Data on over 14000 drivers from the 1967 California driver vision study have been reanalysed with a view to establishing their implications for driver vision standards. For the main analysis the sample was divided into four age groupings: under 25, 25-39, 40-54, and over 54. The most consistent result throughout the study has been the failure to find a direct relationship between poor visual performance and high accident rates for young and middle-aged drivers. For the over 54 age group, dynamic and static visual acuity showed the most consistent relationships with accident rates but for an individual driver their accident prediction value remained very low. A more detailed age analysis failed to define more precisely the age at which these relationships develop. No evidence was found to support the use of total visual field as a driver screening test. The results for two tests of night vision were regarded as inconclusive for the over 54 age group. For the same nominal standard of binocular static visual acuity, the ortho-rater screener was found to fail markedly fewer drivers than the Snellen Wall Chart. The implications of varying the cut-off scores for each test were investigated, and the suggestion is made that perceptual rather than sensory tests with greater accident predictive power would be needed before acceptable alternative screening methods could be specified for driver licensing purposes. /Author/


Grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations of hydrogen sorption were performed in rht-MOF-1, a metal–organic framework (MOF) that consists of isophthalate groups joined by copper paddlewheel clusters and Cu3O trimers through tetrazolate moeities. This is a charged rht-MOF that contains extra-framework nitrate counterions within the material. For the simulations performed herein, excellent agreement with experiment was achieved for the simulated hydrogen sorption isotherms and calculated isosteric heat of adsorption, Qst, values only when using a polarizable potential. Thermodynamic agreement is demonstrated via comparing to experimental isotherms and binding sites are revealed by combining simulation and inelastic neutron scattering (INS) data. Simulations involving explicit many-body polarization interactions assisted in the determination of the binding sites in rht-MOF-1 through the distribution of the induced dipoles that led to strong adsorbate interactions. Four distinct hydrogen sorption sites were determined from the polarization distribution: the nitrate ions located in the corners of the truncated tetrahedral cages, the Cu2+ ions of the paddlewheels that project into the truncated tetrahedral and truncated octahedral cages (Cu1 ions), the Cu2+ ions of the Cu3O trimers (Cu3 ions), and the sides of the paddlewheels in the cuboctahedral cage. The simulations revealed that the initial sorption sites for hydrogen in rht-MOF-1 are the nitrate ions; this site corresponds to the high initial Qst value for hydrogen (9.5 kJ mol−1) in the MOF. The radial distribution functions, g(r), about the Cu2+ ions at various loadings revealed that the Cu1 ions are the preferred open-metal sorption sites for hydrogen at low loading, while the Cu3 ions become occupied at higher loadings. The validation of the aforementioned sorption sites in rht-MOF-1 was confirmed by calculating the two-dimensional quantum rotational levels about each site and comparing the levels to the transitions that were observed in the experimental INS spectra for hydrogen in the compound. For each binding site, the rotational transitions from j = 0 to j = 1 were in good agreement to certain transitions that were observed in the INS spectra. From these calculations, the assignment of the peaks in the INS spectra for hydrogen in rht-MOF-1 has been made.


Since the 1990s, international and regional organisations have responded to calls to open up to civil society. Some, however, remain relatively inaccessible. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is one of those regional organisations that seems to have resisted opening up, making it a "tough test" for civil society engagement. Yet, even in this difficult regional context, we observe the existence of transnational civil society networks that aim to engage and influence regional governance, although there are notable differences across policy sectors. It is likely that the characteristics of these civil society networks have an effect on civil society participation in, and engagement with, regional governance. Against this background, this paper asks: How do the characteristics of transnational networks contribute to civil society engagement in regional governance in SADC? The paper employs a comparative case study design focussing on civil society engagement in two policy sectors: gender, and employment and labour. Using an interview-based approach to social network analysis (SNA), we map the two policy networks surrounding the implementation of Article 8 of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development, which aims to end the practise of early marriage, and the ongoing ratification of the SADC Protocol on Employment and Labour. We complement the social network analysis with semi-structured interviews with a variety of stakeholders, including civil society, donors, researchers, and national and regional policy-makers in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia. The findings reaffirm the state-centric nature of SADC and the difficulties for civil society to engage meaningfully. We also find notable differences in the civil society networks involved in the two policy sectors: The gender sector is driven by civil society organisations (CSOs) and financed by donors, with member states playing a relatively minor role, whereas member states are central players in employment and labour. The gender network is highly centralised, with one central CSO performing a coordinating role, whereas the labour and employment network is very dense and shaped by many interactions between different actors with diverse political aims. The findings suggest a trade-off between a hierarchical, centralised network that is efficient when it comes to sharing resources, versus a dense, consensus-finding network that mitigates potential conflicts. The networks for both policy sectors also suggest that the SADC Secretariat is more accountable to donors than CSOs, a reflection of SADC's dependence on donor funds. We find that many of the challenges to civil society found at the national level in developing countries are replicated at the regional level. Questions surrounding the extra-regional funding of CSOs, their representativeness and their legitimacy pose great challenges to civil society networks. Nevertheless, civil society networks have the potential to act as drivers of people-centred regionalism, but so long as the institutions and organisational culture of SADC remain a "closed shop", their potential will go unrealised.


The Simple Translator from VB to ASP System represents a system that provides a
systematic approach of the new learner to understanding the basic concept of Visual
Basic and Active Server Pages (ASP). This system has been developed to give a
solution the interface or scripting not supported with another alternative so that users
can still use the control. Mostly, User do not know the best way to settle their
problem when to practice the programming in variety languages. Therefore, they
need a system that helps them to find out the solution with efficient and interactive.
The objective of this study is to develop a system that using application as reference
that can help user to understand either in Visual Basic or Active Server Pages (ASP).
It also focuses on to develop an interface that attractive to user so that they like to
use this system to learn the programming. The methodology of this study is based on
System Development Life Cycle (SDLC). By doing the study on system analysis, it
help researcher for fully understand and developing the system. It also involves
designing the interface of the system according to interface and scripting. At the end
of the study, the researcher hope the system can help user in learning and studying
programming languages efficiently.


This study analyzed the operational characteristics of the reliability and maintainability of the Projection Spot Welding (PSW) machine in the automotive industry. The components of the machine were grouped into three sub-systems: electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic, and they were ordered into a hierarchical structural model for calculating reliability characteristics. The obtained maintenance lists and failure and repair data were studied and classified. Trend and serial correlation tests were carried out to select a proper modeling technique for each sub-system. Then, the reliability-maintainability model was constructed to estimate the failure behavior of the sub-systems, identify the best-fit distribution model, and calculate reliability characteristics. Finally, based on the calculated reliability characteristics, the preventive maintenance intervals for a different reliability level were calculated and requirements for increasing reliability were suggested. The analysis of the main structural sub-systems of the RSW machine showed that the hydraulic sub-system significantly affects the overall reliability level of the machine. However, the mean time to repair (MTTR) of the hydraulic sub-system is the lowest among other sub-systems. The analysis also found that the reliability of the electric and pneumatic sub-systems decreases by up to 50% after approximately 80h and 40h, respectively. The results of the study concluded that the reliability and maintainability analysis can improve the accuracy of preventive maintenance intervals and assess the reliability of each component of the RSW machine, which in turn can help reduce operating costs and extend the life of machine components.


INTRODUCTION: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a major and independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality irrespective of aetiology. Patients with ECG -LVH from any cause are at a greater risk for major cardiovascular complications including heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias, death following myocardial infarction, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction, sudden cardiac death, aortic root dilation, and stroke. Although echocardiography has become the gold standard for LVH detection in clinical practice, electrocardiography ECG remains widely used due to its simplicity and accessibility. This study is to determine the prevalence and correlations of ECG-LVH among adult population of a rural farming community in Rivers State, Nigeria.METHODS: A cross-sectional survey involving 539 adults. A questionnaire was administered to elicit socio-demographic data, prior knowledge of blood pressure/blood sugar status and family history of hypertension and diabetes. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were done in a standardized manner. Blood samples were taken for blood glucose and uric acid. Twelve lead surface electrocardiograms were recorded on all the subjects using a portable ECG machine. Data obtained was analysed using SPSS version 17. LVH was determined using Sokolow-Lyon voltage criteria Mv= SV1+RV5 (or V6 if larger).RESULTS: The prevalence of ECG-LVH by the Sokolow-Lyon criterion was 16.4% with a significantly higher prevalence in males than females (20.4 % versus 8.2%, p=0.001). There was high prevalence rate in the middle age and the elderly age group with the lowest rate seen in the young age group of 18-29 years in both sexes. The male gender, hypertension including both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and cigarette smoking were significantly correlated with LVH.CONCLUSION: The prevalence of ECG-LVH in this rural community of the study is high. The male gender, hypertension including both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and cigarette smoking are important variables found to be significantly correlated with the development of LVH in this study. This therefore calls for urgent need to tackle these modifiable risk factors amongst others elicited in this study while developing a more comprehensive health package for our rural dwellers.KEY WORDS: Prevalence, correlations, electrocardiographic-left ventricular hypertrophy, rural community.


Patricia Waugh, in Metafiction: the Theory and Practice of Self-Conscious Fiction,^ defines the metafictional novel in terms which are useful when considering Paulette Jiles' novel Sitting in the Club Car Drinking Rum and Karma-Kola {Club Car)} In simplest terms, metafiction is 'fictional writing which self-consciously and systematically draws attention to its status as an arteface in order to pose questions about the relationship between fiction and realit/ (p. 2). Jiles invites her audience to take part in the very process of her writing. We, as readers, are aware that Jiles' text is artifice. She is self-conscious about that text, the process of writing it, and the manner in which it appears on the printed page in book form. I would suggest that the appeal of Club Car lies, not only in its playfulness and humour, but also in the premium Jiles places on the role of the reader. Jiles allows the reader the same freedom which, as author, she demands for herself. We are asked to contemplate that which is being presented and, consequently, Jiles challenges traditional notions of fiction, fictional representation, and the employment of stereotypes. Through this text, the playfulness of which knows no bounds, Jiles subverts traditional forms of narrative fiction dislodging the critical consciousness of her audience in the process. We are forced to think about what we are reading, the manner in which it is presented to us, and what we expect from it. In her discussion of 'frames and framebreaking', Waugh suggests that 'each metafictional novel is a fictional Mythologies which, like Roland Barthes' work, aims to unsettle our convictions about the relative status of 'truth' and 'fiction' (p. 34). Moreover, the kind of fictional playfulness which occurs in Club Car provides us with a means of re-evaluating what Waugh refers to as 'the traditional procedures of communication and allows release from established patterns' (p. 36). An analysis of Jiles' text will provide evidence of how the reader is made aware of its metafictionality and how the text, as metafiction, disrupts the psychological, cultural, and historical assumptions we bring to our reading of a fictional work. This serial is available in Kunapipi: http://ro.uow.edu.au/kunapipi/vol11/iss2/14


The continuous technical progress of the smartphone built-in modules and embedded sensing techniques has created chances for context-aware automation and decision support in home environments. Studies in this area mainly focus on feasibility demonstrations of the emerging techniques and system architecture design that are applicable to the different use cases. It lacks service customization strategies tailoring the computing service to proactively satisfy users' expectations. This investigation aims to chart the challenges to take advantage of the dynamic varying context information, and provide solutions to customize the computing service to the contextual situations. This work presents a rule-based service customization strategy which employs a semantic distance-based rule matching method for context-aware service decision making and a Rough Set Theory-based rule generation method to supervise the service customization. The simulation study reveals the trend of the algorithms in time complexity with the number of rules and context items. A prototype smart home system is implemented based on smartphones and commercially available low-cost sensors and embedded electronics. Results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed strategy in handling the heterogeneous context for decision making and dealing with history context to discover the underlying rules. It shows great potential in employing the proposed strategy for context-aware automation and decision support in smart home applications.


Drug-induced encephalopathy is a disease entity often caused by impaired cerebral metabolism that is not attributed to structural brain lesions. However, some drug-induced encephalopathies can develop structural lesions and share other underlying pathophysiological mechanisms (table 2). Leading symptoms are acute or chronic disturbances of consciousness, brain function and personality changes with concomitant neurological symptoms such as asterixis, myoclonias, paresis or seizures (see table 3). Isoniazid-induced encephalopathy was one of the earliest descriptions of a drug-induced encephalopathy (Adams & White, 1965). Clinical symptoms depend on the type and severity of the drug-evoked encephalopathy. A well-described and frequently-reported drug-induced encephalopathy is valproic acid encephalopathy, first described in the late 1970s. This acute encephalopathy was characterized by altered behaviour, worsening seizure control and confusion. After a reduction in the valproate acid dose, the patient's symptoms resolved completely (Chadwick et al., 1979). Encephalopathies have been reported after consumption of several types of drugs as depicted below (table 1).


Reports have appeared calling attention to what has been termed primaquine resistance in Plasmodium vivax in several geographic areas. The possibility exists that primaquine tolerant strains (often referred to as the tropical zone type from the South Pacific and Southeast Asian regions characterized by early and frequent relapses) may have become widely disseminated to areas where they had not previously existed through the widespread population mobility that has characterized the last 50 years. The appearance in the relatively recent past of strains of P. vivax, particularly from the South Pacific area, that are resistant to the 4-aminoquinolines has added a new dimension to the resistance problem. While there seems to be little evidence to date of the existence of acquired primaquine resistance in P. vivax, the possibility of its emergence in the future can certainly not be ruled out, and its timely detection and confirmation will be most important, albeit quite difficult because of the relatively covert sites of drug effect. The occurrence of relapses in P. vivax after primaquine therapy would be assumed to be the most reliable indication of resistance. Reports of the sporontocidal or gametocytocidal activity of primaquine when used alone (i.e., without concomitant administration of an effective suppressive) against a P. vivax infection have been few and inconclusive. The establishment of baselines of this activity in P. vivax might be useful in detecting and evaluating primaquine resistance in this species.


Blogging has become the newest communication medium for creating a virtual community, a set of blogs linking back and forth to one another's postings, while discussing common topics. In this paper, we examine how communities can be discovered through interconnected blogs as a form of social hypertext [14]. We propose a method and model that detects structures of community in the social network of blogs by integrating McMillan and Chavis' sense of community [26] along with network analysis [8, 11]. From the model, we measure community in the blogs by aligning centrality measures from social network analysis [17] with measures of sense of community obtained using behavioural surveys. We then illustrate the use of this approach with a case study built around an independent music blog. The strength of community measures were found to be well aligned with the network structure, based on centrality measures. Even though the sample size from the case study was small, once the structure and measure of communities are calibrated according to our social hypertext model, communities can be automatically found and measured for other blogs without the need for behavioural surveys.


The original aim of this project (on which the thesis is based) was to
design an instrument that would measure stress in steel nondestructively
by means of magnetic measurements, using the known fact that the
magnetic properties of most steels are significantly affected by stress. It
soon became apparent that there was a paucity of relevant magnetic theory,
and so the project was widened to include a (mostly experimental) study of
the effect of stress on the magnetisation curves of mild steel. These were
measured for magnetisation parallel and perpendicular to the stress and for
tensile and compressive stresses. The highest sensitivity to stress occurs
on the steepest part of the magnetisation curve, which is where the stressinstrument
is used, and is also where the theory is least satisfactory. Thus
another aim is to relate magnetisation measurements and theory at moderate
field strengths.
The thesis is in three parts: I A review of experimental magnetic stress analysis, for the period 1950-
1980; work by about 12 individuals or groups is included.
II An account of the author's experimental results, both for the
development of the instrument to measure stress (called the Rotation Rig)
and also for the more basic measurements of magnetic properties of steel
under stress. Some work is also included on the effect of plastic strain and
on the relation between Barkhausen noise and the rotation rig results.
III A review of magnetomechanical theory, including a contribution from
the author; theories or concepts that have some relevance are by Brown,
Goodenough, Ginsburg, Watson, and Jiles and Atherton.
The first aim, that of designing an instrument to measure stress, has
been achieved. Strictly, only the differences in principal stresses, and
their directions, can be measured. The results are analagous to photoelastic
modeling but working on the actual steel instead of a plastic model. The rotation rig is cheap, quick, and convenient to use, and has an error of
about lOMPa in optimum conditions.
iii
The . second aim, that of producing a theory to explain quantitatively
the effect of stress on magnetisation at moderate magnetic fields, has not
been achieved. In fact the complexity of the magnetic behaviour of steel
makes any theory likely to be rather complicated. However, the symmetry of
the experimental results on mild steel are explained theoretically by the
author.
Many of the measurements, especially those with biaxial stresses, have
not been made before, and are a framework on which to base further
theory.


Slow slip events and associated non‐volcanic tremors are sensitive to oscillatory stress perturbations, such as those induced by tides or seismic surface waves. Slow slip events and tremors are thought to occur near the seismic‐aseismic transition regions of active faults, where the differencea − b = ∂μ/∂lnVbetween the sensitivity of friction to slip rate and fault state, which characterizes the stability of slip, can be arbitrarily small. We investigate the response of a velocity‐strengthening fault region to oscillatory loads through analytical approximations and spring‐slider simulations. We find that fault areas that are near velocity‐neutral at steady‐state, i.e., ∂μ / ∂lnV ≈ 0, are highly sensitive to cyclic loads: oscillatory stress perturbations in a certain range of periods induce large transient slip velocities. These aseismic transients can in turn trigger tremor activity with enhanced oscillatory modulation. In this sensitive regime, a harmonic Coulomb stress perturbation of amplitude ΔS causes a slip rate perturbation varying as eΔS/(a−b)σ, where σ is the effective normal stress. This result is in agreement with observations of the relationship between tremor rate and amplitude of stress perturbations for tremors triggered by passing seismic waves. Our model of tremor modulation mediated by transient creep does not require extremely high pore fluid pressure and provides a framework to interpret the sensitivity and phase of tidally modulated tremors observed in Parkfield and Shikoku in terms of spatial variations of friction parameters and background slip rate.


This thesis reports on the effects of stress management on long-term pain patients and on a healthy sample from IT and media companies; two groups that are commonly exposed to high stress levels. Even if there are important differences between these two groups, there are similarities such as the necessity for effective stress management. Stress-related and musculoskeletal disorders are major public health issues in most industrialized countries and are expected to become increasingly common during the coming decades. The pathogenic plastic changes in the CNS and immune system caused by long-term stress pose severe burdens to individuals, organizations as well as society in general. Thus, stress management may be essential to maintain and improve long-term health and wellbeing and to proactively counteract stress-related ill-health.This thesis is based on four papers: Paper I assessed the effects of massage as compared to relaxation tapes in long-term pain patients. Paper II validated some of the Visual Analogue Scale questions that were to be used in paper III and IV. Paper III assessed the effects on mental and physical wellbeing and biological stress markers from a web-based stress management and health promotion tool. Paper IV aimed at mapping out predictors for trends (improvement vs. worsening) in self-rated health (SRH) over a period of one year.The overall results indicate that individually focused stress management interventions in long-term pain patients as well as on a healthy, working population may have short-term beneficial effects on psychological and physiological stress, health and wellbeing. On a long-term basis the beneficial changes seem to revert. In paper four, it is indicated that the stress management intervention is not a significant predictor of long-term changes in SRH. Rather, other factors such as health perception, sleep quality and sense of coherence predicted improvement in SRH over time.


Abstract Models of hydrocarbon reservoirs are often used to support management decisions about field development and redevelopment. Typical modelling workflows result in a reservoir and simulation model with a property distribution generally comparable to the well data, and this is often considered sufficient. The current study tests this assumption on the fluvial reservoir in the Upper Lunde Member of the Snorre Field where sedimentary heterogeneities at multiple scales influence reservoir properties such as porosity and permeability. This work shows that, by describing and modelling the sedimentary heterogeneities at several length scales in the reservoir, and by using a flow-based local upscaling method, the resulting porosity and permeability distribution at the scale of the reservoir and simulation model are significantly different from porosity and permeability distribution at the well data scale; the variance tends to reduce and, for permeability, the distribution type is changed from log–normal to normal. Reservoir property distributions based on multiscale modelling, sensitive to the representative elementary volumes for permeability, and upscaled in a realistic sedimentological framework, give a better representation of the effective permeability architecture.


The article presents essays from the configuration workshop held in August 2006 as part of ECAI in Riva del Garda, Italy. The essays address reasoning techniques, user interaction, business integration, and finally presents a practical case study. These essays aim to give the readers insight into current trends and challenges in configuration. If you order a computer system online, you likely have the opportunity to customize it to your individual needs: you can choose from different CPUs and main memory sizes, select the appropriate graphics card and hard drive, and so on. However, if the ordering system doesn't accept your configuration as is, you'll have to modify it. For example. a large LCD screen might require a special graphics card, or the CPU you've chosen might require a special main board, With more complex products, such as cars, the situation gets even more complicated - for example, you can choose from hundreds of equipment options when ordering a Mercedes, resulting in millions of possible combinations. Product configuration, the business process that supports these choices, offers both opportunities and challenges


In this paper, we present how to use the Constructive Scrapbook to integrate expression and analysis and propose that its design is effective for learning. Constructive Scrapbook is a computer application in which the user arranges compositions of pictures in a two-dimensional space, makes various compositions, and switches them freely. Although subjective expression and objective analysis are treated as different activities in the educational world today, we have designed a tool that handles both types of activities simultaneously through constructive learning. Our objective is to have children and ordinary persons use various facets to analyze their expressions and then create new expressions.We held a workshop using the Constructive Scrapbook. The results show that the tool has the potential to make the user analyze expressions, extract significances to consider them deeply, and then create new expressions.


Many plants that bear hidden or recessed floral nectar experience nectar robbing, the removal of nectar by a floral visitor through holes pierced in the corolla. Although robbing can reduce plant reproductive success, many studies fail to find such effects. We outline three mechanistic hypotheses that can explain when interactions between plants and nectar‐robbers should be commensal rather than antagonistic: the non‐discrimination (pollinators do not avoid robbed flowers), visitor prevalence (robber visitation is rare relative to pollinator visitation), and pollen saturation (stigmas receive sufficient pollen to fertilize all ovules with one or very few pollinator visits) hypotheses. We then explore these mechanisms in the North American subalpine, bumble bee‐pollinated and nectar‐robbed plant Corydalis caseana (Fumariaceae). We first confirmed that the effects of nectar robbing on female reproductive success were neutral in C. caseana. We then tested the three mechanisms underlying these neutral effects using a combination of observational studies and experiments. We found evidence for all three mechanisms. First, consistent with the non‐discrimination hypothesis, pollinators failed to discriminate against experimentally robbed flowers or inflorescences even though naturally robbed flowers offered significantly lower nectar rewards than unrobbed flowers. Second, C. caseana was more commonly visited by pollinators than by nectar robbers, in accordance with the visitor prevalence hypothesis. Third, stigmas of unvisited flowers as well as those visited once by pollinators were saturated with pollen, with all stigmas bearing pollen loads several orders of magnitude higher than the number of ovules per fruit, consistent with the pollen saturation hypothesis. Our investigation of the mechanisms driving the commensal outcome of nectar robbing in this system deepens our understanding of the ecology of nectar robbing and contributes to a more general understanding of the variation in the outcomes of interactions between species.


Water is becoming increasingly scarce and it is important to find methods to reduce water consumption. It is a well-known fact that in most run-of-the-river irrigation projects, the water demands seldom satisfactorily match the erratic flows in the river. In large-scale irrigation schemes like the Tanjung Karang Rice Irrigation Scheme, allocation of water resources is more difficult due to the variability of water use, typical irrigation supply and the pattern of water availability. Due to unreliable water supply in the absence of storage reservoir for the scheme, there is a need for daily prediction and allocation of the available water resources equitably and efficiently to improve the system management. A study was attempted to develop Geographical Information System (GIS) integrated with water allocation model for ensuring equitable supply and efficient use of available water resources.

A mathematical model was developed for the equitable and allowable water delivery through tertiary canals. The relationship was also developed for determining the available daily discharge for irrigation supply at Tengi River Headworks (TRH) in the main canal with respect to the upstream discharge at the Bernam River Headworks (BRH). The discharge variation regression equation was used to compute discharges downstream using known discharge records at the upstream point. It was found to be reliable for estimating daily available discharges for irrigation supply at the downstream point. New performance indicators were also developed to evaluate the irrigation delivery performance. The crop-water relationship model was developed based on different water allocation rules under field condition.

A water balance model was studied. The model is able to determine the crop water requirements of rice at specific periods. The Penman-Monteith method was applied for estimating daily reference crop evapotranspiration. Autoregressive model was applied to forecast reference crop evapotranspiration and water diverted to the irrigation system at the upstream of the scheme since daily records were not available. A First-order Markov chain model was used to simulate the occurrence of rainfall, and a skewed normal distribution was applied to fit the amount of rainfall for a rainy day. Results obtained showed that these stochastic models could satisfactorily be used to generate daily records for the area.

A comprehensive modelling framework was developed for equitable water allocation in tertiary units considering the optimal utilisation of limited water resources as the season advances. It was embedded into the user-friendly interactive tool known as Rice Irrigation Management Information System (RIMIS). ArcObjects and Visual Basic for Application (VBA) programming languages were used to develop RIMIS inside the powerful ArcGIS 8.3 software. RIMIS is comprised of six modules, several sub-modules and functions. The "Detailed Scheme Information" module describes a new framework for creating generic graphical user interfaces with ArcObjects and VBA for database access of spatial and non-spatial data recorded in a geodatabase. It provides appropriate information interactively for irrigation engineers or water managers towards solving the irrigation water management issues as the season advances. The "Equitable Irrigation Deliveries" module simulates irrigation deliveries incorporated with allowable and design irrigation supply based on the tertiary canal's command areas, stochastic daily rainfall and evapotranspiration and available water resources for irrigation supply. It allows the manager to enhance the decision-making for delivering the right amount of water to the fields for the upcoming irrigation period. The "Optimisation of Irrigation System" module is intended for optimal utilisation of available water resources through proportional allocation to all irrigable areas. The simulation model was tried with different parameters and criteria using optimal allocation policy. The "Monitoring Irrigation Deliveries" module gives information on the uniformity of water distribution and the shortfall or excess; and what decisions to adopt for the next day. The "Post-Season Analysis" module uses daily or periodic information to evaluate the season's irrigation management performance. The "Hydro-climatologic Simulation Module" integrates several sub-modules for hydrological simulation models.

The RIMIS is a new development in Malaysia. It was evaluated for its decision-making capability on equitable water allocation along with trade-offs in water use by the scheme for two irrigation seasons in 2003 and 2004. The RIMIS was found to be practically acceptable and an effective tool for providing a more equitable distribution of available water resources for irrigation supply or more crops with less water.


Background Administration of antineoplastic agents is a complex process due to the potential risks for patients. The "five rights" should be accepted as a goal of the medication process: the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route, and the right time. Purpose To describe the process used to reduce safety-related errors by using portable data assistants (PDAs) and barcode scanners that ensure the five rights are completed. In addition, we aimed to know the degree of safety perceived by nurses and patients during administration procedures. Material and methods The medication process begins with the review of clinical information and prescription, then it continues with the pharmaceutical review, drug preparation and drug dispensing. Once the information is introduced into an Oncofarm system, a unique barcode is assigned to identify each treatment with each patient and a bracelet is printed for the patients. Nurses read each barcode using their PDA where the information is displayed helping to prevent errors related with the five rights. Opinion survey questionnaires were handed out to 50 patients and 10 nurses to find out how they feel about drug safety. Results Since the start of the use of a barcode system in November 2009 to July 2014 a total of 58,948 treatment regimens (91,159 drugs) have been administered to 4,560 patients. Regarding questionnaires, 95% of patients answered they felt totally safe when asked about the use of the barcode system. Among nurses, almost every aspect of the service provided was rated good or very good and 80% considered it a valuable tool to prevent medication errors. The increased perception of safety is considered the major advantage of the system. Conclusion The development of the bar code system proved to be a valuable tool to improve patients' and nurses' perception of drug administration safety. References and/or acknowledgements American Society of Clinical Oncology/Oncology Nursing Society Chemotherapy Administration Safety Standards. No conflict of interest.


Background: Food insecurity in Canada's Indigenous population continues to be an urgent public health issue, as prevalence is much higher for Indigenous Canadians than nonIndigenous Canadians. Objective: To examine the associations between social determinants of health, Indigenousspecific factors and food insecurity among off-reserve Indigenous adults aged 20 and older in Canada. Methods: Data from the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey were used in this analysis. A hierarchical logistic regression model was run to examine relationships between social determinants of health, Indigenous-specific factors and food insecurity. Results: Younger age, Inuit identity, low income, educational attainment less than high school, lack of employment, household crowding, lone-parent households and having family members who attended residential schools were major risk factors for household food insecurity. Conclusion: Food insecurity policies and initiatives should focus on the most vulnerable groups within the Indigenous population. Future research should address limitations of the current household food security measure.


We investigate two methods for using daily stock returns to forecast, and update forecasts of, quarterly real output growth. Both methods aggregate daily returns in some manner to form a single stock market variable. We consider (i) augmenting the quarterly AR(1) model for real output growth with daily returns using a nonparametric Mixed Data Sampling (MIDAS) setting, and (ii) augmenting the quarterly AR(1) model with the most recent r -day returns as an additional predictor. We find that our mixed frequency models perform well in forecasting real output growth.


—Brain tumors are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. It is a challenge to solve brain tumor segmentation and classification using only traditional medical image processing. a difficult and complex task In fact, medical research suggests that manual classification with human help may result in inaccurate prognosis and diagnosis. This is primarily owing to the similarities and contrasts between normal tissues and malignancies. Recently, deep learning approaches have demonstrated promising outcomes. The purpose of this study is to develop an effective strategy for identifying brain tumors using MRI that is based on transfer learning. This article employs the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and popular deep learning models to classify a brain tumor diagnosis system. Using pre-trained models such as Efficientb0, DenseNet121, and Densenet169. For the prediction of a brain tumor, the accuracy is achieved at 93% through CNN. Deep learning models have achieved accuracy efficientb0 of 48%, DenseNet121 96%, and DenseNet169 98% these models are Ensemble, and a 98 % accuracy level is attained Experimental findings suggest that an Ensemble of deep characteristics can significantly increase performance.


The research was based on the 2001-03 field experiment set up on Luvisol, of a very good rye soil complex, IIIb soil valuation class. The soil was slightly acidic in reaction, average richness in available forms of phosphorus, potassium and magnesium as well as low richness in the content of sulphates (VI). The research demonstrated that the sulphur fertilisation applied showed, in general, a slight effect on the content and equivalent proportions of macroelements in oat grain. The fertilizers (ammonium sulphate (VI), potassium sulphate (VI) and Wigor S) applied, irrespective of the sulphur form and dose, in some of the research years there was shown a slight decrease as compared with the non-fertilisation treatment, the contents of phosphorus, potassium and calcium. The content of magnesium, especially sulphate sulphur (VI) in oat grain, as affected by fertilizers containing sulphur, in general, gets increased. The elementary sulphur form found in Wigor S made it possible to reach slightly higher contents of phosphorus, calcium and magnesium than its sulphate (VI) form than the one used in a form of K2SO4 and (NH4)2SO4 however, in general, these differences were not significant. Neither were there identified any differences between the effect of the 20 and 40 kg S∙ha-1 doses on the content of the macroelements.


Healthcare services have engaged in domestic and international mergers in recent years in order to match the macroeconomic trends operating worldwide and to cope with the current global financial crisis. 'Vision for Change' (Department of Health and Children 2006) highlights the importance of closing all psychiatric institutions in an effort to enhance a community-based model of care and to modernise mental health service infrastructure. Therefore, considering acute mental health services will continue to merge in the near future to facilitate the closure of institutions, the views of individuals involved in a merger process are significant. This study explored the 'how' and 'why' issues that occurred during the merger of two acute mental health services in the south-east of Ireland.
A case study approach was employed, whereby service providers (n=30) involved in the merger of two acute mental health services were purposively recruited. Participants were interviewed using a semi-structured framework to gain an in-depth understanding of the 'how' and 'why' issues. Interview data was entered into computer aided qualitative data analysis software, 'NVivo 9' and analysed using Braun & Clarke's (2006) guide to thematic analysis.
'How' and 'why' issues were identified as they related to: (1) uncertainty and communication, (2) loss of familiarity, and (3) cultural differences between health professionals and senior management. Uncertainty emerged as a key finding and appeared to be exacerbated as a result of 'how' information was communicated during the initial stages of the merger. The loss of familiarity emerged throughout the merger process, as participants faced uncertain futures and desired the 'old' mental health service. The findings also indicated cultural differences between health professionals and senior management in terms of an occupational divide. Overall, the findings suggest that health professionals assume a significant role during the early stages of a merger process, and that this role can impact the pace of the merger process.

Keywords: organisational issues, psychiatric service, amalgamation, mergers, policy, organisational change, organisational culture.


Ambient air pollution from ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with premature mortality. Future concentrations of these air pollutants will be driven by natural and anthropogenic emissions and by climate change. Using anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions projected in the four Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCPs), the ACCMIP ensemble of chemistry-climate models simulated future concentrations of ozone and PM2.5 at selected decades between 2000 and 2100. We use output from the ACCMIP ensemble, together with projections of future population and baseline mortality rates, to quantify the human premature mortality impacts of future ambient air pollution. Future air pollution-related premature mortality in 2030, 2050 and 2100 is estimated for each scenario and for each model using a health impact function based on changes in concentrations of ozone and PM2.5 relative to 2000 and projected future population and baseline mortality rates. Additionally, the global mortality burden of ozone and PM2.5 in 2000 and each future period is estimated relative to 1850 concentrations, using present-day and future population and baseline mortality rates. The change in future ozone concentrations relative to 2000 is associated with excess global premature mortality in some scenarios/periods, particularly in RCP8.5 in 2100 (316 thousand deaths/year), likely driven by the large increase in methane emissions and by the net effect of climate change projected in this scenario, but it leads to considerable avoided premature mortality for the three other RCPs. However, the global mortality burden of ozone markedly increases from 382,000 (121,000 to 728,000) deaths/year in 2000 to between 1.09 and 2.36 million deaths/year in 2100, across RCPs, mostly due to the effect of increases in population and baseline mortality rates. PM2.5 concentrations decrease relative to 2000 in all scenarios, due to projected reductions in emissions, and are associated with avoided premature mortality, particularly in 2100: between -2.39 and -1.31 million deaths/year for the four RCPs. The global mortality burden of PM2.5 is estimated to decrease from 1.70 (1.30 to 2.10) million deaths/year in 2000 to between 0.95 and 1.55 million deaths/year in 2100 for the four RCPs, due to the combined effect of decreases in PM2.5 concentrations and changes in population and baseline mortality rates. Trends in future air pollution-related mortality vary regionally across scenarios, reflecting assumptions for economic growth and air pollution control specific to each RCP and region. Mortality estimates differ among chemistry-climate models due to differences in simulated pollutant concentrations, which is the greatest contributor to overall mortality uncertainty for most cases assessed here, supporting the use of model ensembles to characterize uncertainty. Increases in exposed population and baseline mortality rates of respiratory diseases magnify the impact on premature mortality of changes in future air pollutant concentrations and explain why the future global mortality burden of air pollution can exceed the current burden, even where air pollutant concentrations decrease.


These essays are designed to overlap in the well-tested and established fields and branches of law dealing with contemporary issues which lawyers, diplomats, political scientists, politicians and research scholars should be familiar with. The two volumes of essays are divided into seven parts. Volume one, entitled "Contemporary International Law and Human Rights" focuses essentially on subjects relating to international law and is divided into three sections. Part one of the first volume encompasses topics in international law such as: the codification of international law, evidence in the procedure of the international court of justice, and the validity of international law. The title of the second volume is "African Law and Comparative Public Law". The essays include topics of interest in the Africal legal system which has its roots in the British CCommon LAw system. The last section addresses constitutional law.


Extracted from text ... Tervern Jaftha, SAQI
acting managing director,
firstname.lastname@example.com
Quality is moving forward
Each year SAQI spearheads the countrywide drive
for National Quality Week (NQW) that culminates
in November. Traditionally, NQW is timed to coincide
with World Quality Day which this year
falls on 9 November; a day on which South Africa
joins the rest of the developed and developing
world in celebrating and recognising the value
quality has in the national economy and our daily
lives.
During NQW many businesses, big and small,
universities and government departments plan
their own in-house events to create awareness of
quality. They involve their own ..


3D printing is a revolutionary technology for the consumer and industrial markets. As the technology for 3D printing has expanded, the need for multi-materials that support fused deposition modeling and other forms of additive manufacturing is increasing. 3D printing filaments infused with carbon nanotubes and graphene are now commercially available, with the promise of producing conductive composites. This chapter explores some of the research, products, and challenges involved in bringing the next generation of functional printing materials to the consumer market.


The Fibonacci dimension ${\rm fdim}(G)$ of a graph $G$ is introduced as the smallest integer $f$ such that $G$ admits an isometric embedding into $\Gamma_f$, the $f$-dimensional Fibonacci cube. We give bounds on the Fibonacci dimension of a graph in terms of the isometric and lattice dimension, provide a combinatorial characterization of the Fibonacci dimension using properties of an associated graph, and establish the Fibonacci dimension for certain families of graphs. From the algorithmic point of view, we prove that it is NP-complete to decide whether ${\rm fdim}(G)$ equals the isometric dimension of $G$, and show that no algorithm to approximate ${\rm fdim}(G)$ has approximation ratio below $741/740$, unless P$=$NP. We also give a $(3/2)$-approximation algorithm for ${\rm fdim}(G)$ in the general case and a $(1+\varepsilon)$-approximation algorithm for simplex graphs.


This research focuses on the reconstruction of war-damaged villages in Lebanon destroyed during the recent civil war (1975-1991). Its main aim is to understand the complexity of reconstruction through a detailed case study of one village namely; al-Burjain. In contrast to top down approaches to reconstruction, this study presents an approach which extends beyond looking at physical aspects to socio-economic, cultural and political issues. It also attempts to gain insights into the conditions of the community prior to disaster, as well as the new situation which emerged after the destruction of the village. It develops an understanding of the conditions of the people, and their needs and perceptions about reconstruction. The research takes a qualitative approach because of its flexibility and appropriateness to the inquiry and practical conditions in the field. It is based on dynamic and interactive discussions with the community under study. Three methods are employed: discussion with key figures, detailed family case histories and a survey using semi-structured interviews of households. They reflect different degrees of focus on complexity of reconstruction and the conditions of the people. The village case study (micro) is discussed and evaluated in three contexts (macro). Firstly, it deals with the context of reconstruction after disaster in theoretical and conceptual terms and with reference to practical experiences (Algeria and Iran). Secondly, it is located within the conditions of the country in which there are increased channels of contacts and communications between rural and urban areas. Thirdly, it discusses the development of rural areas in Lebanon from traditional times to the beginning of the war in order to draw lessons and to identify problems, possibilities and obstacles which could be helpful in planning for meaningful reconstruction. The findings of the research cover two main part. The first part establishes principles and recommendations for the reconstruction of the vifiage studied. In this sense, it translates the insights gained into practical solutions. It proposes a way of capitalising on people's initiatives, maximizing the use of available resources, to solve existing problems and improve conditions. It is a developmental process. The second part draws an analytical framework which can be used to study similar cases. This framework is a generalised basis upon which the issues related to the complexity of post-disaster reconstruction can be examined and dealt with. Finally, this research formulates theoretical perspectives which will inform professional intervention and decision making in reconstruction after disaster.


Detailed monitoring of the performance of a two-phase beach nourishment project has provided valuable information on beach fill behavior and long-term response of a beach fill to prevailing coastal processes. The Atlantic Coast of Maryland (Ocean City) Shoreline Protection Project began with placement of a recreational beach by the State of Maryland during the summer of 1988. Within three months of placement, four storms impacted the area. Recovery was monitored for an additional two years. In the summers of 1990 and 1991, additional fill material including a storm protection dune was placed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a second phase for the purpose of storm protection. Within a year of the first placement, two large storms impacted the project. Initial recovery was also documented. Project monitoring included 12 profile survey lines, sediment collection, and placement of two dedicated wave gages. The beach nourishment project performed well in protecting the beachfront infrastructure of Ocean City from storm damage. The fill material was eroded from the foreshore after the major storms of 1989 and 1991/92, but could be accounted for in the nearshore between the shoreline and closure. Two representative profile survey locations show the differential behavior of the fill controlled by nearshore bathymetric variability along the project length. The 37th Street location represents the flatter, bar/trough type profile typical of the southern portion of the fill. Localized `hot spots' of erosion occurred in areas where a shoal system attaches to the shoreface, as shown at 81st Street. The erosion pattern associated with these shoals was probably produced by wave convergence and divergence over these features. Analysis of sediment characteristics of samples collected during the State fill project showed the influence of the fill material on the native beach and the change in sorting after the passage of four storms. Composites were constructed of the foreshore and nearshore samples to account for cross-shore variability in grain size distribution. The coarsest foreshore and finest nearshore composite fill material was found in the northern end of the project, with the opposite found to the south. Storm impact placed coarse foreshore lag material at the erosional 81st Street location and finer material at the more stable 37th Street location. After 9 months, the fill material was taking on the characteristics of the pre-fill native beach.


Space is important. In this paper we use the global financial crisis as an exogenous shock to the German labor market to elucidate the spatial nexus between crime and unemployment. Our contribution is twofold: first, we lay down a parsimonious spatial labor market model with search frictions, criminal opportunities, and, unlike earlier analyses, productivity shocks which link criminal engagement with employment status. Second, we seek empirical support using data on the 402 German regions and years 2009 - 2010, in a setting that not only allows for crime spatial multipliers but also circumvents reverse causality by exploiting exogenous changes in unemployment due to the crisis. As predicted by our theory, the destruction of the lowest productivity matches, measured by increases in unemployment rates, has a significant impact on pure property crime (housing burglary and theft of/from motor vehicles) and street crime. The analysis offers important implications for local government policy.


ABSTRACT The application of the name Hexalobus jussiaeanus Baill. has remained unclear since its original publication in 1868. The type, and sole basis of the species, is a specimen in the Jussieu Herbarium in Paris that lacks any information on its origins. The Jussieu specimen is found to be a collection of Uvaria narum (Dunal) Blume (Annonaceae), a species from southern India and Sri Lanka. Hexalobus jussiaeanus should therefore be considered a junior synonym of Uvaria narum.


Background. Early childhood is often to be the most important developmental phase throughout one's lifespan. Many studies have demonstrated that the socio-economic deprivation of a household negatively affects the neo- and perinatal health of children born into these households. This paper examines to what extent the socio-economic household background – measured by a poverty index and maternal education - influences birth characteristics and the physical development of young children during the first three years of their life. Methods. The administrative IKAROS dataset registers longitudinal data on the development of nearly all children in Flanders. The study uses data of children born between 2006 – 2009 (N = 291.230), which covers N=2.949.169 check-ups during the first three years of life. Physical health is operationalized by 2 parameters : weight-for-age and height-for-age. Poverty-risk is measured as an index, based on 6 household deprivation indicators : income, education, employment, stimulation, housing and health status. Results. First, maternal education better predicts differences in both weight- and height development than the poverty index does. Second, despite that differences are relatively small in present-day society, the size of the differences is more or less consistent during the measurement period. Third, the weight development of children of low-educated mothers is during the first six months a little retarded. From then on, these children overcompensate with higher weight-for-age z-scores than children of higher educated mothers. Discussion. Despite all initiatives in Flanders to reduce the effects of socio-economic inequalities on child development, a social gradient is still observable in the physical development of young children. As health problems early in life may be predictors of health status later in life, monitoring of all children from the conception on must remain a policy priority.


A brief overview of research to date on word games in general, and crossword puzzle solution algorithms in particular, is presented. An algorithm which is easy to implement and is highly suited for PC work-stations is presented. An implementation of this algorithm is demonstrated to produce dramatic reductions of the size of the search trees traversed by specific crossword puzzle implementations.


We introduce the notion of additive units, or `addits', of a pointed Arveson system, and demonstrate their usefulness through several applications. By a pointed Arveson system we mean a spatial Arveson system with a fixed normalised reference unit. We show that the addits form a Hilbert space whose codimension-one subspace of `roots' is isomorphic to the index space of the Arveson system, and that the addits generate the type I part of the Arveson system. Consequently the isomorphism class of the Hilbert space of addits is independent of the reference unit. The addits of a pointed inclusion system are shown to be in natural correspondence with the addits of the generated pointed product system. The theory of amalgamated products is developed using addits and roots, and an explicit formula for the amalgamation of pointed Arveson systems is given, providing a new proof of its independence of the particular reference units. (This independence justifies the terminology `spatial product' of spatial Arveson systems). Finally a cluster construction for inclusion subsystems of an Arveson system is introduced and we demonstrate its correspondence with the action of the Cantor--Bendixson derivative in the context of the random closed set approach to product systems due to Tsirelson and Liebscher.


In this article, we study isomorphisms between complements of irreducible
curves in the projective plane $\mathbb{P}^2$, over an arbitrary algebraically
closed field. Of particular interest are rational unicuspidal curves. We prove
that if there exists a line that intersects a unicuspidal curve $C \subset
\mathbb{P}^2$ only in its singular point, then any other curve whose complement
is isomorphic to $\mathbb{P}^2 \setminus C$ must be projectively equivalent to
$C$. This generalizes a result of H. Yoshihara who proved this result over the
complex numbers. Moreover, we study properties of multiplicity sequences of
irreducible curves that imply that any isomorphism between the complements of
these curves extends to an automorphism of $\mathbb{P}^2$. Using these results,
we show that two irreducible curves of degree $\leq 7$ have isomorphic
complements if and only if they are projectively equivalent. Finally, we
describe new examples of irreducible projectively non-equivalent curves of
degree $8$ that have isomorphic complements.


Temperature is one of many important environmental variables that can impact the long-term performance, strength, and deformation characteristics of many man-made construction materials, including geosynthetics. The functional engineering properties of these materials must remain within acceptable limits during their service life to ensure that the overall design and performance are acceptable. In the case of geosynthetics used in landfills and other applications, laboratory interface shear tests are performed under standard test conditions, including temperature. Information emerging today shows that geosynthetic interfaces (i.e., in landfill liner applications) experience elevated temperatures resulting from exothermic reactions occurring in the waste body, amongst other factors. To this end, the field conditions at elevated temperatures should also be simulated in the laboratory during physical/mechanical laboratory tests in order for researchers to better understand in situ functional engineering properties and operational performance of manmade geo-construction materials. For this purpose, a temperature-controlled chamber was designed and developed to allow the shear behavior of geosynthetic–geosynthetic and soil–geosynthetic interfaces to be evaluated at different temperatures. This paper describes both the development and the validation of the test system. The results of experimental investigations are presented to illustrate how the shear behavior of interfaces between nonwoven polypropylene geotextile and smooth and/or textured high density polyethylene geomembrane, as well as those between rounded and/or angular sand and geomembranes, change with temperature. The results provide insight into the importance of being able to independently control this variable during mechanical testing in the laboratory.


A new experimental technique to measure the density of a high atomic number gas at an interface has been developed and demonstrated. It is based on the absorption of X-rays by the high atomic number gas, and it was implemented in a vertical square shock tube for the study of shock-accelerated air/xenon interfaces. These were prepared by retracting a metal plate initially separating the two gases, prior to the release of the shock wave. Thus the interfaces were all of initial finite thickness. Interfaces of two types, quasi-sinusoidal and nominally flat, were examined. Object of study were the amplitude of large wavelength (25 - 100 mm) perturbations on the interface, and the thickness of the interface. An integral definition for the interface mean line (proposed in a previous numerical work at GALCIT) was adopted; a new integral definition for the interface thickness was proposed, making it feasible to study for the first time the thickness of quasi sinusoidal interfaces. Experiments were performed to image interfaces having interacted with the incident shock, the incident and the reflected shock, or a series of weak waves reverberating between the interface and the shock tube end wall. The results for the growth rates of the amplitudes were compared against a model based on the linear theory: The measured values are larger than the predicted ones in the case when the interface only interacts with the incident and the first reflected shocks. They are smaller than the theoretical ones in the case of multiple reverberations. The interface thickness exhibits essentially no growth upon interaction with the incident shock. The interaction of the reflected shock with the turbulent boundary layer behind the incident one generates random acoustical disturbances which reach the interface and cause the subsequent thickness growth. The thickness growth rates of nominally flat interfaces are larger than those previously found at GALCIT in a schlieren visualization experiment, in the case of two shock interactions. They are smaller in the case of multiple interactions. In the case of two shock interactions, wall vortices generated by the interaction of the reflected shock with the boundary layer behind the incident one severely affected the measurements. A correction was proposed to account for this effect in the measurements of the interface thickness. The need remains for a different experimental technique, capable of eliminating these adverse effects altogether.


Summary. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical accuracy of antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) specificities both individually and/or in combination, in a wide cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in an attempt to identify a panel of tests that may provide the best accuracy for diagnosing antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Patients and Methods:This study included 230 patients (218 women, mean age 42.7 ± 11.9 years, mean disease duration 12.2 ± 8.7 years), all fulfilling the 1982 criteria for SLE. All patients were tested for lupus anticoagulant (LA), anti-cardiolipin (aCL), anti-β 2glycoprotein I (antiβ2GPI), solid phase anti-prothrombin (aPT), anti-phosphatidylserine/prothrombin (aPS/PT), and antiphosphatidylethanolamine (aPE) antibodies. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were calculated. The diagnostic accuracy for each combination of tests was assessed by ROC and their area under the curve analysis as well as by the Youden's index (YI). Results:Testing for six aPL derived 23 possible combinations of results. Among them, LA + anti-β 2GPI + aPS/PT had the best diagnostic accuracy for APS as a whole and individually for both thrombosis and pregnancy loss (AUC 0.712, OR 3.73 [95% CI 1.82–5.38],P = 0.0001, YI = 0.32 and AUC 0.709, OR 3.75 [95% CI 2.13– 6.62], P = 0.0001, YI = 0.37 and AUC 0.677, OR 4.82 [95% CI 2.17–10.72], P = 0.0007, YI = 0.38, respectively) and the best specificity when compared with all the other obtainable combination of tests. Triple positivity for LA + anti-β2GPI + aPS/PT was more strongly associated with clinical events (thrombosis and/or PL) when compared with double or single positivity (OR 23.2 [95% CI 2.57–46.2] vs. OR 7.3 [95% CI 2.21–25.97], OR 5.7 [95% CI 2.12–17.01] or OR 3.11 [95% CI 1.56–7.8] for single positivity for LA, aPS/PT and anti-β2GPI, respectively). Conclusions:Combining LA, anti-β 2GPI and aPS/PT improves the diagnostic power and helps in stratifying the risk for each patient, according to their aPL profile.


HIV integrase is the enzyme responsible for inserting the viral DNA into the host chromosome; it is essential for HIV replication. The crystal structure of the catalytically active core domain (residues 50 to 212) of HIV-1 integrase was determined at 2.5 A resolution. The central feature of the structure is a five-stranded beta sheet flanked by helical regions. The overall topology reveals that this domain of integrase belongs to a superfamily of polynucleotidyl transferases that includes ribonuclease H and the Holliday junction resolvase RuvC. The active site region is identified by the position of two of the conserved carboxylate residues essential for catalysis, which are located at similar positions in ribonuclease H. In the crystal, two molecules form a dimer with a extensive solvent-inaccessible interface of 1300 A2 per monomer.


Few moments are as devastating as when one hears a diagnosis of cancer, and one out of three Americans will hear this diagnosis in their lifetimes. In this book, Jann Aldredge-Clanton brings a perspective from a theology of hope for people struggling with cancer. She believes that in the midst of a frightening illness, our spiritual task is to reunderstand our life story in light of the sacred story of God's love in the world. This book is full of practical insights to enable pastors and pastoral counselors to help persons cope with the diagnosis and experience of cancer. The purpose of the Counseling and Pastoral Theology series is to address clinical issues that arise among particular populations currently neglected in the literature on pastoral care and counseling. This series is committed to enhancing both the theoretical base and the clinical expertise of pastoral caregivers by providing a pastoral theological paradigm that will inform both assessment and intervention with persons in these specific populations.


This study is part of a three year Industrial Metabolism Project entitled "Regional Material Balance Approaches to Long-Term Environmental Policy Planning" at IIASA which focuses on heavy metal pollution in the Black Triangle-Upper Silesia region of Poland. This report examines the economic importance of the iron and steel industry in the Katowice region, and its impact on heavy metal pollution. Environmental policies in Poland for limiting the emission of heavy metals and maintaining air quality standards are not sufficiently enforced to reduce heavy metal pollution in the region. In addition, limited progress has been made to date in privatizing the largely state-owned steel sector in Poland, with negative consequences for environmental regulation and the reduction of heavy metal pollution. In the absence of government action to implement a sector wide program for restructuring the iron and steel industry, restructuring has proceeded on a firm by firm basis with varied results. To mitigate the emission of heavy metals from the iron and steel industry, a number of policy options are discussed, including government policies for facilitating modernization, for financing needed investment, and for improving environmental regulation.


Discovering AutoCAD2010 presents a hands-on, activity-based approach to the use of AutoCAD as a drafting toolcomplete with techniques, tips, shortcuts, and insights that improve efficiency. Topics and tasks are carefully grouped to lead students logically through the AutoCAD command set, with the level of difficulty increasing steadily as skills are acquired through experience and practice. Straightforward explanations focus on what is relevant to actual drawing procedures, and illustrations show exactly what to expect on the computer screen. This edition features Web-based exercises, projects, and new test questions for each chapter.


SUMMARY The present research aims to obtain more fundamental knowledge of genetic effect (sire effect) on carcass traits of the Japanese Brown cow. This experiment was done at Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The field data of ultrasonic estimates of carcass traits of 9468 heads of Japanese Brown cows, which were born from January 3rd 1988 to December 25th 1993, representing 88 heads of sire were collected. All data was included of pedigree status. Cows data of ultrasonic estimates of carcass traits was taken at the first registration examination (?d15 months of age or ?T 40 months of age). The carcass traits were estimated by ultrasound were Musculus longissimus thoracis area (MLTA) between the 6th and 7th ribs on the left side of each animal, Subcutaneous Fat Thickness (SFT), Intermuscular Fat Thickness (IMFT), Rib Thickness (RT) and Marbling Score (MS). The data obtained was statistically analyzed by the LSMLMW procedure and the Duncan test. The average age of cows in this study was 22.7 months. The mean of MLTA was 32.4 cm2 while the means of SFT, IMFT and RT were 10.5 mm, 18.3 mm and 44.9 mm, respectively. The mean of MS was 0.52. Sire effects were significant for all ultrasonic estimates of carcass traits (P<0.01). Cows sired by Mitsushige ET, Mitsutake, Mitsumaru, Dai 5 Harutama, Dai 10 Mitsumaru and Namimaru tended to have large MLTA, high MS and optimum SFT, IMFT and RT compared to other sires. Mitsushige ET had the highest genetic quality and might be considered as a breeding sire in selection.


Malachy Dudgeon has escaped the misery and madness of his childhood home and landed a job in the most famous school in Dublin. The headmaster, Raphael Bell, has overcome his own tragedies to forge a model career, but when Malachy Dudgeon and Raphael Bell meet, they become inextricably engaged in a macabre relationship which proves fatal to their fortunes and their sanity. 'McCabe can make you howl at the darkest antics ...He never sets a foot -- or syllable -- wrong. His novel is death on a laugh-support machine. Stupendous.' Scotland on Sunday 'Raphael, the great headmaster, is a marvellous creation ...McCabe has a charm as a storyteller which is all his own' Sunday Telegraph 'Exhilarating. Reading the distilled gouts of consciousness which pour from the minds of these characters is like being trapped on a big dipper with articulate maniacs ...Horribly funny' The Times 'An appallingly funny story ...horribly memorable' Times Literary Supplement


This Thesis is a study of the main female characters? independence in Henry James? The Portrait of A Lady. The thesis writer wants to find out how far the main female character gets the independence and what kind of independence that she gets. She uses literary approaches for doing the analysis. She uses characterization and setting as the literary devices to show the independence of the main character. She analyzes the main character?s personalities in order to know the main character?s traits before and after her marriage and compares it. She also analyzes other supporting characters? influences, such as : Madame Merle and Gilbert Osmond who play an important role in the main characters life. Besides, she also analyzes the American condition where the main character comes from and shows how it influences much Isabel?s life. She also employs the moral, psychological theories and the meaning of independence itself to examine the stages that Isabel undergoes to get her intention. Finally, from the analysis, the thesis writer concludes that being an independent woman is not as simple as people think and the living condition also plays an important role in determining the way of life.


Russian communication is often viewed as inherently mysterious or even mystical. The present article is aimed at the exposition of this view and shows how Russian communication modes can be conceptualized as a constant search for their own logical and practical grounding: This search goes beyond the binary model and focuses on the contingent nature of communication. To that end, we first present a short overview of the concepts of analog and digital. Then, the analog roots of Russian culture are discussed, followed by an examination of the role of the digital in today's Russia. It is argued that the dynamic of the analog and the digital leads to a third ground, which is conceptualized by using the ideas of paraconsistent logic developed by Nikolai Vasil'ev. Finally, this third ground is identified with the public sphere and is presented as interaction between the state and individuals; electronic communication exemplars are given.


Pregnancy of learners for most South African schools has reached alarming proportions. To most governing bodies and teachers, it has becomes difficult to deal with pregnancy of learners. What makes this a conundrum is that teachers don't know what should be done for the well-being of the pregnant leaner, the baby and the fear that learners and teachers who may have to provide medical help should medical problems arise are not prepared. South African constitution forbids excluding pregnant learners from school and allows them (Pregnant learners) to continue with their schooling. The school governing bodies of most schools responded by formulating pregnancy policies which forbids a pregnant learner from continuing with her schooling when her pregnancy in the seventh to eight month and not to return to school immediately after the child is born. In some schools, a pregnant learner must be accompanied by an adult at all times for such a learner to continue with her schooling. Denying pregnant girls access to education is a denial of their fundamental human rights. This paper explores how schools through school governing bodies have modelled their pregnancy policy on the Department of Basic Education document entitled "Measures for the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy". This paper also argues that the document referred above has some aspects which are unconstitutional like the exclusion from school by a pregnant learner for up to two years. Using a comparative analysis, the guidelines contained in the document referred above, are then compared with the ones from the neighbouring country of Namibia. The aim is to draw lessons from how Namibia deals with the prevalence of learner pregnancy in schools.


Root system is important for belowground nutrients acquisition, and is also an important part to respond to drought stress. The purpose of this study was to dissect the genetic basis of seminal root architecture and coleoptile length of wheat by mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of target traits. A doubled haploid (DH) population with 150 lines derived from a cross between two common Chinese wheat varieties Hanxuan 10 and Lumai 14 was used as the plant materials. Gel-chamber was em- ployed to evaluate seminal root architecture traits, including maximum root length (MRL), root number (RN), total root length (TRL), root diameter (RD), root angle (RA), ratio of root dry weight to shoot dry weight (RDW/SDW), and coleoptile length (CL) of seedlings. QTLs for these traits were detected using mixed-model-based composite interval mapping method. A total of 12 additive-effect QTLs and 7 pairs of additive × additive QTLs associated with the target traits were mapped on chromosomes 1A, 1B, 2B, 2D, 3B, 4A, 4D, 5A, 5B, 6A, 7A, and 7B. The phenotypic variation explained by individual additive-effect QTL varied from 5.64% to 12.37%. The additive effects ranged from 0.02 to 8.45. The phenotypic variation explained by each pair of epistatic QTLs varied from 8.70% to 15.90%. The epistatic effects ranged from 0.20 to 7.45. Two QTL clusters for seedling root traits were detected on chromosomes 3B and 7A. These results would be helpful to maker-assisted selection of seminal root architecture and coleoptile.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the amount of hospital outpatient care provided to the uninsured and its association with Medicare payment rate cuts following the implementation of Medicare's Outpatient Prospective Payment System.

DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING
We use hospital outpatient discharge records from Florida from 1997 through 2008.

STUDY DESIGN
We estimate multivariate regression models of hospital outpatient care provided to the uninsured in separate samples of nonprofit and for-profit hospitals.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Hospital outpatient departments provide significant amounts of care to the uninsured. As Medicare payment rates fall, total charges and the share of charges for outpatient visits by the uninsured decrease at nonprofit hospitals. At for-profit hospitals, the share of outpatient care provided to uninsured patients increases, but there is no significant change in the number of uninsured discharges.

CONCLUSIONS
Nonprofit and for-profit hospitals respond differently to reductions in Medicare payments; thus, studies of the impact of legislated Medicare payment cuts on care of the uninsured should account for differences in hospital ownership in communities. Given that outpatient care to the uninsured includes preventive and diagnostic care procedures, reductions in this care following payment cuts may adversely affect long-run health and health care costs in communities dominated by nonprofit hospitals.


There is a need for a major and rapid transition to renewable energy. Because of the low energy density
and intermittent nature of renewable energy sources, there will likely also need to be a rapid development
of energy storage methods. In this project thermochemical energy storage, TCS, has been studied with the
intention to improve this way of storing energy. For a working TCS system, research is needed in three
different areas; development of the reactor system, process integration and selection of storage materials. In
this project the focus has been on the latter part, the selection of materials, which is the key for a successful
implementation.
The project includes a review of previous research done in the area with emphasis on what systems have
been studied experimentally. A thermodynamic evaluation was also performed on different oxide systems.
Finally an experimental investigation was conducted, including selection and synthesis of the metal oxides,
reactivity testing and kinetic modelling.
The summary of the literature study showed that the research mostly has been centered around manganese
oxides. This is because the metal is cheap, easily accessible, persevering and it has good thermodynamic
characteristics. Other metal oxides mixed with manganese oxide have also been in consideration. In this
study all the experiments have been done on mixed oxides with manganese included in the matrix. The
selected materials were: Mn70Fe30 (70% Mn3O4 and 30% Fe2O3), Mn48Mg51 (48% Mn3O4 and 51% MgO),
Mn94Si06 (94% Mn3O4 and 6% SiO2) and Mn79Fe20Cu01 (79% Mn3O4, 20% Fe2O3 and 1% CuO).
The experimental part consisted of making one of the materials (Mn79Fe20Cu01) with solid state synthesis.
Three compounds were spray-dried, two of these were selected from previous studies. Characterization
of the phases of the compounds was done with x-ray powder diffraction and temperature cycling with thermogravimetric
analysis. The temperature cycling was made in the temperature range 600-1000 C in air.
From the x-ray diffraction is was not possible to determine if the synthesis had been successfull for the
manufactured compound but it showed good results in the temperature cycling. Mn70Fe30 also showed good
results in the cycling while the other two proved to be less reactive.
A kinectic evaluation was also conducted on Mn70Fe30, where the activation energy, frequency factor and
reaction model for oxidation and reduction was studied. An activation energy of 124 kJ/mol was calculated
for the oxidation and 294 kJ/mol for the reduction.
From the study performed it is clear that all materials worked relatively well, i.e. were oxidized and reduced
at the investigated temperature interval. Still, in order to judge the applicability it is necessary to
conduct further tests.


Brain–specific proteins (BSP) are each relatively specific for particular cell–types within the nervous system. The BSP studied were glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S100B for the astrocyte, ferritin for microglia and
neurofilaments (Nf) for the axon. BSP are released into the extracellular fluid (ECF) following cellular destruction and during phases of high cellular activity such as astrocytic or microglial activation. ECF BSP equilibrate
with those in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This allows us to quantify BSP from the CSF and estimate the overall average of axonal damage (CSF Nf), astrocytic and microglia activation (respectively CSF S100B, CSF ferritin)
and astrogliosis (CSF GFAP).
New enzyme linked immunoabsorbant assays (ELISA) have been developed for measuring Nf and GFAP in the CSF. Previously established ELISAs have been used to measure S100B and ferritin.
It has been shown that spinal cord atrophy in a mouse model of autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was paralleled by a decrease of Nf indicating loss of axons, and an increase in GFAP indicating astrogliosis. These findings have been confirmed and extended in a human post–mortem study where
BSP levels were quantified in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions of different age and activity. S100B and Nf were associated with acute lesions, ferritin was elevated in all lesion types, while GFAP was increased in both acute and
chronic lesions.
CSF BSP levels were then quantified in a cross–sectional study of MS patients with the aim of distinguishing clinical subgroups, such as relapsing remitting (RR), primary progressive (PP) and secondary progressive (SP)
disease. In addition an attempt was made to relate CSF BSP levels to grades of disability using clinical scales including Kurtzke's EDSS, an ambulation index (AI) and the 9–hole PEG test (9HPT). It was shown that CSF S100B was higher in RR MS while CSF ferritin was elevated in PP
MS patients. The S100B:ferritin ratio emphasised the distinction between the MS subtypes. CSF GFAP was higher in poorly ambulating (AI) and severely disabled (EDSS) patients. CSF GFAP correlated with the EDSS in SP MS patients. This suggests that gliosis is an important feature in SP MS.
CSF Nf levels were quantified in a longitudinal study at baseline and at 3–year follow–up. It was shown that more SP/PP than RR MS patients experienced an increase in CSF Nf levels over this time, suggesting cumulative axonal damage in this subgroup. RR MS patients who had elevated
CSF Nf levels at baseline had a worse clinical course, suggesting that initial high CSF Nf levels in RR MS patients are a poor prognostic sign. CSF Nf
levels at follow–up correlated with the EDSS, AI and 9HPT suggesting that axonal pathology in MS is a dynamic process possibly balancing features of de- and regenerative activities.


Persistent HPV infection is responsible for most cases of cervical cancer. The transition from precancerous to cancerous stages of HPV infection is marked by a significant reduction in virus production. Most global gene expression studies of HPV infection have focused on the cancerous stages. Therefore, little is known about global gene expression changes at precancerous stages. For the first time, we measured global gene expression changes at the precancerous stages of HPV16 infection in human cervical tissue producing high levels of virus. We identified a group of genes that are typically overexpressed in cancerous stages to be significantly downregulated at the precancerous stage. Moreover, we identified significantly modulated genes that have not yet been studied in the context of HPV infection. Studying the role of these genes in HPV infection will help us understand what drives the transition from precancerous to cancerous stages and may lead to the development of new therapeutic targets. ABSTRACT Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the world's most common sexually transmitted infection and is responsible for most cases of cervical cancer. Previous studies of global gene expression changes induced by HPV infection have focused on the cancerous stages of infection, and therefore, not much is known about global gene expression changes at early preneoplastic stages of infection. We show for the first time the global gene expression changes during early-stage HPV16 infection in cervical tissue using 3-dimensional organotypic raft cultures, which produce high levels of progeny virions. cDNA microarray analysis showed that a total of 594 genes were upregulated and 651 genes were downregulated at least 1.5-fold with HPV16 infection. Gene ontology analysis showed that biological processes including cell cycle progression and DNA metabolism were upregulated, while skin development, immune response, and cell death were downregulated with HPV16 infection in cervical keratinocytes. Individual genes were selected for validation at the transcriptional and translational levels, including UBC, which was central to the protein association network of immune response genes, and top downregulated genes RPTN, SERPINB4, KRT23, and KLK8. In particular, KLK8 and SERPINB4 were shown to be upregulated in cancer, which contrasts with the gene regulation during the productive replication stage. Organotypic raft cultures, which allow full progression of the HPV life cycle, allowed us to identify novel gene modulations and potential therapeutic targets of early-stage HPV infection in cervical tissue. Additionally, our results suggest that early-stage productive infection and cancerous stages of infection are distinct disease states expressing different host transcriptomes. IMPORTANCE Persistent HPV infection is responsible for most cases of cervical cancer. The transition from precancerous to cancerous stages of HPV infection is marked by a significant reduction in virus production. Most global gene expression studies of HPV infection have focused on the cancerous stages. Therefore, little is known about global gene expression changes at precancerous stages. For the first time, we measured global gene expression changes at the precancerous stages of HPV16 infection in human cervical tissue producing high levels of virus. We identified a group of genes that are typically overexpressed in cancerous stages to be significantly downregulated at the precancerous stage. Moreover, we identified significantly modulated genes that have not yet been studied in the context of HPV infection. Studying the role of these genes in HPV infection will help us understand what drives the transition from precancerous to cancerous stages and may lead to the development of new therapeutic targets.


Cancer immunotherapy by checkpoint blockade proves that an effective immune response to a tumor can be induced clinically. However, little is known about the evolution of tumor-associated T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoires without intervention. Here we studied TCR repertoire evolution in mice spontaneously developing mammary tumors; we sequenced peripheral blood alpha and beta TCRs of CD4+CD62L+CD44− T cells monthly for 8 months in 10 FVB/NJ mice transgenic at the Erbb2 locus, all developing tumors; 5 FVB/NJ mice without the transgene were age-matched controls. Sequences were either private (restricted to one mouse) or public (shared among mice); public sequences were either exclusive to the tumor group or inclusive among different groups. We now report that 1), public AA sequences were each encoded by many different nucleotide sequences (NT) recombinations (convergent recombination; CR); 2) mice developing tumors evolved tumor-exclusive public sequences, derived initially from private or from inclusive public sequences; and 3) tumor-exclusive public sequences in mice were also present among published public TCR sequences from human breast cancer patients. These cross-species tumor-exclusive TCR sequences manifested high CR; but the AA sequences shared by mice and humans did not share NT sequences. Thus, tumor-exclusive TCR AA sequences across species are selected from different NT recombination events. The roles of tumor-exclusive TCR repertoires in advancing or inhibiting tumor development and the effects of tumor immunotherapy on these T cells remain to be seen.


Estimations of the uncertainty of eight significant values (λ = 235, 257, 313, 322, 323, 345, 346, and 350 nm) of apparent molar absorptivities in the UV region have been obtained for acidic potassium dichromate solutions at pH 2.21–2.25, recommended as Standard Reference Materials (SRMs). The uncertainties include all the usual sources of possible systematic error in a commercial microprocessor-controlled spectrophotometer. The comparison of these values with those provided by the National Bureau of Standards (U.S.A.) indicates that a precision of ±0.40% has been obtained throughout the absorptivity range. Likewise, the uncertainty in the linearity of experimental absorbances for the eight wavelengths has been estimated, and a table has been drawn up of the absorptivity values and their uncertainties at 10-nm increments over the wavelength range of 200 to 500 nm.


Abstract. Field studies in polluted areas over the last decade have observed large formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) that is often poorly captured by models. The study of SOA formation using ambient data is often confounded by the effects of advection, vertical mixing, emissions, and variable degrees of photochemical aging. An oxidation flow reactor (OFR) was deployed to study SOA formation in real-time during the California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change (CalNex) campaign in Pasadena, CA, in 2010. A high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) alternated sampling ambient and reactor-aged air. The reactor produced OH concentrations up to 4 orders of magnitude higher than in ambient air. OH radical concentration was continuously stepped, achieving equivalent atmospheric aging of 0.8 days–6.4 weeks in 3 min of processing every 2 h. Enhancement of organic aerosol (OA) from aging showed a maximum net SOA production between 0.8–6 days of aging with net OA mass loss beyond 2 weeks. Reactor SOA mass peaked at night, in the absence of ambient photochemistry and correlated with trimethylbenzene concentrations. Reactor SOA formation was inversely correlated with ambient SOA and Ox, which along with the short-lived volatile organic compound correlation, indicates the importance of very reactive (τOH  ∼  0.3 day) SOA precursors (most likely semivolatile and intermediate volatility species, S/IVOCs) in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Evolution of the elemental composition in the reactor was similar to trends observed in the atmosphere (O : C vs. H : C slope  ∼  −0.65). Oxidation state of carbon (OSc) in reactor SOA increased steeply with age and remained elevated (OSC  ∼  2) at the highest photochemical ages probed. The ratio of OA in the reactor output to excess CO (ΔCO, ambient CO above regional background) vs. photochemical age is similar to previous studies at low to moderate ages and also extends to higher ages where OA loss dominates. The mass added at low-to-intermediate ages is due primarily to condensation of oxidized species, not heterogeneous oxidation. The OA decrease at high photochemical ages is dominated by heterogeneous oxidation followed by fragmentation/evaporation. A comparison of urban SOA formation in this study with a similar study of vehicle SOA in a tunnel suggests the importance of vehicle emissions for urban SOA. Pre-2007 SOA models underpredict SOA formation by an order of magnitude, while a more recent model performs better but overpredicts at higher ages. These results demonstrate the value of the reactor as a tool for in situ evaluation of the SOA formation potential and OA evolution from ambient air.


We present a method for generating art-directable volumetric effects, ranging from physically-accurate to non-physical results. Our system mimics the way experienced artists think about volumetric effects by using an intuitive lighting primitive, and decoupling the modeling and shading of this primitive. To accomplish this, we generalize the physically-based photon beams method to allow arbitrarily programmable simulation and shading phases. This provides an intuitive design space for artists to rapidly explore a wide range of physically-based as well as plausible, but exaggerated, volumetric effects. We integrate our approach into a real-world production pipeline and couple our volumetric effects to surface shading.


Las Vegas Visitor Profile Study 1986. Lawrence Dandurand. Market Research and Development, Inc. Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, 3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109-9096. 1986. 77p. Charts and tables illustrate this analysis of fiscal year 1986. The report is based on an ongoing visitor study, using a selfadministered questionnaire designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the Las Vegas visitor and the Las Vegas market.


The Maximum Clique Problem (MCP) has been studied for decades and is well known in graph theory as a problem that is difficult as it as it is known to be NP-complete. The MCP has a vast domain of application such as finance, biochemistry, bioinformatics, and many more. Many niching methods have been successfully applied in Genetic Algorithms (GA) to diversify the population and avoid getting trapped within local optima. In this paper, we propose an approach using the Sharing method and a Hybrid Genetic Algorithm (HGA) for the maximum clique problem. We also propose a non-evolutionary approach using a migration mechanism to boost the current HGA.