Private and voluntary standards are forms of transnational regulation that have grown in importance over the past two decades. In the realm of sus- tainability standards, multi-stakeholder initiatives have become the most preva- lent form because of their supposed virtues of inclusiveness and participation. Social NGOs actively participate in drawing up these sustainability standards, introducing a rights-based approach and urging companies to engage with local communities as rights holders. Yet, what changes come about 'on the ground'? This article explores this question through an analysis of the Roundtable on Sus- tainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and its impacts on land tenure conflicts. Drawing on case studies of negotiation processes in Indonesian villages, observation of RSPO international conferences and interviews with key stakeholders, this article high- lights the tensions between a rights-based approach and the search for conflict resolution. Informed by pragmatic sociology, it argues that negotiation processes triggered by the RSPO imply the translation of rights and personal attachments into options that are mutually beneficial to companies and local communities. Shared interests, however, may only fall under the domain of economic interests, the main drivers of company policies. As a result, the potential outcomes of ne- gotiations fall short of the local actors' expectations and claims; thus subjecting RSPO to heavy criticism for not delivering on its promises to protect land rights.


As sensor networks are being increasingly deployed in decision-making infrastructures such as battlefield monitoring systems and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems, making decision makers aware of the trustworthiness of the collected data is a crucial. To address this problem, we propose a systematic method for assessing the trustworthiness of data items. Our approach uses the data provenance as well as their values in computing trust scores, that is, quantitative measures of trustworthiness. To obtain trust scores, we propose a cyclic framework which well reflects the inter-dependency property: the trust score of the data affects the trust score of the network nodes that created and manipulated the data, and vice-versa. The trust scores of data items are computed from their value similarity and provenance similarity. The value similarity comes from the principle that "the more similar values for the same event, the higher the trust scores". The provenance similarity is based on the principle that "the more different data provenances with similar values, the higher the trust scores". Experimental results show that our approach provides a practical solution for trustworthiness assessment in sensor networks.


The aim of this part of the RightTimePlaceCare study (WP2) was to describe and analyse the European health, social care and welfare systems, advocacy and informal caregiver support systems for patients with dementia. The description and analyses covers the continuum of care from diagnosis, informal care, contributions from civic society, public home care and the intermediate forms of care, to the long-term institutionalised care, and end of life care. In a first step, the terminology was developed and meanings of different terms used in relation to dementia care were collected, analysed, defined and categorised. Thereafter the terminology was used to develop a template organised on the Y-axis as being the course of the dementia disease as described by the OECD in 2004, and on the X-axis as being the type of care provided, organised in accordance with the process of the disease from dementia screening to end of life care. In addition each country was asked to provide an overall description of the care system they offered with regard to the national directives and financing of their dementia care system. The primary source of information was written reports from different sources. Official documents, epidemiological studies and descriptions of the care system, in particular dementia care system offered in their country. In addition interviews with responsible managers, providers or the equivalent in relevant care and service organisations, with persons in consumer/user organisations, with staff, professional employees and purchasers in a municipality or another representative for a civic administrative area were recommended. (Less)


There is one particularly troublesome question relating to the product design and development agenda from a sustainability perspective. That is "If sustainability is such a paradigm shift in terms of how our economies
and societies will develop in future, why is so much of what we produce and consume little different to what we produced and consumed ten (or even twenty) years ago ?" Computers may be faster, cheaper and even prettier, and Windows XP a lot slicker than Windows 95, but the essentials remain unchanged. Many cars are more fuel efficient than their predecessors, but the change is essentially evolutionary and somewhat negated by the growing tendency to design and drive over-specified 4x4s. These are only two product categories, but it is sobering to think that these are two categories where (a) there has been a constant flow of investment in innovation, but without taking us in a substantively more sustainable direction, and (b) they represent two categories of consumption within which the growing middle-class in populous less-industrialised countries are most keen to follow the lifestyle example of the industrialised West.

This is not to say that there are not areas where improvements are being made. The growth in markets such as organic food, eco-tourism and social/ethical investment products is promising. The improvements to the
handling of end-of-life products in industries like electronics and cars now being enforced by new European regulations are also leading to innovations and environmental benefits in terms of waste reduction. So
although the product designs for cars and computers have not changed radically, their post-use experience is changing. However, such bright spots typically represent the "boats travelling up the Mississippi". They
provide heartening examples and show that improvements can be made, but are effectively travelling against the mainstream flow of the economy.

A pattern seems to have emerged over the past two decades. Firstly there are intermittent events or reports that effectively hold up a mirror to society, revealing our impact on the environment, and the implications it
has for the quality of life on Earth in the future. The Brundtland Report provided one such important mirror in 1987. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report provides the latest, and perhaps most worrying
reflections. These revelations are then followed by signals amongst governments and businesses that things are going to change. These signals include the resolutions and agreements coming out of Rio and Johannesburg, proposals for new legislation, or new consultation exercises. The final stage is a process of manoeuvring in which the efforts of governments and companies to stimulate innovation seem more usually geared up to producing valves to relieve the pressure, than to producing levers to translate that pressure into much greater movement and change.

What those interested in more sustainable product design are going to need in order to make progress over the next five years, are changes that reduce the "turning circle" of companies. This will allow them to respond more readily and nimbly to the signals currently flashing, and to the forecast congestion and poor conditions ahead on the road that we're currently on. Creating this reduced turning circle will require product and process innovation in terms of the "hard" aspects of the business. Equally important, and perhaps even more challenging, will be the need for an accompanying re-design of the "software" of our business systems, in terms of management thinking, management education and the relationships between key business stakeholders.


CRISPR-Cas12a (Cpf1) proteins are RNA-guided DNA targeting enzymes that bind and cut DNA as components of bacterial adaptive immune systems. Like CRISPR-Cas9, Cas12a can be used as a powerful genome editing tool based on its ability to induce genetic changes in cells at sites of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) cuts. Here we show that RNA-guided DNA binding unleashes robust, non-specific single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) cleavage activity in Cas12a sufficient to completely degrade both linear and circular ssDNA molecules within minutes. This activity, catalyzed by the same active site responsible for site-specific dsDNA cutting, indiscriminately shreds ssDNA with rapid multiple-turnover cleavage kinetics. Activation of ssDNA cutting requires faithful recognition of a DNA target sequence matching the 20-nucleotide guide RNA sequence with specificity sufficient to distinguish between closely related viral serotypes. We find that target-dependent ssDNA degradation, not observed for CRISPR-Cas9 enzymes, is a fundamental property of type V CRISPR-Cas12 proteins, revealing a fascinating parallel with the RNA-triggered general RNase activity of the type VI CRISPR-Cas13 enzymes. One Sentence Summary Cas12a (Cpf1) and related type V CRISPR interference proteins possess non-specific, single-stranded DNase activity upon activation by guide RNA-dependent DNA binding.


Strategic planners and technology portfolio managers have traditionally relied on consensus-based tools, such as Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) in planning the funding of technology development. While useful to a certain extent, these tools are limited in th& ability to fully quantify the impact of a technology choice on system mass, system reliability, project schedule, and lifecycle cost. The Advanced Technology Lifecycle Analysis System (ATLAS) aims to provide strategic planners a decision support tool for analyzing technology selections within a Space Exploration Architecture (SEA). Using ATLAS, strategic planners can select physics-based system models fiom a library, configure the systems with technologies and performance parameters, and plan the deployment of a SEA. Key parameters for current and future technologies have been collected fiom subject-matter experts and other documented sources in the Technology Tool Box (TTB). ATLAS can be used to compare the technical feasibility and economic viability of a set of technology choices for one SEA, and compare it against another set of technology choices or another SEA. System architecture modeling in ATLAS is a multi-step process. First, the modeler defines the system level requirements. Second, the modeler identifies technologies of interest whose impact on an SEA. Third, the system modeling team creates models of architecture elements (e.g. launch vehicles, in-space transfer vehicles, crew vehicles) if they are not already in the model library. Finally, the architecture modeler develops a script for the ATLAS tool to run, and the results for comparison are generated. TABLE OF CONTENTS


Breast cancer is the commonest cause of cancer death in women worldwide
and Malaysia in all ethnic groups and all age groups. Neem's (Azadirachta
indica) ability as a medicinal herb is traced as far back as 4500 years ago.
Some of the impressive therapeutic qualities have been discovered such as
anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, anti-bacterial,
anti-fungal and anti-hyperglycemic; however the anticancer effect of ethanolic
Neem leaves extract against breast cancer has not been documented.
Besides this, Neem was found to induce apotosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cell
line in local study recently. Thus, this study was done to evaluate the effect of
ethanolic Neem leaves extract as apoptosis inducer in in vivo 4Tl breast
cancer model. Two different concentrations of Neem, 250 mgkg and 500 mglkg were tested on 4T1 breast cancer model. The 4T1 breast cancer
models were evaluated by light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy
for morphological changes, TUNEL assay for apoptotic cell labeling and in
situ RT-PCR for c-myc, c-erbB2 and c-fos oncogene expressions. All
treatment groups exhibited a higher incidence of apoptosis compared to
untreated group from morphological analysis and TUNEL assay. The
cancerous mice treated with both different concentration of Neem showed
significantly higher value (p<0.05) in mean body weight, mean apoptotic index
and mean apoptotic score compared to the control group. At the same time
both group were showing a significantly lower value of mean mitotic index in
histological evaluation. The mean tumour volume and mass proved that
there was evidence of tumour regression in Neem treated mice. However, the
overall observation showed that 500 mglkg of Neem has more significant
effect (p <0.05) of inducing apoptosis in the 4T1 breast cancer cells compared
to 250 mgkg of Neem. Furthermore, the 500 mgkg Neem concentration has
significantly lengthened the mean survival time by 44.62% in the 4T1 breast
cancer model (p <0.05). Neem 500 mglkg group also showed a better
suppression of c-myc, c-erbB2 and c-fos oncogenes expression in mean
distribution and intensity score (pc 0.05) in the 4T1 breast cancer model. By
considering all the three down regulated oncogenes (c-myc, c-erbB2 and
c-fos) under effect of Neem 500 mgkg together, it becomes clearer that
Neem 500 mglkg was effective in inducing apoptosis in the 4T1 breast cancer model. In conclusion, the Neem 500 mglkg treatment was effective in inducing
cell death via apoptosis and regulates cell proliferation in 4T1 breast cancer
model. Its effectiveness was proportional to the concentration of Neem
treatment given.


Abstract Most geosynthetic and metallic reinforced soil walls are designed assuming that the wall foundation is rigid and/or does not influence the magnitude and distribution of reinforcement loads under operational conditions. This assumption may not apply to walls constructed over compliant (compressible) foundations. This paper describes the results of a series of numerical simulations that were carried out on idealized 3·6, 6, and 9 m-high modular block walls seated on foundations having four different compressibility values. The walls were constructed with two reinforcement materials having very different stiffness values but the same tensile strength. The results of simulations show that as foundation stiffness decreases, reinforcement loads increase. However, for the two reinforcement materials in this study, the influence of axial stiffness of the reinforcement had a greater effect on wall performance than the foundation stiffness for walls subjected to operational (working stress) conditions at end of construction.


Deductive and probabilistic reasoning are central to cognition but the functional neuroanatomy underlying them is poorly understood. The present study contrasted these two kinds of reasoning via positron emission tomography. Relying on changes in instruction and psychological 'set', deductive versus probabilistic reasoning was induced using identical stimuli. The stimuli were arguments in propositional calculus not readily solved via mental diagrams. Probabilistic reasoning activated mostly left brain areas whereas deductive activated mostly right. Deduction activated areas near right brain homologues of left language areas in middle temporal lobe, inferior frontal cortex and basal ganglia, as well as right amygdala, but not spatial-visual areas. Right hemisphere activations in the deduction task cannot be explained by spill-over from overtaxed, left language areas. Probabilistic reasoning was mostly associated with left hemispheric areas in inferior frontal, posterior cingulate, parahippocampal, medial temporal, and superior and medial prefrontal cortices. The foregoing regions are implicated in recalling and evaluating a range of world knowledge, operations required during probabilistic thought. The findings confirm that deduction and induction are distinct processes, consistent with psychological theories enforcing their partial separation. The results also suggest that, except for statement decoding, deduction is largely independent of language, and that some forms of logical thinking are non-diagrammatic.


— Red-eye and flash-eye defects in still photography continue to cause problems for digital imaging devices. New variants of flash-eye defects have appeared as cameras and cameras sub-systems get smaller in size. This paper reviews a wide range of the more recently patented techniques that have been applied to solve various problems associated with red and non-red flash-eye, particularly solutions which are implemented in the camera. The use of in-camera metadata, multiple images of the same scene and adaptation of image acquisition conditions to improve red-eye detection and correction are explained. Four principle categories of flash-eye defect are identified and techniques are outlined to deal with each of these. The use of face, eye and scene metadata obtained within the camera is also considered. In particular data obtained regarding indoor/outdoor scenes, partial face regions, eye orientation and gaze and pupil size can all assist with some difficult cases of flash-eye defect. Some advanced techniques to improve the correction and reconstruction of eye regions are also considered.


Sign phonetics is the study of how sign languages are produced and perceived, by native as well as by non-native signers. Most research on sign phonetics has focused on American Sign Language (ASL), but there are many different sign languages around the world, and several of these, including British Sign Language, Taiwan Sign Language, and Sign Language of the Netherlands, have been studied at the level of phonetics. Sign phonetics research can focus on individual lexical signs or on the movements of the nonmanual articulators that accompany those signs. The production and perception of a sign language can be influenced by phrase structure, linguistic register, the signer's linguistic background, the visual perception mechanism, the anatomy and physiology of the hands and arms, and many other factors. What sets sign phonetics apart from the phonetics of spoken languages is that the two language modalities use different mechanisms of production and perception, which could in turn result in structural differences between modalities. Most studies of sign phonetics have been based on careful analyses of video data. Some studies have collected kinematic limb movement data during signing and carried out quantitative analyses of sign production related to, for example, signing rate, phonetic environment, or phrase position. Similarly, studies of sign perception have recorded participants' ability to identify and discriminate signs, depending, for example, on slight variations in the signs' forms or differences in the participants' language background. Most sign phonetics research is quantitative and lab-based.


NASA will host a panel discussion and reading from the book Hidden Figures, now a major motion picture, with about 350 students of Washington schools at 10 a.m. EST Wednesday, Dec. 14, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington. The event will air live on NASA Television and stream on the agency's website.


We explore the local power properties of different test statistics for conducting inference in moment condition models that only identify the parameters locally to second order. We consider the conventional Wald and LM statistics, and also the Generalized Anderson Rubin (GAR) statistic (Anderson and Rubin, 1949; Dufour, 1997; Staiger and Stock, 1997; Stock and Wright, 2000), KLM statistic (Kleibergen, 2002, 2005) and the GMM extension of Moreira's (2003) (GMM-M) conditional likelihood ratio statistic. The GAR, KLM and GMM-M statistics are so-called "identification robust" since their (conditional) limiting distribution is the same under first-order, weak and therefore also second order identification. For inference about the model specification, we consider the identification-robust J statistic (Kleibergen, 2005) and the GAR statistic. Interestingly, we find that the limiting distribution of the Wald statistic under local alternatives not only depends on the distance to the null hypothesis but also on the convergence rate of the Jacobian. We specifically analyze two empirically relevant models with second order identification. In the panel autoregressive model of order one, our analysis indicates that the Wald test of a unit root value of the autoregressive parameter has better power compared to the corresponding GAR test which, in turn, dominates the KLM, GMM-M and LM tests. For the conditionally heteroskedastic factor model, we compare Kleibergen's (2005) J and the GAR statistics to Hansen's (1982) overidentifying restrictions test (previously analyzed in this context by Dovonon and Renault, 2013) and find the power ranking depends on the sample size. Collectively, our results suggest that tests with meaningful power can be conducted in second-order identified models.


Athens, 403 B.C.E. The bloody oligarchic dictatorship of the Thirty is over, and the democrats have returned to the city victorious. Renouncing vengeance, in an act of willful amnesia, citizens call for -- -if not invent -- -amnesty. They agree to forget the unforgettable, the "past misfortunes," of civil strife or stasis. More precisely, what they agree to deny is that stasis -- -simultaneously partisanship, faction, and sedition -- -is at the heart of their politics.Continuing a criticism of Athenian ideology begun in her pathbreaking study The Invention of Athens, Nicole Loraux argues that this crucial moment of Athenian political history must be interpreted as constitutive of politics and political life and not as a threat to it. Divided from within, the city is formed by that which it refuses. Conflict, the calamity of civil war, is the other, dark side of the beautiful unitary city of Athens. In a brilliant analysis of the Greek word for voting, diaphora, Loraux underscores the conflictual and dynamic motion of democratic life. Voting appears as the process of dividing up, of disagreement -- -in short, of agreeing to divide and choose. Not only does Loraux reconceptualize the definition of ancient Greek democracy, she also allows the contemporary reader to rethink the functioning of modern democracy in its critical moments of internal stasis.


Background The CRISPR/Cas system has significant potential to facilitate gene editing in a variety of bacterial species. CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) and CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) represent modifications of the CRISPR/Cas9 system utilizing a catalytically inactive Cas9 protein for transcription repression or activation, respectively. While CRISPRi and CRISPRa have tremendous potential to systematically investigate gene function in bacteria, no pan-bacterial, genome-wide tools exist for guide discovery. We have created Guide Finder: a customizable, user-friendly program that can design guides for any annotated bacterial genome. Results Guide Finder designs guides from NGG PAM sites for any number of genes using an annotated genome and fasta file input by the user. Guides are filtered according to user-defined design parameters and removed if they contain any off-target matches. Iteration with lowered parameter thresholds allows the program to design guides for genes that did not produce guides with the more stringent parameters, a feature unique to Guide Finder. Guide Finder has been tested on a variety of diverse bacterial genomes, on average finding guides for 95% of genes. Moreover, guides designed by the program are functionally useful—focusing on CRISPRi as a potential application—as demonstrated by essential gene knockdown in two staphylococcal species. Conclusions Through the large-scale generation of guides, this open-access software will improve accessibility to CRISPR/Cas studies for a variety of bacterial species.


This book deals simply with choosing classic grounded theory (CGT) as the methodology to use mainly for doing the dissertation. CGT stands alone as a separate method, not as a competitive method in conflict and controversy with all the QDA (qualitative data analysis) methods jargonized as a type of GT. The PhD candidate (herein called novice) simply chooses the method that he/she wants as best fit for him. This reader provides a myriad of CGT properties to consider in choosing it as the method to use. There will be no competitive arguments with other methods offered here. It is designed to have CGT chosen on its merits for the user, not better or worse.


A publication called Aging in the Social Space is a compilation of studies, which deal with theoretical understanding and empirical solutions, learning about problem spheres, specifying content parallels of social, legal, economic, moral and ethical views on senior issues in society, which are closely related to each other and are interconnected. This publication focus on the case study of Poland. It is supposed to provide a multidimensional view of old age issues and issues related to aging and care for old people in society. We believe that it is natural also to name individual spheres, in which society has some eff ect, either direct or indirect, within issues concerning seniors. Learning about these spheres is the primary prerequisite for successful use of social help to seniors in society.


Recounting the views of the government, opposition politicians, academics and the private press itself as represented by their editors, the study argues that the private print media in Ethiopia are subject to external and internal challenges that dwarf its role in helping the transition to democracy. The volatility of the socio-political context regarding their operation and the low readership culture could be singled out among the external challenges to the private media. The major challenge associated with the private print media themselves is lack of professional knowledge and capacity. The study uses McQuail's Normative Theory of Media Structure and Performance to frame the role of the private print media in Ethiopia of the last two decades. Though the private print media contributed to the struggle for democracy, their role is below the societal demands.


Although Indigenous people in the poorest developing countries of the world confront the most severe hardships, nevertheless even in the most developed countries such as Australia, Indigenous standards of living in terms of economic, educational and basic human standards are far inferior to other groups within society. It has been argued that Indigenous affairs in Australia is divided into "two ideological tribes" both vigorously opposed with respect to the preferred manner in which the substantial disadvantage of Indigenous Australians can be overcome. Although more complex categorisations of ideological positions are possible, both maintain considerable influence within the field of Indigenous policy formulation in Australia and in the Northern Territory in particular, where nearly 30 per cent of the total population is Indigenous. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the central arguments advanced by these two sides of the debate and the implications for public policy decision making and Indigenous people, within the context of the Northern Territory of Australia.


This work reasserts the importance of the French Revolution to an understanding of the nature of modern European politics and social life. Contemporary scholars argue that the French Revolution did not significantly contribute to the development of modern political values. They no longer hold that the study of the Revolution offers any particular insight into the dynamics of historical change. James Livesey contends that contemporary historical study is devalued through this misinterpretation of the French Revolution and offers an alternative approach and a new thesis. Livesey argues that the European model of democracy was created in the Revolution, a model with very specific commitments that differentiate it from Anglo-American liberal democracy. The fundamental argument in the book is that these democratic values were created by identifiable actors seeking to answer political, economic, and social problems. The book traces the development of this democratic idea within the structures of the French Republic and the manner in which the democratic aspiration moved beyond formal politics to become embedded in institutions of economic and cultural life.


The complex nature of the construction process needs an intensive control and management mechanism in order to manage and process information flow. Current deficiencies in managing construction related information have been highlighted by a range of industry reports, the consensus of which has reinforced the lack of performance in the construction industry. Given this, recent research on the role of Building Information Modelling BIM has been proffered as a potential solution for covering these deficiencies, along with improving competitive advantage. Although limited research has concentrated on measuring BIM awareness and use, findings have been somewhat parochial and non-specific. This paper addresses this gap by concentrating on two markets: Turkey and the UK. The aim of the paper is to determine the BIM gap in terms of awareness and use, in order to form a basis for the development of future adoption strategies. A web-based questionnaire was used mirror the National Building Specification NBS survey previously undertaken in order to capture data from a new context Turkey. The descriptive analyses of the findings and a comparison of the two countries are presented. The findings identify significant differences in BIM awareness the influence of which could provide insight for both mature and emerging markets.


In an earlier work [14], Ronagh et al. propose a method for solving the Lagrangian dual of a constrained binary quadratic programming problem via quantum adiabatic evolution using an outer approximation method. This should be an efficient prescription for solving the Lagrangian dual problem in the presence of an ideally noise-free quantum adiabatic system. Current implementations of quantum annealing systems demand methods that are efficient at handling possible sources of noise. In this paper we consider a subgradient method for finding an optimal primaldual pair for the Lagrangian dual of a polynomially constrained binary polynomial programming problem. We then study the quadratic stable set (QSS) problem as a case study. We see that this method applied to the QSS problem can be viewed as an instance-dependent penalty-term approach that avoids large penalty coefficients. Finally, we report our experimental results of using the D-Wave 2X quantum annealer and conclude that our approach helps this quantum processor to succeed more often in solving these problems compared to the usual penalty-term approaches.


Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterized by paraesthesias–dysesthesias and motor restlessness worsening at rest–in the evening, with at least temporary relief by activity. Its etiology is unknown, though it could be secondary to various conditions. It is well known, however, that dopamine plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of RLS, as dopaminergic agonists achieve marked improvement. Pramipexole is a nonergoline compound with selectivity for D3 dopamine receptors. This drug is very effective in the treatment of idiopathic and secondary RLS and in treatment-resistant patients, as shown by double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in adults. In children, studies are much more limited, and RLS is often misdiagnosed as "growing pain" or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Pramipexole has been successful in open studies, eliminating clinical symptoms. This medication has the advantage of being free of the frequently encountered problems seen with ergot derivatives. The side-effects are limited, particularly at the dosages usually prescribed for RLS treatment: They are much lower than in Parkinson's disease, and inappropriate sleepiness and sleep attacks, particularly while driving, or compulsive behavior have not been seen. Compared with the adverse reactions of levodopa, including tolerance, rebound, and augmentation phenomena in RLS, which led to usage of dopamine agonists as first line of treatment for RLS, pramipexole has had one of the best profiles. Augmentation can still be noted with the drug, but after longer usage time compared with many other dopamine agonists. Although excessive daytime sleepiness has been noted, sleep attacks have not been encountered in RLS patients treated with pramipexole.


Objective Dynamic regulation of actin cytoskeleton is at the heart of all actin-based cellular events. In this study, we sought to identify novel post-translational modifications of Profilin-1 (Pfn1), an important regulator of actin polymerization in cells. Methodology We performed in vitro protein kinase assay followed by mass-spectrometry to identify Protein Kinase A (PKA) phosphorylation sites of Pfn1. By two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-GE) analysis, we further examined the changes in the isoelectric profile of ectopically expressed Pfn1 in HEK-293 cells in response to forskolin (FSK), an activator of cAMP/PKA pathway. Finally, we combined molecular dynamics simulations (MDS), GST pull-down assay and F-actin analyses of mammalian cells expressing site-specific phosphomimetic variants of Pfn1 to predict the potential consequences of phosphorylation of Pfn1. Results and Significance We identified several PKA phosphorylation sites of Pfn1 including Threonine 89 (T89), a novel site. Consistent with PKA's ability to phosphorylate Pfn1 in vitro, FSK stimulation increased the pool of the most negatively charged form of Pfn1 in HEK-293 cells which can be attenuated by PKA inhibitor H89. MDS predicted that T89 phosphorylation destabilizes an intramolecular interaction of Pfn1, potentially increasing its affinity for actin. The T89D phosphomimetic mutation of Pfn1 elicits several changes that are hallmarks of proteins folded into alternative three-dimensional conformations including detergent insolubility, protein aggregation and accelerated proteolysis, suggesting that T89 is a structurally important residue of Pfn1. Expression of T89D-Pfn1 induces actin:T89D-Pfn1 co-clusters and dramatically reduces overall actin polymerization in cells, indicating an actin-sequestering action of T89D-Pfn1. Finally, rendering T89 non-phosphorylatable causes a positive charge shift in the isoelectric profile of Pfn1 in a 2D gel electrophoresis analysis of cell extracts, a finding that is consistent with phosphorylation of a certain pool of intracellular Pfn1 on the T89 residue. In summary, we propose that T89 phosphorylation could have major functional consequences on Pfn1. This study paves the way for further investigation of the potential role of Pfn1 phosphorylation in PKA-mediated regulation of actin-dependent biological processes.


African literature is a vast subject of growing output and interest. Written especially for students, this book selectively surveys the topic in a clear and accessible way. Included are roughly 600 alphabetically arranged entries on writers, genres, and major works. Many entries cite works for further reading, and the volume closes with a selected, general bibliography. Africa is a land of contrasts and of diverse cultures and traditions. It is also a land of conflict and creativity. The literature of the continent draws upon a fascinating body of oral traditions and lore and also reflects the political turmoil of the modern world. With the increased interest in cultural diversity and the growing centrality of Africa in world politics, African literature is figuring more and more prominently in the curriculum. This book helps students learn about the African literary achievement. Written expressly for students, this book is far more accessible than other reference works on the subject. Included are nearly 600 alphabetically arranged entries on authors, such as Chinua Achebe, Athol Fugard, Buchi Emecheta, Nadine Gordimer, and Wole Soyinka; major works, such as Things Fall Apart and Petals of Blood; and individual genres, such as the novel, drama, and poetry. Many entries cite works for further reading, and the volume closes with a selected, general bibliography.


The primary metallization technique in the semiconductor industry for the past decade has been magnetron sputtering. The general industry trend towards damascene processing requires the capability to fill trenches and vias with sub‐one‐half micron widths and aspect ratios (AR) as high as 3:1. At these dimensions and geometries, the angular distribution of magnetron sputtered atoms results in the production of voids during deposition. A new approach to this problem is directional sputter deposition, where neutrals generated from magnetron sputtering are ionized through an inductively coupled rf plasma and accelerated towards the substrate via a small dc bias on the substrate, causing a significant portion of the flux to arrive at normal incidence. The experimental parameters of this process have been explored by depositing Cu on patterned Si wafers. The parameters have varying effects on the morphology of the deposited layer, which indicate relationships between the parameters and the ion‐to‐neutral ratio, the total flux, and the average ion energy. The ionized magnetron sputter deposition process has been used successfully to fill trenches of 600 nm width and 1.1 AR with Cu near room temperature, and appears to be extendable to more aggressive dimensions.The primary metallization technique in the semiconductor industry for the past decade has been magnetron sputtering. The general industry trend towards damascene processing requires the capability to fill trenches and vias with sub‐one‐half micron widths and aspect ratios (AR) as high as 3:1. At these dimensions and geometries, the angular distribution of magnetron sputtered atoms results in the production of voids during deposition. A new approach to this problem is directional sputter deposition, where neutrals generated from magnetron sputtering are ionized through an inductively coupled rf plasma and accelerated towards the substrate via a small dc bias on the substrate, causing a significant portion of the flux to arrive at normal incidence. The experimental parameters of this process have been explored by depositing Cu on patterned Si wafers. The parameters have varying effects on the morphology of the deposited layer, which indicate relationships between the parameters and the ion‐to‐neutral ratio,...


Despite public health campaigns to promote physical activity (PA), physical inactivity affects 60% of the world population and continues to pose a risk of overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, and related cancers. Current interventions show small to moderate changes in PA and limited long-term effects, possibly because they fail to prepare individuals for PA behaviour change. Mindfulness has the potential to address psychological barriers of change and foster greater acceptance of PA. However, little is currently known about the mindfulness-PA relationship and the potential of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for PA. This PhD examined two main research questions: 1) what is the effect of mindfulness on PA outcomes, and 2) what is the relationship between mindfulness and psychological factors related to PA? Study one provided the first systematic review on the role of mindfulness for PA. Evidence showed a positive relationship between DM and psychological factors related to PA and beneficial between-subjects effects of MBIs on PA outcomes. Interventions were more likely to be successful if they were PA-specific and targeted psychological factors related to PA. Study two explored the relationship between DM and PA outcomes using a prospective cohort design. Statistical modelling techniques of cross-sectional and longitudinal data showed that DM predicted autonomous exercise motivation and PA acceptance, which in turn predicted baseline PA, but no effect was found for change in PA over time. Study three examined the effectiveness and feasibility of a novel MBI for PA (MfPA) in a sample of underactive participants. One-way, repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed improvements in PA acceptance and autonomous exercise motivation, but no change in DM, self-control, or PA. Thematic analysis of qualitative data suggested that the MfPA intervention was successful at improving participants' relationship with PA. Taken together, these studies provide a unique insight into the beneficial effect of mindfulness on psychological factors related to sustained PA and its potential for increasing autonomous exercise motivation and PA acceptance in novice exercisers. Future research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of the MfPA intervention using a randomised controlled trial, by employing an active matched control group without a mindfulness component.


Abstract Characteristics associated with the graduate level course on individual cognitive assessment—a course required by all accredited school psychology programs throughout the United States—are described. Characteristics include personnel, materials, course and time requirements, and featured topics and tests. Program requirements for preparing students to assess cognitive functioning also are discussed. The data were obtained through a national survey completed by 97 instructors of the course on cognitive assessment. The current study is based upon a previous study conducted more than 12 years ago (Oakland & Zimmerman, 1986) that used similar methodology. The current results are compared to those obtained in 1986. Comparisons indicate that although some changes have occurred, many characteristics of the course remain the same. Thus, school psychology programs are not preparing students in light of recent developments in cognitive theory, test development, and professional guidelines. This information can assist persons responsible for program development to review and modify the course as well as to acquire needed resources for it.


It has been shown that patient satisfaction evaluation is an excellent tool that may be used to determine whether practitioner services are meeting the needs of the general public. Furthermore, it has been observed that patients who were satisfied with their treatment behave differently to those who were dissatisfied with their levels of care, as patient's who were satisfied with their levels of treatment are more likely to be compliant with their treatment regime and more likely to seek out similar care for the same condition in the future. With satisfaction having such an affect on patient's behaviour toward practitioners and the treatment experience outcomes, it is imperative to understand the underlying factors that may affect the levels of satisfaction.


1. The compliance of the resistance vessels in the anterior tibial muscle was compared in normotensive and hypertensive subjects by measuring the increase in muscle blood flow produced by an increase in vascular transmural pressure. 2. The transmural pressure was increased by exposing the leg to a pressure of 50 mmHg below atmospheric pressure. Muscle blood flow was measured by means of the local 133xenon wash-out technique, and the measurement was performed during reactive hyperaemia to avoid reflex vasoconstriction when the transmural pressure was augmented. 3. At ambient pressure, muscle blood flows were equal in the two groups. However, when the subatmospheric pressure was applied the blood flow increased twice as much in the normotensive as in the hypertensive subjects. This suggested a smaller compliance of the resistance vessels in hypertensive subjects and supported the concept that there are structural changes of the resistance vessels in arterial hypertension. 4. In a small group of hypertensive patients who were well treated for two years, and had a normal blood pressure, the compliance was reduced to the same extent as in the untreated hypertensive patients, indicating that structural vascular changes are not readily reversible despite appropriate antihypertensive treatment.


Visible-light sensitive photocatalysts are desirable for indoor environmental remediation applications. Photocatalysts used for indoor environmental applications must have efficient visible-light activity and sustainable function under dark conditions, as indoor light instruments are typically switched off during the night. Herein, we report the synthesis and optimization of a highly visible-light sensitive Cu(II)–TiO2 nanocomposite with sustained anti-viral activity under dark conditions. The synthesized Cu(II)–TiO2 exhibited superior volatile organic compound decomposition and anti-viral activity under visible-light irradiation. Its quantum efficiency for the decomposition of gaseous 2-propanol reached 68.7%. In addition, Cu(II)–TiO2 completely inactivated the bacteriophage within 30 min of visible-light irradiation. Notably, the Cu(II)–TiO2 photocatalyst also exhibited sustained anti-viral activity under dark conditions after visible-light irradiation treatment. Taken together, these findings indicate that the prepared Cu(II)–TiO2 is potentially an effective risk-reduction material for indoor applications.


Although motivation for learning has been studied widely, there has been a lack of research examining student motivation for learning and course favoritism. Our conversations with students led us to wonder how much engineering students' perceptions of courses as their favorite or least favorite determined their motivation to learn. Further, we investigated if students shifted goal orientation from performance to mastery between their least and most favorite courses. The implications are substantial for student learning, success, and career persistence if motivation to learn shifts with how much students like or dislike a course, particularly if courses are degree requirements. We examined how motivation to learn shifted with students' course favoritism, why students perceived courses as their most or least favorite, student course achievement, and if these were engineering courses, required courses, and/or STEM courses. We used a cross-sectional exploratory study, and a mixed methods approach gathering both quantitative and qualitative data. We selected items from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire developed a standard demographics survey and free response items associated with course favoritism. The email was sent to over 500 students, and 82 fully completed our survey. Because our research was exploratory, we determined the sample was sufficient to answer our research questions. Our analysis revealed that students displayed significantly greater mastery motivation for their most favorite course compared to their least favorite (t(83) = 9.65, p<.01). We found that the least favorite course was required for 91.46% of students, while 71.60% of students indicated their most favorite course was required. Significantly, a greater number of least favorite courses were required courses for an engineering degree ((1) = 10.70, p<.01). Our findings indicate course content and instructor are primary factors associated with why students listed a course as most or least favorite. The intensity of the survey response statements indicated a high level of emotion associated with explaining why a class was most or least favorite. Our research revealed that the students are more likely to be mastery oriented in their favorite courses and more performance motivated in their least favorite courses (p < .01). Significant positive correlations (p < .05) occurred among perceived levels of learning, course performance (grade), and mastery learning in the most favorite course. Through our research and analysis several significant positive correlations emerged between level of learning and performance orientation for learning in the least favorite course. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.


Cardiac dysfunction during hemorrhagic shock (HS) is associated with myocardial ischemia, during which adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels can be activated. We investigated the role of KATP channels in HS-induced myocardial ischemia. Canine HS was induced using an aortic reservoir to maintain the aortic pressure at a constant 40 mmHg. To visualize the myocardial ischemia as a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) - fluorescent area, the beating hearts were rapidly cross-sectioned (120 ms) and freeze-clamped (−190°C) using a sampling device after 10 min of HS. The effect of a KATP channel blocker, glibenclamide (1 mg/kg, i.v.), on myocardial ischemia was also quantified. Regional myocardial blood flow was measured using heavy element-loaded nonradioactive microspheres. Myocardial ischemia developed in the subendocardium in the HS alone group, whereas it extended through all the cardiac layers in the glibenclamide-treatment group. The coadministration of a KATP channel opener, cromakalim (50 &mgr;g/kg, i.v.), with glibenclamide prevented the extension of myocardial ischemia to the subepicardium. Glibenclamide decreased the myocardial ATP concentration selectively in the subepicardium during HS. The HS decreased myocardial blood flow transmurally, and following the administration of glibenclamide, further decreased the blood flow selectively in the subepicardium. These results suggest that KATP channels are activated during HS, enabling selective subepicardial coronary dilatation and protecting the myocardium from the extension of myocardial ischemia to the subepicardium.ABBREVIATIONS-HS-hemorrhagic shock; KATP channel-ATP-sensitive potassium channel; LCX-left circumflex coronary artery; LVEDP-left ventricular end-diastolic pressure; MAP-mean aortic pressure


Engaging the issue of higher education's role in a democracy is a Gordian Knot that many insightful thinkers and profound authors have attempted to untangle. The purpose of this essay is to explicate the distinct metaphysical postulates underlying the thinking of two influential philosophers: Allan David Bloom (1930-1992) and John Dewey (1859-1952). Of course, these two men were quite clear as to the ontological postulates underlying their arguments. It is due to that clarity that examination of their respective metaphysics contributes to our own contemporary understanding as we carry on the discussion. One would be hard pressed to find a thinker more influential in the twentieth century than John Dewey. This is true across the wide spectrum of schools of thought and fields of inquiry, not the least of which are the philosophy of education and the theory of democracy. His work remains actively studied and productively applied to this day. Allan Bloom's influence as a teacher of classical literature and political theory was sustained over many years, but his impact as an author was enhanced by his bestselling book The Closing of the American Mind, published in 1987. Perhaps the most often purchased and least read book of the decade, it became a symbol in the curriculum wars of the period. Its popularity was in some ways unfortunate, for like most symbols, the depth of its insight was too often lost in the heat of debate. The more difficult chapters of the book are well worth careful review. Faith in one's democratic fellow has always been and yet remains the core matter of contention; one need not venture far into the folly of human foible and frailty to question the prudence of self-government. Certainly, from the beginning of the American Experiment, education has been promoted as the best response to such misgivings. It is impossible to converse about democratic character, citizenship, or leadership without the subject of education emerging, the two are so entwined. Oftentimes, an impasse seems to be encountered and one feels compelled to choose from two less than satisfactory alternatives. It is at such moments that our unexamined assumptions are ripe for examination. This essay attempts to explicate some of those underlying assumptions about how the world "is"; that is to say, our ontology. Allan Bloom (1987) is insightful when he points out that the fundamental crisis facing us today is the "incoherence and incompatibility among the first principles with which we interpret the world" (p. 346). However, his solution to this predicament falls woefully short; indeed, it may serve to make matters worse. The philosophy of John Dewey provides a fruitful perspective from which to examine the shortcomings of Bloom's thinking. Dewey also supplies an alternative to what Bloom views as the underlying impasse. The essay below is divided into three sections. The first will summarize Allan Bloom's position as it is found in his influential book, The Closing of the American Mind. The paraphrase found here will be tightly focused upon those postulates underlying a more extensive argument. The second section will offer a critical examination of these underpinnings found in Bloom's analysis of the crisis in American higher education from the perspective of John Dewey's thought. The final section will furnish a brief account of Dewey's alternative ontology as it relates to the fundamental dualism underpinning Bloom's critique of American higher education. If the reader returns to Dewey's original text, the author will be delighted indeed. I. Openness and the Demise of the American College Student Allan Bloom addresses "the state of our souls" in a report from "the front." The front of which he speaks is the current scene of higher education as he found it in the best universities. The students he encountered there are united in their claim that truth is relative. The belief that truth is relative is necessary to the virtue which they hold most dear: openness. …


This paper aims to distinguish between the process of unification of law and the unification of national languages of the law and to show that both processes are partial and governed by similar rules. Translators are not expected either to make their national legal terminology or phraseology similar to those applied in the international sources of law, except for new terms coined for legal concepts previously unknown in a given legal system. Attention of the reader is also turned to the ignorance sometimes demonstrated by subject specialists in the field of the term formation principles and, at the same time, the unquestionable importance of their part played in the process of legal translation, as well as the phenomenon of "local translation usage" that, irrespective of its irrational nature, should be taken into account. This is why there is a need to develop the awareness of the specific register and phraseology of the national language of the law as well as to train inexperienced translators in their native legal languages in order to avoid uncontrolled foreign influence and undesired linguistic interference.


The role of aesthetics in current bridge design practice varies widely. Many bridgeprojects in the United States are developed without including aesthetics as one of theproject goals. Most bridges are part of a highway system that is the responsibility ofState Department of Transportations (DOTs) supported by the Federal HighwayAdministration (FHWA). According to the FHWA office of Bridge Technology, atthe end of 2006, there were 597,479 bridges in the United States. Culverts, slabs, andmulti-girder structures are the structural types used for more than 90% of thosebridges. The relevance of aesthetics in bridge design depends on the individual DOT.Some DOTs have developed aesthetic guidelines for bridge design; however, mostbridge projects do not include aesthetics as a consideration. Nonetheless, there is growing number of high profile bridge projects that requirethat bridge engineers include aesthetics as a key design consideration. The aestheticgoals are frequently stated in terms of satisfying the desires of the local community orcreating a landmark structure of symbolic character. Owners and bridge engineersalike are challenged to incorporate aesthetics requirements into their work, but theyoften lack the training and experience necessary to be successful. Bridge engineersoften concentrate on functionality, structural efficiency and cost, while the task ofincorporating aesthetics into bridge projects is assigned to bridge architects. Thisapproach has sometimes resulted in significantly over budget bridge projects whichrequired a complete redesigned in order to be built.


We examine the relationship between public firm disclosure and aggregate new business formation. Consistent with the notion that public company disclosures provide information spillovers that reduce the extent of uncertainty about new investment opportunities, we find that increased public firm presence is positively associated with new business formation in an industry. Furthermore, using plausibly exogenous information shocks generated by new IPOs in a geographic area, we find that post-IPO, new business registration in the public company's geographic area rise by 4 to 10%, consistent with soft information channels serving to reinforce hard information in public disclosures. New IPOs are associated with significant increases in Edgar downloading activity in the IPOs' geographic area, consistent with the notion that public firm disclosures are providing important investment opportunity information that facilitates new business formation.


Spectral flame emissivity and absorption measurements with high temporal and spatial resolution were performed in an optically accessible high-swirl divided-chamber Diesel system. Simultaneous determination of soot temperature, soot volume fraction and the OH radical concentration were made from the start to the end of the combustion in 153 locations equally distributed in the chamber. The engine was run at 2,000 rpm and at fixed air-fuel ratio realizing 200 consecutive combustion cycles. To visualize the spatial and temporal spray and flame evolution, direct high-speed photographic sequences were taken at 8,000 frames/s. The photographic sequences showed that the spray is strongly distorted and mixed by very high swirl resulting in a well premixed region where the combustion starts. The OH radicals were detected in the fuel reaction zone. Moreover OH concentration and soot volume fraction are well correlated with soot temperature.


The current research work was carried out to investigate the antimicrobial, antinociceptive and antipyretic activities of different solvent extracts of Forsskaolea tenacissima. This investigation revealed that ethyl acetate extract exerted maximum inhibition (56%) of the growth of Providencia mirabilis and 48% of Aspergillus fumigatus. Penecillium was the most resistant fungi and was unaffected by any extracts. The analgesic activity of these extracts at a dose of 150 mg/kg increased the reaction time after 60, 90, 120 and 180 min compared to the initial latency as well as that of control group in the hot plate method. The number of writhes recorded after 150 mg/kg extract were comparatively lower (56±3.74) than that of normal saline group (76±4.15) in acetic acid-induced writhing test. The antipyretic effect of the plant extracts at 300 mg/kg was comparable with normal saline.


Legal scholars have focused their attention on regulatory standards. Less attention has been given to the inevitable "slippage" between the standards and the ensuing implementation. This essay presents an alternate view that highlights the slippage. Part I discusses two forms of slippage. "Negative" slippage is a ubiquitous feature of environmental law: something that is legally mandated simply fails to happen. "Affirmative" slippage is more interesting: the required standards are renegotiated rather than ignored, resulting in a regulatory regime that may bear little resemblance to the "law on the books." Part II explores how the concept of slippage might inform discussions of legal doctrine, environmental policy, and environmental pedagogy. It turns out that the Supreme Court has had a certain degree of complicity in the creation of slippage. Slippage also has implications for policy debates over environmental standards. If standards are not automatically translated into compliance, our understanding of their costs and benefits may shift. Finally, in terms of teaching, we need to devote more attention to compliance-related issues.


Thoughts, antagonisms, innovations, demonstrations, elaborations, expectations and refutations. This is all to say, field-notes, from an array of politically engaged, nonobjectifying theoretical work projects. Behold, the current issue of ephemera! Foolish is s/he who would seek to encapsulate a supposedly complete or somehow representative spectrum of such concerns within this, or indeed any format. Foolish also are those who would hope to find herein a necessary 'image of thought' (Deleuze, 1995). It is its conditions of impossibility that emphasize the necessity of a worthy task. A task guided by a certain futility then. Yet, it is precisely continuation and openness that constitutes the materially valuable. "[T]he hypothesis understood as provocation (knowledge)" (Tronti-Panzieri, 1962), not understood through itself, but as a relation to an other which destabilizes and recomposes and a self which is dispersed and paradoxically reformed. To formulate without hoping to formalize, to formulate the to-be-de-formed. Our task, attempted here through this medium.


The aim of this work is to explore the potential and to enhance the capability of evolutionary computation in the development of novel and advanced methodologies that enable control system structural optimisation and design automation for practical applications.

Current design and optimisation methods adopted in control systems engineering are in essence based upon conventional numerical techniques that require derivative information of performance indices. These techniques lack robustness in solving practical engineering problems, which are often of a multi-dimensional, multi-modal nature. Using those techniques can often achieve neither global nor structural optimisation. In contrast, evolutionary mechanism learning tools have the ability to search in a multi-dimensional, multi-modal space, but they can not approach a local optimum as a conventional calculus-based method. The first objective of this research is to develop a reliable and effective evolutionary algorithm for engineering applications.

In this thesis, a globally optimal evolutionary methodology and environment for control system structuring and design automation is developed, which requires no design indices to be differentiable. This is based on the development of a hybridised GA search engine, whose local tuning is tremendously enhanced by the incorporation of Hill-Climbing (HC), Simulated Annealing (SA) and Simplex techniques to improve the performance in search and design. A Lamarckian inheritance technique is also developed to improve crossover and mutation operations in GAs. Benchmark tests have shown that the enhanced hybrid GA is accurate, and reliable.

Based on this search engine and optimisation core, a linear and nonlinear control system design automation suite is developed in a Java based platform-independent format, which can be readily available for design and design collaboration over corporate Intranets and the Internet. Since it has also made cost function unnecessary to be differentiable, hybridised indices combining time and frequency domain measurement and accommodating practical constraints can now be incorporated in the design. Such type of novel indices are proposed in the thesis and incorporated in the design suite.

The Proportional plus Integral plus Derivative (PID) controller is very popular in real world control applications. The development of new PID tuning rules remains an area of active research. Many researchers, such as Astrom and Hagglund, Ho, Zhuang and Atherton, have suggested many methods. However, their methods still suffer from poor load disturbance rejection, poor stability or shutting of the derivative control etc. In this thesis, Systematic and batch optimisation of PID controllers to meet practical requirements is achieved using the developed design automation suite. A novel cost function is designed to take disturbance rejection, stability in terms of gain and phase margins and other specifications into account in-the same time. Comparisons made with Ho's method confirm that the derivative action can play an important role to improve load disturbance rejection yet maintaining the same stability margins. Comparisons made with Astrom's method confirm that the results from this thesis are superior not only in load disturbance rejection but also in terms of stability margins.

Further robustness issues are addressed by extending the PID structure to a free form transfer function. This is realised by achieving design automation. Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFTX, method offers a direct frequency-domain design technique for uncertain plants, which can deal non-conservatively with different types of uncertainty models and specifications. QFT design problems are often multi-modal and multi-dimensional, where loop shaping is .the most challenging part. Global solutions can hardly be obtained using analytical and convex or linear programming techniques. In addition, these types of conventional methods often impose unrealistic or unpractical assumptions and often lead to very conservative designs. In this thesis, GA-based automatic loop shaping for QFT controllers suggested by the Research Group is being furthered. A new index is developed for the design which can describe stability, load rejection and reduction of high frequency gains, which has not been achieved with existing methods. The corresponding prefilter can also be systematically designed if tracking is one of the specifications. The results from the evolutionary computing based design automation suite show that the evolutionary technique is much better than numerical methods and manual designs, i.e., 'high frequency gain' and controller order have been significantly reduced. Time domain simulations show that the designed QFT controller combined with the corresponding prefilter performs more satisfactorily.


We present a neurosymbolic framework for the lifelong learning of algorithmic tasks that mix perception and procedural reasoning. Reusing high-level concepts across domains and learning complex procedures are key challenges in lifelong learning. We show that a program synthesis approach that combines gradient descent with combinatorial search over programs can be a more effective response to these challenges than purely neural methods. Our framework, called HOUDINI, represents neural networks as strongly typed, differentiable functional programs that use symbolic higher-order combinators to compose a library of neural functions. Our learning algorithm consists of: (1) a symbolic program synthesizer that performs a type-directed search over parameterized programs, and decides on the library functions to reuse, and the architectures to combine them, while learning a sequence of tasks; and (2) a neural module that trains these programs using stochastic gradient descent. We evaluate HOUDINI on three benchmarks that combine perception with the algorithmic tasks of counting, summing, and shortest-path computation. Our experiments show that HOUDINI transfers high-level concepts more effectively than traditional transfer learning and progressive neural networks, and that the typed representation of networks significantly accelerates the search.


"The Rough Guide to Germany" is the ultimate travel guide to this dynamic country. It is now in full colour throughout, dozens of photos illustrate Germany's stylish cities, beautiful landscapes, meandering rivers and picture-perfect castles. Detailed accounts of every attraction provide all the information you need to explore the country's exceptional museums, iconic architecture, and its many rural escapes, from the soaring Bavarian Alps and dense woodlands of the Black Forest to the beautiful beaches and islands of the North Sea or the idyllic Rhineland vineyards where you can sample some of the country's many world-class wines. The guide's bevy of practical advice ensures that, no matter what your budget, you'll find the perfect boutique hotel, convivial hostel, authentic cellar restaurant, stylish gourmet haunt, design-conscious shop, cutting-edge arts venue or hip bar and club, all marked on the book's many colour maps. "The Rough Guide to Germany" includes well-researched historical and cultural background to help you understand and appreciate this complex country and, above all, make the most of your holiday.


Introduction: After an evening of alcohol consumption, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) may reach intoxica- tion levels above legal limits for operating a car or bicycle. In the Netherlands, legal limits for participating in traffic are 0.05% for experienced drivers and 0.02% for novice drivers. The purpose of this study was to determine bicycle accident risk of Dutch students after an evening of alcohol consumption. Methods: A survey was conducted among 800 University and college students in Utrecht, The Netherlands. The survey included retrospective questions concerning alcohol consumption on a typical night out and the start and end time of con- sumption. For those who travel home by bicycle, BAC was computed and relative risk of having a bicycle accident. Fi- nally, they reported the likelihood (0 - 100 %) that they would consume less alcohol when police controls for drunk bicy- cling were comparable to those for car drivers (with a similar chance of getting caught and a similar fine for driving when drunk). Results: 761 surveys (95.3 %) were eligible for statistical evaluation. 690 students reported going to the pub for a night out, on average 1.6 times per week. 445 students (64.5 %) reported traveling home by bicycle often or always. They re- ported drinking an average of 6.8 alcoholic drinks (Standardized drinks contain 12 gram alcohol) and their mean (SD) BAC when traveling home was 0.95 (0.9)%. The percentage of past year accidents or injury among those traveling home by bicycle often or always but consumed no alcohol (BAC=0%) was 2%. Alcohol consumption significantly increased the risk of bicycle accidents (Odds ratio: 6.8). Odds ratio of having a bicycle accident increased exponentially when having a higher BAC: 2.5 (BAC = 0-0.2%), 6.8 (BAC = 0.2-0.5%), 6.0 (BAC = 0.5-1.0%), 16.4 (BAC = 1.0-1.5%) and 11.1 (BAC > 1.5%). Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant (p<0.006) relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of a bicycle accident. Students who travel home by bicycle report that there is a 41.9% chance that they will consume less alcohol on a night out when police controls for driving drunk are the same as for car drivers. This was not related to BAC levels. Conclusions: On average, students have blood alcohol concentrations that are five-fold higher than allowed to participate in traffic. Nevertheless, most of them travel home by bicycle after an evening of alcohol consumption. This is of great concern, since the risk of having a bicycle accident increases with higher BAC levels.


Over the past decade, graphic literature has fueled the conversations of theory and criticism among scholars and educators alike. With the critical need to teach informative texts and college-ready skills in secondary schools, the debate arises on how these mediums can be further used to extend the capabilities of young readers in a 21st century, global community. Thus far, the scholarship on graphic literature in the secondary English classroom proves to be helpful in certain areas, while revealing a gap in others. Missing wholly are discussions about targeted reading comprehension skills particularly related to informative texts and their writer's purpose, such as being able to understand work that informs, critiques, or proposes solutions necessary to be successful. Thus, teachers need to begin developing and collecting the necessary pedagogical tools needed to help inform the reading of these pivotal texts so that students can successfully practice reading and identifying them in other forms of informational text. My thesis addresses this gap by offering an analysis of how graphic literature can deepen students understanding of informative texts, no matter the genre. By interacting with three examples of graphic literature that express the range of works available, as well as pedagogical analyses and theories surrounding English education, I argue that graphic literature can be used to better solidify the comprehension of informational texts through its unique construction that relies on the working relationship between words and images, leaving opportunities for deeper inquiry and exploration of the texts as a whole. More specifically, in exploring these works as potential mentor texts, I demonstrate how graphic literature can foster the comprehension of informational text features and writer's purposes through exploratory, student-centered inquiry and engagement. In developing these arguments, I will offer insight for secondary English teachers to begin considering and integrating graphic literature as a means of offering a kaleidoscope of views through which students can explore new meaning and understanding.


This thesis describes a step by step approach to the design, assembly and final testing of a high resolution electro-mechanical actuator which will be an integral part of an automated skiving process used in the shoe manufacturing industry. It is referred to as a skiving machine in this thesis. The thesis provides the necessary background information as to the reasons for replacing a previous machine and then investigates the features considered suitable for incorporation into the new skiving machine. An investigation is carried" out into the desired objectives of the new design and the components to be used. A discussion then follows into the most desirable design systems to be considered for the skiving machine. It is concluded that a system comprising, of- actuating pins, levers, transmission wires and,, solenoids has the most ' appropriate combination of I, characteristics for a satisfactory machine, a' detailed description of the completed design and its parameters is given in relation to the initial objectives. There follows a description of the manufacture' and assembly based upon the design principles. The thesis then describes the performance of the machine and evaluates its skiving capability. Finally, suggestions for future improvements and further integration of the automation process in shoe manufacturing are made.


Abstract: Extractive activities targeting a wide range of nontimber forest products ( NTFPs ) are ubiquitous in tropical forests, yet the extent of structurally intact forests in a given region affected by this form of cryptic disturbance is poorly documented. We conducted a basin‐wide geographic information system analysis of the nonmotorized accessibility of Amazonian NTFP extraction and estimated the proportion of the Amazon drainage basin within Brazil ( 3.74 million km 2 ) that can be accessed on foot from the nearest navigable river or functional road. We use a long‐term series of standardized line‐transect vertebrate censuses conducted throughout the region to illustrate the effects of physical accessibility on wildlife densities in terms of hunting pressure as a function of distance from the nearest point of access. Population abundance in large‐bodied, prime‐target species preferred by game hunters tended to increase at greater distances from the access matrix, whereas small‐bodied species ignored by hunters usually showed the reverse trend. In addition, we estimated the proportion of presumably inviolate core areas within nature, extractive, and indigenous reserves of Brazilian Amazonia that are prohibitively remote and unlikely to be overhunted; for instance, only 1.16% of the basin‐wide area is strictly protected on paper and is reasonably safe from extractive activities targeted to game vertebrates and other valuable NTFPs. Finally, we discuss the concept of truly undisturbed wildlands in the last major tropical forest regions by distinguishing potentially overharvested areas from those that remain largely or entirely pristine and that maintain viable populations of a full complement of harvest‐sensitive species.


Background and Aims Real-time shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) is a two-dimensional transient elastography and a competitor as a biomarker of liver fibrosis in comparison with the standard reference transient elastography by M probe (TE-M). The aims were to compare several criteria of applicability, and to assess inflammation and steatosis impact on elasticity values, two unmet needs. Methods We took FibroTest as the fibrosis reference and ActiTest and SteatoTest as quantitative estimates of inflammation and steatosis. After standardization of estimates, analyses used curve fitting, quantitative Lin concordance coefficient [LCC], and multivariate logistic regression. Results A total of 2,251 consecutive patients were included. We validated the predetermined 0.2 kPa cut-off as a too low minimal elasticity value identifying not-reliable 2D-SWE results (LCC with FibroTest = 0.0281[-0.119;0.175]. Other criteria, elasticity CV, body mass index and depth of measures were not sufficiently discriminant. The applicability of 2D-SWE (95%CI) 89.6%(88.2–90.8), was significantly higher than that of TE, 85.6%(84.0–87.0; P<0.0001). In patients with non-advanced fibrosis (METAVIR F0F1F2), elasticity values estimated by 2D-SWE was less impacted by inflammation and steatosis than elasticity value estimated by TE-M: LCC (95%CI) 0.039 (0.021;0.058) vs 0.090 (0.068;0.112;P<0.01) and 0.105 (0.068;0.141) vs 0.192 (0.153;0.230; P<0.01) respectively. The three analyses methods gave similar results. Conclusions Elasticity results including very low minimal signal in the region of interest should be considered not reliable. 2D-SWE had a higher applicability than TE, the reference elastography, with less impact of inflammation and steatosis especially in patients with non-advanced fibrosis, as presumed by blood tests. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01927133


The Serbian population (exclusive of Kosovo and Metohia region) is among the oldest populations in the world. More than 950,000 individuals in the Central Serbia and about 300,000 individuals in Vojvodina, or one sixth of both populations are 65 plus. The findings of representative surveys carried out recently pointed out that poverty and poor institutional and instrumental support are the main issues of the elderly population in Serbia. The poverty rate among the elderly is high (9.6 percent) and significantly higher than average (6.6). In the meantime, the coverage of poor elderly in Serbia with material provisioning of the family (MPF), the most important measure of the state's social policy, is low due to lack of information of potential beneficiaries, difficulties in collecting all necessary documents as well as strict criteria in connection to means and income tests necessary for exercising the right on this social benefit. Not only that the MPF coverage of poor elderly is inadequate, the amount of this social benefit is also very low. Parallel interviews with 826 elderly persons of 70 and over demonstrate that, although four out of five elderly are chronic patients, the majority of respondents evaluates that they are capable of living in their own households. However, a substantial number of the elderly, every fourth, needs some kind of assistance services with a view to daily functioning at home or in local community. Respondents mainly rely on family in resolving daily problems. A family provides greatest help and support regardless of the fact that such elderly person lives alone or not. Significant factors of support to elderly are friends and neighbors of such persons. Institutions have only a marginal role in the elderly support network. .


During the 1970s research showed that less than 20% of Māori people were proficient in the Māori language. Leading sociolinguists of that time predicted the Māori language would be extinct by 2000. This provided the impetus for the emergence of various Māori language revitalisation strategies. Te Whanake and Te Ataarangi are two examples of such diverse language acquisition programmes developed in response to these findings. This thesis will provide a comparative analysis of both programmes through an examination of the respective historical backgrounds, the methodological factors particular to each programme and consequently highlight why they continue to be successful models after 30 years at the forefront of Māori language revitalisation.


Women born in 1935 went to college significantly less than their male counterparts and married women's labor force participation (LFP) averaged 40% between the ages of thirty and forty. The cohort born twenty years later behaved very differently. The education gender gap was eliminated and married women's LFP averaged 70% over the same ages. In order to evaluate the quantitative contributions of the many significant changes in the economic environment, family structure, and social norms that occurred over this period, this paper develops a dynamic life-cycle model calibrated to data relevant to the 1935 cohort. We find that the higher probability of divorce and the changes in wage structure faced by the 1955 cohort are each able to explain, in isolation, a large proportion (about 60%) of the observed changes in female LFP. After combining all economic and family structure changes, we find that a simple change in preferences towards work can account for the remaining change in LFP. To eliminate the education gender gap requires, on the other hand, for the psychic cost of obtaining higher education to change asymmetrically for women versus men.


Harold Brodkey's book of short stories, First Love and Other Sorrows, shows his remarkable affinity with first generation Romantic poets. "The State of Grace," which opens the volume, is an ironic refashioning of Coleridge's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" into a psychologically probing analysis of unconsciously hypocritical narcissism (Bidney, "Unreliable Modern 'Mariner'"). As I would like to show now, the book's penultimate tale, "Piping Down the Valleys Wild" (not yet analyzed in the secondary literature, so far as I can find) is a refreshing Romantic contrast: here Brodkey reshapes the lyric legacy of William Blake into a sophisticated study of innocence maintained not only in the face of, but precisely because of, the insights born of hard-won experience. "Piping down the valleys wild" is the first line of the poem "Introduction," which opens Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience: Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. Brodkey allusively signals that in this tale he will offer us an illustrative examination of both Blakean contrary states. "Without Contraries is no progression," says Blake in Plate 5 of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Brodkey, too, tells the story of a sometimes contrarious but always progressing marriage, the occasionally conflicted but still healthily loving union of Laura and Martin. "Opposition," adds Blake in another bold paradox, "is true Friendship" (MHH 20).(1) Brodkey's tale similarly features an exemplary friendship, shown convincingly in the enjoyable conversational give-and-take or friendly opposition between Stu and Martin. The union of innocence and its contrary, experiential insight, is also clearly shown - in the rewarding exchanges between three-year-old Faith and the adults around her: her parents (Laura, Martin) and their friend Stu, whom she calls "Uncle." The pleasant but lively summer evening that these four people enjoy in Brodkey's tale is no simplistic idyll: indeed, it begins with a quarrel, and no agreement is reached on the object of contention - a delft bowl Laura has bought for an ashtray, but which Martin feels they can hardly afford. Yet all of Brodkey's main characters in this story - Laura, Martin, Stu, and even the child Faith - have mastered one essential art: they know how to agree to disagree. Brodkey's group portrait of the four of them constitutes a truly Blakean "fourfold vision" ("With Happiness . . ." 84) of friendship thriving in kindly contrariety. "Piping Down the Valleys Wild" is, then, a story about contrarieties. The events during the evening the four people spend together are structured so that the Blakean allusions these little episodes suggest will offer a quick tour, in sequence, of representative Songs of Innocence. Beginning with material reworked from "Introduction," Brodkey goes next, in Blakean order, to "The Ecchoing Green," "Nurse's Song," and finally "A Dream." (I suspect also a pair of allusions to "The Little Boy Lost" and "The Little Boy Found" - placed somewhat out of sequence with Blake's ordering.) But we also find sprinkled throughout the brief tale references to lyrics of a contrasting type - "A Divine Image" (a poem included only in one late copy of Songs of Experience), "Mock on Mock on Voltaire Rousseau," "Riches," "Eternity," and "He Who Binds to Himself a Joy" (notebook verses of Blake's) - as well as allusions to The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. These are materials expressive of Blakean insights regarding, and won through, "experience." Brodkey, I am suggesting, alludes freely in his story to Blakean visions of both innocence and experience. But he tends to avoid citing lyrics of the "London" type, deeply despairing poems about the miseries produced in society when Reason and Energy seek to destroy each other. For his goal in "Piping Down the Valleys Wild" is to offer a portrait of a marriage, a friendship, a family, that exemplify the harmonious union of contrasts in an atmosphere of love and mutual respect. …


As defined by the editors of this book, 'non-market entrepreneurship' consists of all forms of entrepreneurship not being undertaken solely for purposes of profit maximization or commercialization, and encompasses entrepreneurial activities such as social enterprise and entrepreneurship, public sector entrepreneurship, policy entrepreneurship, non-profit entrepreneurship, and philanthropic enterprise, among many others. The eminent cast of contributors gives coherence to the academic and public discussions on the topic, builds a theoretical edifice within the field of entrepreneurship and helps to establish and delineate the contours of the research field of non-market entrepreneurship.


This article is an account of a detailed study of the collection of sources and references used by Conrad Gessner in his Mithridates, de differentiis linguarum [...] obseruationes (1555). Although this volume is of modest length, its author intends for it to be a comprehensive survey of the world's languages. He does not claim his work to be original, however: he clearly affirms the debt he owes to his predecessors, whom he cites as systematically as possible; quotations make up nearly 50% of the total text. The vastness of Gessner's scholarship yields a cumulative index – both of the direct sources of the Mithridates and of authors quoted – in excess of 150 names, cited more than 500 times.Taking different criteria into consideration (chronology, frequency of sources, quantitative importance of the cited texts), this article first covers the forms of citation (in terms of length and precision), then gives global statistical data, before providing a more detailed analysis organized by period: antiquity (85 authors cited), Middle Ages (15 authors), and Renaissance (53 authors). These three periods are thus represented in the Mithridates , with a clear predominance of historians from antiquity, along with Renaissance cosmographers, explorers and naturalists.


RICHARD DAWKINS is Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. When this issue of Compass was planned, he was only a distant rumble over the horizon somewhere. I had just purchased a copy of his latest book, The God Delusion (2006) and was appalled that a man of his acknowledged brilliance in science communication could be so ignorant and ignorantly dogmatic about faith and theology. As we go to print the Dawkins rumble has come upon us as a storm. Millions have read about his ideas or seen his two-part television presentations, The Root of all Evil, and many have been reading his book. It seems like a good time to revisit the science and faith/theology theme. It is difficult not to sound totally negative about Dawkins' views. I must not be influenced by the fact that he considers me to be a 'dyed-inthe-wool faith-head...immune to argument'. According to Dawkins I believe in God because I am deluded, deranged, a victim of years of childhood indoctrination during which I contracted a virus of the mind which I am now spreading in the population. I am a menace to civilisation. I will forget about that and try to sound positive by saying that I agree with Dawkins on some things. For instance, I too condemn religious extremism and terrorism in the name of religion. But Dawkins should acknowledge that it is not doctrine that ultimately motivates these extremists, but politics, nationalism, ethnic causes, oppression or a desire to drive out foreign invaders. The extremists might do things in the name of religion, but not with the sanction of religious teaching. Dawkins states that the God of the Old Testament is 'a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully' (Dawkins 2006, p.31), 'a psychotic delinquent' (idem p. 38). He is not trying to make a bad joke: he is serious! Clearly he needs to learn how to read the Bible. That kind of statement is just a sample indication of the primitive level of Dawkins' discussion of things theological. Every scientist and academic knows that one must listen to the experts of other disciplines. Everyone except Dawkins. He operates as though he is the expert in all disciplines, human and divine. He is indeed an expert in biology and zoology, but he has expanded the field of biology to encompass and dismiss anthropology, culture and religion. He is a biologist-imperialist. A passage which a number of commentators have quoted with relish is from Terry Eagleton's review of The God Delusion in the London Review of Books (19 October, 2006): 'Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology'. Educationalists are concerned that students are less attracted to the sciences these days and that is not a good thing for the future of the nation. Assaults on human values and beliefs in the name of science such as the Dawkins crusade are hardly going to encourage more young people to study natural science. This is an age in which spirituality is considered a good thing, and many will not be attracted to scientistic atheism with its narrow horizons, lack of vision and no 'rumour of angels'. Like any fundamentalism, Dawkins' dogmatic atheist fundamentalism cramps the human spirit. —Barry Brundell MSC, Editor. DAWKINS' WAR ON EVERYTHING


The clinical outcome of the overall recurrence after SND and RND in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma; relate the recurrence rate of pathological staging and the significance of PORT in reducing recurrence. Fifty-eight Neck Dissection (ND) was done in 57 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma in Ramadi Teaching Hospital, Iraq from 2008 to 2014. In the first group there were 33 SND which were done in the clinically negative neck (cN0) and in the second group there 25 RND which were done in the clinical positive neck (cN+). Postoperative radiotherapy was given to six patients with cN0 and to 19 patients with cN+. There were four recurrences in the first group (3 cases, ND without PORT, 1 case ND with PORT) and 6 recurrences in the second group (4 cases ND without PORT, 2 cases ND with PORT). there is a significant difference in tumor recurrence in the pathological positive neck (pN+) than the pathological negative neck (pN0) (9.6 times more recurrences in pN+). Tumor recurrence was not influenced statistically with the use of postoperative radiotherapy PORT in the clinically negative neck. There was a significant difference in recurrence in the clinical positive neck (cN+) (p- value >0.05). These findings support general acceptance of the use of END in the clinically negative neck without PORT and RND for clinical positive neck combined with PORT in selected cases to obtain a low recurrence.


ABSTRACT Previous studies have identified fundamental problems of pilotage organisations: pressure on commerce, improper working conditions, increasing traffic volume, and vessel size. Questioning the needs of pilots, the most important actors in pilotage services, is a key issue to ensure the safety of navigation in restricted waterways. This study, which conducts questionnaires and interviews with 71 pilots, reveals the structure of pilotage organisations and the profiles of pilots in Turkey. The survey examines pilot training infrastructure, professional experience, working conditions, tug services, pilot boats, accommodation facilities, and opportunities from operational, economic, and environmental constraints. The results indicate positive and negative aspects of existing pilotage organisations in Turkey in order to develop an ideal organisational model for pilotage in Turkey.


Digital watermarking is well known as enabling technology to prove ownership on copyrighted material, detect originators of illegally made copies, monitor the usage of the copyrighted multimedia data and analyze the spread spectrum of the data over networks and servers. Research has shown that data hiding techniques can be applied successfully to other application areas like manipulations recognition. In this paper, we show our innovative approach for integrating watermark and cryptography based methods within a framework of new application scenarios spanning a wide range from dedicated and user specific services, "Try&Buy" mechanisms to general means for long-term customer relationships. The tremendous recent efforts to develop and deploy ubiquitous mobile communication possibilities are changing the demands but also possibilities for establishing new business and commerce relationships. Especially we motivate annotation watermarks and aspects of M-Commerce to show important scenarios for access control. Based on a description of the challenges of the application domain and our latest work we discuss, which methods can be used for establishing services in a fast convenient and secure way for conditional access services based on digital watermarking combined with cryptographic techniques. We introduce an example scenario for digital audio and an overview of steps in order to establish these concepts practically.


Content distribution via network coding has received a lot of attention lately. However, direct application of network coding may be insecure. In particular, attackers can inject "bogus" data to corrupt the content distribution process so as to hinder the information dispersal or even deplete the network resource. Therefore, content verification is an important and practical issue when network coding is employed. When random linear network coding is used, it is infeasible for the source of the content to sign all the data, and hence, the traditional "hash-and-sign" methods are no longer applicable. Recently, a new on-the-fly verification technique has been proposed by Krohn et al. (IEEE S&P '04), which employs a classical homomorphic hash function. However, this technique is difficult to be applied to network coding because of high computational and communication overhead. We explore this issue further by carefully analyzing different types of overhead, and propose methods to help reducing both the computational and communication cost, and provide provable security at the same time.


This report describes high performance connectivity and communications at the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications (LHC), especially as they relate to the goals and activities of the Office of High Performance Computing and Communication (OHPCC) and its Collaboratory for High Performance Computing and Communication (Collab). Special attention is given to high performance computing and communications in the areas of telemedicine and distance learning, two focal points of Collaboratory work. NLM funded external research under three High Performance Computing and Communication initiatives is summarized to provide a context for understanding the Collab's origins and the focus of its research. Collaboratory research and other activities are described in relation to four major goals and relevant research on telemedicine and distance learning is reviewed. The report concludes with a discussion of problems related to conducting collaboration research, the direction of future work, and with questions for the Board.


OBJECTIVE
Research regarding psychological distress has often underestimated the importance of contextual social factors. This research aims to investigate patterns of psychological distress within the family system (parent dyads) across rural and remote communities and the influence of remoteness on such distress.

DESIGN
Self-report survey data from the Australian Rural Mental Health Study was used to examine the distress levels of cohabitating parental figures in rural and remote Australia.

SETTING
The survey was conducted across rural and remote communities within New South Wales.

PARTICIPANTS
The sample consisted of 129 adult couples (mean age = 42.66 years, SD = 8.11), 43 from Inner Regional areas, 48 from Outer Regional areas, 24 from Remote areas and 14 from Very Remote areas.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Distress levels (Kessler-10).

RESULTS
A significant association was detected between the levels of psychological distress among parents within a household. The strength of this relationship increased with increasing remoteness of residence.

CONCLUSIONS
Identifying the influence of spousal factors on mental health in rural and remote areas allows health services in such regions to be aware of the needs of rural couples and families. These results support the need to consider partner/spouse mental health in clinical assessment and support the importance of household factors especially in remote communities.