Concentrations of ambient ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) were measured continuously for a period of 12 months in the city of Jeddah from December 2011 to December 2012. Meteorological parameters, wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity were also monitored. Concentrations of ground O3 were found to be highly dependent on the NOx diurnal cycle and wind speed. Nitrogen oxides were found to exceed air quality standards, especially in industrial sites, while O3 concentrations were found to exceed 40 ppb, averaged over 1 h, on more than 24% of the measured days in the rural sites. Furthermore, they exceeded 30% in all other areas (i.e., the urban ones). O3 and NOx were inversely related. The highest average NOx concentration (96 ppb) occurred in a rural area downwind of a desalination plant, while the average O3 concentration peaked in a rural area upwind of a desalination plant, reaching 63.5 ppb, although it also reached 72.6 in another rural area, and we consider this latter result as the background figure in the present study. The seasonal variations of O3 were more distinct than those of NOx. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report providing comprehensive background information on air quality in an arid area of the developing world.


Power system planning inherently needs to consider all aspects of how a power system may be planned and operated to provide a reliable and economic supply of electrical energy. This includes the need to simulate generation production, particularly the appropriate coordination between thermal and hydro generation. One of the most difficult features of this is the incorporation of limited-energy pumped-storage hydro generation within such simulations. This paper describes a new approach for incorporating pumped-storage units using sequential Monte Carlo simulation. The scheduling is defined as a constrained optimisation problem using a network flow algorithm. The application and benefits of the proposed model are demonstrated using the IEEE reliability test system.


The use of practical high temperature superconductors (HTS), REBCO tapes especially, in magnet applications has become possible thanks to the increasing interest of manufacturers. One difficulty has been the nonlinear material properties that are challenging to measure and model. To advance in such, demo systems are needed and they must be thoroughly analyzed. Recently, one of the first HTS dipole magnets was built to study the usability of REBCO Roebel cables in particle accelerator magnets. The prototype magnet Feather-M2 was designed, constructed and tested within EUCARD2 collaboration project at CERN in 2017. In the measurements, the magnet behaved in an unexpected way: the magnet was able to be operated at operation currents above the maximum current that was predicted based on short-sample measurements. Additionally, unexpectedly gradual dependency between magnet's resistive voltage and operation current was observed. In this work, a thermodynamical model is formulated in order to study the behavior of Feather-M2. The model was parametrized and the parameters were solved via inverse problem by finding the best match to experimental results. Thereby insight was gained on the prospects of the utilized thermodynamical model and also on the behavior and operation conditions of the magnet via the inverse problem solutions. To summarize, this paper presents a new methodology for analyzing magnets in operation and applies it to a state-of-the-art magnet.


Uncovering the structures and functions of conversational narratives uttered within natural social networks, Laine Berman shows how working-class Javanese women discursively construct identity and meaning within the rigid constraints of an hierarchical social order. She does this by identifying the silences, the "unsaid", and by revealing both the structure and function of silence in terms of its indexical reference to local meaning. It is here that the force of the Javanese language as used in everyday interaction shows itself to be an extremely potent philosophical entity as well as a means of social control. Thus, at least in regard to the urban poor, the book boldly questions the difference between traditional definitions of Javanese elegance and oppression. This study will contribute to our understanding of the social consequences of language use, to the linguistic knowledge of Indonesia and Java, and to such basic linguistic issues as narrative structure and function, speech levels and styles, and indexicality features.


Catalyst activity during the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) growth by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is enhanced when water, a weak oxidizer, is introduced together with the carbon source. The height as well as the CNTs density can be controlled by fine‐tuning the water content. The characterization of the mechanical properties of CNTs produced by the water assisted CVD process clearly indicates that high quality materials are produced. CNTs with diameter smaller than 12 nm exhibit Young's modulus higher than 400 GPa.


Methylation of DNA is a heritable mechanism for silencing gene expression. In some cancers, including certain types of lymphomas, aberrant methylation of the promoters of negative regulators of signaling may contribute to malignancy. Zhang et al. provide evidence that persistent activation of STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) contributes to methylation of the promoter of the gene encoding SHP-1 tyrosine phosphatase, a key negative regulator of T cell signaling. Analysis of the mRNA and protein abundance for DNA methyl transferase 1 (DNMT1), histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1), and SHP-1 showed an inverse relationship, with SHP-1 low in cells that had high levels of DNMT and HDAC. Furthermore, normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) had low or undetectable amounts of DNMT1 and HDAC1 and no methylation of the SHP-1 promoter, whereas malignant T cells had abundant amounts of these DNA-modifying enzymes and complete or partial methylation of the SHP-1 promoter. The SHP-1 promoter had four potential binding sites for STAT3, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments indicated that, in malignant T cells, STAT3, DNMT1, and HDAC1 were bound to the SHP-1 promoter. In cells in which SHP-1 was abundant, little or no binding of these three proteins to the promoter was detectable. Knockdown of DNMT1 or STAT3 with oligonucleotides or silencing RNA (siRNA) led to demethylation of the SHP-1 promoter and the appearance of SHP-1 protein. Thus, STAT3, which is known to be activated in malignant T cells, can promote the epigenetic silencing of SHP-1 through DNA methylation. Why phosphorylated STAT3 is capable of promoting epigenetic silencing of SHP-1 in some cells, but not others, for example mitogen-activated T cells and certain populations of malignant T cells, remains unknown. Q. Zhang, H. Y. Wang, M. Marzec, P. N. Raghunath, T. Nagasawa, M. A. Wasik, STAT3- and DNA methyltransferase 1-mediated epigenetic silencing of SHP-1 tyrosine phosphatase tumor suppressor gene in malignant T lymphocytes. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102, 6948-6953 (2005). [Abstract] [Full Text]


The presence of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in laboratories has traditionally been demonstrated using the fluorochrome method, which requires a fluorescent microscope or the Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) method employing light microscopy. Low sensitivity of the ZN method and high costs of fluoroscopy make the need for a more effective means of diagnosis a top priority, especially in developing countries where the burden of tuberculosis is high. The QBC ParaLens™ attachment (QBC Diagnostic Inc., Port Matilda, PA) is a substitute for conventional fluoroscopy in the identification of AFB. To evaluate the efficacy of the ParaLens LED (light-emitting diode) system, the authors performed a two-part study, looking at usefulness, functionality and durability in urban/rural health clinics around the world, as well as in a controlled state public health laboratory setting. In the field, the ParaLens was durable and functioned well with various power sources and lighting conditions. Results from the state laboratory indicated agreement between standard fluorescent microscopy and fluorescent microscopy using the ParaLens. This adaptor is a welcome addition to laboratories in resource-limited settings as a useful alternative to conventional fluoroscopy for detection of mycobacterial species.


The aim of this paper is to investigate discourse strategies of outgroup construction in the Alfredian period (late ninth century), by using critical discourse analysis and testing its relevance for the Anglo-Saxon data. The study focuses on the Viking outgroup and its presentation in the texts of the period. The analysis also tackles earlier and later sources containing the episodes of the first encounter with the unwelcome "Other" to trace typological features of outgroup construction in medieval political discourse. The genres that are taken into account are historical writings and legislation in Anglo-Latin and Old English. It is postulated that the Alfredian texts are commissioned by the political elite—the West Saxon kingship—and produced by the symbolic elite—writers, chroniclers, copyists, the clergy more generally, with the Alfredian circle being reconstructed as a "Community of Practice" with a distinct political, cultural, and discourse agenda. The Viking raids of the period provide a "bid for counter-power," to which the elites have to react both militarily and ideologically. The ideologies of the Anglo-Saxon elites are analyzed at the discourse level, concentrating on the strategies of outgroup derogation, e.g., criminalization of the Vikings in the chronicles. It is concluded that the chronicles can be analyzed as analogous to modern press, that they were produced and circulated to shape "public opinion" of politically and economically prominent social groups.


The execution of graph transformations is sped up by automatically concatenating rewrite rules. We start by guessing which elements are already matched or created by one rule, and are re-used by the following rule afterwards. Then, we build a rule that combines the modifications of both rules, leaving out unneccesary intermediate steps. We use such combined rules to transform graph rewrite sequences, including a fallback for the case that the guess was wrong. Using this method, we achieve a speedup of nearly 50% in Varró's well-known mutex benchmark.


As part of the reform process of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), its Technical Advisory Committee is being transformed into a Science Council. An interim Science Council has been operating since January 2002. The primary role of the Council will be to enhance and guard the relevance and quality of science in the CGIAR System. Relevance is viewed as researching the 'right things' to address the System's goals, and deals with the relevance of identified research priorities and strategies and the nature of the planning and consultation process. Ex-ante analyses of need and potential impact to formulate the priorities and strategies are important elements in defining relevance. Quality is viewed as researching the 'right things well' and deals with the efficient use of state-of-the-art knowledge, research methods and protocols. The paper outlines the interim Council's suggestions for an operational framework of the Science Council. It serves as a starting point for the development of specific criteria, procedures and guidelines for carrying out the envisioned responsibilities. The Science Council must act in a strategic advisory role, basing its advice on: (i) planning and strategy development in the context of CGIAR goals; (ii) internal self-assessments by CGIAR Centres and Programmes and independent external monitoring and evaluation; and (iii) impact assessments. The paper discusses these three complementary functions. Each depends on the other in a dynamic feedback process that is essential if the CGIAR is to remain at the frontiers of science and development, maintain its science relevance and quality, and contribute in the most effective and efficient manner to the mission and goal of the Group.


The goal of inverse reinforcement learning is to find a reward function for a Markov decision process, given example traces from its optimal policy. Current IRL techniques generally rely on user-supplied features that form a concise basis for the reward. We present an algorithm that instead constructs reward features from a large collection of component features, by building logical conjunctions of those component features that are relevant to the example policy. Given example traces, the algorithm returns a reward function as well as the constructed features. The reward function can be used to recover a full, deterministic, stationary policy, and the features can be used to transplant the reward function into any novel environment on which the component features are well defined.


Chest computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a solitary nodular shadow in the right middle lobe of the lung of a 74-year-old woman. She had undergone hemithyroidectomy for sclerosing follicular thyroid carcinoma 26 years ago and right hemicolectomy and sigmoidectomy for multicentric colon cancer 2 years ago. The clinical diagnosis of the lung nodule was a metastatic lung tumor from the former colon cancer. Wide wedge resection of right S4a was performed. Pathological diagnosis revealed not only the metastatic colon cancer with the interlobular lymph node involvement but also an incidental metastatic thyroid papillary carcinoma. Completion total thyroidectomy and regional lymph node dissection were performed subsequently, and this revealed primary multiple occult papillary carcinomas in the residual thyroid. This was a very rare case in which an incidental metastatic lung lesion of thyroid cancer was revealed in a specimen of resected lung metastasis from colon cancer, and led to treatment of the second primary thyroid cancer. J Med Cases. 2014;5(9):491-494 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc1913w


Introduction Recent evidence suggests that influenza vaccination may offer protection against COVID-19 severity. Our aim was to quantify the association between influenza vaccination status and risk of hospitalisation or all-cause mortality in people diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods A retrospective cohort study using routinely collected health records from patients registered to a General Practitioner (GP) practice in South West England within the Electronic Care and Health Information Analytics database. The cohort included 6921 people with COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic (1 January–31 July 2020). Data on influenza vaccination, hospitalisation and all-cause mortality were ascertained through linked clinical and demographic records. We applied propensity score methods (stabilised inverse probability of treatment weight) to quantify the association between influenza vaccination status and COVID-19 outcomes (hospitalisation or all-cause mortality). Results 2613 (38%) participants received an influenza vaccination between 1 January 2019 and COVID-19 diagnosis. Receipt of influenza vaccination was associated with a significantly lower odds of hospitalisation or all-cause mortality (adjusted OR: 0.85, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.97, p=0.02), and 24% reduced odds of all-cause mortality (adjusted OR: 0.76, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.90). Discussion Influenza vaccination was associated with a 15%–24% lower odds of severe COVID-19 outcomes. The current UK influenza vaccination programme needs urgent expansion as an integral component of the ongoing response plans to the COVID-19 pandemic.


Background: Tracking world cases of breast implant–associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is currently limited to patient registries at a few academic centers, dependent upon patient referral and case reports in the literature. The purpose of this study was to review and compare federal database adverse event reports of breast implant–associated ALCL encompassing the major breast implant markets worldwide. Methods: Federal implantable device regulatory bodies were contacted and database queries were performed for 40 countries. Demographics, device characteristics, pathology, treatment modalities, and outcomes were assessed when available. Results: For the countries queried, 363 unique cases were reported for breast implant–associated ALCL. Search terms "anaplastic" and "ALCL" were queried of the U.S. Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database and yielded 258 unique cases as of September 2015, of which only 130 had pathologic markers performed. Implant surface was textured significantly more than smooth (50 percent versus 4.2 percent; p = 0.0001). Treatment, when reported (n = 136), included explantation [n = 125 (91.9 percent)], chemotherapy [n = 42 (30.8 percent)], radiation therapy [n = 25 (18.4 percent)], and/or stem cell transplant [n = 9 (6.6 percent)], and five deaths were reported. Conclusions: Federal reporting of breast implant–associated ALCL has limitations in providing clinical history, treatment, and oncologic follow-up. Worldwide and country-specific total and textured implant sales data are needed to determine critical incidence and prevalence analysis. International multi-institutional collaborations and centralized tissue consortiums working in concert with federal authorities are necessary to acquire accurate complete data on breast implant–associated ALCL.


Background: Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We aimed to identify potentially modifiable risk factors for CSA-AKI. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective cohort study of 495 adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery. AKI was diagnosed and staged using full KDIGO criteria incorporating baseline serum creatinine (SC) levels and correction of postoperative SC levels for fluid balance. We examined the association of routinely available clinical and laboratory data with AKI using multivariate logistic regression modeling. Results: A total of 103 (20.8%) patients developed AKI: 16 (15.5%) patients were diagnosed with AKI upon hospital admission, and 87 (84.5%) patients were diagnosed with CSA-AKI. Correction of SC levels for fluid balance increased the number of AKI cases to 104 (21.0%), with six patients categorized to different AKI stages. Univariate logistic regression analysis identified five preoperative (age, sex, diabetes mellitus, preoperative systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (PSPAP), acute decompensated heart failure) and five intraoperative predictors of AKI (age, sex, red blood cell (RBC) volume transfused, use of minimally invasive surgery, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass). When all preoperative and intraoperative variables were incorporated into one model, six predictors remained significant (age, sex, use of minimally invasive surgery, RBC volume transfused, PSPAP, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass). Model-discrimination performance showed an area under the curve of 0.69 for the model including only preoperative variables, 0.76 for the model including only intraoperative variables, and 0.77 for the model including all preoperative and intraoperative variables. Conclusions: Use of minimally invasive surgery and therapies mitigating PSPAP and intraoperative blood loss may offer protection against CSA-AKI. Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03102528)


We propose a novel algorithm to design an optimum array geometry for source localization inside an enclosure. We assume a square-law decay propagation model for the sound acquisition so that the additive noise on the measured source-microphone distances is proportional to the distances regardless of the noise distribution. We formulate the source localization as an instance of the "Generalized Trust Region Subproblem" (GTRS) whose solution gives the location of the source. We show that by suitable selection of the microphone locations, one can tremendously decrease the noise-sensitivity of the resulting solution. In particular, by minimizing the noise-sensitivity of the source location in terms of sensor positions, we find the optimal noise-robust array geometry for the enclosure. Simulation results are provided to show the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.


The metaphor 'being crucifi ed with Christ' in sociohistorical context Crucifi xion is a concept that is far removed from the experience and understanding of the 21stcentury post-modern man. To understand the power of the message of the cross, one fi rst has to determine what the meaning of crucifi xion was to the person in antiquity. The relevant facts about the cross and crucifi xion were intertwined with social and political realities of the time. This article endeavours to construct a valid and probable sociohistorical context for the metaphor Xristw~| sunestau/rwmai ('I am being crucifi ed with Christ'). The relevant terminology as well as the practice of crucifi xion in ancient nations also receive attention. Possible differences in the shape of the cross and crucifi xion procedures are being debated. The article also tries to conceive of the shame and rejection the condemned had to endure. The sociohistorical implications of the preposition 'with' will be discussed to indicate its meaning to the person from ancient times. What would such a person have understood and experienced when told that he had to be crucifi ed with Christ? To any individual from that social and historical context such a statement would have immediately conjured up a clear picture of the price that was to be paid. It would have meant the renunciation of everything that was dear and essential in the life of that person; rejection of family and friends; inhuman pain, both physically and emotionally, as well as the knowledge that the decision was irrevocable.


ASEAN aimed to create a highly competitive, single market, production-based AEC in 2015 by applying strategic measures set out in the AEC Blueprint. However, after seven years of its adoption, the deadline has become merely the beginning of the AEC, not the finished line. Since November 2015, ASEAN has adopted the AEC Blueprint 2025 which aims to create a competitive, innovative, and dynamic AEC by 2025. One of the measures ASEAN uses is ensuring effective competition policy through greater harmonisation and convergence of national competition law.

The key concept of this thesis is competitiveness. It applies Professor Michael E Porter's concept of competitive advantage and gathers 15 years of data on the ASEAN Member States' competitiveness. And it questions whether competition law and policy attribute to a nation's competitiveness. If yes, to what extent. Then it questions whether it is necessary for ASEAN to take a supranational approach to become a competitive region because ASEAN has its own norm of cooperation, the ASEAN way, which is ingrained in ASEAN since its establishment. And it is now formally recognised in the ASEAN Charter.

The results show that competition law and policy is not a sole key determinant of competitiveness. Having a low degree of market concentration, effective competition law and policy, and efficient goods market does not necessarily correlate to high competitiveness. A country's competitiveness is affected by its stage of development too. Additionally, the political economy of a country has a certain degree of effect on efficiency in competition law enforcement. However, the determinant factor of efficient competition law enforcement lies on political will rather than type of the government administration as in the case of Taiwan and South Korea.

The disparities in the economic development of AMSs are obvious. Therefore, trying to harmonise AMSs' competition law and policy using an all-sector approach is not recommended and proved difficult, if not impossible. Moreover, a supranational approach is not compatible with the ASEAN way. Hence, a sectoral approach is more likely to help ASEAN achieve its goal. ASEAN has already begun its own sectoral approach to competitiveness in the aviation market.

The Aviation Agreements which the AMSs have signed between them provide much more details and commitments on competition rules concerning this industry than in the Regional Guidelines 2010. The application of sectoral approach alongside with the comprehensive approach to competition law and policy to enhance competitiveness of the relevant market is practiced in many countries. Examples of how regulatory body in electricity in the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea collaborate with their competition agencies provide evidence that it is possible and efficient.

Therefore, ASEAN does not need a supranational approach to improve its competitiveness regarding competition law and policy. This thesis suggests that ASEAN should pursue a sectoral approach in dealing with competition issues among member state the ASEAN way.


The main objective of this paper is to review the literature on and compare the lifecycle costs of full sanitation chain systems in developing cities of Africa and Asia. Overall, financial cost reporting methodologies have been inconsistent and many studies only focus on capital costs or do not report cost data on desludging, transport and treatment. In addition, a comparative analysis of raw cost data across cities and countries would be of low utility, owing to the numerous determinants of costs (e.g. density, level of service) and their high sensitivity to local contexts. To circumvent this, this paper compares the cost ratios between different sanitation systems analysed in a same study. It concludes that conventional sewer systems are in most cases the most expensive sanitation options, followed, in order of cost, by sanitation systems comprising septic tanks, ventilated improved pit latrines (VIP), urine diversion dry toilets and pour-flush pit latrines. The cost of simplified sewer systems is found to be lower than both conventional sewer systems and septic tank-based systems, but lack of data prevented further comparisons with other types of sanitation solutions.


Future fossil-fuel-based power generation systems must include decarbonizing technologies to capture and store (CCS) carbon dioxide (CO2 ). Oxy-fuel (O-F) combustion-based power systems are uniquely capable of capturing almost all CO2 . In the O-F power plant cycle, fuel and nearly pure oxygen, delivered from an air separation unit (ASU), are burned to form a working fluid composed primarily of steam and CO2 . Clean Energy Systems (CES), Siemens Energy, Inc. and Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. (FIT) are jointly developing turbomachinery systems driven by O-F working fluids and have adopted a stepped development approach to advance the technology toward product realization through an initial proof-of-concept phase and subsequent development of 1st and 2nd generation power plant systems. Specific goals and objectives target incremental advancements of power plant efficiency and output while reducing capital costs and cost of electricity. In the initial proof-of-concept phase, bench-level research was performed on a primary combustion system. A 20MWth development gas generator was used to explore operability and performance limits while operating on a variety of fuels over a wide range of conditions. Further, the working fluid produced by this combustor was used to drive an existing turbine/generator set at CES' Kimberlina prototype power plant located near Bakersfield, California. This paper summarizes the recent follow-on work to develop and demonstrate 1st and 2nd generation O-F power plant systems. Successful completion of the proof-of-concept phase led to the development of the 1st generation power plant system. Specific equipment required for this operation included a larger 170MWth combustor, which was constructed to produce additional power in this phase. An existing General Electric GE-J79 turbine was modified to extract power from this unit. All equipment required for this system has been assembled at CES' Kimberlina power plant. In addition, a reheat combustion system is being developed to enhance the 1st generation power plant cycle. In a logical next step, a larger power output, increased-efficiency 2nd generation power plant system was defined. For this application, the Siemens SGT-900 gas turbine was selected as the basis for the Intermediate Pressure Turbine. Conceptual design studies were performed to identify the modifications needed in order to adapt the hardware to accept O-F drive gases. Specific challenges related to the mechanical design configuration, and thermal/structural behaviors of the system are delineated. Testing is being performed to characterize the behavior of materials when exposed to the steam/CO2 working fluid environment. Necessary development of long-lead items required for this system is also described.Copyright © 2009 by Siemens Energy, Inc.


Flexible short-tube orifices were designed to decrease their diameter as the pressure differential across them increases under high outdoor temperatures. A series of tests for an R-22/lubricant mixture (mass fraction of oil 1.2%) were performed with two flexible short-tube orifices to develop flow data over a range of typical air conditioner operating conditions. One short tube had a modulus of elasticity of 7063 kPa and the other a value of 9860 kPa. Both short tubes had identical lengths (14.5 mm), entrance diameters (2.06 mm), and exit diameters (2.46 mm). The tests included both single- and two-phase flow conditions at the inlet of the flexible short tube. Upstream pressures were varied from 1179 kPa to 2144 kPa, which corresponded to saturated condensing temperatures of 29.4 to 54.4°C. Experimental results were presented as a function of pressure, subcooling/quality, evaporating pressure, and modulus of elasticity. Mass flow rates were compared with those of a rigid short tube. The flow rate through the flexible short-tube orifices was strongly dependent on the condensing pressure, subcooling/quality, and modulus of elasticity (which, in effect, changed diameter at different upstream pressures) of the short-tube material. However, the flow rate showed little dependence on the evaporating pressure. An empirical flow model was developed using the experimental data. This flow model was then combined with an air-conditioning system simulation model. Results from the model indicated that the flexible short tube provided approximately 2 to 3% higher capacity than the fixed expansion devices at temperatures lower than 25°C and higher than 45°C. However, the flow control with the flexible short-tube orifice was not as good as with a thermal expansion valve.


Abstract. An approach has been proposed to analyze the simulated hydrological extreme uncertainty related to the internal variability of the atmosphere ("climate noise"), which is inherent to the climate system and considered as the lowest level of uncertainty achievable in climate impact studies. To assess the climate noise effect, numerical experiments were made with climate model ECHAM5 and hydrological model ECOMAG. The case study was carried out to Northern Dvina River basin (catchment area is 360 000 km2), whose hydrological regime is characterised by extreme freshets during spring-summer snowmelt period. The climate noise was represented by ensemble ECHAM5 simulations (45 ensemble members) with identical historical boundary forcing and varying initial conditions. An ensemble of the ECHAM5-outputs for the period of 1979–2012 was used (after bias correction post-processing) as the hydrological model inputs, and the corresponding ensemble of 45 multi-year hydrographs was simulated. From this ensemble, we derived flood statistic uncertainty caused by the internal variability of the atmosphere.


: From several centers of domestication, cats and dogs have become the near-ubiquitous companion of man. Their dependence on man is such that when abandoned in a rural environment most succumb to malnutrition in combination with predation, diseases, parasites, and exposure. Where not subject to predation and where native or introduced prey is adequate, some survive to form feral populations. This applies on oceanic islands, in Australia and New Zealand. Elsewhere, as far as is known today, requirements for survival are met with in parts of the U.S. and Europe only, in remote wilderness areas in the case of dogs, and more widespread, with a tendency to fall back on surplus and waste products of man during hard times in the wild, in the case of cats. Where vermin populations, such as those of rabbits, rats and mice are dense, cats provide inadequate control; they can be useful in keeping small vermin populations small. Away from oceanic islands and desert areas, where their impact on native animals can be disastrous, this makes them sufficiently useful for damage to wildlife (notably to lizards, small marsupials and some birds) to be outweighed, without providing a clear-cut case for a need for control of either roaming, stray or feral cats in rural areas. On the other hand, dogs are potentially destructive animals, whether roaming, stray, or feral; they demand strict control.


Madagascar is a complex, composite geological terrane that occupies an important location in Late Proterozoic plate reconstructions. The recognition in one of the Madagascan terranes of a Stenian to Tonian-aged arc magmatic suite (the Dabolava Suite) demonstrates that its host terrane resided at a plate boundary from c. 1080 to 980 Ma. Gabbroic and granitoid intrusions of the Dabolava Suite are recognized only in the Ikalamavony Domain in west–central Madagascar. The oxygen isotopic compositions of zircon indicate that the parental magmas involved crustal contributions that were fractionated by a hydrological cycle, whereas hafnium isotopic compositions reflect near depleted-mantle signatures with only minor deflection to more crustal values. Together, these trends suggest mantle derivation of parental magmas coupled with upper-crustal assimilation of Stenian-aged pre-existing plutonic and volcanic rocks. These magmatic rocks, together with the coeval sedimentary rocks of the Ikalamavony Group, are taken to represent a subduction-related magmatic arc that formed in an oceanic-arc tectonic setting in the Mozambique Ocean outboard of the Archaean to early Palaeoproterozoic shield of Madagascar. The arc accreted to the older craton before the initiation of the Imorona–Itsindro Suite magmatism at c. 850 Ma that intruded both domains. Supplementary material: A complete description of the analytical methods and supplementary data are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3823717


Fano resonances between plasmons and diffracted light offer tunable energies and locales, but attribution of Fano resonance features to geometry and physicochemistry of metal nanostructures and adjacent dielectrics has been confounded by complexity and computational expense. This work shows predictable modal shifts of Fano resonance in square lattices of plasmonic nanostructures can be attributed directly to changes in medium wavenumber, particle size, and lattice constant that alter plasmon polarizability and diffractive interference. For 45 to 80 nm radius particles, a window of lattice constants that support Fano resonances is identified in a range from 500 to 900 nm. Lattice constants that support high intensity resonances are determined by individual particle polarizability and medium wavenumber. Fano resonance wavelengths redshift from diffracted photon energies as local refractive index (RI) changes due to coupling with particle polarizability in the window. Redshift sensitivities for quadrupole, dipole, and Fano resonances are 150, 348, and 541 nm, respectively, per RI unit. Fano resonance intensity may be enhanced more than tenfold by selecting nanoparticle sizes and lattice constants. The quantitative effects of such parametric changes are rapidly and intuitively distinguished using a semi-analytic approach, consisting of an exact expression for particle polarizability, a trigonometric description of diffraction, and a semi-analytical coupled dipole approximation.


This research investigated core business conflict that occurs amongst government agencies when working together in regional development projects and initiatives. The intent is to develop methods to manage this conflict and so enhance the delivery of regional development outcomes. The research problem explored is: 'Government Department core business – managing the impact of potential conflicts on regional development projects and programs'
The research involves three discipline areas – Government and governance, public sector management practices, and regional development. Government agency (GA) core business is determined by Government and delivered using public sector management practices that have shaped individual agency's strategic plans, processes and systems for core business delivery. Regional development involves multiple agencies delivering their core business outcomes that contribute to regional development. Due to the focus by each agency on their own core business, core business conflict can occur when agencies work together.
A literature review did not uncover literature or research about GA core business conflict, therefore this is a new area of investigation. The literature studies and reports investigated and discussed a related area – issues and impediment to Whole-of- Government (WOG) and 'joined-up' government initiatives.
A qualitative inquiry methodology is used to build knowledge about this new area. The sample of participants is drawn from GAs' staff who are involved in regional development projects and programs, or projects and programs that contribute to regional development. Data collection is through interviews and surveys with GAs' representatives from 18 agencies, across three levels of Government and from two distinctly different regions (coastal and inland).
Two aspects of core business conflict are investigated – fundamental core business conflict that involves the underpinning philosophy and ideology of an agency, and functional/operational core business conflicts that include the strategic plans, policies, procedures and systems involved in delivery of core business, which also influence the design of program and project guidelines, and determine funding and staff resourcing.
Research findings contribute new knowledge and expand current knowledge regarding challenges and barriers to agencies working together. Findings also enhance the application of approaches and tools to facilitate effective WOG and collaborative agency work.
The research has resulted in a 'process' model to resolve the research problem that applies a holistic and comprehensive operational approach to addressing core business conflict. The 'process' model builds on the research findings and draws on information and tools from the literature.
The research has implications for theory, policy and practice in the three discipline areas involved in the research problem and as a new area investigated, has generated further research opportunities.


We present a complete set of perceptual observables that provides a unified image description for grouping, figure-ground separation, and texture analysis. Although much progress has been made recently in treating contours and texture simultaneously for image segmentation and grouping, current approaches rely on different models for contours, regions, and texture such as one-dimensional intensity discontinuities for contours and filter bank responses for texture. This results in expensive computation that arbitrates between these disparate representations at each pixel. In our approach, salient image content such as contours, regions, and texture are represented in a common, low-level framework of image observables. We model the image as a partition of surfaces bounded by intensity discontinuities and derive perceptual measures as relations between neighboring surfaces. This enables us to extend the traditional Gestalt measures based on local edge geometry and contrast to region-based measures that jointly exploit large scale image topology, photometry, and geometry. These measures provide a natural basis for grouping on multidimensional similarity criteria and texture is directly derived as relational properties on local region neighborhoods. The viability of our model is demonstrated by applying the common observables to texture recognition, figure-ground separation, and generic image segmentation.


We consider the design problem of a decentralized estimation network under communication constraints. The underlying low capacity links are modeled by introducing a directed acyclic graph where each node corresponds to a sensor platform. The operation of the platforms are constrained by the graph such that each node, based on its measurement and incoming messages from parents, produces a local estimate and outgoing messages to children. A Bayesian risk that captures both estimation error penalty and cost of communications, e.g. due to consumption of the limited resource of energy, together with constraining the feasible set of strategies by the graph, yields a rigorous problem definition. We adopt an iterative solution that converges to an optimal strategy in a person-by-person sense previously proposed for decentralized detection networks under a team theoretic investigation. Provided that some reasonable assumptions hold, the solution admits a message passing interpretation exhibiting linear complexity in the number of nodes. However, the corresponding expressions in the estimation setting contain integral operators with no closed form solutions in general. We propose particle representations and approximate computational schemes through Monte Carlo methods in order not to compromise model accuracy and achieve an optimization method which results in an approximation to an optimal strategy for decentralized estimation networks under communication constraints. Through an example, we present a quantification of the trade-off between the estimation accuracy and the cost of communications where the former degrades as the later is increased.


Some of the Member States of the European Union (EU) are threatening fundamental principles enshrined in Article 2 TEU. The Polish reforms of its Constitutional Tribunal and Public Service Broadcasters are the most recent problems in a long list of concerns. This problem triggered fresh thinking concerning how the EU may monitor and enforce its fundamental values. Both in political and academic discourse, various suggestions have been made regarding the legal basis and the organizational characteristics of possible mechanisms to be used for this purpose. In this paper, we discuss the instruments that are currently on the table regarding the enforcement of EU values, exposing their strengths and weaknesses in legal and practical terms. The Commission's Rule of Law Framework is the most prominent and promising institutional response. In this paper we also offer an evaluation of its first use. So far, most of the proposed instruments have been presented in an isolated manner. This is particularly true for the two most discussed instruments, the so called Copenhagen Commission and the Reverse Solange mechanism. This paper presents and normatively assesses the ideas proposed and discusses how to combine the different instruments, which so far have been considered separately. We argue that the most apt European response to systemic deficiencies is the Reverse Solange mechanism as well as a complementary political approach. In developing the political mechanism, we especially focus on the Rule of Law Framework and its recent first activation. We propose to supplement it with a "Systemic Deficiency Committee". This Committee, composed of eminent figures, should monitor the respect of fundamental European values in all Member States. The proposal combines important insights from the proposal of a Copenhagen Commission by Jan-Werner Muller and the Rule of Law Framework already in place. We see our suggestion as developing both, the proposal as well as the Framework.


A spectrophotometry procedure for the determination of codeine based on the reaction with bromthymol blue was developed. A yellow complex forms and is easily extractrable by chloroform at PH 5.6. The mole ratio of bromthymol blue in the complex is 1:1. The absorbance of the complex obeys Beer's law over the concentratic range of 2-14 ug of codeine per ml of chloroform. This procedure can be carried out in the presence of many common excipients without interference. In the presence of morphine to the extent of 60% of codeine present the analysis of codeine could be carried out without interference.


We investigate the polarization properties of holographic gratings in side-chain azobenzene polyesters in which an anisotropic grating that is due to photoinduced linear and circular birefringence is recorded in the volume of the material and a relief grating appears on the surface. A theoretical model is proposed to explain the experimental results, making it possible to understand the influence of the different photoinduced effects. It is shown that at low intensity the polarization properties of the diffraction at these gratings are determined by the interaction of the linear and circular photobirefringences, and at larger intensity the influence of the surface relief dominates the effect of the circular anisotropy. Owing to the high recording efficiency of the polyesters, the ±1-order diffracted waves change the polarization interference pattern during the holographic recording, resulting in the appearance of a surface relief with doubled frequency.


Bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) are amongst the most important tropical fruit crops and are staple foods in most parts of the humid tropics and important sources of income to small scale holders in rural areas. In Kenya, banana is grown as an important food and cash crop. However, its cultivation has largely remained small scale. A common limiting factor to large scale production and expansion of existing plantations is the difficulty in obtaining high quality planting materials. Natural regeneration relied on by most farmers is slow and could be a source of pests and diseases in new plantations. In addition, the numbers of seedlings generated are inadequate. Although tissue culture (TC) can produce a large quantity of high quality planting materials, it is not a viable option to small scale farmers due to the high cost of seedlings. To increase banana production, there is need for an easy-to-implement and affordable method of producing seedlings among small scale holders. This study investigated macro-propagation as an alternative low cost method for producing banana seedlings. In the present research, farmers showed preference for certain banana cultivars in five agro ecological zones namely LH1, UM1, UM3, UM4 and LM3. Cavendish, Gros Mitchel, Uganda green and Sweet banana were identified as the most popular varieties with percentage preferences of 70, 60, 15 and 15% respectively. Macropropagation nurseries were established in the five agro ecological zones. Efficiency of macropropagation as affected by genotype and ecology was then determined. Seedling production through macropropagation was also compared to micro-propagation and natural regeneration over a period of six months. Evaluations were done on the number of seedlings produced, costs of production and requisite skills. Growth characteristics such as height, number of leaves and diameter of the suckers from each technique were evaluated and compared under field conditions. Data was analyzed to form the basis for recommending the best cultivars in relation to the macropropagation technique and agro-ecological zones. Macropropagated seedlings were not significantly different from TC seedlings in terms of growth four months after transplanting (p>0.05). Seedlings produced through TC and MP reached average heights of 66.6± 2.58 cm and 62.56± 1.99 cm; and average diameters of 7.90± 0.37 cm and 7.43± 0.21 cm respectively four months after planting. However, macropropagation was significantly different (p>0.05) from TC and natural regeneration. It required less skills and capital investment compared to TC; Seedling production through macropropagation was easy and required a lower level of education compared to TC hence can be easily adopted among small scale farmers albeit with proper training. This can greatly increase banana production which will uplift the livelihoods of many Kenyans who depend on the crop.


Abstratct – Social media tools like Facebook have rapidly turned out to be too mainstream and too much used by users and businesses. Advertisers attempt to discover the most ideal approach to publicize their products on Facebook keeping in mind the end goal to establish relationship with users and engage them with the brand. Facebook particularly portrays itself as the ideal promoting platform since its developers have made a promotion system which enables organizations to utilize the data of each Facebook user for customized advertising. Thus, marketers are leveraging Facebook to promote their products and brands and simultaneously communicate with their users so as to engage them and create a good impression of the brand. This paper attempts to find out the basic as well as advanced features/ tools of Facebook that a marketer is using for promotion purposes.


For the past two decades, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been the dominant paradigm in water resources. This book explores how ideas of IWRM are being translated and adapted in Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Grounded in social science theory and research, it highlights the importance of politics, history and culture in shaping water management practices and reform, and demonstrates how Africa has clearly been a laboratory for IWRM. While a new cadre of professionals made IWRM their mission, we show that poor women and men may not have always benefitted. In some cases IWRM has also offered a distraction from more critical issues such as water and land grabs, privatisation, the negative impacts of water permits, and a range of institutional ambiguities that prevent water allocations to small and poor water users. By critically examining the interpretations and challenges of IWRM, the book contributes to improving water policies and practices and making them more locally appropriate in Africa and beyond.


The book is inspired by the third seminar in a cycle connected to the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Politecnico di Milano (July 2013). "Educating by Image. Teaching Styles vs Learning Styles" was the motto of this meeting. The contributions (coming from lectures, the poster session, interviews and round table) aim to propose an updated look at visual education, highlighting how digital tools and networks have profoundly affected the "representational styles" of the teachers and the "cognitive styles" of the learners, while at the same time reaffirming the importance of the interaction between the two groups. As Herbert Alexander Simon once said, "Learning results... only from what the student does and thinks"; therefore "the teacher can advance learning only by influencing what the student does to learn". That is no mean feat if we consider that, according to Benjamin Samuel Bloom, visual education not only involves the pure cognition, but also the affective and the psychomotor domains, not to mention the social aspects. This is why, alongside some theoretical and historical retrospectives, the contributions recommend a continuous revision of "what" and "how" could be included in the academic curricula, also in connection with secondary schools, the professional world, targeted Lifelong Learning Programmes for students and teachers. The volume includes an interview with the science journalist and writer Piero Angela.


The main purpose of this essay will be to focus on certain key questions raised under the prevailing circumstances through a comparative analysis of the handling of the display of religious symbols in public places. These questions include: whether, assuming commitments to pluralism, multiculturalism and religious and non-religious comprehensive views, there may be ways to improve on existing models or to replace them with ones that are better suited to accommodate the new religious and political realities, and whether tolerance can be redeployed to buttress pluralism and to avoid falling into an irreconcilable conflict between religious fundamentalism and antireligious secularism.


Consider a set of probes, called "agents", who sample, based on opportunistic contacts, a population moving between a set of discrete locations. An example of such agents are Bluetooth probes that sample the visible Bluetooth devices in a population. Based on the obtained measurements, we construct a parametric statistical model to jointly estimate the total population size (e.g., the number of visible Bluetooth devices) and their spatial density. We evaluate the performance of our estimators by using Bluetooth traces obtained during an open-air event and Wi-Fi traces obtained on a university campus.


Recurrent neural networks show state-of-the-art results in many text analysis tasks but often require a lot of memory to store their weights. Recently proposed Sparse Variational Dropout eliminates the majority of the weights in a feed-forward neural network without significant loss of quality. We apply this technique to sparsify recurrent neural networks. To account for recurrent specifics we also rely on Binary Variational Dropout for RNN. We report 99.5% sparsity level on sentiment analysis task without a quality drop and up to 87% sparsity level on language modeling task with slight loss of accuracy.


Present-day mobile communications systems can be classified as fixed-to-mobile because they allow mobility on only one end (e.g. the mobile phone to a fixed mobile operator s cell tower). In answer to the consumer demand for better coverage and quality of service, emerging mobile-to-mobile (M-to-M) communications systems allow mobile users or vehicles to directly communicate with each other. This practical book provides a detailed introduction to state-of-the-art M-to-M wireless propagation. Moreover, the book offers professionals guidance for rapid implementation of these communications systems. It offers engineers and students a thorough understanding of signal propagation and channel models for vehicle-to-vehicle, air-to-ground, and underwater vehicle-to-underwater vehicle communications.. This authoritative resource is packed with over 1000 equations and more than 100 illustrations.DVD Included! Contains time-saving MATLAB code for the models discussed in the book, providing valuable tools that engineers can use for their projects in the field.Contents: Preface. Introduction. Fixed-to-Mobile Cellular Radio Channels. Vehicle-to-Vehicle Radio Channels. Air-to-Ground Radio Channels. Underwater Vehicle-to-Underwater Vehicle Acoustic Channels. Appendices.


Abstract. While previous research helped to identify and prioritize the sources of error in air-quality modeling due to anthropogenic emissions and spatial scale effects, our knowledge is limited on how these uncertainties affect climate-forced air-quality assessments. Using as reference a 10-year model simulation over the greater Paris (France) area at 4 km resolution and anthropogenic emissions from a 1 km resolution bottom-up inventory, through several tests we estimate the sensitivity of modeled ozone and PM2.5 concentrations to different potentially influential factors with a particular interest over the urban areas. These factors include the model horizontal and vertical resolution, the meteorological input from a climate model and its resolution, the use of a top-down emission inventory, the resolution of the emissions input and the post-processing coefficients used to derive the temporal, vertical and chemical split of emissions. We show that urban ozone displays moderate sensitivity to the resolution of emissions (~ 8 %), the post-processing method (6.5 %) and the horizontal resolution of the air-quality model (~ 5 %), while annual PM2.5 levels are particularly sensitive to changes in their primary emissions (~ 32 %) and the resolution of the emission inventory (~ 24 %). The air-quality model horizontal and vertical resolution have little effect on model predictions for the specific study domain. In the case of modeled ozone concentrations, the implementation of refined input data results in a consistent decrease (from 2.5 up to 8.3 %), mainly due to inhibition of the titration rate by nitrogen oxides. Such consistency is not observed for PM2.5. In contrast this consistency is not observed for PM2.5. In addition we use the results of these sensitivities to explain and quantify the discrepancy between a coarse (~ 50 km) and a fine (4 km) resolution simulation over the urban area. We show that the ozone bias of the coarse run (+9 ppb) is reduced by ~ 40 % by adopting a higher resolution emission inventory, by 25 % by using a post-processing technique based on the local inventory (same improvement is obtained by increasing model horizontal resolution) and by 10 % by adopting the annual emission totals of the local inventory. The bias of PM2.5 concentrations follows a more complex pattern, with the positive values associated with the coarse run (+3.6 μg m−3), increasing or decreasing depending on the type of the refinement. We conclude that in the case of fine particles, the coarse simulation cannot selectively incorporate local-scale features in order to reduce its error.


Compilers should be correct. To improve the quality of C compilers, we created Csmith, a randomized test-case generation tool, and spent three years using it to find compiler bugs. During this period we reported more than 325 previously unknown bugs to compiler developers. Every compiler we tested was found to crash and also to silently generate wrong code when presented with valid input. In this paper we present our compiler-testing tool and the results of our bug-hunting study. Our first contribution is to advance the state of the art in compiler testing. Unlike previous tools, Csmith generates programs that cover a large subset of C while avoiding the undefined and unspecified behaviors that would destroy its ability to automatically find wrong-code bugs. Our second contribution is a collection of qualitative and quantitative results about the bugs we have found in open-source C compilers.


Despite recent surgical developments, biliary complications following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Ischemic Type Biliary Lesions (ITBL) is particularly challenging accounting for a high proportion of bile-duct associated complications following OLT. We aimed to better predict and reduce the incidence of ITBL through detection of donor specific human leucocyte antibodies (DSA). These could be involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. This approach allows to standardized perioperative DSA-screening in OLT-patients.Prospective database of ITBL-patients (n=15) that had undergone OLT from February 2008 to October 2011 was analysed. Clinical parameters, biochemical data including preoperative HLA-status and postoperative DSA-status, complications, morbidity and mortality were studied. The ITBL-patients were matched in a 1:1 ratio accounting for demographic and clinical variables to a control cohort of OLT-patients. Propensity modelling with matched cohort analysis was employed. There was a significance between the detection of de novo DSA and the development of an ITBL (p=0,003) and an asymptomatic elevation of alkaline phosphatase (AP). This suggested a strong relationship between de novo DSA and future development of ITBL. This implies a need for a protocolisation of care with standardized postoperative DSA-status allowing earlier diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.


This diagnostic study is prepared at the request of the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Government of Lesotho (GoL)and aims to identify options to strengthen the country's financial resilience to disasters. It includes a review of disaster response costs and the current disaster risk financing (DRF) arrangements of the GoL, including institutional and legal frameworks, and proposes some recommendations. Lesotho is prone to weather-related perils such as droughts, floods, and storms. Drought affects the largest number of people. For instance, a drought in 2015/16 affected almost half of the population. Over two-thirds of the population—71 percent—is involved in some form of agricultural activity. The majority of the rural population engages in subsistence agriculture, working on small rain-fed farms or are livestock producers. Disasters can severely impact agriculture, thus devastating livelihoods and increasing food insecurity in a country already characterized by low agricultural productivity and reliance on food imports. Natural disasters in Lesotho jeopardize efforts to eliminate extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity Poverty in the country is declining slowly, and as of 2017 remained high, at 49.7 percent (at the national poverty line). Disasters disproportionally impact poor and vulnerable households, pushing them back or further into poverty (Hallegatte et al. 2017). According to the World Bank (forthcoming) Poverty Assessment, without the 2015/16 drought, poverty in Lesotho would have decreased twice as fast over the past 15 years. Natural disasters can also impact the macro-fiscal situation of the country. The average annual cost of disaster response is estimated at US$19.3 million, or 1.6 percent of the total budget expenditure in the 2019/20 fiscal year. For more infrequent and severeshocks, the costs can be much higher: US$31.8 million (or 2.6 percent of total budget) for shocks that occur every 10 years, and 45.3 million US Dollars (or 3.8 percent of total budget) for shocks that occur every 50 years.


Introduction.
 Up to 60% of patients report fatigue in the 6 months following acute stroke but the cause of this is poorly understood. Previous studies have reported a correlation with depression however the majority of fatigued subjects are not depressed and the majority of depressed subjects are not fatigued. We hypothesised that the association between fatigue and depression may not be direct and that it may be due to the enhanced level of arousal associated with anxiety disorder.

 Methods:
 Data was reviewed from four previous studies performed to identify associations of fatigue in stroke patients. All studies were performed in cognitively intact, independent (Modified Rankin Score <3) stroke patients by trained clinicians. Assessments of fatigue (Fatigue Severity Score), Anxiety and Depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) were performed on all or subgroups of patients in all 4 studies. The FSS is a 9 item scale predominantly evaluating physical manifestations of fatigue. A score>4 is indicative of severe fatigue. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale is a simple fourteen item questionnaire (seven questions on symptoms of anxiety (HADS-A) and seven depression (HADS-D) based). Each question may be scored between 0 and 3. A score in either subset <8 is considered normal, between 8 and 10 borderline abnormal and >10 definitely abnormal.

 Results:
 Data on 94 patients were included in the assessment. 57 (61%) were male and median age was 68 years (range 44-90 years). Mean FSS was 3.6 and 38 subjects (40.4%) had an FSS >4. Mean HADS-A score was 6.4, 14 (14.9%) subjects had a HADS-A >10 and 21 (22.3%) had a score 8-10. Mean HADS-D score was 4.4, 6 (6.4%) subjects had a score >10 and 10 (10.6%) had a HADS-D between 8 and 10. FSS correlated strongly with both HADS-A (r=0.57 (95% ci 0.42-0.69) p<0.0001 and HADS-D (r=0.51 (95% ci 0.34-0.64) p<0.0001). Positive predictive value (PPV) for an FSS>4 for possible anxiety (HADS-A >7) was 0.61. (PPV) for an FSS>5 for possible anxiety was 0.73. Negative predictive value for a FSS</=4 for HADS-A <8 was 0.79. PPV for an FSS>4 for possible depression (HADS-D <7) was 0.32 and NPV was 0.93. PPV for an FSS of >6 for both HADS-A and HADS-D was 0.87.

 Conclusion:
 Post stroke fatigue is strongly correlated with both anxiety and depression in patients with stroke but the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety is higher. It is worthwhile assessing stroke patients complaining of fatigue for evidence of anxiety disorder.


Chemotherapy is the main approach in dealing with advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer. An effective complementary ingredient can be helpful in improving the clinical outcome. Aqueous extract of Solanum nigrum leaf (AE-SN) is a principal ingredient for treating cancer patients in traditional Chinese medicinal practice but lacks sufficient evidence to verify its tumor suppression efficacy. This study evaluated the antitumor effects of AE-SN and also assessed the synergistic effects of AE-SN with docetaxel On the human endometrial cancer cell lines, HEC1A, HEC1B, and KLE. The activation of apoptotic markers, caspase-3 and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase, and autophagic marker, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 A/B, wAS determined to clarify the cell death pathways responsible for AE-SN induced tumor cell death. Results indicated that AE-SN-treatment has significant cytotoxicity on the tested endometrial cancer cells with accumulation of LC3 A/B II and demonstrated a synergistic effect of AE-SN and docetaxel in HEC1A and HEC1B cells, but not KLE cells. In conclusion, AE-SN treatment was effective in suppressing endometrial cancer cells via the autophagic pathway and was also capable of enhancing the cytotoxicity of docetaxel in human endometrial cancer cells. Our results provide meaningful evidence for integrative cancer therapy in the future.


Virtual libraries try to combine traditional library services with new document types and services. The first generation of virtual libraries mostly tried to offer services based on a library-centric view of information retrieval systems. New virtual libraries try to concentrate on user's needs, but this is often easier said than done. Restrictions like copyright laws, technical limitations and the like often make it difficult to meet user requirements. A number of studies documented these needs: easy-to-use, comprehensive yet focussed search, and easy access to print and online documents, subject specific, yet not too restricted to specific areas. The new EconBiz-portal, relaunched in August 2010, has a disciplinary focus on business and economics and related subjects. It includes about 6 million records from different databases. Based on search-engine technology Lucene/Solr, combined with a metadata framework developed by the ZBW, it allows fast, convenient and complex searches. The integration of the Standard-Thesaurus-for Economics supports researchers by suggesting key words and related terms. Information on the availability of the documents is also included. Documents can either be accessed online or ways are shown to material that is available in print only. Journals Online & Print, a service developed by the German Electronic Journals Library (EZB) and the German Union Catalogue of Serials (ZDB) is included to provide easy access to all forms of journals. In addition, services like an event calendar, a tutorial on how to find information and an online-reference desk help to cater to the user's complex needs. The new EconBiz-portal was developed by the ZBW in close cooperation with the USB Cologne. Major parts of the search engine framework were developed by a company specialized in information technology. This paper elaborates on the extraction of users' requirements from different studies, the deduction of functional requirements, and, finally, the implementation of the portal with all its ups and downs.


The widespread use of smart sensors, particularly, in applications that require continuous tracking and monitoring of mobile objects is contributed to their low cost, small size and high performance. With reference to military applications, both passive and active sensors have been used to counteract stealth technologies, which represent serious growing threats facing radars. This paper examines the use of biosensors - as passive sensors - in adversary environments, and their ability to detect stealth objects in space.


Quantum billiards have attracted much interest in many fields. People have made a lot of researches on the two-dimensional (2D) billiard systems. Contrary to the 2D billiard, due to the complication of its classical periodic orbits, no one has studied the correspondence between the quantum spectra and the classical orbits of the three-dimensional (3D) billiards. Taking the cubic billiard as an example, using the periodic orbit theory, we find the periodic orbit of the cubic billiard and study the correspondence between the quantum spectra and the length of the classical orbits in 3D system. The Fourier transformed spectrum of this system has allowed direct comparison between peaks in such plot and the length of the periodic orbits, which verifies the correctness of the periodic orbit theory. This is another example showing that semiclassical method provides a bridge between quantum and classical mechanics.


Julián Romero, Sancho Dávila, Cristóbal de Mondragón, and Francisco de Valdés were prominent Spanish military commanders during the first decade of the Revolt in the Low Countries (1567–1577). Occupying key positions in this conflict, they featured as central characters in various war narratives and episodical descriptions of the events they were involved in, ranging from chronicles, poems, theatre plays, engravings, and songs to news pamphlets. To this day, they still figure as protagonists of historical novels: brave heroes in some, cruel oppressors in others. Yet personal, first-hand accounts also exist. Archival research into the letters written by these commanders now makes it possible to include their perspectives and the way they describe their own experiences. Looking through the eyes of four Spanish commanders, Protagonists of War provides the reader with an alternative reading of the Revolt, contrasting the subjective experiences of these protagonists with fictionalised perceptions.


In the last 20 years, loop quantum gravity, a background independent approach to unify general relativity and quantum mechanics, has been widely investigated. The aim of loop quantum gravity is to construct a mathematically rigorous, background independent, nonperturbative quantum theory for the Lorentzian gravitational field on a four-dimensional manifold. In this approach, the principles of quantum mechanics are combined with those of general relativity naturally. Such a combination provides us a picture of "quantum Riemannian geometry", which is discrete at a fundamental scale. In the investigation of quantum dynamics, the classical expressions of constraints are quantized as operators. The quantum evolution is contained in the solutions of the quantum constraint equations. On the other hand, the semi-classical analysis has to be carried out in order to test the semiclassical limit of the quantum dynamics.
In this thesis, the structure of the dynamical theory in loop quantum gravity is presented pedagogically. The outline is as follows: first we review the classical formalism of general relativity as a dynamical theory of connections. Then the kinematical Ashtekar-Isham-Lewandowski representation is introduced as a foundation of loop quantum gravity. We discuss the construction of a Hamiltonian constraint operator and the master constraint programme, for both the cases of pure gravity and matter field coupling. Finally, some strategies are discussed concerning testing the semiclassical limit of the quantum dynamics.


With patients undergoing first time 1st metatarsophalangeal joint
arthrodesis using graft material when it was required to fill cystic bone
voids, we retrospectively compared the time to fusion (clinical and
radiographic), and non-union rate between the patient's own bone autograft (n = 62)
versus a mesenchymal stem cell impregnated
allograft group (n = 51). A third control group (n = 52) was included in which an end-to-end
arthrodesis was performed and no graft interposition was used or
necessary. The non-union rate was 4% (n = 2) in
the control group, 5.9% (n = 4) in the autograft group, and 9.5% (n = 5) in
the mesenchymal stem cell allograft group. The time for radiographic fusion was
6.46 weeks for the control group, 6.52 weeks for the autograft group, and 6.53
weeks for the mesenchymal stem cell allograft group. The difference in time to
clinical and radiographic union and the non-union rate were not found to be
statistically significant among all 3 groups. Patient comorbidities and their
possible effects on union rates were also analyzed within the populations.
Some comorbidities had statistically significantly non-unions within the
population, notably smoking (p = 0.024) and
Rheumatoid arthritis (p = 0.001), however the populations were fairly
small. The use of allogeneic bone graft impregnated with
mesenchymal stem cells yields a similar fusion rate as with the use of autologous
bone graft harvested from the surrounding area. The allograft impregnated with
mesenchymal stem cells is a viable alternative yielding similar results when
local autogenous bone graft is not available, not obtainable, or conditions
warrant its use.


The East and South Asian summer monsoons affect billions of people but a multitude of potential variables have precluded definitive attribution of their controlling mechanisms and hindered models of their evolution in an anthropogenically warmed climate. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations were higher than modern during the early Pliocene and provide a potential analog for future climate. Therefore, understanding East and South Asian summer monsoons during the early Pliocene is instructive to understanding their forcing mechanisms and future variation. Here we report the first evidence for an anti‐phasing trend between the East and South Asian summer monsoons during early Pliocene time based on multiple lines of evidence. Comparison of our results with the paleoceanography records suggests that the strengthening of South Asian summer monsoons and weakening of East Asian summer monsoons during the early Pliocene were likely driven by the increase of Antarctic ice volume.


The purpose of this research is to design a model of effective development factors of e-government services in Iranian ministries. The present study tried to explore organizational and external factors in Iranian ministries (ministry of labor and social affairs, ministry of youth affairs and sports, ministry of foreign affairs, ministry of petroleum, ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, ministry of energy, ministry of information and communications technology, ministry of interior, and ministry of education) influencing development of egovernment services by a model. The model surveyed 287 individuals including managers and experts of e-government units (departments) in Iranian ministries through interviews and a questionnaire. Research variables and data were analyzed by SPSS, LISREL, and structural equations. Research results indicate that senior management and human resources largely influenced development of e-government services in organizational factors dimension; respecting to external environment factors, and information and communicative dimension, cultural and social contexts, as well as online security level and easy access to the websites of ministries largely influenced development of e-government services, respectively.


Does liquidity risk differ depending on our choice of liquidity proxy? Unlike literature that considers common liquidity variation, we focus on identifying different components of liquidity, statistically and economically, using more than a decade of US transaction data. We identify three main statistical liquidity factors which are utilized in a linear asset pricing framework. We motivate a correspondence of the statistical factors to traditional dimensions of liquidity as well as the notion of order and trade based liquidity measures. We find evidence of multiple liquidity risk premia, but only a subset of the financial liquidity factors are associated with significant risk premia. These are the factors that we relate to the dimensions of immediacy and resilliency, while the depth dimension does not command a risk premium in any of the models. Our results suggests caution when choosing liquidity variables in asset pricing applications, since liquidity premia may be reflected in only some dimensions of liquidity.


Historically, the "Tucson Mountains dinosaur" has been considered an Early Cretaceous iguanodont from a megabreccia block of the Amole Arkose in the Tucson Mountains caldera of southern
Arizona. We demonstrate here that it is instead a large hadrosaur represented by an incomplete left
hindlimb, including an incomplete ilium, proximal and distal femur, a distal tibia, a proximal metatarsal and unidentifiable bone elements. This specimen is diagnostically a hadrosaur because it is very large
and has distal femoral condyles greatly expanded caudally and a very deep intercondylar groove on
the distal femur. In the American West, hadrosaurs are restricted to strata of Late Cretaceous age, and large hadrosaurs typically indicate a Campanian or Maastrichtian age.
The collecting locality of the hadrosaur lies ~550 m NNW of Gates Pass in ground exposing lenticular bodies of intracaldera megabreccia that interfinger complexly with Cat Mountain Tuff, the compound cooling unit of welded ash-flow tuff that forms the fill of the Tucson Mountains caldera. Megabreccia bodies were formed by landslides that slid into the caldera from its walls during eruption, and are blocks of extracaldera rocks encased in partially welded intracaldera tuff. The Cat Mountain Tuff has yielded multiple K-Ar (feldspar) ages of 68-72 Ma, and a single 40Ar/39Ar age (biotite) of 73.1
Ma. Approximately 8 km WNW of the dinosaur locality, the Tuff of Confidence Peak (~73 Ma), which was erupted from the Silver Bell caldera 30 km NW of the Tucson Mountains caldera, is interbedded with upper horizons of the Amole Arkose as exposed just outside the Tucson Mountains caldera. The stratigraphic relationship of the Tuff of Confidence Peak to the Amole Arkose is evidence that the latter includes strata at least as young as Campanian in age, even though older parts of the Amole Arkose are evidently correlative with Lower Cretaceous Bisbee Group. The sandstone matrix of the hadrosaur fossil thus is a block derived from an Upper Cretaceous horizon in the upper Amole Arkose.


Computer scientist and science-fiction writer Vernor Vinge sketched out a seminal modern singularity hypothesis 15 years ago in his essay "The Coming Technological Singularity." Since then lots of other people have taken up the cause, so now you can either anticipate or scoff at many different kinds of singularities. Perhaps the most inclusive variant is the one we label "technotopia," the scenario in which computers reach and exceed human levels of intelligence, essentially resulting in the resolution of all human problems, including illness and limited life span. The "event horizon" idea corresponds most closely to Vinge's original: a confluence of technological changes, most likely including machine intelligence, beyond which we cannot see into the future to predict anything. "Machine intelligence" represents the prediction that computers will achieve human-level intelligence and either consciousness or something indistinguishable from it. "Uploading," which is also part of the technotopian vision, refers to the prediction that individual human brains (and most probably their state of consciousness) will be replicable in computerized form, leading to (among other things) virtual immortality. Kevin Kelly's "phase change" hypothesis likens the singularity to the changes between the solid and liquid or liquid and gaseous states of matter: the world becomes fundamentally different but in ways that may not be immediately perceptible to individuals immersed in it at the time. The "intelligence explosion" hypothesis, initially developed by Turing associate I.J. Goode, postulates that as machines (initially under the direction of humans) design the next generation of machines, eventually superintelligent levels will be reached. The effect is similar to the accelerating rate of technological change anticipated by technotopians, but the path for getting there is different.


Background. Injury surveillance is fundamental to preventing and reducing the risk of injury. Objectives. To determine the incidence of injuries and the injury demographics of elite schoolboy cricketers over five seasons (2007 - 2008, 2008 - 2009, 2009 - 2010, 2010 - 2011 and 2011 - 2012). Methods. Sixteen provincial age group cricket teams (under (U) 15 , U17 and U18) competing in national age-group tournaments were provided a questionnaire to complete. The questionnaires gathered the following information for each injury sustained in the previous 12 months: (i) anatomical site; (ii) month; (iii) cause; (iv) whether it was a recurrence of an injury from a previous season; (v) whether the injury had reoccurred during the current season; and (vi) biographical data. Injuries were grouped according to the anatomical region injured. All players were invited to respond, irrespective of whether an injury had been sustained, resulting in a response rate of 57%. The sample Statistical Analysis System was used to compute univariate statistics and frequency distributions. Results. Of the 2 081 respondents, 572 (27%) sustained a total of 658 injuries. The U15 and U17 groups sustained 239 (36%) and 230 (35%) injuries, respectively, more than the 189 injuries sustained by the U18 group (29%). These injuries were predominantly to the lower limbs (38%), back and trunk (33%) and upper (26%) limbs, with 3% occurring to the head and neck. The injuries occurred primarily during 1-day matches (30%), practices (29%) and with gradual onset (21%). The primary mechanism of injury was bowling (44%) and fielding (22%). The injuries were acute (49%), chronic (41%) and acute-on-chronic (10%), with 26% and 47% being recurrent injuries from the previous and current seasons, respectively. Some similar injury patterns occurred in studies of adult cricketers, with differences in the nature and incidence of injuries found for the various age groups. The youth cricketers sustained more back and trunk injuries, recurrent injuries and more match injuries than the adult cricketers. The U15 group sustained less-serious injuries, which resulted in them not being able to play for between 1 and 7 days (58%), with more injuries occurring in the preseason period (24%) and fewer during the season (60%) compared with other age groups. The U15 and U17 groups sustained the most lumbar muscle strains, while the U18 groups sustained more serious injuries, resulting in them not being able to play for >21 days. Conclusion. Young fast bowlers of all ages remain at the greatest risk of injury. Differences in the nature and incidence of injuries occurred between youth and adult cricketers, as well as in the different age groups. It is recommended that cricket administrators and coaches implement an educational process of injury prevention and management


OBJECTIVES
This in vitro study evaluated the effect of four over-the-counter tooth-whitening products on enamel microhardness.

METHODS
Fifty enamel blocks were prepared from extracted human molar teeth. The enamel surfaces were polished up to 1200 grit fineness and the specimens randomly divided into five groups. Enamel blocks were exposed to: Rapid White (n=10); Absolute White (n=10); Speed White (n=10) and White Glo (n=10) whitening products, according to the manufacturers' instructions. As control, ten enamel blocks were kept in artificial saliva at 37 degrees C without any treatment. Microhardness values were obtained before exposure (baseline) and after 1, 7 and 14-day treatment periods using a digital hardness tester with a Vickers diamond indenter. Data were analysed using Wilcoxon Signed Rank Sum Test, one-way ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer Multiple Comparison Test (p<0.05).

RESULTS
Both Rapid White and Absolute White reduced enamel microhardness. Speed White increased the microhardness of enamel, while White Glo and artificial saliva had no effect on hardness.

CONCLUSIONS
Over-the-counter tooth-whitening products might decrease enamel microhardness depending on the type of product.


It is generally accepted that early childhood education improves the cognitive performance of children in poverty in the short-term, but whether cognitive effects persist in the long-term is hotly debated. This paper presents the results of a critical review of 38 studies of the long-term effects of early childhood programs on children in poverty. Outcomes examined include IQ, achievement, and academic success as measured by grade repetition, special education placement, and high school graduation. Early childhood education is found to produce persistent effects on achievement and academic success, but not on IQ (with some exceptions). Head Start and public school programs produce the same types of effects as better funded model programs, but at least some of the effects are smaller. Cost-benefit analysis based on one randomized trial finds that the economic return from providing early education to children in poverty far exceeds the costs. Head Start, public school preschool education, and education in high-quality child care programs all offer avenues for government investment to improve the long-term cognitive development and academic success of children in poverty.


Objectives To compare stratified event rates from randomized controlled trials with predicted event rates from models developed in observational data, and assess their ability to accurately capture observed rates of thromboembolism and major bleeding for patients treated with dabigatran or warfarin as part of routine care. Design New initiator cohort study. Setting Data from United Health (October 2009 to June 2013), a commercial healthcare claims database in the United States. Participants 21 934 adults with atrial fibrillation initiating dabigatran (150 mg dose only) or warfarin treatment as part of routine care. Main outcome measures Predicted annual rates of thromboembolism or major bleeding, based on estimates from randomized controlled trials, models developed in routine care patients, and baseline risk scores (CHADS2, CHA2DS2-VASc, and HAS-BLED). Thromboembolism was a composite outcome, including primary inpatient diagnosis codes for ischemic or ill defined stroke, transient ischemic attack, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, and systemic embolism. Major bleeding was a composite outcome including codes occurring in an inpatient setting for hemorrhagic stroke; major upper, lower, or unspecified gastrointestinal bleed; and major urogenital or other bleed. Results 6516 (30%) and 15 418 (70%) of patients initiated dabigatran and warfarin, respectively. Annual event rates per 100 patients were 1.7 for thromboembolism and 4.6 for major bleeding. For thromboembolism, calibration of estimates from randomized controlled trials was similar to calibration for model based predictions; however, trial estimates for major bleeding consistently underestimated the rate of bleeding among patients in routine care. Underestimation of bleeding rates was particularly pronounced in warfarin initiators with high HAS-BLED scores, where event rates were underestimated by up to 4.0 per 100 patient years. Harrell's c indices for discrimination for thromboembolism or major bleeding in dabigatran and warfarin initiators ranged between 0.59 and 0.66 for randomized controlled trial predictions, and between 0.52 and 0.70 for cross validated model based predictions. Conclusion Estimated rates of thromboembolism under dabigatran or warfarin treatment in randomized controlled trials were close to observed rates in routine care patients. However, rates of major bleeding were underestimated. Models developed in routine care patients can provide accurate, tailored estimates of risk and benefit under alternative treatment to enhance patient centered care.


The objective of the study was to assess perceptions of rural household heads with regard to various aspects of water access and climate change, and to evaluate whether there were significant differences in perceptions of respondents from female-headed and male-headed households. The study is based on a cross-sectional survey of 300 respondents conducted in the Seke and Murewa districts of Zimbabwe in 2011. The analysis included mainly descriptive statistics. The majority of both female-headed and male-headed households relied on rainfall for their crops, rivers were cited as the main water source for their livestock and protected wells supplied water for household use. Households experienced water shortages, which were attributed mainly to reduced rainfall. The general perception was that there would be less water available in future, with a greater proportion of female-headed than male-headed households perceiving such difficulties. However, very few respondents indicated that they would consider emigrating, although female-headed households were more likely to consider emigrating than male-headed households. A considerable number of respondents indicated that they did not have any means to overcome the water shortages. This highlights the need for interventions such as training and empowerment of individuals with regard to sustainable water use and management.


Fluid inclusions (FI) trapped in minerals represent the most direct evidence of the fluid phase attending a large variety of geological phenomena. Therefore, their investigation finds increasing application in many facets of the Earth sciences, and most notably in the study and exploration of mineral deposits. FI have provided critical data for understanding the genesis of many diverse types of ore deposits. Prominent examples include porphyry systems, MVT deposits, quartz-Au veins in metamorphic terrains, and precious metal epithermal deposits. The potential impact of FI data is greatest if 1) it is possible to exactly correlate the time of inclusion trapping with the paragenetic sequence of minerals in the deposit ; 2) the composition of the fluid and its relevant thermodynamic properties are known ; and 3) FI data are combined with other geochemical information such as isotope studies and mineral chemistry. A large amount of relevant information can be obtained from FI using relatively simple microthermometric techniques. These data are being supplemented increasingly by more complex analyses of inclusion compositions. In addition of providing the basis for the construction of quantitative genetic models, which may provide important insights for exploration, FI have proven valuable as direct prospecting tools where an empirical correlation can be established between a FI property and the occurrence of mineralized bodies. Future developments in FI research may entail : 1) improvements in analytical techniques ; 2) better understanding of trapping mechanisms and post-trapping modifications ; and 3) enlargement of the thermodynamic data base for systems representative of trapped fluids. Especially in the latter two cases, significant progress is expected from studies of synthetic inclusions


Recently, we have theoretically demonstrated that optically injected microdisk lasers can be tuned in a class I excitable regime, where they are sensitive to both inhibitory and excitatory external input pulses. In this paper, we propose, using simulations, a topology that allows the disks to react on excitations from other disks. Phase tuning of the intermediate connections allows to control the disk response. Additionally, we investigate the sensitivity of the disk circuit to deviations in driving current and locking signal wavelength detuning. Using state-of-the-art fabrication techniques for microdisk laser, the standard deviation of the lasing wavelength is still about one order of magnitude too large. Therefore, compensation techniques, such as wavelength tuning by heating, are necessary.


The growth-optimal portfolio is designed to have maximum expected log return over the next rebalancing period. Thus, it can be computed with relative ease by solving a static optimization problem. The growth-optimal portfolio has sparked fascination among finance professionals and researchers because it can be shown to outperform any other portfolio with probability 1 in the long run. In the short run, however, it is notoriously volatile. Moreover, its computation requires precise knowledge of the asset return distribution, which is not directly observable but must be inferred from sparse data. By using methods from distributionally robust optimization, we design fixed-mix strategies that offer similar performance guarantees as the growth-optimal portfolio but for a finite investment horizon and for a whole family of distributions that share the same first- and second-order moments. We demonstrate that the resulting robust growth-optimal portfolios can be computed efficiently by solving a tractable conic program whose size is independent of the length of the investment horizon. Simulated and empirical backtests show that the robust growth-optimal portfolios are competitive with the classical growth-optimal portfolio across most realistic investment horizons and for an overwhelming majority of contaminated return distributions. This paper was accepted by Yinyu Ye, optimization .


Strombus canarium Linnaeus, 1758, locally known as "siput gonggong" is a prosobranch gastropod from the family Strombidae that was highly associated with seagrass bed ecosystem. The main objectives of this study were to investigate and document the life history characteristics, biology, and ecology of the species, which are currently not well established.
This study has been conducted at Merambong Shoal, Johor Straits, Malaysia. Sample collections were conducted using a belt transect method where all individuals within the transect area were collected. The population dynamic was analyzed using both the Electronic Length Frequency Analysis (ELEFAN) and Length-based Fish Stock Assessment (LFSA) approaches, incorporated in the FiSAT software package. Apart from field observation, field experimentation and laboratory analyses, laboratory culture experiment (from egg mass to juvenile) was also conducted, using a standard larval culture protocol. Strombus canarium produced a long gelatinous tube of egg strand in the form of an egg mass. It took between 4.5 to 5.5 days of incubation before hatching, and the planktotrophic larvae spent between 18 to 24 days in the planktonic stage before metamorphosed. Metamorphic cue associated with bio-active materials from sediment taken from its nursery habitat showed the strongest effects compared to sediment conditioned seawater, seagrass detritus, seagrass detritus leachate, Potassium Chloride (KCL) and -aminobutyric acid (GABA). Changes of behavioral patterns related to metamorphosis were described, which can be divided into 3 phases: initiation, actual metamorphosis, and completion, resulted in completely camouflaged juveniles. In their natural habitat, juveniles can be found at specific localities (nurseries), characterized by low to medium density Halophila bed; high sediment organic content; high sorting coefficient, and low mean grain size. The adult population was widely distributed, but present in local colonies, and was highly seasonal in abundance. Based on the gonadosomatic index (GSI), combined with other biological, ecological and behavioral observations, it could be concluded that the species was highly seasonal in reproduction, which starts from November to late March. The population showed sexual polymorphisms where 3 different sexual morphs present i.e., males, normal females, and imposex females. Imposex was characterized by superimposition of male sexual characters on female. The imposex females showed significantly larger and heavier shell, and higher degree of outer-lip flaring compared to males and normal females. Imposex severity was defined as Stage 0 without the male genital system; Stage 1 with the appearance of rudimentary penis, but without penis duct; Stage 2 with simple prong of penis and penis duct, but without accessory; and Stage 3 with male penis complete with accessories. Development of other male characters as outlined in the general scheme of imposex evolution in prosobranchs was never observed. The percentage incidence of imposex (%I) was lower compared to other gastropod within the study areas, and there was no case of female sterility observed.
In population dynamic studies, a total of 766 males and 1322 females have been sampled from January to December 2005. Growth parameter estimation using both the ELEFAN-I and LFSA methods showed higher asymptotic length (L∞) value in females compared to the males, but there was no significant difference in growth constant (K) and age at zero-length (to) of both sexes. The mean growth rate during the first year growth was estimated at 2.66 ± 0.16 mm/month for male and 4.59 ± 0.59 mm/month for female, which was comparable with the actual growth recorded using mark-recapture technique. The growth performance index (φ") was slightly lower in male (φ"=3.48) compared to the female (φ"=3.81), but both was well within the values reported for other marine gastropods. Recruitment patterns, together with observations on spawning and copulation suggest that the species was highly synchronized (seasonal) in reproduction. The production and biomass was also seasonal, significantly higher during the wet monsoon season compared to the dry season. In conclusions, many aspects of life history, biology, and ecology of S. canarium had been established. However more studies are urgently needed for better understanding and better management of the species, and for advancement of the species into mariculture.