Our reliance on networked, collectively built information is a vulnerability when the quality or reliability of this information is poor. Wikipedia, one such collectively built information source, is often our first stop for information on all kinds of topics; its quality has stood up to many tests, and it prides itself on having a "neutral point of view." Enforcement of neutrality is in the hands of comparatively few, powerful administrators. In this article, we document that a surprisingly large number of editors change their behavior and begin focusing more on a particular controversial topic once they are promoted to administrator status. The conscious and unconscious biases of these few, but powerful, administrators may be shaping the information on many of the most sensitive topics on Wikipedia; some may even be explicitly infiltrating the ranks of administrators in order to promote their own points of view. In addition, we ask whether administrators who change their behavior in this suspicious manner can be identified in advance. Neither prior history nor vote counts during an administrator's election are useful in doing so, but we find that an alternative measure, which gives more weight to influential voters, can successfully reject these suspicious candidates. This second result has important implications for how we harness collective intelligence: even if wisdom exists in a collective opinion (like a vote), that signal can be lost unless we carefully distinguish the true expert voter from the noisy or manipulative voter.


ABSTRACT We evaluated the relationship between geological parameters and the flow behaviour of channelized reservoirs with the aid of an experimental design approach. The geological parameters included geometrical properties, such as channel dimensions and sinuosity, petrophysical parameters, such as permeability and net-to-gross ratio, and a derived property: connectivity. The reservoir flow behaviour was characterized with various metrics based on simulated production data generated with the aid of reservoir flow simulations. In the first part of our study, we found a weak correlation between the geometrical parameters and the reservoir flow behaviour, whereas we found a strong correlation between connectivity and the flow behaviour. In the second part we demonstrate how to use the strong correlation between connectivity and flow behaviour to make a selection of models with similar production response from a large ensemble of reservoir model realizations.


The global trauma care centers market size was valued at USD 18.1 billion in 2019 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.9% over the forecast period. The growing number of traumatic injury-related emergency department (ED) visits along with increasing in-house admissions for patients with injuries majorly caused by falls, traffic-related injuries or traumatic car crash injuries, and wounds caused by gunshot or stab is one of the key factors propelling market growth. Among all the trauma cases, injuries caused by falls in 2018 reported to be the most frequent cause for both ED visits and critical inpatient stays accounting for approximately 35.7 percent and 42.8 percent of overall critical ED visits and in-house stays, respectively, in the U.S. Also, the majority of trauma-related ED visits and inpatient stays were reported to be the injuries caused by road accidents, wounds, cuts, burns, suffocation, and drowning. Approximately two-thirds of the trauma-related deaths caused due to falls and traffic accidents occur in the Southeast Asian countries. The growth is mainly attributed to the increasing ED visits for fall-related extremity injuries along with the growing need for in-house admissions requiring long-term patient care and post-trauma rehabilitation services. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, the number of emergency department visits in the U.S. were reported at 136.3 million in 2016, of which approximately 40.2 million visits were injury-related ED visits which increased to 45.8 million in 2018. This factor is expected to drive the market over the forecast period. As per WHO in 2018, the growing incidence of injuries resulting from falls and increase in mortality rate with an estimated 646,000 fall-related annual deaths with more than 80.0% deaths registered in low and middle-income countries is increasing the demand for specialized care for critical victims. Moreover, over the past ten years, there has been an increase in the incidence of accident-related deaths. An increase in ED visits by patients with accident-related injury has been registered. As per the 2019 WHO report, approximately 1.4 million deaths are registered each year caused by road traffic crashes/ traumatic car crash injuries. The WHO has further reported that about 93.0% of the global road fatalities occur in low- and middle-income countries accounting for about 60.0% of the world's vehicles. The estimated average cost of in-patient care offered to a patient at trauma centers in the U.S. valued at approximately USD5, 590 in 2018. Furthermore, the introduction of acute in-patient rehab facilities in acute care hospitals or standalone trauma centers to address patients with specialized medical and rehabilitative needs are expected to drive market growth in the forecast years. With increasing survival rate for severe traumatic injuries, it has become essential that rehabilitative services should be offered by the acute hospital care systems so that critical patients in need can benefit from their expert rehabilitation physicians. Trauma Type Insights In 2019, the falls segment held the largest market share of 42.9%. Whereas, burn injury followed by stab/wound/cut is expected to be the fastest-growing segment over the forecast period. In the Americas, trauma-related injuries in 2018 accounted for approximately one-third of all ED visits, and about 8.0% of overall in-house stays in the critical care centers. As per a research published by the CDC, a 25.0% reduction in the severe injuryrelated deaths has been registered among patients receiving care at trauma centers. Fall-related injuries are witnessed to be the most common cause of trauma accounting for approximately 45.0% of the overall trauma emergency department (ED) visits. Regional Insights In 2019, North America accounted for the highest revenue share of 56.1% in the market. The presence of standalone trauma centers and well-established acute care hospitals and favorable reimbursement policies in the U.S. covering approximately 70.0% of the treatment cost under Medicare and Medicaid are some of the key factors contributing to the market growth in the region. In addition, the high adoption of personalized trauma care by injured patients and premium quality patient care offered by regional standalone


Interpenetrating polymeric networks based on sodium alginate and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) covalently crosslinked with N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide have been investigated using rheology, thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An improved elastic response of the samples with a higher PNIPAAm content and increased amount of crosslinking agent was found. The temperature-responsive behaviour of the hydrogel samples was evidenced by viscoelastic measurements performed at various temperatures. It is shown that the properties of these gels can be tuned according to composition, amount of crosslinking agent and temperature changes. X-ray scattering analysis revealed that the hydrophobic groups are locally segregated even in the swollen state whilst cryo-SEM showed the highly heterogeneous nature of the gels. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry


Liver microsomes are used extensively in human pharmaceutical development to study the metabolism of co mpounds of interest; however, they are rarely part of the development of toxicants for the control of wildlife. Liver microsome samples from wildlife of interest would likely be harvested in the field without access to laboratory perfusion equipment. Therefore, the metabolic activity of microsomes from perfused and non*perfused livers was compared. There was no significant difference in diphacinone metabolism by liver microsomes from both perfused and non*perfused Wistar rat livers, although chlorophacinone metabolism was significantly different. There are often significant differences in metabolism between species that can be utilized to increase toxicant specificity. In this study bobwhite quail liver microsomes metabolized more diphacinone and chlorophacinone than both Wistar and brown rats. This information can be used during toxicant development to help determine the most sensitive species to toxicants of interest. Additionally, the effect of incubation time on toxicant metabolism was examined to determine optimal experimental conditions. The data from these experiments support the use of liver microsomes as a tool to be used during toxicant development to provide information that can be incorporated into whole animal studies.


This paper investigates the macroeconomic effects of job creation schemes and vocational training on the matching processes in West Germany. The empirical analysis is based on regional data for local employment office districts for the period from 1999 to 2003. The empirical model relies on a dynamic version of a matching function augmented by ALMP. In order to obtain consistent estimates in the presence of a dynamic panel data model, a firstdifferences GMM estimator and a transformed maximum likelihood estimator are applied. Furthermore the paper considers the endogeneity problem of the policy measures. The results obtained from our estimates indicate that vocational training does not significantly affect the matching process and that job creation schemes have a negative effect.


Background Many countries have set targets for suicide reduction, and suggested that mental health care providers and general practitioners have a key role to play. Method A systematic review of the literature. Results Among those in the general population who commit suicide, up to 41% may have contact with psychiatric inpatient care in the year prior to death and up to 9% may commit suicide within one day of discharge. The corresponding figures are 11 and 4% for community-based psychiatric care and 83 and 20% for general practitioners. Conclusions Among those who die by suicide, contact with health services is common before death. This is a necessary but not sufficient condition for clinicians to intervene. More work is needed to determine whether these people show characteristic patterns of care and/or particular risk factors which would enable a targeted approach to be developed to assist clinicians in detecting and managing high-risk patients.


We present the type rules for a dependently typed core calculus together with a straight-forward implementation in Haskell. We explicitly highlight the changes necessary to shift from a simply-typed lambda calculus to the dependently typed lambda calculus. We also describe how to extend our core language with data types and write several small example programs. The article is accompanied by an executable interpreter and example code that allows immediate experimentation with the system we describe.


Motivated by a real-life situation, we put forward a model and then derive an optimal strategy that maximizes the expected real-estate selling price when one of the only two remaining buyers has already made an offer but the other one has yet to make an offer. Since the seller is not sure whether the other buyer would make a lower or higher offer, and given no recall, the seller needs a strategy to decide whether to accept or reject the first-come offer. The herein derived optimal seller's strategy, which maximizes the expected selling price, is illustrated under several scenarios, such as independent and dependent offers by the two buyers, and for several parametric price distributions.


The project is a group exhibition in Detroit Michigan curated by Cedric Tai, spread over 2 venues. Over Over Over will serve as the first public outcome within an ongoing dialogue between Glasgow and Detroit about how artists can negotiate and sustain a practice within cities that have historically experienced comparative levels of social and economic upheaval.

"Artist-Curator Cedric Tai invited five Glasgow-based artists, Tessa Lynch, Francis McKee, John Nicol, Rosie O'Grady, and Ross Sinclair, to Detroit for an exhibition that investigates what it means to be an artist, creating and sustaining their practices in these cities.

This project is rooted in Tai's introduction to the artistic community of Glasgow, which he saw as having similarities to Detroit's developing art scene. Glasgow could serve as an ideal model for artists to re-imagine Detroit's potential. He worked to learn as much as possible by attending meetings of grassroots organizations (such as GalGael), being a part of the AHRC funded project "The Glasgow Miracle: Materials for Alternative Histories" and leading walking tours through the city of Glasgow. Through these actions he met the five artists in this exhibition, as co-workers, peers and collaborators.

Lynch, McKee, Nicol, O'Grady and Sinclair have been invited to exhibit their work as each artist makes uncompromising work, never allowing their art to become too serious, a quality within that cultivates curiosity and critical thinking. Their process of examining the role of artists, identity, and place is steeped in abundant research. These ideas are manifested into playful works that critique voyeurism, tourism or corporatism. Where it has become an occupational hazard to become stifled by the mediated identity of a city, this project brings together people who do exceptionally well defining success on their own terms."

Through the new work made for this project I wanted to interrogate the multiple identities and group dynamic of the artists selected for this 'group show' to explore the sense of productive camaraderie and 'one-ness' set against the exploration of the socio-cultural-economic tension of the perceived values of the art scenes in Glasgow vs. Detroit. Furthermore I wanted to explore paradigms of dissemination testing whether low cultural forms like pop songs and apparently anachronistic media like vinyl records/packaging can seek and find new audiences for engagement and a continued life for the art object, and exhibition, in dynamic and unusual ways.

As individual artists we have all worked within and alongside many of the key institutions and artist led spaces that make up Glasgow's artistic community and this diversity of experience and acquired knowledge will bring a wide range of perspectives to Detroit.

One of the primary objectives for the project is to create a discourse around the specific working conditions of artists in Glasgow and Detroit, how these differ or resonate and what can be learned from each other, through the dialogues explored through the exhibition(s). It is my aim that the exhibition will act as a catalyst to excite and encourage a discussion that began while Cedric Tai, the curator was studying in Scotland and to engage the artists and audiences between the two places to contribute to what they believe makes it possible to sustain and develop a thriving artistic community. Then to bring this experience back to the UK for further potential discussion and articulation. The curator has recently receive a Knight Foundation award for the project. I successfully applied for an RDF award to make a publication for this project that I continue to develop.


Self-cleaning methods currently employed are based on understanding of the functions, structures, and principles of various objects found in living nature. Three types of surfaces, including superhydrophobic, superoleophobic, and superhydrophilic, offer solutions to keep a surface clean. In this review article, an overview of self-cleaning surfaces inspired by nine biological objects is provided: lotus leaves, rice leaves, cicada wings, butterfly wings, snail shell, fish scale, shark skin, pitcher plant, and photosynthesis. These surfaces exhibit special properties such as low adhesion, low drag, anisotropic wetting, anti-reflection, directional adhesion, anti-fouling, photocatalysis, self-sterilizing, and anti-fogging. We discuss the differences between the superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces and perspectives for self-cleaning surfaces in the future.


A set of p-valued logic gates (primitives) is called universal if an arbitrary p-valued logic function can be realized by a logic circuit built up from a finite number of gates belonging to this set. In this paper, we consider the problem of determining the number of universal single-gate libraries of p-valued reversible logic gates with two inputs and two outputs, under the assumption that constant signals can be applied to an arbitrary number of inputs. We have proved some properties of such gates and established that over 97% of ternary gates are universal.


Current methods for characterizing extrachromosomal nuclear DNA in mammalian cells do not permit single-cell analysis, are often semi-quantitative and frequently biased toward the detection of circular species. To overcome these limitations, we developed Halo-FISH to visualize and quantitatively analyze extrachromosomal DNA in single cells. We demonstrate Halo-FISH by using it to analyze extrachromosomal telomere-repeat (ECTR) in human cells that use the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathway(s) to maintain telomere lengths. We find that GM847 and VA13 ALT cells average ∼80 detectable G/C-strand ECTR DNA molecules/nucleus, while U2OS ALT cells average ∼18 molecules/nucleus. In comparison, human primary and telomerase-positive cells contain <5 ECTR DNA molecules/nucleus. ECTR DNA in ALT cells exhibit striking cell-to-cell variations in number (<20 to >300), range widely in length (<1 to >200 kb) and are composed of primarily G- or C-strand telomere-repeat DNA. Halo-FISH enables, for the first time, the simultaneous analysis of ECTR DNA and chromosomal telomeres in a single cell. We find that ECTR DNA comprises ∼15% of telomere-repeat DNA in GM847 and VA13 cells, but <4% in U2OS cells. In addition to its use in ALT cell analysis, Halo-FISH can facilitate the study of a wide variety of extrachromosomal DNA in mammalian cells.


Summary
Bird bills have been the subject of classic evolutionary studies that demonstrate how morphological adaptations are driven by foraging ecology. As significant areas of heat loss, bills are also under selection with respect to thermoregulation, yet the ecological consequences of this function have been largely ignored until recently.
Given the role of bills in thermoregulation is important, we predict that birds should behave to minimise heat loss through their bills at lower ambient temperatures by attempting to insulate their bill in their plumage.
Our second prediction is that this thermoregulatory behaviour should be utilised more by species with relatively larger bills, because they will be more prone to heat loss.
We demonstrate both these predictions to be correct using field observations and a comparative analysis of nine shorebird species. First, the placement of the bill within the back plumage while roosting ('back rest' behaviour), which insulates the bill, becomes more frequent at cooler temperatures. Second, species with large bills relative to their body size do indeed use back rest behaviour more frequently across a range of temperatures.
Our findings show that behavioural thermoregulation can be mediated by bill size, and that bill morphology is not only relevant to foraging ecology but also influences behavioural adaptations to climate.

A lay summary is available for this article.


In 2015, Fairmont Raffles Hotels International implemented a system-wide revenue management program in its restaurants. Starting with an analysis of baseline data, Fairmont applied a five-step revenue management process to highlight potential revenue-enhancement opportunities. Restaurant managers and employees were invited to suggest tactics and strategies drawn from three categories: (1) all-purpose strategies, (2) strategies to use when a restaurant is busy (hot), and (3) strategies to use when a restaurant is not busy (cold). Appropriately chosen strategies were simple to implement in most cases, and guests often were pleased with the operational and menu changes. Within a year of implementation, Fairmont restaurants that implemented revenue management had generated five times more revenue growth than those not applying the program.


The study focuses on emotional intelligence and preferred negotiating styles of managers at work. There were 162 respondents (22 to 60 years old, MD=36.38) from a Russian food manufacturing company approached to study their negotiating experience with clients, customers, vendors, etc. The following methods were used: the Emotional Intelligence ("EQ") Test, the Emotional Intelligence ("EmIn") Test, negotiating style determination procedure, "Your Business Communication Style" test, the Conflict Mode Instrument, and authors' questionnaire. Data was processed with Pearson's r correlation and regression coefficient and factor analysis (main component analysis). Results of the study revealed a significant correlation between emotional intelligence and the preferred negotiating styles. As a result, it was concluded that people-oriented interaction style correlates with developed interpersonal emotional intelligence; their relationship is indirect with other variables in between. Regression analysis revealed a relationship between emotional intelligence and process orientation in negotiations. This study was the first one to theoretically develop and empirically test the possibility of studying a relationship between the levels of emotional intellect and preferred negotiating styles.


In regions, which suffer from water shortage or potential water shortage like the Middle East, water policies and different mitigation measures are formulated. With the increasing population and increasing demand for food and drinking water with the fixed supply of water, the demand management policies have been introduced. Virtual Water has been adopted as an alternative or potential alternative water resource. In the application of the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), virtual water has to be considered as a resource of water. In this paper, the practical value of the virtual water concept as well as the possibility of the application of the concept in the regional and national level are discussed. The paper emphasizes on the application of virtual water in agriculture products and virtual water trade of these products. This research concluded that, there is a possibility for the application of the virtual water concept on the national level taking into account water endowments, and other natural and social economic conditions. The virtual water strategy seeks ways to consciously and efficiently utilize the internal and external water resources to alleviate water scarcity. This, however, by no means implies that importing food is the only response the water scarce countries and regions should and can take. Other measures concerning the supply and demand sides of water management are imperative. The argument here is that the virtual water strategy should be an integral component in the whole package of integrated water resources management.


It has been "a matter of considerable dispute" whether partnership legislation should treat a general partnership as an entity. The dispute is about whether to draft the legislation on the "entity" theory (the partnership is a separate legal entity) or on an "aggregate" theory (the partnership is an association — but not a legal entity — of persons carrying on a business as co-owners). Scotland and civil law jurisdictions (including Louisiana) have long recognized the partnership as an entity. Until the late 19th century, however, partnership law in common-law jurisdictions was judge- made law, and most judges treated partnership issues on the aggregate theory. Only when these common law jurisdictions seriously considered codifying partnership rules and principles did debate about the nature of a partnership become contentious. In England there was far less debate than in the United States. This essay considers the history of the dispute in both jurisdictions.


Over the past twenty years, the network has come to dominate the art world, affecting not just interaction among art professionals but the very makeup of the art object itself. The hierarchical and restrictive structure of the museum has been replaced by temporary projects scattered across the globe, staffed by free agents hired on short-term contracts, viewed by spectators defined by their predisposition to participate and make connections. In this book, Lane Relyea tries to make sense of these changes, describing a general organizational shift in the art world that affects not only material infrastructures but also conceptual categories and the construction of meaning. Examining art practice, exhibition strategies, art criticism, and graduate education, Relyea aligns the transformation of the art world with the advent of globalization and the neoliberal economy. He analyzes the new networked, participatory art world -- hailed by some as inherently democratic -- in terms of the pressures of part-time temp work in a service economy, the calculated stockpiling of business contacts, and the anxious duty of being a "team player" at work. Relyea calls attention to certain networked forms of art -- including relational aesthetics, multiple or fictive artist identities, and bricolaged objects -- that can be seen to oppose the values of neoliberalism rather than romanticizing and idealizing them. Relyea offers a powerful answer to the claim that the interlocking functions of the network -- each act of communicating, of connecting, or practice -- are without political content.


Bernard Lown: Houghton Mifflin, £15.99 ISBN 0 395 82525 3

Many, especially older, clinicians believe that medical practice has lost its way. Gone are the caring physicians who could take a thorough history and carry out a competent physical examination, or so the argument goes, and they have been replaced by super-specialised technicians who process their patients by means of laboratory tests and complex, high technology diagnostic machinery. Through a combination of the need for haste, engendered by the increasing commercialisation of medical care, and fear of litigation, patients are exposed to innumerable unnecessary investigations; clinical wisdom, kindness, and pastoral care are at a premium. In short, healing is a lost art.

This pessimistic view may have influenced the General Medical Council's recent pronouncements on the future of medical education in Britain. Similar thinking in the United States is reflected in this book by Bernard Lown, the distinguished Boston cardiologist and acceptor of the 1985 Nobel Peace …


In this paper, we explore the bio sensory headset EMOTIV EPOC+ in the context of brain computer interfaces which record the brain signals and convert them into keystrokes. Reinforced by programming language constructs, these signals were able to trigger the movements of the finch robot and switch lightbulb objects. The observation and analysis of our case studies using human subjects using these brain computer interfaces shows two problems, subject's frustration and the time-consuming of learning to train the device. More experiments should be conducted in the future on different types of devices to explore the match between the brain signals and the actual actions. Also, investigate the experience of the users in learning to design and develop the brain computer interfaces.


The aim of this study was to provide a clearer understanding of the process and context of sex trafficking from Nepal using data from trafficked women themselves. It develops a conceptual framework of the trafficking process and uses this to identify detailed strategies for reducing the risk of trafficking. Quantitative data were analyzed from case records of 202 sex-trafficked women at rehabilitation centers in Nepal. In-depth interviews with 42 sex trafficked women, mostly residing at rehabilitation centers in Kathmandu, provide contextual information on the process and circumstances of sex trafficking. The results of this study provide a clearer understanding of the stages of movement through the sex trafficking process; in particular that sex trafficking does not always begin at the village level, it may also occur after voluntary migration or after trafficking to urban areas for other purposes (i.e., labor exploitation). Interventions therefore need to target each stage of movement through sex trafficking. Respondents were most commonly sex trafficked by familiar persons, including relatives; and force and abduction are less common. Women exited from sex trafficking through rescue, escape or release. One of the outcomes of sex trafficking is a return to sex work upon return to Nepal.


Male mating preferences are often a neglected aspect of studies on sexual selection. Male mating preferences may evolve if they provide males with direct-fitness benefits such as increased opportunity to fertilize more eggs or indirect-fitness benefits such as enhanced offspring survival. We tested these ideas using Jamaican field crickets, Gryllus assimilis, previously shown to exhibit male mating preferences. We randomly mated males to either their preferred or non-preferred potential mates and then asked whether mating treatment influenced egg oviposition or offspring viability. Preferred females were not significantly more fecund and did not produce more viable eggs or offspring than non-preferred females. Male mate preferences were therefore inconsistent with both the direct- and indirect-fitness benefits hypotheses under the conditions of our experiment. Our null results leave us with an open question about what is driving the evolution of mating preferences in male crickets. Future research should explore the whether the offspring of preferred females are more attractive, have stronger immune systems, and/or experience higher adult longevity.


In the 1990's, successful targeting of a particle to a biochemical epitope was a considered a quest for the "holy grail" by many scientists, but today such agents are in or poised to enter clinical trials. In some respect simply achieving an IND and beginning phase I clinical trials has been the primary goal, but as is always the case, such milestones fall quickly only to be replaced by new, more ambitious targets. Beyond the significant issues of probe safety and bioelimination, the clinical validation of nanomedicine agents presents challenges that must be assessed in both animals and patients. One fundamental issue, ignored by many labs, is proof that the nanoparticle construct with its homing ligands, imaging moieties, and possible drug cargo remain intact in circulatory transit to the target. Many agents, stable in vitro, rapidly disintegrate in vivo. Phase I safety studies must include pharmacokinetic studies in which the clearance rate of each key component is tracked over time to demonstrate parallel clearance profiles. While some elements of the particle may be easy to follow in whole blood, the bioanalytical challenges become substantial for low‐level components, such as the homing ligands, which may be present only at pico‐molar concentration in blood. The issue of appropriate targeting to the tissue of interest is a prime concern. Prior to clinical trials, extensive characterization of homing ligand binding affinity and specificity must be performed in both buffer and blood matrices to assess interactions with blood constituents. However, even low affinity binding measured in vitro can markedly impair targeting in vivo when the relative concentration of the interfering substance is in millimolar concentrations and the tissue biomarker expression is at a nano‐ or pico‐molar level. While fouling of the homing mechanism can sometimes be overcome by increased dosage, the potential for redirection to off‐target sites must be evaluated as a potential for false positive readings. The time dependent accumulation of probes at the target tissue in conjunction with diminishing blood levels represents a key element in the validation of any probe, and in this regard, noninvasive imaging can play a substantial role. The pharmacokinetics of nanoparticles is different from traditional small molecule probes, and new compartmental modeling tools designed for nanotechnology and based on imaging, e.g., NanoPK, may serve an important role in the validation of targeting. Additionally, the removal of target tissue may be required to corroborate homing efficacy of nanoparticles and this issue may greatly influence the early indications selected for development in order to facilitate tissue accessibility for pathological correlation. A significant challenge for molecular imaging is the reproducible quantification of targeted signal. Although detection of a target versus normal control has often been considered adequate in preclinical animal model publications, the viability of molecular imaging as a clinical management tool will be dependent on interrogating a quantifiable signal and correlating it with a pathological status, minimally to establish categories of mild moderate or severe disease. Whether after treatment or expectant observation, molecular imaging must enable a patient to be restudied and the biochemical change measured accurately for comparison with prior results. The ability to achieve reproducible, quantitative molecular imaging will be an important milestone that requires improved control of the variability inherent in imaging techniques today. Ultimately, validated agents administered under controlled protocols will produce quantifiable personalized characterizations of cancer. These new data will lead to the development of clinical guidelines reflecting an evidence based medicine approach to nanomedicine. Although very challenging, the greatest contribution of nanomedicine will come from the early diagnosis and treatment of disease, likely suggested by future advanced genomic based screening tools employed in physician offices or even at home. For reliable clinical management of these nascent pathologies in asymptomatic patients, molecular imaging must become a robust technology with functional evidence based guidelines for use. Questions: 1. Clinical validation of nanoparticles is multifaceted and starts with validated chemistry. • True 2. The retained integrity of nanoparticle constructs in circulation can be demonstrated by following the parallel pharmacokinetics of the different components. • True 3. Robust quantification of imaging and reproducibility over time will be needed for noninvasive management of nascent cancer therapy. • True


The difference in shape and in function of the postorbital bar in horse and giraffe has been pointed out by Marinelli (1933, pp. 201-222). In Giraffa the molar row extends to below the orbit. The pressure exercised on the molars by the musculus temporalis is diverted principally along the postorbital bar, and to a lesser extent along the zygomatic arch. In Equus, however, the molar row ends in front of the orbit. Therefore, the pressure exercised on the molars cannot be diverted along the postorbital bar. In the horse it is the function of this bar to divert the pressure exercised by the lower jaw in its articulation with the skull. This pressure reaches the postorbital bar by way of the zygomatic arch. In the Selenodontia (Ruminantia) the development of horns and antlers also has its influence on the postorbital bar (Marinelli, 1933, p. 205). In those animals which use their horns and antlers in fighting, the bar may serve to protect the eye. However this may be, these influences have no bearing on the relation between upper jaw and postorbital bar. Therefore, horse and giraffe may be considered as pronounced types having a postorbital bar which diverts the pressure of articulation and jaw pressure respectively. Thus in Giraffa the position of the molar row with regard to the orbit has an influence on the postorbital bar. Marinelli (1933, p. 206) states that in Giraffa the molar row extends to about half-way below the orbit. In Okapia and in fossil giraffes, e.g., Helladotherium, the molar row reaches even to below the posterior margin of the orbit, and in connexion therewith a well developed postorbital bar is present. A clear example of the influence of the position of the maxillary tooth row


Abstract. We investigate how the intensity and spatial distribution of precipitation
vary around Lake Malawi on a diurnal timescale, which can be valuable
information for water resource management in tropical south-eastern African
nations. Using a state-of-the-art satellite product and regional atmospheric
model, the well-defined diurnal cycle is detected around Lake Malawi with
harmonic and principle component analyses: the precipitation is intense
during midnight to morning over Lake Malawi and the precipitation peaks in
the daytime over the surrounding area. This diurnal cycle in the
precipitation around the lake is associated with the lake–land breeze
circulation. Comparisons between the benchmark simulation and an idealized
simulation in which Lake Malawi is removed reveal that the diurnal
variations in precipitation are substantially amplified by the presence of
Lake Malawi. This is most evident over the lake and surrounding coastal
regions. Lake Malawi also enhances the lake–land breeze circulation; the
nocturnal lakeward land breeze generates surface convergence effectively and
precipitation intensifies over the lake. Conversely, the daytime landward
lake breeze generates the intense divergence over the lake and precipitation
is strongly depressed over the lake. The lake–land breeze and the background
vapour enriched by Lake Malawi drive primarily a diurnal variation in the
surface moisture flux divergence/convergence over the lake and surrounding
area which contributes to the diurnal cycle of precipitation in this region.


This paper considers a sequential social learning game with a general utility function, state and action space. We establish that the value of private information converges to zero almost surely in every Perfect Bayesian equilibrium of any sequential social learning game. We use this result to show that totally unbounded signals are necessary and sufficient for asymptotic learning to hold in every sequential social learning game. Finally, we assume that the utility function of each agent is a private random draw and establish robustness of our results.


This paper presents preliminary results of an assessment of the impact of a government facilitated ICT access programme on the well-being of poor citizens. It examines South African government efforts in the application of e-government as a critical tool for speeding service delivery to all citizens. The study makes use of Sen's capability approach as a conceptual framework. The findings demonstrate that the main focus of government programmes is on the deployment of telecommunication infrastructure and e-literacy training. This study argues that, to effectively realise the benefits of ICTs interventions in poor communities, policy makers needs to expand the breadth of their interventions to the extent that the needs of grassroots communities are woven into e-government programmes via consultation. It is further argued that the value proposition of e-government and associated ICTS programmes does not simply comprise the number of e-centres and extent of connectivity. The findings of the study show that e-skills, an understanding of citizens' urgency and extensive programme awareness are required to deliver the benefits which are written into policy objectives. The latter are important elements of e-government interventions, without which, the widening of the economic and social gap between the haves and have nots, will remain unchecked.


Objective: Referral of sexually abused children and adolescents to the Forensic Medicine Council showed that sexual abuse of children and adolescents is prevalent in Turkey. Unfortunately, very few studies have examined the characteristics of sexual offenders against children and adolescents in Turkey. This study examined the socio-cultural features of sexual offenders against children and adolescents from Western Black Sea, Mediterranean, Marmara and East Anatolia regions of Turkey. Methods: The sex offenders against children and adolescents referred for forensic psychiatric examination to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinics of University of Zonguldak Karaelmas Hospital, Elazig Mental Health Hospital, Adana Ekrem Tok Mental Health Hospital, Bursa Dortcelik Childrens' Hospital were recruited for the study. Data for sex offenders were obtained from the medical and legal documents of children and adolescents. The sex offenders were assessed for demographic and legal characteristics: age, gender, marital status, education level, substance and alcohol use history and use of child pornography/ computer. Results: All of the sexual offenders against children and adolescents were male. In most of the cases the child knows the offender (e.g. neighbor, relative, family friend, or local individual with authority). Females were the most commonly abused, with the percentage of abused females increasing with age. In addition, most of the sex offenders was not married and had low level of education, substance and alcohol use history. Conclusion: Most of the sex offenders against children and adolescents were male and not married. They had high rates of substance use history, low level of education. Further research is needed to better identify clinically significant differences among the different types of sex offenders against children and adolescents in Turkey.


Uganda's government has prioritized enhancing agricultural production and productivity as a primary intervention in developing the economy. The advantages of enhancing agricultural production and productivity include improving food security at the household level, increasing income for farmers, reducing food prices for both farmers and non-farmers, and the potential of this reduction for spurring economic growth. Increased productivity is also viewed as a panacea to the challenge of increased pressure on the land, demand for more food and need for employment creation resulting from the high population growth rate. Investment in water for agriculture production (WfAP) infrastructure has been recommended as the best-bet intervention that will break the constraints facing Uganda's agriculture. The provision and adoption of WfAP will have multiple effects on the agriculture sector by reducing risk associated with agricultural production and thereby enhancing the adoption of higher yielding technologies.


BACKGROUND: The growing global burden of noncommunicable diseases makes it important to monitor and influence a range of health-related behaviours such as diet and physical activity Wearable cameras appear to record and reveal many of these behaviours in more accessible ways. However, having determined opportunities for improvement, most health-related interventions fail to result in lasting changes.
 AIM: To assess the use of wearable cameras as part of a behaviour change strategy and consider ethical implications of their use.
 METHODS: We examine relevant principles from behavioural science theory and consider the way images enhance or change the processes which underpin behaviour change. We propose ways for researchers to instigate the use of and engagement with these images to lead to more effective and long-lasting behaviour change interventions. We also consider the ethical implications of using digital life-logging technologies in these ways. We discuss the potential harms and benefits of such approaches for both the wearer and those they meet.
 DISCUSSION: Future behaviour change strategies based on self-monitoring could consider the use of wearable cameras. It is important that such work considers the ethical implications of this research and adheres to accepted guidelines and principles.


The part of eastern Anbar that runs from the provincial capital of Ramadi to the area around Fallujah represents an eastern frontier for the organization that calls itself the Islamic State (IS). The jihadist organization lacks the military capability to fully incorporate these areas into its Syria-based caliphate, but it can use them as a base for launching attacks on government forces in central Iraq, supplementing its limited core forces with local recruits. Key to its ability to do this is the effective exploitation of an environment in which much of the population, though not part of its ideological core, views a military alliance with IS as the only alternative to accepting the rule of Iranian-controlled state institutions and militias. Recent statements from "tribal shaykhs" purporting to represent Anbar's Sunnis have framed support of the Islamic State as essential in defending Sunni lives and identity, and pan-Arab media, while not expressly supportive of IS, has played into its narrative of the conflict in Iraq as a war to defend Sunni Arab identity instead of one waged for a narrow Salafi-Jihadist agenda.


Power spectral analysis in frequency-wavenumber space and coherence studies in lag space have shown that the noise recorded by the short period Øyer subarray at NORSAR is critically dependent on the weather situation in the North Atlantic Ocean. In addition to the low-frequency noise from the west, there is observed 2-sec microseisms from the Baltic Sea. Because of the nonisotropic noise, the coherence is usually strongly azimuthal dependent, being represented in lag space by ellipses. Large time variations of the coherence are demonstrated.


Objective: In the past 20 years, breast cancer incidence in the world has a dramatic increase of 50-100%, which strongly supports the need for breast cancer prevention, and screening programs.The purpose of this study was to identify and investigate the knowledge and practice of breast self examination (BSE) with the influencing factors on the compliance of (BSE) among female nurses. Methods: A study was conducted between January and December 2002. Female nurses (80) from Prince Rashid Military Hospital constituted the study population. The questionnaire contained items on the demographic characteristics of the respondents, knowledge of breast cancer; attitudes toward BSE and questions regarding the practice of BSE. The analysis included descriptive statistics to examine the association between BSE and medical history, knowledge of BSE and attitudes toward BSE. Results: The results of the study indicated that 52% of the sample performs BSE. Approximately 30% of those who perform BSE said they learned information regarding BSE during their work experience. The significant relation was found between higher levels in work experience and BSE practice. Except for age, no significant relation was found between the socio-demographic factors and BSE practice. The sample showed strong belief in breast lump as a causing factor of breast cancer and had significant correlation with BSE practice. Conclusion: Positive correlations were found between nursing work experience and their practice in BSE as working nurses. Studies like these can enhance the knowledge regarding BSE among nurses and other medical professionals.


Journalism studies scholarship tends to emphasize professionalism as an occupational ideal, while scholarship on the culture industries stresses the salience of insecure careers. We argue that an exhaustive typology of journalism careers is needed to capture the potential variability in the structure of journalistic labor. This typology distinguishes professional, bureaucratic, entrepreneurial, unwillingly entrepreneurial, and nonemployed careers, and is relevant to a broader set of occupations in the culture industries. We illustrate this typology through an analysis of the occupational life histories of 60 Israeli journalists. This allows us to explain the dual nature of professionalism in journalism as a rhetoric nested within particular institutional contexts and this occupational rhetoric's splitting into "tribes of professionalism."


This presentation will describe the background of the eCrystals Federation, which is based on eBank foundations, and which, in partnership with OAI-ORE, will implement a federation of open data repositories for crystallography. An application profile, based on the Dublin Core standard, has been developed by the eBank-UK project for the initial construction of a federation of crystallography data repositories. Building on this initial deployment the eCrystals Federation will then work closely with the OAI-ORE team, as part of a wider international consortium funded by Microsoft to support the whole lifecycle of chemistry research data, to develop a more effective protocol for interoperability between data repositories and the construction of tools and third party services based on the data federation. The groundwork to establish a repository network will be described together with the evolving advocacy program, links with third party services such as data centres, publishers, learned societies, and preservation/sustainability activity. Continuing developments in partnership with the Digital Curation Centre are investigating suitable curation strategies, the creation of preservation metadata, and the application of the DRAMBORA Toolkit as a means of self-assessment to the crystallography repositories. Emerging data policy issues for institutions will be explored and some challenges for the future will be presented.


10 years on from the first, groundbreaking, Planet Earth, we use the most incredible advances in technology and scientific discovery to bring you the most exciting and immersive picture of our world's wildlife yet.

With over 250 breathtaking photographs and stills from the BBC Natural History Unit's spectacular footage, this is an extraordinary new look at the complex life of some of the most amazing places on Planet Earth.

Each chapter reveals an environment – some never-before-seen, some astonishingly familiar – defined by a unique set of rules required for survival. From the most desolate desert to the depths of the jungle, from blistering heat and freezing cold to perpetual darkness and deadly UV, discover how a whole host of creatures have adapted to life in the most extreme conditions. And how they compete with one another to become the largest, the fastest, the most poisonous, or most devious - all in a bid to survive.

Planet Earth II includes the first in-depth look at the urban environment, and the surprising range of behaviours occurring right under our noses, as well as some previously untouched island worlds. Filmed with remarkable 5k and infra-red technology, these are the challenges, the confrontations, and the triumphs of some of the most extraordinary creatures in the natural world, told from their perspective.


The Great Firewall of China (GFC) represents one of the most sophisticated censoring infrastructures in the world. While several aspects of the GFC including HTTP keyword filtering and DNS tampering have been studied thoroughly in the past, recent work has shown that the GFC goes to great lengths to prevent its citizens from using the Tor anonymity network. By employing the so-called follow-up scanning technique, Tor bridge relays are blocked dynamically. In this thesis, we survey previous work in the area of the GFC ranging from HTTP keyword filtering and DNS tampering, to the Tor follow-up scanning. Furthermore, additional experiments are carried out to gain a better understanding of how the follow-up scanning is implemented as well as where the filtering occurs for different protocols.


The aim of this research is to investigate the role of display within contemporary jewellery, defining an approach that informs both jewellery practice and critical discourse. Conventional structures such as the display case, plinths, frames and mounts operate as communicative platforms from which jewellery is presented, often negating the interactive nature of an object that is designed to be touched, worn or owned. My practice takes the form both of writing and making to explore presentational methods that promote the emotive qualities presented, produced or prompted by a craft object as a means of engaging the viewer within the gallery space.


This article, written in the form of an untimely academic novella is a text, which explores academic authoring as thinking and writing practice in a place called Sweden. The aim is on inquiries of geographical space, place, and academia, and the interrelation between the social and symbolic formation of class, gender and whiteness. The novella uses different writing strategies and visual representations such as documentary writing and photographing from the research process, letters to a friend, and memories from childhood, based on three generations of women's lives. The methodology can be described as a critical reflexive writing strategy inspired by poststructuralist and postcolonial feminist theory and literary fiction, and additionally by methodological approaches in the humanities and social sciences, such as theorizing of letters, memory work, and narrative, and autobiographical approaches. In particular, it draws on work by the theorist critic and writer of fiction, Hélène Cixous, and the feminist author and theorist Charlotte Perkins Gilman, drawing on interpretation of Cixous' essay "Enter the Theatre" and Gilman's story "The Yellow Wallpaper." Characteristics of the untimely academic novella elaborate with possible forms of the symbolic, visual, and performative photographic and sensory in writing research; furthermore, time, social change, and unfinal endings play a pervasive role. It may be read as a story that situates and theorizes embodyment, landscape, and power through the interweaving of forest rural farming spaces and academic office spaces by tracing autobiographical imprints of an untimely feminist author. "The Snow Angel and Other Imprints" is the second article in a trilogy of untimely academic novellas. The first, with the title "The Professor's Chair," was published in Swedish in 2007 (in the anthology "Genus och det akademiska skrivandets former," (Eds.) Bränström Öhman & Livholts), and forthcoming in English in the journal Life Writing 2010.


Most developing economies often yield positive economic growth, which however is simultaneously associated with little or no change in non-income welfare. This paper estimates the extent to which non-income welfare has improved in South Africa, since democracy. The focus is on the public assets, measuring their delivery to the poor between 1993 and 2011. Through utilizing a factor analysis approach for generating an asset index, both the reduction in the incidence of asset poverty as well as measures of the changes in asset inequality since 1993 are estimated.


An environmentally sustainable and thus green business process is one that delivers organizational value whilst
also exerting a minimal impact on the natural environment. Recent works from the field of Information Systems
(IS) have argued that information systems can contribute to the design and implementation of sustainable business
processes. While prior research has investigated how information systems can be used in order to support
sustainable business practices, there is still a void as to the actual changes that business processes have to undergo
in order to become environmentally sustainable, and the specific role that information systems play in enabling this change. In this paper, we provide a conceptualization of environmentally sustainable business processes, and discuss the role of functional affordances of information systems in enabling both incremental and radical changes in order to make processes environmentally sustainable. Our conceptualization is based on (a) a fundamental definition of the concept of environmental sustainability, grounded in two basic components:the environmental source and sink functions of any project or activity, and (b) the concept of functional affordances, which describe the potential uses originating in the material properties of information systems in relation to their use context. In order to illustrate the application of our framework and provide a first evaluation, we analyse two examples from prior research where information systems impacted on the sustainability of business processes.


Ideally therapeutic processes ought to be context-bound; therefore culture plays vital role in setting the status quo for the interaction between the therapist and the client. It is against this background that this paper examines the challenges and compromises of culture-centered therapy in Africa (Nigeria), particularly as the scheme of work and curriculum for teaching psychology (and all other related areas of study), seems to omit cultural orientation to some extent. Correspondingly, National Universities Commission (NUC) benchmark is used as unit of analysis to portray the seemingly lack of culture-centered therapy in higher education in Nigeria. Supportively, narratives from focus group discussion with students are presented to intensify the lack of inclusion of culture-centered curriculum. As a result, the paper advocates for methodological and clinical integration of cultural perspective (indigenous knowledge system) into higher education's teaching of psychology otherwise the noble idea of culture-centered therapy would continue to be an illusion. Hence, the African therapist to say the least would be irrelevant in his/her cultural milieu and to the clients who may urgently need culture-bound therapy as means of maintaining mental health and sustainable development.


Laboratory data are critical to analyzing and improving clinical quality. In the setting of residual use of creatine kinase M and B isoenzyme testing for myocardial infarction, we assessed disease outcomes of discordant creatine kinase M and B isoenzyme +/troponin I (−) test pairs in order to address anticipated clinician concerns about potential loss of case-finding sensitivity following proposed discontinuation of routine creatine kinase and creatine kinase M and B isoenzyme testing. Time-sequenced interventions were introduced. The main outcome was the percentage of cardiac marker studies performed within guidelines. Nonguideline orders dominated at baseline. Creatine kinase M and B isoenzyme testing in 7496 order sets failed to detect additional myocardial infarctions but was associated with 42 potentially preventable admissions/quarter. Interruptive computerized soft stops improved guideline compliance from 32.3% to 58% (P < .001) in services not receiving peer leader intervention and to >80% (P < .001) with peer leadership that featured dashboard feedback about test order performance. This successful experience was recapitulated in interrupted time series within 2 additional services within facility 1 and then in 2 external hospitals (including a critical access facility). Improvements have been sustained postintervention. Laboratory cost savings at the academic facility were estimated to be ≥US$635 000 per year. National collaborative data indicated that facility 1 improved its order patterns from fourth to first quartile compared to peer norms and imply that nonguideline orders persist elsewhere. This example illustrates how pathologists can provide leadership in assisting clinicians in changing laboratory ordering practices. We found that clinicians respond to local laboratory data about their own test performance and that evidence suggesting harm is more compelling to clinicians than evidence of cost savings. Our experience indicates that interventions done at an academic facility can be readily instituted by private practitioners at external facilities. The intervention data also supplement existing literature that electronic order interruptions are more successful when combined with modalities that rely on peer education combined with dashboard feedback about laboratory order performance. The findings may have implications for the role of the pathology laboratory in the ongoing pivot from quantity-based to value-based health care.


Bevacizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody used clinically as a combination chemotherapeutic. Antibody therapeutics are usually formulated as parenteral injections, owing to their low oral bioavailability. Microneedle technology provides a transdermal alternative for drug-delivery using micron-scale needle structures to penetrate directly through the stratum corneum into the dermal interstitium. This study describes the design, formulation, and in vitro characterization of both dissolving and hydrogel-forming microneedle array platforms for transdermal delivery of bevacizumab. Bevacizumab recovery and transdermal permeation studies were conducted and analyzed using bevacizumab specific ELISA. Prototype microneedle-patches were tested in vivo in Sprague-Dawley rats with serum, exterior lumbar and axial lymph nodes, spleen, and skin tissue concentrations of bevacizumab reported. This work represents the first example of high dose transdermal delivery of an antibody therapeutic in vivo using dissolving and hydrogel-forming microneedle platforms. Basic pharmacokinetic parameters are described including hydrogel-forming microneedles: Cmax 358.2 ± 100.4 ng/mL, Tmax 48 h, AUC 44357 ± 4540, and Css 942 ± 95 ng/mL, highlighting the potential for these devices to provide sustained delivery of antibody therapeutics to the lymph and systemic circulation. Targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to the lymphatic system by MN technology may provide new treatment options for cancer metastases.


Acid lipase belongs to a family of enzymes that is mainly present in lysosomes of different organs and the stomach. It is characterized by its capacity to withstand acidic conditions while maintaining high lipolytic activity. We cloned for the first time the full coding sequence of camel's lysosomal acid lipase, cLIPA using RT-PCR technique (Genbank accession numbers JF803951 and AEG75815, for the nucleotide and aminoacid sequences respectively). The cDNA sequencing revealed an open reading frame of 1,197 nucleotides that encodes a protein of 399 aminoacids which was similar to that from other related mammalian species. Bioinformatic analysis was used to determine the aminoacid sequence, 3D structure and phylogeny of cLIPA. Bioinformatics analysis suggested the molecular weight of the translated protein to be 45.57 kDa, which could be decreased to 43.16 kDa after the removal of a signal peptide comprising the first 21 aminoacids. The deduced cLIPA sequences exhibited high identity with Equus caballus (86%), Numascus leucogenys (85%), Homo sapiens (84%), Sus scrofa (84%), Bos taurus (82%) and Ovis aries (81%). cLIPA shows high aminoacid sequence identity with human and dog-gastric lipases (58%, and 59% respectively) which makes it relevant to build a 3D structure model for cLIPA. The comparison confirms the presence of the catalytic triad and the oxyanion hole in cLIPA. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that camel cLIPA is grouped with monkey, human, pig, cow and goat. The level of expression of cLIPA in five camel tissues was examined using Real Time-PCR. The highest level of cLIPA transcript was found in the camel testis (162%), followed by spleen (129%), liver (100%), kidney (20.5%) and lung (17.4%).


Depressive rumination is repetitive thought about one's depressive symptoms,
their causes, meanings, and potential consequences. Research has shown that depressive rumination is associated with dysphoria. Depressive rumination has been shown to consist of subtypes, with some subtypes being potentially less adaptive than others. Research using the Rumination on Sadness Scale (Conway, Csank, Holm, & Blake, 2000) has identified two rumination subtypes: meaning searching and repetitive thinking. Meaning searching reflects one's attempt to understand and find meaning in one's sadness, whereas repetitive thinking reflects repetitiveness and uncontrollability of one's thoughts on one's sadness. Two hypotheses were made. First, repetitive thinking, but not meaning searching, was hypothesized to lead to more dysphoria over time. Second, it was hypothesized that meaning searching would lead to more repetitive thinking, and repetitive thinking would lead to more meaning searching over time. Participants in this 2-year longitudinal study were 349 older adults who had recently retired. The findings did not support the first hypothesis. In contrast, findings indicated that dysphoria may lead to more repetitive thinking. As for the second hypothesis, meaning searching predicted increased repetitive thinking, and repetitive thinking led to more meaning searching a year later although these associations were not strong. These findings emerged when taking into account several factors related to dysphoria and depressive rumination, including neuroticism, control beliefs, age, and gender. Based on these findings, it can be argued that depressive rumination might be more suitably conceptualized as a symptom of depression rather than a process that leads to more depression.


Health insurance design has distinct and well-documented effects on choice of insurance plan and health care utilization and expenditures. The question of how to design benefits for newer technologies such as specialty drugs presents new challenges in balancing adverse selection and moral hazard concerns with beneficiary coverage. The Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program adds complexity via additional governmental regulation of the market and coverage design for specialty drugs. This dissertation presents a conceptual model of the supply-side tier placement decision on the part of Part D plans, and uses Part D formulary and claims data to estimate the demand-side response by Medicare beneficiaries. An instrumental variables approach is employed to address the endogeneity present in the specialty tier placement (supply-side) and enrollment, utilization, and spending (demand-side) decisions. Results are mixed when applying the instrumental variable, showing that a $100 increase in the out-of-pocket costs imposed on beneficiaries results in a significant increase in the likelihood of utilization for those beneficiaries with rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis, but a significant reduction of 16.2% (2007) and 35.1% (2008) for beneficiaries diagnosed with one of four types of cancer. Results suggest that beneficiaries do respond to higher cost sharing, raising questions about the imposition of higher cost sharing amounts for such expensive drugs. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Healthcare Systems First Advisor Patricia M. Danzon


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Paired conical nets (0.5 mm mesh) were used to sample ichthyoplankton at three sites in the lower Swan Estuary in each month between May 1986 and April 1987. In all, 3948 fish larvae were caught, representing 32 families and 60 species, of which 29 could be assigned species names. The Clupeidae (20.2%), Engraulididae (10.4%), Callionymidae (8.7%) and Nemipteridae (6.8%) made the greatest contributions to the total larval number, followed by the Pinguepididae (5.8%), Gobiidae (5.8%), Terapontidae (5.7%) and Monacanthidae (5.4%). The most numerous of the identified species were Engraulis australis (10.4%), Hyperlophus vittatus (8.9%), Callionymus goodladi (8.7%) and Sardinella lemuru (7.4%). The 11 most abundant of the identified species included 2 that spawn in the estuary (E. australis and Parablennius tasmanianus) and 2 that spawn at sea but are abundant as juveniles in the estuary (Pelates sexlineatus and H. vittatus). The remaining 7 species are not common as either juveniles or adults in any region of the Swan Estuary. The larvae of marine species collected just inside the estuary mouth were very similar in size to those collected a further 7.2 km upstream, indicating that they are transported rapidly through the lower estuary, presumably through tidal action. The concentrations of both eggs and larvae of all fish collectively, and the concentrations of larvae of most of the abundant identified species, peaked between late spring and midsummer (November- January).


THE RESEARCH PROJECT
The formative element of evaluation of the Online QDA and CAQDAS project included a
qualitative phase, comprising data collected in different ways and from users with different levels
of experience. This interim working report summarises our progress with the qualitative element
of evaluation, and refers to areas still awaiting completion. The data were analysed with the
assistance of QSR NVivo.
RESEARCHERS AND DATA COLLECTION
Lewins observed ten volunteers working with a range of CAQDAS programs while they talked
about their work to date in their current qualitative project and asked for advice where they felt
they needed it. Taylor interviewed 24 software users and trainers, in semi structured interview
formats, either face to face or over the phone. All sessions were to be transcribed. This process is
still being completed and work will be ongoing for the purpose of further reports and papers.
They also used informal help-line telephone/email data over a 3-month period, collected by
Lewins in her role as manager of the CAQDAS Networking Project. Reporting from the
qualitative analysis phase has already informed some parts of the web resource on QDA and
CAQDAS which as been constructed as part of the project (onlineqda.hud.ac.uk).


While recent techniques of digital sound synthesis have put numerous new sounds on the musician's desktop, several artificial-intelligence (AI) techniques have also been applied to algorithmic composition. This article introduces Vox Populi, a system based on evolutionary computation techniques for composing music in real time. In Vox Populi, a population of chords codified according to MIDI protocol evolves through the application of genetic algorithms to maximize a fitness criterion based on physical factors relevant to music. Graphical controls allow the user to manipulate fitness and sound attributes.


Differing doctoral supervision models currently exist. Three key conceptual supervisory models relevant to doctoral students from within the healthcare professions were identified from a literature review: the 'functional pre-modern' model, the 'team' model and the 'community group' model. However, whilst these models exist, for the most part, supervision remains embedded within home academic institutions. Method and material: (1) An extensive review of the literature was undertaken, drawing on: Australian Education Index, British Education Index, the British Humanities Index, the British Nursing Index, EBSCOHOST EJS and Google™ Scholar; (2) an outcome-oriented evaluation of a workshop delivered to seven current or prospective doctoral candidates from within the health care professions and researching with children and/or young people, concerning the conduct of ethical research was undertaken Results: Five key categories related to 'best things about the day' were identified from a four-item, anonymous questionnaire appraising the day. These concerned: round table discussions, plenary seminars, workshop organisation, value of experiential learning and future workshop opportunities. From these themes an 'innovative' peer-driven, community based model of doctoral supervision was developed that is extrinsic to and complements the supervision provided in students' home academic institutions. Conclusions: The innovative supervisory model developed through an outcome-oriented evaluation of a workshop for doctoral candidates has particular relevance for doctoral students who are healthcare professionals generally and nurses in particular, especially those studying in highly specialised areas where there may be a dearth of subject specific supervisors.


Autonomous gravitational-wave searches—fully automated analyses of data that run without human intervention or assistance—are desirable for a number of reasons. They are necessary for the rapid identification of gravitational-wave burst candidates, which in turn will allow for follow-up observations by other observatories and the maximum exploitation of their scientific potential. A fully automated analysis would also circumvent the traditional 'by hand' setup and tuning of burst searches that is both labourious and time consuming. We demonstrate a fully automated search with X-Pipeline, a software package for the coherent analysis of data from networks of interferometers for detecting bursts associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and other astrophysical triggers. We discuss the methods X-Pipeline uses for automated running, including background estimation, efficiency studies, unbiased optimal tuning of search thresholds and prediction of upper limits. These are all done automatically via Monte Carlo with multiple independent data samples and without requiring human intervention. As a demonstration of the power of this approach, we apply X-Pipeline to LIGO data to compute the sensitivity to gravitational-wave emission associated with GRB 031108. We find that X-Pipeline is sensitive to signals approximately a factor of 2 weaker in amplitude than those detectable by the cross-correlation technique used in LIGO searches to date. We conclude with comments on the status of X-Pipeline as a fully autonomous, near-real-time-triggered burst search in the current LSC-Virgo Science Run.


One of the characteristics that distinguish Islamic Commercial Banks from conventional banks is the existence of a sharia supervisory board (SSB) in an independent Islamic bank and is located parallel to the board of commissioners. SSB has an important and strategic role in implementing sharia in Islamic Banks. SSB is responsible for ensuring all Islamic Bank products and procedures comply with sharia principles. This research is entirely library research. The purpose of this research is to find out how the role of SSB in Islamic banking is related. The analytical method used is the content analysis method. The results of this study indicate that the SSB is an independent body consisting of muamalah sharia experts who also have knowledge in the banking sector at Islamic financial institutions and are in charge of overseeing the implementation of the decisions of the national sharia board at these Islamic financial institutions. SSB has an important and strategic role in implementing sharia principles in Islamic banking. SSB is responsible for ensuring all Islamic bank products and procedures are in accordance with sharia principles.


We often pigeonhole our surroundings into dualistic categories, e.g., nature/culture. Perhaps evolutionary forces favoured dichotomous brains, or dualistic categories may be only social constructs. These lines of thought led to my research question(s): Do juxtaposed mechanisms of dichotomous black-and-white (essentialist) cognitive patterns exist; and, if so, how do such mechanisms affect cultural and scientific concepts of reality? My thesis focusses on four classic modes of othering (Human–Animal, Human–Machine, Male–Female, Heterosexual–Homosexual) oft-cited in biological anthropological studies, aiming to reconstruct the developmental forces that can bring about, stabilise or modify such binaries. My thesis therefore also is situated in discourses of sociology, psychology, animal studies, AI theory and gender/sexuality studies. I explored how rigid – respectively, fluid – the above exemplary alterities were by gathering data on the perceptions of their boundaries as reflected in electronic archives covering 16 years of newspaper reporting in the UK (1995–2010) and then subjecting this data to both a quantitative and qualitative analysis, measuring the fluctuation of ambiguity tolerance. My results strongly indicate similar temporal patterns of ambiguity tolerance across three out of four dichotomies – including a distinct "millennial effect" of intolerance – and a remarkably stable Male–Female dichotomy. This suggests firstly that received understandings of concrete descriptions in evolutionary theory such as "human", "animal", "species", "tool (machine)", "homosexual" and "heterosexual" may function as cultural concepts considered to be natural kinds, but also are temporally malleable in both popular and academic discourse; and, secondly, that we may have natal (arguably plastic) gender schemata. I show quantitatively and qualitatively that essentialist thinking – as expressed by ambiguity (in)tolerance in socially empowered individuals – functions as an infrahumanisation mechanism to protect one's perceived ingroup, be that humans, males or heterosexuals. I argue instead for an ultrahumanisation that may allow for less anthropocentrism, less androcentrism and less heterocentrism.


The study covers the countries of Eastern Europe: Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Lithuania, which have common borders, similar history, mentality and are characterized by the dominance of the social democratic model of the welfare state, which is essentially aimed to undertake primary responsibility for financing basic social standards from the state budget. The study focuses on the basic indicators that show the state's approach to education, health care and employment. In order to establish and analyze the changes that have taken place in the social state standards of the studied countries, the ten-year period from 2010 to 2019 was covered. The statistical data that reflect the expenditures on education and medicine from the volume of GDP of each state budget as well as the unemployment rate are analyzed. Positive dynamics has been established for all studied countries during the ten-year period in the financing of such areas as education and medicine. Optimistic indicators of the reduced number of unemployed in Poland, Romania and Lithuania were revealed. It has been established that the governments of Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Lithuania have similar approach to financing basic social needs. The role of civil society in the development of the welfare state and the new trends of nations' movement towards the construction of a rational economy, social standards and political stability are considered.


Various forms, including multi-dimensional forms of the cycle index of the symmetry group of the fullerene C60 acting on its sets of vertices, faces, edges etc. are computed and applied for the enumeration of essentially dierent colourings of the truncated icosahedron. The implementation of these cycle index methods in the computer algebra system SYMMETRICA is discussed, and finally cycle indices of the symmetry groups of some further fullerenes are derived.


A tangent vector field on a surface is the generator of a smooth family of maps from the surface to itself, known as the flow. Given a scalar function on the surface, it can be transported, or advected, by composing it with a vector field's flow. Such transport is exhibited by many physical phenomena, e.g., in fluid dynamics. In this paper, we are interested in the inverse problem: given source and target functions, compute a vector field whose flow advects the source to the target. We propose a method for addressing this problem, by minimizing an energy given by the advection constraint together with a regularizing term for the vector field. Our approach is inspired by a similar method in computational anatomy, known as LDDMM, yet leverages the recent framework of functional vector fields for discretizing the advection and the flow as operators on scalar functions. The latter allows us to efficiently generalize LDDMM to curved surfaces, without explicitly computing the flow lines of the vector field we are optimizing for. We show two approaches for the solution: using linear advection with multiple vector fields, and using non‐linear advection with a single vector field. We additionally derive an approximated gradient of the corresponding energy, which is based on a novel vector field transport operator. Finally, we demonstrate applications of our machinery to intrinsic symmetry analysis, function interpolation and map improvement.


In 1990 the Athletic Footwear Association (AFA) (1) released a report entitled "American Youth and Sports Participation" that examined teenagers' (ages 10-18 years) feelings about their sport involvement. This report was the culmination of an extensive study of more than 10,000 young people from 11 cities across the U.S. in which issues related to why teenagers participate, why they quit, and their feelings about winning were addressed.1 The results highlighted in the AFA report indicate that (a) participation in organized sports declines sharply as youngsters get older, (b) "fun" is the key reason for involvement and "lack of fun" is one of the primary reasons for discontinuing, (c) winning plays less of a role than most adults would think, and (d) not all athletes have the same motivations for their involvement.


This publication examines one of the largest and most destructive prison riots in British history occurred in Dartmoor Convict Prison in 1932. Between 1932 and into the 1960s the Dartmoor 'mutiny' was the most widely-known outbreak in British prison history. This was partly due to the attention it attracted but also to the notoriety attached to Dartmoor as holding offenders convicted of the most serious crimes. It was impossible for the prison authorities to deny the seriousness of the outbreak when smoke and flames could be seen for miles around billowing from buildings set alight by rioting convicts. Press reporters besieged Princetown, the village next to the prison, and a Daily Mirror airplane took dramatic photographs that helped to make this riot a national media event and one of the most dramatic stories of the 1930s.


Inkjet printing of functional materials, photolithography and micromolding are 3 different techniques largely used in the field of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) with increasing interest for the fabrication of new devices and the development of new applications. This Ph.D. thesis provides new insights into each of these fields and, by combining them, aims to enable the access to new application fields. Complementary to photolithography, inkjet printing is increasingly considered a cost-effective and flexible microfabrication method to structure functional materials. The ease of mass fabrication and the inherent flexibility of inkjet technology make it a suitable method for the manufacturing of microsystems and components. The results presented in this dissertation summarize recent achievements in this relatively new technology for the development of miniaturized devices. First the piezo-acoustic inkjet printing technology is described and a theory to explain the drop generation process is developed and evaluated. The experimental work was focused on the drop-on-demand inkjet printing of viscous polymers, particularly SU-8, a negative tone photo-resist epoxy. It validates the theoretical predictions and shows the shortcomings of the existing theories. The camera-assisted high accuracy alignment (< 3 µm misalignment) technique developed in the frame of this work enables the precise positioning of microdrops on pre-structured substrates and accurate filling of high aspect ratio micromolds. Additionally, polymeric microlenses were also Inkjet-printed and characterized. The highly reproducible optical properties of such microlenses, i.e. the focal length in the range of 40-150 µm and the numerical aperture in the range of 0.25-0.75, can be adjusted for different applications in micro-optical systems. An innovative technique, based on micromolding, for the microfabrication of high aspect ratio ceramic structures using polymeric precursors is also presented. Polyureasilazane, a precursor for silicon-carbide-based ceramics was investigated. Pipettes and inkjet printers were used to fill high-aspect ratio SU-8 molds. The micromolded structures were released using a sacrificial layer. After a pyrolysis step which enables the polymer-to-ceramic transformation in a simple tube furnace, the final structures showed that this process is very reliable as the mold shapes were perfectly replicated and a smooth surface was obtained. This technique is an interesting candidate for the fabrication of ceramic devices for harsh environments and high temperatures. Incorporation of luminescent nanocrystals (NCs) in SU-8 is another contribution of this thesis. For this purpose, the selection of an appropriate solvent for both NCs and the epoxy-resist formulation is fundamental in directing the nanocomposite resist preparation. The NC-modified SU-8 was successfully patterned and high aspect ratio structures with micrometer resolution were fabricated, showing that the overall UV-structuring capability of the modified resist was not affected by the NC incorporation. The obtained microstructures were shown to retain the NC emission properties. Finally the possibility to combine inkjet printing, micromolding and photopolymerization for the fabrication of Hybrid AFM probes by a single-plane surface-micromachining technique was demonstrated. Hybrid AFM probes, with a tip made of a hybrid organic/inorganic polymer and a cantilever and a holder made of SU-8 were micro-structured, characterized and tested for AFM imaging. The results were compared with a commercial silicon probe and a SU-8 AFM cantilever. This technology can be used to convey new properties to scanning microscopy probes for new sensing applications or to improve the quality of the existing devices. Functional materials can be inkjet-printed to form the tips with a minimum material waste. This thesis is intended to contribute to the advancement of micromachining technologies in the area of micro-devices with enhanced properties. In particular, it shall contribute to the cost effective fabrication of hybrid components made of different functionalized materials.


This study was motivated by the lack of empirical research performed on securities traded on the over the counter bulletin board exchange ("OTC-BB" or the "Exchange"). It extends prior research on this market by studying the impact of market capitalization and liquidity to return, volatility and components of the bid-ask spread. The time period analyzed runs from January 1, 1996 through December 31, 2000. The authors calculate return, volatility, Sharpe ratio, spread, and turnover for 10 equal-size deciles exclusively using OTC-BB traded securities. They find that an investment strategy that focuses on the largest OTC-BB firms provides relatively the highest risk-return trade-off in this market during the period January 1996? December 2000. These findings are consistent with an earlier article by the authors that suggests that a trading strategy of OTC-BB securities will not yield an appropriate risk-return trade-off as measured by the Sharpe ratio. In addition, they find that competition appears to be increasing as the relative bid/ask spread for OTC-BB securities declines. Finally, they observe that the behavior of the market participants trading OTC-BB securities ("traders") is consistent with the behavior exhibited by New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") specialists.


"A highly useful and beautiful textbook which addresses a longstanding need in the teaching of Arabic, beautifully conceived and well-executed...Settings and conversations are so naturally constructed and so idiomatically expressed that we have the impression that we know the real life prototypes of the characters depicted, that we've experienced the episodes recounted, and that we've visited the places described." -Nora Kalliel, Visiting Lecturer, Oriental Studies Dept., University of Arizona "This highly useful textbook aims at presenting teachers and students of Arabic with the means of inculcating and absorbing the oral skills so necessary in modern Arabic...The authors, both experienced teachers of Arabic, have produced an attractive, well-organized text that addresses a longstanding need in the field." -Middle East Journal "The strengths of this book lie in that it uses real situational language rather than the dry grammar-based language found in so many texts."-Douglas R. MaGrath, Modern Language Journal


Is a church order, according to it's nature, not contrary to the work of the Holy Spirit? The question is whether a church order should be seen as anti- Spiritual. Does a church order, in contrary to the work of the Holy Spirit, lead to rigidity of the church? By this question the controversy of the spiritual life of the church versus the institutional ordination of it has been raised as a real actuality in modern church life. The rejection of the institutional character of the church has a long history. To understand the true nature and the true Scriptural functioning of a church order one needs to get perspective on the new order which was given by Christ by means of his Holy Spirit. The new order must be seen as the way of life that was created by Christ on the profound ground of the expiation. In this context a church order must be understood as existing in the movement from the believer to the Word which occurs in the leading of the Spirit through ordained means. Seen in this sense, a church order must be regarded as a modus quo by which the church is governed by Christ by means of his Spirit, in order to maintain the new order which He created for his children. Seen as such, a church order is not a man created dispensable burden for the church of Christ, furthermore it is not an anti-Spiritual instrument by which the church is plunged into a dreary existence of cold formalism. To the contrary, a true Scriptural church order must be appreciated as a valuable instrument through which the governing labour of Christ, by means of his Holy Spirit, in the church should become visible. A Scriptural church order is in essence a correction on the separation of the Holy Spirit from the Word of God. Therefore a Scriptural church order should be considered as indispensable in this world for church being, according to the new order of life in Christ.


Background and Objectives: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the greatest current endocrine disease in generative women. Although other issues such as insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, adiposity and dietary pattern are implied to be connected to PCOS, but the most recent evidence are needed to improve management of PCOS. Proteins and amino acids (key dietary components) can also have impact on this condition and may have therapeutic effects for handling this disorder. However, there is little information available in this area. So, the purpose of this study was to assess the connection between amino acids and protein intake and PCOS. Materials and Methods: Science, Iran. Amino acids and proteins intake was estimated using validated food frequency questionnaire. Other factors such as ovarian disease, inherited predisposition, physical activity, the age of menarche and medical history were assessed by the questionnaire. Data analysis was represented by adjusted logistic by SPSS software version 15. Results: The marked association among PCOS and ovarian disease (P < 0.001), age (P < 0.001) and consuming drugs (P = 0.001) were seen. There was inversely associated between body mass index (BMI) and PCOS, but it was not remarkable (P = 0.068). But, no statistically significant connection was seen between the use of LEU (Lucien), MET (methionine), CYS (cysteine), PHE (phenylalanine), VAL (valine), ASP (asparagines), GLU (glutamic acid), and PCOS. Although, there was significant relationship between glycine, prolin, and methionine with PCOS. Conclusions: According to the results of this study, significant relationship was observed between glycine, prolin, and methionine and BCAA/AAA ratio with PCOS.


Aims Children are referred to paediatric secondary care by general practitioners (GPs) for numerous reasons. Cardiac complaints such as heart murmurs are common, and children with murmurs are referred for assessment which may include echocardiography. Given the increasing pressure to reduce referrals across all specialties, this study reviewed outcomes of GP referrals to a paediatrician with expertise in cardiology (PEC) to evaluate the use of echocardiography and provide guidance for GPs. Methods We retrospectively reviewed electronic hospital records of children under 16 years old newly referred by NHS GPs to a local PEC clinic during 2011. We excluded children previously seen by any cardiology service. Results Two hundred and seventy one children were referred, 165 (60%) were referred for investigation of a murmur: 137 for an asymptomatic murmur alone and 28 for a murmur plus either symptoms or family history of cardiac disease. All underwent echocardiography. 31 (19%) were diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) of which 7 have required catheter or surgical intervention (4% of the new GP referrals for assessment of a murmur). Younger children with murmurs were more likely to have CHD: 9/24 (37.5%) children under 3 months, 9/39 (23%) children between 3 months and one year, 10/58 (17%) children between 1–5 years, 1/14 (7%) between 5–10 years and none over 10 years. Forty nine children (18%) were referred for a family history of cardiac problems (e.g. CHD, cardiomyopathy) with 1 child having CHD that has not needed intervention. Other complaints included chest pain (8), palpitations (19), cyanosis (4) and syncope/dizziness (9). None of these other presenting complaints had any underlying pathology. Conclusion The finding that a large proportion of children referred by GPs with asymptomatic heart murmurs have CHD supports current GP referral practise and the use of echocardiography for assessing murmurs. Children with a murmur under 3 months of age have the highest risk of CHD. In this review other presenting complaints do not seem to have any associated life-threatening heart disease – these children might initially be safely managed in the community without echocardiography.


Energy-based models (EBMs) provide an elegant framework for density estimation, but they are notoriously difficult to train. Recent work has established links to generative adversarial networks, where the EBM is trained through a minimax game with a variational value function. We propose a bidirectional bound on the EBM log-likelihood, such that we maximize a lower bound and minimize an upper bound when solving the minimax game. We link one bound to a gradient penalty that stabilizes training, thereby providing grounding for best engineering practice. To evaluate the bounds we develop a new and efficient estimator of the Jacobi-determinant of the EBM generator. We demonstrate that these developments significantly stabilize training and yield high-quality density estimation and sample generation.


Advances in mobile computing technologies have made it possible to monitor and apply data-driven interventions across complex systems in real time. Markov decision processes (MDPs) are the primary model for sequential decision problems with a large or indefinite time horizon. Choosing a representation of the underlying decision process that is both Markov and low-dimensional is non-trivial. We propose a method for constructing a low-dimensional representation of the original decision process for which: 1. the MDP model holds; 2. a decision strategy that maximizes mean utility when applied to the low-dimensional representation also maximizes mean utility when applied to the original process. We use a deep neural network to define a class of potential process representations and estimate the process of lowest dimension within this class. The method is illustrated using data from a mobile study on heavy drinking and smoking among college students.


The concept of known-item searching has long been central to research and application in library and information science. It is surprising then that this concept has received practically no systematic discussion. We survey the various conceptual and operational characterizations of known-item searching in the LIS literature in order to determine exactly how the concept is being understood by its users. We demonstrate that this apparently simple notion is actually quite complex and varied, and moreover, that there is hardly a single feature ordinarily associated with it that can confidently be said to be an essential part of the concept.