptive correlational research design was employed to give good analysis, interpretation and implication of data. Principals' EI, SC and TLQ were obtained by administering 2 sets of survey questionnaire such as self-version answered by 15 principals and peer-version rated by 333 teachers. Frequency, percentage, mean, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson r were applied to describe the collected data. Findings revealed that principals' assessment on their EI, SC and TLQ was significantly higher than the teachers' rating. Principals' TLQ are not influenced by their age, gender, tribe, religion and administrative experience. However, their educational attainment has a significant effect on their TLQ. Principals' high level of EI and SC are likely to improve their TLQ. This study proved that EI and SC are truly determinants of principals' TLQ. Thus, EI and SC development programs should be institutionalized by the Department of Education (DepEd) to enhance principals' socio-emotional skills. In return, quality of students' learning outcomes will be expected due to principals' high level of TLQ.


Evidence based practice, whether in librarianship or any other profession, depends on access to the evidence, and access to opportunities to share one's own evidence. Open access (OA) is the perfect complement to evidence based librarianship. OA provides the optimum access to the evidence for librarians everwhere, and the optimum means of dissemination. This article compares examines access to the LIS literature in the print and electronic media, and the impact of open access.


This paper considers the joint power-allocation and relay-selection problems in multiuser cooperative communication networks, where one user can only seek a limited number of relays for cooperation. This relay-selection degree bound is of practical significance. The goal is to optimize the relay selection and power allocation in a distributed manner while respecting certain users' quality-of-service (QoS) requirements. This problem is challenging due to its combinatorial nature, even from a centralized perspective, let alone distributed algorithms (or protocols). For this joint optimization problem with inherent combinatorial nature, this paper resorts to a layering approach. Specifically, the optimal power allocation for a fixed but arbitrary relay-selection configuration is carried out in the physical layer while the relay selection is done in the media access control (MAC) layer. The general idea is to run distributed relay-selection schemes based on a time-reversible Markov chain over a distributed power-allocation algorithm in the physical layer. It turns out that these methods can approximately solve this joint power allocation and the relay-selection problem with a certain performance guarantee. More importantly, the resulting solution can be implemented in a distributed manner. Numerical results are also presented to demonstrate the performance of the algorithms.


The objective was to analyze the discursivity of managers on the active search for respiratory symptoms and the relationship with the late diagnosis of tuberculosis. Qualitative research with empirical data compiled through interviews with 16 matrix supporters, from a ity in the Joao Pessoa metropolitan area (Paraiba -PB). Analysis as the technique of discourse analysis, following the French method. Results revealed contradictions between the proposed plan of municipal health and the managers' discourse regarding the actions to control tuberculosis; their lack of knowledge regarding the true meaning of active search, which contributed to cause a passive search for new cases; there are no plan actions for the identification of respiratory symptoms. We conclude that the evidence contributes to the late diagnosis and the need to improve the managers´ knowledge to better understand disease control. Descriptors: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary; Primary Health Care; Health Management.


We investigated the impact of sulfate-reduction on immobilization of metals in subsurface aquifers. Co 2+ was used as a model for heavy metals. Factors limiting sulfate-reduction dependent Co 2+ immobilization were tested on pure cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria, and in sediment columns from a landfill leachate contaminated aquifer. In the presence of 1 mM Co 2+ , the growth of pure cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria was not impacted. Cultures of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, Desulfotomaculum gibsoniae , and Desulfomicrobium hypogeia removed greater than 99.99% of the soluble Co 2+ when CoCl 2 was used with no chelators. The above cultures and Desulfoarcula baarsi removed 98-99.94% of the soluble Co(II) when the metal was complexed with the model ligand nitrilotriacetate (Co-NTA). Factors controlling the rate of sulfate-reduction based Co 2+ precipitation were investigated in sediment-cobalt mixtures. Several electron donors were tested and all but toluene accelerated soluble Co 2+ loss. Ethanol and formate showed the greatest stimulation. All complex nitrogen sources tested slowed and decreased the extent of Co 2+ removal from solution relative to formate-amended sediment incubations. A range of pH values were tested (6.35-7.81), with the more alkaline incubations exhibiting the largest precipitation of Co 2+ . The immobilization of Co 2+ in sediments was also investigated with cores to monitor the flow of Co 2+ through undisturbed sediments. An increase in the amount of Co 2+ immobilized as CoS was observed as sulfate reduction activity was stimulated in flow through columns. Both pure culture and sediment incubation data indicate that stimulation of sulfate reduction is a viable strategy in the immobilization of contaminating metals in subsurface systems.


Byline: Wade. Pickren Psychology became an integral and popular part of the undergraduate curriculum in the United States by the 1920s. It continued to grow in popularity throughout the century and now, in the 21[sup] st century, remains one of the top undergraduate degree programs in terms of the number of students who take it as their major. Psychology is also a popular and important program of undergraduate study for students who then pursue advanced education and training in a wide range of fields, including Medicine. Undergraduate Psychology courses that are popular with premedical students include Biological (Physiological) Psychology and Abnormal Psychology. Even with the growth and popularity of Psychology and its increasing relevance for health care, there has been resistance to incorporating it in the training of physicians. For most of the 20[sup] th century, Psychology was not considered a necessary part of medical education and psychologists were considered adjunctive in the practice of Medicine. However, by the last third of the 20[sup] th century, the situation had begun to change. In this article, I describe efforts from early in the 20[sup] th century to make Psychology a more formal part of medical education and suggest some reasons for why they failed to gain a purchase in the medical curriculum. I then briefly describe some factors that led to a greater acceptance of Psychology in medical training and settings and suggest some reasons for this acceptance. At the beginning of the 21[sup] st century, lessons can be drawn from these examples to help articulate a viable role for psychologists in an integrated health-care system, both in India and in the United States. Psychology in the Context of the Reform of Medical Education In the first half of the 20[sup] th century, there were many opportunities for interaction between psychologists and the medical profession in the United States.[sup] [1] In a few instances, there were genuine collaborations, such as in child guidance and neuroscience. In other arenas, such as mental testing and psychotherapy, physicians strongly resisted what they viewed as presumptuous incursions by psychologists into the domain of medicine.[sup] [2] Psychologists won the battle over mental testing in the United States, but physicians retained hegemony over psychotherapy until well after the end of World War II.[sup] [3] The question of whether instruction in Psychology should be part of the reformed medical curriculum was another area of debate. The years around the turn of the 20[sup] th century were a period of social change in American history. The social, political and professional order was transformed; new scientific disciplines were formed and professions were reformed. For scientific psychologists at the beginning of the 20[sup] th century, one point of potential application for their discipline was through an alliance with the medical profession. The practice of medicine was placed on a more scientific basis in the last quarter of the 19[sup] th century. This resulted in greater success in the treatment of some diseases and a higher status for medicine in American society. The medical sciences became increasingly centered on the laboratory as the locus of their work.[sup] [4],[5] Medical education began to focus on the several sciences considered basic to Medicine: anatomy, bacteriology, biochemistry, histology, pharmacology, physiology and pathology. This was the result of a gradual and halting reform of the medical school curriculum that began around 1840.[sup] [6] The reorganization of Harvard Medical School (1871) and the establishment of the Johns Hopkins University Medical School (1893) along lines emphasizing both clinical instruction and medical research were landmarks of the reform and signposts to the future of medical education. All the leading medical schools eventually raised standards of admission, and the length of training was expanded from two years to three years and then to four years. …


Introduction: Nowadays, biopolymers and biomaterials are an actively developing field, interesting both for specialists from various fields of science and for society at large. The range of polymers of both natural and synthetic origin is constantly expanding, but only a few of them are used in pharmaceutical production and medical practice. Due to the composition of polymers and active pharmaceutical ingredient, films are a promising form for applying in dentistry, ophthalmology, surgery, and other fields of medicine. Materials and Methods: In the work marketing and economic research methods are used to ground social and medical practicability of developing new dental products for local treatment. Results and Discussions: Based on the data of modern scientific literature, the requirements for medicinal films are outlined, their classification is given. Approaches to the choice of active and auxiliary substances in the process of developing new film formulations are described. The prospects of using films in surgery, dentistry, ophthalmology, and dermatology are shown. Conclusions: Based on the review, polymer films have been classified, and the requirements for the given dosage form have been defined. Approaches to selecting active and auxiliary ingredients have been considered. The main aspects of the technological process for the preparation of films are described. The ways of rational application of films in medical practice have been highlighted.


Immigrant adolescents make up a substantial proportion of newcomers to Canada. Most newcomer youth from South Asia aged 15 to 24 are from racialized "visible minority" backgrounds. The sexual health needs of female immigrant adolescents in Canada have been largely unmet and have increased in magnitude over the last few years. For immigrant female adolescents, the silence around issues of sexuality needs can affect their physical, emotional, sexual health, and overall well-being as well as their ability to reach their full potential. Evidence suggests that immigrant adolescents lack sexual and reproductive health knowledge and use fewer sexual health-related services and sex education resources than non-immigrant youth. In Pakistani immigrant adolescents, this difference appears to be associated with socio-cultural and religious practices. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the experience of developing sexuality and its relationship to well-being in middle- to late-female adolescents of Pakistani-descent, living in a large urban area in Canada. The study aimed to establish space for dialogue and to bridge the perceived cultural divide on issues of sexuality using the postmodern feminist lens, which often arises between individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Using the interpretive descriptive methodology, a purposive sample of 21 female adolescents who were of first- or second-generation Pakistan-descent was obtained. Participants included female adolescents aged from 14 to 19 years. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide and a timeline. A total of 21 first interviews and seven follow up interviews were conducted. The narratives and timelines presented in this study tell the story of female Pakistani adolescents, their narratives, and the timelines reflect the complexities of the sexuality of female adolescents and how they perceive and attribute meanings to their experiences. The study found that living in a bicultural world can cause significant stress and anxiety among female adolescents, especially when making personal life decisions related to sexuality. Moreover, silence around all aspects of female sexuality negatively affects the capacity for desire and pleasure. In addition, the intersection of gender and patriarchy have created layers of power and oppression in adolescent lives that tightly control their sexuality. The participants' stories reveal the complex interaction of factors that influence the behavior of female adolescents related to sexuality and sexual health. These findings establish the need for cultural awareness while viewing each girl's experience in relation to the intersectionality of social spheres such as race, ethnicity, culture, and religion. Finally, this study provides implications to policymakers to revise the existing policies and create youth-friendly policies for immigrant youth to draw attention to the hidden voices of female adolescents and increase the awareness of ways to address issues arising in evolving sexuality.


Tau hyper-phosphorylation and deposition into neurofibrillary tangles have been found in brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. Molecular chaperones are involved in regulating the pathological aggregation of phosphorylated Tau (pTau) and modulating disease progression. Here, we report that nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (NMNAT), a well-known NAD synthase, serves as a chaperone of pTau to prevent its amyloid aggregation in vitro as well as mitigate its pathology in a fly tauopathy model. By combining NMR spectroscopy, crystallography, single-molecule and computational approaches, we revealed that NMNAT adopts its enzymatic pocket to specifically bind the phosphorylated sites of pTau, which can be competitively disrupted by the enzymatic substrates of NMNAT. Moreover, we found that NMNAT serves as a co-chaperone of Hsp90 for the specific recognition of pTau over Tau. Our work uncovers a dedicated chaperone of pTau and suggests NMNAT as a key node between NAD metabolism and Tau homeostasis in aging and neurodegeneration.


Objectives: RealHand instruments are high-dexterity instruments that have been designed for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery applications. They provide dexterity by offering a full range of motion to endoscopic instruments. We hypothesize that RealHand instruments will resolve some of the limitations encountered in traditional endolaryngeal surgery. They have the potential to do so in the following ways: 1) they negate the limitation of mobility of traditional laryngoscopy instrumentation, which is rigid and fixed; 2) they maintain the ability of direct visualization through a telescope while precluding the need for an operating microscope; 3) they provide the dexterity to perform tasks that are otherwise not possible with traditional instrumentation; and 4) they provide flexibility that can be advantageous in difficult foreign body retrieval from distal airways. Methods: To test this hypothesis, we developed and optimized a cadaveric lamb larynx model for endolaryngeal microsurgery. To evaluate the feasibility of the RealHand instruments in their application to laryngeal surgery, we had 2 otolaryngology senior residents and 2 laryngology fellows-in-training perform 5 different endoscopic tasks: 1) foreign body removal; 2) arytenoidectomy; 3) microflap elevation; 4) cricopharyngeal myotomy; and 5) endoknot suture tying. Results: Experience with RealHand instruments demonstrated that although they are limited in application to phonosurgery, they have the potential for more facile tissue manipulation in the supraglottic and hypopharyngeal structures. Endoscopic suturing ability is enhanced. Conclusions: RealHand high-dexterity instrumentation allows for full range-of-motion instrumentation and, with modification, has potential for wider application in endoscopic laryngeal surgery.


AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors.


The polymerization of acrylamide (AA) and methacrylamide (MAA) was Studied by an extensive set of computational methods With it particular focus on the possible influence of water molecules on the propagation reaction. Ail extensive set of electronic structure methods was tested, consisting of B3LYP, BMK, MPWB1K, MP2, and B2-PLYP of which some include dispersion effects, The effect of water on the transition state is modeled in two different ways. Explicit water Molecules are added to the system, showing that replacing the hydrogen bond that dominates the transition State Structure by a water-mediated hydrogen bond, results in more stable, more feasible transition states. This effect is the largest for AA polymerization, a monomer that is known to experience a larger solvent effect than MAA. Additionally, a conductor-like polarizable continuum model (C-PCM) is applied on both the transition states in gas phase and the ones bearing explicit water molecules. This model has a dramatic effect on all the propagation rates, raising them by about 3 orders of magnitude. The inclusion of explicit water molecules gives insight into the role of water molecules and the formation of prereactive complexes. The relative rate of polymerization of AA with regard to MAA is well reproduced for a trimeric propagating radical with inclusion of explicit water molecules or by using an implicit solvation model at the BMK and MPWB1K level of theory.


Vacuum electronic (VE) power amplifiers are being developed between 100 GHz and 1 THz. Minimum power goals are 50 watts at 220 GHz, and 100 mW at 670 GHz. These devices will use advanced, high current density cathodes, a folded waveguide as the slow-wave circuit, and a depressed collector for overall device efficiency. Operation at duty cycles of 50–100% is anticipated.


There are several causes of carcass condemnation in poultry processing plants, including dorsal cranial myopathy (DCM), in which the anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD) muscle is affected. DCM etiology has not been elucidated yet, but this lesion impairs the visual quality of carcasses and causes economic losses due to downgrading and condemnation. The effects of this lesion on the systemic health of broilers are still unknown. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate muscle injury and systemic health indicators in broilers presenting or not DCM. The following parameters were evaluated: complete blood count (CBC), total protein, albumin, globulin, cholesterol, lactate, and glucose serum levels, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine kinase (CK) serum activities, and breast muscle pH. Blood samples were collected from 800 42-day-old broilers before feed withdrawal and transportation. In the processing plant, 28 carcasses presented DCM during inspection, and 28 carcasses with no DCM were used as controls. Blood biochemical parameters were not significantly different between broilers with DCM and the controls, except for AST and CK, which activities were higher in the DCM group than in the control group, suggesting that the DCM does not affect the systemic health of the broilers.


In this paper we recall the arguments put forward in an attempt to link language origins and specific elements of the fossil record (pigment use, burial practices, personal ornaments, production of depictions and carvings, musical traditions, various anatomical features), and summarise the scenarios proposed by palaeoanthropologists and archaeologists to account for the emergence of modern behavioral traits. This review challenges the idea of a strict link between biological and behavioural change and suggests that modern cognition and language are results of a gradual, complex and non-linear process to whose advancement different human populations and possibly a number of fossil human species have contributed.


Grid Computing supports the shared and coordinated use of several resources in dynamic Virtual Organizations. In the last few years, it is evolving into a business-innovating technology that is driving commercial adoption. Such a new scenario calls for powerful strategies able to guarantee stringent QoS requirements in order to meet Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between customers and providers. For this reason, it is necessary to analyze and predict performance with respect to different load conditions or management strategies. In this paper, we present a methodology to analyze performance in gLite Grids through the use of Generalized Stochastic Petri Nets (GSPNs). We introduce a cluster-level model of a typical gLite site taking into account the coexistence between normal and MPI-based jobs. We investigate the influence of different strategies (e.g., scheduling) on the performance of the whole site, highlighting aspects related to both customer and provider point of views. We also provide a business-oriented performance analysis introducing two different SLA typologies and highlighting how the site configuration may influence the expected profit of the service provider.


As Delaware corporate law confronts the twenty-first-century global economy, the state's legislators and jurists are becoming sensitive to increased threats to the law's sustained preeminence. The increased presence of federal laws and regulations in areas of corporate governance traditionally allocated to the states has been widely noted. The growth of federal corporate law standards may be undermining Delaware's confidence in the sustained prosperity of its chartering business - which has been a vital source of revenues and prestige for Delaware, its equity courts, and especially its corporate bar. The Delaware Court of Chancery appears to be concerned about the emigration of corporate law cases to other states' courtrooms, and is exercising its discretionary jurisdiction more expansively in parallel proceedings to deny defendants' motions to stay. There are even more aggressive measures that Delaware companies and lawmakers could take to restrict Delaware shareholders' choice of forum and keep these cases in Delaware. But Delaware has much to lose from trying to gain monopoly power over the adjudication of its corporate law. Indeed, in a system where corporate managers (or founders/controlling shareholders) select the state of incorporation - and hence effectuate the choice of Delaware corporate law - it is likely that allowing shareholder-plaintiffs freedom in forum selection has a salutary, modulating effect on Delaware corporate law. The ability of Delaware shareholder-plaintiffs to litigate elsewhere most likely plays a key role in preventing Delaware corporate law from becoming hostage to corporate defendants' interests.


The Short-Range Ensemble Prediction System (SREPS) is a multi-LAM (UM, HIRLAM, MM5, LM and HRM) multi analysis/boundary conditions (ECMWF, UKMetOffice, DWD and GFS) run twice a day by AEMET (72 hours lead time) over a European domain, with a total of 5 (LAMs) x 4 (GCMs) = 20 members. One of the main goals of this project is analyzing the impact of models and boundary conditions in the short-range high-resolution forecasted precipitation. A previous validation of this method has been done considering a set of climate networks in Spain, France and Germany, by interpolating the prediction to the gauge locations (SREPS, 2008). In this work we compare these results with those obtained by using a statistical downscaling method to post-process the global predictions, obtaining an "advanced interpolation" for the local precipitation using climate network precipitation observations. In particular, we apply the PROMETEO downscaling system based on analogs and compare the SREPS ensemble of 20 members with the PROMETEO statistical ensemble of 5 (analog ensemble) x 4 (GCMs) = 20 members. Moreover, we will also compare the performance of a combined approach post-processing the SREPS outputs using the PROMETEO system.


This paper views tertiary language learners' gaining a sense of cultural belonging and an awareness of intercultural communication through three prisms: (i) the metaphor of "investment", (ii) the notion of "community of practice" and (iii) the concept of "imagined community". Applied to environments of real world learning, specifically the volunteer sector, the notion of "community" holds a key to reshaping the cultural education experiences for participants in language learning programs, including learners of English as an Additional Language (EAL). This paper examines facets of "community" to contextualise the experiences of learners in a project where advanced EAL learners undertook volunteer work as part of a cultural learning curriculum within a Bachelor of Arts in EAL at a tertiary institute in New Zealand. This project gave learners access to "communities of practice" (Lave & Wenger 1992; Wenger 1998), providing contexts where instructors can reshape learners' higher education experiences by identifying cultural learning opportunities within the volunteer sector of the community. In educational research, the properties of community include insider support, common goals, shared discourse and membership (Rovai 2002a). The occurrence of such features in a student's volunteer placement depends on the degree of "investment" (Norton 2000; Pittaway 2004) participants have in individual and community goals. In the project, the journalised reflections of the participating migrants, refugees and international students reveal the cultural and ontological value of community work. This paper uses the concepts of real and imagined communities to theorise the participants' investments in their learning, presents qualitative findings from the project, and describes a range of benefits for EAL learners' learning in community. The paper concludes that investing in community can prepare learners for their future and imagined communities while reshaping significant aspects of cultural learning.


Human demands are pressing up against more and more of the Earth's limits. This book from the Worldwatch Institute examines the impacts of population growth on global resources and services, including food, fresh water, fisheries, jobs, education, income, and health. Despite the current hype of a "birth dearth" in parts of Europe and Japan, the fact remains that human numbers are projected to increase by over 3 billion by 2050. Rapidly growing nations are likely to outstrip the carrying capacity of their natural support systems. Governments worn down by several decades of rapid population growth often cannot mobilize the resources necessary to cope with emerging threats such as new diseases, food and water shortages, and mass unemployment. Already, in several African nations, hunger, disease, and social disintegration are leading to rising death rates, checking the rapid growth of population. Either nations with surging populations will quickly shift to smaller families or nature will impose its own, less humane limits to growth. As the world enters the new millennium, no challenge is perhaps so urgent as the need to quickly reduce population growth. Pakistan's population is projected to increase from 148 million to 357 million, surpassing that of the United States before 2050. Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, and Swaziland, where over one-fifth of the adult population is infected with HIV, will likely reach population stability shortly after the year 2000, as AIDS-related deaths offset soaring birth rates. A Worldwatch Environmental Alert book. Newsmaking press conference on publication National press and television coverage


European energy directives define highly‐demanding performance standards, from zero‐energy buildings to positive‐energy buildings. In Switzerland, one of the specific objectives of the new "Energy strategy 2050" is to install PV systems on existing building surfaces in order to cover 1/3 of the annual Swiss demand for electricity. In view of the considerable importance of urban renewal processes, building‐integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems therefore provide a crucial response to the challenges of the energy turnaround. However, in spite of technologic progress and economic evolution, diverse types of obstacles limit a large‐scale advanced PV integration into urban renewal processes. In this context, urban and architectural design towards increased integration – and therefore increased acceptance – provides an essential solution to overcome these barriers. It represents a key element towards establishing a systematic link between BIPV and the necessary renewal of the considerable existing building stock. Towards this aim, the present paper proposes a first approach to define a holistic multi‐criteria assessment methodology for BIPV‐adapted solutions in urban renewal design processes in the Swiss context. This document presents the first steps towards the validation of the proposed methodology through a preliminary case study in Neuchâtel (Switzerland).


This Article proposes an "environmental practices money security interest" (EPMSI) that could be added to Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Article 9 to facilitate transactions that enable good environmental practices. EPMSI rules would grant priority over earlier investors to financers whose extensions of credit enable debtors to invest in improving environmental impact. This work suggests that we should not rely exclusively on government subsidies such as tax credits and subsidized loans to induce investments in improved environmental impact when we could also enact commercial law devices that do so. An EPMSI would add to states' legislative efforts to address climate change by enabling companies to issue high-priority debt to finance improvements in sustainability. Article 9's blend of first-in-time priority rules and later-in-time interests that enjoy exceptions to these rules is, essentially, about benefits and drawbacks of new money. As we consider these benefits and drawbacks, two points about Article 9 become important: first, legal scholars overstate the extent to which the purchase-money rules avoid dilution risk by limiting purchase-money collateral to new goods, and, second, scholars overlook the existence of production-money interests in agricultural finance in analyses of Article 9 and interests with later-in-time priority. Ultimately, levels of commitment to mechanisms for private funding of improved environmental sustainability, and of tolerance for risk of dilution to secured creditors' positions, are for collective determination. Through making a concrete reform proposal, this Article intends to animate, in the context of UCC Article 9, questions about environmental costs and financing of improvements in sustainability.


Most traits important to agriculture, biology, and biomedicine are complex traits, deter- mined by both genetic and environmental factors. The complex traits that change their phenotypes over different stages of development are called dynamic traits. Traditional quantitative trait loci (QTLs) mapping approaches ignore the dynamic changes of complex traits. Functional mapping, as a powerful statistical tool, can not only map QTLs that con- trol the developmental pattern and process of complex traits, but also describe the dynamic changes of complex traits. In this study, we used functional mapping to identify those QTLs that affect height growth in 10th generation recombinant inbred lines derived from two different Arabidopsis thaliana accessions. Functional mapping identified 48 QTLs that are related to height traits. The growth curves of different genotypes can be drawn for each significant locus. By GO gene function annotations, we found that these QTLs detected are associated with the synthesis of biological macromolecules and the regulation of biological functions. Our findings provide unique insights into the genetic control of height growth of A. thaliana and will provide a theoretical basis for the study of complex traits.


The world is not exactly short of advertising awards. The One Show. Cannes. Clios. D&AD. And of course, closer to home, the Loeries and Apex. If you have the slightest drop of creative juice running through your veins, you will never have had more chances to win a shiny statuette. But as the trophy cabinets fill, we need to face the harsh truth - the more awards we dream up, the less useful they are.


The government has been tried to expand the supply of National Rental Housing(NRH) for the residential stability of low-income households with the ambitious construction plan of one million units of NRH. However, it has been implemented without sufficient considerations on local demand. Consequently, some projects are experiencing substantial vacancy rates and filling the unoccupied units with the second target groups. In order to adjust the demand of each group, the willingness to pay(WTP) of anticipated residents and the related demand characteristics need to be observed. However, in the case of NRH, we can not observe its market rent because the rent is detennined by the government agency. This makes it difficult to estimate demand on NRH using market information. The purposes of this study are to estimate demand elasticity on price(rent) using PSM(Price Sensitivity Method) and UTP(Unique Target Point), and to analyze determining factors of anticipated applicants' WTP for NRH. The results show that the demand elasticity is about 2.73, and that the respondents are willing to pay more rent as they have a higher school career, a higher income level, and more financial asset.


Speaker identification typically involves three stages. First, a front-end speaker embedding model is trained to embed utterance and speaker profiles. Second, a scoring function is applied between a runtime utterance and each speaker profile. Finally, the speaker is identified using nearest neighbor according to the scoring metric. To better distinguish speakers sharing a device within the same household, we propose a household-adapted nonlinear mapping to a low dimensional space to complement the global scoring metric. The combined scoring function is optimized on labeled or pseudo-labeled speaker utterances. With input dropout, the proposed scoring model reduces EER by 45–71% in simulated households with 2 to 7 hard-to-discriminate speakers per household. On real-world internal data, the EER reduction is 49.2%. From t-SNE visualization, we also show that clusters formed by household-adapted speaker embeddings are more compact and uniformly distributed, compared to clusters formed by global embeddings before adaptation.


1. The plant ecology of re-vegetated peat cuttings in ombrotrophic mires was investigated to elucidate factors having a major influence on the vegetation, with the aim of formulating management guidelines for the rehabilitation of such areas for nature conservation. 2. Most of the investigations were carried out at Thorne Moors, a cut-over derelict raised bog near Doncaster, S. Yorkshire. 3. The vegetation of the wide range of abandoned peat cuttings present at this site is described. Particular attention was paid to re-vegetated peat cuttings within an area comprising a series of cuttings, baulks and canals abandoned about 1920, now a proposed National Nature Reserve. Successional, hydrological and chemical factors and processes important in determining the distribution of vegetation were investigated. 4. Stratigraphical investigations show that some species which recolonized the abandoned peat cuttings (e. g. Sphagnum imbricatum and S. magetlanicum) have disappeared from the site since 1920. They have been replaced by species which were not major components of the undisturbed mire (e. g. Sphagnum recurvum and S. fimbriatum). 5. The distribution of the vegetation in peat cuttings principally reflects the height of the water table. Hydrological studies have also shown that the methods used to maintain the water table in the proposed National Nature Reserve (dams in ditches and drains and peat baulks), a virtually isolated peatland block, are effective. The peat of the baulks appears to have an extremely low hydraulic conductivity which may be a result of drainage.


Abstract Oligonucleotide‐protein conjugates have important applications in biomedicine. Simple and efficient methods are described for the preparation of these conjugates. Specifically, we describe a new method in which a bifunctional linker is attached to thiol‐oligonucleotide to generate a reactive intermediate that is used to link to the protein. Having similar conjugation efficacy compared with the classical method in which the bifunctional linker is attached first to the protein, this new approach produces significantly more active conjugates with higher batch to batch reproducibility. In a second approach, direct conjugation is proposed using oligonucleotides carrying carboxyl groups. These methodologies have been applied to prepare nanoconjugates of an engineered nanoparticle protein carrying a T22 peptide with affinity for the CXCR4 chemokine receptor and oligomers of the antiproliferative nucleotide 2'‐deoxy‐5‐fluorouridine in a very efficient way. The protocols have potential uses for the functionalization of proteins, amino‐containing polymers or amino‐lipids in order to produce complex therapeutic nucleic acid delivery systems.


This paper examines the thermal performance of housing in the UK and the associated costs for different fabric construction methods of the envelope for a typical four bedroom detached house. The energy ratings were assessed using the UK Government's Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), which is based on the Building Research Establishment Domestic Energy Model. The capital costs were estimated from data published by the Building Cost Information Services applied to Leicester UK area in 2011. Through alterations to the dwelling fabric alone, a reduction of 30.1% in carbon emissions of the base property could be achieved. Standard methods proved to be as effective as alternative methods at reducing carbon emissions by 22.6% for an average capital cost increase of 9.1% against the base property. This was equivalent to an extra cost of £13.7 for each kg of CO2 emissions reduction. It was found that alternative methods could reduce carbon emissions by 20.5% for an extra cost of 18.4% over the base property. The optimum construction method that would help achieve the UK government's carbon emissions target was also discussed. The paper also discusses the methods for improving energy efficiency in new extensions to existing dwellings, using a typical solid-wall terraced house with a new single storey extension, as a case study. In this study, it was found that by increasing refurbishment costs by only 4.7% could result in carbon emissions reduction by 21.7%.


ABSTRACT Rwanda's Nyungwe National Park is a biodiversity hotspot with the most endemic species in the ecoregion and the highest number of threatened species internationally. Nyungwe supplies critical ecosystem services to the Rwandan population including water provisioning and tourism services. Tourism in the Park has strong potential for financing enhanced visitor experiences and the sustainable management of the Park. This paper explores quantitatively the economic impacts of adjustment in Park visitation fees and tourism demand as a source of revenues to improve Park tourism opportunities and ongoing operations and maintenance. The methods developed in this paper are novel in integrating the results of stated preference techniques with a regional computable general equilibrium modelling approach to capture multisectoral, direct, indirect and induced impacts. Such methods have strong potential for assessing revenue generation alternatives in other contexts where park managers are faced with the need to generate additional revenue for sustainable park management while facing diminishing budget allocations. Results of this analysis demonstrate that adjustment of Park fees has a relatively small impact on the regional economy and well-being when compared with a strategy aimed at generating increased tourism demand through investment in improving the visitor experience at Nyungwe National Park.


The article supplies assessment of the efficiency of resource potential employment by some communities in Lviv region. The work studies the main sources of the resources of amalgamated territorial communities and makes grouping of them according to the criteria of their essence and importance in the strategy of development of the community's resource potential. The research analyzes financial capability of the communities, considers the recent results, obtained by Ukrainian scientists concerning the resource potential of amalgamated territorial communities. The authors of the work applied the methods of standard coefficients to transfer the indices of quantity into quality analogues. The indices were used to make rating of amalgamated territorial communities, to depict different factorial and resultant aspects of the resource potential of amalgamated territorial communities and assess them. Applyng the method of standard coefficients and matrix of the Boston Consulting Group, the work determines position of each community referring to density of population and resource of the capacity for work of amalgamated territorial communities. It also calculates rating indices for comparison of public formations in social sphere, and estimates expenditures for administrative personnel of each community. The proposed methods enable keeping track with not only dynamics of the rating assessment of communities, but also priority of the factorial indices concerning improvement and development of the communities. Those methods can be used not just referring to rural, but also to urban formations, based on a uniform measuring for all peculiarities. It helps to move from subjectivism and inconvenient use of expert assessments and weighting coefficients while completing the uniform integrated indices.  Keywords: territorial community; social development; resource support; administrative and territorial reform; method of standard coefficients; matrix of the Boston Consulting Group.


Expeditions from 1999 to 2004 for biomedical research explored various deep-sea coral ecosystems ( dSCE) off the southeastern U.S. (Blake Plateau, Straits of Florida, and eastern Gulf of Mexico). Habitat and benthos were documented from 57 dives with human occupied submersibles and three with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and resulted in ~100 hrs of videotapes, 259 in situ digital images, 621 muse um specimens, and > 400 microbial isolates. These were the first dives to document the habitat, benthic fauna, and fish diversity of some of these poorly known deepwater reefs. Fifty-eight fish species and 142 benthic invertebrate taxa were identi fied. High-definition topographic SEABEAM maps and echosounder profiles were also produced. Sites included in this report range from South Carolina on the Blake Plateau to the southwestern Florida slope: 1) Stetson Lophelia reefs along the east ern Blake Plateau off South Carolina; 2) Savannah Lophelia lithoherms along the western Blake Plateau off Georgia; 3) east Florida Lophelia reefs, 4) Miami Terrace escarpment in the Straits of Florida; 5) Pourtales Terrace off the Florida keys; and 6) west Florida Lophelia lithoherms off the southwestern Florida shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. These are contrasted with the azooxanthellate deep-water oculina reefs at the shelf-edge off central eastern Florida. The fisheries and biopharmaceutical re source potential of these deep-water habitats remain relatively unknown. Although these habitats are not currently designated as marine protected areas (MPAs) or coral habitat areas of particular concern (HAPCs), they are ecologically diverse, vulnerable to physical destruction, and irreplaceable resources. Activities involv ing bottom trawling, pipelines, or oil/gas production could negatively impact these reefs. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council are currently developing priority mapping sites of the dSCEs within this region, and these data may provide potential targets for new MPAs and HAPCs.


When confronted with the economic costs of addressing a serious health problem, many American households do not possess the ability to deal with the crises on their own and may turn to family members for help. Using longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we examine if the level of wealth held by individuals is related to the health problems of their siblings. We find evidence that having a sibling who has experienced a health problem decreases the amount of wealth that some families have. The research has implications for the existing literatures on altruism and kin networks, as it sheds some light on the nature of altruism that prevails in U.S. families and on how kinship networks matter. Because of its focus on the consequences of health problems, the research also has implications for public policy discussions about the health care system and social insurance more generally.


Levels of obesity-linked non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and hypertension are highest among indigenous communities in North America. This is linked to changes in dietary pattern towards high calorie foods such as sugar, refined grain flour, and sweetened beverages. Therefore, a return to traditional dietary patterns may help to reduce these disease problems because of better balance of calories and beneficial nutrients. Further protective non-nutrient phenolic phytochemicals against NIDDM and hypertension are potentially high in these foods but less understood. In this study antidiabetic- and antihypertension-relevant potentials of phenolic phytochemicals were confirmed in select important traditional plant foods of indigenous communities such as pumpkin, beans, and maize using in vitro enzyme assays for -glucosidase, alpha-amylase, and angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities. In vitro inhibitory activities of these enzymes provide a strong biochemical rationale for further in vivo studies and dietary management strategy for NIDDM through the control of glucose absorption and reduction of associated hypertension. These enzyme inhibitory activities were further compared to total soluble phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the above-targeted plant foods. Pumpkin showed the best overall potential. Among the varieties of pumpkin extracts P5 (round orange) and P6 (spotted orange green) had high content of total phenolics and moderate antioxidant activity coupled to moderate to high alpha-glucosidase and ACE inhibitory activities. Therefore this phenolic antioxidant-enriched dietary strategy using specific traditional plant food combinations can generate a whole food profile that has the potential to reduce hyperglycemia-induced pathogenesis and also associated complications linked to cellular oxidation stress and hypertension.


This paper present a method for predicting voltage dips as experienced by customers due to faults in the power grid. Where earlier methods considered only the magnitude (residual voltage) of the dips, this paper considers both magnitude and duration. A triangular distribution is assumed for the dip duration for each of three zones, together with probabilities for each zone. The dips are generated randomly by means of a Monte-Carlo simulation, with fault location along the line and dip duration as random variables. The results can next be analyzed by any of the methods developed for analyzing voltage-dip measurements. The method is illustrated by means of the dips experienced by an industrial installation connected to the 130-kV subtransmission network.


Irena R. iVlakaryk and Joseph G. Price, eds, Shakespeare in the Worlds of Communism and Socialism (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006) In April 2006, a series of articles in The Australian condemned the politicisation of Shakespeare Studies in Year 11 English classes at Sydney girls' school SCEGGS Darlinghurst. Of Othello, girls were asked to 'explain how dramatic techniques might be used to communicate ... two of the following readings ... Marxist, feminist, race'. Education writer Justine Ferrari garnered comment from Harold Bloom, who called the task 'sublimely stupid', and from Les Murray, who reportedly 'described the question as horrifying'. In a further article by Steve Lewis and Imre Salusinszky, Peter Morgan of the University of Western Australia claimed that 'teachers are disappointed they are not teaching literature any more. They feel the subject has been hijacked by those who want to teach about race, gender and Marxism, rather than about literature.' Given the currency of such concerns, Shakespeare in the Worlds of Communism and Socialism has particular relevance in the Australian context. Australian journalists and educators may worry about the occasional over-prevalence of political or ideological approaches to the teaching of literature, but the threat here is mild at worst. The essay collection reviewed here shows the politicisation of art in this case, the plays of Shakespeare taken to its extreme. The accounts it gives of situations where the production of plays is a matter for strict state control and intervention could be viewed as cautionary, but they can also put in perspective any temptations one may have, in our thoroughly liberal and pluralist society, to become hysterical about high-school essay questions. Contributions to the collection describe the texture of Shakespeare performance and reception in the former Soviet bloc and other communist countries during the twentieth century. A final piece on Marxist Shakespeare studies in North America caps off the book. The essays divide into four sections, each of which looks at 'the complex, uneasy, and unpredictable alliance of Shakespeare with communist ideology' (3) from multiple vantage points. The section titled 'Shakespeare in Flux' focuses on productions in former Soviet territory, from 1917 to the Stalinist 1930s. 'World War, Cold War, and the Great Divide' covers productions in East Germany. 'National and Cultural Diversity' features contributions on Czech, Polish, Hungarian and Chinese productions, while 'Theorizing Marxist Shakespeares' takes a closer look at the ideological character of Marxist Shakespeare reception in Cuba, East Germany and North America. Each of the sections begins with a valuable introduction by editor Irena R. Makaryk, which sets the essays to follow within the context of the historical period and subject matter that they deal with. The editors report that 'this study is the first sustained, global look at Communist and socialist Shakespeare from 1917 to (roughly) 2002" (10). One could be tempted to assume that under communism, state oversight of Shakespeare productions would homogenise and reduce the complexity of the plays and the interpretations that can be made of them. Yet the essays here show the subtle variations of detail in a multitude of Shakespeare productions all put on under conditions where art was expected to follow an at least nominally Marxist line be it Bolshevik, Stalinist or Maoist. As the editors write: 'Although the Soviet dictatorship could exercise political control, each country and each culture absorbed into the orbit adapted Marxist principles idiosyncratic to each state and its respective theatrical traditions' (5). At the same time though, issues recur across the contributions. Wc see repeatedly how Shakespeare's venerated status within the Soviet sphere of influence as if it were not enough merely for his plays to be permitted! was grounded in his works being seen as precursors to socialist realism, and in interpretive reduction of his plays to stories of class conflict. …


Across OECD governments, there is a growing trend towards inclusive policy making whereby a broad range of citizens and groups are involved in decision-making processes—or in other words, public engagement. In contrast to closed-off and technocratically-driven policy development, public engagement broadens the number of voices heard in any policy decision and democratizes the process. This paper presents a primer to public engagement with a focus on how it is best structured within a bureaucracy. Throughout it is argued that: i) public relations and communications are functions of public engagement; ii) providing the appropriate structures and processes for the organized decentralization of public engagement expertise within ministries can be the foundation for participatory policy making and; iii) centralized coordination within the bureaucracy is a necessary component of such structures and processes.


In many larger advanced economies labour productivity growth slowed sharply and remained subdued for years after the credit crisis of 2007/08. Nowhere was this more obvious than in the United Kingdom. We examine the dynamics of productivity among British businesses that lie behind this stagnation. The most striking feature is the widespread weakness in total factor productivity within firms, pointing to the importance of a common factor in explaining productivity weakness. In addition,we find that the positive correlation between surviving firms' employment growth and their relative productivity ranking broke down after 2007/08, as would be expected if an adverse credit supply shock had caused inefficiencies in resource allocation across firms. Indeed, during the immediate recession years 2008/09, this shift was most apparent in sectors with many small and bank dependent businesses. But subsequently, while the contribution of external reallocation to aggregate productivity growth in 2010/13 was smaller than in previous years, this was not obviously associated with sectoral bank dependence. We illustrate the sensitivity of these findings to the choice of decomposition method.


Introduction The objective of this paper is to assess the current state of the Cyprus' economy and to put forward some major guidelines for a new paradigm.2 This discussion takes place almost six years after the collapse of March 2013 and its ongoing repercussions. We also briefly review the causes of the crisis and attempt to evaluate to what extent it has been effectively dealt with. Within this framework the current structural problems and challenges are assessed. In the first section, we overview the background and the context of this discussion. The political and historical dimensions are briefly assessed. We also focus on the economic crisis which led to the advent of the Troika. Furthermore, the socioeconomic cost of the Memorandum of Understanding is outlined. This is followed by a brief presentation of the stabilization and the recovery that eventually took place as well as the shortcomings of this process. The second section addresses the record of the pursued economic policies focusing on the gap between the rhetoric and the actual results. Furthermore, a brief overview of developments that took place is put forward with an emphasis on specific sectoral dimensions. This section also underlines the fundamental structural problems that still exist. In addition, a brief reference is made to the socioeconomic and political situation in the northern occupied part of Cyprus. In the next section, we describe the existing challenges and opportunities. Initially we assess the position of Cyprus in the regional and international context. Subsequently, the problems of the financial sector are examined. Within this framework special emphasis is given to the non-performing loans (NPLs). The importance of attracting foreign investment is also stressed. The socioeconomic and political implications of a solution to the Cyprus Problem are also assessed. Then we briefly summarize the structural problems that have to be addressed.


The application of the sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U/Pb dating technique to zircon and monazites of different rock types of the Sierra de San Luis provides an important insight into the provenance and timing of deposition of the sedimentary precursors as well as the metamorphic and igneous history of the various basement domains. Additional constraints on the Famatinian metamorphic episode are provided by Pb/Pb stepwise leaching experiments on one staurolite and two garnet separates. The results indicate that the sedimentary precursors of the Conlara Metamorphic Complex have a maximum age of c. 590 Ma, whereas the Pringles Metamorphic Complex metasediments appear to be sourced from the Pampean orogen in the Early Cambrian. Folded xenoliths within the c. 496 Ma El Peñón pluton suggest that the host Conlara Metamorphic Complex underwent a Pampean compression. From a 208Pb/232Th monazite age of 478 Ma for a migmatite from the Nogolí Metamorphic Complex, the structural evolution of this basement complex appears to be entirely post-Pampean. Onset of the Famatinian high-grade metamorphism, between c. 500 Ma and c. 450 Ma, follows a period of crustal extension on the western outboard of Gondwana and might not be related directly to a Mid-Ordovician accretion of the Cuyania Terrane.


We introduce an efficient algorithmic framework for model selection in online learning, also known as parameter-free online learning. Departing from previous work, which has focused on highly structured function classes such as nested balls in Hilbert space, we propose a generic meta-algorithm framework that achieves online model selection oracle inequalities under minimal structural assumptions. We give the first computationally efficient parameter-free algorithms that work in arbitrary Banach spaces under mild smoothness assumptions; previous results applied only to Hilbert spaces. We further derive new oracle inequalities for matrix classes, non-nested convex sets, and $\mathbb{R}^{d}$ with generic regularizers. Finally, we generalize these results by providing oracle inequalities for arbitrary non-linear classes in the online supervised learning model. These results are all derived through a unified meta-algorithm scheme using a novel "multi-scale" algorithm for prediction with expert advice based on random playout, which may be of independent interest.


We condition the welding zone of the aluminum surface with nanosecond laser pulses prior to welding with infrared laser radiation to increase the process efficiency and weld quality. The high reflectivity of aluminum for infrared laser radiation (95% at 1064 nm) leads to poor process efficiency of aluminum laser welding processes. To increase the workpiece's absorptivity, the welding zone is conditioned with nanosecond laser pulses at a wavelength of 532 nm. The samples are nonalloy, 0.5 mm thick aluminum, and 1.5 mm thick Al5356 alloy. Welding is performed with a continuous Nd: yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser with an output power of 2 kW, a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with an average power of up to 90 W, and a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with an average power of up to 20 W. Through preconditioning with nanosecond laser pulses, full penetration welding is achieved with an increased welding speed. At the same welding speed, the bead size of the weld increases and deeper penetration of bead on plate welding is obtained. The authors observe higher surface oxygen content of the preconditioned aluminum surface which is expected to increase the absorptivity. Pore formation is reduced when employing the preconditioning on the Al5356 alloy.We condition the welding zone of the aluminum surface with nanosecond laser pulses prior to welding with infrared laser radiation to increase the process efficiency and weld quality. The high reflectivity of aluminum for infrared laser radiation (95% at 1064 nm) leads to poor process efficiency of aluminum laser welding processes. To increase the workpiece's absorptivity, the welding zone is conditioned with nanosecond laser pulses at a wavelength of 532 nm. The samples are nonalloy, 0.5 mm thick aluminum, and 1.5 mm thick Al5356 alloy. Welding is performed with a continuous Nd: yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser with an output power of 2 kW, a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with an average power of up to 90 W, and a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with an average power of up to 20 W. Through preconditioning with nanosecond laser pulses, full penetration welding is achieved with an increased welding speed. At the same welding speed, the bead size of the weld increases and deeper penetration of bead on plate welding is obtained...


This article explores interpretive practices and discursive arguments that mediate transnational influences. In South Korea, a growth-oriented economy, competitive democracy, and an antagonistic relationship with North Korea developed during the Cold War era under the strong influence of the U.S. and Japan. This study analyzes how Germany—a country that is regarded as an exemplary case for a social market economy, consensus democracy, and successful national reunification—was imagined as a model for reform. By analyzing editorials and opinion articles published in major Korean newspapers, this article investigates the aspects of Germany that Korean elites paid attention to and the narratives that they constructed about Germany. The results show that competing Korean elites produced different German narratives and "German models," leading to the integration of these competing models into conflicts surrounding South Korea's future.


In the challenge of achieving environmental sustainability, industrial production plants, as large contributors to the overall energy demand of a country, are prime candidates for applying energy efficiency measures. A modelling approach using cubes is used to decompose a production facility into manageable modules. All aspects of the facility are considered, classified into the building, energy system, production and logistics. This approach leads to specific challenges for building performance simulations since all parts of the facility are highly interconnected. To meet this challenge, models for the building, thermal zones, energy converters and energy grids are presented and the interfaces to the production and logistics equipment are illustrated. The advantages and limitations of the chosen approach are discussed. In an example implementation, the feasibility of the approach and models is shown. Different scenarios are simulated to highlight the models and the results are compared.


ABSTRACT The article proposes two novel and relatively simple unsupervised procedures for the selection of informative small subsets of spectral bands in hyperspectral images. To ensure the informativeness of the subsets, bands featuring higher entropy are included. The correlation of band images is restricted to avoid redundancy of the subsets. The entropy multiple correlation ratio procedure employs the entropy-correlation ratio for the selection of spectral bands. The entropy-based correlated band grouping (ECBG) procedure divides the spectrum into groups of bands featuring highly correlated images. The subsets obtained were characterized by the performance of classifiers using only data from included bands. The ECBG procedure provided better results than the alternatives if the number of selected bands was low. Another advantage of this procedure is the possibility of averaging the images obtained for spectral bands within the groups found. It is shown that classification results are significantly improved if such an averaging is used. In the data acquisition practice, it can be used for a purposeful merging of spectral bands in the configuration of hyperspectral imagers, which allows one to reduce the amount of data to be saved in real time and thus helps one to improve the achievable spatial resolution.


BACKGROUND
Surgical removal of the tonsils, with or without adenoidectomy (adeno-/tonsillectomy), is a common ENT operation, but the indications for surgery are controversial. This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in The Cochrane Library in Issue 3, 1999 and previously updated in 2009.

OBJECTIVES
To assess the effectiveness of tonsillectomy (with and without adenoidectomy) in children and adults with chronic/recurrent acute tonsillitis in reducing the number and severity of episodes of tonsillitis or sore throat.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Trials Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); PubMed; EMBASE; CINAHL; Web of Science; Cambridge Scientific Abstracts; ISRCTN and additional sources for published and unpublished trials. The date of the most recent search was 30 June 2014.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials comparing tonsillectomy (with or without adenoidectomy) with non-surgical treatment in adults and children with chronic/recurrent acute tonsillitis.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used the standard methodological procedures expected by The Cochrane Collaboration.

MAIN RESULTS
This review includes seven trials with low to moderate risk of bias: five undertaken in children (987 participants) and two in adults (156 participants). An eighth trial in adults (40 participants) was at high risk of bias and did not provide any data for analysis. Good information about the effectiveness of adeno-/tonsillectomy is only available for the first year following surgery in children and for a shorter period (five to six months) in adults.We combined data from five trials in children; these trials included children who were 'severely affected' (based on the specific 'Paradise' criteria) and less severely affected. Children who had an adeno-/tonsillectomy had an average of three episodes of sore throats (of any severity) in the first postoperative year, compared to 3.6 episodes in the control group; a difference of 0.6 episodes (95% confidence interval (CI) -1 to -0.1; moderate quality evidence). One of the three episodes in the surgical group was the 'predictable' one that occurred in the immediate postoperative period.When we analysed only episodes of moderate/severe sore throat, children who had been more severely affected and had adeno-/tonsillectomy had on average 1.1 episodes of sore throat in the first postoperative year, compared with 1.2 episodes in the control group (low quality evidence). This is not a significant difference but one episode in the surgical group was that occurring immediately after surgery.Less severely affected children had more episodes of moderate/severe sore throat after surgery (1.2 episodes) than in the control group (0.4 episodes: difference 0.8, 95% CI 0.7 to 0.9), but again one episode was the predictable postoperative episode (moderate quality evidence).Data on the number of sore throat days is only available for moderately affected children and is consistent with the data on episodes. In the first year after surgery children undergoing surgery had an average of 18 days of sore throat (of which some - between five and seven on average - will be in the immediate postoperative period), compared with 23 days in the control group (difference 5.1 days, 95% CI 2.2 to 8.1; moderate quality evidence).When we pooled the data from two studies in adults (156 participants), there were 3.6 fewer episodes (95% CI 7.9 fewer to 0.70 more; low quality evidence) in the group receiving surgery within six months post-surgery. However, statistical heterogeneity was significant. The pooled mean difference for number of days with sore throat in a follow-up period of about six months was 10.6 days fewer in favour of the group receiving surgery (95% CI 5.8 fewer to 15.8 fewer; low quality evidence). However, there was also significant statistical heterogeneity in this analysis and the number of days with postoperative pain (which appeared to be on average 13 to 17 days in the two trials) was not included. Given the short duration of follow-up and the differences between studies, we considered the evidence for adults to be of low quality.Two studies in children reported that there was "no statistically significant difference" in quality of life outcomes, but the data could not be pooled. One study reported no difference in analgesics consumption. We found no evidence for prescription of antibiotics.Limited data are available from the included studies to quantify the important risks of primary and secondary haemorrhage.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Adeno-/tonsillectomy leads to a reduction in the number of episodes of sore throat and days with sore throat in children in the first year after surgery compared to (initial) non-surgical treatment. Children who were more severely affected were more likely to benefit as they had a small reduction in moderate/severe sore throat episodes. The size of the effect is very modest, but there may be a benefit to knowing the precise timing of one episode of pain lasting several days - it occurs immediately after surgery as a direct consequence of the procedure. It is clear that some children get better without any surgery, and that whilst removing the tonsils will always prevent 'tonsillitis', the impact of the procedure on 'sore throats' due to pharyngitis is much less predictable.Insufficient information is available on the effectiveness of adeno-/tonsillectomy versus non-surgical treatment in adults to draw a firm conclusion.The impact of surgery, as demonstrated in the included studies, is modest. Many participants in the non-surgical group improve spontaneously (although some people randomised to this group do in fact undergo surgery). The potential 'benefit' of surgery must be weighed against the risks of the procedure as adeno-/tonsillectomy is associated with a small but significant degree of morbidity in the form of primary and secondary haemorrhage and, even with good analgesia, is particularly uncomfortable for adults.


In the early 1990s, Classics professor Mary Lefkowitz discovered that one of her faculty colleagues at Wellesley College was teaching that Greek culture had been stolen from Africa and that Jews were responsible for the slave trade. This book tells the disturbing story of what happened when she spoke out.Lefkowitz quickly learned that to investigate the origin and meaning of myths composed by people who have for centuries been dead and buried is one thing, but it is quite another to critique myths that living people take very seriously. She also found that many in academia were reluctant to challenge the fashionable idea that truth is merely a form of opinion. For her insistent defence of obvious truths about the Greeks and the Jews, Lefkowitz was embroiled in turmoil for a decade. She faced institutional indifference, angry colleagues, reverse racism, anti-Semitism, and even a lawsuit intended to silence her.In "History Lesson", Lefkowitz describes what it was like to experience directly the power of both postmodernism and compensatory politics. She offers personal insights into important issues of academic values and political correctness, and she suggests practical solutions for the divisive and painful problems that arise when a political agenda takes precedence over objective scholarship. Her forthright tale uncovers surprising features in the landscape of higher education and an unexpected need for courage from those who venture there.


We report on the results of small-scale excavations at the archaeological site of Kalambo Falls, northern Zambia. The site has long been known for its stratified succession of Stone Age horizons, in particular those representing the late Acheulean (Mode 2) and early Middle Stone Age (Mode 3). Previous efforts to date these horizons have provided, at best, minimum radiometric ages. The absence of a firm chronology for the site has limited its potential contribution to our understanding of the process of technological change in the Middle Pleistocene of south-central Africa. The aim of the excavations was to collect samples for luminescence dating that bracketed archaeological horizons, and to establish the sedimentary and palaeoenvironmental contexts of the deposits. Four sedimentary packages were identified with the oldest containing Mode 2 and Mode 3 horizons. In this paper we consider the implications of the luminescence ages for the archaeological record at Kalambo Falls, and place them in a regional context. The reworking and preservation of the archaeological horizons is interpreted as the result of successive phases of meander migration and aggradation. Limited pollen evidence suggests a persistent floodplain palaeoenvironment with intermittent swamp forest and adjacent valley woodland, while mineral magnetic susceptibility data support an interpretation of river flow variability without any significant change in sediment provenance. The dynamics of the fluvial system cannot as yet be linked directly with regional climate change. The age range of ~500–300 ka for the oldest sedimentary package places the Mode 2/3 succession firmly in the Middle Pleistocene, and contributes to an expanding African record of technological innovation before the evolution of Homo sapiens.


Speech-language pathologists have not typically included writing as part of instructional or intervention goals. This omission may be related to the sparse research data on writing development in children with a language learning disability (LLD). Like reading and spelling, writing results from complex interactions among the linguistic and discourse systems and changes over time from an oral style of communication to a more literate style. One purpose of this article is to describe individual differences in the phases of writing development, drawing on examples from students who are typically developing, and those with an LLD. Special emphasis is given to the differentiation of audience and syntactic choices during the school-age years as critical elements in communicating the "writer's voice." Using an illustrative case study of a 10-year-old, the second purpose is to demonstrate how school-based writing samples can serve as a dynamic tool for analysis of interactions among the linguistic and discourse systems. The multiple levels addressed include genre knowledge, concept of audience, clausal and nonclausal complexity, spelling, and punctuation. A major assessment issue is whether the writing problems of individual students stem from an unrecognized LLD, instructional inadequacies, or both factors. Suggestions are offered for better meeting individual needs through combining explicit strategy instruction for composing and self-regulation with explicit linguistic strategies that enhance semantic and syntactic options in writing.


Awareness and practice of modern family planning methods are generally low in Nigeria despite the fact that her maternal mortality and total fertility rates rank among the highest in the world. To review the pattern of contraceptive acceptance among clients attending family planning clinics (FPCs) in two centres in Enugu, southeast Nigeria. This was a retrospective observational study. The records of FPC attendees from the two centres were reviewed and their biosocial data, the period of attendance as well as the contraceptive uptake of each client were studied. During the period, 6125 clients visited the FPC of the UNTH, Enugu.Of these, 828 (13.5%) were new clients. More than two-thirds (70.7%) accepted to use intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD), 23.3.% accepted injectables while 2.9% and 1.8% chose norplant and oral pills respectively and 1.3% accepted bilateral tubal ligation (BTL). At the PHC, Abakpa-Nike, new clients were 39 (11.5%) out of a total of 340 that visited the clinic. Injectable contraceptive was the commonest accepted method contributing 64.1%, followed by IUCD (28.2%) and oral pills (7.7%). Norplant and BTL were not available at the centre. Contraceptive uptake in the two centres was low. Measures to improve contraceptive acceptance and prevalence among women in the areas as well as strategies to meet the contraceptive choice of clients were discussed. ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY


The construction industry, which contributes around 5 percent to gross domestic product, is a vitally important industry in New Zealand. With over 50,000 businesses, the construction industry is the third largest industry by business count in New Zealand's economy (Statistics New Zealand 2009). Although it is widely accepted that productivity can be improved by adoption effective supply chain management (SCM), no studies have investigated this in the New Zealand context. The purpose of this paper is to understand the nature and extent of current practice of Construction Supply Chain Management (CSCM) in NZ construction. Consequently to examine whether current SCM practice exemplified in NZ could be considered to be international 'Best Practice'. A case study approach is used for probing SCM practice on a NZ$75m commercial project located in Auckland Central Business District (CBD. The supply chain network of the principal ground works and superstructure construction stages was studied. The key findings of the case study suggest that the flow of materials remains the main focus of CSCM practice. It was found that essential skills training for CSCM was extremely limited and largely ill-defined in terms of its nature and content. Finally it was identified that as the NZ construction industry moves towards a significantly more collaborative framework, the efficacy of CSCM operations is expected to substantially improve. However this last point did not negate the requirement to expand and improve skills training in CSCM. This indicates that there is room for improving CSCM to reduce construction project costs and increase productivity.


One of the electronic systems that enable to communicate by speech without an audible acoustic signal is Silent Speech Interface. The work investigates the usability of muscle contractions detected by surface electromyography (EMG) sensors as an input channel for Silent Speech Interface. Therefore, the technology enables speech recognition to be applied to silently mouthed speech. The work describes the outcomes in using artificial neural network to recognize and classify human speech based on EMG signals which are captured at the facial muscles, records the activity of the human articulatory apparatus and thus allows tracing back a speech signal even if it is spoken silently. Since speech is captured before it gets airborne, the resulting signal is not masked by ambient noise. The preliminary results demonstrate that the proposed technique yields high recognition rate for classification of unvoiced words using SEMG features. The output of Silent Speech Interface has the potential to overcome major limitations of conventional speech driven interfaces: it is not prone to any environmental noise, allows to silently transmitting the confidential information, and does not disturb bystanders. The results demonstrate that the system is easy to train for a new user. This work forms the basis for further researches to use EMG signals to improve large training dataset and uses of different languages based model.


This paper uses a case-study approach to describe how organizational characteristics may influence program outcomes in humanitarian aid situations. Organizational structure and human resource management are discussed as organizational factors that influence the vulnerabilities of clients and employees. Interview and archival data from a program on reintegrating refugee and internally displaced women and girl survivors of sexual violence in Sierra Leone and observations based on the author's experience with the organization provides a relevant basis for isolating the firm as an important context within which refugee programs are embedded.