Geologic processes at convergent plate margins control geochemical cycling, seismicity, and deep biosphere activity in subduction zones and suprasubduction zone lithosphere. International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 366 was designed to address the nature of these processes in the shallow to intermediate depth of the Mariana subduction channel. Although no technology is available to permit direct sampling of the subduction channel of an intraoceanic convergent margin at depths up to 18 km, the Mariana forearc region (between the trench and the active volcanic arc) provides a means to access this zone. Active conduits, resulting from fractures in the forearc, are prompted by alongand across-strike extension that allows slab-derived fluids and materials to ascend to the seafloor along associated faults, resulting in the formation of serpentinite mud volcanoes. Serpentinite mud volcanoes of the Mariana forearc are the largest mud volcanoes on Earth. Their positions adjacent to or atop fault scarps on the forearc are likely related to the regional extension and vertical tectonic deformation in the forearc. Serpentinite mudflows at these volcanoes include serpentinized forearc mantle clasts, crustal and subducted Pacific plate materials, a matrix of serpentinite muds, and deep-sourced formation fluid. Mud volcanism on the Mariana forearc occurs within 100 km of the trench, representing a range of depths and temperatures to the downgoing plate and the subduction channel. These processes have likely been active for tens of millions of years at this site and for billions of years on Earth. At least 10 active serpentinite mud volcanoes have been located in the Mariana forearc. Two of these mud volcanoes are Conical and South Chamorro Seamounts, which are the furthest from the Mariana Trench at 86 and 78 km, respectively. Both seamounts were cored during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Legs 125 and 195, respectively. Data from these two seamounts represent deeper, warmer examples of the continuum of slab-derived materials as the Pacific plate subducts, providing a snapshot of how slab subduction affects fluid release, the composition of ascending fluids, mantle hydration, and the metamorphic paragenesis of subducted oceanic lithosphere. Data from the study of these two mud volcanoes constrain the pressure, temperature, and composition of fluids and materials within the subduction channel at depths of about 18 to 19 km. Understanding such processes is necessary for elucidating factors that control seismicity in convergent margins, tectonic and magma genesis processes in the forearc and volcanic arc, fluid and material fluxes, and the nature and variability of environmental conditions that impact subseafloor microbial communities. Expedition 366 centered on data collection from cores recovered from three serpentinite mud volcanoes that define a continuum of subduction-channel processes defined by the two previously cored serpentinite mud volcanoes and the trench. Three serpentinite mud volcanoes (Yinazao, Fantangisña, and Asùt Tesoro) were chosen at distances 55 to 72 km from the Mariana Trench. Cores were recovered from active sites of eruption on their summit regions and on the flanks where ancient flows are overlain by more recent ones. Recovered materials show the effects of dynamic processes that are active at these sites, bringing a range of materials to the seafloor, including materials from the lithosphere of the Pacific plate and from subducted seamounts (including corals). Most of the recovered material consists of serpentinite mud containing lithic clasts, which are derived from the underlying forearc crust and mantle and the subducting Pacific plate. Cores from each of the three seamounts drilled during Expedition 366, as well as those from Legs 125 and 195, include material from the underlying Pacific plate. A thin cover of pelagic sediment was recovered at many Expedition 366 sites, and at Site U1498 we cored through serpentinite flows to the underlying pelagic sediment and volcanic ash deposits. Recovered serpentinites are largely uniform in major element composition, with serpentinized ultramafic rocks and serpentinite muds spanning a limited range in SiO2, MgO, and Fe2O3 compositions. However, variation in trace element composition reflects pore fluid composition, which differs as a function of the temperature and pressure of the underlying subduction channel. Dissolved gases H2, CH4, and C2H6 are highest at the site furthest from the trench, which also has the most active fluid discharge of the Expedition 366 serpentinite mud volcanoes. These dissolved gases and their active discharge from depth likely support active microbial communities, which were the focus of in-depth subsampling and preservation for shore-based analytical and culturing procedures. The effects of fluid discharge were also registered in the porosity and GRA density data indicated by higher than expected values at some of the summit sites. These higher values are consistent with overpressured fluids that minimize compaction of serpentinite mud deposits. In contrast, flank sites have significantly greater decreases in porosity with depth, suggesting that processes in addition to compaction are required to achieve the observed data. Thermal measurements reveal higher heat flow values on the flanks (~31 mW/m2) than on the summits (~17 mW/m2) of the seamounts. The new 2G Enterprises superconducting rock magnetometer (liquid helium free) revealed relatively high values of both magnetization and bulk magnetic susceptibility of discrete samples related to ultramafic rocks, particularly in dunite. Magnetite, a product of serpentinization, and authigenic carbonates were observed in the mudflow matrix materials. In addition to coring operations, Expedition 366 focused on the deployment and remediation of borehole casings for future observatories and set the framework for in situ experimentation. Borehole work commenced at South Chamorro Seamount, where the original-style CORK was partially removed. Work then continued at each of the three summit sites following coring operations. Cased boreholes with at least three joints of screened casing were deployed, and a plug of cement was placed at the bottom of each hole. Water samples were collected from two of the three boreholes, revealing significant inputs of formation fluids. This suggests that each of the boreholes tapped a hydrologic zone, making these boreholes suitable for experimentation with the future deployment of a CORK-lite. An active education and outreach program connected with many classrooms on shore and with the general public through social media.


A crucial issue modelling the relation between the electromyography (EMG) signals and the force produced by a muscle is the general nonlinearity of the plant where standard controller schemes are hardly applicable and the identification of model parameters is complex and tedious. This paper proposes a simple linear process model whose parameters are easy to identify for estimation and quantification of oscillating joint movements like tremor. The model considers the EMG signals of an antagonistic muscle pair acting on the oscillating limb as input and the limb angular acceleration as output. The activation dynamics are modelled through a critically damped 2nd order system, the oscillating movement is considered through a spring-damper system serial to the active part. The spring constant is chosen to be dependent of the limb oscillation frequency. Simulation results with EMG data from four healthy subjects performing tremor-like wrist oscillations are given and the performance of the proposed model structure is compared to a linear model not considering the specific movement and an underdamped model with fixed parameters.


In the context of integrated transportation and other urban engineering infrastructure systems, there are many examples of markets, where consumers exhibit price-taking behavior. While this behavior is ubiquitous, the underlying mechanism can be captured in a single framework. Here, we present a microsimulation framework of a price-taker market that recognizes this generality and develop efficient algorithms for the associated market-clearing problem. By abstracting the problem as a specific graph theoretic problem (i.e., maximum weighted bipartite graph), we are first able to exploit algorithms that are developed in graph theory. We then explore their appropriateness in terms of large-scale integrated urban microsimulations. Based on this, we further develop a generic and efficient clearing algorithm that takes advantage of the features specific to urban price-taker markets. This clearing solution is then used to operationalize two price-taker markets, from two different contexts, within a microsimulation of urban systems. The initial validation of results against the observed data generally shows a close match.


This article argues for passage of safe gun storage laws as a means of reducing adolescent suicides. Millions of loaded and unlocked firearms sit in homes throughout America, easily accessible to unauthorized, dangerous users. Public health research, including ten studies discussed in this Article, shows that astonishingly high percentages of gun owners negligently store the most dangerous consumer product legally obtainable. Unsecured guns invite firearms tragedies of all types. The author has previously argued for safe gun storage laws as a means for reducing both accidental and intentional third-party shootings. The current article asserts that legislatively mandated safe firearms storage would also help stem the tide of adolescent suicide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youths between the ages of fifteen and nineteen, and the third leading cause of death for youths aged fifteen to twenty-four. While the overall suicide rate in the United States has remained relatively stable since 1950, the rate of suicide for adolescents has more than tripled. Firearms account for 60 percent of all suicides in this country, including youth suicides, even though they are used in only a small percentage of suicide attempts.


Marrow-infiltrating lymphocytes (MILs) may be used as adoptive cell therapy for multiple myeloma. ACT against multiple myeloma Adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) has had some success in treating certain types of cancer; however, widespread use is limited in part by the lack of tumor-specific targets. Tumor-infiltrating T cells may overcome this limitation for solid tumors. Noonan et al. now show in a phase 1 clinical trial that bone marrow can be a source of ACT for hematologic malignancies such as multiple myeloma. Marrow-infiltrating lymphocytes (MILs) demonstrated myeloma-specific immunity in the bone marrow up to 1 year after ACT, and a significant increase was observed in progression-free survival. If these results can be replicated in larger studies, MILs may represent a source for ACT for hematologic malignancies and bone marrow–infiltrating solid tumors. Successful adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) requires the ability to activate tumor-specific T cells with the ability to traffic to the tumor site and effectively kill their target as well as persist over time. We hypothesized that ACT using marrow-infiltrating lymphocytes (MILs) in multiple myeloma (MM) could impart greater antitumor immunity in that they were obtained from the tumor microenvironment. We describe the results from the first clinical trial using MILs in MM. Twenty-five patients with either newly diagnosed or relapsed disease had their MILs harvested, activated and expanded, and subsequently infused on the third day after myeloablative therapy. Cells were obtained and adequately expanded in all patients with anti-CD3/CD28 beads plus interleukin-2, and a median of 9.5 × 108 MILs were infused. Factors indicative of response to MIL ACT included (i) the presence of measurable myeloma-specific activity of the ex vivo expanded product, (ii) low endogenous bone marrow T cell interferon-γ production at baseline, (iii) a CD8+ central memory phenotype at baseline, and (iv) the generation and persistence of myeloma-specific immunity in the bone marrow at 1 year after ACT. Achieving at least a 90% reduction in disease burden significantly increased the progression-free survival (25.1 months versus 11.8 months; P = 0.01). This study demonstrates the feasibility and efficacy of MILs as a form of ACT with applicability across many hematologic malignancies and possibly solid tumors infiltrating the bone marrow.


The main aim of the study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity and total polyphenol content in fifteen popular herbal products often used in treatment of various diseases. The studied material were, among others, chamomile flower head, oak bark, st. John's-wort herb, hawthorn flower, dog rose and elder fruits, lingonberry leaf. herbal extracts or infusions were prepared according to protocols provided by producer on the packaging. The highest antioxidant activity and polyphenols concentration were obtained for lingonberry leaves (725 mg Trolox/g d.w. and 109 mg catechin/g d.w., respectively). The oak bark, st. John's-wort herb, and lime flower were also a very rich source of antioxidant compounds, independent of their typical therapeutic action. several herbs, such as dog rose fruit, lose their antioxidant activity when prepared at home conditions.


In this thesis we build and test cosmological models within an alternative gravity theory. Triggered by a wealth of new observational data, there has been a great leap forward to what is nowadays summarized under the name cosmological standard model. Experiments of cosmological interest range from measurements of the cosmic microwave background (COBE, BOOMERANG, MAXIMA, WMAP), the observation of type Ia supernovae (SCP, HIGH-z Search Team), the determination of light element abundances, to surveys mapping the large-scale distribution of luminous matter in the universe (SDSS, 2dFGRS, XMM-LSS). These experiments allow us to test different cosmological models and to put constraints on the parameters within these models. From a theoretical point of view these measurements raise several interesting questions: What is the nature of the so-called dark energy? Is a high amount of dark energy compatible with the other cosmological tests? Are there cosmological models that do not require concepts like dark energy? This brings us to the aim of this work, i.e., to build and test alternative cosmological scenarios. In contrast to the cosmological standard model, which is based on General Relativity (GR), we try to construct viable models within the realm of the so-called metric-affine theory of gravity (MAG) that is no longer tied to a pseudo-Riemannian spacetime structure. Within this theory there are new geometrical quantities, namely torsion and nonmetricity that act as additional field strengths similarly to the curvature in the general relativistic case. From an observational point of view the status of MAG based cosmological models is rather vague. Hence one of the main aims of this work is to obtain quantitative estimates for the parameters in such models. We provide an overview of the standard model of cosmology and introduce all of the important cosmological parameters. Especially, we thoroughly discuss two different cosmological tests, the so-called magnitude-redshift relation and the primordial synthesis of helium. We put special emphasis on the discussion of the parameter dependency of these tests and sketch the current observational situation. Additionally, we provide an overview of the field equations of MAG and the geometric quantities therein, thereby we discuss two interesting special cases of MAG. The first one is the so-called triplet ansatz by which the theory becomes effectively equivalent to the Einstein-Proca theory. The second one is represented by the Weyl-Cartan spacetime for which the traceless part of the nonmetricity vanishes and the symmetric part of the curvature is reduced to its trace part. We report on currently available non-standard cosmological scenarios and present a new cosmological model in Weyl-Cartan spacetime. We derive the field equations of this model, search for exact solutions, and work out the magnitude-redshift relation. Subsequently, we perform a numerical analysis of the SN Ia data within the cosmological standard model and the alternative scenario. Thereby, we constrain the parameters within both models. In particular we obtain a numerical bound on the non-Riemannian contribution to the total density of the universe. The comparison of this result to the primordial helium abundance, which we infer from a semi-analytical nucleosynthesis calculation, enables us to put a very strong quantitative limit on the model parameters.


Pumps are installed in Water Distribution Networks (WDNs) to ensure adequate service levels in the case of poor water pressure (e.g. because of low elevation of reservoirs or high head losses within the WDN). In such cases optimal pump scheduling is often required for the opportunity of significant energy saving. Optimizing the pump operation also allows a reduction in damages and maintenance times. Among the approaches available in the literature to solve the problem, meta-heuristic algorithms ensure reduced computational times, although they are not able to guarantee the optimal solution can be found. In this paper, a modified Harmony Search Multi-Objective optimization algorithm is developed to solve the pump scheduling problem in WDNs. The hydraulic solver EPANET 2.0 is coupled with the algorithm to assess the feasibility of the achieved solutions. Hydraulic constraints are introduced and penalties are set in case of violation of the set constraints to reduce the space of feasible solutions. Results show the high performances of the proposed approach for pumping optimization, guaranteeing optimal (or near optimal) solutions with short computational times.


Separation of cellulose from agricultural straw is one of the key bottlenecks hindering the application of such kind of biomass resources. In this chapter, we provide three environmental-friendly ways for separation of cellulose from agricultural straw pretreated with steam explosion, which include delignification with recyclable water-polar aprotic organic solvent, selective bio-degradation of the lignin component, and extraction of cellulose with imidazolium-based ionic liquids from the steam-exploded rice straw. The isolated rice straw celluloses have been adopted as an enhancement for all-cellulose composites (ACCs) and cellulose/cement composites. Ultra-high tensile strength (650.2 MPa) can be achieved for the ACCs containing the activated straw cellulose fiber (A-SCF). The cellulose/cement composites show a significant promotion in the flexural strength and fracture toughness. The new nonderivative solvent for cellulose, tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAH) aqueous solution with urea as additives has been proved to be manipulable for dissolving cellulose.


Our work is to design an automatic and intelligent medicine box to help most people to take the medicine easily, especially for the arthritis, the elderly, the forgetful people and the kids. First, five different structures have been designed by CAD Inventor software. One of them, which can be carried out the most easily in reality, has been chosen to complete with a dynamic system. Considering the characteristic of medicine, there are two schemes in the structure designs are ideal. Several calculations have been done by ABAQUS software to help the further design. At last, according to the different ages, personalities of potential users, six schemes of appearances have been designed by PHOTOSHOP software. This work has been designed a complete automatic medicine box (not include the signal part) with several appearances, and got several useful data from calculation to help designing a more intelligent medicine box.


The rapid advance of super-resolution microscopy and its experimental applications has provided neuroscientists with a pass to the nanoscopic world of synaptic machinery. Here we will briefly overview and discuss current progress in our understanding of the three-dimensional synaptic architecture and molecular organisation as gleaned from the imaging methods that go beyond the diffraction limit of conventional light microscopy. We will argue that such methods are to take our knowledge of synapses to a qualitatively new level, providing the neuroscience research community with novel organising principles and concepts pertinent to the workings of the brain.


Objectives: To explore the key components representative of measures of psychosocial functioning with a focus on identifying the constituents of psychological distress in an Irish sample of community-dwelling older adults and to examine the relationship between these components and health outcomes such as frailty. Method: Cross-sectional observational study at the Technology Research for Independent Living (TRIL) Clinic, a comprehensive geriatric assessment facility in St. James's Hospital, Dublin. In this study, 579 participants were given eight primary assessments (Centre for Epidemiological Studies of Depression, Geriatric Adverse Life Events Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, De Jong-Gierveld Scale, Practitioner Assessment of Network Type, Eysenck Personality Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Lubben Social Network Scale) and a broad range of health and demographic secondary assessments. Principal factor analysis identified the core components relating to psychosocial functioning. Following this, the regression factors of these components were correlated with health outcomes. Results: The first of three components identified accounted for 9.08% of the variance and related to a core internal component of psychological distress. The two other components related to external and physiological functioning, specifically social support networks and sleep. Spearman's Rho correlations indicated significant associations of walking speed, age, Berg Balance Scale and living alone with all three components. Additionally, the core component of psychological distress significantly correlated with the Fried Frailty Index, illness co-morbidity, ADL, IADL and nutrition. Conclusion: These results characterise the variation in psychosocial functioning in older adults and identifies psychological distress as a core facet of psychosocial functioning which has associations with frailty.


In recent years, several different attempts have been made to extend the well-known technique of parallel coordinates using a three-dimensional display. This article presents an evaluation that investigates the performance of the three-dimensional parallel coordinates technique and compares it with standard, two-dimensional parallel coordinates for analysis of two-dimensional relationships. Three-dimensional parallel coordinates, based on parallel planes instead of parallel axes, have been used for many years within the information visualization community for a variety of applications. Despite its quite common use, no formal evaluation detailing its usefulness for different tasks has been conducted. The evaluation presented in this article is the first step towards determining the usefulness of this type of three-dimensional parallel coordinates. The study compared three-dimensional parallel coordinates, using two different axis configurations commonly seen in the literature, with standard two-dimensional parallel coordinates for identification of two-dimensional relationships between variables in multivariate data. This type of task and the relationships to be judged are known to be well supported by two-dimensional parallel coordinates and multi-relational three-dimensional parallel coordinates. The results show that for identification of two-dimensional relationships, two-dimensional parallel coordinates are superior to the three-dimensional extensions, in terms of both response time and accuracy. Subjective opinions were also in favour of two-dimensional parallel coordinates. This study adds to the much-needed body of work examining the usability of three-dimensional representations in information visualization and for what tasks and data a proposed method is or is not appropriate.


The very existence of urban formations on all inhabited continents and throughout the history of mankind since the 3rd millennium B.C. leads to suppose a tendency of some structured societies to maximize interaction by minimizing physical distance. Were this tendency unconstrained, it should eventually lead to the concentration of all of the society's population into one single point: a situation only partially realized by the distribution of urban populations at the global scale. Models of constraints preventing its realization have thus to be proposed. We have set up one such model, using agent based simulation of food production and accessibility, in order to account for the structural constraints particular to the physical space. The simulations have notably shown that, while necessarily emerging from a society investing agricultural surplus into the upholding of specialists, an upper limit to city-growth is imposed by the phenomena of spatial friction.


Most of the algorithms used for research in mesh simplification and discrete levels of detail (LOD) work well for simplifying single objects with a large number of polygons. For a city-sized collection of simple buildings, using these traditional algorithms could mean the disappearance of an entire residential area in which the buildings tend to be smaller than those in commercial regions. To solve this problem, we developed a mesh-simplification algorithm that incorporates concepts from architecture and city planning. Specifically, we rely on the concept of urban legibility, which segments a city into paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks. If we preserve these elements of legibility during the simplification process, we can maintain the city's image and create urban models that users can understand more effectively. To accomplish this goal, we divide our algorithm into five steps. During preprocessing, it performs hierarchical clustering, cluster merging, model simplification, and hierarchical texturing, at runtime, it employs LOD to select the appropriate models for rendering.


The transition to adulthood is marked by interrelated changes in the areas of education, employment and family formation. Using frameworks on gendered transitions to adulthood and links between assets and livelihoods, we analyse nationally representative, sex-disaggregated data from 42 countries to characterize rural youths' transition to adulthood by gender and according to a four-category typology of low and high levels of structural and rural transformation. Overall, we find that young women and men experience the transition to adulthood differently according to the structural and rural transformation classification of the countries where they live. Across all structural and rural transformation categories, young women are more likely to be married and living with their spouses or in-laws, less likely to be in school or employed, and less likely to own land solely. Gender gaps in secondary school education favour young women only in countries with higher levels of structural and rural transformation, and favour young men in the other three categories. Moreover, a larger proportion of young women than young men are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), but many NEET youth, especially young women, have transitioned into domestic and reproductive roles (i.e. are more likely to be married and/or have children.) Additionally, we review impact evaluations of interventions targeting youth. We find limited evidence on the gendered impacts of such programmes, and these programmes seldom consider how constraints differ for young men and young women. Addressing gaps in programmes and building an evidence base on the gendered impact of interventions can provide insights into how gender roles can simultaneously limit options and offer opportunities to young rural women and men in the context of structural and rural transformation.


OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors associated to systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) in Nobres -MT, Brazil. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Nobres-MT, from January to March, 2006; 1003 individuals aged more than 18 years, resident in the urban region were analyzed. Data was obtained through household questionnaires. Measurements of weight, height, waist circumference and blood pressures (BP) were taken. The second of three BP measurements was used in the analysis; SAH was defined as BP > 140/90 mmHg. The Poisson regression method was used for controlling confounding factors, with adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) estimates and their respective 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: 1003 individuals were evaluated (51.3% male). SAH prevalence was 30.1%, and it was higher among women than men (30.1% vs. 20.9%). Adjusted analysis confirmed independent association between SAH, aging and body mass index equal or over 25 Kg/m2. CONCLUSION: We reaffirm the need of actions both at population and individual levels targeting weight control, especially for people over 30 years of age, which could significantly reflect on SAH control.


. Serious game is now a multi-billion dollar industry and is still growing steadily in many sectors. As a major subset of serious games, de-signing and developing Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and serious games or adopting off-the-shelf games to support medical education, rehabilitation, or promote health has become a promising frontier in the healthcare sector since 2004, because games technology is inexpensive, widely available, fun and entertaining for people of all ages, with various health conditions and different sensory, motor, and cognitive capabilities. In this chapter, we provide the reader an overview of the book with a perspec-tive of future trends of VR, AR simulation and serious games for healthcare.


Limiting the consequences of the climate change means that global CO2 emissions are to be reduced very rapidly. Taking into account that the expected economic growth of developing countries will inevitably be accompanied by a further growth in emissions in these countries, there is a strong necessity that the energy systems in the industrialized world be transformed into emission‐free ones. This level of reduction requires, for example, that the European Union achieves a 'nearly zero‐carbon power supply', involving replacing of fossil fuels in most or all buildings and much of the transport sector by nearly zero‐carbon electricity. It is also clear that the current political framework is, especially in Europe, propitiating the large‐scale implementation of renewable energy sources. In order to make this large implementation economically feasible, it is essential that the potential of these sources is maximized, placing them at sites providing the highest possible output. These sites are often located far away from consumption centers, making compulsory the transmission of large amounts of energy from generation to demand. In the global scenario, the necessary capacity of the power infrastructure for doing such exceeds by far the existing infrastructure and therefore new transmission capacity is necessary. Taking into account that large amounts of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) are to be integrated in the current power system and that most of the generation will take place at remote locations requiring new transmission assets, this article answers the question of whether a supergrid is necessary to enable this transformation.


Over the past decade, Africa has experienced significant growth in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. This can be attributed to the willingness of African countries to realize the transformational potential of ICTs to boost their economies. Unfortunately, despite the important role of African women in the economy of their countries, millions of them have no access to ICTs and they cannot use the ICT facilities. The gender digital divide is so remarkable that institutions at different levels commit themselves to bridge the gap. This paper provides the success story of Judith Owigar who co-created AkiraChix, a space for women in technology to experiment, fail, and excel, with the vision to increase the ratio of women in technology. After five years of activities, AkiraChix has developed many programs intended for women at different ages and impacted hundreds of girls and women in Nairobi. Even if it is too early to assess the real impact of AkiraChix on the issue of the gender digital divide in Kenya, the initiative is to be recognized and encouraged as already done by many international organizations. On the specific issue of women's access to and use of ICTs, much has been achieved but much more remains to be done to ensure that women in urban and rural regions in all parts of Africa benefit from ICT opportunities. The paper calls for African states to close the gap in gender access to ICT in Africa by promoting and building capacity of women in ICT sector for inclusive achievement of economic development of these countries. Moreover, because of the lack of statistics, the gender digital divide could be underestimated in Africa – as such the paper calls for the regional institutions such as The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union (AU) to support capacities of African states in addressing this knowledge gap. A key lesson emerging from the study is that a small change in mindset can sometimes make a huge difference in women empowerment – therefore policies specially designed to promote early involvement of women in ICTs is important for improving women's access to and use of ICTs in Africa.


This thesis applies self-categorization theory (SCT) to the behavioural and experiential dimensions of spatiality and crowding. A literature review in Chapter 2 will highlight the study of 'personal space' as a dominant theoretical approach to understanding variable crowding experiences. Several problems with the conceptualisation of 'personal space' will be discussed and in Chapter 3, SCT will be introduced as a theoretical framework, which can explain spatiality and crowding in terms of identity and group-level processes. Chapter 4 investigates the impact of group relations on spatiality. In study 1, participants in minimal groups sought closer proximity to an in-group member than to an out-group member. Study 2 used national categories as the basis for identification. Although non-significant, the findings mirrored those of study 1. Additionally, the relationship between perceived difference and physical distance was moderated by the group context of the interaction. Chapter 5 investigates the impact of group context and interaction distance on participants' subjective experience. The hypothesised effect of these two independent variables on participants' experience was not supported. However, participants in studies 3 and 4 expressed a desire for closer proximity to in-group members than to out-group members. Chapter 6 investigates the effect of visualised crowding on subjective affect. In study 5, participants who visualised an in-group crowd reported higher positive affect and lower negative affect than those who visualised an out-group crowd. In study 6, the relationship between imagined 'crowding' and affect was mediated by social identification. The relationship between physicality, social identity and 'collective joy' was quantified in a field study (study 7), which also provided suggestive evidence of physical synchrony increasing social identification. A laboratory study (study 8) supported the suggestion that synchronised movement can increase social identification, thus leading to a more positive experience of close proximity. These finding are discussed in terms of a two-way embodiment model of social identity processes in crowds.


This chapter engages with both religion and paradox in leadership and organization research by focusing on three sources of paradoxical tensions and how they are shaped by religion: worldly limits, diverse interpretations, and emerging relationships. First, regarding worldly limits, religion is predicated on an additional "very macro" level of reality, transcendence. This belief offers a distinct way of engaging with paradoxes as it extends the worldly realm's boundaries. Second, contradictory interpretations of religions may rise, even among members of the same faith, leading to new cognitive paradoxes. Dynamizing boundaries between contradictory elements may allow organizations to maintain unity in a diversity of interpretations. Third, concerning emerging relationships, religions are global phenomena that are experienced side by side in multiple societal terrains. They cut across diverse social systems and give rise to novel relationships. This creates new tensions and paradoxical encounters, as religions traverse borders and boundaries and encounter existing social beliefs, structures, and practices. The expansion, dynamization, and shifting of boundaries then shapes persistent contradictions among interdependent elements. Our field should appreciate and embrace conflicting mysteries and paradoxes across boundaries. We may only need some faith.


This document provides a tutorial introduction to Java annotations called SelfTest. The SelfTest annotations allow one to annotate Java classes with test data, and the SelfTest annotation processor generates executable JUnit test classes from annotated Java classes by translating test cases to executable JUnit tests. The SelfTest annotations not only automate unit testing of Java classes significantly but also provides a step toward writing self-testing Java classes by embedding test data in source code for both compile and runtime processing.


Implicit invocation (II) and aspect-oriented (AO) languages provide software designers with related but distinct mechanisms and strategies for decomposing programs into modules and composing modules into systems. II languages have explicitly announced events that run registered observer methods. AO languages have implicitly announced events that run method-like but more powerful advice. A limitation of II languages is their inability to refer to a large set of events succinctly. They also lack the expressive power of AO advice. Limitations of AO languages include potentially fragile dependence on syntactic structure that may hurt maintainability, and limits on the available set of implicit events and the reflective contextual information available. Quantified, typed events, as implemented in our language Ptolemy, solve all these problems. This paper describes Ptolemy and explores its advantages relative to both II and AO languages.


Accounting profit always as an exhibited item in financial statements has been considered by investors whom are attended as the most significant users of financial statements, so profit is a basis for the most economical decisions. In the research, the effect of information asymmetry with price synchronism (a criterion to measure the proportional amount of corporate special information, which has been reflected in price) have been investigated in accepted corporations in Tehran stock exchange. In research information asymmetry is independent variable and price synchronicity is dependent variable. Price Synchronism is an amplitude which shows industry and market returns and stock return differs in corporation level. The research is an applied research based on its aim, is measuring and describing based on its performance and is one of the best. 127 corporations from 2010 to 2014 have been chosen by systematic deletion. To test research hypotheses Panel Data method and Fixed Effect method have been used. Research conclusions show that there is no relationship between information asymmetry with price synchronism.


Abstract Interaction between the Gulf Coast Olmecs and various regions of Early Formative Mesoamerica remains debated and poorly understood. In Oaxaca, models have been dominated by neoevolutionary epistemology; interaction between the Valley of Oaxaca and San Lorenzo has been characterized by emulation or peer polity models. Data from the Valley of Oaxaca, the Nochixtlán Valley, and the Gulf Coast demonstrate that San Lorenzo was at a different level of sociopolitical complexity than its contemporaries. Previous comparisons between Olmec-style pottery in the Gulf Coast and Valley of Oaxaca are found to be problematic, and have led to the impression that Oaxaca villagers produced more of this pottery than did the Olmecs. Neutron activation analysis demonstrates the Gulf Coast Olmecs exported ceramics to Mixtecs and Zapotecs in Oaxaca, while receiving few if any pots in return, suggesting that new models and theoretical perspectives must be applied to understanding the relationships between Oaxacan chiefdoms and the nascent Olmec state at San Lorenzo. An agency perspective explores what Mixtec, Zapotec, and Olmec groups may have taken from these interactions and relationships and acknowledges both local and Gulf Coast understandings of "Olmec." Such relationships may be characterized more by acquisition between regions, with San Lorenzo as a superordinate center.


Thin films of hydrogenated amorphous silicon have been prepared by chemical vapour deposition at atmospheric pressure from a mixture of silanes over a heated substrate. This approach provides an alternative method to glow discharge and it has several substantial advantages, including safety and lower costs. High deposition rates have been obtained by use of a silent electrical discharge in the gas stream prior to the deposition process.

Solar cells fabricated from these films show open circuit voltages of up to 400 mV but current densities are low. This is attributed to a low hydrogen content in the films. Physical and chemical characterization techniques have been used to identify the limiting factors in the performance of these devices. Further research is proposed to improve the efficiency of the photovoltaic devices.


Two rowers from Lancashire are aiming to race across the Atlantic in a rowing boat,
aided by sports scientists at the University of Central Lancashire.
Paul Nelson and Adam Murfitt will take to their specially designed craft, the "Spirit of
Lancashire" in October and expect to spend up to six weeks at sea, completing the
challenging race. Until then, they are working with a team of sports scientists at the
University, whose knowledge and expertise is helping them prepare both body and mind
for the ordeal.
Dr John Bradley, from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University, is coordinating
the programme of support for the rowers. He says: "We're offering a whole
range of support from the physiological and biomechanical to the actual psychology of
preparing for, and coping with, the race itself. We'll be working with Paul and Adam
over the coming months, running a comprehensive programme of tests to ensure that, by
October, they are physically and mentally ready."
Simulated rowing sessions will take place regularly at the University over the coming
year, with the first 24 hour simulated row beginning on Saturday 181
h January at
midday. Physiological assessment will monitor the rowers' fitness and help them
structure a training program to achieve optimum performance. Biomechanical
assessments will analyse their rowing technique so they achieve the most efficient
rowing action possible, especially important when rowing such vast distances.
A nutritional strategy is being planned which will determine what the rowers can eat
and when, based on their calorie expenditure and metabolisms. Even how much waste
their bodies produce will have to be taken into account. Sports psychologists will help
the rowers to prepare mentally for the ordeal of spending several weeks cooped up in a
very small space with no home comforts and very little sleep.
Paul Nelson says: "Adam and I are aiming to complete the race in about 40 days, which
would actually break the record, so we know we're asking a lot of ourselves, and we are
extremely grateful for the support we're getting from the University.
"As well as the physical challenge, there's the stress of living in an enclosed, arduous
environment for nearly two months, something neither of us has ever experienced
before."
-page 1 of 2-
-page 2 of 2-
The race begins at La Gomera in the Canary Islands and finishes in Barbados. Paul and
Adam will row approximately 2900 nautical miles in shifts of two hours. The average
time for the crossing is 55 days with the record, held by a New Zealand crew, being 41
days. Adam and Paul aren't sure how long they will take, but they say: "We are not
only training to compete, we are training to win!"
Paul and Adam are still looking for sponsors to help finance their transatlantic
challenge. For further details view the website at www.spiritofl ancashire.com or
contact Paul on 0780 832 9274 or Adam on 0795 759 2997.
Media invitation
In a special preview event, before the first 24 hour simulated row,
Adam Murfitt and Paul Nelson will be at the University of
Central Lancashire on Tuesday 14 January from 1.30pm. Their
boat, "The Spirit of Lancashire", will be available for viewing and
there will be opportunity to view the rowers undertaking various
assessments and physical tests in the Sports Science laboratory.
Further details from Kate Ford on 01772 894423, 07968 861580, or
Pamela Culley on 01772 894425.
13th January 2003
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The 2008-09 global financial crisis had a profound impact on the availability of bank credit for SMEs. Although a decline in the demand for bank credit played an important role, banks have also become more reluctant to lend, including as a consequence of new capital requirements. Moreover, a longstanding financing gap exists for SMEs with a high risk/return profile, such as start-ups, fast-growing and highly innovative SMEs. While bank financing will continue to be crucial for SMEs, broadening the financing options would enable SMEs to better seize growth opportunities and reduce their vulnerability to changes in credit market conditions and economic downturns. The present study analyses key impediments to SMEs' uptake of alternative financial instruments, both on the demand- and supply-side. The study discusses the role of policy in fostering SME finance markets and reviews recent trends in policy measures to support the development of alternative financial instruments for SMEs.


Planetary gears in heavy truck gearboxes are normally manufactured by forging a blank, turning, hobbing, shaving and heat-treatment followed by grinding. Due to the size of the gear the net shape capability of PM methods can be cost effective alternatively to conventional manufacturing. Warm compaction and surface densification are two PM methods to reach high density and thereby high strength and fatigue properties. Typical characteristics for PM gears manufactured by these methods are outlined.


All life stages of Rocky Mountain Tailed Frogs (Ascaphus montanus) occurred in a reach of Moore Creek. Montana, where water temperatures exceeded those previously reported for Ascaphus in the wild. However, relative density of Ascaphus in the wannest reach, immediately downstream of a lake outlet, was lower than in cooler reaches downstream. Although we observed larvae and frogs in water temperatures up to 21"C. cold groundwater seeps contributed to a spatially complex thermal structure in the warmest stream reach. Frogs congregating near a cold seep and nesting in a groundwater-influenced sile were likely using behavioral thermoregulalion. At a stream weir in the warmest reach, we captured 32 Tailed Frogs moving downstream and none upstream, in September and October 1997. Because no migration was evident at five other weirs where summer water temperatures remained below 16"C, we propose that the frogs moving through upper Moore Creek migrated seasonally lo avoid the high temperatures. The mature frogs may spend summers in the small, cold lake inlet streams, moving downstream in the fall lo overwinter. Behavioral studies would be necessary lo determine the extent to which individuals limit their overall thermal exposure in such spatially complex environments. Migration in response to local, seasonally changing habitat suitability could explain the diverse, and apparently contradictory, movement patterns (or lack thereot) among Ascaphus populations reported in the literature. Future studies of Ascaphus movements could benefit by accounting for seasonal changes in habitat suitability and by quantifying in-stream movements.


This report details how land cover and urbanization vary within the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming by community (incorporated and census designated places), county subdivision, and county. Specifically this report provides critical urban and community forestry information for each state including human population characteristics and trends, changes in urban and community lands, tree canopy and impervious surface cover characteristics, distribution of land-cover classes, a relative comparison of urban and community forests among local government types, determination of priority areas for tree planting, and a summary of urban tree benefits. Report information can improve the understanding, management, and planning of urban and community forests. This data is reported for each state on the CD provided in the back of this book and may be accessed by state at: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/data/urban.


BACKGROUND
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a common health problem throughout the world and a major cause of disability in the workplace.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence rate of MSDs, assessment of ergonomics working conditions and identification of major risk factors associated with MSDs symptoms among employees of Iranian petrochemical industries between October 2009 and December 2012.

METHODS
In this study, we studied 1184 randomly selected employees of 4 Iranian petrochemical companies with at least one year of work experience in office or operational units. For those with office jobs, data were collected using Nordic Musculoskeletal disorders Questionnaire (NMQ) and ergonomics checklist for the assessment of working conditions. For those with operational jobs, NMQ and Quick Exposure Check (QEC) method were used for data collection.

RESULTS
The most prevalent MSD symptoms were reported in lower back (41.5%) and neck (36.5%). The prevalence of MSDs in all body regions but elbows and thighs of the office staff was significantly higher than that of operational workers. Assessment of working conditions in office staff revealed that the lowest index was attributed to workstation. QEC technique among operational workers showed that in 73.8% of the workers studied, the level of exposure to musculoskeletal risks was "high" or "very high." MSDs were associated with type of job, age, body mass index, work experience, gender, marital status, educational level and type of employment.

CONCLUSION
The prevalence of MSDs in the office staff was higher than that of operational workers. Level of exposure to MSDs risk was high in operational workers. Corrective measures are thus necessary for improving working conditions for both office and operational units.


Since the professionalisation of the role of paramedic with the advent of Health Professions Council (HPC) registration the scope of paramedic practice has expanded and broadened. Following the issue of benchmark standards for paramedic science by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) [1] paramedic
education and training have changed beyond all recognition. Paramedic degree and diploma courses and specialist
courses such as Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Pre Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) and Medicine in Remote Areas (MIRA) etc. now see paramedics able to carry out a range of clinical interventions and procedures that would, in the past, have been unheard of. The knock-on effect has been the creation of a range of paramedics with extra training in a variety of specialist areas; for example, emergency care practitioners, remote area and forensic paramedics. This article aims to explore another specialisation: that of the technical rescue paramedic.


Humans exploit dynamics—gravity, inertia, joint coupling, elasticity, and so on—as a regular part of skillful, coordinated movements. Such movements comprise everyday activities, like reaching and walking, as well as highly practiced maneuvers as used in athletics and the performing arts. Robots, especially industrial manipulators, instead use control schemes that ordinarily cancel the complex, nonlinear dynamics that humans use to their advantage. Alternative schemes from the machine learning and intelligent control communities offer a number of potential benefits, such as improved efficiency, online skill acquisition, and tracking of nonstationary environments. However, the success of such methods depends a great deal on structure in the form of simplifying assumptions, prior knowledge, solution constraints and other heuristics that bias learning.
My premise for this research is that crude kinematic information can supply the initial knowledge needed for learning complex robot motor skills—especially skills that exploit dynamics as humans do. This information is readily available from various sources such as a coach or human instructor, from theoretical analysis of a robot mechanism, or from conventional techniques for manipulator control. In this dissertation I investigate how each type of kinematic information can facilitate the learning of efficient "dynamic" skills.
This research is multidisciplinary with contributions along several dimensions. With regard to biological motor control, I demonstrate that motor synergies, i.e. functional units that exploit dynamics, evolve when trial-and-error learning is applied to a particular model of motor skill acquisition. To analyze the effects of velocity on dynamic skills and motor learning, I derive an extension to the notion of dynamic manipulability that roboticists use to quantify a robot's capabilities before specification of a task. And along the machine learning dimension, I develop a supervised actor-critic architecture for learning a standard of correctness from a conventional controller while improving upon it through trial-and-error learning. Examples with both simulated and real manipulators demonstrate the benefits that this research holds for the development of skillful, coordinated robots.


The study focuses on verb-noun-connections of the type verb + subject (accusative) and verb + preposition + subject. They will be described systematically, among themselves and in relation to free word connections. The units to be examined will be taken from electronic corpora. They will be analysed with regard to their utilisation. The second part of the research project focuses on the elaboration of Finnish analogies to these units, asking, whether the results can be used for bilingual lexicography (German-Finnish).


The kinetics and mechanism of the nitrosation of cysteine by nitrous acid has been studied in acidic medium. The stoichiometry of the reaction is strictly 1:1, with the formation of one mole of S-nitrosocysteine (CySNO) fromone mole of nitrous acid. Only two nitrosating agents were detected: nitrous acid itself and protonated nitrous acid which is the hydrated form of the nitrosonium cation, NO + . Nitric oxide itself was not detected as a nitrosant. The bimolecular rate constant for the direct nitrosation of cysteine by nitrous acid was determined to be 6.4±1.1 L mol –1 s –1 , while nitrosation by the nitrosonium cation has a rate constant of 6.8× 103 L mol –1 s –1 . CySNO is short-lived, and decomposes completely to cystine and nitric oxide within 100 s in the presence of micromolar quantities of Cu(II) ions. Since the physiological environment contains many metal ions and metalloenzymes, it is unlikely that CySNO will be an effective carrier of NO. Keywords: Cysteine, Nitric Oxide, Nitrosothiol


This paper presents a selection of design temperatures for thermal loads in buried plastic piping. Gas companies often assume that the CFR requirement for design of mechanical couplings for an instantaneous change in temperature of ∆ T = 55°C applies to all aspects of the PE system. This assumption leads to very conservative designs, and does not represent the range of temperature changes due to pipe installation and seasonal temperature variations in the ground. This paper presents data from measured ground temperatures in the northeastern United States to develop seasonal design temperature ranges. Measurements of PE pipe temperature when exposed to direct sunlight then inserted into cast iron piping are used to assess temperature changes that might occur during pipe installation. Design scenarios are identified that represent reasonable situations for the range of temperatures PE piping would be subject to, and stresses are evaluated for these conditions. Stress superposition methods are used to develop design charts for evaluating thermal loads.


Children are widely seen as direct beneficiaries and indeed often as the primary targets of information society policies, particularly those geared towards enhancing learning opportunities, access to information and building inclusiveness and participation in society. The European Union's Digital Agenda places a safer and better internet for children at the heart of its policy platform. And yet, more often than not, children's e-society participation has been a cause of concern and anxiety for policy makers, particularly with ever-increasing early adoption of new internet technologies and services by children and young people. Such concerns have been motivated by the responsibilities held by public agencies to ensure adequate protection for young people whilst seeking to encourage and foster children's online opportunities. Thus, esociety may be said to constitute a set of tricky policy dilemmas and challenges with regard to children's participation. To date, the balancing of risks and opportunities has been informed more by assumptions of the benefits and the dangers that e-society might pose for children and young people. EU Kids Online, a pan-European survey of children's use of the internet, has attempted to fill this research gap by providing the first fully comparable data on issues of risk and safety gathered directly from children themselves in 25 European countries. Drawing on its research findings, this paper will focus on the extent of children's embeddedness within e-society, examining dimensions of e-literacy, the availability of appropriate e-content and resilience in relation to risks encountered online. The paper argues for greater policy and research attention to children's perspectives on e-society, as a means of fostering greater trust and participation for society as a whole.


Good decisions ideally require good data. Here, we present a straightforward typology for the broad classification of fisheries catch data. At each stage in the reporting chain, from fisher to national/international agencies, fisheries catches can be: known and reported; known and underreported; unknown and overreported; or unknown and underreported. Here, we consider largely the data reporting at the national/international level. Unfortunately, experience has shown that scientists and managers often do not know or are unconcerned with which category their data falls within a country's complete data system, or how to deal with this problem, leading to considerable implications for management. Of these four categories, the underreporting of catches seems the likeliest and most common outcome, which inevitably leads to mismanagement and misallocations of fisheries resources. Attempts to improve catch data should be undertaken, particularly via the development of catch baselines through catch reconstructions and adoption of a transparent and comprehensive country-wide expansion approach. Such an approach not only helps address shifting baselines but identifies aspects of data improvement that can be implemented in future data collection. The taxonomy presented here is a conceptual first-order analytical tool to classify data status, and hence influence management decisions.


Lacrimo-auriculo-dento-digital (LADD) syndrome, also known as Levy-Hollister syndrome, is a rare autosomal dominant developmental disorder, mainly characterized by abnormalities of the lacrimal system and salivary glands, ears and hearing, teeth and distal limb development. Besides these cardinal features, facial dysmorphism and malformations of the kidney and the respiratory system have been reported. In this study, the LADD1 locus was mapped to chromosome 10q26 by genome wide linkage analysis using the Affymetrix GeneChip 10K array in three large LADD families. In all three LADD families and in one sporadic case, heterozygous missense mutations were found in exon 16 of the gene encoding the fibroblast-growth-factor-receptor 2 (FGFR2). After exclusion of the FGFR2 locus by haplotype analysis in two additional LADD families, one missense mutation was identified in FGFR3 and one mutation was found in the fibroblast-growth-factor 10 (FGF10), a known ligand of FGFR2 [Rohmann et al., 2006]. The functional properties of FGF10 LADD and FGFR2 LADD mutants were analyzed and compared to the activities of their normal counterparts. Protein expression in BL21 cells and binding studies showed that each of the three analyzed FGF10 mutations demonstrated severely impaired activity by different mechanisms. Transient and stable expression studies exhibited that the FGFR2 mutations possess a reduced autophosphorylation and a weaker tyrosine kinase activity. Mutations also lead to diminished phosphorylation activity in FGFR2-mediated substrates (e. g. FRS2 and Shc) and to a decreased downstream signaling pathway, as shown by MAPK activity. While tested FGF10 LADD mutations caused haploinsufficiency, the FGFR2 LADD mutants could exert a dominant-negative effect on normal FGFR2 protein [Shams and Rohmann et al., 2007]. An in vitro kinase assay and crystallization of both, FGFR2 WT and the p.A628T missense mutation in the catalytic part of the tyrosine kinase domain, demonstrated that the A628T LADD mutation disrupts the catalytic activity due to conformational changes, leading to LADD syndrome. In addition, the newly described crystal structure of FGFR2 in comparison to FGFR1 revealed that the FGFR2 utilizes a less stringent mode of autoinhibition [Lew, Bae and Rohmann et al., 2007].


The purpose of this research is to identify the common criteria (knowledge and skill-based competences) which employers consider in the process of employing young journalists. The research holds significance for adjusting educational programs and accreditation standards. This research answers the following questions: 1. According to what criteria are entry-level journalists employed in Georgia? 2. What specific knowledge and skills are more attractive for employers? 3. Do employers take into consideration what University was attended, specific qualifications and earned degrees? Employers from 25 media organizations answered questionnaires (with close and open-ended questions). According to the results, only 40% of interns are paid in Georgia. While employing journalists "writing and editing skills" (88%) are the most important ones. Employers consider that "meeting deadlines" and an ability to work with new technologies are important skills as well (76%). 52% of employers prioritize a profound knowledge of a specific field (besides journalism). It is worth mentioning that 84% of respondents give preference to the competences gained in specific fields such as economy, politics, arts, etc. According to employers' opinion, journalists gain more theoretical knowledge than practical at universities. For the majority of employers, practical knowledge is more essential. According to survey results, the specific recommendations have been produced for the media educational sector.


The key and difficult points in the process of basic music theory teaching in colleges and universities are the mode and tonality analysis, and many primary learners are prepared to analyze the mode and tonality of the music melody under the condition of definite mode system. In order to better grasp the content and structure of music works and accurately express the music emotion, learning to correctly distinguish the mode and the tonality of melody is critical. This article will analyze the tonality of music works in the basic music theory teaching mainly from the four aspects, which are distinguishing melody to constitute the note connection, the sound effects of the melody, background information, and the comprehensive characteristics.


ACCURATE METHODOLOGY FOR MONITORING BIOMEMBRANE EVENTS By Christine A. Winschel, Ph.D. A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in Chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Major Director: Dr. Vladimir A. Sidorov ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY This study describes the synthesis and characterization of a new receptor (cyclen 1) capable of strong selective binding of pyrene-based anionic dyes under near-physiological conditions. This receptor comprises four naphthylthiourea groups tethered to a cyclen core via an ester linkage. The most important finding was the ability of cyclen 1 to bind efficiently to a pH-sensitive pyranine dye, a dye that is commonly used in various biomembrane assays. The high affinity of cyclen 1 to pyranine, its impermeability to the lipid bilayer membrane, fast kinetics of binding, and ability to quench pyranine's fluorescence were used as a basis for a new membrane leakage assay. This membrane leakage assay is fully compatible with the commonly xxiv applied pH-stat transport assay, and therefore it allows for differentiation of ion transport and nonselective leakage mechanisms within a single set of experiments. In the second part of this study a new methodology for the detection of lipid flip was developed. This methodology relies on the quenching of the fluorescence of a newly synthesized cascade-blue-labeled lipid through complex formation with cyclen 1. This receptor-dye complexation also has high affinity for binding at micromolar concentrations and can be reversed by either competitive displacement of the lipid probe or by enzymatic degradation of the receptor leading to the label release and fluorescence dequenching. This new methodology is suitable for the study of lipid flip in both model spherical bilayer membranes and in-vitro experiments, and is less invasive to the model and cell membranes than the commonly utilized 7-nitro-1,2,3benzoxadiazol-4-yl (NBD)-dithionite methodology. Lastly, new pH-sensitive lipids were synthesized and utilized in the formulation of liposomes suitable for controlled drug release. These liposomes contain various amounts of internal NaCl and undergo internal acidification upon the exogenous addition of an HCl cotransporter in a physiologically relevant NaCl solution. Therefore, acidification ultimately leads to the hydrolysis of the pH-sensitive lipids and subsequent contents release. These liposomes were found to be insensitive to physiological concentrations of human serum albumin and to be non-toxic to cells at concentrations exceeding pharmacological relevance. These results render this new drug release model potentially suitable for in vivo applications.


Regions of positive slope in the pressure-discharge characteristics can result in a reduction or even lack of damping of system instabilities. They are therefore one of the major concerns in design and operation of centrifugal pumps as they are limiting the admissible operating range. The considered preliminary hydraulic design of an industrial double suction pump of medium specific speed n = 0.410 (0.205 per impeller side) shows a marked saddle in the energydischarge characteristic associated to a sudden drop of efficiency versus discharge at part load. Unsteady RANS type flow simulations are performed using hexahedral meshes with 2.5 million nodes to model the inlet casing, the shrouded double sided impeller with 2 x 7 blades, the diffuser with 12 blades and the volute. In unsteady solution monitoring, low frequency (below blade passing frequencies) phenomena are noticed. Therefore, simulation times of up to 10 impeller revolutions at each flow rate are requested to achieve statistically steady behavior of the flow judged on global performance numbers and circumferential flow rate distribution. The numerical simulations emphasize a drop in the characteristic, though at a lower flow rate than found on the test rig. It is shown to be associated to a one-sided separation in the diffuser, further leading to an unbalanced flow rate distribution of about 10% of flow rate between both sides of the impeller. There is a region of hysteresis, where both configurations with balanced and unbalanced flow rate distributions can be obtained for the same global flow rate. The asymmetric flow distribution leads to asymmetric velocity profiles at the impeller-diffuser interface which results in a strongly vortical flow in the diffuser channels, where an important amount of energy is dissipated in regions of increased viscous and turbulent shear.


Absorption based microscopy measurements are emerging as important tools for studying nanomaterials. This review discusses the three most common techniques for performing these experiments: transient absorption microscopy, photothermal heterodyne imaging, and spatial modulation spectroscopy. The focus is on the application of these techniques to imaging and detection, using examples taken from the authors' laboratory. The advantages and disadvantages of the three methods are discussed, with an emphasis on the unique information that can be obtained from these experiments, in comparison to conventional emission or scattering based microscopy experiments.


Over the past 20 years, the field of animal cognition has seen a dramatic increase in the attention given to the study of cognition in the domestic dog. Since their origin at least 10, 000 years ago, dogs have been artificially selected by humans to protect our homes, guard our livestock, pull our sleds, and a multitude of other functions. Given their close relationship with humans, much of the current research in the area of dog cognition to date has focused on aspects of social cognition. Considerably less attention has been paid to domains that have traditionally been areas of heavy focus in the animal cognition literature. This dissertation focuses on three areas, which are addressed as "fundamental" aspects of cognition—namely, numerical discrimination, interval timing, and spatial memory. These areas were chosen because a.) they are basic processes fundamental to the daily existence of an animal in the wild, and b.) because these topics have been studied rigorously in traditional animal cognition research, yet have received little attention in the area of dog cognition. In the first set of studies, a numerical discrimination task using sequential presentation of stimuli was used, in which subjects watched as a different number of food items were dropped into each of two bowls. The subjects were then allowed to select and consume the contents of one of the bowls. Although dogs excelled in a 1 vs 0 condition, their performance did not significantly surpass chance across all other ratios. In a second experiment with a single subject, a simultaneous task was used in which stimuli were presented on two magnet boards. Using this simultaneous presentation, ratio effects consistent with both Weber's Law and the Approximate Number System were demonstrated. In the second set of studies, interval timing was demonstrated using a fixed interval ii 30-s schedule, with either a light or a tone + light compound signalling the beginning of each fixed interval. When dogs in the compound group were subsequently tested with 60-s toneonly probe trials, the dogs' rate of responding peaked near 30 s. When the same dogs were tested with light-only probes, however, no evidence of timing was found, revealing an overshadowing effect of tone over light. In a second experiment, a bi-section task was used in which dogs had to learn to approach one feeder when given an 8-s tone + light signal, and another feeder when given a 2-s tone + light signal. When subsequently tested at intermediate durations, psychophysical curves again showed clear control of timing by the tone stimulus but not by the light stimulus. The final set of studies were an attempt to investigate both reference and working memory, within a spatial memory task. A win/shift design was used, in which dogs searched for food within the four corners of a large area (an empty classroom in Experiment 1, and an outdoor field in Experiment 2). Food items were hidden under plastic flower pots, which the dogs had previously been trained to knock over. The dogs' performance in locating rewards hidden consistently in the same location during the test phase (reference memory), was compared to their performance for locating rewards hidden in a different randomly-selected location from trial to trial (working memory). Dogs' performance varied across subjects, and implications of these individual differences are discussed.


In 1994, the Residency Review Committee in Surgery began evaluating the ability of programs to provide adequate continuity-of-care experiences to residents, based on 6 criteria requiring resident participation in each phase of a surgical patient's care. The Residency Review Committee document further described resident and patient experiences as being synonymous. No previous studies were found that examined the 6 criteria or compared them with the patient's experience with continuity. Study objectives were 2-fold: (1) to assess the 6 required continuity-of-care experiences provided to general surgery residents and (2) to compare resident experiences to the patient's experience with continuity. Surgery residents from 2 academic years, representing each postgraduate year, were studied. Patients had (1) undergone an operation involving a resident and (2) remained hospitalized for longer than 24 hours but less than 10 days. Data were collected from a retrospective randomized review of each patient's medical records. Of the 114 cases, 23.7% showed that the same resident participated in all phases of care. In the remaining cases, residents provided preoperative care in 70.2%, directed the postoperative hospitalized care in 86.8%, and provided postdischarge care in 37.7%. Patients saw an average +/- SD of 4.6 +/- 1.5 surgical providers during the entire course of their surgical care. In conclusion, continuity experiences were provided to surgery residents in varying quantities and combinations, with one quarter of the residents experiencing "perfect continuity." Resident continuity experiences and patient continuity were not synonymous. Although improved medical record documentation may have enhanced these results, continuity-of-care remains difficult to demonstrate in view of the current surgery teaching environment.


In reinforced concrete structures located in hot and humid areas, steel reinforcement is generally vulnerable to deterioration due to corrosion. Corrosion of reinforcement in many cases is considered the main cause of concrete structures deterioration, which in turn requires large budgets for repair and maintenance. This paper presents the experimental results of damaged/repaired reinforced concrete beams. The experimental program consisted of testing reinforced concrete rectangular beam specimen's with/without shear reinforcement and exposed to accelerated corrosion of the longitudinal steel reinforcement on the tension side. Bonding external U-shaped CFRP sheets to restore the strength loss due to corrosion repaired corroded beams without shear reinforcement. The test results showed that corroded beams without stirrups failed in a brittle manner with drop in maximum deflection at failure of approximately 60% compared to the uncorroded beam. Corroded beams with stirrups lost some strength, but failed in ductile manner. Using externally bonded U-shaped CFRP sheets restored the ductility of corroded beams without stirrups and prevented bond failure at the steel concrete interface due to the absence of internal stirrups.


The influencing parameters considered in the present state of the art for determining the thickness of the lubricating film and the lubrication regime under tribological conditions are mostly basic physical, macro-geometrical or mechanical and effects such as surface charge and the associated pH, zeta-potential or solubility are not considered important. However, in this work we present how remarkably these electrochemical parameters affect the properties of the surface layer, the physico-chemical and load-carrying properties of the lubricating film, the tribochemical reactions and the tribolayer failure modes of water-lubricated contacts: more than 25 specific properties were shown/proved or were recognized as potential parameters resulting from surface-charge effects. Under boundary-lubrication conditions, this can result in a significantly different severity of the contact conditions and consequently in friction and wear compared with those predicted with conventional considerations and models. This seems to be especially important not only for water-based but also for other low-viscosity lubricants, which due to thin lubricating films provide poor and/or fragile film conditions. Accordingly, we suggest that a more complete set of tribo-electro-chemical effects should be considered and controlled in a lubricating film and that more tailored models, which also take into account some of these effects, should be developed to enable a more accurate prediction of the contact conditions in future boundary-lubricated systems.


Coastal and estuarine systems worldwide are under threat from future global climate change, with potential consequences including increased penetration of tidal driven salt water into estuarine surface waters. In coastal climate change research this issue has been neglected, despite increases in salinity potentially detrimentally impacting upper estuarine and riverine ecosystem function worldwide. In this research the first direct attempt is made at predicting the impact of future climate-driven increases in saline penetration upon estuarine and riverine benthic macroinvertebrate communities through the acute salinity tolerances of selected species.

Two study estuary-river systems were selected based upon their perceived susceptibility to future increases in saline penetration. These estuaries exhibited dynamic tide and salinity profiles with large salinity ranges recorded over a tidal cycle and significant differences in saline penetration extents between low (summer) and high (winter) freshwater river discharge conditions. Salinity was shown to be the dominant environmental variable driving benthic macroinvertebrate species distributions in both estuaries; however additional environmental factors were shown to have locally dominant effects (i.e. sediment grain size). Laboratory and field based salinity toxicity experiments suggested that the tolerance of euryhaline-marine and brackish water species to reductions in salinity corresponded well to tolerance values in published literature. In contrast limnic derived species exhibited greater salinity tolerance under laboratory and field tidal cycle conditions than those published. For all test species, actual field distributions did not reflect distributions anticipated by saline tolerances alone, likely due to the effects of additional biotic and abiotic factors experienced under field conditions. The macroinvertebrate species salinity tolerances did not account for actual field distributions with sufficient accuracy to allow for precise prediction of future distribution patterns under projected saline penetration profiles due to the influence of additional environmental factors.

Under the high greenhouse gas emissions climate scenario (SRES A1FI) for the years 2020, 2050 and 2080, projected relative sea level rise was shown to result in an increase in both the upstream extent of saline penetration and gradient of maximum salinity zones in both estuaries. However these increases were moderate even under worst-case conditions (0.32 km and 0.15 km) and unlikely to result in large-scale changes to the benthic macroinvertebrate community. However, in addition to relative sea level rise, predicted changes to freshwater river discharge (climatic and anthropogenic induced) and channel morphology could result in significant increases in the upstream extent of saline penetration predicted for projected sea level rise alone. This could result in critical consequences for estuarine and riverine ecology and ecosystem function across all trophic levels. A conceptual model exploring the potential ecological effects of both increases in saline penetration and changes to the estuarine system (anthropogenic and climatic) was developed, and implications for the future management of estuarine and riverine environments were identified.


This report has been submitted forr publication outside of ITC and will probably be copyrighted if accepted for publication. It has been issued as a Technical Report forr early dissemination of its contents. In view of the transfert of copy right too the outside publisher, its distribution outside of ITC priorr to publication should be limited to peer communications and specificc requests. After outside publication, material will be available only inn the form authorized by the copyright owner.


Reflections on the progress of the WTO over the last two decades highlights low developing country participation in its dispute settlement system as a fundamental failing of the multinational trading system. Recurrently, this low participation rate has been attributed to the cost of the WTO's legalistic model in Panel and Appellate Body proceedings, creating a concern of bias. Yet, by focussing on the inherent costs of the system, critics ignore the real ways in which developing countries can and have used the WTO dispute settlement system to offset the costs. Therefore, this article argues that developing countries are more disadvantaged in their lack of internal capacity to identify and progress legitimate violations to the WTO. Only by addressing the capacity issue can an accurate cost and benefit analysis of the WTO dispute settlement system take place. NB: full text available here: http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1493222/


Problem Statement: Exercise is a health behavior promoted for its vast array of physical and mental health benefits. However, there is some evidence that not all individuals necessarily have positive mental health outcomes with exercise as evidenced by measures such as body image. Influential variables, such as exercise modality and reasons for exercise need to be explored in at-risk, young females to promote optimal effects of exercise on both body and mind. Background: Objectification theory provides a framework for understanding the bodily experience of and psychological outcomes from exercise in women. While traditional fitness classes, including aerobics, have been associated with poor body image outcomes, yoga has been suggested as an alternative class choice that may ameliorate those negative consequences. No studies have incorporated reasons for exercise and different group exercise modalities to measure changes in selfobjectification and associated outcomes over time in the target population. Methods: Self-reported data was gathered from 86 college females participating in group exercise classes at the university recreation center to assess self-objectification, reasons for exercise, body awareness, body responsiveness, and body esteem. Six weeks later, 35 participants returned a second set of surveys for longitudinal analyses. Bivariate correlations were performed to establish correlations between variables at baseline. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was performed to examine differences related to exercise class modality (e.g. cardio/strength vs. yoga) and appearance-related reasons for exercise (higher vs. lower). Paired sample t-tests were used to examine differences in these groups from baseline to the end of classes at six weeks. Results: At baseline, self-objectification was positively correlated with appearancerelated reasons for exercise (r = .60, p < .01), and negatively correlated with body responsiveness (r = -.33, p < .05) and appearance-related body esteem (-.36, p < .05) in all participants. The yoga group reported significantly higher mood/enjoyment reasons for exercise (F = 5.45, p <.05). Participants exercising for higher levels of appearance-related reasons reported significantly greater self-objectification scores (F = 18.28, p < .001) and lower levels of appearance-related (F = 5.05, p < .05) and weight-related (F = 7.31, p < .01) body esteem than those below the median. Over time, significant increases were seen in appearance-related body esteem (p < .05) for the high appearance-related reasons for exercise group participating in yoga classes (N = 6) and in weight-related body esteem (p < .05) for the low appearance-related reasons for exercise group participating in cardio/strength classes (N = 13). Participants in the higher appearance-related reasons for exercise group, reported a decrease from 5.13 to -.50 in self-objectification (t = 2.21, p < .05) regardless of exercise modality group. Significance and Conclusion: Despite a small group size (N = 6), participants with higher appearance-related reasons for exercise experienced a significant increase in appearance-related body esteem, which has been linked to positive global self-esteem. The present study supports existing literature's findings on the significance of reasons for exercise and shows some differences in body image outcomes in yoga students compared to students taking cardiovascular and strength-based classes. This naturalistic, observational pilot study had several methodological limitations but is the first of its kind to measure these variables over time. Future research adopting an experimental design is needed to more clearly illustrate directionality and causal relationships of variables.


Cultivar identification by ampelography is often difficult and is sensitive to environmental conditions, thus it can be problematic to distinguish between closely related cultivars. DNA fingerprinting offers an alternative method that is not influenced by the environment and is relatively easy to perform. However, discriminating between closely related individuals can be problematic if inadequate or insufficient markers are used. Following the estimation of null allele frequencies, an initial set of 35 microsatellite markers was reduced to 20 to generate unique DNA fingerprints for the majority of 111 different grape cultivars and breeding lines. Molecular evidence was utilised to evaluate the accuracy of the reported pedigrees for several cultivars bred in South Africa (SA). The use of markers linked to known downy mildew and powdery mildew resistance loci (Rpv3 and Ren3) provided information regarding the frequency of these resistance loci in the breeding material analysed.


This book examines how and why corporate strategy, structure and culture is continuing to change markedly in South East Asia. Among the issues that have forced widespread changes in the region are the economic meltdown, the growth in electronic technology, regional market integration, changing levels of education, business process standardisation and transparency measures, the rise in 'corporate governance' and political developments among the targeted countries. Specifically, this book discusses the changing nature of MNC business culture, strategy and practice in the ASEAN regional trading bloc. This comprises Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines. This book provides a rich and detailed account of how and why these organisations are evolving and restructuring in the post-economic crisis era. Multiple, in-depth case-studies are incorporated from the point of view of participants.


Summaries As global processes have deepened in recent decades there has been a concomitant and causally related increase in economic insecurity in many parts of the global economy. One transmission mechanism has been the heightened volatility in the global economy. The reduction in barriers to the inter‐country flow of finance, banking deregulation and the abolition of capital controls, and the development and utilisation of new technologies, can be seen as primary causal drivers of volatility. Growing poverty (in both its absolute and relative senses) has been a second way in which insecurity has been globalised. Here, too, this form of insecurity can be related causally to developments in the global economy. Global competition, particularly in labour‐intensive activities, has led to a bidding down of wage rates for unskilled work. This has not only undermined real living standards, but simultaneously widened the distributional gap, both within and between countries. Similar unequalising developments in the nineteenth‐century bred a culture of insecurity which led to the erection of barriers to sustained international‐isation. Recent protests against the WTO suggest that unless these insecurities ‐ both perceived and real ‐ in the twenty‐first century are reduced, we may yet see a recurrence of opposition to sustained globalisation.


The effect of tree canopy cover on the yield, crude protein (CP), and fibre content of grass species in the Nigerian Guinea savanna was studied. The following grass species, Andropogon gayanus, Hyparrhenia involucrata, Hyparrhenia smithiana, Pennisetum polystachion, Rottboellia cochinchinensis, and Setaria barbata occur more under tree canopies than in the open. The overall yield under tree canopy and in the open was influenced by the proportionate contribution of these species to the total yield. Grass yields were significantly higher under canopies provided by trees taller than 7m than under shorter canopies. The difference between percentage CP, fibre, and lignin in plants growing under tree canopies and those in the open were not significant.


The concept of dynamic capability (DC) is receiving significant attention from
scholars in strategy and organisation research. However, most of the research is
conceptual in nature. In this thesis, the process of how DCs are created in two firms
is examined using the grounded theory methodology (GTM) with the aim of
developing a substantive theory of DC creation. Data were collected using
theoretical sampling, and unstructured and semi-structured interviews. These data
were then analysed using the constant comparison method to identify and explain the
process through which DCs are created. The findings from the study reveal that DCs
are created through continuous internal activities such as in-house innovation, human
resource activities (HRAs), and external activities with partners through
collaboration and acquisitions. Firms learn from these activities, which lead to
changes in the static organisational capabilities and the development of higher order
capabilities, the DCs. From this study, a framework has been developed for
considering and managing the process of creating DCs at a strategic level. The
framework explains the reasons why these firms develop and renew their DCs,
identifies the key resources required, and examines the activities through which DCs
are developed and renewed. The framework is both iterative and simultaneous.
Implications for academics and practitioners are discussed, and limitations and
directions for future research are outlined.


Technologies for the development of embedded systems should address specific constraints such as hard timing constraints, limited memory and power use, predefined hardware platform technology, and hardware costs. Existing development technologies don't address their specific impact on, or necessary customization for, the embedded domain. Nor do these technologies give developers any indication of how to apply them to specific areas in this domain, for example, automotive systems, telecommunications, or consumer electronics. Consequently, tailoring a technology for a specific use is difficult. Furthermore, the embedded domain is driven by reliability factors, cost factors, and time to market. So, this embedded domain needs specifically targeted development technologies. An inventory of eight European companies reveals what tools developers of embedded-systems software are and aren't using, and why. The need exists for more specific, yet flexible, tools.


Biofilters and biotrickling filters are popular for the removal of odorous pollutants like hydrogen sulphide and ammonia from gaseous emissions in wastewater treatment plants because of their low capital costs, low energy requirements and environmental performance. In an aerobic environment, the microbes in biofilters oxidize hydrogen sulphide to non-odorous sulphate. Despite several advantages over conventional chemical systems, one of the consequences of maintaining a suitable pH and moisture content for the microbes in the biofilter is the production of large volumes of weakly acidic leachate which needs to be treated or disposed safely. In this research, weakly acidic leachate was considered as a sulphur resource rather than a waste stream and strategies to utilise this resource were investigated.

A novel laboratory scale biofilter system removed hydrogen sulphide with a removal efficiency of 98.8% and produced small volumes (1 mL of solution/L of reactor/day) of sulphuric acid with concentrations greater than 6M after 150 days of continuous operation. This was achieved by compensating for the loss of moisture in the upflow biofilter by intermittently trickling a minimum amount of nutrient solution. This created a moisture and pH gradient within the biofilter resulting in an environment at the top for the bacterial conversion of hydrogen sulphide while sulphuric acid was accumulated at the base. The small volume of high concentration sulphuric acid is a more valuable resource than a large volume of weakly acidic leachate produced in conventional biofilters.

Simultaneous removal of hydrogen sulphide and ammonia in contaminated air can also be achieved by aerobic biofilters, with biological oxidation by microbes producing sulphate and nitrate in the leachate. A pilot scale biofilter was setup at a local wastewater treatment plant for the simultaneous removal of hydrogen sulphide and ammonia from gaseous emissions but instead of biological oxidation of both the pollutants, the sulphate produced from the biological conversion of hydrogen sulphide in a biofilter was allowed to accumulate in a concentrated form first. The ammonia was then subsequently removed, not by biological oxidation, but by the chemical reaction of ammonium ion with sulphate to form ammonium sulphate which was washed down and accumulated in the bottom. This biofilter, which had been in continuous operation for more than 150 days, removed both hydrogen sulphide and ammonia at an average removal efficiency of 91.96% and 100% respectively. Unlike conventional biofilters which convert hydrogen sulphide to sulphate and ammonia to nitrate, this biofilter produced a solution of ammonium sulphate which can be harvested for further use.

The novel techniques explored in this research provide an alternative to conventional biofilters that allows recovery of the sulphur as useful products rather than waste.


Background: The fertility transition started later in sub-Saharan Africa than in other regions of the world. Moreover, the average number of children per woman declined more slowly there, owing to a distinct mechanism of fertility reduction. It has been argued that the fertility decline in sub-Saharan Africa proceeded through an increase in birth intervals rather than by a limitation of the number of births. Objective: We analyze the fertility transitions in 29 countries to determine which mechanism women resort to in order to reduce their number of children. Methods: Using multiple sample surveys, we estimate and cross-validate trends in parity progression ratios and birth intervals. We identify sub-regional regularities and vanguard trends in the interplay between the dynamics of the lengthening of birth intervals and birth limitation over the period 1962‒2012. Results: While initial fertility declines were driven by a lengthening of birth intervals at all parities, we observe a recent onset of birth limitation in regions and countries that are most advanced in the fertility transition. Conclusions: The experience of sub-Saharan Africa shows that if all parities contribute to the fertility transition from the outset, the main drivers of the fertility decline switch from a lengthening of birth intervals to a limitation of family size when the average fertility reaches about five children per woman. Contribution: Our findings point to the emergence of birth limitation as a new stage in the fertility transition in sub-Saharan Africa. These results have implications for future fertility declines in sub-Saharan Africa.


Currency market intervention-cum-reserve accumulation has emerged as the favored "self-insurance" strategy in recipient countries of excessive private capital inflows. This paper argues that capital account management represents a less costly alternative line of defense deserving renewed consideration, especially in the absence of fundamental reform of the global monetary and financial order. Mainstream arguments in favor of financial globalization are found unconvincing; any indirect benefits allegedly obtainable through hot money inflows are equally obtainable without actually tolerating such inflows. The paper investigates the experiences of Brazil, Russia, India, and China (the BRICs) in the global crisis and subsequent recovery, focusing on their respective policies regarding capital flows.