General purpose unsaturated polyester resin (GPR) specimens containing carbon (Teak wood, Ground nut, Neem wood and Rose wood) prepared from environmental waste were fabricated using casting technique. Fabricated composite materials were subjected to various studies viz., Thermal (TGA/DSC), mechanical (hardness), morphology and X-ray diffraction studies. SEM images were carried out to identify toughening. The inadequacy of the bond between filler and thematrix showminor particle agglomerations in specimens containing higher weight percentage (40%) were believed to have responsible for a consistent decrease in property especially the mechanical properties like hardness. Results of the studies implies that neem based carbon found to have superior in properties than that of rest of the carbon based composite in overall properties.


This book has two mutually reinforcing aims/parts. The first aim is to contribute to a more productive debate between different theoretical standpoints. There is surprisingly little theoretical and conceptual debate in this burgeoning field, which is one major reason for the failure to fully grasp the diversity of today's interregionalism. Too often theorists speak past each other, without really engaging with alternative theoretical perspectives or competing research results. Indeed, this book constitutes the first systematic attempt to bring together leading theories and theorists of interregionalism. Leading scholars from around the world develop their own distinctive theoretical perspectives on interregionalism, with a particular emphasis on the dynamic relationship between regionalism and interregionalism. These highly acclaimed theorists have all been associated over the years with a variety of disciplines, institutions, schools and debates and so bring a rich set of insights and connections to this pioneering project. The second part of the book 'unpacks' and problematises the region, the driving actors and institutions that are engaged in interregional relations. There is a strong tendency in the field to treat regions as coherent units actors in an interregional relationship, and such simplified notions about 'regions' and 'regional organisations' necessarily result in superficial and misleading understandings of interregionalism. This part of the book connects the theoretical discussion in the first part with a manageable empirical object.


ABSTRACT In this article, we explore Norwegian Progress Party politicians' change of their rhetoric of immigration after the party for the first time became part of a coalition government in 2013. Equal to other right-wing populist parties in Europe, immigration has been the main reason for voters to support the Progress Party. How then does their immigration rhetoric change after entering office? This is important, as an intolerant immigration rhetoric has far-reaching consequences for the political climate in Europe. Right-wing populist parties can achieve much regarding migration policies merely because there is broad consensus on a strict migration policy today. However, to succeed remaining in office, they must remain being acceptable to other parties in the parliament and their coalition partner and therefore they need to moderate the way they go about communicating their message. Too much moderation however might lead to a split within the party, or losing core voters.


Not just another jeremiad against prevailing '-isms' and orthodoxies, Why Literature Matters in the 21st Century examines literature in its connection to virtue and moral excellence. The author is concerned with literature as the teacher of virtue. The current crisis in the humanities, Mark William Roche argues, may be traced back to the separation of art and morality. "When the distinction between is and ought is leveled," he writes, "the power of the professions increases". The arts and humanities concern themselves with the fate and prospects of humankind. Today that fate and those prospects are under the increasing influence of technology. In a technological age, literature gains in importance precisely to the extent that our sense of intrinsic value is lost. In its elevation of play and inexhaustible meaning, literature offers a counterbalance to reason and efficiency. It helps us grasp the ways in which diverse parts form a comprehensive and complex whole, and it connects us with other ages and cultures. Not least, great literature grapples with the ethical challenges of the day.


A proper test of modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) in systems of non-trivial geometries depends on modelling subtle differences in several versions of its postulated theories. This is especially true for lensing and dynamics of barely virialized galaxy clusters with typical gravity of scale a0. The original MOND formula, the classical single-field modification of the Poisson equation, and the multifield general relativistic theory of Bekenstein (tensor-vector-scalar, TeVeS) all lead to different predictions as we stray from spherical symmetry. In this paper, we study a class of analytical MONDian models for a system with a semi-Hernquist baryonic profile. After presenting the analytical distribution function of the baryons in spherical limits, we develop orbits and gravitational lensing of the models in non-spherical geometries. In particular, we can generate a multicentred baryonic system with a weak lensing signal resembling that of the merging galaxy cluster 1E 0657-56 with a bullet-like light distribution. We finally present analytical scale-free highly non-spherical models to show the subtle differences between the single-field classical MOND theory and the multifield TeVeS theory. © 2006 RAS.


approved: Un-Ku Moon With the ever-increasing demand for portable devices used in applications such as wireless communication, mobile computing, consumer electronics, etc., the scaling of the CMOS process to deep submicron dimensions becomes more important to achieve low-cost, low-power and high-performance digital systems. However, this downscaling also requires similar shrinking of the supply voltage to insure device reliability. Even though the largest amount of signal processing is done in the digital domain, the on-chip analog-to-digital interface circuitry (analogto-digital and digital-to-analog converters) is an important functional block in the system. These converters are also required to operate with low-voltage supply. In this thesis, design techniques for low-voltage and low-power analog-todigital converters are proposed. The specific research contributions of this work include (1) introduction of a new low-voltage switching technique for switchedcapacitor circuit design, (2) development of low-voltage and low-distortion deltasigma modulator, (3) development of low-voltage switched-capacitor multiplying digital-to-analog converter (MDAC), (4) a new architecture for the low-power Nyquist rate pipelined ADC design. These design techniques enable the implementation of low-voltage and low-power CMOS analog-to-digital converters. To demonstrate the proposed design techniques, a 0.6 V, 82 dB, 2-2 cascaded audio delta-sigma ADC, a 0.9 V, 10-bit, 20MS/s CMOS pipelined ADC and a 2.4 V, 12-bit, 10MS/s CMOS pipelined ADC were implemented in standard CMOS processes.


Until recently, there has been no physical separation between potentially contaminated runoff from the former Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant and Standley Lake, the nearby water supply for over 200,000 people in the northwest Denver metropolitan area. Because of a unique cooperative effort by local, state, and federal governments, this separation now exists. With grant funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Cities of Westminster, Northglenn, and Thornton, Colorado spearheaded a 5-year effort to build the $28.3 million Standley Lake Protection Project that now protects human health as well as a vital water resource valued at $500 million. This paper describes the project and its implementation and highlights the creative solutions, flexibility, and stakeholder cooperation needed to overcome obstacles in a complex regulatory environment.


PURPOSE
The purpose of this pilot study was to describe the influence of culture on cancer pain management in Hispanic (Mexican and Central American) patients.

DESCRIPTION OF STUDY
This qualitative study is guided by the conceptual framework of the Pain and Quality of Life model and the Biocultural Model of Pain. It was developed as a companion study to a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded project to disseminate a pain education program for adult patients with cancer and their family care givers in community home-care agencies. After completing the NCI study, Hispanic subjects were invited to participate in the qualitative companion study. A total of 17 subjects, the majority of whom were women, were interviewed. The Hispanic Pain Experience Questionnaire (HPEQ) was used to elicit answers to open-ended questions regarding the perception and management of cancer pain.

RESULTS
Themes that emerged from the questionnaire were Influence of Culture, Expressions of Pain, Managing Pain/Medications, and Use of Nondrug Interventions. Responses suggest that culture, family beliefs, and religion contribute significantly to management and expression of pain by the patient and care giver. In addition, this group showed that pain may be approached with stoicism; therefore, lack of verbal or behavioral expression of pain does not indicate a lack of pain itself. These patients also demonstrated a reliance on folk beliefs and nondrug interventions. The most common reason cited for noncompliance with pharmacologic treatment was an inability to understand instructions.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
When providing care to Hispanic patients, it is imperative to be nonjudgmental, sensitive, and respectful. To improve compliance, the multidisciplinary cancer team should 1) incorporate the patients' folk healthcare practices and beliefs into the plan of care when possible; 2) involve family members and friends in the patient's care, identifying one key family contact; and 3) ensure that instructions for medications are available in Spanish and understood by the patient and care giver. When patients' overall beliefs and values are respected, compliance with pharmacological and other interventions may increase accordingly.


Predictive coding theories suggest that the brain learns by predicting observations at various levels of abstraction. One of the most basic prediction tasks is view prediction: how would a given scene look from an alternative viewpoint? Humans excel at this task. Our ability to imagine and fill in missing information is tightly coupled with perception: we feel as if we see the world in 3 dimensions, while in fact, information from only the front surface of the world hits our retinas. This paper explores the role of view prediction in the development of 3D visual recognition. We propose neural 3D mapping networks, which take as input 2.5D (color and depth) video streams captured by a moving camera, and lift them to stable 3D feature maps of the scene, by disentangling the scene content from the motion of the camera. The model also projects its 3D feature maps to novel viewpoints, to predict and match against target views. We propose contrastive prediction losses to replace the standard color regression loss, and show that this leads to better performance on complex photorealistic data. We show that the proposed model learns visual representations useful for (1) semi-supervised learning of 3D object detectors, and (2) unsupervised learning of 3D moving object detectors, by estimating the motion of the inferred 3D feature maps in videos of dynamic scenes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that empirically shows view prediction to be a scalable self-supervised task beneficial to 3D object detection.


This thesis presents a new combined lithosphere-mantle modeling approach to the dynamics of individual tectonic plates. This approach incorporates tractions from convective mantle flow modeling into a detailed analysis of the forces acting on a tectonic plate. Mechanical equilibrium of the plate is used as a constraint, requiring internal consistency between the model representation of both lithosphere dynamics and mantle flow. As such, it provides the opportunity to constrain remaining uncertainties, in particular concerning the nature and extent of coupling between the lithosphere and the underlying mantle. In this thesis, I focus on the Eurasian plate and find that it is approximately equally influenced by the actively convecting mantle and by resistance to plate motion. In chapter 2, lithospheric forces and their uncertainties are evaluated and the constraint of torque balance is used to estimate the net contribution of mantle tractions to the dynamics of the Eurasian plate. I conclude that the approximation of uniform shear (anti)-parallel to absolute plate motion does not give a good average of lithosphere-mantle interaction under Eurasia. Incorporation of active mantle flow in a direction other than absolute plate motion is thus indispensable for mechanical equilibrium of the Eurasian plate. In chapter 3, the analysis of Eurasian dynamics is extended by evaluating mantle tractions from convective mantle flow models. I find that only mantle flow models based on shear-wave tomography can successfully be combined with models of lithospheric body- and edge forces to mechanically balance Eurasia. Successful mantle flow models generate tractions on the base of the lithosphere that are approximately equally governed by active mantle flow and resistance to plate motion. The forces driving Eurasia are identified by comparing the net contribution of the various model forces with the direction of absolute plate motion. Forces arising from collision of Africa, Arabia and India are found to substantially deviate the direction of motion generated by the gravitational forces. A comparison of the contribution of the different forces to the dynamics of Eurasia shows that edge forces are dominant and generate a torque that is comparable to the combined contribution of mantle tractions and lithospheric body forces. Finally, in chapter 4 builds upon the results of the previous chapters by evaluating force models that mechanically balance the Eurasian plate based on their ability to reproduce observed stress directions. I find that the stress field is predominantly sensitive to the magnitude of the collisional forces on the plate's southern boundary. Stress observations require collision forces on the India-Eurasia plate boundary of about 10 TN/m.


To the Editor

Elevation of serum amylase level is usually associated with pancreatitis,1) but 2% of cases are associated with medication. 2) Only 1 case of pancreatitis caused by sertraline has been reported.1) Although it has been reported that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may rarely cause pancreatitis,2) Elevated serum amylase levels associated with sertraline use in cases without pancreatitis has not been reported in the literature. To our knowledge, our case is the first report of hyperamylasemia related to sertraline.

A 35-year-old male patient with the diagnosis of recurrent depression was followed for over 10 years. He had been taking sertraline 25–50 mg/d for two years. Although the patient's biochemical test results were normal and he was clinically in remission, amylase levels started to increase slowly. At the twentieth month of treatment, her blood amylase level was 120 U/L, and 4 months later, it was 160 U/L (normal range, 29 to 115 U/L). There were no clinical or biochemical signs of pancreatitis. He did not have gallbladder stones and was not abusing alcohol. Sertraline was suspected to be the cause of increased amylase level. Sertraline was gradually discontinued over 2 months and was replaced with amitriptyline 50 mg/d. The amylase level started to decrease 20 days after discontinuation of sertraline, and slowly reached 90 U/L. However, his depression relapsed after discontinuation of sertraline. Lamotrigine 50 mg/d was added to the treatment regimen, and amitriptyline dosage was increased to 75 mg/d. In the third week of treatment, the patient was again in remission. Blood amylase level remained constant at 90 U/L.

Asymptomatic hyperamylasemia can also occur without pancreatitis.3) However, in these cases, the amylase level remains consistently high. In our case, the amylase level returned to normal after discontinuation of sertraline. The reason for hyperamylasemia associated with sertraline is not known. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility that sertraline may cause hyperamylasemia.

Sincerely,


Steeds: David Davies, a young member of a prominent Welsh commercial/industrial family, spent the period between October 1904 and January 1905 in Japan, Korea and North China. His diary of the journey presents interesting background on conditions in Japan during what were crucial months in the Russo-Japanese war. Nish: SUEMATSU Kencho, a senior Japanese politician, was sent to Europe at the start of the Russo-Japanese war in order to improve the image of Japan in European countries and dispel the idea of the Yellow Peril. He became the main publicist for the Japanese war effort, lecturing, writing articles and publishing books. He stayed on after the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, returning to Japan in February 1906.


Computers and devices are largely unaware of events taking place in the world. This could be changed if news were made available in a computer-understandable form. In this paper we present XML documents called NewsForms that represent the key points of 17 types of news events. We discuss the benefits of computer-understandable news and present the NewsExtract program for converting text news stories into NewsForms.


Fire is a key ecological process in several biomes worldwide. Over recent decades, human activities (e.g. rural abandonment, monoculture plantations) and global warming are magnifying the risk of fire, with changes in fire intensity and frequency. Here, we offer the first study that examines the impact of fire on the spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca living in a native cork oak forest and pine plantation in north-western Africa. A total of 44 transects (22 burnt and 22 unburnt) were sampled at 8 sites affected by fires of natural cork oak forest and pine plantation with 8 surveys per site in 2015–2017 (264 hours of sampling effort). Tortoise densities were estimated with line-transect distance sampling. The detection probability of tortoises was higher in burnt (0.915) than unburnt (0.474) transects. The density of tortoises was negatively associated with elevation and declined with fire by c. 50% in both forest types. The negative response of T. graeca to fire should be considered in conservation planning of this species in north-western Africa in a future scenario of changes in fire regime.


The adoption by the Accounting Standards Board of its Statement of Principles for Financial Reporting in December 1999 means that we now have an authoritative conceptual framework which should govern the production of British financial statements. Yet while the text of the Statement is directed at members of the accounting profession, students of accounting will need to understand the framework and its repercussions. An Introduction to Modern Financial Reporting Theory explains the content of the Statement in an accessible language, specifically for the student of accounting and finance. This text will be of direct and practical interest to students who need to understand the contents of the new framework, which helps to explain: why and how financial reporting is carried out; why financial statements are prepared in the way that they are; why accounting standards specify one method rather than another; how the methods specified by accounting standards relate to each other; how practice has developed and will continue to develop.Brian Rutherford emphasizes and enlarges on the key features of the framework, provides many more examples, shows how the framework applies in practice and also offers some criticisms of its content. The book clarifies to students why various methods and practices in accounting have evolved, while illustrating how they relate to each other and to the underlying function of financial reporting. This text will be essential reading on university and professional courses in advanced financial accounting, particularly courses on Accounting Theory and Financial Reporting. Brian Rutherford is Professor of Accounting at Canterbury Business School, University Kent at Canterbury.


Abstract. Very short-lived halocarbons (VSLH) such as CH3I, CH2Br2 and CHBr3 provide an important source of reactive halogens to the atmosphere, however high spatial and seasonal variability in their ambient mixing ratios and sea-air fluxes gives rise to considerable uncertainty in global scale emission estimates. One solution to improve global flux estimates is to combine the multitude of individually published datasets to produce a database of collated global halocarbon observations. Some progress towards this has already been achieved through the HalOcAt (Halocarbons in the Ocean and Atmosphere) database initiative, but the absence of a common calibration scale for very short-lived halocarbons makes it difficult to distinguish true environmental variations from artefacts arising from differences between calibration methodologies. As such, the lack of inter-calibrations for both air and seawater measurements of very short-lived halocarbons has been identified as a major limitation to current estimations of the global scale impact of these reactive trace gases. Here we present the key findings from the first national UK inter-laboratory comparison for calibrations of the halocarbons CH3I, CH2Br2 and CHBr3. The aim of this inter-calibration was to provide transparency between halocarbon calibrations from major UK research institutions, an important step towards enabling all measurements from these institutions to be treated as one coherent integrated dataset for global source term parameterisations.


Gd123 bulk superconductor is one of the promising magnet materials. We studied the materials processing to grow high performance magnet with a doping of nano-sized metal oxides such as ZrO2 as a candidature of pinning centre. The enhancement of the critical current density was obtained. Growth of nano-sized particles of Gd211 in addition to BaZrO3 were observed by TEM. The formation of nano-sized particles appears a key to improve the integrated flux trapped inside the bulks and the TEM reveals an intriguing effect of the addition to the microstructure of bulk materials. Magnetization process is crucial especially for an extended machinery. Pulsed field magnetization was applied to the field-pole bulk on the rotor disk of the tested synchronous motor. The trapped flux density of 1.3 T for Gd123 bulk sample and of 60 mm diameter was reached in the limited dimension of the tested motor by a step cooling method down to 38 K with a closed-cycle condensed neon. The pulsed magnetic field was applied with a new type of split-armature coil. A large bulk of 140 mm diameter has also shown a potential flux trapping superior to other smaller specimens. The bulk magnet provides a strong magnetic field around the bulk body itself with high current density relative to a coil winding. A comparative drawing of a "torque density" of a variety of motors which is defined as the torque divided by the volume of the motor indicates a potential advantage of bulk motor as a super permanent magnet motor.


Cooperatives are especially important in current agri-food markets. These companies have responded to the current demand requirements with greater market orientation strategies to attract and satisfy customers. To do so, cooperatives have adopted different collaboration alternatives. In Spain, the most common alliance between cooperatives is materialised in second-level cooperatives, which are cooperatives integrated by at least two first-level cooperatives. The aim of this study was to analyse the interaction effects between first- and second level agri-food cooperatives on their productive growth and its components. To get this purpose, a Cobb-Douglas specification with spatial econometrics techniques was applied to evaluate this relationship. We included a spatial connectivity matrix to establish the interconnection among cooperatives of first- and second-level. Our results show a positive interaction effect highlighting the importance of these alliances on the productivity growth in the agri-food sector. The scarce amount of empirical papers explaining how second-level cooperatives influence the performance of first-level cooperatives shows the relevance of our study.


The estimated prevalence of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) worldwide is approximately 25%. However, the real prevalence of NAFLD and the associated disorders is unknown mainly because reliable and applicable diagnostic tests are lacking. This is further complicated by the lack of consensus on the terminology of different entities such as NAFLD or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Although assessing fatty infiltration in the liver is simple by ultrasound, the gold standard for the assessment of fibrosis, the only marker of progression towards more severe liver disease is still liver biopsy. Although other non‐invasive tests have been proposed, they must still be validated in large series. Because NAFL/NAFLD/NASH and related metabolic diseases represent an economic burden, finding an inexpensive method to diagnose and stage fatty liver is a priority. A translational approach with the use of cell and/or animal models could help to reach this goal.


The Southern Alps, where sheep farming is highly prevalent, is specific to the mountains of the Mediterranean region and, consequently, is in sharp contrast with the Northern Alps. The age-old practice of pastoralism that has shaped the landscapes and human societies has existed for thousands of years, questioning the emergence of the concept of naturality linked to this region. Nevertheless, the perception of the durability of an activity seen as traditional should not obscure the extent of changes that have had an impact on it in the past. In light of this, there is much to learn from the comparison between the major upheaval that affected pastoral farming at the end of the 19th century, and the current process of change whose outcome is not yet known. In both cases, changes in public policies and markets, as well as the emergence of new environmental stakes have determined or are in the processes of determining the future of pastoral farming. Faced with society's increasingly specific but sometimes contradictory expectations, the types of livestock farming widely used in pastoral areas thus appear to be the best adapted to propose "natural" and local products, but the most vulnerable as well in view of the establishment of a large population of wolves. This contradiction is indicative of the shock of values between two societal projects for abandoned land, the first, heir to a rural tradition that is responsible for maintaining a human presence in the mountains, and the second, the vector of a "naturality" based on the reconstitution of ecological pyramids.


Background Depression is a burdensome, recurring mental health disorder with high prevalence. Even in developed countries, patients have to wait for several months to receive treatment. In many parts of the world there is only one mental health professional for over 200 people. Smartphones are ubiquitous and have a large complement of sensors that can potentially be useful in monitoring behavioral patterns that might be indicative of depressive symptoms and providing context-sensitive intervention support. Objective The objective of this study is 2-fold, first to explore the detection of daily-life behavior based on sensor information to identify subjects with a clinically meaningful depression level, second to explore the potential of context sensitive intervention delivery to provide in-situ support for people with depressive symptoms. Methods A total of 126 adults (age 20-57) were recruited to use the smartphone app Mobile Sensing and Support (MOSS), collecting context-sensitive sensor information and providing just-in-time interventions derived from cognitive behavior therapy. Real-time learning-systems were deployed to adapt to each subject's preferences to optimize recommendations with respect to time, location, and personal preference. Biweekly, participants were asked to complete a self-reported depression survey (PHQ-9) to track symptom progression. Wilcoxon tests were conducted to compare scores before and after intervention. Correlation analysis was used to test the relationship between adherence and change in PHQ-9. One hundred twenty features were constructed based on smartphone usage and sensors including accelerometer, Wifi, and global positioning systems (GPS). Machine-learning models used these features to infer behavior and context for PHQ-9 level prediction and tailored intervention delivery. Results A total of 36 subjects used MOSS for ≥2 weeks. For subjects with clinical depression (PHQ-9≥11) at baseline and adherence ≥8 weeks (n=12), a significant drop in PHQ-9 was observed (P=.01). This group showed a negative trend between adherence and change in PHQ-9 scores (rho=−.498, P=.099). Binary classification performance for biweekly PHQ-9 samples (n=143), with a cutoff of PHQ-9≥11, based on Random Forest and Support Vector Machine leave-one-out cross validation resulted in 60.1% and 59.1% accuracy, respectively. Conclusions Proxies for social and physical behavior derived from smartphone sensor data was successfully deployed to deliver context-sensitive and personalized interventions to people with depressive symptoms. Subjects who used the app for an extended period of time showed significant reduction in self-reported symptom severity. Nonlinear classification models trained on features extracted from smartphone sensor data including Wifi, accelerometer, GPS, and phone use, demonstrated a proof of concept for the detection of depression superior to random classification. While findings of effectiveness must be reproduced in a RCT to proof causation, they pave the way for a new generation of digital health interventions leveraging smartphone sensors to provide context sensitive information for in-situ support and unobtrusive monitoring of critical mental health states.


Anthropogenic noise negatively impacts many species. One of the more insidious effects of elevated noise levels is the reduction in area over which animals are able to acoustically communicate, often termed communication masking. This study utilizes modeling approaches to evaluate relative levels of masking for 4 baleen whale species from the combination of current ambient noise conditions and noise from discrete vessels operating in the Stellwagen Bank Nat ional Marine Sanctuary. Acoustic data were collected using bottom-mounted autonomous recorders. One day was analyzed for each of 5 different species-specific sound types, corresponding to peaks in occurrence of fin and humpback whale songs, humpback whale social sounds, minke whale pulse trains and North Atlantic right whale gunshots. Source levels for animals and 3 categories of vessels were calculated empirically; sound propagation was modeled using Bellhop ray tracing. An agent-based modeling framework was used to calculate changes in communication space (CS) in comparison to reference conditions (10 dB lower than current ambient noise). In these singleday snapshots, current ambient noise and noise from vessels for which automatic identification system (AIS) data were available contribute most heavily to loss of CS, followed by whale-watching and fishing vessels. Right whale gunshots experience the least amount of masking, while fin, humpback and minke whale signals experience masking levels of 80% or more. While these results incorporate several simplifying assumptions, this study further develops the framework by which to comparatively quantify masking, providing information on the relative degree of masking experienced between species and allowing for important insights on the relative contributions of different anthropogenic sound sources.


1. Type-specific antipneumococcus immunity has been induced in rabbits by immunization with antigen prepared by combining a specific derivative of the capsular polysaccharide of Type III Pneumococcus with globulin from horse serum. 2. Rabbits immunized with this antigen acquire active immunity against infection with virulent Type III pneumococci. 3. The sera of the immune rabbits contain type-specific antibodies which precipitate the Type III capsular polysaccharide, agglutinate Type III pneumococci, and specifically protect mice against Type III infection. 4. The experimental data are discussed with reference to: (1) the concurrence in the immune sera of type-specific antibodies for Pneumococcus and precipitins for horse globulin; (2) the determining influence of the capsular polysaccharide on the specificity of the antigen as a whole; (3) the unity of the type-specific precipitins, agglutinins, and protective antibodies induced by a single compo of the pneu mococcus in chemical union with an unrelated, animal protein.


The relaxation of a collisionless plasma is not regulated by the usual collisional Boltzmann equation and its related H-theorem. The interactions are long range and the collisions are not instantaneous. A direct simulation approach is presented for measuring by computer experiment what the relaxed distribution is. The conclusion of the analysis is that the relaxed distribution includes both a low energy component that is well described using the usual Boltzmann distribution and a high energy tail described using a power law. The results of the simulation study are compared directly with the model recently proposed by Kaniadakis (2002 Phys. Rev. E 66 056125). The observed cumulative distribution function is well reproduced by the theory.


The thesis examines the social basis of the property and
contractual relations of social groups in German East Africa. Chapter 1 oonsiders property relations arising principally from the labour of the producer. Social groups characterised by a communal mode of production are subdivided into shifting and stable sub-forms. In the first form, production units comprise production communities and family work-teams. In contrast to Meillassoux's study of the Guro, property relations are realised atthe level of the work-team. Land tenure in the two sub-forms differs, reflecting distinct practices in agriculture and labour organisation. Chapter 2 examines property relations arising from the direct appropriation of surplus labour by non-producers. Tributary and feudal modes of production are distinguished. Forms of tribute are examined. The 'bundle of rights' concept and Honore's theory of ownership are criticised. Chapter 3 concerns the social dissolution of the two previous forms of property due to the growth of commodity relations. Forms of sale, lease and mortgage are examined. The notion of 'absolute title' is analysed and comparisons with English Law made. Chapter 4 is a theoretical study of forms of exchange and corresponding legal relations. Chapter 5 applies aspects of the theory to contracts in East Africa. Contracts were generally not enforced. The significant point in the emergence of a law of contract was in debt relations. Generally loans were made without interest. In this case there is no distinction between restitution and enforcement of a promise. Instances of charging of interest are found where trade was developed. The Islamic rule against usury was found on the coast, but numerous exceptions developed. The enforcement of interest necessarily implies the enforcement of a promise and hence the emergence of a law of contract.


Indoor air pollution has become a serious issue in affecting public health. Since poor IAQ is considered unhealthy as it causes eye irritation, loss of ability to concentrate and even sickness (Sick Building Syndrome), an indoor air quality monitoring system helps in the detection and improvement of indoor air quality. Tightening of building envelopes, reduction of ventilation rates, use of building materials and techniques with unknown consequences and reliance on technology may significantly diminish the quality of indoor air. Hence, there is a significant need in IAQ research. In this project, an impact of HVAC system on IAQ has been studied. For this study, Prajay constructions syndicate Ltd., head office at Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, a commercial office building which is centrally Air-Conditioned is selected. This research study involved taking the parametric measurements like temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide levels at different locations of each floor which are the key parameters to decide the IAQ in the space with the help of CO2 measuring meter. This study also involves a Questionnaire of the Building Occupants to know their comfort levels with the building indoor environment. Moreover at the end, a checklist for HVAC systems is also added and recommendations are suggested at the end of the report Keywords— Indoor Air Quality, HVAC System, Building Environment, Sick Building Syndrome, Ventilation


OBJECTIVE. We describe the development of a questionnaire, Participation in Activities and Places Outside Home (ACT–OUT), for older adults with cognitive impairment and align it to people with mild- to moderate-stage dementia. METHOD. ACT–OUT was developed in a cross-cultural collaboration in combination with three rounds of cognitive interviews in Switzerland with 26 older adults without cognitive impairment and five older adults with dementia. Qualitative data from the interviews were analyzed using a constant comparison approach. RESULTS. The final ACT–OUT Version 1.0 consists of three parts: (1) questions targeting places older adults visit; (2) questions on aspects influencing participation, such as transportation, familiarity, and risk perception; and (3) questions on perception of self. CONCLUSION. The development of an instrument such as ACT–OUT is more a cyclical than a linear process. This study is a first step toward a more systematic evaluation of out-of-home participation among older adults with and without dementia.


The use of hydrogen storage tanks at 100% of nominal working pressure (NWP) is expected only after refuelling. Driving between refuellings is characterised by the state of charge SoC <100%. There is experimental evidence that Type IV tanks tested in a fire at initial pressures below 1/3 NWP, leaked without rupture. This paper aims at understanding this phenomenon. The numerical research has demonstrated that the heat transfer from fire through the composite overwrap at storage pressures below NWP/3 is sufficient to melt the polymer liner. This melting initiates hydrogen microleaks through the composite before it loses the load-bearing ability. The fire-resistance rating (FRR) is defined as the time to rupture in a fire of a tank without or with blocked thermally activated pressure relief device. The dependence of a FRR on the SoC is demonstrated for the tanks with defined material properties and volumes in the range of 36–244 L. A composite wall thickness variation is shown to cause a safety issue by reducing the tank's FRR and is suggested to be addressed by tank manufacturers and OEMs. The effect of a tank's burst pressure ratio on the FRR is investigated. Thermal parameters of the composite wall, i.e., decomposition heat and temperatures, are shown in simulations of a tank failure in a fire to play an important role in its FRR.


Planting loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) outside the natural range or at higher elevations than it normally occurs negatively impacts its survival, growth rate, and wood quality. Cold acclimation in loblolly pine appears to be more influenced by temperature compared to photoperiod. Also, there is interest in examining if inter-provenance hybridization can combine both fast growth and cold hardiness in commercial populations (Alizoti et al. 2006). Seedling growth differences of first-year of Atlantic Coastal and Piedmont provenances of loblolly pine and their hybrids in an outdoor environment in North Carolina were reported by Kegley et al. (2004). These results were verified at four years, when height and volume were assessed in five Piedmont regions (Alizoti et al. 2006). However, it was not confirmed that the hybrid populations would exhibit acceptable cold hardiness. The objective of this study was to evaluate differences in cold hardiness between one year-old seedlings of Atlantic Coastal sources, Piedmont sources, and their hybrids, after artificial freezing.


Tools that provide evidence of whether or not the structure of a container have been tampered with are important for a number of applications. The problem of providing evidence of tamper has many similarities with the structural health monitoring (SHM) problem. As a result, techniques developed by the structural health monitoring community have potential to help address the problem of determining whether or not a structure has been tampered with by an adversary. The difference between SHM and detecting structural tampering is that the former deals with structures damaged by environmental and\or loads effects, while the latter deals with damage intentionally induced in a structure. Detecting structural tampering is complicated by the fact that a determined attacker can adopt a series of measures to recover the status ante quo. The challenge is to find unique features which are irreversibly modified during the attack despite attempts by the attacker to return the structure to its nominal initial condition. Furthermore, these features cannot be overly sensitive to benign environmental changes that cannot be accounted for. The authors explore the use of impedance-based online structure tampering detection technique. The variations of the impedance signature are monitored near one of the bolts used to seal a lid to the top of a box in order to assess if the structure has been tempered with. This study is performed by applying high-frequency structural excitations through surface-bonded piezoelectric transducers, and measuring the output impedances. For the specific problem under investigation, the challenge is represented by the need to separate a tampering attack not only from environmental modifications, but also from any damage's onset and evolution which the structure can experience throughout its life. doi: 10.12783/SHM2015/93


The line of inquiry on evolutionary learning communities (ELCs) to promote evolutionary development (ED) seeks to identify the conditions by which people can self-organize to learn, design and implement actions that will improve their quality of life and their socio-ecological milieu. In the Fall of 2007, the Universal Forum of Cultures took place in the city of Monterrey, Mexico. This UNESCO sponsored world event offered an opportunity to implement an evolutionary learning community with local citizens to bridge the knowledge of the Forum with the sustainable development needs of the local community. Over two hundred citizens responded to the call to join the "Leaders of Change" initiative. The ELC was conceived as a group of potential social entrepreneurs who came together to learn, identify possibilities, and support each other in the development of projects to translate their vision into action. This article reports on the design, process, and outcomes of the 8 month action-research project as well as the outcomes, reflections from the experience and implications for future research.


THE SCOPE OF THIS BRIEF ARTICLE is limited to the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport and the response of the international sport community to such use. It does not extend to the so-called recreational or hard drugs, except insofar as they may specifically be included in the rules of particular sports at the international level. The scope is further restricted to those sports and organizations within what has come to be known as the Olympic movement.CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKSport is a consensual activity, entered into by individuals of their own free will, governed by agreed-upon rules. The rules relate to all aspects of the sporting activity, including the definition of the sport, its rules of play, field of play, nature of the equipment used, age and weight limits for certain sports, and generally all matters germane to the practice of the sport. Of particular interest in this article is the subset of those rules that relate to doping in sport.Sport occurs within society as a whole. Therefore, the laws of the land pertaining to the use of certain substances or procedures that are regulated, civilly or criminally, necessarily have primacy over the rules of sport agreed to privately. In the tradition of most democratic countries, however, when there are no applicable public laws restricting the actions of individuals, those individuals are free to act as they wish. They may also associate with others and agree to their respective conduct among themselves, including applicable sanctions in the event that conduct to which all agreed is breached. They may form associations to organize their sport relationships - locally, nationally, and internationally. That is how sport has been organized on a worldwide basis.DRUG USE IN SPORTUnfortunately, in sport, as in other social activities in which rules of conduct or of law have been established, there has always been some element of cheating. Again as in other elements of society, sport has adopted a combination of education and sanctions to promote compliance with its rules. Just as in society at large, in sport, too, penalties, suspensions, forfeitures of games and events, and all the other sanctions with which we are familiar have been adopted for behaviour that does not comply with established rules and norms. And in sport, too, the sanctions are graduated, depending upon the severity of the breach and the nature of the particular rule.The focus of this article is the involvement of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the evolution of 'anti-doping' rules and the procedures for their enforcement.The IOC was established more than a century ago, in 1894, to renovate the Olympic Games conceived in ancient Greece. It has co-ordinated and supervised the Olympic movement ever since and has stimulated the development of sport on an international basis until some 200 countries now participate in the Games. It is a remarkable achievement, and the Games have become the most important sports event in the world today.The IOC is a non-governmental organization (NGO) consisting of approximately 115 members who act, on a voluntary basis, as trustees of the Olympic movement. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, and it is organized as an association with legal personality under Swiss law. A permanent staff of slightly more than 100 employees is responsible for its activities and relationships, which are governed by the terms of the Olympic charter. The IOC operates, in a manner akin to governments, by 'recognizing' the international sports federations (IFs) that govern particular sports and the national Olympic committees (NOCs) that agree to subscribe to and be bound by the provisions of the Olympic charter. The responsibilities of NOCs are, inter alia, to promote the Olympic movement within their respective territories and to select the athletes from those territories to participate in the Olympic Games.In addition to the matters for which it is directly responsible (including the granting of recognition referred to above and the choice of sports on the Olympic programme and sites for Olympic Games), the IOC exercises a co-ordinating role within the Olympic movement. …


T he purpose and procedure section in each issue of Evidence-Based Medicine describes the criteria for selecting articles for inclusion. The journals read are also listed in each issue. All articles that meet our criteria in the reviewed journals are cited in Evidence-Based Medicine, but there is not enough space to abstract them all. The following articles passed all criteria but were not abstracted. Practising clinicians rated them for clinical relevance and newsworthiness, and the mean scores are displayed. A fuller list of articles and a sample of the rating form are available on the Evidence-Based Medicine web site (www.evidence-basedmedicine.com/cgi/content/full/10/6/e1).


ABSTRACT Despite the plethora of genetic tools that have been developed for use in Streptococcus mutans, the S. mutans genetic system still lacks an effective gene induction system exhibiting low basal expression and strong inducibility. Consequently, we created two hybrid gene induction cassettes referred to as Xyl-S1 and Xyl-S2. Both Xyl-S cassettes are xylose inducible and controlled by the Bacillus megaterium xylose repressor. The Xyl-S cassettes each demonstrated >600-fold-increased reporter activity in the presence of 1.2% (wt/vol) xylose. However, the Xyl-S1 cassette yielded a much higher maximum level of gene expression, whereas the Xyl-S2 cassette exhibited much lower uninduced basal expression. The cassettes also performed similarly in Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus gordonii, which suggests that they are likely to be useful in a variety of streptococci. We demonstrate how both Xyl-S cassettes are particularly useful for the study of toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules using both the previously characterized S. mutans mazEF TA module and a previously uncharacterized HicAB TA module in S. mutans. HicAB TA modules are widely distributed among bacteria and archaea, but little is known about their function. We show that HicA serves as the toxin component of the module, while HicB serves as the antitoxin. Our results suggest that, in contrast to that of typical TA modules, HicA toxicity in S. mutans is modest at best. The implications of these results for HicAB function are discussed.


We study changes in deposit and cash holdings by households following the 2013 banking crisis in Cyprus. During this crisis the two largest banks in the country were resolved involving a bail-in of uninsured depositors and debt holders. Our analysis is based on anonymized survey data covering households with differential exposures to the resolved banks: uninsured deposits, subordinated debt and equity holdings. In line with the portfolio theory of money demand, we find that in the intermediate aftermath of the crisis households significantly reduced their holding of bank deposits and increased their cash holdings. This flight to cash was much stronger for clients which experienced a bail-in of deposits or subordinated debt than for households which held equity in the resolved banks or did not suffer any financial loss. In the medium term, however, there was no difference in depositor confidence or money holdings between households which suffered a bail-in and those which did not.


Title of dissertation: LEXICAL FEATURES FOR STATISTICAL MACHINE TRANSLATION Jacob Devlin, Master of Science, 2009 Dissertation directed by: Professor Bonnie Dorr Department of Computer Science In modern phrasal and hierarchical statistical machine translation systems, two major features model translation: rule translation probabilities and lexical smoothing scores. The rule translation probabilities are computed as maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) of an entire source (or target) phrase translating to a target (or source) phrase. The lexical smoothing scores are also a likelihood estimate of a source (target) phrase translating to a target (source) phrase, but they are computed using independent word-to-word translation probabilities. Intuitively, it would seem that the lexical smoothing score is a less powerful estimate of translation likelihood due to this independence assumption, but I present the somewhat surprising result that lexical smoothing is far more important to the quality of a state-of-the-art hierarchical SMT system than rule translation probabilities. I posit that this is due to a fundamental data sparsity problem: The average word-to-word translation is seen many more times than the average phrase-to-phrase translation, so the wordto-word translation probabilities (or lexical probabilities) are far better estimated. Motivated by this result, I present a number of novel methods for modifying the lexical probabilities to improve the quality of our MT output. First, I examine two methods of lexical probability biasing, where for each test document, a set of secondary lexical probabilities are extracted and interpolated with the primary lexical probability distribution. Biasing each document with the probabilities extracted from its own first-pass decoding output provides a small but consistent gain of about 0.4 BLEU. Second, I contextualize the lexical probabilities by factoring in additional information such as the previous or next word. The key to the success of this contextdependent lexical smoothing is a backoff model, where our "trust" of a contextdependent probability estimation is directly proportional to how many times it was seen in the training. In this way, I avoid the estimation problem seen in translation rules, where the amount of context is high but the probability estimation is inaccurate. When using the surrounding words as context, this feature provides a gain of about 0.6 BLEU on Arabic and Chinese. Finally, I describe several types of discriminatively trained lexical features, along with a new optimization procedure called Expected-BLEU optimization. This new optimization procedure is able to robustly estimate weights for thousands of decoding features, which can in effect discriminatively optimize a set of lexical probabilities to maximize BLEU. I also describe two other discriminative feature types, one of which is the part-of-speech analogue to lexical probabilities, and the other of which estimates training corpus weights based on lexical translations. The discriminative features produce a gain of 0.8 BLEU on Arabic and 0.4 BLEU on Chinese. LEXICAL FEATURES FOR STATISTICAL MACHINE TRANSLATION


In my work, I investigate how to ubiquitize healthcare by moving the process of diagnosis closer to the patient. In order to enable the transition towards doctors and ultimately patients, I am working on ways to design biochips that can be operated at the level of expertise of doctors and patients. I design and fabricate novel biochip hardware (recently adopted by researchers at universities like MIT and the University of Washington), write system-level software (real-time compilation and fault-tolerant synthesis), and am currently developing a user-facing system that allows users to edit bio-protocol interactively.


During the Late Cretaceous to early Cenozoic, southern California was impacted by two anomalous tectonic events: (1) underplating of the oceanic Pelona-Orocopia-Rand schists beneath North American arc crust and craton; and (2) removal of the western margin of the arc and inner part of the forearc basin along the Nacimiento fault. The Pelona-Orocopia-Rand schists crop out along a belt extending from the southern Sierra Nevada to southwestern Arizona. Protolith and emplacement ages decrease from >90 Ma in the northwest to <60 Ma in the southeast. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages imply that metasandstones in the older schists originated primarily from the western belt of the Sierran–Peninsular Ranges arc. Younger units were apparently derived by erosion of progressively more inboard regions, including the southwestern edge of the North American craton. The oldest Pelona-OrocopiaRand schists overlap in age and provenance with the youngest part of the Catalina Schist of the southern California inner continental borderland, suggesting that the two units are broadly correlative. The Pelona-OrocopiaRand-Catalina schists, in turn, share a common provenance with forearc sequences of southern California and the associated Salinian and Nacimiento blocks of the central Coast Ranges. This observation is most readily explained if the schists were derived from trench sediments complementary to the forearc basin. The schists and forearc units are inferred to record an evolution from normal subduction prior to the early Late Cretaceous to fl at subduction extending into the early Cenozoic. The transition from outboard to inboard sediment sources appears to have coincided with removal of arc and forearc terranes along the Nacimiento fault, which most likely involved either thrusting or sinistral strike slip. The strike-slip interpretation has not been widely accepted but can be understood in terms of tectonic escape driven by subduction of an aseismic ridge, and it provides a compelling explanation for the progressively younger ages of the PelonaOrocopia-Rand schists from northwest to southeast.


BACKGROUND: Exposure to cultural diversity is important in medical education in order to produce global leaders with multicultural sensitivity and communicative competency. E-learning platforms allow learners from different geographic regions and cultures to form learning communities, thus exposing students to a culturally diverse learning environment. This study explores the use of an e-learning platform that allows students and facilitators with different cultural backgrounds to collaborate in PBL centered activities that pertain to communicating bad news. METHODS: Four medical students (two from Canada and two from Hong Kong) took part voluntarily. Two one-hour PBL sessions were conducted (in English) on a web-conferencing programme called Adobe Connect Pro. These two sessions were each facilitated by an experienced PBL facilitator from Hong Kong and Canada respectively. An expert in PBL facilitation was also involved in these two sessions, but was not visible to the students. Preand post tests were conducted to 1) check students' motivation in learning, 2) test their knowledge about how to communicate bad news to a patient by watching an online video clip,3) allow students to practice communicating bad news with standardized patients, and 4) allow students to reflect on their performance. Data sources included transcript of the PBL sessions, chat logs, and focus group transcripts. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Despite some technical issues such as time delay in the audiovisual signals, students were highly engaged in the PBL discussions. We showed that it was possible to engage students and facilitators with different cultural backgrounds in a common PBL session through the use of technology. In the PBL sessions, students explicitly discussed cultural differences in handling sensitive healthcare issues such as communicating bad news.


This text provides a balanced introduction to production operations management, combining managerial issues with technical tools and quantitative applications, and emphasizing practical applications in actual organizations throughout the text. This edition emphasizes quality, international issues, competitiveness, and service organizations. The author, an examiner for the Baldrige National Quality Award, integrates core concepts underlying award criteria throughout the text. New chapters address the scope of performance measurement in operations as well as fundamental issues of quality control and process improvement. Other new or expanded material on quality and manufacturing in strategic planning, quality function deployment, teamwork, push and pull distribution systems, and constraint management aims to assure complete, timely coverage. Quantitative chapters now include a section of solved problems for better understanding of techniques. Flexible organization allows instructors to either focus on broad managerial issues of POM or emphasize quantitative techniques and management-science applications.


We solve a class of optimization problems for (phylogenetic) $X$-trees or their shapes. These problems have recently appeared in different contexts, e.g. in the context of the impact of tree shapes on the size of TBR neighborhoods, but so far these problems have not been characterized and solved in a systematic way. In this work we generalize the concept and also present several applications. Moreover, our results give rise to a nice notion of balance for trees. Unsurprisingly, so-called caterpillars are the most unbalanced tree shapes, but it turns out that balanced tree shapes cannot be described so easily as they need not even be unique.


BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of individuals are choosing to opt out of population-based sampling frames due to privacy concerns. This is especially a problem in the selection of controls for case-control studies, as the cases often arise from relatively complete population-based registries, while control selection requires a sampling frame. If opt-out is also related to risk factors, bias can arise. METHODS: We linked breast cancer cases who reported having a valid driver's license from the 2004-2008 Wisconsin Women's Health Study (N=2,988) with a master-list of licensed drivers from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDOT). This master-list excludes Wisconsin drivers that requested their information not be sold by the state. Multivariate adjusted selection probability ratios (SPR) were calculated to estimate potential bias when using this driver's license sampling frame to select controls. . RESULTS: A total of 962 cases (32%) had opted out of the WDOT sampling frame. Cases age < 40 (SPR=0.90), income either unreported (SPR=0.89) or greater than $50,000 (SPR=0.94), lower parity (SPR=0.96 per 1-child decrease), and hormone use (SPR=0.93) were significantly less likely to be covered by the WDOT sampling frame ( α =.05 level). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate the potential for selection bias due to differential opt-out between various demographic and behavioral subgroups of controls. As selection bias may differ by exposure and study base, the assessment of potential bias needs to be ongoing. IMPACT: Selection probability ratios can be used to predict the direction of bias when cases and controls stem from different sampling frames in population-based case-control studies.


Machine learning systems can provide outstanding results, but their black-box nature means that it's hard to understand how the conclusion has been reached. Understanding how the results are determined is especially important in military and security contexts due to the importance of the decisions that may be made as a result. In this work, the reliability of LIME (Local Interpretable Model Agnostic Explanations), a method of interpretability, was analyzed and developed. A simple Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model was trained using two classes of images of "gun-wielder" and "non-wielder". The sensitivity of LIME improved when multiple output weights for individual images were averaged and visualized. The resultant averaged images were compared to the individual images to analyze the variability and reliability of the two LIME methods. Without techniques such as those explored in this paper, LIME appears to be unstable because of the simple binary coloring and the ease with which colored regions flip when comparing different analyses. A closer inspection reveals that the significantly weighted regions are consistent, and the lower weighted regions flip states due to inherent randomness of the method. This suggests that improving the weighting methods for explanation techniques, which can then be used in the visualization of the results, is important to improve perceived stability and therefore better enable human interpretation and trust.


Purpose: The study aims to summarize the level of knowledge and to correlate published material regarding banking business models. A second aim is to answer the question if European countries have different banking business models, especially in countries that have adopted euro currency and countries that have not adopted it yet. Design/Methodology/Approach: We consider the Liikanen report (2012) and we performed a literature review ex-ante and ex-post above this report using selective criteria. In addition we have completed a study case comparing performance and efficiency indicators (ROE, ROA, and CIR) and profit sources (Net interest income, total operating income, net fee and commission to total operating income, trading income to total operating income) of the banking system from European Union countries correlating the results with the business model terminology. Findings: From the literature review, we observe that it is a consentient view that the retail banking business model, based on traditional funding, is one of the most reliable business models during a financial crisis. Moreover, the reviewed studies empirically proved that the banks that migrate to retail business model from another business model improved their efficiency and profitability. We concluded that the countries that are out of the monetary union and are in the emerging economy stage along with the countries that are in the cluster of late monetary union have retail banking models and are the most efficient. Practical Implications: An analytical appraisal of the published material completed with the practical study case regarding EU banking systems is paramount for a future quantitative research study. Originality/Value: The literature review is valuable both for future researches and for managerial perspective regarding banking business model appraisal.


Failure is a phenomenon that ventures face during all stages of the life cycle and requires insight into its causes before it can be reversed. The scientific literature on failure is, however, spread over multiple disciplines. This study's line of enquiry firstly reviews the documented research (both theoretical and empirical) encompassing the phenomenon 'business failure' on a multi-disciplinary basis. A conceptual framework is then proposed for categorising variables into four sub-domains namely: signs and prediction; causes and preconditions; recovery; and cognition and learning. Better understanding of the failure phenomenon is achieved. The methodology applied is fundamentally based on grounded theory interpretation with a focus on classifying the identified relevant variables.


The Australian Museum (AM) Mammal Collection represents one of the most significant world collections from the Australo-Pacific region, with over 50,000 mammal specimens of some 650 species from the region. The Collection contains about 882 primary (name bearing) and secondary mammal type specimens, representing 210 proposed names (species and subspecies), 124 of which are currently recognized as valid taxa. All are of taxa originating from the Australian region, Indonesia, Melanesia and the south-west Pacific. The 205 primary type specimens comprise 145 holotype specimens (on which 149 names are based), seven lectotypes, two neotypes; 33 syntypes of 18 taxa; and 18 specimens suspected to be syntypes of 11 taxa. Primary type material of the 185 named taxa represent 4 monotremes, 62 marsupials, 2 canids, 9 cetaceans, 68 rodents and 40 bats. The 677 secondary type specimens comprise 659 paratypes, 15 paralectotypes, and three suspected paralectotypes. This is the first published list of non-fossil mammal types in the AM Collection since the publication of Krefft's catalogue in 1864. Individual accounts are presented discussing type status of 233 taxa by their originally proposed names, which includes taxa for which the type series has not been located since publication of the name. Registration data are given, with additional information not included in the published description, along with new information on many taxa proposed in the 19th century. Photographs of the primary type specimens of 43 taxa are provided, many of which are the first published images. New insights and a summary of current information is given for 14 taxa for which type material has not been located in world collections but we believe might have originally been lodged in the AM. Type material of seven taxa named by Krefft, Gray and Ramsay (all suspected junior synonyms), were identified in the AM Collection and are reported here for the first time since their original publication. These are: holotypes of Canis familiaris var. papuensis Ramsay, 1879, and Macleayius australiensis Gray, 1865 (= Eubalaena australis (Desmoulins, 1822)); syntypes of Pteropus rufus Ramsay, 1891 (= Pteropus neohibernicus Peters, 1876), Cuscus chrysorrhous var. goldiei Ramsay, 1877 (= Spilocuscus maculatus goldiei (Ramsay, 1877)), and Antechinus allanii Krefft, 1872 (= Antechinus cf. stuartii Macleay, 1841); and suspected syntypes of Halmaturus mastersii Krefft, 1871 (= Wallabia bicolor mastersii), and Phascolomys assimilis Krefft, 1872 (= Vombatus ursinus (Shaw, 1800)). The registration numbers of likely syntypes of two forgotten names, Antechinus brevicaudatus Krefft, 1872 (= ?Antechinus spp.), and Phalangista rufescens Krefft, 1872 (= Trichosurus spp.) have been located in the old specimen registers, the specimens have not yet been found in the Collection. The type series of many taxa proposed by Krefft and Ramsay are not fully defined and syntypes could remain unrecognized in the many institutions to which they extensively exchanged specimens during the 19th century. No nomenclatural actions are taken in this paper. *


Taking as an example Xi Jinping's use of the phrase "excellent traditional culture" (, youxiu chuantong wenhua), this article looks at the construction of a centrally sanctioned narrative of traditional Chinese culture in resources produced within the Party school system. The specific focus of analysis is on how these resources theorise the functionality of traditional culture for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a political organisation, and what culture-based solutions they put forward to tackle the problems with Party theory and ideology, the state governance model, and cadre performance. It is argued that by referencing traditional culture, and, in particular, by drawing on traditional moral virtues, the CCP realigns itself with societal expectations without making concessions over the ideological foundations of the party state.


Introduction The risk of occupationally acquired infections among healthcare workers (HCWs) has been recognized for hundreds of years. Examples include HCWs managing patients with infections and infestations ranging from tuberculosis to scabies. In the past two decades, HCWs have faced an escalated threat of deadly emerging infections such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Avian Influenza, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Ebola. Methods This presentation will cover first-hand experiences gained during the SARS outbreak in 2003 in Singapore. A survey of 15,025 HCWs was conducted in Singapore during the outbreak, to study perceptions of the risk of SARS infection and work-related as well as non-work related problems faced by HCWs as a result of the outbreak. Results Worldwide, over 8,422 cases and 916 deaths were reported from 29 countries, and HCWs comprised 21% of cases. In Singapore, HCWs managed 238 cases of SARS and accounted for about 40% of the cases. A total of 10,511 HCWs in Singapore (70%) responded to the survey. There was fear of the deadly disease and HCWs faced both work as well as non-work related problems as a result of SARS outbreak. Discussion Among the insights gained during the SARS outbreak were the following: SARS was a grim reminder that health care work can be hazardous; the effects of SARS extended beyond the infection, to impact colleagues and families of HCWs; General principles for prevention and infection control were effective against SARS; and SARS posed both a public health and an occupational health threat. Given these perspectives gained and lessons learnt, we should hopefully be better prepared when faced with similar scenarios in the future.


The philosophical and moral foundations of humanity's relationship to the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) have for a long time remained a largely overlooked element of the R2P literature. Whilst more recent scholarship has attempted to close this theoretical gap, it has most often focused on humanity as a moral benchmark in which to measure the current progress of the R2P against. However, what still remains highly contested is the extent to which humanity can in fact provide the significant normative weight and metaphysical heavy lifting for such moral arguments. In response to this lacuna, the thesis focuses on two central questions. Firstly, does the concept of humanity provide a sufficient justification for why states should have a moral responsibility to protect those threatened by mass atrocity crimes? Secondly, to what extent can humanity function as a motivational force able to mobilise states in support of the R2P principle? In addressing these two questions, the thesis provides a more comprehensive understanding of humanity through locating its significant dual function, thus reinforcing the critical role humanity plays in underpinning the moral foundations of the central R2P crimes, as well as challenging the extent to which humanity can also motivate states to act on its behalf. In this sense, the concept of humanity can be best understood as a motivational factor that diminishes in influence as the R2P principle is diffused into action. The thesis therefore provides the foundations for a more intuitive understanding of the complex motivational factors involved in generating collective responses to the threat of mass atrocity crimes. In doing so, it is argued that the ability to fundamentally address the current R2P implementation gap will require an approach that is more reflective of the way humanity interacts with competing moral, legal and political pressures at the global level.


There is currently a need for robust, high‐resolution monitoring techniques to assess and quantify ecosystem dynamics within surface water bodies and their riparian ecosystems. This study presents a cost effective, user‐friendly technique for examining the ecohydrology of stream and river corridors through the use of digital imagery. Using a simple digital camera, we captured hourly images of a small portion of a headwater Appalachian stream and adjacent floodplain. Then, we used pixel classification techniques to evaluate ecohydrologic parameters (e.g., inundation surface area, floodplain wetness, and vegetation dynamics) in each image. Results highlight the episodic nature of river floodplain connectivity, variation in surface wetness across the gradient from river to upland ecosystems, and the seasonal variability of vegetation density and health. To validate the accuracy of image‐based measurements, we then compared inundation area estimates to an existing inundation model and found a high level of agreement (R2 = 0.94; NRMSE = 7.96%). Our study highlights the use of time‐lapse imagery as a robust, cost‐effective method to capture the dynamics of river corridors and associated ecosystem services.


During six riveting months in 2013–2014, Edward Snowden's revelations about the National Security Agency (NSA) poured out from the Washington Post , the New York Times, the Guardian , Germany's Der Spiegel , and Brazil's O Globo , revealing nothing less than the architecture of the U.S. global surveillance apparatus. Despite heavy media coverage and commentary, no one has pointed out the combination of factors that made the NSA's expanding programs to monitor the world seem like such an alluring development for Washington's power elite. The answer is remarkably simple: for an imperial power losing its economic grip on the planet and heading into more austere times, the NSA's latest technological breakthroughs look like a seductive bargain when it comes to projecting power and keeping subordinate allies in line. This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website , where most recent articles are published in full. Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.


Ideology has fallen badly out of fashion. In the study of political violence in particular, it is often pushed to the margins, and there is considerable scepticism over its importance. Yet violent political actors often devote substantial effort to shaping interpretations of their activities, and explanatory models that neglect ideology typically rely on a narrow understanding of the concept and leave important questions about its role unanswered. This thesis interrogates ideology's role in political violence through a rich empirical study of the insurgency that operated in Russia's North Caucasus between 2007 and 2015. It applies Social Movement Theory to unique datasets to understand how movement actors defined the conflicts they were engaged in and sought to persuade others to participate, and how internal and external contexts influenced these ideas. In doing so, it establishes the insurgency as ideologically shallow and weakly integrated, and argues that identity and pragmatism were more central to its ideological vision than specific grievances or goals. This thesis significantly advances our understanding of the insurgency and generates important insights into the role of ideology in political violence more broadly. At the same time, it contributes important methodological innovations to the study of clandestine social movements.


The purpose of this paper is threefold. First is to comment upon the nature of financialisation. Second is to frame how this leads financialisation to be understood whether consciously or otherwise. And, third, is to draw out implications for surveying households as their experiences and understandings of, and reactions to, financialisation without specifically designing a questionnaire itself for this purpose. As should already be apparent, underpinning this contribution is the presumption that financialisation is a characteristic of contemporary capitalism (and that the term is also an appropriate category for representing this characteristic). The material culture of financialisation is addressed by drawing upon the 10 Cs approach that was developed for the study of consumption, highlighting how it is Constructed, Construed, Commodified, Conforming, Contextual, Contradictory, Closed, Contested, Collective, and Chaotic.


Existing test procedures and a proposed modification for the Bromhead ring shear apparatus were found to yield drained residual strengths higher than values back-calculated from field case histories. A new test procedure is presented that yields drained residual strengths that are in excellent agreement with field case histories. The new test procedure utilizes the unmodified Bromhead ring shear apparatus and limits the settlement of the top porous stone, due to consolidation and/or soil extrusion during drained shear, to 0.75 mm. Since the specimen is confined radially by the specimen container, limiting the settlement of the top porous stone minimizes the wall friction that develops along the inner and outer circumferences of the specimen. The reduced wall friction results in the lowest measured residual strength and the best agreement with field case histories.


Temperate grasslands, including those of northern Eurasia, are among the most imperiled ecosystems on Earth. Eighty percent of Mongolia's land area is rangeland, where interacting climate, land-use and changes in governance threaten the sustainability of Mongolia's rangelands and pastoral culture. Particularly concerning are the potential ecological impacts of changing pastoral grazing practices—namely declining use of grazing reserves and pastoral mobility. However, like other grazing practices globally, there have been no empirical studies to evaluate the effects of specific Mongolian grazing practices on ecological function at a management scale. We collected data on the grazing practices of 130 pastoral households across four ecological zones and sampled ecological conditions in their winter pastures. We used a novel social-ecological analysis process to (1) develop integrated, holistic indicators of ecological function using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and (2) assess the effects of individual grazing practices on these indicators using statistical matching to control for confounding management and contextual factors. We identified two latent factors related to ecological and pastoral resilience: Factor 1 represents resource retention and soil stability and Factor 2 represents species richness and functional diversity. Using these two factors as response variables, we found that the values of both resilience factors were higher in pastures where households made fall or winter otor migrations or set aside grazing reserves. This study provides the first management-scale empirical test of the ecological response to specific grazing practices in Mongolia, using an approach that can be applied in other rangeland systems. Our findings highlight the importance to ecological and pastoral resilience of supporting traditional pastoral practices of mobility and grazing reserves, while also controlling stocking densities, increasing rangeland monitoring, and ensuring equitable access to state-designated emergency grazing reserves at local, regional, and national levels.


From picket line to picket fence - what does it mean to be gay in the era of same-sex marriage and equal rights? More than four decades after the start of the gay liberation movement, lesbians and gay men can legally marry, adopt children, and enjoy the same rights and respect as heterosexuals ...or can they? In Straight Expectations, Julie Bindel, an out lesbian since 1977, tracks the changes in the gay community in the last forty years and asks whether fighting for the right to marry has achieved genuine progress. Drawing on extensive original research into changing attitudes towards sexuality, as well as interviews with scientists examining the 'gay gene', gay liberation pioneers, religious figures and key players of all political persuasions, Straight Expectations asks: Is sexual orientation learned or latent?; Do lesbians and gay men have anything in common?; and Have we now reached a stage where the 'only gay in the village' mentality no longer has any place in society?


Robots normally perform pre-specified tasks in a predictable environment, like that on shop floor. Normally, assembly-line like operations are performed by robots due to geometrical and programming constraints. Rapidly changing requirments at customer level has greatly influenced the manufacturing technology, due to the risk of obsolescence. Multiple small robots called modules, interconnect with each other its own, to make a great structure are called self reconfigurable modular robots. For few modules, a large number of configurations are possible. As per the level of difficulty of the task, it can take any shape, to complete the work. Each module of the modular robot has its built-in intelligence with separate memory, connection assemblies, detectors and actuators to operate it. Such robots are highly useful in remote operations, especially in hostile environments. For physical docking of the connection plates of the modules, the connection plates should be properly aligned towards each other. This review paper enlightens the capabilities of the modular reconfigurable robots and the techniques explored by some researchers in this field, for proper alignment of the connection plates, for physical docking of modules. Position sensors like hall-effect sensors; and proximity sensors like infrared (IR) detectors and emitters have been used for docking of connection plates of the modules. Controlling and coordinating modules to work together effectively and not collide or otherwise interfere with each other is a bottleneck in this concept. Some work using IR intensity to guide the alignment of the modular robots have already been undertaken. Possibility for the use of MatLab by Mathworks is explored to simulate the alignment for interconnection of Modules of Reconfigurable Modular Robot using data captured by the CCD camera through image recognition.


Many young democracies are characterized by the proliferation of political dynasties, i.e. elected politicians from the same clan spanning across time and across different elected positions. In the Philippines, there has been growing concern that political dynasties are on the rise, as more elected officials hail from political clans. Lack of information on political dynasties could be a potential reason behind this. Using a randomized control trial framework, this paper seeks to evaluate the impact of young voters' access to information on political dynasties (i.e. the socio-economic correlates of this phenomenon) vis-a-vis their voting choices for top local government positions and the Senate in the Philippines. The two main delivery systems for the information are: a) a five-minute cartoon highlighting the main findings of a study on political dynasties in the Philippine Congress; and b) a lecture by one of the co-authors of that study. This paper finds some evidence that the lecture and the cartoon had an effect in terms of reducing votes for dynasties. Second, the lecture has a much greater impact than the cartoon in terms of its estimated effect on the voting preference of the participants. The study findings suggest that access to information on political dynasties has potentially large effects on electoral outcomes, should the result hold for a large share of young voters. Based on a simplified illustration, the lecture on political dynasties could potentially result in about less than half a million fewer votes for dynastic politicians for the top senate spot; and up to five million less votes for dynastic senatorial candidates for the 12 slots. Again, it should be emphasized that this is a mere illustration and not a projection of effects on actual elections. Nevertheless, the results are compelling in their potential magnitude, should these estimates hold true for the larger youth population.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive disease. Patients with this malignancy have a median survival of 3 years. To better understand disease progression, which is characterized by increased proliferation, we analyzed the gene expression of MCL with different proliferative indices, as determined by immunohistochemical staining for Ki-67. Furthermore, primary and relapsed tumors were compared to identify the possible growth advantages possessed by cells which persist after therapy and which might evolve into a tumor relapse.

DESIGN AND METHODS
Twenty-one samples of MCL were analyzed, using the Affymetrix U95Av2 chip, containing probes for approximately 12,000 transcripts. Samples with a high versus low fraction of Ki-67+ cells were compared as were relapsed versus primary tumors. Immunohistochemistry was used to confirm the expression of some gene products.

RESULTS
A distinct genetic signature, consisting of 32 genes, was found when comparing Ki-67high with Ki-67low MCL. The signature consisted of genes involved in cellular processes, such as mitotic spindle formation, gene transcription and cell cycle regulation, e.g. components of the p53 and retinoblastoma protein (pRb) pathways. Of note, cyclin D1, the hallmark of MCL, as well as Ki-67 were up-regulated in the samples with a high proliferative index. Comparing primary vs. relapsed tumors, 26 individual genes were found, several involved in cell adhesion. Furthermore, increased expression of transferrin receptor was found in the relapsed tumors.

INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS
A genetic signature distinguishing Ki-67high MCL from Ki-67low was established. The generated signature was used to assign new MCL samples to the high proliferative group, validating the association between these genes and proliferation in MCL.


Studies on the fishery and biology of Metapenaeus kutchensis exploited off the northwest coast of India
during 1991-2000 indicated that the average annual catch of the species was 605 t, which contributed 4% to
the total penaeid shrimp landings at New Ferry Wharf in Mumbai. The species was found to feed on
polychaetes (45%), Acetes spp. (20%) and benthic crustaceans (14%). Dimegsional relationships between
total length, carapace length and total weight and tail weight are given for the two sexes separately. Size at
maturity was 103.1 mm for the males and 135.5 mm for the females. Fecundity and total length were
exponentially related by the equation F = 0.0000012*L 5.'. Wide continental shelf of the northwest coast in the
depth range of 40-80 m is the spawning ground, where the females emigrating from Gulf of Kutch spawned
from December-August at about bimonthly intervals. However, spawning during May-August contributed to
successful generation of the stock. It is construed that strong wind driven surface currents during monsoon
drift the larvae to the Gulf waters and subsequently to the Little Rann, where the estuarine conditions in the
adjoining creeks following monsoon rains create nursery. ground for the juveniles and support the seasonal
fishery there.


The condition of t-resilience stipulates that an n-process program is only obliged to make progress when at least n− t processes are correct. Put another way, the live sets, the collection of process sets such that progress is required if all the processes in one of these sets are correct, are all sets with at least n − t processes. In this paper we study what happens when the live sets are any arbitrary collection of sets L. We show that the power of L to solve distributed tasks is tightly related to the minimum hitting set of L, a minimum cardinality subset of processes that has a non-empty intersection with every live set. Thus, a necessary condition to make progress in the presence of L is that at least one member of the set is correct. For the special case of colorless tasks that allow participating processes to adopt input or output values of each other, we show that the set of tasks that can be solved L-resiliently is exactly captured by the size of the minimum hitting set of L. For general tasks, we characterize L-resilient solvability of tasks with respect to a limited notion of weak solvability: in every execution where all processes in some set in L are correct, outputs must be produced for every process in some (possibly different) participating set in L. Given a task T , we construct another task T ′ such that T is solvable weakly L-resiliently if and only if T ′ is solvable weakly wait-free.


To finance investments, a firm needs to decide which sources are to be used to attract funds; that is how the financial structure of the firm should be. The main subjects of this thesis are how the firm's financial structure is determined and how the chosen financial structure affects the firm's probability of default. The thesis consists of five essays studying the financial structure of firms and one popular scientific paper on financial behavior.In the first paper, a theoretical model is developed explaining the probability of default, based on the chosen capital structure. This model contains five variables that explain the probability of default: leverage, bankruptcy costs, taxes, and the expectation and standard deviation of the cash flow.Numerical experiments with the resulting comparative statics show that a U-shaped relation exists between the standard deviation of the firm's cash flow, often used to indicate business risk, and default probability. The relation is found to be more complex than commonly assumed in empirical models. The theoretical model developed in this paper can be used to guide empirical research, thus preventing the results to be sample-specific.In the second paper, the hypotheses for the five variables based on the default model are tested empirically. Support is found for the U-shape in a sample where business risk is calculated over time. Leverage has a positive effect on the probability of default, and bankruptcy costs and cash flow have a negative effect. These variables are significant in explaining the probability of default, while taxes are not significant. The determinants from different theories have different effects on the various components of capital structure. Therefore, the next three papers look at leverage at an increasingly detailed level.In the third paper, the determinants of maturity structure of listed and unlisted firms in Norway are examined. We find support for the tax theory, and for the maturity matching principle. Only the maturity structure of unlisted firms is found to be influenced by information asymmetry and firm size. The free cash flow hypothesis is supported for the listed firms.In the fourth paper, the determinants of short-term debt are examined more closely, as it is not given that short-term debt and long-term debt are determined in the same way. Short-term debt may be influenced by operational determinants as well as by financial determinants. Using a nonlinear model on data from the US, Spain and Japan, the results indicate that in certain sectors short-term debt is for a large part being influenced by operational factors.In the final paper, the determinants of trade credit are investigated. Accounts receivable and accounts payable are estimated in a simultaneous model, as they are found to be simultaneously determined. The empirical results of research on trade credit are expanded with this analysis on eleven European countries over a period spanning twenty years. The tax effect on trade credit receives some support, which is not found in previous studies. The results indicate a large effect of marketing and asymmetric information theories on trade credit.


Irreverence: A strategy for Therapists' Survival marks the end result of a collaboration between the creative and highly respected therapists and writers in the family therapy field. It continues the tradition of the Milan group and later systemic thinkers to examine the way a therapist's own thinking can block the process of therapy and lead to feeling stuck. The authors define and demonstrate the use of a concept in the therapeutic field: Irreverence, which allows therapists to free themselves from the limitations of their own theoretical schools of thought and the familiar hypotheses they apply to their client families. They illustrate their ideas with some very challenging family therapy cases, such as violence and incest, and include an interesting consultation with the staff caring for a hospitalized patient. The book also extends the notion of irreverence beyond therapy to the fields of training and research where its application is both fresh and profound.


IN February 1939, as part of the Wisconsin Farm and Home Week observance at the University of Wisconsin, Aldo Leopold presented an address entitled "The Farmer as a Conservationist" (5). Leopold began his remarks with these words:

"When the land does well for its owner, and the owner does well by his land—when both end up better by reason of their partnership—then we have conservation. When one or the other grows poorer, either in substance, or in character, or in responsiveness to sun, wind, and rain, then we have something else, and it is something we do not like.

"Let's admit at the outset that harmony between man and land, like harmony between neighbors, is an ideal—and one we shall never attain. Only glib and ignorant men, unable to feel the mighty currents of history, unable to see the incredible complexity of agriculture itself, can promise any early attainment of that ideal. But any man who respects himself and his land can try to" (5).

This quotation is vintage Leopold, displaying his characteristic mix of idealism and practicality, expressing his dual concern for the fate of man and land. It …


The Chinese Communist Party has seen controlling information and guiding opinion as an essential element of power since its earliest days. But the methods of control and guidance have had to evolve radically in the transition from the age of broadcast media (one to many) to the era of networked communications (many to many). This article examines the contest between official and nonofficial media narratives of the environment, pollution, and climate change in China in the early 21st century. It finds that environmental issues provide a rich ground on which to explore fundamental questions about mediating China, particularly when considering the role of the party-state, the prospects for something akin to civil society, and the immediacy of the issue in people's everyday lives.