Prior studies indicate that incarcerated women are among the most economically disadvantaged populations in the U.S. An important difference between them and male offenders is that these women are usually custodial parents. Therefore, the consequences of incarceration for their well being are especially important because of its effect on children. In this paper we focus on the links between incarceration and use of the social welfare system. Is prison, for example associated with increased welfare dependency? To better understand this relationship, we examine the temporal pattern of social welfare receipt for 45,000 female offenders from Cook County, Illinois, the second most populated county in the United States. We find that this group does in fact have high rates of social welfare receipt, especially if they were incarcerated in state prison rather than in county jail. But incarceration is associated with modestly lower rates of social welfare receipt, especially for the less advantaged among the population of offenders. Further, bans on TANF receipt for drug felons enacted as part of welfare reform have not significantly affected this population's attachment to the social welfare system.


The results of a reconnaissance geochemical drainage Introduction
survey across an area of 850 km2 in the Cheviot Hills are
reported. At each of the 708 sample sites, the - 0.15 mm
fraction of the stream sediment, a panned heavy mineral
concentrate derived from the - 2 mm fraction of the
stream sediment and a water sample were collected. Be,
B, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Zr, MO, Sn, Ba,
Ph and Lo1 were determined in stream sediment samples;
Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Zr, MO, Sn, Sb, Ba, Ce,
Pb, Bi and U in panned concentrate samples and Cu, Zn
and Pb in water samples.
The survey area is composed largely of andesitic
volcanic rocks of Lower Devonian age. Underlying _
Silurian greywackes and shales and overlying Devonian
and Carboniferous sedimentary rocks and basaltic lavas
are exposed around the periphery of the volcanic complex.
The Cheviot granite crops out on the eastern margin
of the area.
Anomalous concentrations of metals recorded in the
drainage samples are, in general, related to (i) known
mineral occurrences, (ii) hydrous oxide precipitation and
scavenging processes, (iii) the relatively _ widespread
occurrence of baryte, (iv) contamination, (v) tourmalinisation
and other hydrothermal activity and (vi) high
background levels in unmineralised rocks. At several
localities, however, the source of an anomaly is uncertain
and some of these may reflect hitherto unknbwn mineralisation.
Anomaly groupings and regional variation patterns
in the data are influenced by major structures such
as the Gyle-Harthope fracture zone.
Follow-up investigations into a wide range of metal
anomalies in the the Kingsseat area involved more detailed
drainage sampling, geological mapping at 1: 10 000
scale and petrographic, mineralogical and lithogeochemical
studies. Rocks, previously mapped as extrusive
mica felsites, are reinterpreted as a high level intrusion
complex, named the Cock Law Complex, which contains
live distinct types of porphyry. Many of the intrusive and
extrusive rocks are highly altered and seven alteration
assemblages are identified, arising from sericitisation,
kaolinisation, silicification, tourmalinisation, haematisation
and carbonate alterations. All except haematisation
are related to Lower Devonian igneous activity. Metal
enrichments were recorded in many of the analysed rocks.
The greatest enrichments, for the widest range of
elements, occur in samples taken from a gossanous structure,
where the mineralisation has features in common
with the epithermal precious-metal style of mineralisation
associated with sub-aerial volcanism.


The pronounced expansion of the German economy accelerates further. Compared to our summer forecast, we adjust our forecast for the current and the next year upwards, and we expect gross domestic product to grow by 2 percent in the current year and 2.2 percent in the next year (summer forecast: 1.7 percent and 2.0 percent). Also in the year 2019, gross domestic product is expected to grow markedly by 2.1 percent. In the forecasting period, gross domestic product will expand faster than potential output growth, a measure of the long-term sustainable economic development. With capacity utilization already above normal levels, the German economy is approaching a boom period. The expansion is becoming increasingly broad-based: alongside consumption, exports and investment are gaining weight as important pillars of the expansion. Exports are set to grow at stronger rates, stimulated by the upswing of the global economy. Business investment will further gain momentum due to the favorable business outlook and growing needs to expand capacity. Construction activity also continues to increase at high rates due to very favorable financing conditions. Private consumption, however, is likely to slow down somewhat compared to previous years, as markedly higher inflation will dampen the purchasing power of households. With production capacities being highly utilized, domestic price pressure is set to increase, such that we expect inflation to come in at to 2 percent by 2019. Employment continues to rise, even though a gradual slowdown of labor-supply will set a limit on the extent of employment gains. Wages are expected to grow more dynamically. Germany's general budget surplus is set to increase further. However, the surplus is a temporary phenomenon owing to high cyclical dynamics and low interest rates, such that the scope for expansionary fiscal policies remains limited.


Molecular hydrogen is a potential energy carrier for the future. Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria are a group of photosynthetic microorganisms with the inherent ability to produce molecular hydrogen via the enzyme complex nitrogenase. This hydrogen is not released, however, but is recaptured by the bacteria using an uptake hydrogenase. In this thesis, genes involved in cyanobacterial hydrogen metabolism were examined, and the possibility of employing genetically modified cyanobacteria for hydrogen production was investigated.Nostoc punctiforme PCC 73102 (ATCC 29133) is a nitrogen-fixing filamentous cyanobacterium containing an uptake hydrogenase encoded by hupSL. The transcription of hupSL was characterised, and putative regulatory elements in the region upstream of the transcription start site were identified. One of these, a binding motif for the global nitrogen regulator NtcA, was further investigated by mobility shift assays, and it was found that the motif is functional in binding NtcA. Also, a set of genes involved in maturation of hydrogenases was identified in N. punctiforme, the hypFCDEAB operon. These genes were found to be situated upstream of hupSL in the opposite direction, and they were preceded by a previously unknown open reading frame, that was found to be transcribed as part of the same operon.The potential for hydrogen production by filamentous cyanobacteria was investigated by studying mutant strains lacking an uptake hydrogenase. A mutant strain of N. punctiforme was constructed, where hupL was inactivated. It was found that cultures of this strain evolve hydrogen during nitrogen fixation. Gas exchange in the hupL- mutant and in wild type N. punctiforme was measured using a mass spectrometer, and conditions under which hydrogen production from the nitrogenase could be increased at the expense of nitrogen fixation were identified. Growth and hydrogen production in continuous cultures of a Hup- mutant of the related strain Nostoc PCC 7120 were also studied. This thesis advances the knowledge about cyanobacterial hydrogen metabolism and opens possibilities for further development of a process for hydrogen production using filamentous cyanobacteria.


Anti – Mia antibody is antibody reacting with Mi III phenotype of the Miltenberger (Mi) subsystem. It is rarely reported in the West, however, it is common in Chinese and South East Asian populations. Very few cases have been reported in India. Here, we report 4 cases of the Anti - Mia antibody picked up on antibody screening of samples (which was performed using Asia ID-Diacell I-II-III Asia (Mia +) 3 cell panel). Patients: In all the four cases, ICT was positive. Antibody screening and Identification was done with 3 cell panel (ID-Diacell I-II-III (Asia)) and 11 cell panel (ID-DiaPanel) respectively. Antibody screening showed reaction in "Asia" cell (carrying Mia Antigen) of 3 cell panel. Antibody identification by 11 cell panel was negative ruling out antibodies of Rh, Kell, Duffy, Kidd, Lewis, P, Lutheran and MNS systems. Reaction with the "Asia" cell suggested the presence of Anti-Mia antibody which was confirmed by obtaining the same result when screening was repeated with 2 different lots of 3 cell panel. Discussion and Conclusion: The Miltenberger (Mi) subsystem comprises of a group of phenotypes of red cells that carry low frequency antigens associated with the MNSs blood group system. The Anti- Mia antibody was first described in 1951 in the serum of Mrs Miltenberger. Anti- Mia antibody is clinically significant and can cause Hemolytic disease of newborn (HDN) and mild to moderate haemolytic transfusion reactions (HTR). Most of the antibody screening and identification panels used in India are imported and represent the Western population. They do not have representation of the Mia antigen on their red cells. This leads to missing out of the Anti- Mia antibody which may cause HDN and HTR leading to significant consequences. Thus, the Mia antigen should be incorporated in our screening panels.


We share these strengths-based stories to counter the dominant negative discourse of the lazy, drunk, violent, no-good Indian. We share these stories to role model positive First Nation male identity. And finally, we share these stories to support care providers to deconstruct their own beliefs and assumptions about who First Nations men are.


Abstract The Random-Time Experience-Sampling (RTES) method has been used to examine people's subjective experience of time in particular activity contexts as they are experiencing particular events at random times throughout the day. The method involves a signalling device that cues respondents (at random intervals) to evaluate and report their activities for up to 70 moments of time during a week. While many empirical studies have used electronic pagers or 'beepers' to signal respondents, advances in information technologies have led to the increasing use of computerised platforms in Experience Sampling Method (ESM) research. This paper reports on a pilot study to examine respondent reactions and ability to complete a time use survey using two different reporting methods. Each respondent was asked to complete a time diary at random times of the day using: 1. a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) (for three days); and 2. a Beeper and Booklet (B&B) (for four days). PDAs are handheld computers. The researchers loaded the PDAs with specialised survey software for participants to electronically report time use experiences in response to signals from the PDA. The B&B method required respondents to report their time use experiences in a survey booklet when signalled at random times by a purpose-built electronic beeper. Based on positive respondent feedback on the merits of the PDA platform and the ability to download responses directly from the PDAs, a full-scale RTES study of parents in dual-earner households will use this method to gather data about work-life tensions, leisure and wellbeing in future years.


Results are presented from a search for production of Higgs boson pairs (HH) where one boson decays to a pair of b quarks and the other to a τ lepton pair. This work is based on proton-proton collision data collected by the CMS experiment at s=8  TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 18.3  fb−1. Resonant and nonresonant modes of HH production have been probed and no significant excess relative to the background-only hypotheses has been found in either mode. Upper limits on cross sections of the two HH production modes have been set. The results have been combined with previously published searches at s=8  TeV, in decay modes to two photons and two b quarks, as well as to four b quarks, which also show no evidence for a signal. Limits from the combination have been set on resonant HH production by an unknown particle X in the mass range mX=300  GeV to mX=1000  GeV. For resonant production of spin 0 (spin 2) particles, the observed 95% CL upper limit is 1.13 pb (1.09 pb) at mX=300  GeV and to 21 fb (18 fb) at mX=1000  GeV. For nonresonant HH production, a limit of 43 times the rate predicted by the standard model has been set.


The rise and expansion of organized scientific research has led individuals to become accustomed to an unceasing delivery of new scientific results and technical improvements that resolve even seemingly unsolvable problems. This timely book examines how science-based research and innovation is designed, implemented and applied in developing countries in support of development and poverty alleviation. The expert contributors trace and compare the emergence of national innovation systems (NIS) in four developing countries – Bolivia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Vietnam. Dedicated chapters on each country identify the main structural and organizational problems for improving the relevance and quality of research output for the productive sector, and conclude by offering suggestions on how the process of applying research outputs and innovations in support of development goals can be improved.


After three decades from the public debut of cellular networks, there are hardly parts of populated lands where cellular coverage is absent. Day after day, mobile users have been provided with wider range of services at higher speed. Today, long terminal evolution (LTE) networks support broadband connectivity for users moving as fast as 350km/h, and the support for speeds up to 500km/h is under consideration. Unfortunately, none of these efforts were aimed at airborne travelers due to the lack of aerial coverage. Provided that 5G networks are meant to provide anywhere and anytime connectivity for anyone, many operators are providing the free onboard Wi-Fi through proprietary terrestrial networks or satellite links. Unfortunately, both of these solutions have serious drawbacks, where the latter provides very limited speed, and the former is expensive and unscalable. In this paper, we discuss the technical possibilities of enhancing the existing LTE infrastructure for air to ground communications. We identify the major challenges and obstacles in this path, such as uplink/downlink interferences, frequent roaming, large Doppler effect, and channel degradation. We also discuss appropriate solutions to counteract them using some of the emerging antenna, signal processing, beamforming, and multi-beaming ideas.


The Workshop on Energy Demand was held by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) at Schloss Laxenburg, Austria, Flay 22-23, 1975, as part of the Energy Systems Project. The Energy Project was started in 1973 under the leadership of Professor Wolf Haefele. Professor William D. Nordhaus of IIASA and Yale University (USA) was the overall chairman of the Workshop. The Workshop was devoted to the understanding and modeling of energy demand, both from an engineering and from a behavioral point of view.

Fifty-five people from fifteen countries East and West attended the Workshop. The participants are directly involved in energy demand modeling -- in government energy planning offices, in research divisions of the energy industry (mostly coal and electricity), in university or non-profit research institutes. In a number of instances the participants came from all three areas of activities within the same country.

The twenty-nine papers submitted to the Workshop were discussed under five headings: I. Methodology; II. Individual Sectors; III. Individual Economies: 3.1 Eastern Europe and the USSR; 3.2 Western Europe; 3.3 North America and Others; IV. International Studies; and V. Linkages to the Rest of the Economy.

The Workshop proceedings begin with welcoming addresses by Professors Haefele and Nordhaus, and they are followed by the papers presented at the Workshop and summaries of the discussions. The Workshop concludes with Professor Nordhaus' overview of the issues and problems discussed by the Workshop.

This volume of the proceedings was prepared by Professor Nordhaus and Mrs. Claire P. Doblin.


Background: The high incidence of multi-resistant uropathogens is of great epidemiological significance because the etiological agents of urinary tract infection are quite capable of spreading through susceptible population. Objective: to study the extent of antimicrobial resistance of uropathogens in Basrah. Patients & Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 789 patients, 610 patients attending outpatient clinics in three hospitals in Basrah city and 179 admitted patients in Al-Sader Teaching Hospital, was carried out. Patients included in the study were those with symptoms suggestive of urinary tract infection and were not on antibiotics for at least one week. The study was conducted during the period between January 2003 and March 2004. For each patient a general urine examination and urine culture were done. Identification of the isolated bacteria was performed according to a standard method and antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using the diffusion disk method. Results: Out of 610 outpatients included in the study, 443(72.6%) had positive culture, 128(61%) of males and 315 (78.8%) of females. E.coli was the commonest organism, isolated from 205 urine samples representing 43.7% of the total isolates, followed by other gram negative bacteria: Klebsiella sp., Proteus sp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Gram positive cocci represented 7.7% & 3.6%.for CoPS and CoNS respectively. On the other hand, Klebsiella sp were the most commonly isolated bacterial uropathogens from inpatients, they represented 47.7% of the total isolates. Sensitivity rates to all chemotherapeutic agents among uropathogens isolated from hospital acquired urinary tract infections (the inpatient group) were lower than that of sensitivity rates of uropathogens isolated from the community acquired urinary tract infection. The overall sensitivity rates of isolates recovered from patients with hospital acquired urinary tract infection for norfloxacin, and ciprofloxacin were 59.3%, and 39.5%, while the sensitivity rates of the isolates reported from community acquired urinary tract infection for the same agents were 83.6%, and 39.5% respectively. Conclusions: Both hospital and community acquired uropathogens showed resistance to all classes of antimicrobial


The purpose of the current study is to increase the understanding of different steelmaking processes at the decarburization stages by use of mathematical modeling. More specifically, two De-Laval nozzles from a VOD (Vaccum Oxygen Decarburization) process, which is used for producing stainless steels with ultra-low carbon grades, was investigated for different vessel pressures. Moreover, the post combustion phenomena in a BOF or LD (Linz-Donawitz) process as well as an AOD (Argon Oxygen Decarburization) process were studied focusing on the decarburization stage.Two industrial VOD nozzles were numerically studied and compared at different temperatures and ambient pressures. Flow patterns of the oxygen jet under different ambient pressures were predicted and the flow information at different positions from the nozzle was analyzed. In addition, the effects of different ambient temperatures on the jet velocity and the dynamic pressure were compared. The predictions revealed that a little under-expansion is somewhat helpful to improve the dynamic pressure. The jet dynamic pressure and its width for the specific nozzle geometry were also studied. It was observed that a variation in the ambient pressure can influence the jet momentum and its width. In addition, a high ambient temperature was found to have a positive effect on the improvement of the jet dynamic pressure. Furthermore, it was found that a change in ambient pressure has a stronger effect on the jet force than a change in the ambient temperature. In addition, it was proved that the profiles of the dynamic pressure at a certain blowing distance fit well to Multi-Gaussian distribution.Post combustion in a BOF/LD and an AOD process during decarburization was also studied. Two mathematical models were created to show the post combustion phenomenon inside the converters, respectively. For the CFD modeling of the two processes, the realizable k-ɛ model, the species transport model and the discrete ordinate were adopted to calculate the turbulence, gas reaction and radiation present in the gas phase in the converter. For the BOF/LD modeling, a series of plant tests were conducted to collect data, which were used in the current model. These include the off-gas information, emissivity data, oxygen blowing parameters and the chemical compositionof steel. After the simulation, the predicted flow pattern and detailed information of the gases taking part in the post combustion were compared to plant data. Specifically, the off-gas data from the plant was used for the model verification. The measured CO2 concentration was 15-20 wt% and the predicted value from the modeling was 16.7 wt%.For the AOD converter of interest in the current work, a fan is installed in the end of the AOD flue to help extract the off-gas from the converter. The influence of different fan gauge pressures as well as temperatures of the gas mixture, containing the generated CO and argon, on the post combustion in the whole AOD system was studied. It was indicated from the modeling results that the post combustion was only present in the flue for the present modeling conditions. Moreover, a critical fan gauge pressure (approx.. -550 Pa) was found which could yield a maximum post combustion in the flue gas.For both two models (BOF/LD and AOD), simulations indicated that a change of the converter temperature from 1500 to 1700 °C did not influence the post combustion reaction to a large degree. In addition, these two models can be regarded as the first step for a future more in-depth modeling work of the post combustion.


Science is in a state of siege. The traditional stage for scientific ideas through peer- reviewed academic journals has been hijacked by an overpriced journal monopoly. After a wave of mergers and take-overs, big business publishing houses now exercise economic control over access to knowledge and free scientific discourse. Their 'all is number' rationale, made possible and perpet- uated by single-parameter bibliometric indices like the Impact Factor and the h-index has led to a measurement of scientists, science and science communication with quality being reduced to quan- tity and with careers hanging in the balance of column totals. Other multi-parameter indices like the subscription-based Index Copernicus have not helped to resolve the situation. The patented and undisclosed black box algorithm of the Index Copernicus has just replaced one yardstick by another even less accessible one. Moreover, the academic as author, editor and/or reviewer, under intense competitive pressure, is forced to play the publishing game where such numbers rule, leading to fre- quent abuses of power. However, there are also deep paradoxes at the heart of this siege. Electronic software for producing camera-ready-copy, LaTeX style files, the internet and technology mean that it has never been easier or cheaper to publish than it is today. Despite this, top journals are charging exorbitant prices for authors to publish and for readers to access their articles. Academic libraries are feeling the pinch the most and are being forced to cut journal subscriptions. Not surprisingly, schol- ars in droves are declaring their independence from commercial publishers and are moving to open access journals or are self-archiving their articles in public domain pre-print servers. That this move- ment is starting to hurt the big publishing houses is evidenced by their use of counter-tactics such as proprietary pre-print servers and pure propaganda in their attempts to guard against profit loss. Whether or not bibliometry will be an artefact in the future depends on the outcome of this battle. Here, we review the current status of this siege, how it arose and how it is likely to evolve.


Enhanced UV‐radiation (UVR) through stratospheric ozone depletion and global warming are crucial stressors to marine macroalgae. Damages may arise through formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in gametophytes of ecologically important kelps, brown algae of the order Laminariales, Such stress‐induced damages may have a negative impact on their fitness and further impact their following life stages. In our study, gametophytes of three kelp species Alaria esculenta (L.) Grev., Laminaria digitata (Huds.) Lamour., Saccharina latissima (L.) Lane, Mayes, Druehl, Saunders from the Arctic, and of L. hyperborea (Gunnerus) Foslie from the North Sea were exposed to photosynthetically active radiation, UV‐A, and UV‐B radiation and four temperatures (2–18°C). ROS are formed predominantly in the peripheral cytoplasm and in chloroplasts especially after exposure to UVR. Superoxide (O2*‐) is additionally formed in small, globular cytoplasmic structures, possibly mitochondria. In the surrounding medium O2*‐‐concentration increased markedly at elevated temperatures and under UV stress in some cases. Ultrastructural damage was negligible pointing to a high stress tolerance of this developmental stage. Our data indicate that stress tolerant gametophytes of three Arctic kelp species should sustain their crucial function as seed bank for kelp populations even under prospective rising environmental perturbations.


Recent work showed that overparameterized autoencoders can be trained to implement associative memory via iterative maps, when the trained input-output Jacobian of the network has all of its eigenvalue norms strictly below one. Here, we theoretically analyze this phenomenon for sigmoid networks by leveraging recent developments in deep learning theory, especially the correspondence between training neural networks in the infinite-width limit and performing kernel regression with the Neural Tangent Kernel (NTK). We find that overparameterized sigmoid autoencoders can have attractors in the NTK limit for both training with a single example and multiple examples under certain conditions. In particular, for multiple training examples, we find that the norm of the largest Jacobian eigenvalue drops below one with increasing input norm, leading to associative memory.


This work introduces a multimodal multiview camera network for role identification and re-identification in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) room, where identifying individuals is not permitted. The analysis challenges include imaging conditions such as medical isolation (where all visitors wear scrubs), poor and non-uniform illumination, or variable camera views. We propose a role representation, which combines static appearance features such as texture and color, together with a dynamic quantification of human locations and interactions that results in a semantic map. The proposed representation is easy to compute and robust to varying ICU conditions and network configurations, which make the methods suitable for low-power distributed sensor network deployment. Thorough evaluations and comparisons with competing methods are performed. The findings from this approach enable the compliant analysis of workflows in healthcare, while protecting the privacy of patients and medical staff.


The study aimed at optimally assessing the impact of indoor residual spraying (IRS) and insecticide treated nets (ITNs) on vector species abundance, their infectivity and resistance status, and Plasmodium falciparum prevalence, malaria deaths and case fatality rates in the human population.

Malaria prevalence surveys were conducted and routine surveillance data was retrospectively analyzed. The average P. falciparum prevalence in children between the ages of 1 and 14 years was below 10% across the study period. The intervention effect was more pronounced in IRS areas than in ITNs localities but with an incremental protective effect of their combined use. Age-specific comparison showed better intervention effect on children below 5 years than older children 5 to 14 years old. While the average number of deaths and case fatality rates in children under the age of five plunged precipitately, the reductions were more significant in IRS districts than in ITNs districts. Results indicate the need for supplementing parasite prevalence survey data with routine surveillance data in low transmission intensity areas and demonstrate the significance of evidence-based age-specific deployment of interventions.

To monitor vector species abundance and infectivity, mosquitoes were collected daily using exit window traps. The three major vectors; An. gambiae s.s, An. arabiensis and An. funestus s.s, and three potential vectors of malaria, An. nili, An. rivulorum and An. funestus-like species were identified. Overall, the biggest impact of IRS and ITNs was on An. gambiae s.s, and An. funestus abundance. No An. gambiae s.s was collected in IRS localities, thus validating the fact that An. gambiae s.s and An. funestus are characteristically more amenable to control by IRS and ITNs than An. arabiensis. The transmission potential for all malaria vectors, as expressed by the calculated transmission index, was zero as none of the trapped mosquitoes tested positive for P. falciparum sporozoites. The identification of An. nili, An. rivulorum and An. funestus-like necessitate further research to determine their role in malaria transmission in the country. The low numbers of mosquitoes collected also indicate a compromise in the efficiency of exit window traps in low transmission settings, suggesting the need for their replacement with a more robust collection tool like the CDC light trap. While the persistence of An. arabiensis suggests the presence of resistance segregating in this population or, that this outdoor species is not in contact with IRS or ITNs, it could as well imply that it's the one species perpetuating malaria transmission in these meso-to hypo- endemic areas.

To determine the impact of interventions on insecticide resistance status of malaria vectors, susceptibility assays using the WHO standard protocol were conducted in 17 localities. High levels of resistance were detected in both An, gambiae s.l and An, funestus s.l to pyrethroids and DDT but with 100% susceptibility to malathion and bendiocarb. The level of resistance was significantly higher in IRS areas than in ITN areas. These findings indicate that resistance has been selected for following extensive vector control. Resistance to both DDT and deltamethrin in IRS localities and ITN areas with intense cotton growing was detected suggesting selection due to either historical use of DDT, gene flow or cross-resistance. All An. gambiae s.s were molecular s-forms and only the west (leu-phe) kdr was detected. Complete susceptibility to the organophosphates and carbamates provides a possibility to switch to these alternative insecticide classes for IRS. The detected increases in the malaria prevalence in localities with high insecticide resistance levels indicate vector control failure. These findings point to the need for information on underlying biochemical and molecular resistance mechanisms to make possible the design of an effective resistance management strategy, and for the assessment of the impact of resistance on interventions.

The results indicate that the impact of malaria control can be optimally assessed by using a combination of epidemiological (routine surveillance and prevalence data) and entomological indicators, in the context of a malaria decision support system, to enhance policy formulation for objective implementation of malaria control interventions and rational use of available resources.


Experiments were undertaken to investigate dam-break flows where a finite volume of highly viscous fluid (glucose with viscosity μ ≈ 350 Pa s) maintained behind a lock gate was released into a horizontal or inclined flume. The resulting sequence of flow-depth profiles was tracked using a three-dimensional visualization system. In the low-Reynolds-number and high-capillary-number limits, analytical solutions can be obtained from the Navier–Stokes equations using lubrication theory and matched asymptotic expansions. At shallow slopes, similarity solutions can also be worked out. While the variation in the front position scaled with time as predicted by theory for both horizontal and sloping flumes, there was a systematic delay in the front position observed. Moreover, taking a closer look at the experimental flow-depth profiles shows that they were similar, but they noticeably deviated from the theoretical similarity form for horizontal planes. For sloping beds, the flow-depth profile is correctly predicted provided that different scalings are used at shallow and large slopes.


The multifunctional nuclear protein positive cofactor 4 (PC4) is involved in various cellular processes including transcription, replication, and chromatin organization. Recently, PC4 has been identified as a suppressor of oxidative mutagenesis in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To investigate a potential role of PC4 in mammalian DNA repair, we used a combination of live cell microscopy, microirradiation, and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis. We found a clear accumulation of endogenous PC4 at DNA damage sites introduced by either chemical agents or laser microirradiation. Using fluorescent fusion proteins and specific mutants, we demonstrated that the rapid recruitment of PC4 to laser-induced DNA damage sites is independent of poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation and γH2AX but depends on its single strand binding capacity. Furthermore, PC4 showed a high turnover at DNA damages sites compared with the repair factors replication protein A and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. We propose that PC4 plays a role in the early response to DNA damage by recognizing single-stranded DNA and may thus initiate or facilitate the subsequent steps of DNA repair.


In broiler chickens, the intensive selection for growth rate, feed efficiency, body composition (breast muscle weight) traits in the last decades was successful. To improve economically important characteristics, it is possible to use molecular markers associated with meat production traits. The aim of this study was to examine genotype polymorphisms in ROSS 308 broilers for thyroid hormone responsive Spot14α, insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF1), IGF-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2), somatostatin (SST) and prolactin (PRL) genes. A further goal of this investigation was to study the relationship between the polymorphisms and phenotypic characteristics.
In the investigated broiler population, the frequency for CC homozygous genotype was 0.77 in Spot14α (AY568628), AA homozygous genotype was 0.80 in IGF1 (M74176), GG homozygous genotype was 0.85 in IGFBP2 (U15086), DD homozygous genotype was 0.60 in PRL (FJ663023 or FJ434669). Only the AA homozygous genotype was found in SST (X60191). Chickens with AC genotype in Spot14α, and with GG genotype in IGFBP2 had higher body weight (BW) and carcass weight (CW), compared to CC and GT genotypes. However, the differences were not significant (P>0.05). There was significant association (P<0.05) between PRL genotypes and body and carcass weight, where chicken with homozygous DD surpassed individuals with homozygous II genotypes.


New Road Construction Concepts (NR2C) is a FEHRL-project supported by the European Commission under the Sixth Framework Programme. NR2C develops perspectives and specific innovations, so that long-term visions are linked to short-term action. One of the ideas towards sustainable road construction concerns the development of high performance asphalt base layers (High Modulus Asphalt – HMA) with high percentages of recycled materials. High stiffness layers are largely used in Europe, but re-use has been very restricted until now. This project aims to optimize the design of these mixes to guarantee their long-term performance and their low and high temperature behaviour, even with high percentages of reclaimed asphalt. Three different mixes were designed, optimized and compared, namely with 0%, 25% and 40% reclaimed asphalt The performance of these mixes relating to stiffness, fatigue cracking, durability/adhesion and permanent deformation was determined and compared in the laboratory. Three selected solutions (8-cm base layers with a 3-cm wearing course) have been further studied in the full-scale ALT facility of LAVOC. The first step was to evaluate fatigue behaviour by applying 100.000 – 200.000 12-ton axle loads at 15°C. Then low temperature behaviour was investigated by load applications during a number of temperature cycles where the air temperature varied between +2 °C and -7 °C. The structures were instrumented at different depths with temperature, stress and strain gauges and deflexion sensors in order to analyse the performance. High temperature behaviour of the three mixes was tested in the Danish Asphalt Rut Tester on large slabs extracted from undisturbed areas of LAVOC's ALT facility. Each of the three slabs was subjected to 110.000 loads at 40 °C, and 44.000 loads at 50 °C. Based on the performance characteristics of the mixtures determined in the laboratory study and on the results of the accelerated loading, the impact on structural design of the road and the lifetime of the pavement will be investigated.


Ad hoc cognitive radio networks (CRNs) have the potential for meeting the challenge of increasing radio spectrum efficiency. However, traditional control of ad hoc networking demands end-to-end information channel feedback, whose feasibility is hard in ad hoc CRNs due to the opportunistic nature of spectrum access. In this paper, we propose a virtual multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) approach to facilitate error-resilient end-to-end transmission with no need for feedback information. An erasure-channel model is used to describe the randomness of outage caused by opportunistic links. At source node, a discrete Fourier transform (DFT)-based path-time code (PTC) is used to exploit path diversity. The a priori erasure probability is analyzed, and a pipeline scheduling scheme with unequal waiting periods is designed to reduce such probability. At destination node, knowledge of the a priori erasure probability is exploited to overcome the decoding challenge raised by the presence of random erasures. A joint sphere decoder (JSD) with a minimum mean-squared error sorted QR decomposition (MMSE-SQRD) effectively implements maximum a posteriori (MAP) probability decoding. This decoder simultaneously performs erasure identification and data decoding. Numerical results show that the proposed virtual MIMO framework can pave the way to efficient and reliable end-to-end transmission in ad hoc CRNs.


For centuries, scripture and theology were the focus of prodigious amounts of scholarship and publishing, dominated in the English-speaking world by the work of Protestant Christians. Enlightenment philosophy and science, anthropology, ethnology and the colonial experience all brought new perspectives, lively debates and heated controversies to the study of religion and its role in the world, many of which continue to this day. This series explores the editing and interpretation of religious texts, the history of religious ideas and institutions, and not least the encounter between religion and science.


We report the case of a snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) found tetanized, with the limbs in extension, mydriasis and poor response to external stimuli, in whose terrarium was found a Tityus trivittatus scorpion. Based on the clear clinical picture of envenoming, the turtle was treated with a specific scorpion antivenin, returning to a state of muscle relaxation after six hours of treatment and it was found totally normal at 24 hours, without envenoming sequelae. This is the first report on turtle envenomation by scorpion. The scorpion envenomation in reptiles and the treatment with specific antivenom is discussed.


Certain brain tumours are very hard to treat with radiotherapy due to their irregular shape caused by the infiltrative nature of the tumour cells. To enhance the estimation of the tumour extent one may use a mathematical model. As the brain structure plays an important role for the cell migration, it has to be included in such a model. This is done via diffusion-MRI data. We set up a multiscale model class accounting among others for integrin-mediated movement of cancer cells in the brain tissue, and the integrin-mediated proliferation. Moreover, we model a novel chemotherapy in combination with standard radiotherapy.

Thereby, we start on the cellular scale in order to describe migration. Then we deduce mean-field equations on the mesoscopic (cell density) scale on which we also incorporate cell proliferation. To reduce the phase space of the mesoscopic equation, we use parabolic scaling and deduce an effective description in the form of a reaction-convection-diffusion equation on the macroscopic spatio-temporal scale. On this scale we perform three dimensional numerical simulations for the tumour cell density, thereby incorporating real diffusion tensor imaging data. To this aim, we present programmes for the data processing taking the raw medical data and processing it to the form to be included in the numerical simulation. Thanks to the reduction of the phase space, the numerical simulations are fast enough to enable application in clinical practice.


Rationale The role bacteria play in the progression of COPD has increasingly been highlighted in recent years. However, the microbial community complexity in the lower airways of patients with COPD is poorly characterised. Objectives To compare the lower airway microbiota in patients with COPD, smokers and non-smokers. Methods Bronchial wash samples from adults with COPD (n=18), smokers with no airways disease (n=8) and healthy individuals (n=11) were analysed by extended-culture and culture-independent Illumina MiSeq sequencing. We determined aerobic and anaerobic microbiota load and evaluated differences in bacteria associated with the three cohorts. Culture-independent analysis was used to determine differences in microbiota between comparison groups including taxonomic richness, diversity, relative abundance, 'core' microbiota and co-occurrence. Measurement and main results Extended-culture showed no difference in total load of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria between the three cohorts. Culture-independent analysis revealed that the prevalence of members of Pseudomonas spp. was greater in the lower airways of patients with COPD; however, the majority of the sequence reads for this taxa were attributed to three patients. Furthermore, members of Bacteroidetes, such as Prevotella spp., were observed to be greater in the 'healthy' comparison groups. Community diversity (α and β) was significantly less in COPD compared with healthy groups. Co-occurrence of bacterial taxa and the observation of a putative 'core' community within the lower airways were also observed. Conclusions Microbial community composition in the lower airways of patients with COPD is significantly different to that found in smokers and non-smokers, indicating that a component of the disease is associated with changes in microbiological status.


System-on-a-chip (SoC) has become an essential technique to lower product costs and maximize power efficiency, particularly as the mobility and size requirements of electronics continues to grow. It has therefore become increasingly important for electrical engineers to develop a strong understanding of the key stages of hardware description language (HDL) design flow based on cell-based libraries or field-programmable gate array (FPGA) devices. Honed and revised through years of classroom use, Lin focuses on developing, verifying, and synthesizing designs of practical digital systems using the most widely used hardware description Language: Verilog HDL. Explains how to perform synthesis and verification to achieve optimized synthesis results and compiler times Offers complete coverage of Verilog syntax Illustrates the entire design and verification flow using an FPGA case study Presents real-world design examples such as LED and LCD displays, GPIO, UART, timers, and CPUs Emphasizes design/implementation tradeoff options, with coverage of ASICs and FPGAs Provides an introduction to design for testability Gives readers deeper understanding by using problems and review questions in each chapter Comes with downloadable Verilog HDL source code for most examples in the text Includes presentation slides of all book figures for student reference Digital System Designs and Practices Using Verilog HDL and FPGAs is an ideal textbook for either fundamental or advanced digital design courses beyond the digital logic design level. Design engineers who want to become more proficient users of Verilog HDL as well as design FPGAs with greater speed and accuracy will find this book indispensable.


Speed and accuracy in stereo vision are of foremost importance in many applications. Very few authors focus on both aspects and in this paper we propose a new local algorithm that achieves high-accuracy in real-time. Our GPU implementation of a disparity estimator levels with the fastest published so far with 4839 MDE/s (Millions of Disparity Estimation per Second) but is the most precise at that speed. Moreover, our algorithm achieves high-accuracy thanks to a reliability criterion in the matching decision rule. A quantitative and qualitative evaluation has been done on the Middlebury benchmark and on real data showing the superiority of our algorithm in terms of execution speed and matching accuracy. Accomplishing such performances in terms of speed and quality opens the way for new applications in 3D media and entertainment services.


Aromatic and aliphatic diacid chlorides were used to condense naturally occurring diamino acids and their esterified derivatives. It was anticipated the resulting functional polyamides would biodegrade to physiologically acceptable compounds and show pH dependant solubility could be used for biomedical applications ranging from enteric coatings to hydrosoluble drug delivery vehicles capable of targeting areas of low physiological pH. With these applications in mind the polymers were characterised by infra red spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography and in the case of aqueous soluble polymers by potentiometric titration. Thin films of poly (lysine ethyl ester isophthalamide) plasticised with poly (caprolactone) were cast from DMSO/chloroform solutions and their mechanical properties measured on a Hounsfield Hti tensiometer. Interfacial synthesis was investigated as a synthetic route for the production of linear functional polyamides. High molecular weight polymer was obtained only when esterified diamino acids were condensed with aromatic diacid chlorides. The method was unsuitable for the production of copolymers of free and esterified amino acids with a diacid chloride. A novel miscible mixed solvent single phase reaction was investigated for production of copolymers of esterified and non-esterified amino acids with diacid chlorides. Aliphatic diacid chlorides were unsuitable for condensing diamino acids using this technique because of high rates of hydrolysis. The technique gave high molecular weight homopolymers from esterified diamino acids and aromatic diacid chlorides.


The great hammerhead shark, Sphyrna mokarran, is a cosmopolitan species that is caught in a variety of fisheries throughout much of its range. The apparent decline of great hammerhead shark populations has reinforced the need for accurate biological data to enhance fishery management plans. To this end, age and growth estimates for the great hammerhead were determined from sharks (n = 216) ranging in size from 54- to 315-cm fork length (FL), captured in the Gulf of Mexico and north-western Atlantic Ocean. Growth curves were fitted using multiple models and evaluated using Akaike's information criterion. The von Bertalanffy growth model was the best fitting model, with resulting growth parameters of L∞ = 264.2-cm FL, k = 0.16 year–1, t0 = –1.99 year for males, and L∞ = 307.8-cm FL, k = 0.11 year–1, t0 = –2.86 year for females. Annual band pair deposition was confirmed through marginal-increment analysis and a concurrent bomb radiocarbon validation study. Great hammerheads have one of the oldest reported ages for any elasmobranch (44 years) but grow at relatively similar rates (on the basis of von Bertalanffy k value) to other large hammerhead species from this region. The present study is the first to provide vertebral ages for great hammerheads.


The paper reports on the experiences of disabled women in Khayelitsha and Nyanga in Cape Town in mobilising for an accessible public transport system so that they had equal opportunities to participation in social and economic development. The paper highlights various policies linked to addressing/achieving equal rights and access for disabled people across sectors, with a specific focus on the centrality of accessible public transport to development. The specific aim of this action story was to explore the experiences of disabled women in mobilising for change regarding an accessible public transport system as a strategy for social inclusion. A qualitative research approach using participatory action research (PAR) was chosen as the research design to allow for emergent process of collaboration and dialogue. Purposive sampling and snowballing were used to select the sample of disabled women living in Khayelitsha and Nyanga in Cape Town. Data was generated through pioneering narrative action reflection (NAR) workshops, as an innovative method to generate data of disability experiences collectively rather than on a one-to-one basis. The method enables storytelling and action learning by marginalised groups in impoverished contexts to mobilise collectively for equal opportunities and social inclusion. The theme "We are also travellers" emerged with two sub-themes that described the barriers and strategies for inclusion, namely "Waiting for transport" and "We have to stand up". The lessons learnt and outcomes included the power of action learning as a strategy for mobilising for social change, and the centrality of an accessible public transport system for the participation of disabled women in development opportunities. NAR workshops were also found to be a culturally sensitive method for emphasising the political and social aspects of knowledge production.


The contributors to this issue offer applied critical and normative perspectives on central, yet overlooked, ethical aspects of migration management with a certain cosmopolitan lance in some capacity. However, cosmopolitanism might mean different things for transnational migration. It can refer to "political cosmopolitanism" that provides the reasons for why there should be certain global institutions governing migration. It can also refer to "moral cosmopolitanism" that simply represents a moral concern for individual rights and interests first and foremost (Caney 2005). Cosmopolitanism can also work as a lens that is based on a scepticism towards using the nation-state as the ultimate unit or locus of analysis. These perspectives are not mutually exclusive, and the contributions in this special issue accommodate a form of cosmopolitan outlook or stance to some extent in their discussion on migration management practices.


The present work studies the role of classical tradition in the formations and constructions of the American Identity. The first part of this thesis aims to outline the processes of formation and the consequences of the conditions prevalent in the American Continent. In the second part, it is observed that during the period of American Revolution, the allusions and references to the classical antiquity are numerous. This observation necessitated a methodical study, in which the role of these allusions and references were studied in order to understand their influences, if any, on the processes of construction of the American Identity. The methods used for the analysis of construction and formation are based on the methodology of the study of nationalism. In this methodology the works of the ideologues are studied, and their key propositions are analyzed for their relevance to the criteria established by the studies of nationalism. Through this study it has been found that some of the features of the allusions and references to the classical antiquty have indeed conformed to the characteristics of a nationalistic movement. The political discourses, personalities and myths of the ancient Greek and Roman states have been presented in the revolutionary period as viable models with which the ideal American identity could be formed. The significance of the classical texts had been maintained in the American revolutionary period as a linkage to the source of 'European civilization'. The construction of American identity on the idea of a civilization, therefore has been made the basis of nationalism in America.


Most cancerous lesions are derived from potentially malignant oral disorders (PMOD). The World Health Organization (WHO) points out the following lesions as the main PMOD: leukoplakia, erythroplakia, actinic cheilitis, submucous fibrosis, and lichen planus. Leukoplakias are white plaques or spots that cannot be removed by scraping, and these lesions aren't characterized clinically or pathologically like any other diseases. Erythroplakias are red lesions of the oral mucosa that also cannot be characterized clinically or pathologically as another definable disease. Actinic cheilitis is an injury that affects the vermilion of the lower lip and has this anatomical location due to its etiological factor, which is the progressive and excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays of sunlight. Submucous fibrosis is a chronic disease of the mouth that presents as an inflammatory subepithelial reac-tion, followed by an alteration in the submucous fibroelastic tissue. Lichen planus is a dermatological disease characterized by white patches or striations, symmetrical and bilateral, and its treatment is basically done with topical corticosteroids.


The proposal for this project is to create a branch library and a branch collage in city center Philadelphia that offers the possibility to reunification and improvement of a community. The project is going to take place at 1300 Fairmount Ave, Popular, Philadelphia, PA., that currently is a vacant lot and it is adjacent to the Fairmount subway station and the Devine Lorraine Hotel. While the chosen site, nearby lots and some adjacent properties are a vacant or abandoned, or consists of public housings. The area is anticipating a major rehabilitation projects that create groundwork for a successful urban fabric that reinforces the urban pedestrian bond from the city center to lower North Philadelphia. The project accommodates proposed revitalization plans and it takes account of future need and change in the area with its program, use and design. By providing academic and cultural opportunity, the project will reconnect area with local communities and beyond. Also it is anticipated to function as a cultural incubator of the area for general improvement of the life standard of current and future generations. As representation of broad cultural activities held within the project, the word "Logos" is employed.


Background: We have previously reported the results of surgical excision without irradiation for selected patients with DCIS in ECOG E5194, where the 5-year rates of local recurrence varied with age, grade, and lesion size (Hughes et al. J Clin Oncol 27:5319, 2009). New methods are needed to provide more accurate and reproducible assessment of recurrence risk. Methods: ECOG E5194 included 670 eligible patients with DCIS treated with surgical excision (≥ 3 mm negative margins) without irradiation, 228 of whom received tamoxifen. Patients had low or intermediate grade DCIS ≤ 2.5 cm, or high grade DCIS ≤ 1 cm. The Oncotype DX® assay was performed by quantitative RT-PCR using formalin fixed paraffin embedded tumor specimens from 327 patients (49% of the parent study). Recurrence Score® (RS) was calculated using the published algorithm. A new, prespecified DCIS Score™ was designed to predict recurrence using an optimized gene expression algorithm. The primary objective was to determine whether there was a significant association between the risk of an ipsilateral breast event (IBE) and the continuous DCIS Score in Cox models. 46 patients had an IBE (defined as ipsilateral local recurrence of DCIS [n=20] or invasive cancer [n=26]). Median follow-up was 8.8 years. Results: The 10-year IBE rates were 15.4% for low/intermediate grade DCIS and 15.1% for high-grade DCIS (as determined by central pathology review), and for invasive IBE, 5.6% and 9.8%, respectively. Comparison between local and expert grading showed substantial disagreement. Continuous DCIS Score was significantly associated with IBE (HR 2.34 per 50 units; 95% CI 1.15, 4.59; p=0.02) when adjusted for tamoxifen use (prespecified primary analysis) and with invasive IBE (HR 3.73; CI 1.34, 9.82; p=0.01). DCIS Score was significantly associated with outcome when evaluated by the prespecified risk groups (see Table). Similar results were observed with and without adjustment for tamoxifen use or for negative margin width. Features associated with IBE in multivariate models included menopausal status (HR 0.49; 95% CI 0.27, 0.90; p=0.02), tumor size (HR 1.52 per 5 mm; 95% CI 1.11, 2.01; p=0.01), and continuous DCIS Score (HR 2.41; 95% CI 1.15, 4.89; p=0.02). The standard RS, which is calculated using thresholding of many genes unlike the DCIS Score, was not associated with IBE or invasive IBE (p > 0.6). Conclusions: We have prospectively validated a multigene assay that quantifies recurrence risk and complements traditional clinical and pathologic factors in selected patients with DCIS treated with surgical excision without irradiation. The DCIS Score provides a new clinical tool for individualized selection of treatment for patients with DCIS. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr S4-6.


Governments around the world are investing significant resources in the development and expansion of logistics clusters. This dissertation analyzes the cluster phenomenon focusing on four topics. First, it develops a methodology to identify clusters and applies it to the context of the US. By analyzing the case of logistics clusters, this thesis contributes to a more general debate in the industrial clusters literature: while many authors see industrial clusters growing, others see them dispersing. Evidence of increasing concentration of the logistics industry in clusters in the US over time is tested and documented. In addition, some evidence that logistics activities in counties inside clusters show higher growth than in counties outside clusters is found. Second, this thesis studies the relationship between freight accessibility and logistics employment in the US. It develops an accessibility measure based on a gravity model, focusing on four different modes of transportation: road, rail, air, and maritime. Using a Partial Least Squares model, these four different freight accessibility measures are combined into two constructs, continental and intercontinental freight accessibility, and then analyzed against logistics employment. Results show that highly accessible counties attract more logistics employment than other counties. The analyses also show that it is important to control for the effect of population, since it explains the most variation in the logistics employment across counties. Third, this dissertation also analyzes the benefits of logistics clusters, possibly explaining their continuous growth and wide popularity among both private agents and policy makers during the last decade. Using interview data and grounded theory, four major driving forces that may explain their growing presence are identified: collaboration, value added services, upward mobility and job creation at different levels. Finally, using a quantitative approach this thesis analyzes two major effects of agglomeration on firms located within logistics clusters: more collaboration and the provision of more value added services. Using survey data and structural equation modeling these hypotheses are tested using information from the Zaragoza (Spain) Logistics Cluster. The results show that companies located in logistics clusters do collaborate more and offer more value added services than companies that are not agglomerated. Thesis Supervisor: Yossi Sheffi Title: Elisha Gray 11 Professor of Engineering Systems and Civil and Environmental Engineering


We investigate the incremental interpretation of comparative and superlative numeral modifiers by manipulating the speaker's epistemic state in an eye-tracking reading experiment. The results reveal a different processing profile for two types of numeral modifiers. We take this difference to point to a difference in the source and nature of the attested effects (e.g., Quantity- vs. Manner-based pragmatic reasoning). Our findings inform the existing theoretical landscape, invalidating a number of accounts of speaker ignorance effects with numeral modifiers and giving support to Quantity-based accounts of such effects with superlative modifiers.


I This paper describes an attempt to utilize new information on gear selectivity and fish target strength to improve time series of survey estimates. Swept area estimates and acoustic estimates of cod and haddock in the Barents Sea have been obtained from combined bottom trawll acoustic surveys each winter since 1981. A part of the swept area time series have earlier been corrected for a change from bobbins to rockhopper ground gear (Godø and Sunnanå 1992). Here corrections for the remaining time series are presented. In addition a new time series is presented taking account of the fish size dependant trawl efficiency reported by Dickson (1993 a and b). The general effect of both corrections is an increase in the estimates of the youngest age groups relative to adult fish. As the size (and age) distribution of the acoustic estimates directly depends on the size composition in trawl hauls, similar corrections were also made for the acoustic estimates. These revisions als0 took account of new target strength estimates which are considered more reliable than those used earlier. The relative age distribution of the old acoustic estimate was modified by applying the swept area conversion factor by age group, while the absolute leve1 of the estimate was detennined by keeping unchanged the total acoustic value (s,). Hence the product of average acoustic cross-section and total estimated number of all age groups of cod i and haddock should be unchanged. The change in average acoustic cross-section was estimated from the change in age distribution and the change in target strength function. Ideally all corrections should have been made station by station. Some of the raw data were, however, not available in a standardized format. Mean length at age were available for nearly all years, and the corrections were therefore done on the total survey estimate by age group. For the conversion from bobbins to rockhopper the two procedures were compared, and they showed good agreement.


Time-series trends in thermal Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data from 1993 to 1998 provide insight into the active volcanic processes at Bezymianny and Kliuchevskoi, two of the most dangerous volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The AVHRR time series show differences in these volcanoes' pre- and postexplosive trends: Bezymianny exhibited a thermal precursory signal in all recorded explosions between 1993 and 1998, as well as continued postexplosive activity, and Kliuchevskoi showed only short-lived thermal activity and exhibited precursors before the 1994 paroxysmal explosion. These contrasting characteristics reflect different magma types and eruption styles. At Bezymianny, a persistent thermal signal and precursory thermal increases are due to the slow ascent of andesitic magma, whereas the more rapid rise, effusion, and cooling of basaltic magmas at Kliuchevskoi give rise to a discontinuous thermal pattern. Documentation, analysis, and understanding of these characteristics contribute to the understanding of thermal signals and aid the development of monitoring algorithms and early warning techniques.


AIN is a material used in a wide variety of applications such as electroacoustic devices, blue diodes, IR windows, thermal conductors, metal-insulator-semiconductor structures, integrated circuit packaging, etc. In this work thin piezoelectric AIN polycrystalline films have been grown on Si and SiO2 using rf magnetron sputter deposition in an Ar/N-2 gas mixture. The structural properties of the film have been optimized by varying the deposition parameters, such as process pressure, gas mixture, substrate temperature, discharge power, etc. [K. Tominaga et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Part 1 35, 4972 (1996); H. Okana et al., ibid. 31, 3446 (1992); K. Kazuya, T. Hanabusa, and K. Tominaga, Thin Solid Films 281-282, 340 (1996)]. It was found that the best film texture was obtained for a particular set of parameters, namely process pressure of 4 mTorr, substrate temperature 350 degreesC, discharge power 350 W, and a gas mixture of 25% Ar and 75% N-2. The films as examined by x-ray diffraction exhibited a columnar structure with a strong (001) texture, and a fall width at half maximum (FWHM) rocking curve of 1.6 degrees. Atomic force microscopy measurements indicated a surface roughness with a rms value of 8 Angstrom. Classical nonapodized transversal surface acoustic wave filters operating at a frequency of 534 MHz were fabricated to characterize the electroacoustic properties of the films. The measurements indicated a coupling coefficient of 0.37% and a phase velocity of 4900 m/s. Further, thin epitaxial films were grown on (001)alpha -Al2O3 (sapphire) under the same deposition conditions except the substrate temperature. The films exhibited a (001)AlN//(001)alpha -Al2O3 plane orientation with a (002) rocking curve FWHM value of about 0.4 degrees, showing a relatively good alignment of the c axis. The in-plane orientation was [110]AlN//[120]alpha -Al2O3 corresponding to a rotation of the AIN film of 30 degrees with respect to the (001)alpha -Al2O3 surface. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy studies indicated a population of both thread and edge dislocations with decreasing concentrations with film thickness. (C) 2001 American Vacuum Society.


Persistent luminescence (PersL) in the short-wave infrared (SWIR: ∼900–1700 nm) region has attracted much attention for potential biomedical imaging and night-vision surveillance applications. Although trivalent lanthanide (Ln3+) ions are considered to be one of the most promising luminescent centers working for this region, the lack of suitable persistent phosphor hosts is still the bottleneck of this field. Herein, by using the persistent energy transfer from Cr3+ to Ho3+, Ho3+ PersL at 1.2 μm has been realized in both Ho3+–Cr3+–Sm3+ tri-doped LaAlO3 (LAO:Ho–Cr–Sm) and Ho3+–Cr3+ co-doped LaGaO3 (LGO:Ho–Cr) perovskites. The Ho3+ photoluminescence (PL) intensity ratio between the 5I6 → 5I8 transition at ∼1.2 μm and the 5I7 → 5I8 transition at ∼2.0 μm in LAO is lower than that in LGO due to the higher phonon energy of the LAO host, resulting in its preferred population of the 5I7 excited level through multi-phonon relaxation (MPR) processes. However, the LAO:Ho–Cr–Sm phosphor still exhibits superior Cr3+/Ho3+ PersL intensity than that of LGO:Ho–Cr, and it is even comparable with that of the most widely used deep-red ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ persistent phosphor. This can be explained by the efficient electron traps of Sm3+ ions in LAO:Ho–Cr–Sm while this kind of sensitization by lanthanide ions seems not to work in LGO:Ho–Cr based on prediction from the vacuum referred binding energy (VRBE) diagram. These results demonstrated by the flexible ABX3 perovskites could give a vivid example to choose suitable material hosts, electron trapping centers and energy donor–acceptor combinations toward long PersL in the SWIR region.


BACKGROUND--Myasthenia gravis is a specific autoimmune disease characterised by weakness and fatigue. Respiratory muscle weakness has been studied using the determination of maximal respiratory pressures, but the response of respiratory centres is not well characterised. This study was undertaken to determine the breathing pattern and the central ventilatory drive in patients with mild and moderate generalised myasthenia gravis. METHODS--Twenty four patients with myasthenia gravis were studied, divided into two groups. Group 1 included 13 subjects (eight women and five men aged 23-64) with mild generalised myasthenia gravis, and group 2 was composed of 15 patients (11 women and four men aged 23-69) with moderate generalised myasthenia gravis. A control group comprised 15 healthy persons with a similar age and sex distribution. Spirometric measurements and maximal respiratory pressures were performed under basal conditions in all subjects, and the rate and depth of breathing and the inspiratory occlusion pressure in the mouth in the first 0.1 second (P0.1) were measured. RESULTS--No difference was detected for parameters of breathing pattern between patients in group 1 and control subjects, although P0.1 was higher in those in group 1. Subjects in group 2 had a lower tidal ventilation, shorter inspiratory time, and a higher frequency with a higher P0.1 than control subjects. CONCLUSIONS--Mild myasthenia gravis causes increased neuromuscular drive with a normal breathing pattern. Moderate myasthenia gravis is characterised by a more rapid shallow breathing pattern.


We give asymptotic expressions for the number of words containing a given number of occurrences of a pattern for two families of patterns with two parameters each. One is the family of classical patterns in the form $22\cdots 212 \cdots 22$ and the other is a family of partially ordered patterns. The asymptotic expressions are in terms of the number of solutions to an equation, and for one subfamily this quantity is the number of integer partitions into $q$th order binomial coefficients.


The paper resolves the role of recent immigration to Ireland with special emphasis on the Polish people. First part of the analysis is devoted to both indigenous and exiguous changes in the Irish labour market. Second part of the paper takes on the spot migrations from UE 10 the third part scrutinizes migrant workers form Poland in terms of history of migrantion to Poland, pre- and post-accession waves (continuity or/and change), socio-economic characteristics, labour market needs and propensity to return to Poland. The final part brings the conclusions on the impact of migrations form UE 10, with strong overrepresentation of the Polish labour migrants, on the Irish economy. The most important factor in labour force growth in recent years has been immigration (well ahead natural increase and inflow from education). Foreign labour force has accounted for 10 per cent of the Irish labour force where 39.8 per cent of those come from UE 10 countries. Economic activity rate counts 75 per cent for new migrants, which is an evidence for labour -driven migration to Ireland form 'UE 10' new Member States. While talking on education, UE 10 migrants are slightly better educated than locals, which does not mirror the sectoral allocations of migrant workers form EU 10. Having the Irish population one of the youngest in Europe, the EU10 migrants are slightly younger then their Irish comparators, which give a lot of space for economic integration at different levels. Polish people have been, since May 1st 2004, the biggest single ethnic wave of migrants in the respect of the dynamics of the Polish migration to Ireland and they have predominated other nationalities of EU 10 such as Latvians and Lithuanians who were the biggest groups in terms of allocation of work permits on the pre-accession period. Since May 1st 2004 to June 2007 226 715 Public Personal Service Numbers had been allocated to the Polish people (whereas from May 2004 to May 2007: 214 419) and among them 153 799 had been recorded with employment details (paid taxes), which means that not all of those who have come to Ireland take up employment both in legal and nonmarket terms (family dependants). According to the National Quarterly Household Survey about 50 000 Polish people had been working in Ireland in 2006. In recent Census (April 2006) 63 090 Polish people turnout, which supposed to be underestimation. Sectoral split of the Polish migrant in Ireland resembles somehow the patterns of allocation of labour migrants in other service economies. Despite deregulations introduced by the Irish government on the occasion of May 1st 2004, Polish migrants tend to operate in manufacturing and hospitality sectors, while strongly concentrate in construction. This may support the hypothesis on the segmentation of the Irish labour market. But when one looks at the level of wages on the one hand and the dynamics of remuneration, it is clearly visible that wages of EU 10 migrants go up much quicker then locals. Taking into account the dynamics of in-ward inflow of migrants to Ireland, there is a temptation to doubt about neverending absorption of the Irish labour market, which unevenly may create some displacement effects in the future. However, currently EU 10 migrant workers (with strong predomination of the Polish group) complement rather then substitute the Irish labour force. There are a lot of arguments behind this process: EU 10 migrants are economically active and they mostly picked up jobs left by the Irish or those which, have been dedicated to the.


The vegetation mosaic hypothesis suggests that medium-sized mammals occupying arid and semi-arid areas of Australia require a habitat that is a fine-grained mosaic of different vegetation types or seral stages. This mosaic is believed to have been created in the spinifex deserts of central Australia by Aboriginal burning practices. Its loss in the period 1940–1960 is postulated to be a primary reason for both major reductions in range and mainland extinctions of many species of medium-sized mammals at this time. This study measured the responses of three species of medium-sized mammals to vegetation patterns within spinifex grasslands that ranged from comparatively uniform to highly diverse. The abundance, condition, and reproductive status of golden bandicoots (Isoodon auratus), northern brush-tailed possums (Trichosurus vulpecula arnhemensis), and burrowing bettongs (Bettongia lesueur) were assessed within vegetation mosaics of various scales on Barrow Island, off the northwest coast of Australia. Scale of mosaic proved to have no significant effect on the numbers, condition, or reproductive status of any of the three species. Similarly, the creation of fine-grained mosaics of early seral-stage vegetation mixed within climax vegetation by extensive oil-field operations over nearly half the island had no significant effect on the number or condition of animals. Hence, scale of mosaic seems unlikely to be related to the mainland decline or extinction of these species. The pattern of decline and extinction on the mainland but continued survival on offshore islands is more consistent with the presence (mainland) or absence (islands) of introduced predators (foxes and cats) and herbivores (rabbits and stock).


Mean diffusivity (MD) derived from diffusion tensor imaging has shown its ability to assess the microscopic structural integrity damage of gray matter in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, little is known about the small world topology networks constructed by cortical MD in cognitive disease. In this work, we measured the cortical MD in the entire brain in patients with aMCI (n = 30) and AD (n = 30) compared with cognitive-normal (CNs) controls (n = 30), and then constructed the cortical diffusivity network by using graph-theoretical analysis. Compared with CNs, patients with aMCI and AD showed abnormal small-world property of cortical diffusivity networks (higher degree of clustering and longer path length), reflecting a less optimal topological organization. Moreover, the mean degree of connections of network in aMCI patients was characterized by lower than CNs but higher than AD. In addition, 11 hub regions were identified by negative correlations between MD and the score of Montreal Cognitive Assessment after multiple regression analysis, including bilateral hippocampi and related limbic system. Among those hub regions, the connectivity of the right olfactory cortex and middle orbital gyrus to the rest of brain regions were disrupted earlier than the other 9 regions in aMCI when compared to CN. In conclusion, the change of cortical diffusivity in topological network organization, mean degree of connections, and disrupted hub regions in aMCI may serve to identify patients in the prodromal stage of AD and reflect microstructural deterioration of neurodegeneration.


This study examines the effectiveness of an educational methods course for changing early childhood preservice teachers' instructional beliefs. The teaching methods course emphasized constructivist teaching principles. Seventy-eight of the early childhood education preservice teachers who were enrolled in this course filled out the Teacher Belief Survey at the beginning and end of the 15-week course. The results of both quantitative and qualitative data analysis indicated that participation in the teaching methods course had significantly changed preservice teachers' beliefs. As a result of the course, preservice teachers' constructivist beliefs increased, and these beliefs became more concrete and coherent. Results are discussed in relation to the literature, and the implications of examining early childhood education programs are explored.


Integrated assessment (IA) aims at the integration of knowledge from diverse sources as part of the policy-making process. Frequently, IA exploits computer models and other information and communication technology (ICT) in ways that are accessible to and used by only a limited range of scientists or within expert circles. Deepening the interface between citizens and scientists can, in this view, be seen to involve, on the one hand, improved communication of model results and policy analyses to citizens, and, on the other hand, better "integration" of knowledge held by citizens into the scientific IA process itself. But this is not all. Through and beyond these knowledge and information "transfer" functions, a reciprocal interactive use of ICT can promote a social "appropriation" of sustainability problems. This paper explains, with the example of greenhouse gas emissions, how the reciprocal interactive use of ICT can help to create the necessary social and political conditions for robust public policy orientations.


The paper describes a research on a use of intonation for disambiguating utterance types of Korean 1 spoken sentences. Based on tilt intonation theory[8], two related but separate experiments were performed, both using the Hidden Markov Model training technique. In the first experiment, a system is established so that rough boundary positions of major intonation events are detected. Subsequently the significant parameters are extracted from the products of the first experiment, which are directly used to train the final models for utterance type disambiguation. Results show that the intonation contour can be used as a significant meaning distinguisher in an automatic speech recognition system of Korean as well as in a natural human communication system.


Building Connections—You and Your Adolescent is a facilitators' guide created for ChineseCanadian parents on a journey of self-discovery. The goals are to create effective parenting strategies, set realistic expectations, and build healthy connections with their children. Parenting is influenced by culture and values although in the case of adolescents who have gone through the immigration process, acculturation can have great impact on the psychosocial adjustment of these youth who are conflicted by the push and pull of two cultures (Costigan & Dokis, 2006; Tardif & Geva, 2006). This thesis addresses how to incorporate the culturally sensitive Satir Model towards Chinese-Canadian parenting groups focusing on the youths' psychological adjustment. This study is based on the hypothesis that when parents learn new techniques and tools related to parenting, new possibilities emerge. The guide provides a framework for facilitators to help parents build a better connection with their children, resulting in an easier adjustment to the new culture with better selfesteem and less depressive symptoms, thus creating a more harmonious relationship between parent and child.


Soon after the close of military operations in the American Civil War, another war began over how it would be remembered by future generations. The prisoner-of-war issue has figured prominently in Northern and Southern writing about the conflict. Northerners used tales of Andersonville to demonize the Confederacy, while Southerners vilified Northern prison policies to show the depths to which Yankees had sunk to attain victory. Over the years the postwar Northern portrayal of Andersonville as fiendishly designed to kill prisoners in mass quantities has largely been dismissed. The Lost Cause characterization of Union prison policies as criminally negligent and inhumane, however, has shown remarkable durability. Northern officials have been portrayed as turning their military prisons into concentration camps where Southern prisoners were poorly fed, clothed, and sheltered, resulting in inexcusably high numbers of deaths. Andersonvilles of the North, by James M. Gillispie, represents the first broad study to argue that the image of Union prison officials as negligent and cruel to Confederate prisoners is severely flawed. This study is not an attempt to "whitewash" Union prison policies or make light of Confederate prisoner mortality. But once the careful reader disregards unreliable postwar polemics, and focuses exclusively on the more reliable wartime records and documents from both Northern and Southern sources, then a much different, less negative, picture of Northern prison life emerges. While life in Northern prisons was difficult and potentially deadly, no evidence exists of a conspiracy to neglect or mistreat Southern captives. Confederate prisoners' suffering and death were due to a number of factors, but it would seem that Yankee apathy and malice were rarely among them. In fact, likely the most significant single factor in Confederate (and all) prisoner mortality during the Civil War was the halting of the prisoner exchange cartel in the late spring of 1863. Though Northern officials have long been condemned for coldly calculating that doing so aided their war effort, the evidence convincingly suggests that the South's staunch refusal to exchange black Union prisoners was actually the key sticking point in negotiations to resume exchanges from mid-1863 to 1865. Ultimately Gillispie concludes that Northern prisoner-of-war policies were far more humane and reasonable than generally depicted. His careful analysis will be welcomed by historians of the Civil War, the South, and of American history.


The time-dependence of the field distribution on the surface of YBa2Cu3Ox (YBCO) foam samples after field trapping is analysed. The foam samples were magnetised using a bulk permanent magnet at 77 K, and the trapped fields (TFs) were recorded with a scanning Hall probe 1 mm above the sample surface. Besides a large TF peak, several small peaks are observed. The time dependence of the local fields of these peaks and of the large peak are clearly different, which points to a different origin. In this way, the time-dependent TF measurements reveal important information about the current flow in the foam samples. A non-logarithmic relaxation process takes place in the foam samples. Furthermore, we compare these results with classic creep measurements performed on an individual foam strut removed from the bulk. The creep rate for the TF distribution is found to be ∼8%, whereas the creep rate of the foam strut is about 4% in a large temperature and field range (20–60 K, 0–2 T).


Given the global expansion, the borderless nature, and the social impact of social media, this paper provides an examination of users' connection patterns in online social networks, more specifically the users' cross-country connection patterns. We study three highly different social media platforms, Facebook, Last.fm, and 500px, and approach two main research questions: First, we set out to answer which countries' social media users are mainly connected with users within their own country; and which countries are characterized by a wide spectrum of cross-country (transnational) user connections. In doing so, we also identify the "attractor" countries, being characterized by alluring a large portion of users from other countries to connect to users in the respective attractor country. Second, we compare the results between the three social media platforms under investigation and analyze and discuss differences in the cross-country connection patterns. Third, we investigate whether countries' attractor values are correlated with cultural features (according to Hofstede). Our results contribute to understanding the complex social ties between people and how they are reflected in connection behavior on social media.


Qaunaq, Sakiasi.  The Orphan and the Polar Bear .  Iqaluit:  Inhabit Media, Inc., 2011. Print. One of the common themes in Inuit stories is that of the orphan child alone on the land.  In this version, told by Arctic Bay elder Sakiasi Qalinaq, who learned his stories from his grandmother, the orphan is abandoned by hunters from his village and adopted by a village of polar bears.  The bears teach him to hunt and survive on the land and, when he is grown, return him to his people.  The image on the cover of the book showing the child riding the polar bear is an iconic one. This mythological relationship between child and polar bear is also found in non-Inuit literature, most notably in Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass . In the bears' village the orphan is trained to hunt and survive on the land.  The bears also teach him their traditional wisdom.   For example, when one of the bears wants to go "push down" some humans because they "look so silly standing on their skinny legs", a wiser elder bear says, "Never talk that way…don't make humans our enemy.  Stay clear of them and their camps." The book is primarily a picture-book. Unlike many of the other books of Inuit legends published by Inhabit Media, the pictures are not scary.  Rather they are quite beautiful.   The extra width of the landscape format gives artist, Eva Widermann, the opportunity to spread her illustrations across two pages reflecting the wide expanses of the Arctic.  Text usually takes up one corner or a few lines of a page.  Widermann's images are realistic.  However, because this story is from a time when animals could shape-shift into human form, she sometimes gives the bears human postures and gestures.  For example, in the image on page 15, the polar bear is standing with a harpoon grasped in its front paws, handing it to the orphan.  Bears are also shown in their human form in three images. In the image on page 20, depicting the inside of an igloo in the bears' village, a woman with human form is tending the fire. Overall this is a lovely rendition of the story.  While designed for an elementary school audience, anyone with an interest in traditional Arctic tales will enjoy it.  Recommended for elementary schools and public libraries. Recommendation:  4 out of 4 stars Reviewer:  Sandy Campbell Sandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.


Introduction: The aim of the present study was to compare different methods of adrenal vein control in patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Materials and Methods: Total of 87 patients who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy (transperitoneal, n=61; retroperitoneal, n=26) due to adrenal mass were included in this study. Mean age was 50.9 years. In 57 patients (65.5%), adrenal vein was controlled using Hem-o-lok (Teleflex, Inc., Wayne, PA, USA) ligation clip, and in remainder (n=30; 34.5%), adrenal vein was controlled using LigaSure (Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) vessel sealing system (Group 2). Results: Mean age of the patients in Group 1 and Group 2 was 52.7±4.5 years and 54.4±4.0 years, respectively (p=0.264). Mean diameter of lesion was 42.7±2.2 mm (range: 21-87 mm) and 37.5±3.6 mm (range: 1572 mm) in Group 1 and 2, respectively (p<0.001). Mean operating time was 97.5±5.8 minutes (range: 60-126 minutes) and 90.2±4.6 minutes (range: 50-150 minutes) in Group 1 and 2, respectively (p=0.001). Mean estimated blood loss was 100 mL (range: 20-350 mL) and 5 mL (range: 0-10 mL) in Group 1 and 2, respectively (p<0.001). Mean length of postoperative hospitalization was 4.9±4.2 days (range: 1-13 days) and 2.9±1.8 days (range: 1-9 days) in Group 1 and 2, respectively (p=0.029). Intraoperative complication occurred in 3 patients (5.2%) (adrenal vein avulsion) and 1 patient (3.3%) (spleen laceration) in Group 1 and 2, respectively. Conclusion: LigaSure vessel sealing system had lower complication rate compared with Hem-o-lok ligation clip during laparoscopic adrenalectomy.


This research investigates the sexual behaviour and patterns of contraceptive use among seasonal workers temporarily employed at holiday centres in the south of England. Respondents were interviewed in depth at the beginning of the 1996 summer work season, and reinterviewed 5 months later toward the end of the season. This longitudinal methodology enabled changes in sexual behaviour and attitudes during the summer to be identified. The findings show marked changes in the social and sexual behaviour of seasonal workers when at a holiday centre, in particular an increase in the number of sexual partners, casual sex, and sexual risk‐taking behaviour. Seasonal workers showed the same patterns of contraceptive use as those of young people in the general population. Indeed there was no change in their contraceptive behaviour while at the holiday centre even though, for many, their sexual behaviour had changed significantly. Young people working at a holiday centre for the first time were shown to be at greatest risk of experiencing unsafe sex. The evidence of sexual risk‐taking has important social and health implications in locations which experience an annual influx of young people in seasonal employment.


Background Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are essential for evidence-based medicine and increasingly rely on front-line clinicians to recruit eligible patients. Clinicians' difficulties with negotiating equipoise is assumed to undermine recruitment, although these issues have not yet been empirically investigated in the context of observable events. We aimed to investigate how clinicians conveyed equipoise during RCT recruitment appointments across six RCTs, with a view to (i) identifying practices that supported or hindered equipoise communication and (ii) exploring how clinicians' reported intentions compared with their actual practices. Methods and Findings Six pragmatic UK-based RCTs were purposefully selected to include several clinical specialties (e.g., oncology, surgery) and types of treatment comparison. The RCTs were all based in secondary-care hospitals (n = 16) around the UK. Clinicians recruiting to the RCTs were interviewed (n = 23) to understand their individual sense of equipoise about the RCT treatments and their intentions for communicating equipoise to patients. Appointments in which these clinicians presented the RCT to trial-eligible patients were audio-recorded (n = 105). The appointments were analysed using thematic and content analysis approaches to identify practices that supported or challenged equipoise communication. A sample of appointments was independently coded by three researchers to optimise reliability in reported findings. Clinicians and patients provided full written consent to be interviewed and have appointments audio-recorded. Interviews revealed that clinicians' sense of equipoise varied: although all were uncertain about which trial treatment was optimal, they expressed different levels of uncertainty, ranging from complete ambivalence to clear beliefs that one treatment was superior. Irrespective of their personal views, all clinicians intended to set their personal biases aside to convey trial treatments neutrally to patients (in accordance with existing evidence). However, equipoise was omitted or compromised in 48/105 (46%) of the recorded appointments. Three commonly recurring practices compromised equipoise communication across the RCTs, irrespective of clinical context. First, equipoise was overridden by clinicians offering treatment recommendations when patients appeared unsure how to proceed or when they asked for the clinician's expert advice. Second, clinicians contradicted equipoise by presenting imbalanced descriptions of trial treatments that conflicted with scientific information stated in the RCT protocols. Third, equipoise was undermined by clinicians disclosing their personal opinions or predictions about trial outcomes, based on their intuition and experience. These broad practices were particularly demonstrated by clinicians who had indicated in interviews that they held less balanced views about trial treatments. A limitation of the study was that clinicians volunteering to take part in the research might have had a particular interest in improving their communication skills. However, the frequency of occurrence of equipoise issues across the RCTs suggests that the findings are likely to be reflective of clinical recruiters' practices more widely. Conclusions Communicating equipoise is a challenging process that is easily disrupted. Clinicians' personal views about trial treatments encroached on their ability to convey equipoise to patients. Clinicians should be encouraged to reflect on personal biases and be mindful of the common ways in which these can arise in their discussions with patients. Common pitfalls that recurred irrespective of RCT context indicate opportunities for specific training in communication skills that would be broadly applicable to a wide clinical audience.


In modern plastic and reconstructive surgery the application of biocompatible materials with adequate mechanical and chemical properties has become indispensable. For the treatment of skeletal defects, hydroxyapatite (HA) is well-established as a bone graft material. As its chemical composition is very similar to the mineralized part of human bone, this material offers excellent biocompatibility and direct mechanical bonding to the host tissue. The healing process can be further enhanced by mixing HA with the more soluble tricalcium phosphate (TCP) to adjust the implant's resorption rate to that of new tissue formation. Moreover, to stimulate bone ingrowth, it is crucial to produce ceramic scaffolds with interconnected porosity and pore diameters of 100-500 µm. Various processing methods have been proposed for the fabrication of such scaffolds. However, due to both technical and economic considerations, few of them have been scaled up for industrial production.
Our motivation was to explore vapor transport sintering (VTS) as a novel and potentially cost-effective process for the near-net shape manufacturing of custom-made implants. Starting from synthetic powder precursors, the microstructure development of HA and TCP ceramics, as well as biphasic mixtures thereof, was studied for systems with both halide acids and solid chloride agents. Chemical and phase analysis were performed to monitor potential substitutional reactions and phase conversions upon processing. Analyses were carried out with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with integrated energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Furthermore, for gathering a theoretical understanding of the vapor transport process, thermodynamic calculations were carried out for various systems. Among the foremost aims of the investigation was the identification of suitable halide reagents to enhance material transport through the vapor phase, as well as the validation whether large enough pore diameters could be generated by this processing method. As it turned out, pore coarsening stagnates after reaching diameters of about 5 µm. Thus, the combination of VTS with other processing techniques is necessary to create adequate macroporosity. The promising results obtained for sintering in AgCl atmosphere, suggested the combination of macroporous precursors with vapor transport sintering as a potential technique to create a novel composite material. For this purpose, coral skeletons and sea urchin spines were hydrothermally converted into calcium phosphate scaffolds. Subsequent AgCl-sintering not only stimulated enhanced material transport through the vapor phase, but also caused the condensation of fine Ag-bearing particles throughout the ceramic scaffold. The resulting surface modification lends antibacterial properties to the composite material which are expected to decrease post-surgical inflammation risks.