Purpose To evaluate eye signs, proptosis and ocular movements in patients with endocrine ophthalmopathy under the influence of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy. Methods We examined 14 patients (9 women, 5 men) with endocrine ophthalmopathy and evaluated eye signs, proptosis and ocular movements before and after the course of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, and 12 controls. Their age ranged from 29 to 57 years. Visual sensitivity was investigated with a static automatic perimeter (Allergan Humphrey Field Analyzer). The score was calculated by rating the severity of involvement of soft tissue, proptosis, extraocular movements, corneal state and optic nerve function on a scale from 0 to 3. The pulsed electromagnetic field procedures were carried out with the help of electromagnetic spectacles. Results Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy reduced the score for soft tissue and proptosis in patients who suffered from endocrine ophthalmopathy. There was fall in the mean score for ocular movements, corneal and optic nerve function but it did not reach significance after treatment. Electromagnetic field therapy has no useful effect on visual signs and eye movements in two patients who had had the illness more than two years. Conclusions Localised pulsed electromagnetic field procedures can be recommended, together with other methods of conservative treatment of endocrine ophthalmopathy.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: One million people in the United States of America are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many cancer patients are surviving and managing residual effects of cancer, including, but not limited to pain, muscle weakness, depression, anxiety, fatigue and decreased activity tolerance. The purpose of this study is to initiate data compilation to determine the effectiveness and outcomes of the Fairview Cancer Rehabilitation program. METHODS: Participants included 7 patients with a wide variety of cancer diagnoses who were consecutively recruited from Fairview Cancer Rehabilitation program. This program included physical and/or occupational therapy targeted to each patient's individual impairments. Outcome measures included FACIT-Fatigue, Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Timed Up and Go (TUG), bilateral grip strength, Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and a follow-up survey inquiring about current health status, activity level and pain rating. Outcome measures were administered within the first 2 physical therapy visits and re-administered at time of discharge. The follow-up survey along with the SF-12 were mailed to each participant at 2 months post discharge. Since the number of subjects included in this study was low, changes in scores were examined for trends. RESULTS: The participants ranged in age from 24 to 66 years with an average age of 51.4 ± 14.3 years. Patients participated in an average of 9.6 physical therapy visits ranging from 4-17 visits. Patients participated in an average of 3.1 occupational therapy visits, ranging from 0-12 visits. Mean FACIT-F, SF-12 physical and mental composite scores, 6MWT, TUG scores, bilateral grip strength and NPRS demonstrated impairments at initial evaluation and demonstrated improvement at post-intervention assessment. SF12 mental composite scores and NPRS continued to improve from the post-intervention to follow-up measures. CONCLUSION: Patients with cancer and cancer survivors are living with a variety of side effects. This pilot study supports the effectiveness of Fairview Cancer Rehabilitation program in improving patient's quality of life and functional abilities. Further research is indicated with a larger sample size and increased follow-up time.


We report the preparation and characterization of flexible graphene/silver nanowires (AgNWs)/graphene sandwich thin films for high-performance electromagnetic interference shielding. AgNWs were sandwiched between reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films through a simple filtration process followed by reduction with hydriodic acid. The rGO/AgNWs/rGO thin films exhibited not only an excellent electrical conductivity of 64 500 S m−1 but also a larger EMI shielding value of ∼38 dB at 35 wt% AgNW content. This enhancement in electrical conductivity and EMI shielding is mainly attributed to the tight adhesion of the top and bottom graphene layers with the middle AgNW layer. In the sandwich hybrid films, the graphene layers not only provide extra pathways for electron transfer, but also block the contact between the AgNWs and oxygen, leading to a better resistance to oxidation, good electrical conductivity, and excellent mechanical flexibility.


Using the method of weighing fuel collected in a receiver during a definite interval of the injection period, rates of discharge were determined, and the effects noted, when various changes were made in a fuel-injection system. The injection system consisted primarily of a by-pass controlled fuel pump and an automatic injection valve. The variables of the system studied were the pump speed, pump-throttle setting, discharge-orifice diameter, injection-valve opening and closing pressures, and injection-tube length and diameter.


Two-tone 1064 nm fiber amplifiers having both cold (16°C) and pump induced temperature zones co-seeded with narrow linewidth 1064 nm and broad linewidth 1040 nm photons have been shown to have a power enhancement factor between 1.6 and 1.8 relative to the optimum single-tone 1064 nm amplifier while maintaining an efficiency of 65% or greater. The output power and efficiency of 1064 nm narrow linewidth two-tone amplifiers is dependent on the length of the gain fiber, the narrow to broad linewidth seed ratio, the wavelength of the broad linewidth seed and the temperature of the gain fiber.


Abstract:The transmediation involved in recent Walt Disney Company productions including A Wrinkle in Time, Black Panther, Thor: Ragnarok, Coco, and Moana engage with a process of visualizing the nonvisual in ways that have heretofore differed from past Disney offerings. These films respond to calls for increased diversity, unlocking the potential of imagined spaces on a global scale. Although it addresses postcolonial identity politics that are both salient and fraught in the current geopolitical climate, such diversity nevertheless serves Disney's corporate interests, (re)producing a colonizing progression decentralized from the nation-state but rooted in projection of culture. As Disney adapts new narratives, it also engages in a process of incorporation, absorbing these narratives into the larger framework of the overarching corporate structure of the "magic kingdom"—intended to designate a cultural home for childhood, imagination, and reminiscence of how things were and what they might become. I contend that Disney's incorporation of new narratives extends greater access to imaginary spaces while producing a homogenizing effect on global media culture.


This paper examines historical origins of accountability for public funding in the Australian school education system. Understandings of accountability have developed unique to the Australian context, embedding institutions and ideas from a colonial past. It is shown that the funding arrangements used to distribute and account for public education funds are political devices to mediate enduring historic relationships between government and non-government schools, while at the same time masking these relationships in the veiled rhetoric of a broader Australian cultural imperative of egalitarianism. It concludes the current funding and accountability of school education in Australia is a simulacrum of accountability. It reifies in a replicating simulated state the status quo of an historical education funding and accountability context that has no engagement with education, but does represent colonial funding arrangements and historical tensions between federal and states' governments.


In a religious context, the book of Psalms is often read in order to find some form of consolation and comfort in a situation of distress. This article uncovers a similar function, in an ancient context, for a number of individual psalms. It investigates the intertextual links between the book of Daniel, written during a period of crisis in the second century B.C.E., and a compendium of religious poetry available at that time. Several allusions to specific Psalms are found in Daniel 9. Furthermore, chapter 9 occupies a special place in the


In the summer of 1998, a bonebed of juvenile dinosaur material was found in beds of the Two Medicine Formation along the Sun River in Teton County, Montana. Initial inspection of the "Sun River Bonebed" indicated unique dominance by juvenile remains and unusually high concentration of fossil material. Modern exposure of both the bonebed and surrounding strata allowed for a detailed taphonomic study of the assemblage. In the summer of 2004, the bonebed was excavated in a fashion that recorded depthwise taphonomic data of fossil material and surrounding sediment, and allowed for three-dimensional reconstruction of the bonebed. The lithology of the surrounding beds was documented for 120 m immediately below and 40 m immediately above the bonebed to interpret the overall depositional environment of the area. Lastly, the paleobiologic and sedimentologic interpretations made for the bonebed were compared to bonebeds of similar fauna in the Two Medicine Formation. Taphonomic attributes of the fossil material indicate a mass death assemblage of late juvenile lambeosaurines subject to post-mortem bioturbation and possible fluvial transport. A number of elements from the assemblage exhibit a rare form of taphonomic modification known as "wet rot," currently documented in only one other dinosaur bonebed. Sedimentologic and additional taphonomic data in the assemblage indicate entrainment of the vertebrate material in a cohesive debris flow and ultimate deposition in the respective flow deposit. The sedimentology of the surrounding beds indicates ultimate deposition in an ephemeral fluvial environment. The restricted age class representation of the assemblage lends credence to existing paleobiologic interpretations of hadrosaurids in the Late Cretaceous of Montana, and the Sun River Bonebed is significant in its exhibition of "wet rot" modification and in being one of a restricted number of documented debris-flow hosted vertebrate bonebeds.


PURPOSE
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures the random motion of water molecules reflecting central nervous system tissue integrity and pathology. Glaucoma damages retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons. The authors hypothesized that DTI-derived axonal and myelin injury biomarkers may be used to detect early axonal damage and may be correlated with RGC loss in the mouse model of optic nerve crush (ONC).

METHODS
The progression of RGC axon degeneration was quantitatively assessed with DTI in vivo, corroborated with axon/myelin immunohistochemical staining and retrograde fluorogold labeling in mice after ONC.

RESULTS
Decreased axial diffusivity (λ(‖)) and relative anisotropy (RA) of damaged axons were observed from 6 hours to 14 days, reflecting axonal injury. DTI detected axonal injury at 6 hours after ONC when SMI-31 did not detect axonal abnormality. Both decreased λ(‖), and SMI-31 identified axon damage at 3 days after ONC. Decreased λ(‖) correlated with reduced SMI-31-positive axon counts from 3 days after ONC. In contrast, the increased λ(⊥) was seen only in the distal segment of optic nerve whereas decreased myelin basic protein-positive axon counts were seen in all segments 3 days after ONC. The number of retrograde-labeled RGCs did not decline significantly until 7 days after ONC. There was a significant correlation between RGC loss and optic nerve axon damage.

CONCLUSIONS
The authors demonstrated that in vivo DTI detected axonal injury earlier than SMI-31. Results suggest that in vivo DTI of optic nerve injury may be used as a noninvasive tool for assessing the pathogenesis of RGC axonal injury.


A previous study used cross-sectional data on 45 countries in the WHO African region to test the hypothesis that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per Capita was inversely related to Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR). However, the cross-sectional technique was unable to capture both the individual country and time specific heterogeneity. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to use Panel Data models to test the hypothesis and to further estimate the economic loss due to MMR in the WHO Africa Region. Findings from the study would be beneficial to governments seeking to minimize the impact of MMR on the growth of their economies. Regarding statistical methodology, the study was intended to demonstrate to practitioners the potential of Panel Data Models as more practical approaches to fitting data with cross-section and time series behavior. The estimated model with country dummy was found to be a potentially effective analytical tool for estimating economic loss due to MMR in the WHO Africa Region.


My thesis comprises three papers on individuals' preferences over family composition and the degree to which these are culturally determined, or learnt.
Prices, Norms and Preferences:
The Influence of Cultural Values on Fertility
This paper investigates the influence of cultural values on fertility. High country of origin fertility is associated with high fertility in the UK, in line with previous results. This is consistent with fertility preferences being a transmissible (learnable) cultural value. However, I find that high fertility in the country of origin is also associated with earlier childbearing. If timing is not accounted for, this phenomenon could lead to an upward bias when estimating the importance
of cultural values.
Son Preference and Culture
I measure the sex preferences of immigrant women in the United Kingdom by estimating the effect of family composition on birth hazard rates. International
comparisons of son preference are constructed, the first known to the author. A theoretical model suggests that costs (eg, dowries) are unlikely to explain the
variation in outcomes between groups. Finally, women arriving in the UK at a young age appear to have less distinct tastes, also consistent with a primarily
cultural, rather than economic, explanation for parental sex preferences.
Son Preference and Sex Ratios:
How many 'Missing Women' are Missing?
When parents prefer sons, heterogeneity in the probability of having sons can lead to excess girls. I argue that this may lead to under-counting the number of
'missing women'. Parents show significant differences in son preference between countries. I exploit these differences to simulate sex ratios in the presence of
measured heterogeneity. Parents' son preferences account for 1.5% of differences between sex ratios worldwide (significant at 10%). The presence of this effect
may imply that sex ratios are more biased than previously estimated, since previous comparisons use benchmarks that already contain too few girls. Therefore there may be more women missing due to discrimination than we thought.


The mlt package implements maximum likelihood estimation in the class of conditional transformation models. Based on a suitable explicit parameterization of the unconditional or conditional transformation function using infrastructure from package basefun, we show how one can define, estimate, and compare a cascade of increasingly complex transformation models in the maximum likelihood framework. Models for the unconditional or conditional distribution function of any univariate response variable are set-up and estimated in the same computational framework simply by choosing an appropriate transformation function and parameterization thereof. As it is computationally cheap to evaluate the distribution function, models can be estimated by maximization of the exact likelihood, especially in the presence of random censoring or truncation. The relatively dense high-level implementation in the R system for statistical computing allows generalization of many established implementations of linear transformation models, such as the Cox model or other parametric models for the analysis of survival or ordered categorical data, to the more complex situations illustrated in this paper.


Previously the focus has been on the improvement of strength prior to proprioception (Calliet, 1997; Flemister et al. 1998 and Buhler et al. 2002). However according to Oloff (1994); Vegso (1995); Calliet (1997); Kawaguchi (1999); Buhler et al. (2002) and McGrew et al. (2003), focus should lie in obtaining a functional range of motion (increased flexibility) and proprioceptive ability and strength will follow with normalization of the relationship of the anatomical structures. All research in this regard has never assessed the assumption that the strength of the relevant musculature would return (Blokker et al.1992 and Klaue et al.1998). The objectives of this study were: to determine the relative effectiveness of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation as compared to the Active Rocker-Board Exercises in the rehabilitation of chronic ankle sprains; as well as to determine the best sequence of applying these techniques to chronic ankle sprains in terms of objective clinical findings.


Hybrid graft copolymers of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) were synthesised. PDMS macromonomers were synthesised anionically from the cyclic D3 monomer. This living polymerisation was terminated with a [3(methacryloxy)propyl]-dimethylchlorosilane terminating agent which resulted in the functionalised macromonomer. These PDMS macromonomers and MMA monomer were copolymerised to form PMMA-g-PDMS hybrid copolymers by conventional free radical reactions. Synthesised and commercial methacryloxy-functionalised PDMS macromonomers having a range of molar masses were copolymerised with MMA to form graft copolymers of various chemical compositions. PDMS content in the graft copolymers could be varied by the amount of PDMS incorporated into the copolymer as well as by varying the length of the PDMS side chains. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) results confirmed low PDI's for the PDMS macromonomers synthesised anionically. NMR studies allowed characterisation of the synthesised PDMS macromonomers and PMMA-g-PDMS copolymers. It also allowed the determination of relative ratios of PMMA:PDMS in the graft copolymers. Gradient elution chromatography (GEC) was used successfully to monitor the presence and removal of the PDMS macromonomer from the graft copolymer products. The influence of PDMS content of the graft copolymers on retention time was also evaluated using this technique. Two dimensional chromatography confirmed the formation of PMMA-g-PDMS copolymer as well as PMMA homopolymer during some of the grafting reactions. GEC in the first dimension was coupled to SEC in the second dimension. PAS-FTIR studies allowed chemical characterisation of the graft copolymer and confirmed surface segregation of the PDMS. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was also used to study the surface segregation of PDMS and looked at the relationship between surface polarity and increasing PDMS content. The study showed the effect of thermal treatment on the surface morphology of the hybrid polymers. Corona treatment was used to modify the surface structure of the graft copolymer films. Contact angle studies provided evidence of hydrophobic loss and recovery after corona for the hybrid polymer materials containing PDMS. This is one of the first reported examples of hydrophobicity recovery in these types of hybrid materials after corona treatment. Slow positron beam studies highlighted the formation of a thin silica like layer on the surface of the films after corona similar to that observed for pure cross-linked PDMS compounds. The positron studies enabled estimation of the thickness of the silica like layer. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za


The relatively young, albeit dynamic, field of international criminal law, spawned by the proliferation of international criminal courts and tribunals over the last two decades, has yet to consolidate its theoretical contours, in particular with respect to the clarification of major substantive law concepts. The doctrine of mens rea is among the fundamental concepts that ought to be clearly defined and construed for core international crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. With no general definition of mens rea in either the Charter of the International Military Tribunal (known as the Nuremberg Charter), the Statutes of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), or the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), only the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) introduced a comprehensive legal provision on the mental element of a crime. The judges of the Court breathed life in Article 30 of the Statute in its early jurisprudence. In broad terms, mens rea is a state of guilty mind that a person entertains while committing a crime. It is the one of the most fundamental doctrines in criminal law, be it national or international, since the absence of mens rea on the part of a perpetrator while committing a crime precludes the attribution of criminal responsibility. Although the law on mens rea in international criminal law takes inspiration from the laws and jurisprudence of common and continental law jurisdictions, the gravity, magnitude, and complexity of core international crimes impose an obligation to carefully consider how various mens rea standards are applied and construed in the international law context.


The general aim of the thesis is to answer questions on general and differential aspects of perceived exertion and on the measurement of its intensity variation. Overall perceived exertion is commonly treated as a unidemensional construct. This thesis also explores its multidimensional character. Four empirical studies are summarized (Study I-IV). Psychophysical power functions of perceived exertion obtained with the new improved Borg CR100 (centiMax) scale were found to be consistent with results obtained with absolute magnitude estimation, and with the classical Borg CR10 and RPE scales. Women gave significantly higher perceived exertion scale values than men for the same levels of workload on a bicycle ergometer. This agrees with the fact that they were physically less strong than men. With regard to the measurement of "absolute" levels of intensity, RPE- and CR-scale values were validated by physiological measurements of heart rate and blood lactate. Predicted values of maximal individual performance obtained from psychophysical functions agreed well with actual maximal performance on the bicycle ergometer. This confirms the validity of the RPE and CR scales for measuring perceptual intensity and their value for interindividual comparisons. To study the multidimensional character of perceived exertion, 18 symptoms were measured with a CR scale: in a questionnaire, and in bicycle ergometer work tests. Five factors were extracted for the questionnaire: (1) Muscles and joints; (2) Perceived exertion; (3) Annoyance/lack of motivation; (4) Head/stomach symptoms; and (5) Cardiopulmonary symptoms. Four factors were extracted for the bicycle max test: (1) Physical distress; (2) Central perceived exertion; (3) Annoyance/lack of motivation; (4) Local perceived exertion. The questionnaire is suggested for clinical use to let patients express a variety of symptoms. The thesis also resulted in improvements of the Borg CR100 scale. An extended use of the scale is recommended.


Child maltreatment and intimate partner abuse determinations often include judgments (e.g., severity) that go beyond whether or not the allegations are founded. Severity ratings inform multiple stakeholders (e.g., researchers, policymakers, clinicians, supervisors) and response pathways (e.g., "differential response" to child maltreatment). However, because severity guidelines typically only provide global direction for raters, these gradations are often of questionable reliability (and thus validity). Extending earlier work developing and implementing reliable and valid family maltreatment substantiation criteria (e.g., Heyman & Slep, 2006, 2009), a classification system for maltreatment severity was created, refined, and field-tested with a sample of clinicians from the largest maltreatment protection agency in the United States The goal was to develop operationalized criteria delineating mild, moderate, and severe maltreatment that could be consistently applied across types of maltreatment, raters, and clinics. To facilitate proper use, a computerized clinical decision support tool for the criteria was created. First, the severity classification system was piloted and refined at four sites throughout the United States. Then, clinicians at these sites (N = 28) and a master reviewer independently rated de-identified cases as part of the clinicians' routine assessments. Agreement between clinicians and the master reviewer was excellent for all types of maltreatment. Implications for practical dissemination are discussed.


We describe the incorporation of a bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane moiety within two known LpPLA2 inhibitors to act as bioisosteric phenyl replacements. An efficient synthesis to the target compounds was enabled with a dichlorocarbene insertion into a bicyclo[1.1.0]butane system being the key transformation. Potency, physicochemical, and X-ray crystallographic data were obtained to compare the known inhibitors to their bioisosteric counterparts, which showed the isostere was well tolerated and positively impacted on the physicochemical profile.


Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of death, disability and hospitalization particularly in individuals over 65 years of age. Current treatments provide symptomatic benefit and can also improve survival as well as reversing maladaptive ventricular remodelling. However, HF frequently progressively worsens in association with the ongoing loss of cardiomyocytes. Cardiomyocytes rarely proliferate and cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) are scarce in the mammalian adult heart. As such, it is likely that insufficient cardiac regeneration following injury to the heart contributes to HF. In contrast to mammals, zebrafish are able to robustly regenerate their hearts sufficiently to prevent the onset of HF. Our group has shown that a key growth factor, Nerve growth factor (NGF), is lowered in failing hearts. Therefore, in this thesis, I hypothesised and investigated whether NGF may have a regenerative effect on the heart. To address this, a cardiotoxic model of heart failure/regeneration was established in larval zebrafish. I first optimised the exposure duration and concentration of a cardiotoxin (aristolochic acid, AA) to cause approximately half of the exposed larval zebrafish to develop HF. The addition of NGF following AA exposure significantly decreased the proportion of zebrafish from developing HF and dying prematurely. Conversely, the inhibition of the high affinity NGF (TrkA) receptor following AA exposure increased the incidence of HF and death. A common feature of HF is apoptosis in the heart, and NGF was previously shown to have an anti-apoptotic role in cardiomyocytes. However, in the current paradigm AA exposure increased apoptosis in zebrafish hearts, but surprisingly NGF did not attenuate apoptosis. My studies showed that NGF decreased the incidence of AA induced HF and death in zebrafish by promoting cardiac regeneration via cardiomyocyte proliferation. AA exposure decreased the total number of cardiomyocytes and inhibited cardiomyocyte proliferation. In contrast, the addition of NGF following AA exposure increased cardiomyocyte proliferation and total cardiomyocytes. In support of this finding, zebrafish in egg water supplemented with NGF also increased cardiomyocyte proliferation and total cardiomyocytes. Interestingly, isl1 mRNA was also increased in hearts from zebrafish exposed to AA with subsequent treatment to NGF compared to fish only exposed to AA. The regenerative effects of NGF were also validated in a mammalian system, using a mouse embryonic (E13.5) heart organ culture model. NGF promoted mouse embryonic cardiomyocytes to proliferate in vitro. In addition, NGF transiently upregulated Nrg1 and ErbB4 mRNA (a known signalling pathway involved in cardiomyocyte proliferation). Also, NGF increased Isl1 mRNA (at a developmental stage when Isl1+ CPCs are abundant), which suggests that NGF might also increase Isl1+ cardiac progenitor cells. This thesis has identified a novel cardiovascular role for NGF. NGF promotes cardiomyocyte proliferation in zebrafish and mice, possibly through the Nrg1-ErbB4 pathway. As such, the deficiency of NGF in the failing heart may contribute to the progressive nature of HF due to blunted regeneration. Further studies should address the therapeutic value of NGF in established HF.


textabstractTh is thesis describes genetic and environmental factors which are important in pre- and postnatal
growth disorders and specifi cally focuses on children born small for gestational age (SGA) with
or without postnatal catch-up growth. It also presents a subclassifi cation of short SGA subjects
according to length, weight and head circumference at birth. In addition, it reports investigations
in three genes which have been found to play a central role in growth regulation: the insulinlike
growth factor 1 (IGF1), the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) and the insulin
(INS) gene and their associations with short SGA and SGA catch-up subjects. In addition, the
thesis describes the results of a study into relatively large deletions and duplications (also called
"copy number changes") in 18 growth-related genes, performed in short SGA subjects. Th e last
chapter describes phenotypic data of a large group of subjects participating in the Network
of European Studies in Genes in growth (NESTEGG). Th is group consisted of subjects born
SGA, either with persistent short or normal stature, idiopathic short stature (ISS) and controls.
Finally, the aims of the study and outline of this thesis are described.


While growing up in Versailles, an Indiana farm community, Linda Furiya tried to balance the outside world of Midwestern America with the Japanese traditions of her home life. As the only Asian family in a tiny township, Furiya's life revolved around Japanese food and the extraordinary lengths her parents went to in order to gather the ingredients needed to prepare it. As immigrants, her parents approached the challenges of living in America, and maintaining their Japanese diets, with optimism and gusto. Furiva, meanwhile, was acutely aware of how food set her apart from her peers: She spent her first day of school hiding in the girls' restroom, examining her rice balls and chopsticks, and longing for a Peanut Bullter and Jelly sandwich. Bento Box in the Heartland is an insightful and reflective coming-of-age tale. Beautifully written, each chapter is accompanied by a family recipe of mouth-watering Japanese comfort food. "


We identify new methods for the roll-to-roll production of flexible color filter arrays (CFA) for electronic displays. Through the use of imprint lithography to define "color wells" we have enabled inkjet deposition as a means to generate CFAs, despite the modest precision attainable with liquid drop placement. In this paper, we outline the imprint lithography process and color well design for template production. The advantage of printing the filter array within a predetermined template is demonstrated, and analysis of their structure and optical properties is presented. CFAs, produced by this technique, provide one means to realize color reflective displays. Application of filters produced by the new process to a 3.8'' color VGA (120 micron sub pixel pitch) E-ink based display platform is discussed.


Lipase transesterification of triglycerides is an environmentally safe alternative to chemical processing during biodiesel production. However, the cost and low stability of this enzyme remains problematic for commercial production. In this study, a thermophilic-solvent stable lipase from Acinetobacter baylyi (ABL) immobilized on Sepabeads EC-OD showed improved solvent stability. The optimal reaction conditions of immobilized ABL were comparable with those of the suspended lipase. Immobilization of ABL resulted in a broader pH activity range and enhanced storage stability. Optimal conditions for transesterification of palm oil were 6-step methanol feeding, 1:4 oil/methanol molar ratios, 20% enzyme loading, and 4% water content for 24 h at 40 °C. Conversions of oil feedstocks to biodiesel of between 13 and 93% were obtained. Reusability for transesterification of immobilized ABL was comparable to that of commercial lipases. This study found that immobilized ABL is one of the biocatalyst candidates for further development and application in enzyme-catalysed biodiesel synthesis.


WHEN she was dean of the Graduate School of Management (GSM) at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), previously, Associate Professor Dr Arfah Salleh had the opportunity to dialogue on her worldview of science with a professor of risk management who, though a trained nuclear physicist, had successfully established a name in the corporate world at board membership level and as an entrepreneur.


Volcanic glass is often considered an ideal recording material for paleointensities. Experiments to determine the ancient field intensity are time consuming and mostly have low success rates. Studies have shown that the usage of glassy samples can increase success rates very much as the remanence carriers are in or close to the single domain range. Further, effects like magnetic anisotropy and cooling rate correction can be corrected for. The aim of this thesis is to clarify whether an ideal behavior can be expected when working on volcanic glass. Studies were done on samples of different compositions (phonolite, pantellerite and rhyolite) and varying degrees of devitrification/hydration. Rock magnetic measurements were done to determine the remanence carriers of remelted glass samples of phonolitic composition. Single domain (SD) titanomagnetites were identied to carry the stable remanence and in the course of paleointensity experiments the validity of a cooling rate correction method that makes use of the natural cooling rate of the samples as determined
from relaxation geospeedometry was shown. After correction the samples reproduce the intensity of the previously applied field. For the unhydrated samples from Montana
Blanca, Tenerife (phonolitic composition, 2 ka old) and from Mayor Island, New Zealand (pantelleritic composition, 8 ka old) remanence carriers in or close to the SD range were found and high quality well defined paleointensities were obtained. Success rates of the paleointensity experiments were 70%. The results compare very well with other paleointensities from close-by studies at the respective times. These data support the ideal
recording behavior of volcanic glass. Yet, rock magnetic and paleointensity experiments on devitrified and hydrated samples give contrary results: It was found that hydration and devitrification result in a loss of magnetic stability and remanence carriers, an increase in grain size of magnetic particles and a decrease of the "apparent" paleointensity. A possible explanation for these obsevations is a partial or full overprint of the original thermoremanent magnetization by a chemical remanence. It is therefore obvious that suchlike altered glasses are far from being ideal recorders. Great care has thus to be taken when sampling volcanic glass. If pristine glass is sampled, an ideal behavior during paleointensity experiments is probable and - as the here presented data suggest - a good estimate of the ancient field intensity is likely to be gained. If, however, the glass is unknowingly altered
the determined paleointensities are prone to underestimate the true field value.


The present study explored the impact and consumer satisfaction associated with participation in a parent education program that specifically focused on divorce and parental conflict. The kids in divorce and separation program (k.i.d.s.) is a four-hour parent-focused psychoeducational program. The impact and consumer satisfaction associated with participation in the program were examined by comparing a treatment group of parents who participated in the program with an alternative treatment control group of parents who participated in another educational program for parents concerning general parenting and discipline information/techniques. Results indicated that participation in the program has positive effects on parents' self-reported knowledge and behavior with regard to interparental conflict, including their self-reports of the conflict behavior of non-participating ex-- spouses. Moreover, participants also reported a high level of consumer satisfaction with the program. The implications of the results for the potential value of parent educational programs for divorced couples are discussed, and directions for future research are outlined. Key Words: divorce, divorce education, family prevention, marital conflict, parent education, psychoeducational programs. One in two marriages will end in divorce, and 40% of children born in this decade will experience their parents' divorce, according to recent NCHS statistics (National Center for Health Statistics, Petersen & Steinman, 1994). There is an abundant documentation of short- and long-term negative effects of divorce on children (Emery, 1988; Hodges, 1991), with the rate of clinically significant mental health problems as much as 300% higher in children from divorced families than in children from intact families (Hetherington, 1993; Johnston, 1994). Interparental conflict is linked with children's adjustment problems, whether in intact or divorced families (Grych & Fincham, 1990). Unfortunately, interparental conflict, typically one of the primary reasons for divorce, often does not end with separation or even the final order of divorce (Camara & Resnick, 1988; Emery, 1982, 1988; Jouriles, Murphy, & O'Leary, 1989). Research is increasingly pointing to the role parental conflict plays in contributing to children's post-divorce adjustment (Amato & Keith, 1991; Camara & Resnick, 1989; Emery, 1982; Johnston, 1994; Kurdek & Berg, 1983; Long & Forehand, 1987; Long, Slater, Forehand, & Fauber, 1988). Interparental conflict may continue to impact the children negatively after divorce, and prevent parents from developing an effective co-parenting relationship. Hetherington, Cox, and Cox (1976) reported that 66% of parental interactions two months after divorce were characterized by conflict and anger. In a study conducted by Ahrons (1981), 50% of the divorced parents interviewed perceived their relationship to be conflictual, with 34% of women and 21 % of men perceiving their relationship as "often" or "always" conflictual. However, Long et al. (1988) found no differences between children from divorced and intact families when post-divorce parental conflict was reduced (Hodges, 1991). Thus, an emerging consensus is that the nature and extent of conflict preceding and continuing after separation/divorce is a primary factor related to children's coping with and adjustment to divorce (Amato & Keith, 1991; Camara & Resnick, 1988; Emery, 1982, 1988; Long et al., 1988). Despite the often distressing nature of interparental conflict and the challenges of divorce for parents and children, one should be cautious not to over-emphasize the negative. Parents can find constructive ways for handling their inevitable disagreements and disputes following separation/divorce. At the least, constructive conflict management styles are far less distressing for children, and may have minimal, if any, lasting negative effects (Cummings & Davies, 1994; Cummings & Wilson, in press). …


This paper aims to stimulate a systematic discussion about what should be the goals of aggregate level population policies in the context of population aging and shrinking in some parts of the world and continued rapid growth in others. It starts with a discussion of the shortcomings of three currently dominating assumptions: (a) the desirability of achieving replacement level fertility, (b) a demographic dividend will translate fertility declines into aggregate economic growth, and (c) only addressing the .unmet need. for contraception in developing countries will result in significant fertility declines. The paper then summarizes new empirical evidence on the interactions between changing age and education structures and their impacts on population growth, health, economic growth, democracy, and adaptive capacity to environmental change. It suggests that strengthening the human resource base for sustainable development should become the 21st century population policy paradigm.


In 2010, we performed full-thickness resection (FTR) using the over-the-scope clip (OTSC) system (Ovesco Endoscopy GmbH, Tübingen, Germany) [1]. The key aspects of this technique are to apply the clip to the target lesion and then to resect above the ensnared lesion. However, these maneuvers require several separate accessories. Therefore, a new device to perform FTR was developed. Herein we describe the steps to perform FTR using this novel platform. The first case was a 74-year-old patient with an adenocarcinoma (pT1G1sm1) of the sigmoid colon, which was found by chance after endoscopic polypectomy. On pathology there was evidence of incomplete resection (R1), and therefore surgery was mandated. The second case was a 74-year-old patient with an adenocarcinoma (pT1G1sm1) of the ascending colon after previous polypectomy and an insecure safety margin in the vertical (i. e. depth) margin. Although surgery was indicated for both patients, they preferred the alternative option of undergoing endoscopic FTR. ●" Video 1 demonstrates the endoscopic procedure. First, the area of interest or lesion is targeted. Second, the target lesion is suctioned or pulled inside the transparent distal cap using the Twin grasper (Ovesco). Third, the clip (14/6t) is released below the invaginated tissue, creating a pseudopolyp.The tight grasping of the tissue with the clip results in secure wall apposition, preventing any perforation. Subsequently, the endoscopic resection is performed by means of a polypectomy snare. The lesion is entrapped above the deployed clip and then resected using electrosurgical cautery (Erbe, Tübingen, Germany). The resected specimen is then suctioned into the cap, retrieved, and sent to pathology. In both patients an R0 was achieved. No further interventions were needed. We believe that this new FTR platform allows for en bloc and R0 resection of selected gastrointestinal lesions, which otherwise may mandate an invasive surgical approach. Whereas the traditional OTSC system also permits the resection of smaller lesions, this new device has better deployment mechanism and an attached snare ("all-in-one" system), making it easier to handle. Endoscopy_UCTN_Code_TTT_1AQ_2AD


This short essay responds to Adam Gershowitz's and Laura Killinger's article The State (Never) Rests: How Excessive Prosecutorial Caseloads Harm Criminal Defendants. The authors rightly argue that prosecutorial overwork harms justice in any number of ways: it delays cases, frustrates victims, makes it harder to spot and free innocent defendants, and impedes lowering punishments for sympathetic defendants. The root problem, however, is less about underfunding than about skewed priorities and metrics of success. Too often, prosecutors do not think strategically about using their discretion to proactively set priorities and focus on system-wide tradeoffs. Throwing money at the problem would only pour fuel on the fire, encouraging prosecutors to widen their nets in the inexhaustible sea of potential cases. A surer solution is to refocus on making the best use of limited money, to change from worshipping quantity to prizing quality. Prosecutors need to focus not just on what to do but also how to do it: fairly, respectfully, and effectively.


A thick Ordovician intra-rhyolitic palaeosol was studied to investigate the peculiarities of early Palaeozoic continental environments, shortly before the development of vascular plants, and to compare its pedogenic patterns with those of previously studied intra-basaltic profiles from the same succession. Well-defined K-eluviation from the top of the palaeosol is proportionally met by K-illuviation at the base of the profile, a pedogenic behaviour that was masked in the underlying intra- basaltic profiles due to subsequent eodiagenetic K-enrichment associated with rhyolite emplacement. Greater stability of K (and eventually Mg) than Si in the intra-rhyolitic profile suggests high pH soil water at the time of pedogenesis despite the low base contents of the acidic host rock, and despite evidence for humid weathering conditions. We also observe that, at the base and at the top of the profile, Al2O3/Zr ratios are substantially lower than those of the host rock, suggesting Al-leaching and therefore extreme weathering conditions, whereas the middle portion of the profile shows Al2O3/Zr ratios that are similar to those of the host rock, suggesting Al stability and therefore less extreme conditions. We interpret these variations in Al2O3/Zr ratios as signatures of a cyclic change from sub-humid periods during which Al was stable throughout the profile, to more humid periods with a well-defined seasonality, during which only the juvenile zone of weathering at the base of the profile couldhavedevelopedsufficientlyhighpHduringdryseasonsforAltobeleached,leavingtheAl2O3/Zr signatures from previous stages untouched higher in the profile.


From 1999 the integrated currency 'Euro' has been introduced, however the doubt about introducing it has been discussed broadly. This paper presents an analysis on the European business cycle on the basis of the theory of optimum currency area, and analyses the problem of whether the movements of business cycle has shown convergence or not. The result is that the convergence has been ongoing recently. And this paper also considers of the reason of investment or employment that may be the big reason of promoting monetary integration. Some countries have realized increase of employment by exports and other countries have done it by domestic investment through appreciation of their own currencies. And on the whole, the process of increasing monetary integration in Europe, in other words, EMS (ERM) period, seems to have had a negative impact on employment.


Calprotectin is an inflammatory regulator whose elevated levels are implicated in periodontitis. S100A8 subunit of calprotectin has pro-inflammatory activity. The present study aims to determine the association of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the calprotectin subunit gene (S100A8) in participants from Dravidian ethnicity. The study included 236 individuals in total, of which 60 were patients with chronic periodontitis (CP), 50 were cases with aggressive periodontitis (AgP) and 126 were healthy controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from the white blood cells and the SNP rs3795391 (A→G) of calprotectin gene S100A8 was screened by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR). Our study showed lack of association of rs3795391 with chronic periodontitis and aggressive periodontitis (p=0.5764; >0.05). Thus rs3795391 SNP may not contribute to susceptibility of periodontitis in the patients of Dravidian ethnicity. Further study on a larger population is essential to understand the allelic significance of this SNP.


Trade in freshwater ornamental fish in South Africa is currently regulated by a 'blacklist' to prevent potentially invasive taxa from establishing in the country. Because its effective implementation requires accurate identification, the aim of the present study was to test whether DNA barcoding is a useful tool to identify freshwater fishes in the South African pet trade. A total of 351 aquarium fish specimens, representing 185 traded taxa, were sequenced for the mitochondrial COI barcoding marker in 2011 and 2012. Lake Malawi cichlids were treated as a single group due to a lack of resolution in their COI marker, resulting in a data set of 137 successfully sequenced taxa. The Barcode Of Life Database (BOLD) and GenBank were used for taxonomic assignment comparisons. The genetic identification matched the scientific name inferred from the trade name for 60 taxa (43.8%) using BOLD, and for 67 taxa (48.9%) using GenBank. A genetic ID could not be assigned in 47 (34.3%) cases using BOLD and in 37 cases (27%) using GenBank. Whereas DNA barcoding can be a useful tool to help identify imported freshwater fishes, it requires further development of publicly available databases to become a reliable means of identification.


Background Sensory impairment is common in old age and associated with morbidity. However few studies have investigated the impact of sensory impairment on long-term cause-specific mortality risks in older adults. We explored the association between impairments in hearing and vision and the risk of mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-causes over 10 years. Methods A socioeconomically representative cohort of 3981 men from 24 British towns was followed up from 2003 to 2013. Hearing impairment was defined by self-reported data on hearing aid use and ability to follow television at a volume acceptable to others and categorised into: could hear (no hearing impairment), could hear with aid, could not hear and no aid, and could not hear despite aid. Vision impairment was defined as not being able to recognise a friend across a road. Dual sensory impairment was defined as reporting poor vision and any of the three groups of hearing impairment. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for mortality. Results During follow-up, 1463 deaths including 308 CHD deaths and 408 CVD deaths occurred. Men who reported not being able to hear and not using a hearing aid had increased risks of all-cause mortality (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.01, 1.40) and CVD mortality (age-adjusted HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.02, 1.85). Vision impairment (HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.31, 2.13) and dual sensory impairment (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.35, 2.65) were also associated with all-cause mortality, but not with CVD mortality. Only the association of vision impairment with all-cause mortality remained significant after adjustment for social class, obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, diabetes and prevalent CVD. Sensory impairments were not associated with CHD mortality. Conclusion Older men with hearing impairment, vision impairment and dual sensory impairment have an increased risk of all-cause mortality over 10 years. Hearing impaired older men also have an increased risk of CVD mortality. Our findings suggest that the associations between hearing impairment and mortality are explained by social class and behavioural factors, while vision impairment appears to be independently associated with all-cause mortality. Further research is warranted on the possible mechanisms of mortality in visually impaired older adults.


INTRODUCTION The races of Caprimulgus macrurus Horsfield have been revised several times, most recently by Oberholser (1915). This work is now over sixty years old and it was exclusively based on the very inadequate material at the time available in North American collections, without any reference to the large series in the museums of London, Tring, Leiden, etc. As a result, much of Oberholser's revision is based on little more than guesswork (cf. Rothschild & Hartert, 1918: 321). Also, Oberholser omitted the races belonging to the "manillensis" group, although several years earlier Hartert (1906) had concluded that they are conspecific with C. macrurus. My own work on the problem of the geographical variation of the species started over twelve years ago when, studying material from the Western Papuan Islands, I found myself unable to distinguish the numerous races that have been described from the eastern part of its range. Optimistically I announced a revision (Mees, 1965: 171-172). As in the publication mentioned a little-known name was re-introduced and a number of currently accepted names were placed in the synonymy, an explanation is now overdue. The reason for the delay is that completion of the revision took a much longer time than expected. The eastern subspecies did not present any particular difficulties as the material available in Leiden, augmented with a few small loans from other institutions, was adequate for an understanding of the geographical variation in that part of the range of the species. The situation in Borneo, however, could not be satisfactorily clarified with the available material. The Asiatic mainland and several island areas also presented difficulties which were partly insolvable because of insufficient material. Only in


Inspired by recent work of Batanin and Berger on the homotopy theory of operads, a general monad-theoretic context for speaking about structures within structures is presented, and the problem of constructing the universal ambient structure containing the prescribed internal structure is studied. Following the work of Lack, these universal objects must be constructed from simplicial objects arising from our monad-theoretic framework, as certain 2-categorical colimits called codescent objects. We isolate the extra structure present on these simplicial objects which enable their codescent objects to be computed. These are the crossed internal categories of the title, and generalise the crossed simplicial groups of Loday and Fiedorowicz. The most general results of this article are concerned with how to compute such codescent objects in 2-categories of internal categories, and on isolating conditions on the monad-theoretic situation which enable these results to apply. Combined with earlier work of the author in which operads are seen as polynomial 2-monads, our results are then applied to the theory of non-symmetric, symmetric and braided operads. In particular, the well-known construction of a PROP from an operad is recovered, as an illustration of our techniques.


We use a surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy, a useful sensing and surface analysis method complimentary to the Raman scattering spectroscopy, for the individual enhancement of specific molecular vibration bands and fingerprinting of molecular vibrations. SEIRA spectroscopic measurement using the metal hole array (MHA) is demonstrated with high spectral selectivity. The molecular IR absorption peaks are enhanced up to 10 times at the transmission peak of MHA structure when electromagnetic field enhancement is localized on the walls inside the holes. Experimental and numerical simulations results are in a good qualitative agreement. Selective IR band enhancement can be used for identification of specific molecules within complex mixtures and it can be extended to the longer wavelengths at THz molecular bands.


Photographer Byron Wolfe traveled to Deer Creek in California to capture the locations of a series of photographs of Ishi, "the last wild Indian in North America," taken in 1914. His purpose was to show what had changed in the intervening century, to pose questions about the original photographers' intentions and choices, whether and in what sense they took the results to be "authentic" portraits of Ishi's earlier life, and what they wanted people to find in, and take away from, the pictures they took. Wolfe's photographs juxtaposed with the originals accompany an essay by Troy Jollimore, a meditation on Ishi's legacy, wilderness, and how the art and artifice of photography helps us make sense of people, place, and history.


Introducing an econometric approach to quantify the digital divide, this article presents a new method to facilitate crossnational and in-depth sectional analyses of the digital divide within a consistent framework. It examines the sociodemographic topology of the digital divide in an extensive crossnational analysis covering six sociodemographic factors and twenty-five countries. The findings contradict in part the conclusions of previous research. Although there are differences between the social groups, not all of the tested segmentation factors mark major fault lines of the digital divide. The notions of a gender gap, an income divide, and a divide between urban and rural areas are rejected because between-group disparity proves to be only minor in comparison to overall inequality. However, education, age, and main vocational activity do indeed mark digital boundaries in many of the observed countries.


The purpose of this case study is to examine the relationship between human security and national security in the contemporary case of Boko Haram and the Nigerian state. Qualitative content analysis of official and cultural documents is used to survey the security scenario in Nigeria. The research shows that the Nigerian population is facing double sources of threat; non-state actor Boko Haram threatens human security across Nigeria whilst Nigerian state agents fight Boko Haram at the expense of human security. The results confirm the main preconditions suggested by the Welsh School; security threats are best understood at the intrastate level, and the state as a source of threat rather than the provider of security. Human insecurity seems to be Boko Haram's method to achieve its national objective, and Boko Haram gaining control over territory in northern Nigeria certifies that national security is a function of human security. This supports the Welsh School's understanding of security.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of co-ingesting carbohydrate and caffeine (CHO+CAF) in comparison to carbohydrate (CHO) and placebo (PLA), during a reliable soccer-specific test (Currell et al, 2009). 8 university-standard soccer players ingested a PLA, a 6.4% CHO or 6.4% CHO and 160 mg CAF (CHO+CAF) solution on three occasions, in a double-blind randomised cross-over design, with each trial separated by 7 days. The protocol was 90 min in duration, made up of ten 6 min exercise blocks, each followed by soccer-specific skills tests (agility, dribbling, heading and kicking accuracy). Dependant variables (Agility, dribbling, heading, kicking accuracy, glucose, lactate, HR and RPE) were analysed using one-way repeated measures ANOVA. Significant difference (p< 0.05) was found between CHO+CAF, CHO and PLA for each of the soccer-specific skill tests. Significant improvement (p= 0.02) was observed in agility time in CHO versus PLA trials, although no significant difference (p> 0.05) was reported for dribbling, heading and kicking accuracy. Blood glucose and lactate were elevated (p< 0.05) with CHO+CAF supplementation over PLA, but there was no difference (p> 0.05) compared to CHO. Blood glucose increased (p= 0.01) in the CHO trial compared to PLA, with no difference (p> 0.05) between CHO+CAF and CHO. No significant difference (p> 0.05) was reported for HR and RPE values across all trial conditions. Skill performance during simulated soccer activity improved with CHO+CAF supplementation in comparison to both CHO and PLA. CHO+CAF co-ingestion had no ergogenic benefit over CHO in the maintenance and availability of blood glucose however, CHO+CAF co-ingestion did allow players to sustain a higher work intensity as opposed to CHO and PLA beverages as shown by elevated blood lactate levels.


As discussed previously, the Schrödinger equation for the angular motion of a rigid (i.e., having fixed bond length \(R\)) diatomic molecule is \[\dfrac{\hbar^2}{2 μ} \left[ \dfrac{1}{R^2 \sin θ} \dfrac{∂}{∂θ} \left(\sin θ \dfrac{∂}{∂θ} \right) + \dfrac{1}{R^2 \sin^2 θ} \dfrac{∂^2}{∂φ^2} \right] |ψ \rangle = E | ψ \rangle\] or \[ \dfrac{L^2}{2 μ R^2 } | ψ \rangle = E | ψ\rangle \] The Hamiltonian in this problem contains only the kinetic energy of rotation; no potential energy is present because the molecule is undergoing unhindered "free rotation". The angles \(θ\) and \(φ\) describe the orientation of the diatomic molecule's axis relative to a laboratory-fixed coordinate system, and \(μ\) is the reduced mass of the diatomic molecule \[ μ=\dfrac{m_1m_2}{m_1+m_2}\] The eigenvalues corresponding to each eigenfunction are straightforward to find because \(H_{rot}\) is proportional to the \(L^2\) operator whose eigenvalues have already been determined. The resultant rotational energies are given as: \[E_J= \dfrac{\hbar^2J(J+1)}{2μR^2} = B J(J+1) \label{Ediatomic}\] and are independent of \(M\). \(B\) is the rotational constant. Thus each energy level is labeled by \(J\) and is \(2J+1\)fold degenerate (because \(M\) ranges from \(-J\) to \(J\)). The rotational energy in Equation \(\ref{Ediatomic}\) can be expressed in terms of the moment of inertia \(I\) \[I =\sum_i m_i R_i^2 \label{Idiatomic}\] where \(m_i\) is the mass of the \(i^{th}\) atom and \(R\) is its distance from the center of mass of the molecule. This moment of inertia replaces \(μR^2\) in the denominator of Equation \(\ref{Ediatomic}\): \[E_J= \dfrac{\hbar^2J(J+1)}{2I} = B J(J+1) \label{Ediatomic2}\]


This thesis has investigated the reduction of audible noise in low speed sensorless controlled drives for automotive electrical power steering (EPS) applications. The specific methods considered employ saliency tracking high frequency (hf) voltage injection in the machine's estimated d axis. In terms of the audible noise reduction, a novel random sinusoidal hf injection sensorless method has been proposed. The perceived audible noise due to the hf injection can be reduced by randomly distributing the injection frequencies around a centre frequency, such that it is perceived as a background hiss rather than the fixed tone heard with fixed hf injection methods. By analysing the A-weighting scales used to classify human perception of audible noise and frequency analysis of the recorded noise, an injection frequency of (lS00±328) Hz is found to have the lowest audible noise level compared to other random frequencies and other fixed frequencies methods. A 10 kHz square wave hf injection sensorless method has also been implemented. The frequency analysis of the recorded audible noise indicates that it also may be lower than for the fixed hf sinusoidal injection. In terms of control performance, sensorless torque control for these methods has been achieved from zero speed to ±240rpm with up to ±60A load (about 63% rated load). Similar position estimate quality has been demonstrated. Dynamic performance for a step change in torque current demand and for a speed reversal has been performed, and the random injection method with (1S00±328) Hz frequency has been found to be able to control a step change in torque demand current of 50A whilst for the 10kHz square wave injection method only a 40A step change can be achieved. On the other hand, the average position error after the speed transient has settled is less for the 10 kHz square ewave injection than for the random injection.


This paper contributes to the literature on neighborhood inequality along both theoretical and empirical lines. We introduce a new neighborhood inequality index (NI) to measure income inequality within individual neighborhoods of varying sizes, and study its normative and statistical properties. The NI index is used in combination with a large database of income distributions defined on a fine-grained geographic scale to study neighborhood inequality in American cities over the last 35 years. Inequality within small individual neighborhoods is found to grow steadily over the period, albeit heterogeneously across cities. We investigate the intergenerational consequences of a rising NI index, exploiting labor market responses to minimum wage regulation as a source of identification. We find that lower neighborhood inequality during childhood makes income mobility for children with a disadvantaged parental background more likely.


A business case for programs to prevent falls in older adults was conducted by the U.S. CDC National Centers for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) and the National Council on Aging (NCOA). Interventions studied were as follows: the Otago Exercise Program delivered to (a) persons aged 65 and older and (b) persons aged 80 and older, the Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance program, and the Stepping On program. The average intervention costs were $415 for both age-groups of the Otago Exercise Program, $216 for Tai Chi and $155 for Stepping On. Benefits in averted direct medical costs were $363 for the Otago Exercise Program for 65 and older, $691 for the Otago Exercise Program for 80 and older, $570 for Tai Chi and $311 for Stepping On. The net present values (NPVs) were $354 for Tai Chi, $276 for the Otago Exercise Program for 80 years and older and $156 for Stepping On. The Otago Exercise Program for 65 and older showed a negative NPV. The Tai Chi program at $1.6 per dollar invested (160% return) had the higher ROI followed by Stepping On at $1 per dollar invested (100% return) and the Otago Exercise Program for persons 80 and older at $0.7 per dollar invested (70% return). The magnitudes of the ROIs for the above interventions indicate excellent financial performances when compared to the 12% historical return of the U.S. Standard and Poors 500 index.


WHAT DID THE WOMEN WANT?: REVIEW OF KOONING: AN AMERICAN MASJfK, BY MARK STEVENS AND ANNALYN SWAN. NEW YORK: ALFRED A. KNOPF. 2004. 732 PAGES, ILLUSTRATED. In the 1950s, the loose group of downtown painters who later became known as "the New York School" began making a little money. They abandoned the Waldorf Cafeteria, where a nickel cup of coffee could last for a whole night of shoptalk, and began gathering at a workingman's bar called the Cedar Tavern. The painters, all men, sometimes brought women with them. In 1956 the most eye-catching couple was Jackson Pollock-already the most famous of the New York painters-and his flamboyant young girlfriend Ruth Kligman. Later that year Pollock drunkenly crashed his car against a tree and died instantly. But Kligman was thrown tree of the car and, once her injuries healed, she began showing up at the Cedar Tavern again-with Willem de Kooning. He -was now the most famous painter in New York. De Kooning: An American Master pursues many questions about these artists and their world, and one of the most interesting is, what did the women want? Willem de Kooning, born into a working-class Dutch family in Rotterdam in 1904, was raised in poverty and squalor. His ferociously aggressive mother, Cornelia, dominated the home, scolding, screaming, slapping. "That's the person I teared most in the world," de Kooning said shortly before she died. His father took the highly unconventional action of divorcing Cornelia when Willem was two years old, and Willem grew up shuttling between the parental households, welcome in neither. He left school at twelve, like most boys of the working class, but a talent for drawing won him an apprenticeship in an upscale Art Nouveau decorating firm in Rotterdam, where he learned to build furniture and mix paint, among other skills that later proved useful. His employers rewarded his talent by paying his tuition for night classes in Rotterdam's academy for fine and technical arts, where he trained for six years in the draftsmanship that was to become a notable feature of his style as a painter. At age twenty-two, he stowed away on a ship bound for New York. Soon afterward he had settled in the bohemian artists' community of Greenwich Village, holding a well-paid day job and painting during his spare time. Then, in 1930, de Kooning formed a friendship with the immigrant Russian Arshile Gorky, whose example of total commitment to modernism set de Kooning on a path from which he never veered. In 1935, during the height of the Depression, de Kooning quit his job and bet on his talent; he was thirty-one years old. For the next sixty years, he lived mainly in his studios; he lived for painting. One of the great strengths of this long, marvelous book is the clarity with which it historicizes de Kooning's changing aims as an artist and explains the technical strategies by which he struggled to accomplish them. But equally impressive is the biographers' shrewd understanding of de Kooning's character, including his resisting relationships to women. There were two kinds of women in de Kooning's life. First, there were those who never doubted they had legitimate claims on him and whose efforts to press their claims aroused him to cruelty and flight, and when all else failed, to drunken oblivion: Cornelia, his mother; Elaine, his wife; Joan, the mother of his daughter Lisa; and Lisa herself. Then there were the numerous "other" women, whose intimacy with de Kooning lasted only as long as they did not behave as though intimacy gave them any rights at all. By tar the most interesting woman in this story is Elaine, who had a way of talking "as though history would be listening," the biographers tell us. She met de Kooning through a fellow artist when she was twenty, attending art school; de Kooning was thirty-four. A chestnut-haired beauty with the lithe body of an athlete, Elaine was also a talented painter in her own right-her most important commission would be a presidential portrait of JFK in 1962-and she had an utterly compelling gift for expressing herself: in ardent conversation, in physical daring, in having fun. …


The purpose of this study is to examine effects of the admission system to higher education on background diversity of students and study efficiency. By using data from a longitudinal project, the students admitted to medical education on different admission grounds are compared. The results indicate that admissions based on upper secondary grades best promote the goal of diversity. In addition, those students perform nearly as well as those admitted via step‐wise procedures. The step‐wise procedures promote study efficiency, but tend to favour applicants with upper‐middle‐class and Swedish backgrounds compared to those admitted via grades. Those admitted on the basis of SweSAT scores perform more poorly than those admitted via grades and step‐wise procedures. Furthermore, the results indicate that admission via SweSAT scores contradict rather than promote the goals of increasing social, educational, and national diversity in higher education.


As the sports industry has grown into a multi-billion dollar enterprise, cities have increasingly faced the decision of whether to fund expensive stadium projects to attract or keep franchises. These projects commonly include using public funds and the government's eminent domain power under the Public-Use Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Unlike traditional public uses such as infrastructure and utilities, multipurpose stadiums present a unique challenge for courts. The Second Circuit in Goldstein v. Pataki handled the public-use analysis by allowing any amount of traditional public-use justification to shield a stadium project from pretext challenges. This Note argues that by broadening the publicuse analysis, the Goldstein court effectively foreclosed any feasible pretext claim against a stadium project, which always has a traditional public-use justification. It proposes that in general, the Massachusetts legislature's approach to public-use analysis for stadium construction provides a strong starting point in protecting public use from improper private benefits. In Massachusetts, the government grants public funding and land condemnation for the portions of a stadium project that satisfy the traditional public-use analysis, while the government requires teams to pay for any portions that only benefit the franchise. In doing so, the state has struck a stronger balance between protecting the public from unconstitutional takings while ensuring the viability of future stadium projects.


Uther, the High King of Britain, has died, leaving the infant Mordred as his only heir. His uncle, the loyal and gifted warlord Arthur, now rules as caretaker for a country which has fallen into chaos - threats emerge from within the British kingdoms while vicious Saxon armies stand ready to invade. As he struggles to unite Britain and hold back the Saxon enemy, Arthur is embroiled in a doomed romance with beautiful Guinevere.


Naturally fractured reservoirs constitute a substantial percentage of remaining hydrocarbon resources; they create exploration targets in otherwise impermeable rocks, including under-explored crystalline basement; and they can be used as geological stores for anthropogenic carbon dioxide. Their complex behaviour during production has traditionally proved difficult to predict, causing a large degree of uncertainty in reservoir development. The applied study of naturally fractured reservoirs seeks to constrain this uncertainty by developing new understanding, and is necessarily a broad, integrated, interdisciplinary topic. This book addresses some of the challenges and advances in knowledge, approaches, concepts, and methods used to characterize the interplay of rock matrix and fracture networks, relevant to fluid flow and hydrocarbon recovery. Topics include: describing, characterizing and identifying controls on fracture networks from outcrops, cores, geophysical data, digital and numerical models; geomechanical influences on reservoir behaviour; numerical modelling and simulation of fluid flow; and case studies of the exploration and development of carbonate, siliciclastic and metamorphic naturally fractured reservoirs.


Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP; MIM #135100) is a debilitating genetic disorder of dysregulated cellular differentiation characterized by malformation of the great toes during embryonic skeletal development and by progressive heterotopic endochondral ossification postnatally. Patients with these classic clinical features of FOP have the identical heterozygous single nucleotide substitution (c.617G > A; R206H) in the gene encoding ACVR1/ALK2, a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type I receptor. Gene targeting was used to develop an Acvr1 knock‐in model for FOP (Acvr1R206H/+). Radiographic analysis of Acvr1R206H/+ chimeric mice revealed that this mutation induced malformed first digits in the hind limbs and postnatal extraskeletal bone formation, recapitulating the human disease. Histological analysis of murine lesions showed inflammatory infiltration and apoptosis of skeletal muscle followed by robust formation of heterotopic bone through an endochondral pathway, identical to that seen in patients. Progenitor cells of a Tie2+ lineage participated in each stage of endochondral osteogenesis. We further determined that both wild‐type (WT) and mutant cells are present within the ectopic bone tissue, an unexpected finding that indicates that although the mutation is necessary to induce the bone formation process, the mutation is not required for progenitor cell contribution to bone and cartilage. This unique knock‐in mouse model provides novel insight into the genetic regulation of heterotopic ossification and establishes the first direct in vivo evidence that the R206H mutation in ACVR1 causes FOP. © 2012 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.


Abstract. The Arctic is warming at an alarming rate, yet the processes that contribute to the enhanced warming are not well understood. Arctic aerosols have been targeted in studies for decades due to their consequential impacts on the energy budget, both directly and indirectly through their ability to modulate cloud microphysics. Even with the breadth of knowledge afforded from these previous studies, aerosols and their effects remain poorly quantified, especially in the rapidly changing Arctic. Additionally, many previous studies involved use of ground-based measurements, and due to the frequent stratified nature of the Arctic atmosphere, brings into question the representativeness of these datasets aloft. Here, we report on airborne observations from the US Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program's Fifth Airborne Carbon Measurements (ACME-V) field campaign along the North Slope of Alaska during the summer of 2015. Contrary to previous evidence that the Alaskan Arctic summertime air is relatively pristine, we show how local oil extraction activities, 2015's central Alaskan wildfires, and, to a lesser extent, long-range transport introduce aerosols and trace gases higher in concentration than previously reported in Arctic haze measurements to the North Slope. Although these sources were either episodic or localized, they serve as abundant aerosol sources that have the potential to impact a larger spatial scale after emission.


The re-ignition potential of multi-species soot clouds in building fires were investigated based on their extinction characteristics. The investigation was carried out theoretically using an adaptation of Semenov's thermal explosion theory. The critical sizes of soot particles in the cloud were found to be strongly affected by the particle temperature, shape, and reactivity, as well as the mass fraction of each species, and ambient conditions. The cloud shape, cloud particle number density, fuel mass fraction, and soot reactivity were identified as the major parameters impacting upon the cloud extinction potential. Our analysis indicate that blending of a base soot with a less reactive soot generally increases the extinction potential of the cloud (i.e. likelihood of extinction) while addition of a more reactive secondary soot to the base one minimises the probability of cloud extinction.


The purpose of the present study was to investigate how the Flanders Interaction Analysis Category System (FIACS) can be used to investigate the interactional practices of students and teachers of English to speakers of other languages (ESOL). Additionally, this study sought to produce a system by which interaction could be categorised in the ESOL classroom which could be deployed by teachers in order to help them gain a deeper insight into the ways that they interact with their students during classes. The dissertation tracked the practices of 46 individuals.
The data of this study included recordings of ESOL lessons. These recordings were then transcribed and categorised into different interaction types using a revised version of the Flanders Interaction Analysis Category System, in order to provide insight into what types of interaction most commonly occur between teachers and students and the purpose of that interaction.
The results of this research found that students in the ESOL classroom are given greater encouragement and opportunity to speak during classes than in non-ESOL classrooms, and the classes themselves are more student-centred. Previous research conducted in a non-ESOL context showed a more teacher-centred approach. The results of this study indicate that students and teachers in an ESOL class may have different interactional preferences for learning than those of non-ESOL teachers and students and in order to account for these differences, a new and more ESOL-specific category system has been developed.


This article reviews recent developments in government policy designed to provide an integrated framework for children's services, in the light of the continuing and long-running debate between principles of welfare and justice. It is noted that at the level of policy, it has repeatedly been argued that responding to the offences of children and providing for their welfare are inseparable. However, this apparent consensus has resulted in a range of different service structures and delivery systems over the years, characterised by 'turf wars' amongst policy-makers and practitioners, and unintended consequences in terms of damaging outcomes for children. The article suggests that the most recent policy initiatives from government leave this tension unresolved; and it concludes that alternative rationales need to be developed to inform interventions with children who offend.


Federal regulations that govern research misconduct in biomedicine have not been able to prevent an ongoing series of high-profile cases of fabricating, falsifying, or plagiarizing scientific research. In this book, Barbara Redman looks critically at current research misconduct policy and proposes a new approach that emphasizes institutional context and improved oversight. Current policy attempts to control risk at the individual level. But Redman argues that a fair and effective policy must reflect the context in which the behavior in question is embedded. As journalists who covered many research misconduct cases observed, the roots of fraud "lie in the barrel, not in the bad apples that occasionally roll into view." Drawing on literature in related fields -- including moral psychology, the policy sciences, the organizational sciences, and law -- as well as analyses of misconduct cases, Redman considers research misconduct from various perspectives. She also examines in detail a series of clinical research cases in which repeated misconduct went undetected and finds laxity of oversight, little attention to harm done, and inadequate correction of the scientific record. Study questions enhance the book's value for graduate and professional courses in research ethics. Redman argues that the goals of any research misconduct policy should be to protect scientific capital (knowledge, scientists, institutions, norms of science), support fair competition, contain harms to end users and to the public trust, and enable science to meet its societal obligations.


Nearly all life forms require iron to survive and function. Microorganisms utilize a number of mechanisms to acquire iron including the production of siderophores, which are organic compounds that combine with ferric iron into forms that are easily absorbed by the microorganism. There has been significant experimental investigation into the role, distribution and function of siderophores in fungi but until now no predictive tools have been developed to qualify or quantify fungi-initiated siderophore-iron interactions. In this investigation, we construct the first mathematical models of siderophore function related to fungi. Initially, a set of partial differential equations are calibrated and integrated numerically to generate quantitative predictions on the spatio-temporal distributions of siderophores and related populations. This model is then reduced to a simpler set of equations that are solved algebraically giving rise to solutions that predict the distributions of siderophores and resultant compounds. These algebraic results require the calculation of zeros of cross products of Bessel functions and thus new algebraic expansions are derived for a variety of different cases that are in agreement with numerically computed values. The results of the modelling are consistent with experimental data while the analysis provides new quantitative predictions on the time scales involved between siderophore production and iron uptake along with how the total amount of iron acquired by the fungus depends on its environment. The implications to bio-technological applications are briefly discussed.


The educational needs of the 21st century pose a number of serious problems for current educational practices. First and foremost, we see the 21 century as a time that is characterized by constant change. Educational practices that focus on the transfer of static knowledge simply cannot keep up with the rapid rate of change. Practices that focus on adaptation or reaction to change fare better, but are still finding themselves outpaced by an environment that requires content to be updated almost as fast as it can be taught. What is required to succeed in education is a theory that is responsive to the context of constant flux, while at the same time is grounded in a theory of learning. Accordingly, understanding the processes of learning which underwrite the practices emerging from participation in digital networks may enable us to design learning environments that harness the power of digital participation for education in the 21 century.


Searchable Symmetric Encryption (SSE) allows a data owner to securely outsource its encrypted data to a cloud server while maintaining the ability to search over it and retrieve matched documents. Most existing SSE schemes leak which documents are accessed per query, i.e., the so-called access pattern, and thus are vulnerable to attacks that can recover the database or the queried keywords. Current techniques that fully hide access patterns, such as ORAM or PIR, suffer from heavy communication or computational costs, and are not designed with search capabilities in mind. Recently, Chen et al. (INFOCOM'18) proposed an obfuscation framework for SSE that protects the access pattern in a differentially private way with a reasonable utility cost. However, this scheme leaks the so-called search pattern, i.e., how many times a certain query is performed. This leakage makes the proposal vulnerable to certain database and query recovery attacks.
In this paper, we propose OSSE (Obfuscated SSE), an SSE scheme that obfuscates the access pattern independently for each query performed. This in turn hides the search pattern and makes our scheme resistant against attacks that rely on this leakage. Under certain reasonable assumptions, our scheme has smaller communication overhead than ORAM-based SSE. Furthermore, our scheme works in a single communication round and requires very small constant client-side storage. Our empirical evaluation shows that OSSE is highly effective at protecting against different query recovery attacks while keeping a reasonable utility level. Our protocol provides significantly more protection than the proposal by Chen et al.~against some state-of-the-art attacks, which demonstrates the importance of hiding search patterns in designing effective privacy-preserving SSE schemes.


PURPOSE
Intestinal stomas can pose significant challenges for long-term (> or = 5 years) rectal cancer (RC) survivors. Specifying common challenges and sociodemographic or clinical differences will further the development of tailored interventions to improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
This was a matched cross-sectional study of long-term RC survivors conducted in three Kaiser Permanente regions. The mailed questionnaire included the modified City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy (mCOH-QOL-Ostomy) and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, version 2 (SF-36v2). Groups surveyed were permanent ostomates (cases) and those who did not require an ostomy (controls). RC survivors were matched on sex, age, and time since diagnosis. Comparisons between groups used regression analysis with adjustment for age, comorbidity score, history of radiation therapy, income, and work status.

RESULTS
Response rate was 54% (491 of 909). Cases and controls had similar demographic characteristics. On the basis of the mCOH-QOL-Ostomy, both male and female cases had significantly worse social well-being compared with controls, while only female cases reported significantly worse overall HRQOL and psychological well-being. For younger females (< age 75 years), ostomy had a greater impact on physical well-being compared with older females. Based on the SF-36v2, statistically significant and meaningful differences between female cases and controls were observed for seven of the eight scales and on the physical and mental component summary scores.

CONCLUSION
Men and women report a different profile of challenges, suggesting the need for targeted or sex-specific interventions to improve HRQOL in this population. This may include focus on physical HRQOL for female ostomy survivors younger than age 75.


Statement of the Problem: MDD is characterized by heterogeneous symptoms, including low mood, anhedonia and cognitive impairments. The course of the disease often follows a periodic trajectory (Fig1), which includes recurrent episodes of increasing severity, duration, and progressive resistance to antidepressants, separated by gradually shortening partial or full remission phases, often leading to chronic and treatment-resistance depression with deteriorating functional fitness. Notably, studies so far have majorly focused on the differences between control and MDD subjects. Molecular changes in different phases of the MDD largely remains unknown. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: To address this issue we performed RNAseq of 90 postmortem subgenual anterior cingulate cortex tissue samples obtained from one control (n=20) and four MDD cohorts in 1) first episode of depression (n=20); 2) remission state after first episode (n=15); 3) recurrent stages of depressive episode (n=20) and 4) remission stages after recurrent episodes (n=15). Integrating with the available single cell RNAseq and drug based transcriptomic profile using machine learning and network biology approaches we looked for cell specific molecular changes, causal biological pathways, and drug molecules and their targets involved in MDD. Findings: Genes and biological pathways associated with the different phases of MDD and their cellular correlates were first characterized. A subset of CRH, VIP and SST positive interneuron neuron showed significant association with the disease trajectory (p-value<3x10-3). Using causal probabilistic Bayesian network, we then showed that MDD is associated with biological changes that include immune system process (FDR<8.67x10-3), cytokine response (FDR<4.79x10-27), and oxidative stress components (FDR<2.05x10-3). Drugs and their associated target proteins which replicate or reverse the expression profiles of the causal pathways were mostly those with antidepressant and antipsychotic properties. Conclusion & Significance: These findings support established clinical evidence of MDD at a molecular level and outlines a novel method of drug discovery by targeting disease-causing pathways.


The local sphere of migration policy has become a key area of intervention for local governments, during the recent refugee crisis. The scant existing literature on the topic has distinguished different approaches through which local governments manage asylum issues, but largely neglected mayors' aims and motivations, how they frame problems and make decisions, and the implications of these processes on policy implementation. This article aims to fill this gap, by focusing on local decision-making processes and analysing the interplay between local politics and policies in the asylum field, by applying insights from Weick's sensemaking approach and relying on semi-structured interviews and social network analysis. The article applies this perspective to the case of mayors' decisions to develop "socially useful work" (SUW) projects for asylum-seekers – defined as the "Italian way to asylum-seekers' integration" – and focuses on Veneto, a region that experienced a harsh political crisis around asylum-seekers' reception. The analysis concludes, first, that, despite this policy being promoted by the Ministry of Interior, mayors are not mere passive implementers and rather adapt SUW projects to their own aims in a way that powerfully shapes policy implementation and its outcomes. Secondly, it shows that, while mayors' political affiliation is a strong predictor of the policy strategies adopted, the main difference observed is not much between progressive left-wing and conservative right-wing mayors but, rather, between mayors affiliated to dominant political parties and independent mayors.


Patent regimes have been strengthened across the globe. This paper discusses the theoretical case for strong national patent regimes in the context of a globalized world. The national treatment of foreign inventors gives countries an incentive to free ride, and while this can be overcome through patent rights harmonization agreements, these present coordination challenges. In particular, while more innovative countries will benefit from harmonizing on a higher level of patent rights, less innovative countries will prefer a lower common level. These insights are applied to Canada, where both theory and empirical evidence suggest that Canada's patent regime is doing little to promote domestic innovation, while generating significant deadweight losses for the economy. The conclusion is that Canada's interests would best be served by a weaker national patent regime, subject to its current international obligations. Moreover, any future agreements that increase such obligations would ceteris paribus not benefit Canada.


The doctoral defense is an important step in the doctoral journey and an essential requirement for obtaining a doctoral degree. Past research on the doctoral defense has focused solely on national practices. In this work, I investigate the potential link between the doctoral defense format based on its major and minor elements and the perception of the defense by the student. For this purpose, I first reviewed the different defense formats used internationally to extract the different elements of the doctoral defense, and the literature on students' perceptions of the doctoral defense. Then, I carried out an international survey which received 297 responses, of which 204 were completed surveys which I used for the analysis in this article. I first analyzed the outcomes of the survey using qualitative and quantitative methods, and then cross-correlated the outcomes of defense format with the outcomes of student perception. From this analysis, I observed that the defense elements that positively impact the student's perception are: publication of the thesis before the defense, receiving committee feedback before the defense, knowing the recommendations of one or more committee member in advance, having the supervisor present in the audience or as part of the committee, using a dress code, and including a laudatio. The final conclusion of this work is threefold. The first conclusion is that the details of the defense format impact most the students' perception. The second conclusion is that doctoral students, on average, value the defense as a positive experience. The third conclusion is that the defense format cannot influence two important aspects of how a student perceives the defense: the student's inner life and experience during the defense, and the behavior of the committee members.


River infrastructures such as weirs, hydropower stations or water reservoirs represent obstructions to migration for diadromous fish. Knowledge of accurate behaviour of fish in front of such structures is required to protect migrants from hazardous areas, guide them towards safe passage or adapt structure to improve the escapement. We developed and made available a method to process acoustic telemetry data based on Time Difference Of Arrival analysis to accurately locate tagged fish. Improved accuracy allows the detection of escape routes and description of dam‐crossing tactics. Sixteen tagged eels were tracked with high accuracy (1–2 m) and ~1 location min⁻¹ frequency during their exploration period on reaching the dam. Two migration routes (spillways and bottom compensation flow pipe) were used by 77% and 23% of eels respectively. Spillways were the preferred route, but a median of 16 days were required to pass the dam versus 1.1 days via the compensation pipe. A minimal water crest of 40 cm was required for passage via spillways. Eels passing through the compensation pipe were exclusively nocturnal and mainly explored the bottom of the dam. Eels passing through spillways explored the whole dam area by night and day, and were not attracted to the compensation pipe entrance. With global warming, more frequent drought periods are expected, potentially leading to decreased opportunities for eels to migrate across safer dams by spillways. To conserve this endangered species, dam management strategies that account for expected hydrologic conditions and distinct exploration behaviours are needed.