This paper is intended to begin the development of fair and expedient processes for resolving disputes involving "harmful interference," an oft-alleged and scarcely understood regulatory concept that is integral for the establishment, modification and enforcement of spectrum usage rights. There has been a continuous clamor to clearly define these substantive rights, especially those related to interference among disparate, neighboring and competing spectrum users. However, enforcement – or adjudication – of those rights is an equally, if not more, important feature of wireless regulation. If, as many suggest, Coasian bargaining through private negotiations among disputing parties is generally preferred over time-consuming regulatory intervention, then equitable and efficient procedural mechanisms, along with alternative institutions and venues, should be readily available if and when negotiations fail or are otherwise futile. This is especially true in a post "command-and-control" wireless world that relies on market-based mechanisms and flexible usage rules in the context of exclusive licensing and non-exclusive spectrum access models.In studying current and potential procedural mechanisms, many questions need to be addressed such as: what are the elements of harmful interference claims? what are the defenses to such claims? and who has the burden of presenting, proving and rebutting the facts of each claim and defense? This paper offers a framework for evaluating the case law developed over the decades by spectrum regulatory bodies to help answer these and other pertinent questions and identify best (and worst) practices and alternative solutions. This proposed framework centers around three broad categories of regulatory conflicts involving spectrum rights and claims of potential or actual interference: (1) disputes over establishment of new rights (typically through ex ante rulemakings) that pit new entrants against incumbent users; (2) clashes over modification or clarification of existing rights involving, e.g, adjacent incumbent neighbors in ex ante rulemakings or informal ex post adjudications; and (3) cases enforcing existing rights, which often is the regulator vs. interferers in ex post adjudications. Category 3 cases are significantly under-evaluated and deserve more attention.The purpose of this taxonomy is to foster development of a more consistent and data-driven analytical approach to evaluating existing procedural options (or lack thereof) for resolving the wide range of spectrum access and interference disputes. Under each category, case studies representing a variety of procedural and substantive situations would be thoroughly and empirically evaluated. A detailed technical analysis of the substantive interference and coexistence issues at the heart of such disputes would be deferred except to the extent that such issues affected process and results. Content analysis, the systematic reading and empirical analysis that legal scholars have used to gather data from the texts of judicial opinions, is the recommended approach.The analysis of a broad set of interference cases would test common presumptions of unpredictability, unfairness and lengthy duration surrounding interference matters. While the outcomes of the content analysis will likely depend on the number and types of cases that are evaluated, this future research should present a strong quantifiable basis for developing key features of the overall spectrum regulatory framework. And therefore, the major implication for spectrum policy would be that most, if not all, of the substantive rights for wireless operations need not be better defined by spectrum regulators before negotiations among interested parties can take place. Rather, emphasis would be on fair and expedient processes for any aggrieved party. Over time, as in other areas of the law, these processes can more reliably establish, modify, interpret or adjudicate undefined, conflicting and ambiguous rights.Note: An earlier draft version of this paper was prepared as a contribution to the University of Colorado Silicon Flatirons Summit on "Efficient Interference Management: Regulation, Receivers, and Right Enforcement" held on October 18, 2011. I appreciate the constructive assistance and encouragement from Pierre de Vries, Ellen Goodman, Coleman Bazelon and Giulia McHenry. And, thanks especially to Matthew Montgomery for uncovering some interesting cases in his own research.


Knowledge of the neuronal membrane properties and synaptic physiology of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is critical for an understanding of the cellular basis of circadian rhythms in mammals. The hypothalamic slice preparations from rodents and a combination of electrophysiological techniques (i.e., extracellular single- and multiple-unit recording, intracellular recording, and whole-cell patch clamp) were used to study (1) the role of excitatory and inhibitory amino acids (i.e., glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid [GABA] in synaptic transmission, (2) the membrane properties of SCN neurons, and (3) the mechanisms of neuronal synchronization. Antagonists for N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and non-NMDA receptors blocked excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) evoked by stimulation of the optic nerve or other sites when SCN cells were depolarized or at rest, respectively. Bicuculline blocked inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) that were evoked by local stimulation or that occurred spontaneously. The IPSP reversal potential was near the Cl- equilibrium potential, and was shifted to depolarized levels by raising intracellular [Cl-]. Thus, glutamate and GABA appear to mediate fast excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in the SCN. Some SCN neurons, but not all of them, had low-threshold Ca2+ spikes and time-dependent inward rectification, thus indicating that the electrical properties of SCN neurons are not homogenous. Neurons with a firing rate of > 6 Hz had a regular pattern, and neurons with a rate of < 4 Hz had an irregular pattern; since both the firing rate and pattern could be modified with injected currents, SCN neurons with different firing patterns are unlikely to represent distinct classes of cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Rewards may be due to skill, effort and luck, and the social perception of inequality in rewards among individuals may depend on what produced the inequality. Rewards due to skill produce a conflict: higher outcomes of others in this case are considered deserved, and this counters incentives to reduce inequality. However, they also signal superior skill, and for this reason induce strong negative affect in those who perform less, which increases the incentive to reduce the inequality. The neurobiological mechanisms underlying evaluation of rewards due to skill, effort and luck are still unknown. We scanned brain activity of subjects as they perceived monetary rewards caused by skill, effort or luck. Subjects could subtract from others. Subtraction was larger, everything else being equal, in luck; but increased more as the difference in outcomes grew in skill. Similarly, reward-related activation in medial orbitofrontal cortex was more sensitive to the difference in relative outcomes in skill trials. Orbitofrontal activation reflecting comparative reward advantage predicted by how much subjects reduced unfavorable reward inequality later on in the trial. Thus, medial orbitofrontal cortex activity reflects the causes of reward and predicts actions that reduce inequality.


While a good amount of research has been conducted regarding the voting behavior of Hispanics in the United States, there is a dearth of analysis of the underlying ideologies of members of this ethnic group, especially in contrast to their partisan self-identifications. This is especially true of one particular sub-category: Hispanics along the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, of whom a majority consistently vote Democrat, but whose personal values would seem to make them a natural constituency for issue positions associated with the Republican Party (Garrett, 2010). The goal of this study is to analyze the ideological positions of a subset of Hispanics in the Rio Grande Valley who tend to vote overwhelmingly Democrat: Hispanic college students.
Building on Feldman and Johnston's (2014) work (see also Gerber et al. [2010]), where they argue that a unidimensional model of ideology provides an incomplete basis for the study of political ideology, we employ two dimensions — economic and social ideology — as the minimum needed to account for domestic policy preference. The core of the study is a taxonomic analysis of an initial survey of approximately 150 students taking Government courses at South Texas College, a public community college in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) region of south Texas, with a student population that is over 90% Hispanic. Based on survey results, students are placed on a quadrant-based ideological chart, including Left/Liberal, Right/Conservative, Libertarian, and Communitarian/Statist (along with Centrist, which overlaps portions of all four ideological categories). In addition, using recent American National Election Studies (ANES) datasets, we compare how our samples (RGV college students) are different from the general U.S. population, employing a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to locate each respondent on the quadratic space (social & economic positions).
The impetus for this study was anecdotal evidence in the authors' classes; we had assumed that, since voters in the Rio Grande Valley tend to heavily favor Democrats, student ideologies would tend towards Liberal/Center-Left. However, we observed that in informal in-class ideological surveys (such as the four-quadrant "Nolan Quiz" published by the Advocates for Self-Government), a surprising number of students tended towards the Libertarian and Left-Libertarian ideologies, along with a significant number in the Center-Right and Conservative quadrants. Our goal was to see if this held true when using a more robust survey and larger samples. It was hypothesized, and the results verified, that Hispanic college students tend to take policy positions that place them more in the Center/Left and Center/Libertarian quadrants.


BACKGROUND
Soy and some of its constituents, such as isoflavones, have been shown to have cancer-inhibitory activities in experimental studies. Data from epidemiologic studies linking usual soy food intake with colorectal cancer are limited and inconsistent.

OBJECTIVE
The objective was to investigate whether soy food intake is associated with colorectal cancer risk.

DESIGN
We prospectively examined 68,412 women aged 40-70 y and free of cancer and diabetes at enrollment. Usual soy food intake was assessed at baseline (1997-2000) and reassessed during the first follow-up (2000-2002) through in-person interviews with a validated food-frequency questionnaire. We excluded the first year of observation to minimize lifestyle changes related to preclinical disease.

RESULTS
During a mean follow-up of 6.4 y, 321 incident colorectal cancer cases were identified. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, total soy food intake was inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk. Each 5-g/d increment in intake of soy foods as assessed by dry weight [equivalent to approximately 1 oz (28.35 g) tofu/d] was associated with an 8% reduction in risk (95% CI: 3%, 14%). Women in the highest tertile of intake had a multivariate relative risk of 0.67 (95% CI: 0.49, 0.90) compared with those in the lowest tertile (P for trend = 0.008). This inverse association was primarily confined to postmenopausal women. Similar results were also found for intakes of soy protein and isoflavones.

CONCLUSION
This prospective study suggests that consumption of soy foods may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women.


Pupils need to experience a variety of kinds of literature in the social studies, as it relates to the ongoing unit of study. This is necessary in order that individual differences are provided for in the classroom. Learners differ from each other in interests, purposes, and abilities in reading. Background information for achievement in the ensuing unit must be possessed by each pupil so that new learnings may be understood. Reading social studies subject matter should taught so that it is beneficial to pupils across the curriculum. Thus, useful content and skills in reading transfer to other subject matter areas. Reading is an important skill to emphasize in the curriculum. ********** Developing Abilities in Reading Social Studies Content Ausubel (1958) stressed the saliency of pupils possessing background subject matter to benefit from the new content to be taught. Thus, he advocated the use of advanced organizers. Directly related to the ensuing literary content, the advance organizer provided brief background information to prepare learners for comprehending new subject matter. This would sequence new subject matter with the old and improve pupil understanding of major facts, concepts, and generalizations. Ausubel believed that pupils having adequate background information before pursuing new knowledge was a major factor in learning. A seamless preparation to understand the ensuing is necessary and makes for quality teaching. Second, learners must attach meaning to ongoing reading experiences. Literature becomes meaningless unless it possesses depth and breadth of understanding. A major problem in reading might well relate to vocabulary difficulties. If pupils do not attach meaning to vocabulary contained in the reading selection, the pupil might be turned off from the selection being read. Here, the literature teacher has the responsibilities of assisting pupils in vocabulary development. Thus, in silent reading, unknown words may be pronounced correctly immediately as the learner raises his/her hand for assistance. As the pupil continues silent reading, clarity of word meaning may possess meaning. The learner may also ask the teacher for word meanings in silent reading as the need arises. Fluency in reading is salient! The glossary and appropriate grade level dictionary are additional resources (See Tichman, 2008). Third, when using the basal textbook, the teacher may print the words neatly for all to see on the chalkboard/white board. The teacher points to each word as it is being pronounced clearly and correctly. The word should also be used in a meaningful sentence. This total procedure might well provide background information for reading. A purpose or purposes may be identified in terms of questions, printed on the chalk/white board, to answer in the ensuing reading activity. Pupils as well as the teacher need to choose these questions. As a follow up experience, pupils should discuss subject matter read. Here, critical and creative reading, as well as problem solving might well be emphasized. Pupil comprehension must be stressed. Fourth, pupils might need assistance in word recognition. There can be several procedures used here, such as pronouncing the word immediately when a learner raises his/her hand when reading and asking for help. Context clues is a good procedure, too, in that a pupil who hesitates on an unknown word is asked to give one which makes sense in relationship to the rest of the words in the sentence. If this is not adequate, the involved pupil needs to look also at the beginning letter, generally a consonant, to sound out the word. Sounding out words may be used to identify unknown words as the need arises as well as when sound/symbol relationships are consistent. Phonics is merely a tool to identify unknown words in reading; making sense of sentences in reading comprehension is salient and not phonic learning for its own sake (Ediger and Rao, 2011). …


Epilepsy is a neurological condition affecting about 50 million people worldwide. It is a condition of the nervous system in which neuronal populations alternate between periods of normal ongoing electrical activity and periods of paroxysmal activity.
Computational models provide a powerful framework both for simulating dynamics of neuronal networks involved in epileptic seizures and for testing new treatment options.
The aims of this thesis are to better understand the mechanisms involved in the dynamics of epileptic seizures and to devise stimulation paradigms that may be applied to control epileptic seizures, both by studying and applying computational models.

Computational models can be used as descriptive tools, where observed phenomena are captured in a model. In Chapter 2 of the thesis activity-dependent channels are introduced in a realistic neuronal model, eliciting both steady state and limit cycle behaviour. The effect on the distribution of ictal and inter-ictal length is shown. In Chapter 3 we use a model at another level of abstraction. A model of coupled oscillators-rotators shows a variety of different dynamic behaviour patterns. It is interesting that, although the system may change states, the total activity of the system does not necessarily change. A correspondence between the realistic model and the analytical model is studied in Chapter 4. We show that within the given parameter space and studying the system at the level of general system dynamics, we infer that the analytical model will behave in a similar fashion as the realistic neuronal model.
Neuronal models can also be used as prescriptive tools. In Chapter 5 we propose a reactive control paradigm of epileptic seizures. A control module applies counter stimuli to abort seizures. It is shown that the proposed method is able to control the system, while delivering a minimum amount of energy to the system. It will be favourable to detect a seizure before it actually manifests itself and prevent it from initiating. In Chapter 6 we propose a method to apply stimulation when detecting a baseline shift before the seizure, caused by the decrease of inhibition. It is shown that when applying stimulation with a proper polarity and ratio between cell populations, the moment of the first seizure can be postponed.
Observed physiological phenomena can be connected to each other based purely on clinical evidence, without understanding the dynamics of the underlying mechanism. Computational models can be used to provide insight into those unknown mechanisms. In Chapter 7, we aim to connect two phenomena, namely high frequency oscillations (HFOs) and epileptic seizures. We present a possible underlying mechanism that gives rise to both phenomena. This study shows that microscopic features, like gap-junction dynamics, may be connected to macroscopic phenomena like HFOs and seizures by across-scale computational models.

In conclusion we have improved the insight into dynamic mechanisms underlying epilepsy, using computational models. In the course of the thesis, computational modelling moved from a descriptive tool capturing observed epileptic phenomena, via a predictive tool, proposing different stimulation paradigms, to a prospective tool, that may be able to explain and predict epileptic phenomena.


A career is an integral part of human life. It pictures one's personality to the society. In this current scenario, a successful career demands a variety of skills. A person's education, training, and work define one's career. It is significant to acquire soft skills to build a productive career. Soft skills play an imperative role in chiseling a personality. It guides every individual in shaping the character or refining one's personality on the whole. Soft skills can be mastered by acquiring and through implementing them in daily life. Recruiters and company professionals are looking for candidates with good soft skills in the work environment. The industrialized global market demands employers with practical soft skills in the workspace. To promote a healthy and excellent workplace, people with efficient soft skills become mandatory, and it has become a critically vital factor for the smooth flow of the function.


Sexuality is an ambivalent concept with multiple
layers
of
meaning,
touching
upon
diverse aspects of individual and social meaning-making systems.
The
nuances
embedded within emic interpretations and appreciations of sexuality are shaped
by
complex contextual factors. Based on thirty months of ethnographic
fieldwork, this thesis
describes and analyses how youths in The Gambia negotiate meaningful sexualities
in
their day-to-day lives; thereby generating a grounded theory
about their
sexual scripts.
The researcher's theoretical positioning is social construction: combining sexual
scripting
theory, symbolic interactionism, and critical social
theories
drawn from
post-colonialism,
African feminism, post-modernism (deconstruction). These theories
informed the
research design, and the lens through which
interpretations
were made,
instead
of
being
'grand' theories backing the study.
Based upon the grounded theory approach, the
study
investigated
emit
perspectives on sexuality, and explored lay frameworks
of explanation(s)
for
ordinary
performances of things locally labelled `sexual'. Research
methods'
triangulated
ethnographic participant observation, qualitative semi-structured
individual interviews,
focus group discussions, participatory rapid assessment techniques, literature
review.
The
researcher -a female Ugandan medical-anthropologist -
was the
main
instrument
of
data
generation. The research design was premised upon a
feminist
paradigm.
The
data
collection process was highly flexible and responsive to
contextual
findings in the
field.
The analysis was largely inductive.
Performances of youth sexualities in The
Gambia
were
largely
reflective
of the
main youth subcultures. Each subculture prescribed specific
elements
for its
dominant
sexual script. I suggest these youths negotiate
five
categorisations
of sexual
scripts:
1) Crescent script based on Islamic ethos,
2) Condom script based on biomedical sexual and
reproductive
health,
3) Cupid script based on Western notions of falling in love,
romance
and
individual
will,
4) Cultural-precedence script based on a reified notion of tradition
-
enacted
within
ethnic
groupings, and supporting gerontocratic dictates,
5) Commoditisation of sexuality for exchange.


Modern optical design dates back to the pioneering work of Fraunhofer, Abbe and Zeiss in the 1800s. A thorough mathematical base was developed followed by the development of optical coating techniques in the early 1930s (and the production of anti-reflection coatings on optical surfaces). This latter development is of significant importance as it opened up the possibility for the optical designer to use a multitude of elements in a single optical system. Thereafter, the electronic computer became commercially available and since the 1950s, many software design programs have been developed.


Sustainable mobility emphasises the need to integrate mobility into an overall pattern of sustainable development. Previous researches point towards altering the patterns of transport by focusing primarily on the goal of environmental-protection and economic efficiency. Mobility, however, is a socially contextualised phenomenon operating beyond mere 'transport/ movement'. Its linkage with the ideas of liberty, equity, risk and need necessitate a more generic understanding to pursue the goals of sustainable mobility in a practical and achievable fashion. As a pilot study, this paper reviews the mobility patterns and needs of non-western immigrants in Norway to shed light on the 'social sustainability' ethos using both quantitative and qualitative analysis in the realm of transport planning. It establishes a case for fair distribution of mobility resources among the non-western immigrant community in Norway to achieve one of the primary goals of sustainable development, namely, equity and social justice.


In this paper we have investigated the role of the Er–O interaction on the photoluminescence properties of Er-doped crystalline silicon. We demonstrate that the strong Er–O interaction leads to an O redistribution after thermal treatment. In particular, in the absence of Er, O out-diffuses from the Si surface and a depletion of O in the first micron below the surface is observed. In the presence of Er, the rare earth acts as a getter for O and therefore there is an O redistribution as a result of the balance between O out-diffusion and O trapping by the Er. This implies that the O concentration that remains in the Si crystal changes after thermal annealing and it is largely determined by the amount of Er present in the sample. These data will be presented and the implication on the Er optical activity discussed.


Objectives: Patients with chronic renal failure who are treated with hemodialysis need a patent arteriovenous fistula (AVF). This study was an analysis to determine the best approach to prevent complications and provide treatment. Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 437 AVF patients' medical records and postoperative epicrisis with 4 years of clinical follow-up were evaluated. The preferred method of anastomosis surgery was the end-to-side technique. Complications were divided into categories of early (seen within 48 hours), and late (after 48 hours). Results: Of 437 patients, 288 (65.9%) were men, and the remaining 149 (34.1%) were women. The mean age was 46 years (range: 20-72 years). The locations of fistulas were snuffbox (n=42; 8.5%), radiocephalic (n=298; 60.9%), brachiocephalic (n=126; 25.6%), and brachiobasilic (n=25; 5%). Early complications were thrombosis (n=57; 69.5%), bleeding (n=14; 17%), and hematoma (n=11; 13.4%). Late complications observed were thrombosis/stenosis (n=25; 39.6%), venous hypertension (n=4; 6.3%), aneurysmatic dilatation (n=12; 19%), infection (n=6; 9.5%), bleeding/hematoma (n=7; 11.1%), arterial steal syndrome (n=4; 6.3%), congestive heart failure (n=1; 1.5%), seroma (n=2; 3.1%), and neuropathy (n=2; 3.1%). The most frequent of 145 total complications observed during the follow-up period was thrombosis (n=82; 16.7%). Conclusion: The benefits of ultrasound assistance in both the control and treatment of bleeding was also a supportive measure for the management of complications, such as steal syndrome, as it can be used to develop the best treatment strategy by considering flow velocities, or in the case of venous hypertension, to detect central stenosis. Embelectomy with re-operation may be preferred in a case of thrombosis, rather than embelectomy alone, as it is a time-consuming procedure and was reported in our clinic to be less effective when a standalone procedure.


Osteomalacia is a form of metabolic bone disease that can present as chronic pain. A 36-year-old woman presented with a three-year history of bilateral leg and back pain, and proximal leg weakness. Repeated consultations and investigations failed to discover a cause for her pain, and a diagnosis of chronic benign pain was made. She was admitted to hospital where the bone scan, laboratory investigation and bone biopsy established a diagnosis of renal phosphate-wasting adult-onset rickets (osteomalacia). Radiographs of the hip and magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral femoral neck fractures and segmental, avascular necrosis of the femoral heads. The patient was treated with high dose phosphate and vitamin D with marked relief of pain. Osteomalacia should be considered in unusual cases of intractable chronic pain.


For a reality TV show about a queer subculture, RuPaul's Drag Race has achieved extraordinary success. In the show, which winds up another series this Friday, drag queens compete to be named "America's Next Drag Superstar". Across 13 seasons (including three of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars) it has graduated from niche programming on the LGBT cable station Logo to a mainstream, award-winning hit on the widely viewed VH1. In Australia, the show streams on Stan and is often highlighted as a drawcard in its ad campaigns. The show's wit and glamour go some way to explaining this success. Just as important, however, is the way in which Drag Race acts as a small-screen reflection of big issues happening in the wider world. Race, sex and religion are all front and centre. And the show is a real-time representation of current struggles over gender performance and identity. Yet paradoxically, Drag Race is both an agent and subject of this disruptive gender moment. Gender discourse has changed greatly even since the show's first episode screened in 2009, with words and phrases like "genderqueer", "non-binary", "genderfluid" and "post-gender" gaining currency as ways to describe lives unconstrained by strict definitions of male and female. Drag Race greets these changes as both the cool, queer kid, gloriously messing with the very idea of gender, and an old fogey, somewhat startled and just trying to keep up. It offers both celebratory affirmation of lives beyond the binary and a somewhat reticent clinging to old norms.


As Poland's economic transformation progresses, its agricultural sector must adopt new technologies in order to operate safely and efficiently, to remain competitive in the world marketplace, and to meet basic standards of environmental protection. This paper reports on the Poland Agriculture and Water Quality Protection Project (PAWQP), developed under a cooperative agreement between the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region VII. The paper discusses the innovative approach of encouraging sustainable management practices, through farm and watershed demonstrations, baseline surveys and environmental monitoring, education, and institutional strengthening, Initial results from all aspects of the project are presented.


In recent years, there has been an escalation of concern revolving around the effect that automation will have on the future of work. This anxiety has fueled the public and academic debate, fearing that soon this technology will displace jobs at a large scale. Numerous studies have begun to investigate automation's impact on labor markets, although all have focused on industrialized nations which consist of more service and skilled occupations. Utilizing the World Bank's STEP Skills Measurement Program Database, we examine automation's effect on 10 developing countries throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia. To address the heterogeneity of occupations across the country, we apply a task-based approach and re-calibrate the effect of automation on labor market while analyzing the task structure across countries. Modelling off previous studies, we created an expectation-maximization algorithm to predict the percentage of tasks which are likely to be automated. Jobs whose task automation output was 70% or higher were then considered to be highly automatable. Our results suggest that these developing countries have higher levels of predicted automation risk. Countries range in their level of highly automatable jobs from the lowest being Yunnan – a Chinese province – with 7.7% to the highest of Ghana with 42.4%. We find that occupations containing relatively more routine tasks are more likely to be automated, while workers with a higher level of education reduce their risks. This is the first paper to estimate automation risk rates for developing nations.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the relation between health literacy and receipt of a screening test for gonorrhoea in the past year.

METHODS
Study design was multisite, cross sectional survey of subjects enrolled from clinics, from community based organisations, and by street intercept. Data were obtained using face to face interview. The dependent variable was self reported receipt of a test for gonorrhoea in the past year. Health literacy was measured by the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM), recoded to represent 8th grade or lower reading or 9th grade and higher reading level. Statistical analyses were adjusted to account for selection bias in literacy assessment.

RESULTS
54% of the sample reported at least one gonorrhoea test in the previous year. 65% of the sample read at a 9th grade level or higher. REALM score was moderately correlated with the respondent's years of education. After adjustment for missing REALM data, past suspicion of gonorrhoea, self inspection for gonorrhoea, self efficacy for care seeking, REALM score of 9th grade reading level or higher, and younger age were independently associated with gonorrhoea testing in the previous year. For the average respondent, REALM reading grade level of 9th grade or higher is associated with a 10% increase in the probability of having a gonorrhoea test in the past year.

CONCLUSIONS
Low literacy appears to pose a barrier to care for sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhoea.


Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) reference strain Kp52.145 is widely used in experimental Klebsiella pathophysiology. Since 1935, only one other strain of the same sublineage (sequence type ST66, capsular serotype K2) was isolated (AJ210, Australia). Here, we describe a community-acquired invasive infection caused by a ST66-K2 Kp strain in France. Four hypermucoviscous Kp isolates responsible for acute otitis media, meningitis, bacteraemia and bacteriuria, respectively, were obtained from a patient with a history of chronic alcoholism and diabetes mellitus, and infected with HIV. The isolates were characterized by phenotypic and genomic methods. The four genetically identical ST66-K2 isolates presented a full antimicrobial susceptibility profile, including to ampicillin, corresponding to a single strain (SB5881), which was more closely related to AJ210 (135 SNPs) than to Kp52.145 (388 SNPs). Colibactin and yersiniabactin gene clusters were present on the integrative and conjugative element ICEKp10 in the chromosome. The two plasmids from Kp52.145 were detected in SB5881. In addition to carrying genes for virulence factors RmpA, aerobactin and salmochelin, plasmid II has acquired in SB5881, the conjugation machinery gene cluster from plasmid I. We report the first case of community-acquired infection caused by a hypervirulent ST66-K2 Kp strain in Europe. This demonstrates the long-term persistence of the high-virulence and laboratory model ST66-K2 sublineage. The combination of a conjugative apparatus and major virulence genes on a single plasmid may contribute to the co-occurrence of hypervirulence and multidrug resistance in single Kp strains.


The ultimate illustrated guide for sourcing, processing and using wild clay.
 Potters around the world are taking to the local landscape to dig their own wild clay, discover its unique properties, and apply it to their craft. This guide is the ideal starting point for anyone – from novices, improvers and experts to educators and students – who wants to forge a closer bond between their art and their surroundings.
 Testing and trial and error are key to finding a material's best use, so the authors' tips, drawn from long experience in the US and Japan (but which can be applied to clays anywhere) provide an enviable head-start on this rewarding journey. A clay might be best suited to sculpture and tile bodies, throwing clay bodies, handbuilding and slab bodies, or simply be applied as a glaze or slip. The specific properties of found materials can create a diverse range of effects and surfaces, or, even when not fired, can be adapted for use as colorful pastels or pigments.
 Beautiful illustrations and helpful technical descriptions explain the formation of various clays; how to locate, collect and assess them; how to test their properties of shrinkage, water absorption, texture and plasticity; the best ways to test-fire them; and how to adapt a clay's characteristics by blending appropriate materials. From prospecting in the field to holding your finished product, there is helpful advice through every stage, and a gallery of work by international potters who have embraced the clays found around them.


An externally triggered analog sampling circuit used as an alternative to a high speed analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in microcontroller systems is designed, fabricated and characterized. High speed ADCs are expensive in terms of cost and power dissipation, the fast transient digitizer (FTD) is a low cost alternative and has no appreciable DC power dissipation. The transient digitizer uses cells with a process dependent delay element to sample data onto hold capacitors. The hold capacitor drives a PMOS source follower that is activated by an NMOS switch. The switch is controlled by on-chip logic that reads each sample sequentially in conjunction with an external counter. The FTD can capture an input signal with a maximum duration of 25 ns and an input range of 0 V to 2 V. The output is a reconstruction of the input signal on a timescale up to a few hundred μs. Two FTD circuits are fabricated on a 1.5 mm × 1.5 mm die using a 500 nm CMOS process; one FTD circuit occupies an area of 1.057 mm × 0.461 mm on the die.


We make several improvements to the mean-variance framework for optimal pre-trade algorithmic execution, by working with volume measures and generic price dynamics. Volume measures are the continuum analogies for discrete volume profiles commonly implemented in the execution industry. Execution then becomes an absolutely continuous measure over such a measure space, and its Radon-Nikodym derivative is commonly known as the Participation of Volume (PoV) function. The four impact cost components are all consistently built upon the PoV function. Some novel efforts are made for these linear impact models by having market signals more properly expressed. For the opportunistic cost, we are able to go beyond the conventional Brownian-type motions. By working directly with the auto-covariances of the price dynamics, we remove the Markovian restriction associated with Brownians and thus allow potential memory effects in the price dynamics. In combination, the final execution model becomes a constrained quadratic programming problem in infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces. Important linear constraints such as participation capping are all permissible. Uniqueness and existence of optimal solutions are established via the theory of positive compact operators in Hilbert spaces. Several typical numerical examples explain both the behavior and versatility of the model.


Recent studies have shown that current dynamic vegetation models have serious weaknesses in reproducing the observed vegetation dynamics and contribute to bias in climate simulations. This study intends to identify the major factors that underlie the connections between vegetation dynamics and climate variability and investigates vegetation spatial distribution and temporal variability at seasonal to decadal scales over North America (NA) to assess a 2‐D biophysical model/dynamic vegetation model's (Simplified Simple Biosphere Model version 4, coupled with the Top‐down Representation of Interactive Foliage and Flora Including Dynamics Model (SSiB4/TRIFFID)) ability to simulate these characteristics for the past 60 years (1948 through 2008). Satellite data are employed as constraints for the study and to compare the relationships between vegetation and climate from the observational and the simulation data sets. Trends in NA vegetation over this period are examined. The optimum temperature for photosynthesis, leaf drop threshold temperatures, and competition coefficients in the Lotka‐Volterra equation, which describes the population dynamics of species competing for some common resource, have been identified as having major impacts on vegetation spatial distribution and obtaining proper initial vegetation conditions in SSiB4/TRIFFID. The finding that vegetation competition coefficients significantly affect vegetation distribution suggests the importance of including biotic effects in dynamical vegetation modeling. The improved SSiB4/TRIFFID can reproduce the main features of the NA distributions of dominant vegetation types, the vegetation fraction, and leaf area index (LAI), including its seasonal, interannual, and decadal variabilities. The simulated NA LAI also shows a general increasing trend after the 1970s in responding to warming. Both simulation and satellite observations reveal that LAI increased substantially in the southeastern U.S. starting from the 1980s. The effects of the severe drought during 1987–1992 and the last decade in the southwestern U.S. on vegetation are also evident from decreases in the simulated and satellite‐derived LAIs. Both simulated and satellite‐derived LAIs have the strongest correlations with air temperature at northern middle to high latitudes in spring reflecting the effect of these climatic variables on photosynthesis and phenological processes. Meanwhile, in southwestern dry lands, negative correlations appear due to the heat and moisture stress there during the summer. Furthermore, there are also positive correlations between soil wetness and LAI, which increases from spring to summer. The present study shows both the current improvements and remaining weaknesses in dynamical vegetation models. It also highlights large continental‐scale variations that have occurred in NA vegetation over the past six decades and their potential relations to climate. With more observational data availability, more studies with different models and focusing on different regions will be possible and are necessary to achieve comprehensive understanding of the vegetation dynamics and climate interactions.


Three new sets of color-matching experiments have been made by three observers binocularly viewing a bipartite field (each half subtending 3°) of a three-primary colorimeter. Each set of color-matching data refers to 28 test colors scattered over the chromaticity gamut provided by the colorimeter. The luminance of each test color was 12 cd · m−2; the white surround (subtending 40°) was maintained at 6 cd · m−2. The elliptical cross sections (for Y = const) of the observed color-matching ellipsoids are compared with results previously published by MacAdam, and Brown and MacAdam. In view of the inherent experimental uncertainties of data of this kind, the new color-matching ellipses correlate well with those obtained by Brown, and Brown and MacAdam, but show significant deviations from those obtained by MacAdam's observer P. G. Nutting, Jr. The discrepancies are puzzling. A note of caution is added with regard to the usefulness of color-matching ellipses in testing line elements. A set of color-matching ellipses can reveal only little of the visual mechanism that governs the precision of color matching and its assumed direct correlation with judging small color differences. It appears that fundamentally different line elements can reproduce almost equally well a given set of color-matching ellipses.


Background: The purpose of this review is to provide a
structured overview of emerging diagnostic and therapeutic
modalities for delirium in critically ill patients.
Methods: Literature searches were carried out to identify relevant
articles for both diagnostic and therapeutic approaches other than
those included in the 2018 Pain, Agitation/Sedation, Delirium,
Immobility, and Sleep Disruption in Adult Patients in the ICU
guidelines, including prospective and retrospective studies.
Results: Regarding diagnostic approaches seven articles were
included. The Neelon and Champagne (NEECHAM) Confusion
Scale, Stanford Proxy Test for Delirium (S-PTD), and DelAppICU yielded excellent diagnostic performances. We included
seven articles studying different therapies. Some therapies
showed potential to decrease the burden of delirium, using
different pathophysiological pathways than antipsychotics.
Conclusion: Alternative screening tools may help in ICU
delirium detection, either as replacement or combined with
the Confusion Assessment Method for ICU (CAM-ICU)
and Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC),
and other therapies than antipsychotics may reduce delirium
burden, but further studies are required.


On November 1, 2001, President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13233, which instituted new barriers to obtaining access to former presidents' White House materials. If left to stand, the executive order would effectively nullify the 1978 Presidential Records Act (PRA) by allowing former presidents, vice presidents, and their heirs to assert independently based claims of executive privilege to control access to White House materials seemingly in perpetuity. The Bush order is similar to a directive issued by the Justice Department under the Reagan administration on behalf of former president Nixon to give him veto power over the release of his alleged privileged White House materials. Both the Bush and Reagan directives are based on virtually identical but highly selective interpretations of the 1977 Supreme Court ruling of Nixon v. Administrator of General Services, in which the former president lost his bid to reclaim ownership over his presidential tapes and records. What is remarkable is that despite his Supreme Court defeat, both the Reagan and George W. Bush administrations resurrected Nixon's archaic, expansive, and rejected claims of the presidential prerogative to justify their own legal and regulatory schemes to subvert the PRA, an act of Congress. In both cases, these attempts appeared to stem from a president's concern over his historical legacy, efforts to reassert executive authority, and an ongoing struggle over the separation of powers during a period of heightened international tension and more restrictive provisions governing public access to government information. The Bush order is especially notable in containing several curiosities, which appear to stem from a Nixonion view of executive privilege. The order, for example, provides that an incumbent president will defer to a former president's privilege claim barring access to his White House materials unless compelling circumstances favor disclosure. Even if the incumbent president discovers compelling circumstances and disagrees with a former president's privilege claim, the order nevertheless mandates that the National Archives wholly respect the dictates of the former president and keep the materials sealed in contravention of the terms of the PRA. This provision thus provides that sitting presidents abdicate their constitutional responsibilities to uphold the law and to govern the activities and operations of executive branch employees and agencies. In addition, if either a former or sitting president objects to releasing the records, the individual requesting the documents must then bring a court action, a provision that precisely comports with Nixon's arguments in Nixon v. Freeman, in which the former president claimed that a researcher had to show a "particularized need" for access to his Oval Office materials. The order also appears to allow for the creation of a private family dynasty of overseers or censors concerning the history of the U.S. government by extending these same extraordinary executive privileges to former and sitting vice presidents and the designated representatives, relatives, or heirs of presidents and vice presidents. These novel peculiarities, however contrary to the provisions of the PRA and prior court rulings, are perhaps comprehensible when considering the Bush administration's Nixonesque understanding of executive privilege and the intellectual and judicial history behind the order. It is apparent that former president Nixon's arguments on behalf of executive privilege have resonated considerably within succeeding Republican administrations, starting with the Reagan White House, with the aim of strengthening executive authority and reasserting an absolute and unreviewable controlling interest in their White House materials. It also seems apparent that Republican administrations have never accepted either the legitimacy of the Burger Court's majority opinion in Nixon v. …


Anemonefishes live unharmed among the tentacles of sea anemones. Among the tested natural sea anemones, Heteractis magnifica, H. crispa and Stichodactyla gigantea were found as suitable hosts for acclimation and rearing of hatchery produced false clownfish Amphiprion ocellaris under captive conditions and the maximum settlement (100% on 6 th day) was obtained by using H. magnifica. To study the acclimation time and behaviour, A. ocellaris were allowed to associate with surrogate anemone prior to being reared with natural anemone H. magnifica. The average acclimation time in surrogate and natural anemone was 6472.3 and 102.4 minutes respectively in comparison with 18.7 minutes for those fish that were allowed to orient to the surrogate anemone prior to being with natural anemone H. magnifica. The study revealed that exposure of A. ocellaris to surrogate anemone resulted in substantial decrease subsequently in the time of acclimation to a natural sea anemone. This result shows that the fish is responsible for developing its own protection from sea anemone's mucous during acclimation. There was considerable difference in growth among the juveniles as well as between the individuals reared in natural and surrogate anemones. Higher growth was obtained in fishes acclimated to natural anemones followed by surrogate anemone, whereas fishes reared without sea anemone showed less growth. This difference could be attributed to the social inhibition of growth of subordinate late settlers by frequent attack from the dominant early settlers. The present study also concludes that in the absence of natural host-specific sea anemones, the surrogate anemone may be used as a substitute to rear fishes under captive conditions.


This paper describes the effects of collaborative support on groups of distance learners of General Certificate of Secondary Education mathematics. Two experiments are described. In each case, learners were provided with teleconferencing with peers, experts and mentors in addition to structured study materials. No improvements were noticed in course completion rates and the learners were seen to disengage from the teleconference over time. When provided with a virtual learning environment, learners were, once again, found not to use the practice or support features of the system. The results from our experiments are intriguing in that they seem to indicate that scaffolding in the form of structured material, collaborative environments, and a virtual learning environment does not seem to affect performance in any way other than an improvement in revenue realisation.


Edge Preservation in Nonlinear Diffusion Filtering

Mohammad Reza Hajiaboli, Ph.D.
Concordia University, 2012

Image denoising techniques, in which the process of noise diffusion is modeled as a nonlinear partial differential equation, are well known for providing low-complexity solutions to the denoising problem with a minimal amount of image artifacts. In discrete settings of these nonlinear models, the objective of providing a good noise removal while preserving the image edges is heavily dependent on the kernels, diffusion functions and the associated contrast parameters employed by these nonlinear diffusion techniques. This thesis makes an in-depth study of the roles of the kernels and contrast parameters with a view to providing an effective solution to the problem of denoising of the images contaminated with stationary and signal-dependent noise.

Within the above unified theme, this thesis has two major parts. In the first part of this study, the impact of anisotropic behavior of the Laplacian operator on the capabilities of nonlinear diffusion filters in preserving the image edges in different orientations is investigated. Based on this study, an analytical scheme is devised to obtain a spatially-varying kernel that adapt itself to the diffusivity function. The proposed edge-adaptive Laplacian kernel is then incorporated into various nonlinear diffusion filters for denoising of images contaminated by additive white Gaussian noise.

The performance optimality of the the existing nonlinear diffusion techniques is generally based on the assumption that the noise and signal are uncorrelated. However, in many applications, such as in medical imaging systems and in remote sensing where the images are degraded by Poisson noise, this assumption is not valid. As such, in the second part of the thesis, a study is undertaken for denoising of images contaminated by Poisson noise within the framework of the Perona-Malik nonlinear diffusion filter. Specifically, starting from a Skellam distribution model of the gradient of the Poisson-noise corrupted images and following the diffusion mechanism of the nonlinear filter, a spatially and temporally varying contrast parameter is designed. It is shown that the nonlinear diffusion filters employing the new Laplacian kernel supports the extremum principle and that the proposed contrast parameter satisfies the sufficient conditions for observance of the scale-space properties.

Extensive experiments are performed throughout the thesis to demonstrate the effectiveness and validity of the various schemes and techniques developed in this investigation. The simulation results of applying the new Laplacian kernel to a number of nonlinear diffusion filters show its distinctive advantages over the conventional Rosenfeld and Kak kernel, in terms of the filters' noise reduction and edge preservation capabilities for images corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise. The simulation results of incorporating the proposed spatially- and temporally-varying contrast parameter into the Perona-Malik nonlinear diffusion filter demonstrate a performance much superior to that provided by some of the other state-of-the-art techniques in denoising images corrupted by Poisson noise.


It may be argued that the emerging discourses focusing on the social, emotional, educational, and economic disadvantages identified for Australia's First Peoples (when compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts) are becoming increasingly dissociated with an understanding of the interplay between historical and current trends in racism. Additionally, and if not somewhat related to this critique, it can be suggested that the very construction of research from a Western perspective of Indigenous identity (as opposed to identities) and ways of being are deeply entwined within the undertones of epistemological racism still prevalent today. It is the purpose of this article to move beyond the overreliance of outside-based understanding Western epistemologies, and to explore not only the complex nature of both racism and identity from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, but to also explore the role of education and research in perpetuating varying levels of racism and resistance to Indigenous identity(ies) from a contemporary insider-based standpoint. It is hoped this article will shed some light on the pervasive nature of racism directed at Indigenous Australians, and highlight the need for the continual acceptance, respect, and promotion of Indigenous voices and identities within the educational environment and beyond.


Mice carrying a null mutation for either of the two cyclooxygenase (COX) isoenzymes, necessary for prostanoid production, exhibit several isotype-specific reproductive abnormalities. Mice deficient in COX-1 are fertile but have decreased pup viability, whereas mice deficient in COX-2 fail to ovulate and have abnormal implantation and decidualization responses. The present study identifies the specific contribution of each COX isoenzyme in hypothalamic, pituitary, and ovarian function and establishes the pathology and rescue of the anovulatory syndrome in the COX-2-deficient mouse. In both COX-1- and COX-2-deficient mice, pituitary gonadotropins were selectively increased, whereas hypothalamic LHRH and serum gonadotropin levels were similar to those in wild-type animals (+/+). No significant differences in serum estrogen or progesterone were noted among the three genotypes. Exogenous gonadotropin stimulation with PMSG and hCG produced a comparable 4-fold increase in ovarian PGE2 levels in wild-type and COX-1(-/-) mice. COX-2(-/-) mice had no increase in PGE2 over PMSG-stimulated levels. Wild-type and COX-1(-/-) mice ovulated in response to PMSG/hCG; very few COX-2(-/-) animals responded to this regimen. The defect in ovulation in COX-2 mutants was attributed to both an abnormal cumulus oophorum expansion and subsequent stigmata formation. Gonadotropin stimulation and concurrent treatment with PGE2 or interleukin-1beta resulted in ovulation of COX-2(-/-) mice comparable to that in COX-2(+/+), whereas treatment with PGF2alpha was less effective. Collectively, these data demonstrate that COX-2, but not COX-1, is required for the gonadotropin induction of ovarian PG levels; that COX-2-related prostanoids are required for stabilization of the cumulus oophorum during ovulation; and that ovulation can be restored in the COX-2(-/-) animals by simultaneous treatment with gonadotropins and PGE2 or interleukin-1beta.


In this work the performance evaluation of directly driven Reverse Osmosis (RO) water desalination system by Photovoltaic (PV) arrays is investigated by a novice method. Reverse Osmosis water desalination system needs continuous supply of energy and on the other hand energy from the PV is intermittent in nature. The energy consumption of RO plant is strong function of clean water (permeate) flow rate and system pressure and they needs to be tuned to match the maximum power provided by the PV arrays. In this work a novice method to tune the RO system parameters by manipulating the position of the valve at the brine side of the RO system is proposed. A simple perturb and observe algorithm is used for automatic control of the valve position. The performance of the proposed battery less system is compared with a conventional system using PV, charge controller and battery. The proposed directly driven battery-less system provides more water per day than battery operated system.


The purpose of this study was to obtain an insight into the nature and scope of duties performed by GKMP in secondary schools in West Coast of Sabah. Specifically the study aimed to investigate: (1) the exact nature and range of the duties performed frequently by GKMP; (2) the time / effort devoted to the five main categories of duties (teaching, administration, curriculum, co-curriculum and
informal counseling) by GKMP; (3) the problems encountered by GKMP; and (4) the existence of discernible differences in duties performed by GKMP based on factors such as type of school, administrative climate of school, leadership behavior of GKMP, and years of experience as GKMP.
Forty three GKMP responded to the survey questionnaire - the method employed to collect the data for the study. Frequency distribution and percentage were obtained and presented in the form of tables. T-test and Chi-Square analyses were employed to test the significance of the associations.
The findings indicate that majority of the GKMP in PBS are young and inexperienced teachers. Teaching emerged as the most important responsibility area. They devoted more than thirty percent of their time in the school to teaching.
Besides teaching the GKMP also performed curriculum, administrative, co-curriculum and informal counseling duties. It was found that the GKMP, in addition to frequently performing a wide range of curriculum and administrative duties, devoted less than forty percent of their time in accomplishing these duties. The GKMP, on the other hand, did not only devote less time to the co-curriculum and informal counseling duties, but they performed very few duties frequently in these areas. In addition, they did indicate that they would like to devote more time to professional and informal counseling duties.
Problems GKMP stated they encountered in discharging their duties, included problems of teachers' cooperation, lack of competence to accomplish their duties, and personal frustrations due to lack of recognition.
The study recommends that further research be conducted in the areas of training facilities, and other factors influencing the nature and scope of duties for GPMK in secondary schools.


In the last decade or so, the Supreme Court has revitalized judicial enforcement of federalism. This development has spurred the partisans of Herbert Wechsler's "political safeguards of federalism" to begin a serious investigation of the ways in which extra-judicial politics can and does substitute for and complement the judicial role in enforcing federalism and the Constitution. Similarly, constitutional scholars have turned in increasing numbers to the question of how even judicially promulgated doctrines of constitutional law turn out to be more derivative of popular politics than vice versa. Necessarily, much of the investigation on both fronts has turned historical and has turned to the central institution of popular politics in this country - the political party. This article is an effort to clarify the origins of the political party as a core institution of the American constitutional order - an institution unmentioned in the Constitution itself and, in fact, an institution to which the Founders were deeply hostile. The article focuses on the constitutional thought and political action of Martin Van Buren, the chief figure in the origins of American party politics in the early nineteenth century. Van Buren was the leader and virtual creator of the first, permanent mass political party, and he was its chief theorist as well. Brilliantly constructing a theory by which the antiparty American polity might accept the constitutional necessity of party organization, Van Buren drew on the vital political issues of his day to argue that only a truly democratic party - not the Supreme Court - could preserve and enforce the Constitution's most fundamental principles, including federalism and coordinate construction. Like most successful revolutions, Van Buren's constitutional revolution turned out to have all sorts of unintended consequences, but Van Buren's work remains foundational to American governance. Substantially anticipating both the modern Supreme Court's Garcia doctrine and modern scholars' emphasis on constitutional law's dependence on constitutional politics, Van Buren's thought and action reveals how constitutional law has always been a matter of negotiation between judicial politics and party politics, never simply a matter of case law.


This article reviews developments in the New Zealand banking industry over the year ended December 2002. It discusses some of the structural developments in the banking system, policy initiatives in the banking supervision area, and the financial condition of registered banks. Given the importance of the Australian banking system to New Zealand, the article also includes a discussion of the Australian banking system, with particular focus on the major Australian banks. The information available on the New Zealand and Australian banking systems suggests that both systems continue to perform strongly. For an assessment of the non-bank financial sector in New Zealand, the reader is referred to the companion article in this Bulletin: "Financial intermediation beyond the banks: recent developments"


This research seeks to understand how, why and with what implications development NGOs based in the global 'North' (NDNGOs) establish and maintain domestic poverty programmes, working with poor communities in their own countries.

This is an under-researched dimension of NDNGO work. There is considerable empirical work analysing the work of NDNGOs in the global 'South', particularly assessing their impact on poverty alleviation. However, research into their work with their domestic communities is scarce. There are also a number of critiques of NDNGOs, which highlight the need for them to re-think their future roles, but little research or empirical data to evaluate how they have responded to these challenges. This study situates itself in debates about the future role of NDNGOs, development ethics, theories of poverty and institutional practice, exploring the hypothesis that these issues may be the drivers of the domestic programmes.

Using semi-structured interviews (UK and India), archive and corporate material from four case study NDNGOs (Oxfam GB, Islamic Relief UK, Save the Children, Denmark and Oxfam America), the study takes a perspectivist qualitative approach to data collection and analysis. It makes use of AtlasTi software for data coding, informed by Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, domains and doxa and Gaventa's model of three- dimensional power.

Findings highlight the utility of the initial hypothesis as a heuristic device for understanding domestic programmes. This has potential application for scholars and practitioners in the analysis of other NDNGO programmatic decisions. The study also indicates a disruption in the notion of what 'development' is, moving away from the binaries of 'them and us', 'here and there', 'developed and developing' into a development ethic that affirms that everyone matters, where ever they live. The research contributes to the literature examining the nature of development in an increasingly interdependent world in which geographical and disciplinary boundaries are increasingly blurred


3D printing (3DP) has high transformative potential as it is not only distinctive from other existing manufacturing techniques but also presents several previously unimaginable advantages. Its digital nature coupled with the availability of internet access offers the potential for radical decentralization of industrial production, as well as collaborative design of the artefacts produced. This important characteristic is advantageous not only to end users but also to commercial companies that are currently attempting to introduce this technique for manufacturing final products. One important advantage that companies could gain from this model is the possibility to engage in co-creation activities with the user community, and in this way benefiting from users' contributions. This article begins by presenting a well-studied example of an industry that relies upon co-creation models, the software industry, in order to highlight the possible legal challenges with a particular focus on intellectual property rights. The paper then goes on to investigate the potential IP implications of co-creation for companies operating in industry fields that heavily rely (or are planning to heavily rely) upon 3DP technology. These questions are addressed from multiple perspectives based on theoretical argumentation and empirical research (in the form of case study research) with relevant stakeholders. The paper concludes with some recommendations as to how companies could possibly engage in co-creation with the user community in the field of 3DP. Keywords:  Intellectual property rights; IP management; 3D printing; co-creation; commercialization; open source licensing


This report presents all analytical determinations for samples collected from Yellowstone National Park and vicinity during 1974 and 1975. Water temperature, pH, Eh, and dissolved O2 were determined on-site. Total alkalinity and F were determined on the day of sample collection. Flame atomic-absorption spectrometry was used to determine concentrations of Li, Na, K, Ca, and Mg. Ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry was used to determine concentrations of Fe(II), Fe(III), As(III), and As(V). Direct-current plasma-optical-emission spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of B, Ba, Cd, Cs, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, and Zn. Two samples collected from Yellowstone Park in June 1974 were used as reference samples for testing the plasma analytical method. Results of these tests demonstrate acceptable precision for all detectable elements. Charge imbalance calculations revealed a small number of samples that may have been subject to measurement errors in pH or alkalinity. These data represent some of the most complete analyses of Yellowstone waters available.


Abstract. Thwaites Glacier (TG), West Antarctica, has been losing mass and retreating rapidly in the past few decades. Here, we present a study of its calving dynamics combining a two-dimensional flow-band full-Stokes (FS) model of its viscous flow with linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) theory to model crevasse propagation and ice fracturing. We compare the results with those obtained with the higher-order (HO) and the shallow-shelf approximation (SSA) models coupled with LEFM. We find that FS/LEFM produces surface and bottom crevasses that are consistent with the distribution of depth and width of surface and bottom crevasses observed by NASA's Operation IceBridge radar depth sounder and laser altimeter, whereas HO/LEFM and SSA/LEFM do not generate crevasses that are consistent with observations. We attribute the difference to the nonhydrostatic condition of ice near the grounding line, which facilitates crevasse formation and is accounted for by the FS model but not by the HO or SSA models. We find that calving is enhanced when pre-existing surface crevasses are present, when the ice shelf is shortened or when the ice shelf front is undercut. The role of undercutting depends on the timescale of calving events. It is more prominent for glaciers with rapid calving rates than for glaciers with slow calving rates. Glaciers extending into a shorter ice shelf are more vulnerable to calving than glaciers developing a long ice shelf, especially as the ice front retreats close to the grounding line region, which leads to a positive feedback to calving events. We conclude that the FS/LEFM combination yields substantial improvements in capturing the stress field near the grounding line of a glacier for constraining crevasse formation and iceberg calving.


The Innovative Corridors Initiative (ICI) Business Model Analysis examines public-private partnerships designed to deploy intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technologies that can improve transportation system management and provide real-time information to users. This study builds on the business models proposed by industry in response to the ICI Call for Submissions (CFS). In addition, case studies examine the business models that are developing between the private and public sectors for roadside rest stop wireless Internet access, vehicle infrastructure integration, and Traffic.com, Inc. Caltrans' current procedures for encroachment and procurement are reviewed briefly to identify possible areas of conflict that may need to be resolved prior to launching future CFS-style solicitations. Planning recommendations are provided to assist Caltrans with planning for future CFS-style solicitations, including considerations regarding goals, purpose and project partners, authority, and post-demonstration relationships. Issues for Caltrans to consider pertaining to authority for CFS-style solicitations as well as the procurement of products that are demonstrated under these solicitations are highlighted.


Mechanically stable titanium dioxide (TiO2) with the abilities of rapidly storing and releasing Li+ can be potentially applied in electric and hybrid electric vehicles, due to its ability to enhance the stability and safety, as well as the high current performance, of lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we rationally and facilely synthesized oriented anatase TiO2 nanoarrays (OATNs) from the NH4TiOF3 mesocrystal precursor through topotactic conversion and in situ epitaxial growth under moderate conditions. This study proves that the crystallization, porous structure, and orientation of OATNs are controllable, which affect the electronic and electrochemical properties and the Li+ diffusion coefficient. The optimal OATNs formed by hydrothermally treating NH4TiOF3 mesocrystals with an H3BO3 aqueous solution for 10 h (OATNs-10) delivered a high capacity of ca. 115 mA h g−1 at a current density of 50 C (170 mA g−1 of 1 C) even after continuous 2000 cycles with a Coulombic efficiency of ca. 100%. This indicates a high current rate performance and excellent stability. The unique properties of OATNs-10 make them a promising candidate for practical applications in LIBs.


The current outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a pandemic. All COVID-19-affected countries in the world are implementing containment interventions and trying their best to fight against the disease to halt the further spread of the infection and to reduce mortality. The public health workforce and healthcare staff in clinical settings are playing a crucial role in the early detection of cases, contact tracing and treatment of patients. The availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and their consistent, proper use by healthcare providers and public health professionals is a crucial factor in combating any infectious disease in a crisis. The requirement of PPE has exponentially increased, as more and more countries are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid spread of the pandemic has created a temporary shortage of PPE in many countries, including India. The lack of PPE has affected the morale of healthcare workers (HCWs) and other frontline warriors in fighting the coronavirus disease, as more than 22,000 health workers in 56 countries have suffered from COVID-19. Some of them have succumbed to it across all countries, including India (WHO). We have reviewed the available literature to understand the challenges in ensuring adequate availability and consistent use of PPE and the strategies for the rational use of PPE in India. Our study reveals that India has responded swiftly to enhance the accessibility of PPE and put in place strategies for the judicious use of PPE to reduce the incidence of the COVID-19 infection to a bare minimum in healthcare settings. In the present article, we report the current status of COVID-19 among HCWs. We have reviewed the challenges and the surge strategies adopted by India to produce or procure good-quality PPE and supply it to all service delivery points in adequate quantities.


We investigate the effect of mobility of R&D workers on the total patenting activity of their employers. Our study documents how mobile workers affect the patenting activity of the firm they join and the firm they leave. The effect of labor mobility is strongest if workers join from patent-active firms. We also find evidence of a positive feedback effect on the former employer's patenting from workers who have left for another patent-active firm. Summing up the effects of joining and leaving workers, we show that labor mobility increases the total innovative activity of the new and the old employer. Our study which is based on the population of R&D active Danish firms observed between 1999 and 2004 thus provides firm-level support for the notion that labor mobility stimulates overall innovation of a country or region due to knowledge transfer.


Author(s): Rivadeneira Vasquez, Juan Diego | Advisor(s): AghaKouchak, Amir | Abstract: In a warming climate, the magnitude and/or frequency of precipitation is expected to change in some regions, leading to higher local flood risk. This issue has raised much needed attention in the engineering design and flood management communities, and has motivated discussion on guidelines for improving infrastructure design in a changing climate. The existing infrastructure design concept assumes a stationary climate indicating no significant change in statistics of extremes over time. In a changing climate, however, frequency and severity of extreme events might change - a notion known as non-stationarity. Typically, a freeboard is included in hydrologic design as safety factor to improve infrastructure resilience, which might fail to deliver the intended level of reliability in a changing climate. This study considers 5 locations in the Northeastern United States that have shown a non-stationary behavior over time in the annual streamflow maxima. First, a freeboard is estimated based on the stationary assumption, commonly used for engineering design. The freeboard assuming a non-stationary climate is then evaluated against the commonly used stationary assumption. The Non-stationary Extreme Value Analysis (NEVA) software, which utilizes Extreme Value Theory (EVT) framework and Bayesian inference for parameter estimation, is used to obtain Return Level-Return Period curves under both stationary and non-stationary assumptions. The 100-year streamflow estimates under both stationary and non-stationary assumptions are used as input into HEC-RAS software to simulate the flow and compare the change in freeboard. Results show an expected increase in the magnitude of streamflow for 100-year events when there is a positive trend in observations. Under a non-stationary assumption, the freeboard decreases approximately 16% on average in our 5 case studies. This indicates that for a bridge design case study, there will be a higher chance of overtopping because the freeboard is less than the initial design under a stationary assumption. Potential changes in freeboard and, hence, failure risk in a warming climate calls for improved design concepts that consider potential changes in extremes over time. However, incorporating non-stationarity in design concepts is a challenging task, and requires not only model development but also an adaptation strategy.


The applicability of a multi-step generic procedure to systematically develop sample preparation methods for the detection, characterization, and quantification of inorganic engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in a complex matrix was successfully demonstrated. The research focused on the optimization of the sample preparation, aiming to achieve a complete separation of ENPs from a complex matrix without altering the ENP size distribution and with minimal loss of ENPs. The separated ENPs were detected and further characterized in terms of particle size distribution and quantified in terms of elemental mass content by asymmetric flow-field flow fractionation coupled to a multi-angle light scattering detector and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Following the proposed generic procedure SiO2-ENPs were separated from a tomato soup. Two potential sample preparation methods were tested these being acid digestion and colloidal extraction. With the developed method a complete SiO2-ENPs and matrix separation with a Si mass recovery >90% was achieved by acid digestion. The alteration of the particle size distribution was minimized by particle stabilization. The generic procedure which also provides quality criteria for method development is urgently needed for standardized and systematic development of procedures for separation of ENPs from a complex matrix. The chosen analytical technique was shown to be suitable for detecting SiO2-ENPs in a complex food matrix like tomato soup and may therefore be extended to monitor the existence of ENPs during production and safety control of foodstuffs, food labelling, and compliance with legislative limits.


This article provides an overview of the findings of the Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science 2 (WILIS 2) study funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The study set out to develop a survey tool to gather information on both program evaluation and subsequent employment experiences and a model of delivery that could potentially be used by all library and information science (LIS) programs. The resulting model includes a shared survey, shared yet customizable methodology, a Web-based data collection tool, program-specific data products, and shared data products. The study team provided the thirty-nine participating LIS master's programs with both substantive data on their recent graduates and basic benchmarking capabilities. WILIS 2 used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach that involved members of the LIS community in major aspects of project design and implementation. Data were gathered in three phases over a fourteen month period from May 2009 to June 2010. Phase 1 was a pilot study of graduates from eight programs. Phases 2 and 3 included an additional thirty-one programs. Programs were asked to select a random sample of 250 of their master's degree graduates from the previous five years; however, a few programs included some graduates from earlier years. The final data set includes graduates from 2000 to 2009. Fewer than 4 percent of these respondents graduated prior to 2003. The achieved response rate for all three phases of the survey was 40.5 percent. For purposes of this overview paper, we use the full data set of the thirty-nine LIS programs graduating between 2000 and 2009, or 3,507 cases.


Prolonged exposure to alcohol and withdrawal induce a decrease of stress buffer system signaling and promotes the recruitment of several brain stress systems. The misbalance of these systems contributes to the negative emotional states (i.e. anxiety) associated with alcohol use disorder. Neuroplasticity phenomena induced by alcohol involve epigenetic modifications, such as histone modifications, which in turn regulate gene expression. In the present study, we investigated epigenetic and transcriptional alterations induced by alcohol in different paradigms of alcohol exposure.
In the first part, the protein levels of histone deacetylases (HDACs) 1, 2 and 3 belonging to the class I in the caudate putamen (CPu) and prefrontal cortex (PFCx), two areas of the mesocorticostriatal circuitry, were measured in BDNF heterozygous (+/-) mice and wild type (WT) animals acutely injected with EtOH. EtOH-treated WT mice have lower protein levels of all HDAC isoforms investigated in the CPu and HDAC 3 in the PFCx, indicating that EtOH is able to modulate the epigenetic machinery. Moreover, different basal levels of HDACs class I have been detected in the BDNF +/- mice, suggesting that BDNF can be crucial in regulating epigenetic mechanisms comprising the levels of class I HDACs.
In the second part, we focused on the role of dynorphin (DYN) / κ opioid receptor (KOP) system in different model of alcohol dependence and tolerance. Results here reported indicate that alcohol induces anxiolytic effects and decrease the DYN/KOP system gene expression in the amygdala. In fact, rapid tolerance to the anxiolytic effect of EtOH can be block by the KOP receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine. Interestingly, epigenetic analysis in the amygdala revealed that the DYN/KOP system transcription can be mainly regulated by two histone marks, the trimethylation of lysine 27 and 4 on histone 3 (H3K27me3 and H3K4me3), during acute EtOH exposure and tolerance.


This study examines public, digitally focused reactions to civilian arrests in the aftermath of the police killing of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in July 2016. We employ a qualitative content analysis to investigate 302 comments from six Facebook Live videos streamed by local news organizations during racial justice protests following Sterling's death. We first categorize users' comments according to two broad and divergent themes around appeals for authoritarian order and for social justice. From these themes, analyses revealed subthemes that illustrate the bases for commenters' ideological alignments in the immediate aftermath of Sterling's shooting and the protests that followed. Our findings suggest that online comments reflect existing social inequalities and offline divisions that are still felt in Baton Rouge, a functionally segregated city in the Southern United States. This research contributes to our understanding of online distant witnessing as opposing groups react to live-streamed videos of arrests by police on one of the nation's most divisive issues.


Oral health depends on a complex interplay between the mucosal tissues, physicochemical and microbial components present in the oral cavity. Maintenance of a stable ecosystem is an essential determinant of oral health. However, as a result of a major change in the ecosystem, the stability can be disturbed leading to an increased risk for development of diseases. Epithelial integrity and barrier function are key aspects to support oral health. The oral cavity consists of stratified squamous epithelium that provides a physical barrier that protects the underlying tissues from mechanical or chemical damage, loss of fluids, and invasion from pathogenic bacteria. In order to maintain barrier function, the oral mucosa undergoes constant renewal and repair. When the epithelial integrity is compromised, prompt re-epithelialization is required to restore homeostasis by re-establishment of cell-cell contacts. This thesis describes the development of a quantitative high-throughput scratch assay to study oral re-epithelialization in vitro as well as the influence of different components of the oral ecosystem (i.e. oral commensal bacteria and salivary metabolites) on gingival re-epithelialization. In Chapter 2, we describe the development and optimization of an automated high-throughput scratch assay that uses a mathematical model to extract biologically relevant parameters that describe re-epithelialization kinetics. The assay was used to screen 39 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for their influence in re-epithelialization and therefore, assess their potential to promote gingival epithelial re-epithelialization. The results revealed that exposure of the cells to different Streptococcus salivarius strains leads to enhanced re-epithelialization kinetics. In particular, we showed that S. salivarius MS-oral-D6 is able to stimulate re-epithelialization through a secreted serine protease. Furthermore, in Chapter 3, we developed and implemented the Kinetic Re-Epithelialization Analysis Pipeline (KREAP) into a toolbox in Galaxy, providing an open-source, web-based platform for reproducible image processing and data analysis of high-throughput scratch assays. In addition, Chapter 4 provides a detailed procedure of the assay using cell lines originating from oral mucosa as well as from skin, which expands the application of the assay to other research fields. In Chapter 5, we explored the role of the salivary metabolome on oral re-epithelialization using our scratch assay and the metabolite profiles of a subset of 63 unstimulated saliva samples collected from a healthy cohort (n = 61) during a two-week experimental gingivitis study. Elastic net regression with stability selection led to the identification of a metabolite signature consisting of 10 metabolites that were related to the re-epithelialization kinetics observed in vitro. Using this signature, we were able to predict the re-epithelialization capacity of the remaining 242 saliva samples collected during the clinical study. Higher concentrations of certain plasmalogens, diacylglycerol, and amino acid derivatives in saliva were associated with enhanced re-epithelialization capacity. Moreover, the predicted re-epithelialization capacity of the saliva samples was positively correlated with the gingival bleeding scores determined for the participants during the experimental gingivitis challenge. These scores are used as a clinical parameter to assess the inflammatory state of the periodontal tissues and thus, we propose that the identified metabolite signature reflects the intensity of the mucosal interactions with the resident microbiota. In addition, we found that individuals who displayed larger variation of the metabolite signature over time were associated with a higher increase in gingival bleeding scores during the experimental gingivitis challenge, implying that unstable host-microbe interactions and higher variability of the associated metabolite signature may be an indicator for stronger responses under a challenge. In Chapter 6, we employed elastic net regression with stability selection to identify operational taxonomical units (OTUs) that were positively and negatively associated with gingival bleeding scores in the participants of a cross-sectional study (n = 268). Representative species of the identified OTUs were screened for their influence in oral re-epithelialization using the high-throughput scratch assay. The results revealed that the group of bacteria that had a negative association with gingival bleeding significantly increased re-epithelialization kinetics in comparison with the positive associated group. Importantly, most of these associations were confirmed in a different cohort that participated in a two-week experimental gingivitis challenge study. Higher relative abundances of Actinomyces oris/viscosus/naeslundii, Rothia dentocariosa and Veillonella dispar were strongly correlated with lower gingival bleeding scores, whereas higher relative abundances of Porphyromonas catoniae, Selenomonas sputigena, Leptrotichia buccalis and Streptococcus anginosus were associated with increased gingival bleeding. Additionally, we showed that microbial signatures in saliva can potentially be used to assess the risk of an individual to develop oral diseases, such as gingivitis. Chapter 7 explored the differential modulatory mechanisms exerted by Actinomyces oris, Actinomyces viscosus, Veillonella parvula and Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. animalis on gingival re-epithelialization kinetics. Cell-based assays and transcriptomic analysis of scratched gingival cells revealed that treatment with A. oris, A. viscosus or V. parvula enhanced re-epithelialization kinetics by increasing cell survival through downregulation of the p53 signalling pathway. In contrast, the increased re-epithelialization kinetics observed with F. nucleatum subsp. animalis was characterized by a stronger induction of regulatory genes involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis and innate immunity responses. Lastly, we showed that the stimulatory effects observed on cell migration by A. viscosus and F. nucleatum subsp. animalis depend on direct bacteria-host cell contact, whereas A. oris and V. parvula probably secrete soluble compounds that act as chemoattractants for gingival cells. Chapter 8, summarizes and discusses the key findings of this thesis and provides new avenues for further research. This thesis provides insight in the complex interplay between the oral mucosa and different components of the oral ecosystem that may lead to the development of innovative strategies that could support oral health through the maintenance of epithelial integrity and barrier function. Such strategies may involve the development of novel diagnostic tools to predict disease risk as well as the generation of next-generation probiotics or bioactive compounds to stimulate re-epithelialization in patients with impaired wound healing.


This paper uses the realisation of locative-related roles in Balinese to show that there is no clear-cut distinction between arguments and adjuncts, supporting the gradient nature of grammatical functions (cf. Croft 2001; Langacker 1987; Aarts 2007). It argues that argumenthood is not wholly a property of a lexical head predicate and that a purely lexically based projectionist approach to syntactic argument structures cannot be maintained. It also explores the effect that the interplay between relevant properties of locatives has on their recruitability as arguments, and a novel argument-index analysis is proposed as a means to distinguish adjuncts from arguments. The analysis makes use of both general and languagespecific morphosyntactic and morphosemantic tests. Investigation of locative-related roles reveals that certain properties determine their status in the argument-adjunct continuum: thematic, individuated and animate locatives are more argument-like than non-thematic, inanimate and general deictic locatives (in line with Kittilä 2007, 2008; Peterson 2007). Interplay between these properties is shown to affect argument recruitment in Balinese, based on the value of the argument index for a given locative-related role. More generally, there also is evidence that languages vary in whether they allow true adjuncts to be recruited as arguments at all.


Biological nitrogen fixation is a key step in the global nitrogen cycle. In this process, dinitrogen in the air is converted to biologically accessible ammonia, which is further assimilated in to the biosphere. Nitrogenase, the enzyme system responsible for dinitrogen reduction, is only found in prokaryotic organisms and biological nitrogen fixation is an energy-demanding process, requiring both ATP and low potential reducing equivalents. In the free-living purple non-sulfur anoxygenic phototroph Rhodospirillum rubrum, efficient electron transfer to nitrogenase is dependent on active electron transport in the chromatophore membrane.I have shown that reducing equivalents for nitrogen fixation is generated through the action of the proteins encoded by the fixABCX genes. The membrane associated protein complex encoded by these genes reduces a soluble ferredoxin, which in turn acts as the direct electron donor to nitrogenase in this organism. The heterodimeric flavoprotein FixAB has NADH dehydrogenase activity indicating that the reducing equivalents for nitrogen fixation are derived from the general metabolism of the cell. The membrane associated FixC protein is believed to drive the energetically unfavorable reduction of ferredoxin N using energy derived from the electron transfer processes in the chromatophore membrane in some unknown manner. The membrane associated protein complex encoded by fixABCX most likely constitutes the unknown link between photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation in R. rubrum.


The ever-increasing demand of mobile Internet traffic is pushing operators to look for solutions to increase the available bandwidth per user and per unit of area. At the same time, they need to reduce the load in the core network at a reasonable cost in their future 5G deployments. Today's trend points to the deployment of extremely dense networks in order to provide ubiquitous connectivity at high data rates. However, this is hard to couple with the current mobile networks' architecture, which is heavily centralized, posing difficult challenges when coping with the foreseen explosion of mobile data. Additionally, future 5G networks will exhibit disparate types of services, posing different connectivity requirements. Distributed mobility management is emerging as a valid framework to design future mobile network architectures, taking into account the requirements for large traffic in the core and the rise of extremely dense wireless access networks. In this article, we discuss the adoption of a distributed mobility management approach for mobile networks, and analyze the operation of the main existing solutions proposed so far, including a first practical evaluation based on experiments with real Linux-based prototype implementations.


The emergence of smart cities as a specific concept is not very old. In simple terms, it refers to cities which are sustainable and driven predominantly by their Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure. Smart libraries and smart knowledge managers, alongside its other smart component-entities, are vital for their emergence, sustenance and progress. The paper attempts at deducing a symbiosis amongst smart cities, smart libraries and smart knowledge managers. It further elaborates on how these will usher in the neo-knowledge society, and the opportunities it'll offer vis-\`a-vis Library and Information Science (LIS). Finally, it concludes on an optimistic note, mentioning possible future research activities in this regard.


Combining the ideas of past and present media theorists and critics from a variety of disciplines, the thesis traces the general evolution of the prevailing system of mainstream news mediafrom a subjective model that once served to empower portions of the bourgeois public sphere of 18th and 19th century Europe to the current objective model that prevails within North America and much of Europe. The thesis then proceeds to briefly examine both the implications of the prevailing mature commercial ideology on a remaining public media system that is increasingly scrutinized through the lens of a dominant free market ideology, and the effects that the objective model of journalism has upon the general citizenry. To illustrate these 'dual' effects, the thesis focuses upon a comparative content analysis of New York Times and San Francisco Bay Guardian coverage regarding the relatively recent attempt at "mainstreaming" the programming at the five stations comprising the Pacifica Foundationa US public news system founded more than fifty-years ago by pacifist Lewis Hill for the purpose of empowering local communities and groups through the subjective dissemination of information on a variety of issues. The thesis concludes with a renewed call for a responsible subjective journalism that would allow for the dissemination of myriad opinions concerning issues and events, and simultaneously allow for the creation of a newly-empowered public through a more inclusive public sphere that would facilitate the establishment of an 'ideal' democracy.


Theoretically, one part of supervision is the direct object i.e. what can be learnt, another part is the indirect object aiming at how the learning process is constituted and influenced by both the doctoral student and his/her supervisor. Emphasising both the what and the how object of learning as well as their interrelationship may be an important factor for the development of the role of supervisor in research. The aim of this study was to describe supervision of doctoral students from the perspective of a research supervisor. Interview data were analysed in accordance with content analysis. The result showed that research supervision had a latent content of awareness of underlying structures and the preconditions for learning that became visible through self-appraisal, orientation towards a goal, in the interaction and the performance of an art. Awareness was a cornerstone in research supervision that enabled both the what and the how aspect of learning.


Mobility and intermittent connectivity inject inaccuracy in determining group membership and exacerbate the time required to agree on the current group membership. In this paper, we present a group membership service based on partial member connectivity that allows members to agree on a shared approximation of the group membership based on local neighborhood connectivity. In particular, the consistency needs provided by the application determine the degree of consistency of the membership service and allow the membership service to tailor the neighborhood service in terms of fidelity ratio and time detection period.