Abstract Area-based fishery management and ecosystem-based management strategies are considered beneficial marine resource management tools, but they require finite information about the structure and function of ecosystems to evaluate populations and describe the effects of fishing on ecosystems. The required information is not likely to be obtained from sporadic, fishery-dependent data collected from data-poor fisheries, and funding constraints preclude extensive fishery-independent surveys. This situation has led to an interest in relating or combining information from a variety of disparate sampling methods. From 2003 to 2006, we investigated the relationships between estimates of catch per unit effort (CPUE) and the abundance of fishes generated from typical nearshore commercial fishing operations and estimates of density and abundance derived from scuba surveys in the same locations. The relationships between CPUE and the density estimates derived from different sampling methods were found to be statistically significant in the case of many of the common species sampled across sites in Carmel Bay, California. The compounding effects of within-sample variance and the error associated with the regression equations, however, would result in poor confidence in the values translated from one sampling method to another. Different sampling methods may provide reasonable estimates of population trends, but they are sufficiently different and variable as to preclude the use of a scaling factor to standardize population estimates among sampling methods. Also, the differences in species composition (i.e., relative CPUE or density among species) produced by each sampling method were significant and were also affected by habitat relief and sample depth. Nonetheless, our results suggest the value of a cost-benefit analysis that would allow managers to design optimal sampling strategies for characterizing CPUE relationships within a region of interest. A sampling program that benefits from the complementary strengths of fishing gear and scuba sampling will probably result in the most comprehensive description of nearshore fish assemblages.


Abstract 3D visualization of geological structures is a very efficient way to create a good understanding of geological features. It is not only an illustrative way for common people, but also a comprehensive method to interpret results of the work. Geologists, geophysics engineers and GIS experts sometimes need to visualize an area to accomplish their researches. It can show how sample data are distributed over the area and therefore they can be applied as suitable approach to validate the result. Among different 3D modeling methods, some are expensive or complicated. Therefore, such a methodology enabling easy and cheap creation of a 3D construction is highly demanded. However, several obstacles have been faced during the process of constructing a 3D model of geology. The main debate over suitable interpolation methods is the fact that 3D modelers may face discrepancies leading to different results even when they are working with the same set of data. Furthermore, most often part of data can be source of errors, themselves. Hence, it is extremely important to decide whether to omit those data or adopt another strategy. However, even after considering all these points, still the work may not be accurate enough to be used for scientific researches if the interpretation of work is not done precisely. This research sought to explain an approach for 3D modeling of Sedini platform in Sardinia, Italy. GIS was used as a flexible software together with Surfer and Voxler. Data manipulation, geodatabase creation and interpolation test all have been done with aid of GIS. A variety of interpolation methods available in Surfer were used to opt suitable method together with Arc view. A solid 3D model is created in Voxler environment. In Voxler, in contrary to many other 3D types of software there are four components needed to construct 3D. C value as 4th component except for XYZ coordinates was used to differentiate special features in platform and do gridding based on chosen value. With the aid of C value, one can mark layer of interest to identify it from other layers. The final result shows a 3D solid model of the Sedini platform including both surfaces and subsurfaces. An Isosurface with its unique value (Isovalue) can mark layer of interest and make it easy to interpret the results. However, the errors in some parts of model are also noticeable. Since data acquisition was done for studying geology and mineralogy characteristics of the area, there is less number of data points collected per volume according to the main goals of the initial project. Moreover, in some parts of geological border lines, the density of sample points is not high enough to estimate accurate location of lines. The study result can be applicable in a broad range of geological studies. Resource evaluation, geomorphology, structural geology and GIS are only a few examples of its application. The results of the study can be compared to the results of similar works where different softwares have been used so as to comprehend pros and cons of each as well as appropriate application of each software for a special task. Keywords: GIS, Image Interpretation, Geodatabase, Geology, Interpolation, 3D Modeling


Earthquake prediction is a very important problem in seismology, the success of which can potentially save many human lives. Various kinds of technologies have been proposed to address this problem, such as mathematical analysis, machine learning algorithms like decision trees and support vector machines, and precursors signal study. Unfortunately, they usually do not have very good results due to the seemingly dynamic and unpredictable nature of earthquakes. In contrast, we notice that earthquakes are spatially and temporally correlated because of the crust movement. Therefore, earthquake prediction for a particular location should not be conducted only based on the history data in that location, but according to the history data in a larger area. In this paper, we employ a deep learning technique called long short-term memory (LSTM) networks to learn the spatio-temporal relationship among earthquakes in different locations and make predictions by taking advantage of that relationship. Simulation results show that the LSTM network with two-dimensional input developed in this paper is able to discover and exploit the spatio-temporal correlations among earthquakes to make better predictions than before.


In 1998, the Sara Lee Corporation implemented a corporate strategy of deverticalization. Bil Mar Foods, Inc., a subsidiary of Sara Lee responsible for the processing of packaged meat products, followed the strategy by shutting down its turkey slaughter facility in Zeeland, Michigan. As a consequence, turkey growers in Michigan were left with no viable outlet for live bird slaughter and the potential end of live bird production in the region. The current study analyzes the economic impact associated with the cessation of live bird slaughter at the Bil Mar Food plant. The economic consequences may be as high as an $81 million loss in total industry output, a $29 million loss in income, and a total employment loss of nearly 800 jobs. Faced with these economic consequences, turkey growers in the region join forces to form a valued-added cooperative.


Invertebrate spatial patterns were investigated in 36 and 12 spring and runoff-fed streams in New Zealand and in Northern Spain, respectively. Moss biomass and resource levels were more abundant in springbrooks than in runoff-fed streams. Invertebrate densities were greater in spring habitats, but invertebrate richness was higher and lower at more stable sites in New Zealand and Spain, respectively. These differences in invertebrate diversity may be related to the larger diversity of invertebrate predators in New Zealand springbrooks, and the lack of temperature mediated life history cues in the New Zealand invertebrate fauna. I carried out two experiments to look at the effect of local factors on the spatial distribution of invertebrate communities. The first experiment investigated the effect that algal biomass and habitat structure had on stream invertebrate communities. To do this I used artificial canopies to reduce algal growth and artificial substrates with different habitat complexities. Numbers of invertebrate taxa and individuals were both lower on bricks under the artificial canopies and on the simplest substrates. Algal productivity may enhance invertebrate richness by increasing the number of individuals in a given area, whereas habitat complexity may increase invertebrate richness by providing greater food and/or space resources. The second experiment examined the effects of primary productivity and physical disturbance on stream invertebrates by using artificial canopies and by kicking and raking patches of the stream bed (10 m2). We compared the effects of natural versus experimental disturbance on the benthic invertebrate fauna. Invertebrate fauna in high productivity patches recovered quicker than in low productivity patches after both experimental and natural disturbance. The experimental disturbance reduced number of invertebrate taxa and individuals to a greater extent than the spate. Primary productivity limited the recovery of the invertebrate fauna after the disturbances. I also investigated temperature patterns in five runoff and seven spring-fed streams in the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The invertebrate fauna was sampled at 4 distances (0, 100, 500 and 1 km) from seven spring sources. Temperature variability was much larger for runoff-fed streams than for springs, and it increased with distance from the source. Flow, altitude, and the number and type (i.e., spring or runoff-


The endocannabinoid system has been shown to modulate key cell-signaling pathways involved in cancer cell growth. In this study, we show that cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) antagonist Rimonabant (SR141716) inhibited human breast cancer cell proliferation, being more effective in highly invasive metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells than in less-invasive T47D and MCF-7 cells. The SR141716 antiproliferative effect was not accompanied by apoptosis or necrosis and was characterized by a G1/S-phase cell cycle arrest, decreased expression of cyclin D and E, and increased levels of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27KIP1. We have also shown that SR141716 exerted a significant antiproliferative action, in vivo, by reducing the volume of xenograft tumors induced by MDA-MB-231 injection in mice. On the other hand, at the concentration range in which we observed the antiproliferative effect in tumor cells, we did not observe evidence of any genotoxic effect on normal cells. Our data also indicate that the SR141716 antiproliferative effect requires lipid raft/caveolae integrity to occur. Indeed, we found that CB1 receptor (CB1R) is completely displaced from lipid rafts in SR141716-treated MDA-MB-231 cells, and cholesterol depletion by methyl-β-cyclodextrin strongly prevented SR141716-mediated antiproliferative effect. Taken together, our results suggest that SR141716 inhibits human breast cancer cell growth via a CB1R lipid raft/caveolae-mediated mechanism.


The detection and characterisation of oxide layers on metallic copper samples plays an important role for power
electronic modules in the automotive industry. However, since precise identification of oxide layers by visual inspection is
difficult and time consuming due to inhomogeneous colour distribution, a reliable and efficient method for estimating their
thickness is needed. In this study, hyperspectral imaging in the visible wavelength range (425–725 nm) is proposed as an
in-line inspection method for analysing oxide layers in real-time during processing of copper components such as printed
circuit boards in the automotive industry. For implementation in the production line a partial least square regression (PLSR)
model was developed with a calibration set of n = 12 with about 13,000 spectra per sample to determine the oxide layer
thickness on top of the technical copper surfaces. The model shows a good prediction performance in the range of 0–30
nm compared to Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiles as a reference method. The root mean square error (RMSE)
is 1.75 nm for calibration and 2.70 nm for full cross-validation. Applied to an external dataset of four new samples with
about 13,000 spectra per sample the model provides an RMSE of 1.84 nm for prediction and demonstrates the robustness
of the model during real-time processing. The results of this study prove the ability and usefulness of the proposed method
 to estimate the thickness of oxide layers on technical copper. Hence, the application of hyperspectral imaging for the
industrial process control of electronic devices is very promising.


Various mammalian taxa have evolved different morphological adaptations to aid in preventing death by predators, including spines, quills, dermal plates, and noxious chemical sprays. The development of these traits has previously been linked to intermediate body size, an openness of habitat, and smaller relative brain sizes, as well as a low metabolic rate and insectivorous diet. One family, Tenrecidae, contains several species that have evolved spines despite a small body size. We investigated the ecological factors that favored the evolution of spines within this group, focusing on conspicuousness to predators through body size and openness of habitat. We compiled hair and spine measurements along with natural history data and ran comparative phylogenetic analyses to study the morphological and ecological factors that favored the evolution of these antipredator defenses. We show that as tenrecs evolved a larger body size and moved into a more open habitat, they were more likely to evolve spines, and as more robust spines evolved, relative brain size decreased. We discuss the suite of changes that occur during the transition from non-spiny forest-dwelling tenrecs into larger spiny tenrecines with smaller brains and aposematic coloration.


A process for electroless deposition of NiP films on a transparent non-conductive soda lime glass is investigated. The process requires at least two repetitive cycles of etching and activation. The annealing process of the NiP films at 400 and 600 C has been studied and the optimal heat treatment condition has been established. Different Ni bath with different pH has been employed to assess the NiP deposition. Characterization of the deposits by optical and scanning electron microscopy has provided information on the nature of crystallites and on the surface topography.


This chapter provides an overview to comparative study of Sino-Vietnamese comparative constitutionalism by exploring the bases of three core, substantive pillars of socialist constitutionalism through the Sino-Vietnamese comparison: insistence on Party leadership, reliance on socialist rule of law, and adaptation to populism. After considering several examples of how constitutional rules are currently operating through political and popular constitutionalism in all three areas, we conclude that Vietnam is presently moving in a direction offering more prospects for convergence with international norms, as the current Vietnamese Party-state is relatively less politically monolithic, more open to the influence of international laws, and more tolerant of civil society than its Chinese counterpart. That being the case, we predict that Vietnam will likely continue to depart from the increasingly insular Chinese model of constitutional development for the foreseeable future.


OBJECTIVE
To examine whether and how different kinds of access to care (financial, potential, and realized) predict parent-report child primary care experiences in an urban community sample.

DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING
A prospective cohort study was performed. Baseline survey data were collected (67 percent response rate) from 3,406 parents of kindergarten through sixth grade students in a large urban school district in California during the 1999-2000 school year. A 1-year survey (80.4 percent response rate) resulted in a final sample of 2,738.

STUDY DESIGN
Data were analyzed using multiple regression models with robust estimation. The dependent variable was Time 2 parent reports of primary care experiences, assessed via the Parents' Perceptions of Primary Care (P3C) measure. The independent variables were financial access (insurance status), potential access (presence of a regular source of care), and realized access (foregone care), controlling for child and family characteristics (race/ethnicity, parent's language, mother's education level, and child chronic health condition status) and baseline P3C scores.

DATA COLLECTION
Data were collected by mail, telephone, and in person in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Controlling for baseline P3C scores and child and family characteristics, having no health insurance at both baseline and Time 2 was associated with a 6.2-point lower Time 2 P3C score, relative to having had health insurance at both time points. Having a regular provider at Time 2 (either always having had one or gaining one during the year) was associated with, on average, a 10-point higher Time 2 P3C score, compared to children without a regular provider (either never having had one or losing one during the year). Episodes of foregone care during the year were associated with 10.7 points lower Time 2 P3C scores, relative to children whose parents did not report foregone care. Similar relationships were found between all three measures of access to care and each of the sub-domain measures of primary care experience.

CONCLUSIONS
Financial, potential, and realized access to care are associated prospectively with the full range of primary care experiences--comprehensiveness, communication, coordination, and contextual knowledge--beyond continuity and accessibility. Access to a regular source of care and to needed care are each associated with larger effects on primary care experiences than is the presence of health insurance. Gaining insurance or a regular source of care results in primary care experiences similar to always having had these, while losing a regular source of care has a more immediate effect than losing insurance on primary care experiences.


ABSTRACT This article investigates equality policies in relation to gender mainstreaming in local governments, prior to the dismantling of equality policies in the wake of the financial crisis that began in 2008. Data from 198 municipalities based on the use of mainstreaming instruments revealed limited implementation of mainstreaming as a policy strategy. Similarly, a qualitative study on mainstreaming as a vision showed that the local level tended to reproduce supra-municipal deficits without offering a differential contribution. Lack of consistency was also observed between the role assigned to local entities by supra-municipal authorities and the role they actually played. Important influencing factors included the gender of the mayor, political colour of the local government, existence of a separate equality council, and adoption of an equality plan. The study concludes with recommendations for redefining local gender mainstreaming in a post-crisis scenario.


Exotic species seriously affect local biodiversity in Argentina. This article investigates how students in San Juan province perceive native and exotic species. With the help of a written questionnaire, 865 students (9–17 years old) were asked to name the plant and animal they liked most, disliked most, and perceived as most useful, and to name local species and describe their uses in the region. Students' preferences and perceptions were strongly directed toward exotic domestic species. Consequently, workshops were developed in which students were introduced by local ecologists to the diversity of native wild species and their importance for the ecosystem.


The intersection of politics and spectacle has a long tradition in French history, from Louis XIV9s Versailles to the streets of revolutionary Paris. As a result, Chateaubriand9s criticism of the coronation
 of Charles X in May 1825 as theatrical may at first seem unremarkable. His description of the occasion as a dramatic performance rather than a real event, however, deserves closer examination. In line with
 Chateaubriand, this article suggests that the anachronistic final Bourbon coronation can best be understood, at the most literal level, as an opera, with music, resplendent costumes, dashes of orientalism
 (the envoy for the Bey of Tunis provoked much interest), hired claqueurs , and the whole of Rheims turned into a stage set. Conversely, the coronation9s reliance on operatic props and aesthetics can
 shed light on the dramatic crisis that led to the appearance of grand opeera. The largest piece written to celebrate the coronation, the multianchored Pharamond , was performed at the Paris
 Opeera, but failed to command either critical or popular acclaim, in contrast with Rossini9s Il viaggio a Reims at the Theeââtre Italien. Yet Pharamond9s troubled negotiation
 between the demands of historical drama and celebratory Pieece de circonstance mirrors the logic that underpinned the planning of the coronation: a desire to invoke the authority of French
 history while bypassing unresolved memories of the Revolution and the Empire. Ultimately, the failure of Pharamond and its selective appropriation of history offer a productive mode for understanding
 the connections between opera, ceremonial language, and historical precedent, as well as those between musical works and large-scale political events.


The two most visible representations of Afghanistan are arguably Steve McCurry?s ?Afghan Girl? on the cover of National Geographic (June 1985) and Khaled Hosseini?s award-wining novel 'The Kite Runner' (2004). These two products laid the basic premise that images and ideas about Afghanistan have been circulated and commodified worldwide, especially qualities of the exotic, oppressed, and weak. Since print photography and literary works belong to the culture industry, this research seeks to enquire if performing arts, more specifically theatre, projected Afghanistan in similar ways. More precisely, this research asks how Afghan cultures and identities have been represented in the post-9/11 period. Borrowing the circuit of culture model (1997) from Stuart Hall and Paul du Gay, this research then examines ten specific theatre performances within Afghanistan and outside Afghanistan in a spatio-temporal framework illustrating dynamic tensions from, and beyond, Kabul. Case studies from Kabul illustrate that Afghan cultures can be owned and regulated by competing stakeholders, including the Taliban, within its geopolitical boundaries. Case studies from/beyond Kabul show the export of Afghan cultures and performances outside Afghanistan, underscoring tropes of impoverishment and suffering while inviting or inciting international interventions and conciliations. Case studies beyond Kabul tend to imagine ?Afghanistan? by offering an ambivalent, and sometimes, contradictory response to the war on terror. This thesis argues that projective closure ? the act of filling in absences and gaps to make sense of an Afghan narrative ? often circulates and entrenches Afghans in victimhood tropes. Because there are constant fluctuations and contestations at what ?Afghanistan? was, is, and should be, Afghanistan as an imagined entity ? or a global cultural commodity ? becomes more evident. Derek Gregory was right to observe in 'The Colonial Present' (2004) that Afghanistan has been an object of international geopolitical manoeuvrings since the nineteenth century, and, as this thesis will show, even early twenty-first century. But the claw of the ?colonial present? does not stem from hostilities enacted by imperial power, but a series of intimate engagements with non-government organisations, government agencies, embassies, foreign theatre directors, and even global audiences who uncritically celebrate narratives of Afghan heroism. This is further complicated by the readiness of local Afghan practitioners to consume and project themselves as victims of war who are in ?need? of foreign help. As such, the value that is being demanded and supplied in the global culture industry is still victimhood. Afghan cultures and identities are deeply embedded in contexts ? situational, cultural, global ? and unless these contexts are collocated and layered upon each other to add nuance to interrogate cultural practices, cultural workers and theatre practitioners continue to run the risks of reproducing conflicts, even if they are beyond the geographical space of Kabul ? because the locations of the ?local? and ?global? are becoming increasingly intertwined.


This paper describes a general simulation tool for district heating systems. The purpose is to study the performance of different real-time control strategies for district heating management. A short description of the basic principles of district heating systems as well as some of the managerial considerations is given. Simulation is commonly used within the domain of district heating, both as a strategical decision support tool and as a operational optimisation tool. However, since approaches to distributed real-time control strategies are very rare within the domain of district heating, current simulation tools lack support for such studies. To improve this situation a simulation tool has been developed which integrates existing models of the various entities in a district heating system in a novel way.


Introduction Structural brain imaging is paramount for the diagnosis of behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), but it has low sensitivity leading to erroneous or late diagnosis. Methods A total of 515 subjects from two different bvFTD cohorts (training and independent validation cohorts) were used to perform voxel-wise morphometric analysis to identify regions with significant differences between bvFTD and controls. A random forest classifier was used to individually predict bvFTD from deformation-based morphometry differences in isolation and together with semantic fluency. Tenfold cross validation was used to assess the performance of the classifier within the training cohort. A second held-out cohort of genetically confirmed bvFTD cases was used for additional validation. Results Average 10-fold cross-validation accuracy was 89% (82% sensitivity, 93% specificity) using only MRI and 94% (89% sensitivity, 98% specificity) with the addition of semantic fluency. In the separate validation cohort of definite bvFTD, accuracy was 88% (81% sensitivity, 92% specificity) with MRI and 91% (79% sensitivity, 96% specificity) with added semantic fluency scores. Conclusion Our results show that structural MRI and semantic fluency can accurately predict bvFTD at the individual subject level within a completely independent validation cohort coming from a different and independent database.


This paper uses literature from the fields of organisational sustainability and human capital, which have demonstrated a link between sustainable human capital and the financial performance of the firm, to argue that securities analysts need to be able to systematically analyse human capital in order to provide transparent and well-informed investment recommendations. It is the function of securities analysts to attempt to predict the future financial performance of firms within an industry sector. Models for this analysis have traditionally been heavily quantitative, relying on mathematical models of future earnings forecasts, based on published annual financial statements from listed companies. Securities analysts' quantitative modeling methods are directly underpinned by qualifications and certification processes that encourage demonstrated skills in quantitative methods. The authors provide an opportunity for securities analysts to systematically gain insights on the human capital of firms using a future expert system, called Human Capital Analyser (HCA), whose general characteristics are also outlined in the conclusion of this article. This expert system will help bridge the knowledge gap in the work of securities analysts.


The current unemployment insurance and employment protection legislation were set up in an economic environment in which relationships between workers and firms were typically lon-lastingand stable. The increasing globalisation of the economy and the rapid technological and organisational changes require more flexibility of both workers and firms leading to career paths which are much more volatile both within and between firms. Current institutions must be therefore urgently reformed to reconcile this new need of more flexibility with that of security for workers. The call for "flexicurity" is not new, but there is no unanimity on the corresponding institutional model it implies. Rather than proposing a reform on the basis of existing institutions abroad, we propose a reform that is explicitly guided by economic principles. In a nutshell, we propose to transform the bulk of the advance notice payments by a unique lay-off contribution, independently of the type of worker (blue or white-collar) and type of contract (temporary or open-]ended). A severance payment, less important than the lay-off contribution, is due to cover the psychic cost related to dismissal. In order to make the employer accountable for the costs he imposes on society, the lay-off contribution should be made proportional to the cumulative past earnings since the moment that the worker was hired in the firm. This contribution would be used not only to finance a supplement to the current unemployment benefits, but also, as to make the worker more accountable, to finance active labour market policies for the unemployed. Aside of this scheme, it makes sense to generalise the current scheme of temporary unemployment benefits for blue-collar workers to white-collar workers, but only to the extent that one introduces experience rating in the funding, so that again the employers are made accountable for the social costs that they induce by these temporary lay-offs.


Globally, since 1990's, decentralization has been recognized as important medium for bringing transformation in communities by reducing conflicts, improving livelihoods for indigenous groups, and promoting sustainable management. In 1993, participatory democratic decentralization was introduced in Indian states by Government of India (GoI). The constitution reform aimed to benefit the local political bodies of three-tier systems called Panchayats. In 2000, preliminary literature review and action research comparative study result indicated that implementation of decentralization through 73 amendment of Panchayat had general acceptance particularly by women and Bhils (Scheduled Tribes) in neighbouring three tribal districts of Gujarat (Dahod), Rajasthan (Banswara) and Madhya Pradesh (Jhabua). It was considered as an effective tool, and expected that participatory and accountability would be inbuilt advantage of decentralization (panchayat), if implemented appropriately. Immediate effects were observed that due to reservation quota, several tribal women were democratically elected as panchayat leaders. However, after five years, are these expectations achieved or it is still a distant dream for bordering districts of three Indian states, and in its implementation of decentralization? In 2005, ex-post impact study was conducted as a follow-up to above-mentioned study to document implications of decentralization on joint forest management and water cooperatives in semi-arid tribal districts. This paper analyzes and shares outcomes on following main questions: (i) Are administrative, financial and political powers of (73 Amendments) Panchayats closely knit with the other 'recognized' local forest and water committees and district level communitiesZilla Parishads (ZPs)?, (ii) what were underlying factors associated with successful implementation in one Indian state as against challenges in other neighbouring state?, and (iii) has there been learning of decentralization formal or informally, and management of commons through knowledge sharing among these tribal districts, between states, and regionally or internationally? Some of the key results show complexities that are created by democratic decentralization on other existing local rural institutions, which govern social and economic development programmes including forests and water management. One of the revealing results of this study explains informal flow of knowledge sharing of Gram Swaraj among the adjoining districts particularly from Jhabua to Dahod, and formal uptake of decentralization policy in Banswara. Briefly, the first part of paper reviews and compares the decentralization policies in these three states; then it analyses the bureaucracy and influence of elite groups on tribal districts; and lastly, if learning from this regions could benefit and be adopted nationally and in other developing countries.


Pipe jacking is a trenchless construction technique for the installation of underground pipelines. Although pipe jacking is widely used, fundamental research is still needed to understand fully the factors affecting the process and to prevent unexpected failure. With the time and financial limitation, it is difficult to explore all aspects of these factors with experiments; and it is also difficult to study them by analytical methods because of the complexity of the problem. This thesis describes the use of the finite element technique to study the pipe performance under different environments and the laboratory tests of several different joint designs.

The emphasis of the current research is on the performance of the concrete pipes during jacking under working conditions and to seek possible improvements in the design of pipes and pipe joints by numerical modelling. In the finite element modelling, a simplified two-dimensional model is used for a preliminary study, then the analyses are carried out with three-dimensional models A, B and C representing a complete pipe, a pipe with surrounding soil and a symmetric three-pipe system respectively. Several factors affecting the pipe performance have been examined, for example, the properties of the packing material, the stiffness of the surrounding soil, the misalignment angle at the pipe joint, and the interaction between the pipe and surrounding soil.

The numerical results show that the misalignment of the pipe is the dominating factor inducing both tensile stresses and localized compressive stresses in the concrete pipe, especially with a high misalignment angle which results in separation between packing material and the pipe. The packing materials with high Poisson's ratio and high stiffness also induce higher tensile stresses in the pipe, and the influence of Poisson's ratio is significant. Under 'diagonal' loading, both the stiffness of the surrounding soil and the interaction between the pipe and the surrounding soil have a significant effect on the stresses within the concrete pipe. Under 'edge' loading, the greatest potential damage is at the pipe joint due to the tensile stresses in the hoop direction; while under 'diagonal' loading, the damage is most likely the cracking on the external surface of the pipe along a line connecting the two diagonal loaded corners. The results show that the Australian model gives somewhat good prediction about the maximum normal stress and the diametrical contact width at pipe joint.

Based on the numerical results, several different joint designs for improving the pipe strength have been proposed and tested in the laboratory. Both the laboratory tests and the back analyses suggest that the local reinforcement and the local prestressed band at the pipe joint will improve the pipe strength.


Albania and its population have been significantly affected by migration since the early 1990s. A predominant trend has been that of Albanian citizens emigrating primarily towards wealthier countries in Europe, but also to North America and Australia. Albeit the main waves were recorded in the 1990s and in the 2000s, emigration from Albania continues nowadays, making Albania the country originating one of the highest migration flows in Europe. Emigration, however, is not the only form of movement affecting Albania. Immigration trends to the country are intensifying, albeit to a smaller extent than to other countries in Europe. Return migration – i.e. the return of both long- and short-term migrants – is another migration flow of high importance; whereas the most overlooked aspect of movements affecting Albania is internal migration, which has a significant impact on individuals concerned, their families, as well as institutions expected to assist them.
Despite the limited data on migration in Albania, this phenomenon has an undoubted impact on its population, including children. Thus, Terre des hommes in Albania decided to conduct research in order to collect quantitative and qualitative data about contemporary migration trends in the country, about challenges and opportunities arising from them, and about current responses undertaken by national and local institutions. The research combined two main components: an analysis of the available literature on current migration trends, issues and responses; and interviews and focus groups with migrants, their families and other key informants at national and local level, in five municipalities of Albania considerably affected by migration over the past decades (Tirana, Shkodra, Lezha, Fier and Korca).


Of all the developing regions of the world, the Asia-Pacific is growing fastest, driven by its own unique 'Asian' model of development as practiced by Japan and imitated by the first and second-tier Newly Industrializing Countries (NICs). This record of phenomenal economic development sits side-by-side, however, with mounting evidence of serious regional environmental problems linked to air, water and soil pollution, fisheries depletion and deforestation and forest degradation with significant loss of biodiversity. While numerous sectors and cases could be chosen to illustrate the political economic barriers to sustainability in the Asia-Pacific, this paper focuses on forestry and the efforts by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to establish certification in the region. The FSC constitutes an interesting case because of its recognised commitment to meaningful sustainable forest management via the integration of economic, environmental and social dimensions into a single, rigorous forest management standard (Fern, 2004).In this article, I investigate the political economy of sustainable development by synthesising the results of recent case studies of forest certification from Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Solomon Islands. Business and government in these countries have either ignored FSC or mobilised actively against it. FSC has been not been perceived by these parties as a vehicle for sustainable development but as a threat to business-as-usual. However, the problem is only partially located in producing countries. In consuming countries, too (Japan, Korea, China), FSC certification has been largely ignored as business there competes for low-cost forest products regardless of its legality and sustainability. These countries appear indifferent to the ecological shadow cast by their economic development strategies, highlighting once again the divergence between the rhetoric and reality of sustainable development.


In this paper, we consider the resource allocation problem for uplink non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) networks whose users represent power-restricted but high priority devices, such as those used in sensor networks supporting health and public safety applications. Such systems require high reliability and robust resource allocation techniques are needed to ensure performance. We examine the impact on system and user performance due to residual cancellation errors resulting from imperfect successive interference cancellation (SIC) and apply the chance-constrained robust optimization approach to tackle this type of error. In particular, we derive an expression for the user outage probability as a function of SIC error variance. This result is used to formulate a robust joint resource allocation problem that minimizes user transmit power subject to rate and outage constraints of critical applications. As the proposed optimization problem is inherently non-convex and NP-hard, we apply the techniques of variable relaxation and complementary geometric programming to develop a computationally tractable two-step iterative algorithm based on successive convex approximation. Simulation results demonstrate that, even for high levels of SIC error, the proposed robust algorithm for NOMA outperforms the traditional orthogonal multiple access case in terms of user transmit power and overall system density, i.e., serving more users over fewer sub-carriers. The chance-constrained approach necessitates a power-robustness tradeoff compared with non-robust NOMA but effectively enforces maximum user outage and can result in transmit power savings when users can accept a higher probability of outage.


As the 2012 Olympics sets about re-making a whole swathe of east London, Barry Turner's book marks the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain, which did the same for London's South Bank after the war. Where the stupendous, Pharaonic construction site of the 2012 Olympics and its GBP9 bn budget is all in aid of a few weeks of running and cycle races, 60 years ago there was a far more ambitious cultural event. Centred on London's South Bank, which was cleared of its industry and Victorian architecture, the Festival of Britain sought not only to celebrate the best of Britishness but also to set new standards and paradigms for modern design, aesthetics and architecture. With satellite festivals all over Britain, it attracted 8 1/2 million visitors in a year (the Millennium Dome managed only 5 1/2 million). The Royal Festival Hall was built, as well as the Dome of Discovery (then the largest unsupported roof in the world), and the long-lamented, Skylon (a futuristic aluminium pylon). The Scandinavian design we now take for granted with IKEA's furniture was a big influence in the Festival buildings' architecture. As well as nostalgic appeal its story constitutes a kind of sequel to David Kynaston's Austerity Britain, as the Festival gave the British people permission to enjoy themselves and look forward at last to a future of modernity and prosperity.


Systems Programming: Designing and Developing Distributed Applications explains how the development of distributed applications depends on a foundational understanding of the relationship among operating systems, networking, distributed systems, and programming. Uniquely organized around four viewpoints (process, communication, resource, and architecture), the fundamental and essential characteristics of distributed systems are explored in ways which cut across the various traditional subject area boundaries. The structures, configurations and behaviours of distributed systems are all examined, allowing readers to explore concepts from different perspectives, and to understand systems in depth, both from the component level and holistically. * Explains key ideas from the ground up, in a self-contained style, with material carefully sequenced to make it easy to absorb and follow.* Features a detailed case study that is designed to serve as a common point of reference and to provide continuity across the different technical chapters.* Includes a 'putting it all together' chapter that looks at interesting distributed systems applications across their entire life-cycle from requirements analysis and design specifications to fully working applications with full source code.* Ancillary materials include problems and solutions, programming exercises, simulation experiments, and a wide range of fully working sample applications with complete source code developed in C++, C# and Java.* Special editions of the author's established 'workbenches' teaching and learning tools suite are included. These tools have been specifically designed to facilitate practical experimentation and simulation of complex and dynamic aspects of systems.


Excerpt] In this essay, we reexamine a critical paradox in international and comparative industrial relations, a paradox that already decades ago demonstrated its ability to intrigue scholarly curiosity (Galenson, 1952,1963; Kerr et al, 1960). As we see it, convergence along a number of important dimensions, such as labor law and organizational and bargaining structure, is occurring simultaneously with widespread crossnational and local divergence, or diversity, in industrial relations practices and outcomes. Along with economic and political interdependence and with intensifications of market competition, convergence and diversity both appear to be product of an increasing spread of markets and ideas sometimes referred to as "globalization." In employing this term, we intend to make the point that the conduct of global business is no longer confined to the sort of international trading and related activities that have been carried on for centuries already. In the modern era, the production and exchange of both goods and services occur increasingly on a global scale (Reich, 1991). At this level, as capital mobility expands and trade agreements proliferate (NAFTA, CATT, the single European market), national governments find it increasingly difficult to regulate markets. This globalization of markets, we suggest, is the dominant force driving change (whether toward convergence or diversity) in the contemporary period. Our observations are especially applicable to the advanced industrial countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the primary focus of this paper, although the trends identified here probably also hold to some extent for newly industrialized countries and less developed societies as well.


A man of impressive mental powers, of extraordinary intellectual range, and-last but not least-of exceptional integrity, George Frost Kennan (1904-2005) was an adviser to presidents and secretaries of state, with a decisive role in the history of this country (and of the entire world) for a few crucial years in the 1940s, after which he was made to retire; but then he became a scholar who wrote seventeen books, scores of essays and articles, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir. He also wrote remarkable public lectures and many thousands of incisive letters, laying down his pen only in the hundredth year of his life. Having risen within the American Foreign Service and been posted to various European capitals, and twice to Moscow, Kennan was called back to Washington in 1946, where he helped to inspire the Truman Doctrine and draft the Marshall Plan. Among other things, he wrote the "X" or "Containment" article for which he became, and still is, world famous (an article which he regarded as not very important and liable to misreading). John Lukacs describes the development and the essence of Kennan's thinking; the-perhaps unavoidable-misinterpretations of his advocacies; his self-imposed task as a leading realist critic during the Cold War; and the importance of his work as a historian during the second half of his long life.


In an intertemporal equilibrium asset pricing model featuring disappointment aversion and changing macroeconomic uncertainty, we show that besides the market return and market volatility, three disappointment-related factors are also priced: a downstate factor, a market downside factor, and a volatility downside factor. We find that expected returns on various asset classes reflect premiums for bearing undesirable exposures to these factors. The signs of estimated risk premiums are consistent with the theoretical predictions. Our most general, five-factor model is very successful in jointly pricing stock, option, and currency portfolios, and provides considerable improvement over nested specifications previously discussed in the literature.


This study investigates whether the use of controlled language (CL) improves the readability and comprehension of technical support documentation produced by a statistical machine translation system. Readability is operationalised here as the extent to which a text can be easily read in terms of formal linguistic elements; while comprehensibility is defined as how easily a text's content can be understood by the reader.
A biphasic mixed-methods triangulation approach is taken, in which a number of quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods are combined. These include: eye tracking, automatic evaluation metrics (AEMs), retrospective interviews, human evaluations, memory recall testing, and readability indices. A further aim of the research is to investigate what, if any, correlations exist between the various metrics used, and to explore the cognitive framework of the evaluation process.
The research finds that the use of CL input results in significantly higher scores for items recalled by participants, and for several of the eye tracking metrics: fixation count, fixation length, and regressions. However, the findings show slight insignificant increases for readability indices and human evaluations, and slight insignificant decreases for AEMs. Several significant correlations between the above metrics are identified as well as predictors of readability and comprehensibility.


The computational Grid has become an important infrastructure as an execution environment for scientific applications that require large amount of computing resources. Applications which would otherwise be unmanageable or take a prohibitively longer execution time under previous computing paradigms can now be executed efficiently on the Grid within a reasonable time.Multi-agent based simulation (MABS) is a methodology used to study and understand the dynamics of real world phenomena in domains involving interaction and/or cooperative problem solving where the participants are characterized by entities having autonomous and social behaviour. For certain domains the size of the simulation is extremely large, intractable without employing adequate computing resources such as the Grid. Although the Grid has come with immense opportunities to resource demanding applications such as MABS, it has also brought with it a number of challenges related to performance. Performance problems may have their origins either on the side of the computing infrastructure or the application itself, or both. This thesis aims at improving the performance of MABS applications by overcoming problems inherent to the behaviour of MABS applications. It also studies the extent to which the MABS technologies have been exploited in the field of simulation and find ways to adapt existing technologies for the Grid. It investigates performance monitoring and prediction systems in the Grid environment and their implementation for MABS application with the purpose of identifying application related performance problems and their solutions.Our research shows that large-scale MABS applications have not been implemented despite the fact that many problem domains that cannot be studied properly with only partial simulation. We assume that this is due to the lack of appropriate tools such as MABS platforms for the Grid. Another important finding of this work is the improvement of application performance through the use of MABS specific middleware.


BACKGROUND
In order to improve access to critical patient data in case of emergency, many countries have begun or intend to implement emergency datasets. In Germany, the German Medical Association developed a medical emergency dataset (MED), which provides the possibility to store information on prior diagnoses, medications, allergies and other emergency-relevant information on the German Electronic Health Card.

OBJECTIVES
The aim of the study is to evaluate how the MED can be used internationally.

METHODS
A total of 64 paper-based emergency data sets were completed by primary care physicians in Germany, and were then evaluated by German clinicians, emergency physicians, and paramedics on the basis of fictitious emergency scenarios. Thirty randomly selected MEDs were then translated into English and will be evaluated by international emergency physicians and paramedics.

RESULTS
In Germany, clinicians, emergency physicians and paramedics rated the emergency data set as very useful or useful in more than 70% of the reviewed cases. The international evaluation will start in September 2016, so these results are pending at this time.

CONCLUSION
The first study results from Germany indicate high potential benefits of the emergency data set in real patient care situations. The subsequent tests will show whether the MED is also suitable for international use.


Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine siblings' long-term psychological health in relation to their perception of communication with their family, friends, and healthcare professionals during a brother or sister's last month of life. Method: A nationwide questionnaire study was conducted during 2009 in Sweden of individuals who had lost a brother or sister to cancer within the previous two to nine years. Of the 240 siblings contacted, 174 (73%), participated. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was employed to assess psychological health (anxiety). The data are presented as proportions (%) and relative risks (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI 95%). Results: Siblings who were not satisfied with the amount they talked about their feelings with others during their brother or sister's last month of life were more likely to report anxiety (15/58, 26%) than those who were satisfied (13/115, 11%; RR = 2.3(1.2–4.5)). The same was true for those who had been unable to talk to their family after bereavement (RR = 2.5(1.3–4.8)). Avoiding healthcare professionals for fear of being in their way increased siblings' risk of reporting anxiety at follow-up (RR = 2.2(1.1–4.6)), especially avoidance in the hospital setting (RR = 6.7(2.5–18.2)). No such differences were seen when the ill brother or sister was cared for at home. Significance of results: Long-term anxiety in bereaved siblings might be due to insufficient communication. Avoiding healthcare professionals, especially when the brother or sister is cared for at the hospital, may also increase the risk of anxiety.


This chapter discusses three semantic approaches to event nominalizations: The Davidsonian, the Kimian, and the truthmaker-based approach. It argues that a combination of the three approaches is required for the semantics of the full range of event and state nominalizations as well as the related phenomenon of adverbial modification. The chapter also presents data regarding a distinction between two sorts of nominalizations of psychological and illocutionary verbs that challenge the received view of the identity of the events described by verbs and by (non-gerundive) deverbal nominalizations. These data bear on a distinction between 'actions' and 'products' introduced by the Polish philosopher Twardowski.


Integration of the Russian Federation in the international community, to find the most effective ways to implement the military and land reforms require a comprehensive study. The paper identifies the main problems that hinder the effective implementation of the reform of the conversion, the ways of their solutions, including use of the experience of the advanced countries of the European Union. Identified military objects to be conversion, shown combining them into groups according to various criteria. Proposed a typology of ex-military territories. Notes the role of the organization of effective land use conversion in the areas of land use planning, identifies the main documents required for the implementation of planned activities. The problems of land use planning conversion ex-military territories.


The aim of this study was to incorporate different percentages (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 50%) of orange maize flour (OMF) into beef sausage, and to study the bioactive qualities of the OMF. Also, the physicochemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics of the OMF beef sausages were explored. Results from the bioactive analyses of the OMF indicated it had total carotenoid content of 14.31 µg/g, while the tannin content was 1.52 mg/g. The moisture content of the beef sausages decreased when OMF levels in the sausages were increased. The fat contents of the OMF beef sausages were significantly lower (p<0.05) than that of the control, while the emulsion stability of the 30% OMF beef sausage was not statistically different to that of the control sausages. The iodine values of the OMF beef sausages tended to increase with an increased content of OMF. Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus were not detected in the sausages. Escherichia coli detected were within the range of 1.0 to 2.0 CFU/g. A consumer preference study showed the most acceptable sausage among the OMF beef sausages contained 20% OMF. This study showed that OMF has the potential to be used as a fat replacer, can maintain the sensory properties of beef sausages and prevent or limit microbial growth on beef sausages formulated with added OMF.


A study of signals excited by FM pulses in an infinite inhomogeneous cold isotropic plasma is presented. The medium is assumed to vary arbitrarily with position, though sufficiently slowly with respect to all wavelengths contained in the source spectrum. For simplicity only one spatial dimension is considered, but the development may be extended to include more space variables. After deducing integral representations that are evaluated asymptotically, the theory is applied to a particular plasma inhomogeneity characterized by an exponential variation of plasma frequency. Space-time rays associated with an impulsive source are shown to justify the use of time-inversion in establishing the required phase of an FM pulse capable of producing an optimally compressed signal at a particular space-time point. Since ordinary asymptotic methods fail in the neighborhood of such a focal point, a theory that in a prior study described signals in the focal region of a homogeneous plasma is applied to signals in a plasma with exponentially varying plasma frequency. Computed results based on this theory display the character of optimally compressed signals in focal regions.


The Spanish nobility continues to be influential in the early 21st century in politics, academia, and the economy. The polarized socio-cultural environment in Spain in the early decades of the millennium is paralleled by an increasingly divisive political discourse and deadlock in terms of governance. Understanding the subcultures of the most influential socio-political groups is important to be able to interpret the political developments. A vast array of studies have been conducted about the rise of the extreme left but there is a dearth of studies dealing with the impact of the traditional nobility in contemporary Spain. The present study presents an emic model of elite culture through the application of a grounded theory approach to texts released by five of the main noble associations in Spain during the last ten years. An inductive approach focuses on the identification of important themes and concepts as expressed and understood by the participants. Traditional noble associations are the focus of the study, in particular, the associations under Royal patronage. The resulting emic model aims to map the mores, norms, and values of a highly visible social group about which there are very few sociological and anthropological studies.


ABSTRACT Particle emissions from multiple fused deposition modeling consumer 3D printers were systematically quantified utilizing an established emission testing protocol (Blue Angel) to allow quantitative exposure assessments for printers operating in different environments. The data are consistent with particle generation from volatilization of the polymer filament as it is heated by the extruder. Typically, as printing begins, a burst of new particle formation leads to the smallest sizes and maximum number concentrations produced throughout the print job. For acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filaments, instantaneous concentrations were up to 106 #/cm3 with mean particle sizes of 20 to 40 nm when measured in a well mixed 1 m3 chamber with 1 air change per hour. Particles are continuously formed during printing and the size distribution evolves consistent with vapor condensation and particle coagulation. Particles emitted per mass of filament consumed (particle yield) varied widely due to factors including printer brand, and type and brand of filament. Higher extruder temperatures result in larger emissions. For filament materials tested, average particle number yields ranged from 7.3 × 108 to 5.2 × 1010 g−1 (approximately 0.65 to 24 ppm), with trace additives apparently driving the large variations. Nanoparticles (diameters less than 100 nm) dominate number distributions, whereas diameters in the range of 200 to 500 nm contribute most to estimated mass. Because 3D printers are often used in public spaces and personal residences, the general public and particularly susceptible populations, such as children, can be exposed to high concentrations of non-engineered nanoparticles of potential toxicity. Copyright © 2017 American Association for Aerosol Research Video abstract Read the transcript Watch the video on Vimeo


The most negative carbon isotope excursion in Earth history is found in carbonate rocks of the Ediacaran Period (635-541 Ma). Known colloquially as the "Shuram" excursion, workers have long noted its broad concordance with the rise of abundant macro-scale fossils in the rock record, collectively known as the "Ediacaran Biota." Thus, the Shuram excursion has been interpreted by many in the context of a dramatically changing redox state of the Ediacaran oceans—for example, a result of methane cycling in a low O2 atmosphere, the final destruction of a large pool of recalcitrant dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and the step-wise oxidation of the Ediacaran oceans. More recently, diagenetic interpretations of the Shuram excursion have challenged the various redox models, with the very negative δ13C values of Ediacaran carbonates explained via sedimentary in-growth of very δ13C depleted authigenic carbonates, meteoric alteration or late-stage burial diagenesis. A stratigraphic and sedimentological context is required to discriminate between these explanatory models, and to determine whether the Shuram excursion can be used to evaluate oxygenation in terminal Neoproterozoic oceans. Here we present chemo-stratigraphic data (δ13C, δ18O, and trace element abundances) from 15 measured sections of the Ediacaran-aged Wonoka Formation (Fm.) of South Australia. In some locations, the Wonoka Fm. is ∼700 meters (m) of mixed shelf limestones and siliciclastics that record a 17 permil δ13C excursion (−12 to +5‰). Further north in the basin, the Wonoka Fm. is host to deep (∼1 km) paleocanyons, which are partly filled by tabular-clast carbonate breccias. Canyon-filling ceased during ongoing sedimentation on the shelf interior (the "canyon-shoulder"), as evidenced by upper canyon-shoulder units that overlie and cap certain canyon-fill sequences. The unprecedented size of the chemostratigraphic dataset presented here (2671 δ13C-δ18O measurements from the canyon-shoulder, 1393 δ13C-δ18O measurements from canyon clasts, and 11 different trace elements measured on 247 Wonoka Fm. carbonate samples), when coupled with the unique canyon-shoulder to canyon-fill depositional system of the Wonoka Fm., allows for new insights into Ediacaran carbon isotope systematics. The excursion is preserved in a remarkably consistent fashion across 12,000 km2 of basin area; fabric-altering diagenesis, where present, occurs at the sub-meter vertical scale, results in < 1 permil offsets in δ13C and cannot be used to explain the full δ13C excursion. Multi-variate analysis of the dataset allows for rigorous assessment of different potential carbonate sources for the Wonoka canyon-fill breccias. Eroded and transported canyon-shoulder carbonates are the most likely source, thus requiring a syn-depositional age for the extraordinary range of δ13C values (−12 to +5‰) observed in both the Wonoka Fm. canyon-shoulder and canyon-fill breccias. Geological observations (for example, excellent preservation of sedimentary structures in Wonoka carbonates, absence of top-down alteration profiles associated with exposure surfaces) do not provide first-order evidence for the meteoric or authigenic carbonate models. Thus, the balance of evidence supports either a primary origin or syn-depositional, fabric-retentive diagenesis for the deep negative δ13C excursion hosted in the Wonoka Formation of South Australia.


The use of human body material including tissue and organs has been controversial for many centuries. Concerns arose in the eighteenth century about practices used to obtain corpses for dissection. Scientific studies in biotechnology have placed increased value on the body as a source of research material. At the same time there is now a greater emphasis on individual autonomy. Disputes reflect the striking differences between scientific or utilitarian perspectives and the body's social meaning. This paper considers issues that have arisen in several countries relating to the use of body parts and considers whether the law in New Zealand is sufficient to prevent such problems from arising in New Zealand. The conclusion is that present legal structures are insufficient to keep pace with technological advances. If biotechnology is to advance, it is essential to address the issues of consent while respecting cultural and religious views of the need for respect for the human body.


This paper reports on three studies into social presence cues which were carried out in the context of the NECA (Net-environment for Embodied Emotional Conversational Agents) project and the EPOCH network. The first study concerns the generation of referring expressions. We adopted an existing algorithm for generating referring expressions such that it could run according to an egocentric and a neutral strategy. In an evaluation study, we found that the two strategies were correlated with the perceived friendliness of the speaker. In the second and the third study, we evaluated the gestures that were generated by the NECA system. In this paper, we briefly summarize the most salient results of these two studies. They concern the effect of gestures on perceived quality of speech and information retention.


When dealing with the question of the relation between William James's pragmatism and his psychology, the usual answer consists in tracing back the pragmatist epistemology and theory of truth to his functionalist conception of mind. The aim of this paper is to outline another relation which often goes unnoticed. My contention is that we can find in James's work a pragmatist conception of psychology itself as a science, which can be expressed in his formula about psychology being a "practical science of mind". "Practical", here, must be understood in two different but complementary meanings. On the one hand, psychology has to become a scientific practice, aiming at the discovery of causal laws and free from all metaphysical speculations (experimentalism). On the other hand, the constitution of psychology as a natural science is the necessary condition for it to have some practical applications, notably to education and medicine. The paper outlines the benefits that could be gained in the overall interpretation of James' work by understanding such relationship between pragmatism and psychology.


The goal of this study was to systematically compare signal characteristics and performance of three stimulation patterns that have been used to elicit steady-state somatosensory evoked potentials (SSSEPs): no pulses, random pulses, and rhythmic pulses with a consistent pattern. These three different vibrotactile stimulation patterns were provided to the fingertips of five healthy subjects by a small solenoid-type vibrating tactor. The five subjects, who were blindfolded, were asked to selectively focus their attention to either left or right fingertip flutter sensations, according to the audible cue given. Results of this study showed that small solenoid-type haptic tactors can elicit SSSEPs near the contra lateral central brain areas. There were significant differences in the resulting signals between the three paradigms, with the rhythmic pattern showing the highest classification accuracy. Moreover, the accuracy of the rhythmic pulse pattern was significantly higher than with or without random pulse patterns for the majority of subjects. The results of this study should provide insights to future research of SSSEP based BCIs and hybrid BCIs that use SSSEPS as one type of brain signal for users who are unable to use visual BCIs.


Application of rapid and time-efficient health diagnostic and identification technology in the seed industry chain could accelerate required analysis, characteristic description and also ultimately availability of new desired varieties. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of multispectral imaging and single kernel near-infrared spectroscopy (SKNIR) for determination of seed health and variety separation of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and winter triticale (Triticosecale Wittm. & Camus). The analysis, carried out in autumn 2013 at AU-Flakkebjerg, Denmark, included nine winter triticale varieties and 27 wheat varieties provided by the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences Maribor, Slovenia. Fusarium sp. and black point disease-infected parts of the seed surface could successfully be distinguished from uninfected parts with use of a multispectral imaging device (405–970 nm wavelengths). SKNIR was applied in this research to differentiate all 36 involved varieties based on spectral differences due to variation in the chemical composition. The study produced an interesting result of successful distinguishing between the infected and uninfected parts of the seed surface. Furthermore, the study was able to distinguish between varieties. Together these components could be used in further studies for the development of a sorting model by combining data from multispectral imaging and SKNIR for identifying disease(s) and varieties.


This paper analyses the role of agriculture in the political economy of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It outlines agriculture's relative contribution to development and employment, shows linkages with food security policies, and discusses possible future scenarios. Agriculture's role in the economies of MENA is limited nowadays, but its contribution to employment is still substantial. In many countries it is at the heart of the region's water crisis as it withdraws about 80 per cent of water resources. Agricultural constituencies have played an important role in sociopolitical transformations of the region. Populist regimes tried to win them over—as support base—with land reforms enacted in the 1950s and 1960s. Since the 1980s these earlier reforms have been pushed back and the sector has been liberalised under bureaucratic-authoritarian reform coalitions. In other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, extensive production subsidies have been maintained. The MENA region is the largest cereal importer in the world and its governments regard this dependency as a strategic liability. However, the quest for self-sufficiency has proven to be elusive in the light of natural constraints and population growth. The major challenge in MENA is not macro food security or lack of calories, but deficiencies of micronutrients such as vitamins and iron and a lack of accessible food for the poor. Hence, inclusive growth, rural livelihood strategies, and political participation will be crucial for food security in MENA.


Pharmacological agents can be used to treat disorders of pathological fear without reactivating the original memory trace. Extinction of conditioned fear forms a new memory in the infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex that is critical for subsequent retrieval of the extinction memory. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie this extinction-related plasticity could help in the treatment of anxiety disorders. By infusing BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) into the infralimbic cortex, Peters et al. caused the extinction of conditioned fear, even without an extinction trial. In fact, BDNF infusion seemed to act as if an extinction training session had been given. Thus, the hippocampus is a likely source of the BDNF input to the infralimbic cortex, and individual differences in extinction memory may reflect variations in hippocampal BDNF content. J. Peters, L. M. Dieppa-Perea, L. M. Melendez, G. J. Quirk, Induction of fear extinction with hippocampal-infralimbic BDNF. Science 328, 1288–1290 (2010). [Abstract] [Full Text]


We consider the problem of finding the smallest adjustment to a given symmetric $n \times n$ matrix, as measured by the Euclidean or Frobenius norm, so that it satisfies some given linear equalities and inequalities, and in addition is positive semidefinite. This least-squares covariance adjustment problem is a convex optimization problem, and can be efficiently solved using standard methods when the number of variables (i.e., entries in the matrix) is modest, say, under $1000$. Since the number of variables is $n(n+1)/2$, this corresponds to a limit around $n=45$. Malick [{\it SIAM J. Matrix Anal.\ Appl.,} 26 (2005), pp. 272--284] studies a closely related problem and calls it the semidefinite least-squares problem. In this paper we formulate a dual problem that has no matrix inequality or matrix variables, and a number of (scalar) variables equal to the number of equality and inequality constraints in the original least-squares covariance adjustment problem. This dual problem allows us to solve far larger least-squares covariance adjustment problems than would be possible using standard methods. Assuming a modest number of constraints, problems with $n=1000$ are readily solved by the dual method. The dual method coincides with the dual method proposed by Malick when there are no inequality constraints and can be obtained as an extension of his dual method when there are inequality constraints. Using the dual problem, we show that in many cases the optimal solution is a low rank update of the original matrix. When the original matrix has structure, such as sparsity, this observation allows us to solve very large least-squares covariance adjustment problems.


Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) show great promise for productivity improvement and energy conservation in conventional bioprocesses for wastewater reclamation. In order to attain high productivity in a bioprocess, it is crucial to retain the microorganisms in the bioreactors by
preventing wash out. This enables recycling of the microorganisms, and is consequently saving energy. The main feature of MBRs is their permeable membranes, acting as a limitative interface between the medium and the microorganisms. Permeation of nutrients and metabolites through the membranes is thus dependent on the membrane characteristics, i.e. porosity, hydrophilicity,and polarity. The present thesis introduces membranes for MBRs to be used in a continuous feeding process, designed in the form of robust, durable, and semi-hydrophilic films that constitute an effective barrier for the microorganisms, while permitting passage of nutrients and metabolites. Polyamide 46 (polytetramethylene adipamide), a robust synthetic polymer, holds the desired capabilities, with the exception of porosity and hydrophilicity. In order to achieve
adequate porosity and hydrophilicity, bulk functionalization of polyamide 46 with different reagents was performed. These procedures changed the configuration from dense planar to
spherical, resulting in increased porosity. Hydroxyethylation of the changed membranes increased
the surface tension from 11.2 to 44.6 mJ/m2. The enhanced hydrophilicity of PA 46 resulted in high productivity of biogas formation in a compact MBR, due to diminished biofouling. Copolymerization of hydrophilized polyamide 46 with hydroxymethyl 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene revealed electroconductivity and hydrophilic properties, adequate for use in MBRs. To find either the maximal pH stability or the surface charge of the membranes having undergone carboxymethylation, polarity and the isoelectric point (pI) of the treated membranes were studied by means of a Zeta analyzer. The hydroxylated PA 46 was finally employed in a
multilayer membrane bioreactor and compared with hydrophobic polyamide and PVDF membranes. The resulting biogas production showed that the hydroxylated PA 46 membrane was,
after 18 days without regeneration, fully comparable with PVDF membranes.


This Article attempts to reframe a burgeoning scholarly debate about the appropriateness of neighborhood self-governance as both a means to local crime control and a normatively worthy end in itself. On one side of the existing debate stands an emerging and influential group of "new discretion" scholars, who defend the delegation of discretion to police officers attempting to enforce social norms that are often ambiguous. These scholars argue that the support and involvement of so-called "communities" in such law enforcement efforts can be an adequate substitute for traditional judicial scrutiny of police discretion, particularly the prohibition against vague criminal laws. On the other side of the debate are traditional civil libertarians who view norm-based policing and the theories of self-governance underlying it as thinly disguised forms of majoritarianism. This Article has two primary goals. One goal is to use the author's experience as a community-based prosecutor to critique the new discretion scholars' reliance upon malleable notions of community to determine the legality of police programs. The second goal is to develop a more meaningful distinction among new policing efforts. Specifically, this Article advocates a distinction between civil and criminal initiatives. This approach would retain the existing prohibition against vague criminal laws. However, it would permit cities to implement strategies requiring police discretion, as long as those strategies avoid traditional criminal investigation, prosecution, and punishment. Such an approach would force cities either to adopt nontraditional responses to public safety problems or to be scrutinized under the traditional rules governing criminal law and procedure.


Proper motion studies of stars in the centre of the Milky Way have typically been limited to the Arches and Quintuplet clusters, and to the central parsec. Here we present the first results of a large-scale proper motion study of stars within several tens of parsecs of Sagittarius A* based on our 0.2″ angular resolution GALACTICNUCLEUS survey (epoch 2015) combined with NICMOS/HST data from the Paschen-α survey (epoch 2008). This comprises the first extensive proper motion study of the central ∼36′×16′ of the Galaxy, which is not covered adequately by any of the existing astronomical surveys, such as Gaia, because of the extreme interstellar extinction (AV ≳ 30 mag). Proper motions can help us to disentangle the different stellar populations along the line-of-sight and interpret their properties in combination with multi-wavelength photometry from GALACTICNUCLEUS and other sources. It also allows us to infer the dynamics and interrelationships between different stellar components (Galactic bulge, nuclear stellar disk, nuclear stellar cluster) of the Galactic centre (GC). In particular, we use proper motions to detect co-moving groups of stars which are able to trace low-mass or partially-dissolved young clusters in the GC that can hardly be discovered by any other means. Our pilot study for this work is based on a field in the nuclear bulge associated with HII regions that show the presence of young stars. We have detected the first group of co-moving stars coincident with an H II region. Using colour–magnitude diagrams, we have inferred that the co-moving stars are consistent with the post-main sequence stars with ages of few Myr. Simulations show that this group of stars is a real group that can indicate the existence of a dissolving or low-to-intermediate-mass young cluster. A census of these undiscovered clusters will ultimately help us to constrain star formation at the GC in the past few ten Myr.


This paper launches on the proposal by Eric D, Schneider and James J. Kay that life is a response to the thermodynamic imperative of dissipating gradients. Adding a twist to the claim of Jeffrey Wicken that "entropic dissipation propels evolutionary structuring," Schneider and Kay contend that "evolving life represents order emerging from disorder in the service of causing even more disorder." Drawing on Gregory Bateson's definition of information, a self-organizing system can dissipate a gradient, a "difference that can make a difference," more efficiently than helter-skelter falling apart. Examples range from transient physical systems (Benard Cells, hurricanes, tornadoes) and chemical systems (BZ color flipping clocks) to evolving biological (bacteria, trees, ant colonies, coral reefs, brains), and, it is proposed, human/biotechnological systems (automobiles, coal fired power plants, smartphones, apps) passing the baton of Erwin Schrodinger's "order from order" means for sustainably remembering and capitalizing on what works. The second law of thermodynamics driven trend of disorder to order to even more disorder continues ever more effectively as state of the art in disorder production in the Anthropocene as autocatalytic, "Matthew Effect," gradient degrading, human impacts on the biosphere, aided and abetted by advancing technology. Human/biotechnological driven gradient dissolution manifests itself not only in the usual tragedy of the commons victims of industrialized human activity−the sixth extinction of species, the toxic smog in Beijing and New Delhi, the vanishing glaciers, the draining of fresh water aquifers…−it manifests itself in and is linked to us. Robert Rosen observed that a "material system [can] change its own behavior in response to a force, and…that same system can generate forces that change the behavior of other systems." Under the impress of the escalating force of techno-dependency, our addictive drug, as a system, we, convenience driven, environmentally foggy, smartphone glued to hand, clueless without app, humans are changing our behavior in ways that change the behavior of other systems, biospheric systems not excluded, and, on balance, not for the better. A sustainable future for coupled human/biotechnological systems and the soaring gradient of advancing technology is an oxymoron. The accelerating technical order is producing a deepening skew, a crossing tipping point to out-of-control, global warming scale, disorder of orders. A case-in-point can be seen by extrapolating the fragility of excessive interconnectivity in climax ecosystems, as Robert Ulanowicz pointed out, to the rising order of local and global interconnectivity rendering us, individually and collectively, increasingly vulnerable to looming, potentially catastrophic, collapse. What sustainability needs is the going forward stability of an order of orders. Viewing sustainability in the framework of flows and counterflows, excesses and deficits, concentrations and dissipations, of order as potent, transformable organized energy (exergy), a.k.a, power, this paper offers a possible handle on robustly overcoming the formidable barriers to gaining and latching a sustainable future, ourselves (hopefully) included. Normal 0 false false false EN-US ZH-CN AR-SA


Oxford Nanopore Technologies' (ONT) MinION and PromethION long-read sequencing technologies are emerging as genuine alternatives to established Next-Generation Sequencing technologies. A combination of the highly redundant file format and a rapid increase in data generation have created a significant problem both for immediate data storage on MinION-capable laptops, and for long-term storage on lab data servers.  We developed Picopore, a software suite offering three methods of compression. Picopore's lossless and deep lossless methods provide a 25% and 44% average reduction in size, respectively, without removing any data from the files. Picopore's raw method provides an 88% average reduction in size, while retaining biologically relevant data for the end-user. All methods have the capacity to run in real-time in parallel to a sequencing run, reducing demand for both immediate and long-term storage space.


This paper summarises the findings from a ten-year follow-up study of nine unions that achieved 100
percent sanitation coverage during a 2003-2006 Bangladesh national sanitation campaign. The unions
all had been studied in 2009-2010, and four of them also in 2000 and 2001. Follow-up interviews with
union chairmen were done in 2015. Some of the places had experienced multiple waves of sanitation
promotion programming since the early 1990s. The authors recommend follow-up research (using RRA
methods) as a way to learn from experience and gain insight into the social and technical forces affecting
long-term sustainability of sanitation practices. In these cases technical quality of products was
important, as were several social factors, especially family division, seasonal migration, and
demographic changes, such as urbanisation and crowding. The nine unions are ranked in terms of their
levels of institutional and social support for sanitation improvement.


There is a good deal of consensus in the literature about the key role of leadership – especially that of the headteacher – in facilitating school improvement. Yet much of the research in this area has taken place in Western industrialised countries. This article explores the issue of headship in the context of schools in a specific developing country context, that of Pakistan. Drawing on 2 studies of the experience of headteachers in Karachi, the article identifies and explores the key variables that may contribute to a sense of personal efficacy for these heads, namely the expectations generated by the national or community culture, the powers and accountabilities generated by the school system in which they work, and their own individual personalities and histories.


Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in the construction industry represent a significant problem resulting in days away from work, and the effective solution to this problem requires the implementation of useful interventions. This article presents a systematic review and critical appraisal of construction intervention studies to provide a basis for future research and practice. A comprehensive search of seven electronic databases—Medline, PubMed, Ergonomics Abstracts, Health and Safety Science Abstracts, BIOSIS, Psychinfo, and NIOSHTIC 2—was performed to identify relevant articles. Further, the methodological quality of identified studies was assessed by the Epidemiological Appraisal Instrument (EAI). Eight intervention studies linking and introducing the following aspects of the construction industry were identified: an intervention with reduced MSD; decreasing work demands; or increasing human abilities, comfort, or ease of use among workers. The methodological quality of the studies ranged between marginal and average. There is an urgent need for more construction intervention studies to fill the gaps in this research area. Moreover, future research and practice should avoid the limitations of past studies in order to ultimately reach the goal of effective interventions in the construction industry. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Many feminists have questioned the extent to which the law can ever effectively deter violence against women given the ways in which the law and criminal justice systems often act to reinforce deeply sexist assumptions about women, their sexual and social identities and their relation to the social (male) world. While acknowledging that law is often ineffective in reordering social relations, a substantial number of scholars and policy makers still believe that it is an institution that can be used to make substantive gains for women. Recent innovations in the normative definitions of crime added to an-ever growing jurisprudence on sexual violence and gender based harms have given some buoyancy to optimistic views on international criminal law's capacity to challenge gendered assumptions, to address specific harms experienced by women and to circle such additionality back to domestic law thereby tackling socially entrenched violence against women. Based on a systematic review of subsequent legislation enacted by states following ratification of the International Criminal Court Statute, this paper considers the 'capture' capacity of international criminal, and the extent to which any optimism around domestic legal capacity is warranted, and what pitfalls may following from a reliance on international criminal law to spearhead normative developments on addressing gender violence. The analysis catalogues the full range of regulation in ratifying states, and addresses the complexities of increased criminalization of sex-based harms against women. Generally much of the international criminal law scholarship has ignored domestic responses to its expanding mandate and this paper seeks to redress that gap in respect of sex-based harms.


This paper uses qualitative and quantitative data to compare the outcomes of students at Chabot College who participated in an accelerated, one-semester developmental English course and their peers who participated in a two-semester sequence. The sample included first-time students who entered college between summer 1999 and fall 2010; students were tracked for up to five years. Propensity score matching and regression analyses show that participation in the accelerated course was positively associated with a range of positive short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes, including entry-level college English completion, credit accumulation, grade point average, transfer to a four-year institution, and certificate and degree attainment. To better understand the quantitative findings, the authors draw on data from interviews with faculty, administrators, and staff; student focus groups; and classroom observations. The authors posit that the benefits of an accelerated course structure are amplified at Chabot College by a developmental English curriculum that is well aligned with college-level English and that develops critical academic literacy skills.


This study is a cultural materialist analysis of the spectacular commodity economy of the
fin-de-siecle as mediated and represented in the iconography of the artist that Oscar Wilde
and Henry James employ. The figure of the artist within the dominant social organisation
of the fin-de-siecie is studied in relation to residual, dominant and emergent social
formations. Focussing on four distinct figures, I examine the ways in which the discursive
subject positions of the actress, the critic, the revolutionary and the child are oppositional
because they represent positions that frustrate and evade the forceful processes that seek
to incorporate individuals to the hegemony. This evasion is achieved because these
positions exploit ambiguities within the discursive formations. Each of these positions is
characterised by the same qualities of marginality, vulnerability and mutability, qualities
traditionally identified as weaknesses, which I identify here as paradoxical strengths.
The figure of the actress captures the force with which the processes of hegemony
reify women, but she also represents an alternative to those schemes of identity
formation. The vulnerability of the actress before the hegemonic discourses, a
vulnerability that the artist shares, is paradoxically the quality that offers the greatest
opportunity for constructing alternative positions. In a corruptly theatrical world the
actress's art allows her to confound the possessive male gaze, and to evade the roles
scripted for her by hegemony. The figure of the actress represents the first example of the
theatrically multiple subjectivity that James and Wilde identify and explore.
The critic is inextricably bound by systems of exchange and the logic of the
marketplace and this represents the vulnerability of the critic. This vulnerability though
depends upon the critic's intermediate position and this intermediate position is a site, I
argue, which James and Wilde exploit as they re-conceptualise the action of culture and
the work that art achieves. At the fin-de-siecle this work was recognised as necessary and
urgent by many intellectuals. The developing mass culture presented an emergent form
of social organisation, one that offered substantial opportunities for change. Cultural
critics sought to find ways to understand and influence these social forms. Both Henry
James and Oscar Wilde critique the dominant narratives of art and culture through their
readings and rewritings of Matthew Arnold's works. Their rewritings reveal the
..'f ......~_.: .
complicity of Arnold's formulationsf«¥:mhe hegemony at the same time as they identify
oppositional positions and strategies. These oppositional positions and strategies depend
upon redefining the existing relations of production and consumption that govern
aesthetic encounters. The work that art does becomes the transformation of the
individual's consciousness, a change from the fixed bourgeois self to a theatrically multiple subjectivity. The critic mimes this change in order to make the process available
to all.The revolutionary represents the vulnerability of the individual to political
discourses of reaction and revolution. This vulnerability is realised by James and Wilde
in their works through the figure of the scapegoat, an individual whose relation to the
group is explicitly dangerous and revelatory. I argue that James and Wilde both identify
a theatrically multiple subjectivity and I trace the genealogy of this subjectivity in
Hegelian thought. I illustrate how Henry James's investigation of city-spaces
demonstrates his understanding of the creation and regulation of subjects in modernity.
The figure of the child is a familiar role for the romantic artist but the romantic
child is also the latent being intently examined by late nineteenth century psychology,
ethnology, and physiology. I argue that the potential of the child, as its promise and its
threat, reveal the means through which subject positions are established, fixed and
regulated, and holds out the promise of evading those regulatory schemes. I read Oscar
Wilde's fairy-tales in the context of late nineteenth century folklore research, in particular
the writings of Andrew Lang, and I relate James's literary children in 'The Turn of the
Screw' and What Maisie Knew to his developing modernist literary form.
I conclude that a significant contribution of these writers to the establishment of a
distinctively Modernist literary practice was their detailed exploration and examination
of the relationship of the artist to the dominant and emergent social formations, and their
commitment to an active role for the artist in contesting the limits of modern subjectivity,
doing battle with the forces of capital.


The Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO) is a convectively coupled 30–70 day (intraseasonal) tropical atmospheric mode that drives variations in global weather but which is poorly simulated in most atmospheric general circulation models. Over the past two decades, field campaigns and modeling experiments have suggested that tropical atmosphere‐ocean interactions may sustain or amplify the pattern of enhanced and suppressed atmospheric convection that defines the MJO and encourage its eastward propagation through the Indian and Pacific Oceans. New observations collected during the past decade have advanced our understanding of the ocean response to atmospheric MJO forcing and the resulting intraseasonal sea surface temperature fluctuations. Numerous modeling studies have revealed a considerable impact of the mean state on MJO ocean‐atmosphere coupled processes, as well as the importance of resolving the diurnal cycle of atmosphere‐upper ocean interactions. New diagnostic methods provide insight to atmospheric variability and physical processes associated with the MJO but offer limited insight on the role of ocean feedbacks. Consequently, uncertainty remains concerning the role of the ocean in MJO theory. Our understanding of how atmosphere‐ocean coupled processes affect the MJO can be improved by collecting observations in poorly sampled regions of MJO activity, assessing oceanic and atmospheric drivers of surface fluxes, improving the representation of upper ocean mixing in coupled model simulations, designing model experiments that minimize mean state differences, and developing diagnostic tools to evaluate the nature and role of coupled ocean‐atmosphere processes over the MJO cycle.